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The ˜Manila Times
SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2019
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PLAYING JESUS
Wilfredo Salvador (center) is nailed on the cross during the senakulo or play on the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ in San Fernando, Pampanga on Good Friday. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Origin of the specious at Ateneo: History and herstory (Last of 2 parts)
OBSERVER YEN MAKABENTA
“It is easy to tell a lie, but hard to tell only one. The first lie must be thatched with another or it will rain through. More lies may come to be needed.” – Sisela Bok First word HIS penetrating insight of philosopher Sisela Bok captures pithily the importance of truthfulness, and why people come to regret deceit, great and small. As it is with individuals, so with institutions. Speciousness is corrosive of prestige and credibility. äMakabentaA4
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Illegal entry of Chinese workers continues
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ORMER IN MY LINE special OF SIGHT assistant to the President Bong Go, running third in the latest surveys of potential senatorial winners, may yet finish No. 1 in the homestretch. Most local government officials who support President Duterte’s campaign against drugs and corruption, have promised to put in more effort for Go in the final stretch of the election campaign. äTulfoA5
RAMON T. TULFO
Duterte to China: Let’s meet halfway BY BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
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HINA and the Philippines should “meet halfway” on the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) issue, President Rodrigo Duterte said following reports of stepped up Chinese activity on the disputed islands.
‘Irregularities marred absentee voting’
äHalfwayA2
n Thousands of devotees surround the image of the Black Nazarene as it is taken out of the Quiapo Church for the Good Friday procession. The police estimate that more than 30,000 people joined the procession that started at midnight. PHOTO BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI
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SARA CONFIDENT ON HUGPONG BETS’ CHANCES
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IDEOLOGY AS PERSONALITY CULTS, NOT TEXTS
BLACK SATURDAY: PAUSE, MEDITATE TAKE a moment to pause and meditate. This was the invitation of two Church officials on Black Saturday, a day after Jesus Christ was crucified and killed.
Bishop Ruperto Santos, head of the Diocese of Balanga, and Fr. Roy Bellen, head of the Archdiocese of Manila Office of Communications, said Black Sat-
Uphold what is good and just – Duterte
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Speaking at the campaign rally of the ruling PDP-Laban party in Batangas City on Wednesday night, Duterte again slammed his critics, saying the country should confront China for its activities. He, however, said that while the country would still stay on the safe side of China,
OVERSEAS workers group Migrante International has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to investigate alleged irregularities and questionable result of the absentee voting in Hong Kong. The group said it received reports on glitches on precinct count optical scanner (PCOS) machines and complaints about erroneous receipts at the onset of the absentee voting in Hong Kong on April 14.
What’s inside
MAGICAL EASTER AT THE MANILA HOTEL
There were reports that hundreds of Chinese vessels were seen near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island and Kota (Loaita) Island in the past month. This week, there was a report that the Chinese were also harvesting taklobo, or giant clams, at the disputed Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.
SPURS BEAT NUGGETS TO TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD
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AS the country pauses for the Holy Week, President Rodrigo Duterte urged Filipinos to pray and reflect as “we strive to uphold what is good and just.” In his Holy Week message, Duterte reminded Filipinos how “our strong faith in God has contributed to our resiliency as
a nation, especially during trying times.” “I join all Filipino Christians throughout the country and in other parts of the world in the observance of the Holy Week. May this blessed occasion be an opportunity for prayer and
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E-mail: newsdesk@manilatimes.net Tel. Nos.: 524-5664 to 67 Address: 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002
urday should be a time for Christians to reflect on how to take time off from their busy schedules and “respond to
äMeditateA7
Short circuit caused NotreDame blaze PARIS: A French judicial police official said investigators think an electrical short-circuit most likely caused the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire. The official, who spoke anonymously about the ongoing investigation, said investigators still do not have the green light to work in the cathedral and search in the rubble for safety reasons. He told The Associated Press the monument was still being consolidated with wooden planks to support some fragilized parts of the walls. An association of Polish rabbis said they
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News
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SATURDAY April 20, 2019
DESPITE LACK OF CHURCH ENDORSEMENT
Sara confident on HnP bets’ chances D AVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is confident that Senate candidates running under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP) will have good chances of winning in the May elections even if they are not endorsed by religious groups.
Duterte, who leads the regional party HnP, said the electorate would decide who among the candidates deserved to win seats in the Senate.
“We trust the voters can ably think for themselves who they want to elect, and I think we did a good job in presenting the candidates for public scrutiny in more
than 55 rallies,” Duterte-Carpio told The Manila Times in a text message. “The HnP candidates will rise or fall on the basis of what they have done and what they can do. They will not win or lose because they have or do not have an endorsement,” she added. Duterte made the statement after the People’s Choice Movement (PCM), an inter-faith group composed of over 100 lay leaders, en-
dorsed eight candidates of the Otso Diretso opposition slate, including former Bayan Muna party-list representative Neri Colmenares, and reelectionist Sen. Mary Grace Poe. Other candidates from the opposition endorsed by the group were former Interior secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd, Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino 4th, Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, former solicitor general Florin Hilbay, former lawmaker Lorenzo
“Erin” Tañada 3rd, veteran election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, and Maranao civic leader Samira Gutoc. The PCM is composed of leaders coming from the Catholic, evangelical and protestant communities. Malacañang earlier said the Church had the constitutional right to choose its candidates for the upcoming elections. “The Philippines is a free and
democratic country, where everybody can endorse anybody running for public office,” Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement. “Candidates normally welcome endorsements coming from influential persons or groups. In this case, we deem it best to leave the endorsement of the Church to the candidates themselves as well leave it the electorate as to how they will look or treat the same,” he added.
Bong Go gets warm welcome in Batangas DoH: Dengue BATANGAS CITY: The people of Batangas warmly received Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, who traces his roots to the Tesoro clan of the province. “Batangueño rin po ako dahil ang mga ninuno ko ay galing dito sa Batangas at nag-migrate lang po sa Davao,” Go said after a motorcade around Batangas City. “Iba po talaga pag nasa sariling bayan. Totoo ang kasabihan na ‘there’s no place like home,’” he added as he thanked Batangueños for their warm welcome. In February this year, the governors of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon signed a manifesto supporting Go’s Senate bid and declaring him an adopted son of Calabarzon region. During the PDP-Laban campaign rally at the Batangas Sports Coliseum, President Duterte rallied Batangueños to support Go, the PDP-Laban Senate ticket and their guest candidates. The President noted that Go has proven his integrity. “Kung pera lang... ni piso hindi kumita ‘yan (That guy didn’t pocket money, not even P1),” Duterte said. “At saka talagang may malasakit sa kapwa (He really cares for others).” “Mahusay itong si Bong, ang bilis pa ng utak niyan (Bong is smart, his brainworks fast),” the President added. TV host Willie Revillame also endorsed Go’s candidacy. “Totoong tao po itong si Bong
cases nears 60,000
n Batangueños cheer as Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go’s motorcade goes around Batangas City. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Go at may isang salita. Nang makilala ko siya, nalaman ko na iisa rin lang ang aming hangarin sa buhay — ang tumulong sa kapwa Pilipino (He has no pretenses and you can trust his word. When I got to know him, I learned that we share the same objective — to help others),” Revillame said. Go assured Batangueños that he would continue to support the programs and policies of Duterte, such as the campaign against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality. The former Palace official said he would also help the President fulfil his promise of uplifting the lives of the people, particularly
through the implementation of the “Build, Build, Build” program that would further speed up the development of the province. He noted that infrastructure programs lined up in the province include road projects, construction of public markets, the repair of the seawall to protect lives and properties during storm surges. These projects have been submitted for funding. He also cited the planned Mindoro-Batangas Super Bridge, a P30.8-billion project that would link Mindoro and Batangas and the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, a P2.5-billion project. Go said on top of his legisla-
tive agenda was his crusade to improve the delivery of health services in the country, not only through the upgrading of facilities of public health institutions but also through the establishment of Malasakit Centers, where patients can avail themselves of medical and financial assistance from various government agencies. His other concerns include programs for agriculture, housing for the poor, education, long-term sports development, fire protection and prevention, localized peace talks, barangay welfare, creation of a Department of overseas Filipino workers and improved benefits for senior citizens.
THE number of dengue cases continues to rise and is now close to 60,000, according to the Department of Health (DoH). Data from the Health department’s epidemiology bureau showed that there were 59,139 dengue cases from January 1 to April 6 this year. The DoH recorded 237 deaths, higher than the 175 deaths reported in 2018. For the same period last year, 32,611 dengue cases were recorded. From March 31 to April 6 this year, the bureau recorded 3,163 cases. The region with the most number of cases is Central Visayas with 6,587 and 38 deaths, followed by Metro Manila with 5,504 cases and 18 deaths, and Caraga with 5,224 cases and 15 deaths. Other data recorded by the Health department were: Ilocos Region with 1,286 cases with 2 deaths; Cagayan Valley with 4,476 cases and 22 deaths; Central Luzon with
JUST LIKE JESUS
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle washes the feet of young people on Maunday Thursday, a Holy Week ritual that emulates Jesus Christ’s washing of the feet of his apostles. PHOTO BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI
n HALFWAY FROM A1
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Irregularities marred absentee Duterte “’ Yung mga poll watchers namin dito ay naka- observe na merong mga irregularities o ‘yung mga kwestiyunableng mga resulta o mga pangyayari (Our poll watchers have observed irregularities and questionable results and occurrences),” said Eman Villanueva, Makabayan Party Hong Kong and Macau coordinator and head of a poll watchers’ team in Hong Kong. In a phone interview with The Manila Times, Villanueva said his group documented four cases where the receipts spewed out by PCOS machines did not reflect the votes cast. “ May bumuboto na paglabas ng print-out, paglabas ng receipt ay mas marami ang boto (There were receipts that reflected more votes than what was cast),” Villanueva said. He said one receipt showed nine votes for the Senate race when the voter chose only seven. Yet another receipt did not reflect the party-list voted for. Jorgie Amado, one of the complainants, said she only voted for one senator, but two candidates were reflected in her receipt. “Smooth naman nung pumasok ‘yung ballot ko sa machine, later on lumabas na ‘yung resibo. Nung inabot sa akin nung inspector, nagulat ako; bakit dalawa ang nakalagay sa senator, isa lang ang binoto ko (My ballot went in smoothly, but when the receipt came out and the inspector handed it to
me, I was surprised because there were two votes for senator when I only voted for one),” Amado said, noting that she was handed a clean ballot and she carefully shaded the correct spot. Amado, who was asked to file a complaint, doubts if her vote would still be counted. “ Sana bigyan nila (Comelec) kaagad ng aksyon. Ang gusto namin ay ayusin nila, gawin nila nang matiwasay ang kanilang trabaho dahil kami rin naman, binibigyan kasi namin yan ng panahon at oras para lang bumoto kasi karapatan din naman naming bumoto (I hope that they act on this immediately. We want them to do their job well because we put effort and time to exercise our right to vote),” Amado said in a phone interview with The Manila Times . Villanueva feared that these irregularities might also happen during the May 13 elections in the Philippines, where the same counting machines would be used. “ Nananawagan kami sa (We are asking the) Comelec to look into this. If they can send someone to investigate ‘ yung (the) incidents dito sa (here in) Hong Kong, they should… habang may time pa . Huwag na nilang antayin yung May 13 (while there is still time. They should not wait for May 13),” he said. Villanueva said they also documented cases of PCOS machine malfunctions in 7 out of
9 precincts on April 13 and 14. He said some machines broke down or stopped working and had to be replaced, causing a delay in voting. Other machines rejected ballot. “It is worrisome kasi ang isang pwedeng iresulta niyan ay disenfranchisement. Marami sa ating mga kababayan ay puwedeng hindi sila makaboto dahil sa sobrang tagal ng process (it could result into disenfranchisement. It is possible that many of our compatriots would not be able to vote because of the lengthy process),” Villanueva said. Villanueva also expressed fears if the malfunctioning machines could accommodate the large number of voters of 10,000 per precinct when it already showed defects the first few days of elections. “ Nag-wo- worry kami kung aabot ‘yan sa isang buwan (We worry that it wouldn’t last for a month). I think ‘yung, two machines na (of) reserve is too little, hindi enough; bakit dalawa lang yung machines (Two machines are not enough). There should be more lalo na kung ganyan ka- frequent ‘ yung palpak (especially if the defects are that frequent),” Villanueva. There is a total of 87,441 registered voters in Hong Kong. The overseas absentee voting period for 1.8 million Filipinos across the globe was set from April 13 to May 13. DIVINA NOVA JOY DELA CRUZ
4,566 cases and eight deaths; Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) with 5,614 cases and 21 deaths; Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) with 1,884 cases and six deaths; Bicol Region with 1,160 cases and eight deaths; Western Visayas with 5,122 cases and 31 deaths; Eastern Visayas with 2,506 cases and 10 deaths; Zamboanga Peninsula with 2,775 cases and 20 deaths; Northern Mindanao with 4,400 cases and 12 deaths; Davao Region with 2,129 cases and three deaths; Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato Province, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos) with 3,959 and 13 deaths; Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao with 708 cases and seven deaths; and Cordillera Administrative Region with 1,239 cases and three deaths. Children aged 5 to 9 were the most affected. CATHERINE A. MODESTO
the Chinese should not make any move that would trigger trouble. “These idiots, they want me to confront China. If I do that, there will be a massacre. Their airplanes can reach Manila in 14 minutes. They can bomb us to the heavens. We cannot oppose [them], simply,” according to the President. “So, we can only tell stories for now. But there will be a time, and I will tell China now that they should also meet halfway. Like, for our fishermen and [their move] to surround the Pag-asa,” he said. Duterte warned China not to touch Pag-asa Island because the Philippines had soldiers there. “Do not surround it because I have soldiers there. I am warning, not threatening them. But it could precipitate trouble there. If a soldier dies, even one, that will be trouble,” he said. The President added that he could not fight China for now because no foreign country would be able to help the Philippines. Duterte said he doubted that America would unleash a nuclear war against China for the sake of the Philippines. He reiterated that the maritime situation started during the Aquino administration. “There was a standoff then. The ships of China came and we yielded. America asked for a settlement so there will be no trouble. It told us to withdraw. Both countries agreed. We withdrew, but China did not leave. That is what happened there,” Duterte said. “Go back to the time of [then-President Benigno] Aquino [3rd]. The standoff happened during [his] time. They asked the Philippines to retreat. China agreed, but they did not honor it. That’s the problem. Then they blame me. I will not go into a war, they will just kill my policemen,” he added.
‘Aimed at US’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Friday said China’s reclamation activities and militarization of the South China Sea were aimed at the United States and not directed at the Philippines.
“Nope, it is aimed at the US,” Locsin said on Twitter in reply to a netizen’s view that China’s reclamation of islands and atolls in the disputed sea would serve as deterrence for weaker countries, not the US. In another tweet, he added, “In the UN, I said the Philippines looks to climate change and the melting of the ice caps to raise sea levels and swallow the disputed maritime features that are giving China delusions of grandeur and aggravation to us.” China took control of most parts of the disputed areas in the South China Sea in 2015 through reclamation works and construction of military facilities on reefs and islets being claimed by both Manila and Beijing. In May 2018, China deployed missiles in some of the islets and reefs being claimed by the Philippines such as the Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef, Zamora (Subi) Reef and Panganiban (Mischief) Reef — all within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The Department of Foreign Affairs chief agreed with the suggestion of one Twitter user for the country to make preparations for the country. “Tama ka (You’re right). But it must be said that while the US poured military hardware into other countries like Pakistan, and not to mention Europe — which won’t fight for itself, it gave us next to nothing but one gutted boat,” Locsin said. On the other hand, he added, he would not let the Philippines go to war with China over the harvesting of giant clams by Chinese fishers in the South China Sea. “We had no idea there were clams there and really I will not let this country go down to war and lose a useful economic partner just over environmental concerns for a world I care nothing about. I care only for my people,” he said. Locsin’s remark did not sit well with one netizen, who said that his statement was an insult to National Artist Edgardo Gomez, who devoted his life to educating Filipinos about the value of the country’s coral reefs. To which Locsin replied: “Good for him, but I am not going down as ‘the clam and coral guy.’ And well deserved it is. My concern is local: What is ours as national territory and under international law of which The Hague decision is now an indelible part.” “We protested, but I refused to get into scuba gear and wrap my arms around clams. By the way, I hate clams,” Locsin said.
˜ The Manila Times
Court junks ex-BI exec’s plea to suspend trial THE Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division denied the appeal of former, Immigration deputy commissioner Michael Robles to suspend his trial for plunder, saying there was no reason to halt court proceedings Robles is facing a plunder complaint along with former immigration deputy commissioner Al Argosino and Wenceslao Sombero Jr. The Office of the Ombudsman claimed that Robles conspired with Argosino and Sombero to amass ill-gotten wealth totaling P50 million. Jack Lam, aka Lam Yin Lok, was charged along with them. The money was allegedly given in exchange for the release of Chinese workers who were arrested at Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Pampanga in 2016. Argosino, Robles and Sombero
pleaded not guilty to the plunder charge as well as to the graft and bribery charges. Robles asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order on March 8, but the Sandiganbayan said no order was issued by the high tribunal. “The 10-day period had already lapsed and this Court has not received any TRO (temporary restraining order) or preliminary injunction issued by the Supreme Court. Hence, there is no ground for the suspension of the proceedings in the present cases,” the anti-graft court said. Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez, who leads the Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division, penned the resolution which was concurred in by Associate Justices Karl Miranda and Zaldy Trespeses. REINA C. TOLENTINO
MWSS upbeat on Wawa water project
THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) aims to jump-start the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project in Rizal province to improve the water supply in Metro Manila. “We hope kasi problema ang tubig. Maganda ang timing nila (We hope to get this project started because of the water supply problems. Their timing is good),” MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco said in an interview with The Manila Times. The MWSS board will decide next week on the proposal of Prime Infra, the infrastructure company led by ports magnate Enrique Razon Jr., to develop a new water source in Rodriguez Rizal to ensure water supply security in the East Zone area. Velasco said if the board approves Prime Infra’s proposal, the proponent could begin with the project. Earlier this week, Prime Infra presented to Velasco the results of its joint technical study on the Wawa water supply project. The technical study sought to determine the best technical scheme, taking into account the cost, risks, timeline, and maximization of water supply source. The proponent outlined an aggressive plan to ensure water supply security in Manila Water’s service area with over 500 million liters per day (MLD), accelerate water availability by immediately delivering 80 MLD by 2021, and provide operational flexibility and reliability to bring water where it is needed most. “We hope to break ground by 2020’s dry season so we can deliver first water by 2021. At its full capacity, the project will boost Manila Water’s current available water supply by about 30 percent,” Prime Infra President and Chief Operating Officer
News DFA chief bats for military modernization F SATURDAY April 20, 2019
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Guillaume Lucci said in a statement on Monday. “With the leadership and strong commitment of Administrator Velasco, the project is expected to be fast-tracked for this needed new water source for Metro Manila and the Rizal Province. As it is, the Wawa water supply project is among the priority projects that the administrator presented and committed to President Rodrigo Duterte to address the current water supply deficit and ensure future water supply security,” Prime Infra said. The project entails building a water supply facility at the Wawa catchment area traversing the Rodriguez municipality and Antipolo City. This can serve more than 500,000 households within Manila Water’s franchise area. Last month, Razon-led Prime Metroline Infrastructure Holdings Inc. and Manila Water signed a memorandum of understanding wherein both parties initially agreed to form a technical team to conduct due diligence. “Based on the recommendations of the technical team, the parties will discuss the possibility of having an offtake arrangement, which … shall be subject to the prior review and approval of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System,” Manila Water said. Manila Water services the cities of Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasig, Pateros, San Juan, Taguig, Makati, parts of Quezon City and Manila. It also serves Antipolo City and the Rizal towns of Angono, Baras, Binangonan, Cainta, Cardona, Jala-Jala, Morong, Pililla, Rodriguez, Tanay, Taytay and San Mateo. Last month, the listed firm came under fire as the taps of more than a million of its customers ran dry. JORDEENE B. LAGARE
BY BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
OREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said China’s policy in the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea or WPS) should compel the Philippine government to invest more on military modernization. He made the remark after Sen. Panfilo Lacson called his attention to an article published in a Chinese newspaper in 2013 which elaborated China’s “cabbage strategy” in seizing Huangyan Island or Panatag Shoal from the Philippines. In the article, a Chinese military expert boasted of the so-called cabbage strategy to recover Huangyan Islands, which he said was “illegally occupied” by the Philippines. Huangyan Island is known as Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal, which the Philippines claims to be part of its territorial waters. “It is a free world now after the [United States’] CIA (Central
Intelligence Agency) defeated the USSR ( United Socialist Soviet Region, now Russia). Every country can speak whatever is on its mind. What it says should not determine foreign policy but it should inform the national budgetary process that we gotta stop throwing money at poverty and throw it at weaponry,” Locsin said. Lacson agreed with Locsin’s view that the Philippine military must be modernized. “Agree, except that what they said a few years ago is exactly how they are conducting maneuvers in WPS. I’m no expert in foreign policy but I feel it is my duty to inform and help,” he said.
