Manila Standard - 2016 October 07 - Friday

‘DFA lacks foreign policy’

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

EVEN 100 days after Rodrigo Duterte was elected President, the new government has no roadmap for its plan to pursue an independent foreign policy, a Foreign Affairs insider told the Manila Standard.

In an interview, the source who spoke

on condition of anonymity said Duterte has not articulated any policy agenda, not only on foreign policy, but also on the economy, poverty reduction, peace, employment and job creation, defense modernization, and even the President’s bloody war on drugs.

“As to the independent foreign policy, Next page

VOL. XXX • NO. 237 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Yasay: US has failed PH Du30’s reason to break ‘shackles of dependency’

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and John Paolo Bencito

F

OREIGN Affairs chief Perfecto Yasay declared Thursday that the country would break the “shackles of dependency” on the United States, which has failed the Philippines, and said the Duterte administration would no longer bend to the carrot-and-stick approach used

by America or any other country, including China.

“This is at the core of the message of President Rodrigo Duterte to the American people and the world,” Yasay said in a statement.

“This has compelled him to realign our foreign policy towards an independent track in pursuing the overriding national interest and in upholding and protecting our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Although the Philippines is “forever grateful to America,” Yasay said, the country’s “shackles” of dependency on the US over the last 70 years have made Filipinos incapable of defending their national interest against internal and external threats, in-

cluding the country’s ongoing territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea. “Breaking away from the shackling dependency of the Philippines to effectively address both internal and external security threats has become imperative in putting an end to our nation’s subservience to United States’ interests,” Yasay said.

Seventy years ago, Yasay said, America acknowledged the hard fought independence of its only colony in Asia, after it snatched victory from Filipinos in their struggle for freedom from 400 years of Spanish domination.

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HIGH POINT. Members of Eco-Challenge present during a news conference Thursday in Quezon City a ‘gold medal’ to President Rodrigo Duterte

on completion of his 100 days as chief executive for unflinchingly addressing foreign militarism and policy pronouncements on Philippine-US military exercises they say have caused hazardous wastes and other forms of environmental ruin over the years. Manny Palmero

Rody son sparks furor Shock and awe: Du30’s big, brash 100 days over ‘druggie’ senator PRESIDENTIAL son and Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte said Wednesday night he knew a senator who was using cocaine, prompting Senators Panfilo Lacson and Antonio Trillanes IV to challenge him to name names on Thursday.

Lacson said the vice mayor should name the senator because he had just put all 24 senators under suspicion.

Before he made his statement, the young Duterte got mad after militiaman Edgar Matobato, who claims to be a former member of the Davao Death Squad, accused him of ordering the killing of Cebu-based businessman Richard King who had been accused of smuggling rice and using illegal drugs.

He then pressed Matobato for evidence.

“Avoid talking too much and instead show me evidence, because if it’s my turn to accuse,

RODRIGO Duterte’s promise of radical change helped win him power in one of Asia’s oldest democracies. Since taking office in the Philippines, he’s certainly shaken things up.

But while his profanity-littered tirades capture headlines, alongside a war on drugs that has seen more than 3,000 people killed, what about his key campaign pledges?

“He is like a stereo. On one channel, he is shock and awe

-- a lot of pronouncements, a lot of revelations,” said Segundo Romero, a professorial lecturer in development studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. “When you look at the actual management in government work, which is planning what to do, making decisions and making things happen, that has really not moved so much.”

The former Davao mayor, 71, inherited one of Asia’s strongest economies with growth around seven percent. But his challenges

are complex and long-running, ranging from terrible traffic jams in the capital to creaking infrastructure to high crime rates. And while Duterte’s popularity is high (a poll released Thursday put his net satisfaction rating at “very good” three months in), he needs to deliver on the economy to reassure investors who have pulled money out of local markets in recent weeks.

“The older you get the more impatient you become,” Socioeco-

nomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said at a recent briefing.

“That’s the hallmark of the President. He’s very impatient. That means we’re going to get things done faster.” Nearly 100 days in, here’s where Duterte stands: Drugs and Crime Duterte has repeatedly vowed to make ordinary Filipinos feel safer by tackling illegal drugs and crime. “I have long warned them to stop using drugs. Now, they still Next page

Business buoyant over prospects of deeper reforms Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte

then I know a senator who uses cocaine. I can expose that,”’ Paolo said.

He said he obtained his information from his and the senator’s common friend in Manila.

He said he used to hang out with his friend who told him about the senator’s links to illegal drugs.

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THE last six months of the Aquino administration recorded a 7.0-percent economic expansion as a result of the Philippines’ strong fundamentals.

The new administration took office on June 30 promising to continue the macroeconomic policies of the previous administration, but the official numbers have yet to tell whether the economy

has continued moving up significantly.

Today, Oct. 7 marks the 100th day in office of President Rodrigo Duterte, 71, the seven-time mayor of Davao City.

But Bank of the Philippine Islands associate economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa says it’s still too early to gauge how the economy performed during Duterte’s first

100 days.

“The GDP [gross domestic product] numbers are yet to be reported, but preliminary data show that imports continue to outpace exports as corporates gear for more expansionary activity,” Mapa said in an e-mail to Manila Standard.

“We’ve seen, however, a slowdown in remittances and a slight

uptick in inflation, which could slow our consumption juggernaut to some extent,” Mapa said.

“However, all other indicators still look buoyant with domestic liquidity growing and bank lending up.”

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the inflation rate in the third quarter Next page

NDF rigodon clears way for new panel chairman

HEAT CONTINUES. Presidential Security Group member Joenel Sanchez (far right), former close-in security of Senator Leila de Lima, discloses

details about the rumored liaison between her and her former driver, Ronnie Dayan, during a hearing Thursday of the House Committee on Justice at the resumption of a congressional inquiry into the illegal drugs trade at the New Bilibid Prison. Others who appeared before the body were Engelberto Durano, Joel Capones, Nonilo Arile, and S/Supt. Jerry Valeroso. Ey Acasio

Drug lord raised funds for De Lima, witness claims

By Maricel V. Cruz INMATE Jaybee Sebastian used his connection with former Justice secretary Leila de Lima to wield power inside the New Bilibid Prison, a witness told the House

committee on justice, which is investigating the proliferation of illegal drugs in the national penitentiary.

Nonito Arile, a former police officer, said Sebastian was known to be “untouchable” and powerful twitter.com/ MlaStandard

at the NBP. “This is because he [Sebastian] gives a huge amount of money on a regular basis to former Justice secretary Leila de Lima… and Director [Franklin] Bucayu ng Bureau of Corrections,” the inmate

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

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Arile said in his sworn statement, which he read before the House panel.

Arile said he knew that Sebastian was raising money for De Lima when he talked to him about it.

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thestandard.com.ph

LUIS Jalandoni, the long-time chairman of the National Democratic Fronts’ peace negotiating panel, has resigned and been replaced by Fidel Agcaoili, the rebel organization announced on the eve of the start of the second round of formal talks with the government.

The NDF also announced the appointment of recently released consultant Benito Tiamzon as a member of the peace panel “in order to further strengthen” the body.

“The national leadership of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines has granted the longstanding request of Comrade Luis G. Jalandoni to resign as the chairperson of the NDFP Negotiating Panel,” the NDF said in a statement.

The group made its statement even as the farmers’ group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said Filipino farmers will benefit the most from the ongoing peace Next page

Manila, Moscow near deal on $12-m choppers

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

THE Philippines is set to acquire two helicopters—each worth between $12 million and $17 million—as its initial purchase under a Russian-Philippine military acquisition program.

An insider ad Foreign Affairs

Department told the Manila Standard that the Philippines is looking to purchase either two of MI17 or MI24 to improve the country’s capability against possible internal and external threats.

“We are looking of purchasing two to four MI17 or MI24. This is in line with President Rodrigo Next page

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Choose between aid and future, Leni told Union and what’s worse is that there’s an official who threatened me, Leni [Robredo] saying that we [may] lose the international assistance,” Duterte said.

Duterte told Robredo: “You choose, the crumbs of the favor of other nations and wait for their assistance, or we make a stand that

on the defensive amid international criticism of his bloody anti-drug war said that US President Barack Obama should “go to hell” and that the EU could “choose purgatory.”

It was the latest of Duterte’s series of tirades whose targets have also included UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Reacting to Robredo’s statements, Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the President was more concerned with being treated with “dignity and respect” than keeping the flow of aid.

The President said that his international critics may withdraw foreign aid should they want to.

disputes, Yasay said.

Yasay said even the presence of US troops has not helped the country protect its territorial borders.

“The stark reality is that even in protecting our territorial boundaries and the exclusive use of our maritime entitlements in the South China Sea, our defensive forces remain grossly incapable in meeting the security threats that we face from potential foes, not to mention their stagnating impact on our development,” Yasay said.

“Worse, our only ally could not give us the assurance that in taking a hardline towards the enforcement of our sovereignty rights under international law, it will promptly come to our defense under our existing military treaty and agreements,” Yasay said.

Given these conditions, Duterte then decided “to liberate” Filipinos from the US “carrot-and-stick” policy toward the Philippines, Yasay said.

“The carrot and stick policy of the US towards the Philippines has been effectively used all throughout the long years since our independence to force Filipinos into submission to American demands and interests,” he said. “This is what President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is now trying to liberate us from.”

Yasay assured the public that under an independent foreign policy,

Duterte would not allow Beijing or any nation to bully the Philippines.

But the government will pursue bilateral talks with China “towards peacefully settling” the country’s territorial disputes in accordance with the legal and diplomatic process under United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea. “Our past mistakes in fostering and strengthening our friendship with out white big brother will be instructive for this purpose,” he added.

“We will never allow China or any other nation to bully us or deal with Philippine interests under another carrot-and-stick policy,” Yasay said.

The Foreign Affairs chief also asked American leaders and policy shapers several questions: • Are they willing to change their tack in dealing with the Philippines to be in sync with geopolitical realities?

• Do they value the special friendship enough to save and strengthen it?

Or would they instead choose to ignore the country’ urgent pleas and interject alleged human rights violations and concerns as the country moves to address pressing domestic problems?

Duterte has bristled at US and international criticism of his war on drugs, which has resulted in more than 3,000 drug-related deaths in the

last three months.

Earlier, US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said Washington values its ties with Manila, noting that both countries are strong allies and partners in the region.

At the same time, he said the US would continue to speak out on “credible allegations of human rights abuses.”

Duterte on Tuesday refused to back down, despite suggestions from his allies that he be more circumspect.

To make his point, he launched into new tirades against critics of his bloody anti-illegal drugs campaign, telling Obama to “go to hell” and the European Union “to choose purgatory” because hell was already full.

“They’re telling me to stop making noises. No, I cannot stop. I’ll lose the momentum,” Duterte said during the Sulong Pilipinas Local Governance dialogues at Makati City.

The Palace on Thursday said it would be reviewing the country’s defense agreements with the United States, including the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement .

“We are reviewing all our treaties, that’s what we can say right now,” presidential spokesman Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo also said that the

President is subjecting the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty to a review “either to expand them, enhance them, or remove provisions onerous to the interests of the government.”

Panelo said the underlying reason for any agreement is whether it helps the country’s interest or not. If it can be seen that it no longer adds to or supplements Philippine interests, the President is bound by the Constitution to not implement it or to abrogate it, he said.

The Philippines–United States Visiting Forces Agreement was signed by the governments of the Philippines and the United States in 1998, and came in to effect in 1999 and outlined set of guidelines for the conduct and protection of American troops visiting the Philippines.

The signing of the VFA led to the establishment of annual bilateral military exercises between the US and the Philippine known as Balikatan, as well as a variety of other cooperative defense measures.

The President, however, called for an end to the joint military exercises and also threatened to call off the Edca, which is effective for 10 years, citing that it has not been beneficial to the country.

Despite the President’s statements,

Duterte’s recent media pronouncements on opening new alliances with Russia and China in pursuit of an independent foreign policy, OEA [Office of the European Affairs] is of the view that there is a need to craft a Philippine foreign policy insofar as the Russian Federation is concerned,” the OEA told the Philippine Embassy in Moscow.

“In view of the above, OEA respectfully requests post to draft a concept note on ways to move forward PH-Russia relations,” the order added.

The order was issued more than a week after the Russian embassy announced that the Philippines plans to acquire military equipment and technology from Russia.

In China, on the other hand, it was only on Wednesday when Malacañang an-

nounced the appointment of former journalist and China expert Chito Sta. Romana as Philippine Ambassador to Beijing.

Asked if he has also been instructed him to craft a concept note, Sta. Romana, who is still awaiting confirmation for the Commission on Appointments before he flies to Beijing, said no.

“I haven’t been asked to craft a concept note. But I do hope to provide inputs,” he said.

The source also said that the Duterte administration even lacks concrete objectives in pursuing independent policy and even road maps of governance.

The insider also claimed that even though Duterte declared war against drugs, there is no concrete guideline on how to handle this policy from arresting the alleged drug users and

dealers to penalizing them.

The source also said the Duterte government did not appear to have a clear legal basis or even rules of engagement when arresting alleged drug users and dealers.

“People need to start asking: what is this war of yours? Let’s dissect it. Is it merely to kill drug users and pushers? What is your legal basis?” the source asked.

Instead of focusing on governance, the President has been busy cursing at the United States, the United Nations and the European Union.

The source said, there were no deep reasons behind the President’s swearing against the United States, it’s just that he is not articulate enough to send his message across well.

He said Duterte lost interest in dealing with the US when Ambassador Philip Goldberg told him the US would come to the aid of the Philippines only if it were attacked.

“Unfortunately, Goldberg was not prepared for that question,” the source said.

The source also said that Duterte could not focus on governing because he was “afraid and parnoid” that someone would try to kill him.

Another problem, the source said, was that Duterte was surrounded by advisers who also think like him.

“He needs an adviser who can calm his temper. That can only happen if you have a good pool of people not only competent, but with diverse opinions,” the source said.

equipment and technology from Russia.

He said the officials of Federal Service for Military-technical Cooperation (FSMTC) briefed them on the different modes of financing on acquiring militaty equipment or technology.

The ambassador said Philippine defense officials have established the kind of equipment they need for internal defense and counterterrorism, and that they were now canvassing to see if the systems that Manila needs are available from Russia.

The Philippines has been unable to procure the weapons it wants “because some countries don’t believe we can use these high-tech systems properly or because of certain countryspecific conditionalities,” he said.

The only country so far with the available military technology and the willingness to sell it is Russia.

“They trust that we will use these in accordance with international humanitarian law,” he said.

Aside from the military equipment and technology, Sorreta said, both countries have discussed possible cooperation on training; after-sales service and maintenance; transfer of technology; investment in domestic military production and servicing; and different modes of financing.

The talks with Russia developed after Duterte met with Russian Ambassador Khovaev in Davao City a few days after the May 9 elections.

Khovaev said he was impressed by Duterte during a “very productive” meeting where they discussed how to jump-start Philippine-Russian relations which officially started only in 1976.

Khovaev said that it was “time for Russians to discover the Philippines, and it is time for the Philippines to discover Russia,” adding that strengthened trade cooperation could begin before the end of this year.

The Russian envoy said there is much potential in the two country’s bilateral ties because “there were no disputes and no contradictions.”

Sebastian’s influence at the NBP when high-profile inmates—the socalled “Bilibid 19”—were moved out of the maximum security compound following a raid led by De Lima and agents from the National Bureau of Investigation in December 2014.

Arile also disclosed he managed to get hold of the Banco de Oro account number where Sebastian’s earnings from the drug trade were allegedly deposited. He said the account number was under the account name “Coco Jewelry Shop.”

Three weeks before the raid in 2014, Arile said he saw P65 million in cash kept inside a cigarette box inside the huts of inmate Sam Li Chua. But after the raid, jewelry, guns and luxury items which valued at P300,000 were lost, as reported in the news.

This prompted him to write a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte and Philippine National Police chief Director General Roland dela Rosa dated August 2016.

A former close-in security aide of De Lima, meanwhile confirmed the rumored romantic relationship between her and her former driverbodyguard, Ronnie Dayan, and the existence of a sex video.

Joenel Sanchez, a member of the Presidential Security Group, also read his affidavit before the House panel.

Sanchez said there were several instances that could prove that De Lima and her driver were in a relationship, such as when Dayan was staying over at De Lima’s house, or when they slept in one room during their out-of-town trips.

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday stressed that the Philippines is not begging for any international aid as he asked Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo to choose between foreign aid and the protection of the next generation against the illegal drug menace.

Yasay:...

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“And yet, after proclaiming in July 4, 1946 that the Filipinos had been adequately trained for self determination and governance, the United States held on to invisible chains that reined us in towards dependency and submission as little brown brothers not capable of true independence and freedom,” Yasay said.

Weeks after he was elected as President in May, Duterte has a closed door meeting with US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg and asked him point blank if Washington would support Manila in a confrontation with China in the disputed South China Sea. “Are you with us or are you not with us?” Duterte said in a speech in June in Davao City, recalling his meeting with Goldberg.

But Goldberg only responded: “Only if you are attacked.”

The 50-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty stated that each country will “act to meet the common dangers” if one is attacked.

Although US officials say that ties with the Philippines are “ironclad,” the Americans have not taken any side in the unresolved territorial

‘DFA...

From A1 the question is, how independent would it be given the current global political and economic architecture,” the source said.

“The problem is that so far, President Duterte’s administration has not articulated its policy agenda on the different fronts of governance. There are many actions, but no clear map,” the administration insider lamented.

One example of this, the source said, was that the Philippine Embassy in Moscow was being told to craft a foreign policy toward Russia just two days before Duterte’s 100th day in office.

“In light of President Rodrigo Roa

Shock...

From A1 have not stopped. They asked for their own death, not me,” he said in June.

His campaign has seen over 22,000 drug suspects arrested and about 731,000 people turn themselves in. Half the deaths have been at the hands of the police.

Human rights groups argue that innocent people or those who are simply addicts risk being killed, and that the campaign won’t halt drug use. Duterte has publicly attacked leaders from US President Barack Obama to United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon for questioning his actions.

For now Duterte is undeterred.

“Our next move is to go after the high-value targets. My goal is to see every village free from drugs,” National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa said by phone, adding the volume of crime has fallen 49 percent.

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of 2016, the start of the Duterte administration, rose to 2 percent against 1.53 percent in the last quarter in office of the previous administration.

Duterte has said he will continue the economic policies by his predecessor.

He appointed former Agriculture secretary Carlos Dominguez III as Finance chief and economics professor emeritus at the University of the Philippines Ernesto Pernia as chief economist.

“By the time this presidency bows out of office in 2022, we aspire to reduce the nation’s poverty rate from the current 26 percent of our total

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity has soared during his first three months in office, an independent survey showed, in an apparent endorsement by Filipinos of his brutal war on crime.

Defense ally the United States, the United Nations and the European Union have led global condemnation of Duterte’s unprecedented crime crackdown, which has left more than 3,000 people dead and raised fears of mass extrajudicial killings.

However 76 percent of Filipinos polled by Social Weather Stations said they were “satisfied” with Duterte’s performance, with just 11 percent reporting being “dissatisfied” and the rest undecided.

The Manila-based polling group surveyed 1,200 adults nationwide from September 24-27, asking them simply about Duterte’s performance as president without reference to the drug war.

Duterte won the May elec-

this country has to survive that this country and must see to it that the next generation is protected?”

On Wednesday, Robredo warned that the President’s attacks could strain diplomatic ties and eventually cut the flow of international aid that we are receiving from other countries.

“Foreign aid is a big help for us, and those are given to us because of the level of their trust and confidence in us. It is not something that we can do away with just like that because we worked hard to reach that certain level of comfort and trust,” Robredo said.

Robredo made the call a day after the President, who is still

By John Paolo Bencito

“If you want to be like Latin American countries who are all failed states because of drugs, It’s not wrong if I go overboard shouting hell,” Duterte said at the regional police headquarters in Libertad, Butuan.

“I’ve been hurled insults from President Obama, the European

Pinoys still back Rody amid war on drugs

Duterte has pledged to crack down on graft, urging senior officials to shun sports cars while banning the use of honorifics like “your excellency” for himself and his cabinet.

Since taking office he has accused senior police officials of being on the take and oligarchs of using their influence to promote business interests.

“I would hate to read your names in public and maybe authorize your arrest,” he said in August, referring to big tax evaders.

Duterte is seeking to simplify government transactions to minimize opportunities for graft. At the Bureau of Customs, an office was created to centralize collections. He’s asked local governments to cut the time for new business registrations to two days from several weeks and automate some transactions. As of late September, more than 70 percent of 1,389 local governments surveyed were in compliance, according to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez. population to around 17 percent,” Dominguez said.

Pernia says the formulation of the next Philippine Development Plan will contain new indicators for poverty employment, rural development, culture and the arts, science and technology, migrants’ rights, climate change resiliency, peace and order, maternal health, housing, gender equality and energy security, among many others.

“If you remember, the Philippine Development Plan 2010-2016 included a multidimensional poverty index or MPI. We definitely want to continue this initiative and develop a multidimensional and trans-disciplinary approach in addressing the multiple facets of poverty,” Pernia said.

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Duterte’s focus is more on internal security than external,” the source, who asked for anonymity, told the Manila Standard.

Although the Philippines is still window shopping, the source admitted that the Israel government is also pushing for their drones.

The heavily armored Russian helicopters are designed to withstand any kind of weather and are said to be low maintenance.

The choppers are also said to have defensive capabilities against portable surface-to-air attacks.

The source said Russia may offer a huge discounts and extended payment schemes could be arranged.

“It’s all just feelers at the moment.

There are no negotiations yet,” the source said.

Recently, Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta said the Philippines is looking to buy military

Drug...

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In the course of their discussion, Arile said Sebastian also mentioned the imminent transfer of inmates who were also allegedly operating their own drug businesses inside the NBP. “Jaybee also boasted about the imminent transfer of inmates whom he considered as competitors in the illegal drug trade operations inside Bilibid because he [Jaybee] is an asset of De Lima.

He planned all these things because he was promised an absolute pardon by Secretary De Lima as she claimed she was trying to lobby [for this with] President Aquino,” said Arile, a murder and kidnapping convict.

Arile said he was convinced about

tions in what was considered a landslide, but still with just 37.6 percent of the votes. In the Philippines, the presidential election is decided simply by whoever gets the most votes, and his nearest rival secured 22.6 percent.

Duterte, a provincial politician, stormed to victory largely on his pledge to eradicate crime in six months.

He promised that tens of thousands of people would be killed in his crime crackdown, and that he would pardon himself and police if they were charged with mass murder.

Since taking office on June 30, Duterte has continued his threats and incitements to kill, while unleashing abusive tirades at his critics.

Last week he said he would be “happy to slaughter” three million drug addicts, as he likened his crime war to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s efforts to exterminate Jews. AFP Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana maintained that the joint war games with the United States were good for the country.

“The President said that our troops are not benefitting from the military exercises. But military officials maintain that there are benefits [from the relationship,]” Lorenzana said.

Lorenzana on Wednesday said the President may have been fed with the wrong information.

A former National Security Adviser who served under former President Fidel Ramos, meanwhile, said Duterte’s threats to abrogate Edca were “negative” for the country, and said he hoped the President would change his “colorful” insults into “colorless” ones.

The former NSA, Jose Almonte, said there was nothing wrong with forging alliances with other countries, but said it would be better if Duterte could tone down his rhetoric, saying that insults and the constant tirades were a distraction to the accomplishments of his administration.

“If he can make his colorful statements colorless, that’s a big change for me,” said Almonte. “Even the President may not realize that is not good. I am hopeful he will change when the time comes.”

Rody...

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“We have a common friend who told me that this senator is using cocaine. I will not claim that he’s a supplier as something might happen to him. But, senator, we will soon meet face to face,” Paolo said Trillanes said all the senators could be tested for drug use, but so should the vice mayor.

Senate President Aqulino Pimentel III joined in.

“Well, all I can say is that it’s not me,” he said in a text message to reporters.

Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said he had no idea who was being referred to by the young Duterte.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III proposed that they should all undergo a drug test “to dispel any suspicion on any member of the Senate.”

Sotto said he and Senator Gregorio Honasan II had already undergone tests.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said he was ready to submit himself to a drug test, and Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said likewise.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

NDF...

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negotiations between the government and the NDF because the land problem is among the roots of the communist rebellion.

“It is in the best interest of the peasant masses if the peace talks arrive at substantial social and economic reforms, including an agreement on agrarian reform,” said KMP chairman Joseph Canlas.

Edre Olalia, the NDF’s chief legal counsel, said Jalandoni will be the NDF’s senior adviser in the peace negotiations following his retirement.

Jalandoni, a former priest who came from a landed family in Negros Occidental, had been chairman of the NDF peace panel since 1995 and was previously the NDF’s vice chairman for international affairs.

His wife Coni Ledesma, who also hails from a prominent Negros Occidental family and is a former nun, is also a peace panel member.

John Paolo Bencito and Sandy Araneta

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IN BRIEF Shabu price skyrockets THE price of metamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, has spiked due to the government’s intensified war against illegal drugs in the country, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said on Thursday.

