S&P keeps PH economic growth for 2019 at 6.3% ÂťStory on B1 ++
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019
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Alvarez: Speakership a money race Two aspirants reportedly offering P500,000, P1M for votes
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BY GLEE JALEA
OTES for House Speaker are going for as much as P1 million, an aspirant for the position claimed on Tuesday, with two months left before the 18th Congress formally convenes and chooses its leaders. Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, who wants to regain the post after being ousted last year, alleged in a TV interview
that two lawmakers were offering huge sums to secure votes. “ M y
colleagues told me that someone offered P500,000 per congressman and then this was countered by another with P1 million per congressman,� Alvarez said in mixed English and Filipino. “I won’t say who it is,� he added when asked to identify the legislators. Alvarez is among the contenders for the speakership along with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco — said to be Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s personal bet;
House minority-backed Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez; Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, the ruling Partido Demokratiko 0ILIPINO ,AKAS NG "AYAN S 0$0 ,ABAN national deputy campaign manager; and former Foreign Affairs secretary Alan Peter Cayetano. Incoming Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte and outgoing
Sen. Loren Legarda, who will represent Antique in the 18th Congress, have also been tagged as possible candidates. Both have denied interest in the post. Velasco — said to be one of the front runners along with Romualdez — denied buying votes for the speakership. “I’m not giving away a million pesos ‌ congressmen should respect fellow congressmen,â€? he said in a separate interview.
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Q Libelous video still out there (above is time-stamp of author’s computer).
Maligned businessman, hopefully our social media, big winners in Bikoy saga
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HE s o called “ B i k oy � black propaganda that maligned President Duterte and his family boomeranged against the Yellows, and contributed to voters’ anger toward their candidates, which led to their electoral rout.
RIG RRIGOBERTO IGG DD. TIGLAO
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Stories my mother told me
M
Y mother would h a v e been 87 two days ago. She passed away a year ago, sadly. But I keep her ever in mind and part of how I do this is by recalling the stories she told us.
FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO
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FIGHTING BINGBONG
Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel (left), Director Elmo Francis Sarona and Metro Manila Police chief Guillermo Eleazar wait for their turn to speak during an inquiry at the House of Representatives into the arrest of Rep. Bingbong Crisologo on the eve of the May 13 elections for vote-buying. Crisologo said he was immune from arrest since Congress has not adjourned sine die at the time of his arrest. PHOTO BY ROGER RAĂ‘ADA
PH COMPETITIVENESS UP 4 NOTCHES
THE Philippines has regained ground in a global competitiveness ranking, climbing four spots to 46th out of 63 countries following a nine-notch plunge last year. Data obtained ahead of the 2019 World Competitiveness Yearbook’s OFkCIAL RELEASE SHOWED THE COUNTRY IMproving in all four “pillars�: economic PERFORMANCE BUSINESS EFkCIENCY GOVERNMENT EFkCIENCY AND INFRASTRUCTURE The biggest improvement was in terms of economic performance, to
38th from 50th, followed by business EFkCIENCY ND FROM TH GOVERNMENT EFkCIENCY ST FROM TH AND INFRASTRUCTURE TH FROM TH A year earlier, all four respectively plunged by 24, 10, 7 and 6 places. Despite this year’s improvement, the Philippines still has some way to go before it returns to the low 40 rankings it enjoyed in previous years, the most recent being 41st in 2017. It also failed to gain against its neighbors, remaining in 13th place among 14
What’s inside DUTERTE CERTIFIES TOBACCO TAX BILL URGENT NewsA2 MMDA GEARS UP FOR LEGAL BATTLE
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PACQUIAO DRAWS MOTIVATION FROM DLH CONQUEST
SportsC1
A FEDERALISM ‘JUGGERNAUT’ IS MORE HYPE THAN REALITY
!SIA 0ACIkC COUNTRIES The Institute of Management DevelOPMENT )-$ WHICH PREPARES THE ANnual WCY and uses data provided by the Asian Institute of Management for the Philippine portion, listed the following challenges for this year: – a need to speed up and sustain investments in infrastructure; – inadequate investment in human capital; – poor digital competitiveness and
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New SC justice pledges loyalty to charter, Filipinos NEWLY appointed Supreme Court Justice Henry Paul Inting has vowed to remain loyal to the
Constitution and the people as he performs his duties.
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Japan to support PH security needs JAPAN is expected to continue extending support to the Philippines, particularly for regional security, given strong bilateral ties said to have further improved under the Duterte administration. The relationship between Manila and Tokyo, Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel said at the start of a threeday visit by President Rodrigo Duterte,
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Marlen RonquilloA4 ‘QUEZON’S GAME’ UNRAVELS HIDDEN CHAPTER OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY
EntertainmentD4
IBF HONORS DONORS
The International Bazaar Foundation Inc. (IBF) headed by Louie Locsin, wife of Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., hosted a special dinner to thank the donors of the 2018 International Bazaar. Thirty-three awardees were given crystal trophies for their continued support and partnership with the IBF. Now on its 52nd year, the IBF continues to foster strong bonds of friendship and cooperation among members of the diplomatic and consular community in the Philippines, raising funds for its sociocivic and charitable projects. Also in photo are some of the beneficiaries — Sister Eva Fidela Maamo and IBF scholars Alfea Aguila and Jeisy Rose Infante.
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News
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WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
Duterte certifies tobacco tax bill urgent
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BY RALPH U. VILLANUEVAÂ
RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has CERTIkED AS URGENT A 3ENATE MEASURE pushing for a higher excise tax for tobacco products, according to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. g4HERE IS ALREADY A CERTIkCATION SB 2233 seeks to impose a P45 OF URGENCY FOR 3" 3ENATE "ILL excise tax in 2020, which will go 2233. It is already for transmittal up by P5 every year thereafter. to the Senate,� Guevarra said in a Sen. Emmanuel “Manny� Pactext message shared to reporters. quiao said the measure would
prevent new smokers and raise revenues and funding for the universal healthcare program. 4HE 5NIVERSAL (EALTH #ARE 5(# Law was signed by the President in &EBRUARY FULkLLING ONE OF THE bills included in his administration’s legislative agenda. On Tuesday, the Department of &INANCE $O& AND VARIOUS GROUPS prodded senators to speed up the approval of a new “sin tax� reform law that would impose higher excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products. Finance Assistant Secretary Tony
Lambino said the measure would discourage Filipinos from smoking AND HELP kLL IN THE FUNDING GAP OF ABOUT 0 BILLION FOR THE kRST YEAR of implementation of the UHC Law. “The reason why we’re pushing this sin tax bill is to lessen consumption of products which have dangerous impacts to our health, prevent the youth from taking alcohol and kLL IN THE FUNDING GAP FOR OUR 5NIVERSAL (EALTH #ARE ;,AW= WHICH THE President signed in February this year,� he explained. The healthcare program needs
0 BILLION FOR ITS kRST YEAR OF implementation in 2020. However, the government, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and the Philippine CharITY 3WEEPSTAKES /FkCE COULD ONLY raise P195 billion. The excise tax rates proposed by the DoF and the Department of Health seeks to increase excise taxes on sin products to at least P60 per pack for cigarettes and at least P40 per liter for alcohol products. Arjay Mercado of Action for Economic Reforms said the tobacco
‘Severe malnutrition threat to economy’ THE single biggest threat to business in the country is the severe malnutriTION AFlICTING ONE THIRD OF CHILDREN kVE YEARS OLD AND BELOW THAT RESULTS in stunted growth and brain development, a leading economist said on Tuesday. Cielito Habito, for-
mer National Economic and DeVELOPMENT !UTHORITY .%$! DIrector general, attributed the probLEM TO THE COUNTRY S lAWED AGE OLD rice policy that, he pointed out, has made rice so expensive for the average Filipino family. “It is why I personally welcome the rice tariffication policy to the extent that it will make rice cheaper in the Philippines,� Habito said in a speech during the 40th National Conference of Employers held at the Marriot Hotel in Pasay City. The tradi-
Q Cielito Habito PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
tional restriction on rice trading, according to the former NEDA chief, has made rice in the Philippines two times more expensive than that in neighboring countries. “Our staple takes 20 to 25 percent of the daily budget of the poorest Filipinos. Expensive rice leaves so little money for the protein the children need for proper nourishment of their brain and body,� he said. Stunted growth, Habito pointed out, leads to low intelligence quoTIENT )1 BECAUSE YOUNG CHILDREN will never reach their full brain and physical development potential. He explained that 90 percent of human brain development hapPENED BEFORE AGE kVE AND ONLY about 10 percent happened after that age. Habito cited a study made by Finnish and English scholars who made a comparison of average )1S AMONG MEMBER COUNTRIES of the Association of Southeast
Employers’ group sees law ending ‘endo’ a disincentive THE enactment into law of the proposed Security of Tenure (SoT) bill will not only hurt the employers’ sector but the economy as a whole as it will discourage the entry of local and foreign direct investments into the country, according to the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP). The bill is seen to end “endo� or end of contract employment, a practice wherein employees are hired for not more than 6 months. ECOP Chairman Edgardo Lacson on Tuesday described the SoT bill as “aggressive� because it compels employers to regularize all their employees which, he pointed out, would hurt business, particularly small establishments. “What will happen is there will be a monoclass. All are regular workers, no other class [of workers], which is wrong,� Lacson pointed out at the sidelines of the 40th National Conference of Employers at Marriot Hotel in Pasay City. In advance countries like the United States, he said, employers encourage temporary or contractual workers. Lacson warned that regularizing all workers would be a “disincentive� to local and foreign investors, saying it would force them to transfer to Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam and other business-friendly countries. “To me, the equation is still simple. Investments equal employment. Attracting investments, both foreign and local, will generate jobs for the society and income for both business owners and workers,� he said.   “Creating and preserving decent and productive employment for the Filipino people assures them of a better tomorrow, a brighter future,� Lacson added. ECOP President Serigo Ortiz-Luis Jr. said
Q NOTCHES FROM A1
PH future-readiness; – need to sustain investor and CONSUMER CONkDENCE AND – persistent political risks. 4HE kVE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENTS for 2019, the data showed, involved the government’s budget DEkCIT THE EFFECTIVE PERSONAL INCOME TAX RATE GROSS kXED CAPITAL formation, tourism receipts and protectionism. 4HE TOP kVE DECLINES ON THE other hand, involved the current
local employers have gone beyond what is being done by their counterparts in neighboring countries and competitors. “We have already succeeded in eliminating ‘endo’ [end of contract] and “555�, even going beyond that by eliminating the outsourcing of legitimate companies. We raised the bar,� Ortiz-Luis pointed out. Ortiz-Luis, however, said issues on labor contracting and job sourcing remain unresolved. “If we don’t massage those two items, I’m sure we will lose a lot of foreign direct investments and even local investments,� he warned. Ortiz-Luis cited as an example the proliferation of Chinese workers in the country who are being paid thrice as much than Filipino workers but still preferred by employers because it would free them from any legal and labor problems later at the end of their contracts. “Remember, regularization does not create jobs,� he said, adding that even the business processing outsourcing firms would not be spared from regularizing their workers if the SoT bill became a law. In a panel discussion, former Labor undersecretary Josephus Jimenez expressed strong opposition to the bill. “It does not uphold management prerogative. It is government trying to run business and telling us what to do with our people. Therefore, today the conclusion is inevitable, there is no balanced labor agenda because we have senators and congressmen who do not understand the realities of the market,� Jimenez said. The Senate-House bicameral conference committee will tackle the SoT bill on Wednesday. WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL account balance, inflation, tax revenues, compensation levels and exchange rate stability. Executives polled for the yearbook, meanwhile, tagged a skilled workforce, economic dynamism, cost competitiveness, open and positive attitudes, and high educational levels as the Philippines’ “key attractiveness indicators.� The IMD is expected to release the 2019 WCY by the end of the month. Last year’s global ranking was led by the United States, followed by Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
!SIAN .ATIONS !SEAN WHEREIN the Philippines ended up at the bottom of the list. “Did you know that the Philippines, among the 10 Asean countries, is assessed to have the lowest AVERAGE )1 7E ARE THE MOST bobo DUMB AMONG !SEAN CITIZENS AND I would link this to the stunting problem, which has been with us for a long time,� he said. The Asean groups the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam Habito said the stunting problem has always been at 30 to 40 percent since the 1980s, and that the same is true with the generation at present wherein 1 out of 3 or more Filipinos may have stunted brain development. “We need to do something for our children. Make food affordable, feed the youngest of our children, not just school-age children.
School feeding is not good enough because it’s too late; we have to start from the mother’s womb when the children are still being conceived and then when they become infants. That is where we have to really attack the problem,� Habito said. He noted that Peru solved the same problem in eight years, saying it was able to cut stunted growth from 28 percent to 14 percent. Habito said the biggest advantage of the Philippines over its neighboring countries is its human resources, where the “millennials� and the “generation Z� or those born during the internet age are already dominating the labor force. g;4HOSE FROM= THE GENERATION : are likely to change jobs as many as TIMES BETWEEN AND ;YEARS OF AGE= u HE SAID ADDING THAT MEMbers of this generation is seeking more purpose and meaning in their EXISTENCE AND PREFER lEXIBLE WORK WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL
TO JAPAN President Rodrigo Duterte, accompanied by senatorelect Christopher Lawrence “Bong� Go, chats with some officials at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City before flying to Japan on Tuesday. The President will be a keynote speaker during the 25th Nikkei Conference on the Future of Asia. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
tax increase is a popular measure among Filipinos. He cited a Pulse Asia survey revealing that 3 out of 4 Filipinos believe that the tax on tobacco products must be increased. g7ITH ONLY kVE SESSION DAYS REmaining in the 17th Congress, we appeal to Senate President Vicente 3OTTO RD AND THE MAJORITY lOOR leader Juan Miguel Zubiri to prioritize the passage of this bill in the agenda, and safely shepherd the bill out of the Senate before the adjournment on June 7,� Mercado said.  WITH EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ
Bicam approves service charge bill A BICAMERAL conference committee composed of lawmakers from the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the consolidated version of Senate Bill 1299 and House Bill 8784 or “An Act Providing that 100 Percent of the Service Charge Collected in Hotels and Other Establishments Be Distributed to All Covered Employees.� “I am happy to report that we, the members of the Senate and the House panels, agreed that 100 percent of the service fees collected in the service industry should be distributed completely to all covered workers except managerial employees,� said Sen. Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, head of the Senate contingent and chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development. The bicam report is now ready FOR RATIkCATION IN THE PLENARY BY both Houses of Congress. The measure seeks to amend Article 96 of the Labor Code, which provides employees 85 percent of the service charge paid by customers in hotels, restaurants and similar establishments. The service charge will be on top of the tips received by service workers. JAVIER JOE ISMAEL
Q MONEY FROM A1
Alvarez
Q SUPPORT FROM A1
Japan to support PH security needs is currently in a “golden era.â€? Duterte, who will be the keynote speaker at the 25th Nikkei Conference on the Future of Asia, will also be meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss the South China Sea 7EST 0HILIPPINE 3EA DISPUTE among others. Laurel told reporters that Japan was particularly interested in hosting Duterte. “The Japanese are always fascinated with leadership that is RECOGNIZED AFkRMED BY ;HIS= OWN people at the same time a tremendous political will insofar as his programs are concerned,â€? he said. g3O HE $UTERTE IS NOT CONTROversial but interesting, unique for the Japanese,â€? Laurel added. The envoy said the Japanese government would continue to provide assistance to the Philippines, noting previous assistance involving the provision of ships, jets and helicopters. “Japan is very important not only to the Philippines ‌ other countries also depend on them. So it’s very simple. You don’t have to think too much ‌ Japan will support the Philippines in its needs, particularly in security,â€? he said.
With most of the Duterte Cabinet accompanying the President, Laurel also said the trip could be a “rewardâ€? for the government’s overwhelming win in the May 13 midterm elections. “Why do you bring 20 Cabinet MEMBERS HERE INCLUDING ;THOSE HANDLING= LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR land reform? There is no land reform here, it is already there with us,â€? he said. “I think the President is so elated with the result of midterm elections ‌ That is the truth. It is like a reward, like, ‘Thank you, you have done your jobs,’â€? Laurel added even as he denied that the trip was a junket. According to MalacaĂąang, the OFkCIAL DELEGATION INCLUDES &OReign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel PiĂąol, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela PeĂąa, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. and So-
cioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia. Also part of the delegation are Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. Lopez and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, however, denied Laurel’s “rewardâ€? statement, with the latter declaring that delegation members are never just “decoration.â€? “All the Cabinet members included in the trip have their own trade missions. They are not decorations in the summit. It is work,â€? Medialdea added. Lopez said Cabinet officials who travel with Duterte “maximize their time and speak to several investments fora ‌ we conduct deal signing, business matching and networking, round table meetings ‌ as an opportunity to dialogue with the foreign business community.â€? “We have never seen this as ‘reward,’ when we are working day and night just to prepare for all these activities,â€? he added. RALPH U. VILLANUEVA
“They won’t go through that dealing just to be able to get the votes. Each congressman has his or her own views so I don’t think each congressman can be bought that easily,� he added. Romualdez had yet to comment as of press time. He has reportedly already secured the backing of at least 126 lawmakers but not the endorsement of Duterte-Carpio, who was instrumental in Alvarez’s ouster last year. The support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter is viewed as crucial for the speakership race as she is tipped to succeed her father in 2022. Like her father, Duterte-Carpio has said that she is not interested in the presidency. Last week, she denied having “recommended� Romualdez, criticized Cayetano for warning her against Velasco, and refused a reconciliation with a “very dangerous and Machiavellian� Alvarez. Meanwhile, an incumbent House member condemned the alleged vote-buying by speakership contenders. “It is disgusting to hear that those aspiring to be Speaker of the House need to shell out money to assure their win,� Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano said in a statement. “How can we promote fair and clean elections if leaders, including the president, tolerate the practice of bribery and votebuying? How can we attract wellmeaning politicians to take part in public service if at the end of the day what matters is money?� he added.
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˜ The Manila Times
WEDNESDAY | May 29, 2019 A3
Q Bryant Parklane boasts of one-of-a-kind amenities in condo living, which include functional shared spaces in its lobby that allow residents to interact and collaborate.
Condo living like no other in Pampanga Megaworld adds 16-storey Bryant Parklane in Capital Town, featuring one-of-a-kind functional amenities
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ROPERTY giant Megaworld is launching a new residential condominium development, its second one inside the 35.6-hectare Capital Town Pampanga township in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. To be called Bryant Parklane, derived from New York City’s famous Bryant Park, the 16-storey residential tower offers 463 units ranging from Studio (up to 28.5 square meters), and One-Bedroom (up to 41 square meters). Select units have their own balcony and lanai. The key highlight of this new residential project IS ITS kRST OF ITS KIND LOBBY CONCEPT WHICH FEATURES bi-level functional shared spaces and receiving area. Indoor bike racks also form part of the lobby’s unique design. The lobby will also be featuring some of the development’s amenities such as a Daycare center with hammock area, Turf Lounge, Pingpong Café, and the Library. “In Bryant Parklane, we want to encourage interaction among residents, and at the same time, foster a sense of community. The lobby will become a venue for residents to hang out and interact with each other at any given time of the day and night.
This makes this new residential project unique and one-of-a-kind, never been seen before in any of our DEVELOPMENTS u EXPLAINS %UGENE %M ,OZANO kRST vice president for sales and marketing, Megaworld Pampanga. Offering views of the Zambales Mountain Range, Mount Arayat, San Fernando’s cultural cityscape, and the township’s green parks and mall area, the Bryant Parklane also features amenities at the third level deck such as an adult and kiddie pools with POOL DECK FUNCTION HALL INDOOR AND OUTDOOR kTness centers, covered outdoor lounge, outdoor play area, and jogging path. The residential tower will also host some retail areas at the ground level. Bryant Parklane is due for completion by 2024. The company is expected to generate around P850million in sales from this residential project. Last year, Megaworld launched its first resi-
Q PAMPANGA CAPITAL’S RISING CBD: Megaworld is now constructing its 35.6-hectare township in the heart of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. dential development in Capital Town – the 12-storey Chelsea Parkplac e – offering 193 residential units. Capital Town is Megaworld’s first township development in Central and Northern Luzon. Formerly the site of the Pampanga Sugar Development Company (PASUDECO), the township is located near the Pampanga Provincial Capitol.
Q Designed to be a catchment basin during the rainy season, residents can also walk around the Rainwater Park, a twohectare open space featuring recreational amenities, including a children’s play area, jogging paths, and bike trails.
Aside from residential towers, the township will also be home to a Shophouse District featuring neoCLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE A LIFESTYLE MALL OFkCE TOWERS museum, leisure parks and green spaces, as well as wide avenues and boulevards that would connect them to the major highways in the city that lead to North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Clark International Airport.
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Opinion
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
˜ The Manila Times
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E d i to r i a l
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DoF must take a more realistic approach to tobacco tax hike
HE aggressive efforts by the Department of Finance (DoF) to have Congress rush the passage of a bill that will sharply increase the excise tax on tobacco before the legislative session ends on June 7 risks doing more harm than good, may not be grounded in economic reality, and leaves many unanswered questions about the use of the “sin taxâ€? revenues so far. While we do not object to a substantial tax on tobacco in general, based as it is on essentially good intentions, the DoF and the other agencies concerned must take a more realistic approach based on rational objectives. As we pointed out when the DoF began putting pressure on lawmakers back in February to raise the tax from its current P35 per pack level, it is logically impossible for the government to achieve two divergent objectives: on the one hand, relying on the tax revenues to fund health and other social programs, and on the other, trying to eliminate tobacco use altogether by making cigarettes prohibitively expensive for users. If the latter objective is successful, then funding for other worthwhile programs will disappear; if that funding is to be assured, however, then a certain market for tobacco products must be reliably maintained. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd has apparently not yet grasped that contradiction. As recently as May 17, Dominguez said, “That’s what we‌to kill it [the tobacco industry]‌.[We] want to make it [the tobacco tax] so that the increase in price will be bigger than the increase in income.â€? Dominguez went on to explain that he believes that the growth in personal incomes due to better economic conditions in the country has canceled out the effects of the previous small increases in the tobacco tax from P30 to P32 to P35 per pack. At the same time, the DoF has clearly stated that its equally, if not more, important reason for seeking a tax increase is that tobacco tax revenues are falling far short of its targets. According to the DoF, the estimated expenditure for the Universal Health Care program over the next five years is expected to reach about P1.44 trillion, but only about P1 trillion will be available if additional revenue is not found. Ideally, a decrease in tobacco use would result in a corresponding decrease in the funding requirements for healthcare, so that the gradual reduction in sin tax revenues would be inconsequential. That is not at all apparent, however, from the assertions of the DoF that a funding gap exists. "OTH THE $O& AND THE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH HAVE YET TO provide details about how sin tax revenues are being spent, SO IT IS DIFkCULT TO TAKE THE gFUNDING GAPu ASSERTION AT FACE value. For instance, how much is being dedicated to prevention through educational programs? Similarly, how will the local government share of tobacco tax revenues (the DoF estimates this to be P15 billion, to be divided among the four tobacco-growing provinces) be spent to compensate for tobacco farmers’ livelihood? Dominguez has vowed to “killâ€?? Is any part of the tax revenue being dedicated to strengthening protections against the increase in smuggling that higher overall tobacco prices would encourage? A “sin taxâ€? on tobacco — just as on any otherwise legal product that is generally acknowledged to be bad for one’s HEALTH ‡ CAN HAVE POSITIVE BENEkTS )T MUST HOWEVER BE based on a clear understanding of economic factors, and the resulting revenue be applied in a way that maximizes its value. The current, largely sentiment-driven rush to pass a tax increase is the wrong approach, will not solve the problems THE $O& HAS IDENTIkED AND IS LIKELY TO CREATE NEW ONES ~
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
The Manila Times
VOLUME 120 NUMBER 228
DANTE A. ANG, Chairman Emeritus RENE Q. BAS, Publisher Emeritus NERILYN A. TENORIO, Publisher-Editor ARNOLD E. BELLEZA, Executive Editor LEENA C. CHUA, News Editor LYNETTE O. LUNA, National Editor TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA, Lifestyle Editor PERRY GIL S. MALLARI, Sports Editor DINO RAY V. DIRECTO 3RD, Motoring Editor CONRAD M. CARIĂ‘O, Special Sections Editor LEA MANTO-BELTRAN, Supplements Editor ALVIN I. DACANAY, Assistant Business Editor MARIO F. FETALINO, Assistant Business Editor REMIA B. EUGENIO, Deskman (Regions) MARISHELLE R. MEDINA, Deskman JOMAR CANLAS, Chief of Reporters RENE H. DILAN, Chief Photographer DANTE F. M. ANG 2ND, President and CEO BLANCA C. MERCADO, #HIEF /PERATING /FkCER RODA A. ZABAT, Advertising Director VICENTE P. CRUZ, JR., Circulation Director DENISE O. CALNEA, Marketing Communications and Services Director Telephone All Departments: 524-5665 to 66; Subscription: 524-5664 Local 222 Advertising: 524-5664 Local 121 Telefax: 310-5895 or e-mail advertising@manilatimes.net XXX NBOJMBUJNFT OFU t F NBJM OFXTEFTL!NBOJMBUJNFT OFU Letters to the Editor THE MANILA TIMES is published daily at 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002 The owners, managers, publishers and editors do not necessarily share the opinions expressed and the statements made by individual authors of columns, commentaries and other articles published in The Manila Times.
What went wrong in the May 13 elections?
I
T is not only information technology (IT) practitioners who say that the most recent electoral exercise — on May 13, 2019 — must have been one of the worst, if not the worst, implementation of automated elecTIONS SINCE THE kRST SUCH AUTOMATED elections were held in 2010. Even some ordinary voters with no IT experience are saying the same thing. This is truly surprising considering that it was already the fourth time that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would be running this automated system, and it would not have been unfair to expect that the operation SHOULD BE CLOSE TO lAWLESS "UT LO AND behold, it was not! In fact, it was worse than the previous elections. What went wrong? Quite a few. 1. There were more votecounting machines (VCMs) that malfunctioned. Many IT practitioners expected that this would happen because those VCMs are now three years old. Worse, they were not used at all during those three years. More failures can be expected when electronic equipment are not used for many years. 2. A lot more SD cards malfunctioned, compared to previous years. The rumor is that the Comelec bought the cards from the lowest bidder, instead of from the “lowest responsive bidder.� The latter description assures government agencies that quality is
LET’S FACE IT!
GUS LAGMAN NOT SACRIkCED WHEN THE LOWEST BIDder, as per the procurement law, is awarded the contract. 3. There was a seven-hour outage, meaning, that during the election night processing, there was a sevenhour gap when no updated results were being reported to the public. 4HAT WAS THE kRST TIME SUCH A HORRIble occurrence would happen. The story goes that after the 6:15 p.m. update release on the results of the elections (based on 0.38 percent of the voter turn-out), the Comelec went silent. For a very long seven hours. Then at around 1:15 a.m. of the following morning, May 14, the commission released an updated report, covering approximately 91 percent of the voter turn-out. No clear explanation to the public as to what happened. 4. To be treated as a separate failure by itself, was the lack of — actually almost zero — visibility of the Comelec commissioners during those seven hours. Even if there were no problems, the credibility of the results would be
enhanced if some commissioners and/or the chairman himself, appear on TV to explain what is happening. This becomes even more important when problems occur. That sevenhour outage was such an occurrence. The biggest ever, in fact. As far as I can recall, no commissioner came out to clearly explain that serious election processing malfunction. There may have been a few more mishaps, but the above were the major ones. Let me restate, at this point, what I have been saying for the last 10 years — “vote counting at the precincts should not be automated!� Aside from the problems mentioned above that should not have occurred at all if the precinct-counting had not been automated, there is an even bigger reason why precinctcounting should remain manual ‡ THAT VERY kRST STEP IN THE ELECTORAL process will make the whole end-toend election system transparent. (Do the voters know what happens to their votes after they feed their ballots into the machine? No, they don’t!) It is for this reason that several European countries that had automated their elections, reverted to manual precinct-counting. Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, are just three of those countries. I keep
repeating this argument because there are some politicians who say that to go back to manual would be to go back to the “dark ages.� Certainly, the three countries I just cited are not backward countries. In addition, these same politicians probably do not understand that the proposal is not to go back to the old manual system. The proposal is simply not to automate the vote-counting at the precincts. Transmission of the results from the precincts to the municipal and then to the provincial boards of canvassers will be done electronically and canvassing will be fully automated. Since manual vote-counting at the precincts is expected to only take one day, at the most, and since the three-level canvassing will be fully automated anyway, the whole election process will therefore take only one day longer than the present system. However, apart from the billions of pesos that would be saved, this proposed system would have the very important feature of transparency. Something that is lost when votecounting is automated. The only question left in the minds of IT practitioners who understand election systems, is why the Comelec commissioners refuse to consider this more effective, less costly, and more transparent “hybrid� system.
A federalism ‘juggernaut’ is more hype than reality MIDWEEK T COMMENTS HERE is a given about Congress, post the 2019 elections. The two chambers, the pliant House and hard-to-fathom Senate, have solid, pro-Duterte majorities. Loyal supporters of the administration call them “supermajorities,� though anything called “super� in politics is generally a concoction of partisans than a state of truth. 0OLITICS IS VERY lUID AND THAT STATE OF lUIDITY HAS THE CONSTANTLY SHIFTing tides and moods of Philippine politics as Exhibit A. For the moment, though, let us go along with the description of the two chambers as having proDuterte “supermajorities.� And from this solidly pro-Duterte idea, an inevitable question arises. Will the new Congress fast-track the Charter change efforts aimed at changing the form of government from a unitary/ presidential to a federal system? The answer of most political observers is this: No so fast. There are both practical and very deep problems with the push of the pro-federalism movement to speed up the whole shift. Let us start with the practical problems, led off by the Senate leadership. 4HE 3ENATE LEADERSHIP IS NOT A "ATman and Robin thing, with Senate 0RESIDENT 4ITO 3OTTO AS THE "ATMAN AND 3EN 0ANkLO g0INGu ,ACSON AS THE 2OBIN )T IS A "ATMAN AND "ATman leadership, with Sotto, the SP, AS THE "ATMAN WITH THE TITLE AND Lacson, who is less a sidekick than A kGURATIVE CO LEADER The two appear to speak with one voice and that became clear when
dismantle draft charters. Supposedly the most credible of the four proposals is the draft charter written by the Puno Constitutional Committee. Legal heavyweights led by a former chief justice of the Supreme Court worked for they decided to support the seven weeks to write a draft charter that senators who sought reelection, would smoothen the way for acREGARDLESS OF PARTY AFkLIATION 4HE ceptance of federalism, based on rationale cannot be questioned. — this was the popular belief — the They needed the work ethic and the pooled brilliance of the wise men cooperative spirit of the seven. Two who worked on the draft. out of the seven failed to make it. The product, according to the The two also clearly prefer the expectations, would be a near-topresidential form of government perfect document that cannot be over the parliamentary. The known impeached and discredited. How over something that would push did that document turn out? Philippine democracy into the The proposal to create four Sudangerous, uncharted, unknown. preme Courts alone shattered all And history says we should all be. the expectations of legal brilliance The experiment to place a French- and easy, across-the-board, acceptstyle form of government, with a ability. What is a constitution with president and a parliament. The four Supreme Courts and with no Marcos and Virata tandem was an dominant chief justice? autocratic experiment, not a genuine Even assuming that modern break from the unitary form. And it law has created specializations and brought us tragic results — bank- sub-specializations, the proposal ruptcy, a rubber-stamp parliament for four high courts assault the and descent into Asia’s “basket case.� idea of a single Supreme Court Those pushing for federalism led by one who is first among clearly have to break up the Sotto- equals. A Supreme Court as the Lacson leadership and that leader- ultimate voice of one of the coship’s sway over the Senate mem- equal branches of government, bership to pass a House-approved and which would rein in executive vote for Charter change at the upper overreach once Congress turns into chamber. And that first hurdle, a pliant rubbber stamp. seemingly a minor one given the The spineless take on the transipro-Duterte majority in the cham- tory powers just rub in the overall ber, is easier said than done. mediocrity of that draft. The second major roadblock What about the most recent is plainly in sight — the unap- House draft that extinguishes the petizing, unappealing, easy-to- "ILL OF 2IGHTS ! CONSTITUTION IS NOT
MARLEN V. RONQUILLO
a constitution if it fails to enshrine the sanctity of man’s rights and freedoms. What is a Republic with A "ILL OF 2IGHTS MISSING /F THE TWO earlier drafts, you can place them on an incinerator and the country will lose nothing. The last and most important hurdle is the unpopularity of Charter change. The popularity of President Duterte can actually translate into electoral votes. That was proven in the midterm elections. "UT THAT POPULARITY AND APPRECIAtion cannot sway enough positive votes on Charter change. The best-case scenario for those pushing for Charter change is an opposition level of more than 60 percent and with the positive votes at a low of 30 percent. The opposition to Charter change is hard-core and consistent. Filipinos may be tired and weary of the kind of politics and political leadership they see. "UT THEY SEE #HARTER CHANGE AS THE more sinister and power-hungry side of Philippine politics. As a result, they are willing to settle for the underwhelming structures of the present than plunge into the easyto-corrupt and easy-to-manipulate Charter change exercise. I failed to mention this. The borderline insanity and vulgarity that attended the past propaganda efforts to change the made-up minds on Charter change had hardened, not softened, the hardcore opposition to Charter change. The message failed. The vulgar messengers failed spectacularly.
