The Standard - 2015 October 16 - Friday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXIX NO. 246 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 frIday : OCTOBEr 16, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Noynoy leads LP bets to Comelec

miriam: yes, i’m with boNgboNg By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Miriam DefensorSantiago confirmed Thursday that Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is her running mate in next year’s election. “I think we mutually chose each other,

our two camps,” Santiago said on the sidelines of her induction into the Hall of Fame of the Philippine Judges Association at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City. Santiago, who said she had overcome cancer, said she will file her certificate of candidacy for president today (Friday), the last day of the five-day filing period set by the Commission on Elections. Marcos did not confirm Santiago’s announcement, but issued a statement saying

he had met with Santiago’s husband, Jun Santiago, to discuss the upcoming elections and possible alliances. “We agreed to meet again soon,” he said. The son and namesake of the late President Ferdinand Marcos filed his CoC on Tuesday, and was joined by his mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, and his wife, Liza Araneta-Marcos. At a book signing for “Stupid is Forevermore,” the sequel to her best-selling

joke book “Stupid is Forever,” Santiago announced she would run for President and would file her candidacy within the week. “I think since I have served the government from the very beginning, I will end my career here,” said Santiago, who promised the country would be much better than it was before if she becomes President. Santiago ran for President in 1992, but lost to former President Ramos in a hotly

The

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POLL

Front runners. Independent candidates Grace Poe and Francis Escudero visit the Comelec offices in Intramuros to file their candidacy for President and vice president, respectively, in next year’s elections. Ey AcAsio

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Pinoys split on pope’s easing of annulment

POLL A2

Hope springs eternal for Duterte’s fans By Ali G. Macabalang, sara susanne Fabunan and Joel E. Zurbano DAVAO CITY—Two days after Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte announced his final decision not to run for President, his daughter, former Mayor Sara Duterte-

Carpio and supporters shaved their heads in an apparent move to persuade him to reconsider a run for the top elective post. Inday Sara, as she is known, on Wednesday posted a photo of her with a shaven head on Instagram, with some hashtags disproving earlier notions that she was against

her father’s presidential bid. “I have shaven while waiting,” she said, referring to a last-ditch effort by Duterte supporters to get him to run. Sara added that even without money or machinery, her father was being supported by the likes of Next page

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Miriam... From A1

LP standard bearers. President Benigno Aquino III joins the Liberal Party’s standard bearers Manuel Roxas II and Leni Robredo outside the Manila Cathedral for breakfast before the two filed their certificates of candidacy. Danny Pata

Pinoys split on Francis’ bid to ease annulment By adelle Chua

Filipinos are split on pope Francis’ statement that annulment processes has to be relaxed, even as more people say they disagree with passing a divorce law in the country, according to the latest The standard poll conducted between sept. 21 and oct. 1 by The Standard’s resident pollster, Junie laylo. Of the 1,500 respondents in 76 provinces interviewed, 50 percent agreed and 50 percent disagreed with the Vatican rule issued in September in response to complaints that the church annulment process is too lengthy and complicated. Agreement was strongest at the National Capital Region, with 59 percent agreeing and 41 percent disagreeing. Mindanao, however, posed the strongest disagreement, with 37 percent of respondents somewhat disagreeing and 26 percent strongly disagreeing. Sixty-eight percent of all respondents say they disagree with passing a divorce law, with Southern Luzon/ Bicol and the Visayas regis-

Hope...

tering the strongest opposition at 70 percent. More urban dwellers are amenable to passing such a law, with 38 percent agreeing versus the 29 percent of respondents from rural areas. Respondents also agree with the strong promotion of birth control even as no distinction was made between natural and artificial family planning methods. Support was highest in Southern Luzon with 92 percent agreeing, and in Northern Luzon and the Visayas with 84 percent agreeing. Seventy-nine percent of Metro Manila residents also support family planning. In Mindanao, however, 52 percent of respondents disa-

gree with supporting birth control. Opinion on passing a law allowing same-sex marriage in the country, however, is universal to respondents across the country with 85 percent either somewhat or strongly disagreeing. Southern Luzon and Mindanao disagreed most strongly, with 90 percent and 92 percent, respectively. Metro Manila was relatively more tolerant with 20 percent agreeing. Among age groups, 89 percent of the elderly (respondents aged 56 and above) disagreed with the proposal. Questions on sexual behavior were asked using the sealed-envelope technique, where a respondent is handed a sealed envelope containing the questions. This technique enables respondents to answer what may be deemed intimidating ques-

riod,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said. In his earlier remarks, Duterte From A1 said he would not run for President Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr. because his daughter was opposed and Alan Peter Cayetano, both of it. On Monday, he apologized to whom are running for vice presi- his supporters. dent. Go, city legislative council memDuterte’s executive assistant, bers Louie Al Ryan Alejandre and Lawrence Go, filed a certificate of Danilo Dayanghirang also shaved candidacy in Davao on his behalf their heads to convince Duterte. Thursday for reelection as city In his Facebook account, Go mayor, but a Comelec official in said his head shaving option was Manila said he can still file another a show of “getting ready for the COC today (Friday). filing [of candidacy for President] “Our basic rule is, if you file a of my boss,” adding he and other certificate of candidacy, you can supporters were “hoping for mirwithdraw it and file another one, acles.” as long as it is within the filing peCouncilor Alejandre said they

tions and assures them that their answers would remain confidential. Conservative, still Some questions in the September survey were also asked in the earlier survey conducted in May, allowing for comparisons between answers for the two time periods. Answers revealed that Filipinos in general held on to their traditional values even as the younger generation is more open to new experiences. In the September survey, 93 percent of Filipinos had between one and five sexual partners in their lifetime, while 4 percent had six to 10 partners. And despite the greater support to government’s family planning programs, 43 percent for respondents still believed births should not be controlled. With 28 percent supporting natural family planning and 29 percent artificial family planning. Laylo, The Standard’s in-house pollster, has 25 years of experience in political polling and strategic research.

are inspired by Sara’s move to get Duterte to change his mind. The outspoken Davao mayor has until Friday to file his candidacy for President. Supporters expressed disappointment that the 70-year-old mayor would not run for President, but some still held out hope he would change his mind. “I think this is just a political strategy for a last-minute filing of COC—who knows?” said Juanita Gatmaitan, a mother of two and resident of Tondo, Manila. Evan Romulo, a Makati-based employee, said: “Goodbye Philippines. Duterte is not running.” Other supporters followed Du-

contested race that was marred by accusations of election fraud. A former Quezon City Regional Trial Court judge, she was a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service. She was also an elected judge of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, but gave up the position due to health reasons. Marcos’ sister, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, said the Marcos camp was in touch with Santiago, and said she was happy about the possible team-up. The senator also hinted of the tandem on Wednesday when he tweeted his old photo with Santiago bearing the caption, “Remembering our RH [Reproductive Health law] deliberations #WayBackWednesday. The photo showed Marcos and Santiago, both smiling while seated together during the Reproductive Health bill hearing in the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, a nemesis of Santiago, said he was surprised Marcos is running with her. Asked if the country would be in good hands, the 92-year-old Enrile joked: “I will not be here anyway. It’s up to you at that point.” Marcos on Thursday said the Philippine National Police had to step up measures to deal with the expected flare-up of election-related violence. “We are already dealing with serious

terte’s daughter Sara who shaved head to show support for calls for her father to run for President. A huge crowd bearing tarpaulins and streamers bearing “Duterte 2016” also gathered outside the Commission on Elections main office in Intramuros, Manila in support of his candidacy. There was speculation that Duterte would fly into Manila in a last-minute effort to file his COC for President. But Duterte himself repeatedly denied he was running for President despite high ratings in surveys in the presidential race. He said earlier he would rather retire from politics at the end of his term in

problems on drugs, incidents of robberies, holdups, killings, and recent incidents of kidnapping. It’s but prudent for the PNP to intensify their preparations against the possible increase of election-related violence,” Marcos said. The senator noted that last Monday Tungawan, ZamboangaSibugay Mayor Randy Climaco was slain in an ambush just hours after filing his certificate of candidacy at the local office of the Commission on Elections. Six other people were injured in the ambush, including Tungawan Vice Mayor Abdurauf Abison. “While authorities have yet to determine if this incident was indeed politically motivated, the timing sends a clear signal to the PNP to ramp up the preventive measures they are preparing to deter similar incidents that could occur as the election day draws nearer,” said Marcos who is the incumbent chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government. After filing his CoC Tuesday, Marcos vowed to address rising criminality. “The only way to do that is to provide full support to our law enforcement. In addition we have to bring back our focus on values formation,” Marcos said in a radio interview. “Let’s bring back discipline. When I talk to ordinary people many of them say what we need is a stronger government that will run more efficiently,” he added.

2016 or seek reelection. In a press conference last Monday, Duterte apologized to his supporters. “I believe my destiny is to end years and years of public life in the service of Davao City and every Davaoeño. Thus, if Inday Sara agrees to run for mayor, I will retire at the end of my term in 2016. If she does not, the option to run again for mayor is on the table,” said Duterte. “There was no ambition for me to aspire for the presidency. The country does not need me and I find no need for it. I guess it is fate that wills that our long journey together should end this way.”

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Poll leaders Grace, Chiz file bids SENATORS Grace Poe and Francis Escudero, the front runners in the recent election surveys, on Thursday said they would not be distracted by petty politics or the dirty tactics that other people use against them.

Makati Rep. Abby Binay files her certificate of candidacy for mayor of Makati in next year’s elections at the Comelec offices accompanied by her father Jejomar Binay, mother Elenita Binay and siblings Junjun, Nancy and Anne. She was also accompanied by her vice mayoral candidate Monique Lagdameo.

they said they were ready to tell the people their platform of government that they said was anchored on poverty alleviation and genuine inclusive growth. “Even when we were still contemplating running as President and vice president, our purpose was clear,” Poe said. “Ours will be a deliberate leadership that will not be distracted by petty politics.” Poe said their 12-man senatorial lineup was complete but asked to be given until next week to announce them. she said the filing of their certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections was just the start of a process “geared toward realizing the real purpose of

leading the country to effectively face the challenges of the future.” Escudero said their partnership was not an “agreement that just came out of the blue.” “it was a well thought-out decision. And included in that process was also a platform of government that we know would be able to respond to the needs and demands of the Filipino people.” Escudero said Poe’s poise and sense of resolve had been unshakable despite an ongoing challenge at the senate Electoral tribunal about her qualifications to sit as a senator and run for President in 2016. Macon Ramos-araneta

PNoy brings Roxas, Robredo to Comelec on Day 4 PREsiDENt Benigno Aquino iii on thursday joined the supporters of the Liberal Party’s standard bearer Manuel Roxas ii and his running mate, Camarines sur Rep. Leni Robredo, in a mass at the Manila Cathedral before the two filed their certificates of candidacy at the Comelec offices nearby. Roxas was accompanied by his wife Korina sanchez while Robredo was with her daughters Aika, tricia and Jillian. Presidential sisters Ballsy Cruz and Viel Dee also attended the mass, as well as Budget secretary Florencio Abad. “i am excited,” Aquino told reporters after the mass. he said he prayed for many

things—including the country’s being safe from a coming storm. “so many things. there’s a lowpressure area and the storm,” Aquino said. After filing their certificates, Roxas and Robredo signed the integrity Pledge board at the designated media center, and then delivered brief speeches highlighting their promise to continue the work of the present administration. Roxas said he and Robredo believed that the people would choose the right candidates for the 2016 elections. “Leni and i are all in by filing our CoCs,” Roxas said. “We will give our all for this fight. it’s a fight that we should pursue for our countrymen, for the Filipino

family and for the comfort that everyone dreams of.” Robredo said she was content to be Roxas’ running mate despite not being the Liberal Party’s first choice. “it’s still a privilege and an honor to be considered for this post,” she said. “All those who had been considered had been preparing for a national post for a very long time, and i think i’m the only one without preparation.” Robredo said filing her certificate meant offering herself to the public for a higher degree of service. her kids were all smiles as she did. Aika, Robredo’s eldest daughter, posted a selfie on her instagram account together with her sisters tricia

and Jillian. she also posted a caption saying “one big fight!” accompanied with the hashtag LabanLeni. Before Roxas and Robredo filed their certificates, a fiesta-like atmosphere greeted them and President Aquino after the mass. supporters wearing their signature yellow shirts and carrying banners chanted “Roxas na, Robredo pa” when the three got out of the church. the three then mingled with their supporters who took the chance to have selfies with them. A group performed a dragon dance on the street, after which Aquino, Roxas, and Robredo proceeded to Plaza Roma where a tent was set up. they ate breakfast with their families.

A few minutes before 9 a.m., Aquino accompanied Roxas and Robredo to the Comelec main office, but left when the two went inside the Comelec building. Robredo said she would not have said “yes” to running for vice president if she felt she wasn’t ready for it. she said she had always believed in fate. “i am fully aware of the fact that among the contenders i am not the most popular of all,” Robredo said. “i realize i have to introduce myself to the entire country. Many do not recognize me. Compared to all the other contenders i have the least resource, so i need to work harder.” sandy araneta and John Paulo Bencito

‘KalyeSerye’ trumps ‘Pastillas Girl’ By adelle Chua Eighty-six percent of Metro Manila residents are aware of the Kalyeserye segment of the noontime show “Eat Bulaga” featuring the characters of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza known together as AlDub, with only 36 percent of the same being aware of Pastillas girl from the rival program “it’s showtime.” this was revealed by the second The Standard Poll conducted by this newspaper’s resident pollster Junie Laylo between sept. 21 and Oct. 1. Laylo’s team surveyed 1,500 individuals from 76 provinces in the Philippines. AlDub’s awareness numbers for the rest of the country, however, were significantly lower than the Metro Manila figures. sixty-four percent and 65 percent of Northern and southern Luzon residents, respectively,were aware of AlDub. Visayas and Mindanao registered 45 percent awareness each, bringing total percentage for the rest of the country to 57 percent.

in contrast, 40 percent of southern Luzon and Visayas residents were aware of Pastillas girl, with Mindanao and Northern Luzon residents registering 39 percent and 38 percent, respectively. Nationwide awareness was at 39 percent, higher than the figure for the National Capital Region. AlDub was also most popular among urban dwellers (73 percent) the ABC socio-economic classes (71 percent), female respondents (71 percent) and those within the 18-34 years old age range (65 percent). Meanwhile, 41 percent of urban residents, 48 percent of ABC and 43 percent of female respondents were aware of Pastillas girl. Awareness is highest among 18-34 years old as 46 percent. Pastillas girl is Angelica Jane yap, who first became famous online for mak-

ing parallels between making pastillas de leche (soft milk candy) and dealing with being cheated on by her partner. Consequently, survey respondents’ attention to the AlDub story were higher than that for Pastillas girl’s travails, with 31 percent and 22 percent nationwide, respectively, saying they are always aware of story developments. the highest number of always attentive to AlDub is at the National Capital Region with 48 percent, while the lowest number of those always attentive to Pastillas girl is in the same region with 17 percent. Eat Bulaga is aired over gMA 7 while it’s showtime is a program on ABs-CBN. Kalyeserye was recognized in the fourth Catholic social Media summit held in sta. Rosa, Laguna on Oct. 11, with Mendoza receiving the Catholic social Media Award for being a good youth role model. Mendoza first became famous for her Dubsmash posts where she impersonated movie and television characters using their most popular lines.

For senator. Princess Angel Jaafar holds up her certificate of candidacy for senator after filing it at the Comelec offices in Manila on Thursday. Jansen RoMeRo

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Arroyo allowed two-day furlough

Most all, nation first.

Leaders of the Bayan Muna [Nation First] party-list spruce up the penultimate day of registering their candidacies for the 2016 elections. First nominee and incumbent Rep. Carlos Zarate (third from left) came as Heneral Luna while former Rep. Teddy Casiño (left) dressed as Bonifacio, and third nominee Hope Hervilla came as Gabriela Silang. Threeterm Rep. Satur Ocampo (fourth from left) came as a Katipunan revolutionary. SARA FABUNAN

By Rio N. Araja THE Sandiganbayan on Thursday allowed former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to leave Veterans Memorial Medical Center and undergo a series of medical examinations at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City next week. The prosecution panel did not oppose Arroyo’s plea, prodding the antigraft court’s First Division to grant her request for “humanitarian consideration.” Arroyo has been allowed to see her doctors at St. Luke’s on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22 after she told the court that she needs to undergo several medical tests, including a nerve conduction velocity test, due to numbness on her left arm and weakness of her grip, which may have been caused by her cervical spine problems. Earlier, Arroyo’s lawyer Lorenzo Gadon said Arroyo had been suffering persistent and severe pain in her arm “almost the whole day.” He said Arroyo must be granted house arrest either in Lubao, Pampanga or at La Vista, Quezon City because of her deteriorating health, “a life-threatening one because her illness is not like a heart attack, but her pain in the neck causes other pains in the [entire] body since it is a nerve-related illness.” Arroyo has been under hospital arrest at the VMMC in Quezon City since October 2012 for plunder and graft charges she is facing before the Sandiganbayan’s First Division. She was accused of misuse of P366 million in confidential and intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Abby Binay replaces Junjun in Makati race By Joel E. Zurbano and Sandy Araneta MAKATI Rep. Mar-Len Abigail Binay on Thursday replaced her brother ousted Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay as the United National Alliance’s official candidate for mayor in the May 9, 2016 elections. Abigail, who is on her third and final term as a lawmaker and the fourth member of the Binay family to run for mayor in Makati, filed her certificate of candidacy together with her running mate and fellow Makati Rep. Monique Lagdameo of the city’s first district. The two incumbent lady lawmakers are going against the tandem of Liberal Party candidates acting city Mayor Romulo Peña and Karla Mercado, daughter of former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado who is the principal witness

in the Senate investigation of allegations of corruption in city hall. Running for councilors under the ticket of Binay for District 1 are singer Rico J. Puno, actors Jhong Hilario and Monsour del Rosario, Mayeth Casal-Uy, Ferdie Eusebio, Jojo Javier, Romy Medina and Arlene Ortega Rico, and for District 2 are Iony De Lara, Divine Jacome, Baby Olfato, Arleen Pangilinan, Doc Pasia, Mary Ruth Tolentino, Bing Villamor and Nemesio Yabut Jr. Abigail’s husband Luis Campos

is also set to run for the post to be vacated by his wife in June next year while Ma. Concepcion Yabut, widow of the late former Vice Mayor Arturo Yabut, will also run for the city’s first congressional district. However, Campos and Yabut have not yet filed their CoCs at presstime. Abigail was accompanied by her parents, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Elenita, and her siblings, Junjun, Senator Nancy Binay and Anne, when she filed her CoC around 10:30 a.m. Binay will be the fourth member of the Binay family to run for mayor in Makati, which has been a stronghold of the family since the vice president was appointed as its officer-in-charge in 1986 by then President Corazon Aquino. Elenita Binay also served as

mayor of Makati City from 1998 to 2001. Junjun was supposed to run for reelection in the May 9, 2016 elections but the Ombudsman’s decision to dismiss him from office prompted UNA to field Abigail. “The party decided to field Rep. Abby Binay to run for mayor in 2016. She has the experience, capability and qualification to continue the services of Binay, the services intended for the poor,” Junjun said in a statement. Meanwhile, Malacañang dismissed as “untrue and unfounded” the Binay camp’s claim that the government is harassing them after the Department of Interior and Local Government, accompanied by dozens of policemen, surrounded their home in Makati to serve the Ombudsman’s dismissal order last Wednesday.

FVR: No justice for SAF 44 By Francisco Tuyay FORMER President Fidel Ramos scored the government for failing to render swift and final justice for the families and relatives of the 44 Special Action Force personnel who were in the controversial Mamasapano incident last Jan. 25. Ramos, sporting a SAF cap and black commando t-shirt, said the sacrifices of the 44 SAF commandos has generated enormous public empathy, except the Aquino administration. “We have taken it upon ourselves to call the attention of the authorities to do something and bring justice to the families of the victims,” said the 87-year-old former leader at the sideline of a fund raising golf tournament for the families of the 44 fallen SAF heroes at Camp Aguinaldo. Ramos said the Aquino admin-

istration’s failure to accord justice for the slain police commandos will only lead to the recurrence of the incident. “If we do not do this, there will be repetitions of said mistakes by the authorities and the lack of awareness, recognition and even respect for our men and women in uniform who on a daily basis risk their lives,” Ramos said. Ramos said he was surprised at official actions on the Mamasapano incident after the “DoJ filed cases of homicide, manslaughter, and even murder against 40 suspects” but declined to disclose the names of those involved in the Mamasapano operations. “I suspect we are being fooled and they are also fooling the victims and families,” Ramos said, adding that such actions bar final closure for the survivors and families involved.

In the citizen’s view. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (center) discusses the continuing travails of ‘Yolanda’ victims in Tacloban City and other parts of Leyte, before the hosts, former Rep. Dante Marcoleta and broadcaster Gen Subardiaga of Net 25 television station. VER NOVENO

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Lumad crisis triggers global outrage By Florante S. Solmerin The spate of killings against the lumad people in Mindanao is getting more and more international attention after the United Nations high Commission on Refugees hammered on the government’s alleged “lack of protection” for lumad communities who have been targets of senseless killings by militias in the guise of battling the New People’s Army. The ‘‘internationalization” of the lumad crisis was denounced by the AFP through its spokesman Colonel Restituo Padilla. The Department of Foreign Affairs also dismissed calls for Malacañang to allow UN bodies to investigate the “lumad humanitarian crisis” Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay insisted that the AFP, despite calls by international and local human rights groups to de-militarize lumad communities, has deployed more troops and even intensified forcible recruitments of people into para-military groups. The UNHCR estimated the number of lumad refugees to more than 6,000 from different parts of Mindanao who were being flashed out by militarization. Of the number, more than 4,000 were staying already for months at the Sport Complex in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur. The massive uprooting of the lumads from their ancestral lands was triggered by the spate of killings of lumad leaders Dionel Campos and Juvello Sinzo and lumad school executive Emerito Samarca. Prior to their killings, more incidents of killings had been reported including the massacre of five in Bukidnon. The military denied responsibility in the killings although it acknowledged the killings in Bukidnon which it called a “legitimate encounter” with the NPA. The NPA also owned up to some of the killings. Just recently, the National Lawyers Guild, a group of human rights lawyers in the US, also echoed the mounting calls for the AFP to pull out its troops from the affected lumad communities. Also, they demanded the disbandment of paramilitary forces such as the Mahagat, Bagaim, Alamara, among others. “As the President of the Philippines and Commander-in-Chief of the Philippine Armed Forces, we ask that you dismantle the counterinsurgency program, Oplan Bayanihan, which continues to victimize innocent and unarmed civilians,” wrote Azadeh Shahahani, NLG president, in her letter to President Benigno Aquino III.

GHD way. Students of Tipas Elementary School in Taguig City show the proper way to wash hands with soap as a cost-effective solution to prevent disease during an event marking the ‘Global Handwashing Day.’ Manny PalMero

PH backs US warship deployment By Vito Barcelo UNDAUNTED by the recent Chinese threat against United States move to sail in the disputed waters, the Department of Foreign Affairs reiterated its support for the US plan to send warships where international law allows, including the South China Sea. “We should uphold the rule of law and freedom of navigation and overflight,” Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose said in a text message to The Standard. The department said that international community should act together to safeguard freedom of navigation and overflight in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea which is of paramount concern to all countries. The United states announced it would send warships to SCS, a resource-rich waters and home to a chain of more than 100 islands, shoals, reefs and coral out-

crops, being claimed nearly in its entirety by China, saying its claim is indisputable and anchored on history. “If the US decides to send naval vessels within 12 nautical miles of the reclaimed low-tide elevation features in affirmation of this objective, this would be consistent with international law and a rules-based order for the region,” Jose said. The DFA official claimed that failure to challenge false claims of sovereignty would undermine this order and lead China to the false conclusion that its claims are accepted as a fait accompli. Chinese media slammed the US for “ceaseless provocations” in the South China Sea, with Washington expected to soon send warships close to artificial islands Beijing has built in disputed waters. Tensions have mounted since China transformed reefs in the area—also claimed by several neighboring countries—into small islands capable of supporting military facilities, a move

that the US says threatens freedom of navigation. US Defense Secretary Ash Carter warned Beijing that Washington will continue to send its military where international law allows, including the South China Sea. The remarks were backed by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who said the two countries are “on the same page.” Carter’s remark sparked outrage in the Chinese media . An editorial in The Global Times, which is close to China’s ruling Communist party, condemned Washington’s “ceaseless provocations and coercion.” “China mustn’t tolerate rampant US violations of China’s adjacent waters and the skies over those expanding islands,” it said, adding that its military should “be ready to launch countermeasures according to Washington’s level of provocation,” it added.

