The Standard - 2015 March 08 - Sunday by Manila Standard

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK VOL. XXIX  NO. 24  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  SUNDAY: MARCH 8, 2015  www.manilastandardtoday.com  mst@mstandardtoday.com

Filipinos impress Krispy cream boss

Chef ’s Day Off What’s cooking Chez Le Chef

MARCH FOR JUSTICE FORGES AHEAD—PNPA

Day of protests. Militant workers

put the ﬁnishing touches on two efﬁgies- one representing an eagle that symbolizes the US, and the other, President Benigno Aquino III . Both will be used for separate protests demanding his resignation. MANNY PALMERO

MILF REBELS SIGN UP FOR POLLS

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OUSTER PRESSED. On the eve of International Women’s Day, militant worker put the finishing touches on the giant effigy of President Benigno Aquino III riding a drone perched on a US warship, to be used for a massive protest demanding his resignation. MANNY PALMERO

MARCH FOR JUSTICE IS ON By Francisco Tuyay and Sara D. Fabunan

ALUMNI of the Philippine National Police Academy will push through with its planned “March for Justice for SAF 44” although the Quezon City Hall revoked the permit it had earlier issued purportedly because of warnings from Malacañang. But Palace officials denied it had attempted to discourage the PNPA Alumni Association from pushing through with the “unity march” purportedly because some leftist groups were planning to join the march which was announced to be open to the public. “We have nothing to do with that,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in an interview over state-owned dzRNb Radyo ng Bayan. “Remember that in any rally or demonstration, at least under the Aquino administration, we have never intervened, or we have never stepped in to ask that it does not push through, because we rec-

ognize that these rallies are part of the democratic space that we share,” Valte added. Valte made the remark after Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma warned in Malacañang on Thursday that “opportunist” groups may take advantage of the unity march to reiterate calls for the resignation of President Benigno Aquino III. “While we are one in remembering the heroism of the 44 commandos of the Special Action Force who perished in Mamasapano, it is also important that we remain vigilant against groups who want to take advantage of our grief to push their own agenda,”

Coloma said. “According to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, these opportunist groups calling for People Power and military support to force the resignation of the President to pave the way for a junta government are already committing illegal acts in violation of the Constitution,” Coloma said. The remarks of Coloma were repeated by former QC police chief Elmo San Diego, now head of QC’s public order department, who said the permit that was issued a few days before was revoked because “left-leaning groups that may interact and mix themselves with the legitimate rallyists.’’ San Diego failed to explain what was illegal in such a case, but said “the application permit indicated a sympathy walk but if some will call for the ouster of the President the purpose will be altered and there will now be political color.” But former police general Tomas Rentoy, president of the PNPA Alumni Association, said they will push through with their unity walk.

“We still have no permit, but the sympathy march will go on,” Rentoy said in a text message. Rentoy declined to comment on the supposed call of a certain Senior Supt Jerome Baxinela, who claims to the chapter president of the PNPAAA in Camp Crame, urged all chapter members not to join the march. “The intent of the PNPAAAI National is noble but the present situation does not warrant participation thereof. Let us uphold public interest over and above all other interest,” said Baxinela in a text message shared to the media by PNP spokesman Chief Supt Generoso Cerbo. Rentoy reiterated the association’s earlier statement that the unity march is an “apolitical” activity and will focus on the demand for justice for the police commandos who were killed in a covert mission to capture international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir last January 25. The march will start at Dasmariñas City in Cavite with a a 44-kilometer walk from Salitran in Dasmariñas to the Philippine

National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. The second phase will be the walk from Camp Crame to the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City while similar marches will be also held across the country with the slogan “Walk with the Widows, Run for our Heroes.” The assembly point for the first phase will be at Central Mall Dasmariñas on Emilio Aguinaldo Highway in Salitran at 2 a.m. on March 8. Runners from Cavite will be joined by others at 10-km intervals along the route. The families of the commandos will lead the march from Camp Crame to Quezon City Memorial Circle. Alumni and other participants from the uniformed services will assemble in front of Camp Crame Grandstand, while civilians will assemble at Camp Crame Gate I along Edsa by 5 a.m. The final march to QMC will begin at 6 a.m. upon the arrival of the joggers from Cavite, while the Mass at QMC will be held at 10 a.m.

Belmonte defends lawmakers from moro critics By Maricel V. Cruz AFTER rebuking peace negotiator Miriam Ferrer for saying “no BBL is better than a mangled BBL,” Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. defended lawmakers from Muslims who are “sore at lawmakers” for opposing the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law.

“Our obligation is to the Constitution,” Belmonte told House reporter in a chance interview. “As long as we have a Constitution, we have to abide by it, and definitely we as public officials, we will do that and hope that they, aside from being Bangsamoro, they’re first Filipinos,

the Constitution should also hold sway over them,” the Speaker said. Belmonte made the remark after Ghazali Jaafar, vice chairman for Political Affairs of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said in a radio interview that Muslims are sore at some lawmakers for supposedly opposing the BBL.

“I really think that it is up to the executive to [explain that]. The fact is that whatever comes up in our chamber must, in our own judgment, be compliant with the Constitution,” Belmonte said a day after he defended lawmakers for scrutinizing provisions of the BBL. “They are not dummies who can be led around,”

Belmonte defended congressmen who are deliberating on the bill, including Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez whom Jaafar described as among those who are twisting the issue. “You know, they twisted the issue,” Jaafar said in an interview with Bombo Radyo. “The Muslims in Mindanao are the ones ag-

grieved and they have a demand for the establishment of a Bangsamoro region.” But Rodriguez, head of the 75-man ad hoc committee tasked to scrutinize the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, stood pat on the position of the House leadership to excise provisions in the measure that are deemed unconstitutional.

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MILF LIST UP FOR POLLS SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao – Hundreds of Muslim rebels lined up in the Philippines Saturday to register as voters, keeping faith with a 2014 peace pact that was thrown into doubt after 44 policemen were killed in a botched terror raid. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels, unarmed and wearing civilian clothes, had their photographs and fingerprints taken at Camp Darapanan, the MILF headquarters in Sultan Kudarat town. “They are all very eager to take part,” Von al Haq, spokesman for the 10,000-member MILF’s military wing told AFP, adding that he too registered for the first time since 1986. Some would be voting for the first time, he added. “This is part of our preparations

to lead our own government,” he said, referring to a March 2014 agreement in which the MILF committed to end an armed rebellion that has claimed 120,000 lives. As part of the deal, the MILF is to disarm and President Benigno Aquino is set to legislate an area of Muslim self-rule. Rey Sumalipao, regional head of the government’s Commission on Elections, told AFP he expects about 1,500 members to register within the day to allow them to vote in national and local elections. Other MILF members are ex-

pected to apply later, he added, including MILF vice chairman Ghadzali Jaafar who attended the registration, but did not sign up, saying he will wait for the enactment of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. Muslim rebels have been battling for independence or autonomy in the southern islands of the mainly Catholic Philippines since the 1970s. The peace process was thrown into doubt on January 25 when MILF forces and other armed groups ambushed police commandos going after Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, one of the world’s most wanted Islamic militants. The fighting left 44 policemen dead and sparked a public backlash, causing parliament to suspend debates on the proposed selfrule law.

The MILF returned some of the dead commandos’ weapons and pledged to go after other militants sought by the Philippine courts, but rejected Aquino’s demand that it surrender those who took part in killings. Rebel leaders said they would impose their own sanctions on those found at fault. The Senate and the House of Representatives have since said they will resume discussions on the bill that they said would likely pass by mid-June. Al Haq, the MILF spokesman, said Saturday the high rebel turnout was proof they remained committed to the peace process. “We’re very confident that the peace process will continue,” said Al Haq, adding he last voted in 1986 before becoming a full-time guerrilla. AFP

Rebel-voteRs. Men and women from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front file their registration to qualify for voter identification cards in Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao on March 7, 2015. Hundreds of Muslim rebels line up to register as voters, keeping faith with a 2014 peace pact that has been put in doubt by a clash that left 44 police commandos dead. AFP

MILITARY CAPTURES 3RD BIFF OUTPOST THE Armed Forces of the Philippines continued to battle the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters on Saturday with the number of soldiers wounded in clashes rising to 13 although the army has so far captured three camps and arrested four members of the extremist group. Rebel casualties consists of seven dead and 13 wounded, AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said Saturday. Among those wounded was a UH-IH “Huey” pilot who was hit by ground fire while providing cover fire to the troops he just inserted in the combat area. Cabunoc said that another series of encounter took place Saturday but declined to give exact locations as operations are still ongoing. Earlier, the AFP reported that nine troopers from the 6th Infantry Division’s Task Force Central were wounded while six members of the BIFF were injured following a firefight in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town, Maguindanao Friday afternoon. The clash took place at 2 p.m. and ended early morning Saturday. Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said that those injured were immediately evacuated for treatment. None of the injuries suffered by government forces are life-threatening. Troopers are still conducting pursuit and clearing operations as of this posting. At 2:50 p.m. Friday, Task Force Central troopers conducting clearing operations in the boundaries of Barangays Dabunayan and Liab, Datu Piang town, and arrested four BIFF members identified as Aladin Panaydan, 22; Daud Balogat, 23; Ebrahim Oraw, 40 and Abdul Madalidaw, 33. Also captured was the BIFF camp in the area. Recovered from their possession were a .45 caliber pistol and one magazine containing six rounds of ammunition; one .45 Thompson sub-machine gun, improvised explosive device (IED) paraphernalia, four mobile phones and assorted war materials and documents.

SAYYAF FREES MALAYSIAN HOSTAGE AFTER 8 MONTHS by Francisco tuyay THE Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) freed a Malaysian policeman they abducted during an attack at a diving resort in Semporna, Malaysia in July last year. Reports said Marine police constable Zakiah Aleip was released by his ASG captors at about 2:30 pm Friday somewhere in Indanan, Sulu after being held captive for eight months. Aleip’s release was first reported by a Malaysian social media network Saturday and was later confirmed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) pub-

lic information officer chief Lt Col. Harold Cabunoc. The Malaysian policeman was taken hostage by a group of ASG bandits who stormed a police outpost at the Mabul Water Bungalow dive resort. The kidnappers also killed a Malaysian police officer identified as Cpl Ab Rajah Jamuan. But Sabah Police Commissiioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said that Zakiah was released in Sulu by still unidentified men at about 11 pm. After which, the Malaysian police brought him to Sabah. “Our team of police

managed to get him out of Indanan in Sulu and he arrived in Sandakan at about 7:30 am Saturday morning,” Jalaluddin said. It was not clear, however, if Malaysian authorities paid ransom for the release of Zakiah. The ASG earlier demanded ten million ringgits for his freedom. Col. Allan Arrojado, commander of Joint Task Group Sulu, said the ASG were forced to free their captive due to the relentless military operation against the bandits which he claimed had already suffered several dozens of casualties.

the heat is on. Three young girls cool off in a kiddie pool under the Nagtahan Bridge in Manila as the weather bureau announced that the northeast monsoon has begun to weaken ahead of the tropical hot season. eY ACAsIo

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TUITION TIED TO RIGHTS ABUSES By Maricel V. Cruz

A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Saturday voiced his concern over the spate of tuition increase-related rights violations committed by school administrators against students. “In the run-up to the deadline for tuition increase consultations, several students’ rights violations have been reported to Kabataan Partylist, all which were perpetrated by

school administrators themselves,” Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said. Citing the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Memorandum

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC Please be informed that the following accountable forms of INVESTORS ASSURANCE CORPORATION (IAC) have been lost: TYPE OF POLICY JCL(3) - Defendants Bond for Dissolution of Attachment

SERIES FROM 8

SERIES TO 8

Should you have any of the foregoing IAC forms in your possession, please coordinate with our office immediately and bring the said form/s to our office within thirty (30) days from the date of this publication, for possible replacement of the form/s or reimbursement of payments, if warranted. IAC reserves the right to require presentation of other adequate proof of issuance and/or payment in addition to the presentation of the original form/s. INVESTORS ASSURANCE CORPORATION Unit 1, 20th Floor, BDO Plaza, Paseo de Roxas near cor. Makati Avenue, Makati City 1200 Tel Nos.: (632) 822-4000 / 822-5000 / 891-0994 / 891-0996 / 891-0976 (MST-MAR. 8, 2015)

Order 3-2012, Ridon, a member of the Makabayan Bloc, said private schools need to conduct consultations before proposing any increase in matriculation. The CHED-mandated tuition consultation period ended last February 27. “The new spate of rights violations were recorded in schools that intend to increase tuition next year, and the infractions are directly related to the students’ opposition to the said increases,” Ridon said. Ridon had earlier House Resolution 1946 which urges the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education (CHTE) to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on “accounts of intimidation and other forms of threat and democratic rights violations of the University of the East Manila and Caloocan administrations on student leaders who de-

InvItatIon to BId no. 049 ConstruCtIon of Banaoang PIs (ClImate Change) The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2013 intends to apply the sum of Five Million & 00/100 PESOS (PHP5,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Construction of Banaoang PIS (Climate Change) with Contract No R1-ISIMO-15-02-049. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. 1.

The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Construction of Banaoang PIS (Climate Change) NIS under FUND 101. The project is located in San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur with the following description of work: I. II.

nounced and protested against tuition and other fee increases in their respective campuses.” In his resolution, Ridon noted that the University of the East (UE) System is proposing a five percent increase in tuition fee and another five percent increase in other school fees for school year 2015-2016. He claimed student leaders in both UE-Manila and UECaloocan were forced to attend the tuition increase consultations. “In UE Caloocan, some students were literally dragged by security officials to attend the consultations. The students reported that they did not have a voice inside the consultation and President Ester Garcia of UE, merely informed them of the proposed increase. They were even forced to sign the ‘attendance sheet,’” Ridon added. In the past years, schools such as UE use the attendance sheet

as a “proof of consultation” that they submit to CHED. “The violation did not stop there. As the tuition increase consultation was being held in UE-Caloocan, several students also attempted to mount a protest action. However, even before the protest erupted, a student leader was forcibly escorted by the school’s security guards to the Students Affairs Office, after which he was forced to leave the university’s premises. The student already filed a formal complaint to the legal office of the university but reported that he is not optimistic that the matter will be resolved to his favor,” Ridon said. The same incident happened during the tuition consultation in University of the East Manila on February 16, 2015. A college president was forced by the administration to sign the “attendance sheet.”

InvItatIon to BId no. 043 ConstruCtIon of Bonga PumP no.2 (PaCkage 1) The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to apply the sum of Five Million Three Hundred Sixty-Three Thousand Seven Hundred NinetySix & 33/100 PESOS (PHP5,363,796.33) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Construction of Bonga Pump No.2 (Package 1) with Contract No R1-INIMO-15-02-043. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. 1.

Canalization A. Canal Desilting @ M.C. & Lateral Canal Structures A. MTO

The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Construction of Bonga Pump No.2 (Package 1) under FUND 101. The project is located in Laoag City & San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte with the following description of work: I. Canalization II. Canal Structures III. Terminal Facilities Completion of the Works is required within One Hundred Fifty (150) calendar days.

Completion of the Works is required within Ninety (90) calendar days. 2.

Bidder must have an experience of having completed, a single contract that is similar to the contract to be bid, must be at least 50% of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from National Irrigation Administration, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan (office of the Head, BAC Secretariat) and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 A.M to 5:00 PM:

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the above address and upon payment at the NIA Cashier of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (Php5,000.00).

Issuance & Availability of bidding documents is from the first day of advertisement/ Posting of Invitation to Bid/ Request for Expression of interest until submission and receipt of bids.

Issuance & Availability of bidding documents is from the first day of advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid/ Request for Expression of interest until submission and receipt of bids.

The National Irrigation Administration will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on March 11, 2015, 2:00 PM at the NIA-Regional Office Conference Room, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered on or before 9:00 AM, March 24, 2015 at the address below. Opening of Bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the NIA-Region I Conference Room, Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Bids must be delivered on or before 2:00 P.M, March 24, 2015 at the address below. Opening of Bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the NIA-Region I Conference Room, Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The National Irrigation Administration shall not allow contractors to participate in the procurement of civil works with at least 15% negative slippage on their on-going NIA Contracts at the time of advertisement or posting in the PhilGEPS/NIA Website of the Invitation to Bid in accordance with Rule X, Sec. 34.3 (b) (ii) of the Revised Implementing Rules & Regulation of Republic Act No. 9184. Hence, affidavit stating with at least 15% negative slippage is required as evidence.

10.

All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

10. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

11.

Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of projects within the Agency.

11.

12.

All bids must be accompanied by a Certificate of Site Inspection issued by the implementing office.

12. All bids must be accompanied by a Certificate of Site Inspection issued by the implementing office.

13.

The National Irrigation Administration reserves the right to reject bids, declare a failure of bidding, and not to award the contract without incurring any liability if the funds/allotment for the project to be bid has been withheld or reduced through no fault of its own.

13. The National Irrigation Administration reserves the right to reject bids, declare a failure of bidding, and not to award the contract without incurring any liability if the funds/allotment for the project to be bid has been withheld or reduced through no fault of its own.

14.

Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the project.

14. Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the project.

For further information, please refer to:

ENGR. MYRNA C. MARTINEZ - Head BAC Secretariat NIA-Regional Office No. 1 Barangay Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Telefax No: 632-1435 E-mail address: niaengineeing@yahoo.com

Noted: (SGD.) JOHN N. CELESTE, DPA Regional Manager A (MST-MAR. 8, 2015)

Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of projects within the Agency.

For further information, please refer to: (SGD.) FRIDA L. NIDOY BAC Chairman

ENGR. MYRNA C. MARTINEZ - Head BAC Secretariat NIA-Regional Office No. 1 Barangay Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Telefax No: 632-1435 E-mail address: niaengineeing@yahoo.com

Noted: (SGD.) JOHN N. CELESTE, DPA Regional Manager A (MST-MAR. 8, 2015)

(SGD.) FRIDA L. NIDOY BAC Chairman

Fishpond congress slated for Apr. 27-29 LINGAYEN—The provincial government of Pangasinan will host a 3-day national fish congress aimed at enhancing production and upgrading the economy at the Sison Auditorium here on April 27-29, this year. Eduardo Maramba, president of the Philippine Fish Producers Association. Iinc., said “innovative aquaculture practices that will contribute to the economic wealth of the country is the focus of the congress.” Gov. Amado Espino Jr. and Mayor Josefina Castaneda will join Maramba and Fishpond Owners Operators Association Inc. (Foofadci) officers led by Chairman Alfredo Dawana in welcoming the guests. Maramba said a battery of speakers led by former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., Senators Cynthia Villar, chair of the Agriculture Committee, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas are among the main speakers. Congress Theme is “Enhancing Aquaculture Practices for Sustained Industry Development.” Other speakers and resource persons are PAFPI Vice President Tomas Alcantara, Bureau of Aquatic Resources Director Nelson Lopez, DA Usec. Asis Perez, BFAR Regional Director Nestor Domenden, DTI officials and Engr. Ric Dela Cruz.

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Anti-virus protocol holding —pAlAce By Sara D. Fabunan

task Force mapalad, a peasants’ group, presses for the holding of congressional debate to move the land reform program forward.

FArmers to lAndlord-solons

minimize your greed As they prepare for hunger strike starting March 9, landless farmers from Negros Occidental on Saturday challenged House Majority Floor Leader Neptali“Boyet” Gonzales II to prove that he is not anti-CARP, as he recently claimed, by scheduling for deliberation a bill that would allow the Department of Agrarian Reform to cover more landholdings under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform. At the same time, the farmers belonging to national peasant federation Task Force Mapalad assailed Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez for “playing dumb about the many successes of CARP despite the insufficient support that the program gets from the government and the tactics employed by hacenderos including landlordpoliticians in Congress to evade vast

landholdings from being covered by the 27-year-old program.” “Majority Leader Boyet Gonzales wants proof of House members’ support for the passage of House Bill 4296 and also, Congressman Benitez was quoted in news reports as saying that he wanted evidence of CARP’s success before he and his allies in the House decide to extend the program,” said TFM Negros

Chapter president Alberto Jayme. “Here’s our counter-challenge to Gonzales: Immediately schedule House Bill 4296 for plenary discussions. Give the exact time and date. This is the only way for you to see and feel the overwhelming support of House members to continue a social justice program like CARP,” said Jayme. “And we also like to remind the Majority Leader—who ironically does not support the will of the majority—that HB 4296 had long been certified as urgent by President Benigno Aquino III. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte had likewise personally told us of his unequivocal support for the bill’s passage. So what are you waiting for Cong Boyet? From whom are you taking your lead? We hope it’s not from CARP killers in the House led by the Vi-

sayan bloc because you said you’re not anti-CARP,” said Jayme. Meanwhile, TFM urged Benitez, known to belong to a family of hacienderos in Negros, to stop “pretending to be ignorant” of CARP’s victories. “Congressman Benitez was quoted in news reports as saying that, ‘They should convince us that the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program was a success for us to agree to extend it.’” Our response is that it should be Rep. Benitez who should convince himself and his allies from the Visayan bloc in the House—who are mostly landlord-politicians—to stop their greed for CARP’s complete and glorious success,” said Jayme. Jayme said Benitez and all lawmakers opposing CARP should be reminded that agrarian reform implementation is “a mandate of the Constitution.”

THe Palace on Saturday said that it has tasked the Health department to deploy a medical team to attend to the cases of three nurses who were recently diagnosed with Middle east Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MeRS-CoV). Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte noted that the Philippines was able to execute well its health protocols in its effort to prevent the spread of the virus in our country. “If you see the recent case of the nurse that was suspected to have acquired MeRS-CoV, it looked like our protocols were executed well ,” Valte said . The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said that three more Filipino nurses were diagnosed with the virus and were placed under quarantine and being treated. “They were exposed to patients with MeRS-CoV and they are all in isolation right now,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose told reporters. Jose said that the Philippine embassy in Riyadh and consulate general in Jeddah will continue to monitor the condition of new Filipino MeRS cases. “So far what we have seen, our protocols have held,” Valte, on the other hand said over a government-owned Radyo ng Bayan yesterday. The first nurse who was diagnosed with the virus is a 56year old Filipina; the second one is a respiratory technician; and the third was assigned at the oncology section of a certain hospital. Their names however were not disclosed by the foreign department. The DFA said they will get in touch with the families of the OFWs to inform them of any development, but visiting them would be prohibited in the meantime. Jose said last Friday that the Philippine embassy in Riyadh and its consulate general in Jeddah will continue to monitor the condition of new Filipino MeRS cases.

ilocos sur, 3 other lgus cited For heAlth services THe provincial government of Ilocos Sur banners three other LGUs in the region that the Department of Health recently cited for sharing and working hard for the DOH’s vision of strengthening health systems to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of delivery of basic health services. Ilocos Sur was adjudged as one of the top 10 (among the 80 provinces nationwide) awarded the “excellence in Kalusugan Pangkalahatan”. Vigan City, acclaimed the world over as one of the Wonder Cities of the World, topped the Independent Component Cities category

with Candon City ranking No. 3. The municipality of Bantay also landed in the top 10 among the 1,490 municipalities. The excellence in Kalusugan Pangkalahatan awards recognize LGUs (provinces/cities/municipalities) exhibiting commendable performance on health as reflected in the DOH 2013 LGU Score Card Report. Governor Ryan Singson lauded the Provincial Health Office, Barangay Nutrition Scholars, Barangay Health Workers and DOH Region 1 in implementing universal health care programs for all Ilocosurians.

“We will use this award as an inspiration to serve and ensure our province mates with the best quality health care,” said Gov. Singson whose one of his immediate moves is to pour more funds into the health sector, noting the debilitating effects of climate change. For her part, acting DOH Sec. Janette Garin said, “We congratulate the local chief executives for being our champions in health. We would like to encourage other local government officials to make health a priority in their areas so that their constituents are healthy, productive members of the country.”

SPECIAL TREAT. dogs and cats get special treatment from the Quezon city

government by way of an anti-rabies vaccine injection on march 7 at the memorial circle, part of an annual event to keep pets healthy and safe. MANNY PALMERO

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How MH370 cHanged Malaysia By Adam Minter

One year later, the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is still Malaysia’s biggest story, dominating front pages when even the smallest new details emerge. That’s with good reason. The missing flight, and the Malaysian government’s controversial early responses to it, have had a staggering impact on the country. Politically, diplomatically, and economically, Malaysia is vastly different than it was a year ago. Transparency at the top. For more than 50 years, Malaysia has been ruled by the same governing coalition, one with a reputation for lacking transparency and scorning media scrutiny. Its inexperience dealing with the press became apparent in the hours and then days following MH370’s disappearance. Senior Malaysian officials held meetings with international journalists during which they were evasive, contradictory, and even condescending. At a March 10 presser, for example, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, the Defense Minister, petulantly answered one question by snapping: “You are talking to a defense minister and acting transport minister. I wouldn’t know.” For those covering Malaysia for the first time, such evasions made it seem that Malaysia might be hiding something it knew about the disappearance. The scathing criticism that followed in the international press was an embarrassment for most Malaysians.

