Manila Standard - 2018 September 24 - Monday

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

DRUG WAR WINS NOD OF MOST FILIPINOS

S

manilastandard.net

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circ@manilastandardtoday.com

VOL. XXXII • NO. 221 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

By Nat Mariano

E

IGHT out of 10 Filipinos said they are satisfied with President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, an independent pollster said Sunday.

In its second-quarter survey, the Social Weather Stations found that 78 percent of those polled were satisfied, while 13 percent were dissatisfied with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

The latest survey result recorded a net satisfaction rating of +65, classified by SWS as “very good.” It was one point above the very good +64 net satisfaction rating in March 2018.

Net satisfaction was lowest in the Visayas, which experienced a 12-point drop from the very good +69 in March 2018, to +57 in June 2018.

Net satisfaction was highest in Mindanao, increasing by three points from the excellent +81 in March to +84 this June.

In Metro Manila, net satisfaction rose two points, from the very good +65 in March, to +67 in June.

It also increased by five points in Balance Luzon, from the very good +53 in March, to +58 in June.

WAR CASUALTY. This picture taken on Feb. 17, 2017 shows coroners taking the body of a man killed by

unidentified gunman in Manila. Shadowy assassins have killed scores of poor victims in the Philippines after President Rodrigo Duterte officially ordered police to withdraw from his deadly drug war, a rights monitor said on Feb. 17. AFP

... but 6 out of 10 wary of anti-loitering drive WHILE most Filipinos support President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, six out of 10 of them agree that a campaign to round up idlers and loiterers is a violation of their human rights, a survey by the Social Weather Stations shows.

The survey, conducted on June 27 to 30, showed that 60 percent of 1,200 respondents agreed with the statement “Police arresting idlers or tambays is a violation of their human rights.”

Twenty-six percent disagreed and 14 percent were undecided.

The same survey showed that 58 percent believed police do not choose a class when they

round up loiterers, while 40 percent said only the poor would be apprehended.

A majority or 68 percent said they worry that they or someone they knew would be rounded up for loitering, while 32 percent said they don’t worry about that.

An overwhelming 92 percent of the respondents said they did not know anyone arrested for loitering.

The survey used face-to-face interviews with 300 adults each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, with a sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Bangus shortage: LLDA reso stinks—fishers

DRUG SUSPECT. The body of an alleged drug dealer lies on the ground after he was killed by an unidentified assailant in Manila on March 23, 2018. Police said on March 22 they had shot dead 13 drug suspects, just days after President Rodrigo Duterte moved to take the country out of the International Criminal Court over its inquiry into his deadly drug war. AFP FILE PHOTO

By Orlan L. Mauricio MALOLOS CITY—Growers, small fishermen, market dealers, brokers, fishpen and fishpond operators in Rizal and Laguna, and fingerling suppliers and traders from Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Pangasinan and Metro Manila are seeking the help of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to address the shortage of bangus or milkfish,

The Palace on Sunday welcomed the latest SWS survey, saying the results speak of the public’s support for the campaign, which has drawn heavy criticism from human rights groups.

“This is a testament that the drug war continues to enjoy the broad support of our people, notwithstanding the efforts of the detractors and critics of the administration to politicize the issue or discredit the campaign’s success,” said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque in a statement Sunday afternoon.

“Filipinos aspire for a crime-free society which can be realized by stopping the spread of criminality and fighting the scourge of drugs,” he added.

Next

and its high price.

In a “Letter of Appeal to the President,” the Bangus Industry Stakeholders & Dealers Alliance said the price of milkfish has risen from P90 to P120 to P170 to P200 per kilo.

BISDA officials said they would hold a press conference Monday to press the President to intercede to immediately address “the misguided policies in the management of the lake waters in Rizal and Laguna.”

Next page

Forced evac looms over landslide areas ITOGON, Benguet—Authorities in the Cordilleras will conduct forced evacuations from landslide-prone areas in the entire region, after the weather bureau announced that a new storm threatens Northern Luzon.

Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council chairman and Office of Civil Defense Cordillera Regional Director Ruben Carandang said the council has been put on red alert since reports indicated that tropical storm “Trami” would enter the Philippine area

of responsibility on Sunday.

The storm, which will be called “Paeng” when it enters the country, is expected to make landfall by Tuesday.

He said even residents who do not want to leave will be evacuated, after Typhoon “Ompong” left 95 people dead, most of them killed in landslides.

“This is a lesson learned,” Carandang said. “Maybe there will be no more hardheaded people who will refuse to vacate their areas.”

Next page

WEATHER Task force to crush ‘Paeng’ threatens insurgency mulled Northern Luzon

By Rio N. Araja TYPHOON “Paeng” has entered the country yesterday, with the state weather bureau warning the storm could affect the extreme Northern Luzon, particularly Batanes Island and the Babuyan group of island,

by Friday.

“Paeng” was spotted at 1,290 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Next page

MALACAÑANG said Sunday it is open to issuing an Executive Order forming a national task force to quell the communist insurgency.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the Palace agreed that ending the communist insurgency entailed a “whole-of-government” approach.

Roque made the remark after the military asked President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an EO creating the task force.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines, which requested the creation of a national inter-agency task force, may Next page

46 YEARS AFTER. The Alay-Lakad Foundation Inc. , the pioneering

‘Walk for a Cause’ for the out-of-school youth marks its 46th year anniversary this month with its annual walk on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018 at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. The walk started at 5:00 am. Norman Cruz

Sara : I’d rather remain Davao mayor than seek Senate post DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said Sunday she would rather remain mayor of Davao if the Davaoeños would reelect her.

She made the statement after the latest Pulse Asia survey said the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte was fifth on the list of people who would have a statistical chance of winning in the May

2019 elections.

Five women―three incumbent senators, a member of the House of Representatives and Duterte-Carpio―are leading in the list of possible winners for the Senate in the May 2019 midterm elections.

In the latest Pulse Asia survey report released Saturday, Senator Grace Poe would top the list of possible winners if

the May elections were held this month.

“I am overwhelmed by the trust and confidence. I think our fellow Filipinos are interested in the work that my administration, both now and in 2010, has done in Davao City,” Duterte-Carpio said.

“If the Davaoeños will reelect me, I would like to continue working for Davao City as mayor.”

Next page

A2

twitter.com/ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 MlaStandard mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Trillanes to use libel charge to go after Paolo

By Macon Ramos-Araneta OPPOSITION Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Sunday the filing of a new libel case against him by resigned Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte over the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of shabu last year would be his “opportunity” to subpoena the bank accounts of the President’s son.

“I welcome the filing of the libel case because it will be an opportunity to call Polong as a hostile witness,” said Trillanes, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte and his family.

Trillanes, who remains holed up in the Senate after the President revoked the amnesty granted him, said this would also be an opportunity to compel the former vice mayor with a tattoo on his back to prove that he is not a member of a Chinese triad drug syndicate.

The young Duterte has repeatedly declined the challenge of Trillanes to prove that he does not have a tattoo on his body.

He had earlier attended the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the multi-billion-peso drug smuggling case to deny the accusations of Trillanes about his alleged involvement in smuggling shabu.

Last week, the young Duterte filed the libel case against Trillanes before the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office.

In his complaint-affidavit, the former vice mayor said his brother-in-law, lawyer Manases Carpio, said sometime in September last year about a teleradio video clip phone patch interview of Trillanes with Leo Lastimosa of DYAB Cebu.

“Watching it, I was aghast to hear the respondent maliciously accused me and my brother-in-law, Attorney Manases Carpio, of supposed rampant and widespread corruption and extortion. Admittedly, this was based on sheer information fed to him, the identity of whom he did not identify nor disclose,” said the former vice mayor.

The presidential son said Trillanes accused him and Carpio of extortion against Uber over its franchise and against similar companies purportedly in conspiracy with LTRFB RD 7 Director Ahmed Cuison.

According to Duterte, the senator’s “tagging and wild accusations against him and his brother-in-law of widespread shakedown and rampant corruption and extortion on radio, based on double, if not multiple, hearsay information he claimed to have received, was downright libelous, defamatory and pure black propaganda.”

Trillanes’ lawyer Rey Robles said they will seek the dismissal of the libel complaints filed by Duterte and Carpio.

Drug...

From A1

At the same time, Roque said the President did not order the arrest of loiterers, as loitering did not constitute a crime.

The SWS survey was conducted from June 27-30 and used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults from Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with a sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The result came days after the activist International People’s Tribunal “convicted” Duterte of crimes for gross human rights abuses covering his deadly war on drugs and the implementation of martial law in Mindanao, among other things.

The Palace has already labeled the court as a sham proceeding that must be ignored.

Sara:...

From A1

In August, President Rodrigo Duterte said his daughter was not keen on seeking a national post.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III earlier urged the younger Duterte to run for senator to help Mindanao gain as stronger representation in the Senate.

‘Paeng’...

From A1

Cagayan, packing maximum sustained winds of 125 kms per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 155 km/h.

It was moving west at 20 km/h.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said “Paeng” will not make landfall.

However, tropical cyclone warning signals could be raised in extreme Northern Luzon as early as Thursday, September 27.

S

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

News

manilastandard.net

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circ@manilastandardtoday.com

Solon eases fears of fund misuse R budget in 2019 coincided with the second quarter 2018 Social Weather Stations survey showing almost eight out of 10 Filipinos were satisfied with the President’s war on drugs or 78 percent, while 13 percent were dissatisfied and nine percent were undecided.

“It is evident that the President is successful in dealing with this for the past years. But more interventions are needed.

There is still a need to strengthen and intensify his campaign,” Zamora said.

Under the 2018 and 2017 General Appropriations Acts, Congress allocated P2.5 billion each year, which is 400 percent higher than the confidential and intelligence funds in 2016, or P250 million each.

In a manifestation during the plenary

By Rio N. Araja

EP. Maria Carmen Zamora said Sunday the P2.5billion confidential and intelligence funds of President Rodrigo Duterte in next year’s national budget will not be used against the opposition.

Zamora, vice chairman of the House committee on appropriations and the main plenary sponsor of the proposed P3.757-trillion General Appropriations Bill, said the P1.25 billion for confidential and intelligence expenses were intended for President Duterte’s war on drugs, criminality and corruption.

“As we are all aware, the President’s priority is the fight against illegal drugs

and corruption,” Zamora said about the Office of the President’s budget, which is 12.32 percent higher than its 2018 budget.

“He is very serious with these concerns, and this justifies the [confidential and intelligence] funds.”

The retention of the P2.5-billion confidential and intelligence funds under the Office of the Presidents’ P6.773-billion

debate, Rep. Tom Villarin raised concern that the allocated funds for the oversight management on national security would be used against the opposition.

“There’s this thinking, feeling that going to the elections of 2019, there would definitely be attempts to silence the opposition or to put a gag on all those who are opposing the present administration,” he said.

He said the fund was subject to the scrutiny of Congress, and requested the Office of the President to provide a breakdown on how the program budget would be used.

Zamora said the funds for the oversight management on national security was different from the confidential and intelligence funds.

PWDS AT PLAY. Persons with Cerebral Palsy take part in the first ever Octavio SA Gonzales Memorial Boccia Tournament for Persons with Cerebral Palsy in celebration of the 15th Cerebral Palsy Awareness and Protection Week. The event was supported by SM Cares at SM City Marikina. Norman Cruz

Task...

From A1

wish to coordinate and submit its formal recommendation to the Office of the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, for the drafting of an executive order in this regard,” Roque said.

In an interview with ANC on Friday night, AFP chief of staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. proposed creating the inter-agency body through the President’s issuance of an Executive Order.

“It will work on a different component and different line of efforts,” Galvez said.

The military is able to ward off the communist rebels, but it says the struggle in the political scene also needs to be addressed as the Left taps its allies to provide support on its political maneuvers.

“They are very potent on the parliamentary struggle because they want to infiltrate government agencies and also our political system. The problem that we have is the component of the civilian agencies,” Galvez said.

He said the civilian agencies were not integrated to combat the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army as they lacked aware-

ness of the real situation.

Galvez said they were also working on stopping the communists from recruiting new members.

“We have to stop the recruitment that is mostly happening in the schools,” Galvez said.

“The NPA will brainwash them to become extremists.”

Meanwhile, CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison said the military’s recommendation was aimed at receiving a higher budget.

“What kind of a national task force does the AFP ask? They already have deployed 98 maneuver battalions in the entire Philippines to threaten and kill the people. Maybe the AFP needs a higher appropriation,” Sison said.

National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultant Rey Casambre echoed Sison, saying the proposed task force will not end the insurgency.

“The task force being formed aims to end the insurgency by inducing mass surrenders through military means and psywar, but without the basic social, economic and political reforms that would not resolve the roots of the armed conflict,” Casambre said.

“It has been tried many times before, and it has never worked.

There is no way it can work now.”

Nat Mariano

Bangus...

From A1

BISDA said bangus producers in Pangasinan, Pampanga, and Bulacan recently suffered millions of pesos in losses from overflowed fishponds due to the monsoon rains brought by recent typhoons.

In the past, even when typhoons damaged fishponds in Central and Northern Luzon, the freshwater bangus from Laguna de Bay could make up any shortages and prevent prices from going up, the group said.

But now policies by the Laguna Lake Development Authority have disrupted the stocking, breeding and spawning growth of bangus, resulting in a huge mortality rate, the group said.

Rizal province alone suffered a

Forced...

From A1

Police and barangay officials would enforce evacuations once an area is declared a very dangerous area by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

In earlier briefings, Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said residents had repeatedly been urged to evacuate, but the people refused to go.

“We will rely on PAGASA because they have a system, a threshold based on the amount of rainfall that will increase the possibility of landslide. PAGASA and MGB will be very important in our contingency plan,” Carandang said.

Police Regional Office Cordillera Regional Director, Chief Supt. Rolando Nana said people in highly vulnerable areas would be forced to be moved out.

“Let us help each other in evacuating people to safe ground. We are calling on our residents to cooperate and not be hardheaded when they are told to evacuate,” Nana said in Filipino.

As of 6 pm Friday, the CDRRMC has recorded 59 deaths due to “Ompong,” with 42 others still missing in the whole town of Itogon, Benguet.

Liza Soccoro Manzano, supervising science research specialist of the MGB Geohazard Assessment team, said the area in Ucab where the landslide took place and

78.8-percent decline in milkfish production in the first quarter of 2018 from the same period in 2017.

Joel Dizon, BISDA spokesman, said while the LLDA is capable of implementing environmental and ecological policies, it lacks the foresight and expertise to manage the fishing industry in the lake.

“We join the opinion of the experts that point to the real culprits (industrial, agricultural, and domestic wastes) to the water degradation of the lake and not the fishpens where bangus feed on natural algae (phytoplanktons). We do not use fish feeds—that is why our bangus is cheaper than those grown in fishponds of Central Luzon,” he said.

BISDA asked the President to recall and revoke LLDA’s Board Resolution No. 540, which they blamed for the reduction of fishpens from 12,500 hectares

to only 4,076, without any plan on how to augment the loss of a sizable percentage of fish production.

BISDA also opposes LLDA’s plan to implement a total relocation of all fishpens to comply with its 2018 zone management guidelines, which the group said would disrupt aquaculture in the lake for two to three years.

“This move will be a disaster to the bangus industry as the new zone management guidelines are not conducive to aquaculture,” BISDA said.

On Sunday, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the direct selling of Bukidnon farmers’ vegetable crops at lower prices at the Bureau of Plant Industry’s central office in Malate, Manila will be a regular activity every Friday and Saturday.

Under the DA’s TienDA marketing

other areas, which was used as the incident command post for the operation at ground zero, is highly dangerous.

On the site, cracks on rip-raps protecting the sides of the mountain, which were not present during the first days of the operation, have become more visible day by day.

One crack, for instance, is now about two inches wide with several other cracks becoming visible.

With “Trami” expected to be felt in the locality, she said there should be no person in the area to prevent a repeat of the incident here.

She said even vehicles were prevented from going to the area, saying the vibration and weight contribute to susceptibility of the mountain to erosion, adding that nobody should be allowed entry.

Manzano said the amount of rainfall that “Trami” brings may aggravate the situation.

Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Leopoldo Imbang, commander of the 503rd Brigade covering the Cordillera, said there are only 30 persons in the search, rescue and retrieval operation. They are aided by five canine dogs and four backhoes doing the digging.

Imbang said the bunk house, the one used as a chapel where the residents allegedly sought refuge before “Ompong” made a landfall, had been removed. However, only six bodies were recovered. PNA program, the weekly activity is aimed at sustaining the availability of lower-priced vegetables in Metro Manila and income for vegetable growers from Bukidnon in northern Mindanao.

“We’re inviting representatives of market vendors and homeowners’ associations, supermarket procurement officers, and others to visit TienDA, so they can meet the farmers,” Piñol said at the opening of the TienDA market last Friday.

He said carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, and other vegetables produced in Bukidnon’s Impasugong, Talakag, Sumilao, and Lantapan towns will be available at the TienDA market, giving the public an opportunity to buy these at lower prices.

“Vegetables there [Bukidnon] are cheap. So even if we bring these to Metro Manila, such produce can still sell at lower prices,” he said. With PNA

News

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

VEGAN’S DELIGHT. Vegetable supply and demand at the La Trinidad, Benguet trading post has normalized despite the damage inflicted by recent Typhoon ‘Ompong’ on farmlands, roads and infrastructure in many areas in Northern Luzon including Benguet, a major highland producer of vegetables.

Dave Leprozo Jr.

State fiscal protests bail grant on Lee THE Department of Justice on Sunday assailed the decision of a Pampanga court that allowed Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee to post bail despite the pendency of its appeal on the Supreme Court decision last July that downgraded his cases from syndicated to simple estafa.

Acting Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon, head of the DoJ’s National Prosecution Service, protested the ruling of Pampanga Regional Trial Court Branch 42 since the SC decision is not yet final and executory.

“It was questioned in the RTC that the issue of bail should not be considered for now as there is a pending MR before the SC. It was likewise raised that since there is no finality of judgment yet and the decision not being immediately executory, the court should defer action on the request for bail by the accused,” Fadullon said in an interview.

The Justice official confirmed reports that Lee, who was detained at the Pampanga provincial jail since March 6, 2014, was allowed by the RTC to post a bond of P40,000 last Thursday.

“Unfortunately, bail was granted. We are going to discuss the possible options with the private prosecutors and proceed from there,” he lamented.

However, it was learned that Lee was not able to immediately post bail because he waited for the complete documents from the SC. Fadullon said the DoJ is standing firm in its petition before the high court seeking reversal of a Court of Appeals decision in 2013 that downgraded the cases against Lee from syndicated estafa to simple estafa.

“We believe that it is a syndicated estafa case which is non-bailable case, so he [Lee] should not be allowed to post bail,” he said.

In its motion for reconsideration filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida, the DoJ asked the SC to overturn its ruling and reinstate the syndicated estafa cases against Lee and company.

The DoJ insisted that Lee and four other accused - GA vice president Dexter Lee, accounting head Cristina Salagan, documentation head Christina Sagun and PagIBIG Fund foreclosure manager Alex Alvarez—”clearly committed fraud.”

The DoJ questioned the finding of the SC that the second and third elements of syndicated estafa— act was committed by a syndicate and which resulted in misappropriation of money—in the cases against Lee. Rey E. Requejo

Labor mishandled P815m in cash-for-work fund—CoA

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Department of Labor and Employment miscarried P815 million in funding meant to provide emergency jobs and livelihood support to thousands of disadvantaged Filipinos desperately looking for gainful work, according to the Commission on Audit.

The DoLE also deprived thousands of working students P32.3 million in stipends under the Special Program for the Employment of Students, said the CoA report , copy of which was made available to members of Congress, in connection with ongoing deliberations on the DoLE’s Atienza proposed budget for 2019.

Affected by the failure of the DoLE to effectively use allocated funds was a key program dubbed as “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers [TUPAD],” or the cash-for-work Emergency

Employment Program.

When sought for comment on the CoA report, Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza, the senior deputy minority leader, rebuked the labor officials for their incompetence to fully implement the two DoLE’s vital emergency employment programs.

“When you are the department tasked to promote employment, and yet you neglect to use available funding to provide temporary jobs to thousands of distressed Filipinos, then there is something very wrong with the way that agency is being run,” Atienza said.

In its report, the CoA said: “The [DoLE’s 2017] cash allocations of P2.541 billion for the implementation of projects transferred to regional offices were not fully utilized because the amount of P1.434 billion or 56.45 percent was transferred only in the last quarter of the year, thus not providing ample time for the projects to be adequately implemented which resulted in the non-utilization of P815.124 million or 32.07 percent of project funds at year-end.”

Atienza said the DoLE could have invested the P815 million to mobilize thousands of able-bodied but jobless Filipinos to help manually dredge clogged up rice farm irrigation channels in the provinces.

“Rice harvests are on the decline partly because farms are not getting enough water when needed,” Atienza said, adding that many irrigation canals have been jammed by mud deposits and weed growth.

The upsurge in rice prices since January has been attributed to tight supply amid falling harvests and rising consumption of the staple.

A3

SC en banc overturns Sereno’s decision THE Supreme Court has overturned the controversial appointment of a Philippine Judicial Academy official by ousted Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno.

In en banc resolution, the SC ruled that the chief justice has no delegated power to appoint administrative officials with judicial ranks, such as lawyer Brenda Jay Mendoza, whom Sereno designated as Philja chief of office for the Philippine Mediation Center in June 2016.

The 15-member bench stressed that only the Court sitting collegially can approve the appointment for such a specific position and other judicial ranks with salary grade of 29 and above.