Peña to pursue reforms in Makati MAKATI’S Acting Mayor Romulo Peña Jr. has vowed to pursue ‘transparent and good governance’ with his ‘Bagong Makati’ reform team after announcing his mayoralty bid. Speaking before thousands of supporters, which included senior citizens, residents and officials from various barangays, city officials and other stakeholders of Makati, Peña underscored the gains resulting from initial reform mechanisms he put in place immediately upon assuming office. “In just three months, we were able to undertake reforms within the city government aimed to curb corruption at all levels and safeguard the city’s resources against abuse and misuse, so that our constituents can, at long last, fully enjoy all the benefits and privileges we can afford to provide them,” Peña said. During his first State of the City Address at the Makati Coliseum. He also said his administration has not only continued the city’s famous social programs, but has been able to enhance and ex-

pand these further for the greater benefit of city residents. “I believe that if the city’s resources were used properly and prudently, we could deliver more and better services to a greater number of beneficiaries,” he added. Jr The acting mayor noted a remarkable increase in the revenue collection of the city from business and realty taxes, which he said was a clear indication of the growing confidence of the business sector in the new city leadership. “It is highly probable that we will even surpass last year’s revenue collection and this year’s targets. We are heartened by the support and confidence shown by the business community,” Peña said. Among the initial steps undertaken by the Peña administration was a review of the free cakes benefit under the senior citizens program of Makati, followed by the conduct of a transparent bidding process aided by modern technology through live TV coverage and online streaming.

Drug bust. Anti-narcotics agents confiscate 10 kilos of shabu and P5 million ‘marked money’ during a buy-bust operation that led to the arrest of five Chinese nationals at Congressional Avenue in Quezon City. lIno SanToS

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Romualdez bloc presses for Yolanda housing audit By Maricel V. Cruz

House Independent Bloc Leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Thursday welcomed the move of civil society groups pressing for a panel in the lower chamber to summon officials of concerned government agencies to explain the slow implementation of housing projects for Yolanda survivors. Romualdez said it has been almost two years since the super typhoon “Yolanda” struck and devastated the huge part of Western Visayas, particularly Tacloban City, and yet the supposed rehabilitation and rebuilding effort by the national government has yet to be implemented in full swing. “We really want to know how the Yolanda funds—both foreign and local – have been utilized,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez made the statement as Dennis Calvan, executive director of NGOs for Fisheries Reform, wrote a letter to the House special committee on climate change to compel agencies of government to account for Yolanda funds. Calvan said that almost two years after Yolanda, thousands of families in affected areas still live in unsafe zones and in transitional houses, while permanent resettlement sites lack basic utilities such

as water and electricity. “Families who relocated to permanent resettlement sites also complain of the additional costs entailed by the distance of their new homes from their sources of income and their children’s schools,” Calvan added. The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development had earlier convened a technical working group, composed of various civil society groups, to work on policy proposals based on a PLCPD study that documented various issues in post-Yolanda housing. The PLCPD study on government policies on post-Yolanda housing found out incoherent policies particularly in identifying permanent resettlement sites. The study also noted that some areas in Samar and Leyte have yet to receive any government support to affected communities.

Social Watch Philippines reported in June that only 28.3 percent of the P76.678-billion funding requirement has been downloaded for implementation and only 73,000 housing units out of the 205,128-demand are currently being built. The TWG urged the government to speed up Yolanda rehabilitation efforts, particularly on housing, in Yolanda-affected areas and lay out a clear and concrete plan to ensure that such a disaster will not happen again. “We need to harmonize and coordinate programs and policies to facilitate immediate and effective disaster preparedness, response, and rehabilitation,” Romeo Dongeto, PLCPD executive director, said. “Adequate housing lies at the core of building resilient and sustainable communities, especially amid the growing threat of climate change,” Dongeto added.

Women’s agenda. Rural women challenge candidates to uphold and be a champion of GRADE agenda which stands for ‘Good governance, Rural women’s rights, Agrarian justice, Development, Environment’ during a press conference at Icon Hotel in Quezon City. LINO SANTOS

Justice undersec resigns JUSTICE Undersecretary Jose Justiniano has resigned from his post two days after President Benigno Aquino III appointed his Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Benjamin Caguioa as replacement for Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who bowed out of service on Oct. 12 to run for the Senate under the administration Liberal Party. “It is a family decision for me to go back to private practice,” Justiniano said, in a text message to reporters. Justiniano, who was reported to be one of the strongest candidate to succeed De Lima, confirmed that he has submitted to President Aquino his resignation letter on Thursday. Justiniano’s letter states that his resignation is effective Oct. 30, 2015. According to him, he will join the newly-created Peña and Lumagui Law Firm, which will be called the Morales Justiniano Peña and Lumagui Law Firm next year. Justiniano made the decision on the same day his former colleague at the Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan Law Firm, Caguioa took over his new post as secretary of Justice. Justiniano supervised the DOJ investigation on the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam. He was also deputized by the Office of the Ombudsman in the prosecution of PDAF related cases before the Sandiganbayan. He was appointed as DOJ undersecretary in 2013. Rey Requejo

You have to hand it to them. Senatorial candidates emphasize their point through a show of hands (from left) former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, whistleblower Sandra Cam and cel-

ebrated lawyer Lorna Kapunan.

Pangasinan treads the ‘straight path,’ goes for Roxas—ex-finance man LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—A former Finance undersecretary predicted a victory for LP presidential candidate Mar Roxas at least in Pangasinan, where he won over Jejomar Binay in the 2013 vice presidential race, “because of the Pangasinense’s preference for honest, accountable and transparent leaders.” Comelec records show that in Pangasinan, Roxas edged out Binay by 70,000 votes in their 2013 vice presidential encounter. Vitarich Corp. president Jose Vicente “Jovy” C. Bengzon III told members of the President Hotel Breakfast Club on Wednesday that Pangasinan will go for Roxas “because of his being an alter ego of President Aquino with the zealous straight path mantra of governance.” “Under Mar Roxas, Daang Matuwid is in safe hands,”

Bengzon said. Bengzon belied a claim that Roxas is an indecisive leader. He said: “ It takes him time to decide to avoid irregular and corrupt deals that would destroy the government. This is in line with Daang Matuwid.” As a party, the LP enjoys popular support with its candidates enjoying acceptability ratings in the SWS and Pulse Asia, according to Bengzon, who was also former head of the Philippine National Construction Corp. He described Pangasinan as an “intelligent-voting province” with a bias for genuine public servants like Roxas. Bengzon, a nephew of former Health Secretary Alran Bengzon and former Congressman Antonio Bengson in

this capital town, also made a pitch for Rep. Leni Robredo, widow of the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, as the “epitome” of a straight path public servant. She showed in her short stint as Camarines Sur representative a work ethic that fits a primer for “honest, transparent and accountable governance.” Present at the forum were Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil who is running for reelection unopposed in the 2nd District, Region 1 DENR Legal Officer Lito Salatan, former vice mayor of Cordon, Isabela; and former Regional board member Roberto Sison. The President Hotel Breakfast Club meeting is headed by book author and hotel owner Mita S. Duque, publisher of the Capitol Post newsweekly, a leading regional newspaper.

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Civil Service upholds ouster of state college employees By Dexter A. See BONTOC, Mountain Province—The Cordillera office of the Civil Service Commission has upheld its earlier decision ordering the dismissal of 12 faculty members and employees of the staterun Mountain Province State Polytechnic College for grave misconduct, insubordination, oppression and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service because of their alleged direct participation in a failed siege in July 2011. In a 28-page resolution promulgated on September 28, 2015, lawyer Marilyn E. Taldo, CSC-CAR regional director, denied the instant motion for reconsiderations separately filed by Dan Evert C. Sokoken, Sr., Dario F. Guinayen, Daniela P. Chumacog, Terrence Lief F. Fang-asan, Peter I. Puma-at, Eric F. Fulangen, Brueckner B. Aswigue, Jayson A. Omaweng, Charlie Wrykan S. Engngeg, Nellie B. Diaz, Beverly Ann B. Chaokas and Angelita D. Bayle, all MPSPC faculty members, for lack of merit. The resolution also upheld their dismissal from the service with all its accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, except accrued leave credits, terminal benefits and personal contributions to the government Service Insurance System, if any, perpetual disqualification from holding public office and they are barred from taking civil service examinations.

As far as the eye can see. Tourists can have a panoramic view of Quezon town in Bukidnon from this deck. LANCE BACONGUIS

Sandiganbayan suspends gov over fertilizer scandal By Rio N. Araja

THE Sandiganbayan’s Second Division has ordered the suspension of Marinduque Gov. Carmencita Reyes for 60 days over her involvement in the fertilizer fund scam in 2004. In a resolution, the anti-graft court ruled in favor of the prosecution to suspend Reyes for graft and technical malversation charges over the alleged misuse of fertilizer funds. It invoked Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act stipulating that a public official facing charges may be placed

under preventive suspension. Despite Reyes’ defense that the case was politically motivated, the anti-graft court maintained it cannot be influenced by political considerations. “The political considerations or factors being raised by the accused cannot override the mandatory character of the suspension pen-

dente lite that must be observed by the Court, which should remain apolitical,” the resolution read. “Wherefore, the Court hereby grants the motion and accordingly orders the suspension pendente lite of Carmencita Reyes as Provincial Governor of Marinduque, and from any other position which she may now or hereafter be holding, for a period of 60 days.” Reyes maintained her innocence, saying her continued stay in her post would not affect the case since the prosecution’s witnesses were no longer provincial government workers.

She appealed to the Sandiganbayan to allow her to stay, citing her political rivals in the May 2016 local elections could only take advantage of her 60-day preventive suspension. The Office of the Ombudsman filed the charges against Reyes before the Sandiganbayan, alleging her of misuse of P5 million in fertilizer funds for poor farmers but instead were spent for one shredding machine, a milling equipment, a pelletizer, and a Tornado Brush Chipper from LCV Design and Fabrication Corp. without public bidding.

Pangasinan bags tourism awards

All smiles. National Unity Party bets for House representative, governor, vice governor and mayor file their certificates of candidacy at the Comelec office in Benguet. DAVID CHAN

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LINGAYEN—The province of Pangasinan has recently bagged two 1st runner-up citations by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines Inc. under its umbrella program—Best Tourism Practices Awards —in partnership with the Department of Tourism. Provincial Tourism, Culture and Arts Office chief Ma. Luisa A. Elduayan, said the awards were for Best Tourism Events Festival Category for the province’s Pistay Dayat 2014 celebration, and Pangasinan Tourism Month 2014 celebration. The Pistay Dayat celebra-

tion placed second to the Panaad Festival of Negros Occidental. The award, she said, is given as an institutionalized recognition for exceptional practices, projects and innovations done by the local government units in terms of tourism development. The award-giving body was launched in 2005 with an objective not only to institutionalize the annual system of recognition but to celebrate the best in the tourism industry that each LGU contributes. It also aims to honor the great efforts of the people in terms of community participa-

tion and to pay tribute to the rest of society. Under the present provincial administration, Pangasinan incurred more than 55,000 tourist-based accommodations in 2007 in which it has increased to 400,000 while almost 3.4 million day-time visitors were recorded based on Pangasinan’s tourist destinations. With regard to the number of tourist arrivals, Pangasinan posted the highest number in Region 1 based on the tourist accommodation in hotels and other tourism facilities which reached over 365,000 in 2014. Dexter See

F R I D AY, O C T O B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

DOING BUSINESS, PH STYLE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

THE ECONOMIC COST OF EL NIÑO HIGH rice and corn prices resulting from decreased farm production and increased power rates in Mindanao are among the major economic cost of El Niño. Depending on its severity, the dry spell could add more woes to Filipino farmers, who rely on their agricultural produce as their main livelihood. The government plans to initially allocate P19.2 billion to assist farmers affected by El Niño dry spell and mitigate its impact on crop production. Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the planned budget covering the remaining months of 2015 and next year was still tentative. The government is assuming the current episode of El Niño will be as bad as the 1997-1998 drought when rice production fell 25 percent. The grim scenario has prompted the government to raise the projected rice imports next year to 1.5 million metric tons to ensure the adequate supply of the staple and stabilize prices. Says Balisacan: “The most important thing really here is learning from El Niño... to make sure we have adequate supply. The timely importation is crucial, because what we want is to avoid domestic prices from shooting up while world prices are relatively stable.” Assisting the farmers, however, is the more crucial element of the budget against El Niño. The government should allocate more to the National Irrigation Administration to help the agency in building more waterways and mini dams that can store more water during the rainy season and irrigate farms in the dry months. Earmarking the budget for distribution of food stamps and cash-forwork program for families displaced or affected by the dry spell through the Department of Social Welfare and Development is a band-aid solution to El Niño. The drought could happen more frequently now amid climate change. The government should also review the role of NIA as an irrigation authority. Irrigation facilities are still lacking in many rural areas and NIA’s inadequacy in easing the plight of farmers has directly caused lower agricultural production in the past.

DUTERTE AND CAYETANO LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES THE question is important: Now that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is not running for President, who will step up and make Senator Alan Peter Cayetano a foundling by adopting him? But before that, let’s talk about Duterte, the little engine from Davao that couldn’t make it all the way to Malacañang. And yes, I know I predicted that the mayor would run, an idea

that appealed to so many people who wanted to see Duterte take his brand of hands-on, no-nonsense governance to the biggest stage of all—the presidential palace. But as people close to the mayor have repeatedly told me (and the rest of the country, really), no one can force Duterte to do something he doesn’t want to do. And when Duterte declared yesterday that he would run for reelection instead of the presidency, he proved that he was not going to be stampeded into going for the highest office in the land, if he didn’t really want to do that.

I’m sure Duterte truly agonized about running, never mind if he sounded like he never seriously entertained the idea when he filed his certificate for reelection to the mayorship. And I’m convinced that whatever made him finally decide not to run (whether it was his family, his age, his health, his lack of funding or whatever else) is something that only Duterte will really know for certain. As for me, all I know for sure is that the Davao City mayor could have been a real contender and—if he had won—a true agent of change. Anyone with Duterte’s track record of

We will never know what Duterte could have accomplished as President, and maybe that’s all for the best.

effective, law-and-order governance and with his promise of refocusing economic growth to the neglected provinces will appeal to people who feel helpless against corruption and crime and left behind by the administrators of Imperial Manila. I know that some people are still holding out the hope that Duterte will change his mind today, the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy, and declare for the presidency. But at this point, that would probably do him more harm than good, making him appear wishy-washy, something that, I’m told by his closest friends, is farthest from the truth. In the end, we will never know what the non-candidate

Duterte, who stirred up the sort of enthusiasm that I have never seen before (and probably never will again) for someone so reluctant to run, could have accomplished if he had become President. And maybe that’s all for the best. *** But what about Cayetano, the man who would be Duterte’s running mate? What’s the senator to do, now that the star he wanted so desperately to hitch his wagon to didn’t even come close to hitching distance? Cayetano’s quest for the vice presi-

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-

dency is all but dead in the murky water of the Laguna Bay in his hometown of Taguig. And Cayetano’s naked attempts to convince Duterte to run, so that the mayor may be pressed into service as the senator’s stepping stone to higher office, has exposed him as the worst kind of political opportunist—a class of politician that we certainly don’t need any more representatives of. If the 2016 elections were a game of musical chairs, Cayetano has been eliminated, since everyone seeking the second-highest office in the land has already

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found a seat when the music stopped. After all, Senator Bongbong Marcos has found Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and Senator Antonio Trillanes has latched onto Senator Grace Poe—never mind if Poe already hooked up a long time ago with Senator Chiz Escudero. (I remain convinced that Trillanes is only running because he needs to be able to attack Vice President Jejomar Binay during the campaign period, and not because he seriously wants to be Vice President. Trillanes’ reason Continued on A10

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THE World Bank ranks the Philippines 95th in ease of doing business, 161st in starting a business, 124th in dealing with construction permits, 108th in registering property, 104th in getting credit, 127th in paying taxes, 124th in enforcing countries, 65th in trading across borders, and 50th in resolving insolvency. Considering that there are 189 economies/countries in the world, the Philippine rankings are a disgrace. They put a lie to claims of Daang Matuwid. There is so much red tape and graft every time businessmen try to start a business or do business. No wonder, among the six major Asean countries, the Philippines has received the smallest or lowest foreign direct investments—in amounts and as a percentage of GDP. It is bad to start a business in the Philippines. It is bad to do business in this country. Investors shy away. The World Bank is usually sanguine in grading Philippine performance on the economic and social equity front. Such an attitude is not surprising. The bank has had its own shortcomings. The bank wants to prop up the claims to little greatness by countries like the Philippines, thus boosting the egos of their leaders like President B.S. Aquino III, and boosting the bank’s own sense of achievement. The World Bank actually failed to significantly reduce poverty. Solving the poor world’s biggest problem became the bank’s primary mission when President Robert McNamara assumed the World Bank presidency in 1968 shortly before America lost the Vietnam War. If poverty was cut by half, credit goes, less to the World Bank but more to the determined efforts of countries like China and Indonesia to reduce their teeming masses of poor by frenetically pumping up their growth rates for an extended period. From 1990, the percentage of poor of the total population in developing countries fell dramatically from 43 percent to 21 percent by 2010, five years ahead of schedule. China alone accounted for three-quarters of that great leap downward. Yearly, for more than ten years, the world’s second largest economy was growing by a least 10 percent. China is no stooge of the World Bank. In fact, China is putting up its own World Bank—the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank. 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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F R I D AY, O C T O B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

DOING BUSINESS, PH STYLE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

We will never know what Duterte could have accomplished as President, and maybe that’s all for the best.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

GROANING BENEATH ITS OWN WEIGHT

THE FORD BANDWAGON

not everything was alright. As a professor of philosophy, I am intrigued by the crimson FR. RANHILIO deadweight that hinders the CALLANGAN Church from forging ahead AQUINO resolutely with Pope Francis. NOT everyone warms up to One of the reasons is the roPope Francis; most Catholics mance with unhelpful metado, many non-Catholics even. phors, “deposit of faith” among But some prelates are gritting them. Wittgenstein was so very their teeth, among them Car- right: Many of the problems dinal Raymond Burke who lost that beguile us are phantoms we his high chair as president of conjure when we become reckthe Signatura Apostolica, the less with language. You guard Church’s supreme tribunal, a deposit from diminution and and was sent packing by Pope pilferage, but is faith like that? Francis to enjoy the sun and to If there was any deposit at all, lecture to the members of the it was the deposit of the Holy Sovereign Order of Malta on Spirit who is life, and newness, the niceties of Canon Law. The and freshness—having very litSynod of Bishops is in session, tle to do with the mustiness of taking up, among other things, miters and purple finery. Yes, the Church’s pastoral care of the Catholic must be able to persons in “difficult situations”: articulate his belief in proposidivorced and remarried, cohab- tions, but the Spirit should neviting without benefit of mar- er be confined to a set of proporiage and even those in same- sitions. I echo Kierkegaard: It is the height of absurdity to hold sex unions. that Christ died on the cross to defend a set of propositions! What can be so un-Catholic about admitting sinners into Communion with sinners? Has not traditional moral theology What seems always upheld the sovereignty to be clear is of conscience? “Who are we to judge?”—that has become a frethat there is an quently quoted [and sometimes eagerness to ride misused] Papal by-word, but there is so much wisdom packed the bandwagon into it. It is the humble acknowlof spite and edgement that conscience is the threshold that not even norm ridicule. and precept may cross! Can the bishops who so strongly oppose relaxing the discipline of the Church rightly claim any higher degree of worthiness to reThe Pope has repeatedly ceive communion than those to made the distinction between whom they would deny it? The the stability of doctrine and the liturgy demands that all say the malleability of praxis. But that words: “Lord, I am not worthy is a distinction hardliners re- that you should enter under my fuse to appreciate. The Pope roof...”, and it has never occurred has hinted at the possibility of to me that that invocation was admitting to Holy Communion chosen for literary effect rather Catholics living in problem- than for its own truthful admisatic conditions. But in a letter sion of universal unworthiness! reportedly sent the Pope this O res mirabilis manducat Domiweek by Eminences and Excel- num: pauper, servus et humilis... lencies, he was warned not to Oh, what a wonderful thing it take the Church down the path is that pauper, servant and the of Martin Luther. If matters lowly should partake of the were left to me, and thankfully Lord. It is the graciousness of they are not, I would propose the Divine Host that holds keeps the canonization of Martin Lu- us ever in awe, and in gratitude, ther. He, after all, stirred the sentiments that the indignation Church from its lethargy and of the righteous would not have complacence and woke it to the us entertain. Ever the true pastor, Pope realization, albeit rudely, that

THAT he was not yet through doing his soul-searching was what Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte probably wanted to tell us when he addressed last Monday his “friends and fellow Dabawenyos.” It looked obvious. Despite his pro forma “very sincerely” closing, Mayor Rody didn’t appear intent on declaring with finality that he has abandoned his presidential quest when he monotonously read that press statement of 223 simple words and 15 rambling short sentences. Teary-eyed, Mayor Digong was not as he had been more dramatic in less important occasions before. He could have been more passionate if he really wanted to deliver his final parting words with us. How can one so seasoned and so astute a politician like Mayor DU30 speak so casually, emotionlessly, and matter-of-factly about the most important decision of his life—that of abandoning his quest for the presidency? He knew very well of our resounding cry for him to run as President, yet he didn’t even acknowledge us—non-Dabawenyos—who were from the rest of Mindanao, the Visayas, Luzon, and National Capital Region or were working abroad. That day, we, too, eagerly awaited his presidential bid announcement but he simply ignored us. As followers, we may not be considered fanatical and blind yet, but we have already earned some right to demand more explanations from him. After all, we have campaigned for him in our circles of friends, relatives and officemates, and have defended him against his unenlightened critics. For some of these, we had ourselves scorned and ridiculed. Despite being a ruthless anti-crime buster, Mayor Rody is a decent and well-mannered public official and he knew that he owed us an accounting of the outcome of his soul-searching, which he said he had to do be-

fore deciding to seek or not the presidency. Why did he open up with “I am sorry to disappoint those who spent much and worked hard and long in support of me as I went around the country espousing the benefits and advantages of federalism” when the subject was about running for the presidency, notwithstanding that federalism was the pillar of his platform of government? Whatever were his real reasons for reading that kind of press statement, only he knew but it surely confused his inner circle of trusted advisers and left them very disappointed. More disappointed were those who have become his eager and avid followers only recently, the type like us who can’t even decide until now how to call him— Rody, Digong or DU30? Admittedly, we have not given him our unconditional and lasting loyalty. Confused about his apparent indecisive and “hele hele bago quiere” attitude, some of us couldn’t wait any longer and have given up on him. Thus, in the last few days, they have shifted their interest to a cancer-survivor senator who has suddenly declared that she was reviving her presidential ambitions. We have initially loved the idea that by joining Mayor Rody’s bandwagon—and not those of the big political parties—we would be able to elect as President for the first time a mayor from far-away Mindanao who is neither a widow, an orphan, or a descendant of a national icon but one who has climbed up the political ladder through his own blood, sweat and tears starting as an assistant fiscal of a once-chaotic southern provincial city. Friends of Rody Duterte, of which we unilaterally con-

Francis knows fully well that for people in the streets, and in complicated relations, and in unusual unions, life is not black or white. That is the problem. Many bishops are afraid of “fifty shades of grey”—or more! And that is one more philosophical issue involved: the notion of truth as “correspondence”, beloved to all steeped in the classical tradition. It is correspondence, of course, but that is only one of its

meanings. The problem with the correspondence theory, though, is that it leaves very little room for appreciating truth as achievement and struggle. The proposition either corresponds with reality or it does not! Since there is no unmediated access to reality, we must always contend with constructs (obviously of our making!) and with this liberating realization should come the preparedness to de-construct—not

to negate nor to contradict nor even to oppose, but to be hospitable to alternate readings, interpretations, perceptions. And provided we are humble and commend ourselves in prayer, we can trust that through these tortuous paths, the Spirit will not abandon us!

haps Cayetano should, even now that Duterte has withdrawn from the race, just so he doesn’t embarrass himself. But then, I’ve always believed that Cayetano doesn’t really care if he looks like a turncoat, as long as he is able to pursue his personal political ambitions. This is a man,

after all, who demanded that then-candidate Noynoy Aquino present proof that he is not, in fact, mentally incapable of seeking the presidency in 2010; and then, after Aquino won, Cayetano became one of the staunchest allies of the administration. Early this year, after the Ma-

masapano massacre happened, Cayetano again became a critic of the government, as if he could find nothing good that Aquino and his people had done to save the SAF 44. And when the administration Liberal Party began looking for a running mate for Secretary Mar Roxas, Cay-

etano offered his services, eliciting knowing smiles from those involved in the search. Cayetano, it should be clear by now, is only for Cayetano. And if no one will adopt him, given his record of opportunism, perhaps he should just adopt himself.

