THE MANILA TIMES | MARCH 20, 2019

Contribution hike to start April – SSS

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•• 4 SECTIONS PAGES • VOL. 120 NO. 158 24

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

Malaysia arrests 12 Filipino terror suspects ZAMBOANGA CITY: Malaysia is holding a dozen Filipinos, including a woman, suspected of being terrorists or protecting terrorists in Sabah.

Malaysian Police Inspector General Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun announced the

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Trusted since 1898

Manila Water told: Pay consumers S

BY JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

ENATORS on Tuesday pressed the Manila Water Co. Inc. to compensate all consumers affected by the water supply shortage in its concession covering eastern Metro Manila and parts of Rizal province.

³SuspectsA8

Sen. Grace Poe, chairman of the Senate public services committee, said she was awaiting the computation of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) that could be the basis for the committee to make the necessary recommendations for a possible refund or rebate.

Poe said it was within the power of the MWSS, as a regulatory body, to penalize erring water utilities.

The MWSS, she said, had been sleeping on the job as shown by the volume of wasted supply of water due to leaks since 2015, passed on to consumers by its two concessionaires, Manila Water for the east zone and Maynilad Water Services Inc. for the west zone.

Q Artist’s rendition of new P15-billion Senate building.

P15B monument to 24 political super-egos S E N AT E President Vicente Sotto 3rd and 10 of his colleagues were smiling from ear-to-ear during the groundbreaking ceremony last Monday for the Senate’s new building in the country’s newest business district, the Bonifacio Global City.

RIGOBERTO RIG DD. TIGLAO

³PayA2

IN HOT WATER

Ferdinand de la Cruz, president and chief executive officer of Manila Water Co. Inc. (left), Metropolitan Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Administrator Reynaldo Velasco (center) and MWSS Chief Regulator Patrick Ty face senators during an inquiry into the water shortage in eastern Metro Manila. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

³TiglaoA5 REACH US AT: E-mail: newsdesk@ manilatimes.net Tel. Nos.: 524-5664 to 67 Address: 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002

‘PH likely to fail EU maritime audit anew’ THE PHILIPPINES will likely fail the audit of a European maritime agency because of quality problems in maritime training schools, an industry source claimed on Tuesday.

The source, part of an industry

think tank, said many training institutions had been doing the same things over and over since the Philippines failed the audit of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in 2006.

What’s inside EXPANDED MATERNITY LEAVE LAW TO AFFECT HIRING OF WOMEN NewsA2 PARIS JOINS SINGAPORE, HK AS WORLD’S PRICIEST CITIES BusinessB1

INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION: THE WAY TO GO

Amb. Carlos SalinasB4 DROUGHT, DIOKNO AND DEREGULATION

Marlen RonquilloA4 ‘THE LAST INTERVIEW’ PAYS TRIBUTE TO MAYOR ANTONIO HALILI

EntertainmentD1

SPURS BEAT WARRIORS TO EXTEND STREAK, NUGGETS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT

SportsC1

“If we keep doing things the same, we will get the same results. There is nothing different, revolutionary or innovative that the Philippines have instituted. No, the

³MaritimeA2

FINALS AT MALL OFASIA Jalen Green plays for FilAm Sports USA during the NBTC Nationals Seeding Round at the Mall of Asia Arena last March 18. Presented

by SM, the NBTC National Finals will have various international and local teams playing against each other from March 18 to 24.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

‘Rotten system’ needs fixing to win drug war — Jimenez THE WAR on illegal drugs will fail unless the “rotten system” and the tendency of the different branches of government to “focus on their own kingdoms” persist, Presidential Anti-Crime Commission Chairman Dante Jimenez said on Tuesday.

Appearing on The Manila Times TV program “Face to Face,” Jimenez said President Rodrigo Duterte’s political will would not be enough to solve the drug problem and criminality.

“The system is really rotten. They are on their own. You may have a good president like

³Drug warA2

House won’t recall budget yet — Arroyo THE HOU THE HOUSE of Representatives will not yet heed he the call of the Senate not o withdra to withdraw its supposedly altered vee rsion of the 2019 budget bill, version Sp peaker Gloria G Speaker Macapagal Arroyo saaid Tuesday.

Tuesda said “We hav have not withdrawn our versiion. We’re in discussion about what sion.

is the proposed new version,” the Pampanga congressman told reporters at the sidelines of a business event in Taguig.

The speaker said she was set to meet later on Tuesday with some House members, including San Juan

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˜ The Manila Times WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

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Expanded maternity leave to affect hiring of women

M

BY TYRONE C. PIAD

AJORITY of companies are worried over the cost implications of the Expanded Maternity Leave Law, saying it would affect their decision to hire women, preliminary results of a survey by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) showed.

The ECOP survey found that 68 percent of the respondents were worried over “higher cost implicaTIONS IN TERMS OF THE BENEkT AND the cost of hiring and training a temporary replacement.�

The Expanded Maternity Leave

Law, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte last month, allows pregnant employees to take a maternity leave of up to 105 days.

Firms were also worried over output, saying productivity could decrease with the extended period

of absence of female workers on maternity leave.

The survey also claimed “femaledominated smaller enterprises� could be “adversely affected.�

Other survey respondents said there should be equal employment opportunity regardless of GENDER NOTING THAT QUALIkCATIONS should prevail when hiring emPLOYEES 4HESE kRMS BELIEVED THAT “women are more organized, more detail-oriented, and generally more reliable,� it added.

Overall, 49 percent of the respondents expressed support for expanded maternity leave while 34 percent were against it. The remaining 17 percent were indifferent on the matter.

The survey showed that 39 percent of the respondents have more than 50 employees who could “potentially avail [themselves] of THE MATERNITY BENEkT u In ranking the cost impact on a scale of 1 to 5 (very minimal to very substantial), respondents had average score of 3.63. Almost 30 percent of the respondents gave a score of 4.

ECOP conducted the survey from March 11 to 15 among 70 respondents, 51 percent of which came from large-scale companies.

The most represented industries in the survey were manufacturing, services, and logistics and transportation.

4HE kNAL SURVEY WILL BE COMpleted by March 30.

DoH adds encephalitis vaccine to govt drive THE Department of Health (DoH) on Tuesday said the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine would be included in the national immunization program.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd said the Philippines was the second to the last country in Southeast Asia that had not added JE vaccine in its immunization program. Duque said that JE vaccine is “World Health Organization-prequalified and FDA approved. It is safe and effective. It has been used for over 30 years in 12 countries and given to more than 400 million children with an excellent safety record.�

This inclusion of the JE vaccine comes after the Health department added the controversial Dengvaxia dengue vaccine to their vaccination drive in 2016. An estimated 800,000 school-aged children were vaccinated with Dengvaxia.

The DoH had halted the mass immunization in 2017 after the vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur warned of risk of severe diseases to those who have not had dengue history prior inoculation.

WHO, in its study, said the fiasco, which has been blamed for the death of at least 10 children, contributed to the low immunization rates of the country.

The JE vaccine aims to reduce the “threat of the public health burden of the JE disease in the Philippines,� as it reiterated that clinically-proven vaccines provide immunity against several diseases, the DoH said in a statement.

JE is a mosquito-borne disease, and it is the leading cause of viral encephalitis, a brain infection in Asia, including the Philippines. “JE vaccination is the only effective measure to stop the transmission of JE and bring down the number of cases,â€? the Health department said.Â

The JE virus was the cause of encephalitis in 15 percent of all reported cases of acute encephalitis in 2016 and 2017, the DoH said. The Health department said that it is set to introduce the JE vaccine in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region, the regions most vulnerable to the Japanese encephalitis, before March ends or the start of rainy season, period in which the JE virus spreads fast. This was also upon the recommendation of WHO. The JE virus is transmitted by Culex mosquitoes that breed in water pools and flooded rice fields, leaving those individuals who live close to rice fields and pig farms at high risk, the DoH noted. According to the agency’s data in 2018, there were 340 laboratory-confirmed JE cases, with Central Luzon having the highest number, and Ilocos and Cagayan Valley came in close second and third respectively. This figure was higher than the 275 recorded last year and 122 in 2016. Children aged nine months old to five years old will be eligible to receive the vaccine through a vaccination drive, as they are the most vulnerable age group, the Health department said. Patients at this age may suffer from mental disturbances and progressive decline in consciousness to comatose. The manifestations of the JE disease are flu-like symptoms such as sudden onset of high fever, chills, headache, and tiredness, and may develop into severe encephalities. “Three out of 10 JE cases that progress to severe illness will die. Among those who survive, more than half will show serious residual neurologic, psychosocial, intellectual and/or physical disabilities such as paralysis, recurrent seizures, or inability to speak,� the DoH said.

CATHERINE A. MODESTO

Japan govt donates chopper spare parts FACE OFF From left: human rights advocate Jego Ragragio, former law dean Amado Valdez, moderator Mario Garcia, Interior Undersecretary Martin DiĂąo, and Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Dante Jimenez discuss the issue of death penalty for drug lords during the program Face-Off, part of the test broadcast of The Manila Times TV, on Tuesday. PHOTO BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE

Q DRUG WAR FROM A1

‘Rotten the President we have but if the judiciary, justice system, and legislative are focused on too much politics, nothing will happen. This [war on drugs] will fail,� he said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Jimenez said other government branches were “focused on their own kingdoms� or have their own agenda, hindering the implementation of the anti-drug campaign. “In my opinion, those who are in the other branches of the government, you have your own kingdom...They are on their own but please, for the sake of this country and for the sake of these people, please unite. All three branches of government should be united otherwise, I’m telling you...this will fail,� he said.

Jimenez, founding chairman

of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, started his advocacy against drugs after his brother Jaime “Boboy� Jimenez Jr. was killed by drug syndicates in December 1990.

Jimenez also said the justice system should stay away from politics to effectively impose the death penalty on drug lords. “The problem [with the justice system] is it was politicized too much...[Drug lords] should be wiped off from Earth but they must undergo a process, and I think the death penalty law is the only legal way instead of just them (drug lords) being murdered. It is just going to be all about revenge,� he said.

Former University of the East Law dean Amado Valdez agreed with Jimenez, saying the government should also look for medical and political solutions to drug problems. “Legalization of death penalty is okay for me as long as there’s a process that will be followed...In

Q PAY FROM A1

Manila Water The lawmaker also pointed to the lack of experts at the MWSS, which had hired so many lawyers instead of engineers. The committee was considering recommending a major revamp at the MWSS, she said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said all those exposed to health risks as a result of Manila Water’s failure to meet its service obligation should be fairly reimbursed.

She cited as an example the National Kidney Transplant Institute, which was forced to cut the number of dialysis patients during the height of the water shortage.

Manila Water must also compensate all affected households and businesses for lost time, gross INCONVENIENCE AND LOSS OF PROkT

she said. “While Manila Water’s public apology and act to hold itself responsible for the water shortage are recognized, a fair and just compensation to the consumers

is in order. It is one of the best WAYS TO DEMONSTRATE ITS kRM COMmitment to public accountability and restore consumer trust and CONkDENCE u SAID (ONTIVEROS “With over a million households deprived of access to clean water and exposed to numerous health risks, any apology without compensation is hollow and meaningless,� she stressed.

Hontiveros also countered the MWSS statement that it had no power to hold water concessionaires accountable because the concession agreements did not AUTHORIZE IT TO IMPOSE kNES FOR unmet service obligations. “Manila Water’s concession agreement clearly stipulates that THE REGULATORY OFkCE CAN IMPOSE kNANCIAL PENALTIES ON THE CONCESsionaire if its failure to meet its service obligation adversely affects public health or welfare. In fact, all penalties received by the regulatory body will be rebated to

social science, there must be a total approach because drugs are not isolated cases but systemic,� he said. “All the way until we reach the root cause, it has to be a total approach of science of police investigation [and] it has to be sophisticated...We are going to be more certain that the one who will receive death penalty is really the suspect,� Valdez added.

Interior Undersecretary Martin DiĂąo said death penalty for drug lords, particularly coming from international drug cartels, could help in “ending the Filipino race through drugs.â€? “If you want a good future for Filipinos, we should eliminate international drug lords who are bringing drugs to our country and we will make sure in the next generation that there will be no drug pushers anymore,â€? he said.

Lawyer Jego Ragrario said there were better ways to approach the drug problem instead of imposing

the death penalty.

One is reforming the justice system by improving prosecution and case build-up to convict drug lords.

Killing a drug lord would not wipe drugs as drug syndicates are organized and can simply replace a deceased drug lord with another one, he said. “These drug people are organized. They treat [it] as a business, so, in any business, you have succession. If you get rid of one drug lord, another one will take [his] place because there is always a demand,� he said. g7E SHOULD kX SOMETHING kRST before we even talk about this DEATH PENALTY 7E NEED TO kX THE justice system [and] the prison system,� Ragrario added.

According to the government, 170,689 drug personalities were arrested from July 1, 2016 to January 31, while 5,176 suspects were killed by police.

ROY D.R. NARRA

affected consumers,� Hontiveros explained.

Article 10, Section 10.4 of the concession agreement states: “A failure by the Concessionaire to meet any Service Obligation which continues for more than 60 days (or 15 days in cases where the failure could adversely affect public health or welfare) after written notice thereof from the 2EGULATORY /FkCE TO THE #ONCESsionaire shall constitute a basis FOR THE 2EGULATORY /FkCE TO ASsess financial penalties against the Concessionaire. All penalties RECEIVED BY THE 2EGULATORY /FkCE pursuant to this Section 10.4 shall be rebated to Customers affected by the Concessionaire’s failure to meet Service.�

In response, Manila Water said it was looking at a possible “adjustment� in water bills. “What I’ve instructed with my team is to explore ways to provide some relief to those affected,�

Manila Water President and Chief %XECUTIVE /FkCER &ERDINAND DE LA Cruz told lawmakers.

Dela Cruz said Manila Water would follow MWSS processes,

which could result in the lowering of its tariffs.

MWSS Chief Regulator Patrick Ty also said Manila Water’s rates could also be adjusted.

Relief, finally Residents of Barangay Barangka in Mandaluyong City expressed RELIEF AS WATER lOWED THROUGH THEIR faucets on Tuesday.

Though the water pressure was low, residents said it was enough for them to patiently wait inside THEIR HOMES kLLING THEIR PAILS AND containers than lining up in the middle of the night or during the hot afternoons for rations.

Water service in Barangka is usually interrupted at 6 or 9 p.m. and resumes at 4 or 5 a.m.

Several businesses that heavily rely on water, such as laundry shops and car wash shops, have resumed operations.

Residents of Barangay Addition Hills likewise complained of no water, but Manila Water asked them for patience because of the area’s high elevation.

WITH FRANCIS EARL A. CUETO

JAPAN turned over Utility Helicopter 1 (UH-1) spare parts to the Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Tuesday in Pampanga.

The acceptance, turnover and blessing of the spare parts were done at Haribon Hangar in Clark Air Base.

The formal signing of the donation was completed last week at the Japan Ministry of Defense Facility with Undersecretary Raymundo Elefante as the representative of the Philippine government, accompanied by Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez, PAF commander, as witness.

Japan donated an initial set of spare parts last week when PAF

OFkCIALS VISITED )RUMA !IR "ASE IN Saitama, Japan. The initial spare parts, weighing 16,187.60 lbs., cost 424 million yen (P200 millon).

The total cost of spare parts that Japan will donate to the PAF is approximately 5.4 billion yen (P2.5 billion), covering different systems such as the airframe structure, dynamic power system, control system, rotor system, hydraulic system, electrical system, instrument system and accessory items.

The remaining spare parts are scheduled for shipment to the Philippines in August 2019 through a Philippine navy vessel.

DEMPSEY REYES

Q MARITIME FROM A1

Higher Education (CHEd) in October 2018 inked the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Executive Order 63 strengthening Marina’s authority in implementing the 1978 STCW. Under Rule II of the IRR, Marina and CHEd are tasked to evaluate and inspect higher education institutions applying for approval to offer Bachelor of Science (BS) in Maritime Transportation and BS Marine Engineerin. They should ensure that the STCW mandatory professional and technical courses, as well as shipboard training, are compliant with the requirements of the 1978 STCW Convention as amended. “A delegation from the European Commission is coming this April 2019 to verify what we are doing. EMSA is coming back for A FOLLOW UP AUDIT THE kRST QUARter of 2020. The Philippines has been failing the EMSA scrutiny. $EkNITELY A NEGATIVE %-3! REPORT will impact the seafaring industry.

The Philippines kept on doing the SAME THING DESPITE %-3! kNDINGS for 13 years now, surely the results will be the same,� the source said.

On March 15, Marina tapped the Philippine Normal University to help the Marina Board of Examiners in reviewing the table of SPECIkCATIONS FOR VARIOUS EXAMINAtions, to comply with STCW. On Monday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. urged CHEd Chairman Prospero “Popoy� de Vera Jr. to promote the welfare of Filipino seafarers by tapping respectable auditors in checking the country’s maritime RAFFY AYENG schools.

PH likely Philippines will not pass,� he told The Manila Times.

The Philippines should overhaul its Maritime Education and Training (MET) system being implemented by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), which HAD BEEN lAGGED MANY TIMES BY EMSA auditors, he said.

One Cebu school inspected in 2017, for instance, yielded 20 DEkCIENCIES INCLUDING g.O %FFECtive Monitoring� and “No Quality Management Implementation.� “The Philippine MET should be transformed from its present qualIkCATION BASED TO COMPETENCE based [system],� the source said. “Besides tweaking, regulators should also replace academic subjects by performance/task/ competence in accordance with the mandatory minimum requirements as per STCW 2010 Manila Amendments; restructuring of the current curriculum to align with STCW levels of responsibilities: support, operational, management; and the hybridization of the curriculum that should be implemented immediately which entails modular and ladderized curriculum in view to educate and train learners as support level then progress to operational level to management level,� he said.

STCW refers to the International Convention on Standards of 4RAINING #ERTIkCATION AND 7ATCHkeeping for Seafarers.

Marina and the Commission on

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Duterte signs occupational therapy law PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law that will regulate the practice of occupational therapy in the country.

Republic Act 11241 or the “Philippine Occupational Therapy Law“ creates a professional regulatory board of occupational therapy, which will be composed of a chairman and two members appointed by the President.

The law aims to develop and

nurture competent and world-class occupational therapists.

The board will promulgate, administer and enforce rules and regulations, supervise and regulate the registration, licensure and practice of occupational therapy in the Philippines and maintain a roster of occupational therapists.

It will also study and monitor conditions affecting the practice of occupational therapy, administer

‘Bigger DA budget to boost farm sector’

Aquino pushes water department

SENATE hopeful Rodrigo “Jiggy�

Manicad Jr. said his push for agricultural development got a boost from President Rodrigo Duterte, who vowed to allocate a bigger budget for the farm sector to enSURE SUFkCIENT FOOD PRODUCTION FOR the country’s growing population.

Manicad said the Department of Agriculture (DA) could get a budget of P500 billion in 2020. “Given the planned increase in the DA’s budget, my advocacy for more ‘Bagsakan Centers,’ more farm to market roads, more farm implements, and fresh technology for the farmers may not be hard to come by,� Manicad said in a statement.

Duterte, during the recent Cabinet MEETING ASSURED FARMERS AND kSHERS THAT AGRICULTURE AND kSHERIES WOULD be given a bigger budget share next year, according to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel PiĂąol. “The President emphasized the need for bigger support to agriculture as the country’s population is increasing by about two million every year,â€? PiĂąol said.

Manicad said the DA would be able to improve irrigation facilities and put up new ones in areas prone to drought if itgets a bigger budget. “Irrigated farm lands could harvest three times a year compared to those that depend on the rain that only harvest once a year,� he said. “Kung mas malaki ang perang ilalaan sa DA, kailangang magfocus tayo sa patubig (If DA gets a bigger budget, it should focus on irrigation),� Manicad said.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

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examinations and adopt a program for the full computerization of the licensure examination.

Those who pass the examination would be issued a professional license and registration and will have the initials OTRP, or Occupational Therapists Registered Philippines.

The law allows foreign-licensed therapists to be given special and temporary permits

BY BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO

EN. Paolo Benigno “Bam� Aquino 4th has raised the need to create a Department of Water and solely address water distribution issues and avoid a repeat of the water crisis that burdened thousands of Metro Manila residents.

The reelectionist senator filed Senate Bill 2216 seeking the creation of the Department of Water, Irrigation, Sewage a n d S a n i t a t i o n Re s o u r c e Management. “The creation of the Department of Water is a long-term solution to prevent a repeat of the water shortage, not only in Metro Manila, but also in other parts of the country,� Aquino said.

Aquino said the Department of Water would rationalize water, irrigation, sewage and sanitation resource management.

Currently, several agencies are responsible for water, irrigation, sewage and sanitation management, such the National Water Resources Board, Local Water Utilities Administration, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), National Irrigation Administration, local water districts and rural waterworks and sanitation associations. “With regulation and management of our water resources cur-

rently lodged with various units and agencies of the government, we are faced with challenges in terms of implementing national policies and plans on water, sewage, sanitation, and irrigation,�

Aquino said.

He said the proposed department would improve water resource planning to ensure sustainable, fair allocation and EFkCIENT USE OF WATER RESOURCES

including but not limited to domestic and municipal use, irrigation, power generation, FARMING kSHERIES COMMERCIAL and industrial use.

Sen. Joseph Victor “JVâ€? Ejercito, meanwhile, pushed for the construction of more dams. “I think we should pursue the completion of delayed water dam projects to address the shortage. The Angat Dam and La Mesa Dam are the only sources of water for Metro Manila. Our population IS GETTING BIGGER WE MUST kND NEW water sources,â€? said Ejercito, who is seeking reelection in May. Also on Tuesday, MalacaĂąang

upon the recommendation of integrated professional organization of occupational therapists if they are called for a consultation essential to national development.

The law is a consolidation of Senate Bill 454 and House Bill 8528, which were passed on Jan. 29, 2018 and Dec. 12, 2018, respectively.

RALPH EDWIN U.VILLANUEVA

said it would study the proposal of a Japan-based company for President Rodrigo Duterte to revisit a safer and cheaper option to increase water supply to Metro Manila.

Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after Global Utility Development Corp. asked Duterte to push through with the construction of a low-level dam in Kaliwa River.

This comes after the Duterte administration awarded the New Centennial Water Source Project Kaliwa Dam to a Chinese company. “ We w i l l l e ave i t t o h i s (Duterte’s) judgment call. But if you will ask me personally, if the advantage is so clear, if it is true that the Chinese proposal is onerous, I think we should look into it,� Panelo told reporters. “I will ask this particular JapaNESE ENTITY OR kRM TO GIVE US A copy of their proposal, and then MY OFkCE WILL LOOK INTO IT !ND then I will make a recommendation to the President,� he added.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System said the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) had approved the Kaliwa Dam project. “With the approval of the h i g h e s t l e ve l a t t h e N E DA (National Economic Development Authority), done deal na yan (that’s a done deal),�

MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco said.

Go thanks supporters for high survey rating CHRISTOPHER Lawrence “Bong� Go on Tuesday thanked his supporters for their trust and confidence, saying his consistent rise in surveys was humbling and heart-warming.

In the Pulse Asia survey held from February 24 to 28, Go jumped to third place, an increase from the 6th to 12th spot he had in January. Go’s awareness rating also increased from 91 percent in January to 96 percent in the February survey. “Maraming salamat sa aking mga supporters na naniniwala sa aking kakayahan at katapatan maglingkod karugtong ng aking hangarin na magserbisyo sa Pilipino. Nakakataba po ng puso ang inyong pagtitiwala (I thank my supporters who believe in my capacity and sincerity to serve. Your trust

really warms my heart),� Go said.

The Pulse Asia survey result is consistent with the survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations, which also showed Go enjoying the third spot with 47 percent rating. The former Palace official said he draws inspiration from the people and President Rodrigo Duterte. “Kayo po ang nagsisilbing inspirasyon at lakas sa akin upang dagdagan ang pagsisikap na maipaabot sa mas nakararami ang mga ‘serbisyong Tatak Duterte na aking ipagpapatuloy para sa kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino (You inspire me to bring to more Filipinos the kind of service associated with President Duterte),� Go said, adding that he would continue the reforms initiated by

the President.

Despite his strong showing in surveys, Go said he would work double time to help the unfortunate, particularly victims of poverty and calamities. “Mas importante sa akin ang makatulong at makapagserbisyo sa tao, higit pa sa pangangampanya. Uunahin ko po palagi ang mga mahihirap at mga nangangailangan ng tulong (Helping others is more important than campaigning. Helping the poor and needy will always be my priority),� he added. On Tuesday, the Palace dared Go’s critics to file charges against the latter if he really violated election laws. “Bong Go is a responsible person and I don’t think he will be committing any election offense,� Palace spokesman

Salvador Panelo said. “Knowing that man, I don’t think he will allow that to happen. But if they feel that he has violated [laws], di magfile para magkaalaman (they should file charges). We’ll let the Comelec (Commission on Elections) decide,� he added.

Panelo issued the statement after Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said Go might be committing an election offense by giving out cash assistance to fire victims during the campaign period.

But Panelo doubted that Go could be held liable for giving cash assistance. “These are donations and they are fire victims,� he added.

Panelo said Go’s rise in the latest senatorial survey showed Duterte’s “very strong endorsement power.�

Revocation of a donation

Dear PAO, I am single and working as a Branch Manager in one of the famous banks here in the country. I executed a Deed of Donation, and donated two of my condominium units to my only brother on July 29, 2018. My brother accepted my donation and was grateful. He, together with his family, moved to one of the units after two weeks.

However, I am now thinking of revoking the donation I made because of an incident, which occurred last month; he tried to kill me by stabbing me on my shoulder when I did not allow him to use my credit card. I then asked him to move out of my condominium unit. Is it still possible to revoke the donation I had given him?

Pauline

DEAR PAO

PERSIDA ACOSTA Dear Pauline, To answer your question, we shall refer to the provisions of the Civil Code, to wit: “Article 765. The donation may also be revoked at the instance of the donor, by reason of ingratitude in the following cases: (1) If the donee should commit some offense against the person, the honor or the property of the donor, or of his wife or children under his parental authority; (2) If the donee imputes to the donor any criminal offense, or any act involving moral turpitude,

even though he should prove it, unless the crime or the act has been committed against the donee himself, his wife or children under his authority; (3) If he unduly refuses him support when the donee is legally or morally bound to give support to the donor. “Article 769. The action granted to the donor by reason of ingratitude cannot be renounced in advance. This action prescribes within one year, to be counted from the time the d o n o r h a d knowledge of the fact and it was possible for him to bring the action.� (Emphases supplied) Applying the above-mentioned provisions in your situation, you MAY kLE A PETITION BEFORE THE COURT for the revocation of your donation to your brother due to the STAB WOUNDS HE INlICTED UPON YOU

last month. The commission of an offense against the person, honor or the property of the donor or his wife and children is a ground for revocation of donation by reason of ingratitude. The law likewise provides that the donor has one year to kLE THE PETITION TO BE COUNTED FROM the time he had knowledge of any act of ingratitude and it was possible for him to bring the said action.

This opinion is solely based on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. The opinion may vary when the facts are changed or further elaborated. We hope that we were able to enlighten you on the matter.

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

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

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E d i to r i a l Accountability crucial to public service

H

OW MANY times has the public heard an authority say: “I hold myself accountable� or “I take full responsibility� for something — declarations of seemingly important consequence, only to be let down when the words turn out to be empty? &AILURE TO DELIVER ON A PROMISE IS ONE SURE WAY OF eroding public confidence in a figure of authority and many officials have lost that trust, most recently, the chief executive officer of Manila Water Co. Inc., the Ayala-led utility that supplies water to eastern Metro Manila. “I am holding myself accountable for the sudden drop in our service levels to your constituents whom we have served for over the past 21 years with 24/7 water availability and sufficient water pressure. March 6, 2019 is a date I will never forget AS PRESIDENT OF -ANILA 7ATER u SAID &ERDINAND DE la Cruz, the Manila Water CEO, before an inquiry at the House of Representatives on the shortage in the eastern water concession.

Right after the House inquiry, de la Cruz told reporters he wondered whether his resignaTo hold one’s t i o n wa s r e a l l y t h e self accountable solution to the water shortage. His prior- means one believes ity, he said, should himself or herself be the restoration of to be responsible 2 4 / 7 w a t e r s u p p l y.

The Ateneo- and UPfor an error or bred veteran executive wrongdoing, of the Ayala group is and should, taking the public’s patience for granted. therefore, suffer the It should be clear by consequences. now that Manila Water’s mismanagement and lack of precaution, not the El Niùo weather phenomenon and the sudden drop in the water level of La Mesa Dam, is the cause of the shortage that has riled residents from Kalentong in -ANDALUYONG TO #AMBRIDGE #IRCLE IN &ORBES 0ARK What de la Cruz is trying to do is turn around his untenable position as head of Manila Water management, and make it sound as though the public owed it to him that he was even thinking of finding a solution to the water problem, instead of resigning.

In doing so, he, and many others before him, have contributed to rendering the words “I hold myself accountable� utterly meaningless.

To hold one’s self accountable means one believes himself or herself to be responsible for an error or wrongdoing, and should, therefore, suffer the consequences.

Surely, there are other capable executives in the Ayala group who can run Manila Water with the help of the existing staff.

De la Cruz cannot insult the suffering residents of eastern Metro Manila and claim he is the solution to the mess that he, in fact, created or helped create.

The consequence of the mismanagement of the Manila Water corporate organization, of which he is on top, is for him to resign. That is management accountability, and there is no going around it.

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D

ROUGHT has been society’s scourge from biblical times.

The land is parched. Standing crops wilt. The bright sun, for once, is not a blessing but a curse.

Across the farming areas, desperate farmers preside over the detritus of the failed season: young yellow corn shrunk to a wasted pale brown, month-old rice plantings that even famished carabaos won’t touch, lifeless vegetable crops hanging limp on their improvised trellises. &ARM FAMILIES WHEN THEY GATHER for meals, move in the robotic gestures of pain and hopelessness. No words are spoken. Attempts at normal conversation during times of drought usually end up with the father, the farmer and breadwinner, choking up on his grief. He can’t even say the next cropping season will be better.

I had been through these bouts of unspoken pain in my youth, as my farmer-father, at a loss for words to tell us there would be nothing for the next six months because of the drought, would often choke on his misery.

Later in life, I would read Sonnet 29 , and realized that the Shakespearean loser was my farmerfather in times of drought.

Ok, there is always the town’s rich usurer. In times of drought, farmers cling to the town’s rich usurer as some heroic savior of lives.

4HEN AND NOW THE OFkCIAL REsponse to droughts is standard, as if carved in stone and impervious to change. It has always been a combination of PR and big

The Manila Times

MIDWEEK COMMENTS MARLEN V. RONQUILLO words and bigger promises. The GOVERNMENT WILL DELIVER HELP &Inancial assistance will come. The drought-stricken farmers will be compensated one way or another.

Two percent will get help, and the propagandists will make sure that help will get media coverage. Then the 98 percent of the sufferers will BE FORGOTTEN &ARMERS IN THIS SAD country have no one to turn to after calamities and disasters.

This is also carved in stone. &ARMERS AND FARMING AREAS SUFfering from the current drought will have to fend for themselves.

Yet, to most farmers across the country, the drought will be a temporary thing. It is a horror show that will soon come to PASS "EEN THERE OVERCAME THAT We overcame one in 2008, when THERE WAS A NIGHTMARISH CONlUence of a drought and a regional kNANCIAL CRISIS 4HE BIGGER WORRY of real farmers — as opposed to the politicians who assume agriculture oversight posts to cover up for their real estate empires — is the ascendancy of a certikED GRIFTER FORMER "UDGET 3ECRETARY "ENJAMIN $IOKNO INTO THE POWERFUL POST OF "ANGKO 3ENTRAL NG 0ILIPINAS "30 GOVERNOR THE main steward of monetary policy. $IOKNO WHILE "UDGET SECretary, was the spokesman of

the cabinet who scolds that regularly belittled agriculture sector. Members of the House of Representatives who pleaded for more funds for agriculture were lectured by Diokno on the hopeless state of agriculture and its diminished contribution to the GDP. It (agriculture) is a sunset sector, Diokno would lecture the representatives pleading for more agricultural support.

It was later found that Diokno was the alleged architect of a P75 billion insertion into the national budget. And that billions of infrastructure funds had been allegedly diverted into the political bailiwick of his in-laws in Sorsogon province, a fund diversion as garapal as the Napoles scam.

It was the economic team of Diokno, Dominguez and Pernia THAT ALLOWED THE ,AND "ANK OF the Philippines to extend an unsecured loan of $85 million to bankrupt Hanjin and at the same time starve the small farmers and AGRARIAN REFORM BENEkCIARIES OF THE LOANS DUE THEM 4HE ,AND "ANK WAS CREATED TO SPECIkCALLY SERVE the needs of two sectors — agrarIAN REFORM BENEkCIARIES AND SMALL farmers. Yet, it violated its mandate with impunity, with the economic policymakers as abettors, and the unsecured loan to the bankrupt Hanjin was Exhibit A of the antifarm bias of its lending.

The anti-farm bias of Diokno, this is the fear of farmers, will be THE HALLMARK OF HIS "30 STEWARDSHIP One of Diokno’s major state-

ments before leaving the budget post angered the sugar farmers and planters. He announced the government’s plan for unlimited sugar importation. Why was the "UDGET SECRETARY THE SPOKESMAN of key agricultural policies, which are 100 percent antifarmers and anti-agriculture?

Diokno is expected to carry over his policy biases as main steward of the country’s monetary policies.