The blowback was immediate, especially on Facebook and other social media, where Malaysians expressed astonishment and anger at their government’s seeming incompetence. The Malaysian government surely recognized this as a potential threat: 10 months earlier, the young, middle-class urban Malaysians who dominate social media were the voters responsible for handing Malaysia’s ruling coalition an unexpected loss in the popular vote of the May 2013 general election. (The coalition held onto power because of the way that parliamentary seats are apportioned.) The government heeded the online anger, and quickly became more forthcoming about what exactly it did and did not know about MH370 -- including unflattering revelations about Malaysia’s slow initial response to the disaster. This marked an almost unprecedented degree of transparency and public accountability for the Malaysian government. And that was only a prelude to the government’s quick and coherent response to the downing of MH17 over Ukraine several months later. More importantly, Malaysia’s independent media and political opposition were energized by the government’s sudden responsiveness. MH370 was proof that enough pressure (combined with international shaming) could bring at least some transparency to Malaysian politics and governance. In the year since the disappearance, independent media and Malaysia’s opposition have been much more aggressive in their questioning of the government. And they’ve produced real results, including a long-sought audit of a Malaysian government development fund plagued by allegations offinancial mismanagement. Pivot to the U.S. Of the 227 passengers on MH370, 153 were Chinese. In the days

and weeks after the disappearance, China’s official mediacriticized the Malaysian government’s efforts and attitude. At the same time, it permitted families of Chinese victims to publicly berate the Malaysian ambassador and -- in otherwise protest-free Beijing -- allowed them to hold a rowdy demonstration outside of the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing. In Malaysia, popular sympathy for the Chinese quickly gave way to online revulsion and a public rebuke from the Malaysian defense minister, who said that flawed Chinese satellite data had “distracted” Malaysia from the search for the plane. Such open hostility marks a significant shift in Malaysia. According to a July 2014 Pew Research Center study of global opinion toward the U.S. and China (taken during the first month of the MH370 controversy), Malaysia was one of two Asian countries where the population viewed China as its chief ally -- and one of three that recognized the U.S. as its chief threat. Bilateral relations with China were so close in 2013 that a Malaysian official announced that Malaysia was willing to collaborate with China on developing natural resources in the South China Sea -- a blatant break with other countries in the region. That spirit of cooperation is now gone. Not long after the disappearance, a former Malaysian ambassador to Beijing told the Malaysian Insider that he believed that China’s reaction revealed a “bullying tendency,” and added: “China has bullied the Philippines and Vietnam. So Malaysia has to be careful.” He also said that Malaysia should review ties between the two countries. Over the last year, the Malaysian government has also made an effort to build closer ties with the United States. It even invited U.S. spy planes to use bases on Ma-

laysian territory -- an invitation that likely infuriated China. Though MH370’s disappearance isn’t solely responsible for this important diplomatic hedge, it certainly played a key role in widening a gap that barely existed on March 7, 2014. Privatizing the public economy. Founded in 1972, state-owned Malaysia Airlines has long been one of Malaysia’s most prominent GLCs -- or government-linked companies -- that make up an astonishing 54 percent of the entities on the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index, and dominate key industries across the country. They are government controlled and owned, and widely viewed as patronage programs that bleed public cash. However, even before MH370 disappeared, Malaysia Airlines was in dire financial condition, having lost money for three years straight (while most other airlines worldwide were booming). Prior efforts at making the airline more efficient were vetoed by -- among others -- Malaysia’s powerful unions. But the precipitous drop in ticket revenue that followed the disappearance of MH370 (and then, MH17) brought the company to the edge of bankruptcy and dissolution. Rather than allow what would be viewed as a national humiliation, Khazanah Nasional, the sovereign wealth fund that controls the airline, took it private, and hired a foreign CEO -- the first in its history -- who is cutting 6,000 jobs, in addition to many of the airline’s international routes outside of Asia. It’s a pragmatic step for a company that remains one of Malaysia’s signature brands, and it raises modest hopes that a stubborn Malaysian government will be willing to treat other GLCs similarly -- especially as its oil-dependent economy falters. That the discussion is even possible, however, is solely the result of MH370. Bloomberg

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

adellechua@gmail.com

THE AIR THAT WE BREATHE By Robert Harland

THE Philippines is certainly heading in the right direction to emerge as the next Tiger of Asia. But, if the country is to blossom into a real Pearl of the Orient, many aspects of daily life need to be greatly improved, especially in Manila. Air pollution must surely rank as a high priority. As I write this in my 22nd floor condo in Salcedo Village, a cloud of filthy air hangs over the capital. Makati City Hall is not far, but already by 9am it’s shrouded in a grey cloud of pollution. By all accounts, the quality of the air in pollution-plagued Manila has worsened. And one doesn’t have to be a scientist to know the air contains pollutants that can seriously damage our health. Again, one has to point a finger at exhaust fumes as the main culprit. One wonders if Cardinal Tagle, when briefing Pope Francis on the significance of the jeepney duringthe latter’s visit in January, mentioned they are a major pol-

luter of Manila’s air. While hundreds of smoke belchers speed along Manila’s thoroughfares with impunity, it’s obvious little or nothing is being done by the authorities to improve the quality of the air that we breathe. So, safe in the knowledge that we are essentially on our own, what steps can we mere mortals take to lessen the impact of the filthy air around us? Apart from moving to the provinces, there’s actually quite a lot we can do. Watch where we walk: we can reduce exposure to air pollution by not walking along busy streets and thoroughfares. Instead we can use side streets and parks. Amazingly, pollution levels can fall by a factor of 10 just by moving a few meters away from the main source of the pollution - exhaust fumes. The experts also advise us to avoid walking down “street canyons” where tall buildings hug tightly to the sides of streets, creating valleys in which pollutants build up. Sidewalk sense: when we cross a road, we should stand well back from the curb while waiting for the lights to change or for a gap in the traffic. Ex-

EVERYMAN perts say that every meter really does count when you are in close proximity to traffic. And we should avoid getting stuck for too long on central reservations. As the traffic moves off from a standstill, the fumes can dissipate in just a few seconds, particularly if it’s windy. And we should cross the road as quickly as possible. And once over, continue along the sidewalk far away from the curb as possible. Avoid pollution spikes: predictably, there are large spikes in pollution during times of high traffic congestion - the morning and late-afternoon rush hours. Wear a mask: one sees motorcyclists and traffic enforcers wearing masks. But they only make a difference if they fit tightly and are cleaned regularly. Even the slightest gap to allow you to breathe more easily will cancel out any benefits. Worse, if one fails to clean or change the mask regularly there is a danger of allowing oily organic compounds to build up on the filter making the air dirtier rather than cleaner. Avoid exercising in traffic: apart from being run over by a

Jeepney, cycling or jogging exposes us to air pollution - we inhale three times as much as if we were walking, for the simple reason that our lungs are gasping for more air. The best times of day to exercise are early morning or in the evening. Alternatively, exercise indoors or in a park. Protect ourselves indoors: on average, we spend 90% of our time indoors and two-thirds of that at home. Indoor pollution can actually be more of an issue than that found outdoors. Studies by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that pollution levels can be two to five times higher indoors than out. Ventilating our homes is therefore important, but hopefully with air that’s not full of pollutants from the outside. And if you live in a posh penthouse high above the madding crowd, don’t think you’ve escaped. A study by Hong Kong’s City University used laser measurements to show that pollution levels in the city remain constant up to heights of 700m. Robert Harland is a British national based in Makati City and Bacolod City

YOU CAN’T TAKE DANGER OUT OF DIPLOMACY By James Gibney THIS week’s knife attack on U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert in Seoul has sparked concerns about whether he had adequate protection. The bigger issue for American diplomats is not whether they’re vulnerable to attack. It’s whether they can do their jobs under stifling security requirements that keep them in bunkers or whisk them away whenever danger seems to threaten. Before the attack, Lippert was doing exactly what he was supposed to do, mixing with Koreans high and low, hearing their views and representing ours. As the Washington Post reports, Lippert often spoke with Koreans along his half-mile walk from his residence to the embassy, or when he was out in the early morning or late evening walking his basset hound. A U.S. Navy reservist and former chief of staff at the National Security Council and Pentagon, with close ties to President Barack Obama, Lippert is a good example of how qualified political appointees can make strong ambassadors. Unfortunately, his openness threatens to become more the exception rather than the rule. Since the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. personnel, the administration has fixated on minimizing risks to diplomats, especially

in the Middle East and Africa. In August 2013, for instance, the State Department closed down 19 embassies and consulates there in response to intelligence warnings of possible terrorist activity. More recently, the U.S. ambassador to Yemen was evacuated during a period of political turmoil, even as U.S. personnel remained to conduct counter-terrorism operations. As two of the most seasoned former U.S. ambassadors warned Secretary of State John Kerry last December, “What we see happening in far too many places are decisions reflecting Washington guidance to avoid risk at all cost … creating a chilling effect for our diplomats attempting to carry out their missions through travel and contacts.” The administration’s risk-avoidance amplifies a larger post-9/11 problem: the creation of a security-industrial complex within the State Department itself. By some yardsticks, spending on security now accounts for 30 to 40 percent of the department’s operational budget. Next year, it plans to spend four times more on “worldwide security protection” than on public diplomacy. It wants to break ground on a half-billion-dollar, state-of-the-art training facility, with shooting ranges and driving tracks for diplomatic security personnel, whose numbers almost doubled from 2000 to 2012. And with the best of inten-

tions, the department is forging ahead with billions in spending to upgrade embassies into hardened compounds that can accommodate all U.S. non-military personnel in one place, with recreation centers and parking garages. There, behind 100-foot setbacks and arid walls, they’ll be able to drink Coke, eat hamburgers and speak American all day—while “foreign” visitors have to run a gauntlet of inspections to enter. No more walking Grigsby outside the grounds for you, Ambassador Lippert. As a former foreign service officer, I recognize that U.S. diplomats (and their families) need protection beyond the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. But the U.S. is oversteering. Diplomats do their job best when they can speak the language and hobnob as freely as possible with the locals. It’s a profession that comes with an irreducible element of risk and danger—even in a relatively “safe” city such as Seoul. Thankfully, Lippert is on his way out of the hospital, and has tweeted that he’ll “be back ASAP to advance US-ROK alliance.” Let’s hope so. Still, his near-death experience should be a reminder that an ambassador is an honest man (or woman) sent abroad not just to lie for his or her country —but sometimes to die for it as well. Bloomberg

Typing... From A9 It was the same deal in high school except there were more assignments to write and submissions to be made to The Gracean Envoy. I also began writing things I did not have to submit, for only my own consumption. I had a great deal of fun writing these, but not my housemates and neighbors. Imagine making typewriter noises until the wee hours, or very early in the day. The only thing I did not type were journal entries, which I preferred to write in longhand on unremarkable steno notebooks which I had to number over the years. At university, the first English class I had was a composition class under the late writer and professor Dr. Doreen Gamboa-Fernandez. Some of my classmates had started using electric typewriters or the personal computer (Wordstar was already there). The Olympia stood by me, too, as I churned out compositions and other school assignments. By the time I was writing my college thesis, actually a creative writing folio for which I had to seek permission, Microsoft Word (95?) was already around. I had to use another machine then, because there were specifications on font type, font size, margins, and the need to incorporate advisers’ comments into the final product. Because we had no computer in the house, I typed my folio in a computer shop, and saved my file on a diskette. And then I became an adult who had to go to the office, with a company-issued computer on my desk, and eventually transferred homes several times. Soon I realized the need for a portable writing machine, and got one of those. I had forgotten about the Olympia or even which house I had left it in. Last month, though, my daughter brought it back to me as an advance surprise for my birthday. She had gone to visit her grandfather, in whose house we lived for several years. And then she saw it and decided to bring it home to me. Every now and then, as I tap on my trusty Toshiba with the soft keyboard sound, I glance to my right, happy to see Olympia. Instinctively, I run my hands over its keys. It has lived its purpose, and now it looks so good just sitting there. I’m not too big on sentimental value, except for this keeper. It’s a reminder of how I began, and how I intend to stay. adellechu@gmail.com

opinion [ EDI TORI A L ]

While the sun is out MOre than one fifth of the 100 cities most at risk from natural hazards are located in the Philippines. In fact, five of the six most at-risk cities globally are in the country: Tuguegarao (2nd) Lucena (3rd), Manila (4th), San Fernando, Pampanga (5th) nd Cabanatuan (6th). Port Vila in Vanuatu is first on the list. This is according to Verisk Maplecroft, a UK-based risk analysis organization, which studied more than 1,300 cities worldwide and the risks posed on them by hazards like storms and cyclones, wildfires, storm surges, volcanoes and landslides. An environmental analyst characterized the Philippines’ exposure to natural hazards as extreme, which poses challenges to foreign businesses, supply chains and output despite our robust economic growth. The effects are far-reaching and long-lasting, added analyst richard hewston. But we know how debilitating the effects of disasters are in a country’s, or a locality’s, long-term prospects. We see this too well and too often. how many local governments, for instance -- cities, municipalities, entire provinces -- have been brought down to their knees by a natural disaster that wiped out all previous gains and development: Agricultural products, bridges, roads and buildings? how many families have been forced to start over with nothing after losing their possessions and modest investments, even if they have not been so unfortunate as to lose family members as well? And how many businesses have folded up because disaster has led them to unprecedented losses, rendering them unable to continue operating as they also recover from their personal devastation? It has been almost a year and a half since typhoon Yolanda, for claimed the lives of thousands, displaced millions, and laid to waste billions of pesos in the central Philippines. And up to now, rehabilitation has been slow due to limitations posed by inefficiency and disharmony at the top. Then again, perhaps we really need an outsider to tell us that while other countries, like Japan, are equally vulnerable to natural hazards as we are, what spells the difference is resilience -- not resilience in spirit, for we have plenty of that, but resilience in terms of, in hewston’s words, “institutional and societal capacity to manage, respond and recover from incidents.” Natural risks in the Philippines are magnified by entrenched corruption and high levels of poverty, he said. These days, it may be difficult to contemplate extreme scenarios brought about by, for instance, storms. After all, summer -- a time for vacation and fun -- is beginning. Let us not delude ourselves, however. There is a new level of normal, and it is upon us. Local and national leaders should go beyond their respective fiesta preparations and evaluate whether they have tooled, or retooled themselves enough for the next big test. It is better to think about all these now, when the sun is out, than scramble when strong rains pound our roofs a few months hence.

What matters more ARe We theRe Yet? BonG C. AusteRo The results of a study conducted by King’s College in London, which were released last week, raised quite a number of interesting reactions. There were those who snipped at the study itself, wondering what the whole fuss was about. There were those who were genuinely surprised at the results of the study while quite a number picked on the methodology

used and, consequently, the integrity of the overall findings. As can be expected when people discuss sexual issues and private parts, there was much snickering, chortling and giggling. One could almost see people giving each other high fives, or blushing, or raising eyebrows. The study was supposed to be a definitive dissertation on penile size. The researchers measured 15,000 men who volunteered for the study. The scientific rationale for the study was about using “graphs to examine discrepancy between what a man believes to be their position on the graph and their

actual position” and to “benefit men with body dysmorphic disorder.” Stripped of the scientific jargon, the study was basically meant to reassure men – at least the majority - that they have nothing to worry about, the global norm of about 3.6 inches when flaccid and 5.15 inches when erected, is significantly less than what many wrongly think as the ideal. In this context, the results of the study do achieve some relevance. Whether we admit it or not, machismo and the whole gamut of issues around male ego do have serious implications on social behavior.

Machismo and the whole gamut of issues around male ego do have serious implications on social behavior. There are many social and cultural stereotypes around gender and sexual behavior, particularly in a country such as the Philippines where men are brought up amid social pressures that aim to define their identity and place in society. For instance, most boys in this

country are conditioned to think that they are entitled to certain sexual liberties, or to have bragging rights, depending on the size of their genitals. I have met certain men who think women should worship them and that other men should view them with envy because they claim to have been blessed in that department. As someone who fancies himself as a behavior specialist and who teaches psychology to college students, I do know for a fact (and I think my friend Margie holmes will support me on this) that many men are insecure about the size of their penis. It doesn’t help of course that media projection on the

S U N D AY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION adellechua@gmail.com

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

CHASING HAPPY ADELLE CHUA

TYPING MADLY AWAY

matter is quite exaggerated; no thanks to porn movies, the misplaced bravado of certain male archetypes, and yes, advertising – think Calvin Klein and Bench ads. Thanks to the study, we now know that only about 2% of men fall short or exceed the average. In other words, we should now redefine what is normal. Additionally, it is enlightening to note that according to the study, there is no relationship between foot size, race, color and penile size. That should

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hopefully stop people from making generalizations. I used to work with the US Peace Corps in the Philippines and it always floored me that Filipinos, particularly in the rural areas, tended to make snide remarks about color and race and what’s in between an American volunteer legs. For example, a female friend of mine who had a black American for a boyfriend always got teased about whether she knew what she was getting into – the latter said with a lot of giggling and winking.

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It’s really about time we have discussion about what really comprises one’s identity as a man. A woman friend of mine told me that size only matters in the absence of many other factors – for example, being considerate of the welfare and needs of others, an endearing personality, and let’s face it, other physical features. In her own words, an extra inch or two will never make up for laziness in bed, or for that matter, the total absence of other redeeming qualities.

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ON my home office desk sits an old Olympia typewriter from decades ago. I don’t use it—it is dirty and lacks a ribbon —but it is there anyway. When we move houses I will get for it its own table and its own place in the living room, where it will serve as a conversation starter, or to younger guests, a one-piece museum of contraptions from long ago. To me, it will be like a shrine. It used to be Mom’s. She was as a journalist, too—a reporter covering various beats but more memorably Malacañang at the time of the incumbent president’s mother, and then a columnist with the column title “What’s up in the beat,” writing about exactly that. Since a manual typewriter is bulky and not as portable as, say, today’s laptop, one normally did not go around carrying one. So if you made a living stringing words together, you most probably used one at the office, another one at the beat you’re covering, and kept another one at home. This explains how I started my own career with this Olympia darling. I learned to type here, and not the conventional way. It’s a manner of typing I still carry now, with the left pointer finger tapping on a few specific letters, mostly located on the left side of the QWERTY keyboard, and my right pointer and middle fingers covering everything else. The tapping was really slow in the beginning. I used my newfound skill to type my name, grade and section on stationery that I put on the front of books and notebooks. It was a time when a third or fourth grader who knew know how to type was revered. And after that, as Truman Capote said in his introduction to Music for Chameleons, “the whip came down.” Over the next 10 years, the Olympia became an indispensable companion. Submissions to The Graceanette, the grade school magazine, were typed there, even as one had to first make a handwritten draft so that the typed version would be “clean”. In those days, there was “liquid paper”, of course, that white thing you put on top of your wrong letters and typed over, but it was still messy. XXXs were worse. If you wanted to make two copies of whatever you’re doing, you typed on onion skin, put carbon paper behind it, and put another sheet Continued on A7 at the back. Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Rolando G. Jojo Estabillo Publisher A. Robles Editor-in-Chief Jojo A.L.Robles Editor-in-Chief Ramonchito Tomeldan Managing Editor Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Chin Wong/RayJoel S. Eñano Associate Editors P. Palacios News Editor Francis Lagniton CityCity Editor Francis Lagniton Editor Arman Armero Senior Deskman Arman Armero Senior Deskman Romel J. Mendez Art Director Leo A. Estonilo Senior Deskman Roberto Cabrera Chief Romel J. Mendez ArtPhotographer Director Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

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Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH JOINT DA-DOH ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2015-0007 20 February 2015 THE IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10611, “AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE FOOD SAFETY REGULATORY SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY TO PROTECT CONSUMER HEALTH AND FACILITATE MARKET ACCESS OF LOCAL FOODS AND FOOD PRODUCTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES” OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “FOOD SAFETY ACT OF 2013.” Pursuant to the provisions of Section 39, Republic Act 10611, otherwise known as the “Food Safety Act of 2013″, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Health (DOH) hereby jointly adopt and promulgate the following Rules and Regulations: ARTICLE I DECLARATION OF POLICY AND OBJECTIVES SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Food Safety Act of 2013”. Rule 1.1 These Rules and Regulations shall be known as the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10611, “An Act To Strengthen The Food Safety Regulatory System In The Country To Protect Consumer Health And Facilitate Market Access Of Local Foods And Food Products, And For Other Purposes” otherwise known as the “Food Safety Act of 2013”.

(e)

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution declares that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instil health consciousness among them. Furthermore, Section 9, Article XVI provides that the State shall protect consumers from trade malpractices and from substandard or hazardous products. Toward these ends, the State shall maintain a farm to fork food safety regulatory system that ensures a high level of food safety, promotes fair trade and advances the global competitiveness of Philippine foods and food products.

Crisis management refers to a proactive approach of addressing a situation, where a risk to consumers, animal or plant health cannot he controlled by normal existing mechanisms, through a plan which can be activated when such emergency arises.

(g)

Food refers to any substance or product whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed that is intended for human consumption. It includes drinks, chewing gum, water and other substances which are intentionally incorporated into the food during its manufacture, preparation and treatment.

(h)

Feed refers to any substance or product, including additives, intended to be used for oral feeding to animals.

(i)

Food-borne illnesses refer to diseases, usually either infectious or toxic in nature, caused by agents that enter the body through the ingestion of food.

(j)

Food business refers to any undertaking, whether public or private, that carries out any of the activities related to, or any of the stages of the food supply chain.

(k)

Food business operator refers to a person engaged in the food business including one’s agents and is responsible for ensuring that the requirements of this Act are met by the food business under one’s control.

(l)

Food hygiene (hereinafter referred to as hygiene) refers to the measures and conditions necessary to control hazards that could lead to food-borne illnesses and to ensure fitness for human consumption of a food of plant or animal origin taking into account its intended use.

(m) Food law refers to the laws, regulations and administrative provisions governing food in general, donated food and food safety at any stage of production, processing, distribution and preparation for human consumption. (n)

Food safety refers to the assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared or eaten according to its intended use.

(o)

Food safety regulatory agencies (FSRAs) refer to the following national government agencies: Under the Department of Agriculture (DA) – the Bureau of Animal Industry, the National Meat Inspection Service, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Bureau of Plant Industry, the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, the Philippine Coconut Authority, the Sugar Regulatory Administration and the National Food Authority.

SECTION 3. Objectives. - To strengthen the food safety regulatory system in the country, the State shall adopt the following specific objectives: (a) Protect the public from food-borne and water-borne illnesses and unsanitary, unwholesome, misbranded or adulterated foods;

Under the Department of Health (DOH) – the Food and Drug Administration, the Center for Food Regulation and Research and the Bureau of Quarantine.

(b) Enhance industry and consumer confidence in the food regulatory system; and (c)

Achieve economic growth and development by promoting fair trade practices and sound regulatory foundation for domestic and international trade.

Towards the attainment of these objectives, the following measures shall be implemented: (1) (2)

Delineate and link the mandates and responsibilities of the government agencies involved;

Establish policies and programs for addressing food safety hazards and developing appropriate standards and control measures;

(4)

Strengthen the scientific basis of the regulatory system; and

(5)

Upgrade the capability of farmers, fisherfolk, industries, consumers and government personnel in ensuring food safety. ARTICLE II DEFINITION OF TERMS

SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. - For the purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be defined as follows: (a)

(b)

Advertising refers to the business of conceptualizing, presenting or making available to the public, through any form of mass media, fact, data or information about the attributes, features, quality or availability of food and its related products for the purpose of promoting its sale or distribution and enhancing economic activity. Adulteration refers to an act which leads to the production of food which: (1)

Bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance that may render it injurious to the health of the public;

(2)

Bears or contains any added poisonous or deleterious substance in amounts exceeding established maximum limits or standards for good manufacturing practice;

(3)

Contains in whole or in part filthy, putrid or decomposed substance that is unfit for human consumption;

(4)

Has been prepared, packed or held under unsanitary conditions;

(5)

In whole or in part, is the product of a diseased animal or an animal which has died through ways other than slaughter;

(6)

Is in a container having in whole or in part any poisonous or deleterious substance;

(7)

Has been intentionally subjected to radiation unless the use of radiation is in conformity with an existing regulation or exemption;

(8)

Becomes injurious to health because of the omission or abstraction of a valuable constituent; or if any substance has been substituted wholly or in part; or if damaged or made inferior which has been concealed in any manner; or if any substance has been added thereto or mixed or packed therewith so as to increase its bulk or weight, or reduce its strength or to make it appear better or greater than it is;

(9)

Has not been prepared in accordance with current acceptable manufacturing practice as promulgated by way of regulation; and

(10) Uses expired ingredients. (c)

(p)

Authorization refers to the permission embodied in a document granted by a regulatory agency to a natural or juridical person who has submitted an application for a food business operation from primary production, post harvest handling, distribution, processing, manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, and offer for sale, distribution, transfer and preparation for human consumption. The authorization can take the form of a permit, license, certificate of registration and certificate of compliance or exemption or any similar document.

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Food safety officer refers to a professionally qualified and properly trained officer appointed by a food safety regulatory agency or by local government units (LGUs) in accordance with the appropriate civil service rules and regulations.

(q)

Food safety regulatory system refers to the combination of regulations, food safety standards, inspection, testing, data collection, monitoring and other activities carried out by food safety regulatory agencies and by the LGUs in the implementation of their responsibilities for the control of food safety risks in the food supply chain.

(r)

Food supply chain refers to all stages in the production of food from primary production, post harvest handling, distribution, processing and preparation for human consumption. Preparation is the cooking or other treatments to which food is subjected prior to its consumption.

(s)

Good agricultural practices (GAP) refer to the practices that address environmental, economic and social sustainability for on-farm processes, and which result in safe and quality food and nonfood agricultural products.

(t)

Good manufacturing practices refer to a quality assurance system aimed at ensuring that products are consistently manufactured, packed, repacked or held to quality standards appropriate for the intended use. It is thus concerned with both manufacturing and quality control procedure.

Provide a mechanism for coordination and accountability in the implementation of regulatory functions;

(3)

Control measure refers to any action and activity that can be used to prevent or eliminate food safety hazard or to reduce it to an acceptable level.

(f)

Rule 1.2 These rules are promulgated to facilitate compliance with the provisions of the Food Safety Act of 2013. Rule 1.3 The Food Safety Act of 2013 shall be the framework for implementing the farm to fork Food Safety Regulatory System.

Contaminant refers to any substance not intentionally added to food which is present in such food as a result of the production (including operations carried out in crop industry, animal husbandry and veterinary medicine) post harvest handling, manufacturing, processing, preparation, treatment, packing, packaging, transport or holding of such food as a result of environmental contamination.

(u)

Good hygienic practices refer to all practices regarding the conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food at all stages of the food chain.

(v)

Hazard Analyses and Critical Control Points (HACCP) refer to a science-based system which identifies, evaluates and controls hazards which are significant for food safety at critical points during a given stage in the food supply chain.

(w)

Hazard refers to a biological, chemical or physical agent in food with a potential to cause adverse effect on health.

(x)

Inspection refers to the examination of food, food production facilities or establishments, and the management and production systems of food businesses, including the examination of documents, finished product testing and registration, and of the origin and destination of production inputs and outputs to verify compliance with legal requirements by an agency mandated to perform food safety regulatory and/or enforcement functions.

(y)

Label refers to the display of written, printed or graphic matter upon the immediate container, tag, literature or other suitable material affixed thereto for the purpose of giving information as to identify components, ingredients, attributes, directions for use, specifications and such other information as may be required by law or regulations.

(z)

Micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) refers to food businesses as defined within the classification of industries by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

(aa) Misbranding refers to deliberate labelling or advertising of food that is misleading, where the labelling and/or advertising claims certain food properties that cannot be supported by a reliable source, a certifying body or by scientific evidence. (bb) Official control refers to all types of controls and control activities made by regulatory agencies to verify compliance with standards, operating procedures, practices and other regulatory requirements. It includes routine monitoring of food establishments and more intensive checks involving inspections, verifications, audits, sampling and testing of samples and recall of defective products. (cc) Person refers to any person, natural or juridical including, but not limited to, the following persons: (i) food business operators; and (ii) food safety officers and other regulatory personnel of the DA, the DOH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). (dd) Post harvest stages refer to the stages in the food supply chain involving the minimal transformation of plant and animal foods after primary production such as removal of field heat for fruits, slaughter of animals, sorting, grading and cutting of fresh plant

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and animal foods, icing and freezing, and the milling and storage of grain. TODAY (ee) Primary production refers to the production, rearing or growing of primary products including harvesting, milking and farmed animal production up to slaughter; and the rearing and growing of fish and other seafood in aquaculture ponds. It also includes fishing, and the hunting and catching of wild products. (ff)

Processing refers to any action that substantially alters the initial raw materials or product or ingredients including, but not limited to, heating, smoking, curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion and a combination of those processes intended to produce food.

(gg) Risk refers to the likelihood of an adverse health effect and the severity of this effect following exposure to a hazard. (hh) Risk analysis refers to a process consisting of three (3) interrelated components: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. (ii)

Risk assessment refers to the scientific evaluation of known or potential adverse health effects resulting from human exposure to biological, chemical and physical hazards.

(jj)

Risk management refers to the process of weighing policy alternatives to accept, minimize or reduce assessed risks and if necessary, to select and implement appropriate prevention and control measures.

(kk) Risk communication refers to the interactive exchange of information and opinions during the course of risk analysis on the hazards and risks among risk assessors, risk managers, consumers, food and feed business operators, academia and other stakeholders. (ll)

Food safety standards refer to the formal documents containing the requirements that foods or food processors have to comply with to safeguard human health. They are implemented by authorities and enforced by law; and are usually developed and published under the auspices of a national standards body.

