The Standard - 2015 December 21 - Monday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXIX NO. 312 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 MONday : dECEMBER 21, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Comelec nearing final list of bets

POE STILL AHEAD IN TIGHTER RACE By Joyce Pangco Pañares

DESPITE two decisions disqualifying her from the 2016 presidential polls, Senator Grace Poe posted a slim lead over other candidates as the race for the highest post in the land became tighter, the latest The Standard Poll showed.

POLL

The survey, conducted by resident pollster Junie Laylo from Dec. 4 to 12, had 1,500 respondents—all of whom are registered voters with biometrics and who said they are sure to vote in next year’s elections—from 76 provinces across the country and the 17 cities in the National Capital Region. Next page

POE

BINAY

ROXAS

Military kills Malaysian jihadist, 26 Abu fighters A MALAYSIAN terrorist is believed to have been killed along with at least 26 other militants in a week-long offensive against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan, the military announced Sunday. Three soldiers were killed and 26 were wounded in the weeklong operation. A spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command,

Maj. Filemon Tan, said they were verifying reports that one of the slain militants was Malaysian jihadist Mohammad Hussein, alias Abu Anas. Hussein is believed to be one of 10 foreigners—including four other Malaysians, two Indonesians and three Syrians—who are developing the extremist group Ansar Khilafa Philippines.

Last month, military forces killed Indonesian terrorist Sucipto Ibrahim Ali in Sultan Kudarat province. Tan said that 16 militants were also believed injured in the clashes between the ASG and military personnel in Albarka town. “Subject for confirmation, Malaysian jihadist alias Abu Anas was killed in the operation,” Next page the military spokesperson said.

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Comelec nearing final bets’ list By Rey E. Requejo

THE initial list of candidates that the Commission on Elections will be releasing on Wednesday will likely be close to the final roster of bets to be included in the ballots for the May 2016 national and local polls, the poll body said Sunday.

Christ’s birthplace. Christians from the Philippines pose for a photograph at the Grotto, believed to be the exact spot where Jesus Christ was born, at the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Saturday. AFP

Poe... From A1

The survey period covered the decisions of the First and Second divisions of the Commission on Elections disqualifying Poe from the 2016 presidential race over issues on her citizenship and residency as well as the controversial issues that hounded Mayor Rodrigo Duterte— from cursing Pope Francis to openly admitting having killed at least three criminals in Davao City. Poe enjoyed a narrow lead with 28 percent of the respondents saying they will vote for her if the elections were held today. Vice President Jejomar Binay placed second with 23 percent, followed by Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II with 22 percent, Duterte with 19 percent, and Santiago with 3 percent. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percent. When asked for the top reasons for their choice, respondents who said they will vote for Poe said they want to try her style of governance (31 percent) and they have not heard of any corruption issue against her (23 percent). Those who said they will not vote for her cited her inexperience (26 percent), unproven competence (17 percent) and the citizenship issue (21 percent). The top reasons of those who will vote for Binay are as follows: he can replicate across the country what he has accomplished

in Makati (23 percent), he has helped senior citizens (16 percent) and provided free education (14 percent). Those who will not vote for Binay cited corruption issues leveled against him (27 percent) and his involvement in anomalous transactions (27 percent). At least 52 percent of respondents who will vote for Roxas said they will do so because he will continue the programs of President Benigno Aquino III. Ironically, 40 percent of respondents who will not vote for Roxas said they do not like him because he does not have his own mind and is only a lackey of the President. Duterte supporters said they will vote for the mayor because he has addressed criminality (24 percent), he is a disciplinarian (21 percent), and he has stamped out illegal drugs in Davao City (13 percent). Those who said they will not vote for him cited his iron-fist style of governance (35 percent). At least 28 percent also said they do not know the presidential aspirant from Mindanao. Those voting for Santiago said they will support her because she is courageous (37 percent) and she is not afraid to express her own opinion (24 percent). Those who will not vote for the senator cited questions about her health (23 percent). Poe has a core voter base—or those who are definite they will no longer change their preference— of 16.8 percent. The core voter base for Binay was 14.26 percent; for Roxas,

13.42 percent; for Duterte, 11.97 percent, and for Santiago, 1.08 percent. If Poe does not run, Binay’s rating will go up 10 points to 33 percent, Roxas’ will go up seven points to 29 percent, Duterte’s will increase by seven points to 29 percent, and Santiago’s will go up by six points to 9 percent. If Duterte does not run, Poe’s rating will increase 10 points to 38 percent, Binay’s will go up seven points to 30 percent, Roxas’ will improve by one point to 23 percent, while Santiago’s will increase by three points to 6 percent. Across geographic areas, Poe posted a wide lead in the National Capital Region at 32 percent followed by Duterte at 27 percent, and in Southern Luzon/ Bicol region at 35 percent followed by Binay at 23 percent. It was, however, a tight race between Poe and Binay for Northern and Central Luzon at 35 percent and 31 percent, respectively. Roxas led the Visayas region at 32 percent followed by Poe at 24 percent, while Duterte was the frontrunner in Mindanao at 36 percent followed by Poe at 20 percent. Poe, however, led in both urban and rural areas at 29 percent and 28 percent, respectively. A plurality of voters belonging to the economic class ABC said they will vote for Duterte (32 percent) while respondents belonging to the DE class said they will go for Poe at 28 percent and 31 percent, respectively.

A plurality of female voters (31 percent) as well as those belonging to the 1834 age group (36 percent) said they will vote for Poe. Male voters and those belonging to the 35-55 and 56 and above age groups were statistically equally divided among Poe, Binay, Roxas and Duterte. Across religious affiliations, a plurality of respondents who are Catholics (29 percent), Born Again (43 percent) and Muslims (33 percent) said they will vote for Poe, while those who belong to the Iglesia ni Cristo were statistically split between Binay at 22 percent and Duterte at 23 percent. By ethnicity, a plurality of Cebuanos (30 percent) and Ilonggos (41 percent) said they will vote for Roxas; Bicolanos (34 percent) and Warays (42 percent) said they will vote for Binay; while Tagalogs (39 percent) and those belonging to Muslim groups (40 percent) said they will vote for Poe. Ilocanos were split between Poe and Binay at 32 percent each. Poe was the top choice of respondents who own a cell phone (29 percent), have Internet access (29 percent) and have social media access (31 percent). Respondents related to an overseas Filipino worker were statistically split between Poe and Binay, who used to serve as presidential adviser for OFW affairs, at 28 percent and 27 percent, respectively, while a plurality of those related to a government employee said they will vote for Poe at 25 percent.

“What we want by Dec. 23, when we come out with the list, although it will not yet be final, we want it to be close to the final list of candidates,” Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said. The list would still be subject to change until Jan. 8, he added. The poll body earlier postponed the release of the official list of candidates from Dec. 15 to Dec. 23 due to pending disqualification cases filed against some of the candidates. Among these were presidential aspirants Senator Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who are leading in the opinion polls. Four petitions have been filed against Poe, charging that she is not a naturalborn Filipino citizen and that she lacks the required residency to run for president. Comelec’s First and Second Divisions have already ruled to disqualify her, but Poe filed two motions for reconsideration before the commission en banc. Duterte is facing a disqualification case before the Comelec First Division due to questions on the validity of Martin Diño’s CoC, which would determine the fate of Duterte’s substitution bid. The Comelec wants to print the official ballots by the third week of January. Earlier, a former Comelec commissioner said

the poll body might run out of time to print ballots for next year’s election if they will wait for the cases against Poe and Duterte to be resolved. “They are running out of time,” said former commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal. “The chairman said the final list of candidates will be on December 23, but [Poe and Duterte] were given 10 days, or until Dec. 28, to submit their memorandums,” Larrazabal said. “It’s going to be tight, unless they have a decision within the week after [Dec. 28]. It can still be done, but it’s going to be very tight,” Larrazabal said. Larrazabal said the Comelec needs enough time to configure the ballot and present it to the public before they print the official ballot. “You have to submit it to the public for them to check if it is correct. So you give them a week, then it goes back to you then you get it, so from Jan. 8 to Jan. 26. It’s about 18 days, that’s really tight,” he said. The former poll commissioner also advised the Comelec to start sacrificing their weekends and holidays to prepare for the elections on May 9, 2016. “What is important is they can make adjustments if they cannot meet the timeline. You just have to adjust and compensate because we are running out of time,” Larrazabal said.

Military...

From A1

Tan said the operations started Dec. 14 and ended on Sunday with the seizure of an ASG encampment in Barangay Macalang, Albarka, that can hold at least 250 people. He said the militants’ camp had 28 structures, including 10 dug-in bunkers. Among the wounded were 12 soldiers hit by an improvised explosive device during clearing operations. Also on Sunday, military and police bomb squads detonated three ASG mines in Indanan, Sulu. The improvised explosive devices were found near Kilometer 3 Road, near an abandoned military detachment, said Joint Task Group Sulu commander Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado. No one was hurt in the explosion. Arrojado said the ASGs were targeting military convoys passing along the roadway. PNA

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Roxas scores Duterte for always backing out By John Paolo Bencito

LIBERAL Party presidential bet Manuel Roxas II scored PDP-Laban candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for repeatedly turning down several challenges, the latest of which was for a presidential debate. But Duterte taunted Roxas’ acceptance of the Davao mayor’s challenge to a debate and said he does not care to debate with a “tailender.” “I don’t want to. He is boastful,” Duterte said when told that Roxas accepted the mayor’s challenge to debate “on any matter under the sun.” “If he really wants to debate me, he should become Number 2 first. He’s still No. 4,” referring to recent presidential surveys which placed Duterte as the frontrunner in Metro Manila. “He shouldn’t run this. Besides, I don’t debate with a liar and a

tail-ender,” Duterte said in his native Cebuano language. But Roxas reiterated that accuracy of the voter preference survey, commissioned by Duterte ally and Davao City businessman William Lina, is questionable and misleading. “What do you call someone who always backs off from challenges,” Roxas asked reporters during a visit to Baybay City in Leyte province. “He’s the one who challenged me to a slapping match. I said I’m just here, but what did he say. When I called for a fistfight, he also didn’t want that. When

he challenged me to a debate, I accepted. He’s the one who again declined. What do you call that?” Roxas said. “He has said many things and even challenged me. When I accepted his challenge, he’s the one who always withdraws. The leader of our country should not withdraw from any challenge. He should face it,” he said. “How can our countrymen know what’s in the mind of my rival if he won’t speak his mind in a debate?” Roxas added. Roxas also said that there won’t be any Christmas truce between him and Duterte if the Davao mayor insists on lying about his credentials. “I said Merry Christmas [to all of them.] It’s Christmas time and I don’t like to engage in any word war, but I just cannot let these lying just pass as if nothing happened.”

Roxas’ spokesman Rep. Barry Gutierrez also slammed Duterte’s latest change of mind and said that only shows the Davao mayor’s indecisiveness and inability to make up his mind. “Mayor Duterte has always been like that. He always has so many excuses. He makes a challenge and then backs off. If he’s afraid of a debate, he should just say so,” Gutierrez said. In another interview, Gutierrez also slammed Duterte for his “unconventional manner of campaigning.” “We don’t need a clown, we need a president,” Gutierrez said in an ANC interview. “The only reason why Mayor Duterte is somehow popular these days is because he has distinguished himself from the other candidates by being, you know, the clown, by being the outrageous person in the room,” he added.

Crunch time. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic has been unusually heavy at Manila’s Divisoria district the past couple of weeks as shoppers flocked to the discount shopping district for their Christmas needs. DANNY PATA

Binay cites power of prayer vs challenges THE power of prayer and faith in God will help the nation overcome any difficulty it may face, Vice President Jejomar C. Binay said Saturday night. Speaking at the El Shaddai Revival Crusade in Parañaque, Binay said despite the challenges that Filipinos have faced in the past and will face in the future,

the power of prayer has time and again proven mightier. “The Filipino people have faced many challenges in the past and may face even more in the future. But at every turn, the power of our prayers has proven and continues to prove that it is more powerful than the obstacles because it is through prayer that the strength of God

becomes our strength,” he said. He cited the sunny disposition of Filipinos even after the onslaught of super Typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013 as evidence of the nation’s unwavering faith in God. Binay said prayer brings with it the hope for a better future and a better life as he urged Filipinos to cast aside their doubts and fears.

Miriam: Online campaign negates black ops By Macon RamosAraneta THERE’S a lot of money to be made in impugning a political candidate during an election and that is why presidential candidate Senator Miriam DefensorSantiago prefers to use social media to get the truth across. There are people amassing great amounts of money in so-called “black operations” so “we can expect that all of us will be maligned. So it is important to use the social media to see the truth,” said Santiago. The senator reputedly has the largest social media following among the presidential bets—some 3.3 million on Facebook and 2.2 million on Twitter—and constantly emphasizes social media’s growing influence in the electoral process with an estimated 40 million Filipinos using the Internet. The senator was named “President of Campuses” after she won by an overwhelming majority in a survey at the University of Santo Tomas, the third student poll she has won since Certificates of Candidacy were filed. A statement released by her office on Sunday stressed Santiago has cemented her position as the president of choice in Philippine campuses, and called her “President of Campuses.” “Clearly, students know that the presidency is no place for the weak-minded, the inexperienced, or the corrupt. It appears that they give weight to my criteria for leaders: academic excellence, professional achievement and sincerity,” Santiago said. The senator, the only presidential candidate who has yet to release campaign ads, has earlier said she will prioritize campus speeches over traditional campaign sorties, banking on youth support to match the money and machinery of her opponents.

First to respond.

Senatorial candidate Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez distributes relief to more than 3,500 families affected by Typhoon ‘Nona.’ VER NOVENO

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Filipinos returning for the holidays

Here for the holidays. Travelers from all over the world started arriving in droves five days before Christmas, and most of them were migrant workers and Filipinos living abroad. Eric Apolonio

Visayas bloc criticizes 11 ‘killer provisions’ in BBL THE 32-member Visayas bloc in the House will withdraw its support to the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law if the Palace will not delete at least 11 “killer provisions,” including the “opt-in” provision, group leader Alfredo Albee Benitez said Sunday. House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. also expressed surprise that the opt-in provision, which was deleted by the 75-member House ad hoc special committee on the BBL, was brought back in when the plenary started tackling the Palace-drafted measure. “The members of the Visayas bloc have agreed we cannot support the BBL if it contains unconstitutional provisions,” Benitez told reporters. “We found 11 provisions that are deemed illegal,and

one of them is the opt-in provision.” Benitez made his statement even as Malacañang said it is continuing to have talks with the House leaders for the BBL’s possible passage. “Talks are continuing with the leaders and members of Congress for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law that would be in response to the needs of the public and to establish peace and development in Mindanao,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told dzRB radio. “The consultations be-

tween House Speaker [Feliciano] Belmonte [Jr.] and other members of Congress, including the minority led by Congressman [Ronaldo] Zamora, are continuing.” Coloma said the members of Congress, including the critics of the proposed law, had been given enough time to express their position in the plenary debates on it. The opt-in provision is also being opposed by Mindanao lawmakers, and particularly Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat whose city was not among those included in the provinces that will comprise the Bangsamoro. But the BBL requires 10 percent of its constituents to vote whether or not they want to choose to be a member. “Contrary to what the optin provision says, my city is not contiguous to the territory that will comprise the

Bangsamoro, so there is no need to make us vote for inclusion,” Lobregat said. Benitez said the Visayas bloc will ask the House leadership to drop the opt-in provision and other provisions that run contrary to the Constitution. “I myself was surprised when I found that the optin provision was retained when the panel, chaired by Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez, already deleted it. However, it found its way back in the plenary debate,” Belmonte said. “The House leadership has already agreed to remove the opt-in provision, and we are asking the Palace to understand that the majority of the House members are against it.” Belmonte said the opt-in provision was serving as a stumbling block in the BBL’s

approval. In light of what happened in Mamasapano, where 44 Special Action Force commandos were massacred, Benitez said, the Visayas lawmakers were finding it difficult to push for the passage of the BBL. “We sympathize with our fellow Mindanao lawmakers that the BBL would not prevent the Mamasapano massacre from happening again. But it would at least mitigate the repeat of the massacre once the unconstitutional provisions were removed,” Benitez said. Belmonte could not say if Congress could pass the BBL under the Aquino administration. He said the plenary debates on the BBL would resume upon the resumption of sessions in January. christine F. Herrera and sandy Araneta

FILIPINOS from all over the world started arriving in Manila five days before Christmas, with those living abroad and migrant workers making up the majority. All airport terminals in Manila were busy coping with the arrivals who were expected to spend the holidays here, officials said. The new arrivals started crowding the airport even as transport authorities said they will inspect the bus terminals in Metro Manila starting today, Monday, as a result of the expected surge in the number of passengers traveling to their provinces for the holidays. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said a team will be inspecting the bus terminals from Dec. 21 to 24 and Dec. 28 to 30. All provincial buses with terminals in Quezon City, Pasay City and Sampaloc in Manila will be inspected and the units found to be not roadworthy will be grounded, the board said. It said a team will also be sent to the taxi bays in the shopping malls to randomly check on the taxi drivers turning down passengers. The Manila International Airport Authority said 575,796 Filipinos came home in December last year, but that number was expected to be surpassed this year The agency said among those expected to arrive this holiday season were hundreds of Filipinos working in Afghanistan. Eric B. Apolonio, with pnA

Another school for lumad torched

casualty. A Marine holds a crucifix damaged by terrorists who raided a village in Sultan Kudarat and burned 26 houses. MArk nAvAlEs

ANOTHER school for the indigenous lumad people in Surigao del Sur was torched by alleged security forces over the weekend, the rights group Karapatan said Sunday. About 155 families from six Manobo communities in Tandag City and Ebuan village in Lanuza fled after their houses and the alternative school Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur in Maitum were ransacked and burned by men believed to be members of the Army’s 36th Infantry Battalion on Dec. 18, Karapatan said.

The group said the evacuees had taken refuge at a village gym in Maitum. The 36th infantry battalion has also been implicated in the killing of Datu Bello Sinzo, lumad leader Dionel Campos, and Alcadev executive director Emerito Samarca in Hanayan, Lianga, Surigao del Sur on Sept. 1. Meanwhile, in nearby Surigao del Norte, the corpse of a lumad leader of the peasant group Kayapan-Amihan was found half-buried near Tigbawan River in Ferida village in the municipality of

Alegria. Karapatan said the man was later identified as Junrey Sagsag. It said the 29th Infantry Battalion had been using Sagsag as a “guide” against his will in its operations in the hinterlands. The group claims that the military has been backing the Magahat militia, which it says was responsible for killing Emerito Samarca, the administrator of the award-winning Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development. John paolo Bencito

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Bid to halt taxi fare reduction dismissed By Rey E. Requejo THE Court of Appeals has dismissed the petition of a party-list group seeking to remove the P10 provisional reduction in the P40 flagdown rate of air-conditioned taxis imposed by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board last March. In a resolution, the court’s Thirteenth Division through Associate Justice Normandie Pizarro said that the filing of the petition for certiorari and prohibition by 1-United Transport Koalisyon party list through its coordinator Perfecto Itliong was premature. The appellate court stressed that the group’s motion for reconsideration is still pending before the LTFRB and has yet to be acted upon. The CA said the Supreme Court has consistently ruled that before a party is allowed to seek the intervention of the court, all available administrative remedies must have been availed of. “The petitioners are bound by procedural rules and may not disregard the same. It is not up to the petitioners to preempt the LTFRB’s action in their motions for reconsideration. The petitioners should have awaited the denial of their motions before filing the present petition,” the appellate court said. Associate Justices Samuel Gaerlan and Ma. Luisa QuijanoPadilla concurred with the ruling. In its petition, the group also sought the

Price controls imposed in 4 provinces, 1 town By Christine F. Herrera

THE Department of Trade and Industry on Sunday imposed price controls on basic commodities in four provinces and one town that have been declared in a state of calamity due to the devastation caused by Typhoon “Nona.”

Still flooded. A teenager wades through floodwaters under the McArthur Bridge near Plaza Lawton in Manila on Sunday. EY ACASIO

Trade Undersecretary Victorio Mario Dimagiba said the price freeze was in effect in the provinces of Northern Samar, Oriental Mindoro, Albay and Sorsogon and the town of Torrijos in Marinduque. The order would last for at least two weeks, he said. Dimagiba announced over radio dzBB that the controls will keep the cost of canned goods, noodles, bottled water, coffee, milk, sugar, rice, cooking oil and other basic commodities at levels before the state of calamity was declared. Traders caught hoarding supplies or unduly raising prices could pay fines of up to P1 million, Dimagiba said. In Oriental Mindoro, Dimagiba reported, the prices of galvanized iron sheets for roofing have increased by P20 to P30 apiece. “That’s a clear case of violation of the Price Act, which prohibits profiteering and hoarding. Those are grave offenses that come with stiff penalties like paying fines of up to P1 million. They could end up having their business licenses cancelled,” he explained. “People who have money in the area are now buying materials for repair. Let us help them, instead of victimizing them,” he said. Traders, he said, should not take advantage of the situation considering that most roads are now passable and open to traffic. Next week, Dimagiba said, a “Diskwento Caravan,” spearheaded by the private sector would be launched in calamitystricken areas. “The goods to be sold will have discounts of 10 percent, 20 percent up to 30 percent,” Dimagiba said. “Profiteering and hoarding, that’s prohibited. If they keep stocks for purposes of selling, and not for purposes of keeping and then after awhile they will jack up prices, they can be charged,” he warned.

LGUs enlisted vs webcam child sex By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Rescued. An elderly Chinese-Filipino woman is put in a wheelchair after being rescued

from the 24th floor of the KP Tower at Juan Luna Street in Divisoria, Manila, which caught fire on Sunday. DANNY PATA

SENATOR Grace Poe has asked local government officials to monitor suspected syndicates in areas identified as hotbeds of “webcam child sex” by a Netherlandsbased international organization. Poe said a study conducted by development group Terre des Hommes named Angeles City in Pampanga, Taguig City in Metro Manila, and Cordova, Dalaguete and Cebu City in the province of Cebu as the five areas in the Philippines where syndicates offering webcam child sex tourism operate. “Filipino children seem to have an extraordinary appeal to both casual and hardcore pedophiles offering financial rewards to children forced to perform sexually in front of the camera,” the group said. Poe said national and local government

agencies must work together to stop webcam child sex from spreading to other areas where poverty may drive people to exploit their children for money. “With child exploitation taking on forms that are harder to trace, the involvement of local leaders, family members and even neighbors in reporting suspicious activities in the home is crucial to protecting our children from online pedophiles,” Poe said. An estimated 750,000 men worldwide reportedly seek online sex with children daily in more than 40,000 public chat rooms. Terre des Hommes also disclosed that 40 percent of children in webcam sex tourism have family members who are either involved in cybersex operations or are aware of the child’s involvement in such activities.