Deregulation of the rice trade is now a done deal, the gift of a pliant Congress to an administration which is as obsessed WITH '$0 kGURES AS THE GOVERNment of Mr. Aquino 3rd. Never mind that the end of the quantity restrictions on rice imports will kill the three million neglected small rice farmers. The process of DYING HAS STARTED &ARMGATE PRICES for palay has dropped to P14 PER KILO AND THIS IS JUST THE kRST month of the deregulated regime.

7ERE THE &ILIPINO FARMERS JUST lazy and noncompetitive, they deserved what they got from Congress and the Duterte adminISTRATION "UT ACROSS !SIA THE &ILIpino farmer is not only a literal beast of burden but he is also the farmer who has to labor under the most hostile of agricultural POLICIES &ARMERS IN 6IETNAM AND Thailand do not only get support, they get official pampering from their governments.

Here, they have to contend with droughts, Diokno and deregulation and many other pains inflicted on them by the antifarm policies of the state.

Time to change the automated election law

~

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

Drought, Diokno and deregulation

VOLUME 120 NUMBER 158

DANTE A. ANG, Chairman Emeritus RENE Q. BAS, Publisher Emeritus NERILYN A. TENORIO, Publisher-Editor ARNOLD E. BELLEZA, Executive Editor FELIPE F. SALVOSA II, Managing Editor LEENA C. CHUA, News Editor LYNETTE O. LUNA, National Editor TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA, Lifestyle Editor PERRY GIL MALLARI, Sports Editor LEA MANTO-BELTRAN, Supplements Editor 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.

Part 7

I

N Part 6, we learned about the observation of AES Watch re the disconnect of the joint congressional oversight committee (JCOC) with the Comelec Advisory Council, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the technical evaluation committee (TEC), and with its mother entity, the Congress.

The disconnect primarily resulted not only in leaving the Comelec to decide on its own to acquire automated election system (AES) technologies through option-topurchase in 2012 and 2017, but also the poor implementation of the AES project in the past three national and local elections and, incidentally, for the forthcoming elections on May 13, 2019.

To sidetrack a bit, what has been happening with the water supply crisis in Metro Manila, particularly with the admission of Manila Water Co.’s (MWC) violation of 24x7 services, is quite similar to the transparency crisis caused by the Comelec-Smartmatic violation of the AES law.

In the House of Representatives hearing on March 18, the body found that the crisis was triggered

by MWC’s lack of foresight, proper planning, timely execution of

THE PUBLIC kRST SET ASIDE TOO MUCH greed, and penalize accountable LET’S people and entities.

There’s so much similarity FACE IT! between the water crisis and the AES non-transparency. The most profound are: (i) the privatization of water services and the enactits Cardona treatment plant, etc. ment of RA 8436, as amended and the non-institutionalization by RA 9369, both happened in by the Metropolitan Waterworks 1997; (ii) the MWSS (as per Rep. and Sewerage System (MWSS) of Antonio Tinio) and Comelec (i.e., a cross-border mechanism with non-compliance of Smartmatic Maynilad as a contingency mea- with the TOR/AES law) didn’t exsure — that is, mismanagement! ercise their power to penalize their The MWSS, being the regulatory service providers; and (iii) MWSSbody, was hard-pressed to impose MWC and Comelec-Smartmatic ADMINISTRATIVE kNES "UT ITS CHAIR- had poor project management ofman said that it is not part of the kCES 0-/ 4HE ONLY DIFFERENCE concession agreement and that it is that with the water crisis, Metro is not within their powers. There Manilans could feel the pain outwas a motion to review the agree- right while with AES being used, ment and the MWSS functions, ALL OF US &ILIPINOS ARE BLIND COULD including its accountability. To top not even feel the consequences IT ALL 2EP "AYANI &ERNANDO SUM- of non-transparency of AES (e.g., marized the hearing by saying that hacking democracy or even sociothe problem was technical, and economic consequences). Who he recommended the following: among us can prove that the count I FACILITATE THE WATER lOW FROM of the PCOS or VCM machines Angat Dam to La Mesa Dam; (ii) RElECTED THE TRUE WILL OF THE VOTbalance the load by regulating the ers? Anybody? pressure from 20psi to 17psi; and Let’s now proceed with the (iii) use new technology to control question raised in Part 6: What THE VALVES &ERNANDO ENDED BY are the functions of the proposed saying that business undertaking PMO and who are its members? As is focus on the obligation to serve prepared by the technical working

NELSON CELIS

group (TWG) in 2017, the proposed amendments to RA 9369, or the AES Law, were submitted last year to the JCOC with the end in mind that AES project management might somehow change.

"UT WE WERE WRONGĂœ )T ONLY MEANS that the proposed PMO will only be possible in the 2022 elections.

The PMO will complement the #OMELEC AND THE !%3 "OARD READ Part 4), and which is directly responsible for the implementation, coordination and monitoring of the AES project/system. The PMO shall provide overall governance in the execution and implementation of the AES, tasked (i) to monitor the progress in each stage of the implementation of the AES, (ii) to ensure the compliance of the AES contractor or contractors, if any, with regard to any AES outsourced, contract, (iii) to ensure compliance with this Act and existing laws, and (iv) to report and liaise with the AES board, commission and the JCOC. The liaising function would ensure full connection of JCOC with all the AES project stakeholders.

This time, the amendment would level up the Comelec’s Commissioner in charge (CIC) of the AES project, as the chairman

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˜ The Manila Times

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WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

Opinion

A5

Q TIGLAO FROM A1

P15B monument to 24 political super-egos In a tweet in June last year after ) kRST REPORTED ON PLANS FOR THE body’s luxurious new building, 3EN 0ANlIO ,ACSON WHO HEADED the committee that proposed the project, claimed that it would cost only P4.6 billion.

News dispatches on the groundbreaking event yesterday belied ,ACSON S CLAIM REPORTING THAT 3ENate sources said it would cost P8.9 billion. I reported last year that construction-industry sources who checked the building’s specs — which had state-of-the-art “greenbuilding� features — estimated that it would cost P10 billion.

I consulted my sources yesterday. With cement and steel-bar prices likely to go up because of the administration’s massive infrastructure program, and the economy’s robustness that would lead to a boom in demand for new private building, construction costs in the BGC area is likely to rise from last year’s P120,000 per square meter to at least P150,000 in the course of its three-year of construction period.

How much then would the new Senate 11-story headquarters with AN HECTARE lOOR AREA COST 0 billion. Plus the P2 billion cost of the land — P15 billion.

Better use There are so many things that immediately come to mind on how P15 billion could be better used for our people.

The most urgent at this time

would be to repair our airstrip in Pag-asa Island, transform it into one that can accommodate C S AND BUILD FORTIkCATIONS AND even tourist hotels (as Taiwan has done in its Taiping island) there.

7HY IS THIS URGENT Because the stupid suit against China that the previous Yellow REGIME kLED HAS PRODDED NOT ONLY that superpower, but Taiwan and Vietnam to fortify their islands — many of which, including our Kalayaan Group of Islands, the arbitration decision ruled as not “islands� but mere rocks.

These countries therefore have concluded that what would belie that suit’s ruling that these are just rocks and not islands, would be to turn them, through massive reclamation projects, into huge islands — and let the faces of former Foreign Affairs secretary Alberto del Rosario and Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio go black and blue shouting that these are JUST gARTIkCIAL ISLANDS u Other uses I can think of for the P15 billion to be used for THE 3ENATE S OFkCES A VACCINATION program to free our population from the scourge of measles; the purchase of a thousand dialysis machines distributed throughout the archipelago to extend the lives of an estimated 4 million Filipinos with diabetes; the decongestion of EDSA through new bypass or EVEN ELEVATED ROADS A NEW lEET OF state-of-the-art attack helicopters, the key weapons system that would end insurgency in our country;

superpowers, which have the kNANCES ‡ AND THE RIGHT AS ECOnomic powerhouses — to build such expensive icons, as symbols of being on top of the world. ,ET S BE REALISTIC 7E RE AT THE very least a generation from being a US, a Germany or a Great Britain. We’re still struggling to crawl out of our Third World status, we have tens of millions of people who are still poor, and our infrastructure remains one of the most undeveloped in Asia. The senators, with their new building, apparently want to feel as if they are legislators of the US, Germany and Great Britain.

On second thought, maybe we should let the Senate push through WITH ITS 0 BILLION EDIkCE It will likely rouse so much public anger against this largely useless institution that it would be a walk in the park for Duterte to call for a referendum to abolish it. After all, it has been a block to our development. And nearly all of our neighbors in Asia have a single-chamber legislature that has BEEN THE MOST EFkCIENT SET UP FOR A republican system.

If that ever happens, I would think the P15 billion spent for that to come about, shall have been well worth it.

permanent soup kitchens in every major city to feed the poorest; the decongestion of our city jails that has left the accused — not yet the guilty — living like animals.

Insult These are just samples of how P15 billion could be used to benEkT OUR COUNTRYMEN ESPECIALLY the poorest of the poor.

But for our senators, those uses for P15 billion aren’t urgent.

The insult to the nation even escapes them – that the design for the Senate headquarters, a symbol of our nation, is by an !MERICAN kRM 7HY NOT LET ONLY Filipino architects, who are after ALL WORLD CLASS DESIGN IT Our senators want an 11-story headquarters. That would be ROUGHLY TWO SENATORS FOR EVERY lOOR They point to President Duterte as the excuse for needing that much space; the building is designed to have space for 65 senators, as the President indicated he wants to increase the number of senators to that number as part of his plans to shift to a federal system.

It was sickening to hear Senate President Sotto say in his speech that the new Senate building was “extra special for him� as a thirdgeneration politician of his clan, since his granduncle was a member OF THE kRST 3ENATE AND HIS GRANDFAther a congressman.

7HAT 3OTTO THINKS SPENDING P15 billion in taxpayers’ money for a new Senate building is his

Q Another paper’s concern on the new Senate project. contribution to his clan’s “illustri- Germany’s Reichstag, and Great Britain’s Palace of Westminster.

OUSu POLITICAL CAREER That idea is so absurd it borders Servants ON THE HILARIOUS )N THE kRST PLACE

the US Capitol houses 535 repre“The structure is going to be a sentatives and senators; the Reichworthy bastion of democracy, of stag 709 Bundestag members; and free speech, of great ideas ‌ It is Westminster Palace 1,355 memgoing to be an illustrious home for BERS OF THE (OUSE OF ,ORDS AND true servants of the people,â€? Sotto THE (OUSE OF #OMMONS ,ACSON S said in his speech. building will be for 24 senators.

Give me a break. The new Sen$IDN T ANYBODY TELL ,ACSON THAT ate building will be a monument THE 53 #APITOL HAS A 3ENATE WING initially to the egos of the 24 sena- Why don’t they just build a Senate tors who agreed to build it, and wing in the Batasan Pambansa then to future senators who would complex, which will even foster OCCUPY IT 4HE EDIkCE S GRANDIOSITY closer cooperation between the and expansiveness will be a daily two chambers, who can then pass reminder to them that they are THE NEEDED LAWS MORE QUICKLY powerful politicians, and that the %MAIL TIGLAO MANILATIMES billions of pesos they spent to get Superpowers gmail.com AN OFkCE THERE WAS ALL WORTH IT &ACEBOOK 2IGOBERTO 4IGLAO ,ACSON LAST YEAR SAID THE BUILD- ,ACSON WANTS THE 3ENATE BUILDING 4WITTER BOBITIGLAO ing would be “iconic,� and would to be on par with the legislative Order online my book Debunked be comparable to the US Capitol, buildings of three of the world’s at rigobertotiglao.com/debunked

Q CELIS FROM A4

s

Time to change the automated election law of the proposed PMO, to be more pro-active in tandem with the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) highest ranking career SERVICE OFkCIAL WHO HAS A PROVEN track record in senior-level IT management experience, as the PMO co-Chairman. The other three members are (i) the highEST RANKING CAREER SERVICE OFkCIAL from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) who has proven experience in conducting quality assurance test of information technology devices and software programs, (ii) Commissioner of National Telecommunications Commission to oversee the capability of telecommunications in the entire country, and (iii) an outsourced IT project manager from the private sector who has experience in managing large scale IT projects. As an exception, none of the AES contractors shall qualify as members of the PMO, nor shall they be engaged in any stage of implementation of the AES. The above members of the PMO shall be created upon commencement in the planning and preparation for the next regular elections not later than 24 months before the next scheduled regular elections. That means, for 2022, the PMO shall start performing its task in May 2020, a year after the 2019 elections. To augment and support its tasks and functions, the PMO may avail of the services of various resource experts from the IT indusTRY SPECIkCALLY FOR THE FOLLOWING kELDS I DATA BASE ADMINISTRAtion, (ii) data center operations, (iii) data communications and network administration, (iv) application systems development, (v) information infrastructure and information systems security, (vi) change management, (vii) problem and conflict management, (viii) quality assurance, (ix) information systems library and documentation, and (x) training course development.

The AES project implementation should not be left alone to the Comelec and the AES vendor to prevent the experiences in the past, especially the non-disclosure of the AES infrastructure and operations, transmission of election results outside the country, the non-usage of digital signatures,

non-completion or performance of source code review, non-disclosure of contingency plan and measures to political parties, candidates and citizens’ arms, nonperformance of systems audit, and other related technical provisions of the AES law.

The PMO shall be in charge of the different modules of the AES, from the vote casting and counting, transmission of results from the precincts and posting the same from their respective polling centers to the subsequent level of canvassing viewed in distinguishable websites, and CERTIkCATION OF DIGITAL SIGNATURES consistent with existing law.

The following are the functions OF THE PROPOSED 0-/ I 0ERFORM governance and oversight functions up to risk management in all aspects of the development and implementation stages of the AES project from the planning and designing, to the construction and delivery until the conclusion of the electoral exercise; (ii) prepare and execute the implementation plan of the AES involving all stages and time schedules/milestones of the AES based on mutually agreed deliverables with all AES contractors; (iii) create task force/s to suppleMENT THE DETAILED WORK DEkNED by the PMO upon the planning and designing stage following the SYSTEMS CONkGURATION CHOSEN BY the Commission; (iv) perform risk assessments, tracking and communications with the different development teams as well as prepare and design a business continuity plan in cases of slippages in the lifecycle or failure of delivery; (v) manage, administer and oversee the contract and project development lifecycle, corresponding with the different vendor and the Commission’s development teams and determine the maximum efficiency and effectivity of the AES project; and, (vi) such other functions as may be pertinent and germane to its creation.

Meantime, let’s ponder on how the existing PMO will oversee the TEC’s activity as provided in Sec. OF 2! THE SUCCESSFUL completion of audit on the accuracy, functionality and security controls of the AES software.

(To be continued)

LETTER TO PRESIDENT DUTERTE We look up to you as the President of this country, representing the needs and wishes of the Filipino people. Moreover, as Filipino citizens under your leadership, it is our duty as well to inform ourselves about the words that you speak and the messages that you impart to our countrymen. Many controversies have arisen from your statements that were regarded merely as “jokes,� but have further divided the Filipino people. However, we have become concerned that the messages you have been expressing regarding the missions of priests possess a higher level of ambiguity as an alternative to fact. In your recent tirade against priests, you expressed a great amount of doubt in the faith that many of your people believe in. Although believing in the Catholic doctrine is not your obligation, respecting and showing consideration for the religion that millions of Filipinos practice is a responsibility that a president should fulfill.

We understand that you feel anger towards priests due to the instance where

a priest supposedly prayed for your death during a Mass; such an act contradicts the teachings of the Catholic faith. However, generalizations about the entirety of the Catholic should not be made from the mistake of one priest. Rather than berating and ridiculing the mission of priests within the Catholic Church, we believe that it would be best to keep your resentful remarks away from the public’s eyes and ears.

Priests have a duty to submit themselves fully to God just as you have a duty to submit yourself to our country. Priests simply have a more spiritual task that entails sacrifice and long-term commitment as they are called to live a life of celibacy. Sexual remarks circling the tasks of priests should not be used as an instrument to degrade them, or anyone, for their beliefs or their work. However, we understand the opportunity you had to express your feelings toward the issue at hand and thus respect your beliefs. It is indeed important for one to express what one believes in, which is why we kindly wish for your consideration towards ours.

As students whose beliefs are deeply rooted in the Catholic faith, we sincerely ask that you understand where we are coming from given this situation for it is our duty to defend our faith. Moreover, since we are the future generation of this country, we only wish the best for the nation. We know that as our president, you would want the same for your people as well.

The Filipino Youth Bella Gironella, Amaya Lacson, Jamie Songco, Chinkee Naagas, Brianna Sarile

Clash of civilizations The 8 civilizations Part 1

came knocking on NATO’s door; Turkey resumed its role as protector HIS year marks the 30th year of Muslims in the Balkans, Bosnia after the Berlin Wall came down. and Albania. Greece and Turkey are This was the beginning of the dying members of NATO, but with the throes of the Union of Soviet Socialpost-Cold War ideological threat ist Republics (USSR). In two years, In 1996, Samuel Huntington, an gone, Greece and Turkey are teeterin the autumn of 1991, President erudite Harvard professor published ing on the edge of violence against Mikhail Gorbachev resigned, pass- his book The Clash of Civilizations each other. Sometimes civilizations ing on power to Boris Yeltsin of Rus- and The Remaking of World Order. go through boundaries of states. The sia. The Soviet Union was dissolved, His hypothesis is that in the post- eastern and western parts of Ukraine the Cold War ended, and the West Cold War world, future wars would belong to different civilizations.

WON ,IBERAL DEMOCRACY AND CAPI- be fought not between ideologies but Two corollary issues are bones of talism trumped communism. The between cultures. And the primary contention. Western civilizations’ former was meant to sweep across source of discord will be the people’s unique values; separation of Church the world in a new order, with the cultural and religious identities. and state; rule of law and rights of Western powers led by the United Accordingly, encounters fall along individuals; pluralistic nature of States presiding over a new era of the faultlines of the world’s biggest Western societies; which has evolved harmony. This did not happen. The cultural entities or civilizations. and existed for a thousand years have euphoria of victory was short-lived. There is no universal civilization. been imposed on other civilizations By the end of WW 2, with the Instead there are these seven or eight, even older than itself. Confucian, ascendancy of America as the lone EACH WITHIN ITS OWN SET OF VALUES A Japanese and Hindi civilizations have self-appointed global police, an Iron Western North America and Western their own unique ethos contradictory Curtain descended upon the USSR Europe with the US, Germany and to the Western concepts. These at,dividing Europe into East and West France as the core states; b) Ortho- tempts, backed up by might and the blocs. The Cold War broke out, dox, with Russia as the core state; Cross, did not bode well for these delineating the world further into c) Confucian or Sinic with China already complex relationships.

POLITICAL SPHERES OF INlUENCE THE 53 as core state; d) Islamic but with no Which brings us to the second led Western liberal capitalist alliance; core states because of its heterogene- issue — that of equating westernizathe Soviet Union-led communist bloc ITY E ,ATIN !MERICAN ALSO WITH NO tion with modernization. Under the and the non-aligned countries which core state; f) Hindu, India as core; guise of the globalization mantra as were the ideological moving targets of and g) Japanese, Japan as core; and the vehicle for liberal democracy and THE POWER DYNAMICS BETWEEN THE kRST sub-Saharan Africa with no core state. capitalism, greater interaction with TWO AND WHERE CONlICTS TOOK PLACE Two decades after Huntington’s other civilizations was the intent of The nuclear arsenal on opposing sides book, empirical data suggests many the Western world, primarily to create guaranteed total world destruction if nations did indeed align along cul- and expand world markets. But globever the Cold War turned into a shoot- tural lines. Countries with similar al capitalism has over-emphasized ING CONlICT 3TRANGELY THIS PARADIGM cultures come together; those histori- its impact on the world. In Islam, brought about a modicum of stability cally with different cultures broke up. Chinese and other Eastern cultures, of “non-war and non-peace� under Yugoslavia split up along cultural there is resistance to Western values the threat of mutually assured destruc- lines; Serbia/Bulgaria/Greece formed of human rights and democracy. tion (MAD). After 1991, this pattern an Orthodox entente; Catholic parts All societies strive for wealth, of history, uneasy at best, disappeared. of Yugoslavia/Slovenia/ Croatia WELCOMING THE INlUX OF NEW TECH-

T

LITO MONICO C. LORENZANA

NOLOGY AVAILING OF THE BENEkTS OF modern science; adopting some elements of free-markets. But they don’t necessarily want to embody Western values nor take on their religions. Predominantly Shinto and Buddhist Japan is the template which could work. It is thoroughly MODERN HAS SIGNIkCANTLY ADOPTED elements of Western culture in its drive for economic growth, but it is not Western in character. Japanese don’t think of themselves as Western. They recognize certain fundamental differences in their culture, society and in their way of life which are anathema to other cultures, especially the US and Western Europe.

What is disturbing by far is the emergence of Islam challenging American hegemony framed by the knee-jerk response after the Sept. 11, 2001 Twin Towers attack. America had to re-evaluate its policy on foreign intervention after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The lessons of these debacles resonated on the CURRENT 4RUMP ADMINISTRATION S kXAtion on domestic immigration and the outright use of the label radical Islamic terrorism, which Bush and Obama refused to do, emphasizing that America was at war with violent extremists, not Islam itself.

The predicate of Trump’s racist position on immigration may have been that of Huntington’s proposition that the US needs to partner with its European allies to limit immigration to the US and put a cap from an annual 800K after 1965 to 500K, a needed pause to better con-

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A6

Opinion

˜ The Manila Times

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WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

Can’t we all get along?

I

WROTE last week of my overwhelming emotion when my plane landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport where the revered opposition leader to a dictatorship was assassinated in cold blood. Alas, this week the mass shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, apparently motivated by racial and religious hatred, once again shook our collective conscience. It reminded me of when I was a student in California, when racially motivated unrest erupted in Los Angeles, prompted by the brutal beatings by white police ofkCERS OF A BLACK !MERICAN 2ODNEY King. I can still recall vividly that during the riots, King came out to try to help calm down the unruly situation by saying, “Can we all just get along?�

Indeed that was a somewhat rhetorical but fair question at several levels: “Why can’t we get along?â€? Well, although most of us are born free, or with free minds, our world views and behaviors are rapidly and sometimes imperceptibly shaped by the culture and society around us. We derive a sense of comfort and safety by attaching ourselves to our surrounding groups (more and more online nowadays). I can see this quite clearly with my many relatives who perhaps share the same ethnicity but are scattered around the world. Most of them became accustomed to the cultural traits of where they grew up, and when there is a worldwide reunion of these relatives, you could almost feel the awkwardness of those from different backgrounds having to interact with each other, which sometimes reminds me of the clichĂŠ but “heavyâ€? phrase “clash of civilizations.â€?

In any case, this sort of almost

EI SUN OH natural clinging to the culture and society that one is most familiar with, when met with recurrent scarcity of resources around the world, can sometimes lead to very negative consequences. When certain resources critical for sustaining life or livelihood, such as clean water, food or even money become difficult to procure, individuals in close-knit groups may even coalesce around what is known as “tribal mentality.� They hang on even tighter to each other within the group, sometimes both mentally and physically. Sometimes such groups become “territorial,� not necessarily in a land-bound sense, and they may clash with each other violently, which is perhaps what gives rise to war and suffering. Other individuals or groups may just withdraw into the solace of spiritual pursuits.

So, individuals, communities and sometimes even nations may clash with each other ostensibly over cultural differences which often mask over fundamental strategic contest. Many Southeast Asian countries, for example, see armed conflicts within or even across their borders, as different groups of minorities or even majorities try to advance their political and economic causes in violent fashion. We can perhaps only console ourselves that while such not so civil wars could spill over to neighboring countries, as was the case with the Vietnam War, Most Southeast Asian countries have not

gone into full-scale war (although occasional skirmishes did occur) with each other in modern times.

Such was, alas, not the case in the Middle East, where wars, both civil and international, have claimed millions of lives.

In the context of a country or state, there are in essence monocultural or multicultural ones. The notion of sovereign “nation states� took root only after World War 1 a century ago. The then US President Woodrow Wilson essentially called for “nation states� to break away from their colonial masters to form independent, sovereign STATES !T kRST GLANCE THIS SOUNDED like a positive and progressive idea, and indeed it is. But the notion of “nation state� carries with it a certain epistemological burden the effects of which we are still suffering worldwide. For I have the distinct feeling that a “nation� in the Wilsonian sense does not merely convey the meaning of “country� or “state.� Rather, “nation� also carries with it the color of ethnicity or at least culture.

The original Wilsonian idea was perhaps that ethnic groups around the world, many of which resided in their traditional homelands, should become independent countries where their cultures could be practiced without the shackles of THE COLONIZERS 4HIS WAS ALL kNE and noble, and countries around the world derived their independence and sovereignty from this notion of “nation state,� except for the minor inconvenience that not all states consisted primarily of a single ethnic group or culture.

When that is the case, as it was with many cases around the world, CONlICTS MAY OCCUR WHEREBY THE majority and minority groups in newly formed or even established

countries do not like each other and would like to dominate the political or economic scene within the countries concerned.

Countries like Japan and Korea may be characterized as nonimmigrant countries, where the culture and society in these countries would remain Japanese and Korea, respectively, for a long time to come. Foreigners who choose to reside in these countries would have to essentially assimilate into THE LOCAL CULTURE OR THEY WILL kND IT DIFkCULT TO PROSPER 4HEN THERE are many Western countries which took in immigrants mainly from the Middle East and Africa. Some countries, like France, appear to prefer these immigrants to assimilate quickly into the French language and culture. Other countries, like the United Kingdom, Australia and, yes, New Zealand, appear to take a more backseat approach as to how these new immigrants accustom themselves in their new countries. In any case, clashes and backlashes have occurred between some of the individuals in the traditionally dominant “national� group and some newcomers who clung on to the traditional ways of their ancestral homeland. And in recent years, this has led to tragic fatalities on both sides.

It is easy to condemn the mass murders as the sick acts of mere individuals. But unless we try to carefully seek out the root socioeconomic and politico-cultural causes and address them head-on, we risk seeing these sorts of tragedies recur. There are many multicultural Southeast Asian countries that are relatively peaceful in their societal makeup, and perhaps some positive lessons can be derived there for reference as well. We must all learn how to get along.

US survey finds lack of awareness on global warming

AS POLITICAL AS IT IS SCIENTIkC AND even if fully embraced will not WISCONSIN, USA: The UN’s World offset much more than about Water day is fast approaching 0.1C of warming.

This underscores the imporas the state of the world’s consumable water supply remains tance of personal action by dismal. Billions of people face anyone concerned about the at least the very real risk of scar- effects of warming to make a difcity, if they’re not facing scarcity ference by making energy-saving already; and about a third of the decisions. Such opportunity world’s groundwater systems are now exists in nearly all facets of in danger of becoming depleted. a home, and actions as simple With the Trump Administra- as installing LED light bulbs or tion’s withdrawal from the Paris smart power strips could easily Agreement in 2017, things are supersede any slower-moving looking grimmer still. Several government action in offsetting state governors, Republicans and emissions-based warming.�

This points to the necessity for Democrats both, and Puerto Rico have even ignored the federal individual action in the face of withdrawal and pledged to up- institutional opposition as well hold the agreement on a state as institutional inefficacy. The level. So far, seventeen US states problem is that in order for there have committed to upholding it. to be individual action, there Furthermore, in October of must be an impetus; in order 2018, the UN Intergovernmental for there to be an impetus, there Panel on Climate Change released must be, at base, awareness.

A recent survey conducted a report claiming that we have only 12 years to keep global tem- by Rockay — an eco-conscious peratures to about 1.5C — if there manufacturer of running apparel is even a half a degree increase, — reveals that awareness is exactly IT WOULD LIKELY EXACERBATE lOODS what more than half of Americans droughts, extreme heat, and pover- lack on the issue of climate change. ty, all of which will affect millions Conducted online via 3GEM REof people all around the world. The SEARCH & INSIGHTS, the survey Paris Agreement, in theory, would polled 1500 American adults, ranging from ages 18 to 55+. The prevent this from happening.

But Dr. Isaac Hankes — a kNDINGS WERE SURPRISING For example, when the remeteorologist and a Weather ReSEARCH !NALYST AT 2EkNITIV ‡ HAS sponders were asked if global a different view. He claims that warming will have deleterious “the Paris climate agreement is effects in their own lifetime, the BY YASH BHANDARI

results were split. 34% answered they did indeed believe that there will be a global-warminginduced impact in their own lifetime; about the same percentage answered the opposite, with 7 percent claiming that global warming was a “hoax� outright.

Additionally, 32 percent seemed to be more ambivalent about the issue, answering “kind of,� pointing to an acknowledgment of a fundamental lack of awareness.

This same lack of awareness manifests itself in what is perhaps a more pernicious way. When asked the question, “Are you aware of the Paris Agreement and what it entails?� a whopping 56 percent of respondents answered “no.�

Remember, the Paris Agreement is designed to, in theory, mitigate OR EVEN PREVENT ENTIRELY lOODS AND droughts and extreme heat that are set to upend the lives of millions of people worldwide.

Remember too, that politically, the Agreement is a hot topic, creating rifts between politicians, government agencies, and even among nations on how to proceed.

Given this, it’s probably fair to say that climate change, and perhaps even foreign affairs, just isn’t on the mind of most Americans. At least not in any potent sort of way.

In fact, when the respondents were asked about how often they actually spoke about global warming with their friends and family — effectively gauging their

level of concern — a tepid 14 percent said they “often� do. By contrast, 50 percent responded that they “rarely� or “never� do.

4HE SIGNIkCANCE OF THESE kNDINGS is potentiated by two assumptions.

4HE kRST IS THAT THE 0ARIS !GREEment alone may not be as effective as would be ideal. The second is that the true solution lies in effectuating a change in the habits of individuals, rather than of entities.

Rockay’s survey indicates that actually succeeding in effectuating this habitual change in inDIVIDUALS IS DIFkCULT DUE IN PART to the fact that these individuals generally have no awareness that there is actually a problem to solve, and thus they have no impetus to change.

To combat this, Rockay urges people to start small, with something easy that has potential to not just combat climate change, but water wastage as well: laundry. You can read more about the why and how in their article, “The True Cost of Doing Laundry: A Global Perspective�

The hope is to raise awareness of the facts and trust that the collective consciousness will evolve TO RElECT THEM "ECAUSE ONLY THEN would the earth and its inhabitIPS ants stand a chance.

Yash Bhandari is research editor at Rockay, a clothing manufacturer that focuses on the exclusive use of eco-friendly and recyclable materials

Who spawned the Christchurch killer?

PENNSYLVANIA: Last Friday, in Christchurch, New Zealand, one of the more civilized places on earth, 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant, an Australian, turned on his cellphone camera and set out to livestream his massacre of as many innocent Muslim worshippers as he could kill.

5SING A SEMI AUTOMATIC RIlE HE murdered more than 40 men, women and children at one mosque, drove 3 miles to another, and there killed 7 more. Dozens are still wounded, suffering and dying.

An atrocity and act of pure evil by a man with a dead soul.

Yet, predictably, within 48 hours, the president of the United States was being publicly indicted as a moral accomplice.

Donald Trump, it was said, used a word, “invasion,� to describe the 76,000 migrants caught illegally crossing the US border in February.

At the same time, the killer used that word to describe the Muslim migration into the West.

The killer also mentioned Trump in his 74-page manifesto.

What further need have we of proof?

Trump also failed to express America’s revulsion and his country’s condolences to Muslims everywhere, and failed to denounce the “white nationalist� ideology that motivated the killer.

From there, it was a short jump to declare that we Americans have too long ignored this growing menace.

Charlottesville, where a woman protester was run over by a neo-Nazi, was trotted out again and again.

But does the vision of America as a country where white racism is rampant and an unleashed white nationalism is a scourge that is running amok correspond with reality?

America’s elites are familiar with the Acela Express, the train that runs from DC’s Union Station to Penn Station in New York. )N WHICH OF THE kVE %ASTERN 3EAboard cities at which the Acela stops to take on and discharge passengers — Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Newark, New York — are white nationalists responsible for a SIGNIkCANT SHARE OF THE ASSAULTS ROBberies, rapes and shootings?

Chicago may lead the nation in total gun deaths. But the murder rate was highest in 2018 in St. Louis, Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans and Kansas City. In how many of these cities are Klansmen and neo-Nazis regularly hauled in for violent crimes?

As for the mass murders of our new century, the racist right has perpetrated its share. Dylann Roof’s killing of the black women and men at the #HARLESTON CHURCH QUALIkES AS DOES the massacre of Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Yet a Muslim major, Nidal Hasan, fatally shot 13 soldiers at Fort Hood.

In the 2015 San Bernardino massacre, Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik carried out that attack that left 14 dead and 22 wounded.

According to Forbes , of the 18,814 deaths caused by terrorists around the world in 2017, well over

CREATORS SYNDICATE

PATRICK J. BUCHANAN half were due to the actions of four groups: Islamic State, the Taliban, Al-Shabab and Boko Haram.

All are Sunni Muslim; none are alt-right.

Undeniably, atrocities that exceed in blood shed the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre by Al Capone’s gang, where seven men were stood against a wall in a Chicago garage and executed, have become all too common.

But the atrocities seized upon by the left as most representative are those that conform to vision, a narrative, a pre-existing script. This preconceived idea is that America is a hotbed of white nationalism where the worst crimes are committed by white racists. And this is a myth.

Now, there are no excuses, or defenses, for what happened in Christchurch. But there is an explanation.