PDEA Director General Isidro S. Lapeña said the current street price of shabu now ranges from P1,200 to P25,000 per gram, the highest since 2002 following the government’s intensified anti-drug campaign.

This shows an increase of 127.27 percent as compared to its previous price ranging from P1,200 to P11,000 per gram from January to June.

“Basically, the availability and demand for dangerous drugs have a direct effect on its price structure. When the market price of illegal drugs rises, it is generally assessed that there is a scarcity in supply available in the market and vice-versa, an indication that the present government is winning the war against the drug menace,” Lapeña noted.

The price structure of shabu varies depending on the area or place of transaction, payments, and on the quality/purity of the substance. The street price of shabu is lowest in Region 9 at P1,200 per gram, while it is most expensive in Region 12 at P25,000 per gram.

“The scarcity in the supply of shabu can be attributed to the dismantling of seven clandestine laboratories this year, five of them under the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and the massive crackdown on high-value drug personalities,” Lapeña said, explaining why prices of shabu are inversely proportional to the supply nowadays. PNA

Ecija rehab site near end MALACAÑANG on Thursday said it is now fast-tracking the construction of a mega drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation center in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija to accommodate the huge number of drug users surrendering for treatment.

“The construction of a mega drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation center (DATRC) in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija is in full-swing, with almost 50 percent completion. This first major rehab facility under construction, it is designed to accommodate 2,500 in-patients, and expected to be finished by the end of October 2016,” the Palace said in a statement.

“Now that the anti-drug campaign is on its second phase, the government, through its various agencies, is collaborating with all concerned sectors to put an end to this pervasive menace,” he added.

The Palace said that the Health department is already speeding up its recruitment of health workers and professionals who will operate the said facility, once it becomes operational in the first week of November.

The Department of Interior and Local Government, in partnership with local officials and private donors, will select one province per region that will accommodate rehabilitation centers.

John Paolo Bencito

SEEKING REDRESS. Marcos loyalists trooped to the Supreme Court on Thursday to submit their petition, signed by 1.5-million supporters, asking the court to favor the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The matter is pending before the high court. N. Araga

Poe hits DoTr projects Duterte administration.

“Our job in the DOTr is not only [to look after] traffic; we also handle aviation and maritime [and have] made progress in the last 100 days,” Tugade said.

Poe had scheduled the fourth public hearing on Oct. 12 to clarify the government’s plan to implement critical transportation projects.

“In the interest of transparency, we will be conducting a fourth hearing to give the DOTr an opportunity to present in detail how they plan to implement certain projects and an opportunity to explain some of their projects, which apparently have nothing to do with traffic decongestion,” stressed Poe. In a recent speech before members of the European and Filipino business community, Poe said she was forced to call for a fourth hearing for the DOTr

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATOR Grace Poe has lamented what she called the dismal performance of the Department of Transportation under Secretary Arthur Tugade in addressing the country’s traffic woes as she scored the inclusion of questionable projects in the DOTr’s proposed emergency powers package.

“I want to be kind, but their performance is really lacking and inadequate. They keep on harping on emergency powers, but they can accomplish a lot even without emergency powers,” said Poe, who heads the Senate committee on public services which is conducting hearings on the emergency powers package.

But Poe said it is incumbent upon them to extensively scrutinize the DOTr’s plans to ensure that these will have direct impact on the alleviation of transport woes.

Poe’s lament coincided with the DOTr’s declaration it has forged ahead in addressing some of the transport woes during the first 100 days of the

Trillanes vows to surrender whistleblower SENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV has said he will surrender Edgar Matobato, the confessed hitman of the Davao Death Squad to authorities once he receives the warrant of arrest issued against him by a Davao court.

Trillanes said he had been informally informed a warrant was issued against Matobato, in connection with an illegal possession of firearms case filed against him in 2014, for failing to attend his arraignment on Tuesday.

Matobato’s lawyer immediately prepared a motion for reconsideration filed Thursday, Trillanes added.

“We were hoping this motion will be considered by the judge to recall or put on hold the warrant. However, I was informed this was alrready given to the process server and the PNP,” said Trillanes, referring to the Philippine National Police.

Trillanes said: “I’m announcing it now I have him in my custody and security so the warrant can pass through me and I will give it to him so there’s no need to look for him...so that there will be no untoward incident.”

Matobato was taken into his custody after he testified in the ongoing investigation of the Senate committee on justice on the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.

Matobato has accused President Rodrigo Duterte of ordering the killings of criminals and enemies when the latter was still mayor of Davao City, saying over 1000 suspected criminals and political opponents of the Dutertes were killed. Macon Ramos-Araneta

to explain “why some of their projects, which apparently have nothing to do with traffic decongestion, are included in their proposals.”

Poe said: “While I agree on the urgency to pass a transport emergency powers legislation, I have some reservations as to the list of projects DOTr presented during the hearings… For example, they seek emergency powers to procure license plates and establish a national emission-testing center. Do they need to wait for an emergency powers law before they can accomplish this?

“How do they intend to implement the BRT [Bus Rapid Transfer] line project along Edsa? If they construct a BRT line there, will this not create a bottleneck as it reaches Shaw boulevard, because there are only two lanes for vehicles on each side?

“Will the BRT use existing city buses or will they require a new type of bus for this project?”

Poe added the panel wants to be informed about two proposed bus rapid transit system projects to traverse Manila City Hall to Quezon City and another from Edsa to Ayala and Ortigas to Naia which cost about P44.23 billion, expected to be implemented in three years with the extra powers.

Poe also called the attention of the DOTr for failing to provide proposals for the development of ports outside of Metro Manila to reduce the number of cargo trucks plying the capital.

“The list of projects submitted by the DOTr also provides for port decongestion in Manila, but does not include any proposed project for Subic and Batangas ports,” she said.

SET hears protest vs De Lima

By Rey E. Requejo EMBATTLED Senator Leila de Lima, facing investigation on her alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade in New Bilibid Prison and graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman, is also now facing election protest questioning her election as senator in the last May general elections.

This, after the Senate Electoral Tribunal started hearing the protest filed by former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino, who placed 13th in the senatorial race in the May elections with just about 1.3-million votes behind De Lima.

The SET, composed of three Supreme Court justices and six senators, heard the case in a closed door

preliminary conference on Thursday.

In his protest, Tolentino sought the nullification of the proclamation of De Lima as elected senator for allegedly committing election fraud.

Tolentino alleged De Lima cheated in the automated polls by manipulating electronic transmission of results.

“It [cheating] was with the electronic transmission. There probably was double transmission,” he said in an interview.

“If you saw the results, the margin of votes between the first place to (sic) the 12th place was only about 80,000 votes. But when it came to the 13th place, the margin became so big,” Tolentino added.

Tolentino likened his case to that of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. who lost in the vice

presidential race to Leni Robredo and also filed a poll protest with the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

Asked what evidence he would submit to the SET to substantiate his allegation, Tolentino cited documents and witnesses gathered by his camp.

De Lima, answering Tolentino’s protest, denied the charges and said she did not even have resources to fund her campaign.

However, Tolentino argued: “That’s not true because she reportedly had drug money that fueled her campaign... There should really be no narco-money involved in elections.”

Apart from the ouster of De Lima and his (Tolentino’s) proclamation as duly elected senator, the latter also hoped his protest would lead to reforms in the automated polls.

Manila

Standard

TODAY

DA unfolds new farm plan

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Department of Agriculture has devised a program that will help farmers increase their productivity and profitability by allowing them to produce the rice requirement under the P21-billion rice subsidy of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

Defending his agency’s P50.5-billion budget for 2017, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol told the Senate finance subcommittee hearing, presided by Senator Cynthia Villar, the department is now working out a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the purpose.

For next year, aside from the education and health cash grants, Piñol said 4Ps household-beneficiaries will also be provided with P20 kilos of rice every month.

“This is based on the experience of Yazaki Torres. It is a corporation with 14,000

employees. They have a canteen which consumes 400 bags of 50-kilo bags of rice every week. They also have employees who were given rice allowances.

“Instead of buying their rice requirements from commercial sources, they went to Mindoro, engaged 400 farmers, financed the farmers through a local bank and provided the tractors, provided good seeds, provided fertilizers, and then they bought the rice that was produced,” Piñol explained.

Villar said this scheme will help feed CCT beneficiaries and at the same time provide farmers with the market for their rice produce.

“This makes the 4Ps program more meaningful,” said Villar as she welcomed the creation of a program that will allow Filipino farmers to produce the rice requirement for the 4.5-million household-beneficiaries of government’s conditional cash transfer program.

Missionaries of Charity. The Wong Chu King Foundation (WCKF) recently donated milk, water, shampoo and maternity supplies to the children and mothers of the Missionaries of Charity (MoC) in Aparri, Cagayan as part of their apostolic mission to help those who are deservedly in need. In photo are (L-R) WCKF volunteers Marlon Uy, Albert Rola, Arsenio Montajes, Michael Guevara and Eduward Ampoan. With WCKF General Manager James Vincent Navarrete and Asst. Manager of MoC Sr. Mariam Tara together with the beneficiaries of the Missionaries of Charity.

A4

Opinion

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Containing the damage

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte remains popular in the Philippines, with his antidrugs campaign receiving the support of the majority. But his continuing antics and recent tough talk against his critics have dominated the international headlines, casting a bad image of the Philippines and unnerving foreign investors and financial institutions.

Top economic officials of the Duterte administration, on their way to attend the annual World Bank-International Monetary Fund meeting in Washington, D.C., have sought to calm the jitters created by Duterte’s

outbursts and rhetoric. They are out to talk to international credit-rating agencies, US newspapers and investors to “counter adverse media reports” about the Philippines.

The public relations mission comes amid the un-

flattering report of London-based think tank Capital Economics, which said Mr. Duterte’s talks had increased the potential downside risks to the economic outlook of the Philippines. “What has unnerved investors is a string of inflammatory statements and erratic foreign policy changes which have raised questions about Duterte’s judgment and his commitment to the rule of law,” says Capital Economics.

“His anti-drugs campaign, which has led to thou-

sands of extrajudicial killings, has generated negative headlines across the world.”

The country’s economic team has left to precisely address the negative reports coming out from the Philippines.

Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia and his team— Budget secretary Benjamin Diokno, Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Amando Tetangco Jr.—are set to meet with Moody’s Investor

Service, Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s to counter the negative news about the country.

Mr. Duterte, despite his inflammatory statements, has not tinkered with the current economic program.

His administration, however, must move fast to erase the negative perception of the foreign media and key foreign financial institutions. The Philippines needs positive sentiments, not the negative ones, to keep the flow of investments and foreign funds.

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

Decoding Digong

The first 100 days LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES (Conclusion) I HAD to laugh when I saw the headline of this newspaper’s editorial: “The mouth that roared.”

But I think a lot of people tend to forget that the new president is also a man of prompt and decisive action, not just some old guy from the boonies with an outrageously dirty mouth.

For instance, Duterte’s immediate predecessor, Noynoy Aquino, was never known as an “action man.” And Aquino just didn’t talk about things that he felt he could not accomplish or that weren’t important to him.

This was how Aquino was able to complete his six-year term without once mentioning the illegal drug problem in a State of the Nation Address. I am convinced that Aquino also

believed that if he never took the humongous gridlock on the roads seriously, maybe it wasn’t really happening.

Noynoy, with his convoy making sure that he always enjoyed unimpeded travel, famously dismissed traffic as “a sign of progress.” But Duterte, I think, understands that Aquino’s inexplicable policy of not doing anything about traffic was one of the main reasons why, by the time Aquino’s term was nearly over, no one believed he was in charge anymore.

The world-beating gridlock in Metro Manila, Cebu and other big cities did not happen overnight – it took years of neglect for things to end up like this. And Duterte will need a lot of money for new roads, bridges, airports, seaports and other infrastructure that Aquino somehow failed to build during his term, if he intends to solve it.

Some accomplishments of Duterte were a lot easier to do—they required only sincer-

ity, common sense and a lot less time than the 100 days set aside for his traditional “honeymoon.”

For instance, Duterte only signed a piece of paper to implement a Freedom of Information

The man from Davao City is no pushover and certainly no political fluke.

order that Aquino hemmed and hawed about for six years – even if Noynoy promised to deliver an FOI law when he was campaigning in 2010.

Ending the “tanim bala” cottage industry at the airport was

even easier. All Duterte’s men had to do was to remove bullets found in airline passengers’ luggage and to allow them to fly out, instead of holding them hostage and making them easy targets for airport extortionists; how hard was that?

Another area where Duterte showed decisiveness—besides great compassion and a big heart for the ordinary Filipino—was when he directed his labor officials to stop the practice of illegal labor contractualization, also known as “endo.” It was the same caring for laborers that he showed when he worked to bring home upwards of 9,000 Filipinos stranded by hard economic times in Saudi Arabia—Filipinos who had been homeless way before Duterte took office but who were abandoned by his feckless, uncaring predecessor, as well. *** His critics also chide Duterte for being blood-thirsty and warlike. But these people forget —intentionally, perhaps—that

Duterte is on the verge of permanently ending both the decadesold Communist insurgency and the century-old Moro rebellion during his term.

I think both the Moros and the Communists, who have known and dealt with Duterte for decades, have finally found someone whom they know is sincere about talking peace with them. While the CPP-NPA-NDF is hammering out a long-term peace agreement with Duterte’s negotiators in Oslo, Norway, a nationwide truce is holding up nicely all over the countryside; Duterte’s appointment of known leftists like Rafael Mariano and Judy Taguiwalo to his Cabinet also helped jump-start the moribund peace process with the Reds.

In Mindanao, Duterte has brought both the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to the negotiating table by promising them autonomy without sacrificing the Constitution. And

Turn to A5

PRESIDENTIAL spokesman Ernesto Abella and the rest of the Palace mouthpieces must really be at their wits’ end to come up with this one. After a global firestorm over what President Rodrigo Duterte had been spouting, his spokesman Ernesto Abella said it’s up to media to use their creative imagination to decode what his boss really says and means.

After the Da Vinci Code, we have to learn how to read The Duterte Code if we are to take Abella seriously.

So it’s now up to the media to decode what the President says. The presidential communications team must be getting desperate, if not going nuts on how handle someone like Digong. There is noting esoteric or deep in what Digong says. It’s plain profanity and a penchant for cussing anything, everything or anyone whose views differ from his.

“Don’t take literally everything that President Duterte says,” said Abella adding, “they are expressions of frustrations and the public should wait for him to clarify and not take his statement out of context.” Abella pointed out that the President “carefully calibrates his words, so going along that line if we follow his style let us not simply put a period at the end of his statement.” Calibrating his statements does not look like the style of the man. Talk first, think later seems more like it.

If this is not the case, then why apologize to the local Jewish community for his outrageous comparison of killing thousands of drug suspects to Adolf Hitler’s slaughter of some six million Jews during the Holocaust? It may not have dawned on the President’s men that a head of state is defined by what he says in public. In a world made smaller by the Internet and social media, anything one says (more so a head of state), is immediately carried halfway across the globe.

There is no off-the-cuff or offthe-record comment. Anything you say or do will and can be used against you—so goes the Miranda rights US policemen tell arrested suspects.

Digong’s frequent use of the “F” and “ P…I” words is plain and simple profanity. In his latest outburst, Duterte told US President Barack Obama to “go to hell” for expressing concern Turn to A5

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Opinion

Choosing a university president THE country’s premier state of the Board of Regents is probuniversity is on the search for a lematic. There are two prominew president, and the problem nent politicians who sit: the eduis not that there are no candi- cation chairpersons of both the dates. It is precisely the oppo- Lower House and of the Senate. site: There are many qualified But Their Honors hardly ever candidates with hardly any will- attend governing board meeting to concede the superiority of ings, and so they appoint proxthe others’ credentials. ies, and it is these whom candiI am a ranking professor of dates try to woo by means both the Cagayan State University, foul and fair! And politicians, likewise a state university. In being the subjects of applause the past, there has been a dis- and popular whim that they are, missive attitude towards state will be shrewd, not necessarily higher education institutions, discerning! but with a population of close The incumbent president can to 40,000 and a faculty strength also scheme and plot to be asof close to one thousand in sured that the succeeding adeight campuses throughout the ministration will dig up no province of Cagayan, it would bones. In my case, that took the be foolhardy on the part of any form of “instructing” the facprivate college or university to ulty and student regents exactly shrug off the state university whom to support. As susceptias a “minor player.” It has, in ble to importuning is the board fact, dominated most licensure member representing alumni. examinations.

At the time this piece is pubMore than four years ago, I lished, the process for the selecthought that I would give the tion of the president of the Capresidency a try—and so I put gayan State University will be in my bid for the presidency. I in its final phase, with a meetknew I was qualified, and oth- ing of the Board of Regents to ers thought so too. The prob- make the final choice. And lem, however, was that I had while we, who constitute the written one article too many academy community, can only against what I perceived at that hope that whoever is chosen is time to be the hypocrisy of the possessed of a truly educated Yellow Regime, and I paid for it. heart, a highly calibrated brain, What is, in theory, a straightfor- sufficient gift of good sense and ward process for the selection of wit, and the charisma to lead a state univerand to inspire, sity president we all know turned out to that politicians be a cloakhave made and-dagger known their I suggest a operation with choices, and simpler solution. enough spies, that CHED has turncoats, ruits own maneuSubmit all mor mongers vers, and that candidates to and provocathe results are teurs to make not necessarthree tests: for an engagily the best for an IQ test, a ing thriller. the university Under the c o m m u n i t y. psychological rules for the And not even test and a selection of a the University state univerof the Philipskills test for sity president, pines is spared aside from the pitfalls of administrators. the standard the process. academic reThe late Mirquirements iam Defensor and the faSantiago, when vorable results of a psycho- miffed by some obnoxious critlogical test, a candidate should ic, challenged him: She and he submit a clearance particularly would submit themselves to an from the Office of the Ombuds- IQ test and the results would man. One of the candidates had be publicly bared—on broad pending cases and—contrary to sheets, national TV and—had all reason and good sense—the it been there at that time—socertification issued by the Of- cial media. I suggest a simpler fice of the Ombudsman that at- solution for the selection of a tested to the pendency of cases university president. Submit all against my rival for the position candidates to three tests: an IQ were taken as a “clearance.” test, a psychological test and a There were, to be sure, some skills test for administrators. members of the Board of Re- Let the results be published and gents who objected that a cer- whoever gets highest scores tification of pending cases was gets the presidency. Should that by no means a clearance, but the not be simple enough?

CHED chair either did not get the import of the objection or rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph chose to ignore it. rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph In fact, the very composition rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

The first...

From A4 Duterte has managed to alienate the IS-wannabe Abu Sayyaf bandit group besides, thus forcing the MNLF to abandon the crime group, to prove that it really wants peace.

Fortunately for Filipinos (the Filipinos who have not made it their mission to remove Duterte from office, anyway), Duterte has also assembled a Cabinet made up mostly of veteran bureaucrats and experts in their respective fields who are doing a lot of the heavy lifting for him. Team Duterte will never be called, as Aquino’s Cabinet was unforgettably labeled by the late Senator Joker Arroyo, a student government.

And then, there’s Duterte’s

greatest strength and accomplishment, securing the trust of the people. The latest Social Weather Stations survey shows that Duterte, in his first three months in office, has gotten the highest trust rating among all new presidents since 1986, when SWS started tracking such things. And it’s safe to say that as long as Duterte enjoys the backing of majority of the people, he will continue doing what he’s doing—yes, including the cursing.

Those who wish Duterte ill will have to work harder to bring him down. The man from Davao City is no pushover and certainly no political fluke.

In his first 100 days as president, that seems to have been made perfectly, foulmouthedly clear.

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Taxing the poor ‘pa more’

PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ ONE of the best qualities of President Duterte as a leader is his compassion and his sincere and warm heart for the poor.

But his economic managers have steamrolled, through a cooperative Congress, a P3.35trillion budget passed in record time by the Legislature. The budget bill is accompanied by a so-called tax reform package to raise funds for Duterte’s unprecedented spending spree.

Many of the tax proposals will —to use the President’s favorite word—screw most Filipinos and will generally favor the rich.

The tax reforms come in five packages with a combined tax yield of P368 billion.

The first involves lowering the personal income tax rate to 25 percent from 32 percent; increasing the value added tax rate and its coverage, imposing an excise tax of P10 per liter on oil products and an excise tax equivalent to P10 per liter of sugary products – candies, cakes, juices, soft drinks and anything that has sugar in it.

The VAT expansion will raise P163 billion, the excise tax on

oil a stupendous P178 billion, and the sugar tax P18 billion.

Package 1 will raise P200.7 billion, the biggest among the five packages or 54.5 percent of the P368 billion tax target.

The second package will reduce the corporate income tax rate to 25 percent from 30 percent; replace the five percent gross income tax rate with a 15-percent corporate income tax; and reduce, phase out or remove tax incentives enjoyed by industries in industrial zones.

The government stands to lose, not earn, P1 billion from this pro-business package.

The third package lowers property taxes (like documentary stamp tax, transfer tax, and registration fees) and the estate and donor’s tax to just six percent, from 20 percent.

But valuation of property on which the tax is based will increase and mandate property valuation every three years.

This package will raise P40 billion or 10.8 percent of the P368-billion potential tax gain.

The fourth package will harmonize tax rates on financial and other assets. The tax on interest income on peso deposits, investments, and other fixed income will be cut to 10 percent, from 20 percent. In the stock market, the transfer tax will rise

to 1 percent, from half percent.

The government will lose money, P1 billion, in this package.

The fifth package contains even more taxes—a luxury tax on automobiles and jewelry, tax on mining, tax on alcohol and tobacco, fatty foods, lottery and casino bets and winnings, and a carbon tax. Package 5 taxes will raise P129.4 billion, the second biggest haul.

Package 1 and package 5 are the biggest money makers in the P368 billion tax reform package. They contain most of the anti-poor taxes—the P10 tax per liter of diesel, the tax on sugar products, the tax on alcohol and tobacco (contrary to the popular belief, the poor drink and smoke more than the rich), the tax on junk food (like McDo and Jollibee meals, the bread and meat of the poor).

Lowering the inheritance tax to six percent means government will lose P1 billion.

The government will raise P163 billion from increasing the VAT to 16 percent, from 12 percent, which today, is already the highest in Asia, outside of China’s 17 percent.

The standard Asean VAT is 10 percent, except for Thailand which has 7 percent.

VAT is applied to the consumption of everyone, rich or

poor. Since most Filipinos are poor, it is an anti-poor tax.

The government will earn, additionally, P178 billion from the P10 per liter tax on diesel.

Now, who uses diesel which will be slapped a P10 per liter tax? Jeepney drivers, fishermen, and farmers using dieselrun irrigation pumps, and most drivers of motorcycles.

On the other hand, many of the taxes will make millionaires happy, like the 70-percent reduction in estate tax to six percent, the reduction in tax on interest from bank deposits, In effect, the poor and ordinary Filipinos will bankroll the President’s spending spree. Note that the above figures are yearly tax hauls. Over the next years, Duterte will spend P25 trillion— more than the total spent by all previous presidents before him.

Early on in his presidency, Duterte has relegated to his economic managers the management of the government’s finances and the economy. Perhaps, he should use the lasersharp and deadly focus he has on illegal drugs to refining many of his managers’ tax proposals.

If Duterte does it, then I would believe change would have indeed come to this country. biznewsasia@gmail.com

Senator Miriam’s unfinished pension work FILIPINO PENSIONER HORACE TEMPLO “MIRIAM, sleep in peace but pray for us” were the simple loving words that retired Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr. used in sending off former Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago to her final rest last Sunday afternoon.

She knew very well that our country “needs much more correcting and reforming.” Thus, he also asked her to help us complete “what she’s not been able to finish in life” when she stands “at the side of Lord Jesus in Heaven.”

We have similar thoughts and prayers, even if we had already conceded much earlier that she would no longer become the Dragon Lady President that she had thrice aspired to be.

Still, she would always be the “best president we never had.”

In fact, she has left a pending bill—Senate Bill No. 1903— which we hope her former colleagues at the Senate would still pursue and enact into law.

She sponsored this bill for the first time 11 years ago on Feb. 3, 2005 in the 13th Congress and gave it the long descriptive title of “An Act Granting Old-Age Pension for Life to Senior Citizens-RA 1616 Retirees as Well as Survivorship Benefits to their Survivors, Amending for the Purpose Pertinent Provisions of the Second

Decoding...

From A4 over the extrajudicial killings of suspects in his brutal war on illegal drugs. Before this, Duterte called Obama a “son of a whore.” He also called United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon “a fool” for voicing the same concern as Obama, Even Filipinos themselves are beginning to be worried by the President’s bizarre behavior. In a series of worrisome pronouncements, Duterte said he wants to pull the Philippines out of the UN; put an end to the PHL-US “Balikatan” war games; review and scrap the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, and finally to end ties with the United States

Paragraph of Section 12 (c) of Commonwealth Act 186, As Amended.”

For short, she just wanted it to be known as the “Government Service Retirement Rationalization Act of 2005.”

