Manila Standard - 2016 November 12 - Saturday by Manila Standard

FRESH PROTESTS ERUPT OVER TRUMP VICTORY C4 SWEEPING REFORMS LOOM VS US ALIENS DONALD Trump won the presidency campaigning on a promise of a far-reaching immigration crackdown, and early indications are that he intends to execute it. The immigration section of Trump’s presidential transition website reafﬁrms his plans to “cancel unconstitutional executive orders”—which his advisers have said includes President Barack Obama’s 2012 program that has protected from deportation 750,000 young people brought to the US illegally. Next page

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DIFFERENCES ASIDE. President Barack Obama welcomes President-elect Donald Trump to the White House Thursday (Friday in Manila), as both men put past antagonisms aside in a time-honored ritual epitomizing the peaceful transfer of political power while demonstrators in Denver, Colorado (below left) continue to protest Trump’s stunning upset of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. AFP

Viet ship hijacked off Basilan; 5 held ZAMBOANGA CITY—Gunmen abducted at least ﬁve crewmen of a Vietnamese cargo vessel in southern Philippine waters Friday, authorities said, an area where Islamic militants are on a kidnapping-for-ransom spree. The attack brings to at least eight the number of people abducted from vessels in the region over the past week, including an elderly German sailor, raising fears authorities are unable to control the worsening piracy problem. The MV Royal 16 was sailing less than 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Basilan island, a stronghold of Abu Sayyaf militants, when it was attacked on Friday morning. Two crew members, one of

whom was wounded, escaped and were rescued by a local cargo ship in the area, authorities added. “Sea and naval assets [were] already deployed to search and rescue the said kidnap victims,” said regional military spokesman Filemon Tan. The nationalities of the ﬁve crewmen and the identity of the kidnappers were still unknown. In recent months, the Abu Sayyaf has been accused of kidnapping dozens of Indonesian and Malaysian sailors in waters off the southern Philippines. On the weekend, an Abu Sayyaf commander claimed responsibility for abducting a 70-year-old German sailor and murdering his wife. Next page

Du30 eyes best of both worlds Keeps US ties, but leans toward China

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte declared Friday that he would continue to shift the Philippines toward China despite Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.

At an early morning brieﬁng in Davao, Duterte said that while the US would remain a friend and ally, the Philippines’ foreign policy was now geared toward China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. “I will pursue what I’ve started,” Duterte said following his

return from a state visit to Malaysia. “My partnership with China and the rest of Asean will remain. I am not in the habit of reneging on my word.” Duterte called himself “just a small molecule in the planet” compared with Trump. “He is now president of the most pow-

erful country in the world,” Duterte said. “What we share in common is the passion to serve.” In a state visit to China last month, Duterte announced a formal “separation” from the US and said he wanted to pivot to China and Russia -- widening a split with his nation’s biggest security ally. Since being sworn in as president in June, Duterte has vowed to end joint military exercises with the US, called for American soldiers to leave the southern island of Mindanao, and told President Barack

Nuke plant revival bid approved

Rody buys cops’ tale of jail raid

By Alena Mae S. Flores PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has given the Energy Department the go-ahead to look into the possibility of powering up the 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which was mothballed over safety concerns during the late 1980s. At the inauguration of the 414-MW San Gabriel and 97MW Avion natural gas plants in Batangas, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said he had talked to the President to seek clearance to proceed. The President gave him the go-signal to look into the possibility of powering up the plant, giving full consideration to the safety and security of such an undertaking, he said. “I gave him assurance that we will not do it recklessly…We are going to follow the strict measures of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency],” Cusi said. Only recently, Duterte said he did not want to pursue nuclear power during his term. “He [President Duterte] did not change his mind. I explained to him what the country needs. As DoE, it is our responsibility to look [into] all of these… We have to look at it [based] on the future of the country,” Cusi Next page added.

Obama to “go to hell.” Even so, with the two countries still bound by several agreements including a mutual defense treaty, Duterte said the Philippines would maintain its cooperation with the US. “It is still part of trying to play off the United States against China,” said Segundo Romero, a professorial lecturer in development studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. “His anti-US stance is a mix of sentiments against country and against its leadership.” Next page

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—President Rodrigo Duterte has assumed full responsibility over the killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa inside the Baybay City provincial jail. Duterte, who just arrived from his visit to Malaysia, said that he tended to believe the statements of the police unless there is evidence gathered against them. “Let me state my case as the Chief Executive of the Executive branch. I believe in the version of the police. If they have evidence Next page

SINGING A SONG. Visiting President Rodrigo Duterte and host Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak go ‘shalala lala in the morning/in the

sunshine/in the evening’—popularized by the Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys—as they sing to the high nines, having fun together with the intermission number during the state banquet hosted by the latter at the Perdana Putrajaya Thursday.

Marcos bucks court ruling that favored Comelec THE camp of defeated vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked the Department of Justice to overturn the resolution of the Ofﬁce of the City Prosecutor in Manila dismissing the case for violation of the Cybertwitter.com/ MlaStandard

crime Prevention Act of 2012 filed against officials of the Commission on Elections and Smartmatic officials. In his petition for review, former Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz, who served as

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Marcos’ campaign adviser in the May elections, said the panel of Manila prosecutors committed an error in dismissing the case against Marlon Garcia, head of the Smartmatic technical support team; Elie Moreno, Smartmatic project direc-

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tor; Neil Baniqued, Smartmatic team member; and Rouie Peñalba, Comelec information technology ofﬁcer, for lack of evidence. The panel of prosecutors also dismissed the case against Smartmatic Next page

Top cop’s Vegas trip stirs probe THE Office of the Ombudsman is looking into the possible administrative culpability of Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa for accepting an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas to watch Senator Manny Pacquiao’s bout with World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas, an official said Friday. “Yes, the Ombudsman is conducting a fact-finding investigation Next page

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NBI cell awaits Kerwin, Justice says By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

HE Justice department has asked the Philippine National Police to place Kerwin Espinosa, son of slain Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation instead of the police when he arrives from Abu Dhabi next week. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said he has communicated with PNP chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa about Espinosa.

“I wrote a letter to Gen. Bato [Ronald Dela Rosa] requesting that Kerwin be placed under the custody of the NBI pending determination if he is qualified to be

admitted under the WPP (Witness Protection Program),” Aguirre said in a text message. Kerwin’s father was killed inside Baybay sub-provincial jail last Saturday after he allegedly fought it out with the police who were serving a search warrant at 4 a.m. on Nov. 5. The NBI, an attached agency under the DoJ, has already started conducting a parallel investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mayor Espinosa’s death. Aguirre said Kerwin already expressed his intention to apply for protection under the WPP.

To be admitted to the WPP, Aguirre said, Kerwin has to execute an affidavit, which will be evaluated to determine if he is qualified to enter the program. Once admitted, Aguirre said, Kerwin and his family will be under WPP. Earlier, Senator Panfilo Lacson, who called for a Senate investigation into the death of the elder Espinosa, said the government must protect Kerwin to identify his protectors in the government. Lacson said Friday Kerwin would be dead if he were detained with his father. Interviewed over radio dzBB,

Lacson quipped, “It’s good Kerwin was not here. If they father and son were both arrested and transferred to the sub-provincial jail, perhaps, both of them could have been killed. “ Kerwin is still detained at the Al Wathba jail in Abu Dhabi following his arrest on Oct. 17. He is expected to return to the country next week. Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, said the killing of the mayor seemed to be “premeditated” and a clear case of summary execution. The slain mayor had earlier ex-

Leila’s petition vs Rody doomed, Aguirre avers SENATOR Leila de Lima’s petition for habeas data against President Rodrigo Duterte, which effectively tests the immunity of the chief executive, will not prosper, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Friday. “The petition will go straight to the waste basket,” Aguirre said. “How could you stop the government authorities from investigating with no less than 10 individuals who said you are the protector of the drug trade?” He doubted that the Supreme Court will stop the authorities from investigating a person facing several criminal complaints before the Department of Justice. “Can you imagine the Supreme Court telling the police, the President and the Department of Justice to stop investigating a person with several cases already? I don’t think so,” Aguirre said.

Besides, he said, the President’s immunity from suit was absolute. He made his statement after De Lima filed a petition for habeas data seeking to enjoin President Duterte and some government agencies from gathering information on her private life. De Lima asked the tribunal to order the destruction of the pieces of information on her. She said the verbal attacks on her womanhood and and the threats on her were not covered by presidential immunity. She said Duterte’s discriminate remarks against her “constitute psychological violence prohibited by Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women.” S h e said the personal attacks on her also violated the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Rey E. Requejo

Du30...

Viet...

In a statement on Wednesday, Duterte said he looked forward to enhancing PhilippineUS relations under a future Trump administration, adding that they were “anchored on mutual respect, mutual beneﬁt and shared commitment to democratic ideals and the rule of law.” An ofﬁcial from the American embassy, meanwhile, said the long-standing friendship has never changed. In a television interview, US Embassy press attachè Molly Koscina noted that since the friendship started 70 years ago, the relationship between Manila and Washington has grown stronger. “There have be no changes on our side,” Koscina said in an interview on the show Unang Balita. “I just want to remind you that the US-Philippine relationship has spanned 70 years and in those 70 years there are 12 presidents, both Republican and Democratic. And through this time, our relationship has only grown stronger,” she said. Following Trump’s victory, US embassies all throughout the world, including its posting in the Philippines, are preparing a smooth transition for President-elect Donald Trump. Koscina said President Barrack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are now coordinating with the incoming administration to ensure effective transition. Trump’s victory shocked the world on Tuesday, sending the US on an uncertain path. Trump, 70 years old, a realestate developer and former reality TV host, is the oldest and 45th President of the US. Sara Susanne

In what maritime experts described as a landmark incident, the captain of a South Korean cargo ship and a Filipino crewman were abducted off their vessel, the ﬁrst such attack on large merchant vessel. Abu Sayyaf militants this year beheaded two Canadian hostages after demands for millions of dollars were not met. Most of the Indonesian and Malaysian sailors were released after ransoms were reportedly paid.

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Fabunan with Bloomberg

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technical support team member Mauricio Herrera and Comelec employees Nelson Herrera and Frances Mae Gonzales for lack of merit. According to the Manila prosecutors, Dela Cruz failed to present evidence that the tweaking of the script of the transparency server had compromised the integrity of the elections or caused widespread anxiety. The Manila Prosecutor’s Ofﬁce said there was also no evidence to prove that there was an intention on the part of the respondents to compromise the transparency server and cause widespread anxiety. However, Dela Cruz said the under Cyberbrime Prevention Act,

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“Once and for all, we have to put closure for BNPP… either we use it or convert it, or the property will be put to waste,” Cusi said. Cusi said the department is already doing the paperwork and preparing a roadmap for nuclear energy. If the Bataan plant proves unfeasible, Cusi said, the Philippines could be looking into using modular, smaller nuclear plants. “We can be cautious. We can move with caution so we can start with modular [plants]. We have to listen to the experts,” he said. The government will need about $1 billion to repower the

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to prove otherwise, then a case should be filed against the police. But as I have said before, right at the start, very early in my administration, I will protect and I will support the police in this drive against shabu,” he said. He said that since it was his mandate to go against illegal pushers, he intent or good faith was immaterial. “The mere commission thereof amounts to a breach in the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems,” he said. He said that by alleging that there was no damage caused by Respondent in changing the script, the OCPManila may have overlooked the fact that the change was committed without right or authority as declared by the Comelec Commissioners, which he said was an act punishable under the Cybercrime Law. He also disputed the finding of the OCP-Manila that the script change was with “mplied” right or authority when it said the Protocol of Escalation gave them the discretion to introduce changes. Rey E. Requejo

ecuted an affidavit linking Senator Leila De Lima and 225 government, military, police and judicial personnel to the alleged widespread illegal drug operation run by “Kerwin. Lacson earlier said Kerwin must live to testify about the narcotics business in the country. “He is the “be-all and end-all. He is the central figure in this matter,” Lacson said of Kerwin. The senator also said Kerwin is the only one who could really identify the alleged drug protectors listed in the blue book of the slain mayor.

Drug war: 4 village chiefs fall

ANTI-KIDNAP. SWAT members stand guard at Chinatown’s peace arch following reports that drug

syndicates have shifted their illegal trade to kidnap-for-ransom activities. Manila Police District director Senior Supt. Joel Coronel says he will deploy 20 more policemen to Binondo as a preemptive move. Norman Cruz

However, two more Indonesian sailors were abducted on November 5. The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network, and has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings-for-ransom. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has launched a military offensive to “destroy” the Abu Sayyaf. But the militants have deﬁed more than a decade of US-backed similar offensives, surviving in their mountainous and jungle-clad southern island strongholds where

they have support from local Muslim communities. The day before the Philippines will allow Malaysian and Indonesian maritime forces to pursue Islamist kidnappers into its waters, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said following talks with his counterpart from Manila. Najib made the announcement after a meeting with visiting President Duterte that focused on recurring kidnappings at sea by Philippine-based Islamic militants. Najib said Duterte had already agreed the measure with Indonesian President Joko

Widodo, or “Jokowi.” “The hot pursuit is a new development. This has been agreed by Duterte and Jokowi, and now with us,” Najib said at a press conference in the Malaysian administrative capital Putrajaya. The waters between Malaysia’s eastern Sabah state and the southern Philippines have for years seen repeated kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf militant group. “We need to stamp out the kidnap-for-ransom groups. It is affecting us, Sabahans and foreigners who visit us,” Najib said. “We have to continue to pursue and interdict them.” AFP

plant based on previous studies conducted. Cusi admitted that there are opposing views on powering up the Bataan plant. “We are ready to listen to that,” he said. The department has created a Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization or Nepio, which will produce a comprehensive study and prepare a national infrastructure for the ﬁrst nuclear power plant. Cusi earlier pushed nuclear technology as a “viable choice for the country,” saying it was economical, reliable, and low on emissions. “Personally, I’ve expressed my position about it. As DoE secretary, it is my duty to study

all options to ensure the power supply in the coming generations,” he said. Cusi also said that Filipinos should not be overtaken by fear of nuclear energy as the Philippines, even though the country is in the so-called Ring of Fire. “Fear is always there…Since 1977, we were supposed to open that [the nuclear plant]. Had we opened that, our life would have been different. Because of fear, we did not open it…Don’t you think it’s a loss of opportunity to us?” he said. Cusi also said reports and special studies have revealed that the “operation of nuclear plants has become safer, more predictable, and more dependable, with useful life of over 60 years.”

“We have to address the deepseated social stigma and negative perception about nuclear energy… We also have to clear away decades-long half-truths, borne and exacerbated by highly prejudiced opinions conveniently dished out every time this matter of nuclear energy comes up. High on political innuendos, but lacking in scientiﬁc basis,” he said. Cusi also said that the price per kilowatt-hour of nuclear power generated is “predictable,” unlike oil. “Among all the studies, the cheapest power source is nuclear. We want to be competitive with the rest of our neighbors, so we have to come up with a cheap source of energy, and that is really nuclear,” he said.

would be blamed for whatever the police commit in their campaign against illegal drugs. “Just wait for their version. In the meantime, if you run out of people to blame, look at me because I was the one who ordered the war against drugs,” he added. Duterte said he will never leave the police and will fully support them, but he will never tolerate those who are protecting drug lords or dealing illegal drugs.

He also assured the public that Espinosa’s son Kerwin will be bought into the country safely from the United Arab Emirates, where he is detained. “I’m sure, I guarantee you, he will be brought back—he will be repatriated. I’m sure of that,” he said. Philippine National Police [PNP] director Ronald dela Rosa said Kerwin would be adequately protected, and will be detained in Camp Crame to make sure that nothing happens to him.

“I’ll make sure that he will be alive. I’ll take care of it,” Dela Rosa said. Espinosa was killed inside his cell along with inmate Raul Yap when a raiding team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 8 tried to serve a search warrant in his jail cell at 4 a.m. Nov. 5. During his arrival speech, Duterte reiterated the problem of illegal drugs in the country. With Sandy

Araneta and Vito Barcelo

SWEEPING...

The president-elect listed immigration as one of his top three priorities on Thursday. “We’re looking very strongly at immigration,” he told reporters in the Capitol after meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “We’re going to look at the borders, very importantly, we’re looking very strongly at health care and we’re looking at jobs―big league jobs.” Trump tapped Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, an anti-immigration firebrand who helped draft controversial restrictionist laws in Arizona and Alabama, to his transition team. “I’m a member of the immigration policy transition team and there’s going to be a lot to do there in part be-

cause Mr. Trump and Mr. Obama are diametric opposites when it comes to immigration policy,” Kobach told Kansas television station KWCH. Kobach promised that there will be “a lot of changes.” In addition, Trump has been relying on Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, another immigration restrictionist, for advice on immigration policy. Immigration was a ﬂashpoint in the 2016 race, with Trump ousting Republican rivals like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio by campaigning on a far more restrictive platform than they initially supported. Democrat Hillary Clinton wanted to expand Obama’s immigration relief plans and grant a path to citizenship for people in the US illegally. Bloomberg

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Once he takes ofﬁce in January, Trump can end that program without any approval from Congress. He can also end Obama’s 2014 executive action, currently blocked by the courts, to extend that deportation reprieve to some 4 million undocumented immigrants who haven’t committed crimes. The website reemphasized other Trump proposals for which he may need congressional approval, including plans to build a wall on the US-Mexico border, suspend new visas from certain high-risk countries, end funding for sanctuary cities and change legal immigration policies to better serve US workers.

FOUR village chiefs, a municipal councilor and a former municipal councilor were arrested in an operation against illegal drugs in Bayambang, Pangasinan, at dawn on Thursday, an official said Friday. The arrest came after antinarcotics agents backed by a military unit swooped down on the suspects’ homes armed by search warrants, provincial police chief Ronald Lee said. He identified the four village chiefs as Renato Soriano of Tamaro, George Balbin of Nalsian Sur, Gildo Madronio of San Gabriel, and Eduardo Alcantara of Beleng, all in Bayambang town. He said the raiders found sachets of shabu and other drugs on the suspects. Roderick Casingal, the village chief of Iton, was not around but the agents found three sachets of suspected shabu, an empty sachet of suspected residue of shabu and one strip of aluminum foil. Lee said the agents also arrested village official Marck Monderin of Malimpec village and former municipal councilor Gerardo De Vera of the same town. Jose Sandy Gavino, a resident of Tamaro, was also arrested. The authorities also served warrants against village chiefs Germaine Lee of Magsaysay and Ro`delito Bautista of Bani but found no warrants on them. At least six drug personalities in Pangasinan have been killed in separate anti-illegal drug operation in the province, while 12,000 drug dealers and users have surrendered. Francisco Tuyay

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regarding the alleged travel perks received by the PNP chief when he went to Las Vegas,” said Mary Rawnsle Lopez, head of the Ombudsman’s media relations bureau. But Pacquiao said there was nothing wrong with shouldering the trip of some government officials like Dela Rosa to watch his fight in Las Vegas. “That’s just how Bisayas are,” said Pacquaio in reference to the Filipinos living in the Visayas and Mindanao who speak the Cebuano language. “You know us Bisaya, it’s better for us to treat someone than to do bad things,” Pacquiao said. “We don’t want any illegal activities so it’s better to treat others.” Pacquiao, who defeated American boxer Jessie Vargas, hails from General Santos City while Dela Rosa is from Davao, both in Mindanao. But the Ombudsman said Military and other law enforcement offices will spearhead the probe on Dela Rosa. Dela Rosa will be investigated for possible violation of Presidential Decree 46 that sanctions public officials and employees receiving gifts on any occasion, as well as Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. The Ombudsman is set to summon Dela Rosa and Pacquiao to submit their statements and the official receipts of their Las Vegas trip. Dela Rosa earlier said Pacquiao invited him to watch his match against Vargas. He said there was nothing irregular when Pacquiao paid for his trip. Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Recto: Where’s ‘Yolanda’ budget? By Macon Araneta SENATE Minority Leader Ralph Recto warned that the absence of a “Yolanda earmark’ in next year’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) might be misinterpreted to mean the government will stop funding the repair of public properties destroyed by Super Typhoon ‘‘Yolanda.’’ “There is still much work to be done in Eastern Visayas but the Calamity Fund is silent on the rehabilitation deficit, which must be funded,” said Recto as he called for the itemization of ‘‘Yolanda’’ reconstruction projects in next year’s proposed P37.2-billion Calamity Fund. Recto noted that next year’s P37.2-billion NDRRMF “does not earmark any amount for ‘‘Yolanda’’ rehabilitation despite the huge backlog in deliverables.” This is in contrast to the provision in this year’s NDRRMF which specifically sets aside P18.9 billion for the rehabilitation of ‘‘Yolanda’’-damaged public works, livelihood and farms. The absence of a “Yolanda earmark” in next year’s NDRRMF, Recto warned, “might be misinterpreted that government has ceased funding the repair of public properties” destroyed by the strongest typhoon in recorded history. “If reconstruction is still a work in progress, then such must be reflected in the Calamity Fund to reassure ‘‘Yolanda’’ victims that what government had promised will still be redeemed,” Recto said. Recto said “even a general provision that this amount will be allocated for ‘‘Yolanda’’ work will be sufficient as long as the recipient agencies and the amounts they will get are specified.” “By listing these, work will be assigned and the public can easily monitor what responsibilities have been given to which agencies,” Recto said. The idea, he said, is to finish all work one year from now so that when ‘‘Yolanda’s’’ fourth anniversary will be marked next November, “government can proudly proclaim ‘mission accomplished!’” Among projects which have not yet been finished or even started, are about 175,467 housing units, 7,233 classrooms, 95 communal irrigation systems, and 11 flood control structures, Recto said, citing an October 31 NEDA update.

BIRTHDAY LADY. Mrs. Juliette Gomez Romualdez blows the candles on the cake that was presented to her on her 81st birthday at home in Makati City. Looking on are former ﬁrst lady and Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda R. Marcos and close friends. Ver Noveno

Digong vows service to Pinoys in Malaysia By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

AVAO CITY—Malaysia has approved President Rodrigo Duterte’s proposal to build a school and hospital for Filipino migrants in Malaysia although illegal migrants will have to be repatriated to the Philippines, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said the school and hospital for Filipinos were among the matters that were agreed upon in bilateral talks between Duterte and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak during Duterte’s visit to Kuala Lumpur. “The Malaysian government agreed it will beneﬁt the Filipino community in Malaysia who migrated there and also those 7,000 [Filipinos] who are in jail but we still need to process their papers,” Yasay said after Duterte revealed the plan in a speech to Filipino

expatriates in Kuala Lumpur. Duterte told hundreds of cheering Filipino expats that he wants to extend Philippine government services to Filipino migrants in Malaysia. “I will ask [the Malaysian] government to intervene. We will have to put up schools there and hospital. We will ask a neutral agency [for help, like the World Health Organization] but the people will come from us,” he said. “We will deploy Filipino nurses and teachers. I feel for them. Most of them are Tausug

but they are Filipino and they should be attended to,” Duterte added. Like the Samal. Yakan and Bajau tribes, the Tausug can be found in many parts of Malaysia and Indonesia with their homeland in the province of Sulu which was governed by an independent sultanate until the advent of the Philippine republic. Called Suluk in Malaysia, part of the Tausug homeland was Sabah in Malaysia until the British East India Company made Sabah part of the Malaysian federation in 1963. Today, Suluks complain that they are treated like second-class citizens by the Malaysian government, particularly in Sabah. Their plight worsened when Agbimuddin Kiram of the Sultanate of Sulu and hundreds of Tauusug ﬁghters raided Sabah in February 2013 to reassert the sultanate’s claim on Sabah. Malaysian Suluk were accused of abetting the Filipino Tausugs and many of them were detained.