Asked by The Manila Times to further elaborate on his tweet, Lacson, in a text message, said, “As every Filipino who has information, old and current about the conditions obtaining in the WPS particularly those pertaining to our islands that are under threat from Chinese intrusion or invasion, I believe I must share the same to all Filipinos who care to know.” “That is the reason why instead of officially bringing it to the attention of SFA (Secretary of Foreign Affairs) Locsin, I used Twitter for maximum dissemination because other like-minded netizens who have similar information that they think can shape or influence our country’s foreign policy would do the same,” he added. “After all, it is our sovereignty and territorial integrity that are at stake. We should not hesitate as it is our solemn duty to report whatever information we have,” he said. Maj. Gen. Zhang Zhaozhong said
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in recovering the Huangyan Island from Philippine control, China resorted to “cabbage strategy.” The China Daily Mail published an English version of the interview. “We have begun to take measures to seal and control the areas around the Huangyan Island, seal and control continuously up till now. In the over a year period since then, there have been fishermen in the inside. Our fishermen are often there because there is lot of fish there. Fishermen go there in large ships and then sail small boats in the lagoon to fish. They can have shelter in the lagoon when there is a typhoon,” he said. “The fishermen conduct normal production there. In the area around the island, fishing administration ships and marine surveillance ships are conducting normal patrols while in the outer ring there are navy warships. The island is thus wrapped layer by layer like a cabbage. As a result, a cabbage strategy has taken shape,” Zhang added.
DOING PENANCE
Penitents whip themselves on their way to Calvary Hills in Cutud, Pampanga on Good Friday. Self-flagellation is a ritual observed in the Philippines during Holy Week, the most solemn Catholic event. PHOTO BY RUY L. MARTINEZ
Privacy watchdog warns vs cyberattacks THE country’s privacy watchdog urged public and private offices to heighten their data protection to avoid cyberattacks especially during holidays. National Privacy Commission (NPC) Commissioner Raymund Enriquez Liboro warned personal information controllers (PICs), personal information processors (PIPs), and data protection
officers on the possible spike of cyberattacks. “Digital and physical break-ins are more likely to occur during long breaks when there’s minimal staffing in offices,” he said in a statement. “The use of strong passwords is essential in protecting personal information from malicious intentions. One precaution that PICs,
PIPs and DPOs should do during the long break is password-protect or encrypt files and databases on servers, computers, and other devices in their organization. If necessary, change passwords,” Liboro added. To enhance data security, organizations were advised to “place nonmission critical systems offline; ensure system activities
are recorded and secured; back up files; log out all accounts in computers; make sure that operating systems are updated; and intrusion detection systems are in place.” The NPC also urged offices to lock all physical documents in cabinets and to prepare recovery plans to mitigate the impact of an attack. LISBET K. ESMAEL
GORDON TO LTO: SPEED UP RULES FOR MOTORCYCLE LAW AMID the unabated killings perpetrated by motorcycle riders, Sen. Richard Gordon urged the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to speed up the crafting of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 11235 or the “Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2019” to deter the commission of such acts. Gordon, principal author and sp onsor of R A
11235, made the call following the latest killings in the Visayas in the past few days. “We really have to do something to stop these killings with impunity. That is why I am calling on the LTO to craft the IRR of RA 11235 as soon as possible, so we could immediately implement it. Because this law is meant to obviate crimes perpetrated by criminals using motorcycles as get-
away vehicles,” he stressed On April 12, award-winning homegrown barista John Mi chael Hermoso, 29, and Kis Tryvl Ramos, 21, were killed in a shooting incident at the coffee shop in Cebu City where they both worked. Two assailants wearing helmets entered the shop and opened fire after it closed for the night, killing the two and injuring two other em-
ployees. The assailants fled on board a motorcycle. Earlier, Fraldine Kate Ramayla Canes, 24, and her husband, Michael Canes, 27, who were on a motorcycle, were shot dead by two men on another motorcycle at the corner of SB Cabahug Street and AC Cortes Avenue in Barangay Ibabao in Mandaue City at past 11 p.m. Their eight-year-old daugh-
ter, who also rode the motorcycle, survived the attack. The couple, who was in the RTW (ready to wear) clothes business, was on their way home after coming from the North Bus terminal to send their products to Bantayan Island in northern Cebu when they were attacked. Gordon pointed out that while the use of a motor vehicle was aggravating circumstance
under the Revised Penal Code, the plate number of motorcycles was too small and witnesses could hardly take note of it. “Now, it’s easy for criminals to escape using motorcycles. If we implement RA 11235, those who use motorcycles without plates will be arrested. This law will also protect motorcycle owners from thieves,” he said. JAVIER JOE ISMAEL
Increasing house rent Dear PAO, I have been renting the same house located at Barangay East Kamias, Quezon City since July 2017. Last week, the owner of the house told me that my rental fee will increase from P9,000 to P9,500 effective July of this year. I am just wondering if the increase imposed by the owner of the house is legal and in accordance with our rental laws. Ceejay Dear Ceejay, To answer your legal query, we
DEAR PAO
PERSIDA ACOSTA shall refer to “Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Resolution 1 Extending the Rent Control Act (Republic Act 9653) until December 2020.” This resolution provides for the regulation of rent to cover all private residential units in the Philippines with monthly
rent up to P10,000 subject to certain conditions. The resolution states: “b. The rent of any residential unit shall not be increased by: (i) more than two percent (2%) annually for those paying a monthly rent ranging from Php1,000.00 to Php4,999.00 per month; (ii) more than seven percent (7%) for those paying a monthly rent of Php5,000.00 up to Php8,999 for as long as the unit is occupied by the same
lessee; and (3) more than eleven percent (11%) for those paying a monthly rent of Php9,000.00 to Php10,000.00 for as long as the unit is occupied by the same lessee; and c. Provided, that when the residential unit becomes vacant, the lessor may set the initial rent for the next lessee: Provided, further, that in the case of boarding houses, dormitories, rooms and bed spaces offered for rent to students, no increase in rent more than once
per year shall be allowed.” (Emphasis supplied) Taking the aforementioned law into consideration, it is thus clear that the owner or lessor of a house can increase the rate up to 11 percent of the current rental fee for lessees paying a monthly rent of P9,000 up to P10,000. Increasing your rental fee from P9,000 to P9,500 effective July of this year is within the rates allowed by HUDCC. Hence, the act of the owner of the house is con-
sidered legal and in accordance with the Rent Control Act. 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 Office. Questions for Chief Acosta may be sent to dearpao@manilatimes.net
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E d i to r i a l Season of change for world’s democracies
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HE official results of the April 17 Indonesian election will not be available for about a month, but unless the ballots yet to be counted spring a surprise (very unlikely), Indonesian President Joko Widodo is expected to win a second term. Over the coming months a number of other elections in some of the world’s most important democracies are scheduled to be held, which may lead to sweeping changes in the global political order. Although Widodo was expected to again top rival Prabowo Subianto, he was not seen as invulnerable; rising food prices and a rising current account deficit — largely the result of a massive infrastructure development push that has progressed more slowly than was expected — gave Prabowo and his party ammunition to attack Widodo on economic grounds that resonated with ordinary voters. Prabowo’s attempt to style himself as an outsider did not quite work; he is, after all, a former general who was once married to the daughter of former Indonesian strongman Suharto. Nevertheless, his party is likely to have made inroads into the country’s legislature and local governments, and this will have a noticeable impact on Indonesia’s economy and political climate over the next few years. Regardless of the outcome, Indonesia deserves some praise for the way it conducted its election. It was a massive undertaking; there were some 190 million eligible voters and more than 800,000 polling stations, and voters were choosing from among 245,000 candidates vying for 20,000 elective offices. With a budget reported to be about $1.75 billion, the government managed to conduct the election peacefully and with very few reports of problems. That does not seem to be the case in India, which has also begun its uniquely complicated national election process. Already there has been a rash of campaign violations, scattered incidents of violence and accusations of cheating, mostly directed against the party of incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who appears to be fighting for his political life despite leading the world’s fastest-growing economy. Other key democracies that will hold elections in the near future include Australia, which has set its federal election for May 18, just five days after the Philippines’ midterm elections; Canada, where voters appear to be growing weary of the liberal administration of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and will cast their votes in October; Taiwan, with its presidential election set for January 2020; and the United States, where campaigning by no fewer than a dozen Democratic candidates seeking to oust President Donald Trump has already begun ahead of the November 2020 polls. In one sense it is heartening that the will of the people determines who shall lead in much of the world. However, the outcomes of these democratic contests might result in sweeping changes, not only within the various countries, but in terms of international political and economic relations. Our own leaders will not only be coming to terms with some changes in the political landscape and attitudes here, but potentially significant changes in policy elsewhere in key areas such as climate change response, trade, migration, foreign investment and relations with China. Uncertainty is never desirable, but it is an unavoidable outcome of the democratic process, and we should not be unduly alarmed by it. So long as our leaders act thoughtfully and place the country’s larger interests ahead of their own, we will be able to adapt to the changes in the world and turn uncertainty into opportunities. saturday April 20, 2019
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VOLUME 120 NUMBER 189
Dante A. Ang, Chairman Emeritus Rene Q. Bas, Publisher Emeritus Nerilyn A. Tenorio, Publisher-Editor Arnold E. Belleza, Executive Editor Felipe F. Salvosa 2nd, Managing Editor Leena C. Chua, News Editor Lynette O. Luna, National Editor Tessa Mauricio-Arriola, Lifestyle Editor Perry Gil S. Mallari, Sports Editor Dino Ray V. Directo 3rd, Motoring Editor Conrad M. Cariño, Special Sections Editor Lea Manto-Beltran, Supplements Editor Alvin I. Dacanay, Assistant Business Editor Mario F. Fetalino, Assistant Business Editor Remia B. Eugenio, Deskman (Regions) Marishelle R. Medina, Deskman Jomar canlas, Chief of Reporters Rene H. Dilan, Chief Photographer Dante F. M. Ang 2nd, President and CEO Blanca C. Mercado, Chief Operating Officer 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 www.manilatimes.net • e-mail newsdesk@manilatimes.net 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.
Ideology as personality cults, not texts (This is the first part of a paper I will be reading at the annual conference of the Philippine Political Science Association at Clark, Pampanga on April 25.)
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HENEVER we talk about ideology, ordinary people conjure dark images of revolutions and of enemies conspiring to overthrow the state. We imagine ideology as embodied in the writings of people perceived as malcontents like Karl Marx, whose ideas have inspired what for some are also equally notorious characters to wage their rebellions. Ideology is defined as the belief system that inspires and justifies a political action. While the type of action has always been cast in the context of resistance,
ON THE CONTRARY ANTONIO CONTRERAS where the intent is to dismantle prevailing systems of power, it is equally valid to argue that maintaining and preserving that system is also a kind of political action. The latter is what ensures that the status quo prevails, and that any challenge to it is silenced and delegitimized. This is what is referred to in political science jargon as the dominant ideology, and this is seen in the rituals, institutions and practices that provide justification and rationality to the prevailing political system. This is usually embodied in grand
narratives that are cemented not only through the laws and political institutions, but are reinforced by cultural practices that operate through what are referred to as ideological institutions. These ideological institutions are manifested not in the coercive power of the state and the law, but through the ordinariness of cultural institutions such as family and community, religion, mass and social media and popular culture. It is the nature of a colonized country like the Philippines to be shaped by alien grand narratives that were brought to us by our colonizers. The Catholic religion, the system of democratic governance and the doctrine of a Westphalian state anchored on sovereign territories with single political identi-
ties are all inorganically positioned because externally imposed, all borne by colonial imperatives that were forced into a nascent pre-colonial political landscape of separate, distinct and independent communities called banwa or puod. The tragedy that became the burden that continues to haunt us is the fact that prior to the coming of the colonizers, we never had a unified political system that could have served as a template for what we now call the Republic of the Philippines. In fact, there was no single, unified nation. Our state is a colonial construction, even as our nation is constantly in the process of becoming, and has yet to be completed. The absence of a political grand
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Origin of the specious at Ateneo: History and herstory (Last of 2 parts) If you google “Ateneo de Manila,” you are instantly transported to a website that tells in capsules Ateneo’s story. I hesitated in using the word, "history." Someone from the Ateneo sanggunian might correct me to say that it is now "herstory" also. Amen to that. Ateneo’s notable alumni One section of the kaleidoscope parades the notable alumni of the Ateneo. At the top of the line is Jose Rizal. Next is Benigno Aquino 3rd. Third is Kris Aquino. Fourth is Benigno Aquino Jr. One colleague in our discussion group immediately wondered: Was Ninoy Aquino an Atenean? Where did he graduate? My better half says she is certain Ninoy graduated from San Beda College because he was a classmate of her uncle. He used to come to her grandma’s house for a snack or two. Noynoy and Kris Aquino are bonafide Ateneo graduates. The list includes a who’s who of presidents: Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. After this, it becomes a veritable celebrity list. Mar Roxas and his father, the late senator Gerardo Roxas, turn up. Then brothers Juan and Antonio Luna. With Kris Aquino as the top alumna, the women Ateneans include former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Lea Salonga and Tetchie Agbayani. It is indeed "herstory" also.
and achievements, and no little dash of selflessness. It was once a tradition of excellence and high achievement. Rizal was the epitome. The reproach of elitism came later, when the country started to turn radical. In the 1960s, the big dream at the Ateneo was to elect Raul Manglapus president of the Philippines. He ran for president in the 1965 presidential elections, but a fella by the name of “Ferdinand Marcos" took the election in spectacular fashion, probably because he had Imelda by his side. The Ateneo community never felt comfortable with the Marcos presidency, although there was a smattering of Jesuits and Ateneans occasionally gracing a Marcos event. The grab-bag depiction of Ateneo history, wherein anything or anyone became admissible, flowered when Rev. Jose Ramon Villarin was named president of the Ateneo de Manila University on June 29, 2010. His selection appears to have been a deliberate and studied decision by the Jesuits to rally behind the flood of yellow in Philippine politics during the presidential elections of 2010, wherein Benigno Aquino 3rd was elected as the 15th Philippine president in the first automated (Smartmatic) presidential elections in history. That Fr. Villarin, a physicist and educator, was named Ateneo president on the eve of Noynoy Aquino’s inauguration is not just a confluence of dates.
Excellence and high achievement
Manifesto of support
As I remember the story, especially in Fr. Horacio de la Costa’s history of The Jesuits in the Philippines: 1584-1959, and the works of scholars like Miguel Bernad, Leon Maria Guerrero, and others, the history had a connecting thread of high ideals
The presidential turnover at the Ateneo was a manifesto of support for the presidency of Noynoy Aquino 3rd, which was needed because on the day of his inauguration Noynoy embarked on his ambitious project of impeaching the then Chief Justice
Renato Corona, who was incidentally also an Ateneo alumnus. Noynoy Aquino and Villarin graduated together in 1981 — Aquino with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and Villarin with a physics degree. Two other notables were members of the class of 1981: Maria Lourdes Sereno and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, the latter also an economics graduate like Noynoy. They went on to study law and become members of the bar. They were appointed in a flash to the Supreme Court by Aquino, without serving a single day on the bench. By then, Aquino had an expressed policy in his administration to appoint classmates to positions in government; the patronage covered even classmates from grade school, or maybe even kindergarten. Aquino was super confident, perhaps because he had the carte blanche backing of the Ateneo community. He was fearless in his policymaking. He went to Japan to break bread with the chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in order to signal his determination to forge peace in Muslim Mindanao. In this enterprise, he brought in Malaysia inside a Trojan horse. He launched his Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) to raise funds to bribe senators in the impeachment trial of Renato Corona, and also for countless projects that would catch his fancy. He also embarked on some major initiatives, such as 1) taking China to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague for its actions in the South China Sea; and 2) earning investmentgrade status for the Philippines from the credit-rating agencies. Then Aquino embarked on the epic challenge of his handpicked successor elected president, Manuel "Mar" Roxas 2nd, in the 2016 elections. Throughout the Aquino presi-
dency, despite the many controversies and even massacres, Ateneo on Villarin’s lead stood by Aquino through thick and thin. There is no record anywhere of Ateneo opposing or quibbling with an Aquino policy. Not once did it protest. Instead, Ateneo became the staging ground for multiple Aquino initiatives and programs. Ateneo students and faculty were often in the gallery cheering.
