The Standard - 2016 January 20 - Wednesday

VOL. XXIX NO. 342 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 WEDNESDay : JaNUaRy 20, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Poe makes case to Supreme Court

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OSMEÑA: ENRILE WANTS REVENGE

By Macon Ramos-araneta and Sandy araneta

SENATE Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile only wants to resume hearings on the Mamasapano massacre to exact revenge on President Benigno Aquino III, who “persecuted and sent him to jail” over the P10-billion pork barrel scam, Senator Sergio Osmeña III said Tuesday.

Osmeña questioned Enrile’s assertion that there was no political color when he sought a reopening of the Senate investigation by the public order committee chaired

by Senator Grace Poe. “Definitely, there is political color,” said Osmeña, a frequent critic of the President.

Asked if Enrile’s move would favor any candidate, Osmeña replied: “I don’t think Johnny [Enrile] cares too much about that.”

“Johnny wants to hurt Pnoy [Aquino], maybe put him in a stockade. I don’t think he is doing this as a favor to anybody,” Osmeña said.

He said if Enrile can prove before the Senate that the President “actively and directly” involved himself in Operation Exodus, the ill-fated covert police operation that claimed the lives of 44 police commandos, that would hurt the President and destroy his legacy.

Osmeña said it was uncertain if any explosive revelations at the Senate would also hurt the administration candidates.

Osmeña said he didn’t see the need for the President to go to the Senate to answer questions to preserve the dignity of his office.

“We don’t want him to be subjected to that,” he said.

Enrile shrugged off Osmeña’s assessment and said his colleague should simply wait for his questions at the resumption of the hearings on Jan. 27. He said it was difficult to pass judgment on one’s peers.

Enrile also said that while some witnesses volunteered to come forward to testify, he said he does not need to call them, saying he had sufficient evidence to prove the President’s direct hand in planning Next page

Rally. Activists rally outside the Senate in Pasay City in support of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law on Tuesday. Lino SantoS

Aquino not misled by SSS data —Palace

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IS supporters detonate bomb in Basilan tan chief of police said the bomb went off on the left side of the main entrance ARMED men believed to be members to the terminal in Barangay Kulay Bato of a local terrorist group with links to at 9:02 a.m. the Islamic State detonated a bomb The explosion damaged a water tank Tuesday in a port terminal in Lamitan, and shattered windows at the terminal Basilan, even as the military finally ad- but nobody was reported hurt. mitted the presence of nine foreign terThe blast came a day after Armed rorists in the country.

Forces chief Gen. Hernando Iriberri Senior Insp. Gean Gallardo, Lami- confirmed that at least nine foreign ter-

By Francisco tuyay

rorist have sought sanctuary in Mindanao for years, assisting local terror units in bomb making techniques.

Iriberri flew to Mindanao shortly after the Jakarta, Indonesia bombing, emphasizing the need for security forces to increase pressure on the Abu Sayyaf Group and other militants coddling foreign terrorists in Basilan, Sulu and Central Mindanao.

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Osmeña...

From A1

Meeting. Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II attends a meeting at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City on Tuesday. Danny Pata

Aquino not misled by SSS, Malacañang says

By Sandy araneta

THE Palace said Tuesday it was confident that President Benigno Aquino III was given the correct data by the Social Security System after lawmakers questioned the figures he used to justify vetoing a bill that would have raised pensions for 2.1 million retirees by P2,000 a month.

“In all instances the SSS has been transparent in giving all data and this has been open to public scrutiny,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in defending the presidential veto, which has come under heavy criticism.

“There are several details that need to be scrutinized. But it is clear and simple… First of all, the P2,000 increase in monthly pension to 2.1 million

IS...

From A1 Of the nine foreign terrorists, four were Malaysian nationals identified as University Malaya lecturer Mahmud bin Ahmad, former Selayang Municipal Council employee Muhammad Joraimee Bin Awang Raimee, Mohammad Amin Baco and Jeknal bin Adil.

Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said their compatriots who were enlisted by the Islamic State fled to Mindanao after an intensified crackdown was launched against them in 2013.

Ahmad said the Islamic militants are associated with Daulah

pensioners for 13 months a year—13 months is given for the pension—the total cash outflow is P56 billion,” Coloma said.

“Compared to the regular profit of the SSS from investment income, there would be a deficit or shortage of P16 billion to P26 billion a year,” Coloma said, noting that this would deplete the SSS funds in 13 years or by 2029.

Coloma also fended off criticism that the SSS could not pay the higher pensions because it had been remiss in its collections.

He said that from 2000 to 2011, the SSS contributions were not enough to pay for its operating expenses and member benefits. This changed from 2012 to 2015, he said, when there was a contribution surplus of almost P10 billion.

He also said the administration had managed to extend the actuarial life of the investment reserve fund from 2039 to 2042.

Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on Tuesday urged SSS chief executive and president Emilio de Quiros Jr. to reconsider his outright rejection of a pension increase

Islamiyah Asia Tenggara (Southeast Asia Islamiya Network) with links to IS. In January 2015, Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir was killed in an encounter with Special Action Force commandos in the illfated Operation Exodus in Mamasapano, where 44 policemen were killed.

Army troopers also killed an Indonesian terrorist, Sucipto Ibrahim Ali, a member of the Mujahidin Indonesia Timur, along with six Filipino militants, as well as Moho Najib bin Husen last year.

Iriberri said it was not clear if the ASG was receiving funding from IS and other terrorist organizations, including those operating in neighboring Asian countries.

in the remaining six months of the Aquino administration.

Romualdez said the SSS should not ignore its more than 2-million pensioners, who were disappointed when Aquino vetoed the bill seeking to increase their monthly pensions by P2,000.

He said De Quiros’ outright rejection of a pension hike was “lamentable” and showed a lack of sensitivity or malasakit in his approach to public service.

“Why not first discuss and consult Congress on the possible ‘win-win’ solution like reducing the proposed across-the-board increase of pension to P1,000?” Romualdez, head of the House independent minority bloc, said.

“Our challenge is for the SSS and the government to reconsider their position. A small amount of increase is better than totally ignoring the pensioners,” Romualdez said.

“We have over two million SSS pensioners who are in their sunset years and may not be benefitting from government’s dole program despite their huge contributions in the nation-building before,” Romualdez said. With Maricel V. Cruz

He also said they are investigating reports that an Indonesian terrorist who spearheaded the attack in Jakarta might have fled to Mindanao and eventually established an alliance with the bandits.

A man was questioned then released in the Lamitan bombing, police said.

The terminal explosion came four days after government troops recovered and disarmed three bombs from an abandoned boat off Sacol Island in Zamboanga City on Saturday.

Security forces last week went on full alert nationwide and had enforced stricter security measures, particularly in Mindanao, after the attacks in Jakarta that left eight people, including four ter-

and executing the botched operation. He again said the President did nothing to save the 44 SAF commandos.

He refused to say what the evidence was, however.

“I must be stupid to answer that question. I will not tell you what I have.

If I’m playing poker, I will not show you my card,” he said.

The Palace said Tuesday that President Aquino did everything he could as commander-in-chief to prevent the massacre in Mamasapano.

“The President said he did what he had to do as commander-in-chief.

He did what he could as President, concerned government officials also did what they could, and these were already revealed and disclosed during the past.

There were also several investigations done regarding this,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. He also cited the President’s stated willingness to look at “alternative versions” of the events in Mamasapano.

“That is why we said that in all opportunities, the government is always open and transparent in our position regarding this issue and ready to give explanations during the right occasion and the right time,” said Coloma.

Coloma also said Aquino had delivered many speeches and public statements in which he disclosed what he knew regarding the Mamasapano massacre. And in all occasions, the government has been open and remains open in giving out information, he said.

Coloma reiterated that the government was ready to answer all questions before the Senate.

Militant groups, meanwhile, are preparing a big rally on Monday, Jan. 25, to mark the first anniversary of the Mamasapano massacre.

Youth group Anakbayan will be spearheading

rorists, dead.

The Palace said Tuesday it was still waiting for information from the Cabinet security cluster to determine if the firearms used in the Jakarta attacks really came from the Philippines, as Indonesian police believe.

“There is a regular exchange of information from member countries of the Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations], especially among the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. “Our security forces are closely coordinating with their counterparts regarding this,” said Coloma.

An Indonesian agency investigating cash transfers allegedly

the protests as the Senate reopens the Mamasapano probe on Jan. 27.

The group called President Aquino the “mastermind,” saying he and his US masters should be made accountable for the death of 44 SAF policemen, Moro rebels, and civilians in the covert operation.

Vencer Crisostomo, Anakbayan chairman, said the reopening of the investigation on Jan. 27 is a welcome development that should disclose new information that can supplement the previous committee report of Poe. “The latest revelations

by Senator Enrile reaffirm what BS Aquino has been denying for so long: that he was directly involved in the planning, preparations, and actual monitoring of the Mamasapano offensive and that he did nothing while the SAF were being slaughtered,” he said.

Crisostomo urged the Senate to uphold its independence against attempts by Aquino to stop the resumption of the hearings. He said the Senate must not allow the Aquino administration to “yellow-wash” and cover up the truth about Mamasapano.

“Many questions remain unanswered. The Senate should look into the US’ leading role in the Mamasapano carnage. The Aquino government colluded with US military forces in what was essentially an American operation that used Filipino troops as cannon-fodder,” said Crisostomo.

He said that Cabinet members who took part in the grand cover-up of Aquino’s crimes should likewise be held responsible in light of Senator Enrile’s recent revelations about Cabinet members who did not disclose all the facts in last year’s hearings.

Some of the Cabinet members who attended the hearings were former Interior secretary Manuel Roxas II, former Justice secretary Leila de Lima, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles. With Joel E. Zurbano

channeled to fund terrorist activities in the country has discovered that some money was used to buy weapons from the Philippines, a report said on Tuesday.

The report noted that Muhammad Yusuf, chief of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center, had said that the money had first been transferred by “an individual from a neighboring country in the south [of Indonesia]” to his wife’s and his own account in Indonesia.

“The money then went to a foundation that later sent it to an individual identified only by his initial H,” Yusuf said. This money was later used to buy weapons from an arms supplier in the Philippines, he said. With Sandy araneta

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Poe makes case before high court SENATOR Grace Poe’s lawyer on Tuesday appealed to the Supreme Court justices to overturn the two decisions of the Commission on Elections canceling her Certificate of Candidacy and allow her to run for president in the May elections.

Arrival. Senator Grace Poe arrives at the Supreme Court on Monday to attend the oral arguments on the disqualification cases against her. Lino SAntoS

Top NPC officials sit down with Duterte THE Nationalist People’s Coalition, the nation’s second largest political party, will announce its presidential bet “just before the official start of the campaign period,” an official said Monday night.

Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, the party’s spokesman, made the statement as its top members finally “met” with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who filed his Certificate of Candidacy “very late.”

“We were anticipating early on that Mayor Duterte would declare his own presidential bid, that’s why the decision making-process is taking too long,” Enverga told reporters.

“The flow was good, we are thanking Mayor Rody Duterte for accepting our invitation. It was a very dynamic discussion.”

Enverga said Duterte discussed improving the peace-and-order situation in the country if he was elected president, with his platform anchored on battling drugs, crime and corruption.

Duterte also discussed changing the protective economic provisions in the constitution.

He described his meeting with NPC

stalwarts as “jovial and sometimes serious.” He added that he arrived at the meeting with almost no expectations.

“I was not really expecting anything— an endorsement being adopted as a presidential candidate. It’s really their call, not mine,” Duterte said.

He earlier admitted that he needed more campaign money for the presidency.

The NPC had earlier met with administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Grace Poe, who is the top choice of many NPC members despite the string of disqualification cases thrown against her.

Enverga said the NPC’s 15-member executive committee was in-charge of picking the presidential candidate they would be supporting in this year’s elections.

He said despite Poe’s legal hurdles before the Supreme Court, many of the party’s members were still “considering Senator Poe to be a choice, a top choice really.”

But another highly placed source in the NPC said that while they were still

considering to “coalesce” with the ruling Liberal Party to support the candidacy of its standard bearer Manuel Roxas II, the chances were very unlikely.

Senator Vicente Sotto III had earlier said the party would “very likely” throw its support behind Poe because it would no longer be a “second-class citizen” in an alliance with other political parties.

“Because Grace is an independent candidate, it’s very inviting for the NPC to support her because we will be the lead political party,” Sotto said.

“You must remember that other members think that if we support the candidate of another political party, we might become second-class citizens to any other political party.”

Enverga said “king-maker” Danding Cojuangco, the party’s chairman emeritus, would not participate much in the decision-making as far as the presidency was concerned.

His son, Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, is lobbying for the NPC members to support the candidacy of Vice President Jejomar Binay. John Paolo Bencito

Alex Poblador insisted that the poll body committed “grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction” when it ruled that Poe committed “material misrepresentations” in her CoC regarding her citizenship and residency.

“The Comelec decisions should be reversed for having been issued with grave abuse of discretion,” Poblador said.

During the oral arguments presided over by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Poblador also insisted that Poe was qualified to run for president because she was a naturalborn Filipino citizen and had lived in the Philippines for more than 10 years.

He argued that, based on international laws, an abandoned child of unknown parents was a citizen of the country where the child had been found contrary to her opponents’ position that a foundling is stateless.

Poblador said Poe, who was found in a church in Jaro, Iloilo, when she was an infant, had intended to permanently reside in the country in 2004 right after her father died.

He noted that May 2005, when Poe returned to the Philippines, should be the

reckoning day of the start of her residence in the country.

He said Poe “acted in good faith” when she stated in her CoC that she was a natural-born citizen and would have been a resident of the Philippines for “10 years and 11 months” by this year’s elections on May 9.

Contrary to the Comelec’s claim, Poblador said, there was “no deliberate intent” on her part to mislead the electorate on her citizenship and residency.

He maintained that Poe, although a foundling, was a natural-born citizen based on the generally accepted principle of international law that presumed foundlings to be naturalborn citizens of the country where they were found.

Poblador said Poe’s accusers failed to establish a prima facie case that her parents were not Filipinos since the “burden of proof is in the first instance with the party who initiates action.”

“The burden of proof is on the [accusers] because [Poe] is presumed naturalborn. Foundlings are Filipinos because their parents are presumed Filipinos.

She is a natural-born Filipino,” Poblador said. Rey e. Requejo

...but party says it may back Grace’s bid THE Nationalist People’s Coalition, the country’s second largest political party, has yet to make up its mind on which presidential candidate to support in this year’s elections but on Tuesday hinted that Senator Grace Poe remained the best choice for the position.

Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, the party’s spokesman, made the statement a day after the NPC met with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte Monday night.

“So far, the top choice is Senator Grace Poe,” Enverga told reporters, adding the NPC would announce its fi-

nal choice on Feb. 8—a day before the start of the election campaign period.

Enverga said the NPC was confident Poe would be able to run for president amid the questions on her citizenship.

“We believe that she is qualified to run,” Enverga said.

“The TRO [temporary restraining order] given by the Supreme Court in some ways validates there was grave abuse of authority by the Commission on Elections [when it canceled Poe’s Certificate of Candidacy].”

After meeting with Duterte, Enverga said, the party

would be able to decide to whom to support for president as it had also met with Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Poe. He said the party members’ general sentiment on Duterte during the meeting was “difficult.” “[Right now], it’s very much difficult to get a sense of the impression of our members as far as Mayor Duterte is concerned,” Enverga said.

“Probably in the coming days, that will be the only time for us to get a true feel from our members on what

they think of Duterte.”

Earlier, Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, one of Duterte’s staunchest supporters in the House of Representatives, said Duterte repeated his vow to fight crime and corruption during his meeting with NPC members.

“Mayor Rody [Duterte] clearly spelled out his plans to eradicate the drug problem and crush crime within three to six months upon assumption of the Office of the President,” Nograles said.

He said Duterte also reiterated his plan to push for federalism in case he was elected president. Maricel V. cruz

Press briefing. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte talks to

reporters after his meeting with the members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition Monday night. John PAoLo Bencito

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San Juan mayor’s motives scored

By John Paolo Bencito

Political wake. President Benigno S. Aquino III visits the wake of Curita Bamba Villar, the 92-year-old mother of Senator Manny Villar. MALACAÑANG PHOTO

Comelec concerned

by Mindanao attacks

By Rey E. Requejo, Sandy Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz THE Commission on Elections has expressed apprehension on the series of bombings of transmission towers in Mindanao and its possible efffect on the May 9 national and local elections.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the Comelec is deeply concerned on possible power outages during the Election Day, particular during the voting and counting.

“We are very concerned about the availability of power in the elections,” Jimenez said. “It will have a huge impact on the election process itself. The way

the scheme of things will be affected because of the power outages during elections, then that would probably be predisposed to other problems.”

“Again, the issue is not with the elections, per se. It’s with the environment of the elections when it becomes a little complicated,” he added.

The Comelec official warned

that blackouts on elections day may lead to several electionrelated problems, including violence against voters, violence against teachers, vandalism, breaking into a locked precincts and ballot snatching.

“In the past, you have noticed how we extended voting hours up to 7 p.m. And it gets really dark out there when there is no other source of light. It can get really intimidating,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez admitted that each vote counting machine has a battery supply that is good for 14 to 15 hours while each voting center has been assigned one generator set.

“If there is a blackout, there

is no problem because of the batteries of the machines. We also provide generator sets as part of Plan B,” he said.

At the same time, President Benigno Aquino III ordered the military and police to prioritize the security of transmission towers of the NGCP after the series of bombings in Mindanao, Malacañang said Tuesday.

“When the President went to Davao for an inauguration of additional power generation facilities, he said during a press conference that he ordered for the creation of an inter-agency action regarding this issue,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. during a Palace press briefing.

SAN Juan Vice Mayor Francis Zamora questioned the motive of Mayor Guia Gomez in declaring support for Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II after she repeatedly said she would support Senator Grace Poe who is supposedly a family friend.

“Everyone heard the statements of Mayor Guia and they were all praises for Senator Grace, they pointed to the fact that she is the daughter of Fernando Poe Jr., they have been long time friends and supported her father’s candidacy,” Zamora said.

So why, Zamora asked, did Gomez declared her support for Roxas during the weekly flagraising ceremony in San Juan City Hall on Monday.

“Secretary Mar, thank you for your concern, not only for me, but for the people of San Juan.

We owe it to you that we were able to bring thousands of San Juaneños previously living in danger zone areas to a better life with our Oplan Likas,” Gomez said.

Zamora pointed out that Gomez had earlier declared her support for Poe, adoptive daughter of the late movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., a close friend of former President and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

“I will support her if she declares [for the presidency] because she is the god sister of my son and we are very close,” Gomez earlier said.

“I throw back the question to them, they were all praises for her in June but what happened now?” he added.

But another highly placed source in the city hall told The Standard that Gomez may have supported Roxas instead of Poe due to the pending cases of her son, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, who was indicted for corruption.

“Maybe they’re trying to pull a cover-up because the Ombudsman has already suspended some city officials for six months,” the source said.

200 ‘exiled’ BI officers recalled

By Vito Barcelo AT LEAST 200 immigration officers who were reassigned to the different ports and satellite stations of the Bureau of Immigration in the country were recalled and ordered back to their mother units.

New BI Commissioner Rolando Geron Jr. ordered the recall of the 200 IOs reassigned by former BI chief Siegfred Mison to weed out alleged scalawags as part of the Mison’s “Good Guys In, Bad Guys Out” program Some of the IOs who were assigned to Manila were detailed to Zamboanga or other parts of Luzon and Visayas at their own expenses. Most of the IOs claimed

that they were reassigned to farflung provinces without extra allowances for housing and food.

Geron said he will meet with government agencies and the Inter Agency Council Against Trafficking at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to strengthen the fight against human trafficking.

The new BI chief also appealed to overseas-bound Filipino workers and passengers to prepare all the necessary documents needed by the bureau to avoid any hassle.

The recall of the IOs came after Geron fired more than 20 retired military intelligence officers who were purportedly contracted to “spy” on employees suspected of involvement in corrupt practices.

The retired intelligence officers were among the 200 contractual workers hired by Mison, who created a counterintelligence unit at the Naia.

The practice of employing retired uniformed men was started during the time of former BI chief, retired military chief Ricardo David Jr. and continued by Mison, who expanded the role of the former to include “spying” on BI employees.

Consequently, many BI employees who were subjects of derogatory reports by these “spies” were slapped with administrative cases and disciplinary actions ranging for preventive suspension to being reassigned to far-flung ports of the archipelago.

New warship. The Indonesian-made naval warship is seen at its

shipyard in Surabaya in eastern Java during turnover ceremony led by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Indonesian counterpart Ryamizard Ryacudu. The strategic sealift vessel warship, built by PT PAL Indonesia, is the first of the two vessels ordered by the Philippines at a cost of $90 million. AFP PHOTO

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PNoy signs SK reform measure

By Sandy Araneta

In mourning. Students of UP Manila light candles to denounce the killing of a lumad student on Sunday by alleged members of the militarybacked Alamara militia in Talaingod town in Davao del Norte. DANNY PATA

Senate hikes tax-exempt value of balikbayan boxes

By Macon Araneta

THE tax-exempt value of pasalubong cargo brought in or sent by Filipinos overseas was raised to P150,000 with the passage of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, said Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.

Section 800 of the proposed CMTA provides that “residents of the Philippines, Overseas Filipino Workers, other Filipinos while residing abroad or in their return to the Philippines shall be allowed to bring in or send to their families or relatives in the Philippines balikbayan boxes which shall be exempt from duties and taxes, “ Recto said, The “total dutiable value” of the boxes shall not exceed P150,000. He said the privilege can only be enjoyed “up to three times in a calendar year,” Recto said, quoting the proposed law.

“This means that an OFW can send two boxes at the same time provided that their total worth is not more than P150,000. That will be counted as one shipment,” Recto said.

The boxes, however, must contain “personal and house-

hold effects only and shall neither be in commercial quantities, nor intended for barter, sale or for hire,” the said section further reads.

“This is to prevent senders from abusing this privilege.

With this privilege comes the duty to observe the law. And it also comes with penalties so that smugglers won’t take advantage of it,” Recto explained.

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. welcomed the tax exemption for balikbayan boxes of OFWs as he expressed hope the bicameral conference committee will meet soon to speed up the process of the bill’s signing into law.

“Finally we have given back our OFWs a concrete manifestation that we recognize them as modern day heroes for their sacrifices and significant contribu-

tions to our economy, instead of merely paying them lip-service,” said Marcos.

Earlier, Marcos opposed the random inspection policy implemented last year by the Bureau of Customs, which included opening of balikbayan boxes suspected of containing smuggled goods.

“If the bicameral conference committee can work fast to harmonize the House and the Senate version our OFWs will enjoy the benefits of this law very soon.

I just hope the President won’t veto the tax exemption for balikbayan boxes as he did with the increase in SSS [Social Security System] pension,” said Marcos.

The bill, approved on third reading in the Senate, also includes a provision indexing rates to inflation, “so that it will not take another quarter-of-a-century to adjust the tax-exempt ceiling for balikbayan boxes,” Recto said.

Although the provision on the tax treatment of balikbayan boxes is but one of the many in the 311-page bill, “it is one that is most awaited by Overseas Filipino Workers [OFWs],” Recto said.

“And we can now report to

them that the Balikbayan Box Law has passed the Senate,” Recto said.

Recto filed Senate Bill 2913, or what he dubbed the “BBL”, in August last year after a public outcry over a Bureau of Customs’ plan to open and inspect balikbayan boxes revealed outdated regulations, one of which taxes any box whose contents is worth more than P10,000.

The BBL was later incorporated into the CMTA as Section 800

by Senator Sonny Angara, chair of the Senate Ways and Means committee.

Every three years after the effectivity of this Act, he said the Secretary of Finance, upon recommendation of the Commissioner (of Customs), shall review the value herein stated and shall adjust its present value using the Consumer Price Index as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Recto said the “antiquated provision” of slapping a 50-percent duty on the value of a balikbayan box in excess of P10,000 was set 28 years ago through then President Corazon Aquino’s Executive Order 206.

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has signed into law the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015 on Jan. 15, 2016, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said on Tuesday.

