The Standard - 2016 January 22 - Friday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXIX NO. 344 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 FRIday : JaNUaRy 22, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Duterte explains why he curses

colonel naBBeD in Drug laB raiD By Francisco tuyay and Florante S. Solmerin

A RANKING Marine officer and a Chinese national were arrested after government agents raided a clandestine drug laboratory in a townhouse in Manila past midnight Thursday.

Marine Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, a former officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, was arrested along with Yan Yi Shou, 33, when PDEA agents and police barged into the drug laboratory at Felix Huertas and Batangas streets in Sta. Cruz, Manila at about 12:30 a.m. At least 64 kilos of shabu or methamphetamine placed in four rectangular plastic bags with an estimated street value of P320 million, assorted chemicals, a beige Toyota Camry and other equipment were seized during the raid

on the strength of a search warrant issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. Shou was said to have served as an interpreter for the PDEA in 2005. The raid on the drug laboratory came after months of surveillance. Authorities said they placed an undercover agent pretending to be a helper. PDEA chief Arturo Cacdac said they were surprised to find Marcelino in the drug laboratory because he was not on their radar. Chief Insp. Roque Merdegia, a spokes-

man of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group of the Philippine National Police said Marcelino would be charged with the illegal manufacture of drugs. Merdegia said the operation started in November when they were tipped off about a storage facility inside a posh subdivision in Sta. Cruz, Manila. Later, they established that this was at the Celadon Residences. “We were able to secure a search warrant for Next page

Raid. Police seized P320 million worth of shabu during a raid in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Thursday. Lino SantoS

Bongbong calls Poe ‘sister’ in Senate

PNoy officials to testify in SAF 44 probe By Sandy araneta GOVERNMENT officials are willing to testify and answer all the questions that may be asked during the reopening of the Senate’s investigation of the Mamasapano massacre, Malacañang said Thursday. “The government will heed the invitation of the Senate committee on pub-

lic order and dangerous drugs and reply to all pertinent questions that may be asked at the hearing in the interest of transparency and public accountability,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. “Government is prepared to participate in the hearing,” said Coloma. “I am not privy to the full list of government officials who were invited by

the committee. Therefore, I have not had the opportunity to inquire from the invitees themselves. Let me emphasize that government has always been open and forthright in addressing all concerns pertaining to the Mamasapano incident,” Coloma also said. The Office of Senator Grace Poe, chairman of the committee, has released Next page

F R I D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘Pay standardization will cause salary cuts’ SENATOR Ralph Recto warned Thursday that scrapping the Magna Carta benefits in the Salary Standardization Law IV would result in a pay cut for 99 percent of employees of the Department of Science and Technology. The proposed SSL IV includes a provision that would repeal the benefits for scientists, engineers, researchers and other science and technology personnel. In the second year of the SSL IV’s effectivity, 97 percent of the DoST workforce would continue to be punished with pay cuts, he said. Recto said this was an example of why Congress must revisit the provision that would remove so-called Magna Carta benefits, not just of scientists, but of social workers, health workers and other government employees. Both the House and the Senate have passed the Malacañangproposed SSL IV. But because their respective versions differ from each other, a bicameral conference committee will meet next week to reconcile the differences. “There is a tempest brewing in the public sector on the issue of the removal of Magna Carta benefits. I hope we can find ways this can be averted from becoming a full-blown storm. I am optimistic that a win-win solution will be found to the satisfaction of all parties,” Recto said. He said Section 8 of the bill passed by the House and the Senate states that “these are the benefits authorized for specific officials and employees under Magna Carta laws that may be categorized in the Total Compensation Framework in accordance with the guidelines, rules and regulations to be issued by the Department of Budget and Management.” “In other words, existing Magna Carta allowances may be considered part of the increases authorized under SSL IV. It means that Magna Carta benefits may be folded into the new salary rate,” Recto said. He said the Magna Carta benefits that will be scrapped will be de-

termined solely by the Department of Budget and Management. Also amended under the SSL IV are RA 4670, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers; RA 7305, the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers; RA 8439, the Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers and Other S&T Personnel; and RA 9443, the Magna Carta for Social Workers. Under the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, teachers assigned in hardship stations get hazard pay equivalent to at least 25 percent of their monthly pay. RA 7305, on the other hand, grants public health workers “on call” pay, night-shift differential, subsistence allowance, remote assignment and hazard allowance, among others. Government scientists and researchers are entitled to hazard pay, longevity pay, and royalties from their invention, as prescribed by RA 8439. The Magna Carta for Public Social Workers grants frontline Department of Social Welfare and Development personnel “on call, hazard, and overtime pay” plus subsistence and transportation allowance. Recto has written to the Senate conferees in the bicameral conference to consider inserting a provision in the SSL IV which calls for the “non-diminution of benefits currently received under existing Magna Carta laws.” But the Palace said Thursday the Magna Carta benefits would not be removed under SSL IV. “There is no provision in the proposed SSL IV that Magna Carta benefits will be removed. The only provision there is that DBM, in coordination with agencies concerned, shall determine the conditions and rates in the grant of these benefits. Said provisions are likewise in Joint Resolution No. 4 or SSL III,” Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said in a statement. A study by DoST employees said the scrapping of Magna Carta benefits will result in 98.72 percent of science and technology personnel getting a pay reduction in the first year of SSL IV’s implementation. “If you are a scientist and your salary is P24,000 and you get P8,000 in benefits, you would gross P32,000. But if you remove the benefits and you raise the salary to P30,000, you have already suffered a pay cut,” Recto said. Macon Ramos-araneta and Sandy araneta

Jeepney fare down.

A barker in Manila flashes the new minimum fare for the first four kilometers of travel on jeepneys. Danny Pata

Colonel... From A1

it on Saturday but our operatives have been continuously monitoring the activity inside in the hope of arresting some people,” Merdegia said. Marcelino told reporters he was in the drug laboratory doing surveillance work when the PDEA agents raided the townhouse, but he was unable to show documents to prove his claim. Shortly after his arrest, Marcelino was taken to Camp Crame, then to the PDEA central office. Marcelino used to head the PDEA’s Special Enforcement Service under Dionisio Santiago, and was instrumental in the arrest of the Alabang Boys in a buy-bust operation in September 2008. He was eventually axed from PDEA on allegations he planted evidence on one of the suspects during a drug bust and was reverted back to his unit and later reassigned to the

Naval Education Training Command in San Antonio, Zambales. Marcelino said he is currently assigned at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento denied the claim. “I talked with CS [AFP chief of staff Gen. Hernando Iriberri] and he told me that he [Marcelino] has no authority to conduct special antidrugs operations,” Sarmiento said. Cacdac said Marcelino was a suspect but they have yet to prove if the officer personally knew the arrested Chinese national. Marcelino denied his involvement in illegal drug trafficking. “I’m not hiding anything. I’ve done no wrong,” he said in Filipino. Some military officers including Marcelino’s classmates could not believe he was into drug trafficking, saying it was ironic that he stands accused for a crime he fought. “Marcelino was passionately combating drug syndicates even after his stint at PDEA,” said one of his classmates who asked that he not be named.

He said it was Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa who tapped Marcelino to help the government track big drug syndicates. “It’s a legitimate project. It’s an intelligence project. We were there to verify information,” Marcelino told reporters, adding that he could not imagine why the PDEA treated him as a suspect. “They accused me so it is my right to tell my side. Why are they trying to stop me from explaining?” he said, referring to the PDEA. Former PDEA director general Dionisio Santiago said he too was surprised by what happened to Marcelino. Santiago also confirmed in a phone interview that Marcelino was still working with the government, and that he had been the one to brief President Benigno Aquino III about an anti-drug operation in his hometown of Tarlac. In that operation, the National Bureau of Investigation raided a shabu laboratory in Camiling, Tarlac, arrested six Chinese nationals and

PNoy... From A1

the names of 24 officials who are invited to the Jan. 27 hearing. They are: Coloma; Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa; Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin; former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, former Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang; former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima; former PNP OIC deputy director general Leonardo Espina; PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez; Chief Supt. Fernando Mendez of the Intelligence Group, the police Board of Inquiry chairman Director Benjamin Magalong, former Special Action Force director Getulio Napeñas, and former SAF deputy director Noli Talino. Also invited to the Senate inquiry are Police Regional Office 9 Director Chief Supt. Edgar Basbas; PNP 4th Battalion Commander Hendrix Mangaldan; Senior Supt. Richard Dela Rosa; Supt. Michael John Mangahis, Supt. Abraham Abayari, Supt. Raymund Train, Chief Inspector Recaredo Marasigan; PO2 Christopher Lalan; AFP Chief General Hernando Iriberri; Army 6th Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan; AFP Western Mindanao Command commander Lt. General Rustico Guerrero; and National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia Jr. President Benigno Aquino III earlier said he believed that the Senate’s reopening of its investigation into the Mamasapano massacre in which 44 SAF commandos died in a covert operation approved by the President was politically motivated. Aquino also suggested that Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, who sought the reopening of the investigation, had an ax to grind against the administration. Enrile is one of three opposition senators facing plunder and graft charges for allegedly accepting kickbacks for funds diverted from their pork barrel projects. Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs to invite former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to the reopening of the investigation. In a letter dated Jan. 20, 2015 addressed to Poe, Marcos also sought the presence of Atty. Virgilio Mendez, director of the National Bureau of Investigation, as another resource person in the Jan. 27 hearing. “Their presence during the hearing is extremely important as they can inform the committee of the status of the cases involving the 44 fallen members of the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police,” said Marcos. Despite government guarantees to give justice to the victims of the massacre and their families Marcos noted that no case has been filed in court to prosecute the suspects almost a year after the incident. “The families of the SAF 44 do not ask anything from the government except for justice for their loved ones,” Marcos said. Earlier, Marcos also said that at the reopening of the Mamasapano investigation he would also seek to clarify reports of complaints of at least two widows of the SAF 44 that they have not yet received the promised aid from the government. The PNP has denied their allegations and released a report detailing the assistance that has been given to the SAF 44 families.

seized P3 billion worth of shabu. “Marcelino was the one who developed the intel for that particular operation,” Santiago said. In that operation, Marcelino gave that credit to the NBI, reportedly to the dismay of Cacdac. Marcelino’s name never surfaced in that operation because he was no longer assigned with the PDEA. Navy spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo said Marcelino has just been appointed superintendent of the Navy Officer Candidate School and was stationed at the Naval Education Training Command in Zambales. “He was seen at around 7 p.m. at the NETC. The chief of staff of the NETC told me he just received a text from Marcelino at around 7 a.m. today [Thursday] notifying him that he [Marcelino] went to Manila early morning because one of their agents has been arrested by PDEA and they are implicating me in a syndicate and made pronouncements in the media about it’,” Arevalo said. Cacdac said that since Marce-

lino is still being considered a suspect they will withhold issuing further statements about his possible involvement until the investigation is finished. A senior military officer who knew Marcelino said on condition of anonymity that the Marine officer could have been framed. “He coordinated with a PDEA staff officer about his intent to conduct surveillance with the asset. Unknowingly, a special project group directly controlled by Cacdac was also tailing the informant and carried out the raid at the same time that he got in. So, he was present during the raid and was apprehended. Cacdac wants to present him as his ‘accomplishment,’” he said. Another former classmate said Marcelino’s daughter had been abducted by a drug syndicate when he was at the PDEA, which gave him the impetus to move against the illegal drug trade. “He is a very principled person and has maintained a modest lifestyle,” another classmate said.

F R I D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Duterte criticizes suffering and widespread chaos DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday the widespread chaos and the suffering of the Filipino people were the reasons behind his anger and constant cursing. “Who would not be cursing when there is so much suffering and disorder in our country from the moment you wake up until you go to bed at night?” said Duterte who is known for his tough stance on criminals. He is running for president this year under the People’s Reform Party and with Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano as his running mate. Duterte made his statement even as the camp of Manuel Roxas II, the ruling Liberal Party’s standard bearer, said Thursday Davao City had “failed” in the ‘peace and order criteria’ under the Seal of Good Local Governance. “It’s clear that Mayor Duterte met all core criteria but in the essential criteria, Davao actually “failed” in the Peace and Order

standards,” Roxas’ spokesman Barry Gutierrez told reporters. “It’s clear that the one who doesn’t understand why he’s given an award is Mayor Duterte. The Seal of Good Local Governance has several criteria that you need to meet. For you to be eligible for the award, you need to have the core criteria and at least one essential criteria.” Cayetano said he and Duterte had the experience and principles necessary to fight the injustices committed by those benefiting from the chaos in the country. He underscored the need to fight crime and corruption in the police force and to increase the salaries of honest police officer. He said the country needed a transition to federalism to attain lasting peace. He mentioned the need to spread development by infusing the regions with funds for development. “What is needed is a fearless solution and fast action to end the chaos. This is what Mayor Duterte and I will bring,” Cayetano said. Macon ramos-araneta and John Paolo Bencito

Tourism forum. President Benigno Aquino III graces the opening of the Asean Tourism Forum at the Philippine International Convention Center on Thursday. Malacañang PhoTo Bureau

Breakfast forum. Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. fields questions during Thursday’s breakfast forum at the Senate. lino SanToS

Marcos describes Poe as his ‘sister’ in Senate

“SISTER” was the word uttered by Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he was asked to describe independent presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe. “I’m standing by it,” he told reporters during Thursday’s breakfast meeting at the Senate. Since the late 1960s, the rumor had been going that Poe is an illegitimate daughter of Marcos’ father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, with former actress Rosemarie Sonora, sister of Poe’s adoptive sister Susan Roces. But Marcos considers it an urban legend while former First Lady Imelda Marcos merely laughs off the claim that Poe is a daughter of her late husband. The question on Poe’s biological parents emerged again when she aired her intention to run for president. After filing her candidacy for the presidency, the issue on her citizenship became the basis for the disqualification charges against her that are now pending with the Supreme Court. Poe insists that her adoptive

Binay vows to fight malnutrition once elected THE government’s failure to address malnutrition has caused a significant increase in the number of malnourished children in the country, Vice President Jejomar Binay said Thursday as he vowed to fight malnutrition and poverty once elected as president. His spokesman Joey Salgado said promoting nutrition among high-risk groups including children had long been a Binay advocacy. He said 19.9 percent of all Filipino children aged zero to 5 were underweight, and that at least 1.5 million were malnourished because they didn’t have enough money to buy food. Save the Children Philippines country director Ned Olney had previously said that at least 2.7-million malnourished

Filipino children skipped meals a day because they didn’t have enough money to buy food while 1.5 million aged zero to 10 years old went without eating for a day. Binay would be working to significantly bring down the number of malnourished once he was elected president, Salgado said. According to the 8th National Nutrition Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, 19.9 percent of all children aged zero to 5 were underweight. While the number is slightly lower than the 20.2 percent registered in 2011, “various programs will be intensified to fight malnutrition under the Binay administration,” Salgado said.

Wasting or thinness (low weight for height), meanwhile, increased to 7.9 percent from 7.3 percent in 2011, the report said. “The highest prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting are among those in the rural areas,” the report said. Salgado said Makati’s low malnutrition rate were due to the health and nutrition programs of the city that were implemented through the Makati Health Department and its nutrition office, and that those dated back to the term of Binay and continued by his son Junjun Binay. He said Binay started the nutrition program while he was mayor of Makati city, adding Makati’s malnutrition rate continued to be the lowest in Metro Manila. Vito Barcelo

mother, actress Susan Roces, had been telling her that she was found abandoned in a Catholic church in Jaro, Iloilo, and that she was later adopted by her and the late Fernando Poe Jr. Sought for his comment on Poe’s legal problems, Marcos said “she really has to weather the storm” and await the decision of the Supreme Court to decide what to do. He described her running mate Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago as brilliant and former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as his friends. He described Vice President Jejomar Binay as a rising presidential candidate after he again led in SWS’ presidential surveys. He described the Edsa Revolution as “history,” the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law as “dead,” and the May 2016 elections as “critical.” He described himself as “brilliant, nice, good, perfect. Who else would praise me but myself?” Macon ramos-araneta REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT President Benigno S. Aquino III has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (C.A.) for confirmation the ad interim appointments and nominations of the following officials: Constitutional Commissions and Offices (ad interim appointment) Hon. Isabel B. Dasalla-Agito– Commissioner, Commission on Audit Department of Foreign Affairs (nominations) Celia Anna M. Feria – Chief of Mission, Class II, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Spain with concurrent jurisdiction over the Principality of Andorra; Uriel Norman R. Garibay – Chief of Mission, Class II as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Kenya with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Burundi, Union of the Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Seychelles, Federal Republic of Somalia, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Uganda, Republic of South Sudan and as Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT); and Charles C. Jose - Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Malaysia Armed Forces of the Philippines (ad interim appointments) Romeo T. Tanalgo – Lieutenant General; Noel S. Clement and Ronnie S. Evangelista – Brigadier General; Jonathan C. Gabor, PN(M) – Colonel; and Aldrin B. Doctor, PN – Captain The public may submit any information, written report or sworn complaints or oppositions in forty (40) copies on the above appointments and nominations to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila. For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 551-7532, 831-0893, 831-1824, 834-2706, 831-1566 and 834-2713. 21 January 2016. ARTURO L. TIU Secretary (TS-JAN. 22, 2016)

f r i D AY : j A n u A r Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Comelec: All’s fair in ballot printing By Rey E. Requejo and John Paolo Bencito

New deployment. Soldiers of the Army’s 16th Infantry Battalion deplane from military cargo plane in Tandag City airport after they were assigned to boost counterinsurgency operations in Surigao del Sur. There are now four Army battalions in the province. LANCE BACONGUIS

‘SSS’ dire straits due to Aquino appointees’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta and John Paolo Bencito VICE presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos on Thursday called President Benigno Aquino III to task for appointing “incompetent managers” to the Social Security System which resulted in failure to improve the SSS’ financial situation. “Once you find that they cannot do their job, you should immediately look for those who are capable,” Marcos said following complaints on Aquino’s veto of a bill increasing SSS pensioners’ benefits by P2,000. “If they cannot support

the P2000, let’s look for their replacement. I’m sure, we have good people. I remember in previous years the SSS was much-better run.We know many in the private sector who are very very competent and who are quite experienced in doing this,” he said.

“I don’t think the problem is a lack of talent,” the senator added. “We’ve seen this not only in the SSS. We’ve seen this in other departments where people running very large organizations within the government have been clearly shown to be incompetent. They are incapable of doing their job.” In the past, Marcos said the SSS did not have the present problems of poor collection, which was pegged at only 35 percent, because the people running the agency were very professional. Marcos also bared that he has signed a proposed Senate resolution expressing the sense of the Upper Chamber that the P2,000 increase in the pension of

SSS retirees should be given and that the President’s veto of the bill granting such pension hike is unfortunate. Marcos also brushed aside allegations that lawmakers pushing for the SSS pension hike are using the issue to score political points, particularly because of the coming elections this year. “I disagree. It’s an attempt to help the people and that started on income tax cuts and now the SSS pension. Both were vetoed by Aquino,” he said. Both overriding the veto appears to be a long shot because the move must be initiated in the chamber were a vetoed measure originated, in this case the House of Representatives.

THE printing of the official ballots for the May 9 national and local elections is being done according to the approved schedule and is not meant to favor any candidate contrary to the claim of Liberal Party co-chairman and Senate President Franklin Drilon. “I think we are printing it at the proper time. We are not in a hurry. We are also not printing the ballots late. We are printing the ballots when they are supposed to be printed,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Thursday. Jimenez made the remark in response to Drilon’s claim that the printing of the ballot was being “railroaded” even if the Supreme Court has not yet ruled with finality on all pending disqualification charges, particularly of Davao Mayor Rodolfo Duterte and Senator Grace Poe. “[But] elections cannot proceed if the Comelec is not properly ready for it. And that is all that is behind this timing of printing of ballots. The bottom line for the Comelec is readiness for the elections,” Jimenez explained. “Whatever happens to the case of Senator Poe, we will treat those who will also go to the SC the same way. We will treat it exactly the same way. We will treat a certain candidate the same as other candidates,” Jimenez said. Jimenez reiterated that not following the previously agreed schedule would not only hinder preparations, but may also give the suggestion that the Comelec is already disqualifying a candidate even if that bet is entitled to a review by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, former Comelec chairman Christian Monsod said it is only proper for the poll body to start printing official ballots because there are other solutions if the high court decides to disqualify Poe.