Defender of mediocrity The thing that amazes many proud Ateneans and sympathetic observers is how Ateneo morphed from a proud bastion of excellence and high achievement to become a big-time defender of mediocrity. This is how many members of my discussion group describe Ateneo’s uncritical support for 1. “Tuwid na Daan’ — the crooked straight path program of Noynoy Aquino; 2. The incompetent Supreme Court stewardship of Maria Lourdes Sereno and her desperate efforts to hang on after her peers voted her out of the high court; and 3. The vice presidency of Maria Leonor Robredo, as she desperately tries to fend off the electoral protest of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos. The last could be the final mission of Villarin’s leadership of the Ateneo — to stop an old foe and adversary, Marcos. Justice Alfredo Caguioa is one justice whose eyes are firmly riveted on the electoral protest, and he will do all he can to prevent a Bongbong victory. The thing that depresses my discussion group is that our alma mater is being shoehorned into a policy of supporting a pretend leader who looks dismally lacking in smarts and competence. Jose Rizal and thousands of true Ateneo alumni could be wakened from their graves. yenmakabenta@yahoo.com
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Illegal entry of Chinese workers continues Bong Go closely trails Sen. Grace Poe, currently in the No. 1 position, and the billionaire Sen. Cynthia Villar. With his position at No. 3, Go is a sure winner. But if he dislodges Poe in first place, that will speak volumes about the extent of the President’s popularity with the masses. The President is personally campaigning for his trusted aide. Go and Digong are inseparable. **** I don’t know Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, who’s running for re-election in Muntinlupa and is up against former assistant immigration commissioner Marc Red Mariñas. Mariñas, according to my sources in the municipality, is spending hundreds of millions in his campaign. I d o n ’ t vo t e a n d l i ve i n Muntinlupa, and I’m not interested in local politics. Let me disabuse the minds of some readers and followers on
Facebook that I am campaigning for Fresnedi. It just so happens that my Deep Throat source in the recent exposé I wrote on the human trafficking syndicate at the international airport revealed that Mariñas allegedly co-chairs the syndicate with his father Maynardo. Maynardo Mariñas heads the special operations communications unit of the immigration bureau, which issues visas to Chinese tourists upon arrival at the airport. The visa upon arrival is the No. 1 source of graft by immigration officers as thousands of Mainland Chinese arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport every day. These tourists are issued visas on the spot and escorted to waiting vans. The “fees” for their VIP treatment are pre-paid. I don’t know Deep Throat’s political leanings but based on my long conversations with him I know that he was telling the truth about the
syndicate as he is part of it. I can tell you that Deep Throat spilled the beans on the group because he and his fellow immigration officers felt that they were not getting a fair share of the loot that the group was amassing. As I’ve said in this space before, despite the vow of silence in a group, a disgruntled member will spill the beans on it. We’ve seen it happen before: Benhur Luy baring the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam of his cousin, Janet Lim Napoles, because he felt he wasn’t getting enough. The Mafia’s omerta (vow of silence) being broken by a discontented “soldier.” A member of a robbery gang becoming a police informer because he got a pittance from the loot. **** My series of columns on the activities of the syndicate led to a halt in the illegal entry of Indian nationals who bribe syndicates from P100,000 to
Asean agreement on disaster management: How hard, how soft? AMBASSADORS’ T CORNER A
HERE has been introduced in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries an impressive array of environmental legislations to achieve sustainable development. The goals of environmental protection have been incorporated in written constitutions and development plans. The right to a healthy environment was even upheld by the Supreme Courts of member countries. Environmental compliance and enforcement programs are in place with adequate rules and regulations and detailed requirements, licensing procedures and permit systems, inspection programs, training, self-monitoring, citizen complaints. Yet implementation problems and issues persist such as lack of coordination between national and local governments and even among inter-local governments; how best to coordinate legislation among agencies; very little government budget for environmental concerns, among others. Be that as it may, the common environmental challenges have become targets of opportunity for Asean in terms of information on prevention and control methods, inspection techniques and compliance strategies. What about soft law? Can we have efficient legal instruments without sanctions? Is implementation possible if problems such as capacity and financial resources are not addressed? Asean’s experience at implementation of the Asean Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (Aadmer, 2009), a soft law instrument on disaster preparedness, emergency response and rehabilitation is a case in point. Aadmer is an agreement without sanctions ratified by all 10 member countries — Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — as a soft law reached by consensus, the “Asean Way.” In short, it is considered a binding legal instrument of action addressed to the organization which drafted it, setting forth activities to be undertaken by the signatory countries. It affirms Asean’s commitment to the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA, 2005-2015) on building the resilience of countries to disasters and is the first legally binding HFA-related instrument in the world. To be more specific, Aadmer is an agreement in the nature of a cooperative program about faster delivery and movement of disaster relief goods, equipment
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and personnel (e.g. provision of food, water sanitation facilities and temporary shelters), customs and immigration clearance, setting up a relief fund, better utilization of civilian and military personnel as well as stronger and effective simulation exercises to test emergency response. Aadmer was already in effect when one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded, Typhoon Yolanda, hit Tacloban City and some areas of the Central and Eastern Visayas in the Philippines. Aware that natural calamities are projected to intensify in the Asia-Pacific region in the coming years, Asean countries have embarked on joint and multinational military exercises aiming at greater commandand-control capability and interoperability in times of disasters and emergencies in the region. Mention should be made that recent Philippines-US military maneuvers called “ Balikatan ” were no longer about maritime security alone but also about humanitarian assistance and disaster response, the military’s widely accepted secondary role. Asean’s experience at implementing Aadmer proved that a soft law is an efficient legal instrument even without sanctions. For one, Asean was able to immediately get the cooperation of Indonesia in hosting the Asean Humanitarian Assistance (AHA) Center in Jakarta. The AHA Center provides the regional mechanism for cooperation, coordination, technical assistance and resource mobilization in all aspects of disaster management under the framework of Aadmer. Specifically, it is the main coordinating body for disaster management to realize Asean’s vision of "One Asean One Response." So, is implementation possible if problems such as capacity and financial resources are not addressed? Yes. Asean has shown that the spirit of volunteerism, the rule of no-fault finding, and offer of specialized assistance based on cooperative countries’ expertise within the context of the “Asean Way” could overcome the problem posed by lack of capacity and financial resources in facing environmental challenges. Collectively, this was put forward at the 2004 Paris International Conference on Environmental Governance as the principle of non-obligatory specialized assistance.
P200,000 per head. These Indians end up in the “five-six” usury business. The exposé, according to Deep Throat, has also put a stop, at least temporarily, to the exit of Filipino contract workers without permits from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and prostitutes. But the entry of Mainland Chinese without visa continues at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Clark International Airport in Pampanga. Here’s what Deep Throat texted me last Monday: “Den Binsol and Glenford Comia (syndicate leaders – RTT) are still extorting from Chinese passengers.” “Whenever a Chinese tourist arrives and is suspected to work without permit or to overstay, he is subjected to interrogation.” “They (tourists) are brought ( sic ) inside the immigration office at the NAIA for confirmation of their place of stay,
itinerary, return flight to China, etc. [so they could come up with bribe money.]” “The immigration officers who process the arrival of these Chinese are coerced by Binsol [who is currently assigned at SM North EDSA] and Glennford Comia into allowing these illegal Chinese immigrants to enter the country.” “Binsol and Comia extort [from] these Chinese from P10,000 to P12,000 each. Easy money with just a few phone calls. “The immigration officers who stamped [the passports] and allowed the Chinese entry are exposed to risk of being questioned later but they received nothing from Binsol and Comia.” “No one dares to [stand up to] Binsol and Comia despite your series of articles. They have even become bolder and greedier.” “It’s funny to note ( sic ) that Binsol who was already kicked out of NAIA by the syndicate still has great influence in the
airport’s operations.” “[The syndicate] fear that Binsol might turn on them, expose and testify against them during these tough times. This is why they tolerate his abusive behavior.” Deep Throat said earlier that the syndicate had worked on Binsol’s reassignment to the SM North EDSA immigration office after he failed to remit P30 million to the syndicate. **** Here’s a postscript to my exposé: The syndicate sent an emissary to me. The emissary told me to “name your price” in exchange for my silence. The offer was made after I featured a photo of immigration officers in a nightclub on my Facebook page with a caption saying that a write-up on the activities of the human trafficking syndicate would later follow in my column here in The Manila Times. Now, do you still wonder why other news outlets have not followed up on my exposé?
China’s top anti-terror squad shifts training focus from physical to mental
By Hu Yuwei global times t 1 am in the dead of night, an air of tension spreads over the dark, quiet field. Zhang Chao, a member of the special armed police, disguises himself as a medical worker as he approaches the hijacked bus. Two warning shots from the vehicle break the silence. After being carefully examined, interrogated and searched, Zhang Chao is allowed to board the bus to treat the hostages, who have come down with a sudden illness. He calmly treats them and tries to talk to the hijackers, while secretly gauging the situation inside and looking for suspected explosive devices. “We chat with the criminals and gain more time to gauge the details inside the bus, such as position, posture and even expression of every hostage. We need to be vigilant for gunmen hiding among the hostages,” Zhang Chao reminded his comrades-in-arms. The two masked gunmen — according to the script — are terrorists from the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) who have hijacked a bus carrying 13 passengers and are demanding the release of their leader and an end to the operation. In a nearby corner, commandos stand ready to confront the gunmen, who they had been fighting for nearly eight hours. You could be forgiven for thinking this was a scene from an action blockbuster. It is actually part of a week-long intensive training course called “Devil’s Week” for China’s Falcon Commando Unit, widely renowned as the country’s top counterterrorism force. “Devil’s Week” has become a tradition for China’s armed forces, conducted quarterly, held under
different combat environments and training priorities depending on the season and climate. It usually features high-intensity and high-energy training that aims to strengthen troops’ combat ability. But this time, the situation is a little different. Now, the focus is more on team members solving highly complex problems and dealing with a variety of traps. The mental challenges facing the troops are far more demanding than the usual tests of physical strength and endurance.
Scientific path The Falcon Commando Unit, part of the paramilitary People’s Armed Police, specializes in counterterrorist operations, including fast entry rappelling, evasive driving and pursuit, hostage rescue and close quarter combat. For the last few years, Falcon has made a bold attempt to highlight tactical integration and strengthen confrontational drills, and have scaled back on purely physical exercises that could be carried out in barracks. Zhang Ling, the head of the Investigation Department, who is in charge of the general planning, told the Global Times that priority is now given to practical skills and intelligence training in the design of the training subjects, in particular since 2017 when the Central Military Commission emphasized the importance of practical and confrontational exercises. The percentage of purely physical exercise programs has decreased from 40 percent to 20 percent. “Now, it’s more scientific and more in line with the future trend in the modern military world than the earlier extreme physical tests,” Zhang Ling said. The first simulated anti-hijacking
drill lasted nearly 12 hours until midnight on the first day, and followed the standard operations of reconnaissance, assault, bomb disposal and search and rescue. The drill aims to familiarize soldiers with standard operating procedures that require close and well-prepared cooperation between all members during an operation. During the anti-terror simulation, Zhang Ling repeatedly grilled commanders on every operation plan they submitted, demanding to know how confident they were in it. “What I want is not a single number that comes directly out of their mouths, but a probability that comes out after careful thinking and scientific calculation,” he explained, stressing that the ability to analyze and judge the situation had become the focus of the test. Combat times of 10 hours or more also serve as a psychological test for the team. Unlike the “quick fix” that most people imagine, real anti-terror operations often drag on until late at night, as dark conditions are better for launching an assault on terrorists, Zhang Ling explained. As energy levels drop, the plan is constantly contradicted, and some soldiers start to appear anxious and depressed. The drop in morale presents a challenge for everyone involved. “This situation is actually more energy-consuming and challenging than purely physical exercises,” he said.
Meeting global standards More of the elements in the intensive training program are designed to meet the current international counterterrorism situation. When coming up with the script of the simulated
case, the team of directors always uses international anti-terrorism cases as reference. For example, this anti-hijacking script is based on a successful operation carried out by Italy’s Gruppo di Intervento Speciale (GIS). “If our performance is inferior to our foreign peers, then deep reflection is required,” Zhang Ling said. The script even includes a female terrorist. The global anti-terror situation is more complex nowadays, Zhang Ling explains, and female terrorists are more common. “We have even used a child as a ‘terrorist,’ because we saw many cases abroad where children were strapped with bombs. As a special force, you need to be clear all the time that your judgement won’t be affected by anyone’s age or gender,” Zhang Ling said. Training methods are also becoming increasingly digital. The use of drones to carry out bomb attacks has become more common in the international community. In response, the Falcon commandos are learning how to capture and destroy this new potential weapon of choice for terrorists.
Danger everywhere On their third day of training, troops went on a 30-kilometer march, where they were exposed to attacks by stun grenades and smoke bombs at any time. A wrong step could set off a “landmine,” and a troop slacking off could become vulnerable to “terrorist” gunfire, testing the force’s combat ability. Wang Xiyu, the head of the “Blue Army,” a group that usually plays the enemy to the PLA’s “Red Army” in the confrontation drills, told the Global Times that their primary task is to find weaknesses, and increase
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Ideology as personality cults, not texts narrative in the form of a precolonial nation state found expression in the absence of grand epics and myths, further manifested in a collective identity which is an amalgamation of so many things borrowed and emulated from the West. Even our name, the Philippines, is not organic but was given by the colonizer and we had no choice but to just imagine it as if it is organically rooted. What we call Filipino, from cuisine to dances, does not bear the unifying imprint of a nation that was already formed prior to its being invaded by the West. It is here then that we do not have a single text that explains us. Indonesia may have been colonized by the Dutch, and like us is an amalgamation of islands and diverse ethnicities and cultures, but through the post-colonial leadership of Sukarno it was able to craft
a nation-building ideology called Pancasila. In the Philippines, we do not have an equivalent. The articulations by post-colonial political leaders were basically appropriations from Western texts. Andres Bonifacio’s writings for the Katipunan and Jose Rizal’s novels were not elevated into the level of unifying ideologies the same way that Pancasila was edified. If there was any attempt to craft a political ideology that tried to provide justification to the existence of the Filipino nation, it was that conjured by Ferdinand Marcos. But his attempt to craft an ideology was diminished by what he has become — a dishonored, shamed and demonized political figure. In lieu of grand ideological texts that emanated from the organic roots of a post-colonial project to build the Filipino nation, what we have is a plethora of colonial
constructs, from our language to our religion and our system of government. The debate on the Filipino language, which until today continues to fester, is apropos to the fate of a nation that is colonially constructed and is still in the process of defining itself. Bereft of grand ideological texts, the logic for nation-building and state formation drew its power from the organic structures that bind people into collectives. Communities are formed not by law, but by personal affinities embodied in extended forms of familial associations. We draw our social order not from the legal constructs but from the cultural institutions and processes. For example, when we drive, we establish order not by following the formal rules of traffic, but by relying on pakikipagkapwa and pakikiramdaman with other drivers. During times of calamities,
we rely on our resilient communities and our neighbors for survival. In the absence of state-sanctioned textual templates to imagine the Filipino nation, we turned towards persons and individuals as the drivers from where we drew the logic of our collective political identities. With a culture that is already personalistic and communitarian, it was but natural for us to turn to heroes and leaders. Instead of texts like Pancasila, personality cults emerged as the ground from where we drew our political ideology. We located the logic of our political community not in the writings of dead people, but in the lives of people who are alive. It is in this context that we witness the emergence of Rodrigo Duterte as an ideological construct.
Next: Rodrigo Duterte as counterideology to elite liberal politics
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The boat as a metaphor for nation
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N last week’s column, I tried to establish that our nation’s story began with a boat. In a new National Historical Commission of the Philippines and De La Salle University coffee table book, Tataya:Documenting the Story of the Ivatan Boat, to which I contributed an essay, I wrote that this maritime culture that still exists in Batanes, was reflected in the spiritual beliefs and burial practices of our ancestors, and in how our heroes imagined the Filipino Nation. “Our maritime culture was also reflected in our ancient faith and world view. The Manunggul burial jar found in Palawan shows us that our ancestors believed that when we die, our soul rides a boat into the afterlife. Historian Bernadette Abrera pointed out that the boat in the Manunggul Jar actually has a face, indicating the belief of our ancestors that boats and things also have souls, especially if they came from nature. Since it is to nature where our ancestors dwell as anitos in the afterlife and so they had much respect for it. “This connection of the boat to the afterlife is reflected in other ancient burial practices in the country. In Sulu, Mindanao, the design of the sunduk grave markers resemble a boat with a soul riding it. In Sagada, Cordillera, as well as in Romblon and
walking history MICHAEL “XIAO” CHUA other parts of the country, coffins had boat-shaped designs; and in Batanes, grave markers were actually shaped like boats. “These ancient boats proliferated in other material cultures across Southeast Asia. In Batanes, Peter Bellwood and his team of archaeologists found a workshop, a place where an ancient jade earring called the lingling-o was made, in Anaro, Itbayat. The design of the remnants of lingling-o matches with other lingling-o designs found in other places not just in the Philippines but in neighboring Asian countries as well: Lanyu Island, Taiwan; Go Ma Voi, Vietnam; El Nido and Uyaw Cave, Palawan; and Niah Cave, Sarawak. Also, the raw material of these items — jade (nephrite) — is not found in the Philippines but in Southern China and Taiwan. Batanes, with its proximity to Taiwan, definitely had a role in facilitating not just the creation but in the proliferation of these designs throughout Southeast Asia. “But our seas and rivers were not only highways through which our culture flowed, they were also
the network that facilitated trade and kaginhawahan. Historian Zeus Salazar pointed out that most of the rich kingdoms near the riverbanks and seashores: Vigan, Lingayen, Maynila, Sugbu, Butuan, Sulu, and others, became part of the Southeast Asian trade route to China. “With the introduction of the wheel and construction of roads and bridges, Spanish colonialism took us way from navigation and seafaring and our real talent and natural aptitude in the maritime culture. Yet, the ancient boat culture lives in Batanes. “Our national hero José Rizal once predicted in an essay titled ‘The Philippines Within a Century’ that if a new generation of Filipinos were to have a second look at our maritime culture, we might be a great nation, ‘With the new men that will spring from her bosom and the remembrance of the past, she will perhaps enter openly the wide road of progress and all will work jointly to strengthen the mother country at home as well as abroad with the same enthusiasm with which a young man returns to cultivate his father’s farmland so long devastated and abandoned due to the negligence of those who had alienated it. Then the mines — gold, iron, copper, lead, coal, and others will be worked again — which will help solve the
problem of poverty. Perhaps the people will revive their maritime and commercial activities for which the islanders have a natural aptitude, and free once more, like the bird that leaves his cage, like the flower that returns to the open air, they will discover their good old qualities which they are losing little by little and again become lovers of peace, gay, lively, smiling, hospitable, and fearless.’ “When Andres Bonifacio during the Philippine Revolution called the country Katagalugan instead of Filipinas, he meant that we were Taga-Ilog — River People. If in a boat, the concept of barangay as a community that eventually became the bayan began, we continue to have a metaphor for our country as ‘The Ship of State.’” From the balangay boat to the barangay economic unit to the bayan and the Sambayanang Pilipino, we have come a long way. Thus, the still existing boat culture in Batanes can give us an idea of our ancestors’ maritime culture that may inspire us to imagine and see our commonalities as Austronesians despite being an archipelagic people who are now multi-cultural and multi-ethnic and having 171 different languages. Thus, we realize we are one nation with a common sentiment and predicament. That we are all just in one boat.
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‘It’s a witch hunt’: Trump’s brash fight against Mueller WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s strategist warned him not to fire FBI director James Comey. His advisors told him to stop tweeting about the Russia investigation. And his lawyers encouraged him to cooperate. Trump ignored them all, and could still claim vindication Thursday after the Mueller report cleared him of collusion charges. He beat back the investigation that threatened his presidency with constant attacks on investigators and the media, a canny narrative that denied obvious facts, nonstop trolling of opponents on Twitter, and a crafty legal stall. It was hugely risky, but it appears to have paid off — notwithstanding further investigations Congressional Democrats have promised into Trump’s alleged abuse of his authority. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report Thursday ruled that Tr u m p ’s c a m p a i g n d i d n o t criminally conspire with Russians to skew the 2016 election, and drew no conclusion on allegations of obstruction. That allowed Trump’s handpicked Attorney General Bill Barr to declare the president fully cleared. “As I have been saying all along, NO COLLUSION - NO OBSTRUCTION!” Trump tweeted in a fist-pump of victory.
‘Witch hunt’
Trump began his campaign well before Mueller arrived, denying during 2016 that Russia was interfering in the election, even though US spy chiefs said they were. He could have just accepted it, but the claim marred his election victory. So he called it “fake news” and said the intelligence community was out to undermine him. He made things worse in May 2017 when, angered by the ongoing probe into Russian meddling, he fired Comey. The result was Mueller’s appointment to lead the Russia investigation, expanding it to include obstruction of justice. “This is the end of my presidency. I’m fucked,” Trump said that day, according to Mueller’s report. But the next day, he switched gears into offense, launching a grinding public relations war guided mostly by his own instincts. “This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!” he tweeted. It was pure Trump style -- weaving a narrative that struck a chord with his supporters and riled his
opponents. The Russia allegations were a hoax, he alleged, Democrats were trying to avenge Hillary Clinton’s election defeat, and Comey and Mueller were corrupt. With Fox News, influential with the political right, echoing his claims, voters who formed Trump’s electoral base bought the story of a “witch hunt.”
Legal team turmoil
Trump often proved his own enemy. His staff struggled to block his orders to remove Mueller, which could have resulted in impeachment. His constant attacks on Mueller’s investigators, the Justice Department, and potential witnesses against him bolstered the allegations of obstruction. And his legal team was in constant turmoil, wrestling with a client who didn’t follow advice or tell them the truth. Early members of the team wanted to cooperate with Mueller, seeing that as the president’s best option. But for Trump, it was not about law, but image, and the best approach was guerilla warfare fought through the media and Twitter. With Mueller’s investigators closing in on the White House in early 2018, Trump churned his team, recruiting attorneys who would fight back. He hired Rudy Giuliani, a fellow New Yorker who like Trump saw the challenge as a street fight. Giuliani fed reporters tidbits behind the scenes and went on television with tactical denials and counterattacks that may have had little real substance but supported Trump’s claim that he was under political assault. By mid-2018 Trump appeared to have scored a major victory: seeing his ability to hold onto his conservative base, Republicans rallied behind him ahead of the November elections.