“This Court’s nature as a collegial body requires that the appointing power be exercised by the Court en banc, consistent with Article VIII, Section 1 of the Constitution,” the SC said, in a ruling written by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.

“The Philja chief of office for the Philippine Mediation Center receives the same compensation and benefits as an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals. Due to this position having judicial rank, which bears a salary grade of 30, and consistent with the prior Resolutions of this Court, the Philja chief of office for the Philippine Mediation Center is deemed included as among the positions which shall be appointed by the Court en banc,” the high court declared.

The SC also cited as another flaw in Mendoza’s appointment the lack of recommendation from the Philja board of trustees, which it stressed should have been required under administrative rules.

“Under Administrative Order No. 33-2008, the appointment of Philja chief of office for the Philippine Mediation Center shall be made ‘by the Court, upon recommendation of Philja.’ Prior to the appointment of Mendoza, it is evident that this Court’s practice is to have the Court en banc issue the appointment following the recommendation made by Philjan board of trustees,” it noted.

The tribunal even cited a memorandum issued by Sereno in 2015 that affirmed this policy.

However, the SC did not declare as void Mendoza’s appointment due to her resignation last February during the impeachment proceedings against Sereno in the House of Representatives, saying such legal issue has become moot and academic.

Nonetheless, the high court clarified that the ruling does not mean that Mendoza was disqualified for the position as it only pertained to issue on procedure for her appointment.

Lawmaker passes away REP. Ciriaco Calalang of Kabayan party-list succumbed to a massive stroke on Sunday.

Another Kabayan representative, Ron Salo, learned from Bern FerminTica, Calalang’s executive assistant for 21 years, that the lawmaker was confined at the De Los Santos Medical Center, where he underwent surgery last Sept. 17.

Calalang, 67, is survived by his three adopted children—lawyer Joseph Ivan, Carissa and Carlo.

Salo said the public wake in his honor will be at the St. Peter Memorial Chapels along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City starting Sept. 26 at 5 pm.

Calalang, a law professor and taxation lawyer, was sworn in last Jan. 20 when then representative Harry Roque was appointed presidential spokesman. Rio Araja

MONEY MAKER. A teller shows US dollar notes in a money- changing shop on UN Avanue in Ermita, Manila on Saturday. Overseas Filipinos remitted $33 billion last year, much of it through ‘mobile money’ or electronic cash transfers.

Norman Cruz

OFWs find ‘mobile money’ cheapest way to remit cash—World Bank

By Rio Araja FOR overseas Filipinos workers, mobile money is the cheapest way to send cash home, but the remittance market is still dominated by banks charging highest fees, Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III of CTSOFW party-list said on Sunday.

Citing the World Bank’s latest remittance prices worldwide report, he said cash transfers via “mobile operators” cost a global average of only 3.20 percent of the amount sent in the second

quarter of 2018, down from 3.29 percent in the same period in 2017.

“In contrast, remittances coursed through banks cost a global average of 10.41 percent of the amount forwarded in the second quarter of this year, down from 10.99 percent in the same period last year,” he said.

Remittances by means of money transfer operators cost a global average of 6.15 percent of the amount conveyed, down from 6.23 percent last year, he said.

He cited remittances passing through postal offices cost a global average of

6.81 percent of the amount dispatched, down from 6.85 percent last year.

“We have to push for the use of mobile technologies to make it cheaper and faster for OFWs to send money home,” he said.

He acknowledged the development of mobile money or “mobile wallets” has been slowed down by lack of harmonized regulations between countries.

Remittance markets are still dominated by banks that charge the highest transfer fees, he lamented.

“In our case, OFWs still rely heavily

on banks to send their money home, so we have to put more pressure on banks to reduce transfer charges,” Bertiz said.

“While we recognize that Philippine banks correspond with foreign partners that also collect high fees, our banks here can do their share in bringing down charges, primarily through innovation and new technologies,” he added.

Overseas Filipinos sent home a total of $33 billion ( P1.7 trillion) in 2017, the third highest remittances worldwide, according to the World Bank.

A4

Opinion

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Removing the Constitution’s restrictive economic provisions power, telecoms, and transport. This will free up government resources, which can fund other priorities like health and education.

The recent Supreme Court ruling declaring local government units’ just share of revenues should include all national taxes, not just internal revenue taxes. This means less funds for the national government and ONGOING scientific research has shown that the principles of personal freedom, provides another compelling reason to aim for free enterprise, property rights, limited a higher level of FDIs. Third, federalism is being proposed as government, and sound money advance peace, a solution to poverty and inequality, but it prosperity, and human progress.

Former Finance secretary and The Banker has several challenges. There are varying magazine’s 2009 best finance minister, Gary estimates by NEDA, the Philippine Institute Teves, shares my belief in those principles that for Developmental Studies, the consultative committee, and DILG of the cost of shifting to have lifted billions of people out of poverty.

Last Sept. 11, Teves spoke to the members federalism. More time is required to conduct further studies and of the Management consultations. There are Association of the some areas of concern Philippines during their in the proposed federal general membership meeting. In his speech, The bureaucracy constitution: The provisions on “Amending the Economic should be strong the revenue sharing and Provisions: A Headstart in expenditure assignments the Shift to Federalism,” and efficient . are ambiguous. Finance he states five important should follow function. points.

The equal-sharing First, the Philippines’s scheme of national taxes macroeconomic fundamentals are facing some challenges, should be reconsidered. Poorer regions need including: a weaker peso (P54 to $1 as of Sept. more support to move up to a similar level as 14), a higher inflation rate, (6.4 percent as of the developed regions.

The source and mechanics of the August), a larger trade deficit ($3.55 billion in July), and a higher balance of payments deficit equalization fund is better left to Congress.

More flexibility is needed than fixing it at three ($2 billion in the second quarter).

Second, the resulting higher prices of percent of the General Appropriations Act. The addition of word “actually” in goods and services are hurting businesses and consumers. The Duterte administration should Article II, Section 21 enhances the restrictive seriously consider removing the restrictive provisions.

Fourth, if the federal government is the economic provisions if it wants to bring relief head of the family and the federated regions to Filipinos. It will yield many benefits: It will allow the Philippines to attract more are the children, the father must be prudent foreign direct investments (FDIs). More FDIs with the resources to ensure the children equals more jobs, income, and more inclusive have a comfortable life with a secure future ahead. The actual transfer of resources will growth.

It will accelerate agricultural development take time as the father would want some with new capital and technology. Allowing assurance that the children can efficiently foreign ownership of land will raise utilize their resources. The children should agricultural productivity, as observed in be motivated to harness their potential and countries where there are no such restrictions. convince the head of the family that they are It will fast-track infrastructure projects ready to handle bigger powers and resources. with the entry of more players in sectors like Turn to A5

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Enough is enough AST week, the sidekick of a clearly unqualified assistant secretary of communication got into trouble again, this time for creating a bomb scare on his social media page on the eve of the 46th anniversary of the declaration of martial law.

L

On Sept. 20, Andrew Olivar—who appears to be an appendage of Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson—warned readers on Facebook not to join rallies on the 46th anniversary of martial law because of a supposed bomb threat.

“It’s really scary to join rallies on EDSA because word is spreading that there might be another bombing like the one in Plaza Miranda,” he wrote in Filipino, referring to a 1971 bomb attack in Quiapo, Manila, in which nine people were killed and scores injured during a Liberal Party rally.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t go,” he added.

Olivar later deleted the post when some Internet users said he could be jailed under a 1980 presidential decree that penalizes

anyone who spreads false rumors about bomb attacks, an offense for which he could be imprisoned for five years.

Under the threat of a police investigation, Olivar and Uson met with Metro Manila police chief Director Guillermo Eleazar Saturday, then held a press conference with him to apologize for his mistake.

Uson, who has not been known for her wisdom, said she went with Olivar to support her friend.

Eleazar, for his part, said the police would investigate the case, but had to wave off accusations of giving Uson and Olivar—who appeared with him at the press conference— special treatment.

This is not the first time Olivar— and by extension, his patron, Uson—

embarrassed the administration.

On Sept. 15, less than a week earlier, he drew fire for making nonsensical gestures to mimic sign language and imitating the sounds of the hearing-impaired on a video posted on Uson’s Facebook page. Uson was seen in the same video laughing.

Before this, Olivar made a mockery of President Rodrigo Duterte’s advocacy, by doing a lascivious dance, again on Uson’s Facebook page, that used a woman’s breasts and vagina as mnenomic devices for federalism. Again, Uson seemed to be delighted by her friend’s antics.

Enough is enough.

It is bad enough that we, as taxpayers, must pay Uson’s substantial salary and put up with her incompetence, her intellectual dishonesty and complete lack of civility. Must we really also shoulder the salary of her trained monkey?

At least one, but better the two of them, ought to be fired outright.

Sotto makes sense the deaths, rather than the birth dates of our heroes. One can only surmise that it is part of the religio-cultural upbringing from the Roman Catholic frailes and today’s bishops, who extol martyrdom for God or religion as the ultimate good.

April 9 is the Fall of Bataan. Defeat, where thousands died. We remember our national BASHING Senate President Tito Sotto is once hero, Jose Rizal not on his June 19 natal day, but on Dec. 30, when the Spaniards executed more in fashion.

Before he was chosen by his peers to lead him at Bagumbayan. Even Ninoy Aquino is them as their president, Tito Sen, as most Sen- remembered on that dastardly day when he ate beat reporters fondly call the regular guy, was shot at the tarmac of the Manila Internawas excoriated for his inappropriate remark tional Airport, Aug. 21, rather than Nov. 27. when then DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo The value-concept of death, of “martyrdom” is the celebratory theme of our history. faced the Commission on Appointments.

We do not, however, commemorate the day Asking about the single mother’s civil status, he made a “salitang kanto” remark about when Bonifacio was executed, likely because being “ah…na-ano ka.” He has since apolo- he was murdered by his fellow Philippine gized for the unfortunate comment, but many revolutionaries, and so we celebrate his Nov. 30 birth anniversary. Only when the story of feminists raked him over the coals.

I was told by Senate old-timers that Tito Heneral Antonio Luna became a cinematic hit Sen was already being groomed by many sen- did Filipinos realize that the revolution failed ators to replace then-Senate President Koko because of the greed for power of some of its Pimentel, but the “coup” had to be put in the leaders. The revolution was devoured by the back burner after that remark got a lot of me- revolutionaries in the altar of their own ambitions, as Apolinario Mabini, it’s resident wise dia flak. man, the Sublime Now comes his Paralytic, decried. suggestion to change In our pantheon the last line of Lupang of heroes, we tend Hinirang, the national to forget Sumoroy Why the tragedy of anthem, from the deof Samar who featist “ang mamatay death instead of the fought the Spanng dahil sa iyo.” He iards, or Francisco celebration of life, of a proposes “ang ipaglawho perban kalayaan mo.” lifetime of dedication for Dagohoy sisted long in the Instead of debatBohol Revolt, or the good of country and ing the pros and cons Diego Silang of Iloof Sotto’s suggestion, fellowmen? cos, and the Moros netizens and some who never surrenin mainstream medered to Spain, nor dia chided him with America. the standard line that Senator Sotto is with all the problems facing the nation these days, why bother with right in reexamining those core values that we what to many of them amounts to something enshrine in our tragic history. Why the tragedy of death instead of the celebration of life, of a trivial.

“Malayo sa bituka ’yan,” someone said. lifetime of dedication for the good of country “Intindihin ng mga senador ang presyo ng and fellowmen?

Take America’s Star Spangled Banner, which bilihin at kakulangan ng kita.”

For many whose politics is “politica del ends in the famous lines “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Francis Scott Key estomago,” nothing else matters.

Nothing as lofty as placing the national extols bravery and glorifies victory in his lyrics. spirit right, or history being placed in its prop- But not death.

La Marsellaise, the French national hymn, er context.

Jose Palma’s Filipinas from which lyrical is probably a bit more gory, describing how poem that starts with “Tierra adorada” Julian the sons of France would destroy their enFelipe set the lilting music of our Lupang emies and repel invaders, over and over again, Hinirang, translated later in 1956 into the Ta- for the liberty for the motherland, but does not galog “Bayang magiliw, perlas ng silanga- extol “martyrdom” or death.

Nearer to home, Malaysia’s anthem folnan,” also ends with “Es una gloria para tus lows the British tradition of glorifying their hijos, Cuando te ofenden, por ti morir.”

Even in the original Spanish version, death monarch, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as reis the offering to country. It is as if the race has petitively as “God Save the Queen” (or King a common death wish. “Defeatist,” the Senate when Elizabeth II is eventually replaced by either Prince Charles or Prince William).

President opines.

And although the Thais sing about sacrificing Indeed, it remains a puzzlement to me why Turn to A5 we celebrate defeats, and we commemorate

Not budging on the budget LEST we are accused of bias, this column will start by giving the government side on the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019.

First, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno claimed the government budget is pork barrel-free. He also defended the cuts in education and health services.

Diokno riposted this question: “Why should the Department of Education get more money when it underspent its allocation last year?

We leave DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones and Health Secretary Francisco

Pork barrel-free? That is pure hogwash.

Duque to answer Diokno’s assertion. This is a gray area best left to the fund managers. Like lawyers who have different interpretations of the law, the officials managing government funds (our tax money, really) have divergent views on how government should allocate the national budget.

Briones is formerly National Treasurer while

Diokno was also Budget secretary under President Joseph Estrada who was convicted of plunder and then pardoned right away like his crime never happened.

Now our two cents’ worth on the gargantuan national appropriation that seems to be rising every year together with the cost of living and prime commodities: Diokno says there will be no insertion in the budget, hence it is pork barrel-free. He also raises the point that the President has the veto power on line allocations.

Oh yeah? Leave it to the resourceful congressmen to lobby with the President to set aside funds for public works projects in their respective congressional districts. Actually there is an estimated P52-billion realigned pork barrel funds Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher can be accessed at: manilastandard.net Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor Opinion Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Jimbo Gulle City Editor Romel J. Mendez Art Director Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

The whole truths, not half-truths HERE’S the critics’ story. Last Friday, an unlikely alliance of anti-Duterte forces of all shades ranging from what remains of the onceall powerful Liberal Party to organizations belonging to the National Democratic Front and other journeymen denounced the administration’s perceived failures and what they termed its dictatorial tendencies.

To be very clear, going by their statements and calls before, during and after the affair, at bottom, the glue holding this disparate aggrupation is their dislike for Duterte and his continued stay in Malacanang. No matter how they try to couch it, their very language, body or otherwise, their very actions, on the march or elsewhere, is decidedly aimed at ousting Duterte from office before his term. It is clear they cannot abide by his presence and the possibility of his finishing his term.

Never mind that he was elected by an overwhelming mandate of more than 16 million votes, five million more than his closest opponent.

Never mind that he is trying his deliver on his promises. during the campaign. Never mind that up to now he remains the most trusted official of the land and, despite some hiccups on the road, has very good approval ratings.

Never mind that in the most recent SWS survey, a majority of our people now feel safer in the streets and in their homes, a key administration achievement if you ask me given the negative campaign launched by the usual suspects to highlight the alleged abuses under this administration. Never mind that despite all such claims of abuses and persecution, not a single leader of this alliance of anti-Duterte forces has been haled to jail for calling him names or calling for his ouster midway into his term.

But what is really galling is the extraordinary effort of these groups to tie up President Duterte to the late President Ferdinand Marcos on all kinds of misdeeds and charges as if these are the only things which happened or are happening, in the case of President Duterte, during their watch.

As if nothing good has come out of their stay in office. One group asked anyone who cared to listen to “resist alliance of tyrants” referring to the trio of President Duterte, Speaker GMA and former senator Bongbong Marcos.

CROSSROADS

JONATHAN DE LA CRUZ To make matters worse, as these groups denounced this so-called alliance of tyrants and proceeded to call for their banishment from the face of the earth, in a manner of speaking, they are mockingly calling President Duterte in particular to “provide leadership and work towards the unity of our people” they have also gone to town reminding one and all to “remain vigilant as the country’s democracy is again under threat” and “ensure

Certainly not a subjective recounting of events.

that the economy will not be destroyed as it was under martial law” It is these hypocritical noises repeated through decades of retelling half truths which have to be exposed before it gets embedded in the national consciousness.

If we are to be fair and objective about what happened and what is happening right now, those reported abuses and alleged dictatorial tendencies remains the critics’ narrative. It is their reading of events and developments during the watch of both Presidents Duterte and Marcos. It is the critics’ truth – not the whole truth. It is a biased and highly subjective recounting of things.

Yes, there were human rights violations then as there were in all administrations after Marcos.

There are reports of human rights violations today. Yes, there was a concentration of power during martial law as there were efforts, despite the separation of powers in all of our modern-day Constitution, in all administrations after Marcos to

get the entire government machinery to work in step towards a common objective. Whether that objective was to denounce the Marcoses’ abuses to high heavens no matter how (continuing to this day) or to bring to light then President Cory’s last-minute resolve to hold on to the US bases in Clark and Subic or to then President Ramos’ effort to effect privatization and liberalization of the economy or then President Estrada’s allout war in the South or then President GMA’s effort to reenergize the economy with VAT and other measures and, of course, former President Noynoy’s desire to oust then Ombudsman Mercy Gutierrez and then Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Under this kind of presidential system there will always be efforts by the executive to take on power for a specific goal given the need and circumstances at the time.

But this effort to concentrate, this instinct to try to silence dissent which could lead to abuses and bouts of misrule is not the entire story of any presidency. There will always be good and bad things happening during a term resulting from presidential action. But these should be put in context and properly reported or given the chance to see the light to complete the whole. Unfortunately for all of us and for our efforts to bring closure to the ‘battles of the past’, President Duterte’s critics as are Presidents Marcos and GMA have chosen only those they deem fit and necessary to oust or shame a sitting President.

Not to tell the whole story. Not to build from the good things which were done in the course of time. Not to situate their criticisms of the past on the events and circumstances of that particular period but to pick and chose which part of that past suits their fancy. This unrelenting effort to throw blame, to denounce perceived enemies and undue effort to exact revenge for perceived hurts disregarding their very own axioms’ rule of law, giving due process and invoking innocence until proven guilty is what’s truly disappointing. This hypocritical and selective highlighting of things that were or are now under this administration, only the perceived misdeeds and not the good things is what has really set us back in our common desire to unify our people, learn from the lessons of the past and truly build a nation together.

Unmasking Gina WHAT probably could be the greatest act pulled

by Gina Lopez was in convincing the world she was one honest environmental crusader.

Even President Rodrigo Duterte was somehow convinced about the image she was trying to project when he appointed her as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. For this, she was eventually rejected by the Commission on Appointments.

My first encounter with Lopez was about seven years ago when she guested in a fiesta celebration in Looc in Romblon to personally campaign against mining. Being a Lopez gracing a small-town fiesta, she imemediately enjoyed a cult following in that part of the country who echoed her calls for a strictly nomining operation in their once-sleepy village.

Even then, I already had some reservations about her real agenda. She was a staunch advocate against any form of mining operation, and yet she was ferried by a chopper powered by fossil fuel mined form several hundreds of meters below the earth’s surface. She was adorned by sparkling diamonds sourced from mine pits thousands of miles from the country.

She was in constant communication with her peers outside of that small island from Romblon courtesy of the latest model of a mobile phone that time, the parts of which are products of different mine sites.

What a way to call for a total ban on mining.

Her acts after that betrayed her environmental masquerade.

In 2012, in a news forum in a restaurant in Quezon City, she openly defended former President Noynoy Aquino who was then being accused by indigenous people of selling their future to investors on the issue of mining even as his records speak otherwise.

“Please don’t say I said President Aquino is also grossly irresponsible over the mining industry,” I remember Lopez telling me when I asked her then over Aquino’s responsibility on the indigenous people’s concern.

Aquino, that time, was accused by the Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas of taking the side of foreign investors with regard to the mining industry.

Aquino’s record to protect the country’s mining industry has been proven dismal.

Under his administration, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau has endorsed for approval a total of 530 applications covering about five million hectares of prospective mineral lands.

Sotto....

From A4

every drop of blood, the message is defiant, against all invaders, and proud of their history of never being colonized by a foreign imperialist.

Modern Singapore’s anthem, Majulah Singapura or Onwards Singapore, is all about a common goal of happiness for all, unity and continued success. All very positive, all uplifting.

Japan’s Kimi Ga Yo is a very solemn rendi-

Not...

From A4

parked within the budget which the President can disburse at his discretion.

Next year is the mid-term elections for senators, congressmen and local officials. How can a sitting president not allocate funds for the ruling party’s candidates? Not to do so would be courting defeat. That is plain and simple realpolitik Consider the huge slashes in the DepEd and DoH budgets and compare the increase of the Palace Communications Office of Secretary Martin Andanar and Asec Mocha Uson which

I am just not sure whether those granted

by Aquino mining permits were among those ordered closed by Lopez during her short stint as Environment and Natural Resources Secretary.

In 2013, when Gina was busy touring the country for her environmental crusade, she opted to keep her silence when her family’s firms got involved in some environmental disaster.

She kept mum on the Lopez-owned First Philippine Holdings which is responsible for the West Towers oil pipeline leak that has gone on for years without being investigated.

And then there is the case of the Lopezcontrolled Energy Development Corp’s geothermal production field in Kananga, Leyte which figured in another disaster where at least 15 workers of the EDC and First Balfour, also a Lopez firm, who were erecting a protective structure for the steel pipes, were killed. There were heavy rains and landslides but the bodies were charred beyond recognition. To date,there has been no explanation to date on why the

bodies were burned.

But more than the charred bodies, reports say that tests had shown the toxicity level of the chemical boron, which sources in the DENR then said, had already spread to a nearby river.