She was convincing—and as usual, flamboyant—in justifying the passage of her proposed pension bill through clear legal logic and out of compassion for senior citizens who retired under RA 1616.

She even outlined in her Explanatory Note how their previous GSIS contributions had accumulated into billions of actuarial reserves to fund her proposed pension benefits.

Thus, she wrote “What is even worse is that there is a class of elderly retired government employees under the lump sum, take-all gratuity system pursuant to RA 1616 who do not receive at all even a meager monthly pension. This class of now elderly former public servants, still numbering in the thousands all over the country, are lamentably existing at predominantly near-pauper, if miserable, lives surviving only out of the generosity of equally hard-pressed kin, if any. Because their meager, hence, ephemeral take-all gratuity received many years back from their respective last employers, instead of from the GSIS, under a deviant retirement scheme (RA 1616)—that attempted to deviate from the ideally prescribed annuity system of retirement by way of monthly Old-Age Pension for

Life plus Survivorship Benefits, administered by the GSIS pursuant to the circa 1936 CA 186, as amended by among others RA 660, PD 1146 and RA 8291—with its tempting allure in the guise of its “lump sum” delusion, have long been exhausted in catching upwith the ever-increasing expenses of surviving over all these inflation-ridden years.”

In simpler words, these government employees were tempted into opting to receive their retirement benefits in one lump sum in exchange for lifetime monthly pensions that extend to their survivors from the Government Service Insurance System.

They have spent away those lump-sum benefits, and now are poor and dependent on relatives and friends.

Citing Section 48 of PD 1146, as amended by Section 55 of RA 8291, she pointed out, however, that “if the benefits provided by law chosen are less than the benefits provided underthis Act, the GSIS shall pay the difference.”

She also quoted from Section 6 of RA 7432 that “retirement benefits from…government shall be upgraded at par with the current scale enjoyed by those in actual service.”

These arguments, she concluded, justified their receipt from GSIS of additional monthly pensions under RA 8291.

Her proposal was complicated, but when simplified it considered previous lump sum payments as partial pension

payments, which, would be resumed by GSIS later—subject to certain conditions—as regular monthly pensions.

Take, for example, a retiree who received 10 years ago a lump sum benefit of P1 million under RA 1616. If he were entitled to a P10,000 monthly pension under RA 8291, he should have received a total of P1,200,000 or P10,000 monthly pensions in the past 120 months.

Having already received P1 million, he would still get the difference of P200,000 plus a lifetime monthly pension of P10,000 starting immediately.

Her unfinished work could still be completed. In fact, Senator Chiz Escudero has filed a similar proposal last July 4—Senate Bill No. 279—entitled “An Act to Grant Monthly Pension to Government Retirees Under R.A. 1616 Who Have Reached the Age of Seventy (70) Years, Appropriating Funds Therefor and for Other Purposes.”

His bill, however, leaves to GSIS the determination of the appropriate monthly pension and is an emasculated version of her unfinished work.

Thus, if and when our senators deliberate on his bill, they should not miss incorporating most of the provisions of Senator Miriam’s proposed pension bill.

That way, they could complete her unfinished work, and honor her beyond expressing their appreciation for her through empty words and now—worthless tributes.

before his six-year term is over, as part of charting a new, independent foreign policy to bring the Philippines closer to China and Russia. The presidential spokesman—as it has become his norm to clarify almost everything Duterte says—explained there is no official shift yet on the country breaking ties with the US. The US State Department and its embassy in Manila said Washington has yet to receive an official diplomatic note from the Duterte government.

But can’t we make new friends while keeping old ones?

There’s nothing wrong with being pragmatic and exploring a wider open field in foreign relations. But it’s also wise and prudent for a small country like

the Philippines to retain timetested allies like the US for balance and equilibrium in geopolitics. Unfortunately, President Duterte does not seem to be getting any help from his Foreign Secretary, Perfecto Yasay Jr. in this department.

The man looks totally clueless —like someone who has been told to only warm up the seat for someone else. It’s an open secret Duterte’s defeated vice presidential candidate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano wants this job. Cayetano, however, has to wait for the one-year ban on losing candidates before they can be appointed. .

On the positive side, President Duterte announced noteworthy appointments that included Chito Santa Romana as

ambassador to China and Teodoro Locsin Jr. as ambassador to the United Nations in New York. Congratulations also to DFA Undersecretary for Public Affairs Charles Jose who has been nominated as our envoy to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sta. Romana, a former leftist militant, was driven to exile in China where he spent decades and later as bureau manager of the American TV network ABC. He speaks fluent Mandarin and has an insight on the Chinese mindset. Duterte’s appointment of Sta. Romana is a departure from former President Benigno Aquino’s practice of recycling retired ambassadors to Beijing where they don’t last long because of failing health.

News

A6

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NHA reveals new plans

By Rio N. Araja

ties already belong to us,” he said.

“Under my watch, I will not sell any property of the NHA,” he said, hoping that he could “break the cycle” of housing beneficiaries selling the land awarded to them by the government.

“I am thinking of a public rental [scheme] with a rental fee of P200 a month, but definitely less than P500 a month,” he added. “Beneficiaries can choose an option. They can go for ownership or rental.”

According to Escalada, the government, not the developers, will have the authority to dictate what the best technology and materials to use once the socialized housing projects have rolled out in January.

Upon assuming office last August, Escalada said the NHA will maintain its mission to provide

T

HE National Housing Authority will audit all its real estate properties and unused lands of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Agrarian Reform as part of its building program for 2017, its general manager said Thursday.

“I have instructed all area managers to conduct an inventory of lots owned by the NHA all over the country. That is where we will build low-rise and medium-rise buildings in 2017,” NHA general manager Marcelino Escalada told the Manila Standard. “I want to be quick and swift.”

He disclosed he wants to recover idle and abandoned lands belong-

ing to DENR, DAR and other government agencies so he can put up socialized housing units with a monthly amortization of P200 to less than P500.

Before the end of 2016, the agency will bid out the construction of the projects, he said.

“As early as January 2017, I want to start with the construction.

I want it that fast since the proper-

adequate and affordable housing to low-income and underprivileged families.

“The NHA under the Duterte administration ensures the public that it will address the country’s housing needs as it will lead the construction and development of new communities and maximize government resources,” he said.

NHA said its housing program only caters to the lowest 30 percent, the poorest of the urban population and it is mandated to provide housing and related assistance to ISFs living along danger zones and areas affected by government infrastructure projects.

Specifically, the national government prioritizes housing programs within the sixyear Philippine Development Plan which is the basis of NHA’s target each year.

Currently, the ongoing housing projects of the NHA have identified family-beneficiaries who were qualified during the planning and pre-qualification process which will be the basis for their award.

Likewise, the NHA extends its service delivery to families affected by calamities, housing for indigenous peoples and local/regional housing and resettlement projects in coordination with the Local Government Units and congressional representatives.

Towards resolving the housing backlog, the programs for ISFs are made sustainable and cost recoverable in order to benefit more families. Per NHA’s policies, for housing intended for the ISFs, price subsidies are extended so that the housing package prices are affordable.

MMDA suspends ferry service

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority announced on Thursday it has suspended the operation of its Pasig River Ferry system due to a carpet of water lilies that clogged the river from Pinagbuhatan in Pasig City to Lawton in Manila.

“Due to water lilies along the waterway, the operations of the Pasig River Ferry System is suspended effective 7:30 a.m. today [Thursday] until further notice,” the MMDA stated in its advisory.

The water lilies, that clogged the river during rainy season, came from Laguna Lake and it has long been a problem to the ferry river system since they get entangled in a ferry’s propeller, preventing the boats from traveling at normal speed.

Propellers have to be elevated so that tangled water lilies and even pieces of trash can be removed.

“Our present cleanup resources is not enough to totally regulate their [water lilies] proliferation,” said MMDA officerin-charge Thomas Orbos, who earlier called for an interagency approach to curb the problem.

Orbos said an interagency approach, with the help of concerned government agencies and local government officials, would better address the problem. “This include Pasig River Rehabilitation Center, Laguna Lake Development Authority, as well as LGU affected, including Rizal and Laguna.”

Last week, ferries failed to pick up passengers from the Pinagbuhatan Station in Pasig City due to carpet of water lilies on the route.

The MMDA, meanwhile, is set to open two new ferry terminals to accommodate more passengers in the commercial district of Quezon City and eastern part of the metropolis.

The opening of the Rosario and Eastwood stations will be coincided with the launching of two new ferries set to arrive from Cebu.

The arrival of the new boats brings to 16 the total number of operational ferries.

Last year, the MMDA introduced two commuter boats —MB Inocentes and MB Tolentino—named after former MMDA chairman Oscar Inocentes and Francis Tolentino.

The new fiberglass ferries are capable of carrying at least 35 passengers, including crew, and can travel up to 12 knots.

IN BRIEF Airport radio landing gear completed THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines announced on Thursday the installation of a new Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the airport to guide pilots when landing or taking off even during bad weather.

CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said the Germanmade ILS is a highly-accurate radio signal navigational aide used by pilots when the runway is affected by poor weather. It is a ground instrument that provides precision guidance to aircraft approaching and take off on a runway.

Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal said his office brought the P7-million worth ILS and turned it over to CAAP for installation for the guidance of domestic and international pilots.

He said the old ILS bogged down two years ago when it was hit by lightning in July 2015. It has not been put back since then because of the lack of spare parts.

Caritas expo set Oct. 7-9

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. Airport technicians test the Instrument Landing System that was finally re-installed at the airport to assist pilots during times of bad weather. Eric Apolonio

CoA questions Cebu purchase of barong

By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Audit is calling the attention of the Cebu provincial government over possible irregularities in the procurement of 202 pieces of barong Tagalog shirts.

In a 2015 report, the Commission said the provincial government spent P159,580 in public funds to buy 202 pieces of linen polo barongs with the logo of the Philippine Councilors League

embroidered in its pocket in 2014.

The shirts were brought from Alpermont Trading and Services under a purchase order on Dec. 23, 2014.

The purchase order was signed by the supplier’s representative on Dec. 22, 2014 or a day before the order date with the sales invoice also dated Dec. 22, 2014.

Verification of the acceptance and inspection report showed the items were accepted by the warehouse officer—Patrick Diaz and a representativeof the general serv-

ices office head—Jone Siegfred Sepe—as complete on Dec. 22, 2014 and was also inspected, verified and found “OK” by one Nonito Candia also on the same date.

“Based on the above documents, it can be clearly seen that the Purchase Order was prepared after the delivery of the items. The Abstract of Bids which was evaluated by the Bids and Awards Committee also showed that the quotation was evaluated by the BAC on Dec. 23, 2014 or after the delivery of the

items,” CoA’s report read.

Moreover, CoA said records showed the barongs Tagalog shirts were bought after the PCL’s yearend general assembly on Dec. 1 to Dec. 3, 2014 at Bayfront Hotel, Kaohsiung Street, Cebu City.

“Clearly, the above noted deficiencies reflected in the supporting documents showed the irregularities surrounding the subject procurement transaction done by the officers/personnel of the Province of Cebu,” CoA said.

IT WILL be the last chance of shoppers to shop and help charity during the Caritas Margins Buy and Give Expo from October 7 to 9 at the Glorietta 2 Activity Center in Makati City.

Start your Christmas shopping early at the three-day expo with a variety of products, including artwork from penal inmates under the care of Caritas Restorative Justice Ministry. These products are from different marginalized community partners of Caritas Margins.

The blessing of the threeday Expo will be led by Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Manila Msgr. Jose Clemente F. Ignacio with guests, former Miss World 2012 semi-finalist Queenie Rehman, PLDT-Smart Foundation president Esther O. Santos, Metro Pacific Investments communications vice president Melody Del Rosario, Makati Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo and Caritas Margins benefactor Nena Prieto and Emily Cruz on its opening on October 7.

Aside from its various products from different community partners, the Expo will also feature musical performances by artists such as Voice Out, Bea Silvestre, Kulas Balisonia and Zea Santiago.

Officials honor unsung Czech heroes of WWII A WREATH-LAYING ceremony for Czech heroes who died in defense of the Philippines fighting the Japanese invaders was held at the Capas National Shrine in Tarlac province.

Czech Defense Undersecretary Tomáš Kuchta and Defense Undersecretary Restituto Aguilar led the rites to honor the Czech community in Manila in 1941 who joined Philippine and American troops in fighting the Japanese, who were allied with Germany which had already invaded Czechoslovakia.

“The deeds of those Czechs who took part in the fight in the jungles of Bataan, and after the surrender of some of them were forced to take part in Bataan Death March, and languished in Japanese POWs camps during World War II as they are still little known,” Kuchta said.

Seven of these brave Czechs per-

ished during the war, but their bravery was not forgotten as “the fallen ones were the first to be recognized with Philippine state honors—the Philippine Defense Medal and the Liberation Medal. And other seven received the American Medal of Freedom for their heroism during the war,” said Czech Ambassador Jaroslav Olša Jr. “These were not the soldiers, on the contrary,” notes Jan Vytopil, deputy head of Czech Embassy, who is now working on a book on these almost forgotten Czech heroes of the Philippines.

“They were primarily ordinary employees of the Bata Shoe Company, the then first Czech investment in the Philippines in 1930s. Though, at one point, they were able to spent more than 36 hours exposed to enemy fire while dismantling a rice mill to take back to joint Philippine and US troops in desperate need of food.”

SALUTE TO HEROISM. Czech Defense Undersecretary Tomáš Kuchta inspects a marker at the Death March memorial in Capas, Tarlac after rites celebrating nine Czechs who helped Filipinos in fighting the Japanese during the Second World War.

3,000 Mindanao folk gear for across-the-nation caravan Oct. 8 OVER 3,000 Moros and indigenous peoples from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao will stage a nationwide caravan to Manila starting Oct. 8.

Dubbed as “Lakbayan ng Pambansang Minorya para sa Sariling Pagpapasya at Makatarungang Kapayapaan” (Journey of the National

Minorities for Self-Determination and Just Peace), the national caravan will dramatize their unity to assert their right to self-determination—the right to fully control their land and resources, implement their own form of self-governance, and practice their culture, traditions and religion.

“We want to forward our struggle for the Cordillera people’s genuine regional autonomy and end the control and plunder of our resources and the militarization of our communities,” said Abie Anongos, an Ibaloy leader from Baguio City.

A Tumandok leader from Capiz— Aileen Cataman—said at least 17,000

indigenous peoples would be displaced if the proposed construction of the Jalaur mega dam is pushed.

“Contrary to what the National Irrigation Authority claims, there was no genuine consultation and participation of the Tumandok regarding the project,” she added.

The Lakbayan urged the Duterte

administration to firmly uphold its stance to pursue an independent foreign policy to stop the environmental and economic plunder of ancestral lands by foreign corporations, and the US intervention in the country’s governance, economy and security.

“We have been targeted by several wars on terror by the past

regimes supported by the US government just because we are Moros and Muslims,” Maguindano leader Bai Ali Indayla said.

She hit Oplan Bayanihan, which was patterned after the US counterinsurgency guide, for the evacuation of over 100,000 of her Muslim brethren. Rio N. Araja

Sports SW-Masters closes in on PAL golf title BAGUIO CITY—Defending champion Manila SouthwoodsMasters is one round away from winning its sixth straight Philippine Airlines Ladies Interclub title following another explosive showing Thursday at the Camp John Hay golf course.

The Carmona-based squad collected a tournament-best 155 to open a huge 35-point lead over Cebu Country Club going into the final round Friday.

Fifteen-year-old Mikhaela Fortuna mixed three birdies against the same number of bogeys to lead SW-Masters with 54, a point better than what she produced Wednesday.

Bernice Ilas, 14, and Sophia Chabon, 15—turned in 52 and 49 points, respectively as SWMasters totalled 460 points after three rounds of the four-to-play, three-to-count event.

After a poor 130-point effort Wednesday, CCC posted 146 points, but still faced a near impossible task of overcoming SW-Masters’ big lead.

Junia and Irina Gabasa led CCC with 52 and 49 points, respectively while Mary Kim Hong added 45. Ryoko Nagai did not count with 36.

SW-Masters caught everyone by surprise when it fielded its three gunners in the third round despite holding a commanding lead at the halfway mark.

“We thought CCC would field a strong team today. We didn’t want to give up a single point,” said SW-Masters playing captain Marie Claire Ong who nevertheless stopped short of declaring victory.

“We’re just hoping that nothing will happen bad to two of my players in the final round,” said Ong. Pauline del Rosario will lead the SW-Masters squad in the final round.

Meanwhile, Alabang Country Club (ACC) kept the lead in the Founders division after posting 136 points for 412 overall.

Christine Popp starred for ACC with 47 points and got solid support from Jocelyn Garcia 45 and Diane Jang 44.

Manila

Standard

A7

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

TODAY

Cavs win; Rose rape trial on L OS ANGELES—LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers looked every inch the reigning NBA champions Wednesday, opening the preseason with a 117-102 victory over the Orlando Magic.

The Cavaliers led by as many as 31 points, even with Kyrie Irving taking a night off, the Cavaliers preferring to rest their star guard for the exhibition after his exertions in helping the United States to Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro.

“Playing, winning the championship and then playing this summer in Brazil, winning the gold medal, we just thought [it was] a lot of wear and tear on his body, especially in the playoffs when he was playing probably 38 or 39 minutes per game,” coach Tyronn Lue said.

“For the preseason, we just want to let him get his legs under him, bring him along slowly and pick

it up as the season progresses, but we don’t want to wear him out, get him to the point where his body is aching or different situations where something is tweaked.”

James, coming off his third NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after leading the Cavs over the Golden State Warriors in last season’s championship series, scored seven points on three-offour shooting with six assists in 13 minutes on the floor.

“It was fun to get back out there,” James said.

Kevin Love added eight points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.

James and Love were the only starters from those that opened game seven of the NBA Finals

against Golden State.

Along with Irving the Cavs were without Tristan Thompson, nursing a sore foot, and guard J.R. Smith, who has become a free agent and has yet to strike a new deal with the Cavs.

“We’ll have our full group at some point,” James said. ‘It didn’t feel weird. It’s pre-season.”

Cavs reserve Jordan McRae led all players with 20 points, seven rebounds in five assists in 24 minutes on court.

The Cavaliers will launch their title defense in earnest on October 25, when they host the New York Knicks on the opening night of the regular season.

The Cavs will raise their championship banner that night, and receive their championship rings.

One ring will go to former coach David Blatt, who was unceremoniously sacked at midseason and replaced by assistant Lue. “It’s not my championship, I

recognize that, but I also feel that I did something there, and I graciously accepted because it was a gracious offer on their part,” Blatt said of his decision to accept in remarks reported by the Akron Beacon Journal.

Meanwhile, NBA star Derrick Rose and two friends drugged and raped a woman in her Los Angeles home hours after she visited Rose’s rented Beverly Hills mansion, the woman’s lawyer told a federal court jury on Wednesday.

“Each of them took turns raping her, they don’t even know who went first,” attorney Waukeen McCoy told the jury in opening statements of his client’s civil lawsuit trial against Rose in US District Court.

Rose has denied the allegation and his lawyer, Mark Baute, called the $21.5 million lawsuit “a fake case” in which the woman was seeking a “lottery hit” of a financial payout from Rose. AFP

Imports (from left, standing) Lynda Morales, Laura Rae and Shawna Lei Santos of Cignal, Foton’s Ariel Usher and Lindsay Stalzer, Generika’s Polina Liutikova and Darlene Ramdin, Petron’s Serena Warner and Stephanie Niemer, and RC Cola’s Hailie Rose Ripley and Kierra Holst are shown with PSL officers and sponsors Stegbert Brutschin, Patricia Hizon of TV 5, Ramon Suzara (PSL President), Adrian Laurel (PSL Commissioner), Mika Reyes (PSL Ambassador) and Baby Lorenzo of Asics. Roman Prospero

Superliga Grand Prix lures star-studded import cast ALL but one foreign player have checked in with their respective squads as the 2016 Asics Philippine Superliga Grand Prix presented by PLDT Home Ultera goes full blast tomorrow at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Lynda Morales, Puerto Rico’s skipper in the recent Rio de Janeiro Olympics, banners what is billed

as the strongest cast of imports ever to play in the country and in this prestigious inter-club tourney backed by Mikasa, Mueller, Grand Sport and Senoh with TV5 as official broadcast partner.

Morales will be partnering with 6’5” Laura Schaudt for Cignal, which secured the services of former Most Valuable Player Venus

Bernal, Paneng Mercado, Janine Marciano and Filipino-American Shawna-Lei Santos to emerge as the team to beat in this event, which also has Focus Athletics, KLab Cyscorpions, Foton, Petron and F2 Logistics as sponsors.

Petron will parade high-flying Stephanie Niemer and Serena Warner of the United States, while

Blackwater falls to Malaysian five KUALA LUMPUR—Blackwater struggled to get its rhythm and suffered a 92-86 loss to import-laden Malaysia NS Matrix on opening day of the 2016 Seri Mutiara Champions Cup Wednesday night at the MABA Stadium.

Darius Rice, one of five reinforcements for NS Matrix, fired a game-high 46 points, including two big triples inside the last 90 seconds to scuttle the Elite’s last-minute rally.

Rice, who played for Purefoods during the 2008 Fiesta Conference, finished the game with eight triples, to go with nine rebounds.

American playmaker Akeem Richmond added 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Australian banger Christopher Putton collared 19 boards, while Fil-American Avery Schaffer had 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Blackwater coach Leo Isaac said the team’s lack of chemistry somehow affected the Elite, who had to bring in guest players Chris Javier and Carl Bryan Cruz from Gilas 5.0 as reinforcements in lieu of injured big man JP Erram and wingman Reil Cervantes.

“May mga instances na puwede ka maka-silip ng winning line, pero may mga players na bago sa sistema sa grupo,” said Isaac after the game.

The Elite are now in a must-win situation at Group B as they face the tall China-Guangzhou Securities on Thursday, before closing their preliminary round assignment against the physical Australia Perth Cockburn on Friday.

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

reigning champion Foton will bank on seasoned veterans Lindsay Stalzer and Ariel Usher.

Generika, meanwhile, will be led by Trinidad and Tobago national team member Darlene Ramdin and Ukrainian Polina Liutikova, while RC Cola-Army will have former US juniors’ national team star Kierra Host and Hailie Ripley.

Republic of the Philippines NATIONAL FOOD AUTHORITY REGION 10 BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE Baloy, Cagayan de Oro City

INVITATION TO BID FOR THE SUPPLY OF SECURITY SERVICES FOR NFA REGION 10 FOR CY 2017 (Re-bidding)

The NATIONAL FOOD AUTHORITY (NFA) REGION-10, through its Corporate Operating Budget for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of NINETEEN MILLION ELEVEN THOUSAND EIGHTY FIVE PESOS AND 28/100 CENTAVOS (Php 19,011,085.28) being the APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT (ABC) to payments under the contract of security services for NFA Region 10 for CY 2017 as follow: NO. OF SECURITY GUARDS BUKIDNON 26 CAMIGUIN 7 LANAO NORTE 12 MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL 12 MISAMIS ORIENTAL 37 TOTAL 94 PROVINCE

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

F2 Logistics has successfully secured the services of Sydney Kemper and another former US juniors national team member Hayley Dora Spelman, who dazzled local crowd when she starred for Altay VC of Kazakhstan in the AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan City recently.

Bidders should have completed within the immediate last three years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder and the minimum qualification requirements are contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section II. Instructions to Bidders (ITB).

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria as specified in the implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested bidders on October 7, 2016 – October 28, 2016 (working days only) from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable bidding fee of Php 25,000.00.

The NFA Region 10 Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) will hold a Pre-bid conference on October 14, 2016 at 1:30 P.M. at the 2nd Floor, NFA Building, Baloy, Cagayan de Oro City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before October 28, 2016 at 1:30 P.M. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Late bids shall not be accepted.

Any transaction entered into by this person from this date thereafter shall not be honored by the company.

(MS-OCT. 7, 2016)

(Sgd.) VICTORIA R. DURAY Asst. Regional Director/ RBAC Chairman Standard – Oct. 7, 2016

R E S E RV E YOUR A D S PA C E NOW! email us at advertise@the standard.com.ph or call us at 832-5547

University of the Philippines Manila The Health Sciences Center BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE 3

2nd Floor, Joaquin Gonzales Hall, Interactive Learning Center (ILC) Room University of the Philippines Manila P. Faura St. corner Ma. Orosa St., Manila Telefax # 525-43-22 / 526-22-75

INVITATION TO BID

1.

The University of the Philippines Manila through its Bids and Awards Committee III (BAC 3), invites suppliers/manufacturer/distributors/contractors to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder projects:

Name of Project: Requesting Unit/Location Approved Budget for the Contract: Bid Documents Contract Duration: PR No.: Source of Fund:

Supply of Ultracentrifuge NIH-IMBB Php 3,800,000.00 Php5,000.00 120 days HIV2-01 PCHRD thru UMPDF

2.

Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last two (2) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding.

The Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated responsive bid shall be conducted.

3.

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR).

4.

