The Standard - 2015 November 07 - Saturday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXIX  NO. 268  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  SATURDAY : NOVEMBER 7, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Poe blasts corruption in ‘Yolanda’ rehab work

1M STILL HOMELESS Success, but still a lot of work needed 2 years after ‘Yolanda’

TACLOBAN CITY—This coastal city marks the second anniversary of the destructive visit of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” Sunday with more than one million survivors still without safe homes—but also a symbol of hope from the Vatican.

Second anniversary. Climate

activists light candles in Manila on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the devastation wreaked by Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda.’ The photo below shows Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez mingling with Filipinos in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican to wait for Pope Francis’ blessing of the Santo Niño de Tacloban that will be unveiled in Tacloban on Nov. 8. AFP

Pope Francis earlier this week blessed a two-foot image of the Sto. Nino de Tacloban, patron saint of Tacloban City. The image is being brought back to the city in time for the second anniversary rites by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who hand-carried it so the Pope could bless it in an audience at the Holy See arranged by Philippine Ambassaodr Mercy Tuason. “Despite the suffering and deaths caused by Yolanda, we can only remain hopeful and positive,” Romualdez said. “After all, He has proven that indeed there is always a rainbow after the storm. Because of the overwhelming outpouring of compassion from all over the country and the whole world, we were able to rise above the tragedy. Next page

Palace vows not to hide street people By Sandy Araneta THE Palace said Friday it will not hide away street children during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, saying that the money given to the homeless was part of the administration’s modified con-

ditional cash transfer program. “Again, they will not be hidden from view. We have already explained that the modified CCT is a program already being done by the DSWD, and the help given is not limited to only when there is a big event,” said deputy presi-

dential spokesperson Abigail Valte, during a press briefing in Malacañang. “However, we have seen this opportunity to start helping them so they could have a transition from the streets into dignified living quarters,” Valte added, without elaborating. Next page

Naia brass told: Watch those doing watching

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Watch the watchers, Noy tells airport brass The suspects were identified as Mildred Vitug, Josephine Rabano, and Shine Eñola. Rabano was found with an M16 bullet in her shoulder bag. She said it was her amuPRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has ordered authorities stationed at let and she has had it for a year. She added the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals to “watch the watch- that she just went to Terminal 3 to fetch someone. ers” amid a widening scandal over the planting of bullets in travelers’ Vitug said she was sending off someone luggage as part of an extortion racket targeting the elderly and overseas at the airport when she was caught with an M14 bullet in her coin purse. She said it has Filipino workers. been her amulet for the last 10 years. “I have already outlined the steps that are also have to make sure that these measures Eñola said she was fetching someone at to be taken in light of the situation that we are implemented properly, and that no one the airport when authorities saw her amufind ourselves in,” said Deputy Presidential is taking advantage,” said Valte. let in her bag. She said she was carrying the Spokesperson Abigail Valte. “The President’s stand on this is if the amulet for her child’s safety. “And we also know that the National Bu- process is okay, but there are abuses on Assistant City Prosecutor Josefina reau of Investigation is already on deck to both sides, then action must be taken Muego explained the process of inquest to conduct their own investigation. The Presi- against this,” she said. each of them. dent has ordered that you have to watch the Three suspects found to be carrying bulShe also questioned the suspects as to watchers,” she added. lets at the Naia Terminal 3 on Thursday where the bullets were found and why they Valte would not comment further until were temporarily freed after undergoing were carrying them. the NBI has submitted its report. inquest proceedings. The Public Attorney’s Office lawyer was She added that Transportation and ComAll three admitted the bullets found on present to provide legal assistance to those munications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya them were their amulets. arrested, the report said. has been continually updating the President. The three were brought to the Pasay From the Prosecutor’s Office, the “All avenues will be pursued and investi- Prosecutor’s Office at 10 p.m. Thursday by three were then turned over to the Avigated,” she said. personnel from the Office for Transporta- ation Security Group past midnight, “It’s a general statement for government tion Security and the Philippine National after which they were released pending that while there are security measures, we Police Aviation Security Group. further investigation.

By Sandy Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

Courtesy call. President Benigno Aquino III receives a copy of the book Journeys to War and Peace by Steven Solarz that Nina Solarz, the

1M... From A1 Even as we mourn the loss of our friends and loved ones, as we remember Yolanda, let our experience be a reminder to celebrate life and new beginnings.” In Tacloban, which was nearly completely destroyed and where thousands died, restaurants and shops are bustling again--showcasing the best of a remarkable resurrection for many communities. But on the city’s outskirts and elsewhere, many people endure deep poverty as they live in flimsy new homes that make them extremely vulnerable to future storms that will inevitably whip in off the Pacific Ocean. More than 7,350 people were killed or left missing after Super Typhoon Yolanda struck the Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013, with the strongest winds ever recorded on land. Tsunami-like storm surges higher than trees exacerbated the disaster, demolishing communities on central Philippine islands that were already among the nation’s poorest. “I cry almost every night. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, how are we going to survive,” Esliba Bascal, 59, who lost her son and home in the disaster and now lives in a makeshift dwelling just outside Tacloban, said last week. Like many others, Bascal’s hopes for a new government-provided house in a safe place have not come true. She lives with her husband, widowed daughter-in-law and six grandchildren in a brick-and-tin structure built on the same site as their previous home that was wiped out by the storm surges. “We were poor, but now we’re poorer. Life is hard but I have to be strong for my grandchildren,” said Bascal, who earns about P20 a day selling biscuits, chips, soap and other daily goods from her home. President Benigno Aquino III’s government launched a P150-billion reconstruction program for the disaster zones, which the United Nations has praised for its efficiency in some key sectors. About 60 percent of that money has been spent, much of it on roads, bridges and schools, according to Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, who is in charge of the recovery program. Money has also been used for start-up capital for survivors to start small businesses, as well as farm and fishing supplies. A resilient local private sector and hundreds of millions of dollars in aid from the international community has also been extremely important. The Red Cross, for example, said it had given cash assistance to more than 90,000 families and rebuilt or repaired 65,000 homes. Yet, the government has come under fire for not doing enough to help the more than one million survivors it identified as living in coastal areas who were vulnerable to future storms and needed to be resettled. AFP

founder of the Stephen Solarz Memorial Fund, presented to him in Malacañang on Friday during her courtesy call. Malacañang Photo Bureau

Palace... FromA1

The administration drew flak in January when it hid away street children at a resort during the Pope’s visit, but Valte said they were at a workshop, and that these kinds of activities continued even after the papal visit. “Maybe the report was only made during the time when there was a big event. But the truth is the DSWD has been doing this for years,” Valte added. A Catholic bishop on Thursday slammed what he described as a government plan to hide the homeless during the Apec summit by giving them money to rent a temporary

home from Nov. 15 to 20. In a radio interview, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo confirmed the Department of Social Welfare and Development was distributing P4,000 each to homeless people so they could live elsewhere and be hidden from view during the summit. Pabillo said it was insensitive of the government to hide away the poor for the benefit of foreign visitors. “Their solution is temporary. They want to show the visitors that there are no poor people, but why can’t we find a permanent solution for our poor people? One that doesn’t require us to hide them every time there are visitors?” he said in an interview on the Church-owned Radio Veritas.

The bishop also expressed dismay at the expense—put at P7.9 billion—of hosting the Apec meetings here. “It is okay if they are spending money for the benefit of the people. If the government is spending money for infrastructure and cleaning the roads just to boast to our visitors, this is such a waste of money,” Pabillo added. Valte said the Palace was still collating data on the budget for hosting the Apec, and said the budget report would be released after the summit, when all the expenses have been reported. In January, about 500 street children, along with their families, were sent to a resort in Nasugbu, Batangas during the five-

day visit of Pope Francis in the country. Some 10 busloads of street dwellers arrived at the Chateau Royale Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas, on the morning of Jan. 14. The DSWD booked 70 rooms for the families of less fortunate children from the cities of Pasay, Manila and Parañaque for a “family camp.” Each room usually costs P6,300 per night but the DSWD got the rooms for P4,000 each, according to a report from radio dzMM. Some 100 DSWD staff also stayed in the resort to look after the families and to facilitate activities. The families checked out of the resort on Jan. 19, the last day of Pope Francis in the country.

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Poe hits rehab corruption PRESIDENTIAL candidate Senator Grace Poe said Friday she was enraged by reports that the construction of the bunkhouses for the victims of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” victims was tainted with corruption.

Ready for Apec. Workers decorate the Philippine International Convention Center on Friday to prepare for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Manila. DAnny PAtA

Yolanda, the strongest storm in history to make landfall, slammed into Eastern Visayas on Nov. 8, 2013, leaving more than 7,000 people dead and dislocating hundreds of thousands more. “For almost a million pesos, which the government reportedly spent to construct each bunkhouse, we expected better than this,” Poe said. She said the government built 203 bunkhouses that were each divided into 24 rooms with four toilets, two showers and one common kitchen. She said each room measured a mere eight square meters was intended to house a family with an average size of six members. Poe made her statement even as an ally of the ruling Liberal Party slammed her for her allegedly “confusing” campaign platform focusing on the “continuity” of reforms. “With all due respect to the late FPJ [Fernando Poe Jr., Grace’s father], what did he really start when he was never elected into office? He was not really elected President so whatever he planned to do did not take shape,” Roxas’ spokesman Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez said in a television interview. “Poe’s claims are confusing. They are neither administration nor opposition.” Poe said residents had been complaining that the bunkhouses were substandard. She also noted that, two years after Yolanda battered Eastern Visayas, the survivors were still living in pitiful conditions in bunkhouses and temporary shelters. She asked where the Yolanda funds had gone and criticized the delay in the release of funds for the rehabilitation of the areas devastated by the typhoon. She said the survivors would not have had to suffer long had the government response been swift and efficient. “Donations poured in from here and abroad after the disaster. How were these donations used?” Poe said. “If the government had a clear and effective rehabilitation plan, why are Yolanda’s survivors living in such appalling conditions?” The P167.9-billion funding requirement under the Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan was approved by President Aquino in October 2014, two weeks before the tragedy’s first anniversary. However, only P84 billion have been released over a period of two years, according to former rehabilitation Chief Panfilo Lacson. Macon Ramos Araneta and John Paolo Bencito

Binay denies reports he’s going to stop dole scheme THE camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday denounced a group that it claimed was circulating a report that the Conditional Cash Transfer program would stop under a Binay presidency. “We have been receiving reports that in Leyte, rumors are being spread that the vice president will not continue the CCT

program,” Binay spokesman Rico Quicho said. “This is not the first time we have heard of this. In Bicol, Western Visayas and Central Mindanao we have received reports of organized rumor brigades targeting CCT beneficiaries.” Quicho reassured the residents of Leyte that Binay would continue

the program that is also known as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps. “Again, we wish to reiterate that the vice president will continue the CCT but with improvements,” Quicho said. He said Binay had vowed to improve the system of granting aid to poor Filipinos through the

4Ps to prevent several instances of non-payment and underpayment to beneficiaries and double entries and inaccuracies in the list of beneficiaries. In its 2014 Consolidated Audit Report on Official Development Assistance Programs and Projects released on Sept. 4, the Commission on Audit noted “recurring

deficiencies” such as inaccuracies in the list of beneficiaries, distribution gridlocks, non-receipt or underpayments, non-compliance with requirements and verification issues. Binay also vowed to make the 4Ps available to those who truly needed it and to prevent its use as a tool for politicking. Vito Barcelo

Mar’s rivals threatened, lawmaker says AN ADMINISTRATION lawmaker on Friday slammed the critics of its standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, claiming they were all threatened by Roxas’ rising ratings that they would throw even the kitchen sink at him. Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said Roxas’ detractors “are playing the public for a fool by accusing him of resorting to black propaganda to discredit his rivals.” He made his statement in response to accusations that

Roxas and the ruling Liberal Party were the ones behind the disqualification cases that were filed against independent presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe. Roxas has also been accused of masterminding the alleged smear campaign against Vice President Jejomar Binay, the standard-bearer of the United National Alliance, through the Senate’s investigation of his alleged ill-gotten wealth. Barzaga said Roxas and the

LP were being accused of being the brains behind the disqualification cases against Poe even if a link between the administration and the petitioners could not be clearly established. He said Rizalito David, the one who filed the petition against Poe before the Senate Electoral Tribunal and later with the Commission on Elections, could not be traced to Roxas or the LP since he was identified with former Senator Francisco Tatad. Maricel V. Cruz

Assurance. Vice President Jejomar Binay assures students of the Visayas State University that more dormitories will be put up within the campus.

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Inflation-adjusted taxes eyed By Macon Ramos-Araneta AFTER President Benigno Aquino III rejected proposals to lower income tax rates, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara filed a new tax reform bill adjusting the levels of taxable income to inflation in a bid to ease taxpayers’ burden and to make the tax system more equitable and progressive. Angara noted that Aquino and his economic managers are pushing for the passage of the Salary Standardization Law IV that would increase the salaries of 1.3-million government employees but the P50billion cost is even more than the P30 billion that is expected to be lost with tax rate cuts. But even if the government increases salaries, Angara noted that workers will make less money in real terms than in 1997 because of inflation and the higher tax bracket because there are no provisions for indexation or automatic adjustment. He also stressed that the Aquino administration has more than enough fiscal space to implement both the SSL IV and the income tax reform due to underspending. He guaranteed any revenue loss can be recovered, particularly through the VAT on goods, because of the additional spending of the people who have higher take-home pay. “I am still pushing for tax reform

despite the clock ticking and election season fast approaching. This is not merely an economic issue or a political move. Income tax reform is an issue of social justice, fairness and equity,” said Angara, chairperson of the Senate ways and means committee. However, he conceded that the Senate alone cannot pass this bill because of the Constitution’s origination clause which provides that all revenue measures must originate from the House of Representatives. “We must aim for a society where the hardworking are rewarded and given a chance to move up. We must enable our workers to comfortably provide for their families and their future,” he added While their initial proposal was to lower the tax rates across-theboard and compress the tax brackets from seven to five, he said adjusting income taxes to take into account inflation is a more viable proposal for the remaining time of the present administration.

Manila

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TODAY

Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street Manila 1004

INVITATION TO BID FOR THE ENGAGEMENT OF SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE DELIVERY OF DESIGN, LAYOUT AND PRINTING OF THE 2015 PHILIPPINE EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE (PH-EITI) REPORT 1.

The DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE (DOF), through the Government of the Philippines under the General Appropriations Act for FY 2015, intends to apply the sum of Three Million Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP3,200,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Engagement of Service Provider for the Delivery of Design, Layout and Printing of the 2015 Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PH-EITI) Report (the “Project”). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The DOF, through its Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC), now invites Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) registered contractors to apply for eligibility and to bid for the Engagement of Service Provider for the Delivery of Design, Layout and Printing of the 2015 Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PH-EITI) Report. Bidders should have completed, within three (3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project which is equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC for the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (R-IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. However, only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference, and raise or submit written queries or clarifications.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA No. 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act No. 138.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the SBAC Secretariat and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on November 9, 2015 at the General Services Division, 7th Floor EDPC Building, BSP Complex, Pablo Ocampo Sr. St., Roxas Blvd., Manila upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP5,000.00), not later than the submission of their bids. The Bidding Documents may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the PhilGEPS and the website of the DOF, provided that the Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The schedule of bidding activities are as follows: ACTIVITIES Schedules Posting of Invitation to Bid November 7, 2015 Issuance and Availability of Bid Documents Starting November 9, 2015 Pre-Bid Conference November 16, 2015, 10:30 a.m. Request for Clarification November 21, 2015 (by email) Issuance of Supplemental Bid Bulletin November 24, 2015 Deadline for Submission of Bids December 1, 2015, 9:45 a.m. Opening of Bids December 1, 2015 10:00 a.m.

Bids must be delivered to the address provided above on or before December 1, 2015, 9:45 a.m. The bidders shall drop their duly accomplished eligibility requirements, technical and financial proposals in two (2) separate envelopes in the bid box located at the abovementioned address. All the Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bid opening shall be on the date indicated above at the DFG Conference Room, 4th Floor DOF Building. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. “LATE BIDS SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED”

DOF reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

(TS-NOV. 7, 2015)

(SGD) MA. TERESA S. HABITAN Assistant Secretary and DOF-SBAC Chairman

Tondo fire. Firemen alternate in battling the fire that broke out at a three-storey automotive parts building in Tondo, Manila Friday. The fire reached third alarm. JANSEN ROMERO

‘Bonus refunds up to govt firms’ By Sandy Araneta IT WILL be up to government-owned and controlled corporations whether to return the P626-million salaries and bonuses they received in 2014, but were subsequently disallowed by the Commission on Audit, the Palace said Friday. “It will be up to the individual GOCCs if they have observations from CoA relative to their salaries, to their bonuses,” said Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte during a press briefing at Malacañang. “We know that the government is following strict policies when it comes to giving out bonuses and that the concerned agencies need to answer the Commission on Audit regarding these observations,” Valte said.

The CoA ordered the return of a total of P626 million worth of unauthorized bonuses, allowances, and incentives paid by 28 GOCCs to its officials and employees. In a 479-page 2014 Annual Financial Report on GOCCs released on Oct. 31, the CoA identified a total of 28 GOCCs that violated the rules on the allowable salaries, allowances and bonuses for GOCCs officials and employees. These GOCCs were ordered by CoA to return the unauthorized amount to the government through notices of disallowance. The copy of the AFR was sent to the Office of the President, the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives. Based on the AFR, the Phil-

ippine Economic Zone Authority recorded the biggest amount YELL CYAN MAGENTA of unlawful cash releases. The CoA said Peza’s disallowance for 2014 reached P213.84 million which consisted of P165.252 million overpayment of salaries, allowances and benefits; P27.063 million unauthorized across-the-board increase of Christmas bonuses which range from P50,000 to P75,000 for each official/employee; and anniversary bonuses amounting to P21.525 million. The CoA said Peza has been unlawfully overpaying its officials and employees with salaries, allowances and incentives since 2009. The state auditors noted that as of Dec. 31, 2014, the Peza’s accumulated disallowed compensation stood at P697 million.

Clergy score AFP red-baiting By John Paolo Bencito RELIGIOUS groups scored the Armed Forces of the Philippines for “red-baiting” foreigners who were part of an independent factfinding probe that looked into the atrocities committed against indigenous people in Mindanao, called lumad. “No, they aren’t linked with the [Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples’ Army]. We don’t know what’s on the mind of the AFP. We asked them repeatedly if they could speak with us to know their point-of-view, but to no avail,” Bishop Modesto Villasanta of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines told The Standard in an interview. Villasanta blasted the military for repeatedly ignoring their request for interviews and instead choosing to vilify the probe.

“We’ve personally sent a letter to Col. Isidro Purisima, the commander of the 402nd IB and Senior Supt. Narciso Verdadero, the PNP provincial director, asking if the members of the IFFI can talk with them on the killing of lumad. But we were rejected for several times,” Villasanta added. On Thursday, Army spokesperson Col. Benjamin Hao accused six foreign members of the IFFM of having links with leftist cohorts and branding the IFFM itself as “fake.” “As tourists, they cannot meddle in the internal affairs of the country. Our immigration rules are simple and clear. They are not authorized to conduct a fact-finding mission as they had no authority from any international organization nor clearance from the [Department of Foreign Affairs],” Hao said. Villasanta identified the for-

eigners as Jonas Straetsmans of Belgium, Dalkiran Metin and Hans Schaap of the Netherlands, Gill Boehringer of Australia and Henry Langston and Philip Calles of Vice News London. They were part of the 140-man team, majority of whom were Filipinos, that was commissioned as an “ecumenical effort” by the UCCP, the Aglipayan Church and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tandag in efforts to prosecute the people behind the killings of lumad. “They have already completed the probe just last week,” Villasanta said. The AFP and the PNP claimed that Schaap, in particular, helped recruit members for the NPA’s Southern and Western Mindanao guerrilla fronts and has direct contact with NPA leader George Madlos.

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Miriam eyes bill against Edca

Pink protest.

More than 2,000 x-ray technicians of the Office of Transportation Safety wear pink arm bands to protest generalizations that their agency is full of scalawags who plant bullets in the luggage of travelers in order to shake down airline passengers. ERIC APOLONIO

By Macon Araneta SENATOR Miriam Defensor Santiago will return to the plenary session on Monday to sponsor a Senate resolution expressing the sense of the chamber that any treaty or international agreement, including the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the US, requires Senate concurrence. Once sponsored, the resolution will be open to debate on the Senate floor and the resolution will likely be put to a vote on the same day. Under Senate rules, a simple majority of senators present in a quorum is required to adopt such a resolution. Santiago, chairperson of the Senate foreign relations committee, will submit the resolution for adoption by the majority amid reports that the Supreme Court is set to rule on the validity of the Edca prior to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit on Nov. 18 to 19. US President Barack Obama, along with other heads of state of Apec members, will be in the Philippines for the summit. Santiago had earlier sent to the Supreme Court a copy of the proposed Senate resolution on Edca and a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate is a strong statement from the legislative body. The Santiago resolution, in particular, decries how the Senate, with which the President shares treaty-making powers, was sidestepped on the Edca signed by Manila and Washington in April 2014.

Palace: No tariff hikes without Congress okay By Sandy Araneta MALACAÑANG stressed on Friday that the Bureau of Customs cannot unilaterally increase tariffs without the advise and consent of Congress. “I did see that report and we also want to know more about it,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said of reports that the BoC will increase tariffs on balikbayan boxes this Christmas season. “But for me, tariffs cannot be raised without the approval either via treaty or by Congress,” Valte said. “This cannot be if Congress did not approve this. Nonetheless, we have already asked the Department of Finance,” said Valte. Support groups for migrant workers earlier welcomed an apology by Customs Commissioner

Alberto Lina at a Senate hearing for the opening of balikbayan boxes for flimsy reasons. He said the BoC’s campaign was only aimed at unscrupulous individuals and syndicates that try to take advantage of the lax procedures for containers that bring in balikbayan boxes to smuggle their own contraband. Lina is owner and chairman of the board of about 18 freight forwarding and affiliated companies involved in shipping, warehousing and customs brokerage, which critics said is a “conflict of inter-

est” because he is already the Customs commissioner. Lina reportedly passed on his companies to his wife and children to avoid the “conflict of interest.” But another irritant emerged between the bureau and the OFW sector—the BoC’s doubling of shipping container taxes, which will effectively translate into a pass-on cost of P100 per box initially, and P250 by December, for the OFWs. “The cat is out of the bag. The additional charge that the Bureau of Customs has imposed on a container of balikbayan boxes is now out in the open,” Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said. The two-step increase between now and Christmas, when thousands of boxes are sent home by OFWs, will translate into an additional cost to the workers of P100 initially, and another P150 for a

total of P250, said Recto. In the press statement, Recto said “it has been confirmed that the amount of duties and taxes on a shipping container has been increased from P80,000 to P120,000.” Because the increase will eventually be shouldered by OFWs who send the boxes, the pass-on cost is P100 per box. This is based on a usual load of 400 balikbayan boxes per 40-foot container, Recto explained. It has also been confirmed at the hearing, added Recto, that Customs plans to further raise the duties and taxes on a container of balikbayan boxes to P180,000 this October. Again, this will be passed on to senders of these boxes. If this second round of increases will materialize, the additional charge per box will be P150, he added.

