Manila Standard - 2016 August 20 - Saturday by Manila Standard

Sara Duterte ‘infanticipating’ with triplets DAVAO CITY—Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is expecting triplets and has conﬁrmed her pregnancy, City Information Ofﬁce head Jefry Tupas said Friday. “We are expecting triplets and they are doing well on their seventh week,” President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter said in a message that was read by Tupas.

“The human body is made to carry just one baby and I am experiencing threefold all the pregnancy symptoms that a woman goes through.” Malacañang welcomed Sara’s message announcing she was seven weeks pregnant with triplets. “The President is delighted with the news of his daughter’s preg-

nancy. He is also hopeful that Sara said she was “having a hard she will be able to see through the time with the symptoms as well as pregnancy smoothly and well,” the complications of a multi-fetal Next page Communications Secretary Martin pregnancy.” Andanar said. “Mayor Sara’s pregnancy serves as a source of inspiration for the Chief Executive to roll up his sleeves and work double time in his ﬁght against crime and drugs.”

SARA DUTERTE

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CPP-NPA declares ceasefire By John Paolo Bencito

THE Communist Party of the Philippines and its New People’s Army declared on Friday a seven-day unilateral ceaseﬁre hours after the release of its high-ranking leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, who were named consultants to peace talks in Norway next week. The CPP said in a statement the ceaseﬁre will take effect starting 12:01 a.m. of August 21 until 11:59 p.m. of

De Lima: Only snippets of facts, all lies By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Leila de Lima on Friday denied any links to the illicit drug trade, but continued to keep silent on President Rodrigo Duterte’s allegations that she had an affair with her driver, a married man, who supposedly collected

drug money for her. “An absolute lie! That’s completely false!” De Lima said of Duterte’s charge that she was a protector and coddler of drug lords, who had contributed to her successful election campaign to become senator. In her second press conference

in so many days, De Lima said she had opted to remain silent at ﬁrst because it was difﬁcult for her to be publicly engaging in a piecemeal explanation. “But this is what I can tell you. We’ve seen some snippets of facts, snippets of truths, but the bulk of it Next page

Leila’s driver was bagman

He collected money from drug lords—Cam By John Paolo Bencito

WHISTLEBLOWER on Friday tagged Senator Leila de Lima’s driver and ‘paramour’ of allegedly collecting more than P5 million in drug money weekly from high-proﬁle inmates inside the New Bilibid Prison. “The name is Ronnie Palisoc Dayan from Urbiztondo, Pangasinan. He was De Lima’s house guard when she was still CHR [Commission on Human Rights]

SANDRA CAM

UN, Duterte escalate word war over drugs

High court uniﬁes 3 anti-FM petitions

By John Paolo Bencito THE Palace on Friday slammed the UN special rapporteurs for misunderstanding of the drug problem in the country. “What is more alarming than the pandemic use and trade of illegal drugs in the Philippines is the seeming incomprehension by local and international observers,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement. “In his pursuit to staunch the ﬂood of drugs from nearby countries and entrenched manufacturers in key cities and locations, the President framed the menace in terms of war, which resulted in a number of deaths, but even more surprisingly, in

THE Supreme Court has consolidated the three petitions seeking to stop the burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes’ Cemetery as announced by President Rodrigo Duterte. The Court also ordered the lawyers of the second and third sets of petitioners to serve a copy of their petitions to the respondents―the Ofﬁce of the Solicitor General and the Marcos family―by 4 p.m. on Friday. But the Court maintained its deadline for the government to ﬁle its comments on the three petitions on August 22. Next page

the surrender of hundreds of thousands of users. “The President has said, that a number may have been… killed by vigilantes, or by mistake and therefore has tasked the [National Police Commission] to investigate the ranks of the national police,” the statement said. Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo scored as “baseless and reckless” a UN statement that the President’s bloody war on drugs amounted to a crime under international law. “When you are in New York or somewhere else, 10,000 kilometers or miles away from the Philippines and then you make such judgments, that’s recklessNext page ness,” Panelo said.

177 Indonesian pilgrims charged

Comelec advances in question

THE Commission on Audit has questioned the Commission on Elections over its unliquidated cash advances of more than P396 million as far back as March 1999. Out of the total, P163.6 million represented the top 100 highest amounts ranging from P500,000 to as much as P53 million. The commission told the Comelec that a cash advance must be reported as soon as the purpose for which it was given had been served. Next page

chief. Then he became her driver and [De Lima] brought him to the DoJ [Justice Department] when she was appointed by the President,” said whistleblower Sandra Cam in an interview on radio dzMM. Cam, who had informed President Rodrigo Duterte of De Lima’s alleged affair, criticized De Lima for denying her links to the illegal drug trade, since her loverdriver was her bagman inside the New Bilibid Prison. “My question is this. If you’re the secretary of Justice, don’t tell me that you don’t know about the drugs going in and out of the Bureau of Corrections, while you’re ﬂying high because you have a bagman who is protecting you on the inside,” she said in Filipino. Next page

ANTI-DRUG DRIVE. The Philippine government has criticized as ‘baseless and reckless’ a United Nations

statement that President Rodrigo Duterte’s unrelenting war against illegal drugs amounts to a crime under international law, four days short to a month after the man in the picture was shot dead by unidentiﬁed gunmen on a street in Manila. AFP

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IMMIGRATION agents on Friday intercepted 177 Indonesians disguised as Filipinos who tried to leave the country to join the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the agents also stopped ﬁve Filipinos who were supposed to escort the aliens on their trip as they were about to board a special early-morning Philippine Airlines ﬂight to Medina. Morente said the Indonesians had genuine Philippine passports allegedly provided by their Filipino escorts who organized the pilgrimage. He said the Indonesians allegedly paid $6,000 to $10,000

each for the trip. Initial investigation showed that the Indonesians were given Philippine passports to enable them to join the Hajj pilgrimage using the quota reserved for Filipino pilgrims by the Saudi government. It appeared that no more Hajj slots had been available for the Indonesians. The Indonesians claimed that they arrived individually as tourists in the past few weeks before their Filipino escorts facilitated their pilgrimage. But Morente ordered charges ﬁled against them for misrepresenting themselves as Filipinos. Eric B. Apolonio and Joel E. Zurbano

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PH alarmed at China plan to build on Scarborough By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

HE Philippines on Friday expressed concern about the reported plan of China to start building structures in the Scarborough Shoal.

However, Department of For- favor of the Philippines and ineign Affairs spokesman Charles validated China’s excessive nine-

Jose said they will verify the reports before taking any action. “Of course, we are always concerned about Chinese actions in the contested waters and islands. That’s why we continue to call on all parties to refrain from doing anything that would escalate the tension,” Jose said. He said the Philippines has the capability to monitor any activities in the Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal). A report said that China will not carry out any reclamation work in the Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea before hosting the G20 summit next month, but it might begin construction before the US presidential election in November. Since the G20 will be held in Hangzhou next month, and regional peace will be the main topic among leaders of the great powers, China will refrain from [acting on the] reclamation plan,” said the source, who requested anonymity. But Beijing might seize an opportunity to reclaim land at the atoll in the Spratly Islands before the Americans vote for a new president on November 8, he said. The atoll, about 230 kilometers west of Manila, is claimed by Beijing, Manila and Taipei. Chinese coastguard ships took control of the area in 2012 after a tense stand-off with Philippine vessels. On July 12, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in

UN... From A1

“Those statements are misplaced and baseless, and they better come over and see for themselves the real situation.” Abella said the inadequate response of the previous administration had given rise to narcopoliticians who no longer rely on political machinery but their ability to buy votes with cash derived from the illegal drug trade. He added that the nature of a number of deaths “imply internecine, or organizational killings within the drug trade.” On Thursday, UN human rights special rapporteurs said allegations of drug trafficking should be judged in a court of law, not by gunmen on the streets. “We call on the Philippine authorities to adopt with immediate effect the necessary measures to protect all persons from targeted killings and extra-judicial executions,” said the new UN Special Rapporteur on Summary Executions, Agnes Callamard. “Claims to fight illicit drug trade do not absolve the government from its international legal obligations and do not shield state actors or others from responsibility for illegal killings,” Callamard said. “The State has a legally binding obligation to ensure the right to life and security of every person in the country, whether suspected of criminal offenses or not.” The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Dainius Pūras, noted that “however necessary, responses to the illicit drug trade must be carried out in full compliance with national and international obligations and should respect

CPP-NPA... From A1

August 27. The formal talks are scheduled August 22 to 26 in Oslo. “This ceaseﬁre declaration is encouraged by the GRP’s facilitation of the release of nearly all NDFP consultants who are set to participate in peace negotiations in the course of the next several months,” the CPP-NPA said in a statement. “With or without reciproca-

dash line claim in the West Philippine Sea. Meanwhile, DFA chief Perfecto Yasay confirmed that despite the ruling, there are still at least eight Chinese Coast Guard vessels anchored in the waters of Scarborough Shoal preventing Filipino fishermen from fishing in the areas declared by the arbitration court to be in Philippine territory. “We have personally raised this concern, it’s not acceptable to us,” said Yasay in an interview with reporters on Monday. “China has no basis for preventing our fishermen from fishing in that area,” Yasay said. The foreign secretary said if such activities will continue, the Philippines will protest this action. “If this continues, we will continue to protest this action because we feel that this is not justified at all,” he said. He lamented that Chinese coast guard vessels were also monitoring the part of the sea within Manila’s territory. Despite this development, Yasay remained hopeful that the bilateral negotiations with China led by former President Fidel Ramos will end in a peaceful settlement of the dispute. He urged China to abide by the PCA’s ruling. “We understand China does not want war, we do not want war and neither does the international community,” he said.

the human rights of each person.” “Concerning drug-dependency, this should be treated as a public health issue and justice systems that decriminalize drug consumption and possession for personal use as a means to improve health outcomes,” Pūras said. Panelo, however, insisted police only killed suspects in self-defense while other deaths were the work of drug syndicates who feared their members would surrender and cooperate with the authorities. “How can you stop the killing of members of the syndicates? You cannot be guarding them all the time,” Panelo said in response to the UN experts’ call. Abella said the government is undertaking a general cleanup of police ranks. “The President therefore decries the attribution of killings to the Philippine government. This is simply unfair, especially to the hardworking men and women in uniform who risk their lives and limbs to win the war against drugs. “The government approach is to see drugs as a public health and social issue, but also as a national security issue,” he added. International and local rights groups, some lawmakers and church leaders have condemned the killings. The Senate is set to launch an investigation next week into possible rights violations in police operations. Still, Duterte’s police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said Friday law enforcers would not be deterred and the campaign was just starting. “It’s a low [point] when we are being investigated but we go on... we never back down,” he said. AFP

tion by the [government of the Republic of the Philippines], the NPA must maintain a high-level of alertness against enemy troop movements,” the CPP said. “Even while ready to engage in defensive action, the NPA will exert efforts to carry out early counter-maneuvers to avoid armed encounters during the speciﬁed ceaseﬁre period,” it added. The CPP said that they are anticipating the release of the rest of the NDFP consultants so that ev-

FREE AGAIN. Spouses Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, both leaders of the communist insurgency, raise their ﬁsts after they were released from detention in Quezon City on Friday. Manny Palmero

Leila's... From A1

Cam said Dayan would frequent the national penitentiary to collect drug money from high-profile inmates. She added that her sources within the bureau told her he would enter the penitentiary twice a week, collecting money from drugs and illegal gambling. Cam, who ran but lost for senator under Duterte’s banner, said the President would soon divulge who got the drug money that Dayan collected. She said she would not divulge more details of his alleged transactions because she did not want to preempt the President. Cam said among the highprofile inmates whom Dayan collected money from were gang leader Jaybee Sebastian and Peter Co, reportedly the leader of the so-called “Bilibid 19” or a group of drug convicts living a luxurious lifestyle in the national penitentiary. Co, together with Peter Lim alias

Jaguar and Herbert Colangco alias Ampang, were earlier named by Duterte as part of the top tier drug lords in the country. “After 2014, she ordered a raid in Bilibid, right? They transferred the Bilibid 19 to NBI. But she left one inside Bilibid: Jaybee Sebastian, the commander of the Commando Gang.” “Jaybee Sebastian became De Lima’s finger man inside,” Cam claimed. She also said Dayan’s links to De Lima were “an open secret” inside the Justice Department, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Corrections. “This is not a character assasination because his driver became the source of any promotion inside the DoJ. He would even do the dirty work just to derail high-profile cases. If you want to dismiss your cases in the DoJ, just approach him,” Cam said. “I pity her, but this is karma,” she said of De Lima. “I feel vindicated.” On Thursday, Duterte kept up the attack on De Lima, saying she had only herself to blame for the scandal that has befallen her. He also said he

would never apologize to her for his statements. “[De Lima] created the scandal, she know she’s a public official--but she kept on making scandals herself,” Duterte said. In the House, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Friday spearheaded the filing of a resolution seeking a congressional probe into the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison when De Lima was Justice secretary. In House Resolution No. 105, Alvarez, together with House Majority Leader Rudy Fariñas of Ilocos Norte, Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu of Batangas, Karlo Nograles of Davao City, among other House leaders, condemned the rampant drug use at the national prison during De Lima’s tenure. The lawmakers said in the resolution that the NBP has become an “asylum for drug lords, gambling lords, and local ‘mafiosi,’ operating freely within the enclosed facility, imposing control on the inmates, and operating side by side with institutional workers and security personnel.” With Maricel V. Cruz

public servant. In her two press conferences, however, De Lima did not address Duterte’s allegations of her supposed affair, or that she had gifted him with a two-story house in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan. The senator denied, however, that she owned the Urbiztondo house where her driver lives. De Lima chairs the Senate committee on justice and human rights, which is set to investigate the summary executions of drug suspects during police anti-drug operations. A “bloody” campaign against crime and illegal drugs was among Duterte’s key promises during the 2016 elections. To date, almost 1,000 drug suspects have died in police operations around the country. More than half a million drug users and pushers

have yielded to the authorities, and more than 7,000 have been arrested. Duterte said the senator had no right to complain about the recent killings of drug suspects due to her “very sordid personal and official life.” Duterte and De Lima have had a long-running word war stemming from the then Justice secretary’s investigation of vigilante killings in Davao City when Duterte was still a mayor As the commissioner on human rights, she investigated Duterte for his alleged links to the Davao Death Squad, a vigilante group that killed criminal suspects. She said she had a witness who could prove Duterte’s link to the Death Squad. None of the investigations uncovered the mayor’s alleged links, however.

Gordon: DFA must send note verbale By Macon Araneta SENATOR Richard Gordon has called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to send a note verbale to the Chinese Embassy regarding reports that many Chinese citizens are involved in the drug trade here.. Gordon warned the DFA that China could be invading the Philippines through drugs, adding that Philippine law enforcers have admitted that the bulk of the illegal drugs entering the country comes from China. He said the government should appeal to China to help arrest their citizens who bring drugs here. The senator said the DFA should ask Chinese Customs authorities, as well as the officials of their airports and seaports, to strictly inspect Philippinesbound shipments and Chinese travelers. At the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs committee hearing, Gordon clarified that he was not saying that the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country is state-sponsored. But Gordon said China should be accountable for their citizens. Drug enforcement authorities disclosed that at least 3.7-million Filipinos are affected by the drug menace, 1.8 million of them being metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu users.

High... From A1

From A1

No additional cash advances will be allowed any official or employee unless the previous cash advance given to him or her is first settled or a proper accounting of it is made. “We examined the aging schedule as of Nov. 30... and we obtained an amount of P396,033,454.96 that still remained unsettled and/or partially settled as of said date,” the commission said in a report to the poll body. It demanded the immediate liquidation of the Comelec’s cash advances, saying it could have withheld the wages of its workers to ensure payments. Rio N. Araja

But she vowed to continue working until allowed her to do so by her doctor who advised her to avoid crowded places. “I maybe physically weak but rest assured that I am on top of the situation here in our city,” Sara said. Pearl A. Gajunera and John Paolo Bencito

The tribunal will also proceed with its preliminary conference on the petitions on Monday to thresh out the issues that will be covered by the oral arguments on August 24. Ibarra Gutierrez, the lawyer for some of the petitioners, said Marcos should not be buried at the Heroes’ Cemetery because he was “a criminal, a plunderer and a human rights violator.” Moreover, he said, the 1987 Constitution prohibits his burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Originally, the high court ordered the government to comment on the petition filed by human rights victims during the Martial Law years led by former Bayan Muna Representatives Saturnino Ocampo and Neri Colmenares, the members of the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacañang and the Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto. The second petition was filed by the Families of the Victims of Involuntary Disappearances along with minority bloc Reps. Edcel Lagman, Teddy Brawner Baguilat Jr., Tomasito Villarin, Edgar Erice and Emmanuel A. Billones. On Friday, former Human Rights Commissioner Loretta Ann Rosales and fellow victims of abuses during Martial Law filed the third petition prodding the high court to stop Malacañang from proceeding with Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. The petitioners listed as respondents Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Ricardo Visaya, AFP Deputy Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Ernesto Enriquez, and Philippine Veterans Affairs Office Administrator Ernesto Carolina. They also listed as respondents the heirs of Marcos led by former first lady and incumbent Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos. Rey E. Requejo

persons after courts granted them temporary passes under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees for the duration of the formal peace talks slated to begin on Monday. In a speech before supporters, the Tiamzons thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for freeing them and for bringing peace talks back on track, and allowing them to participate. “We have to have meaningful conversations about our society

and find out what are the reasons for the armed conflict,” Wilma said in Filipino. Her husband Benito added that the reopening of the peace talks was an opportunity to discuss the profound social, economic and political reforms needed to put an end to the armed conflict. He said they were confident that a peace agreement could be reached to achieve social reform, despite the many obstacles to overcome. Mel Caspe

De Lima... From A1

are distortions, exaggerations, and lies,” she said—without saying which parts of Duterte’s accusations were true. “And foremost of the lies, is what they’re saying that somebody was collecting money for me from Bilibid. That’s an absolute lie,” she said. On Wednesday, Duterte called De Lima an “immoral woman” and an “adulterer” for having an affair with her driver, whom he said collected drug money for the former Justice secretary from drug lords in the New Bilibid Prison. De Lima vowed she had never condoned the use of illegal drugs and would never do that because she would never betray her oath as a

Sara...

Comelec...

eryone can participate in the peace talks, including Eduardo Sarmiento, who was arrested in February 2009 and convicted of murder. The CPP reiterated its “deep appreciation of the determined efforts of GRP President Duterte to push forward and accelerate the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations as a means of addressing the roots of the civil war in the Philippines.” “We hope that this ceaseﬁre declaration will be reciprocated by the GRP as a show of all-out determi-

nation to move forward with peace negotiations,” said the CPP. The CPP anticipates the upcoming Oslo peace talks to discuss the recommendation for the GRP President to issue a general amnesty to pave the way for the release of all political prisoners slapped with trumped up criminal charges to cause their prolonged detention. The Tiamzons are the last among the detained ranking members of the NDF to walk out as free

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IN BRIEF Inaugural stamps out THE Philippine Postal Corp. on Friday has released a special commemorative stamp featuring the historic inauguration and oathtaking of the country’s sixteenth president, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Duterte’s ‘Inaugural Stamps’ will be issued in keeping the tradition that when there is a new president, the postal service would come out with a new commemorative stamp to highlight the importance of this historic event in the country. The “Inaugural Stamp” features the official photo of the oathtaking ceremony administered by Supreme Court Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes. Some 150,000 pieces of the special stamp are available in post office nationwide at P17.00 each while 10,000 copies of the special limited edition souvenir sheet are available at P55.00 each. The stamp comes with a commemorative first-day cover envelope featuring the Philippine Flag, the official seal of the President with Malacañan Palace on the background. John Paolo Bencito

Bird strike cancels flight A CHINA Airlines flight canceled its return flight to Taipei on Friday after aviation authorities found a dead bird stuck in between the left wing flap of the Boeing 747 jet. Airport authorities said flight C1701 landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Taiwan around 9:29 a.m. and its returning flight CI702 was scheduled at 10:35 a.m. Before taking off, the pilots were inspecting the plane when they noticed the bird strike. Joel Zurbano

NBI arrests govt ‘broker’ THE National Bureau of Investigation operatives of the Anti-Fraud Division arrested a man, who introduced himself as a broker for government projects, after being accused of estafa during an entrapment operation in Malate, Manila last Thursday. The NBI identiﬁed the suspect as Carlito Suagan Manuel and was arrested Aug. 18, 2016 in Malate, Manila. Manuel was charged before the Prosecutor’s Ofﬁce of Manila for estafa, or fraud. Sandy Araneta

LIKE BEING THERE.

United Nations Children’s Fund country representative Lotta Sylwander tries on virtual reality goggles designed to show the user the state of the children living in refugee camps in Syria. Manny Palmero

Andanar to probe plaints vs officials By John Paolo Bencito

OMMUNICATIONS Secretary Martin Andanar vowed to investigate two Palace executives against whom unruly behavior and negligence were raised by their subordinates at the News and Information Bureau. “We are already investigating the matter. I marked it urgent,” said Andanar, who was in Davao, referring to the probe that will be led by Communications Undersecretary for Legal Affairs and Operations Enrique Tandan. A distraught employee, who wrote under the pen name “Maria Clara,” vented out the concerns to President Rodrigo Duterte on the actions of NIB Director Desiree Ching and Assistant Director Earl Victor Rosero, alleged to have abused their powers even without formal appointments as yet to their posts. The gender of the com-

plainant was not clear, even with the complainant’s pseudonym. “Sobra na po talaga ang nangyayari sa News and Information Bureau sa pamumuno ni Director Desiree Ching at Assistant Director Earl Victor Rosero, sana po makarating ito kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, Sec. Bong Go, Sec. Martin Andanar, Sec. Ernesto Abella at Civil Service [What’s happening at the NIB is getting out of control, we hope this can reach the President’s attention],” said Maria Clara, who penned the open letter, copies of which were as well sent to members of the Malacanang Press Corps.

“Hindi ko na po masikmura ang mga trato nila sa amin na hamak na mga tauhan lang nila. Ilang gabi ako hindi makatulog sa gingawang pambabastos, pangmamaliit, paninigaw at pamamahiya sa akin ni Desiree Ching at Earl Rosero [I can no longer tolerate the treatment we are being subjected to. I have suffered sleepless nights following their brash manners and their condescending attitude],” the complainant said. “I have collected years as a government employee but this is the only instance that I have been shamed and shouted at by a novice,” the complainant added. The complainant, who sought anonymity for fear of reprisal, expressed disappointment for Rosero’s “power tripping” for his outright show of disrespect since he was assigned to the NIB when President Duterte assumed ofﬁce. “When he blows his top, and is seething with anger, you would think he is about to throw some punches,” the complainant added. “His manners truly are rough.” Rosero’s Facebook account

also revealed how unprofessional he is in his demeanor, using words “hindi bobo [(not stupid]” as requirements in a post seeking applicants for job openings at his department. The employees also lamented the alleged move by the Palace officials to renovate their offices “in glass” to make the same “more beautiful;” the planned procurement of Macintosh computers, even as most of the employees, particularly the transcribers, were turned into reporters; and the planned removal of the NIB Employees Union. The complainant also raised the ire of many Malacanang Press Corps members against the official’s inefficiency, particularly the late sending of Palace transcripts. The complainant appealed to President Duterte to look into the matter at once to prevent it from getting worse. “Many are seeking succor. Des and Earl are proper when they are with fellow officials. But when Sec. Andanar is off their eye range, they go into power tripping,” the complainant said.