Eyes on the ballot, not on the money
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AIRVOTE, an American nonpartisan champion of electoral reforms, defines gerrymandering as “the act of politicians manipulating the redrawing of legislative district lines in order to help their friends and hurt their enemies. They may seek to help one party win extra seats (a partisan gerrymander), make incumbents of both parties safer (an incumbent-protection gerrymander) or target particular incumbents who have fallen out of favor.” I view the passage of Republic Act 11259, a law dividing the province of Palawan into three smaller provinces, as an act of gerrymandering. What is gerrymandering? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the term gerrymandering was derived from the name of Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, whose administration enacted a law in 1812 defining new state senatorial districts. The law consolidated the Federalist Party vote in a few districts and thus gave disproportionate representation to Democratic-Republicans. The outline of one of these districts was thought to resemble a salamander. A satirical cartoon by Elkanah Tisdale appeared in the Boston Gazette; it graphically transformed the districts into a fabulous animal, “The Gerry-mander,” fixing the term in the popular imagination. The law, which will serve as the charter of the divided provinces, mandates that each new province shall have its own set of officials — from the provincial governor, provincial board members, provincial treasurer, and so on down the line. Thus, there will be an extra two sets of officials governing the whole of the original Palawan instead of only one set. Who will benefit from this new scheme? Probably, the new set of officials who cannot be elected under one Palawan. Take note that it will now have four legislative districts, one district for each of the three smaller provinces and one for the city of Puerto Princesa. So, instead of the present three congressmen, there will now be four congressmen. A clear case of gerrymandering. History tells us that Palawan had been gerrymandered a number of times. From 1907 until 1972, it was comprised of only one assembly district. It was reapportioned into two congressional districts under the 1987 Constitution. Republic Act 10171 in 2012 separated Puerto Princesa and Aborlan from the second district to form a third district. I doubt if dividing the original Palawan province to three—Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur—will be beneficial to its populace in the end.
Eyes on the ballot
‘Perjury trap’ Crucial to Trump’s success, too, was avoiding being interviewed by the investigators. “I’m looking forward to it, actually,” he declared in January 2018. Behind the scenes his team stalled, first demanding written questions, then arguing over which questions they would answer. Giuliani accused Mueller of setting up a “perjury trap,” saying his client, known for liberally delivering falsehoods and sometimes spilling truths he should withhold, was being set up. Meanwhile, the White House pressured Mueller to wrap up the investigation, saying he was spending too much money on the ever-spiraling probe. Finally Mueller’s team agreed to take written answers, which arrived only in late November. The answers were “inadequate,” the Mueller report said: Trump replied more than 30 times that he could not recall something, and elsewhere gave incomplete or imprecise responses. But when Mueller’s team sought to follow-up in person,
Trump refused. By that time, Mueller’s team realized it was too late in the investigation to launch into a constitutional fight with the White House. They opted to go with what they had.
The Barr factor
Trump’s final coup was to replace attorney general Jeff Sessions with Bill Barr. Trump wasn’t acquainted with the Washington corporate lawyer, but he learned that Barr was a critic of Mueller who had a constitutional argument against Trump being charged with obstruction. Trump’s dismissal of Jeff Sessions in November opened the door for Barr to become attorney general, someone who would be able to find a legal way to protect Trump from charges. Barr did the job: after seeing Mueller’s conclusions, he declared that the evidence on obstruction did not amount to enough to charge the president, and that was that. Trump had won. AFP
A limited time media forum sponsored by Mata Sa Balota took off last Tuesday at the Manila Hotel. It will run for four Tuesdays only, culminating on May 14, the day after the 2019 national and local elections. The issues discussed during their first media forum were the usual stuff trotted out by infotech experts against the Commission on Elections and voting technology-provider
all insight
al s. vitangcol 3rd Smartmatic Corp. I will not discuss those issues here because I have some diverging opinions relative to those. A band, calling itself Sulatroniko (Tagalog word for email), performed their own composition, which will become the theme song of Mata sa Balota. The lyrics aptly reflect our society’s predilection for elections. I will cite a few lines here, including the chorus. Pre-chorus: Pero bakit ganun always happy pag eleksyon Mga tao kasi may kanya kanyang kontribusyon Para sa kandidatong may iba’t ibang posisyon At may mga pakulo, para iboto ng nasyon. (But why are we always happy during elections Because the people have their own contributions For their candidates in various positions And each with his own stunt, for the vote of the nation.) Verse 2: Heto na naman tayo, panahong puro pakulo Ng mga pulitikong nananabik sa pwesto Huwag kang magpadala sa malagintong salita Yaman ng bayan, huwag ng pabayaan. (Here we are again, times of gimmickry By politicians salivating for elective positions Don’t be fooled by their golden promises Wealth of the nation, be not forsaken.) Chorus: Heto na naman, eleksyon na naman Gumising at matauhan sa ating nakaraan Heto na naman, eleksyon na naman Ilagay mga mata sa balota, huwag sa pera Mata sa Balota… ‘Wag sa Pera. (Here we are again, it’s elections once again Wake up and learn from our past Here we are, it’s elections once again Train your eyes on the ballot, not on the money Eyes on the Ballot… Not on the money. One good line worth repeating is “Aking maipapayo, boto ninyo ay sagrado, isiping mabuti ibobotong kandidato. (My advice to you, your vote is sacred, think carefully who you will vote for.) Nice song. Relevant lyrics. May the voters took it to heart and put it through on election day. Enough of the old faces in politics. Choose newcomers for a change. Select your candidates meticulously and cast your votes as if your life, and your children’s lives, depend on it.
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n china From A5
China’s top anti-terror squad shifts the difficulty and complexity by setting traps so as to sharpen the “Red Army’s” combat skills. Wang usually goes online to collect information on foreign counterterrorism cases for discussion and analysis. They also look to military TV shows and movies for tactics and inspiration. In recent years, the Falcons’ selection process has become increasingly demanding. Only high-performing members of the armed police force who have done two full years of service are eligible for the entry examination. Successful candidates are admitted into the Special Police Academy of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Forces, the cradle of
special operations talent. After four years of both academic and military study, a further 6 percent of unqualified candidates are filtered out. Those who successfully make it through the final graduate examination are able to become formal members. The strict admission process explains why the Falcons have been able to repeatedly win major international competitions on behalf of China. The brigade has represented China’s Armed Police three times in world-class competitions, including Jordan’s Warrior Competition and The Sniper World Cup in Hungary, winning seven gold and five silver medals for the country. GLOBAL TIMES
Regions
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SATURDAY April 20, 2019
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‘Tariff law calls for seed subsidy’ T
BY ESTANISLAO ALBANO JR.
ABUK CITY, Kalinga: With the Rice Tariffication Law in place, the most immediate intervention measure that would cushion the impact of the law is to give local farmers seed subsidy, according to the city’s chief agriculturist. The law would result in subsequent lowering of rice prices, leaving local farmers no choice but to enhance productivity and find ways to reduce production cost to stay afloat, Julibert Aquino, head of the Office of the City Agricultural Services (OCAS), said. Aquino cited rice roadmap of the acknowledged rice granary of the Cordillera Region that was drawn up during a regional planning workshop on April 9 to 12 in line with the implementation of Republic Act 11203 or the “Rice Tariffication Law.” He hopes that at the onset of the
cropping season, farmers tending the city’s entire rice production area of 11,217 hectares would be given free seeds, 30 percent of which would be hybrid seeds under the law’s intervention program. Aquino recalled that during the Arroyo administration, the government promoted a shift to hybrid rice production. The move saw 45 percent of the city’s production area being planted to hybrid varieties. Based on OCAS data, Aquino said, the hybrid varieties produced at least 25 cavans more per hectare than the inbred ones (155 against 130).
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resurrection, he is “forever young, so his message will never become old.” Fasting is not required from the faithful, and the only Mass held is an Easter Vigil on Black Saturday During the evening Mass at the Manila Cathedral on Thursday, Tagle reminded young Christians that there was no shame in feeling vulnerable. “ Siguro may mga bahagi ng inyong pagkatao na kasaysayan na gusto niyong itago sa iba pati kay Hesus. ‘Wag. ‘Marumi ang aking paa, sugat-sugat ang aking budhi. Bako-bako ang aking nakaraan, makikita mo aking kasalanan.’ Nahihiya tayo kay Hesus (Perhaps, there are parts of you, your history that you want to keep from others, even from Jesus. Don’t. ‘My feet are dirty, my conscience have scratches, my past is rough, you are going to see my faults.’ We are ashamed of Jesus),” he said. According to the Manila archbishop, the world was filled with wounded people, and that they had been held captive by their wounds. “Young people, let Jesus wash your shame, sins, wounds because he, too, is wounded; let Jesus wash you because he knows how to wash away your faults,” Tagle said. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be ashamed. The world will judge you, but Jesus will wash you with his blood. That is how precious you are to him,” he added. Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples, which in Christian teachings, signified his humility and servanthood — a manifestation of how much the Good Shepherd loved his followers was by offering his body and blood to save them from sin and death, Tagle said. CATHERINE A. MODESTO
BLACK
God’s love, as well as pray to learn from and to appreciate our past experiences with the full trust that He takes care of us.” Two thousand years ago today, Jesus’ followers waited for his resurrection, outside his tomb. According to the Gospel, Jesus challenged deeply held beliefs through His ministry and miracles. He was framed, arrested, tortured and sentenced to die by authorities. “We believe He is God, and yet He embraced such fate,” Belen said. “Thus, Black Saturday is a day of reflection for us, who believe and profess that Jesus is Lord,” he added. The priest said a point for reflection for Christians was to realize how much they were loved by God, that he would endure all pain and suffering just for them to have access to eternal life. Another was that violence is never a solution, and that it only bred more violence, he added. “When it is quiet and seems gloomy, spend it reflecting on how we are going to respond to God’s love for us. This is time to be silent, to be with God and to speak through our prayers,” Santos said. “It is not a time for deep prayers and not the time for either swimming or sleeping or sightseeing,” Santos said. “Serve God and his people in Church, and share good deeds to family and friends,” he added. Black Saturday is the day before Jesus was resurrected. Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, archbishop of Manila, said in Jesus’
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Uphold reflection as we strive to uphold what is good and just,” he said. “Let the spirit of this commemoration inspire us to rekindle our commitment to serve our people, especially those who are most in need,” Duterte added. The President also expressed hope that “the virtues of faith, hope and charity will continue to drive all our effort in nationbuilding.” “With guidance from Christ’s sacrifice, let us work toward the attainment of our noble aspirations for the nation,” he said. Duterte will spend the Holy Week with his family in his hometown Davao City, according to his spokesman Salavdor Panelo. Malacañang has declared April 18 (Maundy Thursday) and April 19 (Good Friday) as regular holidays and April 20 (Black Saturday) as a special nonworking day. Panelo earlier said government agencies had been placed on heightened alert to ensure the safety and security of Filipinos traveling during the long holiday. “Public safety continues to be
our top priority. These include additional security deployments in different areas of convergence, such as bus terminals, airports, seaports, vital government and private installations, churches, malls and other public recreation areas,” he added, as he urged the public to cooperate with the government in the conduct of security checkpoints, as well as to comply with traffic rules. “We call on the public for their support through cooperation in the conduct of safety checks and security checkpoints, compliance with traffic regulations and continued maintenance of complete situational awareness of their surroundings,” Panelo said. Meanwhile, he expressed hope that the Lenten season would be used for reflection and renewal. “Let us also remember that Lent is a time for reflection. It is a genuine message of solidarity to everyone regardless of the differences in our affiliation or denomination,” the Palace official said. “May the life of sacrifice and humility that Jesus Christ had lived serve as an inspiration to us all so that we may continue to help each other especially in times of need and adversity,” he added. CATHERINE S. VALENTE
The highest yield of hybrid rice per hectare that was recorded by OCAS is 203 cavans, he noted. The OCAS’ target is to raise the yield per hectare to at least 170 cavans. But not all farmers in the city are convinced about the superiority of hybrid rice. Julius Torres, who is tilling a hectare in Barangay San Julian, said he harvested only 15 to 20 cavans more with hybrid rice. The output, he added, did not really make much difference because the variety needed more fertilizers and more chemicals because it was more susceptible to diseases than inbred varieties. Torres said hybrid rice required more irrigation water than inbred rice. On the other hand, Barnabas Barnigan, also of San Julian, said hybrid rice could surpass the yield of inbred varieties by at least 30 cavans. From 2010 to 2016 when the government practically abandoned rice hybridization, Barnigan was the only one among the 220 hy-
brid seed or F1 producers in Tabuk who stayed in business. He had a loyal following who snapped up all the produce of his 1.3 hectares, and there were times he had to refund advance payments because production could
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Temple in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. We, here in Poland, also remember the burning and destructions of our synagogues during WW2 (World War 2).” The rabbis went on to say, “These experiences have made us very sensitive and aware of the pain and horror of the destruction of any house of worship.” The rector of the Notre-Dame Cathedral has proposed building a small, temporary church on the
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were “broken hearted” over the damage inflicted by fire on the Notre-Dame Cathedral. In a letter sent on Thursday to Polish bishops, they said “We, as Jews, know what it means to see your house of worship burning. We still fast every year on the anniversary of the burning of the
not meet demand. While there were farmers who bought seeds from Barnigan, there were also those who availed themselves of seeds from private companies when the government stopped supporting hybridization.
Aquino believes that hybrid rice technology had already established a foothold in the city from which a new drive for hybridization could be jumpstarted and result in bountiful harvests for all farmers.
HARVEST TIME
In contrast to at least P18 per kilo farmgate price of palay (unmilled rice) in the last five cropping seasons, the initial price this season in Tabuk ranges from P14.50 to P15 per kilo. Observers attribute this to passage of the Rice Tariffication Law, saying the big players in the rice business are anticipating an influx of cheap imported rice in the coming months. PHOTO BY ESTANISLAO ALBANO JR.
plaza outside the monument so that the faithful could have a place of worship while the 12th century structure ravaged by fire is closed for restoration. Bishop Patrick Chauvet offered the idea of creating an “ephemeral” cathedral so people could pray and life could return to normal in the neighborhood. The Paris City Hall gave its approval of the idea on Thursday, but said it was “subject to technical
restraints.” A crypt containing vestiges dating from antiquity is located under the vast esplanade. There is also an underground parking lot. President Emmanuel Macron has said he wanted to see the cathedral fully restored in five years. Meanwhile, Chauvet told neighborhood business owners on Wednesday that he expected the Notre-Dame to remain closed in the next “five to six years.” AP
SATURDAY APRIL 20, 2019
Public Square
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Rebuilding hope from the ashes I
T has been nearly two years already since the Maute Group staged a major attack on the major institutions of Marawi City and left the once-beautiful Islamic city in ruins. The five-month siege has left an indelible mark in the city’s economy, architecture, and the psyche of its people. More than 350,000 individuals were displaced — 41 percent of the population. After a year, thousands of families have made their way back to their ruined homes, but there are still 237,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in tent cities. Those who returned fared a little better, having little to no livelihood to come back to. With the aim of providing an alternate livelihood source and to support the recovery of the affected families and the rehabilitation of their houses, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) inked a partnership with Republic Cement for Project “Marawi Tibayanihan: Rebuilding Homes for a Stronger Marawi”. “From our experience after several missions in Marawi City, we have developed a more responsive framework to guide our member companies and partner donors towards a more holistic and collective response, supportive of the needs of internally displaced people (IDPs) and local plans,” PBSP’s Executive Director Reynaldo Laguda, said. “There is an immense need that had to be filled and we are grateful for the flow of assistance and we are excited about Republic Cement shar-
ing the vision of rebuilding towards a stronger Marawi.” The goal is to form the Marawi Tibayanihan Crew — a group of skilled workers on carpentry, masonry, electrical wiring, welding, plumbing, and painting, among others. The workers will be trained further with the assistance of DTI and TESDA. At the end of the training, they would be self-reliant and could be tapped for construction services by the government, private sector, and other groups in the future. Similarly, the project would help strengthen the brotherhood among Maranaos by enabling other Maranaos to help their people after the siege. The project targets three communities: Barangays Raya Saduc and Bubonga, and Area 1 Transitional Community. Households from the two barangays (or 44 families) and 102 shelters will benefit from the recovery and rehabilitation assistance. Families who do not have the capacity to pay for labor and materials were the ones prioritized. Under the program, the Tibayanihan Crew will provide labor services to each beneficiary-family. Furthermore, each family will also benefit from a grant for the needed construction materials, after an assessment of the condition of their homes and the required repairs. “This is an important project for us. The development of Mindanao is in line with Republic Cement’s thrust in nation-building. As much as this project is about construct-
n A year after the Marawi siege in May 2018, PBSP went back to Marawi City’s ground zero during the last day of kambisita (Maranao word for “visiting”), where residents were allowed to visit their homes and other properties. Owners marked their properties with their names and contact details so that they will be notified if ever their properties need to be bulldozed to give way to road widening. ing stronger homes and buildings, it is also about strengthening the people’s hope that tomorrow can be better,” said Nabil Francis, Republic Cement Services, Inc. President. Upon conclusion of the project, the Marawi Tibayanihan Crew will be endorsed to the stakeholders, especially to government authorities: the barangay, the Marawi Local Government, Lanao del Sur Provincial Government, and Task Force Bangon Marawi, among others. “This is not just an investment in rebuilding Marawi’s infrastructure, it is also an extended hand to families in desperate need of hope to keep on facing another day. Rebuilding stronger homes is all about strengthening families, and in turn, building a stronger Republic,” shares Francis.
Project Marawi Tibayanihan is made possible through the initiative of PBSP, Republic Cement, and through the generous donations of Telstra; Alsons Development and Investment Corporation; Community Developers and Construction Corporation; Country Bankers Life Insurance Corporation, LRP Foundation, Inc.; Unilab, Inc.; Antonio Aboitiz; Ramon del Rosario Jr.; and Vivian Que-Azcona, to name a few. “May Marawi Tibayanihan be a testament to the good that the private sector could accomplish when different entities and corporations come together and work toward a common goal,” Laguda said. “We can accomplish bigger things when we all work together.”
Caltex Ka-Roadtrip eases busy Holy Week travel THIS Holy Week, Caltex, marketed by Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), prepared expected heavy influx of motorists. From April 17 to 21, families and barkadas braving the road to observe the Lenten season with families in the province and undertake Visita Iglesia or simply have that hotlyanticipated long-weekend vacation avail of free vehicle check-ups and emergency road assistance offered by the Caltex Ka-Roadtrip Motorists Assistance Program to help ensure passenger and driver safety. Motorists make the most of the exciting promos that await them when they fuel up at Caltex NLEX,
SLEX Southbound and NLEX Northbound. They can try their luck at the Liter Lottery promo wherein they have a chance to get a P10/liter fuel discount when the last digit of the plate number matches the last digit of the liter meter upon purchasing a full tank’s worth of fuel. The promo is available from 12 nn to 8 p.m. on Holy Wednesday (April 17), and 8a.m. to 5p.m. on Maundy Thursday (April 18) and Easter Sunday (April 21). Per DTI-FTEB Permit No. #5509, Series of 2019. The Toyota Motorist Assistance Program is ready to assist Toyota vehicle owners at Caltex SLEX
International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI). The arrival of the vessel, which has an overall length (LOA) of 218 meters and a cargo capacity of almost 38 tons, marked the start of Log-In’s fortnightly operations at the terminal. “This is a first step for the company, and we firmly believe that this will pave the way for new agreements with more operators to maximize our current installed capacity of 450,000 TEUs,” said Bruno Porchietto, TecPlata CEO. He added: “The terminal may also be expanded to twice its existing capacity to over 1 million TEUs.” Referring to the start of TecPla-
Southbound, SLEX Northbound and Rosario, La Union from April 18 to 21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. GMA is also rolling out its Bantay Biyahe on April 18 from 10a.m. to 3 p.m. at Caltex SLEX Southbound
and on April 21 from 5 p,m. to 10 p.m. at Caltex SLEX Northbound. Various other sponsors will have their booths to assist motorists. For more information, visit http://caltex.com/ph.
ta’s operations, he said: “This was a long-awaited milestone and, from hereon, our terminal will stand apart for its efficiency, competitiveness and transparency.” TecPlata, an investment of US$450 million, is the most modern port in Argentina equipped
with the latest infrastructure, equipment and computer systems in the industry. It is located only 60 kilometers from Buenos Aires, the country’s capital, and has a total area 41 hectares, 25 hectares of which have been allotted for containers.