US, China banter on patrol

Hoping on trade. Former Trade Undersecretary Ernesto Ordoñez, currently chairman of Alyansa Agrikultura, explains the supposed gains in trade and industry that the Bangsamoro Basic Law would purportedly bring to Mindanao. DANNY PATA

ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT —As the United States and China engaged in a standoff last week over an American naval vessel in Chinese-claimed waters, frontline officers from the two sides bantered about chicken wings and Halloween preparations. Washington sent the guided missile destroyer USS Lassen to the South China Sea for a “sail-by” of Chinese-built islands that have raised concerns over Beijing’s deepening toe-hold in the strategic waterway. The move brought angry denunciations from China, which said its sovereignty had been vi-

olated, with US defense officials countering that American ships would continue such sailings. But despite the big-power ramifications, radio contact between the two sides at the scene was frequent and surprisingly relaxed, according to an account of the close encounter by the USS Lassen’s skipper, Commander Robert Francis. “Every day a US ship is down here, we interact with the Chinese,” Francis said. “It’s not uncommon for one of my officers on the decks to pick up the radio and start talking [to the Chinese].” Francis spoke to reporters on Thursday after

being helicoptered over from his ship to the USS Theodore Roosevelt—also cruising the South China Sea—during a visit to the giant aircraft carrier by US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who was on a diplomatic swing through Asia. “We picked up the phone and said, ‘Hey, what are you guys doing this Saturday? We got pizza and wings, we’re doing this, we’re planning for Halloween as well,’” Francis said, recalling exchanges with the Chinese navy. “So, discussions of that nature, just trying to show we are normal sailors like them, have families just like them.” AFP

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SEC files charges vs EmGoldex officials

‘Workers to suffer most during leaders’ summit’

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives on Friday slammed the “no work, no pay” policy that will be imposed in the special non-working holidays in the National Capital Region during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leader’s summit to be held in Manila from Nov. 17 to 18.

THE Securities and Exchange Commission has filed criminal charges before the Department of Justice against those behind another Ponzi scheme allegedly being peddled by incorporators of Prosperous Infinite Philippine Holdings Corp. under the names EmGoldex Philippines and Global Intergold. The two groups were reported to sell and distribute unregistered securities to the public without a license. Named respondents in the complaint for violation of Section 8 and 28 of the Securities Regulation Code were Kevin Miranda, Ryan Manuit, Charles Juiz Padilla, Rabel Ymas, John Rafael Calicdan, Paul Alviar. If found guilty of violating the said SRC provisions, the respondents may be fined more than P5 million or imprisonment of seven to 21 years, or both. The regulatory body stated that through the assistance of the Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, it was able to gather evidence including affidavits of two victims who are active police officials. Based on its investigation, the said companies were able to recruit at least 95 investors. Citing affidavits of the policemen, the SEC said that an estimated P2.7-million cash investment has already been made by them with an estimated return loss of at least P11 million. One of the two PNP officials invested in EmGoldex in desperation after his house burned down early this year, the SEC recounted. SEC’s Enforcement and Investor Protection Department assistant director Lalaine Monserate said the entitled operate a classic Ponzi scheme of getting cash investments and giving high return payouts through the recruitment of people.

By Maricel V. Cruz

“It is so easy for the Aquino government—that has displayed extraordinary callousness and apathy towards the common people—to say that workers will not be receiving pay for two days or more

during the Apec meeting. The unfeeling government fails to see how the daily wage earners are already struggling to make ends meet with today’s wages and high cost of public goods and services,” House

deputy minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said. On Wednesday, the Department of Labor and Employment announced that “no-work, no-pay” principle shall apply in the special holidays. Contractual workers will suffer the most in this policy, Colmenares complained. “About 22 percent of the government work force are contractual workers, and that is even higher in the private sector. Since contractual workers are paid for a day’s work, a two-day halt in getting their pay could mean meals that their family will not eat, they will not be able to buy

medicine, and they will not be able to afford transportation fares.” “The Aquino government does not comprehend the difficulty our workers are facing to gain a decent life, and how they hang on to every peso they earn,” he added. Rep. Carlos Zarate, citing data from the independent think-tank Ibon Foundation, said minimum wage is at P466 per day, while the daily cost of living in Metro Manila is at P1,088. “The government has allotted P7.9 billion of the people’s money to primp the country for the Apec summit. Street dwellers are being swept off. The government

is hard at work to cover-up the crippling poverty in our country. Government forces are on red alert to disperse protests against Apec. The public is paying for the full price of this high-level meeting in every sense of the word,” Zarate said. Zarate also criticized the Apec meeting and agenda, saying that the gathering will further entrench “neoliberal” policies of deregulation, privatization, liberalization, and denationalization of industries that has caused the high cost of public utilities and goods, contractualization and low wages, and the underdevelopment of industries, among others.

Drill. Members of the Quezon City Police District conduct a VIP Protection Drill in preparation for the Apec summit to be held later this month. EY ACASIO

Overstaying workers sign up for Oman’s amnesty program By Vito Barcelo

AT LEAST 301 overstaying overseas Filipino workers have availed themselves of Oman’s amnesty program for illegal foreign workers, the Department of Labor and Employment said. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the OFWs were provided assistance under the repatriation program of the Philippine government. “The 301 illegally staying Filipinos who came out and registered for repatriation to avoid being penalized as the Sultanate of Oman’s extended amnesty program for illegally staying foreign workers ended last October,” Baldoz said. “Some of them were already repatriated, while others are now awaiting approval for repatriation by the Oman Ministry of Manpower and Immigration,” Baldoz said. The Oman amnesty program which

started in April this year was extended to Oct. 31, 2015. Oman authorities will now strictly enforce the law and will go after all illegal foreign nationals. “Since the amnesty program was launched, we have made an ardent call to illegally staying Filipinos in the Sultanate to avoid penalties and detention,” Baldoz said. An estimated 600,000 illegal foreign workers were documented by the Oman authorities, but only 100,000 of them have left the country, she said. The Oman National Statistics and Information Center reported 1,470 illegal Filipino workers in the Sultanate, but only 301 of them have come out and signed up for the amnesty program. The amnesty program took effect last 1 April 2015, and was subsequently extended to encourage more illegal workers to avail of the program.

Hop in. The Metro Manila Development Authority conducts its Pasig River Ferry Parade at the Guadalupe Station in Makati and launches two new ferries, MB Inocentes and MB Tolentino. JOEL ZURBANO

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NEWS

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Rebels attack lumad village

La Union, Ilocos Sur agree on boundary, end dispute SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union—The adjacent provinces of La Union and Ilocos Sur ended Thursday afternoon their century-old boundary dispute after officials of both provinces signed a memorandum of agreement for the settlement at the provincial capitol here.

By Froilan Gallardo

CAGAYAN DE ORO— Suspected New People’s Army rebels attacked a village where a controversial lumad school is located in Kitaotao town in Bukidnon province Wednesday afternoon, the military said. Capt. Patrick Martinez, 4th Infantry Division information officer, said around 100 NPA rebels took three residents as hostages after they attacked the village in Sitio Upper Bayugan, Barangay Kitubo in Kitaotao town Wednesday afternoon. Martinez said the rebels took Jovanie Rebecacca, 17; Nonoy Paradero, 61 years old and his son, Dilly, all residents of Sitio Dao, Barangay White Kulaman, also in Kitaotao town. He said the rebels later released Paradero and the elder Nonoy but held on Dilly who was taken to an undisclosed location. Pursuit operations by the police and military to find the hostage are ongoing. Sitio Upper Bayugan is located some 10 kilometers from Barangay White Kulman where local leaders tried to close the Fr. Fausto Tentorio Memorial School, a small school for lumad suspected to be a front for NPA rebels. Barangay White Kulman chair Felipe Cabugnason said Dilly was among those who petitioned to close the school and may have angered the NPA rebels.

Nativity scene. A belen made of 80 percent recyclable materials is on display at the Belenismo sa Tarlac 2015 at Camp General Servillano Aquino, McArthur Highway, Tarlac City. LINO SANTOS

Officials of the two provinces agreed with the establishment of a borderline along the Amburayan River which permanently divide the towns of Sudipen, La Union and Tagudin, Ilocos Sur. The boundary along the river was established by a composite team chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “The technical description of the DENR together with the proposed map in relation to the boundary lines along the River in Tagudin and Sudipen, are hereby accepted and adopted by the parties as the true and correct boundary lines in the two municipalities,” read part of the agreement. “This is a win-win solution to solve our long time boundary dispute. It’s [agreement] for economic gains for both of us and to avoid the long process in court,” said Gov. Ryan Singson who headed his province’s delegation for the signing. Aside from Singson, those who signed the MoA are La Union Gov. Manuel Ortega, Mayor Jose Bonuan of Tagudin, Mayor Wendy Joy Buquing of Sudipen, and Paquito Moreno, DENR regional executive director. “We are glad that the dispute has been resolved. We have no more problem with regards to quarrying and fishing. We already know our boundaries,” Buquing said.

Sandiganbayan: Sarangani’s ex-gov guilty of malversation By Rio N. Araja THE Sandiganbayan has convicted former Gov. Miguel Escobar of Sarangani and ex-agriculturist Romeo Miole to suffer a jail term of 10 to 18 years for malversation of public funds. Escobar, a lawyer, and Miole were held criminally liable for misappropriation of 1,875 sacks of rice intended for victims of the La Niña. The Office of the Ombudsman was able to prove that the sacks of rice were diverted and given to barangay and municipal officials one week prior to the 2002 elections. Escobar and Miole were also meted out the accessory penal-

ties of perpetual special disqualification from holding any public office, and were ordered to pay a fine of P1.44 million. In 2001, the provincial government adopted the sagip taniman project for the livelihood rehabilitation of farmers affected by the La Niña. Escobar approved the disbursement voucher, purchase request, purchase order, requisition and issue slip for 1,875 sacks of rice worth P1.44 million. On the other hand, Miole prepared the project design and certified in the disbursement voucher that the expenses were necessary and lawful. “In allowing the distribution of the sacks of rice to the

municipal and barangay officials, [Escobar] consented to the appropriation by persons who were not the listed beneficiaries of the program,” the decision read. The anti-graft court said Escobar’s contention that he came to know of such fact only after the distribution of the sacks of rice. “It finds it hard to believe that a project involving the distribution of 1,875 sacks of rice that took place in his province and which he is duty bound to supervise would escape his attention. It would even be considered as an admission of his negligence because even after learning of the distribution of the sacks of rice, he did not do anything.”

Fitness buffs. More than 7,000 students perform physical fitness exercises during the opening of the Baguio High School Intramurals 2015. DAVID CHAN

S AT U R D AY : N O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO

OUTRAGED OVER ‘TANIMBALA’

[ EDI TORI A L ]

HIDING THE HOMELESS THE Palace has denied it is shelling out money to hide away street children in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held later this month. This was in response to the claim of Manila Archbishop Broderick Pabillo that the government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, was distributing P4,000 to homeless people so that they could rent temporary homes between Nov. 15 and 20. By sheer coincidence, these are the dates when 21 heads of state and their staff would fly in to the Philippines for the summit that would talk about economic development and poverty alleviation, among others. According to a Palace spokesman, the P4,000 is not meant to keep the homeless out of sight of the world leaders. It is, instead, part of the modified conditional cash transfer program. This is nothing new. In January, when Pope Francis was here, the same DSWD sent street children and their families to a Nasugbu, Batangas resort for a workshop. The Palace claimed that such activities were conducted all the time, with or without VIPs coming to visit. DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman also said the children were sent away so they would not be vulnerable to the influx of people coming to witness the pope. This time around, however, there will be no crowds congregating on streets to catch a glimpse of the world leaders. In fact, students and workers are getting additional holidays, whether they like it or not, to give the illusion that driving through Metro Manila is a breeze. To which, then, will the homeless be vulnerable? We are aghast that the Palace still has the gall to invent excuses for such obvious acts of cover-up. Then again, despite its much-vaunted straight-path policy, it has never been big enough to admit its weaknesses and failures. After five years, we have become used to this pattern. For an administration that prides itself in its supposed transparency, this one seems to have a lot to hide.

INCONSISTENT BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO WHILE Budget Secretary Butch Abad concocted the Disbursement Acceleration Program to fast-track government spending for infrastructure projects, only P10.28 billion out of the P15 billion in disaster relief meant for Typhoon “Yolanda” victims has been disbursed, according to the Commission on Audit. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council has

a different figure but still shows a huge chunk of the funds remains unspent. Why so fast with DAP funds but not as forthcoming with money for victims of national calamities? It has been exactly two years ago on Nov. 8 since super typhoon Yolanda struck and devastated Leyte, Samar and other parts of Eastern Visayas. The calamity fund balance parked in government banks like the Development Bank of the Philippines has been earning interest in the last two years. What is the government keeping the money for? While the government is awash in cash, many of the typhoon victims are

still living in tents waiting for the government to deliver aid for rehabilitation and shelter. By the way, why was Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman never made to answer for tons of relief goods found rotting and buried underground instead of being distributed to Yolanda victims? She still has to account for billions in Conditional Cash Transfer funds to poor and marginalized Filipino families. The six percent-plus growth in the economy is inconsistent with the increase in the number of hungry Filipinos, according to a recent survey by Social Watch PH. Another Cabinet member

Nobody gets fired from the Aquino Cabinet and the agencies headed by the President’s friends.

whose department is linked to rice, sugar, garlic and onion smuggling is Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala. In a recent speech, Alcala urged young people of Cordillera to stay in the region to till the land instead of going to IT schools in Manila. Alcala should be the last person to suggest a college course in agriculture considering how the National Food Authority under his department keeps importing rice from Thailand and Vietnam. The NFA claimed it still imports rice to keep a buffer stock for the lean months of harvest. But how can agriculture get a boost when the government is not spending enough for irrigation and when funds for fertilizers are diverted to officials? Former Pampanga Gov. Lito Lapid and five other

officials have been charged before the Sandiganbayan for the anomalous purchase of fertilizer for farmers. The joke these days is that agriculture has found a new meaning in the “tanimbala” (bullet planting ) scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. In his usual cock-eyed assessment of this international embarrassment, President B.S Aquino III blamed the media for blowing out of proportion the series of bullet-planting incidents to frame departing and arriving passengers. He even went to the extent of calling the

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bullet-planting scam an opposition plot to derail the presidential bid of ruling Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas. In the first place, there really is no opposition in today’s multiparty system with shared candidates. In the second place, it’s giving too much credit to the creativity of politicians to concoct such a strategy. Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez who composed the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” slogan was quick to chime in that the airport scam has not affected tourists visiting the Philippines. Wow,

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that was a quick conclusion and yet it took airport authorities years to learn such a racket was going on right under their very noses! It took the messenger of the bad news (the media) to expose the extortion racket after several passengers came out to recount their harrowing tale at the hands of the scumbags. The airport named after the President’s father, the assassinated Senator Benigno Aquino Jr, has been labeled as the world’s worst airport and now also feared as the most dangerous Continued on A11

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

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

THE people are angry, very angry, and rightly so. This “tanim-bala” scam that mainly victimize overseas Filipino workers and elderly travelers has again exposed how incompetent, insensitive, and thick-faced many of our government officials are. This administration, instead of immediately going to work to stop this illegal activity, again, first chose to ignore and trivialize the problem. Secretary Coloma’s statement saying that only a few cases of “tanim-bala” for extortion have been found among the thousands of passengers that pass through Naia drew flak from netizens because not only did it deny the existence of the problem, it also ignored the sufferings that innocent victims have to go through. Like previous issues, this scandal showed how outrageously insensitive our high officials are to the travails of our so-called “bagong bayani.” They don’t care if the likes of Nanay Gloria suffer from stress, lose their jobs, and unjustly go through our long-winded “justice” system because of a case brought against them. But obviously, they are concerned with how airport personnel feel because of this scandal. As Department of Transportation and Communication Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said, the morale of people working in airports is low over this issue. In the first place, this would not happen if bad eggs were unable to thrive at airports. If government acted with dispatch instead of ignoring and trivializing the problem, this would not have exploded into their faces. The low morale of airport personnel is the doing of incompetent officials in high places. No one else should be blamed except themselves. Again, we have witnessed this administration’s penchant for blaming everyone else for problems that, in the first place, are brought about by incompetence of its people. If we have leaders who are able to do their job, this scam, which, according to recent reports, have victimized hundreds of travelers for this year alone, would not proliferate. Instead, officials decry the media for exposing the scam, netizens and social media for exacting accountability from them, and blame even possible victims as if they have been proven guilty. This administration’s outrageous incompetence is inexcusable. As I said last week, it does not matter who the perpetrators are. Government with its vast powers could have immediately put a stop to this. It could have removed from position not only the officials directly responsible for airport security, but all personnel who could be involved even as investigation is under way. 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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

S AT U R D AY : N O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO

OUTRAGED OVER ‘TANIMBALA’

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Nobody gets fired from the Aquino Cabinet and the agencies headed by the President’s friends.

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

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

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

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A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

LOCKING OURSELVES WITH THE DEVIL BACK BENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN IT SEEMS we have completely locked ourselves with the devil, for better or for worse. There is no way we could extricate ourselves from that tight situation we created. After the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued its award on jurisdiction and admissibility of our claim in the China Sea, this country will from now on be gearing in enforcing a decision in the event PCA rules in our favor. While we rejoice about that hollow decision, we have completely turn our back to any future negotiations. From now on, this country would be guided by the PCA ruling, which in truth has no effective machinery to enforce its decisions.

Direct talks remains conducive much that there is no external pressure passed on by third parties as in defense of the interest of one contesting party.

Those who fully realize its consequence will avoid bringing their dispute to international tribunals much it could shut off their chances to negotiate where they still enjoy a room for flexibility. Aside from the reality that there is no supra state to enforce obedience, allowing the PCA to decide our dispute with China has become a humiliating process. Before we could formally lodge our cause, it would require the consent of the other party. It would have been ideal if the members of the United Nations automatically became members of the International Court of Justice where they would be committed to abide to the ICJ’s ruling with the permanent members of the Security Council enforcing it. But it was not conceived to work that way by the victorious Allied Powers.

To date, states refuse to recognize and submit to the jurisdiction of any international tribunal invoking the Westphalian theory of state supremacy. They refuse to submit to its jurisdiction or accept its ruling on the basis that jurisdiction is synonymous to the exercise of their sovereignty. This explains why international law is often violated than observed. Most states would rather resort to diplomacy to amicably settle their disputes because it provides them wider flexibility to negotiate and exact some kind of quid pro quo that would not affect their status as an independent and sovereign state. Direct talks remains conducive much that there is no external pressure passed on by third parties as in defense of the interest of one contesting party. Hence, when Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio cited the UN ruling where it ordered the US to pay Nicaragua $30 million in damages, he did not explain that Nicaragua’s claim was not about jurisdiction over a piece of territory or island, but a claim for damages. Besides, the decision of the US to pay Nicaragua was more of a political consideration than compliance to the UN ruling. The gesture to increase the amount to $500 million was meant to prop-up Violeta Chamorro’s government that for a time eclipsed the Marxist Sandinista government of Daniel Ortega in 1990. It must be recalled that Violeta Chamorro was presented to the world by the US as Nicaragua’s equivalent of Cory Aquino whose husband, the editor of La Prensa, was assassinated. The outpouring of sympathy was exploited to defeat the Sandinista government. In other words, it was more of a bribe than payment for reparations. Historically, the US has never ceded an inch of the territories it annexed from Mexico like what it did to grab Texas, Florida, New Mexico, and Southern California. The US similarly did not hand back the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico to Spain. In fact, if one has to strictly follow Carpio’s line of thought, it could cite the $20-million payment made by the US to Spain for ceding the Philippine in 1898, although

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

OUR POST-‘YOLANDA’ EFFORTS

TOMORROW, Nov. 8, marks the second anniversary of Typhoon “Yolanda”/ Haiyan making landfall in the Philippines. Yolanda remains one of “the most powerful storms to make landfall in recorded history.” The extent of damage it wrought speaks for itself: more than 6,300 lives lost, displacement of more than four million people, and the widespread disruption of economies and livelihoods as well as damage to homes and infrastructure across the Yolanda corridor. All sectors of Philippine society responded. After the initial shock and paralysis, the national government, local governments, citizen organizations, the private sector and even academia were able to mobilize themselves, participate in the immediate relief, and play roles in the long road of rebuilding communities and ensuring greater resilience against natural disasters and the negative impact of climate change. On a more informal basis, families, individuals and neighborhoods also got their act together to help themselves. I was able to see first hand all of these as I saw how relatives in the Leyte towns of Tanauan and Palo rise up to the challenge even as some family members perished from the storm surge. Following Yolanda/Haiyan, we certainly have become better as a nation in preparing for natural di-

sasters. The appointment by President Aquino of Undersecretary Alexander Pama as the country’s disaster czar has been helpful in this respect. A former navy chef and chief of staff of former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Pama is a visionary. He is a brilliant and strategic thinker and implementor. In both Typhoons “Ruby” (in Decemebr 2014) and “Lando” a few weeks ago, Pama and his government colleagues did a good job reducing casualties. A lot has been done, but the work is far from finished; after all, Yolanda was a particularly striking illustration of what it means for the Philippines to be ranked as the second “most at risk worldwide” and third “most exposed worldwide” to natural disasters, by the 2014 World Risk Report. The immediate consequences of disaster events such as Yolanda are dire and they additionally undermine the long-term development prospects of affected communities. The 2015 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction from the United Nations estimates that the Philippines loses an average $7.893 million annually as a result of multiple hazards, comprising 69 percent of social expenditure in the country. In the aftermath of Yolanda, the Ateneo de Manila University, through the Ateneo School of Government, organized and

sent volunteer lawyers and law students to Leyte and Samar to help in the Legal Mission implemented by the citizen organization IDEALS. Under my personal direction and enabled by the leadership of lawyer Pauline Caspellan, formerly of ASoG and now working on disaster risk reduction and management issues with the United Nations Development Programme, our lawyers and volunteers assisted typhoon survivors on legal issues such as identity, property problems, claims for benefits, etc. ADMU has also been active in responding to disasters with its DREAM team mobilizing and coordinating relief efforts when major disasters occur. As the designated representative of the academic community in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the university has been actively involved in the sunset review process of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. As we have consistently advocated in the past, ADMU has continue to push for the creation of a new and independent DRRM agency. Just a few weeks ago, ADMU forged a collaborative partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Science and Technology, and IBM Philippines to establish ReliefOps.ph, a decision

support system for disaster preparedness and management response efforts.I am personally excited about this, having participated with two young PHDs, astrophysicist Reina Reyes and management expert Joline Uihcanco in the initial brainstorming for this system. As described in the ADMU press release during the signing of the partnership agreement between the collaborating institutions, ReliefOps.ph “is designed at providing data and analytics-based recommendations for the pre-positioning and allocation of relief supplies using a GIS-based decision support system for disaster preparedness and response”. Going back to ASOG, we are excited to take our involvement in DRRM a step further through the partnership agreement it recently signed with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. HHI is an interdisciplinary initiative across Harvard University focused on “developing evidence-based approaches to humanitarian assistance” and building resiliency more broadly. One of the programs under HHI focuses on resilient communities, whose flagship project is the Philippine-focused DisasterNet. The objective of DisasterNet is to improve grassroots preparedness and response by leveraging educational and research programs at Harvard Continued to advance the on A11

strictly speaking, it was a forced sale which Spain had no choice but to accept. The PCA ruling which acknowledged jurisdiction over our claim has only heightened jingoism among our local war mongers. China now sees the ruling as infringement on its sovereignty that objectively, is far from the issue the Philippines want to be resolved. The worst is, in the event the PCA finally decide the case in our favor, our country would then be preparing for possible proxy war with China for which our people will never have a chance to understand. The US could manipulate our people’s blind rage that Spratly Islands are part of our national territory which many political analysts think is most suited to erase the suspicion that we are fighting a war not of our own making, and a war not in defense of

our own interest. As our people are made to believe and accept this calibrated propaganda that the PCA ruling recognized our “historic right” over those islands, many are puzzled why we remain timid in invoking the same principle in our claim over Sabah which is enforced by a legal title. There is no way for our people to know whether they would in the future be fighting as claimants of those uninhabited islands, or in fact defending the interest of the US in securing the strategic passageway and for the minerals and oil deposits in the area which it has long coveted. Our active endorsement of the US Pivot Asia policy has made the country the first perimeter line in preventing the continued decline of US power and influence in Asia. In fact, our claim in the China Sea has even enticed the local Left

and the so-called progressive elements to side with the monopoly-capitalists. Right now, we are the only country that has been most intransigent to any bilateral negotiations without considering that it is the most appropriate, much that it limits the negotiations to parties directly involved. The stragglers of the Cold War, who think we are still living in an era of ideological supremacy, are the ones manipulating things for us. Such is most lamentable, for it indicates that this administration does not even understand why we are hosting Apec, and what we want to achieve in that important gathering. AntiChinese groups are even spreading the word that Presidents Xi Jinping might not come. China has much more to gain in its continued rapprochement with the countries of Asia than in dealing with one who does

not seem to know the direction of his foreign policy, except to pledge his unwavering loyalty to the US. Right now, all countries gravitate towards China hoping that by extending their collective economic cooperation, they would be able to avoid a repetition of history where they fought a proxy war based on the discredited US “domino theory,” that if one would fall to the communists, the rest will follow. The US is rather selfish, for while it continues to take advantage in having a close economic ties with China, it takes the opposite position by discouraging Asian countries from developing their own channel to avail of China’s “silk road” through the newly organized Asian International Infrastructure Bank which has for its objective the spreading of prosperity across Asia. rpkapunan@yahoo.com

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A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA THE camp of Senator Grace Poe has conceded that the senator is unable to establish the circumstances surrounding her birth through DNA tests recently undertaken. This means that the DNA samples used in the tests do not link Poe to any surmised parent or relative. All is not lost for Poe, though. If Poe is able to establish paternity or filiation through credible tests performed on other authenticated DNA samples she may happen to acquire soon enough, then perhaps she may be able to contest the disqualification cases filed against her before the Senate Electoral Tribunal and the Commission on Elections. Considering, however, that the DNA samples Poe used in the recent tests must have been the best samples available to her, then the likelihood of her getting even better, more reliable samples is statistically slim. Adding to Poe’s woes is the limited time left for her to do so, inasmuch as both the SET and the Comelec have to decide the cases against her sooner or later, but ideally before election day. Even assuming that the recent DNA tests were favorable to Poe, the findings are still subject to intense scrutiny by her opponents in the SET and Come-

Outraged... From A9 As a point of comparison, look at what Davao City immediately did. Police visibility inside and outside of the airport has been significantly increased and people are repeatedly informed and cautioned. Cameras were placed where “tanim bala” could possibly happen to record the minutest of details as passengers go through screeners making it hard for the bullet-planting to happen. The local government acted as needed, and no untoward incident has been reported since. A simple solution has also been proposed by former Representative Roilo Golez—confiscate the bullets and let the passengers board their planes. This will remove the power of those criminals operating in the airports over the passengers. If this cannot be done through an Executive Order because of the existing law, then Congress must step in to amend the law as far as criminalizing possession of bullet/s goes.