“The law seeks to strengthen and empower the SK and transform it into a useful conduit for youth involvement in community development,” Coloma said.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez III is one of the principal authors of the bill in the House of Representatives.

Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Youth, earlier said the law includes an anti-dynasty provision which bars relatives of local elected and appointed officials up to the second degree of consanguinity and relatives of national and appointed officials from sitting as SK officials.

The senator is a cousin of the President.

The NYC hailed the anti-dynasty provision as a “big win for political reforms.”

The group said 420,000 youth leaders are expected to be inducted this year.

Each of the 42,000 barangays will be composed of the SK chairperson, seven kagawads, and an appointed secretary and treasurer.

The measure also adjusts the age limit of SK officials from 15 to 17 to 18 to 24 years old.

The senator said this will make them legally capable of entering into contracts and be held accountable and liable for their actions.

The SK Reform Act likewise provides the creation of the Local Youth Development Council, a council that will support the Sangguniang Kabataan and ensure the participation of more youth through youth organizations.

“The reforms in place for SK has just rocked the boat of Philippine politics. Now that the Reform Act has been passed, we will continue to work with our partners to ensure that the necessary structural and capacity building support are ready for the SK,” NYC Chairperson Gio Tingson said.

Tiongson said the NYC is now in the process of crafting the Implementing Rules and Regulations to ensure that such reforms in the SK will be carried out.

House musters quorum, resumes debate on Moro law ceed with the deliberations on the BBL with 175 lawmakers THE House of Representatives present at the session hall—an Tuesday night resumed its de- enough number to declare the liberations on the Palace-backed presence of quorum.

House Speaker Feliciano draft Bangsamoro Basic Law. The House was able to pro- Belmonte Jr. earlier said the

By Maricel V. Cruz

House will finalize amendments to the BBL, embodied in substituted House Bill 4994, or An Act Providing Basic Law for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

The House is expected to pass

the measure at least on second reading before Congress adjourns sessions next month.

The proposed law seeks to abolish the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao by creating a new Bangsamoro

region which will be given additional autonomy.

The BBL’s passage is provided in the peace agreement signed by the Aquino government with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in March last year.

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UP students scoff at program cut

By Rio N. Araja

STUDENTS and faculty members of the University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon City on Tuesday protested the proposed reduction of basic subjects in their General Education program from 45 units to only 21 units.

At a news conference, Danilo Arao, a faculty member and former assistant dean of the College of Mass Communications, and the group’s spokesperson, questioned the university’s plan to set the minimum number of units of GEP to 21 units, saying such would be the shortest GEP not only in the whole UP system and the history of UP, but

also in the whole country.

“If 45 units are currently considered the minimum number of units to successfully achieve the GEP objectives, why reduce it to 21 units? Would 21 units be sufficient?” he asked.

He said it is not true that major courses could adequately address the GEP objectives.

Under the proposal, the university would cut down the number of basic subjects in its curriculum to teach more major subjects, and to pave the way to introduce major courses of specialization that are not only in demand in the country, but also in the global arena.

On Jan. 25, the University Council of UP-Diliman will vote on a resolution to reduce the minimum number of units of its GEP. In 1958, UP reduced its GEP minimum number of units from 63 to 42, but in 2001, there was a slight increase from 42 units to 45 units.

“But now, the proposal is now down to 21 units from 45 units, less than half,” Arao said.

If the resolution is passed, such would be the greatest setback for the university’s GEP in the whole history of UP, he added.

During yesterday opening of regular classes for the school, students from different departments and colleges; Dr. Giovanni Tapang of the College of Science; professor Gerry Lanuza of Contend-UP; Dr. Ramon Guillermo of All UP Academic Employees Union; Arao; Rose Torres-Yu, professor emeritus; Mench Tilendo of Stand-UP; Mico Pangalanan of the Student Regent, and Ben Galil Te of the UPLeague of Filipino Students gathered at the Palma Hall to protest against the GEP revision.

“Why do we have a symbol

of a heart pinned on our shirt?

This is not a pre-Valentine’s [Day] event. Let us not take the GEP proposal for granted.

General education is the heart of the university education. It is the soul. If you remove general education, there will be no life because it is the one that raises the awareness and consciousness of the students to many things in life. We cannot allow our students here in UP to be heart of stones,” Lanuza told the conference.

General education is not only the furniture of the mind to develop skills, capacity, knowledge and understanding, but is also emancipatory in its intent, he said.

“General education is asking itself of its importance. General education asks, why gen-

eral education? That is how intense and sharp it is [in the curriculum],” he added.

According to Lanuza, the solution to a quality education is not the reduction of the minimum units in the basic subjects, but the strengthening of the basic subjects “so that our students would have the stamina to face the challenges outside [the campus].”

“UP as a national university is the vanguard in education is being looked up. If we adopt the reduction, other universities and colleges will follow suit. There will be a bandwagon effect, just like what happened when the UP system implemented an academic calendar shift,” he noted.

New anti-narcs group formed

By Florante S. Solmerin

Recycling. Elmer Dimasaka, 45, pushes a wooden cart filled with recycleable materials that he can sell to junkshops in Manila on Jan. 18, 2016. He earns $2 a day by picking recycleable materials among garbage that he can sell to junkshops. AFP

THE Philippine National Police flaunted its newly formed anti-illegal drugs group with its accomplishments several weeks after it came into being as a replacement for the defunct anti-illegal drug special operations task force.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor said AIDG’s accomplisments include the busting of a bigtime illegal drug group operating in Valenzuela City that led to a series of operations in Metro Manila.

On Monday, PNP chief General Ricardo Marquez pinned the “Medalya ng Kagitingan” (Medal of Merit) on 10 AIDG personnel who figured in the Valenzuela operation.

The awardees were IDG’s Special Operations Unit team leader Inspector Conrado Caragdag Jr., Insp Lito Pirote, Senior Police Officer 4 Leah David, SPO4 Alejandro Gerardo Liwanag, SPO3 Ronald Parreño, SPO2 Jerry Barit, SPO2 Angelito Aguilan,

SPO1 Emmanuel Docena, SPO1 Annalyn Quintana, and PO3 Alejandro Flores.

The drug-bust operation happened on Jan. 12 in Barangay Lawang Bato where two Filipino-Chinese nationals were arrested and 36 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride known as “shabu” with a total amount of P180 million were seized from them.

Three equally important suspects, however, were able to escape.

With this AIDG’s accomplishment, a plaque of appreciation was also awarded to Ismael Fajardo, Director III, and Investigation Agent 5 Joseph Theodore Atila, both from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Following the Valenzuela raid, another AIDG operation on Jan. 15 in Binondo, Manila led to the recovery of 15 kilos of shabu worth P25 million.

The operation also resulted in a brief gunfight between police and suspects that dealt injuries to some members of the arresting team.

PCSO chief chided, defended

By Maricel V. Cruz and Rio Araja A BIT of good news and bad news for chairman Erineo Maliksi of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

An opposition lawmaker on Tuesday took up the cudgels for Maliksi who was criticized for the P2-million medical assistance he allegedly provided to his ailing personal driver.

Maliksi at the same time drew flak over his alleged reappointment of at least 30 consultants despite the supposed lack of agency funds.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, member of the House minority bloc, said every deserving individual like Maliksi’s driver Celestino Ama, who was said to be suffering from a heart ailment, should not be deprived of their right to access much-needed assistance from charitable institutions of government.

“Ama did not lose the right to get medical assistance from the PCSO despite being the driver of Maliksi,” Albano said. “If he is a deserving and qualified indigent patient who has no means to pay for medical expenses, then I don’t see anything wrong why he should not be given the P2 million in PCSO funds.”

“Maliksi’s driver obviously does not live a comfortable life as his boss and so he ran to the

PCSO for a medical assistance,” Albano said. “I believe the PCSO will do the same for other patients who are in the same situation as Ama’s.”

Albano said, however, he doubts Maliksi usedhisinfluenceandpowertofavorhisdriver.

But a transparency watchdog on Tuesday hit out at Maliksi, saying the PCSO chief has a lot of explaining to do for renewing the contracts of 13 agents and 10 consultants.

Jennifer “Joy” Castro, Filipino Alliance for Transparency and Empowerment president, said Maliksi’s agency was already running out of funds for continued provision of financial assistance to indigent patients.

“There is a rationalization going on among the PCSO staff. How come Maliksi could be able to reappoint people even if the agency’s funds are getting depleted and depleted? Where is he getting the money to pay such workers?” she asked.

According to Castro, based on the research of FATE, there were other 23 reappointed personnel to receive wages until March 31.

Since Maliksi’s assumption into office in April 2015, at least 21 confidential agents, six contractual consultants, five job orders and two special agents were hired effective April 23, 2015.

Nursing moms. Mothers feed their babies at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Tuesday, Jan. 19 as the government has approved the bill increasing the paid maternity leave for government and private sector workers from 60 days to 100 days.

DANNY PATA

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Health Dept says 12 Pinays die of cervical cancer daily

By A. Perez Rimando PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur—At least 12 Filipino women succumb to cervical cancer every day, a Department of Health official said here on Tuesday.

Dr. Guadalupe t. Ramiso told local stakeholders during a meeting on Human Papilloma Virus at Mardale Hotel here that some 6,000 Filipino females “are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually and 4,396 of them die from the ailment during the period.”

Ramiso noted that a recent DoH survey showed the disease ranks second to breast cancer which affects women of 1445 years old, adding that “practically all cervical cancers are caused by some type of HPV infection which usually affects women in their 40s to 50s and seldom those below 30. she cited a United states Centers for Diseases Control study which reported that “women will get at least one HPV infection in their lifetime and 75 percent of invasive cervical cancers are attributed to the so-called HPVs 16 or 18 types that account for more than 10 percent of cervical cancers worldwide.” the DoH official further noted that the agency’s 2013 Young Adult Fertility and sexuality survey revealed that 1 to 3 Filipino youth engage in premarital sex with the males outnumbering the females, although “some females as young as 15 years old have begun childbearing.”

Ramiso told her listeners that the Health Department continues to conduct a nationwide HPV vaccination for all Grade 4 girl pupils in priority provinces, including Zamboanga del sur in Region 9, stressing that the vaccination, to be held in city or municipal health centers, is effective when given during childhood or adolescent “before sexual debut when HPV infection is still nil and the girls’ immune system is at its strongest to mount a robust response to the vaccine.”

Brooms, anyone? A woman peddles brooms in Sumilao, Bukidnon. LANCE BACONGUIS

A7 Local paper set to honor North Luzon newsmakers At leAst 30 newsmakers from Northern luzon will be honored by the Capitol Post regional newsweekly thursday evening at the President Hotel in lingayen, Pangasinan during its 2nd anniversary celebration. led by former President His excellency Fidel V. Ramos and speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., the honorees will be cited for their outstanding contributions to national growth and development, said Mita sison-Duque, Capitol Post publisher.

Other notable Ilocanos who will be honored are former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, senators Grace Poe and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Rev. luis Antonio tagle. the birth of the paper, Duque said was inspired by her late father, former Justice Porfirio V. sison, a former journalist in the 30s and 40s.

Former Manila Bulletin reporter Jun Velasco is the paper’s editor in chief.

Its ofice is located at the President Hotel, birthplace of former President Ramos, along Maramba Boulevard, named after Pangasinan ‘s first governor Don Daniel Maramba.

Other honorees are Pangasinan Gov. Amado espino Jr., Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, Ilocos sur Gov. Ryan luis singson, Former Rep Mark Cojuangco, PNP Chief Ricardo C. Marquez, lyceum Northwestern University president Francisco t. Duque III, Colegio de Dagupan president Dr. Voltaire Arzadon, Board Member Amado “Pogi” espino III, Rep. Gina de Venecia, Rep. leopoldo Bataoil, secretary Antonio Villar Jr., Dr. Cezar t. Quiambao, engineer Rosendo so, Party-list Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz, director Roland Mejia, Human Rights lawyer lorna Kapunan, University of the Philippines vice president Prospero de Vera, Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez, Vice Mayor Mark Brian lim, samahang Ilocano International chairman-lawyer Julius Magno, wellness specialist edilberto “eddie” Quinto, former tour of luzon champion Jesus Garcia Jr., Harvent school founder Margarita V. Hamada, and national fishing leader eduardo Maramba.

Public Works improves 16 access roads to Region 1 tourism spots tHe Department of Public Works and Highways improved 16 access roads leading to tourism spots in Region 1 in 2015 under the DPWHDepartment of tourism Convergence Program.

In his report to Public Works secretary Rogelio l. singson, Region 1 Director Melanio C. Briosos said the 16 road projects had a total cost of P1.1 billion. “tourists now travel conveniently to see closely and feel the breeze brought by the wellknown wind turbines in Bangui town of Ilocos Norte with the completion of P63 million construction and improvement of Bantoc-suyo-Baruyen access road leading to the Bangui Wind Farm situated along the shoreline of Bangui Bay. We

also have paved roads to Darna Falls, tambobong Beach and more,” said Briosos.

Briosos said the other tourism roads that were improved are the following: access road leading to Napidad View Deck and Water Falls in takulao, Mataltala and Pao, Dumalneg, Ilocos Norte costing P32 million; P43 million Aringay-tubao Alternate Road leading to Asin Hot spring and Baguio City Aringay-tubao and P41 millionNaguilian-Bagulin Road leading to tuddingan Falls and Kedlap Burial Cave, Naguilian-Bagulin in la Union.

In Ilocos Norte, DPWH completed the following contracts: the P32-million lanaosan Isidro Road leading to Bolo

River Dam and Darna Falls Road in Dumalneg; the P48million road leading to Maranum Falls and sky Plaza in Natividad; the P13-million road leading to laoag-la Paz sand Dunes in laoag City; P100million Jct. Ilocos Norte-Abra Road leading to tubeg Viewdeck, Imelda Park, Hercules Mine Access to Mt. sicapno Camp site in Nueva era; P197million Maoini-Baduang-saud Road leading to saud Beach and Patapat Viaduct in Pagudpud; and the P100-million Pancian, Pagudpud-Adams Road leading to different Waterfalls in the municipality of Adams. singson said tourists may expect better roads for Ilocos Region this 2016 with the construction of more access roads leading to tourist attractions.

Burn. Members of an armed Christian group calling themselves Red God’s defenders (Pulahan) set on fire a flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Central Mindanao.

MARk NAvALES

W E D N E S D AY : J A N u A R Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDiToR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

Jakarta and mamasapano BACK ChAnneL ALeJAnDRo DeL RosARio

[ EDI TORI A L ]

The Time is now WHEN it comes to proposals to ease the economic burden on working-class Filipinos, the President has a standard excuse these days for going the other way. Let us not do what is politically expedient or popular just because it is an election year, he likes to say. Let us do what is right.

This was what he said last year when he rejected a bill to reduce personal income taxes— already among the highest in Southeast Asia. Never mind if the move would bring welcome relief to millions of overtaxed workers, it would also result in lost tax revenues of P30 billion and would hurt the country’s credit rating, the President said. A Palace spokesperson added that in rejecting the tax proposal, the President was not concerned with popularity, but rather the long-term effects of his actions on other government programs, which might lose their funding.

The President returned to this theme last week, when he vetoed a bill that would have added P2,000 across the board to Social Security System pensions for some two million retirees.

Defending his decision, Aquino said it would have been easier to sign the bill, which might help his candidates get elected this year. But this, he said, would deplete the SSS fund and hurt its 31-million members.

Mr. Aquino’s anointed candidate, former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, has fallen in lockstep behind the President on both issues—rejecting the bill to lower income tax rates and defending the President’s veto of the SSS pension hike.

“All of our decisions and actions will have an effect,” Roxas said. “What is important here is the reason, and I would agree and support that it isn’t correct...that for political points, because we have elections, that we will destroy the future of more than 31 million who contribute to the SSS.” In claiming to take the high road, the President and Roxas imply that those who favor the tax cuts and the pension hike are doing so merely to pander to the public and to gain votes.

The view is both flawed and supercilious, and overlooks the fact that we have a popular democracy and that all politicians—even the ones in power—must answer to the people every three years by way of elections.

We believe, in fact, that this is precisely the time to make our voices heard and to politicize these issues of taxation and pension benefits. There is no better time to compel each candidate to commit to a course of action that would ease the financial burden of millions of workers.

To suggest that the administration candidates are somehow above all this is arrogant and callous—and clearly marks the kind of people we should not be voting into office again.

Batasan miracle

A mirAcle happened last night at the House of representatives: 175 congressmen showed up, mustering a quorum that had not been seen in a long, long time.

The lawmakers arrived to continue deliberations on the proposed—and much-delayed, by malacañang’s timetable— Bangsamoro Basic law. Yes, after staying away from the Batasan for the longest time,

congressmen trooped in droves to the House, even if there remain, by today, only seven session days to pass President Noynoy Aquino’s favorite piece of legislation by far.

The new deadline, according to House leaders, is to pass BBl “on second reading, at least,” before congress ends its sessions and its members concentrate full time on reelecting themselves —or replacing themselves with their relatives—in the may 9 elections. (This will not amount to anything, of course, unless the Senate passes its own BBl measure and reconciles it with the approved House version— something that not even the

most optimistic of Palace officials would dare predict.)

Of course, the members of congress have already been staying away from the House because they have to campaign in their districts. The only way they could be dragged away from the job of getting elected, at this point, is because they have come to terms with BBl’s chief proponent, Aquino.

What has been promised is not really difficult to imagine.

What seems to have been settled is how much and how long it will take to be delivered. i’m pretty sure the congressmen didn’t suddenly realize that the passage of the

it’s all about the money, really, money that will come in handy during the campaign.

BBl means peace for mindanao, as both malacañang and the moro islamic liberation Front have long been saying. it’s all about the money, really, money that will come in handy during the campaign.

That’s always been the reason why no quorum has been seen in the House, after all. And if you think otherwise, you’re

A9

really hopeless. *** You know malacañang is getting antsy about Senator Juan Ponce enrile’s move to reopen the investigation of the mamasapano massacre when it sends its chief Senate enforcer, Senate President Franklin Drilon, to try to suppress the probe. Drilon on monday

attempted to block enrile’s move to restart the proceedings by warning of a possible conflict in the completed report of the committee headed by Senator Grace Poe, thankfully to no avail.

But enrile, the 92-year-old veteran politician, will not be denied, of course.

Drilon faded into the background once it was pointed out to him that the results of the enrile investigation would be appended as a supplement to the Poe committee report, instead of being inserted into it like an amendment.

This is not to say that Drilon and his

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fellow Palace-oriented senators have stopped trying to suppress enrile’s attempt to reopen the investigation.

Far from it.

Yesterday, Senator Serge Osmeña joined the fray, claiming that enrile only wants to exact revenge from President Noynoy Aquino for allowing him to be detained for more than a year on corruption charges. enrile’s reply to Osmeña applied to Drilon, as well.

Osmeña, enrile said, has no business prejudging evidence that he has not even heard yet. Touche. i expect other senators allied

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with Aquino to come out of the woodwork to run interference for the President, as Jan. 27, the date set for the reopening of the investigation, approaches. Outside of the Senate, in the press and in social media, the propagandists of the Palace can also be expected to go after enrile with everything they’ve got, in order to discredit both him and the evidence and witnesses that he will present.

But perhaps they should hold their fire until they see what’s coming down 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

THree columns back, we wrote about the possible terrorist attack by iSiS in metro manila’s shopping malls.

Some readers thought i was being an alarmist.That threat now looms larger after the terrorist attack in Jakarta, the capital of the most populous muslim nation in the world. eight people were killed, including five of the gunmen who opened fire and exploded bombs in downtown Jakarta’s busy area where several foreign embassies, shops and a Starbucks café were located. Nineteen civilians were also wounded in the carnage.

There is an interwoven thread running along Jakarta, manila and the incident in mamasapano, maguindanao where the malaysian terrorist marwan was killed, including 44 of the PNP-SAF police commandos.

Again, skeptics will probably not see the connection.

Why would iSiS target the Philippines? For one, the country has a close military alliance with the United States whose warplanes and drones have been hitting iSiS strongholds in Syria and iraq. Second, a secessionist movement in mindanao offers a fertile ground for iS recruits. These are the geopolitical dynamics that make for a deadly mix to put the Philippines on iSiS’ to-do list. if a muslim nation like indonesia was not spared from an iS strike, why not a predominantly catholic country like the Philippines? indonesia came into the iS crosshairs as a plan to expand its theater of operations to Southeast Asia even as it feels the heat from US, French and British air strikes on their home grounds. indonesia’s 250 million muslims are moderate followers of islam unlike the fundamentalist iS that seeks to radicalize them.

Speaking to the nation after police battled and killed the attackers, indonesian President Joko Widodo told his people to remain calm and assured them the situation was under control, adding they should not allow the extremists to change their way of life. The statement was reminiscent of the one issued by French President Francois Hollande after the simultaneous attacks in Paris last November that left 70 people dead. The Paris carnage was followed by another terrorist attack in San Bernardino, california where 14 people were gunned down.

This isn’t the first time terrorists struck in indonesia. in 2002, a bomb ripped through a nightclub in the resort of Bali killing 200 people, mostly Australians. The suspected bomber was the malaysian terrorist marwan.

His presence in mamasapano certainly was not for some r and r.

At the behest of Senate minority leader Juan Ponce enrile, the Senate committee on public order will reopen on Jan. 27 its inquiry on the 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

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

adelle chua EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

Jakarta and Mamasapano BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

The time is now WHEN it comes to proposals to ease the economic burden on working-class Filipinos, the President has a standard excuse these days for going the other way. Let us not do what is politically expedient or popular just because it is an election year, he likes to say. Let us do what is right.

This was what he said last year when he rejected a bill to reduce personal income taxes— already among the highest in Southeast Asia. Never mind if the move would bring welcome relief to millions of overtaxed workers, it would also result in lost tax revenues of P30 billion and would hurt the country’s credit rating, the President said. A Palace spokesperson added that in rejecting the tax proposal, the President was not concerned with popularity, but rather the long-term effects of his actions on other government programs, which might lose their funding.

The President returned to this theme last week, when he vetoed a bill that would have added P2,000 across the board to Social Security System pensions for some two million retirees.

Defending his decision, Aquino said it would have been easier to sign the bill, which might help his candidates get elected this year. But this, he said, would deplete the SSS fund and hurt its 31-million members.

Mr. Aquino’s anointed candidate, former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, has fallen in lockstep behind the President on both issues—rejecting the bill to lower income tax rates and defending the President’s veto of the SSS pension hike.

“All of our decisions and actions will have an effect,” Roxas said. “What is important here is the reason, and I would agree and support that it isn’t correct...that for political points, because we have elections, that we will destroy the future of more than 31 million who contribute to the SSS.” In claiming to take the high road, the President and Roxas imply that those who favor the tax cuts and the pension hike are doing so merely to pander to the public and to gain votes.

The view is both flawed and supercilious, and overlooks the fact that we have a popular democracy and that all politicians—even the ones in power—must answer to the people every three years by way of elections.

We believe, in fact, that this is precisely the time to make our voices heard and to politicize these issues of taxation and pension benefits. There is no better time to compel each candidate to commit to a course of action that would ease the financial burden of millions of workers.

To suggest that the administration candidates are somehow above all this is arrogant and callous—and clearly marks the kind of people we should not be voting into office again.

Batasan miracle

A miracle happened last night at the House of Representatives: 175 congressmen showed up, mustering a quorum that had not been seen in a long, long time.

The lawmakers arrived to continue deliberations on the proposed—and much-delayed,

by Malacañang’s timetable— Bangsamoro Basic Law. Yes, after staying away from the Batasan for the longest time,

congressmen trooped in droves to the House, even if there remain, by today, only seven session days to pass President Noynoy Aquino’s favorite piece of legislation by far.

The new deadline, according to House leaders, is to pass BBL “on second reading, at least,” before Congress ends its sessions and its members concentrate full time on reelecting themselves —or replacing themselves with their relatives—in the May 9 elections. (This will not amount to anything, of course, unless the Senate passes its own BBL measure and reconciles it with the approved House version— something that not even the

most optimistic of Palace officials would dare predict.)

