The Manila Times | May 17, 2019

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•• 6 SECTIONS PAGES • VOL. 120 NO. 216 32

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

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SENATORIAL RACE Partial, unofficial results as of 5:06 p.m. May 16, 2019

ALMOST OVER Election officers open a ballot box on the third day of the official counting of votes by the Commission on Elections at the Philippine International Convention Center. Comelec officials expect to finish the canvassing of votes on Friday. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA

Lift ‘veil of secrecy’, Namfrel tells Comelec BY NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS

COMELEC SAYS WINNERS TO BE KNOWN THIS WEEK

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POLL watchdog wants the Commission on Elections (Comelec) t o d e t a i l t he c a u s e s o f t r a n s m i s s i o n a n d vo t e counting glitches that marred the May 13 midterm exercise.

The National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), which earlier this month pulled out as the Comelec’s citizens’ arm after the latter declined a request for access to key voting data, criticized a “veil of secrecy” at the poll body. It cited numerous reports of defective vote-counting machines (VCMs) and faulty Secure Digital (SD) memory cards, a seven-hour gap in the transmission of initial election results on Monday, and claims THAT 6#- DATA WAS kRST SENT TO A gMEET ME ROOMu before being forwarded to a transparency server.

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4(% #OMMISSION ON %LECTIONS #OMELEC EXPECTS TO kNISH ITS senatorial and party-list counts this week and has already started preparations for the proclamation of winners. “Within the week we will be able to know already,” Comelec spokeman James Jimenez said on Thursday. “I cant’ tell you the date of proclamation, but I can tell you that we’re already preparing,” he added. ³WinnersA2

amid concerns of discrepancies and possible cheating. “So far, so good. Everything we have received has a total match. We have no reason to be concerned whatsoever,” PPCRV Media Direc-

24,977,319 21,816,010 20,302,599 19,526,109 18,661,932 17,950,996 15,258,797 15,651,481 15,163,944 14,448,888 14,444,789 14,378,926 14,148,455 14,025,716 11,239,768 9,758,138 9,352,372 7,458,402 7,326,522 6,810,255

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Malacañang recalls PH envoys in Canada

tor Agnes Gervacio said. The PPCRV was mandated by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to conduct a parallel count after the National Movement

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has recalled Philippine envoys in Canada after Ottawa failed to comply with a May 15 deadline to take back the tons of garbage exported to Manila some six years ago. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Twitter that Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila Garcia would arrive “in a day or so.” “At midnight last night, letters for the recall of our ambasador and consuls to Canada went out,” he said. “Canada missed the May 15 deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomartic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there,” he added.

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PPCRV: No irregularities so far PHYSICAL and electronic results from Monday’s elections that were received had so far matched up, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said on Wednesday

1. VILLAR, Cynthia 2. POE, Grace 3. GO, Bong 4. CAYETANO, Pia 5. DELA ROSA, Ronald 6. ANGARA, Sonny 7. LAPID, Lito 8. MARCOS, Imee 9. TOLENTINO, Francis 10. REVILLA, Bong 11. PIMENTEL, Koko 12. BINAY, Nancy 13. EJERCITO, JV 14. AQUINO, Bam 15. ESTRADA, Jinggoy 16. ROXAS, Mar 17. OSMEÑA, Serge 18. ONG, Willie 19. MANGUDADATU, Zajid 20. MANICAD, Jiggy

Think of it as a version of Japan and Singapore’s decades-old single-party rule

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F course the Yellow ideologues, and those brainwashed in US neoliberal ideology will be aghast. But I dare propose the thesis that because of the massive popular support for President Duterte, his control of the Congress could be our version of Japan, Singapore and Malay-

sia’s decades-old single-party rule. And such single-party dominance, with democratic mechanisms such as elections and government accountability, has been the political structure of countries which have been among East Asia’s miracle economies.

RIG RRIGOBERTO IGG DD. TIGLAO

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What’s inside DILG TO LOSING BETS: MOVE ON Anniversary issue

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DUTERTE SACKS FDA CHIEF NewsA3

FOR QUAKE VICTIMS

The Filipino Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc., sister organization of the Philippine Chinese Charitable Association Inc. that owns and operates the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC), together with CGHMC Philippine Red Cross Alliance headed by PRC Governor and National Treasurer Dr. James Dy, held a medical and dental mission for victims of the quake that hit Luzon on April 22. Medicines, reading glasses and relief goods were distributed to the quake victims during the event held at the Barangay Pio covered court in Porac, Pampanga. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Chairman Andrea Domingo and Porac Mayor Carling de la Cruz joined the humanitarian event.

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Boardroom Watch, our every Friday conversation with the captains of Philippine industry and commerce, turns two today. And we celebrate with our eye on the future and its possibilities

Q keep in view

—Business Leaders to Watch Out For was launched when The Manila Times turned 120 years old on Oct. 12, 2018. Highlighting the journeys of executives-on-the rise, it was the logical spin off to Boardroom Watch, our profile gallery of established business mavericks. For this Anniversary issue, these six young corporates fit perfectly our specs: hard working, passionate, caring and funloving. Here’s wishing them luck on their way to the stars.

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ISKO MORENO LEADS WINNING STARS IN 2019 ELECTIONS

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newsdesk@ manilatimes.net Tel. Nos.: 524-5664 to 67 Address: 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002

MEGA AWARDS

Megaworld Group led by Chief Operating Officer Lourdes GutierrezAlfonso (seventh from right) and Megaworld’s subsidiary Global-Estate Resorts Inc. (GERI) President Monica Salomon (eighth from left) received the most number of awards during the 2019 Property and Real Estate Excellence Awards, including outstanding developer award for GERI.

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FRIDAY May 17, 2019

DILG to losing bets: Move on I BY DEMPSEY REYES

NTERIOR and Local Government Secretary Eduardo AĂąo called on defeated candidates to let go of their political bitterness and accept the winners of the midterm elections.

“The Filipino people have spoken and now is the time to move on. A greater agenda awaits and that is the task of nation-building,â€? AĂąo said in a statement on Thursday. He said all winners and losers “should take the higher ground and let goâ€? of all their resentments “for the sake of the people whom they have sworn to serve.â€?

“That is why we need to unite and help each other for the sake of our locals,â€? he added. In Pasig City, supporters of defeated mayoral candidate Robert “Bobbyâ€? Eusebio trooped to the city hall to express their dismay over the results. The mayoral race was won by Victor “Vicoâ€? Sotto. AĂąo said it was time to “rise

above party politics and interests and prepare for a smooth turnover of powers in local government units to ensure the continuity in local governance.� The Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier issued Memorandum Circular 2019-39 requiring a local governance transition team to be chaired by the local chief

executive with the vice chairman to be elected among members through simple majority vote. The team is tasked, among others, to conduct an inventory of local government unit properties, secure ALL OFkCIAL DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS of the local government’s transactions, and brief the incoming set of OFkCIALS ON KEY CHALLENGES

Lorenzana confined at Veterans’ hospital DEFENSE Secretary Delfin LoRENZANA WAS CONkNED AT THE 6ETerans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) to undergo executive check-up because of fatigue and eye problems. Lorenzana checked in at the VMMC on Monday and, on Wednesday night, dismissed reports of him suffering from cardiac arrest. “No, I did not [suffer from cardiac arrest]. Just a routine executive check-up after I came to the Veterans hospital for some eye problems,� he told reporters in a text message. “They are doing a series of tests.

While here they did a full checkup. They say it was stress-related,� the Defense chief added. The 70-year-old Lorenzana, who is still physically active and strong, said he would be home in a day or two. (E WAS SUPPOSED TO lY TO 'Eneva in Switzerland on Monday to lead the Philippine delegation’s 6th session of the Global Platform for the Disaster Risk Reduction. Lorenzana was advised by doctors to take it easy for a while. “I will and will slow down, too. I’ll follow the doctor’s advice,� he said. DEMPSEY REYES

TOO MANY ISSUES

Namfrel officials (from left) Eric Jude Alvia, Augusto Lagman, Lito Averia and Fernando ‘JR’ Contreras discuss their election concerns in a news briefing held in Mandaluyong City. PHOTO BY ORVEN VERDOTE

PH, Japan to sign 10 business deals Lift ‘veil of secrecy’, Namfrel tells Comelec Q SECRECY FROM A1

The Philippines is expected to sign at least 10 economic agreements with Japan during President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to Tokyo later this month, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said on Thursday. Lopez said the business-to-business deals with Japan were related to industries like electronics, manufacturing, data analytics, services, energy, transportation and tourism, like the establishment of theme parks and hotels. “So far we have two MoUs (Memoranda of Understanding) and at least eight letters of intent, in other words, companies that are already here that are intending to expand their operation, invest more, expand the operations,� Lopez told reporters. “These are big Japanese companies that we cannot also ignore, they still want to express their support and confidence for the current administration

and they want to indicate their intent to invest more,� he added. Lopez said the number of business agreements could still increase. Duterte will fly to Japan at the end of May to attend the Future of Asia international conference. A gathering of political and economic leaders in the Asia-Pacific region, the forum, which is organized by Nikkei, will take place on May 30 to 31 in Tokyo. Lopez said Duterte was expected to give a speech at the forum, where he would bring up the Philippines’ new credit rating upgrade, reforms in bureaucratic processes, and his campaign against corruption and red tape. Another economic issue Philippine officials would likely pursue in Japan, according to Lopez, is the reduction of tariffs imposed by Japan on Philippine bananas. CATHERINE S. VALENTE

“The data outage cast doubt on the integrity and credibility of election results,� Namfrel said. “The transparency server data outage on the night of election day was worrisome for stakeholders, especially among candidates, causing them to wonder the possibility of data manipulation,� it added. The watchdog demanded that the poll body detail the socalled “Java error� said to have been the cause of subsequent data discrepancies, disclose the location of its central server and who manages it, and explain the meet-me room set-up. Namfrel also reiterated its request for access to the logs of all machines used in the automated election system.

“We have all been witnesses to the many problems that attended the conduct of the midterm elections on May 13, 2019. While the count of the VCMs that broke down or malfunctioned corrupted SD cards and the problematic 6OTER 2EGISTRATION AND 6ERIkCATION Machines in pilot areas continue to tick, we have yet to determine the full impact of those problems on the voters, especially in remote areas of the country,� Namfrel said in a statement. “Did those problems result to disenfranchisement of voters? This, we have yet to determine.� A representative of the Automated Election System Watch claimed on a television show on Wednesday that meet-me rooms

Q ENVOYS FROM A1

Q COUNT FROM A1

MalacaĂąang recalls

PPCRV: No irregularities in parallel, unofficial count

“When the President speaks as he did to the extent of ‘declaring war on Canada’ for its garbage here, he is to be taken seriously and not metaphorically; at least I do because I do not think I know better than he does. Some of his OFkCIALS DO u ,OCSIN CONTINUED A total of 103 containers loaded with garbage were shipped to Manila in 2013 and 2014 by Chronic Inc., a private company in Ontario, and were consigned to Chronic 0LASTICS A 0HILIPPINE kRM The shipments were labeled as “recyclable plastic materials,â€? but the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources subsequently discovered that they contained bottles, adult diapers, kitchen refuse and other household trash. Locsin said Canadian officials did not show up at a scheduled meeting, prompting the recall order. He also claimed that some Philippine officials were delaying the process of returning the garbage. “I am having problems with felLOW OFkCIALS HUNGRY ;TO= EMIGRATE to Canada [and] so want to keep friendly relations at the expense of defying Duterte and keeping Canadian garbage here,â€? he said. MalacaĂąang, for its part, said the President’s decision should not affect the thousands of Filipinos working and living in Canada. “The more they delay, the more personnel will be coming back,â€? Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters. “That recall shows that we are

very serious in asking them to get back their garbage. Otherwise, we’re gonna sever relations with them,� he added. There were 901,218 Filipinos in Canada as of April 2018, comprising a mix of naturalized Canadians, permanent residents and temporary foreign workers. This number comprises almost 2.6 percent of Canada’s population. In 2017, remittances from Filipinos in Canada totaled over $644.4 million, up 12.6 percent from 2016. Panelo downplayed concerns that Ottawa could retaliate, noting the Filipinos were there legally and that Canada needed their skills. “Whatever the consequence, this government will be protective of the interest of our countrymen in any part of the world,� he added. Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines John Holmes has yet to comment on the Duterte administration’s action. The Canadian embassy earlier said Manila and Ottawa were working together to resolve the issue. “Canada is strongly committed to collaborating with the Government of the Philippines to resolve this issue and is aware of the court decision ordering the importer to ship the material back to Canada,� the embassy said. The embassy said a joint technical working group was “examining the full spectrum of issues related to the removal of the waste with a view to a timely resolution.� BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO WITH A REPORT FROM CATHERINE S. VALENTE

for Free Elections (Namfrel) backed out earlier this month, citing the poll body’s rejection of a request for key poll data. Gervacio said more than 15 percent of physical election returns (ERs) nationwide, which were to be validated against the partial and unofficial results from the Comelec transparency server, had been received by the watchdog at its command center in Manila. Returns from Metro Manila, Cavite, Ifugao, Baguio, Laguna, Mountain Province, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Tagbilaran, Bohol, south

Cotabato and General Santos had been encoded, she said, with ERs from Jaro, Cabanatuan and Bulacan also being delivered. Nearly 98 percent of results from the 87,540 clustered precincts nationwide, meanwhile, have been electronically transmitted to the Comelec transparency server. Gervacio said the PPCRV was still looking into the delayed transmission of transparency server RESULTS AND SUBSEQUENT DATA lUCtuations that had raised concerns of cheating. She said the watchdog did

containing undeclared servers were already in place during the 2016 presidential elections. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, however, said on Thursday there was no such thing as a separate server for the May 13 polls, only a “transmission router/ gateway� that was used to manage DATA BEING SENT FROM THE kELD “It is not a separate server. There is no such thing as a separate server for the ‘meet-me room’. It is simply an arrangement program that ALLOWS US TO PLAY TRAFkC COP TO THE incoming transmissions,� he told A PRESS BRIEkNG In a radio interview, Jimenez also claimed that a meet-me room was part of a source code review staged before Monday’s polls. He

said political parties and a congressional oversight committee were aware of this. The Comelec, which has blamed procurement laws for the delivery of “low-quality� SD cards and incompatible equipment/materials, had pledged to conduct an investigation of Monday’s poll problems. It has already withheld payment of some P1.4 billion due to four suppliers, including the government-owned National 0RINTING /FkCE PENDING THE REsults of the probe. On Tuesday, it said that just 961 VCMs, or 1.1 percent, out of a total 86,769 had malfunctioned, while 1,665 defective SD cards accounted for only 1.9 percent of those used in elections.

COUNT CONTINUES

Volunteers of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting count votes at the Pope Pius Catholic Center in Paco, Manila. PHOTO BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI not want to unnecessarily alarm assuring that validated reports people and issue statements that would be released to the public. CATHERINE A. MODESTO HAD NOT BEEN DOUBLY CONkRMED

Q WINNERS FROM A1

COMELEC SAYS WINNERS TO BE KNOWN The commission, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, had already reviewed 114 out of CERTIkCATES OF CANVASS TRANSmitted from the provinces and 82 posts abroad. Of the 167, 130 are from automated local and overseas voting, 35 from manual overseas voting, and one each for local absentee and detainee voting. Separate proclamations would be held for the 12 senators and party-list groups, Jimenez said. “You must remember that in 2016 we also did it separately. We don’t want anyone to steal one’s thunder. It’s a hard-fought election, each category deserves its own event.� What could take longer, Jimenez

noted, is the allocation of seats — based on the number of votes received — to the winning partylist groups.

Villar, ACT-CIS still leading As of Thursday afternoon, reelectionist senator Cynthia Villar was still leading the Senate race BASED ON THE PARTIAL AND UNOFkcial results from the poll body’s transparency server. As of 5:06 p.m., Villar had 24,977,319 votes, followed by fellow reelectionist Senator Mary Grace Poe Llamanzares (21,816,010) and former presidential aide Christopher Lawrence “Bong� Go (20,302,599).

Holding on to full six-year terms were Second District Rep. Pilar Juliana “Pia� Cayetano (19,526,109), ex-top cop Ronald “Bato� dela Rosa (18,661,932), and reelectionist senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny� Angara (17,950,996). Accounting for the bottom six — with shorter three-year terms — were former senator Manuel “Lito� Lapid (16,791,883); Ilocos Norte Gov. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee� Marcos (15,651,481); former Metro Manila Development Authority chief Francis Tolentino (15,258,797), former senator Ramon “Bong� Revilla Jr. (14,448,888); and reelectionist senators Aquilino “Koko� Pimentel 3rd (14,444,789) and

Maria Lourdes “Nancy� Binay (14,378,926). In the party-list race, the AntiCrime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support group remained as the frontrunner with 2,598,079 votes Also in the top 5 were Bayan Muna (1,104,629), Ako Bicol (1,045,421), Citizens’ Battlecry Against Corruption or Cibac (921,309) and Ang Probinsyano (762,605 votes). Nearly 98 percent of results from 85,769 clustered precincts have already been transmitted to returns to the Comelec transparency server. WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL, CATHERINE A. MODESTO

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FRIDAY May 17, 2019

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Duterte sacks FDA chief BY RALPH EDWIN U. VILLANUEVA

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2%3)$%.4 2ODRIGO $UTERTE HAS kRED Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Nela Charade Puno for alleged corruption, MalacaĂąang said on Thursday. Duterte, through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, gave the notice of termination on Wednesday. It is effective immediately. “This is in line with the President’s

mandate to eradicate graft and corruption and to ensure that public officials and employees conduct themselves in a manner worthy of public trust,� the letter read.

The Department of Health named Undersecretary Rolando Enrique DoMINGO AS OFkCER IN CHARGE TO ENSURE the continuous and uninterrupted operations of the FDA until the appointment of a new director general. Duterte ordered Puno to turn over all documents, papers and properties to the Department of Health to ensure uninterrupted delivery of services. Puno, the youngest to head the FDA, was appointed by Duterte in 2016.

4HE kRING CAME WEEKS AFTER $UTERTE said he would sack several governMENT OFkCIALS DUE TO CORRUPTION “I will leave for China, and before that I will leave so many letters of dismissal,� he said during the opening ceremony of the seventh Union Asia 0ACIkC 2EGIONAL #ONFERENCE IN 0ASAY City last month. Duterte had sacked several high-ranking officials and heads of

OFkCES ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION EXCESsive travels and abuse of power. 4HOSE kRED INCLUDE FORMER )NTERIor and Local Government secretary Ismael Sueno, National Irrigation Administration chief Peter Lavina, Social Security System commissioner Jose Gabriel “Pompee� Lavina; Maritime Industry Authority Administrator Marcial Quirico Amaro 3rd, Commission on Higher Education chief Patricia Licuanan, and Presidential Commission

No time to discuss federalism – Sotto

‘Drug money may have been used for vote buying’ DRUG money might h have h been b used to buy votes in the run up to the May 13 elections, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Thursday. Col. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesman, said the cash distributed to voters could have been sourced from illegal narcotics. “The possibility that there is a connection with the drug money in these incidents of vote-buying cannot be removed and this is also what our government has been campaigning against illegal drugs,� Banac said in a news briefing in Quezon City. “Drug money is always used in the elections especially for vote-buying purposes,� he added. In the Bicol Region, Banac said police arrested eight minors who were caught holding cash and campaign leaflets.

He said d authorh ities found that the minors were members of a group involved in vote-buying. Banac admitted that no one has been jailed for vote-buying. Those arrested on suspicion of buying votes were released pending investigation of their cases. “All confiscated money will be kept as evidence against those accosted violators,� the police official said. “For now, what the PNP can do is to file charges against those who were caught possessing money and leaflets containing names of particular candidates,� he added. DEMPSEY REYES

Senate will remain neutral – Pacquiao THE Senate would remain neutral even with the entry of 12 new senators, majority of whom were supported by the administration, Sen. Emmanuel “Manny� Pacquiao said on Thursday. “I want to remind everyone that the Senate is an independent body,� Pacquiao, the campaign manager of PDP-Laban, said. Four of five PDP-Laban bets — former Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato� dela Rosa, Christopher Law-

rence “Bong� Go, Sen. Aquilino “Koko� Pimentel 3rd and former Presidential adviser Francis Tolentino were in the “Magic 12� based on partial and unofficial results. “The Senate will be neutral,� the senator said as he squelched allegations that the elections were rigged. Pacquiao urged the opposition to accept defeat. RALPH EDWIN U. VILLANUEVA

for Urban Poor chairman Terry Ridon and commissioners Melissa Aradanas, Manuel Serra Jr. and Joan Lagunda, among others. MalacaĂąang also earlier anNOUNCED THE kRING OF "RIG 'ENE Edwin Torrelavega, the chief of the V. Luna Hospital, and Col. Antonio Punzalan, the head of the logistics OFkCE OF THE MILITARY HOSPITAL FOR alleged anomalous purchases of equipment and engaging in fraudulent transactions.

SHE WANTS OUT

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Director Sandra Cam holds documents as she bared her desire to quit her post over alleged corruption. Cam asked President Rodrigo Dutete to relieve her of her post. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

PALACE DEFENDS ‘BATO’

MALACAĂ‘ANG on Thursday came to the defense of former police chief Ronald “Batoâ€? dela Rosa who was belittled on social media for his lack of legislative experience. $ELA 2OSA WHO RANKED kFTH IN THE 3ENATE RACE IN THE UNOFkCIAL canvassing of votes, drew criticisms after admitting on Tuesday that he needs to undergo training on lawmaking. Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said the former police chief should be commended for admitting his “handicap.â€? “Huwag nating maliitin. Nakakalimutan ng mga kumu-question sa kapasidad ni General Bato na PMA (Philippine Military Academy) graduate ito (Let’s not belittle him. Those who

doubt General Bato’s capability are forgetting that he is a PMA graduate),� Panelo said in a press conference. “Hindi ba ang (Isn’t it that) PMA graduates are known for their intellect?� he added. Panelo said many others without legislative experience had been elected to the Senate such as SenATORS 0ANkLO g0INGu ,ACSON WHO was also a former police chief, and boxing icon Emmanuel “Manny� Pacquiao, as well as former senators Manuel “Lito� Lapid, an actor, and businessman Manuel “Manny� Villar, who also held a seat in the House of Representatives. Lacson had said that he would take dela Rosa under his wing when he joins the Senate. Panelo stressed that legislative

work was not only for lawyers. Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni� Robredo also called on Filipinos not to resort to name-calling and demeaning others in expressing political opinions. g)T IS IN THESE DIFkCULT MOMENTS when we must pass our biggest test — to be generous when we feel empty. To be hopeful, when we feel lost. To be humble, instead of looking for someone to blame,� the vice president posted on her Facebook account . “Let us not resort to name-calling, demeaning our fellow Filipinos that — at this most crucial time — are the ones we need to reach out to connect with all the more,� she added. CATHERINE S. VALENTE AND GLEE JALEA

SENATE President Vicente Sotto 3rd said on Thursday there was no chance for the Senate to pass any measure on federalism because Congress would adjourn in less than a month. Congress is set to resume session on May 20 and will adjourn on June 7. Sen. Francis Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, who conducted public hearings on the proposal to shift to federalism, earlier said he would submit his panel report once session resumes. Sotto, in a media forum, said the federalism measure “will emanate from the House [of Representatives].� “In the Senate, in the 17th Congress, of course it has no [more] chance [to be passed]. I think there will be a long debate [on federalism] in the [incoming] 18th Congress,� he said. Sotto said the Nationalist People’s Coalition, where he belongs, HAD CONDUCTED A BRIEkNG REGARDing federalism. “Are we going to support it or NOT !ND AFTER THE BRIEkNGS THAT we had, the sentiment of the Nationalist People’s Coalition is, we should study it further.� “We realized that the transition alone from the present form to federalism would be at least kVE OR EVEN YEARS ) CANNOT say, I cannot agree that the composition of the new Senate will expedite the shift to federalism. It will depend on its merits,� he added. BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO

CA NAMES JUSTICES TO HANDLE NUPL CASE

Q Sen. Emmanuel “Manny� Pacquiao PHOTO BY GERAD SEGUIA

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has raffled off the case filed by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) against several government officials in connection with the alleged “red-tagging� of the group to Justice Pedro Corales. The case was originally filed before the Supreme Court, but it remanded the case to the appeals court. As ponente of the case,

Corales will study the case and make his recommendations. The case will be heard by the Special 15th Division, with Corales sitting as senior member. The chairman of the threeman court will be Justice Stephen Cruz, while the junior member shall be Justice German Legaspi. Named respondents in the case were President Rodrigo Duterte, National Security

Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, AFP Deputy Commander for Intelligence Gen. Fernando Trinidad, AFP chief of Intelligence Service Gen. Erwin Bernard Neri and Philippine Army Commanding Gen. Macairog Alberto, among others.

The NUPL said in its complaint that some of its members were “tagged, threatened, vilified or subjected to surveillanceâ€? by the military. “Petitioners are harassed n o t fo r t h e i r i n d i v i d u a l actions as lawyers per se, but for being members of the NUPL and the cases, clients and issues they take on,â€? the group said. JOMAR CANLAS

Computation of separation pay in lieu of reinstatement Dear PAO, If a private employee was unlawfully laid off from his job and was granted by the Labor Arbiter separation pay because the option of reinstatement is no longer feasible, will the computation of the separation pay be only until the time of the decision of the Labor Arbiter, or SHOULD IT BE UP TO THE kNALITY OF the decision? Lyn Dear Lyn, A dismissed employee is generally granted the relief of reinstatement and back wages if it is clearly established that his dismissal was

DEAR PAO

PERSIDA ACOSTA unlawful. However, our courts have accorded the relief of separation pay to an illegally dismissed employee, along with back wages, if his reinstatement is no longer viable. This is commonly known as separation pay in lieu of reinstatement. The computation of separation pay in lieu of reinstatement is calculated from the time the wages

were withheld from the conCERNED EMPLOYEE UP TO THE kNALITY of the decision of his complaint. The rationale behind this is that the Labor Arbiter’s (LA) award for separation pay may be questioned or challenged. Correspondingly, such award may still be changed or overturned. It is only when the DECISION HAS REACHED kNALITY THAT it can no longer be questioned and/or changed. For a better understanding, we impart the ruling laid down by the Supreme Court in the case of CICM Mission Seminaries et al. vs Perez (GR 220506, Jan. 18, 2017, Ponente: Associate Justice Jose Mendoza):

“xxx In Gaco v NLRC, it was ruled that with respect to the payment of backwages and separation pay in lieu of reinstatement of an illegally dismissed employee, the period shall be reckoned from the time compensation was WITHHELD UP TO THE kNALITY OF THIS Court’s decision. This was reiterated in Surima v NLRC and Session Delights Ice Cream and Fast Foods v CA. “The reason for this was explained in Bani Rural Bank Inc. v De Guzman. When there is an order of separation pay (in lieu of reinstatement or when the reinstatement aspect is waived or subsequently ordered in light of

a supervening event making the award of reinstatement no longer possible), the employment relationship is terminated only UPON THE kNALITY OF THE DECISION ordering the separation pay. The kNALITY OF THE DECISION CUTS OFF the employment relationship AND REPRESENTS THE kNAL SETTLEment of the rights and obligations of the parties against each other. xxx “Plainly, it does not matter if the delay caused by an appeal was brought about by the employer or by the employee. The rule is, if the LA’s decision, which granted separation pay in lieu of reinstatement, is appealed by any

party, the employer-employee relationship subsists and until such TIME WHEN DECISION BECOMES kNAL and executory, the employee is entitled to all the monetary awards awarded by the LA.� We hope that we were able to answer your queries. This advice is based solely on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. Our opinion may vary when other facts are changed or elaborated.

Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily column of the Public Attorney’s Office. Questions for Chief Acosta may be sent to dearpao@manilatimes.net

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Opinion

FRIDAY May 17, 2019

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A lesson and warning for political dynasties

ECTION 26, Article II of the Constitution provides: “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public serVICE AND PROHIBIT POLITICAL DYNASTIES AS MAY BE DEkNED LAW u But the Congress has been loath to enact the principle into law. Many legislators worry only about keeping their families in control of their respective jurisdictions. Now, in the electoral verdict handed down by the midterm elections, politicians are learning a memorable lesson and a warning: What the Congress has been unwilling to provide, the people themselves will create WITH THEIR OWN HANDS 4HEY WILL THROW DYNASTS OUT OF OFkCE It will take a little while to assess the extent and meaning of the electoral verdict. But the signs are unmistakable. The bell is tolling for hard-core political dynasties. Consider the following electoral results:

For the Estrada-Ejercitos Former President Joseph “Erap� Estrada, patriarch of the formidable Estrada-Ejercito political dynasty, could wind up as the biggest loser in the midterm elections. In the national capital Manila, Mayor Estrada was defeated by his former ally and vice mayor, Francisco Domagoso, more popularly known as Isko Moreno. Moreno has been proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as the 27th elected mayor of Manila. In San Juan City, where the Estrada family has held sway for 52 years, Vice Mayor Janella Estrada, Erap’s granddaughter, was roundly beaten by Francis Zamora in the mayoral race. *ANELLA WOULD HAVE BEEN THE kFTH MEMBER OF THE CLAN TO SERVE AS MAYOR OF San Juan, a tradition which Erap began when he was elected its mayor in 1969. Elsewhere, the clan suffered other setbacks. Former senator Jinggoy Estrada appears to be losing his bid for a third term as a member of the Senate. Only Estrada’s son, Sen. JV Ejercito, still has hopes of surviving the political tsunami that has swamped the family. JV could win reelection to the 3ENATE IF A BERTH OPENS UP WHEN A DISQUALIkCATION CONTROVERSY IS RESOLVED

For the Binays In Makati, former vice president Jejomar Binay lost his run for Congress IN THE kRST DISTRICT WHEN 2OMULO g+IDu 0EÄA SOUNDLY KAYOED HIM As a consolation, Binay’s daughter, incumbent mayor Abby Binay, WON REELECTION AS CITY MAYOR 3IGNIkCANTLY HER OPPONENT WAS HER brother, former mayor Junjun Binay.

For the Eusebios In Pasig City, the Eusebio political dynasty, which began when its patriarch Vicente Eusebio won election as mayor in 1992, came crashing down. The dynasty’s rival in this week’s election, Victor Maria Regis “Vico� Nubla Sotto, won by a landslide over incumbent mayor Bobby Eusebio. Pasig has known no mayor other than a Eusebio since 1992. Eusebio’s brother, incumbent congressman Ricky Eusebio, was defeated by Roman Romulo.

For the OsmeĂąas In Cebu, once called “The OsmeĂąa country,â€? city vice mayor Edgardo Labella won against former mayor Tomas OsmeĂąa in one of the most heated contests in the metropolis. /SMENA kNALLY CONCEDED ON -ONDAY NIGHT WHEN ,ABELLA S numbers appeared to be moving away. In Baguio City, a bemedalled police general, Benjamin Magalong, shocked the country’s summer capital, when he vanquished eight mayoral candidates, mostly well known political heavyweights and veterans in the mayoral race. Magalong ran without support from powerful politicians or parties. The list is random, and they represent only a partial sample of the entire archipelago. But there is a clear trend away from domination by political dynasties. The midterm elections serve notice that the days of the once all-powerful political dynasties are numbered. The electorate will no longer take the lie of hereditary leadership, without a full accounting of achievements. There is a rising cynicism about political dynasties and their usefulness. Public anger seethed this time when some political clans dared to put UP FAMILY MEMBERS FOR ALL THE COVETED POLITICAL OFkCES IN THEIR JURISDICTIONS The people are now pushing back.

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FRIDAY May 17, 2019

The Manila Times

VOLUME 120 NUMBER 216

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.

A pyrrhic win?

A

BUL Khayr Dangcal Alonto, the chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) passed away, at 73, last May 9, reportedly from pneumonia. ) kRST HEARD ABOUT HIM WHEN I returned from abroad in 1971, at San Beda Law, where he, I was told, had dropped out earlier in protest over the Jabidah massacre. He eventually went underground TO kGHT -ARCOSIAN HUMAN RIGHTS abuses. He never returned to his law studies. He was among the idealistic young patriots whose career path was derailed by Martial Law. We last met some months ago in the Senate gallery. He did not sound like he had lost the starry notions of our youth. My gad, my generation is going. I’ll be an octogenarian later in the year and I doubt that I will follow nonagenarian JPE in age. It’s up to the Lord really on how to

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T.G.I.F. RENE SAGUISAG deal with us mala hierba, or masamang damo . As Prez Cory would say, “when the Lord calls, you go.� No motion for reconsideration entertained by Sanpiro or Kalawit. And He has just called darling Doris Day, beloved of our generation. And yesterday, I read about Cong. Meniong Teves’ passage, at 99. Very old school and we are told he had perfect attendance in the House. giving the people top priority. Prez Cory ballyhooed me as Saguisag ng Pangulo in my 1987 Senate run (some called me Sagisag na Pang gulo, which my remarkable pal, Sal Panelo,

reminds me of). I landed No. 8 among 24 winners. I didn’t have to spend a single singkong duling of my own; in Metro Manila, only Orly Mercado beat me. Harry Roque now says, no half a billion buckaroos? Forget it. My lawyer son, Rebo, Jr., won as Makati councilor, No. 7, despite being deemed unworthy of support by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC). ) HAD REPRESENTED PARTIES IN CONlICT with it. I doubt that its captive vote WENT TO *0% WHOSE kRM ) ASSIST IN the struggle against the powerful group. My respect for INC remains but it should really consider any voter as “a particle of popular sovereignty� (Jose P. Laurel). Anyway, ang Saguisag ng Makati (Rebo) had not really consulted me on his run but my kids are old enough to decide for themselves; in case of trouble, I’ll be there for them to help decide, etc. Rebo,

with little money, was ready for anything. Last Monday, while waiting for the results, at 10:21:40 p.m., he sent this calmative text: “You taught me well. You always get what you pray for. Or something better.â€? Good to hear for a MakateĂąo such as I who attended Makati Elementary School ( Bundok ) and married Dulce of Barangay Palanan, where I, unable to provide the family a home, was her star boarder for decades. Elsewhere, our national values continue to deteriorate. Our proud and profane Prez says it is OK to give fare money to voters. Where do we draw the line? In the real world, the fare money could be 20 centavos for the tricycle but the voter may be given P500 at least, and keep the change. Wink, wink. Part of the culture, says our defeatist Prez.

ÂłSaguisagA5

Karina Constantino David

ARINA Constantino David had a circle of friends, classmates, colleagues from schooldays and beyond, from the many facets of her life — UP student, UP faculty member, community worker, anti-dictatorship militant, guitarplaying member of the Inang Laya singing duo and much more, unbeknown to me and to many. She was a woman of many parts. I met her and knew her when she had done all of the above, though it was never behind her. She was still at it. That was more than 30 years ago when I would join the women’s marches against the dictatorship, especially after the assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. She always had a special part in the proceedings of the protest demonstrations by virtue of the musical interludes she gave (with Becky Abraham, the other half of Inang Laya). Actually, rather than musical interludes, their performances were more like compelling musical chapters in wonderful Filipino touching on relevant political issues, dwelling on human questions and responses, expressing patriotism, courage to struggle, and faith in humanity and the Filipino. I say I met her then but really, she did not meet me. I was just part of the crowd, in awe of the activist musical duo that propelled us into marching for freedom, equality, justice. Karina joined the first government after the 1986 regime change as undersecretary at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD). She eventually resigned for more intensive community work, doing community mortgage buyouts of land for informal settlers within the city, fighting for women’s rights and against domestic violence, all of these part of the everyday events of the communities she was involved in as she steered them towards a better

AMBIENT VOICES MA. ISABEL ONGPIN standard of living with dignity and responsibility. This was real grassroots development work that educated the communities. It was only later when the new Constitution of 1987 provided for marginalized members of society the opportunity to form party-lists and vie for legislative seats, that I really, truly met her. We became members of Abanse Pinay, the women’s party, campaigning for places in Congress. In Abanse Pinay, she was the strategist that together with other women’s groups put up a women’s party to participate in the 1998 elections. A convention of women’s groups was organized where the candidates were chosen and a campaign strategy was formulated and carried out. Democracy in action. She had a major role in this endeavor. For Abanse Pinay, we hit the campaign trail from Luzon to Mindanao through rain, heat, dust, crowds and assorted venues, traveling by land and air. I remember it as a long, hot summer that featured a drought. Before and after speeches in front of varied crowds of women, from teachers to farmers, from medical personnel to market vendors, from housewives to grandmothers, to businesswomen and professionals, we campaigners really got to interact and know each other. Together we met all kinds of people from the sane to the not-so-sane, the ignorant and the demanding, the receptive audiences and the debaters of what should be done or the defenders of the status quo. When it came to answering demanding questions, we would put Karina up front to answer them. For someone

who did not suffer fools gladly, she did so in that campaign. Once in Iloilo, with a particularly irrational and persistent questioner coming in long after the events of the day and just as we were about to retire, we just melted away into our rooms and left Karina to take care of the answers we couldn’t give. She soldiered on with no recriminations actually satisfying the questioner enough. Karina was the veteran teacher among us who would critique the way we gave our speeches. Particularly of me, who had to speak in Filipino before crowds. !FTER ) GAVE MY VERY kRST SPEECH she chided me for never looking at the audience and just reading away. So, I learned to look them in the eye despite my awkward Filipino and tried to improve. I learned to say “datapwat � and “bagamat� after that exposure. At the end of the day, bone-tired, hungry, longing for airconditoning and a nice bed, we could forget those wants by going through the events of the day with her and learning something. Karina always found humor and lessons in what happened during the day and personally demonstrated why things were funny, making us laugh and laugh. Those were the cathartic moments of a campaign in the countryside, meeting conservative women in the north, militant women in the south AND NONPLUSSED LOCAL OFkCIALS WHO were facing women demanding ENTRY TO PUBLIC OFkCE Abanse Pinay won one seat in THAT ELECTION !ND IT FULkLLED ITS duty in Congress with our representative Pat Sarenas, who served two terms. It is such a shame that the party-list system has since been gamed by those who are not marginalized but part of the political and social establishment. Karina went on to join government, resigned, then rejoined government as head of the Civil Service Commission during the

Arroyo administration. Indeed, she had a record of public service that continued with the succeeding administration as a member of the Presidential Management Staff technical working committee and as a trustee of the GSIS. In all these positions, she showed exceptional executive ability coupled with vision and human compassion. The Abanse Pinay campaign bonded us and together with other women of the same milieu, we became a core group of friends who had time to see each other and discuss the issues of the day as well as our personal concerns regularly. These were very satisfying sessions of learning and discussing. Among us, she was the techie. 4HE kRST ONE TO UNDERSTAND AND use the smartphone, the one who could dominate a computer to her own purposes, the one who could handle a website as the webmaster. Using the latest electronic devices, she could communicate easily and quickly with whoever or whatever. She too was the one who could in a few words convey how important it was to understand others and see where they were coming from in SPECIkC SITUATIONS In all of the above, family was her rock and her shelter. Children and grandchildren were individuals to know and understand and enjoy and set free to be THEMSELVES )N HER kNAL YEARS AS her health deteriorated, serenity came over her. Yet she continued to do more than expected. We all know we are mortal but when mortality comes near us, we react in anger or sorrow, in denial or resignation, or all of it by turns or simultaneously. It all came together for me when Karina suddenly went, leaving a void that WILL NEVER BE kLLED IN WHATEVER years I have left. But then again there are the memories that mean a lot, enough for a lifetime.