“The tests conducted by [DENR] showed that the toxic boron has already spread down to the river, which clearly presents a big environmental problem, if not a hazardous one to the health of the villagers,” according to a DENR source.

Where was Gina when all these were happening? She kept on harping against the negative environmental impact of mining operations in the country, but was surprisingly quiet when it comes to environmental disasters caused by her family owned companies.

And at the time Gina was at the helm of the DENR, she did not even question the environmental, sewerage and sanitation fees which were allowed to be charged to consumers of her family-owned water concessionare, Maynilad, and Manila Water from rate rebasing 2002 up to 2016 from 10 percent to 20 percent which would amount to somewhere between P32 billion and P38 billion, despite not meeting the international standards as called for in their Concession Agreement.

Up to now, Maynilad has yet to install a single meter of sewer pipe a sewerage treatment plan or initiate reforestation project in the Sierra Madre Watershed.

And now, from nowhere, Gina resurfaces, blaming this time, legitimate mining operators for the Itogon mining disaster which no less than the local government officials in that area blame on gold buyers from the black market who commissions these illegal small-scale mining operators.

Ironically, Gina could have acted to put a stop to these illegal mining operations when she was still the DENR secretary. But she did not, she was more focused on collecting millions of pesos from legitimate mining firms to fund her own NGO and maybe at the same time protect her own family’s business interest.

Gina has gone a long way from her Ananda Marga days, from the day she ran away from the rehabilitation facilities of the DARE Foundation in 1975 where she had been committed to by her mother for alleged illegal substance abuse. She can dream and act all she wants, but she cannot convince us she is a no-nonsense environmental champion.

tion of a poem that simply, and repetitively says: “May Japan’s reign last for ten thousand years, until the pebbles grow into boulders lush with moss.” A paean to eternal greatness.

Lupang Hinirang is truly such a beautiful anthem, in its lilting melody and poetic lyrics that describe the beauty of our country and how wonderful life is in its lush mountains and blue seas, and extols the courage of a people who will not be oppressed, yet sadly ends with the expression of willingness to die for country. Much like Rizal’s own death

wish: “Morir es descansar.” Resignation rather than defiance.

Tito Sotto makes sense. So does Senator Dick Gordon’s long-standing advocacy for a ninth ray in the sun emblazoned in our flag, to give recognition to the valiant Moros who persisted in the fight against invaders.

And if it must take a referendum to alter an historical oversight, and convert death wish to a defiant and glorious struggle for freedom, then let us debate, and not litter the arguments with non sequiturs.

In 2011, a high-profile delegation from the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, accompanied Aquino to China to seal up to $3 billion in mining investments and mineralsupply contracts with Chinese firms during his state visit to China next week.

She can dream and act all she wants, but she cannot convince us she is a no-nonsense environmental champion.

increased from P1.3 billion to P1.5 billion.

Where are the government’s spending priorities?

Opposition Liberal Party Senators Paulo “Bam” Aquino, Risa Hontiveros and Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon expressed concern that basic services for health and education will suffer the most. Cuts in the budget of DepEd and DoH would mean fewer classrooms and health centers. Schools and classrooms destroyed by Typhoon ‘‘Ompong’’ will be hard pressed for money for repair and reconstruction.

The senators noted the biggest chunk of the budget has been allocated to the Department of Public Works and Highways. The government

for sure will justify this huge expenditure as essential to its Build Build Build infrastructure program to ease the monster traffic in Metro Manila There are certain quarters questioning the alleged involvement of the family and relatives of Christopher “Bong” Go, Special Assistant to the President. Go denied the allegation and stated he would be ready to face a Senate investigation on the matter. Go is running for the Senate under the PDP-Laban-Hugpong coalition party of the Dutertes.

The Senate probe plus the bicameral hearing on the budget should be very interesting.

Remember the controversial Dengvaxia dengue vaccine project? This was immediately

A5

A sad lesson for illegal small-scale miners royalties and other charges to the government, with a further P292.6 million in extra taxes, fees, and charges to host local government units. As high as they are, these figures don’t include yet the staggering P16.42 billion that the industry has committed for social development programs across nearly 1,000 barangays MINING has been in the news again. At least all over the country, surely to benefit hundreds 45 people perished in a mining town in Ben- of thousands of people in areas like education, guet when heavy rains brought by Typhoon livelihood, and health.

But, even if the industry is evidently do‘‘Ompong’’ last week caused a massive landslide that destroyed an old three-story build- ing a lot, “enforcement is critical,” Cimatu stressed. ing, a former mining bunkhouse.

He explained: “Reinventing mining entails Authorities in Itogon said many miners and their families had trooped to the structure improving the MGB monitoring of operations at the height of the typhoon, ignoring warn- and compliance of mining companies to minings to evacuate. They were consequently ing and environmental laws, rules, and regulations. Enforcing fines, penalties, suspenburied.

Department of Environment and Natural sion and closure to demonstrate no-nonsense Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu had since or- putting into force compliance and promoting dered the suspension of all small-scale mining deterrence for commission of violations is imoperations in the entire Cordillera region, and perative.”

Fair enough. And perhaps the suspension subsequent closures would be done in phases, including the cancellation of all temporary of small-scale mining operations in Cordillera will enable a healthpermits. ier, more sober dis“The first phase cussion about the is to stop [this illegal direction of mining mining]. The second in the Philippines as stage will be to rea whole insofar as There is really no locate them [smallthey reveal systemscale miners] out of choice but to strictly atic problems. these very dangerous enforce our mining The negative imareas,” he said. age of the mining In the wake of the laws. sector, coupled with suspensions and clopolicy inconsistensures, the government cies, prevents the inis reportedly considdustry from fully acering setting up two celerating, especially Minahang Bayan, or community mines, outside the landslide-affected considering the vast untapped mineral wealth areas toward the end of the year. A Minahang underground. A reinvigorated mining industry Bayan centralizes the processing of mined out- will invigorate Industry, which could jumpstart puts within a designated area, effectively regu- development in the countryside via infrastruclating small-scale mining activities and ensuring ture, employment, taxes, and exports.

But this would only be possible if the polthat such tragedies never happen again.

“We are legitimizing small-scale mining in icy environment is conducive to the kind of the country. Establishing it would allow them large-scale investments that mining demands. to know where they should only operate. But On the issue of taxation, for instance, the proonce declared, they will have to comply with posed rates in the second package of the govenvironmental standards and they should just ernment’s tax program are too prohibitive to sell their gold output to the central bank,” said the point of ruin, endangering billions of existing and potential investments.

DENR Undersecretary Analiza Teh. While the mining sector is not averse to a Aside from compliance to safety regulations, a Minahang Bayan also guarantees revised tax structure, it has to remain sensible against environmental degradation and en- and competitive to attract quality investments ables the government to collect proper taxes from the world’s major players. After all, it is from such operations. There are about 20 important to remember that our minerals are Minahang Bayan all over the country, many competing with the rest of the world’s, and in Cordillera, Bicol, Compostela Valley, and many countries have in place sophisticated Zamboanga, while over 100 applications re- and attractive tax structures.

“We are talking about billions of pesos main pending with the DENR. “We cannot just ignore the small-scale in lost investments, lost taxes, particularly miners. They have been there, we just have to employment and social development that is fix them. But they should also help us through critical,” said Chamber of Mines of the Philippines chairman and Nickel Asia Corp. presiself-policing and self-discipline,” Teh added.

The problem in the coverage of such events dent and CEO Gerard Brimo.

And with such investments come knowlis the glaring lack of distinction between such small-scale, often illegal, operations and the le- edge and technologies that could tap the gitimate, highly regulated large-scale mining. country’s resources in the most efficient and Because areas like Benguet are associated with ecologically sound manner possible. In the abmining and the fatalities include miners and their sence of such quality investment, mineral-rich families, anti-mining groups will simply blame areas like Benguet run the risk of continuing mining per se. This glosses over the fact, for in- to fall prey to more illegal operations that are stance, that large-scale mines are in no way as- destructive to the environment and unsafe, not to mention the billions of revenues that gold sociated with the tragedy in Itogon.

And precisely because they are squarely smugglers will hijack from government.

Thus, any measure that will virtually halt within the fold of state regulation, such operations also contribute the most to the Philippine any momentum for the industry will only pereconomy. Reports said the total Philippine petuate the cycle that we see at play in Itogon. metallic mineral production value grew by In many ways, this marks a crossroads in the 4 percent year-on-year in June from P52.42 way that government has managed the sector. billion in 2017 to P54.57. As a sector, mining There is really no choice but to strictly enforce contributed some P53 billion to the economy our mining laws. The capacity of the regulatin the first half of the year alone, while mineral ing agencies must be strengthened with adequate technologies resources and talent. The exports reached $1.1 billion.

In terms of jobs created, some 215,000 Fil- fact that small-scale mining produces more ipinos were employed in the industry. Mining than half the country’s annual mineral output companies also paid some P644.4 million in should be main focus of regulation.

Removing....

From A4

We don’t need to have 18 federated regions right away, as proposed by the Con-Com. Let’s start with fewer regions, then, later, the new federated regions can emerge once they reach a certain level of maturity or have met certain preconditions: The capabilities of LGUs and their officials should be expanded. The devolution of powers should be accelerated, provide the corresponding resources, and implement rigorous capacity-building to prepare regions for self-governance.

The bureaucracy should be strong and efficient. Governance should be institutionalized and reformed to ensure efficiency even with a change of leaders.

There should be leaders with proven managerial capabilities, leadership qualities, and a heart for local government. Ordinary citizens should also elect people with a dedication to strong local governance. paid for by the previous Noynoy Aquino administration. In the same way, take note that 2019 is also an election year and candidates need campaign funds.

So, elementary my dear Juan, we don’t have to be economists to know the implication and exigency of why the DPWH is getting the bulk of the budget. Under existing practice, the congressmen can still name and propose public works projects in their respective districts to receive funding from the President.

Pork barrel free as claimed by Diokno is pure hogwash.

Speaking of the senatorial slates, there are those who are seen as sure winners and those who are merely there NOT for the fun of it but for

And fifth, attaining these preconditions will take time. In contrast, lifting the restrictive economic provisions can be done immediately. If approved by year-end or early 2019, there will still be enough time to have the public vote on it by May 2019.

It can also stand on its own regardless of whatever form of government the constitutional assembly will decide on and later ratified by the people.

It sends a dramatic signal to foreign investors that they are welcome to invest in the country, create jobs, and level the playing field that will lead to more competition to the benefit of Filipinos.

In summary, federalism is important but it may not be very urgent at the moment. On the other hand, lifting the restrictive economic provisions is both important and urgent. It will help address the gut issues, accelerate the attainment of socioeconomic agenda, and yield many other benefits for us today and generations to come. eric.jurado@gmail.com the funds of it. Campaign funds, that is. A popular practice in this country is to tap big business and political backers for campaign funds. These political bets can make money whether they lose or later on drop out of the race with a lot of pesos still left in their pockets. Smart.

Leading the race according to the latest Pulse Asia survey are women candidates headed by Senator Grace, Poe, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte and Taguig Rep. Pia Cayateno.

Who says the women in this country are disenfranchised? So far we have had two women presidents in Cory Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the present Speaker of the House of Representatives.

A6

News

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Angara: Rice tariffication law will solve grain problem

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Juan Edgardo Angara on Sunday expressed support for the proposed rice tariffication law, which seeks to address rice supply issues in the country.

“There should be a clear policy regarding rice. It is important to pass the proposal because under it, not only those accredited by the National Food Authority can import rice,” said Angara, who has been named the new president of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, the party founded by his late father, former Senate president Edgardo Angara.

Senate Bill No. 1998 replaces the quantitative import restriction on rice with tariffs and lifts the quantitative exports restrictions on rice.

Under the bill, a 35 percent duty will be imposed on imports coming from member-countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations while a 50 percent duty will be slapped for imports coming from non-ASEAN states.

The measure has been certified as urgent by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Economic managers claimed that liberalizing rice imports will reduce the retail price of rice by P4 to P7 per kilo and reduce inflation rate by 0.4 percentage points.

NBI sues 2 Italians, 3 Filipinos for large-scale fake recruitment T Rey E. Requejo

HE National Bureau of Investigation has filed before the Mandaluyong Prosecutor’s Office a complaint for syndicated and large-scale illegal recruitment against officials of a shipping company—two Italian nationals and three Filipinos—for illegally recruiting applicants.

In a nine-page complaint, the NBI accused True Alliance Shipping Corp. incorporators Henry James Avecilla, Judith Cabrera, and Lucky Philip Cabrera, along with Italians Sergio Constantini and Maurizio Caselli, of syndicated and large-scale illegal recruitment.

The complaint signed by NBI National Capital Region director Cesar Bacani was filed before the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor Bernabe Augustus Solis.

The case arose from the complaint affidavit filed by Capt. Leopoldo Arcilla, Sr., president and general manager of Eagle Clarc

Shipping Philippines, Inc., accusing True Alliance and Oceanus Maritime Crewing Services Inc. of falsification of documents.

“The complainant alleged that True Alliance and Oceanus, together with Leonides Rico, Victor Dumagoso, Cyrus Walawala and Dianne R. Paredes, former employees of Eagle Clarc, conspired and confederated with one another in committing acts constitutive of illegal recruitment when it furnishes or publishes any false notice or information or document in relation to recruitment or employment and gives any false notice, testimony information or document or commit any act of misrepresentation for the purpose of securing a license or authority under the

Labor Code,” read the NBI complaint.

Also implicated into the case are Mama Shipping SARL and Marine Partners Monaco which tapped the services of Oceanus as their agent in the Philippines and enticed the employees of Eagle Clarc to transfer.

The operation of the said shipping business in the Philippines was under the command of its principal owner— Grimaldi and Giuseppe Bottiglieri Shipping Company of Italy.

The respondents were also charged with falsification of public documents and use of falsified documents after it was discovered that Caselli was out of the Philippines when the notary was made.

Du30: TIEZA sole water regulator in Boracay THE Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority will be the sole regulator of water and sewerage systems in tourism zones, including the island paradise of Boracay.

TIEZA chief operating officer Pocholo Paragas said the Office of the President has recently affirmed a decision of the Department of Justice giving the mandate to TIEZA. “With the affirmation of the OP that TIEZA has the regulatory authority over the water and sewerage services in Boracay, we want to make good to this mandate and ensure that rehabilitation efforts are for the long-term,” said Paragas.

“In fact, even before the pronouncement of President Duterte to rehabilitate Boracay, the TIEZA Board has already allotted more than P1 billion to improve its water and drainage systems and had already commenced the project last December,” he added.

Part of TIEZA’s mandate is the development of tourism zones and tourism economic zones as well as tourism infrastructure projects in the country.

“TIEZA works to rehabilitate our tourism assets and create new ones with partner-investors. We want to implement sustainability practices not only in Boracay but also to replicate it in other tourism areas,” he said.

In Boracay, TIEZA’s deputized unit, the TIEZA Regulatory Office, is working closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the existing water service providers in Boracay Island, namely Boracay Tubi System Inc. and the Boracay Island Water Company, Inc., to institute more accountability and ensure better services.

BRACE FOR HEAVIER TRAFFIC. The Estrella Pantaleon Bridge, which connects the cities of Makati and Mandaluyong, was closed to traffic on Sunday for repair works. MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said the repair will take three months to finish. Norman Cruz

PDEA gets new office in Taguig City THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has a new home in Taguig City, a development that reinforces the campaign against illegal drugs in the city and the rest of southern Metro Manila.

The local government of Taguig funded PDEAs’ first-ever satellite office in the National Capital Region. The brand-new, fully-furnished office was turned over to PDEA on Sept. 21.

“PDEA just has to report to the office to make it fully operational,” said Taguig Anti-Drug Abuse Council officer in charge Hilario Cruz.

PDEA will leave its old station in a building it shares with the Southern Police District in Brgy. Fort Bonifacio as it occupies the new Upper Bicutan building. The satellite office comes fully equipped with air conditioning units,

computers and furniture.

“It’s been a top priority for the current city leadership and it aligns with the advocacy of President Duterte,” Cruz said.

The whole of PDEA’s southern jurisdiction—the cities of Taguig, Makati, Pasay, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas and Parañaque, plus the town of Pateros—will also benefit from drastically improved response time and the round-the-clock hotline.

CHINESE LANTERNS. Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns adorn the pathway of a mall in Binondo, Manila. The festival, which falls on Sept. 24 this year, is regarded as the second most significant traditional Chinese festival after the Lunar New Year. Norman Cruz

DENR wants more recycling facilities in NCR THE environment department’s Environmental Management Bureau plans to put up more waste recycling facilities for Metro Manila’s over 1,700 barangays.

Based on figures from the National Solid Waste Management Commission, there are now only 943 material recovery facilities in the National Capital Region serving 964 barangays.

“We can further help provide materials recovery facilities to barangay units for use in solid waste management,” said Marivic Quides, EMB’s chief for ambient air and water monitoring at the National Capital Region.

Quides said MRFs are important components of solid waste management, as these facilities are where waste materials are sorted for eventual recycling.

Recycling is among the strategies promoted under the Solid Waste Management Act to reduce the volume of waste for disposal while providing people livelihood.

Quides said each MRF costs around P350,000 to P400,000.

Earlier, the NSWMC said barangays may opt to form a cluster and pool funds to establish the group’s MRF. The problem in Metro Manila, however, is availability of land, Quides said.

“MRFs can’t be on any land,” she said.

Barangays must have land of at least 50 square meters to 100 square meters for these facilities. PNA

Sports Joshua keeps 3 heavyweight boxing crowns LONDON—Anthony Joshua retained his world heavyweight titles by inflicting the first stoppage defeat of Alexander Povetkin’s professional career with a ruthless seventh-round finish at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

A previously close contest turned in Joshua’s favour decisively when he sent the Russian crashing to the canvas with a straight right hand and left hook.

Povetkin gamely beat the count but Joshua piled in before referee Steve Gray stopped the contest at one minute and 59 seconds of the seventh round.

Victory saw Joshua extend his unbeaten professional record to 22 wins from 22 fights, with 21 knockouts, in front of a raucous home crowd.

“Povetkin is a very tough challenger and he proved it tonight,” Joshua told Sky Sports. “I realised he was strong to the head but weak to the body. I got my knockout streak back, I found my right hand again.”

Joshua was putting his International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organisation belts on the line against 39-yearold Russian challenger Povetkin.

This fight was the latest in a line of professional heavyweight title bouts, featuring the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman, between two former Olympic champions, with Joshua having won gold in front of his home crowd at the 2012 London Games—eight years after Povetkin stood atop the podium in Athens. AFP

Carlos sustains charge; Maneja upends Baulete MACIE Carlos came away with two more victories in emphatic fashions to stay on top of the 14-and-under division while Justine Maneja stunned top seed Rovie Baulete to stir up play in the 16-U class of the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge Under-14 and U-16 qualifying tournaments at the Makati Sports Club over the weekend.

Carlos, who ripped Corazon Lambonao, 6-2, 6-2, in the opener of the Unified Tennis Philippines-sanctioned event serving as a qualifier for the Women’s Tennis Association Future Stars Finals in Singapore next month, romped past Tennielle Madis and Mica Emana via similar 6-1, 6-1 victories to roll into the crossover semifinals.

Maneja, meanwhile, rode on the momentum of her victories over Shedel Gica, 6-3, 6-0, and Anna De Myer, 6-0, 6-2, as she surprised Baulete, 6-3, 7-6(3), to claim the top spot in Group I in their side of the event sponsored by Malayan Insurance, Dunlop and Makati Sports Club.

“The games brought out the best among the best and I am looking forward to fiery matches in the finals,” said Cebuana Lhuillier president/CEO and UTP founder Jean Henri Lhuillier.

Baulete earlier foiled De Myer, 6-4, 7-6(4), 10-2, and outlasted Gica, 6-1, 7-6(3), but struggled in the face of Maneja’s superb all-around game. Emana also posted a pair of victories over Madis, 6-2, 3-6, 11-9; and Lambonao, 6-3, 6-0, before yielding to Carlos.

Matches were still being played at presstime with the winners joining Carlos, Emana, Maneja and Baulete in the crossover semifinals.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

A7

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

PH sepak takraw athletes put world title on the line T

HE Philippines is ready to defend its title in the premier division of the 33rd King’s Cup World Sepak Takraw Championships.

Ranged against the best sepak players from 31 other countries, the Filipinos left for Nakhon Rachasima in Thailand during the weekend in time for today’s opening that will run until Sept. 30.

Aside from aiming to retain the crown in the men’s doubles category, they will also vie for gold medals in four other events—hoop, regu quadrant and regu team.

“We wish the Philippine sepak takraw team the best of luck. We’re confident that they are capable of replicating the achievement,” said Go For Gold top executive Jeremy Go during the team’s send-off recently at Vikings at the Mall of Asia.

Seasoned players Rheyjey Ortouste, Ronsited Gabayeron, Emmanuel Escote will spearhead the men’s team along with Joshua Gleen Bullo, Alvin Pangan, John Carlo Lee and John John Bobier.

Joining the trip backed by Go For Gold and the Philippine Sports Commission are John Jeffrey Morcillos, Joeart Jumawan, Nestleer Bandivas, Christian George Encabo and Regie Reznan Pabriga.

“We know that they will make our country proud like they have done before,” said Go, Vice President of

Powerball Marketing and Logistics Corporation.

Forming the women’s squad are Mary Melody Taming, Abegail Sinogbuhan, Gelyn Evora, Josefina Maat, Jean Marie Sucalit, Jea Mae Pepito, Jocielle Fernandez, Aisa Sabellita, Allyssa Bandoy and Lhaina Lheil Mangubat.