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QC: Erase stigma on the use of condoms By Rio Araja

Colder. Pagasa announces further drops in temperature for the rest of December as low-lying, cold wind-bearing clouds envelop Baguio City and Tuba, Benguet. DAVE LEPROZO

By Rey E. Requejo The latest plunder charges lodged against Mayor Jejomar erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. appear politically motivated and could be part of the administration’s plot to derail his father’s chances in the 2016 presidential election, according to two legal experts. Former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Vicente Joyas and former University of the East law dean Amado Valdez stressed that the complaint filed by lawyer Renato Bondal could be considered “a form of harassment.” Joyas said he was still expecting that the cases pending before the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman agàinst administration allies would finally be resolved. Otherwise, he said, he would stick to his earlier statement that the

Aquino administration is guilty of selective justice. “There is still selective prosecution. Opposition candidates and supporters are now the subjects of prosecution,” the former IBP official added. Bondal filed his P228-million plunder complaint before the Ombudsman last week against the dismissed mayor and two information technology companies. Meanwhile, Valdez said Bondal’s complaint could be misconstrued as political harassment,

especially since Binay’s father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, is seeking the presidency in next May’s polls against administration bet, Mar Roxas. “That seems to be the agenda, to create collateral damage on the candidacy of the vice president [as well],” Valdez said. “Guilty by association. It is a perception game,” he added. The two law experts said the younger Binay can still invoke the condonation doctrine in questioning his earlier dismissal by the Ombudsman since the Supreme Court’s abandonment of the doctrine last October was prospective and would apply only in future cases. They stressed that Binay may still question the dismissal order of the Ombudsman last month and take back the mayoralty post by invoking the doctrine, which condones admin-

‘

Experts say Junjun’s case part of plot versus father

istrative liability of reelected officials for acts committed in previous term. “He can still invoke the doctrine if the decision of his dismissal is premised on the nonapplication of the doctrine and Junjun invoked it in that case,” said Joyas. Agreeing with Joyas, Valdez stressed the importance of pointing out the “prospective” nature of the recent SC decision abandoning the condonation doctrine, as opposed to being “retroactive.” He stressed that the alleged illegal acts charged against Binay supposedly happened before the doctrine was struck down by the high court. “[Being prospective only] means it will only apply on cases committed after the decision. So Binay can still invoke the doctrine,” Valdez said.

THE Quezon City government wants the mandatory inclusion of the reproductive health, including the management and control of sexually transmitted infections and the importance in the use of condoms in its public school curriculum for high school students in a bid to heighten their level of awareness. The health board proposed the measure and even recommended the provision of reproductive health supplies in schools, especially condoms. “We can have health demonstrations in schools to teach students proper condom use,” city health officer Verdades Linga said. She said it is “imperative” to promote condom use even in the workplace. “What the health board will be doing is strengthen condom use in QC and erase the stigma that has always been associated with it,” she added. She also recommended to Mayor Herbert Bautista to put up condom vending machines in strategic sites. “We hope to make a difference with these initiatives,” she said in a statement. “To date, there is an intensive effort from the city health department to manage and control the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections in the city. This was made evident with the increased investments made for the city’s HIV programs—from less than P5 million annually prior to 2012 to P24 million in 2014.”

Lawmaker wants lifetime IDs for people with disability QUEZON City Rep. Alfred Vargas is pushing for a lifetime validity identification card for persons with disability so they could avail themselves of the privileges and incentives mandated by the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. Under House Bill 6273, Vargas said disabled persons could enjoy their privileges by presenting such cards to any business establishments. A PWD ID card issued to disabled persons shall be valid during their lifetime, and may be renewed in case of loss or damage, he added. “However, persons with per-

manent disability still must go through the process of getting a PWD ID card,” he noted. Republic Act 9442, or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, provides benefits, privileges and incentives, including discounts for Filipinos with disabilities. The PWD ID maybe renewed every three years to allow the issuing office, in case of temporary disability of the applicant, to reevaluate the health of the ID holder and determine whether the cardholder continues to be entitled to the benefits provided by the law. Rio Araja

Holiday ham. People flock to a meat store in Quiapo to buy their favorite hams for the traditional noche buena meal. DANNY PATA

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Separate blasts kill two, wound 7 in Zamboanga By Florante S. Solmerin

A couple was killed and seven other persons were injured in two separate explosions that occurred Thursday night and Friday morning in Zamboanga city, reports said.

City police head Chief Inspector Joel tutuh said couple Danilo and Marites Ocampo died on the spot after the husband “accidentally” unpinned a grenade during their heated argument.

shrapnel from the explosion that occurred at around 10:49 a.m. at the shores of sitio Agrarian in Barangay Patalon also hurt four minors playing near them.

“the couple was from sibuco town in Zamboanga del norte. they had just docked their boat when the couple had a heated argument. the husband took out his grenade, apparently, just to scare his wife but he accidentally removed the pin that caused the explosion,” tutuh said. the injured children aged seven, 10, 11, and 12 were rushed to the hospital for medical treatment. Prior to this incident, three persons including a minor sus-

tained shrapnel wounds after an improvised explosive device exploded at the gate of the YL Fishing Corp. in Barangay talontalon. tutuh said the company was engaged in commercial fishing and investigators ruled out terrorism and believed the explosion could be a rift between some workers of the company. the blast injured security guards Carlito Bastian, 45, and Ranillo Agan, 45, and Agan’s son Arvin.

Flattened. A resident of Bulusan, Sorsogon, looks in horror at what remains of her home after the onslaught of Typhoon ‘Nona.’ AFP

CIDG busts gun-running syndicate in CamSur Agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection group busted a gun-running syndicate with the arrest of four members including their leader during a buy-bust operation Wednesday last week in Barangay Balatas, naga City, CIDg regional chief senior superintendent Marlon tejada said thursday. tejada identified the arrested alleged leader as Roy sibulo y Llaneta, 28. sibulo, he said, is the leader of the “Avila Criminal gang” that supplies guns and ammunitions to crime groups and possibly private armed groups in the 3rd and 4th districts of Camarines sur. Arrested with sibulo were Moises Onoya y Losito, 56, Antonio Avilla y tan, 45, and Aurio Agaya y Itomo, 47. the suspects were arrested at around 8:45 p.m. after receiving the “boodle money” as payment for the guns they sold to poseur buyers in front of the sto. niño Memorial Park. “seized from the possession and control of the group were 1 caliber 9mm pistol, a 9mm luger kg-9, 3 magazines, a magazine loaded with 8 ammo for cal. 9mm, 2 suppressors/silencer, 1 purple knapsack, a P500 bill marked money and P40,000 boodle money,” tejada said. He said the suspects were already charged for violation of Republic Act 10591 (Firearms and Ammunition Law).

Florante S. Solmerin

Aquino names seven judges for Ilocos, Bicol By Rey E. Requejo MALACAÑAng has appointed seven new judges for the Ilocos Region and Bicol Region. In a nov. 27, 2015 transmittal letter sent to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Aranal-sereno, President Aquino, through executive secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., said he had appointed new lower court judges. the new judges would be assigned in the Municipal and Regional trial Courts in Mt. Province, Ilocos, Camarines sur, Masbate and Camarines norte. named new judges for the Ilocos Region were Judge Kode garlejo Daoas of the MtC, tadian, Mt. Province and Judge Vida Advento Cortez-Jimeno of the 12th MCtC, tagudinsayo, Ilocos sur. For the Bicol Region, the new judges are Judge Maria Clarissa Lianko Pacis-trinidad of the RtC Branch 36 of Iriga City, Camarines sur; Judge soliman M. santos Jr. of the RtC Branch 61, naga City, Camarines sur. Judge teofilo B. tambago of

the RtC Branch 46, Masbate City, Masbate; Judge Jonel C. Martinez-Ursua of the MtC, Jose Panganiban, Camarines norte and Judge Dara san Juan Mallorca-torres of MtC Paracale, Camarines norte. the Judicial and Bar Council screened the appointees prior to their appointments. the sevenmember council, which is constitutionally mandated to screen and vet nominees to the President for vacant posts in the judiciary and the Offices of the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, is chaired by Chief Justice sereno, with ex-officio members, namely senator Aquilino Pimentel III and Iloilo Rep. niel tupas and Justice Benjamin Caguioa. Retired sC Justice Angelina sandoval-gutierrez is the head of the executive Committee and represents the Retired sC Justice sector; lawyer Jose Mejia representing the Academe, retired Court of Appeals Justice Aurora santiago-Lagman representing the private sector and lawyer Milagros Fernan-Cayosa Senior love. Bataan Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane announces the opening of from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines are the the senior citizens’ ward at the provincial hospital and the distribution of other regular members of the JBC. health care passbooks to the elderly. BUTCH GUNIO

M O N D AY : D E c E M b E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

opinion

ADELLE chuA editOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

challenging china BacK channel aleJandRO del ROsaRiO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Refugees and migRants

Often, the commemoration of international days for various causes descend into mere token events. People parrot familiar lines and utter general statements supporting the cause, and then forget about it altogether the following day. Social media has highlighted the apparent superficiality of it all: users proclaim their support, change their profile photos or even write a profound sentence or two. And then, just like a fad, everything is forgotten and people move on to the next big event. for instance, International Migrants Day was commemorated on friday, 18 December. The United nations, through the website of the International Organization for Migration, has called on the international community “to come together and remember the refugees and migrants who have lost or have disappeared while trying to reach safe harbour after arduous journeys across seas and deserts.” This specifically brings to mind the refugees of the Syrian war. Recall that powerful image of a child’s lifeless body washed ashore as the boat his family was on capsized. Dire conditions force these families to risk everything and pursue an unknown destination. In europe earlier this year, there were debates on whether or not members of the european Union must open their borders to those fleeing their war-torn native lands. The responses were diverse. filipinos themselves are all too aware of the saga of refugees from Syria and other troubled countries. But closer to home, people’s knowledge and understanding of, and support for the plight of the lumad leave much to be desired. There was a time when people were all too vocal in their compassion for the indigenous peoples driven out of their own communities. Unfortunately, politics has taken over and we are now more preoccupied with the exchange of threats of schoolyard bullies. And then, there are our migrants, our overseas workers whom we have long hailed as modern heroes. They are heroes because their remittances keep us afloat during trying economic times. They make the huge sacrifice of being away from their families for extended periods of time just so they could earn more and give their loved ones a comfortable life. What then, do we give these heroes in return? Certainly, we do not make them feel appreciated when what greets them at our airports is the threat of being found in possession of bullets even as they do not have any idea where these bullets came from. It is also no rousing welcome when their balikbayan boxes are opened by those who are not its intended recipients, and when they are taxed for the bars of soap and the canned goods and the pairs of shoes they had saved for. Migrants are not protected when their government leaves them with no choice but to brave the harsh and strange condition in foreign lands, because no opportunities for decent living and upward mobility are available here. The concerns of the displaced and the migrant workers are constant. We do not need a special day to remind us of these. Until now, there has been no real solutions. As International Migrants Day comes and goes, let us give it the proper commemoration it deserves. Let the issues of refugees and migrants at the forefront of debates and platforms in the next elections, and let us not make the mistake of thinking that these troubles get any lighter or easier with time.

The sTar, a child, sanTa and our dreams pensées fR. RanhiliO callangan aquinO Marooned in Manila because of nona’s unwelcome visit, there was not much else to do besides watching cable TV, and it was Snow White and the dwarfs that—I could hardly believe myself—

caught my fancy. I finished it, I think wiser than when the show began! When we were children, we went to sleep after reading fairy tales—when “fairy” was a magical word that was farthest removed from considerations of political correctness. The kings and queens, castles and palaces filled one’s dreams. Gallant gentlemen and ladies with pure hearts

were lovely—with the usual caboodle of witches and shady characters who always lost in the end anyway—peopled the imagination and made for wholesome fantasy. Fairy tales were beautifully spun stories about the loftiest of aspirations, and noblest of ideals, all offered to children in a way that easily found their way into a child’s heart. and so a child

and so it is that the bright star no longer beacons.

learned that it was lovely to be kindhearted and ugly to be mean, as witches were always wretched and wrinkled. It was much the same thing about Santa Claus, the

elves that worked for him, the reindeer that pulled his sleigh across the skies, and his list of the naughty and the nice. Santa Claus making his way down the chim-

ney, leaving gifts for children who had neither paid for nor purchased them and leaving in his trail only cheer and gladness—that was the fairy-tale version of the story of the Incarnation: God making his way into our world through the virginal conception and birth of a child, a human child, leaving in his wake salvation and eternal joy. That was one sure way of teaching the important lesson that Christmas cheer is

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

not about what you buy or pay for but what you receive though undeservedly! But children no longer read fairy tales—and red riding Hood, Cinderella, Snow White and the dwarfs, all of them are fading away so fast, replaced by anime and surreal characters in computer games and smart devices. no knights rescuing damsels in distress, no true love’s kiss undoing a wicked spell—only the

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bleak and lifeless bleeps on computer screens and tablets. and so it is that the bright Star no longer beacons. Strobe and laser lights that dazzle and confound are what pierce the dark nights of our age and of your youngsters’ hearts. But once upon a time, it was a Star that caught the gaze of the wise, and because they believed, in their wisdom, that great things beyond imagining, wonders Continued on A10

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

By noW, Beijing should realize it cannot lay claim to nearly the entire South China Sea without being challenged by other nations whose freedom of navigation is impeded by the structures the Chinese built from the scattered Spratly group of islands. The latest to join the fray was the australian air force which sent a surveillance plane in air space over the disputed sea. The aussie reconnaissance flight ignored repeated warnings from the Chinese navy to stay away. earlier, US planes also made an over flight in the same area followed by the USS Lassen battleship sailing near the artificial islands China built from the scattered shoals, reefs and protruding rocks. From the air, these fortified islands look like a Chinese necklace marking its nine-dash line territorial claim. Call it a marvel of Chinese engineering which was completed in less than a year. But other nations whose commercial vessels use the vital sea lanes see it as an obstruction to freedom of navigation. Some $5.3 trillion worth of commercial cargo, mostly super tankers carrying crude oil from the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca, pass through this major shipping route. For background: The South China seabed is potentially resource rich—11 billion barrels of oil and 198 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, according to GlobalSecurity.org. Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and the Philippines have overlapping claims to parts of the South China Sea. Manila has filed a case against Beijing with The Hague international arbitration court contesting China’s encroachment on the West Philippine Sea. It scored an initial victory when The Hague ruled that under the United nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UnCLoS), it has jurisdiction to hear the case with or without China’s participation. Beijing’s ambition for hegemony in Southeast asia is destabilizing the region and prompting other countries to react. Led by the United States which wants to maintain its projection of a forward reach as a Pacific power, australia also knows it cannot just stay in the sidelines without protecting its own security interests. The US recently sold $6 billion worth of weaponry to treaty ally Taiwan despite protests from Beijing which considers Taiwan 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

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opinion

ADELLE chuA editOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

challenging china BacK channel aleJandRO del ROsaRiO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Refugees and migRants

and so it is that the bright star no longer beacons.

learned that it was lovely to be kindhearted and ugly to be mean, as witches were always wretched and wrinkled. It was much the same thing about Santa Claus, the

elves that worked for him, the reindeer that pulled his sleigh across the skies, and his list of the naughty and the nice. Santa Claus making his way down the chim-

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

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can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

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Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

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

A10 Passion for what is right IT IS the time of the year when I normally take stock of what has been and what might rITa lInda be, assess little victov. jImeno ries and learn lessons from defeats. It is also the time I accept what I cannot change and resolve to change what I can. As it is Christmas, bear with me. My advocacy for greater awareness and action against climate change has been particularly gratifying. While the lives, homes and properties lost to typhoons and natural disasters around the globe in recent years can no longer be brought back, they served a purpose. They became ruthless calls to the leaders of the world that the wrath of fiercer storms and extreme weather conditions will continue to happen unless nations take action. That no less than Pope Francis himself has taken up the cause of protecting the planet from environmental destruction and that nations have finally reached an accord on climate change in Paris are giant leaps I did not ever imagine would happen in a decade. I am just as excited too about how we, the environmental advocates in the municipality of Lobo, Batangas, with the indispensable help of ABS CBN Foundation, have been able to stop open-pit gold mining in Lobo that would have destroyed the Verde Island Passage—known the world over as the center of the center of the earth’s marine biodiversity. Reeling from the divisiveness brought upon the community by the grant of endorsement to allow mining in Lobo by the Sangguniang Bayan, the residents are now learning to value what nature has given them. They This is the time have started orI accept what I cannot ganic farming, food production from change and resolve to indigenous fruits change what I can. and fish processing. Through this column in The Standard, like-minded advocates learned about the threat of mining in Lobo and joined the fight. On what I have been writing on since 2012 to save the lives of motorists and pedestrians from death or injury—the sudden unintended acceleration of the Mitsubishi Montero Sport vehicle—a positive development has happened, at last. The Department of Trade announced last week that it would order a thorough car check-up by a third party laboratory at the government’s expense to determine if indeed there is a defect in the electronic throttle of the Montero sports which could be causing the phenomenon of sudden unintended acceleration. The Trade Department also announced that Mitsubishi is facing a separate administrative complaint with the Fair Trade and Enforcement Bureau filed by DTI, on behalf of the 24 complainants who came forward, for selling a defective product in violation of the Consumer Act of the Philippines. DTI also announced that there is likewise a possibility that criminal charges would be filed against officers of Mitsubishi if found to have committed substantial misrepresentations. In Japan, for instance, the officers of Mitsubishi were criminally charged and sentenced to imprisonment for having misrepresented facts concerning vehicles with various defects. DTI revealed that in the investigation hearings, they discovered that Mitsubishi did not disclose a critical information, that is, the engine computer software of the Montero was supplied by another maker, not Mitsubishi itself. While this is a good development, the government should do more by inviting foreign experts who have been studying this phenomenon in many countries, namely, Dr. Antony Anderson and Dr. Ron Belt. Anderson and Belt are electrical engineers who have written published works on the subject of the sudden unintended acceleration of vehicles. Anderson has been called upon to testify as an expert witness in a case in

ouT of The box

M O N D AY : D e c e M b e r 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Voting under fire By Marco Longari

to the voting stoned the trucks. These people belonged to a splinter Muslim group opposed to the election. The trucks left without unloading the voting material. Then people who wanted to vote gathered, demanding that they be allowed to cast their ballots. So there was tension brewing between the two groups since morning. So people gathered outside the school waiting for the voting materials to return. At that point, some of the armed forces of Central Africa arrived. Along with them were

The sTar... From A9

fairy tale with skies filled with angelic choirs, but all so real in the redemption and the promise of life’s fullness that it brought about, the fulfillment of all that one can ever wish and hope for!

the school. One of the RPGs hit a palm tree BANGUI—I’ve been in the Centhat was just outside the fence of tral African Republic for about two the school, 10-15 meters away from weeks. It’s a complicated coverage. the crowd. The impact cut the palm You can feel something is brewing in two and it just split. The funny and things are not settled. There is thing is that it split in two in slow constant stress, you always have to motion. So you have the two sides watch out, you can never relax. And of this palm coming down in slow on Sunday, we saw why. motion amid gunfire. CAR is a complicated situation to It was then that people realized begin with. the severity of that was happening The country has been roiled by and they started to run away and unrest since March 2013, when scream and the panic began. rebels from the mainly Muslim At that point, the UN soldiers Seleka force ousted present at the school veteran Christian returned fire and leader Francois the Senegalese solBozize. Since then, diers that were there, there’s been spiralthey jumped into the ing tit-for-tat viocrowd and brought lence between Musthe crowd to safety, lim and Christian away from the open groups. space of the courtIt’s a low intenyard. Another part sity conflict at the of the Senegalese moment. There is troops took up posino frontline, there tions and opened fire is no active shootin the direction of ing every day. But the assailants. you know that at At some point every corner of amid the shooting, the street there are A UN soldier takes cover with civilians amid the gunfire at the school. afP some young Musarmed people who lim men rose up can cause trouble. some armed militants, the civilian from cover, waved their fists in There are international armed defense for this Muslim neighbor- the air and shouted: “We’re going forces everywhere. Around 11,000 hood. Civilian guys with Kalash- to vote!” It speaks volumes about of them are in the country, where nikovs and hand grenades. They how sick and tired people are of much of territory is controlled by took positions outside the school in the violence. either rebels or bandits. a show of force. “We have suffered too much. The Muslims are the minority In the meantime, the voting was Those who are shooting are and in the capital Bangui, they live moved to another school nearby, criminals who want chaos, but in the PK5 neighborhood. That was the decrepit Baya Dombia school. we can’t take it any more. We the place of the shootout on Sunday, The material was delivered, people are Central Africans, too, and which I and the other members of stood in line, they began to cast we want peace!” said Mahamat the AFP team got caught up in. ballots. There was a UN contingent, Youssouf, a tradesman. It was voting day on a referen- everything was going according to The gunfire shut down the votdum on whether to adopt a new plan. ing at the school for the day, but constitution. The constitution is All of a sudden, as the people voters returned the next day to aimed at ending the years of vio- lined up to vote, shots were fired. cast their ballots. They lined up to lence, which has left around 5,000 The attackers started with fire from vote. AFP people dead and has forced 10 light automatic weapons and some percent of the 4.8-million-strong people started to scramble for safepopulation to flee. ty. But there was no mass panic. plumblIne The majority of Muslims living in Gunfire is a regular thing in CAR, pasTor PK5 are in favor of this, but a mi- so there was no immediate panic. apollo nority is opposed to it. At this point, they began to fire quIboloy Earlier in the day, UN trucks RPGs, toward the school, toward came to deposit voting material at the crowd. The bullets were whisPastor Quiboloy’s column will the Koudoukou school. When they tling around past the people. They resume next week. arrived, a group of people opposed were really targeting the people at

that found their way into fairy tales could happen, they became part of the greatest story ever told— one even more charming than a

New Zealand involving the sudden uninterrupted acceleration of the Mitsubishi Outlander, the counterpart of the Montero in the Philippines. Until the Mitsubishi Montero Sport vehicles are off the streets, or until they have been recalled for proper repair, all the victims of sudden unintended acceleration, all Montero owners and anyone who cares about being safe on the road should not stop watching how the government’s action will unfold. On another advocacy I have embarked on, that is, exposing the unjustly high cost, but poor service we are getting from the telecommunications duopolies— PLDT/Smart and Globe—the government has yet to take action. It should either break up the duopoly by

A Merry and God-filled Christmas to all. rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

allowing other companies to come in for better service or by compelling these telcos to improve their service and lower the cost of their service. Mitsubishi and these telecommunications duopolies are giants that have close ties in government. But, what I realized, is that change is possible when people help one another to reach it with relentless passion and hope. It is time the Filipino consumer learns to assert what he deserves. May hope for change reign in our hearts this Christmas. Email: ritalindaj@gmail.com Visit: www.jimenolaw.com.ph

M O N D AY : D e c e M b e r 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

The new normal CLIMATE change is definitely upon us. Its effect on our lives will be increasingly felt as the years pass by. Nona packed winds of 145 kph, but look at the amount of rainfall it brought. Not only were the directly hit provinces of Northern Samar and Mindoro Oriental devastated by its wind, the rains it brought flooded all of Central Luzon. In its wake, we have not only lives lost and houses destroyed; we have crop yields inundated, creating misery for our farmers, and impacting in food scarcity and high prices in months to come. Mindoro Oriental produces most of the kalamansi that Tagalog cuisine cannot live without. It also produces most of the saba bananas and other fruits that supply our Metro Manila markets. Watch the prices of these spike. Mindoro Occidental was spared from Nona because it is protected by the mountain range that divide the two provinces. It is one of the biggest palayproducing provinces in the country. The palay farmers of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Pampanga are still reeling from the effects of Lando. Many plant-

ed onions, melons and other short-gestating cash crops to make up for the losses of their storm-damaged palay. Even those were not spared by the heavy flooding that occurred last week. Onyok brought some relief from the El Niño-parched lands of Caraga and Davao. But not for long. El Niño will be back with a vengeance in the next few weeks. In Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island-province which should be filled with winter skiers by now, is getting so little of it. In previous years, Niseko and other ski havens should have six meters of snowfall by now. Last week, less than a meter of snow fell from the heavens. In the Swiss Alps, unusually warm temperatures have created a long, long autumn. In New York and the US East Coast, they are still waiting for the first snowfall, days before Christmas. Last week, it was 60 degrees Fahrenheit in Manhattan (that’s Baguio weather), when it should be in the near zeroes by now. Will they experience their cherished “White Christmas”? In Sydney, where summer and sunlight should be in full