The complete schedule of activities is listed, as follows: 1 2 3 4 5 6

For further information, please inquire from:

NFA reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

NINE Philippine tennis supporters and players are off to Malaysia to compete at the Johor Invitational Tennis Team Competition 2016 this Oct. 7 to 9 at the Academy Tennis Johor.

Team Le Soleil de Boracay, the only delegation from the Philippines, is going up against groups from Malaysia and Indonesia for the men’s doubles with combined ages of 80, 90 and 100 categories.

Led by Philippine Tennis Association Chairman and Philippine sports patron Jean Henri Lhuillier, Philippine Columbian Association Tennis Open eighttime champion Johnny Arcilla and PHILTA officials Randy Villanueva and Gerard Maronilla, the group is joining 19 other teams in the tournament.

Manuel Suarez, Jackie Tomacruz, Rolly Oliquino, Henry Escalante, and Andrian Raturandang complete team Le Soleil de Boracay.

“Our team has a great chance of bringing home the championship trophy since every single member is passionate about tennis and determined to win. But aside from competing, we also take this tournament as an opportunity to build good relationship with other tennis enthusiasts in Asia,” said Jean Henri Lhuilier.

Other participants in the tournament include STF Tennis Team, Kota Kinabalu Bugzz and Wilson Meerkats from Malaysia, and Padang Tennis Club, Pemko Batam Tennis Club, and Duta & Friends Tennis Club from Indonesia.

This is to inform the public that Rena Marie P. Gapasin is no longer connected with Cirrus Global, Inc. effective October 6, 2016.

Bid opening shall be on October 28, 2016 at 1:31 P.M. at the 2nd Floor, NFA Building, Baloy, Cagayan de Oro City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representative who choose to attend.

MS BEVERLY M. NAVARRO BAC Head Secretariat National Food Authority 2F, NFA Building Baloy, Cagayan de Oro City Telephone Numbers (088) 855-2721; (08822) 73-2215, Fax Number (088) 855-2723

Arcilla, JHL lead PH team to Johor tilt

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT (ABC) (Php) 5,143,526.08 1,397,288.30 2,450,455.98 2,437,813.16 7,582,001.76 19,011,085.28

The scope of work, requirements and specifications of the Contracts include the provision and deployment of duly licensed security guards and firearms (including live ammunitions), vehicles and communication equipment and the design and implementation of security systems and procedures aimed at maximizing protection for NFA personnel, stakeholders and properties.

MANY-TIME national tennis champion and veteran Davis Cup player Johnny Arcilla and Cebuana Lhuillier President/ CEO and current Philippine Tennis Association Chairman Jean Henri Lhuillier lead a Philippine team to the Johor Invitational Tennis Tournament set October 7 to 9 in Johore, Malaysia. Lhuillier expressed confidence in coming up with a podium finish for the team supported by Le Soleil de Boracay and Cebuana Lhuillier and sanctioned by PHILTA .

Activities Issuance of Bid Documents Pre-bid Conference Opening of Bids Bid Evaluation Post-qualification Issuance of Notice of Award

Schedule Starting October 7, 2016 October 11, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.

October 25, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.

Within two (2) weeks after the opening Within one (1) week after the bid evaluation Seven (7) days after Post-qualification

5.

Bid Documents will be made available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable amount stated above for each project to the U.P. Manila Cashier’s Office.

6.

UP Manila assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid.

7.

The University of the Philippines Manila reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any formality or defects therein, or to accept such as may be considered most advantageous to UP Manila.

8.

All inquiries shall be directed to the BAC III Secretariat at tel. no. 525-4322 / 526-2275.

This is also posted at the UP Manila Official Web: http://www.upm.edu.ph/procurement.

(SGD) DR. TRISTAN NATHANIEL C. RAMOS Chair, Bids and Awards Committee III (SGD) ARLENE A. SAMANIEGO, M.D. Vice-Chancellor For Administration

MS-OCT. 7, 2016)

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

A8

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Sports

Lions draw 1st blood

By Peter Atencio

R

OBERT Bolick Jr. came up with the plays that mattered most and carried the San Beda Red Lions to 88-85 beating of the Arellano University Chiefs, yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The 21-year-old Bolick, a transferee from De Salle University, took charge with three big plays in the last 2 minutes sending the Red Lions to a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three finals series with the Chiefs in the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

Dioncee Holts of Arellano University and Arnaud Noah of San Beda College fight for ball possession in Game 1 of the NCAA Finals at the MOA Arena in Pasay City. Lino Santos

Games Oct. 11

(Game 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena) 1 p.m. San Beda vs Mapua (jrs) 3:45 p.m. San Beda vs Arellano (srs)

After scoring a game-high 24 points, hauling down 10 rebounds and stalking prolific point guard Jio Jalalon, also known as “The Bus Driver” all afternoon, Bolick first drove in off Javee Mocon’s fastbreak pass in the last 1:16 as the Lions overtook the Chiefs, 86-85.

The Chiefs could have gotten back the lead, but Dioncee Holts missed underneath, and Bolick got fouled by Jalalon with 3.7 seconds left.

From there, Bolick padded San Beda’s advantage to three with his two charities.

“Nobody can guard Jalalon, nobody. But he (Bolick) was there, he was there.

And he even scored back to back points. Now, given enough rest, he can give another run at the Bus Driver,” said Red Lions coach Jamike Jarin.

Jalalon, who briefly left the court in the last three minutes because of cramps, tried to score a triple that would have sent the game in overtime.

But Bolick was able to nudge him out of position as time expired.

The Red Lions will have a

chance make history again if they win again on Tuesday.

Jalalon, who showed the way with 21 points, assisted Lervin Flores for a layup off Arnaud Noah in the last 2:05, allowing the Chiefs to taste the lead for the second and last time.

“Si Jio talaga iyung shot sa huli. May play kami para sa kanya, but he changed it,” said Chiefs’ coach Jerry Codinera Meanwhile, the Mapua Red Robins turned to the big plays of shooting guard Clint Escamis in the second half to outplay the defending champion San Beda Red Cubs, 83-64, in Game 1 of the junior division finals.

The 5’8 Escamis, playing in the absence of ailing teammate Mike Enriquez, tallied 12 points as he helped the Red Cubs move closer to their first title in 16 years.

It was his triple off Bryan Samudio’s pass in the last 25 seconds which allowed the Red Cubs to move away, 59-53, With their outside shooting held in check by the Red Robins’ fullcourt trapping defense, the Red Cubs fell behind by 11, 67-60, following a jumper, a layup past Red Cubs big man Samuel Abu Hijle and two charities in the last 6:50.

“Nag-deliver sila. Kailangan ma-match namin ang energy nila. Inalis namin ang 3-point shooting nila,” said Red Robins coach Randy Alcantara.

Jasper Salenga showed the way for the Red Robins with 17 points, including nine in the third, with his steal and drive off Sean Garcia sending them to a 55-48 edge with 2;40 left.

“Nawalan kami ng energy sa fourth kaya lumayo nang lumayo,” said Red Cubs coach JB Sison.

Mapua’s defense unnerved the Red Cubs, who turned the ball over 31 times and missed 43 of the 66 shots that hey took from the field.

Mbala leads MVP derby CAMEROONIAN big man Ben Mbala, who spent three years in residency before he was finally able to play for the La Salle Green Archers, is the leading candidate in MVP race of the 79th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

The 21-year-old Mbala is no.

1 with 95.29 statistical points after the first round.

He said he just wanted to make the most out of the playing time that he has with Green Archers after transferring from Southwestern University in Cebu.

“I’m kind of eager to show what I have after three years.

I just want to make the most out of it,” said Mbala after the Green Archers won over Ateneo last Sunday, 97-81.

He led with a double-double performance of 28 points and 13 rebounds So far, Mbala has averaged 20.7 points, 16.3 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 2.1 blocks, and 1.4 assists in 29.6 minutes per game.

Adamson’s Papi Sarr has compiled 71.43 SPs for no. 2 followed by Mbala’s La Salle teammate, Jeron Teng, in third with 56.33 points.

Then, there’s Raymar Jose from Far Eastern University, who is at fourth place with 54 points.

University of the Philippines’ Paul Desiderio has 53.86 SPs in fifth.

Adamson freshman Jerrick Ahanmisi, who also leads the race for Rookie of the Year, is in sixth with 51.86 points.

Matt Salem from National University is seventh with 51.29 points and Alfred Aroga is eighth with 51.14 points.

Meanwhile, La Salle ushers in the post-Ian Lariba era as it eyes a third consecutive women’s title in the UAAP Season 79 table tennis tournament which opens tomorrow at the Blue Eagle Gym. Without Lariba, a Rio Olympian, who has already completed her playing eligibility, the Lady Archers will now bank on Donna Gamilla Jamaica Sy to maintain their supremacy.

Peter Atencio

Peping Valdez takes charge running with record showing unopposed

By Ronnie Nathanielsz INCUMBENT Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco is running for a fourth term as president and indications are nobody will challenge him.

Vice president Joey Romasanta told Manila Standard that the elections will be held on Nov. 25 in keeping with the POC Constitution, where elections should be held on the last Friday of an Olympic year.

He said that while Mr. Cojuangco has “actually not indicated that he’s going to run,” indications are that the 82-year-old sports leader, who stays fit by working out in the mornings and playing a round of golf at least once a week, meets the basic qualifications and that there has been “no notification from anybody else,” who aspires for the position.

Romasanta said the basic qualifications is that any candidate for the POC presidency has to be “a sitting president of a National Sports Association and must be president of an Olympic association for at least four years.”

Besides, a general assembly resolution requires that “any candidate,who wishes to run for the position of president or chairman had to be active in so far as the POC activities are concerned, meaning attendance in the general assembly through the term and those are counted and reckoned with.”

Romasanta indicated that while the International Olympic Committee may have an age limit of 70, he doesn’t know whether it is part of the IOC constitution, but that it does not bind the various national Olympic federations such as the POC and the absence of an age limit “is the rule that we have been following.”

NEEDING to step up with four of their starters out due to various reasons, Alyssa Valdez did what she does best—take over.

With a scintillating 39-hit effort, Valdez helped power Bureau of Customs to a tough 18-25, 2725, 21-25, 25-21, 15-9 decision over Team Laoag for a share of the lead with UST in the early going of the Shakey’ V-League Season 13 Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena late Wednesday.

It was a performance to remember as Valdez erased Thai Sontaya Keawbundit’s 38-point feat in an Ateneo game against Lyceum in the battle for third six years ago.

Another Thai, Lithawat Kesinee, also erupted for 37 nine years back.

The former Ateneo star and the undisputed face of women’s volley also became the highest scoring local player in the league, shattering the 37-hit performance by former Adamson captain Angela Benting eight years ago.

Still, the amiable two-time

league MVP and many-time UAAP MVP has refused to take all the credit for the latest of her growing list of achievements.

“The whole team is happy because we knew we gave it all and we did it not just for ourselves but also for our imports and our teammates who were not able to play,” said Valdez, who actually more than doubled her opening 18-point performance against UP in last weekend’s inaugural of the season-ending conference where it all started.

The win netted the Transformers a share of the lead with the overachieving UST Tigresses, who also hurdled their first two assignments sans a couple of their mainstays.

But it was Valdez who stood out in the first week of the league that saw their Thai reinforcements— Kanjana Kuthaisong and Nattanicha Jaisen—fail to suit up after the access codes that would have granted them the required International Transfer Certificates have been allegedly changed.

Alyssa Valdez unleashes one of her patented spikes against Laoag’s Katherine Villegas during their Shakey’s V-League Reinforced Conference match late Wednesday.

Kings, Bolts begin their ‘hunger games’

By Jeric Lopez LET the hunger games begin.

Barangay Ginebra and Meralco, two very hungry teams, start their much-anticipated championship showdown in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. Both the Gin Kings and the Bolts want to draw first blood in Game 1 of their best-of-seven titular series which starts today at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It’s been eight years since Ginebra last won a championship and three years since it last appeared in the finals’ stage. Hence, the drive to finally end its title

The protagonists in the PBA Governors’ Cup finals, led by their coaches Tim Cone of Ginebra and Norman Black of Meralco, are shown with PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa.

drought is emphatically strong.

Meralco, a first-timer in the finals, is a team looking to finally break through and get over the hump after

disappointing campaigns in its first six years in the league.

Both teams now have golden opportunities to quench their champi-

onship thirst, but only one of them will eventually do.

Both coaches are chasing even more greatness as Cone, the winningest in league history, aims for his 19th crown, while Black is going for his 11th.

The two protagonists took similar paths to get to this stage, each completing a monumental upset against their higher-seeded foes in the best-of-five semifinals.

The third-ranked Gin Kings dethroned favored second-ranked San Miguel Beer, 3-2, while the fourthseeded Bolts stunned topseeded Talk ‘N Text, 3-1, in impressive fashion.

The import match-up between Allen Durham of Meralco and Justin Brown-

lee of Ginebra, both contenders for the Best Import plum, is an interesting one considering they are two of the most consistent and dominant reinforcements this conference.

Ginebra’s scattered firepower composed of the core of LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar, Sol Mercado, Mark Caguioa and rookies Scottie Thompson and Aljon Mariano, who have both proven their worth, among others, will go up against the intriguing Meralco bunch of Jimmy Alapag, Reynel Hugnatan, Cliff Hodge, Jared Dillinger and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Chris Newsome.

With both teams thriving in sharing the wealth, a lot of surprises are expected.

Market declines; PhilWeb advances

B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

B1

IN BRIEF Businessmen oppose land conversion ban

EFTA PARLIAMENTARIANS. Parliamentarians from the European Free Trade Association meet with Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (front, fifth from left) to discuss developments

in the political, trade and investment climate in the Philippines that impact on the overall business environment. Lopez shared with the European delegates the current socio-economic thrust of the Philippine government led by President Rodrigo Duterte towards improving the quality of lives of Filipinos, by promoting peace and order and removing graft and corruption. EFTA representatives are from Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. With Lopez are Trade Undersecretaries Ceferino Rodolfo (left) and Nora Terrado (front, fourth from left).

China set to lift ban on PH banana exports

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

C

HINA is expected to lift the suspension on Philippine banana exports soon, the Agriculture Department said Thursday.

The department said Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua, in courtesy call to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, relayed that China would lift the ban on Philippine banana exports to China.

China earlier imposed a ban on Philippine banana exports after the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine revealed two notifications on non-compliance.

ASQIQ of China notified the

detection of the pest Dysmicoccus neobrevipes in a shipment of 20,790 kilograms of bananas made by NKM Import/Export Inc. to Dalian Kawoo Import and Export Co. Ltd. Another shipment made by Sumifru to Shenzen Everglory Trading Co. Ltd. had carbendazim level which exceeded the maximum residue level of 0.1 mg/kg, it said.

The Agriculture Department

said as of June 28, 2016, 27 Philippine exporters were suspended

by ASQIQ. The agency said of the total number of suspended exporters, 10 already submitted their corrective actions which were verified by the Bureau of Plant Industry and were forwarded to ASQIQ to request for the lifting of suspension.

These companies included Sumifru, Banana Brothers Inc., Evita Banana Trading Company Inc., Nader and Ibrahim S/O Hassan Phils. Inc., Tagum Agricultural Development Trade Co. Inc., TVEM Links International Co., Stanfilco Division of Dole Philippines Inc., Philpack, Continental Farm Corp. and Lapanday

Diversified Products Corp.

The Agriculture Department said ASQIQ recently sent an inspection team to the Philippines to evaluate the corrective measures being implemented by the exporters.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the lifting of suspension would greatly benefit the country’s banana exporters.

“We appreciate very much the action of the Chinese government as this will relieve our banana farmers from the serious problem during the suspension considering that China is a huge market for our banana industry,” Piñol said.

The Agriculture Department said aside from banana, China

also expressed interest to import other agricultural products from the country.

“The [Chinese] ambassador mentioned that President [Rodrigo Duterte] requested if agriculture exports to China can be increased,” the agency said.

The department quoted Zhao as saying that China was interested in the country’s pineapples, mangoes, coconut and dragon fruit.

China also expressed interest to import high-end fishery products such as Lapu-lapu, crab, shrimp, prawns, tuna and lowend fish products such as bangus.

“The said products are intended to be sold in the major cities of China,” the agency said.

BUSINESS leaders and economists on Thursday asked the government to carefully review the proposal of the Agrarian Reform Department to prohibit the conversion of agricultural lands into non-agricultural purposes and review all land conversions, stock distribution and leasehold arrangements.

The business groups welcomed the clarification of DAR Undersecretary Marcos Risonar that such lands could still be converted as long as they are within priority areas identified by the Trade, Agriculture and Tourism Departments and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, but still expressed apprehension over the effect of the moratoriumon the entry of investments.

The business and economist groups including Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Foundation for Economic Freedom, Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Exporters Confederation, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, European Chamber of Commerce and Japanese Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines expressed their apprehension at the proposal of the Agrarian Reform Department to impose a moratorium on farmland conversion.

The groups said this could set back the goal of developing more economic zones, expanding the manufacturing industry, accelerating infrastructure projects and decongesting urban areas. Othel V. Campos

PSALM elevates case vs San Miguel

POWER Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. elevated a case against San Miguel Corp. to the Court of Appeals in a bid to terminate the 1,200-megawatt Ilijan natural gas power plant independent power producer administrator contract.

SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. deputy corporate information officer Alezander Benhur Simon informed the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. of PSALM’s latest legal move.

SMC Global said PSALM filed a petition for certiorari with the Court of Appeals seeking to annul the orders of the Mandaluyong City regional trial court branch 208 granting the writ of preliminary injunction in favor of South Premiere Power Corp. and against PSALM; and allowing the intervention of Manila Electric Co. and denial of PSALM’s motions for reconsideration.

South Premiere trades the contracted capacity of the Ilijan natural gas plant in Batangas after posting the highest bid of $870 million in 2010. PSALM also prayed for the issuance of a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction “against public respondent RTC and its assailed orders.” Alena Mae S. Flores

Govt prepares final mine-halt decisions

THE Philippine government has set out a timetable for the final stages of its review of metallic miners in the world’s largest nickel producer, and aims to decide which suppliers will be suspended for failing an environmental audit before the end of this month.

The Environment Department is sending letters to companies recommended for suspension, and producers have a week to respond, according to Environment Undersecretary Leo Jasareno. There’s a further seven days for the responses to be assessed by the department before a decision, Jasareno said.

The mining companies “will be given seven days, and we have another seven days to review,” Jasareno said in a phone interview late on Wednesday. By the third week of this month, “we hope to come up with a decision,” he said. Bloomberg

7380

Okada delays opening of $2.4-b Manila casino

6920

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PSe comPoSite index Closing October 6, 2016

8300 7840

6460

JAPANESE billionaire Kazuo Okada is raising $400 million to finance the completion of the $2.4-billion integrated casino and entertainment development at Pagcor Entertainment City in Parañaque City.

Universal Entertainment Corp., the holding company of Okada, in a statement on its website, hinted about the possible delay in the opening of Okada Manila due to “worsethan-expected weather conditions.”

“Okada Manila has not markedly lagged behind the original plan although the progress has differed somewhat from the plan, affected by worse-than-

6000

7,620.16 19.63

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing OCTOBER 6, 2016 43.00 45.40 46.60 47.80

P48.285

49.00

CLOSE

HIGH P48.180 LOW P48.290 AVERAGE P48.237 VOLUME 491.200M

P392-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.70-P42.50 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.84-P28.27 Diesel P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene

PAYMENT SOLUTION. Australian company 3C Enterprise Wireless Pty. Ltd. teamed up with NCR Corp. to provide secure and reliable payments solutions to Philippine banks and boost financial inclusion in the country. NCR is the world’s number one provider of ATMs. Shown during a news briefing in Makati City are 3C Enterprise chief technology officer Robert Huddlestone (left) and executive vice president Ted Marr. Lino Santos

Neda expects economy to expand 6.5% in 2016

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, October 6, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.3560

Japan

Yen

0.009663

0.4673

UK

Pound

1.274900

61.6491

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128914

6.2338

Switzerland

Franc

1.026694

49.6468

Canada

Dollar

0.759013

36.7028

Singapore

Dollar

0.730087

35.3041

Australia

Dollar

0.762200

36.8569

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652520

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266596

12.8915

Brunei

Dollar

0.727431

35.1757

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000077

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.028738

1.3897

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

13.1663

Euro

Euro

1.120900

54.2022

Korea

Won

0.000898

0.0434

China

Yuan

0.149936

7.2503

India

Rupee

0.015024

0.7265

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.241838

11.6943

New Zealand

Dollar

0.716600

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031797

128.2653

34.6519 1.5376 Source: PDS Bridge

THE Philippine economy will likely grow 6.5 percent in 2016, on muted impact of La Niña weather phenomenon on the agriculture sector, the National Economic and Development Authority said.

Economic Planning Secretary and Neda director-general Ernesto Pernia said the 6.5-percent gross domestic product growth target for this year was “achievable.”

“I think 6.5 percent should be achievable for the full year,” Pernia told reporters in a recent media briefing.

Pernia’s growth forecast was within the 6 percent to 7 percent

growth target set by the interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee.

Pernia said the GDP growth would be supported by “better-than-expected” performance of the agriculture sector in the second half.

“Probably because rains have been good. There’s been a lot of rain but not destructive, so it’s going to be healthy for agriculture,” Pernia said.

Pernia, however, said risks to growth remained, such as the occurrence of typhoons. “Let’s hope that typhoons keep skirting the Philippines,” he said.

The country expanded 7 percent in the second quarter, bringing average growth in the first semester to 6.9 percent.

expected weather conditions,” Universal Entertainment said.

Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc., the local unit of Okada, announced in July that Okada Manila would open in November.

“In view of policy actions by the Philippine government and the economic environment in the near-term, we are now in the process of carefully considering the optimal timing for opening the facility towards delivering maximized shareholder value,” it said.

Tiger Resorts president Steve Wolstenholme said last month phase 1 of the project was on track to open this year and construction was 85-percent completed.

Power rates lower in October—Meralco

By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. said Thursday residential rates will drop by P0.1216 per kilowatt-hour in October, translating into a reduction of P24 in the monthly bill of consumers with a monthly demand of 200 kilowatt-hours.

Meralco said in a statement the rates of typical households declined to P8.34 per kWh this month, because of downward movement in both generation and transmission charges.

Meralco said this marked the third straight month of reduction in the overall residential rates.

The power distributor said generation charges went down

by P0.0501 per kWh from P3.9439 per kWh in the pre-

vious month, resulting mainly from lower charges at the wholesale electricity spot market. This was due to lower demand in September, compared to August, it said.

“This offsets increases in IPP [independent power producers] and PSA [power supply agreements] costs brought about by higher coal prices and the weaker peso against US dollar,” Meralco said.

Meralco said the peso depreciation from 46.58 per dollar in August to 48.50 in September had an upward impact on the peso conversion of the dollar charges of the PSA and IPP plants.

Overall charges from WESM, the country’s trading floor of electricity, decreased by P1.4747

per kWh as peak demand in the Luzon grid went down by 300 MW in September from August.

Meralco purchased 16.1 percent of its power requirements from WESM in September, down from 20.6 percent in August.

Cost of power sourced from plants under PSAs with Meralco increased P0.3257 per kWh on higher fuel costs.

Meralco said the coal price in the region climbed to $67.41 per metric ton in August from $52.85 per metric ton in June 2016. Meralco sourced bulk of its power supply requirements from its PSAs at 47.4 percent.

Cost of power from IPPs also increased P0.1671 per kWh because of the weaker peso against US dollar.

B2

Business

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Pilipinas Shell cuts indicative IPO price

By Jennifer B. Austria OIL refiner Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. reduced the indicative offer price for its planned initial public offering to a range of P64 to P70 per share from an initial maximum offer price of P90, according to Thomson Reuters publication IFR. Philippines Shell is set to raise P21.12 billion to P23.1 billion in proceeds from the IPO, based on the new offer price range.

A source at Pilipinas Shell confirmed the new price range. The final price will be announced on Oct. 13.

Pilipinas Shell earlier obtained approval from Securities and Exchange Commission and Philippine Stock Exchange to conduct its maiden share offering.

Pilipinas Shell will offer 300

million shares to the investing public and another 30 million in case of overallotment.

These shares represent 18.6 of the company’s outstanding capital stock. Of the 300 million primary shares, 270 million shares will be sold by the selling shareholders, namely Shell Overseas Investments B.V., The Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd. and Spathodea Campanulata Inc. Proceeds from this portion of the offering will go to the selling shareholders.

Proceeds from the remaining 30 million primary shares will be used to finance capital expenditures, working capital and general corporate expenses.

Pilipinas Shell aims to expand its retail network to 1,220 retail service stations by 2020, up from 996 service stations as of endJune 2016.

Market declines; PhilWeb advances

S

TOCKS fell for a second day, as the dollar strengthened further on growing expectations the US will hike interest rates by the end of the year.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, lost 19 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 7,620.16 Thursday. This reduced total gains this year to 9.6 percent.

The broader all-share index also declined 9 points, or 0.2 percent, to settle at 4,521.90, on a value turnover of P6.7 billion.

Eight of the 20 most active

stocks ended in the green, led by gaming company PhilWeb Corp. which surged 28.6 percent to P8.