Farmers mark Mendiola massacre MILITANT farmers will stage a rally Friday morning to mark the 29 th anniversary of the Mendiola Massacre that took place during the time of former President Corazon Aquino where 13 people were killed and several others were wounded. Members of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid launched a series of protest actions and dialogues starting Thursday in remembrance of the massacre. “The situation of farmers in San Jose del Monte City is a living testimony of how current and previous administrations perpetuated landlessness and land

grabbing,” said Eriberto Peña, leader of AMB, a local chapter of peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. “The same issues raised by thousands of farmers who joined the January 1987 week-long protest at the then Ministry of Agrarian Reform and Mendiola are the same issues faced by farmers of San Jose Del Monte City. Then and now, there is no genuine land reform and farmers remain victims of perennial land grabbing,” Peña said. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada on Thursday brushed aside the possibility of a repeat of the infamous massacre or any other similar violent incidents of crowd dispersal procedures

and said he had ordered Supt. Mannan Muarip of Manila Police District Station 4 to ensure peace and order in Mendiola and its vicinity. Muarip, for his part, said the MPD leadership as well as personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office are implementing a policy of maximum tolerance in anticipation of activities by groups commemorating the incident. The Mendiola massacre incident took place on this date 29 years ago, when some 15,000 marchers led by farmers were violently dispersed by anti-protest forces led by then Western Police District director Alfredo Lim.

Protect our livelihood. Vendors from Balintawak Cloverleaf Market in Quezon City hold up placards protesting city hall’s move to close down the market purportedly at the behest of a large land developer in the area. ANDREW RABULAN

By Joel E. Zurbano

f r i D AY : j A n u A r Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Senate bets take up same-sex pairing By Maricel V. Cruz House Independent Bloc leader Rep. Martin Romualdez has said he respects the rights of the proponents of same-sex marriage to legalize their highly controversial proposal in the country, adding there is nothing wrong in starting serious discussions on the matter. “I respect the rights of everyone and our fellow human being. At least for now, let the debates begin [on same sexmarriage]” Romualdez, a senatorial aspirant, responded to the query of one of the students who attended the Rappler’s “The Leader I Want” forum held at the De La Salle University in Manila. On same same-sex marriage issue, Romualdez, a shared-senatorial candidate of Vice President Jejomar Binay and

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who are both running for president, said the main consideration is the fact that Philippines is predominantly a Roman Catholic country which is vehemently opposing same-sex marriage. “We are a Catholic country and we are a Catholic school [De La Salle University] and so we have that sensitivity [against same-sex marriage],” Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine

Constitution Association, said, stressing that Filipino culture is still not prepared for same-sex marriage. The forum was also attended by two other senatorial candidates, house deputy minority leader and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares and lawyer Lorna Kapunan who are both running under independent presidential and vice presidential candidates, Senators Grace Poe and Chiz escudero, respectively. Romualdez, a third termer lawmaker, said he believes in the freedom of the people especially members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community to choose who they will love and to be with for the rest of their lives. Kapunan and Colmenares, both lawyers like Romualdez, backed the Leyte lawmaker’s position for the concerned

institutions like Congress to seriously deliberate on the matter to determine the pros and cons of allowing same-sex marriage in the country. “Let the debates begin. Let us start discussing same-sex marriage,” Kapunan said. “I will tell you to defend your right to a same-sex marriage.” Colmenares, for his part, said Congress should determine how the proposal will work in the country by debating the proposal, adding that discrimination becomes a main issue on same-sex marriage. Colmenares authors house Bill 1842 or the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2013 seeking to eliminate all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity—a measure that is backed by Romualdez.

Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez presents to thousands of students from various college and universities his legislative agenda if he gets elected to the Senate during the Rappler’s ‘The Leader I Want’ forum at the Teresita Yuchengco Auditorium of De La Salle University in Manila. Romualdez stresses the need for a compassionate government that listens and responds to the changing needs of the people. VER NoVENo

BIR wins tax case but PNoy admin’s net satisfaction rating inches up gets chided by court By Sandy Araneta By Rey E. Requejo The Supreme Court has admonished the Bureau of Internal Revenue for violating its rules on waiver of the prescriptive period to assess and collect taxes that almost cost the government more than P313 million in a tax collection case involving mobile telephone system operator Next Mobile Inc. The Court’s Third Division through Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. made the admonition, but nonetheless granted the petition filed by the BIR seeking the reversal of the Court of Appeals decision that nullified its P313.33-million tax assessment I against Next Mobile for having been issued beyond the three-year prescriptive period provided under the law. The tax assessment represents deficiency income tax, final withholding tax, expanded withholding tax, increments for late remittance of taxes withheld, and compromise penalty for failure to file returns/late filing/ late remittance of taxes withheld for the taxable year ending December 31, 2001. Although it granted BIR’s petition, the Court chided the tax collection agency for gross negligence amounting to “malice and bad faith” in honoring Next Mobile’s waiver of the statute of limitations, despite its failure to comply with the provisions of Revenue Memorandum Order No. 20-90 on the proper execution of the waiver of statute of limitations under the National Internal Revenue Code and Revenue Delegation Authority Order No. 05-01. “Finally, the Court cannot tolerate the highly suspicious situation. In this case, the taxpayer, on the one hand, after voluntarily executing waivers, insisted on their invalidity by raising the very same defects it caused,” the SC stressed.

The public net satisfaction rating of the Aquino administration improved by two-percentage points, the latest Social Weather Stations survey said on Thursday. The administration’s net satisfaction rating rose by +39 in the last quarter of 2015 compared to the +37 in the previous quarter, the SWS said. The latest rating was the best in nearly two years, according to the SWS. The survey yielded a net satisfaction rating (percent satisfied against percent dissatisfied) of a “good” +39 that was two points above the “good” +37 notched in September last year and highest since the “good” +45 recorded in the March 2014 survey. The December 2015 Social Weather Survey was conducted from December 5 to 8, 2015 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide, 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao). The latest SWS survey showed that 61 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the overall

performance of the Aquino administration, while 16 percent were undecided, and the remaining 23 percent were dissatisfied. SWS classifies net satisfaction scores of +70 and above as “excellent”; +50 to +69 as “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; as well as -70 and below, “execrable.” The SWS considers any movement from one classification to another as either an “upgrade” or a “downgrade.” In the first quarter of 2015, satisfaction with the Aquino administration slumped a grade and 15 points to a “moderate” +19 following the Mamasapano raid from a “good” +34 logged in the December 2014 survey. The administration’s net satisfaction jumped a grade and 18 points to a “very good” +52 in the Visayas from a “good” +34 last September. It was the area’s best reading since September 2013’s “very good” +60. Net satisfaction rating similarly rose by a grade and 12 points to a “good” +36 in Metro Manila, from a “moderate” +24 in September. That was the same as the reading in September 2014 and the national capital’s highest since March 2014’s +37. It stayed “good” in Mindanao (up just two points to +36 from +34,

the highest since December 2014’s +43) and “good” in Balance Luzon (though down nine points to +35 from +44). In terms of socioeconomic class, satisfaction with the Aquino government, stayed “good” in Class D (“hardly moving” to +39 from +38, though the latest reading was the highest since March 2014’s +45) and e (+44 from +40, the best since March 2014’s +48). It stayed “moderate” in Class ABC (+23 from +21). Rated against 14 issues, the government scored: “Good” in four issues (helping the poor, foreign relations, promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers, and defending the country’s territorial rights); “Moderate” in restoring peace to Mindanao; “Neutral” in eight issues (fighting terrorism, rehabilitating areas damaged by conflict in Mindanao, reconciliation with Muslim rebels, fighting crimes, ensuring that no family will ever be hungry, reconciliation with communist rebels, eradication of graft and corruption, and fighting inflation); and “Very bad” in resolving with justice the 2009 Maguindanao massacre of media workers and relatives of a local political candidate.

f r i d ay : J a N U a r y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Makati sets hero’s welcome for Ms. U By Joel E. Zurbano

Historic background. Tourists hire Cagsawa photographers to take creative shots of themselves with the Mayon Volcano and Cagsawa Ruins as background. Cagsawa, an 18th century Franciscan church in Daraga, has been transformed into one of the popular tourist destinations in Albay. OMAR MANGORSI

PCSO: No to special treatment of politicos By Rio N. Araja

DESPITE the endorsements from politicians seeking financial, medical and health assistance, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office on Thursday maintained it is always fair and does not give preferential treatment to political accommodations.

in an interview, lawyer Mabel Mamba of the PCSO’s Office of the Board of Directors said patients, with the endorsement of mayors and other local officials, and rep-

resentatives and even senators, seeking financial, medical and health assistance must not demand special treatment from the PCSO as the agency could not just

“turn away people who ask for help because this is a charitable institution.” Even Senator Grace Poe, a presidential bet, has always been endorsing patients for assistance, but the PCSO could not just give special treatment, she added. She challenged Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga to prove his allegations that she and the other board members as well as general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas have approved guar-

antee letters without the patients going through the normal process. “i really do not know where he got such information based on a memorandum,” she told The Standard. “The document he is referring to is a memo he got from someone from the charity sector, which Chairman Erineo [Maliksi] asked to prepare. however, i don’t think the document states the number of people [whom we

had] helped [with P100 million plus in assistance].” She claimed she has never issued an endorsement letter for approval of a guarantee letter, but only a “handwritten note in a notepad, and not a marginal note” to extend any preferential treatment. According to Mamba, the agency’s charity sector has consistently received an excellent rating of the Civil Service Commission’s antired tape program.

thE Metro Manila Development Authority on Thursday said it would close the northbound lane of Ayala Avenue in Makati City from Gil Puyat Avenue to Epifanio de los Santos Avenue to give way for the hero’s welcome and grand parade for Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach on Monday. MMDA chairman Emerson Carlos also ordered lawyer Crisanto Saruca, head of the agency’s traffic Discipline Office, to deploy 150 personnel tasked to manage traffic in the areas affected by the parade. he added that the Ayala Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning 3 p.m. on Monday. MMDA released the itinerary of the grand parade. it will start at 2 p.m. from hotel Sofitel in Pasay City to Atang Dela Rama Street, right turn to Vicente Sotto Street, left turn to F. Ma. Guerrero Street, right turn to Bukaneg Street, left turn to Roxas Boulevard, right turn to Padre Burgos Street in Manila towards taft Avenue, right turn to Finance Road, right to taft Avenue, right turn to Quirino Avenue, left to Roxas Boulevard, left to Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, left turn to Ayala Avenue, uturn to Ayala-Makati Fire Station, going to Ayala Avenue, to Rustan’s. Carlos advised motorists to take alternate routes to avoid traffic congestion in the affected areas. The city government of Makati also prepared a hero’s welcome for Miss Wurtzbach for two consecutive days, with a victory parade along Ayala Avenue on Monday, and a huge assembly at the City hall when the beauty queen pays a courtesy call on the mayor on tuesday, Jan. 26.

INC seeks probe of Marines in land feud With the media reporting that Marines may have been tapped to provide security for Lottie Manalo-hemedez and her family, officials of the iglesia ni Cristo called on the military to investigate what iNC spokesman Edwil Zabala said was “the highly irregular participation of our armed forces personnel in what is a private and legal dispute.” “The reports in the media need to be looked into by the proper authorities, especially since former military personnel have already been seen providing security for Mr. Angel Manalo, Ms. hemedez and their group,” said Zabala. in October last year, hemedez’s lawyer trixie Angeles was accompanied by former military men in an attempt to enter the iNC compound in tandang Sora. Prior to this, Oakwood mutineer and dismissed Army Capt.

Nicanor Faeldon also tried to enter the same property. Faeldon was a former client of Angeles, who represented the Army officer when he was charged for his participation in the Oakwood mutiny in 2003. Zabala said that the assistance provided by Faeldon and other dismissed military personnel in previous instances “lend credence to reports in the media that there are documents that prove that marines are being used as escorts by these expelled iNC members.” Zabala expressed fears that the continued use of military personnel by hemedez and her family would endanger the lives of security personnel the church had hired to safeguard the tandang Sora property. “Walang laban ang mga security guards namin sa mga marines [our security guards don’t stand a chance

against marines]; what we want to avoid is people getting hurt in the course of doing their jobs. Wag naman umabot sa ganun. [We hope it does not come to that.]” According to the minister, if proven that the armed guards of hemedez are active military personnel, then “the AFP should impose administrative sanctions on them as our armed forces should not be used as anyone’s private army.” Meanwhile, the Manila Police District placed under investigation the police officers who took part in the arrest of former iglesia Ni Cristo minister Lowell Menorca ii to determine if they violated police protocol. “We are looking into this and we will not tolerate wrongdoings. if these policemen did outside the right police procedure, appropriate action will be made,” said MPD spokesperson Marissa Bruno. Joel Zurbano

Welcome home, Pia. MMDA chairman Emerson Carlos talks about the agency’s traffic preparation for the grand parade of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach on Monday. JOEL ZURBANO

F R I D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Leyte farmers continue to demand land rights By Ronald O. Reyes

TACLOBAN CITY—Landless farmers in Leyte continue demanding their undistributed certificates of land ownership awards from the Department of Agrarian Reform. “I hope the government will implement properly the rule of law, especially on land distribution. Land rights is human rights, shelter rights is human rights,” said Dhon Daganasol,

farmer and spokesperson of Katarungan-Eastern Visayas. “As a citizen, it is our right as farmers to live with dignity and decency. We are the ones who provide the

basic commodities for everyone, aren’t we?” he asked. The absence of proper rights and land tenure for farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries who were also hit by Typhoon “Yolanda” in November 2013 brought them insecurity in terms of availing assistance from government and humanitarian agencies, Daganasol said. According to the Rural Poor Institute and Human Rights Inc., a network of non-government organiza-

tions that work on agrarian reform, rural development and rural democratization in 14 provinces across the country particularly in Yolanda-hit areas, the recovery of the landless survivors “will take longer than necessary or possibly never.” In its assessment report, RIGHTS maintains that “securing land and property rights is vital to effective recovery of the most vulnerable sectors in the Yolanda-affected areas, namely farmers, fisherfolk and in-

formal settlers.” “Fast-tracking rehabilitation and reconstruction demands that the government focus on resolving land property rights concerns as soon as possible,” said the group in a report. According to the group, the current Aquino administration “shows no indication that land property rights concern are being resolved by the government with a sense of urgency to mitigate the situation of survivors.”

Prayers. Relatives of the SAF 44 utter prayers in Burnham Park, offering candles and flowers for their loved ones as the first anniversary of the Mamasapano massacre nears. DAVID CHAN

Tourism body to take over Mt. Data Hotel By Dexter A. See

BONTOC, Mountain Province—The provincial government will return to the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, formerly the Philippine Tourism Authority, the management of the historic Mount Data Hotel effective Feb. 8 this year due to financial difficulties. Hotel manager Dolly Theodore said the staff is making an inventory of furniture and other serviceable equipment in preparation for the turnover. Built in the 1960s during the administration of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, the management of the 22-room single-story building and its premises was conveyed to the PTA through a Presidential Decree in 1977. The hotel stands at the heart of a forested 9.19-hectare lot within the Mount Data National Park, roughly a hundred kilometers away from Baguio City. For years, the facility has been a favorite stop-over of travelers to Banaue and Sagada. It also prides itself of having hosted past presidents and foreign dignitaries, including historic events such as the signing of the peace accord between the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army and the late President Corazon Aquino on Sept. 13, 1986, popularly known as the Mount Data “Sipat.”

Ombudsman indicts Agusan mayor over travel expenses By Rio N. Araja THE Office of the Ombudsman has indicted Cabadbaran Mayor Dale Corvera of Agusan del Norte for malversation and graft for using public funds for his personal travel. In a resolution, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said Corvera charged his travel expenditures of P362,154.85 against the city government’s public funds from May 2011 to June 2014. “These personal travel expenses included detour trips to Cebu City to visit his children, including the personal hotel accommodations and meals of his wife,” she added. Corvera, for his part, said the travels were made “in connec-

tion with his attendance to the activities of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.” “The public character of BSP cannot serve as valid justification for charging against public funds expenses incurred for attending its activities,” the resolution read. “All documents are clear enough to show that expenses have been spent, and the nature of such expenses.” Morales ordered the filing of malversation and violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 against Corvera before the Sandiganbayan. “As the chief executive of the city of Cabadbaran, respondent exercises control over the city’s funds and is accountable for them,” she said.

Wristwear. Women from the Matigsalog tribe sell handcrafted bracelets to travelers in Lorego, Kitaotao, Bukidnon. LANCE BACONGUIS

F R I D AY, J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

UNITING TO PREVENT VIOLENT EXTREMISM

[ EDI TORI A L ]

MARKET UPHEAVAL

By Ban Ki-moon

MARKET investors worldwide are panicking. The value of their stockholdings is plummeting since the start of 2016, triggered by fears of an economic slowdown in China and sinking crude prices in the world market. Currencies in Asia, including the Philippine peso, are shedding their value fast, as investors pull out their funds in favor of safe heavens like the mighty US dollar. The co-relation of stocks, currencies and commodities like oil is becoming more pronounced each day. But the general and steep market slump clearly indicates that the world economy is in for a rough ride, with China fueling worries that the world’s second biggest economy is finally slowing down. Nervous investors always take the lead in a slumping market. The Shanghai stock market has become the epicenter of the market rout. Shanghai has plunged 16 percent this year on capital flight, while the rest of the Asian markets like Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore are taking the cue. Philippine stocks plunged to a 21-month low while the peso tumbled Thursday to a six-year low of 47.94 against the US dollar. Foreign fund managers are leaving the local stock market on expectations that the Philippine economy would be hurt by China’s economic slowdown. The exit of foreign or hot money from the Philippines as a result weakened the peso. Oil prices, meanwhile, are diving to a bottomless pit following a combination of worldwide glut, low demand, overproduction and a strong US currency. Oil briefly dropped below $27 a barrel Thursday, the lowest in 12 years. The resumption of Iran’s oil exports is exacerbating the world production surplus and the weakening demand stoked by speculations on China’s slowdown is expected to dampen oil prices further. Philippine stocks and the peso will weaken, too, in a knee-jerk reaction to the global market turmoil. The Philippine economy, though, appears to be holding against the nervous market sentiment. But it cannot ignore market volatility, if the rest of Asia, especially China and Japan, goes on a tailspin.

‘YELLOW-WASH’ BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO A NEW word, “yellow-wash,” might have just been coined by Vencer Crisostomo, chairman of the militant youth group Anakbayan. Yellow is the signature color of President Benigno Aquino and his rabid supporters. To PNoy’s detractors it’s called the ”yellow peril.” In expressing his concern Malacañang might “yellow

wash” or do another cover- up at the reopening of the Senate inquiry into the Mamasapano incident, Crisostomo said the truth must come out about the real involvement of President Aquino in the ill-fated police mission that cost the lives of 44 men of the PNP Special Action Force. Indeed, truth is the bigger casualty in this whole bloody mess. Palace Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. claimed President Aquino had already told everything that he knew about the matter

in statements and speeches at public events. Yeah, right. But what his President had already said was mostly a denial of his culpability and did not really give us a clear picture of his active involvement from Day One when the secret police mission Oplan Exodus was conceptualized with his buddy, the suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima. Come to think of it, contrary to Coloma’s claim, President Aquino did not even mention Mamasapano nor pay tribute to the gallant Fall-

en 44 in his last State of the Nation Address before Congress. One would think that such an event as this—one that left a scar on the nation— would have merited mention or a line in the President’s Sona. Instead, Aquino who bandies himself as “the father of the nation” and who says the Filipino people are “his bosses,” mentioned his cook, butler and his hair stylist but uttered nary a line on the heroic 44 SAF commandos he left in an open field to perish at the hands of MILF and BIFF butchers. With the Senate committee on public order set to revisit

the case on Jan. 27, politicians allied with Malacañang have started to impute political color and motive to Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile for wanting to reopen old wounds. One senator said Enrile just wanted to exact revenge on Aquino for putting him in detention in connection with the pork barrel scam. Another ranking LP official said the reopening of the Senate inquiry would only serve as a platform for some senators to grandstand. But of course, everything in this country is fueled by politics. Politics is a given but everyone still wants to know

the truth about Mamasapano.What is Malacañang afraid of? It has enough allies in the Senate to defend the President but it’s doubtful any of them would want to tangle with Enrile’s sharp legal mind. Enrile at 91 should be looking at retirement and not stoking embers of a dying fire. Out on bail, he could be courting Palace wrath (and vengeance) for doing so. But the survivors and relatives came to him, imploring him to give them justice and

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-

seek the truth. Enrile could not do any less for them lest he be remiss in his sworn duty to uphold the Constitution and the law to protect and defend its citizens. Under detention at the PNP hospital in Camp Crame, Enrile was unable to attend the first hearing on Mamasapano conducted by the Senate committee on public order chaired by Senator Grace Poe. He probably stewed watching the live TV coverage of proceedings when senate commit-

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

tee members failed to ask more probing questions and allowing Aquino officials to stonewall the President’s Continued on A10 actual role.