Creation of sports department eyed PUP to host new By Maricel V. Cruz TWO party-list lawmakers on Friday proposed the creation of a Department of Sports to provide leadership in the promotion and development of sports in the country. House Bill 65, authored by Reps. Karlo Alexei Nograles of Davao City and Jericho Jonas Nograles of PBA party-list, seeks to address the lack of a comprehensive national sports program for the country. Rep. Karlo Nograles said

the bill would likewise tackle the need to enhance partnership with various sectors involved in sports, obsolete training methods, lack of modern and high quality training facilities, equipment and sport venues. He added that the proposed “Department of Sports Act” would attend to the requirements of athletes to improve their performance, as well as of coaches, trainers and sports officials in performing their functions. Under the bill, authority and

responsibility shall rest with the Secretary of Sports, who shall be appointed by the President. Rep. Jericho Nograles noted that as part of their proposal specialized bureaus such as the Amateur Sports Development Bureau and International Sports Development Bureau shall also be created. He said this would ensure proper implementation of the Act and help improve the performance of Filipino athletes in regional and international sports competitions.

complaint hotline By Cathrine Mae V. Gonzales THE Polytechnic University of the Philippines will host the 8-88-8 complaint hotline that the government created to entertain the complaints of citizen. PUP president Emanuel De Guzman said the university will not likely get any ﬁnancial remuneration for the project but they will accept the invitation to show support for the Duterte administration. “It might be done in our call center facility. We will be the one to receive, process, evaluate, and throw [the messages] to concerned agencies in the government,” De Guzman told the Manila Standard. Aside from the 8-8-8-8 hotline, Duterte had earlier ordered the replacement of the 1-1-7 emergency line to 9-1-1 which will be linked to the Nationwide Emergency Response Center. “I said to them that even though the PUP will not proﬁt, it’s okay,” he said. The PUP is state university founded on Oct. 19, 1904 as the Manila Business School. It is now the largest university in the country in terms of geographical reach and student population, which has an estimated 80,000 students as of 2015.

Sayyaf release teacher

MORE SCHOLARS. Metro Paciﬁc Tollways Corp. president Rodrigo Franco (seated, center), MNTC chief

operating ofﬁcer Raul Ignacio (standing, 2nd from left), Tollways Management Corp. president Roberto Bontia and MPTDC senior vice president for human resources and administration Lea Wong (standing, 4th and 5th from left) announced the extension of scholarships to four more students.

A FEMALE teacher abducted by the Abu Sayyaf bandits last Tuesday was released at Barangay Danag in Patikul, Sulu Thursday morning. Western Mindanao Command Spokesperson Major Filemon Tan said the victim, identiﬁed as Adrina Bongil, 30, of Tuup Elementary School, was released around 10 a.m. She was subsequently brought by her relatives to Jolo town proper. At 2:30 p.m., Bongil was fetched by Patikul Mayor Kabir Elias Hayuduni and took her to his residence in Barangay Anuling, Patikul.

Troops of the Joint Task Force Sulu proceeded to the area to meet and conduct debrieﬁng to the kidnap victim. Bongil was abducted by four armed men in Barangay Kan Ague, Patikul last Aug. 16 while she was aboard a passenger jeep on the way to report to her school. Tan did not mention if ransom was paid in exchange for Bongil’s release. The release of Bongil has brought down the number of hostages in the hands of the ASG brigands to 12 people, including seven foreigners and ﬁve Filipinos.

Solons: Clarify pay hike budget By Maricel V. Cruz LAWMAKERS from the House of Representatives want specifics on the P39.5 billion under the General Appropriations Bill for 2017 supposed to be used for the proposed additional wages of police and soldiers. They said they will seek some clarification from Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno. Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, said the legislators would ask the DBM about the matter when the administration’s economic managers go to Congress on Monday to defend the national budget. Nograles said they want to know the specifics on the use of P39.5 billion which shall be sourced from the P96-billion Miscellaneous and Personnel Benefits Fund. “There was this P39.5 billion funding for the salaries of our police and military personnel. But we will seek clarification from Sec. Diokno for the details,” Nograles told a news conference. While Congress supports the proposed additional salaries and allowances for policemen and military, Nograles stressed, “at the end of the day, we will work on giving them [police and military personnel] the needed financial package as desired by President Duterte. Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., a former DBM secretary, earlier proposed additional allowances for policemen instead of raising to P50,000 the rookie cops’ monthly pay. Andaya, a former chairman of the House committee on appropriations, explained the Duterte administration will face financial concern as the government is now implementing the four-year salary increase for state officials and employees. He said giving additional allowances is feasible with the very same intention of increasing the “take home pay” of policemen. “We are just at the beginning of a four tranche salary increase which will end in 2019. That is why the wiser approach is thru allowances, so that we can assess their individual needs,” Andaya said. Andaya explained the government has begun implementing the Executive Order that former President Benigno Aquino III signed increasing the salaries of government officials and employees including those in the uniformed services until 2019.

Opinion

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

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Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Quality of growth

HE economy grew 6.9 percent in the second quarter, aided by the spending that accompanied in the May elections and, on the supply side, the good performance of the industry and services sectors. The strong showing offset the drop in agricultural production brought by the El Niño phenomenon. The gross domestic product (GDP) growth makes the Philippines the fastest-growing country in Asia and the achievement of the full-year target of 6 percent to 7 percent likely.

That the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has assured the public of consistency and continuity in its policies is expected to maintain the confidence of businesses and consumers alike. The President has talked about plans to further relax business restrictions and cut taxes to attract more investment and hence spur employment for long-term growth. Notably, the economic managers of this administration credited the previous administration of President Benigno Aquino III for putting in place sound macroeconomic, fiscal and monetary policy

—something the previous leadership was not inclined to do with its own immediate predecessor. It is a source of comfort that Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said: “The challenge is to make this growth inclusive so that more people contribute to, and benefit from it. For this, we must improve the competitiveness of our markets and business climate to take advantage of the new surge of investments in the region. Importantly, we must look at the sectors and geographic areas that have been lagging behind and determine how to improve their ac-

cess to these opportunities.” This sounds like a real plan to sustain the growth, and not just in absolute terms. Previous presidents have given emphasis to achieving high growth but did little to ensure that wealth and opportunity are more justly distributed. The Duterte government is styling itself as one that breaks old patterns and occasions genuine change. We should watch how it would make good on its word to achieve the kind of growth that is actually experienced—not just read about in the papers. HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

The narco-city of Bistek and Hero Bautista

Going local on RH Law implementation POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO I ASKED the participants in this reproductive health forum if they know of young girls who have gotten pregnant. There was a chorus of yesses. I again asked about the youngest age of these girls. A group of young people loudly said: “Ten years old!” This alone explains why proRH groups are not stopping on the law’s implementation. We continue to go to provinces and cities to help local government units in their efforts to make this important law benefit their constituents. The provincial government of Benguet headed by Governor Cresencio Pacalso is one of these LGUs. I write this in Baguio City where I was invited by the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc. to its “Issue Ori-

entation on Reproductive Health and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” where I tackled “Issues and Challenges in the RH Law Implementation.” The other speakers were all among the leaders in the RH movement including Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat Jr.; DIWA Representative and Chair of the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality Em Aglipay-Villar; UNFPA National Programme Officer for Population and Development Advocacy Vic Jurlano; President of the Forum for Family Planning and Development, Inc. Ben de Leon; and PLCPD’s Executive Director, Rom Dongeto. Different LGUs were amply represented and young people were among the participants. Because barriers and challenges to the full implementation of the law remain, and because there are LGU officials who defy the law, particularly the provision of modern family planning to their poor constituents who want and need to

use contraceptives, it is always heartwarming to meet pro-RH LGU officials. We were told that Benguet Governor Pacalso wants to have a Gender and Development (GAD) Code in the province and is enlisting the assistance of NGOs in the crafting of the code. The province, through the

Opponents of this law have not stopped in derailing it.” help of PLCPD, has also organized an advocacy group that includes LGU representatives. While RH is already a law, doing advocacy both at the local and national levels remains very important because of the hurdles it faces. The initiatives

of the Benguet provincial government are commendable. To illustrate the fact that we need to remain on guard in defending our RH gains, I included in my talk the actual timeline of legal hurdles faced and continue to be faced by the law. Consider these: it was signed into law on December 21, 2012. However, on January 2, 2013, the first work day after New Year, anti-RH groups already started petitioning the Supreme Court on assailing the law’s constitutionality. Just over two months after (March 19, 2013), the SC issued a Status Quo Ante Order on the RH Law. This meant the law could not be implemented yet. On July 16, 2013, the SC extended SQA indefinitely. It was only in April 2014 after prolonged oral arguments, that the SC decided that RH Law is NOT unconstitutional save for a few provisions. We rejoiced because at last, the law’s implementation could already start. However, we are now finding out that the SC’s

decision has put a major legal impediment in effectively addressing teenage pregnancy, a most serious problem we have now. Our girls are getting pregnant left and right. Our adolescent pregnancy rates are among the highest, if not the highest in the world. In virtually all countries, the numbers of teenage pregnancies are going down— but NOT in the Philippines. The High Court’s decision to only allow access to contraceptives to minors who have been given consent by their parents and/or guardians makes it very difficult for government to address the problem of very young girls becoming mothers. Minors have different contexts. Some are already sexually active, even cohabiting with their boyfriends and no longer living with their parents or guardians. Having no access to modern family planning methods is a problem for them. Teenage pregnancy must be curbed significantly. But the anti-RH groups did not Turn to A5

COUNCILOR Hero Bautista of Quezon City has finally admitted that he is the city official who tested positive for drug use more than a week ago. More specifically, the councilor said that he had been using shabu and marijuana. Bautista also claimed that although he used drugs, he was a victim of the drug menace. For whatever it was worth, Bautista suggested to the city council that drug testing should be given a new label—illegal substance abuse intake checking. Good grief! Days earlier, word already got around that Councilor Bautista flunked the drug test. Even the news media learned of the incident. Evidently, the admission was made to preempt a more embarrassing public exposé by national authorities including President Rodrigo Duterte himself. Hero Bautista is the younger brother of incumbent Quezon City Mayor and ex-film actor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista of the abusive Liberal Party (LP) of former President Benigno Aquino III and ex-House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. Although Hero Bautista is a first-time councilor, he was given the chairmanship of the city council’s powerful committee on public works and infrastructure. Analysts attribute his quick rise to power and influence to his brother. That idea is not far-fetched because Quezon City is known for political dynasties. About a week ago, Mayor Bautista hinted to the public that his councilor-brother did, indeed, fail the drug test for Quezon City officials. This probably prompted the councilor to insist to the news media that his brother—the mayor—was not protecting him. Demonstrating a twisted sense of logic, the councilor stressed that he was the one protecting his brother. Right after the long-belated admission, Councilor Bautista declared that he was going on an indefinite leave from public office to undergo rehabilitation. Joy Belmonte, the city vice mayor, announced that the city council will appoint a Turn to A5

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Opinion

IT SEEMS Fidel Ramos has Neither could Ramos invoke not gotten over the fact that security because it would be far he is no longer the president to from the followers of the late brusquely overrule the decision president, many of whom are of President Rodrigo Duterte, already of ripe age, to create who appointed him special an untoward incident. They envoy to solve the mess created will just march to pay their last by the past administration tribute to the president they with China in the South China loved. Retired soldiers and Sea. Even if there exists a those still in the service who Memorandum of Agreement value respect and chivalry to signed by the family of the their former commander-informer President imposing four chief are expected to be there. conditions, such is no longer Rafael Alunan talked binding. more sense when he said The objection of Ramos is that the Memorandum of unbecoming of a soldier and Understanding has no value. It a gentleman. He has shown is merely an understanding of complete disregard for the basic cooperation. Presidential Legal rules of chivalry to the person Counsel Salvador Panelo was he wrested power from. Such is even blunt in saying that all unchristian because respect for previous issuances denying the the remains is not for the person former president the rightful who knows nothing of what is honors he deserved have been happening in the mortal world superseded. In fact, even if he once lived, but for the living an order was issued, it is not that have their reverence for the binding to the succeeding Almighty as faithful Christians. President, specifically to Not observing this rudiment President Duterte who chose to of civility on purpose could ignore the hecklers by doing his instantly change one’s image duty to honor the deceased of of him as a mean barbarian. his stature. He could M a y b e President no longer distinguish Duterte is the linear uncouth in Maybe President difference his choice of between the Duterte is uncouth words, but morality of astonishingly in his choice man from he knows the rule of of words, but more of the sur vival law than those a m o n g astonishingly he who could animals. only chant knows more of the He should and bash have known law than those who their enemies. that the could only chant The stand of agreement he Ramos is no is invoking is and bash their different from immoral was enemies.” those raving one forced a nt i-Ma rcos upon a family hecklers who continually who cannot contest his accuse him of capricious decision. Marcos human rights violation to give already earned that right while credibility to their objection. still alive. His ouster, which As said, they just do not have was carried out by the very the right. This is evident in person who is now opposing his their conduct that they would burial, did not amend the laws have nothing to do with the that those who were awarded government they vowed to the medal of valor and elected destroy. If they have their own President did not result in the set of heroes or decide to choose amendment of those laws. a place to bury their fallen The long-deceased President comrades, they are free to do is not the one insisting that he so. That would be too much for be given the honors. It is the the state to prevent them from living who still consider him worshipping their hero simply their hero and grateful for what because they fought against the he accomplished. Unless he was government. dishonorably discharged. But Common sense will tell us even then, no country would that the grateful Motherland easily strip a soldier of the need not secure the consent medals unless he committed of the patriotic Filipinos who disloyalty which he did not. His volunteered to fight to award being a decorated soldier and them for their heroism. Ramos a former President is now part knows that as a former solder, of our glorious history. Maybe heroes are made by the call Ramos wants to downgrade of the times. Often, war is his so-called heroism at Edsa the consequence of the stupid for fear it would eventually decisions made by politicians, reveal it was a coup d’ etat and soldiers simply die for and not “People Power” as their superiors’ stupidity. The they committed. Ramos must Mamasapano massacre is a bear in mind that Marcos was classic case. Moreover, no less his commander-in-chief who than 216 members of Congress appointed him as Martial Law signed the resolution to give a state funeral with full military enforcer. Ramos cannot talk about the honors for Marcos to be buried welfare of the people as his at the Libingan ng mga Bayani reason for objecting. Marcos in 2011. The majority of the has long died, and it is silly for members of Congress who him to assert their well-being favored it already represent as his concern. Neither can the majority of the people that the state prevent the people, Ramos is talking about. So why should an accomnot from parading the body as what the yellow hypocrites did plished soldier who fought with to place the coffin of Ninoy exceptional gallantry and heroAquino on an elevated platform ism be placed on the table of atop an 18-wheeler truck to those who choose to shy away consummate their propaganda from war? Marcos already in blaming Marcos. Despite the earned his merit while alive. It fact that emotions ran high and seems that the supposition of Rahis popularity already badly mos is for the Motherland to take affected, he remained brave to back those citations and medals allow the followers of Ninoy to deny him the honor which is to march his cadaver all over addressed to the living who value much the protocol of basic huMetro Manila. The Marcos loyalists and man decency and civility. I raise this because Marcos all those who will join the entourage to bring his body never wrote about his heroism. possibly from the Church to It was the war correspondents, its final resting place would the military historians, the all be doing their solemn walk. chroniclers and the affidavits

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Legal issues on Marcos burial

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

Uncivilized and unchristian

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA THE imminent interment of the remains of deposed President Ferdinand Marcos in the Heroes’ Cemetery, also known as the Libingan ng Mga Bayani, in conformity to President Rodrigo Duterte’s verbal instruction, has its opponents seeking for ways and means to prevent its execution. The opponents are utilizing whatever means, legal and extralegal, to persuade the President to reconsider his directive. Protest rallies have been held and will be held by family members of the human rights violations victims and their supporters in the hope that the plan would not push through. For purposes of this column, I will focus on the legal arguments raised in the petition certiorari or prohibition now pending before the Supreme Court. The petition was filed by Martial Law victims led by Saturnino Ocampo to enjoin the execution of the Executive Department’s decision to allow the burial of the deposed President Marcos at the LNMB. Clearly, these petitioners, having suffered from the dictatorship, have standing and cause of action to file this case. The public respondents are Rear Adm. Ernesto Enriquez, as Chief of Staff for Reservists and Retiree Affairs of the AFP, General Ricardo Visaya as chief of staff of the AFP, and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. The heirs of Marcos

Going... From A4

stop despite the SC’s decision settling questions of constitutionality of the RH Law. After one year, on May 13, 2015, they again petitioned the SC, alleging that Food and Drugs Administration abused its powers by not following the proper procedures in certifying contraceptives. The Court responded in June 2015 by issuing a temporary restraining order prohibiting DOH and all its agents from providing women with contraceptive implant, and prohibiting DFA from further certifying contraceptives. After more than a year, this TRO remains in effect. Poor

The narco-city... From A4

“caretaker” for the public works and infrastructure committee headed by the troubled alderman. While undergoing rehabilitation, the status of the councilor as an elected city official will be decided upon by his brother. If the Bautista brothers think they can get away with this scandal easily, they are mistaken. That is, unless, they also believe that the Filipino people, and not just the taxpayers of Quezon City, are easily fooled. The effects of shabu and marijuana consumption are difficult to conceal from public view, especially over an extended period. It is manifested in the addict’s eyes, speech, and general composure. How come nobody noticed this in Councilor Bautista weeks prior to the drug test? More importantly, how did the councilor get away with narcotics abuse right under the nose of his own brother, the mayor? As brothers holding office in the same city hall, the mayor ought to have known about the counexecuted by his comrades-inarm who were with him in that episode that did their assignment, which reports were signed and approved by the top echelons of both the Armed Forces of the US and the Philippines. Neither did Marcos take it upon himself to pin those 32 medals.

are also included in the suit, represented by his widow Imelda Marcos. Procedural issues aside, the petition alleges that the public respondents committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in allowing the burial. These are based on the following theses: First, existing laws prohibit the burial of President Marcos at the LNMB. Second, the disputed interment is contrary to public policy. Third, the disputed interment is contrary to the Constitution. Finally, the AFP regulations that allows the interment is contrary to the Constitution and Republic Act No. 289 and are therefore void. On the petition’s first proposition, petitioners allege that while Marcos was a former president and a soldier who allegedly valiantly fought during WWII—a claim that is more a concocted self-serving and grandiose fable—the interment is contrary to law. Specifically, AFP Regulations G 161-373 is a listing of those entitled to be interred in the LNMB. It also clarifies that “those who have been dishonorably discharged, or personnel convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude, do not qualify for interment at the cemetery.” Moreover, public respondents who ordered and will cause the interment are not even members of the Board of National Pantheon as listed in Section 2 (c) of RA 289. It is also argued that the planned burial is contrary to Republic Act No. 10368 or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013. That law declared the

Martial Law era a time of human rights excesses and abuse of power. On the second proposition that the planned burial is contrary to public policy, petitioners argue that to be collectively ousted from office for moral decadence and depravity is dishonorable enough. Such political action by the Filipino is far, far greater than a judicial conviction for a crime that involves moral turpitude. The crimes of Marcos against the Filipinos and even against humanity are crimes against moral turpitude. Hence, public policy dictates that he should not be buried. As to the third proposition, petitioners point out that public office is a public trust. Obviously, the plan by public respondents to give Marcos a hero’s burial is to give him a free ride to immortality and not the notoriety that a dictator and plunderer so richly deserves. Corruption is sanctioned and rewarded with this burial. As always, I will leave it to the Supreme Court to decide the legality of actions of the executive or legislative branches of government. But morally and politically, I echo the words of my colleague from various Jesuit institutions: Institute of Social Order, John J. Carroll Institute of Church and Social Issues and Simbahang Lingkod Bayan: “Burying the dictator in the Libingan ng mga Bayani buries human dignity by legitimizing the massive violations of human and civil rights, especially of the right to life, that took place under his regime.

Burying the dictator in the Libingan ng mga Bayani buries truth by perpetuating the myth of Marcos’s achievements as a leader, distorting the valuable lessons of history that we pass on to our young, and confusing them about what constitutes heroism. Burying the dictator in the Libingan ng mga Bayani buries justice by justifying the shameless corruption of the dictator, his family, and the oligarchy of cronies he created. It violates the moral values we cherish as a nation by rewarding wrong and making it seem right. Burying the dictator in the Libingan ng mga Bayani buries solidarity by denying the pain and anguish of the many victims of human rights violations and their families, the misery of the poor who suffered most under Marcos’s development policies, and the sacrifices of those who fought to restore the country’s fallen democratic institutions. Burying the dictator in the Libingan ng mga Bayani buries peace by erasing the memory of the violence that his regime inflicted on our nation. “Burying the dictator in the Libingan ng mga Bayani buries genuine empowerment by legitimizing the concentration of power in a single leader and the suppression of democratic rights and participation under his regime, and by negating the triumph of the empowered popular movement that unseated him.” Burying the dictator in the Libingan ng mga Bayani will not heal our wounded country.

women are deprived of an effective and long-acting method to plan their pregnancies. The TRO’s effects are worse on the poor because this contraceptive costs between P6,000 to P12,000 when accessed through private doctors. Rich women can shell out these amounts when they want to have an implant insertion. Moreover, the present stocks of implants will, at one point expire. We will, therefore, waste precious resources if the SC does not lift the TRO and does not decide in favor of the RH Law. The fact is, opponents of this law have not stopped in derailing its implementation. We expect more from them. We know that they are now trying to influence LGU officials that they think

they can influence—just like the case of Sorsogon City’s mayor who has ordered local health personnel to not do family planning using contraceptives. This is the importance of going local when it comes to RH implementation. Among government instrumentalities, it is the LGUs that are in the best position to fully implement the law. As Rep. Aglipay-Villar said in this PLCPD forum, the LGUs are the ones nearest to the people. They have a better knowledge and understanding of the RH needs of their constituents. Non-government organizations’ RH initiatives in communities have long been established. Government, be it at the national or local level, and NGOs working to-

gether, will hasten the implementation of the law. NGOs/civil society organizations are known for being creative, flexible, and for pursuing out-of-the-box solutions to problems. We cannot be content with our usual ways of doing things. Moreover, community-based NGOs, especially women’s organizations, are proving to be effective in reaching those with unmet needs for family planning that government is unable to reach. For the full implementation of the RH Law, advocacy remains important, and LGUs and NGOs are crucial.

cilor’s illegal habit. How long has the councilor been hooked on drugs anyway? Was he already a user when he ran for city councilor last May? He ran under the administration party. Doesn’t the LP screen its candidates for drug use and dependence? How can the city government fight drug abuse in its territory when its local legislator, one who has very close ties to the seat of power in the city, is deep into drugs? Mayor Bautista should resign because of this scandal. Where did the councilor get his supply of shabu and marijuana? Are there others involved with the councilor? Is the councilor a user or a supplier? The anti-drug operatives of the Philippine National Police must press the councilor for some categorical answers if the drug menace, as the councilor calls it, is to be stopped in Quezon City. It appears that Councilor Bautista short-changed the people of his city when he ran for office. A city councilor is not expected to just enact local legislation; they are also expected to comply with the law, and the

law prohibits the use of prohibited drugs. Councilor Bautista was supposed to be an example to the youth, but he turned out to be big disappointment. Going on leave is not enough to make up for the affront to the dignity of public office he committed. Councilor Bautista should resign from the city council, and resign immediately. The councilor’s allegation that he is a victim of the drug menace is self-serving. Since it’s either that or he’s into the illicit trade, he has no choice but to claim that he is a victim. Anyway, whether the story is true or not is beside the point. Councilor Bautista is unfit for public office, period. His resignation is in order. There is no need to appoint a caretaker to substitute for Councilor Bautista while he undergoes rehabilitation. His resignation will give way to a new, and hopefully, more deserving official. Besides, why should public office be made to wait for him while he undergoes rehabilitation? Public officials hooked on drugs have no vested right to public office. In August 2014, a Chinese na-

tional was arrested for possession of 50 kilograms of shabu in a buy-bust operation at a commercial arcade near the Philcoa area in Quezon City. A TV news footage of the incident showed the alien inside his vehicle with Mayor Bautista interrogating him from right outside the vehicle window. When the alien failed to reply apparently because he did not understand English or Pilipino, the mayor hit the alien on the face and the head. This was seen on nationwide TV. In a clumsy attempt at damage control, the mayor’s sycophants insinuated that the alien deserved the rough treatment for his involvement in the narcotics trade. Two years later, the shoe is on the other foot. How is the mayor going to deal with his brother now? City hall says the mayor will decide on the status of his brother. Since filial piety forbids brother from ruling against brother, the decent option for both mayor and councilor is for them to resign immediately. Quezon City deserves nothing less.