Former trade minister and businessman Roberto Ongpin agreed to sell his entire controlling stake in PhilWeb to businessman Gregorio Araneta for P2 billion at P2.60 per share.

Port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc.

rose 1.9 percent to P81, while infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. picked up 1.7 percent to P7.32.

Meanwhile, most Asian markets traded higher Thursday. Another round of positive data out of Washington, this time on the key services sector, reinforced views that the world’s top economy is back on track and able to deal with the impact of tighter borrowing costs.

“Data has been consistent with the Fed moving in December,” Chris Green, the Auckland-based director of economics and strategy at First NZ Capital Group, said.

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 0.92 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 80 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.74 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 52 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance 3.63 Asia United Bank 47.5 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 110.10 Bank of PI 105.40 China Bank 38 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 3.79 Bright Kindle Resources 1.39 COL Financial 16.18 Eastwest Bank 19.3 Filipino Fund Inc. 6.86 First Abacus 0.75 Manulife Fin. Corp.

641.00 MEDCO Holdings 0.800 Metrobank 85 Natl. Reinsurance Corp. 0.9 PB Bank 14.4 Phil Bank of Comm 22.50 Phil. National Bank 57.80 Phil. Savings Bank 101.3 Philippine trust Co. 240 PSE 260 RCBC `A’ 35.85 Security Bank 226 Sun Life Financial 1456.00 Union Bank 76.40 Vantage Equities 1.44

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 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 6.75 15 2.65 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 0.315 2.18 234 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 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 3 10.04 2.09 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 0.138 1.02 152 4.28 0.640 10.02 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.9 Agrinurture Inc. 3.83 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.88 Alsons Cons.

1.62 Asiabest Group 16.08 C. Azuc De Tarlac 158.00 Cemex Holdings 11.86 Century Food 16.5 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 125 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 23.6 Concepcion 59.95 Crown Asia 2.1 Da Vinci Capital 6.55 Del Monte 12.24 DNL Industries Inc. 11.360 Emperador 7.29 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.92 EEI 7.50 First Gen Corp.

24.85 First Holdings ‘A’ 72 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 13.00 Holcim Philippines Inc. 16.50 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6.02 Ionics Inc 2.190 Jollibee Foods Corp.

249.80 Liberty Flour 54.00 LMG Chemicals 1.94 Mabuhay Vinyl 4.3 Macay Holdings 27.85 Manila Water Co. Inc. 31 Maxs Group 28.4 Megawide 15.5 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 308.00 MG Holdings 0.255 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.57 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.11 Petron Corporation 10.34 Phil H2O 3 Phinma Corporation 11.60 Phinma Energy 2.26 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 5.91 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.50 Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.77 RFM Corporation 4.19 Roxas Holdings 3.39 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 217 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.148 TKC Steel Corp.

1.83 Universal Robina 185 Victorias Milling 4.63 Vitarich Corp.

2.28 Vivant Corp.

32.00 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.20

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 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435

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 0.550 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ 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 `A’ Prime Orion San Miguel Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries

10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.72 27

6.74 12 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 3.1 4.13 0.090 0.39 23

8990 HLDG 7.380 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 6.30 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.18 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.420 Arthaland Corp.

0.265 Ayala Land `B’ 39.750 Belle Corp. `A’ 2.98 Century Property 0.590 City & Land Dev. 1.24 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.050 Crown Equities Inc. 0.163 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.580 Double Dragon 57.5 Empire East Land 0.760 Ever Gotesco 0.138 Global-Estate 1.01 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.87 Interport `A’ 1.16 Keppel Properties 4.20 Megaworld 4.65 MRC Allied Ind. 0.191 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.415 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry

0.365 76.80 15.90 1.19 6.05 0.350 0.360 867.5 8.41 12.82 6.1 8.16 0.207 1400 6.15 75.00 8.27 0.81 14.5 7.2 0.0370 1.920 81.40 677.00 1.23 0.90 230.000 0.3150 0.2020

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.65 3.45 48 47.7 110.10 109.80 105.50 105.20 38.25 37.95 3.80 3.80 1.38 1.32 16.2 16.1 19.44 19.26 6.63 6.63 0.8 0.7 650.00 641.00 0.830 0.810 85 83.8 0.91 0.88 14.4 14.4 22.50 22.50 58.50 57.40 100.9 95.55 241 230 269.8 260 35.9 35.65 226 219.2 1470.00 1460.00 76.90 76.30 1.48 1.48 INDUSTRIAL 46.2 45.7 3.95 3.84 0.9 0.86 1.65 1.61 16.08 15.7 170.00 163.00 11.96 11.86 16.7 16.24 117 115 23.65 23.35 59.95 57.45 2.11 2.06 6.88 6.23 12.28 12.2 11.520 11.360 7.35 7.29 5.96 5.90 7.56 7.48 24.75 24.1 72 71.55 13.00 13.00 16.50 16.34 6.15 6.04 2.200 2.170 253.00 250.00 54.00 48.25 2.16 2.162 4.28 4.15 27.80 27.80 31.75 30.5 28.4 27.7 16.04 15.5 310.00 307.80 0.255 0.255 4.57 4.57 3.18 3.02 10.86 10.36 3.01 3 11.60 11.60 2.24 2.23 5.95 5.82 1.55 1.51 3.86 3.76 4.20 4.18 3.23 3.2 217.6 217 0.148 0.146 1.88 1.80 185.9 184.2 4.58 4.33 2.34 2.25 31.35 31.30 1.25 1.20 HOLDING FIRMS 0.390 0.365 77.70 76.50 15.98 15.76 1.23 1.23 6.20 6.10 0.350 0.350 0.360 0.355 870 863.5 8.41 8.31 12.80 12.62 6.11 6.1 8.20 8.00 0.208 0.208 1420 1396 6.27 6.27 75.95 75.05 8.25 8.11 0.81 0.79 14.66 14.4 7.32 7.15 0.0370 0.0360 1.980 1.900 81.50 81.00 680.00 666.00 1.25 1.20 0.90 0.90 232.000 228.600 0.3200 0.3100 0.2020 0.1980 PROPERTY 7.400 7.380 6.36 6.36 1.19 1.15 2.600 2.430 0.270 0.265 39.350 38.550 2.98 2.9 0.600 0.580 1.26 1.21 1.040 1.040 0.167 0.161 0.580 0.560 57.55 57.05 0.750 0.750 0.138 0.138 1.01 1.00 1.88 1.81 1.15 1.15 4.20 4.20 4.72 4.66 0.202 0.190 0.415 0.400 35.00 35.00

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.64 48 110.00 105.40 38 3.80 1.38 16.1 19.28 6.63 0.74 650.00 0.830 84 0.88 14.4 22.50 57.75 100.9 230 260 35.75 223 1470.00 76.35 1.48

0.28 1.05 -0.09 0.00 0.00 0.26 -0.72 -0.49 -0.10 -3.35 -1.33 1.40 3.75 -1.18 -2.22 0.00 0.00 -0.09 -0.39 -4.17 0.00 -0.28 -1.33 0.96 -0.07 2.78

23,000 24,600 951,430 917,110 8,200 5,000 28,000 142,200 403,200 1,500 3,808,000 610 3,182,000 4,342,450 201,000 59,500 9,800 14,620 430 450 3,400 281,700 1,536,730 240 50,340 2,000

45.85 3.88 0.87 1.63 16.08 164.90 11.92 16.38 117 23.5 59.95 2.1 6.5 12.28 11.440 7.30 5.96 7.49 24.15 71.95 13.00 16.36 6.1 2.190 251.00 54.00 2.16 4.15 27.80 31 27.7 15.68 309.00 0.255 4.57 3.18 10.50 3 11.60 2.23 5.85 1.52 3.86 4.20 3.2 217.6 0.148 1.80 184.5 4.58 2.28 31.30 1.20

-0.11 1.31 -1.14 0.62 0.00 4.37 0.51 -0.73 -6.40 -0.42 0.00 0.00 -0.76 0.33 0.70 0.14 0.68 -0.13 -2.82 -0.07 0.00 -0.85 1.33 0.00 0.48 0.00 11.34 -3.49 -0.18 0.00 -2.46 1.16 0.32 0.00 0.00 2.25 1.55 0.00 0.00 -1.33 -1.02 1.33 2.39 0.24 -5.60 0.28 0.00 -1.64 -0.27 -1.08 0.00 -2.19 0.00

102,900 1,128,000 2,652,000 761,000 200 390 3,818,600 817,900 920 341,900 580 153,000 8,647,200 30,700 1,625,200 1,144,500 3,109,500 426,100 2,085,900 153,050 100 6,200 1,143,600 513,000 355,830 220 35,000 48,000 600 1,667,600 366,900 1,362,400 114,300 220,000 1,000 303,000 18,762,400 37,000 7,900 1,159,000 1,372,600 1,231,000 193,000 2,165,000 56,000 1,050 2,680,000 1,237,000 1,023,650 19,000 5,104,000 300 125,000

0.370 77.20 15.92 1.23 6.15 0.350 0.355 865 8.41 12.68 6.11 8.12 0.208 1397 6.27 75.50 8.25 0.8 14.52 7.32 0.0370 1.910 81.20 671.50 1.20 0.90 232.000 0.3150 0.2020

1.37 0.52 0.13 3.36 1.65 0.00 -1.39 -0.29 0.00 -1.09 0.16 -0.49 0.48 -0.21 1.95 0.67 -0.24 -1.23 0.14 1.67 0.00 -0.52 -0.25 -0.81 -2.44 0.00 0.87 0.00 0.00

1,690,000 639,220 1,962,100 1,000 21,700 2,300,000 320,000 205,630 188,100 2,831,300 300 192,600 10,000 195,475 100 568,420 1,110,300 236,000 7,401,900 40,405,700 20,700,000 1,037,000 34,460 349,210 439,000 20,000 10,060 730,000 120,000

7.380 6.36 1.15 2.570 0.270 38.750 2.98 0.590 1.26 1.040 0.163 0.560 57.25 0.750 0.138 1.00 1.81 1.15 4.20 4.67 0.200 0.415 33.70

0.00 0.95 -2.54 6.20 1.89 -2.52 0.00 0.00 1.61 -0.95 0.00 -3.45 -0.43 -1.32 0.00 -0.99 -3.21 -0.86 0.00 0.43 4.71 0.00 33.70

2,506,800 3,000 2,156,000 2,086,000 1,200,000 19,399,400 268,000 1,465,000 72,000 1,000 19,420,000 7,838,000 357,180 4,000 60,000 751,000 10,611,000 29,000 3,000 41,609,000 153,300,000 100,000 3 .

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

1,400 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

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

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

1,785,635.00 -252,110.00 4,450.00 32,400.00

70.5 1.97 119.5 7 12.5 0.017

17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 8.72 0.011

2,952,704.00 -5,858,666.00

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 95.5 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 3.1 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 4 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 2.28 8.8 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490

7.59 0.63 5 0.315

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

70

33

-55,773,450.00

515 12.28 111

480 6.5 101

31,556,513.50 -2,068,881.00

78.95

74.5

1.34

1

6.98

0.8900

825,630.00 38,467,194 -21,687,949.00 22,800.00 9,520.00 -2,272,210.00 Err:522 57,690.00 40,500.00 12,856,689.00

-507,042.00

-2,548,255 -137,864,126.00 249,900.00 1,320,890.50

518,170.00 3,584,776.00 -6,478,750.00 6,063,192.00 -2,188,923.00 -19,293,660.00 387,011.00 -4,218,688.00 -56,420.00 15,216,764.00

4,498,490.00 -77,285,935.00 5,369,074.00 -1,221,310.00 363,750.00 61,730,868.00 1,525,320.00 -3,401,825.00 -1,550.00 3.76 4,792,040.00 71,610.00 26,158 456,440.00

16,777,883.00 -823,926.00

-16,937,195 544,665.00 1,210,366.00 809,891.00

-31,921,796.00 26,254,599.00 -3,700.00 -357,167.00 60,614,480.00 -48,394.00

142,474.00 -514,000.00 -136,528,420.00 472,540.00

1,140.00 3,577,030.00 8,280.00 -1,136,160.00 -557,040.00 -80,480.00 7

1

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6

Close

Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

High

4.28 3.93 32.70 32.55 1.67 1.66 3.3 3.22 27.95 27.65 1.12 1.08 1.020 0.990 5.340 5.280 SERVICES 2GO Group’ 7.54 7.65 7.51 ABS-CBN 48.95 49.5 48.7 APC Group, Inc. 0.570 0.570 0.540 Asian Terminals Inc. 10.6 11 10.64 Berjaya Phils. Inc. 5.26 5.49 5.28 Bloomberry 4.44 4.67 4.45 Boulevard Holdings 0.0940 0.0950 0.0930 Calata Corp.

3.45 3.48 3.3 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 105 108.3 105.1 Centro Esc. Univ.

9.8 9.96 9.8 Discovery World 2.78 2.6 2.6 DFNN Inc. 6.95 6.98 6.82 FEUI 955.5 1000 958 Globe Telecom 1965 1980 1885 GMA Network Inc. 6.29 6.28 6.27 Golden Haven 14.94 14.94 14.08 Grand Plaza Hotel 20.05 20.00 20.00 Harbor Star 2.42 2.50 2.21 I.C.T.S.I. 79.5 81 79.3 Imperial Res. `A’ 19.14 21.00 19.16 IPeople Inc. `A’ 11.8 11.7 11.7 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.0100 0.0100 0.0099 IPM Holdings 9.23 9.24 9.06 Island Info 0.247 0.247 0.240 ISM Communications 1.4800 1.5400 1.4600 Jackstones 3.5 3.65 3.49 LBC Express 11.88 12.3 11.88 Leisure & Resorts 5.10 5.34 5.10 Liberty Telecom 2.20 2.72 2.28 Lorenzo Shipping 1.08 1.03 1.02 Macroasia Corp.

2.25 2.18 2.16 Manila Broadcasting 19.36 20.45 19.06 Manila Jockey 2 2 2 Melco Crown 3.83 3.87 3.79 Metro Retail 5.17 5.30 5.17 NOW Corp.

3.380 3.480 3.380 Pacific Online Sys. Corp. 11.32 11.46 11.46 PAL Holdings Inc. 5.55 5.69 5.55 Paxys Inc. 2.53 2.54 2.54 Phil. Racing Club 9.1 8.74 8.74 Phil. Seven Corp.

138.00 138.00 138.00 Philweb.Com Inc. 6.22 9.27 6.27 PLDT Common 1622.00 1657.00 1627.00 PremiereHorizon 0.425 0.435 0.420 Premium Leisure 1.000 1.020 0.990 Puregold 42.75 43.50 42.65 Robinsons RTL 76.85 77.00 76.00 SBS Phil. Corp.

6.00 6.09 5.97 SSI Group 2.90 2.93 2.87 STI Holdings 0.660 0.720 0.660 Travellers 3.22 3.26 3.22 Waterfront Phils.

0.365 0.365 0.355 MINING & OIL Abra Mining 0.0036 0.0038 0.0035 Apex `A’ 2.86 3.05 2.86 Atlas Cons. `A’ 4.12 4.12 4.10 Basic Energy Corp.

0.215 0.249 0.215 Benguet Corp `A’ 2.1500 2.16 2.1100 Benguet Corp `B’ 2.1700 2.1900 2.0100 Century Peak Metals Hldgs0.58 0.58 0.58 Coal Asia 0.410 0.415 0.410 Dizon 8.30 8.54 8.30 Ferronickel 1.020 1.050 1.000 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.270 0.270 0.265 Lepanto `A’ 0.190 0.190 0.188 Lepanto `B’ 0.199 0.200 0.192 Manila Mining `A’ 0.0110 0.0120 0.0110 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.45 1.52 1.43 Nickelasia 7.25 7.32 7.17 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.85 2.89 2.83 Omico 0.5000 0.4800 0.4800 Oriental Peninsula Res. 0.8800 0.9000 0.8800 Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 Oriental Pet. `B’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 4.20 4.20 4.20 Philex `A’ 8.39 8.40 8.15 PhilexPetroleum 3.65 3.95 3.72 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 Semirara Corp.

121.00 121.00 119.70 TA Petroleum 3.31 3.35 3.3 United Paragon 0.0095 0.0099 0.0096 PREFERRED ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 48.6 49.3 48.05 DD Pref 103.5 103.7 103 GLOBE PREF P 550 545 541 Leisure and Resort 1.04 1.04 1.04 MWIDE PREF 114 110 110 PNX PREF 3B 114 113.9 113.9 SMC Preferred B 77.5 77.8 77.5 SMC Preferred D 77 77 77 SMC Preferred E 78.2 78.5 78.5 SMC Preferred F 80 80 80 SMC Preferred H 78 78.1 78.1 SMC Preferred I 77.9 77.9 77.6 Swift Pref 2.3 1.9 1.9 WARRANTS & BONDS LR Warrant 2.350 2.490 2.330 SME Alterra Capital 3.27 3.3 3.1 Makati Fin. Corp.

3.21 3.3 3.18 Italpinas 4.49 4.47 4.43 Xurpas 13.94 14.5 14 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 125.7 126 125.6

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

15,997,847

INDUSTRIAL

68,320,825

HOLDING FIRMS

117,376,198

PROPERTY

295,779,887

SERVICES

296,856,827

MINING & OIL

2,035,741,425

GRAND TOTAL

2,832,995,998

4.26 32.65 1.64 3.25 27.80 1.07 1.010 5.350

Low

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.95 32.65 1.66 3.3 27.80 1.08 1.020 5.300

-7.28 0.00 1.22 1.54 0.00 0.93 0.99 -0.93

3,203,000 1,217,000 117,000 65,000 7,937,200 13,453,000 298,000 4,131,100

7.65 48.7 0.570 10.64 5.49 4.67 0.0940 3.3 107 9.96 2.6 6.82 958 1900 6.28 14.50 20.00 2.23 81 20.00 11.7 0.0099 9.24 0.240 1.5200 3.65 12 5.34 2.37 1.02 2.18 20.45 2 3.83 5.18 3.420 11.46 5.55 2.54 8.74 138.00 8.00 1639.00 0.435 1.020 42.65 76.35 5.97 2.91 0.710 3.26 0.365

1.46 -0.51 0.00 0.38 4.37 5.18 0.00 -4.35 1.90 1.63 -6.47 -1.87 0.26 -3.31 -0.16 -2.95 -0.25 -7.85 1.89 4.49 -0.85 -1.00 0.11 -2.83 2.70 4.29 1.01 4.71 7.73 -5.56 -3.11 5.63 0.00 0.00 0.19 1.18 1.24 0.00 0.40 -3.96 0.00 28.62 1.05 2.35 2.00 -0.23 -0.65 -0.50 0.34 7.58 1.24 0.00

729,500 13,500 802,000 300 1,700 7,342,000 38,820,000 3,870,000 600,940 2,200 9,000 162,700 190 127,710 17,500 133,300 300 19,928,000 1,423,280 126,800 1,500 32,300,000 514,000 22,600,000 3,671,000 36,000 29,600 1,023,300 9,214,000 10,000 51,000 8,400 10,000 8,280,000 6,758,600 2,324,000 10,000 11,100 10,000 100 470 29,159,500 269,505 28,590,000 4,098,000 1,020,400 420,130 122,200 1,300,000 67,722,000 566,000 260,000

0.0036 3.03 4.10 0.230 2.1100 2.1800 0.58 0.410 8.48 1.030 0.270 0.189 0.192 0.0110 1.52 7.17 2.88 0.4800 0.9000 0.0110 0.0110 4.20 8.40 3.90 0.0130 120.00 3.3 0.0099

0.00 5.94 -0.49 6.98 -1.86 0.46 0.00 0.00 2.17 0.98 0.00 -0.53 -3.52 0.00 4.83 -1.10 1.05 -4.00 2.27 -8.33 0.00 0.00 0.12 6.85 0.00 -0.83 -0.30 4.21

1,871,000,000 7,200.00 525,000 656,170.00 44,000 -8,240.00 13,160,000 9,000 103,000 351,000 450,000 8,000 77,449,000 4,043,300.00 40,000 8,010,000 310,000 26,800,000 301,000 4,287,900 3,767,888.00 45,000 3,000 64,000 3,500,000 100,000 1,000 1,941,500 -1,055,325.00 5,769,000 -411,600.00 12,200,000 1,126,450 63,645,859.00 80,000 8,000,000

48.2 103.5 541 1.04 110 113.9 77.5 77 78.5 80 78.1 77.6 1.9

-0.82 0.00 -1.64 0.00 -3.51 -0.09 0.00 0.00 0.38 0.00 0.13 -0.39 -17.39

251,700 100,130 18,130 1,902,000 80 140 6,700 2,700 40,900 2,200 26,000 134,370 1,000

2.470

5.11

161,000

3.15 3.23 4.47 14.08

-3.67 0.62 -0.45 1.00

1,686,000 64,000 164,000 1,001,600

125.6

-0.08

5,140

3,323,130.00 15,069,305.00 -98,465,850.00 -925,710.00 -2,091,256.00 184,555.00

11,581,570.00 91,180.00 9,900.00 27,395,079.00

-108,706,990.00 25,364.00 -93,590.00 -41,988,512.50

-140,050.00 -57,380.00 936,413 79,920.00

-3,817,070.00 -1,205,604.00 -3,475,980.00

“The Fed has a delicate balancing act,” he told Bloomberg News. “They’d want to normalise rates as the economy improves but at the same time they don’t want to scare the financial system.”

Mitsushige Akino, an executive officer at Ichiyoshi Investment Management, added: “A December hike will happen for sure.”

US markets rallied Wednesday after the Institute for Supply Management said the services sector expanded at its fastest rate in almost a year in September, rebounding from the previous month’s slump.

The prospects of US rates tightening within three months has rallied the dollar, which bought 103.61yen in Tokyo— slightly up from late in New York and sharply higher than the levels below 103 yen earlier Thursday in Asia.

Japanese exporters welcomed the weaker yen, sending the Nikkei in Tokyo 0.5 percent higher for its fourthstraight gain.

Hong Kong added 0.5 percent in the afternoon, while Sydney and Seoul each closed 0.6 percent higher and Singapore gained 0.4 percent.

Shanghai is closed for a weeklong public holiday.

The greenback was also at three-decade highs against the pound, which has been hammered this week after Prime Minister Theresa May set a timeline for Britain to exit the EU by 2019.

With AFP, Bloomberg

Thai firm buys 9% interest in Basic

By Alena Mae S. Flores

11,404,013.00 -58,431,865.00 636,100.00 13,205,970.00 -388,467.00 -956,240.00 15,125,950.00 -16,250.00

-7,827,800.00 -52,000.00

1,083,296.00

-232,230.00 -31,150.00 -9,975,606.00

VALUE 1,815.26 (down) 7.83 942,024,139.11 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,947.96 (up) 3.85 891,226,997.058 HOLDING FIRMS 7,587.40 (down) 0.14 1,661,433,150.476 PROPERTY 3,445.56 (down) 38.15 1,465.50 (up) 8.28 1,432,371,631.075 SERVICES MINING & OIL 11,121.69 (down) 50.59 1,489,898,694.12 PSEI 7,620.16 (down) 19.63 300,212,489.908 All Shares Index 4,521.90 (down) 9.76 6,738,340,604.376 Gainers: 90; Losers: 94; Unchanged: 54; Total: 238

BASIC Energy Corp. said it signed a memorandum of agreement with Vintage Engineering Public Co. Ltd. of Thailand to develop renewable energy projects in the Philippines and abroad.

Basic Energy said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Thursday the two parties would execute definitive agreements to cover VTE’s subscription of 9 percent of the outstanding capital stock of Basic Energy, after due diligence.

VTE also has the right to invest in the projects of Basic Energy, “subject to any conditions precedent and any terms and conditions which shall be further mutually agreed and determined in the future.”

Basic Energy said VTE’s 9-percent equity investment would cover 435,658,699 shares of the company from its unissued capital stock at a total subscription price of P139.41 million divided into two tranches.

The first tranche is payable on or before Dec. 31, 2016 and the second tranche on or before March 31, 2017.

Basic Energy said VTE, a company listed and registered under the laws of Thailand, could increase its holdings up to 25 percent, subject to mutually agreed conditions.

Basic Energy is a publicly listed company in the Philippines, with business interests in various fields of renewable energy and alternative fuels and oil and gas exploration and development.

Basic Energy has undergone a dramatic transformation from a holding company into an operating company.

Among its projects in the pipeline, Geothermal Service Contract No. 8 in Mabini, Batangas is most advanced, with the drilling of an exploratory well currently under way.

Business Weight-challenged passengers complain THE policy of a US airline to subject weight-challenged passengers to a weigh-in prior to boarding has become a weighty issue.

The controversy came out after two hefty Samoan passengers were unable to choose seats on a Hawaiian Airlines plane and, instead, were required to hit the scales before they were allowed to board. Passengers are certainly not happy and feel offended, but according to an airline official, the policy was rolled out to maintain balance and monitor the weight taken in by the aircraft.