All peoples to some degree resent and resist the movement of outsiders into their space. Some migrants ARE MORE DIFkCULT THAN OTHERS TO ASsimilate into Western societies. European nations that had not known mass migrations for centuries were especially susceptible to a virulent reaction, a backlash.

Americans, after all, reacted viscerally to the Irish migration of 1845-1849, and, again, to the Great Migration from Central and Eastern Europe from 1890 to 1920. Interethnic violence was not uncommon.

Our leaders in the 1920s understood this and took steps to halt the migrations until those who had come could be assimilated, and, in a word, Americanized. It worked.

By 1960, we were a united people.

Then, without the people’s consent, the great experiment began: America’s doors were thrown open to peoples of every religion, race, culture and creed, to create a different nation that mirrored all mankind in its diversity, in Ben Wattenberg’s phrase, a universal nation.

The problem: A universal nation is a contradiction in terms. A nation of all races, religions and tribes had never before existed.

The liberal democracies that embraced this ideology, this idea, are at war with human nature, and are losing this war to tribalism and authoritarianism.

As for Christchurch, unfortunately, such horrors appear to have become the new normal. But Brenton Tarrant alone is responsible for what he did.

And it was not Trump but the New World Order globalists who fertilized the soil that spawned him.

CREATORS.COM

Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of “Nixon’s White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President AND $IVIDED !MERICA &OREVER u 4O kND out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com.

Q LORENZANA FROM A5

Clash of civilizations centrate on assimilating the millions who are already in place. President Trump rescinded this recommenDATION AND RECONkGURED THE ISSUE into a massive racist rejection of the INlOW OF -USLIMS FROM THE -IDDLE East and countries from which “Islamic terrorists� are sourced.

It is believed, however, that a clash with Islam will not lead to a major war. As a civilization, Islam has no single dominant core Islamic state; but it is so fragmented and occupied primarily WITH kGHTING EACH OTHER Islam has sub-civilizations within — Arabic, Malay, Turkic, and they compete for Islamic leadership, posing a destabilizing force in their region and culture. Iran vs Saudi for a time were arming Bosnian Muslims, for example, supporting different )SLAMIC GROUPS kGHTING NON )SLAMIC ones. Islam used to have the dominant Ottoman Empire which disappeared. The rise of IS is a parody of the Islamic caliphate.

The “clash of civilizations� also

presaged the singular rise of the Middle Kingdom. After Deng Xiaoping unleashed its economic dragons, China has become increasingly assertive and if it grows economically at the same rate as in the past decades, it will establish its hegemony over Asia and reclaim its sphere of influence which historically endured hundreds of years until the mid-19th century. Its nine-dash line and expansion in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) does not augur well for the countries on its periphery. China has already declared it is their right. But how will Japan and, more importantly, America react to this? And how will this affect the Philippines?

This article borrows and quotes heavily from Samuel Huntington’s opus; op-ed columnist David Brooks, essayist Emma Ashford and Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy.

For comments: lito.lorenzana@cdpi.asia

Regions

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

A7

TAWI-TAWI POISED TO BE NEXT SINGAPORE – ADMIN BETS SENATE candidates of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) expressed confidence that Tawi-Tawi would be the next international transshipment hub, like Singapore.

Former senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, PDP-Laban president, made the statement after the party’s Senate bets graced the groundbreaking ceremony for an economic zone and transshipment

port in Tawi-Tawi on Monday.

Pimentel said the zone would contribute P50 billion to P80 billion to the treasury, and port operations would generate thousands of jobs for Mindanaoans.

“Tawi-Tawi will be the next Singapore,” Pimentel said. “This is truly a historic occasion because this marks the beginning of TawiTawi’s journey towards peace and progress. This economic zone and

Kusog Bikolandia endorses Bong Go DAET, CAMARINES NORTE: Kusog Bikolandia, a new home-grown political party in the Bicol Region endorsed the Senate bid of former special assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go. Kusog Bikolandia founder and Chairman Noel de Luna, mediaman turned-businessman, announced the endorsement of Go. De Luna said that if Go would be elected he could help the country’s development through his legislative initiatives and as a conduit to the President.

Aside from Go, de Luna also supported the candidacy of Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito.

De Luna formed the Kusog Bicolandia on July 16, 2018 to champion genuine social equality, where every Bicolano would be given access to quality health services, education, livelihood, emergency assistance, pension and shelter (Helps).

Go arrived at the Daet airport on Sunday where he was met by de Luna and Gov. Edgardo Tallado of Partido Demokratiko PilipinoLakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

He stood as godfather of separated conjoined twins Divine and Mercy, then headed to the Agro Sports Complex where a political rally of PDP-Laban Senate candidates was being held.

n BUDGET FROM A1

“If we don’t come to an agreement and then Tito Sotto does not sign the bill, then there’s no bill to send to the President,” Arroyo added.

The government continues to operate on a reenacted 2018 budget of P3.767 trillion as congressional leaders failed to reach a consensus during their meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte last week.

Sotto on Tuesday said the Senate would wait until May 20 for House leaders to make up their minds.

On May 20, the 17th Congress resumes session after the May 13 midterm elections, and could take up anew the bicameral budget report that the Senate and the House ratified on February 8.

If the House leadership insists on their “manipulated version” of the measure, then the Senate will have to wait until the 18th Congress is convened and tackle the 2019 budget bill with the new set of House leaders, Sotto said.

He clarified that a special session could take place only after the House agrees to restore the ratified report and let Duterte veto lump-sum items.

“We cannot agree to something that is violative of Article 170 of the Revised Penal Code, which is falsification of legislative documents. It’s as simple as that,” he said.

In a news briefing, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte would not mediate between lawmakers anymore.

“He did not convince them, right? He just told them, ‘You settle that on your own.’ That was the exact word of the President, exact sentence,” he said.

GLEEJALEA,JAVIERJOEISMAEL AND RALPH U.VILLANUEVA

House

Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, her negotiator with the Senate for the 2019 budget bill.

Citing Zamora, Sen. Panfilo Lacson claimed on Monday the House had agreed to keep the version of the bill approved in the bicameral conference committee report and ratified by both houses of Congress on February 8.

Arroyo, who signed the money measure last week, maintained that the House would keep its version with line-itemized projects, contrary to the proposal of the Senate to keep the lump-sum budget and have it vetoed by the President.

“We will insist on no lump-sum because that is what is unconstitutional. That’s what we will insist, no lump sum. Now, as to the details, that’s the one that we’ll see,” she added.

The P3.757-trillion national budget impasse continues as Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto 3rd remains firm on not signing the House version that he claims was revised post-ratification.

At least P95.1 billion were supposedly realigned and a portion of the P15-billion budget for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program was itemized to favor at least 62 districts after ratification, Lacson said on Sunday.

The House appropriations Chairman, Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., claimed the Senate also did its own post-ratification amendments by realigning some P17billion worth of right-of-way funding to unknown proponents.

transshipment port will be an economic game-changer not only in Mindanao, but in the entire country as well,” he said.

The economic zone and transshipment port will be built in Kulape, Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi.

An estimated 52,000 cargoes and other vessels use the passage every year.

Former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino, one of the PDP-Laban Senate bets, said the

economic zone would “lessen the numbers of Mindanaoans seeking their future at the metropolis.”

“This economic zone is not just a catalyst for economic growth but an important part of President Duterte’s policy of decentralizing political and economic power from Metro Manila,” Tolentino said.

“This proposed Tawi-Tawi economic zone and Tawi-Tawi transshipment port is one bold step that could actu-

ally turn it into a major trading post in southeast Asia,” he added.

Tolentino said transforming Tawi-Tawi would “lead the way for Mindanao’s quest for peace.”

“This is the best thing that has happened in Tawi-Tawi. This project would definitely inspire all other provinces in Mindanao such as Basilan and Sulu to shun terrorism and embrace peace and development,” he said.

The concept and design of the

project was a brainchild of Prof.

Sajid Omar Adil.

Former Tawi-Tawi governor Hadji Sakidul Adalla Sahali and Adil were able to get $2 billion in initial funding from Hong Kong and China-based businessmen, who also attended the ceremony.

Adil said Tawi-Tawi could also be a tourism “superstar” because of its pristine beaches.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

ASG still top threat to BARMM security

BY JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL

C

OTABATO CITY: The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has classified the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) as still the top security threat in the region, military officials said.

This was learned from officers of the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), who gave a briefing to Chief Minister Al Hajj Murad Ebrahim on security issues affecting the BARMM during first regional peace and order council (RPOC) here on Tuesday.

Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Army’s 6th

Infantry Division (6ID), informed Ebrahim that the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters were also the concern, but the Army division was trying to address it with the help of local government units in Maguindanao.

The PNP and officials from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, similarly pointed out that while the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan had

tactically been marginalized, its forces in Sulu remained a serious problem that the WestMinCom and the Police Regional OfficeBARMM were trying to neutralize.

Officials and representatives from areas under BARMM attended the conference, but the provincial government of Sulu.

Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan 2nd and his father Abdusakur Sr. campaigned against the BARMM ratification during the plebiscite.

In attendance were Basilan Gov. Jim Salliman, brother of former ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, Lamitan City Vice Mayor Roderick Furigay and representatives from the office of the provincial governors in Maguindanao and

Lanao del Sur. Meanwhile, Col. Romeo Brawner, commander of the Army’s 103rd Brigade in Marawi City, told Ebrahim that extensive efforts to totally cut the operations of Maute terror group in Lanao del Sur was underway.

Brawner said there had been considerable successes in their campaign against the Maute, which were achieved with the support of the police and local officials.

He confirmed that the group, which instigated the deadly May 23 to Aug. 16, 2017 conflict in Marawi, was now led by Owaida Marohombsar, known as Abu Dar. Brawner said dozens of Maute terrorists had surrendered in recent months.

BUSTED

Anti-narcotics police arrested Felix Flores, Rodel Herrera and Albert Mabini during a buy-bust in Barangay Salitran 3 in Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Monday night.

Seized from the suspects, belonging to a notorious drug group, were 47 blocks of dried marijuana leaves, weighing about 47 kilos and estimated to value up to P564,000.

PHOTO BY BOY JOSUE

Comelec declares Mindanao, Abra poll hotspots THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday declared the entire region of Mindanao and the province of Abra election hotspots.

The poll body placed Mindanao and three other areas under the “red” category.

The other areas were Jones town in Isabela, Lope de Vega town in

Northern Samar and the entire province of Abra.

An area is placed under the red category if it had suspected election-related incidents in the last two elections, or if there are serious armed threats from rebel groups such as the New People’s Army, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Abu

Sayyaf Group and rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or other groups.

In December last year, Congress extended martial law in Mindanao for another year or until December 31, 2019.

Martial law was declared in the South in May 2017 after the Maute terror group laid siege to

Marawi City.

The Comelec can direct the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to deploy more troops to areas tagged as election hotspots to augment forces and boost security measures. The poll body can also order the reshuffe of security forces if the need arises.

‘Suspect in Cebu teen murder acted with discernment’ THE City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) said in its social case study report to the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office that the suspect, a minor, in the gruesome murder of Christine Lee Silawan, 16, showed discernment.

Silawan was found in a vacant lot with multiple stab wounds in the body and her face peeled off on March 11.

The Lapu-Lapu CSWDO said the suspect, a 17-year-old from Sitio Looc, Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, got a score of 3.78 in the level of moral development tool.

“This score suggest an average level of discernment, which represents that he has the capacity to determine between right and wrong and he could clearly recognize the reality that society has rules to be followed,” the report said.

The report, prepared by Leticia Patalinghug, Social Welfare Officer 4, said the index of value judgment administered to the suspect yielded a score of 40, which suggests that he had an above average level of value judgment.

The Manila Times obtained a copy of the social report through Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor Ruso Zaragoza.

Zaragoza said the suspect had undergone inquest proceedings on Monday and the suspect’s counsel, Joanne Tricia Abejo, requested for a preliminary investigation.

The CSWDO provided a lawyer for the suspect and assisted him during the inquest proceedings.

In its order dated March 18, Zaragoza required the suspect to submit his counteraffidavit and other supporting documents. The prosecutor had 15 days to resolve the case starting March 19.

Zaragoza said the suspect’s parents did not show up during the inquest proceedings, and there was no extra-judicial confession attached to the voluminous complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7).

He admitted there was a delay in the case since the Public Attorney’s Office insisted on representing the Silawan family.

A panel to handle the inquest proceedings and investigation of Silawan’s murder has been created, headed by Prosecutor Jude Henritz Ycong with Prosecutors Francis Ian Birondo and Angelo Barrios as members.

No justice yet

Silawan’s mother Lourdes Silawan Pardillo, said justice had not been attained despite the arrest of the suspect.

“I could not believe that he [suspect] was the only one [who killed Christine]. There was an accomplice,” she said in Visayan.

Lourdes, who faced the suspect on Sunday said it was the first time she met him.

“He did not say anything,” she added.

She said Christine did not confide in her that she had a boyfriend, and her daughter rarely left their house.

Lourdes, who will be celebrating her birthday on March 23, said she was convinced the arrested suspect was the one who killed Christine based on the CCTV footage.

However, she said that she was not comfortable, knowing that the suspect had cohorts.

The NBI-7 filed the murder complaint, in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the “Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012,” against the suspect before the LapuLapu City Prosecutor’s Office.

Antonio Pagatpat, NBI deputy director for Regional Operations Services officials,

declined to reveal details of the suspect’s background, saying the accused is a minor, and a lawyer and a social worker from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) were needed to interview him.

Pagatpat said they were still looking for eyewitnesses to the murder, adding that the suspect could have peeled off Christine’s face so that she would not be immediately identified.

NBI-7 agent Francis Señora, during a media conference, said a person of interest (POI) came to the NBI’s radar through the result of the application of Open Source Intelligence on Christine’s Facebook account.

He said screenshots of Christine’s Facebook and Messenger accounts were obtained and now form part of the evidence.

The conversations on Christine and the suspect’s account revealed that they were in a relationship and they planned to meet at 6 p.m. on March 10 at the church in Barangay Pajac.

Señora said the only person who met Christine at that time and place was the suspect.

He added that witnesses’ accounts positively identified the CCTV footage

pertaining to Christine and the POI. Further review of other CCTV footage after Pacific Villa did not show any trace of the POI and Christine. “The area where they were last captured by CCTV was near a pathway directly heading towards the place wherein the body of the victim was found,” added Señora.

Meanwhile, Rene Cam, NBI-7 Forensic Division head, said Christine could have been killed between 6 and 7 p.m. of March 10, based on the post mortem findings.

He added that the autopsy result showed that Christine had no recent injuries in her genital area.

No confession

Dominador Cimafranca, NBI-7 assistant regional director, said that Christine’s case is not yet closed, but there was no extrajudicial confession from the suspect.

Christine, a volunteer collector of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City was seen in a CCTV footage eating balut (duck egg with embryo) with her male friend, an altar boy, on March 10.

Tomas Enrile, NBI-7 regional director, said

that the suspect could have done it out of jealousy and too much anger (upon seeing the altar boy eating balut with Christine).

Contrary to earlier reports, he said the arrested suspect was not an altar boy. “It was Christine’s companion seen eating balut with her who was the altar boy.”

Senior Supt. Colonel Limuel Obon, City Police Office director, had said the killing of Christine was a crime of passion.

Reward money

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza reiterated during a media conference on Tuesday that the P1 million reward money would be given once the case is resolved.

She said the investigation was ongoing since there were at least three suspects.

“What was done to Christine cannot be done by one person alone.”

Radaza said the suspect was a former classmate of Christine, who was retained in Grade 7 at the Maribago National High School, while Christine was promoted to Grade 9.

Christine will be buried on Saturday in Cordova town cemetery.

RHEA RUTH ROSELL

A8

News

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

˜ The Manila Times w w w.manilatimes.net

D I LG TO LG U S:

‘Revoke business permits of polluters’ T

BY ROY D. R. NARRA

HE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered 178 local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) to revoke the business permits of establishments violating environmental laws, especially those that contribute to the pollution of Manila Bay.

Interior Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said DILG Secretary Eduardo Año issued a memorandum to all the mayors of the regions concerned to ensure that all establishments in their area are complying with environmental laws and policies.

He added that the mayors have the right to revoke the business permits of establishments violating environmental laws.

“The Supreme Court has ruled that a

business permit is subject to the regulation of the State and may, therefore, be revoked or withdrawn if there is cause to do so,” Malaya said.

He added that Año instructed DILG regional directors of NCR, Central Luzon and Calabarzon to report local chief executives who were not complying with his directive.

This is part of the DILG’s program to follow President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive of rehabilitating Manila Bay.

“Let us sustain the momentum of cleaning up Manila Bay. The DILG is committed to doing our role in the interagency Manila Bay Task Force which includes supervision of LGUs whether they are judiciously inspecting all establishments in their respective areas,” Malaya said.

Around 5,000 volunteers joined the Manila Bay cleanup on January 27, removing tons of trash on the sea of the popular Manila site.

Belmonte thanks supporters for making her top survey QUEZON City Vice Mayor JosekNA g*OYu "ELMONTE ON 4UESDAY thanked her supporters for making her top the latest mayoral survey in the city.

The Halalan 2019 NCR Survey released by RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. showed Belmonte as the top choice for mayor.

The non-commissioned survey dated March 1 to 10, 2019 showed that 75 percent of registered voters

in Quezon City prefer Belmonte over Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo and former representative Chuck Mathay.

“I thank the voters who participated in the poll who placed their utmost trust and support in me. I am now more encouraged to reach out and express my platforms to the people, so that they will know that all I am aiming for is the betterment of our city, the welfare of

every citizen, and the programs that will uplift the lives of residents of Quezon City,” Belmonte said.

The survey showed that young candidates in Metro Manila were favored by voters.

According to Belmonte, this was because young leaders had the greater capacity to think out of the box and formulate innovative solutions for old problems and new challenges in local government.

“I think young leaders are more open to resort to unconventional ways to solve problems, and I think that’s necessary especially since these challenges evolve very quickly. The demographic we are serving is also changing very fast, and I want to TAILOR kT SOME OF MY PROGRAMS TO serve the younger generations, being relatively young myself. Being quick and adaptable is an edge,” she said.

JAIME R. PILAPIL

DIALOGUE WITH RIDERS

Sen. Joseph Victor ‘JV’ Ejercito talks to motorcycle riders during a two-hour dialogue at the Senate. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

JV pacifies irate bikers SEN. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Tuesday assured riders groups of his support to their concern that the installation of big metal plates in front of motorcycles would pose safety issues.

The reelectionist senator had a dialogue with motorcycle riders who objected to the implementation of the Republic Act (RA)11235, or the “Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act or for being discriminatory and dangerous.

There are 9 million riders nationwide.

RA 11235 requires “bigger, readable and color-coded” plates in front and at the back of motorcycles to deter, if not totally stop, crimes perpetrated by riding-in-tandem criminals.

Ejercito said the new law angered riders because they believe that installing two metal plates was dangerous to riders and the public.

In a position paper, the Riders of the Philippines said, “larger plates may break, fall, fly or get dismantled due to aerodynamics.”

“The imposition of penalties ranging from P20,000 to P100,000 all the way is unprecedented. The penalties are in direct violation of the Bill of Rights,” the group said. It also assailed the imposition of jail time for offenses, such as losing a plate if the violator cannot pay the P50,000 fine.

“With the provision on Section 5 of

the law that requires the plates to be readable at distance of 15 meters, the plate will be too big to be considered anywhere near safe. Plate holders or brackets may become unsafe and cause danger to the rider, his/her passenger, pedestrians and other road users.”

The riders were relieved when Ejercito explained that the law would only take effect once the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) is finished.

“We must all understand that this law has not yet been implemented.

We are here to have a dialog and come up with an IRR that would be acceptable to you,” the senator said during a consultation with the riders groups and motorcycle dealers.

Ejercito said he was considering proposing amendments to the law.

Sen. Richard Gordon, author of the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Law, said the law aims to prevent riding-in-tandem assassins to kill with impunity.

“I will ask permission from Sen. Gordon. I will file some amendments this coming May to propose reasonable [penalty] rates because the P50,000 fine is quite big. It’s almost the price of one motorcycle. And most of our riders are ordinary employees. So, this is quite a big burden on them,” Ejercito said.

BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO

Q SUSPECTS FROM A1

and Semporna.

Those arrested were also allegedly recruiting Filipinos in Sabah to join the RSF, and that TWO OTHER SUSPECTS WHO lED to the southern Philippines after SECURITY FORCES BATTLED 23& kGHTERS — sneaked into Sabah in November to revive their activities in the oil-rich state, he said.

Also on March 11, police arRESTED kVE &ILIPINOS AND A &ILIPINA

aged between 23 and 63, in Tambunan, he said.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday debunked claims that the Philippines, particularly Mindanao, has been nesting more than a hundred foreign terrorists linked to the Islamic State (IS).

Lorenzana was referring to the claim of Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, who said that some 100 terrorists — mostly Indonesians — were in Mindanao.

He said 10 foreign terrorists had been spotted in Mindanao, one of them already dead. Some have returned to their respective countries. Filipinos fighting in Syria are also expected to return to the Philippines, he said.

AL JACINTO WITH DEMPSEY REYES

Malaysia capture of the suspects on Monday following their arrest in Semporna and Tambunan during two days of anti-terrorism operations launched by the Special Branch and the VAT 69 Commando Unit, ACCORDING TO THE OFkCIAL -ALAYSIA news agency Bernama.

“All of them were arrested on suspicion of being members of one of several terrorist groups, such as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Maute and Royal Sulu Force (RSF). Some of them are suspected to have given protection to terrorist elements believed to be in hiding in Sabah,” he was quoted

by Bernama as saying.

(E SAID POLICE ARRESTED kVE &ILIpinos and Malaysian citizens, aged between 40 and 60, in Semporna on March 11. “Four of them are suspected to have been involved in the Maute terrorist group siege of Marawi City, Philippines, in 2017.

They are also suspected to have given protection to Maute terrorist elements and several Middle Eastern nationals believed to be hiding in Sabah,” he said, adding that two others were suspected to be members of the RSF involved in the 2013 attacks in Lahad Datu

ASIAN STOCKS: W S h a n g h a i 0 . 1 8 %

V S i n g a p o re 0 . 2 5 %

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P52.83 TO $1

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Contribution hike to start April – SSS

BY MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

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www.manilatimes.net

W

WEDNESDAY MARCH 20, 2019

Business Times

CURRENCY RATE

B1

H

I G H E R S o c i a l S e c u r i t y S ys t e m ( S S S ) contribution rates will be implemented starting next month, the state-run pension fund announced on Tuesday.

5NDER THE NEWLY AMENDED 333 #HARter, the monthly contribution rate of members will increase to 12 percent from 11 percent starting the second quarter of the year, the pension fund said in a statement, along with miniMUM AND MAXIMUM -ONTHLY 3ALARY #REDIT -3# ADJUSTMENTS TO 0

and P20,000, respectively.

333 OFkCER IN CHARGE !URORA )GNACIO

SAID IT WAS HIGH TIME TO ADJUST THE CONTRIBUTION RATES AND -3#S TO ALLOW MEMBERS to save more for their retirement. “We all want a comfortable retirement and to do that, those who are in their productive years must work hard to save more,� she said. g333 IS THE CHEAPEST AND MOST ACcessible pension scheme. All workers, regardless of nature of employment,

must save in the pension fund for their future retirement years,� Ignacio added.

Those who save more under the new MAXIMUM -3# OF 0 WILL HAVE INCREASED BENEkTS AND LOAN PRIVILEGES

THE 333 POINTED OUT “For example, a member whose monthly salary is P20,000 and has paid 12 contributions in the 12-month period before the semester of contingency OF SICKNESS WILL ENJOY 0 IN SICKNESS BENEkT PER DAY FROM THE CURRENT 0 per day,� Ignacio explained.

3IMILARLY A MEMBER WHO PAID THE minimum 120 contributions at the NEW MAXIMUM -3# OF 0 WILL see his or her basic monthly pension INCREASE TO 0

FROM 0 UNDER

THE PREVIOUS 0 CAP 4HE 333 SAID THE PERCENTAGE POINT increase in contribution was reasonable, citing that an employee who earns P10,000 per month would now have to PAY 0 FROM 0 PREVIOUSLY 4HE employer, meanwhile, will have to pay 0 UP FROM 0 4HE ADJUSTMENTS WILL GENERATE AN additional P31 billion for the pension fund and add 13 more years, or up to

TO THE FUND LIFE OF THE 333 ONCE the law is fully implemented by 2025.

2EPUBLIC !CT 2!

WHICH REPEALED 2! AS AMENDED BY 2!

AIMS TO STRENGTHEN THE PENSION fund by allowing it to expand investing

ÂłSSS B2

BoP surplus narrows; end-Feb tally tops $3B THE country’s balance of payments (BoP) position remained positive in February but declined from the previous month’s six-year HIGH THE "ANGKO 3ENTRAL NG 0ILIPINAS "30 REPORTED ON 4UESDAY 4HE MILLION RESULT ‡ SIGnificantly lower than January’s BILLION ‡ WAS A REVERSAL FROM THE MILLION DEFICIT recorded a year earlier. g)NFLOWS IN &EBRUARY STEMMED MAINLY FROM THE "30 S foreign exchange operations, national government’s (NG) net foreign currency deposits, and "30 S INCOME FROM ITS INVESTMENTS abroad,� the central bank said in a statement.

These were partially offset by payments made by the national government for foreign exchange

Paris joins Singapore, HK as world’s priciest cities SINGAPORE: Paris has climbed to the top of the world’s priciest city for expatriates, tied first WITH 3INGAPORE AND (ONG +ONG according to a survey on Tuesday that named the capital of strifetorn Venezuela as the cheapest.

The French capital was the only eurozone city in the top 10, rising from second most expensive last year and from seventh position two years ago.

Paris is “extremely expensive to live in�, with an average twopiece business suit for men setting buyers back around $2,000 and a typical women’s haircut costing $120, it found.

Only “alcohol, transport and

tobacco� offer value for money compared with other European cities, the survey said.

The Economist Intelligence 5NIT %)5 SAID IT WAS THE kRST time in the more than three decades of the survey that three cities were equally ranked top, AFTER 3INGAPORE LED THE CHART outright a year earlier.

The top ten list was dominated

by Asian and European cities, WITH /SAKA AND 3EOUL IN JOINT kFTH AND JOINT SEVENTH PLACES REspectively and Zurich (4th), GeNEVA JOINT TH AND #OPENHAGEN JOINT TH ALSO IN THE ELITE CLUB North America was represented

BY THE 53 CITIES OF .EW 9ORK SEV-

enth, and Los Angeles, tied 10th with Israel’s Tel Aviv. #URRENCY APPRECIATION INlAtion and devaluation as well as political upheaval played a part in this year’s rankings, said EIU, which surveyed 133 cities worldwide.

It compared 400 individual PRICES ACROSS PRODUCTS AND services, including food and drink, clothing, home rental, transport, schooling and recreation.

The survey is aimed at helping companies calculate compensation packages and allowances for expatriate staff and business travellers.

Caracas dethroned Damascus as the world’s cheapest city amid a power struggle in Venezuela that plunged the country into a deepening crisis. “As Damascus and Caracas show, a growing number of locations are becoming cheaper because of the impact of political or economic disruption,� EIU said.

Asia’s economic divide was underscored, with cities includING "ANGALORE TH +ARACHI (127th), Chennai (125th) and New Delhi (123rd) ranking near the bottom. “Put simply, cheaper cities also tend to be less liveable,� EIU said.

AFP

PSEi down Trade data discrepancy widens ahead of policy meetings THE stock market retreated on Tuesday as investors repositioned portfolios ahead of the results of 53 &EDERAL 2ESERVE AND "ANGKO 3ENTRAL NG 0ILIPINAS "30 POLICY meetings.

The benchmark Philippine 3TOCK %XCHANGE INDEX 03%I DROPPED BY PERCENT OR POINTS TO CLOSE AT 4HE BROADER !LL 3HARES DECLINED BY 0.25 percent or 12.13 points to kNISH AT

!!! 3OUTHEAST %QUITIES )NC President Matthew Cabangon said market players resorted to selling

ÂłMeetings B2

TRADE data discrepancies widened last year, the Finance department said on Tuesday as it pointed to export data collection problems.

In an economic bulletin, the department said a comparison of data reported in the International Monetary Fund’s Direction of Trade Statistics and by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed the trade data discrepancy at 26.8 percent last year from 25.1 percent in 2017. “Trade data discrepancy occurs when trade data reported by a country differ from those reported by its trading partners,� it explained.

The discrepancy occurs due to a variety of reasons, including timing and valua-

tion differences, smuggling, differing treatments of reexports and transshipment, and wrong attribution and mis-invoicing.

In particular, the export data discrepancy rose to 30 percent in 2018 from 22.9 percent in 2017.

The Finance department said that PSA statistics showed an 1.8-percent decline year-on-year but trading partner data indicated an 8.2-percent increase. “This implies data collection problems on exports,� it noted.

The department added that the rise in export data discrepancy implies the need for data collection improvements.

The import data discrepancy, on the other hand, declined from 26.7 percent in

2017 to 24.6 percent in 2018. “The drop in trade discrepancy data for imports indicates the upgraded capability of tax collectors to assess and collect properly tax revenues from taxpayers,� the Finance department said.

It emphasized that transaction-based data using TradeNet would minimize discrepancies. “Automation of trade processes thru the TradeNet will further reduce trade data discrepancy, improve revenue collectors’ capabilities and at the same time, facilitate trade,� the department said.

Launched in December 2017, TradeNet aims to reduce the processing time and number of transactions for import and export clearances.

MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

T

obligations , it added.

The two-month payments balance rose to a $3.170-billion surplus, a turnaround from the MILLION DEFICIT RECORDED A year earlier. “The surplus may be attributed PARTLY TO REMITTANCE INlOWS FROM OVERSEAS &ILIPINOS IN *ANUARY AND NET INlOWS OF FOREIGN PORTFOLIO INVESTMENTS NET "30 REGISTERED transactions based on custodian BANKS REPORTS FOR THE kRST TWO months of the year, which was A REVERSAL OF THE NET OUTlOWS REPORTED IN *ANUARY &EBRUARY u THE "ANGKO 3ENTRAL SAID 0ERSONAL REMITTANCES ‡ COMprising overseas Filipino workers’ net compensation, personal transfers whether in the form

Âł$3B B2

Dam water also for irrigation

HE Filipino farmer has been forgotten in this country’s effort to liberate the cities’ folks, who seemingly can survive on potable water alone. He is no longer needed because the population of the cities that comprise Metropolitan Manila can thrive on rice the Philippines imports from other Asian countries, one of them is Vietnam.

Didn’t Vietnam learn agriculture when some of its students were enrolled at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, Laguna?

Of course, Vietnamese were not the only enrollees at UP-Los Banos. There were other Asians who returned to their countries after learning the trade from the school kNANCED BY THE 0HILIPPINE GOVernment. They are much luckier than most Filipinos because these foreigners can well afford to study in a Philippine-funded university.

What are the chances then for the Filipino farmer, who relies only on agriculture they learned from their parents, who, in turn, learned the trade from their old folks?

Due Diligencer has no answer to the two questions posed in this piece. Perhaps, it can only be assumed that the Vietnamese and other foreigners, who were educated at UP-Los Banos, have displaced the Filipinos because their governments provided them with generous scholarships.

Survivors Most Filipinos may lack the expertise other Asian countries

learned from UP-Los Banos.

Their industriousness may be enough to support them and their families. Yet, they survive and live despite the government’s lack of sympathy towards them and their families.

Consider the following entry of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in its website: “The Philippines has about 10.3 million hectares (ha) [of] agricultural lands. Out of this, around 3.1 million ha are considered irrigable, with up to 3 percent slope, and primarily devoted to rice and corn. “A study by the World Bank, HOWEVER IDENTIkED MORE THAN million ha as irrigable, including areas that are relatively more DIFkCULT TO IRRIGATE AND UP TO percent slope. “As of December 2015, about 1.731 million ha or 57.33 percent of the 3.1 million ha have been developed for irrigation.

Of the total area under irrigation, ABOUT HA ARE UNDER .)3

HA UNDER #)3 THAT ARE FARMER MANAGED AND

ha under privately owned systems that are constructed through private initiatives.� .)3 STANDS FOR NATIONAL IRRIGATION

ÂłPerez B2

B2

Business Times

˜ The Manila Times w w w.manilatimes.net

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

Value-added processing needs right policies – PNIA W

BY EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ

HILE the Philippine mining industry RECOGNIZES THE BENEkTS OF PUTTING UP value-added processing plants in the country to lower production costs and raise revenues, there is a need to review the complexity of the measure as not all that are established are bound to succeed.

In a press conference in the .ICKEL )NITIATIVE ON 4UESDAY

Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) President Dante Bravo said the country could partake in the ongoing competition in value-added processing among mining countries.

However, the government, in collaboration with the private sector, needs “strategic policies� to make the local mining sector attractive to potential investors. “While it is important that we have to comprehensively use natural resources, particularly going to downstream activity by value-added processing, not every value-added processing is successful,� Bravo said. “Why is that foreign investors go into those places and not in the Philippines [while] we have

also have huge potential here?

[That’s because] we were not able to capitalize on that,� he added.

Bravo expressed concern that the government’ policies could restrict investors from capitalizing on value-added processing plants in the Philippines, in turn driving away bigger revenues and limiting the industry’s contribution to the national economy. “If you put up a value-added processing plant, it’s capital intensive and it’s long term. You have to GUARANTEE THAT THERE IS A SUFkCIENT reserve to support the plant and it REQUIRES EXPLORATION NOT JUST ONE year but for a number of years,â€? he said. “If you’re only limited to one area‌ [what] if you’re going to expand in the future your capacity, where will you source it? It’s

important that it has to be open and we need to identify that at the beginning,� Bravo added.