˜ The Manila Times
w w w.manilatimes.net
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
Q TIGLAO FROM A1
Maligned businessman, hopefully our social media, big winners in Bikoy saga It will also likely be another case that WILL HELP TO kNALLY BRING THE TROUBLEmaker Antonio Trillanes 4th to jail. 4HE EPISODE THOUGH WILL LIKELY BE A BOON FOR "ICOLANO BUSINESSMEN Elizaldy Co and his partners in the Misibis Bay resort in Albay. Co LAST WEEK kLED LIBEL CHARGES AGAINST 'OOGLE 0HILIPPINES THE OWNER OF 9OU4UBE AND &ACEBOOK AND DEMANDED 0 BILLION IN DAMAGES UNDER THE COUNTRY S #YBERCRIME !CT )NCLUDED IN THE CHARGE WERE THE TWO INTERNET GIANTS COUNTRY DIRECTORS +ENNETH ,INGAN AND *OHN 2UBIO RESPECTIVELY 4HESE TWO THOUGH ARE EITHER JUST MORONIC SERVANTS OR 9ELLOW SYMPATHIZERS #O SHOULD SUE 'OOGLE #%/ 3UNDAR 0ICHAI AND &ACEBOOK FOUNDER AND HEAD -ARK :UCKERBERG FOR a billion dollars for their lies AGAINST THE 2EPUBLIC S 0RESIDENT that their companies spread. That WOULD PROD INTERNATIONAL MEDIA — which has been silent on the LIBEL SUIT TO REPORT IT -AYBE INCLUDE IN THE SUIT THE BRAINS OF THE "IKOY VIDEO 3EN !NTONIO 4RILLANES TH AS SOON AS THERE IS THE SLIGHTEST EVIDENCE that it was mostly his handiwork. %PISODE OF THE "IKOY VIDEOS WHICH $UTERTE HIMSELF HAS CLAIMED was the handiwork of his strident CRITIC 4RILLANES ALLEGED THAT THE BUSINESSMAN #O WAS THE LEADER OF A DRUG SYNDICATE OPERATING IN THE REGION AND THAT THE CRIMINAL OPERATIONS WERE UNDERTAKEN INSIDE his posh Misibis Bay resort. #O HAS VEHEMENTLY DENIED THESE AND CLAIMED THAT THE ALLEGATIONS NOT ONLY SEVERELY TAINTED HIS REPUTATION BUT DRASTICALLY AFFECTED HIS BUSINESS LEADING TO HUGE kNANCIAL LOSSES WITH BANKS EVEN CLOSING their credit lines to him.
gLIBRARIES u A NOTION CONTAINED IN ONE 53 JUDGE S RULING IN WHEN 4HE SUIT APPEARS TO BE AN OPEN SOCIAL MEDIA WAS IN ITS INFANCY AND SHUT CASE THAT WOULD MAKE WHICH LED TO THE NOW INFAMOUS #O A BILLION PESO RICHER *URISPRU- g3ECTION u IN THE 53 #OMMUNIDENCE IN MANY 7ESTERN COUNTRIES CATIONS $ECENCY !CT OF HAS TURNED UP DECISIONS THAT FAVOR SIMILAR COMPLAINANTS ALTHOUGH Library books INVOLVING MUCH SMALLER MONETARY CLAIMS 4HE COURTS POINTED OUT 4HAT IS 3ECTION HAS BEEN USED THAT SUCH SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESSES to make the claim that social meTHAT HAVE BEEN MAKING BILLIONS OF DIA POSTINGS ARE JUST LIKE BOOKS IN A DOLLARS IN PROkTS HAVE THE RESPON- LIBRARY WITH THE LIBRARY S OWNER NOT sibility to allocate a few millions to EVEN KNOWING WHAT BOOKS WERE ENSURE THAT THEY DO NOT PUBLISH IN BEING BORROWED AND THEREFORE NOT CYBERSPACE MALICIOUS LIES AGAINST liable for their contents. innocent citizens. 4HAT CERTAINLY WOULD APPEAR (OWEVER A FEW CASES IN THE 53 TO BE A PREPOSTEROUS DEFENSE FOR 5+ AND #ANADA WERE RESOLVED IN &ACEBOOK S "IKOY VIDEO AS THE ISFAVOR OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLAT- SUE HAD HOGGED THE HEADLINES FOR FORMS BASED ON TWO NOTIONS A MONTH WITH THE 0RESIDENT OF THE 4HE FIRST INVOLVES THE SO 2EPUBLIC HIMSELF TALKING ABOUT IT called “notice-and-take-down” )T IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR &ACEBOOK AND declared policy of social media 9OU4UBE NOT TO HAVE NOTICED THE PLATFORMS 4HERE HAVE BEEN LIBELOUS ALLEGATIONS IN WHICH THEIR COURT RULINGS IN THE 7EST THAT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS SERVED AS ACQUITTED SOCIAL MEDIA VENUES the mechanism for their disseminaON THE GROUND THAT THE LIBEL- TION NOT JUST HERE BUT WORLD WIDE OUS POSTINGS WERE TAKEN DOWN "UT THAT KIND OF DEFENSE IS OBVIAS SOON AS THE AGGRIEVED PARTY OUSLY APPLICABLE ONLY IN THE S called their attention to it. WHEN SOCIAL MEDIA DIDN T YET HAVE (OWEVER BOLSTERING MANY NE- THE COLOSSAL AUDIENCE &ACEBOOK TIZENS SUSPICIONS THAT &ACEBOOK AND 9OU4UBE HAVE NOW THAT THEY AND 9OU4UBE ARE RUN BY &ILIPINOS CAN MOLD PUBLIC OPINION SYMPATHETIC TO THE 9ELLOW #ULT )T IS INDEED SO APPALLING THAT BOTH COMPLETELY IGNORED THE AN ANONYMOUS "IKOY WOULD "ICOLANO BUSINESSMAN S DEMAND CLAIM WITHOUT ANY BASIS AT ALL TO TAKE DOWN THE VIDEO AND ANY THAT A BUSINESSMAN IS A DRUG POSTINGS ON THE "IKOY ALLEGATIONS LORD WITH THAT SLANDER VIEWED LAST !PRIL OR FOUR DAYS after and heard by probably more %PISODE CONTAINING THE LIBELOUS THAN PEOPLE VIEWING ACCUSATIONS WAS RELEASED HIS ALLEGATION IN 9OU4UBE AND !LL PREVIOUS FOUR EPISODES ARE THE ACCUSATION HAVING TO BE IN FACT STILL THERE 9OU4UBE S WAY reported by traditional media OF TELLING OUR COUNTRY TO F
K OFF WITH ANOTHER AS ITS 3OCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES SECOND AUDIENCE .O WAY CAN 9OU4UBE defense is that rather than newspa- AND &ACEBOOK CLAIM THEY ARE NOT PERS THEIR PLATFORMS ARE IN REALITY INVOLVED IN THIS VILE DEED
Open and shut
4HE "IKOY VIDEO SHOULD BE A WAKE UP CALL FOR OUR JUDICIARY TO ENFORCE QUICKLY AND STRICTLY THE CYBERLIBEL PROVISIONS OF THE #YBERCRIME 0REVENTION !CT -AYBE EVEN FOR #ONGRESS TO AMEND THE LAW TO MAKE IT STRICTER AND TO REQUIRE LAWENFORCERS TO ENFORCE IT EVEN BEFORE FORMAL COURT PROCEEDINGS )SN T IT QUITE IRONIC OR MAYBE THEY RE JUST DEMONSTRATING THEIR Yellow feathers — that Ellen 4ORDESILLAS THE HEAD OF VERA &ILES WHICH IS ONE OF &ACEBOOK S gFACT CHECKERS u STRIVED TO GET PEOPLE TO VIEW THE "IKOY VIDEOS WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A COLOSSAL CASE OF THE FAKEST NEWS 3HE EVEN TRIED HARD TO SELL THE VIDEOS TO THE COUNTRY CLAIMING THAT THEY WERE REPORTING THE TRUTH THAT THE ALLEGATIONS THERE WERE IN HER WORDS gRIVETINGu -AYBE THIS SICKENING "IKOY EPISODE WILL LEAD TO SOMETHING GOOD &OR &ACEBOOK AND 9OU4UBE TO STOP BEING VENUES FOR SPREADING CALUMNIES AGAINST &ILIPINOS ESPECIALLY THE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED 9ELLOW KIND THAT ARE REALLY INTENDED TO OUST A DULY ELECTED PRESIDENT $ESPITE ITS 9ELLOW BIASES THE kind of lies contained in the "IKOY VIDEOS WOULDN T HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED OR AIRED BY TRADITIONAL MEDIA WHICH ARE BY THEIR NATURE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH JOURNALISTIC STANDARDS OF ASSESSING THE VALIDITY OF ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST PEOPLE EVEN GOVERNMENT OFkCIALS
%MAIL TIGLAO MANILATIMES GMAIL COM &ACEBOOK 2IGOBERTO 4IGLAO 4WITTER BOBITIGLAO "OOK ORDERS WWW RIGOBERTOTIGLAO COM DEBUNKED
Q AQUINO FROM A1
Stories my mother told me I learned a sad lesson from my GRANDPARENTS WHO LIVED IN THE EARLY PART OF THE TH CENTURY TILL THE S -Y GRANDMOTHER VIVIDLY REMEMBERED HOW SHE AN YEAR OLD AT THE TIME MIGRATED FROM 3TO $OMINGO )LOCOS 3UR TO !LCALA #AGAYAN ABOARD A gbiray.” 3HE TOLD US OTHER STORIES THAT GAVE US A WINDOW INTO THE PAST AND INTO THE WORLD THAT NO LONGER EXISTS BUT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN NO LESS COLORFUL AND CERTAINLY FRAUGHT WITH HUMAN HEARTEDNESS A STRONG SENSE OF FAMILY AND AN ABIDING FEAR OF 'OD ) WILL NOT REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKE AND WILL COMMIT MY PARENTS STORIES TO WRITING BECAUSE THE TIMES OF WHICH THEY TOLD US WILL BE RECOGNIZED BY THE ELDER GENERATION AND BECAUSE KNOWING THEIR NARRATIVE SHOULD DISABUSE US FROM THE CONCEIT THAT OURS ARE THE BEST OF TIMES I learned from my father and MOTHER THAT THE PERIOD PRECEDING THE *APANESE /CCUPATION SOMEHOW A TEMPORAL REFERENCE POINT FROM WHICH MANY EVENTS WERE reckoned — was known as “peace TIME u AND WHEN MY MOTHER HEARD TUNES LIKE g)T 7AS &ASCINATION u g)T S 4HREE / CLOCK IN THE -ORNINGu AND OTHERS LIKE THEM HER THOUGHTS WERE back to the period of peace and TRANQUILITY BEFORE THE HORRORS OF THE *APANESE INVASION 4HEY SANG g,AND OF THE -ORNING #HILD OF THE 3UN 2ETURNING u 3HE WAS A GROWING child in Alcala — one of the towns OF #AGAYAN THAT HAS A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF MIGRANTS FROM THE )LOCOS 4HERE MY GRANDFATHER A TEACHER WHO WOULD RISE THROUGH THE RANKS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM TO BECOME
M
DISTRICT SUPERVISOR BUILT HIS FAMILY A PLEASANT DECENT HOUSE )T WAS MY MOTHER TOLD US THE ONLY HOUSE IN THE WHOLE SMALL TOWN THAT HAD RUNNING WATER BECAUSE MY GRANDFATHER who was always obsessed with water that he considered to be the indisPENSABLE CONDITION TO SANITATION HAD BUILT A MASSIVE WATER TANK AND HAD SEEN TO IT THAT ALL GUTTERS FED RAIN WATER INTO THE TANK DURING THE RAINY SEASON AND THAT IT WAS CAPACIOUS ENOUGH TO CARRY THE FAMILY THROUGH the dry months. /NE OF -OMMY S SADDEST MEMORIES WAS LOSING HER YOUNGER SISTER who died in her childhood of UREMIA THAT WOULD NOT BE LIFE THREATENING AT ALL TODAY BUT FOR which there was hardly any remedy at that time. There was also the SELkSHNESS OF THE TOWN DOCTOR WHO did not hide his resentment when MY GRANDPARENTS ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ANY OBJECTIONS TO THEIR SEEKING A SECOND OPINION IN 4UGUEGARAO A RELATIVELY MORE ADVANCED TOWN AT THE TIME -Y GRANDPARENTS DID not wish to offend the town doctor WHO THEY COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON TO ATTEND TO THEM IN ILLNESS BUT AS A CONSEQUENCE LOST MY MOTHER S SISTER )N HER NAIVET¼ MY MOTHER BLAMED MY GRANDMOTHER FOR HAVING GIVEN HER YOUNGER SISTER SOME FRUIT TO EAT THE DAY BEFORE "UT SUCH WAS THE PATHOS SUCH WERE THE limitations of the times. -EANWHILE WAR BROKE OUT BUT -OMMY CONTINUED SCHOOLING DURING THE PERIOD OF THE *APANESE /CCUPATION 3HE ACQUIRED FACILITY WITH .IPONGGO AND WAS OFTEN CALLED UPON BY THE *APANESE
“Retty san 2ETTY sanu -OMMY S nickname was “Letty”) — to be AN INTERPRETER 3HE RECALLS THAT ALREADY AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE SHE KNEW WHEN SOMEONE WAS GOING TO BE IN TROUBLE AND ENDEAVORING NOT TO AROUSE THE SUSPICION OF THE *APANESE SHE WOULD INTERPRET IN A MANNER LEAST COMPROMISING TO THE PERSON UNDER INTERROGATION Except for a few words — and THE SONG OF THE OCCUPIED !SIAN nations “ Miyotokaino sorakketeuw OR SOMETHING THAT GOES BY THOSE WORDS COMMONLY CALLED THE *APANESE g0ATRIOTIC 3ONGu SHE COMPLETELY FORGOT .IPONGGO IN HER LATER LIFE !ND FOR A TIME IT WAS A PUZZLEMENT TO ME AS WELL AS TO HER "UT ) ATTRIBUTED THAT TO the horrors of the war she had witnessed that it was a part of her MEMORY SHE DID NOT WANT REVIVED 3HE RECALLED HOW IN THE BARRIO TO WHICH THEY HAD EVACUATED WHILE COOKING IN MAKESHIFT STOVES EVERYTHING HAD TO BE EXTINGUISHED HURRIEDLY WHENEVER A PLANE WAS HEARD OVERHEAD FOR FEAR THAT THE SMOKE FROM THE STOVES WOULD BETRAY THEIR PRESENCE &ROM THAT SAME SPOT SHE AND MY GRANDPARENTS KNELT GRIEF STRICKEN AS THEY SAW THEIR BELOVED HOUSE WITH ITS COLORED GLASS WINDOWS RAZED TO THE GROUND BY THE incendiary bombs let loose by the gLIBERATINGu !MERICAN FORCES !ND that is another term with which I became familiar from the stories SHE TOLD ME g,IBERATIONu WHICH MEANT THE ARRIVAL OF THE !MERICANS and the extirpation of the detested *APANESE FORCES &OR SECONDARY SCHOOL -OMMY
MOVED TO 4UGUEGARAO MY GRANDFATHER S HOMETOWN WHERE SHE IMMERSED HERSELF IN THE CULTURE OF HER OWN GRANDPARENTS 4HEY LOVED )BANAG AND SHE LOVED EVERYTHING )BANAG )N FACT AT THE TIME WHEN THE FIRST GENERATION OF CELLULAR PHONES HAD A FEATURE THAT ALLOWED YOU TO COMPOSE A RINGER TUNE SHE asked me to encode the notes of “+ILINGKINGANu AN )BANAG SONG ABOUT A BIRD THAT WAS ONCE PLENTIFUL IN THE FAMED #ALLAO #AVES THE HOME OF THE NEWLY FEATURED “(OMO ,UZONENSIS u !T THAT TIME it was considered fashionable to be a “dormitoriana u ESPECIALLY IF THE MATRON WAS KNOWN FOR HER HIGH STATURE HER REFINEMENT AND HER PURITANICAL SEVERITY !ND SO IT WAS THAT MY MOTHER CAME UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF -S #ARMEN 1UINTO WHO WOULD LATER BECOME DIVISION SUPERVISOR FOR SCIENCE IN THE $IVISION OF #AGAYAN /N HER BIRTHDAY ) POSTED ON MY &ACEBOOK TIMELINE THAT NONE OF US HER CHILDREN IS EVEN HALF as brilliant and wise as she was ASIDE FROM HAVING BECOME A lawyer when women-lawyers were A RARITY AND LAW WAS TAUGHT IN A REALLY GRAND MANNER BY SUCH LEGENDS AS 2ICARDO 0UNO *", 2EYES *ESUS "ARRERA AND *OVITO 3ALONGA SHE HAD LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THE times and the world in which she LIVED SO DIFFERENT FROM THE WEB OF COMFORT AND EASE WE HAVE SPUN FOR OURSELVES IN THESE MEDIOCRE TIMES
RANNIE?AQUINO CSU EDU PH RANNIE?AQUINO SANBEDA EDU PH RANNIE?AQUINO OUTLOOK COM
Sticking with the familiar or striking out?
!.9 YEARS AGO ) VENTURED INTO political commentary almost BY ACCIDENT ) WAS EDUCATED IN LAW AND ENGINEERING AND WORKED IN BOTH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND DOMESTIC POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT "UT TO COMMENT ON POLITICS ONE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO IN A sense both detach oneself from the HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF POLITICS TO GET A CLEARER OVERALL PICTURE BUT IRONICALLY ALSO GET INTO THE THICK OF POLITICS TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE TRUE SCENES ON THE
EI SUN OH GROUND &OR AS A LATE SPEAKER OF THE 53 (OUSE OF 2EPRESENTATIVES PUT IT APTLY ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL "UT EVEN THEN AS NOW THERE WAS THIS POLITICAL CONUNDRUM OF SORTS
WHICH OFTEN CONFOUNDED ME !ND THAT IS WHEN A COUNTRY OR A SOCIETY IS EXPERIENCING SOME SORT OF POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC UNEASE AND ASSUMING there is some semblance of politiCAL CHOICE WOULD THE VOTERS GO FOR A RADICAL CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT IN ORDER TO DELIVER A JOLT TO THE SYSTEM TO TRY TO BRING ABOUT SOME SOLUTIONS TO THE ECONOMIC OR POLITICAL MALAISE OR WOULD SUCH DIFkCULTIES MAKE THE ELECTORATE MORE CONSERVATIVE AND IN A SENSE CONSOLIDATE SUPPORT FOR THE
EXISTING RULING ELITE SO AS WELL PRECISELY NOT TO ROCK THE ALREADY SHAKY BOAT TOO MUCH 4HE ANSWERS TO THIS CONUNDRUM CONTINUE TO PUZZLE ME )N -ALAYSIA AT LEAST THE ANSWER seemed to be a mixed one. A year AGO -ALAYSIA WAS MIRED IN A KLEPTOCRATIC TRAP WITH THE THEN RULING COALITION HAVING RATHER OPENLY AND SHAMELESSLY ENGAGED IN VARIOUS FORMS OF CORRUPTION AND ABUSE OF POWER THE GAINFUL PROCEEDS OF
³OhA6
Opinion
A5
After Otso Diretso debacle, what next?
I
7),, NOT DELVE THAT MUCH INTO THE MIDTERM ELECTION RESULTS EXCEPT TO SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF 3MARTMATIC AND THE #OMELEC ) RELUCTANTLY ACCEDE TO THE gINTELLIGENTu VOTERS WHO HAVE ALLOWED A PLUNDERER TO kLTER THROUGH !ND ) WON T CALL THEM STUPID OR bobo or PLAIN IDIOTS "UT FOR THOSE WHO SOLD THEIR VOTES TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU DESERVE ) HAVE LEARNED TO ACCEPT THAT FOR THE POVERTY STRICKEN ELECTIONS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE EASY MONEY FOR THE DAY AND THE FUTURE BE DAMNEDÜ !ND FOR THE CANDIDATES the phrase — “my opponents are BUYING VOTES ) WILL LOSE IF ) DON Tu IS JUST TOO COMPELLING TO DISMISS 4HIS PRACTICE IS SO ANOMALOUSLY INGRAINED IN THE SYSTEM ) WILL THEREFORE NOT BEGRUDGE MANY OF THE UNLETTERED VOTERS FOR EQUATING A CANDIDATE S QUALIkCATIONS AND PLATFORM OF GOVERNANCE ARTICULATED THROUGH A PROCLIVITY TO ENTERTAIN BY DANCING THE gBUDOTSu WELL 3O ) SHALL MOVE ON AND OCCUPY MYSELF WITH THE POLITICAL ISSUES AT HAND UNTIL THE NEXT electoral catastrophe. With the senatorial winners PROCLAIMED THEIR SYCOPHANTS ARE NOW THROWING THEIR NAMES FORWARD as “presidentiables.” Concocted in THE 0HILIPPINES THIS WORD HAS NOT YET BEEN INCLUDED IN Webster S BUT IT HAS GAINED TRACTION IN OUR POLITICAL lexicon. The top three senators are AUTOMATICALLY ACCORDED THIS HONORIkC ALONG WITH THOSE THAT OCCUPY THE HIGHEST OFkCES IN THE LAND VICE PRESIDENT SPEAKER OF THE (OUSE 3ENATE PRESIDENT AND CHILDREN OF AUTOCRATS !LSO THOSE WANNABEES WHO AS THEIR EGOS DICTATE ANOINT THEMSELVES AS gPRESIDENTIABLES u ) SURMISE MANY OF THOSE WHO WELCOMED THE ,IBERAL 0ARTY S debacle are not exactly enamORED WITH $5 AND (UGPONG S SENATORIAL CHOICES )NDIVIDUALLY THE /TSO $IRETSO HAD WORTHY CANDIDATES BUT ITS GENERIC MESSAGE of hate failed to resonate on the ELECTORATE 022$ WITH PERCENT APPROVAL RATING WAS NOT EVEN IN THE BALLOT "UT AN ACQUIESCENT 3ENATE IS INDISPENSABLE TO THE $EEGONG S AGENDA $5 GOT HIS WISH /UR GROUP THE #ENTRIST $EMOCRATS FOR ONE SAW THE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE 0RESIDENT TO PUSH FORWARD OUR SHARED AGENDA FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE BY DOING AWAY WITH THE #ORY #ONSTITUTION !LTHOUGH SUSPICIOUS AND FEARFUL OF HIS DESPOTIC TENDENCIES WE ARE TAKING THE 0RESIDENT ON FAITH HOPING WE ARE CORRECT .OW THE PATH IS CLEAR FOR THE $EEGONG TO PUSH FOR THE REVISION OF THE #ONSTITUTION AND A SHIFT TO A federal-parliamentary system with a liberalized economy. This was WHAT THE 9ELLOW HORDES THE /TSO $IRETSO AND THEIR LEFTIST COMMUNIST ALLIES HAVE SET OUT TO PROTECT The process of a shift to federalPARLIAMENTARY FROM THE CURRENT UNITARY PRESIDENTIAL WILL TAKE THE three years more allotted to the $EEGONG PROVIDED SOME CRITICAL REFORMS ARE PUT IN PLACE NOW g4HE Centrist proposals — federal parLIAMENTARY u The Manila Times *AN This is the reason why the adVOCATES OF CONSTITUTIONAL REVISIONS MUST FOCUS ON SHAPING THE DEBATE towards a federal-parliamentary GOVERNMENT 4HE BETTING AND KURO KURO on “presidentiables” therefore IS IRRELEVANT AS OF THE MOMENT 3ARA AS AN HEIR APPARENT "ONGBONG AS A CONTENDER #YNTHIA 6ILLAR AS A LEADING NAME IN THE PRESIDENTIAL SWEEPSTAKES AND EVEN 0ING ,ACSON AS THE DARK HORSE 4HESE ARE INCONGRUOUS TO THE POLITICAL CONVERSATION IF THE $EEGONG IS TO BE OCCUPIED WITH the shift to a parliamentary-federal system. The Centrist Democrats will WORK WITH THE 0RESIDENT TO IMPLANT INTO THE POLITICAL DISCOURSE OUR PROPOSALS IF ALLOWED ALL FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRYMEN /N THIS NOTE WE THE #ENTRIST $EMOCRATS BARE OUR FOUR DECADES ADVOCACY 7E ABROGATE THE PERVERsion of democracy by an aberrant PRESIDENTIAL UNITARY GOVERNMENT PRACTICED FOR OVER A CENTURY THAT LONG EMBRACED VALUES OF POLITICAL PATRONAGE PERMEATING THE BODY POLITIC 4HIS NEEDS TO BE OVERHAULED AND GOOD PRACTICES INCULCATED OVER TIME SAFEGUARDED BY JUDICIOUS LAWS
LITO MONICO C. LORENZANA /UR #ENTRIST 0ROPOSALS Real #HANGE IS (ERE ! 0RIMER ON &EDERAL 0ARLIAMENTARY 3YSTEM www.cdpi.asia) call for “…the FUSION OF LEGISLATIVE AND THE EXECUTIVE POWERS AND VESTED UPON A UNICAMERAL 0ARLIAMENT AND @(EAD OF THE 'OVERNMENT IS THE 0RIME -INISTER WITH HIS CABINET RECRUITED FROM AMONG THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT 4HE 0RESIDENT IS THE @(EAD OF 3TATE AND IS ELECTED FROM AMONG the members of parliament.” ! UNICAMERAL PARLIAMENT IS COMposed of elected members from the PARLIAMENTARY DISTRICTS PLUS THOSE chosen on the basis of “proportional representation” by the political party itself. These chosen party members are the party-list within a political PARTY AND SHALL CONSTITUTE PERCENT of the total members of parliament -0 4HE CURRENT PARTY LIST SYSTEM AS PRACTICED SHOULD BE ABOLISHED 7HAT WE ENVISION IS THAT POLITICAL PARTIES SHALL ENSURE THAT IN THE PERCENT gPARTY LIST u THE LABOR PEASANT URBAN POOR VETERANS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE COMMUNITIES WOMEN YOUTH AND DIFFERENTLY ABLED EXCEPT THE RELIGIOUS SECTOR ARE PROPERLY REPRESENTED within the party. ! PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT IS ALSO CALLED gPARTY GOVERNMENTu BECAUSE OF THE PIVOTAL ROLE OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONS /UR CURRENT POLITICAL PARTIES are personal factions and alliances OF POLITICIANS UNITED MAINLY FOR ELECTIONS AND PATRONAGE THEY HAVE NO MASS MEMBERSHIPS AND NO SUSTAINABLE AND EXCLUSIVE SERIOUS PLATFORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT DIFFERENTIATE them from one another. They are not RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE IN AND OUT OF OFkCE &OR THESE REASONS THEY DON T HAVE LOYALTY TO THEIR PARTIES AND MIGRATE TO THE POLITICAL PARTY OF THE WINNING president. This spectacle is known as gPOLITICAL BUTTERlY u !S PROPOSED ANY ELECTIVE OFkCIAL WHO LEAVES HIS political party before the end of the term shall forfeit his seat and will be replaced by his political party. A mechanism to replace a prime minister is for parliament to withDRAW ITS CONkDENCE AND BY ELECTING A SUCCESSOR BY A ÝMAJORITY VOTE OF ALL ITS MEMBERS u 4HIS gVOTE OF NO CONkDENCEu IS A MUCH EASIER PROCESS OF REPLACING A HEAD OF GOVernment in a parliamentary system THAN THE CURRENT IMPEACHMENT PROCESS OF REPLACING A PRESIDENT At the same time that the parliaMENTARY SYSTEM IS BEING ADOPTED A STEP BY STEP PROCESS CREATING INDIVIDUAL FEDERAL STATES IS EMBEDDED IN THE NEW CONSTITUTION A SYSTEM WITH CLEAR SEPARATION OF POWERS AND AUTHORITY BETWEEN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT FEDERAL AND THE REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS STATES 7E ALLOW THE PROVINCES AND HIGHLY URBANIZED COMPONENT CITIES TO EVOLVE kRST TO AN AUTONOMOUS TERRITORY WITH THE DECISION TO GROUP THEMSELVES COMING FROM THE GRASSROOTS )N OTHER WORDS THE CITIZENS WITHIN A CONTIGUOUS TERRITORY WITH COMMON LANGUAGE AND CULTURE MUST DECIDE IN A REFERENDUM THAT THEY BECOME COMPLETELY AUTONOMOUS g3ELF DETERMINATIONu IS CENTRAL TO THIS DECISION 0ETITIONS ARE PASSED BY THE LOCAL LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES )F A REFERENDUM IS PASSED WITHIN A YEAR PARLIAMENT MUST ENACT AN ORGANIC LAW DEkNING THE AUTONOMOUS TERRITORY S LAND AREA POWERS OBLIGATIONS AND SOURCES OF REVENUES TAXES )F PERCENT OF THE PROVinces and component cities of the 0HILIPPINES BECOME AUTONOMOUS TERRITORIES THEN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF THE 0HILIPPINES IS CREATED 4HIS ELECTION HAS SEEN THE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THE 0RESIDENT AND HIS AGENDA )T IS THEREFORE INCUMBENT UPON HIM NOW TO COMMUNICATE WELL TO THE CONSTITUENCY what he wants and intends to do. .OTHING MORE NOTHING LESSÜ
&OR #ENTRIST PROPOSAL PLEASE access www.cdpi.asia or lito.loRENZANA CDPI ASIA
A6
Opinion
˜ The Manila Times
w w w.manilatimes.net
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
Tracking government projects
I
N this digital age, information can be transmitted from one person to another in an instant, with a few presses and clicks on the screen of a gadget; that same information can be shared by practically everyone in the planet who has access to the internet. The government therefore serves the public well by uploading readily accessible information about the so-called “big ticket� projects under its “Build Build Build� (BBB) program by maintaining a website at build. gov.ph. Anyone, especially the Filipino taxpayers, who wishes to track the progress of these projects can do so by simply browsing the pages of that website. The other day I read that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has just approved a loan for the 53.1-kilometer Malolos-Clark Railway project in the amount of $2.7 billion. This reportedly was the biggest loan package the bank has ever extended for any single project. Implemented by the Depart-
INGMING ABERIA ment of Transportation, this project is part of the bigger P149billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project which was started in 2013. The BBB website summarizes its project description as “a 147km mass transportation railway system traversing Clark, Pampanga (Region 3), and Calamba, Laguna (Region 4). It has 3 interconnected railway systems: 1) the PNR Clark Phase 1; 2) The PNR Clark Phase 2 [Clark Extension]; and 3) PNR Calamba. The total cost is P777.551 billion. The PNR Clark Phase 1 involves the construction of a 37.6-km rail line that will connect Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan. With this line, commuters from Tutuban will reach Malolos in approximately 35
minutes, from over 1 [hour] and 30 minutes of travel time. It can accommodate 300,000 passengers daily in its opening year.� There is a bar graph that shows the progress of project implementation, from project development, to procurement, to project implementation (meaning, construction). Sub bar graphs for each milestone show that project development progress is at zero percent; procurement at zero percent; and project implementation progress is also at zero percent. 2IGHT THERE ONE kNDS THAT THE WEBSITE IS DEkCIENT )T NEEDS REGUlar updating. For a project that started six years ago (in the middle of the Aquino administration), zero progress in at least the initial stages of project development and procurement cannot be, in my view, an accurate accounting. Surely a project cannot get ADB APPROVAL WITHOUT SUFkCIENT PROJECT development documentation. Project development, includes, at the minimum, pre-feasibility
and/or feasibility studies, resettlement plan (for those who will be displaced), environment plan, RIGHT OF WAY kNANCING PROCUREment plan, organizational structuring, sustainability and operational and maintenance plan, and financing/loan documentation. All of these studies go through rigorous, sometimes contentious, discussion and analyses, which largely explain why government projects take time to get done. Adequate documentation of consultative processes involving stakeholders is vital during the early stages of project development, especially with the size and scope of BBB projects. How are the population being displaced by these projects going to cope with livelihood? What will mitigate the destruction of the ecosystem if project sites are within mangrove areas, for example? Answers to these questions are some of the basic information, among many others, that the BBB website should make readily
A N A LY S I S
available for the public to access. On procurement, citizens would appreciate being given the ability to browse or download documentation of each step being undertaken within the entire bidding process. Procurement consists of mandatory steps, such as planning, pre-procurement conference; issuance of procurement notices; pre-bid conference; submission, examination and evaluation of bids; post-evaluation QUALIkCATION THEN kNALLY NOTICE of award and notice to proceed. Procurement planning, at which stage project cost is determined, is crucial for establishing the conditions that will either enable or disable irregularities to happen during the course of project implementation. Here project proponents determine unit costs for each project component. Overpricing by a few centavos for each unit of material, for example, means millions of pesos can be lost to corruption if the total cost runs into billions
of pesos. At some point after the evaluation of bids, observers can also tell if collusion among bidders took place, indicating that the purpose of getting the best value for money through competition has been compromised. Many studies have shown that up to 40 percent of public funds are lost due to corruption. Most of these leaks happen during procurement and contract execution. And yet, if done properly, government procurement can provide THE MOST EFkCIENT PROCESS BY WHICH public funds are converted into goods and services that can evenTUALLY BENEkT THE PEOPLE 3OME experts even argue that government projects that go through procurement are in the long run less costly, from the viewpoint of the taxpaying public, than those that apply private-public partnership 000 METHODS OF kNANCING 4HAT S because while PPPs can mobilize private funds for public goods, they also promote private gain more than they ease public pain.
FOCUS
India’s Modi faces foreign pressures in 2nd term In Japan, Trump leaves allies, enemies and staff guessing
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a second term IN OFkCE AFTER RESPONDING TO A SUIcide attack on Indian paramilitary forces in troubled Kashmir with an airstrike inside Pakistan, allowing HIM TO TURN VOTERS ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE COUNTRY S HIGHEST UNEMployment rate in decades. Now, after his swearing-in on Thursday, he will need to deftly navigate a trade war between the United States and China and rising tensions between the US and Iran, an important source of cheap oil FOR )NDIA S FAST GROWING ECONOMY Modi will also face pressure to PROTECT )NDIA S TRADITIONAL SPHERE OF INlUENCE IN 3OUTH !SIA Many Modi supporters credit the 68-year-old leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party WITH )NDIA S GROWING STATUS ABROAD and messages from US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu CONGRATULATING HIM ON HIS PARTY S victory even before all results were in seemed to bolster that belief. Lalit Mansingh, a former Indian ambassador to Washington, said foreign policy has been one of -ODI S MOST PRONOUNCED ACHIEVEments, as he pursued it with vigor “that we have not seen in any other prime minister so far.� As Modi returns to power for ANOTHER kVE YEARS GLOBAL LEADERS are looking to India to take on a larger burden of responsibility in the world, acting as a security bufFER IN THE )NDO 0ACIkC OPENING ITS
markets and responding to climate change, even though Modi struggled TO MANAGE MANY OF )NDIA S DOMESTIC ISSUES IN HIS kRST TERM “Maneuvering in the current international situation will be quite a challenge for Modi,� said Dilip Sinha, a retired Indian diplomat. The US wants India to act as a counterweight to Beijing to prevent the rise of Chinese hegemony in Asia, but it also wants the Modi administration to lower barriers to trade. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross complained to leaders in New Delhi earlier this month that American companies struggle to ACCESS )NDIA S MARKETS BECAUSE OF tariffs and myriad regulations. To help reduce the trade imbalance, India has signed more than $15 billion in US defense contracts. According to the World Economic Forum, India is poised to become THE WORLD S THIRD LARGEST CONSUMER market, growing from $1.5 trillion this year to $6 trillion by 2030. At the same time, with the Trump administration scaling up sanctions on Iran and ending waivers for countries including India that import Iranian goods, India must replace its third-largest source of imported oil. 4HE FEAR OF A FURTHER CONlAGRAtion in the Gulf region could make oil more expensive and threatens the security of 7 million Indians WORKING AS MIGRANT LABORERS g)T S AN EXTREMELY DIFkCULT AND CHALLENGING position for India,� Sinha said. $URING THE #OLD 7AR )NDIA DIDN T have open relations with Israel, leaning heavily in favor of the Palestinians.
But over the last 25 years, ties between the two countries have warmed. Trade between them has skyrocketed from $200 million in 1992, when India and Israel established diplomatic ties, to $4.16 billion in 2016. The growing ties risk upsetting )NDIA S LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP with other Middle Eastern countries. The US weapons purchase agreeMENTS COUPLED WITH 2USSIA S improving ties with Pakistan and China, also pose a challenge to Russia-India relations, which date back to the Cold War. g)NDIA S 2USSIAN TIES ARE ALSO BEGINNING TO FRAY 4HE RECENT kGHTER aircraft deals with France and other military hardware purchases from the USA have resulted in sidelinING )NDIA S USUAL DEFENSE PARTNER u the opposition Indian National Congress party said in a statement. India faces perhaps its biggest challenge with China at its northeastern border, as Beijing invests billions in infrastructure development in South Asia. India takes years to execute projects, whereas China delivers quickly on what it promises. India needs to maintain close ties with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives, its traDITIONAL SPHERE OF INlUENCE "UT delays by Indian companies have led to cost overruns, prompting )NDIA S NEIGHBORS TO LOOK TOWARD China for speedy development. Modi has carefully cultivated ties with President Xi after a 2017 border standoff over Chinese construction of a road in Doklam near a tri-border area with Bhutan.
India and China fought a bloody war in 1962 over a border dispute that continues to simmer. But their relations have thawed recently, with Beijing deciding against blocking the UN designation of Masood Azhar, the leader of the Pakistan-based militant group that claimed responsibility for the February suicide bombing in Kashmir, as a global terrorist. Though Modi invited then-Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other South Asian leaders to attend his swearing-in ceremony in 2014, the neighbors were at the brink of nuclear war in February. -ODI HAS REFUSED AN OFkCIAL DIAlogue with Islamabad until it ends support for what India calls terrorism emanating from its territory. They have fought two of three wars over control of divided Kashmir since they won independence from Britain in 1947. In Kashmir, the majority Muslims SEE -ODI S REELECTION AS CAUSING MORE HARDSHIP )N THE PAST kVE YEARS -ODI S GOVERNMENT GAVE THE MILITARY a free hand to crush resistance to Indian rule, targeting not just armed militants but also civilians supporting their cause, to keep Kashmir a part of India at any cost. 3OME IN +ASHMIR SEE -ODI S win as “a blessing in disguise,� saying his tough approach could energize the movement for selfdetermination in the region. g4HE FOG AROUND )NDIA S POLICIES on Kashmir is increasingly getting removed thanks to Modi and Co.,� said Sajjad Ahmed, a schoolteacher. ASSOCIATED PRESS (AP)
Q OH FROM A5
Sticking with the familiar or striking out? which it partially channeled to curry electoral favor, especially among the rural poor who rely on government handouts for their livelihood. So, despite the public coffers having been systematically emptied, with the larger portion secreted away in overseas accounts and properties, and the substantially smaller portion “ploughed back� to the grassroots, the political trick almost worked, as the then ruling racially supremacist UMNO party as well as the nominally opposition, religiously extremist PAS together garnered close to three quarters of the total votes of the Malays, the largest ethnic group in Malaysia. It is only thanks to the fact that the two socially regressive parties were not then formally coalesced that they did not win enough parliamentary seats to form a government just by themselves. Instead, the then opposition was barely able to cobble together a slim parliamentary majority to form a new government. It was undoubtedly a historic political move in Malaysia, as the country had by then undergone more than half a century of essentially one-party rule in all but name. Since then, however, the new ruling coalition has sufFERED A SERIES OF SIGNIkCANT ELECTORAL
setbacks in special elections where ethnic Malays form the majority of voters. The two aforementioned ideologically regressive parties seem to have closed ranks and worked closely to campaign for each other in these special elections, gaining them sometimes larger than expected vote majorities. The fear among the more progressive elements in Malaysia is that if the political trend continues like this, then a few years from now when another round of general election comes around, there could be another change of government, this time regressing to a more racially divided and socially more theocratic state. In neighboring Indonesia, the presidential election has just concluded, with the incumbent Joko Widodo (Jokowi) being reelected to another term. Since the democratization of Indonesia slightly more than two decades ago, Indonesian politics has seen the constant struggle between the more liberal, democratically aspiring elements and the more conservative, strong ARM INSPIRED ELEMENTS *OKOWI S win in this round, for example, prompted supporters from the losing side to launch into a series of riots with allegations of electoral
fraud which perhaps only they and nobody else believed. Their atTEMPTED MIMICRY OF THE 0HILIPPINES g0EOPLE S 0OWERu MOVEMENT ALSO rang hollow, for there was simply no similar widespread abuse of POWERS PERPETRATED BY )NDONESIA S current government. A majority of Indonesian voters decided to keep an incumbent, still hugely popular president in power despite a not so well-performing economy. But the somewhat subdued series of riots on the streets bears the risk of another ugly shadow raising its head. For religious radicalization appears to be increasingly widespread in an otherwise multicultural country such as Indonesia. Religion has increasingly featured front and center in Indonesian politics and society. There are already indications that at least some segments of the protests have been hijacked by the more extremist religious elements. This is a worrying sign not only for Indonesia, as the similarly religiously extremist elements in more than one neighboring country may also be “inspired� and “encouraged,� and if that were indeed the case, regional tranquility, if not peace itself, may be threatened. Further to the west and south of
THE REGION )NDIA S .ARENDRA -ODI AND !USTRALIA S 3COTT -ORRISON HAVE also retained their premierships despite earlier projections of the opposition in these countries being likely to beat them in general elections. The economic performance of these two regional powerhouses have not been as impressive as expected, but enough voters still decided to stay WITH THEIR INCUMBENTS )N )NDIA S case, the nationalist ruling BJP party was pitted mainly against the oldtime elitist Congress Party, and the LATTER S CONSECUTIVE ELECTORAL DEFEATS hopefully also spells an accelerated end to dynastic politics, although the danger of populism is also lurking should there be no effective checks and balances. In Australia, the political swing is often between the conservative Liberals and the, well, more liberal Labor, and at least in this round, most voters did not think it was time for a swerve to the left as yet. For me, and for this part of the world, I think it is most important to have genuine elections where politicians would have to be up on their feet serving the needs and aspirations of their constituents. Only then will democratization take root where many tyrants have trampled.