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES Mr. Robles’ column will resume next week.

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

VIOLENT extremism is a direct assault on the United Nations Charter and a grave threat to international peace and security. Terrorist groups such as Daesh, Boko Haram and others have brazenly kidnapped young girls, systematically denied women’s rights, destroyed cultural institutions, warped the peaceful values of religions, and brutally murdered thousands of innocents around the world. These groups have become a magnet for foreign terrorist fighters, who are easy prey to simplistic appeals and siren songs. The threat of violent extremism is not limited to any one religion, nationality or ethnic group. Today, the vast majority of victims worldwide are Muslims. Addressing this challenge requires a unified response, and compels us to act in a way that solves—rather than multiplies—the problem. Many years of experience have proven that short-sighted policies, failed leadership, heavyhanded approaches, a single-minded focus only on security measures and an utter disregard for human rights have often made things worse. Let us never forget: Terrorist groups are not just seeking to unleash violent action, but to provoke a harsh reaction. We need cool heads and common sense. We must never be ruled by fear—or provoked by those who strive to exploit it. Countering violent extremism should not be counter-productive. This month, I presented to the United Nations General Assembly a Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, which takes a practical and comprehensive approach to address the drivers of this menace. It focuses on violent extremism which can be conducive to terrorism. The Plan puts forward more than 70 recommendations for concerted action at the global, regional and national levels, based on five interrelated points: Number one, we must put prevention first The international community has every right to defend against this threat using lawful means, but we must pay particular attention to addressing the causes of violent extremism if this problem is to be resolved in the long run. There is no single pathway to violent extremism. But we know that extremism flourishes when human rights are violated, political space is shrunk, aspirations for inclusion are ignored, and too many people—especially young people —lack prospects and meaning in their lives. As we see in Syria and Libya and elsewhere, violent extremists make unresolved and prolonged conflicts even more intractable. We also know the critical elements for success: Good governance. The rule of law. Political participation. Quality education and decent jobs. Full respect for human rights. We need to make a special effort to reach out to young people and recognize their potential as peacebuilders. The protection and empowerment of women must also be central to our response. Second, principled leadership and effective institutions Poisonous ideologies do not emerge from thin air. Oppression, corruption and injustice are greenhouses for resentment. Extremists are adept at cultivating alienation. That is why I have been urging leaders to work harder to build inclusive institutions that are truly accountable to people. I will continue to call on leaders to listen carefully to the grievances of their people and then act to address them.

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

F R I D AY, J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

UNITING TO PREVENT VIOLENT EXTREMISM

[ EDI TORI A L ]

MARKET UPHEAVAL

By Ban Ki-moon

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

tee members failed to ask more probing questions and allowing Aquino officials to stonewall the President’s Continued on A10 actual role.

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES Mr. Robles’ column will resume next week.

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

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

F R I D AY, J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

CHING AND POE PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO I HAVE no evidence that Vicente Ching and Senator Grace Poe ever met each other, but the story of one is—or should be— lesson for the other. Vicente Ching was the legitimate son of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, born in 1964, and therefore under the citizenship provisions of the 1935 Constitution. He was born in the Philippines, resided here, studied law, and in 1998, sat for the Bar Examination. He passed the Bar, but then because his status as a citizen remained unresolved, he was not allowed to take the lawyer’s oath, nor to inscribe his name in the Roll of Attorneys. On October 1, 1999, the Supreme Court finally passed upon the issue of his nationality in the case formally docketed as “In re: Application for Admission to the Philippine Bar of Vicente D. Ching, Bar Matter 914.”

Before we want to do favors to those we think deserve them, let us respect the Constitution sufficiently to amend it first as our best lights see fit.

The 1935 Constitution required children of Filipino mothers and foreigner fathers to elect Philippine citizenship “upon reaching the age of majority.” While the Court was did not rule that such a person had to elect Philippine citizenship immediately upon reaching 21 —the age of majority at the time —it did rule that “the extension of the option to elect Philippine citizenship is not indefinite.” Ching, the Court found, had elected Philippine citizenship seven years after reaching the age of maturity. This was stretching forbearance inordinately. The Supreme Court held that Ching had failed to elect Philippine citizenship as required by the Constitution and therefore was not qualified for membership in the Philippine Bar—despite four years of law school and a passing grade in the Bar! Tough decision, it can be rightly said, but one that paid tribute to the intent, the letter and the spirit of the Constitution. Ching invited the Court’s attention to “special circumstances,” not unlike those Ms. Poe now cites: his continuous stay in

the Philippines (something Ms. Poe cannot claim), his admission to the practice of accountancy, his status as a registered voter as well as a former elected public official. In shoving all these considerations aside, the Supreme Court, with utmost serene rationality, ruled: “The special circumstances invoked by Ching cannot vest in him Philippine citizenship as the law specifically laws down the requirements for the acquisition of Philippine citizenship by election.” Justice Kapunan ended his ponencia on a very instructive note—shorn of all appeal to pity: “Philippine citizenship can never be treated like a commodity that can be claimed when needed and suppressed when convenient. One who is privileged to elect Philippine citizenship has only a inchoate right to such citizenship. As such, he should avail of the right with fervor, enthusiasm and promptitude. Sadly, in this case, Ching slept on his opportunity to elect Philippine citizenship and, as a result, this golden privilege slipped away from his grasp.” My point should not be too difficult to divine. The Court dealt with Ching as the provisions of the Constitution ordained—and yet, it was known of Ching without a doubt that his mother was a Filipino, that he never renounced his citizenship, that he never lived abroad, and that he was an elected public official at some time in his life. True, Ms. Poe’s case is different. Only that it is not “better” than Ching’s. It is more troubled, for in her case, we have absolutely no knowledge of who her parents were, nor of where she was born. Presumptions are never evidence, and it is not even too sure that she is entitled to presumptions in her favor. There would have been far more reason to allow Ching to take the oath he had labored arduously to recite, but the Court never mistook its role of interpreting the Constitution. No prejudice was done Ching, the Court held, because he had the chance to elect —a chance he forfeited by letting seven years pass by! Since 1935, we have had two other chances to rewrite the provisions of our citizenship articles in view of the lot of foundlings, a problem to which the framers of the Constitution were not oblivious. But we chose to frame the provisions as they now stand. And so before we want to do favors to those we think deserve them, let us respect the Constitution sufficiently to amend it first as our best lights see fit. But until we take that step, the fundamental law of the land does not leave its provisions to the whim of the populace—even if this should be unctuously called “the will of the people.” These are the technicalities that allow a State to truly claim “a government of laws and not of men.” rrannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

THE BEST FOR SOCIAL SECURITY THAT P2,000 pension increase proposal of Rep. Neri Colmenares—which was heartlessly vetoed by PNoy last Jan. 12—is turning out to be the best initiative that is jump-starting the long-awaited reform of our national social security program. Suddenly, every Filipino is talking about pensions. More than before, pensioners and ordinary folks are shaping the future of our social security by aggressively voicing their demands for adequate pensions via the mass media. Undeniably, the program— once the centerpiece of President Ramon Magsaysay’s government of the people, by the people, and for the people—has been trivialized under the administration of the Social Security System. PNoy’s veto with his simplistic justification that the P2,000 pension increase would bankrupt SSS clearly illustrated his superficial understanding of the program and exposed his apathy and that of his loyal army of “Daang Matuwid” officials toward the 2.1 million SSS pensioners. Of course, any simpleton could also conclude so if the fund’s underachieving administrator would do nothing to increase contributions and other revenues. In fact, anyone could increase effortlessly the fund’s actuarial life by doing nothing, watching lazily as the natural growth in wages drives up contributions. But the real mission of SSS— its reason for being—is to provide adequate pensions, and a mission-driven fund manager would have raised contributions to support what Rep. Colmenares has proposed six years ago. Who says that SSS needs congressional action to increase pensions? It is authorized by law to do so and if necessary, to even increase contributions. But in an election year, it knows that PNoy, the workers and their employers would reject any contribution increase. Thus, Rep. Colmenares had to convince almost single-hand-

‘Yellow-wash’... From A9 How then did Enrile get hold of this new evidence if he was under detention? But as fate or Providence would have it, Enrile was in the same medical facility where some of the Mamasapano survivors, who as policemen, were also brought to the PNP hospital in Camp Crame for treatment of their wounds. Is this coincidence or confluence of events?

edly both houses of congress to consider his bill. Finally after six years, it was approved and transmitted for approval to PNoy. But it only rested in PNoy’s lap for 30 days until the day before it would lapse into law. Reminded to sign it, he must have heartlessly vetoed it while smiling as usual, developing his bankruptcy theory, and refreshing his mind about the massacre that happened at Mamasapano about a year ago. That veto has triggered national debates on what our pension program should be. Hopefully, they would lead us serendipitously into adopting fair and equitable pension reforms, the last of which were made in 1997 during the administration of President Fidel Ramos. Meantime, these debates are narrowly centered on the veto’s immediate political consequences. Would it lose votes for Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas and establish PNoy as an unpopular but responsible leader who chose the straight path? Which is more expedient—making pensioners happy while driving SSS to bankruptcy or fueling their anger while protecting the fund’s actuarial life? In fact, these squabbles only distract us from tackling real pension issues. Do we like our present pension system for private sector workers? Of course, we don’t. We should no longer settle for the P1,000 pension increase that PNoy’s political allies are offering as palliative or even for the proposed P2,000. Instead, we should now demand for a pension scheme that replaces at least 60 percent of our last salary. But tit for tat, we must swallow the bitter pill. Workers should start contributing 7.37 percent of their entire salary to SSS, unlike now when

they only contribute 3.63 percent of monthly salary that is capped at P16,000. This means that they must take a cut in their present take-home pay in exchange for a decent amount of pension at retirement, early death or disability. Private-sector employers, on the other hand, must start contributing their share based on full salary at the same rate of 7.37 percent. All summed up, the SSS contribution would henceforth total 14.74 percent of the entire salary. This is still notably lower than the 21 percent that public sector workers and employers now contribute to the Government Service Insurance System. Do you still wonder why Mrs. Concepcion—our favorite public high school teacher who retired after 40 years of teaching on a final salary of P30,000—is now receiving a P27,000 monthly pension from GSIS? In contrast, if Ma’am taught in a private school, she would be getting from SSS only P13,100. This is less than half of her GSIS pension. There are other major pension issues. Why are workers of the private and public sectors covered by separate pension programs with unequal contribution and benefit systems? Are private-sector workers really better compensated than their public sector counterparts? Not so. With their superior GSIS pensions—that are obviously tax-free deferred compensation—public servants are definitely better compensated in the long haul. A caring and forceful president could have implemented immediately the above contribution and benefit reforms, but a more prudent leader would do so in phases, even in 10 years. Convinced of the president’s good intentions, every stakeholder—worker or employer— would support him in establishing this kind of pension program that we once thought we’d have when we passed our Social Security Act of 1954.

Learning of the senator’s presence there, the survivors aired their grievances and recounted to Enrile how they were left to die by their Commander-inChief in order to save a tenuous Bangsamoro Basic Law he wanted as his legacy. Not only was there clannish connectivity that some of the survivors were Ilocanos like Enrile and they spoke the dialect. Add the fact that Enrile as defense minister during the

Marcos Martial Law years still has a lot of intelligence sources in the military establishment. Piecing together the stories of the survivors and his sources at the defense department, Enrile was able to assemble enough evidence to claim that President Aquino played an active role in the implementation of the botched police operation but did not do anything to save the lives of the men he had sent on a deadly mission.

FILIPINO PENSIONER HORACE TEMPLO

F R I D AY, J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

BINAY FOR PRESIDENT, MARCOS JR. FOR VICE PRESIDENT

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ ON JAN. 8 to 10, this year, the pollster Social Weather Stations asked 1,200 respondents whom they would vote for president if elections were held then. Vice President Jejomar C. Binay was the choice of 31 of every 100 respondents. Senator Grace Poe was picked by 24 of every 100, former Interior and Local Governments Secretary Manuel Araneta “Mar” Roxas by 21, and Davao Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte by 20. Bringing up the rear were Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, the choice of three of every 100; and lawyer Roy Señeres picked by one of every 100. The survey results were first published, Jan. 15, by BusinessWorld. The sampling error for national percentages is 3 percent, plus or minus. For regionals, the margin of error is 6 percent, each for Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. With such error margins, you can say Grace Poe (24 percent), Mar Roxas (21 percent), and Duterte (20 percent) are virtually tied for second place. Please note that each percentage is equivalent to 440,000 votes, assuming 44 million cast their vote on election day, this coming May 9. Thus, Binay’s 7-point lead over Poe is equivalent to 3.08 million votes, 13.64 million vs. 10.56 million. The veep’s advantage over Mar Roxas is 4.4 million (10.64 million vs. 9.24

million), and over Duterte, 4.84 million votes (13.64 million vs. 8.8 million). Our call: Binay is definitely a frontrunner and if he keeps his pace, is the next President of the Philippines. However, Jojo’s three-millionvote lead over Poe is not that insurmountable, especially given the possibility that the Supreme Court might just allow the senator to run and ignore the obvious deficiencies in her qualifications—questionable natural-born status and even more questionable residency of 10 years. The main issue against Grace is that she is an alien and has no business being president of the 12th largest nation on earth in population. If you ask me, many of our presidents were aliens, including the incumbent one. They were out of touch with reality, completely lacked rapport with the people and systematically failed them. That is why the Philippines is in a rut and is one of the least progressive among the major countries of Asean. It has the highest poverty incidence, the highest unemployment rate, and the highest inflation rate. The Philippines is unique in Asia for having failed to cut its poverty by half between 1990 and 2015. The higher the economic growth rate the higher the number of poor people swelled. As for Mar Roxas and Duterte, Binay’s lead of more

than four million votes is very difficult—and expensive—to overcome. Binay has bottomed out with 21-percent share of the vote in the November 2015 survey. He has regained momentum and looks set to recapture his high 37 percent voter ratio in November 2014. Roxas hit his peak, at 22 percent in December 2015, after falling to a low of 15 percent in the March 2015 and November 2015 SWS surveys. He seems to have difficulty climbing above 22 percent, especially now that the public is incensed with the incompetence, insensitivity, and the corruption of the men around BS Aquino III, his master and principal benefactor. Aquino’s Matuwid na Daan mantra has become an astonishingly hollow slogan given the corruption, shenanigans and incompetence at the Department of Transportation and Communications, the incompetence and corruption at the Department of Agriculture, and the continuing and systematic pillage of the public treasury despite the Supreme Court rulings declaring illegal and unconstitutional two major sources of pork barrel money—the Priority Development Assistance Fund, and the Disbursement Acceleration Program. Duterte, meanwhile, could by now be a spent force. He hit his stride when he topped the flawed SWS survey in No-

vember 2015 with a marvelous voter preference of 38 percent, 17 percentage points or 7.48 million more votes than the two frontrunners previously, Binay and Poe who had an identical 21 percent. Then the Davao mayor started mouthing expletives against Pope Francis after recalling how he was held up by traffic during the January 2015 papal visit. In the vice presidential race, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is about to upset long-time frontrunner Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. In the SWS January 2016 survey, the only son and namesake of the Philippines’ longest-serving president is behind Escudero by only 3 percentage points, 25 vs 28 percent. That’s a very thin lead of 1.32 million votes. The VP race had for a year been a tussle between frontrunner Escudero and comefrom-behind aspirant Marcos. Escudero began in March 2015 SWS survey with a two-to-one advantage over Marcos, 6 percent vs. 3 percent. But then the young Marcos increased his share of the vote eight-fold in just eight months to 24 percent by Nov. 26 to 28, 2015, while Escudero’s rose only five-fold to 30 percent during the same period. By January 2016, with an error margin of 3 percent, plus or minus, both Escudero’s 28 percent and Marcos’s 25 percent are considered a tie. The sena-

tor from Sorsogon is losing momentum even while the senator from Ilocos Norte is consolidating his. The result by May 9, 2016 could be: A sweet victory for Marcos, a huge disappointment for Chiz. Happy birthday to Manuel “Lolong” Lazaro May I pause to greet my good friend Jesuit-trained lawyer Manuel “Lolong” Lazaro, the chairman of the Philippine Constitution Association and who as President Marcos’s key legal adviser drafted many of the decrees the chief executive issued during 14 years of Martial Law. Many of those decrees have not been amended, proof of the vitality and value of those landmark pieces of legislation. Lolong has used his vast experience, expertise and network as a corporate executive and legal luminary to protect and defend the Constitution and seek justice for his clients. He is the lawyer’s lawyer, steeped in the practice and principles of law, honed by the crucible of experience both in government and outside it, and steeled by the wisdom of one who has seen it all. Under Lolong’s watch, Philconsa has become prominent as the defender and protector of the basic law of the land, a voice of influence and wisdom, on matters of law, freedom and democracy. biznewsasia@gmail.com

Uniting...From A9

are often used to criminalize the legitimate actions of opposition groups, civil society organizations and human rights defenders. Governments should not use these types of sweeping definitions as a pretext to attack or silence one’s critics. Once again, violent extremists deliberately seek to incite such over-reactions. We must

not fall into the trap. Fourth, an all-out approach The Plan proposes an “all of Government” approach. We must break down the silos between the peace and security, sustainable development, human rights and humanitarian actors at the national, regional and global levels—including at the United Nations.

The Plan also recognizes that there are no “one size fits all” solutions. We must also engage all of society – religious leaders, women leaders, youth groups leaders in the arts, music and sports, as well as the media and private sector. Fifth, UN engagement I intend to strengthen a UN system-wide approach to supporting Member States’ efforts

to address the drivers of violent extremism. Above all, the Plan is an urgent call to unity and action that seeks to address this scourge in all its complexity. Together, let us pledge to forge a new global partnership to prevent violent extremism. Ban Ki-moon is SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations.

Third, preventing extremism and promoting human rights go hand-in-hand All too often, national counter-terrorism strategies have lacked basic elements of due process and respect for the rule of law. Sweeping definitions of terrorism or violent extremism

#FAILOCRACY

CHONG ARDIVILLA

F RI DAY : JA N UA RY 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

A12

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Gerrans grabs stage, overall lead Down Under AUSTRALIA’S Simon Gerrans took out a dramatic sprint finish in the third stage of the Tour Down Under in the South Australian town of Campbelltown on Thursday.