Congress to declare him a hero as that simpleton soldier named Bonifacio Gillego would fantasize. The fact that it took more than two decades for that opportunist stooge of the corrupt politicians to come out with his fantasy already raises question. Rather, evidence at hand point

that he collaborated with Raul Manglapus and Steve Psinakis who had their selfish agenda of wanting to get even with Marcos. In other words, it boils down to the grand old kingpin in Philippines politics.

On the contrary, one medal was personally pinned by Gen. Douglass MacArthur, the commander of the US forces in the Pacific. While some were awarded when he was already a congressman, it was most outrageous to think he has the capacity to influence

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

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Services to the blind widened

Olympian Hidilyn gets more rewards By Maricel V. Cruz MEMBERS of the House of Representatives have raised at least P1 million from their own salaries as incentive and way of commending Hidilyn Diaz for winning Silver medal, ending the country’s 20-year Olympic medal drought. Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat said he made the initiative and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez joined the campaign among their colleagues for voluntary donation of their salaries to recognize the victory of Diaz who hails from Lovregat’s district. Lobregat said that Diaz is also expected to pay a visit at the House of Representives where she shall be given a plaque of commendation and the cash gift from lawmakers. “We’re arranging maybe Hidilyn will go to Congress maybe on Wednesday… [The] recommendation right now, maybe each congressman [would] voluntarily have a salary deduction, depending on how much they want [to give as incentive for Hidilyn],” Lobregat told reporters. Lobregat said at least 145 of 294 lawmakers have signed in the resolution to donate a portion of their salaries. Asked how much he and Alvarez donated for Diaz from their salaries, Lobregat said: “It’s not the amount, it’s the gesture.”

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

AYING one blind family member results in two unproductive family members, Health Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial announced the expansion of the Department of Health’s eye care services to communities. Ubial said having a blind member in a family amounts to “a double whammy” because another will have to take care of the blind member and that sometimes leads to poverty and social dependency. Because of this, Ubial cited the need to integrate eye care into public health programs at the local government unit level for continued advocacy and promotion of comprehensive eye care with focus on avoidable blindness. She noted that the development of the Community Eye Health Program (CEHP) particularly at the primary level, district, and provincial settings, will be able to make most of shared referral and service delivery network from barangay health stations, rural health units up to tertiary hospitals. She said the CEHP started in Nueva Ecija, Iloilo, Occidental Mindoro and Cavite. She related that this initiative is being expanded to poor provinces like Eastern Samar, Leyte and Surigao in coordination with different non-government organizations, like Christoffel Blinden Mission, Fred Hollows Foundation, World Health Organization, National Committee for Sight Preservation and Cataract Foundation of the Philippines. In the Philippines, the health chief said that based on the country’s 2015 population estimate, the current estimated number of persons who are bilaterally blind is 295. She said 152, or 59 percent of the 295 bilaterally blind, is

due to cataract and 14 percent due to uncorrected refractive errors. The rest are due to conditions like glaucoma, retinopathy, and maculopathy. The current estimated number of persons who have low vision (moderate to severe visual impairment) is 1,430,109, of which 60 percent is due to errors of refraction, 30 percent due to cataract and the rest due to other conditions like glaucoma. “Early detection and preventive care can help you keep your eyes healthy and avoid common causes of blindness,” said Ubial. She said eating food rich in Vitamin A, regular eye exam, and avoiding long exposure to gadgets and computers by following the 20-20-20 rule (Every 20 minutes, look away for 20 seconds at something that is at least 20 feet away). “A healthy vision and body should always start within us.” she further stated. The 2012 World Health Organization report indicated that approximately 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired, with 39 million blind and 246 million with low vision. Globally, uncorrected refractive errors are the main cause of visual impairment, followed by cataracts and glaucoma. On the other hand, cataracts remain as the leading cause of blindness, followed by glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. Furthermore, 65 percent of visually-impaired individuals and 82 percent of blind people are over 50 years old.

NOT FORGOTTEN. Boy scouts salute the statesman Manuel Luis Quezon, president of the erstwhile Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944, during the celebration of his 138th birth anniversary at the Quezon City Memorial Circle on Friday. Manny Palmero

Salary hike for govt physicians proposed By Macon Ramos-Araneta professional regulation, is push- and medical needs. THE exodus of Filipino doctors, which has resulted to an alarming ratio of one doctor to 1,429 Filipinos, could get worse if we do not provide them a better working condition, and decent pay and benefits commensurate their qualifications, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV warned Friday. He noted Filipino doctors go abroad to seek better paying jobs. Some even gave up their license to become nurses abroad. To prevent the outflow of doctors, Trillanes, chairman of the committee on civil service, government reorganization and

ing for the passage of Senate Bill No. 526, or the bill which sought to increase the salary of government physicians and additional incentives. At present, the minimum salary grade for government physicians, Medical Officer I, is Salary Grade 16, which is equivalent to P28,417.00. Trillanes seeks to address this alarming situation and its repercussions by increasing their base pay to not lower than Salary Grade 27, equivalent to P73,937.00. In addition, government physicians will also be entitled to monthly allowances for transportation, representation, food

Aside from this, those who have rendered three years of government service will also receive an annual loyalty service pay of P50,000, and those who spent at least five years of continuous government service will also be qualified for an educational grant. “Consistent with our aim of uplifting the welfare of our government workers through providing them with decent pay and benefits, we hope that this measure would also entice our doctors to practice in the country, especially in rural areas, and eventually improve the delivery of basic health services in the country,” Trillanes added.

The senator earlier refiled Senate Bill No. 99 or the Comprehensive Nursing Bill, which seeks to upgrade the country’s nursing profession and raise the minimum salary of government nurses. He noted that nurses in the country are faced with perennial issues such as the practice of hiring volunteer nurses in private hospitals instead of filling up the plantilla positions, and the prevalence of understaffed and ill-equipped healthcare units all over the country. He also said there is a growing number of nurses who are forced to work under job order arrangements or seek better opportunities abroad.

MLQU moves from Quiapo to Quezon City Maternal, child care improvements sought By Cathrine Mae V. Gonzales THE Manuel L. Quezon University officially moved from Quiapo, Manila to Quezon City on Friday after construction magnate Gerry Acuzar acquired the 69-year-old institution for a still undisclosed amount in 2014. The university will have its new facility at the Victoria Sports Tower near GMA-Kamuning along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. MLQU also said they will introduce new programs, including real estate management and techno-preneurship, through partnerships with various groups and open an Institute of Built Environment for interior designing and landscape architecture programs. “What we want is not just to provide education so that students can graduate. We provide education that students can use for their careers,” said Dr. Isagani German, president of MLQU and cochairman of New San Jose Builders Inc. Former House speaker Feliciano Belmonte, who also served as mayor of the city, also graced the event, saying he is “appreciative of this foresight” of the MLQU. “I noticed in our country that we focus on the same courses,” Belmonte said, noting that these developments also compliment the K-to-12 program. Media company Bloomberg L.P., along with East West Educational Specialists Co. Inc., will also conduct certification programs and review classes on different courses for all students and alumni of MLQU. “There are many testimonials that when you finish with Bloomberg, you will be able to easily find a job. This

AN administration lawmaker on Friday asked the government to implement a maternal and childcare program in every barangay covering the first 1,000 days of an infant’s development from the womb up to two years of age to reverse chronic malnutrition among poor Filipino children. Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte made the proposal through House Bill 1340, or the proposed “First 1,000 Days Act” which refers to the care that a woman and her child are entitled to under this proposed program from Day One of the mother’s pregnancy up to the period when her child reaches 24 months, which encompasses 1,000 days. “The first 1,000 days of a child’s life is most critical for growth and development. Consequently, hunger and poor nutri-

WHERE MLQU BELONGS. New San Jose Builder chairman Jose Acuzar (2nd from

left) led the transfer of the Manuel L. Quezon University from Manila to Quezon City on Friday. The event was also attended by former trade secretrary Peter Favila, former speaker Feliciano Belmonte, former senator Wigberto Tañada, CHED Executive Director Julito Vitriolo, MLQU president Isagani German and PRC chairman Dr. Eduardo Ong. Manny Palmero

will really be of great help,” said Dennis Layug, president of EWES. Bloomberg programs are already installed at Ateneo de Cagayan, University of Cebu and other schools in the country. The university has also partnered with the American Concrete Institute and Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines to beef up its architecture and engineering programs. “The main objective of the program in partnership with MLQU is to explore and impart the actual applied practice in the industry, how to do the actual design and how to use the proper tools in the design,” said ASEP vice president Danilo Domingo.

“We aim to provide students, academe, practitioners and professionals the advanced knowledge and technology in solving and upgrading the quality of the construction industry in the country,” added Ellen Chua, president of American Concrete Institute. “Our collaboration with MLQU shall focus on training and certification of professionals for them to be equipped with international standards allowing them to be on the top,” Chua said. MLQU’s move coincides with the Quezon City Day, which is also the 138th birth anniversary of former president Manuel L. Quezon to whom the university was named.

tion during this period can have irreversible consequences,” Villafuerte, a former three-term governor who now represents CamSur’s 2nd district in the House of Representatives, said. Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares has filed a similar bill in the Senate calling for the establishment of a maternal and child care program in every barangay that would also cover the first 1,000 days of a baby’s life. Citing data from the latest National Nutrition Survey, Villafuerte said “overall malnutrition or stunting rate for Filipino children aged zero to two was at its worst in the last 10 years at 26.2 percent in 2015—an indication that growth was not inclusive and that inequality between the rich and the poor continued to widen.” Maricel V. Cruz

E. Visayas records 2,869 dengue cases TACLOBAN CITY—Dengue fever cases continue to rise sharply in Eastern Visayas region, killing 16 people and afflicting 2,869 others since January until this week, according to the Department of Health. Roderick Boyd Cerro, chief of the DoH regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, said this year’s ballooning dengue fever cases is quite alarming. “Number of cases increased by 228 percent compared to the same period last year. Dengue mortality rose by 300 percent this year compared to 2015,” Cerro said in a phone interview. Clustering of cases have been noted in Baybay City, Capoocan, Palo, Sta. Fe, Tacloban City, and Tolosa in Leyte; Guiuan and Lawaan in Eastern Samar; Lavezares in Northern Samar; Naval in Biliran; and

Padre Burgos in Southern Leyte. On Thursday, the DoH field office here sent a team of health workers to the island town of Sto. Niño in Samar province to check the dengue outbreak reported by local authorities. “For areas with many dengue cases, our advice is to conduct fogging operation to kill any adult mosquitoes. This can be done once a week for three weeks to control the mosquito population,” Cerro added. Other strategies of the Health department to combat rising cases are intensified mosquito control efforts, coordinate with local government units in information drive, conduct fogging and larviciding in areas with clustering of cases, install dengue express lanes in hospitals, purchase and preposition of fluids. PNA

Sports PH hosts Hong Kong in rugby tourney THE 2016 Transcom Cup between the Philippines and the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union kicks off this weekend in Calamba, Laguna. The two-match international series aims to develop local homegrown talent in what is traditionally known as an expatriate-dominated sport, which originated in England in the 1800s. Through this series and other development programs, the Philippine Rugby Football Union aims to groom players with the potential to qualify for the national rugby team, the Philippine Volcanoes. Although composed of all Filipino-heritage players, majority of the current Philippine Volcanoes learned the sport abroad and brought their high-level of skill back to the Philippines. For the national development series, the Philippines will field an entire under-19s development team that have learnt and developed their skill in the Philippines. The national players are mostly from underprivileged backgrounds and were recruited through the Philippine Rugby Foundation Programs. The Philippine team will have representatives from Subic, Cebu, Davao and Albay coming from foundations and orphanages including Tuloy Don Bosco, Haven for Children and Bahay Bata Foundation. Meanwhile, Hong Kong, whose national team is expatriate-dominated, will field only Chinese nationals with no expatriate background to help develop their program to ensure their players have the best opportunity to play on an international stage.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Bolt: Rank me among the world’s greatest athletes

IO DE JANEIRO—History-maker Usain Bolt said he deserves to be among sport’s all-time greats after romping to a third straight Olympic 200m gold.

With a third consecutive sweep of the 100m, 200m and relay sprints in sight on Friday, the world’s fastest man argued he should be in the pantheon of sporting heroes with Pele, Muhammad Ali and Michael Phelps. “I am trying to be one of the greatest. Be among Ali and Pele,” he declared in the seconds after the win. “I’ll wait to see what you guys write tomorrow,” the sprint king added at a later press conference.

“I’m just waiting to see what the media have to say and if they put me in that bracket,” he said when asked how he stacked up against football star Pele and boxing legend Ali. “I’ve worked all my career, all my life for this moment. Hopefully you can read about me as one of the greatest people in sport, that’s my focus.” Bolt, who has now won a staggering 19 Olympic and world titles, insisted he had run his final

individual Olympic race. “I’ve proven to the world that I’m the greatest and that’s what I came here for,” he said, sounding for a moment like Ali himself. “That’s why is why I said it’s my last Olympics,” added Bolt, who will look to bow out with the so-called triple-triple in the 4x100m relay on Friday. “I can’t prove anything else. To be eight-time Olympic gold medallist now is a big deal, it’s shocking. I’ve pushed myself to be the best, there’s nothing else I can do.” Phelps debate Bolt’s achievements rank with swimmer Phelps—the most successful Olympic athlete ever— who signed off with five more gold medals in Rio to extend his

record tally to 23. But Bolt, who turns 30 when the Rio Games close on Sunday, refused to say who was the greatest Olympian. “I can’t say, swimming and track and field are totally different events,” he shrugged. “He’s proved he is one of the best without a doubt. He’s won so many medals, he’s dominated the sport. We’re great in our own different fields.” In an era when the spectre of doping in sport looms large and one of his biggest rivals, American Justlin Gatlin, is a two-time drug cheat, Bolt took a swipe at dirty athletes. “I’ve just proven to the world that you can do it clean, with hard work and determination,” he said.

Yellow Cab Football Cup starts on Oct. 15

BALANCE MIND, BODY. US actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger attends a press

conference in Hong Kong ahead of the Arnold Classic Asia Multi-Sport Festival to be held on August 20 and 21. He told the stressed-out city to remember to balance mind and body. AFP

CHILDREN with a passion for the game of football will see action in the first ever Yellow Cab Football Cup this October. Organizers, led by Max’s Group Chief Marketing Office Jim Fuentebella and Kaya FC General Manager Paul Tolentino said this as they talked about the coming competition, which is set to begin on Oct. 15 at the Gatorade Blue Pitch at the Circuit in Makati City. “We at Kaya, we’re excited with this partnership, working with a company that shares the same values with us,” said Tolentino during the launch inside the Brewery at the Palace in Bonifacio Global City. The tournament will have six

Foton Pilipinas gets Italian coach for Asian volley meet FOTON Pilipinas needs to find its own identity and the Filipino way of playing great volleyball. Renowned Italian instructor Fabio Menta said this as the team that will represent the Philippines in the coming Asian Volleyball Championships gets ready to leave for a weeklong preparation in Thailand this weekend.

“Watching the games of Brazil, Italy, Cuba and Russia, they are all different. We have to identify the team’s soul and spirit. Get the Filipino way of playing volleyball and hopefully compete,” said Menta after team manager Jose Mari Angulo introduced him Thursday evening to scribes at the Ka Tunying

Restaurant in Quezon City. Menta, who began his career in 1996, is currently an FIVB international instructor, and is entrusted to develop a grassroots’ course for beach volleyball in Majuro and the Marshall Islands. Team Pilipinas, coached by Vilet Ponce de Leon, are set to

see action from Sept. 3 to 11 in the 2016 Asian Volleyball Club Championships at the Alonte Sports Complex in Binan Laguna. Two American reinforcements, Ariel Usher and Lindsay Statlzer, who saw action in the Grand Prix last year, are back. They will have season members of the Foton Tornadoes in

the roster, including Jaja Santiago, Cherry Ann Rondina, EJ Laure, Angeli Araneta, Maika Ortiz, Rhea Dimaculangan, Bia General, Patty Orendain and Ivy Perez. Veterans Aby Marano of F2 Logistics, Jen Reyes of Petron and Jovelyn Gonzaga of RC Cola-Army are reinforcing the squad. Peter Atencio

Iglupas seals duel with Patrimonio

Khim Iglupas goes for a three-peat vs Clarice Patrimonio

KHIM Iglupas fought off two match points in the second set then pounced on Marian Capadocia’s shaky finish to hack out a 6-7(8), 7-5, 6-3 victory and set up a title clash with Clarice Patrimonio in the seventh Olivarez Cup Tennis Championship at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat Friday. Down a set and 1-5 in the second frame, Iglupas, 18, put on a gem of comeback from 15-40, stealing the seventh game then sweeping the next five to steal the set and force a decider. It was all Iglupas in the third as the Philippine Tennis Academy mainstay sustained her form and

dominated Capadocia with her baseline game to complete the gruelling come-from-behind win that took three hours to finish. That kept the Iligan City-based ace, who also edged Capadocia in last year’s finals, on track for a three-peat in this annual event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and backed by backed by Milestone Guaranty and Assurance Corp. and Slazenger as official ball. But out to foil her bid is the second seeded Patrimonio, who trounced Maia Balce, 6-3, 6-1, in the other semifinal match in the ladies Open singles of the top-ranking tournament staged by Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez along with Rep.

Eric Olivarez and Dr. Pablo Olivarez as part of the family’s long-time commitment to boost the development of the sport and help discover fresh talents. Iglupas and Patrimonio dispute the crown at 9 a.m. today. “This is going to be thriller of a finale. Khim is on a roll but Clarice is just as determined to win this one,” said Mayor Edwin Olivarez. Patrimonio earlier subdued Shaira Rivera, 7-5, 6-2, while Balce scored a walkover win over Miles Vitaliano. Capadocia, on the other hand, ripped Frances Santiago, 6-0, 6-0, while Iglupas turned back Christine Patrimonio, 6-2, 7-6(1).

Bagatsing Centennial Classique honors late Manila mayor MANILA Jockey Club, the premier horseracing club in the Philippines, will host the Ramon Bagatsing Centennial Classique on Sunday at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. The racing festival, which is running on its eighth year, is a memorial on the life and love of horseracing by the City of Manila’s ex-mayor. “We celebrate the memory of my father, and his life’s achievements by holding this annual racing festival. He would have been 100 years old today, and I, along with the entire Bagatsing clan remain steadfast in continuing the tradition he has established, and uphold his proud legacy. Mahal na mahal po ni Mayor ang karera, lalo na ang bayang karerista, kaya iniimbitahan po namin kayong lahat na makisaya at maki-isa sa amin!” Amado Bagatsing, eldest son

“I’ve made the sport exciting, made people want to watch the sport. I’ve just put the sport on a different level and put on it a different pedestal.” Bolt looked annoyed as he crossed the line in 19.78 seconds, well ahead of Canada’s Andre De Grasse (20.02) but some way off the world record of 19.19 he set in Berlin seven years ago. “I wanted to run a faster time,” he said. “I knew it was going to be hard to break the world record because when I came off the corner, my legs decided: ‘Listen, we’re not going to go any faster.’ “I wasn’t fully happy but the key thing is that I won and that’s what I came here for. I’m not 21 anymore.” AFP

and ex-congressman of Manila’s 5th district said. Andrew Sanchez, chairman of the Philippine Racing Commission said: “The late Ramon Bagatsing was one of Philippine horseracing’s finest ambassadors. It was he, who gave us the Gran Copa de Manila, and through him that some of the country’s greatest races ran. It was he who set the standard, and through his example, Philippine horseracing will continue to progress.” Major races of the racing festival are the 1,750-meter, 3-year old Centennial Classic, featuring imported versus local horses Radio Active, Homonhon Island, Dewey Boulevard, Space Needle, and Daiquiri Lass. The 1,750-meter, 4-year-oldand-above Challenge of Champions, will have Atomicseventynine, Haley’s Rainbow, Dixie

Gold, Court Of Honour, Kanlaon, Love To Death, and Marinx. The 1,500-meter, 3-year old local Challenge Race, on the other hand, will feature Real Flames, Pinay Pharoah, Leave It To Me, Mr. Noble, Guanta Na Mera, Xen Young, Double Rock, Bite My Dust, Pinagtipunan, Kundiman, Play It Safe, and Creative. Also on this day, the PHILRACOM will be staging the 5th leg of the 2,000-meter Imported/Local Challenge, where imported and locally-born horses will go head to head. Atty. Ramon Bagatsing, Jr., second-born son of the late Manila Mayor and a commissioner of the PHILRACOM said: “We are grateful for all of the sponsors who continue to support this worthwhile endeavor. We not only celebrate the memory of my father, but also contrib-

ute to uplifting the welfare and livelihood of the residents of the City of Manila through the contributions made to the KABAKA Foundation. We do my father proud by continuing his lifelong work of helping our fellow countrymen.” Sponsors of the Ramon Bagatsing Centennial Classique include Resorts World Manila, the Philippine Racing Commission, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Solaire Resort & Casino, Midas Hotel and Casino, Manila Jockey Club, DLTB Bus Company, Herma Farms, EEG Development Corporation, Mr. Eduardo “Duay” Calixto, City of Dreams Manila, Pacific Online, Skyway Corporation, Smart Communications, Mr. Gardi Cruz, Engr. Jun Sevilla, Mr. Al Tenco, and Mr. Bing Tecson. Part of the proceeds will go to the KABAKA (Kabalikat ng

Bayan sa Kaunlaran) Foundation, a non-governmental foundation dedicated to providing comprehensive social services to the poor. It was founded by Amado Bagatsing in 1985, and provides medical assistance, nutrition-feeding programs (for children), educational and skills training programs, and facilitates social and economic initiatives to those belonging to disadvantaged sectors of the community. Atty. Alfonso Reyno III, president and chief operations officer of Manila Jockey Club, said: “The Manila Jockey Club has maintained close and fruitful ties with the Bagatsing family over a long period of time, and the contributions made by the late Mayor Ramon Bagatsing to the horseracing industry are unparalleled. It is a great honor to host the Ramon Bagatsing Centennial Classique.”

categories, which will be divided into age group divisions. The six winners will get a total of P120,000 in prizes which will be donated to their chosen charitable institutions. The elimination round will be on Oct. 15, followed by the semifinals and finals on Oct. 22. “We believe that playing a sport like football can teach us values like Kaya FC,” said Fuentebella. Kaya FC is a football club that was founded in 1996, and plays in the United Football League. They also have the Kaya FC Academy, which promotes football through its grassroots program. The team is led by head coach Chris Greatwich. Peter Atencio

Midea equips all of Brazil’s new stadiums MIDEA Carrier in Brazil, a joint venture entity comprising of Midea Group—the number one global brand in air treatment as well as manufacturer and wholesaler of broad range of appliances—and Carrier— founded by the inventor, Willis Carrier— had a winning sweep of the bids in providing climate control solutions to all of Brazil’s 12 new sports arenas and auxiliary facilities. Midea equips all of these venues with a combination of variable refrigerant flow products and large tonnage Chiller units. This overwhelming win over all the bids demonstrates Midea’s strengths and leadership in climate control solutions. Midea will be the sole provider of Heating Ventilations Air Conditioning for Brazil’s international sport stadium facilities and marks a significant milestone in the joint venture’s operations in Brazil. Midea only has the audience comfort in mind, as they install V5X series VRF units in all of these facilities to ensure proper ventilation at a consistent temperature range throughout the 2016 Sports Games. The V5X series VRF units boasts a high operational efficiency with low energy consumption, thanks to its advances direct current inverter technology precision refrigerant control, energy-saving heat transfer, and powerful low-temperature heating technologies. Aside from Midea’s V5X series VRF, they will also install the Rooftop Weathermaker 50TC which is capable of generating more comfort, efficiency, and flexibility for various applications. It also has compact dimensions that reduce the space it takes on the floor area. They will also have Chiller AquaSnap 30RBA that combines high technology with environmental solutions. In addition to its high efficiency, the 30RBA models are compact and have low noise.