Q US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump meet with Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako during a farewell call by Japan’s royal couple at a hotel in Tokyo on May 28, 2019. AFP PHOTO / IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD AGENCY OF JAPAN TOKYO: Trump came to meet Japan’s emperor but it was the US president who played the monarch in Tokyo as he pushed a personal brand of foreign policy, leaving allies, foes and staff alike wondering what on Earth to expect next. A master of self-promotion, Trump has for decades made sure that everything he does — from building skyscrapers to running the White House — is all about him. His diplomatic style in Japan, where he was given the honor of being the first foreign leader to meet new Emperor Naruhito, was no different. At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, Trump took questions on some of the biggest challenges facing the United States and its close ally Japan. Then he freewheeled. On North Korea, he breezily dismissed worries about recent testing of shortrange missiles, which both Abe and Trump’s own advisors say violated UN Security Council resolutions. “My people think it could have been a violation.... I view it as a man who perhaps wants to get attention,� Trump said of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. US intelligence agencies also state emphatically that Kim intends to hang on to his nuclear weapons, but Trump signalled he believes his own instincts better. He talks to Kim “a lot� about his preference for opening up North Korea to investment over amassing nuclear weapons, he said, and he finds Kim “a very smart man.� Trump will be criticized yet again in Washington for praising a dictator, but he doesn’t seem to care. And on Iran, Trump induced even more diplomatic whiplash. Before Trump flew to Japan, the United States had announced it was sending 1,500 extra troops to the region, adding to the aircraft carrier group and nuclear-capable bomber planes already dispatched. Trump himself threatened “the official end� of the country if Tehran ever attacked US interests. But Monday, Trump offered assurances that he can live with the Islamic republic’s government, whose toppling has long been a dream for Washington hardliners. “We’re not looking for regime change,� Trump said, explaining that he only cared about Iran not achieving nuclear power status. In fact, there was only one clear target in the president’s sights Monday: his own hawkish national security advisor
John Bolton, whom Trump has repeatedly contradicted over North Korea and Iran, sitting a few feet away.
Japan tries charm As Trump goes around the world tearing up treaties, slapping on trade tariffs and blowing hot and cold over what to do in places like Iran, different countries try different strategies. European Union countries are divided and often confused over the upheaval in what had long been a cozy, almost family relationship with the United States. China, with ambitions of becoming the world’s main superpower, has pushed back, triggering a trade war that shows no sign of quick resolution. Japan has taken a different tack: flattering and befriending the unpredictable American. Abe bent over backwards to make sure “Donald,� as he called him at their press conference, was happy throughout the visit starting Saturday. “Because of the very close personal relationship with Donald, the bond of the US-Japan alliance has become unshakeable, the closest in the whole world,� Abe said. He chose Trump to be the first world leader to get an audience with Naruhito, sated the US president’s famous appetite for well-cooked meat, took a joint selfie on the golf course, and promised to buy 105 F-35 warplanes. Abe even arranged for Trump to enter Japan’s most hallowed sumo ring and present a trophy to the champion wrestler. The trophy was meant to be from the United States, but, as Trump emphasized, it was really from him. “We did it personally. We bought that beautiful trophy, which they’ll have, hopefully, for many hundreds of years,� Trump said. What did Abe get in return? Trump dialled down trade tensions, for one, announcing that any serious discussions in negotiations on his insistence that Japan open to more US products will be put off until after Abe gets through elections here in July. “Although staying closer to Trump brings some risks, the cozy ties between the Japanese and US leaders are at least helping ease negotiations,� said Yoko Takeda, chief economist at the Mitsubishi Research Institute. “Japan is doing the right thing.� AFP
Regions
˜ The Manila Times
www.manilatimes.net
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
A7
Zambo dengue cases up 142% D BY ANTONIO P. RIMANDO
IPOLOG CITY: Dengue cases in Zamboanga Peninsula rose from 1,145 in 2018 to 2,767 from January to April this year, a 142-percent increase, a Department of Health (DoH)-Region 9 OFkCIAL SAID
*OHN 'O HEALTH EDUCATION OFkCER OF THE $O( 2EGIONAL 2ESEARCH %PIDEMIOLOGY AND 3URVEILLANCE 5NIT SAID DURING A MEDIA FORUM AT -IBANG (OTEL HERE THAT THE HIGHEST RISE IN DENGUE CASES WAS IN :AMBOANGA 3IBUGAY FROM IN TO CASES DURING THE kRST FOUR MONTHS OF $IPOLOG #ITY WHOSE #ORAZON !QUINO -EMORIAL 0ROVINCIAL (OSPITAL IN
"ARANGAY 3ICAYAB COVERS MOST PARTS OF :AMBOANGA DEL .ORTE RECORDED DENGUE PATIENTS MOSTLY CHILDREN AGED "ECAUSE OF THE SHARP INCREASE IN DENGUE CASES IN :AMBOANGA 0ENINSULA 'O APPEALED TO LOCAL RESIDENTS TO ALWAYS FOLLOW THE 3 IN HELPING COMBAT THE DISEASE
4HE 3 HE SAID ENTAILS g3EARCH;ING= AND DESTROY;ING= MOSQUITO BREEDING PLACES TAK;ING= 3ELF PROTECTION MEASURES BY USING MOSQUITO REPELLENT OR WEARING LONG PANTS LONG SLEEVED SHIRTS OR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING 3EEK;ING= EARLY CONSULTATION AND 3UPPORT;ING= FOGGING SPRAYING OF PLACES WHERE MOSQUITOES USUALLY BREED
ICRC PROVIDES AID TO 2,000 PEOPLE DISPLACED IN BASILAN NEARLY 2,000 people in Basilan have been living in temporary shelters for over a month since armed clashes broke out between government forces and the Abu Say yaf Group in Sumisip town, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “We are deeply concerned about the effect of prolonged displacement on these families. Unable to take care of their farms, they struggle to provide for their loved ones,” Piotr Dregiel, ICRC office head in Zamboanga, said. The Sumisip Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) said around 200 families who fled their homes last April have been staying in Barangay Mangal, and almost 190 families displaced in Barangay Tumahubong by intermittent clashes since June 2016 have not returned to their homes for fear of
FOOD AID
A team from the Philippine Red Cross distributes food packs to families who fled their homes in April because of clashes between government troops and the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group. PHOTO BY THE PHILIPPINE RED CROSS
Duterte vetoes CLuzon investment hub bill BAGUIO CITY: 0RESIDENT 2ODRIGO $UTERTE RECENTLY VETOED A BILL THAT SEEKS TO CREATE THE 2EGIONAL )NVESTMENT )NFRASTRUCTURE #OORDINATING (UB 2)#( FOR #ENTRAL ,UZON IN LIEU OF THE 3UBIC #LARK !LLIANCE FOR $EVELOPMENT #OUNCIL )N HIS MESSAGE THAT VETOED THE BILL AUTHORED BY 3EN 2ICHARD 'ORDON THE 0RESIDENT SAID THE PROPOSED LAW CONTAINS SEVERAL PROVISIONS THAT WOULD POSE SUBSTANTIAL kSCAL RISK TO THE COUNTRY AND ARE INIMICAL TO ITS ECONOMIC GROWTH g! KEY LASTING ECONOMIC GROWTH IS A TAX SYSTEM WITH GENERALLY LOW RATES AND A BROAD TAX BASE 4HE SUBJECT BILL ON THE OTHER HAND SIGNIkCANTLY NARROWS OUR TAX BASE WITH ITS MANDATED INCENTIVES APPLICABLE TO THE REGISTERED ENTERPRISES IN AN ENTIRE REGION u $UTERTE NOTED 4HE 0RESIDENT POINTED OUT THAT THE SITUATION ENVISIONED IN THE BILL WOULD RENDER THE WHOLE SYSTEM INIMICAL TO REGISTERED ENTERPRISES AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO kND NEW SOURCES OF REVENUE THROUGH ADDITIONAL TAXES OR BORROWINGS IN THE FUTURE THAT WOULD GREATLY AFFECT THE COUNTRY S ESTABLISHED kSCAL STANDING (E SAID TAXPAYERS WHO ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE TAX INCENTIVES WOULD BE THE ONES TO gBEAR THE BRUNT OF THE BURDEN u $UTERTE ALSO NOTED THAT THE PROPOSED MEASURE WOULD MAINTAIN THE kSCAL INCENTIVES FOR YEARS WHICH COULD BE EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER YEARS g0ROLONGING SUCH A SITUATION FOR HALF A CENTURY OR MORE IS LIKELY TO BRING NEGATIVE REVENUES AND kSCAL IMPLICA-
TIONS TO SUCCEEDING ADMINISTRATIONS AND UNNECESSARILY BURDEN FUTURE GENERATIONS u HE SAID %VEN AS THE BILL ESPOUSES THE POLICIES BEING PUSHED BY HIS ADMINISTRATION TO INCREASE INVESTOR CONkDENCE THE MEASURE ACCORDING TO $UTERTE HAS PROVISIONS THAT gTEND TO DEFEAT THESE VERY OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES IN THE LONG RUN u 'ORDON ONE OF THE BILL S AUTHORS PREVIOUSLY SAID ANOTHER KEY GOAL OF THE MEASURE WAS TO DECONGEST -ETRO -ANILA BY gDISPERSING INDUSTRIES AND POPULATION TO #ENTRAL ,UZON u g4HE NAME OF THE BILL RElECTS ITS AIM TO ENRICH THE PEOPLE BY ENCOURAGING INVESTMENTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN #ENTRAL ,UZON AS WELL AS ADDRESSING BOTTLENECKS LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR LONG TERM GROWTH IN THE REGION CREATING JOBS AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF &ILIPINOS u HE ADDED /PPOSITORS TO A SIMILAR BILL 3ENATE "ILL THAT SEEKS TO CREATE THE 'REATER "AGUIO "ENGUET $EVELOPMENT !UTHORITY '""$! ALSO AUTHORED BY 'ORDON WERE ELATED OVER THE 0RESIDENT S VETO OF THE #ENTRAL ,UZON HUB BILL SINCE IT HAS VERY SIMILAR PROVISIONS TO THE ONE THAT IS UP FOR SECOND READING 4HEY SAID THE CHANCES OF THE '""$! BEING VETOED WERE GREATER NOW BECAUSE IF IT WAS NOT IT WOULD UNDERMINE THE AUTONOMY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS ENSHRINED IN THE ,OCAL 'OVERNMENT #ODE AND THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OVER THEIR ANCESTRAL DOMAIN AS PROVIDED FOR UNDER THE )NDIGENOUS 0EOPLES 2IGHTS !CT DEXTER A. SEE
being caught in the crossfire. To address the needs of the displaced, the ICRC delivered assistance through the Philippine Red Cross recently. Each family of five received 25 kilos of rice, 1 liter of oil, 1 liter of soy sauce, 1 kilo of sugar, half a kilo of salt, 12 cans of sardines, and hygiene materials such as shampoo, bath and laundry soap. These items would last for at least 15 days. The ICRC is a neutral and in d e p e n d e nt o rg a n i z at i o n w h o s e humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance. It has an international mandate to promote knowledge of and compliance with international humanitarian law.
Go vows better fire prevention measures 3%.!4/2 %,%#4 #HRISTOPHER ,AWRENCE g"ONGu 'O CONTINUES TO ASSIST kRE VICTIMS VISITING ON 4UESDAY THE FAMILIES WHOSE HOMES WERE RAZED AT THE /LIVAREZ (OMES 3OUTH IN "ARANGAY 3ANTO 4OMAS "IÄAN ,AGUNA 7ITH HOUSES DESTROYED BY THE kRE THE VICTIMS ARE NOW STAYING AT /LIVAREZ 3OUTH #OVERED #OURT 'O SAID HE WOULD COORDINATE WITH THE .ATIONAL (OUSING !UTHORITY $EPARTMENT OF 3OCIAL 7ELFARE AND $EVELOPMENT 0HILIPPINE #HARITY 3WEEPSTAKES /FkCE AND PRIVATE ENTITIES FOR THEM TO EXTEND ASSISTANCE (E ALSO PROMISED HELP TO THE kRE VICTIMS WHO WANT TO GO BACK TO THEIR RESPECTIVE PROVINCES AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED 'O SAID ONE OF HIS PRIORITIES WAS TO SPONSOR LEGISLATION THAT
WOULD PROMOTE kRE PREVENTION ADDING THAT HE WOULD REVIEW kRE SAFETY AND PREVENTION MEASURES (E IS ALSO EYEING TO ESTABLISH MORE SAFE PERMANENT AND
DEDICATED EVACUATION CENTERS WITH SUFkCIENT EMERGENCY PACKS AND SUPPLIES IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE 0HILIPPINES g) WILL NOT LIMIT MYSELF TO
BEING JUST A LEGISLATOR ! SENATOR S WORK DOES NOT END AT THE 3ENATE 4HIS IS A PUBLIC OFFICE AND ) DEDICATE MYSELF TO PUBLIC SERVICE u 'O SAID
Q Senator-elect Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go
Peryahan firm to file raps over outlet closures BACOLOD CITY: 4HE COMPANY THAT OPERATES 0ERYAHAN NG "AYAN outlets WILL kLE CHARGES AGAINST OFkCIALS OF THE .ATIONAL "UREAU OF )NVESTIGATION .") THE 0HILIPPINE #HARITY 3WEEPSTAKES /FkCE 0#3/ AND A JUDGE FOR CLOSING kVE OF ITS OUTLETS IN .EGROS /CCIDENTAL "ERNARD 6ITRIOLO LEGAL COUNSEL OF 'LOBALTECH -OBILE /NLINE #ORP SAID 0ERYAHAN OPERATIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ARE LEGAL BASED ON THE DECISION OF THE #OURT OF !PPEALS ON &EB g4HE DECISION IN FAVOR OF 'LO-
BALTECH WAS kNAL AND EXECUTORY 4HE ENTRY OF JUDGMENT WAS RELEASED ON -AY OF THE STATUS QUO ANTE ORDER QUESTIONED BY THE 0#3/ u ACCORDING TO THE LAWYER 6ITRIOLO SAID THEY WOULD FILE INDIRECT CONTEMPT CHARGES AGAINST THE .") AGENTS AND 0#3/ OFkCIALS FOR RAIDING AND PADLOCKING COLLECTION STATIONS AND ARRESTING PERSONNEL AND BET COLLECTORS g4HE CLOSURE IS ILLEGAL BECAUSE THE COURT S STATUS QUO ANTE ORDER MEANS THAT THE 0ERYAHAN CAN CONTINUE AS IT DID BEFORE THE ORDER TO
STOP OPERATIONS WAS RELEASED )T MEANS A RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS CONDITION u HE ADDED 6ITRIOLO SAID THEY WERE ALSO CONTEMPLATING kLING A CASE FOR IGNORANCE OF LAW AGAINST THE JUDGE WHO ISSUED THE SEARCH WARRANTS AGAINST 'LOBALTECH S COLLECTION CENTERS g7E WILL kLE ALL THE LEGAL MOVES BEFORE THE 0ASIG #ITY 24# 2EGIONAL 4RIAL #OURT POSSIBLY ON -AY u HE ADDED /N -AY THE .") SHUT DOWN THE OPERATIONS OF 0ERYAHAN NG "AYAN OUTLETS IN THE CITIES OF (I-
MAMAYLAN AND 6ICTORIAS AND IN THE TOWNS OF -URCIA % " -AGALONA AND (INIGARAN 4HE .") AGENTS SERVED THE SEARCH WARRANTS ISSUED BY THE 24# IN 0ASIG #ITY 2ENOIR "ALDOVINO .") "ACOLOD HEAD SAID THE 0ERYAHAN OUTLETS WERE gOPERATING ILLEGALLY AND WITHOUT AUTHORITY u g4HE 0#3/ GAVE THE DEED OF AUTHORITY TO 'LOBALTECH IN BUT THEY FAILED TO RENEW IT IN u "ALDOVINO NOTED EUGENE Y. ADIONG
Muslims beg for global peace on Ramadan holy month BY MASIDING NOOR YAHYA MARAWI CITY: %VERY (OLY -ONTH OF 2AMADAN -USLIMS ALL OVER THE WORLD SILENTLY SEEK THE ,AYLATUL 1ADR OR THE .IGHT 0OWER HOPING TO BE GRACED WITH THE EXCEPTIONAL BLESSINGS IT CARRIES 4HIS YEAR -USLIMS IN -ARAWI WHO continue to feel the effects of the siege TWO YEARS AGO SEEK THE ,AYLATUL 1ADR TO PRAY FOR GLOBAL PEACE AND THE DELIVERANCE OF THE -USLIMS AROUND THE GLOBE FROM BULLYING UNJUST TREATMENT OPPRESSION PERSECUTION EVEN MASSACRE OR WHOSE OR WHOSE HOMELANDS WERE DEVASTATED OR FORCIBLY TAKEN FROM THEM )N -AY THE $AWLAH )SLAMIYA INSPIRED -AUTE AND ALLIED TERROR GROUPS LAID SIEGE TO -ARAWI #ITY LEAVING THE BUSTLING ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL CITY CENTER IN RUINS THOUSANDS DEAD OR MISSING AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS DISPLACED &OR TWO YEARS NOW OVER INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS ARE STILL
LIVING IN TENTS AND TEMPORARY SHELTERS MOSTLY DEPENDENT ON RELIEF GOODS AS THEY WAIT FOR THE TIME WHEN GOVERNMENT WILL ALLOW THEM TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES IN THE CITY S MOST AFFECTED AREA 4HEY BELIEVE IF THEY kND ,AYLATUL 1ADR IN THEIR MIDST THEIR PRAYERS WILL BE HEARD AND GRANTED BY THE MOST (IGH 'OD AND ALL THEIR SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN THE GATES OF GOODNESS REOPENED AND REWARDS MULTIPLIED )N )SLAMIC BELIEF THIS IS THE NIGHT WHEN THE kRST VERSES OF THE 1URAN WERE REVEALED TO 0ROPHET -UHAMMAD )T IS ONE OF THE ODD NIGHTS OF THE LAST DAYS OF 2AMADAN WHICH THIS YEAR IS FROM -AY TO *UNE
A THOUSAND MONTHSu /UR WORSHIP dua SUPPLICATION 1URAN READING AND MEMORIZING AND ALL THE BEAUTIFUL ACTS WE DO ON THIS NIGHT WOULD COUNT FAR BETTER THAN g YEARSu OF WORSHIP )N THE 1URAN 3URAH !L 1ADR EXPLAINS ,AYLATUL 1ADR g)NDEED WE SENT THE 1UR AN DOWN DURING THE .IGHT OF $ECREE !ND WHAT CAN MAKE YOU KNOW WHAT THE .IGHT OF $ECREE IS 4HE .IGHT OF $ECREE IS BETTER THAN A THOUSAND MONTHS 4HE ANGELS AND THE SPIRIT DESCEND THEREIN BY PERMISSION OF THEIR ,ORD FOR EVERY MATTER 0EACE IT IS UNTIL THE EMERGENCE OF $AWN u
What is Laylatul Qadr?
!CCORDING TO AUTHENTIC TRADITIONS THIS NIGHT FALLS DURING THE LAST DAYS OF 2AMADAN WHICH OCCURS IN THE ODD NUMBERED NIGHTS IT MAY BE ON THE ST RD TH TH OR TH OF 2AMADAN CORRESPONDING TO -AY AND *UNE
,AYLATUL 1ADR VARIOUSLY RENDERED IN %NGLISH AS .IGHT OF 0OWER .IGHT OF $ECREE .IGHT OF 6ALUE .IGHT OF $ESTINY OR .IGHT OF -EASURES IS DESCRIBED IN THE 1URAN AS gBETTER THAN
When is it?
4HE SKY WILL BE SLIGHTLY LIGHTED WITHOUT RElECTIONS AND RAYS ! PLEASANT BREEZE OR WIND BLOWS 4HESE ARE NINE OF THE MOST AUTHENTIC )F WE NOTICE THESE SIGNS THEN WE SIGNS 4HE SUN RISES EARLY IN THE MORN- SHOULD HAVE GLAD TIDINGS IN THE HOPE ING WITHOUT STRONG RAYS OR IS WITHOUT THAT WE HAVE FOUND ,AYLATUL 1ADR ANY RAYS AND IS IN GUSHING WHITE How to observe COLOR ,AYLATUL 1ADR IS A PEACEFUL TRAN- Laylatul Qadr? QUIL CALM AND QUIET NIGHT 7ITHIN THE NIGHT YOU WILL NOT HEAR THE BARK- 3TAY UP AND PRAY THE WHOLE NIGHT TO ING OF DOGS )N 3AHIH !L *AMI THE DERIVE BENEkTS FROM THE BLESSINGS OF 0ROPHET 0"5( SAID g4HE NIGHT OF THIS NIGHT OR IF YOU CANNOT DO SO AT 1ADR IS A CALM SERENE AND PEACEFUL LEAST SPARE A REASONABLE PORTION OF THE NIGHT )T IS NOT HOT NOR IS IT COLDwu NIGHT FOR !LLAH m #LEAN YOUR HOMES AND SURROUND ,OOK FOR THE MOON AFTER NIGHT PRAYERS AND SEE IF THE MOON LOOKS LIKE INGS m 2ECITE THE !L 1URAN half a JAFNA SPLIT BOWL m -AKE DUA 4HE SEAWATER TASTES SWEET 2AIN MAY FALL EITHER DURING THE – Do $HIKR 2EMEMBRANCE OF !LLAH m 2EMAIN IN )KTIKAF STAY IN -OSQUE NIGHT OR DAY OF THAT NIGHT 4HE NIGHT SKY WILL BE SLIGHTLY FOGGY FOR PRAYERS m 'IVE CHARITY g4HAT THE TREES FALL TO THE GROUND m $O NOT WASTE TIME AND THEN RETURN TO THEIR ROOTS AND EVm 3TRIVE FOR FORGIVENESS ERYTHING PROSTRATES IN ITu FROM !T 4ABARI
Signs of Laylatul Qadr
A8
News
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
˜ The Manila Times w w w.manilatimes.net
PROVINCIAL BUS BAN
MMDA gears up for legal battle  T BY NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS
HE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday said it was ready to parry the petition kLED BY !LBAY 2EP *OEY 3ALCEDA ASKING THE Supreme Court to stop the implementation of the provincial bus ban along EDSA. MMDA Command Center chief Edison “Bong� Nebrija said while the agency acknowledges that Salceda has the right to oppose the policy as part of
the “democratic process,� they were also prepared to counter the petition. “We will wait for our copy being named as respondent in
the said petition and we will let OUR LEGAL TEAM DRAFT AND kLE THE rebuttal,� Nebrija told reporters. 3ALCEDA kLED ON -ONDAY A PEtition to halt MMDA Regulation 19-002, which would prod local governments to revoke the permits of all provincial bus terminals and operators along EDSA, as part of the MMDA’s move to fully implement the ban. Ako Bicol party-list Representatives Ronald Ang and Alfredo Garbin on April 5 also filed a petition for a temporary restraining order before the high court.
They also urged the MMDA to come up with a better solution TO DECONGEST %$3! TRAFkC BY GIVing priority to commuters using public transportation. Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, who heads the House committee on transportation, ALSO kLED A RESOLUTION gSTRONGLY URGINGu TRAFkC AGENCIES TO SUSpend the implementation of the new bus scheme. But Nebrija said unless the high tribunal stops the ban, the MMDA would push through with its preparations and public infor-
mation in the run up to the ban’s full implementation. “I hope they consider the policy’s merit. This has been made with the wisdom of Metro Manila mayors. What alternatives do you have for us here in Metro Manila?� he asked. With the regulation, provincial buses would no longer be allowed to enter Metro Manila to load and unload passengers. Instead, terminals will be installed outside the metropolis where commuters can take city buses, jeepneys and taxis, among
others to enter the metro. --$! kGURES SHOW THAT provincial buses, 12,000 city buses, and more than 247,000 private vehicles pass through EDSA every day, causing massive TRAFkC CONGESTION Some of the major choke points in the major thoroughfare are located in provincial bus terminals, where upon disembarking, passengers tend to make the terminal facade as another terminal for other public utility vehicles to collect passengers, the MMDA said.
Bong Go vows better Palace, Senate ties
SHAKEN BUT ALIVE
Red Cross personnel attend to a pregnant woman, one of 20 people injured when a truck crashed into a passenger jeepney in Intramuros, Manila on Tuesday. PHOTO BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI
 Sotto claims backing of 16 senators SENATE President Vicente Sotto 3rd believes he has a tight grip on the Senate presidency, as he claimed to have the support of at least 16 senators. The selection of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives is usually done hours before the two chambers meet
in joint session to hear the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President. The 18th Congress will open on July 22. “I have the support of at least 15 or 16,� Sotto told Senate reporters before the start of the plenary session on Tuesday. He did not identify
the senators. Sotto declined to comment on the meeting of senator-elect Francis Tolentino with other newly proclaimed senators. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, a staunch ally of Sotto, said the new senators such as Tolentino, Christopher Lawrence “Bong� Go, Ronald
“Batoâ€? dela Rosa and MarĂa Imelda Josefa “Imeeâ€? Marcos support the Duterte administration. “So there is no reason to oust Sotto who leads the Senate majority bloc,â€? Gatchalian pointed out. “We are all members of the majority who support President Duterte,â€? he added. JAVIER JOE ISMAEL
Senate lauds PCG officer who conquered 7 peaks THE Senate on Tuesday lauded a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) OFkCER FOR BEING THE kRST &ILIPINA mountaineer who conquered the so-called Seven Summits, the tallest peaks of each of the seven continents. The Seven Summits is considered the premier mountaineering challenge in the world. The senators adopted Senate Resolution 985, authored by Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay,
commending PCG Lt. Junior Grade Carina Dayondon after she “displayed the brilliance and excellence of Filipinos despite insurmountable odds that brings immense pride and honor to the country.� Dayondon was the second Filipino to climb the Seven Summits AFTER 2OMI 'ARDUCE WHO kNISHED his voyage in 2012. She reached the summit of Mt. Vinson Massif in Antarctica on
December 16. She was one of the three Filipinas to reach the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, in 2007. Other summits included in the list are Mt. Everest in Asia, Aconcagua in South America, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Denali in North America, Elbrus in Europe and either Kosciusko or the Carstensz Pyramid for the Australian continent. Dayondon climbed Denali in
2006, Everest in 2007, Elbrus in 2013, Kosciusko in 2014, Kilimanjaro in 2015 and Aconcagua also this year. A native of Don Carlos, Bukidnon, Dayondon was first introduced to camping and hiking in the Philippine Girl Scouts and took up sport climbing in 1978. She was also a member of the Xavier University-Ateneo Mountaineering Society. BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
SENATOR-ELECT Christopher Lawrence “Bong� Go promised to help his colleagues in the Senate improve the working relationship between the executive and legislative branches of government as he pursues measures to usher positive change. “I am after effective collaboraTION FOR THE BENEkT OF OUR PEOPLE Even as different branches of government have their respective responsibilities, they should have close coordination toward a single purpose — to serve the people,� Go said in Filipino. He vowed to maintain the independence of the Senate but CLARIkED THAT HE COULD ALSO BE THE bridge of the Senate to the Executive branch when necessary. Go, however, made it clear that he would not be a rubber stamp of the administration, stating that President Rodrigo Duterte has always respected the independence of the legislative branch. The newly elected senator believes that the law did not intend for the three branches of the government to be exclusive of one another. He believes that the intention was to establish
a balance of power to achieve a single purpose — the welfare of the Filipino people. He assured the people that he would continue to support President Duterte’s campaign against criminality, corruption and illegal drugs, among others. Go’s legislative agenda include the creation of the Department for OFW concerns, and improved health services through the institutionalization of the Malasakit Centers. Among others, he is pushing for a law that would enable the establishment of Malasakit Center in more provinces and strategic urban centers. Go is also pushing for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience to scale-up the country’s resiliency and preparedness when it comes to natural calamities and man-made disasters. He plans to push for the passage of the Magna Carta for Barangay Officials which, among others, will provide better compensation and benefits for the barangay OFkCIALS INCLUDING THE "ARANGAY Health Workers, often called the “guardians of the nation’s health.�
Q JUSTICES FROM A1
New SC justice Inting told The Manila Times that he was thankful to President Rodrigo Duterte for his appointment but assured he would uphold the law of the land. “My heart is for public service. Sa 0!/ 0UBLIC !TTORNEY S /FkC ako na-train ng husto bilang (It was in the PAO where I was trained as a) lawyer and a public defender and I was able to help the needy who cannot afford a lawyer to defend them,� he said. The hankering to serve was also honed in stints at the National Housing Authority and the Department of Justice, he added. Inting added that that he learned a lot from retired SC Justice Jose Catral Mendoza, who is now a member of the Judicial and Bar Council.
He was Mendoza’s first PAO lawyer during the latter’s stint as a Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge IN 1UEZON #ITY Inting, who will complete the 15-man high court, will take his oath before Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin this morning. He will assume the Associate Justice position vacated by Bersamin in November 2018. )NTING WILL BE THE kRST PUBLIC attorney to make it to the high court. He entered the judiciary as Metropolitan Trial Court judge of 1UEZON #ITY LATER BEING PROMOTED as RTC judge and then as Court of Appeals justice. He is from Duterte’s hometown OF $AVAO #ITY WHERE HE kNISHED law at the Ateneo de Davao. JOMAR CANLAS
When an employee is not entitled to separation pay Dear PAO, I am a finance supervisor in one of the international banks in Makati City since December 2013. Last week, I received a memorandum from our HR department stating that I have violated the bank’s policy on confidentiality of clients’ records by giving all the details of our clients to my friend who is connected with an insurance company. The bank received numerous complaints from our clients and threatened to transfer their accounts to other banks. Consequently, the bank terminated my employment on the grounds of gross and habitual neglect of duties and serious misconduct. Am I still entitled to my separation pay for staying with the bank for six
DEAR PAO
PERSIDA ACOSTA years? Please enlighten me on the matter. Renee Dear Renee, It appears that your situation is governed by Article 297 of the Labor Code of the Philippines, which states “an employer may terminate an employment for any of the following causes: “Serious misconduct or willful disobedience by the employee of the lawful orders of his employer or representative in connection with his work;
“Gross and habitual neglect by the employee of his duties; xxx� (Emphasis supplied). The Supreme Court in the case of Claudia’s Kitchen Inc. and Enzo Squillantini vs. Ma. Realiza S. Tanguin, (GR 221096, June 28, 2017, Ponente: Associate Justice Jose C. Mendoza) elucidated: “Separation pay is warranted when the cause for termination is not attributable to the employee’s fault, such as those provided in Articles 298 and 299 of the Labor Code, as well as in cases of illegal dismissal where reinstatement is no longer feasible. On the other hand, an employee dismissed for any of the just causes enumerated under Article 297 of the same Code, being causes attributable to the employee’s fault, is not,
as a general rule, entitled to separation pay. xxx As an exception, case law instructs that in certain circumstances, the grant OF SEPARATION PAY OR kNANCIAL assistance to a legally dismissed employee has been allowed as a measure of social justice or on grounds of equity. In sum, separation pay is only awarded to a dismissed employee in the following instances: 1) in case of closure of establishment under Article 298 [formerly Article 283] of the Labor Code; 2) in case of termination due to disease or sickness under Article 299 [formerly Article 284] of the Labor Code; 3) as a measure of social justice in those instances where the employee is validly dismissed for causes other than serious MISCONDUCT OR THOSE RElECTING
on his moral character; 4) where the dismissed employee’s position is no longer available; 5) when the continued relationship between the employer and the employee is no longer viable due to the strained relations between them; or 6) when the dismissed employee opted not to be reinstated, or the payment of separation BENEkTS WOULD BE FOR THE BEST interest of the parties involved. In all of these cases, the grant of separation pay presupposes that the employee to whom it was given was dismissed from employment, whether legally or illegally.� (Emphasis supplied) Applying the foregoing laws and jurisprudence, the award of separation pay as a measure of social justice or on ground of equity is not warranted in your situation
since your termination was based on the grounds of habitual and gross neglect of duties and serious misconduct. The banking industry is imbued with public interest. All banks and bank employees are required to exercise extraordinary diligence in the conduct of their operations and business. Violation of a bank’s policies places its credibility, business and clients at risk. We hope that we were able to answer your queries. This advice is based solely on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. Our opinion may vary when other facts are changed or elaborated.
Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily column of the Public AttorNEY S /FkCE 1UESTIONS FOR #HIEF Acosta may be sent to dearpao@ manilatimes.net
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WEDNESDAY MAY 29, 2019
Business Times
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S&P keeps PH economic growth for 2019 at 6.3% BY MAYVELIN U. CARABALLOÂ
S
&P Global Ratings is maintaining its Philippine growth forecast for this year at 6.3 percent, as it sees the worsening trade war between the United 3TATES AND #HINA AND AN EXPECTED RESURGENCE IN INlATION as major risks to economic expansion.
4HE kGURE IS HIGHER THAN THE PERcent growth posted last year and falls near the lower end of the government’s downwardly revised 6.0-7.0 percent target. “Despite the weaker-than-expected kRST QUARTER WE CONTINUE TO EXPECT '$0 (gross domestic product) growth to come in at the low end of the 6-6.5-percent range this year,� the global debt watcher said in a report released on
Tuesday. Philippine economic growth decelerated to a lower-than-expected 5.6 PERCENT IN THE kRST THREE MONTHS OF the year, well below the government’s target. “The fiscal impulse is definitely LOWER IN THE kRST HALF OF BUT WE expect infrastructure spending to ramp up again in the second half, making the overall impulse about neutral for
2019,� S&P said. Last week, the country’s economic managers said they would embark on an “expenditure catch-up plan� to offset the negative impact of the delayed approval of the 2019 national budget on growth. 4HE CREDIT RATER SAID FALLING INlATION would also allow the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to cut interest rates at least once more this year, while also spurring consumption growth. The central bank’s Monetary Board decided to trim its key interest rates by 25 bps during its May 9 meeting ON EXPECTATIONS THAT INlATION WOULD remain manageable. )NlATION DECELERATED TO ITS SLOWEST pace in 16 months at 3 percent in April, consistent with the Bangko Sentral’s exPECTATION THAT INlATION WOULD CONTINUE
to settle within the 2.0-4.0-percent target range for both 2019 and 2020. Risks lurk S&P warned, however, that risks to EXTERNAL kNANCING AND EXCHANGE RATE volatility were back on the radar as the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies escalate. “The spillovers of the trade war to the Philippine electronics sector could also be larger than we anticipate, at least in the short run,â€? it said. In the domestic scene, the credit ratINGS AGENCY SAID gA RESURGENCE IN INlAtion from either [the] El NiĂąo [weather phenomenon] or oil prices still remains possible and could weigh on the consumption recovery and the ability of
ÂłGrowth B2
DoE to Meralco: Put PSAs under bidding BATANGAS CITY, Batangas: ENERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Tuesday urged the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to subject its powersupply agreements (PSA) to competitive bidding after the country’s highest court recently ordered it. “(With) Meralco, they have to do it fast. Don’t waste time. Do it now,� Cusi said on the sidelines of Lopez-led First Gen Corp.’s groundbreaking of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal here. “The decision of the Supreme Court is very clear. We just have to follow it to the letter,� he added, referring the high tribunal’s May 3 ruling that power deals signed on or after June 30, 2015 must undergo the competitive selection process (CSP) for purchasing electricity by distribution utilities
(DUs). It invalidated the resolutions issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) postponing the CSP requirement in October 2015 and March 2016, respectively — which the high court regarded as grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction. Meralco has PSAs with seven generation companies covering more than 3,500 megawatts (MW) of supply. These are Mariveles Power Generation Corp., Central Luzon Premiere Power Corp., Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc., Atimonan One Energy Inc., St. Raphael Power Generation Corp., Panay Energy Development Corp. and Global Luzon Energy Devel-
ÂłBidding B4
If you’re not selling, don’t be afraid of Dennis Uy T HE Zobels should not worry about their kingdom that is Ayala Corp. (AC) and its subSIDIARIES %VEN &IRST 0ACIkC #O Ltd. should not fear Dennis Uy, who may now be considered the new takeover king of companies that have either their common or non-voting preferred shares listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). Uy and his family pose no threat to either AC or Mermac Inc., AC’s principal stockholder, OR &IRST 0ACIkC 4HE PUBLIC STOCKholders of the Zobel-owned holding company would never betray them because they actually own only a very small portion of outstanding AC common and non-voting preferred shares. Who among Antonio Jose U. Periquet, Ramon R. Del Rosario and Xavier P. Loinaz, who are all listed on PSE website as independent directors (ID) would say no to the Zobels? Should they go against the wishes of Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and his younger brother, Fernando Zobel the Ayala, who, according to PSE website, are the chairman and vice chairman of the board, respectively, they would cease to be AC’s IDs. As IDs, Periquet, Del Rosario and Loinaz were among the BENEkCIARIES OF THE :OBELS GENERosity when the company’s sevenperson board received P26.7 million in 2017, or a little over P3.814 million each in that year. The computation was based
on their “total annual compensaTION DURING THE PRECEDING kSCAL year� which amounted to P26.7 million, or 0.00535 percent of net income of P49.867 billion in 2017. As of May 22, 2019, AC reported 873,825,042 under “change in the number of common stock outstanding and amount of debt outstanding� as outstanding shares. The company divided its outstanding capital stock into 626,825,042 outstanding common shares; 20 million outstanding preferred B Series B 2 shares; 27 million preferred series B 2 shares; and 200 million voting preferred shares.