Of course, the members of Congress have already been staying away from the House because they have to campaign in their districts. The only way they could be dragged away from the job of getting elected, at this point, is because they have come to terms with BBL’s chief proponent, Aquino.

What has been promised is not really difficult to imagine.

What seems to have been settled is how much and how long it will take to be delivered.

I’m pretty sure the congressmen didn’t suddenly realize that the passage of the

It’s all about the money, really, money that will come in handy during the campaign.

BBL means peace for Mindanao, as both Malacañang and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have long been saying. It’s all about the money, really, money that will come in handy during the campaign.

That’s always been the reason why no quorum has been seen in the House, after all. And if you think otherwise, you’re

A9

really hopeless. *** You know Malacañang is getting antsy about Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s move to reopen the investigation of the Mamasapano Massacre when it sends its chief Senate enforcer, Senate President Franklin Drilon, to try to suppress the probe. Drilon on Monday

attempted to block Enrile’s move to restart the proceedings by warning of a possible conflict in the completed report of the committee headed by Senator Grace Poe, thankfully to no avail.

But Enrile, the 92-year-old veteran politician, will not be denied, of course.

Drilon faded into the background once it was pointed out to him that the results of the Enrile investigation would be appended as a supplement to the Poe committee report, instead of being inserted into it like an amendment.

This is not to say that Drilon and his

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-

fellow Palace-oriented senators have stopped trying to suppress Enrile’s attempt to reopen the investigation.

Far from it.

Yesterday, Senator Serge Osmeña joined the fray, claiming that Enrile only wants to exact revenge from President Noynoy Aquino for allowing him to be detained for more than a year on corruption charges. Enrile’s reply to Osmeña applied to Drilon, as well.

Osmeña, Enrile said, has no business prejudging evidence that he has not even heard yet. Touche.

I expect other senators allied

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with Aquino to come out of the woodwork to run interference for the President, as Jan. 27, the date set for the reopening of the investigation, approaches. Outside of the Senate, in the press and in social media, the propagandists of the Palace can also be expected to go after Enrile with everything they’ve got, in order to discredit both him and the evidence and witnesses that he will present.

But perhaps they should hold their fire until they see what’s coming down Continued on A10

Chairman

President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser

Director of Operations

Finance Officer

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

Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

Three columns back, we wrote about the possible terrorist attack by ISIS in Metro Manila’s shopping malls.

Some readers thought I was being an alarmist.That threat now looms larger after the terrorist attack in Jakarta, the capital of the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Eight people were killed, including five of the gunmen who opened fire and exploded bombs in downtown Jakarta’s busy area where several foreign embassies, shops and a Starbucks café were located. Nineteen civilians were also wounded in the carnage.

There is an interwoven thread running along Jakarta, Manila and the incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao where the Malaysian terrorist Marwan was killed, including 44 of the PNP-SAF police commandos.

Again, skeptics will probably not see the connection.

Why would ISIS target the Philippines? For one, the country has a close military alliance with the United States whose warplanes and drones have been hitting ISIS strongholds in Syria and Iraq. Second, a secessionist movement in Mindanao offers a fertile ground for IS recruits. These are the geopolitical dynamics that make for a deadly mix to put the Philippines on ISIS’ to-do list. If a Muslim nation like Indonesia was not spared from an IS strike, why not a predominantly Catholic country like the Philippines?

Indonesia came into the IS crosshairs as a plan to expand its theater of operations to Southeast Asia even as it feels the heat from US, French and British air strikes on their home grounds. Indonesia’s 250 million Muslims are moderate followers of Islam unlike the fundamentalist IS that seeks to radicalize them.

Speaking to the nation after police battled and killed the attackers, Indonesian President Joko Widodo told his people to remain calm and assured them the situation was under control, adding they should not allow the extremists to change their way of life. The statement was reminiscent of the one issued by French President Francois Hollande after the simultaneous attacks in Paris last November that left 70 people dead. The Paris carnage was followed by another terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California where 14 people were gunned down.

This isn’t the first time terrorists struck in Indonesia. In 2002, a bomb ripped through a nightclub in the resort of Bali killing 200 people, mostly Australians. The suspected bomber was the Malaysian terrorist Marwan.

His presence in Mamasapano certainly was not for some R and R. At the behest of Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, the Senate committee on public order will reopen on Jan. 27 its inquiry on the 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

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Charges PNoy the emPeror aNd maNila traffiC has to faCe DuRIng the Christmas season, my wife and I, together with some of my siblings, went hotel hopping to enjoy the Christmas lights at the lobbies of the hotels and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee on the side.

We enjoyed what we saw at Peninsula Manila, new World and even at Hotel Intercontinental, which was scheduled to be closed and demolished by yearned.

What was a big disappointment was Makati Shangrila Hotel. Even the service at the hotel lobby was at its worst.

Some of the shops confirmed our concern about the hotel’s service. Blame it all on the hotel management, they said. It seemed that the management does not give a damn about its customers. And it’s supposed to be a five-star hotel with five-star services. *** Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile revealed that BS Aquino III as President, Chief Executive, top cop over the Philippine national Police and Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines “did nothing” to stop the slaughter of 44 police commandos out on a mission to serve warrants of arrests on two terrorists-a Malaysian and a Filipino. The massacre was done by a combined force of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

Enrile says he has proof that BS Aquino III was on top of Oplan Exodus and that the President did nothing to stop the massacre. He was on a plane that day, Jan. 25, 2015, with some of his Cabinet members bound for Zamboanga. What then can the President be charge with since the outcome of that massacre was his “ultimate a c c o u nt a b i l i t y, responsibility and liability?”

Enrile claims BS Aquino III was responsible from There is no escaping beginning to the end of Oplan Exodus the hole he has dug for and that he did himself. nothing to help the 44 commandos who were surrounded by the enemy. This, despite the presence of a battalion of soldiers nearby. Enrile tells me he has text messages from survivors of the massacre and the relatives of the grieving Fallen 44 to back his claims.

It’s bad enough that the massacre survivors and relatives of the Fallen 44 have not been given the many benefits promised them by Malacañang. Justice eludes them because of incompetence and lack of empathy and compassion. My gulay, with the first anniversary of the Mamasapano massacre coming up, not one, I repeat not one, of those pinpointed (some 90 of them) has been charged, arrested, much less charged in court, by either former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, now running for the Senate, nor incumbent Justice Secretary Benjamin Caguioa, now shortlisted as BS Aquino III’s best friend and choice for Supreme Court.

This is Daang Matuwid for you.

On the side, did you know that Senate President Frank Drilon, who is running for reelection under the administration ticket, tried to stop Enrile from revealing what the latter knew about the Mamasapano massacre?

My gulay, Drilon has become a lapdog of BS Aquino III. good thing he failed to stop the re-opening of the hearing.

I would not be surprised if the Senate Yellow Ribbon subcommittee will continue its investigation of Vice President Jojo Binay, now that he’s topping poll surveys again.

I would not want to be in the President’s shoes. *** I have been asked, now that the vice president is leading the polls again: Can Binay sustain his lead until Election Day? I have been a journalist for over 65 years. I can only make assumptions from experience and from what politicians tell me.

They tell me that all election are local. This means that what matters in a national election are: first, a well-funded grassroots machinery; second, the people’s knowledge that a presidential candidate cares about them; and third, that this candidate can relate to their needs and grievances.

Binay has been campaigning nationwide since 2010. He has gone to many places that other presidential candidate have not reached. The Binays have helped so many at the grassroots level through the sister-city alliances they have formed over the years.

And as far as awareness is concerned, would you believe that as national chairman of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, Binay has his photo in the living rooms of

THE Emperor of Japan may yet solve Metro Manila’s horrendous traffic problem.

The Japanese government has extended a $2-billion Official Development Assistance loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to the Philippines to finance the construction, operation and maintenance of a 38-km north-South Commuter Railway Project (Malolos-Tutuban). The loan agreement was signed last nov. 27, 2015. The project is finished by 2020.

The Japanese government has also agreed to conduct a study for opening a subway system for Metro Manila running from north to south and west to east of the national capital.

The mass transport agreements should help ease Metro Manila’s traffic which according to JICA itself causes more than $2 billion in yearly losses to the economy.

Their Majesties, Emperor Akihito, 82, and Empress Michiko of Japan will make a five-day state visit to the Philippines from January 26 to 30. It is their second time to visit Manila.

They first came here in 1962 to return the state visit of then President Carlos garcia to Japan. next week’s visit commemorates the 60th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan.

Japan and the Philippines were the most devastated countries during the Second World War II. Japan because of two atomic bombs dropped by the united States in August 1945. More than 129,000 Japanese were killed in the first and so far, only use of nuclear in warfare.

More than 500,000 died in the Philippines during the war, the greatest loss by Japan in any country outside Japan itself. Manila was devastated not because of the Japanese but because of uS air bombing of the city. As a result, Manila and Warsaw became the most devastated cities in the world during World War II. During their visit, the Emperor and the Empress will visit the shrine in honor of the fallen soldiers of Japan in Caliraya. The shrine was begun in 1973 under the presidency of Ferdinand E. Marcos, the most bemedalled Filipino soldier of World War II and who was tortured by the Japanese at Fort Santiago.

The Emperor has distinguished himself as a pacifist, preferring

baTasan... From A9 the road, by way of new witnesses and evidence. Right now, all efforts to stop Enrile from reopening the investigation only serve to portray an administration that cannot hide its fear.

If it is true that Aquino and his men have nothing to hide, they don’t have to be afraid of anything that Enrile has prepared. And if Aquino didn’t really allow the wholesale killing of 44 police

density of 19,137 people per square kilometer. In Mega Manila—the region encompassing Metro Manila along with neighboring Rizal, Cavite and Laguna provinces— the population has also increased rapidly over that period, rising from to honor the wartime deaths, 12.39 million people in 1990 to 23.02 apologizing for Japanese million people in 2010, a growth rate transgressions during the War and exceeding that of Metro Manila. the abuse of Filipino and Korean JICA has extended ODA loans comfort women, and disdaining for mass transportation. But the Shinzo Abe’s harsh security posture Aquino government has not been up that revives memories of the Japan to par with counterpart initiative.

East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

“The development of efficient under Abe, Japan has been railway networks still lags behind,” conscripted by the uS as a co- notes JICA wryly. Says the agency: policeman in Asia in the light of “There are currently only three China’s aggressive annexation in the elevated light rail lines with a past two years of reefs, islets, and total length of approximately 50 territories in the South China Sea kilometers in operation in Metro claimed in whole or in part by seven Manila, and one non-electrified other Asian countries. commuter line with a low service Filipinos won’t give a damn if Japan frequency that is operated by the plays a proxy role in Barack Obama’s Philippine national Railways from Asia Pivot doctrine. But they do give Metro Manila southward. Despite a damn that daily, they spend three the rapid growth of Metro Manila hours going to work and another and greater Mega Manila, this three hours going home—thanks railway network has been expanded to the decrepit railway systems by only five kilometers over the past that rapidly deteriorated under the 10 years. To the north of Metro presidency of BS Aquino III. Manila, a line was abandoned by That is why it is great relief that the Philippine national Railways JICA is financing a north-South in 1991, and no new railway lines railway from Tutuban Station in have been built since, and the lack Manila to Malolos, Bulacan, and will of railway lines is a factor hindering look into the feasibility of a subway urban development in that area. system for the national capital.

As a result, the population and Japan puts its money where its economic activity continue to mouth is. In 2014, JICA published a concentrate in Metro Manila, and study that proposed the construction traffic congestion worsens, costing an in 16 years from today of 323 kms estimated 2.4 trillion yen per year in of railway (on the state Philippine social expenses, factors that lower the national Railways’ properties so international competitiveness of the there is no right-of-way problem), Philippine economy.”

539 kms of expressways, 498.6 kms of Cecile Licad concert national roads, a new naia-Sangley Meanwhile, may I urge my airport terminal, and a P514-billion readers to support another worthy subway system for Mega Manila. The cause, that of nedy Tantoco of cost of all these projects, including the Rustan’s-SSI group. Her the subway, just P2.1 trillion.

Philippine-Italian Association BS Aquino does not spend up to is sponsoring a concert by world P500 billion out of his P2 trillion to famous artist Cecile Licad on P3 trillion national budget. So P2 Jan. 28 Thursday, at the CCP trillion can be raised in four years but Main Theater, with the Philippine Aquino has not done anything about Philharmonic Orchestra, Olivier mass transit except lip service.

Ochanin conducting. Proceeds According to JICA, being the will go to the charity projects like country’s largest economic center scholarships of the association. go with 13 percent of the country’s to Ticketworld to get tickets. Or population and 36 percent of the call The Secretariat, c/o Lulu Casas gDP, Metro Manila has grown from 0917-5708301.

7.92 million people in 1990 to 11.85

million people in 2010, a population biznewsasia@gmail.com commandos in Maguindanao a year ago, then they can just sit back and rest easy.

I know that the Mamasapano massacre led to the most precipitous plummeting of Aquino’s vaunted popularity, which probably explains the current anxiety in the Palace and the panic among its allies. But because the Aquino administration never fully satisfied the need of the public to explain the role of the President and his key men during

people because he is on the BSP calendar? My gulay, that’s a built-in advertisement for the vice president!

Most importantly, Binay has the personality and character. He is somebody the “masa” can relate to. He is dark, small in built and not elitist, much less rich coming from humble beginnings. In other words, Binay is one among the poor and the “masa” that constitutes the bulk of our society.

That should answer the question.

As for the corruption charges, Binay’s poll ratings show that the people now believe these are politically motivated. *** What makes the Aegle Wellness Center put up

the planning, execution and the eventual cover-up of Oplan Exodus.

If the government and its allies had not blocked efforts to get to the bottom of the massacre right after it happened, no one would pay attention to Enrile anymore.

But because Aquino and his men simply decided that it was time to “move on” when they said so, they are now haunted by the reopening of the investigation.

It’s that simple, really.

by international businessman Roberto v. “Bobby” Ongpin both at City Club at Makati Place at the end of Ayala Avenue, and at Balesin Island Paradise Club off Quezon Province, different from other wellness establishments?

Ongpin used to be my student at Ateneo High School. I know him—he does not settle for anything less than the best.

Research also shows that in the $12-trillion wellness industry, an establishment cannot be called a wellness center without complete medical diagnostic facilities.

World-class, at that.

Ongpin made sure each facility is staffed with the best medical doctors, nutritionists and physical therapists.

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OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

‘Bago naman’ OBSERVING the results of pre-campaign surveys of senatorial wannabe’s in the last three quarters, one gets quite sad.

Voters choose on the basis of name recall. The same clowns, the same old names. Or their progeny.

There are the re-electionists: Sotto, Drilon, Recto, Guingona, Osmeña. Some decidedly have served us well.

Some are tired. Some are, well… so-so.

Their greatest vote-getting asset? Theirs are household names.

Then there are those who, having reached their two-term limits, are bent on returning to the chamber of the “august.”

Here you have Lacson, Pangilinan, Gordon, and to a certain extent, because he has had just one term, abbreviated at that, Zubiri.

These are not your donothing senators when they served their terms. A far cry from the halcyon days when Claro M. Recto, Jose P. Laurel, Cipriano Primicias, Lorenzo Tañada and other greats enlivened the debates and heightened the levels of intellection in the upper chamber, but still a lot better than some of the clowns who have in the post Martial Law years, debased the Senate’s reputation.

Still and all, I wonder—wala na bang iba? Wala na bang mga bagong mukha?

Well, here are some: Manny Pacquiao, the greatest Filipino boxer of all time, perhaps the most well-known Filipino in the world at this point in time.

But should we put him in the Senate, as reward for all the pugilistic honors he gave the country? Is that where, and how, recognition deserves him?

Mark Lapid, of “Tatak Lapid,” proudly bearing the escutcheon of his father who parlayed stuntman and actionstar fame to the Pampanga capitol, and after years of husbanding the sand and gravel of laharlandia, galloped to the Senate.

What did the father achieve in 12 years in the upper house?

Search me. Educate me. And now comes the son, as in “herencia.” So, like father, like son?

Not that “herencia” is wrong. There are those whose fathers served well, and who have continued the legacy well. Susana “Toots” Ople is one such. The daughter of the highly respected Blas Ople, a Secretary of Labor and once Senate President, Toots is the beloved “ate” of the hardworking and oft-suffering overseas Filipino workers.

That these so-called “mga

JAKARTA... From A9

killed, the commandos while withdrawing were waylaid by MILF-BIFF rebels.

“Was Aquino playing Hamlet or Nero?” Enrile asked as he gave a preview of his line of questioning. Students of English literature and history will recall that in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the opening line of his soliloquy was “to be or not to be, that is the question.”

Nero, on the other hand, fiddled while Rome burned.

These are apt references related to Aquino’s vacillation in Zamboanga and his standdown order when AFP reinforcements for the besieged PNP-SAF commandos was sought by General Getulio Napeñas, PNP-SAF chief.

“The President was monitoring the Mamasapano operation even while on the plane to Zamboanga.

Mamasapano incident. The focus of Enrile’s questioning will be what President Aquino was doing in Zamboanga while the gun battle was raging between the trapped PNP commandos and Muslim rebels. The senator found it strange that the President would forego a family gathering in Manila to mark the death anniversary of his mother, former President Cory Aquino, and fly to Zamboanga on the pretext of assessing the security situation there after a car bomb explosion.

Was Aquino in Zamboanga to receive a captured Marwan and bask in the success of the secret police mission? But expected glory turned tragedy.

Although Marwan was

#failocracy

bayani ng bayan” prop up the economy of this soft state is enough reason to ensure they have a voice in the upper chamber. And Toots is a “genuine” voice of the OFWs, sincerely concerned with their welfare, untiring in her efforts.

There is Martin Romualdez, a lawyer who finished in the State University, further polished his legal credentials at Cornell in New York, an accomplished businessman and banker, a three-term congressman who has served his constituents well, and who has championed causes that matter in the House of Representatives: the plight of the disabled, the creation of an Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Department, which he filed after witnessing the devastation and hardships his constituents suffered in the wake of “Yolanda,’’ the strongest typhoon in human memory.

Academically prepared, with proven legislative record, conversant in the economy.

Surely we would want his kind in the chamber of the august. And certainly too, his Waray constituents

deserve a representative in the Senate, which has been bereft of any Waray member since Decoroso Rosales and Jose Avelino won singular terms two to three generations ago.

Martin has anchored his run on “Ibalik ang Malasakit sa Pamumuno.” “Malasakit” is a widely used descriptive for compassion, but has a deeper meaning when applied to governance. It means being sensitive to the needs of the people. As such, “malasakit” is perhaps the bane of the present administration.

So much of what it has done, and not done in the past five and a half years can be judged, and will be, insofar as its presidential candidate is concerned, on the voter’s appreciation, or misappreciation of whether or not it has “malasakit.”

There is the gentle busybody from the highlands of Cavite, Francis Tolentino, who despite having accepted an “impossible” job as MMDA chief from PNoy, tried his very best to ease the burdens of the Metro Manilan.

It was a thankless job. The MMDA chief is a coordinator rather than a CEO. And he coordinates elected “superbidas,” the mayors of the richest and most populous cities of the country, among them Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Mandaluyong,

Parañaque, Caloocan, etc. The authority given to him by law pales so much in comparison to that which Imelda Marcos wielded in the heyday of Martial Law, as governor of the metropolis, at a time when the area was not yet swamped with 11-million residents and five more million daily transients.

But any fair person could have observed how the guy, modestly and untiringly, tried his best. He comes academically prepared as well—a lawyer, with graduate degrees in public management. Tolentino’s job in the next 90 days will be to convince the public to see him for what he truly is, and how he did his best, rather than how he has been painted to be by his detractors in media, and unkindly, by how his own former “friends” in the yellow club misjudged him.

There may be others out there who deserve to join the oldies in the upper chamber.

For now, I have seen three “bagong mukha” who deserve to be in the Senate.

Let us jettison some of the oldies with nothing much to show except to preen and blabber in the chamber of the once-august. And with them, some of their pass-on kin as well.

Maglagay naman tayo ng “bago” sa Senado.

And he did nothing to save the SAF men while they were being slaughtered,” said Enrile in a Senate privilege speech during plenary session on Monday.

These are serious allegations that need the President’s answers.

Enrile got his damning information from the survivors and relatives of the SAF 44 who visited him while he was in detention at the Camp Crame PNP hospital. They demand justice and they want to know Aquino’s liability.

Malacañang must be worried; Palace lawyers tried to have the questions to be asked at the Senate hearing be submitted first to them.

Enrile insists key Cabinet and police officials should be present together to preclude a cover-up. He wants to subpoena Executive Secretary

Paquito Ochoa, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, former AFP Chief of Staff Gregorio Pio Catapang and former PNP chief Alan Purisima, who although suspended was put by Aquino in charge of the Mamasapano police operation.

Many of the widows of the Fallen 44 claimed they have yet to receive benefits from the Aquino government.

The Philippine National Police raised the alert level in the metropolis following the terrorist attack that jolted Jakarta. Three months ago, President Aquino and his talking heads tried to downplay the ISIS threat and its presence among Muslim rebels in the jungles of Mindanao. On

Friday, Aquino said there is still no credible threat from an ISIS terrorist attack here.

The problem is that Aquino up to now hasn’t convened the National Security Council.

His intelligence sources are the same ones caught napping when Nur Misuari‘s Moro National Liberation Front forces suddenly showed up in Zamboanga City.

Incidentally, whatever happened to the treason case filed against government peace panelists Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer, Teresita Deles, SC Associate Justice Marvic Leonen (the former head of the panel), MILF negotiators Mohagher Iqbal, et al? Complainants were former Ambassador Jose Romero, Buhay Party-List. Rep. Lito Atienza and Abakada Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz.

So I See LITo bAnAyo

chong ardivilla

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Coe won’t taint ‘clean’ athletes IAAF president Sebastian Coe said he was reluctant to scrap all world records in track and field for fear of tainting clean athletes.

In an interview with AFP, Coe admitted that some records, notably in women’s disciplines, were not legitimate.

But to sweep away existing records would harm athletes competing without resorting to doping, he said.

Athletics finds itself mired in arguably its worst ever crisis, with reports by the World Anti-Doping Agency alleging corruption was “embedded” in the sport’s world governing body, the IAAF. Russia has been banned over state-sponsored doping, with top IAAF officials found guilty of brib-

ing doped athletes.

In the wake of the doping-linked corruption scandal, Britain’s athletics federation called for a raft of policy changes including “resetting the clock on world records for a new era”.

“We should be open to do whatever it takes to restore credibility in the sport,” UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner said last week.

While agreeing there should be debate, Coe hesitated when asked if he backed a total rescinding of records.

“I have a concern of course, like anybody else who’s come through the sport, that some records are more se-

cure and safer than others,” said Coe, who won two Olympic 1500m gold medals for Britain.

“We know that through systems that have in the past, as a matter of historic record, produced athletes that have probably not done this legitimately.

“That’s a very different thing from penalising clean athletes who have gone about this over half of their young lives, with clean coaches and clean federations.”

Coe added: “You have to be very careful here. I can understand the frustration.

“I know there are records on the book which are a real inhibitor, particularly in some of the female events, for athletes... in thinking that there isn’t any reasonable hope that they’re going to get within

records that were set 30 or 40 years ago.”

But Coe also gave his backing to clean athletes.

“I welcome the debate. I also understand the nervousness amongst clean athletes who legitimately hold records that could run the risk of just losing their history and actually the implication that they weren’t doing it cleanly,” he said. “there is absolutely a debate to be had but we have to tread carefully here.”

Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba and Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk set new world records for the women’s 1500m and hammer throw respectively last season.

But those were a comparative rarity, with many of the existing records dating back to the 1980s and 90s and seemingly well out of reach for the modern crop of top athletes. AFP

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ‘s President Sebastian Coe attends a press conference on the report of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) concerning allegations of widespread doping in international atheltics, in Unterschleissheim near Munich, southern Germany. AFP

Liverpool winger signs ‘sexy’ deal with Singapore club Former Arsenal and Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant signed with a Singapore football club Tuesday, hoping to revive what was once one of the game’s most promising careers and boost the ailing local professional league.