Inconsistent... From A9 passage for departing and arriving passengers. The Naia is under the purview of Transportation and Communication Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya who’s also blamed for the daily breakdown of the Metro Rail Transit and Land

DNA WOES, AND MORE, FOR GRACE POE lec cases. Other experts in Senate on the ground that she DNA technology will be sought is not a natural-born citizen for their expert opinion. The of the Philippines, a final rulmethodology used by the sci- ing against Poe in the SET case, entists who examined the DNA unless vacated by the Supreme samples provided by Poe will Court on appeal, will have a be subjected to further evalua- direct bearing on her disqualition. Where an area of possible fication case in the Comelec disagreement exists, there is because the Constitution manthe likelihood of experts arriv- dates that presidents and senaing at conflicting opinions. Any tors must be natural-born citidisparity in the expert opinions zens of the Philippines. will also pose a problem to the Poe’s case in the Comelec is Supreme Court, where the dis- of equal importance because the qualification cases against Poe converse is also true—a ruling will be brought ultimately. against Poe in the Comelec will All this means that Poe re- likewise affect her case in the mains a foundling, albeit one SET. Unfortunately, however, adopted by the late Fernando the Comelec seems inclined to Poe Jr. and Jesusa Sonora, also act on Poe’s case only after the known as Susan Roces. Under SET shall have ruled on the isthe Constitution, a foundling sue concerning Poe’s citizenship does not qualify as a natural- in the SET case. This inclination born citizen of the Philippines, is unwise because the SET just and there are no applicable in- might take forever to resolve ternational conventions which that issue, and may even arrive validly provide otherwise. This at a legally untenable ruling. At legal point has been discussed any rate, the Comelec should be in detail in past essays under told that voters are entitled to this column. know, with the least delay, who Right now, Poe ought to seri- among the candidates out in ously attend to the disqualifica- the open are and are not qualition cases against her in the SET fied to run for President, so that and the Comelec. Her presiden- they do not waste their votes on tial ambition depends greatly on somebody who cannot reprethe results of both cases. sent them to begin with. Although the SET case against Whoever loses in the Comelec Poe seeks to unseat her from the and in the SET is bound to el-

evate their respective cases to the Supreme Court. If that happens, will there be enough time for the Supreme Court to resolve the Poe cases judiciously? Public interest advocates are urging the Supreme Court to discreetly prepare for the Poe cases even as early as December 2015 because of the virtual certainty that the cases will reach Padre Faura. By studying the legal issues in advance, albeit discreetly, the justices of the Supreme Court may just have enough quality time to resolve the Poe cases on the merits. Poe’s moist eye on Malacañang has put an interesting spin on both the presidential and the vice presidential races. Assuming that Poe does win as President in May 2016 and she is disqualified by competent legal authority after she is proclaimed President, the proclaimed winner of the vice presidential derby, and not the second-placer in the presidential election, succeeds as President. Actually, the situation is going to get more complicated than it so far appears. Since the Constitution vests in Congress, and not in the Comelec or the SET, the exclusive power to proclaim the winning candidates for President and vice presi-

It can be done. I do not know why the national government seems paralyzed. The National Bureau of Investigation recently confirmed the existence of a syndicate that does “tanim-bala” for extortion purposes. The NBI findings put to shame earlier statements of our responsible officials. Even the Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas did a turnaround. In contrast with his earlier statement to the effect that people found with bullets must be held responsible, he now says that the syndicate should pay. Beyond these crooks, responsible government officials must also be held accountable. I have never, in my years of writing, called for the resignation of any government official. But because nothing improves in the DoTC which also supervises our airports, Secretary Abaya should step down. Either this, or President Aquino should fire him. We have had enough of DoTC incompetence. Manila International Airport

Authority general manager Jose Angel Honrado must be removed from his office. He said he is not resigning until the one who appointed him, President Aquino, asks him to. Such callousness! If he has an iota of respect for the President, he should resign and spare PNoy some flak from the people because of his inability to perform his responsibilities. If he has some delicadeza left, he must go. People do not trust him enough to hold this important position. These officials, together with the syndicate operating “tanim-bala,” have put the entire country to shame. International media have extensively reported on this. A Japanese television show re-enacted “tanim-bala” like a comedy. Our image in the international arena has been crushed because of incompetence, corruption, and insensitivity. Many of our OFWs do not want to come home this Christmas because of this. Tourists are scared to come; they might

be victimized. We are not only shamed, our economy may also suffer. If government remains inert, the impact would last longer. It is but a few days before the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting and the “tanimbala” scam remains far from being solved. All government can do is to make assurances that nothing of this sort will happen to those coming into the country for this very important international event. PNoy’s administration must act before it is too late. This is not the time to dilly-dally. The people are outraged because of “tanim-bala.” Mar Roxas must exert all his influence on the administration to do things, and fast. The people’s patience is running out. If this is not satisfactorily solved, administration candidates might suffer from the people’s anger through the polls.

Transportation Office car license plate mess. But nobody gets fired from the Aquino Cabinet and the agencies headed by the President’s friends. So we should not expect Aquino to fire his cousin and province mate Jose Angel Honrado, the general manager of the Manila

International Airport Authority. After all, it’s Abaya’s Office of Transport Security who’s in charge of scanning and inspection of passenger baggage. As we said, nobody gets fired from the Aquino Cabinet. Look at former Philippine National Police chief Alan

Purisima, who, despite being suspended by the Ombudsman for graft charges, was still put in charge of a secret police operation. The tragic result: the Mamasapano massacre that cost the lives of 44 PNP Special Action Force commandos. Purisima finally resigned but was not fired.

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

dent, what will happen if Poe wins and Congress pre-empts both the Comelec and the SET by proclaiming Poe? There is more. Once Congress proclaims a presidential candidate, all issues relating to the qualifications of the President must be resolved by the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. If the PET rules that Poe is not a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and unseats her, will the pronouncement of the PET on the citizenship issue against Poe be binding on the SET? That is doubtful because the PET is not an appellate forum for decisions of the SET. Although pronouncements of the Supreme Court are binding on the SET, the Supreme Court and the PET are, in legal theory and in jurisprudence, distinct entities. This is confirmed by the fact that justices of the Supreme Court receive compensation as PET members, separate from the compensation they are entitled to as justices. The political formula for victory in the presidential and vice presidential derbies in May 2016 has become very complicated, indeed, thanks to a foundling who wants to be President even before completing her term as a freshman senator.

Our... From A10 understanding of disasters and resiliency as well as improve the capacity of government, civil society, and private sector leaders in the country. A key objective during the first year of the project, which is being implemented in partnership with ASOG, is to conduct a scoping of current interventions related to disaster preparedness and response in the Philippines, in order to identify the most value- adding entry points for the project. The project will be directed by Philip Dy, an ADMU alumnus who just returned from graduate studies at the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University. Philip assisted me in writing this column. A team from HHI visited the Philippines in September as part of the scoping, led by Dr. Vincenzo Bollettino, one of the principal investigators of the project. The visit gave the team an opportunity to meet with key stakeholders in the DRR field in the country, including visiting Albay and meeting its officials as well as attending the Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum, organized by Apec, in Iloilo. It also gave the team the opportunity to think hard about how it can best contribute to all the good work that is already being done in the country on promoting both DRR and CCA. It has been two years since Yolanda, but we continue to feel its effects, not to mention being exposed to other strong weather disturbances since then, including the recent Typhoon Lando that devastated huge parts of the northern part of the country. Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylavs

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Fil-Am Golf lures 1,200 participants THE Baguio Country Club and Camp John Hay golf courses are ready to host more than 1,200 players for the 66th Fil-Am Golf Invitational Tournament starting Nov. 18.

10 shots behind. Jordan Spieth of the US reacts during the WGCHSBC Champions golf tournament in Shanghai. The WGC-HSBC Champions tournament takes place at Shanghai’s Sheshan International Golf Club. Spieth had a two-day score of 140, some 10 shots behind leader Kevin Isner. AFP

Cagayan stuns Caida in PCBL CAGAYAN Valley wielded the upset axe on erstwhile unbeaten Caida Tiles even as Jumbo Plastic continued its winning run in Thursday’s double header of the PCBL Founders Cup at the JCSGO Gym. Mark Brana delivered 12 points, including the crucial jumper from the elbow in the last 28.9 seconds to lift the Rising Suns to an 81-77 triumph and hand the Tile Masters their first loss in six games of the tournament supported by Spalding, Ambucore, Accel and Aquabest. He had 11 of his total output in the second half, but his jumper gave the Rising Suns enough cushion to outlast the Tile Masters. While Caida Tiles’ winning streak was halted by Cagayan Valley, Jumbo Plastic kept rolling as it coasted to its fifth straight win, capped by a 76-63 victory over Sta. Lucia in the first game. Mark Lopez stepped up when it mattered the most, delivering seven of his 15 markers in the final quarter as Jumbo Plastic outscored Sta. Lucia, 23-13, in the fourth quarter. Lopez teamed up with ex-pro Marcy Arellano and John Lopez in a crippling 13-0 run as Jumbo Plastic pulled away, 7461, entering the final two minutes of the game.

Cignal eyes Spikers’ Turf semis CIGNAL TV Inc. seeks to join unbeaten Philippine Air Force in the semifinals as it tackles a struggling Philippine Navy side today in the Spikers’ Turf Season 1-Reinforced Conference at The Arena in San Juan City. Fueled by Red Christensen’s 16-point exploit, the HD Spikers turned back the stubborn Sta. Elena Active Smashers, 23-25, 2522, 25-14, 25-17, last Wednesday to assure

at the last Fithemselves Games today of at least a 3 p.m.- IEM vs Sta. Elena nal Four seat. “We will playoff for 5 p.m.- Cignal vs Navy need a toa semis slot tal team effort again with a 3-1 card. But the HD Spik- to have a chance,” said ers will be going up Cignal coach Michael against a team in need Carino, who hopes to of a win to stay in the draw big games anew semis hunt, guarantee- from the power-spiking Edmar ing another slambang Christensen, action in the 5 p.m. Bonono and Jeffrey duel in the tournament Lansangan, the last two presented by PLDT combining for 19 hits the last time out. Home Ultera. Sta. Elena and InstiWith a 1-2 slate, Navy needs to sweep its last tuto Estetico Manila, two games to get a crack meanwhile, boot each

other out in the semis race as they tangle in the 3 p.m. opener. The Wrecking Balls tote a 1-3 card while the Volley Masters have dropped their first three games. Air Force took the first semis spot with four straight wins while PLDT is in third with a 2-2 mark heading to the last four playdates of the single round elims of the league organized by Sports Vision.

In honor of an ancient sport. Participants com-

pete between the islands of Raiatea and Tahaa for the second leg of the Hawaiki Nui Va’a 2015 outrigger canoe race. The Hawaiki Nui Va’a canoe race is an annual event with more than 100 teams of intense racing between Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a and Bora Bora, honoring an ancient sport with great cultural values. The 24th edition of the race hosts teams from Taihiti, France and New Zealand, with the number of teams and countries increasing each year. Originally made in wood, almost all of the canoes are fabricated with high-tech polyester material and carbon fiber. AFP

“We are excited and sure that we will have another successful Fil-Am,” said BCC General Manager and FilAm golf chair Anthony de Leon this week even as sprucing up of the two courses are under way. De Leon said that they are expected to accommodate more than 1,200 golfers from other parts of the country, Korea, Japan, Australia and the United States. “It’s all systems go and our courses are ready, as well as our personnel, the players and the sponsors after the long preparations we had to ensure another successful Fil-Am,” added de Leon, who will be joined by CJH executives as well as Baguio and Benguet officials during the ceremonial tee on Nov. 17. BCC is making sure that the course will be ready for the two week long golf tournament where rehab works had been implemented recently and after the devastations brought by typhoon Lando. Lando’s record-breaking rains and winds caused destruction at the course with uprooted trees. “But with Lando, we were able to improve the greens,” said BCC spokesperson Andrew Pinero. “Although the clearing is ongoing, the course is in perfect shape.” The course is also 20 yards longer with the tee box at the par 4 hole number three moved back, while the BCC’s signature hole, the difficult par-4 11th is also in perfect condition where pars are expected to come in trickles anew. The Fil-Am is again divided into weeks of six competition days with the senior’s side, for players 55 years and older, to start on Nov. 18, while the regular competitions will be on Nov. 28 until Dec. 5. It uses the Modified Pal system where a par is worth two points, a bogey is one, while a birdie is three and four for an eagle. Meanwhile, San Miguel hopes to be in better form this year with the inclusion of Tommy Manotoc to beef up the already formidable team which has former pro and national seniors champion Eddie Bagtas in the line-up. San Miguel finished third last year behind senior’s champion Pugo Adventures and Megafiber. The two have already started playing at the BCC and CJH courses to prepare themselves for the event and a showdown with the top placed teams. Teams that have already started practicing at the courses include Royal Northwood as the squad which has many JunGolfers in its roster looks serious to play against the top teams like Southwoods and Mizuno in the top Fil Championship flight of the regular Fil-Am.

7 teams attempt to join Ateneo-Davao in finals SEVEN teams vie to join two Ateneo de Davao squads in the national finals of the SBP-Passerelle twin basketball tournaments when the Visayas Regional finals of the Best Center event sponsored by Milo fires off on Nov. 8 and 9 at the University of St. La Salle court in Bacolod. Qualifying for the SBP regional crown are Ateneo de Iloilo, University of the Visayas for

Cebu, Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion for Roxas City and St. Oh’s Institute for Bacolod. Competing for the regional Passerelle crown are Sun Yat Sen High School of Iloilo, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, College of St. John of Roxas City and the Bacolod Tay Tung High School. Organizers of the twin tournaments are: Iloilo - Kristoffer Recio; Cebu - Enrico David

Navarro; Roxas City - Ronnie Degala; and Bacolod - Joane Soto. Ateneo de Davao won both the Small Basketeers Philippines and the Passerelle crowns in the Mindanao Regionals held at the Almendras gym recently. The Luzon qualifiers will be held Nov. 28 and 29 at the University of the Assumption in San Fernando, Pampanga

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Superliga goes to Malolos, Bulacan

Djokovic on a roll; Federer falls PARIS—Novak Djokovic kept his win streak alive at the Paris Masters on Thursday, but there was defeat for Roger Federer at the hands of big-serving American John Isner.

Games Today (Malolos Convention Center) 1 p.m. -- Philips Gold vs Meralco 3 p.m. -- Cignal vs RC Cola-Air Force

THE historic city of Malolos in Bulacan becomes a volleyball battlefield as Cignal tackles a struggling RC Cola-Air Force in a bid to secure the second semifinal slot of the 2015 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix women’s volleyball tournament today at the Malolos Convention Center. Action starts at 3 p.m. following the collision between Philips Gold and Meralco in the 1 p.m. first game of this premier interclub tourney presented by Asics and backed by Milo with Mueller, Senoh and Mikasa as technical partner and TV5 as official broadcaster. It will be the league’s first “Spike on Tour” this conference after making stops in Cebu City, Ilocos Sur, Muntinlupa City, Binan City, Imus and Quezon Province. “This is part of our mission of bringing world-class volleyball action closer to the fans,” said PSL president Ramon “Tats” Suzara, adding that the next Spike on Tour will be held in Lipa City in Batangas next weekend. “Rest assured that we will continue to hold our Spike on Tour program and live up to our goal of inspiring fans, especially aspiring players from the provinces, to reach their dreams through volleyball.” Tickets are still on sale at the venue. After coming up with a five-game sweep of the first round, Cignal was billed as the league’s heaviest contender.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts after winning his third round tennis match against France’s Gilles Simon at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 indoor tennis tournament in Paris. AFP

PLDT, Navy duel for semis playoff PLDT Home Ultera and Philippine Navy ayeb, seeking to become the first coach Game today clash today (Saturday) in a key matchup in league history to complete a personal 12:45 p.m. – PLDT for teams gunning for at least a playoff for Home Ultera vs Navy grand slam after steering PLDT to the a semifinal berth in the Shakey’s V-League Open Conference title and National U to Season 12-Reinforced Conference at The Arena in the Collegiate Conference crown. San Juan City. The PLDT-Navy match will be shown live on GMA Relying heavily on the power-hitting pair of News TV Channel 11, kicking off another weekend Gretchel Soltones and Janine Marciano, the Ultrafast volley festival where fans will be treated to live covLady Hitters turned back the University of the Philip- erage of the matches, including tomorrow’s (Sunday) pines Lady Maroons, 25-12, 22-25, 25-15, 25-17, last games pitting Army vs Coast Guard at 12:45 p.m. week to tie their victims at second at 2-1. and Kia vs UP at 3 p.m., according to the organizing The Lady Sailors, on the other hand, blasted the Sports Vision. Kia Forte, 25-18, 25-23, 25-21, last Oct. 25 but fell to Meanwhile, Gorayeb said Alyssa Valdez remains a the league-leading unbeaten Army Lady Troopers, doubtful starter after the ace spiker sustained a back 14-25, 17-25, 14-25, last week to fall a 2-2 (win-loss) injury while playing in a beach volley tournament reslate. cently. That makes their 12:45 p.m. encounter crucial But the Ultra Fast Hitters remain the favorite with with the winner closing in on one of the semis seats Soltones, the NCAA MVP, and Marciano, along with in the season-ending conference of the league spon- Rubie de Leon, Sue Roces, Rysabelle Devanadera, sored by Shakey’s and presented by PLDT Home Laurence Ann Latigay and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas Ultera. tipped to lead the team anew against Navy’s Pau The loser will fall in a mad scramble with Coast Soriano, Lilet Mabbayad, May Madulid, Hezzymie Guard and Kia Forte for the fourth and last semis Acuna and Therese Veronas. berth. “They’ve played really big for us the last game, “We will go for it (win) but we have to continue they’re an important part in our success,” said Gorto play aggressive,” said PLDT coach Roger Gor- ayeb of Soltones and Marciano.

Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray also reached the quarter-finals, but in contrasting styles. World number one and defending champion Djokovic went through to the last eight in the final tournament of the ATP’s regular season with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Gilles Simon that took his unbeaten run to 19 matches. It was far from being the world number one’s most commanding performance of late as he struggled with his serve, but it meant he has not dropped a set since the US Open final against Federer in early September. He has now won 26 sets in a row, taking him past his own previous best of 24 sets which he achieved in early 2014. The Serb, who has won three of the four Grand Slam titles and five of the eight Masters 1000 series titles so far contested this year, dropped serve five times against the wily Frenchman, four coming in the second set. But on each occasion he immediately struck back to prevent Simon from gathering any momentum. The 10-time major tournament winner said his struggles on serve had been frustrating. “I can assure you, losing four service games in a set, I don’t think that has happened to me,” he said. “I’m not a serve specialist, but I think I have a solid serve and it hasn’t happened for a long time. “It wasn’t pleasant, but I knew that I have a good return. I was feeling the ball very well from the back of the court. “So that kind of was a positive to that, knowing that I can break him most of the time. That was the kind of mindset.” Djokovic will next play fifth seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic who eased past an injury-hampered Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4 for a place in the semi-finals of a tournament he has won three times previously, including the last two years.

1st Rexona Fitness Festival slated

How fit are you? Fitness coach Chappy Callanta coaxes actress and fashion icon Janina Manipol to sweat it out during the sneak peek of the Rexona recently.

FOLLOWING up on the success of the already-iconic Rexona Run – combining running with fitness, fun, and music for five years now, Rexona refreshes its annual fitness event and takes it to the next level to celebrate inclusivity and diversity with the first ever Rexona Fitness Festival, or the RXN FitFest, on Nov. 14 at the SMX Mall of Asia Hall 1. The no. 1 deodorant in the world collaborates with the top fitness clubs in the country for a one-of-a-kind fitness event that offers different ways for people to get fit and stay fresh as they move with the best and most fun workouts offered by 360 Fitness for Circuit Training, Barre - Cardio – Yoga, and Fitness First for Body Jam. Led by top trainers and dedicated Fitness Squads, par-

ticipants in the Rexona Fitness Festival will have access to workouts designed exclusively for the RXN FIT FEST for diverse impact and maximum results. To kick off with a good warm-up, Barre - Cardio Yoga will pump participants’ heart rate up with their cardio-infused yoga workout that stretches the limits of flexibility and balance with Gretchen Ho, and Nicole Andersson as members of their Fitness Squad. For high intensity, 360 Fitness, together with its Fitness Squad members Dominic Roque, Drew Arellano and Janina Manipol, will lead in a 60-minute circuit training class designed to enhance strength and awareness of the body. Finally, Fitness First will get the party started with a dance-

heavy workout that challenges coordination and stamina. For one day each week for the first 3 weeks of October, each fitness gym will be hosting their own fitness party at one of their main branches that give fitness enthusiasts a sneak peek of what to expect during the main event to be held at SMX in Mall of Asia on Nov. 14. The Fitness Festival itself will feature classes from each of the three partner gyms. Participants can either sign up per class for as low as P300, or get the all-day festival pass that gives them access to all three classes at only P750. All participants will be receiving festival kits specialized per class with lots of freebies! Passes are now available at any SM Ticket outlet or online at smtickets.com.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF AN INTERIM MAXIMUM ANNUAL REVENUE (iMAR) FOR CALENDAR YEAR (CY) 2016 AND AN INTERIM NET PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE (iNPI) FOR CY 2015, WITH PRAYER FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (NGCP),

MAR2015 In PhP, Mn

45,287.24

137,846.18

144,914.53

69,522.46

73,252.28

Indicative Ave. PhP/kW

312.51

ASAI

Indicative Ave.PhP/kWh

0.6196

0.6182

CSI

Energy5 (GWh)

P/kWh lnc/(Dec)

(0.0014)

P/kWh % lnc/(Dec)

(0.23%)

ERC Case No. 2015-173 RC

7.1

The computation of the iMAR 2016 is an interim approach for determining the revenue of NGCP for the First Regulatory Year of the Fourth Regulatory Period (4th RP) pending the completion of NGCP’s reset process for the 4th RP. Thus, the same shall be subject to adjustment once the Commission issues the 4th RP Final Determination for NGCP;

Regulated Transmission Services. NGCP shall recover the iMAR 2016 through the following charges on Regulated Transmission Services: • Power Delivery Service Charge (PDS) • Metering Service Provider (MSP) Charge • System Operator (SO) Charge

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on October 2, 2015, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) filed an application for the approval of an Interim Maximum Annual Revenue (iMAR) for calendar year (CY) 2016 and an Interim Net Performance Incentive (iNPI) for CY 2015, with prayer for the issuance of provisional authority. In the said application, NGCP alleged, among others, the following: The Applicant

4. Article VII of the Rules for Setting Transmission Wheeling Rates (RTWR) provides that prior to each Regulatory Period, a Regulatory Reset Process shall be undertaken in respect of the price and control arrangements that are applicable for that Regulatory Period; 5. Pursuant to Article VII of the RTWR, series of public consultations on NGCP’s Issues Paper were held in the Cities of Davao, Cebu and Pasig on 7, 14 and 20 August 2014, respectively. Pending the completion of NGCP’s reset process for the Fourth Regulatory Period (4th RP), NGCP seeks for the approval of the following to be implemented in the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao customer segments: a. iMAR 2016; and b. i N PI2015 -

6.1

Effective Rate2015 This is the average rate translation for the MAR 2015 based on the Order dated December 18, 2014 in ERC Case No. 2014155 RC and the demand for 20153 (Demand2015)’, Particulars

MAR 2015 , in PhPMn Demand 2015 , in MW-month Effective Rate2015, in PhP/kW-mo.