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Q TIGLAO FROM A1

Think of it as a version of Japan and Singapore’s decades-old single-party rule They were called “miracle economies� — or the East Asian “tigers� — in that they grew, as the title of Lee Kuan Yew’s book that narrated the case of Singapore put it, “From Third World to First� in just three decades, leap-frogging at least the century it took Western nations to become industrialized. Since 1986, our thinking had been, because of the Yellow’s propaganda machines, that the choice is solely between one-man rule supported by the military, or “democracy.� That is a false dichotomy. Japan, Singapore and Malaysia weren’t military dictatorships. They had regular elections for parliaments and local governments. But for decades their central governments were ruled by one party. Economic historians all agree that this was a crucial factor that enabled them to develop rapidly from Third to First World economies. Check these out:

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Bank of China. Says Toomey, “You cannot make this stuff up�: Ex-Im is subsidizing the Chinese bank that is cited as the reason we need Ex-Im. Toomey notes that Ex-Im’s defenders argue that the bank takes risks that private lenders will not undertake -- and that the bank does not risk taxpayers’ money by making unsafe loans. By picking some US winners, Ex-Im makes some US losers: For example, it subsidizes state-owned Air India’s purchase of Boeing jets, thereby enabling it to lower its fares on the New York-Mumbai route, where it competes against Delta Airlines. Ex-Im, which exists to allocate credit by political criteria rather than THE MARKET S EFkCIENCY CRITERION IS OPposed by only 16 Republican senators — call them The Remnant — who, unlike their 37 Republican colleagues, mean what they say when praising free markets and limited government: Barrasso, Blackburn, Braun, Cruz, Daines, Grassley, Hawley, Inhofe, Kennedy, Lankford, Lee, Rubio, Sasse, Shelby, Toomey, Young. Republicans must repeat this dismally revealing exercise by September 30, when the bank must be reauthorized, which it will be. So, the 37 have three months in which to resume their denunciations of socialism, with which they are familiar. (C) 2019, WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP

dorsement, if any, may not make one win but lack of it can make you lose. I prefer my Catholic Church’s injunction: Follow your conscience, not that of some high priest. “Point to me someone who doesn’t buy votes,� Digong dares the polity. Well, my son didn’t nor did I in 1987. I am sure countless others didn’t, either. Rhetoric has a powerful effect on human conduct. Digong’s needless observations or malapropisms will continue to haunt our anti-poor electoral process. The next elections will enhance dominant pro-wealthy dynasts, as our values, institutions and processes

My heart goes out to fearless Jojo Binay, with whom I shared foxholes during Martial Law, and the Estradas, with whom I fought for the Constitution, and whose pain I also share. Democracy may have been the biggest loser last Monday, even if every proclaimed winner deserves THE BENEkT OF THE DOUBT ) HOPE and pray that no senator will treat his or her post as a sideline, hobby or diversion. Or whose only foolish question if asked by Digong to jump from a high-rise would be ‡ g&ROM WHAT lOOR 3IR u Else, we may lament with Pyrrhus of Epirus, another victory

such as this over the Romans, and we are undone (in one only too real sense). Après Digong, le dĂŠluge? His current dominative position may be likened to Macoy’s standing IN THREE YEARS AFTER HE INlICTED martial law upon a nation of busabos at alipin of the Kastilaloys, the Brits, the Kanos, the Hapones, the Kanos again, the Ilokanos and now, the DavaoeĂąos. Today, the reopened deep WOUNDS ARE ARGUABLY SELF INlICTED by and large by our very own timorous people. Power does not corrupt. It only tends to, per Lord Acton, who

nual growth rate of 6 percent. The GROWTH RATE FOR THE kRST FULL year of martial law, as well as for 1976, was 9 percent, an astounding pace never beaten to this day. As I have explained in detail in my book Debunked*, the Marcos era was a complex one, which cannot be explained by the simplistic, biased good-vs-evil narrative of the Yellow Cult. What has been bandied about as the economic catastrophe created by Martial Law actually refers only to the 1984 and 1985 period, when the GDP contracted by an unprecedented 7 percent for each of those years. As much to blame as Marcos for this though were the policies undertaken by his neoliberal economic managers, the global oil and debt crises, and the US banks’ relentless push in the previous years to get the Philippines to borrow as much of their petrodollars as they could. However, in this day and age, there would be so much opposition to a one-man militarysupported dictatorship. Unlike Thailand, we don’t have a monarchy to convince the populace to acquiesce to such rule. But with an extremely popular leader like Duterte, we could have a version of Japan and Singapore’s decades-old single-party rule. The Monday elections demonstrated that that is possible.

*Debunked: Uncovering Hard Truths about EDSA, Martial Law, Marcos, Aquino, with a Special Section on the Duterte Presidency, available in book-stores, online, and amazon.com. Email: tiglao.manilatimes@ gmail.com Facebook: Rigoberto Tiglao Twitter: @bobitiglao Book orders: www.rigobertotiglao.com/debunked

The Ex-Im Bank and the essence of socialism WASHINGTON, DC: "RIElY SUSPENDING their warnings about the rising tide of socialism, a large majority of Senate Republicans recently joined with almost all their Democratic COLLEAGUES IN AFkRMING THE ESSENCE of socialism, which is government allocation of capital. The Senate’s revival of the Export-Import Bank is a redundant reminder that the rhetorical discord between the parties exaggerates their actual differences. The Ex-Im bank has been reauthorized 16 times since it was created in AS A kLIGREE ON THE .EW $EAL S overarching project of politicizing THE ALLOCATION OF kNANCIAL RESOURCES The reauthorization requirement is a way of pretending to refute Ronald Reagan’s axiom that there is nothing as immortal as a temporary government program, because programs acquire “reliance interests� the way a ship acquires barnacles. Between 2015 and the Senate’s RECENT CONkRMATION OF THREE BOARD members, Ex-Im has been without a quorum and hence unable to approve guarantees of large loans (those over $10 million). So, we have had a sustained test of the theory that Ex-Im is vital to US exporting in general, and to the few giant corporations that get the lion’s SHARE OF BENEkTS FROM %X )M S SUBsidies of foreign entities. The theory has been slain by many facts.

Part 2 – Teacher characteristics in the Knowledge Age

support in the usual way: Want to build a bomber that the military does not want? Scatter subcontractors around enough congressional districts, and it will be built. Lee says: “The No. 1 buyer of exports subsidized by Ex-Im between 2007 and 2013 was Pemex ... the Ex-Im has always been periph- notoriously corrupt petroleum comeral to US exporting. In the four pany owned by the Mexican governyears since Ex-Im became largely ment. Pemex, which has a market dormant, the portion of American cap of $416 billion, received more exports it subsidized fell from less than $7 billion in loans backed than 2 percent to 0.3 percent — by US taxpayers. During the same and exports have risen. period, Ex-Im backed $3.4 billion in Ex-Im has prudently distributed kNANCING TO %MIRATES !IRLINES ‡ A subsidies to enough small businesses company wholly owned by the govto blur its [accurate] reputation as pri- ernment of Dubai — for Emirates’ marily an ally of corporate behemoths purchase of Boeing planes.� Sen. Pat such as General Electric, John Deere, 4OOMEY 2 0A IDENTIkES THE SECOND Caterpillar and especially Boeing. THROUGH kFTH BIGGEST BENEkCIARIES Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who opposes of Ex-Im subsidies: (2) state-owned %X )M NOTES g7HEN %X )M kNANCING Kenya Airways, (3) state-owned Air was at its peak, Boeing received 70 China, (4) Russia’s state-owned percent of all ... loan guarantees and bank VEB (currently under US sanc40 percent of all Ex-Im dollars.� In tions for bad behavior; two hands 2018, deprived of subsidized Ex-Im of the US government, one caressloans, Boeing, America’s 23rd largest ing, one smiting); and (5) Roy Hill corporation by market capitaliza- mining, owned by Australia’s richest tion ($193.58 billion as of Tuesday woman, a multibillionaire. morning), and 27th by revenue ($101 The Trump administration trots billion), had its best year ever. out its usual rationale for economic Of course, Ex-Im makes enough irrationality: Ex-Im is a “national loans to small businesses (in 2014 security weapon.� As the bank subabout 25 percent of Ex-Im dollars sidizes China and Russia? In 2014, went to 0.5 percent of small busi- in 17 Ex-Im transactions the primary nesses) to purchase congressional borrower was the Export-Import

tution over our economy. The dogma most deeply imbedded in the minds of our academics — not surprising because they were educated in the West — is that electoral democracy results in the most happiness for citizens of a nation. This dogma has been shattered in the past few decades. "ASED ON 7ORLD "ANK kGURES more than 500 million people were lifted out of extreme poverty because of the policies of the government of China — a oneparty state. The dictatorships in South Korea and Taiwan as well as the military juntas of Thailand led their countries to economic growth much faster than ours. Many economic analysts think that war-ravaged Vietnam — because of the discipline imposed by ruling Communist Party of Vietnam — could overtake the Philippines in the next few years, especially if we can’t put our act together. Indeed, as the 2018 book The Power Unified Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams – Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party and International Realities by has been near continuously in pow- Call the parliaments in the 1970s renowned international-relations er since its founding in 1955, with to the 1990s, of Japan, Singapore scholar John Mearsheimer narthe exception of a period between and Malaysia rubber stamps. But I rated, the US’ efforts to impose its 1993 and 1994, and again from WOULD CALL THESE THE UNIkED IRON version of democracy in the world 2009 to 2012. In the 2012 election, willed political leadership that led in the post-war era has made it it regained control of government. these countries to become devel- A gHIGHLY MILITARIZED STATE kGHTJapan’s feat was astonishing as oped, and consequently pulling ing wars that undermine peace, it was devastated by World War 2, out of the misery of poverty tens harm human rights, and threaten its resources depleted for the war of millions of their populations. liberal values at home.� The gory machine, its industrial backbone What is wrong with that? details of that are the millions destroyed by US forces, and 2 /UR GLORIkED SYSTEM OF gCHECKS killed in the American invasions million of its most able-bodied and balances� led to the recent of Afghanistan and Iraq, and in the MEN KILLED IN THE kGHTING 7OULD preposterous phenomenon where ensuring internecine chaos. it have developed in a span of JUST ONE SENATOR ‡ 0ANkLO ,ACSON three decades to become one of — managed to delay the passage Myth the world’s biggest economies if its of the budget for three months, organ of political leadership had which had the consequence of But we already tried authoritarian been always wracked by legislators shaving 1 percentage point from rule — under Marcos — and it was the likes of Antonio Trillanes 4th THE '$0 GROWTH IN THIS YEAR S kRST a catastrophe, the Yellows would and the Yellows in the Senate rais- quarter. How many of our poor CLAIM 4HAT IS A MYTH THAT FALLS lAT ing all sorts of issues to distract it remained in poverty because of in the face of solid facts. from its work? that? I’d choose a rubber stamp The economy surged from – Since the 1959 general elec- over such dictatorship of an insti- 1972 to 1980 at an average an-

WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP

GEORGE F. WILL

A5

The 21st century teacher AST week’s write-up described the meaning of knowledge in the 21st century as far different from its 20th century meaning. The 20th century being the Age of Industrialization, products had to be uniform throughout; they had to meet specifications true TO ALL OF THEIR KIND /NE SIZE kTS all. Products had to be standardized. So, too, education. The curriculum, instructional approaches, assessments — in fact all aspects of teaching and learning, had to be standardized. All teachers AND LEARNERS HAD TO kT IN TO WHAT was considered coming up to standards. In the post-industrial or Knowledge Age (21st century), people had need of not only the content and the kinds of knowledge. Undergoing a change in meaning, 21st century knowledge content ceased to be static, but keeps changing. It no longer is a mere product but “a kind of energy THAT lOWS u NOT kXED FOR WHAT IT IS but what it can do, what we can use with it — to improve life, ours and that of planet earth. Four features of knowledge. Lower-level knowledge is the “what� and is factual and conceptual knowledge. Higher-level knowledge is the “how� and is procedural and metacognitive knowledge. It is important for us teachers to have students learn factual knowledge — the basic information about a discipline, its VOCABULARY DEkNITIONS AND SPECIkC details. This information serves as building blocks to understand the larger relationships among the more important bits and pieces of INFORMATION THAT DEkNE A kELD OF study. Combining these details is conceptual knowledge, forming categories, principles and models. This knowledge is about “knowing the interrelations among basic elements within a structure that enables them to function together.� (Anderson et al., 2001, p. 29). Equally important is that we teachers develop in our students the higher form of knowledge — procedural knowledge. This consists of knowing ‘‘how to do something, methods of inquiry, AND CRITERIA FOR USING SUBJECT SPECIkC skills, algorithms, techniques and methods,’’ as well as “the criteria for using them.� (Anderson et al.,2001, p. 29). Metacognitive knowledge, the second higher form of knowledge, consists of knowing “strategies for how to accomplish tasks, knowing about the demands of various tasks, and knowing one’s capabilities for accomplishing various tasks� <https:// www.scribd. com/doc/14554355/ Know ledge-Types-Revised>. Multi-forms of 21st century knowledge. The 21st century knowledge that we discuss in our classrooms has ceased to be the stuff that is found in assigned textbooks or lectures that we draw from literature review. As we were taught decades earLIER KNOWLEDGE IS CLASSIkED INTO disciplines or fields of study. Each discipline had its own fundamentals or basics narrowing up to a specialization. But with the coming of the 21st century, the disciplines sought breadth in other disciplines to increase applicability of knowledge. Thus, the disciplines expanded into what is termed as multi-disciplinary, interdisciplinary, intradisciplinary and trans-disciplinary. These forms are exhibited in using a discipline in the service of another discipline. Procedures

tions, Singapore’s People’s Action Party, founded by Lee Kuan Yew, has dominated its politics. Such continuity and Lee’s iron hand have been credited with being central to the city state's rapid development. – Malaysia’s politics is a bit more complicated, with the ruling party being really coalitions of parties. 3UFkCE IT THOUGH FOR OUR PURPOSES to point out that Mahathir Mohamad led the country for 22 years, from 1981 to 2003, and returned to power in 2018. In the wake of their massive defeat in the elections last Monday, the Yellows have been striving to create in Filipinos’ minds the narrative that with none of their candidates winning, the Senate will become a “rubber stamp.� Even a UP academic tried to sound profound by claiming that the republican system of “checks and balances� is going to the dogs as a result of the recent elections.

Opinion

FLASHBACKS/ INSIGHTS TERESITA TANHUECOTUMAPON of a discipline may be adopted in another discipline and all sorts of integration are tried to tap how knowledge may be used to create, innovate and adapt new knowledge to improve life in all its forms and needs. The goal of 21st century knowledge is not merely knowing the “what� of knowledge but to adapt knowledge, create and use knowledge even as we are able to locate and assess new information, recognizing what may be fake and what may be genuine. The dynamics in using knowledge has given birth to new forms of knowledge that obviously constitute more than one discipline. Combining or integrating the disciplines has given rise to courses such as biochemistry, biomechanics, geophysics, socioeconomics, socio or psycholinguistics, psychological anthropology, legal/ medical ethics, etc. Since knowledge keeps growing, interdisciplinary dynamics is “continuous, multidirectional and multidimensional and inevitable� <http://shodhganga.inflibnet. ac.in/bitstream/10603/96850/11 /11_chapter%203.pdf>. 21st century skills for teachers. How can we, teachers, ensure that we have done our part very well in our students’ education? Do we focus on developing skills they need to succeed in this Knowledge !GE AS WELL AS THEIR CONkDENCE IN making sense of knowledge such that they can share and use it in smart ways? To share ideas requires that students understand what their ideas or questions are, so that they learn to communicate these with clarity. How can we model clarity? We can by being explicit in wording expected learning outcomes and assessment forms. We can by jointly drawing up with our students our outcomes-based syllabus. With robots invading labor, there rarely ARE ROUTINE JOBS TO kLL UP 4HUS OUR students need creativity, transferring knowledge and content in a discipline to another discipline where disciplines meet, in the service of one another. This way, students can’t be behind. They can come up with innovative problem-solving. Since the collective genius of a group is more than the sum of its parts, we need to provide collaboration or teamwork opportunities for our students which at the same time challenges them “to keep learning and using their learning to meet targets drawn by themselves with us advising, challenging, coaching and encouraging them.� Besides creativity, perseverance, self-direction and adaptability, we teachers are to foster and nurture in our students an inquiring mind. This we can do by coaching them in conducting investigative studies, developing their research skills, exposing them to theories and their applications and how from these, they could anchor further investigations and thus contribute to coming up with new knowledge. Also, that they themselves keep on learning <https:// www.rubicon.com/21st-century/l>.

then apodictically said, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.� That is what last Monday may mean yet. I hope and pray not and would like to see a transformed, not TRANSMOGRIkED LEADER USHERING US into his personal 1976, when MaCOY kNALLY LISTENED TO INTERNATIONAL criticism and started military trials. We don’t need any old black magic that seems to have the nation under its spell. On April 6, 1978, Metro Manila erupted in a noise barrage but Macoy and Imelda shut out Laban, 210, including Ninoy. who eventually put himself where his mouth was: The Filipino is worth dying for.

Next week: Academic writing in graduate studies Email: ttumapon@liceo.edu.ph

Q SAGUISAG FROM A4

A pyrrhic win? I didn’t have to show my ballot to anyone last Monday. But, the world could see how I was voting anyway given the overcrowded no-privacy small room where we seniors and PWDs (persons with disability, or person wildly demented, in my case) were packed. I rightly don’t know whether my ballot was accepted or rejected. I just wanted to walk home with my cane as soon as I could. Maybe a distance of 300 meters. The INC’s, Bro. Mike’s, Brother Eddie’s or Pastor Quiboloy’s en-

continue to slide down and deteriorate. The anti-poor death penalty may be back. The anti-poor drug war may intensify. And the Chinese will claim what is ours and continue to come and do tasks Pinoys can do, treating us as their 24th province. The presidency must be on a commanding moral high ground given man’s frailties. The Prez should not go down the low road. I didn’t vote for JPE but would not have minded if he had won. I did vote for Serge Osmeùa. Experienced voices, not echoes. The Senate shouldn’t be a House clone.

A6

Opinion

˜ The Manila Times

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FRIDAY May 17, 2019

FOCUS

Born under IS, sick Iraqi children left undocumented, untreated LAYLAN, Iraq: No documents? No doctor. Without state-issued IDs, Iraqi mothers struggle to have children born under the nowdefeated Islamic State (IS), group treated for conditions ranging from asthma to epilepsy. “It’s unjust,� said Salima, a 36-year-old mother of four living in the Laylan 2 displacement camp in northern Iraq. Three of her children were born under IS rule and cannot go to school or leave the camp because they lack state-issued identity papers — including Abdulkarim, who was struggling to nap in her lap on a muggy afternoon. The toddler’s breathing was strained, his tiny chest heaving. The asthma, Salima said, was getting worse. “There’s a clinic in the camp but it’s no good. They refer us to hospitals but the camp security won’t let us go,� she said, stroking his head. 4O LEAVE ,AYLAN EVEN BRIElY displaced families need to present IDs to the federal police at the entrance and sometimes even get a sponsor to vouch for them. Salima said she tried numerous times to take Abdulkarim to a specialist in nearby Kirkuk, but was not allowed to leave. And trying to have IDs issued for her three stateless children has proved almost impossible, as both parents’ papers need to be submitted.

Her husband was an IS member KILLED IN kGHTING WHICH MEANS Salima’s own papers have been CONkSCATED BY CAMP SECURITY “I’ve been trying to get our papers issued for seven months and haven’t been able to, because we’re ‘Daesh’ families,� she told AFP, using the Arabic acronym for IS. “This affects my children in every way — from a security perspective, economically, healthwise, education.�

‘Life on margins’ Iraq declared victory over IS in late 2017, but the jihadists’ three-year reign over swathes of the country planted a destructive and long-lasting legacy. Much of Iraq remains in ruins, with 1.6 million people still displaced. Among them are 45,000 children living in camps who were born under IS and are therefore lacking state-issued legal documents, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) recently found. These children cannot register for school or access steady healthcare, and may not be able to marry or own property, the NRC said. The effects on healthcare are not uniform nationwide, and appeared to vary depending on the checkpoint or facility. Laylan 2 seemed to have the toughest restrictions, according to camp representative Hussein Habd, 53.

Q Alaa Hamza, a 28-year-old mother living in the Laylan 2 displacement camp, holds a cell phone with her son Methaq, who suffers from autism and epilepsy, in their rented home in Hawija, 45 kilometres west of Kirkuk in northern Iraq. AFP / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE “Three-fourths of the fami- found infants without papers condemn children to “life on lies in the camp don’t have IDs were denied vaccinations, report- the margins�. and cannot exit. Even if they’re edly causing an emergence of sca“If this issue is not addressed sick, if they have cancer or skin bies, measles and other diseases. immediately, it could spiral. And further north in Mo- This issue did not end with the diseases, they’re barred from sul, IS’s onetime Iraqi capital, conflict against IS,� said NRC leaving,� he told AFP. At a checkpoint a few kilometers women without paperwork spokesman Alexandra Saieh. (miles) away, a member of the were not allowed to give birth security forces said orders allowed in hospitals, according to the A future at risk them to let medical cases through, NRC, which in turn impacted newborns’ access to state-issued The lack of documentation has even without paperwork. Around Hawija, 80 km (50 birth certificates. also impeded families’ ability to The NRC warned that could register for state welfare program. miles) to the west, the NRC

That restriction has been devasTATING FOR kVE YEAR OLD -ETHAQ “My son has epilepsy, autism, and no ID,� his mother Alaa Hamza told AFP in a shabby home they rent in Hawija. Born less than a week after IS overran their hometown in 2014, Methaq was never issued a birth certificate. He now suffers from seizures and mood swings. But sustained care seems a long way off. Hamza splayed out the contents of a plastic bag on the torn carpet in their living room — medical prescriptions, brain scans, and other tests dating back to 2017. “We went to four different doctors, every time they take money: $250 in Kirkuk for an EEG, then another $150 for more tests,� she said, which she paid for through donations. “Our financial situation is dire, and we need to get him an ID so he can benefit from state healthcare,� she said. But she can’t even afford that. “If I want to get him one, it will cost me between 25,000 and 30,000 IQD (around $25). We don’t have it,� she said. Methaq currently takes a nightly pill to ease his seizures, donated by Doctors Without Borders. His mother said he needs more intensive help. “He’s five and doesn’t speak yet. I’m worried for his future,� AFP she said.

Is Trump’s trade war saving We’re just beginning to grasp the toll American jobs — or killing them? of the IS archaeological looting in Syria BY JEFFREY KUCIK UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

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ITH the US-China trade war intensifying, there is a lot of talk about whether tariffs save American jobs — as President Donald Trump claims — or destroy them. On May 14, for example, Trump said his tariffs helped save the US steel industry. Whether or not that’s true, many economists and industry organizations argue trade protectionism is actually hurting workers in a range of other areas, such as the solar power sector, civil aircraft and auto manufacturing. So is the trade war making Americans better off or worse? Political economists like me have been exploring this question since Trump’s trade war began about a year ago. The answer makes a big difference to the economic welfare of American workers. And, with the 2020 elections soon approaching, it may help determine whether Trump is able TO REMAIN IN THE /VAL /FkCE

encouraging performance of other sectors hurt by retaliation from other countries. After Trump extended steel tariffs to the European Union, the EU hit America’s textiles industry. Canada targeted some paper products in retaliation for tariffs on steel and softwood lumber. And China, Trump’s primary antagonist, hit chemicalsalong with a large swath of other industries — with further retaliation on the way.

Beyond jobs

Nonetheless, the simple fact remains: The US economy continues to add more jobs. But this is only one part of the equation for how tariffs are affecting working Americans and their quality of life. What about wages, which account for 70 percent of an employee’s average compensation? There’s less good news for Trump in this data. The annual growth in seasonally adjusted hourly pay during the trade war averages out to around 3.2 percent across all private sector US employees. There are two important things to say about The winners that 3.2 percent. First, it falls short of pre-Great !T kRST GLANCE THE JOBS DATA DOES LOOK GOOD Recession levels, when wage growth was typically a full point higher. Second, wage growth for Trump’s argument. Since Trump announced tariffs on more in manufacturing — the sector Trump has than 1,000 Chinese products on April 3, 2018, lavished the most attention on — actually lags about 2.6 million new jobs have been added behind the national average at just 2.3 percent. Those wage numbers are good reason to to the US economy. This includes 204,000 jobs in manu- hold our applause for Trump’s tariffs. Profacturing, the sector of the economy that tected industries are adding jobs, but wages hemorrhaged over 5 million positions from aren’t living up to expectations. 2000 to 2009, a problem blamed on free Looking for good news trade and China. The good news for Trump doesn’t stop there. Some of the biggest gainers over the last year are The competing job numbers explain why the industries like fabricated metals, machinery and debate over Trump’s tariffs are full of confusing electronic instruments, all of which saw gains ANECDOTES ‡ AND WHY MOST ANYONE CAN kND of 15,000 to almost 30,000 jobs over the past “good news� to support their favorite argument. Americans have heard United Steel Workyear. All those industries enjoy at least some ers thank Trump for helping bring over 1,000 protection from Trump’s tariffs. Those numbers seem to support Trump’s jobs back to Birmingham, Alabama. They’ve rhetoric that tariffs are providing a vital shot also heard General Motors announce that in the arm of America’s ailing manufacturing it lost $1 billion in 2018, partly because tariffs sector. And they may even show why the US contributed to rising production costs, and economy continues to hum despite econo- that as many as 14,000 jobs are being cut. A fuller picture of how well workers are doing mist fears that a trade war would hurt growth. requires looking beyond the jobs numbers at how much money they’re actually taking home The losers — and how it’s affecting their living standards. And none of this says anything about anUnfortunately, not all industries are enjoying other crucial part of the equation: consumer the same success. Of the 20 major manufacturing categories prices. If the latest data from Goldman Sachs in the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data, is on the money, things are about to get a only six have grown faster during the trade whole lot worse for working-class Americans war — which arguably began with the threat of as the price tags attached to products affected widespread tariff increases in April of 2018 — by the trade war begin to rocket upward. This is hardly good news for the average than in previous years. The rest, which include ASSOCIATED PRESS (AP) chemicals, paper and textiles, either didn’t enjoy household. a boost or lost ground during the period. And here is one lesson from the trade war. If This article is republished from The ConTrump and his supporters want to claim that versation under a Creative Commons litariffs helped accelerate job creation in machin- cense. The Conversation is an independent ery and metals, then it follows that his policies and nonprofit source of news, analysis and should share some of the blame for the less commentary from academic experts.

BY FIONA GREENLAND, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA; JAMES MARRONE, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY; OYA TOPÇUOÄžLU, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, AND TASHA VORDERSTRASSE, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

T

HE Islamic State surrendered its last scrap of territory, in Baghouz, Syria, this past March. While some argue that celebrations of IS’s demise are premature, there’s no question that the terrorist group left a trail of destruction in its wake. Many lives were lost, of course. But a looming issue is the group’s legacy of looting. During IS’s seemingly unstoppable rise, looted artifacts were said to be A SIGNIkCANT SOURCE OF INCOME FOR THE group. Value estimates ranged from a few million to several billion dollars. One of the issues in media reports about the looting is that no one had a kRM GRASP OF JUST HOW MUCH WAS AT STAKE 4HE DOLLAR kGURES AMOUNTED TO GUESSWORK We still don’t know exactly what’s MISSING "UT NO ONE HAD IDENTIkED the value, using empirical data and systematic calculations, of the artifacts that were known to exist in these archaeological sites. Until now. With two Near Eastern archaeologists and two art market researchers on our team, we recently published a paper in the International Journal of Cultural Property THAT OFFERS THE kRST attempt to quantify the market value of artifacts at the level of a site. The excavated objects’ total value was larger than we had expected. We found that just a small portion of a site can yield thousands of objects, adding up to millions of dollars.

An archaeological gold mine For the study, we examined two sites from different time periods that housed two different types of settlements. The kRST $URA %UROPOS WAS A 2OMAN GARrison town on the Euphrates with a multi-ethnic population. Four years ago, when satellite images revealed that Syria’s archaeological sites were being looted on a massive scale, the shots from Dura Europos showed a Swisscheese landscape of pits. The second town we studied, Tell Bi’a, in northern Syria, was a major Bronze Age capital in the second millennium BC. In the early decades of the 20th century, archaeologists excavated roughly 40 percent of Dura Europos. About 10 percent of Tell Bi’a was

studied in the 1980s and 1990s. Records at these two sites list over 13,000 objects, excluding coins. Using a machine learning model, we compared archaeological records and sales records of over 40,000 antiquities from auction houses, galleries and dealers to predict what these objects would sell for. The goal was to match objects observed for sale on the art market with similar objects documented in excavation records. Based on our model, the total estimated value of all artifacts, not including coins, excavated from Dura Europos to date is $18 million. At Tell Bi’a, the estimate is $4 million. This range is partly explained by the different sizes of the two cities and the area that was excavated. It’s also explained by market interest: Greek and Roman artifacts, which comprise the large majority of objects found at Dura Europos, fetch higher prices at auction than Bronze Age items, which make up the majority of artifacts at Tell Bi’a. It’s important to keep in mind THAT THESE DOLLAR kGURES REPRESENT just slices of two sites. The most comprehensive database of Syrian archaeological sites, assembled by archaeologist Jesse Casana and collaborators at Dartmouth College, HAS IDENTIkED ROUGHLY MAJOR sites in the country. Data examined by Casana’s team suggest that 3,000 of those sites experienced some looting from the start of the Syrian Civil War in April 2011 to mid-2015. Not every site has the artifactual density or richness of Dura Europos. But if a small portion of a single site like Tell Bi’a is capable of generating $4 million in sales — and there are 15,000 major sites — it doesn’t take much imagination to see just how much of an archaeological gold mine the country is. !GAIN THESE DOLLAR kGURES DO NOT tell us what IS — or any other looters — actually pocketed. Our numbers project the total estimated value of recorded artifacts excavated at a particular site to date. In other words, over the past four years, IS had a treasure trove of artifacts at their disposal that they were able to pawn on a whim. We may never know the full extent of the loss. What’s getting sold? What should we do with these estimates? First, any policy that hopes to tackle archaeological looting needs reliable market estimates that highlight the scope and scale of the issue. /UR kNDINGS GET US CLOSER TO A POINT where everyone’s on the same page. Second, our data show that small

objects account for the majority of market share. At Dura Europos, 50 percent of the total market value was generated by objects under 13 centimeter long, and at Tell Bi’a by objects under 7 cm long. These small treasures can pack a big PUNCH ON THE MARKET 7E RE NOT THE kRST TO SUGGEST THAT SUCH kNDS HAVE OUTSIZE importance in the antiquities trade, and our data indicate that policies to address the black market — at least for Syrian antiquities — should focus on objects THAT CAN kT IN LOOTERS POCKETS Our estimates also hint at possible features of the supply chain. Pairing our observations of market sales with existing evidence of farm gate prices — the price paid to looters at the source — we found that looters are paid just a small fraction of WHAT OBJECTS WOULD EARN AT THEIR kNAL destination. While evidence of farm gate prices is limited, it indicates that MUCH OF THE kNAL PRICE MAY BE GOING to middlemen or dealers.

Beyond the Islamic State However this isn’t a story solely about IS. We know that multiple groups participated in archaeological looting during the Syrian war, including the Syrian government’s own army. IS did not invent looting; the group tapped into an existing looting infraSTRUCTURE AND INTENSIkED ITS SCALE AND productivity. Archaeological looting is a global problem, and Syria will continue to be of interest to hobby diggers, renegade excavators and thieves. Furthermore, archaeological sites aren’t just threatened by looters: urbanization and climate change pose just as great a danger. Of course, the legacy of Syrian wartime looting can’t just be measured in dollars. It’s a loss of culture and of historical knowledge. Archaeologists use artifacts to connect people, ideas and customs and track historical change. When an item goes missing, the ability to braid together such a rich history becomes that much harder. Calculating the market value of an entire ancient city might be helpful for policymakers and scholars. But it doesn’t change what Syrians and Iraqis already know all too well: You can’t put a price on history. ASSOCIATED PRESS (AP)

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. The Conversation is an INDEPENDENT AND NONPROkT SOURCE OF news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

˜ The Manila Times

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Regions

FRIDAY May 17, 2019

A7

LANAO SUR LOSING BETS TO COMELEC:

Declare ‘failure of elections’ BY MASIDING NOOR YAHYA

M

ARAWI CITY: Losing candidates in Lanao del Sur are holding a prayer rally this Friday to urge President Rodrigo Duterte and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare a failure of elections in the province on grounds that there was massive cheating and votebuying in last Monday’s midterm elections. 4HE LOSING ASPIRANTS AND OTHER MULTISECTORAL LEADERS HELD AN EMERGENCY MEETING AND AGREED ON THE PRAYER RALLY TO DEMAND JUSTICE FOR THE PEOPLE OF ,ANAO DEL 3UR WHO ALLEGEDLY BECAME

VICTIMS OF ELECTORAL FRAUD )N THE GROUP WERE GUBERNATORIAL ASPIRANTS 'UILING -AMONDIONG FORMER 4ECHNICAL %DUCATION AND 3KILLS $EVELOPMENT !UTHORITY SECRETARY (ATTA

$IMAPORO FORMER VICE MAYOR !GAKAN g"INLADENu 3HARIEF AND 3ULTAN "OB $ATIMBANG 4HEY WOULD BE JOINED BY UNSUCCESSFUL VICE GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES .ORODEN ,UCMAN -ANSAWE g$ARIDAYu -IMBALAWAG AND !MIRUDDEN g!BU -OHAMMADu 3ARANGANI -AMONDIONG SAID THE PRAYER RALLY WOULD TACKLE THE DISQUALIFICATION OF CANDIDATES WHO WERE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY INVOLVED IN VOTE BUYING AND MASSIVE CHEATING (E SAID $UTERTE HAD WARNED THAT gVOTE BUYING IS AN OFFENSE PENALIZED WITH IMPRISONMENT AND PERPETUAL DISQUALIFICATION FROM HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICE u

! FEW DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTIONS A SO CALLED "ANGSAMORO -ULTISECTORAL 'ROUP !GAINST 6OTE "UYING AND 3ELLING ASKED THE 0RESIDENT TO DECLARE A FAILURE OF ELECTIONS IN ,ANAO DEL 3UR 4HE ,ANAO DEL 3UR -ILITARY AND 0OLICE 2ETIREES 2EFORM -OVEMENT ALSO ASKED THE #OMELEC TO SUSPEND THE ELECTIONS IN THE PROVINCE AND IN -ARAWI #ITY FOR THE SAME REASONS 4HEY RECOMMENDED THE APPOINTMENT OF CARETAKERS FOR LOCAL ELECTIVE POSTS SHOULD THE #OMELEC DECLARE A FAILURE OF ELECTIONS IN THE LOCALITIES 4HE "ANGSAMORO MULTISECTORAL GROUP CLAIMED THEY HAVE SWORN STATEMENTS OF VOTE

Tacloban trader faces taxs raps

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue ")2 ON 4HURSDAY kLED CRIMINAL CHARGES BEFORE THE $EPARTMENT OF *USTICE AGAINST A TRADER FROM 4ACLOBAN FOR NONPAYMENT OF EXCISE TAXES AND FOR POSSESSION OF COUNTERFEIT RESTORED OR ALTERED STAMPS 4HE ")2 %ASTERN 6ISAYAS 2EGION

CHARGED 0AUL #ARTEL 2ADAM UNDER HIS 0AUL 2ADAM 2EALTY AND 02 0ETRON FILLING STATIONS LOCATED IN .ULA 4ULA 4ACLOBAN #ITY FOR EXCISE TAX LIABILITY OF AN ESTIMATED 0 MILLION INCLUSIVE OF INCREMENTS )N ITS INVESTIGATION THE ")2 DISCOVERED FAKE CIGARETTES WITH

FAKE EXCISE STAMPS WERE STORED DISPLAYED AND SOLD IN A WAREHOUSE IN "ARANGAY .ULA 4ULA DURING SURVEILLANCE LAST YEAR !N INSPECTION OF RANDOMLY SELECTED MASTER CASES USING A 4AGGANT READER ‡ A ")2 EQUIPMENT USED TO TEST THE AUTHENTICITY OF EX-

CISE STAMPS ‡ FOUND THAT ALL CIGARETTE PACKS BORE FAKE STAMPS AND CARRIED THE SAME SERIAL NUMBER ! TOTAL OF MASTER CASES CONTAINING VARIOUS CIGARETTES WITH FAKE STAMPS WERE MARKED AND SEIZED FROM THE WAREHOUSE JOMAR CANLASÂ

Ex-US Marine runs amok, dies in fire ! &/2-%2 OFkCER OF THE 5NITED 3TATES -ARINES WHO REPORTEDLY WENT BERSERK DIED OF SUFFOCATION INSIDE THE HOUSE HE SET ON kRE AFTER SHOOTING DEAD TWO PERSONS INCLUDING A PUNONG BARANGAY VILLAGE CHAIRMAN IN "ARANGAY ,AWAAN 4ALISAY #ITY SOUTH #EBU ON 4HURSDAY

4HE FATALITIES WERE IDENTIkED AS $EAN 4ORREFRANCA A 53 CITIZEN *IMMY "ARTILIC CHAIRMAN OF "ARANGAY ,AWAAN AND *ED 9BAĂ„EZ A WORKER AT THE 4ALISAY #ITY (ALL !CCORDING TO WITNESSES SEVERAL GUNSHOTS WERE HEARD IN THE AREA AS THE HOUSE WAS BURNING 3MOKE WAS STILL BILLOWING FROM

THE SECOND lOOR OF THE HOUSE AT PAST P M ON 4HURSDAY )N A RADIO INTERVIEW 0OLICE "RIG 'EN $EBOLD 3INAS 0OLICE 2EGIONAL /FFICE IN #ENTRAL 6ISAYAS DIRECTOR SAID 4ORREFRANCA DIED INSIDE HIS HOUSE AFTER SETTING IT ON kRE )NITIAL INVESTIGATION REVEALED

THAT "ARTILIC AND 9BAĂ„EZ WERE TRYING TO PACIFY 4ORREFRANCA WHO WAS HAVING A DOMESTIC AND PROPERTY DISPUTE BUT REPORTEDLY WENT WILD AND SHOT THE TWO 0OLICE OFkCERS WERE STILL IN THE AREA CONDUCTING INVESTIGATION AS OF THIS WRITING RHEA RUTH ROSELL

SELLING AND VOTE BUYING INCIDENTS THEY FILED ALL THE COMPLAINTS WITH THE #EMELEC S LEGAL DEPARTMENT /BSERVERS HOWEVER CALLED THE GROUPS MOVE AS A POLITICAL PLOY OF UNDERDOG PROVINCIAL CANDIDATES WHO BELIEVED THEY WOULD NOT WIN THE ELECTIONS WITH THE VOTE BUYING GOING ON #ONCERNED CITIZENS HAD REPORTED THAT REGISTERED VOTERS IN -ARAWI #ITY AND ,ANAO DEL 3UR HAD BEEN FLOCKING TO HOUSES OF SOME BARANGAY VILLAGE CHAIRMEN WHO ACTED AS LEADERS OF THE BUYER CANDIDATES TO RECEIVE THE 0 PACKAGE TO VOTE FOR THEIR GOVERNOR VICE GOVERNOR CONGRESSMAN CITY MAYOR AND

VICE MAYOR ! L A N " A L A N G I O F T H E "ANGSAMORO -OVEMENT ALSO SAID SOME PEOPLE IN ,ANAO DEL 3UR SOLD THEIR VOTES FOR 0 TO 0 PER VOTER 9USOPH -ANDO OF THE -USLIM !FFAIRS #OUNCIL OF THE 0HILIPPINES ADDED THAT VOTE SELLING AND VOTE BUYING WERE ALSO RAMPANT IN THE NEW "ANGSAMORO !UTONOMOUS 2EGION IN -USLIM -INDANAO -ANY WERE SAYING THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN THE ELECTORAL HISTORY OF ,ANAO DEL 3UR AND -ARAWI #ITY THAT THE PRICE OF THE VOTE REACHED AS HIGH AS 0 A STRONG GROUND TO DECLARE A FAILURE OF ELECTIONS

Provincial, congressional winners proclaimed THE winners in the municipal, congressional and provincial races in Cagayan de Oro (CDO) City and Bataan were proclaimed on Wednesday and Thursday, while canvassing in Misamis Oriental continues.  In CDO, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed all reelectionist local officials after the city’s election board had canvassed almost 96 percent of the total votes cast by 6 p.m. on Tuesday The city’s election registrar Ramil Acol proclaimed Oscar Moreno as the elected mayor along with Reineir Uy, his vice mayor, and Rolando Uy as representative of the first congressional district, along with 14 city councilors representing the city’s first and second districts. But, the eighth placers among the city councilors in the city’s first and second districts were not proclaimed pending results of the canvassing of two secure digital cards. Each district has eight councilors.

Congressional candidate Rufus Rodriguez filed a resolution with the Comelec asking to proclaim him the winner in the Second District leading his closest rival by more than half of the total votes. In Bataan, the provincial board of canvassers declared as winners Gov. Albert Garcia, Vice Gov. Crisanta Roman, First District Rep. Geraldine Roman and Second District Rep. Jose Enrique “Joetâ€? Garcia 3rd. Also proclaimed were five members each of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) in the First and Second Districts, all under the banner of the group of the Garcias and Romans. In Misamis Oriental, the canvassing of votes was continuing as of press time, although incumbent Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano was leading by more than 50,000 votes against his closest rival. CRIS DIAZ AND ERNIE B. ESCONDE

A8

News

FRIDAY May 17, 2019

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Isko Moreno to clean ‘filthy’ Manila M BY CATHERINE A. MODESTO

ANILA Mayor-elect Francisco “Isko Moreno� Domagoso has vowed to “move heaven and earth� to clean the city.