LOTTO RESULTS 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 4 DIGITS 00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Sports

Training center in Tarlac offered to PSC By Peter Atencio

Brazil’s Alison Cerutti (C) celebrates after winning the men’s beach volleyball ﬁnal match between Italy and Brazil at the Beach Volley Arena in Rio de Janeiro late on August 18, 2016, for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. AFP

Cruz: Alora can beat foe Lions, Stags prevail THE San Beda Red Lions found the needed boost from rookie point guard AC Soberano on Friday in the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament. Soberano strung up eight points, including two triples in the last two minutes that spelled victory for the Red Lions, who frustrated the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 90-82, at The Arena in San Juan. The Red Lions, who struggled after losing Nigerian center Donald Tankoua to a possible knee injury early in the game, scored their second straight win to hike their record to l0-1. “We just executed very well twice,” said Red Lions’ coach Jamike Jarin. Davon Potts powered the Red Lions with 21 points,

while Ranbill Tongco and Adamos added 12 and 11 points. The Generals, who dropped to 3-8, had Sydney Onwubere hitting 19 points, 18 rebounds, six blocks and five assists. Meanwhile, the San Sebastian Stags drew big baskets from birthday celebrant Alvin Capobres as they slammed the University of Perpetual Help Altas, 71-55. Capobres, who turned 22, banged in 13 for the Stags, who ended a nine-game losing skid for their second triumph in 11 games. Bright Akhuetie has 21 for the Altas, who held a six-game winning streak before their match with the Stags. “Hopefully, ang mga players ko maka-focus sa lahat ng game because we need to know how to win,” said Stags’ coach Egay Macaraya. Peter Atencio

IO DE JANEIRO—Kirstie Elaine Alora’s coach is conﬁdent that the Filipino taekwondo entry and the country’s lone remaining hope here has what it takes to go far in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Alora, a 26-year-old fighter who hails from Binan in Laguna, will make her Olympic debut Saturday morning (Saturday evening in Manila) in the women’s +67 kilogram division. She faces an acid test in her opening match, an early battle with 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medalist and 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist Maria Espinoza of Mexico. The Pinoy camp is not intimidated at all. “They’ve fought once, right after the Beijing Olympics, and the Mexican won, 2-1. Elaine can beat this Mexican,” said coach Roberto “Kitoy” Cruz. Alora, according to her bemedalled coach, will have to rely on her speed to have a chance against Espinoza, and she will do just that. “Elaine has been training well

even while we were in Manila and since we arrived here in Rio almost a month ago,” said Cruz, the former finweight king in the Southeast Asian Games. Cruz is the most successful Filipino taekwondo jin, also having won three silver and two bronze medals in the World Championships, two bronze medals in the World Cup and a gold, a silver and a bronze in the Asian Championships. He knows a good match when he sees one. “Kaya ni Elaine,” said Cruz yesterday as he quietly celebrated his 44th birthday. Espinoza, gold medalist in the 2007 World Championships and 2016 Pan American Games, also stands 5’8” like Alora. She is two years older at 28 and is just a couple of kilos heavier. If Alora gets past Espinoza, she

will need two more wins to make it to the finals and give the Philippines a crack at the highly-elusive Olympic gold. If she’s not successful, Alora will hope to land in the repechage (losers’ bracket) for a shot at the bronze. But that will only happen if Espinoza reaches the finals. “I would rather win three straight matches and get to the finals than land in the repechage where I can meet fighters taller than six feet,” said Alora. Cruz knows what Alora needs to do to succeed here. “Basta kailangan mabilis si Elaine. Dapat lumabas ang bilis niya sa laban na ito,” said Cruz, overseeing Alora’s training here in Rio—normally twice a day. Cruz said Alora’s quickness on the mat brought her to the Olympics. “Yun talaga ang panglaban ni Elaine. Mabilis siya. Kung mabagal ka, kaya ka ni Elaine,” said the six-time SEA Games champion from 1991 to 2001. Cruz can only hope for the best from Alora.

THE Philippine Sports Commission will no longer spend money in acquiring property and building a national sports training center. The Bases Conversion Development Authority has provided them the right to use a 50-hectare area inside a 9,450-hectare property in Capas, Tarlac. Since last year, the property is being developed by the BCDA under the Clark Green City project. PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said they were given usufructuary rights to manage and control the sports facility that the BCDA will construct in the area. Usufruct or usufructuary rights gives a right to enjoy the property of another with the obligation of preserving its form and substance. The PSC, whose four commissioners finally got confirmation on their appointments late Thursday, is set to meet on the BCDA’s offer. Ramirez received word on the inclusion of a sports facility in the Clark Green City project following an initial meeting with presidential executive Salvador Medialdea and newly named BCDA president Vivencio Dizon Friday morning at the BCDA offices in Taguig City. “For me, this development is a continuation of the previous administration’s efforts, and there is such a plan during that time. We would like to pursue that. And for us, we are very positive about this because the BCDA is very positive about this,” said Ramirez. The sports facility, which is known as the Olympic Village under the BCDA’s master plan, will have a budget allocation of at least P3 billion and as much as P6 billion. The undertaking is expected to be completed inside the 6-year period of the Duterte administration. Once the facility becomes under the PSC’s management and control, Ramirez said they can either call it the Olympic Village or the Philippine Sports Institute. The proposed facility will have a PSC administration building, a track oval and bleacher section at first. Meanwhile, commissioner Ramon Fernandez said he is glad that he and the four commissioners have finally gotten confirmation from Malacañang. “This is our first official day. We will now read through the memos and look at papers to catch up on the requests,” said Fernandez, who was around with fellow commissioners Celia Kiram, Charles Maxey and Arnold Agustin.

Favorites rule chess

Phoenix’s Eugene Phelps tries to score against Kelly Williams.

Talk ‘N Text Katropa stay clean markers. Chris Rosales had 13 and Jayson Castro hit 11 for more firepower. Talk ‘N Text improved further to 6-0 STILL unscathed. League-leading TNT Katropa hardly and remained the only team unbeaten as broke a sweat when it sent Phoenix back it moved closer to a berth in the quarterto earth with a resounding 124-117 domi- finals, while Phoenix had its two-game winning streak halted and nance for its sixth straight Game Today fell to 2-4 in the standings. win to continue its flawless (Panabo, Davao Del Norte) “Mike (Madanly) made campaign in the 2016 Phil5 p.m. - Alaska vs. Star shots to break the game ippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Ynares Center open,” said coach Jong Uichico of his prized Asian reinforcement. “We had a in Antipolo City Friday night. Asian import Michael Madanly pro- defensive mindset in the second half and duced his best game of his PBA career, it worked. This is a good win for us. We leading the Texters with a team-high 30 want to win as many games as we can.” The final score was closer than what points to spearhead his TNT’s charge. Mychal Ammons also had a fine actually transpired throughout the secouting, scoring 22 points in his second ond half wherein the Tropang Texters game as the Tropa’s regular import, completely imposed their will on the while Ranidel De Ocampo added 17 Fuel Masters.

By Jeric Lopez

CARL Sato sustained his form and topped the juniors division while Adrian de Luna ruled the kiddies play and Ray Batucan reigned in the seniors division as the top seeds dominated the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship Southern Mindanao leg held at SM Ecoland Event Center in Davao City last Sunday. Sato, a stalwart of Panabo City’s A.O. Floirendo National HS in Panabo City, outduelled erstwhile co-leader and No. 2 Ronald Canino at the resumption of play, defeated Mantilla with the black pieces in the seventh, halved the point with Kristensen Banguiran in the penultimate round then crushed Romeo Canino to emerge solo winner in the 13-16 category with 8.5 points. Mantilla, playing out of University of Mindanao, outclassed Fiona Guirhem in the sixth round then bounced back from his seventh round defeat with victories over Ronald Canino and Kurt Placencia to finish second with eight points and clinched the other berth in the national finals of the event sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.

International passengers increase 5% B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

DBS Bank hikes PH growth forecast

FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY BRIEFING. The Anti-Money

Laundering Council Secretariat holds its first Fintech briefing at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas where FINTQ chief executive Lito Villanueva (second from right) along with officials from Voyager Innovations shared their insights on trends around financial technology, the corresponding challenges and opportunities and appropriate regulatory responses to emerging innovations. With Villanueva are (from left) AMLC Secretariat deputy director George Tan, executive director Julia Bacay-Abad and Voyager Innovations and PayMaya Philippines head of compliance and regulations Julie Reyes.

By Julito G. Rada

PSe comPoSite index Closing August 19, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,930.75 22.06

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing AUGUST 19, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.480

44.00

43.00

HIGH P46.300 LOW P46.480 AVERAGE P46.389 VOLUME 535.000M

P400-P640.00 LPG/11-kg tank P34.15-P41.20 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.35-P27.75 Diesel P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, August 19, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

46.3060

Japan

Yen

0.010013

0.4637

Pound

1.317000

60.9850

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128986

5.9728

Switzerland

Franc

1.048438

48.5490

Canada

Dollar

0.782473

36.2332

Singapore

Dollar

0.746770

34.5799

Australia

Dollar

0.768500

35.5862

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655408

122.9613

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266745

12.3519

Brunei

Dollar

0.743992

34.4513

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028902

1.3383

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.6092

Euro

1.135600

52.5851

Korea

Won

0.000903

0.0418

China

Yuan

0.150750

6.9806

India

Rupee

0.014966

0.6930

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.250470

11.5983

New Zealand

Dollar

0.729000

33.7571

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031841

1.4744 Source: PDS Bridge

Ongpin makes final bid to rescue PhilWeb By Jenniffer B. Austria

USINESSMAN Roberto Ongpin on Friday asked state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to use P20 billion worth of his shares in PhilWeb Corp. to build a nationwide network of drug rehabilitation centers. Ongpin said in a letter to Pagcor chief executive Andrea Domingo the amended proposal was his ﬁnal attempt to save PhilWeb and more than 6,000 jobs that would be affected by the non-renewal of the company’s gaming license. “I am a ﬁrm believer in the president’s drive against the drug menace. And as he has pointed out, the elimination of drug lords and drug pushers will not succeed unless this is complemented by an effective drug rehabilitation program,” Ongpin

said. “While one could agree that gambling is undesirable, nothing could be more precocious than drug menace which destroys the very fabric of our youth and our society and which admirably, the President has chosen to be his ﬁrst priority,” Ongpin said. Ongpin said Pagcor could choose to accept his donated PhilWeb shares and thereafter sell the said shares to raise the money needed to build rehabilitation centers. Ongpin said while his stake in

PhilWeb was now worth between P4 billion and P5 billion after its share price dropped signiﬁcantly over recent weeks, his 771 million PhilWeb shares could be worth as much as P20 billion under normal circumstances. He said even before President Rodrigo Duterte named him as one of the country’s oligarchs that his administration wanted to destroy, PhilWeb had already engaged in a serious study of drug rehabilitation centers. It identiﬁed a 2.1-hectare property near Atimonan, Quezon as an ideal site for rehabilitation site, he said. Ongpin said PhilWeb also appropriated P100 million per year plus up to P3 million per month to maintain and sustain this rehabilitation center. Ongpin on Wednesday offered to donate 49 percent of shareholdings in PhilWeb to Pagcor

and the remaining 4.7 percent to Ateneo de Manila University JVO Scholarship Foundation. Pagcor, however, rejected Ongpin’s offer citing the President Duterte’s stance against online or on-site electronic gaming. “This issue is not RVO or PhilWeb per se. It is the President’s and his government’s opposition to on-line and on-site electronic gaming because of the social ills and decay they foist on our communities as they cater to the more economically vulnerable portion of our population,” Pagcor said. Ongpin said he was hoping that Pagcor would ﬁnally accept his amended proposal. “I hope that I will be forgiven for this one last attempt. It is a sincere attempt and no beneﬁt whatsoever will accrue to me since I have already committed to donate all my shares,” Ongpin said.

Balance of payments yields $848-m surplus THE country’s balance of payments posted a $215-million surplus in July, down by 39 percent from the $354-million surplus registered a year ago, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday. Data from Bangko Sentral showed the July ﬁgure was also 49-percent lower than $418-million surplus in June. This brought the BoP position in the ﬁrst seven months to $848-million surplus, down from $2.038-billion surplus in the same period last year. BoP summarizes the country’s

economic transactions with the rest of the world, with a surplus indicating that foreign exchange inflows exceed outflows. “The BoP surplus for July is the third month of continued surplus position after four consecutive months of BOP shortfall, reflecting the very volatile global financial market that saw foreign capital moving out to safe haven territories,” Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said in a statement. Guinigundo said the resilient remittances and business process outsourcing revenues sup-

ported by strong foreign direct and portfolio investments represented the underlying dynamics of the BoP surplus in the ﬁrst seven months. “This is also reﬂected in the BSP’s favorable foreign exchange operations and investments as well as deposits of FX [foreign exchange] by NG [national government] with the BSP despite debt servicing of public debt,” Guinigundo said. Remittances rose 4.8 percent to $2.334 billion in June from $2.227 billion a year ago as the demand for local skilled work-

ers abroad remained steady. This brought cash remittances in the ﬁrst half to $13.192 billion, or 3.2 percent higher than $12.782 billion in the same period last year. Guinigundo said if the momentum continued for the seven-month cumulative surplus of $848 million, “we expect that the $2-billion forecast for the entire year of 2016 is doable.” “This external payments surplus is the fundamental basis of the broadly stable exchange rate of the peso,” he said. Julito G. Rada

ABS-CBN set to open two studios in Bulacan in 2017 By Darwin G. Amojelar ABS-CBN Corp. is set to open two Hollywood-style studios in Bulacan province by the middle of 2017, a senior executive said Friday. “The two sound stages, hopefully by middle of next year, are a very exciting development. The amount of savings and the efficiency, if you have a sound stage, is huge,” ABS-CBN Group chief financial officer Ron Valdueza said. Valdueza said the company spent P2 billion for the two sound stages on a 15-hectare lot in San Jose del Monte City. The network said it aimed to save about 65 percent to 75 percent in shooting location

costs, with the construction of the modern sound stages. About 80 percent of ABSCBN’s production is remote and only 20 percent is shot in studio. “If the turnout is really good, then we will fast track another two sound stages by next year. We can easily build 10 sound stages in Bulacan,” Valdueza said. The Lopez-led media and entertainment company earlier reported a net proﬁt of P2.1 billion in January to June, up 76 percent from P1.2 billion in the same period last year. Consolidated revenues reached P20.9 billion in the ﬁrst half, up 19 percent from P17.67 billion a year earlier.

EO EXECUTIVE’S AWARD. Vision care provider EO Executive Optical receives one of the highest accolades from world-renowned publication Reader’s Digest – the Platinum Trusted Brand Award for the eye center category in 2016. Shown is EO Executive Optical assistant vice president for ﬁnance administration Rhyan Uy (right) receiving the award from Reader’s Digest managing director for Asia Paciﬁc Walter Beyleveldt.

DBS Bank of Singapore upgraded its 2016 growth forecast for the Philippines to 6.6 percent from the previous estimate of 6.3 percent, saying domestic components are “firing on all cylinders.” DBS adjusted the forecast a day after the government reported that second-quarter gross domestic product grew 7 percent, bringing the first-half print to 6.9 percent, which was near the upper bound of the Duterte administration’s target range of 6 percent to 7 percent. “[Second-quarter] GDP growth came in robust at 7 percent year-on-year, well above our expectations. The economy has grown 6.9 percent in first half alone, driven by a strong expansion across all the domestic components of the GDP. The impact from the May elections turned out to be way more significant than what we had thought initially,” DBS said in a report Friday. “Even if we factor in some moderation in the second half of 2016, full-year GDP growth is now likely to come in at 6.6 percent, versus our previous forecast at 6.3 percent. That the domestic economy is firing on all cylinders was obvious enough,” the bank said. Government data showed that private consumption grew 7.3 percent in April to June while government consumption expanded 13.5 percent. Investment growth came in at 27.2 percent.

IFC allots $161m in biomass projects By Alena Mae S. Flores THE International Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank Group, is investing $161 million in three biomass power plants in Negros Occidental being developed by Bronzeoak Philippines. IFC said in a statement the project was expected to generate 70 megawatts of clean renewable energy for the country. It said the projects were also supported by the government of Canada and Clean Technology Fund. The power plants are being built in the towns of Manapla, San Carlos and La Carlota and will convert sugarcane waste into electricity using a low carbonemitting process called circulating ﬂuidized bed boiler technology. “Energy is central to the country’s development, and the Philippines needs to further diversify and secure its energy sources. Converting agricultural waste to biomass power is a sustainable way of creating economic value while caring for the environment,” IFC country manager Yuan Xu said. The Clean Technology Fund and the government of Canada’s contribution to the project through the IFC-Canada Climate Change Program helped make the biomass investment viable.

Business

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market declines; Semirara up S

TOCKS fell Friday, as investors treaded carefully and grew cautious before next week’s speech by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, shed 22 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 7,930.75. Despite the loss, the bellwether was still up 14.1 percent since the start of the year. The heavier index, representing all shares, also dropped 10 points, or 0.2 percent, to settle at 4,697.50, on value turnover of P8.7 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 107 to 92, while 45 issues were unchanged. Seven of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Semirara Mining and Power Corp. which climbed 5.9 percent to P112 and DMCI Holdings Inc. which advanced 3.9 percent to P12.70. Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. rose 2.3 percent to P12.66.

PhilWeb Corp., the gaming company led by businessman Roberto Ongpin, slid 35.7 percent to P5.66. Meanwhile, Asian stocks markets moved cautiously in early trade Friday despite a positive lead from Wall Street and further overnight gains in the price of oil. US and European markets ticked up overnight, supported by a dovish outlook for US interest rates and some healthy post-Brexit data in Britain. The oil price has also continued its upward trend, with Brent crude holding above $50 a barrel on ofﬁcial data showing lower US crude stockpiles and hints of a possible production freeze. But traders treaded carefully Friday morning, with Asian markets moving in and out of positive territory. Tokyo was ﬂat by the break, even as the yen eased against the dollar, with the greenback changing hands at 100.19 yen against 99.94 yen Thursday in New York. A weaker yen is a plus for Japan’s exporters,

as it boosts the overseas proﬁtability of exporters. Hong Kong fell 0.3 percent, reversing early gains as casino companies Sands China and Galaxy Entertainment both plunged more than three percent. Shanghai, Seoul, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur were all down, while Sydney was up 0.1 percent and Wellington rose 0.2 percent. Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s July meeting released Wednesday have pushed global stocks higher by suggesting that policymakers were unlikely to go ahead with an imminent interest rate hike. In Europe, stocks advanced Thursday after British retail sales surged by 1.4 percent last month, indicating there was no immediate fallout from the June vote to pull out of the European Union. Some energy stocks in Asia got a lift after the oil price rally continued overnight -holding above the psychological $50 mark, which it reached Thursday for the ﬁrst time since early July. With AFP, Bloomberg

Maynilad’s water supply stabilizes By Anna Leah E. Gonzales WEST zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. said Friday water service in its concession area has stabilized except for portions of Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque and Cavite. Maynilad said it continued the system adjustments needed to ﬁll up reservoirs in the south. Maynilad earlier reduced water production at La Mesa treatment plants 1 and 2 because of high turbidity level of raw water

THE STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2016

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 0.92 2.6 890 1.01 100 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.74 1.02 625 0.225 78 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 59 2.65

AG Finance 3.45 Asia United Bank 47.7 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 113.90 Bank of PI 104.70 China Bank 38.15 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 3.80 Bright Kindle Resources 1.48 COL Financial 16.5 Eastwest Bank 21.55 First Abacus 0.7 I-Remit Inc. 1.92 Manulife Fin. Corp. 600.00 MEDCO Holdings 0.630 Metrobank 89.8 PB Bank 14.68 Phil Bank of Comm 24.00 Phil. National Bank 60.60 Phil. Savings Bank 100.7 PSE Inc. 280 RCBC `A’ 32.3 Security Bank 215.8 Union Bank 73.25 Vantage Equities 1.49

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 148

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 32

20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 26 2.17

15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.37 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 10.02 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp. 45.85 Agrinurture Inc. 3.2 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.83 Alsons Cons. 1.8 Asiabest Group 12.82 C. Azuc De Tarlac 200.00 Cemex Holdings 12.38 Century Food 17.16 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 152.9 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 23.5 Concepcion 58 Crown Asia 2.24 Da Vinci Capital 5.69 Del Monte 12.5 DNL Industries Inc. 11.300 Emperador 7.69 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 6.00 EEI 9.22 Euro-Med Lab 1.8 First Gen Corp. 25.6 First Holdings ‘A’ 71.3 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.80 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.90 Integ. Micro-Electronics 7.4 Ionics Inc 2.320 Jollibee Foods Corp. 252.80 Liberty Flour 42.00 LMG Chemicals 1.96 Mabuhay Vinyl 4.05 Macay Holdings 30.00 Manila Water Co. Inc. 26.8 Maxs Group 32 Megawide 14 Mla. Elect. Co À’ 325.00 MG Holdings 0.260 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.99 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.4 Petron Corporation 11.32 Phinma Corporation 11.58 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.34 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.63 Pryce Corp. À’ 3.93 RFM Corporation 4.21 Roxas Holdings 3.7 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods À’ 223 Splash Corporation 3.04 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.157 TKC Steel Corp. 1.97 Trans-Asia Oil 2.35 Universal Robina 190 Victorias Milling 4.71 Vitarich Corp. 2.15 Vivant Corp. 31.25 Vulcan Ind’l. 1.25

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.225 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

Abacus Cons. À’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor À’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp À’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ Filinvest Dev. Corp. Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp. Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. LT Group Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. Pacifica À’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion San Miguel Corp À’ Seafront À’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.390 75.00 16.30 1.25 6.16 0.390 0.380 895 9.07 12.22 6.05 7.00 0.219 1530 6.54 82.20 7.75 0.79 17.7 7.3 0.0370 1.210 1.900 85.75 2.26 695.00 1.38 0.96 210.000 0.3150 0.2050 0.285

10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 5.6 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72

6.74 12 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 2.8 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39

8990 HLDG Anchor Land Holdings Inc. A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop À’ Arthaland Corp. Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. À’ Cebu Holdings Cebu Prop. À’ Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. À’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp. Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport À’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp. Phil. Realty À’

7.950 5.67 1.27 2.880 0.270 41.200 3.11 5.15 5.6 0.590 1.01 1.050 0.166 0.650 59.7 0.800 0.146 1.09 1.94 1.20 4.89 0.126 0.2900 0.435

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.45 3.24 47.7 47.5 113.90 111.30 105.00 104.70 38.3 38.15 3.80 3.70 1.51 1.46 16.76 16.3 21.9 21.2 0.93 0.65 1.95 1.87 580.00 580.00 0.760 0.620 90 89.25 14.7 14.7 24.00 24.00 60.60 60.05 100 100.2 280 279 32.4 32.2 215.8 211 73.50 73.25 1.55 1.5 INDUSTRIAL 46.65 45.9 3.21 3 0.83 0.82 1.82 1.79 14.48 12.92 207.80 189.00 12.72 12.38 17.24 16.8 158.9 147 23.5 23.2 59.85 58 2.24 2.22 5.78 5.66 12.7 12.5 11.320 11.140 7.77 7.62 6.05 5.98 9.25 8.99 1.79 1.71 25.6 25.1 72.6 71.4 12.80 12.20 16.00 15.96 7.79 6.7 2.350 2.300 253.00 252.00 41.00 41.00 2 1.95 4.15 4.06 30.00 27.20 27 26.5 32.9 31.7 14.5 14 314.60 310.00 0.270 0.260 5.05 4.80 3.5 3.39 11.46 11.34 11.60 11.50 6.38 6.22 1.70 1.63 4.04 3.85 4.21 4.20 3.7 3.7 223.2 220 3.05 3.04 0.155 0.153 2.03 1.95 2.40 2.33 192.9 190.6 4.69 4.35 2.25 2.15 34.95 34.90 1.24 1.23 HOLDING FIRMS 0.395 0.385 76.50 75.50 16.28 16.00 1.25 1.22 6.24 6.18 0.410 0.385 0.405 0.375 899 893 9.1 8.78 12.88 12.26 6.59 6.28 7.08 7.05 0.215 0.215 1547 1525 6.50 6.31 82.25 81.85 7.77 7.63 0.79 0.77 17.98 17.38 7.3 7.25 0.0370 0.0350 1.210 1.210 1.910 1.900 85.00 83.60 2.28 2.28 694.00 685.00 1.39 1.36 0.95 0.95 210.000 206.000 0.3250 0.3050 0.2050 0.1990 0.285 0.275 PROPERTY 8.000 7.950 7.00 6.99 1.27 1.25 2.980 2.810 0.270 0.260 41.200 41.000 3.11 3.07 5.11 5.04 5.99 5.6 0.6 0.570 1.07 1.07 1.040 1.000 0.168 0.160 0.670 0.640 59.95 59.15 0.800 0.780 0.146 0.146 1.10 1.08 1.95 1.93 1.20 1.13 4.98 4.85 0.129 0.123 0.2900 0.2550 0.460 0.425