Currently, the Philippines is the second largest nickel producer in the world, next to Indonesia which is dubbed as its strongest competitor.

To increase the sector’s competitiveness, the PNIA said it was poised to formulate a roadmap that would expand the possibility of a viable environment for valueadded processing plants. “[I]f we have the right policies, where we can guarantee investments, supply, and provide them, under competitive advantage, the integrity as the second largest producer of nickel, we can also become the second, if not as number one, in the value-added processing,� Bravo said.

Aside from the roadmap, the PNIA also partnered with the Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines and the European Chamber of Commerce to cope up with the challenges in the industry. “Both parties agreed to collaborate on the development of the industry and nickel road map. We shall explore the conduct of research in collaboration with our academic partners,� said

PNIA Chairman Emeritus Clarence Pimentel. “[The MoU] also encourages for deeper cooperation on policy formulation and promotion on issues impacting both parties,� he added.

Furthermore, the PNIA also welcomed the invitation of the )NTERNATIONAL .ICKEL 3TUDY 'ROUP ).3' TO THE 0HILIPPINES WHICH seeks to provide forum to discuss issues and interests in nickelproducing and -using countries. “Through this, we hope to be more informed and learned from the experiences of other countries not only in relation to nickel production but also in terms of processing, recycling and other activities within the value chain,�

Bravo said.

7HILE ).3' 3ECRETARY 'ENERAL Paul White reported that the nickel mining’s global performance will remain strong this year, the outlook for the Philippines’ nickel production may still be lower compared to last year’s.

Bravo maintained PNIA’s earlier PROJECTION THAT THE COUNTRY S NICKEL output could be reduced by 10 to PERCENT IN FROM MILLION WET METRIC TONS -4 OR MILLION -4 IN

Furniture PH to host key energy events makers eye Asean market LOCAL furniture makers are eyeing to expand their business overseas as they try to tap the GROWING !SSOCIATION OF 3OUTHEAST Asian Nations (Asean) market given the region’s positive economic outlook. “The forecast globally is that in the next 10 to 15 years, Asia would be the fastest growing region so we really shouldn’t look too far,� Nicolaas de Lange, board chairman of the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP), said in a recent report by the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. The Philippines, being the chair of the Asean Furniture Industries Council (AFIC), can take advantage of its position to promote the local furniture industry and expand its market reach in the region, de Lange said.

De Lange, who is serving as THE 3ECRETARY 'ENERAL OF !&)#

said the country was targeting to boost trade within the Asean region in the next two years. “Traditionally, we want to sell TO THE 53 5NITED 3TATES WE want to sell to Europe. But if the fastest growing region is our own region, then we really should be studying our region a little better and try to focus on it a little more,� he said. “I think it makes the most sense for us either to sell or to collaborate. A lot of them are wanting to come to the Philippines,� he added.

Apart from Asean countries, De Lange said local players were also looking into other distribution channels, pointing out Qatar as one of them. The chamber also pledged to help the furniture manufacturers be introduced to other foreign markets.

With this, de Lange reminded local furniture makers to always employ improvements on product development process to satisfy market needs. “Our product development process is very general, a little SCATTERED 7E JUST DESIGN WHAT WE think looks nice, what we think is in trend, but we don’t really DESIGN WITH THE SPECIkC MARKET in mind,� he said.

TYRONE C. PIAD

THE two regional gatherings to be hosted by the Philippines will highlight the importance of the strong partnership between the government and the private sector in the attainment of the country’s energy development agenda.

For the second time in the Philippine history, the country will be hosting two key events of the Association of Electricity Supply Industry of East Asia and the Western Pacific (Aesieap) for this year and the next.

The Department of Energy (DoE), Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), National Power Corp.

(NPC), National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), National Transmission Corp. (NTC), and the Department of Tourism (DoT) will lead the hosting of the Aesieap CEO Conference later this year.

More than 200 chief executive officers and energy ministers are expected to attend the meeting to be held in Mactan, Cebu on Sept. 22 to 25. “[T]his will open up the eyes of our countrymen, those in the electricity industry, those in the electric coops, those who are in the private utilities of the latest technologies and best practices worldwide,� Aesieap Secretary General Rogelio Singson said in a

press conference on Tuesday.

Singson, who is also president of Meralco PowerGen Corp., said the event’s primary objective is to foster cooperation and exchange of expertise and technology.

This year’s Aesieap gathering will carry the theme “Energizing Countries, Empowering Communities� which the DoE earlier said is relevant to the Philippines as the country seeks to attain total electrification, particularly in underserved and unserved areas, to help bolster sustainable and inclusive economic development.

The other event is the Conference of Electric Power Supply Industry (Cepsi) to be held from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, 2020 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City. Over 2,000 delegates from member-organizations are anticipated to show up.

Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the country “stands to gain from hosting the event. “First, we will have an international platform to push for our energy development agenda of having a quality, reliable, affordable, and secure access to electricity, strengthened power, grid resilience, smart grid advancement, which

are all crucial to our goal of achieving our 100-percent total electrification throughout the entire archipelago,� Fuentebella said. “We will be able to gain invaluable knowledge from the key regional players on their current best practices and standards, as we learn about the latest emerging technologies,� he added.

Singson noted this would provide a “good platform� for industry stakeholders to keep abreast of the advancements in the energy sector here and abroad. “We now have the opportunity for our smaller electric distribution companies and the electric coops to go to these exhibits, this conference will make sure that they are aware of what are the latest technologies that could increase their efficiency, their coverage, as well as their business,� he said.

Established in 1975, Aesieap is the largest organization of power and industry companies in the region, with over 100 members from 25 countries. On the other hand, Cepsi is considered to be the biggest and most prominent gathering of the electricity supply industry in East Asia and the Western Pacific region.

JORDEENE B. LAGARE

Q SSS FROM B1

capacity to generate better income. “We hope that our members will understand the importance OF ADJUSTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO MAKE

sure that the pension fund remain strong and viable for the current and forthcoming generations,�

Ignacio said.

Gated spillway protects the dam from overtopping.�

The readers of The Manila Times may do their own googling.

7HEN THEY DO THEY WILL kND SO system, which means they are under many postings advising them to .)! S JURISDICTION AND #)3 FOR COM- do this and that. For them to unmunal irrigation system, which, being derstand the complaints of many communal, derives irrigation water Metro Manilans, they may focus from NIA’s reservoir, and, in turn, more on the Angat reservoir. One ENTRY SAYS gPROVIDES PERCENT irrigate their farms. of the water supply for Metro MaFor irrigation nila, home to 11 million people.�

In addition, here is an entry 3HOULD WE AS &ILIPINOS BEGRUDGE of https:irri.columbia.educ/wp.: our government for neglecting the Angat dam “also provides irrigation for about 30,000 hectares of Filipino farmer?

This government has been ne- rice in Bulacan province over two glecting the Filipino farmer for SEASONS SUPPLIES -7 OF HYdecades. It was only during the era dropower for the island of Luzon, of the presidency of Ferdinand E. AND PROVIDES lOOD PROTECTION FOR Marcos that NIA had the govern- downstream communities.� ment support for its various irrigaTION PROJECTS Due Diligencer’s take One only has to google the uses OF WATER TO kND THIS OUT For the sake of the Filipino farmer, This was the result of Due Dili- the Duterte administration may gencer’s google: “water, which not want to forget to include him supplies most of the water sup- when he talks about the uses of ply of Metro Manila. Purpose water. Dams, in particular, were of dam which is used primarily built to provide the Filipinos with FOR IRRIGATING HECTARES OF the staple food.

AGRICULTURAL LANDS lOOD CONTROL

It is up to the national leaderand power generation through ship to solve the current crisis Magat Hydroelectric Power Plant. faced by Metro Manilans but not at

the expense of the Filipino farmer.

The Filipino farmer also has a share in water from dams, which were built primarily to irrigate his farm. He, too, is suffering from drought brought by the lack of irrigation water.

3OMEDAY THE &ILIPINO FARMER may cease harvesting palay because the government can well kNANCE A CONTINUED IMPORTATION of rice. This is good for the exPORTING COUNTRIES WHICH EARN 53 dollars. The Philippines suffers the loss of the much needed foreign exchange.

Dams also protect watersheds.

3UCH PROTECTION HAS BEEN TAKEN for granted by the government because its priority is to provide potable water for Metro Manilans.

Forget the Filipino farmer. After all, all he cares about is his family.

He can take good care of his children even if he can’t send them to college.

When will the government, particularly Congress, which is COMPOSED OF A 3ENATE AND A (OUSE OF 2EPRESENTATIVES CONSIDER TOO

the plight of the Filipino farmer?

Just asking.

Contribution Q PEREZ FROM B1

Dam water

esdperez@gmail.com

2 key features of the RCC T SEC MATTERS

HE Manila Times family welCOMES !TTY +ELVIN ,ESTER + ,EE as its new columnist for the business section. Lee is a commissioner of THE 3ECURITIES AND %XCHANGE #OMMISSION 3%# (E IS ALSO THE CO CHAIRPERSON OF THE 3%# #OMMITTEE on Memorandum Circulars To /PERATIONALIZE 2EVISED #ORPORATION Code Provisions. His column will be published every Wednesday. /N &EB

0RESIDENT 2ODRIGO $UTERTE SIGNED INTO LAW THE 2EVISED #ORPORATION #ODE 2EPUBLIC Act No. 11232), thus amending the nearly four-decade-old corporation CODE 4HE 2EVISED #ORPORATION #ODE 2## IS A LANDMARK PIECE OF LEGISLAtion, changing important aspects of corporate law which lawyers and scholars had once thought were set in stone.

Two of the noteworthy features OF THE 2## WORTH MENTIONING AND which have made corporate lawyers very excited, are: 1) the perpetual EXISTENCE OF CORPORATIONS 3EC and 2) the one-person corporation /0# 3EC 5NDER THE 2## gA CORPORATION shall have perpetual existence unless its articles of incorporation PROVIDES OTHERWISEu 3EC 2## As a general rule, corporations do not have to do anything to avail of perpetual corporate term. It is deemed automatically granted by THE SECOND PARAGRAPH OF 3EC OF THE 2## g#ORPORATIONS WITH CERTIkcates of incorporation issued prior to the effectivity of this Code, and which continue to exist, shall have perpetual existence...� If, however, a corporation does not wish to have a perpetual corporate term, then IT HAS TO INFORM THE 3ECURITIES AND %XCHANGE #OMMISSION 3%# THAT IT WISHES TO RETAIN ITS SPECIkC CORPORATE term in its articles of incorporation 3EC Aside from perpetual corporate EXISTENCE THE 2## ALSO ALLOWS THE revival of a corporation whose term has expired. Paragraph 4, 3ECTION OF THE 2## PROVIDES that: “a corporation whose term has expired may, at any time, apply for a revival of its corporate existence, together with all the rights AND PRIVILEGES UNDER ITS CERTIkCATE OF INCORPORATION AND SUBJECT TO ALL of its duties, debts and liabilities existing prior to the expiration of its corporate term. Upon approval

BY THE 3%# THE CORPORATION SHALL BE DEEMED REVIVED AND A CERTIkCATE of revival of corporate existence shall be issued, giving it perpetual existence, unless its application for revival provides otherwise.�

Therefore, this provision not only

Q MEETINGS FROM B1

PSEi down ahead the conclusion of the Fed’s -ARCH 53 TIME GATHERING AND THE "30 S -ONETARY "OARD meeting this Thursday.

Both central banks are expected to keep key interest rates unchanged. “Dovishness from both the Fed AND THE "30 WILL BE A GOOD ENOUGH catalyst to take us back above

u #ABANGON SAID 2EGINA #APITAL $EVELOPMENT Corp. head of sales Luis Limlingan also said that traders were on a Fed watch and looking out for DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 53 #HINA trade dispute.

7ALL 3TREET HAD GAINED OVERNIGHT

Q $3B FROM B1

BoP surplus of cash or in kind, and capital TRANSFERS BETWEEN HOUSEHOLDS ‡ totaled $2.745 billion in January, PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE billion posted a year earlier but 13 percent lower compared to the record $3.157 billion booked the prior month.

Foreign portfolio investments, MEANWHILE POSTED A MILLION NET INlOW IN *ANUARY BEFORE NAROWING TO MILLION IN &EBRUARY The central bank has forecast a BILLION "O0 DEkCIT FOR 4HE "O0 ENDED AT A DEkCIT OF

KELVIN LESTER LEE breathes new life to a defunct corporation, but also gives eternal corporate existence upon revival.

Another exciting feature of the 2## IS THE INTRODUCTION OF THE /0#

WHICH IS DEkNED AS A CORPORATION WITH A SINGLE STOCKHOLDER 3EC #ONTRAST THIS WITH THE OLD corporation code which required a MINIMUM OF kVE INCORPORATORS FOR a corporation.

An OPC shall not be required to have a minimum authorized capital stock except as otherwise PROVIDED BY SPECIAL LAW 3EC )T SHALL BE REQUIRED TO kLE AN ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION 3EC

BUT IS NOT REQUIRED TO kLE BY LAWS 3EC -OREOVER AN /0# SHALL indicate the letters OPC either below or at the end of its corporate NAME 3EC 7ITHIN DAYS from issuance of its certificate of incorporation, the OPC shall appoint a treasurer, corporate SECRETARY AND OTHER OFkCERS AS IT may deem necessary, and notify THE 3%# WITHIN DAYS FROM APPOINTMENT 3EC (OWEVER THE SINGLE stockholder may not be appointed as the corporate secretary. The single stockholder of the OPC shall be required to designate a nominee and alternate nominee who shall, in the event of the single stockholder’s death or incapacity, take the place of the single stockholder and manage THE CORPORATION S AFFAIRS 3EC In case of death or permanent incapacity, the nominee shall manage the corporation until the legal heirs are determined and designated to become the single STOCKHOLDER 3EC In light of the more lenient provisions for incorporation of an OPC, and taking into account the many advantages of the corporation as a legal entity for the conduct of busiNESS IT IS LIKELY THAT THE 3%# WILL soon be deluged with thousands of applications for OPC. I believe this form of corporation will be the most POPULAR IN THIS JURISDICTION From this brief discussion on JUST TWO OF THE MAJOR CHANGES MADE

BY THE 2## IT IS CLEAR THAT 0HILIPPINE #ORPORATE ,AW HAS DEkNITELY CHANGED 7E AT THE 3%# WELCOME THE CHANGES BROUGHT BY THE 2## AND we look forward to implementing and operationalizing its provisions through memorandum circulars which we shall soon issue. on expectations that the Fed would HOLD kRE BUT MANY !SIAN INVESTORS chose to wait out the results of the policy meeting.

4OKYO DIPPED BY PERCENT

3HANGHAI SLIPPED PERCENT

3EOUL LOST PERCENT AND *AKARTA dropped by 0.45 percent. /N THE OTHER HAND (ONG +ONG ROSE BY PERCENT 3INGAPORE GREW PERCENT AND "ANGKOK JUMPED BY PERCENT )N -ANILA SECTORAL RESULTS kNished in the red, with the mining and oil index down the most by 1.20 percent.

-ORE THAN BILLION SHARES VALUED AT 0 BILLION WERE TRADed. ,OSERS LED WINNERS TO

while 44 issues were kept unchanged.

ANGELICA BALLESTEROS

BILLION LAST YEAR WIDER THAN THE MILLION RECORDED IN BUT LOWER THAN "30 S BILLION forecast.

Last month’s payments balance POSITION THE "30 ALSO SAID WAS consistent with the country’s gross INTERNATIONAL RESERVES ')2 OF BILLION g!T THIS LEVEL THE ')2 REPRESENTS a more than ample liquidity buffer and is equivalent to 7.3 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income,� it added.

4HE ')2 WAS ALSO EQUIVALENT TO times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity AND TIMES BASED ON RESIDUAL MAturity. MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

Corporate News

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Robinsons Retail nets P5B in 2018 ,)34%$ 2OBINSONS 2ETAIL (OLDings Inc. saw its net income grow by 6.2 percent to P5 billion in 2018 from P4.7 billion the year before on the back of higher operating income supported by strong same-store sales growth.

In a disclosure on Tuesday, the Gokongwei-led company its operating income increased by 5 percent to P6.62 billion last year from P6.3 billion in 2017.

Net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company rose by 2 percent year-on-year to P5.1 billion from P4.9 billion.

Consolidated revenues jumped by 15.1 percent to P132.7 billion from P115.2 billion, driven by same-store sales growth of 5.9 percent, coupled with the sales contributed by 104 new stores last year, and its merger with 2USTANS 3UPERCENTERS )NC Robinsons Retail expected revenues to rise further this year due to the impact of the full-year

consolidation of Rustans.

The supermarket segment, it said, contributed the biggest sales at 47 percent.

3AME STORE SALES GROWTH from supermarkets was at 7.6 percent; specialty stores, 6.9 percent; convenience stores, 5.1 percent; Do-it-Yourself (DIY), 5 percent; drugstores, 3.3 percent; and department store, 2.3 percent.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization rose by 7.6 percent to P9 billion from P8.4 billion.

Robinsons Retail ended 2018 with 1,910 stores across its brands, except for The Generics Pharmacy. That number is made up of 252 supermarkets, 52 department stores, 210 DIY stores, 499 convenience stores, 510 drugstores and 387 specialty stores.

Robinsons Retail shares dipped BY 0 OR PERCENT TO kNISH at P78.90 each on Tuesday.

ANGELICA BALLESTEROS

Businessinbriefs

DMCI HOMES TO LAUNCH 10 PROJECTS WORTH P104B

DMCI Homes eyes strengthening its portfolio with the 10 projects it will launch this year. In a filing on Tuesday, the listed property unit of DMCI Holdings Inc. said these projects included Cameron Residences and The Cresmont in Quezon City; Parama Residences and Sonora Garden Residences in Las Piùas City; Sovanna Towers and Allegra Garden Place in Pasig City; The Camden Place in Manila; Sage Residences in Mandaluyong City; and Belleza Towers in Davao City. These projects, it added, are worth P104 billion, which is 271-percent higher than the P28 billion recorded in 2018. DMCI Homes is also expanding to the southern part of the country as it seeks to tap the Cebu market with Kalea Heights. LISBET K. ESMAEL

BPI FAMILY TARGETS TO RELEASE P60B IN HOME LOANS

BPI Family Savings Bank aims to release about P60 billion in home loans this year.

During a roundtable with the media in Makati City on Tuesday, the lender’s retail lending group chief Dennis Fronda said the amount was higher than the P40 billion released in 2018. For his part, BPI Family President Ginbee Go said the bank continued to see strong demand for housing loans as more people have more income to spend. According to the official, the country’s sustained economic growth had provided an opportunity for BPI Family’s newest home loan program, saying “new cities will rise as a result of the establishment of businesses, leading to job creation and increased demand for housing.�

MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

Index

Value

Chg

%Chg

PSEi

7,843.41

-29.61

Ĺş

All Shares

4,833.29

-12.13

Ĺş

Financials

1,772.19

-11.9

Ĺş

Industrial

11,575.17

-58.49

Ĺş

Holding Firms

7,760.51

-15.13

Ĺş

Services

1,573.26

-1.74

Ĺş

Mining and Oil

8,148.28

-99.09

Ĺş

Property

3,996.31

-17.64

Ĺş

Century Properties sets P10-B capex; profit up 72%

C

BY ANGELICA BALLESTEROS

ENTURY Properties Group Inc. (CPG) has allotted up to P10 billion in capital expenditures (capex) this year as it plans to boost its recurring income and residential portfolios.

In a disclosure on Tuesday, the listed real-estate company said a portion of the capex would cover the acquisition of more land banks across the country.

Funds would come from a mixture of debt and internally generated cash.

In a news briefing, Century 0ROPERTIES #HIEF &INANCE /FkCER Ponciano Carreon Jr. said the company would list next month P3 BILLION WORTH OF kXED RATE BONDS TO HELP kNANCE ITS CAPITAL NEEDS The issuance’s price, tenor, terms and conditions, and other details will be determined next week, he added.

Century Properties tapped China Bank Capital as the lead underwriter and bookrunner for

ALL SHARES

the transaction. Public offer will START IN THE kRST WEEK OF !PRIL The bonds will be listed on the Philippine Dealing Exchange on April 15.

According to co-CFO and managing director Jose Marco Antonio, the company will launch at least one project every quarter this year.

4HE kRST HE SAID WILL BE 0(IRST 0ARK (OMES 3AN 0ABLO IN ,AGUNA PROVINCE UNDER 0(IRST 0ARK (OMES )NC ITS JOINT VENTURE company with Japan-based Mitsubishi Corp.

The second and third were not identified, but the fourth will be a 2.6-hectare development within the 177-hectare Clark Global City in Pampanga

province’s Mabalacat City, to be launched by yearend.

Antonio said Century Properties was still in the masterplanning stage for the Clark project, but added it would be offer resiDENTIAL AND OFkCE SPACES The company is looking to launch townhouses under its affordable housing segment, and COMPLETE FOUR OFkCE TOWERS THIS year to bring the total to 28.

Century Properties expects the segment to contribute 35 to 40 percent of its net income; and its recurring income portfolio, 30 to 40 percent.

cial leasing.

Revenues jumped by 60 percent to P10.7 billion in 2018 from P6.7 billion a year earlier, with the growth attributed to the completion of three residential TOWERS AN OFkCE BUILDING AND 259 affordable housing units. “Our very positive results in 2018 are strong indications that our diversification strategy is starting to bear fruit and we are headed to the right direction,�

Carreon said.

The company’s “expansion into affordable housing and commercial leasing have started to be profitable and we expect this upward Earnings hit P1-B mark trend to continue,� he added.

Century Properties used to Also on Tuesday, Century Proper- focus on high-rise residential ties reported that its net income PROJECTS UNTIL IT DIVERSIkED INTO rose by 72 percent to P1.1 bil- other property areas. It aims LION ‡ THE kRST TIME IT REACHED to expand its leasable area to this level in three years — from 300,000 square meters (sqm) P650 million in 2017. from 133,000 sqm by 2020.

It credited the increase to its Century Properties shares in-city vertical developments climbed by 3 centavos or 5.05 business and expansion to af- percent to 52 centavos apiece fordable housing and commer- on Tuesday.

Meralco energy sales seen rising over 2% in Q1

THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) expects its power sales to grow by more than 2 percent in the first quarter of 2019, a top official said on Tuesday.

On the sidelines of a press conference in Taguig City, Meralco President Oscar Reyes said the figure was based on the just-above2-percent energy sales growth the listed power giant posted in the first two months of the year.

“Probably [for] year-todate March, that [figure] would reach [about] 2.5 percent,� he added in Filipino.

Reyes noted that Meralco’s industrial customers contributed “good growth numbers during the first two months of the year, followed by commercial [and] residential [customers], probably because of [the] slightly cooler temperature and [of the] concern raised at the start of the year [over

HOLDING FIRMS

TOP ACTIVE STOCKS

SERVICES

Stock indices as of March 19, 2019

PSEi

B3

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

MINING AND OIL

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

the] pickup [in] inflation [in] the last quarter of 2018.� “Now we’ve seen inflation [go] down significantly, that should relieve consumers,� he said.

In late February, Meralco reported to the Philippine Stock Exchange that its consolidated energy sales volume climbed by 5 percent to 44,313 gigawatt hours (GWh) last year, including the 527 GWh distributed by subsidiary Clark Electric

Security Name ,QWHUQDWLRQDO &RQWDLQHU 7HUPLQDO 6HUYLFHV ,QF $\DOD /DQG ,QF SM Prime Holdings, Inc. BDO Unibank, Inc. 0HWURSROLWDQ %DQN 7UXVW &RPSDQ\ Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. 60 ,QYHVWPHQWV &RUSRUDWLRQ $\DOD &RUSRUDWLRQ 6DQ 0LJXHO &RUSRUDWLRQ 3UHPLHUH +RUL]RQ $OOLDQFH &RUSRUDWLRQ Alliance Global Group, Inc. -ROOLEHH )RRGV &RUSRUDWLRQ Bank of the Philippine Islands 0DQLOD (OHFWULF &RPSDQ\ 3/'7 ,QF JG Summit Holdings, Inc. '0&, +ROGLQJV ,QF 0HJDZRUOG &RUSRUDWLRQ 8QLYHUVDO 5RELQD &RUSRUDWLRQ 6HFXULW\ %DQN &RUSRUDWLRQ

Last Price 120.8 43.25 39 131.5 82 78.9 951.5 930 176 1.08 15.56 313.6 87 375 1,148.00 61.7 11.9 5.6 146.1 165.9

Chg 1.8 -0.2 -0.15 -0.5 0.1 -3.85 2 0 1.7 0.01 -0.02 -1.6 -1.1 -4.6 -2 -1.35 -0.4 0 -0.9 -2.6

Distribution Corp.

Established in 1919, Meralco holds the largest market capitalization among listed utility and power-sector companies in the country. Its units are into engineering and consulting, construction, bills payments, and other electricity-related services.

Meralco shares dropped P4.60 or 1.21 percent to finish at P375 apiece on Tuesday.

JORDEENE B. LAGARE

%Chg 1.51% -0.46% -0.38% -0.38% 0.12% -4.65% 0.21% 0% 0.98% 0.93% -0.13% -0.51% -1.25% -1.21% -0.17% -2.14% -3.25% 0% -0.61% -1.54%

Ÿ ź ź ź Ÿ ź Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ ź ź ź ź ź ź ź ź ź

Volume 5,042,840.00 12,974,100.00 9,048,300.00 2,410,870.00 2,310,750.00 2,078,420.00 167,480.00 170,680.00 840,980.00 127,546,000.00 8,345,200.00 365,990.00 1,286,550.00 293,870 90,425 1,575,690 7,903,600 16,909,000 637,490 540,950

Value(P) 609,992,831.00 561,065,370.00 353,894,685.00 317,653,176.00 189,504,130.50 167,239,520.00 159,204,350.00 158,706,005.00 147,480,630.00 132,628,730.00 129,589,574.00 115,083,494.00 112,937,667.50 110,156,992.00 104,191,585.00 98,007,341.50 95,802,094.00 94,684,111.00 93,563,804.00 90,730,337.00

*amounts in peso, except for volume, %chg

TOP GAINERS FINANCIALS

INDUSTRIAL

PROPERTY

INDEX HISTORY Date Mar 19, 2019 Mar 18, 2019 Mar 15, 2019 Mar 14, 2019 Mar 13, 2019 Mar 12, 2019 Mar 11, 2019 Mar 08, 2019 Mar 07, 2019 Mar 06, 2019 Mar 05, 2019 Mar 04, 2019 Mar 1, 2019 Feb 28, 2019 Feb 27, 2019 Feb 26, 2019 Feb 22, 2019 Feb 21, 2019 Feb 20, 2019 Feb 19, 2019 Feb 18, 2019 Feb 15, 2019 Feb 14, 2019 Feb 13, 2019 Feb 12, 2019 Feb 11, 2019 Feb 08, 2019 Feb 07, 2019 Feb 06, 2019 Feb 04, 2019

Open 7,864 7,795 7,748 7,742 7,726 7,728 7,815 7,869 7,807 7,675 7,700 7,632 7,712 7,920 7,962 7,996 7,940 7,947 7,849 7,923 7,925 7,965 7,960 8,040 8,077 8,088 8,092 8,093 8,091 8,132

High 7,879 7,873 7,798 7,764 7,766 7,774 7,824 7,884 7,882 7,821 7,735 7,698 7,754 7,920 7,973 7,996 7,962 7,947 7,945 7,939 7,964 8,000 7,996 8,040 8,084 8,106 8,096 8,127 8,214 8,149

Low 7,843 7,761 7,702 7,719 7,725 7,728 7,709 7,797 7,795 7,675 7,667 7,596 7,588 7,705 7,878 7,945 7,895 7,893 7,848 7,831 7,911 7,909 7,921 7,889 7,984 8,062 8,036 8,088 8,058 8,069

Close 7,843 7,873 7,798 7,750 7,766 7,748 7,709 7,797 7,882 7,821 7,671 7,675 7,642 7,705 7,889 7,988 7,962 7,931 7,939 7,834 7,911 7,909 7,991 7,920 8,010 8,062 8,071 8,100 8,058 8,069

CLOSE

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

Security Name 3DFLÂżF 2QOLQH 6\VWHPV &RUSRUDWLRQ Asian Terminals, Inc. DFNN, Inc. 2PLFR &RUSRUDWLRQ ,WDOSLQDV 'HYHORSPHQW &RUSRUDWLRQ &RQFHSFLRQ ,QGXVWULDO &RUSRUDWLRQ $SROOR *OREDO &DSLWDO ,QF Zeus Holdings, Inc. 6HPLUDUD 0LQLQJ DQG 3RZHU &RUSRUDWLRQ Suntrust Home Developers, Inc. 9LFWRULDV 0LOOLQJ &RPSDQ\ ,QF &HPH[ +ROGLQJV 3KLOLSSLQHV ,QF D.M. Wenceslao & Associates, Incorporated Roxas Holdings, Inc. 3KLOLSSLQH 5HDOW\ +ROGLQJV &RUSRUDWLRQ JG Summit Holdings, Inc. &HQWXU\ 3URSHUWLHV *URXS ,QF 0HWURSROLWDQ %DQN 7UXVW &RPSDQ\ Metro Retail Stores Group, Inc. $QJOR 3KLOLSSLQH +ROGLQJV &RUSRUDWLRQ

Volume 1,030,400 1,300 5,200.00 46,000.00 1,561,700.00 300.00 9,200,000.00 36,040,000.00 3,241,500.00 17,000.00 63,000.00 27,690,000.00 3,030,400.00 105,000.00 1,700,000.00 1,645,870.00 12,460,000.00 1,996,820.00 4,785,000.00 70,000.00

Value 10,617,830.00 21,590.00 36,880.00 26,430.00 8,191,300.00 12,780.00 413,100.00 13,229,050.00 71,862,355.00 12,850.00 159,620.00 78,208,540.00 33,656,542.00 277,150.00 792,950.00 102,299,300.00 6,100,000.00 161,067,521.50 14,849,330.00 51,350.00

Last Price 10 16.8 7.2 0.6 5.3 43 0.046 0.37 22.5 0.77 2.6 2.85 11.32 2.74 0.47 63.05 0.495 81.9 3.09 0.76

Chg 0.71 1.02 0.36 0.03 0.25 2 0.002 0.015 0.9 0.03 0.1 0.1 0.38 0.09 0.015 2 0.015 2.4 0.09 0.02

%Chg 7.64% 6.46% 5.26% 5.26% 4.95% 4.88% 4.55% 4.23% 4.17% 4.05% 4.00% 3.64% 3.47% 3.40% 3.30% 3.28% 3.13% 3.02% 3.00% 2.70%

*amounts in peso, except for volume, %chg

TOP LOSERS

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

Security Name 3UHPLHUH +RUL]RQ $OOLDQFH &RUSRUDWLRQ (DV\FDOO &RPPXQLFDWLRQV 3KLOV ,QF Greenergy Holdings Incorporated 0HWUR $OOLDQFH +ROGLQJV (TXLWLHV &RUS ³%´ $FHVLWH 3KLOLSSLQHV +RWHO &RUSRUDWLRQ 0DEXKD\ 9LQ\O &RUSRUDWLRQ Macay Holdings, Inc. &LW\ /DQG 'HYHORSHUV ,QF 3DFL¿FD ,QF Ferronoux Holdings, Inc. Geograce Resources Philippines, Inc. )LUVW *HQ &RUSRUDWLRQ 3UHIHUUHG

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*amounts in peso, except for volume, %chg

Volume 84,792,000.00 310,300.00 23,965,000.00 6,000.00 563,000.00 11,000.00 10,400.00 52,000.00 32,700,000.00 178,000.00 3,260,000.00 5,000.00 3,138,700.00 1,678,000.00 2,584,000.00 3,771,000.00 106,000.00 45,000.00 3,353,000.00 2,690,000.00

Value 93,655,580.00 3,817,270.00 56,625,500.00 11,950.00 709,290.00 39,220.00 110,102.00 44,720.00 1,277,200.00 762,510.00 780,020.00 503,324.00 17,111,257.00 6,481,300.00 6,861,760.00 4,738,230.00 201,280.00 63,730.00 2,864,210.00 323,840.00

Last Price 1.07 12.04 2.3 2 1.23 3.43 10.56 0.86 0.038 4.27 0.238 100 5.41 3.83 2.64 1.25 1.87 1.41 0.85 0.12

Chg -0.12 -1.16 -0.21 -0.15 -0.09 -0.22 -0.64 -0.05 -0.002 -0.21 -0.011 -4.5 -0.23 -0.16 -0.11 -0.05 -0.07 -0.05 -0.03 -0.004

%Chg -10.08% -8.79% -8.37% -6.98% -6.82% -6.03% -5.71% -5.49% -5.00% -4.69% -4.42% -4.31% -4.08% -4.01% -4.00% -3.85% -3.61% -3.42% -3.41% -3.23%

Maritime Govt, stakeholders boost crackdown vs overstaying cargoes B4

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

EDITOR: Carmela I. Huelar

BY LISBET K. ESMAEL

A

HEIGHTENED crackdown against overstaying cargoes in Manila ports will start to haunt cargo owners and shippers starting Wednesday.