Security Bank Foundation trains 301 Math and Science teachers SECURITY Bank Foundation, in partnership with the Ateneo Center for Educational Develo p m e n t ( AC E D ) , c o n d u c t e d a three-day teachers’ training focused on strategies and tools in teaching Mathematics and Science subjects in Quezon City, Cebu City and Davao City. The annual teachers’ training program was a major component of Security Bank Foundation’s “Build a School, Build a Nation: The Classrooms Project.” The training was attended by 301 elementary, junior high school and senior high school teachers from the foundation’s beneficiary schools nationwide. The training introduced different teaching strategies that will help the teachers engage the learners and encourage their active participation in class. Men-
n 301 Math and Science teachers across the Philippines participated in the three-day teachers’ training camp for teaching Mathematics and Science subjects. The training program is part of Security Bank Foundation’s “Build a School, Build a Nation Project” tors from ACED shared various teaching approaches like drawing on past experiences and existing knowledge to discover new things and asking questions to enrich inquisitiveness. The training emphasized the need to make learning collaborative, fun and interactive. Mentors introduced digital learning applications that teachers can customize to test students on their understanding of the lessons
THE Quezon City Government will extend financial assistance to 201 families affected by the site clearing for the construction of the PNP (Philippine National Police) Medical Plaza and other facilities in Camp Panopio in Barangay Kaunlaran. In response to a request for financial assistance by the Enlisted Men’s Barrio Panopio Compound Neighborhood Association, Inc (EMBPCNAI), the City Council passed City Resolution 7708-2019, introduced by Councilor Irene R. Belmonte, allotting 2.01 million pesos or 10,000 pesos for each family to provide them with something
to start with at the resettlement site. The council also passed Resolution 7716-2019 authorizing Mayor Herbert M. Bautista to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with Antipolo City, National Housing Authority and the PNP for the relocation of the affected families in Virgen Dela Paz, Barangay San Jose in Antipolo City. Quezon City will provide a 10 million peso financial assistance fund to Antipolo City for the basic services it will render the families who will be relocated, as mandated under the Resettlement Program of the national government.
Gov Imee Marcos urges PRRD for the immediate creation of a Department of OFW ILOCOS Norte Gov. Imee Marcos is urging President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent the immediate establishment of a department that will focus solely on the needs and concerns of more than 2.3 million overseas Filipino workers, pointing out that it is one of the President’s most significant campaign promises. “The President has to be supported by concerned Cabinet members in fleshing out the mandate of such proposed department which should include all services needed by overseas Filipinos,” she said. “Given the huge number of OFWs and the amount of money they contribute to our economy primarily through their remittances, the incoming Congress must make this a priority legislative agenda.” Marcos is also preparing a proposal for the establishment of an OFW savings and loan association such as the AFPSLAI, Inc. that will be provided with a grant by the government to be used as a seed fund and mandated to provide financial, investment and
credit assistance to OFWs. “The OFWs can maintain savings, invest and be provided with housing and other forms of loans to enable them to establish income generating small enterprises, among others. This way, OFWs are ensured that their hard earned savings are safeguarded and put to good use as a source of continuing livelihood for their families,” Marcos explained. OFW remittances hit an all-time high last year at $32.21 billion despite a decrease in money transfers sent from the Middle East, partly due to a continued repatriation program. The Central Bank said personal remittances were a major driver of domestic consumption, accounting for 9.7 percent of gross domestic product in 2018. During his various trips abroad, the President has consistently assured OFWs that a department for Migrant Filipino workers is already in the pipeline even as he admitted that the ball is with Congress and not with the executive department.
dusitD2 Davao delightfully opens doors
ICTSI Argentina launches operations TECPLATA, the most modern container terminal in Argentina, officially opens TecPlata, the new container terminal located in Argentina’s Puerto de La Plata, recently began operations, with an opening ceremony that was attended by the vice governor of the province of Buenos Aires, the Minister of Production and several other national, provincial and municipal officials. The opening rites were highlighted by the arrival of Jacarandá, a vessel of Log-In, a Brazilian shipping line specializing in door-to-door logistics solutions which recently signed an agreement with TecPlata, a subsidiary of Philippine-based port operator
QC to grant 2M aid to families affected by site clearing in Kaunlaran
through gameplay. They also provided online resources where teachers can download videos and other visual materials for presentation in class. Teachers were asked to do Science experiments to highlight the importance of hands-on activities in sparking students’ interest, curiosity and critical thinking. Visualization was introduced as a tool in teaching Mathematics where students see first the concept before
solving mathematical abstracts. The training was filled with simulations of different kinds of group activities that encourage creativity, collaboration and communication among students. The teachers also attended a financial wellness learning session conducted by Elsa De Gracia Security Bank Wellness Coach, where they learned about managing their finances and growing their funds through investments.
POISED to redefine standards of upscale hotel living in the city, dusitD2 Davao is finally set to open doors on a limited basis to discerning local and international guests. This move is held in anticipation of the hotel’s grand opening, scheduled towards the end of this year. Envisioned to be an iconic landmark of Thai graciousness and Filipino hospitality, the hotel is set to deliver premium accommodations, contemporary facilities and amenities, as well as fresh dining destinations – all in the new emerging business district of Lanang, Davao. Birthed from a strong partnership between the industry-leading group Dusit Hotels & Resorts and specialist developer Torre Lorenzo Development Corporation (TLDC), the cosmopolitan hotel is an engaging and relaxing setting for both business and leisure travelers – built most especially for those who wish to unearth more of
what the famous city has to offer. Fashioned by renowned Philippine Architect Manny Samson of Emesaé Design to allude to “the vibrancy of life” — dusitD2 Davao carefully presents understated and elegant details that make one feel right at home. Recognizing the cultural richness of the region, the hotel also firmly embraces and takes real inspiration from the indigenous peoples of Davao. Starting this April, dusitD2 Davao’s guests will be able to choose from wellappointed deluxe guest rooms, suites, and the Dusit Club Room, and will be able to savor delicious specialties in the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant Madayaw Café. For more information, visit https:// www.dusit.com/dusitd2/
City of Dreams Manila offers dream summer staycation packages CITY of Dreams Manila is the place to be this summer with a variety of dream staycation packages complete with entertainment and gustatory offerings for families and friends looking for the ultimate escapade. Nüwa Manila, recognized with a Five-Star by Forbes Travel Guide in 2018 and 2019 which also named it one of the World’s Most Luxurious Hotels; and Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star awardee Nobu Hotel Manila, are both offering “Your Dream Entertainment”. The package includes an overnight stay with unparalleled entertainment and dining perks: 25 percent discount at City of Dreams Manila-operated restaurants and a choice of one of the three attraction ticket bundles: four Dreamplay tickets or six VR Zone tickets, or two Dreamplay tickets and three VR Zone tickets. For the Lenten season, Nobu Manila also highlights its “Easter Break” package, which comes with an option between an overnight accommodation or a two-night stay. The package includes a choice between two Dreamplay “Easter
Eggstravaganza” tickets on Easter Sunday, or three Dreamplay tickets and four VR Zone tickets which can be used during the guests’ stay dates; a special turndown amenity; 25 percent discount at City of Dreams Manila-operated restaurants, and 20 percent discount on select services at Nobu Spa. In celebration of Mother’s Day, family members can treat moms to Nobu Manila’s “Mom’s Dream Celebration” overnight stay package with Php 5,000 dining credits and 25 percent discount on food and beverages in excess of the dining credits in City of Dreams Manilaoperated restaurants, and a special turndown amenity. For more information, visit www. cityofdreamsmanila.com.
SATURDAY APRIL 20, 2019 A S I A N S TO C K S: s
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‘Aces’ could lead to ratings upgrade S BY MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO
TRUCTURAL inflows could shield the Philippine economy from the negative impact of a trade war and drive the country’s credit ratings higher, an ING Bank Manila economist said. “Given the dynamics akin to the Philippines, with aces in the form of steady OF (overseas Filipinos) remittances and BPO (business process outsourcing) receipts, the Philippines remains more insulated than regional peers even in light of the possible trade war,” ING
Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa said in a report released earlier this week. Mapa noted that remittance flows remained healthy, having hit P2.557 billion in February and bringing the year-to-date tally to $5.302 billion — 2.3 percent higher than
the $5.182 billion registered in the comparable 2017 period. “The steady stream of dollars help fund peso purchasing power, almost assuring that household consumption continues, while also augmenting the sustained struggles of the export sector,” he added. The ING economist also highlighted the rapid expansion of the BPO industry, which “has delivered yet another ace up the Philippine external sleeve” given receipts totaling $10.4 billion in 2018, 21 percent higher than the year before. By virtue of the remittances and BPO receipts boon, the Philippines
can expect to always receive as much as $2.58 billion a month, Mapa claimed. This will also build up the country’s gross international reserves (GIR), which the Philippines can utilize in times of distress to stabilize excessive demand for the dollar. “The Philippines boasts a steady stream of FX (foreign exchange) flows and a healthy stockpile of reserves to boot, two things that not too many of our neighbors enjoy as well,” he added. Mapa also stressed that the entire external dynamic of the Philippines indicated that it had
more than enough dollar reserves. “A cursory look at GIR tells shows the very crude and dated measure of import cover is currently at 7.3 months, which tells us that the Philippines can last up to 7 months still importing the same amount of goods should we not benefit from single cent worth of inflows,” he said. Citing the latest GIR reading of $83.2 billion, Mapa pointed out that 138 months would have to pass before the Philippines completely runs out of reserves, “proving that GIR levels are more than enough to ensure stability.” Given the strong external posi-
Use EoDB law, Finance exec urges
PSE chief: Short-selling to be launched this year THE Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) remains on track to formally introduce short-selling within the year. In a chance interview with The Manila Times, PSE President Ramon Monzon said the bourse was only waiting for a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approval before it launches the initiative. “We are just waiting for the approval of the SEC of the application of PDTC (Philippine Depositary and Trust Corp.) to be the central lending unit for equities,” Monzon said. The bourse originally planned to launch short-selling late last year but deferred it to the first quarter of 2019.
Proposed rules that included provisions on eligible securities and transaction procedures, among others, were approved by the SEC in July 2018 but the PSE released amended guidelines in January 2019, primarily on the prohibition of short-selling orders during the stock market’s pre-open and pre-close. Short selling will allow investors to hedge risks by borrowing shares from a lender and sell these, betting on a price drop to make profits. It is expected to inject more liquidity into the market. ANGELICA BALLESTEROS
Chinese brands lift smartphone market THE local smartphone market received a boost from Chinese brands in 2018, an industry analysis firm said, growing by 4 percent year-on-year. While the market witnessed a “slow start” in the first three months of 2018, good figures were still recorded for the rest of the year, Asia-based Counterpoint said in a recent report citing its Model Sales Tracker service. While Korea-based Samsung and homegrown Cherry Mobile secured first and second spot with both recording 19-percent market shares in smartphone shipments, the firms saw a slight decrease of 2 to 3 percent last year. Counterpoint associate director Tarun Pathak said Chinese smartphone manufacturers such as Huawei, Vivo, and OPPO realized substantial growth last year amid efforts to bolster brand awareness. In terms of smartphone shipments,
A
S I write this during the evening rush hour of April 17, a Wednesday, my thoughts are with the many Metro Manila commuters struggling to reach home at a decent hour. Buses and jeepneys are filled to the brim with passengers. Because there is no spare public transport capacity during rush hour, commuters on the street have no idea when they can get on the next bus or jeepney—it could take 20 minutes or 120 minutes. Very stressful for anyone waiting for a ride. What they know for sure is that they have to compete with thousands like themselves for few remaining spaces on crowded buses—not even sitting space, but space along the aisle of the bus with the 20 or so other passengers willing to stand most of the way, just to get home sooner. Commuters are also walking along EDSA by the thousands—not on the sidewalk, but on the roadway, mixing with the buses and motorcycles—hoping to get on the next bus. Some are walking simply because they have exhausted all other transportation options. Passing by a mall, I notice monstrous queues for UV Express vans--so long and winding the lines of people spill out into the road. For anyone joining these lines, the wait in the
OPPO had 15 percent of the market last year, up from 2017’s 12 percent, while Vivo secured a 12-percent share compared to 2017’s 8 percent and Huawei got 11 percent, significantly higher than the 2 percent a year earlier. “Aggressive marketing, association with celebrities and retail merchandising has helped them gain a foothold in the market,” he was quoted as saying. Counterpoint senior analyst Hanish Bhatia said Filipinos could see heightened competition in the entry-level and budget category this year with Chinese brands targeting these segments. “The market moved towards higher price bands in 2018 as first-time smartphone users upgraded. Easy financing options are also enabling Filipinos to purchase smartphones in a higher price range,” Bhatia also said. LISBET K. ESMAEL
GONE PUBLIC
Traders work after the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) while the logo for Pinterest Inc. is pictured on the screens during the company’s IPO on April 18, 2019 in New York City. AFP PHOTO
Lower coco oil exports expected THE country’s coconut oil (CNO) exports are expected to fall by 5 percent to 950,000 metric tons (MT) this year due to a predicted decline in copra production and oversupply of global palm oil, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. In the Global Agricultural Information Network (Gain) report made by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in Manila, the USDA said the forecast was lower than the 1 million MT recorded last year. “CNO exports in marketing year (MY) 19/20 are anticipated to decline 50,000 tons from the previous market year to 0.95 million tons, as copra crush decreases due to the decline in copra production,” the report said. The USDA said local production
of CNO would decline by nearly 3 percent or 50,000 to 1.66 million MT in 2019 from last year’s 1.71 million MT “as coconut trees experience a downward cyclical period.” As a result, ending stocks of CNO will remain flat at 197,000 MT in 2019. The majority of CNO stocks are with private processors and traders. “Overall domestic CNO consumption, however, is expected to increase 50,000 tons from the previous market year to 710,000 tons through MY 19/20 due to subdued CNO prices as a result of a global vegetable oil glut,” the USDA said. CNO food use consumption is expected to be flat at 710,000 this year, the report said. “This coincides with the expected
further softening of palm oil prices as a result of a recent European Union (EU) ruling. The narrowing price differential resulted in increased CNO competitiveness,” it added. The USDA said the price premium of CNO over palm oil dropped 55 percent to $396 per ton last year from $888 per ton in 2017. It added that the oversupply of oil in the international market also led to the plummeting of domestic copra prices which fell to as low as P15 per kilo from over P40 per kilo in the past years. Considered the country’s top agricultural export, coconut oil is used as raw material in making margarine, shortening, milk fat substitutes, biscuits and crackers. EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ
Are we this heartless? queue is easily more than an hour. Already, many commuters are accustomed to more than three hours of travel time to get from door-to-door, each way. Part of the travel time is waiting to catch their ride; the rest of the time is spent in slow moving traffic. Tonight, many of them will need an additional 2 to 3 hours to get home. MRT3, which normally moves 300,000 passengers daily, was offline this week. In anticipation, the Department of Transportation arranged special permits for 300 buses to handle the MRT3 route from 5 am to 9 pm. It helped a little, but obviously wasn’t enough. When hundreds of thousands of commuters in Metro Manila take more than three hours to get home, it is an emergency, a catastrophe. In other countries, alarm bells will be sounding; a disaster response team will be in place, working out special measures to address the crisis—sending out even government trucks and vans to “rescue” stranded passengers. Leaders will not allow this suffering to continue for another day. But in Metro Manila? Just a regular day in the life of the “resilient” Filipino. Are we this heartless? What ever happened to “malasakit”?
tion of the Philippines even in light of the possible global slowdown, he said the Philippines could look forward to a possible ratings upgrade as economic growth remained relatively robust. “If the government can help support the growth momentum and at the same time ensure the infrastructure build-up continues, we can expect ratings agencies to take notice sooner rather than later,” he added. The Philippines currently enjoys investment-grade credit ratings from Moody’s Investors Service, S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings.
MOBILITY MATTERS
ROBERT SIY Our officials need to recognize that there is a severe shortage of public transportation. Ask any person who relies on trains, buses, jeepneys or UV Express. Commuters are waking up earlier and earlier to ensure they can get to work or school on time. We only have to look at the long queues and crowded bus stops during rush hour to realize we need to increase the supply of public transport as fast as we can. Here is one measure that could be delivered almost immediately. Currently, public transport is subject to the same plate number-based restrictions on private car use. Depending on the last number on the vehicle plate, public transport vehicles are prohibited from operating in Metro Manila during one day of the work week. Given the visible shortage of public transport services, it makes no sense for MMDA to reduce the supply of public transport through number-coding restrictions.
By subjecting public transport vehicles to number-coding, MMDA is basically saying public transport should be reduced to give more road space to private motor vehicles used by the small minority in our city. It is a sad fact that Metro Manila is the only city in the world that has this kind of restriction on public transport. Less than 10 percent of Filipino households in Metro Manila own cars, yet private cars dominate our congested road space. And the dominance of private cars affects Metro Manila traffic management—public transport users are disadvantaged so that more privileged car users can enjoy faster travel. Progressive cities all over the world are doing all they can to retain use of public transport and to get car users to shift to public transport to ease traffic congestion. Ironically, in Metro Manila, we have policies that discourage people from using public transport and push them instead to choose private cars and motorcycles, exacerbating our severe traffic situation. But policies can be revised. By exempting all road-based public transport from number-coding, we immediately increase the supply
of public transport by 25 percent. This would deliver a huge improvement for commuters without any significant cost on the part of the government. Many commuters will catch their rides sooner, have shorter queues, and get home earlier, meaningful benefits without the need for investment. By lifting the number-coding restriction of buses, jeepneys and UV Express, we would be adding more vehicles into already congested roads. Public transport vehicles with high occupancy are the kinds of vehicles you want to have on your streets rather than private cars with only one or two occupants. I would argue that lifting the number-coding restriction on public transport vehicles is the biggest single contribution MMDA could make towards giving Metro Manilans a more comfortable life within this administration, as President Duterte has promised. And it can happen tomorrow.
Robert Y. Siy is a development economist, city and regional planner, and public transport advocate. He can be reached at mobilitymatters.ph@ yahoo.com or followed on Twitter @RobertRsiy
THE Finance department is encouraging the filing of complaints against government agencies that fail to comply with transaction deadlines under the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Law. “We have an EoDB law which punishes those who sit on application licenses for transactions with government. You could just file a complaint with Malacañang,” Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said told reporters in a seminar in Baguio last week. Under the law, simple business transactions should be completed within 3 working days, 7 for complex transactions and 20 for highly technical applications. Transactions that a government agency did not classify according to the ease of doing business law should be processed within three working days and be treated as simple transaction. Those failing to comply will be penalized. “Here comes a letter coming from Malacañang telling you why you failed to process this application within [prescribed period],” Beltran said. First offenders will be administratively liable and face a six-month suspension. Second offenses will add a criminal component with penalties of at least P500,000 but not more than P2 million, prison terms of up to 6 years, and dismissal from service, among others. The EoDB law, which aims to simplify government and business transaction, was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in May last year and took effect in June 2018. Its implementing rules and regulations (IRR), however, have yet to be signed as these require the approval of a yet-to-be-appointed Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) director. Acting ARTA head Ernesto Perez has said that he is seeking Palace approval to sign the IRR for full implementation. TYRONE C. PIAD
MONEY TALKS MELVIN ESTEBAN Due to space constraints, “Money Talks” will instead be published on next week.
Green Industries Earth Day aims to end Benefit-sharing in forest species extinction communities under study B2
SATURDAY April 20, 2019
BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
T
HE Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) said a study was underway to document existing benefit-sharing mechanisms of Philippine community-based forest management (CBFM).
According to Searca, the research project would look into how CBFM-people’s organizations (CBFM-POs) manage the distribution of benefits as influenced by community characteristics and social structures, among others. Searca said there were nine CBFM-POs being documented by the project, including the Tao Kalikasan Foundation of the Philippines in Labo town in Camarines Norte, LBN Multipurpose Cooperative in Vintar town in Ilocos Norte, and the Caunayan Multipurpose Cooperative in Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte. The project is also documenting
the Nalundan United Farmers Association Inc. in Bindoy town in Negros Oriental and the Katilingban sang Pumuluyo nga naga-Atipansang Watershed sa Maasin in Maasin town in Iloilo, both in the Visayas. The rest are in Mindanao, including San Isidro Upland Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative in Santiago town in Agusan del Norte, Limatong Dalumangkom Bual Farmers Multipurpose Association in Pigcawayan town in North Cotabato, Malakiba People’s Improvement Multipurpose Cooperative in Davao City and Imbayao Community-based Forest Man-
˜ The Manila Times
EDITOR: Conrad M. Cariño
agement People’s Organization in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. Administered by Searca, the project is financed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Working Group on Social Forestry Strategic Response Fund (ASRF), which is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The Philippine government adopted CBFM as the national strategy to achieve sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation and social equity. CBFM’s key component in the design and implementation is the provision of socioeconomic benefits to community members such as employment, dividends from project profits, capacity building and strengthening of social networks. Searca said the project, which is implemented by the Forest Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), examines the relationship among local government institutions, communities and CBFM programs on benefit-sharing mechanisms.