Coaches Rodolfo Eco, Hector Memarion, Metodio Suico Jr. and Junmar Aleta will coach the men’s team while Romulo Ruedas Jr., Esperidion Rodriguez, Gena Mark Saavedra and Deseree Autor will call the shots for the women’s squad.

According to Suico, the team also brought home a pair of silver medals in team regu and hoop and a bronze effort in the regu during the 2016 edition of the worlds in Thailand.

Tiger grabs 3-shot lead in Atlanta

The Philippine Sepak Takraw team during the sendoff hosted by Go For Gold top executive Jeremy Go (second row, fifth from left) recently at Vikings Mall of Asia.

PH, Taiwan to co-stage LPGA golf meet THE Ladies Philippine Golf Tour will co-stage a Taiwan LPGA event next month in Taiwan, marking the first time that the local circuit will be holding a tournament abroad through the Party Golfer Ladies Open on Oct. 3-5 at the National Golf Country Club in Miaoli County.

The LPGT, through its sponsor ICTSI, and its TLPGA counterpart Party Golfer will be splitting the $100,000 money purse for the 54-hole tournament that will also give the Filipina pros the rare chance to compete overseas against the best and rising players in the region.

“This is in line with LPGT’s continuing effort to raise the level of play among the local pros and advance the growth of ladies pro golf,” said Colo Ventosa, general manager of Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., organizer of the country’s men’s and women’s pro circuits. “By exposing them abroad, we would be providing them the opportunity to compete on a different setup and environment, which we hope will be beneficial to their respective games.”

Pauline del Rosario, the

reigning LPGT Order of Merit champion, has actually won a TLPGA event when she rallied in the final round and snared the TLPGA and Royal Open crown last year with Ventosa confident of producing more and more Filipina winners in one of the region’s leading circuits.

“Our local pros have been competing with the TLPGA ladies through the TLPGAsanctioned LPGT tournaments that we’ve been holding twice each year the last three seasons. This time I am hoping our ladies will do well outside the Philippines,” said Ventosa.

“Pauline has already won a TLPGA tournament and we hope one of the ladies would be able to duplicate her feat soon,” she added.

The Party Golfer Ladies Open will feature the leading TLPGA players and those from other regional circuits with Symetra Tour campaigners Mia Piccio and Princess Superal to spearhead the Filipinas’ bid in the event co-sanctioned by the TLPGA and LPGT. The two circuits will also share the prize money when

Mia Piccio and Princess Superal go for record win in the first LPGT Taiwan event

they co-stage the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Masters in February.

“Our goal is to grow the ladies tour and we need more of our talents to play abroad and join Dottie (Ardina), who is now doing so

well on the Symetra Tour,” said Ventosa, referring to the ICTSI-backed pro who is now a cinch to gain full membership for next year’s LPGA Tour. “We want the LPGT to be as big as our PGT and PGT Asia tours.”

ATLANTA—Tiger Woods is one round away from ending his five-year victory drought after storming into a three-shot lead on day three of the Tour Championship here Saturday.

Woods, 42 looked in a class of his own as he carded a five-under-par 65 to leave himself on 12 under for the tournament at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club.

After an opening birdie on the par-four first, Woods went surging clear of the field with a run of five straight birdies from the third hole.

The run came with a mix of superb iron play and rock-solid putting, including a 21-foot birdie putt on the fourth.

There was also a moment of magic from the former world number one on the seventh, when he drilled a 172-yard approach shot to five feet and then tapped in for birdie.

He was denied a bigger lead after bogeys on the ninth and 16th holes.

“I got off to a nice start and made some nice putts. Good Lord,” Woods said afterwards.

“I left myself in good spots, too, so I was able to take a run at some of the putts. Other than number three, every putt was uphill, so it was nice. I felt like I could free-wheel it, and they went in.”

A Woods victory would be an 80th PGA Tour triumph and take him to within two wins of Sam Snead’s all-time 82 Tour victories.

- Simple math “I would love to be able to win this event,” he said. “I’ve got a three-shot lead. I’ve got a bunch of guys behind me that have been playing well and are playing well, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

With one round remaining, Woods leads by three from Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose on nine under.

“Simple math says that if I play a clean card, the guys behind me have to shoot 67 to force it into extra,” Woods added.

“So, that helps. I don’t have to shoot 63 or 64 and hope I get help. That’s a big difference.“This is a spot I’d much rather be in than certainly four or five back.”

And having won 106 tournaments around the globe, Woods was quizzed if there was any further room for a 107th victory prize.

“I am sure there would be room somewhere in the house if I happened to go on and win this event,” he said.

Woods’ last victory came 1,875 days ago in August 2013 when he captured the WGC–Bridgestone Invitational. AFP

Herbalife appoints HK professor/nutrition expert to advisory board

By Ram Christian Agustin

Dr. Zhen-Yu Chen

FOUNDED in 1980, global nutrition company Herbalife with over 8,000 employees worldwide, has appointed Hong Kong Professor in Food & Nutritional Sciences Dr. Zhen-Yu Chen to the Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board to ramp up the health and nutrition advocacy efforts of the company all across Asia Pacific.

Dr. Chen is one of six nutritional and health professionals from Asia Pacific as part of the 26 members of NAB and is currently the Chair Professor of the Food and Nutritional Sciences Programme and Head of the Graduate Division of School of Life Sciences at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The renowned nutrition expert, who completed his PhD in food sci-

ence and nutrition at the University of Massachusetts in USA, emphasizes the need for proper nutrient timing for athletes in the country especially for those competing internationally.

“You need to have a good breakfast, lunch and dinner. It should be evenly distributed. In the morning you need proteins for training to synthesize the muscle protein,” said Dr. Chen. “Basically, if you eat a balanced diet, you do not need to take supplements. You can get all the nutrients by consuming regular food. However in reality, many people do not have a balanced diet or nutrition. Therefore they may take supplements to compensate for the nutrients they do not get.”

Chen also pointed out that some nutrients, like vitamin B12, can be tricky to come by for vegetarians since foods that are high in this vi-

tamin can be found mostly in organ meats and eggs and the deficiency of B12 is extremely dangerous to health and can lead to dementia or death so he suggests the intake of supplements for compensation.

“When taking supplements, keep several things in mind. Remember that they are not the medicine. They cannot cure disease. They are just a part of our diet. Also, more is not better. Having more than what you need will not give additional benefits. A mega dose will not help you and will produce a side-effect.” he said. “Do not toxify yourself because you chose the wrong amount of supplement.”

The Recommended Dietary Allowance known as the average daily level of intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of individuals and the Tolerable Upper Intake Lev-

el, which is the highest usual intake level of a nutrient that poses no risk of adverse effects, were also noted by Chen as important in nutrition.

“When you take supplements, if you know how to choose and you know how much you should consume, you should be fine. Read the labels, do a little bit of homework, know what is RDA and UL and then you can choose a supplement fit to your needs,” he said.

Herbalife was founded by Mark Hughes and operates in 95 countries through a network of roughly 3.2 million independent distributors from 87,000 Herbalife Nutrition Clubs that sell a variety of nutritional products ranging from protein shakes and bars to vitamins and sports hydration products intended for weight management, sports nutrition and more.

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

A8

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Sports

Del Monte leads PAL winners DAVAO CITY—Del Monte, Tagaytay Highlands and Bacolod captured division titles Saturday at the close of the 13th Philippine Airlines Interclub golf team championships at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club.

Del Monte leaned on Martina Minoza’s 52 points and Rhea Langgamin’s 51 to win the Founders division with 554 points. Kiara Therese Montebon was the third scorer with 45 points.

Lady Eagles Australian 1 finished second with 541 points behind Kelsey Benett’s 55 points while Negros Occidental settled for third with 507.

In the Sportswriters division, Tagaytay Highlands drew 53 points from Sophia Blanco to beat Camp Aguinaldo by 15 points.

Tagaytay closed out with 123 for 460 points while Aguinaldo, anchored by Mabel Salivio’s 47, submitted 111 for 445.

Phoenix Fuelmasters import Eugene Phelps (center) drives strong to the hoop against a double team by Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok defenders Romeo Travis (24) and Rafi Reavis. PBA Media

Fuelmasters snap Magnolia win streak

By Jeric Lopez

E

UGENE PHELPS unleashed game-highs of 36 points and 20 rebounds for another monster showing to power the Phoenix Fuelmasters to their third straight win at the expense of Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok, 95-82, in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum yesterday.

The game was nip-and-tuck for most part until Phoenix, who held small leads for much of the contest, pulled off a key surge in the payoff period.

The Fuelmasters orchestrated a decisive 12-3 charge midway in the fourth

to carve a double-digit lead, 87-75, with 3:34 remaining after a two-handed slam

by Phelps.

Caught flat-footed, the Hotshots were unable to answer back, enabling Phoenix to continue its winning run.

The Fuel Masters are now at 5-1 for second place after the win while they also gave Magnolia its first taste of defeat.

The Hotshots fell to 2-1 as their twogame winning streak snapped.

Matthew Wright and Justin Chua provided support for the Fuel Masters, scoring 13 and 13 points, respectively, while three of their teammates added nine markers each.

The first half was even-steven as both teams ended up tied at 48-apiece after the first 24 minutes of action.

Despite the tight game in the first three periods, Phoenix was the team who was leading for most part and it was able to gain a safe separation down the stretch

to preserve its triumph.

Romeo Travis led Magnolia with a team-high 28 points and 19 rebounds.

Meanwhile, goliaths Barnagay Ginebra (3-1) and San Miguel Beer (2-1) are battling in a rematch of the Commissioner’s Cup Finals as of this report.

The scores: Phoenix Fuelmasters 95 - Phelps 36, Wright 13, Chua 12, Abueva 9, Revilla 9, Jazul 9, Perkins 7, Intal 0, Wilson 0.

Magnolia Hotshots 82 - Travis 28, Barroca 11, Sangalang 11, Jalalon 11, Lee 8, Ramos 6, Dela Rosa 3, Melton 2, Gamalinda 2, Pascual 0, Reavis 0, Brondial 0, Herndon 0.

Quarter scores: 30-19, 48-48, 71-67, 95-82.

Tamaraws gore UP Maroons

By Peter Atencio THE Far Eastern University Tamaraws caught the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on a bad day.

The Tamaraws’ big man Prince Orizu gave UP’s rebound monster Akhuetie Bright huge problems in the shaded lane with the help of four other teammates, and they went on to claim an 89-73 victory in the 81st University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament yesterday at The Arena in San Juan.

Orizu banged in 15 points to go with seven rebounds. FEU then held UP to their lowest outputs in the second and third quarter this season.

IN BRIEF Cabinet visiting the UK this week

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III will lead a Cabinet delegation on a three-day mission to London this week to brief British investors on the vast business opportunities in the country’s infrastructure, energy and tourism sectors and explore ways to expand economic cooperation between the Philippines and the United Kingdom.

The top-level delegation will also take part in a business roundtable organized by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center to discuss with leaders of British business organizations and other groups the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program of the Duterte administration.

The Department of Finance said the roadshow will take place on Sept. 24 to 26.

The other members of the delegation Secretaries Alan Peter Cayetano of the Foreign Affairs Department, Ernesto Pernia of the National Economic and Development Authority, Benjamin Diokno of Budget, Ramon Lopez of Trade and Industry, Arthur Tugade of Transportation, Mark Villar of Public Works, Alfonso Cusi of Energy and Bernadette Romulo Puyat of Tourism. Julito G. Rada

Group warns vs Iloilo ‘property sequestration’

AN ADVOCACY group expressed concern over the likelihood of “property sequestration” in the power distribution controversy in Iloilo City.

The Anti-Corruption Movement Inc., led by founding chairman Leon Peralta, was referring to the events at the House of Representatives in connection with the power franchise issue in Iloilo.

The group criticized the House committee on legislative franchises committee led by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez for allegedly hastily approving More Mineral Corp.’s franchise filed only in August this year.

“We are airing this sentiment not on the basis of unfounded charges or as a figment of crazy imagination, but on the grounds of indisputable facts surrounding this controversy, or scandal as you please,” the ATM said.

It said that while the House committee approved the application of the new player, it withheld any action on the application for franchise renewal filed by the existing power distributor Panay Electric Co. Inc. in July last year.

Peco has been supplying power to Iloilo City and a number of adjacent towns in Panay Island for 95 years. Peralta said MMC, on the other hand, was basically a mining company that had to start from scratch as a power distribution utility.

He said Peco was a “full-fledged electric distributor operating and maintaining a P2billion infrastructure including transmission lines, transformer towers, a fleet of service vehicles, sufficient manpower, etc.”

“But more important, it has the technical know-how in discharging its duties and responsibilities as a public utility,” Peralta said.

Business

By Alena Mae S. Flores

EOTHERMAL power producer Energy Development Corp. warned over the weekend that removing the incentives currently enjoyed by the renewable energy industry will slow down investments in the sector.

EDC president Richard Tantoco said lifting the incentives under the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and Highquality Opportunities or Trabaho bill, the second tranche of the government’s tax reform program, would be a “misguided policy”.

“I think it’s a misguided policy to remove the incentives from renewable energy just as we need to transition into clean energy...If you remove the fiscal incentives, the impact on renewable energy is like you’re taxing it 10 times of

coal which is what we need to begin to transition out of,” Tantoco said.

He said the Trabaho bill would create “uncertainty” on the entire renewable energy industry.

“It’s a major uncertainty because people are looking at their numbers and then they don’t know whether they’re gonna have 10 percent income tax or 30. They don’t know if they’re gonna be able to import without duties or with duties,” he said.

Tantoco said the proposed bill could limited the renewable energy growth in the country.

“Definitely today with the specter of the bill hanging over the industry’s head, we will see investments slow down,” he said.

EDC is the country’s biggest geothermal company. It also owns a 150-megawatt wind power project in Burgos, Ilocos Norte and is investing in solar projects around the country.

Tantoco said the non-fiscal incentives promoted by the Department of Energy such as the renewable portfolio standards would not be enough to compensate for the loss of the fiscal incentives.

Department of Science and Technology acknowledges two technologies of Ecosystem Technologies International Inc. as viable solutions for water security and sanitation. Shown during the 2018 Philippine Water Forum organized by the Water Alliance, an organization initiated by the Philippine Business for Social Progress, at SMX SM Aura in Taguig City are (from left) Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional director for Calabarzon Maria Paz Luna, Hydrophilia Technologies Inc. specialist Aezer Cajegas, Ecosystem director of communications Michael Rubio, Berma Procesys Corp. chief executive Jesus Makilan Jr., Nalco Water marketing lead Albert Samuela, Colegio de Dagupan Prof. Roderick Cabana and Philippine Geosynthetic Inc. sales engineer Shiela May Maravillo.

“RPS is not very aggressive because when you think about it, utilities have to buy a certain percentage of renewable.

But if they don’t, there’s no penalty. In other markets like Chile, there’s a very clear system that effectively prices hit.

We’re taking small steps in the right direction…[but] I think they could go a lot quicker,” Tantoco said.

EDC chairman Federico Lopez said the Trabaho bill could change the industry’s landscape.

Lopez said some locators in the economic zones owned by the Lopez Group already put their expansion plans on hold.

“You know they always got this opportunity to go, put it up in Vietnam and other places which is what’s happening…RE also is the same thing. People probably will wait and see whether and if these incentives because the impact of incentives being taken out is huge,” he said.

“You have to realize that many of those companies are constantly looking at where to put their manufacturing, operations…When you have a possibility of a trade war that’s going on, many are looking at the possibility of moving their operations from China,” he said.

Business Services Philippines Inc. opens an additional office floor in Taguig City earlier this month which will increase its workforce to 1,000 from 800 at present. Shown during the opening ceremony are (from left) Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines president and chief executive Rey Untal, Global In-House Center Council Philippines chair Karen Batungbacal, Bayer Shared Service Center Delivery Network head Juergen Lutz, Taguig City mayor Laarni Cayetano, BBSPI managing director Johan Fourie and BBSPI operations manager Louie Perez.

DOTr not closing door on Tieng’s airport proposal in Sangley Point

WATER TECHNOLOGIES. The

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

BAYER EXPANDS FACILITY. Bayer

A STRUCTURAL engineer pointed out the importance of the quality and integrity of the steel bars used in high-rise buildings in the Philippines.

Emilio Morales, former chair of the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines, in a recent Senate hearing of the committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship chaired

by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, warned that in the absence of standards, high-rise buildings would be vulnerable to quakes.

Morales, a top lecturer in the country’s engineering schools, reacted to a previous statement that tthe country could use grade 40 steel bars, instead of grade 60. “That is a criminal offense, because there will be a catastrophic failure of strength in multi-story and high-rise buildings when a major earthquake occurs,” he said.

Morales has been lobbying for transparency in terms of the production of steel bars and discussed the dangers of using QT bars in a paper titled ‘The Clear and Present Danger - The Use of QT or TMT Rebars in Seismic Zone 4.”

Morales said that studies in Italy, Australia and New Zealand concluded that quench tempered steel bars are not for high rise buildings, and that these have been banned in other countries, such as Canada, Taiwan and Japan.

The Senate held public hearings on the proposed Senate Resolution 802 filed by Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito and Resolution 412 by Senator Panfilo Lacson which aim to implement measures to stop the proliferation of substandard steel bars.

THE Department of Transportation said it may still consider the unsolicited bid of a consortium led by businessman Wilson Tieng to build an international airport in Sangley Point amid the technical and financial issues on a separate proposal by the provincial government of Cavite.

“It’s still on the table. It really depends on how soon the provincial government of Cavite [will act on their proposal],” Transportation Undersecretary for planning and project development Ruben Reinoso said.

Reinoso said the provincial government of Cavite had yet to inform the department on the legal framework it would use for its offer to develop Sangley Point into an international airport for P552.08 billion.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

Trabaho bill expected to hurt renewable sector G

Engineer pushes for steel standards

By Darwin G. Amojelar

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

The legal department of DOTr issued a memorandum on June 15, asking the department to refrain from signing an agreement with the Cavite provincial government on the proposed international airport.

The DOTr legal department cited the lack of technical and financial capability of the Cavite provincial government to implement an international airport development project.

Reinoso, when asked if there’s a deadline for the Cavite government on its proposal, said: “We have not discussed that yet, because we wanted to move forward with the very advance proposal of Bulacan [New Manila International Airport project in Bulacan province] and of course the expansion and rehabilitation of Naia [Ninoy Aquino International Airport].”

B

Ayala unit opens resort in El Nido

By Jenniffer B. Austria SEDA Hotels, the homegrown hotel chain of AyalaLand Hotel and Resorts group, opened its first resort called Seda Lio within the 325-hectare Lio Tourism Estate in El Nido, Palawan.

Seda Hotels said in a statement Seda Lio is a 153-room beachfront hotel property that offers a complete range of facilities and amenities catering to leisure tourists, families, destination weddings, meeting and incentive groups.

Seda Lio, located only a few minutes from the airport, expands the current accommodation options in El Nido consisting of luxury resorts on the adjacent islands and bed-and-breakfast types in the town.

Seda group general manager Brett Hickey said the resort aimed to be a leading wedding and meetings destination in the country as it would only take guests from Manila 70 minutes from takeoff to touchdown at Lio. Guests can enjoy a wide range of recreational facilities and amenities and will also have easy access to the four-kilometer stretch of Lio Beach and the restaurants and stores of Ayala Malls’ shops.

Seda Lio is a low-rise structure with only three floors or no taller than the surrounding coconut trees in keeping with Lio Tourism Estate’s sustainable development masterplan.

“We will be addressing environmental concerns at Seda Lio, in addition to offering guests our brand of genuine Filipino hospitality aligned with the premier service standards offered by top-tier destinations,” Hickey said.

Seda opened its first hotel in Bonifacio Global City in 2012. It now has more 1,800 rooms in nine properties in the Philippines, with more under development in key destinations nationwide.

Currently locations include Capitol Central, Bacolod; Centrio, Cagayan de Oro; Ayala Center, Cebu; Abreeza, Davao City; Atria, Iloilo; Nuvali, Laguna; Seda Vertis North, Quezon City; and Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Upcoming Seda hotels include Seda BGC Tower 2 with 342 rooms; Seda Central Bloc in Cebu I.T. Park with 214 rooms, including 58 serviced residences; Seda Ayala North Exchange in Makati offering 312 serviced residences; Seda Bay Area in, Parañaque with 350 rooms; and Seda Arca South in Taguig with 200 rooms.

Finance urges Senate to approve 2nd tax reforms

By Julito G. Rada THE Finance Department asked the Senate to do its part and pass a bill seeking to reduce the corporate income tax and correct the incentives system for businesses after the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and Higher Quality Opportunities or Trabaho bill.

The proposed bill is the second package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program. The first package called Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or Train law took effect in January, which cut down personal income taxes but raised the excise taxes on alcohol, tobacco, fuel, sweetened beverage and automobile.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the proposed reforms in corporate taxation would not only help sustain the economy’s high growth trajectory

but would also benefit around 90,000 small and medium enterprises that provide a large number of jobs.

“We are thankful that the House under the leadership of Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has heeded the call of President Duterte in his 3rd State-ofthe-Nation Address to swiftly pass the CIT reform bill, which comprises Package 2 of his comprehensive tax reform program,” Dominguez said.

“This measure, as the speaker had correctly stated, ‘will bring us to the next level of development’,” he said.

Quirino Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua, who held several hearings on the bill when he was then-chairman of the House ways and means committee, was the measure’s principal author and sponsored its approval before the House plenary.