According to Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago, a memorandum was issued 15 days ago, informing consignees about the agency’s order to free up the spaces in the South Harbor and Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) currently occupied by customs-cleared cargoes. “The day after tomorrow, you will start seeing trucks out of South Harbor and MICT moving the overSTAYING CARGOES DOWN TO ,AGUNA u HE told reporters on Friday, following the the signing of the manifesto of support for the government’s efforts ON THE EFkCIENT UTILIZATION OF THE country’s ports.

Data from PPA showed that 3,406 and 4,194 containers were

still at MICT and South Harbor, respectively.

The manifesto, which was signed by the Department of Transportation, PPA, Bureau of #USTOMS "O# AND OFkCIALS FROM International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), Asian Terminals Inc., and Association of International Shipping Lines, stated that once the cargo owners and shippers failed to comply with the order, the overstaying cargoes would be shipped out to a different inland container depot. “Signing this manifesto is one thing, doing and implementing it is another, and going beyond it will equally spell good business reLATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE COUNTRY u DoTr Chief Arthur Tugade said.

Q Manila International Container Terminal (MICT).

PHOTO FROM ICTSI Port operators ICTSI and ATI were assigned for the move out of the cargoes, Santiago said. The costs of

the transfer would be shouldered by cargo owners, shippers, consignees, logistics operators, and custom bro-

kers, the manifesto read. “The BoC shall regularly dispose of seized or abandoned con-

tainers to ensure that MICT and 3OUTH (ARBOR REMAIN HEALTHY u it also said.

Intelligent automation: The way to go Overcoming barriers to leadership and influence

DOHLE SEAFRONT (MANILA) CHIEF IRIS BAGUILAT

Iris Baguilat, the president.

She leads, monitors and overSHE EXUDES CONkDENCE AND HER sees the overall operations and years of working in a mostly administrations of the DÜhle male-dominated industry have Seafront Crewing (Manila) Inc. made her quite a commanding She took over the management presence despite her slight built. of the then four-year old comHer words blunt and clear. Her pany, effectively introduced a eyes, piercing, penetrating and performance-based culture and perceptive. Lawyer Iris Baguilat, a happy work environment, and IN HER RAFlED SLEEVE DRESS EXUDES by her third year, she was able to the true epitome of intensity and successfully grow the company power as the president of DÜhle by 68 percent — from 900 crew on 90 vessels to 2,800 crew on Seafront, Manila.

In less than five minutes, a 250 vessels.

Behind all these successes, mere half of what she actually allotted for this interview, Iris however, comes the rough path fired on fast facts about her: a of hard work that she has taken graduate of the University of with her team. “She leads the same way as a the Philippines (UP) College of Law who, after five years of MALE BOSS WOULD u SAYS -ICHAEL practicing her profession, found Santuile, documentation support the need for a niche, thus taking supervisor of DĂśhle Seafront up her Master of Laws in Marine Crewing. “The difference with and Environmental Law at Dal- her is that she is very particular housie University in Canada as with details; she’s got high standards, she is a perfectionist. She a full scholar.

Iris was precise with her wants us to do the job right and time and details; she would orderly that she initially would hand-over her recently updat- come across as mataray. If you ed resume to give instanta- get to know her, however, you’ll neous facts about her, thereby see that she is a very good menasaving time for conventional tor who leads her people on the same path that she is taking. She professional questions.

She is a law and political sci- NAVIGATES CHALLENGES WITH US u ence graduate, earning the cum he added.

Such impression was secondlaude distinction for the latter.

She is a seasoned legal practi- ed by Joy Anthony Querubin, tioner, lecturer and consultant the company’s operational exin maritime law who is dedicat- cellence manager. “She may be ed to updating and improving domineering as a president, but shipping laws in the Philippines. as a person, she’s not like that at Currently, she is the president all. You would know that she’s of the DĂśhle Seafront Crewing, always got your back and she the Philippine crewing arm of WOULD TRUST YOU WITH YOUR JOB u As one after another employee the Peter DĂśhle Group, one of the leading providers of ship- of DĂśhle Seafront Crewing attestping services worldwide who ed to Iris’ benchmarks to success employs thousands of Filipino AND HOW kERCE SHE WOULD TAKE seafarers. She is a trustee of the hold of it, one manager looked Maritime Lawyer Association of beyond her public image and the Philippines. She is a mem- related how her true self has ber of the Integrated Bar of the developed the trademark that Philippines and the UP Women would later earn the company an award — the seafarer-employLawyers Circle.

Iris, in a nutshell, is every inch ee-family program. “She initiated the family proan achiever and a leader.

She could casually enumerate gram for seafarers and this has all these things in a few minutes been the trademark of Seafront.

AND kNALLY CHECK THIS SCHEDULED Unlike other companies who interview off her list; after all, were focused only on the needs these titles and positions do not of the seafarers, she has set our define her. She still has a job sights on the welfare of everyone WORKING AROUND US u #APT *OEL to do.

Ayos, the manning manager of DĂśhle Seafront, said.

Atty. Baguilat, the The president was, apparentpresident ly, working on equipping the What Iris wouldn’t let define seafarers and their respective herself actually makes up for the families with the knowledge intense persona she is known for on proper healthcare, financial in the maritime industry — Atty. literacy, parenting and main-

W

BY YASHIKA F. TORIB

Q Atty. Iris Baguilat. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO taining strong relationships. “Our sea and shore staffs are not just workers — they are human beings who come here with soul, body and emotions.

We want their potentials to be fully actualized. It is therefore, obligatory for me to express care for those who are around me in different ways such as interaction AND DESIGNING SPECIkC PROGRAMS that will develop learning and GROWTH u !TTY "AGUILAT EXPOUNDed, adding that self-care is a necessity for their people who have to be healthy for their families.

CEILING FOR US u SHE SAID HINTING that empowerment runs through the veins of a matriarchal country such as the Philippines.

Behind tough exterior

So who is Iris Baguilat outside the tough persona of a president and a lawyer? That was when she broke into a smile and paused to contemplate. “No one really knows me outside of work, and I’m very HAPPY WITH THAT u )RIS BEGAN in a different voice, now laced with delight and excitement. “At Excelling for a home, I’m just a mom; I bond purpose with my kids, spend time with my neighbors, and help with Atty. Baguilat has been excelling the school and community acIN HER CHOSEN kELD FOR MORE THAN TIVITIES AND DO CHORES AT HOME u a decade, and she has inspired she said, further explaining that her colleagues to do the same. her weekends are normally reAs what Raoul Ramos and Mar- served for her family and a lot lon Panisan, managers of DĂśhle of readings.

Seafront, concur, she would per“ M y we e k e n d s a r e m o r e sonally support her staff in every booked than my weekdays; many challenge that would eventually things happen at the same time help them level up to her stan- like my social and spiritual comMITMENTS AND OTHERS u dard of success.

While Iris enjoys spending Constantly outdoing herself in every task traces back to her time with her friends and relaMISSION ‡ TO FULkL HER ROLE AS A tives, she revels in the idea that devout Catholic to serve others, few of them know what she does and to help in nation building for a living. “They don’t know by providing decent jobs to a what I do and I’m happy about healthy and happy civilization. it. A lot! When they ask, I would Atty. Baguilat remarked that JUST SAY ) M A LAWYER u SHE SHARED standing out in an industry of with a pealing laugh. men has nothing to do with gen“I don’t like to carry a badge der, especially in a country where because that’s not me. I wonwomen are born with no limita- d e r w hy t h e r e i s a c e r t a i n tions. “We are fortunate because, pedestal for this President unlike other countries may it be position because it’s just like from the East or West, gender is any other job. Nonetheless, not much of an issue. We could it doesn’t define me. I’m just freely decide to be a wife, an another regular person, I’m actress or politician, we could NORMAL u )RIS CONCLUDED WITH A choose to be educated and plan grin and a sparkle on her now our career paths; there’s no glass visibly delighted eyes.

HO hasn’t heard of drones?

Those unmanned aerial vehicles that can take aerial photos of crowds and scenery, and deliver packages and even food? Before these, we had their precursors, the remote-controlled cars particularly those operated by children from a distance through specialized transmitters.

We have heard of autopilot, a system THAT ENABLES A COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT TO lY without a human pilot, of self-driving cars, of unmanned submarines and unmanned spacecraft. The degree of autonomy from human intervention varies and could range from onboard human intervention to intervention from a remote location to full operation without human intervention at all.

Intelligent automation, with its capacity to synthesize huge amounts of information and automate proCESSES AND WORK lOWS HAS BEGUN TO change the way we do business in almost every sector of the economy.

What about the shipping industry?

Are we ready for fully automated shipping vessels? One of the hot topics at IMO today is the Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship, or MASS, introduced last year. It refers to a ship which can operate with limited, or independently of, human interaction.

The discussions centered around the various degrees of human intervention a ship can do away with.

4HE kRST LEVEL INVOLVES A SHIP WITH automated processes and decision support. This means that seafarers are on board to operate and control ship board systems and functions and some operations may be automated.

The second pertains to a ship controlled and operated from another location, but with seafarers on board.

The third covers a ship remotely controlled and operated from another location without seafarers on board.

The last is the fully unmanned and autonomous ship. In this case the ship is able to make decisions and determine actions by itself.

The concern of IMO in this developing area of autonomous operation is the implication of this new technology on international regulations and the commitment of States to meet regulatory requirements. The first step IMO has undertaken is a scoping exercise to assess what provisions in the regulations would be applicable to ships, taking into account the various degrees of autonomy that are being considered. The second step involves making an analysis of the most appropriate way to address MASS operations factoring in the human element, technology and other operational aspects. The discussions have made it apparent that it is no longer a question of whether this will happen but rather how soon this will happen.

In an article in The Maritime Exec-

FROM THE DESK OF THE IMO AMBASSADOR CARLOS SALINAS utive, Capt. George Quick, vice president of the Pilot Membership Group at the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P), said that “Efforts at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to develop and implement technology to support e-navigation — including interoperability and harmonization of information between ship and shore — could potentially be a precursor to remotely controlled ships. That raises, at least as a concept, the possibility of truly autonomous, unmanned ships making their own decisions using ARTIkCIAL INTELLIGENCE u Many things will change to make this happen, and more so when it kNALLY HAPPENS ‡ THE WAY SAFETY IS measured, the regulations that will apply, the liability regime for ship owners, the issue of hacking into systems and many other things which only experts can fathom and explain.

As the leading supplier of seafarers, the Philippines must know and prepare for the consequences of automation on our maritime workforce. The way we educate, train and develop them will have to go beyond the outcomes-based educational system we now have and the levels of competency we currently require.

The paradigm shift necessary to make our maritime professionals job-ready for the future will be much greater than the transformation we undertook in the 1980s when the maritime world shifted from a regime of purely national regulations with VARYING STANDARDS DEPENDING ON lAG of the vessel, to one of international standards following the introduction of the STCW 1978.

The scoping exercise that IMO is undertaking can determine the extent of changes necessary to realize the aspiration of Member States pushing for changes. Now is the time to look into this and be ready for what can happen 10 or 20 years from now. Much will be needed to change the way we think, reform the way we educate our youth, and restructure our regulatory framework to meet the changes which technological innovation will bring.

Automation has become an answer TO MANY OF OUR DIFkCULTIES WHETHER AT home or at work. It has made our lives better, in terms of cost savings and maximum productivity. But like all solutions, it presents its own set of challenges. We only have to remember this guideline from Wendell Berry: “A good solution solves more than one problem, and DOES NOT CREATE NEW ONES u

˜ The Manila Times w w w.manilatimes.net

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

Maritime

Establish steel mills to revitalize shipbuilding – stakeholders T HE government should support the shipbuilding “seriously� and not neglect it like it has done for years if it really wants it to MAKE A SIGNIkCANT MARK GLOBally according to an industry stakeholder.

In an interview, Archipelago Philippine Ferries #ORP #HIEF %XECUTIVE /FkCER #%/ AND 0HILIPPINE )NTER ISLAND 3HIPPING !SSOCIATION 0)3! 0RESIDENT #HRISTOPHER 0ASTRANA SAID THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PUSH FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF STEEL MILLS FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF LOCAL SHIPYARDS IN THE COUNTRY )N !SIA S LARGEST STEEL MILL .ATIONAL 3TEEL #ORP .3# WAS FORECLOSED DUE TO TAX DELINQUENCY AMOUNTING TO MORE THAN 0 "ILLION THOUGH THERE ARE COMPANIES WHO SHOWED ITS CONkDENCE TO ACQUIRE FORECLOSED .3# INCLUDING 3TEEL !SIA THE LARGEST REINFORCED STEEL BAR MAKER IN 3OUTHEAST !SIA 0ASTRANA SAID LOCAL STEEL PLATES NEEDED TO BUILD SHIPS ARE CURRENTLY IMPORTED BECAUSE AS THE COUNTRY DOES NOT OWN STEEL MILLS HERE IN THE COUNTRY g4HE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ADMIT THAT THERE IS A CLEAR NEGLECT IN THE DOMESTIC SHIPBUILDING /UR COMPANY &AST#AT HAS ALREADY LAUNCHED SHIPS 4HEY ARE CATAMARAN SHIPS BUILT TO CONNECT THE ISLANDS OF THE COUNTRY THOUGH THE CURRENT ROLL ON ROLL OFF 2O2O SYSTEM "UT THESE SHIPS ARE DESIGNED IN !USTRALIA AND BUILT IN #HINA 7E ARE IMPORTING MATERIALS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES BECAUSE STEEL THERE IS CHEAPER !ND WE DO NOT HAVE STEEL FACTORY HERE THAT WOULD SUPPLY FOR OUR LOCALLY MADE SHIPS u 0ASTRANA STATED (E ALSO PINPOINTED THE HIGH TAXES THAT THE LOCAL SHIPBUILDERS ARE ENDURING AS ONE OF THE MANY ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED (E ADDED THAT gIF THE SHIPS ARE BUILT HERE IT IS SUBJECT FOR LOCAL TAXES UNLIKE IF IMPORTED WE ARE ENJOYING INCENTIVES WHICH IS PROVIDED IN 2EPUBLIC !CT 2! AND 2! WHICH STATES THAT IF WE IMPORT MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

FOR -ARINA -ARITIME )NDUSTRY !UTHORITY IN PARTICULAR TAX INCENTIVES ARE ENJOYED FROM THE "OARD OF )NVESTMENT "/) u "UT 0ASTRANA ALSO DISCLOSED THAT THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION OF THE $EPARTMENT OF 4RANSPORTATION $O4R THROUGH THE -ARINA IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF COORDINATING WITH THE &INANCE $EPARTMENT TO PUSH FOR THE RELAXATION OF THE LOCAL TAXES FOR LOCAL SHIPBUILDERS FOR THEM TO enjoy the tax incentives.

(E ALSO WELCOMED THE MOVE OF -ARINA AND $O4R FOR THE PUSHING OF THE 9EAR -ARITIME )NDUSTRY $EVELOPMENT 0LAN -)$0 THAT WOULD SOMEHOW ADDRESS THE PROBLEM IN LOCAL SHIPBUILDING (E SAID g) HOPE THROUGH THIS YEAR -)$0

WE WILL HAVE A CLEARER VISION AND WE IN THE SECTOR ARE LOOKING FORWARD FOR BRIGHT FUTURE IN THE DOMESTIC SHIPPING 4HEY ALREADY HAVE A RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND AT THE SAME TIME THEY ARE PUSHING FOR THE CONCEPT OF -ARITIME (UBS THAT CAN STIMULATE AND CREATE SHIP REPAIR BUILDING FACILITIES IN ,UZON 6ISAYAS AND -INDANAO 7E ARE ALSO COUNTING ON (OUSE 3PEAKER 'LORIA -ACAPAGAL !RROYO TO PUSH FOR MODERNIZATION AND THE GROWTH OF TRADE AND CONNECTIVITY IN THE COUNTRY THROUGH HER NAUTICAL HIGHWAY u -EANWHILE -ARINA IN A STATEMENT SAID THEY WERE CRAFTING AN INCENTIVES PROGRAM FOR DOMESTIC SHIPPING SHIPBUILDING AND SHIP REPAIR TO ENHANCE THE INVESTMENT CLIMATE IN THE 0HILIPPINES AND ATTRACT MORE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN THE MARITIME INDUSTRY )T NOTED THAT IT WAS STRENGTHENING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE $OMESTIC 3HIPPING $EVELOPMENT !CT OF WHICH FACILITATES THE

SKorea donates wheelchairs to Filipino disabled United Korean Community Association in the Philippines (UKCA) and Sorok Uni Foundation, Inc. (SUFI), will host Wheelchair Donation Ceremony sponsored by Community Chest of Korea, taking place at Philippine-Korea Friendship Center, Taguig, Manila Philippines on March 28, 2019.

One hundred eighty wheelchairs will be donated to Filipino Disabled Individuals and to the Government Hospitals as Korea’s gratitude and appreciation to the Philippines for helping them in the past Korean War more than 60 years ago.

These new stainless wheelchairs were bought and donated by Korea’s famous comedian Hwang Ki-Soon, who has been riding a bicycle yearly all throughout the Nation of Korea to raise a fund for buying these wheelchairs, with the help of Park Sang-Min, a famous singer in Korea, through promoting this fund-raising activity at his recitals and concerts.

This event happens yearly for 7seven years in different countries in Asia including Vietnam, Myanmar and the Philippines. This will be the third time for the Philippines to receive such a donation.

Since the wheelchairs are for adults only, they are planning and preparing for next year, to donate strollers for the disabled children on poor areas not just in the Philippines but also in different countries of Asia.

granting of incentives for shipping players, such AS EXEMPTIONS FROM VALUE ADDED TAX 6!4 /N ITS RECORD FROM TO -ARINA SAID THERE IS A NEED FOR gINCREASED AWARENESS AMONG STAKEHOLDERSu OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAW AS ONLY OUT OF IMPORTED SHIPS WERE GRANTED 6!4 INCENTIVES DURING THE THREE YEAR PERIOD g(ENCE THE -ARINA HAS COMMITTED TO FORMULATE AN ATTRACTIVE kNANCING SCHEME AND TO REVIEW EXISTING INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR THE PLAYERS IN THE DOMESTIC SHIPPING AND SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRIES u THE STATEMENT READ /N THE OTHER HAND -ARINA THROUGH ITS 3HIPYARD 2EGULATIONS 3ERVICE BARED ITS YEAR SHIPBUILDING SHIP REPAIR AND SHIP BREAKING PROGRAMS AT THE ND .ATIONAL 3HIPYARD #ONVENTION HELD IN

#EBU #ITY LAST .OVEMBER

-ARINA 323 $IRECTOR %NGR 2AMON (ERNANDEZ EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION TO THE 3HIPYARD !SSOCIATION OF THE 0HILIPPINES 3H!0 FOR ITS SUPPORT TO THE -ARINA S SHIPBUILDING SHIP REPAIR AND SHIP BREAKING INDUSTRY INITIATIVES UNDER THE TEN YEAR -)$0 g&ROM SHIPYARD MEMBERS IN NOW THE 3H!0 HAVE BONAkDE MEMBERS OUT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SHIPYARDS IN THE COUNTRY ) FEEL A DEEP SENSE OF AWE THAT IN A SPAN OF THREE YEARS

THE ASSOCIATION HAS COME A LONG WAY IN ASSISTING SHIPYARD OWNERS ACHIEVE NOT ONLY THEIR BUSINESS OBJECTIVES BUT ALSO IN STRIVING TO PROVIDE A CONDUCIVE INVESTMENT CLIMATE FOR ALL u %NGR (ERNANDEZ SAID RAFFY AYENG

B5

Q Christopher Pastrana, president of Philippine Inter-island Shipping Association and Chief Executive Officer of Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corp.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

B6

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

World

China develops antistealth aircraft radars

C

HINESE arms companies recently made multiple terahertz radiation radar systems with a technology seen by experts as an EFkCIENT AIR TO GROUND RECONNAISSANCE TOOL AND a potential counter to stealth aircraft.

A prototype terahertz radiation radar was successfully developed

by China Electronics Technology Group Corp. (CETC) team led by scientist Li Yuanji, and a secondgeneration prototype is already in development, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on

Sunday, citing a statement released by CETC. The development of terahertz radiation radar is a global challenge, according to the CETC statement.

The CCTV report said that terahertz radiation had wavelengths

between those of infrared rays and microwaves, a wide spectrum that would render current stealth technologies obsolete, making the radar able to detect stealth aircraft.

Stealth aircrafts usually use composite materials and radar wave-absorbing coatings, so normal radars could not effectively detect them, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told the Global Times.

Terahertz radiation, on the other hand, could penetrate those materials and expose metallic parts

within the aircraft, lifting its cover, Wei said.

He also noted that a terahertz radiation radar could also clearly trace the outline of an object, making it possible to even tell what type of object it was.

Experts said the terahertz radiation decays very fast in the air, meaning, the effective range of the radar is likely low and not sufkCIENT FOR DETECTING AN ADVANCED STEALTH kGHTER JET IN TIME BEFORE it launches attacks from beyond visual range.

GLOBAL TIMES

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Rakhine leader in Myanmar gets 20 years for treason SITTWE, Myanmar: A Myanmar court on Tuesday sentenced a prominent ethnic Rakhine leader to 20 years in jail for treason, a verdict likely TO INTENSIFY ANGER AMID kGHTING between the ethnic group and the army.

Security forces tried to calm hundreds of supporters outside the court in Rakhine state capital Sittwe, as Aye Maung was escorted to a waiting police van following the verdict.

Aye Maung, the former chairman of the Arakan National Party — which is renowned for hardline views against the Rohingya Muslim minority — was sentenced for treason and defamation over an allegEDLY INlAMMATORY SPEECH IN *ANUary 2018, a day before deadly riots.

State-backed media at the time said he railed against the central government for treating the ethnic Rakhine as “slaves� and said it was the “right time� for the community to launch an armed struggle.

The following evening, Rakhine PROTESTERS BRIElY SEIZED A GOVERNment building and police opened kRE KILLING SEVEN PEOPLE Aye Maung and a fellow detainee — writer Wai Hin Aung, who also gave a speech at the same rally — were detained days later. “Both Dr. Aye Maung and writer Wai Hin Aung were sentenced to 20 years each... for the charge of high treason and two years each for defamation of the state,� Wai Hin Aung’s defence lawyer Aye Nu Sein told AFP. AFP

Thai tycoon convicted, bailed for poaching KANCHANABURI, Thailand: A Thai tycoon accused of poaching a black leopard was sentenced to 16 months in jail on other charges Tuesday, but allowed to go free pending an appeal, in a case that has caused an outcry in a country fed up with impunity FOR POWERFUL kGURES Construction magnate Premchai Karnasuta, whose company is behind major infrastructure projects, such as Bangkok’s monorail and its airport, was arrested by rangers in a national park in February 2018.

He and three others were detained after rangers stumbled upon their campsite and found guns and animal carcasses, including a Kalij pheasant, a red muntjac — or barking deer — and the pelt of a black leopard.

While Premchai was found not

NATURAL DISASTER A cyclone that ripped across Mozambique and Zimbabwe has killed over 1,000 people with scores more missing

and caused massive and horrifying destruction in the Mozambican city of Beira, authorities and the Red Cross said. Cyclone Idai tore into the centre of Mozambique before barreling on to neighbouring Zimbabwe, bringing flash floods and ferocious winds, and washing away roads and houses. AFP PHOTO

Death toll in Indonesia flash floods hits 89 JAYAPURA, Indonesia: The number of people killed after torrential downpours triggered flash floods and mudslides that tore through mountainside villages in Indonesia’s easternmost province has climbed to 89, with dozens of others missing, officials said Tuesday.

On Sunday, the disaster-prone country was hit by an earthquake, triggering a landslide that hit a

popular waterfall on the tourist island of Lombok, killing at least three people and damaging hundreds of homes.

The worst-hit area from the lOODING WAS 3ENTANI SUBDISTRICT

where tons of mud, rocks and trees from a landslide on a mountain early Sunday rolled down to a river that burst its banks, sweeping away residents, National Disaster Mitigation Agency

spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told a news conference in the capital, Jakarta.

Floodwaters and landslides destroyed roads and bridges in several areas of Papua province’s Jayapura district following days of torrential rains, hampering rescue efforts, Nugroho said. “The combination of natural factors and human activities has caused this fatal disaster,� he said.

Nugroho said 79 bodies had been pulled from the mud and wreckage of crumpled homes by Sunday. Another 74 people were hospitalized, many with broken bones and head wounds.

Nugroho said the number of dead and injured would likely increase since affected areas had not been reached and rescuers were still searching for dozens of people reportedly still missing. AP

guilty of possessing a leopard carcass, he was convicted of three other poaching-related charges.

The verdict, handed out in a statement to reporters waiting at Thong Pha Phum courthouse, said Premchai was “sentenced altogether to 16 months�.

Two others caught with him — his driver and cook — received lesser sentences, while his hunting guide was sentenced to three years AND kVE MONTHS ! COURT OFkCIAL SAID THE TYCOON was immediately released on bail of 400,000 Thai baht ($12,600), as HE WAS NOT CONSIDERED A lIGHT RISK Thai courts sometimes grant bail immediately to a convicted person in the expectation they will appeal, and Premchai’s lawyer later confirmed he would challenge the verdict.

AFP

Another Indonesia disaster kills 2 JAKARTA:Dozens of tourists were evacuated on Sunday from a waterfall site hit by landslides in the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok, where two people died, authorities said.

Two moderate earthquakes struck Lombok on Sunday afternoon, triggering the landslides when tourists were visiting the Tiu Kelep waterfall, north of the island, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the disaster agency, said in a statement.

The disaster agency said the two people who died were both Malaysians, but state news agency Antara reported only one was a Malaysian.

Fourteen Indonesians and 22 other Malaysians were rescued from the wa-

terfall site, Nugroho said.

In Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua, flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rain had killed at least 58 people, injured dozens and displaced more than 4,000, authorities said on Sunday.

A search for more possible victims was under way in the town of Sentani, which was hit by flash floods late on Saturday. 51 people were killed and 74 injured there, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the national disaster agency, told a news briefing.

Heavy rain caused landslides in the nearby provincial capital of Jayapura, killing seven there, Nugroho said.

KHMER TIMES

NZ to deny gunman notoriety he seeks ‘TIME FOR NKOREA TO TAKE CONCRETE STEPS’ CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand’s Prime Minister declared Tuesday she would do everything in her power to deny the accused mosque gunman a platform for elevating his white supremacist views, after the man dismissed his lawyer and opted to represent himself at his trial in the killings of 50 people. “I agree that it is absolutely something that we need to acknowledge, and do what we can to prevent the notoriety that this individual seeks,� Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters. “He obviously had a range of reasons for committing this atrocious terRORIST ATTACK ,IFTING HIS PROkLE WAS one of them. And that’s something that we can absolutely deny him.�

She demurred about whether she wanted the trial to occur behind closed doors, saying that was not her decision to make. “One thing I can assure you — you won’t hear me speak his name,� she said.

Later, in a passionate speech to Parliament, she urged the public to follow her lead and to avoid giving the gunman the fame he so obviously craves. “I implore you: Speak the names of those who were lost, rather than the name of the man who took them,� she said. “He may have sought notoriety, but we in New Zealand will give him

Q Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern AP PHOTO nothing, not even his name.�

The shooter’s desire for attention was made clear in a manifesto SENT TO !RDERN S OFkCE AND OTHERS before Friday’s massacre and by his livestreamed footage of his attack on the Al Noor mosque.

The video prompted widespread revulsion and condemnation. Facebook said it removed 1.5 million versions of the video during the first 24 hours, but Ardern expressed frustration that the footage remained online four days later.

“We have been in contact with Facebook; they have given us updates on their efforts to have it removed, but as I say, it’s our view that it cannot — should not — be distributed, available, able to be viewed,� she said. “It is horrendous and while they’ve given us those assurances, ultimately the responsibility does sit with them.�

Arden said she had received “some communication� from Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg on the issue. The Prime Minister has also spoken with British Prime Minister Theresa May about the importance of a global effort to clamp down on the distribution of such material.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also urged world leaders to crack down on social media companies that broadcast terrorist attacks. Morrison said he had written to G20 Chairman Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calling for agreement on “clear consequences� for companies whose platforms are used to facilitate and NORMALIZE HORRIkC ACTS Lawyer Richard Peters, who was assigned to represent Brenton Harrison Tarrant at his initial court appearance on Saturday, told the New Zealand Herald that Tarrant dismissed him that day.

AP

SEOUL: North Korea should take “actual action� towards giving up its nuclear weapons to break the deadlock in talks with Washington, a top security adviser to the South’s President said, suggesting Seoul’s patience with Pyongyang might be wearing thin.

President Moon Jae-in was instrumental in brokering the negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington, seizing on the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea to catalyze a rapid diplomatic rapprochement after a year of missile

tests, threats and tensions.

"UT THE kRST SUMMIT BETWEEN THE North’s leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June produced only a vague commitment to “work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula�.

Their second meeting in Hanoi last month broke up without agreement, or even a joint statement, as the two failed to come to a deal over sanctions relief and denuclearization.

Since then, Pyongyang has said it was considering suspending the talks and images have emerged of rebuilding works at the Sohae rocket launch facilities.

That triggered international alarm that North Korea might be preparing a long-range missile or space launch, which could put the whole negotiations process at risk — Pyongyang has not carried one out for more than a year and Trump has repeatedly said its continued moratorium is crucial. AFP

WORKERS UNITE People hold cards as they seek for renovation works in Shenyang in China’s northeastern Liaoning province. AFP PHOTO

˜ The Manila Times

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

w w w.manilatimes.net

Cyclone kills over 1,000 in Mozambique JOHANNESBURG: More than 1,000 people were feared dead in Mozambique four days after a cyclone slammed into the country, submerging entire villages and leaving BODIES lOATING IN THE lOODWATERS

the nation’s President said. “It is a real disaster of great proportions,� President Filipe Nyusi said.

Cyclone Idai could prove to be the deadliest storm in generations to hit the impoverished southeast African country of 30 million people.

It struck Beira, an Indian Ocean port city of a half-million people, late Thursday and then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi with strong winds and heavy rain.

But it took days for the scope of the disaster to come into focus in Mozambique, which has a poor communication and transportation network and a corrupt and INEFkCIENT BUREAUCRACY Speaking on state Radio Mozambique, Nyusi said that while THE OFkCIAL DEATH TOLL STOOD AT

“It appears that we can register more than 1,000 deaths.�

%MERGENCY OFkCIALS CAUTIONED that while they expect the death TOLL TO RISE SIGNIkCANTLY THEY HAD no way of knowing if it will reach the president’s estimate.

More than 215 people were killed by the storm in the three countries, including more than 80 in Zimbabwe’s eastern Chimanimani region and more than 50 in -ALAWI ACCORDING TO OFkCIAL kGures. Hundreds more were reported injured and missing, and nearly 1,000 homes were destroyed in eastern Zimbabwe alone.

Doctors Without Borders said rivers had broken their banks, leaving many houses fully submerged and around 11,000 households displaced in Nsanje in southern Malawi.

United Nations agencies and the Red Cross helped rush emergency food and medicine by helicopter to the stricken countries.

Mount Chiluvo in central MoZAMBIQUE WAS BADLY HIT BY lOODing. One resident said he heard a loud noise, like an explosion, and suddenly saw a river of mud rolling toward his home.

AP

World

B7

No to 3rd vote on Brexit, speaker tells PM May L ONDON: The speaker of Britain’s House of Commons dealt a potentially fatal blow to Prime Minister Theresa May’s ailing Brexit deal on Monday, saying the government couldn’t keep asking lawmakers to vote on the same deal they have already rejected twice.

The government intended to try a third time to get lawmakers to back the deal, ideally before May joins Eurpean Union (EU) leaders Thursday at a Brussels summit where she is set to ask the bloc to postpone Britain’s departure. May has warned opponents that a failure to approve her Brexit divorce deal would mean a long, and pos-

SIBLY INDEkNITE DELAY TO "RITAIN S departure from the EU. Speaker John Bercow scuttled May’s plan, saying that centuriesold parliamentary rules prevent “the same proposition or substantially the same proposition� from being brought back repeatedly for votes in a session of Parliament.

He said a new motion would have

to be “fundamentally different. Not different in terms of wording, but different in terms of substance.�

The ruling caused uproar on the government side of the House of Commons. Solicitor General Robert Buckland said Britain was facing a “major constitutional crisis,� with not much time to solve it.

By law, the UK will leave the EU on March 29, deal or no deal, unless it secures a delay from the bloc.

Withdrawing without a deal could mean huge disruption for businesses and people in the UK and the 27 remaining EU countries. “Frankly, we could have done without this,� Buckland told the BBC.

As interpreter and enforcer of Parliament’s rules, the speaker has broad powers. Bercow — whose booming cries of “Orderrrrr!� have made him something of a global celebrity — HAS OFTEN USED HIS OFkCE TO BOOST THE INlUENCE OF BACKBENCH LAWMAKERS TO the annoyance of May’s government. “Part of the responsibility of the speaker is, frankly, to speak truth to power,� he said Monday.

Even before Bercow’s ruling, May faced a struggle to reverse the huge margins of defeat for the Brexit divorce agreement in Parliament. It was rejected by 230 votes in January and by 149 votes last week.

AP

Sanders to voters: I’m electable at 77 WASHINGTON, D.C: Bernie Sanders spent much of 2016 talking of revolution. In 2019, he’s turned to a subject that’s a bit more pragmatic: Electability.

As he revs up his second presidential campaign, the Vermont senator and his supporters are putting his case for winning the general election at the center of

the argument. The emphasis is meant to aggressively confront the perception that Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, is too liberal to win over the coalition needed to win the White House.

That question dogged Sanders’ campaign for the Democratic nomination four years ago. This time he is trying to shake it early.