Computations As the Zobel family’s holding company, AC could not possibly be taken over by Dennis Uy, the takeover king from Davao City. Its public stockholders would never allow him to buy them out. This despite a public ownership report (POR) as of March 31, 2019, which made them AC’s majority stockholder with 303,319,205 common shares, or 52.38 percent of 630,630,686
ÂłPerez B4
BREAKING GROUND
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, and First Gen Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Federico Lopez led the groundbreaking for the Lopez-led firm’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Batangas City. PHOTO BY JORDEENE B. LAGARE See story on B3
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‘Inflation likely to dip below 3% in May’ DECLINING rice prices could CAUSE THE COUNTRY S INlATION TO decelerate further and settle at 2.8 percent in May, an ING Bank economist said on Tuesday. In a statement, economist Nicholas Anthony Mapa said the rate of the increase in the prices of goods and services “is seen to decelerate further in the Philippines with rice prices falling.� This came after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) REPORTED RECENTLY THAT INlATION fell to 3.0 percent in April from
3.3 percent in March because of the lower prices of food and other commodities. Latest PSA data showed that the average wholesale price of well-milled rice slid to P39.51 per kilo month-on-month as of the second week of this month. Year-on-year, it also plunged by 3.9 percent from P41.12 per kilo. It also showed that the average retail price of well-milled rice hit P43.16 per kilo, down 0.3 percent from a week ago and 1.7 percent a year earlier.
The average wholesale price of regular-milled rice dropped by 0.5 percent to P35.82 per kilo week-on-week. Year-on-year, it was down 5.22 percent from P37.77 per kilo. On the retail side, it was P38.74 per kilo, down 0.6 percent a week ago and 3.6 percent a year earlier. As a commodity in the CPI (consumer price index) basket, rice commands 9.8 of the total and was one of the main reasons FOR THE INlATION POP THAT saw price gains top 6.7 percent,�
Mapa explained. “Bad weather and delayed importation both contributed to the price spike, which saw the BSP rattle off a series of aggressive rate hikes that have since begun to sap the growth momentum of one of the region’s fastest growing economies,â€? he added. But “with government proactively importing food stuffs [and] the El NiĂąo dry spell in effect, we can expect food prices to remain stable for the next few months,â€?
ÂłDip B2
‘Govt catch-up plan to boost growth’ Peso seen EASING monetary policy and a catch-up spending plan would help the government achieve its economic growth target of 6 to 7 percent this year, a Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) economist said on Tuesday. The catch-up in government spending, especially on infrastructure, would likely be effective in achieving that target, RCBC head for economics and industry research division Michael Ricafort said. The country’s gross domestic product hit a four-year low of 5.6 PERCENT IN THE kRST QUARTER OF THE year due to the delayed approval of this year’s budget. Economic managers earlier said they would implement an expenditure catch-up plan to offset the impact of that delayed budget on growth. They added that economic growth should expand by at least 6.1 percent over the next three
quarters to hit the full-year target. “Any further increase in government spending, also on social services that have the greatest impact on alleviating poverty, especially on education and healthcare, may also lead to faster economic growth and development that is more inclusive over the long run,� Ricafort said. “Further improvements in the COUNTRY S kSCAL MANAGEMENT IN terms of further increasing the recurring sources of government revenues and plugging leakages in government expenditures may increase the available government funds that may be used to further increase government spending on major infrastructure projects and on social services that further spur greater economic growth and development,� he added. Besides the catch-up plan, Ricafort said the easing of monetary
policy would also help boost growth. “The latest easing of monetary policy especially by way of a 0.25-cut in local policy rates on May 9, 2019 and possible further cuts for the coming months of AMID EASING TREND IN INlAtion would reduce borrowing/ financing costs and encourage greater demand for loans by consumers and businesses, thereby increasing economic activities and overall GDP growth,� he explained. Ricafort said cuts in the reserve requirement ration (RRR) of banks would also spur growth. “The cuts in RRR of banks over the next 3 months are estimated to release about P210 billion in addiTIONAL PESO FUNDS INTO THE kNANCIAL system that banks may lend to various businesses and to consumers/ households as well,� he said. ANNA LEAH E. GONZALES
weakening to P54:$1 by yearend THE government’s infrastructure push in the second half of 2019 could lead to the peso closing weaker against the dollar by yearend, according to HSBC Private Banking. “We expect USD-PHP (US dollar-Philippine peso) to reach 54.0 by end-2019, given the rewidening of the current account deficit,� HSBC Private Banking Managing Director Chuek Wan Fan told reporters in a roundtable in Taguig City on Tuesday. The peso ended 2018 at P52.58 versus the greenback, sharply down from its 2017 close of
ÂłYearend B4
B2
Business Times
˜ The Manila Times
w w w.manilatimes.net
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
Processed pork from ASF-hit nations recalled BY EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ
T
HE Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday ordered all importers, distributors and retail outlets to immediately recall all pork products imported from countries affected by African Swine Fever (ASF) virus which has largely spread to Philippines’ neighboring countries, particularly China. All processed pork products from ASF-hit countries will be immediately seized from Philippine markets to prevent the entry of the highly contagious hemorrhagic disease in the country, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piùol earlier said.
“Food business operators importing, distributing, offering for sale and/or donating the banned products, shall be prosecuted for violation of the FDA Act of 2000, the Food Safety Act of 2013, and other relevant laws, rules and regulation on food safety,� FDA said in
its advisory dated May 27. In a separate advisory, FDA also reiterated the temporary ban on the importation, distribution and sale of all processed pork meat products from ASF-affected countries namely China, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia and Ukraine. With the fast spread of the dreaded ASF, the FDA also expanded the said ban to countries including Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova and Belgium. PiĂąol said erring tourists will BE PENALIZED WITH A kNE OF NOT LESS than P200,000. He also called the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)
for help. “We are appealing to you (OFWs) to help spread the information on the the strict prohibition of sending canned goods, especially those which are coming from ASF-affected countries like China, Hong Kong, Cambodia and parts of Europe,â€? PiĂąol added. The agriculture chief also noted that the DA was already drafting the list of ASF high-risk countries, or those near countries struck by the ASF. On Monday, the DA, along with local hog raisers, announced its PLAN TO APPEAL TO THE /FkCE OF THE President a two-month suspension on the importation of meat and meat products from ASF high-risk countries.
Dividends PSEi ends 3-day losing streak from CAAP hit P3.5B last year THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) turned over its highest annual dividend to the national government, reaching P3.5 billion for 2018. In a statement on Tuesday, the country’s aviation authority said that while it only had a dividend payable of P958.5 million, it recorded an excess cash of P2.55 billion, which allowed the agency to remit 9 percent higher than the P3.2 billion in dividends for 2017. Earnings last year also improved to P280 million, CAAP said. g4HE lYING PUBLIC CAN BE ASSURED that while we remain keen on making our airspace safe, we shall continue to be honest and judicious in OUR kSCAL FUNCTIONS u #!!0 $IRECTOR General Jim Sydiongco was quoted in the statement. Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade also lauded the solid performance of CAAP, saying the amount it remitted to the national government could fuel infrastructure spending. “CAAP has maintained a very STRONG kSCAL PERFORMANCE CONSIStently outperforming itself year after year. As custodians of public trust, it is but right that government agencies like CAAP dispense their monetary functions with prudence, EFkCIENCY AND TRANSPARENCY 4HIS IS one way of adhering to President Duterte’s directive of giving the Filipinos a comfortable life,� Tugade also said in the statement. For 2011 to 2015 period, CAAP did not remit dividends as it said it HAD gFULL kSCAL AUTONOMY u LISBET K. ESMAEL
THE stock market snapped a three-day losing streak on Tuesday as investors repositioned portfolios following a rebalancing of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI). The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) grew by 0.47 percent or 36.28 points to close at 7,761.29 while the broader All Shares rose by 0.52 percent or 24.62 points to end at 4,790.05. “MSCI’s rebalancing actually ended up leading the index to close in the green,� P2P Trade Online sales associate Gabriel Jose Perez said.
the economist said. According to him, ING expects INlATION TO gBE TAMEu FOR THE REST of the year. g4HE -AY kGURE COULD FALL BELOW THE "30 S INlATION TARGET OF 3 percent, as fuel prices saw only marginal gains year-on-year, although utility costs are projected to be slightly higher for the said month,� Mapa said. “And although global crude oil prices remain elevated (up 29.5 percent year-to-date), we’ve seen only a marginal effect on headLINE INlATION GIVEN TRANSPORTAtion’s 3.03 percent weight in the CPI basket,� he added. 4HE 03! WILL RELEASE OFkCIAL INlATION DATA FOR -AY ON *UNE ANNA LEAH E. GONZALES
rose 0.61 percent, Hong Kong increased 0.38 percent, Seoul added 0.23 percent, and Bangkok inched up by 0.04 percent. Jakarta dropped 1.08 percent while Singapore slipped 0.15 percent. )N -ANILA ONLY kNANCIALS AND HOLDING kRMS kNISHED IN THE RED down 0.34 percent and 0.007 percent, respectively. More than 1.5 billion issues were traded valued at P18 billion. Winners led losers, 100 to 80, while 53 issues were unchanged. ANGELICA BALLESTEROS
HMO industry 2018 income up 63% THE health maintenance organization (HMO) industry reported a 63 percent increase in net income last year, Insurance Commissioner Dennis B. Funa said on Tuesday. In a statement, Funa said data submitted by 29 HMO companies showed the industry’s net income during the period amounted to P1.65 billion from P1.01 billion in 2017. Reported assets of the industry, on the other hand, amounted to P38.96 billion, also up 18 percent from P32.91 billion in the same period in 2017. Funa said total revenue of the industry was also up 15 percent to P45.30 billion from P39.32 billion a year ago. Of the total revenue, P43.57 billion were generated from fees paid by members in exchange for the assumption of the risk funding members’ health
Q DIP FROM B1
Inflation likely to dip below
Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis Limlingan shared the same view, saying market players paid attention to the rebalancing with cues limited as the US market was on a holiday break. “With MSCI out of the way, issue to look now would be how US markets end up faring‌ especially with how they’re coming back from the Memorial Day holiday. Movement tonight could also influence how the PSEi moves tomorrow,â€? Perez added. Regional markets were also up. Tokyo grew 0.37 percent, Shanghai
W
HILE waiting to board my 12-hour flight, I browsed the web through Hong Kong International Airport’s free internet stations. I searched “things to do in Amsterdam� in Google to give me an idea of what I can do in the city in my spare time. This is atypical. I normally have my itinerary all planned out, either because I am travelling with my wife—who is such a great organizer—or I had already planned out my trip due to excitement. That was not the case for this Amsterdam trip. 7ITH NO kXED PLANS ON WHAT TO DO and where to go, I constantly looked FOR THINGS TO DO ON THE lY /N MY last day in Amsterdam, I found out through Twitter that BlackPink, arguably today’s K-Pop queens, is in the area. They will be having a concert later that night in an arena that is just train ride away from where I was. With no other plans for my last night in Amsterdam, I did not hesitate to purchase a ticket. Many were surprised that I watched a K-Pop concert by myself, and in a foreign country at that. I do not consider myself a K-Pop fan, but I do enjoy listen-
care services and related administrative costs.  Total membership fees paid in 2018 was also up. “The total membership fees paid in 2018 is 14 percent higher than the P38.16 billion membership fees collected in 2017,� Funa said. The Insurance Commission is currently finalizing the Standard Chart of Account (SCA) for HMOs which will serve as the financial reporting framework for HMO to ensure transparency in their financial conditions and the consistent application of existing regulations. Funa said the SCA will provide a logical framework in the determination of the allocation and use of funds of HMOs in compliance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the IC. He said the IC will also
implement additional reporting requirements for HMO companies. “In order for the Commission to have a complete picture of the HMO industry, HMO companies are now required to submit comparable data relating to enrollment of members. Specifically, HMOs are now required to provide data on the number of clients, policies, members, principals, and dependents,� said Funa. He said data to be collected will help in understanding the role of HMOs and their effect on the market for health services. The IC is also currently drafting a regulation which seeks to require HMOs to establish and maintain a claims register which shall contain details of all claims made under HMO contracts. ANNA LEAH E. GONZALES
Foreign currency denominated govt bonds as securities deposit by a PH branch
O
NE of the securities mandated to be deposited by a Philippine Branch with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may be in the form of US Dollar (USD)-denominated bonds to be issued by the Philippine government. Section 126 of the Old Corporation Code expressly provides that foreign corporations licensed to do business in the Philippines are required to deposit securities with the SEC, FOR THE BENEkT OF PRESENT AND future creditors of the licensee, on certain prescribed conditions and amounts. The securities, in order to comply with the SEC, must consist of bonds or other evidence of indebtedness of the government of the Philippines, its political subdivisions and instrumentalities, or of government-owned and/ or -controlled corporations and entities. The securities must have an actual market value of at least P100,000.00. In addition, two conditions must be met: 1) the SEC shall require the licensee to deposit additional securities equivalent in actual market value to two percent of the amount by which the licensee’s gross income for that kSCAL YEAR EXCEEDS kVE MILLION pesos P5,000,000.00, within SIX MONTHS AFTER EACH kSCAL YEAR of the licensee; and 2) the SEC shall also require deposit of additional securities if the actual market value of the securities on deposit has decreased by at least 10 percent of their actual market value at the time they were deposited (Section 126 of the Old Corporation Code, B.P. Blg. 68). In relation to Section 126 of the Old Corporation Code, the SEC issued Memorandum Circular No. 2, Series of 2012 (MC No. 2, s.2012), with respect to the Guidelines on Securities Deposit of Branch Offices of Foreign Corporations in the Philippines. Under the said MC, one of the acceptable types of deposit securities is government debt instruments and equity instruments, particularly shares of stock in listed domestic corporations (Section 6, MC No. 2, s.2012). At present, Section 143 of the Revised Corporation Code
SEC MATTERS
KELVIN LESTER LEE (RCC), otherwise known as Republic Act No. 11232, provides for the procedures as to the conditions and amounts of deposit securities to be submitted with the SEC. The provisions of Section 143 of the RCC are essentially the same as those of Section 126 of the Old Corporation Code, but the difference only lies as to increasing the actual market value of securities and the threshold of gross income for purposes of determining additional deposits of securities. From the former actual market value of at least P100,000.00, the same has been increased to the actual market value of at least P500,000.00; and from the former additional securities equivalent in actual market value to two percent of the amount by which the licensee’s gross inCOME FOR THAT kSCAL YEAR EXCEEDS P5,000,000.00 to additional securities equivalent in actual market value to two percent of the amount by which the licensee’s GROSS INCOME FOR THAT kSCAL YEAR exceeds P10,000,000.00. The last paragraph of Section 143 adds that for purposes of computing the securities deposit, the composition of gross income and allowable deductions therefrom shall be in accordance with the rules of the SEC. As Section 143 of the Revised Code does not differentiate between peso or foreign-currency denominated government debt instruments or securities, it goes on to say that securities may be in the form of USD-denominated bonds, provided the same are issued by the Philippine government.
Kelvin Lester K. Lee is a Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He is the co-chairperson of the SEC Committee on Memorandum Circulars To Operationalize Revised Corporation Code Provisions. The views and opinions stated herein are his own. You may email your comments and questions to oclee@ sec.gov.ph.
Q GROWTH FROM B1
S&P keeps PH BSP to ease, at a time when the kSCAL IMPULSE IS ALREADY NEGATIVE IN THE kRST HALF OF THE YEAR u S&P’s view is consistent with BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno’s
earlier statement that rising global oil prices and a prolonged, El NiĂąo-caused drought “could be a source of upside price pressures over the near term.â€?
Stories we can tell ing to such music. What was my gateway K-Pop song? None, to be honest. My fascination with K-Pop did not start, because I heard or experienced the “product,� but BECAUSE ) WATCHED A .ETlIX SHOW called Explained that told me the story of K-Pop from its early beginnings to how the Korean wave is conquering the world. It was the K-Pop story, rather than the K-Pop songs themselves, that convinced me that I should start listening to the genre. The creativity and intentionality of Koreans were evident in the show I watched. It made me appreciate the songs even before I actually listened to them. When I was still studying in university, I applied for a prestigious internship. During my interview, I felt that I was not connecting with my interviewer. He did not seem to be interested in what I had to say. Expectedly, I was not selected. A few years later, I realized that I may have had a better chance of connecting with the interviewer if I incorporated stories as part of my communication tools. Stories can make you relatable.
FROM WHERE WE SIT ANTON NG Do not simply tell your audience THAT YOUR MOST SIGNIkCANT WEAKness is being a procrastinator; instead, share with them a story on how procrastinating impacted your way of doing things, your mindset, and your emotions when the deadline was still months away and how those all changed as the deadline approached. Giving advice to co-parents is a sensitive endeavor to pursue. Because there are a million ways to raise a child—from sleep training, breastfeeding, and disciplining— there are beliefs and practices that we parents hold dear. An attack on those beliefs feels like an attack to our very own person. Stories do not impose. Rather, stories creates opportunities for people to exchange ideas without being overbearing. Stories can act as a means to allow parents to relate with each other’s burdens
and how they tried to overcome struggles. Do not simply tell your co-parents that they should do this or do that; share with them how you and your baby struggled with sleeping at night and what you did to help overcome the lack of sleep. Share both what worked and what did not work. Presenting the organizational results of operations, especially those that contain many numbers, can sometimes be dull. Even though there are important messages to land—such as the organization being able to meet its TARGETS OR THAT THERE ARE SIGNIkCANT RED lAGS THAT MANAGEMENT NEEDS to address—incorporating a story on how such information and messages are communicated can make it more compelling. Stories can get people excited and hopeful. It can also bring about sadness and help people prepare for the worst. Do not simply congratulate your organization for reaching your goals this year; share with them the story of how a shop foreman persevered to learn new skills that contributed to the attainment of organizational
objectives. The tragedy of a great message is that it would not be as impactful on our audience as we would have wanted, because we did not incorporate a story to bring the message home. Let us not waste a powerful message, simply because we did not take advantage of incorporating a story. A good story can ignite emotions that few other communication tools can. Stories can get people excited. It can spark hope, it can inspire. It can draw people to try new things. It made me listen to K-Pop music that led to my BlackPink concert experience.
Anton Ng is a Partner of the Audit & Assurance P&A Grant Thornton is one of the leading Audit, Tax, !DVISORY AND /UTSOURCING kRMS in the Philippines, with 21 Partners and over 900 staff members. We’d like to hear from you! Tweet us: @PAGrantThornton, like us on Facebook: P&A Grant Thornton, and email your comments to anton.ng@ph.gt.com or pagrantthornton@ph.gt.com. For more information, visit our Website: www.grantthornton.com.ph.
Corporate News
˜ The Manila Times
w w w.manilatimes.net
San Miguel to put up new breweries in Vietnam, US 3!. -IGUEL "REWERY )NC 3-" is expanding overseas by investing $70 million in a new brewery in Vietnam and looking for a potential site in the United States FOR ANOTHER During a news briefing on Tuesday, SMB Chairman Ramon Ang said the manufacturing plant that the company was planning to set up in Vietnam was designed to produce 2 million HECTOLITERS OF BEER According to SMB President Roberto Huang, the expansion in Vietnam was in line with efforts to meet the growing demand for BEER THERE 4HE kRM S PRODUCTION CAPACITY in the Southeast Asian nation curRENTLY STANDS AT HL “Maliit kasi ‘yung sa amin (We have a very small brwing capacITY IN 6IETNAM (INDI GAnoon ka-competitive (It’s not that comPETITIVE u (UANG SAID Also, SMB said it had sent to the US a working group that would study the potential establishment OF A NEW PRODUCTION FACILITY THERE
This came two years after it announced plans to put up a $100-million brewery in Los Angeles, California, which was also designed to produce 2 milLION HL OF BEER “We have to wait for their THE GROUP CONFIRMATION )T S NOT JUST A MATTER OF CAPACITY 7E also have to talk to some people there if a brewery can really be put up kung walang reklamo yung community,� Huang said, ADDING THAT IT ALREADY kNALIZED A LAND PURCHASE DEAL Even if the land is secured, Huang said it would take months before his company could break GROUND IN !MERICA “Normally, the planning alone takes about a minimum of six MONTHS )F OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY IT MAY EVEN TAKE LONGER "UT WE WILL see if we can already [perform] the GROUNDBREAKING u HE ADDED Besides Vietnam and the US, SMB also has breweries in mainland China, Hong Kong, Thailand AND )NDONESIA ANGELICA BALLESTEROS
RCBC to redeem P10-B notes before due date LISTED Rizal Commercial Banking #ORP 2#"# WILL REDEEM THE 0 BILLION DEBT NOTES IT ISSUED kVE YEARS AGO AHEAD OF ITS SCHEDULED MATURITY In a disclosure on Tuesday, the Yuchengco-led lender said its board of directors had approved to exercise a call option on the Tier-2 capital NOTES ISSUED ON *UNE The notes, which have a maturity DATE OF 3EPT AND CALLABLE ON 3EPT FETCHED A COUPON RATE OF PERCENT The notes were issued to strengthen RCBC’s capital base and capital adequacy ratio (CAR) to support asset growth, as well as expand its LONG TERM FUNDING BASE RCBC reported earlier that its total resources expanded by 14 percent TO 0 BILLION IN THE kRST QUARTER
The bank’s capital funds stood at 0 BILLION AND WELL ABOVE THE MINImum regulatory requirement with a #!2 OF PERCENT AND COMMON EQUITY TIER RATIO OF PERCENT “We have continued to build on balance sheet strength, with assets OF 0 BILLION SUPPORTED BY 0 billion of capital, as we focus on growing our core business,“ RCBC President and Chief Executive OfkCER 'IL "UENAVENTURA SAID THEN RCBC‘s unaudited consolidatED NET INCOME REACHED 0 BILLION in the first three months of the YEAR A PERCENT SURGE FROM 0 BILLION IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR RCBC shares rose by 15 centavos OR PERCENT TO CLOSE AT 0 APIECE ON 4UESDAY MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO
Index
Value
Chg
%Chg
PSEi
7,761.29
36.28
Ÿ
All Shares
4,790.05
24.62
Ÿ
Financials
1,696.55
-5.84
Ĺş
Industrial
11,140.25
25.95
Ÿ
Holding Firms
7,386.99
-0.55
Ĺş
Services
1,656.17
15.38
Ÿ
Mining and Oil
7,247.59
9.39
Ÿ
Property
4,236.28
63.67
Ÿ
ALL SHARES
B3
First Gen, Tokyo Gas break ground for $1-B LNG terminal
B
ATANGAS CITY, Batangas: Listed First Gen Corp. and its Japanese partner Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd. on Tuesday broke ground for their BILLION LIQUEkED NATURAL GAS ,.' TERMINAL PROJECT WHICH THEY WANT TO kNISH BEFORE THE -ALAMPAYA GAS kELD IN OFFSHORE 0ALAWAN PROVINCE is used up.
During the traditional kagami biraki ceremony — which involves breaking a barrel of sake or Japanese rice wine to mark a milestone or the beginning of a new endeavor — Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said he hoped the Lopez-led renewable energy company would complete the terminal during President 2ODRIGO $UTERTE S TERM “This groundbreaking is putting the Philippines in the value CHAIN OF ,.'w 7E WILL BE ABLE to receive [and] export� the natuRAL GAS #USI SAID IN HIS SPEECH But First Gen Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial /FkCER *ONATHAN 2USSELL SAID IT “might be a little challenging� to complete the facility before the
0RESIDENT STEPS DOWN IN “I think that might be a little challenging, because we don’t need the LNG until the MalamPAYA ;kELD IS DEPLETED IN = so we want to get [the terminal] kNISHED BEFOREu THAT HAPPENS 2USSELL TOLD REPORTERS “We are hoping to get the PROJECT kNISHED IN "UT WE certainly want to start it before the end of [Duterte’s] term,� HE ADDED According to Russell, the company has two additional vacant lots that can accommodate the construction of two new units with a capacity of about 1,200 -7 4HEY PLAN TO START IN AND COMPLETE THE UNITS BY The groundbreaking came
after First Gen and Tokyo Gas signed in early December a joint development agreement, under which the Japanese energy company would have a 20-percent participating interest in the facility and provide developmentwork support in order to reach a kNAL INVESTMENT DECISION First Gen said earlier this month it hoped to reach that decision by next year, and that it was looking for more partners FOR THE PROJECT The Department of Energy gave the project the notice to PROCEED IN -ARCH The company, through subSIDIARY &'%. ,.' #ORP WILL build the terminal, which will occupy about 21 hectares within its First Gen Clean Energy Complex in Batangas City’s Santa Clara, Santa Rita Aplaya AND "OLBOK VILLAGES The facility will be built in TWO PHASES 4HE FIRST INCLUDES new unloading facilities for LNG carriers with capacities ranging from 40,000 to 177,000 cubic
meters; a 200,000-cubic-meter LNG storage tank with a maximum send-out capacity of up to 5 metric tons per annum (mtpa); two LNG truck loading bays; as well as provisions for a future LNG carrier reloading system for vessel capacities ranging from TO CUBIC METERS The second includes an additional 200,000 cubic meters; LNG storage tank; increasing its send-out capacity up to 7 mtpa, two additional LNG truck load bays; and an LNG carrier reloadING SYSTEM First Gen is building the terminal to help ensure the continued OPERATION OF ITS EXISTING GAS kRED power plants — 1,000-megawatt (MW) Santa Rita, 500-MW San Lorenzo, 420-MW San Gabriel, and 97-MW Avion — that currently rely on Malampaya, whose gas reserves are expected to run OUT IN kVE YEARS First Gen shares dropped by 60 CENTAVOS OR PERCENT TO CLOSE AT 0 APIECE ON 4UESDAY JORDEENE B. LAGARE
Max’s to sell share in QC hotel MAX’S Group Inc. announced on Tuesday that it would divest its stake in a Quezon City hotel and leave the hospitality sector. The listed casual-restaurant chain told the Philippine Stock Exchange that it was selling its entire equity interest in Room Ventures Corp., which operates the Meranti Hotel in the city’s Diliman area, in order to pay full attention to its main business. The move, Max’s Presi-
dent and Chief Executive Officer Robert Trota said, “represents another step in our efforts to make [Max’s Group] more streamlined, cost-effective, and focused on its core business.� The plan to sell its interest in the 12-story, 59room hotel that opened in 2015 remains subject to several conditions. “As the company bolsters its authority in the casual-dining market, it is dedicated to enhancing the
HOLDING FIRMS
TOP ACTIVE STOCKS
SERVICES
Stock indices as of May 28, 2019
PSEi
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
MINING AND OIL
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
efficiencies and systems of its restaurant operations,� Max’s said. It “had just disclosed its investment in a new foodmanufacturing and distribution center in Cavite [province], which will future-proof the company’s continuous store expansion,� it added, referring to the No Bia Manufacturing and Distribution Center in Carmona, in which it invested P1 billion. The facility would be the
Security Name International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Ayala Corporation Ayala Land, Inc. BDO Unibank, Inc. Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. SM Investments Corporation SM Prime Holdings, Inc. PLDT Inc. Jollibee Foods Corporation Semirara Mining and Power Corporation JG Summit Holdings, Inc. Universal Robina Corporation Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company Globe Telecom, Inc. 0HWUR 3DFLÂżF ,QYHVWPHQWV &RUSRUDWLRQ Bank of the Philippine Islands Manila Electric Company Megaworld Corporation GT Capital Holdings, Inc. Alliance Global Group, Inc.
Last Price 137.3 892.5 48.65 132 54.15 925.5 39.25 1,277.00 270 22.5 60 155 72.5 2,112.00 4.32 79.8 372.4 5.52 863.5 15
Chg 1.4 -9.5 0.55 0 -0.25 10.5 0.85 -5 -4 0.35 0 2.3 0.7 32 0.02 -1.2 5.4 0.06 -37.5 0.46
main food-manufacturing plant for Max’s Group, made up of Max’s Restaurant, Yellow Cab Pizza, Pancake House, Krispy Kreme and Dencio’s, among others. For this year, Max’s kept its capital expenditures at P600 million, to be used mostly on establishing 80 new branches worldwide. Max’s shares shed 2 centavos or 0.16 percent to finish at P12.54 apiece on Tuesday. ANGELICA BALLESTEROS
%Chg 1.03% -1.05% 1.14% 0% -0.46% 1.15% 2.21% -0.39% -1.46% 1.58% 0% 1.51% 0.97% 1.54% 0.47% -1.48% 1.47% 1.10% -4.16% 3.16%
Volume Value(P) Ÿ 13,123,760.00 1,799,593,287.00 ź 1,859,680.00 1,662,583,700.00 Ÿ 27,116,700.00 1,316,781,630.00 7,919,630.00 1,047,347,485.00 ź 17,478,790.00 947,140,422.50 Ÿ 996,960.00 921,817,235.00 Ÿ 22,065,800.00 864,453,625.00 ź 593,715.00 759,988,115.00 ź 2,630,790.00 711,735,252.00 Ÿ 26,260,300.00 588,508,830.00 8,717,120.00 524,066,467.00 Ÿ 3,235,860.00 502,219,196.00 Ÿ 6,570,570.00 475,497,421.50 Ÿ 199,340.00 423,960,160.00 Ÿ 96,675,000.00 418,361,960.00 ź 4,714,420.00 376,870,879.00 Ÿ 805,540.00 299,873,230.00 Ÿ 54,170,100.00 299,213,509.00 ź 314,110.00 272,149,455.00 Ÿ 15,426,100.00 230,066,602.00
*amounts in peso, except for volume, %chg
TOP GAINERS
FINANCIALS
INDUSTRIAL
PROPERTY
INDEX HISTORY Date May 28, 2019 May 27, 2019 May 24, 2019 May 23, 2019 May 22, 2019 May 21, 2019 May 20, 2019 May 17, 2019 May 16, 2019 May 15, 2019 May 14, 2019 May 10, 2019 May 9, 2019 May 8, 2019 May 7, 2019 May 6, 2019 May 3, 2019 May 2, 2019 Apr 30, 2019 Apr 29, 2019 Apr 26, 2019 Apr 25, 2019 Apr 24, 2019 Apr 23, 2019 Apr 22, 2019 Apr 17, 2019 Apr 16, 2019 Apr 15, 2019 Apr 12, 2019 Apr 11, 2019
Open 7,728 7,719 7,771 7,808 7,731 7,662 7,587 7,482 7,560 7,671 7,718 7,756 7,858 7,903 7,872 7,973 8,004 7,953 7,892 7,861 7,893 7,848 7,799 7,827 7,840 7,833 7,800 7,888 7,971 7,991
High 7,785 7,742 7,771 7,822 7,839 7,741 7,660 7,637 7,586 7,711 7,718 7,842 7,864 7,927 7,922 7,974 8,078 8,041 7,953 7,897 7,900 7,894 7,847 7,835 7,859 7,861 7,860 7,915 7,980 8,000
Low 7,703 7,694 7,665 7,764 7,725 7,640 7,534 7,482 7,475 7,577 7,578 7,719 7,756 7,755 7,861 7,851 7,968 7,947 7,889 7,846 7,840 7,832 7,799 7,770 7,818 7,824 7,799 7,788 7,881 7,956
Close 7,761 7,725 7,747 7,804 7,815 7,722 7,660 7,584 7,475 7,577 7,647 7,742 7,756 7,927 7,911 7,862 7,968 8,002 7,953 7,897 7,868 7,894 7,847 7,819 7,832 7,835 7,826 7,788 7,881 7,956
CLOSE
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Security Name Vulcan Industrial & Mining DFNN, Inc. NOW Corporation Abacore Capital Holdings, Inc. Central Azucarera de Tarlac Vitarich Corporation Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation Doubledragon Properties Corp. 7UDQVSDFLÂżF %URDGEDQG *URXS ,QWHUQDWLRQDO ,QF Wilcon Depot, Inc. APC Group, Inc. PH Resorts Group Holdings, Inc. Bloomberry Resorts Corporation STI Education Systems Holdings, Inc. Macroasia Corporation Berjaya Philippines, Inc. iPeople, Inc. Premiere Horizon Alliance Corporation Apex Mining Company, Inc. “Aâ€? Acesite (Philippines) Hotel Corporation
Volume 69,866,000.00 164,000.00 9,219,000.00 38,401,000.00 100.00 17,225,000.00 1,700.00 1,437,600.00 47,560,000.00 5,105,500.00 1,010,000.00 32,000.00 8,400,200.00 2,991,000.00 1,697,900.00 2,619,000.00 17,100.00 34,929,000.00 2,139,000.00 363,000.00
Value 93,155,720.00 1,046,470.00 20,527,550.00 23,493,390.00 1,624.00 20,439,380.00 9,716.00 35,803,035.00 16,690,850.00 86,381,586.00 418,450.00 143,710.00 96,571,606.00 1,999,490.00 35,172,978.00 7,541,200.00 180,230.00 28,807,500.00 2,375,810.00 517,670.00
Last Price 1.35 6.5 2.3 0.62 16.24 1.24 5.7 25.4 0.355 17.16 0.42 4.53 11.7 0.67 20.8 2.93 11.22 0.82 1.13 1.43
Chg 0.21 0.6 0.2 0.05 1.24 0.09 0.4 1.5 0.02 0.82 0.02 0.21 0.54 0.03 0.8 0.11 0.42 0.03 0.04 0.05
%Chg 18.42% 10.17% 9.52% 8.77% 8.27% 7.83% 7.55% 6.28% 5.97% 5.02% 5.00% 4.86% 4.84% 4.69% 4.00% 3.90% 3.89% 3.80% 3.67% 3.62%
*amounts in peso, except for volume, %chg
TOP LOSERS
HIGH
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Security Name TKC Metals Corporation Benguet Corporation “A� Macay Holdings, Inc. Cyber Bay Corporation Geograce Resources Philippines, Inc. Cosco Capital, Inc. National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. Cebu Air, Inc. Lorenzo Shipping Corporation Jolliville Holdings Corporation Harbor Star Shipping Services, Inc. GT Capital Holdings, Inc. Sun Life Financial, Inc. Primex Corporation Asiabest Group International Inc. PHINMA Corporation Philweb Corporation Boulevard Holdings, Inc. Ayala Corporation Class “B� Series 2 Preferred Shares
*amounts in peso, except for volume, %chg
Volume 12,148,000.00 29,000.00 102,100.00 40,000.00 1,280,000.00 1,227,300.00 542,000.00 4,125,000.00 533,330.00 1,006,000.00 100.00 3,536,000.00 314,110.00 85.00 2,324,000.00 32,600.00 200.00 4,446,000.00 13,180,000.00 70.00
Value Last Price Chg 15,471,700.00 1.23 -0.12 32,770.00 1.1 -0.08 933,682.00 9.12 -0.57 15,000.00 0.375 -0.02 301,650.00 0.23 -0.012 8,290,399.00 6.75 -0.35 537,150.00 0.99 -0.05 5,816,540.00 1.39 -0.07 46,363,228.50 86 -4.15 829,750.00 0.85 -0.04 595 5.95 -0.26 8,232,700.00 2.3 -0.1 272,149,455.00 863.5 -37.5 149,250.00 1,750.00 -73 4,701,380.00 2 -0.08 416,084.00 12.48 -0.44 1,816.00 9.08 -0.32 14,767,850.00 3.3 -0.11 790,730.00 0.06 -0.002 33,982.00 483.2 -15.8
%Chg -8.89% -6.78% -5.88% -5.06% -4.96% -4.93% -4.81% -4.79% -4.60% -4.49% -4.19% -4.17% -4.16% -4.00% -3.85% -3.41% -3.40% -3.23% -3.23% -3.17%
B4
Corporate News
˜ The Manila Times
w w w.manilatimes.net
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
Sta. Lucia to spend P20B in next 3 years BY ANGELICA BALLESTEROS
S
TA. Lucia Land Inc. (SLI) ramped up its capital expenditures (capex) over the next three years to P20 billion to expand its PRESENCE NATIONWIDE AND BOOST ITS NET PROkT SLI told the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Tuesday it would allocate P16 billion to develop projects in key locations outside Metro Manila, such as Bulacan, Rizal, Batangas, Iloilo, Pangasinan, Palawan, Cebu, and Davao, while P4 billion will be used to ac-
quire more land banks. The company is set to launch this year alone 28 residential and commercial projects that are expected to generate P20 billion reservation sales by 2022. The projects are Sotogrande Fairview and Acropolis Loyola in Quezon City, Orchard Tow-
ers in Pasig, Green Peak Heights Phase 3, Rizal Technopark, and Sta. Lucia Residences Towers in Rizal, Aquamira at Saddle and Rockville in Cavite, Golden Meadows Phase 2D in Laguna, Ponte Verde de Sto. Tomas and Yanarra Seaside Residences in Batangas, Colinas Verdes Expansion in Bulacan, Woodside Garden Village in Pangasinan, Metropolis in Iloilo, Valle Verde in Cebu, and Ponte Verde Phase 2 in Davao. In the commercial segment, SLI said it was set to complete the SIX STORY OFkCE AND COMMERCIAL
building Sta. Lucia Business Center, with 14,000 square meters of gross leasable area (GLA) at the Sta. Lucia Mall Complex. It is expected to raise SLI’s total GLA across all recurring income projects to 150,000 sqm. Sta. Lucia has projects scattered across 200 places in the country. Its developments include subdivisions, condominiums and malls. Earlier this month, it announced the acquisition of a 4.37-percent stake in Iloilo township developer Uni-Asia Properties Inc. for P40.5 million.