PENSEES

Duterte...From A9 for being in the past year or so has been only to attack Binay, whatever his real motivation is for doing so.) Cayetano has not filed a certificate seeking to become Vice President, of course. But per-

FILIPINO PENSIONER HORACE TEMPLO

sidered ourselves we were as a consequence, have started to organize ourselves into FORD informal groups of individuals within our circles of friends, company and barangay. Some have done this in communities abroad where there are many Overseas Filipino Workers. Former Immigrations Commissioner and Pampanga Congresswoman Andrea Domingo volunteered to be its interim chairperson and has formally initiated FORD’s registration as a people’s organization at the Securities and Exchange Commission. As if she has Mayor Digong’s blessings, she has committed to issue to all FORD members ID cards that he would personally sign. With no financing and little legwork, these groups have grown quickly in number via the Internet and the Facebook social media. They may have not grown as phenomenally fast as those of AlDub fans clubs, but this is because of the delayed announcement of Mayor DU30’s presidential bid. A constant check on these Facebook groups would indicate how fast they have grown despite Mayor Rody’s non-declaration of candidacy. The FORD chapters would have served as Mayor Digong’s campaign organization in every village of the country and abroad. They were supposed to counteract the traditional networks of the big political parties. The FORD bandwagon would have been Mayor DU30’s vehicle that he would ride in going to Malacañang Palace from Davao City Hall with FORD standing for something noble, a perfect way to express the platform of government that he has already vowed to pursue once elected President—Federalism, peace and Order, poverty Reduction, and national Development. But this won’t happen anymore after he ended yesterday his soul-searching. A certificate of candidacy he submitted, but it was for his city’s mayoralty.

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A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

ONLY INDIA AND CHINA CAN END ASIA’S HAZE By Adam Minter

burning. For several years now, camTHE thick haze that’s blanket- paigns promoting sustainable ed much of Southeast Asia for palm oil—oil produced with as the last month carries the ashy little impact as possible on the environment— remains of Indonesian forests surrounding and peatlands—burnt in many have been gaining momentum cases to clear land for produc- in Europe. The Netherlands has ing palm oil, the world’s most committed to using only suspopular edible oil. It’s an an- tainable palm oil by the end of nual occurrence dating back this year. Indeed, the Rounddecades, and this year it’s par- table on Sustainable Palm Oil ticularly bad: According to one —an industry group founded in report, the 2015 fires have emit- 2004—says that all of the palm ted enough greenhouse gases to oil used in the EU will be certirival Germany’s annual output fied sustainable by 2020. Public of CO2. And they’re growing education, advocacy and consumer pressure have all had an worse. Many proposals to fix the impact. The problem is that the EU problem target the palm oil only represents around 11 persupply chain—from farmers and refiners, to the bankers cent of the market for palm oil. and politicians who fund and The world’s biggest consumer is license companies. That’s cru- India, which accounts for 15.6 cial. But to be successful, such percent of palm oil consumpefforts have to address demand tion globally, and 21 percent of as well. Unless consumers insist all imports. China is the world’s on buying palm oil that’s been third-largest importer, after the sourced sustainably—and are EU, and fourth-largest consumwilling to pay for it—companies er. Together India, China, Pakiand middlemen will continue to stan, Egypt, Bangladesh, and look for the cheapest possible Myanmar account for nearly ways to clear land, which means half of global palm oil imports.

The RSPO’s efforts have barely made a dent in these emerging markets, admits Stefano Savi, the group’s Global Outreach and Engagement director in Kuala Lumpur. Fewer than 100 of the RSPO’s more than 2,000 members are based in India and China. Savi says he expects around 30 percent of India’s palm oil to be certified by 2020, and only 10 percent of China’s. Price remains a key hurdle. Across Asia, palm oil’s main selling point is its reputation as the “poor man’s oil.” In August, for example, crude palm oil imported into India was more than 37 percent cheaper than imported sunflower oil, and 19 percent cheaper than imported soybean oil. Properly sourced, sustainable palm oil can cost as much as 17 percent more than regular oil. For many Indians, whose per capita income was $1,595 in 2014 (as opposed to $51,590 in the Netherlands), that’s a stiff premium. There’s no reason for activists to lose hope. Asia’s burgeoning, brand-conscious middle classes

have shown that they care about the environment. In China, for instance, consumption of shark fins is declining, largely because of a years-long publiceducation campaign fronted by basketball star Yao Ming. (The process has been helped along by President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on official banquets and other extravagances.) International companies that have committed to using sustainable oil—such as McDonald’s, Post and Mondelez—could use those policies to burnish their brands in emerging markets. Ultimately, though, the only way to change behavior in India and China will be to reduce costs. Currently, only half of the roughly 5.3 million tons of RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil is sold at a premium, though the proportion is increasing steadily, according to the RSPO’s Savi. The rest is sold as conventional palm oil to manufacturers and retailers who—for now—don’t see any commercial advantage in sustainability. Whatever losses producers accrue are at least partially

covered by atrading scheme whereby they can sell certificates—akin to carbon trading credits—to companies that want to support sustainable production. However, current market prices for those certificates are well under $1 per metric ton, underlining weak demand. Europe may be able to lend a hand. In search of carbon savings, the EU is keen to expand the use of sustainable biofuels. The dregs of palm oil refining could be one source. According to a 2014 industry report, India already has the capacity to produce 435,000 metric tons of palm oil-based biodiesel annually. Industry, governments and NGOs could cooperate to channel sustainably-produced palm oil into that supply chain. Doing so would open new markets to Indonesian farmers, while giving them a profitable reason not to burn land to make a living. These are all long-term solutions, of course. But they’re critical if the skies over Southeast Asia are to be cleared for good. Bloomberg

tional cash transfer (CCT) program which now has an annual In making projections for budget of over P60 billion and the Philippines, the Washington 4.2 million families enrolled, a DC-based multilateral lender huge success story. usually favors a higher rate than It is one of the largest and those projected by analysts of best-targeted social safety net other banks and think tanks. programs in the world, says the From 6.5 percent initially, bank. the bank cut the Philippines’ However, when it comes to expected economic growth to grading Manila’s environment just 5.8 percent for 2015, after for ease of doing business, the noticing a marked slowdown World Bank has been rather in the first half and govern- harsh. ment’s chronic under-spending In the starting a business of already allocated funds. The game, the Philippines has, in bank seems to buy the Aquino fact, deteriorated. Last year, administration’s line that eco- it was ranked 154th. This year, nomic growth could be 7-8 per- the Philippines lost 11 rungs cent per year during its tenure. becoming the worst country in In fact, the Philippines has been Asean for starting a business. registering its slowest growth in According to the World the past three years, a flat 5 per- Bank Doing Business Report cent, with a three-year average 2015, it takes 16 steps and 34 of less than 6 percent growth. days to start a business in the And the World Bank honest- Philippines. ly thinks the Philippines condiIn Malaysia, starting a busi-

ness takes just three steps and 5.5 days, Thailand four steps and 27.5 days, and Vietnam 10 steps and 34 days. The best in the world is New Zealand where it takes only one step and half a day to start a business. It is also very expensive to start a business in the Philippines. It takes 16.6 percent of the business’ income per capita, compared with 5.3 percent in Vietnam, 5.7 percent in Laos, 6.6 percent in Thailand, and 7.2 percent in Malaysia. For a specific activity like getting a construction permit, the Philippines has also one of the worst regulations in the world. Getting a permit to build a house or a building takes 24 steps and 94 days (more than three months). That makes the Philippines 124th best in the world or 65th worst among 189 economies or countries. In Hong Kong, which has the

best system globally, getting a construction permit takes just five steps and one day. In Malaysia, getting a building permit takes 13 steps and 74 days; Thailand seven steps but 113 days; Vietnam 10 steps in 114 days. In the entire Asean, the Philippines has the worst red tape—24 steps to secure a construction permit. Our neighbors make do with half of the procedures. In registering property, the Philippines (nine steps in 35 days) is worst in Asean. Indonesia takes five steps and 27.4 days to register property; Malaysia eight steps in 13.5 days; Vietnam four steps in 57 days; Laos five steps and 98 days; and Thailand, the best globally, two steps in two days. In cost (as a percentage of the value of the property), it is 4.3 percent for the Philippines, 10.8 percent for Indonesia, 6.3 per-

cent for Thailand, 3.3 percent for Malaysia, 1.1 percent for Laos, and 0.6 percent for Vietnam. It is generally expensive to register one’s property in the Philippines. It is very expensive to export from the Philippines—$755 per container (up from $585 per container just last year), compared with Malaysia $525, Indonesia $571.8, Thailand $595, Vietnam $610, and Laos $1,950. Timor Leste has the lowest cost per container to export in the world, $410. The cost to import into the Philippines is also very high, $915 per container. It is higher by 63 percent, at $560 in Malaysia, by 52.5 percent at $600 in Vietnam, 41 percent at $646.80 in Indonesia, 20 percent at $760 in Thailand, but cheaper by 52 percent at $1,910 in Laos.

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CHONG ARDIVILLA

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Odom used cocaine, police say LAS VEGAS—Nevada police said Wednesday that workers from the Nevada brothel where Lamar Odom was found unconscious reported in a 911 call that the former NBA star had been using cocaine. The 35-year-old Odom remained hospitalized in Las Vegas Wednesday, with his ex-wife Khloe Kardashian at his side, while an investigation continued into the allegations of drug use by the ex-Los Angeles Laker. Odom was found unconscious at the Love Ranch brothel and taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center by ambulance. NBC News reported Wednesday night that sources told them that Odom suffered

brain damage and at least one stroke and is on a ventilator. Police spokesperson Sharon Wehrly said they received a 911 call from two workers at the brothel who said a man was discovered unconscious and had been using cocaine. “During that call, the reporting parties informed the Nye County Sheriff’s Office dispatch the male had been using cocaine,” Wehrly said. “They confirmed his usage on Saturday but was unsure if it had continued. “They also informed dispatch that he had used up to 10 tabs of sexual performance enhancer supplements over the last three-day period. He was unconscious but breathing. “He had blood coming from his nose and his mouth, along with a white substance.” Wehrly said police detectives obtained a search warrant allowing them to collect a sample of Odom’s blood. That blood was drawn Wednesday and was shipped to a lab for testing.

Odom’s former Laker teammate Kobe Bryant, Kardashian and Reverend Jesse Jackson are among those who have visited the hospital. Bryant left during the Lakers’ 107-100 pre-season exhibition loss to Sacramento in Las Vegas to be with Odom. Odom and Bryant, 37, were Lakers teammates from 2004 through 2011, helping Los Angeles capture NBA titles together in 2009 and 2010. Odom had not played in the NBA since 2013. “I pray this morning for my brother,” Odom’s former Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade said on Twitter. “Dear God he’s one of the good ones. PLEASE watch over him and listen to his heart speak #PrayersForLamar.” Odom played 14 NBA seasons with four teams, comprising the Lakers, Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks. In 2011, he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award. AFP

Thriller. Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his men’s singles second round match against Ivo Karlovic of Croatia at the Shanghai Masters. Nadal needed all his trademark grit and determination on Wednesday when he was taken to a third-set tie-break by towering ace king Ivo Karlovic in a dramatic opening match. His excited reaction to the breathless 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4) win, when he leapt in the air and pumped his fists, and then stood with his arms aloft, left no doubt about how much the victory meant. AFP

Caida grabs lead; SLR strikes back

(TS-OCT. 9 & 16, 2015)

CAIDA Tile Masters continued its winning ways in the Philippine Commercial Basketball League Founders Cup as it hammered out a 94-82 victory over Jumbo Plastic even as Sta. Lucia Realty survived another endgame collapse before outlasting Supremo Lex at the Filoil Flying V Arena. The Tile Masters flexed their muscles from the get go, but they were able to dictate the tempo more when Billy Robles started to anchor the team’s fast breaking game. Robles knocked in 19 points, including 11 in the fourth period as the Tile Masters outran their rivals, scoring 19 points in transition compared to only four from Jumbo Plastic. Dexter Marquez added 14 markers, while sharp-shooting Ford Ruaya contributed 10 for the Mike Buendia-mentored Caida squad, which grabbed

the early solo lead with a 2-0 record. “Maybe ‘yung early preparations naming is bearing fruits. We’ve been practicing for a long time. ‘Yung familiarity nu’ng players, medyo lumalabas sa endgame. But we still have lapses, especially in turnovers. We need to work on it pa. Rebounding is another aspect we need to improve on because we’re not a big team,” said Buendia, one of the assistant coaches of Yeng Guiao in Rain or Shine in the PBA. True enough, Caida turned the ball over 20 times during the game. Sta. Lucia squandered a 15-point lead in the third period, but held on to survive upset-conscious Supremo Lex, 77-71, in the main game. Burly center Wowie Esconio was a rebound away from a double-double performance,

tallying 19 points and nine rebounds, including a crucial three-point play down the stretch that helped stave off a late rally by Supremo Lex. Jhaps Bautista contributed 10 for the Bonni Garcia-mentored Realtors, who lost the opening game after leading by 20 points before bowing out to Caida’s sister team Racal Kama Motors. Garcia admitted he need to address his team’s bad tendency by getting a good point guard in the near future. “It shows that our maturity down the stretch, particularly our point guards, hindi pa gaanong matured. Kapag decision-making down the stretch, nahihirapan sila,” said Garcia. Garcia is banking on ex-pro Rob Celiz for leadership, but the former Blackwater and Talk ‘N Text reserve swingman is not a point guard.

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140 national coaches join financial seminar ABOUT 140 national coaches are expected to participate in the Philippine Sports Commission’s Personality Enhancement Program for Sports module on financial literacy next week at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. The coaches will be divided into two batches for the module, which will be held on Oct. 19 and 20. Aya Laraya, the man behind the well-known financial blog “Pesos and Sense,” will be the featured resource speaker during the said dates. Commissioner and PEP Project Director Wigberto “Iggy” Clavecilla explained that after the successful conduct of the module for the country’s priority athletes last Sept. 22, he felt that the rest of the national pool should be able to learn more about the basics of saving and investing their hardearned incentives and regular allowances from the government.

Baran, De Asis lead net cast KARL Baran and Kiana de Asis hope to ride on the momentum of their two-title romp at Pontevedra last week as they banner the field in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis circuit presented by Technifibre at the Monta-Panaad Tennis Court in Bacolod City. The five-day, Group 2 event, the second of a series of tournaments in Negros this month, actually got under way yesterday with matches in the boys’ 1614- and 12- and girls’ 12-U classes. Action goes full blast today, with the top seeded Baran battling the winner in the Nestor Lambunao-Rewel Justiniani duel and No. 2 Eldyzar Alvarico clashing with the winner in the Reynan Mahusay-CJ Alcala faceoff in the lower half of the draw. Baran, who copped the 16- and 18-U titles in Pontevedra, also opens his campaign in the 16-U section of the event sanctioned by Philta headed by president and Paranaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez and held in conjunction with the Masskara Festival starting today. “While Karl and Kiana remain the players to watch owing to their top form, we also expect a number of reversals that have marked the staging of this long-running talent search,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro. Ranked No. 3, Baran tangles with the victor in the Arvin Toledo-Reyniel Marcellano clash with No. 1 Justin Suarez squaring off with the winner in the Nestor Lambunao-Rolando Preston duel and second seed Jacob Martin colliding with the victor in the RJ Dejilla-Ruben Castor collision in 16-U section.

“We have heard stories about some of our national sports greats falling into difficult times after their athletic careers. We want to help them establish their families and live comfortably after retiring from active competition. This is part of our service to our national athletes and coaches, and we are happy to render such,” Commissioner Clavecilla enthused. Other athletes in the national training pool, meanwhile, will take the module on financial literacy during the second week of November. The PEP is a series of seminars grouped into three modules to help strengthen the non-sporting aspects of athletes and coaches’ lives that inevitably merge with their respective sporting careers. The other two modules scheduled for early next year will focus on personal enhancement and wholistic health.

Jose Bautista (19) of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates with Ryan Goins as he touches home after he hits a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers in game five of the American League Division Series at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. AFP

Jays win, face Royals next TORONTO—Jose Bautista smashed a three run homer in the seventh as Toronto beat the Texas Rangers 6-3, advancing the Blue Jays to the AL Championship Series where they will face the Kansas City Royals. Toronto eliminated the Rangers three games to two in the divisional series to reach Major League Baseball’s playoff semi-finals for the first time since they won the 1993 World Series title. “Unbelievable feeling. Unbelievable energy from the fans,” said Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin, a Canadian. “This is awesome. Words can’t describe the feelings inside me.”

In the night contest, Johnny Cueto made his presence known by holding the Houston Astros to two hits over eight innings as the Royals beat the Houston Astros 7-2 to win their series in five games. Trailing 3-2 in the seventh, the Blue Jays equalized when Josh Donaldson grounded into a bases loaded fielder’s choice to score the tying run. That set the stage for

34-year-old Dominican outfielder Bautista’s decisive blast. “For intensity and emotion, it was the most emotionally charged game I have ever played,” Bautista said. “There was so much stuff going on. It was just the whole game, a do or die game. It was just the moment. I felt it. I did it. I’m just glad I was able to hit the heck out of the ball.” Rangers leadoff batter Delino DeShields opened with a double, took third base on a Choo Shin-Soo ground out and scored when Prince Fielder grounded into a fielder’s choice.

South Korean standout Choo smashed his second career playoff homer in the third inning to put the Rangers ahead 2-0. But the Blue Jays answered when Ben Revere scored from second on a Bautista double in the third inning and Edwin Encarnacion blasted a solo homer to equalize in the sixth. In the seventh, Texas second baseman Rougned Odor singled, advanced to third on two ground outs and scored on one of the most bizarre plays of this or any season. Toronto catcher Martin was throwing the ball back to pitcher Aaron Sanchez

when it struck Choo’s bat as he stood in the batter’s box. The ball dribbled onto the field and Odor, realizing the ball was in play, raced home as the stunned Toronto fielders and fans looked on, umpires ruling he scored the go-ahead run for the Rangers. - Bottles tossed on field As supporters tossed bottles onto the field, the Blue Jays protested the call and the game but the decision stood, television replays showing the routine toss back to the mound deflected off Choo’s bat, an error on Martin. AFP

Fueling athletes’ dreams for 50 years By Randy Caluag FAMOUS athletes had to start somewhere before they hit big-time. NBA star Jeremy Lin, who is now playing for the Denver Nuggets after stints with the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets, went to Harvard and played in the NBA’s minor tournament--the DLeague before being discovered by NBA scouts. Blue Jays’ hitter Jose Bautista was stuck in the minor league for more than half a decade, breaking out only 10 years after he was drafted. Soccer star Didier Drogba didn’t sign his first professional contract until he was 21, some five years later than most international players of his caliber. Many world-class athletes are not thrust into superstardom instantly. They don’t achieve success overnight. Some of them toil in obscurity for ages, until the big break comes along. Those breaks come in the form of a scout knocking on an athletes’ door, or a fight contract laid on the table, or a telephone call from a team manager.

In local shores recently, it came in the form of the Gatorade Philippine Basketball Association Draft Combine and the Gatorade NBA Training Center for the Philippines’ Top Ball Players. For the second year in a row, Gatorade, the official sports drink of the PBA, set the stage for the 2015 PBA Draft, starting with the Gatorade PBA Draft Combine. Held at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City, the Gatorade PBA Draft Combine was a two-day complex training camp composed of several sports and skill testing activities, drills and scrimmages designed to help PBA draftees properly showcase their skills and to help coaches, recruiters, team managers and scouts suitably assess the candidates. An exclusive seminar for coaches was also held prior to the draft combine featuring renowned performance coach Chris Gorres, who is also head of Explosive Performance, a leading American sports performance company that uses integrated training, nutrition, and physical therapy for elite and professional athletes. Pepsico Philippines Marketing Manager for Hydration Tony

Atayde said the draft combine is part of Gatorade’s larger goal of educating coaches and athletes on the importance of hydration and world-class sports training. “Raw athletic talent will get you far but without world-class training and hydration, success will be short-lived,” Atayde said. “As the world’s most researched sports drink, Gatorade is doing more than hydrating athletes. We are stepping up to bring sound science to the PBA Draft.” Last year’s Gatorade PBA Draft Combine saw some standout talents who were eventually drafted into the PBA, including Alaska Aces’ Chris Banchero and GlobalPort Batang Pier’s Stanley Pringle. Prior to the Draft Combine, NBA Champion and former NBA head coach Brian Shaw, Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton, and Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks provided advanced basketball instruction at this year’s Gatorade NBA Training Center in the Philippines, also held at the Gatorade Hoops Center. Returning for the second consecutive year, the Gatorade NBA

Training Center gathered elite instructors in the fields of basketball, fitness and conditioning, and nutrition to share the latest techniques with elite Filipino athletes and coaches. “It’s an honor for us to be able to help bring this one-of-a-kind experience to Philippine basketball’s cream of the crop,” Atayde said. “Gatorade is always committed to fuelling the success of our local athletes, and we’ve teamed up with no less than the world’s most popular and most renowned basketball league to help us do that.” Recently, Gatorade celebrated the 23rd anniversary of the Be Like Mike campaign—the iconic campaign which helped cement Michael Jordan’s legacy as a sports legend. The celebration coincides with Gatorade’s 50th anniversary this year. As an industry leader, Gatorade is not just in the business of fueling the world’s top and up-and-coming athletes. Part of Gatorade’s larger campaign is to promote hydration education and worldclass sports science to help athletes, coaches, sports enthusiasts and other industry leaders achieve their full potential.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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Beermen, Texters remain favorites year wherein both squads won all the championships (San Miguel took the Philippine and Governors’ Cups, while Talk ‘N Text bagged the Commissioner’s Cup), the Beermen and the Tropang Texters aim to soar even higher as they try to add more to their trophy cases. San Miguel Beer had its most successful season in recent

By Jeric Lopez CHAMPION teams San Miguel Beer and Talk ‘N Text want no less than what they accomplished as they look forward to another successful campaign in the 41st Philippine Basketball Association ahead. Following a very successful

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT · BRANCH 9 CITY OF MANILA For BRANCH 33 QUEZON CITY MARIA AURORA SOLIMAN, Plaintiff, - vs –

RAMON S. LI NAME OF DEFENDANT/ S (Pangalan ng Hinahabla)

M SEX (Kasarian)

[/]INDIVIDUAL (Tao/ lndibidwal)

[] CORPORATION (Korporasyon)

[]COOPERATIVE (Kooperatiba)

[] SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP (Solong Pagmamay-ari).

M CIVIL STATUS (Kinatayuang Sibil)

AGE (Edad)

[]PARTNERSHIP. . (Bakasan)

HOME ADDRESS: (City) 1954 St. Mary Ave., Provident Village, Marikina City (Pahatirang Sulat sa Bahay) [Lungsod] Zip Code CIVIL CASE NO. 15-5279-SCC For: Damages

MANILA TRANS TAXI CORP., RAMON S. LI and RUDOLFO O. PERALTA, Defendant x-----------------------------------x TO:

memory. This season, it will obviously aim to defend both of its championships. ‘’Everything is possible. Of course, we want to win more championships, but we’ll just take it one game at a time. That has been our approach, but we want to win even more championships and we’re looking to do that,’’ said second-year San

(Province, if applicable (Lalawigan,Kung meron) Telephone No (Telepono BIg.)