AP

Brazil’s Bolsonaro finds friendlier approach to US WASHINGTON, D.C.: The President of Brazil made an unusual visit to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters and later spoke of his admiration for the US on the second day of a trip THAT RElECTED HIS COUNTRY S SHIFT to a more pro-American stance.

President Jair Bolsonaro, a farright politician, who succeeded a leftist who at times had a frosty relationship with the US, arrived in the country with a half-dozen ministers and a goal of expanding trade and diplomatic cooperation between the two largest economies in the Western Hemisphere.

He was expected to meet on Tuesday with President Donald Trump to discuss a range of issues, including ways to increase US private-sector investment in Brazil and ways to resolve the political crisis in Venezuela. “Nowadays, you have a president who is a friend of the United States who admires this beautiful country,� Bolsonaro told an audience at the US Chamber of Commerce on Monday.

Bolsonaro underscored the difference between his administration and that of former president Dilma Rousseff by stopping by CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, to discuss

“international themes in the region,� according to his son, Eduardo, a Brazilian lawmaker ACCOMPANYING HIM ON HIS kRST bilateral overseas trip.

Eduardo Bolsonaro described the CIA as “one of the most respected intelligence agencies in the world,� in a tweet that was likely to raise eyebrows back home in Brazil, where the US and its spy services have been regarded with suspicion in recent years.

In 2013, leaks from Edward Snowden revealed that the National Security Agency had wiretapped conversations of Rousseff, leading to several years of tense relations between the US and Brazil. “No Brazilian president had ever paid a visit to the CIA,� said Celso Amorim, who served as foreign minister under former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and is a Bolsonaro critic. “This is an explicitly submissive position.

Nothing compares to this.�

The CIA had no comment on the visit.

The far-right Bolsonaro was elected last year and is an admirer of Trump. He sought to underscore his pro-America stance with a tweet upon his arrival in Brazil March 18.

AP

FIRE A firefighter tries to put out a forest fire in El Hatillo, Francisco Morazan department, Honduras. AFP PHOTO

Putin visits Crimea to mark 5th year of takeover MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin led thousands to chant “Russia!� on a visit TO #RIMEA MARKING THE kFTH ANNIVERSARY of the Black Sea peninsula’s annexation from Ukraine, as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union once again strongly condemned the land grab by Russia.

Speaking at an outdoor concert in Crimea’s regional capital of Simferopol, the Russian leader hailed

Crimea’s residents, likening them to the Red Army soldiers of World War 2. “Russia has taken you into its fold with delight and joy,� he told THE CROWD g7E WILL FULkLL ALL OF OUR goals ... because we are together now.�

Putin began his trip by attending the launch of new power plants in Crimea, part of Moscow’s efforts to upgrade the region’s infrastructure. Ukraine has cut off energy supplies to the peninsula

WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump has nominated a veteran Washington lawyer as his first ambassador to Mexico, a delicate role in representing a US leader set on building a wall between the countries.

Christopher Landau, who had been rumored for a job since the start of the Trump administration, served as a clerk to two conservative-leaning Supreme Court justices before becoming a prominent lawyer focused on appeals.

He has no diplomatic experience but studied Latin America at Harvard and speaks Spanish. His father, George Landau, was a longtime US policymaker in Latin America who served as ambassador to Chile, Paraguay and Venezuela.

Trump announced Landau, who REQUIRES CONkRMATION BY THE 3ENate, in a statement released late Monday. Numerous key diplomatic posts remain empty more than two years into Trump’s tenure.

The US has been without

an ambassador in Mexico City since May, when Roberta Jacobson, who was named by Barack Obama, resigned.

She had initially decided to stay on after Trump’s election to ensure continuity, but complained of chaotic decision-making.

In an interview with National Public Radio after she quit, Jacobson called Trump’s hard line on immigration “un-American� and warned it could reduce US standing in the region.

Trump rose to power on a staunchly anti-immigration platform, calling some Mexican immigrants rapists and making his signature issue the construction of a wall on the border, which he told campaign rallies that Mexico would fund.

Trump triggered a shutdown of the government and issued his kRST VETO TO SEEK THE BUILDING OF the wall, with his administration tacitly acknowledging that Mexico will not pay for it.

AFP

Worldinbriefs

Tanis, 37, was known to justice authorities and had a criminal record, but would not elaborate. Police said they also detained another man on suspicion of involvement, but released no details.

AP

CENTER LINE, Mich.: Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke boasted Monday that the more than $6 million he raised online within a day of announcing his White House bid, the most reported by any 2020 candidate, was helping to create “the largest grassroots campaign this country has ever seen.� The “record-breaking� $6.1 million collected last week came “without a dime� from political action committees, corporations or special interests, O’Rourke spokesman Chris Evans tweeted. The figure is just above what Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders reported for his first day as a 2020 candidate. O’Rourke, a former Texas congressman, jumped into the presidential race on Thursday after months of speculation, shaking up the already packed Democratic field and pledging to win over voters from across the political spectrum.

AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo, wanted in his home country in connection with Latin America’s biggest graft scandal, was arrested in California on suspicion of public intoxication and spent the night in jail before being released Monday (Tuesday in Manila), authorities said. Toledo is accused of taking $20 million in bribes while leading Peru. He has been living in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Peruvian authorities have been seeking his extradition since 2017. However, the arrest appears unlikely to hasten that process. The 72-year-old Toledo was arrested after officers were called to a restaurant in Menlo Park just south of San Francisco, said San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Rosemerry Blankswade. Toledo was drunk and had refused requests to leave the establishment, she said.

AP

3 DEAD IN DUTCH SHOOTING

DEADLY

Strait, which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The $3.6-billion project gave Crimea a land link to Russia. Previously, a ferry crossing that was often interrupted by gales served as the only connection.

Moscow’s annexation of Crimea drew US and EU sanctions against Russia that hurt its economy, but the move boosted Putin’s popularity at home.

AP

Trump names conservative lawyer envoy to Mexico

DEMOCRAT YIELDS $6.1M IN FUNDRAISING

A black spitting cobra rears up using its menacing hood to adopt a defencive posture inside its cage at the Bio-Ken Snake Farm in Kenya’s coastal town of Watamu in Kilifi county. AFP PHOTO

and blocked shipments of Crimeabound cargo via its territory after Moscow annexed the region in 2014. “The situation has changed radically,� Putin said, adding that the new power facilities would fully cover Crimea’s energy needs.

Russia’s modernization effort for Crimea has included building a 19-kilometer (11.8-mile) bridge that opened last year across the Kerch

UTRECHT, Netherlands: A gunman killed three people and wounded five during a midmorning tram ride Monday in the Dutch city of Utrecht, raising the specter of another extremist attack only days after the murderous rampage in New Zealand. Authorities seized a Turkish-born suspect after a manhunt that convulsed the historic city of nearly 350,000 people for most of the day. As night set in, three victims lay in critical condition, and the motive for the bloodshed remained under investigation. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said authorities were trying to determine whether the attack had “terror motives.� Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said the suspect, identified as Gokmen

EX-PERU PRESIDENT ARRESTED

MOB BOSS KILLER PRO-TRUMP

TOMS RIVER, N.J.: The man charged with killing the reputed boss of the Gambino crime family wrote pro-Donald Trump slogans on his hand and flashed them to journalists before a court hearing Monday. Anthony Comello, 24, was arrested in New Jersey for the death of Francesco “Franky Boy� Cali last week in front of his Staten Island home. While waiting for a court hearing to begin in Toms River, New Jersey in which he agreed to be extradited to New York, Comello held up his left hand. On it were scrawled pro-Trump slogans including “MAGA Forever,� an abbreviation of Trump’s campaign slogan “Make Americ a Great Again.�

AP

Build&Design www.manilatimes.net

WEDNESDAY MARCH 20, 2019 EDITOR: Mario F. Fetalino Jr.

mario.fetalino@manilatimes.net

B8

Astoria hotels bag prestigious awards

A

CONSISTENT performer in the TripAdvisor rankings since 2017, Astoria Hotels & Resorts (AHR) came out victorious in 2019 as the only hotel chain in the Philippines with three properties included in the globally-recognized TripAdvisor 2019 Travelers’ Choice Awards.

Astoria Current emerged as the overall winner in the Top 25 Hotels in the Philippines category. Astoria Palawan took the 6th place, while Astoria Boracay landed in the top 12.

For the Top 25 Hotels for Families category, Astoria Palawan won the top spot in the Philippines and bagged the 9th position in the world, making itself the only

local resort to be included in the esteemed worldwide list.

Astoria Current was also listed in another category — the Top 25 Hotels for Service — ranking 11th in the entire archipelago.

In the travel industry, a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award is considered to be one of the most prestigious recognitions an organization can receive, as it is

the highest honor presented annually only to the top 1 percent of businesses across different categories.

Organizations do not campaign to be included in the award as the winners are judged based on reviews and opinions of actual travelers and guests worldwide. “We congratulate the properties around the world recognized as the best hotels, which receive our highest honor — Travelers’ Choice Hotel awards,â€? said DesirĂŠe Fish, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. “Winners should be proud of their award as millions of travelers will consider this list when picking the perfect hotel for their needs this year.â€?

Aside from the esteemed TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards, all properties made it to the list of the best properties in a locality. Astoria Current is No. 2 while Astoria Boracay is No. 3 in 153 hotels in Boracay. On

Q Astoria Boracay has just reopened, but is already all the way up at No. 3 in TripAdvisor’s top hotels in Boracay Island. the other hand, Astoria Palawan is No. 1 in 54 hotels in Puerto Princesa and 100 hotels in Palawan Island.

In AHR’s city properties, Astoria Plaza is No. 7 in 22 hotels in Pasig while Astoria Greenbelt is No. 15 in 90 Hotels in Makati.

Astoria Bohol is No. 1 in six bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) in Baclayon. “It’s the quality of service and guests’ comfort that will always be a priority among Astoria properties. Our high level

of distinctly Filipino hospitality ultimately makes for a memorable stay for all our guests, as many TripAdvisor testimonials attest to. We hope that these awards will entice more and more tourists to trust Astoria in making their stay truly special,� said Jeffrey Ng, president of AHR. Indeed a milestone for AHR, the recognitions and awards are a testament that this organization offers more than just beautiful locations and facilities.

Acienda Designer Outlet adds new brands

THE wide array of shopping choices at the Acienda Designer Outlet in Silang, Cavite has just grown even bigger with the addition of new fashion stores that offer daily a minimum of 30 percent discounts on their merchandizes.

These new stores are set to open this quarter.

Opening soon are Seoul Optical for fashionable eyewear and Converse, Havaianas, and the World Balance Pop-Up Store for stylish footwear.

Moms will have fun hopping for discounted items at the Kid’s Depot. Ladies can stretch their budget for fashion needs at MacBeth, Terra Nova/Calliope, New Era and Mango.

Shoppers can recharge with local cuisine at Ibarra’s and Krisson to continue the hunt for even better bargains at up to 80 percent off. And to make the shopping center a really exciting family and barkada destination, VR Land arcade will serve up virtual reality action for the young and young at heart.

As summer sets in, make shopping expeditions fun at Acienda Designer Outlet, where one can spend the whole day enjoying the big bargains on quality branded items, along with the beautiful “Instagrammable� spots and interesting new activities within the cool climate of Silang. “We are very pleased with the thousands of visitors we have been getting at Acienda Designer Outlet everyday. We are expecting to have even more happy shoppers drop by especially with the opening of our new stores and our added fun attraction, which is VR Land,� said Cathay Land P r e s i d e n t Jeffrey Ng. “The enthusiastic

Q IG spot: The vintage bike area is Instagram-friendly. response to our unique shopping concept in the Philippines has strengthened our commitment to providing the best bargains while offering our unique familyfriendly experiences at Acienda Designer Outlet,� he added.

For his part, Freeport Retail UK Head of Leasing Jayden Lewis said, “We are changing the game on how Filipinos are enjoying outlet shopping. Acienda Designer Outlet will continue to grow in the coming months, so watch out for our updates on new stores and even more dining outlets opening soon.�

Cathay Land and Freeport are the local and foreign partners, respectively, behind the 0HILIPPINES kRST TRUE INTERNATIONAL OUTLET MALL Acienda Designer Outlet is located at Km 48 Aguinaldo Highway, Silang Cavite, just a few minutes off the Tagaytay City Rotunda. You MAY ALSO VISIT ITS OFkCIAL WEBSITE AT www.aciendadesigneroutlet.com.

Q More brands: Acienda Designer Outlet opens more branded shops this quarter 1, 2019.

Sports

WEDNESDAY C1 MARCH 20, 2019

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Spurs beat Warriors to extend streak, Nuggets clinch playoff spot L

Q San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan (No. 10) shoots against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio. AP PHOTO

OS ANGELES: The San Antonio Spurs rolled to their season-best ninth straight win by toppling the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors with a 111105 victory on Monday (Tuesday in Manila).

DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points and LaMarcus Aldridge kNISHED WITH POINTS AND 13 rebounds as the NBA’s hottest team guaranteed themselves a league record 22nd straight winning season.

The Spurs won their 11th consecutive home game and improved to 42-29 on the season. “We worked very hard. They are the defending NBA champs and they move and cut better than anybody in the world. The effort was there for 48 minutes and we learned a lot,� said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

Rudy Gay added 17 points for the Spurs, while Derrick White and Patty Mills hit for 12 and 10 points.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 25 points, and Kevin Durant returned from a two

Q Magnolia’s Mark Barroca sizes up Ginebra’s Jeff Chan during a Season 44 PBA Philippine Cup game on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. PBA MEDIA BUREAU PHOTO

4 teams fan flickering playoff hopes MAGNOLIA, Northport, Alaska and Meralco must win their remaining games to sustain their playoff bids in this week’s Season 44 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup action at the Araneta Coliseum.

After a 93-97 overtime loss to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Sunday, the Hotshots take on the Batang Pier IN THE kRST OF THEIR LAST THREE MUST WIN GAMES AT P M Magnolia is sharing the eighth to ninth spots with the Aces with similar 3-5 win-loss record. Both teams need to post six victories at the end of the 11-game ELIMINATION ROUND TO CLINCH A QUARTERkNAL BERTH “I think for both teams, it is a do-or-die or crucial game.

This is going to be a tight game and I think our backs are against the wall,� said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero. “We cannot afford to lose so we have to play

with a proper mindset and be consistent in what we’re doing right,� added Victolero.

Northport, at No. 11 with a 2-5 win-loss record, SEEKS TO END A kVE GAME LOSING SKID AND SNATCH THE last playoff slot with four games remaining in the elimination round. “We have to start winning,� said Northport coach Pido Jarencio in Filipino. “There’s still a big opportunity for us to get into the playoffs, but I know Magnolia will play very hard because they were also coming from a loss. I think our second group should also step up and take it one game at a time.� !LASKA AND -ERALCO ARE ALSO kGHTING for survival in the 4:30 p.m. opening game.

The Aces are coming off a third straight loss while another defeat will eliminate the Bolts. JOSEF T. RAMOS

‘Butch’ vs ‘Butch’: Unite now, fight later

A

LL seems to be not quiet in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games front.

The noise is coming from two apparently warring camps that we would like to concede are as proudly patriotic as the rest of the Filipinos are in the Philippines having been selected to host the 30th SEA Games in various venues in the country in November this year.

There is the group of Rep. Prospero “Butch� Pichay of Surigao del Sur that is said to be allied with Jose “Peping� Cojuangco, former president of the Philippine Olympic Committee POC), and there is that of William “Butch� Ramirez, chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), whose mandate supposedly emanates from President Rodrigo Duterte himself.

Ramirez won over Cojuangco in bitterly contested, court-ordered elections in 2018 and the bad blood between them has not dried up.

The two groups seemed oblivious that they are practically running out of time where preparations for the 2019 edition of the biennial event are concerned, with the Philippine hosting job a little more than eight months away, and yet the Pichay and Ramirez camps are trading barbs on what each other’s supposed weaknesses (strengths don’t count, apparently) are.

According to a report, Ramirez, for instance, has opted to pull rank by saying the President would fully support him despite what is perceived as a pet project that is the regional athletic showcase gone awry: “My boss here is the President.

If they can’t do anything about it, then we will take charge because I am under the instruction of the President and the Executive Secretary [Salvador Medialdea].�

Pichay had taken Ramirez to task for appointing the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Committee (Phisgoc) as the hermano mayor of the November joust, apparently citing a no-

tice from the Commission on Audit, which inquired if there was a POC board resolution or a memorandum of agreement designating Phisgoc as punong abala of the games.

In the same report, the congressman, a member of the Executive Council of the POC and head of the country’s chess federation, said, “As far as the POC is concerned, we have not recognized [the Phisgoc],� which ‘is not authorized to enter into contracts� involving the 30th SEA Games.

We suggest that Ramirez and Pichay get their act together, lest they embarrass themselves, the country and its millions of sport fans and President Duterte, among other stakeholders, who obviously want all parties to this year’s SEA Games to walk the talk and put the people’s money where their mouths are (P5 billion reportedly handed over to the PSC to spend on the awaited sports extravaganza this side of Asia). “Butch� and “Butch� should not give the impression that each of them just wants to be the savior of the games, the apparent reason why they have seemed to not think of a win-win scenario that would inspire the Filipino athletes taking part in the 30th Southeast Asian Games to run faster or jump higher.

Of course, the two gentlemen could bask in the glory of the Philippines potentially crowning itself as the “overall� champion of the 30th Southeast Asian Games (the International Olympic Committee, which has sanctioned the event, frowns on such practice of self-promotion).

That would not happen if the Vargas and Pichay camps preferred to slug it out, instead of finding a common ground to make the games, okay, a legacy that they are apparently after, and there is nothing wrong with that, but not at the expense of the other or of the nation itself.

They share a name, so why can’t they share a vision, a purpose?

FREE KICK

ROMY P. MARIĂ‘AS

game injury absence to score 24 points for the Warriors. “We had a couple of breakdowns at crunch time,� said Curry. “We fought hard and they just made shots down the stretch.�

Klay Thompson added 14 and Draymond Green racked up 10 points for Golden State, who dropped to 47-22 on the season and are now tied with Denver for top spot in the Western Conference standings.

The Spurs defense has been a catalyst during their winning streak. But when asked what the Spurs did to bottle up the Warriors, Thompson said, “Absolutely nothing. We just missed shots.�

Andrew Bogut made his season debut for the Warriors, played 10 minutes and finished with seven points

and seven rebounds.

The Spurs took a four point lead at the end of the third quarter then cruised from there, leading by as much as nine points in the fourth.

Davis Bertans’ nailed a threepointer with just under two minutes to play to give San Antonio a 109-102 lead.

Elsewhere, Nikola Jokic had 21 points and 13 rebounds and the Denver Nuggets punched their ticket to the postseason by rallying past the Boston Celtics 114-105.

Also, Kyle Lowry posted 15 points before he was forced to leave the game with an ankle injury as the Toronto Raptors clobbered the New York Knicks 128-92.

In Dallas, Elfrid Payton beCAME THE kFTH PLAYER IN LEAGUE history to record a triple douBLE IN kVE CONSECUTIVE GAMES AS the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Dallas Mavericks 129-125 IN OVERTIME 0AYTON kNISHED with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

AFP

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WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

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San Jose City silat bets shine in BPinoy Luzon qualifying leg

I

BY JEAN RUSSEL V. DAVID

LAGAN CITY, Isabela: San Jose City, Nueva Ecija displayed its mastery in pencak silat by winning seven gold medals on Tuesday in the Luzon Qualifying leg of Batang Pinoy 2019 at the covered court of Brgy. OsmeĂąa here.

Bieto Barol Jr. ruled the boys’ tunggal (single form) early age division while Jenelle Ann Adriano and Luke Albert Capulong dominated the girls’ tunggal pre-teenager and boys' tunggal pre-teenager, respectively.

Capulong won another gold medal in the ganda (double form) pre-teenager boys’ category with his partner Samuel Benedict Ramos.

San Jose City won three more gold in regue (team form) courtesy of Jenelle Ann Adriano, Camille Trases and Anne Mariel Dela Rosa (girls; regu pre-teenager); Jerameel Trases,

Juliana Marie Salvador and Sheene Cantorna (girls' regu teenager); and Lance Scott Tira, John Willis Rimando and Matthew Albert Capulong (boys' regu teenager).

Palarong Pambansa’s most bemedalled athlete Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh copped two gold medals after topping the swimming competition on Tuesday.

The 12-year old Mojdeh dominated the 200m (2:34.91) and 400m (5:25.11) individual medley in the girls' 13-15 category.

Owner of Philippine marks in 100m and

M BUTTERlY -OJDEH EYES TO SWEEP HER events this year.

She is scheduled to compete in the girls' 100m and 50m butterfly Wednesday and M BUTTERlY ON 4HURSDAY In tae kwon do poomsae (form), Ian Matthew Corton of Quezon City bagged two gold medals while Aesha Kiara Oglayon of Baguio clinched one gold in the junior boys' and cadet girls', respectively.

Corton garnered 8.105 points, beating King Nash Alcairo of Quezon Province with 8.04 and Emmanuel Christopher Austria of Naga City with 7.95 and Carl John Viloria of Alicia, Isabela with 7.88 in the individual junior male class.

Corton bagged his second gold in the team event with Maria Nicole Anne Labayne.

Ilocos Norte and San Jose Del Monte copped one gold each after beating their respective opponents in the lawn tennis.

San Jose Del Monte blasted Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, 2-0 while Ilocos Norte beat PangasINAN

TO kNISH SECOND In girls’ volleyball, Pangasinan defeated

Mandaluyong (25-7, 25-8), Angeles City ousted Sta. Rosa (25-21, 25-22), Bataan subdued Muntinlupa (25-13, 25-18), while Antipolo bested Tuguegarao (25-14, 25-10) at the Camunatan Covered Court.

Over at the Brgy. Calamagui 2nd Covered Court, Naga City crushed Ilagan, 12-1, to advance in the next phase of the Futsal competition. Candon City escaped Baguio City, 3-1, while Olongapo City blanked Tanauan City, 3-0, in the League Group.

In the basketball elimination round, Polangui outscored Guinobatan, 71-50, in Pool A, Calapan City defeated San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, 75-60, in Pool B, San Fernando thumped Makati City, 70-67, in Pool C, and DasmariĂąas beat Pangasinan, 81-65, in Pool D. Baguio City is leading the medal tally with six gold, seven silver, and three bronze medals followed by Quezon City (5-1-0) and San Jose City, Nueva Ecija (4-5-9), as of 6 p.m. Monday.

The Luzon qualifying leg winners will advance to the national championships in October.

CEU crushes Valencia City Bukidnon-SSC CENTRO Escolar University’s (CEU) defense proved to be airtight, as it repulsed Valencia City Bukidnon-San Sebastian College, 71-65, for the top spot in their group in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League (PBA D-League) on Tuesday at the Paco Arena in Manila.

The Scorpions held the Golden Harvest scoreless in the last 2:41 of the game to emerge as solo leader in the Foundation Group with a pristine 4-0 record. “What’s been carrying us is our defense. We’re making stops and trying to contain the opposing team.

We’re really playing a solid defense especially on halfcourt,� said CEU head coach Derrick Pumaren.

Pumaren, though, expressed dismay on his men’s turnovers particularly in the opening half wherein Valencia-San Sebastian was able to erase their 14-point lead. “I’m not happy with the turnovers that we’ve been making. We had 16 IN THE kRST HALF ALONE THAT S WHY 6Alencia was able to come back,� said Pumaren whose wards turned the ball over 22 times in total.

Senegalese center Malick Diouf posted a game-high 21 points and a D-League record 30 rebounds.

Diouf shattered the former mark of Jay-R Taganas, who had 29 boards in a 70-75 loss to Cagayan Valley exactly four years ago. “He (Diouf) was controlling it (rebounds),� said Pumaren of his prized recruit. “He asserted himself inside and only allowed one shot for San Sebastian.�

Jan Formento came off the BENCH TO kRE POINTS WHILE #HRIStian Uri and skipper Keanu Caballero chipped in 13 and 10 markers, respectively, in the victory.

CEU uncorked an opening 19-5 salvo behind Diouf and Uri but Valencia-San Sebastian went to JM Calma to close the gap, 35-36, at halftime.

The Scorpions erected a 61-51 lead on Formento’s triple early in the payoff period. The Golden Harvest, however, remained within striking distance.

Leaning on Formento and Diouf, CEU pulled away anew, 69-59, with 4:21 remaining in the game.

Ken Villapando scored on a threepoint play to push Valencia-San Sebastian within 65-71 but CEU stopped their foes from converting THEIR NEXT kVE SHOTS AS TIME EXPIRED Allyn Bulanadi led the Egay Macaraya-mentored Golden Harvest with 16 points, as Alvin Capobres and Calma had 13 and 10 markers, respectively.

Valencia-San Sebastian dropped to .O WITH ITS kRST LOSS FOLLOWING A THREE win start. JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

Q CEU’s Malick Diouf (right) steals the ball from Valencia-San Sebastian’s Alvin Capobres during the 2019 PBA D-League on Tuesday at the Paco Arena in Manila. PHOTO COURTESY OF PBA MEDIA

THE SCORES: CEU (71)— Diouf 21, Formento 16, Uri 13, Ke. Caballero 10, Chan 6, Fuentes 3, Lisbo 2, Rojas 0, Diaz 0, Intic 0.

VALENCIA-SAN SEBASTIAN (65)— Bulanadi 16, Capobres 13, Calma 10, Sumoda 7, Desoyo 7, Ilagan 5, Villapando 3, Dela Cruz 2, Bonleon 2, Are 0, Calahat 0, Tero 0, Loristo 0, Quiambao 0.

Quarter scores: 22-13; 35-36; 56-51; 71-65

Lady Eagles seek to extend winning run vs UST ATENEO de Manila University eyes to extend its hot streak against the dangerous University of Sto. Tomas (UST) as the second round of Season 81 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball tournament unfurls today at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The leading Lady Eagles and the second-running Golden Tigresses clash in the 4 p.m. main game after National University (NU) and University of the East (UE) collide at 2 p.m.

After dropping its season-opener against archrival De La Salle University, Ateneo soared to a six-game winning streak capped by a 23-25, 2517, 25-13, 25-17 thumping of NU last Sunday to end the first round on top.

Head coach Oliver Almadro though warns his Lady Eagles of a tougher competition in the second round wherein the Final Four begins to take shape. “I’m telling my players that the second round is going to be tougher,� said Almadro. “Hopefully, the positivity and energy will manifest going into the second round,� he added.

League’s fourth-best scorer Kat Tolentino, who averaged 15.3 points in the opening round, will lead the Eagles’ attack along with Maddie Madayag, Bea De Leon and Ponggay Gaston.

On the other hand, the Tigresses are riding on their own three-win roll that propelled them to their best finish in the first round under mentor Kungfu Reyes with a 5-2 slate for a joint second with La Salle. “At least we’re in the top three so far in the first round. This will be a good motivation entering the second round,� said Reyes, whose squad is coming off a 25-18, 25-14, 25-20 rout of UE last Sunday.

League’s top scorer Sisi Rondina (17.4 points) and second-best Eya Laure (16.7 markers) are tabbed to spearhead the Tigresses together with Dimdim Pacres and Kecelyn Galdones.

Meanwhile, No. 6 NU (2-5) will try to bounce back against cellardweller UE (1-6).

The Lady Bulldogs lost to Ateneo to close the first round while the Lady Red Warriors fell to their fourth consecutive defeat after suffering a sweep to UST. JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

Velez, Novis bag PPS MCF crowns LOCAL star John David Velez and Malita kND -A !NGELICA .OVIS FASHIONED OUT A pair of emphatic victories to share MVP honors in the PPS-PEPP MCF Global National tennis tournament at the GSIS Tennis Club in Davao City on Monday.

Velez stayed hot despite coming off a long break from the Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala circuit, dropping just 14 games in four matches to capture the boys’ 16-and-under crown via a

RESULT OVER !NDREI ,AGO IN THE kNAL He proved more imposing in the premier 18-U side, blasting Nikhel Nowlakha, 6-1, 6-1, to complete a two-title romp in the Group 1 event staged as part of the Davao City’s 82nd anniversary celebrations and held in partnership with the -AC S #RANKIT &OUNDATION A NON PROkT organization from Australia whose aim is to help change lives and empower underprivileged communities through sports.

Novis, meanwhile, kept her impressive run in the girls’ division of the nationwide circuit presented by Dunlop, crushing Coleen Carvajal twice to

sweep the 16-U (6-3, 6-2) and 18-U (6-1, 6-3) diadems, her third straight after pulling off similar feats in the Digos and Tagum stops of the Mindanao swing of the circuit sanctioned by the 5NIkED 4ENNIS 0HILIPPINES MADE UP OF PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. “While Velez and Novis kept their win run going, new faces continued to emerge which should serve as motivation for the other bidders and further boost our talent-search,� said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Other singles winners were Cian Ramirez from Kabacan (10-unisex), Kendrick Bona from Puerto Princesa and member of the MCTA, Davao’s Andre Sing (boys’ 14-U), Tagum’s Chelsea Bernaldez (girls’ 12-U) and Juliana Carvajal from Digos (girls’ 14-U).

Ramirez upended top seed Pete Bandala, 4-0, 4-2, in the semis then beat No. 2 Yusuf Maldo, 4-2, 4-2; No. 2 Bona held off Raphael Duay, 6-2, 7-5; Sing ripped Reyman Saldivar Jr., 6-1,

6-2; Bernaldez clobbered Mae Anoba, 6-1, 6-3; and Carvajal defeated Jemarie Manggarai, 6-2, 6-4.

Sharing the spotlight were men’s doubles Legends winners Edgar Quinones and Ken Mamontuan, who edged Renato dela Cruz and Jojo Idpan, 8-5, in the 40s; Roland Diamante and Quinones, who nipped Arnold Sarabia and dela Cruz, 8-6, in the 50s; and Gabriel Perez and Bando Cariga, who repulsed Jonathan Palac and Rogelio Estano. 8-4, in the Open division.

Velez and Novis actually ended up with three titles each as they also topped the 18-U doubles with the former teaming up with Nowlakha to foil Kobe Dumlao and Carlos Santiago, 8-4, and the latter and partner Zylaka Cervantes thwarting siblings Juliana and Coleen Carvajal, 8-6.

Other doubles victors were Juliana Carvajal and Manggarai, and Bona and Lago (14-U) and Johnel Maldo and Cian Ramirez (10-U). For details, call 09154046464.

Nowitzki passes Chamberlain on NBA scoring list LOS ANGELES: Dirk Nowitzki, who helped revolutionize the game as a big man with a potent long-range jump shot, passed Wilt Chamberlain on the National Basketball Association’s all-time scoring list on Monday (Tuesday in Manila).

The 40-year-old German, who is playing in his 21st and possibly final season with the Dallas Mavericks, needed four points in a home game Monday to pass Chamberlain who scored 31,419 in his hall-of-fame career.

Nowitzki reached the milestone by hitting a 16-foot shot with 8:33 left in the opening quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans. The long-time face of the Mavericks thrilled the home crowd who were standing on their feet in anticipation of the moment.

Nowitzki is now the sixth leading alltime scorer behind Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Jabbar.

The league’s leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the lone seven

foot star to score more points than Nowitzki, whose jump shot and ability to hit three pointers from beyond the arc changed the North American game.

Before Nowitzki and China’s Yao Ming, big men weren’t perimeter threats to score. Seven footers like Shaquille O’Neal and Patrick Ewing would stand in the paint and reach over the top of smaller defenders and take short range turnaround shots to score.

AFP

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

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Masters champ Reed set to defend first major title W ASHINGTON: Patrick Reed says he’s mentally stronger with better shotmaking entering the Masters than he was last year when he won the green jacket, even if his results don’t show it.