“I have made a commitment to clean up $OMAGOSO SAID IN A TELEVISION INTERVIEW Manila‌Dugyot kami e. Papaliguan ko lang $OMAGOSO SAID HE WOULD ADDRESS THE naman 7E ARE kLTHY ) WILL GIVE IT A BATH u TRASH PROBLEM WHICH OUTGOING -ANILA

-AYOR *OSEPH g%RAPu %STRADA FAILED TO SOLVE IN HIS SIX YEARS IN OFkCE g-Y PROMISE TO THE PEOPLE OF -ANILA IS THAT ) WOULD BRING BACK THE SET TIME AND DAY OF COLLECTION u HE SAID 4HE FORMER VICE MAYOR ADDED THAT THE GARBAGE PROBLEM WOULD BE HIS PRIORITY ADDING THAT HE WOULD HOLD THE PRESENT TRASH CONTRACTOR ACCOUNTABLE (E SAID HE WOULD REVAMP PROCUREMENT

PROCEDURES AND ACCEPT MORE BIDS FROM trash contractors. “Walang .O FRIENDS FRIENDS .O NO u he said. (E ATTRIBUTED THE GARBAGE PROBLEM TO THE DECISION OF THE %STRADA ADMINISTRATION TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM OF GARBAGE COLLECTION $OMAGOSO WAS PROCLAIMED MAYOR OF Manila on May 14. /N 4UESDAY NIGHT %STRADA CONCEDED TO

QC inaugurates new hospital THE Quezon City government HAS INAUGURATED A BRAND NEW BED HOSPITAL LOCATED ALONG IBP Road in Barangay Batasan (ILLS WHICH WILL OPEN SOON The Rosario Maclang Bautista 'ENERAL (OSPITAL NAMED AFTER THE MOTHER OF -AYOR (ERBERT "AUTISTA IS NOW EQUIPPED TO GIVE OUTPATIENT SERVICES ACCORDING TO ITS CHIEF $R 2ICHARD *OSEPH #ABOTAGE g7E NOW HAVE TRAUMA CARE MEANING WE ARE READY FOR IMMEDIATE CARE FOR INJURED PATIENTS 7E HAVE EMERGENCY MEDICINE RADIOLOGY CRITICAL CARE AND SURGERY u #ABOTAGE SAID

Domagoso. g"Y *UNE MY YEARS IN POLITICS AND PUBLIC SERVICE WILL COME TO AN END WITH STERLING COLORS OF HONESTY AND GENUINE CONCERNS FOR THE POOR u THE MAYOR SAID g4HERE S ALWAYS LIFE AFTER POLITICS u HE added as he thanked his supporters. $OMAGOSO S RUNNING MATE REELECTIONIST 6ICE -AYOR -ARIA 3HEILAH g(ONEYu ,ACUNA 0ANGAN ALSO SECURED A SECOND TERM

FAKE Metro Manila Police chief Guillermo Eleazar inspects dollar bills seized from three men in Pasay City on Thursday. Authorities confiscated $288,000 counterfeit dollar bills. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

“The out-patient department HAD A TEST RUN AND SOFT OPENING LAST -ARCH 7E HAVE FREE CONSULTATIONS 8 RAY ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTIC AND /" 'YNE AND SELECTED DENTAL AND LABORATORY SERVICES u HE ADDED The city government expects THE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH TO ISSUE A PERMIT THAT WOULD ALLOW THE HOSPITAL TO FULLY OPERATE The hospital is the third medICAL FACILITY OWNED BY THE CITY 4HE OTHER TWO ARE THE 1UEZON City General Hospital and the Novaliches District General Hospital. JAIME R. PILAPIL

Former Australian PM Bob Hawke, 89 SYDNEY: Australia’s longest-servING ,ABOR PRIME MINISTER "OB (AWKE DIED 4HURSDAY AGED g4ODAY WE LOST "OB (AWKE A GREAT !USTRALIAN ‡ MANY WOULD SAY THE GREATEST !USTRALIAN OF THE POST WAR ERA u HIS SECOND WIFE "LANCHE D !LPUGET SAID IN a statement. g(E DIED PEACEFULLY AT HOME u 4HE SON OF A PREACHER (AWKE led his country during the S A PERIOD DURING WHICH HE SEDUCED THE NATION WITH HIS EVERYMAN APPEAL WHILE BEGINNING DEREGULATION OF THE ECONOMY INCLUDING FLOATING the dollar. &ROM NEGOTIATING WITH &RANK Sinatra to ensure the crooner’s 3YDNEY CONCERTS WENT ahead to shedding tears over BLOODSHED IN "EIJING S 4IANANMEN 3QUARE (AWKE WAS A HUGE presence on Australia’s political landscape. .EVER VOTED OUT BY THE PUBLIC WHICH FORGAVE HIM HIS FAULTS HE WON FOUR ELECTIONS ON THE RUN BEGINNING IN AND ONLY LEFT OFFICE FOLLOWING A PARTY room coup. 4O MANY HE WAS A QUINTESSENTIAL !USTRALIAN gLARRIKINu ‡ A BELOVED ROGUE (IS DEATH COMES DAYS BEFORE Australians go to the polls. 4HE ,ABOR PARTY POSTED A

TRIBUTE ON 4WITTER TO ONE OF THEIR MOST FONDLY REMEMBERED characters. g6ALE "OB 7E WILL REMEMBER HIM )N SOLIDARITY FOREVER -AY HE REST IN PEACE u g7HEN YOU WOULD GO OUT CAMPAIGNING WITH "OB YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY MOBBED u RECALLED (AWKE CABINET MEMBER Susan Ryan. g(E WAS EXTREMELY POPULAR WITH THE WOMEN VOTERS 4HEY REALLY REALLY LIKED TO GET NEAR him and to touch him and to get him to sign the autographs AND SO FORTH “And the men liked him too BECAUSE HE WAS A SPORTSMAN AND HE HAD BEEN A VERY EFFECTIVE TRADE UNION LEADER 3O HE WAS CERTAINLY -R 0OPULARITY u 7 H E N !U S T R A L I A WO N T H E America’s Cup yacht race in A JUBILANT (AWKE SPORTING A WHITE BLAZER PRINTED WITH THE WORDS @!USTRALIA MEMORABLY SAID g!NY BOSS WHO SACKS A WORKER FOR NOT TURNING UP TODAY IS A BUM u .ONETHELESS HE HELPED FORGE A CONSENSUS BETWEEN LABOR UNIONS AND BUSINESS AND USED HIS APPEAL TO WIN BROAD SUPPORT FOR ECONOMIC REFORMS WHICH SOMETIMES SAW CRITICS ACCUSE HIM OF MOVING THE ,ABOR 0ARTY to the right. AFP

Thai, Japan ships on goodwill visits SHIPS FROM *APAN AND 4HAILAND ARE IN THE 0HILIPPINES FOR A WEEK LONG GOODWILL VISIT IN Manila. /N 7EDNESDAY TWO SHIPS FROM THE 2OYAL 4HAI .AVY ARRIVED AT THE 3UBIC "AY -ETRO-

politan Authority. These are the HTMS Taksin &&' AND (4-3 +RABI /06 3OME OFFICERS AND SERVICEMEN FROM THE 4HAI .AVY WERE ABOARD THE SHIPS 4HE HEAD OF MISSION 2EAR !D-

MIRAL 3OMPONG 0OOWIANG WILL pay a courtesy call to the comMANDER OF THE :AMBALES BASED .AVAL %DUCATION 4RAINING AND $OCTRINE #OMMAND 2EAR !DMIral Allan Ferdinand Cusi. /N &RIDAY THE *APAN -AR-

ITIME 3ELF $EFENSE &ORCE SHIP JS Samidare $$ A -URASAME CLASS DESTROYER WILL DOCK AT THE !LAVA 7HARF IN /LONGAPO #ITY FOR A VISIT THAT WILL END ON -AY DEMPSEY REYES

Deal to protect Filipino workers signed in New Zealand ! &ILIPINO LABOR GROUP BASED IN .EW :EALAND RECENTLY ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH A LOCAL recruitment agency to protect the RIGHTS OF MIGRANT WORKERS ESPEcially in the construction sector. 4HE $EPARTMENT OF &OREIGN !FFAIRS $&! ON 4HURSDAY SAID THE gLANDMARK DEALu WOULD SERVE AS A MODEL FOR .EW :EAland employers to ensure that &ILIPINO MIGRANT WORKERS PARticularly those in the construcTION SECTOR WOULD BE PROTECTED

FROM WORKPLACE EXPLOITATION AND OTHER ABUSES 4HE &AIR ,ABOR -IGRANT !GREEMENT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN %XTRASTAFF -ANAGEMENT ,TD A .EW :EALAND RECRUITMENT AGENCY AND &IRST 5NION 5NION .ETWORK OF Migrants on May 3 at the PhilIPPINE EMBASSY IN 7ELLINGTON 4HE $&! SAID THE DEAL WAS DESIGNED TO PROTECT MIGRANT WORKERS WHILE ALLOWING BUSINESSES to make an ethical and legally BINDING COMMITMENT TO WORKERS

g4HIS IS A @WIN WIN WIN AGREEMENT WHICH UNDERSCORES THE GAINS FROM THE TRIPARTITE COLLABoration among the stakeholders AND THE &ILIPINO MIGRANTS u 0HILIPPINE !MBASSADOR TO .EW :EALAND *ESUS $OMINGO SAID “While this agreement is very +IWI IT IS ALSO VERY &ILIPINO AS IT UPHOLDS THE PRINCIPLE OF @FAIRNESS A +IWI ATTRIBUTE AND ENSURES THAT THE @FAMILY WHICH IS AT THE HEART OF EVERY &ILIPINO MIGRANT WORKER CONTINUES TO BE

PROVIDED FOR u $OMINGO SAID First Union General Secretary Dennis Maga said Filipino miGRANT WORKERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR FACE HUMAN AND EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS ABUSES g3O THIS AGREEMENT IS TIMELY This is a landmark deal that sets A PRECEDENT FOR OTHER COMPANIES TO FOLLOW AND WE INVITE MORE TO DO SO ) BELIEVE THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE MONUMENTAL IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY u -AGA SAID BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO

Poll bets in narcolist win -!,!#!ÂŤ!.' ON 4HURSDAY SAID THE gDIFFERENT DYNAMICSu OF THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ALLOWED CANDIDATES IN THE ADMINISTRATION S NARCOLIST TO WIN )N A NEWS BRIEkNG 0ALACE SPOKESman Salvador Panelo said some voters elected those in the narcolist BECAUSE THEY WERE HELPFUL -OST OF THE POLITICIANS NAMED IN THE NARCOLIST WON !MONG THEM WERE INCOMING ,UCENA MAYOR 2ODERICK !LCALA ,EYTE

2EP 6ICENTE 6ELOSO /ROQUIETA #ITY Mayor Jason Paredes Almonte; ClarIN -ISAMIS /CCIDENTAL -AYOR $AVID .AVARRO 0ASUQUIN )LOCOS .ORTE &ERDINAND !GUINALDO :AMBALES 2EP *EFFREY +HONGKUN AND HIS SON 3UBIC -AYOR *EFFERSON +HONGKUN among others. “Voters are pragmatic. [The narCOPOLITICIANS= ARE HELPFUL THEY BRING THE CHILDREN OF THE VOTERS TO HOSPITALS 3O EVEN IF THEY ARE IN THE

NARCOLIST THEY ARE STILL BEING ELECTED u 0ANELO SAID g4HE DYNAMIC IS VERY DIFFERENT )T is more on necessity. While the PresIDENT HAS ALREADY WARNED HE SAID ;THE VOTERS= WILL ULTIMATELY DECIDE u he added. President Rodrigo Duterte in -ARCH RELEASED THE LIST OF POLITICIANS WHO ALLEGEDLY HAVE LINKS TO illegal drugs. RALPH EDWIN U. VILLANUEVA

SECRETS OF MOON’S DARK SIDE REVEALED

DRUG TEST

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino (right) oversees the drug test implemented under the agency’s ’Oplan: Harabas,’ under which hundreds of truck drivers were tested for drugs in Manila. PHOTO BY ENRILE AGCAOILI

PARIS: Scientists on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) said they could be a step closer to solving the riddle behind the Moon’s formation, unveiling the most detailed survey yet of the far side of Earth’s satellite. In January, the Chinese spacecraft Chang’e-4 — named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology — became the first ever craft to touch down on the far side of the lunar surface. Similar to other bodies in our Solar System, the Moon is believed to have gone through a phase during its formation when it was partially or entirely composed of molten rock. As it cooled, so the hypothesis goes, denser minerals sank to the bottom of the magma-ocean, while lighter materials gathered near the surface to form its mantle. The team landed its probe in the Von Karmen Crater in the

Aitken Basin at the Moon’s South Pole — home to one of the largest impact craters known in the Solar System. They detected materials such as olivine and low-calcium pyroxene that are rare elsewhere on the surface. Authors of the study, which was published in the journal Nature, suggest that these materials were ejected from the Moon’s upper mantle when it was struck by a meteor. “Our results support the lunar magma ocean theory, and demonstrate that the magma ocean hypothesis can be used to describe the early evolution history of the Moon,� Chunlai Li, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Agence France-Presse. Unlike the near side of the moon that always faces the Earth and offers many flat areas to touch down on, the far side is mountainous and rugged. AFP

ASIAN STOCKS: V S h a n g h a i 0 . 5 8 %

V S i n g a p o re 0 . 3 6 %

P52.48 TO $1

PSEi 7,475.16 DOWN 1.34%

www.manilatimes.net

What’s inside PPA REMITS P3.5-B DIVIDENDS IN 2018

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PSA: FISH OUTPUT UP 0.9% IN Q1

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FILINVEST GROUP PROFIT SURGES 50% TO P3.86B

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AGRINURTURE EARNINGS CLIMB TO P213.3M

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BOURSE Q1 PROFIT SOARS 86.47%

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TRUMP RAMPS UP BATTLE VS HUAWEI

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W Seoul 1.20%

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W H o n g Ko n g 0 . 0 2 %

BY MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

P

RUDENTIAL Guarantee & Assurance Inc. — last year’s top non-life insurer in terms of net premiums written — said on Thursday it would focus on improving capabilities in information technology (IT) to sustain its solid performance this year.

In an interview, Prudential Guarantee 0RESIDENT AND #HIEF %XECUTIVE /FkCER Anton Sy welcomed the Insurance Commission’s (IC) recent announcement that THE kRM BESTED OTHER INDUSTRY PLAYERS IN 2018 with a premium income of P5.18 billion, a 7.9-percent increase from P4.8 billion the year before. Net premiums written are the gross premiums written less reinsurance cessation. They represent how much

of the premiums the company gets for assuming risk. “We are very happy with the ranking results. It would make us work harder going forward,� Sy told The Manila Times. “In terms of future plans, we are looking at growing our market penetration by improving our information technology system to reach more clients,� he added. According to Sy, Prudential Guarantee’s market share as of the end of

2018 was at 10.7 percent after its gross premiums written — the sum of the premiums from direct business and assumed premiums before the effect of ceded reinsurance — hit P9.6 billion. Prudential Guarantee offers property, casualty, marines, aviation, medical and engineering insurance services. Meanwhile, Sy said his outlook on the overall non-life insurance sector was “very positive,� given the high demand on privately funded projects, such as airports, and commercial and residential spaces. “These big private projects will help boost the non-life insurance sector,� he added.

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Performed well

four other non-life insurers performed well in 2018: Charter Ping An Insurance Corp., which posted a net premium written of P3.90 billion; Malayan Insurance Co. Inc., P3.77 billion; Pioneer Insurance & Surety Corp., P3.09 billion; and BPI/MS Insurance Corp., P3.04 billion. Premiums of the non-life insurance sector increased by 4.6 percent to P50.83 billion from P48.58 billion, it said. The state-run commission also reported that Malayan Insurance led other players in terms of gross premiums written, posting P10.16 billion last year. Prudential Guarantee came next with P9.6 billion; Pioneer Insurance, P9.29 billion; BPI/MS, with P5.82 billion; and

Earlier this week, the IC reported that

ÂłImprove B4

OBLIVIOUS

A Chinese couple browse their smartphones as they walk by the new Huawei P30 smartphone advertisement on display inside a subway station in Beijing on May 13, 2019. The Trump administration issued an executive order on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) apparently aimed at banning Huawei’s equipment from US networks, and said it was subjecting the Chinese company to strict export controls. AP PHOTO See story on B4

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commercial banks only.� The reserve-requirement cut for other types of banks, he said, will be considered in the next meeting of the BSP’s policymaking Monetary Board. The RRR is the proportion of current deposits that banks need to keep with the central bank against the sum they can loan out to borrowers. Monetary authorities’ latest action on the operational tool followed the 1-percentage-point cuts to the ratio in February and May last year, totaling to 200 bps. The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) lauded the move, calling it “a complimentary boost to our national economy, WITH INlATION SLOWING DOWN TO A

ÂłCuts B2

What does E in ESOWN Poor prospects for PH seen from polls and ESOP stand for? T HE website of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) showed Megawide Construction Corp. (MGC) having issued 2,399,420,199 common shares. Minus 315,124,782 treasury shares, the company is left with 2,084,295,417 outstanding common shares, according to a public ownership report (POR) as of Mach 31, 2019. Megawide listed in the same POR two principal stockholders as holders of 1,330,634,698 MGC common shares, or 63.88 percent of outstanding. Of the total, Citicore Holdings Investment Inc. directly owns 715,925,501 MGC common shares, or 34.12 percent. Megacore Holdings Inc. holds the remaining 617,709,197 MGC common shares, or 29.56 percent. The public stockholders, on the other hand, were credited with 734,886,430 MGC common shares, which represent 35.26 percent of outstanding. Their ownership even tops Citicore’s 34.12 percent and Megacore’s 29.56 percent. If Megawide’s public stockholders own 734.886 million MGC common shares, or 35.26 percent of outstanding, they own much more in SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), which credited them with 533,576,948 SMIC common shares, which are equivalent to 44.30 percent of 1,204,582,867 outstanding common shares. On May 15, 2019, Megawide common shares opened trading

B2

Prudential to improve IT system to sustain growth

Bangko Sentral cuts RRR by 200 bps THE central bank has resumed reducing banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR) on Thursday, with monetary authorities ordering a 200-basis-points (bps) cut on the 18-percent liquidity-mopping tool. “The Monetary Board decided today (Thursday) to reduce the RRR by 200 bps — from 18 percent to 16 percent to be implemented in three stages...� Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno announced in a message to reporters. An initial 100-bps reduction will take effect on May 31, followed by a 50-bps cut on June 28 and another 50-bps decrease by July 26. The Bangko Sentral chief stressed, however, that “this new policy will apply to universal and

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PWC’S NEEDLES IN A HAYSTACK

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FRIDAY MAY 17, 2019

Business Times

CURRENCY RATE

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at P21, hit a high of P22.40, fell to a low of P21.75 and closed the session at P22. The stock recorded a 30-day high of P23 and a 30-day low of P20.55. SMIC common shares opened trading at P905, peaked at P917, dropped to a low of P890 and closed the session at P800.

New corporate name Starting May 9, 2019, Ayalaland Logistics Holdings Corp. (ALHC) is the new name of Prime Orion Philippines Inc. Its parent company, however, will still be Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), which is also a listed company. ALI’s subsidiaries/affiliates include Orion Land Inc., Tutuban Properties Inc., Orion Property Development Inc., LCI Commercial Ventures Inc., FLT Prime Insurance Corp., Laguna Technopark and Ecozone Power Management Inc. In an amended general information sheet (GIS), Ayalaland said it has 7.5 billion authorized capital stock (ACS) of which 4.923 billion ALHC common shares are owned by 801 stockholders divided into 788 Filipinos and 13 foreigners.

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THE strong showing of President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies in Monday’s midterm elections should boost government efforts in implementing economic reforms, but may bode poorly for the country’s long-term prospects, Capital Economics said. In a report released on Wednesday night, the London-based research consultancy company said that with “over 90 percent of the votes now counted, it looks as though all 12 Senate seats up for grabs have been won either by allies of Duterte or by candidates supportive of his administration.� “The result gives Duterte a majority in the 24-seat Senate, and should make it easier for the president to push through legislation,� it added. Partial and unofficial election results showed on Thursday that nine candidates from the Duterte-backed Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) slate are in the

Senate race’s “Magic 12.� They are reelectionists Cynthia Villar, Pia Cayetano, Juan Edgardo “Sonny� Angara and Aquilino “Koko� Pimentel 3rd; returnee Ramon “Bong� Revilla Jr.; and newcomers Christopher “Bong� Go, Ronald “Bato� dela Rosa, Ma. Imelda “Imee� Marcos and Francis Tolentino. “The result of the midterms, which were seen by many as a referendum on Duterte’s first three years, are likely to embolden the president further. Duterte now has a good chance of being able to garner the three quarters majority support in the Senate which he needs to change the Constitution,� Capital Economics said. It also said it expected the administration to further push for several economic reforms, including the second package of its Comprehensive Tax Reform Program — the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality

Opportunities (Trabaho) bill — which seeks to lower corporate tax rates from 30 percent to 20 percent in 10 years and rationalize fiscal incentives. “Reducing the complexity of the tax system and lowering the tax rate should, [with] all else equal, provide a boost to investment,� the consultancy firm added. It warned, however, that the government’s move to improve the country’s business environment “have been undermined by the actions of the president himself.� “Duterte’s increasingly autocratic tendencies, including his willingness to undermine political institutions and attack his opponents, have caused foreign investors to take fright,� Capital Economics said. The report also said the President’s move to decentralize power might have

ÂłPolls B4

PSEi slides further to 7,400 level THE stock market plunged to a more-than-four-month low on Thursday on account of the continued outflow of foreign funds. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) declined for the fifth straight day, losing 1.34 percent or 101.55 points to close at 7,475.16. This was the lowest level since it finished at 7,489.20 on January 2, 2019. Meanwhile, the wider All Shares fell 0.96 percent or 45.31 points to end at 4,662.86. “Net foreign selling plagued

the index once again,� P2P Trade Online sales associate Gabriel Jose Perez said. AAA Southeast Equities Inc. President Matthew Cabangon echoed the remark, saying the “US and [its president, Donald] Trump [have] been the biggest catalyst in the loss of investor confidence in the Philippine market.� Foreign funds loaded P3.89-billion issues and disposed of P5.7 billion for a net foreign selling position of P1.85 billion. “China and the US are the first and third-largest trading partners of the

[Philippines], respectively. Because of our exposure, disruption in supply chains between the two can severely affect our economy,� Cabangon said. Perez said the next support level to look out for would be 7,350 should foreign selling continue. The local market bucked a Wall Street rally, as the Dow Jones grew 0.45 percent, the S&P 500 rose 0.58 percent, and the Nasdaq climbed 1.13 percent. Regional markets were mixed, with Shanghai,

ÂłSlids B2

P1.323T released in first 4 months

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) reported on Thursday that funds worth P1.323 trillion had been released in the kRST FOUR MONTHS OF In a statement, the Budget department said these funds included the reenacted 2018 national budget, automatic appropriations and continuing appropriations. In the same period last year, the department released P3.264 trillion, which was also based on the P3.767-trillion national budget for 2018. In a breakdown, allotment releases to line departments under the reenacted 2018 budget reached P642.44 billion in January to April. These allotments include funds for agencies in the executive branch, Congress, the judiciary AND OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL OFkCES “Allotment releases issued by the DBM enable agencies to incur obligations to finance the delivery of public services, such as education, healthcare, poverty alleviation and infrastructure development,� the Budget agency explained. It said fund releases from Special Purpose Funds (SPFs) amounted to P54.56 billion, with notable releases coming from the Pension and Gratuity Fund, Budgetary Support to Government

ÂłReleased B2

B2

Business Times

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

FRIDAY May 17, 2019

PPA remits P3.5-B dividends in 2018 BY LISBET K. ESMAEL

I

NDICATIVE OF ITS STRONG kSCAL PERFORMANCE the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) remitted P3.5 billion in dividends to the national government in 2018.

In a statement on Thursday, the STATE RUN AGENCY SAID THE kGURE WAS 13 percent higher than P3.1 billion it remitted a year earlier. The kGURE IS THE HIGHEST RECORDED

dividend remitted by the PPA in the last 30 years. Aside from the dividends, the PPA said it also remitted P5.9 billion in taxes, forwarding a total of

P9.4 billion to the national coffers. Furthermore, it reported that revenues climbed by 14 percent to P17.49 billion, up 8 percent from PPA’s target last year. PPA General Manager Jay Daniel SAID THE AGENCY WAS ON gSTABLE kNANcial ground� after a robust performance in the past two years, which he attributed to “streamlining of port processes coupled with strategic port development and modernization.� Meanwhile, the Department of

On the Avengers and facing uncertainty

A

Transportation (DoTr) lauded the feat achieved by PPA. “The agency has achieved so much in terms of dividends remittance despite the massive infrastructure spending for port rehabilitation and development,� Transportion Secretary Arthur Tugade was quoted in the statement. g4HIS KIND OF kSCAL MANAGEMENT shall truly aid the government in achieving the ‘Golden Age of Infrastructure,� he added.

PSA: Fish output up 0.9% in Q1 THE country’s total fish production grew 0.9 percent to 1.01 million metric tons (MMT) in the first quarter of 2019 compared to year-ago output, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. The figure, however, was significantly lower than the 2-percent growth forecast set by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA). In its latest Fisheries Situation Report, PSA said growth was seen in commercial fisheries and municipal fisheries subsectors while a decline was noted in aquaculture. Fish yielded by commercial fisheries, accounting 21.6 percent of the total output,

reached 218,980 MT, 1.2 percent higher from 216,320 MT in the same period last year. Municipal fisheries contributed 269.46 MMT, up 5.7 percent from last year’s 255 MMT. Of this, 86.3 percent came from marine fisheries while the rest from inland fisheries. Municipal fisheries contributed 26.6 percent to total fish production. Aquaculture production, meanwhile, fell by 1.5 percent to 526,050 MT as compared to year-ago’s 534,010 MT. The subsector, however, took the largest share of 51.9 percent of total fisheries output. During the three-month period, roundscad and skipjack, among the seven major species, showed higher output by

Q RELEASED FROM B1

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P1.323T

Bangko

Corporations and the MiscellaNEOUS 0ERSONNEL "ENEkTS &UND “In addition to releases from SPFs, funds allocated to the� Public Works and Health departments, “among other agencies, were also included,� it added. SPFs are budgetary allocations in the General Appropriations Act '!! FOR SPECIkC PURPOSES 4HESE are usually lump sum in nature, as the recipient departments or agenCIES AND OR SPECIkC PROGRAMS AND projects have not yet been identified during budget preparation and legislation. The department also said automatic appropriations totaling P611.04 billion were released, with the Internal Revenue Allotment accounting for most of it at P575.52 billion. Existing or continuing appropriations are those previously enacted by Congress and that continue to remain valid as an appropriation authority for the expenditure of public funds. Meanwhile, the Budget department said P4.27 billion had been released under the continuing appropriations of the 2018 GAA. It also said unprogrammed appropriations amounting to P9.86 billion had been released to support foreign-assisted projects of the Department of Transportation to cover loan-proceed requirements for the implementation of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 rehabilitation and Phase 1 of the North-South Commuter Railway projects. Unprogrammed appropriations are those that provide standby authority to incur additional agency obligations for priority programs or projects when revenue collection exceed targets and when additional grants or foreign funds are generated. Lastly, the DBM said P494.98 million in other automatic appropriations have had released for grants, donations and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program. MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

36.2 percent to 53,260 MT and 6.5 percent to 72,761 MT, respectively compared with the same period a year ago. Other major species that exhibited lower production included yellowfin tuna (13.9 percent), milkfish (4.7 percent), tilapia (3.2 percent), tiger prawn (0.9 percent) and seaweed (0.7 percent). Based on PSA’s first quarter report on the performance of Philippine agriculture, the fisheries subsector generated P63.5 billion, contributing 13.45 percent to the total agricultural production in JanuaryMarch period. BFAR National Director Eduardo Gongona earlier said the impacts of weak El

NiĂąo to the country’s fisheries sector would be ‘very minimal’. Gongona said the hike in local production is a result of the opening of fishing season for sardines in the waters off the Zamboanga Peninsula last March, following a three-month fishing ban to allow the undisturbed reproduction of sardines. To boost local fish production, Gongona earlier said BFAR would continue to maintain the 60-percent production in captured fisheries while improving the 40 percent from aquaculture farming, “so that by next year, the agency will continue positive trend in production.â€? EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ

The group said it was “optimistic that the RRR reduction, together with easing of policy rates, will sustain the growing economic momentum of the Philippines,� 16-month low.� AND IS gCONkDENT THAT THE "ANGKO “The 2-percent cut in reserve re- Sentral will continue to exercise its quirements recognizes the BSP’s effec- regulatory role effectively as catativeness in strengthening the country’s lyst to bolster economic growth banking system,� BAP President Cezar AND CONSUMER CONkDENCE IN THE Consing said in a statement. banking industry.� “It is a bold move, coming on the For his part, ING Bank Maheels of a policy rate cut, but equally nila senior economist Nicholas APPROPRIATE GIVEN HOW OUR kNANCIAL Antonio Mapa said “the gradual system has advanced under the BSP’s REDUCTION IN 222 WILL DEkNITELY stewardship,� he added. help alleviate the current tight

liquidity conditions and complements its (central bank) recent policy rate cut.� “With liquidity conditions tight, as evidenced by seven months of singledigit M3 growth and multiyear high time deposit rates, the BSP looked TO kNALLY ADDRESS THE LACK OF FUNDS circulating in the system,�he added. “Deploying the appropriate tool TO ADDRESS SPECIkC AILMENTS WAS key in this round of decisions, despite being tempted to deploy one tool to address all concerns,� the economist said. MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

shares, or 87.99 percent. In the top 100 list of Macay’s stockholders as of March 31, 2019, Mazy’s is on top but held slightly less than the number in the company’s POR. Instead of 940.092 million, Mazy’s holdings dropped to 900 million Macay common shares, or 84.24 percent. PCD Nominee held 111.490 million Macay common shares for non-Filipinos and 54.307 million Macay common shares, or 5.06 percent, for Filipinos.

ESOWN and ESOP so as not to mislead the public that these two words indicate generosity of employers. For example, Ayalaland Logistics included in an amended GIS “ESOWN� administrator 2018 as holder of 26,629,700 ALHC common shares, or 0.54 percent. What does ESOWN mean to the public? Of course, the more knowledgeable about listed stocks would know the difference between ESOWN and ESOP. How about the others, who, most probably, are among listed companies’ public stockholders. As a matter of fact, if ESOWN and ESOP mean employees’ stock ownership and employees’ stock ownership plan, the majority stockholders must be very generous to their workers. By the way, why should insiders be allowed to trade the stocks when they are looked up to by the rank-and-file employees as their top executives? Do the public stockholders need to read prelimiNARY AND DEkNITIVE INFORMATION statements to know what ESOWN and ESOP stand for? Just asking.

Q PEREZ FROM B1

What The company’s GIS listed ALI as the majority stockholder with 2.703 billion ALHC common shares, or 54.91 percent. Orion Land held 538.977 million ALHC common shares, or 10.95 percent. As record stockholder, PCD Nominee Corp. held 985.450 million ALHC common shares for Filipinos and 48.887 million ALHC common shares, or 0.99 percent, for various non-Filipinos. The other ALHC stockholders in the amended GIS were Orion Land, 538.977 million common shares, or 10.95 percent; Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co., 179.640 million ALHC common shares. Ayalaland also listed 781 stockholders under “others� with 61.572 million ALHC common shares, or 1.25 percent. On May 15, 2019, ALHC common shares opened the day at P3.04, hit a high of P3.05, fell to a low of P3 and closed the session at P3.04. The stock recorded a 30day high of P3.12 and a month’s low of P2.82. Macay Holdings Inc. (MHI) reported in a public ownership report (POR) dated April 30, 2019 the public stockholders as holders of 120.761 million MHI common shares, or 11.30 percent of 1.068 billion outstanding common shares. It listed Mazy’s Capital Inc. as principal stockholder with 940.092 million MHI common

‘Buy’ On Feb. 4, 2019, Antonio I. Panahon, a member of the board of Macay Holdings, increased his indirect holdings to 7.534 million Macay common shares after buying 7.540 million common shares at P9.57 each. He directly owns a nominal Macay common share. Macay common shares opened trading on May 15, 2019 at P11.84, which was the stock’s high, fell to a low of P10.10 and closed the session at P10.70. On May 14, 2019, Macay common shares closed trading at P11.84.

Due Diligencer’s take Email: esdperez@gmail.com Listed companies should spell out in their disclosures the acronyms ESOWN and ESOP. Do they mean executive stockownership or employees’ ownership? On the other hand, if by ESOP a company is referring to employees stock ownership plan or program, they should say so. In short, why not spell out

Q SLIDS FROM B1

PSEi Hong Kong and Singapore the only gainers, up 0.58 percent, 0.02 percent and 0.0.22 percent, respectively. Tokyo dropped 0.59 percent, Seoul declined 1.20 percent, Jakarta lost 0.82 percent

FINEX FILES

RONALD GOSECO Due to space constraints, Finex Files will be published on Saturday instead. and Bangkok fell 0.44 percent. In Manila, all sectoral indices settled in the red, with the industrial sector down the most by 1.77 percent. More than 2.32 billion issues were traded valued at P8.56 billion. Losers led winners, 116 to 78, while 45 issues were unchanged. ANGELICA BALLESTEROS

VENGERS: Endgame is one of the most highly anticipated MOVIESĂŠTHE CONCLUSION TO AN year story arc on the Avengers superhero team. This sequel to 2018’s Avengers )NkNITY 7AR OPENED IN Philippine cinemas, grossing $2.2 billion less than two weeks after its release. PwC also released its sequel to the Workforce of the Future study, called “Preparing for tomorrow’s workforce, todayâ€?. It explores what companies need to invest on to safeguard their future and IDENTIkES THE MOST IMPORTANT CApabilities that organizations need to get their work, workers, and workplaces ready to take on the disruptive challenges ahead. Disruptions take on many forms, but the most apparent are technological ones brought about BY ARTIkCIAL INTELLIGENCE AUTOMAtion (no, Ultron doesn’t count), digital mobility, and virtual collaboration‌these changes can cause anxiety and insecurity. We don’t know how many or which jobs will disappear, much like “the Snapâ€? (Thanos, in the movie, was WEARING THE ALL POWERFUL )NkNITY 3TONES IN HIS )NkNITY 'AUNTLET AND SNAPPED HIS kNGERS SO HE COULD eradicate 50 percent of all life in the cosmos). Half of the jobs and skills we know today may fade away or become irrelevant. So how should organizations face the inevitable? Survey respondents share that each person must possess capabilities that differentiate themselves from machines: trust, humanness, and individual adaptability. The Avengers, especially Black Widow, had those traits. Although Ant-Man suggested doing a time heist to reverse the Snap, Black Widow rallied the rest of the Avengers to take a stand for humanity, eventually defeating Thanos. Before reaching victory, bridge the gap between preparations and execution. Beyond those capabilities, organizations must create a conducive work environment that allows people to maximize their current skills and develop new ones. In Endgame, the AvengersĂŠWITH "LACK 7IDOW MUCH LIKE THE GROUP S (2 $IRECTORĂŠWERE able to cultivate this environment by enacting decisions, similar to PwC’s key action points to prepare for the eventual Snap: 1. Create a competitive advantage through a more engaging people experience. Despite the DISMAL STATE OF AFFAIRS kVE YEARS after the wipeout, Black Widow kept the team together through consistent engagement, presiding over holographic meetings, giving emotional support, and motivating the hopeless. Her leadership led to the Avengers’ conviction to face the uncertain with courage. Similarly, PwC believes that a company must focus on harnessing its talents who play pivotal roles on how the company develops, competes, creates, innovates, and ultimately, drives success. PwC suggests nurturing agility and adaptability by communicating the inevitable and providing the people with diverse experiences to broaden their skills and to make them more resilient. Set the expectation that change is a constant and ‘skills to change’ are valued; provide ‘just-enough, just-in-time, and just-for-me’ learning; and create internal mobility or make ‘career customization’ a reality. 2. Use workforce analytics to make the most of your talent. To mobilize the team, Black Widow, Captain America, and Ant-Man had to overcome doubts and resistance before convincing the rest of the team that time heist was worth trying. To do that, they USED AVAILABLE INFORMATION ĂŠFROM their current locations to their personalities. Knowing each other’s strengths helped them form a detailed approach in executing the time heist. Twenty-seven percent of the survey respondents claim they have done something similar, using insights from big data and advanced analytics in workforce

decision-making. Analytical rigor application, experience personalization, and de-biasing of people processes are essential steps in using workforce analytics to maximize an organization’s talent capabilities. 3. Bring HR and business leaders together to create real change. With only a few heroes and Pym Particles (the technology that could alter the size and mass of objects or living beings), how can they kND THE MOST OPTIMAL SOLUTION After countless team interviews and sleepless nights spent brainstorming, they reached an impasse. However, Tony Stark, Captain America, and Black Widow continued to collaborate and were able TO DETERMINE THAT THE THREE )NkNITY Stones were in New York at a certain point in time. They found the answer to their resource constraint. PwC sees the importance of bringing HR and business leaders TOGETHER TO kND SOLUTIONS TO FUTURE proof their organization. Being on the same page gives them a more realistic view of their company’s gaps, and the ability to collectively kND WAYS TO ACCELERATE PREPARAtions for the future. Make sure that initiatives aimed at futureproofing the people experience are consistently communicated, lived, understood, and felt across the organization. Speak with one voice by ensuring coherent and regular reinforcing signals about the value and importance of these initiatives. 4. With so much to gain from technology, HR needs to step up. Not only was technology an integral part of Tony Stark’s Iron Man persona, it also helped the Avengers kND ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS ONCE thought to be impossible to solve. He was able to invent a device that circumvented time travel complications. The Avengers wouldn’t have succeeded without it, and had much to learn from him. Half of the HR respondents shared that they do not have full understanding of the risks caused by workforce automation. Organizations should build HR’s understanding of technological change and its implications so they can plan for and deliver a compelling narrative about the future to workers. (ARNESS THE POTENTIAL OF lEXIble talent and innovation. Captain Marvel wasn’t always part of the Avengers. She was only recently introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a standalone movie of the same title, released a few months before Endgame. In both kLMS SHE WAS A VERY POWERFUL HERO who could be a threat to any villain who crossed her path. Her ability to lead the charge and lock horns with Thanos was evident. Yet what brought Thanos to his demise? It was Iron Man’s abilITY TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOXÊWHO knew that he had his own version OF THE )NkNITY 'AUNTLET 7ITH THIS innovation, he was able to deal the kNAL BLOW TO 4HANOS BY DOING HIS own Snap. The lesson here is to be unafraid in welcoming new people and innovation. It is becoming increasingly important for organizations to take advantage of the ideas and skills from the non-traditional WORKFORCE %NGAGING lEXIBLE TALent such as freelancers, portfolio workers, and startups, and being open to their new ideas will help organizations handle disruption with more tricks up their sleeves. 6. Get your story straight. Black Widow said the simplest of WORDSÊg7HATEVER IT TAKESuÊSHOWing the Avengers’ awareness of their roles in saving the world. Likewise, organizations are responsible in preparing their people for the Snap. This is a business issue that requires a clear-cut vision and

ÂłNeedles B4

Corporate News

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

AgriNurture earnings climb to P213.3M !'2).52452% )NC SAW AN PERCENT INCREASE IN ITS GROSS PROkT TO 0 MILLION IN THE kRST QUARTER from P114.9 million in the same period in 2018. In a statement on Thursday, the listed fruit and vegetable grower attributed the growth to “the increase in sales in exports, retail and distribution, as well as the consolidation of Fucang’s operations from sale of commodities and real-estate properties.� The amount posted in January to March was bolstered by consolidated sales, which reached P1.2 billion, up 174.48 percent from the YEAR AGO kGURE “For the first three months of 2019, Philippine operations contributed 39 percent� of these sales, “while sales from foreign operations accounted for 61 percent,� it said. /F THE SALES kGURE THE GROUP S export sales surged by 7,790.08 percent to P406.12 million. Total exports in the quarter got a boost from the stable selling prices of banana and coco juice in the international market, the constant supply of raw materials and increasing number

of customers especially in the Chinese MARKET !GRI.URTURE SAID The company is optimistic it would continue increasing its banana sales in the succeeding quarters, on top of increased shipments of mango and beverages, such as canned coconut water. Local distribution sales grew by 3 percent to P32.4 million from P31.6 million a year earlier, mainly due to improvement in operations. 2ETAIL AND FRANCHISING SALES meanwhile, increased by 10 percent to P24.6 million from P22.4 million, despite the closure of some subperforming outlets in the last two quarters of 2018. !GRI.URTURE SAID IT CONTINUED TO improve the quality of the products sold to different outlets, leading to the increase in the number of customers and franchisees in the period. The company currently supplies home-grown fruits to customers in Hong Kong, China, the Middle East and Europe. !GRI.URTURE SHARES DECREASED BY 30 centavos or 1.96 percent to end at P15 apiece on Thursday. EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ

FRIDAY May 17, 2019

B3

Filinvest Group profit surges 50% to P3.86B BY ANGELICA BALLESTEROS

L

ISTED Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC) reported on Thursday that its consolidated net profit rose to P3.86 billion in the kRST THREE MONTHS ON THE BACK OF THE STRONG performance of its businesses.