The House approved on Sept. 10 its version of the CIT reform bill known as the Trabaho Act. Under the leadership of Arroyo, who had strongly supported

the bill, it took just took 34 working days after President Duterte’s appeal to Congress to have the measure passed.

A total of 187 lawmakers voted for the Trabaho bill on third and final reading.

Dominguez asked the Senate “to likewise heed the president’s call for an equitable tax system by giving its stamp of approval to Package 2,” which remained pending in the chamber’s ways and means committee.

President Duterte said that Package 2 “will lower corporate income taxes, especially for our small businesses,” which, in turn, “mean they will have more money to invest and create more jobs.”

The president urged Congress to pass Package 2 before the end of the year.

More than 99 percent of businesses are the micro, small and medium enterprises that employ around 65 percent of the country’s workers.

PITC asks for lower tariff on imported rice

By Othel V. Campos THE Trade Department, through the Philippine International Trading Corp., is asking for a tax expenditure subsidy to reduce the cost of importing 150,000 metric tons of rice.

PITC president and chief executive Dave Almarinez said the 3 million bags of imported rice would be sold directly to C, D and E consumers at P27 per kilogram.

The attached corporation will present today a proposal to import tariff-free rice from either Vietnam or Thailand to the National Food Authority Board. Out-quota imported rice is currently slapped with 35 percent tariff.

“The biggest factor is the tariff so we are asking for a TES to lower the cost of importation,” Almarinez said over the weekend.

The agency will also utilize the existing

facilities of NFA to further reduce cost.

A previous agreement with the NFA authorized members of the Philippine Amagalmated Supermarkets Association Inc. to retail NFA rice inside the groceries.

The Trade Department offered to flood the market with affordable rice by opening new channels other the accredited NFA rice retailers.

The department said it was expecting the shipment to arrive before end-October this year ahead of the NFA rice imports, which would arrive in November.

“We will augment supply. We will not be competing against NFA. Our goal is to arrest the prices and make it stable, stop rice price manipulation and hoarding,” Almarinez said.

The charter of PITC allows both government to government trading and private business transactions.

B2

Business

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market seen to rebound this week

By Jenniffer B. Austria

T

RADING at the Philippine Stock Exchange is expected to remain volatile this week, but analysts said a rebound is possible depending on the next policy move by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Analysts said the upcoming Monetary Board meeting, where the Bangko Sentral was expected to again raise benchmark interest rates, would take center stage this week.

The market expects another 50-basis-point rate adjustment this week,

after the recent typhoon destroyed crops in Luzon which could contribute to inflationary pressures.

Papa Securities trader Gio Perez said investors would remain cautious ahead of the Monetary Board meeting Thursday.

BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said the market could be ripe for a technical rebound, after several weeks of decline.

“Despite the sharp drop these past weeks, the market is quite over sold and may be ripe for a technical rebound to retry the 7,500/7,800 levels,” Ravelas said.

The PSE index, the 30-company

benchmark, fell 0.4 percent over last week’s five-day market trading to close at 7,383.00 on Sept. 21, on volatile trading that saw the index breaching the bear market.

Investors were concerned that inflation could rise further following the impact of Typhoon Ompong.

The bellwether plunged to a twomonth low of 7,134.73 Thursday before recovering Friday.

The broader all-share index also fell 1.1 percent to settle at 4,507.40.

The major sub-indices ended mixed, with industrial and property posting week-on-week gains and financials, holding firms, services and mining and oil closing lower.

Foreign investors were net sellers by P1.7 billion last week, while average daily turnover reached P6.44 billion.

Top gainers last week were Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corp. which jumped 15.1 percent to P38, Universal Robina Corp. which advanced 6.8 percent to P151 and JG Summit Holdings Inc. which climbed 3.8 percent to P54.

Heavy losers included Asiabest Group International Inc. which dipped 29.3 percent to P20.05, Robinsons Land Corp. which retreated 10.1 percent to P18.78 and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. which fell 10.1 percent to P24.85.

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW STOCKS

SEPTEMBER 17-21, 2018 Close Volume Value

Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources China Bank Citystate Savings COL Financial Eastwest Bank Ferronoux Holding Filipino Fund Inc. First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

59 120.60 83.90 2.43 1.51 29.8 7.65 16.26 12.86 4.24 8.59 0.64 1.6 835.00 0.520 68 0.97 11.52 43.50 84.05 108 188.9 24.85 168.5 1822.00 66.60 1.19

106,430 12,049,970 15,336,780 167,000 257,000 837,600 400 43,600 3,569,000 836,000 1,500 10,000,000 285,000 140 1,487,000 18,226,780 2,694,000 37,000 1,393,300 100 770 3,600 1,368,700 4,760,280 485 179,170 52,000

FINANCIAL 6,289,816.00 1,381,511,887.00 1,250,638,020.50 399,590.00 380,370.00 25,049,185.00 3,060.00 708,616.00 45,416,120.00 3,508,590.00 12,887.00 6,400,000.00 436,340.00 115,570.00 777,410.00 1,206,659,219.50 2,688,740.00 426,252.00 62,162,835.00 8,405.00 83,497.00 683,319.00 34,855,360.00 815,337,519.00 882,420.00 12,010,394.50 61,640.00

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Basic Energy Corp.

Bogo Medelin C. Azuc De Tarlac Cemex Holdings Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Eagle Cement EEI Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp.

First Holdings ‘A’ Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp.

LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide MG Holdings Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phinma Energy Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Pilipinas Shell Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings SFA Semicon Shakeys Pizza SMC Food and Beverage SPC Power Corp.

Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

36.6 18 1.07 1.19 29.05 0.227 112 18.00 2.74 14 193.3 38 70.95 40 1.73 4.5 7.5 10.280 15.2 8.48 7.05 7.05 1.6 17 63.05 28.00 6.98 12.04 1.910 272.00 5.1 3.23 13.36 24.25 11.44 16 0.186 365.00 5.85 1.66 4.02 9.15 5.16 8.75 1.01 10.96 52.25 5.8 4.80 2.69 2.91 1.6 12.2 95.5 5.66 0.125 1.03 151 2.44 2.07 19.02 2.22

8,240,300 8,799,700 150,573,000 2,572,000 3,028,100 6,420,000 290 15,900 20,448,000 16,813,600 30 7,680,900 220 440,500 436,000 5,200 96,600 47,766,300 1,399,400 1,580,700 20,052,500 15,064,200 303,000 5,057,200 11,014,560 244,000 733,900 6,425,600 3,691,000 2,459,060 286,100 75,000 900 5,816,100 1,082,800 5,738,300 700,000 1,137,800 107,300 2,600,000 581,000 3,695,400 537,900 674,300 3,366,000 252,800 2,051,930 310,000 6,397,000 5,009,000 141,000 2,408,000 802,800 2,642,110 250,800 590,000 718,000 5,362,430 71,000 15,454,000 200 108,162,000

INDUSTRIAL 296,773,830.00 156,999,052.00 178,967,570.00 2,999,890.00 99,928,670.00 1,394,070.00 30,551.00 284,704.00 59,347,190.00 231,352,276.00 5,799.00 272,570,210.00 15,048.00 17,881,140.00 755,890.00 25,500.00 677,913.00 478,474,262.00 21,392,698.00 14,085,804.00 141,311,320.00 106,302,223.00 484,800.00 85,470,780.00 705,127,259.00 6,899,825.00 5,168,277.00 75,486,114.00 7,281,110.00 660,840,712.00 1,386,570.00 229,250.00 12,024.00 140,899,790.00 12,583,258.00 95,274,438.00 126,560.00 412,201,560.00 656,628.00 4,744,800.00 2,390,100.00 44,801,184.00 2,764,292.00 5,753,529.00 3,395,390.00 2,743,888.00 109,240,012.50 1,800,910.00 30,714,140.00 12,989,050.00 408,010.00 3,622,510.00 8,818,888.00 250,068,399.00 1,430,816.00 74,050.00 721,090.00 783,808,082.00 173,050.00 31,737,720.00 3,804.00 250,746,500.00

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

Lopez Holdings Corp.

LT Group Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

MJCI Investments Inc. Pacifica `A’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ Seafront `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Transgrid Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.405 46.90 13.00 0.93 6.00 1.220 1.240 898 5.86 12.14 7.20 0.203 838 5.70 54.00 5.06 0.56 4.71 15 0.620 4.92 3.35 0.0390 1.200 2.510 2.74 168.00 2.58 892.00 1.35 0.81 280.000 348.00 0.2700 0.200

68,830,000 45,223,100 17,063,600 30,000 13,300 47,140,000 6,852,000 1,754,290 40,551,000 16,822,900 3,792,200 380,000 437,460 23,900 8,277,020 400 1,923,000 23,790,000 12,692,800 12,478,000 150,655,400 13,000 417,000,000 907,000 3,769,000 5,000 1,457,340 18,000 1,925,890 471,000 27,000 27,370 390 47,010,000 110,000

HOLDING FIRMS 27,024,400.00 2,115,275,925.00 213,906,112.00 27,320.00 79,879.00 59,665,620.00 8,842,850.00 1,577,401,590.00 237,406,036.00 205,606,250.00 26,936,332.00 78,410.00 363,076,055.00 136,244.00 440,219,749.50 2,024.00 1,082,230.00 113,200,640.00 193,203,442.00 7,617,090.00 759,697,015.00 43,550.00 17,432,700.00 1,090,820.00 9,669,720.00 13,700.00 244,423,324.00 46,490.00 1,716,459,525.00 643,440.00 20,310.00 7,622,414.00 136,990.00 13,513,650.00 22,080.00

5,862,200 31,323,000 91,300 438,000 3,965,000 43,726,900 25,012,000 4,261,000 95,700 300 27,730,000 30,000 34,087,000 20,180,000 3,260,000 1,975,500 14,662,400 1,587,000 2,690,000 11,662,000 12,613,000 129,718,000 3,000 92,825,000 682,078,000 8,980,000 10,670,000 2,300 8,155,000 17,038,500

PROPERTY 43,103,574.00 27,265,010.00 1,127,728.00 886,530.00 2,756,880.00 1,777,540,440.00 67,124,670.00 18,515,200.00 510,293.00 1,814.00 12,121,050.00 27,000.00 31,219,850.00 4,576,160.00 1,288,950.00 16,902,301.00 311,059,005.00 889,870.00 312,250.00 16,700,050.00 14,173,460.00 301,733,800.00 12,270.00 390,707,070.00 493,688,980.00 3,980,300.00 4,645,050.00 77,970.00 33,545,080.00 332,200,875.00

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

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ CEB Landmasters Cebu Holdings Cebu Prop. `A’ Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

DM Wenceslao Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Filinvest Land,Inc. Global-Estate Interport `A’ Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’

7.370 0.85 11.06 2.110 0.680 41.750 2.59 4.31 5.25 6.5 0.440 0.90 0.950 0.226 0.395 8.080 21.05 0.550 0.110 1.46 1.10 2.30 4.09 4.42 0.760 0.4550 0.440 33.00 4.21 18.78

SEPTEMBER 10-14, 2018 Close Volume Value 60 117.00 86.00 2.56 1.53 30.35 7.8 16.1 12.66 4.19 8.59 0.61 1.6 800.00 0.560 68.6 1.02 11.6 44.80 83.25 109.9 190 27.65 182 1811.00 70.05 1.18

25,450 12,621,260 20,708,250 65,000 421,000 1,789,600 500 142,200 4,508,700 1,783,000 9,400 109,000 1,504,000 640 6,179,000 16,599,370 5,683,000 64,000 721,400 210 1,050 9,360 415,900 2,766,750 295 129,390 497,000

1,514,529.00 1,474,249,615.00 1,787,820,023.00 162,970.00 666,820.00 54,620,315.00 3,900.00 2,314,500.00 59,463,086.00 7,372,990.00 81,054.00 67,910.00 2,562,260.00 516,455.00 3,368,320.00 1,150,642,565.50 5,723,300.00 742,898.00 32,825,625.00 17,557.00 110,460.00 1,786,820.00 11,297,105.00 523,610,342.00 534,000.00 9,441,762.50 586,770.00

36.75 17.3 1.12 1.18 41.1 0.223

6,989,300 4,277,700 125,530,000 6,162,000 1,356,900 2,390,000

254,835,895.00 72,474,894.00 141,115,890.00 7,290,120.00 57,436,230.00 527,300.00

17.70 3.04 13.26

63,400 10,055,000 2,995,500

1,138,662.00 30,781,640.00 40,706,696.00

33 68.2 42 1.75 5.01 7.36 10.140 15.7 9.00 7.25 7.07 1.6 16.66 65 28.70 7.11 12.24 2.010 269.00 4.85 3.25 13.38 23.75 11.8 16.4 0.189 368.00 6.50 1.9 4.00 8.92 5.2 8.30 1.00 11.38 53.2 5.95 4.83 2.4 3.1 1.62 12.4 95.95 5.66 0.125 1.05 141.3 2.45 2.03 20.00 2.17

7,405,900 700 1,560,800 707,000 224,900 25,700 12,211,600 1,367,900 1,025,600 14,832,300 22,856,800 105,000 7,958,300 1,490,340 1,731,800 728,900 7,824,700 4,860,000 2,842,810 98,000 75,000 8,700 4,057,600 1,261,600 6,522,200 1,480,000 1,098,650 54,800 1,518,000 203,000 3,700,000 1,154,500 138,000 7,092,600 25,210,700 4,365,850 70,000 4,808,000 522,000 36,000 1,830,000 2,490,600 1,539,180 622,500 7,270,000 1,286,000 10,262,680 66,000 60,882,000 400 207,767,000

248,701,235.00 47,842.00 67,000,220.00 1,246,620.00 1,127,729.00 190,385.00 124,584,480.00 21,382,076.00 9,336,499.00 107,665,190.00 161,331,765.00 168,000.00 130,574,536.00 96,722,207.00 51,603,610.00 5,210,904.00 96,139,334.00 9,963,900.00 780,191,066.00 475,740.00 234,100.00 105,258.00 97,366,405.00 15,094,918.00 110,729,544.00 260,690.00 416,287,448.00 362,116.00 3,007,090.00 797,560.00 33,232,593.00 6,485,453.00 1,125,399.00 10,425,200.00 282,321,098.00 233,495,324.50 415,235.00 23,075,890.00 1,262,220.00 110,450.00 3,035,360.00 30,962,570.00 146,312,039.50 3,523,762.00 906,860.00 1,321,630.00 1,498,040,572.00 161,770.00 132,336,320.00 8,000.00 446,560,070.00

0.410 48.30 12.70 0.93 6.00 1.330 1.340 898 5.7 12.38 7.15 0.204 815 5.80 52.00 5.06 0.6 4.94 15.94 0.640 5.28

88,840,000 15,228,910 34,012,600 193,000 178,000 52,180,000 11,807,000 2,035,050 15,270,300 11,936,400 116,800 20,000 632,820 39,000 7,430,090 11,400 13,063,000 5,235,800 14,092,100 23,366,000 83,986,200

37,287,600.00 752,182,570.00 439,646,248.00 174,520.00 1,079,135.00 69,962,390.00 15,837,280.00 1,841,213,085.00 89,574,584.00 146,278,520.00 831,064.00 4,080.00 537,795,170.00 226,840.00 401,622,514.00 57,700.00 8,396,610.00 25,955,031.00 229,271,234.00 15,239,160.00 436,337,253.00

0.0370 1.170 2.620 2.60 169.80 2.58 935.00 1.40 0.80 294.000 368.00 0.3200 0.201

39,000,000 2,860,000 3,351,000 40,000 1,955,850 99,000 963,330 1,634,000 164,000 15,610 5,790 109,680,000 1,620,000

1,454,700.00 3,419,870.00 8,820,290.00 104,000.00 338,289,088.00 255,990.00 907,416,385.00 2,309,160.00 130,040.00 4,447,698.00 2,186,618.00 16,355,950.00 327,670.00

7.470 0.95 12.58 2.100 0.700 41.000 2.91 4.5 5.4

2,613,100 7,793,000 21,600 124,000 6,166,000 40,495,900 5,741,000 4,153,000 171,200

19,663,957.00 7,353,400.00 272,268.00 258,400.00 4,379,220.00 1,692,940,710.00 17,338,620.00 18,435,150.00 924,705.00

0.445 0.93 0.910 0.218 0.410 8.700 22.75 0.580 0.118 1.47 1.17 2.44

102,000,000 800,000 4,782,000 17,050,000 910,000 859,200 1,930,900 1,092,000 650,000 438,937,000 4,517,000 341,704,000

45,846,450.00 736,560.00 4,403,810.00 3,737,970.00 377,350.00 7,554,207.00 45,358,745.00 625,150.00 73,710.00 645,216,640.00 5,330,610.00 825,508,910.00

4.38 0.680 0.4400 0.470

103,154,000 449,139,000 19,130,000 4,380,000

445,238,490.00 308,880,990.00 8,694,600.00 2,031,150.00

4.12 20.90

22,033,000 7,215,400

91,063,440.00 148,929,877.00

STOCKS

SEPTEMBER 17-21, 2018 Close Volume Value

SEPTEMBER 10-14, 2018 Close Volume Value

Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

1.97 332 37.00 1.16 6.27 0.770 5.970

1,853,000 2,317,000 42,070,500 1,970,000 2,784,900 279,000 31,456,900

3,553,950.00 7,402,120.00 1,547,734,160.00 2,257,420.00 18,456,528.00 213,780.00 191,526,975.00

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Apollo Global Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ.

Chelsea DFNN Inc. Discovery World Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail MetroAlliance A MetroAlliance B NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Wilcon Depot

11.62 20.9 1.43 0.475 0.045 13.5 1.9 7.98 0.0600 72.8 7.98 5.9 8.99 2.23 20.90 919 2170 5.49 314.00 11.32 2.53 92.95 2.00 12.02 7.70 0.115 2.9100 3.54 14.7 3.68 0.94 16.10 16.36 0.430 5.9 7 2.49 1.48 1.49 7.440 11 8.50 3.17 101.90 4.48 1438.00 0.410 0.890 44.80 79.00 7.77 2.20 0.700 0.54 5.17 0.670 10.120

136,400 635,500 260,000 16,640,000 250,800,000 8,700 36,299,000 47,368,500 74,860,000 563,690 1,800 5,703,100 509,300 32,000 191,800 1,190 412,480 652,200 5,130 400 15,316,000 4,828,390 55,000 53,200 46,000 6,570,000 13,843,000 55,000 15,200 5,745,000 1,181,000 4,577,200 200 250,000 2,128,400 66,370,800 2,519,000 1,058,000 230,000 10,642,100 13,696,200 6,700 109,000 373,850 1,900,000 481,350 52,180,000 76,668,000 4,098,700 4,928,760 195,900 59,631,000 129,056,000 162,346,000 3,039,400 15,243,900 25,386,600

SERVICES 1,635,094.00 13,206,705.00 382,340.00 7,905,950.00 11,425,300.00 117,450.00 72,659,060.00 389,886,744.00 3,538,770.00 40,255,800.00 13,793.00 34,692,653.00 4,442,821.00 73,290.00 3,794,991.00 1,090,750.00 903,204,300.00 3,517,979.00 1,602,082.00 4,528.00 37,745,750.00 448,291,647.50 113,430.00 695,048.00 357,654.00 747,950.00 39,685,320.00 188,930.00 218,798.00 21,072,920.00 1,096,820.00 75,569,680.00 3,272.00 107,500.00 12,716,490.00 465,529,325.00 6,301,790.00 1,665,420.00 347,320.00 77,555,506.00 150,657,426.00 58,684.00 353,510.00 38,406,561.00 8,687,040.00 681,170,705.00 21,903,550.00 70,606,060.00 183,370,705.00 389,530,953.50 1,521,963.00 130,749,660.00 70,316,300.00 84,855,380.00 15,627,771.00 15,038,080.00 261,940,857.00

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Benguet Corp `A’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Phinma Petro Semirara Corp.