Yasay said around 7,000 Filipinos “who illegally migrated” to Sabah would be deported to the Philippines after the latest bilateral talks. Meanwhile, Duterte said he had invited Malaysians to invest in infrastructure projects in the country, particularly in Mindanao. He said Malaysian investors have shown interest in infrastructure development, building of regional centers, joint ventures in agribusiness, halal-certiﬁed products, and high value post-harvest processing facilities. He said that he already tasked the Department of Trade and Industry to ensure that the Malaysian government will have a smooth ﬂowing entry on the trade and industry sector. “I tasked the Department of Trade and the Industry to follow through and ensure trade and investment with our 10th largest trade partner as it continues to grow, and I refer to Malaysia,” he added.

‘Yolanda’ housing Saudization study pushed finished by Dec. By Maricel V. Cruz

By Rio N. Araja NATIONAL Housing Authority General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr. on Friday assured ‘‘Yolanda’’ victims that the agency will be able to complete almost 30,000 housing units for them by Christmas. In an interview, Escalada said the agency has already completed the land development and construction of 29,661 permanent housing units ready for occupancy for thousands of beneﬁciaries, mostly informal settlers, who have been staying at the bunkhouses and other temporary shelters since ‘‘Yolanda’’ ﬂattened Eastern Visayas on Nov. 8, 2013 and killed more than 6,000 people. “That’s a tall order of President Rodrigo Duterte—to remove the survivors out of the temporary shelters and to provide them with permanent ones,” he told the Manila Standard. With a housing demand of 205,125 units in the typhoonaffected provinces—Palawan, Masbate, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Leyte, Tacloban City, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Islands and Caraga region, only 4,278 units have been distributed and occupied, according to the agency’s recent status of physical accomplishments.

Some 20,287 units have been “partially or substantially completed” but 131,901 permanent shelters have yet to be built. Last Nov. 8, Duterte expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of help given to typhoon victims and the sorry state of the typhoon victims still staying at the bunkhouses. He instructed Special Assistant for the Visayas Mike Dino to complete all government permanent housing programs in December, saying he would come back to Tacloban City in December. As far as Tacloban City is concerned, its housing demand was estimated at 14,433 units with 2,669 partially or substantially completed units and 1,492 occupied units. According to Escalada, the absence of land titles for possible sites of resettlements has been a major stumbling block that derails rehabilitation efforts in ‘‘Yolanda’’-affected areas. “We cannot just buy untitled lands, otherwise we will be sanctioned by Commission on Audit and be charged in court,” he said. To address the land rights issue, the NHA has asked the President to sign an executive order to allow the agency employ the right-based tenurial instruments as an alternative of the Torrens system’s land titles.

A PARTY-list lawmaker on Friday sought a congressional probe of the ongoing “Saudization” drive in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that continues to affect thousands of overseas Filipino workers. Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III of ACTS-OFW partylist stressed the need for Congress to look into the matter following a recent announcement from the Ministry of Labor and Social Development on the plans of the Saudi government to “nationalize” its health workers. The plan is now the subject of a joint study by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor

and Social Development, and will be implemented once approved by the Saudi government, Bertiz said. “We need to prepare for any contingency that would lead to the return of more workers from Saudi Arabia. The House inquiry will look into the national reintegration program and what it offers to those being affected by the downturn in the Saudi economy amid efforts to allocate more jobs to its citizens,” Bertiz said. The lone OFW representative in Congress also called on the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment to come up with a uniﬁed forecast on job prospects in the Middle East.

IN BRIEF Tweets can help children AS THE country marks National Children’s Month, Social Welfare Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo urged the public to tweet/send information to help streetchildren. Taguiwalo said the DSWD manages a team dedicated to respond to the needs of children and families at risk on the streets, including SamaBajau groups, through the @ savestreetkids Twitter account. This is where the public can tweet their information. Through this account, concerned citizens can report children at risk by stating the exact location and situation of the street child or children. The reports received in this account and other social media platforms have prompted the DSWD, local government units, other concerned agencies, and National Government Organizations to immediately reach out to them and remove them from harm’s way.

Army execs on the carpet A RETIRED lieutenant general is facing one count of graft and seven counts of falsiﬁcation of public documents before the Sandiganbayan over the allegedly anomalous procurement of P5.103 million worth of military supplies in 2003. The Ombudsman indicted Lt. Gen. Gregorio Camiling Jr., former commanding general of the Philippine Army, and ordered the ﬁling of raps over alleged involvement in the anomalous procurement of P5.103 million worth of military supplies in 2003. Those included were former brigadier general Severino Estrella; colonels Cesar Santos, Jessie Mario Dosado, Barmel Zumel and Cyrano Austria; captain George Cabreros; accounting unit head Editha Santos, and chief accountant Rolando Minel in the charge sheet. Rio Araja

NBI seizes fake items

WORLD CLASS DESIGN. Senator Cynthia Villar speaks with delegates to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Masters Craft Designers Festival at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

THE National Bureau of Investigation on Friday said operatives of NBI-National Capital Region seized counterfeit Stance socks with an estimated value of more than P2 million in Pasay City. After conﬁrming that there are counterfeit Stance items being sold and distributed, search warrants were applied for and granted by Judge Maria Victoria Soriano-Villadolid of the Manila RTC Branch 24. Search warrants were implemented at Cartimar Shopping Center, Pasay City which led to the seizure of fake items amounting to P2,475,000. Sandy Araneta

Opinion

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Undue interest

OTH President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Leila de Lima need to step back instead of meddling with the investigation into the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa. promptly called a probe into the issue. Members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group who served the warrant on Espinosa that morning gave their version of events. While we are still figuring out why the investigation has to be conducted in aid of legislation, we cannot help noticing the

Espinosa, a suspected drug lord operating in the Eastern Visayas, was shot dead in his jail cell a week ago. Police claim he had a gun and drugs in his possession when a warrant of arrest was served on him, inside the cell, at 4 in the morning Saturday, Nov. 5. Because of the incredible tale, the Senate

undue interest taken by both President Duterte and Senator de Lima in the unusual death of Espinosa. Upon his return from his Thailand and Malaysia trips, the President said he is inclined to believe the version of the police in the Espinosa slay. Without realizing it, Mr. Duterte has prejudged the case in which he has a great stake: after all, it was he who first tagged the slain mayor for his involvement in drugs, and it is his zeal in pursuing drug lords and

dealers at all costs that has attracted the attention of rights groups and the international community. It is his war against illegal drugs that is being waged, ardently, by the police. Meanwhile, De Lima’s name figures in the list of drug protectors named by the late mayor in an affidavit. An easy interpretation would be that De Lima would be among those who would benefit from the death of the mayor, but it could also be as she claims—that Espinosa

may have been silenced before he recanted his sworn statement, made under duress in the first place. We wonder: Will we ever get to the truth? Whatever it is, what is certain is that De Lima’s voice should not even be heard during the hearing. A lawyer like herself should appreciate the idea of inhibition, since further participation from an interested party would only tarnish the integrity of the probe. Then again, De Lima

has not been known for her prudence or discretion. Espinosa’s son, Kerwin, is already in police custody after his arrest in the Middle East. It is natural that he should now fear for his life after what befell his father right within the confines of a provincial jail. We, too, should be fearful when officials who have no business dipping their hands into investigations actually begin to do so—and act as though there were nothing wrong with it. HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Useless international pageants

We shall overcome POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO HOW are we supposed to weather all these problems? What is left for us to do? How should we protect our hard-won rights? These are questions that have been repeatedly asked by well-meaningbut-tired-and-getting-burned-out friends. Their tone is consistent: frustrated, sad, and angry, all at the same time. These are people who have spent many years doing things they believe would redound to the improvement of lives of those of us who have less. They are not only activists who have led struggles towards strategic changes we want to see in our country, they have also managed not a few programs that have benefited those in the margins— the poor and the voiceless. 2016, however, is beginning to wear them out. I do not have the perfect an-

swers, I guess no one has. All I know is, we have to draw strength from each other. We do not allow political tragedies to pull everyone down. Instead, we support each other, take inspiration from our heroes, hold hands, so everyone remains standing. We must continue to believe that as a people, our indomitable spirit will overcome challenges. We have done this before and surely, we can do it again! It is perfectly understandable why people are sad and angry. We are not robots. We have a stake in our country. We feel bad because we care, and are concerned about our people’s well-being. What should worry us more is if we reach that stage of no longer feeling disturbed by the killings that happen every day, the utter disregard for law and due process, the blatant abuse of authority, the violations of women’s and human rights. We should be very worried when atrocities happening day in and day out no longer affect us. For as long as we still express our discontent, our disagree-

ment with abuses, I dare say, we are still in fighting form. It is when we have been desensitized into silence that we have surrendered, that we have lost our cause. Never let that day come. It is quite easy to be distressed by how our institutions seem to fail us.

For the future of our youth. We have an Executive Department that’s led by a single strongman who is overly consumed by his war against drugs which has put thousands, on mere suspicion of being drug dependents and/or pushers, to death. We have a president who makes no bones about his low regard for the lives of those who have been victimized by drug syndicates. After all, according to him, their

brains may have already been affected by illegal drugs. By now, President Duterte should already appreciate that governance cannot be a singleissue affair. Unfortunately, this president’s positions on issues, no matter how big, according to his own speeches, are significantly shaped by his personal views and experiences. It is not surprising therefore, that policy pronouncements are rarely cohesive, and can swing from one end to the other. This leaves his Cabinet members grappling to make sense of conflicting statements. Take the Marcos burial at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani issue for instance. This is a campaign promise to the Marcoses precisely because Duterte’s father was close to the late dictator. The many years of human rights suppression, the killings, torture and illegal arrests, the plunder of the nation’s coffers are not as important as the relationship between their two families. The suffering of tens of thousands

of martial law victims are not material to the President’s positioning on the issue. Ferdinand Marcos should be buried in the cemetery reserved for heroes, as its name denotes. What is most disappointing perhaps is how another of our institutions, the Judiciary led by the Supreme Court, also failed us with its decision on the matter. By a vote of 9-5-1, our honorable JUSTICES totally turned a blind eye on the evils of Martial Law and its architect, Ferdinand Marcos. Nine Associate Justices decided for the entire country and gave the go signal so the dictator can be interred at the LNMB. This decision by these Justices is bereft of justice for an entire generation of Filipinos who had to endure martial rule. The decision is a mockery of justice in this country. The people’s struggle against Marcos that culminated in his being ousted has been trivialized by the Supreme Court.

This is a big blow to our democratic gains paid for by lives of those who perished during the dark years of Marcos rule. Turn to A5

WHEN Gloria Diaz won the Miss Universe crown in 1969, her status as a lifetime celebrity in the Philippines was assured. Diaz got a lavish parade upon her return to Manila, an honor hitherto given only to world-famous dignitaries visiting the Philippines. After Aurora Pijuan was crowned Miss International a year later, the Filipino’s fascination for beauty pageants became incurable. By 1970, the Philippines was a participant in six international pageants. In the late 1960s, Gemma Cruz, the first Filipina to be crowned Miss International, openly opposed beauty pageants because they tended to exploit women. She urged Congress to enact legislation banning pageants. The campaign Cruz launched against pageants practically lost steam when Margarita Moran became Miss Universe in 1973. Soon after Moran was crowned, the Philippines offered to host the pageant the next year. The offer was accepted by the pageant organizers, and the Miss Universe pageant in the Philippines was set for July 21, 1974. In a record 90 days, the Folk Arts Theater (located near the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City) was constructed for the pageant venue. Hotdog, a popular band in the country back then, was commissioned to perform a song dedicated to the pageant —Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko. This song was a big hit on Philippine radio. The pageant put the Philippines on the world map. Local publications invited everybody’s attention to the pageant. On pageant day, television audiences were glued to the RPN TV Channel 9 coverage of the event. In the end, Amparo Muñoz of Spain won the title. The first runner-up eventually won the Miss World title the next year. Another runner-up decided to remain in the Philippines for a while and got involved with a popular professional Filipino athlete. The Philippines hosted the Miss Universe pageant anew in 1994, this time at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. After Miss India won the title, Indian businessmen Turn to A5

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discarded as the foundation of the Cold War alliances, our conMY FAVORITE political col- tinuing commitment to the US umnist and former senator remains predicated on the idea Francisco “Kit” Tatad wrote of containing China. Our attithat accordingly, the latest sur- tude has now become our own vey is that about 92 percent of impediment to develop a much Filipinos love the US. We need closer political, economic and not ask how much they love the cultural understanding with our Americans for that would be Asian neighbors, particularly tedious for the nationalists to with China. Historically, US domination accept. Nonetheless, that high percentage rating given by peo- of the country went through ple who experienced the ruth- two stages. The first stage less subjugation of the US at the was through direct subjugation turn of the 20th century should which took place from 1898 to not be taken as a “sinkhole” to July 4, 1946. The second stage President Rodrigo “Digong” came after the grant of politiDuterte’s attempt to promote cal independence where it suban independent foreign policy. stituted the practice of direct Maybe that could make him un- subjugation through various depopular, or worse invite military grees of interference culminating in the outright kidnapping adventurism. However, the dilemma is that of our elected President in 1986. the President enjoys an excep- The US has always premised its tionally high popularity rating policy to justify the US military of 86 percent, no less conduct- bases and our military alliance ed by the CNN on top of the 16 as necessary to protect us from million Filipinos who voted for external aggression and internally against communist subhim. Second, Philippine-US rela- version. The end of the Cold War detions is expected to be raised as an issue by the opposition hop- fined more clearly our national ing that hitting him hard on this interest. That effectively rendered ambiguwill ultimately ous and iralienate the relevant the President form objective of our the people. military alliBeing fixated The US is ances. That in on the tactic turn bared the that ousted plainly exposed truth that the Marcos, they as engaging in Philippines is overlooked in fact securing that there is to- hegemony. US interest in day a sizeable this part of the number of nonworld. The reideologue but turn of the US intelligent antimilitary bases Americans. They are the products of the crystallized the intention of the failed promise of freedom and US defense planners to create a deep wedge between this coundemocracy. Third, stereotype Filipinos try and China. Without that valid justificatremble at the thought of coming out with an independent for- tion, the US is plainly exposed eign policy believing that the as engaging in hegemony beoverwhelming majority remain cause its overarching power politically in trance to US influ- and influence is spread across ence. Yet, we never entertained the Pacific. This is evident by the thought that paradoxically the our participation in the joint US is the most hated, if not, one of military exercise with the US, the ten top most hated countries which President Duterte rightly in the world today. With a popu- canceled for essentially it nelation of just over 100 million as gates our desire to reach a direct against the majority of the four and bilateral negotiation with billion people who scorn the US China over those islands in the policy of aggressive exceptional- South China Sea. Moreover, while President ism, indeed it would be hard to believe that the majority of hu- Duterte already scrapped the decision rendered by the Permanity are out of their mind. Fourth, until after President manent Court of Arbitration, Duterte came forward to cat- our continued permission for egorically define our foreign the US Navy to use our territopolicy, we never have been able ry as staging points to conduct to get the substance and purpose regular naval and air reconof our military alliance. This naissance patrol in the South is clearly indicated when the China Sea is somewhat inconNoynoy Aquino administration gruent to our decision not to allowed the US to re-establish honor the PAC’s decision. It must be noted that our preits military bases giving five access points all facing towards vious attempt to adopt an indethe South China Sea. We blind- pendent foreign policy has been ly accepted the US presence in equated by most Filipinos as antiour soil as though it is a guar- Americanism. This equation was anty it will honor its obligations. fully exploited by the oligarchs Many things have changed to discredit Marcos. It must be since 1986. The end of the Cold remembered that he was the first War resulted in the disman- to initiate the policy of gradual tling of the various military al- disengagement from the US. He liances, most serious of which secured an agreement with Presiwas the collapse of the social- dent Johnson in 1966 placing the ist bloc. Although there was final date for the termination of increased trade due to globali- the US military bases in the Philzation, that did not diminish ippines up to 1991. conflicts among the great powrpkapunan@gmail.com ers. While ideology has been Part I

We... From A4

The argument that the decision does not make Marcos a hero is hogwash. In the minds of the people, only those qualified to be called heroes can be buried at the LNMB. The nine Justices who said that per law, Marcos can be buried alongside our great men and women also did a great disservice to the memories of those already in the LNMB. Those untarnished men and women who dedicated their lives to honor our country have been greatly dishonored by having the dictator there. Instead of the claim that the decision will bring unity among us, we instead see more divisions.

We hear more people express their disgust at this SC rule, and rightly so. With how government is run by a strongman and with the Supreme Court treating a late dictator like a hero, it is now up to the people to remain vigilant and continue our unfinished struggle. We, the people will correct the wrongs done to us. We will draw courage from one another. We will not be silenced. This is a dark time in our history and we will make the truth light our way. For the future of our young people, we shall overcome. bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

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Reconciliation with justice

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

Evolution of Philippine-US relations

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA THE Supreme Court, voting 9-5, allowed a hero’s burial for the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, ruling that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte did not commit grave abuse of discretion in ordering Marcos’ interment at the heroes’ cemetery. In doing so, the Supreme Court dismissed all petitions against Duterte’s directive maintaining essentially that no law prohibits Marcos’ burial at Libingan, and that President Duterte “acted within the bounds of law and jurisprudence.” Writing for the majority, Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta said in his ponente that “… (there is ) no clear constitutional or legal basis to hold that there was grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction which would justify the Court to interpose its authority to check and override an act entrusted to the judgment of another branch. Truly, the President’s discretion is not totally unfettered. ‘Discretion is not a free-spirited stallion that runs and roams wherever it pleases but is reined in to keep it from straying. In its classic formulation, “discretion is not unconfined and vagrant” but “canalized within banks that keep it from overflowing.” According to Peralta: “There are certain things that are better left for history—not this Court—to adjudge. The Court could only do so much in accordance with the clearly established rules and principles. Beyond that, it is ultimately for the people themselves, as the sovereign, to decide, a task that may require the better perspec-

tive that the passage of time provides. In the meantime, the country must move on and let this issue rest.” The High Court ruled that the President’s order for the remains of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) was done in the exercise of his mandate under Article VII, section 17 of the 1987 Constitution to ensure the faithful execution of all laws and there is no law that prohibits the burial of the Marcos remains at the LNMB. Moreover, the President’s power of control over the Executive Branch is a selfexecuting provision not requiring legislative implementation, and the President is not bound by the 1992 Agreement entered into between former President Fidel V. Ramos and the Marcos family to have the remains interred in Batac, Ilocos Norte. As the incumbent, President Duterte is free to amend, revoke, or rescind political agreements entered into by his predecessors, and to determine policies which he considers, based on informed judgment and presumed wisdom, will be most effective in carrying out his mandate. While it is undeniable that former President Marcos was forced out of office by the people through the so-called Edsa Revolution, such political act of the people should not be automatically given a particular legal meaning other than its obvious political consequence— that of ousting him as president. To do otherwise, according to Peralta, “would lead the Court to the treacherous and perilous path of having to make choices from multifarious inferences or theories arising from the various acts of the people.” In what will be quoted again and again in the years and decades to come, and not in a complimentary manner but in a

notorious way, Justice Peralta justifies the record of President Marcos: “While he was not all good, he was not pure evil either. Certainly, just a human who erred like us.” As always, I will leave it to and respect the Supreme Court to decide the legality of actions of the executive or legislative branches of government. Personally, I am always for forgiveness, mercy and reconciliation. There is too much hatred in the world and I favor all actions that would stop these vicious cycles. In these days, as a collaborator of the Society of Jesus (I now head the Manila Observatory, a Jesuit scientific research institution), I am inspired by the words of Father Arturo Sosa, recently elected as the Jesuit superior general, that the top priority of the Jesuits today is to promote reconciliation and dialogue in a divided and wounded world. According to Fr. Sosa, who is from Venezuela and not a stranger to conflict, “We have to strive for reconciliation between human beings, reconciliation with God and reconciliation with the created world.” Reconciliation with justice is definitely the right way forward. All persons of goodwill must contribute to this and explore ways to achieve it. But in the case of the Marcos legacy, there must be some other way as this burial does not certainly result in reconciliation. While reiterating my respect for the Supreme Court and refusing to be judgmental about the Justices in the majority, it is important to convey to the Court the hurt and the pain that it has caused particularly to those who suffered because of martial law. In a poignant Facebook post of a friend, whose family was a direct victim of martial law: “Nope, not moving on. You haunt my waking hours. I can never forget.” As Ateneo de Manila University President Fr. Jett Villa-

rin has pointed out: “Ferdinand Marcos did not just err like us. Decisions that were made during his regime were marked by atrocity and impunity. People were imprisoned, tortured, and killed just for harboring different beliefs and convictions. Those years were deliberately disruptive of democracy and freedom. Martial Law wasn’t just a stumble in the dark. It was a careful orchestration of violence and power conducted in the name of order and an artificial peace.” Fr. Jett called upon our community “to continue to protest and express our indignation, to discern what true closure might mean concretely in this case, to create openings for our voice to be heard authentically, to protect the democratic space and engage in meaningful dialogue with our fellow Filipinos.” If the protests are loud enough, the Supreme Court might reconsider its ruling. In the meantime, it is also within the right of citizens to petition the President to change his mind. If both the appeal to the Supreme Court and the President does not succeed, we must think of other peaceful ways to achieve reconciliation with justice, including reaching out to the Marcoses and their supporters. In the spirit of Fr. Sosa’s challenge to work for reconciliation, Fr. Jett warns and exhorts: “It is easy to think of the other as enemy but we will not yield to the sinister forces that want to divide us now as a people. The only way to get to the true path of peace, justice and reconciliation is to engage in the process of listening to each other.“ Yes, reconciliation with justice is possible, but we must listen to each other. We can do this. There is no other way. Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

Illegal gambling and illegal drugs: The party continues THE proliferation of illegal gambling and illegal drugs are two major issues which are of grave parochial and national concern. After the aggressive campaign against illegal drugs, the government would soon declare a war against illegal gambling. Just last month, the PCSO announced to impose more stringent policies with regard to Small Town Lottery operations in order to eliminate illegal numbers game. Currently, there are 18 licensed STL authorized agent corporations in the country, which PCSO Chairman Jose Corpuz plans to expand next year. This expansion

Useless... From A4

in Manila an nounced a oneday moratorium in favor of their debtors. Miss Australia married a local television actor later on. Through the years, other international pageants mushroomed. Many more Filipinas won as Miss International, or as the title holder of some other international competition. Quite a number became runners-up. Incidentally, the reigning Miss Universe and Miss International are from the Philippines. At the end of the day, what utility is derived by society from these pageants? Ostensibly, pageant winners are styled as ambassadors of goodwill, as well as advocates of certain causes, usually involving the environment. From a realistic perspective, however, nobody feels their presence anywhere there is an international crisis— not by the victims of the recent earthquake in Italy; not by the Syrian refugees refused sanctuary in Europe earlier this year; and not by the people of Leyte who were left homeless by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013. In this light,

is expected to bring in about P11.5 billion in 2017. Despite STL, it has come to my knowledge that the number of illegal bookies rose dramatically. According to Chairman Corpuz there were 189 agent applications which were not approved by the PCSO Board. These agent applications could be illegal operators seeking to operate legally. The country loses about P15 billion annually due to illegal numbers game. The PCSO failed to reach its annual revenue target of P50 billion as a result. Chairman Corpuz reveals that the bigtime gambling lords are cooperating with the PCSO’s drive to eliminate illegal gambling. This is welcome news. I also support the 2.5 percent incentive that the PNP will receive from STL collections to fortify the drive

against illegal gambling. The war on drugs is not yet over. It is a long-running series that we are all watching. While we celebrated the efficacy of the initial charge of this administration against the illegal drug trade, we noticed that the menace is now experiencing its second wind. During the early stages of the drug war, the price of these contraband rose because of the lack of the supply. It is very unfortunate that prices are now stabilizing and the supply side seem to have more that made up for the past months’ dearth. Quezon province remains victim to the twin ills of illegal gambling and drugs. Despite the aggressive stand taken by the present administration towards eradicating these evils, it has been reported that the towns of Tiaong, Dolores, San Antonio,