The 33-year-old reformed wild boy joined Tampines rovers, five-time winners of the local S-League, under a one-year contract.

Tampines chairman Krishna ramachandra would not give details of his salary, telling reporters only it was a “sexy” figure.

The Straits Times newspaper said last week that Pennant would be paid about Sg$40,000 ($28,000) a month, or less than a quarter of his last drawn salary with Wigan Athletic.

His salary could rise with

bonuses related to his number of appearances, performance and team’s achievements, state broadcaster Channel NewsAsia reported.

Despite the hefty cut, Pennant will be the highest paid player in the S-League’s 21-year history. He was also presented with a car at the signing ceremony.

“No matter where you go in the world, it’s always a great chance to prove yourself, no matter the level,” said Pennant, who has insisted that his wild days are behind him following the birth of his son in 2010.

“I don’t look at it as lesser league, it’s just another chapter in my career,” Pennant added, referring to the S-League, which has suffered from waning attendances.

Tommy Wingels of the San Jose Sharks and Kyle Turris of the Ottawa Senators go for the puck as Melker Karlsson #68 of the San Jose Sharks looks on at SAP Center in San Jose, California. AFP

Aussie cycling ace Ewan sizzles AUstRAlIA’s newest cycling star Caleb Ewan unleashed a withering turn of speed to claim the opening stage of the UCI tour Down Under in south Australia on tuesday.

Ewan, 21, burst onto the world cycling scene in 2015 with a series of strong results, including winning a stage at spain’s Vuelta.

He showed his class tuesday, biding his time perfectly to overwhelm the rest of the field and win in three hours, 24.13 minutes.

The ORICA GreenEDGE rider finished a clear bike length ahead of fellow Australian Mark Renshaw (team Dimension Data) and Cannondale’s Wouter Wippert from the Netherlands.

“I felt really good all day and the team obviously backed me all day because they rode at the front from the start,” Ewan said.

“I’m just so happy I could finish it off for them.” the 130.8-kilometre opening stage from Prospect, just north of Adelaide, to the Barossa Valley town of lyndoch, went ahead in oppressive heat that tested the cyclists in their first race of the year. AFP

Panthers coach bans hoverboard racing CAROlINA Panthers coach Ron Rivera has banned his players from riding hoverboards as they prepare for this weekend’s crunch showdown with the Arizona Cardinals for a place in the super Bowl, reports said Monday.

Rivera said he had forbidden Panthers players from riding hoverboards inside Carolina’s stadium to head off the possibility of any freak accidents.

The Panthers coach said he had acted after seeing Youtube videos of hoverboards catching fire.

He revealed he had also caught players drag racing on hoverboards at the Bank of America stadium.

“Have you seen those things on Youtube blowing up?” Rivera told EsPN. “I mean, that’s what concerns me more than anything else. What if something crazy happens? AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers posts up against Harrison Barnes of the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. AFP

Curry, Warriors humble James in Cavaliers rout Steph Curry scored 35 points as the Golden State Warriors dished out the heaviest home defeat of LeBron James’ career with a 132-98 pummeling of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.

The eagerly anticipated rematch between the reigning NBA champion Warriors and last year’s beaten finalists turned into a night to forget for James and the Cavaliers as Golden State ran riot.

Curry was tormentor-in-chief as he returned to the stadium where he helped the Warriors clinch last year’s NBA title.

The silky-skilled 27-year-old point guard had reportedly angered certain Cavaliers players in the build-up by joking that he hoped the locker room “still smells a little bit like champagne.”

But any plans the Cavaliers had to make Curry regret his choice of words were torn up within a few minutes of the tip-off. The Warriors raced into an early lead and never looked back.

By the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers trailed

by a mammoth 43 points -- the largest deficit James has faced at any point in his 1,127game career.

The 34-point loss was the heaviest margin of defeat James has suffered in a home defeat, according to ESPN Statistics.

The dominance of the Warriors proved too much for James at one point, with the superstar losing his composure in an offthe-ball tussle with Curry who ended up being grappled to the floor.

James finished with 16 points but his personal tally was an irrelevance on a night which finished with dejected Cavaliers fans leaving Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena well before the end of the game.

Curry received able backing from Andre Iguodala with 20 points while Draymond Green chipped in with 16 points,

including 10 assists.

A satisfied Curry said the win would remind the Warriors of their potential.

“It’s a good message that we sent to ourselves —this is what we’re capable of,” Curry told ESPN. “We bring the energy, we get the game to our pace, take care of the basketball, make shots and play well.

“We’ve got a high IQ on this team—and we move the ball and look for the best shot on every possession. We’re tough to beat.” the win saw the Warriors improve to 38-4 for the season while the Cavaliers went to 28-11.

Elsewhere on Monday, Pau Gasol scored 31 points as Chicago overcame the disappointment of Joakim Noah’s season-ending injury with a 111-101 win over the Detroit Pistons.

The Spanish star also contributed 12 rebounds, while Derrick Rose added 20 points with Jimmy Butler contributing 16 points and nine assists.

The game was Chicago’s first since Noah suffered a dislocated left shoulder on Friday, an injury expected to leave him sidelined for four to six months, ruling him out of the rest of the regular season and possibly the playoffs. AFP

Ryder Cup star Donaldson hurt in accident RYDER Cup hero Jamie Donaldson said Monday he had suffered a bizarre finger injury after an accident involving a chainsaw.

The Welshman, who won the matchclinching point as Europe defeated the United States in 2014, posted a photo on twitter of what appeared to be a severe cut to the little finger of his left hand.

Above the picture, Donaldson wrote: “So folks in my time off decided to have a fight with a chainsaw and lost! oops!! C u in Dubai.” the full extent of Donaldson’s injury was not immediately clear, but his words indicated he was planning to return to competitive golf at next month’s Dubai Desert Classic.

After a largely poor 2015 season, the 40-year-old Donaldson won his first title in more than a year with victory on the Asian tour’s Thailand Golf Championship just before Christmas, defeating a field that included Ryder Cup team-mate Lee Westwood.

Donaldson had been due to play at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, a tournament he won in 2013, this week but it now seems his first competition of the year will be in Dubai, where the Desert Classic begins on February 4. AFP

Rossi to end career with Yamaha Moto GP star Valentino Rossi confirmed he will end his career with Yamaha but called on teammate Jorge Lorenzo to show him “respect” in what could be the Italian’s 15th and final season.

Nine-time world champion Rossi missed out on the 2015 world title by five points to Lorenzo after the Spaniard won the final race of the season in Valencia in controversial fashion.

At the Spanish circuit, Rossi was forced to start from the back of the grid as punishment for his role in a collision with Spanish rival Marc Marquez, who had crashed out of the penultimate race in Sepang, Malaysia.

Rossi, who fought his way through the field to finish fourth after failing to get past Lorenzo and Honda riders

Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, later accused the Spanish trio of a cosy agreement to stitch up the result.

Speaking Monday at the launch of Yamaha’s new M1 bike, the 36-yearold Rossi said he could race beyond the 2016 season but confirmed his intention to finish his career with the Japanese manufacturer.

“I would like to race also after 2016. In any case, I will end my career with Yamaha,” said Rossi.

“I want to try and be at the level I’ve had for the past two years, this is my aim, then we will see during the course of the championship whether I’m capable of fighting for the title.”

Relations between Lorenzo and Rossi have been strained for some time, and the Italian added: “I’ve al-

ways respected Jorge Lorenzo, he’s respected me a little less.

“Let’s hope the respect will be mutual this season.”

Whether the pair can patch things up remains to be seen. Lorenzo has already said Rossi missed his final chance for a 10th world title last season.

“He knows that he let slip this year the opportunity to win his 10th championship and that is hard to accept,” Lorenzo said after his triumph last year.

“It’s obvious there are younger riders who are faster than him. None of this controversy and comments would have happened if Valentino had the speed of Marc, of myself, and had won more races.”

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Italian rider Valentino Rossi pose with his new Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1 motorbikes during the presentation of the 2016 Yamaha team in Barcelona. AFP

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 6

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

PH shuttlers to join 2 Asian tournaments THE Philippine Badminton Association Smash Pilipinas will participate in the Malaysia Masters and the Granular Thailand Junior International starting next week in an effort to gain international exposure and further hone the members’ skills.

PBA Smash Pilipinas national coach Indonesian Paulus Firman said national senior and junior players will go up against the best players in the Southeast Asian region in these two tournaments to gain more experience.

“The Malaysia Masters and the Granular junior tournaments will provide our players the needed exposure and experience,” said Firman, who presently trains the badminton junior and senior national teams at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

“We just have to win as many games as we can.”

Men’s doubles pair Joper Escueta and Ronel Estan-

PSC Chairman Richie Garcia announces the names of the new inductees to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame during his guesting at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate in Manila. LINO SANTOS

Torre, Sulaiman lead 17 icons to PSC Hall of Fame AFTER going through a rigid screening process, Grandmaster Eugene Torre, former Asian Games sprint star Mona Sulaiman, multi-titled swimmer Haydee Coloso-Espino and 14 other sporting icons have been chosen to comprise the second batch of honorees to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.

“I am pleased to announce the latest 17 athletes, who have made it to the honor roll of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame,” said Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richie Garcia yesterday during the Philippine Sportswriters Association forum at Shakey’s Malate in Manila.

Garcia made the an-

nouncement during the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. a day after the selection and screening committee, which he headed together with Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose Cojuangco Jr., made their decision during

a meeting held at the PSC boardroom inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Aside from Sulaiman, Torre and Coloso-Espino, the other awardees are former world weightlifting champion Salvador del Rosario, national basketball players Ed Ocampo, Mariano Tolentino and Kurt Bachmann, tennis players Felicisimo Ampon, Johnny Jose, and Raymundo Deyro, athletic standouts Inocencia Solis and Isaac Gomez, shooters Adolfo “Chito” Feliciano and Martin Gison, and swimmers Jacinto Cayco, Gerardo “Ral” Rosario and Mohamad Pala.

Sulaiman was the toast

of the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games, sweeping the 100 and 200-meter runs, while anchoring the Philippine squad to victory in the women’s 4x100-meter relay.

Still playing actively at 64, Torre, who ruled the National Open Chess Championship in 2014, was outstanding during the 1974 World Chess Olympiad in Nice, France, going undefeated on Board 1 with nine wins and one draw on the way to bagging a bronze medal.

Coloso-Espino accumulated three golds and five silvers in three consecutive Asian Games from the 1954 Manila, 1958 Tokyo to the 1962 Jakarta edition

of the continental sports showcase.

In 1970, Del Rosario ruled the flyweight division in the world weightlifting championships in Akron, Ohio and copped a silver in the Thailand Asian Games.

Garcia said that the new honorees, whose performances spanned from 1924 to 1974, were picked based on the nominations by representatives of National Sports Associations, sports media and other sports-oriented entities and a point system based on their performance in the world championships Asian Games, Asian championships and Southeast Asian Games.

Morales by a landslide; Hernandez repeats

Morales: A big year

BUSINESSMAN-SPORTSMAN Narciso O. Morales emerged as runaway winner in victories and earnings among horseowners, while jockey Jonathan Hernandez repeated as champion in a memorable 2015 racing season.

Morales posted 137 first-place finishes, including at least seven wins in stakes and sweepstakes races, and totaled P22,691,125 in earnings as he pulled off a similar victorious feat he made in 2013.

“They (his people in the stable) did their homework well since Day 1 of last year’s season. This (being No. 1) was the product of their hard work,” said Morales, named by the local racing body as the Most Reputable Horseowner awardee in 2014.

As amazing was the veteran

Hernandez, who struck heavily in stakes races in the closing months of the year to beat Mark Alvarez in the jockeys division with a total of 182 wins and P4, 541,042 earnings.

According to the Philracom, headed by Chair Andrew Sanchez, Ruben Tupas topped the trainers’ category for the nth time with 238 wins and P4,304, 095 earnings, while Low Profile wound up No. 1 among horses with P5,455,220 in prizes and 12 victories that included the rich Ambassador Danding Cojuangco Cup and the PCSO Anniversary race.

A veteran in the racing scene, who’s into numerous businesses, Morales also booked 139 second, 138 third and 169 fourth-place finishes as he pulled off one of the

most lopsided wins by a horseowner in the past two decades.

Juveniles Spectrum and Hot Dog and stayer Dikoridik Koridak were among the prominent horses who delivered the goods for the Morales stable.

Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos came in second to Morales , striking big in November and December through in-form Gentle Strength and Malaya. He posted 62 wins and P13,248, 032 earnings.

“We hope and pray our luck continues this year.We thank the fans for supporting our runners,” said Morales, one of the key figures in the fight against illegal bookies and a vocal proponent of a move to change the handicapping system.

islao, and Peter Gabriel Magnaye and Alvin Morada will join the 2016 Malaysia Masters in Penang, Malaysia set from Jan. 19 to 24. They will be accompanied by Firman.

Marky Alcala and Keeyan Gabuelo will compete in the boys’ singles category of Granular Junior International in Bangkok, Thailand on the same dates.

The PBA Smash Pilipinas ended last year by winning gold medals in Australian and Singapore badminton meets.

The PBA is governed by its President Jejomar Binay, also the country’s vice-president, Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan and Secretary General Rep. Albee Benitez.

“We are hoping to start the year with two competitive international tournaments, which I’m pretty sure will help our players,” said Benitez. “We are starting the year with good programs to lead us in the right direction.”

Generals...

From A16 ahead, 15-11.

In the junior division, the Perpetual Help Junior Altas swamped EAC-ICA, 2513, 25-18, 25-16, to move to within a win of clinching their second straight title.

Team captain Jody Margaux Severo led with a matchbest 11 hits, six of which came on kills and four on blocks.

The Junior Altas are ahead at 1-0 lead in their best-ofthree series and are determined to get the crown on Wednesday.

“The boys were determined to take this one, they were really focused on winning,” said Perpetual Help coach Sandy Rieta.

The Junior Altas took away the Brigadiers’ attacking game with a solid net defense and superb court coverage.

So unnerving was Perpetual Help’s defense that only four EAC players scored, including eight apiece by skipper Cee-Hay Hicap and Ralph Joshua Pitogo.

Nadal...

From A16 continued to reverberate on day two as more players revealed approaches after a BBC and BuzzFeed report said corruption was widespread in the sport.

After world number one Novak Djokovic said he was once offered $200,000 to throw a match, Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis said he had been approached on Facebook.

And retired Briton Arvind Parmar told how he was once offered a cash-stuffed envelope to lose a match, one hour before he stepped on court at a Challenger tournament in the Netherlands. AFP

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Fajardo poised to win PBA Best Player award

By Jeric Lopez

IS June Mar Fajardo on his way to winning yet another Best Player of the Conference award?

It seems so as the reigning back-to-back Most Valuable Player has no one close enough to contest him for the individual plum at this point in the 2015-16 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup. Fajardo still leads the race by a mile and with everyone far away from his rear view mirror.

The 6’10” behemoth is poised to win his third straight Phil-

ippine Cup BPC hardware and fourth overall.

He will also have a huge edge in the race for the season’s Most Valuable Player award with him expected to be the BPC. Though down with a knee injury at the moment, Fajardo is locked at the top spot in terms of statistical points as he hiked up his averages in San Miguel Beer’s semifinal war against Rain

or Shine, where he normed scintillating averages of 34.8 points, 16.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks.

After the elimination round, Fajardo was actually in a neckto-neck battle with Ginebra slotman Greg Slaughter in the BPC race, but after the Gin Kings bowed out of the quarterfinals and the latter gone, the twotime MVP became comfortably ahead and virtually locked up yet another award.

The BPC Award will be handed out prior to Game 4 of the best-of-seven Philippine Cup championship showdown between San Miguel and Alaska.

At the moment, Fajardo is still recuperating from a bruised and swollen left knee. It is still doubtful whether he can return and play for the Beermen in the ongoing finals.

Game 2 is currently being played as of this report with Alaska hoping to gain a huge 2-0 edge, while defending champion San Miguel is doing everything to avoid a deep 0-2 hole.

Fajardo’s presence, or lack thereof, will certainly be a huge factor the rest of the series as his status remains to be up in the air.

SMB’s JuneMar Fajardo bulldozes his way into what could be his fourth Best Player of the Conference award.

Low Profile takes 1st Philracom Stakes Race of 2016 THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE

TO NO one’s surprise, champion Low Profile dominated the 2016 Philippine Racing Commission Commissioner’s Cup race held Sunday (Jan. 17) at Metroturf.

The 1,800-meter race, held in honor of commissioners Atty. Victor Tantoco and Lyndon Guce, featured five horses, all five years old.

Ruben Dimacuha’s Low Profile carried the heaviest handicap weight of 57 kgs.

Despite this, jockey Mark

Alvarez fashioned a convincing win over second placer Kanlaon. The other finishers, in order, were Biseng Bise, Manalig Ka, and Love Na Love last.

Low Profile’s win earned for his connections the top prize of P720,000 from the total purse of P1.2 million for first to fourth places. The total time for the race was 1:49.8 (13’-23’-24-22’-26).

This was Philracom’s first stakes race of the year. *** The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office also held its first stakes race of 2016 last weekend at Metroturf.

The 1400-meter PCSO

3YO Special Maiden race had a field of six. The favorite in the daily double sales was Lucky Ray, who, with Mark Alvarez aboard, held the lead from start to backstretch, when second choice Kid Benjie, who was running off the pace, began to move up.

The colt guided by DH Borbe Jr. pulled away at the far turn and lengthened his lead down the stretch to win by six lengths, earning P600,000 for horseowner BB Virata.

Kid Benjie stopped the clock at 1:26.8 (13-22’-22’-29).

Lucky Ray 2nd, Lady Pio 3rd, Ungkaw 4th.

PCSO’s next race is another

3YO Special Maiden on Feb. 13 at San Lazaro Leisure Park.

The trial race will be held on Jan. 29, with 15 runners: Herminio Esguerra’s colt Artikulo Uno, Joseph Dyhengco’s colt Big Cat Drama, Felizardo Sevilla Jr.’s colt Creative, Rene Viloria’s filly Graf, SC Stockfarm’s colt Johnny Be Good, Deemark International’s colt Indianpana, Honorato Neri’s colt Kaligayahan, Narciso Morales’s colt Kangaroo Court, Albert Dichaves’s colt Mighty Pride, Wilbert Tan’s colt Pamilican Island, Roman Santos’s colt Pangarap, Benhur Abalos’s colt Pinagtipunan, Raymund Puyat’s colt Professor

Jones, Leonardo Javier’s filly Secret Kingdom, and Stony Road Horse Farm’s filly Space Needle.

This being a set-weight handicap race, all colts will carry 54.5 kgs. and and fillies 53. *** Everybody’s a winner in the Gogirl Racing Christmas racing festival! I sent all the prizes to Manila Jockey Club for distribution to the winners’ nearest OTBs. Please check the Gogirl Racing page on Facebook for updates. *** Facebook: Gogirl Racing, Twitter: @gogirlracing, Instagram: @jensdecember

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 6 DIGITS 0-0-0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

Las Vegas MMA organization sets foot on PH soilx THE World Series of Fighting-Global Championship (WSOF-GC), a fastgrowing mixed martial arts organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada, will set foot on Philippine soil through the Underground Battle’s UGB 13: Foreign Invasion set to unfold on Friday at the Makati Coliseum.

Five foreign fighters will see action in the 12-bout card, featuring the Filipino power-striking Mark Palomar of Hyper MMA and former ONE Championship standout Brad Robinson for the inaugural UGB MMA middleweight title.

Serving as co-main events are a pair of exciting championship matchups pitting homegrown bet Rodian Menchavez against Pakistani Ahmed Mujtaba in the featherweight battle and Michael Mondragon versus Uldomi Karim, also from Pakistan, in the bantamweight clash.

The WSOF, which was founded in 2012 by former kickboxing champion Ray Sefo, beams its events live in the United States by network giant NBC Sports, TNS2 in Canada and TV Esporte in Brazil.

It is now slowly making its progress in Asia using the Philippines as its stepping stone.

“I am very excited by our partnership with the WSOF. Our hard work has paid off,” said UGB president and founder Ferdie Munsayac, during the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s sports forum on Wednesday at the Shakey’s in Malate.

Munsayac recalled how the organization came to life, beginning with the operation of a modest gym called Goat Locker, which offered free training to destitute fighters.

“We wanted to have regular venue for amateur fighters seeking bigger dreams. And this is where we are now, our partnership with a respected organization like WSOF is big breakthrough” said Munsayac in the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp The UGB 13: Foreign Invasion, as a representation of SWOF-GC in Asia, will open greater opportunities for homegrown Filipino MMA fighters.

“Who knows? A Filipino fighter might see action in Las Vegas, the home of the WSOF,” added the former US Navy chief, who was accompanied

by Palomar and coaches Arnel Lomibao and Monith Pabroa.

Palomar, a freestyle fighter who loves to strike with both fists, said he is ready for the ground-game of Robinson.

“Malaking pagkakataon po ito para sa akin, pipilitin kong dalhin ang laban sa striking pero handa akong depensahan ang ground game ng kalaban ko,” said the Negros Oriental native. Randy Caluag

A16

W E D N E S DAY : J A N U A R Y 2 0 , 2 0 16 RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Spain’s Rafael Nadal plays a forehand return during his men’s singles match against compatriot Fernando Verdasco (inset) on Day 2 of the 2016 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne.

Verdasco won the thriller 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2. AFP

Generals repulse Altas, take Game 1

By Peter Atencio THE Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals got big plays from Kerth Melliza midway in the fourth set to repulse the University of Perpetual Help Altas, 25-22,14-25, 25-14, 25-16, on Tuesday at The Arena in San Juan.

Melliza led a decisive 6-0 attack in the final set, helping the Generals take Game 1 of their bestof-three finals series in the men’s division of the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association volleyball tournament.

Melliza’s placement shot from the middle to Ranidean Abcede and John Patrick Ramos on separate occasions enabled the Generals to move away after the Altas got close, 12-15.

When their attack was finished, the Generals were never in trouble with their 21-12 advantage.

“The guys got overconfident and eager to get it over and done with. Their floor defense and blocking finally got better when they settled down,” said Generals’ coach Rodrigo Palmero.

Rey Taneo Jr. had 10 points for the Altas, who led, 16-5, in the second set.

Israel Encina, who had eight points, scored on an ace in the third set, and this put the Generals Turn to A14

Nadal, Williams bomb out right in 1st round MELBOURNE—World number five Rafael Nadal was sent crashing out of the Australian Open first round by fellow Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco in an epic five-set match on Tuesday.

Verdasco won the thriller 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in four hours, 41 minutes to hand 14-time Grand Slam winner Nadal only his second ever first-round defeat at a major tournament.

The latest chastening loss for Nadal, 29, extends a Grand Slam dry spell which goes back to the 2014 French Open, and will increase fears over his long-term ability to compete at the elite level.

The rollercoaster encounter also recalls the 2009 semi-final between the two Spanish left-

Dubs, Curry humble Cavs, LeBron TURN TO A13

handers which Nadal won in five hours and 14 minutes, the second longest match in tournament history, en route to his only Australian Open title.

“I think I played unbelievable in the final set from that early break and I started hitting winners,” said the 45th-ranked Verdasco.

It was the first time Nadal had lost in the opening round of a major tournament since his shock loss to Steve Darcis at Wimbledon in 2013.

Meanwhile, Andy Murray and

Garbine Muguruza raced into the second round Tuesday but Venus Williams was a major casualty as match-fixing claims continued to shake the Grand Slam tournament.

On another sizzling day in Melbourne, sweat-drenched Murray doused the challenge of exciting German prospect Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 to get his campaign underway.

Last year’s runner-up is hoping to become the first man in the Open-era to win a Grand Slam title after losing the final four times, and Zverev, 18, proved no match for the world number two.

“Alex fought right through to the last point so he made it very competitive at the end in tough conditions today,” said the Scot.

Fajardo poised to win Best Player award TURN TO A15

“It was very hot today so I was very glad to get it done in straight sets.”

Muguruza wasted little time as she beat Estonian debutante Anett Kontaveit 6-0, 6-4 in one hour exactly—and immediately set her sights on dethroning Serena Williams in the final.