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.45 47.6 113.20 105.00 38.3 3.70 1.50 16.4 21.25 0.78 1.87 580.00 0.690 89.8 14.7 24.00 60.60 100.2 280 32.3 215.6 73.40 1.5

0.00 -0.21 -0.61 0.29 0.39 -2.63 1.35 -0.61 -1.39 11.43 -2.60 -3.33 9.52 0.00 0.14 0.00 0.00 -0.50 0.00 0.00 -0.09 0.20 0.67

118,000 10,700 2,287,560 7,878,880 26,800 29,000 189,000 36,300 567,200 35,015,000 341,000 20 42,534,000 2,631,590 1,400 1,400 61,210 220 102,600 182,400 1,117,780 51,870 56,000

46.4 3.13 0.83 1.8 14.18 207.80 12.66 16.84 147 23.5 59.85 2.23 5.78 12.7 11.300 7.72 6.00 8.99 1.79 25.2 72.2 12.20 16.00 6.75 2.320 252.60 41.00 2 4.15 29.75 26.5 32.1 14.24 313.00 0.270 4.80 3.5 11.36 11.50 6.33 1.68 3.86 4.21 3.7 220.2 3.05 0.153 1.99 2.36 191.5 4.68 2.24 34.90 1.24

1.20 -2.19 0.00 0.00 10.61 3.90 2.26 -1.86 -3.86 0.00 3.19 -0.45 1.58 1.60 0.00 0.39 0.00 -2.49 -0.56 -1.56 1.26 -4.69 0.63 -8.78 0.00 -0.08 -2.38 2.04 2.47 -0.83 -1.12 0.31 1.71 -3.69 3.85 -3.81 2.94 0.35 -0.69 -0.16 3.07 -1.78 0.00 0.00 -1.26 0.33 -2.55 1.02 0.43 0.79 -0.64 4.19 11.68 -0.80

1,255,200 2,444,000 101,000 1,730,000 10,700 30 17,174,600 1,025,800 2,070 12,475,600 110 346,000 201,600 61,900 2,139,900 974,600 11,067,100 2,344,300 10,000 840,500 249,060 1,500 14,700 9,146,300 1,327,000 327,810 200 343,000 35,000 1,700 620,200 585,000 6,177,100 374,480 660,000 6,000 634,000 7,204,200 50,000 1,757,100 251,000 2,241,000 88,000 22,000 590 70,000 4,540,000 1,012,000 1,244,000 2,783,760 12,000 45,104,000 200 48,000

0.390 75.65 16.04 1.22 6.18 0.390 0.385 896 8.81 12.70 6.28 7.05 0.215 1530 6.49 82.00 7.77 0.78 17.38 7.29 0.0360 1.210 1.900 84.00 2.28 688.00 1.37 0.95 207.000 0.3100 0.2010 0.285

0.00 0.87 -1.60 -2.40 0.32 0.00 1.32 0.11 -2.87 3.93 3.80 0.71 -1.83 0.00 -0.76 -0.24 0.26 -1.27 -1.81 -0.14 -2.70 0.00 0.00 -2.04 0.88 -1.01 -0.72 -1.04 -1.43 -1.59 -1.95 0.00

100,000 1,498,090 3,191,300 32,000 39,500 10,480,000 7,820,000 94,680 2,304,000 10,612,600 6,200 10,900 500,000 158,310 14,100 1,287,080 1,323,100 153,000 4,008,000 35,599,200 10,100,000 10,000 19,200 340,810 1,000 210,270 370,000 3,000 8,450 4,290,000 1,090,000 20,000

7.990 6.99 1.25 2.950 0.260 41.100 3.1 5.11 5.6 0.570 1.07 1.000 0.160 0.650 59.95 0.800 0.146 1.08 1.94 1.14 4.88 0.128 0.2900 0.450

0.50 23.28 -1.57 2.43 -3.70 -0.24 -0.32 -0.78 0.00 -3.39 5.94 -4.76 -3.61 0.00 0.42 0.00 0.00 -0.92 0.00 -5.00 -0.20 1.59 0.00 3.45

1,513,300 3,200 1,128,000 2,037,000 2,100,000 6,278,900 1,881,000 32,700 59,900 7,548,000 2,000 503,000 20,980,000 8,570,000 685,760 453,000 170,000 3,394,000 2,532,000 1,364,000 56,123,000 3,160,000 240,000 88,000

500,150.00 -126,073,069 34,506,535.00

-332,052.00 -152,120.00 -3,550 -898,700.00 -106,554,905.50 -387,713.00 -27,216,000.00 923,375 -14,757,570.00 305,247.50 26,305,400.00 15,600.00

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

High

27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp. Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

40.00 3.32 30.25 1.76 3.28 29.30 0.96 6.85 1.030 6.340

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 4 1700 2720 8.41

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 2.58 830 1600 5.95

70.5 1.97 119.5 7 12.5 0.017

17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 95.5 2.46 15.2

0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 3.1 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 8.8 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp. Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. À’ IPeople Inc. À’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp. Manila Broadcasting Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp. Pacific Online Sys. Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp. SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Yehey

7.21 50.2 1.26 0.590 11.5 5.65 6.42 0.0950 2.76 122.5 9.75 2.29 5.40 3.04 942 2150 6.31 16.70 20.40 1.39 82 20.40 11.58 0.0087 9.25 0.295 1.5300 3.56 5.80 2.80 1.03 2.30 20.10 1.99 3.89 5.30 3.930 11.38 6.10 9.9 130.00 8.80 1809.00 0.435 0.960 45.00 80.50 6.38 3.25 0.620 3.51 6.450

Low

39.00 39.00 3.47 3.26 30.25 29.90 1.78 1.68 3.29 3.29 29.30 28.50 0.97 0.92 7.05 6.5 1.050 1.020 6.600 6.300 SERVICES 7.21 7.16 50.5 50.1 1.26 1.26 0.600 0.580 11.6 11.3 5.75 5.55 6.50 6.24 0.0970 0.0950 2.79 2.73 123 121 9.5 9.1 2.32 2.1 5.45 5.00 3.05 3.03 941 941 2158 2126 6.37 6.30 16.66 15.80 20.40 20.40 1.38 1.33 81.05 79.85 22.00 20.15 11.6 11.06 0.0087 0.0087 9.30 9.25 0.310 0.295 1.5500 1.4500 3.63 3.45 5.80 4.50 3.04 2.85 1.09 1.02 2.40 2.30 21.45 19.08 1.99 1.99 4.18 3.82 5.40 5.30 4.040 3.870 11.38 11.26 6.10 5.82 9.2 8.52 130.00 130.00 6.58 4.51 1850.00 1798.00 0.455 0.435 1.020 0.950 46.00 45.25 82.50 81.00 6.35 6.28 3.28 3.21 0.640 0.620 3.51 3.49 6.490 6.030

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

39.00 3.37 30.00 1.69 3.29 28.65 0.94 7.05 1.030 6.360

-2.50 1.51 -0.83 -3.98 0.30 -2.22 -2.08 2.92 0.00 0.32

700 2,112,000 3,553,800 877,000 70,000 18,296,000 1,511,000 9,200 222,000 12,094,800

7.16 50.3 1.26 0.600 11.6 5.75 6.44 0.0950 2.74 122 9.13 2.1 5.06 3.05 941 2146 6.37 15.80 20.40 1.36 80.6 21.00 11.58 0.0087 9.30 0.300 1.4900 3.5 4.60 2.90 1.02 2.35 21.45 1.99 4.18 5.40 3.910 11.26 6.09 9.19 130.00 5.66 1824.00 0.440 1.020 45.40 82.00 6.35 3.24 0.640 3.5 6.390

-0.69 0.20 0.00 1.69 0.87 1.77 0.31 0.00 -0.72 -0.41 -6.36 -8.30 -6.30 0.33 -0.11 -0.19 0.95 -5.39 0.00 -2.16 -1.71 2.94 0.00 0.00 0.54 1.69 -2.61 -1.69 -20.69 3.57 -0.97 2.17 6.72 0.00 7.46 1.89 -0.51 -1.05 -0.16 -7.17 0.00 -35.68 0.83 1.15 6.25 0.89 1.86 -0.47 -0.31 3.23 -0.28 -0.93

74,300 68,640 40,000 3,271,000 81,500 76,500 10,602,100 36,460,000 1,434,000 538,520 16,100 67,000 284,100 6,000 150 33,825 72,800 451,600 900 299,000 7,521,170 120,600 6,900 14,000,000 1,580,000 27,600,000 2,424,000 98,000 6,936,400 586,000 23,000 28,000 3,700 2,000 20,299,000 3,391,400 5,592,000 45,000 149,300 1,200 510 22,270,800 163,640 650,000 91,098,000 749,000 1,247,590 284,600 2,474,000 2,944,000 794,000 48,400

0.0040 3.12 4.00 9.62 0.215 2.2100 0.58 0.425 8.31 0.840 0.275 0.198 0.217 0.0110 0.0110 1.7 5.74 2.74 1.0300 0.0120 0.0120 4.14 8.74 3.90 0.0130 112.00 3.54 0.0095

0.00 0.65 -6.76 0.00 -4.44 -1.78 -1.69 -1.16 2.85 -1.18 0.00 -1.00 0.46 0.00 -8.33 0.00 0.70 0.37 3.00 9.09 9.09 4.55 0.46 0.26 8.33 5.86 -3.01 -3.06

61,000,000 288,000 26,000 1,600 560,000 106,000 224,000 430,000 10,000 6,628,000 60,000 4,130,000 420,000 23,900,000 100,000 655,000 9,706,000 16,000 225,000 2,200,000 2,000,000 49,000 2,245,700 2,151,000 26,000,000 2,418,680 209,000 8,000,000

50.4 538 104 119 527 6.08 1 1040 1038 81.5 78 79 79 77.25 77.7

0.50 0.09 -0.48 0.00 0.00 -0.16 -2.91 0.00 0.78 0.49 2.23 0.00 0.00 -0.39 0.00

106,330 1,100 75,360 4,000 5,950 10,000 8,994,000 1,200 1,930 5,620 26,500 50,000 810 121,400 109,200

2.000

-5.21

2,548,000

4.75 4.1 5.13 16.2

-2.46 -3.30 -1.54 -0.98

2,402,000 13,000 367,400 3,325,100

131.3

0.46

4,300

6,600.00 -41,560,620.00 -272,028,320.00 1,900.00 -45,120.00 4,044,229.00 -82,820.00

840,860.00 -29,643,511.00 137,000.00 -3,980,248.00

6,100.00 6,006,470.00

MS -1,714,980.00

49,445,850.00 -6,910,496.00 1,636,690.00 2,220.00

13,482,280.00 -1,973,016.00 1,824,771.00 -862,018.00 -7,188,870.00 -1,636,131.50 1,746,111.00 23,200.00 -8,844,242.00

24,000.00 -1,796,880.00 -5,076,000.00 3,631,124.00 -7,454,546.00

1,583,850.00 30,529,830.00 -626,995.00

440,070.00 235,700.00 -59,594.00

15,300.00 1,970.00 42,640.00 108,203,438 -64,970.00

-18,323.50 3,414,810.00

112,500.00 84,812,005 8,559,218.00 -34,631,328.00

-33,303,665.00

-18,901,100.00 3,033,604.00 -12,937,944.00 8,891,502.00 -7,000.00

-16,320,869.00

11.6 7.59 0.85 0.63 10 5 1.9 1.14 MINING & OIL 0.0098 0.0043 5.45 1.72 17.24 6.47 25 9.43 0.330 0.236 12.7 6.5 1.19 0.85 1.62 0.77 9.5 5.99 4.2 1.17 0.48 0.305 0.420 0.2130 0.440 0.2160 0.022 0.013 0.023 0.014 8.2 3.240 49.2 18.96 4.27 2.11 3.06 1.54 0.020 0.012 0.021 0.013 7.67 5.4 12.88 7.26 10.42 2.27 0.040 0.015 420 115.9 9 3.67 0.016 0.0100 70 553

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ DD Pref 101.5 First Gen G 480 GLOBE PREF P 5.88 GMA Holdings Inc. 6.5 Leisure and Resort 997 PCOR-Preferred A 1011 PF Pref 2 75 SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I

50.15 537.5 104.5 119 527 6.09 1.03 1040 1030 81.1 76.3 79 79 77.55 77.7

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

2.110

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

120 515 8.21 12.28 1060 1047 84.8

34,107,080.00 -13,700.00

2,272,007.00 6,285.00 -796,500.00 52,000.00 26,393,070.00 -762,820.00

33 490

131,000.00 12,353,350.00

1,078,540.00 17,340.00 -56,593,970.00 12,300.00

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp. Italpinas Xurpas

TRADING SUMMARY

-1,877,800.00 45,450.00

Abra Mining 0.0040 Apex À’ 3.10 Atlas Cons. À’ 4.29 Atok-Big Wedge À’ 9.62 Basic Energy Corp. 0.225 Benguet Corp À’ 2.2500 Century Peak Metals Hldgs0.59 Coal Asia 0.430 Dizon 8.08 Ferronickel 0.850 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.275 Lepanto À’ 0.200 Lepanto `B’ 0.216 Manila Mining À’ 0.0110 Manila Mining `B’ 0.0120 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.7 Nickelasia 5.7 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.73 Oriental Peninsula Res. 1.0000 Oriental Pet. À’ 0.0110 Oriental Pet. `B’ 0.0110 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 3.96 Philex À’ 8.70 PhilexPetroleum 3.89 Philodrill Corp. À’ 0.0120 Semirara Corp. 105.80 TA Petroleum 3.65 United Paragon 0.0098

FINANCIAL

93,242,892

INDUSTRIAL

143,455,661

HOLDING FIRMS

96,252,608

PROPERTY

161,188,851

SERVICES

281,308,656

MINING & OIL

154,233,333

GRAND TOTAL

935,802,159

4.87 4.24 5.21 16.36 130.7

0.0041 0.0040 3.29 3.06 4.21 4.00 9.62 9.62 0.218 0.210 2.29 2.11 0.59 0.58 0.425 0.425 8.70 8.02 0.850 0.820 0.280 0.275 0.200 0.198 0.217 0.217 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 1.72 1.64 5.86 5.6 2.75 2.69 1.0300 1.0000 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 4.17 4.14 8.76 8.64 4.03 3.90 0.0130 0.0120 113.00 106.00 3.7 3.54 0.0096 0.0095 PREFERRED 51 50 538 535 104.4 103.8 119 119 527 525 6.08 6.08 1.02 1 1050 1040 1038 1037 81.5 81.5 78 77 79 79 79 79 77.55 77.25 77.8 77.7 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.130 1.890 SME 4.88 4.68 4.26 4.03 5.21 5.1 16.4 15.64 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 131.3 130

86,452,157.50

-4,650,000.00 -60,500.00 -36,960.00

-2,082,065 -5,980.00

-15,688,870.00 -4,770,302.00 2,275,800.00

240,000.00 -52,000.00 936,741.00 -67,949,155.00 -46,697,920.00 19,263,745.00 -14,845,010.00 1,789,110.00

-2,519,610.00

-12,210.00

3,526,800.00

20,888,201.00

3,322,937.00 88,910.00 64,823,209.00

2,582,205.00

-34,656.00 15,150.00

-458,030

251,450.00 -25,714,910.00

VALUE 1,833.69 (DOWN) 1.45 1,676,932,114.44 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 12,147.38 (DOWN) 16.17 1,994,263,750.632 HOLDING FIRMS 7,846.63 (DOWN) 21.64 1,350,436,183.847 PROPERTY 3,591.57 (DOWN) 32.22 1,590.32 (UP) 0.20 1,376,458,580.737 SERVICES MINING & OIL 10,562.00 (UP) 207.04 1,845,561,494.4971 PSEI 7,930.75 (DOWN) 22.06 364,372,410.6524 All Shares Index 4,697.50 (DOWN) 10.08 8,675,058,393.8362 Gainers: 92; Losers: 107; Unchanged: 45; Total: 234

coming from Ipo Dam. Normal turbidity at Ipo Dam is 300 nethelometric turbidity units. The level has increased to 1,600 NTU, forcing Maynilad to reduce the output of the two treatment plans by 400 million liters per day to remove the increased sediments from the raw water. The situation adversely affected water service to about 850,000 accounts or 66 percent of the west zone, particularly those in elevated areas. Maynilad said for three days now, the turbidity of raw water in Ipo Dam remained within the manageable average level of 300 NTU despite sustained rain over the Ipo watershed. Turbidity even decreased to 100 NTU Thursday.This enabled Maynilad to maintain the production of La Mesa treatment plants at the normal average of 2,000 million liters per day. Maynilad said given the constant normal output for three days, it was able to ﬁll up reservoirs and stabilize water supply delivery to areas previously affected by the reduced production. System adjustments continue as Maynilad ﬁlls up reservoirs in the south serving Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque and Cavite. Maynilad said water tankers were still available to deliver potable water to affected areas.

ALI set to sell P10-b bonds By Jenniffer B. Austria PROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. said Friday it plans to raise P10 billion from a bond offering. Ayala Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board approved the issuance of P3 billion worth of Homestarter bonds and P7 billion worth of fixed-rate bonds to be issued under the company’s P50-billion shelf registration program. The planned P3 billion Homestarter bonds will be the seventh tranche to be issued by Ayala Land since the program was launched in 2006. Homestarter Bonds is program that aims to provide opportunities for people to purchase real estate products. It is an interest-earning financial instrument that primarily targets retail investors who wish to set aside funds that may be used as full or partial downpayment in the purchase of an Ayala Land property. Meanwhile, the P7-billion fixed-rate bonds will be the second tranche to be issued from the company’s P50billion shelf registration program approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission in March 2016. The property firm issued an initial tranche of 10-year bonds worth P8 billion in April. Ayala Land earmarked P85 billion for 2016 capital expenditures to support planned residential, malls and office developments, including new estates. The company’s aggressive spending program is consistent with its positive outlook on the domestic retail market.

Business

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

International passengers rise 5% tics Board showed international passenger traffic reached 5.61 in January to March, up NTERNATIONAL passengers served by air- million from 5.34 million passengers in lines in the Philippines increased 5 percent in the same period last year. International carriers flew 2.65 the first quarter from a year ago. million passengers in the first three months while Philippine The moderate growth in pas- try’s main international gate- carriers served 2.95 million intersenger traffic was traced to slots way, according to the airline national passengers. “We have to turn away foreign limitation at Ninoy Aquino In- industry regulator. ternational Airport, the counData from the Civil Aeronau- airlines because of the slots limi-

By Darwin G. Amojelar

tation at Naia,” CAB executive director Carmelo Arcilla said. Philippines Airlines carried the most number of international passengers at 1.55 million in the three-month period, up form 1.46 million passengers last year. This was followed by Cebu Paciﬁc with 1.12 million passengers, a 34-percent increase from 837,942 passengers it carried last year.

Philippines Air Asia flew 222,330 passengers, while PAL Express had 60,992 passengers. CAB earlier reported a 12-percent increase in domestic passengers to 5.84 million in the ﬁrst quarter from 5.23 million a year ago. Cebu Paciﬁc remained the leader in the domestic market with 3.03 million passengers,

followed by PAL Express with 1.15 million passengers and Philippines AirAsia with 657,102 passengers. PAL ﬂew 563,070 domestic passengers in the three-month period while CebGo carried 377,096 passengers. AirSwift Transport Inc. served 33,515 local passengers, while Magnum Air had 30,191 passengers in the ﬁrst three months.

Davao Oriental widens cacao area By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

BRIDGING THE GAP. Fujitsu Philippines Inc., a leading information technology solutions integrator, ties up with Aspect Software, a provider of fully integrated consumer engagement, workforce optimization and self-service solutions, to integrate its workforce management solutions to the existing Fujitsu cloud services in the country. Shown during the signing of the agreement are (from left) Aspect Software head of cloud business in Asia Paciﬁc Sanjay Gupta, Fujitsu Philippines head of managed services business unit Mark Pandy, Fujitsu Philippines chief executive Cricket Santiago, Aspec Software senior vice president for Asia Paciﬁc and the Middle East Jagannath Narendran and head of sales for Asean and Korea Richard Loberas.

Laguna opens water system By Roy Tomandao LAGUNA Water has opened one of the country’s largest groundwater facilities in the country at Laguna Technopark in Biñan City.

Laguna Water Well Field project was built at a cost of P1.6 billion to increase water supply in the agro-industrial province. Laguna Water general manager Jhon Melvin Tan said the centralized water system stretches 10,000 square meters, with a capacity to supply 100 million liters of water per day. About 12,000 households in Biñan City is currently connected to Laguna Well Field. This ﬁgure is expected to increase to 135,000 families in Biñan, Sta Rosa and Cabuyao by the ﬁrst quarter of 2017. An analysis conducted by UP National Hydraulic Research Center showed the Laguna Well Field project is in the right place for a source of drinking water. Laguna Water assured customers they would have continuous access to adequate and clean drinking water, as the company upgrades the processes and quality of drinking water in the province. Laguna Water is a successful public-private partnership between the provincial government of Laguna and Manila Water Company Inc.

DAVAO Oriental plans to plant cacao trees across 15,000 hectares in the province, according to an agriculture ofﬁcial. Davao Oriental provincial agriculturist Rotchie Ravelo said the plan was to plant three million trees in the expansion area. Ravelo disclosed the cacao expansion plan during the provincial cacao industry research and development extension consultation, promotion and investment forum in Mati City. The province also aims to improve tree productivity to increase farmers’ annual income from P80,000 to P90,000 per hectare. “Davao Oriental has a total of 4,657 hectares planted to cacao or intercropped with coconut and other crops producing 1,771 metric tons of non-fermented beans per year,” Ravelo said. “However, the number is decreasing since some of these trees are already old and no longer productive as before. Some trees were also cut and planted with other crops,” Ravelo said.

Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang said cacao industry was expected to be the next big thing in the province after coconut. “We are thankful to the Department of Agriculture in Region XI for providing us 1.6 million cacao planting materials which enabled us to expand our production areas,” Dayanghirang said. He said the provincial government would level-up cacao farmers from mere producers of beans to cacao processors and sell not just cacao beans but also cacao products such as tablea and processed chocolate which offer premium price. Dayanghirang said farmers should be familiar with and must observe good agricultural practices in their farms to meet international standards and be more competitive in the global market. “Our resources are not sufﬁcient but with the support of the national government particularly the DA, we can attain our vision for the cacao industry in the province,” Dayanghirang said.

Govt collection to rise despite income tax deduction By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE Finance Department said Friday it expects revenue collection to sustain growth in the long term, despite the implementation of a tax reform package that will reduce individual and income tax rates. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said in an interview over Bloomberg TV his agency would address the issue of revenue erosion in case the

tax reform program was implemented. “We are preparing our tax reform program that will lower tax rates for individuals and corporations. However, we have counter measure to cover those erosions in revenue and we would certainly end up with more revenue in the long run,” Dominguez said. Dominguez said earlier the Finance Department would submit a tax reform package to the House of Representatives in Sep-

tember. The tax reform package would include the reduction of corporate and individual tax rates from 30 percent to 25 percent and from 32 percent to 25 percent, respectively. Dominguez announced the plan to reduce the tax rates for both tax brackets in several tranches within a period of up to three years. He said to recover revenue losses, the Finance Department

was studying several ﬁnancing sources, such as adjusting to inﬂation the excise tax on petroleum products. The tax reform package also aims to increase excise tax on gasoline to P10 from the current P4.5 per liter and the excise tax on diesel from none to P6 per liter. The department earlier said it would review the tax exemptions amounting to about P144 billion annually.