So i See lito banayo bloom, it’s still spring weather, rainy, damp and unseasonably cold. But never mind those rich countries. Climate patterns may be queer, may even bring some inconvenience. In the Philippines, climate change can be, and has been deadly. It will be deadlier in years to come. How should we adjust to the new normal? It will impact on our seminal lives, and the availability of food in a country which can hardly feed the poor out of its 104 million people. *** Among the national candidates, only two senatorial candidates are discussing the issue of climate change and its impact on our lives. They are Martin Romualdez and Francis Tolentino. In both their press statements and advertorials, they inform the people of the effect of climate change in our lives. And how we should be prepared for every disaster that

challenging... From A9 its maritime security. Coun- Bureau of Investigation and a renegade province. The arms sale to Taiwan consists of Patriot anti-missiles systems, helicopters, mine-sweeping ships and communications equipment, according to the Washington Post. Over the years, the US has sold fighter jets to Taiwan making it the most highly advanced air force in the region, followed by South Korea. Japan, a historical enemy of China, donated patrol boats to the Philippines to bolster

tries are naturally drawn together when their security and economy are threatened by China’s aggressive moves in the region. It’s time Beijing realizes that building a great seawall to stake its spurious and sweeping claim over the South China Sea can only give rise to other countries challenging China. Relentless raid against fake cigarettes A composite team of the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, National

#failocracy

Philippine National Police scored a string of arrests in its widespread campaign against the sale of fake cigarettes. Merchants and vendors engaged in the illegal trade were slapped with charges based on the Trademark Infringement Act and the recently passed Unfair Competition Law. Violators face a jail sentence of up to eight years and a fine of at least P50,000. The law enforcement team recently carried out raids in Cavite, Nueva Ecija, Cebu,

comes along. Martin proposed to Congress that we create a Department for Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management right after Yolanda occurred and the response of government through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and its coordinative agencies showed how ill-prepared government was. It’s been two years and several typhoons and other disasters after Yolanda, but Martin’s bill still languishes in Congress. Neither has Malacañang certified the bill for urgent legislative action. Martin now proposes a flood-control summit, in the wake of Lando, and Nona, and as of this writing, perhaps Onyok. Will we ever wake up to the new normal? Francis Tolentino moves around the country talking about the need for disaster preparedness. He even got Metro Manila to have a practice drill should an earthquake, a truly “big one,” hit us. That was before the sanctimonious hypocrites in his erstwhile political party ostracized him. He didn’t quibble with them; he just

left their company, and now runs as an independent. Digong Duterte, who knows the intrinsic dedication of Francis to the people he served, endorsed his senatorial run, as he did Martin’s. Tolentino is not carried by the administration he served with loyalty and commitment. Martin Romualdez’s laudable advocacy for disaster preparedness was enumerated in Grace Poe’s “20-point platform” enumeration, but he was not included in her senatorial line-up, jettisoned for some panderers. These are two senatorial candidates I would vote for. Bago naman. Through the years, we have been electing the same tired and tiring faces, as if there are no “new” names worthy of gracing the Senate hall. They get two terms, hibernate for three years, and then get reelected once more on sheer name recall. To be certain, some of them truly deserve being in the Senate. But others are either paragons of uselessness or just there for the pork barrel. Take a second look at the new candidates, beyond mere name recall. Bago naman.

Zamboanga del Sur and lately in Metro Manila. In Sta. Cruz, Manila, the raiding team confiscated from a warehouse a large cache of fake cigarettes of various brands, including 345 reams of the best-selling Mighty brand. The raiding team noted the lack of the distinct manufacturer’s code, BIR documentary seals on the packs and the low quality of the confiscated cigarettes. The confiscated cigarettes will be shredded or burned with police authorities watch-

ing to prevent them from being recycled and finding their way back into the market. PNP chief Ricardo Marquez warned there will be no letup in their operations to stamp out the nefarious manufacture and sale of fake cigarettes. The manufacturers of Mighty brand are at the forefront in the campaign against the counterfeit cigarette trade not only because it undermines the quality of their product but the multi-million racket also cheats government out of needed tax revenues.

chong ardivilla

m o n day : de c e m b e r 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

A12

sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Tabuena rules Philippine Open TARLAC—Miguel Tabuena capped a brilliant season with a major victory, upending an elite international field with a fiery 66 windup and copping the Philippine Open presented by ICTSI by one over Aussie Scott Barr for his first Asian Tour crown at the Luisita Golf and Country Club course here yesterday. Three months after dominating the Philippine Golf Tour field to win the Central Azucarera De Tarlac Open here with a solid 22-under total, Tabuena went at it again at the par-72 layout, gunning down five birdies in the last nine holes to rally from three strokes down to the top of the heap then watched erstwhile leader Lindsay Renolds and the rest of the contenders crack trying to chase him back.

“To see my name on this trophy with so many legends is a dream come true,” said the 21-year-old Tabuena, who surged ahead in second-to-last group with three straight birdies from No. 12 then parred the last two holes to pool a 14-under 202 at the end of the weathershortened championship sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. “I thank God for keeping me calm.

I knew it would be tough and I knew people were making a charge. I set a goal to shoot anywhere between 64 and 66. When I had a one-under at the turn, I knew I had to go for more birdies, to attack smart,” said Tabuena, who pocked $54,000 (P2.5 million) for a three-day job. His first PHL Open victory also served as a fitting ending to a banner campaign in the year about to end that saw him clinch the Order of Merit title of the local circuit where he honed his talent and skills with four victories, including the kickoff leg at Splendido. He also reclaimed the country’s premier golf championship since absentee Angelo Que won it in 2008. Elmer Salvador and Artemio Murakami also ruled in 2009 and 2010,

respectively, but against an all-Filipino field. With Renolds reeling back early with three bogeys against a bogey in the first six holes and limping with a 73, Barr wrested control with an eagle-spike frontside 33 but fell back two miscues at the back, including a costly wet bogey on the par-3 17th that dropped him two back off Tabuena. Needing an eagle on the par-4 to force a playoff, Barr settled for a birdie and a 68 for runner-up honors at 203 worth $33,000 in the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT, Metro Pacific, Amon Trading, Central Azucarera de Tarlac and Ayala Land, Inc. with San Miguel Corp., Suntrust Properties and Sta. Lucia as hole sponsors.

Miguel Tabuena holds his PHL Open trophy after besting a tough international field at Luisita. With him are Martin Lorenzo (left), chairman and CEO of Central Azucarera de Tarlac and NGAP director, and Atty Nando Cojuangco, president of Luisita Golf and Country Club.

Saigon Heat burns Mono Vampire THE Saigon Heat bounced back from back-to-back losses at home and strengthened their hold of the fourth spot in the 2015 season of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) with a 9079 win over the Mono Vampire Basketball Club, at the CIS Arena. After the first two quarters, it seemed like the the game between two teams was once again going down the wire, however, William Creekmore found his rhythm late in the game as the Heat the close match into a blowout. Creekmore finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals as he was named the Best Player of the Game.

Mono Vampire held a one-point lead at the half 41-40 but it didn’t take long for Saigon to take back the lead. A triple from David Arnold at the 2:39 mark of the third gave the Heat a 58-52 advantage and they held on to a 7-point lead heading into the final quarter. Up 71-63, Creekmore went on a 5-0 run by himself with two free throws and a triple to give Saigon a more comfortable 12-point advantage. Saigon outran Mono Vampire the rest of the way as Lenny Daniel got in a couple of highlight dunk to raise their record to 3-5. Mono Vampire on the other hand fell to 2-7.

Tierro, Arcilla trample rivals TOP seed Patrick John Tierro and No. 2 Johnny Arcilla trampled their respective rivals in varying fashions to remain on track for their keenly awaited showdown for the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Open crown at the Naga City Tennis Club in Cebu. Tierro, who routed Nilo Ledama, 6-0. 6-0, and held off Janji Soquino, 7-5, 6-2, in the first two rounds of the top-level event, pounced on Roel Capangpangan’s injury to score a 6-1, ret. win to seal a semis duel with third seed Vicente Anasta, who dominated Alvin Labastida, 6-1, 6-1, in the opener but struggled past Deo Talatayod, 6-3, 7-5, and fifth-ranked Fritz Verdad, 7-5, 6-2, to

PJ Tierro hits a forehard return to Roel Capangpangan before scoring an abbreviated win.

stay in the hunt for the top P40,000 purse. Arcilla, seeking a sweep of the Open titles in the season-ending event of the country’s premier circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop, overpowered qualifier Gabriel Riconala, 6-1, 6-2, whipped Argil Canizares, 6-0, 6-3,

before disposing of Leander Lazaro, 6-1, 6-0, to arrange a Final Four clash with No. 4 Ronard Joven, who eased past Christopher Encarnacion, 6-2, 6-1, trounced Kennex Abadia, 6-3, 6-2, before surviving No. 6 Arvin Ruel, 4-6, 6-1, 4-3 (ret.) in the quarterfinals.

NBA fines George $35k over TV rant

LOS ANGELES—Indiana Pacers forward Paul George has been hit with a $35,000 fine after criticizing officials and swearing during a television interview, the NBA said in a statement on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time). George was unhappy with a series of calls after the Pacers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 104-97 on Friday. “The stripes (were) terrible,” George told local television station FOX Sports Indiana. “We (had to) go out and just play. The way this game was going and how they (were) calling it, we had to play. ... It’s frustrating, but hopefully the league does a better job of looking at shit like this.” George contributed 23 points and 10 rebounds during the win but also gave up seven turnovers. It was easy to tell Paul George was frustrated Friday night — he was constantly barking at the officials about missed calls (some real, some imaginary). AFP

UAAP jrs football matches called off DUE to continuous rains induced by the Northeast Monsoon that rendered the Moro Lorenzo Football Field unplayable, the UAAP Season 78 juniors football matches which were supposed to be played over the weekend were cancelled. The matches scheduled was between defending champion Far Eastern University-Diliman and Ateneo, and De La SalleZobel against University of Santo Tomas, which was supposed to be the final day of the first round, will be played on Jan. 16 at the Katipunan venue. The league is now on a holiday break and will resume action on Jan. 9 with the second round hostilities of juniors basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Arena. The Baby Tamaraws are on top of the table with six points, while the Junior Archers and the Blue Eaglets are level with three points, while the Tiger Cubs remain without a point.

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Overeem flattens Junior Dos Santos in 2nd round

Draymond Green (center) and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors react after Andre Iguodala made a three-point basket against the Milwaukee Bucks at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. AFP

Warriors beat Bucks to avenge only loss LOS ANGLES - The Golden State Warriors avenged their only defeat of the NBA season, rallying for a 121-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Six nights after the Bucks ended the Warriors’ season-opening winning streak at 24 games, Milwaukee threatened to hand Golden State a first defeat on their home floor in Oakland, California, since last January. But shooting guard Klay Thompson on Friday (Saturday, Manila time) had a game-high 27 points and Stephen Curry added 26 along with 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Warriors notched their 30th straight regular-season home win and their 12th this season. The score was knotted at 108108 when Curry drove for a basket with 2:16 to play and then added two free throws. Andre Iguodala drained a

three-pointer to give Golden State their biggest lead of the game at 115-108 with 1:21 remaining. Point guard Michael CarterWilliams had 24 points for the Bucks, who led by as many as 15 in the third quarter but endured their fifth defeat in their last six starts. Milwaukee led 100-89 five minutes into the final period. But Warriors forward Draymond Green scored eight consecutive points to ignite a surge that saw Golden State pull level at 100-100 with 6:08 to play. The hosts seized the lead for the first time since the first quarter when Festus Ezeli’s dunk with 5:11 to go made it 103-102. Bucks tied it three times after

that, but never led again. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs, who have labored quietly in the shadow of the Warriors building the second-best record in the league, improved to 15-0 at home this season with a 115107 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. In their first meeting since the Clippers eliminated the Spurs in a sensational first-round playoff duel last season, San Antonio produced an 11-0 scoring run to open the fourth quarter and held on for the victory. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead San Antonio, who improved to 23-5. Veteran French point guard Tony Parker scored 21 points for the Spurs. Ten of those came in the fourth quarter, including a threepointer that closed the 11-point run and gave San Antonio a 96-88 lead with 9:17 to play. AFP

Lady golfer misses out on dream wedding present ARINA Rodionova missed out on a dream wedding present when she lost her chance for a maiden main-draw berth at next month’s Australian Open in the wildcard play-off in Melbourne on Sunday. Rodionova took to court in the play-off final just one day after getting married to Australian Rules footballer Ty Vickery, but lost to fellow Australian Maddison Inglis 6-4, 6-2. The demanding weekend took its toll on Rodionova, who won a three-set semi-final in oppressive heat on Saturday before rushing off to her wedding. Rodionova, 26, appeared physically drained during Sunday’s final, her third straight loss in an Australian Open play-off decider after fall-

ing to Daria Gavrilova last year and Casey Dellacqua in 2013. Rodionova is a Russian-born Australian professional tennis player. She has won seven singles and twenty-four doubles titles on the ITF tour in her career. On 24 May 2010, she reached her best singles ranking of world number 157. Rodionova is a baseliner who prefers hardcourts. Her favorite shot is forehand. Her father, Ivan Rodionov, is a tennis coach while her mother, Natalia Rodionova, is a homemaker. Her older sister, Anastasia, also plays tennis. Rodionova admires Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, the Bryan brothers and Michael Schumacher. AFP

ALISTAIR Overeem connected with a sweeping left hook on Junior Dos Santos’ chin that sent the former UFC Heavyweight champion crashing to the mat. Overeem then followed up with blistering hammer fists to force the referee to end the bout. The fight, which took more than three years to materialize, started slow but picked up in the second round before the spectacular end. The two fighters, both known as fearsome strikers, took the center of the Octagon but didn’t trade. They instead circled each other wary of the other’s punching power. Dos Santos continued to stalk Overeem across the cage when the former K-1 kickboxing champion uncorked a big left hand that tagged the Brazilian and drew blood

from his nose. Other than that flurry a largely unevently first round left the fans unhappy. Dos Santos and Overeem were both unwilling to throw combinations out of caution. In the second round, Overeem gained the initiative with repeated kicks to the body. Overeem’s confidence continued to grow as he stalked Dos Santos. He caught Dos Santos with a hard left hand that opened a cut on the former champion’s head. Dos Santos pushed back and trapped Overeem against the cage but he couldn’t do enough damage to hurt his opponent. Upon being separated Overeem unloaded another big left hand which hit Dos Santos’ chin, sending him to the mat and ending the fight seconds later.

Ellie Day says LeBron hit like minor car crash WASHINGTON—Ellie Day, wife of Australian golf star Jason Day, had concussion symptoms but was out of the hospital after being fallen upon by LeBron James while sitting courtside at an NBA game. Day, who gave birth to the couple’s second child last month, was taken out on a stretcher after James tumbled into her while chasing a loose ball in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s 104-100 victory over Oklahoma City. On Friday afternoon, Ellie Day posted a statement on her Twitter account that said “KingJames we good!” and marveled at the attention as it detailed how being tackled felt. “First of all, I am okay!! I am incredibly sore and exhausted. Being tackled by that large man I would compare to a minor car accident. My head and neck hit pretty hard so it was really scary. My whole body feels like it was hit by a truck. “Second, it was so fast. I didn’t remember until 2am seeing the ball come toward me. It was a blur. To the crazies that think Jason should have protected me-- if he had had time to react, so would have I. Also, I would not have liked both dudes landing on me.”

James saved the ball from going off the court but only by hurling himself beyond the boundary and head-first into Ellie Day. “Ellie Day I hope you’re doing okay! My apologies! Hope u guys come back to another game soon. Love LJ!” James tweeted. The wife of the 2015 PGA Championship winner was kept overnight for observation at Cleveland’s MetroHealth Medical Center before being released after being knocked onto the floor by the NBA superstar while sitting beside her husband along the sideline. An earlier statement from Jason Day’s agent, Bud Martin, said Ellie Day has been suffering from “concussion symptoms” and added, “She is resting comfortably and appreciates all of those who have reached out and are concerned about her. “Finally, no hard feelings toward LeBron: He was just doing his job. Go Cavs.” The game was halted briefly while Day’s neck and head were stabilized and she was stretchered out, her husband joining her for the ambulance ride. James checked on her status during the next stoppage in play. AFP

Ellie Day, wife of Australian golfer Jason Day shown here smiling, was hit by NBA superstar LeBron James at a Cleveland Cavaliers game which she likened to a car crash. AFP

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Que, Rosales stay on Olympic track By Peter Atencio

FILIPINO golfers Angelo Que and Jennifer Rosales remained in contention for a qualifying slot the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Angelo Que and Jennifer Rosales (inset) boosted their bids to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics as the Filipino duo stayed inside the Top 60 of the Olympic rankings.

Filipino boxers Oliva, Saulong lose by lopsided margins in South Africa By Ronnie Nathanielsz FILIPINO super flyweight Jether Oliva fell to former International Boxing Federation super flyweight champion Zolani Tete by a 12-round shutout decision, while Ernesto Saulong also lost by a wide margin to former International Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Lwandile Sithyatha at the Orient Theater in East London, South Africa last Saturday. With the win, the 23-year-old Tete, who improved his record to 23-3 with 18 knockouts, continued his quest for another world title by beating Oliva. Two judges scored it 120-107 and the third judge had a 120-108, all in favor of Tete, who won the vacant World Boxing Organization South Africa super flyweight title. The 28-year-old Oliva dropped to 23-

5-2 with 11 knockouts. However, reporter Mesuli Zifo said Tete “paid dearly for the win as he aggravated his shoulder and hand injury,” which he suffered during training but decided not to postpone the mottle fight. Tete relinquished his IBF title after scoring an eighth-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Paul Butler in Manchester last April and emphasized in a post-fight interview after beating Oliva that he was hungry for championship glory once more. The South African refused to defend his title against Puerto Rico’s McJoe Arroyo because of what Tete claimed were unfavorable terms, with Golden Boy Promotions posting a mere $25,000 in the purse bid for the fight. It was Tete’s second fight after he relinquished his world title, having earlier stopped Mexican Diuhl Olguin in eight

rounds last September. However, Zifo reported that Oliva “proved to be a tougher customer than expected as he absorbed damaging blows throughout and only went down in the fourth round.” “I pulled my punches for fear of aggravating his injury,” said Tete, who paid tribute to Oliva. “I give Jether props for hanging in there despite the beating I dished out. He is made of sterner stuff and he is the kind of opponent I wanted to get rounds under my belt, as I am chasing a world title shot.” Meantime, Saulong was beaten handily by former IBO super flyweight champion Sithyatha to easily win the vacant WBO International bantamweight title with another one-sided win. The champ won with scores of 118109 from the two judges, with the third turning in a 119-109 tally.

Que stayed within the Top 60 of the Olympic rankings after he finished at 30th position in the recent Thailand Open last Dec. 13. During the tournament last week, Que ranked behind Juvic Pagunsan after 54 holes with a 284. Que boosted his chance to make it to the Olympics following his runner-up finishes in the 2015 Aboitiz Invitational and the ISPS HANDA Global Cup in Japan. The 37-year-old Que has been accumulating points after playing in around 26 tournaments throughout the year. Philippine Olympic Committee vice president Joey Romasanta said he has been monitoring the situation in golf and feels that Que has a good chance of joining sprinter Eric Cray in the Olympics. “Hopefully, tuloy-tuloy lang ang mga pagsali niya sa mga tournaments and he stays within the Top 60,” said Romasanta of Que, who is now no. 49th in the world. On the other hand, Rosales stayed within the Top 60 of the women’s rankings after she placed no. 73 in the recent Sime Darby tournament in Malaysia. Rosales is now 57th in the rankings. Under International Olympic Committee rules, qualifiers for golfers are restricted to a field of 60 players for each of the men’s and women’s competition. The International Golf Federation is using the official world golf rankings as a method of determining eligibility. The Top 15 world-ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the Top 15, players will be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country. So far, the United States would be represented on the men’s side by Jordan Spieth, who is the no. 1 player in the world. Fil-Australian Jason Day is already a shoo-in at no. 2, followed by Ireland’s Roy McIlroy and another American in Bubba Watson. Every player inside the Top 15 in the world rankings as of July 2016 will be eligible, with up to four players per country in the list. After that, the field will be filled by the next highest-ranked players, with a maximum of two players per nation, and they will have to maintain their ranking until July 2016.

Enrique denies Barca conspiracy YOKOHAMA—Barcelona coach Luis Enrique denied bizarre claims of a conspiracy surrounding injured talisman Lionel Messi before their Club World Cup final against River Plate in Japan on Sunday. Messi missed Barca’s 3-0 semi-final win over Guangzhou Evergrande midweek with abdominal pains and Enrique reacted with bemusement on Saturday when an Argentine journalist insisted that Messi’s absence from public view was “mysterious”. Shaking his head, Enrique said with a smile: “Oh, give me a break! Look, there’s no mystery. We haven’t hidden him or anything”. To emphasize the point, moments later Messi jogged out to join training in Yokohama,

raising the possibility he could play a part in the final when Barca will look to become the first team to win the title three times. With Neymar also close to fitness after tweaking his groin, the European champions could unleash both of them against River alongside Luis Suarez, who scored a hat-trick on Thursday—the first ever at a Club World Cup. “Messi and Neymar are both progressing nicely,” said Enrique without elaborating. “It’s a final and we expect a very tough game. We came here to be crowned the world’s best team but in a final there’s always a chance for an upset.” River boss Marcelo Gallardo unsurprisingly said the Catalan giants were favourites, but Barca

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captain Andres Iniesta refused to get into any mind games before the final. “I’m not buying into any of that,” said the Barcelona playmaker. “If we start saying we’re favourites then we could fall flat on our faces.” Iniesta admitted he wasn’t sure if the five-time kings of Europe would practice spot kicks in the event of being taken to penalties. “I really don’t know,” he shrugged. “Hopefully we can win the game in regulation time so it doesn’t get to penalties. Penalties are bad for your heart.” Barca captured the Club World Cup in 2009 when they beat Argentina’s Estudiantes 2-1 and again in 2011 when they thrashed Brazil’s Santos 4-0.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi attends a training session at the Club World Cup football tournament in Yokohama. AFP

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Ali to bring FIFA to 21st century TOKYO—FIFA presidential hopeful Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein has promised to rid the crisis-hit organization of corruption and “bring it into the 21st century”. Jordan’s football chief told AFP on Saturday that he was confident of being elected in February’s vote after losing to Sepp Blatter in May’s ballot. “I trust in the 209 national associations to make the right decision this time,” Prince Ali said in an interview. “I come from a national association and a lot of us are tired of what has been happening. “There is a real desire to move on. I want to reverse the pyramid and turn FIFA into a service organization. It’s time to bring it into the 21st century.” Prince Ali refused to be drawn on corruption charges against Blatter and the world body’s vicepresident Michel Platini -- both currently suspended from office and who potentially face life bans over a $2 million payment Blatter

made to Platini in 2011. “That’s a process that is taking place and has to do with the ethics committee,” said Prince Ali, who left the executive committee after losing his challenge to Blatter’s re-election by 133-73 votes. “It’s going to take time to fix the reputation of FIFA and it will take time to change the culture.” A FIFA ethics court verdict on Blatter and Platini is expected on Monday, and several high-profile arrests since Swiss police raided the Zurich hotel where FIFA delegates were staying two days before May’s election have left the organisation fighting for its survival, according to Prince Ali. “I don’t think people were very surprised that things are continuing to happen in this direction,” he said, referring to the arrests which triggered the

worst crisis in FIFA’s 111-year history. “If we don’t get it right this time then the concern is that things will continue. “It’s critical to have an election and to go ahead with it on time,” added Prince Ali, who has visited around 80 countries this year canvassing votes. “We’ve lost the year already to be honest.” - Full disclosure Blatter, who stepped down four days after being re-elected, is ultimately responsible for the mess FIFA finds itself in, said the prince. “If you have a president he has to take full responsibility for everything,” he shrugged. “It’s important to have full disclosure of what’s going on in this organization. You have to have a president who is accountable, responsible. It’s common sense.”