BSP issues advisory on fake banknotes THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has advised the public to carefully feel, look, and tilt their banknotes to check the identifiable security features as illustrated below:Â One easy way to determine if banknotes are genuine and not altered is by checking the watermark by viewing the banknote against the light from either side. The watermark in the blank space should be the same image as the portrait on the banknote and denominational value. The BSP encouraged the public to report any information on currency counterfeiting to the nearest police station or law enforcement agency, for appropriate action, or contact the Currency Management Sector for assistance at (632) 988-4833 and 926-5092.
FWD bullish on business ranking LIFE insurer FWD Philippines is optimistic in improving its new business ranking in the next few years after its market share rose last year. “We feel that if we keep doing the right thing, we will continue to grow. And I hope that in a relatively short number of years, we will achieve our objective, which we’ve set many years ago — becoming the top five,� FWD President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Grimes said in a roundtable on Tuesday. Grimes said FWD now ranks No. 8 based on new business annual premium equivalent as reported by the Insurance Commission’s unaudited statistics for 2018. This is an improvement from FWD’s No. 11 ranking in 2017. Grimes attributed the company’s improved ranking to its new business market share which rose to 4.84 percent from 3.5 percent in 2017. “In just four full years of operations, FWD has successfully established itself as the industry challenger brand and cemented our status as one of the country’s fastest-growing insurers,� the Grimes said. In terms of total premium, the company’s market share increased to 3.35 percent in 2018 from 2.24 percent in 2017. This came after FWD posted a P7.65 billion premium income last year, a record 68-percent increase from P4.55 billion in 2017. FWD’s premium income growth rate was said to have outpaced the local life insurance industry’s 2018 growth of 13 percent by more than five times. However, asked for their premium income growth outlook, Grimes
Q YEAREND FROM B1
Q BIDDING FROM B1
Peso seen weakening to P54:$1
DoE to Meralco
P49.93:$1. The local currency is currently trading against the dollar within the P52:$1 level. On Tuesday, it closed 8 centavos weaker at P52.30:$1. Fan said the expected peso depreciation this year would be led by the expected widening of the current account DEkCIT gESPECIALLY GOING INTO THE SECOND half, because of the acceleration in public spending in infrastructure projects.� 4HE (3"# OFkCIAL S VIEW WAS CONSIStent with the announcement made by the country’s economic managers — Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary
opment Corp. Cusi’s remarks echoed those he made in a statement last Friday to uphold the Supreme Court verdict. “We call for the exigent conduct of CSP for the PSAs of DUs, which include electric cooperatives and private corporations like Meralco,� he said then.
Q PEREZ FROM B1
If you’re outstanding common shares. This ownership should have been computed against AC’s entire outstanding capital stock. As stated in the POR, the report was based only on outstanding common shares. For the sake of AC’s public stockholders, their ownership of 52.38 percent of outstanding common shares should be computed based on outstanding capital stock. This
Ernesto Pernia — last week that they would embark on a bold “expenditure catch-up plan� boost gross domestic product growth to above 6 percent and offset the negative impact of the delayed passage of the 2019 national budget on economic growth. This plan includes an infrastructure spending target of P792.97 billion for the second to fourth quarters after actual infrastructure spending reached 0 BILLION IN THE kRST To achieve these targets, the economic managers said the Public Works and Transportation departments had committed to spend a combined P803.1
is not to admit that the public are !# S MAJORITY STOCKHOLDER $Eknitely, they are not and will never be. Owning 52.38 percent of outstanding common shares would be too big for them to own and would have taken away from the Zobels their majority ownership. )N THE kRST PLACE IT IS IMPOSsible for AC’s public stockholders to own so much when they don’t even have a board seat. Translated, their 52.38 percent of 7, which is the number of directors, could have entitled them to 3.6666 directors.
It is unfortunate that, instead of allowing the public to elect their own directors to AC’s seven-person board, the Zobels preferred to appoint three independent directors. On May 27, 2019, AC common shares opened trading at P903.50, hit a high of P904, dropped to a low of P891.50 and closed the session at P902. The stock peaked at 30-day high of P924 and a 30-day low of P838.
Ownership profile Philippine National Bank (PNB)
German prosecutors raid Porsche in probe FRANKFURT AM MAIN: Prosecutors in Stuttgart said they had raided German sports carmaker and Volkswagen subsidiary Porsche on Tuesday on suspicion that an auditor was bribed to pass information to the company’s tax advisor. The investigators suspect that “an official from the Stuttgart business audit office revealed confidential information to a tax advisor of Porsche AG and accepted benefits in exchange,� they said in a statement. Almost 200 police and prosecutors searched the luxury carmaker’s offices, tax collectors’ offices, a tax advisor’s office and private homes in and around Stuttgart for pa-
billion in the next three quarters. “Infrastructure spending would increase the imports and will drive THE TRADE DEkCIT TO WIDEN A BIT u &AN explained. Trade balance is one of the key components of the country’s current account. Last year, robust economic activity that resulted in a wider trade gap worsened the current account, which hit an ALL TIME HIGH DEkCIT OF BILLION The latest current-account deficit is equivalent to -2.4 percent of gross domestic product. MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO
per and digital documents. On top of the bribery probe, investigators suspect the company made “unjustified� and “disproportionately large� payments to a former works council member. Six people, including some from the company leadership, “may have committed fraud against Porsche AG� they said. Earlier this month, Porsche agreed to pay a fine of 535 million euros ($669 million) over its role in the separate “dieselgate� emissions cheating scandal. Its parent company Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to manipulating 11 million vehicles worldwide to appear less polluting in the lab than on the road. AFP
Delay seen with order Also on Tuesday, Meralco said it would subject its agreement with Atimonan One Energy to competitive bidding to comply with the high tribunal’s order, but added that it could delay THE CONSTRUCTION OF A -7 COAL kRED POW-
reported in a general information sheet (GIS) 1,750,000,001 as authorized capital stock (ACS) of which it said 2,402,065,086 PNB common shares are held by 37,254 stockholders. Of 37,254 stockholders, 37,149 Filipinos owned 1,152,925,408 PNB common shares, or 92.30 percent, while 105 foreigners held 1,249,139,678 PNB common shares. While foreigners could own a maximum of 40 percent of outstanding, they held only 9 6 , 21 4 , 2 70 P N B c o m m o n shares, or 7.702 percent of
admitted that FWD might post slower expansions because of high base effect. “We expect slowdown in the growth because otherwise if you do the math, in three years we would be bigger than everybody else,� he said. “But I do feel that our products and services give us hope, and encouragement to continue to outperform,� Grimes added. In 2018 alone, he stressed that FWD expanded its geographical footprint by ending the year with 3,300 insurance agents nationwide, including more than 100 Million Dollar Round Table members, up by almost 40 percent. The company’s Bancassurance Financial Solutions Consultants sales force also continued to grow, enabling it to service more clients of Security Bank, FWD’s strategic bank distribution partner. FWD Philippines also continued the expansion of its geographic reach, with the addition of six new business hubs in key locations across the country. The additional business hubs include second offices in Cebu and Davao and new locations in Alabang, Imus, Malolos, and Pasig (Ortigas Center). “As we aim higher and develop our business further, we’ll continue to pursue delivery of even more innovative customer propositions, enhanced customer experiences and service excellence to ultimately benefit more and more Filipino families,� Grimes said. MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO
er plant in Atimonan town, Quezon province. $URING A BRIEkNG ON THE SIDELINES OF THE power giant’s annual stockholders’ meeting, -ERALCO 0RESIDENT AND #HIEF %XECUTIVE /FkCER Ray Espinosa said it was doing so in order to avoid delaying the facility’s construction. “Obviously, if we want to pursue Atimonan, we have to go through CSP. Once things become clearer [regarding] the CSP, then we would obviously act as fast as we can,� Espinosa said. He emphasized, however, that the ruling “could delay the construction of the muchneeded power plant.� Nevertheless, he said Meralco respected it and would follow it. “We’ll follow the competitive selection process and we would build as quickly as we can in coordination with, and [with] the approval of, the DoE,� Espinosa said. JORDEENE B. LAGARE AND ANGELICA BALLESTEROS
1,249,139,678 outstanding PNB common shares. Of course, the division between Filipino and foreigners’ ownership is not correct. Perhaps, the website of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) is right that PNB has 1,249,139,678 outstanding common shares. Incidentally, the same number was attributed as being owned by Filipinos when it was the bank’s outstanding common shares. While PSE website showed 1,249,139,678 as outstanding PNB common shares, it has
825,177,178 listed common shares, or 66.06 percent of outstanding. As a listed stock, PNB said in the website that it had a free-float level of 21.02 percent, which would be equivalent to 262,259,160 PNB common shares. On May 27, 2019, PNB common shares opened trading at P59, the stock’s session high, dropped to a low of P58 and was last traded at P58.40. The bank’s common shares recorded a 30day high of P59.40 and a month’s low of P49.30.
FedEx sorry after ‘misrouting’ Huawei parcels BEIJING: FedEx apologized on Tuesday for misrouting some Huawei parcels after the Chinese telecommunications giant said it was reviewing its ties with the US package delivery service over the incident. The mix-up came as Huawei faces US moves to blacklist the company, cutting it off from American-made components it needs for its products, though a 90-day reprieve was issued. “We apologise for a small number of Huawei packages being misrouted,� FeD%X SAID ON ITS OFkCIAL ACCOUNT IN #HINA S Twitter-like Weibo platform. g7E CONkRM THAT NO EXTERNAL PARTIES requested that FedEx transfer these packages,� it said. “Relevant packages are on the way to being returned to the sender.� Earlier, a Huawei spokeswoman said the company was “reviewing� its relationship with FedEx. “We do not know why FedEx did what actions. Huawei cannot speculate,� the they did by diverting the parcels. You will spokeswoman said, adding that the comneed to ask FedEx why they took these pany had never had such issues in the past.
Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment on FedEx’s apology. AFP
World
˜ The Manila Times
w w w.manilatimes.net
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
B5
Malaysia to send wastes back to US, Canada, UK, Australia PORT Klang, Malaysia: Malaysia will SEND BACK SOME TONS OF NONRECYCLABLE PLASTIC WASTE TO COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE 53 5+ #ANADA AND !USTRALIA IN A MOVE TO AVOID BECOMING A DUMPING GROUND FOR RICH NATIONS %NVIRONMENT -INISTER 9EO "EE 9IN SAID 4UESDAY 9EO SAID -ALAYSIA AND MANY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES HAVE BECOME NEW TARGETS AFTER #HINA BANNED THE IMPORT OF PLASTIC WASTE LAST YEAR 3HE SAID CONTAINERS STACKED WITH
CONTAMINATED WASTE WERE SMUGGLED IN EN ROUTE TO ILLEGAL PROCESSING FACILITIES IN THE COUNTRY AND WILL BE SENT BACK TO THEIR COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN 4EN OF THE CONTAINERS ARE DUE TO BE SHIPPED BACK WITHIN TWO WEEKS SHE SAID AS SHE SHOWED REPORTERS CONTENTS OF THE WASTE AT A PORT OUTSIDE +UALA ,UMPUR 4HE DISPLAYED ITEMS INCLUDED CABLES FROM THE 5+ CONTAMINATED MILK CARTONS FROM !USTRALIA AND COMPACT DISCS FROM "ANGLADESH AS
WELL AS BALES OF ELECTRONIC AND HOUSEHOLD WASTE FROM THE 53 #ANADA *APAN 3AUDI !RABIA AND #HINA 9EO SAID THE WASTE FROM #HINA APPEARED TO BE GARBAGE FROM &RANCE AND OTHER COUNTRIES THAT HAD BEEN REROUTED AFTER A BAN IMPOSED BY #HINA g4HIS IS PROBABLY JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG ;DUE= TO THE BANNING OF PLASTIC WASTE BY #HINA u 9EO TOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE g-ALAYSIA WILL NOT BE A DUMPING GROUND TO THE WORLD
WE WILL kGHT BACK %VEN THOUGH WE ARE A SMALL COUNTRY WE CAN T BE BULLIED BY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES u )N ONE CASE ALONE 9EO SAID A 5+ RECYCLING COMPANY EXPORTED MORE THAN METRIC TONS TONS OF PLASTIC WASTE IN ABOUT CONTAINERS TO -ALAYSIA OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS 4HE GOVERNMENT HAS CLAMPED DOWN ON DOZENS OF ILLEGAL PLASTIC RECYCLING FACILITIES THAT HAD MUSHROOMED ACROSS THE COUNTRY
SHUTTERING MORE THAN PLANTS SINCE LAST *ULY %ARLIER THIS MONTH THE GOVERNMENT ALSO SENT BACK kVE CONTAINERS OF WASTE TO 3PAIN 9EO SAID #HINA S PLASTIC WASTE BAN HAD gOPENED UP THE EYES OF THE WORLD TO SEE THAT WE HAVE A HUGE GARBAGE AND RECYCLING PROBLEM u #ITIZENS IN RICH NATIONS DILIGENTLY SEPARATE THEIR WASTE FOR RECYCLING BUT THE GARBAGE ENDED UP BEING DUMPED IN DEVELOPING NATIONS WHERE THEY ARE RECYCLED ILLEGALLY
CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH HAZARDS SHE SAID g7E URGE THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TO REVIEW THEIR MANAGEMENT OF PLASTIC WASTE AND STOP SHIPPING THE GARBAGE OUT TO THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES u SHE SAID CALLING SUCH PRACTICES gUNFAIR AND UNCIVILIZED u 9EO VOWED TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST -ALAYSIAN COMPANIES ILLEGALLY IMPORTING USED PLASTIC CALLING THEM gTRAITORS TO THE COUNTRY S SUSTAINABILITY u AFP
Taiwan jets show fighting capabilities CHANGHUA, Taiwan: Taiwan displayed HOW ITS kGHTER JETS CAN LAND REFUEL AND REARM ON THE ISLAND S HIGHWAYS 4UESDAY AS PART OF ITS LARGEST ANNUAL EXERCISE SIMULATING DEFENCE AGAINST A #HINESE INVASION 4HE SELF RULED ISLAND HAS LONG LIVED UNDER THE THREAT OF INVASION BY "EIJING WHICH VIEWS 4AIWAN AS PART OF ITS TERRITORY AND HAS VOWED TO TAKE IT BACK BY FORCE IF NECESSARY #HINESE MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY RAMPED UP SINCE THE ELECTION OF 0RESIDENT 4SAI )NG WEN WHOSE GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE SELF RULED ISLAND IS PART OF gONE #HINA u 4HIS WEEK 4AIWAN S MILLION INHABITANTS HAVE WITNESSED STARK REMINDERS OF THE MILITARY THREATS THEY FACE /N -ONDAY THE STREETS WERE BRIElY DESERTED AS AUTHORITIES CARRIED OUT AN ANNUAL MISSILE DRILL ACROSS THE ISLAND S NORTH WITH TEXT MESSAGES SENT TO EVERY MOBILE PHONE AND AIR RAID SIRENS WAILING 4HE FOLLOWING DAY SOLDIERS WERE MOBILIZED IN CENTRAL 4AIWAN AS AIRCRAFT PRACTICED LANDING ON A CLOSED HIGHWAY FOR THE
ANNUAL g(AN +UANGu (AN 'LORY WAR GAMES 4HREE JET kGHTERS AS WELL AS AN EARLY WARNING AIRCRAFT ALSO PRACTISED REFUELLING AND LOADING MISSILES AND OTHER AMMUNITION BEFORE TAKING OFF AGAIN 4AIWAN WOULD BE MASSIVELY OUTGUNNED IN TERMS OF TROOP NUMBERS AND kREPOWER IN ANY WAR WITH #HINA BUT IT HAS DEVELOPED SOPHISTICATED ASYMMETRIC TACTICS TO HOLD OUT FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND MAKE ANY INVASION OF THE ISLAND HUGELY COSTLY FOR "EIJING g4HERE ARE ONLY A FEW MILITARY AIR BASES WHICH WOULD BECOME THE PRIME TARGETS IN THE EVENT OF AN ATTACK 4HE HIGHWAY DRILL IS NECESSARY AS HIGHWAY STRIPS WOULD BE OUR PRIORITY CHOICE IF THE RUNWAYS ARE DAMAGED DURING A WAR u !IR &ORCE #OLONEL 3HU +UO MAO TOLD REPORTERS )NSPECTING THE DRILL ON 4UESDAY 0RESIDENT 4SAI REFERRED TO THE MARKED UPTICK IN #HINESE NAVAL AND AIRFORCE PATROLS IN RECENT MONTHS WHICH HAVE RATTLED NERVES g4HEY HAVE CAUSED A CERTAIN DEGREE OF THREAT TO REGIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY 7E SHOULD MAINTAIN HIGH VIGILANCE u SHE SAID AFP
America-Iran tensions overshadow summit DUBAI: 2EGIONAL HEAVYWEIGHT 3AUDI !RABIA HOSTS )SLAMIC !RAB AND 'ULF SUMMITS THIS WEEK AS TENSIONS BETWEEN )RAN AND THE 53 RAISE FEARS OF MILITARY ESCALATION 4HE THREE SUMMITS IN -ECCA )SLAM S HOLIEST CITY ALLOW 53 ALLY 2IYADH THE CHANCE TO PRESENT UNIkED )SLAMIC !RAB AND 'ULF FRONTS AGAINST ITS ARCH RIVAL 4EHRAN )RAN ITSELF HAS NOT YET CONkRMED WHETHER IT WILL ATTEND THE MEETING OF THE /RGANIZATION OF THE )SLAMIC #OOPERATION /)# OF WHICH IT IS A MEMBER (USSEIN )BISH A SCHOLAR AT THE !RAB 'ULF 3TATES )NSTITUTE IN 7ASHINGTON SAID 2IYADH S AIM WAS gTO CONSOLIDATE !RAB AND -USLIM SUPPORT ANTICIPATING INTENSIkED CONFRONTATION OR DIPLOMACY u 7ASHINGTON HAS REINSTATED TOUGH SANCTIONS AGAINST 4EHRAN AND DECIDED TO DEPLOY MORE TROOPS TO THE -IDDLE %AST AMID SABOTAGE ATTACKS ON OIL FACILITIES 4WO 3AUDI OIL TANKERS AMONG FOUR VESSELS WERE THE TARGETS OF MYSTERIOUS ACTS OF SABOTAGE OFF
THE 5NITED !RAB %MIRATES 5!% THIS MONTH AND )RAN ALIGNED 9EMENI REBELS HAVE STEPPED UP DRONE ATTACKS ON THE KINGDOM ‡ ONE OF WHICH RESULTED IN THE TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN OF A MAJOR OIL PIPELINE 4EHRAN HAS REPEATEDLY THREATENED TO CLOSE THE STRATEGIC 3TRAIT OF (ORMUZ THROUGH WHICH PERCENT OF THE WORLD S SEABORNE OIL PASSES 4HE !RAB ,EAGUE AND 'ULF #OOPERATION #O UNCIL '## EMERGENCY SUMMITS CALLED BY 3AUDI !RABIA ARE TO BE HELD ON 4HURSDAY A DAY BEFORE THE LONG SCHEDULED /)# SUMMIT )T IS NOT YET CLEAR HOW MANY COUNTRIES WILL TAKE PART IN THE EMERGENCY GATHERINGS BUT 1ATAR ‡ WHICH HAS BEEN BOYCOTTED BY A 3AUDI LED ALLIANCE ‡ HAS BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND THE '## MEETING 2IYADH CUT DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH 4EHRAN IN AFTER PROTESTERS STORMED 3AUDI DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN )RAN FOLLOWING ITS EXECUTION OF A PROMINENT 3HIITE CLERIC AFP
DEADLY TUESDAY
Police forensic experts work at the crime scene where a man stabbed 19 people, including children in Kawasaki on May 28, 2019. Three persons were killed and 16 were wounded in the stabbing incident. AFP PHOTO
3 killed, 16 injured in Japan stabbing
K
AWASAKI, Japan: A man carrying a knife in each hand and screaming “I will kill you!� attacked a group of schoolgirls waiting at a bus stop just outside Tokyo on Tuesday, killing two and injuring 16 before killing himself, OFkCIALS AND MEDIA SAID -OST OF THE VICTIMS WERE SCHOOLGIRLS WHO WERE LINED UP AT A BUS STOP NEAR .OBORITO 0ARK IN THE CITY OF +AWASAKI WHEN A MAN IN HIS S OR S BEGAN SLASHING THEM WITH KNIVES .(+ NATIONAL TELEVISION QUOTING POLICE SAID THE SUSPECT DIED AFTER CUTTING HIMSELF IN THE NECK 0OLICE WOULDN T IMMEDIATELY CONkRM THE SPECIkCS OF THAT REPORT -ASAMI !RAI AN OFkCIAL AT THE +AWASAKI CITY OFkCE SAID PEO-
PLE MOST OF THEM SCHOOLGIRLS WERE INJURED AND THREE OTHERS INCLUDING THE ATTACKER WERE BELIEVED KILLED !RAI SAID THREE OF THE INJURIES WERE SERIOUS AND OTHERS WERE NOT LIFE THREATENING -OST OF THE VICTIMS ATTENDED A SCHOOL FOUNDED BY 3OEURS DE LA #HARITE DE 1UEBEC AN ORGANIZATION OF #ATHOLIC NUNS IN 1UEBEC #ITY IN #ANADA )T WAS NOT CLEAR HOW OLD THE VICTIMS WERE 4HE SCHOOL RUNS FROM
ELEMENTARY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL ! WITNESS TOLD THE -AINICHI NEWSPAPER THAT HE HEARD CHILDREN SHRIEKING AFTER WALKING PAST A BUS (E SAID THAT WHEN HE TURNED AROUND HE SAW A MAN WIELDING A KNIFE IN EACH HAND SCREAMING g) WILL KILL YOUĂœu AND SEVERAL CHILDREN WERE ON THE GROUND .(+ CITING POLICE SAID THAT A BUS DRIVER TOLD OFkCIALS THAT A MAN HOLDING A KNIFE IN EACH HAND WALKED TOWARD THE BUS AND STARTED SLASHING CHILDREN .(+ ALSO INTERVIEWED A WITNESS WHO SAID HE SAW THE SUSPECT TRYING TO FORCE HIS WAY ONTO A BUS 4HE ATTACKER S IDENTITY AND MOTIVE WEREN T IMMEDIATELY KNOWN 4ELEVISION FOOTAGE SHOWED EMERGENCY WORKERS GIVING FIRST
BOMB WOUNDS 11 IN EAST INDIA Violence kills 3 in southern Thailand
PATNA, India: 0OLICE SAY -AOIST REBELS HAVE TRIGGERED A BLAST IN EASTERN )NDIA WOUNDING EIGHT PARAMILITARY SOLDIERS AND THREE POLICE OFkCERS CARRYING OUT A SEARCH OPERATION IN A FORESTED AREA 0OLICE OFkCER $ + 0ANDEY SAYS THE WOUNDED SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED IN 2ANCHI THE STATE
CAPITAL AFTER 4UESDAY S ATTACK 4HE SOLDIERS BELONGED TO A SPECIAL JUNGLE WARFARE UNIT 4HE EXPLOSIVE IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE BEEN BURIED IN A DIRT TRACK %ARLY THIS MONTH -AOIST REBELS ATTACKED A VAN CARRYING POLICE COMMANDOS IN WESTERN -AHARASHTRA STATE AND KILLED OFkCERS AND
THEIR DRIVER 4HE -AOIST REBELS WHO CLAIM INSPIRATION FROM #HINESE REVOLUTIONARY LEADER -AO :EDONG HAVE BEEN kGHTING )NDIA S GOVERNMENT FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES DEMANDING LAND AND JOBS FOR TENANT FARMERS AND THE POOR 4HEY ARE ACTIVE IN SEVERAL PARTS OF )NDIA AP
Human rights abuses rising in NKorea
SAYONARA United States President Donald Trump gets out of Marine One before departing Japan at Haneda International airport in Tokyo. AFP PHOTO
AID TO PEOPLE INSIDE AN ORANGE TENT SET UP ON THE STREET AND POLICE AND OTHER OFkCIALS CARRYING THE INJURED TO AMBULANCES !LTHOUGH *APAN HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST CRIME RATES IN THE WORLD IT HAS HAD A SERIES OF HIGH PROkLE KILLINGS INCLUDING IN WHEN A FORMER EMPLOYEE AT A HOME FOR THE DISABLED ALLEGEDLY KILLED AND INJURED MORE THAN OTHERS )N SEVEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY A MAN WHO SLAMMED A TRUCK INTO A CROWD OF PEOPLE IN CENTRAL 4OKYO S !KIHABARA ELECTRONICS DISTRICT AND THEN STABBED PASSERSBY !LSO IN A MAN STABBED FOUR PEOPLE AT A LIBRARY IN NORTHEASTERN *APAN ALLEGEDLY OVER THEIR MISHANDLING OF HIS QUESTIONS .O ONE WAS KILLED AP
SEOUL, South Korea: A United Nations (UN) report said North Koreans working in hundreds of capitalisticstyle markets are often abused and forced to engage in bribery to survive. The UN Human Rights Office said in a report released Tuesday that a failed public distribution system in North Korea has led to the rise of market activities over the past two decades. But it says a lack of adequate reforms and an uncertain legal environment at these markets mean that many people face a host of human rights violations and must use bribes to avoid arrest, detention and abuse. It says its report is based on 214 firsthand accounts of North Koreans who resettled in South Korea. The report says people in North Korea “are trapped in a vicious cycle.� But despite being widespread, market activity remains a “legal grey area� in the North and a “source of further human rights violations,� said the UN’s
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, people face both a failed public distribution system and an insecure informal sector where they are exposed to prosecution and corruption,� it said in a report, using the country’s official name. The OHCHR document — based on interviews with 214 North Koreans — said Pyongyang had failed to legalize people’s efforts to find food and clothing outside the public distribution system, even though it was their only way to secure daily necessities. “If you just follow instructions coming from the State you starve to death,� a female defector from Ryanggang province was quoted as saying in the report. But the lack of legal clarity for commercial activity meant North Koreans who engaged in it faced the risk of arrest and detention by authorities,
the report said. “They are denied due process and fair trial rights and subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment in detention,� it added. And the threat of arrest gave officials “a powerful means to extort money and other favors,� it said. “Only those willing and able to pay off corrupt State officials and brokers’ fees are able to strive towards an adequate standard of living,� it went on, urging the North “to undertake profound legal and institutional reforms.� Pyongyang says it protects human rights and is improving people’s standards of living. The isolated North, which is under several sets of sanctions over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes, has long struggled to feed itself and last year recorded its worst harvest in more than a decade. AP/AFP
PATTANI, Thailand: 4HREE PEOPLE INCLUDING A YEAR OLD BOY WERE KILLED IN A MARKET PLACE BOMBING IN 4HAILAND S -USLIM MAJORITY SOUTH A MILITARY SPOKESMAN SAID 4UESDAY ‡ AN APPARENT RETALIATORY ATTACK FOR THE KILLING OF A WANTED REBEL LEADER 4HAILAND S THREE SOUTHERNMOST PROVINCES 9ALA 0ATTANI AND .ARATHIWAT HAVE SINCE BEEN PLAGUED WITH CONFLICT BETWEEN ETHNIC -ALAY -USLIM REBELS AND THE "UDDHIST MAJORITY 4HAI STATE WHICH ANNEXED THE REGION AROUND A CENTURY AGO !ROUND PEOPLE MOSTLY CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN VIOLENCE THAT RARELY MAKES INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES DESPITE TAKING PLACE A FEW HOURS SOUTH OF SOME OF 4HAILAND S TOURIST HOTSPOTS /N -ONDAY AFTERNOON THE INSURGENTS DETONATED A MOTORCYCLE BOMB AT A CROWDED MARKET PLACE IN .ONG #HIK 0ATTANI PROVINCE KILLING TWO CIVILIANS g! YEAR OLD BOY AND A YEAR OLD WOMAN DIED u #OLONEL 4HANAWEE 3UWANNATHAT SPOKESMAN FOR THE SOUTHERN ARMY TOLD !&0 AFP
B6
World
˜ The Manila Times
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WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
Brexit Party win raises likelihood of no deal L
ONDON: Nigel Farage’s anti-European Union (EU) Brexit party topped European Parliament polls in Britain, putting intense pressure on the ruling Conservatives who suffered a historic rout and raising the chances of a no-deal outcome. The populist party, founded just three months ago, capitalized on public anger over delays to Britain’s exit from the European Union, winning 31.6 percent of the vote and picking up 29 seats, kNAL RESULTS SHOWED Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative party, meanwhile, slumped to 9.1 percent, its worst national election result since 1832. In a sign of the divisions still gripping Britain three years after the referendum vote for Brexit, the pro-European Liberal Democrats and 'REENS ALSO MADE SIGNIkCANT GAINS The elections, which took place on Thursday, were never meant to happen, as Britain was due to be out of the bloc on March 29. But parliament has been unable to agree on how to leave, slowly sapping May’s authority and FORCING HER TO kNALLY ANNOUNCE
last week she would quit to let somebody else try. Describing the result as “very disappointing,� she said: “It shows THE IMPORTANCE OF kNDING A "REXIT deal, and I sincerely hope these results focus minds in parliament.� Several of those vying to replace her, including Boris Johnson, were quick to repeat that Brexit must happen by the latest deadline, October 31, with or without a deal with Brussels. “No one sensible would aim exclusively for a no-deal outcome. No one responsible would take no-deal off the table,� Johnson wrote in his weekly column in The Daily Telegraph. In Sunderland, a Brexit-backing area in northeast England, several voters voiced support for a no-deal Brexit following the results. “It’s not going to kill us if we
come out without a deal,� said Alan Bell, 67, a former chef. It was also a bad night for the main opposition Labour party, which has been accused of a confusing position on Brexit and slumped to 14.1 percent. Farage only registered his party in February but succeeded in leveraging his reputation as one of the masterminds of the pro-Brexit campaign in 2016. Farage’s single-issue party and pro-EU forces combined to trounce Britain’s two dominant political parties in the European Parliament election, as angry voters blamed the ruling Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party for the country’s Brexit impasse. With complete results announced Monday, the Brexit Party had won 29 of the 73 British EU seats up for grabs and almost a third of the votes. On the pro-EU side, the Liberal Democrats took 20 percent of the vote and 16 seats — a dramatic increase from the single seat in won in the last EU election in 2014. The opposition Labour Party came third with 14.1 percent, followed by the pro-European environmentalist Greens, who captured
nearly 12.1 percent. The Conservatives — apparently blamed by voters for failing to deliver Brexit in March as planned — were in fifth with under 10 percent of the vote. The election leaves Britain’s EU exit more uncertain than ever, with both Brexiteers and pro-EU “remainers� able to claim strong support. The result raises the likelihood of a chaotic “no deal� exit from the EU — but also the possibility of a new Brexit referendum that could reverse the decision to leave. A triumphant Farage said he doubted the Conservatives, who are seeking a new leader, would be able to take Britain out of the 28-nation bloc on the currently scheduled date of October 31. “If we don’t leave on October 31, then the Brexit Party will go on to a general election and stun everybody there too,� Farage told reporters in London on Monday. He said his party should now have a say in any new Brexit negotiations with Brussels. The EU has said it will not reopen the withdrawal deal already agreed with May, but many of her would-be successors are still likely to try. AFP
Drought forces Sydney to impose water restrictions SYDNEY: Sydney on Tuesday announced its first major water restrictions in a decade, putting limits on homes and businesses amid a record-breaking drought. The New South Wales government said the greater Sydney region water catchments were experiencing some of the lowest flows since the 1940s, and that the restrictions would be enforced from next week. “Regional NSW has been experiencing a record drought,� the southeastern state’s minister for water Melinda Pavey said in a statement. “Water restrictions in Sydney mean that households across NSW are doing their bit to conserve water. People in Sydney can be fined up to Aus$220 (US$150) or businesses up to Aus$550 for leaving a hose running or using a sprinkler system to water their gardens. Australia sweated through its hot-
test-ever summer from last December to February. The country’s water management was a hot-button issue in the recent election following mass fish kills in the Murray-Darling River system, which authorities blamed on low water flow and oxygen levels. Scientists said the severe drought plaguing inland eastern Australia had contributed to the deaths. Australia is no stranger to extreme weather patterns, with bushfires, floods and drought often occurring during the summer months. Sydney last had water restrictions in place in 2009, when all major cities imposed usage caps amid a severe drought, which had lasted for more than a decade in some parts of the country. AFP
Germans urged to wear Jewish kippah BERLIN: The German government has called on people to wear the Jewish kippa ahead of an anti-Israel protest as a demonstration of solidarity and as Jews face a spike in anti-Semitism, withdrawing an earlier warning against wearing the traditional skullcap. At the weekend, Felix Klein, the country’s commissioner on anti-Semitism sparked uproar when he said in an interview with the Funke regional press group that he could not “advise Jews to wear the kippa everywhere all the time in Germany.� Israeli President Reuven Rivlin voiced shock at Klein’s warning and said it was a “capitulation to anti-Semitism� and evidence that Jews are unsafe in Germany. Late Monday, Klein reversed course after Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman intervened. “The state must see to it that the free exercise of religion is possible for all... and that anyone can go anywhere in our country in full
security wearing a kippa,� Steffen Seibert told a press conference. In his latest statement to Funke, Klein said: “I call on all citizens of Berlin and across Germany to wear the kippa next Saturday if there are new, intolerable attacks targeting Israel and Jews on the occasion of al-Quds day in Berlin.� Al-Quds is an annual event against Israeli control of Jerusalem and will take place on Saturday. Klein also addressed his earlier statements, saying that he “could no longer recommend that Jews wear the kippa everywhere in Germany should be taken as an alarm signal.� Earlier Monday, German daily Bild published a cut-out-and-use kippa in A BID TO kGHT RISING ANTI 3EMITISM Bild, Germany’s top-selling daily newspaper, called on readers to “stand in solidarity with [their] Jewish neighbours� by making “their own kippa,� bearing the star of David, to “raise the lAG AGAINST ANTI 3EMITISM u AFP
Worldinbriefs 4TH FRENCH IS MEMBER SENTENCED TO DEATH BAGHDAD: The former French members of the Islamic State (IS) group were brought into the courtroom in Baghdad one after the other on Monday and made to sit inside a wooden cage in the middle. As they spoke in French, a government official typed up the translation into Arabic, which immediately appeared on a large screen behind the judge that the court could read. Mustafa Mohammed Ibrahim became the fourth French citizen to be sentenced to death by a Baghdad court for joining the IS group that once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq before its defeat. AP
EVEREST DEATHS RISE TO RECORD-HIGH 11
ANIMAL TRADE
Traditional Samburu tribeswomen gather their goats to be sold at Merille livestock market, some 411 kilometers north of Nairobi in Kenya’s Marsabit county. Nomadic livestock herders in East Africa’s drylands have endured climate variability for decades now. AFP PHOTO
Deaths in violent Brazil prison riots rise to 42 RIO de Janeiro: Forty-two inmates were killed at three different prisons in the capital of Brazil’s northern Amazonas state Monday (Tuesday in Manila), authorities reported, a day after 15 died DURING kGHTING AMONG PRISONERS at a fourth prison in the same city. The Amazonas state prison agency said all 42 prisoners found dead in Manaus on Monday showed signs of asphyxia. The killings across the city’s prisons recalled early 2017 when more than 120 inmates died at the
hands of other prisoners during SEVERAL WEEKS OF kGHTING AMONG rival crime gang members at prisons in northern states. Many of those victims had their heads cut off or their hearts and intestines ripped out. On Sunday, 15 inmates were killed during a riot at Manaus’ Anisio Jobim Prison Complex, where 56 prisoners died in the violence two years earlier. Local authorities said prisoners BEGAN kGHTING AMONG THEMSELVES before noon Sunday, and security
reinforcements were rushed in and managed to regain control within 45 minutes. Little information was released about Monday’s killings. Brazil’s justice and public security ministry said it was sending a federal task force to help local OFkCIALS HANDLE THE SITUATION “I just spoke with [Justice] Minister Sergio Moro, who is already sending a prison intervention team to the State of Amazonas, so that he can help us in this moment of crisis and
a problem that is national: the problem of prisons,� Amazonas state Gov. Wilson Lima said. Several drug-trafficking and other criminal gangs in Brazil run much of their day-to-day business from prisons, where they often have wide sway. The 2017 slayings were largely gang-related, prompting authorities to increase efforts to separate factions and frequently transfer prisoners. Authorities have not yet said whether gang wars were behind the latest blood-letting. AP
2 rare tiger cubs find home in Nicaragua MASAYA, Nicaragua: Two white tiger cubs have been taken to their new home at the Nicaragua National Zoo, where the playful pair will join a menagerie of rare big cat species. The siblings, named Osman and (ALIME ARE BOTH kVE MONTHS OLD and the only animals of their kind in Central America, zoo director Eduardo Sacasa said on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). They were donated from a Mexican zoo, home to their parents, and are the third generation of tigers born in captivity in that country, he added.