Zip Code Cellphone No. (SelponBlg.)

PLACE OF WORK (Lugar ng Pinagtatrabahuhan)

ALIAS SUMMONS MANILA TRANS TAXI CORP. RAMON S.LI Defendant Defendant 8 St. Mary Ave., Provident Village, 1954 St. Mary Ave., Provident Village, Jesus Dela Pena, Marikina City Marikina City RUDOLFO O. PERALTA Defendant 2123 Mindanao Ave., Sampaloc, Manila

NAME OF REPRESENTATIVE, if applicable: (Pangalan ng Kinatawan,Kung meron) Telephone No (Telepono BIg.)

Cellphone No. (SelponBlg.)

HOME ADDRESS: (City) (Pahatirang Sulat sa Bahay) [Lungsod]

Zip Code

(Province, if applicable (Lalawigan,Kung meron) Telephone No (Telepono BIg.)

GREETINGS:

Zip Code Cellphone No. (SelponBlg.)

You are hereby required, within ten ( 10) days from receipt of this Alias Summons, to file with this Court and serve on plaintiff, your verified Response to the attached Statement of Claim. The form of the required Response is attached hereto. PLACE OF WORK (Lugar ng Pinagtatrabahuhan) You are required to submit with your Response certified copies of documents as well as affidavits of any witness to stand as your evidence in this case. You must present the original Telephone No documents on the day of hearing. (Telepono BIg.)

NOTICE

Cellphone No. (SelponBlg.)

A motion to dismiss is prohibited and shall not be entertained. Any ground for dismissal *Note:If you need more space, you can write at the back of this form. should be included in your Response. (*Tala: Kung kailangan mo ng karagdagang patlang, maaari mong isulat sa likod ng Form na ito.) Your failure to respond within the 10-day period and to appear at the hearing of this case will authorize the Court to render judgment. Witness my hand under the seal of this Court, this 9th Defendant Rudolfo O. Peralta Male Married with address at 2123 Mindanao Ave., day of September, 20 15, at Manila, Philippines. Sampaloc, Manila (SGD.) ARTURO B. JOSEPH Branch Clerk of Court

NOTE: FOR INQUIRIES, CALL TEL. NO. 302-67-95

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT OF METRO MANILA QUEZON CITY BRANCH

. (a)

Maria Aurora Soliman Plaintiff, Civil Case no. N-5279 For: Damages

-vsMANILATRANS TAXI CORP., RAMON S. LI and RUDOLFO O. PERALTA Defendant. x----------------------------------x

STATEMENT OF CLAIM (HABLA NG PAGSINGIL) (c) The personal circumstances of the parties are as follows: (Ang bawat panig ay ang mga sumusunod) Maria Aurora Soliman NAME OF PLAINTIFF/S (Pangalan ng Naghahabla)

F SEX (Kasarian)

32 AGE (Edad)

M CIVIL (Katayuang Sibil)

Why does the defendant owe plaintiff money? (Bakit ang Hinahabla ay nagkautang ng salapi sa Naghahabla?) Car Damage

How did you compute the money owed to you? (Do not include court costs or fees) Repair expense shown in credit card charge slip to Honda Cars Marcos Highway (Paano mo Kinukwenta ang salaping inutang sa iyo?) {Hindi kasama ang bayad sa pagpapatala sa hukuman)

(Put a check on any of the following) (Pumili sa mga sumusunod at lagyan ng tsek)

(a) Did you ask the defendant to pay you before you filed this case? (Siningil mo ba ang Hinahabla bago ka nagsampa ng .kasong ito?) [/] Yes [] No (0o) (Hindi)

[/] INDIVIDUAL (Tao/ lndibidwal)

[ ]CORPORATION (Korporasyon)

If n o, explain: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Kung hindi, ipaliwanag)

[] COOPERATIVE (Kooperatiba)

[] SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP (Solong Pagmamay-ari)

[ ]PARTNERSHIP. (Bakasan)

If no, explain: ________________ (Kung hindi, ipaliwanag)

HOME. ADDRESS: (City) 24 N. Ramirez St., Quezon City (Pahatirang Sulat sa Bahay) [Lungsod] (Province, If applicab/e) (Lalawigan, kung meron) Telephone No. (Telepono Blg.)

(b) How did you ask the defendant? (Paano mo siningil ang Hinahabla?)

1113 Zip Code

Zip Code Cellphone No. 09175090220 (Selpon BIg.)

PLACE OF WORK (Lugar ng Pinagtatrabahuhan)

HOME ADDRESS: (City) 24 N. Ramirez St., Q. C. (Pahatirang Sulat sa Bahay) [Lungsod] (Province, if applicable) (Lalawigan, kung meron) Telephone No. (Telepono Blg.)

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

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Republic of the Philippines Office of the President National Irrigation Administration (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Interim Eastern -Western Samar Irrigation Management Office Catbalogan City Office Address : Telefax No. Website

: :

DA Compound, Brgy. Guindapunan Catbalogan City, Samar (055) 251-2818 www.nia.gov.ph

[] Others (please specify) (Iba pa) [pakisulat kung paano)

Did you attach your proof to this form? (Iyo bang inilakip ang katibayan o pruweba sa Form na ito?)

Was the claim referred to the barangay? (Dumaan bas a barangay ang paniningil na ito?) [] Yes [/] No [] Not Covered (Oo) (Hindi) (Hindi sakop)

[/] Yes (Oo)

[] No (Hindi)

(Selpon Big.) SEX (Kasarian)

AGE (Edad)

[/]CORPORATION (Korporasyon)

[]COOPERATIVE (Kooperatiba)

[] SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP (Solong Pagmamay-ari).

CIVIL STATUS (Kinatayuang Sibil)

HOME ADDRESS: (City) (Pahatirang Sulat sa Bahay) [Lungsod] (Province, if applicable) (Lalawigan, kung meron) Telephone No (Telepono BIg.)

State reason: (Isulat ang dahilan) Different Cities

[]PARTNERSHIP (Bakasan)

Zip Code

If yes, do you have a Certificate to File Action or a Compromise Agreement executed before the barangay?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Kung oo, meron ka bang Patunay sa Pagsampa ng Kaso o Kasunduan na isinagawa sa barangay?) 6-A. In this court station, how many small claims cases have you filed within this calendar year prior to this present case? None

Zip Code Cellphone No. (SelponBlg.)

(Sa court station na ito, pang ilang kaso na itong isinampa mo sa loob ng kasalukuyang taon?

PLACE OF WORK 8 St Mary Ave., Provident Village, Jesus Dela Pena, (Lugar ng Pinagtatrabahuhan) Marikina City

NAME OF REPRESENTATIVE, if applicable: (Pangalan ng Kinatawan,Kung meron) HOME ADDRESS: (City) (Pahatirang Sulat sa Bahay) [Lungsod]

Zip Code Zip Code Cellphone No. (SelponBlg.)

PLACE OF WORK (Lugar ng Pinagtatrabahuhan) Cellphone No. (SelponBlg.)

If more than one (1) defendant, list next defendant here:. (Kung higit sa isa (1) ang Hinahabla, ilagay ang susunod na hinahabla rito:)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

By the filing of this action,. plaintiff hereby waives any amount in excess of P100,000.00, excluding interest and costs. (Sa pagsampa ng kasong ito,ang Naghahabla ay. isinusuko anumang halaga na higit sa P100,000.00, hindi kasama ang tubo at gastos sa pagsampa ng kasong ito.)

PRAYER (PAGSAMO) WHEREFORE, plaintiff respectfully prays for judgment ordering defendant to pay the amount of P23,709.94, with interest at the rate of N/A % per annum/per month from March 25, 2015 until fully paid (DAHIL DITO, ang Naghahabla ay magalang na sumasamo .na igawad ang kapasiyahang utusan ang Hinahabla na magbayad sa Naghahabla ng halagang______, pati ang tubo na_____ % bawat taon/buwan simula ________hanggang ganap o.lubos na mabayaran ito. Quezon City, April 21, 2015. PLACE WHERE FILED (Lugar kung saan inihain)

( T S - O C T. 9 /16 / 2 3 , 2 015 )

Email Address: nia.wsimo@yahoo.com TIN: 000-916-415-010

INVITATION TO BID NO. 06-2015 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Interim Eastern-Western Samar Irrigation Management Office, Catbalogan City through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.The Prospective Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project whose value must be at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (R.A. 9184) otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Prospective Bidders are not allowed to participate if they have negative slip page in the iron-going contracts. Individuals with Special Power of Attorney (SPA) are not allowed to transact and participate in the procurement utilizing another construction firm. The pre-bid conference shall be open only for those who have purchased the bid documents. No more sale of bid documents after pre-bidding conference in order for the bidders to submit a highly technical and educated bid. Approved Budget for the Contract (Php)

Duration

1. WESIMO Contract No. -2015-Repair of Dam, Construction of 2 units RC Flume & Repair of Access Road of San Pascual CIS, Dolores, Easter Samar

9,596,219.14

180 cd

P10,000.00

2. WESIMO Contract No. 20-2015-Repair of Dam, Canal Lining, and 1 unit RC Flume of Bunacan CIS, San Julian, Eastern Samar

1,824,037.85

90 cd

P5,00.00

5,184,668,00

120 cd

P10,000.00

ITEM/DESCRIPTION

Zip Code

[] INDIVIDUAL (Tao/ lndibidwal)

Telephone No (Telepono BIg.)

[/] In writing (Sa sulat)

What is your proof that defendant owes you money? Photo of damage and car position (Ano ang iyong katibayan o pruweba na ang Hinabla ay may utang na salapi sa iyo?)

Cellphone No. 09175090220

MANILA TRANS TAXI CORP. NAME OF DEFENDANT/S (Pangalan ng Hinahabla)

(Province, if applicable (Lalawigan,Kung meron) Telephone No (Telepono BIg.)

[/] By phone (Sa te/epono)

4. 1113 Zip Code

intact, while adding some more youthful talent. The longtime championship core of Jayson Castro, Ranidel De Ocampo, Ryan Reyes, Larry Fonacier, Kelly Williams and Harvey Carey will team up with promising sophomore Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, top two rookies Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario, who are considered as the future of the squad, as well as new hires veteran playmaker Denok Miranda and underutilized swingman Dylan Ababou, who was acquired just last week in a recent trade. For San Miguel, it got even stronger as it will now add new key additions Ryan Arana and Brian Heruela to the already burly group of reigning Most Valuable Player Junemar Fajardo, former MVP Atrwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Lutz, Ronald Tubid, Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross. Expect the two championship squads to be right up there at the top again competing for more accolades this season.

The prospective bidders must secure an Affidavit of Site Inspection and Certificate of Inspection before the purchase of bid documents.

[/] In person (Sa kanya mismo)

NAME OF REPRESENTATIVE, if applicable KEVIN L. KO (Pangalan ng Kinatawan; kung meron)

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late CLEMENTE S. SAMIA was extrajudicially settled among heirs as per Doc. No. 716; Page No. 144; Book No. 11, Series of 2015 before Notary Public Atty. JOVINO ANGEL, City of Pasay. (TS-OCT. 9,16,23, 2015)

When did this happen? . (Kailan ito nangyari?) Date: MARCH 20, 2015 (Petsa) If no specific date, give the time period: (Kung walang tiyak na petsa, ibigay ang tantiyang panahon} (Date started: (Petsa nagsimula) Through: (Hanggang)

THIS FORM IS NOT FOR SALE AND MAY BE REPRODUCED (Ang FORM na ito ay LIBRE at maaaring kopyahin)

Plaintiff- claims the defendant owes P23,709.94 (Ang Hinahabla ay umutang sa Naghahabla ng halagang P_ _ _)

(If you need more space, please use the back page). (Kung kailangan mo ng karagdagang patlang, maaaring gamitin ang Iikod ng pahinang ito ,) . (b)

Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria, who seemed to be the right man for the job for the Beermen as he was finally able to push the right buttons to steer the storied franchise back to its glory days. Though the Tropang Texters won the middle conference last season, they shockingly had a poor ending as they surprisingly missed the playoffs in the Governors’ Cup to everyone’s surprise. ‘’We can’t discount the fact that we’re coming off a championship and the hangover from that did affect us in the Governors’ Cup, that’s why we badly want to bounce back strong in this Philippine Cup,’’ said Talk ‘N Text coach Jong Uichico. Arguably the two strongest teams in the league already, San Miguel and Talk ‘N Text even added more firepower in the off-season to assure themselves that they will certainly contend for titles once again. The Tropang Texters combined their present and future as they kept their championship team very much

WESIMO Contract No. 21-2015-Repair/Improvement of Dam, Canal Lining ,Canal Structures & Construction of Terminal Facilities of San Pedro CIS, Sta. Rita, Samar

Cost of Bidding Documents

The Schedule of BAC Activities are as follows: BAC Activities 1. Issuance of Bid Documents 2. Pre-bid Conference 3. Receipt and Opening of Bids

Schedule Starting Oct. 16, 2015 October 23, 2015 November 5, 2015

Time 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m.

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders from the address above and upon payment of non-refundable amount of Php10,000.00 for WESIMO Contract No. 18-2015, WESIMO Contract No. 21-2015 and Php5,000.00 for WESIMO Contract No. 20-2015 to the Cashier. For qualified/eligible bidders, please take note that after qualified bidders has been determined, we prefer cash bond/cashier’s or manager’scheck with the amount equivalent to two (2%) percent of the ABC of the contract as Bid Security. The NIA reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to the contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. (SGD) RIZALINA B. GALLARDE BAC Chairman Noted:

PL A I N T I FF ( N a g h a h a b l a)

(SGD) ALEJANDRO C. CULIBAR, D.M. Officer In-Charge (TS OCT. 16, 2015)

F RI DAY : O CTO B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Peaking Cards battle Bombers By Peter Atencio

THE Mapua Cardinals are peaking at the right moment. This is how team captain Josan Nimes sees it as the Cardinals get ready to face the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers at 4 p.m. in the seedings’ playoff of the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. This means that the Cardinals will be in top form when they take on the Heavy Bombers in a bid to earn the no. 3 seeding in the Final Four semifinals. “I think the important part for the team is that we’re peaking at the right time. We’re 9-1 (winloss record) right now,” said Nimes after the Cards beat the Chiefs, 93-75, in their playoff last Tuesday. The winner will earn the the third seed and a Final Four showdown with no. 2-ranked Letran. The loser, on the other hand, will become the no. 4 seed and will take on the top-seeded San

Games Today (MOA Arena, Pasay) 2 p.m.- La Salle-Greenhills vs Arellano (jrs) 4 p.m.- Jose Rizal vs Mapua (srs)

Beda Red Lions next week. JRU got tied for third to fifth places with Mapua and Arellano University at 12-6 after the elimination round. They finished with the highest quotient score of 20 points against the -1 and -20 of Mapua and Arellano, respectively. “Our goal is to play in the Final Four, coming off a victory regardless of which team we face,” said JRU coach Vergel

Meneses. Nigerian Allwell Oraeme will be another player to watch out for after he dropped 13 points, 28 rebounds, six assists and three blocks on Arellano. In juniors’ side, no. 4 La Salle-Greenhills and no. 3 Arellano University clashes at 2 p.m. with the winner setting a showdown with no. 2 Mapua at the start of the stepladder semis. The Junior Blazers earned the fourth and last spot in the semis when they routed the Lyceum Junior Pirates, 88-71, with Ricci Rivero exploding for a seasonhigh 40 points Tuesday.

WNBA champions. Seimone Augustus (33) of the Minnesota Lynx celebrates with her team after winning the 2015 WNBA Championship in Game Five of the 2015 WNBA Finals against the Indiana Fever at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AFP

PBA ... From A16 Championships and there is a need to manage the expectations of our people. The SBP, headed by its president Manny Pangilinan, will bid to host one of the three qualifying tournaments. He also mentioned that FIBA

is likely to be elated over the agreements reached between the SBP and the PBA after the world governing body’s initial concern over the composition of the Philippine team, especially after FIBA receives copies of the documents, which include such stalwarts as backto-back MVP Junemar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Paul Lee, Jeff Chan, LA Tenorio, Greg

Slaughter, and Marcio Lassiter, who opted out of the last FIBA Asia Championships due to injuries and other reasons. The newcomers added to the roster include Troy Rosario, Ian Sangalang and Ryan Reyes. “We are moving forward and have to work together, that’s the only way. We need the help from everybody,” Panlilio said.

Francis Casey Alcantara served six aces to defeat his Taiwanese foe.

Alcantara edges Taipei bet, makes quarterfinals DAVIS Cup veteran Francis Casey Alcantara battled through a punishing first match to turn back Chinese Taipei’s Liang Wen-Chun, 7-6 (1), 6-1, yesterday and assure his spot in the quarterfinals of the 34th Philippine Columbian Association Open-Cebuana Lhuillier ITF Men’s Futures 2 at the PCA clay courts in Paco, Manila. The 23-year-old standout, who served six aces, admitted that he was a complacent going into the first set. Luckily for the Australian Open juniors’ doubles’ champion, he managed to elevate his game just in time to overpower Liang in a match that took an hour and 23 minutes. “Nu’ng first set, medyo relax lang kasi alam kong kaya. Nasobrahan sa relax, na-break niya ako pero naging patient ulit ako hanggang sa mag-error siya. Good thing, naunahan ko siya sa tiebreak. Same game plan ako sa second set, hindi ko na binago,” said Alcantara, who beat fifth seed Vinayak Sharma Kaza of India, 6-2, 7-6 (3), a day earlier in the tournament supported by Cebuana Lhuillier, Puma, Dunlop, The Philippine Star, Head, Babolat, Compass/IMOSTI and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao. Alcantara, a Cagayan de Oro native, now had the difficult task of disposing off top seed Enrique Lopez-Perez of Spain, who gave eight-time PCA Open champion Johnny Arcilla the boot, 6-4, 6-3. “Laro lang, nothing to lose naman ako. Sana maging close fight. Sana maging maganda ang laro ko bukas. Malakas ‘yung bola niya -- ‘yung

Gonzalez ready to defend title against Viloria By Ronnie Nathanielsz UNBEATEN World Boxing Council flyweight champion Romnan “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, the current pound-for-pound king said he is “good and ready” to defend his title against former two-division champion Brian Viloria at the Madison Square Garden on Sunday. The WBC website reported that Gonzalez “offered a public training” and commented “it won’t be an easy fight due to the quality of Viloria. He has 36 victories with 4 losses and 22 knockouts,

but we have great faith in the work we did.” Gonzalez stressed he is feeling great physically and mentally “I’m ready …and that’s official,” he said. However, during the media workout two days ago, Gonzalez did not work out and merely posed for photographs wearing a thermal suit, which he was pictured wearing even during training, suggesting he is having problems making the weight. “Roman can fight at 115 pounds right now. I believe he is ready to dominate easily. I’ve

always said he will become a four-time world champion and that was even before I was his coach,” Gonzalez’s trainer Arnulfo Obando was quoted by Boxing Scene. Viloria, on the other hand, worked out for the media and looked excellent in work on the punch-mitts, with Freddie Roach’s assistant trainer, Filipino Marvin Somodio, who expressed confidence that his well-conditioned ward, who is sharply focused on this fight and has trained hard, should win and create a major upset.

serve niya -- kaya depende na lang sa kundisyon niya at kundisyon ko come game day,” said Alcantara. Lopez-Perez, who reached his highest ATP singles ranking – 207-- early this year, expressed his excitement for the upcoming match. “I didn’t know any player from the Philippines., but I was surprised that they know how to play the game well. They are fighters. They are more passionate, more heart. Playing with him [Alcantara] will surely be tough. I’ll just play my game, I am fast and have more experience,” said the 24-year-old Spaniard. Meantime, Japanese netter Katsuki Nagao shocked second pick Harry Bouchier of Australia, 6-3, 6-2, while Manila ITF Men’s Futures 1 champion Makoto Ochi continued his impressive streak at the expense of fellow Japanese Kazuya Tamura, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (2), 6-1, in the event supported by Whilpool/Fujidenzo, Broadway Motor Sales Corp. Coca-Cola Femsa Philippines, Tyrecorp Incorporated, Pearl Garden Hotel, Metro Global Holdings Corporation, Avida, PVL Restaurant, Mary Grace Foods, Inc., Seno Hardware at Wire Rope Corporation. “I’m very happy with the exposure that our players are getting from these ITF Futures tournaments. This will help them in representing the country in future international team competitions such as Davis Cup, SEA Games and Asian Games,” said Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier.

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-0

P16M

3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

A16

f r i D AY : o c t o b e r 1 6 , 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

rejected. RC Cola’s Iari Yongco is foiled by Meralco’s Cha Cruz and Joy Baron in a 2015 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix women’s volleyball game at The Arena in San Juan. roMAn ProsPero

PBA’s Gilas aid welcomed By ronnie nathanielsz

IN A most welcome development, the Philippine Basketball Association Board of Governors, without exception, has committed to provide their full support for the Gilas Pilipinas national team in time for the 2016 Brazil Olympic Games’ qualifying tournament next year. Meralco board representative Al Panlilio of the MVP Group of companies said the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas “finally got what we wanted in terms of commitment with a document – a board resolution -- signed by all the governors which is something different from the past.” He described the agreement reached at a very cordial special

board meeting on Wednesday as “a really good development,” conceding that while there is a risk “it’s still a positive step.” Panlilio indicated that should someone back out, “then it’s up to them to explain to the public.” A joint PBA-SBP Committee was formed to see the agreements through with former PBA chairman Mamerto Mondragon

JAys win, fAce royAls next turn to A13

of Rain Or Shine, Alfrancis Chua of Ginebra San Miguel, former PBA chairman “Pato” Gregorio and PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa named to the committee, with the SBP scheduled to nominate four people. PBA chairman Robert Non of San Miguel Corporation said the PBA team owners don’t have a problem with lending players. “We don’t have a problem with this at the team owners’ end. It will be up to the players,” said Non. The PBA also agreed to begin the third conference next year after the qualifiers, while there is a possibility that the second conference could be cut short by mid-May with a once a week opportunity for coach Tab

Baldwin to get together with the 17 players in the pool to study the offensive and defensive game-plan. “The SBP needs to work on Lakers’ star Jordan Clarkson,” said Baldwin of the Fil-American, who has expressed his desire to suit up for the Philippines in the Olympic qualifiers. “We also need to make sure that Andray Blatche is in shape.” Panlilio indicated they would have to talk to coach Baldwin, who submitted the list of players he wants to have in the pool. “We will discuss the next steps moving forward,” said Panlilio. The Meralco governor conceded that the qualifier will be a very tough tournament, with much stronger teams than the recent FIBA Asia Next page

GonzAlez reAdy to defend title vs viloriA turn to A15

Obiena rips jr pole vault mark By Peter Atencio UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas standout Emily Obiena set a new national girls’ junior record in pole vault recently in the PATAFA Weekly Relays at the Philsports oval in Pasig City. Obiena, who owns the previous national mark of 3.3 meters, broke it twice with leaps of 3.32 meters and 3.39 meters. In doing so, she almost equaled the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ mark of Riezel Buenaventura (3.40 meters). Obiena claimed the new national mark early this year, when she cleared 3.3 meters in the Philippine National Games, and in another staging of the relays. Obiena now plans to make an attempt to shatter the 3.4-meter mark in the UAAP this February. Meanwhile, her elder brother EJ Obiena ruled the men’s 110-meter run in 14.7 seconds, while University of Perpetual Help’s Francis Medina settled for the boys’ honors in 14.5 seconds. Air Force bet Carlo Sabellon topped the men’s 1500-meter run in 4:30.6.