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

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

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

INVITATION TO BID No. 06-2016 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Region 8, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. Approved Budget for Contract (Php)

Item/Description 1. BIGRIS Contract #08-2016– Replacement of Sluice Gate & Desilting at the Dam & Canal Lining along Lateral A, Balire South, Macarthur, Leyte

Duration

2,422,754.78

180 cd

2. MPBRIS Contract #22-2016– Improvement of Baleon Dam, Canal Lining, Structures and Drainage, Bao RIS, Ormoc City

22,083,888.71

300 cd

3. MPBRIS Contract #23-2016– Improvement of Mas-in Dam, Canal Lining and Structures, Bao RIS, Ormoc City

28,207,101.36

300 cd

4. BTRIS Contract #29-2016– Improvement of Maslog Protection Dike, Binahaan North RIS, Tanauan, Leyte

1,062,707.86

180 cd

5. BTRIS Contract #30-2016– Construction of Canal Structures and Canal Lining, Binahaan South RIS, Tanauan, Leyte

1,012,810.72

180 cd

The Orica GreenEdge rider pipped fellow Australian Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) on the finish line of the 139-kilometer stage with a time of 3 hours, 37 minutes and 34 seconds. The stage win for the 35-year-old Victorian came a day after he was caught up in a mass pile-up inside the final kilometer, just moments after easing into a perfect position. The win means Gerrans wears the ochre leader’s jersey on Friday’s 138-kilometre fourth stage from Norwood to the coastal town of Victor Harbor. Gerrans said the downhill finish

“felt like we had to take our lives in our hands in the final.” “There was a big crash on the final. There was a big crash on the gorge, hairy moments on the decent of the Corkscrew (Road). “I’m thrilled to have won the stage, but there was risk involved.” In third place was Canadian Michael Woods (Cannondale), followed by Wednesday’s race leader Jay McCarthy (Tinkoff) from Australia and Switzerland’s Steve Morabito (FDJ). The top 10 all finished with the same time.

The Prospective Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project whose value must be at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of republic Act 9184 (R.A. 9184), otherwise known as the “Government procurement Reform Act”. Prospective Bidders are not allowed to participate if they have negative slippage in their on-going contracts. Individuals with Special Power of Attorney (SPA) are not allowed to transact and participate in the procurement utilizing another construction firm. The pre-bid conference shall be open only for those who have purchased the Bid documents. The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities

Schedule

Time

1. Issuance of Bid Documents

Starting January 20, 2016

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

2. Pre-bid Conference

January 29, 2016

10:00a.m.

3. Receipt and Opening of Bids

February 10, 2016

2:00 p.m.

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders from the address above and upon payment of non-refundable amount of P25,000.00 for item #02 & #03, P5,000.00 for item #01, #04& #05to the Cashier. The NIA reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. (SGD) GLORIA A. SEVILLA BAC Chairman

Noted: (SGD) ROMEO G. QUIZA Regional Manager

(TS-JAN. 22, 2016)

BMC rider Richi Porte (right) takes a corner during stage 3 of the Tour Down Under cycling race from Glenelg to Campbelltown in Adelaide on Jan. 21. AFP

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

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

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

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

Office Address: Website:

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

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

INVITATION TO BID No. 05-2016

INVITATION TO BID No. 04-2016 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Region 8, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. Item/Description

Approved Budget for Contract (Php)

Duration

1. Bantayan IP Contract #01-2016– Construction of Canal Lining and Canal Structures of Bantayan Irrigation Project, San Roque, Northern Samar

31,707,465.35

300 cd

2. Bantayan IP Contract #02-2016– Construction of Canal Lining and Canal Structures of Bantayan Irrigation Project, San Roque, Northern Samar

31,416,307.55

300 cd

3. Bantayan IP Contract #03-2016– Construction of Canal Lining and Canal Structures of Bantayan Irrigation Project, 18,186,824.38 San Roque, Northern Samar

270 cd

4. Bantayan IP Contract #04-2016– Construction of Canal Lining and Canal Structures of Bantayan Irrigation Project, San Roque, Northern Samar

270 cd

13,158,515.85

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Region 8, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. Approved Budget for Contract (Php)

Duration

1. DGMRISContract #01-2016– Construction of Downstream Slope Protection of Daguitan Dam & Repair of Canal Lining along Main Canal of Lat, D, Daguitan RIS, Julita, Leyte

3,545,972.51

180 cd

2. DGMRIS Contract #02-2016– Construction and Repair of Canal Lining, Canal Structures and Road System, Guinarona RIS, Julita, Leyte

19,739,634.20

280 cd

3. DGMRIS Contract #03-2016– Const. and Repair of Canal Lining, Canal Structures and Road System, Guinarona RIS,Julita, Leyte

17,961,779.33

280 cd

4. DGMRIS Contract #06-2016– Fabrication & Installation of Steel Gates, Marabong RIS, Julita, Leyte

1,587,690.39

180 cd

25,040,952.11

280 cd

Item/Description

5. Basey IP Contract #01-2016– Construction & Repair of Canal Lining, Canal Structures & Turnouts, Basey IP, Basey, Samar

Prospective Bidders are not allowed to participate if they have negative slippage in their on-going contracts. Individuals with Special Power of Attorney (SPA) are not allowed to transact and participate in the procurement utilizing another construction firm. The prebid conference shall be open only for those who have purchased the Bid documents.

Prospective Bidders are not allowed to participate if they have negative slippage in their on-going contracts. Individuals with Special Power of Attorney (SPA) are not allowed to transact and participate in the procurement utilizing another construction firm. The pre-bid conference shall be open only for those who have purchased the Bid documents.

The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities

Schedule

Time

The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities

Schedule

Time

1. Issuance of Bid Documents

Starting January 20, 2016 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. January 28, 2016

1.Issuance of Bid Documents

Starting January 13, 2016

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

2.Pre-bid Conference

January 20, 2016

10:00a.m.

2. Pre-bid Conference

3.Receipt and Opening of Bids

February 2, 2016

2:00 p.m.

3. Receipt and Opening of Bids February 9, 2016

10:00a.m. 2:00 p.m.

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders from the address above and upon payment of non-refundable amount of P25,000.00 for contract #01 & 02, P20,000.00 for contract #03 and P15,000.00 for contract #04 to the Cashier.

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders from the address above and upon payment of non-refundable amount of P25,000.00 for item #05, P20,000.00 for item #02 & #03 and P5,000.00 for item #01& #04to the Cashier.

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

(SGD) GLORIA A. SEVILLA BAC Chairman

Noted: (SGD) ROMEO G. QUIZA Regional Manager

(TS-JAN. 22, 2016)

Noted: (SGD) ROMEO G. QUIZA Regional Manager

(SGD) GLORIA A. SEVILLA BAC Chairman

(TS-JAN. 22, 2016)

Bills hire woman coach to special teams role THE Buffalo Bills appointed Kathryn Smith to their special teams staff on Wednesday, becoming the first NFL side to hire a woman to a full-time coaching job. Smith’s appointment as quality control-special teams coach comes after the Arizona Cardinals hired Jen Welter as an assistant coach during a training camp last year. Smith’s role however is a full-time position -- believed to be a first for the National Football League. “Kathryn Smith has done an outstanding job in the seven years that she has worked with our staff,” Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan said in a statement. “She certainly deserves this promotion based on her knowledge and strong commitment, just to name a couple of her outstanding qualities, and I just know she’s going to do a great job serving in the role of Quality Control-Special Teams.” AFP

Sri Lanka will probe corruption SRI LANKAN Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Wednesday cricket match-fixing claims must be investigated out of fairness to the players and his country. Sri Lankan police questioned skipper Angelo Mathews the previous day as part of investigations into an attempt to bribe players to under-perform in a Test match against the West Indies. “All allegations have to be investigated in fairness to the players and in fairness to the Sri Lankan team and to Sri Lanka,” the prime minister said when asked about the cricket probe at a news conference during an annual gathering of billionaires and political leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. AFP

F RI DAY : JA N UA RY 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

A13

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Murray humbles big-serving Groth ANDY Murray made dealing with the world’s biggest serve look easy on Thursday as he reached the Australian Open third round alongside Ana Ivanovic, who was shaken by an elderly spectator’s courtside fall. Murray, faced with the world record-breaking serve of the physically imposing Sam Groth, had all the answers as he won 6-0, 6-4, 6-1 in just 91 minutes against the flummoxed Australian. Earlier, Ivanovic went through 6-3, 6-3 against Anastasija Sevastova in a match which was held up for 30 minutes when a fan was badly injured by a fall on some steps inside Rod Laver Arena. “I felt really bad. I was really shaking, because the sound of the lady falling was really loud. I could hear it,” said Ivanovic, who looked on anxiously as the patron received treatment. Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka was the most impressive of the women’s winners when she hammered Danka Kovinic 6-1, 6-2 to reach the third round for the loss of just three games in total. “I think I’m feeling in the best shape body-wise, spirit-wise, everything-wise,” said Azarenka, who has recovered from injury and a bout of depression following her split with musician Redfoo. Progression was less smooth for world number three Garbine Muguruza, who struggled through an error-strewn first set against Kirsten Flipkens before finding her touch and winning 6-4, 6-2. “I’m extremely happy because Kirsten is a very difficult opponent who has a unique game,” said the 22-year-old Spaniard. “Every match is very tough and I am just happy to be here.” Australia’s Groth clocked the fastest serve on record, 263 kilometers (163 miles) per hour, in 2012 but he was picked off by Murray’s redoubtable defense and intelligent choice of shots. AFP

Britain’s Andy Murray plays a forehand return during his men’s singles match against Australia’s Sam Groth on day four of the 2016 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan. 21. AFP

Djokovic denies match-fixing WORLD number one Novak Djokovic has called for those making corruption allegations to provide proof after blasting as “absurd” an Italian newspaper which suggested he could have thrown a match. “It’s not true,” the 28-year-old Serb told a tense press conference at the Australian Open when asked about the suggestion by Tuttosport newspaper about his 2007 defeat by Frenchman Fabrice Santoro at the Paris Masters. The reigning champion, who eased into the third round with a 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) win over French teenager Quentin Halys in Melbourne on Wednesday, described the current speculation about tennis as “absurd”. He said it would remain speculation until there is “real proof and evidence”. Tennis authorities have also

strongly denied suggestions that evidence of corruption has been deliberately suppressed. Tuttosport suggested that Djokovic could have deliberately lost to Santoro at the Paris Masters in 2007. Djokovic played then just after having had his wisdom teeth taken out. “What it is to say? I’ve lost that match. I don’t know if you’re trying to create a story about that match or for that matter any of the matches of the top players losing in the early rounds, I think it’s just absurd,” said Djokovic. “Anybody can create a story about any match. That’s my point. There hasn’t been too many matches where top players lost in (the) last decade or so in (the) early rounds. “You can pick any match that you like that the top player lost and just create a story out of it.

“I think it’s not supported by any kind of proof, any evidence, any facts. It’s just speculation. So I don’t think there is a story about it.” Djokovic’s name was mentioned in an Italian prosecution investigation into illegal betting on football and tennis. Two Italian players were suspected of accepting bribes. But the inquiry was officially closed in December. The BBC and BuzzFeed News claimed on the eve of the Australian Open that 16 top players had repeatedly been suspected of involvement in fixed matches but never faced action. Djokovic said earlier this week that he had been indirectly offered $200,000 to throw a first round match in St Petersburg in 2007 just before the Paris Masters. He said it was rejected and he did not go to the Russian tournament. AFP

International anti-doping experts help Russia INTERNATIONAL experts will work with the Russian anti-doping agency with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) warning there is “much work to be done” if the Russians are to return to the international fold. Russia was banned from international competitions by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in November after a WADA independent commission found evidence of “state-sponsored” doping in the country. The country’s anti-doping body RUSADA was declared non-compliant by WADA after it was discovered that positive drug tests had been covered up and samples had been destroyed. It was announced Wednesday that anti-doping experts from Britain are to be brought in to assist with drug-testing programmes across all sports in Russia. “WADA appreciates UK Anti-doping’s (UKAD) willingness to assist the Agency, RUSADA and other stakeholders in establishing the necessary testing program in Russia during this period of non-compliance,” said WADA Director General, David

Howman in a statement. “It is essential that a quality testing program is in place for Russian athletes throughout RUSADA’s period of non-compliance -– clean athletes of the world, and indeed the public at-large, expect no less.” UKAD’s involvement, said WADA, is aimed at ensuring that targeted and intelligence-led testing is carried out. WADA also said they will work directly with RUSADA and appoint two international experts who will oversee RUSADA’s code compliance operations. WADA has also requested that an independent international expert joins the new RUSADA Board. “There is much work to be done if RUSADA is to become compliant again,” added Howman. “By appointing independent international experts, WADA will be able to monitor the situation and determine when requirements will have been met that will protect the rights of clean athletes worldwide; and, help re-establish public confidence in the Russian anti-doping program.” AFP

Go Cardinals! Louisville Cardinals cheerleaders perform during the game against the Florida State Seminoles at KFC YUM! Center on Jan. 20 in Louisville, Kentucky. AFP

Cavs bounce back against Nets NEW YORK—Kevin Love scored 17 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers got back to their winning ways on Wednesday with a comfortable 91-78 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Still smarting from a humiliating 132-98 home defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Monday, the Cavs rebounded to score an emphatic victory at the Barclays Center. Love, who also had 18 rebounds, completed his 19th double-double by halftime while LeBron James finished with 18 points. James also contributed five assists before sitting out the final 12 minutes as Cleveland eased to victory. The win saw Cleveland improve to 29-11 and they continue to lead the Eastern Conference standings. Brooklyn meanwhile fell to 11-32 for the season as they slumped to their ninth defeat in 10 games. Center Brook Lopez led the Nets with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Thaddeus Young added 14 points before fouling out. The tone for the match was set by James, who scored six points in an 8-0 run early in the first quarter. Cleveland steadily extended their lead, going 51-38 up at halftime and retaining a healthy 73-55 advantage heading into the final quarter. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK F ri day : Ja n ua ry 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

3 titles at stake in UGB 13 today By Randy Caluag

THREE inaugural titles will be at stake when the UGB 13: Foreign Invasion-World Series of Fighting Global Championship unfurls tonight with hard-hitting Filipino fighter Mark Palomar disputing the middleweight belt with American Brad Robinson at the Makati Coliseum.

Ferdie Munsayac (second from left), President and Founder of UGB MMA appears at the PSA Forum on Tuesday at Shakey’s Malate. He is joined here by (from left) Mark Palomar of Main Event and Coach Arnel Lumibao. LINO SANTOS

Both Palomar, a veteran internationalist in amateur circuit, and former ONE Championship standout Robinson, made the weight during the official weigh-in Thursday at the Padis Point Starmall in Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong. Robinson, who is fighting under the banner of Fight G MMA, acknowledged

Republic of the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources

North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

Mines and Geosciences Bureau

Tel. No. (+63 2) 920-9120/ 920-9130 / 928-8937 Fax No. (+63 2) 920-1635 E-mail: central @ mgb.gov.ph

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID One (1) Unit Laboratory Equipment ITB No. 2016-01-006 P.R. No. 2016-01-021 1. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for CY 2016 intends to apply the sum of Three Million Seven Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP3,700,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for One (1) Unit Laboratory Equipment. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected during opening of bids. The MGB now invites bids for procurement of One (1) Unit XRF Energy Dispersive Table-Top Analyzer.

Tel. No. (+63 2) 920-9120/ 920-9130 / 928-8937 Fax No. (+63 2) 920-1635 E-mail: central @ mgb.gov.ph

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID One (1) Lot Information Technology Equipment, Parts and Peripherals ITB No. 2016-01-009 P.R. No. 2016-01-106 1.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

• • • • • • • • •

Delivery of the Goods is required within forty five (45) days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed (NTP)/Purchase Order (PO). Bidders should have completed, within Five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II (Instructions to Bidders).

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on February 10, 2016, Wednesday, on or before 1:30PM. Late bids shall not be accepted. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid Securing Declaration or any other bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bid opening shall be on February 10, 2016, Wednesday, 2:00PM, at the Office of the MGB-Bids and Awards Committee. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. 5. The MGB reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. 6. For further information, please refer to:

Engr. ROBERTO D. CASEROS Head, Secretariat Bids and Awards Committee North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Telephone No. 6676700 loc. 153 or 156 E-mail: bacems_minesbureauco@yahoo.com Website: www.mgb.gov.ph

Interested bidders may obtain further information from MGB and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours, from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from January 21 to February 9, 2016 at the address below and upon payment of a non- refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Four Thousand Pesos (PhP4,000.00).

Preview of specifications can be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (Phil-GEPS).

Six (6) Units Blade Server Three (3) Units Smart-UPS 5000VA, 230V Rackmount/Tower Six (6) Units/Pieces Power Cord Kit Two (2) Units Rack Power Distribution Unit One (1) Unit BladeSystem c-Class Enclosures One (1) Unit 42U Server Rack One (1) Unit StorageWorks Tape Library One (1) Unit 2-Node Storage Base Tools and Accessories

3. Interested bidders may obtain further information from MGB and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours, from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from January 21 to February 9, 2016 at the address below and upon payment of a non- refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Three Thousand Pesos (PhP3,000.00).

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for CY 2016 intends to apply the sum of Thirteen Million Pesos (PhP13,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for One (1) Lot Information Technology Equipment, Parts and Peripherals. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected during opening of bids. The MGB now invites bids for procurement of One (1) Lot Information Technology Equipment, Parts and Peripherals:

Delivery of the Goods is required within forty five (45) calendar days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed (NTP)/Purchase Order (PO). Bidders should have completed, within Five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II (Instructions to Bidders).

2. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

fight. Wherever it goes, it will be very exciting.” Palomar, who is coming off a win in a recent tournament in Malaysia, said he will try to keep the fight in standing even as he trained well under coach Arnel Lomibao in mastering various escape techniques. Serving as co-main events are a pair of exciting championship

Republic of the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Mines and Geosciences Bureau

the striking skills of his Filipino opponent, but said he is prepared to face him whether by standing or on the ground. “We’ll see, anything can happen in the fight. He is big, but I had seen his video and I know what to do,” said the grappling specialist Robinson. “I’m in very, very good condition. It will be a challenging

Preview of specifications can be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (Phil-GEPS).

4. The MGB will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 27, 2016, Wednesday at 2:00PM, at the Office of the Bids and Awards Committee, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents. 5. Bids must be delivered to the address below on February 10, 2016, Wednesday, on or before 1:30PM. Late bids shall not be accepted. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid Securing Declaration or any other bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bid opening shall be on February 10, 2016, Wednesday, 2:00PM, at the Office of the MGB-Bids and Awards Committee. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. 6.

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

For further information, please refer to:

(SGD) Engr. JUANCHO PABLO S. CALVEZ Chairman, BAC ( T S - J A N . 2 2 , 2 016)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

( T S - J A N . 2 2 , 2 016)

(SGD) Engr. JUANCHO PABLO S. CALVEZ Chairman, BAC

match-ups pitting homegrown bet Rodian Menchavez against Pakistani Ahmed Mujtaba in the featherweight battle, and Michael Mondragon versus Uloomi Karim, also from Pakistan, in a bantamweight clash. Karim and Mujtaba said MMA is also growing in Pakistan and expressed their excitement to fight in the Philippines where MMA is spreading like wildfire. “It’s a young sport back home and we are very excited to test our skills against Filipino fighters,” said Karim, who has 4-3 record in amateur.

Garcia pushes for arena sharing By Peter Atencio PLANS to construct a beach volleyball sandcourt at the Philsports Complex will not interfere with an activity in athletics. Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Ricardo “Richie” Garcia said this as athletics’ officials recently expressed their opposition to the project. “Ang plano namin ay ‘pag may competition sa athletes, may mga pole and net na sasalo sa bola,” remarked Garcia. The setup involving the sandcourt, Garcia added, will be temporary, moveable and transferrable, so that when there is no athletic competition, volleyball players can also use the field. The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, through its president Philip Ella Juico, informed Garcia in a letter their plan “undermines the integrity and respect” for athletics and also “severely hampers” the throwers’ training and “endangers” life and limbs. But, Garcia added that they see no problem in having track and field athletes sharing the field with volleyball players. “They don’t use the field every day. Even if they use it every day, volleyball players can still use it at the same time,” said Garcia.