Sariaya, Candelaria, Lucena, Tayabas and the far-flung town of Catanauan, in my home district, are stomping grounds for illegal bookies and drug pushers. While I am not keen on finding blame, this situation questions the vigilance of local and provincial law enforcement. Where are the cops when you need them? The twin problem of illegal drugs and gambling needs to be resolved with a long-term vision that does not ebb and flow with the change of each administration. This cannot be resolved overnight. We need to have long-term plans, stronger collaboration of respective agencies, and intensified execution of anti-illegal drugs and anti-illegal gambling campaigns to make the solutions more effective and sustainable in the long run.

how pageant winners can be sincerely called “ambassadors of goodwill” or “advocates of causes” is an enigma. During the Cold War, Communist China, the Soviet Union, and countries under the Iron Curtain did not participate in these international pageants. When communism ended in Eastern Europe, the countries under the soviet yoke began embracing capitalism. Soon enough, they were joined by Russia and Communist China. The Vietnamese were opposed to western-style pageants for many decades. A few years ago, however, they hosted one of them. Why? There is money to be made in these pageants by their organizers, that’s for sure, or the entire system would have been discontinued decades ago in a world that is perpetually in an economic crisis. Sponsorships, celebrity endorsements, franchise fees are among the economic considerations. Perhaps there is truth in the allegation that these pageants exploit women, and treat them virtually as sex objects. Several decades ago, the swimsuit segment of these pageants featured contestants wearing one-

piece bathing suits. Today, the one-piece bathing attire has been replaced by bikinis – revealing swimsuits that expose more flesh to international audiences. Because conservative Muslim states frown on needless body exposure by women, these countries did not participate in past pageants. Nonetheless, optimistic pageant organizers were still looking to the day when these countries will ease up and join the pageants. In view of the compulsory use of bikinis in current pageants, getting these countries to join is a confirmed impossibility. Why contemporary pageant contestants are required to parade in bikinis in the first place is a big mystery, precisely because Miss Universe, Miss International, or Miss whosoever does not travel around the world or attend international conferences in a bikini. Pageant organizers justify their events as “vehicles for international understanding and worthwhile causes.” Really? Lebanon refused to participate in the 2002 Miss Universe pageant because Israel, with whom it is technically at war, sent a participant. In the 2015 Miss Universe pageant, Lebanese citizens protested when Miss Lebanon and

Miss Israel got photographed together. Legendary Miss Universe pageant host Bob Barker quit his decades-old job to protest the use of mink coats by the contestants. What happened to the “international understanding and worthwhile causes” announced by the organizers? Controversies have also rocked many of these pageants. 1974 Miss Universe Amparo Muñoz created a stir when she subsequently appeared in what was identified as a “sexually-oriented film” produced in her native Spain. There are news reports that many pageant queens of lesser reputation concealed past pregnancies, much to the consternation of the organizers. Just recently, the Philippine candidate to the Miss Earth pageant was caught on camera making nasty remarks against the winner, Miss Ecuador. Tsk, tsk. The Philippines wants to host next year’s Miss Universe pageant. Although the trend is that the constestant from the host country never wins the crown, Filipinos are still looking forward to the affair. How this useless event, which the Filipino taxpayers must ultimately pay for, will redound to the benefit of the Philippines is anybody’s guess.

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TODAY NOVEMBER 12, 2016 SATURDAY, mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Morente revamps 139 inspectors By Vito Barcelo

T LEAST 139 immigration inspectors at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and other airports and seaports were reshufﬂed and reassigned as part of the agency’s continuing efforts to prevent corruption and develop the professionalism of its rank and ﬁle.

The reshuffle was an offshoot edly tried to facilitate the deparof the recent suspension of four ture of several overseas Filipino immigration officers who alleg- workers with fake overseas exit

certificates from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration at the Naia, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said. He said the 139 immigration officers and immigration supervisors will be reassigned to airports in Mactan-Cebu, Kalibo, Clark, Davao, and in Manila. Also affected in the revamp are the international seaports in Zamboanga and several border crossing stations in Palawan and Mindanao where immigration officers were deployed to strengthen

border security at the country’s southern backdoor. “We intend to continually implement this job rotation scheme for our immigration officers not only as a deterrent against corruption but, more importantly, to develop their skills as gatekeepers of our country,” Morente said. The BI chief explained that by reassigning to other ports and exposing them to other work functions of the bureau, the immigration officers will be able to develop and enhance their poten-

tials as civil servants. Morente said he had instructed Marc Red Mariñas, acting chief of the BI’s port operations division, to periodically rotate the assignments of the bureau’s airport and seaport personnel. It was learned that the BI’s travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU) at the Naia was most largely affected by the reshuffle as its manpower underwent a change from top to bottom. The TCEU are the ones who stop the departure of Filipino travelers

suspected of being human trafficking and illegal recruitment victims pursuant to the guidelines set by the Department of Justice. Immigration officers are responsible for conducting immigration formalities for all international travelers entering and exiting the country. They are considered as the BI’s frontline employees as they are the first Filipinos that foreign visitors come into contact with upon arriving in any of the country’s ports of entry.

MMDA to hold safety seminars By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority has agreed with the suggestion of motorcycle riders to conduct a seminar on road safety and traffic rules and regulations to further improve the situation of traffic in the metropolis, especially along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. The agreement, according to MMDA acting chairman Thomas Orbos, is in line with the revived Motorcycle Lanes Scheme to be implemented by the Inter-agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) on major thoroughfares beginning next Monday. “Rather than preventing them, let them be part of the disciplined majority,” Orbos said. Starting Nov. 14, personnel of the MMDA and other agencies under I-ACT will strictly enforce the motorcycle lane policy along Edsa, Circumferential Road-5 (C-5 Road), President Diosdado Macapagal Avenue

and Commonwealth Avenue. Jojo Medina, director for operations of the Motorcycle Philippines Federation, said their initial proposal is to have a 30-minute to one-hour class seminar to riders using Edsa. “After that they will be given sticker with the plate number, meaning they are MMDA-certified that they already know the [traffic rule] violation,” he said. MPF director for administration Atoy Sta. Cruz seconded Medina, saying he agreed with the sticker plates instead of the plate made of steel or iron. “This is for our safety because if you’re in a high speed, it could be removed and might hit us in the face,” Sta. Cruz said. Orbos agreed. “We have to learn from each other. They are the ones who knows what they need, not us.” The stickers will be visible to the “No Contact Policy” Closed Circuit Television camera which being monitored at the MMDA Metro Base Traffic Monitoring Center.

Tougher licensing eyed By Maricel V. Cruz SURIGAO del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers filed a bill that requires all driver’s license applicants and existing licensed drivers to undergo mandatory driving seminars and an actual driving test before being granted full driving privileges. In filing House Bill 4311, otherwise known as the “Roadworthy Driving Seminar for All Drivers Act.” Barbers said his proposal ensure an orderly traffic system across the country by regulating all drivers. “The country’s traffic problem implores the need to adopt unequivocal measures. Apart from constructing new roads and providing more options for the commuting public, we should also be regulating motorists,” said Barbers, a member of the House Committee on Transportation. “Undisciplined and uneducated drivers should not be given the privilege to drive. Aside from endangering the lives of commuters and other motorists, these undeserving driver’s license holders compound our traffic crisis. These actions, obviously, contribute to the problem,” Barbers stressed. Under HB 4311, the curriculum of the Roadworthy Driving Seminar includes Philippine traffic laws and regulations, traffic signs, vehicle capabilities, safety precautions on the road, concept of accident preventability, techniques for defensive driving, and first aid applications. In The Name Of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF BASILAN Manila

Manila

BIDS AND AWARDSCOMMITTEE Standard Standard

TODAY TODAY Provincial Capitol Bldg., Isabela City, Basilan Province, 7300 INVITATION TO BID FOR SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, FUEL AND LUBRICANTS for the CONCRETING OF LUMBANG-KAPAYAWAN ROAD AT LANTAWAN, CONCRETING OF EASTSIDE AT ISABELA CITY, SEA WALL CONSTRUCTION AT MATIKANG, LANTAWAN AND CONSTRUCTION OF FOOTBRIDGE AT KAUMPURNAH, ISABELA CITY ALL IN BASILAN PROVINCE Under BAC Publication No. 005-2016 The Provincial government of Basilan, intends to apply part of the sum for the following projects: Approved Budget Cost

Name of Project ₱

Construction of Footbridge, Kaumpurnah, Isabela City, Basilan

Concreting of Eastside Road, Isabela City, Basilan

3,255,500.00

6,923,746.00

Concreting of Lumbang-Kapayawan Road, Isabela City, Basilan

8,447,619.00

Sea Wall Construction at Matikang, Lantawan, Basilan

7,120,418.00

for the supply and delivery of Construction Materials and Fuel. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. 1.

The Provincial government of Basilan now invites bids for supply and delivery of Construction Materials, Fuel and Lubricants for the a.) CONSTRUCTION OF FOOTBRIDGE AT KAUMPURNAH, ISABELA CITY measuring 800 l.m. of length per approach and completion of the Works is required within 375 calendar days b.) CONCRETING OF EASTSIDE, ISABELA CITY measuring 320 l.m of length per approach and completion of the Works is required within 84 calendar days the c.) CONCRETING OF LUMBANG-KAPAYAWAN ROAD, LANTAWAN measuring 610 l.m. of length per approach and completion of the Works is required within 116 calendar days d.) SEA WALL CONSTRUCTION AT MATIKANG, LANTAWAN measuring 100 l.m. of length per approach and completion of the Works is required within 262 calendar days. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, instructions to Bidders. Further, details of plans shall be included in the working plans.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from The Provincial government of Basilan and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00am to 5pm.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of TEN THOUSAND PESOS (P10,000.00) for table number 1,3 and 4 and FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P5,000.00) for table number 2 respectively AND ONE THOUSAND PESOS (P1,000.00) for every Letter of Intent.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids.

The Provincial government of Basilanwill hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 10:00 am, November 16, 2016 at BAC Office, Provl. Capitol, Isabela City, Basilan Province, which shall beopen to all interested parties.

Bids must be delivered on Bid Opening to the address below on or before 10:00 am November 27, 2016at BAC Office, Provl. Capitol, Isabela City, Basilan Province. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The Provincial government of Basilan 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.

10.

For further information, please refer to: The BAC CHAIRPERSON LGU- BASILAN Bids and Award Committee C/O BAC Secretariat Ground Floor, Provincial Capitol Building, Isabela City, Basilan Province, 7300 Fax No.: 062 200 3416 & 062 200 3417 E-mail Add: tigerlily_diamond@yahoo.com (ORIGINAL SIGNED) INTAN GORDANA A. ABUBAKAR Chairperson, Bids

(MS-NOV. 12, 2016)

LITTLE SANTAS. A young girl enjoys a groupie with undersized Santas at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City. Lino Santos

Bistek orders early Christmas bonus By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista on Friday directed the early release of Christmas bonus for over 8,000 city hall employees, including consultants and personnel covered by service contracts. In a memorandum circular, he instructed the budget and accounting departments to release all available funds necessary for the release of the benefits not later than Nov. 30. Under the guidelines, all elective and appointive regular plantilla employees of the city government under permanent, temporary or co-terminus status who have rendered a total of four Republic of the Philippines National Capital Judicial Region REGIONAL TRIAL C OURT Mandaluyong City Branch 211 IN RE: PETITION FOR CORRECTION AND CANCELLATION OF ENTRIES IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF KHAYLEE KIYOMI BALOBO LICUP SP Proc. No. MC16-11159 KHAYLEE KIYOMI BALOBO LICUP, Represented by KATHERINE BALOBO LICUP, Petitioner, -versusTHE CIVIL REGISTRAR OF THE CITY OF MANDALUYONG CITY and THE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL OR PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY and CARLBERT FRIAS LICUP (a.k.a. CARL FRIAS FRONTOZA), Respondents. x---------------------------------------------x

ORDER This is a verified petition filed by the petitioner praying that after due notice, publication and hearing judgment be rendered Ordering 1) the Local Civil Registry of Mandaluyong City and the Civil Registrar General/Philippine Statistics Authority to cancel and correct the entries in the Certificate of Live Birth of the minor KHAYLEE KIYOMI BALOBO LICUP under Registry No. 2009-3167 as follows: FROM: 13. NAME (First) (Middle) (Last) CARLBERT FRIAS LICUP 14.CITIZENSHIP 15. RELIGION Filipino Catholic 16. OCCUPATION 17. AGE at the time of this birth Mailman 29 years TO: 13. NAME(First) (Middle) (Last) UNKNOWN FATHER 14. CITIZENSHIP 15. RELIGION 16. OCCUPATION 17. Age at the time of this birth That petitioner was born on June 4, 2009 at Unciano General Hospital. Her registered parents in the Certificate of Live Birth are FATHER: CARLBERT FRIAS LICUP and MOTHER: KATHERINE VIRAY BALOBO. She was the fourth child of of the spouses. That petitioner’s (parents were first married on October 6, 1997 at Makati City. From that marriage, three (3) children are born, namely: Date of Birth John Carl Balobo Licup - March 30, 1998 Kate Russel Balobo Licup - December 18, 1999 Carlson Kyle Balobo Licup - July 10, 2001 That on February 12, 2008, the marriage of petitioner’s parents dated October 6, 1997 at Makati City was declared NULL AND VOID by the Hon. Judge Elsa I. De Guzman of the RTC, NCR Br. 89, Quezon City under Civil Case No. Q-07-61401. That after the annulment of marriage of petitioner’s parents KATHERINE VIRAY BALOBO gave birth to the petitioner KHAYLEE KIYOMI BALOBO LICUP, who was born on 04 June 2009 at Unciano General Hospital to an “UNKNOWN FATHER”. The

months of service inclusive of leave of absence with pay from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2016 shall be entitled to the payment of the yearend bonus and cash gift. The year-end bonus is equivalent to an employee’s basic month pay and P5,000 cash gift. Consultants and employees under job contracts, including members of the People’s Law Enforcement Board, who have rendered four months of continuous service from Jan. 4 to Nov. 15 and are still connected with the city government as of November are entitled to a cash gift ranging from P3,000 to P10,000. Contractual employees who have rendered less than four months of continuous service

petitioner’s mother, however caused the registration of the birth of the petitioner as the legitimate child of the SPOUSES LICUP with CARLBERT FRIAS LICUP as the registered father. That after about three (3) years of the petitioner’s parents marriage declared as null and void, they patched up their differences and remarried on June 27, 2011 at the City of San Juan. That petitioner’s registered father in the Certificate of Live Birth CARLBERT FRIAS LICUP (now Carl) by virtue of Petition for Change of Name, has applied for U.S. Citizenship on December 12, 2007. The petition for immigration was granted in so far as KATHERINE BALOBO LICUP, JOHN CARL BALOBO LICUP, KATE RUSSEL BALOBO LICUP and CARLSON KYLE BALOBO LICUP are concerned. The petition for naturalization of KHAYLEE KIYOMI BALOBO LICUP was denied for the reason that a DNA best result indicated that petitioner is excluded as the biological child of CARL FRIAS FRONTOZA. That the grant immigrant status to the petitioner’s mother and the three (3) children gives them the opportunity to reside in the United States. The three (3) children JOHN CARL BALOBO LICUP, KATE RUSSEL BALOBO LICUP and CARLSON KYLE BALOBO LICUP are now enrolled and studying in the United States leaving behind in the Philippines, the petitioner KHAYLEE KIYOMI BALOBO LICUP. That the plight of the petitioner KHAYLEE KIYOMI BALOBO LICUP who will be left behind in the Philippines is a cause of great concern and worry on the part of the petitioner’s parents. Petitioner’s mother and the registered father is still pursuing the grant of the immigrant status to the United States in favour of the petitioner. The petition, however will be granted if the registered father in the Certificate of Live Birth of the petitioner will be CANCELLED and an entry of “UNKNOWN FATHER” be registered thereat. Let a copy of this Order be published at least once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks before the hearing on November 21, 2016 at 1:30 o’ clock in the afternoon at the petitioner’s expense in the Manila Standard, a newspaper of general circulation in Metro Manila, selected by raffle pursuant to PD No. 1079. A copy of this Order shall likewise be posted in the bulletin board of this Court. Let the Office of the Solicitor General, Local Civil Registrar of Mandaluyong City, Prosecutor’s Office of Mandaluyong City, Civil Registrar General or Philippine Statistics Authority and Carlbert Frias Licup (a.k.a. Carl Frias Frontoza) with a copy of this Order together with the petition and its annexes at the expense of the petitioner, the proof of service thereof to be duly proven and established to the satisfaction of the Court. SO ORDERED. Mandaluyong City, October 17, 2016.

(Sgd.) OFELIA L. CALO Judge

Copy Furnished: Atty. Julian T. Tutanes Office of the Solicitor General Office of the City Prosecutor, Mandaluyong City Office of the Local Civil Registrar, Mandaluyong City Civil Registrar General/Philippine Statistics Authority Carl Frias Licup, (a.k.a. Carl Frias Frontoza) Manila Standard

(MS-Nov. 5, 12 & 19, 2016)

from Jan. 4 to Nov. 20 are entitled As far as the consultants and to a pro-rata cash benefit. employees under contract of For special projects personnel, services are concerned, the adincluding senior citizen volun- ditional incentive shall amount to teers, community health workers, 50 percent of the basic monthly Muslim asatidz (teachers) and rate of the employee. pre-school teachers, the cash gift Special projects personnel, inshall be P2,000. cluding senior citizen volunteers, City hall employees are also community health workers, Musentitled to receive additional lim asatidz, pre-school teachers incentives in December on top and riverways clearing operaof the traditional Christmas tions group volunteers from the bonuses. Environmental Protection and CYAN For permanent employees, Waste Management Department 4 REPUBLIC OF PHILIPPINE they will receive good govern- are entitled to THE a flat rate incentive telle REGIONAL TRIAL COURT ance and productivity enhance- NATIONAL of P2,500. at th CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION Rep BRANCH 93,of QUEZON ment incentive pay. Payment the CITY incentives the The incentive is equivalent to shall be made not later than Mar CHINA BANKING CORPORATION an employee’s basic monthly sal- Dec. 15 for regular employees requ Plaintiff to he ary, while the productivity incen- and not later than Dec. 20, for 5 -versusCivil Case No. R-QZN-15-05978-CV tive benefit is P5,000. employees under job contracts. tran For: INTERPLEADER

ARLENE F. PALOMARES, XYRA SHENELLE F. PALOMARES LYCRA KAIZZEL F. PALOMARES and SHALOM D. SY Defendants x-----------------------------------------x

Summit urges protection of sharks for eco-balance ORDER

This resolves the Ex-parte Motion For Leave to Serve Summons by Publication filed by benefits. the plaintiff through sharks has direct socioeconomic counsel.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta CLOSE to 100 policymakers, advocates, government officials and shark enthusiasts called for the national protection of sharks as they gathered in Silliman University for the 2nd Philippine Shark Summit last November 10-11. Anna Oposa, executive director of Save Philippine Seas, said that in shark and ray management and conservation issues, “we need to engage various stakeholders, from policymakers, scientists, advocates, and youth. Their issues reflect the ocean’s issues, which need to be tackled from various entry points. “We are honored to host the country’s second Shark Summit, and we will pass a resolution to ensure that all sharks and rays species are protected and sustainably managed in the province,” said Nilo Sayson, Negros Oriental provincial board member. “We hope that this effort will inspire our neighboring province, to send a strong message to our colleagues in the senate to pass a law that protects all shark and ray species.” AA Yaptinchay, director of Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, said shark tourism is already important to the Philippines, with sites like Donsol for whale sharks, Tubbataha reefs for reef sharks, and Monad Shoal for thresher sharks, showing that protecting

He said many more sites have this potenIn its motion, the plaintiff alleged that the Officer’s tial if onlydated we could find a1,way reduce the Return December 2015toindicated that there were services of Summons Complaint threat ofunsuccessful unmanaged fisheries to their and popuin Interpleader on defendants Palomares on October 27, lations. This move is also critical to keep maNovember 02 and 03, 2015. Efforts were exerted by the rinePlaintiff’s ecosystems healthy.” counsel to contact and locate defendants Arlene, Xyra Philippines and Lyca all surnamed (“defendants The has beenPalomares consuming Palomares” for brevity) but to no avail. Hence, plaintiff prays sharks, particularly stingrays, for a Bicolthat service of summons and complaint be effected upon the originating calledpursuant kinunot (literally, defendants dish by publication to Rule 14 Section 14 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure. “shredded”) in coconut milk. Devil ray and Court finds merit the instant motion. whaleThe shark dried meatinare popular for local Section 14,inRule of the 1997until Rules the of Civil Procedure consumption the14Visayas, fishprovides as follows: ing ofSEC. giant14.manta ray and whale shark were Service upon defendant whose identity or banned in 1998.are unknown. - In any action where the whereabouts defendant is designated as an unknown According to the UN FAO the owner, value orofthe like, or whenever his whereabouts are unknown and cannot be world trade in shark commodities approachascertained by diligent inquiry, service may, by leave of es $1court, billion per year. be effected upon him by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in such and marine for such time as “Sharks play a and vital roleplaces within the court may order. ecosystems and protecting sharks is one of Pursuant to the aforesaid provision of law, service of the summons more holistic ways of saving the marine by publication is permissible provided it complies environment,” Yebwith Saño, difaithfully, strictlysaid and fully all theexecutive foregoing requirements of service of summonsSoutheast by publication. rector of Greenpeace Asia. The rules for such remedy where personal “Sharks areprovide typically apex predators. service could not be effected on a party. Section 14 of Rule They help keep prey populations healthy 14 of the Rules of Civil Procedure provides that by whenever the defendant’s are unknown and cannot feeding on weak,“whereabouts sick, old fishes and preascertained byof diligent inquiry, servicehabitats. may, by leave of ventbe overgrazing critical marine court, be effected upon him by publication in a newspaper Removal of circulation.” sharks from an ecosystem has of general the potential create significant changes In the caseto at bar, the defendants’ whereabouts could not be ascertained byinteractions diligent inquiry,inafter thesystem. Process Server to predator-prey that tried to serve the summons and a copy of the Complaint in Thus, saving sharks means we are also savInterpleader at their last known address. ing theLikewise, future Alias of our oceansdated andAugust the lives as was Summons 26, 2016 wellalso as the peopleonwho dependPalomares on it. unserved defendants and as per

of th Palo 6 that Palo amo the p 7 plain in th 8 over its M eithe nece requ the Mar

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Officer’s Return dated September 5, 2016, the Summons and Complaint in Interpleader were unserved on the said defendants because they already moved out a year ago from CYANtheMAGENTA YELLOW address stated in the summonsBLACK as per information given by their neighbors. Also attached to the said Officer’s Return is a Certification issued by Barangay Bahay Toro and signed by Barangay Captain Dennis A. Caboboy certifying that a

I, addr Ibay acco 1 Ban

Sports Athletes split over Trump triumph LOS ANGELES—From gloating to despair, reactions to Donald Trump’s shock presidential election victory highlighted divisions across the US sporting landscape that mirrored the bitter schism across the nation. Many US athletes took to Twitter to offer straightforward congratulations to Trump on his stunning win. Female racing driver Danica Patrick hailed Trump’s victory after a “crazy night.” “I look forward to @realDonaldTrump #MakeAmericaGreatAgain! Don’t we all want America to be great?! Stay positive ...” Patrick wrote on Twitter. Golfer John Daly congratulated Trump, describing him as a “great friend.” “#NowMakeAmericaGreatAgain bc I know u will! Thk u 4 putting Americans 1st,” Daly wrote. Other athletes couldn’t resist taking a gleeful dig at Trump’s critics, with Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta offering to help celebrities dismayed by the result to emigrate. “Time for Hollywood to pony up and head for the border #illhelpyoupack #beatit,” Arrieta wrote on Twitter. Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee echoed Arrieta’s potshot at Trump’s celebrity critics. “Pretty excited to see which celebs from the ‘I’m leaving the country if Trump Wins’ list, are liars,” McAfee wrote. Yet while many celebrated, figures from the National Basketball Association voiced shock at Trump’s win. Steve Kerr, the coach of the Golden State Warriors, said he had been left “disgusted and disappointed” by the outcome. “I thought we were better than this,” Kerr said. “I thought ‘The Jerry Springer Show’ was ‘The Jerry Springer Show’,” said the coach, decrying the tenor of much of the election campaign. AFP

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Wade beats Heat in Miami return; Durant streak ends M

IAMI—Dwyane Wade made two clutch free throws in the ﬁnal seconds to help lift the Chicago Bulls to a 98-95 win over his former team in his ﬁrst game back in Miami.