(mm) Traceability refers to the ability to follow the movement of a food through specified stages of production, processing and distribution. (nn) Monitoring refers to the systematic gathering of data through the sampling of commodities as well as monitoring of foodborne diseases, collation and interpretation of collected data. Rule 4.1 Other terms used in these Rules and Regulations are defined as follows: Rule 4.1a Accreditation is the formal recognition by an independent body, generally known as an accreditation body that a certification body is capable of carrying out certification. Accreditation is not obligatory but it adds another level of confidence, as ‘accredited’ means the certification body has been independently checked to make sure it operates according to international standards. In the Philippines, the official accreditation body is the Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB). Food Safety Regulatory Agencies can provide Official Accreditation which is the procedure by which a government agency having jurisdiction formally recognizes the competence of an inspection and/or certification body to provide inspection and certification services. Rule 4.1b Act refers to Republic Act 10611 or the Food Safety Act of 2013. Rule 4.1c Agriculture or Fishery Establishment means the farm, fishing vessel, buildings, and other facilities of a food business used for production of primary and postharvest foods (including operations carried out in the crop industry, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and fish capture), postharvest handling, preparation, treatment, packaging, transport and/or storage, but excluding those sites, buildings and structures, such as laboratories, administrative offices and other areas where food is not handled and where people handling food do not enter. Agriculture or Fishery Establishment shall also include facilities involved in activities related to agrochemicals and other inputs in the primary and postharvest stages of production. Rule 4.1d Aquaculture refers to fishery operations involving all forms of breeding, raising and farming of fish and other fishery species in fresh, brackish and marine water areas. Rule 4.1e Audit refers to a systematic and functionally independent examination to determine whether activities and related results comply with planned objectives. Rule 4.1f Batch means a set of units of a product that is uniform in character and quality obtained from a given process under practically identical circumstances and produced in a given place within one defined production period. The food business operator must define the batch. Rule 4.1g Certification means the procedure by which official certification bodies or officially recognized certification bodies provide written or equivalent assurance that foods or food control systems conform to food safety requirements. Certification of food may be, as appropriate, based on a range of inspection activities which may include continuous on-line inspection, auditing of quality assurance systems, and examination of finished products. Official Inspection and Certification Systems are administered by FSRAs or government agencies having jurisdiction. Rule 4.1h Code of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for Food Safety means practices used to prevent or reduce the risk of hazards occurring during production, harvesting, and postharvest handling of produce. Rule 4.1i Code of Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP) for Food Safety means practices used to prevent or reduce the risk of hazards related to food safety occurring during production, harvesting, postharvest handling of poultry, livestock and their products as sources of human food as well as ensuring animal health and welfare. Rule 4.1j Code of Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP) for Food Safety means practices used to prevent or reduce the risk of hazards occurring during production, harvesting, postharvest handling of aquaculture products as well as ensuring aquatic animal health and welfare. Rule 4.1k Consignment means products bound for a customer and conveyed in a single delivery through one mode of transport. Rule 4.1l Establishment as defined by FDA means a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, an institution, an association or an organization engaged in the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, and offer for sale, distribution, donation, transfer, use, testing, promotion, advertising, or sponsorship of food products, including the facilities and installation needed for its activities. Rule 4.1m Equivalence is achieved if the exporting country objectively demonstrates to the importing country that its food safety measures achieve the importing country’s appropriate level of food safety protection, even if the food safety measures differ from their own. Rule 4.1n Fees means either the usual licensing, accreditation and registration charges, or other related regulatory fees such as fees from sale of publications and services (including but not limited to laboratory testing, training, and extension services), assessment fees, fines, penalties, and other fees and charges outside the usual licensing, accreditation and registration fees.

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Rule 4.1o Food Supplement/Dietary Supplement means a processed food product intended to supplement the diet that bears or contains one or more of the following dietary ingredients: vitamin, mineral, amino acid, herb, or other dietary substance of botanical, animal, artificial or natural origin to increase the total daily intake in amounts conforming to the latest Philippine recommended energy and nutrient intakes or internationally agreed minimum daily requirements. It is usually in the form of capsules, tablets, liquid, gels, powders or pills and is not represented for use as a conventional food or as the sole item of a meal or diet or a replacement for drugs and medicines.

monitoring and reviews as a basis for continuing improvement of food safety measures. Rule 4.1nn Street-vended foods or Street Foods means ready-to-eat foods prepared and/or sold by vendors in the streets and other public places. ARTICLE III BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FOOD SAFETY

Rule 5.1 Food safety requirements shall guide decision-making on potential adverse health effects that may occur from the consumption of the food and the need to identify risk management options.

Rule 4.1q Food Service Establishment (FSE) means a place where food is prepared and intended for individual portion service, whether consumption occurs on or off the premises (ex. take-out restaurants). It also includes places where food is prepared and sold in ports and/or airports within the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).

(a)

In determining whether food is unsafe, the following shall be considered:

(3) The health of plants and animals from where the food is derived;

(5)

Rule 4.1u Labelling includes any written, printed or graphic matter that is present on the label, accompanies the food, or is displayed near the food, including that for the purpose of promoting its sale or disposal. Rule 4.1v Laboratory Accreditation means an attestation conveying formal demonstration of a laboratory’s competence and capability to carry out specific scientific and technical tests or analytical service with respect to food products.

(b)

In determining whether food is injurious to health, regard shall be given to the following: (1)

(c)

(2)

The probable cumulative effects; and

(3)

The particular health sensitivities of a specific category of consumers where the food is intended for that category.

Rule 4.1aa Packaged is primary or postharvest food made up in advance in a container with or without the label, for further processing, for catering purposes, or for sale to institutional buyers and/or consumers.

(e)

(f)

Rule 5f.1 FSRAs shall restrict entry into the market or apply other measures to protect consumer health when food meeting specific standards is subsequently found to be a potential source of food safety related risks. The measures shall be enforced until new scientific data are obtained and/ or after appropriate testing and inspection are carried out to confirm safety of the food.

Rule 4.1jj Risk-Based Inspection refers to inspection focused on risk factors (i.e. those that may cause food-borne disease in consumers if left uncontrolled) to determine the adequacy of a food business operator’s quality and safety management. Rule 4.1kk Risk Categorization refers to the classification of food businesses, food operations and/or food products as high risk, medium risk or low risk based on inherent and potential food safety risks in the production/processing system and/or on the possibility of the presence of microbiological and chemical hazards in the food produced; and history of compliance by the establishment with its quality and safety management systems and pertinent regulations. Rule 4.1ll Risk Management Plan as required by the FDA, means a set of food product vigilance activities and interventions designed to identify, characterize, prevent or minimize risks relating to food products, and the assessment of effectiveness of those interventions. The risk management plan is a requirement for the issuance of the appropriate authorization. Rule 4.1mm Risk Management Plan of the DA-FSRA refers to a framework for prioritizing food-borne risks and for optimizing risk management options and control measures. It provides for

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ARTICLE IV GENERAL PRINCIPLES SECTION 6. Food Law Objectives. - Food law shall aim for a high level of food safety, protection of human life and health in the production and consumption of food. It shall also aim for the protection of consumer interests through fair practices in the food trade.

(a) Prevention of adulteration, misbranding, fraudulent practices and other practices which mislead the consumer, and Rule 8a.1 Any of the acts indicated in the definition for adulteration shall constitute adulteration. Rule 8a.2 Any misinformation or misleading information on the label or other information materials shall also constitute misbranding. Rule 8a.3 FBOs engaged in processed and prepackaged foods shall secure market authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their establishment and their products prior to manufacture and market distribution as per existing regulations. Rule 8a.4 Food inspection and monitoring systems shall include assessing the potential for adulteration, misbranding, and other forms of fraud. Rule 8a.5 Penalties shall be imposed against incidents of adulteration, misbranding and other forms of fraud in accordance with Article XII Section 37(e) Section 38 of the Act. Rule 8a.6 The FBOs shall be fully compliant with all regulatory requirements prior to marketing, advertising, or promoting products. (b)

Rule 8b.2 The DA and the DOH shall develop and set the standards on labelling and advertising. SECTION 9. Setting of Food Safety Standards. – The DA and the DOH shall set the mandatory food safety standards. The following shall guide the setting of standards: (a)

The development of food safety legislation and standards and the conduct of inspection and other official control activities shall be based on the analysis of risk, except where this approach is not feasible due to circumstances, or due to the nature of the control measure;

Rule 7a.2 The risk analysis shall cover all hazards directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally introduced into the food. This shall include hazards coming from packaging materials, cleaning agents, and other sources. Rule 7a.3 Risk categorization shall guide the DA and the DOH in the conduct of food establishment inspections, testing and evaluation of food products, and/or for implementing any other official control measures. The DA and the DOH shall classify food businesses and their operations as high risk, medium risk, or low risk. Rule 7a.4 The FSRAs shall implement measures, even in the absence of risk analysis, under the following circumstances: •

In cases of emergency situations declared by national and/ or international authorities, unforeseen events, or other situations posing an imminent danger to public health due to food-borne hazards;

•

Food safety hazard has not been identified but relevant scientific information suggests a link between consumption of a food and the appearance of serious health effects; and

•

Other similar circumstances.

Standards shall be established on the basis of science, risk analysis, scientific advice from expert body/bodies, standards of other countries, existing Philippine National Standards (PNS) and the standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), where these exist and are applicable; Rule 9a.1 The DA and the DOH shall develop, adopt, amend and/or revise food safety standards according to the principles and procedures in the Act. The DA shall establish standards and codes of practice for fresh foods or foods from the primary production and postharvest sectors of the food supply chain and the DOH-FDA, for processed and prepackaged foods.

SECTION 7. Use of Science-based Risk Analysis. – The following shall guide the use of science and risk analysis in food safety regulation:

Rule 7a.1 Risk analysis shall be the basis for the development of food safety standards and regulations. It shall objectively combine and analyze scientific data on food safety hazards in order to arrive at the best options for managing food-borne risks.

Prevention of misrepresentation in the labelling and false advertising in the presentation of food, including their shape, appearance or packaging, the packaging materials used, the manner in which they are arranged, the setting in which they are displayed, and the product description including the information which is made available about them through whatever medium. Where relevant, the presentation of goods shall provide consumers a basis to make informed choices in relation to the food they purchase. Rule 8b.1 The DA and the DOH shall strengthen the enforcement of labelling and advertising requirements by intensifying post-market surveillance.

Rule 6.1 These general principles shall serve as the framework for the development of food safety standards, regulations and measures for meeting the objectives of the Act to ensure a high level of food safety and fair practices in the food trade.

(a)

Food business operators shall be encouraged to implement a HACCP-based system for food safety assurance in their operations.

SECTION 8. Protection of Consumer Interests. - The protection of consumer interest shall be geared towards the following:

Compliance of a food product with specific standards applicable to a specific food shall not prohibit the competent authorities to take appropriate measures or to impose restrictions on entry into the market or to require its withdrawal from the market, where there is reason to suspect that such food product shows food safety related risks.

Rule 4.1ee Prepackaged is processed food made up in advance in a container, labeled and ready for sale to the consumer, or for catering purposes.

Rule 4.1ii Registration by DOH means the process of approval of an application to register processed and pre-packaged food products prior to engaging in the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offer for sale, distribution, transfer, and where applicable, the use, testing, promotion advertisement, and for sponsorship of food products.

(e)

Where unsafe food is part of a batch, lot or consignment of food of the same class or description, it shall be presumed that all food in that batch, lot or consignment is also unsafe;

Rule 4.1dd Precautionary Measures are protective interim measures used where there is uncertainty as to the existence or extent of risks to human health without having to wait until the reality and seriousness of those risks become fully apparent through the establishment of sufficient scientific data.

Rule 4.1hh Registration by DA means the process by which DA FSRAs enter information about agriculture and fishery establishments engaged in the primary production and postharvest stages of the food supply chain including facilities involved in activities related to agrochemicals and other inputs in the primary and postharvest stages of production, in an official list or official system for entering names and information of the DA FSRAs.

Rule 7d.2 The strategy should designate the person who will present information to the public and the manner through which it shall be done. The information shall be conveyed in the most appropriate means and shall include the nature of food-borne risks and the measures that can be taken by stakeholders to prevent, reduce, or eliminate the risk.

In determining whether food is unfit for human consumption, regard shall be given to the unacceptability of the food according to its intended use due to contamination by extraneous matter or through putrefaction, deterioration or decay;

Food that complies with specific national law or regulations governing food safety shall be deemed safe insofar as the aspects covered by national law and regulations are concerned. However, imported food that is declared unsafe, by the competent authority of the exporting country after entry into the country shall be withdrawn from the market and distribution channels; and

Risk communication shall be carried out between risk assessors and risk managers in a transparent manner. Food safety risks shall also be communicated to farmers, fisherfolk and food business operators to encourage compliance with the implementation of control measures and to relevant sectors of society affected by the law or the risks addressed in order to strengthen confidence in its provisions; and Rule 7d.1 The risk communication strategy shall be discussed between risk assessors and managers early in the process to ensure two-way communication.

Rule 5c.1 In declaring a food unfit for human consumption, the condition of the food shall be evaluated through physical, chemical, microbiological, microscopic and other tests, whenever necessary. (d)

Rule 4.1gg Recalls mean actions taken to remove a product from the market.

The probable immediate, short-term or long-term effects on subsequent generations of that food on health; Rule 5b.1. The DOH shall monitor the effects of food on the health of individuals and on subsequent generations (e.g. non-communicable diseases, micronutrient deficiencies).

Rule 4.1z National Dairy Authority (NDA) is a Food Safety Regulatory Agency under the Department of Agriculture

Rule 4.1ff Private Testing Laboratory means a legal entity, other than a government testing laboratory, that engages in the business of conducting tests, calibration, assay, examination measurements, or analytical services with respect to fresh and processed food products and farm inputs.

The information provided to the consumer. This includes the information provided on the label or any information generally available to the consumer. This should aid consumers in avoiding specific health effects from a particular food or category of foods. Rule 5a.2 All information provided to consumers on food and its preparation, such as during cooking demonstrations, cooking shows, fresh and processed food product launching and other similar activities, shall observe the requirements for hygienic food handling and other practices for safe food preparation.

Rule 4.1y Lot refers to a set of units of a product which has been produced and/or manufactured and/or packaged under similar conditions. A lot can consist of several batches.

Rule 4.1cc Post-market surveillance refers to activities involved in safety and quality monitoring of primary and postharvest food, production inputs, processed and prepackaged food after market authorization has been issued. This shall also include among others adverse events reporting, product safety update reporting, collection and testing of food products in the market.

(d)

(4) The effect of feeds, crop protection chemicals and other production inputs on otherwise healthy plants and animals; and

Rule 4.1t High risk activities means activities commonly applied in any part of the food supply chain that may cause food-borne diseases to consumers if left uncontrolled.

Rule 4.1bb Point of Entry means a passage for international entry or exit of travelers, baggage, cargo, containers, conveyances, goods and postal parcels as well as agencies and areas providing services to them on entry or exit.

Rule 7c.2 The choice of risk management options shall consider the cost of compliance, impact on the ability of the industry to innovate and to be competitive, the feasibility of implementation, potential for verification and enforcement, consistency with existing domestic and international food standards and with the country’s international obligations, and others.

The normal conditions of the use of food by the consumer;

(2) The normal conditions maintained at each stage of primary production, processing, handling, storage and distribution;

Rule 4.1s FSCO means Food Safety Compliance Officer designated by the Food Business Operator.

Risk management shall take into account the results of risk assessment relevant to local conditions, potential for enforcement, cost of compliance and others as may be relevant to the situation; Rule 7c.1 DA and DOH shall use a Risk Management Plan based on the principles of risk analysis to develop and implement a Food Safety Regulatory System with a mechanism for monitoring, review and continuous improvement.

Rule 5a.1. Food shall be presented in accordance with their intended use as provided for in the specific guidelines developed and determined by the FSRA.

Rule 4.1r Fraud or Fraudulent Practice refers to any act or omission, including a misrepresentation, that knowingly or recklessly misleads, or attempts to mislead, a party to obtain a financial or other benefits or to avoid an obligation or for other reasons.

Rule 4.1x Licensing by the DOH means the process of approval by the DOH of an application to operate or establish an establishment prior to engaging in the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offer for sale, distribution, transfer, and where applicable the use, testing, promotion, advertisement, and for sponsorship of processed and prepackaged food products.

(c)

Rule 5.2 The food business operator (FBO) and the regulatory agency shall take the necessary steps to be knowledgeable of the conditions under which food could become unsafe or injurious to health.

(1)

Standard

Risk assessment shall be based on sound scientific evidence TODAY and shall be undertaken in an independent, objective and transparent manner. Scientific information as obtained from scientific literature, epidemiological and monitoring studies and other data that supports the risk assessment shall be used; Rule 7b.1 DOH and the DA shall cooperate in establishing an effective system for developing and sharing scientific data from local epidemiological, monitoring and surveillance studies for use in the assessment of risk.

SECTION 5. Food Safety Requirements. – To ensure food safety, the following general guidelines shall be observed:

Rule 4.1p Food Safety Regulation Coordinating Board (FSRCB) is an oversight body jointly organized by the DA and the DOH, chaired by the DOH and co-chaired by the DA, that establishes the policies and procedures for coordinating food safety regulatory and enforcement functions as well as research, training, monitoring and surveillance programs indicated in the Act.

Rule 4.1w Licensing by the DA means the process by which DA FSRAs approve an application, of a person, corporation, cooperative, agriculture or fishery establishment, or other juridical persons, for authority to operate an establishment or to engage in any activity in the primary production and postharvest stages of the food supply chain to produce safe primary and postharvest animal and plant food and inputs. It includes facilities involved in activities related to agrochemicals and other inputs in the primary and postharvest stages of production. The approval will require proving capability to operate a facility or establishment or to engage in activities in the primary production and postharvest stages of the food supply chain and covered by the license.

(b)

Rule 9a.2 Recommendations of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), and other international bodies relevant to food safety may also be considered in developing food safety standards. Rule 9a.3 To the extent feasible, the DA and DOH shall endeavour to harmonize national standards with international and regional standards. (b)

Codex standards shall be adopted except when these are in conflict with what is necessary to protect consumers and scientific justification exists for the action taken; Rule 9b.1 Policies and procedures for the adoption of Codex standards or other appropriate standards into national standards and regulations shall be established by the DA and the DOH. Rule 9b.2 Adoption of standards other than Codex shall be based on risk assessment.

(c) The DA and the DOH shall establish the policies and procedures for country participation at Codex and the incorporation of Codex standards into national regulations. The current National Codex Organization (NCO) is herein designated as the Body to serve this purpose. The DA and the DOH shall designate a third level officer as coordinator for Codex activities for their respective departments; and Rule 9c.1 The DA and the DOH shall ensure that the country contributes effectively to the development of international standards at Codex as these underpin food safety regulations, promote harmonization and contribute to the development of national standards.

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Rule 9c.2 Country participation in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) shall be implemented through the NCO and its Manual of Operations. The consultative process being implemented by the NCO involving public and private stakeholders shall be strengthened. (d)

(c)

Participation at Codex shall be in accordance with the principles of RA 10611 and shall be financially supported by the government

(a)

The adopted measure shall remain enforced pending the submission of additional scientific information based on the nature of the risk and type of information needed to clarify the scientific uncertainty; and

(b)

The measure shall be no more restrictive to trade than required and should be proportionate to the level of protection required for consumers. Rule 10b.1 The FSRAs shall implement precautionary measures to protect the health of its consumers whenever a food safety risk exists but scientific data are inadequate. The needed scientific data shall be established within a reasonable period of time as determined by the DA or the DOH.

SECTION 11. Transparency. - The implementing agencies shall conduct public consultation and disseminate relevant information to ensure the following: Rule 11.1 Food safety measures shall be notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in accordance with international obligations. (a)

Public consultation during the preparation, evaluation and revision of food legislation shall be open, transparent and direct or through representative bodies unless the urgency of the problem does not allow it; and Rule 11a.1 The DA and the DOH, whenever they develop food safety regulation, shall consult relevant stakeholders including consumer groups and the industry through public consultations. Rule 11a.2 Following public consultations or at an appropriate time, FBOs may inform the DA and the DOH in writing of the impact of the regulation on business.

(b)

In cases where it is suspected that food may pose a risk to human health, regulatory authorities shall take appropriate steps to inform the general public about the nature of the risk to health, the affected foods, types of food and the necessary measures to prevent, reduce or eliminate the risk.

SECTION 13. Principal Responsibility of Food Business Operators. - Food business operators shall ensure that food satisfies the requirements of food law and that control systems are in place to prevent, eliminate or reduce risks to consumers. Rule 13.1 FBOs shall be primarily responsible for ensuring safety of their food products and compliance of their production and distribution/ trading systems to the requirements of the Act. Rule13.2 FBOs shall ensure that foods they produce are prepared according to standards, codes of practice and other control measures as prescribed by the FSRAs that prevent or minimize food safety hazards or reduce the hazards to acceptable levels.

SECTION 15. Principal Responsibilities of Government Agencies. - The DA, the DOH, the DILG and the LGUs shall have the following responsibilities: (a)

Rule 15.a.2 Primary food is food obtained from the primary production stage of the food supply chain. Primary production refers to the production, rearing or growing of primary products including harvesting, milking and farmed animal production up to slaughter, and the rearing and growing of fish and other seafood in aquaculture ponds. It also includes fishing, and the hunting and catching of wild products. Rule 15a.3 Postharvest food is food obtained from postharvest stages of the food supply chain. Postharvest stages involve minimal transformation of plant and animal foods after primary production such as removal of field heat for fruits, slaughter of animals, sorting, grading and cutting of fresh plant and animal foods, icing and freezing, and the milling and storage of grain.

Rule 13.6 FBOs operating within the jurisdiction of the BOQ of the DOH shall ensure that their food products comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)/HACCP provisions and that their food handlers and stewards have valid BOQ health certificates.

Rule 15a.4 Postharvest handling activities are essential to food safety and trade as these activities control hazards and enhance the marketability of primary and postharvest foods.

SECTION 14. Specific Responsibilities of Food Business Operators. - Food business operators shall have the following responsibilities under the Act: Food business operators shall be knowledgeable of the specific requirements of food law relevant to their activities in the food supply chain and the procedures adopted by relevant government agencies that implement the law. They shall adopt, apply and be well informed of codes and principles for good practices. Micro and small industries shall be assisted to facilitate their adoption of such practices;

Rule 15a.5 Primary production and postharvest handling activities include transport and dry and/or cold storage of primary and postharvest foods are subject to the requirements of the Act. Rule 15a.6 The DA shall prescribe the control measures, standards, Codes of GAP/GAHP/GAqP for Food Safety, other codes of practice, and other requirements for the safety of primary and postharvest foods, both locally produced and imported under this category, and shall verify that these requirements are met.

Rule 14a.1 All food businesses shall designate a Food Safety Compliance Officer (FSCO) who has passed a prescribed training course for FSCO recognized by the DA and/or the DOH. Rule 14a.1.1 For micro and small enterprises, the owner may serve as the FSCO or a consultant FSCO may be employed part time or full time basis.

Rule 15a.7 To ensure food safety during primary production, the health of plants and animals from where the food is derived, the effects of feeds, crop and aquaculture protection chemicals, veterinary drugs, biological products, and other production inputs shall be considered and made part of food safety regulations.

Rule 14a.1.2 Large and medium scale food businesses engaged in the production of food in the primary and postharvest sector of the food supply chain shall designate a FSCO who is preferably a graduate of food-related courses including but not limited to agriculture, animal science, fisheries, veterinary medicine, food technology, chemistry, chemical/industrial/sanitary engineering. Graduates of other courses must have work experience on food safety. Rule 14a.1.3 Large and medium scale food businesses engaged in the manufacture of processed and prepackaged food shall designate a FSCO who is preferably a graduate of food-related courses including but not limited to food technology, food and nutrition, chemistry, microbiology, chemical/sanitary engineering, veterinary medicine, fisheries, agriculture. Graduates of other courses must have work experience on food safety.

Rule 12a.3 List of countries determined by the FSRAs to have equivalent food safety regulatory system shall be made available and used in determining eligibility to export into the Philippines. Imported foods shall undergo cargo inspection and clearance procedures by the DA and the DOH at the first port of entry to determine compliance with national regulations. This inspection by the DA and the DOH shall always take place prior to assessment for tariff and other charges by the Bureau of Customs (BOC). The BOC and the Association of International Shipping Lines (AISL) shall provide the DA and the DOH documents such as the Inward Foreign Manifest of Arriving Vessels to enable the DA and the DOH to identify shipments requiring food safety inspection. Shipments not complying with national regulations shall be disposed according to policies established by the DA and the DOH; and

Rule 14a.2 The FSCO shall oversee the implementation of the food safety programs and activities of the food business consistent with the provisions of this IRR. Rule 14a.3 The FBO shall ensure that the designated FSCO attends the required trainings conducted by DA, DOH, LGU or other recognized training service providers. Rule 14a.4 FBOs shall, in accordance with the general principles of food safety, identify and evaluate the hazards that could affect food, identify and implement preventive controls to significantly minimize or prevent the occurrence of such hazards. The FBOs shall ensure that such food is not adulterated, contaminated, misbranded, and misleading. FBOs shall monitor the performance of control measures and maintain monitoring records as a matter of routine practice.

Rule 12b.1 The DA and the DOH shall develop the regulations on cargo/shipment inspections and clearance procedures for imported products prior to assessment of the BOC for the appropriate tariffs. Rule 12b.2 Inspections and clearance procedures shall be consistent with Article IV of the Act, the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement and Codex.

Rule 14a.5 FBOs shall be proactive in monitoring sustained compliance to standards and relevant regulatory policies. FBOs shall immediately report to the concerned FSRA any food safety issue which may put the consumer’s health in danger.

Rule 12b.3 Importers shall notify the DA and the DOH of incoming food shipments within a period prescribed by the FSRA before these arrive at port of entry. The notification shall be called the Import Notification Document (IND) and shall contain among others, the information needed by the DA or the DOH to determine whether or not the food will require physical inspection on arrival.

Rule 14a.6 FBOs shall develop their respective product recall program, in accordance with the requirement of the concerned FSRA, to handle the products that are not safe or not in compliance with food safety requirements. Rule 14a.7 FBOs producing processed and prepackaged food shall develop a Risk Management Plan as basis for the issuance of appropriate authorizations by the DOH. (b)

Rule 12b.5 Arriving shipments may or may not require physical inspection based on its risk categorization as high risk, medium risk and low risk.

If a food business operator considers or has reason to believe that a food which it produced, processed, distributed or imported is not safe or not in compliance with food safety requirements, it shall immediately initiate procedures to withdraw the food in question from the market and inform the regulatory authority; Rule 14b.1 FBOs shall immediately report to the FSRA products that are not safe or not in compliance with food safety requirements. They shall also report any incident that indicated that the said product has caused or contributed to the death, serious illness or serious injury to a consumer or any person. The same shall be withdrawn from the market, in accordance with their respective product recall program, and disposed according to the procedures prescribed by the DA and/or the DOH.

Rule 12b.6 Arriving shipments may or may not require laboratory testing. If a shipment requires testing, it may be held at the port or transferred to another location. The physical transfer of the shipment while awaiting laboratory testing is not an indication that the shipment has been cleared for entry. Rule 12b.7 Imported shipments shall meet Philippine standards and regulations and those of the country of origin. Where no standards exist in the country of origin, the FSRAs of the country of origin or the importer shall demonstrate that the shipment was produced under a food safety regime equivalent to national standards.

Rule 14b.2 Food not fully or adequately in compliance with food safety regulations but which can be brought into compliance through simple methods such as re-labelling, re-packaging, sorting and/or cooking, may be recommended to be brought into compliance by the FBO if the method of treatment proposed is acceptable to the DA and/or the DOH. The resulting product shall be compliant with all regulatory requirements upon determination of the DA and/or the DOH. (c)

Food business operators shall allow inspection of their businesses and collaborate with the regulatory authorities on action taken

The DA shall be responsible for food safety in the primary production and post-harvest stages of food supply chain and foods locally produced or imported in this category; Rule 15a.1 In performing this responsibility, the DA shall ensure that all laws, standards, policies, and programs assuring the safety of primary and postharvest food, foods locally produced or imported under this category are implemented.

Rule 13.5 When required by markets, FBOs shall implement a HACCP-based system or an equivalent food safety control program in their operations.

(a)

Where the unsafe or noncompliant food product may have reached the consumer, the operator shall effectively and accurately inform the consumers of the reason for the withdrawal, and if necessary, recall the same from the market. Rule 14d.1 The FBO shall inform the concerned FSRA and the consumer of the unsafe or non-compliant food product to be withdrawn from the market in accordance with the approved product recall program.

Rule 13.4 FBOs in the primary production and postharvest stages, processed and prepackaged sector of the food supply chain shall be encouraged to implement a HACCP-based approach or an equivalent food safety control program in their operations.