Dominguez said the incentive program was costing the government at least P144 billion in tax perks and holidays to businesses. “This administration is committed to rationalizing tax incentives,” Dominguez said. “The government provides at least P144 billion in income tax perks and tax holidays. A truly serious study needs to be done about the relevance of many of those tax perks,” he said.

PSPC set to deliver 130m memory chips

MAKATI INNOVATION LAB. PLDT Inc. opens its newest innovation laboratory in Makati City, which takes to a higher level its pioneering commitment to deﬁne the future of telecommunications in the Philippines. PLDT Innolab is a world-class facility where innovative products and business solutions are tested and developed. Shown are PLDT executives and guests as they inspect the features of the cutting-edge facility.

CLARK FREEPORT—Listed semiconductor company Phoenix Semiconductor Philippines Corp. said production orders are expected to reach 130 million units of next-generation DDR4 8 and 4-gigabyte dynamic random access modules, flip-chip memory chips and memory cards in the third quarter of 2016. PSPC said sales revenues were also expected to return to $17 million to 18 million monthly in line with the start of commercial production of the next-generation memory devices in July. PSPC passed stringent production qualification certification from exclusive customer Samsung on July 11. “The successful migration of PSPC’s commercial-scale production to the next-gen memory technology is a milestone, and is testament to the outstanding manufacturing capability of the

Company,” said PSPC president Byeongchun Lee. PSPC completed the production and delivery of 7.6 million units of the new 8-Gig DDR4 memory devices in July. The chips are used in servers and high-end desktop PCs. It also produced 2 million units of the 4-Gig DDR4 devices during the month, which are mainly used in the new models of laptops that are now ﬁlling the shelves of electronics retailers and establishments around the world. Trial module production of the 8-Gig DDR4 DRAMs devices was started in April alongside the ramp-up of production systems. In line with the strategic partnership, Samsung provided the DRAM PCB assembly and turned them over to PSPC for module packaging and test. Initial shipments proved successful.

New tourism secretary cites accomplishments in first 50 days By Othel V. Campos TOURISM Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo on Friday cited the agency’s accomplishments in the ﬁrst 50 days of the Duterte administration. Among the Tourism Department’s achievements since June 30 were the the scrapping of the “processing fee” for the issuance of certiﬁcates of travel tax exemption and reduced travel tax that took effect on July

25, 2016, according to Teo. She also announced an ongoing inter-agency exploratory discussion on the proposal to integrate the airport terminal fee into the passenger’s airline ticket payment and a department proposal to remove unnecessary barriers and simplify travel regulations, to ease crowding and congestion at the airport terminals. The department also announced the holding of the

Miss Universe pageant in the Philippines next year, after President Rodrigo Duterte approved Teo’s proposal. The Philippines also embarked on an “exchange tourism” agreement with Thailand. The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports offered to create collaboration between the two countries on farm tourism, youth development and women and indigenous community projects. Teo met with the Thai Travel

Agents Association at Tawana Ramada Hotel where she personally encouraged the tour operators to send more Thai tourists to the Philippines. Teo, in a recent visit to a Fil-Am community in New Jersey, also asked the help of the community in promoting the Philippines including her advocacy of onetown-one product. She also cited medical tourism as a prime magnet for East Coast Fil-Am and non-Filipino

tourists, the enhancement of Filipino cuisine’s proﬁle as tourist attraction and the local governments’ participation in boosting tourism. Teo said DOT aimed to promote both domestic tourism and international tourism. “Filipinos should not be strangers in their own country. They should be able to see with their own eyes the bountiful beauty God has endowed this country,” she said.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Gadgets / Apps

POKEMON GO PLAYERS

have turned into the ‘walking dead’ Dozens of people gather to play Pokemon Go in front of the Sydney Opera House. The wildly popular mobile app, which is based on a 1990s Nintendo game, has created a global frenzy as players roam the real world looking for cartoon monsters and was launched in July. AFP

OME, Italy—An Italian bishop has threatened legal action against Pokemon Go, saying the “diabolical” game has turned its army of smartphone-wielding players into the “walking dead,” reports said Thursday.

Antonio Stagliano, the bishop of the southern town of Noto in Sicily, was quoted by several newspapers as saying he was ready to go to court to get the wildly popular app banned. The augmented-reality game, which allows players to catch virtual monsters using GPS mapping on their phones, has become a global craze since its launch on July 6, but has also prompted a wave of criticism and controversy. Pokemon Go enables users hunt fictional digitized animal characters like the furry yellow Pikachu, which have been scattered around the world, often in unlikely locations. Stagliano had already lashed out at the game in recent days, declaring it “a totalitarian system close to Nazism” and saying it had “alienated thousands and thousands of young people” by getting them hooked on monster-hunting. The bishop is well known in the Italian press, particularly for his mid-mass renditions of rock hits by popular singers Noemi and Marco Mengoni. In the Philippines, Pokemon Go is being blamed for the worsening traffic problem, even as a proposal is being planned for it to be banned in campuses.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda recently said that Pokemon Go players in private cars may be aggravating Metro Manila traffic more than provincial buses. “Pokemon Go-playing in private cars pose more threat of aggravation to Metro Manila traffic than provincial buses. Dahan-dahan, may Pikachu dito. Itabi mo sandali, may Lures dito,” he said. In Cebu, members of the provincial board want Pokemon Go banned in schools, approving a resolution, authored by Board Member Glen Bercede, asking the Department of Education to issue a memorandum prohibiting the playing, or catching, of Pokemons inside campuses. “Pokemon Go has already created havoc, even in just few weeks of its release, linking to incidents like robbery of gadgets, a man falling into an alley in an effort to capture the character, and a man was even shot and killed while playing the game in the US,” the resolution states. Authorities worldwide are grappling with the explosive popularity of the gaming app, which has caused accidents and prompted bans. The global craze has prompted a slew of complaints, from memo-

rial sites arguing it’s disrespectful to play there to whole countries imposing a ban on the smartphone game. But is it really possible to declare a place a no-go zone for people hunting the cartoon monsters? Which places have declared war on Pokemon? Sites that have expressed irritation at Pokemon Go players include private properties, government buildings, historic monuments and memorial sites. The museum at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and Japan’s Hiroshima memorial have all complained about visitors bent over their mobiles trying to catch Pikachus instead of contemplating the weight of history. Iran and Saudi Arabia have also declared blanket bans on the game. The Iranian ban came days after its release last month, with officials saying it could be used for spying because the app leads users to real-life locations -- though youngsters are playing regardless, using VPN connections to mask their location. In Saudi Arabia, the top clerical body has meanwhile re-issued a 15-year-old fatwa banning Pokemon in response to the new smartphone version, saying it is too much like gambling and appears to be based on the theory of evolution, which is rejected by Islam. With other sites, there is a warning that playing could actually be lifethreatening. In Bosnia, people have

Be careful catching those pocket monsters By Peter Paul Duran UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you might not have known that a certain smartphone app has had people going nuts. But for some unfathomable reason you’re still in the stone age, here’s a news flash for you: Pokemon Go is here, and I guess, it’s definitely here to stay. Now, when I first heard about Niantic Lab’s idea of taking Nintedo’s famed video game franchise and Japanese cartoon out of the console and into the streets a year ago, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder. And who wouldn’t? A man plays Pokemon Go on his For the Millennials, who grew up mobile phone. AFP playing Pokémon for hours on end on a GameBoy or GameCube, battling on prefer to let trends simmer down. Let a LAN server with friends was already the rabid people calm a bit before I stick my hand in the pot. considered lightyears advanced. As I’ve said, I felt my inner childhood But now, you get to experience the world of the ‘pocket monsters’ in aug- come alive when the announcement came some time back, but for a couch mented reality! Pokémon Go is an AR game played potato like me, catching them all sounds on Android and iOS smartphones, a little bit exhausting especially if one of which takes the original principles of the first few things you need to do in the Pokémon and applies them to the real game is hatch a Pokémon egg and walk world, making people go bananas try- 10 kms for that to happen. See, this new installment of the franchise ing to “Catch ‘em All.” When Pokemon Go was first released, uses GPS to track your location, movement the Philippines, being the bandwagon capi- and the Pokémon near your area. Updates tal of the cyberworld, wouldn’t be left out, as in the app have placed Gyms for trainers to almost every Pinoy with a smartphone and ‘rule,’ while some have had Poké-hunting free data jumped the wagon as quickly as parties in select locations and bumping into another trainer isn’t so much of a surprise they first heard about it in social media. I was not one of those who jumped now. So if you’re afraid of contracting some polluted air to throw a pokéball, then you’re first, though. It’s not that I lost my passion for the missing out a heap of fun. The other great thing about the game beloved characters. It’s just that I always

Two young Cambodian men play Pokemon Go outside Tuol Sleng genocide museum in Phnom Penh. Survivors of the Khmer Rouge hit out at Pokemon Go players after they ﬂocked to one of the regime’s notorious prisons—now a museum to Cambodia’s brutal genocide— to catch digital monsters. AFP

been warned not to risk entering areas littered with mines from the 1990s war just because a much-coveted Pokemon may be lurking nearby. How are the game’s locations chosen? Much of the game’s appeal lies in the way the Pokemon -- little cartoon monsters in the shape of everything from goldfish to dragons -- pop up around you, overlaid on your phone’s camera images. The game also encourages players to explore the world around them by making them visit landmarks designated as “Pokestops” and “Gyms”. These could be anything from the local school to a major tourist attraction like India’s Taj Mahal.

is that hundreds of millions of individuals from 7 to 77-year-olds have played it globally, watched others play with bemusement, or read about the odd experiences as well as the amusing stories that Pokémon hunters have to share. “Isang beses, bumaba ako bigla ng jeep para makipaglaban sa gym. Kelangan kase para masakop ko ‘yung gym na ‘yun,” said Xandrex Bucaneg, a 4th year college student from Quezon City. “Kaso nahirapan na ako sumakay ulet tapos naglakad nalang ako pauwi,” he added with a laugh. He currently has a total of 81 Pokémons and has captured some rare ones as well, adding that he used some 50 pokéballs just to snare a Dragonite. But more than his head-strong will to catch a pokémon in front of him, he utilizes a simple yet effective strategy. “Kapag manghuhuli naman ako ng Pokémon nagba-bike ako. Para siyempre mas marami akong mahuli,” he added, sharing that he sometimes doesn’t notice that he had biked too far from home. And why do people go to great lengths just to catch a Pidgey? Now, you don’t need a Phd in Astrophysics to realize why players like Xandrex are that enticed by Pokémon Go. One obvious reason is that the game has a special place in our hearts, it is a brand that is everywhere, and if Pikachu is considered a deity in Japan, would you still question its popularity? Another is the pervasive platform. With almost 4 billion smartphones and tablets worldwide, even a kid with a internet connection can play. It’s more accessible, you can play it wherever you go, and for now, even if you’re only on free data. So don’t be ashamed if you find yourself shouting hurrahs, while pointing your phone at an unseeable figure in the bushes. Just be careful just to catch Pokémon and not the attention of real life Team Rockets. Go and catch ‘em all!

At Pokestops players can collect the tools they need to catch the critters, while at Gyms they can fight them against each other. In both cases, the locations are designated by the game’s California-based designer Niantic. The company used data from an earlier game called Ingress in which players could walk around the streets capturing locations on a GPS map. Niantic grew its original list of landmarks with extra suggestions from players. Where do Pokemon appear? A Pokemon can appear on your smartphone screen at any time, in any place. The game’s algorithm places the monsters more or less at ran-

dom—although you are more likely to find different types of Pokemon in different locations. Fish-type Pokemons, for example, can often be found near lakes or rivers. There’s no need to be right on top of a Pokemon to catch it—the system allows for a capture within a several-metre radius, meaning you shouldn’t have to drive to a screeching halt in the middle of the road just to add it to your collection. So can a place declare itself a Pokemon no-go zone ? It depends on whether the place in question is a Pokestop, a Gym, or simply somewhere the little critters have been popping up. It is possible to ask Niantic for a location to be removed as a Pokestop or Gym. The developer cannot remove them from the game instantly, but each update of the app can see sites added or removed from the list. The most recent update saw the Hiroshima and Berlin Holocaust memorials disappear as Pokemon landmarks. But it’s a lot more complicated to stop the monsters themselves from popping up at a site that would like to see them banned. That would require a modification of the game’s algorithm, a complex process that presents a headache for the developers. The Pokemon Company, the Japanese firm which manages the hugely popular brand, says Niantic is working on improving the algorithm. AFP

Risks behind Pokémon Go AT FortiGuard, we wouldn’t let you down without an analysis of Pokémon Go. Is it safe to install? Can you go and hunt for Pokémon, or stay by a pokestop longing for pokeballs? While this article won’t assist you in game strategy, I’ll give you my first impressions analyzing the game. There are two sorts of Pokémon applications: 1. The official versions, issued by Niantic. We will talk more about these later, but in brief, they are not malicious. 2. The hacked versions. These are also known as “mods”, which are issued by other developers, for multiple reasons. It is in this category we are the most likely to encounter malware. For instance, a repackaged version infected with DroidJack RAT has been identified to be in the wild. However, not all hacked versions are necessarily malicious: we inspected hacks to play on Android 4.0 (the minimum requirement is normally 4.4), or to modify GPS coordinates, neither of which showed any malicious intent. Besides manual inspection, we also sent those samples to our learning-based Android prediction engine, SherlockDroid / Alligator, which confirmed our analysis ;) Risk #1 Installing an infected version As mentioned earlier, a sample with sha256 is infected with Android/SandrC.tr, dubbed DroidJack RAT. This is a known malware, for which we have had a signature since 2015. Therefore, Fortinet customers were protected from this malicious Pokémon app from the beginning :) This malware is quite widespread. Internal statistics at Fortinet indicate more than 8,800 detections in a year, and 160 last month alone, but those figures are largely underestimated for various reasons, including the fact that reporting is not enabled by default. So, basically, what you should remember is that this malware is still in the wild and active currently. More malware to come?

Yes, very certainly. Malware authors are likely to continue to re-package the game with a variety of malware and distribute it. The fact the game wasn’t released in all countries at the same date, for example, (thus forcing impatient users to look for alternatives on the web), combined with the fact there are large game hacking (that’s nice) and cheating (that’s bad ;) communities only increase the potential for downloading an infected version of the game.. Risk #2 Full Google Account Information? (This is fixed) Adam Reeve noticed that the game requested full access to your Google account. Note: we are not talking about an Android permission here but a permission of an app connected to a Google account. This was an error and Niantic fixed this. So be sure to remove the permission from your account and upgrade your Pokémon Go application. Finally, note that it is not extremely clear in the documentation exactly how much “full access” really means, but no malware or exploit of this has been reported so far. Risk #3 Unwanted network traffic In a perfect world, we’d expect games to only send packets over the network that are absolutely necessary for the game to run, such as your location, the details of Pokémon around you, etc. However, this is very far from reality, and for years now most Android applications are bundled with third party kits (analytics, crash reporting, cross platform engines, etc.) which use up the bandwidth which send and receive more or less useful side information containing, in the best cases, the exact model of your smartphone, or in the worst, personal information such as your phone number and other private data. Pokémon Go is one of these bandwidth hungry applications. I downloaded it two weeks ago, and it is already close to being the most greedy application on my phone.

LGUs

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

OFFERING. Dancers pay

homage to their patroness Our Lady of the Assumption during the Pasaka festival in Tanauan, Leyte. The festival that runs from August 1 to 15 showcases the rich cultural heritage and the grateful devotion of the townspeople to the Virgin Mary. Mel Caspe

Erap raids Binondo anew M

ANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada today said he would continue cleaning up the capital city and slowly reverse its decades-long urban decay.

Estrada said he will launch another sanitation drive all over the city as part of his urban renewal after clearing the major thoroughfares of illegal vendors

and all forms of obstructions. “It is time that we also conduct a cleanliness campaign in every barangay, in every street, all over the city. We are a capital

city, we should never be dirty,” the mayor pointed out after ordering a second clearing operation in Binondo early Thursday. While recognizing that cleaning up Manila, a city of two million people, is a gargantuan task, Estrada said determination and political will are the key factors in achieving this goal. He recounted that his father, Emilio Ejercito Sr., used to be a

sanitation engineer at the Manila City Hall. “During his time Manila was clean. Cleanliness was one of his legacies and I will follow that.” This morning, at least 200 vendors on Juan Luna and Sta. Elena streets in Binondo were driven away by Task Force Manila Cleanup. The area was first raided by the city hall road clearing crew on August 3 when a shabu den

was accidentally discovered under the Muello De Binondo Bridge. It caused the relief of the chief of the nearby Police Community Precinct (PCP) 7. “We’ve cleared this area before but we’ve noticed some illegal vendors have returned so the Mayor ordered us to operate here again,” Task Force Manila Cleanup head Che Borromeo said. The city government has

Parañaque to ban party drugs in bars By Joel E. Zurbano THE city government of Parañaque on Thursday summoned at least 30 resto-bar and club owners operating on the busy Aguirre strip in the BF Homes Subdivision following reports that party drugs, such as Ecstasy, are being used and sold openly in night establishments in Metro Manila. Mayor Edwin Olivarez also convened the local peace and order council, ranking police officers and officials of the business permits and licensing office (BPLO) and reminded them about the national government’s campaign to stamp out illegal drugs in six months. Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa earlier said high-end clubs and bars in Metro Manila will be the next target of the government’s crackdown on prohibited drugs. The stretch of Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes hosts 35 resto-bars and clubs catering to residents of Parañaque, its neighboring cities of Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Taguig and the provinces of Cavite and Laguna. During their first meeting with city officials, the bar operators and owners in BF Homes promised full cooperation on the illegal drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte and the city government, according to Olivarez.

Olivarez said the bar owners who attended the meeting promised that they will police their own establishments and ban all forms of party drugs like Ecstasy tablets from their premises. He said bar owners assured city hall officials that they will allow police operatives to enter and inspect their establishments and likewise vowed that they will bar the entry of unaccompanied minors. For his part, Parañaque police chief Senior Supt. Jose Carumba disclosed that they will deploy plainclothes police officers and implement new security measures to prevent bar patrons from using party drugs. Last July 6, agents of the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency arrested Taiwanese national Chun Ming Lin during a simultaneous drug raid on Unit 1D Executive Villages Society in BF Homes Phase 5, Parañaque City. PDEA agents arrested Lin inside the warehouse where 10 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, and around 200 kilos of suspected ephedrine were found. The authorities also dismantled a shabu storage facility at BF Homes. Police said ephedrine, an ingredient in manufacturing the prohibited drugs, was stored in Parañaque and brought to the house in Las Piñas for processing into shabu crystals.

Makati puts addicts on oath

HERO. An aerial shot of the shrine of Dr. Jose Rizal, the primary reason why foreign and local visitors visit Luneta Park. The monument is one of the world’s threatened heritage sites. Danny Pata

Davao gives cash aid to fire victims By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—The city government will provide cash and forms of assistance to the owners and renters of houses burned in a huge fire in Purok 4A, Brgy. 23-C, Mini Forest early Thursday morning. The fire started in the house of Labi Langap and immediately spread to other houses made of light materials. According to City Social Services and Development Office

(CSSDO), Social Service Operation Division chief, Marilyn Agonia, the affected families will receive cash assistance from the city government. Owners of the partially damaged houses will receive P5, 000 cash assistance each while the totally damaged houses will get P10,000 each. Renters will be given P5,000, while the sharers and boarders will be paid P3,000. “The CSSDO immediately

provided hot meals like lugaw to the affected families. A list is being made dividing the victims into house owners, renters or boarders,” Agonia said. She said that they will also provide psychosocial assistance to all victims. The authorities are determining the cause of the fire, which was the second this year. It can be recalled that in 2014 hundreds of families in the same place were hit by a big fire.

Caloocan City reorganizes anti-drug abuse council By Jun David CALOOCAN Mayor Oscar Malapitan has reorganized the City’s Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Cadac) and beefed up its capability to combat drug addiction in the city. The city government announced that Malapitan is the new council chairman and Vice

Mayor Macario Asistio and city police Senior Supt. Johnson Almazan are the vice chairmen. In the reorganizational meeting, the council approved Resolution 1, supporting Malapitan’s proposal to build a new drug rehabilitation center in the northern part of the City. Cadac also approved Resolution 2 that creates a task force

cleared Divisoria, Blumentritt Road, the Sta. Cruz-Rizal Avenue area and Quiapo streets to decongest them and bring back what Estrada described as Manila’s “beauty and old glory.” More than 3,000 illegal vendors have so far been driven away from the sidewalks and major thoroughfares since the sustained road clearing campaign began this June.

to implement President Rodrigo Duterte’s “Oplan Tokhang” or knocking at the doors of known drug users and pushers. Malapitan called on all barangay chairmen to continue submitting the names of drug pushers and users in their communities, to effectively proceed with Oplan Tokhang. The council members include City Administrator Oliver Her-

nandez, Chief City Prosecutor Ferdinand Valbuena, Interior and Local Government Director Analyn Baltazar-Cortez, Division of City Schools Supt. Rita Riddle, City Jail Warden Supt. Jolly Taguiam Jr., Liga ng mga Barangay president Marc Merville Orozco, city legal officer Francis Carlo Taparan, city health officer Dr. Maybelle

Sison, community relations officer lawyer Christian Nino Diaz, public information officer Nolan Sison, public safety officer engineer Gilberto Bernardo, city social welfare officer Roberto Quizon, parole and probation officer Eulalia Columbretis and representatives from the religious, non-government organization and private sector.

SOME 1,057 surrenderees in the ongoing crackdown on illegal drugs in Makati took an Oath of Reformation signifying their desire to reform and lead a productive life. Makati Mayor Abby Binay led the oathtaking of over 1,000 Oplan Tokhang surrenderees from various barangays in a ceremony dubbed “Panunumpa kay Mayor” held Thursday at the Makati Coliseum. Binay told drug dealers that there was “no compromise” on drug-related matters even in the administration of her father, former vice president Jejomar Binay. The mayor reminded concerned individuals not to waste the last chance being given to them, as there will not be another one. “The city government is willing to give you the needed support to help you get back on your feet and become responsible members of society. In turn, we expect you to make good on your promise. Your loved ones expect nothing less,” she said. The city government through the Makati Anti-Drug abuse Council (Madac) will screen surrenderees who need to undergo rehabilitation. Through a memorandum of agreement with the Department of HealthBicutan, clients referred by Madac are enrolled in the rehabilitation program for free. Binay also revealed plans to provide livelihood training for the surrenderees and a scholarship program for the out-ofschool-youth among them. She commended the Makati police and the barangay officials for the “encouraging results” of the initial implementation of Oplan Tokhang in the city, which started in July.

LGUs

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Pagadian execs take drug test By A. Perez Rimando

AGADIAN CITY—Mayor Romeo Pulmones led more than 700 officials and employees in this capital city taking a month-long mandatory drug test in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s nationwide intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

The local drug test was the first among local government unit employees in the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) Pulmones said the test was supervised by the local Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and conducted by the City Health Office and at the City Hall Complex.

City administrator Lauro Mendoza said the test “seeks to promote transparency, integrity and competence in the work place.” Among those tested are casual workers such as street sweepers and market cleaners for the renewal of their appointment, said Mendoza.

Casual employee Allan Paul Morandan commended Pulmones for taking the drug test in front of employees. Female city interior and local government worker Arlene Antipolo said she strongly favors the conduct of drug exam, saying that some drug pushers and users now belong

to the weaker sex even as she stressed that the activity would strongly discourage unscrupulous employees from selling prohibited drugs. Antipolo called for the suspension of employees who tested positive for drugs “as they constitute a menace to the local government.”