A tale of 2 warriors LOCKER ROOM RANDY CALUAG

IG -

OROT lady fighter Jujeath Nagaowa’s Facebook post sounded so apologetic, but it didn’t tell all. Here is the unedited post: “Sorry guys,unfortunately-unluckily didn’t make up to your expectations, ugghhh; (but am more than blessed to gain hearts of people who are still here/there for me after..Strangers’ smiles, wishes & greetings would be my take home achievements from here. #stillTheWBOworldChamp Gambatte Ms. Nao Ikeyama, my pleasure to face you#respect #salute #ageDoesntMatter #warriorsLife” Nagaowa failed in her bid to annex the women’sWBO atomweight title, losing to defending champion Ikeyama of Japan in Sri Lanka, but only after a hard-fought contest that was highly applauded by the big crowd at the venue. Nagaowa was congratulated by the fans and media after the fight. The judges, however, saw it for Ikeyama via unanimous decision. The humble Nagaowa had no “Ibelieve-I won-the-fight post-game speech,” but she thought she gave it all in the fight and for her that was the most important thing.

*** Nagaowa’s tussle with the Japanese had all the makings of a classic. It was the main event of the first-ever world boxing championship in Sri Lanka. They wanted to prove that nothing is impossible in a sport, normally dictated by numbers. One is given a chance at redemption despite an inferior fight record, while the other hoped to defy Father Time and stay champion. Nagaowa’s record of 13 wins, 15 losses and 3 draws looked like a gross mismatch against Ikeyama’s 16W (4KO)-3L-1D record. The “Bad Girl” from La Trinidad, Benguet though was a late bloomer. After losing four straight fights on points, she came back strong to pocket the Women’s International Boxing Association championship last April in Macau, winning against a Chinese foe. Once again, Nagaowa’s modest fight record was not a reflection of what she could do on the ring. She gave Ikeyama a run for her money and finished the bout with her head held up high. But it was not for her, the fans and media to decide her fate that night. The judges still saw it for Ikeyama, who at 45, is the oldest, active world boxing champion. And it won’t be taken be away from her, at least for now. *** Once again, the southpaw fighters

dominated the striking department in the UFC. Dos Anjos, an accomplished grappler before mastering the art of boxing, proved to be a puzzle to heavily favored Donald Cerrone. The “Cowboy” had no answer to Dos Anjos’ combinations, that looked so simple yet perplexing against a fighter unskilled to counter a southpaw. The fight ended in a TKO win for Dos Anjos, who retained the UFC lightweight belt strapped on his waist. In the co-main event, another southpaw in Alistair Overeem needed just one solid left hook to put away Junior Dos Santos in their heavyweight tussle. Followed-up by several hammer fists on the ground and Dos Santos was gone in 66 seconds. A few MMA fighters realize that a special skill is needed to fight lefties in striking. Unless they employ a pure boxing trainer, they wouldn’t be able to solve that puzzle. Ask any boxer or a trainer worth his salt, and he would tell you that the lefties are the most difficult to defend against. It was too late for Ronda Rousey to realize that as she suffered a severe beating from Holly Holm weeks ago. Even noted boxing trainer Freddie Roach said it would take Rousey years to train under a boxing coach if she wishes to stand up against Holm in their rematch.

Members of the Women’s champion team University of the Philippines are shown with ASAPHIL’s Eufracio Delacruz and Jun Veloso, as well as Baguio City’s Councilors Peter Fianza and Michael Liwana, during the awarding ceremonies of the ASAPHIL-Cebuana Lhuillier National Softball Intercollegiate Championships.

Rizal Tech, UP capture national softball titles RIZAL Technological University outlasted Polytechnic University of the Philippines via a score of 3-2 in the finals of the men’s division, while University of the Philippines beat Polytechnic University of the Philippines via the same score to rule the distaff side of the ASAPHIL-Cebuana Lhuillier National Softball Intercollegiate Championships. “This one will come down as one of the best editions ever in the history of the National Softball Intercollegiate Championships. The games were very competitive and all the teams have shown tremendous improvement. This will inspire in ASAPHIL to continue developing programs in the grassroots level. Congratulations to all the winners,”

Nagaowa beaten in 10 tough rounds by champ By Ronnie Natanielsz JUJEATH Nagaowa of the Philippines was beaten in 10 hard-fought rounds by World Boxing Organization atomweight champion Nao Ikeyama in the first pro boxing fight staged at the Stein Studios in Colombo. After a cautious start, the protagonists increased their punch output with furious exchanges highlighting the third round. Ikeyama scored with hard right hands but Nagaowa showed that she was better than what her record indicated as she remained in the fight in every round.

Busy Ravena to train in US for pro league, Gilas By Peter Atencio KIEFER Ravena will have nine months to prepare and lots of free time in between, before he joins the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft. For now, training with the Gilas Pilipinas national team, working out with the Ateneo men’s volleyball team, and putting up his own website for his fans are among the things that are keeping the 22-year-old Ravena busy. Also, there are plans being finalized for Rav-

ena to go to the United States to attend a basketball camp or two. “I’m getting busy. I’m training with Gilas team, trying to get a chance to train in the US to get myself physically and mentally ready for the PBA,” said Ravena. Ravena talked about his plans during a Christmas thanksgiving party he had with his parents Bong and Mozzy, and his brother Thirdy and sister Dannie, with friends and supporters at the Ally’s All Day Breakfast Place at The Rock Lifestyle Hub in Quezon City.

said ASAPHIL President and Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier. Richfield Custodio led RTU by pitching superbly against PUP, striking out 6 batters to bag MVP honors in the men’s division. Reynaldo Gaban got the Most Stolen Base award, Arnel Arieta bagged the Best Slugger award and the Most Homeruns, Zelbert Enriquez won the Best Pitcher award and the Most RBIs. Irene Lumanas from University of Mindanao Davao was adjudged as the Best Pitcher and Best Hitter. National team player Kriska Piad bagged the Most RBIs and Best Slugger awards, while Cochise Diolata of UP clinched the Most Valuable Player plum.

During the party, he launched his website, www.kieferravena.com, with the goal of keeping his supporters posted on his activities on and off the court. In getting his own website, Kiefer said he drew inspiration from NBA greats Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, who both have their own fan sites. He has gone deep into a planning session after his team, the Ateneo Blue Eagles advanced to the Final Four of the 78th UAAP season, but missed the finals after bowing to the Far Eastern University Tamaraws semis playoffs.

A report on philboxing.com said Nagaowa tried to mount a rally in the middle rounds but Ikeyama’s counter hooks kept her lead. The fight had a scintillating finish with the challenger taking the ninth and the champion finishing strong by winning the final round on all three judges’ cards. The scores of Thai Sawaeng Thaweekooon (97-93), Atty. Danrex Tapdasan (98-92) and Surat Soikrachang also of Thailand (96-94), were all in favor of the champion. This was the third successful defense for Ikeyama, who improved her record to 17-3-1, 4KOs. Nagaowa dropped to 13-16-1, 8KOs.

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Blackwater’s Carlo Lastimosa beats Mahindra players to the rebound in a PBA Philippine Cup game won by the Elite, 108-99. Blackwater sealed the quarterfinal cast with the win.

Blackwater routs Mahindra, completes quarterfinal cast by Jeric lopez

THE playoffs cast is complete. The Blackwater Elite booked the last ticket to the quarterfinals by beating the Mahindra Enforcers, 108-99, and earned their first-ever berth in the playoffs as a franchise in the 2015-16 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. Veteran guard Mike Cortez turned in his best game of the conference at the best possible time, spearheading the Elite with a seasonhigh 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting, to go with 10 rebounds. The Elite ended their campaign at 3-8, good enough to enter the quarterfinals and earn the No. 10 seed. The Enforcers finished at 2-9 for

11th place and will now join Meralco in an early vacation. Blackwater coach Leo Isaac couldn’t hide his joy as his Elite will now have its first taste of playoff basketball. ‘’Excited kami na makarating sa quarterfinals. Kami naman we just want to keep on improving at ito na. May development na kami and nakarating na sa playoffs after

one bad season,’’ said Isaac. Reil Cervantes had a solid game for the Elite, scoring 24 points and grabbing three rebounds for his squad. Blackwater though will face a daunting task in the quarterfinals. It is set to take on powerhouse Rain or Shine, who will have a twice-to-win advantage. Following a so-so start in the opening quarter, Blackwater found its groove in the second period when the team took control of the game. The Elite opened the second with a booming 21-4 storm in the first seven minutes to post a commanding 44-30 cushion with five minutes remaining before halftime. At the turn, Blackwater remained in command, but its lead was trimmed by Mahindra to just nine, 51-42. The

tAbuenA cAptures ph open crown turn to A12

Elite outscored the Enforcers, 28-16, in the second period. Blackwater continued to pound Mahindra in the third quarter to stretch its lead further to 19 points, 80-61, entering the final 12 minutes of action. The Elite established their largest lead, 88-68, in the payoff period with nine minutes remaining. However, Mahindra did not go down without a fight. The Enforcers mounted a last-ditch effort to save their campaign this conference. The Enforcers clawed their way back into the game during the waning minutes, inching to within five points, 99104, after LA Revilla’s basket. Unfortunately for Mahindra, its run fell short as Revilla’s triple attempt in the team’s next possession rimmed

out and Blackwater secured the victory with free throws down the stretch. The playoffs cast is complete with the Alaska Aces and the San Miguel Beermen gaining outright seats in the semifinals after topping the eliminations. Rain or Shine, GlobalPort, Barangay Ginebra, Talk ‘N Text, Barako Bull, NLEX, Star and Blackwater are the teams headed to the quarters. The only thing being settled as of this report is the final seeding in the middle of the pack. The Elasto Painters, the Batang Pier, the Gin Kings and the Tropang Texters are all assured of a twice-to-beat incentive against their lower-ranked opponents in thenextround.TheresultoftheGinebraTalk ‘N Text match will determine the final placing of the teams as well as their quarterfinal playoff opponents.

que, rosAles boost olympic bids turn to A14

MONDAY: DECEMBER 21, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Foreign earnings of workers slowing By Julito G. Rada

PAL ﬂies to Port Moresby.

Philippine Airlines launches regular thrice weekly flights to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea in the continuing expansion of the flag carrier in the Oceania region. PAL President Jaime J. Bautista (left) and PAL senior vice president for commercial group David Lim (right) present a model A320 aircraft to Papua New Guinea Ambassador to the Philippines Christian Vihruri during the send-off ceremony of the inaugural flight.

Govt defers auction for Davao port deal By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Transportation Department has deferred by more than a month the submission of bids for the P19-billion Davao Sasa Port Modernization Project amid opposition by the Davao City council. Transportation Undersecretary for planning Rene Limcaoco said the bid submission date was moved to Feb. 26 from Jan. 11, 2016. Limcaoco said the agency pushed back the schedule because of numerous requests from pre-qualified bidders and to give them more time to conduct technical, financial and legal due diligence. The Transportation Department earlier pre-qualified Asian Terminals Inc., International Container Terminal Services Inc., Bollore Africa Logistics, Singapore-based Portek International Pte. Ltd. and San Miguel Corp. in the port project. The Sangguniang Panglungsod ng Davao, however, issued a resolution stopping the Sasa port bidding because of “the irregular procedure as well as the various questions raised against the Sasa Port Modernization project now being bid out without prior consultation and expressed approval of the local government as provided for by the Local Government Code.” The City Council resolution cited Section 2 (c) of Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code, which provides that national agencies and offices should “conduct periodic consultations with appropriate local government units, nongovernmental and people’s organizations and other concerned sectors of the community before any project or program is implemented in their respective jurisdictions.” The resolution also based its objection on Section 27 of the same law, which states that “no project or program shall be implemented by government authorities unless the consultations

mentioned in Section 2 (c) and 26 hereof are complied with, and prior approval of the sanggunian concerned is obtained.” The Transportation Department or the PPP Center did not conduct any prior consultation regarding the bidding for the port

project, according to the Davao City council. The winning bidder will build a new apron and linear quay, expand the back-up area, container yards and warehouses and install ship-to-shore cranes and rubbertyred gantry.

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas reduced the growth forecast on remittances from migrant Filipino workers this year to 4 percent from the earlier estimate of 5 percent due mainly to the US dollar’s strength against other currencies. The 5-percent growth forecast was made in May which, according to Bangko Sentral officials, was a conservative estimate for the year. “The growth of overseas Filipino remittances in 2015 is seen to decline slightly from 5 percent to 4 percent with the continued dollar appreciation relative to the currencies of major host countries,” Bangko Sentral said in a statement. “However, continued remittances from OFs are still expected on account of the steady deployment of OF workers, greater diversification of country destinations and shift to higher-skilled types of work,” it said. Remittances fuel private consumption and are one of the backbones of economic growth. Cash remittances in 2014 posted a record-high $24.308 billion, 5.8-percent higher than $22.968 billion in 2013. They also accounted for 8.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2014.

A grand stellar series, featuring the best works of the great masters, performed by world class soloists, under the awardwinning conductor, Prof. Josefino Chino Toledo

THE EnCHAnTing RAvEl And ROdRigO January 8, 2016 • 7:30pm CCP Little Theater Roxas Boulevard, Manila for the benefit of the down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, inc.

CRiSTinE COYiUTO/Pianist Ravel Concerto in G Major

CAiTlin COYiUTO/Flutist Rodrigo Fantasia para un Gentilhombre

For tickets, call MMCO Tels: 216-6487 / 0906-7777958 / 0917-5335747

MONDAY: DECEMBER 21, 2015

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

The STandard BuSineSS Weekly STockS revieW DECEMBER 14-18, 2015 Close Volume 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 Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl Reinsurance Corp. PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine Trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

2.95 45.6 103.00 82.95 37.1 2.45 1.32 14.98 18.3 7.02 1.7 700.00 0.540 79.5 0.94 16.70 22.50 49.90 101 122 284 32.85 137 1450.00 56.95 3

Aboitiz Power Corp. Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons. Asiabest Group C. Azuc De Tarlac Century Food Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI First Gen Corp. First Holdings ‘A’ Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp. LBC Express Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Corp. Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils. Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ SPC Power Corp. Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp. Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp. Vulcan Ind’l.

40.5 4.7 0.72 1.4 10.3 90.00 16.62 20.3 43 2.28 1.61 12.84 9.150 8.81 6.20 5.23 22.2 66.25 12.30 14.20 5.8 2.740 210.60 12.1 26.35 1.8 3.19 41.35 23.95 19.8 5.99 317.00 3.91 3.92 7.00 2.59 11.50 3.80 1.56 2.29 3.96 2.5 4.55 122 3.78 2.47 0.144 1.07 2.15 183.9 4.72 0.6 1.10

Abacus Cons. À’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor À’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp À’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ F&J Prince ‘B’ Filinvest Dev. Corp. Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. IPM Holdings JG Summit Holdings Keppel Holdings À’ Keppel Holdings `B’ Lopez Holdings Corp. Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. Mabuhay Holdings À’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. Minerales Industrias Corp. MJCI Investments Inc. Pacifica À’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion San Miguel Corp À’ Seafront À’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.380 56.8500 16.26 1.17 6.40 0.220 0.219 747.5 7.85 13.80 5.75 5.53 4.15 0.230 1262 5.50 9.91 72.00 5.99 6.61 0.71 14.4 0.45 5.33 9.83 3.79 0.0310 1.290 1.880 47.10 2.4 845.00 1.14 0.70 69.900 0.2800 0.1950 0.240

8990 HLDG Anchor Land Holdings Inc. A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop À’ Arthaland Corp. Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. À’ Cebu Holdings Centennial City Cityland Dev. À’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp. Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc.

7.000 6.01 0.83 1.070 0.208 34.550 2.94 5.15 0.56 1.05 0.122 0.445 24.25 0.820 0.157 1.05 1.84

Value

FINANCIAL 11,878,470.00 2,444,090.00 1,111,998,920 699,540,361.50 11,031,325.00 80,820.00 571,350.00 8,208,370.00 8,726,848.00 187,076 135,450.00 147,000.00 1,307,230.00 713,883,728.50 363,060.00 6,740,792.00 22,500.00 143,929,970.00 312,210.00 8,136,180.00 4,117,456.00 29,005,110 212,524,846.00 600,575.00 410,629,839.50 15,000.00 INDUSTRIAL 12,857,200 512,731,575.00 2,960,000 13,871,330.00 1,765,000 1,303,450.00 3,835,000 5,302,890.00 9,300 95,562.00 1,980 183,780.00 2,203,700 36,467,608 2,816,500 57,939,180.00 131,000 5,655,910 1,949,000 4,487,780.00 9,377,000 15,566,000.00 2,300,700 29,241,706.00 61,338,200 545,044,946.00 1,215,900 10,859,640.00 63,606,400 380,274,732.00 878,400 4,530,333.00 10,507,000 234,277,450.00 846,660 56,441,444.00 1,534,700 19,168,114.00 838,000 12,023,292.00 431,500 2,470,813.00 50,229,000 128,609,460.00 3,610,460 747,094,574.00 310,100 3,789,292.00 6,000 179,030.00 28,000 50,440.00 36,000 114,340.00 2,000 77,815.00 15,948,000 392,685,920.00 5,266,400 106,137,480.00 3,544,900 19,731,886.00 707,560 224,486,410.00 8,000 31,330.00 458,000 1,741,450.00 4,627,800 32,499,202.00 1,000 2,590.00 24,500 279,390.00 251,000 941,330.00 1,255,000 2,003,920.00 1,310,000 2,978,150.00 4,534,000 18,077,970.00 3,000 7,090.00 37,100 170,360.00 114,360 14,144,295.00 17,000 57,880.00 4,433,000 10,968,510.00 10,210,000 1,477,540.00 435,000 453,220.00 41,603,000 89,577,850.00 11,652,670 2,088,679,007.00 972,000 4,413,840.00 1,216,000 732,700.00 403,000 436,680.00 HOLDING FIRMS 1,160,000 441,900.00 6,278,330 353,615,602.50 45,376,400 718,495,754.00 1,000 1,170.00 77,700 490,728.00 2,960,000 650,670.00 3,570,000 792,020.00 1,177,260 876,918,515.00 38,648,700 306,784,710.00 28,750,800 383,775,436.00 161,300 917,343.00 1,000 5,530.00 77,000 331,370.00 4,730,000 1,043,800.00 594,930 754,278,320.00 23,500 129,250.00 1,883,200 18,678,324.00 5,420,340 376,280,962.00 1,000 5,990.00 5,616,600 38,041,560.00 227,000 157,140.00 8,250,200 116,714,436.00 110,000 54,150.00 126,805,400 665,485,428.00 3,261,000 31,760,206.00 17,000 51,820.00 132,300,000 4,064,800.00 126,000 159,880.00 10,553,000 19,945,310.00 1,674,200 75,661,790.00 2 15,000.00 1,160,450 954,221,600.00 65,000 75,090.00 73,000 51,430.00 40,160 2,817,622.50 12,150,000 3,470,400.00 620,000 125,200.00 4,780,000 1,183,170.00 PROPERTY 10,196,000 71,257,163.00 800 4,927.00 5,940,000 4,942,740.00 144,000 152,340.00 300,000 62,580.00 60,507,800 2,166,464,540.00 13,752,000 41,358,050.00 60,700 300,399.00 11,009,000 6,121,980.00 122,000 126,350.00 3,460,000 416,580.00 6,690,000 3,016,700.00 9,544,200 237,750,660.00 324,000 266,180.00 250,000 39,170.00 9,417,000 9,554,880.00 70,286,000 129,556,990.00

4,315,000 53,300 11,022,880 8,460,490 291,000 33,000 451,000 547,800 478,800 25,300 119,780 210 2,455,000 9,037,380 387,000 410,700 1,000 2,825,020 3,110 66,690 14,270 892,600 1,552,260 415 7,305,830 5,000

DECEMBER 7-11, 2015 Volume Value

2.75 46.15 100.20 82.35 38.1 2.51 1.29 15 18.2 7.59 1.8 710.00 0.510 77.2 0.93 16.60 22.45 50.85 102

376,000 591,700 6,680,340 7,947,110 217,800 47,000 731,000 317,000 326,800 1,700 114,000 650 14,542,000 84,629,085 144,000 483,500 52,000 645,630 150

1,062,100.00 26,813,125.00 670,110,830 653,880,148.00 8,284,585.00 116,430.00 953,320.00 4,759,984.00 6,090,146.00 12,696 205,140.00 462,000.00 8,358,020.00 470,706,610.50 134,280.00 8,112,566.00 1,186,080.00 33,190,887.00 15,345.00

290 33 136.2 1480.00 57.00 3

4,250 10,496,300 1,466,470 430 344,240 155,000

1,233,750.00 334,861,480 202,077,251.00 635,050.00 19,635,075.50 471,200.00

40 4.9 0.76 1.45 10.48 91.00 16.78 21.35 44 2.3 1.59 12.38 7.980 9.00 5.70 5.20 22 66.6 11.70 14.40 5.75 2.150 209.00 12.46 27.00 1.83 3.2

15,228,500 5,223,200 3,970,000 982,000 3,300 2,150 1,418,000 14,780,800 2,647,500 4,734,000 13,060,000 543,400 65,367,800 4,485,500 72,148,100 2,888,100 8,221,600 765,750 27,200 356,100 439,200 8,463,000 6,740,590 201,400 6,900 73,000 13,000

610,295,080.00 25,248,780.00 2,879,350.00 1,429,780.00 35,298.00 208,701.50 23,964,502 319,092,515.00 26,525,650 10,922,020.00 19,753,090.00 6,370,622.00 563,820,924.00 40,474,548.00 427,707,323.00 15,041,125.00 189,524,995.00 51,188,600.00 322,050.00 5,157,958.00 2,553,005.00 18,430,310.00 1,406,899,294.00 2,507,328.00 199,170.00 135,080.00 42,380.00

24.9 21.2 5.65 318.00 3.93 3.69 7.02 3 11.50 3.76 1.65 2.26 4.01 2.2 4.6 126.1 3.7 2.54 0.144 1.09 2.18 181 4.72 0.64 1.10

