The Standard - 2015 July 18 - Saturday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXIX NO. 148 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 SATURDAY : JULY 18, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Muslims don’t feel progress, poll says

POE: NO GUARANTEE Senator still can’t say if she’ll run with PNoy

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Grace Poe said Friday she could give no assurances that a consensus on a unified ticket would be reached in her next meeting with President Benigno Aquino III, after a six-hour session at the Palace with Senator Francis Escudero and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II produced no results Wednesday night. Despite talk that the President is pressing Poe to run as Roxas’ vice president instead of running for president herself, the neophyte senator said they did not discuss details of who would run for which position in next year’s elections on Wednesday night. In a text message, Poe said she, Roxas and Escudero will meet again the President but no schedule was given. Sources said the President would endorse Roxas after delivering his last State-of-theNation Address on July 27, and wants Poe to run as his vice president. Next page

Nine buried in landslide at open-pit coal mine By Robert A. Evora and Alena Mae Flores SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro – Three miners died in a landslide Friday in an open-pit mine in nearby Semirara Island while six were still buried in the rubble, a local official said. Kagawad Jun Garcia of Barangay Semirara Next page

Eid al-Fitr. A Muslim woman prays at the Quadrangle at the Rizal Park to celebrate the end of Ramadan. SONNY ESPIRITU

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No guarantee From A1... While Poe and Escudero said they have not decided about their plans for 2016, observers said there were signs they were preparing for next year’s elections. In gathering his prospective candidates in the last meetings, the President emphasized the need for the administration coalition to remain intact so that his anti-corruption drive could continue. While Poe has beaten the opposition’s Vice President Jejomar Binay in the latest opinion polls by Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia, Binay has topped all the past presidential surveys. Binay attributed the decline in his standing in the last surveys to the wellorchestrated demolition job intended to pull down his ratings and destroy his presidential bid. While Poe is the current frontrunner for the presidential race, Escudero has the lead in the vice presidential contest. But Senator Sergio Osmea III said surveys do not mean much at this time because anything can still happen a few months fronm now. Osmeña also poked fun at Aquino’s failure to convince Poe to slide down to vice president and to run under the Liberal banner after so many meetings. If he could not convince Poe, the President’s power to draw voters for his anointed candidate would be in question, Osmeña added. Despite the President’s efforts, Osmeña said he believes Poe and Escudero will stick together and team up in 2016. Poe has said previously that if she decides to run in 2016, she would be more comfortable running with Escudero, a close friend. The Palace on Friday said the President’s choice as presidential candidate must be honest and have integrity and be capable of continuing the reforms he has started in 2010. “The primary consideration of the President is the continuation of the reforms he has set in place during his term. It is imperative that good governance must continue to enable Filipinos to reap its benefits. Anyone willing to continue this must be honest, with unquestionable integrity and capable of competently facing the challenges that come with being President,” said deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a text message to the Malacanang Press Corps. Binay said he believed that Aquino had already made up his mind, but is delaying the announcement of his chosen candidate deliberately. “Meron nang desisyon ‘yan, dinidribol lang ang opinyon ng tao. Pinapa-salivate kung sino ang gusto nilang ipa-salivate ng magandang balita,” Binay said. Binay, who is running for president under the United Nationalist Alliace, made to remark while he was in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, the bailiwick of Roxas. Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said it would be better for Binay to just wait for the announcement of the President. “It would be better to just wait for the announcement of the President since this is his (Aquino’s) decision,” said Coloma, in a text message. Coloma also told Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte that it is up to him if he wants to campaign against Roxas if Justice Secretary Leila de Lima will be selected as a senatorial candidate for the Liberal Party. “It is his decision,” said Coloma. None of the Palace spokespersons could comment on the substance of the President’s meeting Thursday night with Liberal Party leaders. But House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, who was at the meeting, said the President told them he advised Poe and Roxas to do consultations and reflect on their political plans for 2016 to ensure that the administration will have one, strong standard bearer in the upcoming polls. With Sandy Araneta

Comelec at the mall. Commission on Elections officials welcomed the elderly and the handicapped at the SM Mall of Asia on Friday for their biometrix. SONNY ESPIRITU

Poll: Muslims don’t see lives improving SOME 43 percent of Filipinos believe that there has not been much improvement in the lot of Muslims in the country today, the second quarter 2015 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted from June 5 to 8, shows. This sentiment was shared by 64 percent of Muslims interviewed in the survey, SWS said. The SWS released its findings on Eidl Fitr, a holiday where Muslims mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. To the statement, “In the past few years there hasn’t been much real improvement in the position of Muslims in this country,” 43 percent agreed and 25 percent disagreed, for a moderate net agreement of +18 (percent agree minus percent disagree). Some 30 percent were undecided.

The SWS said 47 percent agreed to trying to improve the position of Muslims, even if it means giving them preferential treatment. To the statement, “We should make every possible effort to improve the position of Muslims even if it means giving them preferential treatment,” 47 percent agreed and 28 percent disagreed, for a moderate net agreement of +18. Some 24 percent were undecided. The SWS survey on making every effort to improve the position of Muslims was done once before, in March 2014.

Nine buried

company owned by D.M. Consunji, Inc. In February 2013, seven miners were killed when the west wall of the pit collapsed and trapped 13 miners under it. Garcia said Friday’s landslide was triggered by seawater that seeped into the sand wall of the reclaimed area in the northeastern part of Semirara Island. “The weather was good and it was warm when the landslide occurred at 4 a.m.,” Garcia said. But Antique Gov. Rhodora Cadiao told radio station dzBB that it had rained heavily for days. “The accident happened... while the workers were working on a water system,” she said. Isidro Consunji, chief executive of Semirara Mining, said only nine workers were at the site when the accident happened. “Three bodies have been recovered as of this time and digging continues to look for six others,” he said. “That’s

From A1...

in the town of Caluya said the Semirara Mining and Power Corp. sent a search-and-rescue team to find the six missing miners. A company statement said the northern edge of the Panian mine gave way at about 3:45 a.m. Friday. Of the three dead, only one, Jun Panes, 54, was identified by his full name. The two other fatalities were identified only by their surnames Umac and Nudo. The Energy Department ordered the immediate suspension of the company’s coal mining contract on Semirara Island and formed a team to investigate the accident. The landslide, which occurred in a reclaimed area of the northeastern part of the island, was the second major disaster to hit the Semirara

The feeling that there has not been much improvement in the position of Muslims was strongest in Balance of Luzon and Metro Manila, the SWS said. Belief in trying to improve the position of Muslims, even if it means giving them preferential treatment, was also strongest in the Balance Luzon but weakest in the Visayas. Compared to March 2014, net agreement rose in Metro Manila and Mindanao, but fell in the Visayas and Balance of Luzon. The SWS said Muslims are more disappointed in their position in the country.t Broken down by religion, net agreement with the lack of real improvement was highest among Muslims (a very strong +51), followed by other

Christians (strong +31), Catholics (a moderate +16), and Iglesia Ni Cristos (poor -20). Muslims also believed more strongly that they should be given preferential treatment, the survey showed. Compared to March 2014, net agreement rose among Muslims, but fell among other Christians, Catholics, and Iglesia Ni Cristos. The June 2015 Social Weather Survey was conducted from June 5 to 8, using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide, 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, with a sampling error margins of 3 percent for national percentages, and 6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. –

as far as I know. Some of our mining equipment has also been damaged. We don’t have the complete details yet.” Semirara, a unit of Philippine conglomerate DMCI Holdings Inc., is the country’s largest coal miner. Many residents depend on Semirara Mining for their livelihood. The mining company employs some 3,000 workers and provides them free housing plus free electricity of up to 300 kilowatts monthly. The municipality of Caluya, which has jurisdiction over the island, received a royalty share of P290 million last year. In a letter to Semirara Mining, Energy Department officer-in-charge Zenaida Monsada ordered the suspension of its coal mining on the island and informed the company that an investigative team would look into the incident. “Our prayers are with the families of the victims and we have directed

Semirara Mining to focus on search and rescue operations,” Monsada said. Semirara, in a separate statement, said that around 3:45 a.m. of July 17, a portion of the northern edge of Panian mine gave way. Semirara said management has condoled with the families of the victims and is giving them full support. “The company will help the victim’s family,” Consunji said. The company said it is also coordinating with national and local authorities to keep them updated on the search and rescue efforts and other necessary measures including ensuring the adequate supply of coal for power generation since it has stopped operations in the affected area in compliance with an order from the Energy Department. “The company is investigating the cause of the accident in coordination with authorities,” it said. — With Sandy Araneta

Sandy Araneta

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Tribunal asked to stop poll bid grant THE Supreme Court has been asked to stop the Commission on Elections from awarding the contract to the joint venture of Smartmatic-Total Information Management and Jarltech International Corp. for the lease with an option to purchase 23,000 Optical Mark Reader machines to be used in the May 2016 elections. Former Comelec Commissioner Augusto Lagman, former Philippine Computer Society president Leo Querubin, and election advocate Maria Corazon Ako are seeking to stop the Comelec from implementing its decision issued on June 29, 2015 favoring the joint venture. The three made their petition even as the Comelec said it may consider signing a direct contract with any company provider once the second round for the refurbishment and upgrade of 81,896 Precinct Count Optical Scan or PCOS machines came about. Comelec chairman Andres Bautista said direct contracting might be possible if the second round of bidding failed as a result of the time constraint. “That’s one of the possibilities we are looking at,” Bautista said. “This is the second round of bidding, so if it fails, we can already go into direct contracting.” The three petitioners claim the Comelec committed a grave abuse of discretion in favoring Smartmaticconsidering it is ineligible to engage in the country’s electoral process. Rey E. Requejo and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

Binay renews call for term extension VICE President Jejomar Binay on Friday again reiterated his plan to push for a four-year term for the President with the right to run for re-election for another four years. Binay said he will seek the lifting of term limitations for elected officials, adding that officials should be allowed to serve as long as people continued to vote for them. “Six years is too long for a bad President and too short for a good

one,” Binay said. He made his statement even as Malacañang on Friday said lifting the term limit of the President would only open the door to dictatorship and perpetuate the political dynasties.

“The President [Benigno Aquino III] has reservations about lifting term limits,” presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said. “He has expressed this many times.” Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado said it was the people who would suffer for six years under an incompetent leader. “There should be a chance for the people to express their feel-

ings in terms of elections after four years and choose if the current leader should be replaced or not,” Salgado said. He said Binay’s statement on the terms of local officials was grounded on his experience as mayor. “As long as the people elect their leaders in an honest, free and credible election, they should not be restricted as to their choices,” Salgado said. Vito Barcelo and Sandy Araneta

Controversial residence. For the first time since it was built in 2013, The chief of the Philippine National Police’s controversial official residence

dubbed as “The White House” was presented to the members of the media on Friday. The source of financing for the residence is still being investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman. Lino SAntoS

SolGen wants Torre hearing reset

Protest. Members of the Knights of Rizal and their supporters trooped to the Rizal Park

to protest against the Torre de Manila condominium that they say destroys the view of the shrine. DAnny PAtA

THE Solicitor General has asked the Supreme Court to reschedule the July 21 oral arguments on the Torre de Manila controversy due to his preoccupation with the Philippine case against China in The Hague over their dispute in the West Philippine Sea. Florin Hilbay, who arrived from The Netherlands after representing the government in its case against China, told the high court magistrates that he and his people would still have to review and submit corrections to the transcripts of the hearings on jurisdiction and admissibility in the case.

They would also have to submit on July 23 further written responses to the additional questions posed by the Arbitral Tribunal during the hearing early this month, he said. “As agent of the Republic in the arbitration, the Solicitor General has the authority to make binding decisions for the Republic,” Hilbay said. “The importance of this arbitration and the nature of the issues involved require the Solicitor General to collaborate with the counsel of record in the review of the transcripts of the hearing and in the preparation of the Repub-

lic’s written responses to the questions posed by the Arbitral Tribunal.” Hilbay also said they needed more time to prepare for the oral arguments in the Torre de Manila case. The Philippines wants the Arbitral tribunal to issue a declaration saying China’s ninedash line claim is not valid and contrary to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS. However, China does not recognize the case and claims the tribunal has no jurisdiction over it. It insists on bilateral negotiations to resolve the dispute. Rey E. Requejo

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LRTA denies lavish party THE Light Rail Transit Authority contested the claim of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan that the train agency held a lavish costume party to celebrate its 35th anniversary while commuters continued to suffer a dilapidated train system. LRTA spokespeson Hernando Cabrera said in a statement was not lavish and not illegal. “It’s a celebration of our anniversary,” Cabrera said. “Is it allowed under COA rules? Yes. It was not ‘grand’, not lavish and not illegal.” Cabrera maintained that the party was only “grand” because it was held at the Manila Grand Opera Hotel in Sta. Cruz, Manila, but the activity, from the food to the venue, complied with Commission on Audit rules on anniversary celebrations. “We did not abandon our work. The celebration was held on July 10 while repairs on the trains’ roofing started July 7. That continued until Monday o Tuesday,” Cabrera said. LRTA Administrator Honorito Chaneco also issed a statement denying that the party was lavish or that employees who were not in costume were prohibited from attending the party. “It’s not true that it’s lavish. We just held it in a small hotel. It just looked lavish because of the costume,” Chaneco said. While he admitted that he issued a memorandum requiring employees to come in 1920s-inspired costumes, he said he only did that to ensure that some of them would be in costume but in the end all employees were allowed to join the fun. Chaneco said there was nothing wrong in holding a costume party for the agency’s anniversary so long as it complies with regulations.

Early bird. A departing female passenger took the opportunity to charge her mobile phone after she arrived even before airline counters opened for her flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on Friday. RUDY C. SANTOS

LPA develops east of Batanes islands A LOW-pressure area developed within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) due to the southwest monsoon on Friday and may turn into a tropical depression within 24 hours, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Pagasa issued the warning as families were evacuated from some towns in Pangasinan amid flooding caused by heavy rain Thursday night and most of Friday. The weather bureau noted flooding in

Calasiao, Santa Barbara, Bolinao, Bani, Bugallon and Labrador with some families being forcibly evacuated in some villages of Bani and Bolinao. Bad weather also prompted the cancellation of six flights on Friday, the Manila International Airport Authority said in an advisory. MIAA said that among flights cancelled as of posting time include flights 2P 2084 (Manila–Basco), 2P 2085 (Basco–Manila), 2P 5084 (Manila–Basco), and 2P 5085 (Basco–Manila). These flights belong to PAL Express. Also cancelled were two flights from Skyjet Airlines namely M8 815 (Manila–Basco), and M8 816 (Basco–Manila). Weather forecaster Buddy Javier said the public should expect more rain due to the southwest monsoon which will be the

dominant weather system in the country in addition to the LPA. Javier said the LPA was 905 kilometers east-northeast of Basco, Batanes and may turn into a tropical depression by Saturday. In its 5 p.m. weather bulletin on Friday, Pagasa said “monsoon rains which may trigger flash floods and landslides will be experienced over the Ilocos Region, Benguet, Central Luzon and the islands of Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan.” Pagasa further warned that occasional rains will occur in Metro Manila, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and the rest of the Cordilleras and the Cagayan Valley. Other parts of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms.

NHA probe sought By Maricel V. Cruz TWO members of the Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives on Friday sought a congressional probe into the payment scheme that was imposed unilaterally by the National Housing Authority on relocatees in the government Northville resettlement sites in Metro Manila and Central Luzon. In filing House Resolution 2043, Reps. Luzviminda Ilagan and Emmi de Jesus of of Gabriela Women’s Party urged the House committee on housing and urban development, chaired by Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, to invite officials of the NHA to shed light on the matter. The Northville housing projects of NHA are located in Valenzuela City, Caloocan City, Angeles City in Pampanga and Sta. Maria and

Marilao in Bulacan. “There is a need to look into the loan agreement signed by the relocatees which obligates them to pay for the housing units with six percent annual interest and one percent monthly penalty in cases of default,” Ilagan said. Ilagan denounced the threat of the NHA to padlock the housing units and evict the relocatees for failing to pay their monthly obligations. “NHA should resolve first that a moratorium on the accrual of interest and penalties be made pending the results of the investigation,” Ilagan pointed out. De Jesus, for her part, said this payment scheme burdens the relocatees of a maximum of 18 percent interest and penalty charges annually – a rate, which is relatively higher than those charged by banking institutions.

Supporting Hans. Leaders of various labor groups clench their fists to express their support for Philippine Overseas Employment Administration head Hans Leo Cacdac who came under fire for his strict regulation of recruitment agencies and their overseas deployments. LINO SANTOS

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Hybrid polls rejected By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Teachers Dignity Coalition on Friday urged the Commission on Elections to reject the hybrid election being proposed by former poll commissioner Gus Lagman because it is evidently a reversion to manual elections and contrary to law.

Restive again. File photo shows Mount Bulusan from its Irosin, Sorsogon facade afer it spewed steam last May. The volcano again erupted for 11 minutes on Friday.

Bulusan erupts for 11 mins By Eric Apolonio MOUNT Bulusan in Sorsogon provinces erupted and spewed ash for 11 minutes on Friday, but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) maintained the Alert Level One that it hoisted in the province last May. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines issued a 24-hour ash notice to airmen at 3:30 p.m. and warned pilots flying near the area to exercise extreme caution when passing between Lopez and Masbate airspace. Phivolcs described the incident as a

minor ash eruption that started at 1:10 p.m. With a 200-meter high ash plume that drifted west-northwest that reached Barangay Inalagadian and Casay in Casiguran town. Despite the low-level alert, Phivolcs reiterated that people should not enter the 4-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone around the peak of the volcano because of the possibility of sudden and deadly steam-driven or phreatic eruptions. Phivolcs raised Alert Level One around Bulusan on May 1 after two minor explosions. In June, it again erupted four times.

The authorities stockpiled food supplies in case of evacuations after the eruption. The government volcano monitoring institute said that so far, the emissions have been caused by groundwater mixing with hot rocks inside the 1,565-metre (5,134-foot) volcano. These “phreatic eruptions” have sent ash and smoke into the air, covering the volcano’s slopes and nearby towns, said Winchelle Ian Sevilla, the officer heading a team monitoring Bulusan. He said that as long as people stay out of the four-kilometer “danger zone” around Bulusan, they would not be hurt by any falling rocks.

TDC chairman Benjo Basas said Lagman’s proposal will also expose teachers to possible harassment and election-related violence. “This hybrid system will further put our teachers in so much hardship and will expose us to harassment and possible election-related violence,” Basas said. “We are also against Chairman Bautista’s hybrid system, which is actually a reversion to manual polls at precinct levels.” Comelec chairman Andres Baustista said the poll agency is looking at the possibility of using Lagman’s Precinct Automated Tallying System, which he used to call Transparent and Credible Election System (TCrES) in the next election. “[But] at this point, we are not preparing for a hybrid election. If we go to the hybrid route, you have to purchase also a lot of machines, laptops, LCD projectors. We are not planning for that,” Bautista said. He said that the Comelec may face several legal challenges and logistics if they choose Lagman’s proposal. “It is impractical to use the hybrid system for 2016, but we will definitely consider it for future elections,” Bautista said. In PATaS, according to Lagman, voting is done manually as voters have to write either the name or assigned number of their chosen candidate. Once they fill up the ballots, the voters will then dropped the ballot into a ballot box. Once the voting period ended, the volunteered will then manually tally the votes on blackboards. The automation part only occur when the Board of Election Inspectors will transmit the total tallied votes to the main servers using laptops with broadband technology. The effects of manual elections on public teachers who usually act as election iInspectors is the main reason why they have asked not to be tapped in next year’s elections, Basas said.