2 mayors to desilt river in Pampanga By Romeo Dizon SAN FERNANDO— The mayors of San Fernando City and Sto. Tomas town in Pampanga have reportedly agreed to desilt the Federosa River using their respective backhoes to prevent further flooding of their respective localities at a meeting held at the Heroes Hall recently. The meeting called by Vice Gov. Dennis Pineda was attended by San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago, Sto. Tomas Mayor John Sambo and Minalin Mayor Edgar Flores. As Pampanga remains underwater as stated in the Office of the Civil Defense Bulletin No. 10, the mayors of the capital city and Sto Tomas are blaming each other for causing the flood in their respective areas. Santiago said the floodwater in the 14 southern barangays including the business district came from the municipalities of Sto. Tomas and Minalin. The San Fernando mayor who is an engineer by profession said the heavily silted Federosa River prevented the flood waters from flowing into the Manila Bay and they instead flowed back to the city. Santiago bragged at a previous meeting of the Cabalen Sunday Sports Club here that the city will no longer experience flooding in the coming rainy season because all the necessary engineering intervention including clearing the drainage and dredging rivers were done. However, last Monday he got the surprise of his life when monsoon rains or habagat turned his city into an ocean four to five feet deep. The rains flooded the city hall, the police

headquarters and 19 out of the 35 barangays of the city. On the other hand, first termer Sambo claimed that flood water from the city sunk this municipality of seven barangays. Sto. Tomas, which is the youngest and smallest town of Pampanga, was formerly part of the city until it was ceded in 1905 and became a town in 1951. “The major industries of majority of our people, namely coffin making and pottery were severely affected by the floods,” Sambo said. However, some place the blame on former President Benigno Aquino III who stopped the desilting, deepening and widening of all rivers of the province due to lack funds. The past administration has come under fire for alleged underspending, especially on infrastructure development. Earlier, Director Renato Solidum Jr. of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that the danger from the last Mt. Pinatubo eruption was not yet over because of lahar and other sediments that may still flow down into rivers during heavy rains and cause floods in the area. Illegal fishponds constructed along the rivers also obstruct and impede the free flow of water to Manila Bay The illegal fishponds owned by rich and powerful but absentee owners have been demolished since 1972 by constabulary and public works officials but they kept coming back. These illegal fishponds are mostly in the coastal towns of Pampanga namely Lubao, Guagua, Sto. Tomas, Minalin, Masantol, Macabebe, Apalit and others.

INDUSTRY. Different native handicrafts are peddled in a horse-drawn cart in Malabon City. Andrew Rabulan

Muslim execs christen Sulu school

JOLO—The Department of Education renamed a public elementary school in Patikul town after its Christian principal who was kidnapped and beheaded by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits. A belated report received here recently by the Sulu schools division office from the DepEd central office information division said former Education secretary Jesli Lapus approved a local government resolution seeking to rename Kanague Elementary School to “Gabriel K. Canizares Memorial Elementary School to immortalize the name of Canizares, the only non-Muslim education field executive in Patikul.” The report said Lapus presented a posthumous award—crystal plaque with Canizares photo—to the late

principal’s parents who were invited to a special program at the DepEd’s main office in Pasig City. Leaders of various national teacher groups, including the Sagip Guro, testified to the heroism of the deceased. The Education department praised the late field school official “for serving as an active catalyst in local teacher trainings and seminar-workshops undertaken by Synergeia, an educational promotion arm of the United States Assistance for International Development (USAID), deployed in various depressed areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) and Central Mindanao (Region 12). Former USAID country director Tom Crehan, who was invited to

the DepEd rites for the 37-year-old school administrator, lamented that “for all the good things he gave to the children of the community, he certainly did not deserve that kind of death.” Canizares’ colleagues considered him a “Good Samaritan as he would usually empty his pocket just to help his Muslim tutors purchase needed classroom instructional aids and devices.” A Tausug co-educator, who asked not to be identified, mourned his passing, saying “he is a great loss not only to the schools division of Sulu, but to the entire public school system and to the noblest of all professions. May his tribe increase!” A. Perez Rimando

Duterte asked to revoke mining firm’s suspension By Butch Gunio STA. CRUZ—Workers and beneficiaries of the suspended mining firms here appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to allow the reopening of responsible mining firms. “We believe that our company is operating responsibly,” said Orlan Mayor, leader of Eramen Minerals Inc. workers. “Government environment auditors have seen there is progressive rehabilitation of the mining areas,” he added. “In fact on November 22, 2013, we received the Presidential Titanium Award and the Safest Surface Operation Award,” Mayor said. Eramen has been also actively implementing community and education projects. “We have been consistently receiving livelihood trainings from them and structure donations,” said Barangay Tubotubo

South Kagawad Marcelo Ebuen. “I have been a scholar of Eramen for four years now and am receiving school supplies, uniforms and a P500 monthly stipend. The company continues to provide for us but we are afraid will soon close unless they open again,” said the teary-eyed 17-year-old Ricalyn Alag whose father is dead and whose mother has no permanent job. “Despite being suspended our company still provide for the salaries of the personnel and the benefits of our scholars and livelihood trainings of women and farmers,” said Mayor. “The four mining firms in Sta. Cruz have alleviated the poverty of more than 3,000 mine workers and their families,” he said. Other suspended mining firms are Benguet Corp. Nickel Mines Inc., LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc., and Zambales Diversified Metals Corp.

Rotary Club builds small hospital in Tacloban City By Mel Caspe

CHARITY. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office vice chairman and general manager Atty. Jose Ferdinand Rojas II (second from left)) hands a check for P1.145 million to Taytay, Rizal Mayor Joric Gacula (second from right), as the local government units’ share from PCSO Lotto draws for July to December 2015 at the PCSO office in Mandaluyong City on Tuesday.

MAYOR Cristina Romualdez lauded the Rotarians who made possible the construction of the P15-million Abucay Health Center at the back of Tacloban City’s New Bus Terminal during the recent induction of RC Makati South Officers at the Dusit Hotel. Mayor Cristina thanked the Rotary Club of Makati South; its counterpart the Rotary International District 2750; RC Tokyo Shirogane; RC Tokyo Jonan, Japan; RC Tanglin, Singapore; and their foreign and international sister clubs and other local and foreign benefactors for helping Tacloban build the health center during the term of former mayor Alfred Romualdez. The incumbent mayor said the center will serve hundreds of marginalized Taclobanons and those living near the Abucay area, Nula-

Tula, Anibong and patients from other parts of Eastern Visayas. Survivors of the strongest Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) in 2013 which devastated Tacloban can avail of medical and dental services at the center that is also a lying-in clinic for pregnant mothers. The Abucay Health center is a complete infirmary mini hospital with birthing facilities and has an emergency room, a delivery room, a labor room, a recovery room, a doctor’s room and a dental room with a portable X-ray machine and ultrasound. It is open to the public 24 hours everyday. The Rotarians also facilitated the donation of some 200 Canadian-donated hospital beds. Rotary Club District 3860 pastgovernor Salvador Estudillo said the beds were distributed to the Tacloban City Hospital and various health centers and lyingin clinics in the city.

World

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Anti-slavery activists in Mauritania jailed N

ouakchott—Thirteen anti-slavery activists in Mauritania were sentenced to between three and 15 years in prison on Thursday, despite criticism of the case against them by international rights groups.

A court in the capital Nouakchott found the 13—members of a group ﬁghting hereditary slavery in the west African country—guilty of “use of violence,” but Amnesty International has said they were falsely accused because of their advocacy work. The thirteen all claim they were

tortured in prison in the run-up to the court case and lawyers for the group denounced Thursday’s verdict as “a travesty of justice.” They were arrested between June 30 and July 9 after a protest by a Nouakchott slum community that was being forcibly relocated as the city prepared for an

Arab League summit on July 25. The slum was home to many so-called Haratin—a “slave caste” under a hereditary system of servitude whose members are forced to work without pay as cattle herders and domestic servants, despite an ofﬁcial ban. AFP

SUPPRESSION. Detainees accused of breaching the Thai junta’s ban on political gatherings and for being members of an unlawful secret society hear charges brought against them at the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok on Friday. AFP

$400m paid to Iran ‘for leverage’—US WASHINGTON—The United States acknowledged Thursday that it waited for Iran to release American prisoners before delivering $400 million in cash that it owed the country, but again insisted the payment was not ransom. “With concerns that Iran may renege on the prisoner release... we of course sought to retain maximum leverage until after American citizens were released,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “That was our top priority,” he said. In January, ﬁve American prisoners were released as Washington granted clemency to seven Iranians and withdrew arrest warrants for 14 others. Immediately thereafter, the United States helped airlift $400 million worth of Swiss francs and euros to Iran. The US government insists that

money was to settle an old debt stemming from a military purchase by Iran. The money was delivered on January 17, just one day after a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers took effect. “We were able to conclude multiple strands of diplomacy within a 24 hour period, including implementation of the nuclear deal, the prisoner talks and a settlement of an outstanding Hague tribunal claim,” Kirby said. “It’s already publicly known that we returned to Iran its $400 million in that same time period as part of the Hague settlement agreement,” he said. In early August, the State Department had said the prisoner release and delivery of money were completely separate, although Kirby acknowledged Thursday that the two were in fact related. AFP

Kerry to visit Kenya, Nigeria, Saudi WASHINGTON—US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel next week to Kenya, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on a three-nation tour focused on counterterrorism, the State Department said Thursday. The top US diplomat arrives in Nairobi on Monday for talks with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on “regional security issues and counterterrorism cooperation, as well as bilateral issues,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said. He is also scheduled to speak with several of his East African counterparts on the conﬂicts in South Sudan and Somalia,

notably the fight against the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shabaab militants. On Tuesday, Kerry arrives in Nigeria where he will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss “counterterrorism efforts, the Nigerian economy, the fight against corruption, and human rights issues.” Washington is a key ally of Abuja in the fight against Boko Haram rebels, but has regularly challenged the country and its armed forces on their civilian rights record during crackdowns against the Islamist militants. Kerry will also travel to Sokoto in northern Nigeria to deliver

a speech on “the importance of resilient communities and religious tolerance in countering violent extremism.” On Wednesday Kerry heads to Saudi Arabia, where he will visit Jeddah to meet with his counterparts from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council as well as British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and UN special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. While in Saudi Arabia, Kerry will focus on the conﬂict in Yemen as well as the war in Syria and the ﬁght against the Islamic State group, the State Department said. AFP

‘Beijing did not exploit Myanmar resources’ BEIJING—Accusations that Beijing is exploiting Myanmar’s resources are manipulated by Western media, a state-run Chinese newspaper said Friday, with de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on a visit overshadowed by a stalled dam project. Suu Kyi’s ﬁrst major foreign trip since her civilian administration took power in March has been dominated by the $3.6-billion Myitsone dam, on hold since protests in 2011. Beijing has been pressing for the resumption of the Chinesebacked project ever since. Suu Kyi is due to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday, after Beijing said the democracy champion had agreed to “set up an investigation committee to appropriately solve” the dam issue. The state-run Global Times acknowledged that a “real breakthrough” on the dam was unlikely during the visit, but insisted: “It is only a matter of time before the project will be resumed.” It also chided people in Myanmar who claim that Beijing is exploiting the country’s resources. “The misguided thought is the result of people’s impulse at the initial stage of democratization and the manipulation of the Western media,” it added. Beijing was instrumental in shielding Myanmar’s former junta rulers from international opprobrium while Suu Kyi, now State Counsellor, languished for years under house arrest as a democracy activist. At the time Myitsone was seen as emblematic of Beijing’s economic dominance over Myanmar. In 2011 a quasi-civilian government halted the project— originally designed to supply most of its electricity to China—in a surprise move after local protests. Now that Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy is in power, the Global Times said, “Myitsone dam does not have to be reviewed from a political perspective any more”. The United States funded some of the non-governmental groups opposing the dam, according to classiﬁed documents released by WikiLeaks. The state-run China Daily said in an editorial that Suu Kyi’s visit showed she was a “political realist” who realizes the importance of “reassuring” China. Myanmar has drawn closer to the United States during its transition to civilian rule. At the same time Myanmar needs to get Beijing onside as it pursues historic peace talks with armed groups on its border. Suu Kyi on Thursday was greeted with military honors in Beijing, where she met Premier Li Keqiang, telling him: “At present there are complex changes in the world.” AFP

After cat cafes, HK opens rabbit cafe HONG KONG—The newest addition to Hong Kong’s cafe scene is taking a soft approach to business—with 12 resident rabbits for customers to pet. The “Rabbitland” Manila

In memory of a loving Standard mother/wife

TODAY Beatriz Garcia Castro,

born on July 7, 1951 at Asingan,Pangasinan died on October 25, 2015 at Milan, Italy after a heart attack. She is survived by her husband with 8 children. (MS-AUG. 20,27 & SEPT. 3, 2016)

bunnies munch on grass while visitors coo over them between sips of tea and bites of toasted sandwich. Tucked away on the third ﬂoor of a high-rise in the busy commercial district of Causeway Bay, the cafe says it gives people who have no room to keep a pet in space-starved Hong Kong the chance to bond with the ﬂuffy animals. Most of the rabbits have been abandoned by previous owners. Hong Kong al-

ready has a number of “cat cafes,” but this is the ﬁrst one for rabbits, inspired by a similar shop in Japan. “I like how soft they are and like their fur and how gentle they are when you feed them,” says Natalie Chan, 11, whose mother had brought her to ﬁnd out more about keeping rabbits as she wants one as a pet. There are a list of rules about how to behave around the animals, including not picking them up or pulling their ears. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

STYLE. Top beauty inﬂuencer Dalal AlDoub @dalalid attends the NYX Professional Makeup Store Glendale Galleria International Vlogger event at Glendale Galleria on Thursday in Glendale, California. AFP

World

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

WINNER. UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor arrives at an open workout for UFC 202 at Rocks Lounge at the Red Rock Casino on Thursday in Las Vegas, Nevada. McGregor is scheduled to ﬁght Nate Diaz in a welterweight rematch at UFC 202 today in Las Vegas. AFP

Louisiana ﬂooding claims 13 lives

CHICAGO—With massive floodwaters receding in Louisiana, officials in the southern US state grappled Thursday with the next stage of the disaster response—how to help affected residents recover. Officials continued to search tens of thousands of homes and countless cars for victims and survivors of the severe flooding that began Friday after heavy rains. The death toll climbed to 13, officials said. More than 86,000 people have registered for US government emergency assistance. US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, who is in charge of the department that will dole out the aid, visited areas affected by the historic flooding and met with local officials to discuss the nascent recovery effort. “I will be briefing the president on the situation that I see here at some point very soon,” Johnson told a news conference, adding that President Barack Obama has been receiving daily briefings about the ongoing emergency. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which reports to Johnson, began Thursday to assess the estimated 40,000 homes that were affected by floodwaters. Some people could receive financial assistance in as soon as 48 hours, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said. “We are working again today to formulate a more complete plan for transitioning from response to recovery,” Edwards said, noting the urgent need for temporary housing. Some areas of southern Louisiana do not have enough hotel rooms and rentals, he said. Meanwhile, more residents were leaving shelters and heading home to begin the cleanup process. Overnight, shelters housed 8,000 people and by midday Thursday that number had dropped to about 4,000, officials said. Many people were gutting their homes, ripping out drywall and insulation and removing furniture, light fixtures and appliances. Gail McGovern, the president of the American Red Cross who called the scale of the disaster “absolutely enormous,” cautioned residents to be careful of electrical fires— known to be the next hazard following flooding. AFP

22 civilians killed in Mexico drug raid M

exico City—Mexican police massacred 22 civilians in arbitrary executions during a raid on a drug gang last year, a human rights ombudsman said Thursday.

The bloodbath happened in a It was one of the bloodiest raid by federal police against the battles in the Mexican governJalisco Nueva Generacion cartel ment’s decade-long campaign in the western state of Micho- against powerful drug gangs. acan on May 22, 2015. Ofﬁcers committed “viola-

tions of the right to life by excessive use of force that entailed the arbitrary execution of 22 civilians,” the country’s National Human Rights Commission said. They also committed “aggravated acts of torture on two people who were detained,” commission chief Ismael Eslava said, reading from the report. Top state security ofﬁcial Renato Sales said the shooting

erupted when the suspects refused to drop their weapons. “We do not think the theory of arbitrary executions stands up,” he told a news conference. The ombudsman said forensic investigations indicated police had moved the bodies of the dead and planted weapons on them. It said a police helicopter ﬁred 4,000 rounds into the ranch

London subway trains offer 24-hr service

Fires burn 110,500 hectares of CA forest

LOS Angeles—Firefighters battled Thursday to douse a series of wildfires fueled by high winds, scorching temperatures and dry vegetation, which have forced tens of thousands of Californians to flee their homes. A blaze scorching sections of the Angeles National Forest, in southern California, two huge infernos in the central part of the state and another fire further north have displaced entire towns. “Our fire activity has definitely picked up in past weeks in number and severity,” said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Angeles forest fire— dubbed “Blue Cut”—has devoured 31,000 acres (12,545 hectares), an area more than twice the size of Bermuda, and is just four percent contained. The fire has been spreading at such an alarming pace that it appears as if it were “running at you,” according to Michael Lopez, a spokesman for fire information website Inciweb. More than 82,500 people potentially in Blue Cut’s path are under evacuation orders, including the entire populations of Wrightwood and Lytle Creek, towns of a few thousand people, and most of those in nearby Phelan. On Thursday evening some people in the towns of Hesperia, Oak Hills and Phelan will be allowed to return home, the San Bernardino sheriff’s office said. AFP

where the suspects were. In total 43 people were killed in the raid, including one policeman and numerous suspected criminals. However only 22 of these were deemed arbitrary executions by police. The government said previously that the 42 people killed by police had attacked ofﬁcers. It said the helicopter had ﬁred to contain the suspects. AFP

BLOOMS. Lindsi Lane (left) and Marni Harvey attend B Floral’s Evening of Florals, Ocean Air and Cocktails with Bronwen Smith at Bridgehampton Tennis & Surf Club on Tuesday in Bridgehampton, NY. AFP

Twitter axes 235,000 ‘terror’ accounts SAN FRANCISCO—Twitter announced Thursday that it had cut off 235,000 accounts during the past six months in a heightened crackdown on use of the global messaging service to promote violent extremist causes. The suspensions raised to 360,000 the total number of accounts sidelined since the middle of 2015 and was helping “drive meaningful results” in curbing the activity, according to the San Francisco-based company. Twitter has been striving to balance protecting free speech at the one-to-many messaging service with not providing a stage for extremist groups to spread violent messages and enlist people to their causes. In February, Twitter said that

it had neutralized 125,000 accounts for violating rules against violent threats and promotion of terrorism. “Since that announcement, the world has witnessed a further wave of deadly, abhorrent terror attacks across the globe,” Twitter said in a blog post. “We strongly condemn these acts and remain committed to eliminating the promotion of violence or terrorism on our platform.” Daily suspensions of accounts are up more than 80 percent since last year, and spike in the immediate aftermath of terror attacks, according to Twitter. Twitter said that it is getting quicker at identifying extremist content and shutting down

accounts involved, resulting in dramatic decreases in the number of followers attracted while posts are active. Moves have been made to make it tougher for people behind suspended accounts to immediately return to Twitter, and teams reviewing reports of suspected terror content have been expanded. Like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube rely heavily on users to point out posts that violate standards or policies. Tech titans have been increasingly dabbling with enlisting software to battle extremist propaganda. “There is no one ‘magic algorithm’ for identifying terrorist content on the internet,” Twitter said in the post. AFP

LONDON—All-night services ﬁnally begin on the London Underground on Friday, after being delayed for months by a dispute with workers and a lack of political will according to the city’s mayor. The Night Tube is seen as a boost for revellers, tourists and shift workers, who on Friday and Saturday nights will be able to travel on the network at any chosen hour. The new service will begin on the Victoria and Central lines, crossing through the centre of London and covering neighborhoods including Notting Hill and Brixton. There are plans to extend the scheme later this year to the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, with the latter reaching Heathrow airport. The night-time service was scheduled to start in September last year but was delayed by a dispute with trade unions over staff conditions and pay. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who was elected in May, said he had seen widespread enthusiasm for the scheme and was surprised it had taken so long. “It’s not me making a cheap point, but the previous mayor did announce the Night Tube start date on one occasion and that wasn’t met, on a second occasion, that wasn’t met, on a third occasion, that wasn’t met, and then gave up,” said Khan, referring to predecessor and current Foreign Minister Boris Johnson. AFP

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

YOUTH

New Zealand has some of the most prestigious universities and educational institutions that offer 3D Animation and other related courses for individuals interested in taking up a creative course

FROM PASSION PROJECTS TO PROMISING CAREERS

Studying

IGH school students with an artistic bent face a dilemma in choosing a college degree. While most dream of taking up a creative course, many are advised to study more practical programs—business or engineering, perhaps—in order to gain more employment opportunities.

Ironically, creative industries are currently driving a global employment boom. In the Philippines, they are estimated to have contributed 7.34 percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employed 11 percent of the workforce in 2010—a good argument forf ollowingo ne’s artistic inclinations. For millennials interested in 3D animation and visual effects, digital natives reared on films and video games, New Zealand universities and higher education institutions represent the most prestigious establishments from which to learn these specializations. “Animation studies are niche courses in which New Zealand specializes,” shares Ben Burrowes, Educa-

tion New Zealand’s (ENZ) regional communications and strategic communications manager for Southeast Asia, its government agency for international education. “Many of our institutions are pioneers in offering animation degrees, having started more than a decade ago.” Media Design School (MDS) in Auckland, for instance, was the first tertiary institution in the southern hemisphere to offer a dedicated program for 3D animation using industry-standard computer graphics software. Its Bachelor of Art and Design in 3D Animation and Visual Effects exposes students early on to contemporary visual effects techniques and

in New Zealand

provides a studio environment for productions. This culminates in students creating state-of-the-art short films in their final year. “Students are not only prepared for the rigors of the industry’s production expectations but also produce award-winning films that can be used as part of their portfolio to show professional experience,” explains MDS Program Leader Steven Dorner, who notes that its students—which currently include 10 Filipinos—further benefit from the school’s industry ties and experienced faculty. Matt Uy, a Filipino student in MDS, shares an important insight while taking the program. “The opportunity to learn is here. I have the creative freedom to use any new theories, techniques and concepts I have learned. I can put these skills to practice and for me, that’s fulfilling.” Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT) Bachelor of Design in Digital Design, meanwhile, offers a hands-on and project-driven ap-

proach. Its three “pathways”—Animation, VFX and Game Design—are designed to adapt to the animation industry’s direction and give graduates several career options. The university’s impressive facilities, such as one of the only two state-of-theart Motion Capture facilities in New Zealand, also attract many students, including some New Zealand permanent residents of Filipino origin. “There are more students applying as the sector becomes recognized as a serious working field,” said AUT Digital Design Department Head John Piper.

Encouraging career prospect

Dorner and Piper agree that there are plenty of career opportunities for their respective program’s graduates, with the former noting that multimedia designers, including film animators, appear on New Zealand’s longterm skill shortage list. New Zealand animation graduates currently gravitate towards film or game design, finding work as VFX

artists, animators and technical directors. Indeed, Hollywood movies such as Captain America: Civil War, Avatar, and, of course, The Hobbit, were made possible by New Zealand alumni. Dorner projects this trend to continue, as emerging technologies like augmented and virtual reality are poised to explode in the entertainment market. It also helps that 3D animation is becoming a ubiquitous presence. “It gives young people the confidence that they can become part of and succeed in this area,” confides Dorner. “There is a precedent and there are role models that inspire and drive people to this field because they know that there are viable careers in this area that are incredibly rewarding to creative minds.” For Filipino students hoping to become this generation’s Walt Disney or Shigeru Miyamoto, this balancing act between creativity and pragmatism is exactly what makes New Zealand learning institutions the ideal stepping stone towards their achieving their dreams.

Homeschooling families harness innovation in science

Children take part in different workshops offered at interactive learning centers

EXPERTS agree that the huge task of educating 15,000,000 school-aged Filipino children cannot be placed entirely on the shoulders of only about 700,000 licensed teachers in public and private schools. Thankfully, there is an alternative solution – homeschooling. Upheld by the 1987 Philippine Constitution and promoted by DepEd Memorandum No. 216 S. 1997, (also known as the “Home Education Program”) there are now over 12,000 homeschooling children in the country. With more and more parents deciding to be more proactive in their children’s education through homeschooling, Homeschool Global, the homeschooling accreditation arm of The Master’s Academy (TMA), hosted the first-ever Science Fair for Homeschoolers, to celebrate Filipino ingenuity through science, and showcase the creativity and innovation of home-educated kids as they present their science projects, experiments and inventions.