FRIDAY: OCTOBER 16, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

August remittances fell 0.6% By Julito G. Rada

MONEY sent home by around 10 million Filipinos working overseas fell 0.6 percent in August from a year ago, the first time in more than 12 years, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday. Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Vicente Aquino said in a statement cash remittances in August amounted to $2.044 billion, down from $2.057 billion recorded in the same month last year. It was also lower than $2.078

billion received in July. It was the first contraction of cash remittances in 12 years, or since April 2003, when the figure fell 10.9 percent year-on-year, data showed. “This was partly due to the depreciation of some currencies

against the US dollar, particularly the euro, Canadian dollar and Japanese yen, which reduced the dollar equivalent of remittances sent from host countries,” Aquino said. Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, also dropped 0.8 percent in August to $2.26 billion from $2.28 billion, data showed. Remittances account for about a tenth of the gross national income and support various industries in the Philippines, including banking, real estate, education, healthcare and retail. The Bangko Sentral said despite

the decline in August, cash remittances in the first eighth months still grew 4.2 percent to $16.206 from $15.572 billion a year ago. Cash remittances from landbased and sea-based workers totaled $12.4 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively. The bulk of cash remittances came from the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Canada. Personal remittances rose 3.9 percent in the first eight months to $17.933 billion from $17.268 billion a year ago. “Personal remittances from

land-based workers with work contracts of one year or more grew by 4.6 percent during the eight-month period while those from sea-based and land-based workers with work contracts of less than one year rose by 2.4 percent,” Aquino said. Aquino said the steady deployment of overseas Filipino workers continued to provide support to remittance inflows. Preliminary data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration showed total job orders in the first eight months reached 584,816, of which 41.5 percent were processed.

PSe comPoSite index Closing October 15, 2015

8000 7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

7,045.40 120.63

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing OCTOBER 15, 2015 43.50 44.60 45.40

P45.850

46.20

47.00

HIGH P45.850 LOW P45.870 AVERAGE P45.796 VOLUME 679.500M

P417.00-P640.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.85-P43.35 Unleaded Gasoline P24.55-P28.00 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

Artisan exhibit. Trade Undersecretary Ponciano Manalo Jr. (right) and Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion director Rhodora Leaño hold one of the products of Region 6 on display at the Artisan Exhibit during the 22nd Asia-Paciﬁc Economic Cooperation Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting at the Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo City. The Trade Department said Filipino artisanship is reﬂected in the country’s homegrown products.

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene P20.75-P21.75 Auto LPG

Neda approves natural gas pipeline, Plaridel toll road

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, October 15, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.0920

Japan

Yen

0.008414

0.3878

Pound

1.547700

71.3366

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129032

5.9473

Switzerland

Franc

1.053297

48.5486

Canada

Dollar

0.773814

35.6666

Singapore

Dollar

0.725689

33.4485

Australia

Dollar

0.726586

33.4898

Bahrain

Dinar

2.657807

122.5036

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266766

12.2958

Brunei

Dollar

0.723066

33.3276

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000073

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.028137

1.2969

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.5509

Euro

1.147500

52.8906

Korea

Won

0.000877

0.0404

China

Yuan

0.157537

7.2612

India

Rupee

0.239406

11.0347

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.677094

31.2086

New Zealand

Dollar

0.030845

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030761

1.4217 1.4145 Source: PDS Bridge

By Gabrielle H. Binaday and Darwin G. Amojelar THE National Economic and Development Authority endorsed P25.84 billion worth of publicprivate-partnership projects for the final approval of President Benigno Aquino III. The Neda Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee approved the P14.72-billion Batangas-Manila 1 natural gas pipeline of Philippine National Oil Co., the P9.387-billion Plaridel bypass toll road in Bulacan province of the Public Works Department and the P1.75-billion

Philippine Travel Center Complex in Intramuros, Manila of the Tourism Department. After the ICC-CC approval, the projects were submitted to the Neda board, which is chaired by President Aquino. The BatMan 1 natural gas pipeline project will transport natural gas to targeted markets in the high-growth areas of Batangas, Laguna, Cavite and Metro Manila delivered through 121 kilometers of transmission pipelines from Batangas to Metro Manila. The private sector partner will finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the proposed

121-km transmission pipelines, install compressor stations, metering stations, valves as well as control stations and supervisory control and data acquisitionsystems. Neda-ICC also approved the Plaridel bypass toll road, a 23.3-kilometer road starting at the Balagtas interchange in North Luzon Expressway up to San Rafael, Bulacan. The road project will traverse the towns of Balagtas, Guiguinto, Plaridel, Bustos and San Rafael. Meanwhile, the Philippine Travel Center Complex project involves the financing, design, construction and maintenance of

a mixed-use, multi modal complex that will house various tourism-related agencies in Intramuros, Manila. PTC is envisioned to house all transactions related to travel and tourism in a single complex. This will also improve the delivery of government services and further increase the ease of doing business. The government has so far awarded 10 projects under the PPP scheme, while 14 other projects are in different stages of procurement, two other projects for rollout, four projects for government approval and four projects with on-going studies.

FRIDAY: OCTOBER 16, 2015

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Thursday, OcTOber 15, 2015

52 Weeks

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 2.6 1.01 100 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 148 20.6 125 36 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 17 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 6.55 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.7 2.61 69.45 67.5 105.50 103.00 83.50 81.05 41 40.8 2.44 2.30 1.38 1.30 15.7 15.4 19.6 19.5 1.75 1.73 0.670 0.630 84.45 81.5 18.76 18.00 24.45 24.45 52.30 51.50 108.1 108 298 294.4 31 30.75 146 143.9 1515.00 1490.00 56.00 55.50 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp. 41.8 42.85 41.2 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 1.5 1.41 1.41 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.9 0.95 0.95 1.86 Alsons Cons. 1.66 1.69 1.64 7.92 Asiabest Group 12.3 12.4 11.52 40.3 Bogo Medelin 51 50.1 50 32 C. Azuc De Tarlac 83.25 85.00 83.15 15.32 Century Food 16.7 16.8 16.52 62.5 Chemphil 105 106 106 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 25.8 26 25.1 1.5 Crown Asia 2.43 2.48 2.4 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 1.87 1.97 1.81 10.72 Del Monte 10.06 10.02 9.96 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 9.750 9.750 9.39 9.04 Emperador 7.24 7.40 7.24 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 6.14 6.35 6.06 8.86 EEI 7.78 8.05 7.70 1.06 Euro-Med Lab 1.7 1.7 1.69 8.61 Federal Res. Inv. Group 11.8 11.8 11.8 20.2 First Gen Corp. 23.1 23.7 23.2 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 65.7 67.9 65.7 13.86 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 11.70 11.92 11.00 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.60 12.70 12.70 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6.07 6.07 6.01 0.395 Ionics Inc 2.740 2.750 2.530 173 Jollibee Foods Corp. 203.00 205.00 202.00 34.1 Liberty Flour 32.95 34.65 32.95 1.63 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.68 4.8 3.56 33 Macay Holdings 42.00 46.45 46.40 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 23.3 23.6 23.35 17.3 Maxs Group 23 23.1 22.45 5.88 Megawide 5.51 5.92 5.5 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co À’ 305.00 308.80 304.00 3.37 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 3.93 3.90 3.90 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 4.16 4.23 4.2 8.45 Petron Corporation 7.01 7.09 7.02 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.50 11.50 11.50 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.50 3.59 3.39 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 2.02 2.05 1.99 1 Pryce Corp. À’ 2.3 2.3 2.23 4.02 RFM Corporation 4.02 4.02 4.00 1.65 Roxas and Co. 2.86 3.05 2.7 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 140 140 139.9 1.55 Splash Corporation 2.31 2.38 2.25 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.149 0.153 0.149 1.02 TKC Steel Corp. 1.32 1.55 1.29 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.12 2.16 2.07 152 Universal Robina 191.3 192.6 190 4.28 Victorias Milling 4.56 4.6 4.56 0.640 Vitarich Corp. 0.67 0.69 0.67 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l. 1.18 1.18 1.17 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. À’ 0.415 0.420 0.395 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 55.9000 57.5000 55.9000 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 17.80 18.10 17.80 1.6 Anglo Holdings A 1.06 1.07 1.07 6.62 Anscor À’ 6.43 6.60 6.60 0.23 ATN Holdings A 0.246 0.265 0.242 0.23 ATN Holdings B 0.245 0.27 0.255 634.5 Ayala Corp À’ 750 758.5 750 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.18 7.24 7.2 12.8 DMCI Holdings 12.82 12.94 12.72 2.6 F&J Prince ‘A’ 3.72 3.72 3.72 1.15 F&J Prince ‘B’ 3.9 3.8 3.6 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp. 3.90 4.00 3.86 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.265 0.295 0.265 837 GT Capital 1337 1335 1318 5.3 House of Inv. 5.79 5.80 5.80 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 69.00 71.90 69.00 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp. 6.2 6.2 6.02 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.85 0.87 0.82 12 LT Group 11.14 11.54 11.1 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings À’ 0.54 0.56 0.55 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.06 5.12 5.06 4.5 Minerales Industrias Corp. 8.49 8.5 8.41 0.030 Pacifica À’ 0.0360 0.0380 0.0360 1.23 Prime Media Hldg 1.230 1.200 1.140 0.550 Prime Orion 1.940 2.010 1.920 59.3 San Miguel Corp À’ 45.15 46.95 45.50 751 SM Investments Inc. 860.00 892.50 874.50 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 1.21 1.27 1.23 0.93 South China Res. Inc. 0.71 0.71 0.70 80 Top Frontier 102.000 104.100 97.950 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3700 0.3800 0.3400 0.179 Wellex Industries 0.2250 0.2440 0.2300 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.290 0.350 0.285 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 6.300 6.400 6.280 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.63 0.70 0.63 1.2 Araneta Prop À’ 1.110 1.110 1.110 0.192 Arthaland Corp. 0.240 0.226 0.226 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 35.000 35.950 35.100 3.36 Belle Corp. À’ 3.08 3.28 3.07 4.96 Cebu Holdings 5.04 5.11 5 2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 1.02 0.225 78 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank

Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS PROPERTY SERVICES MINING & OIL GRAND TOTAL

SHARES 11,801,577 79,062,484 173,064,884 134,664,589 725,422,755 404,550,167 1,529,281,887

2.68 69.45 103.00 80.60 41 2.35 1.30 15.64 19.56 1.73 0.650 81.15 18.00 24.00 51.90 108 300 30.75 142 1515.00 56.00

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.68 69.45 104.80 83.00 40.95 2.44 1.32 15.4 19.5 1.74 0.640 84.4 18.46 24.45 52.30 108.1 295 30.8 146 1490.00 55.50

0.00 0.00 1.75 2.98 -0.12 3.83 1.54 -1.53 -0.31 0.58 -1.54 4.00 2.56 1.88 0.77 0.09 -1.67 0.16 2.82 -1.65 -0.89

53,000 7,210 1,666,870 1,562,290 84,300 138,000 181,000 2,600 162,300 36,000 4,746,000 1,635,270 1,055,300 400 185,200 2,100 570 34,800 245,990 90 880

41.35 1.41 0.95 1.67 11.8 50 85.00 16.7 106 26 2.45 1.85 9.99 9.410 7.25 6.30 7.88 1.7 11.8 23.3 67.3 11.92 12.70 6.03 2.600 204.00 34.65 4.2 46.40 23.45 23.1 5.88 308.00 3.90 4.23 7.02 11.50 3.59 2.00 2.28 4.00 2.86 139.9 2.27 0.149 1.40 2.15 192.3 4.6 0.69 1.18

-1.08 -6.00 5.56 0.60 -4.07 -1.96 2.10 0.00 0.95 0.78 0.82 -1.07 -0.70 -3.49 0.14 2.61 1.29 0.00 0.00 0.87 2.44 1.88 -6.62 -0.66 -5.11 0.49 5.16 14.13 10.48 0.64 0.43 6.72 0.98 -0.76 1.68 0.14 0.00 2.57 -0.99 -0.87 -0.50 0.00 -0.07 -1.73 0.00 6.06 1.42 0.52 0.88 2.99 0.00

3,071,200 5,000 1,000 25,000 4,100 410 1,620 1,631,300 20 411,200 303,000 6,287,000 1,331,900 24,188,800 530,100 14,835,100 385,200 25,000 12,300 544,000 23,180 50,100 200 68,600 10,771,000 861,740 400 203,000 400 2,283,200 2,135,700 43,100 817,640 21,000 44,000 711,600 5,300 40,000 219,000 73,000 1,007,000 112,000 6,300 247,000 1,040,000 1,931,000 954,000 984,990 23,000 129,000 98,000

0.410 57.4000 18.06 1.07 6.60 0.250 0.255 755 7.2 12.76 3.72 3.8 4.00 0.280 1320 5.80 70.80 6.2 0.84 11.14 0.56 5.07 8.44 0.0360 1.200 1.980 46.95 879.50 1.25 0.70 104.100 0.3550 0.2400 0.310

-1.20 2.68 1.46 0.94 2.64 1.63 4.08 0.67 0.28 -0.47 0.00 -2.56 2.56 5.66 -1.27 0.17 2.61 0.00 -1.18 0.00 3.70 0.20 -0.59 0.00 -2.44 2.06 3.99 2.27 3.31 -1.41 2.06 -4.05 6.67 6.90

7,020,000 981,400 3,940,000 8,000 100 2,320,000 550,000 161,090 2,841,100 6,815,800 15,000 3,000 24,000 4,210,000 164,660 160,000 1,816,190 1,790,000 258,000 4,233,800 70,000 19,925,500 427,100 67,300,000 23,000 2,935,000 99,300 240,700 240,000 15,000 41,390 17,450,000 6,870,000 9,590,000

6.400 0.70 1.110 0.226 35.950 3.28 5.02

1.59 11.11 0.00 -5.83 2.71 6.49 -0.40

387,900 185,000 168,000 100,000 4,997,700 7,448,000 162,100

308,300.50 -8,417,363 -12,444,279.00 428,945.00 -9,760.00 -2,250,316.00 61,010.00 84,574,716.00 -1,932,500.00 488,380.50 -718,370 -9,211,623.00

-63,237,595.00

2,449,752.00 19,450.00 20,740.00 397,280.00 -35,695,089.00 -3,626,650.00 -29,436,898.00 767,014.00 -5,205,400.00 16,770.00 -550,000.00 -261,750.00 49,635,468.00

-431,435.00 126,450.00 184,238,796.00 180,900.00 -1,395,234.00 10,050.00 -31,970.00 97,930.00 -49,720.00 -14,900.00 640.00 174,230.00 -30,814,711.00 9,120.00

-35,166,699.50 3,388,156.00

-61,392,120.00 4,615,642.00 31,878,356.00

-53,100.00 -119,852,330.00 290,000.00 -35,817,974.50 -5,638,139.00 -5,654,710.00 -38,282,181.00

177,300.00 -1,344,215.00 26,744,905.00 -1,625,531.00 37,000.00 591,920.00 476,184.00 111,000.00 56,380,730.00 -1,250,100.00 85,236.00

52 Weeks

High Low 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 8.54 31.8 2.29 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 2.69 22.15 1.6 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.09 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 95.5 1 2.46 15.2 0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 4 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

1.97 35.2 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 3.1 0.650 1.8 6 0.335 0.37 14.54 3 2.28 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

STOCKS

Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp. Double Dragon Empire East Land Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Primex Corp. Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN APC Group, Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp. Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. Discovery World DFNN Inc. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp. Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings NOW Corp. Pacific Online Sys. Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Seven Corp. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp. 7.59 SSI Group 0.63 STI Holdings 1.71 Transpacific Broadcast 5 Travellers 0.315 Waterfront Phils. 1.14 Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 6.5 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

Abra Mining Apex À’ Atlas Cons. À’ Basic Energy Corp. Benguet Corp À’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto À’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining À’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. À’ Petroenergy Res. Corp. Philex À’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. À’ Semirara Corp. TA Petroleum United Paragon

70 553 525 515 8.21 111 1060

33 490 500 480 5.88 101 997

1047 84.8

1011 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15 88 12.88

3.5 13.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Makati Fin. Corp. IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

High

VALUE 518,101,854.43 1,406,090,979.335 1,205,645,867.20 1,127,737,258.79 1,557,981,248.15 169,983,924.0111 5,995,893,601.455

FINANCIAL 1,575.41 (UP) 35.66 INDUSTRIAL 10,960.60 (UP) 58.21 HOLDING FIRMS 6,535.07 (UP) 93.09 PROPERTY 2,990.71 (UP) 59.03 SERVICES 1,694.21 (UP) 34.61 MINING & OIL 11,361.84 (UP) 336.73 PSEI 7,045.40 (UP) 120.63 All Shares Index 4,046.37 (UP) 56.88 Gainers: 121 Losers: 66; Unchanged: 37; Total: 224

0.61 0.94 1.06 0.111 0.435 20 0.900 1.18 1.77 1.27 4.43 0.085 8.15 28.90 1.57 21.00 0.73 8.18 1.220 5.480

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.62 0.61 0.62 0.94 0.94 0.94 1.06 1.04 1.06 0.116 0.109 0.112 0.445 0.435 0.445 20 19.7 19.98 0.900 0.890 0.890 1.19 1.15 1.17 1.77 1.72 1.74 1.35 1.29 1.32 4.56 4.45 4.51 0.089 0.083 0.083 8.2 8 8.16 29.00 28.90 28.95 1.6 1.56 1.6 21.60 21.05 21.40 0.74 0.71 0.72 8.17 7.79 8.17 1.270 1.160 1.200 5.470 5.320 5.450 SERVICES 8.5 8.49 8.05 8.1 63.5 64 63.45 63.5 0.620 0.620 0.590 0.620 5.91 6.57 6.00 6.55 0.0520 0.0570 0.0530 0.0530 3.86 3.95 3.86 3.93 85.5 86.5 84.8 85.6 9.6 9.66 9.6 9.66 1.79 1.79 1.79 1.79 5.30 5.42 5.20 5.38 2180 2260 2180 2234 6.61 6.65 6.58 6.58 1.20 1.22 1.20 1.22 77 77.95 77 77.7 11.02 12.5 11.88 12.5 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.184 0.188 0.183 0.183 1.4500 1.4900 1.4100 1.4500 2.33 2.5 2.24 2.25 8.50 8.55 8.40 8.54 3.77 4.05 3.79 3.85 1.18 1.24 1.24 1.24 2.18 2.18 2.18 2.18 30.80 35.00 35.00 35.00 0.620 0.620 0.610 0.610 2.01 2 2 2 3.85 4.05 3.85 4.01 0.315 0.345 0.305 0.320 0.690 1.030 0.760 1.030 19 19.2 18.42 19 4.51 4.51 4.51 4.51 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 97.00 97.00 96.00 96.00 18.90 18.90 18.62 18.90 2170.00 2226.00 2172.00 2212.00 0.570 0.610 0.570 0.600 1.050 1.120 1.040 1.100 33.40 33.70 33.30 33.40 70.15 73.30 72.80 73.00 6.77 6.88 6.65 6.70 5.51 5.63 5.51 5.55 0.48 0.49 0.46 0.49 1.54 1.53 1.48 1.53 3.84 4.18 3.88 4.05 0.345 0.350 0.340 0.350 4.400 4.590 4.230 4.230 MINING & OIL 0.0049 0.0049 0.0048 0.0049 2.20 2.44 2.26 2.30 5.07 5.90 5.10 5.55 0.205 0.240 0.204 0.211 6.0700 6.08 5.75 5.7500 0.71 0.72 0.71 0.71 0.66 0.67 0.65 0.67 8.50 8.70 8.33 8.42 1.08 1.19 1.05 1.14 0.305 0.310 0.300 0.300 0.189 0.200 0.192 0.198 0.205 0.210 0.205 0.209 0.0100 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 0.010 0.012 0.011 0.011 2.23 2.34 2.21 2.23 6.8 6.97 6.8 6.89 2.8 2.87 2.79 2.8 0.6000 0.5900 0.5900 0.5900 1.3800 1.4500 1.3800 1.4400 0.0099 0.0098 0.0098 0.0098 4.05 3.95 3.90 3.90 5.00 5.480 5.200 5.30 1.37 1.370 1.340 1.35 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 133.60 137.00 133.60 136.00 2.37 2.37 2.33 2.35 0.0079 0.0072 0.0072 0.0072 PREFERRED 67 67 67 67 528 530 510 530 525 526 526 526 520 520 520 520 6.3 6.4 6.4 6.4 109 109.1 109 109 1065 1065 1065 1065 1141 1130 1130 1130 1018 1019 1019 1019 82 82.5 81.7 82 79.1 79 78.5 79 79.2 79.2 78.9 79 79 79.95 79.55 79.95 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.920 2.940 2.850 2.940 SME 3.1 3.1 3 3 63 64.5 62.95 64.45 14.48 15 1448 14.72 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 113.3 115 114.1 115

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

1.64 0.00 0.00 0.90 2.30 -0.10 -1.11 -0.85 -1.69 3.94 1.81 -2.35 0.12 0.17 1.91 1.90 -1.37 -0.12 -1.64 -0.55

1,726,000 18,000 3,000 22,060,000 1,600,000 229,900 1,946,000 5,306,000 8,816,000 664,000 29,780,000 1,220,000 122,700 3,473,400 127,000 27,724,900 685,000 14,400 6,665,000 9,030,600

-4.71 0.00 0.00 10.83 1.92 1.81 0.12 0.63 0.00 1.51 2.48 -0.45 1.67 0.91 13.43 0.00 -0.54 0.00 -3.43 0.47 2.12 5.08 0.00 13.64 -1.61 -0.50 4.16 1.59 49.28 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.03 0.00 1.94 5.26 4.76 0.00 4.06 -1.03 0.73 2.08 -0.65 5.47 1.45 -3.86

358,500 23,270 567,000 -1,830.00 24,661,300 11,905,539.00 169,580,000 1,345,000 225,680 3,453,060.00 17,800 9,000 415,700 -239,200.00 59,120 -23,340,040.00 52,800 40,000 24,400.00 566,840 -8,396,615.50 40,600 48,000,000 2,780,000 -18,500.00 1,341,000 261,090.00 19,000 189,700 534,670.00 2,177,000 582,370.00 3,000 1,000 700 223,000 25,000 39,779,000 -55,521,890.00 16,410,000 16,750.00 154,727,000 -787,300.00 12,537,500 14,000 10,000 11,600.00 2,150 192,000.00 47,700 46,210 -39,708,090.00 1,682,000 34,700.00 24,811,000 2,215,270.00 2,386,000 2,310,765.00 493,820 573,695.50 3,268,500 -20,724.00 3,057,800 -1,956,130.00 17,120,000 -2,517,300.00 11,000 8,320,000 -8,088,570.00 60,000 1,635,000 90,900.00

0.00 4.55 9.47 2.93 -5.27 0.00 1.52 -0.94 5.56 -1.64 4.76 1.95 10.00 10.00 0.00 1.32 0.00 -1.67 4.35 -1.01 -3.70 6.00 -1.46 0.00 1.80 -0.84 -8.86

174,000,000 202,000 -237,350.00 680,300 28,710.00 1,670,000 -28,600.00 1,000 69,000 109,000 20,200 -4,210.00 25,804,000 -2,577,060.00 740,000 23,710,000 6,660,000 -396,770.00 68,100,000 66,300,000 540,000 -287,600.00 3,907,100 -5,012,799.00 232,000 56,700.00 20,000 99,000 6,000,000 2,000 2,978,400 -106,300.00 162,000 -51,260.00 15,300,000 600,150 6,675,801.00 85,000 6,000,000

0.00 0.38 0.19 0.00 1.59 0.00 0.00 -0.96 0.10 0.00 -0.13 -0.25 1.20

20 1,400 100 1,200 100,000 50,000 20 900 500 55,000 82,600 56,400 322,800

0.68

56,000

-3.23 2.30 1.66

45,000 1,460 667,200

1.50

1,770

-378,250.00 -1,195,318.00 -918,750.00 -1,549,690.00 1,652,400.00 272,695.00 60,429,555.00 3,120.00 245,156,180.00 35,948.00 -6,813,796.00

0.00

320,000.00 2,067,730.00

360,132.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

NOW Corp.

1.030

49.28

United Paragon

0.0072

Mabuhay Vinyl

4.2

14.13

Holcim Philippines Inc.

12.70

-8.86 -6.62

Manila Broadcasting

35.00

13.64

Agrinurture Inc.