Mall polls worries PPCRV By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting expressed apprehension at the plan of the Commission on Elections to move some polling precincts to shopping malls in the next elections. PPCRV chairperson Henrietta de Villa said holding the presidential elections inside malls may tarnish the reputation of the Comelec, especially if these private establishments are owned by individuals running for next year’s elections. “Even if the Comelec will take over that mall, the owner could still be related to a candidate or to a party,” de Villa said. “Malls are privately-owned. If the mall owner or any of his family would be supporting a candidate, a party, or belonging to a party, of course, the elections held there will have a different political color,” she said. The PPCRV chief pointed out that even if questions of parity may be more of perception than legal, the poll body cannot just brush it aside. “If it will put the elections at risk, because

perception is also a big thing, they should let go of it,” she suggested. While mall-based voting is a creative and innovative way to reach out to voters, De Villa said there other factors that the Comelec should consider such as public perception and legality. “We are not totally against it. We just need to study the issues,” she said. But Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista firmly said that moving polling place to the nearest shopping malls is the most practical way to enhance the public’s voting experience. Bautista stressed that it is now time for the Philippines to adopt “changes” in our society, particularly on technology and accessibility for the voters to easily exercise their right of suffrage. He admitted that the law prohibits the use of private establishments that are owned by an individual who is running for public office. “We cannot use Gateway Mall or other Araneta malls since Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas is a possible candidate. We also cannot use Starmalls because of Senator Cynthia Villar,” he said.

New voting experience. The success of their registration validation activity in some shopping malls in the country have led the Commission on Elections to propose transferring some precincts to malls in next year’s elections.

A6 Manila bags 2015’s Most Competitive City award By Vito Barcelo THE City of Manila was awarded Most Competitive City for 2015 by the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines during rites held at the PICC yesterday. Every year, the NCC headed by Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo and Co-Chairman Guillermo Luz gives citations for well-managed local government units in its Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index. There are three categories called pillars— economic dynamism, infrastructure, and government efficiency. Manila is also No. 1 in infrastructure. The award was also co-sponsored by USAID. Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno received the award on behalf of the city. The top 10 Highly Urbanized Cities in the overall category are: Manila, Makati, Cebu, Quezon City, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Paranaque, Valenzuela, Caloocan and Iloilo. Last year, Manila was No. 8. In his remarks, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said he was happy that independent institutions have been noticing the progress of Manila. “This will inspire us even more to work hard for the benefit of Manila residents. We have paid most of the city’s debts, and are now delivering infrastructure and other basic services with the taxes that we are collecting,” Estrada said.

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‘Trash from Canada recyclable, not toxic’ By Rio N. Araja

OFFICIALS of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Friday assured the public that waste materials in over 26 container vans from Canada left rotting at the Port of Manila since June 2013 are all recyclables and are not toxic or hazardous.

By the sea. A fisherman weaves nets along Macapagal Boulevard. SONNY ESPIRITU

At the Balitaan sa Rembrandt Hotel forum in Quezon City, Geronimo Sañez, chief of the DENR’s Hazardous Waste Management Section’s Environmental Quality Division under the Environmental Management Bureau, said there were no hospital wastes at the shipping containers of garbage—only domestic wastes. “None at all… I personally spearheaded, conducted, supervised and assessed the trash. There is nothing to worry about. There is no pathogen-bearing or disease-bearing wastes (in those containers). “There are only cartons, cardboards, papers, plastics and thermoplastics. There are no diapers in them,” he Sanez said. He added: “In July 2013, a broker went to my office, applying for a clearance of shipped containers of scrap plastics, of which during that time were already at the Port of Manila.” Some of the containers were covered by import certifications issued by DENR in 2013 and were processed through the Bureau of Customs. The DENR’s inspection of the processing site of Chronic Plastics revealed the “imported plastics were mixed and heterogeneous.” The shipper, Chronic Inc., a private company with official address in Ontario, Canada and owned by Jim Makris, consigned the shipment to a Philippinebased company, Chronic Plastics belonging to Adelfa Eduardo that claimed to be in the business of recovering and recycling plastic from scrap. The findings prompted EMB to review the applications for import clearances and to recommend to the Customs bureau the confiscation of the shipment. “We were then surprised the trash was not homogenous plastic (materials),” Sañez noted. In February, the non-stock, non-profit Basel Action Network in Washington, USA wrote Canda’s Department of Foreign Affairs questioned Canada’s dumping of household wastes in the Philippines. Undersecretary Jonas Leones said that the DENR conducted waste analyses and study to determine the content of the container vans. “Based on what we’ve conducted, the garbage wasn’t toxic but was municipal solid waste,” he told a television interview. Municipal wastes included household waste, kitchen or food waste, plastic and cartons. DENR and the Department of Foreign Affairs are trying to resolve the issue without hurting the country’s cordial ties with Canada, Leones said.

Parts of Pasig, Quezon City to see repairs By Joel E. Zurbano

Open for business. A vendor sells grilled yellowfins as traditional food during the celebration of Eid’l Fitr. DIANA B. NOCHE

THE Metro Manila Development Authority has approved the request of the Department of Public Works and Highways to resume road re-blocking and repairs in Pasig City and Quezon City this weekend. Lawyer Emerson Carlos, MMDA assistant general manager for operations, said the road works will commence 10 p.m. Friday (July 17) up to 5 a.m. Monday (July 20) on the following roads: Quezon City: -Southbound, second lane

of Commonwealth Avenue - Commonwealth Market Extension Overpass to Bicol Leyte Overpass -first lane Service Road of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue between Aurora Boulevard and P. Tuazon St. Pasig City: -Northbound of Circumferential Road-5 (C-5 Road) from Petron Gasul Depot (beside Petron Gas Station) to Lanuza Street Carlos advised motorists and commuters to avoid the affected areas and used alternate routes instead. He added all affected roads

will be fully passable by Monday. DPWH National Capital Region director Reynaldo Tagudando recommended the reblocking and repair of the said areas for maintenance purposes. MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino assured motorists the agency is managing the timing of numerous infrastructure and road projects in Metro Manila. He said they are taking steps to avoid the overlaps that could lead to gridlocks on major thoroughfares.

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Luistro: Albaya model of education

Sailing again. After a week of bad weather, boat trips from Mandaue City, Cebu to Bohol have resumed. MICHELLE ALVAREZ

Kennon Road now open to traffic after landslide By Vito Barcelo

The Department of Public Works and highways has opened Kennon Road to traffic, three days after a landslide that killed two and injured five.

“One lane of the road was opened last Thursday, but after the clearing operations, both lanes were opened to vehicular traffic, DPWH regional director Edilberto Carabbacan. He said the department wouldcontinue to conduct clearing operations despite rains to keep the

Road safe to motorists. “We are not saying the road is 100-percent safe but we are prepared. We have removed almost all the debris,” Carabbacan said. “I believe that it will be safe for our motorists to travel if they will only follow our advisories. We even put caution tape on both side of the road so the motorists

will just contain themselves to the safe area,” he said. A van and a passenger jeepney were buried in a landslide along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet early this week. Carrabacan said DPWH equipment and maintenance crew are on standby due to continuous falling of rocks and other debris.

LEGAZPI CITY—Education Secretary Armin Luistro hailed the province of Albay as model of basic education, ensuring the welfare of both teachers and students and the delivery of quality learning, and providing sound school facilities. Luistro was in Albay early this week for the Grand Summit on Senior High School, DepEd’s campaign for the K-12 program held at the Albay Astrodome. Some 4,500 educators and education stakeholders from the province’s four Schools Divisions attended the summit. “Whenever I visit schools in Albay, I feel a great sense of pride— I have yet to see a school in Albay that is not cared for,” Luistro said in his keynote speech. Albay schools are known for their cleanliness, with toilets in each classroom, and are well maintained by school heads. Many of the buildings, with kitchens and water facilities, also serve as evacuation centers during typhoons Albay’s pioneering education program, is among the most significant programs conceptualized to have lasting impact on development. It is of Albay’s two entries to the Galing Pook Awards this year, along with Team Albay Humanitarian Missions. Salceda said the K-12 program is “an essential ingredient in the recipe for poverty reduction.”

Petron inaugurates 81st school in Tacloban

The Petron School added two new classrooms TACLOBAn CITY -Petron in Anibong Elementary Corporation this week wel- School in Tacloban City’s comed hundreds of school Barangay 68. The typhoonchildren to their new class- resilient facility comes comrooms when it inaugurated plete with chairs and tables its 81st Petron School in for students and teachers, ceiling fans, and a restroom Tacloban City. The company has been per classroom. Tacloban City officials led building schools in the country since 2002, provid- by Mayor Alfred S. Romualing over 160 classrooms to dez were joined in the simdirectly benefit 10,000 stu- ple inauguration ceremony dents. These facilities sup- by DepEd Superintendent port the Department of Ed- Dr. Gorgonio Diaz, Jr., ucation’s Adopt-A-School School Principal Mrs. Joseprogram and contribute fina Tanpiengco, PTA Presimuch needed venues for dent, Barangay 68 Chair Ma education in overcrowded Rosario Bactol. “Petron continues to republic schools in the country or those that have been affirm its commitment to severely damaged by major nation building, especially in areas where we have a calamities.

By Mel Caspe

Here, try this. A mother tries to fit some abaya for her daughter for Eid’l Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. OMAR MANGORSI

major presence,” said Petron AVP for Corporate Affairs and Petron Foundation General Manager Charmaine V. Canillas. “We have been a part of Tacloban, and our sense of community deepened in the aftermath of one of the country’s worst calamities. Beyond the relief efforts, we hope that our programs such as the Petron School will help the city not only rise from the tragedy but fully develop and progress.” The Petron School in Tacloban complements the two-classroom AGAPP Silid Pangarap pre-school in Judge Antonio Montilla Sr. Elementary School also in Tacloban City that was turned over in February.

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO

THE MAR BAGGAGE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

MEET SOME MORE PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III said he was closer to naming the one he would endorse as his successor for next year’s elections, after Wednesday’s meeting with Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II and Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero. The meeting which started over dinner, extended well past midnight. Mr. Aquino said they talked about things other than 2016, even as he emphasized he was happy that there now seems to be a pool of people who are able and willing to continue the reforms he has begun. It was a good meeting, the President concluded. We imagine it does not sound as good for Roxas, who has been eyeing the presidency for the longest time -- even before he “gave way” to Mr. Aquino just after the latter’s mother died. To hear the President acknowledge that other people could continue the reforms he had begun, when all he wanted was to be endorsed as the only person who could do that, must have been another blow to Roxas’ self-esteem. There have been many blows in the past few years, but he has brushed them off as and remained loyal to his boss, likely hoping to be rewarded. Roxas cited his history of “track record of giving way,” hinting that one of the three of them must give way this time around. The problem is who. Liberal Party allies seem to rally behind Roxas. They say the secretary is perfect for the job. Some of them are urging Poe to be the one to give way this time and slide to the vice presidency – do a Roxas, in short. If she does this, however, where would that leave Escudero, her close friend and preferred running mate? All this talk about giving way and claims to the ability to sacrifice personal goals for the greater good is leaving us all bewildered. These officials, the President included, should be reminded that the best sacrifice they can make at this point is to set aside politics and concentrate on doing their job well in these last few months of the administration. Unfortunately, every decision made these days is colored by the specter of 2016. Why, for instance, is Roxas going around the country distributing patrol vehicles? Why is Poe taking the MRT again? Why spend hours in meetings hoping that one of them would budge, or give way anew? Do they even spend this much time meeting about solutions to the country’s numerous problems? As it is, aside from the value, we really do not care how long they sat together, whatever in heaven they talked about – and even what they had for dinner.

LICENSE TO STEAL BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO THE P3.1-billion license plates deal the Land Transportation Office entered into with a foreign firm is a license to steal. Not only are the new plates found defective, the total cost to the government agency is also expensive. But of course, how can the scoun-

drels at LTO make money if it is not overpriced? The LTO is directly under Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya who has difficulty explaining the deal as above board and not overpriced. Let’s remember that the management of the Metro Rail Transit 3 which has been accused of extortion and the anomalous award of MRT service contract also falls under Abaya’s Department of Transportation and Communications. The LTO has replaced

the Department of Public Works and Highways as the flagship of corruption among government agencies. DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson has done a good job of making sure bidding rules are followed. The frequent placement of DPWH invitation of bid ads in major newspapers is a testament to transparency. Contractors with bad records are blocked out. The LTO anomaly would have not come to light if the delivery had not been

Getting your new car plates is almost like winning the Lotto.

delayed. Because car owners, particularly new vehicle owners, had to wait seven months for their plates, motorists went into rage even before they hit the road. By delaying delivery, the gremlins at LTO created an artificial shortage of plates, which if you’re willing to pay extra to the facilitator, you can get early. Getting your new car plates is almost like winning the Lotto. Adding fuel to the fire, the LTO even required vehicle owners with existing license plates to replace them with the black numbers on white background. Shouldn’t the

numbers of these plates be in luminous red which are more visible at night so they can be read when vehicles are used in the commission of a crime? Car plates can be made here. Why commission a foreign firm to do it for us? In the US, car plates are made by minimum security prisoners who are paid a small fee for their work which they can collect when they are rehabilitated and released to rejoin society. This

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

can also be done with our minimum security prisoners who have the skill for metal plate work. With time on their hands, this would make them productive while in jail. Recovering dirty money The world is getting smaller for those stashing their ill-gotten wealth overseas. The US justice department warned that “ we will not be a playground” for those placing and enjoying their ille-

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gal money here.” The US federal government and Manila are coordinating to recover an estimated $12 million in assets of Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind. The assets include a high-end condo unit at the Ritz Carlton in Los Angeles, the Express Inn motel in Anaheim in front of Disneyland , and a Porsche sports car all registered under the name of Napoles’ daughter Jeanne. Continued on A11

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Ma. Isabel “Gina” P. Verzosa Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

AS the 2016 national elections draw closer, maneuverings and negotiations intensify as expected. I have no doubt that President Benigno Simeon Aquino III wants to anoint Mar Roxas as the Liberal Party’s standard bearer for 2016. This decision would have been easy if Roxas is seen as a possible winner. Rightly or wrongly, however, political decisions are not made in a vacuum and in this country, winnability is a major criterion both for political groups and the electorate. Survey results have not been kind to Roxas. All results have been heavily dominated by Senator Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay. Roxas’ numbers are no way near these front runners’ and PNoy cannot possibly ignore that. Sadly also, it appears that the decision to choose LP’s candidate lies solely in the President’s hands whereas the vetting process should be a major function of the party. The choice would then be based on party statutes and principles and not only political exigencies. If it were up to LP, I suppose there would be no other choice but Roxas. Roxas’ problem is mainly image. He is not popular because he is seen as elitist, incapable and weak. I do not understand the elitist “problem”. Mar is a Roxas just like PNoy is a Cojuangco-Aquino. They are both of the elite. Yet PNoy never had the same problem. The only reason I can think of for Mar’s “crucifixion” is those photo-ops showing him doing ordinary folk’s work. People saw these as being pretentious and purely “papogi”. Unfortunately for him, people do not forget and forgive easily. Whoever thought of those gimmicks should have been fired. Presently, people generally do not think much of Roxas’ capabilities and leadership. To be fair, the guy has sterling academic background. His academic credentials are much better than Poe’s or anyone else’s in the horizon. Academically speaking, he is the most qualified of the lot. That he is “clean” is another big plus factor. For all his years in the public sector, he has not been implicated in any anomaly particularly involving the people’s money. He is already rich and has a family name to protect so I do not think that he is in government for the money. If Mar did not slide down for Noynoy in 2010, I would have definitely voted for him. However, people’s perception of him has changed drastically since 2010. And this, I must say, is mostly his own doing. He was given key and powerful positions by PNoy as head of the Department of Transportation and Communications, and now, the Department of Interior and Local Government. He enjoys PNoy’s trust and support. What else does one need to showcase one’s capabilities and leadership? Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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S AT U R D AY : J U LY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO

THE MAR BAGGAGE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Getting your new car plates is almost like winning the Lotto.

5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

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MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Ma. Isabel “Gina” P. Verzosa Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND MASS MEDIA BACK BENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN Part II (Continuation of article published on 07/04/2015) OPINION makers and columnists must first and foremost not write anything that is inimical to the interest of the publisher. Such is the cardinal rule that must be observed by writer under the so-called “free and democratic system” that we have. Public interest comes in only if the issues will not affect the interest of the media owner. In fact, anybody who dares write an opposing view cannot expect to see his ideas in print, and that cannot surpass the owner of his right to property. As one might put it, “you better put up your own newspaper to exercise your right to freedom of expression”. Surprisingly, despite attempts to defraud people of their choice of candidate, a new kind of protest is evolving. The technology of internet is now challenging the conclusion made by the combined forces of the mainstream media of their self-serving poll survey outfit. Social media has now become more reliable because there is an interactive exchange of ideas and opinion. Everybody is free to give his opinion, and is difficult to censor. In fact, some candidates even use the social media to conduct their own survey, and often, the result is contradictory to the survey results conducted by the leading poll surveys outfit. Through the years, the elite, the Church, and the imperialists have long deceived the people by tightly controlling the mainstream media through which they created an “information cartel,” and lately, using the new scheme of conditioning the minds of the people as to who is likely to be the next leader of this forlorn country. Of course, the use of poll survey has long been used in the US. But in our case, our poll surveys have repeatedly and regularly used their findings to pursue their insidious campaign of electioneering by emphasizing that this person, if he runs for president, is likely to win. They do not even do their

duty of enlightening the public that their so-called “popular choice” is possibly mentally unfit for the job, a demagogue, a clown, bigot, or one who has a lust for vengeance. Poll surveys have gained popularity or notoriety, and in fact has become one big business enterprise by their syndicated practice of conditioning the minds of the people. It a kind of pavlovian conditioning for people to accept the outcome of an election. Since we have stretched our concept of freedom of the press and expression to a point of absurdity, poll surveys too invoke their right to freedom of the press, meaning that the government has no right to stop their questionable practice of trending, claiming it as indivisible to our democracy. They ignore that trending is an insult to the intelligence of the Filipino people because

They do not even do their duty of enlightening the public that their so-called “popular choice” is possibly mentally unfit for the job, a demagogue, a clown, bigot, or one who has a lust for vengeance.

it deprives them of their choice by injecting into their minds that what they suggest is a better choice. In that case, the democracy which the hypocritical elite have been loudly promoting becomes useless, for it seems, the outcome of the election is already a predetermined process. It cannot be said as fair and honest because the people feel they were cheated but made blurred because the candidate who won was expected to win. Besides, poll surveys are not driven by some kind of civic spirit, but for commercial consideration. They openly admit to receive funding and donations from anybody seeking their services. Any government that

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA THE one value definitely added by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ is that it presents a holistic perspective on the environment and development challenges the world faces. This worldview is anchored on a faithbased understanding of the world. After all, Laudato Si’ comes from the leader of the Catholic Church. In the section of Laudato Si’ entitled “The Gospel of Creation”, Pope Francis begins by asking why the encyclical, even as it is addressed to all people of good will, include a chapter on creation. He responds to his own question, saying that this is about fostering a necessary dialogue: “I am well aware that in the areas of politics and philosophy there are those who firmly reject the idea of a Creator, or consider it irrelevant, and consequently dismiss as irrational the rich contribution which religions can make towards an integral ecology and the full development of humanity. Others view religions simply as a subculture to be tolerated. Nonetheless, science and religion, with their distinctive approaches to understanding reality, can enter into an intense dialogue fruitful for both.” Pope Francis argues that, in crafting solutions to sustainable development challenges, there must be respect for diversity of cultures and religions. Laudato Si’ states: “Respect must also be shown for the various cultural riches of different peoples, their art and poetry, their interior life and spirituality. If we are truly concerned to develop an ecology capable of remedying the damage we have done, no branch of the sciences and no form of wisdom can be left out, and that includes religion and the language particular to it.” (LS 63) In addition, Pope Francis points out how “faith convictions can offer Christians, and some other believers as well, ample motivation to care for nature and for the most vulnerable of their brothers and sisters”. Christians must “realize that their responsibility within creation, and their duty towards nature and the Creator, are an essential part of their faith”. (LS 64) Laudato Si’ explains how creation accounts, as found in the book of Genesis, share important teachings about human existence and its historical reality. According to Pope Francis: “They suggest that human will attempt to suppress their nefarious practice is likely to be accused of dictatorial tendency though the issue is not really about their right to freedom of the press, but in assuming and making it known to the public that this candidate which happened to be their choice is likely to win, and ergo, the public should vote for him. They have the advantage because the half-informed public is now on their side, without them thinking it was their freedom of choice that was violated.