Told that the weigh-in requirement for portly passengers is done to ensure flight safety, the two Samoan gentlemen decried what they perceived as discrimination and are reportedly filing a complaint before the US Transportation Department. Sources say the Hawaiian Airlines policy is only applicable for flights going to and from the international airport in Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa (a US territory with a population of 54,194) which has the highest obesity rate in the world according to data from the CIA World Factbook. (In case you’re wondering, the Philippines is ranked 9th in the list of countries with the lowest obesity rate followed by Singapore at number 10, with Vietnam taking the number one spot.)

Samoa Air in fact started the practice of charging passengers according to weight in 2013, with passengers required to declare their personal weight for which they had to pay a certain amount per kilo, along with their baggage. One Italian passenger is actually suing Emirates airline and asking for a refund (to the tune of 2,759.51 euros) for making him suffer by seating him next to an obese passenger, saying the nine-hour flight was “ruined” because the passenger took up most of the space.

According to the Italian, who took photos to show his cramped situation, he tried standing in the aisle and sitting on cabin crew seats whenever they were unoccupied—but gave up in the end and just resigned himself to suffering the “spillover” of the passenger next to him.

It’s a sad reality that hefty passengers are sometimes (or perhaps often) subjected to furtive looks and discriminatory snickers whether they fly on a plane or ride a jeepney or shuttle. An article in independenttraveler.com tackled the issue of airline obesity policies.

“Obesity is a hot-button topic, and many will argue that some big folks simply need to pare back on the super-size fries. But what about passengers who have thyroid disorders that cause them to gain weight—or some other serious health issue?” asked the online article, disclosing that carriers are now imposing certain policies to prevent “space infringement” by “passengers of size.” Among these include asking the (bulky) passenger to pay for two seats (some carriers like Air France offer a 25 percent discount on the second seat) or denied a seat on the plane.

“On a broader level, is it fair or logical for the airlines to keep shrinking airplane seats seats even though more than one-third of American adults are now obese? This makes things awkward for everyone—including the obese passengers themselves,” the article pointed out.

While there are a growing number of complaints from normalsized passengers—prompting some airlines to issue strict policies including definitions of what is considered obese (“a passenger who does not fit into a seat with both armrests down”), people should also consider the kind of pressure and embarrassment that these plus-size passengers feel whenever they become the subject of scrutiny and yes, ridicule.

An easy solution would be for airlines to reconfigure seating options and make some seats wider to accommodate special size passengers. Meantime, ask about seat and safety belt widths first before booking that ticket if you happen to be one of the weightchallenged passengers to make sure you are not treated like baggage.

••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com.

You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www. facebook.com/happyhourmanilastandard. Cheers!

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Paraguayan Finance Minister Santiago Pena Palacios (left) chats with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, next to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim at the start of the eighth meeting of the Finance Minister of the Americas and the Caribbean at Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, DC on October 5, 2016. AFP

IMF: Protectionism to worsen economy

W

ASHINGTON―Protectionism’s rise in Europe and the United States is pushing the world’s economic leaders toward a delicate balancing act: defending globalization but acknowledging the pain that sometimes comes with it.

With the US presidential elections a month away, the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund kicked off this week in Washington with a stern warning: For the world to turn its back on trade now would only worsen the ills of a flagging global economy.

“Increasing pressure for inwardlooking policies are a particular threat to the global outlook,” the IMF said in downgrading growth forecasts for advanced economies, pushing concerns about Deutsche Bank’s stability and China’s com-

mercial debt binge into the background.

The president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, urged world governments to banish “the storm clouds of isolationism and protectionism,” saying that open borders had lifted a billion people out of poverty in over a quarter century.

Long bandied about by the major international financial institutions, this message faces an increasingly unreceptive audience.

In the United States, long a bastion of trade liberalization, Repub-

lican presidential nominee Donald Trump has rallied supporters by promising a trade war with China and retaliatory import duties on Mexico.

Across the Atlantic, the British vote to secede from the European Union threatens to spur other countries to roll back economic integration in Europe. The free-trade pact currently under negotiation with the United States, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, faces stiff resistance in Europe.

Bit by bit, globalization finds itself accused of depressing wages, causing industrial decline and keeping low-skilled workers unemployed.

Against a backdrop of sluggish global trade, these accusations extend far beyond the insular clique of activist NGOs and are starting to threaten established dogma.

But Germany says it will hold the

Oil prices stop gains below $50 a barrel Google rules out purchase of Twitter OIL halted gains below $50 a barrel as investors weighed falling US stockpiles against speculation the recent price rally will encourage producers to raise output.

Futures declined as much as 0.8 percent after advancing 2.3 percent Wednesday to the highest close in more than three months.

US crude stockpiles last week fell below 500 million barrels for the first time since January, according to government data. The market is set to remain oversupplied in 2017 and prices will stall at $55 a barrel as shale drillers get back to work, Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s head of commodities research Jeff Currie said in an interview.

Oil has gained about 11 percent since the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed last week to cut production for

the first time in eight years. Opec, which pumped at a record in September, will decide on quotas at an official meeting of the group in Vienna on Nov. 30. Hurricane Matthew is expected to intensify as it approaches the U.S. East coast.

“There is a bit of a cap for oil at about $50 because above that level, once we head up toward $55 a barrel, there’s concerns that US shale producers will jump back into action,” said Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist in Sydney at CMC Markets. “The positive momentum has brought oil prices back to the top of the trading range.”

West Texas Intermediate for November delivery lost as much as 38 cents to $49.45 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $49.60 at 7:46 a.m. in London.

The contract increased $1.14 to $49.83 on Wednesday, the highest close since June 29. Total volume traded was about 37 percent below the 100-day average. Prices rose 7.9 percent last month.

Brent for December settlement lost as much as 37 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $51.49 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The contract gained 2 percent to $51.86 on Wednesday, the highest close since June 9. The global benchmark traded at a $1.52 premium to WTI for December.

US crude stockpiles dropped by 2.98 million barrels for a fifth weekly decline, the Energy Information Administration reported Wednesday. A Bloomberg survey had forecast a supply gain. Crude production declined for a second week to 8.5 million barrels a day. Bloomberg

Samsung makes Vietnamese farmers bigger earners than bankers

By Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen and John Boudreau A FEW years ago, Nguyen Thi Dung was feeding chickens and planting rice to make ends meet in one of the poorest areas in Vietnam.

This year, she expects to earn more than a typical stockbroker in the country. The difference? Samsung.

The South Korean electronics giant moved into the rice paddies of Bac Ninh province in Northern Vietnam and began rolling out smartphones seven years ago.

The latest exports include the company’s new Galaxy Note 7 phones and their batteries, which have embroiled the global brand in a massive product recall. Those gadgets have transformed Dung’s sleepy village into the country’s second-biggest exporting center after Ho Chi Minh City.

“Our lives have improved dramatically since Samsung came,” says the 57-year-old ex-farmer, who now rents rooms and sells groceries to assembly line workers, and expects to earn the equivalent of $68,000 this year. “I want to buy a car and have my children drive me around.”

Samsung Electronics Co. and its affiliates have built a factory town with 45,000 young workers and hundreds of foreign component suppliers―a miniature version of the family-run chaebol conglomerates that dominate business back in Korea. The investment has been a windfall for businesses in Bac Ninh―almost 2,000 new hotels and restaurants opened between 2011 and 2015 according to the provincial sta-

tistics office―helping raise the province’s per capita GDP to three times the national average.

“Samsung’s investment has created a breakthrough that spurred the economic growth of not only Bac Ninh but the nation,” said Nguyen Phuong Bac, head of a Bac Ninh socioeconomic institute. “It has quickened the country’s industrialization.”

The Korean company represents the first stage in Vietnam’s plan to inherit a slice of the manufacturing mantle of China, which is losing makers of apparel, electronics and consumer goods because of soaring wages and costs. China’s ability to attract factory investment in the 1980s and 1990s from abroad helped it build home-grown suppliers and eventually its own global companies.

Samsung Electronics opened its first plant in China in 1992.

Shares of Samsung Electronics rose 3.6 percent as of 12:30 p.m. in Seoul trading, poised for the highest close since Aug. 23.

Airport terminal Now the company has bet large on Vietnam. White buses emblazoned with the blue Samsung logo rumble past water-buffalo grazing across the street from the Samsung SDI Co. battery plant.

Trucks ferry Galaxy smartphones on the Bac Ninh-Noi Bai Highway―opened simultaneously with Samsung’s operations―to Noi Bai International Airport, where the company has asked for its own cargo terminal.

This week, local news websites reported that Samsung has applied to the customs department for tax

line.

“We are committed to build an open world economy, reject protectionism, promote global trade and investment,” German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble said in a statement published Wednesday on the IMF’s web site.

And for now, only a few countries, such as Poland, have gone so far as to enact protectionist measures.

But the possibility of a re-set, or at least a rhetorical one, is setting in among the world’s financial centers, which fear they risk encouraging populist movements by remaining deaf to the rising grievances about globalization.

The IMF and its managing director Christine Lagarde have been foremost in this reckoning, conceding that global growth benefits too few and globalization’s losers should receive dedicated support. AFP

Nguyen Thi Dung, 57, sits opposite her grocery in Ap Don hamlet, Yen Trung commune, Yen Phong district, which is located opposite the Samsung Electronics Vietnam Plant, in Bac Ninh province, Vietnam September 1, 2016. Dung currently has 10 rooms rented by Samsung Vietnam workers. Bloomberg

exemptions to re-import flawed Galaxy Note 7 smartphones and export replacements to Samsung’s headquarters in South Korea. The company declined to comment on the production of the phone or details of the product recall.

More than half of 856 foreign companies that had invested a combined $11.9 billion in Bac Ninh province by June were related to Samsung. Foreign investment now accounts for 60 percent of the province’s economy, said Nguyen Duc Cao, vice director of Bac Ninh Industrial Zones Management Board, who owns a goldcolored Samsung S6 phone.

Samsung’s $15-billion investment in Vietnam has made it the country’s largest single exporter, shipping about $33 billion of electronics last year. The year before

the South Korean company came, Vietnam’s total exports of mobile phones and other telecommunications products was $593 million.

In addition to the two Bac Ninh plants, Samsung has opened factories in nearby Thai Nguyen province and in Ho Chi Minh City―employing about 130,000 workers nationwide.

“We will continue to strengthen our business in Vietnam and our expansion plan is dependent on consumer, market trends,” the company said in an e-mail.

Vietnam’s long-term economic development requires it become “a haven of investment,” said Scott Rozelle, a Stanford University development economist. “There are all these spillover effects―you get everybody working.”

Company trips

Moving from rice paddy to production line gives farmers higher wages, social security benefits like a pension and sick leave, and job stability, said Brian McCaig, assistant professor of economics at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Workers send part of their earnings to their families, with remittances accounting for about 7 percent of rural income in 2014, said McCaig, who has researched how export agreements lift Vietnamese out of poverty.

“Samsung provides very good working conditions,” Le Thi Hoa, a 22-year-old Samsung SDI assembly line worker in Bac Ninh, said as she shopped at an open-air vegetable and fruit market near the factory. “We get good benefits here, including health insurance, and free holiday trips with the company.”

Samsung has put Vietnam in the vanguard of countries trying to inherit China’s factory jobs, competing with the likes of Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia. Yet none has the confluence of cheap labor, cheap capital, a vast domestic market, infrastructure, education and political will that fostered China’s industrial boom.

If Vietnam is to follow China’s model, it will need to develop homegrown suppliers that can provide more advanced components than basic products like packaging, said Bac at the socioeconomic institute.

“If we can’t join the supply chain with high-value products, our economy will depend pretty much on overseas companies and local companies will get very limited benefits,” he said. Bloomberg

SAN FRANCISCO—Twitter shares dove in after-hours trades Wednesday on the heels of a report that Google does not plan to bid for the culture-changing but unprofitable one-to-many messaging service.

The technology news website Recode cited unnamed sources close to the situation as saying Google will not be among those in the running to buy San Franciscobased Twitter.

Other sources said that Twitter should have “low expectations” of Apple being among those vying to buy the company, Recode reported.

Twitter shares, which had taken flight on the New York Stock Exchange early in the day and ended formal trading up nearly six percent, dove more than nine percent in after-market trades to $22.58.

Long-simmering speculation that Twitter is putting itself up for sale has boiled over in recent weeks, with the share price buoyed by unconfirmed talk that business-cloud software titan Salesforce, Google and other Silicon Valley titans were expected to be suitors.

Twitter and Google did not respond to AFP requests for comment.

Twitter, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, has yet to make a profit. Co-founder Jack Dorsey returned as chief executive last year but has yet to ignite growth, with the number of users stagnating at slightly more than 300 million for several quarters.

After falling to its lowest point ever earlier this year, Twitter shares were boosted recently on hopes the company will gain traction or a make a promising match with a suitor.

Twitter was expected to begin accepting bids this week.

The social messaging platform would be a big-ticket item, with its value based on the share price topping $17 billion on Wednesday, and the company likely to want a premium to be paid.

No suitors have declared interest in Twitter publicly, however.

The list of companies that may still seek to buy Twitter includes entertainment giant Disney, Microsoft, and the US telecom service Verizon. AFP. AFP

Motoring

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

A day of driving fast cars in the mud Text and photo by Dino Ray V. Directo III WORLD Rally Championship (WRC) fans had a field day over the weekend with the recent staging of the first leg of the Philippine Rallycross Series (PRS).

Held at a sprawling Noveleta Motorsports Park along Antero Soriano Highway, Noveleta, Cavite.

A total of 26 competitors fought for championship points, as they battled it out in the muddy and twisty 1.4 kilometer racetrack.

“Engine power does not matter here. Its suspension set up, handling and driver skills that matter in this kind of race,” says Mark Desales, Motorsports Director for the Automotive Association of the Philippines (AAP). The PRS has been certified by the AAP, the governing body of Philippine Motorsports and the official representative of the FIA in the country.

The event was divided into classes: Groups 1 to 4; UVand the Open Class. The race also had two stages, Day and the Night Race stage. The top three finishers were Andy Nocum who had a blistering run of 3.03.29 for Group One; Mon Dimapilis for Group Two and Group Three who clocked in an impressive 2.57.56; Boyet Policarpio ruled Group Four with a time of 2.50.06; Gerald Lim ruled the UV category with 2.56.70 aand in the Open Class, Boyet Policarpio had the best time of 2.49.50.

The venue was bursting to the

rafters with people from Cavite and neighboring provinces who ogled and visually treated to a parade of race cars getting down and dirty. The most popular race car among the lot that raced in last weekend’s rallycross belonged to Alberto “Tito” Arbatin and his 185bhp turbo diesel Land Rover Defender 90 Bowler. A faster and meatier version of the land Rover Defender, this Bowler edition has an upgraded suspension, monster brake kit, and has a stage two tuned rally specification. It made mince meat of the track, as it tore down the deep muddy chicanes and gamely absorbed the road imperfections. “I am a Land Rover enthusiasts and it will be sacrilege if I am seen driving a different brand. This Bowler is the ultimate off-road vehicle,” says Arbatin who is a known Land Rover collector.

Also known as “Run what you brung”, the Rallycross Series is organized by veteran racers led

by Olson Camacho, Eggay Quesada, Jun Nocum and Ronnie Trinidad. Each of these individuals had racing experience in rally racing, karting, circuit racing; off-road rally raid and drifting.

“We want the people who love racing to have a proper venue. If you think you are fast and your car can take it, don’t race in the streets, do your racing here at the rallycross challenge,” adds Quesada. Event partners are Mayor Dino Reyes Chua of Noveleta, Cavite; Isuzu Philippines Corporation, AAP and Atoy Bodykits.

A tuned Land Rover Bowler shows why it is the best four-wheeled SUV by far.

Volkswagen officials pose with the new Caddy (from left): VW Ph Chief Operating Adviser Klaus Schadewald; VW Ph President and CEO John Philip Orbeta; Laus Group of Companies Chairman Levy Laus and VW Pampanga Managing Director Dior Laus.

Northern exposure VW forays into C. Luzon via Laus Group Text and photo by Dino Ray V. Directo III

V

OLKSWAGEN Ph gains a foothold in the North with the recent inauguration of its first dealership in Central Luzon.

With the Laus Group of Companies as partners, Volkswagen Pampanga represents the sixth dealership of the German marquee as it continues to gradually expand its dealer network. “We are proud partners of the Ayala Group in this endeavor and we warmly welcome Volkswagen into our fold,” says Levy Laus, Chairman of the Laus Group of Companies.

After a brief blessing ceremony held at the Volkswagen dealership along McArthur Highway in San Fernando, Pampanga, VIP’s and honored guests pro-

ceeded to the sprawling Laus Group Events Center, where the Chairman hosted a formal sit down lunch and a small auto show highlighting the different

variants of the brand.

Volkswagen Pampanga is expected to push the brand more aggressively in the Central and Northern Luzon regions, which are considered as two of the fastest growing automotive markets in the country. The Laus Group started in 1978 and is currently known in the automotive industry as a corporate powerhouse with his dominance of the Central and Northern Luzon markets.

Almost all of the car dealerships in San Fernando’s automotive row is run by the Laus Group of Companies, except for Hyundai and Toyota. “This dealership is a crucial first step in securing our presence in this part of the country. Volkswagen Ph is delighted to have the Laus Group as our partner for growth,” states Franz Decloedt, Marketing Director for Volkswagen Ph. Since its launch in 2013, Volk-

swagen has racked up strategic dealers around the country with their first at the Bonifacio Global City; Quezon Avenue in Quezon City; Sheridan in Mandaluyong City; Molito in Alabang, Muntinlupa and one in Cebu City. “Our parent company Ayala Corporation has been in business in the Philippines for over 180 years, and we can bank on one of the country’s oldest, largest, and most successful companies to provide us with the support to keep our dealer network stable and moving forward at all times.

We are honoured and excited to forge this partnership. Volkswagen Pampanga will play a crucial role in Volkswagen’s nationwide expansion, and will bring us conveniently closer to where our loyal clients and new customers are,” states John Philip Orbeta, President and CEO of Volkswagen Ph.

Honda car clubs feted in rare gathering AS A tribute to Honda Cars Makati, Inc.’s most valued customers and to celebrate its 25th anniversary, HCMI brought together the biggest Honda car meet-up last September 18 – the #hondafestPH. HCMI envisioned this remarkable day to be “a gathering of the greatest” and it has definitely lived up to it.

Set in Honda Cars Manila Bay

branch, HCMI brought together car clubs from all over the metro to celebrate the Honda brand and to showcase the wide array of Honda’s outstanding automobiles. This festive event also aimed to celebrate and strengthen the ever-growing relationship of HCMI with its valued customers in the car clubs – staying true to its mission of putting the

customers first and making the spirit of friendship, gratitude, and trust alive at all times and in every milestone HCMI has achieved.

A mini car show with special awards such as Best in Stock, Best in Sound, Best in Paint, Best in Motorcade and People’s Choice Award were given to the participating car club entries.

Honda car clubs celebrate “a gathering of the greatest” at the Honda Cars Manila Bay.

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

KALEIDOSCOPE. A little dissociation lets one see a carnival of colors in this Edsa traffic jam at the corner of Ayala Avenue and McKinley Street approaching the Bonifacio Global City. Sonny Espiritu

R-1 workers get wage hike

By Dexter A. See

S

AN FERNANDO, La Union—Minimum wage earners in Region 1 will receive a pay hike ranging from P12 to P27 per day starting Oct. 2.

Henry John Jalbuena, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment and chairman of the Regional Tri-

partite Wages and Productivity Board, said the increase in the minimum daily wage of workers are as follows: large non-

agriculture, from P253 to P280 or a P27 increment; medium non-agriculture, from P253 and P244 to P266 or a P12 and P21 increase; small non-agriculture, from P233 to P252 or a P19 hike; micro non-agriculture, from P227 to P243 or a P16 increase; agriculture plantation, from P233 to P252 or P19 increment; agriculture non-plantation, from P227 to P243 or a raise of P16; and commercial fishing, from

P253 to 280 or P27 more.

Jalbuena said the new wage order will benefit 208,296 workers and employees working in 48,955 micro establishments in the Region 1.

The schedule for the orientations on the wage order is: October 17-Dagupan City for Pangasinan; October 19-City of San Fernando for La Union and October 21-Laoag City for Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.

Excluded from the increase are kasambahays or domestic workers, family drivers and workers and employees of registered barangay micro business enterprises with certifications of authority.

The new wage order also exempts distressed establishments, new business establishments, retail/service establishments employing not more than 10 workers, and establishments ad-

China-Asean meet leads investors to Davao City

By Funny Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—The China-Asean Mayors Forum 2016 in China, which delegates from Davao City joined, has attracted foreign investments to the city, an official said Wednesday.

City administrator and lawyer Zuleika Lopez said the Asian Infrastructure Bank has also offered loans to fund projects in Asean cities.

The forum in Nanning City discussed the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” and “China-Asean Urban Community Building” with a view to the cooperation between

Enforcer bears La Naval anew

China and Asean cities such as Davao.

“The forum was all about the One Belt, One Road,” Lopez said. “They are hoping that Asean countries including the Philippines will pursue connectivity both digital and infrastructural.”

Davao City Investment and Promotion Center chief Lemuel Ortonio and City Tourism Officer Generose Tecson also attended the forum. Asean or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is composed of the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam.

PCSO to name cops who extort, protect gamblers DAVAO CITY—The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes announced it will go after police officers who extort money from their outlets or protect illegal gambling, a highranking official said.

PCSO general manager, Ret. Gen. Alexander Balutan said they will wage war against illegal gambling by the end of 2016 or early next year.

Balutan said their implementing rules and regulations for lotto outlets prohibit giving money to police officers and government officials.

He said they will make a list of the extortionists and protectors of illegal gamblers.

Balutan said they have signed a memorandum of agreement with security enforcers for the arrest of illegal gamblers.

He said the public has been warned against getting involved in illegal gambling

so they will no longer conduct an information drive in every barangay.

Balutan said they can only reach their yearend target of P50 billion in revenues if illegal gambling is eradicated.

He said the PCSO estimates P15 billion pesos in revenue losses because of illegal games.

Balutan added that the huge loss would have funded more health services and charity work.

He said they are identifying policemen and local officials who are tolerating or asking money from gambling lords.

“We have intelligence information coming from the ground, from the management of the PCSO and other sources. Through those data we can easily check if there was an increase or decrease of revenue,” Balutan said.

One big gambling lord volunteered to cease his illegal gambling operations to avoid being included in the list of the PCSO. F. Pearl A. Gajunera

THIRST. An enterprising boatman sells fresh coconut juice to local and foreign visitors to Caticlan Island near Boracay.

Erap gives Manila centenarians P100,000 each

By Sandy Araneta MANILA’S 13 new centenarians will get P100,000 each, Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada announced on Elderly Filipino Week.

On Wednesday, Estrada said the centenarians deserve appreciation for be-

ing the nation’s role models and living long, distinguished, healthy and disciplined lives.

The 13 new beneficiaries are Teodoro Ilagan from District 1, Aracelie Javalera, District 2; Alberto Hernandez, District 4; Felipe Mañalac, District 4; Ildefonsa Pardilla, District 4;

versely affected by natural and/ or manmade disasters.

Jalbuena said the deadline for filing exemptions from the coverage of the wage order will be announced pending the approval of its implementing rules by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. Applications for exemption must be filed at the RTWPB-I or at the field offices of the DoLERegional Office I.

Raquel Cabanilla, District 4; Casimira Lopez, District 5; Teresa Arriola, District 5; Juliana Aranas, District 5; and Josefa Asperilla, Eudocio Manaois, and Manuela Felicidad Mangilit, all from District 6.

“Living to a hundred years old, about three decades past the life expectancy,

is extremely rare today,” he said, citing a report from the World Health Organization that shows life expectancy in the Philippines is 65.4 years for men and 72.5 years for women.

Estrada approved the release of P1.3 million from the Special Activities Fund for the cash gifts.

A TRAFFIC enforcer of Quezon City’s Department of Public Order and Safety is a familiar face to devotees of Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval every time her image visits the city hall on October 12, the city’s founding anniversary.

La Naval was officially adopted as patroness of Quezon City through Resolution 9645 enacted on Aug. 21, 1973.

For the past 26 years, Ernesto Maga has been a member of the city’s gala platoon that carries the image when it arrives and when it leaves.

“La Naval is my source of inspiration and strength. I have not been sick since I first carried her image,” said Maga, who has been with the DPOS gala platoon since 1992.

Maga said, “the image doesn’t weigh heavily on me,” adding that it probably weighs more than 100 kilos being more than five-feet high.

Novena masses are said at main lobby daily since it arrived at the city hall on Monday after enthronement at the Quezon Memorial Circle’s Philcoa Gate on September 30.

The La Naval visit, which ushers in the festivities on the city’s founding anniversary, will be capped by a “Misa ng Bayan” at 9 a.m., also at the city hall.

The city’s tourism department will oversee the La Naval festivities.

The image of La Naval, considered the oldest and most popular image of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in the Philippines, was originally venerated in the Old Dominican Sto. Domingo Church in Intramuros, Manila.

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DoH cuts mom, infant deaths

By Mel Caspe

T

HE third batch of nine local government officials from Eastern Visayas completed the Municipal Leadership and Governance Program of the Department of Health at the Asian Institute of Management conference center in Makati City on September 29.