19,154,700 1,204,600 10,009,200 1,419,260 12,000 1,497,000 3,671,100 10,000 23,700 323,000 671,000 1,116,000 857,000 4,000 70,700 456,980 1,000 3,964,000 72,290,000 735,000 4,400,000 12,804,530 91,000 3,117,000 253,000

477,516,260.00 25,642,865.00 55,356,725.00 449,939,596.00 47,400.00 5,493,370.00 26,445,453.00 30,000.00 275,464.00 1,227,540.00 1,128,070.00 2,475,400.00 3,453,550.00 9,140.00 332,166.00 57,740,569.00 3,700.00 9,786,720.00 10,484,870.00 805,930.00 9,526,630.00 2,356,930,829.00 414,210.00 1,930,370.00 280,510.00

0.385 54.9000 15.60 1.10 6.40 0.223 0.232 725 7.78 13.30 5.69 6 4.25 0.238 1223 5.50

2,570,000 5,217,150 32,097,400 133,000 114,900 5,990,000 2,100,000 1,338,580 15,518,200 9,922,300 1,808,200 748,900 91,000 3,470,000 420,970 35,000

995,850.00 294,929,033.00 524,202,670.00 126,110.00 733,397.00 1,372,080.00 493,710.00 977,304,250.00 118,530,842.00 133,767,998.00 10,610,755.00 4,492,480.00 383,090.00 881,110.00 520,517,565.00 192,500.00

72.00 5.5 7.03 0.7 13.8 0.5 5.05 9.43

10,046,860 100 10,927,200 485,000 3,560,800 1,150,000 84,558,100 3,312,100

706,315,780.50 550.00 77,892,433.00 358,300.00 51,113,808.00 575,030.00 437,581,372.00 32,402,431.00

0.0310 1.160 1.810 46.55 2.4 820.00 1.20 0.72 74.000 0.2950 0.1950 0.260

458,500,000 193,000 1,810,000 1,079,700 77,000 1,153,600 166,000 136,000 195,500 6,380,000 2,160,000 4,830,000

15,045,500.00 238,790.00 3,216,100.00 50,882,980.00 185,440.00 965,079,065.00 193,350.00 97,730.00 14,626,954.50 1,926,400.00 440,510.00 1,291,050.00

6.990 7.20 0.83 1.070 0.220 35.500 3.04 5.12 0.57 1.04 0.121 0.455 24.75 0.830 0.157 1.02 1.83

2,221,200 41,300 13,987,000 1,125,000 430,000 59,661,100 13,805,000 32,096,000 5,664,000 34,000 10,550,000 29,830,000 12,473,000 2,095,000 6,360,000 7,785,000 71,815,000

15,622,215.00 269,649.00 12,183,690.00 1,237,530.00 96,120.00 2,053,798,465.00 43,027,640.00 163,689,888.00 3,194,050.00 35,490.00 1,281,340.00 13,792,400.00 308,527,555.00 1,738,850.00 1,031,800.00 8,064,400.00 129,785,930.00

STOCKS

DECEMBER 14-18, 2015 Close Volume

Megaworld Prop. 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

4.29 0.077 0.2480 0.4500 8.55 27.50 1.4 3.21 21.80 0.74 6.8 0.900 5.090

2GO Group ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp. Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp. Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp. Pacific Online Sys. Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons Retail SBS Phil. Corp. SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils. Yehey

7.1 63.5 1.14 0.490 11.76 24.75 4.44 0.0410 3.21 80 9.51 5.05 956 1890 6.84 1.22 68.95 0.010 0.154 1.3800 2.37 7.95 4.35 1.11 2.30 0.510 1.98 2.32 3.73 0.265 0.840 18.46 4.60 2.7 9.1 101.10 21.15 2024.00 0.475 0.680 34.20 62.00 5.92 3.52 0.440 1.51 3.59 0.310 4.110

Abra Mining Apex À’ Atlas Cons. À’ 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 United Paragon

0.0048 1.83 4.08 4.5000 5.5000 0.61 0.58 7.18 0.69 0.280 0.168 0.187 0.0100 0.011 2.1 6.24 2.8 0.5400 1.2700 0.0099 0.0110 3.50 4.44 1.29 0.0110 133.40 2.09 0.0070

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen F First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure & Resort Pref. MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

65.05 525 511 117.2 118 519 6.46 1.13 107.5 1060 1065 1028 103.9 105.7 77.4 81.65 78.4 78.55 78.6

Leisure & Resort Warr.

2.530

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp. Italpinas Xurpas

3.16 2.57 3.1 15.48

First Metro ETF

112.3

Value

123,329,000 523,794,040.00 5,280,000 408,120.00 290,000 72,140.00 480,000 205,300.00 506,100 4,314,299.00 37,447,000 989,506,495.00 377,000 530,390.00 17,003 57,750.00 79,052,900 1,754,506,400.00 3,444,000 2,525,160.00 15,400 97,565.00 2,263,000 1,973,560.00 42,736,600 217,034,875.00 SERVICES 228,700 1,592,735.00 27,420 1,726,419.00 121,000 137,140.00 1,820,000 871,500.00 1,113,900 13,099,026.00 10,251,200 253,717,520 22,252,000 127,007,170.00 56,000,000 2,342,800.00 2,971,000 10,005,630.00 5,439,760 442,023,445.00 1,700 16,356.00 484,200 2,432,430.00 3,610 3,451,360.00 125,353,745 529,132,885 442,900 3,007,463.00 667,000 816,430.00 5,755,100 394,950,990.50 69,300,000 692,720.00 6,460,000 1,010,180.00 1,156,000 1,596,840.00 1,046,000 2,418,130.00 1,628,200 13,021,703.00 3,072,000 13,419,360.00 63,000 71,610.00 35,000 78,160.00 737,000 405,730.00 464,000 899,620.00 33,292,000 79,666,960.00 33,940,000 127,106,770.00 2,110,000 571,800.00 46,603,000 39,913,560.00 543,300 10,008,300.00 20,000 90,430 2,000 5,350.00 2,000 18,200.00 156,890 16,079,755.00 13,169,000 275,498,425.00 656,565 1,325,268,270.00 2,110,000 970,900.00 203,167,000 144,368,470.00 4,305,700 145,885,170.00 6,774,640 428,285,353.00 5,029,100 30,108,328.00 27,166,000 100,384,990.00 36,500,000 16,861,100.00 10,000 15,100.00 1,531,000 5,492,500.00 1,130,000 366,450.00 124,000 515,940.00 MINING & OIL 660,000,000 3,169,400.00 1,851,000 3,382,410.00 1,040,000 4,293,090.00 13,100 58,150.00 14,500 80,570.00 3,822,000 2,302,360.00 3,798,000 2,186,230.00 130,300 941,303.00 96,743,000 68,317,530.00 860,000 238,000.00 22,600,000 4,034,190.00 8,540,000 1,686,800.00 647,900,000 6,479,600.00 90,200,000 1,540,700.00 1,251,500 2,588,330.00 13,702,100 86,115,512.00 696,000 1,919,580.00 199,000 108,660.00 1,277,000 1,612,660.00 147,800,000 1,473,430.00 3,100,000 34,100.00 61,000 215,440.00 2,177,000 10,055,140.00 888,000 1,152,780.00 136,400,000 1,757,520.00 1,815,390 242,384,977.00 322,000 684,370.00 5,000,000 35,000.00 PREFERRED 476,200 31,044,112.50 42,050 21,860,480.00 600 306,600 50 5,860.00 63,620 7,203,696.00 5,650 2,932,785.00 187,400 1,221,497.00 83,000 93,390 2,100 225,960.00 2,050 2,162,900.00 3,370 3,606,335.00 21,755 22,173,435.00 8,305 8,461,520.00 8,305 8,461,520.00 1,050 80,870.00 33,730 2,759,336.00 17,340 1,353,696.50 50,230 3,972,486.50 428,270 34,114,882.50 WARRANTS & BONDS 114,000 297,350.00 SME 272,000 897,470.00 17,000 44,360.00 7,600,000 24,986,440.00 7,096,400 108,699,616.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 131,400 14,589,278.00

DECEMBER 7-11, 2015 Volume Value

4.2 0.078 0.2500 0.4100 8.67 25.75 1.41 3.21 21.20 0.73 7 0.880 5.150

109,446,000 6,430,000 1,700,000 970,000 242,800 25,101,200 102,000 42,000 44,689,600 5,737,000 13,900 2,615,000 14,815,400

482,276,670.00 813,390.00 426,000.00 414,250.00 2,086,104.00 683,871,045.00 145,480.00 133,030.00 953,294,865.00 4,159,110.00 98,255.00 2,372,470.00 76,784,182.00

7.15 63.7 1.15 0.490 11.56 22.6 4.41 0.0430 3.33 82.4 10 5.34 955 1790 7.00 1.23 70.05 0.010 0.164 1.3800 2.05 8.18 4.20 1.24 2.30 0.560 2 2.43 3.84 0.255 0.850 18.98 4.67 2.7

439,800 87,950 122,000 7,248,000 9,000 5,900 38,461,200 119,200,000 447,000 1,409,710 1,500 796,800 510 420,440 482,900 653,000 8,284,150 24,100,000 6,150,000 1,304,000 199,000 2,272,800 2,064,000 32,000 14,000 1,094,000 473,000 71,137,000 43,016,000 2,790,000 116,750,000 400 20,000 128,000

3,176,267.00 5,637,436.00 140,440.00 3,624,755.00 101,036.00 152,780 180,827,303.00 5,268,900.00 1,524,810.00 117,051,649.50 14,924.00 4,113,991.00 486,770.00 790,016,790 3,318,977.00 799,830.00 587,633,483.00 244,300.00 1,027,630.00 1,805,580.00 405,380.00 19,771,118.00 8,598,930.00 39,330.00 31,100.00 612,210.00 931,660.00 189,310,330.00 165,165,810.00 712,700.00 102,136,540.00 7,364.00 90,830 378,650.00

101.10 20.90 1972.00 0.435 0.740 33.75 66.30 6.00 3.72 0.465 1.51 3.69 0.330 4.200

154,000 129,700 462,980 2,980,000 112,835,000 16,346,900 3,875,800 6,550,500 37,287,000 11,570,000 135,000 1,849,000 1,060,000 1,559,000

15,707,883.00 2,714,540.00 957,824,105.00 1,338,650.00 91,074,830.00 555,399,125.00 263,573,002.50 40,405,142.00 149,904,430.00 5,330,850.00 204,150.00 6,760,490.00 358,250.00 6,720,730.00

0.0048 1.85 4.18 5.5000

1,068,000,000 392,000 654,000 18,700

5,282,200.00 739,700.00 2,749,910.00 103,448.00

0.64 0.62 7.32 0.72 0.280 0.189 0.200 0.0100 0.011 2.02 6.4 2.7 0.5600 1.2800 0.0100 0.0092 3.54 4.87 1.31 0.0120 135.00 2.18

722,000 646,000 62,100 19,125,000 1,290,000 11,120,000 9,800,000 85,300,000 216,400,000 712,000 13,212,500 731,000 5,523,000 1,682,000 329,500,000 3,700,000 58,000 1,711,700 3,422,000 545,600,000 1,287,420 372,000

461,470.00 396,530.00 472,288.00 14,273,390.00 368,150.00 2,089,160.00 1,960,020.00 853,200.00 2,375,700.00 1,495,560.00 85,199,810.00 2,037,780.00 3,094,930.00 2,189,740.00 3,295,500.00 32,440.00 205,700.00 8,538,898.00 4,651,260.00 6,048,800.00 174,380,273.00 829,380.00

65 520 510 119.8 115.6 519 6.59 1.12 108.6 1050 1075 1023

446,930 32,120 1,020 9,210 84,310 4,300 42,100 397,000 22,910 1,240 925 56,605

29,054,725.00 16,739,400.00 518,380 1,021,478.00 9,772,368.00 2,231,860.00 286,100.00 444,640 2,464,776.00 1,304,000.00 992,520.00 57,887,310.00

80.7 83 79.2 79.5 80.5

316,490 99,300 9,780 96,320 436,840

25,201,114.50 8,251,573.50 775,704.00 7,631,631.00 35,246,339.50

2.630

56,000

137,250.00

3.45 2.7 3.64 15.1

419,000 16,000 69,104,000 23,243,400

1,402,880.00 42,460.00 301,013,310.00 347,955,888.00

110.1

25,050

2,797,613.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining Manila Mining À’ Premium Leisure Oriental Pet. À’ Philodrill Corp. À’ Pacifica À’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. Globe Telecom Megaworld Prop. Ferronickel

VOLUME 660,000,000 647,900,000 203,167,000 147,800,000 136,400,000 132,300,000 126,805,400 125,353,745 123,329,000 96,743,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ Universal Robina SM Prime Holdings PLDT Common Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Robinson’s Land `B’ SM Investments Inc. Ayala Corp `A’ GT Capital Jollibee Foods Corp.

VALUE 2,166,464,540.00 2,088,679,007.00 1,754,506,400.00 1,325,268,270.00 1,111,998,920 989,506,495.00 954,221,600.00 876,918,515.00 754,278,320.00 747,094,574.00

MONDAY: DECEMBER 21, 2015

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

SM Prime cause of 8990-Waltermart split? OUR Chatter hinted last month in this space that the joint venture between mass housing developer 8990 Holdings Inc. and mall operator Waltermart was on the rocks, after executives of the developer turned mum on the mall components of their latest mixed-use projects. Why is the joint venture, which was supposed to include Waltermart malls in the mixed-use developments of 8990 Holdings in Vitas Tondo and Ortigas Avenue Extension, not pushing through? One reason why Waltermart reportedly backed out of the two projects is SM Prime Holdings Inc.’s new project near the Ortigas Avenue Extension, where it also plans to build a huge shopping mall. Waltermart is probably thinking the joint venture with 8990 Holdings over an 11-hectare property in the area would not be viable, if it would compete with SM. Waltermart, afterall, is a 50:50 joint venture between the Lim family of Waltermart group and SM Retail Inc. That thinking is probably a good point, but according to 8990 Holdings, Waltermart was already aware that SM Prime acquired a huge property along Ortigas Avenue Extension before it signed the joint venture with the developer in April 2015. Jenniffer B. Austria BSP deputy governors’ interesting background Business executives and economists acknowledge the role of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in maintaining a stable economic environment. BSP can boost economic growth by reducing interest rates and control inflation by absorbing excess money in the financial market. At the helm of the powerful organization is Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., who was awarded by New York-based Global Finance magazine as one of the world’s top central bankers for the seventh time. He has three deputy governors who are in charge of three important sectors: monetary stability sector, supervision and examination sector and resource and management sector, which also covers the operation of the security plant complex in Quezon City, where money is printed. Unknown to many, Diwa Guinigundo, the deputy governor for monetary stability sector, is also the head pastor at The Fullness of Christ International Ministries. Nestor Espenilla Jr., the deputy governor for supervision and examination sector is a batch mate of President Benigno Aquino III at Ateneo de Manila during their high school days. Espenilla was already a deputy governor before Aquino became president. Vicente Aquino, the deputy governor for resource management sectork, who is also in charge of the security plant complex, is a lawyer by profession and a former correspondent contributing articles for Manila newspapers in the 1970s. Aquino, who has a degree in Journalism, chose to become a lawyer, because being a journalist was risky at that time, he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz Trudeau beats Obama in chair auction Furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue did not expect it, but someone just beat US President Barack Obama in terms of commanding the best price for chairs used in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation dinner held in Manila last month. Cobonpue, who designed the chairs where the Apec leaders sat during a welcome dinner, decided to hold an auction for six limited-edition Yoda chairs and predicted that the one used by Obama would fetch the highest bid. He was wrong. The chair used by Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau, who wowed the crowd during the Apec Summit because of his looks, earned the highest bid of P2.05 million during the auction, topping the P2-million offer for Obama’s chair. The chair used by President Benigno Aquino III went for P1.55 million while that of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, another Apec leader admired for his looks, fetched P1.5 million. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s chair received a P1-million bid while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s chair raised P710,000. In total, the six Yoda chairs raised P8.81 million, which Cobonpue agreed to donate for the benefit of children, specially for Unicef ’s 1,000 days campaign. The auction was organized by Unicef special advocate for children Daphne Oseña-Paez. Roderick T. dela Cruz

International standards. Bank of Commerce passes an external quality assessment review con-

ducted by independent auditing firm Punongbayan & Araullo, a member firm within Grant Thornton International Ltd. The review assessed the bank’s conformance to international standards in internal auditing and the code of ethics. Shown during the awarding ceremony are (from left) Bank of Commerce independent board director and audit committee chairman Roman Felipe Reyes, president and chief executive Roberto Benares, chief audit executive Reginald Nery, Punongbayan & Araullo partner and team leader Michael Gallego and Manager Rai Formaran.

Meralco sees 2016 sales growing 3.5% By Alena Mae S. Flores

Power retailer Manila Electric Co. expects sales volume to grow 3 percent to 3.5 percent in 2016, slower than the 5.3-percent to 5.4-percent increase in 2015, a company executive said over the weekend. Meralco president Oscar Reyes told reporters the 2016 sales volume projection took into account the “high base effect” this year. “I think for 2016, we’re still looking at maybe 3 to 3.5 percent specially that we are working from a high base already. There’s a high base effect,” Reyes said. He said a number of factors helped drive electricity sales to a growth of more than 5 percent this year, which was faster than the historical average of 3 percent to 3.5 percent.

Reyes said inflation fell to an all time low this year, giving Filipino consumers more disposable income and purchasing power. Inflation rate dropped to as low as 0.4 percent in October. “Even businesses, because of the low inflation, the cost of doing business is lower. It leaves people with more money to spend on things that drives electricity,” he said. He said the “very peculiar” warmer weather in June to November also drove demand for air-conditioning.

“This is the first time that peak demand happened not during summer months but [in August],” he said. Reyes said the ample liquidity in the banking system also fueled demand as “there is so much money available for construction of vertical and horizontal housing units.” He said electricity sales in November surged by an unprecedented 8 percent from a year ago. Reyes expressed confidence that the company would hit its P18.5-billion full year core net income target this year, on the back of higher sales volume. Meralco posted P18.1 billion in core net income in 2014, up 6 percent from 2013. Meralco said in the first nine months of 2015, core net income rose 11 percent to P15.8 billion from P14.286 billion in the same period last year.

Stock market likely to move sideways By Jenniffer B. Austria STOCKS are expected to move sideways this week, with the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index moving within a narrow range, as analysts expect more volatility in the market. Regina Capital and Development Corp. managing director Luis Limlingan said he expected the index to trade between 6,690 and 6,910 points, with technical indicators showing possible extended market correction to as low as 6,600. “Strategy for the week remains to trade the range as high volatility readings allow quick intraday trades between support and resistance,” Limlingan said. F. Yap Securities investment

analyst Jason Escartin said lastminute window dressing could boost trading in the last trading days of the year. Escartin said an overwhelming number of stocks were trading below their 200-day volume weighted moving average, suggesting that the underlying sentiment might be bearish going to 2016. The PSEi last week gained 1.96 percent to close at 6,867.07, while the broader all-share index advanced 1.18 percent to 3,940.88. BPI Asset Management said the local equities market rallied last week, tracking gains from regional markets, as the US Federal Reserve finally hiked its interest rates. Except for the mining and oil index which declined 3.01 per-

cent, all major subindices ended in the green led by holding firms (up 2.74 percent), industrial (1.43 percent), financials (1.33 percent), services (0.76 percent) and property (0.21 percent). Foreign investors were net sellers last week by P1.67 billion, as total overseas selling reached P16.3 billion while overseas buying amounted to P14.72 billion. Last week’s top gainer was Ionics Inc., which climbed 27.4 percent to P2.74. The company last week announced that unit Ionics EMS teamed up with technology giant IBM. Other weekly gainers were D&L Industries Inc., which gained 14.6 percent to P9.15 and Roxas and Company Inc. which rose 13.6 percent to P2.54.

B4 PLDT-iflix deal.

PLDT HOME and Smart make history yet again with their partnership with leading Internet TV service iflix. All subscribers of the multimedia and digital services leaders can now access iflix at no extra cost. Iflix also launched the world’s first frictionless feature which grants PLDT HOME and Smart subscribers seamless access to iflix with no sign-in requirement alongside with the power to download their favorite movies and TV shows and watch them later. Shown at the launch of the partnership are (from left) iflix chief business development officer Andreas van Maltzahn, iflix country manager Sherwin dela Cruz, iflix chairman and chief executive Patrick Grove, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Smart Communications Inc. chairman Manny Pangilinan, PLDT-Smart executive vice president and head of consumer business Ariel Fermin and iflix technical advisor Tim Parsons

NTC proposing Internet fund By Darwin G Amojelar THE National Telecommunications Commission is proposing a law that will require telecommunication companies to remit a small portion of their earnings to the government to fund broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas. Under the draft bill titled An Act Institutionalizing A Universal Access Fund, one-fourth of one percent of the gross revenues of all public telecommunications entities should be collected and automatically appropriated to the UAF. The UAF should be used to provide ICT or broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas.

The country’s two largest telecommunications companies in 2014 reported combined gross revenues of P264 billion. Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. registered revenues of P165.1 billion while Globe Telecom Inc. posted P99 billion. The proposed bill will also require the NTC to remit 90 percent of the annual spectrum users fees paid by the telcos to the UAF as an

automatic appropriation. The NTC collects nearly a half a billion pesos annually from the telcos and broadband operators for the use of frequencies. The International Telecommunication Union said only 18.9 percent of the Philippine households had Internet connection in 2012. Earlier, NTC deputy commissioner Edgardo Cabarios said the government is unlikely to meet its goal to provide at least 2 megabits per second Internet download speed to 80 percent of the households throughout the country by 2016. At the rate of P60-billion annual investment by telcos, Cabarios said it would take 10 years to meet the targets if there was no government intervention.

Foreign debt increased slightly to $75.6b in Q3 By Julito G. Rada THE country’s external debt remained at prudent levels in the third quarter this year despite a slight increase of $609 million to $75.6 billion from $75 billion a quarter ago, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday. “The increase in the debt level was attributed to net availments of $960 million, mainly by the private sector, consisting of bank borrowings [intercompany accounts as well as loans for relending to fund various economic activities] and adjustments to reflect late reporting/corrections to previous periods’ transactions [$419 million],” Bangko Sentral said in a statement. “The upward impact of these developments on debt stock was partially offset by the transfer of Philippine debt papers from nonresidents to residents [$803 million] amid concerns on the forth-

coming interest rate hike in the United States,” it said. External debt refers to all types of borrowings by Philippine residents from non-residents, following the residency criterion for international statistics. External debt declined $1.5 billion or 1.9 percent from $77.1 billion year-on-year due to higher investments by residents in Philippine debt papers ($2.4 billion) and negative foreign exchange revaluation adjustments ($1.4 billion) as the greenback strengthened with the gradual recovery of the US economy. Public sector external debt comprised 50.1 percent or $37.9 billion of the total debt stock, and was slightly lower compared with 51.5 percent ($38.6 billion) in June 2015, accounted for largely by the increase in residents’ investments in Philippine debt papers ($738 million).