THE GOSPEL OF CREATION life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself. According to the Bible, these three vital relationships have been broken, both outwardly and within us. This rupture is sin. The harmony between the Creator, humanity and creation as a whole was disrupted by our presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations. This in turn distorted our mandate to “have dominion” over the earth to “till it and keep it”. As a result, the originally harmonious relationship between human beings and nature became conflictual.” (LS 66) Pope Francis asserts that human beings are not God and strongly rejects an interpretation of the Bible that establishes supremacy and dominion of man over nature is not correct. According to Laudato Si’: ”The biblical texts are to be read in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tell us to “till and keep” the garden of the world. ‘Tilling’ refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while ‘keeping’ means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature. Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations.” (LS 67) There is no place in the Bible for a “tyrannical anthropocentrism”. Stewardship over creation means we have “to respect the laws of nature and the delicate equilibria existing between the creatures of this world”. We must acknowledge that other creatures are valuable in their own right before God. As Pope Francis puts it - “by their mere existence they bless him and give him glory”. Laudato Si’ uses the biblical story of Cain and Abel and that of Noah to point out the consequences of disregarding and betraying one’s duty to care for a neighbor ruins one’s relationship with my own self, with others, with God and with the earth. According to Pope Francis: “When all these relationships are neglected, when justice no longer dwells in the land, the Bible tells us that life itself is

In fact, it is more than just an issue of legality, but a moral issue. In a truly functioning democracy, the voters should be given their choice. Their choice is important much that it gives the voters their freedom whom to vote. The right comes in only after they made their choice, and not that somebody made a choice for them. In fact, trending or conditioning the minds of the people as to who is likely to win is a form of cheating. This practice is dangerous because of the sophisticated method that could

endangered. We see this in the story of Noah, where God threatens to do away with humanity because of its constant failure to fulfill the requirements of justice and peace. He concludes: “These ancient stories, full of symbolism, bear witness to a conviction which we today share, that everything is interconnected, and that genuine care for our own lives and our relationships with nature is inseparable from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others.” (LS 70) Finally, Pope Francis makes ecology very personal, proclaiming that the earth, indeed the whole universe, speaks of God’s love and his boundless affection for us, with “soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God”. He describes our friendship with God as always linked to particular places. “Anyone who has grown up in the hills or used to sit by the spring to drink, or played outdoors in the neighbourhood square; going back to these places is a chance to recover something of their true selves.” (LS 84) Pope Francis ends this Laudato Si’ chapter on the gospel of creation with the Canticle of the Sun, the hymn of Saint Francis of Assisi from where the title of papal encyclical comes from. For indeed: “When we can see God reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved to praise the Lord for all his creatures and to worship him in union with them.” And yes, this is the right song to sing: Praised be you, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day and through whom you give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour; and bears a likeness of you, Most High. Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful. Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through whom you give sustenance to your creatures. Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water, who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste. Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you light the night, and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong”. (LS 87) Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

cause the people to act or react to every given situation like electing their leader. By engaging in a subtle form of endorsement, they can be held liable for electioneering. The resultant effect is that those who nonetheless stick to their choice of candidate are looked upon as less intelligent votes and non-conformists because they voted against the mainstream choice in favor of their parochial attachment or affiliation like belonging to the same religion, or being a province mate, or a relative.

Quite strange is that candidates projected by poll surveys as most popular are often those who have no clear- cut position on how they intend to resolve some of the pressing problems we have. One could readily sense that they are manipulating the minds of the voting public. One who dares confront the issues squarely and is likely to steer controversy is purposely made less popular. Thus, the image of an accommodating and compromising candidate Continued on A11

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

MAR ROXAS, GRACE POE AND RICHARD GORDON

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

IF the statements of the political allies of obstacles to her plans, though – citizenPresident Benigno Aquino III are reli- ship and residency issues. able, then Interior Secretary Mar Roxas Legal experts say that Poe is not a will be the presidential candidate of the natural-born citizen of the Philippines Liberal Party in the May 2016 elections. – a requirement for the presidency, vice That ought to be welcome news for Rox- presidency, and membership in the Senas, who has loyally served Aquino during ate. If this is correct, Poe may have to rethe past five years in the expectation that linquish her seat in the Senate, to which he would be the LP presidential candi- she was elected for the 2013-2019 term. date in 2016, after yielding his presiden- Poe was reported to be tracking down tial bid to Aquino in 2010. one of her biological parents in Iloilo to The glitch in the Roxas presidential plan, establish her claim to natural-born citihowever, is that President Aquino has not zenship, but the news archives are silent given his endorsement to Roxas, and that about the details. Aquino seems inclined towards Senator Although residency must be appreciGrace Poe instead. So far, Aquino has had ated in terms of one’s domicile and inthree meetings with Poe with horse-trading tent to return to the Philippines, there likely in the agenda. This does not provide are views that the years Poe spent abroad the Roxas camp with a nice prognosis. In as an American citizen (who voluntarily fact, the recent announcement of Roxas that renounced her Philippine citizenship) he has “a track record of giving way” sug- cannot be counted in her favor for purgests that Roxas himself knows that he is not poses of residency. While Poe has made yet assured of the President’s endorsement. attempts to refute allegations about her While the camp of Vice President lack of residency, she has been unusually Jejomar Binay, who is seen as the presi- silent about her citizenship. dential bet of the political opposition, is LP leaders seem equivocal on these isalready scouting for a vice presidential sues. Political analysts suspect that the candidate, Roxas and his supporters are LP is leading Poe to a political trap by still in political limbo. That’s a very dis- making her run for and win as president, turbing status for Roxas considering that with Roxas as her vice president. Afthe election is just ten months away. ter the victory, Poe will be unseated as Although Poe has not publicly admit- president on citizenship and residency ted that she wants to run for higher office grounds, and Vice President Roxas bein 2016, she has not made any categorical comes president. If this plan is true, then denial in this regard. Her recent meet- it will be the most underhanded politiings with President Aquino, however, cal campaign strategy for the presidency suggest that she wants to. There are two ever devised in Philippine politics.

Freedom.. From A10

The Mar.. From A9

is readily endorsed by the mainstream media indicating that there exists a conspiracy between the two to deceive the people. It is the mainstream media that somewhat certifies the findings of the poll survey. One must not forget that the mainstream media is made up of the newspapers, the television stations and radio broadcasts. Once they combine their resources together to support their chosen stooge, that now seals the fate of the other candidates for which the more ghastly operation of electoral fraud and cheating would be carried, and the losing candidates would have an uphill battle in proving his allegation. Many believe the entry of poll survey to boost the candidacy of certain candidates together with the imposition of an information cartel by the mainstream media is done to tighten the grip of the oligarchy and their Western brokers in the country. The receding influence of the US has caused the oligarchy to panic. Instead of invading or subverting the government, all they need is to condition the minds of the people that their chosen stooge is likely to win, though he or she has not accomplished anything and even if her citizenship status is questionable.

Surely, if Roxas has it, the people would have already seen it. But he failed and continues to fail in creating an impact for people to choose him. Look at the mess we are in in the transport sector. Every day we hear people’s cries to address the worst traffic situation we have ever experienced. Studies say that we lose billions in productivity of our workforce because of traffic. The MRT problem started years back. Yet instead of seeing improvements, the problem has worsened in more ways than one. Not only do our commuters suffer, their lives are also put in danger. The remaining running trains could conk out anytime and accidents can happen. Certainly, our people deserve better, much better than what they are made to suffer.

rpkapunan@gmail.com

A11

License.. From A9 The Federal Bureau of Investigation is tracing other Napoles properties acquired with the intent to secure an investor’s visa for permanent residence in the US. But efforts to recover hidden wealth abroad should go the extra mile to include those who received PDAF kickbacks from Napoles, like the senator who bought a condo apartment in New York’s tawny Park Avenue. A retirement place in Pork Avenue ?

Of course, that scenario presupposes that Poe will beat Binay for the presidency, a possibility if the June 2015 surveys are reliable. Nonetheless, many events can occur from today up to May 2016 that may change the opinion of voters up to the last minute – the moment when it matters most. Pessimists in the LP believe that Roxas will share the fate of the late House Speaker Ramon Mitra, Jr. who, for five long years, patiently sought but failed to get President Corazon Aquino (the incumbent president’s mother) to endorse his presidential bid in May 1992. At this juncture, it is timely to ask what ex-Senator Richard Gordon has in mind about the citizenship issue against Poe. As discussed in this column weeks ago, Gordon placed thirteenth (out of twelve possible winners) in the May 2013 senatorial derby, and will sit as senator until May 2019 if Poe is unseated. Perhaps Gordon does not want to appear that he’s drooling for a seat in the Senate. Whether that is true or not, Gordon remains duty-bound to pursue the disqualification case against Poe because to do otherwise is tantamount to his disregarding the mandate of the voters who cast their ballots for him in 2013. Gordon’s voters ordered him to work in the Senate, and here is a legal means for him to carry out that mandate. At the end of the day, Gordon’s reluctance, real or imaginary, must take a back seat to the sovereign will of his voters. In other

words, Gordon must sue Poe for the sake of those who voted for him. Every day of delay is a day of virtual disenfranchisement for his political supporters. Gordon must decide and act soon. As senator, Gordon can run for president or vice president in May 2016. If he is unsuccessful in this regard, he does not forfeit his Senate seat. Of course, he must replace Poe in the Senate before he can move in that direction. Senator Sergio Osmeña III recently announced that Poe is better off running for vice president in 2016, and then for president in 2022. Osmeña added that six years as vice president will give Poe the experience needed for the presidency, and this will make her unbeatable in 2022. Even assuming that Poe is going to win as vice president in 2016, the optimism of Osmeña must yield to political reality. Philippine political history indicates that the vice presidency is not always a training ground for the presidency. When the president and the vice president belong to different political parties, the president almost always ends up distrusting the vice president, and pushing the vice president away from the inner circle of political power. Under this arrangement, there is no way for the vice president to acquire any real experience in running the executive department. This means that in the event that the vice president becomes the next president, he or she will still be a political neophyte as far as the presidency is concerned.

Roxas headed DOTC. What did he do? Yolanda’s devastation happened with Mar at the helm of DILG. Thousands of our people died and hundreds of thousands more were left homeless. The whole country mourned. This problem was something that the country has never seen before and an acid test in leadership. Our people needed the government to act swiftly, decisively, and efficiently. This could have made Roxas. But the contrary happened. Government action was too slow. Roxas was seen as politicking instead of delivering what was needed. In the end, a year has passed and thousands of families were still living in tents and relocation sites. In the eyes of the people, Roxas failed this test. But he wants to be president. So PNoy should help. After all, this was the guy who “sacrificed”

and gave way to him in 2010. And the president is moving. The fact that PNoy has met with Poe TWICE is quite telling. One, he sees that the senator is a possible winner and it will be best if she remains at the very least an LP ally if not outrightly a member. Two, maybe the President thinks that Poe can be persuaded to agree to a Roxas-Poe tandem with the former as presidential candidate. Perhaps PNoy is hoping that the latter’s popularity will help Roxas in the polls. After all, Poe as of now is party-less and will need the machinery and resources that the administration has. Even if, for the sake of argument, Poe agrees to become Roxas’ VP candidate, I seriously doubt if her votes will go to Mar. While the senator has become quite popular, the “block” votes will still come from those who

supported her father, and those that will come from the Estrada camp. At this point, I do not suppose the Estradas would support a Roxas candidacy even if Poe is the vice presidential bet. Jinggoy Estrada’s fate hangs in the balance here unless of course a secret deal can be had. Mar Roxas has big political baggages. If he really wants the presidency, he and his party MUST address his image problems fast. He needs to prove his worth to the people and there is very little time left. I do not know even if he has enough time to do this. Mar must clearly show capability and strong political will. Then maybe he will have a real shot at the presidency.

Chinese doublespeak China, in its latest Orwellian doublespeak, called the Philippines “a hypocrite, the real trouble-maker and a rule- breaker.” Really? Beijing should look at itself in the mirror and see that it just described itself. It would take two sets of mirrors to reflect its Janus face. As the whole international community knows, it is China that broke the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLOS) rule, destabilized the region by reclaiming land and building military structures.

It’s a hypocrite for calling the Philippines names which is more befitting Beijing. The virulent Chinese namecalling came after the Philippines ignored Beijing’s latest call for bilateral talks and for Manila to abandon its arbitration case filed in The Hague tribunal. Beijing’s desperate bid for bilaterals betrays its panic mode once The Hague court decides it has jurisdiction over the case. This would be a roundone victory for Manila which contested China’s s weeping nine-dash line claim of nearly

the entire South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei who also have overlapping claims to parts of the South China Sea are quietly cheering the Philippine initiative to bring the territorial dispute to the UN arbitration tribunal in The Hague. Instead of staying in the sidelines, they should, in the spirit of Asean solidarity, join the Philippines in standing up to China who’s also bullying them. But then, they have to think about the huge trade they do with China.

bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on FaceBook

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Gatlin: Doping ban a gift, curse MONACO—A four-year doping ban served between 2006-10 has been both “a gift and a curse”, controversial in-form American sprinter Justin Gatlin admitted Thursday.

Super Liga beach volley tourney under way THE country’s best—and loveliest—volleyball players take their booming smashes and defensive gems to the sand as they compete in the inaugural PLDT Home Ultera-Philippine Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup 2015 powered by Smart Live More today at the Sands By the Bay in SM Mall of Asia. The tandem of comely Cha Cruz and beach volley specialist Michelle Laborte of Cignal HD Spikers A is tipped to dominate when it battles the duo of Danika Gendrauli and Jane Diaz of Gilligan’s in the 2:30 p.m. encounter, while Filipino-American stunner Alexa Micek and Fille Cayetano of Petron Sprint 4T face Bea Tan and Pau Soriano of Foton Hurricane in the 3:20 p.m. clash that will be aired live over TV5, the club league’s official TV network, with Accel as official outfitter, Sands By the Bay as venue partner and Maynilad as official water provider. The clash between Cignal A and Gilligan’s is expected to go down the wire since Laborte -the former University of St. La Salle-Bacolod star who won a bronze medal in the beach volley competition of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games in Manila in 2005 -- will be stacked against Gendrauli, the beach volley queen of Cebu who won the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. crown in 2011. AFP

US athlete Justin Gatlin competing and winning the men’s 100m event of the Memorial Van Damme athletics Diamond League meeting in Brussels in September of 2014. A four-year doping ban served between 2006-10 has been both “a gift and a curse”, controversial in-form American sprinter Justin Gatlin admitted. In an interview with AFP ahead of July 17’s Diamond League meet in Monaco, Gatlin acknowledged that hitting the peak of his form at the age of 33 was connected to sitting out four seasons of track action after a positive test for testosterone. AFP

Injured Serena withraws from Bastad BASTAD—World number one and six-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams pulled out of the Swedish Open with an elbow injury on Thursday and set her sights on recovering for the US hardcourt season. The 33-year-old was set to play Klara Koukalova in the second round having defeated Ysaline Bonaventure of Belgium 6-2, 6-1 in her opener on Wednesday at the claycourt event she

won in 2013. “I was having some pain in my right elbow,” Williams said. “I felt it a little bit in my match yesterday, and then it got better, but then this morning I really couldn’t hit serves, and if I’m not able to hit serves that could definitely be a problem. “So I talked to my coach about it and we were like, ‘Let’s see what the doctor says, and see what everyone else says, and go from there.’ The main thing is

that we don’t want it to get worse, we obviously want it to heal. “Unfortunately I haven’t had time to heal. I’ve been going, going, going, playing tournaments I love, and coming here has been such a great joy, but unfortunately it’s not going to heal if I keep playing.” Williams swept to a sixth Wimbledon title on Saturday, her 21st career major and her third in three Grand Slam events this year. AFP

Kings void deal after Mbah fails physical LOS ANGELES (AFP)--Luc Mbah a Moute’s move to the Sacramento Kings was nixed on Thursday after the Cameroonian forward failed his physical exam. Mbah a Moute had signed with the team on Tuesday, but Kings vice president Vlade Divac -- a former center

for the team -- said Thursday the deal had been voided after team doctors declined to give Mbah a Moute a clean bill of health. Mbah a Moute played nine games with the Kings at the start of the 201314 season before being traded to Minnesota.

Last season, Mbah a Moute played 67 games, starting 61, for the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. In 466 career NBA games, the 28-year-old has averaged 6.8 points and 4.9 rebounds. AFP

In an interview with AFP ahead of Friday’s Diamond League meet in Monaco, Gatlin acknowledged that hitting the peak of his form at the age of 33 was connected to sitting out four seasons of track action after a positive test for testosterone. With Jamaican Usain Bolt struggling with a pelvic injury, the American will head to next month’s Beijing world championships as firm favourite in both the 100 and 200m, having set a personal best of 9.74 seconds over the 100m in May as part of an unbeaten streak of 26 races dating back to August 2013. Gatlin won the 2004 Olympic 100m title and was 2005 world sprint double gold medallist, but then served his second doping ban before returning to nail the 2012 world 60m indoor title, Olympic bronze at the London Games and a world silver in Moscow a year later. “Theoretically I never had any injuries, I’ve been away from the sport for four years -- I literally didn’t run for four years, so my body’s been rested,” Gatlin told AFP of his longevity and current prowess. “My body feels it’s like a 27-year-old instead of a 33-year-old who’s run those four years and feels tired. “My being away from the sport has been a gift and a curse in a way. For me it’s saddening I had to be away, but I’m able to have had adequate rest and sit back and see my opponents and their growth and use that to my advantage.” AFP

National slalom 7th leg on Sunday THE RACE Motorsports National Slalom Grand Prix Series’ seventh leg erupts on Sunday at the Robinsons Nova Market, marking the start of the second half of the series. Registration is set from 8 a.m. onwards, while open practice runs are slated from 8 to 10 a.m. In between at 9 a.m. is a free slalom clinic. Official practice runs will start 11 a.m., with drivers being given only one official run regardless of how many classes or cars they are entered. To accumulate points for the overall and class

champions, contenders must use the specified Federal Tyres for at least nine or 75% of the series and must possess the Automobile Association of the Philippines Clubman license. All drivers will be charged an additional P300 per leg for the Clubman License. The national slalom event is affiliated with the AAP and FIA and is the longestrunning motorsport discipline in the country. Expected to participate are champions headed by Dr. Peewee Mendiola of Big Chill; Milo, Noel and Estefano Rivera of Tough

Gear, Cabanatuan Auto Club, MSM Motorsports, AF Racing Team, Team Makaluma, Orthodox Racing, BYD Philippines and G Spot. The event is sponsored by Shell Helix Motor oils with Pureplus Technology, Federal Tyres, Outlast Battery, Starbright Body Kits, Auto Transporter, Robinsons Nova Market and media partners Stoplight TV and C! Magazine. For details, contact Bing Bang O. Dulce at nos. 9286951, 0922-8165344 or 09178119337; email racemotorsportsclub@yahoo.com or like the event’s FB page.

Miguel Cachuela waits for his turn in the RACE Motorsports National Slalom Grand Prix Series.

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San Beda cage camps slated

US golfer Dustin Johnson lines up his putt on the 11th green during his first round 65, on the opening day of the 2015 British Open Golf Championship on The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland. Johnson leads in the clubhouse mid-afternoon on Thursday, with conditions expected to make life difficult for the later starters. AFP

Woods still hopeful after a dismal 76 ST. ANDREWS—Tiger Woods may be in danger of missing back-to-back cuts in majors for the first time in his career, but he remained defiant he can recover after a first round of four-over par at The Open on Thursday. After carding a dismal 76, it meant Woods was also facing the third time in four outings at a Grand Slam event that the 14-time major winner had failed to play at the weekend. “Hopefully the conditions will be tough tomorrow (Saturday) and I can put together a good round and we’ll move up the board progressively,” Woods said. “I’m so far back and the leaderboard is so bunched that in order for me to get in there by Sunday, I’m going to have to have the conditions tough and then obviously put together some really solid rounds, something like what J.D. (John Daly) did back in ‘95. AFP

THE 2015 sessions of the San Beda basketball camps will start again with Saturdays-only classes on July 25. Classes from both the Mendiola and Taytay campuses will be held every from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. until Sept. 12. Sessions will be both for beginners and advanced students, to be handled by coaches from San Beda, as well as noted ones from other schools. Registration is still open for kids interested to attend the sessions. Interested parties may contact Oliver Quiambao at 735-6011, local 2104, or 09228536186, and through camps head, coach Edmundo “Ato” Badolato, at 0908-8624543. A registration fee of P3,500 has been set for entries, and this includes a T-shirt and a brand new Molten ball.