Rule 12a.2 The FSRAs shall develop protocols and procedures to evaluate a foreign country’s food safety regulatory system and determine its equivalence with that of the national system.

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(d)

Rule 13.3 Farmers and fisherfolks as well as FBOs in small and micro industries shall be assisted by the DA and DOH in coordination with the local government units (LGUs) to implement the standards and codes of practice.

Rule 12a.1 The DA and the DOH shall determine whether the country of origin has an equivalent food safety regulatory system which is compliant with international agreements.

Rule 12b.8 Within one hundred eighty (180) days after the approval of this IRR, the DA and the DOH, in consultation with the BOC, shall develop the regulations and set the parameters of the inspection and clearance procedures of imported food shipments. The inspection and clearance procedures shall be conducted by the DA and the DOH within their respective jurisdiction.

Rule 14c.2 In case of non-compliance with food safety regulations, FBOs shall ensure that adequate and appropriate corrective and preventive actions agreed between the FBO and the FSRA shall be undertaken in a timely and effective manner. The actions undertaken shall be subject to verification by the FSRA.

ARTICLE V RESPONSIBILITIES ON FOOD SAFETY

Food to be imported into the country must come from countries with an equivalent food safety regulatory system and shall comply with international agreements to which the Philippines is a party.

Rule 12b.4 The BOC shall provide the DA and the DOH with the Inward Foreign Manifest of arriving vessels of AISL and non-AISL members and break bulk organizations as the vessels arrive.

Rule 14c.1 FBOs shall allow authorized officers of the FSRAs to enter at an appropriate time any establishment including agriculture or fishery establishment in which food is produced, processed and/or stored or to enter any vehicle used to transport food to inspect for compliance with food safety regulations.

Rule 12c.3 The approved regulations shall be subject to periodic review and amendment as necessary.

SECTION 12. Application to Trade. – Foods imported, produced, processed and distributed for domestic and export markets shall comply with the following requirements:

(b)

Exported foods shall at all times comply with national regulations and regulations of the importing country. Returned shipments shall undergo border inspection clearance as provided in Section 12(b) hereof.

Rule 12c.2 Similarly, the DA and the DOH, in consultation with the BOC, shall develop and issue regulations on returned shipments of foods under their respective jurisdiction within 180 working days after the approval of this IRR.

Rule 11b.1 The DA and the DOH shall develop a Risk Communication Plan to fully and effectively inform the general public about food safety risks.

(a)

to avoid risks posed by the food product/s which they have TODAY supplied; and

Rule 12c.1 The DA and the DOH, in consultation with the BOC, shall develop and issue the regulations on exported foods under their respective jurisdiction within 180 working days after the approval of this IRR.

Rule 9d.1 The DA and the DOH shall fund, as specified in the NCO Manual of Operations, the attendance to Codex meetings and of activities related to ensuring effective participation of the country in the work involved in the development of Codex standards. The NCO shall prepare a program of activities and budget for funding by the DA and DOH. SECTION 10. Precaution. – In specific circumstances when the available relevant information for use in risk assessment is insufficient to show that a certain type of food or food product does not pose a risk to consumer health, precautionary measures shall be adopted. When such precautionary measures are issued, the following rules shall govern:

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Rule 12b.9 The approved regulations shall be subject to periodic review and amendment as necessary.

Rule 15a.8 The DA shall assist the LGUs in establishing a mechanism for the issuance and enforcement of ordinances and regulations for food safety based on national standards within their territorial jurisdiction. Rule 15a.9 The DA shall strengthen the monitoring and surveillance system for hazards in the primary production and postharvest stages of the food supply chain. (b)

The DOH shall be responsible for the safety of processed and prepackaged foods, foods locally produced or imported under this category and the conduct of monitoring and epidemiological studies on food-borne illnesses; Rule 15b.1 In performing this responsibility, the DOH shall ensure that all health laws, standards, policies, and programs assuring the safety of processed and prepackaged foods, processed foods but not prepackaged, foods locally produced or imported under this category and the conduct of monitoring and epidemiological studies on food-borne illnesses shall be strictly implemented. Rule 15b.2 Processed food is the product obtained from the processing stage of the food supply chain. The processing stage of the food supply chain is that stage that substantially alters the initial raw materials or product or ingredients including, but not limited to, heating, smoking, curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion and a combination of those processes intended to produce food. Rule 15b.3 Transport and storage of processed and prepackaged foods shall be subject to the requirements of the Act. Rule 15b.4 The DOH through the FDA shall prescribe the control measures, standards, regulations and requirements for the safety of processed and prepackaged foods, and shall verify that these and all requirements of food law related to activities and products, including locally produced and imported processed food products under this category, are met. Rule 15b.5 The DOH through the FDA shall ensure compliance with the food and nutrition labelling requirements for processed and prepackaged food. Rule 15b.6 The DOH shall prescribe the requirements for nutrition labelling of processed and prepackaged food to meet objectives for the control of chronic diseases. It shall provide guidance to LGUs in the nutrition labelling of food served in a FSE. Rule 15b.7 The DOH shall strengthen the post-market surveillance system for monitoring sustained compliance with product standards and regulations including measures to control misbranding, adulteration, and other forms of fraud in locally produced and imported processed and prepackaged food in the market. Rule 15b.8 The DOH, through the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) now known as the Epidemiology Bureau (EB), shall conduct the monitoring and epidemiological studies on food-borne illness. Rule 15b.9 The DOH through the BOQ shall ensure sanitation and food safety measures in FSEs at points of entry, in-flight catering services and domestic and international shipping vessels. Rule 15b.10 The DOH shall assist the LGUs in establishing a mechanism for the issuance and enforcement of ordinances

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and regulations for food safety based on national standards within their territorial jurisdiction. (c)

The LGUs shall be responsible for food safety in food businesses such as, but not limited to, activities in slaughterhouses, dressing plants, fish ports, wet markets, supermarkets, school canteens, restaurants, catering establishments and water refilling stations. The LGU shall also be responsible for street food sale, including ambulant vending;

The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards (BAFPS) shall develop food safety standards including those for organic agriculture. The BAFPS shall establish the mechanism for the development of science-based food safety standards for fresh plant, animal, fisheries and aquaculture foods and shall use the services of experts from the FSRA, other government agencies, academe and private sector.

Rule 15c.3 The DA and the DOH shall coordinate and provide technical assistance to LGUs in the enactment of ordinances and regulations pertaining to their jurisdiction in the Act. The DILG, in collaboration with the DA, the DOH and other government agencies shall supervise the enforcement of food safety and sanitary rules and regulations as well as the inspection and compliance of business establishments and facilities within its territorial jurisdiction; The LGUs may be called upon by the DOH and the DA to assist in the implementation of food laws, other relevant regulations and those that will hereafter be issued;

Rule 15f.1 The DA and the DOH shall develop and implement capacity building programs for the LGUs such as but not limited to training courses, advocacy, information dissemination and including participation in national, regional, and international activities on food safety. Rule 15f.2 The DA and the DOH shall conduct training programs for LGU food safety inspectors and other LGU personnel. Rule 15f.3 The DA and the DOH shall regularly evaluate the effectiveness of training programs and develop assessment criteria for this purpose. (g)

The DA and the DOH, in cooperation with the LGUs, shall monitor the presence of biological, chemical, and physical contaminants in food to determine the nature and sources of food safety hazards in the food supply chain. Rule 15g.1 The DA and the DOH shall link and coordinate with LGUs to monitor hazards in the food supply chain. Monitoring shall be used among others, to determine the effectiveness of the food safety regulatory system.

SECTION 16. Specific Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture. – The DA shall be responsible for the development and enforcement of food safety standards and regulations for foods in the primary production and postharvest stages of the food supply chain. It shall monitor and ensure that the relevant requirements of the law are complied with by farmers, fisher folks and food business operators. Pursuant thereto, the DA Secretary shall ensure that the food safety regulatory mandates and functions for fresh plant, animal, fisheries and aquaculture foods of the DA agencies are clearly defined. The agencies under the DA with food safety regulatory functions are the following: (a)

The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), for food derived from animals including eggs and honey production;

(b)

The National Dairy Authority (NDA), for milk production and post harvest handling;

(c)

The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), for meats;

(d)

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), for fresh fish and other seafoods including those grown by aquaculture;

(e)

The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), for plant foods;

(f)

The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), for pesticides and fertilizers used in the production of plant and animal food;

(g)

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), for fresh coconut;

(h)

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), for sugar cane production and marketing; and

(i)

The National Food Authority (NFA), for rice, corn and other grains. Rule 16.1 The DA FSRAs for primary and postharvest foods and agriculture and aquaculture inputs for primary production indicated in Section 16 (a) to (i) shall be referred to as the DA FSRAs. They shall strengthen their food safety regulatory systems based on a risk management plan with provisions for review and monitoring for continuous improvement. Rule 16.2 The mandate for food safety in the DA shall be the responsibility of the DA Secretary, assisted by the Heads of the DA FSRAs, Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) and the Food Development Center (FDC), and the concerned Undersecretary supervising them. The Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, Research and Development (R&D) and Regulations shall provide oversight. Rule 16.3 The DA Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulation shall ensure that all regulatory issuances are compliant with national policies and international commitments, oversee technical support to DA FSRAs provided by BAFS and FDC and DA participation in all national and international activities on food safety. Rule 16.4 The DA FSRAs shall implement the official controls for verifying that primary and postharvest foods meet regulatory requirements for consumer health, consumer protection, and trade. They shall be responsible for the registration of food businesses, licensing of agriculture and fishery establishments, official certification of products and services, official accreditation of inspection and certifying bodies, and other official controls prescribed by the regulatory system and in compliance with the international commitments. Rule 16.5 The DA Secretary may put into place arrangements among the DA FSRAs when necessary to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness of services.

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Development of food standards and regulations; Rule 18b1.1 The FDA CFRR Product Research and Standards Development Division shall be responsible for developing, adopting, and/or amending/revising food safety standards and codes of practice for processed and prepackaged foods. It shall strengthen and ensure sustained development of science-based policies and continued updating of quality work procedures. The policies and procedures shall be incorporated in the FDA systems including but not limited to:

•

Preparation of the Priority List for standards development

•

Qualification and terms and conditions for members of the DA pool of scientific experts

Food standards and regulations to be researched, developed, amended/revised, or updated

•

Promoting functional separation but effective interaction between the DA pool of scientific experts and the DA FSRAs

•

Ensuring effective sourcing of scientific data including the design of technical projects for data generation

•

Validation and impact evaluation of standards and codes of practice

Development of protocol, procedures and qualifications for the identification, recognition or organization of a pool of multi-disciplinary food experts from relevant regulatory, health, academe, research institutions, professional organizations to be known as DOH Joint Scientific Expert Group (JSEG) which shall provide scientific advice to the DOH and its joint undertaking with other agencies including the NCO

The JSEG shall be entitled to allowable honoraria and other emoluments for every meeting attended in relation to their functions subject to accounting and auditing rules and regulations and availability of funds

Rule 16.9 BAFS shall organize Technical Working Groups (TWGs) to develop food safety standards based on the scientific advice of the DA pool of scientific experts.

(2)

Post-market monitoring; Rule 18b2.1 The FDA CFRR shall establish and maintain the post-market monitoring system (PMS), including programs for monitoring, fact-finding activities, procedures for risk-based inspection, and collection for testing of locally produced and imported processed and prepackaged food in the market.

Rule 16.10 The members of the DA pool of scientific experts and the TWGs shall be entitled to honoraria and other allowable emoluments for every meeting attended in relation to their functions, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations.

Rule 15e.2 The DA and the DOH may delegate official controls to the LGUs and specify the conditions under which this shall take place. The DA and the DOH shall capacitate the LGUs and provide necessary technical assistance in the implementation of their food safety functions under their jurisdiction. In compliance with this responsibility, they shall provide training to the DILG and the LGUs and shall periodically assess the effectiveness of these training programs in coordination with the DILG; and

(1)

Rule 16.8 The BAFS shall organize the DA pool of scientific experts for the development of food safety standards and the provision of scientific advice to the Secretary, the Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulations, the DA FSRAs and the NCO. The members of the DA pool of scientific experts shall come from academe, research institutions, and other relevant organizations.

Rule 15e.1 The DA and the DOH shall establish mechanisms for coordinating with the LGUs in enforcing national food safety standards and regulations in food businesses within their areas of jurisdiction.

(f)

The FDA Center for Food Regulation and Research shall be responsible for implementing a performance-based food safety control management system which shall include, but not limited to, the following:

Rule 16.7 BAFS shall establish the policies and procedures for a transparent, science-based mechanism for the development of standards, which shall include but shall not be limited to the following activities:

Rule 15c.2 The DA and the DOH shall establish a mechanism to assist the concerned LGUs in ensuring that foods produced outside but marketed within their area of jurisdiction meet DA and DOH food safety requirements.

(e)

(b)

Rule 16.6 BAFPS now known as the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) shall be the DA agency responsible for developing, adopting, and/or amending/revising food safety standards and codes of practice for primary and postharvest foods for the use of DA FSRAs in developing/implementing food safety regulations.

Rule 15c.1 The LGUs shall be responsible for the implementation of the food safety requirements of foods produced within their areas of jurisdiction. They shall be guided by national regulations. This shall include primary, postharvest, processed and prepackaged foods marketed in traditional markets as well as restaurants and school canteens, catered foods, street vended, and/or ambulant-vended foods and the requirements for activities and facilities for the production, handling, processing, preparation, transport and storage of these foods.

(d)

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and monitoring their compliance, shall strengthen the effective TODAY enforcement of GMP, HACCP, and other risk-based control measures.

The Food Development Center (FDC) of the NFA shall provide scientific support in testing, research and training.

(3)

Enforcement of HACCP and other risk-based control measures;

Rule 16.11 FDC shall be the Coordinating Laboratory for DA Laboratories and in this capacity shall;

(4)

Strong participation in Codex and other international standard setting bodies,

•

Coordinate testing activities and conduct comparative testing as necessary

•

Promote the implementation of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)

•

Provide testing services to DA FSRAs for the analysis of chemical, biological and physical contaminants in food, particularly those requiring analysis at very low levels using specialized equipment

Rule 18b4.1 The FDA CFRR shall ensure the regular participation of country delegates to activities of Codex and other international standard setting bodies. It shall strengthen the country’s positions through the conduct and use of science-based studies and research taking into consideration all sources of scientific information. (5)

Rule 16.12 FDC shall implement research projects to support sciencebased food safety policies, standards and regulations and coordinate these projects with the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and the academe.

Rule 18b5.1 The FDA CFRR shall collaborate with the Health Promotion and Communication Service (HPCS) in the development and implementation of a risk communication system on food safety as identified by recognized risk assessors. The system shall include consultative discussions among stakeholders to maintain local and international linkages on food safety.

Rule 16.13 FDC shall develop and conduct relevant training programs on food safety for DA FSRAs and FBOs in coordination with the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI). Rule 16.14 FDC shall collect fees for testing, training and research services it provides to DA FSRAs, FBOs and other interested parties.

(6)

Rule 16.15 FDC shall prepare the guidelines for the provision of testing, training and research services to the DA within one year from the implementation of this IRR.

Rule 16.16 The DA FSRAs, BAFS, FDC and the Office of the Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulations shall create functional food safety units, whenever necessary, to implement their food safety functions. In doing so, the DA may utilize or restructure existing units. Funds shall be provided by the DA and its agencies concerned with the implementation of the Act. Additional requirements shall be subject to the usual government processes, rules and regulations.

(7)

(8)

SECTION 17. The Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, Research and Development (R&D) and Regulations. – Oversight functions for the Food Safety Act shall be assigned to the Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulations.

(9)

(c)

Rule 17.2 The Office of the Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulations shall be the Codex Contact Point (CCP) and shall oversee the DA participation in the work of the CAC and the NCO. The Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulations shall be provided with the necessary manpower and funds from existing resources to ensure the smooth and efficient discharge of its functions. Rule 17.3 The requirements for funds and manpower to support the oversight functions of the Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulations shall initially be provided by the DA.

The Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) shall provide sanitation and ensure food safety in its area of responsibility in both domestic and international ports and airports of entry, including inflight catering, food service establishments, sea vessels and aircraft, as provided for in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9271 and Presidential Decree No. 856, otherwise known as the “Code on Sanitation of the Philippines”. Rule 18c.1 The BOQ shall adopt HACCP system; enforce GMP-HACCP provisions and guidelines; conduct surveillance of human infectious diseases including food and water-borne disease outbreaks potentially entering the country; develop data base system and conduct periodic monitoring and evaluation of Food Safety program in its area of responsibility; institute processes and procedures, including reasonably appropriate risk‐based preventive controls that provide the same level of public health protection including issuance of Health Certificate to stewards and food handlers and Vibrio cholera Clearance Certificate for all outgoing foodstuff as required for both domestic and international suppliers; provide relevant safety regulation inputs to the FSRCB.

SECTION 18. Specific Responsibilities of the DOH. - The DOH shall bear the following specific responsibilities: The DOH shall ensure the safety of all food processing and product packaging activities.

Rule 18a.3 The FDA through the Regional Field Offices (RFOs), in performing their primary function of inspecting establishments

Certification of food safety inspectors. Rule 18b9.1 The FDA CFRR shall allocate funds for the certification of food safety inspectors (International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17020). Certification of food safety inspectors may be given by recognized third party certifying bodies accredited by the PAB.

The Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulations shall directly supervise the Food Development Center and the BAFS and shall be the coordinator for Codex activities at the DA and the Codex Contact Point.

Rule 18a.2 The FDA Center for Food Regulation and Research (CFRR) shall implement the official controls for verifying that processed and prepackaged foods meet regulatory requirements for consumer health, consumer protection, and trade.

Strengthening R&D capabilities on product safety and quality standards; and Rule 18b8.1 The FDA CFRR shall identify national areas of research and development on food product safety and quality and institute strategies in their implementation, foster collaboration with partner institutions, conduct capacity building and improvement activities for effective translation of research results into policy and practices, and undertake, when appropriate, oversight/audit of related researches that would ensure the safety and quality of food products.

Rule 16.17 The DA shall coordinate with the DOH in establishing an effective system between them and with other government agencies for the collection and analysis of data on food safety hazards in the food supply chain.

Rule 18a.1 The DOH through FDA shall be responsible for the overall regulation of all activities pertaining to processed food (prepackaged or not prepackaged) including, but not limited to, inspection, licensing, registration, post-market monitoring, and laboratory analysis. It shall regulate the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, sale, offer for sale, transfer, promotion, advertisement, sponsorship of, and/or, where appropriate, the use and testing of all processed and prepackaged food products and food supplements/dietary supplements.

Development of a database of food safety hazards and food-borne illness from epidemiological data; Rule 18b7.1 The FDA CFRR shall develop a database of common food safety hazards and food and water-borne diseases in coordination with the EB and the DA.

Finally, the DA shall, in coordination with other government agencies, monitor the presence of contaminants in foods of plant, animal and fishery origin and shall formulate and implement measures to address incidents of food contamination.

(a)

Establishment of laboratories for food safety and strengthening the capabilities of existing laboratories; Rule 18b6.1 The FDA CFRR Laboratory shall strengthen the conduct of quality monitoring activities through laboratory testing/analysis of processed and prepackaged food, regular participation in Proficiency Testing (PT), continuous performance of method development, validation or verification, upgrading its equipment, oversight the FDA satellite laboratories and laboratory accreditation of food testing laboratories.

When necessary and when funds allow, the appropriate food safety units shall be created within the above-stated agencies. To strengthen these organizations, they shall be provided with the necessary personnel out of the existing manpower of the DA.

Rule 17.1 The FDC of NFA shall be under the direct supervision of the Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulations after undergoing legal processes to make the direct supervision possible.

Communication of risks and development of interactive exchange among stakeholders;

Rule 18c.2 The BOQ shall coordinate with the LGUs in recognizing the areas of responsibility as defined in Article V, Section 18(c) of the Act. (d)

The National Epidemiology Center (NEC), the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (NCDPC) shall conduct and document epidemiological monitoring studies on foodborne illnesses for use in risk-based policy formulation. Food safety risk assessment bodies shall be established for this purpose.

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food control activities during an actual crisis. The Co-chair of the FSRCB shall be specifically responsible for crises originating from and/or affecting primary production and the postharvest handling portion of the food supply chain.

Rule 18d.1 The NEC, now named as the EB of the DOH, through its Public Health Surveillance Division, shall be responsible for the overall planning, management, direction, evaluation, and impact assessment for the prevention and control of food- and water-borne illness programs. Rule 18d.2 The RITM, Reference Laboratory in coordination with EB shall conduct confirmation of samples from human with food and water-borne diseases. Rule 18d.3 The NCDPC, now named as the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB), shall conduct a periodic evaluation of DOH food safety related programs to determine its effectiveness in achieving legislated intent, purposes, and objectives in coordination with other DOH offices. It shall also provide technical assistance and logistics in the conduct of surveillance of outbreak or epidemic investigations. (e)

(d)

Rule 18e.2 HPCS shall develop Health Promotion and Communication (HPC) and/or risk communication plan for food safety in collaboration with the FDA, DPCB, EB, BOQ, and other concerned government agencies; and lead the implementation of the HPC Plan in collaboration with the DOH concerned offices, LGUs and other partners. The NCDPC shall strategize actions to help ensure the safety of food, reduce the risk of food contamination and foodborne diseases, address the double burden of micronutrient deficiencies and non-communicable diseases and to regularly evaluate the progress made. Rule 18f.1 The DPCB, in collaboration with FDA and other offices within the DOH, shall develop strategic actions on risk management activities or programs relating to food safety that affects health; review existing guidelines to improve policies pertaining to micronutrient supplementation, food fortification of food products and food labelling; develop guidelines on the decontamination and disposal of contaminated, adulterated and sub-standard processed and prepackaged food products; and provide guidance for LGUs in issuing ordinances to control excessive consumption of food substance leading to the development of non-communicable diseases such as, but not limited to, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and others.

(e)

(f)

(g)

(a)

(2)

Codes of Practice for production, post harvest handling, processing and hygiene;

(3)

Safe use of food additives, processing aids and sanitation chemicals; and

(4)

(c)

The DILG and the LGUs shall participate in training programs, standards development and other food safety activities to be undertaken by the DA, the DOH and other concerned national agencies.

ARTICLE VI FOOD SAFETY REGULATION COORDINATING BOARD (FSRCB) SECTION 20. Powers and Functions. - There is hereby created a Food Safety Regulation Coordinating Board, hereinafter referred to as the Board, with the following powers and functions: Rule 20.1 The FSRCB shall establish the policies and procedures for decision making and its implementation. This shall be carried out as soon as the FSRCB is organized. Rule 20.2 The FSRCB, when necessary, may seek the assistance and advice of technical persons and other agencies on matters needed in food safety decision making. (a)

Monitor and coordinate the performance and implementation of the mandates of the DA, the DOH, the DILG and the LGUs in food safety regulation; RULE 20a.1 The FSRCB shall monitor and evaluate DA-DOH coordination including but not limited to the following areas: •

Policy and regulatory issues that arise from the implementation of measures and official controls;

•

Effect of regulations on food import and export trade activities;

•

Exchange of information on standards and regulatory issuances and scientific data on hazards, epidemiological studies, monitoring and surveillance activities and others;

•

The management of risk, the control of fraud, and the identification and evaluation of emerging risks; and

•

Identify the agency responsible for enforcement based on their legal mandates when jurisdiction over specific areas overlap;

(c)

Coordinate crisis management and planning during food safety emergencies; Rule 20c.1 The FSRCB shall be responsible for preparing a crisis management plan and the Chair and Co-Chair shall lead

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(a)

Rule 21a.4 In the event that the FSRCB requires voting as recourse for decision making, all member departments namely DOH, DA, DILG, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and Leagues of Barangays, Municipalities, Cities and Provinces shall each be entitled to one vote.

(b)

(c)

Rule 26c.2 FSO or equivalent personnel involved in food inspection shall pass a certified training course on food inspection every three years. Rule 26c.3 The FSRAs shall ensure that adequate funds, facilities, and equipment for the implementation of official controls are provided. Rule 26c.4 Testing for official controls shall be carried out by professionally licensed personnel depending on the test methods being implemented. (d)

The regulatory agency or body performing official controls shall meet operational criteria and procedures established by the agencies to ensure impartiality and effectiveness;

(e)

Any personnel of FSRAs such as, but not limited to, food inspectors shall perform official controls at the highest level of competence and integrity, ever mindful of conflict of interest situations; Rule 26e.1 Any personnel of the FSRAs, who in the performance of their official function obtain proprietary information, shall observe strict confidentiality in the handling and use of said information.

(f)

Rule 26f.2 Food testing laboratories shall have manuals on GLP, calibration procedures, and a manual of validated testing methods compliant with Codex/ISO requirements. Steps shall be taken to accredit food testing laboratories to ISO 17025. (g)

Funds shall be allocated by the respective agencies concerned with food safety to pay for the organization of meetings, participation of Board members, secretariat, experts and the expenses of a working group to be created by the Board to prepare its manual of procedures.

SECTION 22. Accountability for Food Safety Regulation. - The FSRAs of the DA and the DOH, in coordination with the LGUs, shall be responsible in ensuring food safety at various stages of the food supply chain within their specified mandates. Rule 22.1 Responsibility and oversight functions for the implementation of coordinated activities shall reside in the Chair and Co-Chair of the FSRCB. ARTICLE VII CRISIS MANAGEMENT SECTION 23. Rapid Alert System. - A rapid alert system for the notification of a direct or indirect risk to human health due to food shall be established by the FSRCB. Rule 23.1 A national rapid alert system for food and feed shall be established to identify and subsequently notify of the existence of a direct or indirect risk to human health from food. Rule 23.2 The protocols and procedures for the national rapid alert system for food and feed shall consider existing international systems.

(h) The agencies responsible for the implementation of official controls shall be provided with the necessary funding and technical support out of their existing budget to perform official controls according to the principles indicated in this Act. Rule 26h.1 The funds necessary to implement the manual of procedures for official controls shall be provided by the DA and the DOH. SECTION 27. Traceability. - Traceability shall be established for foods at relevant stages of production, post harvest handling, processing or distribution, when needed to ensure compliance with food safety requirements. The rule on traceability shall also cover production inputs such as feeds, food additives, ingredients, packaging materials and other substances expected to be incorporated into a food or food product. To ensure traceability, food business operators are required to: (a)

SECTION 24. Emergency Measures. - Where it is evident that food originating from within the country or imported from another country is likely to constitute serious risk to human health, the Board, in coordination with the FSRAs of the DOH and the DA, shall immediately adopt one or more of the following measures, depending on the gravity of the situation:

(b)

In the case of food of national origin:

Provisions shall be made for official controls to be delegated to other competent bodies as determined by the regulatory agency and of the conditions under which this shall take place. When official controls are delegated, appropriate coordination and other procedures including oversight shall be in place and effectively implemented. The accountability over the delegated function shall remain with the regulatory agency; and Rule 26g.1 Third party service providers of inspection, testing and certification activities can be officially accredited by the FSRAs or accredited to the appropriate ISO standard by the PAB.

Rule 23.3 The FSRCB shall designate a national contact point for the national rapid alert system for food and feed.

(a)

Policies and procedures for official controls shall be documented in a manual of operations to ensure consistency, high quality, uniformity, predictability and transparency; Rule 26f.1 A manual of procedures for food inspectors shall be developed by FSRAs within a reasonable period of time after the approval of this IRR. Initial funding for the development of this manual of procedures shall be provided by the DA and the DOH.

Rule 21c.2 The DA through the DA Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulations shall create a functional division from where the administrative and technical support to the DA participation to the FSRCB shall be designated. (d)

Official controls shall be based on appropriate techniques, implemented by an adequate number of suitably qualified and experienced personnel and with adequate funds, facilities and equipment Rule 26c.1 Food inspection shall be carried out by inspectors under the supervision of food safety officers (FSO) or equivalent personnel who are graduates of food-related courses including but not limited to chemistry, food and nutrition, food technology, microbiology, chemical/sanitary engineering, veterinary medicine, fisheries, agriculture. To qualify as FSO, graduates must have training and/or work experience in food safety.