He said the investment requirement for at least 2Mbps for 20.17 million households by 2016 amounted to P800 billion. The government of Thailand invested $114 million to provide Internet service as part of its economic policy. Malaysia, meanwhile, spent $4.5 billion over a period of 10 years to lay fiber optic lines to every home in Malaysia’s urban areas. The proposed bill also requires the creation of the Universal Access Fund Board solely for budgetary purpose and administrative support to the Department of Science and Technology. The board should be composed of seven members with the secretary of DoST as ex-officio chairman, the secretaries of Finance,

Budget and Management and Commissioner of the NTC as exofficio members. The other three members will respectively come from the Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines, telecommunications organizations and consumer groups who will be appointed for a term of three years each by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendations the DoST and NTC. The UAF board will ensure that the books of account and other records of the Universal Access Fund are independently audited each year in accordance with the purpose of the fund and generally accepted accounting principles and that a report of the audit is publicly available.

EDC readies Bac-Man geothermal link By Alena Mae S. Flores ENERGY Development Corp. of the Lopez Group is preparing the transmission connection on its P7.6-billion, 31 megawatt Bac-Man 3 geothermal power plant to ensure completion in 2017 in time for the plant’s commercial operations. EDC has sought government approval to develop a dedicated point-to-point limited facility to connect the Bat-Man 3 geothermal power project to the Luzon grid. The company decided to develop the project in Barangay Capuy, Bucalbucalan, Rizal and Bulabog in Sorsogon City based on the projected 1,000-MW additional capacity needed by 2017. “In order to supply the energy generated by the Bac-Man 3 project to the public, EDC intends to connect the plant to the Luzon grid. It plans to construct a connection asset for its exclusive use, which shall connect the plant directly to Palayan Bayan switchyard,” it said. EDC expects to complete the construction of the connection project by the latter part of the second quarter of 2017. It wants to have the connection project in place and ready for the com-

missioning of the Bat-Man 3 project around the fourth quarter of 2017. It said the completion of the Bac-Man 3 project within the projected time frame was critical to ensure that additional capacity would be available in the Luzon grid. EDC has already signed a design and equipment supply contract with Hyundai Engineering Co. Ltd. and a construction services contract with Galing Power & Energy Construction Co. Inc. to build the Bac-Man 3 geothermal power plant. The other Bacman plants include the 120MW Bacman 1 and 20-MW Bacman 2. “Given its specifications, the Bac-Man 3 power plant is expected to withstand harsh weather conditions and improve plant reliability. Once operational, Bac-Man 3 project will augment the power generating capacity of the Luzon grid and address the projected demand growth in the region with clean and affordable power,” EDC business development vice president Vincent Villegas said. The Bac-Man 3 project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 270 kilotons of CO2 annually, if a similar capacity of fossilfired power plant were to be built.

M O N D AY : D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

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

2 SMC coal plants to run in ’16 By Alena Mae S. Flores

Sta. Lucia raises P4b from fixed bond issue

SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., a unit of conglomerate San Miguel Corp., is set to start commercial operations of two coal-fired power plants with a combined output 450 megawatts starting in the middle of next year, a source said over the weekend.

By Jenniffer B. Austria PROPERTY developer Sta. Lucia Land Inc. successfully raised P4 billion from the issuance of fixed rate bonds due 2018 and 2021 Sta. Lucia increased the base offer of P3 billion due to a strong demand for the company’s maiden bond offering. It exercised P1 billion out of the P2-billion oversubscription option to cover the over-allotment. The bonds, which was sold to investors between Dec. 11 and 16, will be listed with Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. on Dec. 22. The company earlier set the final interest rate on series A, three-year retail bonds at 6.7284 percent per annum and Series B, 5.25-year retail bonds at 6.7150 percent a year. Sta. Lucia plans to use the net proceeds from the bond offering to refinance the company’s secured loans and fund capital expenditure on land banking and ongoing real estate projects. Sta. Lucia as of end September 2015 had P3.25 billion worth of secured loans with interest rates of between 4.75 percent and six percent and maturities between 2105 and 2018. The company is also in discussions with several parties for its land banking activities in Quezon City, Rizal, Batangas, Laguna, Iloilo and Davao. China Banking Corp. is the issue manager and lead underwriter of the offering, while Amalgamated Investment Bancorporation and BDO Capital & Investment Corp. are co-lead underwriters. The retail bonds have been rated AA+ by Credit Rating and Investor Services Philippines Inc. Sta. Lucia Land reported a 51-percent increase in net income to P514.2 million in the first nine months of the year from P339.8 million year-on-year. Consolidated revenues stood at P2.25 billion, up 48 percent from P1.52 billion registered in the same period last year, with bulk of the revenues coming from real estate sales.

The source said the 300 MW-Malita coal-fired plant in Davao and the 150 MW-Limay coal station in Bataan were scheduled for commercial operations by June next year. “Only Malita’s 300 MW and [and the first] 150-MW [unit of Limay will] start commercial operations by June 2016. The other 150 MW of Limay will start by the end 2016,” the source said. SMC Global Power, the country’s biggest power producer, has embarked on several projects to further expand its energy portfolio. The company is also set to construct a 300-MW coal-fired power plant in Panay costing $600 million that is seen to reduce power costs in the Visayas. SMC Global Power chairman Ramon

Ang earlier said Panay was suffering from high power rates of around P6 to P8 per kilowatt-hour. “We want to put up a power plant in Panay because we want to supply electricity in Iloilo because power prices are high there,” Ang said. SMC Global Power can put up the 300MW clean coal facility in two-and-half to three years at a cost of $2 million per megawatt. “Can you imagine if we can sell power at P3.20 or P3.30 per kWh/?” Ang said. He said power from Panay could be exported to Cebu and vice versa, making power available to Visayas consumers. Data from the Energy Department earlier showed Visayas would register a

7-percent peak demand growth rate in 2014 and 2015 and 8 percent from 2016 to 2020. SMC Global earlier received approval to conduct a grid impact study on its coal projects, including 600 MW in Malabuyoc, Cebu; 600 MW in Batangas City and 600 MW in Mariveles, Bataan. Strategic Power Development Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SMC Global Power, is also pursuing at least three pumped storage hydro projects. Strategic Power trades the capacity of the 345-MW San Roque Multipurpose hydroelectric power plant in Batangas. Strategic Power won the bidding for the independent power producer administrator of San Roque in 2009 with an offer of $450 million. San Miguel also trades the capacities of the Sual coal plant in Pangasinan and the Ilijan natural gas power facility in Batangas. San Miguel has joined power distribution by taking over the operations of the Albay Electric Cooperative. The company and Korea Water Resources Corp. manage the 218-MW Angat hydro power plant in Bulacan.

Security Bank partner. Security Bank Corp. teams up with Maynilad Water Services Inc., allowing Maynilad retail customers the

flexibility of choosing to pay their bills through the bank’s various payment channels. Customers can choose to pay in cash, local check or debit to their Security Bank account during banking hours through the bank’s network of over 260 branches strategically located in key business areas nationwide. Signing the agreement on October 29 at the Maynilad head office in Balara, Quezon City are (seated, from left) Security Bank transaction banking group head Daniel Yu, Security Bank wholesale banking segment head Edu Olbes, Maynilad chief finance officer Randolph Estrellado and Maynilad treasury head Aurora Canape.

Mitsubishi reiterates CARS commitment amid Montero row By Othel V. Campos MITSUBISHI Motor Philippines Corp. has not wavered from a commitment to deliver products and services under the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program amid publicized complaints against Montero Sports units. “This is temporary. We will soon get this over and then we’ll be able to focus on our intention to participate in the CARS pro-

gram. This is just a blip in the radar screen but our commitment is constant,” MMPC first vice president Dante Santos said. He added Mitsubishi’s commitment in the Philippines was long term. The motorization of the Philippines, he noted, was a commitment of the company Mitsubishi and the whole Philippine automotive industry. Under the CARS program, the government will grant as much

as P27 billion in fiscal and nonfiscal incentives in six years. The program requires three car manufacturers to deliver 200,000 car units each over the next six years with corresponding investments in car and spare parts manufacturing. The Trade Department is yet to release the implementing rules and regulations of the program that will guide participating car companies. Santo, meanwhile, noted an

increase in awareness of the driving public following the alleged sudden unintended acceleration issue surrounding the Montero units. “One good thing that arose from this issue on sudden unintended acceleration is that people now are more mindful of their driving habits. More people have become conscious of their driving sense regardless of what car brand they’re driving,” he said.

Automobile owners also started to take car maintenance seriously, he said. Mitsubishi has supported the Trade Department’s recommendation to hire third party experts for an impartial technical assessment of the Montero units in question. The company said only hard technical evidence would assure integrity of the units and the comnpany as a world-class brand.

MONDAY: DECEMBER 21, 2015

BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

Insurers score victory vs LTO Reflections on business WITH the recent conclusion of the Apec 2015, apart from the #ApecHotties, I DIANNE think Jack Ma is CARDENAS one of the people who became even more popular with Filipinos. I will be honest. I was one of those people who was just plain ignorant. Before the Apec Summit, I had no clue who Jack Ma was. Yes, I didn’t know that he is the founder of the Alibaba group nor what the Alibaba group was all about. I guess in a way, I have the Apec Summit to thank for for introducing me to Mr. Ma and his story. When US President Barrack Obama broke protocol and moderated one of sessions where Filipino scientist Aisa Mijeno became a part of Apec CEO Summit, I got really curious. I searched for videos online and watched the 20-minute clip. Immediately, what came to mind was CSR and I have to blog about this. Jack Ma and climate change During the session, Jack Ma shared his concern with how the environment was changing. He recalled that as a young lad, he swam in a lake and almost drowned because the water was higher than he expected it to be. Five years ago, he went back to the same lake and found out that it has gone dry. He also shares that back then, nobody knew what cancer was all about. These days, almost every family has had a loved one or someone they know battle the disease. The climate and the environment have been changing and if nothing is done about the problem no one will be able to survive regardless if you are rich or poor. It was refreshing to see a Chinese CEO concerned and worried about the climate, the food, the water and the environment. With the stereotype of how the typical Chinese businessman operates, Mr. Ma breaks free from this stereotype. He sets aside 0.3 percent of Alibaba’s gross revenue to fund researches and promote awareness on what is happening to the environment and how it affects mankind. He is currently working hand in hand with Bill Gates investing on clean technology and hopefully, a lot of business people their lead. Not for the money I also saw other video clips of Mr. Ma. In it he shares his humble beginnings. He never expected to make it this big. He just wanted to make life easier for people. When he was introduced to the Internet, he saw an opportunity to connect people all over, which was why he started his ecommerce company, Alibaba. He wasn’t in it for the money. If I’m not mistaken, for six years, he didn’t make much, but because he believed in his cause and his vision, he persevered. He shares how he tried to borrow money from banks and the government but they missed his vision and didn’t lend him anything which was why he moved to the US to get funding for his business. He was able to generate $25 billion from Alibaba’s IPO. He shares how he is humbled by the trust that the public gave him. Today, the banks and government are trying to lend to him but he was actually glad that he didn’t borrow from them. I was actually reminded of Enron given the amount of money that Mr. Ma was able to generate. Hopefully, Mr. Ma lives true to his ideals in wanting to make the world a better place. A new perspective I am slowly getting a new perspective on what business should be all about. As Jack Ma simply puts it, it’s something that is supposed to make the lives of people better. For the longest time, I have been equating business to generating money. Whenever I would think about potential concepts, I would focus on what has a market, what will sell and what idea would be a sure success. But that’s being silly, nothing in life is guaranteed. Perhaps I am seeing it as an alternative to being in the corporate world and I want to ensure that I am able to maintain the lifestyle that I have grown accustomed to. Simply put, I was being selfish and was only thinking of myself – it’s a good thing I haven’t started my own business yet. Today, I came across a post on social media where a French business student is staying in the Enchanted Farm of Gawad Kalinga. For more than eight months already, he has been studying how to properly grow and slaughter chickens to ensure their quality at the same time, help the community of Gawad Kalinga. In the farm, the chickens are allowed to roam and well, live their chicken life to the fullest before they make the ultimate sacrifice. These days, given the demand for poultry, perhaps poultry businesses focused on profit may have been taking short cuts to meet demand. Chickens are given 30 days to grow before they are slaughtered. In the process, they are grown in an overcrowded set up where they are not allowed to roam and feed on anything natural. Instead, they are given chemicals that would allow them to reach their targeted size in the least amount of time. We may not notice, but this has an effect on our health. Called to be good stewards Videos and articles such as these have enlightened me on what the abundant life is about and its relationship to business. Naked, we came into this world and naked we shall go. Everything we now have is not ours but rather, we are called to be good stewards. God has blessed us with our time, talents and treasures and it is only right to put these into good use by contributing for the good of society. After all, we are blessed in order to bless others. A blessed Christmas to all! *** The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University. This article is part of her blog written for the course, Lasallian Business Leadership with Ethics and CSR. Visit her blog at https://natadekokoblog.wordpress.com/. The views expressed above are the author’s and does not necessarily reflect the official position of De La Salle University, its administration, and faculty.

GREEN LIGHT

PRIVATE insurers scored a major victory after a local court issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Land Transportation Office from implementing the Reformed Compulsory Third Party Liability for vehicle registration. Makati regional trial court branch 65 judge Edgrado Caldona granted the writ of preliminary injunction, after petitioner Standard Insurance Co. Inc. filed the necessary bond on Dec. 17. Caldona also issued a temporary restraining order on Dec. 2, ordering LTO not to implement Memorandum Circular AVT-2015-1975 or the Reformed CTPL Project. LTO assistant secretary Alfonso Tan Jr. and LTO’s bids and notices section were also facing contempt charges after the agency ignored and proceeded on Dec. 4, in appointing national administrators despite of the TRO issued by Caldona. Tan said in a statement that eight insurance companies expressed interest to become ad-

ministrators but only three participants were able to submit their eligibility and accreditation documents. The CTPL is a mandatory insurance plan required by LTO for vehicle registration. The “reformed” version is a modification of the CTPL. The new measure requires an administrator, which insurers said would eventually turn out as the insurer, resulting in the non-life insurance industry becoming mere reinsurers. Standard Insurance private counsel Reynaldo Geronimo said the designation of administrators was in excess of LTO’s jurisdiction and the circular infringes upon the constitutional provision against monopolies and restraint of trade under Section 19, Article XII of the Constitution.

“Such action by the LTO in the accreditation of the administrators is a clear violation of the TRO and LTO together with Tan could be cited for contempt of court,” said Geronimo of the Romulo Mabanta De Los Angeles law dirm. The private counsel also pointed out that the Office of the Solicitor General would be in a difficult position to come up with its memorandum against Standard Insurance’s petition as it represented both LTO and the Insurance Commission who had opposing views on the matter. IC Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc claimed that thousands of jobs might be lost and regulations might be onerous, with regards to the proposed reformed CTPL. The OSG did not present any contradictory evidence nor opposed the pieces of evidence presented by Standard Insurance, a leader in motorcar insurance, by the Philippine Insurance and Reinsurance Association and Maribeth Castro, senior vice president of Standard Insurance.

PVB expansion. Medium-sized commercial bank Philippine Veterans Bank continues to expand its

presence in the province of Batangas with the opening of the newest branch in the municipality of Talisay. Shown during the ribbon-cutting ceremony are (from left) PVB chairman and chief executive Roberto De Ocampo; Batangas provincial treasurer Fortunata Lat; Elsa Natanauan, wife of Talisay mayor Gerry Natanauan; and PVB president and chief operating ofﬁcer Nonilo Cruz.

SEC extends bourse merger deadline By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission approved the the reuest of the Philippine Stock Exchange for a 45-day extension to submit detailed information on the proposed acquisition of Philippine Dealing System & Holdings Corp., operator of the country’s fixed exchange. The move gave PSE another chance to complete its planned buyout of PDS Holdings and push through with proposed consolidation of the equities and bond markets. SEC commission secretary Armando Pan said in an interview the corporate regulator had sent a letter to PSE, informing the exchange that its petition for a 45day extension was granted.

The 45-day extension was granted after the 15-day timetable earlier given by the corporate regulator for the PSE to amend its plan expired on Dec. 14. This means that PSE will have until the end of January 2016 to complete and submit the documents to SEC. SEC sources said the corporate regulator decided to give PSE another 45 days to prove that it was not against the planned merger of the two exchanges. “The SEC is not here to curtail the growth of the capital markets. We support this planned consolidation but we just want to see concrete plans of the PSE for the fixed-income exchange once its completes the buyout of other shareholders of PDS Holdings,” an SEC official said.

The deadline for the sale purchase agreement between PSE and PDS Holdings shareholders expired on Nov. 27, 2015, as the exchange failed to get an exemptive relief from SEC on the 20-percent ownership limit. PSE offered to acquire majority stake in PDS Holdings based on an enterprise value of P2.25 billion. Among PDS Holdings’ shareholders are Bankers Association of the Philippines, San Miguel Corp., Golden Astra, Singapore Stock Exchange, Tata Consultancy Serves Asia, Computershare Technology Services, The Philippine America Life and General Insurance Co., Financial Executive Institute of the Philippines, Social Security System and Investment House Association of the Philippines.

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

IS terror went global this year PARIS—From the blood spilled in the streets of Paris to the San Bernardino shootings, the world in 2015 showed its vulnerability to the brand of terror perpetrated by Islamic State jihadists. Over the past 12 months, the group that took root in Iraq and in the chaos of the Syrian war has turned its focus from territorial gains to hitting at “distant enemies”. “The Islamic State... has gone global,” said Richard Barrett, a former head of Britain’s global counter-terrorism operations who is now vice-president of the New York-based think-tank Soufan Group. Barrett told AFP that politicians find the issue of the IS group “really difficult to deal with”.

“The public is frightened, and that’s the point of terrorism—to make the public frightened. And it’s very difficult for the politicians to deal with a constituency which is frightened. “But at the moment, running around in circles and sending more bombers [to Syria and Iraq] is not solving the problem, it’s even making it a little bit worse.” Perhaps the key difference between IS and the extremist groups that have gone before it, is that it can call on agents that it dispatches from its self-declared “caliphate” as well as sympathizers in the countries it is attacking. As the year closed, even California appeared to have become a target, when the married couple Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people in San Bernardino. Although the investigation is still ongoing, the couple appear to have become radicalized alone before carrying out their rampage

without having direct contact with IS. The added threat comes from hardened jihadists such as the Kouachi brothers who in January carried out the attack on the Paris offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo that left 12 people dead. Said and Cherif Kouachi had both been placed under surveillance at some point but had slipped off the radar and appeared to be no longer a threat before they suddenly launched an attack. The last 12 months have shown that the security forces in the countries targeted, despite beefed-up resources, are struggling. “Every European security service that I have talked to in the last year is petrified of the issue of foreign fighters, and there is almost no solution to it,” said Bruce Riedel, of the Brookings Institution in Washington. Hundreds of European citizens are join-

ing IS in Syria and Iraq—often through the relatively easy route of Turkey—every month and some are then returning home radicalized and hardened after spending time on the battlefield. Keeping tabs on all of them, Riedel argues, is impossible. “It’s a serious problem. It’s what I call task saturation,” he said. In December, Saudi Arabia announced the creation of a 34-country coalition dedicated to fighting IS, but a coordinated international strategy to combat the threat the group poses still seems some way off, said Jean-Pierre Filiu, a professor at the Sciences Po university in Paris. “The attacks in Paris and in San Bernardino have shown Western countries that Daesh (another name for IS) can hit at any time,” he said. AFP

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

In C l as s i fi ed Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published. We will not be responsible for any incorrect a d s n o t reported to us immediately.

Competition. In this photo taken on December 19, 2015, spectators watch a computer game

competition in the Gangnam district of Seoul where people competed in a computer game league entitled ‘Girl Crush’, a female-only team karting game. The televised amateur event carried a prize fund of 1.5 million won ($1,260) for the winning team of three competitors. Internet-based competitive gaming in South Korea is widespread across all abilities with professional teams raking in tens of thousands of dollars per year. The country has long promoted its Internet technology as a key driver of growth, and the capital Seoul is often referred to as the “most wired” city on the planet. AFP

BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE – HEAD OFFICE INVITATION TO BID 1.

Phnom Penh a booming capital PHNOM PENH—From glitzy malls and high-rise flats to fivestar hotels, a luxury building boom in Phnom Penh is transforming a capital once reduced to a ghost town into one of Asia’s fastest growing cities. Inside the recently opened Aeon Mall in the heart of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s first mega shopping center, shoppers and curious residents flock to see the latest Levi’s and Giordano handbags, snapping selfies in front of a giant Christmas tree. It is a common scene across much of Southeast Asia but was previously unimaginable for many in Cambodia where around 20 percent of the people still live on less than $1.25 a day. But while poverty remains entrenched, a fast-growing middle class and elite are increasingly looking for local ways to spend their cash. “I am glad we have such a modern mall in Phnom Penh. It shows the city is growing,” says 20-year-old Bopha, a well-heeled university student who said her family made more than $1 million in a recent land sale. Bopha said she used to have to travel to Thailand and Singapore for her shopping trips but that was now changing.

“Their cities are crowded with high-rise towers. I think we are heading in the same direction to be like them,” she beamed. The $200 million Japanesebuilt mall is just one of dozens of new shopping complexes, condominium projects and hotels springing up in Phnom Penh as Cambodia rides a wave of high economic growth rates in recent years. The capital is second only to Laos in East Asia for the fastest rate of urban spatial expansion, according to the World Bank, and its economy is expected to grow at 6.9 percent this year. All across the city luxury high-rise condos are popping up with names like “The Peak” and “Diamond Island”, complete with billboards promising aspirational tag lines such as “Sophisticated Urban Living”. According to the government, Cambodia drew construction investment worth $1.75 billion in the first nine months of 2015, a 13.7- percent rise from a year earlier. Many of the new entrants into the kingdom’s building market are developers from Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore. The 39-story Vattanac Capital

Tower, Cambodia’s first skyscraper which was finished in 2014, is designed in the shape of a dragon and incorporates Chinese traditional feng shui principles. A few kilometers away, the local Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation is drawing from the country’s past, building Parisianstyle apartments framed by a replica of the Arc de Triomphe on a riverside complex in downtown Phnom Penh. But some are worried where the construction frenzy will leave a city once famed as the “Pearl of Asia”. In its French colonial heyday Phnom Penh was regarded as one of the loveliest cities in Southeast Asia thanks to its wide European-style avenues, carefully manicured gardens and picturesque stately homes. Just a few decades later, the buzzing city was reduced to a ghost town when Pol Pot’s brutal Khmer Rouge army seized control of the capital and ordered its two million people to evacuate. The city has been coming back to life since the radical communist regime was toppled in 1979 but the surge of activity and change to its landscape has intensified in recent years. AFP

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites bidders to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder requirement:

One (1) Lot - Supply and Installation of Load Break Switch and First Private Poles at BSP Main Complex, as per BSP Terms of Reference and Approved Drawings

Name of Requirement/ Brief Description Approved Budget Contract (ABC)

for

the

Completion period

Php7,000,000.00, VAT inclusive Within two hundred thirty (230) calendar days reckoned from date stipulated in the Notice to Proceed to be issued by Facilities Management and Engineering Department (FMED)

Bidders should have completed from Y2011 to present a contract similar to the requirement. The Eligibility Check/Screening and Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria.

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.