39,670

7,433

138/115 kV

26,741

5,010

69 kV

17,372

3,255

34.5/23 kV

10,032

1,880

13.8 kV and below

5,241

FIRM (PhP/kW-mo.)

NON-FIRM (P/kW/day)

15.82

0.5201

6.3

6.4

2011

2012

3 RP Unsmoothed 44,647.91 44,052.94 MAR

iMAR 2016, in PhPMn

2013

2014

2015

45,869.45

46,954.66

46,673.13

2013

2014

2015

2,502.53

2,561.74

2,546.38

Under

4,175.06 2,403.43

NEA

(292.02) (1,526.41) (1,489.17)

(1,699.20)

(1,628.57)

3,883.04 877.02

862.54

917.81

2 RP Adjustments nd

1,013.36

10.3 Basis of iNPI2015 . Using the basis of iNPI 2015 formula, NGCP arrived at PhP44,128.86 Mn: 2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Average

3rd RP Unsmoothed 44,647.91 44,052.94 45,869.45 46,954.66 46,673.13 45,639.62 MAR 2nd RP Adjustments 3,883.04 877.02 Total

1,013.36

862.54

917.81

1,510.75

40,764.87 43,175.92 44,856.09 46,092.12 45,755.32 44,128.86

10.4 With reference to the values provided below, NGCP proposes the iNPI 2015 of PhP1,029.76 Mn to be billed in CY2016:

137,846.18 312.51

SISI FOT SA

Visayas

Rating*

Bonus/ Penalty PhPMn

Bonus/ Rating* Penalty PhPMn

5.3710

93.02

108.37

2.9380 115.84

1.1440

79.43

0.2297

79.43

0.6600 105.91

99.4125

0.00

99.8296

43.69

99.732

17.4120

Visayas

Bonus/ Bonus/ Rating* Penalty Rating* Penalty PhPMn PhPMn

312.51

Mindanao

Bonus/ Penalty Rating* PhPMn

Luzon

144,914.53

17.91

345.16

The proposed iMAR20i6 and iNPI20i5 were designed and developed to determine fair and reasonable interim transmission rates that will serve the public interest and convenience, and signal the efficient utilization of transmission facilities that will ultimately redound to the best interest and benefit of the public;

Allegations in Support of the Application for Provisional Authority 13. NGCP restates the foregoing allegations insofar as they may be applicable; 14.

NGCP moves for the immediate issuance of a provisional authority pursuant to Rule 14 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure to allow NGCP to timely implement the proposed iMAR20i6 and iNPI20i5. The immediate implementation is necessary to reduce, if not eliminate, the risk of under-recovery which is substantial to NGCP. In support of these allegations, NGCP submits a copy of the Judicial Affidavit of Ms. Ma. Cynthia Y. Manrique, attached to the application as Annex “B”; PRAYER

15.

NGCP prays for the Commission to:

a. Immediately issue an Order provisionally approving the collection of the iMAR 2016 in the amount of PhP45,287.24 Mn and the iNPI2015 of PhP1,029.76 Mn, and the SO and MSP Charges beginning the billing period of December 26, 2015 - January 25, 2016; and b. Approve, after notice and hearing, the authority to collect the iMAR 2016 in the amount of PhP45,287.24 Mn, the iNPI2015 of PhP1,029.76 Mn and the SO and MSP Charges. The Commission has set the said application for jurisdictional hearing, pre-trial conference, expository presentation and evidentiary hearing on the following dates and venues: TIME

VENUE

PARTICULARS

November 26, 2015 (Thursday)

Nine o’ clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)

ERC Hearing Room, 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

Jurisdictional Hearing and Expository Presentation

January 27, 2016 (Wednesday)

Nine o’ clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)

ERC Visayas Field Office, St. Mary’s Drive, Banilad, Cebu City

Expository Presentation

February 3, 2016 (Wednesday)

Nine o’ clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)

ERC Mindanao Field Office, Mintrade Building, Monteverde Avenue corner Sales Street, Davao City

Expository Presentation

February 10, 2016 (Wednesday)

Nine o’ clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)

ERC Hearing Room, 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

Pr e - t r i a l Conference and Ev i d e n t i a r y Hearing

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired. All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the applicant concludes the presentation of its evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon. All such persons who may wish to have a copy of the application may request the applicant, prior to the date of the initial hearing, that they be furnished with a copy of the application. The applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making a request with a copy of the application and its attachments, subject to reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Likewise, any such person may examine the application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the usual office hours. WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman, JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Commissioners, ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 12th day of October, 2015 at Pasig City.

Mindanao

ATTY. FRANCIS SATURNINO C. JUAN Executive Director III

Bonus/ Penalty PhPMn

Rating*

275.18

43.69

45,287.24

Indicative Rate. Using the forecast demand (in kW) and energy (in kWh) for 2016, the figures below show the indicative rates of the proposed iMAR 2016:

409.42

80.000 0

12.

10.2 2nd RP Adjustments. This refers to the 2nd RP under-recoveries and NEA which were considered as adjustments to the Unsmoothed MAR during the 3rd RP: 2012

43.69

Management Approval. The filing of the Application has been approved by NGCP’s management in its meeting held on September 17, 2015;

2011

80.0000

11.

10.1 3rd RP Unsmoothed MAR. NGCP used the Unsmoothed MAR for years 2011 to 2015 duly approved by the Commission in NGCP’s Final Determination for the 3rd RP:

Particulars

Forecast Demand2016, in MW-month

45.01

A copy of the 2015 NGCP's Proposed 2015 Net Performance Incentive is attached to the application as Annex "A";

Basis of iNPI2015 = Average [3rd RP Unsmoothed MAR less 2nd RP Adjustments]

Following the formula, NGCP computed the iMAR 2016 and arrived at the following values:

Effective Rate 2015 , in P/kW-month

80.0000

DATE

43,078.95

The values and the resulting Effective Rate2015 are as follows: Forecast Demand2016 - This is based on the historical power consumption profile and the planning data submissions of customers pursuant to the Philippine Grid Code (PGC);

132.39

Total

iNPI2015 - NGCP seeks the approval of the basis of the computation of the iNPI2015 as follows:

10.

Luzon

6.2

982 3,618

2016 SO Rates

6. Formula. NGCP computed the iMAR 2016 based on the following formula:

This is the same formula approved for NGCP’s predecessor, TRANSCO, in the computation of the Maximum Annual Revenue (MAR) for CY 2003 where the Commission used the approved unbundled tariff in ERC Case No. 2001-901 RC and the forecast demand for CY 2003;

500/230 kV

Note: Based on 3rd RP SKM unit cost according to voltage levels

Discussion

iMAR 2016 = Effective Rate 2015 X Forecast Demands

99.5830

Meter Only

Common Charge

Nature of the Application 3. This Application is filed pursuant to Section 19 of the EPIRA in relation to Paragraph (f), Section 43 of the same law in order to recover the reasonable costs necessary to provide transmission services, and essential to sustain its full operational strength;

Full

Bonus/ Penalty PhPMn

Rating*

Note:* performance of the Grid covering the periods September 2014 to August 2015

2016 MSP Rates, in PhP Per Voltage Level

Mindanao

8 ConA

MSP Charge and SO Charge. The MSP Charge and SO Charge, as provisionally approved by the Commission in ERC Case No. 2014-155 RC (MAR 2015), are adopted in the application:

9.1

1. NGCP is a corporation created and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with principal office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner B.I.R. Road, Diliman, Quezon City. It is the concessionaire which assumed the power transmission functions of the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO) pursuant to Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the “Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001” (EPIRA); 2. Pursuant to Republic Act No. 95111, NGCP was granted the franchise to operate, manage and maintain, and in connection therewith, to engage in the business of conveying or transmitting electricity through high voltage back-bone system of interconnected transmission lines, substations and related facilities, system operations and other activities that are necessary to support the safe and reliable operation of the transmission system2 and is authorized to charge its customers at the rates approved by the Commission;

The proposed iMAR 2016 is expected to translate to the same level of indicative rates in PhP/kW-month and a reduction in the equivalent indicative PhP/kWh due to the off-setting effect of the increase in demand with the increase in the revenue;

Visayas

Bonus/ Bonus/ Rating* Penalty Rating* Penalty PhPMn PhPMn

43,078.95

Demand 4 (MW-month)

Applicant. x------------------------------------x

Luzon

iMAR 2oi6

FLC

100.000

19.86

99.8603

0.00

99.993 4

VLC

99.9557

39.72

99.9690

0.00

99.995 0

15.48 46.34

----------------------------------------------------------1

2 3 4 5

A n A c t G r a n t i n g t h e N a t i o n a l G r i d C o r p o r a t i o n o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s a Fr a n c h i s e t o En g a g e i n t h e B u s i n e s s o f C o nvey i n g o r Tr a n s m i t t i n g E l e c t r i c i t y T h r o u g h H i g h Vo l t a g e B a c k- b o n e S y s t e m o r I n t e r c o n n e c t e d Tr a n s m i s s i o n L i n e s , S u b s t a t i o n s a n d Re l a t e d Fa c i l i t i e s , a n d Fo r O t h e r Purposes Id, Section 1 A c t u a l d a t a f o r J a n u a r y t o J u l y 2 015 a n d Fo r e c a s t d a t a f o r A u g u s t t o D e c e m b e r 2 015 Fo r e c a s t a n d a c t u a l f o r M A R 2 015 , a n d f o r e c a s t f o r i M A R 2016 Fo r e c a s t a n d a c t u a l f o r M A R 2 015 , a n d f o r e c a s t f o r i M A R 2016 ( T S - O C T. 31 & N O V. 7, 2 015 )

S AT U R DAY : N O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Kings face Aces, seek 1 triumph st

By Jeric Lopez

THE second dish that the Philippine Basketball Association will serve in Dubai, UAE is a mouth-watering one as storied franchises and rivals Alaska and Barangay Ginebra lock horns in an anticipated bout. Still unbeaten as of this report, certainly in a must-win situation Alaska (2-0) has no plans of remov- as they badly want to avoid a dising its foot off the gas pedal even astrous 0-3 start. After Barangay Ginebra threw as it faces a stiff test against the still away a 21-point winless Ginebra (0lead and eventu2) at 12 midnight Game Saturday (Philippine time) at (Al Wasl Sports Club - Dubai, UAE) ally lost to Barako 12 m.n. (PH Time) - Barangay Bull, 82-79, last the Al Wasl Sports Ginebra vs. Alaska Saturday, the Gin Club in Dubai. Games Sunday (Philsports Arena) At the moment, 3 p.m. - Barako Bull vs. GlobalPort Kings showed that 5:15 p.m. - Star vs. NLEX they have still yet the Aces are fightto find the wining Mahindra in the same venue in the first of two ning formula under new coach offerings from the PBA in the bas- Tim Cone. “We still don’t know how to win ketball hotbed in the middle east. Regardless of the result of that, at this point,” said Ginebra forward Alaska still wants to keep its place Japeth Aguilar. “We need to learn in the upper echelon and a win that as quickly as we can. We cannot against the struggling Ginebra fall behind even more.” A possible win against the Aces squad will assure that. As for the Gin Kings, they are will give the Gin Kings a much-

needed morale-booster. But that’s easier said than done against the Aces, who are picking up where they left off from last season as their trademark teamplay is giving them a good start this conference. For tomorrow, the action shifts back to Manila as a Sunday doubleheader is slated at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City. Streaking NLEX, also at 2-0, will take on inconsistent Star at 5:15 p.m. in the mainer, while GlobalPort and Barako Bull, teams which hold a 1-1 mark and are in the middle of the pack, face off at 3 p.m. to see who moves up the ladder. Road Warriors’ coach Boyet Fernandez is very happy with his team’s incredible start, but he demands more from his wards as they go. “We’re happy that we’re on this two-game winning streak to open the conference. We haven’t done this before,” said Fernandez. “Guys are stepping up and credit goes to them, but we’re hoping we can continue this since this is a long conference.”

Gio Vergara of Philippine National Police-Quick Print breaks the defense of Jerome Tarucan of Power Innovations Philippines in the 5th DELeague Basketball Tournament at the Marikina Sports Center. Power Innovations Philippines won, 89-74.

Hobe routs Metro Pacific; Power Innovations win TWO-TIME champion Hobe notched its second win in as many games after defeating Metro Pacific Toll Corporation, 82-72, Thursday night in the 5th DELeague Basketball Tournament at In the second half, combined efforts of Rodriglie Ebundo and Eric dela Cuesta secured Hobe’s victory. Ebundo contributed 19 points and four rebounds, while former

PBA Barako Bull The NLEX WarGames on Sunday point guard Bonbon (Marikina Sports Center) riors fell to a 1-1 winCustodio added 17 7 p.m. • Power Innovation loss slate. points, five rebounds, Philippines vs Philippine In the other game University four assists to ensure 8:30Christian of the league supp.m. • Austen Morris Hobe’s clean 2-0 slate. ported by PSBank, Associates vs Philippine “I told the boys National Police-Quick Print Accel Sportswear, to play their best, so P C A-M a r i v a l l e y, Manila Constructhey will get adjusted when they Angel’s Burger, Mckie’s Standard face tougher opponents in their tion Equipment Sales TODAY and Rentsucceeding games,” said coach als, Luyong Panciteria, Azucar Braulio Lim. Boulangerie and Patisserie, JAJ

Quick Print Advertising, Mall Tile Experts Corporation, Jay Marcelo Tires, Polar Glass and Aluminum Supply and Mr. and Mrs. Dot Escalona, Power Innovation won over Philippine National PoliceQuick Print, 89-74. Ronald Roy’s 16 points, three rebounds combined with Kazim Mirza’s 14 points, two assists secured Power Innovators’ win that gave them a 1-1 slate.

RONNIE NATHANIELSZ

WE were truly sorry to have missed my good friend Peter Musgni’s very entertaining and informative show “Teka Muna” on dzMM Teleradyo last Saturday, when we were scheduled to be a guest on a phone patch from San Pablo City. The topic was a very interesting one, which we care about. And that is, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao’s bid for a Senate seat in next May’s presidential elections. There are some, who see nothing wrong with Manny’s desire to win a seat in the Senate, while there are others who are critical of his bid for various reasons, including his absenteeism from the House of Representatives, while serving a second term as congressman from the lone district of Sarangani province. We feel this issue of absenteeism must be placed in its proper perspective. To begin with, it is a well-known fact that many congressmen attend the roll call, get recognized and then leave which effectively fools

—or tries to fool—many of us. This is why there have been so many instances of the house’s failure to tackle important legislation because of the lack of a quorum, most significant being the BBL no less than President Aquino himself considered important. While Manny may have not been present for the roll call a number of times, the undeniable fact is that he was given permission to absent himself for instance, while he trained for the “Fight of the Century” against Floyd Mayweather Jr. It was a privilege granted to a fighter, who redeemed our country’s stature in the fiercely competitive arena of international boxing and earned us the respect that we had lost for many years due largely to corruption in government and rising criminality. As Pacquiao captured eight world titles, an unprecedented achievement, we as a nation stood up and cheered a national sports hero of epic proportions. That he is seeking a Senate seat surely must be considered a just reward for all he has done. Besides, we know of nobody in Congress, who has spent so much of

his time and resources in helping the poor and teaching them the values of hard work, discipline and dedication. Manny doesn’t brag about how he has helped the poorest among the poor. He just goes out and does it. He has learned his lessons the hard way and we honestly believe he can use these lessons to help shape a better life especially for his disadvantaged countrymen. One does not necessarily have to be a legal luminary or an intellectual to be able to serve. What is required is a concern for others and a good heart. Pacquiao is endowed with both. We have seen many brilliant men fail miserably to lead our nation out of the depths of poverty primarily because they often lost their sense of integrity and fell into corrupt ways. Pacquiao has remained above it all and we pray he will continue on this path, guided by his deep down religious faith. We, as a people, need to recognize Pacquiao for who he is and what he has done. Reports out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi the past couple of days clearly demonstrate the outpouring of

respect and affection for Pacquiao, both by overseas Filipino workers and the Arab population. As Gulf News staff reporter Ashley Hammond wrote when discussing the possibility of a Pacquiao fight in Dubai: “Arab fans love him as well so that’s another bonus, so why not Dubai? Rashid Al Kamali, the manager of sports events at Dubai Sports Council, was also at the airport with Saeed Hareb to welcome Pacquiao, and added: “Dubai is the best place to have the fight due to the large Filipino expatriate population.” Indeed, Pacquiao’s charitable instincts know no boundaries. As the UAE newspapers reported: “In another demonstration of his charitable side, Pacquiao will reportedly walk and cycle around Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday to support Rahma, a new charitable service in the fight against cancer.” Beyond all else as long as Manny meets the constitutional requirements of being a natural-born Filipino and of age to seek a Senate seat he, just like anybody else similarly qualified, has the privilege of seeking a seat in the Senate. Surely, we cannot deny him his inherent rights.

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

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 8, Tacloban City

Pacquiao’s inherent rights INSIDE SPORTS

LOTTO RESULTS

Office Address: Website:

NIA Road, Marasbaras Tacloban City, Philippines www.nia.gov.ph

Telefax No. (632) 323-7596 TIN 000-916-415

INVITATION TO BID No. 15-2015 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Region 8, Marasbaras, Tacloban 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 Sulat CIP Contract No. 022015 – Repair of Diversion Works. The Approved Budget for Contract (ABC) is NINE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED NINETY FIVETHOUSAND TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY FIVEPESOS &06/100 (P9,595,285.06). Completion of the works is required in One Hundred Twenty (120) calendar days. Bids received in excess of 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 slippage in their on-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. The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities Schedule Time 1. Issuance of Bid Documents Starting October 16, 2015 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 2. Pre-bid Conference October26, 2015 10:00 a.m. 3.

Receipt and Opening of Bids

November10, 2015

2:00 p.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 P10,000.00to the Cashier. 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 contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. (SGD) GLORIA A. SEVILLA BAC Chairman

Noted: (SGD) ROMEO G. QUIZA Regional Manager

(TS-NOV. 7, 2015)

S AT U R DAY : N O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

A16

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

Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls goes up for a shot past Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. AFP

Vintage Rose shines as Bulls rip Thunder CHICAGO—Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler combined for 55 points as the Chicago Bulls rebounded from one of their worst defensive losses in recent memory with a 104-98 win over Oklahoma City Thursday. Rose and Butler outshone the Thunders’ dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as two of the NBA’s top ranked teams squared off for the first time this season. The Bulls allowed the Thunder to tie the score three times down the stretch, but each time Chicago was able to re-take the lead before holding them off in a thrilling finish. “This was big,” Butler said. “Derrick’s a helluva player. He carried us. That’s what leaders

Djokovic on a roll; Federer falls TURN TO A13

do. That’s what MVPs do.” Rose sealed the victory by scoring 10 of his team’s final 12 points in the fourth quarter. Chicago was coming off an embarrassing 130-105 road loss to Charlotte on Tuesday. Durant led all scorers with 33 points and Westbrook had 20 points and 10 assists for the Thunder, who have dropped three straight games after winning their first three contests of the season. Trailing 90-84 with 6:04 left in the fourth, Westbrook and Durant combined to score six straight

points to tie it 90-90. But Rose made sure the Thunder were kept in check. He buried four jump shots and hit a pair of free throws in the final 3:35 of the game. Forward Pau Gasol finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while guard Aaron Brooks and forward Taj Gibson each scored nine points for the Bulls. The Bulls led 57-50 at the half thanks to a big second-quarter effort. They erased a three-point deficit in the first 4:39 of the second with an impressive 15-4 run sparked by a balanced attack. Brooks and Gibson each contributed five points. Butler and Rose did the rest. Hornets halt losing skid Center Al Jefferson scored a season-high 31 points as the Charlotte

Rexona Fitness Festival slated TURN TO A13

Hornets halted a Texas-size losing streak by routing the host Dallas Mavericks 108-94. The Hornets had lost their last 14 games in Dallas, a stretch going back to 1998 when the Mavericks played out of their old barn, Reunion Arena. Heat beat Timberwolves Dwyane Wade scored a gamehigh 25 points, and teammate Goran Dragic added 18 as the Miami Heat upstaged the Minnesota Timberwolves 96-84 at Target Center. The Heat held the Timberwolves to 35.3 percent shooting for the game. Miami shot 48.7 from the floor and 18-for-25 from the free-throw line. “Whenever you win on the road it is always gratifying” said Wade. AFP

UAAP top dogs clash By Jeric Lopez THE action Games Today heats up (Smart Araneta Coliseum) as the top 2 p.m. • Adamson vs. UE 4 p.m. • UST vs. FEU two teams Games Tomorrow square off in (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 11 a.m. • NU vs. UP a crucial tiff 4 p.m. • Ateneo vs. La Salle in the homestretch of the elimination round of the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines. Top-ranked Far Eastern University (10-1) wants to assure itself of the first twice-to-beat incentive and the top seed heading into the Final Four, while second-running University of Santo Tomas (9-3) also aims on strengthening its bid for a top two finish and the same reward as the top dogs face off again at 4 p.m. in a much-anticipated game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today. Preceding that is a tussle between University of the East (47), which remains in the running for the last semifinals berth, and already-eliminated cellar-dweller Adamson University (2-10) at 2 p.m. to start the hostilities. Both the Tamaraws and the Growling Tigers, who already booked tickets to the Final Four, have yet to lock up the two spots since Ateneo De Manila (8-4) still has an outside shot of breaking in as well. However, the current situation is more favorable for FEU since it is already assured of at least a playoff for a top two finish. Should it win its 10th straight game, it will automatically lock the top seed and the first of two twice-twobeat incentive in the next round as well.

SATURDAY: NOVEMBER 7, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Meralco rates up this month PSe comPoSite index Closing November 6, 2015

8000 7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

7,118.20 4.25

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing NOVEMBER 6, 2015 43.50 44.60 45.40

P46.935

46.20

47.00

By Alena Mae S. Flores

CUSTOMERS of Manila Electric Co. will see their bills increase by P0.13 per kilowatt-hour in November on higher cost of power generation after a six-month rate reduction. Meralco said the higher power rates in November ended six consecutive months of rate reductions which amounted to P2.26 per kWh. A typical household consuming 200 kWh in November will see their electricity bill go up by P26 from October. Their electricity bill dropped P26 in October from the September rate. Meralco said at P8.55 per kWh, this month’s overall rate was still lower by P1.51, compared with P10.06 per kWh in November

2014. The rate remains the second lowest since January 2010. The power distributor said the adjustment in the overall rate was led by higher generation charge, which increased P0.09 per kWh to P4.08 per kWh. Charges from the wholesale electricity spot market, the trading floor of electricity, registered an increase of P1.19 per kWh, after several power plants were shut down during the October supply month. Meralco said the average rate

of the plants under the independent power producers or IPPs, increased P0.10 per kWh, due to lower dispatch of the plants. This was partly offset by lower natural gas prices. Charges of power plants under Meralco’s power supply agreements or PSAs registered a reduction of P0.02 per kWh, mainly due to the higher dispatch of the Sual coalfired power plant, which logged a shorter outage duration for the October supply month compared to the previous month. Meralco sourced 49.5 percent of its power requirements from PSAs in October, followed by IPPs at 45.6 percent and WESM at 4.8 percent. The company said the transmission cost registered an increase of P0.02 per kWh due to the higher

ancillary service charges. Taxes and other charges (system loss and subsidies) also increased P0.02 per kWh. Meralco said its distribution, supply, and metering charges remained unchanged in November. Meralco said it was not earning from the pass-through charges, such as the generation and transmission charges. Payment for the generation charge goes to the power suppliers, while payment for the transmission charge goes to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. Meralco, the country’s biggest power distributor, has more than 5.6 million customers in its franchise area. About 50 percent of the country’s gross domestic product is generated in its franchise area.