White lions and tigers are both extremely rare, numbering only a few hundred worldwide, and owe their appearance to a recessive gene. They are not albino or a separate tiger subspecies. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates that the number of wild tigers has plunged from 100,000 in 1900 to around 3,900 today. Numbers have risen in recent years but the species is still vulnerable to extinction, the WWF says. “In their natural habitat they are almost extinct... there’s more living in zoos (than in the wild),� Sacasa said. AFP
DENVER: A Colorado climber died shortly after getting to the top of Mount Everest, the 11th fatality for this year and the highest since permit-only trek is imposed on the world’s highest peak. Christopher Kulish, a 62-yearold Boulder attorney, died Monday at a camp below the summit during his descent. The cause isn’t yet known, said his brother, Mark Kulish of Denver. Christopher Kulish had just reached the top of Everest with a small group after crowds of hundreds of climbers congested the 29,035-foot (8,850-meter) peak last week, his brother said. AP
VOTE-RIGGING HOUNDS MALAWI PRESIDENT BLANTYRE, Malawi: Malawian President Peter Mutharika has won re election by a narrow margin, official results showed Monday, holding on to power in a ballot marked by fraud allegations. The final count of last week’s vote was released after a court battle, with opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera obtaining a temporary injunction to bar the release of results over alleged vote-rigging. Shortly after the interdict was lifted, the Malawi Electoral Commission said Mutharika, who heads the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won 38.57 percent of the vote with Chakwera, of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), on 35.41 percent. AFP
ISRAEL AIRSTRIKES IN SYRIA KILL 1 DAMASCUS, Syria: Syria said an Israeli attack against a military post in the country’s south on Monday killed a soldier and injured another. Israel, in a rare statement acknowledging firing into Syria, said it was responding to an anti-aircraft fire from Syria against one of its combat planes. The back-to-back statements come amid heightened regional tension over Iran’s role in Syria and other parts of the Middle East. They also follow a number of reported Israeli strikes on Syria in the past ten days, according to state run media. AP
ROMANIAN STRONGMAN STARTS JAIL TERM BUCHAREST: Romania’s ruling party strongman Liviu Dragnea began a threeand-a-half-year jail sentence on Monday for corruption as his party grappled with a crushing defeat in the European elections. A court earlier upheld Dragnea’s original sentence, a verdict that will almost certainly remove from public life a man who was widely seen as the puppet master behind the Social Democrats (PSD) and the government they lead. He was convicted last year of using his influence to procure fake public jobs for two women who were actually working for the PSD at the time. AFP
UKRAINE PRESIDENT VISITS WAR ZONE
TIGER OF NICARAGUA
‘Halime’ a female white tiger and Osman a male white tiger (Panthera tigris), both five months old, rest at the National Zoo of Masaya about 16 kilometers from Managua, Nicaragua. AFP PHOTO
KIEV: Just a week after taking office, Ukraine’s new president Volodymyr Zelensky made his first visit Monday to the front line of fighting against Russian-backed rebels in the east of the country, his press office said. Zelensky, who was an actor and comedian before being elected as leader, “examined Ukraine’s military positions at Stanytsya Luganska and Shchastya,� the president’s office said in a statement, referring to two sites in the self-proclaimed republic of Lugansk, which broke away from Kiev in 2014 and is run by Moscow-backed rebels. “The closest positions to the rebels were just 400 metres (1,300 feet) away,� it said. AFP
˜ The Manila Times
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WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
Maritime
B7
FOCUS
The future of ship routing N
EW technologies are improving the system of ship routing, making navigation faster and safer than ever before and paving the way for mega-container vessels and fully autonomous ships to sail the high seas in the future. Analysts said, however, that there’s still so much to be done for this to come true. Ship routing has grown substantially over the years, with the shipping industry successfully addressing a variety of issues and providing viable solutions that can be applied in real-world applications. Some of these issues include weather routing, offshore LOGISTICS SPEED OPTIMIZATION lEET deployment and maritime inventory routing. Digital technology, in particular, is shaping modern ship routing. According to the International Chamber of Shipping, the industry is responsible for almost 90 percent of the global trade. From transporting bulk raw materials to finished goods, it is not an exaggeration to say that shipping sits at the core of the world economy. More than 50,000 ships currently sail international waters to deliver shipments and cargoes to consumers across countries and continents. This number has been growing exponentially, thanks to the rising international trade demand and rapid economic growth in developing countries. This, however, results in congested routes, which in turn contributes to increasing operational costs and growing concerns over the navigational safety of ships. Aside from rising operational costs, shipping companies now need to purchase more expensive and greener fuel to comply with the International Maritime Organization’s directive on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This means that shipping lines need to find a way to reduce their bunker fuel consumption in ev-
ery sail amid the congestion and new standards. For this reason, ship routing can play a vital role in bringing down operational costs and reducingthe environmental pollution brought by marine fuel combustion, analysts said. Ship routing is already a part of Electronic Chart Display and Information System (Ecdis) which utilizes weather forecast data from several commercial providers. The system digitally displays pertinent information such as shore and kSHING GROUND INFORMATION TRAFkC information, and weather-related navigation forecasts and warnings. This makes pre-planning of voyages easier than the traditional mapping of charts. Nevertheless, there’s still room for improvement as experts look at the possible integration of ship routing with high-speed internet to provide a more detailed, safe and secure navigation planning, even during voyage. Although weather forecasts have somewhat become more reliable these past few years, it is still possible for the actual weather to differ from the predicted condition. A stable connection to the internet can improve the quality of communication between the ship and the operations center to address weather-related concerns and provide a route plan that would ensure the safety of both cargo and crew.
The future of ship routing As new technological development arises, so does thedigital elements on board maritime
Q A Maersk container ship. PHOTO BY MAERSK SHIPPING LINE vessels that allow immediate action based on real-time data provided by Ecdis. Consequently, the utilization of these tools can yield more accurate and reliable voyage planning, not to menTION OTHER BENEkTS LIKE DETAILED monitoring of vessel movements as well as fuel consumption and EFkCIENCY )T ALSO MAKES PREDICtive maintenance possible. Another possible benefit of fully digitizing ship routing is the improvement in vessel motions through the consideration of several navigation factors, especially during zero-to-low visibility conditions. This type of condition CAN SIGNIkCANTLY DEGRADE A SHIP S speed and increase the possibility of undesirable vessel motions that may put the safety of cargo and crew at risk. A 2017 survey conducted by the World Shipping Council revealed that an average of 1,582 containers were lost and fell into the sea every year. While this number is small compared to the initial,
uncorroborated claims that more than 10,000 containers were being lost to the sea, modern ship routing can potentially reduce these losses and accidents, saving trading and merchant companies millions of dollars in materials and goods. More importantly, ship routing can dramatically improve the safety of the crew at sea, reducing possible sources of hazards that can seriously injure or kill seafarers. Full digitization might be the thing shipping lines need to finally pay full attention to often-overlooked factors like surface temperature and ice conditions. With global warming changing the seascape in the Arctic, new routes are poised to open. These can provide shorter trade links across the globe. Ships will need a pre-voyage plan that would prevent possible collisions with sea ice or ice crystallization of seawater as the ship journeys through that route.
The complete digitization of ship routing paves the way for smarter AND MORE EFkCIENT SHIPPING 4HIS move will allow a more centralized voyage planning process and open the gates for predictive shipping. It might even encourage custom SOLUTIONS FOR SPECIkC SHIP PROBLEMS although this may still be far into the future. The eventual endgame of the digitization of ships isthe successful development of semiand fully-autonomous ships. The industry needs to overcome the first hurdle of improving ship routing systems in such a way that complicated route plans can be passed back and forth based on comprehensive environmental data such as weather forecasts, wind, tide, wave and current conditions.
Is the Philippines ready? For both economic and navigation safety reasons, the move to-
wards fully-digitized ship routing seems to be the right choice for most shipping companies. While the rest of the international maritime industry are anticipating the development and adoption of advanced ship routing, the Philippines still needs to play catch-up in terms of digitization. The issue is not merely the lack of infrastructure and required technology. There’s also the nationwide problem of slow internet connection, which is partially blamed on the ongoing monopoly by existing wireless providers. In addition, there’s no clear impetus to drive local companies to wholly accept digitization. As such, smaller shipping companies opt to remain manual for its perceived ‘cost-effectiveness’ even as a couple of big shipping lines slowly switch their operations to digital. With the country’s economy at stake, local shipping lines need to step up in order to stay competitive in the global market. SHARP MINDS CONTENT
Marina urges stakeholders to cooperate in enhancing MET system
Q Marina OIC Vice Admiral Narciso Vingson Jr. PHOTO BY MARINA
THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has urged stakeholders to cooperate in enhancing the country’s maritime education and training (MET) system at the Usapang STCW held on May 20, 2019. “Keeping the position of the Philippines as a major source of quality and highly-competent maritime workforce is our national mission. The Marina is totally focused on achieving substantial transformation to uplift the standard of o u r m a r i t i m e i n d u s t r y, e s pecially our MET system. On behalf of the Philippine government, I am urging you to do your big part as well,�
Marina OIC Vice Admiral Narciso Vingson Jr. said. Moreover, the Marina OIC emphasized that the upgrading of MET standards is essential in sustaining the Philippines’ stance as the top country of choice in the seafaring industry amid the increasing competition in the international maritime community. Vice Admiral Vingson also assured stakeholders that the a g e n c y i s a l ways o p e n f o r constructive dialogues to come up with progressive policies for the welfare of the Filipino seafarers and other maritime partners, as envisioned in the 10-year maritime industry development plan (MIDP). The Usapang STCW is a reg-
ular activity of the Marina intended to update stakeholders and to discuss recommendations to improve the country’s MET system. In this particular session o f t h e U s a p a n g S TC W, t h e Marina discussed the enhancement of the qualification of maritime training instructors and assessors to ensure quality and productive learning experience for Filipino seafarers, as well as the obligation of maritime training institutions in the delivery of training programs, as mandated by the Standards o f Tr a i n i n g , C e r t i f i c a t i o n , and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention 1978, as amended.
PAMI@50
The Marina tackled the prescription of minimum training standards on mandatory courses which is one of the major actions taken by the Philippines to address the European Maritime Safety Agency audit report. This measure is implemented to ensure that the country’s MET are structured in accordance with written programs, methods, as well as media of delivery, procedures, and course materials necessary for the achievement of the prescribed standards of competence under the STCW Convention 1978, as amended. The regular forum on STCW issues concluded with the discussion of the processes of the MARINA Integrated Seafarers Management Online System.
The Philippines Association of Maritime Institutions (PAMI) recently held a simple dinner and oathtaking of its new set of officers during the celebration of its 50th anniversary as the biggest association of maritime schools in the country. Present to swear in the officers was the OIC-administrator of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Vice Admiral Vingzon Jr. The newly elected officers are: Engr. Felix Oca of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), president; Sabino Czar C. Manglicmot 2nd of Midway Colleges Inc., executive vice president; Merle Jimenez-San Pedro of Mariners Polytechnic Colleges, secretary-general; Leticia C. Salas of Saint Joseph Institute of Technology; Arlene Abuid-Paderanga of Asian Institute of Maritime Studies (AIMS), auditor; and Ronald Sebastian of John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, PRO. Other elected officers were: Benito Chiogbian of Wesbay, Victo Perez of University of Cagayan, Ma Teresa Sarabia of Saint Therese-MTC Colleges and Capt Lorenzo Edwin Eusebio of DMMA. PHOTO BY ANGELO BRONOLA
Maritime ICTSI to spend P8.7B on Iloilo port B8
˜ The Manila Times
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
EDITOR: Carmela I. Huelar
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Q Port of Iloilo. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY LISBET K. ESMAEL
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ISTED International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) plans to spend P8.7 billion on the Port of Iloilo to make it the “major regional transhipment HUBu IN 6ISAYAS AN OFkCIAL SAID ON -ONDAY In a statement, Christian Gonzalez, ICTSI’s global corporate head, said the Razon-led group was on a wait mode for the decision of the government for its unsolicited
offer to modernize the Iloilo port Currently, the proposal is still with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Board for evaluation. Gonzales said under the plan,
ICTSI wants “to bring the Iloilo port to world class levels by maximizing big ship capability; installing ship-to-shore gantry cranes; and continuously upgrading yard CAPACITY ALIGNED TO TRAFkC STUDIES It also plans to build a terminal for cruise ship passengers, to meet the objectives of the National Tourism Development Plan.� Sen. Franklin Drilon also urged the PPA to speed up the process on ICTSI’s offer, noting this could help support the shipping activity
in Iloilo. “The expansion of Iloilo port sits well with our plans for the province. This early we are seeing a heightened shipping activity in the province due to the economic developments that have taken place in the province for the past years,� Drilon was quoted as saying in the statement. “We have to develop our port and equip it with modern facilities so it can continue to accommodate the growing demands for port
services,� he added. ICTSI saw its attributable net INCOME IN THE kRST QUARTER SURGE percent to $72.4 million from $40.9 million on strong port operations. Gross revenues in January-March operation also climbed 18 percent to $383.8 million versus the $325.4 million it booked a year earlier, mainly driven by. In the period, the listed port operator also said it handled consolidated volume reaching 2.47 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs),
7 percent higher than the 2.32 million TEUs it recorded last year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) stood at $222.5 million, a 25 percent increase against the $177.5 million in 2018. ICTSI already spent 16 percent or $59.6 million of the 380 million capital expenditures it earmarked for 2019 to finance expansion plans in Manila, Mexico and Iraq, as well as equipment acquisitions.
PH logistics ecosystems expect huge PMMA SUPERINTENDENT CAPT. JOEL ABUTAL opportunities from digital ventures Leading the Philippines’ oldest maritime school SHIPTEK Solutions Corp. said a well-oiled logistics PROCESS HELPED BY SMART kNANCING AND DIGITIZATION WOULD BRING IN BILLIONS OF PESO IN PROkT FOR THE COUNtry’s logistics industry. Shiptek Solutions Corp. President Eugenio “Jun� Ynion said their partnership with Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) through its subsidiary UBX can equate to logistics’ success. “For the logistics ecosystems, we projected a 0 BILLION PROkT A YEAR IN THE 0HILIPPINES u HE TOLD the Manila Times. With the partnership, Union Bank Group now held a 30 percent stake in Shiptek. Union Bank would be integrating its e-commerce payment gateway and OTHER DIGITAL kNANCIAL SERVICES INTO THE 8,/' LOGISTICS platform. Shiptek, a homegrown technology company has DEVELOPED 8,/' WHICH IS A DIGITAL LOGISTICS SOLUtion, which revolutionized the shipping and logistics industry. .ICO 'ONZALES CHIEF MARKETING OFkCER OF 3HIPTEK said they have partnered with UBX because they were LOOKING FOR A MORE STRATEGIC LEVEL FOR 8,/' “With UnionBank’s entry into the platform, we NOW HAS ACCESS TO THE kNANCIAL CAPABILITIES 7E CAN NOW START kNANCING ACCOUNT RECEIVABLES 7E CAN NOW START FACILITATING EFkCIENT DIGITAL PAYMENTS AND ALSO we can have the technical expertise that they offer,� Gonzales said. “They helped us developed our blockchain capabilities on the platform, and so we cannot put a price on how much value UnionBank brings in, on top of THEIR CLIENT BASED AND SALES FORCE THAT WILL PUSH 8,/' Philippines,� he explained. UBX’s expertise in technology development and BLOCKCHAIN WOULD FURTHER POWER 8,/' S END TO END supply chain solution that consolidates shipping, warehousing, trucking, and customs brokerage. g)NJECTING 5NION"ANK S kNANCIAL METTLE INTO THE PLATFORM ENDOWS GREATER BENEkTS FOR STAKEHOLDERS AL-
lowing them to enjoy more streamlined, transparent, and seamless transactions,� Shiptek said. Shiptek Solutions expected that UnionBank’s investment would help the company reach its goal of moving 500,000 to 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). Shiptek has generated OVER THOUSANDS OF 4%5S TO DATE SINCE 8,/' WAS launched in 2018. UnionBank President and CEO Edwin Bautista said they wanted to serve the logistics sector, and with the onset of digitization — the introduction of platforms LIKE 8,/' REPRESENTS THE INDUSTRY S MOVEMENT FROM traditional methods to electronic. Ynion said they were looking at global expansion and they have talked with big groups in India, Middle East, Europe, United States and Singapore. He added that Shiptek is a tech company that is registered in Singapore. “They were the ones knocking at our doors and have shown interest in us,� Ynion said. Gonzales said it takes so much money and so much time to develop a digital platform. Instead of going through a painstaking process, Shiptek can collaborate with other companies who need their expertise. “India is a very tech-hungry country. They were looking for development and they were looking for platforms. They can optimize logistics, which is one of biggest industries there. We’re more than willing to step-in and help them. We can collaborate with them and come up with solutions they need,� he said. He added that in Singapore, there’s still a clamor for an additional transparency for shipments, and so they were in conversation with them as well. “For the Middle East, which has a strong logistics presence through Dubai, they were trying to explore 8,/' AS A PLATFORM 3INCE WE RE AN END TO END PLATform, we can address the needs of these countries,� he said. GENIVI FACTAO
Q From left: Shiptek CMO Nico Gonzales, Shiptek COO Joey Ynion, Shiptek CEO Jun Ynion, UBX CEO John Januszczak and UnionBank head of Platform Divisions Group Ramon Duarte. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
BY YASHIKA F. TORIB THE country’s premier and oldest institution in maritime education has recently welcomed in its new superintendent after several months of searching, screening and qualifying procedures. Capt. Joel Yoto Abutal now holds the helm of the 199-year old Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) in San Narciso, Zambales. A graduate of PMMA class ’92, Abutal earned his Master of Science in Maritime Administration and Environmental Protection at the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden and Maritime Education and Training at the PMMA Graduate School. Abutal brings decades of encompassing knowledge and experience in the merchant marine industry as well as the maritime education and training sector, thus, carrying PMMA to the age of modernization, innovation and technology while remaining steadfast with its traditional form of discipline and leadership anchored in its tenets of “Righteousness, Humility, and Courage.� Abutal took over the PMMA’s top leadership position last May 15, four months since the academy hit a leadership vacuum, following the sudden death of its superintendent Rear Admiral Richard Ritual. “We all felt that someone should take the helm as soon as possible and the PMMA Board of Trustees, under Commissioner Ronald Adamat, ordered an urgent convening of the Search Committee,� Abutal recalled of the days when PMMA sailed on without a captain save for the temporary officer in charge — the director of the Commission on Higher Education Region 3. Six alumnus of the academy went through the rigors of qualifying procedures, each of whom offered exemplary qualifications in the maritime industry and whose competencies were tested in various capacities. Seventeen years of sea service and 10 more as a training director, general manager, professor and dean of various shore-based maritime companies and institutions, and Abutal has found himself back to serving his alma mater. He was finally picked by a 10-member governing board to a four-year term of leading PMMA. This job is most meaningful for the newly installed leader of PMMA as it celebrates its 200 years of existence next year. Formerly called the Escuela
Q Capt. Joel Yoto Abutal
de Nautica de Manila during the Spanish period, PMMA boasts of distinguished alumni like Marcelo Azcarraga who later on became a prime minister of Spain and Juan Luna, one of the country’s greatest painters. “I used to have the privilege of chairing the transfer of PMMA from Fort Bonifacio to San Narciso 21 years ago. Since then, the desire to improve and maintain the legacy of our academy became my passion.� Abutal has been serving PMMA as an associate professor since 1997 and moved up the educational ladder as the officer in charge of its College of Marine Transportation to assistant director of the Department of Research and Development until he became the dean of the College of Marine Transportation in 2001 and professor of the Graduate Studies in 2005. Being a product of the academy who eventually became one of its mentors, Abutal has seen the strengths and weaknesses of his alma mater over the years and from there drew his plans and programs to assert and uphold the PMMA legacy: — PMMA will take the lead in addressing core competencies of faculty and professional staff to meet the challenges of developing the future global maritime leaders — Institutionalize the international and local industry through academe linkages and partnerships — Strengthen research capabilities and planning for future growth and development the in the field of environmental protection, digitalization, and maritime competencies — Institutionalize financial sustainability and responsibility with the aim of improving the retention of qualified maritime educators, professional staff
and attract industry experts — Create national and international focus and forum for networking and collaboration on trends and developments in maritime industry — Attain leadership role in developing future global maritime leaders thru innovation, synergies & excellence “What keeps me awake at night is the thought of upholding PMMA’s mission — to be the main source of outstanding maritime industry executives, seafarers, and government leaders. We are now delivering four disciplines within the two Bachelor degree programs,� Abutal said in reference to the maritime courses that the PMMA was the first to offer in the country, Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and BS Marine Engineering. “In addition to that, we now have the Graduate Studies and the Training and Assessment Center.� As PMMA surges forward with its new captain at the helm, the academy shall continue sailing the waves of time with excellence. Its Board of Trustees, stakeholders, partners, alumni and corps of cadets are now looking at a results oriented person, a team worker, performer and a reflective leader to take them to the Fourth Industrial Revolution — the artificial intelligence in shipping. “Feedbacks, either positive or negative, work for the development of the organization,� he further reflected. “It is the negative feedbacks, however, that gives greater impact to continuous improvements. I reflect on this often to ensure we are addressing the concerns of our partners and come up with innovative solutions in the organization while looking outside to effect synergy among stakeholders,� he concluded.
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Q Manny Pacquiao works on the heavy bag at the Elorde gym in Pasay City. PHOTO BY WENDELL ALINEA
Pacquiao draws motivation from DLH conquest BY EDDIE G. ALINEA
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T came as no surprise to many when Filipino kGHTING SENATOR -ANNY 0ACQUIAO ANNOUNCED HE S USING HIS +/ WIN OVER -EXICAN !MERICAN /SCAR $E ,A (OYA HELD YEARS AGO AS HIS MOTIVATION IN HIS COMING kGHT WITH FELLOW 7"! WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION +EITH 4HURMAN That bout became the basis of his preparation for the July 20 showdown with the unbeaten American (29-0 with 22 KOs) at the MGM Grand Arena in the sin city of Las Vegas, Nevada. &OR BESIDES BEING HIS INITIAL kGHT AS A welterweight, the Pacquiao-De La Hoya ENCOUNTER CEMENTED HIS GRIP AS BONAkDE
resident of boxing’s pound-for-pound best as well as credential for being named “Fighter of the Year� by both the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ring Magazine. !ND THAT WHILE HIS kRST &O9 AWARD IN 2006 was centered on his twin stoppage victories over fellow future Hall
of Famer Erik Morales, that the 2008 Pacquiao-De La Hoya bout was fashioned out against two other future HoF inductees Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz, while winning in three different weight divisions. It was from Marquez, of course, whom Pacquiao wrested the super-featherweight crown, his fourth of would be his rich eight-division title conquests, and Diaz THE LIGHTWEIGHT DIADEM HIS kFTH JEWEL That, likewise, lowered the curtains on the “Golden Boy’s� boxing career that netted for him the gold medal in the Barcelona Olympic Games as an amateur and the WBO junior-lightweight, WBO/ IBF lightweight, WBC super-lightweight, welterweight, super-welterweight (twice) and WBO middleweight plums.
4HE 0ACQUIAO $E ,A (OYA kGHT HELD December 8, or nine days before Pacquiao’s birthday, led too, for boxing pundits to compare him with legendary Henry Armstrong, who during his time, held three world titles at the same time and ignited spirited debate as who is greater between them. The Filipino was, in fact, acknowledged as the “Modern Day Henry Armstrong� two years ahead of his earning three more division belts to complete his total eight, which many believe will be unattainable in the near future. Pro Armstrong argue that the kid who, once worked for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, become a kind of human loCOMOTIVE ROARING AND BELCHING kRE RUNning over the opposition while reigning
as world featherweight, lightweight and welterweight champion simultaneously by setting standards that never were matched. In 2008, as Pacquiao beat Marquez, Diaz and De La Hoya, it became fashionable to mention Armstrong’s name along. After erasing the remains of DLH’s image, the comparison to Armstrong grew with many SAYING !RMSTRONG kNALLY HAD AN EQUAL &OR kGHT HISTORIAN "ERT 3UGAR g0ACQUIAO is sui generis; he needn’t be compared to ANYONE (E MAY BE THE BEST !SIAN kGHTER OF all-time, and, perhaps, the best southpaw of all-time. Comparing him to Armstrong is a disservice to Pacquiao.� “But you can’t compare him to Armstrong, because no one compares to Armstrong.�
Warriors embrace challenge with Raptors GSW likely to miss two OAKLAND, Calif.: After four straight years of facing LeBron James and Cleveland in the NBA Finals, this feels refreshing for the two-time defending champion Warriors. “For sure,� Shaun Livingston said with a smile of taking on the upstart Raptors, “for sure, we’ll leave it right there.� /FF TO 4ORONTO kNALLY a fresh team that’s tops from the East. Golden State is embracing every part of this new-look — well, the other half of it, AT LEAST ‡ kNALS “I love it,� Stephen Curry said Monday (Tuesday in Manila) following Golden State’s first game-planning practice ahead of the series opener Thursday night in Toronto. The Warriors coaches gathered Sunday to prep once they had an opponent, with the players taking a day off. Golden State is well-rested after wrapping up its Western ConFERENCE kNALS SWEEP OF 0ORTLAND ON May 20 — giving the Warriors nine full days off between games. Toronto won the Eastern ConferENCE kNALS WITH A 'AME VICTORY against Milwaukee on Saturday. This certainly isn’t the familiar Cavaliers. “That was the exception. This is more the rule,� coach Steve Kerr said. “You’re not supposed to play the same team every year. So that was a special era, a special rivalry and we’re thrilled to be back. Cleveland has moved on and their team has broken up and with LeBron leaving the East, things were wide open. “It was a hell of a ride through that East playoffs for Philly, Boston, Milwaukee, Toronto, all great teams, quality of play was something to watch. Toronto obviously emerged as the best team of the East and well deserved. The scene the other night was amazing to watch, too. The fans in Toronto have been amazing over the years. I’ve compared that arena to Oracle many times. When I was in broadcasting both the Raptors and the Warriors were really bad and yet every time I went to either arena there was this organic energy that felt so much alike, so similar. And there’s just a genuine love for the game in both regions.�
players in Game One
LOS ANGELES: Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant will not play in the opening game of the NBA finals against t h e To r o n t o Raptors on Thursday (Friday in Manila) because of a calf injury, coach Steve Kerr reiterated on Monday. Durant injured his right calf on May 8 in game five of the Western #ONFERENCE kNALS AGAINST THE Houston Rockets. “KD’s not playing game one,� Kerr said after Monday’s practice. “I think we already announced that, and we’ll see where it goes
from here. This is where the fact that there’s a lot of days in between games during the finals helps us, so we’ll see.� Kerr said it has yet to be determined whether Durant would travel with the Warriors to Toronto when the team charter leaves Tuesday. He said that Durant has been working out on his own but is not doing a full practice. “He’s been out kinda shooting some shots, but I haven’t talked to (trainer) Rick (Celebrini) today, so I’m not exactly sure what he’s done today.� Kerr also said that injured center DeMarcus Cousins (quadriceps) is listed as “questionable.� Cousins tore the quad muscle in his left leg in game two of the kRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS AGAINST the Los Angeles Clippers on April 15. The injury did not require surgery. AFP
Q Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors grabs a rebound. AFP PHOTO No chance of Golden State getting complacent preparing for the same opponent again in its quest for a three-peat. This is the last hurrah for Oracle Arena, too, before the Warriors move across the bay to new Chase Center for next season. “Everybody talks about it’s hard TO kND THAT EDGE AND GET UP FOR YOU kND SOME SORT OF MONOTONY ‡ ) DON T KNOW IF YOU kND THAT IN THE kNALS ‡ THAT S PART OF HUMAN NATURE THAT YOU kGHT u #URRY SAID “So us getting on a plane tomorrow to go to Toronto, different energy, different city, different views, everything, should prepare us to lock understanding we have a prime OPPORTUNITY TO START OFF THIS kNALS series on the road and get a win and set the tone for how it’s going to be. “So I like the challenge and the unfamiliarity of this kind of schedule and flow. We’ve been there before, we’ve experienced a lot and this is I think something we’re capable of doing.� The Warriors are motivated by
everything that will be new for THESE kNALS While center DeMarcus Cousins scrimmaged Monday for the second time since going down with a torn left quadriceps muscle in Game 2 of the kRST ROUND AGAINST THE #LIPPERS HE IS listed as questionable for the series opener. Cousins had returned Jan. 18 from a nearly yearlong absence following surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon only to get hurt again — a TOUGH BLOW IN HIS kRST CAREER PLAYOFFS Now, jumping right back in on THE kNALS STAGE WILL BE TOUGH “It’s a lot to ask,� Kerr said, without completely ruling out the chance Cousins could be cleared to return by Thursday. Two-time reigning Finals MVP Kevin Durant won’t play Game 1 as he continues to recover from a strained right calf. #URRY HAS A SPECIAL AFkNITY FOR Toronto, where he spent two years in middle school when his dad, Dell, played for the Raptors from 2000-02. Curry’s wife, Ayesha, grew up outside Toronto. “I still don’t think it’s sunk in
THIS IS FOR THE kNALS SO PRETTY SPEcial,� Curry said. He will be focused on bringing home Golden State’s third straight TITLE AND FOURTH IN kVE YEARS ‡ AN NBA Finals MVP would mean so much — yet can still appreciate what Toronto is experiencing at last. “In what 24 years of their exisTENCE AND FOR THEM TO kNALLY GET over the hump, you could tell how much it meant. The city was going crazy,� Curry said. “It looked like they had won the championship already the way that THEY WERE CELEBRATING )T S THE kRST time there, so the fans really got into it. It looked like a crazy atmosphere. In that short 24 years there’s a lot of history and there were some great teams. I think it was 2002 the team my dad was on with Vince (Carter), Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams. ... They’ve gotten close and obviously the last couple years they’ve been struggling with Cleveland. There’s a lot of passion up there for the game of basketball, for the Raptors. You could tell how much it meant.� AP
Q DeMarcus Cousins (No. 0) of the Golden State Warriors warms up before game three of the NBA Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on May 18, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. AFP PHOTO
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˜ The Manila Times
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WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019 Q TNT’s Terrence Jones (No. 1) grabs a rebound as Jasper Ayaay (No. 25), Brian Heruela (No. 0) look on during a Season 44 PBA Commissioner’s Cup game over the weekend at the Araneta Coliseum. PBA MEDIA BUREAU PHOTO
PH to field in 10 teams in Le Tour
TNT, NP eye share of lead with Blackwater T BY JOSEF T. RAMOS
NT KaTropa and Northport clash at 4:30 p.m. today for a share of the lead with Blackwater in Season 44 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The KaTropa and Batang Pier are fresh from two consecutive wins while solo leader Elite are coming off a three-game winning run. Import Terrence Jones, a former National Basketball Association player delivered for TNT averaging 42 points, 18 rebounds and 4.5 assists in
two games. Despite the bright prospect, TNT coach Bong Ravena said they still need to work harder. “Everytime we play Northport, we are the underdog. So for this conference, we cannot afford to lose against them. We really need to work harder and be ready.
Our main goal for now is to win more games as much as possible,� Ravena told The Manila Times. Northport coach Pido Jarencio said they can take on TNT any day as long as they put in the necessary hard work and energy. “That’s what it should be. We have to be consistent on our game plan and keep our energy level higher,� said Jarencio, who is expecting to see import Prince Ibeh’s full potential. “That’s what import does. They have pride and I believe we can see a lot more from our import.� Ibeh had an average of 17 points and 16 rebounds in two games, as
Sean Anthony did prolific scoring for Northport. Anthony is averaging 19.5 points and six rebounds in Batang Pier’s first two games making up for the absence of the injured Stanley Pringle. Meanwhile, Alaska (1-2 win-loss record) eyes to snap a two-game losing run as it tangles against Northern Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in the 7 p.m. game. The Road Warriors, still winless in TWO GAMES kNALLY GOT A CLEARANCE TO kELD IN IMPORT 4ONY -ITCHELL NLEX lost to Northport, 79-83, on May 25 and to TNT, 87-102, on May 22.
Nats blow another lead behind Scherzer WASHINGTON: This time, the Nationals beleaguered bullpen wasn’t alone in blowing yet another lead. JosĂŠ UreĂąa pitched seven solid innings, Washington again fell apart late behind ace Max Scherzer and the Miami Marlins beat the Nationals 3-2 Sunday to avoid a four-game sweep. After Scherzer went six innings and left leading 2-1, Tanner Rainey allowed the tying run in the seventh for the Nationals’ 11th blown save, matching the Chicago Cubs for most in the majors. Kyle Barraclough (1-2) then allowed Miguel Rojas’ go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth. The bullpen blues weren’t helped by shoddy defense. First baseman Matt Adams dropped UreĂąa’s bunt in the seventh trying to apply a tag, and shortstop Trea Turner sailed a ball over Adams in the eighth. “We (gave up) two unearned runs today,â€? Nationals manager Dave Mar-
FROM MLB.COM
tinez said. “Those guys came in and threw the ball very well. ... We just didn’t make two plays, and it cost us two runs.� The Nationals loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning but could not push the tying run across against the relief duo of Nick Anderson and Adam Conley. Sergio Romo pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 10th save, dropping Washington to 22-32. The Nationals fell to 2-10 in
games started by Scherzer, who allowed seven hits and struck out six. He logged six scoreless innings in his previous start against the Mets, but New York rallied against Barraclough and closer Sean Doolittle for a 6-1 victory. “I was able to pound the zone and throw a ton of strikes,� said Scherzer, who also had the go-ahead RBI on Sunday, hitting an RBI single for a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning. “They did a great job of grinding
me and just fouling balls off to run the pitch count up. They just made me work.� The Marlins (16-35) finished 4-3 on their seven-game trip through Detroit and Washington. They swept the Tigers before salvaging one out of four in the nation’s capital. “Jose was good all day, and we were able to scratch some runs in there,� Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “It wasn’t easy, but we got enough to get it done.�
FOUR Filipino cycling teams will compete against 11 foreign squads in the 10th Le Tour de Filipinas that will roll off on June 14 to 18. Leading the charge for the local side is defending champion Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance led by reigning individual titlist El Joshua CariĂąo. 7-Eleven Cliqq Air 21 Roadbike Philippines, Go For Gold and Bike X Philippines will also compete under THE 0HILIPPINE lAG “We have four teams for the Philippines. So it’s a big chance of winning for us,â€? said PhilCycling chairman Bert Lina during a news conference on Tuesday at the Resorts World Manila. This year’s Le Tour, with a theme “10 Years of Cyclingâ€? was approved by the International Cycling Union (UCI) as a Category 2.2 race. “The Le Tour de Filipinas continues its advocacy in promoting international peace, goodwill, health, tourism and environment,â€? said Le Tour chairman Donna Lina. The Le Tour will start with the 129.5-kilometer Stage 1 that will traverse through hilly Tagaytay City. 3TAGE IS A KM COURSE FROM 0AGBILAO A kRST time Le Tour host, to Daet in Camarines Norte while Stage 3 is a 183.7 km race from Daet to Legazpi City. Stage 4 is a 176km race from Legazpi via Sorsogon and Gubat and back to the Albay capital. The Le Tour ends with a 145.8km Stage 5 that will start in Legazpi and return to Sorsogon via Donsol. The 2019 Le Tour boasts of a total distance of 822.2km. The race will provide qualifying points for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and will gauge how Filipino riders will fare in the 30th Southeast Asian Games to be hosted by the country late JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA this year.