F RI DAY : JA N UA RY 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Alaska 5 eyes solid 3-0 lead BY Jeric Lopez

ALASKA coach Alex Compton wants his Aces to keep it going when they go for a third straight win and a seemingly insurmountable cushion against San Miguel Beer in the 2015-16 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup finals. The best-of-seven championship affair resumes with Alaska in a good position to bury the Beermen in an even deeper hole as it shoots for a commanding 3-0 series lead in Game 3 at 7 p.m. today in a special out-oftown game in Lucena City. With confidence, momentum, good health and a 2-0 lead on its side, Alaska now has a chance to put the defending champion on the ropes and on the brink should it continue its winning ways. That’s what Compton wants—no slowing down for the Aces as the job is yet to be

Game Today (Game 3, Finals Lucena City, Quezon): 7 p.m. - San Miguel vs. Alaska

completed. ‘’It’s huge that we have a 2-0 lead. I’m glad we won the first two games. We’re in a good position,’’ said Compton. ‘’But we’re still not done yet and we need two more wins so we’ll continue to work hard for the championship.’’ So far in the series, talented Alaska forward Vic Manuel has been killing it. In both games, the burly big

man showed that he is ripe for the big time as he spearheaded the Aces’ attack by top-scoring on both occasions and delivering the goods in the clutch just when his team needed them the most. Manuel leads everyone in the finals with his 21-point per average and the Beermen need to slow him down if they want to have a good chance of getting back in the series. Even with a 0-2 hole and the continued absence of reigning Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, San Miguel coach Leo Austria remains positive.

Home-court edge thrills Tab By Ronnie Nathanielsz WHILE Gilas Filipinas coach Tab Baldwin is thrilled with home-court advantage, the coach is wary of the other five teams they are expected to meet in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena in July. Baldwin expressed that sentiment following the announcement by the Executive Committee of FIBA that the Philippines, Italy and Serbia would be host nations for the sixteam OQTs. “The only thing that the announcement affords us is the homecourt advantage and I think that’s a plus. We will be playing in front of the home fans. The other side of it is that the teams that will be coming over like the Europeans and American teams, they’re very seasoned, veteran teams. They play in front of big crowds and big moments. I don’t think it will be a big negative for them, but it will be big positive

for us,” Baldwin said. But FIBA noted the Philippines ‘’will certainly not fear any opponent. They rode the home backing in Manila to a second-place finish at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship and then had a stronger side push teams that are higher in the FIBA World Ranking Men in very close games at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.” The Philippines did well against Croatia, Argentina, Greece and Puerto Rico in Group B in Seville before defeating Senegal. Gilas then travelled to the Far East in 2015 and reached the Final of the FIBA Asia Championship before falling to China. The Filipinos came up short of their aim but at least earned a spot in an OQT. The draws for the three OQTs and the Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which will be staged in Nantes, France, will take place at The House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland, FIBA’s headquarters, on Jan. 26.

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan City of Balanga BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE OFFICE

Manila

Standard

TODAY

INVITATION TO BID NO. INFRA -010-2016 The Provincial Government of Bataan, through the General Fund10 intends to apply the below listed project w/ corresponding Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. Name of Project

Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC)

1. Construction/Rehab/Improvement of MRF Barangay Pagalanggang, Dinalupihan, Bataan

=P=7,999,938.11

2. Construction of Parking Area Sunrise Compound, Barangay Doña, Orani, Bataan

=P=6,749,943.78

3. Rehabilitation of Sunrise Building (Phase IV) Barangay Doña, Orani, Bataan

=P=12,999,965.67

The Provincial Government of Bataan now invites bids for the above listed Projects. Completion of works is required on or before the maturity date stipulated on contract. Bidders should have completed, at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Interested bidders may obtain further information from Office of Bataan Bids & Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the same office.

Tough defense. BDO National University’s Dong Aroga (left) tries to score against the outstretched hands of UP QRS/Jam Liner’s Alfred Batino in a PBA D-League game at the San Juan Arena. The Maroons, 90-85.

Tacloban hosts regional netfest YOUNG players from Tacloban take center stage beginning today as the Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis circuit presented by Slazenger holds its third leg at Tacloban City Tennis Club in Leyte. Ma. Delrose Duran from McArthur and Mae Ellen Salamida from Tacloban City banner the field in the girls’

18-and-under class that also includes Darlene Malooy, Pauline Barond, Givenchi Bulic, Trixic Sumapig, Juliene De Guzman and Angelica Bicaldo with Duran, Salamida, Sumapig, Bicaldo and De Guzman also vying in the 16-U section of the Group 3 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop. But Baybay’s Anica Cari is tipped to be the player to beat

in the 16-U class with Nicole Perida and Corazon Lambonao also joining the title hunt in the four-day tournament that also features the girls’ 12- and 14-U categories, the boys’ 18-, 16-, 14-, 12-U and the 10-unisex divisions of the event backed by Asiatraders Corp., exclusively distributor of Slazenger, the official ball of the circuit.

San Agustin, Malabon High share top spot

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

COLEGIO San Agustin-Makati shared the limelight with Malabon National High School when they claimed their second triumphs over the weekend in the premier 17-and-under Competitive Division of the 20th Women’s Volleyball League at the Xavier School gym. CSA-Makati easily disposed of St. Scholastica’s College-manila, 25-19, 25-19, for a 2-0 record in Group B, while Malabon NHS thumped neighbor St. James Academy, 25-13, 25-15, for the Group C lead, also with a 2-0 record. Other 17-U Competitive winners in this tournament organized by the Best Center and sponsored by Milo are: (Group A) De La Salle-Zobel and Hope Christian School; (Group C) Colegio de San Lorenzo; and (Group D) Saint Pedro Poveda College.

Bid documents will be available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a non-refundable amount of using standard rates approved by GPPB as stated on their Resolution No. 04-2012 listed below. Approved Budget for the Contract 500,000 and below More than 500,000 up to 1 Million

Maximum Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Peso) 500.00 1,000.00

More than 1 Million up to 5 Million

5,000.00

More than 5 Million up to 10 Million

10,000.00

More than 10 Million up to 50 Million More than 50 Million up to 500 Million

25,000.00 50,000.00

More than 500 Million

75,000.00

The Provincial Government of Bataan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 29, 2016 at 10:00 A.M at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents. Bids must be delivered on or before February 12, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated on IRR of RA 9184 and Bid Securing Declaration in standard form. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend opening of Bids at Bataan BAC Office. Late bids shall not be accepted. In case of the above dates is declared a special Non-Working Holidays, it will automatically reset on the next working days. Other necessary information deemed relevant by the Provincial Government of Bataan 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Activities Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid Eligibility Check Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents Request for Clarification Opening of Bids

Schedule January 22 - 28, 2016 Refer to date of Opening of Bids January 22 – February 12, 2016 February 02, 2016 February 12, 2016

The Provincial Government of Bataan reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to: Engr. Josephine R. Valenzuela Provincial BAC / PEO Bataan Provincial BAC / PEO Office, Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan 047-237-9316 bac@bataan.gov.ph (TS-JAN. 22, 2016)

(SGD) ENRICO T. YUZON BAC Chairman

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK F RI DAY : JA N UA RY 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Boxer Timothy Bradley speaks during a press conference with opponent Manny Pacquiao announcing their upcoming 12-round world welterweight championship at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. AFP

BRADLEY TAKES A DIG AT FLOYD

‘I ain’t running from Pacman’ By Ronnie Nathanielsz

FIVE-TIME world champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley,

who has a record of 33-1-1, with 13 knockouts, including a highly controversial and bitterly criticized win in his first fight against eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2 with 38 KOs), promised he won’t run from the Filipino and will “do what he wants” in the ring in their third fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 9. Bradley told boxing writer Miguel Maravilla: “It’s no different in this fight. I will be ready for every single thing Manny Pacquiao does. This is about legacy.” For Pacquiao, this will be his first fight back since dropping a decision at the hands of former pound-forpound king and now retired Floyd

Mayweather Jr., a fight that was billed as the “Fight of the Century,” but turned out to be a disappointment, although the Filipino continues to claim that his fans and others still believe that he won the fight. Bradley himself took a subtle dig at Mayweather when he said: “I can tell you this. It won’t be like a Floyd

fight. We’re not going to run or get spooked, that’s not our style.” Bradley is coming off an impressive ninth-round TKO over former world champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios last November in his first fight under his new trainer Teddy Atlas, who came out of retirement to help him. There are many, though, including Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach, who claimed Rios didn’t train like he did when he faced the Filipino and was out of shape against Bradley. The American fighter shrugged off the talk. “When I got inside with Rios, I wasn’t affected by it. I didn’t change my game plan. It doesn’t matter to me if Rios was out of shape. He

was ready. That’s what he said. It wouldn’t had made a difference what Rios showed up,” said Bradley, who praised Atlas. “Teddy is a guru of boxing, that is all he knows--45 years in the game, he’s in total control. He has his way and I’m going to follow his way because I experienced it against Rios. You saw the results.” Bradley and Atlas plan an eightweek training camp in Bradley’s hometown of Palm Springs. “We have already had a minicamp, Teddy and I. It was a two-day camp. We looked at film and went over strategy and we worked on the strategy. I’ll start my camp Feb. 15. Teddy will get me ready. My team will get me ready for everything we will be seeing April 9. He won’t change, he’ll be the same.”

MURRAY HUMBLES BIG-SERVING GROTH

LEBRON’S CAVS BOUNCE BACK

TURN TO A13

Superal grabs 4-stroke lead TAGAYTAY—Princess Superal took her familiar role as leader, shooting a two-under 70 and storming to a four-stroke lead over Pauline del Rosario, Yuka Saso and a charging Mikhaela Fortuna as erstwhile leader Lois Kaye Go skied to a 78 in the second round of the Philippine Ladies Open Golf Championship presented by Champion Infinity at Tagaytay Midlands here yesterday. Superal needed just four straight pars at the start to take charge then gunned down birdies on Nos. 5 and 7 with the top The Country Club bet keeping that two-under card on a birdie-bogey stint from No. 16 for a 34-36 card in another windy day for a 141. That put the former US Girls’ Junior champion four shots clear off TCC teammates Fortuna and Del Rosario and Saso who pooled identical 145s after a 68, 70 and 73, respectively, heading to the final 18 holes of the event organized and conducted by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK FRIDAY: JANUARY 22, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Peso approaches 48 a dollar By Julito G. Rada

THE peso sank to a new six-year low, as it approached the 48-per-dollar level Thursday, after investors unloaded shares from emerging markets such as the Philippines on bleak global prospects. Data from the Philippine Dealing Exchange Corp. showed the peso shed 0.1 percent of its value Thursday to close at 47.94 a dollar from 47.89 a dollar Wednesday. It was the local currency’s weakest level in more than six years, or since closing at 48.05 per greenback on Sept. 16, 2009, at the height of the global financial crisis. Total volume traded reached $584 million Thursday, lower

than $608.7 million a day earlier. Analysts said the movement of the peso reflected the drop of local stocks. “The PSEi [Philippine Stock Exchange index] was decimated on Thursday, dropping by more than 2 percent as both foreign and local players unloaded shares, dragging the peso with it,” Nicholas Antonio Mapa, research officer at the Ayala-controlled Bank of the Philippine Islands, said in an e-mailed message.

“As sentiment soured further, investors loaded up on the dollar to seek safe haven,” Mapa said. ING Bank Manila economist Joey Cuyegkeng said in a statement the peso was likely to be on the defensive mode as the market remained on guard for possible and eventual weakening of the Chinese yuan and continued concerns on growth and low commodity prices. He said the peso was not immune to market’s concerns and like other Asian currencies posted losses in the first trading week of the year. Cuyegkeng said the peso might be affected by possible confusion over the signal that the interest rate corridor could deliver. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas plans to implement the corridor in the

second quarter of 2016. “An implementation that involves a reduction of the RRP rate even as the SDA rate is steady could be interpreted by the markets as accommodative monetary policy. If the first adjustment in the implementation of the IRC involves a RRP and RP rate cut, then market might misinterpret this as monetary easing which would result to moderate PHP weakness,” Cuyegkeng said. Meanwhile, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said it was strictly monitoring the Saudi Arabia-Iran conflict, on possible effects of the Middle East situation on remittances from Filipinos working in the region. Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said there could be some challenges to the

growth of remittances if the conflict became a full-blown war. “In the past we had the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 second Gulf War. Our OFWs were able to move elsewhere and find alternative employments,” Guinigundo told reporters in an interview. “My concern is that if the Saudi–Iran conflict extends beyond their respective borders and affect all the contiguous jurisdictions, then we will have some challenges to remittances. OFWs may not be able to exercise the same flexibilities they did before that they went to adjacent countries and find alternative employments…. We really have to watch out,” Guinigundo said. Remittances from the Middle East account for a significant portion of the overall remittances to the Philippines yearly.

PSe comPoSite index Closing January 21, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,084.28 175.33

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JANUARY 21, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.940

44.00

43.00

HIGH P47.780 LOW P47.950AVERAGE P47.868 VOLUME 584.400M

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

oPriceS il P today

P20.40-P23.80 Diesel

World Bank support. World Bank country director Motoo Konishi (second from left) and Land Bank of the Philippines president and chief executive Gilda Pico sign an agreement for the purchase of certificate of emission reductions or ‘carbon credits’ from local government units, operators of sanitary landfills and livestock farms, thus providing them with financial incentives to upgrade their facilities. With them are (from left) World Bank senior environmental engineer Maya Gabriella Villaluz and Land Bank executive vice president and head of agricultural and development lending sector Cecilia Borromeo.

Economic managers to keep 7% growth target

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, January 21, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.7820

Japan

Yen

0.008545

0.4083

Pound

1.418900

67.7979

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127737

6.1035

Switzerland

Franc

0.995520

47.5679

Canada

Dollar

0.690465

32.9918

Singapore

Dollar

0.696282

33.2697

Australia

Dollar

0.686201

32.7881

Bahrain

Dinar

2.657595

126.9852

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.7419

Brunei

Dollar

0.693866

33.1543

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.027560

1.3169

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

13.0111

Euro

1.089600

52.0633

Korea

Won

0.000823

0.0393

China

Yuan

0.152010

7.2633

India

Rupee

0.014708

0.7028

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.227739

10.8818

New Zealand

Dollar

0.637918

30.4810

Taiwan

Dollar

0.029600

1.4143 Source: PDS Bridge

THE government is expected to keep the 7-percent growth target for 2016 to enable the Philippines to become a high-income country by 2040, the National Economic and Development Authority said Thursday. Economic Planning Secretary and Neda director-general Arsenio Balisacan said while the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee would revisit the growth target within the month, he would like to keep the 7-percent gross domestic product growth target. “[The DBCC] should meet this month because we will need that

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

for the next cycle of the budget,” Balisacan said. The DBCC is composed of the Finance Department, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Budget Department, Office of the President and Neda. “I’d like to see that we keep our target of 7 percent because with 7 percent, you have more and higher chances of getting there in 2040. We will achieve high income level in one generation,” Balisacan said. “But if you go back to the old [growth] trajectory of 5 percent or 4 percent, when will we achieve that? The [target should be] in one generation. We’ll be a highincome country also, just like the

Singaporeans and Taiwanese. Everyone around us has done that and there’s no reason why we cannot,” Balisacan said. The economy grew 5 percent in the first quarter, 5.7 percent in the second quarter and 6 percent in the third quarter. This brought average growth in the nine months period to 5.6 percent. Economists said to hit the lower end of the government’s growth target of 7 percent to 8 percent in 2015, the economy should grow around 7.3 percent in the fourth quarter. The Philippine Statistics Authority will release the fourthquarter numbers on Jan. 28. The International Monetary

Fund said the Philippine economy likely grew 5.7 percent last year and was 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 remain 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.

FRIDAY: JANUARY 22, 2016

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Thursday, January 21, 2016

52 Weeks

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 180 1700 124 3.26 47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 148 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 79 3.95 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 238 3.28 0.315 2.65 234 1.3 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 823.5 10.2 84 4.92 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 156 0.710 0.435 10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 0.201

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.47 2.5 44.6 44.2 94.40 93.05 84.95 82.70 35 33.6 2.50 2.40 1.59 1.18 14.5 14.1 16.22 16 6.15 6.15 0.445 0.410 69.45 67.3 0.9 0.9 15.50 14.12 22.00 22.00 47.00 43.00 98.9 95.05 250 232 146.2 141.9 1250.00 1210.00 55.10 54.00 1.5 1.5 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp. 40.5 40.5 39.8 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 4.29 4.2 4.1 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.74 0.75 0.72 1.86 Alsons Cons. 1.23 1.25 1.18 7.92 Asiabest Group 9.99 10 9.6 32 C. Azuc De Tarlac 105.00 110.00 105.00 15.32 Century Food 15.1 15.28 15.02 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 19.2 19.14 18.5 29.15 Concepcion 42 42 42 1.5 Crown Asia 1.98 1.99 1.85 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 2.68 3.16 2.6 10.72 Del Monte 11.5 11.44 11 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 7.040 7.100 6.950 9.04 Emperador 7.50 7.43 6.99 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.50 5.50 5.37 8.86 EEI 5.69 5.73 5.57 1.06 Euro-Med Lab 1.6 1.79 1.7 20.2 First Gen Corp. 18.26 18.6 18 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 53.45 55 50.8 13.86 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 11.50 11.50 11.50 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.52 13.52 13.52 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.01 5.01 4.85 0.395 Ionics Inc 2.100 2.100 2.010 173 Jollibee Foods Corp. 201.40 201.00 195.00 LBC Express 7.45 7.45 7 34.1 Liberty Flour 27.45 27.40 27.40 2.3 LMG Chemicals 1.71 1.71 1.7 1.63 Mabuhay Vinyl 2.65 3.05 2.6 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 24.35 24.7 24.25 17.3 Maxs Group 14.08 14 13.8 5.88 Megawide 5.65 5.51 5.5 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co À’ 305.00 305.00 301.00 3.37 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 3.98 3.90 3.90 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 2.96 2.97 2.94 8.45 Petron Corporation 5.49 5.49 5.22 3 Phil H2O 2.97 2.25 2.25 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.00 11.50 11.00 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.65 3.65 3.51 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.34 1.35 1.33 1 Pryce Corp. À’ 2.12 2.15 2.1 4.02 RFM Corporation 3.80 3.80 3.75 5.9 Roxas Holdings 5.19 5.7 5.17 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 120 119.8 114 1.55 Splash Corporation 2.5 2.62 2.48 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.135 0.137 0.133 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.10 2.09 2.01 152 Universal Robina 184.8 183 178.2 0.640 Vitarich Corp. 0.6 0.6 0.58 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l. 1.00 1.00 0.98 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. À’ 0.300 0.305 0.290 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 55.4500 55.0000 54.2000 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 13.80 14.00 12.60 1.6 Anglo Holdings A 1.08 1.00 1.00 6.62 Anscor À’ 6.00 6.00 5.81 634.5 Ayala Corp À’ 616 620 600 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.08 7.29 7 12.8 DMCI Holdings 11.52 11.40 10.84 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp. 4.52 4.53 4.41 837 GT Capital 1265 1265 1230 5.3 House of Inv. 5.65 5.65 5.60 IPM Holdings 9.50 9.44 9.34 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 61.05 60.90 56.90 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp. 5.19 5.1 5.03 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.55 0.55 0.51 12 LT Group 14.94 14.94 14.2 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings À’ 0.49 0.49 0.48 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.2 5.23 5.07 0.030 Pacifica À’ 0.0280 0.0280 0.0260 0.550 Prime Orion 1.880 1.870 1.860 59.3 San Miguel Corp À’ 59.50 60.00 56.20 751 SM Investments Inc. 780.00 773.50 740.00 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 0.97 0.97 0.97 80 Top Frontier 74.000 74.000 70.000 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.2300 0.2300 0.2250 0.179 Wellex Industries 0.1660 0.1700 0.1650 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 6.500 6.500 6.450 12 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 7.38 6.01 6.01 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.63 0.63 0.59 1.2 Araneta Prop À’ 1.060 1.050 1.050 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 28.500 28.650 27.200 3.36 Belle Corp. À’ 2.21 2.21 2.08 4.96 Cebu Holdings 4.6 4.5 4.3 0.79 Century Property 0.440 0.45 0.43 0.083 Crown Equities Inc. 0.099 0.099 0.099 2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp. PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