HIGH P46.875 LOW P46.940AVERAGE P46.902 VOLUME 590.800M

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

oPriceS il P today

P24.55-P28.00 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, November 6, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.9060

Japan

Yen

0.008217

0.3854

Pound

1.520800

71.3346

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129017

6.0517

Switzerland

Franc

1.005328

47.1559

Canada

Dollar

0.759705

35.6347

Singapore

Dollar

0.711238

33.3613

Australia

Dollar

0.715001

33.5378

Bahrain

Dinar

2.657737

124.6638

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

12.5080

Brunei

Dollar

0.708717

33.2431

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000074

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028106

1.3183

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.7726

Euro

1.088300

51.0478

Korea

Won

0.000878

0.0412

China

Yuan

0.157565

7.3907

India

Rupee

0.015186

0.7123

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.232992

10.9287

New Zealand

Dollar

0.662778

31.0883

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030801

1.4448 Source: PDS Bridge

Trade brieﬁng. Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo (third from right) poses with (from left) American Chamber of Commerce of the

Philippines executive director Ebb Hinchliffe and AmCham board of directors Peter Morris, Robert Sears, Roberto Batungbakal and Richard McGonegal during the AmCham general membership luncheon meeting on October 29, 2015 at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila in Makati City. Domingo in his speech to AmCham members during the meeting cited the Philippines’ strong economic performance and reforms.

Globe Telecom also wants San Miguel’s unused frequency By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. wants the National Telecommunications Commission to distribute the unused frequency held by San Miguel Corp. to fix the Internet speed woes in the Philippines in preparation for the explosion of mobile data use. “Part of the solution to the clamor for faster Internet is the harmonization of the 700 Mhz [megahertz] frequency,” Globe legal counsel Froilan Castelo said.

The 700 MHz band, located above the TV broadcast channels, penetrates buildings and walls and covers larger areas. Mobile wireless service providers in other countries have been using the spectrum to offer mobile broadband services. “Giving active and operating telecommunications companies access to this band will allow the industry to provide broadband and data services at faster speeds and in a more cost-efficient manner,” he added.

Castelo said as early as 2005, Globe wrote to the National Telecommunications Commission requesting for an allocation and assignment of frequencies within the 700 Mhz and 800 Mhz for its broadband wireless network, but NTC did not act favorably on its request. Castelo’s statement came after Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. pressed the NTC to auction off part of the 700 Mhz frequency band to industry players who actually have more sub-

scribers than San Miguel. PLDT head for regulatory affairs Ray Espinosa earlier said the 700-megahertz spectrum was “very important” to provide faster Internet broadband services. “Today, there is about 100 megahertz of that spectrum which is actually all of it, that is in the hands of a few possibly related companies,” Espinosa said. San Miguel holds 90 Mhz out of the total 100 Mhz on the 700 Mhz band. The company’s Wi-Tribe and High Frequency Telecommu-

nications control 80 Mhz and 10 Mhz respectively, while New Century Telecommunications holds the other 10 Mhz. Liberty Telecoms Holding Inc., SMC’s holding firm for Wi-Tribe, was actually placed under corporate rehabilitation and debt restructuring in 2005. Liberty suspended operations due to financial difficulties and lack of capital required to operate. Liberty reported a net loss of P432.95 million in the first semester of 2015.

SATURDAY: NOVEMBER 7, 2015

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Friday, November 6, 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 91.5 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26 47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 3.95 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 238 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 1.3 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 6.55 9.66 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 156 0.710 0.510 10.5 1.99 1.75 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 0.201

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.79 2.61 49.4 49.25 103.10 100.70 84.90 83.75 40 40 2.51 2.50 1.88 1.75 15.5 15.5 19.7 19.5 1.70 1.70 0.590 0.560 86.5 84.5 18.28 18.00 53.50 53.20 303 300 32 31.45 142.9 141.9 1530.00 1525.00 57.00 56.80 3.01 3.01 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp. 41.4 42 41.15 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 1.81 1.9 1.65 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.87 0.88 0.88 1.86 Alsons Cons. 1.56 1.57 1.56 7.92 Asiabest Group 11 11.1 10.8 15.32 Century Food 18 18 17.76 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 24 23.95 21 29.15 Concepcion 46.3 46 45.8 1.5 Crown Asia 2.45 2.46 2.41 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 1.68 1.68 1.63 10.72 Del Monte 10.5 10.5 10 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 9.460 9.660 9.31 9.04 Emperador 8.74 9.10 8.77 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 6.52 6.51 6.37 8.86 EEI 7.18 7.15 6.60 20.2 First Gen Corp. 25 25.3 24.2 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 69.7 70.85 69.6 13.86 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 11.80 11.80 11.70 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 14.00 13.32 13.32 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6.15 6.23 6.12 0.395 Ionics Inc 2.480 2.590 2.350 173 Jollibee Foods Corp. 205.80 208.60 205.00 LBC Express 11.8 11.8 11.72 2.3 LMG Chemicals 2.15 2.01 2.01 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 23.45 24.3 23.4 17.3 Maxs Group 24.1 23.95 23.5 5.88 Megawide 6.43 6.38 6.25 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co À’ 325.00 327.00 323.00 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 4.17 4.2 4.18 8.45 Petron Corporation 8.36 8.42 8.31 3 Phil H2O 4 4 3.8 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.94 11.94 11.94 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.69 3.70 3.65 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 2.07 2.08 2.03 1 Pryce Corp. À’ 2.45 2.47 2.42 4.02 RFM Corporation 4.13 4.14 4.12 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 136 136 133.5 4.1 SPC Power Corp. 3.99 4 3.8 1.55 Splash Corporation 2.26 2.32 2.2 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.153 0.155 0.150 1.02 TKC Steel Corp. 1.20 1.20 1.20 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.17 2.19 2.14 152 Universal Robina 206.4 206.4 203 0.640 Vitarich Corp. 0.69 0.69 0.68 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l. 1.33 1.37 1.28 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. À’ 0.395 0.400 0.390 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 56.1500 56.5500 56.1500 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 18.68 18.68 18.18 1.6 Anglo Holdings A 1.23 1.20 1.10 6.62 Anscor À’ 6.36 6.36 6.36 0.23 ATN Holdings A 0.255 0.260 0.255 0.23 ATN Holdings B 0.255 0.25 0.250 634.5 Ayala Corp À’ 787 790 785 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.57 7.65 7.45 12.8 DMCI Holdings 12.50 13.20 12.40 1.15 F&J Prince ‘B’ 4.5 4.59 4.3 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp. 3.80 3.80 3.80 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.250 0.250 0.245 837 GT Capital 1362 1365 1358 5.3 House of Inv. 5.84 5.81 5.75 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 74.00 73.90 73.35 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp. 7.57 7.65 7.27 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.78 0.79 0.76 12 LT Group 12.18 12.42 12.2 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings À’ 0.52 0.53 0.53 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.35 5.37 5.24 4.5 Minerales Industrias Corp. 9.59 9.64 9.5 3 MJCI Investments Inc. 2.8 3.01 3.01 0.030 Pacifica À’ 0.0310 0.0320 0.0300 1.23 Prime Media Hldg 1.380 1.590 1.350 0.550 Prime Orion 1.950 1.960 1.940 2.26 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.83 2.85 2.8 59.3 San Miguel Corp À’ 50.35 50.35 49.60 751 SM Investments Inc. 870.00 870.50 863.00 80 Top Frontier 83.500 83.200 79.500 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3250 0.3300 0.3250 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.300 0.300 0.300 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 6.420 6.580 6.430 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.99 1.07 0.98 1.2 Araneta Prop À’ 1.150 1.150 1.150 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 36.500 36.900 36.250 3.36 Belle Corp. À’ 3.48 3.46 3.42 4.96 Cebu Holdings 5.1 5.1 5.08 0.79 Century Property 0.6 0.61 0.59 1.1 City & Land Dev. 0.94 0.95 0.93 0.083 Crown Equities Inc. 0.127 0.127 0.127 2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 1.02 0.225 78 17.8 62 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

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. National Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

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

SHARES 9037495 60127630 74072610 157553126 292765475 197992351 793624237

2.8 49.35 100.20 84.30 40.25 2.45 1.77 15.68 19.7 1.75 0.580 84.2 18.00 53.50 300 32 141.9 1535.00 57.00 3.1

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.79 49.4 102.00 84.80 40 2.51 1.77 15.5 19.5 1.70 0.560 86.5 18.24 53.50 301 31.6 141.9 1525.00 57.00 3.01

-0.36 0.10 1.80 0.59 -0.62 2.45 0.00 -1.15 -1.02 -2.86 -3.45 2.73 1.33 0.00 0.33 -1.25 0.00 -0.65 0.00 -2.90

33,000 13,600 2,357,730 1,934,140 64,100 89,000 555,000 10,500 105,500 32,000 607,000 959,800 100,000 235,560 740 9,300 377,790 90 5,710 1,000

41.3 1.88 0.88 1.57 11 17.9 21.5 45.8 2.45 1.64 10.06 9.430 8.90 6.44 6.60 24.2 69.6 11.70 13.32 6.23 2.350 207.40 11.72 2.01 24.25 23.95 6.25 326.00 4.2 8.35 3.8 11.94 3.70 2.05 2.42 4.13 134.5 4 2.25 0.150 1.20 2.17 206 0.69 1.28

-0.24 3.87 1.15 0.64 0.00 -0.56 -10.42 -1.08 0.00 -2.38 -4.19 -0.32 1.83 -1.23 -8.08 -3.20 -0.14 -0.85 -4.86 1.30 -5.24 0.78 -0.68 -6.51 3.41 -0.62 -2.80 0.31 0.72 -0.12 -5.00 0.00 0.27 -0.97 -1.22 0.00 -1.10 0.25 -0.44 -1.96 0.00 0.00 -0.19 0.00 -3.76

1,705,800 231,000 26,000 53,000 3,300 1,032,100 985,500 110,000 302,000 476,000 5,800 7,106,300 2,899,200 12,206,300 3,128,100 2,959,900 100,490 2,800 5,900 345,400 6,169,000 567,280 19,400 5,000 3,224,600 223,600 5,100 389,840 205,000 1,461,800 25,000 5,000 53,000 261,000 197,000 157,000 13,280 65,000 261,000 7,610,000 26,000 3,379,000 289,200 414,000 1,217,000

0.400 56.1500 18.52 1.20 6.36 0.255 0.250 786.5 7.65 13.10 4.5 3.80 0.250 1360 5.75 73.50 7.65 0.78 12.2 0.53 5.3 9.64 3.01 0.0300 1.490 1.960 2.83 49.80 869.00 79.500 0.3300 0.300

1.27 0.00 -0.86 -2.44 0.00 0.00 -1.96 -0.06 1.06 4.80 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.15 -1.54 -0.68 1.06 0.00 0.16 1.92 -0.93 0.52 7.50 -3.23 7.97 0.51 0.00 -1.09 -0.11 -4.79 1.54 0.00

350,000 430,280 6,105,400 14,000 1,500 160,000 100,000 232,330 1,188,500 7,669,800 8,000 92,000 670,000 134,215 447,100 1,391,990 5,431,900 250,000 2,789,300 20,000 19,836,200 2,046,300 3,000 21,900,000 480,000 749,000 75,000 142,580 189,080 76,920 620,000 50,000

6.540 0.98 1.150 36.650 3.44 5.1 0.6 0.95 0.127

1.87 -1.01 0.00 0.41 -1.15 0.00 0.00 1.06 0.00

172,300 14,429,000 3,000 7,311,800 118,000 41,065,400 571,000 51,000 10,000

571,995.00 45,206,920 41,514,096.00 444,000.00 1,550.00 -976,530.00 73,360.00 425,894.00 0.00 -694,530.50 -94,675 16,130,139.00

-11,285,215.00

15,988,490.00 349,600

2,742,411.00 -9,226,518.00 -29,726,950.00 -13,834,132.00 -33,059,530.00 -6,314,622.50 -23,600.00 794,711.00 -244,080.00 -40,084,386.00 -27,444,770.00 579,290.00 30,672,636.00 30,672,636.00 685,520.00 6,260,751.00

9,880.00 511,500.00 -1,439,780.00 -45,640.00 9,200.00 1,677,100.00 24,737,364.00 45,150.00 -5,920,877.00 -23,010,948.00

44,775,355.00 6,395,375.00 -4,942,348.00

50,431,190.00 1,657,430.00 588,154.50 -6,165,773.00 13,211,534.00 -54,064,929.00

58,250.00 -626,541.50 -84,512,480.00 -1,702,019.00

1,048,912.00 1,869,000.00 -1,332,580.00 24,080.00 -130,050,000.00 600.00

52 Weeks

High Low 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.09 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 12.28 3.32 3.2 1 2.46 15.2 0.62 1.040 6.41 4 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

1.97 35.2 0.63 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 0.011 0.041 1.200 6.5 1.91 1.95 0.650 1.8 6 0.335 0.37 3 2.28 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

STOCKS

Cyber Bay Corp. Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp. Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp. Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN APC Group, Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp. Cebu Air Inc. (5J) DFNN Inc. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp. Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings NOW 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 5 Travellers 0.315 Waterfront Phils. 1.14 Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 12.8 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 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 6.5 5.11 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 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Apex À’ Atlas Cons. À’ Basic Energy Corp. Benguet Corp À’ Benguet Corp `B’ 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’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp. Philex À’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. À’ Semirara Corp. TA Petroleum

70 553 525 515 8.21 12.28 1047 78.95 84.8

33 490 500 480 5.88 6.5 1011 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred B 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 701075618.268 886314350.44 1264519757.29 946464985.95 1098083858.288 105651761.3146 5037175556.546

FINANCIAL 1,577.61 (up) 17.63 INDUSTRIAL 11,477.43 (down) 12.33 HOLDING FIRMS 6,664.97 (down) 5.55 PROPERTY 3,058.02 (up) 8.28 SERVICES 1,614.12 (down) 23.05 MINING & OIL 11,438.58 (down) 42.51 PSEI 7,118.20 (down) 4.25 All Shares Index 4,103.47 (down) 5.02 Gainers: 59; Losers: 94; Unchanged: 57; Total: 210

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.480 20.75 0.890 0.164 1.23 1.75 1.29 4.66 0.089 0.2800 0.5100 8.45 30.10 1.5 3.09 21.70 0.77 8.18 1.000 5.740

0.495 0.480 0.480 21 20 20.7 0.890 0.890 0.890 0.164 0.164 0.164 1.26 1.23 1.23 1.75 1.72 1.75 1.28 1.28 1.28 4.71 4.65 4.65 0.088 0.083 0.084 0.2750 0.2450 0.2450 0.5100 0.4900 0.4900 8.49 8.4 8.4 30.60 29.90 29.90 1.51 1.49 1.5 3.2 3.04 3.09 22.20 21.50 21.80 0.75 0.73 0.73 8.21 8.17 8.18 1.050 0.980 1.000 5.810 5.700 5.790 SERVICES 8.62 8.61 8.44 8.45 67.8 68.1 67 67.1 0.590 0.590 0.570 0.580 25.5 27 27 27 5.78 5.93 5.79 5.79 0.0560 0.0580 0.0560 0.0560 3.51 3.59 3.5 3.5 88.75 89.4 87.05 88.95 5.90 6.01 5.90 5.95 2158 2174 2146 2158 7.42 7.60 7.40 7.42 1.20 1.19 1.19 1.19 71.9 73 71.05 71.2 0.011 0.011 0.010 0.011 0.180 0.180 0.177 0.177 1.4800 1.7300 1.4500 1.4500 9.00 9.02 9.00 9.02 4.45 4.68 4.20 4.20 2.29 2.30 2.20 2.30 0.590 0.630 0.610 0.630 2 2 1.97 2 3.36 3.65 3.4 3.57 0.275 0.285 0.270 0.280 0.830 0.870 0.820 0.830 4.89 4.89 4.53 4.55 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 100.50 104.90 100.50 100.50 20.10 20.25 19.44 20.25 2102.00 2068.00 1990.00 2026.00 0.560 0.560 0.550 0.560 1.080 1.090 1.060 1.080 35.10 35.40 35.00 35.15 72.50 75.20 73.10 74.45 6.27 6.53 6.31 6.40 5.03 5.10 4.98 5.05 0.50 0.50 0.49 0.49 4.37 4.35 4.22 4.35 0.325 0.340 0.315 0.335 3.990 3.990 3.900 3.900 MINING & OIL 0.0048 0.0049 0.0048 0.0048 2.25 2.20 2.15 2.15 5.55 5.85 5.60 5.85 0.213 0.220 0.212 0.212 5.81 5.81 5.7 5.7 5.8300 5.83 5.71 5.7100 0.72 0.75 0.72 0.74 0.67 0.69 0.66 0.67 8.88 9.00 8.60 8.80 0.87 0.88 0.82 0.83 0.315 0.315 0.305 0.305 0.191 0.192 0.190 0.190 0.205 0.205 0.205 0.205 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.012 3.01 3.09 2.83 2.83 7.96 7.86 7.75 7.78 3.07 3.13 3.03 3.1 0.6200 0.6100 0.6100 0.6100 1.4400 1.4400 1.4000 1.4400 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 3.99 4.00 3.99 4.00 5.15 5.150 5.120 5.15 1.52 1.550 1.490 1.50 0.0130 0.0140 0.0130 0.0140 137.00 137.00 134.00 137.00 2.35 2.43 2.32 2.32 PREFERRED 67.6 68 67.5 67.5 524.5 525 520 525 525 525 525 525 528 520 520 520 7.2 7.3 7.15 7.15 1.14 1.14 1.14 1.14 1035 1035 1035 1035 79 79 78.7 78.7 83 83 81.75 83 79.05 79.2 79.1 79.1 79 79.5 79.1 79.5 80 80.2 80 80 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.000 3.020 2.950 2.950 SME 2.9 2.8 2.78 2.78 54.6 61.75 54 57.6 16.7 16.96 16.5 16.78 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 116.5 116.7 116 116.4

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

0.00 -0.24 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.78 -0.21 -5.62 -12.50 -3.92 -0.59 -0.66 0.00 0.00 0.46 -5.19 0.00 0.00 0.87

7,430,000 811,500 469,000 230,000 11,096,000 10,516,000 114,000 18,561,000 7,560,000 5,130,000 253,000 25,700 1,992,000 287,000 625,000 6,981,900 4,150,000 624,300 2,131,000 14,816,200

73,050.00 -4,359,930.00

-1.97 -1.03 -1.69 5.88 0.17 0.00 -0.28 0.23 0.85 0.00 0.00 -0.83 -0.97 0.00 -1.67 -2.03 0.22 -5.62 0.44 6.78 0.00 6.25 1.82 0.00 -6.95 0.00 0.00 0.75 -3.62 0.00 0.00 0.14 2.69 2.07 0.40 -1.01 -0.46 3.08 -2.26

217,600 54,500 792,000 100 2,700.00 5,918,700 -12,909,663.00 26,840,000 162,000 314,760 -1,544,493.50 45,300 177,000.00 25,560 -8,204,190.00 597,800 17,000 966,270 -46,416,209.50 155,500,000 4,730,000 23,400.00 22,428,000 -263,890.00 15,900 2,706.00 7,113,000 679,100.00 111,000 28,000 119,000 17,038,000 2,846,450.00 1,570,000 17,000.00 7,716,000 83,000.00 6,000 -4,890.00 5,000 1,260 104,520.00 41,300 247,190 -143,898,505.00 617,000 13,301,000 -1,685,580.00 2,156,600 14,028,565.00 66,000 -1,704,724.00 2,612,500 76,204.00 14,812,400 -4,960,526.00 2,390,000 -430,650.00 1,788,000 -5,715,900.00 770,000 260,000 -99,500.00

0.00 -4.44 5.41 -0.47 -1.89 -2.06 2.78 0.00 -0.90 -4.60 -3.17 -0.52 0.00 0.00 0.00 -5.98 -2.26 0.98 -1.61 0.00 -9.09 0.00 0.25 0.00 -1.32 7.69 0.00 -1.28

53,000,000 246,000 337,500 30,000 6,300 1,400 519,000 776,000 42,700 52,779,000 90,000 5,130,000 1,000,000 14,400,000 900,000 370,000 3,917,000 57,000 100,000 84,000 28,100,000 100,000 3,000 75,800 310,000 35,200,000 161,070 76,000

-0.15 0.10 0.00 -1.52 -0.69 0.00 0.00 -0.38 0.00 0.06 0.63 0.00

22,040 1,100 700 1,500 301,500 1,000 10 1,500 105,600 17,800 24,420 96,010

-1.67

15,000

-4.14 5.49 0.48

34,000 7,500 2,030,300

11,550,370.00

-0.09

3,750

19,839.00

12,200,250.00 -2,452,630.00 -10,040,150.00 250,000.00 67,200.00 -8,449,345.00 -15,697,500.00 4,989,782.00 -4,563,242.00

-15,244.00 2,120.00 7,400.00 1,415,420.00

20,800.00 -3,497,232.00 61,000.00

36,050.00 -30,360.00 -3,742,756.00 -877,880.00 -52,000.00 -1,456,652.00

-4,096,597.50 -1,392,160.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Prime Media Hldg

1.490

7.97

Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2450

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.0140

7.69

Cirtek Holdings (Chips)

21.5

-12.50 -10.42

MJCI Investments Inc.

3.01

7.50

Oriental Pet. `A'

0.0100

-9.09

Manila Bulletin

0.630

6.78

EEI

6.60

-8.08

Melco Crown

3.57

6.25

PAL Holdings Inc.

4.55

-6.95

Berjaya Phils. Inc.

5.88

LMG Chemicals

2.01

-6.51

IRipple E-Business Intl

57.6

5.49

Marcventures Hldgs., Inc.

2.83

-5.98

Atlas Cons. `A'

5.85

5.41

Liberty Telecom

4.20

-5.62

DMCI Holdings

13.10

4.80

MRC Allied Ind.

0.084

-5.62

Agrinurture Inc.

1.88

3.87

Ionics Inc

2.350

-5.24

SATURDAY: NOVEMBER 7, 2015

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

Melco Crown widens 9-month loss to P6.1b By Jenniffer B. Austria

INTEGRATED resort and casino developer Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp. said Friday net loss widened 45 percent in the first nine months to P6.08 billion from P4.2 billion a year ago, on higher expenses due to the full operations of City of Dreams Manila that opened in December 2014. Melco Crown said in a financial report filed with the stock exchange net loss in the third quarter alone reached P1.17 billion, narrower than the P1.79billion loss incurred in the third quarter of 2014. Nine-month revenues, however, jumped to P9.92 billion in the

nine-month period from P71.83 million in 2014, following the opening of the integrated casino resort. Total net operating revenues in nine months to September included P8.68 billion of casino revenues, which accounted for 88 percent of the total.