“To win the Grand Slam here you are going to have to beat Serena (Williams). It will be great if I can play against her,” said the confident Spanish world number three.

Temperatures of 33 Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) took their toll and Diego Schwartzman was stretchered off after retiring in the fourth set against John Millman with cramps.

Match-fixing speculation also Turn to A14

WEDNESDAY: JANUARY 20, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandardtoday.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

B1

IMF says economy grew 5.7%

By Julito G. Rada

THE International Monetary Fund said Tuesday the Philippine economy likely grew 5.7 percent last year and is expected to rebound with a more than 6-percent expansion in 2016 and 2017.

IMF resident representative to the Philippines Shanaka Jayanath Peiris said while the multilateral lender slightly slightly reduced the growth forecasts for the Philippines, the country would re-

main one of the fastest growing in Asia.

“The growth estimate for 2015 was revised down to 5.7 percent from 6 percent, reflecting growth outturns in the third quarter and

weaker global growth performance,” Peiris said in an e-mailed statement.

The IMF estimate is below the government’s growth target of 7 percent to 8 percent for 2015 and lower than the actual GDP expansion of 6.1 percent in 2014 and 7.1 percent in 2013. The government will release the official 2015 growth figures later this month.

IMF also cut the growth forecast for 2016 to 6.2 percent from the previous estimate of 6.3 percent, due to external headwinds.

“The Philippines growth outlook remains one of the strongest

in the region. Despite the weaker global economic outlook, the Philippines growth forecast for 2016 was only marginally lowered from 6.3 to 6.2 percent to reflect the more challenging external environment,” he said.

“The growth projection for 2017 remains unchanged from the October WEO [world economic outlook] at 6.5 percent. We expect the Philippine economy to continue growing strongly, supported by a robust private domestic demand and some recovery in export growth after the dismal global trade performance in

2015,” Peiris said.

He said public sector expenditure was also expected to contribute strongly to growth as budget execution improved and the construction phase of a number of public-private partnership projects kicked in.

Peiris said the medium-term economic outlook was based on an assumption of continued prudent macroeconomic policies and greater investments in infrastructure and human capital to benefit from the demographic dividend, supported by low levels of public and private debt.

PSe comPoSite index Closing January 19, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,357.05 21.96

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JANUARY 19, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.670

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.580 LOW P47.750AVERAGE P47.673 VOLUME 827.600M

P417.00-P627.00 LPG/11-kg tank P33.30-P40.75 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

Slowing economy. A pedestrian walks past restaurants along a food street in Beijing, China, on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016. China’s economy slowed in December, capping the weakest quarter of growth since the 2009 global recession, as the Communist leadership struggles to manage a transition to consumer-led expansion. Full-year growth of 6.9 percent, the least since 1990, was in line with the government’s target of about 7 percent. BLOOMBERG

P20.40-P23.80 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

Ayala Land to sign P4-b bus terminal deal today

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, January 19, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.7500

Japan

Yen

0.008526

0.4071

UK

Pound

1.424000

67.9960

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128212

6.1221

Switzerland

Franc

0.994827

47.5030

Canada

Dollar

0.687144

32.8111

Singapore

Dollar

0.695024

33.1874

Australia

Dollar

0.687521

32.8291

Bahrain

Dinar

2.657101

126.8766

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266681

12.7340

Brunei

Dollar

0.692617

33.0725

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.027544

1.3152

UAE

Dirham

0.272339

13.0042

Euro

Euro

1.090400

52.0666

Korea

Won

0.000827

0.0395

China

Yuan

0.152003

7.2581

India

Rupee

0.014780

0.7057

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.227635

10.8696

New Zealand

Dollar

0.644288

30.7648

Taiwan

Dollar

0.029816

1.4237 Source: PDS Bridge

By Darwin G. Amojelar PROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. and the Transportation Department are set to sign today the P4-billion contract to construct and operate a second integrated terminal system in Metro Manila.

The agency said the concession agreement for the Integrated Terminal System (ITS) South Project would be signed today after winning bidder Ayala Land complied with all the requirements.

Transportation’s pre-qualification, bids and awards committee on Nov. 13 found the bid of Ayala Land for the South Integrated Transport System Project as the “best bid.”

The Transportation Department approved the recommendation of the committee and issued a notice of award to Ayala Land as the winning bidder.

South Integrated Terminal System is the second bus hub to be awarded under the public-private partnership program, after the P3.27-billion Southwest Integrated Terminal in Parañaque City was bagged by MWM Terminals, the consortium of Megawide Construction Corp. and WM Property Management Inc. Ayala Land topped the auction in August for the P4-billion project. Ayala Land offered a lower annual grantor payment of P277.88 million, compared with the P1

billion offered by Filinvest Land Inc. The annual grantor payment is a fee to be paid by the government to the concessionaire.

The site of the ITS South Project is right next to Arca South in Taguig, where Ayala Land is developing an integrated mixed-use estate. About 4,000 buses and 160,000 passengers are expected to feed into the ITS South from the South Luzon Expressway every day.

Construction will begin by May 2016 and is expected to be completed and ready for operation by October 2017.

The winning bidder will take care of the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the terminal for a concession period

of 35 years.

The project covers the construction of a terminal within a 4.7-hectare lot along the FTI Compound in Taguig City. It will connect passengers coming from the south, specifically Batangas and Laguna provinces, to other public utility vehicles that are serving inner Metro Manila.

The project also covers the construction of arrival and departure bays, public information systems, ticketing and baggage facilities and park-ride facilities.

The Transportation Department earlier awarded the P3.27billion transport terminal in Parañaque City to MWM Terminals of the Megawide Group.

WEDNESDAY: JANUARY 20, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, January 19, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 4.2 17 30.45 2.6 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26 47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 156 0.710 0.510 10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.02 1.98 45.15 44.8 96.80 95.00 85.30 83.80 35 34 1.18 1.18 14.74 14.04 17.4 16 1.82 1.77 0.440 0.400 70 69.55 0.9 0.9 15.80 15.00 46.65 45.55 95.05 95.05 267.8 249 32.5 31.95 147.4 145.2 1285.00 1230.00 56.50 55.00 1.6 1.6 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp.

40.25 40 39.6 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 4.31 4.4 4.2 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.75 0.79 0.77 1.86 Alsons Cons.

1.23 1.27 1.24 7.92 Asiabest Group 9.99 9.99 9.5 15.32 Century Food 14.96 15.16 14.96 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 18.4 19.98 18 29.15 Concepcion 42 42 41.95 1.5 Crown Asia 2.07 2.1 2.03 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 2.41 2.48 2.31 10.72 Del Monte 11.02 11.3 11.1 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 7.050 7.260 6.980 9.04 Emperador 8.04 8.27 7.70 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.44 5.80 5.42 8.86 EEI 5.31 5.50 5.31 1.06 Euro-Med Lab 1.6 1.6 1.6 20.2 First Gen Corp.

19.06 19.2 18.12 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 54.2 56.95 54.2 13.86 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 11.88 11.80 11.78 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.54 14.20 14.20 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.07 5.16 5.03 2.120 0.395 Ionics Inc 2.120 2.220 173 Jollibee Foods Corp.

201.00 201.40 199.80 LBC Express 7.5 7.5 7.45 2.3 LMG Chemicals 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.63 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.09 3.1 3 33 Macay Holdings 41.25 40.95 35.00 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 24 24.5 23.85 17.3 Maxs Group 14.4 15.5 14.2 5.88 Megawide 5.8 5.75 5.6 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 310.00 311.00 308.00 3.37 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 3.90 3.90 3.90 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 2.94 2.95 2.94 8.45 Petron Corporation 5.48 5.62 5.48 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.50 11.50 11.00 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.56 3.65 3.54 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.33 1.40 1.33 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.15 2.19 2.14 4.02 RFM Corporation 3.82 3.80 3.75 5.9 Roxas Holdings 5.31 5.6 5.28 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 116.2 120 116.8 1.55 Splash Corporation 2.57 2.69 2.58 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.137 0.138 0.137 1.02 TKC Steel Corp.

0.89 0.93 0.88 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.08 2.10 2.05 152 Universal Robina 182 185.4 183 4.28 Victorias Milling 4.55 4.55 4.55 0.640 Vitarich Corp.

0.59 0.59 0.58 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l.

0.98 0.98 0.98 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.300 0.310 0.300 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 55.4000 55.4000 55.0500 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 13.92 14.20 13.94 6.62 Anscor `A’ 6.05 6.12 6.12 634.5 Ayala Corp `A’ 644 657 644.5 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.05 7.12 7.05 12.8 DMCI Holdings 11.70 12.20 11.46 2.6 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.2 5.58 5.58 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

4.40 4.43 4.20 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.180 0.181 0.181 837 GT Capital 1286 1300 1286 IPM Holdings 9.50 9.50 9.20 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 62.25 63.00 61.50 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp.

5.21 5.58 5.23 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.54 0.57 0.54 12 LT Group 14.4 15 14.26 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.14 5.29 5.12 0.030 Pacifica `A’ 0.0290 0.0290 0.0280 1.23 Prime Media Hldg 1.000 0.950 0.950 0.550 Prime Orion 1.700 1.920 1.710 59.3 San Miguel Corp `A’ 59.90 59.90 59.25 751 SM Investments Inc. 800.00 800.00 777.00 80 Top Frontier 67.000 74.850 67.500 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.2350 0.2400 0.2350 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.230 0.230 0.230 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 6.410 6.600 6.390 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.62 0.64 0.61 1.2 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.060 1.060 1.060 0.192 Arthaland Corp.

0.200 0.220 0.220 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 29.900 30.300 29.900 3.36 Belle Corp. `A’ 2.23 2.26 2.16 4.96 Cebu Holdings 5 5 4.7 2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.68 12.02 19.6 1.02 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

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

SHARES 6,455,476 41,682,727 58,163,053 129,956,475 184,884,307 212,714,756 634,753,374

2 45.1 95.90 85.05 33.5 1.26 14.3 16.02 1.6 0.430 69.9 0.9 15.50 46.65 98.75 250 31.8 143.5 1280.00 55.00 1.5

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.02 45.15 95.80 84.50 35 1.18 14.64 16.16 1.82 0.440 69.9 0.9 15.80 45.60 95.05 249 31.95 147 1230.00 55.00 1.6

1.00 0.11 -0.10 -0.65 4.48 -6.35 2.38 0.87 13.75 2.33 0.00 0.00 1.94 -2.25 -3.75 -0.40 0.47 2.44 -3.91 0.00 6.67

19,000 9,500 874,110 995,110 5,000 14,000 900 110,900 29,000 630,000 1,715,660 10,000 53,100 176,500 10 4,140 282,000 1,466,850 700 47,220 3,000

40 4.37 0.77 1.25 9.99 15 19.98 42 2.1 2.41 11.3 7.240 7.89 5.80 5.41 1.6 18.5 54.5 11.78 14.20 5.04 2.170 201.40 7.45 1.7 3.1 40.65 24 14.2 5.75 309.00 3.90 2.95 5.52 11.50 3.65 1.39 2.14 3.80 5.28 120 2.63 0.138 0.93 2.10 185.1 4.55 0.59 0.98

-0.62 1.39 2.67 1.63 0.00 0.27 8.59 0.00 1.45 0.00 2.54 2.70 -1.87 6.62 1.88 0.00 -2.94 0.55 -0.84 4.87 -0.59 2.36 0.20 -0.67 0.00 0.32 -1.45 0.00 -1.39 -0.86 -0.32 0.00 0.34 0.73 0.00 2.53 4.51 -0.47 -0.52 -0.56 3.27 2.33 0.73 4.49 0.96 1.70 0.00 0.00 0.00

329,900 97,000 2,000 174,000 200 333,900 379,000 1,210,900 268,000 6,833,000 270,200 3,996,900 103,700 2,575,400 146,000 1,000 6,780,300 15,420 500 300 33,800 1,326,000 982,090 48,500 23,000 12,000 10,600 2,260,100 132,500 3,100,000 143,920 3,000 45,000 3,106,800 15,300 2,426,000 98,000 9,000 142,000 900 102,260 1,463,000 400,000 70,000 622,000 981,640 105,000 120,000 9,000

0.310 55.1500 14.06 6.12 649 7.11 12.00 5.58 4.43 0.181 1286 9.50 62.70 5.23 0.57 14.94 5.2 0.0290 0.950 1.850 59.80 800.00 74.850 0.2350 0.230

3.33 -0.45 1.01 1.16 0.78 0.85 2.56 7.31 0.68 0.56 0.00 0.00 0.72 0.38 5.56 3.75 1.17 0.00 -5.00 8.82 -0.17 0.00 11.72 0.00 0.00

70,000 486,640 2,538,700 10,000 126,660 1,422,900 3,120,400 1,200 177,000 10,000 66,830 1,776,200 812,890 11,732,700 59,000 2,326,300 23,770,000 6,500,000 15,000 1,860,000 390,740 77,460 50,990 610,000 10,000

6.580 0.63 1.060 0.220 29.950 2.23 5

2.65 1.61 0.00 10.00 0.17 0.00 0.00

203,400 69,000 3,000 10,000 8,195,700 1,588,000 36,200

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

5.6 7.1 1.44 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 8.59

2.8 4.6 0.79 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 5.73

Cebu Prop. `A’ Cebu Prop. `B’ Century Property Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Empire East Land Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Vista Land & Lifescapes

10.5 66 1.09 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 12.28 3.32 3.2 15.2

1.97 35.2 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 0.011 0.041 1.200 6.5 1.91 1.95 6

0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 4 185 22.9 3486 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 14.54 3 2.28 79 4.39 2748 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN APC Group, Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp.

Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ.

Discovery World DFNN Inc. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

-17,064,190.00

0.0098 17.24 25 0.330 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 6.47 9.43 0.236 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.013 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Manila Mining `A’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Semirara Corp.

TA Petroleum

-4,098,580.50 2,644,640.00

70 525

33 500

11,383,976.00 43,718,021.00 145,600.00

515 8.21 12.28 1047

480 5.88 6.5 1011

84.8

75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ FPH Pref C GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred F

35,910.00 -22,662,279 -6,814,447.00 -4,412.00 -566,334.00 -53,628,905.00 318,000.00 -7,959,590.00 -70,034.00 587,930 51,822,926.00 -140,935.00 -2,510,780.00 -4,800.00 -3,489,690.00

-584,116.00 55,750.00 -5 210,000.00 1,502,550.00 2,253,150.00 -7,588,833.00 -12,960.00 4,379,727.00 321,846.00 -18,291,532.00 -710,912.00 -4,260.00 -25,604.00 219,000.00 -83,524,925.00

-14,331,050.00 -100,620.00 571,045.00 12,284,352.00 -5,900.00 11,326,393.00 2,660.00 489,850.00 -174,076.00 -157,800.00

54,027,986.00 477,750.00

-6,869,215.50 -841,994.00 19,592,500.00 588,143.00 -1,757,672.00 176,000.00

56,500.00 -10,467,993.50 5,668,590.00 -607,716.00

995,478.00

-104,134,255.00 -2,000,620.00 -71,700.00

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant Alterra Capital Italpinas Xurpas

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

High

VALUE 527,711,949.57 868,168,050.796 695,323,680.13 677,765,631.51 764,141,024.966 151,020,420.5765 3,693,273,229.252

FINANCIAL 1,463.74 (up) 4.62 INDUSTRIAL 10,325.58 (up) 96.15 HOLDING FIRMS 6,046.03 (up) 33.45 PROPERTY 2,539.84 (up) 0.50 SERVICES 1,373.80 (up) 8.88 MINING & OIL 8,892.26 (down) 82.85 PSEI 6,357.05 (up) 21.96 All Shares Index 3,655.26 (up) 16.38 Gainers: 108; Losers: 45; Unchanged: 48; Total: 201

Close

6 6.1 0.45 0.96 0.102 0.370 21.9 0.700 0.91 1.48 1.20 3.5 0.069 8.43 24.30 1.4 3 19.50 0.77 4.51 4.300

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

6 6 6 6.09 5.6 6.09 0.47 0.45 0.455 1.030 1.030 1.030 0.100 0.098 0.099 0.370 0.370 0.370 22.2 21.3 21.7 0.740 0.710 0.710 0.91 0.90 0.91 1.53 1.46 1.48 1.21 1.20 1.21 3.53 3.57 3.53 0.069 0.069 0.069 8.59 8.59 8.59 24.70 23.55 24.20 1.5 1.34 1.4 3 2.99 3 19.98 19.52 19.52 0.77 0.74 0.76 4.79 4.69 4.79 4.250 4.020 4.150 SERVICES 6 6.3 6 6.06 54.1 55.5 54.1 55.5 0.400 0.455 0.440 0.455 3.08 3.22 3.07 3.13 0.0370 0.0380 0.0370 0.0370 3.2 3.33 3.15 3.32 75.4 77.8 75.3 77.2 9.48 9.48 9.48 9.48 1.57 1.48 1.46 1.46 5.78 6.08 5.77 6.08 1686 1736 1700 1703 6.40 6.50 6.37 6.50 1.10 1.11 1.10 1.10 57.55 58.5 57 57.5 0.0075 0.0076 0.0076 0.0076 0.120 0.120 0.107 0.120 1.2800 1.3800 1.2700 1.3800 6.75 7.04 6.56 7.00 4.39 4.47 4.39 4.45 2.24 2.24 2.24 2.24 1.31 1.39 1.25 1.34 3.50 3.50 3.42 3.47 0.260 0.255 0.250 0.250 0.620 0.640 0.620 0.640 17.48 18.3 17.6 17.6 4.30 4.31 4.31 4.31 2.42 2.63 2.6 2.6 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 20.15 20.15 20.05 20.10 1899.00 1934.00 1892.00 1900.00 0.495 0.520 0.485 0.500 32.30 33.50 32.30 33.35 61.55 61.55 60.55 60.95 4.50 5.00 4.49 4.95 2.60 2.84 2.62 2.69 0.390 0.390 0.385 0.390 3.51 3.56 3.41 3.56 0.310 0.315 0.315 0.315 3.230 3.230 3.230 3.230 MINING & OIL 0.0041 0.0042 0.0040 0.0041 4.02 4.02 4.00 4.02 11.78 10.50 10.50 10.50 0.190 0.209 0.208 0.208 0.31 0.33 0.29 0.32 5.78 6.00 5.63 6.00 0.460 0.485 0.460 0.480 0.245 0.245 0.240 0.245 0.140 0.149 0.140 0.147 0.0098 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 1.45 1.6 1.46 1.46 3.94 4.22 3.98 4 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2 0.5000 0.5100 0.4800 0.4800 1.0300 1.0300 0.9300 0.9300 0.0092 0.0093 0.0093 0.0093 3.18 3.20 3.12 3.12 3.96 4.00 3.95 3.99 1.19 1.23 1.19 1.21 0.0099 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 126.30 126.50 123.00 123.00 1.88 1.88 1.87 1.88 PREFERRED 53.75 56.4 54.9 55 530 530 530 530 500 500 500 500 534 537 534 534 6.3 6.4 6.4 6.4 1.07 1.1 1.1 1.1 1025 1026 1025 1025 104 104 103.7 104 106.5 107 107 107 82 82.5 78.5 82.5 79 78.3 78.3 78.3 79.5 79.5 79.2 79.2 WARRANTS & BONDS 1.390 1.450 1.230 1.300 SME 3.12 3.14 3.12 3.14 2.4 2.42 2.39 2.39 12 12.36 11.6 12.36 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 103.5 105 103.5 104

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

0.00 -0.16 2.25 7.29 -2.94 0.00 -0.91 1.43 0.00 0.00 0.83 0.86 0.00 1.90 -0.41 0.00 0.00 0.10 -1.30 6.21 -3.49

200 130,100 910,000 1,000 1,220,000 640,000 364,400 17,000 2,668,000 28,724,000 42,000 52,097,000 490,000 1,300 1,912,900 20,498,000 13,000 4,940,800 1,271,000 18,000 3,868,000

1.00 2.59 13.75 1.62 0.00 3.75 2.39 0.00 -7.01 5.19 1.01 1.56 0.00 -0.09 1.33 0.00 7.81 3.70 1.37 0.00 2.29 -0.86 -3.85 3.23 0.69 0.23 7.44 0.00 -0.25 0.05 1.01 3.25 -0.97 10.00 3.46 0.00 1.42 1.61 0.00

70,600 21,150 170,000 26,296,000 1,500,000 423,000 318,270 800 58,000 1,345,900 41,085 29,100 129,000 697,330 1,000,000 1,910,000 190,000 110,400 308,000 1,000 23,807,000 827,000 410,000 788,000 1,023,000 10,000 2,000 2,000 42,900 41,705 43,610,000 368,000 1,546,330 3,090,000 8,027,000 25,450,000 317,000 10,000 3,000

0.00 0.00 -10.87 9.47 4.92 3.81 4.35 0.00 5.00 -1.02 0.69 1.52 0.00 -4.00 -9.71 1.09 -1.89 0.76 1.68 1.01 -2.61 0.00

126,000,000 13,000 1,400 760,000 2,620,000 400 2,330,000 50,000 3,950,000 54,000,000 97,000 -75,100.00 6,660,000 -7,035,400.00 9,000 183,000 303,000 8,000,000 7,000 132,000 -98,920.00 42,000 -4,840.00 6,000,000 964,490 6,435,748.00 49,000 -15,040.00

2.33 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.59 2.80 0.00 0.00 0.47 0.61 -0.89 -0.38

316,030 50 7,000 740 100 1,000 1,000 205,000 6,700 74,230 19,500 27,130

-6.47

152,000

3,810.00

0.64 -0.42 3.00

11,000 170,000 713,900

35,960.00 607,268.00

0.48

1,590

2,072.00

-448,590.00 -259,800.00 -159,100.00 -3,778,310.00 62,700.00 -37,487,440.00 -45,600.00 -114,952,620.00 -1,698,745.00 -26,739,700.00 -8,927,850.00 -3,040.00 -12,411,890.00

7,940,230.00 -601,486.50

28,119,500.00 4,637,490.50

4,190.00 2,240.00 -16,137,910.00 869,000.00

200,000.00 -311,495.00 -31,815,975.00 -2,003,450.00 8,197,645.00 -88,294,947.00 -337,690.00 -2,961,740.00 3,174,750.00 -49,160.00

-2,456,145.00

-1,025,015.00 -20,740,000.00 81,900.00 102,960.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

I-Remit Inc.

1.82

13.75

Atok-Big Wedge `A'

10.50

-10.87

APC Group, Inc.

0.455

13.75

Oriental Peninsula Res.

0.9300

-9.71

Top Frontier

74.850

11.72

Discovery World

1.46

-7.01

SBS Phil. Corp.

4.95

10.00

LR Warrant

1.300

-6.47

Arthaland Corp.

0.220

10.00

Bright Kindle Resources

1.18

-6.35

Basic Energy Corp.

0.208

9.47

Prime Media Hldg

0.950

-5.00

Prime Orion

1.850

8.82

Omico

0.4800

-4.00

Cirtek Holdings (Chips)

19.98

8.59

Sun Life Financial

1230.00

-3.91

ISM Communications

1.3800

7.81

MG Holdings

0.250

-3.85

Paxys Inc.

2.6

7.44

Phil. Savings Bank

95.05

-3.75

WEDNESDAY: JANUARY 20, 2016

B3

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

S&P lifts Security Bank’s outlook Market advances; URC leads gainers STOCKS advanced amid thin trading Tuesday, lifted by news that China’s economy, the world’s second largest, grew in line with expectations, providing some rare support at the start of a turbulent year that has seen global markets hammered.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, rose 21 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 6,357.05 Tuesday. The gauge, however, was still down 8.6 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, gained 16 points, or 0.5 percent, to settle at 3,655.26, on value turnover of P3.7 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 108 to 45, while 48 issues were unchanged.

Twelve of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led

by Security Bank Corp., which climbed 2.4 percent to P147.

Food manufacturer Universal Robina Corp. rose 1.7 percent to P185.10, while Bloomberry Resorts Corp., the operator of Solaire Resorts, added 1.6 percent to finish at P3.13.