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

SHARES 19,683,931 79,964,550 94,406,548 240,087,931 144,564,566 284,132,838 867,903,944

2.59 44.8 95.50 84.55 34.05 2.50 1.18 14.5 16.22 6.15 0.440 69.9 0.9 15.80 22.00 45.25 98.9 240 146.3 1240.00 55.00 1.6

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.02 44.35 94.40 84.10 34.15 2.40 1.35 14.48 16 6.15 0.445 68.1 0.9 15.50 22.00 43.00 97.5 235 141.9 1250.00 54.00 1.5

16.60 -1.00 -1.15 -0.53 0.29 -4.00 14.41 -0.14 -1.36 0.00 1.14 -2.58 0.00 -1.90 0.00 -4.97 -1.42 -2.08 -3.01 0.81 -1.82 -6.25

2,622,000 59,500 2,774,550 1,610,460 20,600 591,000 599,000 13,800 46,200 17,000 50,000 9,161,340 60,000 9,300 7,500 1,226,800 750 15,640 781,730 110 1,200 8,000

40.05 4.12 0.75 1.2 9.9 110.00 15.1 19.14 42 1.9 2.98 11 7.020 7.00 5.40 5.70 1.79 18.24 50.8 11.50 13.52 4.9 2.010 195.00 7 27.40 1.7 3.05 24.7 13.8 5.5 301.60 3.90 2.94 5.60 2.25 11.50 3.65 1.33 2.15 3.75 5.17 114.1 2.62 0.133 2.09 179.5 0.6 0.98

-1.11 -3.96 1.35 -2.44 -0.90 4.76 0.00 -0.31 0.00 -4.04 11.19 -4.35 -0.28 -6.67 -1.82 0.18 11.88 -0.11 -4.96 0.00 0.00 -2.20 -4.29 -3.18 -6.04 -0.18 -0.58 15.09 1.44 -1.99 -2.65 -1.11 -2.01 -0.68 2.00 -24.24 4.55 0.00 -0.75 1.42 -1.32 -0.39 -4.92 4.80 -1.48 -0.48 -2.87 0.00 -2.00

1,390,900 269,000 20,000 750,000 300 1,010 99,800 28,700 2,100 575,000 20,797,000 86,000 17,033,800 2,914,900 14,494,800 331,800 11,000 1,985,900 1,482,520 1,900 3,600 547,800 3,169,000 896,940 21,600 200 30,000 28,000 1,601,600 100,000 329,700 239,780 11,000 113,000 3,412,600 2,000 9,100 27,000 270,000 81,000 32,000 800 15,100 268,000 890,000 499,000 2,653,210 878,000 39,000

0.290 54.4000 12.70 1.00 6.00 600 7.04 10.90 4.41 1235 5.60 9.34 56.90 5.05 0.53 14.3 0.48 5.18 0.0270 1.870 60.00 740.00 0.97 70.000 0.2300 0.1650

-3.33 -1.89 -7.97 -7.41 0.00 -2.60 -0.56 -5.38 -2.43 -2.37 -0.88 -1.68 -6.80 -2.70 -3.64 -4.28 -1.03 -0.38 -3.57 -0.53 0.84 -5.13 0.00 -5.41 0.00 -0.60

310,000 1,847,830 10,973,300 300,000 7,300 585,330 1,148,800 15,364,200 138,000 290,745 110,000 1,512,900 2,202,500 6,654,300 52,000 1,806,300 50,000 18,349,100 28,600,000 689,000 702,320 398,360 33,000 17,970 600,000 680,000

6.450 6.01 0.63 1.050 27.200 2.11 4.3 0.430 0.099

-0.77 -18.56 0.00 -0.94 -4.56 -4.52 -6.52 -2.27 0.00

103,200 1,400 558,000 27,000 25,974,300 2,935,000 754,000 6,370,000 250,000

181,650.00 25,565,289 -62,430,790.50 -13,660.00 -4,348.00 -224,836.00 -28,300,412.00 -1,412.00 165,000.00 -6,242,430.00 620,400.00 -40,269,535.00 -50,000.00

-7,778,065.00

424,530.00 84,000 9,300.00 8,863,790.00 -548,680.00 -592,989.00 -2,439,879.00 -36,091,205.00 792,798.00 -518,014.00 -44,866,755.00 860,450.00 -585,500.00 -18,265,783.00 -41,336.00

8,708,090.00 -20,436,348.00 -2,960.00 10,397,639.00 -4,500.00 327,180.00 -7,500.00 -703,533.00 -22,930.00 83,640.00 -23,107,274.00

-51,356,774.00 8,238,282.00 -49,904,615.00 1,617,623.00 -43,470,000.00 -77,665,835.00 112,500.00 -70,170,568.50 -1,477,294.00 -8,320,294.00 -35,339,847.00 -3,886,558.00 -127,615,735.00 -120,161.50

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

0.69 10.96 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.470 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

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

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

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 12.28 3.32 3.2 95.5 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 6.5 1.91 1.95 3.1 1.8 6

0.62 1.040 6.41 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 3 8.8 79 4.39 2748 0.435 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 Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp. Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. DFNN Inc. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp. Manila Broadcasting Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp. SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils. Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 3.06 0.020 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.013 3.240 18.96 2.11 1.54 0.012 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

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

70 553 525 118 120 8.21 12.28 1060 1047

33 490 500 101 101.5 5.88 6.5 997 1011

78.95 84.8

74.5 75

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

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

261,530.00

-43,657,910.00 -2,458,860.00 -1,741,350.00 -190,000.00

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp. Italpinas Xurpas

High

VALUE 1,205,531,691.21 1,291,086,533.97 1,913,604,755.086 1,637,997,461.69 1,138,114,127.74 153,336,913.54 7,399,688,164.236

FINANCIAL 1,437.39 (DOWN) 21.09 INDUSTRIAL 10,022.85 (DOWN) 219.00 HOLDING FIRMS 5,682.33 (DOWN) 235.65 PROPERTY 2,369.79 (DOWN) 70.21 SERVICES 1,365.98 (DOWN) 15.71 MINING & OIL 8,632.08 (DOWN) 221.65 PSEI 6,084.28 (DOWN) 175.33 All Shares Index 3,519.58 (DOWN) 86.04 Gainers: 34; Losers: 136; Unchanged: 40; Total: 210

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.360 21.05 0.137 0.89 1.44 1.13 3.17 0.1950 8.4 23.90 1.46 3 19.06 0.77 4.79 0.810 3.950

0.360 0.355 0.355 21 20.15 20.8 0.138 0.138 0.138 0.91 0.86 0.86 1.50 1.32 1.50 1.19 1.13 1.19 3.23 30.7 3.1 0.2200 0.2200 0.2200 8.4 8.4 8.4 23.50 22.80 23.10 1.46 1.4 1.46 3 2.99 3 19.06 18.70 18.84 0.77 0.74 0.77 4.89 4.85 4.85 0.780 0.760 0.760 3.990 0.370 3.760 SERVICES 6.15 7.12 5.92 7.08 55 55.1 54.1 54.5 1.13 1.13 1.13 1.13 0.400 0.410 0.400 0.410 10.9 10.88 10 10 3.12 3.16 3.05 3.11 0.0380 0.0380 0.0370 0.0380 3.2 3.32 3.15 3.21 76.8 76.05 74 74.5 9.42 9.38 9.38 9.38 6.05 6.08 5.90 5.90 1705 1695 1672 1687 6.33 6.50 6.30 6.44 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 57.85 57.35 55 55 11.12 11.78 10.5 11.78 0.0077 0.0077 0.0077 0.0077 0.118 0.118 0.112 0.112 1.3000 1.3000 1.3000 1.3000 6.98 6.92 6.88 6.90 4.25 4.25 3.80 3.95 2.24 2.20 2.01 2.20 21.95 22.00 21.95 21.95 1.9 1.88 1.88 1.88 1.19 1.23 1.15 1.15 3.24 3.23 2.93 3.00 0.255 0.250 0.245 0.250 0.630 0.620 0.580 0.590 4.31 4.31 4.00 4.00 9.35 9.25 9.19 9.25 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 20.15 20.15 19.76 20.10 1937.00 1976.00 1920.00 1940.00 0.435 0.400 0.400 0.400 0.520 0.530 0.510 0.520 33.70 33.70 33.35 33.50 58.90 61.50 56.00 57.15 4.82 4.78 4.62 4.74 2.58 2.56 2.43 2.51 0.390 0.390 0.380 0.385 3.48 3.42 3.39 3.39 0.315 0.330 0.315 0.315 3.260 3.320 3.260 3.290 MINING & OIL 0.0041 0.0041 0.0040 0.0040 1.70 1.60 1.60 1.60 4.02 4.02 4.00 4.00 12.50 12.50 12.50 12.50 5.3200 5 4.9000 4.9000 0.48 0.46 0.45 0.46 0.31 0.3 0.29 0.29 5.98 5.99 5.62 5.98 0.465 0.470 0.455 0.460 0.240 0.240 0.230 0.240 0.150 0.150 0.147 0.149 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 1.42 1.53 1.4 1.4 3.75 3.77 3.52 3.55 2.21 2.24 2.21 2.24 1.0100 0.9600 0.9400 0.9500 0.0092 0.0092 0.0092 0.0092 3.90 3.91 3.75 3.75 1.22 1.21 1.16 1.20 0.0100 0.0100 0.0091 0.0100 123.40 122.00 119.00 120.00 1.8 1.79 1.68 1.79 0.0080 0.0070 0.0070 0.0070 PREFERRED 55.6 55 54 54.5 519.5 529.5 525 529.5 530 530 530 530 108 112.9 112.9 112.9 113.9 113.9 113.9 113.9 6.4 6.45 6 6 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1036 1022 1020 1022 1025 1026 1025 1025 107 107 107 107 80 80 80 80 82.3 82.3 82 82 78.3 78.4 78.2 78.4 79.2 79 79 79 79.4 78.5 78.5 78.5 WARRANTS & BONDS 1.220 1.200 1.090 1.100 SME 3.14 3.15 3.14 3.15 2.51 2.53 2.53 2.53 2.35 2.32 2.14 2.14 11.88 11.88 11.4 11.8 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 103 102.4 99.8 99.8

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

-1.39 -1.19 0.73 -3.37 4.17 5.31 -2.21 12.82 0.00 -3.35 0.00 0.00 -1.15 0.00 1.25 -6.17 -4.81

320,000 939,800 -4,354,175.00 200,000 1,298,000 45,139,000 -7,002,150.00 166,000 121,239,000 -135,923,870.00 50,000 2,000 16,800.00 3,635,900 1,827,265.00 80,000 110,600.00 13,000 16,209,300 -8,181,790.00 1,219,000 13,000 273,000 12,296,000 -26,189,410.00

15.12 -0.91 0.00 2.50 -8.26 -0.32 0.00 0.31 -2.99 -0.42 -2.48 -1.06 1.74 0.00 -4.93 5.94 0.00 -5.08 0.00 -1.15 -7.06 -1.79 0.00 -1.05 -3.36 -7.41 -1.96 -6.35 -7.19 -1.07 0.00 -0.25 0.15 -8.05 0.00 -0.59 -2.97 -1.66 -2.71 -1.28 -2.59 0.00 0.92

40,497,000 9,680 59,000 70,000 2,400 9,154,000 9,800,000 182,000 1,030,670 3,400 269,400 76,065 63,600 1,000 2,217,550 3,300 1,000,000 550,000 5,000 108,200 1,399,000 6,000 8,800 9,000 15,032,000 4,520,000 260,000 5,997,000 61,000 2,067,800 2,350 9,500 121,300 620,000 33,592,000 1,545,100 2,271,550 1,120,000 7,298,000 1,640,000 193,000 320,000 158,000

-2.44 -5.88 -0.50 0.00 -7.89 -4.17 -4.92 0.00 -1.08 0.00 -0.67 0.00 -1.41 -5.33 1.36 -5.94 0.00 -3.85 -1.64 0.00 -2.76 -0.56 -12.50

202,000,000 143,500.00 22,000 158,000 -4,000.00 400 3,000 -14,750.00 310,000 1,120,000 1,200 3,050,000 -20,550.00 20,000 4,180,000 52,000,000 205,000 4,433,000 -1,312,150.00 1,026,000 104,000 12,000,000 468,000 -1,095,380.00 117,000 7,260.00 500,000 1,066,990 -64,201,665.00 18,000 1,000,000

-1.98 1.92 0.00 4.54 0.00 -6.25 0.00 -1.35 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.36 0.13 -0.25 -1.13

155,230 650 2,100 10 3,800 677,600 1,000 840 8,050 2,700 100 30,220 414,600 348,630 142,820

-9.84

313,000

0.32 0.80 -8.94 -0.67

27,000 1,000 209,000 4,794,500

-3.11

31,080

18,400.00

12,110,900.00 6,400.00 -6,143,427.50 -2,384.00 -4,980,055.00 42,614,233.00 7,700.00 -68,997.00 291,420.00

-3,252,040.00 433,700.00 253,800.00 16,310.00 -693,750.00 235,000.00 -11,914.00 -30,045,680.00 -3,744,000.00 17,535,835.00 -19,394,677.00 -930,650.00 -6,827,260.00 192,000.00 -44,290.00

4,452,913.00

-3,205,050.00

31,500.00 11,000.00 28,606,360.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

AG Finance

3.02

16.60

Phil H2O

2.25

2GO Group'

7.08

15.12

Anchor Land Holdings Inc.

6.01

-24.24 -18.56

Mabuhay Vinyl

3.05

15.09

United Paragon

0.0070

-12.50

Bright Kindle Resources

1.35

14.41

LR Warrant

1.100

-9.84

Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2200

12.82

Italpinas

2.14

-8.94

Euro-Med Lab

1.79

11.88

Asian Terminals Inc.

-8.26

Da Vinci Capital

2.98

11.19

PremiereHorizon

0.400

-8.05

IPeople Inc. `A'

11.78

5.94

Alliance Global Inc.

12.70

-7.97

Interport `A'

1.19

5.31

Benguet Corp `B'

4.9000

-7.89

Splash Corporation

2.62

4.80

Anglo Holdings A

1.00

-7.41

FRIDAY: JANUARY 22, 2016

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

Market tumbles; Alliance, ALI fall STOCKS plunged again Thursday, joining the rest of the region, oil and emerging currencies after an early rally gave way to fear again, extending a rout that has sent global markets into a tailspin since the start of the year. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 175.33 points, or 2.8 percent, to 6,084.28 on a value turnover of P7.4 billion. Losers routed gainers, 136 to 34, with 40 issues unchanged. The index hit a new 23-month low since closing at 6,042.25 points on Feb. 10, 2014. Ayala Land Inc., the second-biggest builder, tumbled 4.6 percent to P27.20, while JG Summit Holdings Inc., the holding company of industrialist John Gokongwei, sank 6.8 percent to P56.90. Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan slumped 8 percent to P12.70, while DMCI Holdings Inc., which is into coal mining, power generation, water distribution, construction and property development, fell 5.4 percent to P10.90. The day got off to a bright start, with Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai leading a broad advance across regional trading floors as investors picked up cheap assets following Wednesday’s bloodbath. But the volatility that has marked the year so far returned with a vengeance in the afternoon, led by Chinese and Japanese equities. Hong Kong was dragged by mainland stocks listed in the city, tumbling 1.5 percent in late trade, putting more pressure on the local dollar’s peg with the greenback. Tokyo’s Nikkei lost 2.4 percent, Seoul shed 0.3 percent and Singapore was one percent off in the afternoon. There were also big losses in Wellington and Mumbai. However, Sydney ended 0.5 percent up, closing before the heavy selling kicked off in the rest of Asia. With AFP

SNAP Magat advocacy. Three host schools receive information and communications technology equipment from SNAP-Magat on

January 14 at the Halag Elementary School in Aguinaldo, Ifugao, one of the recipients of the corporate social responsibility project of SNAP Magat. Ubao National High School and Itab Elementary School in the municipality of Aguinaldo also received donations from the company. Shown is SNAP-Magat assistant vice president and plant mjanager Willy Ferrer (right) turning over ICT equipment to Rubilyn Agbayani, principal of the Ubao National High School in the presence of Mayor Clemente Talusig of Aguinaldo, Barangay Captain Jose Peddiao of Itab and other school officials.

Singapore’s UOB begins operations By Julito G. Rada

UNITED Overseas Bank Ltd., a Singaporebased bank, started operating its branch in the Philippines in the first week of January after getting the approval from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas last month. “The corresponding certificate of authority to operate of the UOBL branch was issued by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Dec. 23, 2015. The branch started operations on Jan. 4, 2016,” Bangko Sentral said in a circular posted on its Web site. The UOBL Manila branch was

Questions IT IS a story many of us have heard, about the fellow who finds a young boy fishing on a Pacific island and attempts to convince him to get a formal education. We all probably already know how this story ends: “So I go to school to get a job so I can retire and fish all day?” The reality is that any decision, any choice, addresses the question of why. Still in the news this week is one of those questions: Why was the P2000 hike in SSS pensions vetoed? There is, of course, the easy answer: There’s not enough money for it. Of course, all of us know that that’s not enough of an answer. For the young boy fishing, the reality of a changing world and a vaster horizon is not considered. Vastly larger issues remain unmentioned in the easy government explanation to the pension increase veto. Why? The official government explanation is this: The increase would cost P56 billion in the first year. This amount will increase as the number of SSS pensioners increase. They further explain that the current pensioners are about 2.15 million, a very small number compared to the 33 million active members, who, the government argues, would lose out if the system shuts down.

registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Nov. 12, 2015. The Monetary Board, in its resolution 1334 dated Aug. 20, 2015, approved the request of UOBL for authority to establish a branch with a commercial bank license in the Philippines.

And that, of course, is the government’s final salvo. The increase would result in shortening the fund lifetime to 11 years (ending in 2027), from the current 26 years (ending in 2042). At this point, what nobody seems to be willing to admit is that, not too long ago, the SSS actually had a fund lifetime of only about 15 years. The facile answer of not enough money presumes that there are no ways to raise the funds for an increase. The real question is to those who proposed the increase in benefit. Clearly, it is irresponsible to propose an expense without taking into account funding. As for funding, taking into account the fact that there are vastly fewer pensioners than active employees, one could argue that the P2,000 per month for each pensioner actually translates to a cost of P130 a month for each active member. To the extent that that increase is palatable and the relative size of active members to retired members holds, then the pension increase could be deemed acceptable. Funding The facile answer of not enough money also sidesteps the question of what the system can afford. The truth, as the actuarial profession knows, is that most pension schemes are managed assuming that there will be future cost of living adjustments in the pension benefit. What can the system afford? There are reports that the SSS itself reported that the system can sustain a P500 monthly increase. If so, why was the presidential action a veto and not merely a downward adjustment? The other question is this: In recommending contributions, and managing investments, what does the SSS assume concerning increases in pension benefits? Let’s take this into account.