United Paragon

0.0024 1.50 3.10 17.20 0.9800 1.2000 1.93 0.300 7.30 1.890 0.207 0.111 0.122 0.007 0.0073 1.24 4.32 1.07 0.7700 1.1200 0.0120 0.0130 3.38 15.28 0.0120 3.8400 27.15 0.0078

243,000,000 6,691,000 671,000 130,300 56,000 321,000 2,424,000 2,060,000 167,000 15,865,000 6,370,000 14,920,000 3,640,000 79,000,000 14,000,000 774,000 3,143,000 806,000 33,667,000 37,304,000 85,500,000 3,500,000 11,007,000 9,077,000 338,300,000 1,655,500 7,864,500 104,000,000

MINING & OIL 587,400.00 10,124,090.00 2,104,280.00 2,304,980.00 61,760.00 314,440.00 4,670,370.00 617,450.00 1,213,404.00 30,237,640.00 1,313,040.00 1,729,100.00 442,210.00 569,100.00 103,900.00 987,770.00 13,905,080.00 847,260.00 24,464,080.00 46,581,190.00 1,073,100.00 42,700.00 39,269,980.00 142,063,676.00 3,840,900.00 7,115,380.00 215,728,840.00 755,200.00

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Alco Preferred B Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ DD PREF First Gen G FPH Pref C GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B House Preferred Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I Swift Pref

19.9 99 485 495.4 100.2 101 500 495 5.2 974 985 96 1.04 100.2 1010 1010 100.2 104 1000 75.2 78.2 75.85 75.7 75.1 75.2 75.2 75 1.85

445,800 14,310 30,050 7,880 44,820 100,000 3,000 20,700 132,900 8,880 3,930 140,390 51,000 48,500 2,520 20 480 20,500 9,350 207,690 47,810 90,520 13,160 321,080 203,000 347,050 253,330 14,000

LR Warrant

2.440

WARRANTS & BONDS 1,101,000 2,604,830.00

PREFERRED 8,904,789.00 1,416,690.00 14,622,804.00 3,903,998.00 4,501,314.00 10,100,000.00 1,500,000.00 10,223,370.00 691,380.00 8,524,940.00 3,754,370.00 13,487,191.50 52,010.00 4,903,215.00 2,545,700.00 20,210.00 48,322.00 2,132,000.00 9,273,300.00 15,586,498.50 3,748,416.00 6,787,175.00 996,112.00 24,163,720.50 15,314,330.00 25,858,950.00 18,999,785.00 26,620.00

SME 42,000.00 254,517,784.00 12,146,120.00

1.98 3.2 36.40 1.17 7.08 0.780 6.300

664,000 1,726,000 33,128,300 5,113,000 3,090,600 161,000 8,219,100

1,305,290.00 5,524,950.00 1,213,356,100.00 5,778,470.00 21,962,133.00 123,670.00 51,576,541.00

12.48 21 1.44 0.490 0.044 13.5 2.02 8.92 0.0610 71.05 6.78 5.86 8.50 2.25 20.30 910 2192 5.42 314.80

152,000 852,300 22,000 20,960,000 116,700,000 1,176,800 55,106,000 35,605,100 146,950,000 963,840 400 4,410,000 378,600 38,000 560,700 250 475,990 377,500 23,030

1,909,410.00 18,869,400.00 31,540.00 10,118,950.00 5,232,900.00 15,891,300.00 124,761,370.00 321,787,673.00 9,201,600.00 69,437,439.00 2,520.00 26,411,920.00 3,281,559.00 85,780.00 11,790,306.00 226,500.00 1,028,613,100.00 2,044,672.00 7,144,590.00

2.65 94.2 2.07 12 7.81 0.117 2.9000 3.64 14.98 3.77 0.93 17.04 17.00 0.435 5.98 6.96 2.61 1.71 1.90 7.530 10.96 8.79 3.49 102.00 4.78 1415.00 0.410 0.880 45.00 78.80 8.00 2.27 0.690 0.58 5.2 0.740 10.660

29,611,000 4,807,050 84,000 4,600 62,100 17,570,000 26,502,000 434,000 39,900 5,714,000 2,805,000 4,879,500 500 1,240,000 3,030,000 51,312,400 995,000 2,613,000 232,000 26,642,200 45,800 51,100 516,000 55,030 2,750,100 410,625 27,710,000 58,074,000 2,870,800 8,042,660 607,700 47,664,000 48,880,000 143,320,000 8,511,600 10,473,000 18,957,800

84,921,890.00 442,041,704.00 179,100.00 55,200.00 485,433.00 2,091,120.00 75,892,370.00 1,557,340.00 588,606.00 21,856,790.00 2,706,370.00 86,909,472.00 8,434.00 534,650.00 17,449,059.00 356,216,852.00 2,666,980.00 4,482,310.00 405,490.00 202,057,120.00 495,650.00 448,145.00 1,733,560.00 5,652,996.00 13,443,817.00 580,347,250.00 11,182,050.00 52,250,520.00 127,991,015.00 646,635,090.50 4,183,512.00 108,870,610.00 36,787,360.00 83,206,700.00 43,951,967.00 7,959,430.00 203,030,748.00

0.0026 1.58 3.17 20.60 1.2000 1.2800 1.94 0.300 7.35 1.920 0.221 0.121 0.128 0.008 0.0079 1.37 4.66 1.15 0.6500 1.3200 0.0130 0.0140 4.00 16.32 0.0110 4.0500 29.00 0.0074

473,600,000 11,864,000 311,000 122,700 88,000 29,000 3,092,000 1,100,000 11,800 9,027,000 17,590,000 18,020,000 1,080,000 66,000,000 3,000,000 475,000 6,219,000 344,000 24,655,000 18,684,000 343,900,000 19,100,000 3,694,000 23,718,000 139,100,000 3,170,000 8,805,800 551,000,000

1,189,500.00 18,431,260.00 1,004,830.00 2,463,633.00 105,620.00 37,120.00 5,987,720.00 332,300.00 86,911.00 17,489,110.00 4,207,430.00 2,167,980.00 137,660.00 517,400.00 24,000.00 633,610.00 28,563,360.00 382,270.00 16,890,190.00 24,515,230.00 4,636,700.00 253,300.00 14,800,970.00 371,581,866.00 1,631,700.00 13,970,230.00 256,350,415.00 1,101,200.00

20.2 99 501 501 100.7 101.1

1,803,600 13,310 9,380 20,670 50,940 69,500

38,319,380.00 1,338,183.00 4,618,200.00 10,367,650.00 5,129,695.00 7,028,017.00

490 5.22 974.5 970 99 1.01 100 1010 1010 103.5

17,730 284,000 4,630 1,320 12,650 896,000 1,640 2,120 520 81,850

8,783,238.00 1,488,174.00 4,399,065.00 1,280,400.00 1,253,685.00 912,260.00 164,000.00 2,143,260.00 525,200.00 8,176,731.00

1000 77.4 79.5 75 75.7 76.5 75.9 75.5 76 1.91

490 1,614,680 157,950 24,900 38,310 258,820 3,250 118,570 31,490 4,000

486,500.00 123,297,866.00 12,488,759.00 1,867,500.00 2,880,711.00 19,596,718.50 245,526.00 9,050,105.00 2,391,045.00 7,640.00

2.470

1,639,000

3,989,540.00

2.85 7.14 2.41

10,000 30,051,900 11,175,000

28,640.00 206,589,765.00 26,687,810.00

Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

2.8 5.7 2.08

15,000 38,614,200 5,629,000

First Metro ETF

110.7

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 122,280 13,380,671.00

111.3

64,150

7,193,034.00

10.08 10.26 0.8

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 30,110 303,460.80 5,790 59,405.40 28,480 26,480.00

10.1 10.26 1.01

33,650 3,020 49,700

369,956.00 30,985.20 50,197.00

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS MRC Allied Ind. Pacifica `A’ Philodrill Corp. `A’ Apollo Global Abra Mining Transpacific Broadcast Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Interport `A’ STI Holdings

VOLUME 682,078,000 417,000,000 338,300,000 250,800,000 243,000,000 162,346,000 150,655,400 150,573,000 129,718,000 129,056,000

STOCKS Aboitiz Equity Ayala Land `B’ SM Investments Inc. Ayala Corp `A’ SM Prime Holdings Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI Metrobank Globe Telecom Security Bank

VALUE 2,115,275,925.00 1,777,540,440.00 1,716,459,525.00 1,577,401,590.00 1,547,734,160.00 1,381,511,887.00 1,250,638,020.50 1,206,659,219.50 903,204,300.00 815,337,519.00

First Gen still keen on Malampaya banked gas

By Alena Mae S. Flores FIRST Gen Corp. said it is open to negotiations with state-run Philippine National Oil Co. for the purchase of the Malampaya banked gas at a price lower than the gas supplied to the 1,200-megawatt Ilijan power plant.

“We already submitted an offer before and we don’t know what happened with it. But we continue to maintain the position that if the banked gas were sold at a reasonable price, we could actually utilize it,” First Gen director Richard Tantoco said.

Tantoco said the banked gas, once acquired by First Gen at a lower price, “would be a source of relief for the consumer that’s reeling with inflation right now.”

The Malampaya consortium currently sells the natural gas output from the Malampaya gas field in northwest Palawan to the Ilijan power plant for $6.616 per gigajoules.

First Gen wants to use the banked gas for its 414-MW San Gabriel combined cycle power plant in Batangas.

First Gen also owns the Sta. Rita, San Lorenzo and Avion natural gas plants also in Batangas.

The company plans to construct its own liquefied natural gas terminal in Batangas to ensure continued natural gas supply to its power plants even after the expected depletion of the Malampaya gas project within the next decade.

“It’s the right time to unleash that today for the consumer. I think, as you mentioned, they have the authority to negotiate at a lower price,” Tantoco said.

“These banked gas from PNOC will allow us to help government burn or it could be a stranded asset and then offer the much-needed relief. For San Gabriel, instead of drawing out of the existing agreements of the other plants, can draw on this,” he said.

Tantoco said First Gen was “always open to talk” with PNOC which announced it would enter into negotiations for the sale of the Malampaya banked gas after two failed bids.

PNOC president Reuben Lista earlier said he was by the board to enter into comprehensive discussions/negotiations with prospective buyers of the banked gas at a rate below the Ilijan gas price.

MPIC subsidiary on track to finish C5 South Link

By Darwin G. Amojelar CAVITE Infrastructure Corp., a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., said it is on track to complete the construction of an expressway that will connect C5 Road to Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway by June 2019.

The construction of the first section of the 7.7-kilometer, six-lane C5 South Link Expressway Project of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway was on schedule, according to CIC. C5 South Link will seamlessly connect Circumferential Road 5 to Cavitex via Merville and Sucat. The first 2.2-km section, which connects C5 to Merville, is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2019.

The P10-billion project is expected to benefit 50,000 vehicles by decongesting Sales Road in Pasay and Edsa once it starts commercial operations.

Travel time from Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite to Taguig will be cut down to 20 to 30 minutes from the usual 1and a half hour drive with the direct access to C5.

“C5 South Link is progressing as scheduled. When completed, the road will provide motorists from Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite direct access to C5,” CIC president and chief executive Luigi Bautista said.

“We also want to inform the public that by the end of September, we will be launching girders that will cross the at-grade portion of Skyway and South Luzon Expressway. This is a critical activity of the Project and we expect substantial completion after the girders are installed,” he said.

Business/World

Manila

Standard

TODAY

extrastory2000@gmail.com

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B3

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A glimpse of the Asean ICT landscape INFORMATION and communications technology has IAN BENEDICT MIA come a long way in support of small and medium enterprises in the Association of Southeast REEN IGHT Asian Nations. With the shift of the region towards a digital economy, various technologies, government policies and support mechanisms are becoming more accessible for SMEs. One such initiative that helps make this possible is the Asean ICT Masterplan 2020 that aims to promote digitalization through policy innovations, awareness raising and enabling electronic and other better modes of transactions and payments for SMEs. At the De La Salle University Center for Business Research and Development, we recently conducted research about the current state of ICT developments in Asean and the challenges and opportunities these bring. By examining the various ICT policies and regulations of the different Asean member states, we came up with three thematic categories that differentiate the level of ICT development among these states.

SUSTAINED DIGITALIZATION: SINGAPORE, BRUNEI AND MALAYSIA Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia are among the most advanced in the Asean with regard to the application of ICT among SMEs, which is why their approach is more on sustainability. With Singapore being the most digitallyconnected country in the world according to the 2016 Global Information Technology Report of the World Economic Forum, it’s no wonder why it is leading the digital movement in Asean.

Brunei and Malaysia, on the other hand, are two other Asean states with comprehensive ICT sectors of their own. Brunei has many e-government initiatives taking place, including the Digital Government Strategy which focuses on six key areas. Meanwhile, Malaysia has undergone a rapid transformation of its ICT sector and relies on technologies such as computing, big data analytics, open data, internet of things and enterprise architecture, among others, to develop its ICT framework. It is also one of the few countries to have a structured National Big Data Analytics Roadmap.

ROAD TO A KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY: THAILAND, PHILIPPINES, VIETNAM AND INDONESIA As the subheading suggests, the four countries are on the way to streamlining digitalization in their respective states and transitioning towards a knowledge economy. With several policies and programs already in place, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia are at the cusp of advancing their ICT sector forward. The rising middle class and young population of the four countries—which we know as being tech-savvy—are also among its main advantages. With a digitally literate population, the countries can find it a little easier to advance their ICT sector.

Among the main challenges are developing these countries’ ICT infrastructure further, enhancing nationwide broadband access and improving the information literacy of its people. The population may be young and have higher incomes, but a good percentage is still digitally illiterate. While the four countries are advancing towards a digital economy, several adjustments must be made to address these challenges.

HIGH POTENTIAL ICT DEVELOPMENT: CAMBODIA, MYANMAR AND LAO PDR These countries are among the youngest to begin integrating ICT in their policies, frameworks and initiatives. While they are just starting to develop national ICT policies, Cambodia, Myanmar and Lao PDR must cope with several challenges including the lack of ICT infrastructure, government support, technology transfer, international exposure, quality assurance, legal frameworks, standardization and business practices.

This means that while plans are still being built, these countries must work doubly as hard as compared to Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. With the help of the Asean community, transitioning towards a digital economy may become easier for the likes of Cambodia, Myanmar and Lao PDR. One of the possible directions to address the current digital divide in Asean is the exchange of knowledge and experiences in terms of ICT policy-making. Activities ranging from competitions to expositions, for instance, can help policy makers and other key stakeholders gain a better understanding of the existing ICT landscape in the region. These can help them benchmark and adopt innovations in their respective ICT sectors.

G

L

Ian Benedict R. Mia is a research and technical assistant at the De La Salle University Center for Business Research and Development (CBRD), and is a junior fellow of the CBRD-Social Enterprise Research Network.

He is taking up his Diploma in Entrepreneurship at the same university.

He is passionate about social Manila enterprises and aims to start one of Republic of the Philippines Standard Department of Finance TODAY his own someday. Contact him at Securities and Exchange Commission ianbrmia@gmail.com.

IN THE MATTER OF : : REGISTRATION OF COMMERCIAL PAPERS CITYLAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

: :

x----------------------------------------x

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that on 7 September 2018 a sworn Registration Statement was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on behalf of CITYLAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION for the registration of One Billion Four Hundred Million Pesos (Php1,400,000,000.00) worth of Commercial Papers.

According to the papers presented, the following persons are the officers/directors of the corporation: Name Andrew I. Liuson Stephen C. Roxas Grace C. Liuson Josef C. Gohoc Atty. Sabino R. Padilla, Jr. Peter S. Dee George Edwin Y. SyCip Alice C. Gohoc Helen C. Roxas Emma A. Choa Rudy Go

Position Director/Chairman of the Board Director/Chairman of the Executive Committee Director/Vice Chairman of the Board Director/President Director Independent Director Independent Director Director Director Executive Vice President/Treasurer Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer/ Compliance & Corporate Information Officer/ Data Protection Officer/Investors Relations Officer Melita M. Revuelta Vice President/Alternate Compliance Officer Melita L. Tan Vice President Romeo E. Ng Vice President Rosario D. Perez Vice President - Executive Affairs Winefreda R. Go Vice President Atty. Emma G. Jularbal Vice President-Legal Affairs/Corporate Secretary Dorothy U. So Assistant Vice President-Head of Internal Audit Department Catherine Grace T. Wong Assistant Corporate Secretary

Said registration statement and other papers/documents attached thereto (collectively known as “RS”) are open to inspection by interested parties during business hours, and copies thereof, photostatic or otherwise, shall be furnished to any party, upon request, at such fees as the Commission may prescribe. The RS and the Prospectus dated 07 September 2018 and the corresponding updated version may be downloaded from www.cityland.net.

(MS-SEPT. 21 & 24, 2018)

VICENTE GRACIANO P. FELIZMENIO, JR. Director Markets and Securities Regulation Department

GANESH CHATURTHI FESTIVAL. An Indian crane worker climbs an idol of Hindu deity Ganesh to secure it before

immersing it in the Hussain Sagar Lake on the eleventh day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad on September 23, 2018. The Ganesh Chaturthi festival, a popular 11-day religious festival that is annually celebrated across India, runs this year from September 13 to September 23, and culminates with the immersion of idols of Ganesh in local water bodies. AFP

Presidential election kicks off in Indonesia J AKARTA―Campaigning for Indonesia’s presidential election in April kicked off Sunday, pitting incumbent Joko Widodo against a former military general in the race to lead the world’s third-biggest democracy.

Opinion polls show Widodo, whose down-to-earth style and ambitious infrastructure drive have made him popular with many Indonesians, well ahead of his main challenger Prabowo Subianto.

But his bid for a second term is facing headwinds over his economic record, with the Indonesian rupiah sitting at twodecade lows, and fears of a fake news campaign intended to disrupt his re-election.

Some 186 million voters in the world’s largest Muslimmajority country are expected go to the polls on April 17, in an election which will also decide members of national and local parliaments.

Both leaders―dressed in traditional Indonesian folk costumes―attended an official campaign launch in central Jakarta Sunday morning, in which they pledged to run a peaceful contest free from hoaxes and the politicization of ethnicity and religion.

Many Indonesians will be keen to avoid a repeat of the Jakarta gubernatorial elections in 2017, which were marked by massive street demonstrations led by hard-line Muslims opposed to the capital’s former governor who is ethnic Chinese and a Christian.

Analysts say campaigning is likely to focus on the economy, inequality, identity politics and rising intolerance across the sprawling Southeast Asian archipelago.

Widodo, who is popularly known as Jokowi, surprised Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan Municipality of Hermosa Tel.No. (047-633-1531 to 34) Telefax No. (047) 633-1531 to 34 E-mail address:hermosa_bataan@yahoo.com

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID (IAEB) The MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF HERMOSA, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites contractors to apply for eligibility and, if found eligible, to bid for the following contract: Contract ID Name of Project

: 18CRN027 : Supply of Materials, Labor and Equipment for the Asphalt Overlay of

Various Barangay Road Location : Hermosa, Bataan Brief Description : Asphalting of Road ABC : P20,000,000.00 Funding Source : TRUST FUND of 2018 Contract Duration : 30 Calendar Days The BAC will conduct this public bidding in accordance with R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations Part A. To be eligible to bid for this contract, a contractor must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior registration with MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF HERMOSA, (b) Filipino Citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership/ corporation with PCAB license applicable to the type and cost of this contract, (c) completion of similar contract costing at least 50% of ABC, and (d) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment/cash deposit certificate for at least 10% of ABC or. The MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF HERMOSAwill use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility check, preliminary examination of bids, post qualification, and award.

The significant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below: Activities

1.

2.

3.

4.

Schedule September 24 to October 10, 2018 Issuance of Bid Documents (Regular Office Hours) Pre-Bid conference September 27, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.

Venue Mayor’s Conference Rm. 2nd floor Submission and Receipts of October 10, 2018 – 8:00 a.m. to Bids 10:00 a.m.

Venue Mayor’s Conference Rm. 2nd floor Eligibility Screening/Opening October 10, 2018 @ 10:00 a.m. of Bids Venue Mayor’s Conference Rm. 2nd floor

The BAC will issue copies of Bid documents at the same address to eligible bidders upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00) to the Municipal Treasurer of Hermosa.

The MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF HERMOSA 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.

Approved by: (SGD) NORMITA P. TRIA BAC Chairperson (MS-SEPT. 24, 2018)

many Indonesians in August by choosing to run alongside conservative Islamic cleric Ma’ruf Amin.

Amin, 75, is chairman of the country’s top Islamic authority, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), which issues fatwas, and is known for his disparaging views towards certain minorities.

About 90 percent of Indonesia’s 260 million people have traditionally followed a moderate form of Islam, but there are concerns that it is taking an increasingly conservative turn.

The pair will square off against Prabowo and former deputy Jakarta governor Sandiaga Uno, a businessman and private equity tycoon.

Prabowo, who lost to Widodo in 2014, was a top military figure in the chaotic months before dictator Suharto was toppled by student protests in 1998. AFP NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF LAMIDO E-SERVICES PHILPPINES, INC. Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors and Stockholders of LAMIDO E-SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. (the “Corporation”), in a meeting held on 15 December 2017, formally resolved to dissolve and close the Corporation effective as of 15 May 2017, subject to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s grant of its application to amend its Articles of Incorporation to shorten its corporate term.

All persons having claims against the Corporation are requested to present the same at 21st Floor, Philamlife Tower, 8767 Paseo De Roxas, Makati City; Attention: Atty.

Jose Just T. Santos, for immediate settlement.

(MS-SEPT. 24-OCT. 1 & 8, 2018)

For fast ad results, please call Advertising Department 832-5547

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 98, QUEZON CITY IN RE: PETITION FOR RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN DIVORCE, MARY SUE ANNE ROLANE OOTANI, Petitioner, -versusR-QZN-18-06638 YUUYA OOTANI and the PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY. Respondents. x-------------------------------------------------x ORDER (Notice of Hearing) Before this Court is a verified Petition (Judicial Recognition of Foreign Divorce) filed by petitioner MARY SUE ANNE ROLANE OOTANI, praying that after due process and hearing, judgment be rendered as follows: 1.The foreign divorce between herein petitioner and respondent Yuuya Ootani be judicially recognized, and that it be annotated in the Report of Marriage No. 20153920507 registered in the Philippine Statistics Authority.

WHEREFORE, notice is hereby given that the aboveentitled petition be heard before this Court located at the nd 2 Floor, Rooms 207-208, Hall of Justice Building, Quezon City Hall Complex, Diliman, Quezon City on December 7, 2018 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning.

The Branch Clerk of Court is ordered to cause the service of copies of this order on the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City, Philippine Statistics Authority, Office of the City Prosecutor of Quezon City and Office of the Solicitor General for their comment/report.

Further, the petitioner is hereby directed to coordinate with the Sheriff of this court for the service of a copy of the petition to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the petitioner is likewise directed to have this Order published in a newspaper of general circulation to be chosen by raffle, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks at least two (2) weeks before the date of the hearing.

In the event that hearing should not take place on the said date due to fortuitous event or if the aforesaid scheduled date is declared a non-working holiday, the hearing shall be held on December 14, 2018 at the same time and place without further notice.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, Metro Manila, June 27, 2018.