The Board shall be assisted by administrative and technical secretariat at the DOH. Both the DOH and the DA shall establish functional divisions and shall organize the administrative and technical personnel for the operation of the Board. The personnel needed under this section shall be taken from the existing manpower of each department; and Rule 21c.1 The DOH shall establish the administrative Secretariat to the FSRCB. The Food Safety and Quality Division created within the FDA CFRR shall provide technical assistance to the FSRCB Secretariat in addition to its major activities relating to food safety.

The frequency of official controls shall be proportionate to the severity and likelihood of occurrence of the food safety risks being controlled; Rule 26b.1 Official control procedures shall be risk-based and shall include risk-based inspection, testing, certification and audits.

(b) Within twelve (12) months from the effectivity of this Act, the Board shall submit a manual of procedures containing the rules for the conduct of meetings and decision-making, among others; Rule 21b.1 The FSRCB shall create a TWG to prepare a manual of procedures within twelve (12) months from the approval of this IRR. The manual of procedures shall contain the rules and procedures for the conduct of the FSRCB’s activities, meetings, and decision-making.

Official controls shall be implemented by way of regulations prepared by the FSRAs in accordance with the principles established in this Act; Rule 26a.1 Official controls shall be based on Section 26 (a) to (h) of the Act. It shall be a part of the Food Safety Regulatory System of the DA and the DOH.

Rule 21a.3 The FSRCB may invite representatives from the academe, food industry associations/organizations and/or consumer groups as resource persons as may be deemed necessary.

Evaluation of the impact of testing, training and research programs.

(b)

SECTION 26. Policies on Official Controls. – Official controls are established to verify compliance with food laws and regulations and shall be prepared by each agency. The following shall govern the exercise of official controls:

Rule 21a.2 The heads of FDC and BAFS shall be represented at the FSRCB as determined by the FSRCB.

Proper labelling of pre-packaged foods.

The DILG shall support the DOH and the DA in the collection and documentation of food-borne illness data, monitoring and research.

ARTICLE VIII IMPLEMENTATION OF FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS

Rule 21a.1 The heads of DOH agencies with food safety concerns that shall join the meeting as determined by the DOH including but not limited to BOQ, EB, DPCB, HPCS, Bureau of Local Health Development (BLHD), and RITM.

Rule 19a.1 The FSRAs shall coordinate with and assist the DILG and LGU in implementing and enforcing its food safety function and encourage them to use the food safety regulations and standards including food additives, food/nutrition labelling and other relevant food safety policies as references. (b)

The Board shall be chaired by the DOH Secretary and co-chaired by the DA Secretary. The alternate chair for the DOH shall be the FDA Director General and the alternate co-chair for the DA Secretary shall be the Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, R&D and Regulations. The members of the Board shall be the heads of the food safety regulatory agencies of the DA, the Director of the FDA Center for Food Regulation and Research, a representative field operator of the DILG with the rank of a Director, the heads of Leagues of Barangays, Municipalities, Cities and Provinces and a representative each from the DTI and the DOST with the rank of a Director. Directors of other DOH agencies with food safety concerns shall join the meeting as it may be deemed necessary by the DOH;

Any other appropriate interim measures.

Rule 25.1 In the event of food shortage or other emergency situations, the equivalency requirements for food safety regulatory system in Section 12 of the Act may be reconsidered upon evaluation of the FSRAs and approval of the FSRCB.

SECTION 21. Organization. - Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this IRR, the Secretaries of the DA, the DOH and the DILG shall organize the Board in accordance with the following rules:

SECTION 19. Specific Responsibilities of the DILG and the LGUs. - The DILG and the LGUs shall bear the following responsibilities:

(1) Sanitation particularly in public markets, slaughterhouses, micro and small food processing establishments and public eating places;

(3)

SECTION 25. Plan for Crisis Management. - The Board, in coordination with the FSRAs and other relevant government agencies, shall prepare a general plan for the management of a threat to food safety such as radiation contamination of food, food shortage requiring coordinated action and other crisis situations which may compromise food safety. This plan shall specify the situations representing a direct or indirect risk to human health deriving from food which are not likely to be prevented, eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level.

Accept grants and donations from local and international sources. Rule 20g.1 The FSRCB may apply for/accept grants from local and international sources to fund research, training programs, and monitoring and surveillance activities on food safety except from entities regulated by FSRAs.

The DOH and the FDA Center for Food Regulation and Research shall be strengthened in terms of establishing food safety functional divisions and incremental staffing of food safety officers and experts and be provided with funds including the fees collected from services.

The LGUs shall be responsible for the enforcement of the “Code on Sanitation of the Philippines” (Presidential Decree No. 856, December 23, 1975), food safety standards and food safety regulations where food is produced, processed, prepared and/or sold in their territorial jurisdiction. This shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

Regularly submit reports to the Congressional Committees on Health, Agriculture and Food, and Trade and Industry; and Rule 20f.1 The FSRCB shall submit an annual report to the Congressional Committees on Health, Agriculture, Food, and Trade and Industry as required by the Act.

Rule 18g.1 The FDA CFRR shall be in charge of the food safety regulatory program of the FDA-DOH. It shall create a Food Safety and Quality Division within CFRR for this purpose. The Division shall provide technical assistance to the DOH Secretariat of the FSRCB.

(a)

Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of enforcement of food safety regulations and research and training programs; Rule 20e.1 The FSRCB shall review the effectiveness and appropriateness of enforcement of food safety regulations, coordinated regulatory activities, research, and training programs. The review shall be carried out at the end of each year unless relevant information from monitoring and surveillance activities indicate the need for an earlier review of said activities.

Rule 18f.2 The DOH through DPCB, in coordination with DILG, shall assist in the development of food safety guidelines for the FSEs relating to the prevention of non-communicable diseases. (g)

Establish the policies and procedures for coordination among agencies involved in food safety; Rule 20d.1 The FSRCB shall develop a system for the timely exchange of information between the DA, the DOH, the DILG, and the LGUs on matters related to food safety.

The National Center for Health Promotion (NCHP) shall be responsible for advocating food safety awareness, information and education to the public. Rule 18e.1 The NCHP now named as the HPCS shall be responsible for advocating food safety awareness, information and education to the public.

(f)

Rule 20c.2 All members of the FSRCB shall contribute information that will strengthen decision-making during the crisis.

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(2) Laying down special conditions for the food in question TODAY from all or part of the third country concerned; and

Be able to identify any person or company, from whom they have been supplied with: (1)

Food;

(2)

A food-producing animal;

(3)

Production chemicals as pesticides and drugs; and

(4)

Production, post-harvest handling and processing inputs such as feeds, food additives, food ingredients, packaging materials, or any substance expected to be incorporated into food or food product.

(b)

Establish and implement systems and procedures which allow the above information to be available to the regulatory authorities on demand; and

(c)

In the case of food from another country:

Establish systems and procedures to identify the other businesses, to which their products have been supplied. This information shall be made available to the regulatory authorities upon demand.

(1) Suspension of imports of the food from all or parts of the third country concerned and, where applicable, from the third country of transit;

Traceability in case of food-borne disease outbreak shall be established by the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) of the DOH.

(1)

Suspension of its distribution in the market or the use of the food in question;

(2)

Laying down special conditions for the food in question; and

(3)

Any other appropriate interim measures.

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Rule 27.1 FBOs shall be required to establish a traceability system which will indicate at the minimum where the food/ food ingredient immediately came from and where it will immediately proceed. The systems implemented by FBOs shall be based on principles and standards of Codex and other international standard bodies.

SECTION 33. Funding. - Funds shall be provided for the development and implementation of training and consumer education programs.

Rule 27.2 The traceability system established by the FBOs shall be verified by the concerned FSRAs.

ARTICLE X FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS MONITORING, SURVEILLANCE AND RESEARCH

Rule 27.3 The DA and other concerned agencies of the DOH shall assist the EB in tracing food-borne disease outbreak from production to consumption. SECTION 28. Licensing, Registration of Establishments. - Appropriate authorizations shall be developed and issued in the form of a permit, license and certificate of registration or compliance that would cover establishments, facilities engaged in production, post-harvest handling, processing, packing, holding or producing food for consumption in accordance with the mandated issuances of regulatory agencies issuing such authorizations. Special derogations shall be provided due to geographical location and after an assessment of risks, especially for micro, small and medium-sized food business operators and health products. Rule 28.1 Authorizations shall be issued when products or establishments have been verified by examination or objective evidence, to meet specified requirements of the Act for the product or the establishment. In issuing appropriate authorizations, the FSRAs may consider modifying or updating existing authorization or establish new ones as necessary. Rule 28.2 As part of their regular mandates, the LGUs shall issue business permits to FBOs indicating compliance with the sanitation code and such other food safety requirements that may be prescribed. Such permit authorizes FBOs to market their products within their territorial jurisdiction. Rule 28.3 The DA and DOH shall issue appropriate authorizations to FBOs in accordance with mandated issuances of FSRAs authorizing FBOs to market their products for national and/or international markets. SECTION 29. Inspection of Food Business Operators. - Regular inspection of food business operators shall be performed by the FSRAs or the control bodies delegated to conduct the activity. In addition, the following rules shall be followed in the conduct of inspections: (a)

Inspection shall take into account compliance with mandatory food safety standards, the implementation of HACCP, good manufacturing practices and other requirements of regulations;

(b)

The frequency of inspections shall be based on the assessment of risks. Establishments producing high risk foods or carrying out high risk activities shall be inspected more frequently;

(c)

Inspectors shall have defined skills on risk-based inspection and shall be regularly evaluated based on suitable procedures to verify their continuing competence Rule 29c.1 Inspectors shall attend training programs designed to strengthen their capabilities in the inspection of food, systems and technologies. Training programs shall establish competence through but not limited to examinations and certifications.

(d)

Appropriate procedures shall be in place to ensure that the results of inspection are interpreted in a uniform manner. Rule 29d.1 Methodologies for inspection shall be incorporated in the manual and shall undergo periodic review.

SECTION 30. Food Testing Laboratories. - The following shall guide the management and operation of food testing laboratories: (a)

Food testing shall be carried out by laboratories accredited in accordance with international standards. Those that are not currently accredited shall apply for accreditation within a specified period of time; Rule 30a.1 DA and DOH laboratories shall conform to the national and/or international standards for GLP and method validation. They shall seek and maintain accreditation to ISO 17025. Rule 30a.2 Food testing can be carried out by third party laboratories officially accredited by the FSRAs. The criteria for the official accreditation of third party laboratories shall be established by the FSRAs.

(b)

Testing shall be carried out using the internationally approved procedures or methods of analysis that have been validated;

Rule 33.1 The DA and the DOH shall provide funds for the development and initial implementation of training and consumer education programs through the regular appropriations of FSRAs and other relevant agencies.

(a)

Rule 34a.1 The DOH-NEC and the NCDPC shall collaborate with the FSRAs in strengthening the sharing of information on food-borne diseases for the development of appropriate risk management measures. (b) Identification of hazards in the food supply chain and assessment, of levels of exposure to the hazards. Rule 34b.1 The DA and DOH shall link and coordinate their activities in identifying and monitoring hazards in the food supply chain such as pesticide residues, food additives, veterinary drug residues in food and chemical, biological, and other contaminants under their jurisdiction. The results shall be used to create a database on the national food safety situation. SECTION 35. Research. - The government and academe shall develop and implement a program of research on cost effective technologies and codes of practice for assisting farmers, fisherfolk, micro, small and medium scale enterprises and other stakeholders to enable them to comply with food safety regulations. Rule 35.1 The DA and the DOH shall include cost-effective technologies and codes of practice relative to food safety regulations in their respective research agenda or research priorities. Rule 35.2 The DA and the DOH shall engage the academe and other relevant institutions in the conduct of research. Rule 35.3 Results of such research shall be used in the development of policies and improvement of food safety regulations. ARTICLE XI POLICY ON FEES SECTION 36. Collection of Fees. - The DA, the DOH and the LGUs, where applicable, shall be allowed to collect fees for the inspection of food products, production and processing facilities, issuance of import or export certificates, laboratory testing of food samples and other fees as may be deemed necessary. Fees shall be based on an officially-approved procedure for estimating the cost of the activity undertaken and shall be subject to government accounting and auditing rules and regulations. Rule 36.1 FSRAs shall issue a schedule of fees for services provided. ARTICLE XII PROHIBITIONS, PENALTIES AND SANCTIONS SECTION 37. Prohibited Acts. - It shall be unlawful for any person to: (a)

Produce, handle or manufacture for sale, offer for sale, distribute in commerce, or import into the Philippines any food or food product which is not in conformity with an applicable food quality or safety standard promulgated in accordance with this Act.

(b)

Produce, handle or manufacture for sale, offer for sale, distribute in commerce, or import into the Philippines any food or food product which has been declared as banned food product;

Fail to comply with an order relating to notifications to recall unsafe products;

(e)

Adulterate, misbrand, mislabel, falsely advertise any food product which misleads the consumers and carry out any other acts contrary to good manufacturing practices;

(f)

Operate a food business without the appropriate authorization;

(g)

Connive with food business operators or food inspectors, which will result in food safety risks to the consumers; and

(h)

Violate the implementing rules and regulations of this Act.

(c)

Laboratories shall be organized and managed to prevent conflict of interest in the conduct of testing;

(d)

Laboratories shall be staffed with analysts with the required expertise and professional competence, and

Rule 38.1 The existing rules of procedures in administrative proceedings in each FSRA shall be applied in the handling of cases and violations committed under the Act and its IRR. The Executive Order No. 292 or the Administrative Code and the Rules of Court shall be applicable in suppletory manner.

FSRAs may recognize private testing laboratories accredited by the Philippine Accreditation Office (PAO) of the DTI to support their testing needs.

Rule 38.2 Prior to, or pending administrative proceedings, any temporary preventive measures being exercised by each FSRA shall apply. (a)

ARTICLE IX TRAINING AND CONSUMER EDUCATION SECTION 31. Training. - Skills training and other instructional/educational activities shall be regularly provided to food business operators, food handlers and to government personnel as follows: (a)

Food business operators particularly micro, small and medium scale enterprises shall be trained on the requirements of food safety regulations and the understanding of these requirements. Personnel shall be trained on HACCP, on the codes of good practice and on technologies that will enable them to comply with regulations;

(b)

Mandatory training on safe food handling and similar courses shall be implemented for food handlers of food businesses; and

(c)

Government personnel shall be trained on the scientific basis for the provisions of the law and on the conduct of official controls. The different FSRAs shall identify training needs and the appropriate training programs. Mandatory training programs shall be developed and implemented by accredited training providers. Rule 31.1 All training programs on food safety shall include the requirements of the Act. Rule 31.2 The DA and the DOH shall develop and conduct food safety trainings designed specifically for FSCOs, the FBOs, and the FSRAs. Other government institutions, the academe, professional associations and third party service providers may also conduct food safety trainings provided that these are recognized by the FSRAs. Rule 31.3 The DA and the DOH may partner with other government institutions, the academe, professional associations and third party service providers in providing these food safety trainings.

SECTION 32. Consumer Education. - A consumer education program shall be developed by the DA, the DOH and the LGUs in partnership with the Department of Education, the implementation of which shall be carried out by the latter.

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Any director, officer or agent of a corporation who shall authorize, order or perform any of the acts or practices constituting in whole or in part a violation of Section 37 hereof, and who has knowledge or notice of noncompliance received by the corporation from the concerned department, shall be subjected to the penalties under this section. In case the violation is committed by, or in the interest of a foreign juridical person duly licensed to engage in business in the Philippines, such license to engage in business in the Philippines shall immediately be revoked.

An integrated food-borne disease monitoring system that links to the sources of food contamination in collaboration with the DOHNEC and the NCDPC; and

SECTION 38. Penalty. - Any person who shall violate any provision of this Act shall suffer the penalties provided hereunder:

(e)

If the offender is an alien, said alien shall be summarily deported after payment of fine and service of sentence and perpetually barred from entering the country.

SECTION 34. Food-borne Illness Monitoring and Surveillance. - The government, in support of risk analysis, shall implement the following programs:

Rule 30b.1 Food testing laboratories shall conduct verification of the validated test methods or procedures.

Rule 30d.1 The competence of the laboratory analysts shall be regularly assessed.

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deportation after payment of fine and service of sentence shall TODAY also be imposed.

For the first conviction, a fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) but not more than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) and suspension of appropriate authorization for one (1) month shall be imposed;

(b)

For the second conviction, a fine of not less than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) but not more than Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) and suspension of appropriate authorization for three (3) months shall be imposed;

(c)

For the third conviction, a fine of not less than Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) but not more than Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) and suspension of appropriate authorization for six (6) months shall be imposed;

(d)

For violation resulting in slight physical injury of a person, upon conviction, a fine of not less than Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) but not more than Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) and suspension of appropriate authorization for six (6) months shall be imposed. The offender shall also pay the hospitalization and rehabilitation cost of a person;

(e)

For violation resulting in less serious or serious physical injury of a person, upon conviction, a fine of not less than Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) but not more than Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) and suspension of appropriate authorization for one (1) year shall be imposed. The offender shall also pay the hospitalization and rehabilitation cost of a person;

(f)

For violation resulting in death of a person, upon conviction, the penalty of imprisonment of not less than six (6) months and one (1) day but not more than six (6) years and one (1) day and a fine of not less than Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) but not more than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) and permanent revocation of appropriate authorization to operate a food business shall be imposed. If the offender does not have the appropriate authorization, the imposable fines shall be doubled. If the offender is a government personnel, in addition to the penalty prescribed herein, said personnel shall be subjected to the appropriate civil service laws. If the offender is a naturalized citizen, in addition to the penalty prescribed herein, the naturalization certificate and the registration in the civil registry of said citizen shall be cancelled. Immediate

Rule 38.3 The administrative penalties provided under the Act shall be in addition to whatever penalties provided under other relevant laws which may penalize the same acts. Rule 38.4 For violation of prohibited acts of the Act and its IRR, both criminal action in court and the administrative action may be instituted separately and independent of one another. The filing of the administrative complaint and the imposition of administrative penalties shall be lodged with the concerned FSRA. Rule 38.5 The filing of action for violation of prohibited acts resulting in death of a person and the imposition of the corresponding penalty of imprisonment shall be lodged with the appropriate courts. ARTICLE XIII FINAL PROVISIONS SECTION 39. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - These implementing rules and regulations are jointly issued by DA and the DOH as mandated by Section 39 of the Food Safety Act 2013. Rule 39.1 The IRR of the Act may be jointly amended and/or updated, if the need arises, by the DA and the DOH. Rule 39.2 All doubts in the interpretation of the IRR shall be resolved in favour of the protection of the health of consumers and in a manner consistent with the declared policies and objectives of RA 10611. Rule 39.3 Transitory Provisions: Rule 39.3a Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this IRR, the Secretaries of the DA, the DOH, and the DILG shall organize the FSRCB. Rule 39.3b An ad hoc secretariat is hereby created to assist and support the Secretaries of the DA, the DOH, and the DILG in identifying the members of the FSRCB and prepare the agenda for the first Board meeting. It shall be composed of at least 2 representatives from each Department. The ad hoc secretariat shall automatically cease to function immediately upon the organization of an administrative and technical secretariat pursuant to Article VI, Section 21 (c) of the Act. The funding and personnel requirements for the ad hoc secretariat shall be provided by the DA, DOH and DILG from their existing funds and manpower complements. Rule 39.3c The functions, duties and responsibilities pertaining to one FSRA but is presently being performed by another FSRA pursuant to previous formal agreements or issuances shall be continuously performed by the latter until the same are transferred to the concerned FSRA. Rule 39.3d The transfer and absorption of the functions, duties and responsibilities belonging to the former shall be in accordance with the transition plan to be finalized and approved during the first Board meeting and implemented within 24 months from the effectivity of this IRR. Notwithstanding, the transfer and absorption of the functions, duties and responsibilities shall take effect immediately after 24 months from the effectivity of this IRR. Rule 39.3e The transition plan shall include, among others: i

The efficient transfer of all processed and pre-packaged food applications (product registration and license of establishments) and consumer complaints with the Consumer Arbitration Officer of the Department of Agriculture on processed and pre-packaged food, together with all the required documents, records and relevant information to the DOH-FDA;

ii.

The DOH-FDA, with the assistance of DA-BFAR, shall pursue in securing EU certification to processed fish products exported to EU; and

iii.

The DA and DOH shall jointly undertake an information dissemination to notify relevant stakeholders of the transfer of regulatory activities based on their mandates and endeavour to continuously coordinate and cooperate for the effective implementation of the Food Safety Act.

SECTION 40. Separability Clause. - If any provision of these implementing rules and regulations is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. SECTION 41. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of the Food Safety Act 2013 and these implementing rules and regulations are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. SECTION 42. Effectivity. - These implementing rules and regulations shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

PROCESO J. ALCALA JANETTE LORETO GARIN, MD, MBA-H Secretary Acting Secretary Department of Agriculture Department of Health

WITNESSED BY:

SEGFREDO R. SERRANO Undersecretary Department of Agriculture

ATTY. NICOLAS B. LUTERO III OIC Director-General Food and Drug Administration

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SUNDAY: MARCH 8, 2015

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bulacan poll recall halted

By orlan l. mauricio

MALOLOS CITY – A regional trial court judge of Bulacan has stopped the validation of signatures and thumb marks in connection with the recall elections initiated against incumbent Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado. RTC-Branch 83 Judge Guillermo Agloro issued a temporary restraining order enjoining OIC-Provincial Election Supervisor Jerbee Anthony Cortez from conducting the verification of signatures scheduled on Monday, March 9. A total of 319,707 voters out of the 1,534,058 voters in the May, 2013 elections signed the recall petition. Alvarado filed on Wednesday his urgent petition that was assigned to the sala of Judge Agloro through a special raffle held on the same day by RTC Executive Judge Theresa M. Arcega. “Parang pinalutong pansit,” was how former provincial administrator Perlita Mendoza, principal petitioner in the recall elections, described the speedy issuance of TRO. “Grabe naman, less than 48 hours lang after receipt of the ‘Petition’ may TRO na agad,” she said. Under the law, the TRO is effective for twenty (20) days unless otherwise lifted or superseded by an order from the Court of Appeals or Supreme Court. In a press briefing at the provincial Capitol last Friday hours after the issuance of the TRO, Alvarado exuded confidence and expressed hopes that the recall initiatives would fizzle out. He reiterated that he was deprived of his right to due process by the acts of Mendoza and Cortez in undermining the recall procedures, particularly Sec. 16 of Comelec Resolution 7505, regarding the posting and publication of the ‘Recall Petition’. Alvarado said that instead of the PES who should cause the publication of the ‘Recall Petition’ in a daily and weekly newspapers of general circulation once a week for three (3) consecutive issues, it was petitioner-Mendoza who caused the publication of the petition in the newspapers Tribune and Rekta. Alvarado exhibited a certification from RTC-Clerk of Court Emmanuel Ortega that Rekta is not an accredited newspaper of general circulation in the province which became the basis for the issuance of the TRO. At Friday’s hearing, Mendoza’s counsel Bernadette Serdillo, who showed up in court although not served with any notice, entered his appearance as intervenor and argued that her client should have been made a party-ininterest in the case. Judge Agloro however did not allow Serdillo to make any manifestation and instead required her to file first a ‘Motion for Intervention’ within five (5) days so the Court can recognize her appearance. Serdillo sought a verbal reconsideration of Agloro’s ruling but was denied. Thereafter, Serdillo manifested that the Court take judicial notice of a May 5, 2013 decision of Bulacan RTC-Branch 22 Judge Grace Victoria Ruiz involving the same petition for a TRO and the same parties which unequivocally ruled that the Regional Trial Court has no jurisdiction over Comelec which is a constitutional commission.

riding the waves. Surfing in San Juan, La Union has become a thriving business that has also sent prices of real estate property in the vicinity skyrocketing to a prohibitive level. christine junio

court urged to confirm cjh ruling By rey requejo THE CJH Development Corporation has filed with the Regional Trial Court of Baguio City a petition for the confirmation against the Bases Conversion Development Authority of the P1.42 billion money awarded to the developer by the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center Inc. In a petition for confirmation of final award by PDRCI, the former camp’s developer also asked the court to enter judgment in accordance with the award, issue the writ of execution for the P1.42 billion money award and appoint a commissioner to oversee the turn-over of the leased property to the BCDA after BCDA pays the P1.42 billion money award to the developer of the former American recreational facility. CJHDEVCO also submitted to the court a list of third parties with vested rights in the leased property. “BCDA is expected to continue to honor and respect all the rights and interests of third parties, such as locators, sub-lessees, unit owners, lot owners and golf club members since they acquired their interests in good faith and are not covered by the arbitral award to vacate,” said Mr. Alfredo Yniguez, COO of CJHDEVCO, in a statement. The PDRCI final award rendered last February 11, 2015 adjudged CJHDEVCO as not liable for the P3.3 billion back rental claimed by BCDA and instead ordered BCDA to pay CJHDEVCO by way of damages for breach of contract, P1.42 billion, effectively returning to CJHDEVCO all rental payments for the former American rest and recreation center since 1997. “The decision of PDRCI is a vindication of our position that we do not owe BCDA any

rentals,” said Yniguez. “PDRCI also confirmed our position that we are the aggrieved party in the relationship with BCDA, and for this reason, awarded our prayer for damages which PDRCI set at P1.42 billion,” said Mr. Yniguez. The filing of the petition confirms CJHDEVCO’s earlier commitment to abide by the Final Award of the PDRCI. The arbitral body earlier ordered the BCDA to pay P 1.42 billion to CJHDEVCO, representing rental payments made by CJHDEVCO to BCDA since 1998.

the Restructuring Memorandum of Agreement of 2008 are hereby rescinded due to the mutual breach thereof by the parties. The parties are hereby reverted as far as practicable to their original position prior to the execution of the Original Lease Agreement,” the PDRCI ruling stated. The PDRCI stressed that BCDA failed to comply with its obligation of setting up a One-Stop Action Center, which would have been an effective mechanism to facilitate development of the John Hay Special Economic Zone.

In its 274-page Final Award, the three-man PDRCI also declared CJHDEVCO as “not liable for any unpaid back rent” after it found both the BCDA and CJHDEVCO of mutually committing breach of their contractual obligations, in connection with the development of the Camp John Hay in Baguio City. “The Original Lease Agreement, the subsequent Memorandums of Agreement and

“It is undeniable that the OSAC which the BCDA claims to have established in compliance with the 2008 restructured memorandum of agreement (RMOA), was unable to perform its warranties. For one, the OSAC was manifestly not fully authorized to process and issue developmental permits, such as tree-cutting, earth balling, and tree-pruning permits,” the arbitration body said in its ruling.

3 gold panners shot dead in surigao; npa tagged By alvin t. guanzon BUTUAN CITY—At least 30 suspected members of the New People’s Army shot dead three gold panners in Barobo, Surigao del Sur, the regional police office said. The Police Regional Office-13 identified the victims as Reginald

Ocol Resurreccion, 49, married; Chino Dahuya, 24, single; and Reynaldo Conde, all residents of Barangay Dughan in Barobo. The victims were shot one after the other, police said. Another panner, Artemio Carrion Dahuya, 49, managed to escape but he was wounded during the massacre, the Surigao del Sur Provincial

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Police Office said. The victims were preparing breakfast at around 5:30 a.m. when 30 armed men wearing bonnets fired at them, police said. The survivor was 100 meters away from the rest of his companions and said he saw gunmen with long firearms shot his three companions.

Dahuya said he hid in the grass but one of the gunmen shot him hitting him in the leg. Dahuya said he fled and went to a barangay Oficial’s house to seek help. Barobo municipal police investigators were still investigating the incident. Barobo is some 100 kilometers

away from Butuan City, Caraga Region’s capital, which is known to be gold panning area. The area has been the source of many conflicts, robbery, hold-up incidents and killings that eventually earned for it the reputation as “killing fields” since massive gold panning activities started.