The 28-year-old American WILL DEFEND HIS kRST MAJOR TITLE AT NEXT MONTH S RD -ASTERS TOURNAMENT BUT SO FAR h e HASN T MANAGED A TOP SHOWING SINCE SHARING SECOND IN .OVEMBER AT $UBAI g)T DEkNITELY WOULD HELP u 2EED SAID OF A STRONG RESULT DURING A -ONDAY TELECONFERENCE g"UT HONESTLY ) FEEL LIKE THE STATE OF MIND ) M IN RIGHT NOW IS BETTER THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR AT THIS POINT g) M DOING THINGS ON THE GOLF COURSE ) FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE DOING THAN LAST YEAR ) JUST NEED TO GO OUT THERE AND PUT FOUR ROUNDS TOGETHER u 2EED NOW TH IN THE WORLD

RANKINGS REACHED !UGUSTA .ATIONAL LAST YEAR AFTER SHARING SECOND AT THE 6ALSPAR #HAMPIONSHIP AND SEVENTH AT THE !RNOLD 0ALMER )NVITATIONAL PLUS A SHARE OF NINTH AT THE 7'# -ATCH 0LAY 4HIS MONTH 2EED SHARED TH AT THE 0ALMER AND TH LAST WEEK AT 4HE 0LAYERS #HAMPIONSHIP AFTER A kNAL ROUND g4HE PREPARATIONS ARE GOING REALLY WELL ) FEEL LIKE ) M IN A BETTER PLACE THAN ) WAS LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME u 2EED SAID g4HE THING IS TO KEEP BUILDING ON WHAT WE VE BEEN WORKING ON g*UST BEING ABLE TO WORK THE BALL BOTH WAYS CONSISTENTLY HIT GOLF SHOTS AND PUT MYSELF IN A MIND FRAME THAT S W H A T YOU NEED TO COMPETE AT MAJORS u 0LAYERS WINNER 2ORY -C)LROY

TOP RANKED $USTIN *OHNSON WORLD

Q Patrick Reed of the United States plays his shot from the fifth tee during the final round of The PLAYERS Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 17, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. AFP PHOTO

NUMBER TWO *USTIN 2OSE AND TIME MAJOR WINNER 4IGER 7OODS ARE BETTING FAVORITES AHEAD OF THE !PRIL SHOWDOWN AT !UGUSTA .ATIONAL "UT 2EED WAS UNFANCIED LAST YEAR AS WELL WHEN HE OUTDUELED -C)LROY

*ORDAN 3PIETH AND 2ICKIE &OWLER TO CAPTURE THE TITLE g/NE OF THE GREATEST TESTS IN THE GAME IS PLAYING IN THE -ASTERS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ALMOST PERFECTLY u 2EED SAID g!UGUSTA DOESN T ONLY CHALLENGE YOUR GOLF GAME IT CHALLENGES YOUR BODY PHYSICALLY AND TESTS YOU MENTALLY u 2EED YEARNS FOR THE -ASTERS CHAMPION DUTIES HAVING HAD HIS #HAMPIONS $INNER MENU SET SINCE AGE RIBEYE STEAK MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH CREAMED CORN AND SPINACH g) CAN T WAIT TO GET BACK ON THE PROPERTY WALK AROUND THE GROUNDS AND GO INTO THE CHAMPIONS LOCKER ROOM AND LOOK AT ALL THE NAMES THERE u 2EED SAID g4HIS YEAR HAVING ALL THE EXTRA ACTIVITIES GOING ON ) THINK IT S GOING TO BE A LOT OF FUN 4O EXPERIENCE WHAT IT S GOING TO BE LIKE ON THE kRST TEE AS DEFENDING CHAMPION ) CAN T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE u 4HE LAST TIME 2EED WAS ON THAT TEE LAST YEAR S FINAL ROUND HE

WAS UNSETTLED g) FELT THE BUTTERlIES GOING u HE SAID g/NCE ) GOT UP TO THAT IRON SHOT THE NERVES WENT AWAY ) GOT MYSELF IN THE RIGHT MIND FRAME AFTER THAT ONE SHOT u

- Always learn at Masters 2EED SAYS HIS BEST MOMENT IN THE GREEN JACKET WAS BEING HUGGED BY HIS DAUGHTER MINUTES AFTER THE VICTORY

AND HIS LEAST FAVORITE WILL BE HANDING IT BACK TO !UGUSTA .ATIONAL OFkCIALS g4HAT S GOING TO GIVE ME MOTIVATION TO TRY AND REPEAT AND WIN MULTIPLE u 2EED SAID g)T HAS JUST GIVEN ME MOTIVATION )T KIND OF PICKS ME UP u 2EED SAYS ONE KEY HE HAS LEARNED FROM !UGUSTA .ATIONAL IS THAT EVEN THE BEST PLAYERS NEVER STOP LEARNING AROUND THE FAMED COURSE SAYING HE WOULD TELL HIS YOUNGER SELF TO gHIT MORE FAIRWAYS AND LEAVE THE BALL BELOW THE HOLE u g9OU JUST LEARN NEW THINGS ABOUT THE GOLF COURSE YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT u 2EED SAID g)T S LIKE EVERY TOURNAMENT YOU PLAY BUT MORE PENALIZING TIMES g9OU JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU RE REALLY SHARP IN EVERY PART OF YOUR GAME u AFP

THAIS SEEK END TO SOLAIRE PH OPEN JINX

Q Filipino boxer Michael Dasmarinas (left) fights French opponent Karim Guerfi during an International Boxing Organization Batamweight world title fight in Singapore in 2018. AFP FILE PHOTO

AN 11-player Thai crew gears up for the Solaire Philippine Open next month, all aiming to finally break the long spell and nail the elusive crown in the country’s premier championship at the dreaded The Country Club in Laguna.

Prom Meesawat nearly pulled off the feat in the event’s Centennial staging last year when he stormed to the lead after three rounds of play in brutal conditions. But the veteran Thai campaigner took a heartbreaker of a defeat to local ace Miguel Tabuena, losing in sudden death and extending the country’s perennial regional rivals’ woes in Asia’s oldest National Open.

That could change as the likes of Wisut Artjanawat, Namchok Tantiphokakul, Sutijet Kooratanapisan, Pasavee Lertvilai, Nirun Sae-Ueng and Poosit Supupramai vow to accomplish what Meesawat had failed to achieve when the 101st edition of the fabled event is fired off April 3, also at the Tom Weiskoph-layout.

Tabuena, now busy campaigning in other regional tours in pursuit of world ranking points, will be back to defend the crown,

along with the other Filipino top guns and aces from 13 other countries making up the early 92-player field in the 72-hole championship sponsored by Solaire Resort & Casino.

More bets, including new, crack international players, are expected to sign up in the next few days with the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. guaranteeing another downto-the-wire finish on a course whose signature final hole could make or break one’s title bid.

Ten Australians, led by Philippine Golf Tour Asia leg winners Damien Jordan and David Gleeson, and 11 players from the US, headed by regular local campaigners Sam Gillis, Lexus Keoninh, Brett Munson, Cory Oride and PGT leg titlist Nicholas Paez are also in the fold, all seeking to get a crack at the coveted crown in the event sanctioned by the National Golf Association of the Philippines headed by president Martin Lorenzo.

The event also drew bidders from Colombia, Indonesia, New Zealand, England, India, Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Spain, Macedonia and the Netherlands plus the leading local players on

the both the PGT and PGT Asia circuits.

Juvic Pagunsan is also seeing action as one of the invitees with Asia’s former top player all primed up to shoot for the one championship missing in his trophy collection. He actually tied for second in 2004 at Riviera as an amateur, bowing to American

Edward Michaels in the end.

Like last year, the 2017 Open was also disputed via sudden death with Englishman Steve Lewton edging American Johannes Veerman, also at the TCC, with the same windup likely to ensue in the upcoming event which offers a total prized fund of $500,000.

Demecillo, DasmariĂąas slugfest a toss-up IN A kGHT THAT PROMISES EXPLOSIVE ACTION FROM START TO kNISH -ICHAEL $ASMARIĂ„AS AND +ENNY $EMECILLO S COMING OUT SLUGFEST WILL CAP A NIGHT OF GREAT kGHTS AS g2ISING 3TARSu GETS UNDERWAY ON -ARCH AT THE 2ESORTS 7ORLD -ANILA "OTH CAMPS HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR READINESS AND CAPABILITY TO KNOCK EACH OTHER OUT IN ONE OF TWO TITLE ELIMINATOR BOUTS THAT WILL PUT THE WINNER AS LIKELY CHALLENGER TO THE )NTERNATIONAL "OXING &EDERATION BELTS $ASMARINAS +/S IS ON A HOT WIN STREAK AND ON PAPER IS THE MORE EXPERIENCED kGHTER OPPOSITE $EMECILLO +/S %XPERTS CALL IT A DREAM kGHT IN THE POUND DIVISION AND THE PROTAGONISTS PROMISE TO GIVE IT ALL g$ASMARIĂ„AS NOW HAS THE CHANCE TO kRMLY MAKE HIS MARK AS THE .O MAN TO BEAT AT LBS ) HAVE TAKEN -ICHAEL FROM THE SMALL EVENTS TO AN )"/ WORLD TITLE IN THREE kGHTS UNDER THE 2INGSTAR BANNER u SAID PROMOTER 3COTT 0ATRICK &ARRELL CONkDENT THAT HIS WARD WILL BULLDOZE HIS WAY TO VICTORY 4HE YEAR OLD $ASMARIĂ„AS HAS SHOWN HIS POWER IN A FOURTH ROUND STOPPAGE OF +ARIM 'UERk IN 3INGAPORE FOR THE )NTERNATIONAL "OXING /RGANIZATION DIADEM g(E POSSESSES THE HARDEST PUNCH WITH SNAP AT THAT WEIGHT AND IS A FEARED BODY SNATCHER WITH FAST ACCURATE HANDS u ADDED &ARRELL 7HILE "ICOLANDIA S $ASMARIĂ„AS MAY HAVE THE ARSENAL INTERNATIONAL RING JUDGE !RNIE .AJERA BELIEVES $EMECILLO IS READY FOR A WORLD TITLE SHOT SHOULD HE GET PAST HIS OPPONENT g!T THIS POINT YES $EMECILLO IS READY TO FACE THE BEST IN THE WORLD (E IS THIS ERA S .AVARETTE OR $URAN (E IS ALL HEART ONE WHO S WILLING TO TAKE A PUNCH SO HE CAN DISH HIS OWN u SAID .AJERA A VETERAN JUDGE OF MORE THAN PROFESSIONAL kGHTS g) DON T THINK THERE S ANYBODY IN HIS DIVISION ONE UP OR ONE LOWER

THAT HE FEARS AT THE MOMENT (E TAKES ON ALL COMERS 4HE $EMECILLOS OF

#EBU ARE KNOWN TO BE SLUGGERS NO REVERSE GEAR JUST FORWARD !ND THEY ARE DURABLE u ADDED .AJERA WHO HAS PERSONALLY WATCHED $EMECILLO kGHT FOUR TIMES $EMECILLO TOOK A DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT AGAINST UNBEATEN 6YACHESLAV -IRZAEV IN HIS OWN HOMETOWN OF !NAPA 2USSIA EXACTLY A YEAR AGO AND REVERSED THE ROLES OF HUNTER AND PREY WINNING BY KNOCKOUT IN THE kFTH AND SPOILING A LOCAL CELEBRATION g(IS POWER IS A TRICKY SECRET (E OUTLIVES AND OUTLASTS HIS OPPONENTS ESPECIALLY IF THEY FALL INTO THIS TRAP OF GOING TOE TO TOE IN THE RING u ADDED .AJERA WHO EXPECTS A SLAM BANG

PHONE BOOTH SLUGFEST g)F YOU HAVE A .AVARETTE LIKE STYLE IN $EMECILLO ON ONE CORNER AND A 2AFAEL "AZOOKA ,IMON CLONE IN $ASMARINAS ON ANOTHER WHAT WILL YOU GET FOR A kGHT $ASMARIĂ„AS IS A KABABAYAN FROM "ICOL AND ) KNOW "ICOLANOS NEVER BACK DOWN FROM A kGHT $EMECILLO ON THE OTHER HAND

HAILS FROM )LIGAN #ITY IN ,ANAO AND IS A NO PUSH OVER %XPECT kREWORKS ) HOPE $ASMARIĂ„AS IS IN TIP TOP SHAPE BECAUSE ) KNOW +ENNY IS PUNISHING HIMSELF IN THE GYM SINCE THE kGHT WAS ANNOUNCED $ASMARIĂ„AS DURABILITY WILL BE TESTED HERE u SAID .AJERA 4EN MORE BOUTS COMPLETE THE CARD WHICH INCLUDES ANOTHER TITLE ELIMINATOR FOR THE )"& MINIMUM WEIGHT TITLE 0RODIGIOUS 2ENE -ARK #UARTO +/S HOT ON A WIN STREAK FACES YEAR OLD AND UNBEATEN 3AMUEL 3ALVA +/S 4HE AMBITIOUS PROJECT PRESENTED BY -0 0ROMOTIONS AND 2INGSTAR !SIA HOPES TO kND THE NEXT LEGENDARY kGHTER COMING FROM THIS SIDE OF THE WORLD (ALL OF &AMER -ANNY 0ACQUIAO OF -0 0ROMOTIONS STILL ACTIVE AT

JOINED 2INGSTAR !SIA HEAD 3COTT 0ATRICK &ARRELL AND 2ESORTS 7ORLD -ANILA EXECUTIVES IN MAKING THE SERIES OF kGHTS HAPPEN OPTIMISTIC THAT THE PROJECT CAN BRING OUT THE BEST kGHTERS FROM THE REGION

Q Wisut Artjanawat (right) and Namchok Tantiphokakul will anchor the Thais’ bid for a first-ever Phl Open diadem.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

No trophy, no regrets as Federer departs Indian Wells for Miami INDIAN WELLS, United States: Roger Federer departed Indian Wells empty-handed for a second straight year, but the Swiss great sees no reason he can’t get back on track at the Miami Masters.

“Sure, it’s frustrating and disappointing and sad to some extent,� Federer said after falling 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to Austrian Dominic Thiem in Sunday’s (Monday in Manila) final.

Q Roger Federer of Switzerland serves against Dominic Thiem of Austria during their men’s singles final on day fourteen of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 17, in Indian Wells, California. AFP PHOTO

Thiem, 25, denied Federer a record sixth Indian Wells title and returned to his career-high of fourth in the world -- bumping Federer down to fifth going to the second leg of the “Sunshine Double� of Indian Wells and Miami.

But Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam winner who claimed a remarkable 100th career title in Dubai last month, can afford to take the defeat in stride -- especially when he’s playing well and feels his 37-year-old body is fully fit. “It’s just not as dramatic,�he said of falling to a player who was“just a bit better when it mattered�. “Whereas, when you’re hurt and things are difficult, maybe those hurt more. “I’m going to Miami. The body is perfectly fine.

That also always keeps me upbeat, and I feel it’s a privilege when I feel this way leaving a tournament. “I have been playing every single day for the last three weeks. I can be very

happy and proud of that fact.�

As at Indian Wells, Federer could meet fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka in the third round in Miami.

Federer is a three-time winner at Miami, but he lost his second-round opener last year after falling to Juan Martin del Potro in the final at Indian Wells.

With that in mind, Federer shied away from predicting he would bounce back in a big way from his loss to Thiem, with the Miami event’s move to a new venue adding to his sense of uncertainty. “Now it’s totally different,� Federer said of the tournament moving from its longtime home on Key Biscayne to the Hard Rock Stadium -- home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

A new stadium court inside the actual stadium is the centerpiece of the new venue, which also features a secondary grandstand court and two smaller show courts and practice courts. “Everybody’s got to get used to center court or the conditions at the new site,� Federer said. “I’m eager to find out how it’s going to be like.

There are stil a lot of open question marks.

Right now I feel really good.�

AFP

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WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019 EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS ON REGISTERED LAND

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late Guillermo S. Villadores has been extrajudicially settled among his heirs namely: Cesar A. Villadores (deceased son) represented by his only heirs: wife Rosalinda G. Villadores, daughter Clarinda V. Espiritu and son Cesar G. Villadores, Jr.; Iluminada V. Acupan (daughter); and Inocencio A. Villadores (son) and all said legal heirs agreed to waive their rights, interest, participation and claims on the property in favor of heir Cesar G. Villadores, Jr., his heirs, assigns and successorsin-interest. Heir Cesar G. Villadores, Jr. accepts from said legal heirs all the rights and interests on the said property waived by the other co-heirs made in his favor. As per Doc. No.181; Page VIII; Book No. 34, series of 2018 in the notarial books of Atty.

Ruben M. Azanes, Jr., Notary Public until December 31, 2018 with PTR No. 5611098, 1/9/2018 Q.C., IBP No. AR001205, Q.C.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late ANTONIA Q. SINGZON has been extra-judicially settled pursuant to the extrajudicial settlement of estate, acknowledged before Atty.

Sherry Mae E. Arcales, notary public for Catbalogan City, Samar, on November 21, 2018, and entered into her notarial register as Doc. No. 380; Page No. 76; Book No. 10; Series of 2018

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late Amado Pio de Roda was the subject of an affidavit of Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate with Deed of Absolute Sale executed by and among his heirs and 3H Enterprises Limited Inc. represented by Selvy Sinjaya on March 4, 2019 and acknowledged as Doc. No. 133 on Page No. 28 of Book No. LXIX Series of 2019 before Atty. Enrique G. Bautista Jr., a notary public for and in the Province of Cavite.

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Republic of the Philippines City of Tagbilaran City Hall, Tagbilaran City, 6300 INVITATION TO BID FOR Procurement of Infra [Proposed One Storey Tagbilaran City Info Center (Tagbilaran City Visitors Center)]

13 March 2019 MARINA ADVISORY NO. 2019-06 Series of 2019 TO

:

SUBJECT

:

ALL RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXISTING MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT (MOA), SHIPPING COMPANIES/OPERATORS, OTHER MARITIME ENTITIES, ALL CONCERNED EFFECT OF THE TRANSITORY PROVISION OF MARINA CIRCULAR NO. 2018-01 TO EXISTING MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT (MOA) WITH RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATIONS

In the interest of the service and with reference to MARINA Circular No. 2018-01, entitled “Rules on Accreditation of Recognized Organizations 3HUIRUPLQJ 6WDWXWRU\ &HUWLÂżFDWLRQ DQG 6HUYLFHV IRU 3KLOLSSLQH 6KLSSLQJ Companies and their Philippine-Registered Ships, on Behalf of the Administrationâ€?, notice is hereby given that: 1. The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), as the Flag State Administration, recognizes the role of the Recognized Organizations WR SHUIRUP VWDWXWRU\ FHUWLÂżFDWLRQ DQG VHUYLFHV RQ LWV EHKDOI DIWHU IXOO compliance with the requirements of MARINA Circular No. 2018-01 and the Recognized Organization Code.

2. MARINA Circular No. 2018-01, series of 2018, took effect on 16 February 2018 following its publication on 01 February 2018.

3. Said MC provides for a Transitory provision, which states: “Upon effectivity of this Circular, the MOAs of any ROs with the Administration shall remain in force within a one-year period, after which it shall cease to exist. The Administration, after notice shall require the ROs concerned to enter into a new MOA with MARINA.�

4. The intent of MARINA Circular No. 2018-01 in providing for a transitory provision proceeds from the presumption that the ROs with existing 0HPRUDQGXP RI $JUHHPHQW 02$ VKDOO KDYH ÂżOHG WKHLU DSSOLFDWLRQ for accreditation during the one-year transitory period or from 16 February 2018 to 16 February 2019. This Authority had in fact received applications for accreditation during this period and is in the process of evaluating compliance with the provisions of the MC. 5. Consistent with the existing MOA between MARINA and Recognized Organizations who have pending applications with WKLV $XWKRULW\ ÂżOHG ZLWKLQ WKH DIRUHVDLG WUDQVLWRU\ SHULRG WKH IXOO WHUPV DQG FRQGLWLRQV VSHFLÂżHG WKHUHLQ VKDOO UHPDLQ HIIHFWLYH XQOHVV otherwise revoked by this Authority, or until a new Memorandum of Agreement is entered into.

The City Government of Tagbilaran, through the Continuing Appropriation, intends to apply the sum of Sixteen Million Pesos Only (PhP 16,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for ITB No. 1903-211. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected.

The City Government of Tagbilaran now invites bids for the Proposed One Storey Tagbilaran City Info Center (Tagbilaran City Visitors Center), Tagbilaran City; I General Requirements, II Construction Safety and Health, III Site Preparation, IV Termites Control Work, V Lay-outing of Structures and Others, VI Excavation, VII Building 6WUXFWXUDO :RUNV 9,,, 5RRÂżQJ DQG LWV )UDPLQJ ,; &HLOLQJ :RUNV ; 'RRUV DQG :LQGRZV ;, (OHFWULFDO :RUNV XII Plumbing Works, XIII Tile Works, XIV Carpentry Works, XV Steel Trelis Work, XVI Painting Work, XVII Steel Overhead Water Tank, XVIII Cistern Tank Construction, XIX Septic Tank Construction, XX 5 pcs. Rentable Stalls/ Pasalubong Shop at 7.50 Sq.m. each, XXI Airconditioning Unit, XXII Close Circuit Television Installation (Preparation Only). Completion of the Works is required within 150 Calendar Days. Bidders should have completed, within TEN (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a single contract that is similar to the contract to be bid and must EH DW OHDVW ÂżIW\ SHUFHQW RI WKH $%& RI WKH 3URMHFW 7KH GHVFULSWLRQ RI DQ HOLJLEOH ELGGHU LV FRQWDLQHG LQ WKH %LGGLQJ Documents, particularly, in Section II Instruction to Bidders.

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) NOTICE

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that LUMINA TANZA PHASE 4 located at Brgy. Bagtas, Tanza, Cavite with License to Sell No. 033134 dated 16 April 2018, owned/developed by BRIA HOMES, INC. is being utilized as Compliance for CAMELLA NASUGBU (PD 957) located at Brgy. Putat (Palayera), Nasugbu, Batangas in accordance with Section 18 of Republic Act No. 10884.

Notice is hereby given that LUMINA TANZA PHASE 4 located at Brgy. Bagtas, Tanza, Cavite with License to Sell No. 033134 dated 16 April 2018, owned/developed by BRIA HOMES, INC. is being utilized as Compliance for CAMELLA NASUGBU (BP 220) located at Brgy. Putat (Palayera), Nasugbu, Batangas in accordance with Section 18 of Republic Act No. 10884.

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.

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 above-cited project is deemed UHJLVWHUHG DQG D FHUWLÂżFDWH LQ evidence thereof, shall forthwith be issued after five (5) days from the last day of publication.

Absent legal impediment, the above-cited project is deemed UHJLVWHUHG DQG D FHUWLÂżFDWH LQ evidence thereof, shall forthwith be issued after five (5) days from the last day of publication.

Calamba City, Laguna, 18th day of March 2019.

Calamba City, Laguna, 18th day of March 2019.

Recommending Approval:

Recommending Approval:

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

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

Approved by:

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Engr. FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU

Engr. FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU

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MT - Mar. 20, 2019

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)

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)

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as VSHFLÂżHG LQ WKH ,PSOHPHQWLQJ 5XOHV DQG 5HJXODWLRQV ,55 RI 5HSXEOLF $FW 5$ RWKHUZLVH NQRZQ DV WKH “Government Procurement Reform Actâ€?. %LGGLQJ LV UHVWULFWHG WR )LOLSLQR FLWL]HQV VROH SURSULHWRUVKLSV SDUWQHUVKLSV RU RUJDQL]DWLRQV ZLWK DW OHDVW VHYHQW\ ÂżYH SHUFHQW

LQWHUHVW RU RXWVWDQGLQJ FDSLWDO VWRFN EHORQJLQJ WR FLWL]HQV RI WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Local Government Unit of Tagbilaran City, Bohol and inspect WKH %LGGLQJ 'RFXPHQWV DW WKH DGGUHVV JLYHQ EHORZ GXULQJ RI¿FH KRXUV A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on March 20, 2019 – April 11, 2019 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (PhP 25,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the Procuring Entity’s website: www.tagbilaran.gov.ph, provided that Bidders shall pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The City Government of Tagbilaran will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on March 28, 2019 at 2:00 PM at CEO Conference Room. CEO Building, Upper Calceta St., Cogon Dist., Tagbilaran City, which shall be open to all interested bidders.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before April 11, 2019 at 1:30PM at CEO Conference Room, CEO Building, Upper Calceta St., Cogon Dist., Tagbilaran City, Bohol. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause18.

Bid Opening will be on April 11, 2019 at 2:00 PM at CEO Conference Room, CEO Building, Upper Calceta St., Cogon Dist., Tagbilaran City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The City Government of Tagbilaran reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: Ms. Rosemarie P. Palma Head BAC Secretariat City Engineering Building Upper Calceta Street, Tagbilaran City Tel.No. (038) 411-2072 Telefax No. (038) 422-8049 (SGD.) MS. CATHELYN O. TORREMOCHA BAC Chairman

MT - Mar. 20, 2019

12 March 2019 MARINA ADVISORY NO. 2019-07 Series of 2019 TO

:

ALL SHIPOWNERS/OPERATORS/BAREBOAT CHARTERERS/SHIP OPERATORS/SHIP MANAGERS/AND ALL CONCERNED

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)

PAUNAWA

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that C O M M U N I T I E S B ATA N G A S , INC. (Owner) by virtue of Deed of Absolute Sale; EFREN FRANCIS C. LEJANO, EMMANUEL LUIS C. LEJANO and SPOUSES MELCHOR S. CARURUCAN/ ANGELES M. CARURUCAN (Co-owners) and COMMUNITIES BATANGAS, INC. (Developer) by virtue of Land 'HYHORSPHQW $JUHHPHQW KDYH ÂżOHG ZLWK WKLV 2IÂżFH D VZRUQ UHJLVWUDWLRQ statement for the sale of house and lots in CAMELLA NASUGBU (PD 957) located at Brgy. Putat (Palayera), Nasugbu, Batangas and more particularly described as Lot 4, Pcs-04-001461; Lots 111, 114 and 369, all of Pcs-4020 containing an area of 79,585 sq.m. (portion only) and covered by TCT Nos. T-45491; T-103114; T-104790 and T-75720.

Ipinagbibigay alam na ang COMMUNITIES BATANGAS, INC. (May-ari) sa pamamagitan ng “Deed of Absolute Sale�; EFREN FRANCIS C. LEJANO, EMMANUEL LUIS C. LEJANO at SPOUSES MELCHOR S. CARURUCAN/ ANGELES M. CARURUCAN (Mga may-ari) at COMMUNITIES BATANGAS, INC. (Debeloper) sa pamamagitan ng “Land Development Agreement� ay naghain sa Tanggapang ito ng sinumpaang aplikasyon para sa pagbebenta ng bahay at lote sa CAMELLA NASUGBU (PD 957) na matatagpuan sa Brgy. Putat (Palayera), Nasugbu, Batangas at sinasakop ng mga Lote Blg. 4, Pcs04-001461; Lote Blgs. 111, 114 at 369, lahat ay Pcs-4020 na may sukat na 79,585 sq.m. (bahagi lamang) sa ilalim ng mga Titulo Blgs. T-45491; T-103114; T-104790 and T-75720.

The foregoing project is utilizing LUMINA TANZA PHASE 4 located at Brgy. Bagtas, Tanza, Cavite as its Compliance pursuant to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 as amended by Republic Act No. 10884.

Ang nasabing proyekto ay ginagamit ang LUMINA TANZA PHASE 4 na matatagpuan sa Brgy. Bagtas, Tanza, Cavite bilang pagtupad sa Seksyon 18 Batas Republika Blg. 7279 na na-amyendahan ng Batas Republika Blg 10884.

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.

Ang mga kasulatang kaugnay nito ay maaring suriin ng sinumang tao na nagtataglay ng ligal na interes doon pagkatapos ng wastong aplikasyon at kaukulang bayad.

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.

Pagkaraan ng limang (5) araw mula sa huling araw ng pagkalathala ang proyektong nabanggit ay ituturing na rehistrado na at maaring bigyan ng sertipiko bilang katibayan nito kapag wala nang sagabal na ligal.

Calamba City, Laguna, 18th day of March 2019.

Lungsod ng Calamba, Laguna, ika-18 ng Marso 2019.

Recommending Approval:

Recommending Approval:

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

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

Approved by:

Approved by:

Engr. FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU

Engr. FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU MT - Mar. 20 & 27, 2019

MT - Mar. 20 & 27, 2019

For the information and guidance of all concerned.

SUBJECT

:

MT – Mar. 20, 2019

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS REGIONAL OFFICE V Regional Government Center, Rawis, Legaspi City INVITATION TO BID NO. 2019-03-001 Sealed bid in three (3) copies subject to the General Terms and Conditions, for the sale of “AS IS and WHERE IS� basis for the unserviceable/disposable properties as stated below will be received by the Disposal Committee, 10:30 A.M., April 10, 2019, at which time and date will be opened in the presence of the bidders or their authorized representatives to witness.

NAME OF OFFICE / Name of Equipment

Lot1, EMD-ECCS Airport Site, Legazpi City Lot2, AES, Cam. Norte Daet, Cam. Norte Lot3, AES, Cam. Sur Conception Grande, Naga City Lot4, AES, Albay Paulog, Ligao City Lot5, AES, Cam. Sur Conception Grande, Naga City Lot6, EMD Compound, Legaspi City D8-5 Lot7, AES, Cam Sur D10-1

No. of Est. Weight Assorted Unit (Tonnage) Obsolete Parts, Tires, etc. (Est. Weight in Tonnage)

11

35.20

4

18.10

15

33.10

6

6.90

APPRAISAL Various Unserviceable Land and Water Based Equipment and Assorted Obsolete parts

1

56 69

TOTAL AMOUNT

3XUVXDQW WR 3UHVLGHQWLDO 'HFUHH 6HFWLRQ G XQGHU 6SHFL¿F 3RZHUV and Functions of the Administrator, in addition to his general powers, the Administrator shall require any public water transport utility or Philippine ÀDJ YHVVHOV WR SURYLGH VKLSSLQJ VHUYLFHV WR DQ\ FRDVWDO DUHDV LQ WKH FRXQWU\ where such services are necessary for the development of the area, to meet emergency sealift requirements, or when public interest so requires. ,Q RUGHU WR IDFLOLWDWH DQ XQLPSHGHG DQG XQLQWHUUXSWHG ÀRZ RI VKLSV FDUU\LQJ SHULVKDEOH JRRGV DQG WR DFKLHYH WKH LPPHGLDWH DQG HI¿FLHQW ORDGLQJ DQG unloading of these cargoes at the ports during national emergencies such as weather disturbance, port congestions and other natural calamities, ALL SHIPS are obliged to render assistance and accommodations by way of giving preferential access and use of all ports including anchorage to those ships carrying perishable goods to allow quick loading and unloading of these cargoes at the ports.

This Authority shall regard these situations as a matter of grave concern requiring full and complete adherence to this Advisory by all concerned.

Non-compliance herewith shall be severely dealth with in accordance with DSSOLFDEOH ÂżQHV DQG SHQDOWLHV SURYLGHG XQGHU H[LVWLQJ 0$5,1$ UXOHV DQG regulations.

Please be guided accordingly.

P 986,740.00

MT – Mar. 20, 2019

2GO GROUP, INC. (formerly ATS Consolidated [ATSC], Inc.), Applicant. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --x

P 720,000.00 P2,381,740.00

That above-mentioned unserviceable/disposable properties can be LQVSHFWHG RQ WKH VDLG ORFDWLRQ GXULQJ RI¿FH KRXUV $ 0 WR P.M.) Mondays to Fridays and bidders are required to enclose the amount equivalent to the appraised value (Minimum Government Selling Price) of the items being bid for as Bidders bond, in the form of cash, cashier’s check or manager’s check.

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.

Calamba City, Laguna, 18th day of March 2019.

Recommending Approval: Engr. EMMANUEL G. GLIPO Head- Planning, Registration and Licensing Division (PRLD) Approved by: Engr. FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU MT - Mar. 20, 2019

Republic of the Philippines 2I¿FH RI WKH 3UHVLGHQW Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD SOUTHERN TAGALOG REGION – (STR) NOTICE Notice is hereby given that VANCOUVER LANDS INC. (Owner/ 'HYHORSHU KDV ¿OHG ZLWK WKLV 2I¿FH a sworn registration statement for the sale of residential condominium in PARK RESIDENCES PHASE 2 located at Brgy. Tagapo, Sta. Rosa City, Laguna and more particularly described as Lot 1391-A, 1393 and Lot 1389 (Deed of Absolute Sale dated July 20, 2017) and covered by TCT No. T-060-2017012207, T-0602017006292 & T-595256. The project is under PD 957.

The foregoing project is utilizing BELA ROSA RESIDENCES located at Brgy. Sta. Teresita, Sto. Tomas, Batangas as its compliance pursuant to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 as amended by RA 10884 subject to the accreditation approval of the CEO. 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.

Calamba City, Laguna, 18th day of March 2019.

Recommending Approval: Engr. EMMANUEL G. GLIPO Head- Planning, Registration and Licensing Division (PRLD) Approved by: Engr. FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU MT - Mar. 20 & 27, 2019

Republic of the Philippines 2I¿FH RI WKH 3UHVLGHQW Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD SOUTHERN TAGALOG REGION – (STR) PAUNAWA

Civil Case No. 2018-0-128

OFFICE OF THE CIVIL REGISTRAR OF OLONGAPO CITY, PHILIPPINE STATISTICS OFFICE, Respondent/s. x--------------------------------------------------------x ORDER $ YHULÂżHG SHWLWLRQ IRU 5HFRJQLWLRQ RI )RUHLJQ 'LYRUFH ZDV ÂżOHG

by Marjorie D. (David) Eala praying that the petition be granted, and her corollary rights to have the same duly recorded and/or taken FRJQL]DQFH RI ZLWK WKH SURSHU 2IÂżFH RI WKH &LYLO 5HJLVWU\ 2&5 2IÂżFH of the Civil Registrar General/Philippine Statistics Authority, and that she be deemed capacitated to marry, in consonance with pertinent Philippine laws/jurisprudence.

Petitioner, a Filipino, alleges that she was married to Korean national Bong Jun Kim on 25 June 2012 at Ermita, Manila. The couple did not have any child; and did not acquire real property or any property of substantial value. After a short lived marriage, Kim went back to Korea and divorced her capacitating Kim to re-marry.

Eala attended the court proceedings in Korea. Eala decided to come back home to Philippines.

Let this Order be published in a newspaper of general circulation, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks, at the expense of the petitioner pursuant to P.D. 1079. The petitioner is further ordered to send by registered mail copies of the Petition, Order of Hearing and its publication to the respondent at his last known address and to submit to this Court proof of compliance therewith.

Ipinagbibigay alam na ang VANCOUVER LANDS INC. (Mayari/Debeloper) ay naghain sa Tanggapang ito ng sinumpaang aplikasyon para sa pagbebenta ng “residential condominium� sa PARK RESIDENCES PHASE 2 na matatagpuan sa Brgy. Tagapo, Sta. Rosa City, Laguna at sinasakop ng mga Lote Blg. 1391-A, 1393 at Lote Blg. 1389 (Deed of Absolute Sale na may petsa ika-20 ng Hulyo 2017) at sumasailalim sa mga Titulo Blg. T-0602017012207, T-060-2017006292 at T-595256. Ang nasabing proyekto ay sumasailalim sa PD 957.