Johnson leads, Spieth ready to pounce at Open ST. ANDREWS —Leader Dustin Johnson, history-maker Jordan Spieth and a desperate Tiger Woods will all be looking up at the skies when the second round of the British Open gets underway at St Andrews on Friday. Birdies were aplenty during Thursday’s opening chapter at the Home of Golf, but conditions gradually worsened during the day and the full blast of the looming bad weather is expected to hit the fabled Fife links course on Friday and possibly on into Saturday. Just how bad it will be noone really knows given the unpredictability of the Scottish summer. But Johnson for one, seeking his first major title, was happy that he produced his opening seven under 65 when

the going was good as it’s going to get. “Everybody knows the weather Friday and Saturday is going to be very difficult, so today I thought was very important to get off to a good start and try to make as many birdies as you can today because the next couple days it’s going to be very difficult,” he said. It’s a packed leaderboard stacked up behind him. Standing one back of him are a six-strong group consisting of home favourite Paul

Lawrie, Australian shotmaker Jason Day, South African veteran Retief Goosen, Danny Willett of England and Americans Robert Streb and Zach Johnson. But even more pertinately, among those on 67 is the man who has taken the golfing world by storm this year, 21-year-old Texan Jordan Spieth. The world number two played alongside Johnson on Thursday for his first competitive round at St Andrews and he dealt admirably with the challenge. In the absence of injured world number one Rory McIlroy, his clash with Johnson is the one that is making headlines as the rivalry to watch. Spieth said of Johnson that he had been impressed by “somebody who’s splitting bunkers at about 380 yards and just twoputting for birdie on five or six of the holes when there’s only

two par-5s. “I don’t have that in the bag, so I’ve got to make up for it with ball-striking. “I’ve played enough golf with him to where I believe in my skill set that I can still trump that crazy ability that he has.” Spieth and Johnson have midafternoon tee-times when heavy morning rain is forecast to give way to winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour. By the time they have teed off, such as 2013 champion Phil Mickelson (70), England’s top hope Justin Rose (71) and last week’s Scottish Open winner Rickie Fowler (72) will have had the chance to apply some pressure on the leader. Tiger Woods, meanwhile, needs a minor-miracle to avoid missing back-to-back cuts in major tournaments for the first time in his career. AFP

Lance in controversial tour stage MURET—For the first time since he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong on Thursday rode a stage of the famous race for charity. Armstrong was riding a 198-kilometeR (123mile) stage a day ahead of the competing riders for a leukemia charity but cycling officials have branded the exercise “disrespectful”. The 43-year-old American, who himself is a cancer survivor, stressed he was riding for a “great cause” and it was something he was committed

to “regardless of what people think”. The charity, the brainchild of former England football international Geoff Thomas who beat leukaemia, aims to raise “around £1 million” (1.4 million euros, $1.5m) mainly via sponsorship garnered by the 10 other amateur cyclists riding the route. Armstrong was surrounded by reporters but no members of the public were out on the course to welcome him as he set off. He made a first stop after 45 kilometeRs in the small town of Lacou-

gotte-Cadoul in southern France where he greeted a young man in a wheelchair who came to see the one-time hero of the cycling world. Later in the village of Villefranche d’Albigeois, where the peloton stopped for lunch, diner Luc, 26, said he was “nevertheless proud to shake the hand of such a wellknown man”. “What he did wasn’t very nice and even if we shouldn’t forget that, his presence for this charitable act is a good thing,” said another resident of the village, Jacques Pylyp, 53. AFP

US cyclist Lance Armstrong answers to journalists’ questions prior to cycle two stages of The Tour for a leukaemia charity a day ahead of the competing riders in Le Vernet, southwest France. It will be his first appearance at the Tour -- albeit a day ahead of the bonanza’s arrival in each venue -- since he was stripped of the seven titles he won from 1999 to 2005 for doping. AFP

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Rupert last PH hope in world jr golf NATIONAL team standout Rupert Zaragosa broke par just in time to remain as the only Philippine hope for a victory as the anticipated title challenge by Josh Jorge and Jolo Magcalayo terribly down the drain on the third day of the IMG Academy Junior World golf championships in San Diego, California. The pint-sized Zaragosa carded a one-under-par 71 at the Torrey Pines south course following a 73 and 74 in the first two rounds that kept the Lyceum ace within three strokes off the lead, while bolstering his attempt to end a 29-year Philippine drought in the boys’ 15-17 years division. Four players are tied for the lead and 12 others are five strokes or less adrift and all indications point to a wild shootout for the most coveted trophy of the 12 offered in this annual competition of the best juniors in the world. The first 10 were already won Thursday (Friday in Manila) and unfortunately, not one went to the Philippines. Japan won three to again become the winningest Asian country. Jorge and Magcalayo were both tipped to go for the boys’ 11-12 plum at Sycuan Resort Oak Glen after putting themselves two and three strokes behind on the penultimate round. But the two PH bets wavered in a searing shootout. Jorge bogeyed two of his last three holes on the way to a three-over 75, while Magcalayo never posed a challenge after he bogeyed the eighth and ninth en route to a 76. Jorge finished tied for 13th and Magcalayo settled for a share of 19th. The best finisher in the lower divisions turned out to be tiny Venice Tiamsic, one of the 12 national qualifying champions flown for free by national carrier Philippine Airlines. He scored a 60 at Colina Park and placed third with a 186 total, far off the winning 170 total of Miyu Shimizu of Japan and four behind runner-up Anna Huang of Canada.

Since Carito Villaroman, now a teaching professional, won the 1517 years’ division back-to-back in 1985-86, the best finish posted by a PH participant was a tie for fifth by Miguel Tabuena, now one of the country’s top pros, four years ago. Zaragosa also hopes to draw inspiration from Daniella Uy’s comefrom-behind victory last year when she nipped Ziyi Wang of China in a playoff to end an 18-year wait in the girls’ 15-17 division. “Rupert has been steady all week and I think that will be his weapon tomorrow,” said delegation head Luigi Tabuena, president of the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines, which sent 38 kids here to compete against entries from 56 countries and 42 states of the host country. How PH bets fared on the third day: Boys 15-17 Torrey Pines south: Rupert Zaragosa 71-218 tied for 7th, Lanz Uy 78-229 (Missed Cut), Kristoffer Arevalo 77-231 (MC), Ryan Monsalve 76-232 (MC), Wei Wei Gao 77-237 (MC), Luis Miguel Castro 76-237 (MC) Leaders: Norman Xiong/Canyon Lake, California 75-215, Joaquin Niemann, Chile 66-215, Ashwin Arasu 67215, Sahith Theegala, Chino Hills, California 71-215, Everton Hawkins, Irvine, California 73-215 Girls 15-17 par-72Torrey Pines north: Pauline del Rosario 79-224 T17, Abby Arevalo 74-226 T27, L.K Go 73227 T33, Annika Cedo 73-230 T43, Sam Martirez 78-235 T64 Leader: Nasa Hataoka, Japan 70-208 Boys 13-14 par-71 Morgan Run Resort: Aidric Chan 70-214 T17, Carl Corpus 74-219 T40, Weiyu Gao 76221 T56

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NOTICE OF NO CHILDREN I, Pelagio Marquez Alvarez, 88 years old and residing at 29 Tindalo S t ., P i l a r V i l l a g e , L a s P i ñ a s C i t y, Metro Manila. Af ter having been d u l y s w o r n i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h l a w, depose and say: 1) T h a t I w a s m a r r i e d t o C a r m e n G. Alvarez of legal age and we w e`r e f o r m e r l y r e s i d i n g a t # 2 5 7 D . K a n l a o n S t ., Q u e z o n C i t y. 2) T h a t w e n e v e r h a d a c h i l d r e n w i t h my wife Carmen G. Alvarez who is already deceased. 3) I executed to the foregoing to attest to the truth hereof and for all legal purpose this af f idavit may ser ve. Doc. No. 329 Page No. 67 Book No. 286 S e r i e s o f 2 0 15

TIP, Benilde duel for lead TECHNOLOGICAL Institute of the Philippines and St. Benilde face off today for the Group B lead even as University of Santo Tomas and La Salle-Dasmariñas try to bounce back from opening game setbacks at the resumption of the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Collegiate Conference at The Arena in San Juan. The TIP Lady Engineers battled back from two sets down to force a decider then outplayed the La SalleDasma Lady Patriots to hack out a 20-25, 1725, 25-23, 25-20, 15-8

decision last week and join the Lady Blazers and the fancied Ateneo Lady Eagles in the early lead in their side of the two-division group of the mid-season conference of the league where it all started. But the Lady Blazers turned in a more impressive start – a 25-18, 26-24, 25-11 romp over the former many-time NCAA champion San Sebastian College Lady Stags, making the Taft-based squad the slight favorite in their 3 p.m. encounter. Focus will also be on the 12:45 p.m. game between the Tigresses and the Lady Patriots with

Games today 12:45 p.m. • DLSU-Dasmariñas vs UST 3 p.m. • St. Benilde vs TIP 5 p.m. • UP vs PUP

the former hoping to rebound from their fourset loss to the Lady Eagles last week. The match will be shown live on GMA News TV Channel 11, according to the organizing Sports Vision. UP and PUP tangle at 5 p.m. in a Group A encounter, capping another triple-bill in the league sponsored by Shakey’s and presented by PLDT Home Ultera with Mikasa and Accel as backers.

Games can also be viewed live via streaming on www.v-league.ph. TIP coach Raymond Ramirez will lean on Cherry Nunag, Maribeth Lara and skipper Iumi Yongco again and hopes guest players Desiree Dadang and Gyzelle Sy sustain their form and continue to inspire the squad the way they did against the Lady Patriots. Dadang unleashed an 11-hit effort while Sy rammed in three aces en route to a five-point performance while anchoring the team’s play patterns with 23 excellent sets.

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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES CORPORATION 11-B Sunrise Drive. Brgy. Bagong Lipunan ng Crame Cubao, Quezon City

Notice of Stockholders’ Meeting To All ERC Stockholders: Please be informed that the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting of the Educational Resources Corporation shall be held on July 25, 2015 at 12:00 noon at the Barrio Fiesta EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City to take up the following matters. 1. Election of new directors for the incoming fiscal year; 2. Report of the President; and 3. Other relevant matters Please be guided accordingly (Sgd) Atty. LACANDOLA S. LEAÑO Corporate Secretary (TS-JULY 11 & 18, 2015)

TIP’s Sheeka Espinosa (1) hammers in a kill against DLSU-Dasmariñas’ Mara Galicia (7) and Cherry Nunag during their Shakey’s V-League Collegiate Conference clash last week. The Lady Engineers rallied from 0-2 down to snatch the win.

Khan: Floyd is bad for boxing By Ronnie Nathanielsz WORLD Boxing Council welterweight silver champion Amir Khan said undefeated poundfor-pound No. 1 Floyd Mayweather Jr is “bad for boxing.” Sky Sports in Britain reported that Khan made the comment after receiving an honorary doctorate from Bolton University. Despite his critical comments, Khan continues to hope he’ll get a chance to face Mayweather, possibly on Sept. 12, although The Standard/boxingmirror.com reported last July 10 that the American has chosen to fight Andre Berto. While Sky Sports noted that the boxing world is still waiting for Mayweather (48-0-KOs 26) to confirm his opponent for

Sept. 12 and despite reports suggesting it will be Berto, Khan is not giving up on trying to taunt Mayweather Jr. into springing a surprise. Khan told Sky Sports: “I think he is [becoming bad for boxing]. I’ve always asked, why finish your career on a low note? People want to see him finish his career on a high, fighting the guys people want to see him fight.” The former Olympic silver medalist added: “The fans all want to see him fight against Amir Khan. Does he really want to end his career by fighting someone he knows he’s going to beat and beat convincingly? It’s just about waiting and seeing. Knowing Floyd he might just announce me, knowing I’m in Ramadan and not in training—but luckily it was only

a month ago that I last fought so I’m in good shape. He continued: “I know how Floyd works. The Pacquiao fight was only announced six weeks before it happened so I think there’s a good chance the fight between me and him can happen as well. It’s all about me staying in shape. I don’t want Floyd to catch me off guard, so I need to keep in the gym and keep busy until he announces who he’s going to fight. Everywhere I go, people are asking whether Floyd is going to man up and fight me. I’m just waiting on him. I spoke to Al Haymon the other day and he said even he doesn’t know what Floyd’s going to do. I think the whole world of boxing is waiting for Floyd’s decision before they can make their own moves.”

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Keeping the momentum going INSIDE SPORTS RONNIE NATHANIELSZ

AFTER an absolutely scintillating night of boxing in the “Pinoy Pride XXXI” fight card of ALA Promotions and giant broadcast network ABS-CBN at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu last Saturday, Nonito Donaire and undefeated King Arthur Villanueva hope to keep the momentum going this weekend. Donaire continues his journey to redemption after a crushing sixth-round TKO at the hands of the bigger and stronger Jamaican Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters, when he faces former European champion Anthony Settoul in a 10-round, non-title bout at the Cotai Arena in Macau On the other hand, Villanueva faces undefeated Puerto Rican southpaw McJoe Arroyo in a battle for the vacant International Boxing Federation super flyweight title at the Don Haskins Convention Center in El Paso, Texas on Sunday (Manila time). The Standard watched Donaire train last Friday at the ALA Gym in Cebu with his father and trainer “Dodong” Donaire and while he still has some ways to go to recapture the fistic magic, which enabled him to be declared the 2012 Fighter of the Year and to move up to No. 5 in the prestigious Ring Magazine pound-for-pound rankings, he looked good. Donaire realizes he needs to put on an impressive performance against Settoul to set the stage for a title fight against tough Scott Quigg, who himself needs to get by Mexican Kiko Martinez on the same day in Britain. He engaged unbeaten Prince Albert Pagara in a torrid sparring session, where both fighters didn’t hold back. It was exhilarating stuff and coming after previous sparring sessions with

Mark Magsayo, who scored a spectacular fifth-round TKO over Mexican slugger Rafael “Guerrerito” Reyes, it showed that the fivedivision world champion wants to regain the stature that elevated him to a position as potential successor to eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao. Donaire acknowledged that both Magsayo and Pagara have the potential to become world champions and hailed them as the future of Philippine boxing. He also recognized the reality that while he helped them hone their fighting skills, they too helped him in preparing for Settoul. With Quigg lined up by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum as Donaire’s return to big-time championship boxing, hopefully in a blockbuster card in Dubai, Nonito realizes what’s at stake in his bid to regain lost glory. King Arthur Villanueva will surely have a much tougher time against Mc Joe Arroyo, a shifty southpaw with sound fundamentals coming from his Olympic experience, despite the confidence Villanueva has shown and the belief of trainers Edmund and Edito Villamor that he has what it takes to win the world title. But to be honest, McJoe Arroyo is no pushover and King Arthur will have to call on all his royal assets to win the world title, including his mastery of chess, whose fundamentals he could fall back on to look ahead at the moves of McJoe and to prepare to counter them with finesse. We fervently hope that Donaire and King Arthur can duplicate the absolutely masterful performance of Nietes in his handsome victory over a talented 21-year-old mandatory challenger in Francisco Rodriguez and the cracking performance of the magnificent Magsayo, which would continue to lift the spirits of Filipino fight fans and bring pride and joy to our countrymen.

Perpetual pummels SSC for best start in 11 years By Peter Atencio

THE University of Perpetual Help Altas rode on the big plays of Earl Thompson and Bright Akhuetie to smother the San Sebastian Stags, 84-70, yesterday in the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the Arena in San Juan. This gave the Altas their best start in 11 years when they notched their fourth straight win, moving ahead of the Letran Knights (3-0). Thompson had out 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Akhuetie also tallied a double-double of 20 points and 23 rebounds for the Altas, who bucked 27 turnovers which slowed the team down in the

first three quarters. “Malayo pa ito. Ibig sabihin nito, ang mga players ko, kulang pa sa experience sa laro. Marami pang dapat malaman,” said Altas coach Aric del Rosario. The Altas had an eightpoint lead, 63-55, at the end of the third after Thompson and Gab Danganon combined for 13 points. They enjoyed a 13-point spread, 80-67, with

2:31 to go after Thompson sank two charities, and Akhuetie scored on a putback. Meanwhile, the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers bounced back from two straight losses with a 67-47 smashing of the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals. Abdoul Poutouochi showed the way with 15 points for the Heavy Bombers, who picked up their second win in four games. Abdulrazak Abdulwahab controlled the boards with five points and 14 rebounds, and his presence underneath limited EAC to seven points in the third as JRU went on to take a 16-point lead, 51-35. “The players followed what I demanded from them. From

UNDEFEATED Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super flyweight champion King Arthur Villanueva expects a tough fight when he faces Puerto Rico’s Olympian McJoe Arroyo, a quick-handed southpaw, for the vacant International Boxing Federation title at the Don Haskins

the start up to the end, strong start, strong finish,” said JRU coach Vergel Meneses. In the junior division, Kobe Canoy shot a game-high 11 points for the San Sebastian Staglets, who pummeled the University of Perpetual Help Junior Altas, 87-58, and climbed up the standings with their 2-1 card. Mau Cruz topscored for 24 points and six boards to lead the EAC-ICA Brigadiers to their first triumph at the expense of the JRU Light Bombers, 111-73.

Baser injured again

Bright Ahkuetie (18) of the Perpetual Help Altas battles for a rebound against Jess Sibal (6) of the San Sebastian College Stags during their games Friday in Season 91 of NCAA at The Arena in San Juan City. The Altas won, 84-70, and grabbed the lead with 4-0 win loss card.

Villanueva expects tough fight with Puerto Rican By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Games Tuesday (at the Arena in San Juan) 10 a.m. Lyceum vs San Beda (jrs) 12 nn Letran vs San Sebastian (jrs) 2 p.m. LPU vs San Beda (srs) 4 p.m. Letran vs San Sebastian (srs)

Convention Center in El Paso, Texas on Sunday (Manila time). At a pre-fight press conference where there was no trashtalking and both fighters were cordial to each other, trainer Edito “Ala” Villamor said King Arthur “is ready, although we expect a tough fight. McJoe Arroyo is more experienced as an amateur fighter, while King

Arthur is more experienced as a professional and that could make the difference.” Villanueva has a record of 27-0 with 14 knockouts, while Arroyo has a record of 16-0 with 8 knockouts. The Filipino fighter told the press conference also attended by ALA Promotions’ president Michael Aldeguer, that he is de-

termined to win for his family and his country. Arroyo,whose identical twin brother McWilliams Arroyo has been ordered to face former light flyweight champion and flyweight contender Johnreil Casimero in a title eliminator for the right to face Thai champion Amnat Ruenroeng, is also in great condition.