Dwyane Wade goes for the reverse against Willie Reed and scored 13 points to help the Chicago Bulls beat his old team, the Heat, during the ﬁrst quarter of their game at American Airlines Arena in Miami. AFP GETTY IMAGES

Wade spent 13 seasons with the Heat before joining his hometown Bulls on a two-year deal worth an estimated $47 million. His return to Miami on Thursday night marked his first visit to AmericanAirlines Arena since his departure. “What a game,” Wade said. “I am glad it is over, but more important I am glad we got a win.” Wade finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes of playing time. But his two free throws with 13 seconds left on the clock helped seal the victory for the Bulls in front of a crowd of 19,600. Jimmy Butler had 20 points and Robin Lopez and Rajon Rondo added 16 points each as the Bulls improved to 5-4. Hassan Whiteside led Miami with 20 points and 20 rebounds. It was his sixth double-double in seven games this season. In other NBA games, it was New Orleans 112, Milwaukee 106, Golden State 125, Denver 101, and the Los Angeles Lakers 101, Sacramento 91. Wade had seven points, three assists and three rebounds in the first half as the teams played to a 53-53 tie. There were 12 lead changes in the first half. Through three quarters, it was a 70-70 tie. The teams went through 18 lead changes in the first three quarters. The teams were so closely matched through three quarters that they even had the same shooting percentage—41.5 percent on 27-for-65 from the floor. Heat point guard Goran Dragic injured his left ankle in

Brazilian GP marks Massa’s last race at home SAO PAULO, Brazil—Felipe Massa will drive his final home race at Interlagos with a broad smile and and buoyed by much affectionate support before he retires from Formula One at the end of the season. Born in Sao Paulo, he grew up adoring the excitement of the Brazilian Grand Prix and seeing his heroes racing for glory in his home city. On Sunday, as a two-time winner of the event, he will be given an emotional send-off. “I think it will be a very special weekend for me, for my last home race,” he said. “I re-

member I was in the grandstand watching and supporting Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet and always dreaming to be here. “And then I managed to get here and win two races here in Interlagos, getting a lot of times on the podium -- so it’s definitely a fantastic place for me. “I will miss this race when I see these guys racing next year. I will miss to be here, but I am so happy and proud for everything I passed through these 15 years in Formula One—every person that I met, friends, drivers, the competition I had with these guys for quite a long time.

“So I will miss this place, some nice races around the world, but also some friends.” Flanked by the two championship contenders and Mercedes team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, Williams driver Massa responded with detail and feeling to every question during Thursday’s news conference. Asked about his fellow drivers, he said: “We are talking about the best drivers in the world. Everybody that gets here gets here because of their talent… The competition is really high. I think I definitely learned a lot. I think it was an amazing

life experience that I had. “It’s not easy to be an F1 driver I would say, but I had a fantastic time. I will always remember them as tough drivers on the track and I would say maybe the relationship in the last (few) year’s gets a little bit better outside of the track, which will be even better when all of us stop. I expect the best for them and support them.” He said he will not submit to emotions during Sunday’s race when a big crowd is expected to lend more than the usual fervor and excitement to an occasion when the drivers’ championship may also be decided.

“When you are in the car, you don’t think about other things… You just think about what you want to do in the best way as you can. “The whole race I will be concentrated on my job, trying to get the best race possible and the best result for me, and my team, especially in this moment when it’s quite important in our fight with Force India. “I think maybe when I finish the race, after the chequered flag, I think it will be very special. It will be a very amazing feeling to do the last lap in Interlagos.” AFP

Refugee athletes, NOCs get over-$500M boost LAUSANNE, Switzerland— Refugee athletes and cashstrapped national Olympic committees (NOCs) were handed a half-billion dollar boost on Thursday by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As part of the next four-year plan of the Olympic Solidarity movement, the IOC agreed to increase the budget by 16 per cent for the period 2017-2020 to $509 billion. The budget had been $439 billion for 2013-2019 with the updated figure corresponding to the share of the broadcast rights from the Olympic Games of Rio in 2016 and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games. As part of refugee athlete support, after a Refugee Olympic team competed for the first time in Rio,

it was decided to create a dedicated programme that would provide national Olympic committees with the opportunity to identify and support a small number of refugee athletes living in their countries to prepare and participate in international competitions. “This increase shows that the athletes remain at the heart of all our activity,” said Pere Miro, the director of Olympic Solidarity. “The huge worldwide success of the Olympic Games in Rio also means that the Olympic movement continues to enjoy a sound financial situation. This enables us to distribute more than half a billion dollars over the next four years to the national Olympic committees.” AFP

MISSED IT. India’s captain Virat Kohli makes an unsuccessful attempt to ﬁeld a ball off the batting of England’s Ben Stokes during the second day of the ﬁrst Test match between India and England at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium in Rajkot on Thursday. AFP

Sharapova back to UN goodwill ambassador role in April MARIA Sharapova will once again be a United Nations goodwill ambassador when her doping ban expires in April and she returns to international tennis competition, a UN statement said Thursday. The United Nations had suspended Sharapova’s role as goodwill ambassador in March after she failed a drug test, putting a hold on a nine-year partnership with the UN Development Programme.

“UNDP was glad to learn that Maria Sharapova can return to the sport she loves sooner than expected and we will lift the suspension of her role as our goodwill ambassador once the reduced ban expires in April 2017,” said a UNDP spokesperson. “We understand that Ms. Sharapova will be focused on resuming her tennis career and we look forward to discussing her role and engagement with UNDP at

an appropriate date.” Last month, the Russian star’s 24-month ban for testing positive for meldonium was cut to 15 months by the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport. Sharapova, 29, had admitted using meldonium for 10 years to help treat illnesses, a heart issue and a magnesium deficiency. As a goodwill ambassador, Sharapova has been active in helping recovery ef-

forts after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. The tennis sensation has made visits to Belarus and donated $100,000 to support youth projects in rural areas that suffer from the after-affects of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Sharapova’s family fled the city of Gomel in Belarus in 1987 after the Chernobyl disaster, moving to Siberia where the tennis star was born. AFP

the third quarter when he came down on the foot of Chicago forward Doug McDermott. Dragic did not return and finished with six points and four assists in 22 minutes. In Denver, Stephen Curry was back to his old self, hitting seven three-pointers en route to 33 points, and Golden State took an early lead and then coasted to a 125-101 win over the Denver Nuggets. A week ago Curry went zerofor-10 in a 117-97 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. On Thursday, Curry also finished with seven assists and five rebounds in just 30 minutes and Klay Thompson scored 19 points. Kevin Durant had 18 points and saw his streak of scoring 20 or more points end at 72 straight games. It’s tied with Michael Jordan for the fourth longest in NBA history. But Durant wasn’t bothered by the end of the streak. “It really didn’t mean a thing for me,” he said. “I think it was cool for the fans to see, but for me I was going out there and doing what I’m supposed to do. “It was cool while it lasted, up there with some great names, but I have bigger goals in mind.” Rookie Jamal Murray had 14 points to lead the Nuggets, who were coming off a five-game road trip and playing just their second home game in the first three weeks of the season. In Milwaukee, Anthony Davis scored 30 points as New Orleans won for the first time this season, beating Milwaukee Bucks 112106 at the Bradley Center. AFP

Knowledge Channel gets assist from NBA Cares SUPPORT for the Knowledge Channel’s efforts to provide educational tools and programs for poor and marginalized students is picking up with the help of the US National Basketball Association (NBA). First, top executives of Knowledge Channel accepted a check donation of P235,000 from the NBA Store in Makati City. Then, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of NBA Cares, all three NBA Stores in the Philippines vowed to donate a portion of their NBA Name and Number T-shirts sales proceeds from Aug. 10 to Sept. 13 to the Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. Doris Nuval, the resource mobilization director of Knowledge Channel, accepted the check during a brief turnover ceremony at the NBA Store in Glorietta 3. The amount will help KCFI develop and provide digital libraries for the poor and marginalized pupils of Yapak, Talaga and Roman Tantiangco Elementary Schools in Morong, Rizal. The children come from families relocated from informal settler communities in Metro Manila. “We have kept in phase with technology. We now have a web-based learning site where a lot of electronic learning materials can be downloaded so our teachers can use them,” said Nuval. The foundation’s educational programs focus on providing multimedia learning resources for students in Grades 10 to 12. It will also help train teachers, initially in the National Capital Region. Peter Atencio

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

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

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

‘Funds from PSC properly liquidated’ By Peter Atencio FUNDS released by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to the national sports associations, reportedly amounting to P129.6 million over the last six years, can be accounted for by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). POC treasurer Julian Camacho said this Friday ahead of a planned Senate inquiry into allegations the sports body has not liquidated funds released by the PSC to the NSAs since 2010. “Liquidated na ito. These are cash advances released through financial assistance,” said Camacho in an interview over DZSR Sports Radio. According to Camacho, the POC has tapped accounting firm SGV over the last six years to help them in auditing the funds from the government. He explained that initially, the PSC could not immediately give financial assistance to NSAs when they request it on behalf of national athletes who are competing and preparing for international meets. So the POC makes the cash advances with the PSC to help finance their undertakings, and later requests for reimbursements. “Nasa NSA na iyon (the money). Pero kami na ang nagli-liquidate nito,” added Camacho. Sen. Sonny Angara, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, said they will look into these allegations that he noted in filing Senate Resolution No. 229. “National athletes competing in international competitions are beneficiaries and recipient of substantial financial aid and support from the State, through, among others, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC),” said Angara in the resolution. It is only appropriate, Angara added, for the State to ensure that such financial aid and support “is responsibly utilized to attain such purpose.”

Sports A DIVE TOO LATE. Paraguay’s goalkeeper Diego Barreto (right) fails to stop a shot by Peru’s forward Christian Cueva during their FIFA 2018 World Cup qualiﬁer football match in Asuncion on Thursday. AFP

FEU hopes defense holds, prays for win over La Salle T HE defending champion Far Eastern University Tamaraws are considered the top defensive team in the 79th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament. The Tams, who have held their opponents to just 64.8 points per game, hope to hit that mark against the league-leading La Salle Green Archers when they meet at 4 p.m. today at the Mall of Asia Arena. FEU has lost its last two games, including a 59-74 setback to the Ateneo Blue Eagles last Wednesday. Beating La Salle will keep the Tamaraws from falling into complications—which will

happen if Ateneo prevails over the University of Santo Tomas in the first game at 2 p.m., and if the Adamson Soaring Falcons gets past the National University Bulldogs on Sunday. Should the Tams lose to the Archers, and the Blue Eagles and the Soaring Falcons score wins, a three-way tie for the no. 2 seed in the Final Four semifinals will occur. Meanwhile, National University opens its bid for a second

straight title against University of the East today in the UAAP Season 79 juniors basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre. Led by ace guard John Lloyd Clemente, the Bullpups are tipped to win in the 3 p.m. clash with the Junior Warriors. Last season’s runner-up De La Salle-Zobel, which lost three key players to graduation, plays Far Eastern University-Diliman at 11 a.m. In other opening day matches, Ateneo takes on University of Santo Tomas at 9 a.m., while Adamson University collides with UP Integrated School. When the Ateneo seniors prevailed over FEU last Wednesday, the Eagles caught their victims in second place. Both teams now

Games Today

(MOA Arena) 2 p.m. UST vs Ateneo 4 p.m. FEU vs La Salle

two all-around players in Ben Mbala and Jeron Teng. Mbala has averaged 21 points and 16 rebounds per game, while Teng has notched 16.9 points. FEU, however, has dominant rebounders in Raymar Jose (11.4 boards an outing) and Prince Orizu (10.0). The Blue Eagles, meanwhile, are on a four-game winning streak, has dominant players and are the only ones to beat their archrival Archers this season. Thirdy Ravena, John Wong, Anton Asistio, Chibueze Ikeh, and the Nieto brothers Matthew and Mike have turned Ateneo into the second-best defensive squad this season, and it showed against the Tamaraws.

share an 8-4 win-loss slate. But the Soaring Falcons are right behind them at 7-5 after they turned back the out-of-contention Growling Tigers, 76-61. For now, FEU coach Nash Racela isn’t focusing on such a scenario taking place. “Right now we just want to focus on the next game, because it all depends on that,” said Racela in their bid to keep their twice-tobeat incentive in the Final Four. The Green Archers have already secured the No. 1 seed and are comfortably ahead of the pack with a 12-1 slate, leaning on their Peter Atencio

V-L Reinforced title clash begins POCARI Sweat and Bureau of Customs kick off their best-of-three series for the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Reinforced Conference crown today in a duel of power, blocking, reception, digs and serves between two teams of equal strength. Though Customs maintains Pocari has the edge, observers feel odds are just about even and predict a fierce, down-to-the-wire battle for the season-ending conference crown of the league sponsored by Shakey’s. The Lady Warriors do have the experience in title playoffs, having won the Open Conference crown over the Air Force Jet Spikers early in the season. But despite being a newcomer in the league, the Transformers boast of a formidable frontline rotation and a backup crew ready to step up and peaking at the right time. Game One is set at 6 p.m. at the Philsports Arena in Pasig with the match to be aired live on ABS-CBN

Games today

10:30 a.m. – Champion vs IEM (Spiker’ for third) 12:30 p.m. – Cignal vs Air Force (Spikers finals) 4 p.m. – UST vs BaliPure (V-L for third) 6 p.m. – Customs vs Pocari (V-L finals)

Sports + Action Channel 23 and S+A HD Ch 166 and via streaming on www.sports.abs-cbn.com, according to the organizing Sports Vision. Meanwhile, Air Force guns for the Spikers’ Turf Season 2 Reinforced Conference crown as it tangles with Cignal in Game 2 of their own series at 12:30 p.m. The Air Spikers edged the HD Spikers, 23-25, 19-25, 2519, 27-25, 15-12, in Game One last Wednesday. Champion also tries to wrap up its series for third against Instituto Estetico Manila at 10:30 a.m. UST and BaliPure also start their own best-of-three playoff for third at 4 p.m. to be aired on a delayed basis. Pocari imports Breanna Mackie and Kay Kacsits and Customs’ Thai

reinforcements Kanjana Kuthaisong and setter Natthanicha Jaisaen will likely cancel each other out in spiking, setting and digs, or net defense, leaving the battle to the local aces. Customs may gain the edge in that area with crowd favorite Alyssa Valdez expected to unleash another fiery outing, but the Lady Warriors have shown they can handle the former Ateneo star’s power when they swept the Transformers in their eliminations face-off last Oct. 22. That win served as Pocari’s third straight since dropping its opening game assignment to Air Force last Oct. 5 and the Lady Warriors never lost again, topping the elims with a 7-1 card and then sweeping the UST Tigresses in the Final Four. In contrast, Customs struggled in the elims but made it to the semis just the same. And the Transformers needed to fight back from one game down in the semis to repulse the BaliPure Water Defenders, 2-1, and gain a crack at the crown.

IN CONTENTION. Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines hits a shot during round one of the Resorts World

Manila Masters golf tournament at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Manila. Tabuena ﬁred a second straight 70 to stand 8 strokes off the lead heading into the weekend. ASIAN TOUR / AFP

Sato one Azkal ‘making a difference’ COACH Thomas Dooley said on Friday he is finally getting the players who can make a difference for the Philippine Azkals national men’s football team. He cited Fil-Japanese booter Daisuke Sato who played center-back in their friendly with Kyrgystan last Wednesday. The experienced Sato did well defensively alongside Amani Aguinaldo, Martin Steuble and Kevin Ingreso that night. “We won the game. We have players who are committed. It was very organized play. It was tight in the back and they did not give the opponent a chance to score,” said Dooley. Dooley positioned Steuble at the

right while putting Ingreso on the left side. The defensive adjustment worked, and later on, good communication helped the team in transition, the coach said. Sato has been made available by his club team in Romania for the coming Asean Football FederationSuzuki Cup 2016, which is set to start next week at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan. He debuted for the Azkals in 2014. On September 17, he became the first Filipino to play in Romania when he lasted the whole match for his team Politehnica Iași, which lost to Dinamo Bucuresti, 3-1. Dooley feels that even though the

Azkals were victorious, he hopes to get a little more out of them next week. “Their game was different from their last two games. Now, they’re acting, not reacting,” he added. The Azkals start their campaign in the AFF Suzuki Cup against Singapore on November 19, followed by Indonesia on the 22nd. Meanwhile, Filipino fans can catch a glimpse of the glittering Suzuki Cup championship trophy that will be on display today at the second floor of The Block, SM North Edsa mall in Quezon City. Dooley and the Azkals will there from 4 to 5 p.m. to meet and greet fans. Peter Atencio

Kiefer in, Bobby Ray out KIEFER Ravena’s decision to pass up on the Philippine Basketball Association and the Smart Gilas Program for the time being may very well be a good one for him. Currently in the United States to pursue whatever he can for a basketball career there, Ravena struck a deal with the Texas Legends as a developmental player for the coming National Basketball Association D-League season, following weeks of talks and training sessions with the Dallas Mavericks affiliate. A month ago, Ravena made it clear that he wants to polish his skills and give the US a try first, to see for himself where his path leads to. Ravena had also played in the Drew League in California before hooking up with the Legends .

The former UAAP Most Valuable Player expressed his delight over the development on his Twitter account. “Wherever and whatever it takes. See you Dallas!” he said. Conversely, the fate of Bobby Ray Parks, another Filipino trying his luck in the US, isn’t as rosy. After being the last draftee of the Westchester Knicks, the D-League affiliate of the New York Knicks, Parks didn’t make the final cut and wasn’t included in the team’s line-up for the upcoming season. It is still unclear where the former National University star and son of the late PBA Best Import Bobby Parks is headed to. He had played 32 games for the Legends in the DLeague last season, averaging 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds. Jeric Lopez

Ayala records P1.9.6-b proﬁt

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

Mactan terminal on track

NEW LANDBANK CHIEF.

Finance Secretary and Land Bank of the Philippines chairman Carlos Dominguez III (right) administers the oathtaking of Alex Buenaventura as the new president and chief executive ofﬁcer of LandBank. Buenaventura has been in the banking industry for 36 years. Buenaventura served as president of One Network Bank Inc., now a unit of BDO Unibank Inc., following BDO’s acquisition of the Davao-based bank in December 2014.

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PSE COMPOSITE INDEX Closing November 11, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

6,975.09 206.78

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

Stocks plunge again; peso nearly hits 49:$1 T OPRICES IL

Closing NOVEMBER 11, 2016 43.00 45.40 46.60 47.80

P48.950

49.00

HIGH P48.770 LOW P48.960 AVERAGE P48.908 VOLUME 707.500M

P442.00-P662.00 LPG/11-kg tank P36.70-P45.40 Unleaded Gasoline

TODAY

P27.40-P30.97 Diesel P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, November 11, 2016

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

48.6660

Japan

Yen

0.009356

0.4553

Pound

1.254800

61.0661

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128922

6.2741

Switzerland

Franc

1.013274

49.3120

Canada

Dollar

0.741895

36.1051

Singapore

Dollar

0.708466

34.4782

Australia

Dollar

0.759700

36.9716

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652309

129.0773

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

12.9765

Brunei

Dollar

0.705965

34.3565

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.028450

1.3845

UAE

Dirham 0.272287

13.2511

Euro

1.088800

52.9875

Korea

Won

0.000858

0.0418

China

Yuan

0.146864

7.1473

India

Rupee

0.014958

0.7279

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.234192

11.3972

New Zealand

Dollar

0.719600

35.0201

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031444

1.5303 Source: PDS Bridge

he stock market plunged again Friday along with the rest of Asia on the prospect of higher US interest rates, with dealers betting Donald Trump’s planned huge spending policies will fire inflation. The peso, meanwhile, retreated further to a more than sevenyear low against the greenback Friday and nearly breached the 49-a-dollar territory two days after Republican Party bet Donald Trump won the US presidential election Wednesday. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 206.78 points, or 2.9 percent, to 6,975.09 on a value turnover of P9.5 billion. The index dropped below 7,000 points for the first time since May 6, 2016, three days before the May 9 presidential election

THE Insurance Commission placed troubled pre-need company Philippine Prudential Life and Insurance Co. under conservatorship and suspended its authority to sell new products. Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc issued the advisory on Friday after PPLIC failed to comply the regulatory requirements. The pre-need company is owned by the family of president and chief executive Gregorio Mercado. Dooc said claimants with issues with the company may ﬁle their complaint to PPLIC conservator Moises Balon. PPLIC has been placed under receivership since 2012. The IC decided to liquidate

when it closed at 6,991.87. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 152 to 28, with 45 issues unchanged. Conglomerate Ayala Corp. sank 6.2 percent to P750, while GT Capital Holdings Inc. of tycoon George Ty tumbled 5.4 percent to P1,263. Globe Telecom Inc., the second biggest telecommunications company, slumped 5.2 percent to P1,490, while Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. skidded 4.4 percent to P72.55. The peso lost P0.29 to close at

48.95 from 48.66 Thursday. It was the peso’s weakest level in more than seven years since the 48.995 on April 28, 2009, the year of the global ﬁnancial crisis. Total volume turnover reached $707.5 million, signiﬁcantly higher than the $357 million previously. “USD/PHP was pummeled into submission, soaring higher as the dollar continued to lord it over emerging market currencies. Foreign investors were also heading for the exits as fast as they could, pulling down the peso after the PSEi broke through the 7,000 handle,” Nicholas Antonio Mapa of the Bank of the Philippine Islands said in a statement. “This was the weakest level of the peso seen since April 28, 2009 when USD/PHP closed at 48.995,” Mapa added.