The research project is expected to develop policy recommendations consisting of a menu of benefit-sharing mechanisms that CBFM-POs may adopt, and serve as a guide for DENR Field Office personnel to effectively assist CBFM-POs. Searca said a technical working group had been created for the project and the documentation tools developed. Field documentation was already conducted in the two Visayas sites and the Davao City site. According to Searca, the results of the field documentation would be packaged into a set of policy recommendations through a series of consultation meetings and workshops. The output of the Searca-ASRF project would be presented in a national workshop to further draw inputs and recommendations from CBFM-POs regional representatives regional CBFM coordinators and other CBFM stakeholders or practitioners such as civil society organizations, nongovernmental organizations and the academe, among others, Searca said.
MAJOR SEIZURE
Armed with a search warrant and after months of close surveillance, authorities in Sagay City, Negros Occidental seized about 1.5 tons of threatened giant clams or Manlot in Barangay Molocaboc. The 127 pieces of fossilized Tridacna gigas, the largest shell in the Philippines, were confiscated from three men who were reported by a local resident as hoarding the clams in their residence since February this year, according to a release from Sagay City Information Office. PIA PHOTO
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THE Earth Day Network (EDN) has identified 2019 as a crucial year to protect species from extinction. Working in partnership with thousands of organizations, EDN’s global campaign seeks to advance policies and international agreements for species protection. According to the network, the world was facing the greatest rate of extinction since it lost dinosaurs over 60 million years ago. Unfortunately, this rapid loss is now caused by human activities, including deforestation, pollution, hunting and unsustainable agriculture. Over the past decades, the planet has experienced vast environmental degradation. Studies estimate that the earth is losing plant and wildlife species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the normal rate. Insect populations have dropped more than 45 percent worldwide, while 40 percent of the world’s bird species continue to decline. In the Philippines, for instance, environmental organization Haribon Foundation estimated over 10 fish species that were in danger of being lost forever in the next 20 years from overfishing and illegal fishing. This list includes the staple talakitok and maya-maya. “The variety of life in the ecosystem or biodiversity is crucial to our survival and resilience as communities. Yet despite its fundamental importance, the world’s biodiversity is being lost faster than ever,” Haribon said. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List identified various plant and animal species that are at different risk levels in the country. For example, the pili nut, which can only be found in the Philippines has been considered “vulnerable,” which means it is facing high risk of extinction in the wild. The tawilis, which is the only freshwater sardine in the world, has been recently on the headlines after reports of its steady population decline. It is now considered “endangered” by IUCN from overfishing, illegal fishing and water quality deterioration. The pilandok or the Balabac mouse deer, which may only be spotted in Palawan, has been categorized as “endangered,” as it faces threats such as poaching, hunting and habitat destruction. Finally, the Philippine eagle and the Dulungan or Rufous-headed hornbill continue to be classified as “critically endangered” facing extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. “The good news is that the rate of extinctions can still be slowed, and many of our declining,
threatened and endangered species can still recover if we work together now to build a united global movement of consumers, voters, educators, faith leaders and scientists to demand immediate action,”said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. According to Haribon, restoring and protecting the homes of species are tantamount to ensuring their survival. Habitat restoration such as planting native trees like narra, kamagong, talisay and antipolo not only ensures there is home for our biodiversity, it also builds greater stability against climate change effects. Enforcing strong legislation for protected areas and critical habitats are key to protecting species at risk and the habitats we share together. The Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) envisions that “by 2025, biodiversity is restored and rehabilitated, valued, effectively managed, secured, maintaining ecosystem services to sustain healthy, resilient Filipino communities and delivering benefits to all.”
Join Earth Day 2019 The annual Philippine Earth Day Celebration, through the Earth Day Network Philippines (EDNP) coalition in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), will be held on April 28, 2019 in Obando, Bulacan. Last year, the local Earth Day event was conducted in the Harbour Square, Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex with theme geared towards ending plastic pollution. This year’s campaign focuses on raising awareness on the state of the country’s biodiversity and the important link between species and habitat protection. The main activity will commence with a volunteer-led coastal cleanup drive in one of the island barangay (villages) of Obando. This will be followed by a simultaneous bike tour around the town area and a yoga session by Iskcon. The Sandiwang Festival, or the “Isang Diwa sa Pagdiriwang ng Kalikasan,” will also he held, allowing various religious groups to express their faith and aspirations for the environment. Different groups will also get to showcase their environmental cause through an advocacy fair. Finally, a commitment signing will be held in support of transforming a barangay of Obando into a zero-waste community. For more information on this event, e-mail earthdaynetworkphilippines@ gmail.com or send a Facebook message to @earthdayphilippines.
On Earth Day, let us examine what drives environmental change O
N Monday, April 22, we will celebrate Earth Day. In the Philippines, we marked our commitment for a sustainable planet when President Corazon Aquino signed Proclamation 553 in April 1990 in support of Earth Day. Eighteen years after, in April 2008, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Proclamation 1481 declaring April 22 of every year as “Philippine Earth Day to raise the level of awareness on the gravity of environmental degradation and destruction in the country that threatens the quality of life of many Filipinos.” Subsequently, Arroyo signed Proclamation 1482 declaring the month of April as the Philippines’ Earth Month. Over a month ago, I wrote a two-series column titled “Let’s TEEUP” where I shared my thoughts on these drivers — technology, environment, economy, urbanization and partnership — that comprised my presentation for the Foresight Forum 2019 held recently at Northwestern Visayan Colleges in Kalibo, Aklan.
Global environment outlook
Recently, I got hold of a report titled “Global Environment Outlook” (GEO), which “is the result of a consultative and participatory process to prepare an independent assessment of the state of the environment, the effectiveness of the policy in addressing environmental challenges and the possible pathways to achieving various internationally agreed environmental goals.” It is also “a series of studies that inform environmental decision-making for governments
and other stakeholders.” The first GEO was adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in 1997. The state-of-the-environment assessment report is aptly called the “Sixth Global Environment Outlook” (GEO-6). With the theme “Healthy Planet, Healthy People,” the report “aims to provide a sound, evidence-based source of environmental information to help policymakers and all of society to achieve the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” The report is a result of assessing the latest scientific information and data, analyzing current and past environmental policies and identifying future options to achieve sustainable development by 2050. In its Summary for Policymakers, GEO-6 enumerated the five drivers of environmental change: technology, development (economy), climate change (environment), urbanization and population. Technology: In my column titled “Let’s TEE-UP” published on March 9, I wrote: “[T]echnology plays a pivotal role in consumer decision-making and the ability of manufacturers and retailers to meet the needs of today’s consumer especially with the presence of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, drones, Internet of Things, robots and 3D printing and the like.” However, according to GEO-6, “the growth in technological innovation since the 1990s has been unprecedented, both globally and
ALL ABOUT CHOICES LUDWIG O. FEDERIGAN historically, bringing many benefits to people’s lives, but has also had some negative consequences. Some technological and social innovations can reduce the environmental pressures associated with unsustainable consumption and production. Enhancing access to existing environmental technologies that are adapted to domestic circumstances could help countries to achieve environmental objectives more quickly.” Economic Development: While it is established that economic development has lifted billions of people out of poverty and enhanced access to health and education in most regions of the world, however, the “grow now, clean up later” economic approach contributed to increasing inequality within and between countries, and will ultimately be more costly in the long run. It will not be able to sustainably support 10 billion healthy, fulfilled and productive people in 2050 without profound and urgent changes in consumption and production patterns. Euromonitor International predicts that emerging and developing countries will account for two-thirds of global economy in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030. The Philippines, according to an Oxford Economics study, is set to have the highest increase in its labor force of any of the top 10 which, alongside its GDP growth of 5.3 percent, means it will be one of the world’s fastest growing economies sooner
rather than later. It is ranked as the second fastest growing emerging market economy in the next decade, next only to India. Climate change: GEO-6 clearly stated that climate change is a priority issue affecting both human systems, including human health and natural systems — air, biological diversity, freshwater, oceans and land — and alters the complex interactions between those systems. Moreover, it said: “[H]istorical and ongoing greenhouse gas emissions have committed the world to an extended period of climate change, which is leading to global warming of air and ocean; rising sea-levels; melting glaciers, permafrost and Arctic sea ice; changes in carbon, biogeochemical and global water cycles; food security crises; fresh water scarcity; and more frequent and extreme weather events. Higher atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide also lead to ocean acidification and affect the composition, structure and functionality of ecosystems. Time is running out to prevent irreversible and dangerous impacts of climate change. Unless greenhouse gas emissions are radically reduced, the world is on course to exceed the temperature threshold set out in the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.” That makes climate change a global driver of environmental, social, health and economic impact and heightened society-wide risks. Society-wide risks associated with environmental degradation and climate change effects are generally more profound for people in a disadvantaged situation, particularly women and children in developing countries. Many of
the impacts outlined above are serious or irreversible and may lead to loss of livelihood, increased morbidity and mortality, and economic slowdown, and have greater potential for violent conflict, human mass migration and decreasing social resilience. Measures for more effective adaptation are now urgently required, especially for populations and regions that are in a vulnerable situation. Urbanization: As defined by Encyclopedia Britannica, urbanization is “the process by which large numbers of people become permanently concentrated in relatively small areas, forming cities. A city changes from time to time and place to place, but it is most usual to explain the term as a matter of demographics.” “Urbanization is happening at an unprecedented rate globally and cities have become the foremost drivers of economic development across the world,” explained GEO-6. More people, especially in emerging and developing economies, are living in cities and towns, and the world’s urban population is expected to rise to 66 percent by 2050. Manila (referring to Metro Manila), according to the Euromonitor International study titled “Megacities: Developing Country Domination,” published in 2018, is considered to be 1 of the 33 megacities in the world. While megacities offer wealth, social diversity, economic growth and innovation, as well as attract the ambitious in search of jobs, business ventures, and education, it presents numerous challenges as they suffer from overcrowding, traffic congestion, air pollution and high-income inequality. Cities in developing countries
that are urbanizing most rapidly are in a more vulnerable situation. Sustainable urbanization can represent an opportunity to increase citizens’ well-being while decreasing their environmental impact. Lower-impact urban lifestyles can be facilitated by improved governance, infrastructure, services and sustainable land-use planning and technological opportunities. Population: The global population in 2018 is about 7.5 billion. According to the “2018 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects,” produced by the Population Division of the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, by 2050, around 2.5 billion people could be added by the middle of the century from both demographic shifts and overall population growth. GEO-6 assessed that increases in life expectancy and reductions in infant and other mortality mean that population growth rates will continue to remain positive in all regions except in Europe and certain parts of Asia. Furthermore, unequal access to education and lack of empowerment of women, as well as their lack of access to sexual and reproductive health services, contribute to high birth rates. GEO6 report believes that without changes in production and consumption patterns, population growth will continue to increase environmental pressures. These drivers are complex, intertwined and spread disproportionately and widely across the world. These are megatrends, developing at speeds with which government responses at all levels — from local to regional to global — are thus far insufficient to keep pace.
Classified Ads
ISABELA II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Government Center, Alibagu, City of Ilagan, Isabela Telefax No. (078) 323-0013 / 323-0144 Iselco2_pbac@yahoo.com
Invitation to Submit Proposal for the Supply of Power to Isabela II Electric Cooperative ISELCO II is one of the two electric cooperatives providing electric service to the province of Isabela. The province is situated at the heart of the Cagayan Valley on the northeastern part of the main island of Luzon. Its fertile plains and valleys are bounded by two mountain ranges, namely, the Sierra Madre Mountain range on the east and the Cordillera on the west. Isabela experiences moderate rainfall which is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year making it an ideal rice granary. ISELCO II occupies the northern half of the province of Isabela three of the 22 municipalities covered are coastal towns isolated by the Sierra Madre Mountain ranges, a total of 509 barangays. The municipalities are Tumauini, Cabagan, San Pablo, Sta. Maria, Delfin Albano, Sto. Tomas, Gamu, Naguilian, Benito Soliven, San Mariano, Burgos, Roxas, San Manuel, Aurora, Quirino, Mallig, Quezon and City of Ilagan. ISELCO II is in need the supply of electricity for its peaking requirements to meet the demand of its customers. ISELCO II, through its Third-Party Bids and Awards Committee (“TPBAC”), is inviting proposals with the following (“Bid”):
2 3
Required Contract Capacity Technology Type of Contract
4
Term of Contract
5
Commercial Operation Date
1
Supply of 5 Mega-Watts No Minimum Energy Off-Take Renewable Energy Source Day time peaking The PSA shall take effect for a period of 15 years commencing on the first day of the Commercial Operation Date, unless earlier terminated in accordance with the provision of the PSA. May 2021 and subject to ERC Approval
Price for Generation must be broken down into Fixed Capacity Fee, Fixed 6 Tariff Structure and Variable O&M, and Fuel fee (if any), Base Fee Adjustment Formula (if any). 7 Currency for the Offer Price offer should be in Philippine Peso The Bidder shall Submit Details and 8 Plant Capacity Technical Specification ISELCO II shall require technical specifications of the power plant for 9 Technical Specifications the safe and reliable operation of its distribution network. Supplier should provide design of take-off structure from power plant to 10 Take-off Structure distribution line with specified protection equipment. For the account and responsibility of the Supplier, which should specify the tapping scheme. The power plant should be embedded within ISELCO Tapping Point Substation/ 11 II’s distribution system, and the supplier Metering Substation should indicate the voltage level of tapping point. Its metering facilities should be WESM compliant and located at the receiving substation of ISELCO II. Shall not exceed 720 hours total for scheduled and unscheduled outages per year. Any unutilized allowed scheduled and unscheduled outage allowances within a calendar year will not be accumulated for use during the succeeding years of the cooperation period, likewise if unutilized allocated unscheduled outages cannot be credited to scheduled outages and vice Plant Outage Allowance & versa. 12 Replacement Power Replacement power rate should be equal or lower than the ERC approved tariff. Replacement power shall be the main obligation of the supplier. But in the event of failure by the supplier to provide the contracted capacity, the EC shall be allowed to source the replacement power at the expense of the supplier Two (2) years of experience of the supplier employing the same technology; Must have proof of funding availability or support from funders; 13 Eligibility Requirements
14
Other Terms and Conditions
Certificate of Good performance / track record with other customers is required; Technical capability/qualification of technical staff and organizational structure shall be required; and Power supplier that owns and/or operates existing and operational power plants; and power supplier with available capacity by May 2021. Possession of the property where the power plant is constructed but in known case the lease period should not be less than the contract period. Permits and Compliances: All permits, and compliances secured such as DOE Service Contract.
Interested Bidders may obtain Bid Documents from ISELCO II Main Office with non-refundable bid documents fee of Php.100,000.00. Official receipts of payment must be presented during the Pre-Bid Conference. Only those who purchased the bidding documents shall be allowed to participate in the Pre-Bid Conference and raise submit written queries or clarifications. The TPBAC reserves the right to declare a failed bidding in the event less than two (2) Prospective Bidders comply. Further, the TPBAC reserves the right to (i) waive the submission of any requirement considering the credit standing and the established capability of a bidder; (ii) reject a proposal or not proceed with an award that is reasonably determined not to redound to the benefit of the consumers of ISELCO II; and (iv) cancel the bidding process at any time without liability to the TPBAC and ISELCO II. The Schedule of TPBAC activities is as follows: Release of Invitation to Bid (Publication) Issuance or Availability of Bid Documents Pre-Bid Conference Issuance of Bid Bulletin/s, if required Due Diligence of Proponent Submission and Opening of Technical and Financial Bids Evaluation on Submitted Bids Post Qualification and detailed evaluation of bids Issuance of Notice of Award to Winning Bidder
April 10, 2019 and April 20, 2019 April 22, 2019 to May 6, 2019 May 7, 2019 (1:00PM) May 8, 2019 May 9 to May 15, 2019 May 16, 2019 (10:00AM) May 17, 2019 May 20 to May 24, 2019 May 27, 2019
Any amendment to the Schedule will be announced through Bid Bulletins. Without any imposed formalities, conditions or incurring any liability to any affected proponents, ISELCO II reserves, at any time, the right to reject any or all submissions, waive any minor defects therein, decide or resolve matters arising from the bid, as it deems most advantageous to our member customer owners. For further information, please refer to:
MT - Apr. 10 & 20, 2019
JOSEPH S. PALATTAO Chairman, TPBAC Isabela II Electric Cooperative Alibagu, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel No. (078) – 3230144 Iselco2_pbac@yahoo.com
HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD Expanded National Capital Region Field Office 6th Floor, Sunnymede IT Center, Quezon Avenue Quezon City NOTICE Notice is hereby given that HONG JI DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, (owner/developer), has filed with this Board for the sale of units at HONGJI GARDENS located at Lot 4, Blk. 2, Superblock A, CBPI-A, Pasay City, described as Lot 4, Pcs-00-014054, Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) No. 003-2018000035 with total area of 3,927 square meters. The foregoing project is utilizing the Participation Through Investment Incentivized Compliance, by depositing the amount of P9,198,120.33 in Trust Account No. 001-03-005671-0 under Escrow Agreement executed on 10 April 2019 between the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, Hong Ji Development Corporation and Asia United Bank, as its compliance pursuant to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279, as amended by R.A. 10884. All papers relative thereto shall, upon request and payment of processing fee, be available for inspection during business hours by any personal having legal interest thereon. Absent any legal impediment, the name of the above-cited project is deemed registered and a certificate, in evidence thereof, shall forthwith be issued after (5) days from the last day of publication. Quezon City, Metro Manila, April 11, 2019.
SATURDAY April 20, 2019
DELINQUENCY SALE NOTICE Well Point Medical Center and Diagnostic Center, Inc. Location of principal place of business, Bacoor City, Cavite. NOTICE – There is delinquent upon the following described stock, on account of assessment No. ___ levied on May 17, 2018, the amount set opposite the name of the shareholder as follows: Name
Number of Number of Certificates Shares
M. Tetrault
___
Amount
180,000 Php 1,800,000.00
And in accordance with law and an order of the Board of Directors on March 18, 2019, so many shares of each parcel of such stock as may be necessary will be sold at a public auction at the office of the company, Unit 30-32 LGF SM City Bacoor, Bacoor City, Cavite on Thursday, the 2nd of May 2019 at the hour of 3 o’clock p.m. of said day, to pay said delinquent assessment thereon, together with costs of advertising and expenses of the sale.