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SUNDAY: MARCH 8, 2015

Roderick T. dela Cruz EDITOR business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

FILIPINOS IMPRESS KRISPY KREME BOSS

DAN Beem, the global president of US-based Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., says he is delighted by the way Filipino staff members serve customers, which helps the brand grow in the country. “It has grown incredibly well in the Philippines. We have 62 stores here. It makes one of the largest markets in the world. What they deliver to customers, it is second to none. The energy when you walk into the store, the genuine smile on the faces. It is everything Krispy Kreme hopes to be,” Beem says during a tour of the Krispy Kreme store at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. He celebrated his 45th birthday in the country during the visit. Beem, the one in charge of expanding the brand’s international franchise business segment, joined Krispy Kreme vice president for Asia-Pacific Steve Avery, Krispy Kreme Philippines chief executive Sharon Fuentebella and marketing manager Ariane Valinton during the visit to the store. The US team came to the Philippines as a part of an Asian tour that also covered Bangkok, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Beem, who has over 20 years in the

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restaurant industry, had served as president of Cold Stone Creamery and Kahala Corp. International before joining Krispy Kreme. He also held executive and management positions with Planet Hollywood, TGI. Fridays, Gordon Biersch Brewing Company and Nascar. Now, he is in charge of expanding the Krispy Kreme brand globally. Krispy Kreme, a global doughnut company founded by Vernon Rudolph in Winston-Salem, North Carolina 77 years ago, is a retailer and wholesaler of sweet treats and complementary products, including its signature original glazed doughnut and great tasting coffee. “The first store opened in 1937 in North Carolina by Rudolph. It is a brand that has tested the time in that many years. It definitely has established an emotional connection with customers,” says Beem. With a global network of 1,000 stores, Krispy Kreme aims to be the worldwide leader in “sharing delicious tastes and

creating joyful memories.” Today, it is known for its signature coffee and roster of premium and delectable doughnuts. Krispy Kreme has recently opened its 1,000th shop in Kansas City and in celebration, gave away 1,000 original glazed doughnuts simultaneously to millions of customers in 1,000 participating locations, targeting a total of 1 million free doughnuts all over the world. “The Philippines is such a great market for Krispy Kreme. Not only is there tremendous growth opportunities, there is also a very welcoming and exciting vibe among our loyal customers who have become accustomed to the fun and delightful experience of a global brand with a touch of the Filipino’s passionate and heartwarming service,” says Beem, who reports to Krispy Kreme president and chief executive Jim Morgan. “In the Philippines, they have 13 stores planned for next year, which would bring us to 75. We are thrilled about that,” says Beem. “We take pride in being where we are right now. As we celebrate this momentous occasion with our millions of fans worldwide, we are even

more committed to continuously seek better ways to touch and enhance the lives of our customers through the joy that is Krispy Kreme, ” says Beem. Fuentabella says the fact that the top leaders of Krispy Kreme visited the country manifests how important the Philippine market is to the US company. “We are very pleased to have the leadership of Krispy Kreme here. It shows how Krispy Kreme has really grown and how the Philippines is an important market for them,” says Fuentabella, who is also the chairman of Max’s Group, which holds the Philippine franchise for Krispy Kreme. “It is truly an honor to be here today in Manila. This past week, we celebrated our 1,000th store opening in Kansas City. One of the core values that we have experienced here is hospitality. Nobody exhibits hospitality like here in Manila,” says Beem. The US remains the largest market of Krispy Kreme with 250 stores. “Right behind that, would be Mexico with 150 stores. We have just opened our 104th store in Korea. I would say the Philippines is probably in the top five,” says Beem. He says half of the brand sales are registered in the Asia-Pacific region. “AsiaPacific is incredibly important to us. The Asia-Pacific region actually accounts for half of revenue. The partners did a good job and we want to celebrate this event with them,” he says. Beem says “we definitely see the donut market growing. In what we see, people are kinda busy, but they want to take that 10 minutes with their family and have a CONTINUED ON B3

SUNDAY: MARCH 8, 2015

BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

FARMER CEOS

TWO top executives of Monsanto Company were once farmers in their home countries before they joined the prestigious American company. The farming experience, they say in an interview, helped them understand the intricacies of agriculture and food production. Juan Farinati and Sandro Rissi grew up in farms in Argentina and Brazil, respectively. They joined Monsanto Company, a US agriculture conglomerate, and were assigned in Asia, where biotechnology is beginning to bloom, especially in the Philippines. In an interview at Sulo Hotel in Quezon City, Farinati, the Singapore-based vice president of Monsanto for Asia-Pacific, and Sandro Rissi, country lead of Monsanto Philippines Inc., say farming is a noble profession that plays a crucial part in feeding the global population. “I am from Argentina. I have been working for Monstanto for 15 years, but I have 39 years of experience in agriculture. We have a farm. My family is a family of farmers,” says Farinati. Now, Farinati is in charge of Monsanto operations in AsiaPacific. “I moved to Singapore a year and a half ago. I cover the whole region, basically from Pakistan to Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand,” he says. Son of farmer For his part, Rissi, who is based in Alabang, came from Brazil. “As a son of a farmer in Brazil, the first time I started farming by my own hands, I used to produce 3.5 metric tons of corn per hectare. Two decades later after that time, my family was able to deliver 10 metric tons per hectare,” says Rissi, adding that the increase in yield was led by the adoption of new technologies such as biotechnology. “Brazil was a country that was importing corn less than eight years ago. Suddenly, we started increasing yield dramatically by technology adoption and agroeconomic practices improvement. Nowadays, we are exporting corn. We have excess corn in Brazil which allows us to supply other countries,” he says. Christopher Samuel, Monsanto director for corporate engagement in Asia-Pacific, says the Philippines is an important market for Monsanto, which has been in the country for the last 45 years. Samuel says in the Philippines, “75 percent of our team is from rural background. They know what is farming is about. More than that, almost 50 percent of total organization is women. Fifty

percent of country leadership team is women.” “We have 110 to 120 full-time employees in the Philippines. We also have 110 to 120 contractors and some seasonal employees. All in all, we are talking about 200 to 300 people working for us in seasonal or full-time basis,” says Samuel. The Monsanto executives believe that the Philippines will be able to export corn in the coming years with the help of biotechnology, after attaining self-sufficiency status in 2013. “This is my dream. I wake up very early every day and I go to the job for this,” says Rissi. Biotechnology is a biologybased technology which involves using organisms or parts to make or modify products or improve plants, animals or microorganisms. Several groups, however, have raised issues against biotech crops, especially over food safety, ethical and political concerns. Biotech opposition Chito Medina, national coordinator of Masipag group, claims that Filipino farmers who have been planting GM crops suffered negative income, health problems and poisoned environment. He says farmers who adopted GM corn suffered further indebtedness, health problems and a poisoned environment. Monsanto disputes this, citing data showing that biotechnology helped the Philippines become selfsufficient in corn. Samuel says 30 percent of Filipino corn farmers are now choosing Monsanto’s six Dekalb hybrid corn seeds. He says the Philippines “is our biggest success in Asia” in terms of biotech corn. Through its brand Dekalb, the St. Louis, Missouri-based company has been at the forefront of corn seed technology. It launched the first geneticallyenhanced hybrid corn seed in the Philippines in 2003, with Bt or Bacillus thurengensis trait to control corn borer. In 2005, another trait was added, the roundup ready corn 2 technology which made corn plant herbicide tolerant. From 2010, more trains are expected to be launched. Corn variants A total of four variants of biotech maize from Monsanto have been approved for commercial planting, including Mon810 for insect resistance in 2002, NK603 for herbicide tolerance in 2005, Bt11 for insect resistance in 2005, and the stakced (double) gene product of Mon810xNK603 (2005), Mon89034 (2010) which is protected from feeding damage

caused by Lepidopteran insects and Mon89034xNK603 (2011) with insect resistance and herbicide resistance in one plant. Monsanto claims that since the launch of its biotech hybrids, it was able to improve the lives of about 500,000 corn farmers in the Philippines through higher crop yields, reduced farm input costs, increased farm profit, improved environment and less imports. The Agriculture Department considers corn as the second most important crop in the Philippines, next to rice. About 14 million Filipinos prefer white corn as their main staple and yellow corn accounts for about 50 percent of livestock mixed feeds. Some 600,000 farm households depend on corn

More than 400,000 farmers have benefitted from the introduction of biotechnology in the Philippines. as a major source of livelihood, in addition to transport services, traders, processors and agricultural input suppliers who directly benefit from corn production, processing, marketing and distribution. The Philippines used to import an average of 300,000 to 500,000 metric tons of corn annually. Corn harvest Corn production for calendar year 2014 reached 7.77 million MT, or 5.3 percent higher than the 2013 output of 7.38 million MT. Harvest area increased to 2.61 million hectares, or 1.86 percent than the previous year’s 2.56 million hectares. Yield improved from 2.88 MT per hectare to 2.98 MT per hectare. This made the Philippines nearly sufficient in corn, with demand accounting for less than 8 million tons. Some 600,000 farm households depend on corn as a major source of livelihood. It set a target of producing 10.82 million tons by 2017. Agriculture assistant secretary and national rice and corn program coordinator Edilberto de Luna said the 2014 production consisted of 5.5 million tons of yellow corn and

2.3 million tons of white corn. De Luna said for 2015, DA was aiming to produce 8.4 million metric tons of corn. Goal for PH “The key thing that we want to achieve in the Philippines is how we can help farmers to be more productive with the technology available. Today, Filipino farmers are having a yield per hectare that is maybe 30 percent below the potential yield that they may have. In our trials in the Philippines, we are harvesting 7 to 8 tons per hectare for corn. Today, the average farmers is harvesting less than 5 tons,” says Farinati. “There is a lot of room for practices and knowledge to help them to bridge that gap to be more productivity. The productivity in Brazil and Argentina, for example, from yield perspective, is in the range between 8 and 12 tons per hectare. If you think that way, there is a lot of room to continue growing productivity,” says Farinati. Donation To give back to the farming community and in honor of farmers, Monsanto has recently helped build houses for farmers displaced by typhoon Yolanda in 2013. “We had the chance to hand over some houses to farmers in Iloilo that were affected by typhoon Yolanda a year and a half ago. we decided as a company to support the farmers who were affected by the typhoon. That’s why we put in place a donation focusing on three main things: housing, relief and seeds,” says Farinati. “We had a great experience to be with the farmers in their new houses, seeing how we can help customers and farmers and support them in their situation,” he says. Rissi says Monsanto teamed up with Gawad Kalinga to build 50 new houses, assist 1,200 families and donate sees to 1,000 farmers. “In addition to providing our products, technology and services, we have our commitment with the community as well. If you do business in Visayas, how can we not afford to help farmers that have acquired our products and impacted by tremendous typhoon,” he says. Monsanto employees Monsanto employs 850 people across Asia-Pacific, half of whom are women, says Farinati. “We have facilities for production, processing seeds in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, facilities for crop protection in Malaysia, Indonesia and we have research and development stations across Thailand, New Zealand, Australia,

Monsanto executives during the turnover of housing units to typhoon victims in Sara, Iloilo

the Philippines,” he says. Farinati says the Philippines is a very important market in the Asian region. “First of all, the Philippines is the first market where we launched biotech corn. It is a market where growth has demonstrated, actively adopting technology. It is a leading case of how we can together with the farmers and stakeholders in the sector. We can improve agriculture in the country and improve lives of farmers. It is a very important market,” he says. Farinati says the rising global population will need more food. “We need to be more productive. The Philippines is in that path of increasing productivity. In Asia, we are seeing we need more corn moving forward. Today, Asia is a net corn importing region. Basically, Vietnam is importing, Indonesia is importing, Thailand is importing. The Philippines is the only country that through productivity has been able to catch up and be almost at par with demand and supply. The Philippines has big opportunity to continue growing in corn production and be able to supply the internal demand but also to be a part of the country exporting to other parts of Asia,” he says. He says corn is one of the most important crops, as it also supports livestock, poultry and aquaculture sectors. “Clearly, the trend going forward is Asia will need more corn. As the diet of the population changes, we need more corn to produce poultry, pork. That is something very clear and the Philippines can play a big game,” says Farinati. “Yellow corn plays a big role in the food value chain. From corn, more than 75 percent in feeds, that becomes chicken, that becomes pork. That is why there is a higher need for yellow corn,” says Rissi. Population growth He says the population of the Philippines is projected to grow by 7 percent to 8 percent every five years. “Today, we are 100 million plus people. We are going to be 140 million plus by 2025. This is the first factor. Economy is growing in the Philippines. When you start putting people in a better economic situation, the first thing that you do is they start eating better,” he says. Rissi cites government data showing there are 1.5 million corn farmers in the Philippines. “If you look at other sources of data, they show that more than 400,000 farmers have benefitted from the introduction of biotechnology in the Philippines in the past decade and today, they are able to produce

SUNDAY: MARCH 8, 2015

BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

FARMER CEOS

FROM B1

approved biotechnology in 2002. If you look at other countries, they are still developing the standards and protocols to enable farmers to play. Imagine the Philippines can play a big role in that one and take advantage of the opportunity to export corn to other countries.” “In terms of corn consumption in Asia, from 322 million metric tons, it is expected to rise at least 20 per cent, touching 388 million metric tons by 2025. The gap between domestic production and consumption is likely to widen as time passes,” Farinati says. “These facts motivate Monsanto innovate and partner to enable farmers to meet demands sustainably by enabling them with innovative products, agronomic practices and tools. Farmers can increase food and feed production to meet rising consumer needs amidst stagnant or diminishing natural resources and a changing climate, and to improve their lives, and tap export opportunities given geographic proximity to nations with large populations & growing food needs,” says Farinati. Rissi says Monsanto is committed to sustaining Filipino farmers’ corn success with corn seeds with insect

49 percent or almost 50 percent Basically, this is basically driven more than they were producing 10 by the needs,” he says. or 12 years ago, with lower cost of Rissi says the Philippines production, because there was a achieved self sufficiency in corn 60-percent reduction in pesticides in 2013. “So what is the target they would apply on crops,” he says. of the Philippines? We need to “This means they have a lower continue increasing yield and cost with higher yield which productivity to improve livelihood translates to more profitability in the countryside, but there is a at the end. There were studies huge opportunity to improve the that show farmers can earn economics of the country to export $180 additional income up to corn to other Asian countries.” $400, depending on the level of Corn exporter investment per hectare. If you put Samuel says based on statistics, those numbers in perspective, we some $1.3 billion or P60 billion were are talking about more than $400 saved locally by not importing corn million that has been added to the after 2010, when biotechnology economy,” he says. adoption reached a peak. Less insecticides Farinati says Asian countries Farinati says propagation of are importing $1.2 billion worth biotech corn has reduced the use of corn from the US and other of insecticides. “Sixty percent less countries annually. “So that is a big on insecticides has huge impact, opportunity for the Philippines.” monumental impact. You are Rissi says from the perspective helping farmers to be more friendly of Asean integration, “I think with the environment,” he says. the Philippines can work as a Rissi says it has also reduced the major player in harmonizing the use of water, “because if you apply standards in Asia. We have a insecticides you apply water.” highly scientific regulatory system, Rissi says by planting yellow very progressive, to the extent we corn, the Philippines has improved productivity. “If you look at the yield in the Philippines in the last 12 years, it has increased almost 50 percent, per hectare. So productivity has increased dramatically, which means today, a yellow corn farmer in the InvItatIon to BId no. 054 Philippines is producing 4.8 metric tons per hectare. Rest./RehaB of MasalIp RIs If you look at the data 10 The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to or 12 years ago, they were apply the sum of Ten Million Fifty-Nine Thousand Three Hundred Fourteen & 02/100 PESOS (PHP10,059,314.02) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the producing around 3.5 to contract for the Rest./Rehab of Masalip RIS with Contract No R1-LUIMO-15-02-054. Bids 3.6 tons per hectare,” he received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. says. 1. The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Rest./Rehab of Masalip “What has really RIS under FUND 101. The project is located in Agoo, La Union with the following description of work: changed the game in the Philippines was the I. Canalization II. Canal Structures moment that we were able III. Terminal Facilities to introduce biotechnology Completion of the Works is required within Three (300) calendar days. here. We introduced 2. Bidder must have an experience of having completed, a single contract that is similar BT technology by 2003, to the contract to be bid, must be at least 50% of the ABC. The description of an herbicide technology by eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instructions to Bidders. 2005. Bt corn 3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Actual planting of Bt Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the (Bacillus thuringiensis) “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/ sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy-five percent corn started in December (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines. 2012. Bt corn was 4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from National Irrigation developed to fight Asian Administration, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan (office of the Head, BAC Secretariat) and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 A.M to 5:00 PM: corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis), a pest that 5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the above address and upon payment at the NIA Cashier of a non-refundable fee for reduces yellow corn yield the Bidding Documents in the amount of TEN THOUSAND PESOS (Php10,000.00). by as much as 80 percent. 6. Issuance & Availability of bidding documents is from the first day of advertisement/ Corn borers are the Posting of Invitation to Bid/ Request for Expression of interest until submission and top pests of corn in the receipt of bids. Philippines. 7. The National Irrigation Administration will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on March Bt corn carries a 11, 2015, 2:00 PM at the NIA-Regional Office Conference Room, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the transplanted gene that Bidding Documents. produces delta-endotoxin 8. Bids must be delivered on or before 2:00 P.M, March 25, 2015 at the address below. protein, which can kill the Opening of Bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives corn borer. Once inside who choose to attend at the NIA-Region I Conference Room, Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan. Late bids shall not be accepted. the alkaline gut of the 9. The National Irrigation Administration shall not allow contractors to participate in corn borer, the Bt protein the procurement of civil works with at least 15% negative slippage on their on-going is activated and binds to NIA Contracts at the time of advertisement or posting in the PhilGEPS/NIA Website of the Invitation to Bid in accordance with Rule X, Sec. 34.3 (b) (ii) of the Revised specific receptors. Implementing Rules & Regulation of Republic Act No. 9184. Hence, affidavit stating Rissi cites data from with at least 15% negative slippage is required as evidence. International Service 10. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in for the Acquisition the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. of Agri-biotech 11. Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of Applications showing projects within the Agency. that 800,000 hectares in 12. All bids must be accompanied by a Certificate of Site Inspection issued by the the Philippines are now implementing office. planted to Bt corn. “If 13. The National Irrigation Administration reserves the right to reject bids, declare a failure you look at the area of Bt of bidding, and not to award the contract without incurring any liability if the funds/ allotment for the project to be bid has been withheld or reduced through no fault of its corn, we have around 1.3 own. million hectares, with 1 14. Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget million hectares hybrid Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the project. and 300,000 hectares open variety. So 800,000 For further information, please refer to: hectares out of 1 million ENGR. MYRNA C. MARTINEZ - Head BAC Secretariat hectares of BT means NIA-Regional Office No. 1 Barangay Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan 80 percent penetration, Telefax No: 632-1435 which is something E-mail address: niaengineeing@yahoo.com (SGD.) FRIDA L. NIDOY similar to countries like BAC Chairman Argentina, United States, Noted: Brazil and other places where you can plant JOHN N. CELESTE, DPA Regional Manager A biotechnology. So the acceptance is pretty high. (MST-MAR. 8, 2015)

FILIPINOS... FROM B1

P60 billion was saved locally by not importing corn after 2010. protection and weed management traits and so have invested in a 15,000 metric ton corn seed facility in Bulacan to provide farmers with the world’s most advanced product delivery stewardship system. “We’ve been partnering with the Philippines and her farmers for over four decades, and over 75 per cent of the Philippines team is from rural and/or farming backgrounds. The company also focuses on being a great place to work, and women leaders currently constitute 50 percent of leaders in the country leadership team,” Rissi says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

little indulgence,” he says. “Our store count is growing. Customers are overwhelmed when we come to a new market. People line up to experience Krispy Kreme for the first time. We are lucky to have a brand that has that power,” he says. Beem says Krispy Kreme is expanding to Bangladesh and other parts of Russia. “We signed a new development agreement with St. Petersburg, Russia. We are already in Moscow. We want to expand to St. Petersburg. We will open that towards September or October,” he says. He says Krispy Kreme remains unfazed by rising competition. “It is a good thing, because the competition is getting stronger. That tells us that it is a definitely growing market. What we do is to make sure we deliver the joy that is Krispy Kreme,” says Beem. Roderick T. dela Cruz

InvItatIon to BId no. 055 ConstRuCtIon of Bolo CIs (phase II) The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to apply the sum of Six Million Nine Hundred Forty-Three Thousand Nine Hundred Forty-Seven & 42/100 PESOS (PHP6,943,947.42) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Construction of Bolo CIS (Phase II) with Contract No R1-PIMO-15-02-055. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. 1.

The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Construction of Bolo CIS (Phase II) under FUND 101. The project is located in Labrador, Pangasinan with the following description of work: I. II.

Canal Structures (For Main Canal) Canal Lining (For Main Canal)

Completion of the Works is required within One Hundred Twenty (120) calendar days. 2.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy-five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Issuance & Availability of bidding documents is from the first day of advertisement/ Posting of Invitation to Bid/ Request for Expression of interest until submission and receipt of bids.

Bids must be delivered on or before 2:00 P.M, March 25, 2015 at the address below. Opening of Bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the NIA-Region I Conference Room, Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. 11. Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of projects within the Agency. 12. All bids must be accompanied by a Certificate of Site Inspection issued by the implementing office. 13. The National Irrigation Administration reserves the right to reject bids, declare a failure of bidding, and not to award the contract without incurring any liability if the funds/allotment for the project to be bid has been withheld or reduced through no fault of its own. 14. Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the project. For further information, please refer to:

ENGR. MYRNA C. MARTINEZ - Head BAC Secretariat NIA-Regional Office No. 1 Barangay Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Telefax No: 632-1435 E-mail address: niaengineeing@yahoo.com

Noted: (SGD.) JOHN N. CELESTE, DPA Regional Manager A (MST-MAR. 8, 2015)

(SGD.) FRIDA L. NIDOY BAC Chairman

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

WORLD Photo shows US national Matthew VanDyke pointing towards an incoming rocket fired by Moamer Kadhafi’s forces in eastern Sirte in Libya. After fighting with rebels in Libya and Syria, Matthew VanDyke has rolled up in northern Iraq, but the celebrity American revolutionary-cum-filmmaker has traded his fatigues for a threepiece suit. VanDyke, who rose to fame as a foreign fighter backing Libyan rebels against Moamer Kadhafi, has just finished leading his new military contracting firm through its first assignment— training Christian volunteers to take on jihadists. AFP

LIBYAN FACTIONS UPBEAT ON UN-MEDIATED TALKS MALAYSIA COMMITTED TO FINDING MH370 JET MALAYSIA’S transport minister said Saturday his government remains committed to solving the mystery of flight MH370, but added it remained unclear what the next steps would be if the deep-sea search now under way comes up empty. Liow’s comments, made on the eve of the tragedy’s anniversary, echoed comments made recently by Australian officials who have raised doubts about an open-ended search for the aircraft, believed by experts to have gone down in the southern Indian Ocean. “The people of Malaysia remember this date. The world community will remember this date—the 8th of March disappearance of MH370—and we are together with the next of kin,” Liow told AFP in an interview. “I would like to say to the next of kin that we will continue to be committed to the search.” But he said if nothing is found in a zone now being scoured, “then we have to go back to the drawing board” and re-examine all available data used to determine a suspected crash zone. Sunday’s anniversary looms as a painful milestone for relatives of the 239 passengers and crew aboard the plane—which inexplicably diverted from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing route shortly after takeoff last March 8—many of whom are deeply unhappy with the lack of progress. AFP

RIVAL Libyan factions said Friday they were upbeat about the course of UN-mediated talks under way in Morocco aimed at brokering a deal on a national unity government.

UN envoy Bernardino Leon shuttled between representatives of Libya’s rival parliaments, the General National Congress and the elected and internationally recognised legislature, for a second day near Rabat. Elected parliament member Cherif El Wafi said the talks had been “positive”. «We are now going to discuss the

make-up of a national unity government,» he told reporters. He admitted there are some disagreements over the names being discussed, but expected the rival parliaments to bridge their differences. He said talks would resume on Tuesday in Morocco, adding that he hoped the line-up would be announced by the end of next week.

But GNC member Mustapha Abu Shakura said a «written agreement could be reached on Saturday». He said talks are now focusing on «security issues, a ceasefire and the organisation of the army». Libya has been wracked by conflict since the 2011 armed uprising against Moamer Kadhafi, with the two governments and powerful militias battling for control of key cities and the North African country’s oil riches. In the latest violence there, Islamic State group jihadists killed eight guards on Friday in an attack on the southern oilfield of Al-Ghani, a security source said. Libya’s elected parliament is based

in the eastern city of Tobruk while the rival Islamist-backed GNC is in the capital Tripoli. Leon met members of the Tobruk-based parliament on Friday morning before later seeing delegates from Tripoli, an AFP journalist said. He later told reporters «there is no solution in Libya out of this dialogue», and stressed that the security issue «is extremely important» and any act of violence would endanger the Morocco talks. «Yesterday morning we welcomed a statement from Libyan national army announcing that there won’t be air strikes during the coming days to support the talks in Morocco,» Leon said, speaking in English. «We have seen yesterday and today new air strikes. This is a serious threat to what we are trying to achieve here, and I call again all the Libyan actors to avoid such behaviours, such actions, and to support the dialogue. AFP

RUSSIA ARRESTS TWO OVER NEMTSOV KILLING TWO suspects have been arrested over the killing of Russian opposition activist Boris Nemtsov, who was gunned down last week near the Kremlin in a brazen assassination that shocked the country, the state security agency said Saturday. “Two suspects were arrested today in connection with this crime, they are Anzor Gubashev and Zaur Dadayev, and the head of state has been informed,” the head of the FSB federal security service Alexander Bortnikov told state television. He said the two men were from the Caucasus region. “The necessary operational and investigative procedures are continuing,” said Bortinkov. The country was left reeling after Nemstov was shot four times in the back while walking with his girlfriend along a bridge just a short distance from the Kremlin in the centre of Moscow last Friday. The 55-year-old was a longtime Putin critic and renowned anti-corruption crusader who served as Boris Yeltsin’s first deputy prime minister in the 1990s. President Vladimir Putin called the killing a “provocation” that had brought dis-

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People bring candles in front of the Russian embassy in Bratislava on March 3, 2015 in memory of murdered Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov. Russians bid farewell today to the slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was buried at Moscow’s Troekurovskoye cemetery. AFP

grace upon the country, vowing that everything would be done to bring to justice those who committed a “vile and cynical murder.” The latest assassination of a prominent opposition figure in

Russia—where government is accused of cracking down on dissent—prompted a wave of theories in the country as to why he was killed. Some suggest he was assassi-

nated for criticising Russia’s role in the Ukraine conflict, others for his condemnation of January’s killings at the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly in Paris by Islamist gunmen. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK S U N D AY : M A r c h 8 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

ArMAN ArMErO EDITOR

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Kerry seeKs france’s help

goes to paris for iran nuclear talks US Secretary of State John Kerry was due to arrive in Paris Saturday seeking to boost European support for an emerging nuclear deal with Iran as France voiced concerns over whether it was stringent enough.