On equities markets, skittish investors sent Hong Kong 1.1 percent lower and Seoul 0.9 percent down, while emerging market shares were battered. Taipei dived 2.1 percent while Jakarta was down almost three percent. But Japan’s Nikkei ended up 0.2 percent as the weaker yen boosted exporters, although it was down from earlier highs, while Shanghai and Sydney both put on 0.8 percent. The dollar soared against highyielding currencies Friday. Despite an all-time high close on Wall Street, investors across Asia turned cautious on uncertainties linked to a Trump presidency, while the Mexican peso fell back towards record lows on worries about the ﬁrebrand tycoon’s anti-Mexico stance. Julito G. Rada, AFP and Bloomberg

Mitsubishi CEO: Higher tax will affect auto sector By Roderick T. dela Cruz TOKYO—The top Japanese executive of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said the growth of the Philippine automotive industry may be affected by the government’s plan to impose higher excise taxes on vehicles. “With taxes higher, it would be hard to grow sales,” MMC chairman, president and chief executive Osamu Masuko told Filipino journalists here. Masuko expressed hope the Duterte administration would support the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy or

Philippine Prudential Life now under conservatorship By Gabrielle H. Binaday

PPI after considering the evaluation made by an IC team, the appointed receiver and the actuary assigned to conduct technical analysis on the proposed rehabilitation plan. Based on the IC-approved liquidation plan, the ﬁrst tranche of distribution will come from all the liquid trust fund assets that are in the form of cash or easily convertible to cash, such as government bonds, money market instruments and listed shares of stock. The second tranche comprises of the non-liquid trust fund assets of PPLIC, which will be converted into cash or sold. The residual assets will be distributed last, subject to the court’s order under the liquidation case to be ﬁled by the IC.

CARS—the incentive program for the automotive industry initiated by the Aquino administration. Masuko met Duterte during the latter’s state visit to Japan. Masuko described the Philippine president as a “nice man.” Masuko said while the proposed restructuring of excise taxes on vehicles remained to be ﬁnalized, the higher cost of vehicles could eventually affect sales. He said it would be good for the Philippine economy to support the automotive industry, citing the experience of Thailand,

Malaysia and Indonesia which have bigger automotive markets. “Growing the auto industry is a key to economic growth,” he said. Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp., the local unit of MMC, enrolled subcompact car Mirage for the CARS program, with an initial goal to produce 50,000 vehicles and later up to 100,000 vehicles a year. The Finance Department, however, proposed the restructuring of excise taxes on vehicles. The department proposed excise tax rates of 5 percent to 60 percent on vehicles depend-

ing on prices. Under the proposal, automobiles priced below P600,000 would be subjected to a 5-percent excise tax, up from the current 2 percent. The excise tax rate on vehicles sold between P600,000 and P1.1 million would be 20 percent while the rate on vehicles costing P1.1 million to P2.1 million would be 40 percent. Vehicles costing more than P2.1 million would be taxed 60 percent. The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. warned the proposed tax scheme could prevent the CARS program from taking off.

MACTAN, Cebu—MegawideGMR Consortium said on Friday it expects to complete the new international passenger terminal here by June 2018. “We expect no delay in completion of the project. We are conﬁdent that we will open the terminal by June 2018,” Andrew AcquaahHarrison, chief executive advisor of GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., told reporters. GMR-Megawide is led by India’s GMR Infrastructure Ltd. and Megawide Construction Corp.. The Mactan Cebu International Airport Project includes the construction of a new passenger terminal and renovation of the existing one, as well as the provision of new commercial facilities. This would increase passenger capacity to 12.5 million a year. The project will be developed under a 25-year concession agreement for the operation of both terminals and commercial outlets. GMCAC president Louis Ferrer said once Terminal 2 is open, the company will be able to increase the designed passenger capacity from the 4.5 million to 12.5 million.

IN BRIEF SEC ﬁnally okays dollar equity shares

THE Securities and Exchange Commission has given its go-signal to the listing of dollar-denominated securities at the Philippine Stock Exchange. SEC chairperson Teresita Herbosa said the corporate regulator approved the proposed rules on the listing and disclosure, trading, clearing and settlement and fees of DDS during in an en banc meeting Thursday afternoon. The PSE plans to launch the new securities product before the end of the year. The new securities product will enable companies to list their dollar denominated shares in addition to their peso common shares. Fruit grower and canner Del Monte Paciﬁc Ltd. has been waiting for SEC’s approval of the DDS rules to ﬁnally push through with its $360-million preferred shares offering. Jenniffer B. Austria

Duterte to receive ﬁnal ’17 IPP draft

THE Board of Investments will submit the final draft of the 2017 Investments Priorities Plan to President Rodrigo Duterte by the end the year. The plan will give fiscal support to inclusive business projects that benefit the micro, small, and medium enterprises. The IPP, a list of priority investment activities given corresponding incentives, is expected to impact on a lot of sectors and industries, especially the manufacturing sector. Trade Secretary and Board of Investments chairman Ramon Lopez said the target date of submission is considered as milestone undertaking for the agency, given the agency’s historical delays in IPP approval and implementation. Othel V. Campos

COBRA DONATION.

LT Group chairman Dr. Lucio Tan (third from left) presents a P2million check from Cobra Energy Drink to the Hero Foundation through its president Bernard Vincent Dy (fourth from left). The donation is in support of the Hero Foundation’s educational assistance program for orphaned children and siblings of soldiers killed in action or incapacitated in the line of duty. With them are (from left) Hero Foundation trustee Aniceto Bisnar Jr; executive director Major Gen Victor Bayani, AFP (Ret); Basic Holdings president Lt. Gen Salvador Mison, AFP (Ret); and Asia Brewery Inc. chief operating ofﬁcer and Hero Foundation trustee Michael Tan.

Business

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Ayala records P1.9.6-b profit By Jenniffer B. Austria

ONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. booked a net income of P19.6 billion in the ﬁrst nine months of the year, up 11 percent year-on-year, on the robust performance of its banking, real estate and automotive businesses. Ayala said in a disclosure to from Ayala Automotive nearly the stock exchange the healthy tripled during the period.

earnings trajectory was driven by strong equity earnings contribution of its business units, which amounted to ₱23.6 billion, up 10 percent on-year. Equity earnings from the Bank of the Philippine Islands and Ayala Land climbed 23 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, equity earnings

“As they execute on their individual 2020 strategies, our businesses continue to perform well and within targets. As we develop new investments, we are happy to see our power business emerging to be a signiﬁcant player in the space,” Ayala president and chief operating ofﬁcer Fernando Zobel de Ayala said.

“With 1,000 megawatts in attributable capacity, AC Energy is beginning to be a major contributor to the country’s energy requirements. Further, we expect it to be a meaningful part of Ayala’s portfolio in the next five years,” he added. Ayala Land recorded a net income of ₱15.1 billion in the first nine months of the year, a 17 percent-growth year-onyear driven by higher revenues from its residential development and commercial leasing segments as well as commercial lot sales. Strong gains from its core banking, trading, and fee-based businesses sustained BPI’s net earnings in the first nine months, rising 26 percent to

₱17.4 billion from a year-ago level. BPI’s total revenues expanded 14.3 percent from a year ago to ₱50.4 billion. Due to intense business competition and higher operating expenses, net income of Globe Telecoms declined 17 percent to P11.7 billion. Service revenues, however, grew 7 percent to ₱89.1 billion, spurred by gains across data-related product segments. Ayala early this year set up AC Industrials to house the group’s investments in industrial technologies, especially Integrated Micro-Electronics and Ayala Automotive. On a combined basis, Ayala’s industrial technologies portfo-

lio reached a net income of ₱1.5 billion in the first nine months, 25 percent higher than a year ago on the solid performance of automotive dealership. Equity earnings of AC Energy expanded nearly threefold in the first nine months of the year as operating levels of power generation plants significantly improved. It recorded a net income of ₱1.2 billion, 28 percent lower year-on-year due to the absence of capital gains from Ayala’s partial sale of its stake in North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp. in the previous year. Ayala Corp. seeks to double its net income to P50 billion by 2020.

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 47.5 39,200 96.1 2,160,560 3.8 21,000 110.5 3,772,140 1.35 1,000 37.6 162,400 16.3 231,300 18.96 240,000 6.63 100 0.67 1,000 1.8 11,000 670 200 0.8 1,045,000 77.25 6,372,890 0.9 1,000 14 47,200 56.4 46,090 260 100 140.2 310 95 1,380 35.7 17,900 207.4 1,227,820 1,579 80 74.6 295,480 1.33 90,000

1,848,310 207,091,454.50 79,870 414,081,163 1,350 6,126,395 3,748,290 4,570,384 663 670 19,800 134,000 838,870 493,247,647 900 669,142 2,600,317 25,950 44,211 131,100 637,655 254,666,632 125,070 21,986,011 119,700

1,579,495 -61,981,657.50 49,400 -19,443,411 -3,385,810 -985,758.00 -368,726,617.50 -571,738 427,300 -166,145,340 -78,670 -849,954 -

43 3.68 0.9 1.35 19.88 0.206 100 11.28 16.34 160 23 25 64 93 2.02 7.1 12 10.8 6.85 7.05 5.3 22.85 66 12.6 16.8 6 1.83 230.8 79.5 2.08 31.2 26.1 14.4 275.4 0.245 4.71 3.35 9.51 3.01 11.54 2.13 5.74 1.43 69.3 3.62 225 4.25 0.143 1.6 168 4.57 2.02

INDUSTRIAL 43.35 2,263,800 3.79 269,000 0.91 403,000 1.38 597,000 19.88 24,800 0.206 30,000 102 560 11.36 7,963,400 16.38 1,349,400 160 60 23.4 227,300 27 96,200 64 184,960 93 130 2.08 522,000 7.12 338,600 12.1 47,400 11 10,564,300 6.88 488,600 7.15 592,000 5.3 15,326,000 22.9 2,097,300 66.9 71,240 12.6 21,100 16.9 276,400 6.06 211,100 1.88 531,000 231 827,730 80 5,640 2.08 163,000 31.4 1,001,400 26.8 307,500 14.4 2,197,200 278.4 177,540 0.255 540,000 4.71 100,000 3.35 13,164,000 9.54 1,685,200 3.01 14,000 11.54 1,000 2.14 990,000 5.83 22,500 1.45 36,000 69.5 2,508,060 3.68 67,000 225 13,650 4.3 262,000 0.143 3,450,000 1.63 208,000 170 3,961,100 4.57 5,000 2.05 1,029,000

98,119,165 996,390 364,280 821,490 495,950 6,180 57,650 91,005,082 22,138,874 10,000 5,323,415 2,487,745 11,870,039.50 12,110 1,064,950 2,416,450 572,338 115,912,582 3,364,704 4,235,923 81,696,518 48,851,835 4,766,093 266,168 4,673,496 1,277,358 983,340 191,503,778 451,100 339,440 31,721,395 8,220,880 32,002,250 49,131,982 133,330 480,450 44,684,390 16,142,579 42,330 11,540 2,118,870 130,500 52,030 174,416,714 245,490 3,083,920 1,133,930 496,140 339,790 671,670,587 22,850 2,092,550

-79,142,085 -25,551,552 10,557,032.00 -1,873,805 590,049.50 30,600 44,400 4,551,004 -1,012,483 -1,008,744 -42,105,723 -24,429,060 -2,922,580.50 863,048 871,200 34,960 -107,653,386 -4,437,300 -3,227,600 -5,991,876 -16,359,122.00 2,358,860 -5,373,249.00 945,720 89,361,525 2,385,700 36,240 -133,619,586 101,500.00

0.37 72.1 12.82 1.18 6 0.31 750 1,002 8.53 12.1 8.05 5.8 1,251 69.2 1.14 7.49 14.4 6.83 3.08 0.039 1.9 79.5 651 0.9 1.18 232.4 0.29 0.26

HOLDING FIRMS 0.38 170,000 72.55 3,019,910 12.84 8,147,200 1.18 64,000 6 24,100 0.32 680,000 750 918,800 1,002 5 8.56 1,941,700 12.1 11,277,100 8.1 1,254,000 5.8 7,400 1,263 399,450 69.3 3,451,660 1.15 6,274,000 7.7 504,200 14.52 1,300,500 6.83 38,235,200 3.08 5,000 0.039 18,700,000 1.9 1,195,000 80.3 290,880 655 500,580 0.9 50,000 1.19 24,000 235.8 13,130 0.29 310,000 0.27 440,000

63,400 219,889,033 105,599,896 77,980 145,010 212,950 702,416,540 5,010 16,717,502 139,355,674 10,154,970 42,920 506,555,620 241,141,881 7,232,150 3,854,457 18,851,350 262,224,387 15,400 729,800 2,271,560 23,355,231.50 328,322,005 45,000 28,550 3,088,492 91,400 117,100

-191,290,003.50 -36,521,816 -320,236,555 666,967 -3,964,948 10,066,300 -369,515,765 -100,287,866.00 -691,950.00 -1,266,906 1,438,706 -57,158,548 -1,064,000 -3,447,946 -149,788,435 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FILIPINO FUND FIRST ABACUS IREMIT MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

47.5 96.05 3.81 109 1.35 37.75 16.2 19.42 6.63 0.67 1.8 670 0.82 80.5 0.9 14.2 57 260 149.9 95 35.65 210.2 1,560 74.2 1.33

47.5 96.1 3.81 110.5 1.35 37.9 16.3 19.42 6.63 0.67 1.8 670 0.83 80.55 0.9 14.5 57 260 149.9 95 35.7 210.2 1,608 74.65 1.33

46.65 95.05 3.8 108.8 1.35 37.6 16.2 18.96 6.63 0.67 1.8 670 0.79 76.8 0.9 14 56.35 259 140.2 95 35.6 207 1,520 74 1.33

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EEI CORP EMPERADOR ENERGY DEVT FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR LMG CHEMICALS MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PHX SEMICNDCTR PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH

44.2 3.75 0.94 1.4 19.96 0.206 100 11.5 16.5 181 23.55 27 65 94 2.11 7.11 12.26 11.1 6.99 7.2 5.49 24.1 67.9 12.6 17.1 6 1.88 233 80 2.09 32.35 27 15.28 278.4 0.255 4.76 3.38 9.65 3.01 11.54 2.16 5.85 1.44 70.75 3.68 227 4.42 0.145 1.65 174.4 4.57 2.06

44.2 3.8 0.94 1.42 21.4 0.206 110 11.58 16.96 181 23.55 27.35 65.35 94 2.11 7.19 12.26 11.1 6.99 7.2 5.49 24.1 67.9 12.88 17.1 6.08 1.89 238 87.5 2.09 33 27 15.28 278.4 0.26 4.85 3.4 9.89 3.2 11.54 2.16 5.88 1.49 70.75 3.69 227 4.42 0.147 1.66 174.4 4.57 2.06

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ATN HLDG A AYALA CORP BHI HLDG COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FJ PRINCE A GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP METRO PAC INV MJC INVESTMENTS PACIFICA PRIME ORION SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER UNIOIL HLDG ZEUS HLDG

0.38 74.65 13.5 1.23 6.1 0.31 786 1,002 8.85 12.56 8.15 5.8 1,327 70.85 1.18 7.65 14.6 7.04 3.08 0.039 1.92 80.3 670 0.9 1.18 233 0.3 0.26

0.38 75.85 13.6 1.26 6.1 0.32 787 1,002 8.85 12.8 8.15 5.8 1,327 71 1.2 7.7 14.6 7.04 3.08 0.04 1.92 81 670 0.9 1.19 235.8 0.3 0.27

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP KEPPEL PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED

7.3 1.23 6.7 2.29 0.295 34 3.1 5.05 0.63 1.15 0.148 0.56 54 0.75 1.81 0.96 1.01 4.01 3.98 0.151

7.43 1.29 6.7 2.29 0.3 34 3.15 5.05 0.63 1.15 0.15 0.57 54.5 0.75 1.82 0.97 1.01 4.2 3.99 0.153

7.2 1.17 6.5 2.21 0.29 32.6 3.08 5.05 0.58 1.13 0.146 0.55 52.6 0.74 1.75 0.95 0.98 4.01 3.78 0.144

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

0.28 0.43 3.21 32.3 28.6 1.55 3.24 26.25 0.99 0.94 5.25

0.28 0.435 3.28 32.3 28.6 1.6 3.25 26.3 1 0.94 5.25

0.28 0.43 3.05 32.3 27 1.5 3.24 25.55 0.98 0.9 5.06

0.28 0.435 3.1 32.3 27 1.5 3.25 26 0.99 0.92 5.1

10,000 20,000 379,000 100 3,670,700 2,035,000 44,000 18,893,800 1,129,000 445,000 2,723,200

2,800 8,650 1,176,740 3,230 100,279,935 3,071,750 142,760 490,405,060 1,110,480 401,980 13,911,037

-58,040,090 959,240 94,717,785 -2,790 -7,022,228

2GO GROUP ABS CBN APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CALATA CORP CEBU AIR DFNN INC GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL A IMPERIAL B INTL CONTAINER IP EGAME IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA JOCKEY MELCO CROWN METRO RETAIL MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT

7.8 46.4 0.59 0.053 6.6 0.078 2.85 104 6.95 1,552 6.2 12.98 2.16 14.9 130 75.95 0.009 9.15 0.204 1.4 3.3 5.13 1.02 2.2 2.01 4.23 4.51 21.05 2.69 11.3 5.2 151 8.5 1,460 1.15 0.4 43 76 5.8 2.75 0.77 3.24 0.335

7.8 46.7 0.59 0.054 6.6 0.078 2.86 106 6.96 1,557 6.25 13 2.16 16 130 75.95 0.009 9.15 0.204 1.4 3.3 5.25 1.02 2.2 2.01 4.29 4.51 21.05 2.69 11.3 5.2 151 8.5 1,462 1.15 0.41 43.5 78.5 5.82 2.75 0.77 3.25 0.35

7.68 45.7 0.56 0.05 6.21 0.075 2.75 103.8 6.6 1,482 6.17 12.62 2.09 14.9 130 73.8 0.009 9 0.197 1.33 3.3 5 1.01 2.15 2 4.05 4.41 21 2.57 11.24 5.2 150 8.34 1,400 1.12 0.4 42 75 5.62 2.68 0.74 3.18 0.335

SERVICES 7.76 46 0.56 0.051 6.3 0.075 2.76 104.7 6.9 1,490 6.19 12.62 2.12 15 130 74 0.009 9.14 0.199 1.34 3.3 5.1 1.01 2.15 2 4.18 4.45 21 2.57 11.24 5.2 150 8.43 1,406 1.12 0.4 43.1 78 5.79 2.69 0.75 3.2 0.35

20,200 79,900 693,000 57,830,000 11,396,100 50,990,000 2,178,000 693,930 180,000 125,860 37,200 145,300 2,858,000 10,300 10 4,836,850 14,000,000 494,100 10,700,000 525,000 15,000 1,536,000 9,000 21,000 70,000 4,113,000 521,000 1,400 1,202,000 18,000 19,800 2,740 118,100 226,115 16,842,000 1,070,000 2,214,300 365,770 104,800 632,000 6,755,000 285,000 20,000

156,929 3,674,850 397,450 2,952,080 73,301,227 3,886,970 6,064,700 72,743,869 1,223,411 188,332,065 230,307 1,850,016 6,050,960 162,264 1,300 360,333,413 128,300 4,514,935 2,138,160 718,320 49,500 7,920,808 9,130 46,150 140,010 17,017,500 2,334,070 29,410 3,135,030 202,756 102,960 411,158 989,374 317,971,680 18,950,960 431,050 95,246,780 27,835,334 606,111 1,701,990 5,101,970 912,240 6,850

-1,000 -3,658,619 36,610 777,300 26,765,352 -129,589,670 63,100.00 -13,600 80,170,296 129,640 2,904,452 -3,296,530 268,860 95,980 -181,628 192,080 227,130 -348,780.00 -41,000 39,599,575 -1,175,634.50 8,106 2,524,970 31,970 -

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING COAL ASIA HLDG DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A MANILA MINING B MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B PETROENERGY PHILODRILL PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING TA PETROLEUM UNITED PARAGON

0.004 3.09 4.72 0.395 8.47 1.35 0.28 0.197 0.201 0.012 0.012 1.8 7.81 3.05 0.5 1.03 0.011 0.011 4.15 0.012 8.25 3.85 126.7 3.1 0.010

0.004 3.16 5.1 0.4 9.01 1.35 0.29 0.198 0.201 0.012 0.012 1.8 8 3.16 0.5 1.08 0.011 0.011 4.19 0.013 8.4 3.86 126.7 3.1 0.010

0.004 3.07 4.72 0.395 8.47 1.27 0.28 0.193 0.2 0.012 0.012 1.72 7.66 3 0.5 1.02 0.011 0.011 4.15 0.012 8.14 3.7 123 3 0.010

MINING & OIL 0.004 26,000,000 3.1 900,000 5.09 5,375,000 0.4 110,000 8.98 446,500 1.3 42,117,000 0.285 390,000 0.198 8,200,000 0.2 70,000 0.012 38,000,000 0.012 13,600,000 1.75 799,000 7.73 7,416,300 3.03 114,000 0.5 1,000 1.07 264,000 0.011 200,000 0.011 3,600,000 4.19 11,000 0.012 48,900,000 8.2 2,101,700 3.78 1,469,000 124 355,630 3 27,000 0.010 2,000,000

91,000 2,791,550 26,639,770 43,500 3,943,734 55,124,700 109,750 1,606,670 14,010 456,000 163,200 1,413,360 57,946,866 347,270 500 279,350 2,200 39,600 45,850 596,900 17,224,863 5,542,030 44,076,389 81,600 19,200

-846,550 -1,052,530 -1,988,800 9,704,870 6,727,263 885,238 -487,780 -12,267,527 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B2 DD PREF FGEN PREF F FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B LR PREF MWIDE PREF PF PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

45.3 545 104.5 112.9 115.2 535 6.16 1,025 1.06 112 1,030 77.1 80.5 80 77.5 78

45.55 545 105 112.9 115.2 535 6.16 1,025 1.06 112 1,030 77.1 80.5 80 77.9 78.1

45.05 545 104.5 112.9 115.2 535 6.16 1,025 1.06 111 1,030 77 80.1 80 77.5 78

PREFERRED 45.2 187,500 545 7,330 104.5 36,050 112.9 20 115.2 100 535 5,000 6.16 100 1,025 500 1.06 175,000 111 3,000 1,030 250 77 20,000 80.1 26,000 80 970 77.9 3,800 78 112,440

8,470,860 3,994,850 3,778,884 2,258 11,520 2,675,000 616 512,500 185,500 334,000 257,500 1,540,205 2,082,608 77,600 294,620 8,778,730

-1,986,750 3,994,850 -51,500 -1,540,205 -

LR WARRANT

2.4

2.32

WARRANTS 2.39 83,000

195,310

ALTERRA CAPITAL ITALPINAS XURPAS

2.95 3.92 10.3

3.04 4.05 10.4

2.9 3.85 9.65

2.97 3.85 9.78

1,686,260 251,130 48,331,420

23,600 115,500 624,415

FIRST METRO ETF

120

117.9

3,240,872

PROPERTY 7.36 1.18 6.5 2.21 0.29 32.8 3.08 5.05 0.6 1.13 0.146 0.56 53.7 0.74 1.75 0.96 1 4.2 3.78 0.144

145,600 13,357,000 9,500 353,000 1,350,000 25,718,200 2,045,000 57,800 72,771,000 84,000 2,950,000 4,502,000 253,150 398,000 13,706,000 4,091,000 557,000 300 70,022,000 20,160,000

1,067,007 16,164,270 63,590 781,630 395,800 848,375,715 6,352,370 291,890 44,107,450 95,320 433,210 2,496,950 13,488,797 296,590 24,139,250 3,928,890 556,080 1,222 266,989,250 2,944,640

592,663 34,760 -306,258,065 -3,240,560 -12,934,240 1,140 -1,130,410 -10,263,990 -1,283,520 980 39,045,870 -

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

16,817,835

INDUSTRIAL

77,237,920

HOLDING FIRMS

99,434,525

PROPERTY

261,933,865

SERVICES

197,956,521

MINING & OIL

202,592,303

GRAND TOTAL

861,539,147

SME

572,000 65,000 4,900,500

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 118 27,400

VALUE 1,724.29 (down) 24.85 1,495,972,525.17 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,168.23 (down) 277.24 1,735,094,444.80 HOLDING FIRMS 7,057.28 (down) 252.72 2,649,987,105.92 PROPERTY 3,063.06 (down) 75.76 SERVICES 1,349.40 (down) 38.20 1,847,311,058.53 MINING & OIL 11,727.79 (down) 144.94 1,484,064,467.36 PSEI 6,975.09 (down) 206.78 218,627,301.825 All Shares Index 4,220.21 (down) 102.05 9,484,572,276.79 Gainers: 28 Losers: 152; Unchanged: 45; Total: 225

LT Group income rises 33% to P6.25b

LT Group Inc., the listed holding company of tycoon Lucio Tan, said attributable net income in the ﬁrst nine months of 2016 climbed 33 percent to P6.25 billion, up from P4.71 billion reported year-on-year, fueled by the strong growth of the banking, tobacco, property and liquor units. LT Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Philippine National Bank accounted for P2.54 billion or 41 percent of the total attributable income, while the tobacco business contributed P1.79 billion or 29 percent. Asia Brewery Inc. added P894 million, or 14 percent, while Tanduay Distillers Inc. accounted for P679 million, or 11 percent. Eton Properties Philippines Inc. contributed P248 million, or 4 percent. Equity in net earnings from Victorias Milling Co. Inc. amounted to P96 million. Nine-month consolidated revenues also rose 13 percent to P45.1 billion from P39.8 billion a year ago. PNB reported a net income of P5.91 billion in the the ﬁrst three quarters of the year, an increase of 12 percent, as net interest income climbed 14 percent to P14.63 billion. Jenniffer B. Austria

PLDT expands its fiber network By Darwin G. Amojelar PLDT Inc. said on Thursday it expanded its fiber optic cable network from north to south of the Philippines, servicing more than 2.5 million homes. “As a result of our aggressive rollout program, PLDT now has over 140,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables, the most extensive fiber infrastructure in the country. This enables us to serve the increasing demand for high-speed broadband from homes across the country,” PLDT chairman and chief executive ManuelPangilinan said. The PLDT Group’s expanded nationwide fiber optic network will enable even more homes to enjoy seamless and lag-free internet access from as far north as Laoag, Baguio City, Vigan City, and Tuguegarao, all the way to central and southern Luzon, including Tarlac, Cabanatuan City, and San Fernando, Pampanga, and Puerto Princesa and El Nido in Palawan; down to the Bicol region to stretch to Sorsogon, Naga City, and Legazpi City. The major urban areas in the Visayas region are also fiber-ready with the most extensive footprint in the cities of Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo, Tacloban, and Tagbilaran. In Mindanao, PLDT’s fiber has now reached key provinces and cities, including Cotabato, Davao, General Santos City, Koronadal, and Zamboanga. “As the demand for highspeed connectivity escalates, we are stepping up our efforts to make our most advanced broadband service accessible to more homes in the country,” Pangilinan said. In addition to being available in more areas, PLDT is making the Home Fibr service more affordable and enjoyable by introducing Plan 1899 which offers speeds of up to 50 Mbps.