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ARLYNN S. GARDUQUE Corporate Secretary
(SGD.) ATTY. NORMAN JACINTO P. DORAL Officer in Charge
MT – April 13 & 20, 2019
MT – April 13, & 20, 2019
S. Jt. Res. No. 13 H. Jt. Res. No. 26
WARNING TO THE PUBLIC
Republic of the Philippines
Congress of the Philippines Metro Manila Seventeenth Congress Third Regular Session
Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two thousand eighteen. [Joint Resolution No. 04] JOINT RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE MAINTENANCE, AVAILABILITY, AND RELEASE OF THE FUNDS INTENDED FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2019, AUTHORIZING THE BUREAU OF THE TREASURY AND THE LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES TO RELEASE THE FUNDS AND ENSURE THE PAYMENT OF CLAIMS, AND THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS TO ADMINISTER THE EFFECTIVE DISTRIBUTION OF THE FUNDS TO QUALIFIED VICTIMS OR THEIR HEIRS OR REPRESENTATIVES, AS PROVIDED UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10368, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “HUMAN RIGHTS VICTIMS REPARATION AND RECOGNITION ACT OF 2013”, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10766 WHEREAS, Republic Act (RA) No. 10368, otherwise known as the “Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013”, provides for an institutionalized mechanism on how human rights victims during the Marcos regime will be compensated, and Section 7 thereof identifies the principal source of the funds, viz.: “SEC. 7. Source of Reparation. – The amount of Ten billion pesos (P10,000,000,000.00) plus accrued interest which form part of the funds transferred to the government of the Republic of the Philippines by virtue of the December 10, 1997 Order of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, adjudged by the Supreme Court of the Philippines as final and executory in Republic vs. Sandiganbayan on July 15, 2003 (G.R. No. 152154) as Marcos ill-gotten wealth and forfeited in favor of the Republic of the Philippines, shall be the principal source funds for the implementation of this Act.” WHEREAS, Section 29 of RA No. 10368 stipulates a sunset provision thereby providing a period within which the Human Rights Victims Claims Board (HRVCB) shall complete its work, which is two (2) years from the effectivity of the Implementing Rules and Regulations that the said Board promulgates; WHEREAS, RA No. 10766 was enacted into law on 19 April 2016 to practically extend the effectivity of RA No. 10368 from 12 May 2014 to 12 May 2018; WHEREAS, as of 11 May 2018, the HRVCB had been able to approve and duly recognize a total of 11,103 legitimate claimants out of more than 75,000 applicants and was able to completely resolve 6,737 appeals on 06 May 2018, or six (6) days before the above deadline. The checks issued by the HRVCB for the human rights victims were valid only up to three (3) months from issuance; WHEREAS, as of 28 June 2018, the HRVCB account with the Land Bank of the Philippines reported a balance of P792.628 million, which can only be maintained as such until 11 August 2018, after which the balance will revert to the Bureau of the Treasury; WHEREAS, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the HRVCB have created a transition team to assist the claimants in the remaining months. However, there have been reports from several approved claimants’ relatives that they were not able to encash the checks even with the issuance of Special Power of Attorney. Many of the claimants are concerned of the time constraint to process matters relating to the distribution of monetary claims until 11 August 2018; WHEREAS, the HRVCB had issued a total of four hundred fifty-one (451) so-called “problematic” checks to the victims, two hundred ninety-one (291) checks of which amounted to Two hundred thirty-nine million one hundred ninety-eight thousand eight hundred thirty-six pesos (P239,198,836.00), representing unreleased checks and one hundred sixty (160) checks amounting to One hundred ten million nine hundred thirty-one thousand four hundred sixty pesos (P110,931,460.00), representing checks issued to payees who are now deceased; WHERAS, it is the sense of the Senate and the House of Representatives that the funds be effectively distributed, especially to the approved and qualified claimants, as duly processed and determined by the HRVCB, and that the concerned government agencies and institutions namely, among others, the Commission on Audit, the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Bureau of the Treasury coordinate and cooperate with the CHR to ensure the distribution of the valid claims and the receipt thereof: Now, thereof, be it Resolved, as it is hereby resolved, That the Senate and the House of Representatives extend the maintenance, availability and release of the funds created pursuant to Republic Act No. 10368, as amended by Republic Act No. 10766, until December 31, 2019; authorize the Bureau of the Treasury and the Land Bank of the Philippines to release the funds; and authorize the Commission on Human Rights to administer the effective distribution thereof. Approved, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO Speaker of the House of Representatives
VICENTE C. SOTTO III President of the Senate
This Joint Resolution which is a consolidation of Senate Joint Resolution No. 13 and House Joint Resolution No. 26 was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on December 13, 2018 and December 12, 2018, respectively.
B3
DANTE ROBERTO P. MALING Acting Secretary General House of Representatives
MYRA MARIE D. VILLARICA Secretary of the Senate
Approved: FEB 22, 2019
RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE President of the Philippines
MT - Apr. 20, 2019
The Manila Times is w a r n i n g the public that certain individuals posing as our employees have been threatening to publish articles against some companies. Anyone who receives a call from these extortionists should report the matter to the police. The Manila Times DOES NOT ask for money to stop news articles from being published. This paper does not condone any form of blackmail.
B4
World
SATURDAY April 20, 2019
MUELLER REPORT
˜ The Manila Times
w w w.manilatimes.net
Trump feared for his presidency
WASHINGTON: Public at last, special counsel Robert Mueller’s report revealed to a waiting nation Thursday (Friday in Manila) that President Donald Trump tried to seize control of the Russia probe and force Mueller’s removal to stop him from investigating potential obstruction of justice by the president. Trump was largely thwarted by those around him who refused to go along. Mueller laid out multiple episodes in which Trump directed others to influence or curtail the Russia investigation after the special counsel’s appointment in May 2017. Those efforts “were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the per-
sons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests,” Mueller wrote. The report’s bottom line largely tracked the findings revealed in Attorney General William Barr’s four-page memo released a month ago — no collusion with Russia but no clear verdict on obstruction — but it added new layers of detail about Trump’s efforts to thwart the investigation. Looking ahead, both sides were already using the findings to amplify well-rehearsed arguments about Trump’s conduct, Republicans casting him as a victim of harassment and
Democrats depicting the president as stepping far over the line to derail the investigation. After nearly two years, the twovolume, 448-page redacted report made for riveting reading. In one particularly dramatic moment, Mueller reported that Trump was so agitated at the special counsel’s appointment on May 17, 2017, that he slumped back in his chair and declared: “Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I’m f---ed.” With that, Trump set out to save himself. In June of that year, Mueller wrote, Trump directed White House Coun-
sel Don McGahn to call Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversaw the probe, and say that Mueller must be ousted because he had conflicts of interest. McGahn refused — deciding he would sooner resign than trigger a potential crisis akin to the Saturday Night Massacre of firings during the Watergate era. Two days later, the president made another attempt to alter the course of the investigation, meeting with former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and dictating a message for him to relay to then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The message: Sessions would publicly call the investigation “very unfair” to the presi-
SHOW OF UNITY
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right) and Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel raise their hands from a car during a parade in Pyongyang. AFP PHOTO
Kim-Putin summit slated in Moscow
M
OSCOW: With Russia’s Vladimir Putin set for his first talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this month, Moscow is eyeing a major role in yet another global flashpoint. The situation on the Korean peninsula seemed to be stabilizing after a historic meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump last year, at which they both backed denuclearization. But a second round of talks ended in failure, and Pyongyang this week said it was testing weapons again.
Now Putin, who has long expressed his readiness to meet with Kim, is gearing up to play a bigger role in nuclear negotiations with Moscow’s Cold Warera ally, with which it shares a short border. Russia’s main interest in the summit is to remind other players “that it exists and that it has
Worldinbriefs AMERICAN VIOLATES THAI LAW
BANGKOK: Thai authorities have raided a floating home in the Andaman Sea belonging to an American man and his Thai partner who sought to be pioneers in the “seasteading” movement, which promotes living in international waters to be free of any nation’s laws. Thailand’s navy said Chad Elwartowski and Supranee Thepdet endangered national sovereignty, an offense punishable by life imprisonment or death. It filed a complaint against them with police on the southern resort island of Phuket. Thai authorities said they have revoked Elwartowski’s visa. AP
FOOD SHORTAGE HITS CUBA
economic and political potential” in the region, Andrei Lankov of Seoul’s Kookmin University told AFP. “Russia needs some sort of control over the situation on the Korean peninsula. Recent events have pushed out almost everyone apart from North Korea and the US, and of course nobody likes that,” he said. Russia has been inviting Kim for talks since last year but he was unwilling to spend time and resources on the trip because Moscow was not a major player, Lankov said.
are not so lucky. In South Sudan mind-bending horrors abound of war, ethnic violence, rape, hunger and displacement. AFP
TALIBAN PEACE TALKS CANCELED
DOHA: Hopes for a breakthrough in a push to end Afghanistan’s gruelling conflict suffered a major setback Friday after a key summit between the Taliban and Afghan officials was indefinitely postponed. The so-called intra-Afghan dialogue, which was due to take place in Doha this weekend, fell apart at the last minute in a row over the large number of delegates Kabul wanted to send. Washington, which is leading an effort to end the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan, signalled its disappointment and urged both sides to return to the table, though organizers provided no hint about when the conference might be rescheduled. AFP
BAUTA, Cuba: Just after 8 a.m., Pura Castell got in line behind about 100 other people waiting for a chance to buy frozen chicken legs. For two hours she leaned on her cane watching people leave the staterun market with their 5-pound limit. The chicken ran out at 10 a.m. while the 80-year-old Castell still had 20 people in front of her. She returned the next morning, but no chicken. Then, relief. A neighbor told her that chicken had arrived at the government store that distributes heavily subsidized monthly food rations. Her household of three was due three pieces, either thighs or drumsticks. “I’ve taken care of myself my whole life,” said Castell, a retired janitor. “I don’t just sit on my hands. I’m worn out, but I walk all over town.” AP
3 RENOWNED CLIMBERS DIE
WAR, HUNGER HOUND SUDAN
1 KILLED IN IRELAND ATTACK
UDIER, South Sudan: By the time he was brought into the remote clinic in northeastern South Sudan, two-year-old Nyachoat was already convulsing from the malaria attacking his brain. After being given medication he lies fast asleep, naked and feverish, attached to a drip, his anxious mother sitting on the bed next to him. Nyachoat could be saved, but others
But now Kim is looking for all the allies he can get “because [the second round of US talks] were a failure, and he was not able to achieve the things he was counting on.” Moscow has relatively good relations with the reclusive regime, though these have deteriorated from Soviet-era highs. Putin has expressed tacit support for Pyongyang, saying last year that “it seems counterproductive if we demand everything from the North Korean side and in response they are given nothing.” AFP
dent, declare Trump did nothing wrong and say Mueller should limit his probe to “investigating election meddling for future elections.” The message was never delivered. The Justice Department released its redacted version of the report about 90 minutes after Barr offered his own final assessment of the findings at a testy news conference. The nation, Congress and Trump’s White House consumed it voraciously — online, via a compact disc delivered to legislators and in loose-leaf binders distributed to reporters. The release represented a moment of closure nearly two years in the making but also the starting bell
for a new round of partisan warfare. A defiant Trump pronounced it “a good day” and tweeted “Game Over” in a typeface mimicking the “Game of Thrones” logo. By late afternoon, he was airborne for his Mar-a-Lago private club in Florida with wife Melania for the holiday weekend. Top Republicans in Congress saw vindication, too. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said it was time to move on from Democrats’ effort to “vilify a political opponent.” The California lawmaker said the report failed to deliver the “imaginary evidence” incriminating Trump that Democrats had sought. AP
Mali PM, cabinet quit over massacre issue BAMAKO: Mali’s prime minister resigned along with his entire government on Thursday (Friday in Manila) following criticisms over their handling of an upsurge of violence in the country and a massacre that left 160 people dead. A statement from President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s office said he had accepted Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga’s resignation and that of his government two weeks after mass protests erupted over the rising tide of violence. Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties had submitted a motion of no confidence against the government on Wednesday, blaming Maiga and his administration for failing to clamp down on the unrest. “A prime minister will be named very soon and a new government will be put in place after consultations with all political forces” from both the ruling and opposition sides, the statement from Keita’s office said. The president had on Tuesday said in a televised address that he
had “heard the anger,” without explicitly naming the prime minister. The government had come under mounting pressure over its handling of violence in the restive Mopti region and especially a massacre on March 23 in which 160 people were killed in the village of Ogossagou near the border with Burkina Faso. Members of the Dogon ethnic group — a hunting and farming community with a long history of tensions with the nomadic Fulani people over access to land — were blamed for the mass killing. An AFP reporter at the time said many homes in the village had been burned down and the ground was littered with corpses. The Fulani have also been accused of supporting a jihadist preacher, Amadou Koufa, who rose to prominence in central Mali four years ago. So-called self-defense groups emerged in the Dogon community with the declared role of providing protection against the insurgents. AFP
People’s Liberation Army marks 70th year A FRIGATE of Singaporean navy arrived at Dagang port in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, on Friday morning to attend the multinational navy event to mark the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. This is the first foreign naval vessel to arrive for the four-day commemorative event which is to start on April 22.
Navy delegations from more than 60 countries and vessels from more than 10 countries were invited to participate in the multinational navy event. With a displacement of 3,200 tonnes, an overall length of 114.8 meters and a beam of 16.3 meters, the Formidable-class frigate RSS Stalwart of the Republic of Singapore Navy has a maximum speed of 27 knots. GLOBAL TIMES
Bangladeshi girl burned to death DHAKA: A schoolgirl was burned to death in Bangladesh on the orders of her head teacher after she reported him for sexually harassing her, police said Friday. The death of 19-year-old Nusrat Jahan Rafi last week sparked protests across the South Asian nation, with the prime minister promising to prosecute all those involved. Rafi was lured to the rooftop of the Islamic seminary she attended where her attackers asked her to withdraw the sexual harassment complaint she had filed with police. When she refused, she was doused with kerosene and set on fire. Police said that one of the 17
people arrested in connection with her death had accused the school’s principal of ordering the attack. The teacher “told them to put pressure on Rafi to withdraw the case or kill her if she refused,” senior police superintendent Mohammad Iqbal, who is leading the investigation, told AFP. Rafi had gone to police in late March to report the sexual harassment, and a leaked video shows the local police station chief registering her complaint but dismissing it as “not a big deal.” Iqbal said at least five of those under arrest,
including three of Rafi’s classmates, had tied her up with a scarf before setting her on fire. “The plan was to pass the incident off as a suicide. But it fell through after Rafi managed to come downstairs while on fire because the scarf burnt and freed her hands and feet,” he said. Rafi suffered burns to 80 percent of her body and died in hospital on April 10. But she recorded a video before her death, repeating her allegations against the principal. “The teacher touched me, I will fight this crime till my last breath,” she said. She also identified some of her attackers. AFP
BANFF, Alberta: Three renowned mountain climbers are presumed dead after a snow avalanche reportedly hit them in Alberta’s Banff National Park, Canadian officials said Thursday (Friday in Manila). Outdoor apparel company The North Face, which provides gears for the three climbers, said that American Jess Roskelley and Austrians David Lama and Hansjorg Auer disappeared while attempting to climb the east face of Howse Peak on the Icefields Parkway. They were reported overdue on Wednesday. “They are missing, and local search and rescue has assumed the worst,” North Face said in a statement. Roskelley climbed Mount Everest in 2003 at age 20. At the time he was the youngest American to climb the world’s highest peak. AP LONDON: A woman has been shot dead during riots in the city of Londonderry in Northern Ireland and the killing is being treated as a terrorist incident, police said Friday. Images posted on social media showed a car and van ablaze and hooded individuals throwing petrol bombs and fireworks at police vehicles. It was not immediately clear who the woman was or who shot her. AFP
JOYFUL MOMENT
Chinese from different provinces wave their national flag as they sing a patriotic song during an event in Yangzhou in China’s eastern Jiangsu province to celebrate the 70th year of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. AFP PHOTO
Sports
SATURDAY APRIL 20, 2019
C1
www.manilatimes.net
Spurs beat Nuggets to take 2-1 series lead S
AN ANTONIO: Derrick White had a career-high 36 points and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets 118-108 on Thursday (Friday in Manila), withstanding a first-half lapse to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.
Nikola Jokic had 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Denver. Game 4 is Saturday in San Antonio, where the Spurs are 3-0 against the Nuggets this season. White attacked Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray from the opening tip after being on the receiving end of Murray’s career outing Tuesday night. Murray had only six
points, a game after scoring 21 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help Denver overcome a 19-point deficit to even the series. White set his career high after being fouled by Paul Millsap on a driving layup that bounced off the side of the rim, hit the backboard and fell in to give the Spurs a 99-89 lead with 8:52 remaining. White added five rebounds, five assists and three steals
while shooting 12 for 17. The point guard matched his overall career high with 26 points in the first half. DeMar DeRozan took over after that, scoring 21 of his 25 points in the second half. LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Rudy Gay had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Malik Beasley added 20 points for Denver. Meanwhile, Ben Simmons scored a career playoff-high 31 points, Tobias Harris added 29 points and 16 rebounds and Philadelphia shook off the absence of Joel Embiid to take a 2-1 series lead over Brooklyn. Without their All-Star man in the middle, the 76ers relied on Simmons slashing to the basket, and Harris and
JJ Redick shooting from the perimeter. Simmons was 11 for 13 from the field, repeatedly getting to the rim even with the Nets sagging well off him in hopes he would shoot a jumper. He added nine assists and eventually quieted a crowd that loudly booed him every time he touched the ball early. Harris had his playoff highs in both points and rebounds, and was 6 for 6 from 3-point range. Redick was 5 of 9 behind the arc and finished with 26 points. Embiid warmed up before the game but the 76ers announced shortly before the start that the All-Star center wouldn’t be available because of a sore left knee. Greg
n DeMar DeRozan (No. 10) of the San Antonio Spurs looks to pass after being cut off by Nikola Jokic (No. 14) of the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the first round of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. AFP PHOTO
Monroe started in his place and had nine points and 13 rebounds. D’Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert each scored 26 points for
the Nets. They have dropped the last two games after surprising the No. 3 seed in the opener in Philadelphia. AP
Wild summer predictions from the casual NBA fan O
N your wild, summer getaway I’m here making wild, summer NBA predictions. That’s because free agency is a thing, (not in the PBA) and we’ve never had a free agent class as loaded as this one. Throw in the Anthony Davis trade request, the lottery for Zion Williamson and there are just too many storylines. The Clippers just made the firstround series interesting. They have the worst odds to win the series among the playoff teams, no one expected them to be here. Was Kevin Durant impressed? Don’t forget that KD is a free agent and the Clippers are a suitor. Could we see another photoshopped Players’ Tribune meme? Highly unlikely. You could see that Durant has had it with the
“if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” quips. He’ll likely quit the West and head East. Speaking of the Warriors, DeMarcus Cousins may find his season cut short by injury—for the second year in a row. Which team would still roll the dice on Cousins now? A desperate team that has cap space but failed to succeed in landing a superstar. The player formerly known as “Boogie” has always liked California, and he will most likely stay there. Speaking of California, LA will most likely sign a prime big man in 2020. Yes, the LA Clippers will most likely re-sign Montrezl Harrell. One of the sleeper candidates for Most Improved Player (there’s just too many who made the jump) he continues to
BASKETBALL SLEUTH MICHAEL ANGELO B. ASIS thrive in the NBA Playoffs. The LA Clippers are no longer surprise contenders for superstar free agents at this point. They had their sights set on Kawhi Leonard, with high team officials stalking him north of the border. The Toronto Raptors are on the clock and anything short of an NBA Finals stint might see him go back home to LA. Would Masai Ujiri also come to
LA, as President of the LA Lakers? The Purple and Gold has become the headache no one wants to take. There are too many bosses to please. It’s tough even to become their GM. Speaking of GM, the New Orleans Pelicans had an interesting choice as their new GM: David Griffin, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Griffin maintains a positive relationship with LeBron James, and that’s enough to fuel speculation. There were rumors that the Pelicans were actually torn about trading Anthony Davis to the Lakers. Was the decision to shoot down the offer from ownership, or from former GM Dell Demps? They could have picked anyone else and if they really wanted to distance
themselves from the entire LeBron brouhaha, why choose his former GM? Speaking of Anthony Davis, he will be a free agent at the end of the 2020 season. He’s not making an effort of marketing himself (That’s All Folks? Really?)and it’s probably because he has a destination in mind. He has burned bridges with the Pelicans, in full Wile E. Coyote style and will have to play somewhere else this season. The question now is who will trade for Anthony Davis? The Pelicans’ ideal answer would be “the team that wins the Draft lottery.” Speaking of the Draft lottery, this is one of the easiest drafts to call as there wasn’t a first overall pick so obvious since Anthony Davis himself in the 2012 NBA Draft. New Orleans
would like to have a “can’t miss” prospect in exchange for the one they got, but the wild prediction is that whoever gets Zion Williamson keeps Zion Williamson. Zion in a Knicks jersey is the most photoshopped basketball-related picture on the internet. You can find them anywhere, maybe even Commissioner Adam Silver’s office. Because of this, the New York Knicks recently obliged the conspiracy theorists by naming Patrick Ewing of 1985’s “frozen envelope” fame as their lottery representative. “Hell yeah, it’s rigged!” Sleuthing is fun when you have all these storylines. Hopefully, the games can offer some quality entertainment at a similar level.
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˜ The Manila Times
SATURDAY April 20, 2019
w w w.manilatimes.net n Reigning Palarong Pambansa most bemedalled swimmer Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh displays her prowess during the freestyle event. Mojdeh along with 10 other Philippine Swimming League standouts, competed for the first time in the Philippine Swimming Inc. (PSI) Grand Prix — NCR Qualifying Series Leg 1 held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila. FILE PHOTO
P H I L I P P I N E S W I M M I N G F I N A L LY U N I T E D !