All particulars and activities relative to Eligibility of Bidder’s, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-bid Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by Republic Act No. 9184 and its revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

Activities

Issuance of Bid Documents

Site Inspection

Schedule/Location Starting 21 December 2015 (from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. only) Procurement Office, Room 212, 2/F, 5-Storey Bldg., BSP Main Complex, Malate, Manila Tel. / Fax Nos. 306-2832; 708-7115 Starting 22 December 2015 at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Main Complex, A. Mabini and P. Ocampo Sr. Streets, Malate, Manila Contact Person: Engr. Marlon V. Dela Torre, FMED Tel. No.: (02) 306-3532

Pre-bid conference

06 January 2016; 11:30 A.M. MR2A Conference Room, 2nd Floor, 5-Storey Bldg., BSP Main Complex, Malate, Manila

Opening of Bids

18 January 2016: 2:00 P.M. MR2A Conference Room, 2nd Floor, 5-Storey Bldg., BSP Main Complex, Malate, Manila

The bidding documents are posted at the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the BSP Website (www.bsp.gov.ph). Prospective bidders may download the bidding documents from any of these websites; provided that bidders shall pay a non-refundable fee of Php10,000.00, at the address above prior to, or upon submission of their bids.

The pre-bid conference shall be open to interested parties. 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. To ensure completeness and compliance of bids, bidders are advised to send not more than two (2) technical and/or administrative representatives who will prepare the bidding documents.

The BSP assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify any bidder for expenses incurred in the preparation of bid.

The BSP reserves the right to reject any bid, declare a failure of bidding, not award the contract, annul the bidding process and reject all bids at any time prior to award of contract, without thereby incurring any liability to affected bidders.

(SGD.) ANTONIO A. GRAGEDA Acting Chairman (TS-DEC. 21, 2015)

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Odyssey. Iraqi refugees Ahmad, his wife Alia and their son Adam take part in a tour organized by local volunteers to the local zoo in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, on December 8,

2015. After Ahmad and Alia survived a bomb attack in Baghdad in 2014, they decided to risk all and crossed the Aegean Sea this summer. Through seven countries in as many days at the peak of the migrant crisis, they slept rough in the Balkans, dodged arrest and handed smugglers their life savings (9,000 euros or $10,000) to have a chance at life in Europe. AFP

Refugees cling to hope in Europe Bombing plot foiled in Indonesia—police JAKARTA—Indonesian police have foiled a major terror plot with the arrest of several men allegedly linked to a planned suicide bombing in Jakarta during New Year celebrations, according to documents seen Sunday. During raids in several cities across Java island on Friday and Saturday, police arrested five members of an alleged extremist network and seized chemicals, laboratory equipment and a flag inspired by the Islamic State group. Among those arrested was Asep Urip, a 31-year-old teacher at an Islamic boarding school in Central Java, and his 35-year-old pupil Zaenal, whom police allege was being “groomed” to carry out an imminent attack.

“From early information, it’s known that Zaenal was a candidate for a suicide bombing in Jakarta to be conducted on New Year’s 2016,” said the police documents into the arrests seen by AFP. A subsequent raid on the teacher’s house uncovered a black flag inscribed with text “similar to an ISIS flag”, police said, referring to an acronym often used for the jihadist group controlling large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria. Elite anti-terror police detained the teacher and the student after swooping on two other men with connections both to the religious school and to expert bomb makers and radicals in other parts of Java. AFP

LEEUWARDEN, The Netherlands—Seven-monthold Adam’s nights are restless. The din and chatter of 600 other asylum seekers sharing a “camp” in the north of the Netherlands keeps this youngest resident awake, and his parents anxious. “Home”—their fifth in three months—is a flimsy plywood cubicle they occupy with two other Iraqi families in a cavernous exhibition center-turned-shelter. But there is no door, no ceiling— and no chance for more sleep when the huge white lights go on each day at 7:00 am. “This isn’t life. How can I explain it?” says Adam’s 27-year-old father Ahmad. “It’s like a bird in a cage. It eats and drinks but it’s not happy.” All is a far cry from the vision that kept Ahmad and his hazel-eyed wife Alia, 26, going as they trod, baby in a sling, the migrant route to Europe last September, with a team of AFP journalists in tow. Three months on, they feel trapped in a labyrinth of sluggish,

soulless administrative steps— though the joy of watching Adam grow out of harm’s way encourages their patience. “Our journey is not over,” says Ahmad, sitting on the edge of his unmade bed. The boy can almost stand, and he can now say “Mama, Baba”. His playfulness is a welcome break both for his parents and some fellow asylum seekers, who like Ahmad and Alia left all behind. The young Iraqi owned an upscale garment shop in Baghdad. Now, like the others in the shelter, he has to wear a blue plastic bracelet when he goes out to identify him as a “camp” resident. “We still don’t know what fate has in store for us ... whether or not

we will have a residence permit,” he says. Ahmad understands the Netherlands is “crowded” with a record number of asylum requests, but he can’t shake the fear that Dutch authorities may one day send them back to Iraq. He also worries that attitudes towards refugees have changed since the deadly Paris attacks. “People used to say hello to us on the street, they used to welcome us. Now they don’t anymore,” he says. His family’s situation mirrors that of hundreds of thousands of others, uncomfortably accommodated by overwhelmed European authorities who have commandeered sports halls and other civic buildings. Nearly a million people fleeing war and misery reached Europe’s shores this year. When Ahmad and Alia survived a bomb attack in Baghdad in 2014, they too decided to risk all and crossed the Aegean Sea this summer. AFP

12 killed as bus plunges in Thailand BANGKOK—At least 12 people including Chinese tourists were killed Sunday when a bus plunged off a road in Thailand, the latest fatal smash in a country with some of the world’s most dangerous highways. Investigators said the accident happened shortly after midday in Doi Saket district 30 kilometers from the northern city of Chiang Mai. “Initial reports show there are 14 people injured and 12 people have died,” an officer at Doi Saket police station told AFP, asking not to be named.

“It’s not only Chinese but also Thai,” he replied when asked to confirm local media reports that those on board the bus were Chinese tourists. Multiple images posted online by local news outlets showed a horrific scene as rescuers battled to reach those trapped inside the smashed bus, which had come to rest in thick foliage with its roof caved in. Some of those still inside had suffered horrific injuries. In one picture seven pieces of white sheeting had been draped to cover either bodies or body parts.

Deadly road accidents are common in Thailand. In a 2015 study on global road safety the World Health Organization found Thailand had the world’s second most dangerous roads with 36.2 fatalities per 100,000 people. The WHO said the number of official reported road deaths a year in Thailand for 2012, the latest year figures are available for, was 14,059. But they added that their modelling suggested the true figure is actually closer to 24,000 dead a year. AFP

Pose. Swiss French model and French reality TV personality Nabilla

Benattia poses with her boyfriend Thomas Vergara during an event with fans on December 19, 2015 in Lausanne, Western Switzerland. AFP

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

E AT, DRINK , T R AV EL

LIFE

hen traveling to an enchanting land where there are so many things to see and do, the time you spend getting to your destination should be

as short as possible. The journey from Manila, Philippines to Auckland, New Zealand used to take up to 24 hours via Sydney or Singapore. With Philippine Airlines’ newly launched service, which started on December 2, a trip to Auckland now takes just 10 hours, including a quick one-hour stopover in Cairns. A simple send-off ceremony in NAIA Terminal 2 led by Philippine Airlines chairman Lucio Tan marked the flag carrier’s first flight to New Zealand. The four-times-weekly Manila-CairnsAuckland route puts a once far-flung destination within reach and gives Filipino leisure travelers more time to explore New Zealand. In turn, adventurous New Zealand tourists (“throw on a backpack and they’ll go anywhere,” said New Zealand Transport Minister Simon Bridges) can look forward to easier access to the Philippines’ 7,107 islands via PAL’s domestic flights from Manila. “We will hopefully allow three peoples – Filipinos, Australians, and New Zealanders – to discover each other’s rich culture, traditions, history, and tourist attractions,” said PAL president Jaime Bautista, who led the inaugural flight delegation of PAL officials, representatives of the Department of Tourism, and Philippine media. Bautista also had in mind the 44,000 Filipinos now living in New Zealand when they planned the new route. Filipinos visiting their friends and relatives in New Zealand currently make up the majority of travelers from Manila to Auckland. About 13,500 Filipinos traveled to New Zealand last year, but they had to take a very long, “tricky” route, according to Adrian Littlewood, CEO of Auckland Airport. The trips often involved changing airlines and waiting in airports in Australia for up to six hours. He predicts that Philippine Airlines’ convenient new flight will “easily double” arrivals from both countries. The 156-seater Airbus 320 arrived in Auckland at 4:30 p.m., Dec. 3. The delegation received a warm welcome at the Auckland Airport with a Maori cultural presentation and the hongi, a traditional Maori greeting done by pressing noses and foreheads together and sharing the ha (breath of life). Littlewood and Bautista exchanged gifts and expressed optimism about the airline’s new flights building a bridge between Filipinos and New Zealanders. “This new route will hopefully promote a healthy exchange,” said Bautista. “Not just of tourists and commerce but also each other’s dreams and aspirations towards peaceful coexistence.”

DAY TRIPPING:

WHAT TO SEE IN AND AROUND AUCKLAND Finding public transportation in Auckland can be a challenge, so careful planning is essential for time-pressed travelers. Fortunately, the natural beauty of New Zealand’s landscape makes up for the distance between its most popular tourist spots. You’ll see scenic views of pastoral farmland, windswept beaches, and patches of forest that will turn any journey by bus, ferry, or train into a soothing and even uplifting experience.

Summer day at the Shire

FLIGHTS OF FANTASY: PHILIPPINE AIRLINES NOW FLIES TO CAIRNS AND AUCKLAND BY PATRICIA ROMUALDEZ

From left: New Zealand Minister Todd McClay, PAL president Jaime Bautista and Auckland Airport chief executive Adrian Littlewood cut the ceremonial cake after PAL lands at Auckland Dec. 3, 2015

The hongi, a traditional greeting for native Kiwis (New Zealanders)

WALK AROUND AUCKLAND CITY CENTRE Though New Zealand’s natural wonders are so spread out that few tourists opt to stay in downtown Auckland for the entire duration of their visit, NZ’s largest city is a vibrant place worth devoting a day or two to exploring on foot. No need to worry if you’re navigation-challenged – it’s hard to get lost because you’ll see the country’s tallest manmade structure, the 328-meter Sky Tower, from almost any place in the city. (Yes, you can bungee jump from the top of the tower, as Beyonce did when she was on tour in New Zealand in 2013.) If the only thing adventurous about you is your palate, you can walk around the Viaduct and eat fresh seafood at one of the waterfront restaurants. At night, the area turns into a rowdy bar scene perfect for people watching. Aspiring sailors can try the thrilling and at turns terrifying America’s Cup Sailing Experience in Waitemata Harbour and help steer an authentic sailboat built for the America’s Cup race toward the Auckland Harbour Bridge (bungee jumping is also popular here). Coffee aficionados will enjoy searching the multitude of independent third-wave cafes for the best flat white, an espresso-based beverage that either originated in or was perfected in New Zealand, depending on whom you ask. For nature and culture, stroll through Albert Park and the nearby Auckland Art Gallery. Shop big brands on Queen Street or look for boutiques with wares by local designers on the parallel High Street. The urban renewal project Britomart on Quay Street has brunch places, bars, and trendy shops, including a standalone store by New Zealand designer Karen Walker. Tip for walking around downtown: wear shoes with some traction – a few streets are very steep. DISCOVER NEW ZEALAND’S HISTORY AND CULTURE AT THE AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL MUSEUM This is the only venue in Auckland that offers daily Maori cultural performances. The engaging presentations and relaxed Q&A sessions (you can approach performers individually to ask them questions about their culture) give museumgoers a deeper understanding of the tribal traditions of the Maori, a people whose territories have never been conquered by other nations. In addition to a moving war memorial, the museum also offers three floors of interactive exhibits about New Zealand’s history, geography, ethnography, and culture. WANDER THROUGH THE WEST COAST Auckland’s “wild” West Coast black-sand beaches and mountain ranges are less than an hour away from the City Centre, but their rugged beauty honed by a series of

PAL chairman Lucio Tan leads the Manila-Cairns-Auckland inaugural flight send-off ceremony

Continued on C2

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

FLIGHTS OF FANTASY From C1

volcanic eruptions over 22 million years transports you to an almost otherworldly place. The view of the Waitakere Ranges from the lookout points of the Arataki Visitor Centre is so breathtaking that there’s a giant scenic picture frame in the car park put up by the Auckland Council to designate the spot as one of the city’s most visually pleasing locations. The tour group shared some laughs over the isolated beach named Karekare (made famous in the film The Piano) and spent an hour walking through the black sands of the chilly Piha beach. WINE AND DINE IN WAIHEKE ISLAND Waiheke Island is just a 35-minute high-speed ferry ride from the downtown Auckland Ferry Building. With its wineries, olive trees, rolling hills, and ocean views, the picturesque 35-square-mile island is so inspiring that many artists have settled there permanently. The thriving artists’ community produces a sculpture walk in February every other year and also makes the numerous galleries worth a walkthrough. Visit the Stonyridge Winery for a tour and tasting of Bordeaux-style wines that includes a glass of Larose, a blend that has stunned some of the top French winemakers by besting their bottles in blind tastings. By the time you’re watching the 9:00 p.m. summer sunset from the last ferry back to Auckland, it will be easy to see why Waiheke Island made Lonely Planet’s list of Top 10 Destinations for 2016.

Stonyridge Winery

A public bathroom and art installation at Matakana Village Farmers' Market

CHEESE TREATS IN PUHOI VALLEY The growth of the New Zealand dairy industry has outpaced that of its much-referenced sheep population. One of the best places to try this “white gold” is the Puhoi Valley Café and Cheese store, where you’ll find cakes made of wheels of cheese, a generous sampling platter, luxe cheese trays for purchase, and premium ice cream that recently scooped six medals at the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards, including gold for the chai latte flavor. Products are made on premise, and the sign near the walk-in refrigerators full of resting cheese says it all about the seriousness of this operation: “Do not enter, as you will disturb the cheese and wake them up.” SLOW LIVING WITH THE LOCALS AT THE MATAKANA VILLAGE FARMERS’ MARKET Matakana is a small former lumber town about an hour’s drive north of downtown Auckland with the unique distinction of being New Zealand’s first internationally accredited Cittaslow (Italian for “slow town”). “Slow towns” as defined by the Cittaslow international organization aim to create a community that values quality of life and sustainability by protecting the environment, preserving cultural traditions, and actively supporting local produce and products. The Farmers’ Market is an initiative introduced to support Matakana’s bid to become the country’s first registered Cittaslow. Every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m,, Aucklanders flock to the small village to experience a slice of the slow life. Vendors set up stalls selling organic chocolate, baked goods, olive oils, wine, Manuka honey, homemade mince pies, locally grown fruits and vegetables, fresh oysters, handcrafted coffee, and handmade goods. Live music performances by local musicians add to the cheerful and charming atmosphere. Philippine Airlines flies to Cairns and Auckland four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday). Book through a travel agent or call the PAL reservations hotline at (02) 855-8888. Visit philippineairlines.com for more information.

Jaime Bautista and wife Joji at Hobbiton

SECOND BREAKFAST AT HOBBITON New Zealand has been the backdrop for many films, but none as famous as Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Though there are many Lord of the Ringsthemed tours of the 158 locations used for the movies, Hobbiton is the only set that is still standing. After a twoand-a-half hour bus ride to Matamata from downtown Auckland, we were lucky to take a tour of Hobbiton led by Henry Horne, the site’s international sales manager and “the very first tour guide at Hobbiton from day one.” Horne estimates that 40 percent of visitors have never even seen the films. They visit the Hobbiton movie set to experience the uniqueness of the place (and to make their friends at home jealous with their photos in front of the colorful hobbit holes). Any cinema fan will appreciate the scale and attention to detail involved in creating the film set. “We are the largest movie location ever created to make a movie,” says Horne. “We are the first movie set in the world to be built permanently.” The Shire set was supposed to be dismantled after the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed in 2000. But

A hobbit hole with a blue door

halfway through the removal of Hobbiton, Mother Nature intervened and heavy rains forced the crew to postpone the demolition for six months. The Alexander family, who owned the land and operated the sheep and cattle farm, received so many inquiries from fans who wanted to see where the movies had been filmed that they renegotiated the contract with the filmmakers to work on keeping the remnants of the Hobbiton set. “We became the only movie set in the country from Lord of the Rings that had anything left for people to visit,” says Horne. “That was 17 little houses in their natural state. No doors, windows, chimneys, nor gathers. But people came from all around the world to see it.” When Peter Jackson returned in 2007 to film The Hobbit, he and the Alexander family agreed to rebuild the Hobbiton with lasting materials to make the set permanent. Tours of the permanent attraction start with a short drive through the working sheep farm. Then a guide leads the group through a walking tour of the 44 hobbit holes in the 10-acre site. Learning the fascinating lore behind the creation of the Hobbiton set and imagining the scenes from the film that took place on the same grounds have occasionally brought some Lord of the Rings fans to tears. Horne says that his team works hard to preserve the integrity of the set. (When we visited, the silicon and steel artificial oak tree overlooking Bag End was out for maintenance.) He notes that they’re constantly adding elements to the Hobbiton set to encourage repeat guests. “It will look different every time you visit,” he promises. The tour ends with a free drink at the bar Green Dragon Inn (recreated to look just like the version in the films) and a banquet feast “fit for a hobbit.” Souvenir seekers can stop by the Shire Store gift shop to purchase an Elven cloak (NZD $900), a Lord of the Rings Monopoly board game (NZD $90) or a hobbit’s feet magnet (NZD $10) designed by Weta Workshop artists who worked on the films. By that time you’ll have fallen so hard under Hobbiton’s spell it’ll be hard to resist picking up a reminder of the journey to Middle Earth.

SATISFY YOUR HOLIDAY FOOD CRAVINGS WITH ARMYNAVY

Classic Burger

Steak Burrito

Holiday revelers looking for satisfying food choices that are different from the usual fare can check out ArmyNavy that has become popular for its flavorful burgers and Mexican offers. ArmyNavy has become a big part of the Filipino foodie consciousness, and whether it’s for an early morning jaunt, the rounds of events or parties, or during long road trips with friends or family, it is definitely your go-to place for simple, straight-out delicious food that never fails to excite and fill any appetite. If you are hankering for a warm, scrumptious meal after attending Simbang Gabi late at night or early in the morning, chow down on menu favorites like burgers, Freedom Fries, Fearless Fried Chicken, burritos, and tacos paired with Libertea, and rounded off with Freedom Toast ala Mode at ArmyNavy’s 24-hour branches including Jupiter, Dela Rosa and Valero streets in Makati, Commerce Avenue Alabang, McKinley, Bonifacio Global City, UP Technohub, UST Dapitan, and Petron NLEX. For a troop of hungry holidaymakers, up the flavor ante of events and parties with ArmyNavy’s deliveries and bulk orders.

Dial up their hotline 333-3131 to get your fill of classic offerings or new savory items such as the PI Burrito with Adobo Flakes, scrambled egg and Spanish rice, the Adobo Flakes rice meal, and churros for dessert. If you’re planning to go out of town, ArmyNavy has got you covered. Enter hungry and come out happy when you eat at branches in Tagaytay, Camp John Hay and Session Road in Baguio, Marquee Mall in Pampanga, Harbor Point Mall in Subic, Lipa Batangas, Calamba Laguna, Station 1 Boracay, Ayala Center and IT Park in Cebu, North Point in Bacolod, Abreeza Mall and SM Lanang in Davao, Centrio Mall in CDO, and Veranza Mall in General Santos. Carrying out its mission of delivering satisfying goodness in every order, ArmyNavy ensures that every customer walks out of every store with only the intention of coming back for more. For more information, visit armynavyburgerburrito.com or facebook.com/ArmyNavyBurgerBurritoPhilippines.

M O N D AY : D E C E M B E R 2 1 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

A VERY MIDAS CHRISTMAS

s Christmas day comes closer, a lot of establishments and hotels are already bustling with their holiday decorations. In Midas Hotel and Casino, get to see their majestic 25-ft. Christmas tree and holiday decors bejeweled with brisk red and gold color accents of trinkets and ornaments. Bring your family and kids to see the 5-foot tall nutcracker standing on-guard the Nativity and the fragrant ginger bread houses. In the recently held Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony held at the hotel’s designer lobby, Midas executives graced the event with a celebratory toast led by resident manager Aris Alcuaz, director of sales and marketing Cielo OrtegaReboredo, associate director for PR and brand Erwin Doña, HEPI director Mylene Co, together with Ballet Philippines’ president Margie Moran-Floirendo and Pasay City District Representative Emi Calixto-Rubiano. During the ceremony, social media influencers and fashion and lifestyle bloggers JP Singson of jponfashionspeed. com, Seph Cham of josephcham. com, Nicole Aguinaldo of Girl

About Town, and AJ Dee of The Filo Dapper were given recognition for their involvement and significant contribution to millennials. This holiday season, take advantage of Midas Hotel’s A Midas Christmas to Remember – a collection of room and restaurant offerings to savor with your entire family. An overnight stay includes a breakfast buffet for two at Midas Café, a complimentary use of the studio gym, scheduled shuttle service to nearby malls, free WiFi access and a special gift on Christmas day. Room rates start at P5,500 per night for a deluxe room while an executive stay with Midas Executive Suites starts at P10,000 with inclusion of complimentary access to the newly stylized Executive Club, privileges for breakfast, all day beverages, afternoon tea, and sunset sessions and other club benefits. If you’re feeling generous, you may purchase bookings as gifts. Stays are valid during the weekends until April 2016 on a limited basis.

Midas associate director for PR & Brand Erwin Doña with one of the event celebrators, online influencer JP Singson of jponfashionspeed.com

Midas executives led by Aris Alcuaz (resident manager), Cielo Ortega-Reboredo (Sales and Marketing director), Erwin Doña (associate director for PR & Brand) and Mylene Co (HEPI director) Ballet Philippines president Margie Moran-Floirendo with Midas Hotel's Erwin Doña

For more information call 902.0100 or follow the hotel’s social media at @midashotelandcasino for Twitter and Instagram. Midas Christmas Tree Pasay City Representative Emi Calixto-Rubiano and Midas Hotel's Cielo Ortega-Reboredo

Aris Alcuaz, Cielo Reboredo, Representative Emi Calixto-Rubiano, Mylene Co, lawyer Bobby Ang and Reynaldo Bantug

Calvin Millado with 2702 Lobby Lounge featured artists Dessa, Jimmy Marquez and the Hexagon Band

Resident manager Aris Alcuaz with TWG's Tricia Vistan

SPREAD THE HOLIDAY CHEER WITH JOHNNIE WALKER

ou know Christmas is just around the corner the minute all these invitations to party start rolling in. Whether social events, big reunions, or just a night out with friends, the season to celebrate is here. Part of what makes this time of the year particularly special is the gift giving that comes along with the holiday revelry. And with the mind-boggling number of gift ideas to consider, it becomes more difficult to choose. But with all these fun parties being thrown left and right, a smart idea would be to choose spirits as a gift of choice. Aside from the fact that purchasing a bottle is very convenient, the true joy of giving is seen in sharing with the special people in your life – something a bottle of Johnnie Walker can help you achieve. No matter who you celebrate the season with or how, nothing says “Happy Holidays!” better than the exceptional Johnnie Walker blends that suit every unique and individual tastes. There’s something for everyone to sip

on this season with Johnnie Walker’s variety of blends: Red Label (the pioneer blend for the best friend) with its bold combination of spices and a distinctly smoky finish; Black Label (the iconic blend for your siblings) that has set the benchmark for all other deluxe whisky brands with its rich, complex, and incredibly well balanced taste; Double Black (the innovative blend for that special someone) which is a new addition to the lineup and perfect for those who wish to up their whisky game and add a new favorite to their liquor cabinets; Gold Label Reserve (the celebration blend for Mom) which opens with a delicate nectar and gentle smokiness that develops into velvety honey tones, and finishes with a sublime oakiness; and finally, Blue Label (the rare blend for Dad) – the cream of the crop with its incomparably rich and powerful flavor. You may also opt for the Black Label Limited Edition bottle or the Red Label Limited Edition bottle that are both perfect as collectible gift items.