Business

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Malaysia economy up 4.3% in rd 3 quarter K UALA LUMPUR―Malaysia’s economy expanded at a better-thanforecast pace in the third quarter, snapping ﬁve straight quarters of slowing, the central bank said on Friday.

This picture taken on November 10, 2016 shows Chinese actress and singer Li Yuchun (second from right) performing during the 2016 Tmall 11:11 Global Shopping Festival gala in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province. Chinese shoppers spent more than $1 billion in the ﬁrst ﬁve minutes of Singles Day on November 11, e-commerce giant Alibaba said in the world’s biggest online shopping promotion. AFP

Chinese shoppers spend billions on Singles’ Day SHANGHAI—Chinese shoppers spent more than $1 billion in the first five minutes of Singles Day on Friday, e-commerce giant Alibaba said, in the world’s biggest online shopping promotion. Singles’ Day―named for the repeated digit 1 in the date November 11―was created by Alibaba in 2009. Now in just 24 hours it surpasses the main US online spending spree, the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. Shortly after noon, gross merchandise volume―Alibaba’s key measure of online sales―had reached 82.4 billion yuan ($12.1 billion), the firm said, already closing in on last year’s total. It had overtaken the 2014 figure by 6.54 a.m., the firm said, with rival e-commerce giant JD.com, which focuses more on electronics, similarly receiving

more orders by 9.14 a.m. than it had done on the whole of Singles Day 2014. In the US, total online sales for the ﬁve days from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday last year stood at $11.1 billion, according to Adobe Digital Index. Alibaba’s New York-listed stock has been buoyant this year in spite of worries over slowing growth in China, as consumer spending has expanded while the old industrial economy struggles due to overcapacity and sluggish demand. China’s economy expanded at its slowest rate in a quarter of a century last year and has eased further this year, as Beijing tries to shift growth drivers from investment and exports to domestic consumption. Alibaba kicked off this year’s event with a gala in the southern

city of Shenzhen on Thursday night, inviting international and domestic stars from basketball player Kobe Bryant to pop rock band OneRepublic. Singer Katy Perry was also originally scheduled to perform but canceled at the last minute due to a family emergency, she said on China’s Twitter-like weibo. Analysts said the event, which has gained more and more traction in the past few years, is key to Alibaba. The day’s turnover was only “a very small fraction of its total annual sales,” independent ecommerce analyst Li Chengdong said, but was “a confidence index for the firm.” “If they do well in this, it is a boost to investors’ confidence,” he told AFP. But sales growth may not

match last year’s 60 percent rise, he warned, in the face of economic worries and stricter regulation. China’s commerce watchdog SAIC summoned Alibaba and 14 other e-commerce companies earlier this week, banning them from making up fake orders and lifting prices before giving out discounts. Alibaba itself has sought to downplay the importance of the turnover statistic. “I don’t have any requirement for the sales ﬁgure,” Alibaba quoted chairman Jack Ma as saying in a statement on weibo, adding the day was all about “happiness and joy.” Online shopping is a bright spot in Beijing’s efforts to transform the economy, growing 26.1 percent in the January-to-September period according to the National Bureau of Statistics. AFP

Bank Negara said gross domestic product grew 4.3 percent in July-September, faster than the 4.0 percent predicted in a Bloomberg News poll as private domestic consumption offset weak government spending. However, it warned of further economic headwinds ahead. “Overall, while domestic conditions remain resilient, uncertainties in the external environment may pose downside risks to Malaysia’s growth prospects,” the central bank said. Energy-exporting Malaysia has the third-largest economy in Southeast Asia, but has been grappling with falling oil prices and weak overseas demand. Growth in the second quarter of this year was 4.0 percent, the slowest since 2009. The country has also been rocked by a massive ﬁnancial scandal centering on allegations that billions of dollars were stolen from a state investment fund overseen by Prime Minister Najib Razak, who denies wrongdoing. In July, Malaysia unexpectedly cut interest rates for the ﬁrst time in seven years to help spur growth. In a 2017 budget unveiled last month, Najib announced new cash assistance for the poor, civil-servant pay rises to help stoke consumption, and plans for more infrastructure projects. The World Bank has forecast Malaysian full-year growth be-

low ﬁve percent this year Malaysia’s consumers and companies are now the growth pillars of the economy after a collapse in global crude prices hurt exports and curtailed the government’s ability to spend. Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election poses a risk to Asian economies should he follow through with imposing trade barriers. Najib has allocated more funds for the poor and promised civil servants a bonus to support domestic consumption. The central bank delivered a surprise 25 basis-point cut in the benchmark overnight policy rate in July and lowered the amount of cash that banks must set aside as reserves earlier this year. “Weak export sales could likely be the main drag,” Irvin Seah, a senior economist at DBS Group Holdings Ltd. in Singapore, wrote in a Nov. 10 report. “Amid the challenging external environment, domestic demand will likely remain the key driver of growth.” Malaysia’s central bank has space for two more rate cuts until the end of 2017, Wellian Wiranto, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. in Singapore, said before the announcement. He forecast a rate cut when policy makers meet later this month, adding that potential ﬂuctuations in the ringgit would be among reasons affecting the decision. AFP, Bloomberg

A year after bloodbath, Paris struggles to woo back tourists By Katia Dolmadjian and Gina Doggett PARIS—A year after jihadists sowed terror in Paris, killing 130 people, the City of Light is struggling to restore its luster as fearful tourists stay away in droves. In the Paris area alone, tourism revenue is expected to plunge by 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) this year. “We haven’t recovered,” the tourism chief for the Paris region, Frederic Valletoux, told AFP. “The impact is lasting and completely unprecedented... Many small businesses are on their knees.” France’s Socialist government on Monday unveiled a 42-million-euro plan to boost security in tourist areas, on top of 10 million already earmarked for promotional efforts. “We must say it clearly,” Prime Minister Manuel Valls said. “Tourism in France is going through a difﬁcult period.” The new measures will tighten security at prime tourist magnets such as the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, which saw a 20 percent drop in visitors in the past year. Tourist arrivals to France were down 8.1 percent in the 10 months from January to October. The government has set a goal of attracting 100 million foreign visitors in 2020, compared with 85 million last year. Nice attack deepened fears Ofﬁcials had hoped the

stay-away trend would reverse after the successful hosting of the Euro football championship in July. But just days after the end of the competition, the tourism sector took a massive new blow with the Bastille Day truck rampage in the Riviera resort city of Nice that claimed a further 86 lives. “People are afraid because it’s not just one thing but a series” of attacks in France, said Serbian tourist Vladimir Mitrasinovic, a Londonbased tech executive who was visiting Paris for a reunion. Restaurants “are getting hit hard, both in Paris and the Riviera,” said Roland Heguy, head of the hotel industry association UMIH. The summer months, normally the peak tourist season, “were very bad for this sector”, he said. The terror attacks were signiﬁcant, but not alone, in discouraging tourism over the past year, which has also seen massive street protests over labor reforms that frequently turned violent. Among other deterrents, the Paris region has seen a series of thefts targeting Asian visitors. “Asian tourists—all tourists—must know that they are safe in France,” Valls’ ofﬁce said. January to October saw a 39 percent decrease in Japanese tourists and 23 percent fewer Chinese visitors. On a recent afternoon, shoppers entering Paris’s venerable Printemps department store gamely submitted to

Banners reading “Paris remembers” (left) and “Paris united,” in memory of the victims of last year’s November 13 jihadist attacks in and around Paris, are pictured on the facade of Paris’ City Hall on November 10, 2016. On November 13, 2016 France will mark the ﬁrst anniversary of coordinated jihadist attacks in and around Paris that left 130 people dead. AFP

metal detector wands. Yan Liu, one of the store’s dozens of Chinese sales assistants to cater for Chinese shoppers, said the wands were introduced about a year ago— corresponding to the November attacks. “I’m afraid it doesn’t look like (shopping tourism) is coming back,” said Liu, 37, who has worked at Printemps for four years. ‘Paris is Paris’ She said the rash of robberies targeting Chinese was one factor keeping Asian tourists away. “But the sense that France isn’t safe is especially because of the attacks,” Liu said. In the Pigalle district, home to the Moulin Rouge, Danish tourist Jens Peter Frahm-Hansen said the jihadist attacks did not deter him. “You shouldn’t be afraid of these types of people, that’s what they want,” the 64-yearold retired Kodak executive said. His friend Mitrasinovic, who lived through the July 7, 2005, London bombings, was equally sanguine about the threat. “Most of us think it won’t stop, so we won’t change our plans,” he chimed in. Frahm-Hansen said the group of former work colleagues had ruled out meeting up in places like Turkey or Tunisia because of security fears. “We could have gone anywhere else, but we chose Paris,” he said. “The sun is the same everywhere, but Paris is Paris. It’s unique and you have to see it.” AFP

Property

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

PH GOLF DESTINATIONS BAG ASIAN AWARDS. Birdie-hunters who like playing golf in the Philippines have two creatively laid out courses to choose from. And both just snagged prestigious plums from the Asian Golf Awards, dubbed the “Oscars” of the industry in the region. Anvaya Cove’s golf course in Bataan province won the Best Golf Course in the Philippines, and Best Golf resort in the Asia Paciﬁc (See photo) . Southlinks Golf Club, an up-and-coming links-type course where duffers regularly lose balls because of its tight fairways and forbidding roughs, won the Best Public Course in the Philippines award, and Best value for Money Golf Experience in Asia (Inset). Anvaya’s 18-holes layout covers peaks and ridges, and offers majestic vistas of the sea and the Zambales and Bataan mountain ranges. Southlinks Golf Club, located at Southvale, Alabang, has a ﬂatter, but no less challenging Par 72 layout that meanders through rolling and narrow terrains. The course is notorious for gobbling up errant tee and approach shots.

SWATHE OF GREEN. The longest urban park in Metro Manila was inaugurated recently at the Bonifacio Global City (BGC). BGC’s developer, Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation (FBDC), unveiled BGC Greenway Park, a 1.6-kilometer stretch of landscaped expanse that stands shoulder to shoulder with New York City’s High Line. Greenway Park connects McKinley Parkway from the western part of the city to different ofﬁces and residential buildings such as the Bellagio, Bonifacio Ridge, and all the way to the Net Plaza. At the opening of the park were members and guests of the BGC community (from L-R) : Lourdes Reyes (CFO, FBDC); Meean Dy (group head, Strategic Landbank Management, Ayala Land Inc.); Manny Blas (head of commercial operations, FBDC); Edwin Eron (city councilor, Taguig City); Rodney Medrano (general manager, Bonifacio Estate Services Corp.); Karla Kangleon & Jan Llamado (BGCitizens); Benedict Camara (director & founder, National Bicycle Organization).

GETTING A BIGGER BANG FOR YOUR CONDO

PROFESSIONALLY MARKETED. Serviced residences are becoming popular nowadays because TAKING A CLOSER LOOK. Manalac predicts that of their lower operating costs as compared to full hotel set-ups. These have long-staying guests and do not require heavy stafﬁng. Thus, higher proﬁts that can be shared with the investors/unit owners.

oreign investors are keen on investing in properties in the Philippines. Naturally, they’re more concerned about higher rental yields and capital gains than using their units. Guaranteed yields gets their gander up.

KITCHEN CABINET. Expect good chi when whipping up a gourmet

spread for guests in your unit at Viridien in Greenhills. Kitchens at the luxury condo’s 141-square-meter unit, for example, are contemporaryclassic affairs complete with a pantry, Viro Casa cabinets, Kohler sink and Grohe faucets ﬁt for a Michelin chef, or one aspiring to be. The Viridian, a 53-storey residential tower, is at the corner of Connecticut and Missouri Streets. Units range from 38 to 207 square meters, and residents can take a pick of unobstructed views of the mountains, Ortigas skyline, and Wack Wack Country Club. Ortigas & Co. is the property developer of the Viridian.

Pre-selling projects? They’d rather give these a wide berth. What they usually ask about is: who is going to handle their property, who is going to look for tenants, facilitate the lease transactions, lease rates, take care of the tenant’s maintenance concerns, pay utilities, pay insurance, collect payments, inspect the units after the tenants leave, handle the repairs, and refurbishments, pay taxes? Their biggest worry is…what if there are no tenants?

Vacant units, a no-no A lot of condominium buyers unfortunately have had the experience of having their units vacant for several months. Sometimes, even with the best efforts of the broker, the unit owner insists on their ideal rental rate, thus losing prospective tenants, not realizing that with each month that the unit is vacant, plus additional cost in paying the monthly association dues, their effective return signiﬁcantly diminishes. In most cases, these investors feel their agents abandoned them after they got their commissions. Alejandro S. Mañalac, chairman and co-founder of HAVITAS Development Corp., told the Manila Standard that projects that offer professional asset management have an edge in this kind of market. “I am referring to a separate company that specializes in managing hotels or serviced residences,” explained the former chair-

professionally-run “rental pools” may be the trend in the local condo scene in the next few years.

man of the National Real Estate Association (NREA). “This is the reason why I ﬁnd it safer now to present projects that offer guaranteed rental yields in one form or another,” he said. “These guarantees can be in form of an actual contract with speciﬁc rates of rental yields, or just the mere track record, brand name and actual performance of the hotel/service residence operator. This is already a guaranty in itself.”

Professional asset management

Also more popular nowadays are serviced residences “because they have lower operating costs as compared to full hotel set-ups since they have more long-staying guests and does not require heavy stafﬁng.” Manalac said this translates to higher proﬁts that can be shared with the investors/unit owners. These operators, Manalac said, professionally market their rooms and have the advantage of existing networks of corporate clients, tie-ups with local and international travel agencies and event organizers. “Multinational companies usually prefer to house their top expats in these hotels/serviced residences run by reputable operators for safety, security and most of all, convenience,” he said.

Manalac said that based on his studies, there are a lot of advantages in investing in units that are enrolled in the rental pool of professionally managed service residences. “They do not have to worry about ﬁnding tenants for their units Hassle-free ownership since they enjoy their monthly share of the pooled rental income whether Another advantage of investtheir units are occupied or not,” he ing in professionally run rental poiunted out. pools is the hassle free ownership. “They don’t have to worry about paying their bills, insurSOMERSET ALABANG OPENS. The Ascott ance, commissions, and utilities; Limited Philippines forayed into the southern part be bothered by maintenance, of Manila with the opening of Somerset Alabang collections, and refurbishing,” Manila, its first international serviced residence south Manalac said. “The units are preof Metro Manila. The new development property is served since the operators see to located in Filinvest City, Alabang. The third Somerset it that they are kept in very attracinternational serviced residence in the Philippines, Somerset Alabang Manila is a 150-unit development tive and marketable conditions. that offers various apartment choices - studios, one-, Service residence operators two-and three-bedroom apartments. The spacious keeps the units in tiptop condiunits offer contemporary interiors, including a welltion since they are open to buying equipped kitchen, separate working and living areas, back the units from the investors home entertainment system and broadband internet at a pre-determined premium. connection. Residents can also enjoy the recreational Manalac warned, though, that areas - a lap pool (see photo) , fully-equipped fitness in the absence of a guaranty concenter, premier restaurant, pool bar and Cubbies tract, it is important to check out Room, a play area for children. the company that will operate the rental pool of the hotel, or serviced apartments. “Their brand, track record and careful study of the market are sometimes an even better assurance than a contract,” he said. Manalac predicted that professionally-run rental pools may be the trend in the next few years. “Once the market becomes aware of the presence of these options in real estate, those who are coming in purely for investment will be taking a closer look at this,” he said.

LGUs

Quezon bans cutting of coco trees

LUCENA CITY—Quezon Gov. David Suarez has ordered the temporary suspension of the issuance of barangay clearances for the cutting of coconut trees in the province. Suarez issued Executive Order No. 29 due following reports of massive, rampant and unrestrained cutting of coconut trees and has directed the mayors and barangay officials of the province to immediately suspend the issuing of the said barangay clearance in the meantime. According to Suarez, this step shall mitigate the threat of the number of coconut trees diminishing which affects the lives of farmers as well as the environment. “The vast natural resources of the province [are] under immediate threat due to unrestrained and unnecessary cutting of coconut trees and there is a need to keep track and evaluate the percentage of those that still remain in Quezon as there are numerous validated reports of uncontrolled illegal cutting,” Suarez said. He underscored the need to preserve the number of coconut trees in Quezon, considered as richest in Calabarzon in coconuts. The vast plantation of coconut trees in Quezon is the major source of income of the farmers. One of the requirements for the issuance of permit for the cutting of coconut trees is a barangay clearance from the respective barangays where the coconut trees are. Suarez stressed the temporary stoppage would be highly beneficial to farmers and local government because this would assess the present status and update the remaining percentage of uncut coconut trees in the province. “We must take this action to provide adequate protection to the environment, as well as , address, evaluate and update the present situation regarding its adverse environmental concern,” Suarez said. “This will allow for the proper planning of coconut tree planting which shall benefit our youth and enable the provincial government to set in place the necessary measures to ensure the coconut trees, a source of livelihood of Quezon farmers, shall be protected,” he said. In his directive, all barangay clearances secured for the cutting of coconut trees in Quezon shall hereby temporarily be suspended pending the assessment of the remaining percentage of coconut trees still uncut. Second, all town mayors are directed to coordinate with the different barangays under their jurisdiction to implement the temporary stoppage of issuance of barangay clearances. The order mandated the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office to coordinate with Philippine Coconut Authority and the barangay in determining the remaining uncut percentage of coconut trees.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

Coral cure in Bagac, Subic B By Butch Gunio

ALANGA, Bataan—The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) are implementing a coral reef restoration project in the coastal towns of Bagac, Bataan and Subic, Zambales.

The project involves a roll out corals to improve productivity of of coral transplantation technol- coral resources. ogy using asexually reproduced Dr. Hermogenes Paguia, BPSU

OIC Vice President for Research, Extension, and Training Services and project leader, said the university conducts the monitoring aspect of the project while the Sangkalikasan Producer Cooperative plants the corals. He said PCAARRD provides the funding that started in 2014 and set to be completed this year. He added 25 coral fragments were being planted in one square meter area. A coral nursery was established under the sea. Paguia is the project leader in monitoring Bagac area. On the other hand, BPSU on leave VP for Research, Exten-

sion, and Training Services Prof. Rudy Flores is the monitoring project leader in Subic. Sol Rosano, support staff, said members of BPSU team involved in the project underwent formal training in diving, and are now certified divers. Paguia said seminars were being conducted to affected communities educating them on the value of coral restoration in climate change mitigation, sustainable fisheries, and underwater tourism. He said the communities are also educated on the effects of destructive fishing practices to marine resources. He pointed out the involvement

of the community was an integral component of the project. Philippine coral reefs are in serious deterioration and continue to suffer massive decline in abundance, diversity and habitat structure due to anthropogenic activities such as pollution, overfishing, destructive fishing practices using dynamite or cyanide, collecting live corals for the aquarium market and mining coral for building. Natural factors such as typhoons, cyclones and hurricanes have also contributed to the destruction of coral reefs as these produce strong waves that break apart or flatten large coral heads, and scatter fragments.

MOVING ON. Some 135 drug surrenderers from Las Piñas City clean vegetable farm lots at the Villar Sipag Farm as part of their activities under the Sagip Bukas Drug Rehabilitation Program, a joint project of Senator Cynthia Villar and the Las Piñas City government, the Philippine National Police and the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The activity was witnessed Friday by Camille Villar, lawyer Jo Bocaling of Las Piñas Restorative Justice Ministry and Bishop Jessie Mercado.