PSL tankers shine in PSI Grand Prix T HE Philippine Swimming LeagueSwimming Pinas tankers made their presence felt in their first appearance in the Philippine Swimming Inc. (PSI) Grand Prix — NCR Qualifying Series Leg 1 held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
Reigning Palarong Pambansa most bemedalled athlete Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh led the impressive debut of PSL-Swimming Pinas in the two-day meet as she ruled four events in the girls’ 11-13 division. Mojdeh, an Immaculate Heart of Mary College-Paranaque student, dominated the 400m freestyle (4:52.69), 50m breaststroke (36.78), 100m butterfly (1:05.88) and 200m Individual Medley (2:34.78) then placed second in 50m freestyle (30.10) and third in 100m backstroke (1:15.92). PSI president Lani Velasco warmly welcomed the swimmers, coaches, officials and parents from PSL-Swimming Pinas as the two
organizations finally unite for the benefit of the Philippine swimming as a whole. “This weekend’s swim meet was very special because for the first time in the history of Philippine swimming, we had both PSI and PSL/Swimming Pinas swimmers competing side by side. We welcomed PSL/Swimming Pinas swimmers and parents with open arms,” said Velasco. “This momentous weekend was made possible because everyone has committed to accepting and aligning in making our common goal a reality. With our dedication to the sport and our spirit of cooperating with PSI, we have been able to open doors and provide
opportunities for the growth of our athletes,” she added. Sharing the spotlight was Hugh Antonio Parto who topped the 400m freestyle (4:45.15), 100m butterfly (1:03.81), 200m IM (2:30.75), 100m backstroke (1:09.55) and 50m freestyle (27.93), and wound up third in 50m breaststroke (37.73) in the boys’ 11-13 class. Marcus Johannes De Kam also sizzled as he ruled the boys’ 14-15 400m freestyle (4:19.94), placed second in 50m freestyle (26.68), and third in 200m IM (2:23.42) and 100m backstroke (1:07.98) while Mervien Jules Mirandilla took the top spot in the boys’ 1618 100m butterfly (58.55) and second in 400m freestyle (4:24.96). Earning first place in the boys’ 14-15 100m backstroke (1:05.44) was Yohan Mikhail Cabana while John Neil Paredes had third-place finishes in the boys’ 16-18 400m freestyle (4:29.75) and 200m IM (2:21.48) so as Rio Malapitan
who placed third in the boys’ 16-18 50m breaststroke (32.86) The other members of PSL-Swimming Pinas were Jhad Mattheus Macatangay, Lawrence Jacob Arabes, Lance Lotino and Julia Ysabelle Basa. All of the 11 PSL-Swimming Pinas swimmers are now qualified to the Grand Prix Finals – a qualifying event for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. “Our first PSI Grand Prix experience was truly an unforgettable one. Our huge thanks to everyone in PSI for really welcoming all of us in Swimming Pinas and to Ms. Lani Velasco for being a gracious host to everyone. Thank you Fiscal Maria Teresa Arao-Mahiwo for showing your all out support and really watched the team together with coach Susan Papa and her constant guidance to the swimmers with coach Alexandre Papa and coach Marlon Dula and their teammates going into the venue showing your support to us even if you were all in the middle of the swim camp,” said PSL Regional Director Joan Mojdeh.
Jordan hails Woods 'greatest' comeback LOS ANGELES: Michael Jordan described Tiger Woods’ Masters comeback as the “greatest ever” and added he called the golfing icon to personally congratulate him. “To me it is the greatest comeback I have ever seen,” Jordan told The Athletic. “I never thought he’d get back physically. He didn’t think he’d get back physically. But he did it. No one expected him to be back the way he is now. “He’s probably the only person who believed he could get back. To me, that’s a major accomplishment. To me, it’s unbelievable.” Woods ended an 11-year major drought with a thrilling and emotional Masters victory on Sunday. Aged 43, Woods trails only Jack Nicklaus who won at age 46 in 1986. Woods has 15 major championships, second to Nicklaus’ 18. Just two years ago his back pain was so bad Woods thought he might never play again, let
alone win another major. “Mentally, you always think you can. But you can’t answer to what your body has to deal with,” former NBA superstar Jordan said of Woods. “I’m pretty sure he questioned himself, whether he could get it back, and he had to put a lot of work in. But he took it head-on. He had to change his game; he had to change his perspective a little bit. “Dealing with his emotions, obviously he believed in himself. But until you put that into action, sometimes it’s a struggle.” Jordan added that Woods’ confidence will be soaring and that should translate into more victories. “I think he’s gotten over the hump. I think he’s going to win more. It’s tough mentally. It’s absolutely tough mentally. And then you think about the physical. I’m elated. “You don’t know what Tiger is capable of doing.” AFP
QC fetes Asian Para Games 2018 gold medalist THE Quezon City government, under the administration of Mayor Herbert M. Bautista, has been honoring athletes who excel in different sports competitions in the country and abroad. The Quezon City Council recently passed City Resolution 7756-
2019, introduced by Councilor Diorella Maria G. Sotto, commending Kim Ian Chi, a resident of Barangay Baesa, for bagging medals in bowling competitions of the Asian Para Games 2018 held last October in Jakarta, Indonesia. Chi, who bested 16 other com-
petitors in Asia, clinched the gold medal in Tenpin Bowling Mixed Singles and won silver in Tenpin Bowling doubles competition. “It is fitting and proper for the Quezon City government to extend its sincerest congratulations and commendation to Kim Ian
Chi for giving honor and pride to Quezon City and the Philippines for his exemplary performance in the field of sports,” the resolution reads. The Philippines fielded 57 paraathletes in 10 out of the 18 sports in the games.
n Michael Jordan (No. 23) AP FILE PHOTO
Casimero seeks WBO international title JOHNRIEL Casimero seeks the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) international bantamweight belt, as he goes up against Mexican Ricardo Espinoza Franco on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Known for his impressive triumphs in different countries, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) light flyweight and flyweight titleholder said he would start his quest for a third world division crown by making his presence felt in the bantam-
weight category. “I really need to get this one (title) because this will be the mark of the return of Quadro Alas. I can still be a world champion and show the whole world that I still got it,” the 30-year-old boxer from Ormoc City told The Manila Times through overseas call in Filipino on Monday. So far, Casimero just arrived to the United States last week and immediately went to training with Rodel Mayol. This will be Casimero’s second fight in the 118-pound division
after crushing Kenya Yamashita of Japan last February 16 via sixth round technical knockout win at the SM Skydome in North Edsa. “I’m just fine right now. I’m just reaching my weight and confident of making it. I’m 124 pounds only six pounds over the bantamweight class so far right now,” added Casimero, noting that his 21-year-old opponent Franco (23-2 win-loss record with 20 knockouts) would give him a good fight. “My opponent is also strong but I can knock him out if I hit him.” JOSEF T. RAMOS
Djokovic, Nadal cruise into Monte Carlo quarters MONTE CARLO: Top seed Novak Djokovic and 11-time champion Rafael Nadal showed no mercy in dominating wins to power into the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals on Thursday (Friday in Manila). Djokovic extended his winning streak against US players with a 6-3, 6-0 defeat of Taylor Fritz. The two-time tournament champion has now won nine in a row over Americans since losing at Wimbledon in 2016 to Sam Querrey. “It was very challenging to play in these (windy) conditions,” Djokovic said. “Taylor just flattens the ball. “We had five, six close games in the first set, I just managed to break his resistance midway through.” Nadal repeated last year’s semifinal win over Grigor Dimitrov, beating the Bulgarian for the 12th time, 6-4, 6-1. Spain’s 17-time Grand Slam champion
started his clay season this week after missing a month with another knee problem and has title-holder points to defend here plus Barcelona, Rome and Roland Garros. The king of clay is bidding for a 12th trophy in the principality. His record at the event is a staggering 70-4. Nadal spent almost an hour in securing the first set but picked up the pace in the second as he ran out the winner. He next faces Guido Pella, who defeated Italy’s Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Third Alexander Zverev suffered another early exit as he lost 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 to 2013 semi-finalist Fabio Fognini, while French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem was blown away by Dusan Lajovic. The Serb reeled off five straight games to complete a 6-3, 6-3 win over Indian Wells champion Thiem, who had beaten Lajovic on six previous occasions. AFP
˜ The Manila Times
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»streaming
Entertainment
SATURDAY April 20, 2019
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Last chance to binge-watch today! BY IZA IGLESIAS
I
F you’ve spent the last couple of days of Holy Week observing traditions of of Visita Iglesia, joining processions or in personal prayer and reflection, it’s time to sit back and relax. Because Black Saturday is your last chance to binge-watch before the break is over. Still within the theme of reflection, consider these carefully curated collections of movies to laugh or cry with, learn from and be inspired with, all while enjoying meaningful entertainment.
From iflix “Ang Paglipad ng Anghel”explores the story of Gabby, a young accountant in a television network, who leads an
n 'Tanging Yaman' led by seasoned actress Gloria Romero.
n Jiro Manio in 'Magnifico'
A
n Maricel Soriano in 'Mila'
uneventful, if not boring, life. Every day is routine, until he sees an beggar asking for help while on his way to work. He helps bring the old sick woman to a hospice
and mounting debt, Celia sells her share of their house to the nowbedridden Gaspar. A fervent believer of the Sto. Nino, she hopes to invoke a miracle, as dresses up her grandson, Antony, in Sto. n 'Niño' is the story of a family's struggle amid their Nino robes for the coming fiesta. faith in the child Jesus. What she doesn’t know is her own son is working n 'Ang Paglipad ng Anghel' stars Sid Lucero towards taking the family home away from her. “Tanging Yaman.” Siblings Danny (Johnny Delgado), Art (Edu Manzano) and Grace (Dina Bonnevie) are where the nuns can care for her. leading separate lives — as far This one act of charity, he starts away from each other as possible. noticing feathers growing on his When their ailing mother Dolores back. As the feathers grow into “Loleng” Rosales (Gloria Romero) full wings and complicate his is slowly wasting away from Allife, he starts to face the reality zheimer’s disease, the parted sibof being an “angel.” lings must come together in their n 'That Thing Called Tadhana' n 'My First Love' “Magnifico.” Set in a rural area, family’s ancestral home, and deal a boy named Magnifico and his with their differences. Both a critical and commercial pino film, “One More Chance,” family live an impoverished life, “Mila.” An inspiring story of a success, “A Second Chance” is the with John Lloyd Cruz and Bea filled with countless trials. His woman who shares her life with sequel to the beloved 2007 Fili- Alonzo reprising their roles. “That Thing Called Tadsister suffers from cerebral palsy, everyone she encounhana.” Directed by Antoihis older brother who studies in ters — empowering nette Jadaone, this critically Manila has just lost his scholar- them to find their acclaimed rom-com follows ship, and his grandmother has purpose and potenMace (Angelica Panganiban), a stomach cancer. Pikoy (Mag- tial, and through her heartbroken woman who goes nifico), who is failing in school example, find ways on an impulsive road trip with himself, often hears his parents to realize their misa stranger named Anthony arguing about money. All this sion in life. (JM de Guzman). Together, misfortune urges him to think they form a friendship as they of ways to help his family. With From Netflix navigate heartbreak, failed his young, kind and sympathetic relationships, and learning to heart, Pikoy eventually helps his “A Second Chance.” move on. family and his townspeople. It was supposed to “My First First Love.” A “Niño.” The Lopez-Aranda fam- be a happily-evergroup of Yun Tae-o’s friends ily name has lost its luster. Celia, after for Popoy and move into his house where once the darling of Philippine Basha. Their relathey experience love, friendopera, and Gaspar, a distinguished tionship is tested ship, and everything in beex-congressman, lack the shrewd- once again when tween. This new Netflix Original ness and clout to restore their fam- they realize that K-Drama stars Ji Soo, Jung Chaeily’s fading status. Saddled with a married life is no failed marriage, a vanishing career walk in the park. n Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz in 'A Second Chance' yeon and Jung Jin-young.
Catching up with Christian Bables
WARD-WINNING actor Christian Bables feels blessed he was offered to be part of the top-rating teleserye “Halik” where he plays the role Jericho Rosales’ best friend. He reveals that when the offer to do Halik came along with three other teleseryes, he chose what is now the top-rated late night drama precisely because he wanted to work with his idol, Echo. And with the show down to its final week after Easter, Christian can definitely tick an item off his bucket list. “If there’s a word that’s heavier than idol, then I’d like to use that word to describe him,” the Gawad Urian Best Supporting winner for “Die Beautiful” expressed. ”He is an icon for me. I have huge respect for him and acting alongside him is indeed a blessing.” All the same, Christian admits he was intimidated by Echo’s presence that he found it difficult to deliver his scenes in the first three days of taping for Halik. Laughing at the recollection, he said, “I
also admire Sir Joel (Torre) a lot. He’s also an idol. But when I had scenes with him in Die Beautiful, I was able to deliver my lines. But with Echo, I was in awe. I was so intimated that I ended up watching him in our scenes together. It was as if I wasn’t myself. I told him, ‘Whenever I have a scene with you, I go into fan mode.’ And I also apologized for not getting my lines right.” But it was Echo himself who told him he should snap out of his fan mode in the humblest of ways. “He said ‘I am no different. I am just as human as you. Thank you for appreciating my craft but more than anything else, I’d like us to be friends.’ When he said that, I became more relaxed in his company and I was finally able to channel my energies to level-up my acting.” Thanks to Echo’s advice, Christian learned mature as an actor and to focus on his craft above all. Halik’s final week begins Monday on ABS-CBN.
ROVING EYE RICKY CALDERON
n Christian Bables INSTAGRAM PHOTO
The end of an era — G.O.T. and the MCU I FAN GIRL
F you asked me for a list of things world after Thanos got all the Infinity that defined pop culture in the deStones and snapped his fingers. cade that is soon to wrap up — aka Are they really gone forever? What the 2010’s — at the top of my list role will Ant-man and Captain Marvel would be the HBO series, “Game of play as our remaining heroes (Captain Thrones” and the Marvel Cinematic America, Black Widow, Thor, Rocket Universe films. Raccoon, etc.) try to “avenge the fallen?” Both juggernauts are likewise con- last three about an hour and 20 min- Tickets were already selling like hotcluding the final chapters in their utes long. On May 19, 2019 (or May cakes a month ago when they were stories this month. 20 here) when the last released “Game of Thrones” aired the first episode airs, people online. The episode of its eighth and final season all over the world will movie isn’t Monday morning in Manila. It had be sad to see it go and out yet and people in the Westeros Ph fan group suffer withdrawals. And it’s already on Facebook searching madly for without making any raking it screenings and viewing parties to at- judgment, I am certain in! Imagtend. On Reddit, people werewasking there will also be those ine that. where they can watch the episode for who will care more “Iron Man,” free online. The most stress-free way to about who ends up sitthe first film watch it is via HBO on SkyCable, and ting on the iron throne in the MCU if you have HBO GO (admittedly I am than who wins in their came out still struggling with this app), you can district elections and 11 y e a r s watch the uncut version. who gets a senate seat. ago in April If you want to stay away from Next Wednesday, ex2008. It was spoilers or even minor details of Sea- pect cinemas to open a hit—the son 8, it’s really best to avoid social before sunrise to acrisk they media. Some people just can’t help commodate zealous took castn Emilia Clarke in 2012, just getting but post these, because you know, fans wanting to know ing Robert warmed up playing Daenerys Targaryen they want to show they’re cooler than what happened to the Downey reon 'Game of Thrones.' everyone else who has to work and likes of T’Challa, Spially paid off wait to catch it later. derman, Dr. Strange, Starlord, etc. and and there was no looking back from Fans take their enjoyment of “Game half the population that point on. In fact, each Marof Thrones” seriously and will hide, of the vel film became a mini event. My unfriend or block anyone who posts friend Niki would often get spoilers. TV has not been the same our gang together and since this show first premiered exschedule Marvel movie actly eight years ago. It’s turned its field trips with maybe 30 characters and memorable lines into or 40 in attendance. household phrases—“Winter (or any A big chunk of Generation other word) is coming,” “You know Z grew up watching these nothing, Jon Snow.” Marvel films, their Gen X Sixteen million people tuned into parents took them and the milthe live airing of the Season 7 prelennials are cosplaying them. miere on July 16, 2017. Almost 78 “Avengers: Endgame” has a million people downloaded an running time of three hours and illegal torrent of that episode. The two minutes. I wonder if there average number of viewers per will be tears at the end of it. episode of Season 1 was about 2.5 n He gets called everything from Sweet "Avengers: Endgame" opens on Rabbit to Vermin but Rocket Raccoon is a million people. April 24, Game of Thrones’ freshThe first three episodes of this master tactician and survivor in the Marvel est episodes air at 9 a.m. Monday season are about an hour long; the Cinematic Universal. mornings via HBO on SkyCable.
KAREN KUNAWICZ
SATURDAY APRIL 20, 2019
Lifestyle
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www.manilatimes.net
Magical Easter at The Manila Hotel
n The Manila Hotel President Joey Lina (standing, eighth from left) together with the featured artists of ‘Hatch’ exhibit now on view at the lobby. PHOTOS BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE
BY ARLO CUSTODIO
W
ITH its elegant combination of tradition, glamor and quality service, The Manila Hotel is the perfect venue for making joyous memories with family, friends and loved ones, including children. And for this Easter to be truly memorable, the Grand Old Dame — as it is affectionately called as the country’s oldest hotel — is mounting a range of fun-filled activities for everyone to enjoy.
Magical Easter carnival From 2 to 6 p.m. on April 21 at the Tent City, Easter Sunday becomes a fabulous family affair with the magic of Easter carnival. Dubbed "The Greatest Easter Eggs-travaganza," children get to ex-
perience a holiday like no other with an Easter egg hunt, a petting zoo, a bouncy castle, a magic show, many Easter-themed games and activities and a delightful selection of snacks.
‘Hatch’ exhibit Hotel President and former Senator Joey Lina shared his excitement for the “Hatch: An Egg-chanted Garden Exhibit” at the Easter promotion's preview. The exhibit which culminates on April 30, is an exquisite display of
n The Manila Hotel Resident Manager Chris Orta (left) with the lucky winners of early Easter egg-hunting. Easter eggs painted by well-known Filipino artists. His therefore a modern and sophisticated twist on the traditional ritual of painting Easter eggs meant to support and showcase the Filipino art scene. With some using innovative materials for a distinctive mixed media design, or a more classic look using oil
or acrylic on resin, and even sculptures the concept is to give life or transform an essentially static and lifeless object into a dynamic form of art.
Easter Brunch at Champagne Room Finally the elegant and romantic
Champagne Room becomes the setting for a luxurious family brunch on Easter Sunday. An exclusive menu crafted by Executive Chef Konrad Walter and his team include handcrafted veal and mushroom ravioli in light truffle cheese cream, a choice of elegant
rosemary-seasoned rack of lamb served with potato gratin and young market vegetables, or black cod on a pur馥 of creamed peas with quenelles of zucchini lemon risotto, and a delicate dessert of swanshaped choux pastry with snow eggs. Price at P2,780 nett.
n ‘Hatch: An Egg-chanted Garden Exhibit’ at the hotel lobby is an exquisite display of Easter eggs painted by well-known Filipino artists — a modern and sophisticated twist on the traditional ritual of painting Easter eggs meant to support and showcase the Filipino art scene.
Egg-citing treats for young and old A GREAT number of Christians believe that Easter is the most important date on the calendar as it is the fulfilled prophecy of the Messiah who would be persecuted, die for our sins, and rise on the third day (Isaiah 53).
It is for this reason then that there are many of the opinion that Easter celebrations should be taken a notch higher than everyone’s all-time favorite season of Christmas when
joy and gift-giving abound to remember the Jesus’ birth. If convinced to do so, there’s still time to whip up a merry celebration of Easter with the following treats and ideas for everyone to enjoy.
n Decorate the family’s gathering space with lovable bunny plush toys. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOY KINGDOM AND SM SNACK EXCHANGE n Little girls will surely be delighted with these lovely dolls inside pastel colored eggs.
n Wear a pretty bunny head band for Easter get togethers.
n Fill pails with colorful eggs for a fun and fab Easter egg hunt.
n Enjoy an adorable surprise from Hatchimals’ Colleggtibles edition.
n Eggs with surprise toy cars and hard candies for little boys.
n Chick- and bunny-designed buckets make for more enjoyable Easter egg hunts.