1.41

-6.00

IPeople Inc. `A'

12.5

13.43

Arthaland Corp.

0.226

-5.83

A. Brown Co., Inc.

0.70

11.11

Benguet Corp `A'

5.7500

-5.27

Bloomberry

6.55

10.83

Ionics Inc

2.600

-5.11

Macay Holdings

46.40

10.48

2GO Group'

8.1

-4.71

Manila Mining `B'

0.011

10.00

Asiabest Group

11.8

-4.07

Manila Mining `A'

0.0110

10.00

Unioil Res. & Hldgs

0.3550

-4.05

Atlas Cons. `A'

5.55

9.47

Yehey

4.230

-3.86

The Boy Scouts-Alphaland Joint Venture: THE TRUE STORY

the normal legal process.

Boy Scouts. ---oOo---

Actual fact: simple and true fact, which both Alphaland and the Boy Scouts clearly

the during the Senate hearings. This Alphaland-Boy Scouts deal to

is simply one of the best, if not the best, deals that the Boy Scouts has ever made. an annual rate of return of 26 percent. The Boy Scouts’ share is not worth Php 3 billion. As we explained during the February 18th hearing, the Php 3 billion

Actual fact: value of the 15% share of the Boy Scouts’

The Boy Scouts has a 15% share in all three components. For the basement parking, the Boy Scouts will have 15% of the 1,000 parking slots or 150 parking slots, which are selling for more than Php 1 million each or a total value of Php 150 million. For the podium, the 15% share of the Boy Scouts measures 5,388 square meters. This has been independently appraised at Php 200,000 per square meter and thus has a total value of more than Php 1.07 billion 9,302 square meters out of the total net sellable area. The residential units are currently selling for Php 200,000 per square meter or a total value of more than Php 1.86 billion for the Boy Scouts. If you sum these all up, that is more than Php3 billion. The Boy Scouts should have bidded out the property. Actual fact: This point has been grossly misunderstood. This property has been with the Boy Scouts since 1976. Alphaland only entered the picture in 2008. You can ask the Boy Scouts and they will tell you that they, together with Sime Darby who was their co-owner then, had been trying to bid out the property before Alphaland entered the picture. In fact, former and Bulacan Governor Roberto Pagdanganan himself th

property but unfortunately, no bid succeeded.

was valued at Php 1 billion Php 954 million, from three reputable appraisers - Asian Appraisal, Colliers, and Cuervo. There was no bidding when Alphaland entered into the joint venture contract simply because there was no requirement to do so. The Boy Scouts was only declared a GOCC in 2012. Thus, in 2008, it could not have been reasonably expected to follow government rules on procurement. But the more important reason why the Boy Scouts could not bid out the property to another developer is that it had a co-owner over the property, i.e., Alphaland. Any bidding would have to have the consent of Alphaland. By the same token, Alphaland could not sell the property. Any sale would need the consent of the Boy Scouts. Php1 billion made in 2013 to do this as there was no downside but only an upside.

Actual fact:

that Vice Mayor Mercado should be

Vice Mayor Mercado says that the “kickback” that the Vice President got, through Mr. Oreta, amounted to more than Php 655 million. Actual fact: 8.9 million ALPHA shares were only listed in 2013. In 2010, Noble Care could not have sold them then even if it wanted to and even if there were willing

ROBERTO V. V ONGPIN Chairman & CEO

ATTY. A TY. AT Y. MARIO A. ORETA Y ORE Vice Chairman & President Preside PAID ADVERTISEMENT

B4 IN BRIEF Hot money leaves PH

FOREIGN funds left the Philippine stock and debt markets for the seventh consecutive month in September, data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show. Foreign portfolio investments, also called hot money, posted a net outflow of $323 million in September, slightly lower than the $324-million net outflow recorded a year ago. They were also lower than the $543-million net outflow in August this year. Gross inflows reached $1.367 billion in September, while outflows hit $1.691 billion. “Outflows rose to $1.7 billion [or by $33 million] from the previous month’s level due to profit taking and continued concerns on the slowdown of the Chinese economy and its impact on the global market,” Bangko Sentral said in a statement. This brought total net outflow in the first nine months to $413.9 million, lower than the $853-million net outflow registered a year ago. Julito G. Rada

Mizuho, SMC end talks

MIZUHO Financial Group Inc. ended talks to buy San Miguel Corp.’s controlling stake in Philippine lender Bank of Commerce, people with knowledge of the matter said. The talks broke down because of a disagreement over the price, one of the people said, asking not to be identiﬁed because the discussions were private. San Miguel president Ramon Ang conﬁrmed in a mobile-phone text message Thursday that the negotiations with Mizuho had ended, without giving a reason. Ang has said that his company’s stake in Bank of Commerce is worth $500 million. Masako Shiono, a spokeswoman for Mizuho in Tokyo, declined to comment. The Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday that the discussions had broken down. Mizuho, Japan’s third-biggest bank by market value, had been considering a bid since at least February, people familiar with the matter said at the time. The nation’s largest banks are expanding in regions such as Southeast Asia as shrinking interest rates and a sluggish economy limit prospects at home. The Philippines last year enacted a law to allow the full entry of foreign banks into the country. Bloomberg

Sy favors tech schools

SM Investments Corp. vice chairman Teresita Sy-Coson cited the need for more vocational schools that will train people with different skills needed by highly specialized industries. Sy-Coson, who was among the panelists at the Forbes Global CEO Conference 2015 held in Parañaque City, said vocational schools would further improve people’s skills, allowing them to qualify and work in industries here and abroad, such as the business process outsourcing companies. “The Philippines is still a developing country and unfortunately, the poverty level is still high. As a result, not many people can afford to pay for university education,” said Sy-Coson. Vocational schools are commonly known as trade schools or career schools, providing practical training with a few unrelated academic course requirements. It also offers programs ranging from 10 weeks or less to long-term programs of up to two years. Vincent Tan, founder of the Malaysiabased Berjaya Group of Companies, echoed the view of Sy-Coson, saying every country should have a lot of vocational schools, which could produce skilled workers such as mechanics, electricians, hotel and BPO industry employees. Jenniffer B. Austria

Meralco’s Indra stake

POWER distributor Manila Electric Co. on Thursday sold its 24.95-percent stake or half of its shareholdings in information technology company Indra Philippines Inc. to Metro Paciﬁc Investments Corp. for P326.525 million. “Meralco completed today [Thursday] the sale to MPIC via share purchase agreement of its 84,012 common shares of stock in Indra for a purchase price of P326.525 million,” Meralco said in a disclosure to the stock exchange. “Considering that MPIC and Meralco are related entities, the purchase price consideration was determined after a valuation process conducted by Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia as an independent third party appraiser,” the company said. The sale represented 24.95 percent of the outstanding capital stock of Indra and reduced Meralco’s stake to 24.95 percent. Indra, a joint venture between Meralco and Indra Sistemas S.A. of Spain, is one of the leading IT service providers in the country offering its customers comprehensive management solutions, from consultancy, to project development, integration and implementation, to IT outsourcing and business process outsourcing. Alena Mae S. Flores

Conergy eyes 274 MW

CONERGY, a leading German photovoltaic solution and service provider, said it expects to complete 274 megawatts of solar capacity in the Philippines by March 2016. Alexander Lenz, president of Conergy Asia and Middle East, said the company expected the solar projects to meet the March 2016 deadline to avail of the solar feed-in tariff rate of P8.69 per kilowatt-hour. Lenz said the Philippines was an important market for the company and was poised to become the second biggest market of Conergy, next to the United Kingdom which would have a total capacity of 286 MW by the second quarter next year. The company currently accounts for more than 50 percent of the ground-mounted solar power projects in the Philippines. It has already completed projects such as the 45-MW Sacasol 1 in San Carlos, Negros Occidental and the 10-MW Raslag 1 in Mexico, Pampanga. Conergy is putting up 231 MW of solar capacity in Negros Occidental for the Negros Island Solar Power Inc. alone. Alena Mae S. Flores

Hospital loan. Development Bank of the Philippines approves a P325-million term loan in favor of Salubris Inc. for the construction of a four-

story hospital, acquisition of modern hospital equipment and facilities and working capital. Salubris owns Salubris Medical Center, a 120-bed Level II hospital in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya province. Signing the loan documents are (seated, from left) DBP Solano branch head Loreto Marites Lilagan, Salubris chairman and chief executive Willie Damasco DBP regional marketing center–Northeastern Luzon head Catherine Camarao and Salubris corporate treasurer. Julieta Cariaga-Uy. The hospital aims to be the ﬁrst medical facility to put up acute stroke and coronary care units and geriatrics center and hospice in Nueva Vizcaya.

Stock market surges; Bloomberry advances THE stock market rallied Thursday after more weak US data fueled hopes the Federal Reserve will delay an interest rate hike. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 120.63 points, or 1.7 percent, to 7,045.40 on a value turnover of nearly P6 billion. Gainers overwhelmed losers, 121 to 66, with 37 issues unchanged. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-biggest lender in terms of assets, rallied 4 percent to P84.40, while SM Investments Corp. of retail tycoon Henry Sy climbed 2.3 percent to P879.50. Ayala Land Inc. advanced 2.7 percent to P35.95, while sister unit Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest bank, rallied 3 percent to P83. Bloomberry Resorts Corp.,

which operates a casino on a reclaimed portion of Manila Bay, surged 10.8 percent to P6.55, while JG Summit Holdings Inc. of industrialist John Gokongwei gained 2.6 percent to P70.80. High-yielding, or riskier, assets snapped back after a two-day sell-off that came on the back of renewed concerns that China’s economic growth crisis will seep through to other countries. By the end of trade Seoul was 1.18 percent higher, Tokyo added 1.15 percent and Sydney gained 0.63 percent. Shanghai closed 2.32 percent higher after the country’s three ma-

jor telecoms firms on Wednesday announced plans to share control of a new company grouping their signal towers and other assets. Equity and currency markets have enjoyed a broad advance so far in October after enduring the worst quarter for four years in the July-September period, with most of the gains coming from speculation the Fed will keep borrowing costs on hold. In India, shares in Adani Enterprises surged after Australia’s government gave approval to a controversial project to build one of the world’s biggest coal mines. Also Wednesday the Fed’s closely watched Beige Book report on the economy said that while expansion continued modestly the stronger dollar in recent months was “restraining manu-

facturing activity as well as tourism spending”. The news comes after a belowpar jobs report at the start of the month and adds to a sense that the world’s biggest economy is stuttering, giving the Fed more reason to hold off a rate rise. With borrowing costs expected to remain at record lows in the near future investors moved into riskier assets. The Indonesian rupiah surged 2.4 percent and the Malaysian ringgit rallied 2.2 percent against the dollar in the morning before easing slightly to sit 1.7 percent and 1.5 percent higher respectively in late trade. South Korea’s won was up 1.5 percent, helped by a decision by the country’s central bank not to cut interest rates despite lowering its economic growth outlook. With AFP

Sta. Lucia to double capital expenditures in ’16 to P4b By Jenniffer B. Austria Sta. Lucia Land Inc. plans to double its capital expenditures in 2016 to as much as P4 billion from a P2-billion programmed spending in 2015 to finance land banking activities and the construction of new subdivision projects. Sta Lucia chief finance officer David dela Cruz said in an interview at the sidelines of a forum in Intercontinental Hotel in Makati funding for next year’s capital spending would primarily come from the company’s planned P5billion bond offering scheduled

in December. Sta. Lucia earlier fi led an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue P3 billion worth of bonds with a P2 billion an over allotment option. The bonds have a tenor of three and five years. Dela Cruz said the company was aggressively expanding its horizontal developments, targeting emerging urban districts like Cavite, Tagaytay, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu, Rizal, Tarlac, Iloilo, Davao, Pampanga, Bulacan and Baguio. It plans to expand commercial portfolio and replicate its ex-

pertise in retail development in the company’s existing projects. It will develop retail strips and mini-malls within the company’s residential projects. The property company owns a a 120,000 square-meter Sta Lucia East Grand Mall along Marcos Highway in Rizal. While the company focused on selling lots within its horizontal developments, Dela Cruz said Sta Lucia recently formed a whollyowned unit—Sta. Lucia Homes Inc.—whose sole purpose is to offer construction services to the group’s over 120,000 lot buyers over the last 40 years.

The company estimated that over 60,000 lots buyer nationwide had not build their houses. Dela Cruz said the company aims to build 3,000 houses for lots buyers over the next three to five years. He said the company might also consider issuing equity in the coming years after the bond issue. Sta. Lucia is on track to register a net income of P800 million in 2015. Sta Lucia, owned by the Robles Group, has 43 ongoing projects to date and concentrates on building large scale master planned subdivision communities in nearby provinces and emerging cities.

F R I D AY : O C T O B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

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

ERC pegs new wind power rates By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Energy Regulatory Commission said Thursday it approved a feed-in tariff rate of P7.40 per kilowatt-hour for new wind power projects with a combined capacity of 400 megawatts. The new rate, which will be applied to new wind power projects, is lower by P1.13 per kWh than the P8.53 per kWh enjoyed by the first batch of wind projects and the P7.93 per kWh rate endorsed by the National Renewable Energy Board. “We already approved wind FIT2 of P7.40 [per kWh] during

our Oct. 6 commission meeting. It’s still being routed to the members of the commission for our signature,” ERC chairman Jose Vicente Salazar said. Salazar said the NREB applied for a feed-in tariff rate of P7.93 per kWh. ERC earlier approved a feed-in tariff rate of P8.53 per kWh for

the first 200 MW of wind projects that qualified under the first wave of installation targets. The Energy Department then increased the installation target to 400 MW, amid strong investor interest. “Yes, it’s lower by more than P1. The application was P7.93, as recommended by NREB but we adjusted the recommended amount on the basis of several factors, such as WACC [weighted average capital cost], IRR [internal rate of return], capacity factor, etc,” Salazar said. ERC asked NREB to submit the engineering, procurement and construction costs for three wind projects as part of ongoing evalu-

ation on the pending feed-in tariff application for the additional wind installation target. The additional installation target for wind is expected to benefit the completed projects of Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp.’s 54-MW wind project in Guimaras; Alternergy Wind One Corp.’s 54-MW wind project in Pilillia, Rizal; and PetroEnergy Resources Corp.’s 36-MW Aklan wind project. Several wind projects are also in various stages of development, including the 50-MW Mt. Redondo wind power project of Pan Energy Corp. in Subic, Zambales; the 70-MW Bernacci Mountain wind power project of Corner-

Velarde ventures into cable television

RCBC awards. The

Treasury Group of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. is recognized at the recent poll conducted by Asiamoney magazine, one of the leading financial publications in the region. RCBC Treasury is named best domestic provider for overall FX services in the Philippines and best domestic provider for FX options. Shown are (from left) Asiamoney publisher Mee Ling Lee, RCBC head of foreign exchange sales Abigail Suzette Virola, RCBC head of commercial trading and sales Steven Michael Reyes, and Asiamoney managing editor Mark Baker.

By Darwin G. Amojelar NOW Corp., a listed company controlled by the Velarde family, is venturing into broadband and wireless cable television with guaranteed speed, the first of its kind in the Philippines. Now, formerly known as Information Capital Technology Ventures Inc., said it launched two new services called “Now Broadband Cable TV,” a guaranteed broadband Internet service with wireless Cable TV, and the “NOWPlanet.TV,” a digital media platform that converges free TV, Web channels, cloud services and other interactive services. The company’s broadband cable TV has a minimum bandwidth of 2 megabit per second to 1.4 gigabit per second. Now said the trailblazing service was made possible through a strategic synergy with a cable TV operator in Metro Manila, the first among more than one thousand cable operators in the country. “ Discussions with other cable operators and global telecom companies are on-going,” Now said. Times Plaza Building along UN Avenue in Manila and Angelicum College in Quezon City became the first customers that are now enjoying the services. Now president Mel Velarde, earlier said subsidiary Now Telecom Co., formerly Next Mobile Inc., planned to spend $28 million for its mobile phone services over the next two years to roll out cell sites in Metro Manila. The company will use the mobile cellular license of Next Mobile for the rollout of its text messaging service. Now earlier reported a net loss of P7.86 million in the first half of 2015, lower than P17.97-million net loss recorded a year ago. Now posted consolidated revenues of P39.01 million in the sixmonth period, up by 13 percent from a year earlier.

stone Energy Development Corp. in Libmanan, Camarines Sur; the 25-MW Malay wind project of Tri-Conti Elements Corp. in Nabas, Aklan; and the 45-MW Tanjay wind power project of Constellation Energy Corp. in Negros Oriental. Energy director Mario Marasigan earlier said the developers could still proceed with project construction even without the feed-in tariff rate for wind projects. “The FIT system is just one market options,” he said. Marasigan, however, confirmed that proceeding with the projects without the FIT rate would be a risk on the part of the investors.

Alphaland slams Mercado, files third libel case PROPERTY developer Alphaland Corp. filed a third libel case against Makati City vice mayor Ernesto Mercado for allegedly issuing malicious statement on a land deal between the company and Boy Scouts of the Philippines. “As we have said time and again, the Alphaland-Boy Scouts deal is one of the best, if not the best deal that the Boy Scouts ever made,” said Alphaland chairman and chief executive Roberto Ongpin. Ongpin and Alphaland president Mario Oreta jointly filed on Wednesday another criminal libel complaint before the Makati City

Prosecutor’s Office against Mercado for alleged malicious statements uttered by the latter when he filed a plunder complaint against Vice President Jejomar Binay and the members of the Boy Scouts board on Oct. 6, 2015. This is the third criminal libel complaint that Alphaland officials filed against Mercado. Ongpin and Oreta in February separately filed criminal libel complaints against Mercado for alleged malicious press statements he made when he testified in the Senate. These complaints as well as P100-million civil damage suit

filed by Alphaland itself against Mercado are all pending before the appropriate legal authorities. Alphaland filed another P50 million civil damage suit against Mercado with the Makati regional trial court in connection with the latter’s latest tirades, which the company said was all rehash and baseless. “The deal between Alphaland and Boy Scouts is above board and transparent. Definitely, no plunder was committed by anyone. From a P600 million value in 2008, the asset of the Boy Scouts is now worth some P3 billion. It is a great mystery why

Mercado is now attacking his own deal which he successfully negotiated,” said Oreta. “Mercado should even be given a medal for negotiating and concluding this deal,” said Ongpin. Mercado, who used to be Boy Scouts senior vice president, signed the deal on behalf of the Boy Scouts. “But as we have repeatedly said and which we will have to continuously belabor—the Alphaland Makati Place joint venture between Alphaland and Boy Scouts is one of the best deals the Boy Scouts, courtesy of Vice Mayor Mercado, ever made,” said Oreta.

F r i D aY : o c t o b e r 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Clinton fires up crowd in major rally

Performance. Members of the Red Nose Clown Doctors perform for migrants at the main train station in Vienna, Austria, on Oct. 15, 2015. AFP

Israelis arm themselves following more attacks JERUSALEM—Security forces deployed to Israeli cities Thursday and Jews armed themselves with everything from guns to broomsticks after more stabbings shook Jerusalem, the latest in a wave of Palestinian knife attacks. Some 300 Israeli soldiers were reinforcing police, stretched thin by an upsurge in violence that began at the start of the month and which has raised fears of a full-scale uprising, or third Palestinian intifada. It was not clear whether troops were on the ground yet. The last time soldiers deployed in large numbers in Israeli cities was in an operation during the second Palestinian intifada in 2002, according to a security source. Beyond the attacks, violent protests have erupted in annexed east Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Seven Israelis have been killed and dozens wounded, while at least 30 Palestinians have died, includ-

ing alleged attackers. Hundreds of Palestinians have been wounded in clashes with Israeli security forces. In the first two Palestinian intifadas of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005, hundreds of people were killed in near daily violence. Israel’s best-selling newspaper was filled Thursday with photos of Jews arming themselves with tear gas spray, broomsticks and rolling pins, while gun sellers said demand had skyrocketed. With fears mounting among Jews at home and in public places, police said soldiers on a train around the northern city of Haifa believed they had seen a suspicious person and began to shout “terrorist”. An officer sitting in the front car-

riage fired a single shot in the air and someone later pulled the emergency brake. No suspect was found and no one was hurt. “There is really a wave of terror,” Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon told army radio, “the characteristics of which are that civilians are in the front line, at very short range as a consequence of the fact that the main weapon is the knife, occasionally also firearms.” On Wednesday, police began setting up checkpoints in parts of east Jerusalem, including at a neighborhood that was home to three Palestinians who carried out gun, knife and car-ramming attacks in Jerusalem this week. The move to install checkpoints followed a decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet authorizing police to seal off or impose a curfew on parts of Jerusalem.

Despite the new security measures, there were two more stabbing attacks in Jerusalem on Wednesday, one outside the Old City when a 20-year-old Palestinian tried to stab a security guard and was shot dead. The other saw a 23-year-old Palestinian stab and wound a woman of around 70 near the crowded central bus station during rush hour before being shot dead by police, sparking panic among commuters. Netanyahu has come under immense pressure to halt the violence, but frustrated Palestinian youths have defied attempts to restore calm. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas again called for peaceful resistance on Wednesday night, but young Palestinians fed up with Israel’s occupation and the lack of progress in peace efforts have grown tired of his leadership. AFP

LAS VEGAS—Hillary Clinton fired up a crowd during her first major rally in months after a strong Democratic debate performance, vowing to back President Barack Obama’s immigration reform efforts. Smiling and appearing relaxed, the Democratic front runner carefully avoided references to her opponents, especially her strongest rival, Senator Bernie Sanders. “I really don’t like what the Republicans are saying about immigrants,” the former secretary of state told supporters on Wednesday. “We are a nation of immigrants, built by immigrants. “Immigration is who we are, look at us.” Reform of America’s immigration system has been a hot-button issue of the 2016 presidential campaign. Republican candidate Donald Trump, a billionaire real estate developer who has never held elected office, has stoked the fire by vowing to expel immigrants illegally in the United States and to build a wall on the US-Mexico border, if he’s elected. He has also proposed repealing the constitutional right to citizenship of anyone born on US soil. Clinton accused her Republican rivals of “doing a great damage to our nation by their insults and their attacks.” “So as your president, I will certainly work hard on an immigration reform,” she promised, vowing to preserve the executive orders President Barack Obama issued to ease deportations of certain groups of immigrants. Earlier, Clinton scored an endorsement from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. “I’m feeling really lucky in Las Vegas,” Clinton joked after visiting a union training facility. “Getting the endorsement of this union and the members you represent, and what it means to really focus on the trades—it doesn’t get any better than that.” Turning to the economy, Clinton focused on her plans to boost employment and raise wages. “We’re gonna start by creating more jobs by actually investing in putting people to work to build and maintain our roads, our bridges, our airports,” Clinton said. AFP

Survey: China billionaires overtake US SHANGHAI—The number of billionaires in China has overtaken that of the United States for the first time, an annual survey said Thursday, despite slowing growth in the world’s second-largest economy. Communist-ruled China now has 596 billionaires, up a “staggering” 242 over the last year, Shanghai-based luxury magazine publisher Hurun Report said, surpassing the 537 Americans. “Despite the slowdown in the economy, China’s richest have defied gravity, recording their best year ever,” Hurun Report chairman Rupert Hoogewerf said in a statement. Real estate and entertainment

magnate Wang Jianlin dethroned founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba Jack Ma as the country’s richest person, Hurun’s annual wealth ranking showed. Wang, who founded the conglomerate Wanda, saw his fortune jump more than 50 percent to $34.4 billion, helped by a surge in the stock price of a listed unit. Wang is known outside China for a string of overseas acquisitions including the organizer of Ironman extreme endurance contests, Swiss sports marketing group Infront, and a stake in Spanish football club Atletico Madrid. He burst into the spotlight in 2012

by buying US cinema chain AMC Entertainment for $2.6 billion. Wang took the top spot back from Ma, executive chairman of Alibaba, because of a collapse in the Internet company’s New Yorkquoted shares, which were the world’s biggest initial public offering when it listed last year. Ma’s wealth still stands at $22.7 billion. Beverage tycoon Zong Qinghou of Wahaha remained in third place with just over $21 billion while Pony Ma, the founder of Internet giant Tencent that operates popular messaging app WeChat, took fourth place with a little under $19 billion. AFP

Early winter. Snow covers leaves in autumnal colors on the Grosser Feldberg mountain in the Taunus region near Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, as snow falls on Oct. 15, 2015. AFP

F R I D AY : O C T O B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

MOTORING

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Hyundai garners safety award ARLINGTON, Virginia—In one of the industry’s most rigorous tests of vehicle safety, the 2016 Hyundai Tucson and 2016 Sonata earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2015 Top Safety Pick + award. This is the first time Tucson, which received a significant redesign for the 2016 model year, has received the highest honor from IIHS. IIHS rates vehicles for occupant protection based on performance in five tests: moderate overlap front, small overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. Winners of the 2015 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award must earn good ratings in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as a good or acceptable rating in the small overlap front test. Vehicles also need an available front crash prevention system with an advanced or superior rating. “Hyundai’s redesign of the Tucson earns the 2016 model our top rating in the small overlap front test, and the Sonata retains its ac-

ceptable rating,” said David Zuby, IIHS chief research officer. “Both vehicles have an available front crash prevention system that earns a superior rating in the IIHS autobrake test, a key criteria to qualify for a TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.” “Hyundai’s commitment to occupant safety is paramount throughout our entire lineup,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, Corporate and Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “We strive to develop technologies that assist in avoiding crashes all together, like forward collision warning, lane departure warning and emergency brake assist, and are pleased the Tucson and Sonata

FAST FASTLANE

have received these awards related to occupant protection when collisions do occur.” Multiple advanced safety technology options are available on the 2016 Tucson, including AEB with pedestrian detection, Lane Departure Warning System, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross-traffic Alert, Lane Change Assist, Backup Warning Sensors and a standard rearview camera. In addition, advanced high-strength steel represents over 50 percent of the new

Tucson’s structure, for enhanced crash safety. The vehicle also features a standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) that alerts drivers if one or more tires are under-inflated, including the tire’s location. Standard safety equipment on the 2016 Sonata lineup includes Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Control System, seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag,

four-wheel disc brakes and ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with indicators for each tire. Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Smart Cruise Control with spot/start capability, Rear Parking Sensors, Blind Spot Detection (BSD) with Rear Cross-traffic Alert and Lane Change Assist and Forward Collision Warning (FCW) are available as options.