Ang nasabing proyekto ay ginagamit ang BELA ROSA RESIDENCES na matatagpuan sa Brgy. Sta. Teresita, S t o . To m a s , B a t a n g a s b i l a n g pagtupad sa Seksyon 18 Batas Republika Blg. 7279.

Ang mga kasulatang kaugnay nito ay maaring suriin ng sinumang tao na nagtataglay ng ligal na interes doon pagkatapos ng wastong aplikasyon at kaukulang bayad.

Pagkaraan ng limang (5) araw mula sa huling araw ng pagkalathala ang proyektong nabanggit ay ituturing na rehistrado na at maaring bigyan ng sertipiko bilang katibayan nito kapag wala nang sagabal na ligal.

Lungsod ng Calamba, Laguna, ika-18 ng Marso 2019.

Recommending Approval: Engr. EMMANUEL G. GLIPO Head- Planning, Registration and Licensing Division (PRLD) Approved by: Engr. FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU MT - Mar. 20 & 27, 2019

SO ORDERED. Olongapo City, this 29th day of October, 2018.

ORIGINAL SIGNED RAYMOND C. VIRAY Judge MT - Mar. 16, 20 & 26, 2019 CASE NO. MNL-REV-2014-001 (Amendment Nos. 1-17) Amendment No. 18 (Ref. Case No. MNL-05-033; MNL-2007-014-FO);

ORDER

2IÂżFLDO 1XPEHU Gross Tons Year Built Place Built Date of Issuance RI &HUWLÂżFDWH RI 2ZQHUVKLS &HUWLÂżFDWH of Philippine Registry

MV “SAN AGUSTIN UNO�

00-0001419 3,062.00 1985 Germany 15 February 2019

MV “SAN RAFAEL DOS�

07-0001481 7,337.00 1984 Japan 20 February 2019

MV “SAN RAFAEL UNO�

00-0003854 7,624.00 1989 Japan 20 February 2019

MV “ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL�

CEB1008357 17,781.00 1990 Japan 09 August 2011

SCHEDULE OF TRIPS OF THE SHIP, MV “ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL�:

Manila Dumaguete Dipolog Zamboanga Dipolog Dumaguete

The Department of Public Works and Highways reserves the right to reject any or all bids, waive any defect contained therein and accept the offer most advantageous to the government.

Manila Iloilo Bacolod

NOTED:

MARJORIE D. (DAVID) EALA, Petitioner, -versus-

The foregoing project is utilizing LUMINA TANZA PHASE 4 located at Brgy. Bagtas, Tanza, Cavite as its Compliance pursuant to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 as amended by Republic Act No. 10884.

%HIRUH 8V LV WKH DERYH HQWLWOHG $SSOLFDWLRQ ZKLFK ZDV ÂżOHG RQ 0DUFK ZKHUH WKH VKLSV MV “SAN AGUSTIN UNOâ€?, MV “SAN RAFAEL UNOâ€?, MV “SAN RAFAEL DOSâ€?, and, MV “ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGELâ€?, have the following particulars:

%LG )RUPV FDQ EH VHFXUHG DW WKH RIÂżFH RI WKH Technical Working Group (TWG), Equipment Management Division, Airport Site, Legazpi City.

ESMERALDO S. SARMIENTO OIC-Asst. Regional Director Chairman, Regional Disposal Committee Rawis, Legaspi City

IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN JUDGMENT (OF DIVORCE DECREE

BY THE INCHEON DISTRICT COURT OF KOREA, SOUTH KOREA.

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that C O M M U N I T I E S B ATA N G A S , INC. (Owner) by virtue of Deed of Absolute Sale; EFREN FRANCIS C. LEJANO, EMMANUEL LUIS C. LEJANO and SPOUSES MELCHOR S. CARURUCAN/ ANGELES M. CARURUCAN (Co-owners) and COMMUNITIES BATANGAS, INC. (Developer) by virtue of Land 'HYHORSPHQW $JUHHPHQW KDYH ÂżOHG ZLWK WKLV 2IÂżFH D VZRUQ UHJLVWUDWLRQ statement for the sale of house and lots in CAMELLA NASUGBU (BP 220) located at Brgy. Putat (Palayera), Nasugbu, Batangas and more particularly described as Lot 4, Pcs-04-001461; Lots 111, 114 and 369, all of Pcs-4020 containing an area of 79,585 sq.m. (portion only) and covered by TCT Nos. T-45491; T-103114; T-104790 and T-75720.

Let copies of the petition and the Order of Hearing be furnished WKH 2IÂżFH RI WKH 6ROLFLWRU *HQHUDO WKH 2IÂżFH RI WKH 2ORQJDSR &LW\ 3URVHFXWRU DV ZHOO DV WKH 1DWLRQDO 6WDWLVWLFV 2IÂżFH DQG WKH &LYLO Registrar General for their information and appropriate action.

5H $SSOLFDWLRQ IRU (LJKWHHQWK $PHQGPHQW RI WKH 5HYDOLGDWHG &HUWLÂżFDWH RI 3XEOLF Convenience (CPC) to effect the Permanent Addition of the newly-acquired/ owned ships, MV “SAN AGUSTIN UNOâ€?, MV “SAN RAFAEL UNOâ€? and MV “SAN RAFAEL DOSâ€?, to operate in the tramping service for the carriage of cargoes only to any port in the Philippines; and, MV “ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGELâ€? to operate in the liner service in the routes: ManilaDumaguete-Dipolog-Zamboanga-Dipolog-Dumaguete-Manila, and ManilaIloilo-Bacolod-Manila, for the carriage passengers and cargoes

P 675,000.00

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT THIRD JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 75 OLONGAPO CITY

WHEREFORE ¿QGLQJ WKH SHWLWLRQ WR EH VXI¿FLHQW LQ IRUP DQG substance, the same is hereby given due course. Let this case be set for initial hearing on February 12, 2019 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning, on which date and time, all interested persons are directed to appear and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY FRANCHISING SERVICE, CENTRAL OFFICE Parkview Plaza (Masagana Telamart, Inc.) 984 Taft Ave., cor. T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila

2 1

PRIORITY ACCESS AND USE OF PORTS FOR SHIPS CARRYING PERISHABLE GOODS IN TIMES OF NATIONAL EMERGENCIES SUCH AS WEATHER DISTURBANCE, PORT CONGESTIONS AND OTHER NATURAL CALAMITIES

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)

Manila-Dumaguete-Dipolog-Zamboanga-Dipolog-Dumaguete-Manila Sun 10:00 PM Dumaguete Tue Tue 3:00 AM Dipolog Tue Tue 9:00 AM Zamboanga Tue Tue 11:59 PM Dipolog Wed Wed 11:00 AM Dumaguete Wed Wed 7:00 PM Manila Thu Manila-Iloilo-Bacolod-Manila Fri 9:00 AM Iloilo Sat Sat 8:30 AM Bacolod Sat Sat 4:00 PM Manila Sun

12:00 AM 7:00 AM 6:00 PM 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 5:00 AM 12:30 PM 12:00 PM

Notice is hereby given that the said Application will be heard by this Authority on 25 March 2019 at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon, at the 3rd Floor, Franchising Service Hearing Room, at the above address.

7KH $SSOLFDQW VKDOO SXEOLVK WKLV 2UGHU RQFH LQ D QHZVSDSHU RI JHQHUDO FLUFXODWLRQ DW OHDVW ÂżYH GD\V EHIRUH the scheduled date of hearing.

7KH $SSOLFDQW VKDOO VXEPLW D ZULWWHQ )RUPDO 2IIHU RI (YLGHQFH GXULQJ WKH KHDULQJ RU ÂżYH GD\V WKHUHDIWHU WITNESS WKH +RQRUDEOH 2IÂżFHU LQ &KDUJH IRU WKH 2IÂżFH RI WKH $GPLQLVWUDWRU VADM NARCISO A VINGSON JR., this 18th day of March 2019 at Manila, Philippines.

11 March 2019 MARINA ADVISORY NO. 2019-05 Series of 2019 TO

:

ALL SHIPPING COMPANIES, SHIP OWNERS, SHIP OPERATORS OF PHILIPPINE REGISTERED SHIPS, MASTERS, CREW AND ALL OTHERS CONCERNED

SUBJECT

:

ADVISORY ON THE SECURITY MEASURES TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY PHILIPPINE REGISTERED SHIPS; RE: “NO ID, NO BOARDING POLICY�

Pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order (EO) 197, and its IRR and the International Convention on the Safety of Life of Sea (SOLAS), as amended, including Chapter XI-2 thereof, on Special Measures to Enhance Maritime Security, that adopts the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code in order to detect and deter acts that threaten security of the maritime transportation system.

Relative thereto, this Authority is directing the “No ID, No Boarding Policy� to be implemented by all shipping companies, ship owners and operators of Philippine registered ships, masters and crews to ensure the safety and security of personnel boarding said vessels.

For strict compliance.

BY AUTHORITY OF THE MARINA ADMINISTRATOR: (Pursuant to Administrative Order No. 11-14 dated 22 August 2014)

VIRGILIO C. EDUARTE, CESO IV Regional Director MT – March 18, 19 & 20, 2019

MA. CONCEPCION C. ARBOLARIO OIC-Director Franchising Service MT - Mar. 20, 2019

MT – Mar. 20, 2019

WEDNESDAY W E D N ESDAY MARCH 20, 2019

Entertainment

D1

www.manilatimes.net

‘The Last Interview’ pays tribute to Mayor Antonio Halili

BY IZA IGLESIAS

T

ANAUAN City, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili made headlines for his treatment of suspected criminals, particularly those involved in drug-related crimes. In 2016, he became the center of attention after he ordered drug suspects and thieves to be paraded around the city, in a campaign that was dubbed the “walk of shame.� However, his campaign was criticized by human rights groups and other politicians.

However, on July 2, 2018, during lAG RAISING CEREMONY AT THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED MUNICIPAL HALL (ALILI WAS SHOT BY AN UNIDENTIkED SNIPER 4HE BULLET HIT A MOBILE PHONE IN (ALILI S POCKET AND PIERCED HIS CHEST (ALILI WAS DECLARED DEAD JUST LESS THAN AN HOUR AFTER THE SHOOTING 4HE YEAR OLD WAS ON HIS SECOND TERM AS MAYOR WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED

4HE 0HILIPPINE .ATIONAL 0OLICE 0.0 SAID THAT A REGIONAL SPECIAL TASK GROUP HAD BEEN CONVENED TO INVESTIGATE THE KILLING AND WAS CONSIDERING THE PARADE OF SUSPECT THE MOTIVE BEHIND HIS ASSASSI NATION (OWEVER UNTIL NOW NO SUSPECT HAS BEEN JAILED ! MOVIE HAS BEEN MADE BY JOURNALIST AND kLM DIRECTOR #AE SAR 3ORIANO WHO HAPPENS TO HAVE

Q Journalist and film director Caesar Soriano.

INTERVIEWED HIM LESS THAN A DAY BEFORE THE ASSASINATION 3ORIANO IS A FORMER #HIEF -IN DANAO .EWS "UREAU OF !"3 #".

(E ALSO WORKED AS A NEWS ANCHOR IN $:)1 2ADYO )NQUIRER !- #URRENTLY HE IS THE NEWS ANCHOR FOR g5LAT "AYAN u A WEEKEND NEWS PROGRAM OF 046 (E ALSO HOSTS g-AGANDANG 'ABI 0ILIPINASu AND g)SYU /NE /N /NE u (E PRODUCED THE MOVIE UNDER HIS 'REAT#ZAR -EDIA 0RODUC TIONS 4HE OUTkT ESTABLISHED IN THAT SPECIALIZES ON SOCIAL AWARENESS SHOWS THROUGH TELEVI SION AND kLM PRODUCED HIS kLM DEBUT g!NG -ISYON ! -ARAWI 3IEGE 3TORYu IN !CCORDING TO 3ORIANO THE IN TERVIEW WAS SUPPOSEDLY GEARED TOWARD THE PLAN OF MAKING A BIOPIC OF THE CONTROVERSIAL MAYOR )N THE SAID INTERVIEW THE MAYOR POURED OUT HIS STRONG STAUNCH AGAINST ILLEGAL DRUGS THE CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING HIS WALK OF SHAME PARADE CAMPAIGN HIS PRIVATE LIFE AND ALL HIS DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS FOR HIS DEAR TOWN )N HIS MOVIE g4HE ,AST )NTERVIEW 4HE -AYOR !NTONIO (ALILI 3TORYu STARRING *OHN %STRADA !RA -INA AND HIMSELF IT DEPICTS ABOUT THE COLORFUL LIFE OF (ALILI TOLD IN THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE LAST JOURNALIST WHO MANAGED TO HAVE AN IN DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH THE DEPARTED MAYOR 4HIS MOVIE SERVES AS A TRIBUTE FOR THE WELL LOVED 4ANAUEĂ„O WHO WILL FOREVER LIVE IN HIS TOWN FOLKS HEARTS 7HEN ASKED WHY HE THOUGHT OF DOING THE LIFE STORY OF THE MAYOR 3ORIANO SHARED DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE AND PREMIERE

g7HEN ) WAS A REPORTER ) WAS

Inspirational movie about OFWs in the works AN independent production company has partnered with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for the filming of successful and inspirational journeys of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

With the working title of “OFW: The Movie,� the project tells of five true stories — that of a housekeeper, domestic worker, caregiver, and two skilled workers — presented through reenactments and interviews all with the goal of producing a feel-good movie for families but at the same time to educate aspiring OFWs. Narrated by former OWWA deputy administrator Arnell Ignacio, the movie aims to encourage workers to continue striving to lead a better life.

Compared to most portrayals of OFWs in the media, the movie will instead show positive stories to serve as inspiration and show how these workers are indeed fit to be called unsung heroes. Additionally, the movie plans on showing the whole process of being an OFW – from processing documents all the way to working in a foreign country. “So why are we doing this? Layunin ito na maikuwento na ang OFW ay di lagi tungkol sa kuwento ng

kawawa kundi kuwento rin ito ng mas nakararaming inspirational mula sa ating workers abroad,� said Ignacio at the soft press launch of the film. “Kung babalikan ninyo lahat ng napapanood natin, lahat ng narrative na OFW ay kawawa at malungkot. Sa ganitong klaseng approach na we have been witnessing for the past years, akala natin ang epekto nito ay

nakakatulong. Pero sa tingin mo kung ang inu-offer mo sa kanya ay awa, siya ba ay magiging successful?�

Ignacio said. “Hindi sila nai-inspire kapag ginaganun natin sila. Mahirap ang maging OFW, given na yan, pero kulang tayo sa pagsabi ng ‘kaya mo yan.’�

Ignacio was involved in this project before he resigned from his government post.

The movie is written and directed by Neal “Buboy�Tan, who is known for films that make a statement and show advocacies which include “Ataul for Rent� and “Tarima.� “Ang pelikula ay kinon-ceptualize namin ni Jay-Ar Olinares, ang aming producer, dahil maraming problema ang OFW at maraming di nakakaalam sa pinagdadaanan ng ating mga bagong bayani,� explained Tan. “Kagaya nga ng sabi ni Arnell, yung nakikita sa social media ay yung mga nakukulong o napapatay so yun yung pumapasok sa OFW natin.

Marami namang Pilipino na umuuwing wagi o victorious. Yung iba nagiging milyonaryo pa at natutong magnegosyo,� continued Tan. Tan and Olinares revealed that the film is still a work in progress, with the title, script as well as the cast and characters still being finalized. Actresses Dianne Medina and Kate Brios are so far the only confirmed cast members, with Brios also as a co-producer.

Olinares revealed to The Manila Times that they are bent to cast Jennylyn Mercado to be the lead character of the movie. Shooting starts in April for a target release in May. NIKA ROQUE

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Q John Estrada as the late Tanauan City, Batangas mayor

Q Ara Mina as Gina, the wife of Mayor Halili.

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Q Think of the movie as 'Ocean's 11' meets 'Three Kings' and 'The Expendables.'

VP Robredo leads call for inspiring film entries

Q Vice President Leni Robredo

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D2

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

Funtimes

˜ The Manila Times w w w.manilatimes.net

Solution to puzzle

» CROSSWORD

BY EUGENE SHEFFER

»HOROSCOPE Today’s Birthday (03/20/19). Expand your horizons this year. Advance professionally through disciplined efforts.

Home and family flower this summer, before a new twist with your work engages. Reach a career peak next winter, before changes require domestic attention. Learn and discover your own passion.

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 a 9 -- You’re in your element this month, with the Sun in your sign. Reach a turning point with a partnership under the Full Moon. Compromise and collaborate.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Solitude and meditation inspire you, with the Sun in Aries. Begin a new phase with physical health and fitness practices under this Libra Full Moon.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Get social this month under the Aries Sun. Team projects go well.

Change directions with a romance, passion or creative endeavor under the Full Moon.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Your professional influence grows this month, with the Sun in Aries.

Domestic changes require Full Moon adaptation. Keep practicing to balance career and family.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Travel and study under the Aries Sun. Start a new chapter with this Full Moon.

Reach a turning point with a creative or intellectual challenge.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- A collaborative effort gets profitable this month, with the Sun in Aries.

Shift directions with your personal income sources under the Full Moon. Try new options.

» SUDOKU

BY NANCY BLACK LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Partnerships grow stronger, with the Sun in Aries. Share insights and support each other. This Full Moon in your sign illuminates a new personal direction.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Prioritize health, work and fitness, with the Sun in Aries. Begin an introspective phase as the Full Moon illuminates a transition. Get things complete.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- You’re lucky in love and games this month. Deepen a romance, with the Sun in Aries. This Full Moon shines on social changes.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Your home and family blossom under the Aries Sun. This Full Moon sparks a career shift. Take advantage of a golden opportunity.

Find hidden treasure.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) -- Today is a 7 -- Concentrate on creative projects, with the Sun in Aries. The Full Moon illuminates an educational shift. Experiment. Begin a new exploratory phase. Write your discoveries.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) -- Today is a 9 -- This month, with the Sun in Aries, it’s easier to make money. Shift directions with shared finances under this Full Moon. Invest for long-term growth.

(Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Black’s legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @LindaCBlack. For more astrological interpretations like today’s Gemini horoscope, visit Linda Black Astrology by clicking daily horoscopes, or go to www.nancyblack.com.)

NANCY BLACK. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

BY ROGER SEVILLA

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 square contains the digits 1 to 9 with no repeats.

Solution from yesterday’s puzzle.

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SM Center Sangandaan wins Outstanding Citizen Award for Infrastructure

Q Caloocan City Mayor Oca Malapitan (right) awards SM Center Sangandaan Mall Manager Emmanuel Gatmaitan the Outstanding Citizen Award for Infrastrucuture during the 57th Cityhood Anniversary held in the Caloocan City Hall Grounds.

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Panasonic launches new line of home appliances

Q At the launch of Panasonic’s new line (from left) Masaru Toyota, VP for Sales and Marketing of Panasonic PH; special guests Marco Alcaraz and Precious Lara Quigaman-Alcaraz; Shinichi Hayashi, president of Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corp.; Michelle Sta. Ana, product manager for refrigerator; Lorraine Abuzar, product manager for washing machine; and Francis Serrate, product manager for aircon.

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Aspire Corporate Plaza in Bay Area ahead of scheduled completion .%7 PLAYER 'OLDEN "AY &RESH ,ANDHOLDINGS )NC ANNOUNCES THAT ITS PREMIERE PROJECT !SPIRE #ORPORATE 0LAZA WHICH STARTED CONSTRUCTION EARLY IS DUE FOR COMPLETION ONE YEAR AHEAD OF TARGET DATE !SPIRE #ORPORATE 0LAZA A 0 BILLION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IS THE kRST AND ONLY PROPERTY IN THE -ACAPAGAL "AY !REA TO SELL OFkCE SPACES )NVESTING IN OFkCE SPACE PROPERTY RATHER THAN JUST LEASING ONE IS A GOOD BUSINESS DECISION ESPECIALLY FOR LONG TERM 'OLDEN BAY ,ANDHOLDINGS CREDITS THE EARLY COMPLETION DATE TO ITS PARTNERS A GROUP OF WORLD CLASS ARCHITECTURE ENGI-

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College of the Holy Spirit Manila hold siCAT

Public Square

WEDNESDAY March 20, 2019

D3

QC govt kicks off Fire Prevention Caravan A

MID THE kRE INCIDENTS OCCURRING LEFT AND RIGHT IN 1UEZON #ITY

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Q The medical staff of the Quirino Memorial Medical Center.

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Donate to Bantay Bata with your Beep card ).34%!$ OF THE USUAL BEEP SOUND

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$ONATIONS ARE DEPOSITED BY !& 0AYMENTS )NC OPERATOR OF THE BEEP SYSTEM TO THE FOUNDATION S BANK ACCOUNT ON A DAILY BASIS BY ELECTRONIC MEANS g7E ARE PLEASED TO MAKE OUR TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO "ANTAY "ATA TO MAKE THE ACT OF DONATING AND COLLECTING DONATIONS MORE CONVENIENT FOR ALL !

SIMPLE TAP WITH YOUR "EEP CARD at the "ANTAY "ATA KIOSK ALLOWS YOU TO SHARE YOUR BLESSINGS WITH THE KIDS OF THE FOUNDATION /UR TECHNOLOGY IS BENEFICIAL NOT ONLY TO COMMERCIAL ENTITIES BUT TO

CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL u SAID 0ETER -AHER PRESIDENT AND #%/ OF !& 0AYMENTS )NC "ANTAY "ATA IS THE CHILD WELFARE ARM OF THE ,INGKOD +APAMILYA &OUNDATION GIVING HOPE TO ABUSED &ILIPINO CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THE SUPPORT AND GENEROSITY OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD 4HE KIOSKS SAVE THE FOUNDATION OPERATIONAL COSTS IN TERMS OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF CANS COLLECTION COUNTING

BANK DEPOSIT AND THE LIKE THEREBY ALLOWING IT TO REALLOCATE MANPOWER TO WHERE IT S NEEDED MORE

Diamond Hotel gives back to the elderly 425% TO ITS MISSION TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY $IAMOND (OTEL 0HILIPPINES RECENTLY TURNED OVER A DONATION TO +ANLUNGAN NI -ARIA AN ORGANIZATION WITH AN ADVOCACY TO SUPPORT HOMELESS AND ABANDONED ELDERLY $URING THE HOLIDAY SEASON

THE HOTEL CONDUCTED A CHARITY DRIVE AND ENCOURAGED ITS GUESTS TO GIVE JOY TO THE ELDERLY BY GIVING A DONATION AND IN EXCHANGE Q From left: Christian Sanchez, Diamond Hotel Ugnayan chairman; Melanie Pallorina, Diamond Hotel Public #HRISTMAS ORNAMENTS WITH THEIR Relations manager; Archie Prado, Kanlungan ni Maria secretary; Vanessa Ledesma-Suatengco, Diamond Hotel NAMES WERE PLACED AT THE LOBBY general manager; Rev. Fr. Antonio Gerardo ‘Bong’ Sanchez, Kanlungan ni Maria head; Sr. Marivic Caliso, SHC, #HARITY 4REE 4HE HOTEL WISHES Kanlungan ni Maria officer in charge - admin; Sunshine Robles, Diamond Hotel director of Sales and Marketing; TO EXTEND ITS GRATITUDE TO ALL THE and Jeffrey dela Paz, Diamond Hotel Human Resources manager.

LOCATED AT 2OXAS "OULEVARD COR&OR MORE INFORMATION VISGUESTS WHO SHARED THEIR BLESS- CHARITY BENEFICIARY INGS AND SHOWED KINDNESS TO ITS $IAMOND (OTEL 0HILIPPINES IS NER $R * 1UINTOS 3TREET -ANILA IT WWW DIAMONDHOTEL COM

First Metro recognized for P1-B bond deal

Q L-R: Dr. Lourdes K. Samson, Dean / Convenor; Alice Pañares, Speaker; Blesilda Reynoso; Dr. Lertsiri Bovornkitti, Speaker; Dr. Nuttika Soontorntanaphol, Speaker; and Dr. Wynna A. Medina, President, Co-Convenor 4(% kRST g)NTERNATIONAL #OLLOQUIUM ON !RTS AND 4HERAPYu I#!4 WAS RECENTLY CONVENED BY 4HE #OLLEGE OF THE (OLY 3PIRIT -ANILA IN COORDINATION WITH ITS PARTNER SCHOOL THE 3RINAKHARINWIROT 5NIVERSITY "ANGKOK

4HAILAND 4HE COLLOQUIUM WAS A

ONE DAY EVENT HELD LAST *ANUARY

THAT HIGHLIGHTED THE ROLE OF ART IN WELLNESS AND HEALING )T WAS HELD IN THE -ENDIOLA CAMPUS OF THE #OLLEGE OF THE (OLY 3PIRIT -ANILA WITH OVER PARTICIPANTS COMING FROM TWELVE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

&)234 -ETRO )NVESTMENT #ORP THE INVESTMENT BANKING ARM OF THE -ETROBANK 'ROUP RECEIVED RECOGNITION FROM REGIONAL INVESTMENT MAGAZINE !LPHA 3OUTHEAST !SIA FOR ARRANGING THE 0 BILLION DEBT ISSUANCE OF !%/. #REDIT 3ERVICE 0HILIPPINES )NC 4HE !%/. ISSUANCE IS A LANDMARK AND PIONEERING TRANSACTION IN THE 0HILIPPINE CAPITAL MARKETS )T IS THE COUNTRY S kRST EVER DEAL UNDER THE !SEAN -ULTI #URRENCY "OND )SSUANCE &RAMEWORK !-")& AND ONLY THE SECOND ISSUANCE IN THE REGION )T IS ALSO THE 0HILIPPINES kRST FULLY GUARANTEED DEBT FACILITY OF THE #REDIT 'UARANTEE

AND )NVESTMENT &ACILITY #')& AND THE FIRST SECURITY BY A RESTRICTED ISSUER AND NON REPORTING COMPANY TO ENROLL IN THE 0HILIPPINE $EALING AND %XCHANGE #ORPORATION 0$%X !CCORDING TO !LPHA 3OUTHEAST !SIA

THE ISSUANCE IS A MILESTONE DEAL FOR THE REGION S BOND MARKET AND A FEATHER IN THE CAP OF THE 0HILIPPINES 4HE DEAL NOT ONLY PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN kNE TUNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF !-")& IN THE 0HILIPPINES BUT ALSO SERVES AS AN IMPORTANT BENCHMARK FOR ISSUERS THAT MAY SEEK TO TAP INTRAREGIONAL CAPITAL MARKETS MOVING FORWARD

Q During the awarding ceremony are (from left) First Metro deal officer Ines Margarita Pagdanganan, Alpha Southeast Asia publisher and CEO Siddiq Bazarwala, CGIF senior investment specialist Shin Tanimura, and First Metro first vice president Arsenio Kenneth Ona.

PHILIPPINE CHARITY SWEEPSTAKES OFFICE BIR conducts tax information forum for STL agents

BY LEILA VALENCIA

T

HE Bureau of Internal Revenue conDUCTED A TAX INFORMATION BRIEkNG FOR Philippine Charity Sweepstakes OfkCE 0#3/ 3MALL 4OWN ,OTTERY 34, !UTHORIZED 34, !GENTS !3!S AT THE .ATIONAL 4RAINING #ENTER !UDITORIUM ")2 .ATIONAL /FkCE 1UEZON #ITY ON -ARCH

A total of 43 ASAs from all over the country participated in the forum, which had the purpose to come up with standardized proceDURE RELATIVE TO REGISTRATION kLING and payment of taxes. “We are conducting a massive information and education campaign so that taxpayers will know and understand that we are symbiotic.

Everyone must help the government; everyone must be a compliant taxpayer. We need to help the Build, Build, Build Program of President Duterte,� BIR Assistant Commissioner Teresita Dizon

said in her opening remarks.

Dizon also reiterated her call to the taxpaying public that April IS THE DEADLINE FOR THE kLING of the 2018 annual income tax return (ITR). “The revenue raised through taxes will be used to fund the infrastructure program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which consists of major highways, expressways, and lOOD CONTROL PROJECTS &UNDING these major infrastructure projects is necessary for our country to sustain high and inclusive

Q Officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office jointly raise awareness on Issues and Concerns regarding Collection of Taxes from STL- ASAs (Seated from left), PCSO Security and Printing Department Manager Roman Torres, Large Tax Payer Services (LTS)-Programs and Compliance Group Executive Assistant Beverly Milo, BIR Assistant Commissioner Teresita Dizon, PCSO Board Secretary Wesley Barayuga, BIR Regular LT Audit Chief Simplicio Cabantac, Jr. and Regular LT Audit Assistant Division Chief Ruby Ruth Magtagnob.

Q ‘Everyone must be a compliant taxpayer, we need to help the Build, Build, Build Program,’ Commissioner Dizon said. PHOTOS BY KOBI JANAIRO growth,� she added.

4HEREAFTER BUREAU OFkCIALS DIScussed the BIR Business Processes

on Registration/ Submission of Reports/ Information and its Administrative Compliance/ Tax 4YPES &ILING OF 2ETURNS AND 0AYment/ Concept of Withholding/ Selected TRAIN Law Updates.

Also discussed was the Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 10-2018, Clarifying the time

of withholding and remittance of taxes withheld by Withholding Agents including National Government Agencies and Instrumentalities, Local Government Units and Government Owned and Controlled Corporations provided under Section 4 of Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 12-2001.

An open forum followed with issues and concerns raised by the ASAs in relation to the tax implication on STL. The tax information forum ended with commitments from the STL-ASAs to help BIR and the government in its drive to pay taxes correctly.

PCSO welcomes investigation

PCSO MAIDEN RACE.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in its commitment to support the Philippine horse racing industry conducted the two-year-old PCSO Special Maiden Race on February 23 at Metroturf, Malvar, Batangas. Top photos show, the winning horse “Ready Set Go� ridden by Jockey J.B. Guce near the finish line (top left photo), and the jockeys of the race (from left), J.B. Guce, C.S. Pare Jr., R.O. Niu Jr., J.A. Guce, C.P. Henson, K.B. Abobo, M.M. Gonzales, O.P. Cortez, and J.P.A. Guce. Lower photo shows horse owner, Napoleon Magno (third from right), receiving the trophy from AGM Arnel Casas, vice-chairperson of the PCSO Racing Committee, and Reynaldo Empremiado (2nd from left), (Chairperson of the PCSO Racing Committee). Also in the photo are (from left), Randy Prado, racing manager; Orlando Malaca, PCSO Racing Committee member; Ding Magsino, and Art Escala, assitant racing manager. E. DARCY GERONIMO/PHOTOS BY ARNOLD RAMOS

PCSO medical team visits Malvar, Batangas MALVAR, Batangas: The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) recently conducted “Free Medical-Dental Mission� at Barangay Bagong Pook, Malvar, Batangas. The said event was made possible through the effort of their Municipal Mayor, Alberto Lat and the local Sanggunian.

Malvar, Batangas is a fourth-class municipality, with a population of 56,270 as of 2015. The municipality was named after General Miguel Malvar, the last Filipino general to surrender to the United States in the Philippines in 1902.

During the mission, PCSO was able to serve a total of 231 patients, 181 for medical and 50 patients for dental services.

Among of the patients served in the mission was the family of Crisanto Nazareno, a local tricycle driver in the barangay.

He said, “Napakalaking tulong po sa aming mahihirap ang Medical Mission na kagaya po nito. Nabibigyan

po kami ng gamot na hindi po namin

kayang ibigay sa aming mga anak at nakakapapa-konsulta pa po kami nang libre. Napakalaking bagay po nito‌ Maraming salamat po PCSO!!�

The medical and dental mission is a program of PCSO that provides outreach health care activities in the depressed community within Metro Manila and nearby provinces including provision of free medicines for those who have less or no access to health services offered by the Local government.

The objective of this program is to provide equitable, efficient and effective health care services through medical and dental missions, in partnership with local government units, non-government agencies, civic groups, religious organizations and other government agencies. This goes hand-in-hand with the directives of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to provide easy access to health and medical services nationwide.

E. DARCY GERONIMO

PHOTOS BY KOBI JANAIRO

THE 0HILIPPINE #HARITY 3WEEPSTAKES /FkCE 0#3/ WELCOMES THE DECISION OF THE /FkCE OF THE 0RESIDENT to leave the investigation of the alleged corruption in 0#3/ TO THE /FkCE OF THE /MBUDSMAN 0#3/ 3POKESperson Atty. Marissa Medrano said in a statement. “PCSO is open to all forms of investigation and ENCOURAGES ITS OFkCIALS AND EMPLOYEES TO SUBJECT themselves to any formal investigation by any investigating body. The PCSO Board, its management and its employees stand by its value of professionalism. If a person has nothing to hide, then by all means, an investigation by an independent investigating body will be very much welcome,� Atty. Medrano said. “The PCSO Governing Board already said it will not cuddle anyone, whether management or rank AND kLE EMPLOYEES WHO IS FOUND TO BE INVOLVED IN graft and corrupt practices, especially if it involves public funds,� she added.

PCSO is optimistic that the investigation is also a means to cleanse the agency if there really are corrupt OFkCIALS AND EMPLOYEES AMONG ITS RANKS Amidst controversies, PCSO assures the public that the operations and the provision of health AND MEDICAL RELATED SERVICES TO &ILIPINOS NATIONwide will continue.