“MLGP was launched by DoH in order to capacitate the mayors and municipal health officers to address the millennium development goals of reducing maternal and infant mortality,” Professor Jusie Lydia Siega-Sur, associate professor and MLGP coordinator, University of the Philippines-Manila School of Health Sciences, said.

At the colloquium ceremony, the final component of MLGP, local chief executives (LCEs) deliver their public narratives followed by a panel interview to assess understanding and application of bridging leadership.

The graduates were four former mayors of Leyte: Loreto Yu of Alang-Alang, Alden Avestruz of Barugo, Fe Renomeron of Burauen, and Manuel Sia-que of Dulag, Leyte; and the present mayors: Gemma Zosa of Sta. Margarita, Samar; Kathleen Prudenciado of Almagro, Samar; Marilou Latorre of Villareal, Samar; Mario Nadera of Mondragon, Northern Samar; and Mark Biong of Gipor-

los, Eastern Samar.

Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino of the DoH-8 said the MLGP is a one-year, two-module program for local chief executives and municipal health officers and is centered on the World Health Organization’s six building blocks of health systems.

The six building blocks include good governance in the health sector, health service delivery, health workforce, health information, access to essential medicines and healthcare financing.

The LCEs shared their achievements, health indicators, lessons learned and how the program help them develop and transform them to become bridging leaders in order to achieve the MGDs particularly those pertaining to the health system of their municipalities.

The program was initiated by the DoH, Zuellig Family Foundation and the UP Manila school.

To date, 49 local chief executives in Eastern Visayas have completed the MLGP.

CL dengue cases decrease by 35%

By Romeo Dizon SAN FERNANDO—The Department of Health reported that the dengue situation in Central Luzon has improved, as the number of cases dropped by 35 percent to 11,469 cases as of September from 17,727 cases in the same period last year.

Marcel Mendoza, surveillance officer of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit in Central Luzon, said that except for Bataan and Pampanga all dengue cases in the provinces of Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Zambales were reduced considerably.

Mendoza said the biggest im-

CDO, GMA feed kids

By Dexter A. See MALOLOS CITY—CDOFoodsphere Inc. and GMA Kapuso Foundation launched a 120-day supplemental feeding project for some 320 malnourished children living in the remote foothills of Doña Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan.

The 320 beneficiaries were selected from 15 public schools in the municipality. The kids are aged five to nine years old, said local Department of Education principal Ailie Riza Bernardo.

The organizers are served hot meals of CDO food products developed by GMAK nutritionists and cooked by school teachers and volunteer mothers.

The launch was attended by local officials and GMAK officers.

“This project marks the nine-year partnership of CDO and GMAK in nutrition. It started in 2007 when the food firm signed a deal with the giant broadcasting network to find a long-term solution to malnutrition,” said CDO president Jerome Ong. Ong said “the support of CDO made our feeding programs a success. The health of hundreds of thousands of Filipino children have been restored through this feeding program.”

provement was recorded in Bulacan with just 2,169 cases this year compared to 5,455 cases last year, and Tarlac with 1,546 cases in 2016 in contrast to 4,294 last year.

On the other hand, Bataan reported a year-on-year increase in dengue cases to about 1,676 from 776. Pampanga also recorded a slight increase to 3,563 from 3,407 last year.

However, the fatalities in region grew to 30 this year from only 21 last year. Pampanga saw 10 deaths, Bataan nine, and Zambales and Tarlac zero.

Mendoza said the ages of the dengue victims ranged from less than a year to 96. He added that 54 percent of them were males.

HEAD. caption. CREDIT

DELIGHTS. Metro Manila residents are invited to the Tacloban City Pasalubong Center in Bahandi SM Megamall, Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City. Mel Caspe

Bulacan health office pools trainers vs HIV, AIDS MALOLOS—“The Philippines is one of only seven countries in the world where the human immunodeficiency virus and AIDS cases are rising. Therefore everyone must be vigilant enough to fight it, because HIV is attacking our immune system and it is our defense to infections,” an expert on the illnesses said recently.

To remedy this, the Bulacan Provincial Public Health Office and the Department of Health-Region 3 created a pool of trainers to raise public awareness on HIV and other sexually transmissible infections in a three-day Trainers’ Course on HIV and STIs Education at the Widus Hotel, Clarkfield, Angeles City, Pampanga recently.

DoH HIV master trainer Celestino Ramirez and Joseph Michael Manlutac, regional HIV program coordinator, introduced a book entitled “Basic STI, HIV and AIDS

Education Module: Trainer’s Guide First Edition” and said it can be used in speaking engagements about the infections.

The book’s seven modules are: the rationale for STI, HIV and AIDS Education; Republic Act 8504 or the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998; Gender, Sex, Sexuality and Reproductive Health; The Basics of STI, HIV and AIDS; The Impact of HIV and AIDS; The Country Response; and the Challenges to the Country Response.

According to the Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry Epidemiology Bureau, 35,765 cases of HIV and AIDS were recorded in the country since 1984 and about 26 new cases are listed every day.

Meanwhile, the bureau reported that 2,887 patients were treated in Central Luzon since 1984, 948 of whom came from Bulacan.

Bulacan provincial administrator Eugenio Payongayong said the disease was a problem not only of the infected person but also of their family, the society where they belong and the government.

HIV only infects humans and is transmitted through unprotected penetrative sexual intercourse, infected blood and blood products and mother to child.

“We do not deprive the person living with HIV of their human rights just as long as they do it safely and responsibly.

We should remember that one exposure is all it takes for a person to be infected with HIV and there’s no cure for it, only medicines to delay the progression of the disease,” Ramirez said.

He also encouraged the community in general to do the A, B C, D, E of prevention, the Abstinence meaning do not have

sex; Be monogamous or have only one sexual partner; Correct and consistent use of condom and safer sex practices; Do not inject drugs; and Educating the public about HIV and AIDS. At the end of the training, the trainees drafted action plans for public awareness campaigns within one year in their respective areas.

The trainees include the Department of Interior and Local Government-Bulacan, Department of Education-Bulacan, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Region 3, Bulacan State University, Baliwag University, Bulacan Polytechnic College, Philippine National Red Cross, PGB departments such as Provincial Public Affairs Office, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, and Provincial Youth, Sports Employment and Development Office.

UPLB tests cheaper potato seedlings

KID ART. Chevron Philippines Inc., which markets Caltex fuels, sponsored a renovation/repainting activity at Bay Central Elementary School and Calamba Special Education Center on its Week of Caring corporate social responsibility program.

THE Institute of Plant Breeding of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (IPB-UPLB) is developing nutrient formulations for producing cheaper and clean potato planting materials through aeroponics.

Aeroponics is a soil-less method of producing potato seeds by enclosing plant roots in a dark compartment.

It requires a smaller space and potentially lower input costs like labor, nutrients, water, and chemical pesticides while producing more seeds relative to conventional seed production.

Aside from the nutrient formulations, systemic pesticides and root hormones were used to improve the `capability of the system.

The nutrient formulations

were outputs of the project, potato seed production through aeroponics implemented by UPLB and the Department of Agriculture Region 10-Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex and funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology.

The project targets a yield of 40 mini tuber plants, five times higher than that produced through the conventional method, which only produces eight mini tuber plants. The UPLB produced 15 mini tuber plants; Benguet State University, 19; and DA 10-NMACLRC, 27.

World

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

C3

Survivors recall student massacre BANGKOK―Buddhist monks opened an emotionally charged commemoration Thursday on the 40th anniversary of a massacre of student protesters in Bangkok, as survivors reflected on a battle for democracy that appears lost in junta-run Thailand.

The killings of October 6, 1976 marked a nadir in the kingdom’s blood-splattered recent history.

At least 46 student protesters were shot, beaten to death or hung from trees as they massed at Thammasat University against the return from forced exile of the hated military dictator Thanom Kittikachorn.

Survivors say the true toll was at least twice as high, with thousands more arrested or forced into hiding.

Fearing a leftist rebellion in a region where many countries had turned communist, security forces―flanked by royalist armed militias―ruthlessly cracked down on the students.

No state apology has ever been issued and no officials have been held to account for the deaths―a reflection, critics say, of a culture of impunity for the military that endures to this day.

At dawn on Thursday survivors gathered under a heavy drizzle around a permanent memorial at the university’s entrance where the assault began.

Some held candles, others wore T-shirts with the slogan “I think therefore I am dead” featuring a hanged man―a reference to the lynching of students who were strung from trees near the campus.

“There were many killed and injured on that day,” Sinsawat Yodbangtoey, 63, who was an art student at a nearby college when he joined the Thammasat protests. AFP

‘Thriller’ album writer dies at 66 LONDON—The British songwriter who penned Michael Jackson’s hit “Thriller” in the back of a taxi, having started his working life in a frozen fish factory, has died aged 66.

Rod Temperton, who also worked with artists including Aretha Franklin and Mariah Carey, died last week after a “brief but aggressive battle with cancer,” said Jon Platt, chairman and chief executive of publisher Warner/Chappell.

Temperton is said to have come up with much of “Thriller” in a taxi as he traveled to the recording studio.

The Quincy Jones-produced album of the same name from which it came broke records when it was released in December of 1982, becoming the first to sell more than 30 million copies in the United States.

Jackson, for whom Temperton also wrote “Rock With You”, died aged 50 on June 25, 2009, from a lethal dose of sedatives.

The cast of the musical “Thriller Live” in London’s West End said theater lights would be dimmed for five minutes, in memory of Temperton.

“Thank you for the music.

The Thriller Live family salute you,” the cast said.

Musician Mark Ronson paid tribute to the songwriter on Twitter: “so devastated to hear that Rod Temperton has passed away. a wonderful man & one of my favorite songwriters ever. thank you for the magic x”.

Temperton was described on social media as “a great British songwriter” by former Culture Club singer Boy George, while rapper LL Cool J said “we have lost a true genius”.

Born in Cleethorpes, northern England, Temperton worked for a while processing fish, before joining disco outfit “Heatwave” for whom he wrote the 1977 hit “Boogie Nights”. AFP

MARKET DAY. Syrians shop at a market in a government-held western neighborhood of the northern embattled city of Aleppo on October 5, 2016. AFP

Obama eyes fresh sanctions on Syria W

ASHINGTON―With diplomacy faltering and Aleppo under siege, President Barack Obama is considering fresh Syria sanctions that could claw deeper into the regime and target its Russian backers.

Officials and diplomats said the strategy is still being thrashed out, but initial efforts could focus on passing UN sanctions against those implicated in chemical weapons attacks.

A UN-backed panel is expected in the next few weeks to present new findings about deadly chemical attacks in 2014 and 2015.

The panel―formed by the United Nations and the independent Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons―has already pinned the blame on the Syrian Air Force.

But the latest report, due before October 27, is expected to go into more detail about who is responsible, paving the way for targeted sanctions.

Supporters say the sanctions

would send a signal that despite years of fighting, innumerable atrocities and at least 300,000 deaths, some small measure of accountability in Syria remains.

And while most of President Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle and top military aides are already the subjects of US travel bans and assets freezes, officials believe that targeting lower-level military officers would have a chilling effect on Syrian military morale.

But the greatest impact may be diplomatic.

A demand for sanctions would put Russia in the uncomfortable position of defending chemical weapons use by its ally, and could force Moscow to wield its veto in the UN Security Council.

The report had earlier been de-

layed, partly to provide space for US and Russian efforts to broker a ceasefire.

Those have now failed, heaping pressure on Obama to act to stop the carnage in Syria.

“What we are doing now is a different type of diplomacy―one which might be more robust―it could be resolutions which are designed to put pressure on them,” a Security Council diplomat said.

“The strategy that we are on is to try to change Russian behavior and let’s face it we have not been very successful at that in the year that they have been militarily supporting Assad,” the diplomat added.

“There is already work going on a draft resolution to take forward the 3rd and further 4th report in terms of what we do about it.”

If the UN route fails, attention is likely to turn to sanctions agreed by the United States, the European Union and other allies.

Officials indicated the scope could be broad, covering not only Syrians but also Russian firms that provided the means to carry out

the bombing of civilian areas.

That would be intended as a strong signal to Moscow that it is not immune and continued support for the regime would come at a price.

The sanctions would be targeted at specific firms―aircraft parts suppliers or chemicals producers―to overcome opposition in European capitals to broad sanctions against Russia, a major trading partner.

But with Russia and Syria dropping bombs on besieged Aleppo and a humanitarian crisis of historic proportions looming, key hurdles to action have fallen away.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, eying the carnage in Aleppo and the severity of the refugee crisis that has rocked Europe, is reportedly taking a tougher line.

After a call with Obama last week, the two leaders decried “barbarous Russian and Syrian regime air strikes against eastern Aleppo,” saying in unusually strong language that Moscow and Damascus bear a special responsi-

bility to stop the fighting.

But none of the sanctions options under consideration is likely to directly end fighting in Aleppo.

Several officials poured cold water on the idea that Obama would reverse years of opposition to military action against the regime by approving air or cruise missile strikes against airfields or other targets.

“There are significant consequences for using US military force against the Assad regime,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. “I’d say the most important of those consequences that we should be mindful of is dragging the United States into another ground war in the Middle East.”

Sending in troops “would have grave consequences for our national security,” he added. “It would be expensive, it would put at risk more American lives and it’s unclear how a conflict like that would end.”

Obama was elected with a mandate to draw down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. AFP

Typhoon leaves six dead in South Korea

FESTIVAL. In this photograph taken on October 5, 2016, Gujarati dancers perform the ‘dandiya raas’ during the celebration of the nine-day ‘Navaratri’ festival in Bangalore on October 5, 2016. Navaratri, a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu goddess Durga, is celebrated by Hindus around the world and symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. AFP

SEOUL―South Korea cleaned up Thursday after Typhoon Chaba lashed its southern coast with powerful winds and heavy rain that triggered flash floods and left six people dead and four missing.

The violent storm passed over the southern tip of the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, pummelling the port of Busan―the country’s second-largest city― and the industrial city of Ulsan.

In Ulsan, a man drowned near his apartment and a woman was found dead at a flooded underground parking lot.

More than 230,000 homes across the coastal area suffered power outages, but the Korea Electric Power Corp. said supplies had been restored by Thursday morning.

In Ulsan, home to Hyundai Motor’s main production facilities, two car plants had to be closed down when the typhoon hit, and one remained offline Thursday due to flood damage.

“We are trying our best to resume operations as soon as possible, but we need more time to ensure safety in the assembly lines,” a company spokeswoman said.

Photos released by the Hyun-

dai labor union showed flooded assembly lines where workers produce popular sedans and sports utility vehicles.

Video from public surveillance cameras showed cars, refrigerators and other debris floating down flooded streets and people struggling through muddy, chest-deep water.

Other footage posted on social media showed waves shattering the glass windows of seafront stores and a wooden house having its roof sheared off after slipping into a swollen river and being carried under a low bridge.

The storm also disrupted preparations for Asia’s largest movie showcase, the Busan International Film Festival, which was scheduled to open Thursday evening.

Festival events planned on Busan’s main Haeundae beach had to be canceled or moved indoors after the strong winds blew away or damaged the temporary venues erected on the sand.

The typhoon had triggered severe storm warnings in Japan, but was downgraded to an tropical cyclone over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) before it hit Honshu island on Wednesday evening. AFP

C4

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Hurricane ‘Matthew’ heads for US

World

Officials resign over child-abuse scandal Y

ANGON― Four members of Myanmar’s human rights commission resigned Thursday, after the body was pilloried for failing to help two girls allegedly tortured for years at a tailor’s shop.

The two teenagers said they spent five years as virtual slaves in the shop in the commercial capital Yangon, where they were beaten, stabbed, burned and deprived of sleep and food.

Their story―told to AFP in their village outside Yangon― has sparked outrage in Myanmar, where activists say human rights abuses remain rife as the country recovers from half a century of brutal military rule.

The president has ordered an investigation into how authorities handled the case, after their families said police repeatedly stonewalled their pleas to help them rescue the girls.

Anger has been directed at Myanmar’s National Human Right Commission, which negotiated a $4,000 payout for the victims’ families but did not push for criminal charges.

Four members of the country’s top human rights body have been “allowed to leave... according to their wishes,” the president’s office said in a statement.

Among them was Zaw Win, who defended the commission’s decision-making to angry lawmakers and was heckled by journalists at a press conference after the case came to light.

Six members of the tailor’s family appeared in a Yangon court on Thursday on human trafficking charges, but the trial was delayed as three have still not found lawyers.

The girls were aged just 11 and 12 when a friend took them to Yangon with the promise of good jobs as housemaids.

AFP reporters who visited them saw evidence of horrific wounds, including scars from where they say they were stabbed with scissors and branded with a hot iron.

One of the girls showed fingers twisted at strange angles―a cruel legacy, she says, of the punishments meted out to her. AFP

MIAMI―Hurricane Matthew was “pounding” portions of the central Bahamas early Thursday after it tore through the Caribbean, causing severe damage and leaving at least 27 people dead.

The storm, which is expected to intensify as it moves northward towards the state of Florida, has prompted mass evacuations in US coastal areas.

Matthew, the worst storm to hit the Caribbean in nearly a decade, forced the closure of airports in the Bahamas, with cruise ships re-routed from the popular tourist destination, the government said.

“Seriously consider now moving to higher grounds,” Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie told southern coastal communities before the storm hit.

In its latest bulletin, the US-based National Hurricane Center reported that Matthew was “pounding portions of the central Bahamas” with winds up to 115 miles (185 kilometers) per hour.

US President Barack Obama warned Americans in the storm’s path to take the threat seriously.

“We hope for the best, but we want to prepare for the worst,” he said.

The storm slammed into Haiti and Cuba as a Category Four hurricane on Tuesday but has since been downgraded to three, on a scale of five, by the NHC. In the southeastern US state of Florida, where Matthew is expected to make landfall late Thursday, residents were calm.

“Everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit,” said Governor Rick Scott, as evacuation orders were issued.

Schools and universities closed for the rest of the week, authorities were distributing sandbags for doorways, and store shelves were bare.

“We’re not really afraid, Florida has been through this thing for years,” said Rick Basel, 63, a retiree loading his car with food and water to last three or four days.

Further north in South Carolina, Governor Nikki Haley ordered the evacuation of several coastal counties―with more than a million people affected.

The order included the historic city of Charleston, a tourist magnet boasting cobblestone streets lined with graceful antebellum homes.

News footage showed bumper to bumper jams on highways and tensions were high as some gas stations ran out of fuel.

As Matthew barreled northwest, Haiti and Cuba began the grim task of assessing the storm’s toll.

Matthew’s overall death toll stood at 27―23 in Haiti and four in the Dominican Republic―but this looked certain to climb. AFP

US rebukes Israel over trust betrayal

SCREENING Actress Lindsay Taylor arrives at the Seeso original screening of ‘Bajillion Dollar Properties’ season 2 at the Ace Hotel on October 5, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Tycoon asks judge to dismiss his case

OFFERINGS. A vendor serves a customers at a market in Jakarta on October 6, 2016. AFP

NEW YORK―Defense lawyers asked a US federal judge Wednesday to throw out a case against an Iranian-Turkish tycoon accused of defying sanctions on Tehran.

Reza Zarrab, 33, was arrested in Miami in March en route to Disney World and charged with conspiring to violate US sanctions against Iran, defraud US banks and launder money by helping Iranian entities transfer funds through US institutions.

His lawyers―including Ben Brafman who defended former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn―argued Zarrab had not broken US laws because he was a foreigner living abroad.

“As a foreign national sitting in Turkey he hasn’t violated US criminal law,” said one of Zarrab’s attorneys, Paul Clement, before Judge

Richard Berman. “He’s not subject to the jurisdiction of the US. “This is an unprecedented expanded prosecution.”

However, Assistant US Attorney Michael Lockard said “foreign nationals are not permitted to use US financial institutions to benefit Iran.”

Wearing a blue prison uniform, Zarrab listened to the proceedings with the assistance of an interpreter.

Brafman also challenged the legality of Zarrab’s Miami arrest because customs officers had requested the businessman’s cell phone passcode and a list of his businesses and bank accounts before he was allowed to call a lawyer.

“They have orchestrated this and allowed him to incriminate himself,” Brafman said. AFP

WASHINGTON―The White House accused Israel of a betrayal of trust Wednesday, in an unusually sharp rebuke over its plans to build hundreds of new settlement homes deep in the West Bank.

Days after President Barack Obama approved a $38 billion Israeli military aid package and attended former president Shimon Peres’s funeral in Jerusalem, the White House railed at the construction of 300 housing units on land “far closer to Jordan than Israel.”

Warning that the decision jeopardizes the already distant prospect of Middle East peace as well as Israel’s own security, press secretary Josh Earnest said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s word had been called into question.

“We did receive public assurances from the Israeli government that contradict this announcement,” he said.

“I guess when we’re talking about how good friends treat one another, that’s a source of serious concern as well.”

The sharper-than-normal comments come as the White House weighs a last-ditch effort to get the peace process back on its feet before Obama leaves office in January.

While serious talks seem unlikely, US officials are weighing the possibility of a major speech outlining the parameters for peace.

Peace efforts have been comatose since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

A sharper tone over settlements now could help put Israel on notice that future ties are at risk and give Washington more credibility with Palestinians and their Arab allies.

In a similarly strong-worded statement, the State Department said building the units “is another step toward cementing a onestate reality of perpetual occupation.”

The plan not only undermines hopes for peace with the Palestinians but “is fundamentally inconsistent with Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state,” spokesman Mark Toner said.

Washington has long opposed Israel’s policy of building Jewish settlements on land in the West Bank that would be claimed by the Palestinians in any negotiated two-state peace deal.

US officials have adopted a more forceful tone with Netanyahu’s government in recent weeks, accusing it of recklessly accelerating construction despite international concern. AFP

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

D1

Life DESTINATIONS

PICTURE PERFECT. The island nation of New Zealand is replete with stunning landscapes and breathtaking natural formations such as Cathedral Cove on The Coromandel, whose cathedral-like arch makes the area more picturesque

New Zealand

will surprise you W

HEN it comes to travel destinations, New Zealand is fast becoming a favorite, with the number of Filipinos visiting the country rising year-on-year. And who wouldn’t want to visit New Zealand with its picture-postcard beauty?

active volcano, while the Southern Alps can be accessed from Queenstown or Christchurch. When the New Year rolls around, celebrate it twice – the Maori New Year, Matariki, falls in late May or early June (matarikifestival.org.nz).

But New Zealand is so much more than the sum of its varied landscapes.

Take the time to embrace the country’s incredible diversity – from music festivals in the vineyards to terrifying thrill rides and be surprised by this exciting island nation.

Getting out into nature is a way of life in New Zealand – about a third of the country is made up of national parks. Hire or buy a bike and ride as part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail (nzcyletrail.com). You’ll find Department of Conservation (doc.govt.nz) huts

Discover a world of contrasts

The main city of Auckland has more than 100 surf beaches right on its doorstep. No surf beach is too far from the main cities, so you have a choice of black or golden sands. At Mt. Ruapheu in the north, you can ski or snowboard on an

Experience the great outdoors

Take a leap and go bungy jumping off spectacular structures in New Zealand

in many of the national parks and along the country’s nine Great Walks (greatwalks.co.nz). Parts of the country are really empty so you might have a beach all to yourself on the East Cape of the North Island or on the South Island’s West Coast.

Take a leap and discover a new identity

Commercial bungy jumping (bungy. co.nz) is a rite of passage for many visitors. You can throw yourself off spectacular structures throughout New Zealand, from Auckland landmarks to rail viaducts, bridges and ravines.

Once you’ve taken that leap of faith, try a rope swing, a zipline, a bridge climb, Zorb (zorb.com) or Ogo (ogo. co.nz) down a hill in Rotorua in a giant inflatable ball.

Explore diverse new worlds

Among the 4.5 million people who call New Zealand home you’ll find almost every culture you can think of. The indigenous Maori culture is unique to Aotearoa and you’ll have opportunities to learn the language, try doing the haka war dance, visit a marae and eat food traditionally cooked in a hangi (underground oven) or geothermal pool. You can experience Pacific culture at the annual two-day Pasifika Festival (aucklandnz.com/pasifika) in Auckland

Snowboard at Treble Cone, the largest ski area in the South Island

each March which features cultural performances, arts and crafts, and food and market stalls.

Immerse yourself in music

New Zealand has a vibrant community and you’ll find plenty to do from a full calendar of events. The best way to see in the New Year is at Rhythm & Vines (rhythmandvines.co.nz) on the east coast of the North Island. The three-day festival attracts international and local acts, with previous headliners including Major Lazer and Moby. For more of an urban vibe, Auckland hosts the Laneway Festival (lanewayfestival. com) at Silo Park. If world music or reggae is more your style, try Soundsplash (soundsplash.co.nz) in Raglan on the North Island’s west coast.

Make friends for life

Kiwis are incredibly warm, laidback and hospitable people who will go out of their way to make sure you’re safe. They’re keen for the world to realize what a great place New Zealand is and want you to go home raving about what a lovely time you’ve had.