SAN Beda Red Lions’ star point guard Baser Amer could be out of action for at least three weeks. Team manager Jude Roque said this after Amer re-injured his shoulder during the Red Lions’ losing game against the Letran Knights on Thursday in the ongoing 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament at the San Juan Arena. Amer got hurt in the second quarter following a collision with Knights’ guard Mark Cruz in a game which saw the Knights get away with 93-80 upset. Dr. Raul Canlas informed Roque of his initial findings on Amer, who is supposed to be on his way to recovery after he initially hurt his shoulder, while playing for Gilas Pilipinas Cadets national basketball team at the recent 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore. He got hurt with a minute remaining in the first half and the Red Lions trailing the Knights, 49-33. Peter Atencio

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S AT U R D AY : J U LY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

REUEL VIDAL A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Head spin. Alma Valencia of Mexico (blue), shown spinning on her head, competes against Whitney Conder of the US (red) in women’s freestyle wrestling 53 kg weight class at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada. AFP

Fajardo bags 2 MVP title nd

By Jeric Lopez

JUNEMAR Fajardo is once again the Philippine Basketball Association’s Most Valuable Player. For the second straight season, the 6’10” behemoth was recognized as the league’s best player, clinching the MVP title in the 2015 PBA Leo Awards yesterday after another superb showing for the entire 40th season, where he stood tall and towered over his fiercest rivals and competition. Fajardo was likewise named in the Mythical First Team, along with teammate Arwind Santos,

Khan: Floyd is bad for boxing TURN TO A14

Greg Slaughter of Barangay Ginebra, Paul Lee of Rain or Shine and Jayson Castro of Talk ‘N Text, while the Mythical Second Team consisted of GlobalPort’s Stanley Pringle and Terrence Romeo, NLEX’s Asi Taulava, Alaska’s Calvin Abueva and Talk ‘N Text’s Ranidel De Ocampo. Castro and Slaughter were the other two nominees for the MVP award. With the award, Fajardo

further established himself as a terror on the court with double-double averages in points and rebounds for the season. More importantly, he led San Miguel Beer to the Philippine Cup crown. He is continuing his dominance in the ongoing Governors’ Cup, where he is trying to lift the Beermen to another championship. ‘’Masaya talaga ako kasi sa dami ng magaling na players sa PBA, ako pa ‘yung nakuha kaya sobrang blessed lang. Nagpapasalamat talaga ako sa lahat ng blessings na patuloy na ibinibigay sa akin. Blessed ako na natutupad ‘yung mga pangarap ko,’’ said the soft-spoken Fajardo,

who bagged a total of four awards for the night. He was also named to the All-Defensive team, along with teammate Chris Ross, Alaska’s Ping Exciminiano and Abueva and Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood. Fajardo also bagged a fourth plum, grabbing the Sportsmanship Award with his humility and proper conduct on and off the court. High-scoring Romeo took home the Most Improved Player award over Vic Manuel, JC Intal and Cliff Hodge as he continued his vast improvement and rise to superstardom this season. ‘’Iniisip ko lang every year mag-improve ako and

Perpetual pummels SSC for best start in 11 years TURN TO A15

makatulong lagi sa team. Sobrang saya ko na nakuha ko ito,’’ said Romeo of his citation. This is the fourth time that a player won back-to-back MVP titles, with Danny Ildefonso, incidentally Fajardo’s early mentor in the league, being the last one to achieve the feat in the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Legends Bogs Adornado and Alvin Patrimonio were the other two players who won two straight MVP awards. Pringle was also a runaway winner as he took home the Rookie of the Year award with ease over Chris Banchero, Jake Pascual, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Brian Heruela.

2 PH jins seeking Olympic berths By Peter Atencio TWO national taekwondo jins will seek qualifying slots to the Rio De Janeiro Olympics when they see action in the Korean Open from July 22 to 27. National coach Igor Mella said Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Butch Morrison and Pauline Lopez will comprise the country’s elite senior team to the competition. He added that members of the national pool have been deep in training, with practices scheduled three times a day. So far, the 18-year-old Lopez has taken a leave of absence from her studies in the United States to concentrate on her Olympic dream. This will be her first attempt after an injury prevented her from joining the London Games, when she was then 15 years old. On the other hand, the 25-year-old Morrison is making his second attempt after losing in the first round of the 2012 Continental qualifying championships. The Korea Open is considered as one of the sport’s most challenging competitions, with jins from Korea and all over the world vying for Olympic points.

SATURDAY: JULY 18, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

PAL readies Oceania ﬂights By Darwin G. Amojelar

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines is expanding its international routes with the introduction of flights to Papua New Guinea in October and Australia and New Zealand in December. PAL said in a statement the regular twice-a-week service to Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, would start on Oct. 25 this year. “I am pleased to announce PAL’s newest destination within

the Oceania region. The robust investment climate and the upsurge of business travel to and from Papua New Guinea make it ideal for PAL to open services between Manila and Port Moresby,” PAL president and chief operating

officer Jaime Bautista said. Port Moresby is the third international destination opened by PAL this year, following New York on March 15 and Quanzhou (Jinjiang), China on April 25. It will also be the flag carrier’s 37th international point overall. PAL will field modern Airbus A320 planes, which seat 12 in business and 144 in economy, on the five-hour-and-ten-minutejourney. After Port Moresby, the flag carrier will fly to Cairns, Australia

and Auckland, New Zealand on Dec. 2, 2015. The airline, now wholly-owned by tycoon Lucio Tan after he bought back a 49-percent stake that San Miguel Corp. purchased from him in 2012, posted a comprehensive income of $85 million in the January-March period this year, a reversal of the $20.7-million net loss booked in the same period last year. PAL said revenues grew 30 percent in the first quarter to $627 million from $482.4 million a year

ago, supported by an increase in passenger traffic. The flag carrier said the growth was led by the opening of new international destinations as well as the expansion of domestic route network, following an enhanced commercial arrangement with unit PAL Express. In 2014, the flag carrier reported total comprehensive income of $20.4 million, breaking a three-year losing streak and setting the airline on a path to sustained growth.

PSe comPoSite index Closing July 16, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,617.13 58.09

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JULY 16, 2015 42

P45.250

44 45 46

HIGH P45.240 LOW P45.280 AVERAGE P45.262 VOLUME 549.600M

P475.00-P675.00 LPG/11-kg tank P40.55-P46.70 Unleaded Gasoline P27.90-P31.15 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

Seed facility. Senator Cynthia Villar (fourth from right), chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, leads the unveiling of an inauguration marker for a $10-million corn seed processing facility built by Prasad Seeds Philippines in Rosales, Pangasinan, on July 15, 2015. With Villar are (from left) Prasad Seeds senior vice president Hemant Karamunchi, Prasad adviser for global expansion William Dar, Pangasinan board member Alfonso Bince Jr., Agriculture assistant secretary Edilberto de Luna, Syngenta Asia-Paciﬁc regional head Rosales Mayor Susan Casareno, former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. and Prasad Seeds Philippines chairman and managing director Karumanchi Prasad.

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG

BCDA to build foreign retirement village in Clark

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, July 16, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.2000

Japan

Yen

0.008080

0.3652

Pound

1.564100

70.6973

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129032

5.8322

Switzerland

Franc

1.050531

47.4840

Canada

Dollar

0.774593

35.0116

Singapore

Dollar

0.732386

33.1038

Australia

Dollar

0.737790

33.3481

Bahrain

Dinar

2.656960

120.0946

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

12.0524

Brunei

Dollar

0.729714

32.9831

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.029342

1.3263

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

12.3070

Euro

1.094800

49.4850

Korea

Won

0.000872

0.0394

China

Yuan

0.161051

7.2795

India

Rupee

0.015751

0.7119

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.262840

11.8804

New Zealand

Dollar

0.660415

29.8508

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032191

1.4550 Source: PDS Bridge

By Othel V. Campos STATE-RUN Bases Conversion and Development Authority on Friday disclosed a plan to build a retirement community for foreigners as one of the world-class features of the Clark Green City in Central Luzon. BCDA president and chief executive Arnel Paciano Casanova said the master plan of the Green City included an elevated portion of the land within the Clark Special Economic Zone, which urban planners considered a perfect place for developing a retirement village for foreigners. The Green City is envisioned to be the country’s first smart, green,

and disaster-resilient metropolis which is expected to break ground in 2016. The 9,450-hectare master planned property is in proximity to the Mount Pinatubo range where hot springs abound and is surrounded by the valleys and hills of Sacobia in Tarlac province. “Imagine our Tagaytay of twenty years ago and the hot springs of Los Baños combined into one,” said Casanova, adding that wellness centers, one of the usual amenities in a retirement village, are also eyed to invest in the Green City. He said the country’s affordable cost of living appealed to foreign retirees.

“The country’s picturesque destinations, our English-speaking and friendly people are also major factors that make the Philippines a much more welcoming place for Western retirees,” he said. Casanova said BCDA might directly negotiate with any 100-percent foreign company who wanted to invest in the retirement village at the Green City. “Since it [Clark] is a special economic zone, the Foreign Investment Lease Act allows BCDA to undertake direct negotiations for foreign direct investments,” he said. Foreigners who wish to make their permanent stay in the Philippines are required to apply for a special resident retiree’s visa at the

Philippine Retirement Authority. SRRV allows foreigners to work or study in the country and they may also travel outside and reenter anytime they wish. SRRV holders are exempted from income tax over pension and annuities, customs duties and taxes of selected goods. “The Green City will surely be appealing to foreigner retirees seeking legal and long-term residency here,” Casanova said. The future metropolis will have five districts including the government district, central business district, academic district, agriforestry research and development district and the wellness and eco-tourism district.

SATURDAY: JULY 18, 2015

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

Common rail ticket to start Monday By Darwin G. Amojelar

PH-Japan agreement. Trade undersecretary for industry development Adrian Cristobal Jr. (center) and Japan deputy director-general for trade policy Toshiyuki Sakamoto (right) shakes hands after signing an Action Plan on Industrial Cooperation on July 16, 2015 at the Board of Investments, Makati City. The plan outlines broad initiatives in key areas of interest and cooperation including automobile, manufacturing, micro, small and medium enterprises, services and human resource development. Witnessing the signing ceremony are (from left) assistant secretary Seferino Rodolfo, assistant secretary Rafaelita Aldaba and Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo.

Rice harvest fell by 1% in first half By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

RICE harvest fell nearly 1 percent in the first six months from a year ago because of the El Niño dry spell, preliminary data from the Agriculture Department show. Agriculture assistant secretary and national rice and corn program coordinator Edilberto de Luna said palay (unmilled rice) production in the first half reached 8.3 million metric tons, or almost 1 percent lower than 8.379 million MT produced in the same period last year. De Luna said the drop in production was due to the delay in planting amid a prolonged dry spell. He said despite the lower harvest in the January-June period, the

Agriculture Department was still hoping that full-year target production of 20.08 million MT would be achieved. “There is a delay in planting because of El Nino. But it does not necessarily mean we cannot hit the target because historically part of the planting comes in the third and fourth quarter,” de Luna said. He said the planting season should have started by mid-April but it was delayed to June or July due to the lack of water supply. “Admittedly, there was a delay in

the supply of water but that does not mean that you should abandon your target. Even if there was a delay in planting, what’s important is whatever you planted will be counted on the full-year harvest. We still have many months. By September, we will know if we’re going to hit the target or not,” de Luna said. Meanwhile, de Luna said preliminary data showed that corn production reached 3.4 million MT in the first half. The corn harvest was also lower by 2.8 percent than 3.48 million MT produced in the first half of 2014. The Philippine Statistics Authority earlier said corn production in the second quarter likely dropped 16.8 percent to 999,000 MT from 1.2 million metric tons last year

due to the decline in harvest area and yield. The probable decrease in corn output could be traced to contraction in harvest area and drop in yield because of the prolonged dry spell in Bukidnon, Albay, South Cotabato, Camarines Sur, Quezon, Sarangani, Misamis Oriental, Capiz, Misamis Occidental, Sultan Kudarat and Leyte. PSA said palay production in the second quarter of the year likely declined 4.1 percent to 3.905 million MT from 4.07 million MT in the same period last year. Increase in rice production was expected in Camarines Sur, Kalinga, Ifugao and Davao del Norte, on the back of improved yield as a result of availability of water supply during the growing stage of the crop.

AF PAYMENTS Inc., the winning bidder for the new fare collection system in Metro Manila’s three overhead rail system, said it will start the limited public trial for the common ticket system on Monday. AF Payments said in a statement the trial of the highly anticipated contactless beep card would pilot in Light Rail Transit Line 2’s Legarda station on July 20 where train riders could purchase the beep stored value card as well as the new contactless single journey tickets. It said while the new tap-andgo SVCs and SJTs could only be purchased initially at the Legarda station, the card would be accepted at any of the new exit gates in LRT 2. AF Payments, a consortium led by Ayala Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., won the P1.72-billion contract for the automated fare collection system project. The new system will use contactless smart card technology to upgrade and integrate the ticketing infrastructure for the country’s major railways, including LRT Line 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit Line 3. “Our team has conducted rigorous technical testing to assess all operational aspects of the new system,” AF Payments chief executive Peter Maher said. “We now enter a crucial phase which is to generate more volume to test the equipment and to assess the public’s ability to use the new system. We want to observe the user experience and see whether any improvements are necessary. We hope that as we roll-out the limited public trial, we are able to address any concerns that may come up to ensure a smooth transition to the new payment system,” he said.

Davao exports 14 tons of durian to China—DA DAVAO began exporting 14 tons of frozen durian to China in May, expanding the market for the local fruit, an agriculture official said Friday. Agriculture assistant secretary for agribusiness Leandro Gazmin said Candelario Miculob, chairman of the Industry Council of Davao City, shipped 14 tons of frozen durian meat to China through John Tan, a Chinese consolidator. Total value of the shipment was estimated at P2.4 million. Tan also requested for a meeting with the agribusiness staff of Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Division in Davao City to seek other suppliers to meet the big demand for vacuum packed durian meat in China. The Chinese consolidator said Miculob could not cope up with the 340 tons in volume demand of the China market. “He was seeking for help from the AMAD staff to link him to other durian growers and suppliers in the region who have harvests,” Gazmin said. Gazmin said the Durian Industry Council already sourced out durian fruits from other growers. “Tan further stressed out that he was also looking for a big cold storage facility where he can store tons of durian during peak season in Davao which usually falls on the last quarter of every year,” Gazmin said. Anna Leah E. Gonzales

Electric van. Visayan Electric Co., a subsidiary of AboitizPower and the country’s second-largest

distribution utility, is raising local awareness on the environmental and cost benefits of electric transportation with the creation of its first environmentally friendly van. Shown is Tomas Ernesto Gonzales, the Veco mechanic who converted a gasoline-powered Toyota Tamaraw FX into the company’s first e-van. Operating the e-van would be 25 percent cheaper than using a gasoline-run vehicle.

SATURDAY: JULY 18, 2015

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

Sta. Lucia set to invest P2.8b Escudero: Internet problems worsening

By Darwin G. Amojelar SENATOR Francis Escudero urged the National Telecommunications Commission to mandate telephone companies to connect to the country’s own Internet exchange facility to solve the problem of slow Internet speeds. “The NTC should start cracking the whip and fix the system immediately. It cannot be ‘business as usual’ anymore. Let’s do away with the mentality of just accepting the present situation and start doing something about it,” Escudero said. Escudero wants Philippine Long Distance Telephone Companies and other Internet service providers to connect to the Philippine Open Internet Exchange, which was developed by the Department of Science and Technology to allow a faster exchange of data among users. According to NTC, only 3 percent of Internet traffic is processed within the country and 97 percent are still being accessed from outside. The senator said the NTC should start asking PLDT to connect to PHOpenIX instead of connecting to the Hong Kong Internet Exchange through its private Vitro Internet Exchange. “I find this questionable because routing data overseas and then terminating here in the country takes a lot longer than routing and terminating data flow in the country,” Escudero said. He cited recent reports by global Internet providers Ookla and Akamai that showed the dismal state of Internet speed in the Philippines. The latest Ookla household download index report ranked the Philippines 21st out of 22 countries in Asia, trailed only by Afghanistan.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Sta Lucia Land Inc. said it plans to spend P2.8 billion from 2015 to 2016 to acquire additional propertiesin several areas in the Philippines for future development. Sta Lucia said it planned to purchase 223 hectares of additional properties in Quezon City, Rizal, Batangas, Laguna, Iloilo and Davao for residential projects. The company disclosed the plan in a registration statement filed with Securities and Exchange Commission relating to its P5-billion bond sale.

It also plans to acquire an interest in 792 hectares of land in Batangas, Iloilo, Cebu and Davao through joint venture agreements. Sta. Lucia said it was in discussions with several parties regarding its target land acquisitions and the development of new joint venture projects. “Once the company has acquired an interest in land for development, it will begin the project development process,” Sta Lucia said. The company said it would increase recurring income by expanding its retail footprint by earmarking 300 to 2,000 square meters of land within its residential projects for commercial use. It plans to develop commer-

cial retail malls and explore joint venture partnerships with real estate developers to establish mini-malls within the company’s residential projects. Sta. Lucia said the strategies of expanding residential developments in new areas, improving lease income and broadening domestic and international marketing channels were expected to boost revenues and improve profitability. Funding of the expansion plans will come from the planned issuance of P5 billion worth of three - and six-yearbonds. Sta Lucia will use a portion of the proceeds to refinance existing debts, amounting to P3.01 billion as of June 2015.

The property firm has hired Chinabank as issue manager and lead underwriter of the bond offering. Sta. Lucio recently formed a wholly-owned unit called Sta. Lucia Homes Inc., a contractor company whose sole purpose is to offer construction services to the SLI group’s over 120,000 lot buyers over the last 40 years. Company estimates show that more than 60,000 lot buyers nationwide have not built their houses. Sta. Lucia in 2014 reported an 83-percent increase in net income to P548 million from P300 million in 2013, as real estate revenue jumped 80 percent to P1.44 billion from a year ago level of P801 million.

EastWest Banking Corp. signed a P100.3-million, 12-year loan agreement with the local government of Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija last week. Pantabangan will use half of the loan proceeds to finance the construction and rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads in six barangays to make transportation of agricultural products efficient and reduce spoilage. Shown signing the loan agreement are (from left) EastWest vice president Ferdinand Yap, East West first vice president Stephen Santos, Pantabangan Mayor Lucio Uera and LGU Guarantee Corp. president and chief executive Lydia Orial. LGU Guarantee Corp. guaranteed the loan.

Green City. Bases Conversion and Development Authority president and chief executive Arnel Paciano

Casanova speaks before the members of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. during the AmCham’s meeting at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati. Casanova presented to potential investors the Clark Green City Project, one of BCDA’s flagship projects. The Green City is a 9,450-hectare master planned property within the Clark Special Economic Zone.

Pantabangan receives P100-m EastWest loan EASTWEST Banking Corp., a unit of the Filinvest Group owned by tycoon Andrew Gotianun, signed a P100.3-million, 12-year loan agreement with the local government of Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija. The bank said in a statement Friday the deal covered a project that would provide infrastructure for the development of Pantabangan. The town plans to use half of the loan proceeds to finance the construction and rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads in six barangays to make the transportation of agricultural products more efficient and reduce spoilage. Pantabangan will use the other half of the loan proceeds to build a transport terminal for public utility buses, jeepneys and tricycles, where they can load and unload passengers. The terminal, which will include a commercial complex, will be built on a 1,000-square-meter lot owned by the local government. The loan is guaranteed by LGU Guarantee Corp. Earlier, the bank said it planned to increase net income this year by 15 percent to 20 percent on the strength of its core businesses. Bank president Antonio Moncupa said EastWest would put up 20 to 30 branches this year to sustain growth. EastWest last year posted a flat growth in net profit to P2.07 billion from P2.05 billion in 2013 on the back of significant drop in securities and trading gains. The bank said trading and securities gains in 2014 declined 50 percent to P499.53 million from P1.01 billion in 2013. Despite the flat growth in profit, return on assets was still at 1.3 percent while return on equity stood at 10.2 percent. Julito G. Rada

SATURDAY: JULY 18, 2015

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

A man sleeps outside a phone store in central Athens on July 16, 2105. Early elections were inevitable in Greece, analysts and a minister said on July 16 after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras faced a mutiny from dozens of outraged government lawmakers as he passed creditor-mandated austerity reforms through parliament. AFP

‘No home, no life’ in Greece By Joe Sinclair

ATHENS, Greece—On a bench beneath a fluttering Greek flag in front of an Orthodox church, two homeless men are philosophizing about the financial crisis that has devastated their country and helped push them onto the streets. “What can I say about the situation?” asks 45-year-old Andreas, who was a builder before the construction work dried up and who has been sleeping rough in Athens for six months. “Greece never dies,” he shrugs. “The Greeks, however, will die. That’s how it is. That’s the situation.” “No home, no bathroom, no life,” adds Michalis in a mixture of English and Greek, smiling kindly. The bearded 43-year-old leather worker, who has been homeless for three years, opens his rucksack to show his life’s possessions. What little he has includes a book by 20th century humanist poet Giorgos Seferis, a Nobel Prize winner who wrote about alienation, death and Greek heritage, and his own thoughts scrawled in red ink on a crumpled piece of paper, titled ‘Loneliness.’ Five years of austerity in Greece has seen pensions and wages slashed, while unemployment has risen to 26 percent, with youth unemployment soaring to nearly 50 percent. The number of Greeks at risk

of poverty more than doubled between 2008 and 2013 to over 44 percent, according to the latest figures from the International Labor Organization. The tough reforms eurozone creditors are demanding in return for a new bailout are now set to cause more pain, with higher taxes and further spending cuts. ‘Take each others’ hands’ While many have been able to rely on their families for support, Andreas and Michalis say they are on their own. They share a marijuana joint in a small square on the bench they call home, between the outstretched arms of a Virgin Mary, surrounded by pigeons scavenging for food, and behind them a shuttered book store called ‘Modern Times.’ Churches, charities, businesses and individuals have sprung into action over the past five years to help the needy. Beneath the Acropolis in Monistiraki Square a small group of volunteers--some of them homeless themselves--prepares a giant pot of spaghetti. The ‘social kitchen’ has been cooking communal meals for

the past four years, providing not just hot food but also companionship and a little hope. “I believe that if we take each others’ hands there will be solidarity and we’re going to succeed,” says Roula, a hairdresser overseeing the preparation of today’s meal. Dimitris Fourakis, 50, spent three years on the streets after losing his job in a tire factory. But after linking up with the group he found somewhere to stay in an abandoned building, and is now hopeful for the future.