)N A REGULATORY kLING THE 'Otianun-led conglomerate said the amount was a 50-percent surge from the P2.58 billion recorded in the same period last year. Its consolidated revenues grew by 21.9 percent to P21 billion in January to March from P17.2 billion a year ago. Of the total, FDC’s banking and property units contributed 41.1 percent and 37 percent, respectively; its power, sugar and hotel operations con-

tributed the rest. Financial services arm East West Banking Corp. saw a 34-percent rise in its net income to P1.2 billion from P920.9 million yearon-year. Total revenues stood at P8.8 billion, a 30.9-percent improvement from the previous P6.7 billion. Property unit Filinvest Land Inc. reported a 24-percent growth in its net income to P1.84 billion in the quarter from P1.49 billion the

year before, buoyed by its strong recurring income. Its gross revenues increased by 15 percent to P7.2 billion on the back of a 42-percent jump in rental revenues, which stood at P1.72 billion, and a 10-percent increase in real-estate sales amounting to P5.11 billion. Power subsidiary FDC Utilities Inc. posted a 125.4-percent surge in its net profit to P654.2 million from P290.3 million. This was boosted by a 25.7-percent rise in other revenues and income generated by its coal power plant and retail electricity operations to P2.36 billion from P1.88 billion. Sugar subsidiary Pacific Sugar Holdings Corp. registered a 587-percent improvement in its net income to P212.2 million from

P30.9 million. Total revenues and other income climbed by 21.2 percent to P912.7 million from P752.9 million on account of increased sales volume and sales price. Following this trend, cost of sales rose by 9.8 percent to P670.9 million from P610.9 million, while operating expense declined 68.6 percent. Lastly, the company’s hotel business saw an 82.5-percent growth in NET PROkT TO 0 MILLION FROM P81.1 million, primarily driven by the 30.2-percent increase in revenues and other income which amounted to P883.7 million — a 30.2-percent increase from P678.6 million year-on-year. FDC shares increased by 20 centavos or 1.49 percent to close at P13.66 each on Thursday.

Bourse Q1 income soars 86.47% New Toyota Avanza launched THE Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) SAW ITS NET PROkT IN THE kRST QUARTER surge by 86.47 percent to P175 million from P93.9 million in the same period in 2018 on the back of a 922.54-percent increase in its other income. )N A REGULATORY kLING ON 4HURSDAY the bourse said other income grew to P83.10 million from P9 million year-on-year. Its operating income, however, reMAINED lAT AT 0 MILLION COMpared with P298 million a year ago. Total expenses, including cost of services and administrative expenses, ALSO STOOD lAT AT 0 MILLION ,AST MONTH 03% 0RESIDENT 2AMON Monzon bared plans to raise P5 billion through a share sale to effectively di-

lute brokers’ ownership in the bourse. This is in line with efforts to revive its planned merger with the Philippine Dealing System Holdings Corp. (PDS). The type of offer was not disclosed. According to him, the plan was beING CONSIDERED AFTER BROKERAGE kRMS gave a lukewarm reception to an appeal to sell their stakes in the exchange. 2EDUCING BROKERS OWNERSHIP TO percent was a requirement for the latter to secure an exemptive relief for the PDS acquisition. As of March 18, brokers’ ownership was at 26.44 percent, breaching anew the mandated 20-percent following mandatory submissions OF SWORN SHAREHOLDING CERTIkCATIONS Monzon said the bourse was only waiting for market conditions to

improve before it could proceed with an equity offering. PSE found a rival in acquiring PDS, with Land Bank of the Philippines also planning to purchase a 66.67-percent stake in PDS. LandBank originally offered to buy shares from the bond operator’s stockholders at P360 apiece — topping the PSE’s P320 — but later reduced it to P215, considering the reduced asset value when it issued P600 million worth of dividends to shareholders. LandBank also offered to buy PSE’s shares in PDS, but the offer lapsed on March 15. 03% SHARES ENDED lAT AT 0 apiece on Thursday. ANGELICA BALLESTEROS

HOLDING FIRMS

Index

Value

Chg

%Chg

PSEi

7,475.16

-101.55

Ĺş

All Shares

4,662.86

-45.31

Ĺş

Financials

1,663.38

-17.63

Ĺş

Industrial

11,090.97

-199.45

Ĺş

Holding Firms

6,995.45

-118.99

Ĺş

Services

1,598.22

-22.56

Ĺş

Mining and Oil

7,287.94

-71.91

Ĺş

Property

4,073.27

-3.2

Ĺş

SERVICES

Stock indices as of May 16, 2019

PSEi

ALL SHARES

MINING AND OIL

across the country. It comes in six variants, with prices ranging from P731,000 to P1.065 million. Since it was launched in 2006, the model has sold 100,000 units already. As of end-April, Toyota leads the automotive industry with 40.47-percent market share at 44,997 units sold. The four-month sales, however, was 4.9 percent lower compared to previous year’s 47,307 units sold. Earlier, Toyota PH President Satoru Suzuki said the car maker was expecting to grow by only less than 10 percent this year, noting that there would still be struggles IN THE kRST HALF Toyota saw its 2018 sales decline by 16.8 percent to 153,004 units from 183,908 units in the previous year. The Japanese AUTO kRM IS SET TO OPEN THREE DEALERSHIPS this year. TYRONE C. PIAD

TOYOTA Motors Philippines Corp. recently introduced the second-generation model of its multipurpose vehicle brand Avanza. In a statement on Thursday, the Japanese car maker said the new Avanza model has a “refreshed sporty look, a redesigned dashboard with a new infotainment system, and practical safety features.� The new model has a maximum output of 103 horsepower for the 1.5-liter engine and 95 HP for the 1.3-liter engine variant. The seven-seater vehicle is installed with split-type LED headlamps and front fog lamps, along with redesigned alloy wheels for ground clearance. Inside, it is equipped with a 6.8-inch capacitive touch panel display infotainment system, with high-resolution K2 technology audio. The new Toyota Avanza is now available in all of dealerships

TOP ACTIVE STOCKS No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Security Name Ayala Corporation Ayala Land, Inc. Jollibee Foods Corporation BDO Unibank, Inc. International Container Terminal Services, Inc. SM Investments Corporation SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Universal Robina Corporation 0HWUR 3DFLÂżF ,QYHVWPHQWV &RUSRUDWLRQ PLDT Inc. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company JG Summit Holdings, Inc. Bloomberry Resorts Corporation Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. Megaworld Corporation San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc. Bank of the Philippine Islands Wilcon Depot, Inc. Alliance Global Group, Inc. PHINMA Energy Corporation

Last Price 838 46.6 285 128.5 134.5 885 37.95 152.8 4.2 1,220.00 70.6 56.5 11 47 5.28 109 80.9 16.5 13.6 1.98

Chg -42 -0.4 -8 -3 -7 -5 0.45 -4 0 -1 -0.1 -1.9 0.02 0.3 -0.09 -0.3 0 -0.02 0 -0.16

%Chg -4.77% -0.85% -2.73% -2.28% -4.95% -0.56% 1.20% -2.55% 0% -0.08% -0.14% -3.25% 0.18% 0.64% -1.68% -0.27% 0% -0.12% 0% -7.48%

ź ź ź ź ź ź Ÿ ź ź ź ź Ÿ Ÿ ź ź ź ź

Volume 1,139,700.00 12,575,700.00 1,852,050.00 3,747,410.00 3,189,410.00 469,890.00 10,943,200.00 1,945,770.00 65,488,000.00 181,770.00 2,751,340.00 3,328,340.00 16,445,100.00 2,954,300.00 26,035,800.00 1,148,510.00 1,466,940.00 7,029,600.00 8,470,200.00 50,005,000.00

Value(P) 973,229,620.00 586,276,825.00 530,000,778.00 478,945,744.00 444,361,434.00 416,111,450.00 414,458,095.00 299,187,720.00 275,046,160.00 221,895,730.00 194,808,989.00 189,821,784.50 179,675,956.00 139,183,795.00 138,034,041.00 125,660,560.00 118,706,224.00 116,518,580.00 114,907,276.00 103,065,140.00

*amounts in peso, except for volume, %chg

TOP GAINERS

FINANCIALS

INDUSTRIAL

PROPERTY

INDEX HISTORY Date May 16, 2019 May 15, 2019 May 14, 2019 May 10, 2019 May 9, 2019 May 08, 2019 May 07, 2019 May 06, 2019 May 03, 2019 May 02, 2019 Apr 30, 2019 Apr 29, 2019 Apr 26, 2019 Apr 25, 2019 Apr 24, 2019 Apr 23, 2019 Apr 22, 2019 Apr 17, 2019 Apr 16, 2019 Apr 15, 2019 Apr 12, 2019 Apr 11, 2019 Apr 10, 2019 Apr 8, 2019 Apr 5, 2019 Apr 4, 2019 Apr 03, 2019 Apr 02, 2019 Apr 01, 2019 Mar 29, 2019

Open 7,560 7,671 7,718 7,756 7,858 7,903 7,872 7,973 8,004 7,953 7,892 7,861 7,893 7,848 7,799 7,827 7,840 7,833 7,800 7,888 7,971 7,991 7,976 7,879 7,866 7,893 7,880 7,854 7,923 7,891

High 7,586 7,711 7,718 7,842 7,864 7,927 7,922 7,974 8,078 8,041 7,953 7,897 7,900 7,894 7,847 7,835 7,859 7,861 7,860 7,915 7,980 8,000 8,009 7,955 7,887 7,898 7,895 7,894 7,924 7,921

Low 7,475 7,577 7,578 7,719 7,756 7,755 7,861 7,851 7,968 7,947 7,889 7,846 7,840 7,832 7,799 7,770 7,818 7,824 7,799 7,788 7,881 7,956 7,953 7,879 7,866 7,836 7,861 7,854 7,810 7,887

Close 7,475 7,577 7,647 7,742 7,756 7,927 7,911 7,862 7,968 8,002 7,953 7,897 7,868 7,894 7,847 7,819 7,832 7,835 7,826 7,788 7,881 7,956 8,009 7,916 7,873 7,854 7,895 7,879 7,840 7,921

CLOSE

No. Security Name 1 United Paragon Mining Corporation Corporation Perpetual Preferred Shares Series 2 Petron “2� - Subseries “2A� 3 Euro-Med Laboratories Phils., Inc. 4 Millennium Global Holdings, Inc. 5 National Reinsurance Corporation Of The Philippines 6 DoubleDragon Properties Corp. 7 Lopez Holdings Corporation 8 Leisure & Resorts World Corporation 9 Easycall Communications Phils., Inc. 10 SFA Semicon Philippines Corporation 11 8990 Holdings, Inc. Series A Perpetual Preferred Shares 12 Leisure and Resorts World Corporation Warrants 13 PH Resorts Group Holdings, Inc. 14 Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. 15 Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corporation 16 Philweb Corporation 17 Imperial Resources, Inc. 18 Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation 19 Victorias Milling Company, Inc. 20 Medco Holdings, Inc.

Volume 2,000,000.00

Value 14,300.00

Last Price Chg %Chg 0.0071 0.001 16.39%

10.00

9,975.00

997.5

87.5

9.62%

7,000.00 200,000.00 2,429,000.00 2,120,300.00 819,000.00 9,513,000.00 192,100.00 244,000.00 10.00 1,000,000.00 18,000.00 2,841,100.00 313,800.00 1,963,000.00 27,000.00 424,000.00 5,000.00 140,000.00

11,830.00 40,630.00 2,319,140.00 52,559,670.00 3,717,610.00 39,594,560.00 2,131,164.00 312,660.00 975 2,035,680.00 76,030.00 17,870,145.00 8,321,800.00 6,031,790.00 50,200.00 222,220.00 12,640.00 63,900.00

1.69 0.201 0.95 25.4 4.58 4.2 11 1.29 97.5 2.04 4.32 6.38 27 3.09 1.85 0.55 2.6 0.475

0.12 0.013 0.06 1.55 0.24 0.22 0.52 0.06 4.5 0.09 0.17 0.25 1.05 0.12 0.07 0.02 0.09 0.015

7.64% 6.91% 6.74% 6.50% 5.53% 5.53% 4.96% 4.88% 4.84% 4.62% 4.10% 4.08% 4.05% 4.04% 3.93% 3.77% 3.59% 3.26%

Value Last Price Chg 34,800.00 1.2 -0.18 601,020.00 1.1 -0.16 11,000.00 0.011 -0.001 768,283.00 9.86 -0.84 103,065,140.00 1.98 -0.16 3,631,400.00 0.31 -0.025 4,822,754.00 6.31 -0.49 1,341,610.00 0.83 -0.06 4,456,350.00 2.24 -0.16 4,445,340.00 0.72 -0.05 40,015,970.00 5.57 -0.38 12,024.00 5.01 -0.32 2,958,600.00 0.0017 -0.0001 2,331,480.00 2.08 -0.12 444,361,434.00 134.5 -7 973,229,620.00 838 -42 6,546,950.00 4.76 -0.22 51,405,810.00 2.68 -0.12 3,750,090.00 1.2 -0.05 20,543,593.00 10 -0.4

%Chg -13.04% -12.70% -8.33% -7.85% -7.48% -7.46% -7.21% -6.74% -6.67% -6.49% -6.39% -6.00% -5.56% -5.45% -4.95% -4.77% -4.42% -4.29% -4.00% -3.85%

*amounts in peso, except for volume, %chg

TOP LOSERS

HIGH

No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Security Name Benguet Corporation “B� Benguet Corporation “A� Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corporation “A� Macay Holdings, Inc. PHINMA Energy Corporation Zeus Holdings, Inc. SPC Power Corporation TKC Metals Corporation Primex Corporation Alliance Select Foods International, Inc. Petron Corporation Keppel Philippine Holdings, Inc. “B� Abra Mining & Industrial Corporation Araneta Properties, Inc. International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Ayala Corporation Italpinas Development Corporation Cemex Holdings Philippines, Inc. Apex Mining Company, Inc. “A� Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc.

*amounts in peso, except for volume, %chg

Volume 29,000.00 535,000.00 1,000,000.00 77,700.00 50,005,000.00 11,560,000.00 752,700.00 1,582,000.00 1,979,000.00 6,228,000.00 7,003,200.00 2,400.00 1,649,000,000.00 1,097,000.00 3,189,410.00 1,139,700.00 1,355,000.00 19,006,000.00 3,096,000.00 2,053,100.00

B4

Foreign Business

FRIDAY May 17, 2019

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Trump ramps up battle vs Huawei W

!3().'4/. $ # $ONALD 4RUMP STEPPED up his battle against Huawei Wednesday 4HURSDAY IN -ANILA EFFECTIVELY BARRING the Chinese telecom giant from the US market and adding it to a blacklist restricting US sales to the kRM AMID AN ESCALATING TRADE WAR WITH "EIJING An executive order signed by the president prohibits purchase or use of equipment from companies that pose “an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.� “This administration will do what it takes to keep America safe and prosperous and to protect America from foreign adversaries,� White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. ! SENIOR 7HITE (OUSE OFkCIAL insisted that no particular country or company was targeted in the “company- and country-agnostic� declaration. However, the measure — announced just as a US-China trade war deepens — is widely seen as prompted by already deep concerns over an alleged spying threat from Huawei. “Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger; instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives,� Huawei said in a statement. “In addition, unreasonable restrictions will infringe upon Huawei’s rights and raise other serious legal issues,� it said. The Commerce Department followed up with a more direct hit on the tech giant, adding it to a blacklist that will make it much HARDER FOR THE kRM TO USE CRUCIAL US components in its array of phones, telecom gear, databases and other electronics. Canada has also been dragged into the spat as it arrested a Huawei executive on a US extradition warrant related to Iran sanctions

violations in December. In what is seen as retaliation from Beijing, a former Canadian diplomat, Michael Kovrig, and a businessman, Michael Spavor, were detained on national security grounds, with Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper reporting Thursday that they have now been formally arrested.

‘RIP Huawei’ Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said it would ADD (UAWEI AND ITS AFkLIATES TO its “entity list� over alleged Iran sanctions violations. 4HE LISTING REQUIRES 53 kRMS TO get a license from BIS for the sale or transfer of American technology to a company or person on the list. “A license may be denied if the sale or transfer would harm US national security or foreign policy interests,� a Commerce Department statement said. “This will prevent American technology from being used by foreign-owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests,� Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said. US Senator Tom Cotton, from Trump’s Republican Party, tweeted: “@Huawei 5G, RIP. Thanks for playing.� Huawei did not immediately comment on the blacklisting. 53 OFkCIALS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO persuade allies not to allow China a role in building next-generation 5G mobile networks, warning that doing so would result in restrictions on sharing of information

with the United States. US government agencies are already banned from buying equipment from Huawei, a rapidly expanding leader in the 5G technology. Beijing was already furious about US moves to limit use of equipment from Chinese firms including Huawei and another company ZTE. “For some time, the United States has abused its national power to deliberately discredit and suppress by any means speCIkC #HINESE ENTERPRISES WHICH IS neither honorable nor fair,� foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said ahead of Trump’s

executive order. “We urge the US side to stop the unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises on the pretext of national security and to provide a fair and non-discriminatory environment,� the spokesman said.

tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports, which was met with a retaliation in kind by Beijing. Washington and some European allies fear that Chinese economic expansion, particularly in the Belt and Road global infrastructure program, is part of a bid for geoTrojan horse political dominance. Amid those worries, Huawei is The US portrayal of Huawei as a portrayed as a Trojan horse that national security danger dovetails could leverage its ultra-rapid telewith Washington’s wider com- coms technology into a Chinese plaint that Chinese companies government spy network reaching are unfairly protected by the state, deep into American society and making fair trade impossible. BUSINESS kELDS The move also threatens to fur“Chinese telecom companies THER lARE TRADE TENSIONS JUST DAYS like Huawei effectively serve as after the US more than doubled an intelligence-gathering arm of

the Chinese Communist Party,� Senator Cotton said after Trump’s emergency declaration. “The administration is right to restrict the use of their products.� So far, the US campaign to lobby other countries to turn their backs on Huawei has had mixed results. Even Britain, one of Washington’s closest allies, is mired in debate over whether to follow the US lead or allow Huawei to develop the 5G networks. On Tuesday, the chairman of the company, Liang Hua, visited London to insist that Huawei will “commit ourselves, to commit our equipment to meeting the no-spy, no back-door standards.� AFP

will soon be gone. We will always have to adapt. Skills, technology, and organizational foundaTIONS FORM ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE COIN /N THE lIP side should be the ability to instill trust and to deliver the people experience that inspires commitleadership from the top. ment and maximizes organizational potential. Leaders should communicate a clear, compelWith these, we can face disruption with more ling, and honest story about how the organization CONkDENCE !S "LACK 7IDOW SAID g%VEN IF THERE S IS INlUENCING PLANNING AND DELIVERING ON THE a small chance that we can undo this...we owe it future of work. They need to be honest about to everyone who’s not in this room to try.� what’s important, and to be thoughtful about communicating changes that have a great impact Ricky B. Aguirre is a Management Consulting on their current ways of working. In the face of Director of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consultjob disruption and change, leaders should strive ing Services Philippines Co. Ltd., a Philippine to reassure their people by being transparent and MEMBER kRM OF THE 0W# NETWORK &OR MORE enabling honest dialogue. information, please email markets@ph.pwc. It’s not a question of whether the Snap will com. This content is for general information happen. In our world, it simply is inevitable that purposes only, and should not be used as a what we do, what we know, and how we do work substitute for consultation with professional will eventually change. The usual job descriptions advisors.

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Poor prospects a negative impact on the country. “Duterte is trying to decentralize power across the country, a move we think would cause inequality across the country to widen even further,� Capital Economics said. “The change also risks concentrating even more power in the hands of the country’s self-interested political elites,� it added.

‘Policy continuity’ On Thursday, global credit-rating agency Fitch Ratings said the initial Senate poll results could mean “policy continuity� for the current administration. “This outcome, if confirmed, could bode well for policy continuity during the President’s remaining

term,� Sagarika Chandra, associate director in Fitch Ratings’ Sovereigns team, said in a comment. She also said that going forward, the debt watcher would closely watch key economic factors in the Philippines, such as its growth outlook, progress on tax reforms and fiscal policies. Last December, the credit rater affirmed the Philippines’ “BBB� investment grade rating with a stable outlook, even as it warned that the economy continues to face overheating risks. “The rating on the Philippines balance favorable growth prospects, lower government debt, and a net external creditor position against lower per capita income levels, a weaker business environment and lower standards of governance compared with its rating category peers,� Fitch Ratings said in a statement then. The “BBB� is a notch above minimum investment grade, while the “stable� outlook means the rating is likely to remain unchanged within the next 12 to 18 months. ANNA LEAH E. GONZALES AND MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

Q IMPROVE FROM B1

Prudential to improve IT Charter Ping An, P5.67 billion. In terms of total assets, Malayan Insurance CAME kRST LAST YEAR WITH 0 BILLION 0IONEER Insurance followed with P31 billion; Prudential Guarantee, P14.41 billion; BPI/MS, P12.80 billion; and Charter Ping An, P11.40 billion. 4HE COMBINED ASSETS OF THESE kVE COMPANIES

account for 44.13 percent of the total assets of the non-life insurance industry last year, the IC said. Including the performance of life insurers AND MUTUAL BENEkT ASSOCIATIONS THE INSURANCE industry saw its premium income grow by 11.6 percent to P290.15 billion in 2018 from P259.82 billion in 2017.

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advertising@manilatimes.net 524-5664 local 121, 3105895 and 3105582

w w w.manilatimes.net

SORSOGON II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE SORECO II Brgy. Buhatan, Sorsogon East District, Sorsogon City E-mail- soreco2.tpbac @gmail.com INVITATION TO BID 6RUVRJRQ ,, (OHFWULF &RRSHUDWLYH 625(&2 ,, KROGLQJ RIÂżFH DW %UJ\ %XKDWDQ Sorsogon City, is looking for a Power Supplier/Generation Company which will supply the capacity requirements for its Captive Customers. Sorsogon II Electric Cooperative is conducting a transparent and Competitive Selection Process which shall be in accordance ZLWK WKH IROORZLQJ 6FKHGXOHV 7HUPV RI 5HIHUHQFH DQG 3UH 4XDOLÂżFDWLRQ 5HTXLUHPHQWV

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given that Stock Certificate No. B-501 issued by Alabang Country Club, Inc. to Hisao Onishi, was declared lost as per affidavit of loss executed by Hisao Onishi on April 2, 2019 and acknowledged as Doc. No. 299 on Page No. 61, Book No. LIX Series of 2019 before Atty. Felipe I. Iledan, Jr., a notary public for and in the City of Makati.

SCHEDULE OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS Activities 1. Publication of Invitation to Bid

8. EC Evaluation on Submitted Bids

MT – May 3, 10 & 17, 2019

Schedule

Venue

May 17-26, 2019

The Manila Times

2. Submission of Pre4XDOLÂżFDWLRQ 5HTXLUHPHQWV DQG $QQRXQFHPHQW RI 3UH 4XDOLÂżHG May 18-26, 2019 Bidders May 27, 2019 to June 3. Issuance of Bid Documents 17, 2019, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. June 18, 2019, 10:00 4. Pre-Bid Conference A.M. 5. Issuance of Bid Bulletin and June 19, 2019 Final Instruction to Bidders 6. Due Diligence of Proponent June 20-26, 2019 7. Deadline of Submission of June 27, 2019 Technical and Financial Bids 9:30 A.M Opening of Technical and June 27, 2019 Financial Bids 10:00 A.M. June 28, 2019

3RVW 4XDOLÂżFDWLRQ DQG 'HWDLOHG June 29 - July 3, 2019 Evaluation of Bids

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE 1ST DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE REGIONAL OFFICE IX Sta. Isabel, Dipolog City

625(&2 ,, &3' 2IÂżFH Buhatan, Sorsogon City 625(&2 ,, &$0' 2IÂżFH Monreal St., Sorsogon City 3rd Floor, Function Hall, SORECO II Bldg., Monreal St., Talisay, Sorsogon City 3rd Floor, Function Hall, SORECO II Bldg., Monreal St., Talisay, Sorsogon City

INVITATION TO BID

3rd Floor, Function Hall, SORECO II Bldg., Monreal St., Talisay, Sorsogon City 3rd Floor, Function Hall, SORECO II Bldg., Monreal St., Talisay, Sorsogon City

Below are the minimum contract requirements for SORECO II for the supply of capacity requirement for the period of September 26, 2019 to September 25, 2022 (Short-term) and September 26, 2022 to September 25, 2029 (Medium-term), the terms of reference indicated herein are non-negotiable and bidder must be able to meet all the requirements of SORECO II.

Contract ID No.: Contract Name: Contract Location: Brief Description: Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): Source of Funds: Contract Duration:

2.

Contract ID No.: Contract Name:

LOT I: (September 26, 2019 to September 25, 2022)

Type of Contract

DESCRIPTION Firm - Base load

Contracted Capacity (MW) Contracted Energy (kWh per month or year)

The Power Supply Agreement shall take effect for a period of three (3) years commencing x September 26, 2019 to Contract Duration on the Commercial Operations September 25, 2022 Date of September 26, 2019 to September 25, 2022, unless earlier terminated in accordance with the provisions of the PSA. Commercial September 26, 2019 Operation Date x The Bidder must have at least ÂżYH \HDUV RI H[SHULHQFH LQ WKH technology being offered x The Bidder shall provide &HUWLÂżFDWH RI *RRG 3HUIRUPDQFH Eligibility (track record) from its existing and Requirements previous customers. x The Bidder may submit organizational structure and WHFKQLFDO TXDOLÂżFDWLRQV FDSDELOLW\ of technical staff. LOT II: (September 26, 2022 to September 25, 2029) TERMS OF REFERENCE Type of Contract

DESCRIPTION Firm - Base load

Contracted Capacity (MW) Contracted Energy (kWh per month or year)

Contract Location:

REQUIREMENT x Power Supplier that owns and operates, existing and operational power plant (s) in the Philippines x Power Supplier with available capacity by September 26, 2019 8 MW for Sep. 26, 2019 to Sep. 25, 2022 No take-or-pay volume No Minimum energy off-take

REQUIREMENT x Power Supplier that owns and operates, existing and operational power plant (s) in the Philippines x Power Supplier with available capacity by September 26, 2022 10 MW for Sep. 26, 2022 to Sept. 25, 2029 No take-or-pay volume No Minimum energy off-take

The Power Supply Agreement shall take effect for a period of seven (7) years commencing Contract Duration on the Commercial Operations x September 26, 2022 to September Date of September 26, 2022 25, 2029 to September 25, 2029, unless earlier terminated in accordance with the provisions of the PSA. Commercial September 26, 2022 Operation Date x The Bidder must have at least ¿YH \HDUV RI H[SHULHQFH LQ WKH technology being offered x The Bidder shall provide &HUWL¿FDWH RI *RRG 3HUIRUPDQFH Eligibility (track record) from its existing and Requirements previous customers. x The Bidder may submit organizational structure and WHFKQLFDO TXDOL¿FDWLRQV FDSDELOLW\ of technical staff. The contract shall be awarded to the bidder with the Lowest Calculated Responsive %LG /&5% 3URMHFW GHWDLOV HOLJLELOLW\ UHTXLUHPHQWV WHFKQLFDO ¿QDQFLDO FRPSRQHQWV DQG other particulars/concerns shall be processed/ discussed during the Pre-Bid Conference. ONLY THOSE WHO ARE DULY ACCREDITED AND ARE ABLE TO PURCHASE BID DOCUMENTS ARE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PRE-BID CONFERENCE (IF EVALUATED TO BE ELIGIBLE). The Non-Refundable Bid Docs Fee is PhP150,000.00. All bids shall be accompanied by a BID SECURITY equivalent to 2% of the ABC in the form of cash, cashier’s or manager’s check or bank guarantee only. Annual Accreditation Fee is PhP10,000.00. Bidding Documents with Eligibility Requirements can be purchased through Mr. Yulo Paulo L. Marbida (09263285722) or Ms. 6X]HWWH / /DQX]D %$& 6HFUHWDULDW DW &3' 2I¿FH 625(&2 ,, 0DLQ 2I¿FH Buhatan, Sorsogon City or e-mail us at soreco2.tpbac@gmail.comGXULQJ RI¿FH KRXUV SORECO II reserves the absolute right to reject any or all bids, abort the bidding process, waive any information or defects therein, and to accept such bids or award to any bidder/supplier whose bid may be considered advantageous to SORECO II, or not to award the contract and make no assurance that a contract shall be entered into as a result of this invitation. (SGD.) ENGR. JOSELITO S. ORTICIO TP-BAC Chairman

Brief Description: Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): Source of Funds: Contract Duration: 3.

Contract ID No.: Contract Name:

Contract Location: Brief Description: Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): Source of Funds: Contract Duration: 4.

Contract ID No.: Contract Name:

Contract Location: Brief Description: Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): Source of Funds: Contract Duration:

Jumpstart your media career at The Manila Times College! For more information, call 524-5664 to 66 local 114 or 310-9625

P 800,000.00 FY 2019 DPWH Infrastructure Program based on NEP 70 cal. Days 19JB0084 Construction of Multi – Purpose Building (Home Economics Building) at Banbanan Elementary School, Brgy. Banbanan, Pres. Manuel A. Roxas, Zamboanga Del Norte. Brgy. Banbanan, Pres. Manuel A. Roxas, Zamboanga Del Norte. Construction of Multi – Purpose Building (Home Economics Building) P 800,000.00 FY 2019 DPWH Infrastructure Program based on NEP 70 cal. Days 19JB0085 Construction of Multi – Purpose Building (Home Economics Building) at Tantingon Elementary School, Brgy. Tantingon, Pres. Manuel A. Roxas, Zamboanga Del Norte. Brgy. Tantingon, Pres. Manuel A. Roxas, Zamboanga Del Norte. Construction of Multi – Purpose Building (Home Economics Building)

NESTOR P. ARCANSALIN Director Resource-based Industries Service MT – May 17, 2019

2. Pre-Bid Conference 3. Receipt by the BAC of Bids 4. Opening of Bids

All papers relative thereto shall upon request and payment of processing fee, be available for inspection during business hours by any person having legal interest thereon.

Absent legal impediment, the abovecited project is deemed registered DQG D FHUWLÂżFDWH LQ HYLGHQFH WKHUHRI VKDOO IRUWKZLWK EH LVVXHG DIWHU ÂżYH days from the last day of publication.

Absent legal impediment, the abovecited project is deemed registered DQG D FHUWLÂżFDWH LQ HYLGHQFH WKHUHRI VKDOO IRUWKZLWK EH LVVXHG DIWHU ÂżYH days from the last day of publication.

Calamba City, Laguna, 15th day of May 2019.

Calamba City, Laguna, 15th day of May 2019.

Approved by:

Engr. FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU

Engr. FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU

19JB0086 Construction of Multi – Purpose Building (Home Economics Building) at Upper Nipaan Elementary School, Brgy. Upper Nipaan, Sindangan, Zamboanga Del Norte. Brgy. Upper Nipaan, Sindangan, Zamboanga Del Norte. Construction of Multi – Purpose Building (Home Economics Building)

MT - May 17, 2019

MT - May 17, 2019

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late spouses DELIA GAMARCHA-TERUEL and RODOLFO LIM TERUEL was the subject of a Deed of Adjudication with Partition executed by and among their heirs and acknowledged as Doc. No. 403 on Page No. 81, Book No. XIII Series of 2009 before Atty. Roberto F. Castillon, a notary public for and in the City of Iloilo. MT – May 3, 10 & 17, 2019

WARNING TO THE PUBLIC The Manila Times is w a r n i n g the public that certain individuals posing as our employees have been threatening to publish articles against some companies. Anyone who receives a call from these extortionists should report the matter to the police. The Manila Times DOES NOT ask for money to stop news articles from being published. This paper does not condone any form of blackmail.

P 800,000.00 FY 2019 DPWH Infrastructure Program based on NEP 70 cal. Days

Time

Place Hard copies at BAC Secretariat, Sta. Isabel, Dipolog City. May 27, 2019 at 9:00 %$& 2IÂżFH 6WD ,VDEHO AM Dipolog City Deadline: June 06, %$& 2IÂżFH 6WD ,VDEHO 2019 at 10:00 AM Dipolog City June 06, 2019 at 10:00 %$& 2IÂżFH 6WD ,VDEHO A.M. Dipolog City May 17, 2019 to June 06, 2019

The DPWH ZN 1st 'LVWULFW (QJLQHHULQJ 2IÂżFH reserves the right to accept or reject any bid and to annul the bidding process any time before the Contract award, without incurring any liability to the affected bidders, in accordance with the provisions of Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR. Any requests for additional information concerning this bidding shall be directed to the following:

Telephone No.: Email Address:

All papers relative thereto shall upon request and payment of processing fee, be available for inspection during business hours by any person having legal interest thereon.

The foregoing project is utilizing the Participation Through Investment Incentivized Compliance by depositing the amount of P3,810,021.60 in Trust Account under Escrow Agreement by and among A.J. MARK HOME RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD (SOUTHERN TAGALOG REGIONAL OFFICE) and RIZAL COMMERCIAL BANKING CORPORATION as its compliance to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 as amended by Republic Act No. 10884.

Approved by:

Bidders shall pay the BAC a non-refundable fee of For Contract ID No. 19JB0083 – 19JB0086 One Thousand Pesos Only (P 1,000.00). for the Bidding Documents, upon securing hard copies of the Documents. Bidders that download the Documents from the DPWH/ PhilGEPS website shall pay the fee upon submission of their bids.

BAC Chairperson: Address:

The foregoing project is utilizing the Participation Through Investment Incentivized Compliance by depositing the amount of P5,297,137.56 in Trust Account under Escrow Agreement b y a n d a m o n g R M G A R C AT PROPERTIES AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD (SOUTHERN TAGALOG REGIONAL OFFICE) and RIZAL COMMERCIAL BANKING CORPORATION as its compliance to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 as amended by Republic Act No. 10884.

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that A.J. MARK HOME RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (Owner/Developer) has filed with this office a sworn registration statement for the sale of house and lots in GRAND LAFAYETTE HEIGHTS PHASE 2-A located at Brgy. Sta. Anastacia, Sto. Tomas, Batangas and more particularly described as Lots 2156, 2160, 2161 and 2162, CAD 424, Sto. Tomas Cadastre; Lot 2176-C, Psd-04-220037 containing an area of 69,319 sq.m. (portion only) and covered by TCT Nos. 056-2018003538; 056-2018003534; 056-2018003533; 056-2018003544 and 056-2018003535.

(SGD.) Engr. EMMANUEL G. GLIPO Head- Planning, Registration and Licensing Division (PRLD)

The schedule of key procurement activities for this Contract is shown below: Activity

NOTICE Notice is hereby given RM GARCAT PROPERTIES AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATON (Owner/Developer) has filed with this Office a sworn registration statement for the sale of houses and lots in CENTERRA CABUYAO located at Brgy. Gulod, Cabuyao City, Laguna and more particularly described as Lots 1 & 2, Psd-04-027565 and Lot 5863, Cad455-D, Cabuyao Cadastre containing an area of 40,530 sq.m. and covered by TCT Nos. 060-2018018187l 0602018018186 and 060-2018016352.

Republic of the Philippines 2I¿FH RI WKH 3UHVLGHQW HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD Lupong Nangangasiwa sa Pabahay at Gamit ng Lupa SOUTHERN TAGALOG REGION – (STR)

Recommending Approval:

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Republic of the Philippines 2I¿FH RI WKH 3UHVLGHQW HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD Lupong Nangangasiwa sa Pabahay at Gamit ng Lupa SOUTHERN TAGALOG REGION – (STR)

(SGD.) Engr. EMMANUEL G. GLIPO Head- Planning, Registration and Licensing Division (PRLD)

RAY S. CADAVEDO

BAC Secretariat: DPWH ZN 1st DEO, Sta. Address: Isabel Dipolog City 908 - 2881 / 212 - 2538 Telephone No.: dpwh_zn1_deo@yahoo. Email Address: com

ROY ROGER M. PASTRANO DPWH ZN 1st DEO, Sta. Isabel Dipolog City 908 - 2881 / 212 - 2538 dpwh_zn1_deo@yahoo.com

RAY S. CADAVEDO Engineer III BAC Chairperson

Any incorrect advertisement published in The Manila Times Classified Ads must be brought to our attention on the same day the advertisement came out. We will not be held liable for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovePHQWLRQHG SURMHFW PD\ ÂżOH KLV KHU REMHFWLRQ LQ writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of thiS publication.

Recommending Approval:

Approved by:

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Notice is hereby given that SOLAR PACIFIC CITYSUN CORPORATION is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as Renewable Energy Developer of Solar Energy Resources [720 kWAC (953 KwP) Imus Solar Power Project] at City Mall, Barangay Anabu I-B, Imus, Cavite to avail of the incentives under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513).

P 800,000.00 FY 2019 DPWH Infrastructure Program based on NEP 70 cal. Days

To be eligible to bid for this Contract, a contractor must meet the following major requirements: (a) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership/corporation with PCAB license for Size Range Small A, (b) completion of a similar contract costing at least 50% of the ABC*, and (c) Net Financial Contracting Capacity (NFCC) at least equal to the ABC.

(SGD.) MARIA FLOR S. TANSUPING OIC-General Manager

BE A TOP JOURNALIST • See yourself on TV • Hear your voice on the radio • See your byline in the newspaper

19JB0083 Construction of Multi – Purpose Building (Home Economics Building) at Biniray Elementary School, Brgy. Biniray, Katipunan, Zamboanga Del Norte. Brgy. Biniray, Katipunan, Zamboanga Del Norte. Construction of Multi – Purpose Building (Home Economics Building)

The BAC is conducting the public bidding for this Contract in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

Noted:

MT - May 17, 2019

NOTICE

The DPWH ZN 1 'LVWULFW (QJLQHHULQJ 2IÂżFH, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites contractors to submit bids for the following Contract: 1.

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NOTICE OF ADJUDICATION

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TERMS OF REFERENCE

TERMS OF REFERENCE

YOUR ADS HERE GET RESULTS

FRIDAY May 17, 2019

MT- May 17 & 22, 2019

For subscription, please call the Circulation Department at 524-5664 local 222 or 310-5584 or email circulation@ manilatimes.net ----------------------------To a d v e r t i s e , e m a i l us at advertising@ manilatimes.net or call 524-5664 local 121

EDITORS AND DESKMEN Competencies • Excellent command of written and spoken English • Degree holder preferably in journalism, communications, or related discipline (e.g. political science or economics with journalism experience) • Experience in editing news, analytical reports and columns • Strong news judgment and familiarity with local issues, as well as an understanding of relevant world affairs • $ELOLW\ WR ZULWH DQG HGLW ZLWK ÀDLU DQG VSHHG WR PHHW WLJKW deadlines • )DPLOLDU ZLWK 0LFURVRIW 2I¿FH VRFLDO PHGLD DQG VHDUFK engines • Ability to lead and organize a team well • Good attitude, willingness to adjust to new systems and ability to respect authority within the organization REPORTERS Competencies • Excellent command of written and spoken English • Degree holder preferably in journalism, communications, or related discipline • Ability to establish and maintain a network of contacts in government and the private sector as source of information and analysis • Ability to identify the angle of news from a raft of available information or seek out information to build a solid news story • Familiarity with local issues and an understanding of relevant world affairs • $ VHQVH RI VSHHG DQG DFFXUDF\ LQ ZULWLQJ DQG ¿OOLQJ UHDO time stories to the news desk to meet tight deadlines • Knows Microsoft Office, social media and search engines • A good team player, but is able to work independently within the perimeters of a given assignment • Good attitude, willingness to adjust to new systems and ability to respect authority within the organization Interested applicants, please send a full resume, specifying your subject of expertise, with links to samples of online work or appropriate attachments.

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B6

Classified Ads

FRIDAY May 17, 2019 REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 226, QUEZON CITY

LERMA COLIFLORES-LOGRONIO, Plaintiff, - versus -

spouses Rosadio;

CIVIL CASE NO. R-QZN-18-00989

2.

To ANNUL the TCT No. 004-2014014564 under the name of defendants-spouses Rosadio;

3.

To RECONVEY the subject property to the late Benita De Wirth;

4.