Kerry was to fly in from London on the last stop of his latest diplomatic trip, to brief his French, German and British counterparts on the negotiations. The top US diplomat spent three days in Switzerland earlier this week huddled with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif seeking to hammer out a deal as a March 31 deadline looms. But French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who will meet first with Kerry for bilateral talks on Saturday, remained sceptical. “There has been progress but as regards the numbers, controls and the length of the agreement, the situation is still not sufficient, so there is more work to be done,” Fabius said on the sidelines of an eU foreign ministers meeting in Latvia. Fabius gave no figures but key issues in the talks which began in late 2013 include the level of uranium enrich-

US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) discusses seating arrangements for a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for a new round of nuclear negotiations on March 2, 2015, in Montreux. The White House denied it will curb US aid to Israel in response to a bitter fight over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bid to scuttle landmark negations with Iran. AFP

ment that Iran should be allowed, the degree of international oversight of its programme and how long an accord should last. “The deadline is March 31 but in the event it could be later, although everyone wants to make progress by the end of the month,” Fa-

bius said. Kerry has acknowledged that he is uncertain whether a deal can be reached, warning that after months of intensive negotiations between world powers and Iran time is running out. “We are seeking to show that Iran’s program is exclu-

sively peaceful and that we can block all of the pathways necessary to acquire the fissile material for a nuclear weapon and then to be able to move towards the production of that weapon,” Kerry said on Thursday after briefing Gulf foreign ministers in Riyadh on the

‘Ford mishAP Probe mAy tAke A yeAr’ An investigation into what caused hollywood star harrison Ford to crash the single-engine plane he was piloting will take about a year to complete, US aviation officials said on Friday. Ford, 72, was injured Thursday when his vintage aircraft suffered apparent engine failure and crash-landed on a golf course outside Los Angeles. Patrick Jones, an official with the national Transportation Safety Board (nTSB), told reporters in Venice, California that investigators were inspecting the wreckage as well as reviewing documents pertaining to the upkeep of the plane. “The aircraft will be examined, the engine will be examined, the records of the aircraft will be examined and ultimately we’ll submit a factual report,” Jones said. “All of that process is going to take probably a couple of weeks to a month or so,” the nTSB official said. “The final report probably will not be out for a year.” experts said the aircraft he was flying was a World War

Firefighters and an aviation official remove the 1942 Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR plane that crashed onto a golf course and was piloted by US actor Harrison Ford in Venice, California on March 6, 2015. Ford was injured when the small plane he was flying suffered engine failure and crash-landed on a golf course outside Los Angeles, officials said. The 72-year-old “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” actor suffered multiple gashes to his head. AFP

II era two-seater plane that was more than 70 years old. Jones said that the plane being as old as it is in many ways makes the investigation more straightforward. “This aircraft is a fairly

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simple aircraft,” he said. “A lot of it is old-school mechanical. We’ll see what it is, we’ll look at everything.” Ford, an aviation enthusiast with years of flying under his belt, flew out of

Santa Monica Airport in the Ryan PT-22 Recruit when he experienced engine trouble just minutes into the flight. he was trying to return to the airport when he crashed. AFP

state of the talks. “To date, we have made progress, but there do remain serious gaps, and those need to be resolved,” he stressed. “It may be that Iran cannot say yes to the type of deal that provides assurances that the international

community requires.” Bilateral negotiations between the US and Iran will resume on March 15. Further talks between the group known as the P5+1 —Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States—and Tehran are also expected.

Us, eU rAce to Fix ties with cUbA The eU’s talks with Cuba this week on normalizing ties set up a potential rivalry with the United States as businesses on both sides of the Atlantic eye the island’s post-thaw potential. The talks were the third round in a nearly year-old series of meetings on normalizing relations, which the european Union suspended in 2003. But they were the first since the historic USCuban rapprochement announced on December 17 after more than five decades of Cold War isolation. US President Barack Obama’s declaration that “it’s time for a new approach” toward the communist regime followed in the footsteps of the eU’s own rapprochement with Cuba, which the bloc launched in April 2014, aiming to persuade havana to improve its human rights record. The eU welcomed the US-Cuban thaw as “his-

toric,” but is now faced with a situation where its own talks risk taking a back seat. That was underlined when Cuba postponed the latest round of eU talks in December, when its secret negotiations with Washington were in full swing. Some of the 28 eU members reacted to the US rapprochement by demanding that the bloc accelerate its own Cuba talks. Spain, which counts Cuba as a key trade partner, urged fellow members to “give eU businesses the chance to compete with American companies” on the island. “It’s clear the europeans see the United States as an ally but also as a competitor in terms of investment and trade with Cuba. It’s about political interests, but it’s clearly about economic interests too,” said Peter Schechter, Latin America director at the Atlantic Council, a US think tank. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK S U N D AY : M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

ARMAN ARMERO EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

PACMAN READY VS FLOYD’S DEFENSE By Eddie Alinea

OS ANGELES, California—One week into the Wild Card camp here, Filipino World Boxing Organization welterweight Photo shows Filipino boxng icon Manny Pacquiao (left) practicing the mitts with trainer and friend Buboy champion Manny Pacquiao pronounced himself Fernandez during a workout in General Santos City RECENTLY. Pacquiao is scheduled to ﬁght the unbeaten ready to meet the much-vaunted defense of rival American Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their welterweight match in May 2 at the MGM Arena in Las Vegas. AFP Floyd Maywearther Jr., whom he meets in a unification 12-round, 147-pound InvItatIon to BId no. 046 InvItatIon to BId no. 057 showdown on ConstruCtIon sta. MarIa-Burgos nIs supply & delIvery of 7Hp dIesel engIne of papagueyan May 2 in Las CIs/stW/sfr The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2013 intends to apply the sum of Five Million & 00/100 PESOS (PHP5,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to apply the Vegas. the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Construction of Sta. Maria-Burgos NIS sum of Nine Million One Hundred Forty-Two Thousand Five Hundred Forty-One & 37/100 PESOS with Contract No R1-ISIMO-15-02-046. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. 1.

The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Construction of Sta. Maria-Burgos NIS under FUND 101. The project is located in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur with the following description of work: I. II. III.

(PHP9,142,541.37) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Supply & Delivery of 7HP Diesel Engine of Papagueyan CIS/STW/SFR with Contract No R1PIMO-15-02-057. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. 1.

Diversion Works Canalization Canal Structures

The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Supply & Delivery of 7HP Diesel Engine of Papagueyan CIS/STW/SFR under FUND 101. The project is located in Binmaley, Pangasinan with the following description of work: I. II.

Completion of the Works is required within Ninety (90) calendar days. 2.

For SFR A. Supply & Delivery of 7HP Water Cooled, V-belt driven diesel engine w/ at least 2200 RPM coupled w/3” diam.X50 TDH Self Priming Water Pump w/at least 2200 RPM discharge capacity mounted on a common steel base w/complete accessories

For STW B. Supply & Delivery of 7HP Water Cooled, V-belt driven diesel engine w/ at least 2200 RPM coupled w/3” diam.X50 TDH Self Priming Water Pump w/at least 2200 RPM discharge capacity mounted on a common steel base w/complete accessories

Issuance & Availability of bidding documents is from the first day of advertisement/ Posting of Invitation to Bid/ Request for Expression of interest until submission and receipt of bids.

Small Farm Reservior Supply & Delivery of Pump Sets w/Engine

III. IV.

Supply & Delivery of Shallow Tube Well Materials & Accessories Supply & Delivery of 2 ½” diam.X60 mts. Commercial P.E. discharge pipes

Completion of the Works is required within Ninety (90) calendar days. 2.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Issuance & Availability of bidding documents is from the first day of advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid/ Request for Expression of interest until submission and receipt of bids.

Bids must be delivered on or before 2:00 P.M, March 25, 2015 at the address below. Opening of Bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the NIARegion I Conference Room, Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10.

All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

11.

Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of projects within the Agency.

12.

13.

Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the project.

10.

All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

11.

Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of projects within the Agency.

12.

All bids must be accompanied by a Certificate of Site Inspection issued by the implementing office.

13.

14.

Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the project.

For further information, please refer to:

ENGR. MYRNA C. MARTINEZ - Head BAC Secretariat NIA-Regional Office No. 1 Barangay Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Telefax No: 632-1435 E-mail address: niaengineeing@yahoo.com

Noted: (SGD.) JOHN N. CELESTE, DPA Regional Manager A (MST-MAR. 8, 2015)

For further information, please refer to:

(SGD.) FRIDA L. NIDOY BAC Chairman

ENGR. MYRNA C. MARTINEZ - Head BAC Secretariat NIA-Regional Office No. 1 Barangay Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Telefax No: 632-1435 E-mail address: niaengineeing@yahoo.com Noted: (SGD.) JOHN N. CELESTE, DPA Regional Manager A (MST-MAR. 8, 2015)

(SGD.) FRIDA L. NIDOY BAC Chairman

“Yeah, if it’s defense he will be relying on when we face each other, I can say this early that I’m ready to meet him in that department,” the fighting Sarangani Congressman told this writer following another rugged, tough training session Friday at the Wild Card Gym. “We’ve actually been figuring out how we can penetrate the defensive blanket Floyd would throw at me since we opened camp in General Santos two or three weeks ago and I think we already have an idea of what offensive maneuvers we would utilize,” Pacquiao said in Tagalog. “We’ve seen in the tapes of several of his previous fights the best things he is capable of doing kaya masasabi ko this early na malaki ang pag-asa na ma-break namin ang depensa nya,” the 36-year-old “Fighter of the Century” honoree, assured. “As I have been saying since we opened camp, we will be concentrating on finding the flaws in his defense and I think, too, we’ve discovered a lot,” he added. “ Tw o - b l a d e d actually and ginagawa Turn to next page

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK S U N D AY : M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

ARMAN ARMERO EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

RAPPER 50 CENT BETS BIG ON MAYWEATHER OVER PACQUIAO CURTIS Jackson, the rap music star better known as 50 Cent, says he will bet $1.6 million (1.47 million euros) on pal Floyd Mayweather to beat Manny Pacquiao in their May boxing showdown. The much-anticipated bout will be staged May 2 in Las Vegas and could be the richest payday in boxing history for undefeated Mayweather. “Champ is going to do it. He’s going to smoke him,” Jackson told radio station Power 105.1. “It’s going to look like he pumped up for no reason.” Asked if he would back up his confidence with a bet, Jackson replied, “Probably like 1.6 (million). I’ve been thinking this out. “I’m going to make a real bet. He’s focused right now.” Jackson last year taunted Mayweather’s reading ability

after a radio station aired audio of the fighter struggling to read a promotion transcript. He challenged the US fighter to read a page from a Harry Potter book in exchange for a $750,000 donation by Jackson to charity. Mayweather responded with a Twitter posting featuring a photo of two massive paychecks saying, “Read this $72,276000.00 God bless.” Jackson compared his spats with Mayweather to a married couple taking out frustrations over other things on each other. “We can both get madder when we’re not speaking to each other,” he said. Filipino southpaw Pacquiao is 57-5 with two drawn and 38 knockouts while Mayweather is 47-0 with 26 knockouts. AFP

American rapper Curtis Jackson, also known as 50 Cent (right) with pal Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacman... From B6

namin nina Buboy and Haplas (assistant trainers and brothers Buboy and Roger “Haplas” Fernandez,” Pacquiao disclosed. “By planning on how to break his defense, we, at the same time, have learned how attack him and score,” the three-rime “Boxer of the Year” awardee said. “Double purpose, di ba?” he said with a wide grin. “Tingin ko nga mas madali ang preparasyon against Floyd compared to my previous fights.” All those they discovered so far in the course of their studies will further be scrutinized and finalized upon the arrival of chief trainer and Wild Card owner Freddie Roach. Roach was still in Macau supervising the first title fight of Chinese protégé Zou Shiming Saturday (Friday here in the U.S.) Pacquiao said the legendary Hall of Fame boxing guru will be arriving here Sunday. Pacquiao, the two Fernandez brothers and several members of his team flew in here via separate flights Saturday last week and immediately pitched the L.A. camp the following Monday. Pacquiao has been burning the road every morning, while training closed door alternately at the Wild Card sweat shop in Hollywood and the Fortune Gym, owned by conditioning coach Justin Fortune.

InvItatIon to BId no. 048 ConstruCtIon suyo-tagudIn-sta. Cruz nIs

InvItatIon to BId no. 051 ConstruCtIon of apatot LuBong sIp (paCkage 1) The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to apply the sum of Seven Million Seventy-Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty-Three & 99/100 PESOS (PHP7,079,953.99) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Construction of Apatot Lubong SIP (Package 1) with Contract No R1-INIMO-15-02-051. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. 1.

The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to apply the sum of Five Million & 00/100 PESOS (PHP5,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Construction of Suyo. Tagudin-Sta. Cruz NIS with Contract No R1-ISIMO-15-02-048. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. 1.

The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Construction of Apatot Lubong SIP (Package 1) under FUND 101. The project is located in Pinili, Ilocos Norte with the following description of work: I. II. III.

I. II. III.

Modification of Diversion Dam Canalization Canal Structures

Completion of the Works is required within One Hundred Eighty (180) calendar days.

The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Construction of Suyo. Tagudin-Sta. Cruz NIS under FUND 101. The project is located in Tagudin, Ilocos Sur with the following description of work: Diversion Works Canalization Canal Structures

Completion of the Works is required within Ninety (90) calendar days. 2.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Issuance & Availability of bidding documents is from the first day of advertisement/ Posting of Invitation to Bid/ Request for Expression of interest until submission and receipt of bids.

10.

All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

10.

All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

11.

Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of projects within the Agency.

11.

Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of projects within the Agency.

12.

All bids must be accompanied by a Certificate of Site Inspection issued by the implementing office.

12.

All bids must be accompanied by a Certificate of Site Inspection issued by the implementing office.

13.

The National Irrigation Administration reserves the right to reject bids, declare a failure of bidding, and not to award the contract without incurring any liability if the funds/ allotment for the project to be bid has been withheld or reduced through no fault of its own.

14.

Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the project.

14.

Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the project.

For further information, please refer to:

ENGR. MYRNA C. MARTINEZ - Head BAC Secretariat NIA-Regional Office No. 1 Barangay Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Telefax No: 632-1435 E-mail address: niaengineeing@yahoo.com

Noted: (SGD.) JOHN N. CELESTE, DPA Regional Manager A (MST-MAR. 8, 2015)

For further information, please refer to: ENGR. MYRNA C. MARTINEZ - Head BAC Secretariat NIA-Regional Office No. 1 Barangay Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Telefax No: 632-1435 E-mail address: niaengineeing@yahoo.com (SGD.) FRIDA L. NIDOY BAC Chairman Noted: (SGD.) FRIDA L. NIDOY BAC Chairman

(SGD.) JOHN N. CELESTE, DPA Regional Manager A (MST-MAR. 8, 2015)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

SUNDAY: MARCH 8, 2015

Riera U. Mallari EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

By Peter Atencio

LORENZO “Jolo” Mendoza never made it to the Mythical 5, nor was he the season Most Valuable Player of the 77th University Athletic Association of the Philippines Junior Basketball Championship. All season, he was the team’s 6th Man, but during Game 3 of the Ateneo Blue Eaglets’ championship showdown with the defending champion National University Bullpups at the Arena in San Juan, there was no denying he was no. 1. The 17-year-old Mendoza shot a season-high 30 points as the Blue Eaglets blasted the Bullpups, 90-73, and became titleholders again. Mendoza, a third year high school student, was eventually named Finals MVP, who struck with 19 points in the second period—big efforts that helped the Blue Eaglets claim their 18th overall crown. “Maganda ang ang feeling na naka-30 ako. Pero, mas maganda iyung feeling na nakatulong ako sa team na mag-champion,” said Mendoza, one of the key players of the present Blue Eaglets’ roster. The 5’10” Mendoza is one of the team’s top performers aside from Nieto brothers Michael and Matthew Nieto, who are considered the heart and soul of the team for their leadership in leading the team through thick and thin. And with the Nietos and Mendoza clicking on all cylinders, the Blue Eaglets reached the finals via the short route, sweeping their 14-game elimination round assignment. “They really wanted to win the championship. I told them that the only way we will win the championship is to play defense,” said Blue Eaglets coach Joe Silva, who won his first crown after handing the squad in the last four years. Averaging 24.3 minutes and 14.6 points, Mendoza is the tournament’s fourth-highest scorer. “Gusto ko na lang talaga manalo. Pinatagal na lang ito nung nakuha nila ang Game 1,” said Mendoza, referring to the 7672 win by the Bullpus over the Eaglets, who bounced back by winning the next two. Basketball is in Jolo’s blood His father, Barako Bull assistant coach Jake Mendoza, has taught him how to play when he was a kid. Jake and his brother Joey Mendoza belonged to a batch of University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, who claimed their only senior crown way back in 1986. Jolo started watching and getting interested in the game when his dad got a job with the Shell Turbo Chargers in the PBA. His mom Bambi would take him to the games, with his brother Gerald and sister Julia and that started his love affair with the sport. Jolo still has another year left to help Ateneo earn backto-back honors. This time though, a bigger task could be expected from him, bigger than his previous 6th man role.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

THE

MAN WHO BECAME NO. 1

S U N D AY : M A R C H 0 8 : 2 0 1 5

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

LIFE

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Chef ’s Day Off WHAT’S COOKING CHEZ LE CHEF

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S U N D AY : M A R C H 0 8 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

SLOW COOKING ON A SUNDAY MARGARITA MARTY

We have our adobo, the Cubans have ropa vieja. And just as there are infinite variations on adobo, every Cuban household has a different version of ropa vieja. I developed my own version as a hybrid based on what two Cuban friends would tell me about how their grandfathers would make ropa vieja as comfort food after moving to the United States.

The original recipe uses flank steak, but because I like to use the slow cooker on days when I don’t have to stress over meals, I prefer to use beef shank. It cooks better in the slow cooker. There are two parts to the recipe, the meat, which provides the heft of the dish, while the sauteed veggies give a crunchy and sweet contrast to the very soft meat.

MARKET SECRETS • I get the beef shank from the Kitayama Meat Shop in Pasong Tamo. • The veggies come from Salcedo or Legaspi Market, while I tend to do my regular grocery shopping in Landmark.

Margarita Marty moved back to Manila after living in the Bay Area. She has two children, and can’t fathom a life without good food.

ROPA VIEJA

(using Kitayama Beef Chuck) MEAT 1/2 kilo beef chuck ½ tsp calamansi juice or lime juice 1/2 tsp garlic powder ½ tsp onion powder ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp dried parsley flakes ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp achuete powder 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce 1 can San Miguel Beer

OFF-DUTY BONG JUN CHOI

Executive Chinese Chef City of Dreams Q: What do you like to do on your dayo ff ? A: I like to relax at home and take it easy, with Discovery Channel TV, cooking shows and swimming. I also like reading cookbooks. Q: Do you cook when you’re not cooking on the job? A: Yes! I do my own cooking when it’s my day off. I always like to cook Pork Ribs Soup and steamed live fish or seafood.

• Marinate beef in herbs, spices worcestershire sauce and beer for 15-30 mins. • Put in slow cooker and allow to cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. • Remove meat from the pot and keep the cooking liquid. • With two forks, shred the beef and set aside. VEGGIES 1 tbsp coconut oil or cooking oil 1 medium red pepper - cored, seeded & chopped 1 medium green pepper, - cored seeded and chopped

Corporate Chef Las Flores, Rambla and La Lola Churreria Q: What do you do on your dayo ff ? A: I love playing tennis, I play at least once a week. In the summer, I try to go out of town to places like Talisay Lake. Q: What do you cook when you’re not cooking on the job? A: I rarely cook at home. I like visiting new restaurant concepts. For the last few years many interesting concepts have opened and it is always nice to taste new things

Q: What do you consider comfort food? A: Comfort food for me is high in carbohydrates, and is simple to prepare. I always enjoy to cook pork ribs, or chicken soup with lots of vegetables, sometimes with potatoes, onions and carrots.

THE REEL LIFE OF CHEFS

• In a skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions and tomatoes until tender then add peppers scallions and cook for another 2 mins.

• Add the beef and about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. • Add salt and pepper to desired taste. • Simmer until juices have evaporated. • Top with green olives and serve with rice or tortillas.

PEPE LLOPEZ MARTINEZ

Q: Where do you like to shop for your ingredients? A: I stay not far from MOA, so most of the time I will be shopping there for my ingredients for my personal cooking. The live seafood, I buy from the Seafood Market in Macapagal.

TAMPOPO

1 yellow onion. chopped 1 leek, chopped 2 small tomatoes - cored and chopped ¼ cup green olives

ake one part genius, two parts ego, BABETTE’S FEAST(1987) mix with sensuality and sprinkle A sublimely shot film based on the story by with tempestuousness and you Isak Dinesen, about a French girl who SCAN have a chef, or so the movies THIS ICON cooks for two austere spinster sisters FOR would have us believe. living frugally in the Jutland. One day, Here’s a list, by no means definitive, of MOVIE she wins the lottery and decides to INFO movies centered on cooks, cooking and spend the entire 10,000-franc prize on sometimes, lust, murder and revenge. one singular, lavish and unforgettable meal that she cooks one night for the CHEF (2014) sisters and their small congregation. Jon Favreau directed and starred in This is about the power of food not this film alongside Sofia Vergara, John just to nourish and sustain, but to Leguizamo, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett seduce, inspire and create magic. Johansson and Emjay Anthony, as a chef at a prestigious Los Angeles restaurant who BIG NIGHT (2009) quits his job and tries to sort out his life Big dinner and big dreams come together while taking a road trip to Miami with his one big night, though things don’t go quite son, launching a food-truck business in the as smoothly as brothers Primo (Tony Shalprocess and imparting the love of food, flahoub), the chef, and Secondo (Stanley Tucci), vors and cooking to his son. the businessman, had envisioned. Recent im-

Q: Where do you like to shop for your ingredients in Manila, and what are your rules when shopping? A: I get my ingredients from local farmers, unless it is an emergency and I have to run to the supermarket near my place. I try to keep it simple, you can’t go wrong with fresh produce. Q: What do you consider comfort food? A: To me comfort food means home cooking. Nothing beats my mom’s recipes.

migrants to America from Italy, the brothers run a restaurant called Paradise, where the food is indeed heavenly, but the clientele have no appreciation for Primo’s genius. Then Italian-American singer Louis Prima is expected for dinner one big night, and the brothers give it their all. TAMPOPO (1985) An offbeat comedy by Juzo Itami, composed of intersecting stories that center around food. The main plot features two truck drivers, Goro and Gun (played by Tsutomu Yamazaki and Ken Watanabe, respectively), who show up at the roadside ramen shop, Lai Lai, run by Tampopo, a widow. Goro turns into ramen coach when he tells Tampopo how to transform her noodles, and transform her restaurant.

S U N D AY : M A R C H 0 8 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

KEEPING IT CASUAL I grew up in a family that entertained with the same ease as they breathed. I have memories of tables, beautifully decorated, and laden with delicious food. Those flavors, as well as the sound of laughter and muSUSIE BORROMEO sic linger in my mind, and I often wish that I lived in that MILNE idyllic time. Frankly, I don’t have the time or the inclination to entertain on the same grand scale. Meals in my house tend to be easy and casual, whether we have guests or not. Living in Cebu is perfect for this, and we all take advantage of the closeness of family and friends to come together without pomp. I love the simplicity that the Cebuano lifestyle affords us! Ten years ago when I first moved back to the Philippines, I used to stress over living in a city where going to the grocery was a 2-day multiple store event. You bought your meats in one grocery, your local every day household goods in another. Imported ingredients were few and far between and necessitated a major hunt and, when located, were hoarded. Thankfully, we are now light years away from that and you can buy practically anything you need here. I make it a habit to check when I invite people over for the first time that I am not serving food that can send them into anaphylactic shock. Be a good guest…volunteer allergy information if your host doesn’t inquire. There is nothing worse than putting out a wonderful meal that your guests cannot eat! Once I know what dietary restrictions I am dealing with, I plan the menu. The easiest dishes are those that you can prepare over the course of a couple of days and I make sure to note in my notebook what I am serving and for whom so that I don’t repeat myself the next time my guests are over. One of our favorite dinners came about because I found young goat at the butcher’s. I marinated the legs in a herb mixture that I normally use for lamb, the recipe picked up somewhere or another. It has never let me down. The accompanying Curried Couscous Salad, served at room temperature, is a standard in my house. It lends itself beautifully to many a meal and we make it often. The best part is both the meat and the couscous benefit from being prepared the day before your function. Since I love to make desserts, I have files upon files of recipes but still, my favorites are the simplest ones. For a lactose intolerant friend, I recently baked a Lemon Olive Oil cake that is not only delicious but can be baked the day before and kept covered at room temperature. I cannot recommend this recipe enough. To accompany it, the children’s favorite no dairy “ice cream” which involves only 2 ingredients: frozen bananas and strawberries (unless you want to add some sugar to sweeten it). All this advance preparation gives me the freedom to mingle and not be stuck in the kitchen stressing over the food. Summer is almost here. Invite people over and enjoy their company! Bon Appétit! Susie Borromeo Milne is a mother, wife and businesswoman. She is also a passionate cook.

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY (2014) Helen Mirren is delightfully haughty as the snobbish Madame Mallory, whose world of haute French cuisine is threatened by the arrival of the rambunctious Kaddam family and the Indian restaurant they put up across her Michelin-starred one in a small French town. But Hassan Kadam, played by Manish Dayal, is a ferociously talented self-taught chef who wants to learn classic French cuisine. A bitter clash of cultures and sensibilities ensue, but once again, food proves itself a language of reconciliation and redemption. EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN (1994) One of Ang Lee’s early movies, this is the story of master Chinese chef Mr. Chu, who makes a sumptuous banquet every Sunday for his three daughters, each one

COOK OFF SCAN THIS ICON FOR MORE RECIPES

ROASTED MARINATED LEG OF GOAT

Start the day before you intend on cooking the meat, up to 48 hours before. Serves 6-8 SEASONING PASTE: 1 sprig fresh rosemary OR 1 tbsp dried rosemary 1 lemon 10 fillets anchovies, packed in oil and drained 3 cloves garlic 2 tsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 2 tsp olive oil FOR THE MEAT: 2.2 kg young goat leg (or shoulder of lamb) 8 ripe local tomatoes (I tend to add more) 2 whole garlic bulbs, stripped down to the last layer of papery skin, one kept whole, the other divided into cloves ½ bottle dry white wine • Pluck the rosemary needles off the sprig and discard the

stem. Zest the lemon, keeping the peel and saying the lemon for another use. • In a blender or something similar, combine the rosemary, lemon zest, anchovies, peeled garlic, mustard, pepper, vinegar and oil. Pulse until the mixture turns into a coarse paste, scraping the bowl down several times. • Place the meat in a container large enough to accommodate it and rub the paste all over. ( I put little slits all over the goat leg and make sure the paste goes into them). Cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated overnight but if you’re in a pinch, 4 hours will do. • Remove the meat from the refrigerator about 30 – 45 minutes before you cook it. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). • Spray a roasting pan with olive oil and add the meat.

Make sure to scrape all the spice paste onto the meat. Add the head of garlic and the scatter the cloves around and under the meat. Core the tomatoes and scatter them around the meat as well. Pour about half a bottle of white wine over the meat. Cover the entire pan tightly with aluminum foil. • Cook for 30 minutes then reduce the heat to 275°F (130°C) and cook for a further 2 ½ hours, basting and flipping the meat every 30 minutes or so or until tender. • Once cooked, take the roasted legs and brown them in a grill (optional). Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Carve the meat and serve with the roasted vegetables and garlic, alongside the cooking juices.

Four top chefs - part of the Philippine delegation to the highly anticipated culinary event Madrid Fusion Manila taking place in April share what their favorite off-duty dishes are.

JUAN CARLOS DE TERRY I like to cook risotto and experiment with it.

BRUCE RICKETTS I like to cook bulalo.

LEMON OLIVE OIL BUNDT CAKE / c vanilla soy milk / c lemon juice plus 1 tbsp lemon juice, divided (about 2 lemons) Grated zest of 1 lemon 3 c All Purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground ginger 1 4 / tsp ground nutmeg 2 c sugar 6 eggs 1 c mild olive oil 1 2 1 3

• Preheat the oven to 350° F (200°C). Lightly oil and flour a 12-Cup Bundt pan. Mix together the vanilla soy milk and the 1 tbsp lemon juice and set aside.