Eat and drink really well

New Zealand has its own style of innovative cuisine and café culture. Visit one of the many farmers’ or seafood markets to try foods you’ve never had Continued on D2

Grand winner of

AirAsia Travel Photographer 2016 contest gets 200,000 points

AFTER hundreds of entries and a series of exciting challenges, Kimberly Pauig, a writer from Pasig City, won this year’s AirAsia Travel Photographer Contest.

At the final show hosted by DJ Tracy Abad of The Mad House of Mellow 94.7, the top three finalists, Daniel Magbanua, Pauig and Dave Poblete were selected and immediately went through final presentations to the judges composed of young leaders and veterans in the field of photography, branding and visual arts. The panel of judges included

Nachi Ugarte, creative director of GRID magazine; Jacob Maentz, documentary photographer; Wawi Navarrosa, artist/ photographer, founder of Thousandfold.

“We are impressed with the quality and composition of entries we received this year. The six finalists did a wonderful job in the final leg of challenges with each of their photos revealing a compelling story. Needless to say, it was a difficult decision to choose only one winner,” said Maentz.

After an intense deliberation session,

Pauig whose beautiful portrait wowed the judges, became AirAsia Travel Photographer 2016. She received 200,000 AirAsia BIG Points, a surprise vacation package and several prizes from partner brands including GRID magazine and Flight 001 Philippines. Poblete was named first runner-up and Magbanua second runner-up, both receiving 50,000 AirAsia BIG Points. Poblete also took home the People’s Choice Award, as he received the highest public votes on AirAsia Travel Photographer 2016 grand winner Kimberly Pauig (fourth from left) the official AirAsia Travel Photographer with (from left) AirAsia pilot, cabin crew, 1st runner-up Dave Poblete and 2nd runnerup DJ Magbanua website (www.airasiatp.com).

Life

D2

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

Port Perry, quaint little village I

T’S been more than two decades since my last trip to Canada because a number of factors have made it difficult for me to make the usual Toronto side trip from New York. Many years ago, I just had MERCURY RISING to go to the Canadian Embassy in

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO Manhattan, apply for the tourist visa and be issued one in an hour or so.

Years later, they required applicants to do it in their country of origin. That was not really a problem because, at the Canadian Embassy here in Manila, I would apply for and be issued the visa in a matter of hours.

Recently, the application process became more stringent. Applicants had to set an appointment, then fill out a 17page Form, and submit all kinds of supporting documents, etc. It became such a colossal undertaking that I decided against visiting Canada again.

However, my Canada-based eldest sister, who all of us siblings love and look up to, recently celebrated her 80th birthday. The entire clan decided that all of us attend her celebration, as a tribute to a sibling we all love so much, thus, my decision to go through the tedious application process.

My sister has taken up residence in Oshawa, which is on the shoreline of Lake Ontario, and 60 miles east of Toronto.

Once known as the “Automotive Capital of Canada” because it is where you find the headquarters of General Motors Canada, Oshawa is not what you would call a bustling city because it’s not that big, neither is it busy. It’s also not as tiny nor as quiet as a “small town,” hence, its little appeal to tourists like me.

I asked my sister if there was another place I could visit that would be worth writing about. Without batting an eyelash, she brought me to Port Perry, a village in the town of Scugog, a 25-minute drive north of Oshawa.

Port Perry sits on the banks of Lake Scugog, a big man-made lake in Ontario, and is named after its first settler, Peter Perry, who sold lots along the lakeshore.

The original Post Office built in the 1800s

still stands and continues to function as one. The building, which used to be the Port Perry Granary, also still stands on the shores of Lake Scugog, proud of having Canada’s oldest grain elevator.

I like the village’s pretty Victorianera “downtown area.” The main street is lined with clothing stores, restaurants, cafés, bookstores, galleries and antique shops, the architecture of which gave it such “historical” look.

It took my siblings and me approximately 20 minutes to walk leisurely the entire length of the street which is lined with colorful blooms. What made our walk interesting was the plaque on each building’s facade, detailing its history – who built it, what happened to it during the Civil War, ownership transfers, etc. What a nice way to make tourists get more of their visit.

We also spent time at Palmer Park, which is right on the lakeshore, enjoying the healthy, unpolluted air blowing every which way. Half of the park is a playground for children, the other half has benches for people who just want to sit and face the calming view of the beautiful Lake Scugog. This part also has a beautiful gazebo as its centerpiece.

On the baseball field right next to the children’s playground were hundreds of birds roosting, making the area even more attractive.

Colorful blooms line up the main street of Port Perry

Being the administrative and commercial center of Scugog town, Port Perry is a progressive community as it is the hub of many other communities in the area. The Great Blue Heron Casino, managed by Native Americans, is its major employer.

And what would a visit be without trying out its offerings. We learned that the ice cream parlor along the village’s main street makes the best ice cream in that part of the country. Naturally, we didn’t want to leave the place without some scoops of our favorite flavor.

So, there we were, my siblings and I,

A beautiful gazebo serves as the centerpiece at Palmer Park

queueing up for the cold treat that hot summer day. And you know how big their ice cream scoops are in the US! We looked like small children, seated on a bench outside the ice cream parlor, savoring every lick of that sweet, flavorful frozen treat!

It was a day well spent because Port Perry showed me something new in Ontario. Next time I

visit this Canadian province, I will see to it that I spend more time in Port Perry, and get lost in its relaxing, soothing environment, the perfect antidote to stress which, whether we like it or not, comes with traveling across continents.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com The centuries-old Port Perry Granary, with the oldest grain elevator in Canada, still stands.

YOUR FRIDAY CHUCKLE Son: Dad, what’s the difference between CONFIDENT and CONFIDENTIAL? Dad: Hmmmm¼ you are my son.

Of that I am CONFIDENT. Your friend, Timmy, is also my son. That’s CONFIDENTIAL.

New Zealand...

From D1

before such as feijoas (fruit) or paua (shellfish). There are world-renowned wineries everywhere you look, and if you love boutique beer Wellington (wellingtonnz.com) is the place to go – here you’ll find at least 15 craft-beer bars and eight breweries. It’s also home to some of the country’s best coffee.

Reboot yourself in glorious surroundings

Aotearoa has a host of health retreats and meditation centers. The North Island city of Rotorua (rotoruanz.com) sits in a geothermal field, and many facilities harness the natural therapeutic properties of its hot mud and natural hot springs. Around the area, it’s possible to stumble across hot springs where you can immerse yourself in peaceful surroundings in a stretch of stream for free.

It’s easy to visit, and to stay

Kiwis like to keep things simple, so you’ll find things like opening a bank account, renting a flat or car and sorting out your driver’s license really easy.

You won’t find it hard to get a job either – there’s loads of seasonal work, opportunities in hospitality and trades, and demand for workers in IT and health.

Once you’re working you can immerse yourself in culture and start enjoying the Kiwi lifestyle.

Fill your social media feeds

You’ll find photo opportunities to make your Facebook and Instagram accounts the envy of your friends for years, whether it’s lying on the golden sands of the Coromandel; climbing one of the glaciers at the bottom of the South Island; sitting atop a volcanic cone in Auckland, covered in mud at Rotorua, or swimming in one of its lakes, rivers or oceans. New Zealand won’t stay your secret for long.

Convenient rewards points conversion THERE are faster ways to drive, and there are even faster ways to fly, for free.

Earning points for free flights is more convenient to Petron customers as they can easily convert their Petron Peso Points to GetGo Rewards Points via SMS. Instantly turn gas into boarding pass!

Fuel your free Cebu Pacific flights with Petron Value Card by texting: REDEEM<space>16-digit PETRON CARD# <space> GETGO <space> AMOUNT <space> GETGO ACCOUNT# and send to 0917 567 1111.

Earning Petron Peso Points is also easy. Motorists can simply present their Petron Value Card when they gas up at any of the 2,000 Petron service stations nationwide to earn Peso points that they can convert to GetGo.

Two Petron Peso Points is equal to three GetGo points. The more Petron Peso Points you convert to GetGo, the more free flights you’ll get.

Aside from filling up with gasoline, diesel, kerosene or autoLPG fuel, customers can earn Petron Peso Points when they purchase engine oils and Petron Gasul at participating stations.

Tap the SMS code into your mobile phones and start to Get-Going.

Enrollment to GetGo program is required in order to convert Peso Points and redeem free flights. Not yet a GetGo member? Visit www.GetGo.com. Peso points on Petron Value Card can now be converted to GetGo rewards points ph, click JOIN, fill out the application form, and for only a P150 membership For more information on exciting 71-GETGO (43846). The latest updates fee, have your personalized GetGo promos, memberships, and partners, are also on GetGoPH’s official pages card delivered to your doorstep. visit www.GetGo.com.ph, or call +632 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Aon’s Best Employer awardee in Asia Pacific

FEDEX Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world’s largest express transportation company, has been named a Best Employer in Asia Pacific in the Aon Best Employers program for the fifth time. A company is recognized as a Best Employer in Asia Pacific if it is named a Best Employer in three or more individual markets in the region. This year, FedEx achieved this in six of the 12 markets in which the program is run, namely Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan.

“At FedEx, we believe in empowering people, and this is reflected in our People-Service-Profit corporate philosophy, in which investing in our employees is a fundamental part of our business strategy,” said Ka- FedEx Express Singapore managing director Khoo Seng Thiam (middle) and South ren Reddington, president, FedEx Pacific FedEx Express Human Resources Services managing director Amy Leung (right) receive the award from Aon Hewitt Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa chief Express Asia Pacific. “I’m delighted commercial officer Mollie Kohn that the success of our approach has once again been recognized by Aon’s We will continue to nurture our re- team member with the right support to respected Best Employers Program. gional team and provide every single reach their full potential.”

The Aon Best Employers program is the most credible study of its kind in Asia Pacific. Four measurable factors are considered in determining whether an organization is a Best Employer: high employee engagement levels; a compelling employer brand; effective leadership and a high performance culture.

Information on each of these is gathered via an employee opinion survey, a CEO questionnaire and a people practices inventory. The survey was conducted over a nine-month period in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

FedEx has been consistently recognized as an employer of choice in Asia Pacific and globally. As well as being named a Best Employer in Asia Pacific, the company was ranked eighth in the FORTUNE magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list in February this year, and first in the delivery industry category.

PEOPLE Filmfest for emerging filmmakers …are talking about FEST—New Directors | New Films Festival announced it is acceptiong entries for next year’s competition, which will take place between the 19th and the 26th of June 2017 in the Portuguese seaside town of Espinho.

Like the previous editions, the weeklong event will focus on new faces on the international film scene, with a complete and widespread competition program that will be giving out 10 awards in total.

The organizers are currently accepting feature films, fiction and documentary, from directors who are on their first or second production, regardless of age. They are also accepting short and medium length films (of up to 54 minutes) for the fiction, documentary, animation and experimental sections, which are open for directors up to the age of 30.

Running parallel to the filmfest are educational events like Industry Meetings (for one on one meeting with Film Producers), Training Ground ( a high level film training program) and Pitching Forum, which connects filmmakers with producers and financiers.

Established in 2003, FEST is considered as one of the most important cultural events in Portugal, it serves as a great opportunity and an excellent forum for the new filmmakers who wish to establish themselves in this industry by providing them a venue to show and promote their work, develop their skills, offer new opportunities, and develop new public for independent cinema.

After a tremendously successful experience in 2016, where the film fest broke all submission records, the organization of the event decided to expand the submission alternatives. Thus, alongside online submissions via www.fest. pt and the traditional physical submission process, applicants can also use partner platforms: Film Festival Life (http:// www.filmfestivallife.com/FEST-NewDirectorsNew-Films-Festival), Film Freeway ( https:// filmfreeway.com/festival/ FestNewDirectorsNewFilmsFestival), Click for Festivals (http://www. clickforfestivals.com/fest-new-directorsnew-films-festival) Festhome (https://festhome.com/f/1524).

The deadline for submission of entries is on Feb. 28, 2017. The fee for submission is 4 Euro (P216.96) for short films and 8 Euro (P433.92) for Feature films, Fees are not applicable for national films.

For further details and web address of its partner platforms, visit www.fest.pt.

Alden Richards THE Pambansang Bae can stage a sold out concert without the help of his onscreen partner. And that’s a fact.

On Sunday (Monday morning in Manila), Alden shook thousands of fans and put them into frenzy when he opened At Last in London,, a one-night concert specially produced for his supporters in the UK. Aldenatics flocked to Troxy in Stepney East London to see the Kapuso star live in the flesh. In return, the 24-year-old star did not disappoint his fans by giving them the kind of entertainment they expected to see from their idol.

Barcelona: A Love Untold Unless Star Cinema is giving us wrong box office data, then it is safe to say that the Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla starrer romantic film is a certified blockbuster. According to ABS-CBN’s production arm, the movie earned P200 million on its second week. Now on its third week, Barcelona is expected to shatter box office records this year after it was released in 320 screens or 70 more screens compared to the initial plan.

Catriona Gray She joined Miss World Philippines determined to take home the coveted title. As a result, during the finals night, it appeared as if the 23 other beauty queen wannabes only joined the national pageant just to clap and watach her being crowned.

The 5-foot-10 Filipino-Australian TV host, singer and model will fly to the US in December to vie for the country’s second Miss World crown.

…are not talking about Mark Anthony Fernandez It was like a movie scene. At a checkpoint in Pampanga, police officers stopped Mark’s car and found a wrapped brick of dried marijuana leaves on the passenger seat. Startled while being questioned by the men in uniform, Mark sped off thinking that his Mustang would take him far and fast. Apparently, there’s traffic build up. Hence, policemen were able to catch him quick. Now, the detained former Gwapings member denied possessing or owning the illegal drugs. Ending, Mark is detained and charged with non-bailable offenses. Poor Mark.

Natalie Hart From Princess Snell, she changed her name and agreed to appear in a provocative movie (Siphayo) that gives frontal nudity and intimate scenes a generous amount of exposure. But since the movie’s commercial run is postponed indefinitely, Natalie will need to find another way to get people’s attention. Of course, she needs to take advantage of her daring reinvention, otherwise, all her efforts would be put to waste including her attempt to break into the business again.

Charice She’s celebrating her 10th year in the business as an “independent artist” and asserts that she doesn’t regret all the controversies that have happened to her career. Looking back, Charice could have been the biggest Filipino music star on the international music scene had she calculated her decision and didn’t change her appearance drastically.

There’s nothing wrong with her sexual preference; in fact, people admired her for coming out. But there are things that really don’t work in the business. It isn’t her being gay, it’s her condescension that induced the natural death of her career.

KathNiel hablan Español

‘Pangako Sa’yo’ airs in Latin America

STURDY TANDEM. The loveteam of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, otherwise

known as KathNiel, is still a force to reckon with dominating both the small and the big screens

AFTER creating a buzz in Vietnam and Barcelona in Spain, Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo are set to conquer Latin America with the hit series Pangako Sa ’Yo (La Promesa) premiering in Peru on Sept. 22.

The 2015 remake of Pangako Sa ’Yo starring Kathryn, Daniel, Ian Veneracion, Angelica Panganiban, and Jodi Sta. Maria is dubbed in Spanish and airs on Peruvian television via TV channel PanAmericana.

Panamericana Television is the leading television station in Peru, not only in newscasts but also in the production of entertainment and variety shows. The station produced telenovelas that became successful throughout Latin America.

Pangako Sa ’Yo is the second Filipino

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Friday, October 7, 2016

ACROSS 1 Cheadle and Johnson 5 Vamoose 10 Prefix with byte 14 Delhi nursemaid 15 Underworld ruler 16 Tel — 17 Kind of series 18 Women with nephews 19 Oats enthusiast 20 Raining and hailing 22 Extends credit 23 “Cujo” author 24 Depot info 26 Rajahs’ spouses 29 Waterproofing 33 Go-between 34 Read intently 35 Woodland creature 36 Dross 37 Used a skillet 38 Shriveled from heat 39 Poker winning 40 Large antelope 41 Defrauds 42 Fainting 44 Search party 45 Lighter part

46 Border on 48 Give in 51 Partly covers 55 Proficient 56 Cook’s garment 58 Microbiology gel 59 In case 60 Bullet — 61 Evening, to Pierre 62 Former spouses 63 Stale 64 Elcar or Wynter DOWN 1 Pond makers 2 Not mention 3 Prefix for second 4 Evading a chore 5 Where Valencia is 6 Held on tight 7 Pealed 8 Legal rep.

9 Yr. fractions 10 Having the most spunk 11 Dreaded czar 12 Encompass 13 Forum hellos 21 Thin fog 22 Heap praise upon

24 Goofed up 25 Nailed obliquely 26 Coarse files 27 Radiant 28 Groovy 29 On the way out 30 Glimmerings 31 Benchmarks 32 Formation fliers 34 Stunt 37 Paris cop 38 “Braveheart” setting 40 Tennyson heroine 41 Railroad siding

43 Young raptors 46 Eschew 47 — Goodman 48 New England campus 49 Wild goat 50 Failing that 51 Face-to-face exam 52 Baja water 53 Aspirin target 54 Mex. miss 56 Cash dispenser (abbr.)

57 Paid athlete

series to be aired in Peru following the successful airing of Bridges of Love (Puentes De Amor).

Earlier this year, the Teen King and Queen made headlines after they won Best Foreign Actor and Actress in this year’s Face of the Year Awards in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Their global invasion continued in Barcelona, Spain where they shot their box-office film Barcelona: A Love Untold. Photos of fans who flocked to the film location just to see Kathryn and Daniel instantly circulated online, further validating the pair’s superstar status. To date, the movie has already raked more than P200 million in ticket sales.

ABS-CBN’s content is made available

across other territories through ABSCBN International Distribution. ABSCBN International Distribution has been recognized in the global arena as a reliable foreign content provider.

It has been a premier source of high quality Filipino programming in over 50 territories all over the world and has sold over 30,000 hours of content worldwide.

Living up to this recognition, ABSCBN International Distribution commits to add to its line-up of high-caliber programs and movies with cast and storylines that appeal to various cultures.

For more information, visit ABS-CBN International Distribution’s official website at http://internationalsales.abscbn.com.

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

D4

FRIDAY, DAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Showbiz The pillars of the longrunning noontime show, Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon

M

ILLIONS of Filipino viewers worldwide have made it a noontime habit to tune in to Eat Bulaga for a dose of fun and entertainment.

For many of them, the variety show is an escape from the stresses of daily grind.

But, for a couple of promising young students whose lives the show has changed over the years, Eat Bulaga is their ticket out of poverty.

‘Eat Bulaga!’

Service beyond entertainment

Sylvan Dan Moldes (left) and Jaydee Lucero (right) are two of the student scholars whose lives have been transformed by ‘Eat Bulaga’

When Sylvan Dan Moldes, 20, graduated from elementary school seven years ago, the road ahead didn’t seem very clear for him.

Son of a sole breadwinner father who earns a living out of shoemaking, Sylvan’s family did not have enough to send him to high school, a grim outlook for a bright, young kid who had been a consistent honor student.

“Wala po kaming bahay nung mga panahong ‘yon. Sa ilalim lang kami ng tulay nakatira,” recalled Sylvan. “’Yun po kasi yung tambakan ni papa ng mga sapatos na ginawa niya. Meron lang po kaming space na allotted para sa amin kung saan kami natutulog. ‘Yung bubong namin meron lang tarpaulin na nakalatag para kapag umulan di kami ma-anggihan, tapos sa ibabaw noon ay ‘yung mismong tulay na.

While watching an episode of Eat Bulaga, his mother learned that the show was accepting applications for a new scholarship program, “Eat Bulaga Excellent Students Awards” or “EBest.”

Sylvan did pass up the chance and filed an application for the scholarship. The young boy was hopeful he’d make the cut, and was naturally overjoyed when he received an invitation from the show.

“Tinawagan ako ng Eat Bulaga one day at pinapapunta ako para sa isang episode,” he recalled. “Ang sabi bibigyan lang daw po kami ng award pero wala silang binanggit na scholarship, na ipagpapatuloy ‘yung pagpapa-aral at may allowance. So, pumunta po kami ni papa sa Broadway Studios,” he added.

Sylvan and the 29 others with him that day were announced on national television as the first batch of “EBest” scholars.

“Nagulat na lang po kami na bukod doon sa binigay nilang plaque, nag-announce sila na bibigyan din po nila kami ng allowance habang kami ay nasa high school. Nagulat po kami kaya lahat kaming scholars, kahit hindi po kami magkakakilala talon lang kami nang talon sa sobrang tuwa namin,” said Sylvan.

Apart from the annual cash assistance for school supplies given at the start of the school year, each scholar also received a monthly allowance.

“Siguro hindi po ako nakapag-aral sa Mandaluyong Science and then sa UP kung hindi ako tinulungan ng Eat Bulaga. Kasi after Grade 6 feeling hopeless na po talaga ako e kasi tatlo pa kaming [magkakapatid na] nag-aaral at that time,” he said.

Seven years later, Sylvan is now a graduating student at the UP Diliman taking up Library and Information Science. Having maintained his high grades since secondary school, he has remained in the roll of scholars of Eat Bulaga.

Nineteen-year old Jaydee Lucero, now a fourth year Civil Engineering student, also at the UP Diliman, was also among the first batch of “EBest” scholars.

He originally wanted to become a teacher but later decided he could use his talent better if he took civil engineering. At a young age, he was trained by his mother to develop a routine when it comes to studying, which he carried on until college.

“Nung Grade 3, si mama ko po ‘yung talagang humimok sa akin nang todo upang mag-aral nang mabuti. Ginagawan niya ako ng reviewers tapos nire-review niya ako hanggang sa naging habit ko na po ‘yung ganun hanggang nag-high school ako at college,” he shared.

It was not surprising that he consistently performed well in academics since his elementary years. However, despite his academic performance, his family’s finances stood between him and his dreams.

“May mga time na naisip na po ni mama na baka hindi na namin kayanin mag-high school,” recalled Jaydee.

Thanks to the Eat Bulaga “EBest” program, the young student found hope and a chance of a brighter future. And so, when

he became a scholar under the program, he made sure he’d keep it for the long haul.

“Dati ang tingin ko lang sa Eat Bulaga is an entertainment show: nagpapasaya, nagpapatawa. Pero nang malaman ko ang tungkol sa ‘EBest,’ lalo na nung naging scholar ako mismo, doon ko mas naappreciate ang Eat Bulaga. Hindi lang pala siya entertainment, pinapahalagahan din nila ang pag-aaral lalo na ng mga katulad ko,” shared Jaydee.

With his determination and hard work, it seems that nothing can stop Jaydee from realizing his dream. A university scholar in the country’s premier academic institution, he is on his way to clinching his much-deserved diploma -- a feat he would have celebrated with his father if only he were alive.

Jaydee’s father, who accompanied him to the Eat Bulaga studios the first time he received the scholarship, succumbed to cancer early this year after being diagnosed just a couple of months before.

“Malaki ang pasasalamat ko kay papa dahil sa mga sakripisyo niya noon para maitaguyod ang pag-aaral ko. Sana nakita niya pa akong naging engineer.

Pangako ko hindi ko sasayangin ang hirap niya maging ang mga natanggap ko mula sa mga taong tumulong sa akin tulad ng Eat Bulaga,” he said.

The EBest Awards was established in 2009, in celebration of the show’s 30th year, to provide scholarship grants to students who excel academically but whose families could not support their education.

Eat Bulaga draws inspiration for its social responsibility programs like the “EBest Awards” from its own humble beginnings.

“We started at the rock bottom. Back then, we didn’t have money to pay for the airing of our show to a point where I had to plead with the station manager to allow us to continue to go on air,” shared Antonio Tuviera, Eat Bulaga producer.

“When we finally tasted our first sweet success, we gave back to our viewers in one way or another. And we realized that the more we gave, the more we were blessed.

And that inspired us to give all the more,” he added.

Aside from “EBest,” Eat Bulaga’s other social responsibility efforts include donation of school supplies to less fortunate students, promotion of environmental awareness through recycling, and construction of libraries in public schools.

In 2011, the show launched “Isang Lapis, Isang Papel” to provide school supplies to underprivileged students in the country.

To date, it has collected, packed, and distributed more than 30,000 sets of school supplies to approximately 200 schools.

The “Plastic ni Juan” project encourages viewers to care for the environment by donating used plastics recycled into arm chairs for select public schools. As of June this year, 5,250 plastic armchairs have already been turned over by the program to 111 schools.

Then there’s the “AlDub Library,” which was the fruit of “Ang Tamang Panahon,” the biggest sold-out show to fill the largest arena in Asia in October 2015. Ticket sales of the event enabled Eat Bulaga to construct 10 libraries in public schools in Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Capiz, Pangasinan, Camarines Sur, Davao, Cebu, Zambales, Palawan and Samar.

“One thing which I think contributed greatly to the success of Eat Bulaga is our tradition of giving back. It’s no longer just an entertainment show; it has become a public service program masquerading as an entertainment show,” said Sen. Tito Sotto.

“We’re lucky our viewers have allowed us in their homes for 37 years now. Until when? Only time will tell. But for as long as we’re here, we’ll continue to work hard to do good not only in show business but also in the business of doing good,” he added.