(Sgd.) MARILOU D. RUNES-TAMANG, MNSA Presiding Judge Copy furnished: Atty. Floyd P. Lalwet Counsel for the Petitioner Rm. 305 The Episcopal Church Center 275 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave., 1102 Quezon City Yuuya Ootani Kita-ku, Naka, Jujo 1-4-6, Japan Mary Sue Anne Rolani Ootani 26KJ St. cor. K7 St., East Kamias, Quezon City Local Civil Registry, Quezon City Philippine Statistics Authority PSA Compound, East Avenue, Quezon City Office of the City Prosecutor Hall of Justice Building, Quezon City Office of the Solicitor General 134 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City Department of Foreign Affairs, Legal Affairs Office, No. 2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City

(MStandard-Sep. 17, 24 & Oct. 1, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

B4

LocaL goVeRNmeNt uNits

monday, september 24, 2018

Mayor Abby fetes 2 Makati centenarians

In BrIef Research aids citrus farmers in Vizcaya KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya—Research projects through the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development and Nueva Vizcaya State University have helped Malabing Valley citrus growers increase their production for the past years.

“Since we have been part of the research project of PCAARRD and NVSU, there have been interventions in our planting methods, and our yields improve,” said farmer Rommel Lunag, who met participants in the second day of the Citrus Fiesta as part of appreciation tour at Malabing Valley here on Friday.

“We adopt good production practices and we receive technical support [from the agency and university],” Lunag added, as his wife showed crates of freshly picked sweet ponkan from their farm.

“It is important that the result of the research and development technologies are transferred to end users, in our case here, to you citrus growers,” Science Secretary Fortunato dela Pena told farmers later that day at a training center in Malabing Valley.

“Through PCAARRD, we have undertaken many science and technology researches to help boost citrus production,” dela Pena added.

Dr. Melvin Carlos, PCAARRD Deputy Executive Director for Administration Resource Management and Support Services, and DOST Region 2 Director Engr.

Sancho Mabborang were also present. Butch Gunio

Nueva Vizcaya sees more tourist arrivals BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya— The provincial government here is expecting an increase of tourist arrivals this year because of its nature and culture-based tourism attractions.

Marichelle Costales, Supervising Tourism Operations Office, said that from January to August this year, they have listed 95,428 tourists, over 70 percent of the 135,715 recorded visitors last year.

“These are tourists who visited the province overnight. We expect this figure to increase by the end of the year,” she said in a press conference.

Excursionists who visited nature and culture-based tourism attractions in the province grew from merely 85,000 in 2015 to 255,065 last year, Costales added.

The number of excursionist from January to August this year is already at 189,906, she said. Ben Moses Ebreo

SHEET HOUSING. Tenement housing using galvanized iron sheets brightens the neighborhood along Oroquieta Street in Manila, an improvement on the shanty houses that used to mark the area. Sonny Espiritu

Fewer lean tourism months for Baguio

By Dexter A. See

B

AGUIO CITY—The opening of the 88-kilometer TarlacPangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) has led to fewer lean months for tourism in this city, the president of the local hotel and restaurants group said over the weekend.

This developed as Mayor Mauricio Domogan defended the city against criticisms that it was ill-prepared for extensive flooding that came in the wake of Typhoon “Ompong.”

Anthony de Leon, general manager of the Baguio Country Club and president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio, said tourism arrivals in the city grew significantly even during the supposed lean months from June to October since TPLEX was opened to traffic four years ago.

The expressway has cut travel time from Manila to Baguio in half, or from the usual six hours to about 3.5 hours, de Leon noted.

However, for this year, August and September are Baguio tourism’s bad

months because of the continuous monsoon rains and the onslaught of Ompong last week, which led to numerous cancellations of reservations for the different hotels in the city last weekend, he added.

“The city’s tourism industry remains robust because of its cool weather that prevails year round. The expected opening of the Rosario exit of TPLEX that will further reduce the travel time from the lowlands to the city will continue to entice people to frequent the Summer Capital, even during weekends that will sustain the growth of the local tourism industry,” de Leon stressed.

From the previous 15 to 20-percent occupancy of hotels during June to October, HRAB said their occupancy rate

even reached 100 percent recently, an indication of the vibrance of the local tourism industry.

“That is why there are still a number of companies that are interested to put up hotels in available areas in the city,” de Leon said.

Ramon Cabrera, general manager of the Camp John Hay Manor, claimed their occupancy during the traditional lean months has increased by an average of 15 percent annually because of the reduced travel time from the lowlands to the city.

Meanwhile, Domogan explained that photos and videos of flooding in Baguio posted by the media and on social media do not reflect the overall situation in other parts of the Summer Capital.

He said flooding only happened along some portions of Harrison Road and in the area of Burnham Lake, which saw its banks overflow with the accumulated heavy rainfall that prevailed over Northern Luzon when Ompong cut its destructive path.

‘Protect local fishing grounds’

DOGS OFF DUTY. Nineteen newly-retired K-9 dogs meet their new owners on Friday

in a ceremony led by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director III Derrick Carreon and Investigation Agent V Bernardo Velasquez at their facility in Sitio Lambakin, Brgy. Santo Cristo, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. Manny Palmero

TWO environment groups are opposing the opening of municipal waters to commercial fishers, to give priority access to small fisherfolk and prevent further collapse of fishing grounds.

Oceana Philippines and Philippine Earth Justice Center (PEJC) said municipal fishing grounds would be further exploited if bigger commercial fishing vessels, which are almost three times bigger than the municipal boats, would be allowed to fish in municipal waters.

“Our municipal waters are the spawning and nursing grounds of fish. If we protect it, we can ensure the continuous supply of fish, which will provide long-term seafood security, especially for our municipal fishers who depend on the sea for

their food and livelihood,” said Marianne Pan Saniano, marine scientist from Oceana Philippines.

Under Republic Act 10654 or the amended Fisheries Code, municipal waters are areas covered within 15 kilometers from the coastline, including offshore islands.

Only fishing boats weighing less than 3.1 gross tons, which use nondestructive, passive gears such as hook and line, and gill nets are allowed to fish within municipal waters.

Juveniles or fish that are yet to spawn and reproduce would also be caught with their highly efficient gears, Saniano added.

According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, 10 out of the 13 major fishing grounds in the Philippines are already overfished.

MAKATI Mayor Abby Binay has personally awarded a check for P100,000, a plaque of recognition, and a bouquet of flowers to each of the two newest Makati centenarians as part of the city’s grateful tribute to its elderly citizens.

The mayor visited Mrs. Mamerta A. Aquino of Barangay Cembo and Mrs. Cipriana J. Caballero of Barangay Bel-Air in their homes on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

“It is always an honor to meet our beloved Makatizens who have been around for a century now. That is why I make it a point to visit them personally to be able to convey to them how grateful we are for all their contributions to our city’s progress and development,” Binay said.

The mayor was accompanied by Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo and other city and barangay officials during the home visits to the 25th and 26th centenarians feted during her term.

Mrs. Aquino was born on May 11, 1918. She was married to Vivencio Aquino and had six children, who are now all retired professionals.

Mrs. Caballero was born on September 21, 1917. She finished a degree in education and was married to Carlomagno Caballero, a chief chemist. They had three children who are all professionals. To date, she has six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

The latest awardees were able to meet the criteria set by the Makati Social Welfare Department, lead implementer of the Blu Card Program, as follows: 1) must be a Filipino citizen; 2) must be a bonafide resident of Makati; 3) must have reached 100 years old between January to December of the current year; and 4) must be a Blu Card and White Card holder for at least five years.

Herbert opens 2 new buildings for QC’s poor QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista recently led the inauguration of two new Bistekville buildings in Barangay Culiat to benefit the poor.

He opened buildings G and J of Bistekville 4 for occupancy for over 50 families.

According to Bautista, building G is a two-story facility with 10 units, while the two-level building H has 16 units.

Bistekville 4 has a total of eight buildings with 145 families.

Quezon City has 37 Bistekville projects with 7,184 beneficiaries.

In his inauguration speech, Bautista encouraged Bistekville awardees to religiously pay their monthly amortizations to help the city government build and fund more Bistekville projects.

The beneficiaries thanked Bautista in continuously creating affordable social housing projects for informal settler families staying along waterways, danger-prone areas and those affected by infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, the city’s accounting department will be given the Outstanding Accounting Office 2018 Award by the Association of Government Accountants of the Philippines Inc. in Mandurriao, Iloilo City on Oct. 17.

The Commission on Audit chose the city’s accounting department for its accounting practices resulting in quality service, timeliness, and accurate 2017 financial reports. Rio N. Araja

78k Grade 4 girls in West Visayas get HPV vaccine A TOTAL of 78,981 Grade 4 girls from public elementary schools in Western Visayas will avail of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination as part of the free immunization to be provided by the Department of Health for school year 2018-2019.

HPV vaccination, which helps prevent cervical cancer and HPV-related diseases, is given to girls between 9 and 13 years old as part of the school-based health related services launched by the DOH together with the Department of Education and Department of the Interior and Local Government at the Rodolfo A. Medel Sr. Elementary School in Bacolod City.

The first dose of quadrivalent HPV vaccines, which help protect against four strains of HPV, was administered last July this year, while the second dose will be given in February next year.

Dr. Renilyn Reyes, head of DOHWestern Visayas Family Health and Nutrition Cluster, said that previously, the HPV immunization was implemented as a community-based program, but the coverage was low because of the challenge to find the girls aged 9 to 10 in their communities.

Through school-based immunization, the DOH expects to reach more adolescents for HPV vaccination.

“We collaborated with the DepEd and

decided to add the HPV vaccine to the immunization services in schools. We expect the HPV immunization rate to increase because the Grade 4pupils can already be immunized together,” Reyes added.

Recent statistics show that cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality among Filipino women. Cervical cancer is one of the only two vaccine-preventable cancers, she said.

Reyes pointed out that the adolescent age of 9 to 13 years old is the most crucial in the prevention of cervical cancer among females since they just need two doses compared to three doses required for older females.

Some Grade 4 girls get their HPV vaccine shots at the Rodolfo A. Medel Sr. Elementary School in Bacolod City.

bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @mstandardLIFe monday, september 24, 2018

C1

Life food

BIG APPLE’S PIZZA FLAVORS. Yellow Cab serves its limited edition 5 Boroughs Pizza collection composed of (clockwise) Manhattan Steak & Eggs Pizza, Brooklyn Spicy Seafood Pizza, The Bronx Creamy Mushroom Pizza, Queens

Bite into NYC’s 5 boroughs Oriental Chicken Pizza, and Staten Island Basil & Ricotta Pizza.

N

eW York City’s five boroughs: The Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, possess distinctive culture and personality which, together makes the Big Apple truly a rich and colorful city.

Filipino-owned pizza chain Yellow Cab brings to its customers the distinct taste and experience of NYC’s boroughs through its new 5 Boroughs Pizza, relatives of its bestseller variant, New York’s Finest.

“If you love our New York’s Finest,

you will definitely enjoy the 5 Boroughs Pizza. Generously topped with edge-to-edge flavors that will represent the diversity of New York. 5 Boroughs is your palatable gateway to the Big Apple,” Yellow Cab Pizza Co. senior brand manager elise Veloso said in a statement.

The Bronx Creamy Mushroom Pizza is Yellow Cab’s first white sauce-based pizza featuring a creamy mix of mushroom, chicken, olives, and green bell

peppers. It brings to fore the intense flavor of the tough and edgy community of the Bronx.

Reminiscent of the borough considered the “center of the universe,” the Manhattan Steak & Eggs Pizza brings together a classy mix of steak strips and eggs, doused in steak sauce and topped with onions and green bell peppers.

The hip culture of Brooklyn is captured in a hefty serving of Brooklyn Spicy Seafood Pizza. It is loaded with spicy Jalapeño peppers, shrimps, crabsticks, onions, green bell peppers, tomatoes, and capers.

Meanwhile, the Queens Oriental Chicken Pizza brings to the palate a unique flavor profile with its combi-

nation of chicken, mushrooms, onions, and pineapple, topped with spring onions and cilantro, with a sweet and tangy Oriental sauce base.

Finally, Staten Island Basil & Ricotta Pizza features crushed tomatoes topped with three cheeses and basil. This hefty mix is Yellow Cab’s Margherita Pizza with a twist, and is reflective of the more laid-back and chill atmosphere of the suburban community that has been the trademark of Staten Island.

The 5 Boroughs Pizza is now available in all Yellow Cab branches until January 31, 2019. These are available for dine-in, takeout, and delivery at P499 for regular size, P759 for large, and P999 for the New Yorker size.

Bee-ing a grateful foodie

AT lEAST twice or thrice a week, I open my honestbee app and decide where to order dinner. It is so much easier to just swipe up and down to choose the food I want, and honestbee, Asia’s leading online concierge and delivery service, has a well-curated list of restaurants—whether it’s Japanese or Chinese or Mediterranean, or simply milk tea from my favorite store.

The “bees” have always been efficient, and delivery has always been prompt, save for that one time that it rained so hard and the rider had no raincoat such that the scallop shrimp siomai and seafood lumpia that I ordered arrived more than two hours late—I chalked it up to force majeure. (I was more concerned with the rider who arrived soaking wet, and told him to take Vitamin C and a shower, not necessarily in that order.)

As for the already cold food, well, that’s what the oven in the pantry is for.)

“Our passion is really food—whether you want to order something to eat or you want to create your food from scratch by ordering ingredients from our grocery partners,” said honestbee’s managing director for the Philippines Crystal Gonzalez.

“We really make sure we provide a highly curated selection of restaurants for our customers. So whether they’re looking for large chains or hole-in-thewalls, they can find the best of the best on honestbee,” she added.

For Chris Guarin, owner of Varda Burger, being on the honestbee platform helped expand his business.

Guarin named his restaurant after “bardagul”—a description that his classmates in elementary used to teased him with for being tall, big, and gay.

“I owned that term and transformed it into Varda, which sounds gayer than barda as shortcut for bardagul. even before I started my business, I always knew I would use Varda as brand name,” he said.

Varda now has 34 branches, mostly kiosks, across luzon since it started in 2016, and Guarin—armed with his witty burgers: RK or rich kid for the one with bacon and Terror Prof for the spicy version, among others—aims to reach 50 branches by yearend.

For Vincent Rocha, honestbee was a “gamechanger” for his restaurant, Fat Ninja, which has become famous for its innovative gyoza flavors—cheesy gyoza, mentaiko (fish roe) gyoza, and takoyaki gyoza complete with a generous heaping of bonito flakes.

“We started out with a stall in Mercato, and now we have our first physical store near CCP in Pasay City. In the beginning, our store only had little foot traffic, but since joining honestbee we’ve increased our direct sales especially during the rainy days. We have no complaints with honestbee,” said Rocha.

Actor-cum-entrepreneur Michael Agassi, owner of Victoria’s Pancit Malabon, said sales from orders through honestbee have almost made it unnecessary to keep their physical store.

“For our first three months with honestbee, we experienced a triple increase in sales. Being onboard with honestbee helps our customers always be ready for any potluck or office celebration,” he said.

Just like Agassi’s panciteria, eugene Claravall of Kanto Freestyle, a 24/7 breakfast concept, also attributed the 14 percent increase in sales of his restaurant to honestbee. “honestbee is a great force multiplier,” he said, noting how Kanto’s Instagramready silog meals as well as pancakes and eggs Benedict helped boost the res-

RK (rich kid) burger with bacon from Varda

taurant’s following through online social media platforms.

“We wanted to revolutionize how people view carinderia by elevating the usual dishes you see in eateries. Partnering up with honestbee has helped us expand our horizons, letting people try our food the way breakfast should be enjoyed, from the comforts of

Tonkatsu and chicken karaage from Fat Ninja

their homes,” Claravall added.

Indeed, honestbee has afforded small homegrown brands a level playing field for their deliveries.

“Not only do we provide jobs to thousands of

bees, we also empower our merchants by giving them analytics on their bestsellers and fast-moving items,” said Gonzalez.

“We love collaborating with our merchants, and watching their businesses thrive and grow because of our service.”

I’m at joyce.panares@gmail.com.

Victoria’s pancit malabon

Life

C2

monday, september 24, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

The Tasting Corner in select SM Supermarkets and Hypermarkets serves free samples of wines and spirits.

Liquor served the right way

Chef Edward Taponan’s Thai Chili Honey Dressing can be used for a wide variety of dishes.

Thai-inspired dip wins first

A new innovative tasting corner offers free samples of wines and spirits served the way they are meant to be served The Tasting Corner, available in select SM Supermarkets until nov. 8, serves hennessy VS Cognac, Johnnie walker Black and red Scotch whisky, Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila, fundador double Light Brandy, Carlo rossi, and Los Cardos.

According to a statement, the Tasting Corner offers the perfect serve of the premium hennessy VS neat, as well as Johnnie walker

Black or red neat or on the rocks. It also teaches samplers how to properly enjoy Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila according to its manufacturer.

The Tasting Corner is at SM Supermarket Aura and SM hypermarket Pasig today until Sept. 27. Sept. 28 to Oct. 11 at SM Supermarket Cebu, SM Supermarket fairview, and SM Supermarket San Lazaro. Oct. 12-24 at SM Supermarket Southmall and SM hypermarket Clark. And from Oct. 26 to nov. 8 at SM Supermarket Lanang davao and SM Supermarket Baguio.

Choice of the Nation cook off C hef edward Taponan’s decision to create a dip that can be used in any food paid off as he took home the grand prize in the first mayo-based dip competition in the counntry.

Unilever food Solutions’ Choice of renowned chefs fernando Aracama, the Nation had received 87 mayo-based rob Pengson, Sau del rosario, Khalel dip entries from skilled chefs from all Chan, and Brando Santos picked the over the country. three winners out of the 10 chosen to

Chef Edward Taponan is the first-ever grand winner of Unilever Food Solutions’ Choice of the Nation competition.

compete at the grand cook off held on Sept. 13 at Glorietta 2 Activity Center.

Taponan of the Professional Academy for Culinary education created Thai Chili honey dressing, which according to him goes well with anything, including salad and pasta.

“My main idea was to create something for seafood, so I can call it ocean deep,” shared Taponan.

“But then I thought it seemed limited since it’s only for seafood—especially since seafood is very expensive—so I decided to create a dip that can be used in any food, as well as features a variety of flavors: sweet, salty, sour, and spicy,” he added.

Taponan’s winning Thai Chili honey dressing is made of mayonnaise, fish sauce, white pepper, lime juice, garlic, red curry paste, and coriander or cilantro. despite his feat, Taponan humbly admitted to not expecting to win. “Makapasok lang ako sa top 10 is a great experience already,” he said.

As the first Choice of the nation grand winner, Taponan bagged P100,000 cash prize and special gift packs from UfS. First runner-up Chef Villa Amor Loresco took home P80,000 and gift packs for her Alamang Con Mayo dip. while second runner-up Chef Jayrald Yambao received P50,000 and gift packs for his The fishmongers remoulade.

“These recipes showcase exciting flavors out of the ingenuity of the chefs that made them, which sends a signal to the filipino diners for more enjoyable culinary experiences ahead,” enthused UfS Philippines managing director James Benedict Carreon. Marianne Ilumba

It offers samplers the perfect serving of wines and spirits.

Hennessy VS neat

bites

DiNe OUt

Global dishes with local flair

eASTwOOd richmonde hotel’s eastwood Café+Bar serves gourmet dishes that combines local and international cooking styles for this period’s Chef’s Specials.

The Chef’s Specials is a collection of delectable entrées that are served with free bread, salad, soup, and dessert for a complete and filling meal that can be enjoyed any time of the day. for this period, with the theme “Mundial (or global) Cuisine,” the main dishes consist of US short ribs

braised in Mt. Apo coffee (P995 nett); Abra organic chicken a la kiev with salted egg butter (P995 nett); parrotfish fillet with tamarind, cilantro, jicama, and Zambales mangoes (P895 nett); and Australian lamb shank cooked adobar-style with garlic and hollandaise (P985 nett).

Completing the mouth-watering meal ar complimentary artisan bread with flavored butter and tomato jam; compressed watermelon salad with basil, olives, goat’s cheese, rocket leaves, and

radish; and Tortellini royale soup made of consommé with adlai, tortellini of chicken, and mushroom dexelles.

The “dessert Mélange” which also comes free with each entrée order, offers an assortment of treats that includes pistachio bark, spiced walnuts, cured egg yolk, basil oil, coral sponge cake, cream cheese, and vanilla ice cream.

The Mundial Cuisine is available from September to November. For inquiries and table reservations, call Eastwood Café+Bar at (02) 570-7777.

Irresistible Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Mouth-watering cheesecake

US Short Ribs

Abra Organic Chicken

Compressed Watermelon Salad

Andrew Café introduces the newest addition to its range of bestselling gourmet cakes, the Irresistible Cookie dough Cheesecake.

The rich and creamy cheesecake is complemented by an exciting crisp cookie dough crust with chocolate morsels baked to perfection. It is topped with bittersweet coffee cream frosting and mini chocolate chip cookies.

Andrew Café is located at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Taft Campus, corner of Estrada and Leon Guinto Streets, Malate, Manila. It is open Mondays to Fridays from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Entertainment

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

C3

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Brillante Mendoza’s ‘Alpha’ competes in Spain IRECTOR Brillante Mendoza presented his latest masterpiece, Alpha, The Right To Kill, during a press conference at the Director’s Club at SM Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall. The event also served as a send-off for the awardwinning filmmaker who is flying to the San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain, where Alpha is in competition.