To DIRECT defendants to pay P50,000.00 as attorney’s fees, plus P3,000.00 per appearance and cost of suit.

5.

To AWARD other reliefs just and equitable under the premises.

WHEREAS, on February 23, 2018, summons together with a copy of the Complaint and its annexes addressed to defendant Luciana Cazar Wirth and defendants-spouses Leonard and Remedios Rosadio were returned unserved for reasons that defendant Cazar is in the United States whose return is uncertain while defendants-spouses Rosadio are no longer residing at the given address. The Summons to defendants were UNSERVED;

LUCIANA CAZAR WIRTH, SPS. LEOMARD and REMEDIOS ROSADIO and PHILIPPINE SAVINGS BANK Defendants. x---------------------------------------------x SUMMONS WHEREAS RQ -DQXDU\ SODLQWLII /HUPD &ROLĂ€RUHV /RJURQLR PDUULHG WR )HOLFLVLPR )ORUHV /RJURQLR -U WKUX FRXQVHO ÂżOHG WKLV &RPSODLQW IRU $QQXOPHQW RI ([WUDMXGLFLDO 6HWWOHPHQW RI (VWDWH 'HHG RI $EVROXWH 6DOH DQG 7UDQVIHU &HUWLÂżFDWH RI 7LWOH 1R ZLWK 5HFRQYH\DQFH DQG 'DPDJHV DJDLQVW GHIHQGDQWV Luciana Cazar Wirth; Spouses Leonardo P. Rosadio and Remedios V. Rosadio; and Philippine Savings Bank stating among others; “x x xâ€? “1. Plaintiff LERMA COLIFLORES-LOGRONIO is Filipino, married to Felicisimo Flores Logronio, Jr., of legal age, with residence at No. 128 West Riverside St., Brgy. San Antonio, San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City, Philippines. “2. Defendant LUCIANA CAZAR WIRTH is of legal age, American, widow, with Philippine residence at No. 121 West Riverside, San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City, or No. 55 Kaingin Road, Quezon City, or No. 31 West Riverside, Quezon City, and foreign address at 445 Redwood Saint Apt. 303, Vallejo, 94590 California, United States of America. “3. Defendants-Spouses LEONARD P. RASADIO and REMEDIOS V. ROSADIO are both of legal age, Filipinos, with residence at No. 635 Orchids Gate 1 Marigold Village, Muzon, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, Philippines. “4. Defendant PHILIPPINE SAVINGS BANK is a savings banking corporation organized and H[LVWLQJ XQGHU 3KLOLSSLQH ODZV ZLWK SULQFLSDO RIÂżFH DW 36%DQN 7RZHU 3DVHR GH 5R[DV FRU Sedeno St., Makati City. “II. STATEMENT OF FACTS

“7. In 2012, plaintiff tried to have the title of the subject property registered under her name. x [ [ +RZHYHU WKH RULJLQDO FRS\ RI 7&7 1R ZDV EXUQHG GXULQJ WKH ÂżUH WKDW UD]HG WKH 4XH]RQ City Hall Building last 11 June 1988. x x x. Âł ,Q WKH ÂżUVW RI )HEUXDU\ SODLQWLII ZDV QRWLÂżHG RI D 3HWLWLRQ IRU ([ 3DUWH ,VVXDQFH RI :ULW RI 3RVVHVVLRQ ÂżOHG E\ GHIHQGDQW 3KLOLSSLQH 6DYLQJV %DQN Âł36%´ EHIRUH WKH 5HJLRQDO 7ULDO &RXUW of Quezon City and docketed as Case No. QZN-16-06736-LR. The subject property was allegedly PRUWJDJHG WR VDLG GHIHQGDQW EDQN DQG VROG WR WKH ODWWHU SHU &HUWLÂżFDWH RI 6DOH GDWHG 0DUFK Âł 2Q )HEUXDU\ SODLQWLII WKURXJK FRXQVHO ÂżOHG DQ 2SSRVLWLRQ ZLWK DQ DWWDFKHG $IÂżGDYLW of Third-Party Claim, x x x. “10. Plaintiff then investigated the source of defendant PSB’s right over the subject property and discovered the invalid and fraudulent transfers from the late Benita De Wirth to the alleged owners who mortgaged the property to said bank, defendant-spouses Leonard and Remedios Rosadio. The foregoing allegation is based on the following facts: “a. On 11 February, Luciana Cazar Wirth executed an Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate as sole heir of the Benita Wirth who died intestate on 25 December 1974. x x x. A cursory examination of the Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate shows that it was signed at San Francisco, California, U.S.A. But the document was notarized by Atty. Petronio Y. Bautista in Manila, Philippines on the same date ,W LV ZRUWK QRWLQJ WKDW WKH DIÂżDQW DOOHJHGO\ SUHVHQWHG D Driver License issued in the State of California. The document should have been sworn by the 3KLOLSSLQH &RQVXODU 2IÂżFH LQ WKH 6WDWH RI &DOLIRUQLD 3ODLQWLIIÂśV KXVEDQG YHULÂżHG IURP WKH 2IÂżFH of the Clerk of Court, Notarial Section of the Regional Trial Court of Manila that Atty. Bautista was not appointed as notary public in the City of Manila for the year 2014. x x x. “b. In addition, the Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate was neither witnessed by at least two (2) witnesses nor acknowledged before a Notary Public. As will be discussed later, the same violates Act No. 496, otherwise known as The Land Registration Act. “c. Despite the foregoing defects and the fact that the original copy of TCT No. 5514 should have been reconstituted prior to transfer, TCT No. 004-2014013030 was issued in favor of Luciana Cazar Wirth; “d. On 11 October 2014, a Deed of Absolute Sale was allegedly executed between Luciana Cazar Wirth, represented by Attorney-in-fact Ariel B. Basolina, and herein defendants-spouses Rosadio. x x x Nevertheless, the Special Power of Attorney in favor of Ariel B. Basolina was not LQFOXGHG EDVHG RQ WKH GRFXPHQW ÂżOHG LQ 5HJLVWU\ RI 'HHGV RI 4XH]RQ &LW\ ,Q DGGLWLRQ WKHUHWR the said Deed of Absolute Sale was witnessed by only (1) unnamed witness. “e. Worse, plaintiff discovered that the Certificate Authorizing Registration ECR201300203870 with CAR No. C-2014-038002016-M allegedly issued by Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on 07 November 2014 on the sale of subject property be defendant Luciana &D]DU :LUWK LV VSXULRXV DQG KHU 7D[ ,GHQWLÂżFDWLRQ 1XPEHU LV LQYDOLG [ [ [ “f. Despite the fake and irregular documents used in the transfer to them, defendantsspouses were still able to register the subject property under their names and TCT No. 0042014014564 was issued on 11 November 2014, x x x. III. CAUSE OF ACTION/DISCUSSION Âł 8QGHU 6HFWLRQ 5XOH RI 5XOHV RI &LYLO 3URFHGXUH FDXVH RI DFWLRQ LV GHÂżQHG DV WKH DFW or omission by which a party violates a right of another. Considering the irregularities in the execution and notarization of the Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate dated 11 February 2014 in favor of defendant Luciana Cazar Wirth and Deed of Absolute Sale dated 14 October in favor of defendant-spouses Rosadio are null and void because of the following: “a. The Supreme Court ruled that an irregular notarization reduces the evidentiary value of a document to that of a private document, which requires proof of its due execution and authenticity to be admissible as evidence. “b. The subject Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate Deed of Sale and Deed of Absolute Sale LQ IDYRU RI GHIHQGDQW VSRXVHV GLG QRW FRPSO\ ZLWK WKH IRUPDOLWLHV UHTXLUHG E\ ODZ VSHFLÂżFDOO\ Act No. 496, otherwise known as The Land Registration Act, which took effect on January 1, 1903. Section 127 of the Act provides: “Section 127. Deeds, conveyance, mortgages, leases, releases, and discharges DIIHFWLQJ ODQGV ZKHWKHU UHJLVWHUHG XQGHU WKLV $FW RU XQUHJLVWHUHG VKDOO EH VXIÂżFLHQW in law when made substantially in accordance with the following forms, and shall be as effective to convey, encumber, lease, release, discharge, or bind the lands as though made in accordance with the more prolix form heretofore in use: 3URYLGHG, That every such instrument shall be signed by the person or persons executing the same, in the presence of two witnesses, who shall sign the instrument as witnesses to the execution thereof, and shall be acknowledge to be his or their free act and deed by the person or persons executing the same, before the judge of a court or record or clerk of a court of record, or a notary public, or a justice of the peace, who shall certify to such acknowledgement x x x “12. As discussed in the Statement of Facts, the subject document did not comply with the said legal requirements. Hence, defendants-spouses’ exercise of ownership constitutes clear violation of the rights of plaintiff. The deed of absolute sale entered in favor of defendants-spouses Rosadio has no force or effect. Defendant PSB has also failed to exercise proper diligence in accepting the subject property as security under the terms and conditions of mortgage. The defects on the title of defendants-spouses Rosadio are apparent. “13. Indeed, the right and preference of plaintiff remains valid and effective. As such, the plaintiff should be respected in her property as one of the attributes of ownership. “14. It must be stressed that plaintiff remains in actual physical possession the property in the concept of owner which have the right to be respected therein. Âł 'XH WR GHIHQGDQWV´ XQMXVWLÂżHG DQG XQODZIXO DFWV LQ YLRODWLRQ RI WKH ULJKWV RI WKH SODLQWLII was constrained to employ the services of counsel to protect and vindicate her rights. Hence, plaintiff incurred P50,000.00 as attorney’s fees, plus P3,000.00 per appearance. VI. PRAYER Âł:+(5()25( SUHPLVHV FRQVLGHUHG SODLQWLII UHVSHFWIXOO\ SUD\V RI WKLV +RQRUDEOH 2IÂżFH DIWHU QRWLFH and hearing: 1.

To ANNUL the Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate dated 11 February 2014 in favor of defendant Luciana Cazar Wirth and Deed of Absolute Sale dated 14 October 2014 in favor of defendants-

f. Despite the fake and irregular documents used in the transfer to them, defendants-spouses were still able to register the subject property under their names and TCT No. 004-2014014564 was issued on 11 November 2014, a copy of which is hereto attached as Annex “Mâ€?; III. CAUSES OF ACTION/DISCUSSION 8QGHU 6HFWLRQ 5XOH RI 5XOHV RI &LYLO 3URFHGXUH FDXVH RI DFWLRQ LV GHÂżQHG DV WKH DFW RU RPLVVLRQ by which a party violates a right of another. Considering the irregularities in the execution and notarization of the Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate dated 11 February 2014 in favor of defendant Luciana Cazar Wirth and Deed of Absolute Sale dated 14 October 2014 in favor of defendants-spouses Rosadio are null and void because of the following: a. The Supreme Court ruled that an irregular notarization reduces the evidentiary value of a document to that of a private document, which requires proof of its due execution and authenticity to be admissible as evidence.2

WHEREAS RQ $SULO SODLQWLII WKUX FRXQVHO ÂżOHG D 0RWLRQ DOOHJLQJ DPRQJ RWKHUV WKDW WKH VXPPRQV issued by the Court upon defendant Cazar as well as defendants-spouses Rosadio were all returned unserved for reason that their whereabouts are unknown and cannot be ascertained and pray that summons be published in a newspaper of general circulation pursuant to the provisions of Section 14 and 15, Rule 14 of the Rules of Court.

b. The subject Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate Deed of Sale and Deed of Absolute Sale in IDYRU RI GHIHQGDQW VSRXVHV GLG QRW FRPSO\ ZLWK WKH IRUPDOLWLHV UHTXLUHG E\ ODZ VSHFLÂżFDOO\ $FW 1R 496, otherwise known as The Land Registration Act, which took effect on January 1, 1903. Section 127 of the Act provides:

WHEREAS, on November 22, 2018, the HON, MANUEL B. STA. CRUZ, JR. Presiding Judge of this Court, issued an Order granting plaintiff’s prayer to serve Summons by Publication upon defendants Luciana Cazar Wirth and defendants-spouses Leonard and Remedios Rosadio;

Section 127. Deeds, conveyances, mortgages, leases, releases, and discharges DIIHFWLQJ ODQGV ZKHWKHU UHJLVWHUHG XQGHU WKLV $FW RU XQUHJLVWHUHG VKDOO EH VXIÂżFLHQW in law when made substantially in accordance with the following forms, and shall be as effective to convey, encumber, lease, release, discharge, or bind the lands as though made in accordance with the more prolix form heretofore in use: Provided, That every such instrument shall be signed by the person or persons executing the same, in the presence of two witnesses, who shall sign the instrument as witnesses to the execution thereof, and shall be acknowledged to be his or their free act and deed by the person or persons executing the same, before the judge of a court of record or clerk of a court of record, or a notary public, or a justice of the peace, who shall certify to such acknowledgment x x x

WHEREAS, I certify that on December 4, 2018 an Alias Summons, Complaint and it annexes was personally served by this Court’s Process Server, Edgar M. Moncera, to the last known addresses of Luciana Cazar Wirth at No. 121 West Riverside, San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City and to Sps. Leonard and Remedios Rosadio at No. 635 Orchids Gate 1 Marigold Village, Muzon, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. Accordingly, let Summons be published in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the Philippines once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks; NOW THEREFORE, defendant, Luciana Cazar Wirth and Defendants-Spouses Leonard and Remedios 5RVDGLR DUH KHUHE\ VXPPRQHG DQG UHTXLUHG WR ¿OH ZLWK %UDQFK 5HJLRQDO 7ULDO &RXUW 1DWLRQDO &DSLWDO -XGLFLDO 5HJLRQ 4XH]RQ &LW\ 3KLOLSSLQHV WKHLU $QVZHU WR WKH &RPSODLQW ¿OHG DJDLQVW WKHP ZLWKLQ VL[W\ GD\V IURP WKH GDWH RI WKH ODVW SXEOLFDWLRQ RI WKLV VXPPRQV VHUYLQJ FRS\ WKHUHRI XSRQ SODLQWLII /HUPD &ROLÀRUHV /RJURQLR at No. 128 West Riverside Street, Barangay San Antonio, San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City. Failure on her part to do so, plaintiff may take judgment against her by default and may demand from said Court the reliefs prayed for in the Complaint. WITNESS THE HON. MANUEL B. STA. CRUZ, JR., Presiding Judge, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City, Branch 226, this February 20, 2019. (SGD.) ATTY. CHERRY GRACE Z. GAMBOA-CASTRO Clerk of Court

Âł 2Q 2FWREHU SODLQWLIIÂśV IDWKHU /XFLOR 6 &ROLĂ€RUHV DQG PRWKHU 6DORPH 2UHQFLD &ROLĂ€RUHV SXUFKDVHG D 2QH +XQGUHG )LIW\ VTXDUH PHWHUV SRUWLRQ RI WKH SURSHUW\ IURP WKH UHJLVWHUHG RZQHU XQGHU 7UDQVIHU &HUWLÂżFDWH RI 7LWOH 1R %HQLWD 'H :LUWK [ [ [ WKH SXUFKDVH was through a Deed of Absolute Sale between said parties, x x x. “6. Since 1974 up to the present, plaintiff’s predecessors-in-interests and plaintiff’s own family have been in continuous and uninterrupted occupation of the subject property in the concept of an owner. This is supported by the Barangay Clearance dated 10 February 2017 and issued to plaintiff, x x x. Moreover, plaintiff declared for real estate tax purposed the subject property as her family home. Plaintiff also paid the required real property taxes for the said property since 2009. x x x.

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Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Regional Judicial Region Quezon City Branch ___

13. Indeed, the right and preference of plaintiff remains valid and effective. As such, the plaintiff should be respected in her property as one of the attributes of ownership. 14. It must be stressed that plaintiff remains in actual physical possession of the property in the concept of owner which have the right to be respected therein. 'XH WR GHIHQGDQWVœ XQMXVWL¿HG DQG XQODZIXO DFWV LQ YLRODWLRQ RI WKH ULJKWV RI WKH SODLQWLII ZDV FRQVWUDLQHG to employ the services of counsel to protect and vindicate her rights. Hence, plaintiff incurred P50,000.00 as attorney’s fees, plus P3,000.00 per appearance. VI. PRAYER :+(5()25( SUHPLVHV FRQVLGHUHG SODLQWLII UHVSHFWIXOO\ SUD\V RI WKLV +RQRUDEOH 2I¿FH DIWHU QRWLFH and hearing: 1.

LERMA COLIFLORES-LOGRONIO, Plaintiff, - versus -

12. As discussed in the Statement of Facts, the subject documents did not comply with the said legal requirements. Hence, defendants-spouses’ exercise of ownership constitutes clear violation to the rights of plaintiff. The deed of absolute sale entered in favor of defendants-spouses Rosadio has no force an effect. Defendant PSB has also failed to exercise proper diligence in accepting the subject property as security under the terms and conditions of mortgage. The defects on the title of defendants-spouses Rosadio are apparent.

Civil Case No. R-QZN 18-00989 CV For: Annulment of Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate, Deed of Absolute Sale and Transfer &HUWLÂżFDWH RI 7LWOH 1R ZLWK Reconveyance and Damages

LUCIANA CAZAR WIRTH, SPS. LEONARD AND REMEDIOS ROSADIO, AND PHILIPPINE SAVINGS BANK, Defendants, x------------------------------------------------------------x

To ANNUL the Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate dated 11 February 2014 in favor of defendant Luciana Cazar Wirth and Deed of Absolute Sale dated 14 October 2014 in favor of defendantsspouses Rosadio;

2.

To ANNUL the TCT No. 004-2014014564 under the name of defendants-spouses Rosadio;

3.

To RECONVEY the subject property to the late Benita De Wirth;

4.

To DIRECT defendants to pay P50,000.00 as attorney’s fees, plus P3,000.00 per appearance and cost of suit.

5.

To AWARD other reliefs just and equitable under the premises.

Quezon City, Philippines: 23 January 2018. FERRER & ASSOCIATES LAW OFFICES Counsel for the plaintiff Suite 805 Union Square Condominium th No, 145 15 Avenue, Cubao, 1109 Quezon City Tel. Nos. (02)911-3370 / (02) 911-3375

COMPLAINT Plaintiff LERMA COLIFLORES-LOGRONIO, through undersigned counsel and unto this Honorable Court, respectfully states: I. THE PARTIES

For the Firm:

1. Plaintiff LERMA COLIFLORES-LOGRONIO is Filipino, married to Felicisimo Flores Logronio, Jr., of legal age, with residence at No. 128 West Riverside St., Brgy. San Antonio, San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City, Philippines.

(SGD.) PEDRO M. FERRER MCLE Compliance No. VI-0002833, valid until 04-14-2022 PTR No. 5520961C, 01-03-2018, Quezon City, M.M. IBP Lifetime Member No. 04238, 01-02-2003, Pasig City Roll of Attorneys No. 24394 Mobile #0917-8343160

2. Defendant LUCIANA CAZAR WIRTH is of legal age, American, widow, with Philippine residence at No. 121 West Riverside, San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City, or No. 55 Kaingin Road, Quezon City, or No. 31 West Riverside, Quezon City, and foreign address at 445 Redwood Saint Apt. 303, Vallejo, 94590 California, United States of America. 3. Defendants-Spouses LEONARD P. ROSADIO and REMEDIOS V. ROSADIO are both of legal age, Filipinos, with residence at No. 635 Orchids Gate 1 Marigold Village, Muzon, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, Philippines.

(SGD.) JON PETER B. FERRER MCLE Compliance No. VI-0002832, valid until 04-14-2022 PTR No. 5520962C, 01-03-2018, Quezon City, M.M. IBP Lifetime Member No. 06011, 29 June 2006 Roll of Attorneys No. 52013 Mobile #0917-8000178

4. Defendant PHILIPPINE SAVINGS BANK is a savings banking corporation organized and existing XQGHU 3KLOLSSLQH ODZV ZLWK SULQFLSDO RIÂżFH DW 36%DQN 7RZHU 3DVHR GH 5R[DV &RU 6HGHxR 6W 0DNDWL &LW\ II. STATEMENT OF FACTS 2Q 2FWREHU SODLQWLIIÂśV IDWKHU /XFLOR 6 &ROLĂ€RUHV DQG PRWKHU 6DORPH 2UHQFLD &ROLĂ€RUHV purchased a One Hundred Fifty (150) square meters portion of the subject property from the registered owner XQGHU 7UDQVIHU &HUWLÂżFDWH RI 7LWOH 1R %HQLWD 'H :LUWK $ FRS\ RI 7&7 1R LV KHUHWR DWWDFKHG DV Annex “A.â€? The purchase was through a Deed of Absolute Sale between said parties, a copy of which is hereto attached as Annex “B.â€? 6. Since 1974 up to the present, plaintiff’s predecessors-in-interests and plaintiff’s own family have been in continuous and uninterrupted occupation of the subject property in the concept of an owner. This is supported by the Barangay Clearance dated 10 February 2017 and issued to plaintiff, which is hereto attached as Annex “C.â€? Moreover, plaintiff declared for real estate tax purposes the subject property as her family home. Hereto attached as Annex “Dâ€? is a copy of the Tax Declaration. Plaintiff also paid the required real property taxes for the said property since 2009. Attached herewith as Annexes “Eâ€? to Annex “E-8â€? are the copies of the receipts. ,Q SODLQWLII WULHG WR KDYH WKH WLWOH RI WKH VXEMHFW SURSHUW\ UHJLVWHUHG XQGHU KHU QDPH 7KH &HUWLÂżFDWH Authorizing Registration issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue on 24 August 2012 is hereto attached as Annex “F.â€? +RZHYHU WKH RULJLQDO FRS\ RI 7&7 1R ZDV EXUQHG GXULQJ WKH ÂżUH WKDW UD]HG WKH 4XH]RQ &LW\ +DOO %XLOGLQJ ODVW -XQH 7KLV ZDV VWDWHG LQ WKH /DQG 5HJLVWUDWLRQ $XWKRULW\ÂśV &HUWLÂżFDWH GDWHG September 2012, which is hereto attached as Annex “G.â€? ,Q WKH ÂżUVW ZHHN RI )HEUXDU\ SODLQWLII ZDV QRWLÂżHG RI D Petition for Ex Parte Issuance of Writ of Possession ÂżOHG E\ GHIHQGDQW 3KLOLSSLQH 6DYLQJV %DQN Âł36%´ EHIRUH WKH 5HJLRQDO 7ULDO &RXUW RI 4XH]RQ &LW\ and docketed as Case No. QZN-16-06736-LR. The subject property was allegedly mortgaged to said defendant EDQN DQG VROG WR WKH ODWWHU SHU &HUWLÂżFDWH RI 6DOH GDWHG 0DUFK 2Q )HEUXDU\ SODLQWLII WKURXJK FRXQVHO ÂżOHG DQ 2SSRVLWLRQ ZLWK DQ DWWDFKHG $IÂżGDYLW RI 7KLUG Party Claim, a copy of which is hereto attached as Annex “H.â€? 10. Plaintiff then investigated the source of defendant PSB’s right over the subject property and discovered the invalid and fraudulent transfers from the late Benita De Wirth to the alleged owners who mortgaged the property to said bank, defendants-spouses Leonard and Remedios Rosadio. The foregoing allegation is based on the following facts: a. On 11 February 2014, Luciana Cazar Wirth executed an Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate as sole heir of the Benita Wirth who died intestate on 25 December 1974. A copy thereof from the Registry of Deeds of Quezon City is hereto attached as Annex â€?I.â€? A cursory examination of the Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate shows that it was signed at San Francisco, California, U.S.A. but the document was notarized by Atty. Petronio Y. Bautista in Manila, Philippines on the same date. It LV ZRUWK QRWLQJ WKDW WKH DIÂżDQW DOOHJHGO\ SUHVHQWHG D 'ULYHU /LFHQVH LVVXHG LQ WKH 6WDWH RI &DOLIRUQLD 7KH GRFXPHQW VKRXOG KDYH EHHQ VZRUQ E\ WKH 3KLOLSSLQH &RQVXODU 2IÂżFH LQ WKH 6WDWH RI &DOLIRUQLD 3ODLQWLIIÂśV KXVEDQG YHULÂżHG IURP WKH 2IÂżFH RI WKH &OHUN RI &RXUW 1RWDULDO 6HFWLRQ RI WKH 5HJLRQDO Trial Court of Manila that Atty. Bautista was not appointed as notary public in the City of Manila for the year 2014. The corresponding &HUWLÂżFDWLRQ issued by Clemente M. Clemente, Assistant Clerk of Court, on 23 November 2017 is hereto attached as Annex “Jâ€?;

(SGD.) JEROME G. SALAZAR MCLE Compliance No. V-0000397, 15 August 2013 PTR No. MLA 7006036, 01-12-2018, Manila City IBP OR No. 028540, 01-19-2018, Pasig City Roll of Attorneys No. 62131 Mobile #0933-9890446 REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) QUEZON CITY )S.S. METRO MANILA ) VERIFICATION/CERTIFICATION I, LERMA COLIFLORES-LOGRONIO, under oath declare: That I am the plaintiff in the above entitled case; that I have caused the preparation of the foregoing Complaint, and likewise read and understood all the contents therein; and that the same are true and correct of my personal knowledge or based on authentic records. 7KDW LW LV KHUHE\ FHUWLÂżHG XQGHU RDWK WKDW , KDYH QRW FRPPHQFHG DQ\ RWKHU DFWLRQ RU DQ\ SURFHHGLQJ LQYROYLQJ the same issues with the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, or any other tribunal or agency. 7KDW LI , VKRXOG WKHUHDIWHU OHDUQ WKDW D VLPLODU DFWLRQ KDV EHHQ ÂżOHG RU SHQGLQJ EHIRUH WKH 6XSUHPH &RXUW WKH &RXUW RI $SSHDOV RU DQ\ WULEXQDO RU DJHQF\ , KHUHE\ XQGHUWDNH WR UHSRUW WKDW IDFW ZLWKLQ ÂżYH GD\V therefrom to the Court. (SGD.) LERMA COLIFLORES-LOGRONIO $IÂżDQW With my marital consent/Conforme: (SGD.) FELICISIMO FLORES LOGRONIO, JR. (Husband) JURAT SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 23rd GD\ RI -DQXDU\ DW 4XH]RQ &LW\ 3KLOLSSLQHV DIÂżDQW exhibited to me her OSCA ID No. 02484-H issued on May 8, 2014 at Quezon City. Doc. No. 32; Page No. 8; Book No. XX; Series of 2018.

b. In addition, the Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate was neither witnessed by at least two (2) witnesses nor acknowledged before a Notary Public. As will be discussed later, the same violates Act No. 496,1 otherwise known as The Land Registration Act.

(SGD.) PEDRO M. FERRER Notary Public for Quezon City Until December 31, 2018 Adm. Matter No. NP-306 (2017-2018) Suite 805 Union Square Condo. 145 15th Avenue, Cubao, Q.C. PTR No. 5520961C, 01-03-2018, Q.C. IBP Lifetime Member No. 04238 Roll of Attorneys No. 24394 TIN-174-791-174

c. Despite the foregoing defects and the fact that the original copy of TCT No. 5514 should have been reconstituted prior to transfer, TCT No. 004-2014013030 was issued in favor of Luciana Cazar Wirth; d. On 11 October 2014, a Deed of Absolute Sale was allegedly executed between Luciana &D]DU :LUWK UHSUHVHQWHG E\ $WWRUQH\ LQ IDFW $ULHO % %DVROLxD DQG KHUHLQ GHIHQGDQWV VSRXVHV Rosadio. A copy of the said Deed of Absolute Sale is hereto attached as Annex “K.â€? Nevertheless, WKH 6SHFLDO 3RZHU RI $WWRUQH\ LQ IDYRU RI $ULHO % %DVROLxD ZDV QRW LQFOXGHG EDVHG RQ WKH GRFXPHQW ÂżOHG LQ 5HJLVWU\ RI 'HHGV RI 4XH]RQ &LW\ ,Q DGGLWLRQ WKHUHWR WKH VDLG 'HHG RI $EVROXWH 6DOH ZDV witnessed by only (1) unnamed witness. H :RUVH SODLQWLII GLVFRYHUHG WKDW WKH &HUWLÂżFDWH $XWKRUL]LQJ 5HJLVWUDWLRQ (&5 with CAR No. C-2014-038002016-M allegedly issued by Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on 07 November 2014 on the sale of subject property by defendant Luciana Cazar Wirth is spurious and KHU 7D[ ,GHQWLÂżFDWLRQ 1XPEHU LV LQYDOLG 7KLV LV HYLGHQFHG E\ WKH &HUWLÂżFDWLRQ GDWHG -DQXDU\ RI 5HYHQXH 'LVWULFW 2IÂżFHU 7HRGRUR $ +XHOYD ZKLFK LV KHUHWR DWWDFKHG DV Annex “L.â€? The corresponding copy of the spurious CAR is hereto attached as Annex “L-1.â€?

1

2

Entitled AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ADJUDICATION AND REGISTRATION OF TITLES TO LANDS IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. Camcam v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 142977, September 30, 2008, 567 SCRA 151, 160, citing Rules of Court, Ruler 132, Section 20, Vide Soriano v. Ally Basco 507 Phil. 410 (2005)

MT - May 17 & 24, 2019

˜ The Manila Times

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NKorea suffers worst drought in decades SEOUL, South Korea: North Korea said it is suffering its worst drought in nearly four decades amid reports of severe food shortages. 4HE OFkCIAL +OREAN #ENTRAL .EWS !GENCY +#.! SAID AN AVERAGE OF MILLIMETERS INCHES OF rain fell throughout the country in THE kRST kVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR )T said that is the lowest level since 1982, when North Korea received MILLIMETERS INCHES OF RAIN on average during the same period. The report came after United Nations food agencies said in a joint assessment earlier this month that about 10 million people in North Korea were facing “severe food shortages� after the country had one of the worst harvests in a decade. )N &EBRUARY .ORTH +OREA S AMbassador to the UN, Kim Song, issued an unusual appeal for urgent food assistance. North Korean officials have blamed the food shortage on bad

weather and international economic sanctions that were toughened after the country conducted A SERIES OF HIGH PROkLE NUCLEAR AND missile tests in recent years. )N A HIGH STAKES SUMMIT IN 6IETNAM IN &EBRUARY 0RESIDENT Donald Trump rejected North +OREAN LEADER +IM *ONG 5N S CALL for an easing of the sanctions in return for dismantling his main nuclear complex, a partial disarmament step. +#.! SAID THE DROUGHT IS EXpected to continue until the end OF -AY .ORTH +OREA S MAIN Rodong Sinmun newspaper reportED 7EDNESDAY THAT OFkCIALS AND WORKERS ARE ATTEMPTING TO kND NEW water sources and mobilize pumps and irrigation equipment to minimize the damage to agriculture. North Korea suffered a devastating famine in the mid-1990s that is ESTIMATED TO HAVE KILLED HUNDREDS of thousands of people. AP

Sri Lanka’s reinstatement of army major criticized COLOMBO: An international rights group on Thursday expressed ALARM OVER THE 3RI ,ANKA ARMY S decision to reinstate an intelliGENCE OFkCER ACCUSED OF HIGH PROkLE ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALISTS including the assassination of a senior editor. 4HE .EW 9ORK BASED #OMMITTEE TO 0ROTECT *OURNALISTS #0* SAID REINSTATING MAJOR 0RABATH "ULATHWATTE CREATED new threats for the media in Sri ,ANKA WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER a state of emergency following THE %ASTER TERROR ATTACKS "ULATHWATTE WAS ARRESTED IN 2017 in connection with a string of ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALISTS DURING the former regime of strongman PRESIDENT -AHINDA 2AJAPAKSE AND is currently on bail. However, army commander MaHESH 3ENANAYAKE LAST WEEK TOLD A

LOCAL TELEVISION NETWORK THAT "ULATHwatte had been reinstated to boost the battle against local jihadists following the April 21 bombings in which 258 people died. g0ROMOTING TO ACTIVE DUTY AN INTELLIGENCE OFkCER WHO HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN THE KILLING OF ONE journalist and the torture of two others severely undermines Sri ,ANKA S CLAIM THAT IT IS kGHTING impunity for crimes against jourNALISTS u SAID #0* !SIA 0ROGRAM #OORDINATOR 3TEVEN "UTLER %DITOR ,ASANTHA 7ICKREMATUNGE was stabbed to death by members of a military intelligence unit in JanuARY #OURT RECORDS HAVE NAMED "ULATHWATTE AS THE KEY SUSPECT 4HE #0* S "UTLER SAID REINSTATING "ULATHWATTE WITHIN THE INTELLIGENCE setup would create “new threats to JOURNALISTS IN 3RI ,ANKA WHO ARE NOT safe to do their jobs�. AFP

FRIDAY May 17, 2019

World

B7

Air strikes hit Yemen S

ANAA, Yemen: Warplanes struck in and around the rebel-held Yemeni capital Thursday two days after the insurgents claimed drone strikes that shut a key oil pipeline in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the rebels and witnesses said. One witness told the Agence &RANCE 0RESSE !&0 HE HEARD A LOUD explosion in the heart of Sanaa. 4HE REBELS !L -ASIRAH TELEVISION blamed “aircraft of the [Saudi-led] aggression.� )N AN INITIAL TWEET THE BROADCASTER REPORTED SIX STRIKES ON THE Arhab district of Sanaa province. )T THEN REPORTED FURTHER STRIKES including one in Sanaa itself. ! SECOND WITNESS TOLD !&0 THAT the raids began around 8 a.m. NOON IN -ANILA WHILE MANY Yemenis were asleep, awaiting the end at sunset of the daytime fast observed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. g4HERE WERE MANY STRIKES u HE added. On Tuesday, the Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for twin DRONE STRIKES ON 3AUDI !RABIA S main east-west oil pipeline, saying that they were a response to

“crimes� committed by Riyadh during the bloody air war it has led in Yemen since March 2015. The pipeline, which can carry 5 million barrels of crude per day, provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the shipping lane from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is closed. )RAN HAS REPEATEDLY THREATENED TO close the vital conduit for global oil supplies in case of a military confrontation with the United States. The Saudi cabinet called on Wednesday for “confronting terrorist entities which carry out such SABOTAGE ACTS INCLUDING THE )RAN BACKED (UTHI MILITIAS IN 9EMEN u Key ally the United Arab EmirATES 5!% ECHOED THE CALL “We will retaliate and we will retaliate hard when we see Huthis HITTING CIVILIAN TARGETS LIKE WHAT happened in Saudi Arabia,� the UAE -INISTER OF 3TATE FOR &OREIGN !FFAIRS

COUNTER STRIKE Smoke billows following an air strike in Sanaa, Yemen. Warplanes struck the rebel-held Yemeni capital two days after the insurgents claimed drone strikes that shut a key oil pipeline owned by Saudi Arabia. AFP PHOTO Anwar Gargash said on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia and its allies interVENED IN 9EMEN WHEN 0RESIDENT !BEDRABBO -ANSOUR (ADI lED INTO

Saudi exile, as the rebels closed in on HIS LAST REFUGE IN 9EMEN S SECOND CITY Aden after sweeping through most of the rest of the country. AFP

Trump to visit Seoul, South Korea in June PRESIDENT Donald Trump will travel to South Korea in June for talks on the North Korean nuclear program, three months after a failed summit with North Korea’s leader in Vietnam. The White House says they “will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization� of North Korea. Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will also discuss issues of importance to their two nations. Trump’s efforts to bring about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula have stalled since he abruptly pulled out of the February summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The North has since restarted some missile testing. In a statement, the White House said

that “President Donald J. Trump will visit the Republic of Korea to meet with President Moon, in conjunction with his travel to the region to attend the G20 Summit in late June.â€? Trump and Moon “will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearizationâ€? of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the statement read. The two leaders would also discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral alliance and the friendship between the two peoples, the White House said. The White House said in April, Trump and his wife Melania would travel to Japan at the end of May as the country’s first state guests to meet the newly enthroned emperor.Â

TRUMP ANIME

Caricatures depicting US President Donald Trump (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right) are displayed outside a shop on a street in Seoul. President Donald Trump will visit South Korea in June to meet with his counterpart Moon Jae-in. AFP PHOTO During Moon’s recent visit to the White House in April, Trump said the sanctions on the DPRK would remain in place, but he deemed it unnecessary to

further increase them. He also said it was possible for him to hold a third meeting with Kim. AP/GLOBAL TIMES

World Rejection of PM May’s bill to leave Brexit deal ‘dead’ L B8

FRIDAY May 17, 2019

ONDON: Britain’s chief Brexit minister said Britain would be faced with a choice between a no-deal European Union (EU) exit and remaining in the EU if lawmakers REJECT 0RIME -INISTER 4HERESA -AY S lAGSHIP Brexit bill next month.