Meanwhile, most bourses across the region enjoyed a strong rally, led by Shanghai, but dealers remained cautious as the growth figure out of China marked the worst annual performance in a quarter of a century.

Beijing said gross domestic product expanded 6.9 percent, in line with the government’s target of “about seven percent” and matching a forecast in an AFP survey.

However, it was much weaker than the previous year and highlights the job facing the country’s leadership as it struggles to recalibrate the growth engine.

The sharp slowdown in China has sent shockwaves through markets from Asia to the Americas over the past six months, in a rout that has wiped trillions off valuations and fuelled fears of another global economic crisis.

The last three months registered growth of 6.8 percent year-on-year, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

Shanghai’s stock market, which has plunged almost 20 percent since the start of this year, ended up 3.2 percent in characteristically volatile trade that saw it swing in and out of positive territory. With AFP

By Julito G. Rada

GLOBAL debt watcher Standard & Poor’s Rating Services has revised the credit outlook for Security Bank Corp. from stable to positive, following the 20-percent stake acquisition in the local lender by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd.

“At the same time, we affirmed our ‘BB+’ long-term and ‘B’ short-term issuer credit ratings and ‘axBBB+’ long-term and ‘axA2’ short-term Asean regional scale ratings on the Philippines-based bank. We also affirmed our ‘BB+’ long-term issue rating on SBC’s outstanding notes,” S&P said.

“The outlook revision reflects SBC’s im-

proved capital position after Bank of TokyoMitsubishi UFJ Ltd. acquired a 20-percent stake in the bank… The deal will increase SBC’s capital by P36.9 billion on a pro-forma basis from P52.4 billion as of Sept. 30, 2015,” S&P said.

The transaction is expected to be closed in the first half of 2016, subject to regulatory approval and other conditions.

Security Bank officials said in a briefing last week the additional capital would be used to pursue more rapid growth, particularly in the retail sector to complement strengths in corporate and wholesale banking.

“We believe the bank’s retail growth plans are ambitious… In our opinion, the retail sector offers higher yields, but also presents greater delinquency risks, which could lead to an increase in the bank’s credit costs.

Rapid use of capital combined with incremental operating costs could gradually reduce SBC’s enhanced capital ratios over the

next 18 to 24 months. We continue to assess SBC’s capital position as adequate,” S&P said.

The credit rating agency said the alliance with BTMU would enhance SBC’s products suite, collaboration opportunities and global banking know-how and help accelerate the bank’s growth strategy in Philippines.

“We could raise the ratings on SBC if its Standard & Poor’s risk adjusted capital ratio sustains above 10 percent in the next 18 to 24 months despite the growth plans,” it said.

The credit rating firm also said the outlook could be revised downward to stable if SBC grew aggressively and asset quality deteriorated, causing its capital to weaken substantially, particularly if there were missteps as the bank ramped up retail ambitions.

“We could also revise the outlook to stable if SBC’s deposit mobilization fails to keep pace with loan growth, leading to deterioration in the bank’s funding and liquidity profile,” S&P said.

Italpinas certification. Real estate company Italpinas Development Corp. becomes the first Philippine company to secure the International Finance Corp.-World Bank Group Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies certification. IDC earned the IFC- EDGE mark for the groundbreaking Primavera Residences Tower A and B project in Cagayan de Oro City. Shown during the handover ceremony in Makati City are (from left) IDC senior advisor for operation Giovanni Gusella, IDC president Jose Leviste III, IFC global green building specialist Prashant Kapoor, IFC-World Bank Group legal advisor Tess Lacerna, IDC chairman and chief operating officer Romolo Valentino Nati, BPI senior manager Julius Respicio and IDC head of corporate affairs Lorenz Ziller at the handover ceremony in Makati City.

SEC asks Bacoor hospital to stop selling securities

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday it issued a permanent cease and desist order against Bacoor Doctors Medical Center, after it was found selling securities in the form of common shares of stock without secondary license from the corporate regulator.

SEC said in an order posted on its website it denied the motion for reconsideration filed by BDMC seeking for the lifting of the cease and desist order due to lack of merit.

“While the commission is cognizant of the respondent’s effort in assisting the government in its mission to address

the problem of inadequacy of hospital facilities in distant areas by establishing a hospital in Bacoor, it is mandated by law however to ensure full and fair disclosure on securities sold to the public to insulate it against fraud,” SEC said.

“All told, the respondent presented a weak and self-serving defense. It failed to overcome SEC findings, which is supported by solid and factual evidence, that the respondent is indeed selling/offering securities to the public in the form of shares without necessary license from the Commission,” the regulator said.

BDMC, which operates a 100bed tertiary hospital, denied

the allegations during a hearing conducted by SEC. The medical company said all its shares were fully subscribed to and paid by its own stockholder in 2014.

SEC, however, said it had proof that selling and offering of the company’s shares were being conducted within the premises of the hospital.

“The cease and desist order issued against the corporation, its officers, directors, agents, representatives, conduit and any and all persons claiming and acting and behalf and under its authority is hereby made permanent,” SEC said.

SEC earlier cautioned the public against buying unregistered shares in hospitals.

The corporate regulator issued an advisory after four hospital groups, including Pacific Global Medical Center Inc., Diliman Doctors Hospitals Inc., South East Asia Medical Inc. and United Doctors Service Corp. were found selling shares not registered with the SEC. It said to attract investors, the hospitals were selling shares allegedly to entitle buyers to certain hospital benefits such as waived or discounted operating room fees, free or discounted private room, ward and intensive care unit accommodations, discount on the use of ICU equipment, medicines and medical suppliers and discount on hospital services.

B4 Larger wind farm in Aklan planned

By Alena Mae S. Flores PETROWIND Energy Inc., a joint venture between CapAsia, EEI Power and PetroGreen Energy Inc., may expand its 36-megawatt Nabas-1 wind power project in Aklan by 14 megawatts.

PetroWind switched on the Nabas-1 wind project on Saturday in a ceremony attended

by Senate President Franklin Drilon, Commissioner Patricia Magpale-Asirit of the Energy Regulatory Commission, Energy Undersecretary Donato Marcos and key Aklan officials.

The wind farm sits on a mountainous area in Nabas and Malay towns.

Six months after its successful commissioning in June 2015, the Nabas-1 has been supplying clean and renewable power to the Western Visayas grid. A groundbreaking ceremony of the planned Tourist Center and Viewdeck followed the switchon.

The wind farm offers new ecotourism and livelihood opportunities for the local government units and host barangays. The Nabas-1 wind project is located near Boracay, the country’s top tourist attraction, where demand for power is accelerating.

PetroWind’s Nabas-1 project is eligible for a P7.40 per kilowatthour feed -in tariff rate under the second wave of installation targets for wind projects.

“This milestone is due not only to the support of the Aklan officials have given to PWEI but also to the professionalism and efficiency that the DoE, ERC, NGCP, PEMC and TransCo showed in their review of Nabas-1,” PetroEnergy Resources Corp. vice president Francisco Delfin Jr. said. PetroGreen is a subsidiary of listed PetroEnergy.

Drilon cited that the Aquino administration and the Senate support for such projects with the “government’s P25 billion investment for rural electrification, almost four times the combined spending of the three previous administrations and by supporting legislations that provide incentives to environmentally compliant energy projects.”

SME partner. Manila Electric Co. signs an agreement with the Trade Department to support the development of micro, small and medium enterprises. Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Cuison-Maglaya (second from left) shakes hand with Meralco senior vice president and head for customer retail services and corporate communications Alfredo Panlilio on January 14, 2016 after signing the agreement. With them are Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development assistant director Jerry Clavesillas (left) and Meralco assistant VP Ma. Cecilia Domingo.

Economy resilient to market volatility

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE Philippines is resilient to global financial volatility because of a strong reserve position, the Finance department said Tuesday.

Finance Undersecretary and chief economist Gil Beltran said in an internal economic bulletin the country’s healthy banking system would also shield the local economy from shocks created by financial uncertainties.

“The country’s strong reserve position, its healthy banking system and profitable corporates should help the country avoid deleterious effects of financial volatility,” Beltran said.

Beltran made the comment after China’s stock and currency markets shook its Asian neighbors. China’s stock market dropped 6.9 percent in the first trading of 2016, while the rest of Asia tumbled with Japan slumping 3.1

percent.

The Philippine stock market dropped 1.7 percent against the average 2.6 percent decline in Asia. On the same day, the Chinese yuan depreciated by 0.6 percent against the US dollar.

Excluding the Japanese yen which appreciated and Vietnam which remained unchanged, all the other Asian currencies fell between 0.3 percent for Thailand to 1.3 percent for the South Korean won.

Earlier las week, China’s stocks lost 18 percent and its currency by 1.4 percent.

Asian stocks have nosedived 8.2 percent while Asian currencies lost 0.5 percent, excluding Japan.

“The close linkages between Asian countries is evident in the high correlation between their financial market indexes,” Beltran said.

“Stock market indexes have a correlation averaging 0.91, with Thailand at the lowest rung at 0.65 to 0.97 for India, Singapore and Malaysia. The Philippines is at the lower half along with Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia,” he said.

Finance said the Philippines performed re-

markably well during the period of volatility, with its stock market dropping 7.2 percent compared with the Asian average of 8.2 percent.

The peso, however, dropped 1.9 percent against the US dollar, more than the average Asian decline of 0.5 percent.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas took the opportunity to depreciate the peso to further boost the international reserves to $82.7 billion, while sustaining the competitiveness of exports.

The rest of Asia lost U546 billion to support their currencies, while the Philippines gained $2.1 billion—one of the 6 Asian countries to achieve the feat.

“Disseminating positive economic information should eventually help soothe the frayed nerves of investors. When the dust of uncertainty settles down, investors will start to be rational and differentiate between countries,” Beltran said.

He also said that economic reforms should continue to boost growth and the country’s fundamentals kept to sustain investor confidence.

Tobacco giant Philip Morris faces $2.2-b tax penalty in Thailand BANGKOK—Tobacco giant Philip Morris is facing an eyewatering $2.2 billion fine if found guilty of dodging tax on cigarette imports to Thailand, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The allegations are part of a long simmering tax dispute between the kingdom and the local unit of the tobacco company, which has also clashed with authorities over plans to increase the size of health warnings on cigarette packets.

Thai prosecutors say Philip Morris, which owns the Marlboro

and L&M brands, avoided around 20 billion baht ($551.27 million) tax by under declaring import prices for cigarettes from the Philippines between 2003 and 2006.

“Philip Morris as a corporation, as well as seven Thais, were indicted yesterday on custom tax evasion,” Somnuk Siengkong, a spokesman for Thailand’s Office of the Attorney General told reporters on Tuesday.

Chartpong Chirabandhu, deputy director general of the office’s special litigation department, said

a court could impose a fine of up to 80 billion baht ($2.2 billion) if the company was found guilty.

Four foreign executives at the company have also been charged but are outside the country, prosecutors added.

Philip Morris Thailand Ltd. described the charges as “unjust” and vowed to fight them.

“The company intends to vigorously defend itself against these meritless charges and demonstrate that it is in full compliance with Thai law and international

standards of customs valuation,” the company said in a statement.

The cigarette manufacturer added that their import valuations complied with World Trade Organization agreements and had been cleared by local Thai customs officials.

The investigation first surfaced in 2006 under the administration of Thaksin Shinawatra, shortly before his ousting in a military coup.

Thailand has since been hit by a decade of political instability with frequent government changes and

a second coup in 2014.

In 2011, the attorney general at the time recommended against charging the tobacco giant, but the prosecution was restarted two years later.

That year Philip Morris was among leading cigarette firms to challenge in court plans by Thai health officials to increase health warnings on cigarettes.

The World Health Organization has accused the tobacco industry of deploying legions of lobbyists and lawyers to block packaging changes. AFP

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 6

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

Colmenares, Cayetano wasting their saliva SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano and Party List Rep. Neri Colmenares are wasting their saliva trying to appeal to President BS Aquino and the yellow legislators to reconsider the proposal to raise the Social Security System pension

by P2,000. The president has vetoed the proposed bill and Cayetano is urging his fellow legislators to put an end to this habit of the executive branch of vetoing important laws passed by Congress, but we doubt it, because the yellow congressmen have admitted they do not want to embarrass the “popular” President BS. So there you have it—these representatives of the people are beholden to their patron and think it is more important to save the face of the president—and to hell with all these pensioners who have earned the right to the piddling amount that government gives them—money that they faithfully contributed hoping it would help them in their twilight years. But ask any ordinary pensioner and he’d tell you the amount is not even enough to cover the cost for their maintenance medicines.

Rep. Neri Colmenares—whom voters would elect twice into office as senator if that were possible—disputes claims by the SSS leadership that the fund is facing insolvency, saying that the increase could be accommodated if collections were improved. If it were left to us, we’d like to see these delinquent employers smoked out and hung to dry.

It’s true, we have heard of employers who delay the payment of SSS contributions because they use the money for something else or park it in banks to earn interest. Some even cheat on the remittances, recording a lower amount of contribution by the employee so that they (employers) would pay a lower counterpart contribution. And these workers—mostly daily and minimum wage earners, are none the wiser because the amount reflected in their SSS contributions seems higher than what has been deducted from their salary. (Poor Representative “call me Neri” Colmenares— he had to postpone his privilege speech because many of his colleagues in Congress were no show. Are they on extended leave, these legislators?)

The way these SSS officials put it, you’d think the pension fund is gasping for breath yet they can afford to give themselves overly generous salaries, perks, benefits and bonuses amounting to millions. And why is it that this government finds it so easy to source funds for pet projects like the Conditional Cash Transfer Program—the euphemism for dole outs from the DSWD that thinks nothing of wasting our money, holding so-called “family camping” events in expensive resorts. Don’t get us wrong—we don’t mind helping those who have lesser in life but it seems to us that this government has skewed priorities. The pensioners earned the right to that pension because they contributed over the years of hard work and paid taxes, but government says it does not have money to increase pensions but can readily produce the budget for doleouts for people who have made it their profession to be panhandlers or professionally jobless.

SSS might as well be called the SDS—the Social Disservice Commission because this agency is notorious for showing disrespect to seniors, employees in many branches are rude (even guards), waste time at work with mindless gossip unmindful of the growing line of people processing papers, and seem to take pleasure in disapproving death and disability claims, or if they do approve, it takes a long wait with the claimant spending a lot of money and wasting time going back for follow ups, complainants told us. And yes, there are still syndicates who take out loans in the name of unsuspecting members in cahoots with SSS insiders. Meantime, the officials are paid hefty salaries for sitting and holding meetings that entitle them to honoraria.

Meantime, the yellow ones are belatedly proposing at least P1,000 increase in the pension amount but guess what—they will also increase the amount of contributions from members. What, more money to pay the salaries of the SSS execs? “Gigisahin tayo sa sariling mantika,” as one of our buddies put it.

••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook. com/happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

B5

Philippines records $2.6-b BoP surplus

By Julito G. Rada

The Philippines posted a balance of payments surplus of $2.616 billion in 2015, surpassing the target of $2 billion, data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Tuesday show.

The surplus was a reversal of the $2.858-billion deficit in 2014.

The BoP in December stood at a surplus of $481 million, a reversal of the $141-million deficit a month ago and $864-million deficit a year ago.

Bangko Sentral in December retained its BoP surplus assumption of $2 billion in 2015 due to expected lower current account surplus, weighed down by sluggish exports.

The balance of payments summarizes the country’s economic transactions with the rest of the

world, with a deficit indicating foreign exchange payments outstripping receipts and a surplus the reverse.

Persistent surpluses help build up the country’s gross international reserves, an ample supply of which helps prop up the peso vis-à-vis the US dollar and keep domestic inflation at bay.

The balance of payments position in 2016 is projected at a surplus of $2.2 billion, as the global growth outlook is seen improving. Another reason is the continued favorable growth pros-

pects of the domestic economy.

The projected surplus in the overall BoP this year is seen to result in an increase in the 2016 GIR level to $82.7 billion from $80.61 billion in 2015.

Last year’s GIR missed the official target of $80.7 billion due mainly to the government’s settlement of foreign exchange obligations.

The end-December GIR level remained ample as it can cover 10.3 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and income. It is also equivalent to 5.5 times the country’s shortterm external debt based on original maturity and 4 times based on residual maturity.

The reserves this year are projected to increase to $82.7 billion, or equivalent to 9 months’ import cover, from $80.7 billion (nearly 10 months import cover) in 2015.

Best Bond House. First Metro Investment Corp.,, the investment banking arm of the Metrobank Group, is

conferred its seventh consecutive Best Bond House, and its first Best Mergers & Acquisitions House win at the Triple A Country Awards 2015 of Hong Kong-based finance publication The Asset. Receiving the three awards during the gala dinner held at Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong are (from left) First Metro first vice president Francisco Javier Bonoan, executive vice president Justino Juan Ocampo and vice president Abigail Buenviaje-Magpayo.

Ayala Land not in a hurry to borrow

By Jenniffer B. Austria AYALA Land Inc., the secondbiggest builder, is not in hurry to raise funds through the bond market amid plans to raise as much as P50 billion in fresh capital over the next three years.

Ayala Land chief finance officer Jaime Ysmael said in an intervie the company had not decided on the timing and the amount of the capital it planned to raise this year. He said Ayala Land still had sufficient short-term credit lines it could tap to partially finance the company’s funding requirements.

Ysmael said the company also wanted to achieve “just-in-time” funding to avoid negative carry on the company’s books.

“There is no set number [as to

how much we will raise this year].

We thought P50 billon is a nice number because we have been raising P15 billion a year. But on the timing, we really want to achieve a just-in-time fund raising, so we don’t incur negative carry,” Ysmael said.

Ayala Land has not filed the registration statement for the shelf registration of P50 billion worth of bonds bond and commercial papers.

Ayala Land’s board last month approved the filing of shelf registration for up to P50 billion of bonds and commercial papers with the SEC. It plans to offer as much as P20 billion of bonds and P10 billion of commercial papers out of shelf registration.

While Ayala Land had suf-

ficient short-term credit lines which it could tap for bridge financing, Ysmael said the company would eventually convert the loans into long term debt instruments like bonds to lock in the interest rates.

“While we like a certain percentage of our borrowings in term of floating rates or short term rates, it is still wise to lock in the majority of funding requirements for long term and and lock in the rates because we have long gestation period for our projects,” Ysmael said.

Ayala Land earmarked P85 billion to P90 billion in capital expenditures this year as the company continues to invest heavily across all business lines, including residential, office and shopping malls development.

WEDNESDAY: JANUARY 20, 2016

B6

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

Renewables increase electricity cost by P4b

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Power consumers shouldered P4.26 billion in additional cost of electricity last year, after renewable energy plants began dispatching power at preferred rates, but overall rate decreased because of additional supply.

Jonathan de la Viña, Philippine Electricity Market Corp. senior specialist in corporate operations and market development told reporters the additional cost of P0.0598 came in the form of feedin tariff allowance to pay the eligible renewable energy plants such as biomass, small hydro, solar and wind-powered facilities which produced power from November 2014 to October 2015.

De la Viña, however, said that with the entry of renewable energy, which were given a “priority dispatch,” the average rate in the wholesale electricity spot market, the trading floor of electricity, showed a reduction of P8.29 billion or P0.1165 per kWh. He said the price reduction at WESM tempered the feed-in tariff payment, thus consumers enjoyed an avoided cost of P4.04

billion or P0.0567 per kWh during the period.

“The reduction on WESM prices of preferential dispatch [P8.29 billion] has offset the additional FIT differential payments [P4.26 billion]. This has resulted in lower overall energy costs,” he said.

Ernesto Pantangco, vice chairman of the National Renewable Energy Board, said the PEMC study showed tangible results that “with the introduction of renewable energy, there is a net benefit to the system.”

The merit order or priority dispatch of renewable energy projects in the WESM displaced the use of more expensive fuels like diesel.

WESM acts as the country’s trading floor of electricity while

PEMC operates WESM. De La Viña said the merit order effect or the entry of the renewable energy plants resulted in lower WESM rates of P1 per kilowatt-hour on the average during the said period.

“On average, costs in the WESM are lower by P691.2 million on a monthly basis or P0.12 per kWh,” he said.

PEMC initiated the study last year to determine the financial impact of the integration of the FIT-qualified resources in the WESM over a one-year period.

The study focused on how much the costs changed at WESM if the FIT-eligible renewable energy plants with combined output of 682.91 megawatts were not present.

Payment center on wheels. Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. launches a first of its kind payment center on wheels with Pay Express Van. The latest bills payment innovation is a mobile truck fitted with a cashiering system. Shown during the launch of the Pasay branch are (from left) PLDT vice-president and head of credit and collection management Jonel Ladaban, Home operations head RenRen Reyes, first vicepresident and head of consumer credit and business system management Ricky Sison, Pasay-Paranaque customer service operations zone head Sonny Embuscado, executive vice-president and head of consumer business head Ariel Fermin and Bayad Center senior vice-president and chief operating officer Pit Quevedo.

Denmark companies explore PH SIXTEEN companies from Denmark are now in the Philippines to explore investment opportunities in port management, seafood processing and trade.

Denmark Ambassador to the Philippines Jan Top Christensen said the five-day trade mission was the first Danish business delegation on fishery in the Philippines.

“Since we re-established our embassy here in the Philippines one year past now, we have noticed growing interest from the Danish side to get to know opportunities in the Philippines. Your country’s high growth rate was a big factor for them coming here,” he said.

Christensen said the change in consumption patterns in favor of more quality and exquisite products was what Danish products and processes had been promoting for decades.

He said the fishery sector of Denmark had improved standards to follow requirements of the Danish government.

“Denmark is representing the top level of quality and safety,” he said.

Lars Siggaard Andersen, head of the Danish delegation, said 16 companies from Denmark visited the Philippines to look for opportunities in the Philippine fishery sector.

“These evaluations may encourage some, if not all delegates, to come back on their own and make the necessary arrangements for partnerships, should there be,” he said.

The delegation included technology and equipment companies like Comet Trawl Aps, Thyboron Skibssmedie A/S, Scotia E 567 A/S, TSR Electronic A/S, Guardian Security and Risk Management Aps, Vestkajens Maskinvaerksted A/S and ColdA/S. The delegation also included land-based companies with interests in food processing such as Kolemadsen A/S, Osolos Maskin fabric Aps, Km Fish Machinery A/S, Marine EI A/S, Smoke Solution Aps, Danmarin A/S, Treco A/S, Skov Advokater and Hirtsharld Yard A/S. Othel V. Campos

HSBC expects growth in Filipino remittances to slow down

By Julito G. Rada REMITTANCE growth is expected to slow down in the coming years, resulting in the moderation of the current account surplus, British bank Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. said in a report Tuesday.

“The growth rate of remittances will nonetheless slow from a high base, after years of continuous growth. The BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] recently revised down its 2016 forecast from 5 percent to 4 percent, and we expect growth to naturally moder-

ate from there due to base effects,” HSBC said.

The foreign bank said as the Philippine economy expanded alongside an infrastructure buildup, the effect of remittances on growth and the current account would wane over time.

“Services exports from ‘business processing outsourcing’ and related sectors will partly offset the relative decline of foreign currency earnings from remittances, but the current account surplus may nonetheless weaken by 2017, unless the trade deficit sees a sustained improvement, which is un-

likely,” HSBC said.

The bank said remittance growth had been remarkably resilient over the years, shrugging off both financial crises and economic slowdowns until the slowdown in 2015.

“The 2015 slowdown in remittance growth is surprising. There is no one answer to explain the dramatic slowdown in the second half of 2015. Geographically, the sharp decline in remittances from the US has been the main source of the deceleration, while remittance growth from Asia and the Middle East remains relatively

strong,” it said.

It said the slowdown in remittances from the US could be traced to some factors, such as stricter financial regulations and higher bank transaction costs, “while FX [foreign exchange] weakness in domicile currencies explains the moderation elsewhere.”

“There are also some tail risks from tensions in the Middle East, such as further political instability or unlikely currency devaluations,” it said.

HSBC said demographic expansion suggested the Philippines would continue to have a sur-

plus of workers over the next few years, particularly in prime working age cohorts.