Non-casino revenues, including hotel and food and beverage and retail businesses, contributed P1.23 billion or 12 percent to total revenues. The company said in the third quarter, net revenues reached P4.24 billion, up from P26.82 million in the same quarter in 2014. Total operating costs and expenses soared 442 percent in the January-September period this year to P13.86 billion from P2.58 billion recorded in the first three quarters of 2014. Third-quarter operating costs and expenses also jumped 236 percent to P4.67 billion from the year-ago level of P1.39 billion. Melco Crown said in August that because of widening net loss,

it “suspended” 100 employees as part of cost rationalization. Melco Crown, however, said affected employees could resume work, once the business improved. City of Dreams Manila is located on a 6.2-hectare property at the Entertainment City project of state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. It is the second integrated resort to open within the 297-acre Entertainment City, a Las Vegas Strip-style casino hub competing with those in Macau and Singapore. City of Dreams Manila operates 380 gaming tables, 1,700 slot machines and 1,700 electronic table games that go after the VIP and mass market. It also operates 981 hotel rooms under the Crown Towers, Nobu and Hyatt brands.

Smart-Robinsons deal. Smart Communications Inc. announces a collaboration with Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. to enable Smart

subscribers and customers to purchase prepaid credits and other mobile services in various Robinsons’ retail establishments nationwide. Shown sealing the partnership are (from left) Robinsons Department Store general manager Johnson Go, Robinsons Supermarket general manager Jody Gadia, RDS Business Center head Thelma Roxas-Jacob, Robinsons Retail president and chief operating officer Robina Gokongwei-Pe, Smart head of consumer business Ariel Fermin, Smart sales and distribution group head Darlene Stephanie Chiong, Smart center head for sales and distribution Jocelyn David and Smart sales and distribution manager Salvador Sta. Ana.

Manila Water’s profit rose 1% to P4.6b in 3 quarters By Anna Leah E. Gonzales MANILA Water Company Inc., the concessionaire in Metro Manila’s east zone, said Friday net income grew 1 percent in the first nine months, on the back of a 4-percent growth in revenues. Manila Water said in a disclosure to the stock exchange net income in the JanuarySeptember period reached P4.60 billion, up from P4.54 billion recorded in the same period last year. The company said revenues grew 4 percent in the nine-month period to P12.69 billion from P12.20 billion a year earlier. Manila Water’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization slightly improved to

P8.8 billion from P8.75 billion in 2014. Total billed volume in all units grew 2 percent to 515.3 million cubic meters from 503.8 million mcm last year year. Manila Water said billed volume in the east zone increased 2 percent from 337.6 mcm in 2014 to 346 mcm this year. Clark Water’s billed volume climbed 13 percent from 8.6 mcm last year to 9.7 mcm this year while Laguna Water’s billed volume surged 16 percent to 27 mcm from 23.2 mcm. Cebu Manila Water Development’s billed volume reached 5.8 mcm while Boracay Island Water’s billed volume grew 7 percent to 3.3 mcm from 3 mcm. Water volume at the company’s

Kenh Dong Water in Vietnam also slightly grew 2 percent to 41.8 mcm from 41.1 mcm while its other unit in Vietnam, Thu Duc Water’s billed volume dropped 9 percent to 81.8 mcm from 90.3 mcm last year. Manila Water’s service connections in its east zone increased 3 percent to 970,012 connections from 943,624 connections in 2014. Service connections in Boracay Island Water grew 5 percent to 6,353 from 6,073 while Laguna Water’s connections rose 13 percent to 98,352 from 87,193. Connections in Clark Water dropped 2 percent to 1,955 connections from 1,987. Manila Water is the east zone concessionaire of the

Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System that provides water and wastewater services to more than 6.2 million residents of eastern Metro Manila and Rizal province. The company said in a separate disclosure to the stock exchange wholly-owned subsidiary in Singapore, Manila Water Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., signed a memorandum of understanding with PDAM Bandung, a water utility company owned and controlled by the regional government of Bandung City in Indonesia. Manila Water said under the agreement, MWAP will conduct a demonstration project for non-revenue water reduction in Bandung City.

Stock market extends slump STOCKS fell for a third day, after companies reported slower profit growth in the third quarter and Asian markets tracked a lower finish on Wall Street on the eve of the US payrolls report. The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, shed 4 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 7,118.20 Friday. The gauge was also down 1.6 percent since the start of the year. The heavier index, representing all shares, lost 5 points, or 0.1 percent, to settle at 4,103.47, on a value turnover of P5 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 94 to 59, while 57 issues were unchanged. DMCI Holdings Inc., the investment company of the Consunji family, emerged as the biggest gainer among the 20 most active stocks Friday, as it climbed 4.8 percent to P13.10. Concessionaire Manila Water Co. Inc. gained 3.4 percent to P24.25, while Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second largest lender, rose 2.7 percent to P86.50. BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender, advanced 1.8 percent to P102, while developer Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. added 0.9 percent to P5.79. Meanwhile, Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index closed at its highest level in more than two months Friday, while traders in Asia were closely watching a US jobs report that could indicate a Fed move on interest rates. The Nikkei 225 shrugged off a weak lead from US markets to end 0.78 percent higher following a week of gains, led by Japan Post’s market debut. Japan Post is now worth $36 billion more than its government price tag following the biggest initial public offering globally this year, with its insurance unit especially in demand among investors. The government hopes the Japan Post sell-off will draw more investment to Japanese firms and provide a lift for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s faltering bid to kick-start the world’s number-three economy. The Hang Seng Index pared some of the morning’s losses but remained down in Hong Kong afternoon trade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat at the close Thursday, while the broad-based S&P 500 lost 0.11 percent and the tech-rich Nasdaq was the laggard, dropping 0.29 percent. Investors are closely watching the report after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Wednesday that if US economic activity remains solid the Fed could decide to increase interest rates at its December meeting. “There’s clearly profit-taking and the market is cautious ahead of the US payrolls data,” William Wong, head of sales trading at Shenwan Hongyuan Group in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg News. “Trading is very thin in Hong Kong. China is more policydriven so the market is expecting more measures there.” With AFP

SATURDAY: NOVEMBER 7, 2015

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

IN BRIEF Globe reorganizes GLOBE Telecom Inc. announced key senior management appointments and organization changes effective November 9, 2015 to further strengthen its position in the industry. Gil Genio will be the new chief technology and information officer. As CTIO, Genio will lead an integrated network and technology organization and the overall vision, development and execution of network and technology architecture and strategies to respond to business and market demands. He will continue to be the company’s chief strategy officer. Alberto de Larrazabal will be the new chief commercial officer. As CCO, de Larrazabal will drive the integration and execution of strategies across all commercial units, including marketing, sales and channels, and product development for all segments of business. De Larrazabal is currently the company’s chief finance officer, treasurer and chief risk officer. Rosemarie Maniego-Eala will be the acting chief finance officer, while Maria Aurora Sy-Manalang will be the new chief information officer.

$ reserves on target THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is poised to meet the $81.6-billion target on gross international reserves this year after reaching $81.142 billion at the end of October from $80.55 billion a month ago. The Bangko Sentral attributed the increase in the GIR mainly to its income from investments abroad and revaluation adjustments in gold holdings. The international reserves in 2014 stood at $79.540 billion, lower than $83.187 billion in 2013. Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said Friday these were partially offset by the national government’s payments for maturing foreign exchange obligations. “The end-October GIR level remains ample as it can cover 10.4 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and income,” Tetangco said in a statement. “It is also equivalent to 6.1 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.4 times based on residual maturity,” Tetangco said. Data showed the value of the Bangko Sentral’s gold holdings as of end-October increased to $7.178 billion from $7.014 billion a month ago. Julito G. Rada

Cross-border partners. Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. and Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corp. sign a cross-border cooperation

agreement on October 29, 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. IDIC chairman Halim Alamsyah (left) and PDIC president Cristina Que Orbeta seal the agreement that allows both agencies to share knowledge and experiences to mutually enhance the effectiveness of their respective deposit insurance systems.

SEC sues EmGoldex for investment scam By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday issued a cease-and-desist order Pure Foods nets P2.9b against EmGoldex, an online investment SAN Miguel Pure Foods Co. Inc. said net income in the first nine months of scam that has victimized mostly migrant Filithe year increased seven percent to P2.9 billion on the back of stronger revenues pino workers. in the feeds and branded value-added businesses. San Miguel Pure Foods said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues grew three percent to P76.6 billion, while operating income rose four percent to P4.5 billion. “The company’s performance from January to September was mainly driven by strong revenues in the feeds and branded value-added businesses, offsetting weaker sales in the poultry, meats and flour segments,” the company said. The group’s agro-industrial businesses, consisting of feeds, poultry and Monterey meats, registered combined revenues of P 52.7 billion, up 3 percent year-on-year. The growth came largely from the feeds business as revenues of the poultry and meats business were adversely affected by lower selling prices of chicken and pork due to industry oversupply in the first half of the year. Jenniffer B. Austria

China Bank profit up CHINA Banking Corp., one of the country’s leading banks controlled by retail tycoon Henry Sy, posted a net profit of P3.64 billion, up 8 percent year-onyear on the back of stronger lending and lower cost of funding. China Bank said In a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday the three-quarter income translated into a return on equity of 8.35 percent and a return on assets of 1.02 percent. Net interest income rose 8 percent to P11.17 billion year-on-year as revenues from loans rose 8 percent, while interest expense dropped 6 percent as a significant block of high-cost funds (time deposits) was replaced by low-cost CASA (checking and savings accounts), which grew 16 percent. This led to an improved net interest margin of 3.36 percent from 3.23 percent a year ago. Non-interest income declined 3 percent to P2.96 billion as trading gains fell 5 percent to P365.22 million. Earnings from service charges, fees, and commissions rose 15 percent to P1.38 billion. Julito G. Rada

The SEC said in a statement it also filed two complaints against EmGoldex and related units Global Intergold and Prosperous Infinite Philippines Holdings Corp. with the Justice Department for selling and offering securities not registered with the SEC. The unauthorized sale is a violation of the Securities Regulation Code. The SEC said each violation of the SRC was punishable upon conviction, with a fine of not more than P5 million

or imprisonment of seven to 21 years, or both. The SEC said it initiated the filing of the cases and issued the cease-and-desist after several months of investigation on EmGoldex. SEC director for enforcement and investor protection department Lalaine Monserate said Emgoldex and its related units operate the classic Ponzi scheme of getting cash investments and giving high return payouts through the recruit-

ment of people. As more people are recruited into the scheme, it eventually reaches a point where it can no longer sustain the payouts and payments are eventually stopped, leaving unsuspecting investors penniless. The SEC with the help of Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency managed to gather evidence, including affidavits of two victims who are active PNP officials. The corporate regulator in mid-February issued an advisory on investors to exercise self-restraint from putting their hardearned money on Emgoldex. An SEC investigation showed that EmGoldex had

been inviting Facebook netizens to invest in its “Pinoy Style Patak Patak” program, which promises huge return for their investment. Under the program, an investor shelling out P1,000 will supposedly earn profits from P5,000 to P10,000, while a placement of P35,000 will yield P180,000 to P360,000. EmGoldex was the company that initially employed the Ponzi scheme. The company, however, renamed itself to GIG after the SEC issued the advisory against EmGoldex. PIPHC was also incorporated sometime in August to aid and assist GIG investors who were unable to obtain a return on their investment. EmGoldex has been banned in other countries based on international media reports.

ADB joins Burgos wind project, commits $20-m loan By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Asian Development Bank signed a funding commitment of up to $20 million with a group of international lenders for the 150-megawatt Burgos wind project owned by EDC Burgos Wind Power Corp. Energy Development Corp., the parent of EDC Burgos Wind, said in a disclosure the lenders of the Burgos wind project agreed to proportionately assign to ADB a portion of an export credit agency loan.

They also assigned the US dollar commercial debt facility of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., DZ Bank AG Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank, Frankfurt am Main, Hong Kong Branch, ING Bank, a branch of ING DiBa AG, ING Bank, N.V., Singapore Branch and Norddeustche Landesbank Girozentrale, Singapore Branch. The 150-MW Burgos wind project in Ilocos Norte is the largest wind farm in Southeast Asia, which was successfully commis-

sioned in November 2014. The project financing for the 150-MW Burgos wind project in October 2014 was closed with a group of foreign and local banks that provided $315 million via a 15-year funding, including the ECA debt facility which is covered by an ECA guarantee from Eksport Kredit Fonden, Denmark’s export credit agency. “This project underscores EDC’s strategy to be the country’s leading diversified renewable power company. Indeed, the support of our lenders, which

now include ADB, is another testament that Burgos is a worldclass project, adhering to the high standards of multi-lateral funding organizations.” EDC president and chief operating puffier Richard Tantoco said. The Energy Regulatory Commission granted the project a certificate of compliance in April, which entitled the project to the feed-in tariff rate of P8.53 per kilowatt-hour, subject to adjustments as may be approved by the ERC, from November 11, 2014 to November 10, 2034.

S at u r D aY : N O V E M B E r 7, 2 0 1 5

cESar BarriOquiNtO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

Autumn in St. Petersburg. A man walks in a park on a foggy autumn day in St. Petersburg on November 6, 2015. AFP

UN: Warming vows not enough Obama says bomb may have caused plane crash LONDON US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron both believe a bomb may have downed a Russian plane in Egypt, with reports Friday suggesting their view was based on intercepted communications between militants. With concerns over security mounting, a number of European airlines readied to bring home thousands of tourists from the Sinai peninsula resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where the crashed Russian plane took off from last Saturday. The Islamic State jihadist group has claimed responsibility for the disaster, in which the Saint Petersburg-bound jet crashed minutes after taking off, killing all 224 mainly Russian tourists on board. Cairo and Moscow have sought to downplay the suggestion of an

attack. But Obama told a US radio station: “I think there is a possibility that there was a bomb on board and we are taking that very seriously,” while emphasizing it was too early to say for sure. In London, where Cameron hosted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday, the British premier told reporters it was “more likely than not that it was a terrorist bomb” that caused the crash. And The Times newspaper reported on Friday that electronic communications intercepted by British and US spies suggested a bomb may have been carried onto the plane. A joint intelligence operation used satellites to uncover the chatter between militants in Sinai and Syria, it said. AFP

PARIS—Carbon-cutting pledges from 146 nations are “far from enough” to stave off dangerous global warming, the UN warned Friday, three weeks ahead of a crucial climate summit in Paris. The voluntary efforts to curb greenhouse gases if respected would only yield a third of the cuts needed by 2030 to keep Earth from overheating, according to a UN Environment Program report. Countries have made “an historic level of commitment” with their pledges, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said in a statement. “However, they are not sufficient to limit global temperature rise to the recommended level of two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) this century.” Beyond that threshold, scientists say, lies a climate-addled world plagued by deadly drought, super storms, and mass migration. The emissions reduction plans called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, or INDCs would result in a tempera-

ture hike of 3.0 C (4.8 F) or more by 2100, UNEP said. Other scientific estimates have varied between 2.7 C and 3.5 C. The annual “Emissions Gap” analysis tracks the difference between projected CO2 pollution, on the one hand, and the levels required to stay under the UN 2 C target, on the other. - ‘Far from enough’ -This year’s report is the first to take into account greenhouse gas reduction promises made ahead of the November 30-December 11 summit, tasked with delivering the first-ever universal climate pact. Without the INDCs, humanity is set to spew some 60 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a measure that groups different greenhouse gases including methane and nitrous oxide into the at-

mosphere in 2030. The INDCs would shave 6 billion tons off the top, leaving the total at 54 billion tons. But to keep the 2 C target on track, total emissions in 2030 should not exceed 42 billion tonnes, according to the UN’s climate science panel. That means that the INDCs only cover a third of the 18 billion tonne gap between the current trajectory, and where we need to be in 2030. “The submitted contributions are far from enough, and the emissions gap in both 2025 and 2030 will be very significant,” the report said. Moreover, it notes, greenhouse gas output would still be rising in 2030. Many scientists say it is crucial to bend the emissions curve to make it peak, in other words as soon as possible. The longer we wait, they say, the harder and more expensive it will be to transition to a low-carbon global economy. AFP

Suu Kyi eyes historic win in elections YANGON—Myanmar’s boisterous election campaign draws to a close Friday, two days before milestone polls that could finally propel Aung San Suu Kyi’s pro-democracy party to power after a decadeslong struggle against the military. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy or NLD is eyeing an outright majority at Sunday’s general election, the first the party has contested since 1990. Myanmar was ruled for half a century by a brutal and isolationist junta that crushed prodemocracy movements through a combination of violent crack-

downs and political chicanery. But in 2011 the military unexpectedly ceded power to a quasi-civilian government led by former top-ranking general President Thein Sein. The wave of reforms that followed loosened the military chokehold on the nation. A free press has flourished since, most political prisoners have been released and the economy is creeping back to life in lockstep with the rollback of most international sanctions. But the ruling, army-backed Union and Solidarity Development

Party or USDP, is the main obstacle to a historic NLD win. In Yangon early Friday residents were removing party stickers and flags from cars, anxious to meet a midnight deadline on campaigning, in a sign of the nervousness that pervades Myanmar after years of arbitrary military rule. But Suu Kyi’s supporters were confident. “The NLD is the only party that can make our hopes come true,” Tun Tun Naing, 39, told AFP, explaining his loyalty to the party pivots on its leader’s star power. AFP

Five-day visit. Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe review a guard of honor before their meeting at Abe’s official residence in Tokyo on November 6, 2015. The Uruguayan president is on a five-day visit to Japan. AFP

s at u r D aY : n o V e M b e r 7, 2 0 1 5

WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

What to call Taiwan a puzzle to call the island itself, one that the international organizations it has joined have settled in different ways. The Asian Development Bank went with “Taipei, China”, while the Olympics, the Miss Universe competition and football’s govNow presidents Xi Jinping of the Holy See population 800. China and Taiwan’s Ma YingIts bid to join the Beijing-led erning body FIFA have all chojeou will meet on Saturday for the Asian Infrastructure Investment sen “Chinese Taipei”―although it first such encounter in 66 years, Bank was rejected, as was its at- often has to use alternative flags with one of the spotlights on their tempt to take part in this month’s at sporting events. But the World Trade own titles. UN climate change summit in Organization clumsily refers Overshadowed by the main- Paris as a full official delegation. land’s economic and geopolitical But Taipei continues to wage a to it as the “Separate Customs might, Taiwan has governed itself delicate war of words with Beijing, Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, since the nationalist Kuomintang in which the two governments Kinmen, and Matsu”―namfled there in 1949 after being de- must avoid subtle linguistic choices ing the smaller islands under feated by Mao Zedong’s commu- that might indicate recognition of Taipei’s administrative control. The Asia-Pacific Economic nists in the Chinese civil war. the other’s national legitimacy. Cooperation forum takes care It is not a member of the When Ma and Xi meet this United Nations, World Bank or weekend, they will refer to each to use “economies” rather than International Monetary Fund, other as “mister” to sidestep po- “states” to refer to its members, which include “Chinese Taipei”, and it only has formal diplomatic tential awkwardness. relations with 22 states, including A larger conflict is over what “Hong Kong, China” and the “People’s Republic of LGU-SAN EMILIO Contract Reference Number 3509723 China”. Name of the Contract Rehabilitation of Burayok,Paltoc to Both Taiwan and Kalumsing Farm to Market Road China agree that there Location of the Contract Paltoc,Kalumsing , San Emilio,Ilocos Sur is “one China” and ofStandard Form Number: SF-INFR-05 Revised on: July 29, 2004 ficially view the island as a Chinese province. But INVITATION TO BID they disagree over whether the China in question is The Local Government Unit of San Emilio, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites contractors registered with and classified by the the communist “People’s Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to apply for eligibility Republic of China” or the and if found eligible, to bid for the hereunder contract: “Republic of China”, as Taiwan styles itself. afp 1. Name of Project : Rehabilitation of Burayok,Paltoc to

BEIJING—The Miss Universe contest and the World Trade Organization have both puzzled a common conundrum: what to call Taiwan, an island whose relationship with mainland China is riddled with complications.

Location Brief Description No. of Days ABC Source of Fund

: : : : :

Kalumsing Farm to Market Road Paltoc,Kalumsing , San Emilio, Ilocos Sur Construction works 210 C.D. P 20,815,533.61 RA 7171 Congressional Share

Prospective bidders should possess a valid PCAB License applicable to the contract, have completed a similar contract with a value of at least 50% of the ABC, and have key personnel and equipment (listed in the Eligibility Forms) available for the prosecution of the contract. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the Eligibility Check/ Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids. The BAC will conduct post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid. All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bids, PostQualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR).

Department of Agrarian Reform REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR THE PROGRESS AND PROCESS MONITORING SERVICES (PPMS) for BATCH 3 OF THE AGRARIAN REFORM CONNECTIVITY AND ECONOMIC SUPPORT SERVICES (ARCCESS) PROJECT 1.

The Department of Agrarian Reform Regional Office Region II (DARRO-Region II), through the GAA 2014 current appropriations intends to apply the aggregate sum of Php2,000,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Professional Services Providers (PSPs) for the Progress and Process Monitoring Services of the Batch 3 of the Agrarian Connectivity and Economic Support (ARCESS) Project.

The DARRO Region II now calls for the submission of eligibility documents for:

PPMS forMarket-Based Technology andAgri_Extension Services (AES) Batch 3: Lot

Schedule

1. Posting

November 3-10, 2015

2. Pre-bid Conference

November 12, 2015

3. Submission of Bids

November 23, 2015 @ 10:00 AM

4. Opening of Bids

November 23, 2015 @ 10 :01 AM at Municipal Hall

5. Bid Evaluation

November 24, 2015

6. Post Qualification

November 25, 2015

7. Approval of Resolution

November 26, 2015

8. Notice of Award

November 27, 2015

9. Contract Signing

December 1, 2015

10. Notice to Proceed

December 2, 2015

The BAC will issue to prospective bidders Eligibility Forms at BAC Secretariat upon their submission of a LOI, and upon their payment of a non-refundable amount determined by the BAC to the LGU Cashier. Prospective bidders shall submit the Eligibility Requirements to the BAC at the said address. They may also obtain the results of the Eligibility Check by the BAC at the same address. The Local Government Unit of San Emilio assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred d in the preparation of their bids. Approved by: (SGD) JONAS O. BERTO BAC Chairman (TS-NOV. 7, 2015)

Noted by: (SGD) FERDINAND A. BANUA Municipal Mayor

at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on November 5, 2015, in Santa Monica, California. afp

Republic of the Philippines

The schedule of BAC activities is as follows: Activities

arrival. Selena Gomez arrives at the City of Hope’s 2015 Spirit of Life Gala

Province

No. of SubProjects

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Objective and Scope of the Contract

To monitor the progress and process of support service delivery to the ARBOs in the identified provinces in terms of: a) achievement of results (outputs) versus targets ; b) quality of results; c) methods and processes of delivery that lead to the delivery of results; and d) performance of PSPs as determined by ARBO level of satisfaction

2-PPMS-A

Cagayan & Isabela

Php400,000.00

2-PPMS-B

Nueva Vizcaya & Quirino

600,000.00

PPMS for Business Development Services (BDS) Batch 3: Lot

Province

No. of SubProjects

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Objective and Scope of the Contract To monitor the progress and process of support service delivery to the ARBOs in the identified provinces in terms of: a) achievement of results (outputs) versus targets ; b) quality of results; c) methods and processes of delivery that lead to the delivery of results; and d) performance of PSPs as determined by ARBO level of satisfaction

2-PPMS-A

Cagayan &Isabela

400,000.00

2-PPMS-B

Nueva Vizcaya & Quirino

600,000.00

Interested professional service providers must submit their eligibility documents on or before November 18, 2015at 9:00 o’clock am at the office of the Office of the DARRO-BAC Secretariat, Regional Office II, Regional Government Center, Carig Sur, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion. The Eligibility Data Sheet shall be available at the address above on November 7, 2015. The DARRO-BAC shall draw out the short list of PSPs from those who have submitted eligibility documents/expression of Interest and have been determined as eligible in accordance with the provision of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act” and its Revised Implementing Rules And Regulations (IRR). The criteria and rating system for short listing are: A. Track record of professional service provider B. Qualification of the team C. Current workload and absorptive capacity

30% 50% 20%

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorship, partnership corporation, cooperatives or joint ventures with at least 60% interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Submission of bids will be onDecember 2, 2015, 9:00 AM at DARRO 02 Secretariat Office and bid opening will follow immediately at the Tabones Hall, DARRO 02, Carig, Tuguegaro City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the above-mentioned address. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The procuring entity shall evaluate bids using the Quality-Cost Based Evaluation (QCBE) procedures. The Technical proposal shall carry a weight of seventy percent (70%) in the evaluation. Bids whose technical proposal passes the minimum technical requirement of fifty-three percent (53%) shall have financial proposals opened and evaluated. The rating system for the evaluation of bids shall be provided in the instruction to bidders.