UOBL was the sixth foreign bank whose application was approved by Bangko Sentral in 2015. The five others were Yuanta Commercial Bank Co. Ltd. of Taiwan, Industrial Bank of Korea, Shinhan Bank of Korea, the Japan-based Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., and the Taiwanbased Cathay United Bank. On Tuesday, Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said more foreign banks were expected to enter the liberalized domestic banking sector to seize the opportunities in the growing Philippine market. Espenilla also said the Monetary Board was currently evalu-

The average SSS member probably retires at age 60. The system guarantees 60 months or five years of pension. In 2007, Gracie Cruz, director of the UP Population Institute, estimated that Filipinos aged 60 expected to live another 17 to 19 years. Clearly, assuming no increase in pension benefit for over 15 years would point to a system that either had no empathy for its members or had no understanding of real life. The reality, of course, is that, historically, the SSS pension does increase. Another really interesting question is this: what is the process for increasing pensions? Pension benefits are long-term. Since reality dictates that there be increases in benefits, management of the fund must already build in assumed increases in benefits. Any increases beyond that originally anticipated have repercussions beyond the current year. Hence, these unanticipated increases must consider the need for an increase in contributions. We need to stop decoupling the benefit decision from the funding decision. Managers who propose spending without taking into account how to pay for the spending are always taken to task. The same rule should apply to politicians. The same holds true for managers and policy makers who knowingly withhold benefit increases, possibly in order to hold them for opportune moments. Responsibility Now the tricky question. The government wishes us to worry about the SSS fund running out in 2027 if the P2,000 increase is approved. However, the government seems completely comfortable with the current estimate of the fund running out in 2042, a 26-year lifetime. Let’s put this into perspective. For the moment, let’s assume that the

ating the application of another Asian bank planning to set up shop in the Philippines. “There is currently one pending application from an Asian bank... We are looking at it,” Espenilla said. If given the green light, this would be the first application from a foreign bank approved in 2016. He declined to name the foreign bank. Under Republic Act 10641 which further liberalized the banking industry in 2014, foreign banks are allowed to control up to a combined 40 percent of the total assets of the banking system. This was 10 percentage points higher than the previous 30-percent limit.

average retiree retires at age 60, and lives an extra 18 years after age 60. If you are now 52, you will retire 8 years from now, year 2024. At that point, your life expectancy will be exactly the same as the funding lifetime of the SSS fund. What this means is that, if nothing changes, everybody below age 52 should be worrying. So should we worry? The reality is that no government would knowingly plan for a pension system to actually run out of funds. Any actuary will explain that a system can either be fully funded, partially funded, or pay as you go. A pay as you go system means that, each year, pension payments are dependent on budget availability. That, clearly, is a very uncertain method. Full funding is the other extreme. It is, however, what most private pension systems aim for. It is also what I understand the GSIS board hopes to aim for. Partial funding is what the Philippine Social Security System uses. The funding lifetime, essentially, is the time that the system can use to amend contribution schedules and other non-pension benefits in order to ensure that benefits can continue to be paid. Should the increase have been approved, disapproved or amended? This is a question that sets us up for disagreement. What we really need to know is what the system aims to provide and what it can afford. What we could ask is what do the other systems provide? What benefits are provided to GSIS members? What benefits are provided to uniformed personnel? How are those funded? How are they adjusted? We need to ask the correct questions. Readers can email Maya at integrations_ manila@yahoo.com. Or visit her site at http:// integrations.tumblr.com.

FRIDAY: JANUARY 22, 2016

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

IN BRIEF Car sales hit 328,854 TOTAL vehicle sales in the Philippines reached 328,854

units in 2015, up 21.6 percent from 270,430 units sold in 2014, data from three industry groups show. Combined sales of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc., the Truck Manufacturers Association and the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors exceeded the industry target of 320,000 units by 2.7 percent. Avid, a group of car importers, said sales of members hit 58,712 units in 2015, up from 35,593 units sold in 2014. The ﬁgure included data from Ford Philippines that changed membership from Campi to Avid in 2015. The passenger car segment saw sales increase 21 percent to 22,386 units. Sales of light commercial vehicles surged 112 percent to 36,326 units in 2015 from 17,125 units in the previous year. Avid president Ma. Fe Agudo said the uptick in vehicle sales in 2015 was expected to continue this year, given the continued stability in the monetary environment. “Sustained growth in vehicle demand mirrors bullish consumer conﬁdence, challenging local players to keep on playing their A game in product and service offerings,” she said. Othel V. Campos

Agriculture output contracted 1% in Q4 By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

FARM production contracted 1 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2015, as the rural sector bore the impact of the El Niño dry spell and typhoon Lando, the P100m alloted for startups Philippine Statistics AuthorTHE group of businessman Manuel Pangilinan is pouring another P100 million this year to help techity said Thursday. nology entrepreneurs build profitable businesses. “That’s the promise of our donors so it continues up to 2017… That’s from the First Pacific Group, but we are hoping that they will continue to support us every year even after 2017. We also look at other funding sources,” Diane Eustaquio, executive director at IdeaSpace, told reporters. IdeaSpace, an incubator formed by Pangilinan’s group, earmarked P500 million over five years starting 2012, to support the program, which includes provisions for office space and IT facilities in Makati and the group’s Leadership Academy in Antipolo. IdeaSpace is holding its startup competition for the fourth year, “Ever since IdeaSpace was founded, we have declared our belief that Filipino entrepreneurs can turn their innovative startup ideas into reality and make it big on the world stage as long as there is an ecosystem to support them,” Eustaquio said. “With this new equity-free funding structure, IdeaSpace strengthens its commitment to the local startup ecosystem to bring out the most socially relevant innovations that can help solve pressing problems of the world, particularly in emerging economies such as the Philippines,” she said. Darwin G. Amojelar

PSA said the figure brought the average growth of the agriculture and fisheries sector to 0.1 percent in 2015, slower than the 1.8-percent expansion in 2014. Total agriculture production at current prices reached P479 billion in the fourth quarter, down by 6.6 percent from P448

billion last year. PSA said the crops sub-sector fell 2.69 percent in the fourth quarter, as the dry spell cut rice and corn harvests. Palay or unmilled rice production declined 3.8 percent to 7.3 million metric tons in the October-December period from 7.6 million metric tons a year ago. PSA said the adverse effects of typhoon Lando pulled down palay production in Mountain Province, Apayao, Kalinga, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Bulacan, Tarlac and Pampanga provinces. “ The incidence of rice black bug, tungro and rodents, insufficiency of water during the crop’s maturing stage resulted in lower palay production in Calabarzon,” PSA said. Corn production also fell 6 percent from 1.8 million metric tons in the fourth quar-

ter of 2014 to 1.7 million metric tons in the fourth quarter of 2015, because of the lower yield in Kalinga and Mt. Province. PSA said that in Cagayan, there was insufficient soil moisture during planting time while crop shifting to cassava, tobacco and sugarcane was reported in Isabela. Typhoon Lando also affected most corn crops in Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. Sugarcane production went down by 7.7 percent in the fourth quarter to 7.4 million metric tons from 8.92 million metric tons a year earlier, because of the insufficiency in soil moisture and dry spell which affected most of the sugarcane producing provinces. Coconut production rose 1.7 to 4.05 million metric tons from 3.9 million metric tons in 2014.

LRT 2 bidding deferred THE Transportation Department said Thursday it de-

ferred by more than a month the bid submission for the operation and maintenance of Light Rail Transit Line 2. Undersecretary Edwin Lopez, head of the department’s operations and public-private partnership implementation, said the deadline for submission of bids for LRT Line 2 O&M would be moved from Jan. 26 to March 8 “in order to prepare their bids.” The agency earlier shortlisted Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. and SMRT Transport Solutions Consortium; D.M. Consunji Inc. and Tokyo Metro Co. Ltd. Consortium; Light Rail Manila Holdings 2 Inc. Consortium of Ayala Corp., Metro Paciﬁc Investments Corp., RATP TRANSDEV Asia and RATPDevelopment SA; and San Miguel Holdings Corp. and Korea Railroad Corp. Consortium for the LRT operations and maintenance project. The contract will last for 10 to 15 years, with the winning bidder given the right to maintain the existing 11 stations and the 4.2-kilometer Masinag extension. The government earlier awarded the construction of LRT 2 Masinag extension to DMCI for P2.27 billion. Darwin G. Amojelar

Meralco top taxpayer POWER distributor Manila Electric

Company emerged as the top corporate taxpayer in 2014, the Bureau of Internal Revenue said Thursday. Latest data from the BIR showed Meralco paid P9.686 billion in 2014, the same amount it paid in 2013 and 2012. Meralco was the also top taxpayer in 2012. Meralco unseated from the top spot Smart Communications. Inc which paid P9.454 billion in 2014, an 11-percent decrease from the P10.89 billion it paid in 2013. Nestle Philippines Inc. moved one spot higher to rank third with tax payment of P5.344 billion in 2014, higher than P4.81 billion in 2013. Shell Philippines ranked fourth as it paid P5.279 billion in 2014 while Chevron Malampaya Llc retained its ﬁfth spot ranking with P5.246 billion. The sixth and seventh spots were occupied by San Miguel Brewery Inc and Globe Telecom Inc., which paid P4.877 billion and P4.739 billion, respectively. Also in the top 10 list were Unilever Philippines with P3.145 billion, SM Prime Holdings with P3.129 billion and BDO Unibank with P3.114 billion. Gabrielle H. Binaday

6,200 ﬁrms may lose permits MORE than 6,200 companies risk having their cer-

tificates of incorporation suspended by the Securities and Exchange Commission after they failed to submit reports for five consecutive years. SEC said in a notice posted on its Web site these companies, which were registered with the commission in 2009, were facing suspension after failing to file their annual reports, such as general information sheet and financial statements for the period 2010 to 2014. SEC said the failure of these corporations to submit the required reports could be construed as nonoperation for five consecutive years. Under Section 5 of Securities Regulation Code, SEC has the authority to suspend, after proper notice and hearing the primary franchise or certificate of incorporation of a company upon any of the grounds provided by law, which includes continuous inoperation for a period of five years and failure to file required reports in appropriate forms as determined by the commission within the prescribed period. Jenniffer B. Austria

Cloud partners.

EMC Corp. and industry partners VMware, MDi and E-KonekPilipinas Inc. announce a new partnership to launch Lina Group of Companies Private Cloud for businesses in the Philippines. The Enterprise Private Cloud Project was announced as a part of the 13th anniversary celebration of E-Konek in the Philippines. Shown are (from left) VMware Philippines country manager Manny Portugal, Micro-D International Inc. managing partner Peter Laud, E-Konek Pilipinas chairman and president Guillermo Parayno and EMC Philippines country manager Ronnie Latinazo.

Panasonic seeks to double sales in PH by 2018 By Othel V. Campos PANASONIC Manufacturing Philippines Corp. said it expects to double sales by 2018 and improve market share in the consumer durable lines, especially in the washing machine and air-conditioning segments. PMPC vice president Masaru Toyota said the company was determined to keep its current position as the biggest supplier of refrigerators in the Philippines. Its current market share is about 27 percent. “With the introduction of our inverter technology system for the washing machine

and air-conditioner line-up, we are optimistic that we’ll have bigger share and possibly be the market leader for these products,” Toyota said during a product launch Thursday at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. The company is the second biggest supplier of washing machines in the Philippines with a 20- percent market share. It is also the second biggest supplier of air-conditioning systems with 22 percent of the market. The Japanese company has manufacturing operations in the Philippines for entry-level single and twin-tub washing machines; window-type air-

conditioners; direct cool, nofrost and inverter technology refrigerators; and electric fans. “Those are our key products. But we are also bringing in premium product lines as aspirational options for Filipino consumers. The premium line targets the A and B markets. But with the continued economic growth every year, most Filipinos have more disposable income and can afford premium products, as well,” Toyota said. The company aims to grow business by at least 20 percent, across all durable line-up this year. Panasonic started bringing high-end products such as

full-cycle washing machines, split-type air-conditioners and frost-free refrigerators. It will have the elite series Sky Wing air-conditioning system available at all Panasonic dealers nationwide in March. Front-load washing-machines, which is another premium line, will be introduced by February. The company also plans to strengthen its audio/visual segment by introducing more friendly solutions for the commercial sector. The company generated P7 billion in sales in 2014 and ended 2015 with 20-percent growth in sales.

F R I D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

cesAR bARRIoqUINto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Rampage is Taliban’s message of impunity ISLAMABAD—As grieving Pakistani parents lament the government’s failure to keep their children safe, analysts say the Taliban have sent a message with their latest campus massacre—a national crackdown on extremism has failed and they can hit targets at will. The rampage at Bacha Khan university left 21 people dead Wednesday and shattered the sense of security growing in the troubled northwest, a year after Pakistan’s deadliest ever extremist attack, a 2014 assault on a school in nearby Peshawar. The chilling similarities between the two atrocities starkly underscored the failings of a governmentand military-led initiative launched in the wake of the strike on the army-run school. “It happened again,” said Zaheeruddin, father of Kashan Zaheer, a ninth grade student who was wounded in the assault which saw Taliban gunmen storm the Peshawar school and kill more than 150 people, most of them children, a year ago. “Staff and students were martyred again. The government has failed. It has not been able to provide us security.” The Peshawar attack, carried out by the same Taliban faction that claimed the latest strike in nearby Charsadda, prompted the military to intensify an offensive in THE tribal areas where jihadists had operated with impunity. The military says it has killed thousands in the campaign and swept others over the porous border into Afghanistan. The government launched a much-vaunted National Action Plan to combat extremism, including the creation of military courts and the resumption of executions after a six-year moratorium. Together the initiatives are credited with making 2015 the least deadly in terms of militant attacks since the formation of the Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistani in 2007. But the Bacha Khan attack was a message, said Peshawar-based senior analyst and retired brigadier Saad Khan—that despite the pressure “they can hit any target”. The killing of young people “brings a lot of pain, despondency and hopelessness, and that arouses emotions against the government, the same government which claimed it had broken the back of the terrorists,” he said. AFP

world Day of mourning for 21 massacred by terrorists CHARSADDA, Pakistan—Pakistan observed a day of national mourning Thursday for the 21 people killed when heavily-armed gunmen stormed a university in the troubled northwest, exposing the failings in a national crackdown on extremism.

Launching. Singer/actress Jennifer Lopez performs during the launch of her “JENNIFER LOPEZ: ALL I HAVE” at The Axis at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on January 20, 2016, in Las Vegas. AFP

Armed police, some perched on the roofs of buildings, were still deployed Thursday morning at the Bacha Khan university campus in Charsadda, where students were targeted with grenades and automatic weapons, an AFP reporter said. Security forces remained on alert, with police foiling a bomb attack at a crowded bus station in nearby Peshawar Thursday morning Wednesday’s assault, claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, bore a chilling resemblance to a December 2014 massacre at a school in nearby Peshawar that triggered a crackdown on militants that had been credited with a palpable improvement in security. The majority of the 21 dead were laid to rest shortly after the attack according to Muslim tradition, while around 1,000 people in a nearby village attended the funeral on Thursday of a university caretaker killed. One of the wounded students, a geology major, died overnight and his funeral was also to be held later Thursday. Seven other survivors were in stable condition and being treated in local hospitals, officials said. Defiant authorities kept schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province open Thursday. “Militants want them shut down,” provincial education minister Arif Khan told AFP. “We wanted to send the message that education will continue.” Only Bacha Khan university and its sister university Abdul Wali Khan in the town of Mardan were closed, he said. Flags will fly at half-mast on all government buildings inside and outside the country, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s office said, while a prayer ceremony will be held in the capital Islamabad. More than 200 sportsmen and women gathered along with officials from the Pakistan Sport Board at a complex in the capital earlier Thursday to offer prayers for the victims. “We are determined that the young generation of Pakistan will not bow down to the terrorists,” PSB director Akhtar Nawaz said. Sharif has vowed a “ruthless” response to the massacre and ordered security forces to hunt those behind Wednesday’s attack, which was claimed by a Pakistani Taliban faction but branded “un-Islamic” by the umbrella group’s leadership. AFP

China braces itself for the worst cold in 30 years BEIJING—Schools have been suspended and emergency workers put on standby in China as the country braces for historically cold weather, including 30-year lows in places, the government and state media said Thursday. At 1pm Thursday, it was already a biting -28 Celsius (-18 Fahrenheit) in Yakeshi in Inner Mongolia, with Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province in the northeast, at -19 C and Changchun in neighboring Jilin at -17 C. “I’ve put on all my clothing, but I still

don’t feel warm!” state broadcaster CCTV showed a pedestrian saying in Altai, in the western region of Xinjiang, where temperatures reached -26 C. “The wind is very strong—when it blows on my face it hurts horribly.” The National Meteorological Center predicted temperatures would drop up to 10 degrees C across much of the country over the next four days, according to a statement on its website. It will be below freezing in over 90 percent of the world’s most populous country, ac-

cording to the official Xinhua news agency. Beijing is forecast to see a low of -17 C on Saturday, but some of the most unusual weather patterns were projected for further south. Zhejiang province in the east declared a yellow alert for the cold—the second-highest on a four-level scale. Photos of supermarkets in the provincial capital Hangzhou posted online showed mad scrambles of shoppers vying for fresh produce, cooking oil and bread, in one case leave nothing but a lone cucumber behind

on the shelves. Commercial hub Shanghai and Changsha, capital of the central province of Hunan, are expected to see their coldest temperatures for 30 years, with lows forecast to hover around -5 C over the weekend. Schools in Changsha closed early for the Lunar New Year holidays, Xinhua reported, as have those in Changzhou, near Shanghai. Changsha will be colder than it was during a 2008 blizzard that left 129 people dead across southern China and caused 150 billion yuan ($23 billion) of damage. AFP

F r i D aY : J a n u a r Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Danish lawmakers approve bill that limits asylum rights COPENHAGEN— Spurning scathing international criticism, Danish lawmakers will on Thursday give a final nod to drastic reforms curbing asylum rights as legal and human rights experts castigate Copenhagen for turning its back on its international commitments. Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen’s minority right-wing government, supported in parliament by an anti-immigration far-right party that has for 15 years dictated increasingly restrictive immigration policies, already has enough support for its bill to win a January 26 parliamentary vote. The new law would delay family reunifications, confiscate migrants’ valuables and make already stringent permanent residency requirements even tougher. Fearing a domino effect across Europe, the UN refugee agency UNHCR has decried the bill, saying

it “could fuel fear [and] xenophobia”. Once a champion of refugees’ rights, Denmark would be in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the UN Refugee Convention, the UNHCR concluded in a January report. Unfazed, Copenhagen maintains it is not able to finance more migrants nor integrate them into society. “Denmark’s immigration policy is decided in Denmark, not in Brussels,” Integration Minister Inger Stojberg has repeatedly said. The government will on Thursday present the bill in its final form to parliament, a last chance for lawmakers to demand changes though it is just a formality as a majority have already agreed to back it. The confiscation of migrants’ valuables has been the reform that has dominated international headlines. The bill allows Danish authorities to seize asylum seekers’ cash exceeding 10,000 kroner (1,340 euros, $1,450), as well as any individual items valued at more than 10,000 kroner. Wedding rings and other items of sentimental value are exempt. AFP

Onstage. Singer songwriter Miranda Lambert performs onstage during Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars: Unplugged at City Winery Nashville, on January 20, 2016, in Nashville, United States. AFP

Republic of the Philippine CITY OF NAGA BIDS & AWARDS COMMITTEE Republic of the Philippines Province of Ilocos Norte BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE CITY OF LAOAG

INVITATION TO BID FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF AGRICULTURAL MATERIALS

The City Government of Naga, through the Bottom-up Budgeting (BUB) 2015-DSWD Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), intends to apply the sum of Two Million Two Hundred Seventy Nine Thousand Seven Hundred (P 2,279,700.00) Pesos, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Supply and Delivery of Agricultural Materials for distribution as starter kits to Vegetable and Fruit Crop Production Training beneficiaries of Farmers Field School (1 lot), Contract Reference Number: 2016-003. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1 lot

Item No.

Qty.