Five years of austerity has seen pensions and wages slashed, while unemployment has risen to 26 percent.

“I believe in God but I don’t expect him to help me,” he says. Asked if he believes in Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, however, the answer is yes. ‘Still free falling’ Tsipras on Wednesday pushed through parliament the controversial EU bailout deal that he himself says he does “not believe in,” but should stop the country crashing out of the euro. But Yiannis Kondogiannakis, of the Praksis NGO, says the new deal could make the situation for the poor “even worse” and warns that the government

needs a “specific plan” to tackle the problem. “We have big gaps in basic government services,” says Kondoyiannakis, who runs a daycare center that offers people food, medical services, a shower and clothes-washing. He has seen the number of people seeking help rise to 130 a day at his Athens center. And while the majority used to be migrants that had fled desperate poverty and war, now he says Greeks make up between 40 and 50 percent. Outside a soup kitchen in central Athens run jointly by the Archdiocese and the city, Foteini Kyzouli opens her plastic bag to show what she has been given: two portions of peas with potatoes and some bread. The 62-year-old used to hand out leaflets telling people where they could find help, but never thought she would need it herself. “I was living the illusion that the crisis wouldn’t touch me,” she says. “But it’s only natural that what comes to your neighbor will come to you next.” Back on the bench, Andreas and Michalis are warming to the political discussion. “God now is money”, “it’s a fascist economy,” “the euro will crack,” they say. But for now there are more prosaic things to worry about. It’s time for them to go to the soup kitchen. “We haven’t seen the fallout from the crisis yet,” says Andreas. “We are still free falling. Where will it end?” AFP

Asian stocks climb HONG KONG—Asian markets mostly rose Friday after the European Central Bank boosted emergency aid to Greece and eurozone chiefs agreed a bridging loan to the country, while Hong Kong and Shanghai rallied as fears over a renewed mainland rout eased. Buying was also given a bump by a record close on Wall Street, where investors were cheered by upbeat earnings, the easing of the Greek crisis and a stabilization of China’s markets after a month of plunges. Tokyo rose 0.25 percent, or 50.80 points, to 20,650.92, marking a five-day winning streak, while in afternoon trade Shanghai was up almost three percent and Hong Kong added 1.21 percent. Sydney closed flat, adding just 0.5 of a point, or 0.01 percent, to end the week at 5,670.1 but Seoul dipped 0.53 percent, or 11.10 points to 2,076.79. The ECB on Thursday increased its lifeline to Greece, meaning the country’s lenders can open on Monday for the first time in three weeks, while its head, Mario Draghi, threw his weight behind behind IMF calls for debt relief for Athens. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, also agreed in theory to grant Greece a three-month 7.0-billion-euro ($7.6 billion) bridging loan to keep its economy afloat until its new bailout is ratified. AFP

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ceSar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Thousands stranded in airports in Indonesia SURABAYA—Thousands of Indonesians were spending a miserable Eid Friday after failing to make it home to see their families after erupting volcanoes closed six airports, including in the country’s second-biggest city. The international airport serving Surabaya, the largest city after the capital Jakarta, and four smaller airports were closed on the eve of the Muslim holiday by the eruption of Mount Raung on the main island of Java. The airport on the remote, eastern island of Ternate was shut due to ash drifting from erupting Mount Gamalama, the transport ministry said. Weary travelers expecting to join their families for the final night of the Islamic fasting month instead spent the night in packed airport terminals, with many sleeping on the floor. Surabaya’s airport and a smaller one in East Java reopened Friday, the transport ministry said, but three others remain shut, prolonging the travel chaos. The status of Malang airport in East Java remains unclear. Airlines are warning passengers at the reopened terminals to expect significant delays, with dozens of flights backed up until the late afternoon. Indonesian flag carrier Garuda was due to resume flights to and from Surabaya Friday afternoon, and had chartered two larger planes to help clear the backlog on its more popular routes. But flights to the closed airports have been canceled, with Garuda promising to evaluate the situation as it develops. “Garuda Indonesia flights to and from destinations will only be resumed as each airport is reopened by the competent authority,” the airline said in a statement. AirAsia had already Friday canceled or rescheduled half a dozen flights from Surabaya after the ministry had earlier ordered the airport to remain shut. In recent days, people across the vast archipelago have taken to planes, boats and cars to head to their home towns and villages to celebrate Eid, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and falls on Friday. AFP

world Crucial test as Germany votes on Greek bailout BERLIN—Chancellor Angela Merkel was to rally German lawmakers Friday to back talks for a new Greece bailout deal, a day after the parliament in Athens grudgingly agreed to harsh reforms.

Soiree. Erin Foster ,left, Erin Andrews, right, and Nikki Erwin, center, and guests attend the Amazon Prime Summer Soiree at the Sunset Towers on July 16 in West Hollywood, California. AFP

Merkel, like Greece’s hard-left Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, faces rebels in her own party ranks, but was ultimately expected to get approval from the chamber where her “grand coalition” commands an overwhelming majority. On the eve of the Bundestag session starting at 0800 GMT, Merkel told conservative lawmakers she was “absolutely convinced” the new 86-billion euro ($94-billion) rescue package was the way forward. The vote comes a day after European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi boosted a vital cash lifeline to Greece’s struggling banks that will allow them to open their doors for the first time in almost three weeks on Monday. It was Merkel leader of the EU’s biggest economy and effective bailout paymaster who spearheaded the marathon Brussels talks last weekend that brought Greece back from the brink of crashing out of the eurozone, but at a high price. To prevent a catastrophic “Grexit,” Tsipras agreed to sweeping reforms on pensions, taxes and labor laws that were harsher than those he had urged people to reject in a July 5 referendum. The about-face sparked violent street protest and speculation of early elections. Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said his vote consenting to the lenders’ terms “will burden me my whole life.” Eurozone ministers rewarded Greece on Thursday by approving a vital seven-billioneuro bridging loan and backing resumed negotiations for the third bailout package. Merkel and her hard-line Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble have been harshly criticized for forcing more austerity on Greece, using the threat of a five-year euro “time-out” that had been floated by Schaeuble. EU President Donald Tusk told the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the idea gave Merkel an ideal threat scenario, but insisted the deal in the end aimed “solely at helping Greece.” AFP

New MH17 footage ‘sickens’ Australia SYDNEY—Australia said Friday it was “sickened” after new footage emerged purportedly of Russianbacked rebels rummaging through the luggage of passengers killed after Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, as a ceremony marked the disaster’s one-year anniversary. The video was obtained by Sydney’s Daily Telegraph and published exactly a year after the Malaysia Airlines plane was blown out of the sky during a routine flight between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur. All 298 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 777 were killed, the majority of them Dutch, but with 38 Australian citizens and resi-

dents among them. “It is sickening to watch and 12 months on from the downing of MH17 it is deeply concerning that this footage has emerged now,” Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told the Nine Network, without being able to verify the authenticity of the video. “It is certainly consistent with the intelligence advice that we received 12 months ago, that Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 had been shot down by a surface-to-air missile,” she added. The newspaper claimed the footage, which it said was smuggled out of the fighters’ Donetsk base and only obtained this week, was filmed

by the rebels themselves as they captured what they initially believed to be a Ukrainian air force fighter jet they had shot down. The film records their apparent dismay as they discover the aircraft was a commercial plane. The video also shows men, holding guns and dressed in army camouflage, wandering among the downed plane’s wreckage, rifling through bags and scattering their contents on the ground. A published transcript of the video commentary, translated from Russian and Ukrainian to English, appears to indicate they are looking for evidence of who was on board. AFP

In memoriam. A man leaves the Dutch embassy as flowers were laid

in front of the building in Kiev on July 17 in memory of the people who died in the crash of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17. All the crew and 298 passengers—the majority Dutch—died on that day last year when the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, on a flight between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over rebel-held east Ukraine during heavy fighting between the Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists. AFP

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WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Turkey steps up fight vs IS ANKARA—Turkey is stepping up its role in the fight against Islamic State extremists after realizing the threats to its own security from jihadists and responding to pressure from its Western partners, analysts say.

In attendance. Guests attend the SWIMMIAMI Kick-off Party At W South Beach presented By Planet Fashion TV at W South Beach Hotel & Residences on July 16 in Miami Beach, Florida. AFP

Turkish security forces have, over the last week, arrested dozens of IS militants and sympathizers in its most significant raids since the group began to seize swathes of neighboring Iraq and Syria in 2014. Turkey has faced bitter accusations it was not doing enough to halt the rise of IS and even secretly colluding with the group―allegations Ankara vehemently denies. But analysts say the Turkish authorities have now clearly understood the domestic threat posed by IS, which rules its territory under a harsh version of Islamic law known for its brutality. Ankara will also get nowhere in trying to prevent the Kurds, who have been battling IS in northern Syria, from establishing their own autonomous region there unless it supports the Western coalition against the jihadists. Turkey sees the main Syrian Kurdish political group the Democratic Union Party or PYD and its military wing, the People’s Protection Units or YPG, as offshoots of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has fought a decades-long insurgency in its southeast. “Turkey has realized that it would not receive any support from its allies... to prevent the creation of an autonomous Kurdish area on its border if it failed to respond to their harsh

criticism on the fight against ISIS,” said Sinan Ulgen, chairman of the Istanbul-based think-tank EDAM, using a variant name for IS. Ankara in the past used IS as a tool to achieve its goals in the region, from battling the regime of President Bashar alAssad in Syria to containing Kurdish influence, the former Turkish diplomat told AFP. But Turks now see that “they are in the front line, risking retaliation from the jihadists themselves,” said Ulgen, adding: “They still cannot control their borders and fear IS members may slip through its soil among refugees.” Turkish authorities have always pointed to the challenge of controlling a 911-kilometer border with Syria while remaining open to the refugees fleeing the fighting, as well as 38 million tourists a year. But its failure to halt many IS recruits traveling to Syria through Turkish soil―including Hayat Boumeddiene, the partner of one of the gunmen in January Paris shootings―has piled pressure on Ankara. In recent weeks, Turkey launched a series of raids against IS suspects in cities across the country, from Izmir on the Aegean to Gaziantep close to the Syrian border. A Turkish official told AFP the raids targeted the group’s sleeper cells and networks inside the country. AFP

HK activists plead ‘not guilty’ over anti-China protest in ‘14 HONG KONG—Hong Kong student leader Joshua Wong and three other prodemocracy activists entered “not guilty” pleas in court on Friday over charges related to an anti-China protest last year. They have accused the city authorities of a witch-hunt against political campaigners after a contentious Beijingbacked reform package was vetoed last month. The rejection of the government’s bill was an unprecedented rebuke to Beijing and left the city politically polarized. Wong, 18, the teenage face of the prodemocracy movement, is charged with obstructing police at a small peaceful protest in June 2014 before large-scale democracy rallies gripped the city. Nathan Law, 22, leader of Hong

Kong’s major university student union, and activists Raphael Wong and Albert Chan―a legislator for the People Power party―appeared on the same charges. They were among dozens who had gathered outside Beijing’s representative office in Hong Kong to oppose a “white paper” from China that asserted its control over the semi-autonomous city and a reproduction of the document was burned. “It is not a crime to burn the white paper shame on political suppression,” said Raphael Wong, a member of the League of Social Democrats party, as he entered his plea, ripping up a copy of the white paper, before being warned by judge Bina Chainrai not to use the courtroom to express his political views. AFP

End of Ramadan. Afghan devotees offer prayers at the start of the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of Ramadan outside a mosque in Ghazni province on July 17 . Muslims across the world celebrated the Eid al-Fitr holiday. AFP

Poll: 42 percent of Israelis would back unilateral Iran strike JERUSALEM—Almost half of Israelis would support a unilateral strike to prevent Iran obtaining the atomic bomb, an opinion poll carried out after Tuesday’s nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers found. Nearly three-quarters of the

respondents in the poll published by the Maariv newspaper on Friday said they thought the agreement would accelerate Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon, not prevent it as claimed by the powers. Asked “Do you support inde-

pendent military action by Israel against Iran if such action is needed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon?” 47 percent said yes, 35 percent said no and 18 percent expressed no opinion. Asked: “In your view, does the agreement that was signed bring

Iran closer to obtaining a nuclear weapons capability?” 71 percent said yes. The paper did not give a sample size or margin of error for the poll carried out by Panels Politics Polling Institute. Israel has long opposed any deal

with its arch-foe Iran, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lambasted the landmark agreement as a “historic mistake.” He has repeatedly threatened to take military action if necessary to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. AFP

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PROPERTY

JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR

jdlacsamana@gmail.com

can taLL buiLdings and heritage co-exist?

It’s more fun in the Philippines because anything goes?

by JoeL Lacsamana

hen it comes to balancing commerce with culture, and progress with public good, urban planners, heritage conservation advocates and practicing architects are unanimous in the view that there is a lack of vision for Manila and the rest of the metropolis. The Standard interviewed several industry observers who commented on the ruling handed down by the Supreme Court, ordering the immediate suspension of the construction of the Torre de Manila development by DMCI Homes in Manila, and the cease-and-desist order issued by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) against the demolition of the El Hogar Filipino building in Binondo, Manila. Located along the Pasig River, El Hogar was built in 1914 and was one of the few remaining American colonial structures in Manila. The NHCP issued the order a day after photos went viral showing the developer carting away the building’s grillwork on a truck. Lack of foresight and commitment Looking at the bigger picture, most felt the real issue brought about by Torre de Manila and El Hogar was the lack of foresight and commitment that stakeholders are exerting toward advocating sustainable urban progress. Filipino architect Jun Palafox batted for the need to preserve the Philippines’ cultural heritage “because it is a reminder of our identity, evolving through time. We should not lose sight of our uniqueness and who we are. “

Palafox weighed in on the importance of a clear approach, with clear definitive guidelines through urban planning, zoning, urban design, architectural control, before development approvals and building permits are given – “not after the high-rise structure are already built.” “These clear planning, zoning, architectural controls and guidelines can help us determine how we should preserve and enhance these landmarks to appropriately transition well into the 21st century,” he said. no cLear vision? At last week’s Property Awards held at the Fairmont Hotel, Urban Planner Paulo Alcazaren said the Torre de Manila controversy “shows the lack of development control and comprehensive landuse management, both at the local government unit and at the Metro/National Capital Region level.” “Manila and most of the other 15 cities and one town in Metro Manila have limited capacities to absorb additional FARs [floor area ratios] due to already overburdened transport networks and utilities systems on the verge of breakdown [drainage, power, water],” Alcazaren told The Standard. Alcazaren said local governments, in particular, need to firmly uphold control and balance when faced with the idea of investments and businesses coming into their respective cities. He said there needs to be some sense of foresight in promoting the interests of the city, its dwellers and the landscape side-by-side with that of the business community. “Private initiatives outpace public infrastructure, like a hare

to a tortoise, and everyone loses in the end,” Alcazaren illustrated. “The ideal situation is a framework of rational development, where all interests are taken into account— private and public.” diaLogue With the past and future Citing the Torre de Manila issue, Palafox said tall buildings and culture can co-exist as evidenced by new monumental structures in the 20th and 21st centuries. These include the Empire State building in New York and the Petronas towers of Kuala Lumpur , which are looked upon as icons of the booming economies. Palafox said in an effort to preserve these heritage, there had been various ordinances worldwide regulating the height and bulk of buildings as not to block the view of these sites. He pointed to Neo-gothic churches in New York City that stand side by side with skyscrapers and integrating it as part of the urban fabric. “One of the first issues to address is establishing the height limit of buildings in certain areas, such as the famous case in Istanbul and in St. Petersburg,” Palafox said. “Laws in the building code such as Floor Area Ratios and height establishing visual corridors can be

neW LifestyLe. The Mandaluyong-Pasig residential condo scene just got richer with the ongoing construction of the Sheridan Towers. A two-tower development located on the boundary of both cities, it is surrounded by major road networks, commercial establishments, hospitals and schools. Sheridan Towers, a resort-inspired condominium community developed by DMCI Homes, promotes carefree living with its resort atmosphere.

modified depending on specific areas that are identified through progressive urban planning, urban design, and architecture. height and heritage “A tall building should include a variety of uses, including a public or open space, and should always keep the pedestrian in mind through transport improvements,” Palafox explained. “ As a mixeduse building, the structure becomes more sustainable because you allocate a vertical space to a whole urban district instead of creating an urban sprawl. Also, by allocating a public or open space, a tall building does not disrupt visual connection to the heritage sites.” He said London established in the Planning, Zoning, and Urban Design, the visual corridors that must be respected by all proposed tall buildings before planning and building permits are approved. Landmarks , like Big Ben, the Parliament, Tower of London, and the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral, must not be blocked visually. rationaL deveLopment Alcazaren said like in other countries, the responsibility of promoting the same kind of urban progress as the cities cited earlier, where every entity emerges as a

winner, rests on the shoulders of local governments, and those from the private sector alike. “Private developers, if you ask them in confidence, would rather have a level playing field, where FARs are strictly enforced and requirements of grease money is not involved,” Alcazaren said. He maintained that the public would prefer rational development that prepares infrastructure first before haphazard opportunistic building, where all parameters are negotiable. In the end, Alcazaren voiced exasperation over the lack of an enlightened city government, and private developers with a social and cultural conscience. He suggested that probably Manila would be better off being declared a conservation district. “Singapore was losing its heritage but stemmed the tide in time to recover and benefit from adaptive re-use of heritage buildings and whole districts,” he revealed. He said “the design part” is not a problem. “Many Filipino architects and designers worked on projects in Singapore's conservation districts from the 80s onwards,” he said. “We have the expertise. Unfortunately, few in the ranks of local governments and private developers care or appreciate the value and potential of heritage.”

buiLding synergy. Ovialand, Inc., a subsidiary of the Malate Construction and Development Corporation (MCDC), recently signed a contract with Home Funding, Inc. and Argosy Finance Corp. covering Ovialand’s latest premier development in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, Terrazza de Sto. Tomas. Why the link-up? Fatima Vital, business unit head of Ovialand, Inc. said: “We want to establish ourselves as a developer that provides competitive packages to customers. With Home Funding and Argosy Finance services, we will be able to extend our financing to longer terms and adjust our affordability.” Shown in photo are (from left to right): Fatima Olivares-Vital; Giovanni Olivares, MCDC president; Ricardo Lazatin, Home Funding, Inc. and Argosy Finance Corp. president; Carlos Cervantes, Home Funding, Inc. and Argosy Finance Corp. senior vice president

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JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR jdlacsamana@gmail.com