The contract shall be completed within twelve months.

The DARRO-Region II reserves the right to reject any and all bids, annul the bidding process, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, refer to: MS. MA. ANNETTE L. ROMANO Head, DARRO 02 BAC Secretariat DAR Regional Office, Carig Sur Tuguegarao City, Cagayan CP #: 09062263409

(TS-NOV. 7, 2015)

(SGD) ATTY. LEON B. LAGUNDI, JR. Chairman, Bids and Awards

S AT U R D AY : N O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

PROPERTY jdlacsamana@gmail.com

JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR

Quezon City gem New San Jose Builders (NSJB) recently held an open house at latest property in Quezon City, Victoria de Morato. The two-tower property has 34 floors offering 1,448 residential units, and is located along Scout Borromeo corner Tomas Morato. The units range from about 1.1M to 3-9M, and buyers can choose from single or combined units. Victoria de Morato is near shopping centers such as Trinoma, Fisher Mall, and SM City North EDSA, as well as restaurants hub Il Terrazzo and Centris Walk. Victoria de Morato’s date of turnover is on December 2016. NSJ is also developing other Quezon City condominiums such as the Victoria Sports Tower and the Victoria Towers -Tower D. The company is known for building the Philippine Arena and its own resort by the sea, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.

infrA geAr for munti. The Muntinlupa local government recently bought a P13.7M multi-functional backhoe loader to help speed up infrastructure projects and disaster risk management operations city. The equipment functions include: loader, digger, grader, bulldozer, grabber, forklift, backfiller, breaker, and excavator. Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (left) received the backhoe loader during the flag raising rites last week.

Cozying up to nAture. Tagaytay Highlands is pulling all the stops to create Nob Hill, an eco-friendly community that offers a cosmopolitan lifestyle close to nature. Nob Hill is the newest neighborhood in Tagaytay fit for weekend grinders seeking a quick escape. The contemporary-themed Nob Hill home is minimalist and geometric,and showcases the lights and sights of Tagaytay, with views of Mt. Makiling to the east and Highlands Mountain to the west. The project is close the Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club, and boasts amenities such as ATV rides, the first cable car and funicular train system in the country, horseback riding, and fishing, among others. For those looking for gastronomic adventures, there are 16 restaurants serving different cuisines just within the vicinity. Tagaytay Highlands is a leisure development of the SM Group of Companies.

Think you’re ready To buy a condo? Answer these 10 Questions Dreaming about owning a condo is one thing, but have your musings become more specific (which city you want to live in, what kind of unit you want to get, what color theme to use in the living room, etc.) than before? Do you find yourself constantly adding up your expenses and thinking, “I can actually save up for a property now”? Here are ten questions you should ask yourself to be certain that now’s the time to upgrade from renting, to owning a condo. 1. Do you hAve A stAble sourCe of inCome? Buying a property through a home loan means monthly amortizations. This means you need to have a job that not just earns you enough to make regular payments on time, but also one you’re confident you’ll keep for a long time. If you’re in a career or industry that’s known to be unstable, or if you just started working for a new company, there’s a

Think like an investor

pretty high risk you might lose your source of income and miss monthly loan payments. 2. hAve you sAveD up for A Down pAyment? The down payment for a property doesn’t come easy for everyone. In most cases, it’s 20 percent—an amount that can either be small or large depending on the price of the property and your monthly income. If your income allows you to comfortably set aside a certain amount, then good for you. If not, there’s nothing wrong with waiting a little longer to save; what’s important is that you’re able to put together the amount without it making a sudden dent in your current budget. 3. ¼ AnD still hAve enough left over? You don’t want every single centavo going to condo payments. What if someone ends up in the hospital? You also need to think

about the other costs involved in keeping your new home up and running (utilities, maintenance fees, and association dues). You have to eat, too. You can only say you’re financially prepared when you’ve factored in all of these and the payments toward the condo, and you still have some money for an emergency fund (worth at least six months). 4. Do you hAve your priorities strAight? Being realistic about your wants and needs for your dream home helps you narrow down your options, so budgeting your finances should be easier, too. You may want a spacious condo, but a few months down the road, can you spare the time, money, and effort to maintain it? 5. Do you hAve A firm grip on your Debts? We all incur some sort of debt, but not everyone does a good job

of keeping them from blowing up. Ideally, you will have been able to eliminate all your consumer debt, but as long as you’re able to stay on top of your credit cards, car loan, and any other things you need to pay regularly, then you’re doing OK.

care of things should anything need repairing. Once you’ve made the switch from renter to owner, you’ve only got yourself to rely on. How ready are you to fix signs of wear and tear? Or are you willing to shell out money to pay someone to do them for you?

6. CAn you think like An investor? Your priority might be having a unit to live in now, but should things change a few years down the road, it would be nice to know that the unit you’ve purchased has the potential to earn you a sizeable profit should you lease it out, or put it up for sale.

9. Are you getting reADy to settle Down? If you’re starting a family soon, chances are you’d want a stable form of residence, something that a rental may not offer. Belonging to a two-income family means you’re even more assured that you’ll be able to make your monthly payments should one lose their job. Also, with a child on the way, you’re most likely thinking about leaving them with something (like a property) when they’re older.

7. hAve you suppresseD your inner Desire to DeCorAte lie CrAzy? Renting a home means giving up a lot of things, such as your absolute freedom to decorate. Sure, you can probably talk your landlord into drilling a few holes in the wall for your photos, but what if your desire to be creative can’t be limited to that? Having your own condo means you can personalize it as much as you want without worrying about security deposits. 8. Do you know how to fix A leAky fAuCet? … or unclog a drain, or repair a door lock? When you were just leasing a unit, you were comforted by the fact that you could count on the landlord to take

10. Do you relish living in the sAme plACe for A long time? To those who find themselves jumping from one city to another, renting is the most sensible option. But if you’ve been renting in the same neighborhood for quite some time, there’s a reason for it. It would be smarter to start putting your rent money toward your own condo from here on out, especially if you see yourself living in the same place for another five years or more. MyProperty.ph is a Philippine real estate online and print brand that brings property buyers and sellers together.

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JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR jdlacsamana@gmail.com

PROPERTY

FlAwED pUBlic TRANSpORT, hOUSiNg pOliciES BlAMED FOR MM TRAFFic MESS P By Joel D. lacsamana

(First of two Parts)

rominent government and private sector think tanks agreed at a recent high level transport forum held in Makati City that a component that could significantly ease road congestion in Metro Manila is to use rail to transport goods. Most of the participants concurred that much work needs to be done to improve the efficiency of the current state of the country’s transport infrastructure. But some observers at the closed-door forum suggested a more real estate-driven solution to reduce the burden on the country’s transport systems: initiate decent rental housing in the city. This way, people could walk or take a short transit ride to work. The formula they proposed : “more affordable housing in the right places = less traffic congestion.” “Most of the housing in our employment centers (the CBDs of Makati, BGC, Eastwood, Cubao, Ortigas, etc.) are currently expensive high-rise condos,” said one participant from the property sector who declined to be identified. “Most of the housing immediately adjacent are expensive, low-density single family housing. It is the poor and the middle class who could really save a lot of time and money if they could live near these work centers. But it is only the rich who can afford to live near where they work.” Organized by ADR and Citizen Watch, the discussion centered on what the government, primarily the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), its attached agencies, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and LRT/MRT operators, and real estate and property

each other on the streets,” he said. “Expanding the urban rail transit network is a must,” he stressed. “But our government has dillydallied on this challenge. The three LRT lines are managed poorly— with Line 3 on Edsa as the poster boy of flawed rail policies and mismanagement.”

BlUr the BoUnDaries. Housing for poor and middle-income families in the right places.

industry, had accomplished under the present administration to enhance public transport, and what else needs to be done. “There is a need to fast track rehabilitation of MRT3 and increase its capacity buildup,” one participant said. According to the participant, in order to be effective, the mass rail transit must be operated as a system, must be user- friendly, with high capacity and implement a ‘quick tap and go’ ticketing system. One of the reasons why there country is suffering from the acute traffic condition is the

method adopted by contractors in infrastructure build up. “They [contractors] must use less disruptive structure that would not block the flow of traffic in major roads. When transport infra is improperly designed, it could wreak havoc and impaired long-term sustainability,” the participant from a private organization said. He also envisions a ‘gentrified’ EDSA, with an efficient overhead mass transit to address the current traffic congestion in the metropolis. There is also a need to organize PUVs to operate as an integrated system rather than on

‘kanya-kanya’ system. Public transport expert Rene Santiago commented that that the private sector must work together rather than wait for the government to do its job in improving the country’s transport infrastructure. Santiago explained at the forum that moving a larger volume of people on Metro Manila’s limited road network can be achieved by improving the country’s entire public transport system. “The different modes have to behave like a family member, complementing each other’s strengths rather than elbowing

Free For all oPerations oF PUV oPerators aggraVate traFFic Santiago added that current “freefor-all” operations of buses and jeepneys aggravate traffic congestion. “This arrangement needs to be replaced by a new business model of service collaboration. We started the journey of reforming the bus transport system in the late 1970s almost at the same time as Singapore did only to kill the program a few years after,” he said. He added that DOTC/MRT has so far spent P62 billion to improve the train lines but the train system continue to experience weekly disruption. “Over the years, the capacity of our mass train system has declined that there is no wonder we are suffering from traffic gridlock,” Santiago said. Another participant from the private sector said, due to the country’s inefficient mass transport system, the public were forced to purchase cars, resulting in a huge volume of cars on our roads. “A large segment of our society has big disposable income to purchase cars; and with a very competitive car industry market that offers attractive buying rate to get a new car, the public resorted to getting their own cars rather than take the train, hence we have so much cars in EDSA today, the participant said.

insPiring architectUre. Architect Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa incorporated daring Filipino aesthetics to shape the Eskaya Beach Resort in Bohol. The 16-hectare gateway is particularly famous for its thatched villas known as “balais.” The 15 villas, as well as the other facilities inside the property, all used local materials found in the province -- rattan, wood, cogon grass, stones, and bamboos. The writings of the Eskaya tribe, which inhabited Bohol long before the Internet revolution conquered the province, was incorporated into its design philosophy. “The biggest influence was the writings of the Eskaya tribe which not many people know still exist to this day,” said Mañosa, who credits his father for championing “Filipinism” in his works. While the villas were designed uniformly to stay within the budget, each of them were built in such a way that guests were assured of privacy. This way, the guests will feel as if they are the only ones occupying the resort.

S AT U R D AY : N O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

P OP CU LT U RE

LIFE

SOMETHING’S BREWING #COFFEEWITHKAI

Here’s a new spot where authenticity reigns supreme.

BY KAI MAGSANOC

wanted to introduce my column with lots of sunshine, and thoughts of colorful candy and sunflowers. I’ve always been highly visual, and I believe that positive visualizations bring in positive feelings, too – like sitting in a café and drinking my favorite cup of coffee. It’s one of my favorite things to do, and one of the most honest experiences I can share with a friend or even stranger. But, alas, as I write this, I am emerging from a bout of depression and anxiety – that duo that can kill if one doesn’t have the right support system to get him through. So I have decided to introduce my column with this instead: honesty. Honesty, authenticity, candor, sincerity – if there are things I find rare on social media since coming on board and being highly active in 2008, it’s these four qualities. I myself have fallen prey to the pressure of curating my posts in my different social media accounts, to the point that I would only share about what’s best and happy and enviable about my life, instead of showing what I really was at that moment of posting – naked, bare, and all truth. But I also see the other side of the coin. I have (and had) friends who believed in focusing on the positive. Whenever I posted something that revealed my vulnerability and fragility, they called me out and said I was “being too emotional” and “dramatic.” There were times when I believed them and went into self-deprecation. This led to a feeling of being trapped by the life I created in my social media accounts. If I needed to cry for help, I could not post. I am “Miss Good Vibes PH” so I should be all about that, good vibes. But without the dark, how can we appreciate the light? Which brings me back to what this column

Pediatric cancer patients from Bahay Aruga supported Avon’s Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer run and walk

will be about: honesty, authenticity, what’s current, what people are talking about, what’s on your mind; pop culture, game changers, disruptors, influencers. What inspires you? What troubles you? What makes you happy? What is your story? Tell me and let me find out more about it for you. Let’s discuss. Among the topics I have written about for LIFE at The Standard are millennials, fashion, wellbeing, food, and Filipino startups. But we’re open to anything under the sun. No holds-barred and bar none. ★★★★★ My mom, Anita Lansangan Magsanoc, was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer last June. Cancer is not in our family. Her diagnosis shocked us. What shocked us even more was when she tested positive for HER2, a protein that makes the cancer aggressive. This makes her case different from other Stage 1 breast cancer cases — it also makes her treatment more expensive.

Participants celebrate the 10th anniversary of Avon’s Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer walk

Five months into my mom’s diagnosis and three treatments later (three down, 15 to go), one could say that we have gone through the first four stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression) and are now in acceptance. My mom has lost almost all her hair but loves her wig which amazingly looks like her real hair. The financial distress we faced in the beginning is still there, but we no longer panic. Breast Cancer Awareness Month may be over but let’s stay vigilant about early breast cancer detection and treatment. I have a lot to share about our experience with approaching the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for help but I’ll share that in another piece. For now, I wish to thank everyone who gave us their financial and moral support – family, friends, and even strangers. Among the brands that reached out to our family is Avon, the company that launched its Breast Cancer Crusade in 1992. Last October 10, the Avon Walk to Share the Fight Against Breast Cancer was held at the SM Mall of

Asia with the Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer ambassadors Jennylyn Mercado, Rocco Nacino, and his mom Linda Nacino, herself a breast cancer survivor. On the eve of my mom’s first chemo and Herceptin treatment, Linda Nacino spoke with her on the phone and shared her breast cancer survival story. This meant the world to us, since at that point our morale was low and we needed all the support we could get. Now that I am in a family that deals with breast cancer, the threat of the disease has become more real, and we join the fight. According to Avon, one in 13 Filipino women is diagnosed with breast cancer, and that the Philippines has the highest incidence rate in Asia. It happened to us. It could happen to you, too. Let’s join the fight. Let me know what’s on your mind. Email coffeewithkai@gmail.com and let’s get that coffee, shall we? Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @kaimagsanoc

S AT U R D AY : N O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Obsession? Distraction? Nope, it’s productivity A common observation is that the y out h is obsessed with gadgets and technology. Parents and THE GIST grandparents BY ED BIADO firmly believe it. We’re so disconnected from reality, they say, when they see us tinkering with our phones. And when they zoom in on you at the dinner table, expect a litany on how we’ve lost values and manners that usually begins with “Back in the day...” But see, what parents and grandparents don’t always understand is that we will (figuratively) die without our phones. We’re dependent, yes, but obsessed is too strong a word. It’s not like we play Candy Crush the whole day. In fact, Candy Crush is really a mom activity now. Millennials have moved on to newer, shinier games like the newly announced Pokemon Go. But I digress. It’s not unusual to see a bunch of friends at a coffee shop not talking to one another. Instead, they’re on their phones. “Millennialing” is a term that my friends and I use to describe that scenario, which happens to us a lot. A few years ago, researchers said that is not proper social behavior. Phones are a distraction and you shouldn’t be checking them all the time when socializing with other human beings in

the physical world. However, the thing is, we would be talking if we could. But we couldn’t. We are too busy answering work calls and emails, and messaging with colleagues and clients and suppliers. We were being productive work-wise even when we were supposed to be spending quality time with friends. That’s the thing about technology – it makes everyone accessible all day everyday. Gone are the days when you had to wait for the next business day to ask your boss a question or give instructions to your employees. We all know we’re online all the time and we’re taking advantage of it. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up for debate and not the point of this article. The point is that we are not obsessed with technology and gadgets. We’re on our phones because we have to be. Most of the things we can do on a PC, we can now do on phones and tablets so we have to make the most out of them. I know of some colleagues in media who beat their deadlines by writing stories on their phones while stuck in traffic. Again, productivity. And it’s getting easier to be productive on the go with the advent of phones with bigger screens and more app options for busy bees. Working lunches, working vacations and other working “whatevers” have replaced lazy weekend afternoons because our demanding careers now discourage us from being lazy anywhere. I’ve had the pleasure of testing out the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL and I have to say

that it’s one of the most productivity-friendly phones out there. It’s huge at 5.7 inches (it’s called XL for a reason), and the big screen size really helped me with work-related tasks because I didn’t have to zoom and scroll through a single page as much and it’s not as eye straining as a smaller screen. The utility of the apps was not lost on me. The Office 365 suite consisting of Word, Powerpoint and Excel immediately became a go-to solution for my on-the-go productivity needs. I was able to instantly digitize scribbled notes with Office Lens, which scans handwritten and printed texts and converts them into Word and OneNote documents. I even made a couple of slideshow presentations more interesting by adding time-lapse videos I shot with Microsoft Hyperlapse. So when you see me tinkering on my phone, please don’t think that I’m being antisocial or I’m shielding myself from the

outside world with a digital screen. Chances are I’m on my phone because I’m working. I’m probably addressing concerns and putting out fires or editing a Powerpoint – and the device that you call a distraction is helping me do all that remotely. Believe you me, if it were up to me, my phone would be in my pocket. I would rather be reading a book or people watching or having a spirited face-to-face conversation with my friends with no distractions. However, since constant connectivity is our reality today, we just have to live with the fact that our need to be productive will follow us wherever we go. But that’s not a bad thing because it’s where “work-life blend,” the emerging productivity trend pegged to replace work-life balance, comes in. Let’s talk about that next Saturday. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @EdBiado

SPREAD HAPPY THOUGHTS WITH THE CREAM-O FOOD TRUCK

“J

The Cream-O Food Truck lets Cream-Oholics enjoy the chocolate goodness of their favorite cookie as they jazz it up with their choice of dips, sprinkles and drizzles. Welcoming students on its first stop at Rizal High School are Chloe Ocampo and Benedict Ong of Jack ‘n Jill Cream-O Brand Marketing

Cream-O-Holics can get creative as they jazz up any of the Cream-O variants – Vanilla, Choco Fudge, Cookies ‘n Cream, Deluxe, Crinkles, Chocoloaded or Chocolate Chip Cookies – with the Cream-O-fied Creations Food Truck

Chocolate lovers are in for a yummy treat as the Cream-O food truck offers Cream-O Signature Creations – Cream-O cookies made more delicious with dips, sprinkles and drizzles.

ust think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!” Author JM Barry got it right when he said this in Peter Pan because there’s nothing like happy thoughts to put a smile on your face and warm your tummy. And there’s no better way to do this than to indulge your craving for those oh-so-delicious Cream-O cookies. The new Cream-O-fied Creations Food Truck will spread the happiness around as it parks in malls and campuses to offer Cream-O products with a twist. The food truck allows Cream-Oholics to jazz up Cream-O cookies in four easy steps: CHOOSE, DIP, SPRINKLE and DRIZZLE. Just choose your favorite Cream-O variant (Vanilla, Choco Fudge, Cookies ‘n Cream, Deluxe, Crinkles, Chocoloaded or Chocolate Chip Cookies) and dip it in rich chocolate (milk, dark or white), creamy peanut butter or whipped cream. Then add extra color, texture and flavor with a wide variety of toppings and drizzle on some delicious chocolate, caramel or strawberry syrup. For Cream-Oholics who can’t make up their mind, there’s a ready selection from Cream-O’s seven Signature Creations: Twinkle Twinkle Little Crinkle (Cream-O Crinkles, chocolate

dip, candy sprinkles, chocolate syrup), Cookie Butter (Cream-O Chocolate Chip Cookies, peanut butter, almond slices, chocolate syrup), Black Forest Deluxe (Cream-O Deluxe, whipped cream, slice of cherry, strawberry syrup), Chocolate Overload (Cream-O Chocoloaded, chocolate dip, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup), White Peppermint (Cream-O Cookies and Cream, white chocolate, red sprinkles, strawberry syrup), Choco-Nut Suprise (Cream-O Choco Fudge, peanut butter, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup) and Snow Mountain (Cream-O Vanilla, whipped cream, almond slivers, caramel syrup). Cream-Oholics can also get complimentary samples of Cream-O’s newest products, Brownie Crunch and Caffé Latte. To make it even more fun, the Cream-O-fied Creations Food Truck also lets Cream-Oholics capture their happy thoughts through a specially designed Cream-O photo booth. Catch the Cream-O-fied Creations Food Truck at Alabang Town Center on November 8, Gateway Mall on November 14 and 15, and Ayala Fairview Terraces on November 22. Get the latest from Cream-O on Facebook at facebook.com/ IamACertifiedCreamOholic, Twitter at Cream_ Oholics and Instagram at certifiedcreamoholic.

S AT U R D AY : N O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

ANTONIO MÍRO Colección verano 1972. Fotografía tomada en 2005 Antoni Bernard

EL COLMILLO DE MORSA Colección "Una captura de pantalla" P/V 2012 Martin Sweers // VANDER&co

ARCHITECTURE AND FASHION: A COMMON THREAD De La Salle-College of St. Benilde responds to ‘Trend Spotters’ show

ADOLFO DOMÍNGUEZ Colección P/V 2011 Cortesía Adolfo Domínguez

LOEWE Colección P/V 2013 diseñada por Stuart Vevers Frederique Bonnet

NICOLÁS VAUDELET Colección "Krasna Zima" O/I 2012-2013

an fashion and architecture speak the same language? Apparently they can, if one were to consider that fashion satisfies the body’s need for clothing, while architecture covers space to accommodate the requirements for shelter. However, one must go beyond mere functionality to appreciate the design disciplines for these two distinct forms of art. Last October 22, a traveling exhibit dubbed “Trend Spotters: The Essential Names in Spanish Fashion” opened at the School of Design and Arts Campus of the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde. Organized by the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines and the CentroCentro in collaboration with the Instituto CervantesManila and DLS-CSB, the exhibit features 67 photographs and 20 audiovisual documentaries on the featured designers, with highlights on industry giants that include Balenciaga, Loewe, Agatha Ruiz dela Prada, Pedro del Hierro and Pertegaz. Curated by sociologist, journalist and fashion critic Pedro Mansilla, the show, which is ongoing until December 5, gives an intimate look at the last 100 years of the Spanish fashion industry. Top freshman Architecture students of CSB responded to the traveling exhibit by mounting a separate showcase where they reinterpret fashion to produce an architectural object. The necessity of the two design disciplines as forms of art transcend functionality as the two provide aspirations for distinction and identity. The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts Architecture Program demonstrates

this goal by responding to the exhibition Trendspotters: The Essential Names in Spanish Fashion through a reinterpretation of fashion to produce an architectural object. The 10 best architectural objects by students taking the theory subject Architectural Design Principles are exhibited separately but adjacent to the main gallery for the Trend Spotters show. Each of these students selected a work by a Spanish fashion designer to explore in an attempt to find a common thread that exhibits intelligence in producing a “design language” that has two components: appearance, and the knowledge that produced them. Appearance refers to the visual elements where a variety of shapes, patterns, layers and geometries are distilled, and can serve as a collected vocabulary of design. The exercise however does not encourage mimicry but to enable students to recognize the principles that govern a composition, similar to what syntax is to language. It is meant for the students to rebuild elements by using the discovered parameter to produce an architectural object, in the form of a sculptural pillar. The sculptural pillar is not structural in function but a conceptual massing that could potentially enclose, define and identify space. In essence, the exhibition’s main goal is to demonstrate the inter-relation between these two design disciplines through the display of a variety of form-spatial expressions. The chosen pillars possess distinctive identities that may be similar, or an evolved iteration of its fashion counterpart. Through this activity, students are taught to read design and recognize that Fashion and Architecture can, indeed, speak the same language.

S AT U R D AY : N O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Slim’s Fashion and Arts School’s Fashion Design students sketches. ‘I ask them to use their imagination when they sketch,’ says Mark Higgins, ‘to get inspiration from things they see around them.’