M O N D AY : D E C E M B E R 2 1 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

MERCURY RISING BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

@LIFEatStandard

GEARING UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS

With Christmas just around the corner, various hotels have been coming up with all kinds of events to celebrate the start of the holiday season. As much as I wanted to attend each one of them, physical and time constraints got in the way. From among the dozen or so that I attended, here are a few that stood out in my “memory bank” simply because something in each of these events made them different from those of the other hotels.

Hotel Monticello’s Board of Directors, joined by guests of honor Cavite’s First Lady Dr. Agnes Remulla (third from left) and Department of Tourism’s Gerry Panga (center) are (from left) chairman Atty. Ambrosio Valdez, chief financial officer Ma. Felisa Valdez, general manager Jose Eduardo Valdez, directors Romerico Dumlao and Atty. Mercedes Gatmaytan

The very special buffet offered culinary specialties from the kitchens of the various restaurants at City of Dreams – Nobu, Red Ginger, Ruby Jack’s, The Tasting Room, etc., so you can imagine how well-fed all of us were. The amazing food choices in this integrated resort complex is the reason why a large chunk of Metro Manila’s well-heeled now frequent this facility. Of course, these epicurean delights also add a valuable attraction to its continuously increasing gaming “disciples.” Seated with me for lunch were my good friends Dancesport Philippines’ Becky Garcia, The Plaza’s Millie Reyes, and former DOT Undersecretary Edu Jarque. We were later joined by Crown Towers general manager Brett Hickey, PeopleAsia’s Greggy Vera Cruz and my editor, Tatum Ancheta, who was the luckiest among all of us, as she won a P10,000 gift certificate for dinner at any of the City of Dreams’ fine dining restaurants.

CITY OF DREAMS

Its indefatigable vice president for Public Relations, Charisse Chuidian, sent out lunch invitations to members of the print media, to introduce their Property president Geoff Andres, and to celebrate the start of the holiday season. It was an event I really looked forward to because I knew it would be a good opportunity for me to link up once again with friends I haven’t seen for some time. Sure enough, they were all there.

Cute, talented seven-year-old Sonia Cruz sang her way to my heart

year old girl, Sofia Cruz, a The Voice Kids contestant, who rendered some of my favorite “children’s” songs – A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, Tomorrow, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. She was adorable, as she hit the notes perfectly. I wanted to adopt her on the spot, but the adoring father was there a few feet away. It was one Christmas celebration I really enjoyed, in spite of the paucity of attendees.

HOTEL MONTICELLO

This is a brand-new European style boutique hotel right in the heart of Tagaytay City. It started its holiday celebration last month by opening its doors to the public, to offer its facilities and services to the expected holiday crowd who may want to escape the noise and pollution of the city, especially on New Year’s Eve. This idyllic “sanctuary in the sky” has 41 spacious and well-crafted rooms, a perfect blend of luxury and affordability in a serene, calming and invigorating setting, certainly redefining the boutique hotel experience. The hotel’s Grand Ballroom, soundproof function rooms and Business Center cater to the business traveler while the fitness buff has the temperature controlled swimming pool, spa and gym to get busy in. The opening day crowd, composed of Manila’s social gliteratti, was awed by the hotel’s facilities as they were toured around by a team of attractive young ladies dressed as “nymphets” which gave a magical touch to the evening event. After the ceremonial champagne toast by the hotel’s Board of Directors, to formally open the property, valuable raffle prizes – iPads, iPhone 6S units and complimentary weekend packages – were given out by the hotel management as their Christmas gifts to lucky guests. Now, anytime I need some de-stressing, I can look forward to this serene and calm “hideaway” which is magically wrapped with the scent of cool, invigorating fresh air.

Waterfront Manila Pavilion GM Jimmy Boyles

MIDAS HOTEL AND CASINO

At New World Manila Bay, from left: Kythe Foundation Ambassadress Say Alonzo, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, hotel GM Mark Heywood and Kythe Foundation director Kelly Salvador switch on the giant Christmas Tree

NEW WORLD MANILA BAY

Their Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony was just as elaborate as those of the other hotels but what made it special, to my mind, were three factors: The hotel’s general manager Mark Heywood is simply the most likeable hotel expatriate I have ever met. His friendly mien and everready smile comes across as something very sincere. I feel like we’ve been friends for decades but I actually just met him a few months ago, through the hotel’s Director for Corporate Communications Romina Gervacio, the second reason why I had to attend this event. Mina has been a friend since she started her PR career “four hotels ago” so I can’t say NO when she invites. The third reason why I had to attend this Christmas celebration was the hotel’s guest of honor, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. I have always wanted to see him up close because I am fascinated by his demeanor, by how the “Tondo populace” still see him as a movie hero in spite of what happened to his presidency. Don’t get me wrong, I was never his supporter and was, in fact, one of those who demonstrated against him in EDSA. I guess I just wanted to see up close if his always-perfectly combed hair is a toupee or not.

Midas Hotel and Casino had its Tree Lighting Ceremony at the hotel’s designer lobby, led by Midas resident manager Aris Alcuaz, director of Sales and Marketing Cielo Ortega-Reboredo, HEPI director Mylene Co and Pasay Congresswoman Emi Calixto-Rubiano. No doubt, the majestic 25-foot tree, glimmering with the display of lights, red and gold Christmas trinkets and ornaments, radiates with happiness and love. Entertainment numbers were provided by the Ramon Magsaysay Chorale and Ballet Philippines which presented Peter Pan. Media partners, bloggers and the hotel’s loyal supporters graced the happy occasion, with TWG Tea, Artisan Cellars and Titania Wine Cellar as bar hosts for the evening. The celebration ended quite late as more musical numbers were performed by the hotel’s resident artists Dessa, Jimmy Marquez, Nino Alejandro and the Hexagon Band.

WATERFRONT MANILA PAVILION

City of Dreams Property president Geoff Andres

With former Tourism Undersecretary Edu Jarque and City of Dreams vice president for PR Charisse Chuidian

I haven’t been to this hotel since its Hilton days, so when I received the attractive Spanish-themed invitation, I made it a point to go, even if I knew I was going to be late, after coming from another event. I was surprised and found it a nice touch for the hotel’s new general manager, Jimmy Boyles, to welcome me personally outside the Ballroom’s main entrance. Boyles is a Japanese-American hotel industry veteran, having served many international chain hotels in various capacities. What I found really entertaining, unique and “cute” was their musical intermission number – songs from a seven-

The celebratory toast led by Midas officers Aris Alcuaz, Cielo Ortega-Reboredo, HEPI director Mylene Co and Pasay Congresswoman Emi Calixto-Rubiano

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE: How do you make a group of lawyers smile for a photo op? Say, “Fees.” For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

M ONDAY : DECEMBER 2 1 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

John Lloyd and Krystal

John LLoyd Cruz takes a ChanCe on something new ISAH V. RED Acclaimed actor John Lloyd Cruz’s successful streak continues after his movie with Bea Alonzo, A Second Chance raked in over P500 million at the box-office. Cruz’s star is certainly shining even brighter because the family drama, Honor Thy Father, which he served as executive producer along with Reality Entertainment’s Dondon Monteverde, is now an official entry to the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival. Directed by Erik Matti and written by Michiko Yamamoto, “HTF,” as the film is known in the film circle, is about the saga of a father named Edgar. In the story, the investment business run by his wife Kaye collapses, prompting cofinanciers to pressure Edgar and his wife Kaye to return the money. As the head of the family, Edgar does everything he can to protect Kaye and their daughter Angel (Meryll Soriano and Krystal Brimner) from the disgruntled investors hounding them. Although Cruz’s role in the MMFF entry is different from previous roles he played in films, the talent that has endeared him to fans definitely comes to fore in this one. Not surprisingly, the actor immediately fell in love with the character of Edgar and was excited to work every single shooting day. According to Matti, the script was tailor-made to showcase Cruz’s acting prowess. “Lahat ng hindi pa nagagawa ni John Lloyd sa nauna niyang movies, ginawa niya for the

first time sa Honor Thy Father.” “HTF” premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival where it received favorable reviews from The Hollywood Reporter. The film opened the 2015 Cinema One Originals Film Festival to an SRO crowd awed by Cruz’s mindblowing performance and the film’s awesome production values and storytelling. “HTF” is the latest collaboration of the producer-director tandem of Monteverde and Matti. Their courageous, ground-breaking partnership has given birth to new concepts in cinema such as the films Prosti, Pa-Siyam, Exodus, Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, Rigodon, On The Job, and Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles 2. This John Lloyd Cruz starrer is the third consecutive production of the Matti and Monteverde duo given an “A’” by the Cinema Evaluation Board. Two previous movies –– On The Job and Kubot – also got an “A” each. As an added treat to the audience, the MMFF version of Honor Thy Father will have additional scenes and a new song not included in the international version.The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board gave it an R-13 to allow audience 13 years of age and above to watch it. Cruz’s stunning performance will shine again starting Dec. 25 when Honor Thy Father opens in cinemas nationwide. Also in the cast are the equally praiseworthy Tirso Cruz III, Dan Fernandez, Boom Labrusca, Khalil Ramos, William Martinez, and Yayo Aguila. For updates about the movie, log on to facebook.com/honorthyfatherfilm. ➜ Continued on C7

A scene from the family drama, Honor Thy Father William Martines and Tirso Cruz III

Dan Fernandez

Meryll Soriano

Filmmaker Erik Matti, John Lloyd Cruz and Reality Entertainment’s Dondon Monteverde

Erik matti and Dondon Monteverde

Yayo Aguila, Krystal Brimner and Lander Vera Perez

The films’ main stars, Meryll Soriano, Krystal Brimner and John Lloyd Cruz

M ONDAY : DECEMBER 2 1 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

MAinE MEnDOZA gLAD ShE’S in ‘My BEBE LOvE’ Walang Forever with Jennylyn Mercado and Jericho Rosales

JOSEPh PEtER gOnZALES The four main stars of the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival entry My Bebe Love namely, Vic Sotto, Ai Ai delas Alas, Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards are happy with their maiden screen collaboration. “This is my first silver screen project and considering that I’m with Tito Vic, Ms. Ai Ai and Alden who, compared to me are way ahead in the ‘biz, I didn’t feel that I was a greenhorn whatsoever. They made me feel at ease, especially Tito Vic who plays the role of my dad in the story. He helped me in our scenes together, to understand my character better. “The same goes to both Ms. Ai Ai and Alden. They were giving actors who guided me in doing a number of key scenes. Yes, I

My Bebe Love cast, from left, AiAi delas Alas, Alden Richards, Maine Mendoza, and Vic Sotto

learned a lot from them. I’m simply grateful for their support,” avers Maine. Vic says, “Maine is a natural actress. She has great promise. I’m sure the public will like her here. Credit goes to Direk Jose Javier Reyes for giving the AlDub tandem a fresh material. It’s definitely a different take from what the viewers see in Eat Bulaga’s daily Kalye-serye.” “Of course, to be honest, at first, I was very nervous because this project is an acid test for Maine and I,” states Alden. “But given that we were working with the best people like Bosing Vic, Ate Ai and Direk Joey, it put my fears to rest. I’m

very happy with our end product. It’s challenging that we play different characters here outside the Kalye-serye umbrella. I believe that Maine and I were able to deliver in this feel-good vehicle!” For Ai Ai, more than its commercial viability, the movie is an attestation of Vic’s genuine friendship with her. “Bosing never abandoned me!” she muses. “Even during those low periods in my career when I was still at the rival studio, he always communicated with me. I felt his sincerity. That’s why I got so touched when he officially offered me to be part of My Bebe Love. I

will always be thankful for his unfaltering belief in my talent and capacity!” According to the majority, My Bebe Love will be the undisputed top-grosser in the forthcoming MMFF. “Well, that’s nice to hear. It’s a big boost to our morale. I’m confident that film buffs will enjoy watching because this is the true romantic-comedy offering. It’s just perfect for the whole family this Christmastime,” ends Vic. HHHHH Walang Forever leads Jennylyn Mercado and Jericho Rosales have only good words for each other. “Echo is very friendly,”

CNN ‘HoNg KoNg iN 24 Hours’

s the first touch point for many visitors in Asia, Hong Kong is a destination that is often rushed through, and rarely fully absorbed. Next month on CNN’s new 30-minute travel show ‘In 24 Hours’, host James Williams unveils the unique possibilities this city has to offer. From sunrise to sunset and into the night, CNN takes you to the places only a privileged few ever get to experience. James kicks his day off with a martial arts session from the top of the Intercontinental Hotel overlooking the world-famous Hong

Kong harbor. From there, he gets a lesson in bespoke suiting with the family behind famed tailor, Ascot Chang. In the afternoon he heads out on a luxury yacht to Sai Kung where he gets access to one of the most unique views of Hong Kong while paragliding off a mountain. After he has worked-up an appetite, he enjoys a personally prepared gourmet lunch by Chef David Lai from new restaurant Fish School. The evening starts with a behind the scenes look at Hong Kong’s Chinese orchestra as they prepare for their big tour around mainland China.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 47 49 50 53 55 57 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 In the know 4 Kind of cake 9 Billiard stick 12 Wrestling style 13 Foul-up 14 Ant horde 16 Joie de vivre 17 Argot 18 Shoestring 19 Is game (2 wds.) 21 High, as a river

23 25 26 29 31 32 33 37 38 41 42 44 45

Blooms Gets smart with Milady’s escort Zen master’s poem Russian pancakes Fossil impression Do road work Chatty alien of TV Smelly stuff Shadowy Fastest jets Mix batter Indy 500 sound

Dilate Picayune Gauguin’s island Morning — Put up with Got too big Hair treatment Rest stop sight Nope (hyph.) Compos mentis Needle or rib Successor to Claudius Mal de — Organic compound — Paulo

DOWN 1 Storytelling dance 2 “— — Old Cowhand” 3 Seaplane part 4 Hailed on 5 Easy-to-find constellation 6 Coffee brewer 7 Eggy drinks 8 Very sleepy 9 Telephones (2 wds.) 10 Europe-Asia divider 11 Philbin or Sajak 12 Do alterations 15 Urges

No trip is complete without a look at Hong Kong’s nightlife, so James sets off with Lindsay Jang, co-owner of the ultra-popular restaurant Yardbird and overall Hong Kong it-girl. She gives him a peek of the ever changing bar and restaurant scene, ending with an exclusive sake tasting at one of the newest bars in town, Koko. The show is topped off with famed shoe designer and fashion pioneer, Jimmy Choo who shares his favorite things about Hong Kong. Hong Kong in 24 Hours airs 6:30 on Jan. 6.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2015

20 22 24 26 27 28 30 32 34 35 36 39 40 43 46 48 49 50 51 52 54 56 58 59 60 63

Bit of mistletoe Hard wood “Whole” thing Business degs. Pandora’s boxful London elevator Trapped like — — Complimentary Hubbubs Strad Tube trophy Step down, in a way Turn inside out Lifeguard Sci-fi weapons (2 wds.) Give — — whirl Working cat Bakers’ meas. Elite squad (hyph.) Jazzy Lena — Baggy Tints Ms. Perlman of “Cheers” Drachma’s successor What and where’s partner Edge a doily

avers Jen. “Apart from that, he takes good care of everybody on the set. He always orders food for the group to partake, the reason why most of us gained some weight during the filming. Ha-haha! But honestly, I really had a wonderful time working with a good and down-toearth actor like him.” “A beautiful person is how I would describe Jennylyn. She is not only physically alluring but sensible as well. I discovered this when we started talking about serious matters on (sic) the course of our shooting. Jen is so mature. Perhaps, we hit it off well because we have one com-

James Williams filming in Hong Kong

mon denominator: we’re both products of reality shows. I won in Mr. Pogi while she was the first Ultimate Female Survivor in StarStruck!” says Jericho. In the movie, the handsome Kapamilya hunk reveals they have intimate scenes “Yes and Jen took care of me during the take. Ha-haha! She was the one who was asking me if I’m okay after we shot it. It was a passionate scene and one of the highlights in the movie so people should watch out for it.” “Jericho is a true gentleman. He was very careful in handling our kissing and love scene, the mark of a true PRO,” Jen states.

James Williams taking martial arts session from the top of Intercontinental Hotel

M ONDAY : DECEMBER 2 1 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

KApAmilyA networK hAs new president And Ceo

ABS-CBN's newly appointed president and CEO Carlo Katigbak

Long Island Medium on Eve

from C5

BS-CBN Corporation announced the appointment of Carlo L. Katigbak as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective Jan.1, 2016. Charo Santos-Concio retires at the end of the year but will remain as the network’s chief content officer, president of ABS-CBN University, and executive adviser to the chairman. Eugenio Lopez III remains the chairman of the board of ABS-CBN. Katigbak has 20 years combined experience in financial management and business operations, corporate planning, and general management. Prior to his appointment as Chief Operating Officer (COO) in March 2015, Katigbak was the head of Access. He helped pave the company’s forays into promising technologies and ventures and managed the operations of Sky Cable, ABS-CBNmobile, and ABS-CBN TVplus.

He began his career at Sky in 1994, handling various key positions, which culminated with his appointment as VP for Provincial Operations of Sky in 1998. Katigbak was then assigned to establish the internet business of ABS-CBN in 1999. He served as managing director of ABS-CBN Interactive, which ventured into online and mobile businesses. He returned to Sky Cable and served as its COO from 2005 to 2012, and then its president in 2013. Under his leadership, Sky launched the Digibox, which eventually checked the number of illegal connections and allowed customers greater flexibility in customizing their subscriptions. Sky also re-launched its broadband products, which are now the fastest growing segment of its business. Katigbak completed an Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School in 2009. He graduated at Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Management Engineering in 1991.

smart, iflix team up for exClusiVe, uNriValed perks

his holiday season, Smart subscribers all over the country can enjoy a seamless dosage of entertainment as wireless leader Smart Communications and iflix roll out the #GiftOfEntertainment in another unrivaled offer that will surely fuel passion-driven lifestyles when it comes to binge-watching. Only six month into their partnership, Smart and iflix have accumulated over 500,000 subscribers nationwide. These subscribers have been glued to their gadget screens to watch and re-watch their favorite TV series and films whenever and wherever they may be.

reAdy for generous iflix serving this ChristmAs In a recent media conference with PLDT Group Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, Smart announced that both Smart postpaid and prepaid subscribers can and will experience a more generous serving of their iflix fix. This move effectively extends the Smart Life to more Filipinos, allowing them to pursue their passion for entertainment in a more accessible and effective manner. To thank its half a million—and growing—number of subscribers, PLDT and Smart are rolling out iflix binge-watching packages and exclusive offers this season of

giving. “This is about giving what one expects; this is about love. This is not just some transaction for us. This is for the consumer,” says PLDT and Smart’s Head for Consumer Business Ariel P. Fermin. “This is the Smart Life and we all know very well how important content is in driving the Smart Life.” Through Smart’s new offer, Smart postpaid subscribers may avail of a 30-day complimentary subscription promo that runs for three months with Smart’s data-inclusive plans with no additional charge. Smart prepaid subscribers, on the other hand, can enjoy iflix with Big Bytes 15. This gifts subscribers with 300 MB of iflix experience for two-days. With this allocation, subscribers can enjoy two fulllength movies or five episodes of their favorite TV series anytime, anywhere. The iflix subscription, previously priced at P99, is free as long as subscribers use Smart mobile data for both prepaid and postpaid. Prepaid users may try service for as low as P15 via Big Bytes 15 subscription. flexible, friCtionless, groundbreAKing viewing experienCe Complementing Smart’s generous offers is iflix’s own set of updates, all of which geared

SMART and iflix celebrate the Smart Life with the #GiftOfEntertainment event at Makati Shangri-La. From left,n Andreas van Maltzahn, iflix Chief Business Development Officer; Sherwin dela Cruz, iflix Philippines Country Manager; Patric Grove, Catcha Group CEO and iflix Co-Founder and Chairman; Manny V. Pangilinan, PLDT-Smart Chairman; Ariel Fermin, EVP and Smart’s Consumer Business Head; and Tim Parsons, Technical Advisor for iflix

to maximize the Smart Life that has allowed millions of subscribers to fulfill their digital requirements on a daily basis. “This is a beautiful milestone in Asia,” announced iflix Chairman Patrick Grove. “This is something that no one else has ever done in the world before. This is groundbreaking. This is beautiful.” Grove is referring to a firstof-its kind feature exclusive to Smart subscribers. In order to provide frictionless access to iflix, Smart subscribers do not need to sign up or sign in to iflix because they get instant access to the platform’s largest library of top Hollywood, Asian, regional, and local TV shows and movies upon one tap of the app. iflix can now identify the subscribers’ credentials and automatically connect them to iflix’s service and content sans the hassles of initial or repetitive registration, confirmation, or sign-ins.

Grove also emphasized iflix’s new offline viewing feature that allows Smart subscribers to keep their downloaded contents for seven days. Users may now download their chosen TV series and films and have the option to watch them again later offline or when the time is more convenient for the user. This feature provides subscribers more elbow room to live the Smart Life at an extremely personal pace. Aside from the special perks mentioned above, new subscribers will also receive a complimentary 30-day trial with full access to iflix’s world-class services, features and content with no credit card or payment details required. For more information on this and Smart’s other offers geared to fuel the passion-driven lifestyles of digital Filipinos today, please visit http://smart.com. ph/Pages/smartlife/entertainment and smart.com.ph/iflix.

OC Cleaners on EVE

Neat freaks aNd psyChiCs oN eVe More dirt, grime and hugely challenging cleans are coming your way! Follow a group of admittedly obsessive cleaners as they hop from house to house, all of which are in dire need of a major cleanup. Together, these people with such contrasting compulsions will explore how their different behaviors affect their lives. Catch the new season of Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 8:10 p.m. Fridays. Meanwhile, Theresa Caputo gathers the whole family for a charity event at her dad’s firehouse, where she and Larry dress up as Mr. & Mrs. Clause. With all of her capability, Theresa gives people the ultimate of gifts - reuniting people with their deceased loved ones. She reconnects a grieving couple with their son and reunites a single mom with the husband she lost to cancer. Be sure not to miss out on heartfelt reunions and merry celebrations in the holiday special of Long Island Medium, premiering 9 p.m. Dec. 24. This month, young designers and fashion victims take over TLC The fashion industry is in need of fresh ideas. Now it’s time for the kids to step up and show what they’ve got. Hosted by Vanessa Simmons and featuring judges Christian Siriano, Gina Kelly, Jasmine Snow, and Ingrid Nilsen, watch as 7-14 year old designers battle it out in style in Project Runway: Threads, a spin-off airing 10 p.m. Thursdays.