Homeschooled students Andie Yusay, Reese Riego and Sam Evangelista’s experiment on Solar Energy for household emergencies is named the winner of Best Collaborative Work

The event also gave the children an opportunity to excel in science and technology, by stimulating healthy competition among homeschooling kids. “Homeschoolers Conquer Science” was held on Aug. 13 at Bayanihan Center, Unilab, Pasig City. Special guests from the field of science and technology chose from around 200

participating homeschoolers two winners for the Best Science Project and one for the Best Collaborative Work. The chosen ones are the following: For Best Science Project 1 –Trisha Vallego (10 years old); Best Science Project 2 – Jasper Espino (7 years old) and Jasmine Espino (8 years old); Best Collaborative Work

– Sam Evangelista (14 years old), Andie Yusay (12 years old) and Reese Riego (12 years old). Sponsors from Mind Museum, iCreate, Curaytive and Fatty Brains, also conducted science workshops on exciting fields like robotics, and introduced new technologies like 3D printing and more.

Life

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

Jacinta Panares: Moving on

J IRL (IN REAL LIFE) MENCHU AQUINO SARMIENTO

ACINTA “Cin-Cin” Panares is a bagong bayani: an on again-off again OCW (Overseas Contract Worker) for nearly half her life. After high school in Basak Pardo, Cebu, she was an artist designer in a small woodcraft factory. By age 20, she was a garments factory worker for the next five years in Malaysia, becoming fluent in Bahasa and Malay. There was also a brief interlude of forbidden love with another Filipino OCW.

“Men will be men.” she shrugs. “I didn’t know my child’s father was married, but I loved him then.” Their child died in early infancy from a congenital heart defect. This personal tragedy did not stop Cin-Cin from taking another two-year contract in Brunei, still as a garments industry drone. Back in Cebu, once more in Cebu handicrafts exports, she had a Belgian pen pal. He came to visit, but it turned out that she was not his one and only. He was already 5,000 miles away and no longer replying to her e-mails when their daughter Luc, whom Cin-Cin named after him, was born. This baby also had a congenital heart defect. Fortunately, little Luc lived past infancy. At age four, her atrial septal defect was surgically corrected through a private charity. Meanwhile, the Panares family’s debts had piled up during the years when this once blue baby was in and out of the hospital. Luc was in pre-school when CinCin went to work as a DH (domestic helper) in Hong Kong. She is now in Grade 3 at a private school in Cebu. On weekends, Cin-Cin is not among the thousands of Filipino DH swarming Statue Square, and the Causeway Bay shops. She works in the remote New Territories and would rather save the bus and MTR fare. There are around 175,000 Filipina DH in Hong Kong, slightly outnumbering Indonesians. Together, these domestic migrant workers are almost five percent of Hong Kong’s seven million population, and make up its largest single socio-economic minority class. Instead of picnicking or shopping with the other Pinays, Cin-Cin uses her few precious free hours to paint. Her employers only allow her a day off when it’s convenient for them. She paints for the sheer joy of it: bright and cheerful renderings of kittens and

Picking Flowers

Cin-Cin Panares with her daughter Luc

flowers, which do not recall her daily struggles. The canvasses are small because she paints while lying on her stomach, up in her narrow bunk bed. She has the upper berth while her employers use the lower one for storage. The bunk bed is perpendicular to the apartment’s front door and serves as a divider. They are six in this 20 square-meter flat, smaller than a low-cost socialized housing unit in the Philippines: the spouses (her employers), their two daughters (the youngest around her own Luc’s age), and the husband’s mother whom CinCin calls Mama. The family toilet is visible to the left of the photo of CinCin’s painting of the Tea Cup Kitten. In early 2015, the contemporary art space Para Site launched the Hong Kong Domestic Migrant Workers Project: A Room of Their Own, something which most domestic migrant workers don’t have. This is a long-term initiative to “build connections between the arts community, the city’s wider public sphere and the domestic worker community.” No Filipino DH joined the predominantly Indonesian reading

Sandwich the Pogi Cat

Fishes

group, which runs a mobile library out of a suitcase from a bench in Victoria Park, nor the Sunday writing and photography workshops at Para Site. Last May, I met with Cin-Cin in Para Site for the show After Work. Except for the self-taught photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani, the featured Filipino visual artists were all professionally trained, and not DH. Cin-Cin’s small colorful pictures would have been swallowed up in the black voids

of Maria Taniguchi’s huge canvases, which purportedly express the bleak pointlessness of repetitive drudgery through tiny painstakingly conceptualized brushstrokes. Although her vivid paintings lack bitterness and angst, Cin-Cin knows only too well what awaits her when her contract ends and she returns to Cebu later this year. She plans to study driving and get a professional license, hoping to tap the niche mar-

ket for female passengers who prefer a lady driver. But because life is ever in flux for those like her with no bedrock of financial stability, she might just end up again in a handicrafts factory again. “It won’t be easy without a regular salary to look forward to. But Luc is growing up, and we need each other. Our suffering is multiplied when we are apart. When I paint, I forget the pain. When I paint, I am happy.”

DLS-CSB student leaders in international business confab

THE Indonesia International Conference on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Small Business (IICIES) recently held its annual meeting, themed Social Impact of Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the New Era of Asean Economic Community, at the Hotel Benilde Maison de La Salle. Organized by the Bandung-based Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership (CIEL) of the School of Business and Management (SBM) of Institut Teknologi Bandung, the oldest technology-oriented university in Indonesia, the annual event, now on its eighth year, provides public and corporate training in the areas of leadership, entrepreneurship, and creativity and innovation. The institution is also

active in providing company research and corporate social responsibility activities in these areas. Speakers for the affair included Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship in School of Business and Management Institut Teknologi Bandung Dr. Dwi Larso, Creative Entrepreneur Sabar Situmorang, Managing Director of Eurekloud VJ Africa, former CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Philippines Peachy Pacquing, and Associate Dean of the New Media Studies programs of the School of Design and Arts at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLSCSB) Abigail Cabanilla. Launched in Indonesia in 2009, IICIES has gathered numerous international experts in their respective fields

and thousands of multinational participants from across the world. It has always involved the three pillars in the process of technology commercialization and small business empowerment: academics, business and government. Research is focused on the areas of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, management of technology, leadership, and managing small business and start-up. Meanwhile, the Benildean Student Envoys, ambassadors dedicated to fulfilling DLS-CSB’s needs in external linkages and special functions, volunteered as support staff. These role models are selected from the pool of the college’s top achievers and are champions of goodwill and leadership in-and-off-campus.

The delegates from the recent Indonesia International Conference on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Small Business and the student envoys of DLS-CSB

Wine education at Wine Story HAVE you embarked on the fascinating world of wines and spirits and raring to move on to eventually become a master in wine? As an approved Programme Provider of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), a renowned international body in wine education, Wine Story Academy is happy to announce that it will be conducting a WSET Level 3 Award in Wines & Spirits in August. Venue for the classes scheduled on Aug. 20, 21, 27 and 28 is the Imperial Room of Wine Story - Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City. Francesca Martin who holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma will facilitate the qualification course, which will enable students to sample and analyze over 80 wines and spirits from different regions. The chief educator, who has Wine Story Academy offers a course that will teach students to sample and analyze over 80 wines and spirits from different regions

over 10 years of experience in the global wine trade, offers high tutor-student interaction. The program covers wine production techniques, vinifications, bottling and maturation, viticulture, labeling regulations, as well as how to evaluate quality, style and price of wine. The course is well-suited for individuals holding supervisory positions who wish to have the expertise to advise managers and customers in beverage selection. It is also perfect for wine enthusiasts with vast wine industry experience. Those who have successfully completed the Level 2 Award in Wines & Spirits, or demonstrate intermediate knowledge through equivalent wine industry experience or courses, are encouraged to join. To gain qualification, students must complete a multiple-choice examination, undertake a short essay examination, and compose a blind tasting report of two wines. Successful students will get a certificate and WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and Spirits lapel

pin. They will also be able to apply for the use of WSET’s certified logo. A minimum of four students enlisting together will be entitled to a group rate discount. For further details, including prices and registration, along with other inquiries and bookings, email info@winestory.com. ph or call (02) 637-8888. Wine Story carries the finest and rarest wines in Manila. It takes pride in its efforts to earn for the country an esteemed place in the global fine wine industry. Wine Story Academy takes on this challenge and seeks to achieve Wine Story’s dream through education. Visit Wine Story stores located at G/F, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Edsa, Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City (633-3556); G/F, Serendra, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City (846-6310); and G/F, One Rockwell West, Makati City (869-0932). Visit www. winestory.com.ph for more information.

Showbiz Habitat Philippines celebrity ambassador Derek Ramsay spearheads another fund raising drive that aims to encourage more support towards the institution’s housing advocacy

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

ABITAT for Humanity Philippines (Habitat) launched its latest initiative —‘The Plus Can Project’—alongside the organization’s celebrity ambassador, Derek Ramsay, on Aug. 3 at the Habitat national ofﬁce.

Unlike an ordinary donation drive can, the Plus Can has a unique coin slot in the shape of a plus sign (+), illustrating that by getting involved everyone can be a ‘plus’ to humanity. “The Plus Can means more homes for the homeless, more decent shelter for survivors of disaster, more permanent dwellings for the displaced and more productive communities for our nation,” Ramsay said. “It is also a reminder that we are all part of a larger family — the Filipino family,” he added. This latest fundraising project of Habitat aims to encourage more support towards the housing

advocacy in improving the situation of housing for the poor in the country. “Habitat continuously aims to reach out to more supporters to join our advocacy towards building more homes for families, and the Plus Can Project is one of them,” says Charlie Ayco, Habitat for Humanity, CEO and managing director. “The poverty housing situation of the Philippines of an estimated ﬁve million families needs to be constantly addressed by all stakeholders of our society if we are to provide more homes for our fellow countrymen and transform lives for the better,” Ayco added.

Habitat launches

‘Plus Can’ Angel Aquino, Jean Garcia in ‘Karelasyon’ TODAY’S episode of Karelasyon features a powerhouse cast that includes Angel Aquino, Jean Garcia, and Noni Buencamino. In the episode, one would think, at first glance, that Janice (Angel) has a perfect life. Aside from the love and attention her husband Filbert (Noni) showers her, Janice is also pregnant with their first child. The couple even moved to a better apartment,

BASED on true accounts of those who have survived during the waning days of World War II, the thrilling and inspiring USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage tells of the Navy warship USS Indianapolis that secretly delivered one of two atomic bombs that would eventually end the war. USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage features Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore, Thomas Jane, Matt Lanter, Brian Presley and Cody Walker. Mario Van Peebles directs. When the Japanese learned of the USS Indianapolis within reach, they attacked and sank the heavy cruiser. The USS Indianapolis’ mission was so classiﬁed it was not reported missing, and no one knew the ship had been attacked until four days later. Stranded in the shark-infested waters of the Philippine Sea, the remaining survivors of the USS Indianapolis endured hunger, thirst, heat, delirium, relentless shark attacks and

making Janice happier. Janice cannot ask for anything more. But is her life really ﬂawless? A few days after they transferred to their new house, there are a few things that caught Janice’s attention. First, she hears noises coming from the floor above their unit—the unmistakable thud, shouting, and cries. Next, her husband goes out in the wee hours of

the death of many shipmates. Of the 1,197 crewmembers, nearly 300 went down with the ship. Five days later only 317 men survived and were eventually rescued. Long before the cameras rolled, Richard Rionda Del Castro and Cam Cannon of Hannibal Classics decided to write the script for USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage. They wanted to tell the real story of what happened to the ship’s crewmembers just after midnight on that fateful day, 30 July 1945. “I produced this ﬁlm to pay homage to the ﬁnal crew of the USS Indianapolis, to acknowledge and honor them, along with their families,” says Rionda Del Castro. “To make sure new generations, worldwide, would learn of their harrowing and heroic saga, forever.” They did exhaustive research, with survivors, the US Navy, court documents and historical papers. In their research, they discovered the

Men of courage

in troubled waters

Nicolas Cage (ﬁrst from left) leads a star-studded cast in ‘USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage,’ a story of a military vessel destroyed by a Japanese torpedo during WWII

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, August 20, 2016

ACROSS 1 Brenner Pass locale 5 Museum artifact 10 Borscht veggie 14 Cow barn 15 Since day one (Lat.) 16 Ocean sound 17 Political coalition 18 Family tree, to some 19 Part of A.M. 20 Holds oneself back 22 Over-refined 24 Kind of trip 25 Loopholes 26 Hockey footwear 29 Ready for bad news 33 All wound up 34 Camembert cousin 36 Singer — Sumac 37 Tease 38 Howled 39 LII, twice 40 “Wheel” buy (2 wds.) 41 Kassel’s river 42 Haggard or Oberron 44 Throbbing

47 Composts 48 Late tennis great 49 Home tel. 50 Maria Conchita — 53 Ferried 58 At a premium 59 Like some communities 61 Autobahn vehicle 62 MLB stats 63 Winery process 64 Glitch 65 Endure 66 Leif’s language 67 Candied tubers DOWN 1 Tsp. or oz. 2 Julia’s ex 3 Faculty mem. 4 “EYES ONLY” material 5 Pi and such 6 Black, in verse 7 Bunches 8 — got it! 9 Calculated 10 Brown and simmer 11 Time periods 12 Diner sign 13 Deuce taker 21 Screenwriter James —

the night. And then, a woman named Diane befriends Janice. Diane claims her husband beats her. Janice wants Diane to get away from her abusive husband. But in doing so, she soon discovers that everything that bafﬂes her is connected to one another. Karelasyon with Carla Abellana airs after Eat Bulaga on GMA-7 today.

23 Hwy. 25 Willow twig 26 Watchband 27 Actor — Reeves 28 Halo wearer 30 Brand of spandex 31 A Bronte sister 32 Letterman et al. 34 Marshal’s star 35 Ham go-with 38 “The Hawk” of golf (2 wds.) 42 Face 43 Sheer joy 45 Most balanced

46 Soyuz destination 47 Hard worker 50 Inland sea of Asia 51 Pumice source 52 Assns. 53 Cooler or jug 54 Female lobsters 55 Moon godess 56 Red-waxed cheese 57 Burrows 60 Way back when

Beauty guru Ricky Reyes, through his show ‘GRR TNT,’ offers dental assistance to the kids of Childhaus

Ricky Reyes

shares happiness in Childhaus Nothing is more rewarding than to see sick children smile and live as if nothing is wrong with them, much like the children in Childhaus, a temporary shelter for cancer patients needing proper care and attention and medical assistance. Kindhearted and generous souls offer their share of assistance for various activities and services inside Childhaus, like Taguig Mayor Lanie Cayetano who spent an afternoon with these kids. Cayetano’s advocacy is to help those in need that is why she has ‘Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors in Need’ program for charitable causes. Meanwhile, Gandang Ricky Reyes Todo na Toh (GRR TNT) offers solution to dental problems through Eric Dungo, a dentist. Dungo specializes in Cosmetic Dentistry, a ﬁeld in dentistry that focuses on improving the appearance of a person’s teeth, using aesthetics in color, position, size, shape and alignment and over-all smile appearance. Also, rainy-days comfort food takes center stage as GRR TNT cites bulalo, mami, lugaw and the likes to keep tummies warm. Discover the power of Magnesium with host Ricky Reyes at 9 to 10 a.m. on GMA NewsTV today.

Second Watch organization formed by the family members, friends and supporters of the men of the USS Indianapolis. Their mission statement reads, “Although the USS Indianapolis (CA35) died at sea, the memory of her crew lives. Through the efforts of the USS Indianapolis (CA35) Second Watch, the memory of the Indianapolis will be preserved; her history, story, feeling and experiences shared.” The Second Watch became an instrumental part of the project, providing historical facts, records and photos from survivors and their families. Most importantly, they provided a connection to survivors still living. Five years and 200 drafts later, Hannibal’s script was ready. The search for the right director began. Mario Van Peebles, who had worked with Hannibal previously, expressed tremendous interest in the ﬁlm, Van Peebles knew he had to tell the crewmen’s story, and lobbied hard to direct the ﬁlm. For the

part of Captain Charles Butler McVay, both Hannibal and Van Peebles agreed Nicholas Cage would be perfect. According to Van Peebles “Cage has a sense of command, a wicked sense of humor, is super professional, and is on the ball.” “One of my dreams, my first love, has always been the ocean,” says Cage. “I have always dreamed of doing a film on the ocean. I had to get on the water, and Richard said ‘it just so happens I have a script.” Cage agreed to be the films’ anchor. Cage further shares, “My impression on meeting these survivors, was that they were, they are, remarkably strong willful people. The fact they are still with us . . . We wanted to honor them. They are true heroes.” USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage opens Aug. 24 in cinemas from Pioneer Films. Click here for film’s trailer: https://www.facebook. c o m / Vi e w e r s C h o i c e P H / videos/938676206258461/

Showbiz

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

SOLID KAPAMILYA. (From left) Vhong Navarro, ABS-CBN top guns Carlo Katigbak and Cory Vidanes, John Prats, Billy Crawford and Luis Manzano

Kapamilya stars

ink new contracts

HONG Navarro, John Prats, and Billy Crawford renewed their respective two-year contracts with the Kapamilya network recently. Luis Manzano renewed his ties with the network for another three years. Actor Dennis Trillo is set to thrill his fans in Davao this weekend

Navarro is set to do Dance Kids and will continue hosting It’s Showtime. Meanwhile, Prats is expected to appear in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano apart from his current show Banana Sundae. Crawford, on the other hand, revealed the two new shows that he will be part of – Pinoy Boyband Superstar and Dancing With the Stars. Apart from doing ASAP and It’s Showtime, C r a w f o r d ’s projects also include the toprating show Your Face Sounds Familiar that will soon be making a comeback. Followers and fans of Manzano can expect to see him in new projects that are yet to be unveiled apart from

IF YOUR childhood dreams include becoming a ninja warrior, then this is the show for you. You can revisit that dream and root for your favorite contestant in American Ninja Warrior (ANW). Based on the long-running Japanese show Sasuke, ANW is an action-packed series that follows competitors as they tackle a series whole slew of challenging obstacle courses across the US. Those that successfully complete negotiate their regional event move on to Las Vegas where they face a stunning four-stage course for a grand prize of $1million. If this has awakened your inner-ninja, and now you’re thinking of ways on how you can become a warrior and overcome the ultimate obstacle course, here are a few tips to help you achieve your dream. 1. Work on your strength. Ninja warriors take pride in their amazing strength, speciﬁcally upper body strength which helps them get past a mixture of horizontal and vertical obstacles. At the gym, the monkey bars, dumbbells and seated chest press are equipment types that can help you strengthen your upper body. You can also create a body weight routine that strengthens these areas doing push ups, or if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can always learn parkour or rock climbing. 2. Work on your balance and footwork. In order to successfully traverse multiple obstacles, you also need balance and footwork. Reﬁne your balance with a balance beam, skateboards and stability balls, among others. Meanwhile, rock or wall climbing will not only harness your upper body strength but also your footwork coordination. 3. Work on your willpower and discipline. Becoming a ninja warrior doesn’t happen overnight. When training, you need a detailed plan, discipline and an endless supply of willpower. It has been reported that some ANW contestants train for at least a year before

ISAH V. RED

his on-going projects Minute To Win It, Family Feud, The Voice Kids Season 3, and ASAP. Present in the signing were ABS-CBN’s President and CEO Carlo Katigbak, COO for Broadcast Cory Vidanes, Head of Finance for Broadcast and Integrated News and Current Affairs Cat Lopez, Vhong Navarro’s manager Chito Roño, John Prats and Billy Crawford’s manager Arnold Vegafria, and Luis Manzano’s manager June Ruﬁno. *** It will be a weekend of star-studded treats as various Kapuso celebrities join this year’s Kadayawan Festival in Davao City. Today, the stars of the hit telefantasya Encantadia will headline the Kapuso Mall Show in Gaisano Mall Davao at 4 p.m. with Sang’gres Kylie Padilla and Glaiza de Castro. The two are sure to spread magic among their fans together with their Encantadia co-stars Ruru Madrid and Migo Adecer. Moreover, Davaoeños will swoon to

GMA Artist Center’s James Wright as he joins the Encantadia stars that afternoon. Prior to their mall show, the Kapuso stars at 1 p.m. will bring fun and entertainment to the residents of Barangay 23-C for a Kapuso Barangayan to be held at the barangay’s covered court. GMA will also be part of the Pamulak sa Kadayawan Float Parade beginning 8 a.m. tomorrow. The Encantadia cast will be on the Kapuso Float, which will head on to Rizal Park from Magsaysay Street. The fun does not stop here as more Kapuso stars are expected to join Davaoeños on their annual celebration of Davao City’s biggest festival. Another Kapuso Mall Show will be held at Abreeza Mall at 4 p.m. featuring the stars of GMA shows Juan Happy Love Story, Sinungaling Mong Puso, and the upcoming drama series Someone to Watch Over Me. Juan Happy Love Story’s Dennis Trillo and the lead actors of Sinungaling Mong Puso—Rhian Ramos, Rafael Rosell, and Kiko Estrada are expected to thrill their fans in Davao. Lovi Poe and Tom Rodriguez, meanwhile, are sure to make their fans happy as they join in to promote their forthcoming show on GMA. *** Bonding moments at home with the family this August will be more enriching as SKY continues to shower Filipino families with free movie marathons of three

Tom Rodriguez and Lovi Poe to join other Kapuso stars in Davao’s much awaited festivity

heartwarming stories including Mano Po, Sisterakas, and Momzillas, which feature some of the country’s brightest stars. In the sixth installment of the iconic Mano Po series, Sharon Cuneta plays a billionaire widow who struggles to ﬁx her relationship with her children. Adding to the roster of free movies on SKY is the boxofﬁce hit Sisterakas. Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla also spread love and good vibes.” Completing the list is Momzillas. The free movie screening is

Tips on how to become an

‘American Ninja Warrior’

Contestants’ stamina and strength are tested in ‘American Ninja Warrior’ obstacle course

available to SKYcable prepaid subscribers in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo, Baguio, Gensan, and Dumaguete on FREEVIEW channel 85 and to SKYcable postpaid subscribers in Laoag/Batac, Dagupan/ Agoo, Urdaneta, Batangas, Naga, Tagum, Polomoloc, and Zamboanga on FREEVIEW channel 23 and in Bulacan on FREEVIEW channel 31. Meanwhile, SKYdirect subscribers can catch all three movies anywhere in the country on FREEVIEW channel 24.

joining, and training for ANW is much more complicated than you would expect. 4. Work on achieving your optimal bodymass ratio. Ninja warriors come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, some body types have an advantage over others. But no matter what your body type is, the best thing that you can do is to achieve your optimal bodymass ratio, which means your measure of body fat cannot go beyond what your weight and frame can support. While the bulky and muscled types may look strong, this also means that all that body mass can weigh you down. So it’s best to work according to your body type, not against it. 5. Work on your narrative. No, this is not just some random fact. ANW, unlike most competition shows, does not hold a casting call, which means your chances of joining the competition heavily depends on your video submission where you won’t be able to personally charm the producers. So the only way to get their attention is to present your story well. Figure out what makes you different and create a pitch. So whenever you get a chance to join any competition (hopefully it’s the Philippines’ version of ANW), you’re prepared. That aside, what better way to prepare than to load up on inspiration? So make sure to catch seasons 1 to 4 of American Ninja Warrior weekdays at 7:20 p.m. on Warner TV. Warner TV is available on SKYcable Channel 77, SKYcable HD Channel 197, Cignal HD Channel 119, Destiny Cable (Digital) Channel 77, Destiny Cable (Analog) Channel 80, and Cable Link Channel 30. For more updates on the best in action, comedy and drama, follow on Facebook.com/WarnerTVAsia.