The imaginative sketches of Slim’s fashion design students

Abigail Andales and her elegant pink terno with Chanel inspirations

Nela Fornier applied the popular color palettes of the 1960s in her design

Reymund Claridad used a single piece of Ray-Ann Gutierrez used sneakers as fabric to create his fashion masterpiece an inspiration in designing his terno

Karen Olaño puts a contemporary twist to a ‘60s shift dress

Alley Magtibay and her elegant red and gold ensemble

SLIM’S STUDENTS SHOWCASE THEIR TALENT IN SM MEGA FASHION HALL EXHIBIT Yvone Tabanao personally dyed the fabrics used in her color-rich terno

Aireen Javier gives a modern spin to the classic trench coat

Nikko Bongalon with his elegant skirt and delicately embroidered top

Maria Concepcion Andres creatively used safety pins at the hem and sleeves of the dress

Sandy Bobiles’s contemporary white ensemble with a cropped top and scrunch-waist A-line skirt reveals superb workmanship

Rusanne Casela’s barong combines exquisite embroidery with bespoke tailoring

Alena Little with her neoprene cropped Anj Ong’s silk jacket with floral sleeves dress with embroidery printed skirt

tudents of Slim’s Fashion and Arts School had the opportunity to shine at a recent exhibit in SM Megamall’s Fashion Hall. A joint project of Slim’s Fashion and Arts School and SM, the exhibit gave a glimpse of the future, with 27 creations showcasing the talent and craftsmanship of the students in Dressmaking, Patternmaking, Fashion Designing, and Bespoke Tailoring. All garments including the hand-sewn barongs were designed, cut, and sewn by the students as part of their class projects. The 25 aspiring designers – all of them millennials – translated 1960s fashion into fresh pieces for a whole new generation of stylish women. An album of sketches conceptualized and drawn by the Fashion Design students – Sandy Bobiles, Yvone Tabanao, Reymund Claridad, RayAnn Gutierrez, Daryl Aldave, Maria Concepcion Andres, Mario Santos, Ernz Huiso, Rusanne Casela, Banjo Cordero, Abdul Gaffar, Aireen Javier, Bea Rodriguez, Lexter Badana, Abigail Andales, Alena Little, Arriane Sevilla, Nela Fornier, Ulyses Alim, Karen Olaño, Alley Magtibay, Mane Santos, Hannah Adrias,

Ernz Huiso’s tailored two-piecer with a surprising pop art

Mark (right) and Sandy Higgins continue the legacy of their mother, fashion icon Salvacion Lim Higgins, in the Slim’s Fashion and Arts School. With them is SM senior vice president for marketing Millie Dizon (center) Ulyses Alim’s eye-catching cutout

Nikko Bongalon and Anj Ong – was also featured. The exhibit coincided with Slim’s 55th anniversary. The premier fashion school in the Philippines was founded by iconic Philippine couture designer Salvacion Lim Higgins and her sister Purificacion. Together, the sisters developed the highly technical lessons that continue to serve as a solid foundation for the

school’s curriculum today – a procedure widely known as the Slim’s method. The fashion school is the most established in the country, with regular courses designed to equip students with the skills necessary to embark on careers in fashion or to establish their own shop. Many of Slim’s graduates have moved on to take their place in the fashion industry, achieving remarkable

success and becoming icons of contemporary Philippine fashion – among them Oskar Peralta, the school’s first graduate in 1961, Joe Salazar, Cesar Gaupo, Oliver Tolentino, Michael Cinco, Ezra Santos, and Joey Samson, to name a few. The "Slim’s Best of the Student Work 2015" is one of the many exciting fashion events at SM Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall.

SAT URDAY : NOV EMBER 7, 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Tom Taus shares sTage wiTh world’s edm supersTars

om Taus is now a bona fide international DJ. The Viva Artists Agency star recently performed in Ultra Japan, the Japanese edition of the world’s biggest electronic music festival. The event was held in Tokyo in September and featured a stellar line-up of headliners including superstar DJs David Guetta, Skrillex, Alesso, Dash Berlin, and Armin Van Buuren. It was Tom’s first appearance at a major international music festival in Asia, but the organizers saw him worthy of the main stage on the final day. In fact, he was the first act to take the stage that later on hosted the one-twothree punch of Dash Berlin, Alesso, and closing act David Guetta. “I still could not believe I played on the same stage as all these artists that are some of the biggest names in electronic music today,” Tom says. The former child star is the first Philippine-born and -raised DJ to perform in ULTRA, the world’s biggest and most successful remaining independent electronic music festival. The festival originated in Miami Beach, Florida in the U.S. in 1999. Over the past 16 years, literally thousands of the world’s most iconic DJs, producers, and live acts have mesmerized audiences with awe-inspiring sets at ULTRA festivals in many countries around the world including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ibiza, Korea, and South Africa. It was the main organizer of Ultra Japan who personally invited Tom to perform at the festival after he saw one of his local gigs in Manila. Tom was also invited to the Road to ULTRA: Manila, one of the satellite events of the festival, that was held at the MOA Arena a week after the Tokyo event. Tom got started interested in DJing almost 10 years ago after trying it out at a private party for a friend in Manila. He then pursued it when he went back to the U.S. where he had been based since migrating in 2001 when he was 13 years old. He successfully carved out a name for

himself in Hollywood where he was known as DJ TommyT. Now performing as DJ Tom Taus, he has been touring the Philippines since he returned to the country last year. And after a successful stint at ULTRA JAPAN, he is now tapping into the dance scene in Asia. Thus, it’s only a matter of time until he reaches the other parts of the globe. Tom Taus takes DJ’ing to new heights by combining his passion for music and live percussion into one explosive performance. Making noise in the Hollywood/Los Angeles club scene, he gained residencies at the top clubs in the city and has performed at some of the most prestigious venues and events in the US West Coast, including the Playboy Mansion and Coachella’s “Music Loves Fashion”. Combining clever transitions, rocking mash ups and high-energy drum infused sets, his sound eventually reached the ears of the city where the top DJ’s in the world perform, Las Vegas. He has also been chosen to perform at events hosted and headlined by some of the world’s biggest names such as Neyo, Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, the LA Lakers, LA Clippers, and Manny Pacquiao. He was also chosen personally by Ariana Grande and her team to be the front act for her Honeymoon tour concert in the Philippines. Returning to the Philippines in 2014, he broke his own record at his solo concert with a crowd of over 10,000 people. While in Los Angeles, he became one of the official DJ’s for PUMA and GUESS clothing and is now a brand ambassador for PUMA PH. Being in Asia for just a short period of time, he was already featured in DJ MAG ASEAN as one of the best in the South East Asia region proudly representing his country. Currently touring the Philippines and Asia, he now hosts his own dance battle show called Move It on TV5. His time is now juggled between performing, touring and working on his upcoming remixes and much anticipated original tracks.

Former child star Tom Taus is making a name on international EDM scene.

KEriBEKs joB fair a suCCEss Members of the LGBT Community trooped to the very first KeriBeks Job Fair recently at Skydome, SM North EDSA. Over a thousand bekis, lesbians, and transgenders were part of the whole day event. This was the first major event of KeriBeks after its successful gay congress at Araneta Coliseum in August, also the first ever job fair exclusive for members of the LGBT community. That day was truly a blessing for 50-year old Daniel “April” Lince from Marikina, as he was hired as a call center agent in a BPO company. April was an entertainer in Japan who has been unemployed in the last two

Members of LGBT now gainfully employed

years. He took care of his parents who both passed away. He immediately went to the event when he heard Korina Sanchez-Roxas on the radio calling for applicants for the Keribeks Job Fair. “Natakot ako kase baka hin-

di ako matanggap dahil over age na nga ako, buti na lang doon sa call center na inaplayan ko, tumatanggap sila kahit singkwenta na. Ang laking blessing talaga nito para sa akin,” said April. Like April, Xyza “Lance” Ravin-

era was hired on the spot as a call center agent. The 31-year old Lance finished a degree in Civil Engineering at New Era University. Pampanga native Garry David, was hired as an administrative associate in a BPO company. It Korina’s husband Mar Roxas is known to be the Father Of Call Centers as he was pivotal in the growth of this industry in the country. Thrr 26-year old Jan Rey “Yeng” Cuico, who doesn’t have a permanent job and is only moonlighting as a make-up artist, got a contract and was hired on the spot by Team Sir George Salon, one of the many companies that participated in the job fair. Former service crew John Ernest Marco was also hired on the spot as an office assistant in a dental clinic. Applicants to the job fair were treated to free food, coffee, and haircut and face painting. Project

Red Ribbon gave a talk on HIV/ AIDS awareness and prevention talk, while a signature campaign was activated to help push in congress the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB), co-authored by Congresswomen Leni Robredo and Kaka Bag-ao. ADB aims to legalize equal rights amongst bekis and the entire LGBT Community, particularly in matters of gender identity and expression, as well as in issues pertaining to discrimination in the workplace and social services. A mini-concert that featured performances by 1:43 and Dessa culminated the event. Keribeks Job Fair was organized by Korina Sanchez-Roxas to give members of the LGBT community the opportunity to find jobs without prejudice and discrimination. As LGBT groups gladly said in unison – “thank you Miss K!”

SAT URDAY : NOV EMBER 7, 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

FRanCiS LibiRan baCk in ‘amERiCa’S nExt tOP mODEL’

ilipino fashion designer Francis Libiran is in the 12th episode of the final season of America’s Next Top Model (ANTM), which airs 8 p.m. tonight on ETC. Supermodel Tyra Banks personally handpicked Libiran to return and appear on the top-rating show and create another unique collection as part of the competition’s latest challenge for its final five hopefuls. It should be noted that this is the second time that Libiran became part of Tyra’s phenomenal reality show. He was first featured on the show’s 18th cycle in 2012 in which he showcased his fabulous Hello Kitty couture collection, created based on Tyra’s personal request, Kitty being her favorite iconic character of all time. The said collection, which prompted the

show’s photo shoot creative director Jay Manuel to describe Libiran as an “extremely talented fashion designer,” catapulted Libiran to the mainstream international market, as he is the first and only Filipino fashion designer whose amazing body of work was exhibited at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California. Libiran’s maiden appearance on ANTM paved the way to his solid relationship with Tyra Banks. The international supermodel wore the white and nude gown, which Francis presented on his first appearance on ANTP (which was first worn by Anne Curtis), at the 2012 Flawsome Ball in New York City. Libiran also created the gown that Tyra donned at the 4th Annual Blossom Ball, where critics profusely praised her as the best-

Francis Libiran with ANTM Cycle 22 finalist Nyle DiMarco

dressed star who graced the event. In 2014, Tyra proudly sashayed the red carpet of the Flawsome Ball wearing the gown modeled by Miss Universe 2010 4th Runner-up Venus Raj during the Francis Libiran Metrowear Icon fashion gala, which featured his Fall/Holliday 2014 collection. “To be part of this legendary TV show for the second time, is again, an honor not only for me, but also for the Philippines,” says Libiran who wore the Philippine flag on his chest on his second ANTM appearance. “We got so thrilled and excited when we got the call form Tyra’s team. It was a surreal experience as it is an honor and a privilege to represent Filipino talent and artistry in such an international and well-respected platform as America’s Next Top Model.”

Jolina, Pele and Mark

In this special episode, the final five contestants will wear a special collection from Libiran’s fall/holiday 2015 collection. Libiran was asked to create a collection that compliments the setting of the episode’s photo shoot challenge. Since the final season is composed of a mixture of male and female aspirants, Libiran, who is described by

Jolina and Mark’s Pele is now an endorser

ele Inigo Magdangal Escueta, the first born of Jolina and Mark Escueta, joins the roster of toddlers endorsing products for babies. He is the first endorser of Super Twins of Megasoft Hygienic Products owned by the couple Emilio and Aileen Go. “ So happy to have the three of them now sa Megasoft. Fan ako ni Jolina at alan niya yun. Wala kaming naging problem while doing the photo shoot and video shoot nina Jolina, Mark at Pele. There were times when Pele, being a baby, inaabot siya ng antok while nasa set, so we have to adjust kasi ganoon talaga ang baby. Ang saya lang sa set and wala akong masabi sa cooperation nina Mark and Jolina talaga. We did it! “ Aileen Go related.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 45 46 47 50 51 52 54 57 58 61 62 63 64 65 66

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Perry’s aide 6 Mr. Vigoda 9 — Centauri 14 Be of benefit 15 — -de-sac 16 Seer’s card 17 Air transport of yore 19 Overhead 20 Telepathy 21 Rim 22 Witches’ band

23 25 26 29 31 32 36 37 38 40 43

Favoritism Wearing less They lead you on Derrick arm Polite word Modernized Fishing float Zoo staffer Cornelia — Skinner Fierce love Squirrel’s hoard

Livy’s year Most faded Swiss — (veggie) Moon and sun Cheer for a diva Medea sailed on her — Beta Kappa Palette adjunct Spicy flower — nous Sooner than anon Crowd features Fluff, as hair — Moines Cook in embers

DOWN 1 Bewilder 2 Big party nights 3 Reindeer herder 4 Gloss target 5 Yeasty brew 6 Metal eaters 7 Cask stopper 8 Failing that 9 Dryest desert 10 Repair-bill item 11 Show to be true 12 Levitate 13 Pharaoh’s god 18 Take an apartment 23 Bird bills 24 1040 org.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2015

25 26 27 28 29 30 33 34 35 37 39 41 42 43 44 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 59 60

Hunk’s asset Checkout ID Splash out Vindictive goddess Good, to Pedro Choose Hammers and saws Raison d’ — Tumults Baron — Richthofen Mach 1 exceeder Cheesecake brand (2 wds.) Not Dem. or Rep. Tarmac area Hack’s vehicle Wrecking-ball swinger “— la vista, baby!” Maintains Grimm heavies Sugar source Breezed through Red inside Type size Garden implements Scholarly org. Carthage loc. Lao-Tzu’s “way”

Yu Tsai as one of the best Filipino fashion designers in the world, came up with the creative theme The Hunters And The Hunted, which depicts male models as huntsmen and female models as enchantresses. The concept and production of each piece were executed in close collaboration between Libiran and Tyra’s creative team.

Pele was born Feb. 16, 2014. A one-kilo baby, the cute kid is expected to take the height of his father. Siguro, kalahating Jolina,” Mark says. The toddler liked Banana Bread, Cookies, Cheese, Sandwiches, Cereal and Jolina’s special rice with chicken, beef, pork and malunggay. Before accepting the offer of Super Twins, Jolina said, “Pinagamit muna naming kay Pele yung diaper then they asked us for feedback and suggestions on how to improve the product. We appreciated that. “Yes, very happy kami sa quality ng Super Twins from the very beginning kaya kampante kaming i-recommend sa ibang parents ang product,” Mark said.

SAT URDAY : NOV EMBER 7, 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

mar anD Korina’s secret to a Happy marriage

from c8

ar Roxas and Korina Sanchez recently celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary as a happily married couple. On the eve of their anniversary on Oct. 26, the couple welcomed their special day with a quiet and simple midnight snack that Mar brought home from work. “Happy anniversary, honey! Look what I have, said Mar,” Korina narrated. “And he brings home a pasalubong food that I absolutely love. I suddenly remembered my late Father whom I look forward to seeing every time he came home from work because he

always brought pasalubong for me.” Mar and Korina shared the food, joked around, and had a toast to a happy and healthy life. On the day of their anniversary, Korina baked her mouth-watering and legendary blueberry cheesecake as surprise for Mar who he sent her huge yellow roses. In her official Instagram account, Korina posted a rare photo of her and Mar during their honeymoon in Japan back in 2009, back-to-back with a current photo of theirs. In her caption, she thanked The Lord for six years of marital bliss with Mar.

“This was during our honeymoon in 2009 in Japan. I wish I could say life was simpler for Mar and me then. But life has never been simple for us, between politics and television. But time has passed by fast, and still, I seem to remember every moment,” Korina says about their honeymoon photo. “Six years later, it might look even more complicated for us. But Mar and I have discovered the secret: simplicity is within both of us. True love should be simple. And it is what matters. Thank you Lord for our 6 years,” says a very thankful Korina.

HHHHH Heart evangelista sHares Her life Heart Evangelista, one of the country’s most beautiful faces, narrates her life lessons and shares with her readers all the makeup and skin care practices she’s learned through the years. From tips she learned from her own mother to personal rit-

uals and industry insider tricks and make-up and skin care tips, hacks, and shortcuts she’s accumulated throughout her career. Opening the book with a full face of make-up on, Heart shares beauty tips, makeup looks, and anecdotes from her life so far. She removes one make-up element at a time to show how she has progressed in life. Towards the end of the book, she reveals a bare face. Devoid of make-up and simply bathed in her usual radiant glow, Heart reveals the woman she has happily transformed into in real life. This is her latest book after the children’s book she wrote with bag designer Rocio Olbes. The book is titled This is Me, Love Marie. Heart shared her new projects with her followers on Instagram

last Tuesday. Says Chiz Escudero, “I always give my full support to whatever endeavor my wife is involved with.” And that despite his hectic schedule now that he is trying to divide his time between politics and personal life. HHHHH Dina, Boyet consiDer Benjamin family According to Benjamin Alves, they treat each other family, even off camera. He was referring to her on-screen parents played by Dina Bonnevie and Christopher de Leon in the Kapuso primetime series Beautiful Strangers. The actor says he feels blessed for being given the chance to work with these two seasoned actors. “I have learned so much from them and I have a cache of memories

The E-Vite for Heart Evangelista's book launch

Mar and Korina celebrate six years of marital bliss

that I will cherish all my life,” he added. Among these is when they go and eat in Dina’s restaurant.

Alves with the rest of the cast Ben Alves and Dina Bonnevie

Forged in Fire

The History Hustle

History’s new series, seasons and speCials

his month on History sees a brand new series focused on the art of weapon craftsmanship, the return of a familiar figure for another adventure, a leader’s journey to his coronation, and the latest season of searching through “trash” for treasure. Simon Yin is back, and he’s going to the streets, surprising strangers on the fly, and hanging out with the locals to find out what they know (or don’t know) about the place they call home.

In History Hustle, airing Nov. 8, Sunday at 10 p.m., Simon cruises Manila and Hong Kong, quizzing homies on various factoids he’s researched all summer long. From learning about an ‘ancient Chinese secret’, to improvising a scene from one of the Philippines’ national heroes, Simon says, “This ain’t yo mama’s boring history lesson.” The best bladed weapon-makers in the country go head-tohead in History’s exciting new series Forged in Fire, premier-

HHHHH grace anD erap visit fpj’s grave Fernando Poe Jr, had passed on 10 years ago. But his fans have remained very loyal to him. In the recent Undas, vistors at the Manila North Cemetery where his remains lie peacefully in a tomb had a grand time having their photos take. Also, the ABS-CBN teleserye FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano is rating very high. This is based on Da King’s film in 1997 of the same title. One of those who visited FPJ’s tomb on Oct. 31 was Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada. He was alone when he went to the grave. “Mas maganda ang nag-iisa; mas nakakapagdasal ng mabuti,” Erap said in an interview.

ing Nov. 19, and airing 10 p.m. Thursdays. Four contestants battle it out every episode, building everything from Viking axes, Samurai swords, to Indian claw daggers, and they’re doing it by hand too. Contestants compete over a series of elimination challenges, each focusing on fabricating a component of the weapon, using only the “garage” of tools provided. It’s an against-the-clock battle of wits, with competitors having to prove their craftsmanship,

Storage Wars Texas S4

resourcefulness, and ingenuity to an esteemed panel of unimpeachable weapons experts. Sultan Ibrahim Ismail has been the nominal ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor for 5 years. He’s won the hearts of his people, but hasn’t had his coronation. Premiering Nov.22, and airing Sundays at 10 p.m., History Asia: Countdown to Coronation documents the intricate preparations of the Sultan as he strives to give his people the celebration they deserve, while jug-

gling being a leader and father. Storage Wars: Texas stages a comeback with Season 4’s fastpaced, action-filled episodes. Witness the Lone Star state teams face off as they search neglected storage spaces for valuable memorabilia and collectibles. Who will ride off into the sunset with the biggest haul? Find out beginning Nov. 24, 9 p.m. Tuesdays. History ™ is available on SKYCable Ch 67; Cable Link Ch. 44; Dream Satellite Ch 30; Destiny Cable Ch 57; and Cignal Ch 118.

SAT URDAY : NOV EMBER 7, 2015

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

All-girl Pinay group 4th Impact impress UK crowd and judges

Seann Miley Moore , 4th iMpact aDvance in ‘the X Factor UK’ ISAH V. RED The all-Filipino girl group, 4TH Impact, again impressed the judges and audience of The X Factor UK on the first live performance show. The group sailed through to next round of competition where the remaining 11 acts will perform. The theme for this week’s performance show was “This Is Me.” Each contestant performed a song, which reflected the artist they want to be. There was some doubt for 4TH Impact as they initially did Walk The Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance,” but they found that the song was not working for them. They told Cheryl about it and their mentor told them to “trust their gut” and the girls decided on Ariana Grande’s “Problem.” Appearing on stage in all-white ensembles as the eleventh act to perform that evening, it was clear that singing and performance came naturally for 4TH Impact. The girls impressed both the audience and the judges with their lively rendition of the Ariana Grande hit matched with powerful vocals and impressive dance moves. It was deafening in the stadium as the crowd continued to cheer long after the performance had finished.

Fil-Aussie Seann Miley Moore remains in The X Factor UK for another week

Head judge Simon Cowell conceded that he probably didn’t need to say anything because the people had said it all. He told the sisters that their passion sets the group apart from all the other contestants. “That was fantastic. You know what’s great about you girls? You are great singers. You have got attitude. You are passionate. You rehearsed,” he said. Judge and Group category mentor Cheryl Fernandez-Versini beamed with pride. “I couldn’t be more proud. Please stop thanking us because we are thankful to have you. You are fantastic and this competition needs you,” she said. Filipino-Australian singer Seann Miley Moore closed the first live performance show with his fantastic rendition of David Bowie’s “Life on Mars.” He, like 4TH Impact, moves on to next week’s live show.

Without a doubt, Seann stands out from the rest of the contestants if only for his outfits. But with his singing talent and performance skills, he is a definite contender. Judge Rita Ora kept repeating “Wow!” after Seann’s performance adding “I just wanted to be up there and be a part of it all with you. This is what I’m talking about - this is so amazing! You are an artist, you are a visionary. And you hit them notes like boom, boom, boom! So congratulations - thank you for your individuality.” Cheryl Fernandez-Versini said that Seann could be the “most individual character” they’ve ever had and said, “You’re so thespian, but in a beautiful way - not theatre at all. How I would see you in concert. Your concert. That was outstanding. I was fixated the whole way through.” HHHHH Dante alighieri at Shang Shang celebrates the 750th anniversary of Dante Alighieri

with special film screenings at the Shang Cineplex. One of the world’s greatest poets, and considered father of the Italian language, Dante Alighieri has influenced cultures, arts and popular views around the globe. This month marks the 750th anniversary of his birth, and Shangri-La Plaza partners with Societa’ Dante Alighieri Comitato di Manila and the Philippine-Italian Association to present special screenings of two major films on Dante’s life and works, namely L’Inferno and Dante. Dramatic silent film L’Inferno screens 7 p.m. on Nov. 10 at Cinema 4, with the live musical scoring of Filipino rock icon Razorback. The Italian epic comes to life at the hands of director Giuseppe de Liguoro, as an imaginative film loosely adapted from Dante and inspired by the illustrations of Gustave Doré. Full of special effects, flashbacks, monsters, giants, dragons, demons, and other hellish apparitions, it makes a terrif-

ic impact just as it did when it first screened at Naples’ Teatro Mercandante in March 1911. Dante screens on Nov.10 at 3 p.m., and again on Nov. 11 at 3 and 7 p.m. at the Shang Cineplex Cinema 4. Director Luca Lussoso took on the challenge of adapting Dante’s masterpiece – the Divine Comedy, to the modern-day, painting an elaborate afterlife filled with details, while innovating the ways of culture divulgation. Both screenings are free admission and on a first-come, firstserved basis. For inquiries, call 370-2500 loc. 597 or visit www.facebook.com/ shangrilaplazaofficialfanpage. Follow the Shang on Instagram: @shangrilaplazaofficial. ➜ continued on c7

Razorback provides the soundtrack to L'Inferno

Dante Alighieri