D

Emerging artists featured in first mosaic gallery

By Robbie Pangilinan

Mendoza, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson Liza Diño, SM SVP for Marketing and Communications Millie Dizon, Dr. Director Brillante Mendoza (2nd from left) with FDCP Chair Liza Diño (rightmost), SM Violet Reyes of Marinduque as well Senior VP for Marketing and Communications Millie Dizon and actor Allen Dizon as the film’s lead stars Allen Dizon, Elijah Filamor, Jalyn Taboneknek and of the biggest drug lords in Manila. corruption for the other will soon set off members of the media joined in the sendAlso starring Baron Geisler, the film a dangerous series of events, both of them off. follows the story of Police Officer Espino risking their reputations, families and After harvesting honors in Cannes, (Dizon) and Elijah (Fillamor), a small- lives in the process.

Berlin and Venice, this is first time time pusher turned informant, provide This year, The San Sebastian Mendoza will be joining the prestigious the intelligence for the operation which International Film Festival is celebrating San Sebastian International Film Festival quickly escalates into a violent and its 66th consecutive edition with the same (SSIFF), which runs until . 29 in Donostia- heavily-armed confrontation in the slums enthusiasm felt the day it began on Sept.

San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain. between the SWAT and Abel’s (Geisler) 21, 1953. Mendoza is among 11 other Directed by Mendoza and written gang. awarded directors from around the world

by Troy Espiritu, Alpha, The Right To Before the investigators arrive at the competing for highest prize, The Golden Kill is set against the backdrop of the crime scene, Espino and Elijah walk off Shell.

Philippines government’s crackdown on with Abel’s backpack full of money and The Alpha, The Right To Kill conference illegal drugs, a SWAT-led police force methamphetamine. is one of the many exciting events at launches an operation to arrest Abel, one This gesture of survival for one and Director’s Club, SM Mega Fashion Hall.

Kapamilya stars get ready for ABS-CBN Ball 2018 With the relaunch of the Children’s Village The country’s brightest stars are pulling out all in Norzagaray, Bulacan in December, more the stops to look their best at the most anticipated children will be able to get the care and celebrity fashion event in the country, the ABSguidance they need to overcome the effects CBN Ball 2018, on Sept. 29. of abuse.

Confirmed to be attending the ball to celebrate It will continue to provide immediate care friendship and togetherness are Coco Martin, and holistic healing for children and help Anne Curtis, Karla Estrada, and Vice Ganda. them build a better future for themselves Fans are also abuzz online about their through physical and psychological means anticipation for the attendance of the country’s in a structured, therapeutic family-like hottest love teams, including Kathryn environment. Social workers, health care Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, Liza Soberano professionals, and house parents will look and Enrique Gil, and Nadine Lustre and over the children in the complex, which has James Reid. Also adding excitement is Matteo a meditation room, a music room, an arts Guidicelli’s revelation that he asked his girlfriend and crafts room, library, and cottages, where Sarah Geronimo to be his date at the ball. children stay.

The ABS-CBN Ball will be also be made In the complex, older children are also special as it will launch an advocacy that will taught necessary life skills in preparation help Filipino children.

It will be dedicated to launching collaborative efforts to help in for their reintegration to society through new programs like the the re-launching of Bantay Banta 163’s Children’s Village, which Resilience Program, Productivity Skills Training, and Livelihood will serve as a home to abused, exploited, and neglected children. Development Program.

Simply...

From C4

Bryan Revilla The movie press got the biggest surprise when Bryan Revilla met with the press recently to promote Tres. The eldest son of the former senator is an articulate young man who could give any actor a run for their money in an interview in which he can answer any question without batting an eyelash or winking his eye in uncertainty.

Why he isn’t in the movies, like his dad, mom, and brother Jolo, is a matter of choice. He is very inconspicuous, preferring to finish his studies at College of St. Benilde (major in consular and diplomatic affairs) Also, since the time his father has been detained at Camp Crame, “I took upon myself the responsibility as my dad’s ‘proxy’ in the family, being the eldest sibling,” he said.

Asking him to go back to the movies didn’t pose a big problem for the former senator and his siblings that are running Imus Productions now. gI can’t say ‘no’ to my dad. That’s his wish so as his eldest son, it’s my obligation to make him feel I am worthy to be his son,” he said.

But, if given the choice, Bryan would rather that he stay behind the cameras, maybe play the role of managing the dayto-day affairs of the production company.

“I am not very good in front of the camera, or in handling the movie press,” he confesses.

But watching the trailer of “Virgo,” the episode in which he is the star along with Carla Humphries and how he conducted himself before the movie press belied all the things he said about himself.

The movie press are unanimous in saying he is the more articulate between the two brothers. ‘‘Virgo” was originally conceived as a

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, September 24, 2018

ACROSS 1 Phoenix cagers 5 TKO official 8 Piece of news 12 Barely speak 14 Caterwaul 15 Type of wrestling 16 Sampan owner 17 Not rebel 18 Perched on 19 Meal outdoors 21 Wile E. — 23 Maize unit 24 Bronzed 25 Primary color 26 Quickly 30 Kid who rode Diablo 32 Nose stimuli 33 Treats extra nice (2 wds.)

37 Bagel shop 38 Long hairpieces 39 Business encl.

40 Moon 42 Fireplace tool 43 Exploits 44 Aboveboard 45 Continent divider 48 USN officer 49 That girl 50 Bistro 52 Arguer’s goal (2 wds.)

57 Pie baker

58 Freud’s concerns 60 Deviation from accuracy 61 Ultra 62 Spring up 63 Spy mission 64 This, in Havana 65 Pregrown lawn 66 Its HQ is Brussels DOWN 1 Nature’s bandage 2 Pliny’s bear 3 Roulette color 4 Import car 5 After-bath wear 6 Meadow browser 7 Goes for trout (hyph.)

8 “— —, old chap” 9 Instruct 10 Wax theatrical 11 Cheap wheels 13 Lowers oneself 14 Part of BYOB 20 Coral island 22 Story opener 24 Kind of role 26 Drowses off 27 Inkling 28 Lose hair 29 Lasting a short

time 30 Extremist sects 31 Welles or Bean 33 Sets a trap 34 Behalf 35 Draws on 36 Jaunty 38 Soft fabrics 41 Smirk’s kin 42 Redcap 44 “— So Fine” 45 Kitchen appliance 46 Gutter sites 47 Prevent from

happening 49 Briefcase closer 51 Gaelic pop star 52 Take on cargo 53 Brown nester 54 Willy or Shamu 55 What fans do 56 First 007 movie (2 wds.)

59 Earth, in combos

full-length feature. It was even shot as a full length by director Richard Somes, edited later to conform to the trilogy format of Tres.

Also joining him in the cast is Joey Marquez.

Bryan said, the episode is action packed.

“After each shooting, I’d nurse bruises and scratches and muscle pains. But it was all right, all to make the movie worth your while.”

Luigi Revilla Only 26, (the youngest among the three Revillas), Luigi Revilla is very happy to be in the trilogy Tres as the featured star of the episode “Amats,” also about drugs.

Luigi is Bong’s son with another woman, but the love child has since been assimilated to the Revilla family even Lani herself treats her like her own son.

In the episode “Amats,” he plays a rich guy-turned-penniless after his parents died. He was introduced to drugs after he met a character played by Assunta de

design compliments the vibrancy of mosaics that makes the paintings come to life.

“For Angelie, its destiny. For Roy, a continuation of his passion,” adds Ubalde.

Mozzaico artists and artisans creates and recreates any art, portrait, and patterns using different types of materials such as glass, natural stones, mirrors, gems, ceramic, porcelain and many more. Each artwork is customized to the client’s design and size preference.

Since 2010, Mozzaico has catered to different kinds of markets, and continuously strives to bring the latest trends and technologies to the country, while providing first class service to its clientele.

“Mozzaico’s vision is to bring back the beauty and timelessness of mosaics by infusing mosaic art into any interior and outdoor design. Advocating the functional use of art mosaics by not only having an artwork to be admired at but also having a usable and practical piece of art to inspire us each and every day,” says Maher.

Visit the Mozzaico Art Gallery in Serendra, Bonifacio Global City.

Open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Monday to Thursday and Sunday.

And from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday or check out mozzaico.commozzaico.com.

Follow Mozzaico on instagram. com/mozzaicoinstagram.com/ mozzaico, facebook.com/mozzaicofacebook.com/mozzaico, linkedin.com/in/mozzaicolinkedin.com/ in/mozzaico and on youtube.com/ channel/UC9e9C13AjRK30s9js7uoo7Qyoutube.com/channel/ UC9e9C13AjRK30s9js7uoo7Q. Mozzaico’s main showroom is located at #35 E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Libis, Quezon City.

Two emerging Filipino artists were presented at Manila’s first Mosaic Art Exhibit which opened on Sept. 5 at the Mozzaico Art Gallery in Serendra, Bonifacio Global City.

Mozzaico, the leading mosaic company in the Philippines with the widest range of mosaic collections in the country, featured selected mosaic art collections of Roy Espinosa and Angelie Maranan Banaag together with various art inspirations.

Visual artist and culture and art advocate Espinosa is the Founding President of the Filipinas Institute for the Advancement of Arts and Culture (FILARTS), a nonprofit cultural institution that advances the right and welfare of the Filipino artist and the preservation of the indigenous arts and culture in the Philippines.

Espinosa’s Blue series at Mozzaico gives the audience a feeling of peace and tranquility, as he says, “The world is experiencing chaos because of the violence and disunity that we are experiencing right now.

Blue represents the binding force that can glue us all together in harmony and unity.”

Espinosa explains his art: “The color blue plays an important role in creating an effort of movement and dynamism—just like the splashing waters of the sea that hits the shore and the rocks in its way. The upward movement, on the other hand, remind us of the Blue Flame—that element that according to the ancient spiritual love, ‘represent our passions, compulsions, zeal, creativity, and motivation.”

Banaag, an Ilocana self-taught artist and owner of painting studio Artistixe, is into oil painting and acrylic painting. She dedicates her “Self Love” masterpiece to her mother, who passed away when she was 13.

“As I did my painting, I made sure that people looking at it will feel the love and passion I poured on it. Hindi ako basta gumagawa ng walang pagmamahal at panalangin because every piece I create becomes part of me. Maybe that’s why some can’t help falling in love with my works,” says Banaag.

Sasan Maher, the man behind the helm and success of Mozzaico, says Mozzaico’s Marketing Manager Leizel that they chose the masterpieces of Ubalde with Roy Espinosa and Angelie these two artists based on how their Maranan Banaag Rossi. She then goaded him to become a pusher.

But, the film is also about redemption, and Luigi’s character eventually realized the evil that drug has wrought upon him and countless others, so he becomes an undercover.

Bong Revilla made sure his son gets into the character right and delivers a credible performance. ‘‘He said I needed to immerse into my character, not just reading and mouthing the lines. He told me I should be the character I am portraying and people should not see me as Luigi.”

Luigi discovered what acting is all about early in life when he joined GMA Network and starred in some teen-oriented shows. ‘‘When I was starting, I could hardly act,” he declared. “What I was thinking of back then were my lines. I only really got the hang of it when I attended workshops.”

Admittedly, he had to hurdle challenges in portraying the role of a drug addict in

“Amats.” ‘‘I find it difficult to act like you’re high so I watched some movies to learn how to do it.”

The action parts were easily addressed as Luigi is into Muay Thai. ‘‘We have different attacks in the episodes of the movie. In my brother’s part, there was blasting and gun fighting.

In my episode, since it’s a millennial action movie, we concentrated on handto-hand combat.” ‘‘Once, I was punched in the nose by Sandino Martin. In another scene, I kicked Markki Stroem. It was so hard that he lost a tooth.,” he related. *** Tres which produced by Imus Production is the idea of former senator Bong Revilla. They chose the genre to give opportunities to stuntmen who’ve been without work for some time after rom-com movies dominated the scene.

The movie opens in theaters on Oct. 3.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

A king to watch out for

ISAH V. RED

By Excel V. Dyquiangco PREPARING for a beauty pageant, whether local or international, can be undoubtedly nerve-wracking. For firsttimer David Simon Reyes, hailed as the Mister Grand International Philippines recently held at The Crossroads Center, Quezon City, he is both thrilled and pressured – simply because the country is once again hosting the international tilt.

“With the Philippines hosting the international side of the competition, it gives me a heavier responsibility and a fiercer desire to win for God’s glory,” he says.

“I’m trusting God to guide me again.

Whether I win or lose, God is still good.

But to be honest, seeing my very ripped and muscular opponents in the competition threatens me in the swimwear segment as it is one of the critical segments to make a statement in the competition.

The Q&A portion is also something I’m very much worried. I mean, who knows what kind of questions would be asked to us in the coronation night.”

In preparation for this international league, David has decided to lose weight

Jolo and his brothers

MARICRIS GARCIA celebrates career milestones in concert

Powerhouse diva Maricris Garcia stages her first major solo show that celebrates her 11th year in the music business.

By Nickie Wang Philippines Mister Grand International bet David Simon Reyes

despite his buff physique, cutting his usual diet from 3000 calories a day down to 2200. In line with this, he has also prioritized protein in his nutritional intake. Foods rich in sugars and sodium are something he tries to avoid despite his fast metabolism.

When it comes to his skin care regimen, he is all natural. Drinking water regularly, avoiding sugary and starchy food, and getting enough sleep are some of his best-kept secrets. Of course he also invests in facial cleansers and uses organic products for his hair and body.

“For those with dry skin like me, goat milk-based works the best in my opinion,” he says. “I avoid any sulfate-based products. For my hair, I use a coconutoil based shampoo complemented by a Gugo-based conditioner. This combination helps in giving my hair the volume that it needs reducing my hair loss, and cleans it without being harsh to my sensitive scalp.”

To add to this, he also gives much attention in improving his speech. “More often than not, I make Q&A campaigns with my followers on Instagram, asking them to give me questions for me to answer right away. I also try to answer questions from different pageants whenever I get the chance to watch or attend,” he says.

He is mostly confident, though about his interpersonal skills. Having the competition hosted by the country gives him the privilege to welcome his fellow candidates to the beauty and warmth of the place and culture.

“I plan to continue on my journey as an actor and model in the future, while establishing businesses with trustworthy partners along the way,” he says. “I ought to create more awareness about Depression and Anxiety which I am advocating to overcome. I want to help and lead people out there who are struggling with it by leaning on to the true source of joy and comfort which is Jesus Christ alone.”

The coronation night of Mister Grand International is on Sept. 29 at Crossroads in Quezon City.

S

INGER Maricris Garcia is celebrating her birthday and 11th anniversary in music industry via a solo concert. It’s her first major solo performance since she entered the entertainment business.

In a press conference held recently, the GMA Artist Center’s powerhouse diva shared that her show is a tribute to her journey as a musician, starting from her Pinoy Pop Superstar days, and a celebration of her milestones as an artist.

Entitled ‘MAR1CR1S,’ the concert will be staged at Teatrino in Greenhills on Sept. 28.

“The show is going to be more of a storytelling type. I am going to share all the experience I’ve gone through—my musical influences, as well as things about my personal life,” the singer told the press.

Maricris further said that she wants her concert to be like an intimate conversation with friends. The concert will be under the musical direction of Mark Lopez, accompanied by a fivepiece band.

‘MAR1CR1S’ promises a grand ensemble of music, entertainment and nostalgia as the Kapuso diva looks back

on her journey in the industry. Maricris personally conceptualized the concert.

She will be joined by the industry’s best singers, including Nar Cabico, Mark Bautista, and Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid.

She is also celebrating her birthday this month, and the concert is both a treat to herself and to her fans. She excitedly shared her process in producing her own concert, “During the first few months of planning, everything was easy. But as the days go by, I started to feel the pressure and the stress. Good thing I have the support of GMA Artist Center and a few people who offered their help in making this concert possible.”

The Kapuso star feels grateful that she has the opportunity to live out her passion, “I want to let them know that I’m still here and I will always be here, singing.” She also sets to release her new music early next year in time for

the Valentine season.

When asked what took her too long to have her solo concert, Maricris explained that it’s about proper timing.

“It’s not easy to last this long; not everyone gets to stay here for 11 years. I initially planned to hold a 10th anniversary show last year to coincide with my 30th birthday. But maybe this is the right time,” she related. ‘‘Actually, I’m not the kind of person who wants to rush into things. Eleven years may be long for some people but for me, it feels like it’s just yesterday.

I believe in God’s plan; if it’s meant to be, then good. Thankfully, He finally gave it to me,” the singer added.

Tickets for ‘MAR1CR1S’ concert are priced at P1,800 for VIP, P1,300 for Orchestra, and P800 for Balcony. For inquiries, you may contact 0917 850 8747 or call Teatrino at (02) 741 2949 local 116.

‘Hunter X Hunter’ Season 3 airs on GMA BEGINNING today, fill your weekday mornings with excitement and thrill as the third season of the anime series Hunter X Hunter airs on GMA. The manga series tells the story of Gon, a talented twelve-year-old, who discovers that his father, whom he was told was dead, is actually alive and is the legendary Hunter, Ging.

Gon decides that in order to meet his father, he has to become a Hunter himself.

He becomes determined to pass the grueling Hunter Examination and follow his father’s footsteps.

On his journey to pursue his dreams, Gon meets a n d becomes friends with three of the other applicants: Killua, the

middle child of the family of renowned assassins who has mastered the trade at a young age and was designated to be the heir to the family business; Kurapika is a blacklist hunter and the sole survivor of the Kurta clan; and Leorio, a Hunter that befriended Gon during the Hunter Exam whose goal is to become a doctor.

Will Gon pass the exam and gain the right to call himself a Hunter? Will he eventually reunite with his father?

Join him and the Hunters in finding rare treasures, exploring unidentified lands, and hunting down dangerous individuals in Hunter X Hunter starting today at 8:00 to 8:30 a.m..

The well-loved Japanese anime 'Hunter x Hunter' returns for its much anticipated third season

50 delegates for Miss Asia Pacific International 50th jubilee

By Eton Concepcion CELEBRATING its 50th year, the Miss Asia Pacific International 2018 officially presented an exact number of 50 delegates for its jubilee edition during press presentation held at the Forbes Ballroom Conrad Hotel Manila in Pasay City Tuesday afternoon.

Going back in 1968, a group of entrepreneurs, led by Leandro “Biboy” Enriquez, established the Miss Asia Quest with the objective of promoting peace, goodwill, trade, and tourism among participating nations―in Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific. Taiwan’s Macy Shih earned the distinction of being crowned the first Miss Asia at the inaugural edition held at Araneta Coliseum on Dec. 8, 1968 with 14 Philippine bet Sharifa Akeel (center) voted Darling countries competing including the Philippines’ Jane de Joya of the Press with second-placer Madeline Andrea who placed 3rd runner up.

Ferrara (right) of Germany and 3rd placer Gabriela The Jubilee edition’s press presentation gave a preview of Palma of Brazil. the top contenders for the crown led by country bet Sharifa

Akeel who was voted Darling of the Press, second-placer Madeline Andrea Ferrara of Germany and 3rd placer Gabriela Palma of Brazil. Also making waves are Kazahkstan’s Didar Atmaja, Armenia’s Sona Danielyan, USA’s Mackenzie Lawrence and powerhouse Venezuela’s Mariani Nataly Chacon.

Preliminaries will be held at the Forbes Ballroom Conrad Manila for the national costume competition, swimsuit competition at Safari Hotel and Villas, Vigan, Ilocos Sur , talent competition at The Loft @ Manansala, Plaza Drive, Rockwell Center Makati (Sept. 25) and evening gown competition at Alta D’ Tagaytay Hotel, Tagaytay City, Cavite (Sept. 28).

The 50th Jubilee Miss Asia Pacific International will culminate at the grand coronation night on Oct. 4 to be held the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila, Pasay City.

IN 1960, the great Italian auteur Luchino Visconti released a film about brothers called Rocco and His Brothers that starred the handsome Alain Delon as Rocco, the French actor that conquered the world in many films that had been translated many times over in languages understood in each country across the globe.

In the local film industry, three brothers are making waves as they are they are making a big buzz in the media with the film titled Tres that showcases their individual acting gifts in three separate films that make up the trilogy.

The three brothers that star separately in the trilogy are all sons of actor-turned-politician Ramon “Bong” Revilla. And they are Jolo, Bryan, and Luigi.

Jolo Revilla Jolo is currently the Vice Governor of Cavite province.

But he is also an actor seen in ABS-CBN’s FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano as a presidential security guard. But he is more excited to promote the film Tres than being irritated by the news that he was axed from the toprating show of the Kapamilya network.

Jolo’ is featured in 72 Hours, the episode directed for the trilogy by Dondon Santos.

He plays a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent.

Jolo said when his family (which owns Imus Productions, the producer of the movie) thought of the concept for a film with him and his brothers, the drug war of President Rodrigo Duterte came to mind. gThis makes the film very relevant to what’s happening to our country,” he told members of the press that gathered for his solo presscon at Annabel’s.

The pretty Rhian Ramos plays Jolo’s love interest in the episode.

Also joining him are his reallife mother, Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado, Albert Martinez, Dominic Roque, Ronwaldo Martin, Benj Manalo, Raikko Mateo, Precious Lara Quigaman, King Gutierrez, Arron Villaflor, Neil Coleta, Michael Roy Jornales, Paolo Serrano, Jay Gonzaga, and John Andrew Schimmer. gI learned a lot from him,” the actor said referring to Dondon Santos. “He’s easy to work with.”

While he hasn’t been seen in the movies since becoming the Vice Governor of Cavite, he is glad the family has resumed producing movies again, and he is thankful the first movie it produced for its comeback features him and his two other brothers. Continued on C3