• Sift the dry ingredients together. (I do this twice). Set aside. • Use an electric mixer to beat together the eggs, sugar and the olive oil for about 5 minutes until the mixture is very pale yellow and thick. Add the remaining lemon juice and lemon zest and beat until combined. • Alternately add the flour mixture and the soy milk/ lemon juice mixture to the wet ingredients in several additions (Make sure to start and end with the flour mixture!). Mix only until combined. • Carefully pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and

not quite the dutiful, traditional Chinese daughter. The dinner table bears witness each week to the family’s evolving dynamic as the daughters grow in independence and the father’s position as the infallible head of the family is challenged. LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE (1992) Food may mend a broken heart, but in Tita’s case, food becomes the substitute for her deep sadness and despair, as Mexican tradition dictates that the youngest daughter remain unmarried to care for their ageing mother. So her eldest sister marries the man she loves. But such is the power of Tita’s cooking that that those who eat it feel her sorrow and pain. Such is the power of her cooking that her emotions infuse themselves into her food so that those who eat it feel her sorrow or pain with incredible intensity.

bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes before unmolding the cake to cool completely on a rack. To serve, dust with confectioner’s sugar or drizzle with the optional icing.

J GAMBOA For me, it’s barbecue in the backyard, and burgers.

FOR THE ICING (OPTIONAL) 1 ½ c confectioner’s sugar 2 ½ tbsp vanilla soy milk ½ tsp pure lemon extract

FERNANDO ARACAMA I make breakfast - eggs.

Mix all the ingredients until smooth but still a bit runny. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

COMPILED BY ANA J. GLORIA

THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER (1989) Like many of Peter Greenaway’s films, this is beautifully and atmospherically designed, but is not for the faint of heart. Starring Michael Gambon, Richard Bohringer, Helen Mirren and Alan Howard, the movie revolves around Richard Boarst, “The Cook” at the French restaurant Le Hollandais, owned by gangster Albert Spica, “The Thief ”, whose wife Georgina, “The Wife”, is having an affair with a bookshop owner, Michael, “The Lover”. The Thief finds out about The Wife’s Lover and has him killed, rather graphically. She then asks The Cook to roast The Lover’s body and proceeds to feed him to The Thief and his thugs as the ultimate act of revenge and grief. Grisly, perhaps, but darkly funny. Bon Appétit!

EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN

THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER (1989)

S U N D AY : M A R C H 0 8 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

MARKET REALITY WITH NOEL DE LA RAMA

t’s early on a Sunday morning, but Noel de la Rama insists on getting the shopping done sooner rather than later. The New York-based personal chef, who counts Hollywood actors and business moguls among his regular clients, has been spending more time of late in his home country. Every few months or so, he returns to teach at the Center for Culinary Arts Manila; he also has a growing number of clients here who jostle among each other to book him to cook for them. Today technically is his day off, but a spur-of-the-moment invitation to brunch, with him doing the cooking, of course, sees him dashing into The Marketplace at Rustan’s Makati, to pick out a few things here and there. “I haven’t really decided what to cook yet,” he confesses, “so this is a great place to start, as the selection of fresh produce is pretty impressive.” He does have fresh Chilean sea bass that he will roast in the pan. So now he surveys what’s available and figures out what else to serve. “Normally, the way I work, even in New York, is like this: my clients tell me what their protein will be, and from there I work out the menu. Unless they’re very specific, of course, about things they cannot eat, food intolerances, kosher, halal… Otherwise, your wish is my command.” When he’s not cooking for company, but for himself, his meal choices really depend on his mood at that particular time. Clearly, de la Rama is driven less by habit than by intuition. “There are days in New York when it’s so cold that I suddenly feel like a binagoongan. So I make it for myself. One of the reasons why I became a chef is, I wanted to cook what I wanted to eat.” As an intuitive chef, de la Rama has to be flexible and adaptive, too. Of course, he concedes that baking is different; precision is very important. But otherwise, he is a let’s-see-where-this-goes kind of cook, and a skilled one at that. No chanterelles? No problem. He glances around The Marketplace for wild mushrooms. He looks for some butter lettuce and romaine for the salad. “Early morning shopping is the best. The supermarket is better stocked, there are no crowds, and you get fresher produce. And when you buy food,” he recommends, “always get from behind. First in, first out.” He reaches for a bulb of fennel, pleased. “I’m going to use this,” he says, and turns to grab a bunch of asparagus. “Part of the challenge – and the fun, if you want to look at the bright side – of cooking in Manila is you never know what you’ll find. Of course we all go to the grocery with a market list. But on the fly you have to learn how to improvise on the spot. And it’s not uncommon for me to have to go to several places to find what I want. I also like going to Salcedo Market on a Saturday, and to Legaspi Market on a Sunday, especially for fresh herbs. “I like to cook what’s in season, and what’s available. And that always changes. So even if I have a peg in my mind of

FRESH RICOTTA AND WILD MUSHROOM CROSTINI 6 slices sourdough bread, toasted RICOTTA LAYER 1 c fresh ricotta cheese Rind of half a lemon, grated 1 tsp chives, finely sliced salt and pepper, to taste 1 to 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • Combine all ingredients. Blend well. WILD MUSHROOM LAYER 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter 1 cup assorted fresh wild mushrooms of your choice, sliced or cut into large pieces (keeping the natural shape) 2 tbsp shallots, minced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 2 / tsp lemon juice

how the meal is going to be, my mind is always actively reviewing and tweaking that menu. Market realities demand it!” So this is cooking on the fly, Noel de la Rama style. The final menu for the impromptu lunch, as dictated by market realities, is: • Fresh Ricotta and Wild Mushroom Crostini • Green Salad with Crispy Prosciutto, Peas, Radish, Egg, Asparagus and Buttermilk Dressing • Pan-seared Sea Bass with Cannelini Beans and Fennel • Bread Pudding with Poached Pears, Salted Caramel Sauce and Whipped Cream — Bambina Olivares Wise WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO THE MARKETPLACE AT RUSTAN’S MAKATI

salt and pepper, to taste Extra-virgin olive oil Chives, finely sliced • Place olive oil and butter in a pan, over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add all the mushrooms and sauté and allow cook a few minutes until all the liquid has evaporated — only then will they begin to brown. Increase heat if necessary. Add shallots and cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. • Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. • To assemble: Slather some seasoned ricotta on the toasted bread, top with some of the mushroom mixture. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil and top with chives. Serve and enjoy!

BREAD PUDDING WITH POACHED PEARS, SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE AND WHIPPED CREAM 2 c milk 2 eggs 1 2 / vanilla bean or 1 2 / tsp pure vanilla extract 1 2 / c white sugar, divided 1 2 / tsp cinnamon 4 c day-old bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (brioche or challah is best) Butter an 8” x 8” cake pan. • Bring milk to a simmer with vanilla bean and 1/4 c sugar.

• Mix eggs with 1/4 c sugar until thick. Combine with simmering milk and sugar to form a custard. • Add cinnamon. • Stand bread cubes with custard, 30 mins. • In a preheated 350º F oven, bake in a bain-marie for 40 mins. or till set. • Serve with sautéed apples or pears, caramel sauce and whipped cream.

S U N D AY : M A R C H 0 8 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

CreaChef Multi-Function Food Processor Thomson at SM Home

La Surprise Duchet Apron Pret-a-Tacher at Dimensione

Hampstead Electric Salt & Pepper Mills Cole & Mason at Crate & Barrel

Santorini Asterisk Stacking Dish Jonathan Adler at Dimensione

Pinch and Pour Measuring Cup Sets at Crate & Barrel

Set of 8 Stainless Steel and Red Nylon Measuring Spoons at Crate & Barrel

Silicon Egg Whisks In myhome at SM Home

Pig Half-Apron at Crate & Barrel

KITCHEN AID There’s a whole army of chef’s little helpers out there to make home cooking as easy as apple pie... or blanquette de veau!

Swissmar Fondue Set at Crate & Barrel

Santorini Salt & Pepper Shakers Jonathan Adler at Dimensione

Herb Scissors at Crate & Barrel

Measurement Prep Board at Crate & Barrel Colored Birds Bowl, Set of 4 Pols Potten at Dimensione Stainless Twist Timer at Crate & Barrel

Wusthof Knife set at Crate & Barrel Silicone Spatulas In myhome at SM Home

CreaChef Stand Mixer Thomson at SM Home

Microplane Cheese Grater Crate & Barrel

Enamel Stockpot with Lid Le Creuset at Crate & Barrel

Chopping Board at Crate & Barrel

CRATE & BARREL at SM MegaMall Fashion Hall • DIMENSIONE, Bonifacio High Street, Power Plant Mall, Greenbelt 5, Glorietta 4, Trinoma, SM MegaMall, Alabang Town Center, Mall of Asia, Robinsons Place, SM City North Edsa • SM HOME at all SM Stores nationwide

Unicorn Salt & Pepper Shakers Jonathan Adler at Dimensione

S U N D AY : M A R C H 0 8 : 2 0 1 5

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com Anthony Hopkin plays Freddy Heineken in the film Kidnapping Freddy Heineken based on Peter R. De Vries book of the same title

ARTICULATING EVERYMAN’S RANT WITH HUMOR BY SEYMOUR BARROS SANCHEZ

n August 19, 2013, poet, essayist, and playwright Joselito “Jowie” Delos Reyes wrote a satirical letter to alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet LimNapoles and posted it on his Facebook account. His open letter entitled “Dear Janet” voiced out his thoughts on the businesswoman, the issue she is embroiled in, and Delos Reyes’ constant struggles as a member of the working class. As what he usually does, he injected humor into what he wrote. What started out as a plain status on his social media account soon became a collective outrage of the ordinary Filipino against the PDAF controversy after thousands of netizens “liked” and “shared” it online. “Dear Janet” and his other selected Facebook statuses soon found their way to his book iStatus Nation mga istatus kong hindi pang-status quo. Delos Reyes, who also teaches Filipino at the University of Santo Tomas, explained that he was bothered by the inconvenience he felt over the issue surrounding the 10-billion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) at the height of Typhoon Maring. “It is a typical sentiment of all of us. You get pissed with the traffic situation. You do not get the services you deserve to receive from the government in spite of the taxes you pay. You want something good in return so you rant if you don’t get it. It just so happened that other people shared my sentiments. They are also outraged. I just articulated the same rants with humor.” Another entry is “32%” which is his take on the percentage deducted from our income due to tax. “When it was shared several times on Facebook, it came to the attention of members of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants. It became part of

Joey de los Reyes is an instant social media celebrity after posting a letter to Janet Napoles on Facebook. Now he has book out in bookstores titled iStatus Nation

a huge debate among CPAs. I was elated that professionals are talking about it,” the college professor said. Delos Reyes even has the knack for humor for those asking him for love advice. In “Payo,” he warned a female letter sender about her addiction to Facebook, citing studies saying that using the computer for a long period of time can lead to eye strain. He added that she should be wary of taxi drivers who duped their passengers. Instead of directly giving his take on her problem regarding an unfaithful boyfriend, he chose to focus on the other details in her letter. “I am not a love expert but I don’t want to leave the letter sender emptyhanded. I want her to be amused and be informed about more important issues at the same time. Many people have already been giving us advices but the world still remains filled with problems. I believe the letter sender finds it relieving that I did not take her problem seri-

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE 1 6 11 15 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 33 34 35 37 39 41 42 43

ACROSS Alpha followers Pullman choice Quay Take without permission It may be airtight Move blindly Reserved or reticent Baking potato Pedro’s honorific Belgian or Clydesdale Raga instrument Takes long strides Know somehow Grocery store rows —, vidi, vici Like Atalanta Summer flower Barely manages Sloppy — Exercise place Lifts anchor Goes for the gold

44 46 50 51 52 53 57 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 72 73 74 75 76 79 80 84

Watered silk Worn-down pencil Fair grade Install a door Has a fever Smack a mosquito Gullets Like Tonto’s friend Skirmish Bushel fraction Droids Corduroy rib Risks it Kind of system Miffed, plus Coastal flyer Notre Dame’s city Conforms Ceiling fixture Retired River rapids Temporary trends Strenuous effort Big families Kind of cake Hold down a job

85 86 87 88 91 92 93 95 96 97 98 99 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 111 112 114 117 118 119 124 126 128 130 131 132 134 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144

Wild party Trickle Yes, to Yvette Foul-ups Old-fashioned pen Snorkeling venue Call, as an elk Ad — committee Bungles Large tanks Not a god Island near Kauai Weed whackers False fronts Buttonholed Timely question Mighty steed Poet — Pound Went first Bane of pvts. Archipelago dots Fetches Treasure in an oyster Dallas sch. Gal. fractions House slipper Ben Hur, e.g. Shiva devotee Mallard cousin Hue, but not cry Coat with flour Pie-chart lines Throw lava Mortgages Ran its course Sultans’ cousins Cheap nightspots Fossil resin Like heavy metal concerts AAA or EEE Surrender territory Provides for Craggy ridge

ously. I hope she eventually learns to look at her situation in a different way, in a funny way,” Delos Reyes revealed. He was again right on target in relating a friend’s simple request for “longganisang Lucban” as “pasalubong” to the oil deregulation law, pointing out clichés in television news reporting, and tackling other concerns like the Martilyo Gang, fast-food restaurants, cooking shows, Pahiyas, flood at the University Belt, commuting, and exam week. He also pokes fun at those who ask him for advice on how to increase the number of “likes” for Facebook statuses. In “Pagpapadami ng Like,” a single career woman sent her a private message asking him what to post on her Facebook status just to achieve this. His suggestion: “Am preggy. So happy.” However, Delos Reyes is quick to point out that many Filipinos still do not know how to appreciate satire. “The world is an exaggeration so you also need to master the art of satire. I am engrossed not just with the humor but with the anatomy of humor. How can something make people laugh? If you know me personally, you know whether I am joking or not.” Aside from iStatus Nation, Delos Reyes has also contributed to literary journals and anthologies. His first book Ang Lungsod Namin was published in 2005 by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. He recently launched Paubaya, a book of poems. Delos Reyes advised aspiring writers to master the language by reading books. “It does not matter what you read at first. You will soon learn to know what is good for you. What is important is that you have a platform. Do not be reluctant to write. Whatever you experience in a day is unique to you. You’re the only one who can tell that story in a way that you can.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FREDDY HEINEKEN

he latest thrilling topic to talk about over beer is about is on the big screen. Kidnapping Freddy Heineken, which tells of the abduction of Dutch billionaire brewery magnate Freddy Heineken (Anthony Hopkins) and his chauffeur, Ab Doderer, in 1983 and held for what was considered the largest ransom for an individual at the time, is The movie stars Hopkins along with Jim Sturgess, Sam Worthington, Ryan Kwanten, Mark van Eeuwen, Tom Cocquerel, and Jemima West. The 1983 kidnapping of Dutch tycoon Freddy Heineken by Cor Van Hout, Willem Holledeer, Frans “Spikes” Meijer, Jan “Cat” Boelaard, and Martin “Brakes” Erkamps became frontpage news in most countries around the world. Heineken was released unharmed after three weeks for a ransom of 35 millions Dutch guilders ($50 million today). Emmy Award-winning crime journalist Peter R. De Vries pursued the kidnappers and gained their trust, which resulted in an exhaustively researched, bestselling account of five friends and business associates who banded together to carry out one of the biggest kidnappings in history. After the casting of Hopkins, the rest of the ensemble fell in line. “I think when the younger actors, like Sam Worthington, Jim Sturgess, Ryan Kwanten and Mark van Eeuwen heard that Anthony Hopkins would be playing Heineken and that they would be playing opposite him in the holding cell scenes, how could they not want to do that?” producer Judy Cairo says. “It had huge appeal to the younger actors, and it was very thrilling to see the great relationships that they all developed on set. Anthony Hopkins was so fabulous with the younger guys, and also had great respect for them, and great encouragement for them.” “We always found it ironic and sad that these guys were such good friends, and by the end of their adventure or misadventure, the five of them were never in a room together after they split the ransom. It destroyed everything between them,” co-producer Michael A. Simpson notes. Rated R13 by the local censors board, “Kidnapping Freddy Heineken” is now in theatres nationwide from Axinite Digicinema. Check out trailer release here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=N5u1RZGCbE4

SUNDAY, MARCH 08, 2015

DOWN 1 “— Street Blues” 2 Helen, in Spain 3 Salon rinses 4 More or less 5 It follows Orion 6 Snort of disgust 7 Brief bio 8 Like a sponge 9 — Downs (racetrack) 10 Plant in a swamp 11 “— Rheingold” 12 Bartender’s stock 13 Doves’ shelters 14 Zen riddle 15 Filch 16 Archaeologist’s find 17 Ponytail sites 18 Twitter 19 Shade-loving plant 23 Tex-Mex beans 30 Pamphlets 32 Trawler net 36 Dead heats 38 Small cask 40 River in France 43 Windmill blade 44 Treadmill units 45 Sixth sense 46 Warfare 47 Insect’s middle 48 Debonair 49 Mukluk 51 Ice-fishing need 52 Cliffside refuge 54 “Read ‘em and —” 55 Part of CPA 56 Ring stats 58 Downed a sub 59 Turf, not surf 60 Stores 63 Little chirper 64 Frighten 67 Poet’s black

68 69 70 71 73 74 75 77 78 79 80 81 82 83

Anagram for shape Seniors’ org. Banned bug spray Pale blond Tunes — up (won’t say) Feudal domain Sports “zebra” Frat letter Primitive weapons Comb producers Bowser’s ID (2 wds.) Cafe — — Investment returns

85 86 88 89 90 91 92 tion) 93 94 96 97 98 100

Book jacket ad Treats fractures Finish third Wordy Webster Aspirin target Urgent requests Pro — (in proporTarzan’s kid WWW addresses Woodsy DVD forerunners European capital One, in combos

101 Sentry’s bark 102 Montezuma subject 103 Last a long time 106 Conger 107 Scholarly 110 Wet-sneaker sound 111 Swallowed hard 112 Moon, in poetry 113 Golfer — Ochoa 114 Xanthippe, e.g. 115 Orange Bowl home 116 Loosened

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Purple-gray Usual weather Quartet member Rabbitt or Murphy Discharge Go back to brunette Juicy gossip Clapton of “Layla” Viking name Mao — -tung Almost grads

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

WHEN CLASSICAL SINGER GOES POP From C8

e’s a classically-trained singer, but feels equally at home on the pop stage. This gifted artist can easily cross genres, as he proved recently during his wellreceived performance with Kuh Ledesma and her ex-Music & Magic bandmates in their Valentine’s Day show The Music of the Heart, The Magic of Love and during the repeat lastnight at Solaire Ballroom. Jack Salud is actually a musical and visual artist combined. A classical baritenor who trained under the world-renowned soprano Evelyn Mandac, Jack also specializes in a form of painting known as pointillism, a painting technique in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. He has taken part in several one-man and group exhibits in Manila, but occasionally ventures out of his artist’s world to explore his musical talent. Jack has appeared in productions by Repertory Philippines. Jack also performed with the Manila Philarmonic Orchestra in a solo concert entitled Feel Harmonic at the Rockwell Center under musical direction of conductor Rodel Colmenar and with the FilHarmonika Orchestra under the baton of internationally acclaimed conductor Gerard Salonga in Rockwell’s “Feel Harmonic II Christmas Concert”. It was thus a different, but fun kind of challenge when he tried singing with certified pop stars like Kuh and her Music & Magic bandmates at their Valentine concert. That evening,

Blogger David Guison of dgmanila.com shares what keeps his mouth fresh and clean for long hours during fashion junkets and events.

Classical singer Jack Salud tries singing pop with Kuh Ledesma and members of Music & Magic

it was all about introducing each other to differing genres and styles of music for a unique concert experience. Jack surprised the audience with his duets with Kuh (who, incidentally, is also a visual artist and has taken up painting). They performed duets of “The Prayer”, “Ikaw” (which showcased both artists’ versatility) and “Endless Love”. Jack also performed a memorable and wellapplauded rendition of Nessun Dorma, from the final act of Giacommo Puccini’s Turandot. ★★★★★ Bea Binene is staying fit and slim these days. “No, this has nothing to do with my break up with Jake Vargas,” she clarified when she was presented as the new endorser of VeriFit, the new slimming food supplement in the market. “I am just serious about losing weight and keeping fit! Bea goes to the gym regularly, also attends yoga classes and follows a strict diet, that is apart

David Guison of dgmanila. com says that OraCare has always been a part of his mom’s grocery list.

Fashion blogger David Guison (dgmanila.com) says that his job requires him to pay attention to his overall health, particularly his oral hygiene.

Now that he is getting more popular, David Guison says that a fresh and clean mouth is really a must since meeting a lot people is part of his job description.

FASHION BLOGGER’S HABIT THAT NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE He was a painfully shy student who refused to head group projects in class and stayed glued to his seat unless called to recite. Who would have thought that the self-effacing David Guison would eventually acquire an itinerant lifestyle as an acclaimed fashion blogger – getting major exposure in the style industry and going on exciting adventures to pursue his passion? Blogging, however, isn’t quite new to the 23-year-old multimedia arts graduate

from the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde. David actually started writing personal blog entries way back in high school and sustained his interest in it after fulfi lling a photo blog requirement in college. “It was a pre-requisite for us to have a blog tapos ayun na-enjoy ko siya, tapos tinuluy-tuloy ko na. I started getting readers and then people were e-mailing me na ‘why don’t you post your outfits?’ ” David recalls. “And then when I posted an OOTD (outfit

from the slimming capsule she takes everyday Is she preparing herself to play sexier and more mature roles? “Perhaps,” she said curtly. While she is open to accepting more mature roles, especially now that she’s turning 18, she said there would be still limitations. “For me, maturity doesn’t mean kissing scenes. I think it’s in how one interprets the role, the way you handle things. It’s not like being in a kissing scene, you have matured already.” So, she isn’t okay with kissing scenes, is that right? “On the cheeks, or hand. yes!” Bea said giggly. “Siyempre, I know my limits. And GMA will not give me something that will destroy my career.” How about posing in men’s magazines? “Not in my wildest dreams.” She said.

The teen star is into fitness these days keeping slim with VeriFit, which she also endorses

“I’ve been blogging for five years and it of the day), ‘dun na siya nagkick-off, so I wasn’t until 2010 that I started using Oradecided to pursue style blogging.” David never quite expected fashion Care. Since then, I’ve had OraCare with blogging to take him to a far more excit- me all the time,” says David, who considers OraCare as the ideal brand of mouthing world than what he had. “I thought that blogging just meant be- wash since it works without the strong ing in a room and working on your laptop. aftertaste or burning sensation that one But with blogging pala you get to meet a experiences from using other brands conlot of people in the industry; you build taining alcohol. “Hindi siya sting-y, hindi connections and you travel. And I think siya matapang, parang very light lang siya pero I can say it is effective,” he quips. that’s the best part,” he muses. Apart from ensuring a pleasurable garWith endorsement and sponsorship ofgling experience, OraCare fers coming in, a number provides real mouth clean of challenges have ushbecause its active ingrediered David’s transition ‘With fashion, ent, Stabilized Chlorine Difrom personal to style blogger, first of which is it’s not just about oxide, effectively kills bad bacteria and neutralizes that he’s now writing for a wearing nice volatile sulfur compounds much bigger audience. clothes and stuff the main culprit behind Aside from being more like that. I think it’s –strong mouth odors. conscious of his daily Besides being mindful grooming regimen and about one’s overall appearance, the of his oral hygiene, David personal style, David also started paying extra total package . You credits other factors for have to look good, his success in the blogoattention to his overall hygiene, particularly his feel good, and smell sphere. One of these is a oral health. good. It’s a little bit formula that, he affirms, “With fashion, it’s not of everything for you never goes out of style – true to one’s self. just about wearing nice to pull off your look’ staying “As cliché as it may clothes and stuff like that. sound, just be yourself. I think it’s about one’s Yun talaga! You really overall appearance, the have to stick to your valtotal package,” he says. “You have to look good, feel good, and ues and with what you know. I think that’s smell good. It’s a little bit of everything for what made me successful in this industry kasi kung ano ako when I started, I think you to pull off your look.” David is well aware of the fact that fash- ganun pa rin ako hanggang ngayon. “You may feel like you have all the opion blogging takes him places, traveling and seeing new people for collaborations. portunities and projects you want, but reThis is why he makes it a point to have member that in a blink of an eye, pwede OraCare Mouthrinse in his bag anywhere siyang mabawi sa’yo. So just stick to what he goes. Apart from constantly looking really matters; mawala man ‘yan sayo, presentable, he wants to have fresh- and alam mong you’re happy, you’re fulfi lled, clean-smelling breath any time of the day. you’re contented,” he intones.

S U N D AY : M A R C H 0 8 : 2 0 1 5

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

LEE MIN HO PROVES ACTING METTLE IN ‘GANGNAM BLUES’

how Gangnam came to We watched the premiere SIMPLY be. And this is illustrted of Gangman Blues at SM RED in the biggest fight scene Megamall cinema last in the film, between the Tuesday. Well, Lee Minho, the star of the KoISAH V. RED group of Jong-dae and that of Yon-gi. rean gangster fi lm, wasn’t That sequence could around, but scores of his Filipino fans (mostly young women) kept be the highlight of the nearly two-hour the theater abuzz with screams each time Korean fi lm dubbed in Tagalog, which his name was mentioned by a barker over makes it easier for the audience to understand the history of the Gangnam disthe theater’s speaker system. Lee is a superstar in his native South trict in Seoul. But it is Lee Min Ho and Korea and director Ha Yoo proves his his performance that caught much of our choice was right for the actor who’d attention for the duration of the fi lm. While we know that the actor has play Jong-dae, one of two orphan boys (the other is played by Kim Rae- won been featured in several series including as Yong-gi), that would be thrown in the Boys Over Flowers, Lee shows he is no midst of a gang war in what would be the mere matinee idol but a serious actor as well. In several scenes, Gangman distric of Seoul. we were surprised to see The synpsis of the film as him showing deep emowritten by a viewer in IMDBI While we know tions, particularly at that website, says, “In the 1970s, during the height of politi- that the actor has point when he found out the the gang leader Kang cal corruption, Gangnam, been featured the southern part of Seoul in several series had finally owned him as his own son. Torn beis starting to be transformed including his fi lial affection into a developed area. Child‘Boys Over Flowers,’ tween for Yong-gi and paternal hood friends Jong-dae and Lee shows he is loyalty to Kang, JongYong-ki struggle to get by, no mere matinee dae (Lee) is hard put to until their shanty homes are idol but a serious make a decision on how demolished by local thugs. actor as well to deal with his adopDesperate for cash, they get tive brother. It is that involved in violent political kind of emotion that clashes, and are separated not many actors can during one of the skirmishes. Three years later, Jong-dae lives as an illustrate properly on screen, but Lee honest man with former gang leader Kil- maintained an acting range that is su. Meanwhile, Yong-ki has joined Seoul’s both admirable and communicative most powerful criminal organization, the without going over the top. His finale scene is something Myeongdong-pa. As a gangster, Yong-ki is entangled in a high-stakes battle over land difficult to ignore. Oh no, I don’t in Gangnam, all in the name of putting want to spoil your excitement. Go together secret presidential election funds watch the fi lm at SM Megamall that drive up the value of the city. As the and other SM Cinemas nationgangs fight over the rights to various plots wide that have been designated of land, Yong-ki is captured and interro- to show Tagalized Asian fi lms, gated by a rival gang. The southern part of like SM Sta. Mesa, SM Fairview, SM Manila and SM North EDSA. Stransformed into a developed area.” In whatever film genre, “action must ex- The fi lm is also showing at Walter ist to support the drama.” That’s how Ha Mart Cinemas. Yoo explains the action sequences in what is supposed to be a dramatic narrative of Continued on C7 Lee Min-ho stars in South Korea's most popular film to date. It has been dubbed to Filipino for fans to understand the story easily and is now screening in SM Cinemas designated to show Asian Tagalized movies