"REXIT 3ECRETARY 3TEPHEN "ARCLAY SAID 7EDNESDAY 4HURSDAY IN -ANILA that defeating the bill would leave -AY S DEAL gDEADu AND FORCE 0ARLIAment to decide “whether it will pursue ... a no-deal option or whether it will REVOKEu THE DECISION TO LEAVE THE %5 ,AWMAKERS ARE DUE TO VOTE ON -AY S WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT BILL THE WEEK OF *UNE The bill is designed to imPLEMENT THE DIVORCE DEAL STRUCK between May and the bloc — a deal that has been rejected by

0ARLIAMENT THREE TIMES "RITAIN IS CURRENTLY DUE TO LEAVE THE %5 ON /CTOBER DEAL OR NO DEAL Earlier, May will try again next MONTH TO SECURE 0ARLIAMENT S BACKING FOR A "REXIT DEAL SO THAT THE UK can leave the EU this summer. Downing Street said May inTENDS TO ASK LAWMAKERS TO VOTE on a withdrawal agreement bill STARTING THE WEEK OF *UNE 0ARLIAMENT HAS THREE TIMES REjected the divorce deal May and THE %5 STRUCK LATE LAST YEAR LAYING

OUT THE TERMS OF "RITAIN S DEPARTURE FROM THE BLOC "REXIT LONG SET FOR March 29, has been delayed until /CTOBER WHILE "RITAIN S POLITICIANS TRY TO BREAK THE DEADLOCK -AY S OFkCE SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT IF LAWMAKERS PASSED THE BILL THE UK could still leave the EU “before THE SUMMER 0ARLIAMENTARY RECESS u WHICH IS LIKELY TO START IN LATE *ULY "UT IT IS FAR FROM CLEAR HOW THE government plans to persuade a maJORITY OF LAWMAKERS TO BACK -AY S %5 divorce terms, since few legislators on EITHER SIDE OF THE "REXIT DIVIDE SEEM prepared to change their positions. And approving the bill, which IMPLEMENTS THE TERMS OF "RITAIN S departure, does not remove the need FOR 0ARLIAMENT TO SEPARATELY RATIFY THE thrice-rejected EU withdrawal deal. The government calculates that IF A MAJORITY OF LAWMAKERS COULD

be persuaded to approve the legisLATION ON "REXIT TERMS THEY WOULD THEN BACK THE DEAL AS WELL Ministers also hope that the process of debating — and potentially amending — the bill will help LAWMAKERS REACH A FORM OF "REXIT a majority can support. "UT THAT LOOKS LIKE A LONGSHOT -AY S #ONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT HAS HELD WEEKS OF TALKS WITH THE OPPOSITION ,ABOR 0ARTY IN AN ATTEMPT TO reach a compromise on some of THE MAJOR STICKING POINTS BUT SO far without signs of much progress. The two sides do not agree on how close an economic relationship the UK should have with THE %5 AFTER "REXIT "OTH -AY AND ,ABOR LEADER *EREMY #ORBYN ARE under strong pressure from their PARTY MEMBERS NOT TO MAKE CONcessions to their rivals. AP

VIOLENT REACTION

Firemen put out a fire in a bus during a protest organized by the National Students Union in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Students and teachers from hundreds of universities and colleges across Brazil staged a nationwide demonstration in defense of education, following an announcement of cuts to education budget by President Jair Bolsonaro. AFP PHOTO

Venezuela peace talks ongoing in Oslo CARACAS, Venezuela: Officials in Venezuela said representatives of the government and opposition had traveled to Norway for talks on resolving the political crisis in the South American country. Members of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled congress said Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) that senior members of both sides will be involved in the discussions in Oslo. The National Assembly members spoke on condition of anonymity

because of the sensitivity of the talks, which they described as exploratory. One official said delegations from the two opposing camps were traveling after receiving separate invitations from a group of Norwegians. Venezuelan President NicolĂĄs Maduro did not directly comment on the talks in televised remarks Wednesday. But he said Information Minister Jorge RodrĂ­guez was on a “very importantâ€? mission

outside Venezuela. The United States has suspended all commercial passenger and cargo flights between the US and Venezuela, saying the political unrest and tensions there posed a risk to flights. Wednesday’s announcement by the Department of Homeland Security affected a dwindling number of flights between the two countries, since US airlines no longer fly to Venezuela. The measure reflects the

increasingly sour relationship between the Venezuelan government and the US, which is leading a campaign to oust President NicolĂĄs Maduro. The department says conditions in Venezuela “threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew.â€? It says the flight suspension would continue indefinitely, though the decision will be reviewed if the situation in Venezuela changes. AP

US declines UN concerned over nuke ‘coffin’ to join NZ, France’s ‘Call to Action’ THE United States will not be joinING THE #HRISTCHURCH #ALL FOR !CTION A PUSH BY .EW :EALAND AND &RANCE to encourage tech companies and COUNTRIES TO WORK TOGETHER TO END the use of social media in acts of terrorism, the Trump administration announced Wednesday. “While the United States is not currently in a position to join the endorsement, we continue to SUPPORT THE OVERALL GOALS RElECTED in the call,� the White House said in a statement. )T ADDED g7E WILL CONTINUE TO engage governments, industry and civil society to counter terrorist content on the internet.� .EW :EALAND 0RIME -INISTER *ACINDA !RDERN AND &RENCH 0RESIDENT %MMANUEL -ACRON ANNOUNCED THE #HRISTCHURCH #ALL EARLIER 7EDNESDAY IN 0ARIS AT A meeting of digital leaders for the G7 nations, just two months after the March 15 mass shootings on TWO MOSQUES IN #HRISTCHURCH New Zealand, left 51 dead and many wounded. &ACEBOOK REMOVED MILLION VIDEOS OF THE #HRISTCHURCH ATTACKS IN THE kRST HOURS AFTER THE MASSACRE )T ALSO BLOCKED 1.2 million of them at upload, meaning they would not have been seen by users. AP

SUVA, Fiji: 5NITED .ATIONS 5. 3ECRETARY 'ENERAL !NTONIO Guterres raised concerns Thursday that a concrete dome built last century to contain waste from atomic bomb TESTS IS LEAKING RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL INTO THE 0ACIkC 3PEAKING TO STUDENTS IN &IJI 'UTERRES DESCRIBED THE STRUCTURE ON %NEWETAK ATOLL IN THE -ARSHALL )SLANDS AS gA KIND OF COFkNu AND SAID IT WAS A LEGACY OF #OLD 7AR ERA NUCLEAR TESTS IN THE 0ACIkC g4HE 0ACIkC WAS VICTIMISED IN THE PAST AS WE ALL KNOW u HE SAID REFERRING TO NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS CARRIED OUT BY THE 5NITED 3TATES AND &RANCE IN THE REGION )N THE -ARSHALLS NUMEROUS ISLANDERS WERE FORCIBLY evacuated from ancestral lands and resettled, while thousands more were exposed to radioactive fallout. The island nation was ground zero for 67 American nuclear weapons tests from 1946 to 1958 at "IKINI AND %NEWETAK ATOLLS WHEN IT WAS UNDER 53 administration. 4HE TESTS INCLUDED THE g"RAVOu HYDROGEN bomb, the most powerful ever detonated by the US, about 1,000 times bigger than the atomic bomb

dropped on Hiroshima. 'UTERRES WHO IS TOURING THE 3OUTH 0ACIkC TO RAISE AWARENESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES SAID 0ACIkC ISlanders still needed help to deal with the fallout of the nuclear testing. “The consequences of these have been quite dramatic, in relation to health, in relation to the poisoning of waters in some areas,� he said. g) VE JUST BEEN WITH THE 0RESIDENT OF THE -ARSHALL )SLANDS (ILDA (EINE WHO IS VERY WORRIED BECAUSE THERE IS A RISK OF LEAKING OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS THAT ARE CONTAINED IN A KIND OF COFkN IN THE AREA u 4HE gCOFkNu IS A CONCRETE DOME BUILT IN THE LATE S ON 2UNIT )SLAND PART OF %NEWETAK ATOLL AS A dumping ground for waste from the nuclear tests. Radioactive soil and ash from the explosions was tipped into a crater and capped with a concrete dome CENTIMETERS INCHES THICK (OWEVER IT WAS ONLY ENVISAGED AS A TEMPORARY kX and the bottom of the crater was never lined leading TO FEARS THE WASTE IS LEACHING INTO THE 0ACIkC AFP

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Iran minister says US sanctions unacceptable TOKYO: )RAN S FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS his country was committed to an international nuclear deal, but that the escalating US sanctions were “unacceptable.� 4HE REMARKS CAME AMID RISING tensions in the Mideast, with allegations of sabotage targeting OIL TANKERS NEAR THE 0ERSIAN 'ULF A DRONE ATTACK BY 9EMEN S )RANIan-allied rebels and the dispatch of US warships and bombers to the region. &OREIGN -INISTER -OHAMMAD Zarif told Japanese officials on 4HURSDAY IN 4OKYO THAT HIS COUNTRY S RESPONSE TO THE 53 ACTIONS WAS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORKS OF THE CURRENT NUCLEAR DEAL AND )RAN S RIGHTS )RAN RECENTLY THREATENED TO resume higher enrichment in 60 days if no new nuclear deal is in place, beyond the level permitted by the current one between Tehran and world powers. The US pulled out of the deal last year. )N RESPONSE )RAN S SUPREME leader issued a veiled threat, SAYING IT WOULDN T BE DIFFICULT FOR THE )SLAMIC 2EPUBLIC TO ENrich uranium to weapons-grade levels. He also said that while his country would not negotiate WITH THE 5NITED 3TATES )RAN WAS NOT SEEKING WAR The movement of diplomatic personnel is often done in times OF CONlICT BUT WHAT IS DRIVING the decisions from the White (OUSE REMAINS UNCLEAR )RAQ IS HOME TO POWERFUL PRO )RANIAN militias, while also hosting more than 5,000 US troops. The US MILITARY S #ENTRAL #OMMAND said its troops were on high alert, without elaborating. ,AST WEEK 53 OFFICIALS SAID THEY HAD DETECTED SIGNS OF )RANIAN PREPARATIONS FOR POTENTIAL ATTACKS on US forces and interests in the Middle East, but Washington has not spelled out that threat. )N ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT THE

Qatar-funded satellite news broadcaster Al-Jazeera said that Doha was trying to “defuse escalating tensions� across the 0ERSIAN 'ULF Al-Jazeera cited an anonymous OFkCIAL ON 7EDNESDAY NIGHT AS SAYING THAT 1ATARI &OREIGN -INISTER 3HEIKH -OHAMMED BIN !Bdulrahman Al Thani had traveled TO 4EHRAN IN RECENT DAYS TO SPEAK WITH HIS )RANIAN COUNTERPART Mohammad Javad Zarif. Al-Jazeera said the US was aware of the trip in advance, but did not elaborate further. &LIGHT2ADAR COM A lIGHT TRACKing website, showed a Qatari government airplane landed in Tehran on Saturday. Qatar hosts the forward headQUARTERS OF THE 53 MILITARY S #ENTRAL #OMMAND AT ITS VAST !L 5DEID !IR "ASE 3EVERAL OF THE " BOMBERS ORDERED BY THE White House to the region amid the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran are stationed there. 1ATAR HAS GROWN CLOSER TO )RAN diplomatically amid it being boycotted by four Arab nations over a political dispute. Also, the US on Wednesday 4HURSDAY IN -ANILA ORDERED ALL nonessential government staff to LEAVE )RAQ Germany and the Netherlands also both suspended their military assistance programs in the country in the latest sign of TENSIONS SWEEPING THE 0ERSIAN 'ULF REGION OVER STILL UNSPECIkED threats that the Trump adminisTRATION SAYS ARE LINKED TO )RAN Recent days have seen allegations of sabotage targeting OIL TANKERS OFF THE COAST OF THE United Arab Emirates, a drone ATTACK BY 9EMEN S )RANIAN ALLIED Houthi rebels, and the dispatch of US warships and bombers to the region. AP

Worldinbriefs TWO-PLANE COLLISION DEATHS RISE TO 6 ANCHORAGE, Alaska: A newly married couple, a pilot who used his family’s savings to buy his own plane, a devoted family man from Australia, and an office manager at an insurance company with a vivacious personality and a heart of gold were among the six victims in this week’s deadly midair collision of two sightseeing planes in Alaska. Alaska State Troopers identified the passengers who died as 46-year-old Louis Botha of San Diego; 56-year-old Simon Bodie from Tempe, New South Wales, Australia; 62-year-old Cassandra Webb from St. Louis, 39-year-old Ryan Wilk from Utah; and 37-year-old Elsa Wilk of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Also killed was the pilot of one of the planes, 46-year-old Randy Sullivan of Ketchikan. Ten others survived the Monday crash over an inlet in southeast Alaska near the cruise ship port community of Ketchikan. AP

US ARTIST’S WORK SOLD FOR $91M NEW York: A stainless steel sculpture of a rabbit by Jeff Koons has set an auction record in New York, fetching over $91 million. The sale of Koons’ 1986 “Rabbit� at Christie’s on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) was the most expensive work by a living artist ever sold at auction. The previous record for a living artist’s work sold at auction was set by British artist David Hockney. His 1972 “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)� brought in $90.3 million at Christie’s last year. AP

MOST EXPENSIVE COFFEE SERVED IN CALIFORNIA SAN Francisco: A California cafe is brewing up what it calls the world’s most expensive coffee at $75 a cup. Klatch Coffee is serving the exclusive brew, the Elida Natural Geisha 803, at its branches in Southern California and San Francisco. The 803 in the coffee’s name refers to the record-breaking $803 per pound the organic beans sold for at a recent auction after winning the Best of Panama coffee competition, said Bo Thiara, co-owner of the Klatch branch in San Francisco. He calls the annual competition the coffee world’s equivalent of the Oscars. AP

BIRD STRIKE DAMAGES F-35 STEALTH WASHINGTON, D.C.: A US F-35 stealth bomber suffered millions of dollars in damage after colliding with a bird during take-off from an air base in Japan, the US Marine Corps said in a statement. “On May 7, 2019 an F-35B with Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing aborted take-off due to a bird strike at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and safely taxied off the runway,� the statement said. The pilot was not hurt in the incident, it added. AFP

EIFFEL TOWER MARKS 130TH YEAR PARIS: The Eiffel Tower has celebrated its 130th birthday in Paris, with the city marking the anniversary with a light show at the famed monument. Built for the 1889 World’s Fair, the tower — which soars to 324 meters in height and weighs 7,300 tons — still attracts nearly seven million visitors every year. Despite calls for its demolition in the years after the exhibition, it soon became the most iconic feature on the Paris skyline and is France’s most visited monument. AFP

TRUMP PARDONS MEDIA MOGUL

UNREST

Sudanese protesters are gathered during a sit-in outside military headquarters after clashing with security forces in Khartoum. AFP PHOTO

WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) granted a full pardon to Conrad Black, a former newspaper publisher who has written a flattering political biography of him. Black’s media empire once included the Chicago Sun-Times and The Daily Telegraph of London. He was convicted of fraud in 2007 and spent three and a half years in prison. An appeals court reversed two convictions, but left two others in place. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Black “has made tremendous contributions to business, and to political and historical thought.� AP

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May 17, 2019

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Boardroom Watch, our every Friday conversation with the captains of Philippine industry and commerce, turns two today. And we celebrate with our eye on the future and its possibilities BRW 2nd Anniversary.indd 1

FRIDAY

Q keep in view —Business Leaders to Watch Out For was launched when The Manila Times turned 120 years old on Oct. 12, 2018. Highlighting the journeys of executives-on-the rise, it was the logical spin off to Boardroom Watch, our profile gallery of established business mavericks. For this Anniversary issue, these six young corporates fit perfectly our specs: hard working, passionate, caring and funloving. Here’s wishing them luck on their way to the stars.

16/05/2019 7:49 PM

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FRIDAY

May 17, 2019

Cheeny King CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER LEGEND HOTELS INTERNATIONAL CORP.

Guiding light She always wanted to be a guidance counselor, and in some serendipitous way, the chief operating officer of Legend Hotels International Corp. has. Overseeing 400 of the group’s employees, she unconsciously returns to her penchant for listening and dispensing advice to others. Cheeney and her Legend Villas team

Cathy with her FinTech Business Group

Catherine Anne P. Bautista-Casas HEAD OF BLOCKCHAIN AND FINTECH BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UNIONBANK

Money maker Being in the right time and place led the banker to the top spot of her institution’s bright technological advances. In the future, expect her to be more involved in people and business transformation as she plunges into the world of blockchain and Bitcoin.

ABOUT ME ROLE MODELS

My lola (grandmother), the epitome of grace under pressure. My mom, hardworking and kindhearted.

GOALS To be the salt of the earth and light of the world. To make the world a better place.

FIRST PAYING JOB Accepted consultations to do statistical analysis for a fee in college.

MORNING ROUTINE I update myself on what’s happening globally in banking, fintech and the financial markets, bond with kids, and prepare for work.

SPECIAL SKILLS Problem-solving and decision-making, event-organizing and anything that involves good handeye coordination like basketball, darts and target shooting.

TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Less than 30 minutes a day.

BY LOUISE NICHOLE LOGARTA Photos by Mindy Gana THE UNION OF TECHNOLOGY AND finance is challenging for most—not so in the case of UnionBank’s head of Blockchain and FinTech Business Development, Catherine Anne BautistaCasas. “Serendipitous” is the word this selfproclaimed nerd used to describe taking the first step on the path of finance. When asked how she got into the field, she recalls: “It was actually unplanned, accidental, but it fit, since I was good in math and science in high school.” “I guess I was in the right place at the right time,” Cathy says. “Finance and statistics majors were in demand because banks were starting to change the way they measured capital.” Fresh out of college, she joined UnionBank, which needed statisticians who could quantify risk. Hired as a statistical analysis officer, her work was mostly numbers crunching, which Cathy was comfortable with. Taking advantage of the establishment’s optimal environment for learning, she moved around different areas of the bank. In her 17 years with UnionBank, she also acted as market risk officer. Most of it, however, was spent in the Treasury group as a fixed income and derivatives trader. For a while, she believed that she would permanently stay in Treasury. That is, until she moved to the FinTech Business Group last year. FinTech, or Financial Technology, Cathy explains, is a group of companies that is responsible for why banks are evolving, responding to the need to improve customer experience and get on board digital transformation. FinTech enabled financial services to be provided to the unbanked: customers who do not have bank accounts through use of technology instead of traditional banking procedures. “There are around 2 billion individuals who do not have access to financial services, especially in rural areas,” Cathy relates. “The reason they (FinTech) flourished is that they were able to solve one problem that others could

There are some 2 billion people with no access to financial services. FinTech grew because it solved the issue of financial inclusion

BRW 2nd Anniversary.indd 2

not: financial inclusion. They did this by using the phone. You don’t need to have a bank account, but you do need a phone.” FinTech Business Group, created two to three years ago, was formed to partner and collaborate with the FinTechs as the task at hand was too big for one institution to do alone. “Since it’s in [UnionBank’s] DNA to collaborate, it was natural for us to do this,” says Cathy. “Since FinTech companies are mostly start-ups, they need a bank to support their operations, so we open accounts for them with us. We get to know them and we find out that maybe some of their products can be integrated with the bank. We work toward a common goal.” Essential to FinTech is blockchain, a new technology that serves to streamline processes and operations within the bank and reduce costs. On its importance, Cathy says: “It goes beyond this, it has the power to change not only banking, but the entire economy. Its scale of importance to the system is that it can do to value what email has done to communication.” “It is a digital ledger of transactions, not just financial, but practically anything of value, so called ‘blockchain’ for the way information is organized: in blocks, which are linked or chained together. Bitcoin, a type of cryptocurrency or electronic cash, popularized blockchain. With Bitcoin, for instance, one can join the network, managed one’s finances and basically act as one’s own bank. The uses of blockchain are highly practical. Bitcoins or other types of cryptocurrencies, can be used to purchase physical goods. They can also be converted to cash through registered virtual currency exchangers such as coins.ph. UnionBank has its very own Bitcoin ATM, thanks to Cathy. “It’s a specialized ATM that allows customers to purchase as well as sell Bitcoins for cash. They need to have a bank account with us first and they also need to have a Bitcoin wallet, which is like a bank account that accepts cryptocurrency. Outside of work, Cathy takes pride in her family life. “I was born [to] a very simple and humble family,” she reports. She is the eldest girl among three brothers and one sister, all of whom are very close, especially in family matters. Being on top of the bank’s burgeoning technological advances poses challenges to Cathy’s role as mother to two girls, Celine and Bea. “I consciously try to set bonding time with them. To compensate, I make sure that I communicate with the kids. I tell them, ‘I have to go to work because of you, because I love you.” In the months to follow, Cathy sees herself becoming more involved in people and business transformation as she dives deeper into more advanced tech. “All I know is that I want to continue to learn and contribute as much as I can to create the best possible state of the future for my kids. I believe even your career choice has an impact on the world, especially now that everything is connected.” For the extended version, please refer to www.manilatimes.net/ category/boardroomwatch

ABOUT ME ROLE MODEL No one specific. I want to become my own person.

MORNING ROUTINE A short prayer, no breakfast because I’m into intermittent fasting. Then, I just jump into work.

GOALS I just want to live a full life. I just want to spark joy.

FIRST PAYING JOB I was a management trainee at MyPlace, a dormitory across Ateneo de Manila University.

SPECIAL SKILLS Hiking, boxing and aerial yoga.

TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA None at all. I don’t have a Facebook or Twitter account.

BY ANNA T. CAYCO Photos by Hermes Singson “WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I TOLD MYSELF THAT I would be a guidance counselor,” Celine Marie “Cheeny” King tells Keep in View. Now, at 36-years-old and the chief operating officer (COO) of Legend Hotels International Corp. (LHIC), Cheeny is far-removed from that fleeting childhood dream. Or is she? Between aiding the chairman, president, who happens to be her father, Wyden King and overseeing more than 400 of LHIC’s employees, Cheeny unconsciously returns to her penchant for listening and dispensing advice to others. Cheeny says: “I find myself in a COO position, not just directing or leading, but also more of counseling people. If you want people to follow your vision or leadership, you have to get to know them by heart.” Her management style springs from her journey with her faith and family. Cheeny was the first of Wyden King’s children to be converted into his faith as a born-again Christian. Her father’s conversion in 1992 had shocked both the business and religious community as he began converting Anito Motels—then the country’s top motel chain he had inherited from his father, Angelo King, dubbed the “Motel King of the Philippines”—into uniquely Christian hotels. Services are held in the morning, meetings are started with prayers, and each hotel has a resident pastor for counseling. Before the work day even starts, employees gather together to share their problems with each other. Cheeny explains: “Corporations say: ‘Huwag mong dalhin ang personal problems sa office (Don’t bring personal problems to the office).’ Kami [Us], we encourage it. You can’t separate personal problems from work dahil dala-dala nila yun (because they bring them with them). Instead of us shying away from it, we want to help.” Essentially, people are the main asset in the hospitality industry—both employees and customers. For someone, who has not been captured by the social media craze—her last social media account being the now defunct Friendster—Cheeny prioritizes personally connecting with her team members. Cheeny says: “We don’t just do business just because we want to make a profit. We don’t build businesses just because we want to, [because] we see an opportunity there. We do business because in our prayer time we feel that’s where the Lord is leading us. We build businesses because God has mandated us to.” Today, LHIC has transformed their seedy motels into ones that promote Filipino family values. Kabayan Hotel, The Mabuhay Manor and Pinoy Pamilya Hotel are right outside Ninoy Aquino International Airport to greet overseas filipino workers, balikbayans (returning Filipinos) and local and foreign tourists in transit

³ Cheeny King C4

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˜ The Manila Times

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FRIDAY May 17, 2019

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Q Belmont Hotel Boracay is on an elevated area of Newcoast where one can enjoy a breathtaking view of the mountains while dipping in the clearwater pool.

Q The Megaworld prime property is composed of three clusters that offer 245 deluxe twin rooms, 130 deluxe queen rooms, 49 premiere deluxe rooms, 12 executive suites and 6 specially-abled rooms for a total of 442 well-appointed rooms.

Q Whether it’s the stretch of white powdery sand with pristine crystal-clear waters of Newcoast Beach or just lounging around the courtyard, Belmont Hotel is the ideal place to savor the moment in Boracay.

Savor the moment at Belmont Hotel Boracay BY ARLO CUSTODIO

W

other side of the island away from the crowd makes guests feel the warmth and comfort of a secluded GETAWAY "ORACAY .EWCOAST BY THE WAY IS THE kRST and only master-planned leisure-oriented community in the island,� the executive adds.

ITH views of the ocean and the golf course, Megaworld #ORP S kVE STORY "ELMONT (OTEL "ORACAY IS SITUATED IN A PERFECT LOCATION AT THE .EWCOAST SIDE OF THE WORLD FAMOUS Superior services Guests can book airport transfers directly or on island paradise. their own, which include airport pick up, boat trans-

Derived from “Bellmunt,� which means beautiful mountain, Belmont is from the fertile mind of -EGAWORLD #HAIRMAN $R !NDREW 4AN WHO kNDS the name of the mountain in Spain pleasing to his ears. Aptly, too, as Belmont Hotel Boracay is on an elevated area of Newcoast where there is also the breathtaking view of the mountains. Composed of three clusters that offer 245 deluxe twin rooms, 130 deluxe queen rooms, 49 premiere deluxe rooms, 12 executive suites and 6 speciallyabled rooms for a total of 442 well-appointed rooms, Belmont Hotel Boracay has an all-day dining, a swimming pool with an in-pool lounge, pool bar, function rooms, meeting rooms, business center, kTNESS CENTER AND SPA )T IS INDEED THE IDEAL PLACE to savor the moment in this golden tropical island stretch of white powdery sand with pristine crystalclear waters of Newcoast Beach. g"ORACAY )SLAND HAS BEEN A TOP DESTINATION OF both foreign and local travelers. They would always go back to feel the beauty of paradise and the exuding warm nature that surrounds them,� says Marie Jehan Balbanero, area head of Marketing and Communications. “Every traveler would always want to make the trip worthwhile and truly memorable, and our hotel is designed to let guests feel the continuity of a unique and exclusive nature experience in Boracay. This is where you get to feel the warmth and beauty of paradise. We would want our guests to experience that perfect and memorable moment in their trip,� she adds. Each room is individually decorated, portraying tranquility and enhancing comfort in a sophisticated style — fully air-conditioned with all the amenities including LED TV, mini bar fridge, coffee and

Q Hotel lobby

tea-making facilities, writing desk, multi-function telephone system, wireless internet access and shuttle service. Tasteful amenities are provided as well such as linen bathrobes, hairdryer and slippers.

Owning a piece of Boracay through Belmont Opening in June, the property also offers a new concept of owning a hotel room or invitingly, owning a piece of the tranquil beauty of nature and the feeling of paradise that is Boracay. “Our properties [owned by Megaworld Corp.] run as a normal hotel operation. We have unit investors, [not time-share], that are full owners of units and thus, receive an annual share of investment in the property. Most people may not widely understand THE CONCEPT ESPECIALLY BY kRST TIME INVESTORS FROM THE Philippines or abroad, but it has gained a promising idea of investment that is less risky and that surely guarantees a return on investment to unit owners,� explains Balbanero. “They have their own share and earn from it. They have room nights which they can avail for the whole year for their vacations and enjoy hotel privileges during their stay like normal guests such as housekeeping, room service, dining, use of facilities and amenities and shuttle service. Other privileges for owners include a 30-percent discount on all food and beverage outlets for food and non-alcoholic drinks. They are given the best available rate should they exceed their complimentary stay,� she continUES STRESSING THAT A CERTIkCATE OF OWNERSHIP IS ISSUED when the unit is fully paid. “Belmont Hotel Boracay is the newest property in the island, which construction started in 2016 and COMPLETED IN $ECEMBER )TS LOCATION ON THE

Q Premiere deluxe room

fers and shuttle to the hotel and vice versa. Belmont has a guest relations team happy to assist with the various tours and activities in the island. g&OR A HASSLE FREE TOUR OUR GUEST RELATIONS OFkCER takes care of guests’ schedule, booking and activities that they would want to avail such parasailing, jet ski, wake boarding, helmet diving, and island hopping,� Balbanero informs. The Belmont Cafe offers international cuisine to cater to all nationalities with modern take, garnished with INlUENCES OF -EDITERRANEAN AND !SIAN CUISINE USING fresh produce, guaranteed to be delightful to the palate and still exudes the aroma of a fresh new taste. Many of the hotel staff and crew are locals, trained to give the best service to guests. g)T IS THE WARM PERSONALIZED AND EXCELLENT SERVICE that we give our guests which make them come back. They always commend our staff for the wonderful service given them,� the area marketing and communications head further informs. All Megaworld hotels have been meticulously built with uniqueness and beauty. And Belmont Boracay is a unique haven with a stunning vision of nature, beauty of paradise that would make guests savor that “perfect moment� for beautiful memories. A homegrown brand of hotel developed by Megaworld located in different townships in the Philippines, Belmont Hotel Boracay is the second BRANCH OF "ELMONT TO OPEN IN THE COUNTRY 4HE kRST WAS "ELMONT -ANILA )T IS ALSO THE SECOND HOTEL TO RISE IN "ORACAY .EWCOAST AFTER 3AVOY "ELMONT )LOILO is set to open at the latter part of the year.

Savor the moment Since the reopening of the island in October 2018, after a six-month rehabilitation program as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte, Boracay has become

, Q Belmont Cafe

cleaner and greener making its way toward sustainable tourism. g) FEEL THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE ISLAND HAVE BECOME more responsible toward the government’s sustainability project. We are one with the government in promoting green initiatives and maintaining the island’s natural beauty. Our location in Boracay Newcoast is a huge township with lots of green spaces and has adapted sustainable tourism with the use of its eco-friendly materials such as solar lighting system on the roads, waste segregation and use of e-carts for shuttling,� Balbanero says. This has strengthened the tagline “Savor the moment� of comfortable stay in a sophisticated hotel, combined with the relaxing tranquility of a secluded getaway. Meanwhile, Area General Manager Adie Gallares intones that Belmont Hotel Boracay is the ultimate destinaton to retreat from the outside world and embrace the feeling of paradise within. “Belmont Hotel Boracay is a unique haven with a stunning vision of nature, beauty of paradise and majestic sunsets,� he says. “We do not remember days, we remember moments. We have to taste, feel and experience the great things in life in order to savor that ‘perfect moment.’ At Belmont Hotel Boracay, you can experiENCE NATURE S PERFECTION AT ITS kNEST WITH YOUR LOVED ones. From the hotel location, to the well-thought of nature-inspired aesthetics, to the sumptuous food, the complete facilities and the exceptional service that we provide, you are guaranteed to enjoy every second of your stay as you immerse, relax, rest, enjoy and rejuvenate,� he further states. g"E AMONG THE kRST ONES TO STEP INTO THIS PRISTINE beach of this world-renowned destination and ‘savor the moment’ at Belmont Hotel Boracay,� Gallares invitingly concludes. Belmont Hotel Boracay is located at Newcoast Drive, Boracay Newcoast, Barangay Yapak, BoraCAY )SLAND -ALAY !KLAN 4O kND OUT MORE about their promos and offerings, call +63 (2) 720 1878 or 0917 821 0282, or check their website at www.belmonthotelboracay.com. Follow them on &ACEBOOK AT "ELMONT (OTEL "ORACAY AND )NSTAGRAM at @belmontboracay.

Q Fitness center

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The Manila Times C 4

EDITOR: Margie T. Logarta DESIGN: Jose Ricardo G. Velarde

FRIDAY

May 17, 2019

Q Cheeny King FROM C1

Guiding light with the trademark Filipino hospitality at affordable rates. Meanwhile, The Legend Villas caters to staycations and corporate events in the heart of Metro Manila. In Puerto Princesa, The Legend Palawan gives visitors a chance to explore the country’s prized tropical island in comfort and convenience with their tour packages. As with most children who succeed their parents, working in the family business means overcoming a sense of entitlement. Cheeny recalls: “As a millennial, you have decisions and actions where you feel like you can do better…And as the child of the owner, you think you’re entitled to some certain things, which don’t quite work out.” Butting heads with her father led her to break away from the company to work for her sister and brother-in-law, Ginger and Rami Villavicencio, at their aviation products distribution companies, Lubwell and SafeAir Corp., as finance manager in 2014. Her exodus came with a price. The bills for her independent lifestyle began to pile up, which prompted a return to her father to stand by him as his executive assistant in 2017. She resumed climbing the corporate ladder, becoming the general manager at Kabayan Hotels and eventually adding The Legend Palawan under her belt. Entitlement now long gone, she saw herself reaching out more to her colleagues and staff. “More and more I’m beginning to understand that there are things that you cannot appreciate from where you’re standing. He (her father) can see the big picture,” Cheeny humbly says.

Today, the two complement each other with their drastically different business styles. Wyden King comes from a time where there was room for risks to be taken and money to be spent. But giving up his love motels also meant giving up a daily profit of P2 million. With that gone, Cheeny comes to the boardroom with graphs and charts to make economical and informed decisions. “Now that we’ve experienced being financially strapped, I don’t act that fast… I am more calculated and more cautious. I’m the one who’s pulling him back,” she observes. As Daddy King hits 65, Cheeny is now more involved in the decision-making for the corporation. With her father’s enterprising spirit, she seeks to further expand their ventures such as building river-floating cottages and mountain villas overlooking the breathtaking view for The Legend Palawan and extending Kabayan Hotels to 307 more rooms by 2020. But when it comes to spending downtime, Cheeny is very much like her father. She has an itch for trying new things, from holding yoga poses while hanging from the ceiling with aerial yoga, hiking alone up Luzon’s highest peak Mt. Pulag, to getting up close to wildlife on safaris in Cape Town, South Africa. She admits she is not a visionary like her father—and she need not be. Humble, grounded and committed, Cheeny King deems to have what it takes to disprove the notion of the squandering third generation. “I want to make sure his legacy is continued. What he started, I will continue,” Cheeny promises. For the extended version, please refer to www.manilatimes.net/category/ boardroomwatch

Howard at the Yakal branch of StorageMart

Howard Sy FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT STORAGEMART

The keeper The scion of one of the Philippines’ most formidable business empires has ventured to create his own “SM,” blazing a trail in the burgeoning self-storage industry. His late grandfather, the iconic Henry Sy Sr., must now be beaming with unabashed pride.

ABOUT ME ROLE MODELS My grandfather, my dad. Generally, my family.

GOALS Just give back. Have a family.

FIRST PAYING JOB I was working parttime as a barista at Hudson’s Coffee in Melbourne while I was studying.

SPECIAL SKILLS Unfortunately, I’m not so special. I don’t have any.

TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Thirty to forty minutes. A maximum of one hour, then I start feeling bad afterward.

ALTERNATIVE JOB I’d like to be a K-pop star or a basketball or an American football player.

BY ANNA T. CAYCO Photos by Mindy Gana YOU WOULDN’T EXPECT THE grandson of one of the Philippines’ iconic business titans to be working in a windowless storage warehouse tucked in one of the more nondescript streets of Makati City. Howard Sy, 30, grandson of the late legendary tycoon Henry Sy Sr. and son of former SM Prime president and China Banking Corp. chairman Hans Sy, does not even wear a suit and tie to work. Instead, he sports the same dark blue collared shirt the rest of his employees wear at StorageMart (https://storagemart.com.ph), one of the first companies in Metro Manila specializing in self-storage that he established in 2016. The public’s eye is very much trained on this third generation Sy, who put up his own “SM” (SM is how the family business is currently branded, coming from its original monicker “Shoemart”), and eschewed the comfortable opportunity to merely jump into a well-established infrastructure. Calm, cool and collected, Howard continues to aim for growth for the storage industry, his company, his employees and himself. At the start, Howard followed his brothers—Hans Jr. and Harvey—to the University of Melbourne where he took up a degree in finance and commerce. During his days Down Under, he had heard of a well-known multinational investment company notorious for its punishing long hours yet high pay. Intrigued and excited by the Macquarie Group’s Wall Street-like environment, Howard went through the grueling application process and began as a private equity analyst in 2012. “When I did get in, it was exhausting… I literally lived and breathed work,” he recalls. Yet, between spending his nights in the office and trawling the business capitals of Southeast Asia, the

A lot of people push to work smart. I still believe in working hard. Putting in the hours you see a lot more things

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thought of owning his own company was always at the back of Howard’s mind. He explains: “I was exploring every industry. But I wanted something that was different and scalable.” Call it serendipity when Howard accidentally stumbled upon an episode of “Storage Wars,” an American reality television series where people bid and auction off abandoned storage units. He spent eight months researching on self-storage, available facilities and the prime locations he could rent in the future. The young entrepreneur reasons: “A lot of people push to work smart. I still believe in work hard. Sure, it’s probably less efficient, but by putting in the hours you get to see a lot more things. “When you go into an industry that not many people know of, you don’t have anyone to ask expert advice from. What I had to do was message people overseas to ask them if I could pick their brains.” In 2016, after a year of extensive research and planning, Howard took the calculated risk and left the Macquarie Group to start his storage enterprise. Two and a half years later, StorageMart has gained enough traction to put up its fourth branch in San Juan City. As Metro Manila enters an age of condominiums, people have less and less space to house their possessions. Howard’s company allows Filipinos to store their valuables, no matter how large in size and quantity. As his first business venture, StorageMart is Howard’s pride and joy. But being his first instance at the top of the corporate ladder, he finds his proudest moments lie also in his connection with his employees. He considers his staff as practically family and calls their bond unique from other corporations. Howard says with humility: “I don’t know if this is the same for a lot of people—it probably is—but there is a sense of fulfillment in having employees and watching them grow. “When it’s bigger, I really do want to try to pay all of my staff more. [I] just [want to] find a way to make an impact on their lives.” StorageMart is nearing its third year and Howard is raring to grow his “baby.” With property prices on the rise, however, he is also prudent about waiting to jump the gun and expand in a big way. Unlike most young CEOs hungry for instant progress, Howard, much like his grandfather, who started with a humble shoe store on Carriedo Street, Manila, emphasizes that slow and steady is the way to go. To keep himself grounded, juggling profit and property, on certain days Howard retreats to the solitude of Baclaran Church. There, he observes the crowd from all walks of life, just to remind himself whom he’s doing business for. For the extended version, please refer to www.manilatimes.net/ category/boardroomwatch

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The Manila Times YEAR

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Franco is backed by a team of energetic employees who are also family

FRIDAY

May 17, 2019

D 1

Franco Soberano EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER CEBU LANDMASTERS

Earthmover With a lola, who was a big-time broker and a father, who set up Cebu Landmaasters, the company COO undeniably has the industry DNA flowing through his veins. For him, the relationship with clients doesn’t end when the money is made but lasts a lifetime.

Louie meets his staff to plan out their day

BY MARGIE T. LOGARTA Photos by Dan Ong

ABOUT ME

FRANCO SOBERANO, EXECUTIVE vice president and chief operating officer of Cebu Landmasters (CLI) – the real estate development firm specializing in the Visayas and Mindanao – dreamed at first of scaling the banking and finance ladder. But his “real estate DNA” proved too compelling. “It goes back to my late lola, Ester YapBorromeo, who was a broker,” Franco explains. “She had a great real estate sense and would always be talking about properties.” The mother of Franco’s mother-entrepreneur Rosario was described by her apo (grandchild) as a pioneer in her field, whose advice was always sought out. “She even brokered the land where Shangri-La Mactan is now located,” he reports. In 2010, after working for Hewlett Packard for four years as project manager, Franco joined CLI, directing, as their company material says: “the ground-up operations and project delivery cycle from Acquisitions to Business Development, Construction, Sales, Documentation, Customer Care, and Property Management.” Franco’s father Jose (“Joe” to all) started CLI in Cebu City in 2003. He had the experience and acumen, having worked with the Ayala Group for over a decade. His wife boasted a successful fashion accessories import concern that “helped accumulate capital for our family business,”

My father Joe and several Jesuit fathers from St. Ignatius Loyola.

³ Franco Soberano C4

ROLE MODELS

GOAL Make a difference in both the public and private sector.

FIRST JOB Hewlett Packard

MORNING ROUTINE Feed the kids!

SPECIAL SKILLS I’m a good problem solver. I find a way.

TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Probably two to three hours daily. I like reading messages sent to our Cebu Landmasters FB page so I am attuned to our clients’ feedback.

Luis E. Cruz SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE CLIENT SEGMENT HEAD, METRO MANILA & NORTHERN LUZON BANK OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

The BFF He represents the new breed of bankers who no longer see themselves as purely money men but rather as a listening ear and helping hand to customers. Establishing a long-term relationship is the magic key to future business opportunities and transactions. BY MARGIE T. LOGARTA Photos by Dan Ong

ABOUT ME

BANKER LUIS “LOUIE” CRUZ AND his wife were undergoing a devastating family tragedy, and Cruz was understandably feeling lost. He happened to bump into a colleague from his former bank, BPI, where he had spent 14 years of his career before venturing out to get work experience with a multinational facility. The friend suggested he return to BPI. That suddenly felt like such a good idea, Louie recalled. “It felt like I was going to go home.” And home Louie came back to where the culture he has always felt consisted of “belonging to a group… belonging to a family.” BPI could be described as the quintessential corporate comfort zone. His father worked for the bank as well for many years and retired from it, fulfilled to see his youngest child working there too. At times when Louie felt the itch to work elsewhere, his father always advised him to make sure the move would be worth it. “He reminded me that it was like an ace card that could be used only once, so I should really think long and hard before deciding to leave BPI.” It was only when his parent died that Louie made the leap, but he qualifies it was to Citibank and HSBC, both multinationals. “I had told myself that I wasn’t going to work in a domestic bank. I wanted work experi-

My dad. His honesty and integrity.

ROLE MODEL

FIRST PAYING JOB That was BPI in 1991.

GOAL IN LIFE Just as long as my wife and I are comfortable.

MORNING RITUAL No breakfast, coffee lang ako (just coffee will do).

SPECIAL SKILL I cook, but I’m not saying it’s good. Ha, ha, ha. I think I am willing to approach an irate or difficult client. It’s a challenge but if you are able to, then the trust will be deeper.