PROPERTY avida ‘cloverleaf’ to become new landmark in Quezon city

rowing up in Quezon City meant weekend trips to the wet market, or “Bagsakan” of fresh and dry produce at bustling Cloverleaf market, perched at the junction of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA). To say that the district was a chaotic urban sprawl is an understatement: shoppers negotiated through the junction, evading darting trucks, buses and jeepneys, as well as heavily-loaded delivery carts and tricycles that criss-crossed the area, which was part residential, retail, and industrial (impersonal warehouses sat cheek-and-jowl from each other, with the industrial facility of Central Textile Mill occupying the biggest real estate. Gateway to newest business district Enter Ayala Land Inc. (ALI),

which hopes to transform the Balintawak Cloverleaf district, Metro Manila’s busy gateway to Northern Luzon, into the country’s newest business district. ALI bought the 11-hectare property from Central Textile Mill in 2011. A 10-year project, Cloverleaf will be composed of a cluster of residential, office, and commercial developments. Avida Land Corp., an ALI subsidiary, is leading the charge to create a pocket urban development in Cloverleaf. Specifically, It will house a 40, 000 sqm mall, a hospital, two residential towers, and a landscaped pedestrian promenade. new layout concepts Avida is introducing a new concept in the unit layout of its residences in Cloverleaf. The Towers Cloverleaf will be a three-tower development offering right-sized units. The 2-BR and 3-BR units,

“bagsakan” to urban darling. Ayala Land Cloverleaf is seen to lift Quezon City’s image as the up and coming growth center in Metro Manila.

which come at 52 sqm and 61 sqm, respectively, were designed for the needs of newlyweds and growing families. For this residential development, 3-BR units were introduced to address the need for personal space. “They were thoughtfully designed to provide each member of the family their own personal space within the unit,” said Raquel S. Cruz, Avida Land corporate planning head. Avida Towers Cloverleaf will have a mix of units ranging from 23 sq.m to 61 sq.m in size. The first tower, situated just by the two-hectare Ayala Mall complex, will have 28 residential levels plus six commercial establishments on the ground floor. Residents will have a wide range of retail options in this pocket development. Unit prices start at P2.2 million for a studio and goes up to P6.3 million for a 3-BR unit. Total investment

cement maker baGs communication plum. Holcim Philippines, Inc. recently won from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Gold Quill Merit Award for its 2013 Annual Report. Holcim Philippines vice president for corporate communications Ritzi Villarico Ronquillo, APR, received the award in San Francisco, California at the recent IABC World Conference. In the photo, Ronquillo, a director in the IABC International Executive Board and trustee of the IABC Foundation, receives the award from IABC chairman Russell L. Grossman, and Gold Quill Awards chair Priya Bates.

for the three towers of Avida Towers Cloverleaf is P4.5 billion. “We are looking at millennials, early nesters or start-up families, the Chinese community and residents of Quezon City and CAMANAVA (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela) who would like to upgrade to new homes,” said Caren Rose R. Rosales, Avida business area head for estate developments. location, location, location Part of the Avida project’s strong attraction will be its convenience and connectivity. Cloverleaf is surrounded by access points for public transit as the Balintawak LRT station and EDSA buses are on one side, while jeeps, buses and shuttles abound along A. Bonifacio Avenue. This is also very close to the North Luzon Expressway which is the gateway to

the booming North. With the upcoming Skyway Stage 3 off-ramp, residents can make a 20-minute drive straight for Makati. The total investment of Ayala Land for Cloverleaf is P25 billion. Phase 1 is planned for the next 5 years with a P15 billion peso budget. This will involve 9 buildings: the mall, the Qualimed Hospital and 2 Alveo and 3 Avida towers. The mall is expected to open by 2018 and residents may start moving in by 2019. All these are happening just in time for the completion of the Skyway Stage 3 that is scheduled to be operational by mid 2017. Phase 2 of Cloverleaf will happen within the next 5 years. It includes construction of a mix of retail office and residential towers and another 7 buildings that is estimated to cost an additional P10 billion. Phase 2 will be oriented towards the side of EDSA. It will be linked to Phase 1 by a pedestrian promenade.

cominG home. If you’ve been dropping by Pancake House recently, you may have noticed something amiss, aside from the usual dishes that take you back to the kitchen of your childhood, where mom prepared your favorite meals. Have no fear: its just the popular pancake chain, now part of the Max’s family of brands, beginning the initial steps of re-building the new designs for its branches.“Pancake House remains a household name with a loyal following,” said Jim T. Fuentebella, executive director of Max's Group, Inc. “But with the highly competitive market it is facing, we decided we needed to do something to bring it back to the forefront of its dining category.” The first restaurant to have this look is Pancake House in Lipa City, Batangas, while Manila first saw this charming space in the newly-opened branch in Estancia, Capitol Commons in Pasig.

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

P OP CU LT U RE

LIFE

“Eeeeeyyy!” – The Fonz, epitome of cool. Happy Days was probably the first and last time Henry Winkler was anywhere near cool. The Fonz may have been Bargain Basement Travolta, but he was cooler than Chachi any day. Source: Tristatetraveler.wordpress.com

What Is Cool? Tour de Force: Coolness that lasts for Miles. “Miles by Bicycle – Dustin Harbin – 2013” Source: Dustin Harbin – Miles by Bicycle

THE ARMCHAIR PILOSOPA BY IZZY WARREN GONZALEZ

weet. Groovy. Awesome. Sick. Wicked. Even [shudder] amazeballs. There are so many words for the Zeitgeist, that spirit of the times which dictates attitude, aesthetic, behavior, comportment, and most of all, style – but the term “cool” has persisted throughout the years. Perhaps it’s cool’s lack of schmaltziness, or the fact that Miles Davis is just the coolest man ever... But what exactly is this “cool”? The concept of cool is so important to our species that entire religions are based on it (and no, this doesn’t happen only during adolescence). Itutu, or “mystic coolness,” is one of three pillars of a religious philosophy created in the 15th century by the Yoruba and Igbo civilizations of West Africa. Cool, or Itutu, had conciliation and gentleness of character, generosity and grace, the ability to diffuse fights and disputes. It was associated with physical beauty, and connected to water (which reminds me of the Daoist admonition to be as water, seeking the lowliest places, that man abhors). 1 Cool, but not necessarily up to date

Set phasers to FABULOUS!! George Takei is a gay Japanese-American Hipster icon. Close enough. Source: The Daily Beast

“Control, stability, and composure under the African rubric of cool seem to constitute elements of an all-embracing aesthetic attitude,” said Prof. Robert Farris Thompson of Yale’s Art History department. “African cool is more complicated and more variously expressed than Western notions of sang-froid (literally: cold blood), cooling off, or even icy determination” (Thompson, African Arts). The concept of cool experienced a rediscovery of sorts, as it permeated mainstream consciousness through music. As the story goes, “cool” was popularized in jazz circles by tenor

saxophonist Lester Young in the predominantly black jazz scenes of America and Paris of the 1940s. While we’re on the subject of etymology, “jazz” allegedly originated from slang, too. It refers to the jasmine perfume of loose women that rubbed off on the men they danced with. I like thinking that this means jazz is the only sound with a smell. After the Second World War, cool jazz was born: relaxed tempos and lighter tones compared to bebop, with formal arrangements that incorporated various elements of classical music. When the air in the nightclubs of that era became thick and suffocating,

windows and doors were opened to allow some “cool air” in from the outside, to help clear away the heaviness. Cool literally was a breath of fresh air for the fractured psyche fresh from war. Sir Terry Pratchett (R.I.P.) wrote in his 1992 novel Lords and Ladies: The Monks of Cool, whose tiny and exclusive monastery is hidden in a really cool and laid-back valley in the lower Ramtops, have a passing-out test for a novice. He is taken into a room full of all types of clothing and asked: Yo1, my son, which of these is the most stylish thing to wear? And the correct answer is: Hey, whatever I select.

It seems as if the most stylish thing to wear is a secure sense of self. Understanding this essential point of coolness is pivotal to the world’s commodification of cool. Japan’s “gross national cool,” originally a term coined by journalist Douglas McGray in the June/July 2002 issue of Foreign Policy magazine, is a fine example of self-assurance packaged and sold to the world. I saw a gag once on-screen: the tastemaker trifecta is gay, hipster, and Japanese. The ultimate authority of all things hip in that particular storyline was all three, complete with the “Heeeeyyyy!!!” catchphrase, the harajuku-style hairdo, and handlebar moustache. It was funny because it was true, however. Being openly gay in society requires a very strong sense of selfacceptance, and being Japanese, I believe, means celebrating the value and richness of your culture. At this point however, I think perhaps that being a hipster doesn’t take much self-assurance as selfie-tolerance. Pull up a chair next week for more coolness, or maybe something a little more risqué? Hit me up at thearmchairpilosopa@gmail.com, Twitter: @ArmchrPilosopa, IG and Tumblr: TheArmchairPilosopa

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

IG SPY

nstagram is now among the top three in anyone’s Social Media app folder. It has become so ingrained in our daily routines to – stop, snap, hashtag, push. Every Saturday, the Lifestyle Section of The Standard will be sharing with you some of our favorite Instagrammers that you can follow for daily inspiration and entertainment. On our first installment, we’re sharing some IG accounts of interesting artists, calligraphists and typographers.

‘Generation Me’ Understanding Millennials Talk about this generation! Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they are taking over the world, the web, and the airwaves. Who are they and how do we understand them better?

@aninarubio

Anina Rubio is famous among young aspiring calligraphers – a marketing manager by day and an art enthusiast for the most part. Get inspired by her daily calligraphic quotes and watch videos of her artistic process on Instagram. She also runs her website www.aninarubio.com. Check out her blog and calendar dates for workshops and watercolor sessions.

BY KAI MAGSANOC

n World War II, there was the “GI generation,” or the fighters. Then came the “baby boomers,” labeled as such because of the spike in fertility rates in the US. “Generation X” followed, or the ones that refused to be defined. (We were also dubbed “MTV Generation.”) What came next was a generation so powerful in so many ways and on so many platforms, the so-called “Generation Y,” “Generation Wii,” “iGeneration” – or simply, the Millennials.

De Venecia’s performing arts group, The Sandbox Collective, is producing “No Filter: Let’s Talk About ME,” a monologue series written by millennials, to be performed by millennials, to communicate with millennials. “What we’ve found, through this show, [is] that whatever label or generation, the technology might be specific but the proclivities are universal,” he says.

THE CATCH

According to an article on npr.org titled “From GIs to Gen Z (Or Is It iGen?): How Generations Get Nicknames” by Samantha Raphelson, the term “millennial” was coined by historian Neil Howe in a book called “Generations.” “They would be the first to graduate high school in the year 2000, so the name millennial instantly came to mind,” Howe is quoted in Raphelson’s story. “A millennial is anyone born in the period between 1980 and 2000,” says Dr. Randy Dellosa, clinical psychologist and psychiatrist. “Their psyche is influenced by technology, since it was in the 1980s that cellphones and computers started to get introduced. “In the Philippines, the millennial is influenced by economic factors,” he continues. “We experienced severe economic crisis before the year 2000. Most millennials [probably] grew up with one parent who was an Overseas Filipino Worker, or with both parents preoccupied with careers.” It was with the older millennial segment that Nursing became a popular course in college. It was also their batch that saw the influx of call center and business process outsourcing companies in the Philippines.

Every generation, while praised, is also tagged with negative characteristics. In the case of Filipino millennials, Dr. Dellosa says they can be dismissive of values of the earlier generation. They can also be materialistic, since the OFW parent would compensate for his or her absence by sending gifts. “Having grown up with a single parent, it is also easier for millennials to be open to single parenthood,” Dr. Dellosa adds. “Millennials also seem to want instant gratification since they are able to get things easily through technology.” De Venecia reiterates that millennials – while pursuing interests with a passion – can also be lazy, shallow, narcissistic, and self-involved. To deal with them, dictatorship or tyranny will not work. They must be heard out. “Treat us with respect,” De Venecia says. “We’re humans, too.” Dr. Dellosa adds: “Millennials appreciate dialogue, transparency, collaboration, and recognition.” Millennials have different personalities. “Off the top of my head, there are the digital Adonises or thirst traps, fashion bloggers, think-piece eaters, collectivists, hipsters, busy bees,” says De Venecia. He adds, “There’s this new term, ‘yuccie,’ or the young urban creative. It’s the evolution of a hipster.”

MILLENNIAL WHO?

TRANSITION GENERATION

MILLENNIAL ORIGIN

For theater director Toff de Venecia, “‘millennial’ is a label that people used to be able to make sense of this generation succeeding Generation X. “Because of fast culture enabled by technology and social media, we have been called lazy, shallow, narcissistic, self-involved, abominations even. That we still live with our parents,” he says. “Time Magazine put us on the cover. Lying on our bellies, taking a selfie, but also claiming how we could possibly save the world.” When we ask De Venecia to describe the millennial psyche, he – a millennial himself – finds it hard to determine. “The attributes of being creative, passionate, wanting to walk the road less traveled, pursuing our passions, etc., seem to be associated with a particular subset,” he says.

Millennials find themselves between Generation X and the computer babies of Generation Z. Through them, Gen X-ers will be able to understand and cope with the generations that will follow. “They carry the important values of Gen X which they can pass along to Gen Z,” Dr. Dellosa says. “[We offer] ingenuity, creativity,” says De Venecia. “My mom [a baby boomer] said that we might actually be smarter.” Catch “No Filter: Let’s Talk About ME” at RCBC Plaza, July 25 to August 1. For information, call 585-6909 or 0917-8996680. Tickets may also be purchased through Ticketworld at 891-9999.

@choleil

Run by Manila fashion illustrator Soleil Ignacio, her works have been printed in glossies and seen in retail brands. Follow her quirky illustrations, the adventures of her cutout dollsies and catch some dates for her workshops.

@darkgravity

The Instagram account of Patrick Cabral, a freelance artist and art director in Manila. His IG account houses typography designs and stories from his inspirations and everyday musings. Catch some of his animated gifs and video processes. Engage in some of his artwork and he just might do letterings for your name.

@orhganic

Let Ng Wei Jiang guide you in to his minimal yet poetic photography. His Instagram account is a series of beautiful black and white photographs of street views, everyday objects, sceneries, and people. Hit up grid type to reveal a storyline that intersects and tells a continuous journey.

@micahnotfound

Another continuous scrollable canvas. Get enthralled by Art 404, a company based in New York City whose service offers run from conceptual art, interactive web applications to branding and installations. @micahnotfound is an extension of their creativity; scroll through the timeline and see pop culture unfold. Catch all trending references such as NBA, Jurassic World, and Academy awards.

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 1 8 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

TRIUMPH “This is the anatomy of our psyche; there is a triumph of cultural hegemonization in our culture. Just reading Facebook comments on every political issue we are facing will definitely give you an idea of what I’m talking about. And the most convenient thing for us to do is to comment a ‘facepalm’.”

MONUMENTAL “It is a dream on how we should make a monument to our overseas Filipino workers and ordinary people who make real sacrifices to keep our country going.”

I AM THE WORLD “Most of the materials I used here are objects that we always see in our daily life. The concept is what we usually see now in our headlines – wars, bailouts, financial bankruptcy, etc.”

THE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS OF OUR SOCIETY’S REALITY Mideo Cruz exposes societal issues with broken toys and bento boxes BY BERNADETTE LUNAS PHOTOS COURTESY OF BLANC GALLERY

layful, imaginative, innocent. These words would probably come to mind after seeing for the first time Mideo Cruz’s latest work on exhibit, where he uses McDonald’s Happy Meal and Disney toys. But a closer look at this artist’s current series would tell the viewers otherwise. Playful? Yes, as he brought life and color to old, broken toys. Imaginative? Absolutely, especially seeing how he reconstructed and gave new meaning to familiar images and objects. Innocent? That would most likely be the last thing a viewer would use to describe it after realizing Cruz’s messages behind each work. Almost four years ago, Cruz was in the news almost everyday for a few weeks after his controversial art installation “Poleteismo” earned the ire of various religious groups and ordinary folk on the street who condemned and vilified him and his artwork. But he has moved on since then. “I admit it created a lot of stress for a while, but I’m back,” Cruz told The Standard. For his current exhibit dubbed “Cyborg Republic” at Blanc Gallery, the 41-year old Gapan, Nueva Ecija-born and raised artist recreated popular McDonald’s and Disney character images (and a few references to Christ and crosses)

TURBULENCE “The materials here are toys I collected through the years of hoarding. The pig is a very common appropriation to symbolize the bureaucracy. What was in my mind when creating this was the battle of the Philippine oligarchs.”

to tackle the “consumerist excess culture we are facing today.” According to Cruz, the idea for this exhibit came to him after encountering the ideas of “cyborg citizens” from Donna Hannaway’s essay “A Cyborg Manifesto” and “imagined communities,” a concept coined by Benedict Anderson. “I’m thinking of the people as cyborg citizens appropriating the text to personal encounters and common people stories,” shared Cruz. So in 2011, when he found and then bought a bunch of used

UNTOLD STORIES OF TYRANNY “I re-appropriated a small Arch of the Centuries desk pen holder and this work came out. It reflects what many students experienced inside the university.”

wooden bento boxes and other objects from a surplus store, he realized his discoveries dictated him to pursue this project. “I used consumerist excess in this series [by] reconstructing old broken toys to recreate new meanings,” explained Cruz. But he maintained that the interpretation of his work lies in every viewer’s imagination. “I hope that it can motivate the audience to seek more information to better understand the works and the condition of this present civilization.” A true activist, Cruz’s works

teem with social and political commentaries seeking to generate conversation and debate. For instance, in Colossal Junk, he combined the head of Ronald McDonald and the body of a dinosaur, both from Happy Meals, to imply the huge influence of this multi-billion fast-food chain in our diet and state of mind. Another interesting piece in his series is the Untold Stories of Tyranny that features the University of Santo Tomas’ Arch of the Centuries and a tiger with a pig’s head on top of it.

A student of the Catholic university but was later “disowned” (his own words) following his 2011 CCP exhibit controversy, Cruz received a small version of the famous arch as a desk pen holder when he was invited to give a talk “more than a decade ago. “For this series, he re-appropriated the token to “reflect what many students experienced inside the university.” The popular tiger mascot of the university was reconstructed using a pig’s head which, according to Cruz, is “another character of the institution and the Dominicans with their supra conservative direction.” The piece is so controversial that some of the students of UST sent Cruz emails that “a certain professor forced them to send” to “(condemn) me and my work.” But he also believes that credit should be given where credit is due in his Monumental piece. He insists that our society should make a monument of ordinary people who make real sacrifices to keep our country going, such as overseas Filipino workers. The “Cyborg Republic” exhibit runs until July 25 at Blanc Gallery, 145 Katipunan Ave., St. Ignatius Village, Quezon City. For more information, call 0920-9276436, 442-5262, e-mail info@blanc.ph, or visit www.blanc.ph.