It said while growth had been robust lately alongside an infrastructure boom and tourism sector growth, the country still had underemployment issues and was unable to create the amount of quality jobs needed.

“Fortunately, demand for Filipino OFWs, or overseas foreign workers, should remain strong, especially from the aging societies in Asia [increasingly for welltrained and better paid healthcare professionals],” it said.

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Still no justice for the teacher-

Rumors grip Hanoi ahead of change in its leadership

YANGON—Hundreds of people attended a memorial service in Yangon on Tuesday for two ethnic Kachin teachers murdered a year ago in a grisly crime rights groups say points to the impunity granted to the Myanmar army in conflict areas.

The killing of the women, aged 20 and 21, triggered a wave of public outrage, with activists alleging the pair were raped and murdered by soldiers stationed in the village where they worked in Shan state.

Myanmar’s government vowed to probe the deaths thoroughly and punish any soldiers found to be involved.

Yet one year on no-one has been charged over the murders of Maran Lu Ra and Tangbau Hkawn Nan Tsin, despite pressure from the US State Department which urged a full investigation.

Rights groups believe police may have helped the Myanmar military cover-up the crime that took place near the border town of Muse.

The Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), which ran the school where the two women volunteered as teachers, say authorities do not appear to be taking the case seriously.

“We still haven’t received any answers or fairness,” Reverend Samson Hkalam, KBC’s secretary, said at Tuesday’s church memorial, adding the crime was not a priority for officials.

“That shows how the justice system works in Myanmar.”

Aung Htoom, a human rights lawyer based in Kachin, said police did not properly collect or process DNA evidence, including blood, fingerprints and hair, left at the crime scene.

“If this evidence was collected by the police systemically... we are 100 percent sure it would be possible to identify the perpetrators,” he said. “But the police didn’t do so.”

Rule of law remains especially weak in Myanmar’s frontier regions, such as Shan and Kachin states, where ethnic rebel armies have been fighting the Myanmar military for decades, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. AFP

HANOI—From Soviet-style letters of denunciation to outlandish rumors of a coup, Hanoi is abuzz with political gossip ahead of a key leadership change this week that has plunged the ruling communist elite into turmoil.

Politics in authoritarian Vietnam rarely attracts public attention.

The communists have run the unified country as a one-party state since decades of war ended in 1975.

But in the Internet age, bitter factional infighting has transformed the customarily staid Communist Party Congress, which opens on Thursday in Hanoi, into political theater.

Leaks and counterleaks of internal memos, letters of denunciation and detailed responses are circulating online. State media have urged people not to read such “poison,” but many have made up their own minds.

“I don’t trust the system. It’s all bureaucracy, corruption, fights for power,” party member and high-ranking state employee, Nguyen Minh, 45, told AFP. Minh, who AFP has not fully identified, said she had grown wealthy from her position but now felt trapped. She said she was tired of enduring endless discussion of the congress at work.

She admits she’s sent her daughter overseas for education—and would accept her choosing not to return.

“Capitalism is better than socialism... Here we are living in a cage, it’s difficult to inhale fresh air,” she said.

At the week-long meeting starting Thursday, the country’s top three jobs—Party General Secretary, President, Prime Minister—are up for grabs, with all incumbents technically due to retire.

Normally, a deal is agreed months in advance. Analysts say the delay this year highlights a struggle between the party’s traditional old guard and a more modern breed of politician, embodied by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Dung, a pro-western reformer who presided over Vietnam joining the WTO and the US-led Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, and has been outspoken over Vietnam’s maritime dispute with China, was tipped by analysts to move up to the powerful party leader position.

But the incumbent,

Nguyen Phu Trong, seen as more a conservative apparatchik and closer to Beijing, has been maneuvering to stay on and install allies in the top posts.

A political survivor, Dung has weathered corruption allegations, attempts to unseat him, and the failure of the state-owned enterprise

system that he championed after becoming premier in 2006.

With a powerful network of allies, he could yet emerge as party secretary, said Jonathan London, a Vietnam expert at City University of Hong Kong.

“Certainly his candidacy appears to be on the ropes but who the

hell knows? He could yet mount a comeback... unlike China, the party congress in Vietnam is not entirely scripted,” he said.

Neither side will dramatically change course on key issues such as the dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea as Vietnam is a large country ruled “by committee,” London said. AFP

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

NOTICE OF LOSS OF SHARES CERTIFICATE

In Classified A d s section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published.

We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

Notice is hereby given that the following shares certificates have been reported as misplaced / lost/ stolen and the registered holders thereof / claimants thereof have applied to the Company for issuances of duplicate share certificates.

Stockholder Certificate Name Number Mabuhay Vinyl Jose T. Valencia 2382 Corporation Issuer

Empire East Jose T. Valencia Land Holdings, Inc.

13277

Any information with respect to said certificate should be communicated to BDO Unibank,Inc. at 7899 Makati Avenue, Makati City.

( T S - J A N .13 , 2 0 , & 2 7, 2 016)

Republic of the Philippines Mariano Marcos State University Batac City 2906, Ilocos Norte

INVITATION TO BID

BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

Name of Project Location Approved Budget For the Contract (ABC) Source of Fund Contract Duration

: CONSTRUCTION OF BINMALEY ARCADE (PHASE II) : POBLACION, BINMALEY, PANGASINAN : Php 13,665,460.00 : LOAN (DBP) : 236 CD

Prospective bidders should possess a valid PCAB License ( Category Small B) which is applicable to the contract, have completed a similar contract with a value of at least 50% of the ABC, and have key personnel and equipment ( listed in the Eligibility Forms) available for the prosecution of the contract. The BAC will use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria in the Eligibility Check Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids. The BAC will conduct post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid.

INVITATION TO BID:I N F R A THE PROJECT: Expansion of CAFSD Building Phase I (10 Classrooms) Grid-3-Grid 9, MMSU City of Batac 2016-001 1.

The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), with offices at Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte, invites bidders to furnish and provide all labor, materials, tools and equipment necessary and proper for the construction of the above Project in accordance with the approved designs, plans and drawings, with an Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) in the amount of: Nine Million Nine Hundred Sixty FiveThousand Five Hundred Seventy Four Pesos and 68/100 Centavos(PhP9,965,574.68).

2.

The bidding will be conducted via open and public competitive bidding using nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion in accordance with Republic Act 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act,”and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), particularly, but not limited to the following:

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Screening , Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

The complete schedule of activities is listed as follows: BAC Activities

Schedule

1. Pre-Procurement Conference

Jan. 8, 2016 - 10AM/Conference Rm., Municipal Hall, Binmaley, Pangasinan Jan. 15, 2016 - Feb. 5, 2016/BAC OFFICE Municipal Hall, Binmaley, Pangasinan Monday to Friday/8AM-5PM Jan. 26, 2016 -10:30AM/Conference Rm., Municipal Hall, Binmaley, Pangasinan Feb. 8, 2016- 10AM/Conference Rm., Municipal Hall, Binmaley, Pangasinan Deadline for the Submission of Bids is 9:30AM Feb. 9, 2016 Feb. 10, 2016 Feb. 12, 2016 Feb. 15, 2016

2. Issuance of Bid Documents 3. Pre - bid Conference

1,000

Any person(s) who has/have any claim in respect of these share certificates should write to the address given below within 15 days from the date of publication of this Notice. In case where no objection is received, the Company will proceed to issue duplicate share certificates.

Republic of the Philippines OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL MAYOR BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE Binmaley, Pangasinan

The Municipality of Binmaley, through the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) invites Contractors registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to apply for eligibility and if found eligible, to bid for the hereunder project:

No. of Shares 25,000

a)

A bidder must be a Filipino citizen;for corporations, partnerships, or organizations, at least seventy five percent (75%) interest, or outstanding capital stock,must be owned by Filipino citizens.

b)

All bids must be accompanied by a valid bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in Clause 18, of the Instruction to Bidders.

c)

A bidder must have been awarded a contract similar to the Project, as described and specified inSection II of the Instruction to Bidders,completed and accepted within a ten (10) year period, reckoned from the date of delivery/submission of bids as herein below indicated,

d)

The Project must be finished within One Hundred Eighty (180) WORKING DAYS, completed in accordance with the approved designs, plans and drawings, including any approved variation/s, if any.

e)

Bids received in excess of the ABC will be automatically rejected.

3.

Bids must be submitted to the Conference Room, FEM Hall, Mariano Marcos State University, Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte on or beforeFebruary 11, 2015; 2:00 PM.

4.

The Mariano Marcos State University will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 28, 2016; 2:00 PM at the Conference Room, FEM Hall, MMSU, Batac City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents

5.

Public bidding is an invitation to make an offer. It is therefore understood that any bid may be accepted or rejected orthe bid process invalidated, at any time prior to contract award, without liability to anyone.

The Municipal Government of Binmaley assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bids and reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any formality, informality, and/or defect and to make an award to the bidder whose proposal is most advantageous to the government.

6.

Complete set of bid documents may be secured from the MMSU BAC Secretariat at the address below or downloaded from the MMSU website or from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) website. A bidder must pay a non-refundable fee in the amount of Ten ThousandPesos Only (PhP10,000.00), due and payable upon issuance of the bid document set or if secured via any of the websites, prior to submission of the bid documents.

CONTACT PERSON:

7.

For further information please contact the MMSU BAC Secretariat at the address indicated below, Monday thru Friday between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM:

4. Opening of Bids 5. Bid Evaluation 6. Post-Qualification 7. Notice ofAward 8. Notice to Proceed

Bid Documents will be available only to prospective bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable amount of Php25,000.00 at the Office of the Treasurer, Binmaley, Pangasinan.

(SGD.) CATALINA R. FLORES BAC Secretariat Poblacion, Binmaley, Pangasinan Tel. No. (075)681-3881 APPROVED BY:

AGNES L. GABRIEL Office of the MMSU BAC Secretariat FEM Hall, Mariano Marcos State University Quiling Sur, Batac City 09985773240/600-0461 aslgabriel@yahoo.com www.mmsu.edu.ph.

(SGD.) FERNANDO B. FERRER BAC Chairman ( T S - J A N . 2 0 , 2 016)

(TS-JAN. 20, 2016)

(SGD) RAMON A. LEAÑO BAC Chair

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B8 Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey dies at 67 NEW YORK—Guitarist Glenn Frey, who helped make the Eagles one of the most successful acts in US rock history with hits such as “Hotel California,” died Monday. He was 67.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our comrade, Eagles founder Glenn Frey, in New York City,” the Grammy Awardwinning band wrote on its website.

Frey died of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia, the Eagles said.

“We are all in a state of shock, disbelief and profound sorrow,” fellow Eagle Don Henley said in a statement.

“He was the spark plug, the man with the plan. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn’t quit.”

The Eagles, fronted by Frey and drummer-vocalist Henley, dominated the American rock charts throughout the 1970s with hits including “Take It Easy,” “One of These Nights” and “Hotel California”— songs that endure as cover-band classics to this day.

The Eagles pioneered the West Coast sound of laid-back, countrytinged rock that dominated early 1970s American pop and saw a changing cast of core members throughout the decades.

The Eagles’ 1975 greatest hits collection has sold more than 29 million copies in the United States, more than any album except Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

The Eagles had been due in December to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Lifetime Artistic Achievement award but the band said it would postpone its appearance by a year due to Frey’s health.

Frey was born in Detroit on November 6, 1948, the son of a machinist.

The rock group was founded in the early 1970s and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Its six Grammys range from Record of the Year in 1977 for “Hotel California” to Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 2008 for “I Dreamed There Was No War.” The Recording Academy, which presents the Grammys, in a statement called Frey’s death “a huge loss for the music community,” saying he was “an integral part of one of the most storied bands in pop history.” AFP

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD Freed Americans rejoin kin at US military base WASHINGTON—The Americans freed by Iran over the weekend reunited with their families Monday at a US military base in Germany, but the relatives of another hostage expressed serious disappointment he had not been released.

Viewing Party. From left, Lucy Angel’s Kate Anderton, Lindsay Anderton and Emily Anderton attend G-Force Music Group hosts ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’ Viewing Party with a performance by Lucy Angel at Citizen on January 18, 2016, in Nashville, Tennessee. AFP

Tehran released four Iranian-American dual nationals, some of whom had been held for years, in a prisoner swap, while a fifth American was freed separately.

In exchange, Washington granted clemency to seven Iranians. And it withdrew international arrest notices for 14 Iranians.

The prisoner swap came as the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed Iran had put a nuclear bomb beyond its immediate reach and the US and EU lifted their most draconian economic sanctions.

US diplomats insisted, to widespread skepticism, that the two breakthroughs were entirely separate.

On Monday, three of the freed Americans were receiving medical checkups at US military facilities in Landstuhl, Germany.

Relatives and supporters of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and Marine veteran Amir Hekmati saw them for the first time since being released and shared group photographs.

The family of Saeed Abedini was expected to arrive later.

The fourth freed Iranian-American, named Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, apparently chose to remain in Iran. Very little is publicly known about him.

Rezaian, 39, told his editors he was “feeling good” physically as he met with them for the first time since his release from Iran’s notorious Evin prison following a July 2014 arrest, The Washington Post reported.

In a photograph released by the paper, the usually portly Rezaian appeared to have lost a significant amount of weight.

“I want people to know that physically I’m feeling good,” Rezaian told the Post, dressed in a gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

“I know people are eager to hear from me, but I want to process this for some time.”

The Post noted that recovery in similar cases can take months or even years. AFP

Record numbers visited Japan in 2015 TOKYO—Japan had a record number of foreign visitors last year thanks to a surge in Chinese arrivals, a cheaper yen and looser visa rules, it was announced Tuesday.

Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Japan has set a target of boosting the number of annual visitors to 20 million by 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Summer Olympics.

But already in 2015 19.7 million people visited Japan, 47.1 percent above the previous year, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.

As the total number is likely to reach the government’s goal before 2020, officials are considering

revising it upward, said Yoshihide Suga, the top government spokesman.

“We would like to decide whether to seek one of 30 million or above 30 million,” he told a parliament session Tuesday.

The Japanese figures do not differentiate between tourists and other kinds of travelers. By comparison, France drew 83.7 million tourists in 2014 and has a target of 100 million by 2020.

Among other moves, Tokyo has made it easier to obtain visas and expanded the coverage of goods that can be purchased duty-free.

A decline in the value of the yen

has also helped. Another key factor is China, which sent a record 4.99 million visitors to Japan, more than double the previous year’s figure.

China surpassed South Korea in the number of visits and became the largest source of visitors to Japan, the Japan National Tourism Organization said in a statement.

It cited improved China-Japan relations, the weaker yen and an overall increase in the number of Chinese going abroad as their country’s economy grows.

Visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan were counted separately. AFP

Whiteout. Young people take part in a snow battle in Kiev. 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 WRITER

PANTONE

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

H OME & L I V ING

LIFE

FOR PEACE:

Colors of 2016

This year’s duo is a breath of fresh air. In previous years, Pantone’s “Color of the Year” was dominated by assertive hues such as marsala, radiant orchid, emerald, tangerine tango and honeysuckle. The 2016, however, started CALEIDOSCOPE year off with a different vibe by the WORLD introduction of Rose Quartz

BY CAL TAVERA and Serenity. I had such a dynamic year in 2015 that I am ready to slow things down a little. However our previous year went, I am sure most of us welcome the opportunity for some tranquility in our lives, which is exactly what the current pantone colors are offering us.

According to my research, factors such as social issues, politics, pop culture and technology play a role in selecting the upcoming color trend. I do not mean to put a somber tone on such a fun topic but after the unfortunate events of last year, maybe this is a way of promoting peace and a step towards creating a calmer and happier environment.

Studies show that pink Rose Quartz is a pacifying color to alleviate animosity and rage, one that promotes composure and empathy while its partner, Serenity, provides a breather in these unsettling, unpredictable times. This subtle but solid pair serves as a remedy to present-day stresses by enhancing wellness and peace.

They just might be great ideas to include in your home, but how do we go about incorporating these colors into our personal spaces? Major renovations may seem like such a huge step in including these colors so maybe we can try applying them in baby steps. If you need more time to commit and embrace these subtle shades, try experimenting with accents first. Here are some ideas on how to play with them for each area:

DINING ROOM

Sprinkle some color to the table through table napkins, coasters, table napkin rings or placemats in these subtle shades. These home décor accessories are temporary and you can display them when you are in the mood.

an array of handcrafted items for the young and young at heart. This year, they were inspired by the pantone tones for the beanies and teepees collection.

One of the bestsellers is the princess teepee with tulle ruffles. The teepee is designed with three layers of ruffles created out of tulle in a sweet subtle rose quartz hue.

Placemats and table napkin rings spice up the dining table

MASTER BEDROOM

Create a punch of color through decorative pillows that you can place on your bed. If you feel you can utilize the colors further, purchase a set of beddings in Rose Quartz or Serenity or combine them to create more impact. They go well with neutral surroundings.

Mini beanie from Pottly N Tubby

Pottly N Tubby also has two-toned mini beanies that combine both the Serenity and Rose Quartz colors. If you get bored of the color on top, the best part is that you can utilize the bottom design by flipping the mini beanie over.

The sample in the photo is made with linen-canvas with designer imported fabrics.

LIVING ROOM

Experiment with throws or decorative pillows on your sofa.

Test out the colors with this fun mandala throw from Quiver.

It is made in India with a size of 85 inches in diameter. The designs are made out of 100 percent hand printed, hand dyed cotton. Not feeling it as a throw? It can also double as a mat, table cover or simply as wall décor. It is that flexible.

NURSERY

Pantone colors go well with neutral shades

CHILDREN’S ROOM

For a playful feel, try injecting these pantone colors through accessories or toys. I found some adorable items from Pottly N Tubby, a startup catering to children with

New parents can also have some fun with their babies in style on the baby beanies offered by Pottly N Tubby. These beanie versions come with straps for the baby’s safety but can later be removed to transform them into beanies appropriate for toddlers. Each product is created with premium designer fabrics made of high quality twill or oxford.

For those who are ready to take the plunge with these colors, the tints will make great options for libraries, bedrooms and other spaces one prefers to obtain harmony and balance. They are great whether they are celebrated through soft materials such as fabrics or hard surface materials. Rooms will get an instant makeover with these colors. Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget to have fun while sprucing up your rooms with these tips. Wishing everyone inner peace this year! Namaste.

For Quiver’s Mandalas email beachshackinc@gmail.com; Instagram: Quiver.ph; Facebook: Quiver; website: www.quiver.com.ph.

For Pottly N Tubby: Instagram: Pottlyntubby; Facebook: Pottly N Tubby; Email: pottlyandtubby@gmail.com.

Mandala form Quiver

Princess Teepee from Pottly N Tubby

Follow me on Instagram @cal_tavera

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

The Philippines Yearbook 2016

@LIFEatStandard

Grace Glory Go presenting the 2016 edition of The Philippines Yearbook

2016 Philippines Yearbook launched

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spirited but stylish celebration took place as the Fookien Times Yearbook Publishing Company launched the latest edition of the Philippines Yearbook at the Pangaea Ultra Lounge located at the City of Dreams. The crowd saw some of society’s well-known members as well as personalities from different sectors, with several corporate entities also represented to show support for

the event. Spicing up the party was host and comedian Giselle Sanchez .

The Fookien Times is one of the longest running publications in the country’s history and the largest circulated nationwide Chinese language newspaper founded by Dr. James Go Puan Seng in 1936. He is the father of Grace Glory Go and the late Betty GoBelmonte who founded a nationwide English language daily in 1986.

To continue its tradition of publishing interesting and inspiring works, Grace, chairman and CEO of the Fookien Times, proudly presented the 2016 edition of the Philippines Yearbook entitled “Urban Pulse: Where We Live.

How We Live.” Her son, Vernon Go who is the publisher and president of the Fookien Times, is the brains behind this latest edition edited by the highly respected architect and designer Paulo

Alcazaren. The explorative theme of “Where Do We Live?” is a genuine compilation of the most exciting developments in real estate in key metropolitan areas in the Philippines, particularly Metro Manila, and also Metro Cebu, Pampanga and Davao.

At the launching, guests enjoyed the cocktails and observed that creativity and truth empower the new yearbook from cover to cover.

DUBAI URBAN MATTERS

BY KARIMA PALAFOX

I

was the first Filipino to be born in Dubai.

Within a few minutes of meeting a new person, my father would mention this as if it were my biggest achievement.

I was born in Dubai in 1981, four years after he had been invited to be part of an international team of urban planners that would help plan the emirate’s future. My parents had not even heard of the former British protectorate then. It is always interesting to hear their stories about Dubai’s transformation in the last three decades.

Our family, as well as the others who were hired by the Dubai government, were welltaken care of during our stay there. The package included free lodging and medical bills, travel between Manila and Dubai, and one month of paid leave so the family can travel the world and bring back inspiration.

Our family was allotted four gallons of gas a day, but my parents could not consume it because there were not too many places to go to back then. For my elder sister’s first birthday, my Dad searched for balloons everywhere but he could not find any so he settled for beach balls instead and wrote her name on each one. Continued on C3

The Dubai Marina is the world's largest man-made marina. Water from the Gulf was brought in to the development to allow more properties to be at the waterfront

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

DUBAI From C2

Dubai in 1977 was very different from what it is today.

What was mostly desert has been transformed into some of the most vibrant urban developments in the world. Downtown Dubai where Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscraper in the world stands, used to be called sabkha flats. These were barren salt lands considered to have no use. In the ’70s, the Manila airport was decades ahead of the Dubai airport. Today however, the Dubai International Airport is the busiest in the world, with 70 million passengers passing through every year. The flag carrier is said to have been established after the late Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum experienced delays in his flight with another airline.

He then decided to establish Emirates as part of his vision of diversifying Dubai and the United Arab Emirates’ economy from one that was highly dependent on oil to one that was more diversified with revenues from trade, tourism, banking and finance, and real estate. Dubai has become a popular shopping destination with all the goods tax-free and with a calendar of events that includes shopping festivals throughout the year. Although income from oil gave opportunities for Dubai to modernize within just a decade, their income from oil today is only two percent.

Two hundred nationalities have come to call Dubai home. Of its 2.5 million population, 92 percent are expatriates and migrants.

People have come from different parts of the world to seek better opportunities. There are very few places in the world where a diverse group of people from different cultures, languages and religions live together harmoniously. Security is given importance and is evident in the intelligent surveillance system and the 15,000-strong police force.

What is worth highlighting are Dubai’s efforts to make women feel safe. It is one of a handful of places that I have visited wherein I felt safe to walk alone even at night.

I visited Dubai twice in the last three months, and the visits have allowed me to know and appreciate my birthplace more. In November I attended the Big 5, which is the largest construction show in the world. It received 85,000 visitors and 3,000 exhibitors. The second visit was to celebrate the New Year with my family. We were fortunate to witness the celebratory vibe all around Dubai with the celebration of the 44th national day of the UAE, as well as the 10th anniversary of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum as ruler of Dubai and vice president and prime minister

One of the iconic stations of the Dubai Metro. The driverless trains have designated cabins for the premium Gold Class, and for women and children

The Dubai Creek is where Dubai's history of trading began

of the UAE. Forty-four years ago, the seven sheikhdoms united to become one of the world’s most advanced countries.

Dubai has been blessed with rich marine resources that allowed it to thrive in fishing and pearl diving, and later on in oil production.

What sets it apart from other economies also blessed with natural resources is visionary leadership.

Nothing seems to be impossible for the emirate that built the world’s tallest building on sand, created an artificial archipelago of islands, and re-exports some of the highest volumes of gold and diamonds from other countries.

The fast growth of Dubai is not without challenges. Efforts are being made to improve living and working conditions for migrant workers. Roads and districts that have been designed to prioritize cars have led to traffic congestion, inaccessible districts and unsafe streets for pedestrians. This is currently being addressed though with the Dubai Metro and an integrated network of walkways.

Dubai has an equivalent of 19 square meters of green open space

The Dubai Mall's aquarium

per person. Newer developments such as The Walk in Jumeirah Beach Residences and the Marina have been designed to make walking enjoyable for Emiratis, expats and tourists alike.

Dubai looks ahead and keeps focus with targets it has set in relation to its 2021 Plan and its hosting of the Expo in 2020. It has required all new developments to follow the green building regulations to reach the target of having all buildings green by 2021.