³ Luis E. Cruz C4

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The Manila Times D 2

FRIDAY

May 17, 2019

Community-built brand accelerates growth

A

RESULT of brilliance and determination, start-up company Acceler8 began in 2015 when its four founders gathered to build a workspace bound to create a community not only in the Philippines, but to the rest of the world as well — taking pride in its nary brand strategies and promotional plans. As a beginner in the industry, Acceler8 initially sent OUT FREE PASSES IN A BID TO kLL ITS SPACES WITH CLIENTS (OWEVER IT DIDN T TAKE LONG ENOUGH BEFORE PEOPLE BEGAN SHOWING UP AT ITS DOORWAY OWING TO ITS CAREFULLY DESIGNED CO WORKING SPACES THAT CAPITALIZED ON A CONVERTED OLD OFkCE BUILDING .OW !CCELER S BUILDING IS AESTHETICALLY DESIGNED WITH A CHIC 3OHO .EW 9ORK #ITY INSPIRED INTERIORS ‡ BRICK WALLS MODERN FURNITURE PIECES A SPEAKEASY STYLE BAR AN ENDLESS SCENT OF FRESHLY BREWED COFFEE AND A 3POTIFY PLAYLIST ‡ ALL WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ASPECTS THAT MAKE ITS SPACE CONDUCIVE FOR WORK (ENCE PROMOTING ITS kRST CENTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA WAS MORE OR LESS EFFORTLESS THANKS TO ITS AESTHETIC

Reeling the ropes !S IT CREATED ITS BRAND PERSONA IN TERMS OF DIGITAL PROMOTIONS !CCELER HAD ITS FAIR SHARE OF UNCERTAINTIES WHEN IT COMES TO CONTENT MARKETING SPECIkCALLY FOR CO WORKING SPACES WITH A START UP BUDGET THAT WAS RELATIVELY ENOUGH TO PUT THE WORD OUT $ESPITE THAT !CCELR WAS ABLE TO DAUNTLESSLY kRE UP ITS DIGITAL PLATFORMS WITH CONTENT THAT IS RELATABLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD WHILE LEARNING THE ROPES OF CONTENT AND DIGITAL MARKETING .OT LONG AFTER THE COMPANY HAD REACHED A CERTAIN

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NUMBER OF CLIENTS THEN IT REALIZED THAT WHAT IT WAS LOOKING FOR WAS HAPPENING BEFORE ITS VERY EYES g7E NOTICED THAT OUR CO WORKERS ARE PERFECTLY GETTING ALONG AND STRIKING UP CONVERSATIONS IN EVERY CORNER OF OUR WORKSPACE u !CCELER SAID IN A STATEMENT g4HUS WE COLLABORATED WITH OUR CO WORKERS TO PRODUCE CONTENT ABOUT CAREER BUSINESS ADVICE AND INDUSTRY INSIGHTS THAT WE CAPTURED USING ONLY OUR MOBILE PHONES ‡ THE KIND OF CONTENT THAT S ALSO OUR AUDIENCES CUP OF TEA &ROM THERE WE MANAGED TO INCREASE OUR ENGAGEMENT RATE AND EVENTUALLY HITTING HIGH RELEVANCE SCORES TOO u 4HE COMPANY OWES ITS COMMUNITY MANAGERS THE EVOLUTION OF THE WHOLE SPACE FROM A SIMPLE CO WORKING SPACE TO A COMMUNITY WITH A COMPATIBLE SYNERGY 4HE CLIENTS SYNERGY OR THEIR FRIENDSHIP RATHER BECAME A PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCE THAT A LOT OF THEM TOOK IT BEYOND THE WORKSPACE WITH SOME OF THEM GOING ON ADVENTURES OR DINING OUT ALMOST EVERY NIGHT AT SOME OF ITS FAVORITE NIGHTSPOTS 4HE COMMUNITY BECAME INSEPARABLE !CCELER ALSO TAKES PART IN SOME OF THE BIGGEST MUSIC EVENTS IN THE WORLD SINCE ITS COMMUNITY HAVE ALSO BONDED OVER THE OFkCE PLAYLIST &ETE DE LA -USIQUE or 7ORLD -USIC &ESTIVAL BECAME A FREE PASS FOR EVERYONE TO MEET THE !CCELER COMMUNITY AND EXPERIENCE ITS

Strengthening the brand 4HREE YEARS OF OPERATIONS AND THE COMPANY HAS ALREADY EXPANDED ITS SPACES WITH 5NION3PACE A lEXIBLE WORKSPACE IN )NDONESIA THAT IS SLATED TO PUT UP COWORKING AND CO LIVING SPACES THROUGHOUT 3OUTHEAST !SIA 3%! BY THE YEAR 3INCE THE BRAND CONSOLIDATED WITH 5NION3PACE MEMBERS GET GLOBAL ACCESS TO ITS SPACES IN 3%! COUNTRIES AND ITS NETWORK WHERE !CCELER CAN CONNECT THEM TO POTENTIAL BUSINESS PARTNERS AND INVESTORS AROUND THE GLOBE WORKSPACE ‡ THAT MAGICALLY TRANSFORMS INTO A MINI CONCERT HALL EVERY YEAR

Brand promise !CCELER COMMITS TO A PROMISE OF PROVIDING ITS MEMBERS PRICELESS AND LASTING EXPERIENCES THAT ARE GENUINE AND RAW THUS WINDING UP WITH THE TAGLINE g#REATING 2EAL #ONNECTIONS u OFFERING BUSINESS SOLUTIONS THAT WILL HELP THEM GROW THROUGH MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY ! FEW MONTHS AFTER LAUNCHING THE CAMPAIGN THE COMPANY CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF ONE OF THE LEADING real-estate giants in the Philippines, Ayala Land OfkCES SEALING A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP DEAL THAT GAVE !CCELER A FULL TRUST TO MANAGE THE LATTER S kRST lEXIBLE WORKSPACE #LOCK )N )N LESS THAN TWO MONTHS !CCELER WAS ABLE TO REACH PERCENT OCCUPANCY RATE AMID PRODUCING ITS SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN DUBBED g"EGIN WITH 5Su THAT FURTHER EXEMPLIkED ITS #REATING 2EAL #ONNECTIONS CAMPAIGN TO #LOCK )N S CO WORKING COMMUNITY

Expanding in Rockwell 4HIS !CCELER ALONG WITH LEADING REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER 0HINMA 0ROPERTIES HAVE OPENED ANOTHER WORKSPACE LOCATED IN 2OCKWELL -AKATI #ITY OWING TO THE INCREASING DEMAND FROM PEOPLE WANTING TO JOIN ITS COMMUNITY )TS NEW OFkCE HAS A TOUCH OF MODERNITY TO ITS AESTHETICS ‡ BUT HAS MAINTAINED ITS CASUAL AND APPROACHABLE ENVIRONMENT ‡ WITH MORE THAN SQUARE METERS OF WORKSPACE THAT BOASTS OF A HOMEY CO WORKING SPACE STUDY NOOKS SPACIOUS CONFERENCE ROOMS AND FULLY FURNISHED PRIVATE OFkCE SPACE THAT THE DESIGN TEAM MADE SURE THAT EVERY CORNER IS PLUSH AND FUNCTIONAL !CCELER IS EXERTING ALL THESE PROJECTS FOR ITS COMMUNITY BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM THE BRAND IS STILL PROBABLY lOATING LIKE A BALLOON HIGH UP IN THE SKY WITH NO DEkNITE DIRECTION 4HE COMMUNITY HAS EXERTED UNWAVERING SUPPORT BY BEING AN EXEMPLAR OF !CCELER S BRAND PROMISE #REATE 2EAL #ONNECTIONS

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The Manila Times FRIDAY

May 17, 2019

Q Luis E. Cruz FROM D1

The BFF ence in a foreign bank to get a feel of how regional banking as well as dealing with foreign bosses and colleagues.” After holding the post of senior manager, relationship manager, Corporate Banking BPI in charge of Middle market, Chinese and Japanese clients from 1991 to 2005, he worked for a year as assistant vice president-relationship manager, Corporate Banking at Citibank for a year from 2005 to 2006 before heading for HSBC Manila to become vice presidentteam head Business Banking from 2006 to 2010. Back in the BPI fold in 2010, he was appointed vice president-team head-BPI Private Banking, managing three relationship managers with a total portfolio of P19.5 billion covering about 150 families. Then followed in quick succession a number of positions. From 2013 to 2014, he became director-head securities distribution division, BPI Capital Corp., providing the overall direction for the operation of the sales teams and trading desks among other responsibilities. From 2014 to 2016, he was named director-head of syndicate team, BPI Capital Corp., tasked to organize a group of individuals or companies that could support a specific business among others. From April 2016-2018, he was named senior vice president-Head of Debt Capital markets, BPI Capital Corporation, which was responsible for generating fee-based income from clients with needs to raise financial capital among others. In his current post as senior vice president-corporate client segment head, Metro Manila and Northern

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Luzon, BPI, Louie is responsible for leading the division of seasoned team heads and experienced relationship managers to service the bank;s large and middle market corporate clients among other tasks. Banks of the 21st century have drastically changed the way they position themselves to today’s savvy customer. Reyes observes: “It’s getting to that point where they get comfortable and start opening up to the relationship manager. It’s really not about selling products any longer. “The key is to discuss a variety of things, even problems with the person’s bank which may not be BPI. We offer to help even in situations like that. “Then, perhaps when the opportunity of the next deal comes around, BPI will be top of mind [of the customer]. “It means constant communication with the customer and staying in touch. Good times or bad times, we’re there for you.” Working with millennial colleagues, Louie says, can be a vivid experience. “Overall, I really like the way they are fast in doing deals —I even have a hard time catching up with them—although sometimes they fall short of details. “They get easily bored when they’re not doing something. It’s easy to talk to them as you don’t have to sugar-coat things. You can tell them things straight.” Louie says he always encourages his team members, no matter what age, to speak their mind and argue their points. “As long as at the end of it all, we respect each other. If someone knows they’re wrong, they should be humble enough admit it. “Many discussions never end because no one wants to give in due to their egos.” Good advice in this day and age when hubris dominates.

Q Franco Soberano FROM D1

Earthmover Franco says. The Soberanos targeted the Visayas and Mindanao, which they felt was underserved in the residential and condominium space. With vital skills of organization and implementation chalked up from outside experiences and travels, Franco came onboard CLI. “I guess it was my upbringing as a student leader [at the Ateneo],” Franco tells Keep in View. “I was always that person in the batch or class who would step up to bring an idea, whether it was staging a concert or raising funds for the community, to life. I always found a way.” Franco’s first major project for CLI was Park Centrale in the Cebu I.T. “The name was the reverse of Central Park since I was just fresh from New York after completing my masters at Columbia University before immersing myself in the company,” he says. It was to be the launch product of CLI’s new business unit, headed by Franco, tasked to conceptualize and market commercial buildings. Previously, CLI was just focused on residential developments. Park Centrale succeeded beyond expectations—it was completed in two years, was fully leased up and even won awards. “We had guidance from our CEO, my father” Franco beams, reflecting on the factors that combined to power the project. “But most important are the people involved, from those you have to in the deal with in the process, your team members and the end user, the customer.” Taking care of these stakeholders is an intrinsic principle of CLI management, something that CLI founder and Franco’s father Joe,

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also an Atenean, emphasizes and lives by. “We are a humble family,” Franco says. “We are sincere in our work and we treasure family values, both internally and externally.” CLI began with some 20 employees early in the millennium, rising to over 400 working in the Visayas and Mindanao. Around 2009, CLI initiated bringing in professionals from the outside to benefit its operations and culture. “For a young company, we professionalized quite early,” he says. “It helped that both my parents were products of the corporate world and they understood that family members should not feel a sense of entitlement.” Franco believes: “It’s important to know what it’s like to be an employee,” Franco says. “To know humility and discipline and be able to put yourself in their shoes.” CLI also strives to maintain a long-term relationship with its clientele, Franco adds. “We pride ourselves that as developers, from the time you buy to when the project is finished, we’re there for you. “We understand that a home is a person’s most precious and sensitive of investments. We’re always there to give you support.” A father of two very young children, one who is two-and-a-half and the other, one-and-a half with a third due in a few months, Franco takes his daddy duties very seriously, starting the day to make sure the kids have have a hearty breakfast. The Soberano brood, despite very hectic schedules, remain close, never losing the chance to spend their holidays together. For Franco, husband, father, son and brother, it’s family and always will be.

Q Ria Lu FROM D4

For the extended version, please refer to www.manilatimes.net/ category/boardroomwatch

For the extended version, please refer to www.manilatimes.net/category/ boardroomwatch

Game girl “We primarily made games for brands, and we were the strongest at the height of Facebook games,” Ria points out. “We serviced Coca-Cola, Oreo, Jollibee and Nescafe, which was one of our biggest clients.” “One of the biggest challenges was going against the mindset that games are ‘laro-laro’ lang, (just child’s play) and not a serious artistic endeavor,” she says. “Most people/clients were not willing to pay when it came to games because they thought it was frivolous. And that’s another thing that people need to understand about gaming, she adds. “If you think about it, the heart of a game developer is not a software engineer, but more of an artist. What we make is closer to art, but we use logic and technology to execute what we want.” As Ria talks about her passion for gaming, you begin to understand the frustration and the truly fine art the industry of game development entails. “Games combine art and intelligence; it’s storytelling rooted in programming. How amazing is it to create an entirely new world and invite people to escape into it? Isn’t that a worthy endeavor?” Today, big strides have been made in the local gaming industry and it is growing slowly but steadily. The Philippines is becoming known as a creative powerhouse with many international studios outsourcing their creative work to Pinoy artists. The future is definitely bright and incredibly exciting, Ria admits. She can’t wait for the day when the Philippines will be on the map and on the radar of the global gaming community. “We just need that one big break, that one big game to be loud enough and successful enough.” May that happen sooner than we all anticipate.

16/05/2019 8:27 PM

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The Manila Times D 4

EDITOR: Margie T. Logarta DESIGN: Jose Ricardo G. Velarde

FRIDAY

May 17, 2019

Ria in her workshop with fellow game developers

Ria Lu STUDIO DIRECTOR FIRST FOUNDRY MANILA

Game girl This gamer-turned-game developer is keen to change the mindset that games are not just child’s play, but a serious artistic endeavor. To her, the heart of a game developer is not a software engineer, but more of an artist who uses technology to do the job.

BY KRYSTEL DACUMOS-LAGORZA Photos by Mindy Gana

ABOUT ME

WHEN WE HEAR THE WORD “blockchain,” we automatically think of the controversial bitcoin and other volatile crypt currencies. But would you ever link those to gaming? But, they are, declares Mary Lizabeth “Ria” Lu, studio director of First Foundry Manila, the local extension of the USbased First Foundry Software Company. First Foundry, originally established in the US some three years ago, focuses on platforms that cater to the game space since the founders were all passionate gamers. But soon, the young software company—with higher aspirations for itself—was spurred to tackle higher technology, including more complicated software projects, gaming programs, machine learning and yes, even blockchain. Ria explains: “What we essentially do, aside from developing games themselves, is we help make some of the tools for people who make the games. And when it comes to designing that, we utilize blockchain.” Blockchain technology, more than just being related to cryptocurrencies, helps save information safely and securely, allowing data to be distributed to a greater network more efficiently, which makes it ideal for the game space. Says Ria: “If you think about it, currency is just information. It’s numbers. So, for us, instead of saving monetary value [which is done with cryptocurrency], we secure other important, valuable information.” For developers, blockchain technology provides a great service, especially when designing role-playing games. In these games, players engage with others and even transact using real money to buy and sell accessories and weapons used in the game. “So, security is very important,” Ria stresses. The 2015 awardee of the GoNegosyo Filipina Entrepreneurship Award, Ria is a vibrant executive, as well as a proud, passionate gamer. In her youth, she was an avid player, spending hours immersed in the fantastical worlds of “Pokemon,” “Ragnarok,” “Castlevania” and “Final Fantasy,” as well as the now-classic “Super Mario” and “Twin Bee.” “It was just pure fun and adrenaline. It was an escape,” she reveals of her “addiction.” This exhilaration is what she parlayed into a career in the game space. After pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from De La Salle University Manila, she headed to the heart of modern gaming, Tokyo, Japan, for a game art certificate course at Tokyo Technical College. She recalls: “There were no game courses in the Philippines at that time, so I really needed to go out and study.” Thankfully, despite being the eldest daughter of a brood of five and her parents hoping that she would take up a more “serious” profession, Ria was allowed to go off the beaten career track.

I admire Richard Branson because of how he enjoys his businesses and doesn’t let obstacles stop him. Another is Doris Magsaysay Ho, whose insights on how we should change how we look at and structure work is fascinating.

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ROLE MODELS

GOAL I’ve always been led by the statement: “Hope through story. Awe through enterprise.” We should live a life worth telling and reach for dreams that are bigger than ourselves.

FIRST PAYCHECK My first ever paycheck was P8,000 doing graphic design work. I gave it to my parents as a token of gratitude. I wanted them to have my first paycheck.

MORNING ROUTINE I wake up, water my plants on the way up to my home office, and then do my prayer and quiet time. After, I do light exercise, take a bath, then prepare for work. I’m at the office around 8 a.m. I have breakfast and coffee while checking my morning emails.

SPECIAL SKILLS

I do Ikebana (flower arrangement) and Taiko (Japanese drums). I also write stories.

TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Around 15 minutes a day. I make sure I don’t stay on social media too long. I do like posting my Ikebana arrangements on Instagram. Facebook is where I ask recommendations from friends. If I’m looking for story prompts or inspirations, I go to Pinterest.

“People think that going into the game spaces, working in the gaming industry is impractical. For the longest time, we were not considered an art, which is very wrong. “We really are an art form and we are really part of culture,” says Ria with intensity. “What are the themes we use anyway when creating games? It’s our culture. So, we are not cold software, we bring the heart of the people and the country into the games.” Hoping to further grow the art form in the country, Ria set up her own gaming studio Komikasi Games and Entertainment in 2007. At a time when the local gaming industry was in its infancy, and Facebook was but a simple platform exploring its mobile possibilities, Komikasi was a courageous risk-taker.

³ Ria Lu C4

16/05/2019 8:27 PM

Sports

FFRIDAY MAY 17, 2019 M

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Lopez to the rescue as Bucks down Raptors in opener L OS ANGELES: Brook Lopez scored 29 points as the Milwaukee Bucks staged a late rally to defeat the Toronto Raptors, 108-100, in the opening game of THEIR ."! %ASTERN #ONFERENCE kNALS CLASH on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). Lopez helped spark a run of 10 unanswered points in the final three minutes as the Bucks fought back from 100-98 down to claim a crucial victory in front of their home fans at the Fiserv Forum. 4WO FREE THROWS FROM +AWHI Leonard had nudged Toronto into a 100-98 lead as the clock wound down on a pulsating opening installment of the best-of-seven series. But a Lopez dunk gave the Bucks a 101-100 lead and then a three-pointer from the towering 31-year-old took Milwaukee four points clear. Two free throws apiece from %RIC "LEDSOE AND +HRIS -IDDLETON completed the scoring as the Bucks pulled away to win. “It was a complete team effort,� said Lopez, who finished with 11 rebounds and two assists. “We’d been playing with good energy the whole game but shots weren’t going down for us. So we knew we just had to keep grinding, which is what we’ve been doing all season long,� Lopez added.

“We’ve learned never to hang our heads, never give up, and we haven’t all season. They hit us, but we stuck with it and stuck together as a team.� Lopez was backed by 24 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also hauled down 14 reBOUNDS WITH SIX ASSISTS Middleton had 11 points with 11 rebounds while Malcolm Brogdon delivered a vital 15 points from the bench. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer praised the overall contribution of the team but singled out Lopez for special praise. “Big game from Brook on both ends of the court,� Budenholzer said. “In the first half we were struggling but Brook was able to manufacture a couple of things. “And several times in the fourth quarter he was out there making big-time plays -- blocks, rebounds, contests. Certainly in a big moment, that was a great Brook Lopez tonight.� The Raptors meanwhile will take positives from the form of

+AWHI ,EONARD WHO ONCE AGAIN looked poised to single-handedly drag Toronto over the line. ,EONARD kNISHED WITH POINTS nine rebounds and two assists WHILE POINT GUARD +YLE ,OWRY was similarly impressive with 30 points and eight rebounds. Pascal Siakam added 15 points while Marc Gasol delivered another impressive defensive display with 12 rebounds and two blocks. However Lowry was left ruing the Raptors inability to make a 13-point early lead count. Toronto also paid the price for being outscored 32-17 in the fourth quarter. “Fourth quarter killed us,� Lowry said. “They outplayed us in that fourth quarter. They were a little bit more aggressive. Made some big shots, made some big plays. It sucks to lose like that. But we had our chance and we’ve got to learn from it.� Raptors ace Danny Green was similarly frustrated. “When you’ve got a team down like that you’ve got to be mature enough and professional enough to try to keep them there,� Green said. “This is one win I thought we could have gotten. I felt like we kind of let it slip away.� Game two in the series takes p l a c e o n F r i d ay ( S a t u r d ay in Manila). AFP

Q Brook Lopez (No. 11) of the Milwaukee Bucks blocks Kawhi Leonard (No. 2) of the Toronto Raptors in the third quarter in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AFP PHOTO

Johnson, Bird to get joint NBA lifetime honor LOS ANGELES: Former rivals Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are to receive a joint Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 NBA Awards, the league announced on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). Johnson and Bird forged an epic rivalry during the 1980s when the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics were locked in a longrunning battle for basketball supremacy. The NBA said the duo would be honored with the award at a ceremony in Los Angeles on June 24. The two previous recipients of the award are Bill Russell (2017) and Oscar Robertson (2018). Johnson and Bird’s rivalry captured the imagination of basketball fans during their heyday, and helped drive the success of the modern NBA. The two men both won three NBA Most Valuable Player Awards and are members of

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Q Larry Bird (right) and Magic Johnson AFP PHOTOS the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. They were also members of USA Basketball’s 1992 Olympic gold-medal-winning “Dream Team.�

Both spent their entire careers with one team, Johnson winning five NBA crowns with the Lakers and Bird three with the Celtics. AFP

Austria’s trust in his players paid off in the end SAN Miguel Beer mentor Leo Austria exploiting all the tricks up his sleeves in the Beermen’s Philippine Cup title-clinching win in Game 7 of their best-ofseven finals with sister team Magnolia Hotshots on Wednesday is an understatement. With the Beermen down by 17 points in the first half, the grizzled Austria, indeed, had to do everything under the Araneta Coliseum’s bright lights in his efforts to save the crown under attack from then opposition all conference-long.      For instance, with one of his top scorers Marcio Lassiter struggling from the time the opening buzzer sounded, he opted to keep the FilipinoAmerican recruit almost all throughout the first 24 minutes of play, resting him only with only one and-a-half-minute remaining of the period. At one time, also in the opening first two quarters, he had four of his Fil-Ams on the floor except for five-time MVP and this All-Filipino Cup’s best player June Mar Fajardo. Despite Arwind Santos’ brilliant performance in that same span, Austria took him out in favor of Christian Standhardinger. Newest recruit Terence Romeo too, had to be inserted. Alex Cabagnot, as a point-guard should be the team’s facilitator, as usual, was the one shooting. Despite all these moves, proved meaningless as the Beermen fell to the stingy defense the Hotshots threw at them, limiting them to a record low 25 points in the second quarter and to a dismal 38-25 hole by half’s end. In an emotion-filled post game mortem held more than an hour from game’s conclusion, Austria apologized for the perceived lapses in decision-making and even paid tribute to nhis boys’ resiliency.

“Sa mga players, maraming, maraming salamat sa inyo. Nag-mukha akong magaling na coach dahil sa inyo,â€? Austria said short of admitting that indeed, he’s not that brilliant as a basketball guru as a few perceived him to.  The Beermen’s triumphing in the PBA Philippine Cup finals for an unprecedented fifth straight time is testament to the contrary. Austria’s winning his seventh career championship as a coach is another. Add to that is the franchise’s 26 total collection of trophies as the only remaining clubs that originally shed off their amateur status to form the country’s and Asia’s first ever

pro-league four years ago in 1975. “Napakalaki ng tiwala ko sa aming mga player na hindi nila bibiguin ang lahat ng taong nagbigay sa kanila ng tiwala na kaya nilang isakatuparan ang misyong iniatang sa kanilang balikat,� he declared almost teary-eyed. True to his expectation, the Beermen came storming back from a 43-26 deficit then turned to the steady hands of Cabagnot, who only had five points in but added 11 in the next, the first half, including what turned the marginal basket with 57.2 seconds left in the endgame. Fajardo matched Santos’ 17 points but likewise, shattered the boards with a leaguerecord 31 rebounds to break the previous record by a local of 29 set by Marcelo Simbulan of 7-Up in the league’s first season in 1975. EDDIE G. ALINEA

Q San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo and Ronald Tubid raise the Philippine Cup Perpetual trophy after winning the title last Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum. PBA MEDIA BUREAU PHOTOÂ

Pacman vs Thurman: Who’s the Man?

HILE American Floyd Mayweather Jr. continues to dilly-dally, remaining undecided on whether he wants to RETURN TO REAL kGHTS OR STICK TO EXHIBITION circus-like bouts, Manny Pacquiao is pushing ahead with his plans to take on whoever is available as the clock winds DOWN ON HIS ILLUSTRIOUS BOXING CAREER Pacquiao, 40, is returning to the squared circle on July 20 to take on !MERICAN kGHTER +EITH @/NE 4IME 4HURman (29-0, 22 knockouts) in a battle for THE UNIkED 7ORLD "OXING !SSOCIATION (WBA) welterweight (147 lbs.) championship. Both men actually hold versions OF THE 7"! BELT 4HURMAN IS THE @SUPER champ while Pacquiao is listed as the @REGULAR CHAMP 9OU CAN BLAME THE WBA’s corkscrewed policy for the title QUAGMIRE 7HEN A @REGULAR CHAMPION posts a number of successful defenses or UNIkES THE BELT BY BEATING A COUNTERPART champ from the WBC, WBO and IBF, the 7"! PROMOTES HIM TO @SUPER CHAMPION AND VACATES THE @REGULAR BELT 4HE @REGULAR belt is contested by two new challengers, thus creating two champions (regular and super) in just one weight class. Two titles in just one weight class translate to more sanctioning fees for the WBA. 4HURMAN PREVIOUSLY HELD THE @REGULAR BELT UNTIL HE WAS PROMOTED TO @SUPER champion in 2017. After losing the WBO welterweight title to Jeff Horn in July 2017, Pacquiao captured the WBA @REGULAR TITLE LAST YEAR BY KNOCKING OUT Lucas Matthysse. As can be deduced, the @SUPER VERSION OF THE TITLE 4HURMAN HOLDS is more credible because it emanated FROM THE @REGULAR VERSION 4HIS EXPLAINS WHY 0ACQUIAO S 7"! @REGULAR TITLE IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS A @SECONDARY CROWN After being inactive for nearly two years, Thurman returned to action on January 26 against Josesito Lopez. Thurman showed a lot of ring rust and was nearly knocked out by Lopez. In the end, Thurman settled for a decision win TO RETAIN THE 7"! @SUPER TITLE 4HE VULNERABILITY 4HURMAN EXHIBITED IN THE ,OPEZ kGHT ARGUABLY ENTICED 0ACQUIAO to pursue him. Mayweather remains undecided while IBF champion Errol Spence IS JUST COMING OFF A kGHT AGAINST -IKEY 'ARCIA ! kGHT WITH 7"/ CHAMP 4ERENCE Crawford is tough to make because he is AFkLIATED WITH 4OP 2ANKWHILE 0ACQUIAO IS now associated with Al Haymon’s Premier "OXING #HAMPION 0"# 4HURMAN A 0"# kGHTER IS READILY AVAILABLE

BOXER SHORTS ED C. TOLENTINO Thurman, 30, got off to a sizzling start as a professional, knocking out 10 OF HIS kRST OPPONENTS (E INITIALLY WON THE 7"! @INTERIM WELTERWEIGHT title in 2013 before being elevated to @REGULAR AND @SUPER CHAMPION A FEW years later. In March 2017, Thurman defeated Danny Garcia to unify the WBA and WBC crowns and earn recognition as the best 147-pounder in the business. Thurman, however, failed to capitalize on the Garcia victory as he suffered various injuries. He developed calcium deposits in HIS ELBOW THAT MADE IT DIFkCULT FOR HIM TO even throw a jab. Thurman dropped out of the radar and was seen everywhere but THE BOXING RING IN THE NEXT MONTHS (E STAYED BRIElY IN *APAN TRAVELED TO +ATHmandu to marry a Nepal native, and then tried to learn how to play the guitar. There were silent whispers that the injuries Thurman suffered were not that serious and that HE SIMPLY LOST THE APPETITE TO kGHT (OPEFULLY THE kGHT WITH 0ACQUIAO WILL GET 4HURMAN@S BOXING ADRENALINE GOING 7HEN IN FULL BOXING MODE 4HURMAN IS A thrill-a-minute puncher. He started out as a slugger early in his career before picking up a few lateral movements down the ROAD 4HURMAN IS A BOXER PUNCHER AND the defensive lapses he showed in the ,OPEZ kGHT kGURE TO MAKE THE kGHT WITH 0ACQUIAO VERY EXCITING Pacquiao (61-7, 2 draws, 39 knockouts) may no longer be in his prime years, but he remains the favorite to prevail over Thurman. Early this year, against the lASHY !DRIEN "RONER 0ACQUIAO SHOWED UP IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND PRESSED THE ACTION THROUGHOUT THE kGHT TO WIN a convincing decision. While Thurman WAS ON @VACATION MODE THE LAST TWO YEARS Pacquiao was taking on the likes of Jeff Horn, Matthysse and Broner. 0ACQUIAO kGURES TO PRESS THE ACTION AND BRING THE kGHT TO 4HURMAN 4HURMAN will look to counter and observe distance. "OTH kGHTERS OFFER HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE AND THE EXCHANGES kGURE TO BE TURBULENT There is no discounting the possibility that Pacquiao can bog down any time, but the popular opinion is that whatever the Pacman has left is enough to tame Thurman.

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FRIDAY May 17, 2019

PSL tankers plunge into action in Canada meet BY EMIL C. NOGUERA

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HILIPPINE Swimming League (PSL) standout John Alexander Talosig will open the country’s campaign in the 2019 Ralph Hicken International Swimming Championship, which kicks off today at the Markham Pan Am Center in Ontario, Canada. Talosig hopes to deliver the team’s kRST GOLD MEDAL WHEN HE PLUNGES into action in the boys’ 13-14 800m freestyle event. He holds the No. 2 seed with a time of 9:06.55 while Canadian Tristan Labarre holds the No. 1 seed with 9:02.41. Philippine national junior record holder Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh of Immaculate Heart of Mary College-Paraùaque will be competing in the second day on

Friday (Saturday in Manila) of the four-day meet. Mojdeh, who notched two new national records in the 2019 Palarong Pambansa in Davao City, guns for gold medals in the girls’ 12-year 50m breaststroke, 50m butterfly and 400m Individual Medley as well as 200m Individual Medley, 200m breaststroke, 100m BUTTERlY M BUTTERlY M freestyle and 100m breaststroke.

Q Philippine Swimming LeagueSwimming Pinas ace Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh finishes a lap during the freestyle event of the 2019 Batang Pinoy Luzon Qualifying. FILE PHOTO “They are all excited and raring to win medals for our country. It’s a bit cold right now here in Canada but they’re used to competing in this kind of weather condition just like in Japan,� said PSL-Swimming Pinas delegation head Joan Melissa Mojdeh. Joining Mojdeh and Talosig in

the team are Francisco Cordero III (boys’ 13-year), Lia Patrizia Pabellon (girls’ 10-year), Saira Janelle Pabellon (girls’ 11-year) and Jie Angela Talosig (girls’ 12-year). Cordero will see action in 50m BREASTSTROKE M BUTTERlY M Individual Medley, 200m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke

while Lia Patrizia will compete in M BACKSTROKE M BUTTERlY 200m Individual Medley, 100m butterfly, 50m backstroke and 100m backstroke events. Saira Janelle competes in 200m IM, 200m breaststroke, 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle and 100m breaststroke, and Jie An-

gela participates in 50m breaststroke, 200m IM, 50m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 100m breaststroke. “We want to dedicate this campaign for coach Susan Papa. We want to bring good news to her when we get back to Manila next week,� added Mojdeh.

SEXTON HOPES FOR BETTER Golden Harvest thumps Trinity in D-League SEASON FOR THE CAVS COLLIN SEXTON of the Cleveland Cavaliers hopes to see his team enter the playoff round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) 2019-20 season. Sexton, who was selected with the eighth overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year’s rookie draft, expressed his thoughts on his team’s recent struggles. The Cavaliers failed to advance to the playoff round with only 19 victories against 63 losses in the 2018-19 season. The last time the Cavs made it to the playoffs was during the 2017-18 season when they still have LeBron James. “It was a rough season for us. We had different coaches training different players but we fought till the end and never gave up. And next season we are looking at making it to the playoffs. That’s the goal,� Sexton, 20, told reporters on Wednesday at Raffles Hotel in Makati City. The 6’3 former Alabama playmaker who is in Manila to promote the Jr. NBA program, has nothing but good words for Filipino-American NBA player Jordan Clarkson. “Jordan Clarkson is coming back and he’s from here and it’s good for us. Jordan is a great player. You know he will give everything each time he steps on the court. He’s like a microwave. Instant offense,� said Sexton. He is also happy to welcome the Cavs’ new 66-yearold coach John Beilein. “He (Beilein) is a great guy. I got a chance to talk to him a bit about the team and his goals for us. I think he’ll be good for us and I can’t wait to meet him face to face,� he said. “I think the draft lottery ended good for us. We ended at fifth spot and we can pick a good

VALENCIA City Bukidnon-SSCR remained in the hunt for the Foundation Group top spot, after a 105-82 thumping of CD14 Designs-Trinity on Thursday in the 2019 PBA D-League at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig. Emmanuel Bonleon stepped up for the Golden Harvest, posting 20 of his 23 POINTS IN THE kRST HALF AS HIS SIDE TOOK THE LEAD AT THE END OF THE kRST PERIOD Allyn Bulanadi finished with a team-high 28 points, six rebounds,

three steals, and two assists, while JM Calma had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. It was the Golden Harvest’s fourth straight win that earned them a share of No. 1 spot in the group with CEU (7-1). “The opportunity to grab the top spot motivated kids, so why not?,� said coach Egay Macaraya. Clark Derige paced the winless CD14 Designs-Trinity (0-9) with 22 POINTS AND kVE REBOUNDS

In the other game, Family MartEnderun beat AMA Online Education, 116-94. Valandre Chauca hit eight triples on his way to tallying 24 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, as five others scored in double-digits to help THE YOUNG 4ITANS NOTCH THEIR kRST WIN in the developmental ranks and halt a six-game losing skid. Family Mart-Enderun’s record improved to 1-6 while AMA’s fell to 2-6.

Kenyan runner Wambui fears testosterone rules will end career Q Collin Sexton CONTRIBUTED PHOTO player for us and add to the puzzle.� Sexton offers a piece of advice to anybody dreaming of playing in the NBA. “Just be patient. Don’t think things will come out the way you want them to. In my case it was over time. Everybody’s case is different and you just have to play your role first because the NBA style of play is different from college.� JOSEF T. RAMOS

NAIROBI: Kenya’s Olympic 800 meters bronze medallist Margaret Nyairera Wambui can feel her career slipping away from her, with no idea when, or if, she will be able to compete internationally again. The 24-year-old is one of several star female athletes affected by an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruling this month that requires women with high levels of testosterone to take medication to suppress it. Seated at a dirt-track stadium at the foot of the Ngong Hills outside Nairobi where she trains, Wambui has just returned from a disappointING SIXTH PLACE kNISH IN THE M AT the Doha Diamond League. She was meant to leave for the IAAF World Challenge athletics meeting in Nanjing next week, but now her future is one big question mark. “I am very disappointed, I don’t feel even like going on with the training because you don’t know what you are training for,� she told Agence France-Presse. The new IAAF rules took effect on May 8 after South Africa’s two-time Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya lost a legal challenge against them. For about a decade Semenya has been the symbol of a furious debate worldwide about questions of gender, women with elevated testosterone, and physical advantage. However other athletes such as 7AMBUI WHO kNISHED THIRD BEHIND Semenya in the 800m at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and the silver medallist from Burundi, Francine Niyonsaba, are also affected.

Physical advantage debate The IAAF has maintained that the rules are necessary for fair competition, arguing that athletes with high LEVELS OF TESTOSTERONE BENEkT FROM increased bone and muscle strength similar to men who have gone through puberty. However critics highlight that the very nature of elite athletic success is down to one physical advantage or another, such as swimmers with

Q Kenya’s Olympic 800m bronze medalist Margaret Nyairera Wambui. AFP PHOTO disproportionately big hands or feet, or basketball players who are taller than the average person. “Why, when you have a high level of testosterone in men, you are likely to perform well and we celebrate that? But when it comes to women we have to tell them to lower it and we draw them out of competition. Why?� asked Wambui. “Why don’t we take maybe men with low testosterone and categorize them as women?� The new rule applies to distances from 400m to a mile, and includes the heptathlon, which concludes with an 800m race. Wambui said simply switching to another distance like 5,000m was not possible, with different skills and training needed that would take years to reach elite level. “I am not going to take medication because I am not sick and ... those are chemicals you are putting in your body, you don’t know how it will affect you later,� she said. She said that maybe the idea of having different categories of runners — comparing it to boxing, where HEAVYWEIGHTS DON T kGHT lYWEIGHT ‡ might be “a good idea to make it fair.�

‘We are just natural’ Wambui grew up in Kenya’s central highlands in the town of Nyeri, and began running in primary school. She was thrust into the spotlight when she won a gold medal at the 2014 IAAF world junior championships and has since established herself as one of the world’s top two-lap runners. Running is “something in me, in my blood, it is something I cannot do without. Now they are telling us we can’t compete, we just feel rejected. “We are just natural, we did not dope.�

Wambui, who is tall and muscular, with braided hair and a shy smile, said she had never faced questions about her gender or appearance until the IAAF began cracking down on women with elevated testosterone. She said she had been forced to undergo blood tests for doping, but did not know when she had been specifically tested for testosterone levels. “I am worried now about my career,� she said, adding that the ruling had also heaped pressure on her family, for whom she is the only breadwinner. When she is not training, she is a POLICE OFkCER AND WORKS FOR +ENYA S prison service. Last week Athletics Kenya dropped 100m and 200m champion Maximilla Imali and 400m runner Evangeline Makena from the team for the IAAF World Relays event in Japan over their high levels of testosterone. South Africa plans to appeal the latest IAAF ruling. The IAAF argues its ruling is aimed AT CREATING A gLEVEL PLAYING kELDu AND denies accusations it was targeted SPECIkCALLY AT 3EMENYA Wambui said that while Semenya had become a cause celebre in South !FRICA kERCELY DEFENDED BY POLITICIANS and citizens, she herself had received no support from the Kenyan government. !THLETICS +ENYA OFkCIAL "ARNABAS Korir told AFP the body supports the IAAF ruling. “This has been a simmering issue especially with our very own athletes having complained about running with these women with excess testosterone,� he said. “We have to be realistic that these athletes have had an advantage over the others.� AFP

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FRIDAY May 17, 2019

Tiger set for early charge with Koepka, Molinari at PGA B ETHPAGE, United States: Tiger Woods, coming off a Masters victory that snapped an 11-year major win drought, begins his quest for a 16th major title Thursday (Friday in Manila) at the 101st PGA Championship. The 43-year-old American superstar’s electrifying triumph last month at Augusta National has made him the focus of attention at formidable Bethpage Black, the same course where Woods won the 2002 US Open. “I feel great. I’m excited to get out there,� Woods said. “This is going to be a long week the way the golf course is set up and potentially could play. This could be a hell of a championship.� A victory would match Woods with Sam Snead for the all-time US PGA win record at 82 and move him two shy of the all-time major win record of 18 set by Jack Nicklaus — as well as put Woods halfway to a calendar Grand Slam for the

kRST TIME SINCE Sixth-ranked Woods starts off the 10th tee at 8:24 a.m. (1224 GMT) alongside defending champion and two-time US Open winner Brooks Koepka and reigning British Open champion Francesco Molinari of Italy. “I’m just looking forward to playing with him. It’ll be interesting,� Koepka said of Woods. “We really haven’t been paired together too much, especially over the last couple years.�

Rose ready for major run in Bethpage BETHPAGE, United States: Second-ranked Justin Rose says he still has multiple major wins within him and wants to start proving it this week by ending England’s century-long drought at the PGA Championship. “I feel like I’m still waiting for my run in the majors,� Rose said Wednesday. “I’m still waiting for a hot run where I can hopefully get an opportunity to put two, three, four away quite quickly.� The 2013 US Open winner and 2016 Rio Olympic champion was third at Quail Hollow two weeks AGO HIS SIXTH TOP kNISH IN 53 PGA starts this season, including a victory at Torrey Pines in January. But the 38-year-old Englishman missed the cut at last month’s Masters and expects Bethpage Black to be among the toughest tests he has faced in 17 PGA Championship starts. “It’s probably one of the most demanding PGA Championship setups and venues that I’ve seen in those 17 years,� Rose said. Not since Jim Barnes in 1919 has an Englishman won the PGA Championship, but Rose, Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood are among eight English players ranked in the world top 40 who could manage the feat. g4HERE S PLENTY OF TALENT AND kREpower. Just need a bit of lady luck and the stars to align,� Rose said. “I would love to be the guy to get over the hump.� Rose, a runner-up at last year’s British Open and the 2017 Masters, hopes a second major victory would launch a run of them that his triumph at Merion six years ago did not, but time is ticking. “I still feel at this point in my career, second major and then on from there WILL KIND OF DEkNE MY CAREER u HE SAID “I’ve done a lot of other really cool things alongside my major championship win, but more majors equals a

better career, there’s no doubt.� Rose said he peaked too soon in his Masters preparations, changing tactics for the PGA after missing the cut at Augusta National. “Sometimes you have to trust being mentally fresh is the most important at a major championship,� Rose said. “ I felt like at Augusta I did so much work in the run-up and early in the week that on Tuesday my game peaked, and then it sort of dropped off, whereas major championship golf is all about playing well on the weekend. “Making a mistake is fine but learning from it is really important.�

Rose in hunt for No. 1 Rose is among four players who could overtake top-ranked American Dustin Johnson for the world number one spot this week, including defending champion Brooks Koepka, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and Masters winner Tiger Woods. “It has been nip and tuck between me, Brooks, DJ for quite some time,� Rose said. “All of us have played at a really consistent level, winning a couple of times, a lot of top 10s, but no one has really dominated.� Rose sees low scores available at Bethpage to long hitters but warns that STAYING CONSISTENT WILL BE DIFkCULT “There’s a great round out there for sure but doing it every day is going to be a challenge,� Rose said. “This is the kind of golf course where maybe you’re looking at 30-40 guys that can win this tournament based on the length. Driving the golf ball and distance will be a really big advantage this week.� AFP

Shoulder injury sidelines Sharapova PARIS: Maria Sharapova has pulled out of this year’s French Open with a shoulder injury, the two-time former Roland Garros winner announced on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). 3HARAPOVA A kVE TIME 'RAND Slam champion, has not played since pulling out of a tournament in her native Russia at the end of January. “Sometimes the right decisions aren’t always the easiest ones,� she said in a post on her Instagram account. “In better news, I have returned to the practice court, and slowly building the strength back in my shoulder,� she added with a picture of her lifting the

Roland Garros trophy in 2014. In February the world number 35 said she had undergone a small procedure to fix a long-standing shoulder problem. The former world number one had missed out on a place in the Australian /PEN QUARTER kNALS IN *ANUARY Sharapova has been struggling back TO TOP kTNESS SINCE WATCHING FROM THE sidelines during her 15-month doping ban that ended in 2017. This year’s French Open will run from May 26 until June 9, with Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep as defending champions. AFP

Koepka held off Woods to win last year’s PGA at Bellerive while Molinari denied Woods last year to win the Claret Jug at Carnoustie. “When I started I wasn’t even dreaming of playing against Tiger,� Molinari said. “I feel lucky enough to have played with him many times now in many important moments.� Finding the fairways will be crucial over the 7,549-yard, par-70 layout as SLOPING GREENS kRM UP FROM RAIN “In order to win this one, driving is going to be at the forefront,� Woods said. “You’ve got to hit it not only straight but you’ve got to hit it far.� Woods, nagged for years by back pain before 2017 spinal fusion surgery, has not played competitively since the Masters, making this only the sixth time in his career he has played back-to-back majors. He skipped a planned nine-hole practice round Wednesday for rest, having DONE A kVE HOUR in-depth tour of the course last week and played nine holes early Monday. “There’s definitely going to be a component

Sports

E3

to stamina as the week goes on,� Woods said. “Four days over a tough championship that is mentally and physically taxing takes its toll. “I need to give myself the best chance to win the events I play in... Sometimes that can be taking a little bit more breaks here and there, making sure I’m able to give it my best.�

Tiger eyes No. 1 Woods could become world number one for the first time since March 2013 by winning. He would need topRANKED $USTIN *OHNSON TO kNISH WORSE than solo 11th and neither Koepka or world number two Justin Rose of %NGLAND TO kNISHING SECOND ALONE England’s Rose, third-ranked Koepka and fourth-ranked Rory McIlroy could all overtake Johnson with a victory. 4AKING A kFTH 7ANAMAKER 4ROPHY would match Woods for the career PGA record with Nicklaus and Walter Hagen. 7OODS COULD BECOME THE kRST GOLFER since Nicklaus in 1975 to win the Masters and PGA Championship in the same year, although this marks the kRST TIME SINCE THE 0'! WILL BE played in May, moving from August in a revamp of the global golf schedule. .O ONE HAS WON THE kRST TWO MAJORS of a year since Jordan Spieth in 2015. Woods won the 2002 Masters and took the 2002 US Open at Bethpage. AFP

Q Tiger Woods of the United States looks on during a practice round prior to the PGA Championship on May 13, 2019 at Bethpage Black in Bethpage, New York. AFP PHOTO

Uy wrests control with eaglespiked 68 as Ikeda falters DANIELLA Uy moved in the threshold of a breakthrough win on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, banking on a superb short game to shoot an eagle-aided 68 and rally from two-down to three-up over erstwhile leader Chihiro Ikeda after two rounds of the ICTSI Tagaytay Midlands Ladies Challenge in Tagaytay on Thursday. Uy bounced back strong from a three-putt miscue on the par-5 No. 2, banging in a twofooter for eagle off a brilliant second shot from 200 yards on the next par-5 on No. 6 then gunning down birdies on Nos. 7 and 15 inside 10 feet. She spiked her 33-35 card with a 45-foot birdie putt on the ninth to edge closer to a dream title with a 140. “Except on No. 2, I was on target around the green. I would get to great positions for birdie chances,� said Uy, whose teamup with brother Lanz netted them a joint fourth place finish in the Delimondo National Pro-Am at Splendido over the weekend. In all, Uy hit 15 greens and used her putter 29 times to underscore her splendid all around game. She, however, remained wary of her chances on a course that features reachable par-5s, stressing the need to take it one shot at a time. “Anything can happen in the final round tomorrow (today). This lead could be wiped out in just a couple of holes if I would be careless, so I need to stay focused to win,� said the former Junior Q Daniella Uy loses grip after an approach shot but World titlist. grabs the lead with a superb 68. Near flawless with a 70 in hot condiCONTRIBUTED PHOTO tions in the first round Wednesday, Ikeda

had a flawed start this time on shaky putting, bogeying three of the first 12 holes to fall behind by as many as five. But the Fil-Japanese shotmaker battled back with two birdies in the last six to save a 73 and keep Uy within sight at 143 heading to the last 18 holes of the P750,000 championship put up by ICTSI. “My putting was awful and the greens were a bit slower than usual,� said Ikeda, who could’ve pulled within two had her chip-in bid for eagle on the last hole had dropped in. With the rest of the pack failing to strike in another punishing day at the rolling layout, the fight for the top P150,000 could go down to the top two players with Uy bracing for a shootout with a veteran, multi-titled rival in Ikeda. Thai Tiranan Yoopan, seeking to end a long search for a victory in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., shot three birdies but fumbled with five bogeys for a 74, slipping to third at 145, five strokes off Uy, while Pauline del Rosario failed to make her move and stood six shots adrift with a 72 for a 146. Eagle Ace Superal, who matched Yoopan’s 71 start Wednesday, came away with five birdies and an eagle on No. 18 but made five bogeys and three double bogeys to finish with a 76 and drop to solo fifth at 147. The Country Club spearhead, however, remained on track for the low amateur honors with Nicole Abelar at 151 after a 72. Former leg winner Onkanok Soisuwan of Thailand also floundered in debilitating condition, limping with a 76 marred by a double-bogey on the par-5 18th for a 148 while Gretchen Villacencio recovered with two birdies at the back to salvage a 72 and tie Bahrain’s Valerie Tan, who stumbled with a 74, at seventh at 149. Thanutra Boonraksasat, winner at Southwoods last March, blew a 35 start with a 38, ending up with a 73 and dropping to joint ninth with Abelar, 11 strokes off Uy, in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Empire Golf and Sports and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.