Q Washington Nationals’ Juan Soto reacts during his at bat during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, May 27, 2019, in Washington. The Marlins won 3-2. AP PHOTO
Conley has not allowed a run in his last five appearances. He came on with two outs in the eighth to face Juan Soto, the Nationals’ hottest hitter, and got him to fly out to left and end the threat. Neil Walker had three hits, including an RBI single in the third to stake Ureùa to an early lead. Ureùa (3-6) allowed two earned
runs and four hits to improve to 5-2 against the Nationals, including an earlier win this season. “It’s a random thing. It happens,� he said of his success against Washington. “They are a pretty good team. That is the game sometimes. With those hitters, you have to be aggressive because they are aggressive, too.� AP
CSB forces do-or-die QF against Scorpions GAB Banal sank the game-winning triple as Go For Gold-College of St. Benilde (CSB) stunned Centro Escolar University (CEU), 84-81, forcing a do-or-die QUARTERkNAL GAME IN THE 0HILIPPINE Basketball Association Developmental League (PBA D-League) on Tuesday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. Banal hit the dagger three from the top of the key with 17.5 seconds left, helping the Scratchers erase the Scorpions’ twice-to-beat advantage and FORCE A DECIDER FOR A SEMIkNAL SPOT “I’m happy that we’re still alive,� said Go For Gold-CSB head coach Charles Tiu, whose squad almost squandered a 20-point lead. “We probably deserved to lose this game. We were up big and seems like
we never learn. The maturity is still isn’t there,� added Tiu. Go For Gold-CSB and CEU will battle anew on Thursday for a semikNAL BERTH Filipino-American guard Roosevelt Adams sizzled with a game-high 26 POINTS ON AN EFkCIENT FOR SHOOTing clip to go with 13 rebounds as he led the Scratchers’ offense. Santi Santillan tallied 15 points, Justin Gutang chipped in 13 markers, EIGHT REBOUNDS AND kVE ASSISTS WHILE Banal added 12 points, six dimes and kVE BOARDS FOR THE PREVIOUS CONFERence champion. Go For Gold-CSB posted its biggest lead at 55-35 on Adams’ three-point play early in the third quarter.
But Judel Fuentes triggered a blazing 23-8 CEU run to forge an 81-81 deadlock with 2:09 remaining in the game. After exchanging empty possessions, Gutang set up Banal for the winning trey before Jimboy Pasturan came up with a crucial steal to seal the Scratchers’ win. Fuentes led the Scorpions with 22 points while Senegalese big man Maodo Malick Diouf had 14-point, 17-rebound double-double. Rich Guinitaran notched 13 markers in the loss. In the second game at press time, twice-to-beat St. Clare College-Virtual Reality seeks to quickly dispatch Metropac-San Beda University in their QUARTERkNAL FACEOFF JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA
Lady Troopers target second straight win PACIFICTOWN Army hopes to ride on the momentum of its impressive debut and pounce on Creamline’s shaky start to its title-retention campaign as the Lady Troopers shoot for a second straight win in Season 3 of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Flying V Center in San Juan today (Wednesday, May 29). With imports Janelle Jordan and OleNA ,YMAREVA &LINK kRING HITS APIECES and locals Honey Tubino, comebacking Jovelyn Gonzaga and veteran Mary Jean Balse-Pabayo combining for 24 points, the Army Troopers launched their title drive with a 25-20, 25-16, 24-26, 25-23 victory over the BaliPure Water Defenders last Sunday. In contrast, the reigning champions suffered a stinging 22-25, 24-26, 2225 defeat to the PetroGazz Angels in a setback marred by the sidelining of Creamline’s main player Alyssa Valdez
due to injury in the second seat. After dropping the opening frame, THE #OOL 3MASHERS TRIED TO kGHT BACK in the second but lost their momentum after Valdez sustained a left ankle injury after slipping while trying to keep the ball in play off the block with the score tied at 16. She was carried off the court and didn’t return, finishing with five points and the team never recovered from there, enabling the Angels to pull off a tight two-point escape before holding off their rivals to complete a surprise straight-set romp in a big reversal marking the start of the third season of the country’s premier league organized by Sports Vision. “I just hope nothing serious happened,� said the power-hitting former Ateneo ace who is expected to suit up against the Army Troopers in their 3 p.m. clash. The Angels, led by imports Wilma Salas and Janisa Johnson, are also going all out
to nail another win as they face the BankoPerlas Spikers in the 5 p.m. main dish. The power-hitting Salas is expected to further settle down after delivering a 20-point game a day upon her arrival with the current member of the Cuban national team also hoping to draw solid backup from Johnson and the rest of the local crew led by Jeanette Panaga, Cherry Rose Nunag and setter Djanel Cheng. But the Perlas Spikers are also coming into the match raring to showcase their wares behind a practically intact roster and a pair of explosive reinforcements in Kia Bright and Turkish import Yasemin Sahin Yildirim. Veterans Dzi Gervacio, Sue Roces, Jem Ferrer, Gizelle Tan, Roma Doromal Ella de Jesus, Kathy Bersola and Nicole Tiamzon are also ready to provide the needed support and help steer BankoPerlas to a crack at the crown after a COUPLE OF THIRD PLACE kNISHES LAST YEAR
˜ The Manila Times
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
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Sports
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Serena struggles to 800th victory P ARIS: Serena Williams admitted the ‘mother, champion, queen, goddess’ logo which adorned her Roland Garros outfit on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) was “a lot to carry, but so is being Serena�.
The 37-year-old American survived a first-set scare before defeating Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko 2-6, 6-1, 6-0 to reach the second round. But as she struggled to impose herself on her 83rd-ranked opponent, it looked like her dazzling choice of costume for the occ a s i o n might come back
to
Q Serena Williams of the US reacts as she plays against Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko during their women’s singles first round match on day two of The Roland Garros 2019 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on Tuesday. AFP PHOTO
haunt her. The legend of ‘mother, champion, queen, g o d d e s s ’ wa s w r i t t e n in French in a nod to her hosts. Once the cape was removed, Williams revealed a black and white zebrastripe print dress, split at one thigh. Last year, Williams fell foul of Roland
Garros with her one-piece Black Panther outfit which was subsequently banned. “It was just to remind everyone that they can be champions and are queens. So I love that about it,� she said of her 2019 dress and cape. “Yeah. It is a lot to carry, but so is being Serena Williams.� The American, who is attempting to equal Margaret C o u r t ’s a l l - t i m e r e c o r d o f 24 Grand Slam titles, racked up her 800th career main draw win with her victory in front of a half-full Court Philippe Chatrier. After dropping the first set, she was in danger of suffering just the second opening round defeat of her Grand Slam tournament career. But normal service was quickly resumed as she racked up 12 of the last 13 games. “You know, I have been dealing with a lot, and then I just got nervous out there and I stopped moving my feet. “There were like concrete blocks on my feet. I was, like, ‘You gotta do something’.� Williams, the 2002, 2013 and 2015 champion in Paris, will face either Japan’s Kurumi Nara or Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia
for a place in the last 32, after their match was suspended at one-set-all overnight. Williams won her most recent major at the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant. She returned to Grand Slam tennis after giving birth to her daughter at Roland Garros in 2018, making the last 16 where she had been set to resume her bitter rivalry with Maria Sharapova. An arm injury torpedoed that meeting and stalled her assault on a fourth title in Paris. Defeat in the 2018 Wimbledon final and US Open championship match, where her now-infamous meltdown overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s title triumph, followed her Paris heartbreak. Her Australian Open campaign in January ended in a quarter-final loss to Karolina Pliskova despite having led 5-1 in the final set and holding four match points. Since Melbourne, Williams had been unable to finish the three tournaments she had entered — retiring in the third round of Indian Wells and withdrawing after winning a round in Miami, and after winning one round in Rome due to a right AFP knee injury.
Ravena leads Collegiate Press Corps awardees Fierce duel up as Luzvimin golf unfolds THE top golfing ladies from the country’s leading clubs take center stage beginning today as they slug it out for top honors in various divisions in the 2019 Champion Luzvimin Invitational golf tournament at Cebu Country Club in Cebu City. Del Monte parades an intact roster for its title-retention drive but Manila Southwoods is brimming with confidence with a souped-up crew and rest of the cast are all coming into the event ready to take on the best and emerge on top after 54 holes of the annual championship held under the Molave scoring format. The Del Monte ladies dominated their Carmona-based rivals IN THE kNAL ROUND TO REIGN AT 4AAL Splendido last year, reclaiming the crown they won at Rancho Palos Verdes in 2016 with Class B individual winner spearheading their repeat bid in the premier Diamond division along with Martina Miùoza, Leslie Icoy, Kiara Montebon, Saraiah Rheaume and Maura Quijano. But Southwoods is out for a payback, enlisting top amateur Laia Barro to anchor a talent-laden squad composed of Loralie Roberto, Claire Ong, Christine Naidoo, Claudine Garcia and Deanna Samaniego. But the rest of the 10-team field in the centerpiece category, including five new squads, are also upbeat of their respective chances, particularly the hosts, made up of Riko Nagai, Crystal Neri, Mary Kim Hong, Catrina Martinez, Jyra Wong and Jeanette Chiu, who are raring to use their local knowledge of
the tree-lined, tight layout in an attempt to pull off a stunner. Rancho Palos Verdes, meanwhile, will be led by Charilyn Kayama, Victoria Tan, Myung Seon Park, Stella Patruno, Lilibet Crisologo and Mereane Siason while former Del Monte ace Pamela Mariano will now anchor Pueblo de Oro’s bid in the event sponsored by Champion and organized by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines along with Juliane Borlongan, Alethea Gaccion, Marife Carmichael, Gladys Opitz and Jennifer Chua. Fierce action is also seen in individual play in all four divisions, including the Emerald, Ruby and Pearl categories of the event backed by Henna, San Miguel Corp., Diamond Motors, Quest Hotel, Cebu Country Club, Ayala Land Premier, Celium Fibre, Derma C, Gothong Lines and Vermogen. Last year’s Class A individual titlist Mariel Tee will lead Team Valley Golf along with Inez del Rosario, Cielo Fregil, Jocelyn Sevilla, Belinda del Rosario and Cecile Esguerra while Eagle Ridge, Club Filipino, Fernando Air Base and Sta. Elena will be headed by Arlette Dizon, Marilou Canizares, Grace Montilla and Christine Ong, respectively. Other teams vying in the e ve n t a r e C a m p J o h n H ay, Ta g ay t ay H i g h l a n d s, C a m p Aguinaldo I, Forest Hills and Alabang in Emerald, Manila Golf, Orchard and Villamor, Baguio Country Club, Bacolod Golf and Country Club, Camp Aguinaldo 2 and Victorias Golf and Country Club.
ATENEO De Manila University star Thirdy Ravena led the honorees in the 2019 Chooks to Go Collegiate Press Corps Awards on Monday night at the Amelie Hotel in Manila. Ravena was named Collegiate Player of the Year and Basketball Player of the Year after leading the Blue Eagles to back-to-back titles in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). “It’s a great feeling to be recognized. All of my hard work kNALLY PAID OFF u SAID 2AVENA adding that credit also belongs to his teammates and coaches.
“But in all honesty, I owe this all to my teammates. And of course, to the hardworking coaching staff of our team. We’ve come this far because of them.� Joining Ravena in the All-Collegiate Team are Robert Bolick of San Beda University, Prince Eze of University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, and the University of the Philippines (UP) pair of Bright Akhuetie and Paul Desiderio. Boyet Fernandez of San Beda and Tab Baldwin of Ateneo were named Coaches of the Year. Fernandez steered the Red Lions to a third straight
crown in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The National University Lady Bulldogs got the Award of Excellence for their rare five-peat highlighted by an 80-game winning streak in the UAAP women’s basketball. UP earned a special citation for its historic run that ended the Fighting Maroons’ 32-year finals drought. Other basketball awardees were Angelo Kouame of Ateneo and Javee Mocon of San Beda (Pivotal Players) and CJ Perez of Lyceum of the Philippines University and Sean
Manganti of Adamson University (Impact Players). Meanwhile, Sisi Rondina of University of Sto. Tomas and Regine Arocha of Arellano University were RECOGNIZED AS THE kRST EVER 6OLLEYball Players of the Year. Rondina carried the Golden 4IGRESSES TO THEIR kRST 5!!0 kNALS appearance in eight years while Arocha led the Lady Chiefs to a three-peat in the NCAA. JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA
Q Thirdy Ravena of Ateneo battles for the ball against Bright Akhuetie of UP during a UAAP men’s basketball game at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. FILE PHOTO
IRONKIDS USHERS IN CT IRONMAN 70.3 IN SUBIC CLOSE to 300 kids gear up for a showdown in their side of the duel as the future OF TRIATHLON CLASH IN THE !LASKA &ORTIkED IronKids on Saturday at the WOW Recreation and Activity Center in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. This marks the third time that the local junior version of the IRONMAN will be held as a swim-run event following the Davao City and Vermosa, Cavite competitions with the Subic cast to feature the sport’s regular campaigners in the 6-to-14 years old bracket with a number of new faces also out to steal the spotlight from the fancied names in the event starting at 6 a.m.
4HE )RON+IDS SERVES AS A kTTING APPETIZER to the Century Tuna IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay presented by Big Boss Cement which fires off Sunday with Seychelles’ Nick Baldwin setting out for back-to-back title feat in the country’s triathlon capital folLOWING HIS TRIUMPH IN THE kRST FULL )2/.MAN last year. Also lined up on Saturday is the Sun Life Bike Out and the IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay Expo at 9 a.m., the media confernece at 3 p.m. and the Beliinda Granger race tips at 4 p.m., among others. Launched a decade ago, the Alaska IronKids, then made up of a swim-bikerun event, has become one of the high-
lights of each IRONMAN competition. It is staged to promote a well-balanced lifestyle for kids and at the same time serves as venue for family bonding. It is also held to help kids develop the values of discipline, hard work, integrity and determination through a series of races. The organizing Sunrise Events, Inc., however, decided to drop the bike leg from the usual 400m-swim, 9km-bike, and 3km event to lessen the competition’s barriers to entry of which purchasing a bike is a prime example. Meanwhile, Baldwin gears up for a strong challenge from the likes of former 70.3 world champion Tim Reed and
multi-titled Sam Betten along with fellow Australians Tim Van Berkel and Conor McKay with Colombia’s Rodrigo Acevedo and Oli Stenning of Great Britain as he seeks to make it two-in-row in Subic, this time on a shorter 1.9km swim-90km bike21km run event. For details, visit www.ironman703subicbay.com or the Facebook page Century Tuna IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay and @im703subicbay on Instagram and 4WITTER /FkCIAL EVENT HASHTAGS ARE Û#ENTURY4UNA)- ÛIM SUBICBAY Backing the event are Big Boss Cement (presenting sponsor), venue host Subic Bay, bike leg racing partner NLEX SCTEX,
"LACK !RROW OFkCIAL COURIER AND LOGISTICS PARTNER (OKA OFkCIAL FOOTWEAR 'ATOrade, TYR, Gu, Lightwater, David’s Salon, Prudential Guarantee, ONE Cignal, the Philippine Star, Trilife, AsiaTri.com, Finisher Pix and Active. Close to thousand triathletes will also battle it out for top honors in various divisions, including the Asian Elite and the 12 age group categories. It also features relay competitions for male, female and mixed teams. Forty one countries are represented in what promises to be another challenging race on a practically new course with the race central now at Subic Bay Boardwalk.
C4
Football
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
˜ The Manila Times
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Q Union Berlin’s German defender Ken Reichel (left) and Stuttgart’s French defender Benjamin Pavard vie for the ball during the German Bundesliga Relegation second-leg football match FC Union Berlin v VfB Stuttgart in Berlin. AFP PHOTO
Union Berlin promoted to Bundesliga B ERLIN: Union Berlin was promoted to the Bundesliga for THE kRST TIME IN THEIR HISTORY ON -ONDAY 4UESDAY IN -ANILA AFTER BEATING 3TUTTGART IN A PROMOTION RELEGATION PLAYOFF Having narrowly missed out on the topTIER IN THEY ARE THE kRST CLUB FROM THE former communist East Germany to reach the Bundesliga since Energie Cottbus were relegated in 2009. Union and Stuttgart drew 0-0 on Monday HAVING ALSO DRAWN IN THE kRST LEG ON
Thursday and went through on away goals. 7HILE "UNDESLIGA HIGH lYERS 2" ,EIPZIG who came up in 2016/17, are also from the East, they were founded in 2009 — long AFTER 'ERMAN REUNIkCATION Union, by contrast, is an icon of the communist era, and spent the 1970s and
1980s yo-yoing between the top two divisions of East German football. Their Alte Foersterei stadium, nestled in the forests of East Berlin, earned a reputation as a lightning rod for those critical of the regime. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Union have established themselves as a rare success story of East German football. Like many former East German clubs, THEY INITIALLY STRUGGLED WITH SEVERE kNANCIAL DIFkCULTIES IN THE WAKE OF REUNIkCAtion, but have since become one of the
healthiest clubs in the region. Having earned promotion from the third tier in 2009, they have remained in the second division ever since, a rare bastion of stability in a volatile league. In recent years, Union has developed cult status due to their passionate support. Their fans famously helped to build the current stadium during a 2008 renovation, and gave blood to help the club pay off its debts in 2004. Promotion to the Bundesliga ranks AMONG THE CLUBS GREATEST ON kELD ACHIEVEments, alongside their East German Cup
TRIUMPH OF AND A 'ERMAN #UP kNAL appearance in 2001. In Union and their West Berlin rivals Hertha, the German capital will be able to boast of two Bundesliga clubs this season. )T WILL BE THE kRST TIME THAT TWO CLUBS from a single city have been in the top lIGHT SINCE WHEN (AMBURG WAS joined by cross-city rivals St. Pauli. Joining Union will be second-tier champions Cologne as well as Paderborn and heading down with Stuttgart are former Germany champions Hannover and Nuremberg. AFP
Alves to replace Neymar as Brazil captain at Copa Strike duo holds key to Arsenal hopes RIO DE JANEIRO: Dani Alves will replace Neymar as the captain of the Brazilian national team in the Copa America, the country’s football federation (CBF) announced on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). “The decision was communicated to Ney-
mar by (coach) Tite on Saturday,� CBF said in a statement about the striker, who was handed a three-match suspension for lashing out at a spectator following Paris Saint-Germain’s shock defeat by Rennes IN THE &RENCH #UP kNAL EARLIER THIS MONTH
Eight-time winners Brazil face Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru in the group stage, which starts on June 14, after two friendlies against Qatar and Honduras. Neymar, 27, missed the humiliating 7-1 7ORLD #UP SEMIkNAL DEFEAT BY 'ERMANY
in 2014 due to injury after fracturing his back in the previous round. A year earlier, he was named player of the tournament at the Confederations Cup as Brazil won the competition for a record fourth time. AFP
Real Madrid wants Chelsea star Eden Hazard MADRID: Real Madrid president Florentino 0EREZ CONkRMED ON -ONDAY THE CLUB ARE keen to sign Eden Hazard this summer and claimed Sergio Ramos has an offer to move to China. Hazard could play his last match for #HELSEA IN THE %UROPA ,EAGUE kNAL AGAINST Arsenal on Wednesday, with the Belgian’s contract expiring next year. “I have a lot of interest in him coming to Madrid, I’m not going to lie, and I hope this year he can play here,� Perez told Spanish radio station Onda Cero on Monday night. “We have wanted to sign Hazard for several years and I hope he will come this year. Until now we have not achieved it, but this time his contract ends next year.� After a disappointing season, Madrid is expected to overhaul their squad this summer and Perez suggested the club’s captain Ramos is considering a move. Ramos and Perez argued after Madrid’s Champions League defeat to Ajax in March, with Ramos reportedly telling Perez the team’s failings were down to
a failure to replace Cristiano Ronaldo. Perez claimed on Tuesday that Ramos had been offered a move to China but said he had blocked the defender’s departure. g7E MET IN MY OFkCE AND HE TOLD me he had a very good offer from a Chinese team but a rule there means they cannot pay for the transfer,� Perez said. “It was no more than that, it was a conversation that has no interest. It is impossible for Real Madrid to let their captain go for free. I told him it’s impossible, nothing more.� Perez was also asked about the possibility of Madrid signing Kylian Mbappe or Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain. “I have not spoken with Zinedine Zidane about either Mbappe or Neymar,� said Perez, insisting he wants to maintain a good relationship with PSG. “If we want a player of PSG, we will call the club’s president.� Gareth Bale’s future remains uncertain but Perez said “we have not received any
Q Eden Hazard AFP FILE PHOTO
offers for any players of Real Madrid�. He also condemned the recent criticism of players like Bale that has come from Madrid’s fans and sections of the Spanish press. “We have made it seem like winning the
Champions League is normal and it isn’t. We have deceived people,� said Perez. “Some of these players have been insulted, they have been whistled, players who are going to go into the history of the club. It’s not right.� AFP
Kane in England squad for Nations League finals LONDON: Harry Kane was included in England’s 23-man squad for next month’s Nations League kNALS ON -ONDAY 4UESDAY IN -ANILA BUT 4OTtenham Hotspur teammates Harry Winks and Kieran Trippier were both left out. Gareth Southgate, the England manager, has reduced his group from the list of 27 he named earlier this month, with Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond also sidelined. England captain Kane, who has not played since suffering ankle ligament damage in April, was retained by the Southgate on the day he insisted he was “ready� for Spurs’
clash with Liverpool in Saturday’s ChampiONS ,EAGUE kNAL Kane has not played since suffering THE INJURY IN THE kRST LEG OF 4OTTENHAM S QUARTER kNAL AGAINST -ANCHESTER #ITY ON April 9, which was also when Winks made his last appearance. Spurs subsequently announced Winks had undergone groin surgery, although the MIDkELDER SAID HE HOPED IT WAS NOT THE END of his season. Trippier, a full-back, was a member of the %NGLAND SQUAD THAT MADE IT TO THE SEMI kNALS of last year’s World Cup and was an unused
SUBSTITUTE IN THE %URO QUALIkERS AGAINST the Czech Republic and Montenegro in March. Redmond was a surprise inclusion in Southgate’s 27-man squad, having been overlooked since winning his only England cap in March 2017, with Ward-Prowse making just his second appearance against Montenegro. England faces the Netherlands in their .ATIONS ,EAGUE SEMI kNAL IN 'UIMARAES northern Portugal, a week on Thursday. Seven players in Southgate’s 23 could potentially be involved in both the Champions ,EAGUE kNAL IN -ADRID kVE DAYS EARLIER AND the Netherlands match. AFP
Q Harry Kane AFP FILE PHOTO
BAKU: !RSENAL IS AIMING TO WIN A kRST %Uropean trophy in a quarter of a century in distant Baku on Wednesday and their hopes of doing so appear to rest at the feet of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. After missing out on a top-four place in the Premier League, the assessment of 5NAI %MERY S kRST SEASON IN CHARGE OF THE Gunners will be far kinder if they can end the campaign with victory in the Europa ,EAGUE kNAL It all comes down to this London derby in an unlikely setting by the Caspian Sea ‡ IF !RSENAL WIN THEY WILL HAVE A kRST piece of European silverware since raising the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994 and with it the additional prize of a return to the Champions League. And while the Gunners have frequently toiled defensively this season, conceding 51 goals in the Premier League, Emery knows he is the envy of almost every coach in Europe with Lacazette and Aubameyang in his ranks. They have scored 50 times between them this season, with Lacazette getting 19 goals and being named the club’s player of the year by Arsenal supporters. His goal tally has been put in the shade by Aubameyang, who has netted 31 times, including a hat-trick in the second leg of THEIR SEMI kNAL AGAINST 6ALENCIA AND goals in the Premier League to share the Golden Boot with Liverpool duo Sadio -ANE AND -OHAMED 3ALAH IN HIS kRST FULL campaign in England. “I gave everything to try to be in the top four with the team and to get a trophy,� Aubameyang said recently. “I am happy with my season, not the best but I am happy.� The Gabon star was not able to feature in the Europa League last season after his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 and watched as Arsenal lost to !TLETICO -ADRID IN THE SEMI kNALS DENYING !RSENE 7ENGER A %UROPEAN kNAL FOR his swansong. AFP
WEDNESDAY W E D N E S DAY MAY 29, 2019
Lifestyle
D1
www.manilatimes.net
Natural remedies for SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder H
OLDING the most appropriate acronym, seasonal affective disorder — SAD for short — is a form of depression that starts to creep up around the beginning of the rainy or cold season and tends to stick until the weather becomes warm again. People who suffer from this medical condition generally experience a decline in their mood, a lack of interest in daily activities AND DIFkCULTY GETTING OUT OF BED Other symptoms include fatigue, IRRITABILITY ANXIETY CARB CRAVINGS AND WEIGHT GAIN It is important to understand a BIT MORE ABOUT THE MOOD DISORDER AND WHAT TRIGGERS IT BEFORE KNOWING THE BEST NATURAL REMEDIES FOR THIS DISCOMBOBULATION
Why do people get SAD? )T IS BELIEVED THAT 3!$ OCCURS AS A response to fewer daylight hours and a lack of sunlight, affecting people most during the rainy season OR BETWEEN *ANUARY AND &EBRUARY FOR .ORTHERN HEMISPHERE DWELLERS 3TUDIES SHOW THAT THE CONDItion is more common in women than men, affecting those aged BETWEEN AND Melatonin is the hormone that THE BODY PRODUCES WHEN IT GETS DARK )TS ROLE IS TO INDUCE SLEEPINESS FOR A GOOD NIGHT REST 3O IF THE RAINY SEASON OR WINTER BRINGS MORE HOURS of darkness, it can lead to increased PRODUCTION OF MELATONIN 3EROTONIN IS A NEUROTRANSMITTER BRAIN CHEMICAL THAT PUTS PEOPLE IN A GOOD MOOD #ONSI dering reduced sunlight can cause serotonin levels to fall, it is no surprise that people feel down in the dumps during rainy AND COLD MONTHS /N TOP OF BIOCHEMICAL IMBA lances, the sluggish feeling from 3!$ COULD HAVE AN EVOLUTIONARY EXPLANATION 3EEING AS FOOD WAS
scarce during the colder months, this may have prompted the BODY TO ADAPT TO CONSERVE AS MUCH ENERGY AS POSSIBLE
Natural remedies emedies
TONIN PRODUCTION m &ATTY kSHES ARE WITH 6ITAMIN $ AND /MEGA FOR DOPAMINE AND SEROTONIN LEVELS m .UTS AND SEEDS CAN BE HIGH IN /MEGA AND DEPRESSION kGHTING SELENIUM m $ARK CHOCOLATE IS PACKED WITH lAVONOIDS THAT REDUCE STRESS CAUSING HORMONES m ! V O C A D O S A R E F U L L O F mood-enhancing folate and CALMING TRYPTOPHAN )F HAVING PROBLEMS ABSORBING certain nutrients or those menTIONED ARE NOT PALATABLE OPT FOR NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS B vitamins help THE BODY CONvert proteins
Exposure to sunlight (or simply DAYLIGHT IS THOUGHT TO INCREASE THE OUGHT TO INCREASE THE BRAIN RELEASE OF SEROTONIN WHICH CAN BOOST THE E MOOD AND HELP IN FEELING CALM AND FOCUSED ND FOCUSED To keep thee serotonin levels up and keep the melatonin LEVELS BALANCED TO D TRY TO spend enough ugh time outs i d e during the colder MONTHS ! I M T O G E T AROUND TO O minutes off midday sunlight,, several Q People who suffer from times per week eek every SAD generally experience a DAY IF POSSIBLE %XPOSURE LE %XPOSURE decline in their mood, a lack of time should d depend on interest in daily activities and how sensitivee the skin is to difficulty getting out of bed. SUNLIGHT 4O EXPLAIN THOSE WITH XPLAIN THOSE WITH f r o m DARKER SKIN TONES MAY NEED A BIT ONES MAY NEED A BIT one’s diet into MORE TIME OUTSIDE UTSIDE the neurotransmitTry to position on close to a window ters that affect mood and for maximum exposure to daylight ENERGY /N TOP OF THAT " #OMIF GOING OUT IS NOT FEASIBLE plex vitamins improve responses One of the most important natu- to stress, leading to a healthy RAL REMEDIES FOR 3!$ IS TO MAINTAIN HEART 7HILE MOST " VITAMINS ARE A HEALTHY DIET THAT IS BOTH VARIED BENEkCIAL FOR MENTAL HEALTH SPEAND BALANCED #HOOSE RECIPES THAT CIkCALLY DEPRESSION THE BEST ONES CONTAIN NATURAL MOOD BOOSTERS FOR 3!$ INCLUDE " " FOLIC ACID m $ARK GREEN VEGETABLES CONTAIN OR FOLATE AND " SEROTONIN BOOSTING FOLATE AND (ERE S WHAT TO EAT FOR " VITAMINS VITAMIN " – Liver and organ meats from – Whole grains and com- BEEF PORK LAMB OR CHICKEN CONP L E X C A R B S S T I M U L A T E S E R O - TAIN EIGHT IMPORTANT " VITAMINS
Q SAD occurs as a response to fewer daylight hours and a lack of sunlight, affecting people most during the rainy season or between January and February for Northern hemisphere dwellers.
m &ISH LIKE SALMON OR TROUT contain low levels of mercury, which means they are perfectly SAFE TO CONSUME m 3HELLkSH LIKE OYSTERS CLAMS and mussels not only contain B VITAMINS BUT ALSO MINERALS LIKE zinc, selenium and manganese AND /MEGA – Nutritional yeast or Brewer’s 9EAST IS FORTIkED WITH B vitamins, which MAKES IT A BENEkCIAL SOURCE OF 6ITAMIN " FOR VEGANS m $ A R K leafy vegETABLES like ro-
maine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, and collards are among the BEST VEGETABLE SOURCES OF " 0EOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM 3!$ and depression were found to HAVE LOWER 6ITAMIN $ LEVELS COMPARED TO THOSE NOT AFFECTED 4HAT SAID 6ITAMIN $ DOESNfT just play a leading role when it comes to depression, it also conTRIBUTES TO BONE HEALTH IMMUNE SYSTEM HEALTH LOWER INlAMMATION AND CANCER PREVENTION (OW TO EAT FOR 6ITAMIN $ m &ATTY kSH LIKE SALMON OYSTERS HERRING MACKEREL AND SARDINES The wilder they are, the more 6ITAMIN $ THEY CONTAIN – Livers from fish, chicken, LAMB OR BEEF "E CAUTIOUS WHEN consuming something like fish
LIVER BECAUSE IT CONTAINS 6ITAMIN ! WHICH IS TO BE CONSUMED IN MODERATION – Egg yolks are also rich in 6ITAMIN $ SO INSTEAD OF GOING for a sportsman egg white omelette choose a sunshine-yellow ONE NEXT TIME – Natural sunlight allows the SKIN TO SYNTHESIZE ITS OWN 6ITAMIN $ NATURALLY – Nuts and seeds such as walNUTS lAXSEED AND CHIA SEEDS HAVE THE HEALTHY FATS YOU NEED – Plant oils like flaxseed oil, CANOLA OIL AND SOYBEAN OIL ARE GREAT OILS TO USE IN COOKING AND BAKING FOR THOSE /MEGA FATTY ACIDS
Supplements 3UPPLEMENTS CAN ALSO WORK AS natural antidepressants that enhance the mood without causing any unpleasant short-term or LONG TERM SIDE EFFECTS 3TUDIES SUGGEST THAT THE /MEGA FATTY ACIDS FOUND IN FISH OIL CAN CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTHY EMOTIONAL BALANCE )T HAS BEEN PROPOSED TO BENEkT THOSE WITH conditions such as schizophrenia, OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER AND ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER 4HOSE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MERCURY CONTENT IN kSH THEN kNDING A HIGH QUALITY kSH OIL SUPPLEMENT COULD BE THE ANSWER 3T *OHN S WORT IS A HERBAL REMEDY THAT HAS LONG BEEN USED IN Europe as treatment for mood disORDERS )N FACT 3T *OHN S WORT HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE AS EFFECTIVE AS conventional antidepressants in the treatment of mild to moderate DEPRESSION BUT WITHOUT THE LONG LIST OF SIDE EFFECTS )T TAKES ABOUT eight weeks for the full effect to BE FELT !S CAUTION THE HERB CAN interfere with certain medicines, and make one more photosensi-
TIVE SO BEWARE OF CARRYING IT OVER TO THE WARM MONTHS Rhodiola Rosea is an adapTOGENIC HERB THAT SUPPORTS THE BODY IN COPING WITH STRESSORS BOTH BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL )T HELPS BALANCE ENERGY LEVELS improves mental and physical performance, and promotes a HEALTHY AND HAPPY MOOD )T HAS BEEN USED AS A NATURAL TREATMENT for alleviating mild or moderate depressive symptoms especially IN 3CANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES
Exercise Bundling up and heading out for some exercise is another GREAT NATURAL REMEDY FOR 3!$ 4HAT S BECAUSE EXERCISE DOES NOT only raise the endorphin and serotonin levels through workING OUT BUT ALSO EXPOSES ONE to natural sunlight and fresh air WHEN JOGGING BIKERIDING OR A QUICK WORKOUT IN THE PARK
Mind-body connection -IND BODY CONNECTION AND STRESS management are recommended as natural remedy for seasonal affecTIVE DISORDER AS WELL #HRONIC STRESS MAY INCREASE the risk of developing depressive disorders, so learning to manage stress in a healthy way can make A HUGE IMPACT ON ONE S LIFESTYLE #ONSIDER ADDING ACTIVITIES LIKE yoga, meditation, painting, selfcare and other relaxation techNIQUES %XPRESSING THOUGHTS AND emotions with a partner, friend or even a therapist is another EXCELLENT CONSIDERATION If still feeling down, just visuALIZE TO BE ON A TROPICAL HOLIDAY and look forward to a rainy or COLD SEASON THAT CAN GET BETTER AS THE DAYS GO BY
3OURCE .OUREEN OF kT COM
Q Bb. Pilipinas 2019 candidates vying for ‘Gandang Palaban’ special award inside Pascual Laboratories in Bulacan.
Q The ladies pose for ‘Gandang Palaban IG Challenge’ with company executives. Â
‘Gandang Palaban’ — new Bb. Pilipinas special award BEAUTIFUL. Strong. Confident. Three traits that one of the 40 Binibining Pilipinas 2019 candidates will clinch her a special award given out for the first time in the pageant’s 56 years of existence. The new special award — Bb. Poten-Cee Gandang Palaban — is to be awarded by the pageant’s official vitamin manufacturer, Pascual Laboratories, Inc. through its subsidiary, Pascual Consumer Healthcare Corp. (PCHC), during the coronation night on June 9 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. “PascualLab has partnered with Binibining Pilipinas to award the young lady who truly exemplifies how the Filipino woman of today can face her responsibilities and challenges with grit and grace, be trusted to deliver what is expected of her, and feels empowered to rise above any occasion. And, whoever wins the crown this year, we hope she brings the same spirit of Poten-Cee’s Gandang Palaban with her wherever it may take her,� PCHC Marketing head Beth Sheba “Pepsi� Alacar announced
during the ladies’ visit to the manufacturing plant. “This partnership will enable the organization to build relationships with brands such as PotenCee that have wellness and health in mind. Both Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) and Poten-Cee are Filipino-based institutions that are set out to empower modern Filipinas who are beyond beauty and who exemplify health as well,� BPCI head Gines Enriquez said. The candidates already showcased their Gandang Palaban grit during their visit and engagement with PascualLab, as they were eager to learn more about the brand and its dual benefits of beauty and immunity, how it is manufactured and how to arm themselves against sickness, and what they can further achieve with a healthy lifestyle. Leading the ladies during their tour of the plant as well as the rest home-turned-museum of founders Isosceles and Leonora Pascual in Bulacan was Director for HR, Design Services and Corporate Communications (DSCC) Mia Pascual
Q Eager to learn more about the product’s dual benefits of beauty and immunity, the ladies get close and personal how it is manufactured and how to arm themselves against sickness. Cenzon. Also present were company executives Higinio Porte, Charmaine Abueva, Mario Soliven and Jesse Santiago. As prelude to the search, the ladies participated in the “Gandang Palaban IG Challenge� where they were encouraged to pose with their complimentary Poten-Cee products in
their most creative pose and then use the hashtag #GandangPalaban. Besides the Miss Universe Philippines 2019 crown, the candidates are also competing for five major titles — Binibining Pilipinas International, Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental, Binibining Pilipinas Su-
pranational, Binibining Pilipinas Globe and Binibining Pilipinas Grand International. Last year was a good harvest for Binibining Pilipinas queens, with Catriona Gray winning no less than the Miss Universe crown in Bangkok, Thailand in December. Karen Gallman became the first Filipina crowned Miss Intercontinental hosted by Japan but held in Manila in January. Ahtisa Manalo was Miss International First Runner-up in Tokyo, Japan. Jehza Mae Huelar made it to Miss Supranational Top 10 in Krynica, Poland. Michele Gumabao was Miss Globe Top 15 in Tirana, Albania. Eva Patalinjug was unplaced in the Miss Grand International held in Yangon, Myanmar. With no doubt the most empowered woman in the universe at this time, Gray asserted over and over again, “I just constantly tell myself that I should be the only one to define my worth and what I’m capable of and how I perceive myself. And that I should never source that worth from other people.�
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WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
Funtimes
˜ The Manila Times
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Solution to puzzle
» CROSSWORD
BY EUGENE SHEFFER
»HOROSCOPE Today’s Birthday (05/29/19). Benefit through a powerful partnership this year. Win satisfying financial results through coordination. You’re in the money this summer, before family or business finances shift directions. Get the group funding you need by next winter, before a personal cash crunch. One for all, and all for one. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Don’t make your move yet. Finish preparations and plans. Illusive rewards could evaporate. Deception gets revealed. Wait for better conditions to make a personal change. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) -- Today is a 5 -- It’s emotion versus reason. Find a quiet spot to meditate. Postpone travel, decisions and spending. Peace recharges you. Nature soothes. Rest and relax. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Team communications and actions get muddled. Avoid complications, and slow down. Temporary confusion could frustrate. Postpone important decisions for better conditions. Take it easy. CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) -- Today is a 7 -- A professional puzzle defies understanding. Wait for developments. You don’t have the full picture. Keep a cool head, especially when another doesn’t. You can find solutions. LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Check your route, and have a backup plans. Traffic could frustrate your progress. There’s potential for changes and confusion. Study different options. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Handle payments, and manage accounts. Avoid financial arguments. Don’t rock the boat. Keep your bookkeeping up to date. Discuss priorities and decisions later.