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 1 8 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

THE (IM)POSSIBILITY OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN THE PHILIPPINES THE GIST

BY ED BIADO

any ancient cultures believed that the Earth is flat. Slavery was legal in most parts of the world for the better part of human history. Up until the late 19th century, women were not allowed to vote. In the days of the Old Testament, a lot of things were forbidden, such as eating seafood that do not have “fins and scales,” consuming any form of fat or blood, planting more than one kind of seed in a field, and wearing garments made of more than one kind of fabric. These are just some of the antiquated practices and beliefs that no longer have any validity today. We now know that the Earth is an oblate spheroid. Slavery has been abolished for the most part. Women have the same rights as men in elections. We can also freely eat seafood with no fins and scales, fats and blood. The number or kinds of seeds in a field doesn’t matter – because why should it? – and mix-and-matching fabrics and materials is all the rage in fashion. Yet somehow, many parts of the world, including the Philippines, are touchy when it comes to one traditional concept – that of marriage. The bond, conventional wisdom insists, only exists between the binary biological genders of male and female. That’s it. The lines are thick and straight. Black, white, no gray area. That medieval definition is still the one that is accepted by the majority despite a growing number of conversations challenging its currency. The topic of same-sex marriage – also known as gay marriage and marriage equality – gained traction anew following recent developments on the issue in the United States. On June 26, the US Supreme Court issued a landmark decision declaring unconstitutional any form of same-sex marriage bans across all 50 states on the basis of the Fourth Amendment, rendering same-sex marriage legal throughout the country. Laws on same-sex marriage have previously been passed in 21 territories, including Mexico, where same-sex unions, while legal nationwide, can only be performed in certain states. The first in the world to legislate marriage equality was the Netherlands in 2001. The most recent one before the US was Ireland in May

The PRIDE flag, a symbol of diversity, acceptance and LGBTQ rights

Same-sex marriage laws around the wold (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

A witty expression at a marriage equality rally (www.letsgetweddy.com)

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg using his service’s Celebrate Pride rainbow filter

this year. Meanwhile, civil unions are granted to same-sex couples in over a dozen other nations. None of these countries are in Asia. In fact, the typically conservative East is where some of the staunchest opponents of samesex marriage can be found. While the Philippines does not criminalize same-sex activity as some of our neighbors do, we still have a long way to go in terms of achieving

A same-sex wedding cake topper (www.thatsmytopper.com)

marriage equality, especially since the rights of non-heterosexual individuals in this country do not have the full protection of the law up to this day. Our lawmakers have yet to pass a sexual-orientation and genderidentity-based anti-discrimination law that guarantees the basic rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and penalizes those

who discriminate against them. Different versions of the bill have laid stagnant in Congress over the past decade and a half. In fact, for a brief period a few years ago, the government itself discriminated against the LGBTQ community. It can be remembered that in 2009, the Commission on Elections refused to accredit minority-rights group Ang Ladlad as a party-list candidate for the 2010

elections on grounds of “immorality” as defined by Christian and Islamic doctrines – essentially characterizing all homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders as immoral, and clearly breaching the separation of Church and State. The unconstitutional decision was eventually reversed by the Supreme Court. Further, as pointed out plenty of times before, we are the only country in the world that still does not have a law on divorce – a clear demonstration of how draconian our views on marriage are. Social media, providing a more globalized and young, liberal perspective, paints a different picture. Excitement and solidarity among Filipino LGBTQ individuals, as well as those who identify as heterosexual, was evident when news about the legalization of same-sex marriage in the US broke. Coinciding with Gay Pride celebrations all over the world, the development was met with generally positive reactions. Online Filipinos, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, showed their support with posts tagged with the #LoveWins hashtag. Many even processed their social-network profile display photos through Facebook’s Celebrate Pride rainbow filter. It should be noted, however, that social media really is a platform for progressive voices that demand to be heard. If we are to believe certain politicians, “netizens,” as they contemptuously and alienatingly label folks online, are of a different breed and are not representative of the general Filipino sentiment. And maybe they’re right. According to an opinion poll commissioned by The Standard, 70 percent of Filipinos “strongly disagree” with the passage of a law that would allow same-sex couples to wed. That’s an overwhelming seven out of 10 people – in a country where an even more overwhelming eight in every 10 individuals belong to the Roman Catholic faith – who believe that the right to marry should not be extended to those who are not heterosexual. A separate survey conducted by another publication yielded near-identical results, suggesting that Filipinos are indeed not yet ready to change their religiosity-fueled traditionalist beliefs. It’s unlikely that this Congress or the next one will act on legislation for same-sex marriage. The House Speaker himself has expressed his categorical opposition to the measure and other members of the House have been quoted as saying that any bill, proposal or petition to legalize same-sex marriage have little to no hope in prospering. So perhaps, at least for now, that’s that. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @EdBiado

SAT URDAY : J ULY 18 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

AnnE Curtis And XurpAs dEAl in gAming CompAny

ver wanted to style Anne Curtis? Now you can with Anne Galing. Anne Gating is a Match-3 game now available on Google Play. Designed by Anne Curtis herself, the game allows players to shop for digital clothes, build a wardrobe and personalize Anne’s in-game outfits. “I chose a match-3 type of game because it’s my personal favorite. I’m actually very good at it! But I wanted Anne Galing to be unique and to have my personal touch, so I threw my love for fashion into it. In fact, I even have some of my Anne Kapal concert outfits turned into Anne Galing items! Anne Galing di ba!” says Anne. Anne Galing is created by Xeleb Inc, a new mobile games company launched by Xurpas Inc. (PSE: X). “Xeleb will own the celebrity games space,” says Raymond Racaza, president and chief operating officer of Xurpas. Xeleb’s shareholders include the country’s biggest stars: Anne Curtis, Isabelle Daza, Kim Atienza, and

Erwan Heussaff. Anne Galing is the first of many Anne Curtis-branded games for Xeleb. “We view Anne, Isabelle, Kim, and Erwan as tentpole properties. We’ll build a constantly growing portfolio of games based on their celebrity brand,” Racaza adds. The four celebrity shareholders will also help Xeleb expand its network of stars. “We’re just getting started,” Racaza concluds. Xeleb is the Philippines’ first mobile games company focused on celebrity-branded games. Xeleb is a subsidiary of Xurpas Inc. (PSE: X) and was incorporated on June 2015. It is the first company established by Xurpas from the ground up since listing in December 2014. This is in contrast with its previous approach of buying stakes in already existing companies. Xeleb seeks to create, define and lead the celebrity games space in the Philippines, and Anne Galing is the flagship game of Xeleb.

Images from the Anne Galing game

HannaH’s Collaboration witH Mutya

J Col. Ricardo Nolasxo, Jr. PAF (Ret.), proprietor of Hannah's Beach Resort and Glennfer Perido, Mutya ng Pilipinas Tourism Int'l 2014 and Miss Tourism Metropolitan Int'l 2014 signing the contract.

From left: Mayenne Vijandre, VR del Rosario, Roberto Casa, Ranie Hofileña, Ronald Dominguez and Ezra Ballesteros

oining this year’s Mutya ng Pilipinas search is Hannah’s Beach Resort & Convention Center, owned by PAF Ret. Col Ricardo L. Nolasco, Jr.. It is located in Barangay Balaoi in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. The Mutya’s Long Gown competition will be held in Hannah’s 8 p.m. on July 25. Col. Nolasco expressed honor and delight for collaborating with Mutya ng Pilipinas, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization established in 1968 to promote tourism and social responsibility which is also Hannah’s vision and objective. For its eco-tourism advocates and world-class amenities, Hannah’s has been recognized as one of the country’s premier tourist destinations. Actually, it has contributed significantly to Pagudpud’s rank-

ing No. 2 among the Top 10 most visited tourist spots in the country and is closely compared to Hawaii according to www.tourism.gov.ph. In 2013, Hannah’s was awarded by DENR as the Most Outstanding Individual on Environment Initiative, and in 2014 it was named Most Outstanding Tourist Destination in the Philippines by Gawad Amerika Foundation. Present at the Hannah’s-Mutya contract-signing aside from Col. Nolasco, were Glennifer Perido, Mutya ng Pilipinas Tourism 2014 and Mutya Metropolitan International 2014; Mayenne Vijandre, administrative manager of Mutya; VR del Rosario, AVP-Events of Viva Live; Roberto Casa of Hannah’s; Ranie Hofilena, treasurer of Mutya; and Ronald Dominguez and Ezra Ballesteros of Hannah’s.

SAT URDAY : J ULY 18 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

BEmBOL ROCO PLayS aLDEn’S managER in ‘KaRELaSyOn’

eteran actor Bembol Roco once again plays a gay role in today’s episode of Karelasyon. With him in the said episode are Alden Richards and Louise de los Reyes in another go for their on-screen tandem. The story centers on Adrian (Richards) who dreams of making it in show business believing that it’s his ticket to fame and money. Meeting talent scout and manager Warren (Roco) suddenly makes his dream

Louise de los Reyes and Alden Richards play sweethearts in Karelasyon

within arm’s reach. Warren supports Adrian’s wouldbe showbiz career in every way he can—even financially—but in exchange for what? Enter Veronica (De los Reyes) who becomes the woman between Adrian and Warren. Where does Warren’s role as Adrian’s manager end? Is love really a hindrance to stardom? Watch Karelasyon this afternoon on GMA7.

Bembol Roco is Richard's gay manager

GrACe Poe is FPJ’s leGACy If Fernando Poe Jr. were alive today, he’d be celebrating his birthday next month, Aug. 20 to be exact. The man known in show business as the “king of Philippine movies” would be 76. And he would be proud to see his daughter Grace Poe Llamanzares, who topped the senatorial elections in 2013. Senator Poe (Llamanzares) is the topic of conversations these days as she has topped the surveys of personalities possible to run for next year’s presidential elections. She also topped surveys among those being considered to run for the next Vice President. The Senator, like his father, remains mum about her political plans as she knows that there are quarters who will do everything to destroy her image and reputation in public.

Grace Poe says her father taught her humility

Yet, what kind of a person is this daughter of Da King? Senator Poe is very conscious in upholding her parents’ legacy. In her speeches of interviews, she never fails to mention the lessons she learned from them. In her status post on Facebook on Father’s Day, the Senator said it was her father who taught her to be humble and to be true to herself when with people from all walks of life. “My dad was the one who taught me by example what unconditional love is. He was not one to talk much, but he always showed me how to remain hum-

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Fernando Poe, Jr. or simply Da King, turns 76 on Aug. 20

ble and magnanimous. My mom told me the reason my dad was compassionate and generous to a fault was because he never forgot how it was to be poor. That is why he was genuine in his ways, and his films and dealings were always about social justice, and uplifting the lives of those in need.” Senator Poe has passed a bill that authorizes feeding of children in public schools. Also, she passed another bill that would increase the pay of health workers, particularly those working in the barrios. Up until today, everything the Senator does is to practice the lessons she learned from Fernan-

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2015

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AudienCe trusts ABs-CBn

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do Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces. In 2014, Senator Poe said in an interview, “I want to prove that FPJ, the person they ridiculed, was able to raise somebody like me, who is taking after maybe him in a way, but also continuing his legacy. This is what I want everyone to remember of him.” Her half sister Lovi Poe, who met Grace Poe when their father died in 2004, she was touched by the kindness the Senator and her mother, Susan. She wasn’t expecting to be treated kindly considering she is FPJ’s daughter out of marriage. “Kasi nga sa ganitong klase ng sitwayson, let’s face it, not everyone can always be nice. But they’ve always been nice to me. Ang sarap lang ng pakiramdam,” Lovi said in an interview on TV. Lovi added that her sister inspires her and, jokingly, added she should run in next year’s elections. If Senator Grace Poe decides to tread the path her father took but failed, she must have the courage of her mother to face all the intrigues her opponents will likely throw at her to discourage her.

That’s according to a survey conducted by the magazine Reader’s Digest for its annual Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Awards. It’s the fifth time ABS-CBN Corporation was named most trusted Philippine TV network by consumers. Reader’s Digest Asia-Pacific organized The Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Awards 2015. ABS-CBN was a top scorer in the TV Network category based on the results of the Trusted Brands survey conducted by Ipsos-the world’s third largest market research company in eight Asian markets namely China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Kapamilya network earned the ultimate seal of consumer approval after survey participants, composed of Reader’s Digest Asia subscribers together with randomly selected consumers, gave ABS-CBN high ratings based on the qualitative criteria of Trustworthiness & Credibility, Quality, Value, Understanding of Customer Needs, Innovative and Social Responsibility. ABS-CBN won the Gold Trusted Brand award for the TV Network category in 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014. ABS-CBN Free TV Head Cory Vidanes, Integrated Marketing Head Cookie Bartolome, and Corporate Communications Head Kane Errol Choa received the award.

SAT URDAY : J ULY 18 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Valerie Concepcion asks support from members of the press

Manilyn Reynes is in a five-minute cooking show

3 Pinoy aCTS aT CenTury CiTy maLL

Former Malacanang Executive Chef Babes Austria in Biyaheng Namnam

Sarap Diva host Regine Velasquez-Alcasid with Inday Teri, Dinna Bonnevie, and Princess Punzalan

Valerie noT a kePT woman

elerie Concepcion asked for support from the press and public on July 15 following the controversy that hounds her of late. In March, a local tabloid insinuated that the 27-year-old actress was having an affair with Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison. Mison, a lawyer, is the son of former NBI director Mariano Mison. “I’m not going to admit anything apart from Fred and I are good friends,” Valerie said in a statement she sent to members of the entertainment press. She furthered, “Please don’t judge me too quickly. I wanted to stay quiet about this whole issue but I need to speak up and clear my name. A lot of innocent people are getting involved, too. I don’t want that to happen. So I want to set the record straight. Fred is just a friend, nothing more, nothing less. Meron po bang masama sa pagkakaibigan?” Valerie said that any legal action against her is no longer necessary. She’s pertaining to what Mrs. Ma. Cecilia Mison who is allegedly going to take the matter to the court. “My conscience is clear. Wala po akong kasalanan at walang nilalabag na batas. Hindi po ako kabit at hindi

From c8

ako kaladkaring babae,” she declared. HHHHH Take a ride on ‘Biyaheng namnam’ GMA Network and Monde Nissin Corporation are launching a new program that will feature dishes from all over the country via Biyaheng NamNam. Beginning July 21, Biyaheng NamNam will show how these recipes can be made richer with a twist using Lucky Me! NamNam Tomato and Lucky Me! NamNam Original. Manilyn Reynes and former Malacañang Palace Executive Chef, Aurora “Babes” Austria will host the five-minute show. Chef Babes is currently an instructor at Center for Culinary Arts (CCA). Shot in the different regions of the country, the audience will have the chance to see the various iconic landscapes while learning the dishes that are popular in that particular region. The show will likewise be a visual spectacle and a learning experience for everyone. Biyaheng NamNam will feature the famous recipes of the nation, some of which include Laswa, Chicken Binakol, Beef Kurma, Tuna Kinilaw, Bicol Express, and Pinakbet with Bagnet— all of which will be given more flavor

by Lucky Me! NamNam. Take this exciting field trip around the Philippines with Biyaheng NamNam every Tuesday and Thursday before The Ryzza Mae Show only on GMA. HHHHH regine welcomes Princess and dina Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid welcomes into her kitchen two come-backing Kapuso stars - teleserye’s iconic kontrabida Princess Punzalan and actress Dina Bonnevie in today’s episode of Sarap Diva. Dina, who is part of the upcoming primetime series Beautiful Strangers, will cook her favorite comfort food as Regine grills the very frank and former talk show host with her colorful love life then and now. In line with the upcoming metro wide earthquake drill, Regine will turn the Filipinos’ favorite meat and fruits into preserved emergency food while US-based registered nurse Princess will share first aid tips to the viewers. Princess is currently in town and is in the network’s Afternoon Prime series, Yagit. Don’t miss all the good food and chitchat with the Asia’s Songbird this Saturday in Sarap Diva at 9:45a.m. after Dragon Ball Fight Presents on GMA.

Century City Mall supports Original Philippine Music and hosts three Filipino musical acts in celebration of the first ‘Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino’ from July 25 to 31. Triple Fret, Grand Prize Winner in the 2015 Japan Guitar Festival and the country’s only all-female guitar group, will entertain mall goers to an early kickoff of the music festival with a mix of contemporary and classic tunes on July 23. The trio of Nikki Cabardo, Dave Harder and Alvin Cornista, a seasoned group of session musicians, takes the stage on July 24. The session will feature Cabardo on the grand piano, Cornista on the saxophone and Harder on bass. Punctuating the music festivities is Escolta 3 am featuring Ron Henley. The jazz group will perform its unique and jazzed up kundiman pieces on July 25. Mall guests can enjoy each act at 6 p.m. free of charge. Century City Mall is also home to 12 Monkeys, one of the country’s most visited venues for its nightly showcase of Filipino musical artists. On July 28 from 10pm, 12 Monkeys hosts Callalily in celebration of the group’s 10th anniversary as part of the music festival. Door charge is waived for limited slots. Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino is being celebrated for the first time this year with the signing into effect of Presidential Proclamation No. 933. The festival will highlight the artistic talent and ingenuity of Filipino artists, bands and musical groups through a series of musical performances and activities around Metro Manila from July 25 to 31. Century City Mall is located on Kalayaan Avenue corner Salamanca Street in Makati City. For more information, please call the concierge at 705-6200.

Triple Fret at Century City Mall's Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino celebration

‘The LaTe LaTe Show wiTh JameS Corden ‘ on rTL-CBS enTerTainmenT

ames Corden took the reigns as host of The Late Late Show in March 2015. Since its first week on-air in the U.S., it has consistently attracted Hollywood’s biggest stars helping make it one of this year’s most buzzed about new shows. Tinseltown’s A-listers who have appeared on the show include Tom Hanks, Mila Kunis, Mariah Carey, David Beckham, Will

Ferrell,and One Direction. The show;s official YouTube channel has racked up more than 50 million views due to the popularity of the show’s creative segments, which have featured actors like Hanks and Arnold Schwarzenegger acting out their careers in a few minutes with Corden.The Carpool Karaoke segments with Mariah Carey, Iggy Azalea and Justin Bieber have also become very popular

on social media. The social chatter around the show, which is distributed globally by CBS Studios International, has also delivered huge ratings growth for CBS over the same time period the previous year. Fans and followers on Twitter and Facebook are up double to triple-digits, respectively. According to Nielsen Social, the show was also the most-social broadcast show in its time period

in its first week and second among all late night talk shows. The show’s bandleader is comedian/musician Reggie Watts, an internationally renowned vocalist, beatboxer, musician, comedian and improviser known for his musical sets that are created on the spot, using only his voice and a looping machine. James Corden, 36, comes to American late night television with

a growing list of award-winning and critically acclaimed credits. He is a Tony Award-winning performer on Broadway, a BAFTA-winning star of a UK television series, a feature film actor and an acclaimed host, writer and producer in several genres of television. The Late Late Show With James Corden is produced by CBS Productions and executive produced by Ben Winston & Rob Crabbe.

SAT URDAY : J ULY 18 : 2015

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ Theme song King and Queen aT The Big dome Erik and Angeline performing on TV, especially in ABS-CBN’s ASAP, clamor for a big concert with the two of them continues to reverberate. They have developed a strong working partnership and friendship over the years, ensuring they can still showcase something different and worth watching beyond their regular TV act. Erik Santos sad Angeline Quinto at the Araneta Coliseum is in cooperation with The Academy Of Rock. For tickets, call Ticketnet at 911-5555 or log on to www.ticketnet.com.ph

ISAH V. RED Two of this generation’s highly recognized and established singers come as one in a dream concert that promises to deliver the goods. Erik Santos and Angeline-Quinto, their shining stars intertwined by virtue of their stellar record as familiar voices to local movie and teleserye theme songs, are joining hands as featured acts in an anticipated major concert on Aug. 15 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The show, produced by Cornerstone Concerts and simply billed Erik Santos and Angeline Quinto at the Araneta Coliseum is expected to provide a kind of stage spectacle rarely seen by concertgoers. It is also far from being just a simple set but promises to be grand for its “talked about concept” – three concerts, two musical royalties, one night. Both Erik and Angeline are crowned as this generation’s “King and Queen of Theme Songs,” respectively, with Erik having sung 37 themes to his high-valued name while Angeline scoring 35 so far in her steadily moving music career for teleseryes and films. The numbers are mind-boggling, the effect to music fans, encompassing. The long-plotted concert, under the direction of Johnny Manahan and with Homer Flores as musical director, is expected to be a red-carpet-like affair for impassioned singing both in competent stand-alone sequences and earth- moving duets. The said “musical royalties” recently came back from a show

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Crowned King and Queen of Theme Songs, Erik Santos and Angeline Quinto, rumored couple, are featured in a concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum

in Canada where they wowed packed crowds and in some ways, engagingly warmed up for the big night a few weeks from now. “Maraming salamat Winnipeg! Ang saya saya!,” exclaimed a jubilant Erik. That’s the mark of an artist gratuitous and appreciative of audiences wherever he is, readily

downplaying the fact that he is the very reason why the venue exploded in cheers and applause. Same can be said with Angelina who never forgets to acknowledge the great talent she owes from heaven. She said of her upcoming major show with Erik, “This is it guys. See you all on Aug.15 at the Big Dome. Thank You Jesus, all glory to You!”

As if their tandem is not enough, their much-talked about party will have as special guests Concert King Martin Nievera and Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez, needless to say their ultimate idols or artists they look up to in their journey to stardom and even after reaching their destination. While the public often sees both

Both Erik and Angeline are crowned as this generation’s “King and Queen of Theme Songs,” respectively, with Erik having sung 37 themes to his high-valued name while Angeline scoring 35 so far in her steadily moving music career for teleseryes and films