Subic Bay Port’s Container Freight Station now open SUBIC BAY FREEPORT— More ships are expected to call on the port of Subic with the opening of the first Container Freight Station that caters to the Central Luzon market. This, as the Subic Bay International Terminal Corp., in partnership with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the Bureau of Customs-Subic inaugurated early this week the newly built CFS located at SBITC’s New Container Terminal at the

Port of Subic. SBMA Chairman Martin Diño stressed the importance of the CFS in this port as this will boost more trade in the region. “This new facility will definitely encourage our importers and exporters in Central Luzon to regularly ship their cargoes through the port of Subic,” Diño said. In the meantime, SBITC President Roberto Locsin thanked the SBMA and the BoC for sup-

porting the completion of the CFS, adding the project is clearly a good example of an effective public-private partnership. “We are one with SBMA in ensuring the growth of businesses inside the Freeport, particularly in the shipping business,” Locsin said. Subic Bay’s CFS will be utilized to consolidate into or deconsolidate goods from containers for transport to their next destination for Less-than-Con-

tainer Load shipments. With eight loading bays capable of stripping and stuffing eight containers simultaneously, the facility has an initial storage space of 840 square meters, expandable up to 1,860 square meters. It also features state-of-the-art equipment and a 24-hour CCTV system. SBITC has tapped ECU Worldwide, through ECU-Line Philippines Inc., one of the coun-

Contractors barred from using job mix BAGUIO CITY—Mayor Mauricio Domogan warned contractors they may no longer be allowed to job mix their construction aggregates in project sites to help reduce traffic congestions along roads and improve the city’s air quality. The local chief executive ordered the City Engineering Office to strictly implement an ordinance which prohibits concrete mixing jobs and cement batching stations along major roads and all barangays in the city. “We have instructed the members of the Anti-Road Obstruction Task Force to include the job mix along roads and in the different barangays because this obstructs traffic flow, especially on narrow roads,” Domogan stressed. He expressed disappointment on the failure of the Department of Public Works and HighwaysBaguio City District Engineering Office and the City Engineering Office to implement the ordinance, allowing enterprising contractors to wilfully close portions of the roads for their job mix. Under the anti-job mix or-

dinance, any violator shall be fined P1,000 for the first offense, P3,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 for the third offense or revocation of their license to operate for companies or establishments doing construction. The ordinance also mandated the DPWH-CAR, DPWHBCDEO, the City Environment and Parks Management Office and all barangay officials to enforce the ordinance in their areas. The ordinance states it shall be a policy of the City Government to prohibit job mix activities along major roads and all barangay roads in the city as well as the placing of cement batching stations in the said areas. Domogan challenged the relevant departments and offices to strictly implement the ordinance to reduce traffic congestions and air pollutants as dust particles from construction aggregates have been identified by the Environmental Management Bureau in the Cordillera as one of the major factors that impact on air quality. Dexter A. See

try’s top consolidators, to cater to exporters and importers’ LCL requirements. SBITC is a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc., engaged in port operation, management, and development. ICTSI’s portfolio of terminals and projects spans developed and emerging market economies in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Butch Gunio

No permit for sale of ‘crackers in Tuba

SAN JUAN’S BEST. Mayor Guia Gomez sifts through some pieces of jewelry hawked at the city’s newly opened seven-hour weekend market which closes at 2 p.m., aptly named ‘Sabado Mercado,’ the first time the San Juan City Employees Cooperative set up a weekly bazaar, with 43 vendors joining in the project, which had its first run on Nov. 5 at the Pinaglabanan Shrine.

TUBA, Benguet—The local government unit here will not issue any special permit to individuals and groups wanting to sell firecrackers and pyrotechnic materials in the town as part of efforts to help in the government’s campaign against unsafe revelry during the Yuletide. Mayor Ignacio Rivera, a first-term local chief executive, said President Rodrigo Duterte already issued a firm directive against the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic materials during the holiday season. “We have to abide by the orders of the President. We will no longer issue special permits to those individuals and groups applying to sell firecrackers and pyrotechnic materials in any place in the municipality,” Rivera stressed. For the past three years, some 20 vendors have been using the frontage of a construction firm along Marcos highway to sell these fireworks and pyrotechnic materials after Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan declined to issue them special permits to sell. Dexter A. See

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

LGUs

MP folk grateful to Lacwasan B toc side, the Halsema highway would have remained closed to vehicular traffic. ONTOC, Mountain Province—Local The temporary bridge was officials and residents of this landlocked washed away at the height of Super Typhoon “Lawin,” resulting province thanked Gov. Bonifacio in motorists and commuters sufLacwasan Jr. for his timely intervention in fering from inconvenience. facilitating the temporary use of some private Passengers from both sides of properties in Sabangan detour route for vehicles the river had to transfer by foot, tramline, or balsa, to be able to while waiting for the full construction of the reach their destinations. Lacwasan, who was attending bridge that spans the Chico river. some important engagements The local officials claim that the property owners Wayway in Metro Manila, took time out if not for the timely intervention de Castro in the Sabangan side from his hectic schedule and of Gov. Lacwasan in convincing and Robert Dacyon in the Bon- motored to Baguio City to meet

By Dexter See

with the concerned parties, including representatives of the Mountain Province Engineering District, for the early resolution of the detour road at Nacagang, Tambingan, Sabangan. He said: “We were alarmed over the situation the Halsema highway remained closed to vehicular traffic for more than a week after Typhoon “Lawin.” “Our constituents have been suffering from the inconvenience caused by the situation that is why we tried our best to get in touch with the concerned land owners and the engineering

officials to discuss how to solve the impasse.” During their meeting in Baguio, Dacyon and Grace Wayway de Castro said their properties would only be used as a detour road for only 365 days from November 2013 to November 2014 pending the completion of the permanent bridge. Despite the absence of a formal request from the Public Works department, and only through the pleadings of former project engineers Guisalo and Eminga, they acceded. Lacwasan said Dacyon and De

Castro allowed the use of their lots without expecting any remuneration since it was for public use and, at that time, only for a year. However, the permanent bridge was never completed in November 2014 until now, while the temporary bridge through the Dacyon and De Castro family was washed away by “Lawin.” During the meeting, Mountain Province District Engineer Wilbur Likigan confirmed that no remuneration was ever offered or was given to the lot owners since no funds were allotted by the department.

City to look into declining income BAGUIO CITY—Members of the city’s local finance committee will be meeting with officials of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority to thresh out issues relating to the decline in the remittances of the economic zone to the local government over the past several years. City Budget Officer Leticia Clemente informed members of the local legislative body there would be a scheduled consultation between the city’s finance officers and Peza officials to discuss the reasons why there was a decline in the zone’s remittances that significantly affected projects from the internally generated funds. Based on the data from the city’s local finance committee, the local government was projected to receive some P220 million from Peza as remittance of locators operating in the zone. However, for the first three quarters of this year, the city only received P135 million with a guaranteed remaining P25 to P30 million to be remitted for the last quarter of this year. Earlier, some members of the local legislative body questioned the finance committee why there was a sudden drop in the projected income from Peza next year of P165 million compared to the projected P220-million Peza income this year. Dexter A. See

FIST VS DRUGS. Police officers, who recently graduated from their Drug Abuse Assistance Education training, are joined by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, making the now familiar Duterte gesture, during the culmination activity of their 10-day training with American mentors who enhanced their knowledge regarding substance abuse prevention. Norman Cruz

BFAR raises red tide alert in Biliran, Iloilo By Anna Leah E. Gonzales and coastal waters of Leyte and crabs are safe for human con- Zambales, Mandaon in Masbate, THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has raised the red tide alert over the coastal waters of Naval in Biliran Island Province and Gigantes Islands in Carles, Iloilo. BFAR, in its recent shellfish bulletin, said that the coastal waters of Irong-Irong and Cambatutay Bays in Wastern Samar, Matarinao Bay in Eastern

Carigaga Bay in Leyte are also still positive for red tide. The coastal waters of Milagros in Masbate is also still positive for paralytic shellfish poison that is beyond the regulatory limit. Agriculture Undersecretary for Fisheries and BFAR Director Eduardo Gongona said all types of shellfish from these areas are not safe for human consumption. “Fish, squids, shrimps and

sumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking,” Gongona said. Areas which continue to be free from toxic red tide include the coastal waters of Cavite, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Navotas, Bulacan, Bataan, Bolinao, Anda, Alaminos, Sual, Wawa and Bani in Pangasinan, Masinloc Bay in

Juag Lagoon in Matnog and Sorsogon Bay in Sorsogon, Honda and Puerto Bays in Puerto Princesa City and Inner Malampaya Sound in Taytay, Palawan. Other areas include coastal waters of Capiz, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Western Samar, Tacloban City in Leyte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte.

Pasay City promotes children’s good health By Joel E. Zurbano THE city government of Pasay held its 14th State of the City’s Children Address on Friday aimed at promoting and protect children’s rights and providing them with good health and quality of education. Mayor Antonino Calixto gave assurances promotion and protection of children’s rights was the top priority of his administration, noting children would greatly contribute to the city’s future growth and success. “Aside from providing the children with quality education, we also want to make sure that the children are healthy physically and mentally so that they will learn their lessons well inside the classroom,” said Calixto during the event held at the Cuneta Astrodome. He emphasized his message to the children that one of the goals of the city was to install air-condition units in all public schools. He also stressed the need of the city schools to be connected to the internet for easier access to educational materials by the teachers and the students. Calixto asked the students, the parents and other residents to work hand in hand and cooperate with the government so that all plans and programs of the city would be successful. He also informed the audience that the government would work harder because the city

wants to retain the National Literacy Awards title. “Being given the National Literacy Awards has motivated us to improve our programs for the city. We want to win the award again because this is absolute proof that our programs are effective and beneficial to our constituents,” he said. Local government officials, employees, businessmen, civic groups, students, senior and concerned citizens attended the event. This year’s theme “Isulong, Kalidad ng Edukasyon Para sa Lahat ng Bata,” according to City Social Welfare and Development Office chief Rosalinda Orobia, centered on education and the improvement of the quality of education in the city. “We want the people to know that the needs of the children in Pasay City are being provided by the city, and we want to provide them with proper health care and education for them to grow into responsible citizens in the future,” said Orobia. Among the health ad nutrition programs being implemented by the city government are newborn screening, expanded program on immunization, micronutrient deficiencies prevention and control program, better oral health for the community, infant and young children nutrition, operation timbang plus, food supplementation program, integrated management of childhood illnesses, and control of tuberculosis in children.

SUPPORTING BOOK. Shell Philippines and Don Antonio Floirendo Sr. have launched a coffee table book— Tubbataha A Natural Treasure—at the Manila Polo Club in Makati, with the compendium showcasing the world-renowed underwater paradise of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park at the Coral Triangle Supports the Tubbataha: A National Treasure Book, with publisher Marissa Floirendo (left), photographer Maria Teresa Lara (center) and Shell chairman Cesar Romero (right). Lino Santos

Ex-councilor, sister ordered arrested MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Norte—The country’s antigraft court, the Sandiganbayan, 4th division has ordered the arrest of President Elipe, a former city councilor, and his sister Pristine Elipe-Quizon for alleged corruption. President Elipe is the sonin-law of former mayor and local political kingpin Vicente Emano. The arrest warrant stemmed from a corruption case filed by city administrator Dionnie Gersana accusing Elipe, Quizon, who was serving as Elipe’s secretary, former vice mayor Caesar Ian Acenas, city council secretary Arturo de San Miguel for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial for the best interest to serve. Acenas and San Miguel were absolved of the charges. In his complaint, Gersana said Quizon’s Daily Time Record (DTR) appeared she reported for work on Oct. 25, 29 and 30, 2013. But Gersana said Quizon was out of the country during those days and travel records from the Bureau of Immigration showed otherwise and that she was back in the country only on Oct. 30, 2013. The Ombudsman ruled that Quizon could not have rendered work on Oct. 25, 29, and 30 for being out of the country. The Ombudsman ruling said “She neither denied having affixed her signature on the DTR which is an act of attesting to the entries’ truthfulness and accuracy. “Similarly, Elipe does not dispute that as Quizon’s brother and immediate supervisor, he very well knew of her absence and signed her DTR as true and correct. “Such are clear acts of dishonesty and falsification.” Lance Baconguis

World SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

S. Korean protesters urged to stay calm S

EOUL―The South Korean government called for calm Friday ahead of a mass rally against President Park Geun-Hye― expected to be one of the largest seen in Seoul since the pro-democracy protests of the 1980s. Police said they were planning for a crowd of around 170,000 for Saturday’s demonstration to demand Park step down over a corruption scandal that has left her fighting for her political life. Organizers say they expect up to 500,000 people to turn out. “The government is concerned that the protest could lead to illegal collective action or violence,” Deputy Prime Minister Lee JoonSik told reporters. “Until now, the government has guaranteed the freedom to legally protest. We hope the public will cooperate so that (Saturday’s) demonstration will be legal and peaceful,” Lee said. It will be the third weekly anti-Park protest in a row, as pressure grows on the beleaguered president, despite a series of apologies and efforts to appease public anger by reshuffling senior officials and agreeing to cede some of her extensive executive powers to the national assembly. “We are feeling the weight of the serious public mood,” presidential spokesman Jung Youn-Kuk acknowledged Friday. Most experts believe Park, who has just over a year left of her single five-year term, will be able to ride out the crisis and remain in office, albeit with her authority and ability to govern seriously undermined. Opposition parties have, so far, avoided direct calls for her to resign and appear more interested in extracting more concessions from Park in terms of power-sharing with the legislature. Saturday’s protest is being organized by an umbrella trade union which has appealed to workers, farmers, the urban poor, students and company employees to join the action. According to the Yonhap News agency, police plan to deploy 25,000 officers to patrol the rally, and prevent any march on the presidential Blue House. The two previous rallies were mostly peaceful, with a large number of families attending, including couples with infants and young children. The last time Seoul witnessed mass protests on such a large-scale was in 2008 when around 100,000 people took to the streets to protest then-president Lee Myung-Bak’s decision to lift an import ban on US beef. The scandal engulfing Park is focused on her long-time personal confidante, Choi Soon-Sil, who is currently under arrest on charges of fraud and abuse of power. Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Choi, 60, leveraged her personal relationship with Park to coerce donations from large companies like Samsung to non-profit foundations which she set up and used for personal gain. She is also accused of interfering in government affairs, including the nomination of senior officials, despite holding no official position. Lurid reports of the unhealthy influence Choi wielded over Park have sent the president’s approval ratings plunging to record lows. Chu Mi-Ae, head of the main opposition Democratic Party, said Friday that Park should hand over the reins of all state affairs including diplomacy and defense. AFP

Poet, songwriter Cohen mourned MONTREAL―Leonard Cohen, one of his generation’s most respected musicians and poets who delved into the spiritual on songs such as “Hallelujah,” has died at age 82. “We have lost one of music’s most revered and proliﬁc visionaries,” read a statement Thursday on his website and Facebook page. Cohen, who was brought up in Montreal but lived in California late in his life, will have a memorial service in Los Angeles at a later date, the statement said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mourned Cohen, long considered one of the country’s foremost writers, as a “remarkable Montrealer.” “Leonard, no other artist’s poetry and music felt or sounded quite like yours. We’ll miss you,” Trudeau said in a statement. Trudeau said that Cohen would be “fondly remembered for his gruff vocals, his self-deprecating humor and the haunting lyrics that made his songs the perennial favorite of so many generations. “Leonard Cohen is as relevant today as he was in the 1960s. His ability to conjure the vast array of human emotion made him one of the most inﬂuential and enduring musicians ever. His style transcended the vagaries of fashion,”

Trudeau said. Cohen began as a poet before seeking a more stable career, comparatively speaking, as a musician. While at first receiving a lukewarm reception, Cohen went on to become a critical favorite with meditative songs such as “So Long, Marianne” and “Suzanne.” “Hallelujah,” an anthem of uplift rich in biblical reference, has been covered by a vast array of artists including Jeff Buckley, John Cale, k.d. lang and Rufus Wainwright. Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre ordered the city’s flags to fly at half-staff. “Tonight we lost one of our greatest ambassadors and icons,” he tweeted. Dozens of fans converged spontaneously around Cohen’s home in Montreal after news of his death, lighting candles and leaving flowers as well as one of the top-hats that were his signature look late in his career. Young and old, Cohen’s fans played some of his best-known songs on their smartphones. A wire hanging on the front door read out the letters “H-A-L-L-EL-U-J-A-H.” Cohen, who spent much of his young adulthood on the Greek island of Hydra, retreated in the 1990s to a Zen Buddhist monastery near Los Angeles before returning to music. AFP

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

World

Fresh protests erupt over Trump’s election victory L OS ANGELES―Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in several US cities for a second night of nationwide protests on Thursday over the stunning election of Donald Trump to the presidency.

Trump, commenting on the unrest for the first time, blamed the news media. Shouting “Not my president!” and carrying placards that read “I did not elect hate for president,” some 300 people marched in Baltimore. Protests also took place in New York, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Oakland and elsewhere. “We are just showing that this is going to be the next four years. It’ll be four years of resistance,” Kaila Philo, a 21-year-old student, told The Baltimore Sun. She said she had created an event on Facebook for her friends that ended up attracting thousands. Trump commented on the protests saying in a tweet: “Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!” In Portland, police said a rally there had degenerated into what they called a riot because of “extensive criminal and dangerous behavior.” Police said protesters were smashing storefront windows. Earlier on Thursday, demonstrators―mostly students who skipped classes―also marched in San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities. Some 1,000 students, most of them high-schoolers, marched through San Francisco’s financial district toward City Hall chanting “Not my president!” and blocking traffic. Some also carried placards that read “Trans Against Trump” and “Make America Safe For All.” “We are protesting because we want to stand up for our rights and we deserve to be heard,” Pamela Campos, 18, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Donald Trump is just racist. He’s attacking all the immigrants, all the Muslims. I saw all my classmates crying yesterday.” Students held walkouts in several other northern California cities, including Napa and Hayward. In Los Angeles, several hundred students marched at the University of California campus carrying placards that read “Dump Trump” and “Love trumps hate.” “Initially, I accepted his election but yesterday when I saw Hillary’s concession speech, I couldn’t avoid crying,” Daisy Rivera, 24, told AFP of the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. AFP

AT THE DETACHMENT. This undated photo released by North Korea’s ofﬁcial Korean Central

News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at the defenSe detachment on Mahap Islet in Ongjin County, South Hwanghae. AFP

Taliban kill six in attack at consulate MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan―The death toll from a powerful Taliban truck bombing at the German consulate in Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif city rose to at least six Friday, with more than 100 others wounded in a major militant assault. The Taliban said the bombing late Thursday, which tore a massive crater in the road and overturned cars, was a “revenge attack” for US air strikes this month in the volatile province of Kunduz that left 32 civilians dead. The explosion, followed by sporadic gunfire, reverberated across the usually tranquil northern city, smashing windows of nearby shops and leaving terrified local residents fleeing for cover. “The suicide attacker rammed his explosives-laden car into the wall of the German consulate,” local police chief Sayed Kamal Sadat told AFP. All German staff from the consulate were unharmed, according to the foreign ministry in Berlin. But seven Afghan civilians were killed, including two motorcyclists who were shot dead by German forces close to the consulate after they refused to heed their warning to stop, said deputy police chief Abdul Razaq Qadri. A suspect had also been detained near the diplomatic mission on Friday morning, Qadri added. Local doctor Noor Mohammad Fayez said the city hospitals received six dead bodies, including two killed by bullets. At least 128 others were wounded, some of them critically and many with shrapnel injuries, he added. “The consulate building has been

heavily damaged,” the German foreign ministry said in a statement. “Our sympathies go out to the Afghan injured and their families.” A diplomatic source in Berlin said Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier had convened a crisis meeting. “There was fighting outside and on the grounds of the consulate,” a ministry spokesman said. “Afghan security forces and Resolute Support (NATO) forces from Camp Marmal [German base in Mazar-i-Sharif] are on the scene.” Afghan special forces have cordoned off the consulate, previously well-known as Mazar Hotel, as helicopters flew over the site and ambulances with wailing sirens rushed to the area after the explosion. The carnage underscores worsening insecurity in Afghanistan as Taliban insurgents ramp up nationwide attacks despite repeated government attempts to jump-start stalled peace negotiations. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the “martyrdom attack” on the consulate had left “tens of invaders” dead. The insurgents routinely exaggerate battlefield claims. Posting a Google Earth image of the consulate on Twitter, Mujahid said the assault was in retaliation for American air strikes in Kunduz. US forces conceded last week that its air strikes “very likely” resulted in civilian casualties in Kunduz, pledging a full investigation into the incident. The strikes killed several children, after a Taliban assault left two American soldiers and three Afghan special forces soldiers dead near Kunduz city. AFP

Climate affecting nearly all life MIAMI―Most life on Earth is already being changed by the warming climate, even though the rise in global temperatures since pre-industrial times has been rather slight, researchers warned on Thursday. The study in the journal Science found that 82 percent of key ecological processes―including genetic diversity and migration patterns―are being altered by global warming. These effects extend to land, oceans and freshwater environments, even though the temperatures have risen just about 1.87 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) over pre-industrial times due to fossil fuel burning. “We now have evidence that, with only a about one degree C of warming globally, major impacts are already being felt,” said lead study author Brett Scheffers, a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Climate Change Specialist Group and assistant professor at the

University of Florida. “These range from individual genes changing, significant shifts in species’ physiology and physical features such as body size, and species moving to entirely new areas.” These changes will affect humans by causing disease outbreaks, inconsistent crop yields and cutting down on fishery productivity, threatening food security, experts said. The study, which analyzed 94 ecological processes as documented in peer-reviewed literature, also warned that the more ecosystems change, the less likely they may be to guard against the harshest effects of climate change. Unhealthy forests will no longer be able to sequester large amounts of carbon, for instance. Increasingly warm oceans will no longer act as an effective buffer against temperature rise, and climate-related floods, sea-level rise and cyclones will get worse. AFP

BREAK. Youngsters rest after a working day in the Kyala neighborhood of Butembo, North Kivu province, on November 10, 2016. Tension erupted late October in the area where the Congolese military eventually pulled back local self defense militia that had just settled there. DR Congo has been going through a prolonged political crisis that deepened in October 2016 after the presidential election, which had been due before the year’s end, was postponed. AFP

Life WEEKEND LIVING

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

Best of both worlds C

Preschools let kids excel in academics—and life—while having fun

HOOSING a preschool for your child among the many schools today is no easy task. Aside from basic learning, many parents now consider academic preparation for grade school, given the highly competitive admission to study at the big, topquality grade schools. But, can the preschool teach your child to excel academically while allowing him to still be a child—to play and have fun while learning? Can the school facilitate her development, not just academically, but as a whole person—a process so crucial at this age? Some schools focus on academic preparation but compromise the holistic development of the child, while some focus on playbased learning and total development, but not so much on academic preparation.

Greenmeadows Learning Center (Quezon City), PLICA Learning Center (Sta. Rosa, Laguna), Hills Learning Zone (Pasig City), and Kinderfield Learning Center (Quezon City) comprise the Learning Center Affiliates.

LCAs practice a developmentally appropriate education which lets students effectively learn according to their age and learning pace.