» SUDOKU
BY NANCY BLACK LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Stay receptive to your partner’s point of view. Tempers could get short. Stick to practical basics, and postpone important decisions or conversations. Compromise. SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Your workload might seem intense or chaotic. Stay objective, and keep your cool. Maintain your practices and routines despite interruption. Use finesse rather than force. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- Someone nearby looks good; words and actions can get twisted in ways that deflate romantic ideas. Relax, and rely on your sense of humor. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Consider carefully before committing to a paint color or expensive piece of furniture. Review options, and sleep on it before deciding. Survey your family. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) -- Today is a 6 -- Review and edit your communications before submitting. Mistakes could get awkward. Listen to another’s view. Keep quiet to avoid misunderstandings. Consider consequences. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Keep generating income. Slow down to avoid mistakes, which could get expensive. Watch your step. Go the extra mile to keep customers satisfied.
(Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Black’s legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @LindaCBlack. For more astrological interpretations like today’s Gemini horoscope, visit Linda Black Astrology by clicking daily horoscopes, or go to www.nancyblack.com.) NANCY BLACK. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
BY ROGER SEVILLA
Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 square contains the digits 1 to 9 with no repeats. Solution from yesterday’s puzzle.
Public Square
˜ The Manila Times
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Nobu Manila offers venue for meetings A GLOBALLY-renowned restaurant showcasing the culinary genius of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s new-style Japanese-Peruvian fusion artistry, Nobu Manila caters to gourmands with the most discerning of tastes. More than a destination for dinner and Sunday brunch, Nobu Manila also accepts lunch bookings for intimate gatherings or small meetings, Monday to Saturday. For 15 to 30 persons, Nobu Manila’s private room can be exclusively booked and for bigger groups of not more than 50, the restaurant’s main dining area can be made available.
For a seamless program flow, meeting essentials such as projector screen, public address system and a podium are available upon request. Nobu Manila is helmed by Head Chef Michael de Jesus, with Bhong Palomares, as the restaurant’s general manager. For more information, e-mail noburestaurant@cod-manila.com.
Metro Supermarket Ayala Center Cebu retains GMP and HACCP certification ECHOING the unwavering commitment of Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. (MRSGI) in upholding best practices in quality and food safety, the recently opened Metro Supermarket in Ayala Center Cebu RECEIVED A CONTINUED CERTIkCATION for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) standards based on Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), audited by Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS) Philippines, A LEADING INSPECTION VERIkCATION TESTING AND CERTIkCATION COMPANY The renewed accreditation means the store continues to comply with the highest quality standards, pre-requisite programs and HACCP systems. Metro SuperMARKET IN !YALA #ENTER IS THE kRST supermarket in Cebu that holds THIS CERTIkCATION )N THE COUNTRY MRSGI is the only retailer that has the distinction of holding GMP and HACCP citations for three of its supermarkets — Metro Alabang, Metro Ayala Cebu, and Metro Market! Market!. “We are proud of this achieve-
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
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AGS wins big at SAP Awards
Q During the awarding are (from left) Christian Banzuela, AGS Customer Success and Strategic Accounts Revenue head; Percival Flores, AGS Revenue head; Kenneth dela Cerna, SAP Business One Channel sales manager; Edler Panlilio, SAP Philippines managing director; Jo-anne Fontanar, AGS Delivery and customer experience head; Josenia Gonzales, AGS customer success manager; Anna Galope, AGS New Business Revenue head and Bing Buising, SAP partner business manager.
S
AP names AGS as Partner of the Year for 2018 and SAP S/4HANA Partner of the Year in SAP’s Partner Kick Off held at Shangri-La Bonifacio Global City. AGS is an ePLDT company
that specializes in providing business management solutions for SMEs and Large Enterprises. SAP S/4HANA, meanwhile, is an intelligent ERP solution that enables companies to capture ev-
ery opportunity in today’s digital world, removes common obstacles associated with legacy ERP applications, such as batch latency, complex landscapes, and manuallydriven processes. SAP S/4HANA
is built to take advantage of SAP’s industry-leading in-memory computing platform, SAP HANA. The RESULT IS INCREDIBLE lEXIBILITY AND speed through a dramatically simPLIkED DATA MODEL
ECOP, TBI join together for tuberculosis prevention
Q MRSGI President and Chief Operations Officer Manuel Alberto celebrates Metro Supermarket Ayala Center Cebu for upholding store quality and food safety. ment and we congratulate the people behind Metro Ayala Cebu who continue to deliver exemplary performance amid great challenges,� said MRSGI President and Chief Operations OfkCER -ANUEL !LBERTO MRSGI is multi-format retailer that currently operates 28 supermarkets, 13 hypermarkets, and 13 department stores across Luzon and Visayas.
Get Fit, Stay Healthy: Say Hello to TLC Fitness
Q ECOP President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. (fifth from left) exchanges documents with TBI Chief of Party Soliman Guirguis (fifth from right) at the signing ceremony. Witnessing the event are ECOP officers Roberto Amores (third from left) and Jess Varela (fourth from left) and key implementors of the TBI project in the Philippines. THE Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and the TB (tuber-
culosis) Innovations and Health Systems Strengthening Project (TBI) recently signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to implement industry-wide policy
and program encompassing finding, treating, referring, notifying and preventing TB.
Quezon City provides more rooms for public school students IN line with the Quezon City’s government goal to cut classroom shortage in the city, Mayor Herbert Bautista recently inaugurated a four-story school building at Manuel A. Roxas High School (MARHS) in Barangay Paligsahan. The P71.8-million building has 12 classrooms that will be used by over 1,500 students in June. MARHS now has a total of 42 classrooms. According to Mayor Bautista, highly-urbanized cities like QC have the biggest problem in terms
of classroom shortage. Before Mayor Bautista’s term AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE ENDS kVE MORE school buildings will be inaugurated in the city. Under the Bautista administration, the city government has spent over P3 billion for the construction of additional buildings and P743 million for the maintenance of existing structures. The city government was able to cut classroom shortage from 3,000 to 1,000.
Q Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista with teachers and staff of Manuel A. Roxas Elementary School during the inauguration of the four-story school building.
Fit Heart Minute:  One-minute exercises apt for  all ages Q The Love Club Coaching Staff: Trever Love, Frank Madore, Mindy Lagdameo and Rachelle Que – Love -!.9 kTNESS CENTER SHAVE SPROUT- across Uptown Mall in Bonifacio ed around the Metro in recent Global City, TLC Fitness brings a whole years, but there have been none new approach to getting and staying in quite like TLC Fitness (The Love shape. Hinged on three tenets — comClub). The brainchild of couple munity, coaching and programming Rachelle Que Love and Trever ‡ 4,# &ITNESS REDEkNES WHAT IT MEANS Love, and their partner Ian Cang, TO CHASE YOUR kTNESS GOALS Unlock your full potential TLC Fitness was founded on the desire to make wellness through through quality coaching and inkTNESS A POSSIBILITY AND MOREOVER dividualized care. Look better, feel a reality, for anyone — regardless better and move better with TLC Fitness. For more informan, visit OF AGE GENDER AND kTNESS LEVEL /PENING THEIR kRST CENTER DIRECTLY HTTPS WWW TLCkTNESS PH
More love for Moms BECAUSE of busy schedule, moms may have forgotten about “self-care�. It’s true that time is a precious commodity for a mother. Most of the time, there seems to be so little of it for a busy mother juggling between the family, home and work. And having the time for self-care is often at the bottom of your priorities. Here are a few tips to help you out. 1. Exercise Dishwashing and laundry aren’t counted as exercise. Rather, take a walk or jog around your neighborhood jog or join those community Zumba sessions. 2. Boost your brain Don’t let your brain turn to mush. Stay sharp mentally and stimulate your mind with a good book, crossword puzzles or other brain games. 3. Reward yourself with your favorite things Take a long bath or plan a spa day. Give yourself a facial or even just buy YOUR FAVORITE lOWERS OR CHOCOLATE
4. Do something new and unexpected You have to break your routine sometimes. So pick up a new hobby or plan a road trip and visit a new destination. Try a new restaurant or try eating exotic food. 5. Make time to see friends Friends are an effective mood booster and a convenient escape from stress. So schedule a breakfast date with your barkada or go window shopping. See a movie or just have coffee with them. You need to eat healthy. A healthy body make a healthy mind. And a healthy mind makes a healthier outlook on life. For busy and tired mothERS kSH IS AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF kSH oil or the heart healthy Omega 3 fatty acids and coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10. For those without the luxury of TIME NOR RESOURCE TO PREPARE kSH often, there is Nutrawell CoQ10 + Fish Oil. Your convenient and affordable source CoQ10 and Fish Oil available in all Generika Drugstore branches nationwide.
WITH more people hooked up to their gadgets, how do we encourage them to engage themselves in exercises? Moreover, as technology continues to become more a part of our daily lives, more and more people are becoming more sedentary than ever. With these circumstances around us, the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) sees the need for our kababayans to engage in regular EXERCISE TO BE kT AND TO STAY HEALTHY Launched recently at the 50th PHA Annual Convention & SciENTIkC -EETING IS A ONE MINUTE exercise dubbed as FhM or Fit Heart Minute, a new initiative aimed at encouraging all people to do pocket exercises wherever they are — whether they are in the conkNES OF THEIR HOMES WORKPLACE OR in their training institutions, etc.. FhM is a product of the ingenuity of PHA President Nanette Rey and celebrity coaches Jim and Toni Saret. “ I co-developed with an un-
Q Demonstration of Fit Heart Minute exercise. IMPEACHABLE AUTHORITIES ON kTNESS exercises were members of the in the PHA power couple Jim and PHA Board of Directors. There is no longer a debate, livToni. The idea behind the workout is to block off a single minute a few ing a healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent cardio vascular times a day,� said Rey. Celebrity stylist Jing Mo- diseases (CVD) and easy to do nis graced the occasion. Also on initiatives such as the Fit Heart hand to participate in the FHM Minute are the best way to encour-
age Filipinos to live healthier, and to hopefully curb CVDs in the country. CVDs are the leading cause of death both in the Philippines and worldwide. For more information and video exercises, visit https://www.facebook.com/ PHAkTHEARTMINUTE
Quick and healthy cooking with Tefal cookware THESE days, eating healthy means planning ahead, being mindful of what goes into your food, and sticking to a regimen that works — but how do you do this with a busy schedule? Chefmom Rosebud Benitez, celebrity chef and host of 1UICKkRE ON '-! .EWS 46 UNTIL 2012, shares her quick and healthy recipes all created with Tefal’s Titanium Expertise range. Rosebud is an expert at no-fuss, family-friendly, home-cooked meals, with her television show featuring recipes that require only 10 minutes of preparation and cooking. A long-time Tefal user, she presents staple meals
made healthier, such as Chicken Adobo with Lemongrass, Brown Rice Veggie Stir Fry, Asian Noodles and Soy Fish Fillet, using Tefal Titanium Expertise, as well as sharing tips on getting ontrack with healthy eating. Tefal Titanium Expertise lets home cooks prepare meals with the ease of an expert with patented Thermo-Spot technology that turns full red when the pan has reached the ideal temperature to start cooking. This non-stick, universal cookware range guarantees perfect texture, perfect color and PERFECT lAVOR FOR DELICIOUS FULL lAVORED MEALS EVERY DAY
Q During Tefal new product launching are (from left) Ryan Borines, Tefal Philippines commercial manager; Ginger dela Fuente, Rustan Marketing Corp. division manager for Homecare and Lifestyle; Yovi Valenzuela, Tefal Philippines brand manager; Chefmom Rosebud Benitez; Ayet Quimpo, Rustan Marketing Corp. marketing communications manager; and Lady Reyes, Tefal Philippines product manager.
WEDNESDAY W E D N ESDAY MAY 29, 2019
Entertainment
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‘Quezon’s Game’ unravels hidden chapter of Philippine history BY IZA IGLESIAS
F
ROM all the history lessons they have taken, Filipinos are well aware of Manuel L. Quezon — a statesman, soldier and politician who served as President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 TO (E WAS THE kRST &ILIPINO TO HEAD A government of the entire country and is considered to be the second president of the Philippines, after Emilio Aguinaldo.
But little did people know, Quezon is also distinguished for his notable humanitarian act wherein he, in cooperation with United 3TATES HIGH OFkCIALS FACILITATED THE entry to the Philippines of over a THOUSAND *EWISH REFUGEES lEEING fascist regimes in Europe prior to the Holocaust. As such, in 2015, the Board of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation approved a posthumous bestowal of the Wallenberg Medal to President Quezon and the people of the Philippines for having reached out, between 1937 and 1941, to the victims of the Holocaust. Israel also grants visa-free access to all Filipinos, a gesture of grati-
tude for the Philippines and even erected the “Open Doors� monument in 2009 in remembrance of Quezon’s act of kindness when the rest of the world rejected the Jews. Since not many Filipinos today are familiar about the role Quezon and the country played in history, a kLM REVOLVING THE HIDDEN CHAPTER of Quezon’s life is produced which explores the time when he, together with his comrades, rescued Jewish refugees from the ghettos of Germany and Austria in 1938. Dubbed “Quezon’s Game,� it has bagged 23 awards all over the world since December last year. This includes Best Director, Best Actor, Best Producer, Best Foreign Film and Best Cinematography,
FROM SEVERAL kLM FESTIVALS SUCH as World Fest, IndieFest Film Awards, Accolade International Film and TV Festival and WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival in Texas, USA. In the World Fest alone, the kLM BAGGED THE FOLLOWING AWARDS Exellence in Acting for Raymond Bagatsing and Rachel Alejandro, Exellence in Supporting Actor for Billy Ray Galloon, Exellence in Directing, Exellence in Produced Screenplay, Exellence in Lighting, Exellence in Costume Design, Merit Drama Feature, Merit Color Treatment, Exellence in Original Score, Exellence in Sound Design and Exellence in Production Design. Helmed by Matthew Rosen — who has been directing for 36 years with 50 awards for his work on commercials and music videos — Quezon’s Game stars Raymond Bagatsing as Quezon and Rachel Alejandro as his wife, Aurora. Rosen emphasized that the film reflects the compassion of Filipinos, “This movie isn’t really about politics at all. In fact, this movie isn’t really about the life of Quezon. What this movie to me is really the culture that we as Filipinos have in a time when we Q Rachel Alejandro captures the regal, demure, yet stately persona of the first lady, Aurora.
Historical film to spotlight unsung heroes in the P1,000 bill IN commemoration of the valiant spirit of patriotism, exemplified by Filipino freedom fighters in Bataan during World War 2, a film which talks about Filipino patriots Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, Girl Scout of the Philippines founder Josefa Llanes Escoda and General Vicente Lim — commonly known as the trio on the front side of the notes of one thousand peso bill — is in the works. Dubbed “A Thousand Tears,� their intertwined struggle to defend the freedom of the motherland is the thread that weaves the film’s narrative. It also highlights their love for country, God and family during one of the most difficult times in the Philippines’ history, the Q Isko Moreno as Jose Abad Santos, Japanese occupation (1942 to 1945). Richard Quan as Vicente Lim and Menchu Narrated by Opera diva and Gawad Launchengco Yulo as Jose Llanes Escoda CCP awardee Fides Cuyugan Asensio, the with the Japanese government,� Villacorta film features among others, Manila Open declared to The Manila Times. City, the Battles of Abucay and the Pockets, the “That’s why I always say, ‘For it is in Bataan Death March, the Pantingan River massacre, MacArthur’s return or the Leyte Gulf land- knowing the past that we can move forward towards a brighter future of our nation.’ The ing and the Battle for Manila. It also reveals the film is our gift to a nation of gallant heroes country’s heritage structures and institutions. who fought for freedom to ensure the liberThe film will be directed by Francis Vilties and self governance that this generation lacorta, a History Political graduate from De of Filipino enjoy today,� he added. La Salle University and the writer-director A Thousand Tears is mounted in cooperaof “Pedro Calungsod, Batang Martir� and tion with the National Historical Commission the forthcoming “Miserere� and “The Spratly of the Philippines, the National Commission Project.� It stars Isko Moreno as Abad Santos, on Culture and the Arts, University of the Menchu Lauchengco Yulo as Llanes Escoda Philippines Alumni Association and various and Richard Quan as General Lim. groups of committed nationalists. According to Villacorta, the film seeks to The film, which is set to be released on spread awareness and consciousness about the country’s history especially to the millen- October, is produced by Allied Filmmakers Corporation and presented by Wings Alpha nials. It also seeks to inform the rest of the Entertainment Production. Filipinos about the significance of the heroic It also stars Joel Torre, Epy Quizon, Lara struggles of the three personages in the one Maigue, Nicole Laurel Asensio, Tricia Jimenez, thousand peso bill. “Nobody knows these people. They are un- Karen Gaerlan, Justin Cuyugan, Emlyn Olfindo Santos, Jay Valencia Glorioso, Jhaymie Villacorta sung heroes but most Filipinos are unaware and Robert Correa, among others. of what they had to sacrifice. They risked IZA IGLESIAS everything and they all refused to work
shone a light of humanity when the rest of the world was drowning in the pity of their war.� “What seems within their power at first, turns out to be fraught with astronomical obstacles — that’s what we’re going to talk in this movie. On top of this, Quezon must battle a relapse of tuberculosis. In his final days, before recollecting one of the least known but most uplifting stories in Philippine history, Quezon asks the question, “Could I have done more?� Rosen continued.
Tedious process According to Rosen, the production team spent over three months on casting alone. Bagatsing spent many days immersing into the character of Quezon, studying his mannerisms, voice, and the way he talked by watching YouTube videos of Manuel Quezon over and over. Meanwhile, Alejandro captures the regal, demure, yet stately persona of the first lady. Hers was a character who knows how to act in support of the stature of her husband. “How were they picked for the role was the most important question for the production. When we started it, because they are such important characters to the story, they have to be right. Quezon has to be Quezon and Aurora has to be Aurora. I, as a director, believe that 90 percent of directing is casting and 10 percent is being on the set. As a director, I spent majority of the time casting compared to the amount of time we spent shooting,� Rosen recalled. “As soon as I saw them read, they were for me, Aurora and Quezon. That was right from the kRST READING u HE SHARED Bagatsing and Alejandro said
Q Raymond Bagatsing spent many days immersing into the character of Manuel L. Quezon.
that while there are other actors the production team had in mind, it all came down to the actual reading of the script. “They offered me a role but I’m not sure they mentioned the name of the movie, but during that time,
together to get the chemistry. It WAS ACTUALLY BEING kLMED AS WELL They have to see we looked right with each other.� Finally, director Rosen reiterated they had tackled the particular chapter of Quezon’s life because ginagawa namin yung ‘Pusong most Filipinos today didn’t have Ligaw’ sobrang puyat kami ng mga the chance to live under the era panahong ‘yun. When they texted of President Quezon. me, 6 a.m. na kami nakauwi from “I came across the story 10 years the shoot, but, they want me to ago. I went to a synagogue and be in the audition 9 a.m. When found out a whole room in the I got there I met the production back about the history of Jews in team. Direk Matthew told me, the Philippines and it was so in‘Raymond, you’re the favorite ac- tresting. The story about Quezon tor of my wife.’ So I thought I got saving the Jews from Germany the role, but they told me to still was mind-boggling. All of the audition,� enthused Bagatsing. Jewish community in the Philip“He then gave me the script. I pines knows about it. So I said it did the speech. He had a bit of could be a great movie so I started an American accent I guess but researching about it. I found out it was heartfelt. I also did with that it wasn’t commonly known by a Spanish accent. Everyone was Filipinos and I thought, this is a clapping after my audition so I story that needs to be told because thought nakuha ko na, but Direk it is a remarkable feat on humanity Matthew said they will give me a that has been lost and I need to call. Fast forward, I forgot about bring it back so the people would THE kLM THE WHOLE TWO MONTHS ) know about it,� he said. thought wala na. But he called me “Quezon stood up for the rights BACK FOR A kNAL AUDITION SAYING of humanity. He did all he could PERCENT OF THE kLM IS FOR ME na. possibly do to help rescue fellow So I went there complete with all humanbeings from persecution. I WHITE OUTkT &INALLY THEY SAID ) M believe if it wasn’t for the invasion Quezon,� he continued. of Japan here in the Philippines, Alejandro also recalled, “ I was he would’ve save a lot more lives. invited by them to audition. I had For that one act alone, President to come back many times. I think Quezon should be remembered may mga ibang actresses din sila forever,� he ended. in mind. Maraming na-suggest Produced by ABS-CBN Film’s ang Star Cinema. But at the end of Star Cinema and Kinetek, Quethe day, it boiled down sa reading, zon’s Game opens today in cinewe also had to do a lot of scenes mas nationwide.
Speaking of gods and monsters S
!. $)%'/ #!,)&/2.)! -ICHEAL Dougherty, the director and one of the writers of Hollywood’s latest Godzilla MOVIE g'ODZILLA +ING OF THE -ONSTERSu IS a lifelong Godzilla fan, same goes for / 3HEA *ACKSON *R ONE OF THE kLM S STARS ) kRST SAW / 3HEA *ACKSON *R IN S EXCELLENT kLM g3TRAIGHT /UTTA #OMPTON u I told my son, “My gosh, that actor playing Ice Cube really got him.â€? To which my son bluntly replied, “Mom, that’s Ice Cube’s son.â€? The director enthusiastically shared in this media conference,“I love Godzilla, I’ve always loved Godzilla. Had the action kGURES AS A KID MY PARENTS HAVE ALWAYS been going to Japan and bringing them back for me. I’ve always been really heavily INlUENCED BY *APAN 7HETHER IT BE $RAGONball Z, Godzilla, of course Pokemon — till I die. Shoutout to my Playstation. “So it’s always been a part of my life and TO BE A PART OF A 'ODZILLA kLM ‡ THIS ONE in particular, you know. With the monsters that we bring in, they’re usually spaced out with their own individual screen time, but we jam-packed them into what I keep calling the ‘Pay Per View of Monster Movies.’â€? Dougherty then revealed he had to go all the way to Japan to present his vision of Godzilla to Toho — the Japanese studio behind Godzilla — and get their approval BEFORE DOING THE kLM Dougherty who loved the “mythical aspectsâ€? of Godzilla as a child says, “I was very FAITHFUL TO THE ORIGINAL kLM SO -OTHRA IS PORTRAYED AS A GODDESS IN THIS kLM IT OPENS with Vera (Farmiga) and Millie (Bobby Brown) witnessing Mothra’s unveiling. You meet her in an ancient temple so it’s very much part of her mythology. And Ghidora’s origins‌I’m going to decline answering that question but we’re pretty faithful.â€? I like the idea that ancient man and monsters did co-exist. I
can all relate to because it’s something we’re on the throes of experiencing. 'ODZILLA kLMS HAVE ALWAYS HAD SOME SORT of message along those lines. Godzilla kLMS ARE MORALITY PLAYS 7E RE JUST TAKING that to the next level.� Meanwhile, O’Shea plays Chief Warrant thought this movie was an opportunity to /FkCER "ARNES THE SENIOR OFkCER OF THE do that, that all of our stories about sea military group G-Team. monsters, dragons aren’t myths, they’re Explaining further what this team does in facts, they’re history. THE kLM / 3HEA NOTED g7E RE ASSEMBLED 4HIS kLM REALLY PLAYS UP THAT IDEA THAT by Monarch to kind of wrangle and somenotion that Mothra was worshipped as a times take care of the monsters, which isn’t goddess for example; Kong was worshipped always the easiest job as a human — with a as a god. Godzilla is not just a giant mon- GUN )T S DEkNITELY A CHALLENGE BUT ' 4EAM ster. These monsters are ancient gods so is a different type of task force. Usually, the military or the guys who Q Godzilla don’t really get the importance of the creatures, just bag ‘em and tag ‘em, bag ‘em up, shoot. But you know when you’re brought here by MONARCH, you have a different understanding what these creatures do to the ecosystem, so it’s not all about destroying them, sometimes just a nice Q Khing Gidora sedation and capture.� To which someone mutters “doesn’t always work.� Apart from O’Shea Jackson Jr., THE CAST OF g'ODZILLA +ING OF the Monsters� includes Millie Bobby Brown from “Stranger 4HINGSu IN HER kLM DEBUT 6ERA Farmiga from “The Conjuring� that’s something we’re doing differently universe; Thomas Middleditch from HBO’s that past ones haven’t really latched on to. “Silicon Valley;� Ziyi Zhang from “Crouching The film refers to Godzilla and the Tiger, Hidden Dragon;� Sally Hawkins from other big monsters as “Titans.� In the “The Shape of Water;� Charles Dance from words of Dougherty, “Titans came even “Game of Thrones;� Kyle Chandler from “FriBEFORE THE GODS THEY WERE THE kRST GODSu day Night Lights;� and Ken Watanabe from the and this notion of Titans brings in “the g4HE ,AST 3AMURAu AND THE 'ODZILLA kLM concept of some vengeful force of nature g'ODZILLA +ING OF -ONSTERSu IS OUT IN putting humanity in its place, which we cinemas today.
FAN GIRL KAREN KUNAWICZ
E20
WEDNESDAY May 29, 2019
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w w w.manilatimes.net NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given that the Amended Articles of Incorporation of SAKAMOTO CHANGE THE WORLD FOUNDATION INC. shortening the term of its existence up to May 15, 2019 thereby dissolving the said corporation on said date have been approved by the Board of Directors and stockholders. All persons having claims against said corporation are requested to present the same at Unit C211 National Hi-way Brgy. San Vicente, Biùan, Laguna for immediate settlement. This announcement will serve as notice to all concerned of the legal dissolution of the aforesaid corporation. JOEL S. ALCALDE Incorporator MT – May 29, June 3 & 10, 2019
Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY FRANCHISING SERVICE, CENTRAL OFFICE A. Bonifacio Avenue corner 20th Avenue corner Railroad Street South Harbor, Port Area, Manila Application for Ninth Amendment of Revalidated &HUWLÂżFDWH RI 3XEOLF &RQYHQLHQFH &3& to effect the Change in the type of Operation/Service of the ship, MV “GENERAL EVANGELISTAâ€? from tramping service to cargo liner service and to operate in the route; Manila-Cebu-TagoloanCebu-Manila for the carriage of cargoes only. LORENZO SHIPPING CORP., Applicant. x-------------------------------------x
ORDER %HIRUH XV LV WKH DERYH HQWLWOHG $SSOLFDWLRQ ZKLFK ZDV ÂżOHG RQ May 2019, to effect the above amendment and to operate the ship, MV “GENERAL EVANGELISTAâ€?, in the subject route, under the following sailing frequencies/schedule of trips SCHEDULE OF TRIPS Manila-Cebu-Tagoloan, Cagayan de Oro-Manila-Tagoloan-CebuManila Manila Tue 2000H Cebu Thu 2200H Cagayan Cebu Fri 1200H Tagoloan, Fri 2400H de Oro Tagoloan, Manila Mon 1100H Cagayan de Oro Sat 1400H Cagayan Thu Manila Tue 2000H Tagoloan, 1700H de Oro Tagoloan, Fri 0700H Cebu Fri 1900H Cagayan de Oro Cebu Sun 0100H Manila Mon 1100H
Unit of Measure Per ton or cbm Per ton or cbm Per ton or cbm Per ton or cbm Per ton or cbm Per ton or cbm
Rate/Unit 1,593.83 1,471.40 1,471.40 759.45 759.45 1,593.83
Notice is hereby given that the said Application will be heard by this Authority on 04 June 2019 at 02:00 o’clock in the afternoon, at the 7th Floor, Franchising Service Hearing Room, at the above address. The Applicant shall publish this Order once in a newspaper of general FLUFXODWLRQ DW OHDVW ¿YH GD\V EHIRUH WKH VFKHGXOHG GDWH RI KHDULQJ The Applicant shall submit a written Formal Offer of Evidence during the KHDULQJ RU ¿YH GD\V WKHUHDIWHU WITNESS WKH +RQRUDEOH 2I¿FHU LQ &KDUJH RI WKH 2I¿FH RI WKH Administrator, VADM NARCISO A VINGSON JR., this 27th day of May 2019 at Manila, Philippines. BY AUTHORITY OF THE MARINA ADMINISTRATOR: (Pursuant to Administrative Order No. 11-14 dated 22 August 2014) (SGD.) MA. CONCEPCION C. ARBOLARIO OIC-Director Franchising Service MT – May 29, 2019
Republic of the Philippines 2IÂżFH RI WKH 3UHVLGHQW HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD Lupong Nangangasiwa sa Pabahay at Gamit ng Lupa SOUTHERN TAGALOG 5(*,21 Âą 675
Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late JONG KYU LEE has been extrajudicially settled by and among his heirs as per Deed of Extrajudicial Settlement of the Estate executed on November 26, 2018 and entered as per Registered No. 201814769 by the notarial registry of Kim Hak Sung and authenticated on November 29, 2018 and entered as per Doc. No. 10555; Book No. 1; Series of 2018 of the notarial registry of Vice Consul Lyza Maria S. Viejo, Philippine Embassy, Seoul, Republic of Korea. MT – May 29, June 3 & 10, 2019
CASE NO. MNL-REV-2015-003 (Amendment Nos. 1-8) Amendment No. 9 5HI &DVH 1R 1&5
SCHEDULE OF CARGO RATES LINKS Manila Tagoloan Manila Cebu Cebu Manila Cebu Tagoloan Tagoloan Cebu Tagoloan Manila
NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE
Republic of the Philippines 2IÂżFH RI WKH 3UHVLGHQW HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD Lupong Nangangasiwa sa Pabahay at Gamit ng Lupa SOUTHERN TAGALOG 5(*,21 Âą 675
Republic of the Philippines 2IÂżFH RI WKH 3UHVLGHQW HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD Lupong Nangangasiwa sa Pabahay at Gamit ng Lupa SOUTHERN TAGALOG 5(*,21 Âą 675
NOTICE Notice is hereby given that P.A. ALVAREZ PROPERTIES AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 2ZQHU 'HYHORSHU KDV ¿OHG ZLWK WKLV RI¿FH D VZRUQ UHJLVWUDWLRQ statement for the sale of house and lots in NUVISTA HOMES LIPA PHASE 2 (ECONOMIC) located at Brgy. Kayumanggi (Malagonlong), Lipa City, Batangas and more particularly described as Lot 2907-A, 3VG /RW & $ /5& Psd-112906 and Lot 2908, Cad218, Lipa Cadastre containing an area of 36,757 sq.m. and covered by TCT Nos. 072-2016007912; 0722017000173 and 072-2017000177. The foregoing project is utilizing NUVISTA HOMES LIPA PHASE 2 (SOCIALIZED) located at Brgy. Kayumanggi (Malagonlong), Lipa City, Batangas as its Compliance pursuant to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 as amended by Republic Act No. 10884. All papers relative thereto shall upon request and payment of processing fee, be available for inspection during business hours by any person having legal interest thereon. Absent legal impediment, the abovecited project is deemed registered DQG D FHUWL¿FDWH LQ HYLGHQFH WKHUHRI VKDOO IRUWKZLWK EH LVVXHG DIWHU ¿YH days from the last day of publication. Calamba City, Laguna, 27th day of May 2019. Recommending Approval: (SGD.) ENGR. EMMANUEL G. GLIPO Head-Planning, Registration and Licensing Division Approved by: (SGD.) FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2I¿FHU M.T. – May 29, 2019
Republic of the Philippines 2IÂżFH RI WKH 3UHVLGHQW HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD Lupong Nangangasiwa sa Pabahay at Gamit ng Lupa SOUTHERN TAGALOG 5(*,21 Âą 675
NOTICE
PAUNAWA
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that CAZNEAU, INC. 2ZQHU 'HYHORSHU KDV ÂżOHG ZLWK WKLV RIÂżFH D VZRUQ registration statement for the sale of houses and lots in SEVINA PARK located at Brgy. BiĂąan (Poblacion), BiĂąan City, Laguna and more particularly described as Lot 2711-B-2-A, Psd-04-191642 and Lot 2711-B-3-A-1, Psd-04-241340 containing an area of 81,821 sq.m. SRUWLRQ RQO\ DQG FRYHUHG E\ 7&7 Nos. 060-2016024761 and 0602016022843.
Ipinagbibigay alam na ang CAZNEAU, INC. 0D\ DUL DW 'HEHORSHU D\ QDJKDLQ VD 7DQJJDSDQJ ito ng sinumpaang aplikasyon para sa pagbebenta ng bahay at lote sa SEVINA PARK na matatagpuan sa Brgy. BiĂąan (Poblacion), BiĂąan City, Laguna at sinasakop ng mga Lote Blg. 2711-B-2-A, Psd-04-191642 at Lote Blg. 2711-B-3-A-1, Psd-04-241340 na PD\ VXNDW QD VT P EDKDJL ODPDQJ VD LODOLP QJ PJD 7LWXOR %OJV 060-2016024761 at 060-2016022843.
Notice is hereby given that P.A. ALVAREZ PROPERTIES AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 2ZQHU 'HYHORSHU KDV ÂżOHG ZLWK WKLV RIÂżFH D VZRUQ UHJLVWUDWLRQ statement for the sale of house and lots in NUVISTA HOMES LIPA PHASE 2 (SOCIALIZED) located at Brgy. Kayumanggi (Malagonlong), Lipa City, Batangas and more particularly described as Lot 2907-A, 3VG /RW & $ /5& Psd-112906 and Lot 2908, Cad218, Lipa Cadastre containing an area of 36,757 sq.m. and covered by TCT Nos. 072-2016007912; 0722017000173 and 072-2017000177.
The foregoing project is utilizing the Participation Through Investment-Incentivized Compliance by depositing the amount of P8,057,711.00 in Trust Account under Escrow Agreement by and among CAZNEAU, INC., HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY %2$5' 6287+(51 7$*$/2* 5(*,21$/ 2)),&( DQG PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK as its compliance to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 as amended by Republic Act No. 10884.
Ang nasabing proyekto ay ginagamit ang Participation Through Investment – Incentivized Compliance sa pamamagitan ng pag deposito ng P8,057,711.00 sa Trust Account sa ilalim ng Escrow Agreement sa pamamagitan at gitna ng CAZNEAU, INC., HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD 6287+(51 7$*$/2* 5(*,21$/ 2)),&( DW 3+,/,33,1( 1$7,21$/ BANK bilang pagsunod ng Seksyon 18 Batas Republika Blg. 7279 na na-amyendahan ng Batas Republika Blg. 10884.
The foregoing project is being utilized as compliance for NUVISTA HOMES LIPA PHASE 2 (ECONOMIC) located at Brgy. Kayumanggi (Malagonlong), Lipa City, Batangas as its Compliance pursuant to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 as amended by Republic Act No. 10884.
Ang mga kasulatang kaugnay nito ay maaring suriin ng sinumang tao na nagtataglay ng ligal na interes doon pagkatapos ng wastong aplikasyon at kaukulang bayad.
All papers relative thereto shall upon request and payment of processing fee, be available for inspection during business hours by any person having legal interest thereon.
Absent legal impediment, the abovecited project is deemed registered DQG D FHUWLÂżFDWH LQ HYLGHQFH WKHUHRI VKDOO IRUWKZLWK EH LVVXHG DIWHU ÂżYH days from the last day of publication.
3DJNDUDDQ QJ OLPDQJ DUDZ PXOD sa huling araw ng pagkalathala ang proyektong nabanggit ay ituturing na rehistrado na at maaring bigyan ng sertipiko bilang katibayan nito kapag wala nang sagabal na ligal.
Absent any legal impediment, the above-cited project is deemed UHJLVWHUHG DQG D FHUWLÂżFDWH LQ evidence thereof, shall forthwith be LVVXHG DIWHU ÂżYH GD\V IURP WKH last day of publication.
Calamba City, Laguna, 27th day of May 2019.
Lungsod ng Calamba, Laguna, ika27 ng Mayo 2019.
Calamba City, Laguna, 27th day of May 2019.
Recommending Approval:
Recommending Approval:
Recommending Approval:
(SGD.) ENGR. EMMANUEL G. GLIPO Head-Planning, Registration and Licensing Division
(SGD.) ENGR. EMMANUEL G. GLIPO Head-Planning, Registration and Licensing Division
(SGD.) ENGR. EMMANUEL G. GLIPO Head-Planning, Registration and Licensing Division
Approved by:
Approved by:
Approved by:
(SGD.) FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU
(SGD.) FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU
(SGD.) FRANCIS D. ORDENIZA 5HJLRQDO 2IÂżFHU
All papers relative thereto shall upon request and payment of processing fee, be available for inspection during business hours by any person having legal interest thereon.
M.T. – May 29 & June 5, 2019
M.T. – May 29 & June 5, 2019
M.T. – May 29, 2019
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