Riley homers in MLB debut ATLANTA: When Austin Riley connected with the pitch, his father was watching from the concourse at SunTrust Park. Mike Riley knew it was good contact, but he couldn’t tell how far the ball went. 4HEN HE LOOKED TOWARD THE OUTkELD g!S SOON AS ) SAW THE OUTkELDERS NOT move,� the elder Riley said, “I knew it was gone.� Austin Riley homered in his big league debut Wednesday night, leading Atlanta to a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals and signaling the arrival of another top prospect for the Baby Braves. “He’s got lights-out power,� said Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, who played his entire career with the Braves and was at the game. “I think he’s a 40-homer guy before it’s all said and done in the big leagues.� Mike Soroka turned in another strong start with three-hit ball over seven scoreless innings, but this night belonged to the 22-year-old Riley. He was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game after Ender Inciarte went on the injured list with a sore back. 2ILEY WHO STARTED IN LEFT kELD AND batted sixth, struck out swinging AGAINST -ICHAEL 7ACHA IN THE kRST AT bat of what the Braves hope will be a long major league career. Then, leading off the fourth, Riley showed why he was leading the International League with 15 homers

and 39 RBIs. Riley launched a high fastball deep into the left-field seats, a 438-foot drive that gave the Braves a 2-0 lead and sent his parents and a group of about 40 family and friends — many of whom hastily made the drive from his native Mississippi — into a delirious celebration. “I’m speechless,� Riley said, strugGLING TO kND THE WORDS g4HAT SECOND AT BAT ) kGURED HE WAS GOING TO CHALlenge me a little bit. I was able to put a good swing on it.� Riley hit another drive to the edge of the warning track his next time up, and handled a couple of chances without any problem in left. Normally a third BASEMAN HE kGURES TO MOSTLY PLAY LEFT kELD AT LEAST DURING HIS INITIAL STINT IN the big leagues. Josh Donaldson is locked in at third base for 2019 with a one-year, $23 million deal. After taking over as a defensive replacement for Riley, Charlie Culberson sealed the victory with a two-run homer in the eighth. It was quite a showing for Atlanta’s kids. Even younger than Riley, the 21-year-old Soroka (4-1) lowered his ERA to 0.98 in six starts. The righthander has yet to allow more than one earned run in any of his appearances, and this was his best one yet. Soroka escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third, getting Paul Goldschmidt

Q Austin Riley (No. 27) of the Atlanta Braves hits his first Major League home run in the fourth inning during his MLB debut against the St. Louis Cardinals at SunTrust Park on May 15, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. AFP PHOTO

Q FROM MLB.COM to ground into an inning-ending double play. He stared down another trouble spot in the sixth when the Cardinals put runners at second and third, fanning Jose Martinez to snuff out the threat. “What I like about this kid is he doesn’t panic. He just goes pitch to pitch,� Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “That’s a great trait for a young pitcher to have.� In the eighth, Dan Winkler walked THE kRST TWO 3T ,OUIS HITTERS ON EIGHT pitches, but Luke Jackson worked out of the jam — this time, it was Paul DeJong hitting into a double play —

AND kNISHED UP FOR HIS kFTH SAVE IN six chances. Wacha (3-1) surrendered only four HITS AND ONE EARNED RUN OVER kVE INNINGS “Anytime you’ve got somebody new coming in there, you don’t really have too much video on that guy,� Wacha said. “Obviously, I didn’t want to make that pitch where he ended up hitting the homer, but he didn’t miss a mistake.� Atlanta also scored when the Cardinals pitcher threw one away at third base after appearing to pick off Ronald Acuna Jr., who was able to trot home when the ball skidded under the glove of Matt Carpenter. AP

E4

Football

FRIDAY MAY 17, 2019

Q Lazio’s team players pose with the Tim Cup trophy as they celebrate during the trophy ceremony after winning at the end of the Italian Tim Cup final match between Lazio and Atalanta at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. AFP PHOTO

˜ The Manila Times

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Lazio claims seventh Coppa Italia R

OME: Lazio lifted the Coppa Italia for the seventh time on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) after late goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Joaquin Correa guided them to a 2-0 final win over Atalanta on a night in Rome dogged by fan violence. Milinkovic-Savic’s fine header set Lazio on their way with eight minutes left at the Stadio Olimpico, seconds after coming on as a substitute, before Correa sealed victory in the closing moments of the match.

The victory books Lazio a ticket to next season’s Europa League, much-needed for Simone Inzaghi’s side as they are eighth in Serie A, four points off the European berths with two games left to play.

“We really wanted this Cup,� said Inzaghi. “It was a beautiful evening in our stadium with our fans. “It’s a great satisfaction, we deserve it because we’ve come a long way.� His side’s win was marred by clashes outside the stadium between Lazio’s hardcore “Ultras� supporters and police before the game. &ANS THREW PROJECTILES AT OFkCERS as a police car was burned near the Ponte Milvio bridge not far from the Stadio Olimpico. According to Italian media, two POLICE OFkCERS WERE INJURED ONE IN

THE EAR BY A PROJECTILE AND kVE FANS were arrested. Atalanta had eliminated holders *UVENTUS IN THE QUARTERkNALS AND been bidding to win their second #OPPA )TALIA AND THEIR kRST MAJOR honour since they won the comPETITION IN For the side from Bergamo — who are still in the running to qualify for the Champions League FOR THE kRST TIME ‡ IT IS THEIR THIRD defeat in the final after missing out in AND Gian Piero Gas-

tainty, and in the end made PSV’s 3-1 win over Heracles irrelevant. (OWEVER THE lAMBOYANT !Msterdam outfit, who captured hearts as their scintillating football took them to the brink of a kRST #HAMPIONS ,EAGUE kNAL IN more than two decades, nonetheless turned on the style in their kNAL GAME BEFORE THEIR STARS ARE sold off in the summer. -IDkELDER &RENKIE $E *ONG WILL leave for Barcelona in the summer for an initial 75 million euros MILLION WHILE CENTER BACK Matthijs de Ligt, who sent Juventus packing with a bullet header in THE QUARTER kNALS COULD FOLLOW HIS teammate to Catalonia. After knocking out Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16, coach Franck De Boer admitted that forwards Hakim Ziyech and David Neres would also all be targeted by Europe’s biggest clubs come the end of the season. Their thrilling European adven-

SEOUL: South Korea has abandoned their bid to stage football’s Asian Cup in 2023, authorities said, leaving the sole other bidders China with a free run to become hosts. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said in a statement it had pulled out to “strategically focus� on a joint bid with North Korea to host the Women’s World Cup in the same year. The KFA announced the joint bid in March, but diplomatic contacts between Pyongyang and Seoul have since dwindled with North KoreaUS nuclear talks deadlocked. “For the Women’s World Cup, FIFA and the South Korean government will provide active support so that the joint hosting by South and North Koreas can be materialised,� the KFA’s head Chun Han-jin said in the statement late Wednesday.

Q Ajax Amsterdam’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (left) controls the ball in front of De Graafschap Doetinchem’s Azor Matusiwa during the Dutch Eredivisie football match in Doetinchem, Netherlands. AFP PHOTO

ture, which also saw them dump out Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus, came to an end in gut-wrenching style last week when Lucas Mou-

RA S TH MINUTE STRIKE FOR 3PURS saw Ajax throw away a 3-0 aggregate lead and miss out on a trip to Madrid on away goals. AFP

GRIEZMANN EXIT LEAVES ATLETICO LOST MADRID: Antoine Griezmann’s decision to leave Atletico Madrid has plunged the club into chaos and fired the starting gun for a sum-

Q Antoine Griezmann (right) AFP PHOTO

mer scramble among Europe’s elite. Top scorer in each of his five seasons, Griezmann was the stardust of Atleti, offering spontaneity and craft in a team renowned for discipline and grit. But he grafted too, which is why he was the perfect fit. Griezmann would run and chase as much as he passed and shot, his willingness perhaps exceptional for one of

the world’s premium attackers, a class in which he now deservedly belongs. “I said it last season and I’ll say it again - Griezmann is the best player in the world,â€? coach Diego Simeone said in October. In a team that creates more chances and gives him a greater chance of converting them, Griezmann is likely to deliver an even better return than his 129 goals for Atletico in 256 games. One more against Levante on Saturday will edge the Frenchman clear of Fernando Torres but Torres left a hero. Griezmann’s exit will leave a bitter taste. “The truth is it has been difficult to take this route but it’s what I feel I need,â€? Griezmann said in a video for the fans. He will be too late for a last outing in front of them at the Wanda Metropolitano, perhaps out of respect for Diego Godin, the godfather to his daughter, who was

TA AND MIDkELDER -ARTEN $E 2OON ALSO SQUANDERED TWO QUICKkRE EFforts on 26 minutes, before Gomez hit the post with 14 minutes left. Seconds afterwards Milinkovic-Savic made an almost immediate impact after coming on after a month out injured to replace Luis Alberto, who had just missed a chance for Lazio. The Serb broke through leaving Pierluigi Gollini powerless, and Correa finished off a counterattack minutes later to award Inzaghi his first major honor since winning the competition as A ,AZIO PLAYER IN AFP

China to host 2023 Asian Cup after Korea withdrawal

Ajax seals title to complete double after Euro heartache DOETINCHEM, Netherlands: Ajax was crowned Dutch champions for the 34th time on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) after they cruised to 4-1 win at De Graafschap that completed a domestic double a week after their crushing Champions League exit at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur. Goals from Lasse Schoene, Nicolas Tagliafico and Dusan Tadic, who bagged a second halfbrace, saw Erik ten Hag’s side win their eighth league match on the bounce and formerly win the title after effectively sealing the deal at the weekend. !JAX CAME INTO THE kNAL MATCH of the season three points clear of closest rivals PSV Eindhoven with a 14-goal higher goal difference after they beat Utrecht 4-1 and the defending champions lost 1-0 at AZ Alkmaar on Sunday. 4HOSE RESULTS MADE A kRST DOUble in 17 year — Ajax won the Dutch Cup on May 5 — a near-cer-

perini’s side head to Serie A champions Juve on Sunday looking to keep hold of fourth place, with AC Milan and Roma both three points back. Atalanta had arrived in Rome on a 12-match unbeaten run since the end of February. They had beaten Lazio in both Serie A meetings this season. "UT THEY COULD NOT kND A WAY PAST their solid opponents and failed to take their chances in a nervy game, with Papu Gomez denied by Thomas Strakosha in the Lazio goal WITHIN THE kRST MINUTE Atalanta’s top scorer Duvan Zapa-

given a rousing farewell on Sunday after the club’s final home game of the season. Perhaps Griezmann was wary too, unsure if he waved to the stands whether it would be waving hands he saw coming back. The hope was he would be playing there in the Champions League final on June 1, the dream of hoisting a European trophy on home turf a key factor in his decision to reject Barcelona last year. Godin would have led them out but, at 33, with his best years behind him, he goes with the blessing of the fans, a La Liga title, two Champions League finals, two Europa Leagues, three Super Cups and a Copa del Rey under his arm. Griezmann, five years younger, should be entering his prime, and departs with only one Europa League and a Super Cup. Worse, most suspect he is about to strengthen Barcelona. AFP

Seoul’s Asian Cup withdrawal means that China should on June BE CONkRMED BY THE !&# !SIAN Football Confederation) as hosts OF THE NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP knals for the second time. China staged the tournament in 2004 when the hosts lost 3-1 to *APAN IN THE "EIJING kNAL The KFA announced Seoul’s bid to host the 24-nation 2023 edition two years ago, saying it hoped to “host the most prestigious football tournament in Asia� 63 years after HOLDING IT FOR THE kRST TIME IN Thailand and Indonesia had also previously expressed interest in hosting the 2023 event, but dropped their bids earlier. This year’s tournament in the UAE was expanded to 24 nations FOR THE kRST TIME WITH 1ATAR WINNING THE kNAL AGAINST *APAN AFP

German league rejects CL reform proposals BERLIN: The German Football League (DFL) and its member clubs have unanimously rejected proposals to reform the UEFA Champions League. In a statement given after its AGM on Wednesday, the DFL declared that all 36 German professional clubs were against the proposed reforms, which would see the Champions League restructured into a three-tiered system from 2024 onwards. The reforms were initially proposed by the European Club Association (ECA), of which 13 DFL clubs including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are also members. They have since been considered by UEFA, despite being met with kERCE CRITICISM FROM %UROPE S DOmestic leagues. “The currently discussed concept of the European Club Association would have unacceptable consequences for the national leagues in Europe and should therefore not be implemented in this form,�

said DFL CEO Christian Seifert. “We must not allow the traditional national leagues to become less attractive for millions of people across the continent,� he said. The initial proposals, put forward by the European Club Association president Andrea Agnelli in March, envisaged a single, three-tiered European competition with internal promotion and relegation, effectively making it harder for smaller clubs to break into European competition. Documents seen by AFP last week revealed UEFA were working on similar reforms, with plans to reshape the Champions League into four pools of eight teams, with only four of the 32 participants qualifying through their national leagues. Yet Seifert said the DFL were “convinced� that UEFA president Aleksandr Ceferin understood the importance of the domestic leagues, and would show “foresight� in the reform process. AFP

FRIDAY MAY 17, 2019

Lifestyle

F1

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T R AV E L I N DA B A 2019

Continental Africa invites the world to see its majestic beauty Q Breathtaking scenery and diverse wildlife top the list of reasons why Africa is a mustvisit destination. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM

BY CHRISTINA ALPAD

D

URBAN, SOUTH AFRICA: More than 1000 exhibitors from 19 African countries welcomed 1800 buyers and media practitioners from 88 countries at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC) for the continent’s biggest travel show, “Africa’s Travel Indaba 2019.� An annual event, Indaba, as it is comMONLY REFERRED TO IS kRSTLY A SHOWCASE OF African tourism products and services for the international travel trade. More importantly though, Indaba is an opportunity for the Mother Continent — dubbed as such because it is home to some of the oldest hominid fossils and some of the world’s most unique biodiversity — to tell its unique story and invite the rest of the world for a worthy visit. “Africa’s Travel Indaba has become synonymous to storytelling, and this year’s theme, ‘Africa’s Stories, Your Success,’ re-emphasizes the importance of telling our own stories and showcasing our success,� South Africa Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom declared at Indaba’s opening on May 2. “This continent is teeming with real stories — some of which are simply not told or heard — woven into all the products and experiences that are showcased here,� the minister added.

Success on tourism Hanekom then indulged the audience with the continent’s success in terms of tourism. “In 2018, Africa recorded 67 million international tourist arrivals, a growth of seven percent from 2017, considerably ahead of the world’s six percent-growth,� Hanekom noted. What the figure meant was that,

itself as a regional transport hub, and consequently bringing the large volume of tourists to the whole African continent. Egypt is also a shining example for Hanekom. The country has demonstrated considerable resilience and through safety improvements in key destinations, has enticed international tourists to visit the country again. Finally, there’s Kenya that grew its tourist arrivals by whopping 37 percent in 2018. However, while these figures are

Q South African Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom openened the Africa's biggest showcase of tourism products and services.

directly and indirectly, the tourism sector has contributed 8.5 percent to African gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, supporting 24 million jobs across the continent. Specifically, Hanekom noted how Ethiopia — considered as Africa’s and the world’s fastest growing economy — increased its GDP by 48.6 percent in 2018, thanks to successfully establishing

impressive, Hanekom noted that the overall tourism contributions to GDP in Africa is still way below the global average of 10.4 percent. “What this tells us is that we have huge, unrealized potential to unlock,� the minister deduced. “United Nations World Tourism Organization predicts that 1.8 billion people will be traveling globally by 2030 and that Africa will increase its share from the CURRENT kVE PERCENT TO SEVEN PERCENT OF ALL global arrivals. This would be 126 million arrivals, almost double the number we now have,� Hanekom divulged. To meet this projection, Hanekom noted that Africa needs to see a growth

Q For all its rich wildlife, there are matching adrenaline-pumping adventures that offer more than just visual treats.

OF kVE PERCENT ARRIVAL PER YEAR UNTIL g!RE WE UP TO THIS 9ES MOST DEkNITELYĂœu Hanekom proudly declared. The key, according to Hanekom, is to enhance Indaba every year and bring together a range of Africa’s best and most unique products and connect them with buyers from across the world.

Irresistible offerings (ANEKOM MOST CERTAINLY WAS CONkDENT that Africa would meet the projection due to its irresistible offerings from around the continent. “We have scenery that would surely surpass any expectations — huge sand dunes, majestic snow-capped mountains and towering volcanoes, immense lakes and splendid powerful rivers, rich wetlands, deltas and estuaries, waterfalls, including the impressive Victorian Falls — spectacular canyons, endless lengths of magnificent coastline, with pristine beaches and imposing rock formations,� Hanekom enumerated. Lush vineyards, undulating plantations, rich farms, teeming junglewoods, rolling safaris and idyllic tropical islands add to Hanekom’s list. The minister also took pride in Africa’s significant and unique heritage and culture, from ancient civilizations to the myriad of lively, colorful and joyful African cultures. “The truth is, Africa is the place we all come from, all of us and we must proudly proclaim that. Whichever corner of the world you come from, your earliest ancestors came from this continent so, welcome home,� Hanekom emphasized. He also noted that cultural industries and festivals are also big selling points of Africa, “We have a huge variety of music, African traditional and contemporary. Many genres of theater and myriads of dances.� Of course, not be left behind in these offerings are the diverse wildlife and safari experiences found only in Africa. “The continent is a witness to the largest concentration of wild animals in the world while Serengeti in the northern part of Tanzania has the most spectacular migration of animals in the planet. “Our own Kruger National Park is home to numerous wilds; Rwanda and all its amazing foxes; and Uganda, with its incredible gorillas. The list of wildlife goes on.� Beneath the land wildlife is Africa’s host of private nature reserves, offering marine life experiences such as diving, whale-viewing, swimming with sharks, amazing coral reefs

Q Africa is home to a myriad of lively, colorful and joyful African cultures — like the Ndebele tribe (above photo) of South Africa. AND PROLIkC kSH AND MARINE WILDLIFE For all its rich wildlife, there are matching adrenaline-pumping adventures that offer more than just visual treats. “There are mountains to climb, seas to sail and surf. There’s bungee jumping, hand gliding, zip lines, and more. Add to these are pleasing climates and they can be no better place than our continent for the adrenaline junkies and the adventure seekers,� Hanekom further enumerated.

For metropolitan junkies Finally, Hanekom added to Africa’s long list of offerings, an experience for those who have reservations in adventures and the wild. “We have buzzing and vibrant cosmopolitan cities offering kaleidoscope of action, from shopping malls with international designer brands to neighborhood and farmer’s markets and restaurants of every authentic global cuisine.� All in all, the continent’s tourism executive demonstrated that Africa has all the possible experiences any tourist around the globe could possibly look for. “With this indisputable and competitive geographic advantage, we have the best of what the world’s tourists are seeking,� he said. In conclusion, he encouraged his audience to share Africa’s true story. “Let’s work together to replace the sometimes negative narratives of Africa with a real story of so many nations on the move and of people innovating and MOVING CONkDENTLY INTO THE FUTURE ,ET S ensure that tourism makes a positive and meaningful contribution to the lives of the people of Africa,� Hanekom ended.

F2

Funtimes

FRIDAY May 17, 2019

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Solution to puzzle

» CROSSWORD

BY EUGENE SHEFFER

»HOROSCOPE Today’s Birthday (05/17/19). Collaborate for shared gain this year. Explorations benefit from detailed organization, planning and preparation. Paint, write and create a masterpiece this summer, inspiring an educational turnaround. Incredible discoveries line the road next winter, before a roadblock diverts a creative project. Grow your enterprise together. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Others inspire you. 6KDUH \RXU GUHDPV DQG GHVLUHV <RXU SDUWQHU PDNHV DQ H[FHOOHQW ¿QDQcial suggestion. A friend can help you make a valuable connection. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Share intimate secrets, hopes and visions with a trusted partner. Promises made now can have lasting impact. Make bold declarations, and support each other. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Your work and health benefit from communications. Study the latest tips and techniques. Get expert coaching and support. Practice with a friend, and learn together. CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Let someone special know how you feel. Express what you love about them. Share your heart with the one who makes it skip a beat. LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Discuss domestic improvements before making them. Someone else has a valuable idea. Save money and time by learning from an experienced friend or relation. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Creative expression ÀRZHUV IRU \RX /LVWHQ WR \RXU PXVHV )ROORZ D KLGGHQ XQGHUFXUUHQW LQWXLWLYHO\ :KDW \RX VD\ ZULWH RU FUHDWH QRZ FDQ KDYH ORQJ WHUP EHQH¿WV

» SUDOKU

BY NANCY BLACK LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- The impossible seems accessible. A profitable and exciting opportunity appears ZLWKLQ UHDFK )ULHQGV RIIHU JRRG DGYLFH UHVRXUFHV DQG FRQQHFWLRQV Invite others to join your team. SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Your creative imagination runs wild. Avoid lies like the plague. New possibilities for collaboration with a personal dream arise in conversation. Envision an inspiring future. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- A brief timeout restores your energies. Organize, review and revise plans. $GDSW WR FKDQJLQJ FLUFXPVWDQFHV )LQG D SHDFHIXO VSRW WR UHFKDUJH and consider. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Ride a popular wave. Parties, conferences and meetings provide valuable connections and possibilities. Participate on teams and committees. Together you can make a big impact. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) -- Today is a 9 -- Pursue an exciting professional opportunity. Talk about what you want with friends and relations. An important connection can develop into something interesting. Network and share. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) -- Today is an 8 -- New paths can open for a destination you’ve been longing to discover. Dive into a juicy investigation. Explore an exciting thread for amazing revelations.

(Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Black’s legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on TwitWHU #/LQGD&%ODFN )RU PRUH DVWURORJLFDO LQWHUSUHWDWLRQV OLNH WRGD\¶V 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.

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.)

FFRIDAY R I DAY MAY 17, 2019

Entertainment

F4 Q Isko Moreno is congratulated by a member of the Manila City Board of Canvassers as the mayor-elect of the country’s capital. PHOTO BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI

www.manilatimes.net

Isko Moreno leads winning stars in 2019 elections C

PLUS: Andrea Torres and Derek Ramsay get close while doing ‘The Better Woman’ ONGRATULATIONS are in order for showbiz personalities who won in the just concluded midterm elections.

Special mention to Vico Sotto who, though not an actor, comes from a family of stars. His dad of course is Vic Sotto and his mom is Coney Reyes. Vico is said to have done the biggest upset in local politics as he was able to topple the long-reigning political power in Pasig City. He was proclaimed as the new mayor of the city on Tuesday. Another challenger who was able to dethrone the reigning power is Isko Moreno who was also proclaimed Tuesday as the winner in the mayoralty race in the City of Manila. He won convincingly against his more seasoned politician opponents, former President and incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada and former Mayor Alfredo Lim. After his proclamation, Isko said he envisions a “more energetic, vibrant and blooming� Manila. His aim now is to unite the people of the Philippine capital. “The election is just one day. It is now time to heal, time to move on. Sa mga nagkahiwa-hiwalay na magkakaanak dahil sa pulitika, we should all learn how to forgive. Let us all unite to make Manila a better and more vibrant city,� the incoming mayor said. Isko’s teammate Yul Servo was reelected as Congressman of Manila’s Second District.

SHOWBUZZ LHAR SANTIAGO Reelected also on his second term is actor Alex Castro. He is a Board Member of the Fourth Fistrict of Bulacan. In the senatorial elections, Lito Lapid and Bong Revilla are already assured of places in the Top 12. while Jinggoy Estrada comes way down below his half-brother who is also out of the winning circle. Former Sen. Loren Legarda is a newly elected Congresswoman in Antique. From Quezon City Councilor, former child star Precious HipolitoCastelo is going to Congress as Representative of QC’s Second District. The Star For All Seasons Vilma Santos-Recto made it again. She will be serving as Congresswonan of Lipa City on her second term. Ate Vi, in her 21st year as a public servant, has not been defeated in any position. She was a three-term mayor of Lipa and also a threeterm Governor of Batangas. Alfred Vargas got reelected as Quezon City’s Fifth District Representative. Richard Gomez is now on his second term as mayor of

Q Newly elected Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto during his first media interview at the Pasig City Hall. PHOTO BY ROGER RAĂ‘ADA

Ormoc City. His wife Lucy Torres was also reelected as Leyte Fourth District Representative. Imelda Papin once again sits as Vice Governor of Camarines Sur, a position she held some years back. Back to Congress is Sta. Rosa, Laguna incumbent Mayor Dan Fernandez. Meanwhile, Daniel Fernando is the new governor of Bulacan. Lani Mercado remains as Mayor of the City of Bacoor while her son Jolo Revilla is reelected for his second term as Vice Governor of Cavite. Bong Revilla’s sister, Andrea Bautista-Ynares, has been proclaimed as the new mayor of Antipolo City. Bong’s brother Strike Revilla also stays as Cavite First District Representative. Congratulations too to Kapuso actress Charee Pineda. She is the number one elected councilor of the Second District of Valenzuela. Other stars who won as councilors are Jaycee Parker in Angeles City, and Vandolf Quizon and Jomari Yllana in Paraùaque City. Jhong Hilario got reelected as Makati City First District councilor.

Better luck next time There were also other stars who ran but not fortunate enough to make it. Edu Manzano failed to garner enough votes to win over incumbent San Juan Congressman Ronnie Zamora. Mark Lapid was not successful in his mayoralty bid in Porac, Pampanga. Sharon Cuneta’s brother Chet also lost in his bid for the mayoralty post in Pasay City. Comedian Long Mejia failed to make it as Congressman in Camarines Sur. Same with Rommel Padilla in Nueva Ecija First District and Richard Yap in Cebu City First District. Roderick Paulate lost to Gian Sotto for Vice Mayor of Quezon City. Monsour del Rosario lost in Makati while Jeremy Marquez also failed to get the post of Vice Mayor in ParaĂąaque. Ditto with Gary Estrada who lost in his bid for Vice Mayor in Cainta just as his brother ER Ejercito also failed to make a comeback as Governor of Laguna. Former “That’s Entertainmentâ€? member and beauty queen-actress

Maricel Morales failed in her vice study the scenes he is about to do. mayoralty bid in Angeles City as Maganda sa amin, we discuss the well. Former Viva Hot Babes mem- scenes that we will do together. ber-actress and Calatagan, Batangas Kumbaga, we are synergized. Vice Mayor Andrea Del Rosario lost Nakakatuwa nga kasi pag pinapanood namin yung playback, in her bid for reelection. Among those who ran for coun- makikita talaga na in synch kami cilor but lost are Jan Marini in the sa ginagawa namin,â€? the pretty actress further related. Fourth District of QC, former "That's Entertainment" mainstay Migui Moreno in QC's Third District, and Dominic Ochoa in ParaĂąque’s Second District. Sheryl Cruz failed in her bid in Manila’s Second District as well as Jerika Estrada, daughter of Erap and Laarni Enriquez, in the Fourth Distict. Bad luck comes in fives for the Estradas as Jinggoy Estrada comes way down below his halfbrother JV who is also out of the winning circle in the senatorial elections. His daughter Janella was toppled by Francis Zamora in the San Juan mayoralty RACE ENDING THE kVE DECADE Estrada-Ejercito dynasty in Q Andrea Torres that municipality-turned-city component of Metro Manila. Speaking of NNN As Andrea Torres and Derek roles, Andrea feels so challenged Ramsay continue to work together with her dual role in “The Better in their GMA series “The Better Woman.â€? Although this is not the Woman,â€? the actress admits that kRST TIME SHE S PORTRAYING DUAL CHARthey have become more comfort- acters, Andrea makes sure that her able with each other. The set has characters are poles apart. “May conscious effort on my part become their bonding place, even as they talk about everything and any- to really make my two characters different, sa kilos at sa pagsasalita thing, including personal matters. Being together three days a week and it’s not actually easy,â€? she swore. A lot of people say that Andrea has done good for both Andrea and Derek, allowing them to discover a is so fortunate to have Derek as her partner in a soap. But for the GMA lot of things about each other. “He is a very nice guy. Madali actress, having Derek as leading man siyang pakisamahan. Dami na nga means more hard work for her. It naming napagkuwentuhan, we entails a lot of physical preparation. actually have a lot of things in com“Siyempre Derek Ramsay yan, mon. Pareho kaming mapagmahal one of the sexiest men not only in sa pamilya. Like me, he is very close showbiz but in the country. Sa abs to his parents. I knew it because he pa lang, kita mo naman, eight packs. has a lot of stories about them and So kailangan hindi ako magpahuli. he has a lot of good plans for them,â€? I have to really work hard para naman we look good together. Hindi Andrea shared to Showbuzz. When it comes to acting, Andrea naman puwedeng yummy ang is hats-off to Derek. She sees how leading man tapos yung leading lady, losyang,â€? she said laughing. serious he is with his role. “It’s always good to see him The longer they work together, the

more Andrea and Derek get to know each other deeper. As of now, it’s not only on the set where they talk. They now call each other on the phone. “He calls me whenever he has questions about the script or about our location. Basta, panay tungkol

lang sa trabaho ang pinag-uusapan namin. Wala namang ibang topic,�

Andrea admitted. But doesn’t it start from there? You talk on the set. You talk on the phone. You talk about work. Before you know it, you are already talking about you. What if Derek falls for Andrea? “Ay!� Andrea exclaimed. “Ayokong isipin. I refuse to think about it. Masarap siyang kaibigan pero hindi ako mag-a-assume. I want to focus on our work. Huwag

nating haluan ng mga ganyang bagay kasi hindi naman dapat.

We just want to give viewers a very good show that they can really enjoy watching.� Although Andrea is single at the moment, she is not in a rush to enter into a relationship. She enjoys spending her free time with her family. During her birthday last May 4, she chose to celebrate with her parents and siblings. “Good timing yung birthday ko because our family was complete. My kuya came home from Australia where he is based so it was a good time to celebrate.� Andrea actually had two birthDAY CELEBRATIONS 4HE kRST ONE WAS with her family on the very day of her birthday and the second one was a belated birthday get-together with her fans held at a videoke bar. “I love spending time with my fans. I love talking to them because that is one way for me to express my gratitude to them for their support. Like itong celebration namin, we had a great time chatting and singing. I even sang with them,� she beamed with pride. And what is Andrea’s birthday wish? “Good health for my family and the success of ‘The Better Woman’ when it airs,� she said as she clasped her hands.

MNL48 welcomes new generation members BY REGINAN ABANG WITH the votes coming from the tickets attached to their previous singles, including their third single, "365 Araw ng Eroplanong Papel," and in their line of merchandises, fans voted for their favorite MNL48 members either thru their Smartphone app or thru the group’s website from April 1 to April 26. Results were revealed on April 27 during the second general elections in an emoTIONALLY kLLED EVENT AT THE !"3 #". 6ERTIS Tent in Quezon City. Fans and supporters kLLED BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VENUE anxiously waiting for the announcement from emcees Hashtags member Luke Conde of “It’s Showtime� and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) spokesperson Celine Pialago. In the end, out of 77 candidates, only 48 were ranked, and among them, only one came to the top of the rankings with Jhona Alyanah Padillo claiming the coveted Center position. 3HEKINAH !RZAGA THE kRST EVER #ENTER OF the all-Filipina sing-and-dance idol group, fell to fourth place. Sela Guia and Abelaine Trinidad secured their Top 7 spots in second and third place respectively, while the group’s overall captain Alice de Leon dropped from sixth place last year to seventh this year. Sayaka Awane rose up five notches FROM TH PLACE LAST YEAR TO kFTH PLACE

while a newcomer, trainee Jamie Alberto, (31st), and Dian Mercado (32nd). completed the Top 7 in a big jump from Padillo will lead the Senbatsu team being unranked to sixth place. in the A-track of their upcoming fourth Completing the 16-woman Senbatsu single, while Itona will lead hers in the (Selected Members) Group are Ash Garcia B-track of the same single. (8th), Rans Rifol (9th), Faith Santiago Completing the Top 48 are Emz Ma(10th), Jan Elaurza (11th), Gabb Skribikin cabutas (33rd), Yzabel Divinagracia (12th), Jem Caldejon (13th), Kyla de Catalina (14th), Grace Buenaventura TH AND 2OWEE 6ILLAlORES TH Thea Itona, who also had the biggest jump in the vote ranking from 41st place last year to 17th place this year, will spearhead the Undergirls group as the Center. Joining her are Coleen Trinidad (18th), Cess Labay (19th), Brei Binuya (20th), Ruth Lingat (21st), Lara Layar (22nd), Kay Ishiyama (23rd), Belle delos Reyes (24th), Amy Isidto (25th), Joyce Daita (26th), Tin Coloso (27th), Alyssa Garcia (28th), Yssa Bautista (29th), Mari I y o g ( 3 0 t h ) , Q MNL48 2nd Generation members CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Miho Hoshino

(34th), Ecka Sibug (35th), Dani Palmero (36th), Dana Brual (37th), Ice Bozon (38th), Laney SaĂąosa (39th), Jaydee Villaruel (40th), Klaire Presno (41st), Quincy Santillan (42nd), Cole Somera (43rd), Daryll Matalino (44th), Lei Lacumba (45th), Shaira (46th) and Shaina (47th) Duran, and Andi Garcia (48th). The Top 48 will also serve as the new 2nd Generation members of the group.

Goodbye for now On the other hand, 12 of the original 1st Generation members (Ella Amat, Erica Sanico, Nice Abad, Gia Muse, Essel Montaos, Sha Engbino, Jewel Cacapit, Hazel Marzonia, Princess Briquillo, Madie Epilogo and Cassy Pestillos), along with the remaining 1st Generation kenkyuusei or Research Students (Vira Bandong, Yna Salazar, Mela Magbanlac and Karla dela Paz),

and the remaining Candidates for the 2nd Generation, did make the cut as all of them are unranked in the said elections. They were graduated from the group and performed their last live event on May 1 at the Movie Stars Cafe. However, according to the group’s producer, Paolo Kurosawa, the graduates still have the chance to be part of the group as THEY ARE QUALIkED TO AUDITION IN A 3ENBATSU promoting for Tokyo Girls Collection, a fashion event showcasing streetwear from different Japanese brands. According to Kurosawa, the TGC Senbatsu will not only act as models for the fashion showcase, but also act as the group’s Kenkyuusei. In a reveal last May 7, only Amat, dela Paz, Muse, Magbanlac, and Briquillo made the cut to be part of the 10-woman group. -., HAD THEIR kRST LIVE CONCERT TITLED “Living The Dream: The MNL48 1st Generation Live Concert� at the New Frontier Theater on April 6. Arzaga told the crowd then that the concert marked a new chapter in their lives, and she added that no matter where they will perform, their home is in the hearts of their fans.

“Pero kahit ilang beses kami makapag-

perform, internationally or kung saan man, there’s is no place like home because you are our home. Sobrang tagos

na tagos sa puso yung pagmamahal n’yo sa amin,� she said.

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