Honda smashes record, spreads the cheers

Full Throttle features Foilacar FOR its season finale, History Channel’s Full Throttle, a motoring show hosted by celebrities Sam YG and Rhian Ramos, will feature the country’s innovator of exterior paint protection Foilacar Industries. Full Throttle will do a comprehensive feature on Foilacar’s foil wrap technology. “We collaborated with them to do a story type feature which will highlight the company’s capabilities to protect the exterior and how our technology can completely

The 2016 Hyundai Tucson and Sonata have made it to the IIHS Top Safety Pick +.

makeover a car, a yatch and a private jet and even the interior of your house in a matter of days,” explains Lester Codog, president of Foilacar Industries. This spectacular feature will start with a drive of three exotic cars and superbikes wrapped by Foilacar, an air travel by way of a chopper and a tour of a foil wrapped mega yatch owned by an industrialist who fancies the good life. The season finale of Full Throttle airs on October 31 and November 5.

HONDA Cars Philippines, Inc, Honda’s automobile business unit in the Philippines, closedSeptember with 2,093 vehicle sales, a 54% growth from the same month last year. This sustained strong performance came as a result of the introduction of new market players and continuous product updates coupled with easy-toown financing options. The City remains as HCPI’s best-selling nameplate with 920 units sold in September. The 23% gain from August is also the highest selling month for the 4th Generation City since its debut in 2014. Honda’s first 7-seater Multipurpose Utility Vehicle’s growing popularity contributed a significant 26% to HCPI’s September sales. The All-New Mobilio recorded its highest sales yet at 547 units, a 49% surge from August. The All-New Mobilio joins the City as Honda’s top-seller five months after its launch. “September definitely represents one of the best-selling

months for Honda in quite a while. Our new models played a vital part in widening Honda’s appeal to Filipinos. We are ecstatic to be able to see more customers enjoying their new Honda vehicles. This makes HCPI’s 25th year anniversary even more memorable”, said Toshio Kuwahara, HCPI president and general manager. Indeed, 2015 is a remarkable year for HCPI. Its year-to-date performance records 14,260 vehicles sold, 7% more than its sales in January to December 2014. Together with its sales achievement, HCPI prides itself for its EURO 4 certified automobiles. HCPI met government’s directive ahead of the January 2016 schedule. This is HCPI’s proactive action to contribute to en-

vironmental sustainability. For 25 years, HCPI commits to the realization of a society where people can enjoy life and the joy of mobility. And for its 25th year anniversary month, HCPI rolls out the “Cheers to 25 Years” nationwide promo. Customers may visit any authorized dealership to inquire and test drive any Honda vehicles. Lucky customers get to win any of the following prizes a Honda ER2500 Generator, an iPad Air 2 16GB (Wi-Fi only), or a Trek Marlin 5 Series Mountain Bike. And as part of its silver anniversary celebration, HCPI gears up for yet another launch. For the past years, HCPI has been aggressive with the expansion of its vehicle line-up.

NLEX Road Warriors. Metro Paciﬁc Tollways Corporation president Ramoncito S. Fernandez leads the launching of the 21-man roster of the NLEX Road Warriors headed by team captain Asi Taulava, along with Manila North Tollways Corporation president Rodrigo E. Franco, Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation president Jose Luigi L. Bautista, and MNTC CFO Christopher C. Lizo, last October 6 at the Meralco Gym in Pasig City. More than 400 MVP Tollways Group employees, media, and supporters attended the event aimed at creating a shared memorable experience between the Road Warriors and employees and supporters.

F R I D AY : O C T O B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING

Text and Photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

UD PLAY

IT was an event that tested the mettle of the vehicles and the driving skill of the participants. Motor Image Pilipinas Inc, the exclusive distributor of the Subaru brand in the country, put their best foot forward and invited the motoring media to drive their AWD variants at the Segovia River in the lahar land that is Pampanga. After remaining dormant in the past couple of months, Subaru is out to regain lost ground and once again become a major player in a small, yet highly competitive domestic auto industry. “Our aim is for the media to test the fuel efficiency of our cars and to experience the All Wheel Drive capabilities of the Outback, Forester and the XV. Our vehicles were built and designed to take the punishment of any off-road adventure,” explains Bob Palanca, the head honcho of MIPI. Dubbed as the Subaru Eco Adventure Drive, the event kicked off at the Subaru showroom in Greenhills, where the participants topped up with Shell Nitro V-Power at the Shell gasoline station along EDSA-Mandaluyong. From there, the convoy drove through a mix of city and highway driving with the different variants of Subaru such as; the Forester, the XV, Legacy, Outback, BRZ, WRX and WRX STI. The goal was dial-in the actual fuel consumption of each vehicle. Once we got to our destination at the Shell Gas Station in Clark City,

Angeles, Pampanga, the results were tallied with officials from MIPI, Shell and certified by the Automotive Association of the Philippines (AAP). After a sumptuous steak lunch at the Widus Hotel and Casino, the real fun began with an off road adventure through the lahar bed at the foot of Mt. Pinatubo. Leading the convoy was the off-road master himself Beeboy Bargas, which led the convoy as we drove through treacherous terrain, some uphill and downhill slopes; and deep water crossings. Our jaws literally dropped when the XV river crossed unfazed by the deep raging waters. As the convoy approached the Pinatubo lahar beds, slippery slopes and soft wet sand from the heavy rains was waiting to challenge the vehicles and the drivers. With the power of the Boxer engine and Symmetrical AllWheel Drive System of the Subaru vehicles, the Pinatubo drive became exciting with all the Foresters and XVs driving through slopes effortlessly with the help of the X-Mode and Vehicle Dynamics Stability technology. With the help of the Marshals and Instructors,

WITH SUBARU

each participants experienced Subaru’s technology and its functions as they passed each challenging with both Subaru’s Compact SUV and Crossover variants. As the rain started to fall, the convoy headed back to the Widus Hotel for safety reasons. “I am surprised that the XV can take the

punishment,” said Alvin Uy of the Inquirer who rode shotgun with me in an AWD Forester. The day ended in true Subaru fashion, raffle prizes were given away, and the guests went jamming to the tunes of local band True Faith. The boys from the stellar brand are back with a vengence.

The muddy and deep river bed offers a walk in the park for the Forester.

The Subaru XV sashays into a raging river.

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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

ST Y L E & BE AU T Y

LIFE GOLD SPARKLE. Look like a goddess in copper and gold shadows

SHADOW PLAY. Who says you can’t use colors for that smoky eye effect?

SULTRY NEUTRALS. Fresh, beige, and barely there

POP OF COLORS. Electric brights and jewel tones to match a joyful mood

THE EYES HAVE IT

Amp up your makeup game with SM Beauty All Eyes on You campaign launch in SM

SM Dessert Bar

Xeng Zulueta kicks off the program with a makeup demo of “Sultry Neutrals” with Mari Jasmine

Workshop by Valerie Chua with host, Bianca Valerio Janeena Chan

Sky and Jess Yang, Love Club

Maita A. Santiago, SM Beauty Trading Director

t is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, as they reflect one’s inner state. So it won’t do to have those peepers looking tired or worse, dull and lifeless. After all, even the brightest smile can lose its cheery vibe if the eyes don’t reflect that inner joy. SM Beauty launched a new campaign dubbed “All Eyes on You” highlighting four key makeup trends that accentuate the eyes – perfect for the coming holiday festivities. Feeling playful? Then sport a Pop of Color to instantly brighten up your eyes. For a kick of versatility without sacrificing style, Sultry Neutrals are your best bet. Daring nights on the other hand call for buttery mattes and dark hues with Shadow Play that give an added aura of mystery to your look. And if the occasion calls for extra oomph, the perfect choice would be Gold Sparkle because as the name suggests – you will certainly shine and dazzle. SM Beauty offers so many options that are perfect for any occasion, providing everything one needs to rock those brows on point and accentuate your powerful peepers. For the whole month of October, head over to your favorite SM Beauty branch and dig into the widest range of cosmetic products available such as L’Oreal, Maybelline, Max Factor, CoverGirl, Revlon, BYS, NYX, Elf and more! Enjoy up to 50 percent discount on the latest eye makeup, and what’s more, you can have free eye makeovers and fabulous freebies. It only takes one step for a daring new beginning, so start now by trooping to your nearest SM Beauty store. Don’t forget to use the hashtags #SMAllEyesOnYou and #SMEyeTransformed and be part of the beautiful transformation. Upload your photos on Instagram and get a chance to win exciting prizes and gift certificates from SM Beauty! For more info on the latest about SM beauty, follow on Instagram: smbeautyph or check out www.thesmstore.com

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NO FILIPINO TIME WITH THIS JAPANESE WATCH BRAND BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

timepiece maker once told me that despite the proliferation of smart gadgets that tell the time and do a whole lot more, people would still want to have a watch strapped on their wrist. He didn’t see wristwatches becoming obsolete anytime soon. True enough, his statement became apparent in the Philippines a couple of months thereafter, and until today, when almost everyone – male or female, young and old – were seen wearing Casio’s G-Shock watches. Filipinos are quite notorious for being late. This unpleasant image notwithstanding, we still love our wristwatches both for their functional and aesthetic values. Seeing the popularity of wearable timepieces and the competitive potential of our market, Japanese consumer electronics company Casio Computer Co., Ltd. has opened the first G-Factory Premium Store in the Philippines, and only the second one in the world after Singapore. According to Casio Timepiece Department general manager Atsushi Yamaoka, after their Philippine inauguration, the company targets to open 98 more G-Factory Premium Stores worldwide. He says, “This premium shop aims to be a store capable of promoting the Casio brand concept.” Located at Greenbelt 5 in Makati City, G-Factory offers customers a first-hand look at Casio watches, from the popular Baby-G and G-Shock S series to the latest premium collections. For G-Shock fans who want an upgrade, Casio offers the latest reincarnation of its MR-G series, perfected after “[nearly] 20 years of trial and error.” First launched in 1996, the new MR-G G1000 features improved materials (titanium with Sallaz polishing and sapphire glass) and Casio’s most advanced technology: The hybrid solar-powered timekeeping system. Filipino time is no excuse with G-Shock MR-G as with just a push

Casio Computer Co. Ltd. Timepiece Department general manager Atsushi Yamaoka (left) and Timepiece Product Planning Department section manager Tatsuya Izaki (right) open the first G-Factory Premium Store in the Philippines. Joining them is G-Shock influencer Richard Gutierrez.

of a button, the elegant and tough analog watch corrects time using either GPS (global positioning system) or radio wave timecalibration signals when the wearer travels abroad and changes time zones. “MR-G is a fusion of advanced technology and Japanese craftsmanship,” enthuses Casio Timepiece Product Planning section manager Tatsuya Izaki. The premium MR-G series retails at P129,995 to P149,995. Also available at G-Factory Premium Store is the new MT-G line which comes with GPS Hybrid Wave Ceptor timekeeping system that calibrates time. A more rugged option for people leading an active outdoor lifestyle is Gulfmaster (P24,995), which on top of providing accurate time, is also designed to predict weather changes using its atmospheric pressure sensor, indicate tide level with a tide graph, and check direction using its compass bearing. Rounding up the latest G-Shock premium collection are Gravitymaster (P59,995 to P69,995) and Mudmaster (P34,995) series.

The world’s second G-Factory Premium Store opens in the Philippines at Greenbelt 5 in Makati City.

Functional beauty best describes Oceanus (P99,995 to 109,995), another Casio premium line that also boasts of hybrid timekeeping system in an elegant all-metal case; perfect for business attire, according to the Japanese Casio officials. “Oceanus is the result of our constant attention to detail,” says Izaki. Understated style is what Edifice (P16,995 to P19,995) analog watch is all about. Watches under this range combine the traditional style of wristwatches with smartphone technology that allows wearers to check the time of more than 300 cities worldwide. “Anchored on our heritage of quality and reliability, these latest additions to the G-Shock line offer our customers more options to decide how a timepiece can best complement their lifestyle and what kind of statement they want to make,” concludes Yamaoka.

G-Shock MR-G

Oceanus

THE BRAIDED BUNCH Hashtagmanbraid is the hot new thing on Instagram. With only around 4,500 posts THE GIST as of this BY ED BIADO writing, the trend cannot compare to hashtag-manbun’s over 280,000 posts. Yet. The manbun, a men’s hair trend that originated when guys realized that they have to do something with the long tops of their undercut, is as celebrated as it is reviled. On the one hand, it looks amazing on Hollywood A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio and Jared Leto – basically hot guys with intense jawlines and more than a bit of scruff. It’s easy, unfussy and really gives that devil-may-care sexiness that women find incredibly attractive.

On the other hand, some say it’s douchey, it makes you look like an acorn and it’s been recently accused of causing premature baldness due to too much pressure on the individual hair follicles when pulled all the way back. “Science says” so, some headlines suggest. (Counterpoint: Women have been doing this for ages and no one seemed to mind. Now that men are doing it, it’s suddenly bad for your hair? #DoubleStandards, but I digress.) So apparently, the savior of us all is the manbraid, which is literally just a braid. It’s the “must-have guy style,” raves Today.com. But we should also note that men braiding their hair is not a new thing. Cornrows are practically the ultimate in man-braiding and they have existed for as long as all of us can remember. But their existence has been mainly confined to certain racial groups. Aside from that, cornrows have always been regarded as a unisex hairstyle but manbraids are “borrowed” from the ladies,

G-Shock MT-G

thus the need to prefix its name with “man” to butch it up. The “standard” manbraid, according to the Telegraph, “sees the wearer pull all his hair together, creating one neat plait down the middle of his head.” Meanwhile, the more adventurous of man-braiders go into it “with a spirit of creative endeavor, creating two or more braids.” The current mainstreamization of the manbraid can be attributed to the usual suspects – aka hipsters. GQ.com has more on this development: “A surprising number of men have taken to Instagram to show off gently flowing French, waterfall, and otherwise fantastical braids. To clarify, we’re not talking about legitimate cornrows. These are hipster gentlemen with long top hair left over from a former bun. So instead of trimming their flaccid faux-hawks, they opted for a creative solution.” Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @EdBiado

F R I D AY : O C T O B E R 1 6 : 2 0 1 5

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Au bord de la rivière- Along the River

A l’heure de la cueillette- A Time of Gathering Rose

Déjeuner sous le figuier- Lunch Under the Fig Tree

THE SCENT OF HÉLOÏSE DE V O

ur sense of smell always triggers a nostalgic memory – the delicious scent of your grandmother’s freshly baked cookies, the smell of tall grass in the meadows we used to frequent when we were still a child, the powdery scent of a baby’s skin, or a whiff of your ex lover’s cologne. Sometimes, these memories evoke certain emotions that a single whiff can make us feel. This is something that Héloïse de V believes in. She created her fragrance label believing that emotions created by fragrances should be shared. “My passion is fragrances and I wanted to tell the stories of those moments when we lived in the South of France,” she says. Born from a family who grows ingredients for food flavors, perfumes, and other fragrant products for thousands of years, “I guess it’s in my DNA, but I wanted to focus on the fragrances and use the products that we grow in our farms than just sell it to suppliers,” she says. The family business was established in 1012 at the Uzes region, a small town in the south of France, which boasts of the beautiful Garrigue shrublands and woodlands that

Charm necklace

Pochon

cater to a heritage of fragrances both rare and authentic. “My childhood was bathed in the fragrances of the Garrigue, the scent of sun-ripened fruit, the fresh feeling of surrounding forest and running water,” recalls Héloïse de V. “These are the memories that have constructed my personal history and which paint the identity of the brand.” She created nostalgic scents with notes of lavender citrus (a wakeup scent that helps perk you up in the morning), fig (a perfect afternoon fragrance for a walk outdoors or hang out with friends), and rose (a light sensual fragrance for a night out in town

or a romantic dinner date). The fragrance collection is reminiscent of Héloïse de V’s memorable childhood and lifestyle in the South of France – lunch under the fig tree, the longed-for time for flower picking, or a refreshing splash by the river. The perfume comes with body products and wearable accessories (perfumed charm bracelets, charm necklaces, and scented stickers). “I call it olfactive promenade; depending on where you are the scent may be different. If you are near the trees or somewhere else you will always discover something different,” adds Héloïse de V. Her products’ delicate scents diffuse a discreet and pleasant trail that leave your olfactory senses looking for more. Héloïse de V’s products are not tested on animals. They do not contain any paraben, phenoxyethanol, OGM, silicon, nanoparticle, PEG, and dye. Héloïse de V is exclusively distributed by Beauty Bar via Stores Specialists, Inc., a member of the SSI Group. Beauty Bar is located at Central Square, Greenbelt 5, Rockwell, Trinoma, Magnolia, Podium and Estancia. Shop online at shop.beautybar.com.ph

Héloïse De V. Perfume Collection

VANITY BOX THE ‘NO MAKEUP LOOK’ TOOLS Fresh face is all the rage today – basically because it transcends seasons and occasions, but primarily because it’s easy to do and easy to pull off. Or is it? When the “no makeup look” became popular, many argued that looking like you put a little makeup on your face means putting on a handful of products, nevertheless. But for women who are always up to take on any challenge, going through the tedious process of looking flawless with a dozen of beauty products everyday is non-negotiable. But it is possible to achieve the fresh “no makeup look” with just four products.

BRING ON THE COLOR First, clean your face with a mild cleanser that does that job while keeping your skin soft and supple. The Pond’s Pearl Cleansing Gel features Pearl Essence with an oxygenated formula that effectively whiten and cleanse without drying the skin. Follow it up with the multi-tasking Pond’s Dewy Rose Gel, a refreshing gel that moisturizes the skin, lightens dark spots, smoothens pores and prepares the face for makeup. Concealing comes next using Pond’s BB+ Cream. With this, you can set aside a couple of other skincare and beauty products as it works as a whitener, sunscreen, concealer and foundation. Finish off your flawless look with a pop of color on your lips using Happy Skin’s No Makeup Look Lippie. Join the revolution and experience a lifestyle transformation with a #HappinessMakeover. Buy P700 worth of Pond’s products and get the #NoMakeupLook lippie for free. Follow and tag @pondsph and @happyskin_ ph and use the #PondsNoMakeupLook and #HappinessMakeover hashtags when sharing your “no makeup look.”

Ponds and Happy Skin

The holiday season is upon us again, and that means many parties to attend. Make your mark and stand out in the crowd with these new Avon makeup products that give you vibrant colors to play with. Prettify your peepers with Glimmersticks Brights Eyeliner (P250) which features a creamy formula that glides on smoothly for precision lining that won’t drag or smudge. You will surely be a pop in the pack of black and brown eyeliners with this nifty stick that comes in four bright hues: Lime Sensation, Pink Pop, Cobalt Cool and Aqua Shock. For quick touch-ups, the new Pocket Collection Makeup Palette (P499) comes with two blushes and six eyeshadows that you can use to create different looks. It’s also perfect to bring at parties and events as it fits even the smallest purse.

Avon Pocket Palette

Spread color anywhere you go with these electrifying makeup treats available through Avon representatives. Visit www.avon.com.ph to learn more about these products. Avon Glimmer Sticks Eyeliner

F R I D AY : O C T O B E R 1 6 : 2 0 1 5

C4 1

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ANTI-AGING ARSENAL 3

Fre s h ! A statement people love hearing from others as the onset of aging POP-UP BEAUTY progresses. The promise BY JIGS MAYUGA of youth and the vitality it brings is something that we take for granted in our twenties. Smoking, bad eating habits, lack of exercise, dehydration and excessive sun exposure can take its toll not only on the body but also on the skin. As men and women hit their thirties, fine lines begin to appear around the face, and the skin loses some of its firmness and begins to sag. Unfortunately, there is no miracle drug that can stop time and reverse aging completely. However, there are steps you can do and products you can use to help alleviate the signs of aging and slow down this process. Start by getting more exercise and drinking lots of fluids to keep your body strong and hydrated. Start incorporating more fruits and vegetables in your diet to bump up your consumption of antioxidants. Quit smoking. Apply sunblock religiously. And finally, upgrade your skincare regimen with anti-aging products that target specific problems to keep your skin looking its best from your thirties and beyond.

1. POND’S Age Miracle Cell ReGEN Facial Foam, Watsons

Use this facial foam day and night to remove dead skin cells, reduce dullness and enhance skin’s radiance. Formulated with Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex, this exfoliating cleanser stimulates your skin from within, giving it three times more renewal power. Your face feels fresh and supple, never dry after cleansing.

2. ESTEE LAUDER Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II, Rustan’s

I used to steal my mom’s samples of this product in my teens and apply it around my eye area to prevent wrinkles. First launched in 1982, this “little brown bottle” remains one of the best-selling anti-aging “repair” serums in history. This new formula with over 25 patents pending dramatically reduces the look of every visible sign of aging. Lines are less pronounced and skin is strengthened to help prevent further damage.

3. CLINIQUE Smart Custom-Repair Serum, SM Aura

This new serum from Clinique delivers targeted repair that visibly addresses the skin’s changing needs. The formula uses precision repair technology to repair the damage you see and even the damage you

don’t. It repairs as needed, where needed. After a 12-week study, results showed visible improvement in treating uneven skin tone, dark spots, dullness, lines and wrinkles. Suitable for all skin types and ages.

4. ORIGINS Plantscription Youth-Renewing Face Oil,

SM Makati The use of facial oils is one of the oldest methods of skincare, dating back as far as 3500 BC. Today’s face oils are unlike their predecessors. They can promote balance, calmness, hydration and even combat acne. This innovative non-acnegenic formula from Origins specifically targets “good” facial oils to create youthful, radiant skin. This face oil helps replenish lost epidermal lipids to rebuild skin’s natural moisture barrier. Skin is cushioned, supple and strong.

5. LANCOME Absolue Nuit Precious Cells, Greenbelt 5

This night cream from Lancome has a fresh fragrance and never feels heavy. The formula has Pro-Xylane, a sugar protein that helps the skin absorb more water, increasing the firmness of the cells and hence the skin. In four weeks, skin feels strengthened and seems denser. Wrinkles and signs of fatigue are visibly minimized, and the skin looks rested and refreshed.