Another goal is to reduce energy consumption by 2030, which is a challenge for a wealthy city that aims to attract and keep more talent.

In the same way that Dubai was able to attain its first world status in 15 years, it will be able to transform clusters of real estate, luxury hotels, skyscrapers and the world’s biggest shopping centers into communities connected by streets designed at the human scale. While the former objective was to establish its place in the world map, now Dubai is focused on improving livability and keeping its people happy.

Follow me on Instagram @karmipalafox

The Walk at the Jumeirah Beach Residences activated the beachfront with shops, restaurants, and open spaces well-connected by generous walkways Train stations look like five-star hotel lobbies

My father Architect and Urban Planner Felino Palafox Jr. and I in front of the Dubai municipality, where he was part of a team of international experts that helped plan the shift of Dubai into a first-world economy

Burj Khalifa is classified as a megatall skyscraper that stands 829.8 meters high

Architectural details of the world's tallest man-made structure

Viewing Dubai 456 meters above ground at Burj Khalifa's At The Top deck

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

GET TO KNOW ASIA’S TRENDING COLORS IN 2016

P

lanning on giving your living space an update? A fresh coat of paint in this year’s trending colors might just do the trick.

Nippon Paint (Coatings) Philippines recently introduced the nine colors that are set to trend across Asia in 2016. The colors, which are grouped into three palettes, were curated and handpicked by 50 Asian design professionals, color experts, and enthusiasts from China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines during the Asia Pacific Chroma Zone Color Forecasting Workshop 2015 held in Japan.

According to color expert Serene Pang, the colors are chosen based on political, economic, social and natural factors. “This year, the Asian palettes were mainly influenced by technology, nature, and the individual spirit,” says Pang.

CONNECTED CULTURE The first palette called “We Are One” features modern colors that exhibit our current culture which is connected by technology and social media. The series includes Founder Blue, Gray Knight and Green Tuft.

Representing the “social side,” Founder Blue is associated with depth and stability, and symbolizes trust and loyalty. The inviting vibe of this color makes it an ideal wall color in living room, bedroom and dining room. Experts suggest painting it on white walls in stripes or other geometric shapes to create dramatic designs, while Ben Cheng Ki Pan of Golden Furniture in Hong Kong recommends using it as accent like a television feature wall.

The neutral Gray Knight exudes mysteriousness and encourages exploration making it the perfect blank canvas as you add more hues to your home.

Nippon Paint Malaysia Group offers to use this color on floors, ceilings and the house’s facade for a contemporary look. It’s also suitable for the dining room and bedroom.

Green Tuft ushers in freshness and a sense of renewal with it being the most restful color for the human eye. Use it in study corners to trigger fresh ideas, as well as children’s rooms and the dining room.

BACK TO NATURE The second theme “New Eco” aims to transport us back to basics with stylish colors that represent and celebrate Mother Earth. The featured tones in this palette are Tavern Buff, Lush and Volcanic Black.

A mellow yellow that evokes a rustic and vintage feel, Tavern Buff is a neutral shade close to the colors of the natural landscape. This versatile hue is suitable for any room in the house where you want to inject a relaxing and warm ambiance.

It’s also ideal as exterior paint to create a seamless effect that blends with the surroundings outside.

Lush, meanwhile, reflects the vibrant color of the ocean and sky therefore offering a sense of tranquility and calming effect. Soothing tones like

Nippon Paint Philippines senior marketing manager Bernice Bobadilla, IDr. Johnny Hubilla and Suzette Cocuaco, College of Fellows, Philippine Institute of Interior Design

From left: Nippon Paint (Coatings) Philippines general manager Michael Chung, Arch. Catherine Carunungan, Arch. Jose Ramon Carunungan and IDr. Michael Pizarro

this color works well with neutral backgrounds, and is perfect, according to Mark Wee of Ong & Ong Singapore, for bedrooms as it encourages relaxation.

A solid and earthy color, Volcanic Black is a dramatic hue that is suitable for feature walls.

Experts suggest pairing this dark shade with bright colors in the dining area for a cheerful and contemporary look.

THE PERFECT BALANCE “Wonder-Lust” color palette embodies the perfect balance one strives to achieve in life through the exploration of new interests and hobbies. Vibrant hues that include Being Peach, Blue Lullaby and Fast Car, make up this inspired series.

Being Peach radiates spontaneity, positivity and youthfulness. This statement color, which best exemplifies new adventures, is ideal for accent walls that add cheerful vibe to any space. Architect Jose Ramon Carunungan of Carunungan & Partner Co. suggests using this hue in study rooms to encourage a pleasant and energized working experience.

Striking a balance between our personal and professional lives is Blue Lullaby. This calming shade is the ideal color for cozy corners in the house such as the bedroom and living room to promote relaxation. When paired with neutral hues, it offers a more nurturing atmosphere, something that you’d want for the children’s room, for instance.

The intense color of Fast Car can be associated with danger, passion, desire and determination.

The boldness of this shade makes it ideal for feature walls or accent elements. Add a pop of color to walls in earthy shades for an eye-catching effect. It can be used in the kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom.

“Nippon Paint’s Trend Beyond Colors 2016/17 captures the region’s essence, from its beautiful landscape to its increasingly connected people driven by technology. Essentially, the Trend Beyond Colors selection makes it easier for consumers to create their own masterpieces – with a little more vibrancy,” remarks Nippon Paint Philippines general manager Michael Chung.

Color expert Serene Pang, IDr. Belen Morey and IDr. Wilfrid Nicholo Magcase

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SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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Food and Film at Brillante mendoza’s FilmFest caFé

S

omehow, the magic of food and film are frequently fused together. There is Like Water for Chocolate, an enchanting Mexican magical realist drama, which depicts the sensual power of a recipe; Chocolat, a whimsical tale where a certain sweet, cacao based substance wins over closed hearts; and Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman, whose central character is a master chef whose only real means of communication with his daughters is via the elaborate Sunday dinner he cooks for them every week.

Danish drama Babette’s Feast stands out with its beautifully rendered depiction of a lavish meal; while Ratatouille, an animated movie about a rat with an unlikely penchant for French cuisine has charmed audiences worldwide.

From Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Guess Who’s Coining to Dinner, films have celebrated the power of food in bringing people together.

And haven’t many memorable film dialogues taken place while eating?

It was therefore not surprising when we learned that internationally acclaimed filmmaker Brillante Mendoza has opened a café in the Centerstage compound in Mandaluyong, his film production studio.

Many may not know it, but Mendoza, the first Asian to win the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009, is a foodie who appreciates good food.

He is, after all, from Pampanga, the culinary capital of the Philippines.

While attending film festivals abroad, he noted that “there is usually a place where artists or filmmakers can meet and eat, drink, have coffee. A place where they can talk about films, food, and more.”

This is what Mendoza had in mind when the opportunity to open a café with chef Allan Garcia, another Kapampangan who had previously worked in Singapore and Thailand, came about. And Filmfest Café opened late last year.

The café’s elegant black and white interiors have a movie motif - a marquee inspired design welcomes customers at the entrance. Then there are posters from international film festivals Mendoza has attended, as well as those his films; specially designed table lamps that highlight his films; as well as movie memorabilia. Mendoza personally designed the interiors, a throwback to his days as a film production designer. Yet, there is coziness about the place that makes it perfect for private get-togethers.

Café specialties have also gathered quite a following. There is the delightful sushi shaped Fresh Spring Roll; rice specialties that are a meal in itself – Bagoong Rice, Seafood Rice, Crabmeat Rice, Pineapple Rice; melt in the mouth Baby Back Ribs; and crispy Kate Kare. Not to be missed is the Trio Pasta, which brings together its signature pastas - Mushroom and Ham Carbonara, Pesto Linguine, and Meatballs Spaghetti. It also has a special version of the Thai dessert Sticky Rice with Mangoes with Mendoza’s special touch; as well as Strawberry Margaritas and Frozen Margaritas to cap a hearty meal.

Since it opened late last year, Filmfest Cafe has become a gathering place where friends and family members get together for great food and great movie talk. It has also been a venue for christenings, bridal showers, birthday celebrations, company brainstorming sessions, and other occasions.

The Filmfest Cafe and Restaurant is located a 947 Busilak Street, Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong City and is open 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. the following day, Monday to Saturday, For inquiries, contact Ara at 531-9831 or 0917-324-6217 or email: ftlmfestcafeandrestaurant@ yahoo.com.ph and visit v7ww. facebook.com/Filmfest-Cafe-andRestaurant.

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1 The café’s rice offerings like Seafood Fried Rice are among its specialties 2 Not your ordinary Kare-Kare! Filmfest Café’s version will surprise you with the crispy and juicy meat of Crispy Pata and the delectably nutty sauce of Kare-Kare. 3 Fresh Spring Roll with a special sauce is a refreshing appetizer for an Asian-inspired meal 4 Bagoong Rice topped with Shredded Green Mango, pork, and scrambled egg 5 Another café specialty –mouthwatering Baby Back Ribs – with your choice of vegetables, Mashed Potato or rice 6 Trio Pasta brings together the Café’s signature pastas: Mushroom and Ham Carbonara, Pesto Linguine, and Meatballs Spaghetti 7 What could be more refreshing on than this cool Strawberry Margarita? 8 Filmfest Café’s Frozen Margarita goes great with nights out with friends. 9 Director Brillante Mendoza and chef Allan Garcia 10 Filmfest Café’s interiors have a movie motif: Brillante’s posters from international film festivals he has attended, as well as lamps with an Eiffel Tower base. 11 Café with a view. The out door dining area of Film Fest Café overlooks Director Mendoza’s beautiful Secret Garden. 12 Film Fest Cafe has specially designed lamps featuring posters of Director Mendoza’s films. Everything at the cafe is designed down to the smallest detail.

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Filipino clebrity chef Sau del Rosario with little kitchen master Estie

Eight-year-old Chinese-American cook Estie Kung

YOUng kitChEn PRODigY tOURS aSia in the kitchen thus far was when At only eight years old, Estie she cooked homemade pasta.

Kung can be considered a “It’s actually a noodle recikitchen master. She took up pe, ” the little Chinese-American an interest for cooking when beamed. she was just three when todniCkiE Wang But it’s not your ordinary kind dlers her age only start to of noodle dish, which you boil two familiarize themselves with cups of water, add the noodles and speech and colors. then the seasoning.

Estie shared, “It’s a noodle Now, the young Harry Potter fan is touring recipe of my grandmother’s grandmother. ” Asia to promote Lifetime’s culinary competiAble to read as a 6th grade pupil, this motition series that she’s part of. Estie was in Manila last week to promote Man vs. Child: Chef vated youngster, who was born in California Showdown. And during the press launch, to a Chinese father and an American mother, the eight-year-old Girl Scout had a cooking will do what it takes to compete against the showdown with Filipino celebrity chef Sau adults in the cooking reality show. She’s eager Del Rosario where the young prodigy pre- to learn and will stop at nothing to achieve pared a salmon dish while the latter worked her dream of becoming a chef.

Due to her participation in Man vs Child: on sea bass with risotto.

Chef Showdown, Estie has gained a few recThe friendly showdown that lasted for ognitions.

She even appeared The Late Late 30 minutes ended with Estie and Chef Lau Show with James Corden in October last feasting on the dishes they prepared before they posed for a few snaps. Thereafter, Estie year to give audience a sample of her culigladly talked to the press punctuating her nary skills. answers with big smiles and giggles.

She said her favorite dishes include Man vS. ChiLD lobster, steak tartare and caviar. She said Lifetime’s culinary competition series, Man her mom taught her several cooking tech- vs. Child: Chef Showdown, pits some of the niques and one of her proudest moments world’s most talented young cooks against

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 41 Fixed the pilot 42 — pants 43 Feline nine 44 Call in sick 45 El — (low-cost) 48 Spoken 52 Wild orchid (hyph.)

55 Khan of note 56 Staff member 57 Field mouse 58 Aquatic mammal 60 Mix it up 61 Thames school 62 Sleep disturber 63 Rushes off 64 Helen Reddy’s “Delta —” 65 Tough situations ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Limestone terrain 6 Pass the — 10 Email nuisance 14 Steal the scene 15 Et — (and others) 16 Haleakala’s site 17 Farm machine 18 Come down hard 19 Nudge forward 20 It borders Fla.

21 24 26 27 28 30 33 34 37 38 39 40

Arctic phenomenon (2 wds.)

Cyborg science Quarts, plus Summer in Paris Abrasive mineral Desperado’s fear Cote murmur Rock’s — Leppard Meadow browsers Paddle-wheeler site Swedish auto Nth deg.

DOWN 1 Shish — 2 Cremona violin-maker 3 “Nancy” rich kid 4 Sault — Marie 5 Home wrecker?

6 Minstrels 7 — Bator 8 103 to Pliny 9 Cordelia’s father (2 wds.)

10 Grimy 11 Do Latin homework

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Foretell Demeanors Treat a sprain Al the trumpet player Monster-hunter’s loch Tupelo phenom Bump into A little in Lyon Pea-green boat passenger Arm the alarm Digestive juice Skip stones Maize unit “Most Wanted” org.

Went around Garage event Dangerous currents Fruitcake fruits Hens Absorbed, as costs Play the cymbals Duvalier’s domain A funny Murphy Philadelphia sch.

Math term Spit out Ventures Minute amount Break ground Go one better

Little Estie during the Q and A with the local press

the very people they look up to, professionally trained, adult chefs. In each episode of Man vs. Child: Chef Showdown, a team of five child-cooking prodigies will challenge a prolific executive-level chef in the kitchen, where they will defend their culinary abilities.

Great chefs will be put to the ultimate test, against the food stars of tomorrow.

Each week, a new executive chef will face off

against the team of minor masters. The competitors’ overall aptitude and areas of expertise will be tested in three dynamic cooking rounds as they’re challenged to create a different dish, under unusual circumstances.

The 13-episode series had a successful debut in the U.S. in 2015, and is premiering in Asia on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Lifetime Channel.

W EDNES DAY : JA NUA RY 20, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

davao dad named first semifinaList

Join the tV5 team on Waze

from C8

Dominador Alviola Jr. represented Mindanao with pride. He was recently hailed as the first semi-finalist of “Tawag ng Tanghalan” on the noontime variety show It’s Showtime.

The 44-year-old father from Mati, Davao Oriental stunned the madlang people and the hurados for five consecutive days with his soothing voice and stage presence. He first wowed the viewers with his rendition of the Tom Jones’ “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” His power vocals also secured him a spot at the semi-finals with the song “One in a Million You” by Larry Graham.

Alviola won more than P100,000.00 and was grateful for the opportunity It’s Showtime gave him.

Meanwhile, with their strict yet entertaining comments, the interesting mix of hurados adds fun to the singing competition. Led by the legendary singer-songwriter and Punong Hurado Rey Valera, total entertainer Rico J. Puno and 13-week Tawag ng Tanghalan defending champion and today’s premiere director and starmaker Bobot Mortiz are united in finding the country’s next singing superstar.

Aside from the three OPM legends, joining the panel of judges are Pinoy Dream Academy’s first grand star dreamer and Philippine’s pop rock princess Yeng Constantino; OPM and showbiz royalty Karylle; first-ever The Voice of the Philippines grand winner Mitoy Yonting; and singer, composer and acoustic king

Dominador Alviola Jr.

Nyoy Volante. Completing the set of hurados are the bipolar diva of Tawag ng Tanghalan K Brosas and Tanghalan’s” queen mother Karla Estrada.

HHHHH LizQuen’s Just the Way you are on Cinema one Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil’s blockbuster teen rom-com debut film Just The Way You Are premiered on Cinema One last Sunday.

It was the time to relive the “kilig” scenes and gush like a teenager as the film revolves around the story of two opposite personalities intertwined in the game of love.

In the story, Drake (Enrique Gil) a boy

Julia Barretto

Tonton Gutierrez

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Angel Aquino

who loves winning, gets caught up in a difficult bet to make a nerdy transferee named Sophia (Liza Soberano) fall in love with him within 30 days.

But the big catch is that Drake must admit to Sophia that everything is nothing more than just a bet once she falls in love with him.

Adapted from Kimberly Joy Villanueva’s book The Bet, the Lizquen starrer quickly breached the P12 million mark on its opening day. It also received positive reception overseas when thousands watched during TFC@ theMovies’ Singapore screening.

HHHHH esCudero, a BeLieBer Senator Chiz Escudero can’t ignore Justin Bieber’s music. The vice-presidential candidate is now a Belieber, especially after the Canadian pop star released his newest album Purpose.

While on radio as a guest, he requested the DJ, after his interview, to play “Love Yourself ” from the album Purpose.

“Okay, maya-maya magre-request ako ng kanta. Ang dami mong CD dito e. Mayroon ba kayo nu’ng bago ni Justin Bieber?” the senator asked the DJ. “Hindi yung ‘Sorry’ ha, yung ‘Love Yourself.’”

“Sorry” is the no. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, while “Love Yourself ” is at no. 3, and “What Do You Mean” is at no. 8. And the Senator knows all about this.

If Chiz is a Belieber, his wife Heart Evangelista is into songs of Adele.

HHHHH Katrina’s Biggest seCret reveaLed Alfonso (Tonton Gutierrez) discovers more of Katrina’s evil ways as he finds out that he is not the true father of Trixie (Julia Barretto) in And I Love You So. As Katrina wreaks havoc onto the lives of Michelle (Dimples Romana) and Joanna (Miles Ocampo), Alfonso braces for the revelation that Trixie is not his daughter, as confirmed by a DNA test.

With so much anger in him, Alfonso makes sure he uses this as ace in his battle against Katrina’s appeal on their annulment case.

Don’t miss the thrilling scenes in And I Love You So, weekdays on ABS-CBN.

Metro Manila’s daily traffic has produced veritable road warriors of sorts. They not only bravely navigate the urban jungle’s congested roads, but also generous in sharing road savvy tips with their fellow commuters.

If you are one of them, join the TV5 Team on Waze (http://www.waze.com) to share up-to-date traffic information that can help make sense of the ordeal through our congested roads.

With the Waze app and collaboration with Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), interested citizens can share their on-site and live traffic reports. Thus drivers can share what’s happening on the roads beyond the app, through the Kapatid Network’s television and radio outreach – with a chance to be included in daily broadcasts.

The strategic partnership is a groundbreaking tool to broaden awareness of the crowd-sourced navigation app and help the riding public to not only save time but also to reduce their frustrations on the road. Today more than 743,500 thousand users rely on Waze every month to navigate their metro Manila commutes.

Joining the TV5 Waze Team is easy. For Waze users, just open “My Waze” icon, scroll down and click the “Teams” settings (those who are not yet Waze users, may download the Waze app for free on Google Play or App Store.

From the “Teams” settings you will find a list of groups including TV5, click “join” and you have an instant opportunity to submit traffic reports such as collisions, street congestion etc. to be aired in TV5’s news program, Aksyon: Aksyon sa Umaga (mornings at 5 a.m.), and Aksyon Prime (evenings at 6 p.m.). The primetime and late-night editions of the newscast are both simulcast on radio through 92.3 News FM in Mega Manila and its provincial Radyo5 stations nationwide.

Waze provides alternate routes and estimated travel time for each route if ever you get stuck in traffic. Users can take a picture of the road condition or simply tap a menu and share an alert with the public.

For Aksyon viewers, the TV5 Waze Team becomes their reference on the latest traffic reports on real time, based on constantly changing road conditions and providing timely road updates, including heavy volume or accidents.

Through Aksyon, TV5 and Waze will give the public the fastest routes, lowest gas price alerts, slow-downs, collisions, weather conditions, and other details that are useful in their daily commute.

TV5 uses the newest version of Waze 4.0 that shows easier-to-read map, cleaner look catered to driving-mode with faster visual reporting menu, and color-coded reports and alerts, so one can instantly recognize the map. Voyager Innovations works with Waze in technology integration and exchanges of map data.

“We are most enthusiastic about this partnership that will provide practical and immediate solutions to our suffering commuters. We would like to encourage the public to participate in this crowd-sourcing program in helping alleviate the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila,” TV5 President and CEO Noel C. Lorenzana said as he welcomes Waze’s joining with the network’s News and Public Affairs in providing this much needed service to the country’s commuting public.

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

Wish 107.5 Bus is fully equipped with advanced broadcast facilities that could provide ticketless live road concerts and performances

SHOWBITZ

the Best sinGers in 1st wish 107.5 Music awards ISAH V. RED Wish 107.5 pays homage to the best and finest performances in the Philippine music industry on its first ever Wish 107.5 Music Awards: The Coolest Musical Experience on Jan.26, 7:30 p.m. at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The awards has 19 categories and winners will be determined via online poll vis-à-vis a set of judges from different fields of expertise and profession.

Among the nominees are Darren Espanto. He has bagged six major nominations, which include Best Wish Cover for “In Love Ako Sa ‘Yo”, Best Wishclusive Performance by a Young Artist for his rendition of “Chandelier”, Wish Ballad Song of the Year for “I Believe In Me” and “Stuck”, Wish Original Song of the Year for “Stuck” and Wish Young Artist of the Year.

Jed Madela is nominated as Best Wishclusive Performance for Male artist for the song “You Mean The World To Me” and Wish Male Artist of the Year.

Morisette on the other hand is nominated for Best Wishclusive Performance for Female Artist for the song “Di Mapaliwanag”, Wish Original Song of the Year for “Di

Mapaliwanag” and Wish Female Artist of the Year.

Sassa Dagdag (from The Voice Kids Season 2 Top 4) is nominated for Best Wishclusive Performance for YoungArtist for the song “If I Were A Boy” and Wish Young Artist of the Year among others.

Wish Promising Artist nominees are 5th Gen, Gwenyth Dorado, Jensen & The Flips, Lunar Lights, Shanne Velasco and The Voysing.

Some of these artists are expected to perform for the wishers on the awards night.

The station proactively supports Filipino talents by serving as an avenue for local performers to launch their music via the Wish 107.5 Bus, the first FM-on-wheels in the country that is fully equipped with advanced broadcast facilities that could provide ticketless live road concerts and performances.

The Wish 107.5 Bus will be visiting different universities, starting with Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Sta. Mesa yesterdat to gather votes from Wishers and fans.

The full list of nominees and categories is available on www. wish1075.com/wishawards. Polling period ends on Jan. 26, 13 noon.

HHHHH Brand new Bear Grylls adventure-reality series Bear Grylls stars in a new adrenaline-fuelled series in

which the adventurer takes eight celebrities into the depths of one of the most unforgiving Central American rainforests, where they will be compete in an epic 12‐day survival mission. Bear Grylls: Mission Survive premieres on RTL CBS Extreme HD on Feb. 20 and airs 8:40 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

“We’re happy to bring the new Bear Grylls series to audiences in Asia. The series is a great addition to our formidable line-up on RTL CBS Extreme HD, our maleskewed action entertainment channel,” says Jennifer Batty, EVP Programming, RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network.

In Bear Grylls: Mission Survive the celebrity expedition team will be pushed to their physical and emotional limits. Issued daily mission briefings by Bear, they will have to navigate treacherous obstacles and journey through dangerous dense jungles, testing their ability to adapt, improvise and overcome in one of the world’s most hostile environments. Joining Bear are actors Emilia Fox and Laurence Fox, singer and actor Max George, double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, TV presenter and singer Jamelia, comedy actor Tom Rosenthal; DJ, model and presenter Vogue Williams and former England International rugby player Mike Tindall.

Jed Madela

Darren Espanto

Morisette

Sassa Dagdag of The Voice Kids Season 2

Testing the celebrities at every turn on the fundamental principles of survival: shelter, water, fire and food, the celebrities have to abseil down ferocious waterfalls, cross perilous rapids, trudge through swamps and negotiate razor-sharp vines, not to mention contending with scorpions, snakes and sand flies.

The winner will have to show a resilience and ability to endure hardships unlike anything they’ve experienced before. At the end of every episode Bear will eliminate one person. And at the end of the series, there will be three finalists and ultimately just one Mission Survivor. ➜ continued on c7

Celebrity adventurers in Bear Grylls: Mission Survive