For 16 years, the Learning Center Affiliates (LCAs) have successfully focused and delivered on both. Students play, discover and learn experientially while engaging their senses. And so far, 95 percent of the LCAs’ graduates who applied to top grade schools have passed with flying colors. The LCAs comprise four schools in the Philippines: Greenmeadows Learning Center (GLC) in Greenmeadows, Quezon City (launched 1999), PLICA Learning Center in Sta. Rosa, Laguna (launched May 2008), Hills Learning Zone in Ortigas Center, Pasig City (launched September 2008), and Kinderfield Learning Center (KLC) on Scout Gandia, Quezon City (launched April 2009). Much of the LCAs’ (GLC, PLICA, HLZ, KLC) success can be attributed to their integration of competitive, US-standard teaching methods, especially from the US National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the gold star in early childhood education in the US. Patterned after NAEYC’s framework, the LCAs’ practice of develop-

mentally appropriate education lets students effectively learn according to their age, and according to their own learning pace, as not all children develop at the same pace. For example, a two-year-old who is already verbal and a three-year-old who is not yet verbal would be taught differently. This individualized approach, applied both to students’ play-based and experiential learning and their academics, ensures that they fully learn and prepare themselves well for future big steps. In terms of academic learning, the LCAs have a highly competitive curriculum incorporating Singapore Math and a highly credible and effective reading program that caters to the developing needs of each child. Subjects like these, their enrichment programs, language programs and the way they are taught effectively prepare students for the top big schools. And, to ensure that students learn and develop well holistically, the LCAs have a strong homeschool partnership. LCAs provide a developmental goal chart for each child enrolled each se-

mester based on the assessment of the child, and the coordinators and teachers meet with the parents and discuss the goals as a team. Parents are encouraged to play a role in supervising their child’s learning in simple ways at home and in daily life situations. If you want your child to have the best of both worlds, to not just be academically prepared but also to learn and grow as a whole person—while having fun—inquire at or visit an LCA near you now to find out more. Greenmeadows Learning Center (GLC) is inside Greenmeadows I Village Park, Quezon City; (02) 631-4898 / 0915-4488980 / 0919-2885847. PLICA Learning Center is located across Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Medicard Bldg., Tagaytay Road, Sta. Rosa Laguna; (049) 502-7023 / 0998-5548101. Hills Learning Zone (HLZ) is at 213 Parc Chateau Condominium, Garnet St. cor. Onyx St., Ortigas Center, Pasig City; (02) 638-7844 / 0917-8960046. Kinderfield Learning Center (KLC) is located at 112 Scout Gandia St., Brgy. Sacred Heart, Quezon City; (02) 5465398 / 0917-7053063 / 0920-9383926.

Quiz app bags top prize at 2016 TNT-Free Basics Developer Challenge ESKWELA, an educational app that enables users to take quizzes and exams easily, bagged the top prize at the recently concluded TNT-Free Basics Developer Challenge. The competition, launched through a partnership between Facebook and TNT—the value brand of Smart Communications (Smart), aimed to develop applications in the areas of disaster preparedness and response, education, and health. Eskwela, which bested four other finalists, is the brainchild of Patrick Ofilada, a software engineer who joined this year’s developer challenge as a one-man team. Ofilada received a cash prize, an FB Start package with benefits valued up to $80,000 and a trip to the Facebook SEA headquarters in Singapore where he got to see and experience the tech giant’s culture. “I was inspired to develop this app because of my sister who is currently in first grade. She always uses my phone to play games and watch videos. This gave me the idea of developing an app that would enable kids like my sister, to take quizzes and exams in a fun, modern yet simple way,” said Ofilada. As the winning application, Eskwela will be also added to the bookmarked sites in FreeBasics.com and will be promoted in schools to drive awareness. Free Basics by Facebook allows users to access websites and online content on current events, education, employment, health and other local information, free of charge. The service (formerly known as Internet.org) was launched by TNT in the Philippines in 2015, marking

the first time the service was made available in Southeast Asia. Also in 2015, TNT held the first run of the TNT-Free Basics Developer Challenge. “We are committed to support local developers, and this is central to our mission to bring free and locally relevant services to the two-thirds of the world who are not yet connected to the Internet. We are excited to work with Filipino developers for the TNT-Free Basics Developer Challenge, which will help more Filipinos to connect to valuable services that are designed to help them better their lives,” said Alice Wei, Strategic Product Partnerships, Southeast Asia, Facebook. “On the second year of the TNTFree Basics Developer Challenge, we have again seen innovative solutions from young people wanting to change the world. It is their passion and enthusiasm that fuels us to provide them with the support they need, and an avenue where they can showcase their brightest ideas,” said Miriam Choa, TNT brand head. “Technology plays a critical role in improving the quality of education in the Philippines. We have always been firm believers of this, which is why our programs are geared towards providing access to education, especially in remote, underserved areas of the country. Eskwela will be a welcome complement to the educational solutions we have launched so far. We are very happy that there are young people like Patrick who have ideas that can help change the way Filipinos live and communicate,” said Ramon Isberto, head of Smart Public Affairs.

Software engineer Patrick Ofilada created Eskwela, an educational app that enables users to take quizzes and exams in a fun and modern way.

Life

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

Get the Miss World hairstyle By Robbie Pangilinan

“W

E have our very own Miss World hairstyle, with soft layers. This perfectly complements our version of the timeless Balayage coloring style with our Celebrate color collection,” shares Adlai Antonio, professional hairstylist, precision haircutter and creative colorist of Salon de Manila. Salon de Manila is the country’s leading and most innovative salon, with none less than the “Queen of Style,” hairdresser to the stars Pin Antonio as its creative director. Balayage is a French word meaning to sweep or to paint, which is what exactly the hairstylist does to your hair – sweep or hand paint it with color. It is a French coloring, freehand technique developed in the 1970s. The color is applied by hand; no foil is used to create the highlights. The result is a more natural-looking, healthier and more attractive crown that will never go out of fashion. “Our Balayage style is with different shades of brown that will complement our skin as Filipinos – reddish brown, golden brown, mahogany brown, ash brown. Combine this with our signature classic cut, and you are ready for 2017,” adds Pin. For the males, SDM also has a signature style — clean cut with brown tones.

Hair color expert Adlai Antonio (left) of Salon de Manila believes that Filipinos are ready for more daring hairstyles

“The color depends on the cut and skin tone of the client. But for me, I can see myself using different tones of brown that will be put on the layers of the hair to make it look very natural but very stylish,” says Adlai, an expert on hair color.

Adlai believes that Filipinos are ready for more daring hairstyles like bold cuts with linings of coloring. He personally likes styling mid-length to short hair because he says those styles bring out boldness. “Good cut must be followed with

SDM Creative Director and hairdresser to the stars Pin Antonio (left) with actor Albert Martinez

the right color. A good cut with dull ebrate color collection. color will not be special,” Adlai says. Clients can still visit its Tomas MorSDM will offer Keracollagen this ato, Banawe, Palanca, and Greenhills year – a straightening technique that branches for the same expert hair care. is like keratin blowout but without formaldehyde. The salon of the stars Call 373-9511, 712-6693, or 0916will also add more colors in its Cel- 2594816 to book your appointment today.

Roll over unused data for free on Globe myLifestyle plan

Globe Postpaid’s new innovation allows users to rollover or share their unused MBs

THE availability of more online content has led to increased mobile data usage. People look to more ways to maximize their connected experience and Globe Postpaid finally introduces its latest innovation with the ability to roll over unused mobile data or share it with other users or devices. A first in the Philippines, the amped up Globe myLifestyle plans with Data Rollover allows unused MBs to be carried over to the next month. This way, no MBs are wasted and customers get the most out of their mobile connectivity. Data Sharing, on the other hand, strengthens Globe Postpaid’s differentiated customer experience by providing hassle-free connectivity especially with multiple devices, eliminating the need for WiFi or hotspots. “Giving the best digital experience remains our top priority. This means putting in place convenient features like rollover and sharing so that they have the chance to better use their data whether it is adding it to the next month or sharing it. Either way, our customers get a more immersive and enriched digital lifestyle experience,” says Globe senior advisor for consumer business, Dan Horan. Data Rollover is simply carrying over your unused MBs to the following month. With this, the validity of unused GoSURF MBs are extended for another month. As an example, if you used 2 GB of your 3 GB data allowance this month, the 1 GB leftover

will be added to the following month’s data allocation. The service is available for all Globe myLifestyle plan customers free of charge. All one has to do is to register once to any GoSURF with Rollover variant, and the subscriber can begin enjoying the Rollover feature monthly. Rolled over data is consumed first before the current month’s actual allocation. Data Sharing on the Globe myLifestyle plan allows sharing of one data plan among family members or across a user’s various devices – all within one postpaid account. With this new feature, customers need not worry about draining their batteries from using their phone’s hotspot to share data with others. The new feature also gets a plus for convenience of getting everything in one bill, as well as great value for money – eliminating the need for extra postpaid lines or separate data plans for other devices. Sharing can be done to either new lines or existing myLifestyle Plans within the same account, for a minimum charge of P100 Share Fee per share per month. To avail of either of the latest features, customers should enroll to GoSURF Share & Rollover by calling 730-1000 or visiting the nearest Globe store to make the changes in the account. To know more about GoSURF Share & Rollover, visit www.globe.com.ph/postpaid/rollover-and-share.

Benilde accredits first LGBT student org DE La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) achieved another milestone when it recently approved the accreditation of Benilde HIVE (BHIVE), the first LGBT-oriented organization in the country’s community of La Salle schools. In an interview by Katrina Mariano for DLS-CSB’s flagship publication The Benildean, Vice Chancellor for Lasallian Mission and Student Life Carmelita Lazatin said, “Benilde values the diversity of its population because it has always been one of its richest resources for learning and innovation. With Benilde’s commitment to honoring its stated mission of providing inclusive education, what BHIVE stands for is an opportunity to explore the reach of the words ‘inclusive’ and ‘education’.” “The presence of BHIVE could help eradicate prevailing problems, such as conflicts and discrimination, stemming from a lack of information,” BHIVE

Vice President for Internals John Carlo Lazo explained in the same report. The organization was established to create a safe environment for LGBT members within the college. It accepts students of all genders and sexual orientations. Since the college is a Catholic institution, Lazo somehow previously hesitated for they felt that the school was not ready for such a group. Due to this and several other factors such as requirements, the association took five years to be officially recognized. However, Lazatin stressed the advocacy for inclusive education covers not just academics, but also the learning environment. “Inclusive learning requires openness and courage, and BHIVE opens new opportunities for conversation,” she stresses. “What we want to communicate is that when Benilde states that it supports LGBT advocacies, it does so with profound self-awareness.”

DLS-CSB’s first LGBT-oriented organization Benilde HIVE aims to create a safe environment for LGBT members within the college

QC Representative Alfred Vargas

Alfred Vargas discovers love for blogging QUEZON City Representative Alfred Vargas recently discovered the joys of blogging. He says he has always enjoyed writing before, but it is only now that he is making it into a regular habit. “I like sharing my personal thoughts through a blog so that people can have a glimpse of what governance and being a celebrity is all about,” said Vargas. Vargas’ topics range from the mundane to the arcane. He has written blogs on his journey from showbiz to politics and how it has transformed his life, his Pasig River ferry experience and how it can be the best commute experience in the metropolis to avoid traffic, his deeply rooted love for the city he grew up in and why he is giving back, and his hopes and proposed solution for the rising drug-related arrests on celebrities. To read more of Alfred’s blogs, go to www.politics.com.ph and his official Facebook page www.facebook. com/CongAlfredVargas.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

Aga wants to

have a show on

‘teleradyo’

Young adult novel adapted for

“Fallen” is a romantic fantasy ﬁlm based on Lauren Kate’s bestselling series, (inset) Harrison Gilbertson, Addison Timlin and Jeremy Irvine stars of the ﬁlm directed by Scott Hicks

ASED on the worldwide bestselling book series, Fallen is seen through the eyes of Lucinda “Luce” Price, a strong-willed 17-year-old living a seemingly ordinary life until she is accused of a crime she didn’t commit. Sent off to the imposing Sword & Cross reform school, Luce ﬁnds herself being courted by two young men to whom she feels oddly connected. Isolated and haunted by strange visions, Luce begins to unravel the secrets of her past and discovers the two men are fallen angels, competing for her love for centuries. Luce must choose where her feelings lie, pitting Heaven against Hell in an epic battle over true love.

The much anticipated feature ﬁlm adaptation of Lauren Kate’s worldwide bestselling young adult novel, Fallen comes to the big screen with a cast of exciting young stars and directed by award-winning Australian director Scott Hicks. Addison Timlin, Jeremy Irvine, and Harrison Gilbertson star alongside Joely

Richardson. Lola Kirke, Sianoa SmitMcPhee, Daisy Head, Hermione Corfield, and Malachi Kirby complete the cast. Kate was inspired to write the Fallen novels by the romance in the story of fallen angels giving up their place in heaven for the untested love of human women that appears in Genesis. “As a romantic, I wanted to write a story from point of view of a girl who made that love worthwhile,” she says. “The idea of a love that has cosmic consequences and that addresses deep betrayals and big motivations has always reached me deeply and I’m happy that they reached others through my books. Luce has an obsession with making impossible love possible. She falls in love with Daniel but that love dies, and she’s desperate to break the curse because she believes the love is worth it. Her openness and deep faith in the power of love is her defining characteristic. Luce is lost when we meet her and every day is an obstacle but Daniel is a ray of light even though he acts badly. She makes her world about him. It’s a deep faith in love that’s very admirable.” “Characters always start the book for me,” continues the author. “What Luce taught me, when she wants to do something, I have to follow her. The book comes alive when characters come alive. What’s delighted me most about visiting the set is to realise that there’s a whole energy and world that exists between lines I wrote and beyond the pages. Seeing the actors portray the characters in ways that is so faithful to who they are. It’s exciting to find that they are alive in their own right.” Kate’s Fallen launched a series of five novels that took the publishing world by storm. Published in 2009, Fallen introduced a group of

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, November 12, 2016

ACROSS 1 Rodeo mount 6 Or or nor, briefly 10 Mindy portrayer 13 Buck the system 14 Asian country 15 Famous Khan 16 Suspect’s need 17 Let have 18 Website 19 Salt’s pal 21 Young screecher 23 Trip 27 Ph.D. submissions 28 Dull 29 Subdue 31 Daily Planet reporter 32 Might 34 Drags along 38 Unit of length 39 L. — Hubbard 40 Little brown chirper 41 Costly 42 Kind of detector 44 Reed instrument 45 Golfer Lorena — 47 Chafe 49 Dry gully 52 Kind of wrench 53 Green — 54 Chick talk

56 Pewter component 57 Maureen of film 59 Crude dwelling 64 Hill builder 65 Pilot’s aid 66 Give the slip 67 Thing, in law 68 Upshot 69 Chili pepper dip DOWN 1 Swimsuit half 2 Family mem. 3 — -Wan Kenobi 4 Kan. neighbor 5 Heads up 6 Merry old king 7 French airport 8 Opposite of “paleo” 9 You bet! in Bonn 10 Anka and Theroux 11 See eye-to-eye 12 Fountain treats 14 Klondike — 20 A Baldwin 22 Like a favorite shirt (hyph.) 23 Not hollow 24 Carnivore’s delight (hyph.) 25 Mohawk Valley city

26 Pizza topping 27 Turner of TV 29 Target amount 30 Radius companion 33 Two-color cookie 35 Kind of sprawl 36 Crystal-filled rock 37 Deride 42 Electrical unit 43 Reindeer herder 46 RoboCop, for one

48 Wild parties 49 Petal extract 50 Lorelei’s river 51 Undersized pups 52 Char 54 Shoulder enhancers 55 Was, to Ovid 58 Shogun’s yes 60 Fish roe 61 Actor — Kilmer 62 MS polishers 63 Grassy field

memorable characters and a compelling romance that spanned the eras and enthralled young adults around the world. The series - Fallen, Torment, Passion, Rapture and the Fallen in Love collection of novellas set in the Middle Ages - has become a smash hit with over 10 million copies sold. Her stories, featuring starcrossed lovers and fallen angels, sold in over 30 countries around the world. It’s no surprise then that the ﬁlmmakers were keenly aware of the novels’ fans while they were writing and making the ﬁlm adaptation. It was with a mixture of excitement, trepidation and anxiety that the cast had to deal with the thought that the fans would be watching their every move! “It’s been exciting knowing they’re out there and cool to share in their excitement,” says Addison Timlin. “I’ve felt a responsibility to respect them. You have to acknowledge it’s because of the audience that you’re here. It’s great to have this group are out there rooting for you. They’re a powerful group and it’s lovely to love something and to care about something so much. There’s also a certain terror in disappointing them but I do read tweets I get or letters I’ve got and they love this character in a way I completely understand. I hope we did the books justice. I think the fans will be pleased in how we’ve translated it to film because we’ve stayed true to the story.” Jeremy Irvine agrees, “It’s different to other movies because of its huge fan base,” he says. “I hope the fans will want to see it, and we’ve had no choice but to make it good. That’s scary and increases the pressure as an actor.” Fallen is now in cinemas from Pioneer Films.

AGA Muhlach gave us a surprise visit last Sunday at our teleradyo show Chizmax in DZMM on ABS-CBN. The former matinee idol who is now a judge along with Vice Ganda, Sandara Park, and Yeng Constantino in the reality show The Next Boy Band Superstar related that it was his first time to experience “sadness” on the show. “Somebody has to bid goodbye and end his journey in the show. Masakit pala. I can feel the pain but that’s part of it,” said he when he joined us on air. Then he wished, “I hope someday, I could have my own show here in teleradyo. I don’t like political issues though it’s fulfilling to air opinions on such di ba? The audience is so different nowadays.” He is a hands-on father to his two kids both 15-years old now. He said, “Both have their own worlds na. They grow up so fast and you need to join them, know their wishes and wants. That’s why, I’m now so used to expressions like “chillchill, relax lang, ganun.” And since we also talked about beauty queens in that Chismax episode, particularly the staging of Miss Universe in 2017, we asked him about Charlene, his Miss-Philippines-Universe wife who happily gave up her showbiz career for him and his family. “She’s doing good, I can never complain on her being very so dedicated to us,” he said. My show partner, Gretchen Fullido, and I wanted to follow it up with a question on the news that Dayanara Torres might come home in 2017 as part of the Miss Universe staging, but he gave us a cute smile and said, “Graduate na ako diyan.’ Hahahaha! ***** We are, of course, very happy about Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s recent victory in his boxing career. He truly made Filipinos a byword among the other citizens of the world especially now that he established a new record of being a legitimate Senator who won a world-boxing title. But we took more pride and felt better when, upon his saying thank you to those who prayed and supported him, he excitedly exclaimed, “We will see each other soon. I need to be home because I have so much things to do in the Senate.” For saying that, he got our respect. It seems that his world-boxing title belt is just but a decoration and less important than his now work and obligations to his constituents as a legit Senator. Just don’t allow his “handlers” and blind followers to give him that idea that he can be a higher official of this land and still make record as a world-boxing champion! Please! ***** Hmmm..what is this we heard that Xian Lim who is with Kim Chiu in the USA for some shows had a heart-to-heart talk with the young actress during their stay in a posh hotel? According to my source, “Xian made Kim swear not to give in to any of Gerald’s (Anderson) attempt to get closer to her. Only and just work, period.” Yes, my source claimed that the two had quite a talk and it seemed Kim had no choice but to follow? Hello!!!

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

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

HIS guy waited long enough to be a screen hero. And, literally, a role landed on his lap just recently.

In the new sitcom, Tsuperhero, that is replacing the relatively successful Ismol Family, Sunday nights on the Kapuso network, Derrick who is among a few leading-man material of the network, plays Nonoy, a jeepney driver who turns into a superhero after he gets hold of a mysterious object that is apparently from some distant planet. The show premieres tomorrow night, after 24 Oras Weekend. Derrick Monasterio is very grateful to GMA 7 for entrusting him the role of Nonoy, “It is my first time to portray a role like this na isang superhero. Nakakataba talaga siya (ng puso) pero at the same time nakaka-challenge din kaya mas pagbubutihan ko po talaga yung trabaho ko. Nakakaflatter din po kasi dahil ako yung napili ng GMA to portray this role. So I have to work hard for this project.” Nonoy’s journey becomes more interesting as he develops feelings for Eva, played by Bea Binene, a barker who finds Nonoy’s asal kanto-boy both irritating and endearing. Monasterio is the son of former starlet Tina Monasterio. He joined GMA Artist Center hoping to become not only a star but a respectable actor as well. His peers are happy that finally he is now in the lead role of a sitcom. Not very many actors can swing from drama to comedy, but Monasterio displays a versatility that poked the interest of show creator Michael V. who is the network’s sitcom/gag guru. Also in the weekly sitcom are Gabby Concepcion as the police officer Sgt. Cruz, Nonoy’s godfather or ninong in the vernacular; come-backing actress Alma Moreno as Aling Martha, Nonoy’s half-blind and loving mother; Albert “Betong” Sumaya as Julius, a small time crook; Philip Lazaro as Mang Pedi, owner of the karinderia where Nonoy usually hangs out; Miggs Cuaderno as Bok, the alien who gives Nonoy his powers; Valentin as Polding, a cook; Annalyn Barro as Anna, Mang Pedi’s niece who befriends Nonoy; Jemwell Ventenilla as Choy, the street kid Nonoy and Eva come across with; Kuhol as Mong, the tactless cigarette vendor. Now, Monasterio won’t be giddy while his pal, Kristoffer Martin, stars in the afternoon soap Hahahamakin Ang Lahat, and is now making waves as a

Showbiz ISAH V. RED

leading man.

*** This year’s explosive and intriguing sex-drama, The Escort from Regal Entertainment, continues to make a killing at the tills on its second week. It posted a whopping boxoffice earning of more than P28 million in just five days and it continues to pack in moviegoers by the day. Producers Lily and Roselle Monteverde are ecstatic about the strong showing of the movie starring Christopher de Leon, Lovi Poe, and Derek Ramsay. Rightfully so, since the mother and daughter tandem spared no expense to ensure the quality of each and every Regal production. Add to this the rave reviews the film received from both the print media and bloggers who praised director Enzo Williams’ e x c e l l e n t d i r e c t i o n along with the cast’s brilliant performance. The growing number of filmgoers who troop to the theaters to watch The Escort prompted management of malls to give the movie additional cinemas. After all, it is not just any ordinary love story. Congratulations Mother, Roselle and the cast – Lovi, Derek, and Boyet. Also my tipping my hat to Enzo for another successful film. *** Fans of real life couple Mark Herras and Wynwyn Marquez will see their idols getting married in Karelasyon today. Agnes (Wynwyn) has long dreamed of living a rich and prosperous life and it seems she is about to realize this after

Clockwise: Gabby Concepcion, Alma Moreno and Bea Binene and Derrick Monasterio

Karylle meets Gabbi Garcia, who plays Alena in the reboot of fantasy series “Encantadia”

THE NEXT BIG THING. Rising

actor Derrick Monasterio stars in a new GMA 7 weekly sitcom, “Tsuperhero”

NEW KAPUSO. Former “Goin Bulilit” star Mika dela Cruz signs a management contract with GMA Network

marrying Roman (Mark). But just a few months after their lavish wedding, the couple has to deal with a problem. Working hard to satisfy his wife’s whims, Roman gets seriously ill that the couple will lose their money all too soon. Agnes has to work hard again not only for her but also for her sick husband. Meanwhile, her ex—who is now doing well in life—returns to her life. Will Agnes stay true to her wedding vows or will she be tempted to go with her ex who now offers to give her the life she dreams of having? J o i n i n g Mark and Wy n w y n in this episode are Klea Pineda, Orlando Sol, Maureen Mauricio, and Tanya Gomez. Carla Abellana hosts every Saturday, after #Like on GMA 7.

*** GMA Network welcomes Mika dela Cruz as the newest addition to its family as she signed a management contract with GMA Artist Center on Nov. 8. Mika is looking forward to the new experiences that await her. “Sobrang excited po ako and curious with what kind of characters I would portray in the future. I look forward to everything, I am excited for new experiences,” Mika shares. The newest GMA Artist Center star will be working alongside award-winning actress Barbie Forteza in an upcoming drama series. *** In a lifestyle event recently, Gabbi Garcia who plays Alena in the Encantadia reboot on GMA Network met Karylle who played the character in the original series. For the Encantadiks, this was precious moment knowing the two Alenas ﬁnally have met. Gabbi and Karylle didn’t meet when the cast of Encatadia had a get together recently and the Encantadiks cheered to see a photo with the new and old cast. The photo with Gabby and Karylle together sent excitement to the fans of the fantaserye. Gabbi feels it was an advance birthday gift for her. She turns 18 this year. Hasne ivo live (Happy birthday), Gabbi!