6. LA MER The Eye Balm Intense, Rustan’s

A friend introduced me to this eye balm a couple of years ago and I was immediately hooked. Apply with the specially engineered, silver-tipped applicator to cool the skin around the eyes and improve circulation. This formula de-puffs the under eye area almost instantly while lines and wrinkles visibly diminish over time. The eye area appears firmer and more lifted. Apply morning and night for optimal results.

7. STIEVA-A Tretinoin Cream .025%, Mercury Drug

Retinoids have always been my skin’s best friend. In college, they cleared up my acne and prevented new pimples from coming back. Now in my thirties, I have found that the skin-renewing properties are the perfect supplement to my daily skincare regimen. Proven to help increase the production of collagen in the skin to restore firmness and prevent wrinkles. It can be quite harsh on the skin and can lead to photosensitivity so begin by applying a very thin layer once or twice a week at night; wear an SPF during the day and moisturize with anti-aging products religiously in between applications. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @jigsmayuga

Banana Peel Goes Global

lip flops have become one of the staple footwear of Filipinos. They are what most of us wear at home, what we sometimes wear when going out, or what we usually put on to relax our feet before or after wearing shoes. Given its functionality, one local brand, Banana Peel, has stood out and changed the way we look at flip flops. By simply making this functional footwear more stylish, the brand has immediately captured the taste and lifestyle of fun-loving Filipinos. Banana Peel opened its first flip flops concept store in the Philippines in 2002 and garnered a strong following. The next big step was to take on the international market. What started off as a simple local venture into the realm of footwear has now spread the flip flops fever to other countries, gaining presence in Taiwan, Maldives, Saipan, South Africa, and Cambodia.

Bannering Pinoy pride, Banana Peel demonstrates that a local brand can be bold enough to go beyond the Philippines and win the acceptance of foreign consumers. “We see flip flops as staple footwear in most markets. People usually wear them either because of the heat, or the rain, and this is present in almost any country. We believe that in order to have the company grow, we ultimately have to look at all opportunities that we can delve into. We saw that going abroad was a good way to expand, and at the same time, it was an opportunity to showcase a proudly-Filipino brand. Knowing that almost everyone has at least one pair of flip flops in their closet inspired us to jump right into it. That risk has been paying off ever since,” said Paul Ng, CEO of The Neat Inc., maker of Banana Peel. Not prominently known by its Philippine audience, Banana Peel also produces quality footwear for foreign clients who are looking to

have unique flip flops as part of their product line-up or as premium corporate giveaways. The brand has gained an international loyal clientele of surfers and beach-loving people mostly through partnering with distributors with channels situated near their respective countries’ pristine beaches. Banana Peel has been known to provide trendy designs that cater to the ultra-chic, the athletic, and the classic without sacrificing quality. The most loved Banana Peel products in the international market is the basic flats that come in an array of print design themes, such as Cappuccino, Cherokee, Mimosa, Oaxaca, and Tidbits. Another bestseller are its classics, which are the plain flip flops that come in a wide range of colors to fit any mood or style. Other styles and prints are also made available based on what the international market demands. “We put prime value on quality, design, and comfort. Given our

years of experience in the business, we already know what styles and materials will work best with majority of our users. Having this mixed market, we continually develop styles that can fit almost all markets both local and abroad. On top of it all, though, it is the constant release of the freshest and most unique print designs which our customers keep coming back for,” Ng said. Genuinely proud to be a Filipino brand, all original Banana Peel designs are made by local artists. “We take pride in the design of every pair of Banana Peel flip flops because it is a testament of the remarkable talent of Filipinos in art and design,” Ng shared. Quality and product safety is also among the priorities of

Banana Peel. It conducts a periodic safety and quality assurance test to ensure that all products that reach its customers are free of lead and other harmful chemicals. As one of the largest specialty retailers of flip flops in the country, Banana Peel is looking into tapping new markets and exploring partnerships to further showcase its line-up of products and reach more flip flops-loving individuals. Locally, Banana Peel has 26 branches and three franchise stores. Its products are also readily available in all major department stores nationwide. For more information about Banana Peel and its products, visit http://www. bananapeel.net.

F RIDAY : OCTOBER 16 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Tom Hanks and Amy Ryan star in a new Steven Spielberg thriller

Steven Spielberg’S powerhouSe cASt

t the height of the Cold War era, the world’s superpowers – the United States and the Soviet Union’s heightened paranoia unfolds in Steven Spielberg’s engaging thriller Bridge of Spies starring two-time Oscar® winner Tom Hanks as lawyer James Donovan; three-time Tony Award® and two-time Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance as arrested Soviet spy Rudolf Abel; Scott Shepherd as CIA officer Hoffman; Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan as Donovan’s wife, Mary; Sebastian Koch as East German lawyer Wolfgang Vogel; seven-time Emmy Award® winner and Oscar nominee Alan Alda as Thomas Watters, a partner at Donovan’s law firm; Austin Stowell as downed Air Force pilot Francis Gary Powers; Mikhail Gorevoy as Soviet official Ivan Schischkin; and Will Rogers as Frederic Pryor, an American student detained in East Berlin.

Inspired by true events, Bridge of Spies is the extraordinary story of an unlikely hero James Donovan (Tom Hanks), an insurance claims lawyer from Brooklyn thrust into the dangerous world of international espionage when he is tasked with pulling off a near-impossible rescue mission at the height of the Cold War to negotiate the release of a captured American U-2 pilot Gary Powers (Stowell) in exchange of an arrested Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Rylance). Spielberg has often tackled seminal historical events throughout his career. A history enthusiast, his knowledge of the Cold War dates back to childhood when his father told stories of the deep-seated feelings of animosity and distrust that existed between the U.S. and Soviet Union, stories he still remembers today. Actress Amy Ryan, who received an Oscar® nomination for her role as a hardened welfare mom in Gone

Tom Hanks plays a lawyer who is thrust into the dangerous world of espionage

Baby Gone and was most recently seen in the award-winning Birdman signed on as Donovan’s supportive but strong-willed wife, Mary. In discussing what attracted her to the project she says, “Most screenplays take 10 or 15 pages before you get a sense of who the characters really are, but we find out that James Donovan is a fast-talking lawyer in the first few pages. Plus, I liked the fact that this woman, Mary Donovan, wasn’t just a ‘Yes dear, of course dear’ kind of wife. She had things of substance to say and really good, strong, smart opinions about the world in which her husband was stepping foot into, and I found that genuinely appealing.” Before filming began, the actress had the opportunity to meet Mary’s granddaughter. “I saw her family’s wedding albums and vacation photos and heard firsthand stories where I found out that Mary was born in Bay Ridge, raised in a strong

Irish Catholic family, graduated from Marymount College and eventually settled down in Park Slope,” Ryan explains. “Mary was proud of what her husband was doing, but she didn’t like the attention it drew to her family and worried that their children might be in danger.” Ryan’s biggest challenge was making her character, a woman in the midst of extremely-trying circumstances, believable. Says Golden Globe® winner producer Marc Platt, “Amy’s portrayal of Mary has us rooting for her, but we also feel her conflict over wanting to protect her family. Her husband’s involvement with the case brings the family some danger and causes friends to sort of drop away, and you feel the tug-ofwar within her to want to protect and love her husband and do what he thinks is right, and yet to protect her family at the same time, and you love her for that conflict.” Ryan was especially thrilled to

Tom Hanks, Amy Ryan, and Alan Alda in Bridge of Spies

have the opportunity to work with Hanks, finding him generous, both in spirit and energy. “I was very impressed with the amount of enthusiasm he was able to bring to each scene, and he’s had so much experience as an actor that I tried to listen and observe as much as I could,” she says. “In addition to all the technical sides of knowing where the camera is going to be and where the lights are, he is still able to inhabit the scene so fully and truthfully…that is an amazing skill.” And for Hanks, the feeling was mutual. “Working with Amy was amazing…I was always thinking that it looked as if she was hardly doing anything, and yet she was doing everything all at the same time.” One of world history’s greatest untold stories unfolds in Bridge of Spies showing now in Philippine cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

F RIDAY : OCTOBER 16 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

PeOPle

...ARE tALking AbOUt

ALDEn RiChARDS

The Pambansang Bae’s EP (extended play), released in 2013, suddenly became very in demand. In fact, it already made it to Billboard’s World Album Chart, entering the list at no. 10. It’s good to know that people appreciate this achievement unlike when another popular actor received an award for his multi-platinum record. Does this mean they are already considering Alden as a legitimate recording artist? We hope so.

Is Alden the next big star in local music?

Amy VAChAL

Amy Vachal during The Voice US blind audition JaDine in a scene from OTWOL

After 4th Impact (formerly 4th Power) and Cyrus Villanueva made Filipino netizens abuzz, another up and coming Pinoy talent validates how musically gifted Filipinos are. Amy has made it through the blind auditions of the Season 9 of The Voice US and now part of team Pharell. To those who would like to know her Filipino roots, Amy is the niece of an influential politician in Cebu.

On thE WingS Of LOVE

It’s hard to ignore a good show hence it’s a positive news for millions of people who religiously follow the romantic series, whether in the Philippines or overseas, the latest update on the program. The series’ loyal supporters would be delighted to know that the James Reid and Nadine Lustre-starrer prime soap is extended until next year. And that, by the way, is a sign that people are really into “OTWOL fever.”

...ARE nOt tALking AbOUt

EDU mAnZAnO

He fervently believes (or at least his camp) that he has got big chances of winning the Senatorial race mainly because of his popularity as an actor. But let’s remind him why people didn’t vote for him during the last national elections. If he still has this illusion that people would vote for him solely because he’s a popular personality, he might want to reflect and revisit what he really did to make a difference. Probably he’d realize he’s better off as a host and television star.

Edu Manzano

JEnnyLyn mERCADO

Jennylyn Mercado

In a recent interview with the movie press, the Kapuso star consciously said that she wouldn’t reject Sam Milby in case the latter decides to express his romantic intension to her. She also added that she gets cold sweats whenever the actor is around with her. Of course, she’s saying this amid rumors that her still unconfirmed relationship with Dennis Trillo is currently on the rocks and it so happens that she’s promoting a film together with Milby. Talk about hard sell.

ASAP 20

Based on the data gathered by AGB Neilsen and Kantar Media, Kapamilya’s main Sunday program is showing an underwhelming performance. Even its top host admitted that the show is now being beaten by Sunday Pinasaya and Wowowin when it comes to the numbers game and that it could be a wakeup call to the staff and production team. But, none of these matter. It seems that they are in denial otherwise they would have done something drastic. But no, they still believe people have not gone tired watching the show.

Cast of ASAP 20

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Bedroom slipper 5 10-4 buddy 9 Exploding star 13 General vicinity 14 Asian capital 16 Outback mineral 17 Cleveland NBAers 18 UFO passenger 19 Look good on 20 Gill opening 21 DA’s degree

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Raisin center Blondie’s shrieks Surfer’s reading Festoons Shrink (2 wds.) Grassy expanses Skyrocket Omigosh! Stein filler “Stormy Weather” singer Tijuana Mrs.

40 42 43 45 47 48 49 50 53 54 58 59 61 62 63 64 65 66 67

Sari sporter DOS alternative His and hers Loses data, in a way Fine examples Do origami Hauled into court May-June sign Boring tool Colors to match Actress — Falco Poker pair Batting failures Hubble component Search blindly Thicken, as cream Nasty mood Diligent insects Knows, to Burns

DOWN 1 Slickers 2 Europe-Asia range 3 Name in denim 4 Toward sunrise 5 Artist’s pastels 6 Gala occasions 7 Ms. Bagnold 8 Fish eggs 9 Bouquet 10 Comics penguin 11 Arrogant 12 Low voice

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015

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Excite Straight line Coast Guard off. Yankees’ home Put on guard — Lama Olympian Jesse — Day of movies More prudent Chaucer’s month Time periods Like city real estate Shelling corn Most doubtful Pipe joint Food fish Lightning by-product Throbs or beats Won every game Sets in the fridge TV genie portrayer Fashion length Erelong Festive log 007’s alma mater Mach 1 breakers Mr. Gershwin

Sabado Boys

Rak of Aegis

MTRCB ReaChes MilesTone, CeleBRaTes peaRl anniveRsaRy The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) held on Oct. 5 at the Luxent Hotel an anniversary celebration honoring three decades of empowering the Filipino family. “The pearl represents the men and women of the MTRCB, particularly those colleagues in government who prefer to quietly toil day in and day out to make sure that a culture of Matalinong Panonood para sa Pamilya at Lipunan nina Juan at Juana becomes a reality,” said MTRCB Chairman Eugenio “Toto” Villareal. The program was hosted by MTRCB Board Members Jackie Aquino-Gavino and Mario Hernando, with entertainment provided by cast members of the phenomenal Pinoy musical Rak of Aegis and the Sabado Boys made up of Jimmy Bondoc, Paolo Santos, and Myke Salomon. In his message, Villareal shared, “For a humble agency like the MTRCB, there can be no more effective yet simple way to celebrate this anniversary than by chronicling for posterity the history of the MTRCB since its creation.” Launched that evening was the 176-page com-

MTRCB Chairperson Eugenio Villareal

memorative book aptly titled Empowering the Filipino Family, under the supervision of Executive Editor and MTRCB Board Member Alfred “Krip” Yuson. The top three winners of the scriptwriting contest sponsored by the Senior Citizen Committee of the MTRCB were also given due recognition during the event. Perterean Briñas and Celina Peñaflorida’s Malolos, Mabini, Malate entry won first place while Kristoffer Navarro’s Kadugo and Ronald Batallones’ Excuse Me Po scripts were awarded second and third, respectively. Among those who extended their support to the “globally competitive MTRCB,” as Villareal puts it, were prominent and influential figures in the society composed of government officials, various TV Network bigwigs, the press, MTRCB Board Members and staff, as well as the former Chairpersons of the agency.

F RIDAY : OCTOBER 16 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

GMa neTwoRk doMinaTes acRoss plaTFoRMs in sepTeMbeR

he Kapuso network nailed a back-to-back victory in September, asserting its leadership both on television and online. Besides GMA’s dominant nationwide TV ratings performance, the Kapuso Network’s news and entertainment portal, GMANetwork.com, ranked as the number one local website in the country. According to Effective Measure, GMANetwork.com bested other local websites in terms of unique browsers and pageviews with 16.9 million and 260.9 million, respectively, ahead of ABSCBN.com, among others. Moreover, GMANetwork’s pageviews surpassed all ABS-CBN web properties combined - including ABS-CBN News, ABSCBN Portal, TFC.tv and MYX Philippines – driven by the increase in pageviews of GMA HHHHH Ricky Reyes and Fil-HaiR More than three decades ago salon czar and beauty architect Ricky Reyes founded the Filipino Hairdressers Association (FilHair) with the purpose of uniting salon owners, hair stylists and cosmetologists under one umbrella to prevent competition and survival of the fittest mentality. Every Fil-Hair officer and member develop camaraderie and compassion with each other that have made the organization the oldest and foremost prime-mover in the beauty industry. Ricky Reyes has remained the

From c8

News Online (www.gmanews.tv). GMA News Online and the GMA Entertainment website (www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment) also recorded more pageviews than their ABS-CBN counterparts and led in their respective categories. Netizens also took to GMA’s websites as they sought content about AlDub, which continued to rank as the most popular content in the portal. Meanwhile, GMA News is also the most followed news organization on Twitter, Viber’s public chat and Instagram with more than 3.3 million, 140 thousand, and 87 thousand followers, respectively. GMA News’ Instagram page includes news and weather updates, lifestyle and entertainment stories, quotable quotes from personalities, and behind-the-scenes photos and videos, among others.

Ricky Reyes heads the organization of hairdressers and beauticians called Fil-Hair

President and the rest of the officers are: Edwin Palma-Vice President, Ruby Villarama-Secretary, Raquel Pangilagan-Auditor, Lyn Yalong-Treasurer and Members of the Board-Ester Garcia, Felipe de Guzman, Atlas Leonen, Josie Gallardo and Santiago Palomares.

Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza drive all media platforms of GMA Network to record-breaking highs

HHHHH pTV-4 joins koReanoVela FRenzy wiTH HeRe coMes MR. oH Here Comes Mr. Oh is a dramatic-comedy (dramedy) about an unemployed and less-educated sonin-law who has a good heart as he attempts to save his parents-in-law from the greedy first son-in-law. This Koreanovela has first rate Korean who have a good sense of humor, but also good in drama, despite the over-all Tagalog dubbed scripted words. Leading the cast is Oh Jar-yong (Lee jang Woo) as the gregarious and good-natured fellow who

Here Comes Mr. Oh is the Koreanovela airing on PTV4

stands up to his conniving brother-in-law Jin Yong Seok (Jin Tae Hyun) in the latter’s plot to steal the estate of his wife’s family. This dramedy also essays a story of two different men who married two sisters. The twist of the plot will show how Jaryong saves his in-laws from an impending financial doom. During its airing in South Korea, the television drama got extended for nine more episodes when the

ratings went higher that the targeted 20 percent viewership share. The show’s reel sweethearts Lee Jang Woo and leading-lady Oh Yeon So denied being a real-life couple despite being seen together very often. Here Comes Mr. Oh started airing in November 2014 and all weekdays at 5:30 p.m. thereafter on PTV-4. In its initial telecast, a hundred thousand televiewers were hooked to the screen. It has since escalated to over 600,000 and the numbers are steadily rising. After Here Comes Mr. Oh, another Koreanovela will follow. The next featured series is entitled Legendary Doctor.

MusiC superstars, New aCoustiC aCts iN Kuh’s aNNiversary show In her forthcoming 35th anniversary concert, Kuh Ledesma gathers the best and the most promising musical talent to mark what is probably one of the most significant milestones of her career. The anniversary show is titled 35+–The KUHL Event at the Christ Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF) Center Main Auditorium at Tiendesitas along C5 in Pasig at 7 p.m. tonight. The show is directed by Roxanne Lapus, with Homer Flores, a longtime creative collaborator of Kuh who has worked with her in numerous shows, as Musical Director. Performing with the Pop Diva are music superstars Regine Velasquez, Gary Valenciano and Jaya, and some new acoustic acts: a duo called the Perkins Twins—named Jesse and Christian and Christopher de Leon Regine, Gary and Jaya were aspiring singers back then who were given a break by Kuh. Regine, who has sold over seven million albums in the Philippines alone, headlined her first major show, Regine at 17, with

Kuh Ledesma’s show tonight has 35 plus guest artists

Kuh. Over the years, she has performed countless times with Kuh here and abroad. Gary and Jaya have also sung with Kuh many times onstage and in big and small shows, which makes it only fitting that they be part of this 35th anniversary show.

And even into her 35th year, Kuh continues to give breaks to upcoming and new artists. The Perkins twins are Christian artists, and for this reason—and aside from the fact that they are talented in their own right-Kuh wants to give them more

exposure. “Gusto ko sila isali kasi they are good guys. Our country needs good modeis for the young ones,” she says. Also part of the show is singer-actor Tirso Cruz III, who’s a good friend of Kuh. Tirso is part of Artists in Touch (AIT), which is a group of Christian artists in the entertainment industry. “I have known Tirso for a long time, but we are better friends now because of AIT,” shares Kuh. Bound to be another big audience draw in the show is actor-singer Fernando Carillo. Carillo is the Venezuelan actor who starred opposite Mexican superstar Thalia in such teleserye hit Rosalinda . Carrillo was part of a music band in Venezuela along with two of his siblings. Kuh met the still good-looking singer and actor some two months ago. “Ang gwapo pa rin niya hanggang ngayon. Nosebleed lang ako because he was teaching me Spanish and ako naman puro ‘Que?’” Last but not the least among Kuh’s guests is her daughter Isabella. Kuh is very excited to be performing with Isabella who,

from her earliest years, obviously inherited her mother’s genes. “I love performing with Isabella,” says the proud mom. “I am excited, lalo na ngayon na ang galing na niya kumanta.” Aside from all her guests, Kuh herself has something special to offer the public on her 35th year. “I will be singing all of my hits and some of my favorite pop songs from other people, in their original arrangements,” she says. Being given the chance to work with both seasoned and new talent is something Kuh always looks forward to. Even after more than three decades in the business, she continues to inspire others by the hard work she puts into every show. This one is no different. ‘I just want everybody to do their best.,” she says. “Lalo na ngayon, kasi I realized in everything I do, I must give glory to the Lord. It is not about proving anything; it’s about wanting to be better and better.” Tickets to the show are priced at P3,000, P2500, P2,000 and P750. (For inquiries and reservations, call 531-0688 or 0917-813-9065).

F RIDAY : OCTOBER 16 : 2015

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Louiise Abuel plays Jose

KAPAMILYA KIDS READY TO TOUCH VIEWERS’ HEARTS ISAH V. RED

Roxanne Guinoo plays the mother of the five kids

Jhong Hilario is Kamlon

The cast of Walang Iwanan: from left (front), Jon Michael, Raikko Mateo and Karla, and at the back, Louise Abuel, Micko Laurente, Jhong Hilario and Roxanne Guinoo with director Jerome Chavez Pobocan

Child actors Louise Abuel, Micko Laurente, Jon Michael, Raikko Mateo and Karla Cruz are starring in ABS-CBN’s new afternoon series titled Walang Iwanan. The show follows the story of Jose (played by Abuel who played the young Jake Cuenca in Ikaw Lamang), the son of Anita (Roxanne Guinoo). Kamlon(Jhong Hilario), his stepfather who married her mother after his biological father left her out in the cold, can’t seem to have any affection for Jose as he isn’t his own son. Laurente plays Boy, the firstborn of Anita and Kamlon. He makes life hard for Jose to be in good terms with his other siblings. His three other siblings are Criscencio (played by Jon Michael), Maribel (Cruz) and Michael (Mateo). While his stepfather doesn’t recognize him, and his step-brothers and sister alienate him the two women he knew as his grandmothers – Ina and Ebe – and with whom Jose grew up shower him with the love that he’s missing out on, especially after his mother lived with Kamlon and their own children.

Their love prepared Jose to be strong enough to be part of a true family. He grows up to be a fine-mannered boy who just wants a family that loves one another. Trouble happens when the kids find their parents missing one morning and had to fend for themselves. Jose and Boy try to mend their differences for the sake of their siblings as they hope to find out what happened to their parents and be together once again as a family. Other members of the cast are John Estrada, Beauty Gonzales, and Nicco Manalo. ★★★★★ ABS-CBN’S ‘ISANG BAYAN PARA KAY PACMAN’ ABS-CBN Sports, the sports arm of ABS-CBN, was recognized with the Best Sports Digital Platform award for its “Isang Bayan Para Kay Pacman” campaign in the inaugural Asia Sports Industry Awards held at the New World Hotel. “Isang Bayan Para Kay Pacman” was a month-long campaign of the Kapamilya network in promoting the airing of the tmegafight between Filipino ring icon and People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao and flamboyant American champion, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on ABSCBN. The campaign involved digital interactivity through the use of the hashtag #OneForPacman where people can show their support for Pacquiao prior to his fight. Another highlight of the cam-

paign was the microsite the network created where people can throw their support via an interactive punching bag that one can click and “punch” showing that behind every punch of Manny is the strength of millions of Filipinos. The punch meter on the website garnered 126 million punches. “Our win against some of the best campaigns in the region is a testament to the power of teamwork and excellence at ABS-CBN Sports. We’ve shown that we can top some of the very best Sports marketing projects around the Southeast Asian region with the work that we do,” said ABS-CBN Sports head Dino Laurena. The Asia Sports Industry Awards recognizes and celebrates business leaders, organizations, facilities and campaigns at the forefront of the sporting industry, that have made a contribution to the growth and development of sports across South East Asia in the past eighteen months. ABS-CBN, through ABS-CBN Sports, brings to free TV games of international and popular leagues such as the NBA, UEFA Champions League, and is the home of collegiate basketball in the country being the broadcast partner of the NCAA and UAAP. They also broadcast big fight events from the UFC aside from sports lifestyle shows such as “Upfront at the UAAP.” ➜ Continued on C7