Unit

Items

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

cans cans cans cans cans cans cans cans rolls rolls pieces pieces pieces pieces pieces pieces pieces pieces sacks sacks sacks bottles kilos pieces kilos kilos bottles gallons

Squash seeds Ampalaya seeds Sili seeds Eggplant seeds Tomato seeds Upo seeds Okra seeds Sitaw seeds Culture net Plastic mulch Seedling tray Shovel Plastic sprinklers Bolo, big Rake Plastic hand spray, size 1 liter Trowel Hoe Organic fertilizer Carbonized rice hull Organic commercial fertilizer Organic insecticides Molasses Pails Garlic Ginger Lambanog Coconut vinegar

Approved Budget for Approved Budget for the Contract the Contract (ABC) (ABC) for 1 lot per item 194,500.00 162,700.00 34,400.00 162,500.00 168,000.00 43,000.00 83,500.00 86,000.00 450,000.00 450,000.00 9,000.00 50,000.00 32,000.00 P 2,279,700.00 35,000.00 (1 lot) 25,000.00 10,600.00 11,000.00 38,000.00 32,000.00 2,000.00 80,000.00 75,000.00 2,500.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 5,000.00 8,000.00

The City Government of Naga now invites bids for Supply and Delivery of Agricultural Materials for distribution as starter kits to Vegetable and Fruit Crop Production Training beneficiaries of Farmers Field School (1 lot). Delivery of the Goods is required within ten (10) calendar days after receipt of Notice to Proceed, partial delivery not allowed. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years, from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the IRR of RA 9184. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the City Government of Naga and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below starting from 8 AM until 5 PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested bidders starting on Friday, January 22 to February 15, 2016, from the Office of the BAC Secretariat c/o City Planning & Development Office, 2nd Floor City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Five Thousand (P 5,000.00) Pesos and an Annual Registration Fee of Three Thousand (P 3,000.00) Pesos, and upon presentation of Document Request List (DRL) from PhilGEPS showing your company name. It may also be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity (www.naga.gov.ph), provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The City Government of Naga will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on Monday, February 1, 2016 at 3:00 PM at City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents. Bids must be delivered to the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, on or before Monday, February 15, 2016 at 3:00 PM. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security, either in the form of cash or cashier’s/manager’s check issued by a universal or commercial bank (2% of ABC), or, Bid Securing Declaration (BSD). Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend on Monday, February 15, 2016, at 3:00 PM at the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City. Late bids shall not be accepted. The City Government of Naga reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

INVITATION TO BID The Laoag City Government, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), now invites interested suppliers to bid for the following: Description

ABC

1 lot

Supplies and Materials for Distribution to Different Barangays of Laoag City

P 2,285,166.48

1 lot

Establishment of School Library at Balatong Integrated School, Laoag City

P 1,200,000.00

1 lot

Supply of Oil and Lubricants for 6 months for the use of City Engineer’s Office and Different Offices, Laoag City

P 1,571,444.44

1 lot

Purchase and Delivery of Medical//Maternity Equipment, Apparatus and Instrument for the use of Rural Health Unit, Laoag City

P 2,070,300.00

1 lot

Supply of fuel (gasoline & diesel) for 6 months for the use of the City Engineer’s Office, Non-Office and Different Offices, Laoag City

P 7,988,444.24

1 lot

Purchase of 1 unit Mechanical Ventilator (3 in 1), 3 units Patient Monitor, 8 units Pulse Oxymeter (handheld), 2 units ECG Machine, 1 unit Bronchoscope biopsy forcep, Esopago Doudenoccopy biopsy forcep for the use at Laoag City Gen. Hospital

P 5,000,000.00

The BAC activities for the above are: 1. Advertisement/Posting is from January 21 to February 12, 2016. 2. Issuance of Bidding Documents is from January 25-February 5, 2016 at BAC Secretariat Office, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM 3. Pre-bid Conference is on February 2, 2016 at City Conference Hall, City Hall, Laoag City, 2:00 PM 4. Deadline for the receipt and opening of Bids is on February 12, 2016 at the City Conference Hall, City Hall, Laoag City at 2:00 PM The BAC will issue Eligibility Forms to prospective bidders upon submission of Expression of Interest at BAC Secretariat Office, City Planning & Development Office, Tupaz St., Brgy. 10, Laoag City. The BAC will issue Bidding Documents to prospective bidders upon payment of nonrefundable amount in pursuant to the Standard Rates on the sale of bidding document at the City Treasurer’s Office. The Laoag City Government –BAC assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids. CONTACT PERSON: MARIA LUISA F. CASTRO BAC Secretariat Chairman City Planning & Development Office Brgy. 10 A.G. Tupaz St., Laoag City Tel. No. (077) 770-5964; Telefax: (077) 773-2561

For further information, please refer to:

APPROVED:

MR. FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR., Acting City Administrator, City Hall Compound, J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City Telephone Number: 054-4732240, 054-4723235, Email address: bac@naga.gov.ph, Website: www.naga.gov.ph ( T S - J A N . 2 2 , 2 016)

(SGD) FLORENCIO T. MANGOSO, JR. BAC Chairperson

( T S - J A N . 2 2 , 2 016)

(SGD) RUBEN J. DOMINGO BAC Chairman

China’s state media criticized BEIJING—The European Union should impose sanctions on Chinese state media, a journalism advocacy group said Thursday, denouncing broadcasts and reports of “forced confessions” by detainees. The call by Reporters Without Borders or RSF followed the broadcast of a purported confession by Swedish activist, Peter Dahlin, who has been detained by authorities on accusations of threatening state security. State broadcaster China Central Television on Tuesday aired footage of a dazed and harried Dahlin apologizing to China for his alleged actions. The official news agency Xinhua also published quotes from the video. “We are outraged by the dissemination of forced ‘confessions’ that have no informational value,” said Benjamin Ismail, an Asia-based campaigner for RSF, in a statement posted on the organization’s website. “By knowingly peddling lies and statements presumably obtained under duress, CCTV and Xinhua become mass propaganda weapons and cease de facto to be news media.” RSF called on the EU to adopt sanctions against the outlets, saying doing so would be in line with EU actions in 2013 against Iranian state media officials whose broadcasts of forced confessions were said to be associated with violating the right to a fair trial. Dahlin, who worked for the Chinese Urgent Action Working Group, disappeared earlier this month as he prepared to board a flight to Thailand, and appears to have been caught up in a crackdown on human rights lawyers. CCTV’s video of Dahlin showed the Swede confessing that he had “violated Chinese law through my activities here”. Two purported Chinese colleagues of Dahlin were also shown declaring their guilt. Xinhua said Dahlin’s group was “encouraging the masses to oppose the government”. The purported confessions were the latest in what RSF described as “an alarming threat to freely reported news and information”. AFP

F R I D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

MOTORING

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The future according to BYD Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

I LOVE Chinese food. It is as diverse as the many regions that make up China and influenced by Chinese people coming from the different parts of the world. Among the most popular Chinese cuisine s and perhaps best known throughout the world are the Cantonese cuisine, Shandong, Jiangsu and Sichuan version. One might ask why in the world is this piece talking about Chinese cuisine? Well because BYD’s Quin hybrid, which is pronounced as “Chin”, is similar to the gastronomic delights of China, a mix of everything good and, design wise, a fusion of a Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and some hints of Hyundai. I have driven countless hybrids in the past and BYD’s Qin “performance” hybrid is China’s take on the future of mobility. The car is powered by a 151bhp, 1500cc turbo- fed engine which is combined with a 148bhp electric

BYD’s Qin is a peek into China’s automotive future.

motor. When combined, these power sources provide the driver with 291 horses on tap, which means the car can hit 0-100 in 5.9 seconds. I tried it, and yes it does what it claims and the Qin effortlessly climbs the uphill roads of my place here in Antipolo. This writer admits to have been taken off-guard by the car’s

performance considering where the car came from. Initially I was biased against anything mechanical made in China and the Qin changed my perspective. Stamped as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the car can be recharged from a standard household power socket. On a full charge, it can cover a distance of

Honda Mobilio sets sales feat HONDA’S automobile business unit in the Philippines has set record with over 3,000 Mobilio sales since the compact SUV made its local debut in April 2015. With the sales feat, the Mobilio has already earned its place as Honda Cars’ second best-selling nameplate among its 13 model line-up, and contributed a significant 25 percent of HCPI’s 2015 sales. Mobilio is Honda’s first seven-seater Multi-purpose Utility Vehicle. It was carefully developed to fit and satisfy the needs of the Asian market, which has greatly contributed to its strong appeal to Filipino customers. It stands out among other vehicles with its modern and young styling, advanced technology, and comfortable sedan-like ride. Designed to be an ideal family vehicle, the interior of the Mobilio embraces a “prime comfort” theme showcased through its remarkably comfortable and spacious cabin. Following Honda’s design philosophy of “Man Maximum, Machine Minimum”, the Mobilio provides comfort and satisfaction to all passengers on board with generous space for headroom, legroom, and knee clearance. This also allows for more flexibility to accommodate different hauling needs, and to further maximize the vehicle’s functionality and cargo space. Boasting a powerful yet fuel efficient engine, the All-New Mobilio is powered by a 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine that delivers maximum power output of 120 ps at 6600 rpm and 145 Nm of torque at 4600 rpm, mated with either a 5-speed Manual Transmission or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) developed under the Earth Dreams Technology. With the introduction of the Mo-

bilio, Honda has reintroduced one of its sporty grades, the RS or Road Sailing design. Honda’s RS design is integrated in the Mobilio’s top of the line variant to present Honda’s first Multi-purpose Utility Vehicle with a sportier and a more sophisticated character. The exterior of the All-New Mobilio RS sports seven exclusively designed parts, including the front grille, front bumper, 15” alloy wheels, side sill garnish, tailgate spoiler, rear bumper with exhaust pipe finisher, and the RS emblem. To further provide ownership experience to Honda’s valued customers, two new Modulo variants are also available for the Mobilio. The 1.5 V CVT Modulo Platinum includes a front grille, door visor, shark fin antenna, door handle cover, rear bumper garnish, trunk tray, sports pedal, and side step garnish. On the other hand, the 1.5 V CVT Modulo Utility consists of a front grille, front & rear bumper, protector, seatback holder, convenience hook, seatback utility box, cargo storage, and sports pedal. The Mobilio is also equipped with safety features that certainly assure peace of mind to all its passengers. It is built with driver and passenger SRS airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Seat Belt Reminder, ISOFIX and Immobilizer. These safety features have been deemed remarkable after being awarded as the 2015-2016 Best Safety Features of MPV from the Auto Focus Media’s Choice Awards. Along with the positive response the Honda Mobilio received from the market, it has also been awarded as the 2015 Best Compact Multi-purpose Vehicle at the Car of the Year-Philippines Awards ceremony.

up to 47 miles, which is twice the distance of its PHEV competitors, says BYD. Regenerative braking technology is used to further increase the electric range. During the Yuletide rush, the car was always on electric mode because of the crawling traffic. Qin was with me for half a month, but I barely gassed up as I did my

driving chores on electric mode most of the time. There were instances when my speed had to go beyond 60 kph and the gasoline motor would kick in automatically. On turbo engine mode, the car is quick on its feet and can hold its own against any Japanese, American, European and Korean counterparts. Just don’t look at the badge and it does not feel “Chinese” at all. The downside of this car are the stiff seats, a rather tacky carbon finish trims on the dashboard and a jerk once the car shifts to gasoline mode. The braking system also needs some work, because the pedal feel is weak. The Qin offers four driving modes ( V+ECO, EV+Sport, HEV+Eco and HEV+Sport) which can selected by the driver using a knob near the handbrake lever or by an interactive 12.1 inch TFT monitor on the center console. The driving modes varies in power output which helps conserve electricity at low speeds and delivering maximum performance for faster expressway driving. Some might have their eyebrows raised if they see the P2.4 million price tag of the Qin PHEV. In general, this Chinese PHEV has raised the bar of cars made in the Mainland and is aggressively punching over its weight class. At present, BYD has disclosed that it has been developing other PHEV models and purely electric cars.

FAST FASTLANE Motorsport-driven technology WITH research and development gained from motorsport campaigns such as being the official lighting system of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart; Team ADVAN-Tein Subaru and a domineering presence in the Paris-Dakar and Japan Super GT, PIAA upholds the knowledge gained by combining market driven concepts with the latest technology to make night, inclement weather, and off-road driving as safe as possible. PIAA technicians continually raise the bar on visibility products. Established in 1963 with the commitment to provide the global market with world-class driving lights, PIAA has since become the standard for lighting technology for both consumer and motorsports illumination products. Racing teams such as Subaru Technica International (STI), Mitsubishi Ralliart, Toyota Racing Development (TRD), all use the lighting technology of PIAA for their illumination requirements. With technology derived from racing experi-

ence and driven by customer satisfaction, PIAA is leading the way in the on and off road market with the new developments in their proprietary reflector facing LED technology, as well as continual advancements in halogen headlight bulbs and fog light bulbs. Illuminate your driving lifestyle with PIAA at these dealers: Autoplus EDSA, Atoy Bodykits in West Avenue Q.C., BLADE, CKT Autoshop in San Juan, Roadstar BGC and at 199 Offroad House.

Go get some! MAN up and get some Black Rhino wheels, which are designed with the off road truck and SUV enthusiast in mind. The rugged styling draws its inspiration from one of the toughest beasts in the world, the Black Rhino. Each Black Rhino wheel is engineered to carry the heavy loads often associated with Trucks and SUV’s. All wheels are either hub-centric or supplied with centering rings to ensure a

smooth vibration free ride. All wheels are either hub-centric or supplied with centering rings to ensure a smooth vibration free ride. The wheels come in a variety of 17”, 18”, 20” and 22” sizes in a variety of finishes - Matte Black, Gloss Black with Machine, Matte Black with Matte Machine, 5,6 and 8 Lug, all depending on what perfectly suits your truck, lifted truck and SUV. So when it comes to choosing well built, tough looking wheels for your off road truck, lifted truck or sport utility vehicle, go on and give it horns with Black Rhino Wheels. So when it comes to choosing well built, tough looking wheels for your off road truck, lifted truck or sport utility vehicle, go on and give it horns with Black Rhino Wheels. Those who want to level up their game, Black Rhino wheels are available in dealers nationwide or log on to www.conceptonewheels.com

F R I D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING Toyota officers take pride in the all-new Fortuner.

Offroad capability is one of Fortuner’s strong points. Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

COMPLEMENTING the presence of the RAV4, Prado, Land Cruiser 200 Series and the FJ Cruiser, Toyota last week took the wraps off another metal behemoth, the second generation Fortuner. First introduced in 2005, the allnew Fortuner is expected to lock horns with the Mitsubishi Montero, Ford Everest, Hyundai Sta Fe, Chevrolet Colorado and the Isuzu MU-X in the highly competitive SUV market. “Our concept was to build a true SUV that has style and confidence. The all-new Fortuner is the outcome of our continuous

efforts to redefine toughness,” says Hiroki Nakajima, executive chief engineer of the all-new Fortuner. Held at the Marriot Hotel in Pasay City, the launch was spearheaded by Toyota Motors Philippines Executives led by its newly minted President Satoru Suzuki. “It is the return of the icon, our brand’s best seller and as you

WHEEL OF FORTUNE ICONIC SUV GETS A FACELIFT

can see, this latest variant looks more sophisticated and dynamic,” adds Suzuki. The Fortuner carved its niche by way of its quality, durability, reliability and a tough suspension system that can take on any kind of terrain. The iconic name originates from the word “fortunate,” specifically chosen to symbolize a new type of model designed for customers who long to own a prestigious SUV. Moreover, the name also evokes a strong and active persona. For this second generation SUV, Toyota focuses in creating a more distinctive, sleek and powerful design while improving its performance. Under the hood of this Fortuner is a 2.8-litre four-

cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that produces 130kW of power and 450Nm of torque and paired to a six-speed transmission. This allows the all-new Fortuner to balance powerful performance with fuel efficiency. The G grade comes in sporty 17 inch alloy wheels while the V grade flashes a stylish set of 18 inch alloy wheels. As you step inside the vehicle, anyone would be in awe with a bolder and more elegant interior. Its V grade comes in hues of dark brown, black and wood trim details while the G grade boasts colors of chamois, black and dark wood trim details. This 2016 version is bolder, has a longer and wider stance which is an improvement

of the previous generation. With a body on frame design that can accommodate seven individuals and powerful diesel engine and a nameplate that spells rock solid reliability and toughness, Toyota’s counterparts have their work cut out for them. “The arrival of the new Fortuner has been the subject of anticipation and speculation in the past few months. We are confident that this variant will carve inroads and will far exceed the achievement of the previous generation,” said Ariel Arias, SVP for marketing. The All-new Fortuner is offered in five variants with a starting price of P1,386,000.

ECLECTIC ELECTRIC: MORE EVS ROLL OUT

FINALLY, the big names in the auto industry are joining the electric vehicle bandwagon. The Tesla Model S, BMW X5 eDrive, BMW Series 3 Plug In, VW Passat GTE Plug in, Audi A3 E-tron, Audi Q7 Plug In, Chevy Volt 2.0, Volvo XC90 T8, Volvo S60 Plug In, Mercedes Benz GLE, E and C class Plug in, Mitsubishi Outlander Plug In, BYD Tang and Rimac Concept One are but some of the electric vehicles either being sold or will be introduced in the coming months.

Mainstream auto manufacturers are now betting big on EVs as climate change mitigation is becoming a priority agenda among developed nations after the Paris Summit where several major countries agreed on a reduction in global temperature by 2 degrees. American EV manufacturer Tesla, headed by maverick entrepreneur Elon Musk, is blazing the trail, being the only new car manufacturer to be established in the United States in the last 50 years. Other major automotive companies

such as General Motors with its Chevy Volt have dilly dallied in the past. Now, they are finally launching their electric cars to the public for sale and not just for lease as in the past. It is understandable that big manufacturers will be quite slow on the uptake since they have already invested heavily in the old internal combustion engines technology which has not drastically changed during the last 100 years. It is now common knowledge that EVs are more

economical to operate since electricity worldwide is cheaper than petroleum products and EVs are virtually almost maintenance free. In the Philippines, the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines is pinning its hopes on the modernization of the country’s antiquated public transport system in pushing its EV agenda. EVAP President Rommel Juan said that with 350,000 old public utility jeepneys and 1.2 million tricycles that

need replacement, it makes sense to start with these two vehicles in developing the domestic EV industry. “We are introducing new models of ETrikes and EJeepneys and we have found that no LGU would not want an EV transport system in place in its area. This year, EVAP plans to reach out to LGUs to offer them its EV mass transport solutions for implementation in various areas of the country”. Text and photos courtesy of the Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines

F R I D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

ST Y L E & BE AU T Y

LIFE

POP-UP BEAUTY BY JIGS MAYUGA

What Is Your New Year’s Beauty Resolution?

GAY LAO-CHEN,

M.A.C. Cosmetics, Brand General Manager

First off, Happy New Year, everyone! After about a month-long hiatus from writing and spending the holidays in the US, I’m finally back to discuss all things beauty with you again. As we all know, ringing in the New Year is all about striving for change and improving one’s self. That includes taking care of ourselves. And what better way to start 2016 than to ask some of Manila’s female personalities about their MEIER, beauty resolutions for the New Year? Maybe we can all SARAH Editor-in-chief, Metro Magazine take a tip or two from these ladies on how to improve New Year’s Beauty Resolution our beauty routines all year round. — to wear my most high pigment lippies as mood boosters, and to acquire as many laugh lines as humanly possible!

My New Year’s beauty resolution is to learn how to do a mean winged eyeliner on my own.

CARLA PAREDES,

Spinning Coach, Saddle Row

ALYANNA MARTINEZ, Celebrity Stylist

Up my skin care game now that I am 30 and from now on use a lighter weight foundation to let my natural skin be the focus. And practice using eye shadows more often.

My New Year’s beauty resolution is to take care of my body from within, and trust that this beauty will emanate on the outside as well. This means eating clean, whole food including a lot of vegetables, healthy fat, and lean protein. Drinking eight glasses of water is definitely a priority – not only does it keep my body working optimally for those tough workouts, it also keeps my skin supple and moisturized.

CHESKA GARCIA-KRAMER, Celebrity Mom, Team Kramer

My New Year’s beauty resolution would be to always make sure I am fixed up, be it just meeting up with my friends or going to an event... Everything is significant and as important to me this year... Nothing too big or too small.

MAXENE MAGALONA, Actress

Definitely to drink more water, eat more healthy and work out more regularly. To always be positive and wear a smile on my face! I really believe that if I feel good about myself from the inside, everything else will follow. No amount of makeup can conceal a negative attitude. Happy New You!

ERICA PAREDES, PAM QUINOÑES,

Editor-in-chief, L’Officiel Manila

Drink lots of water, moisturize more, and wear less makeup. I also decided to quit smoking. It’s been really tough, but I’m excited to completely kick off the habit.

ARYANNA EPPERSON,

MTV VJ & blogger (www.AryannaEpperson.com) My beauty resolution this 2016 is to sharpen my makeup application skills. Now that I actually own more than one makeup brush (believe it or not, I only owned an eye shadow brush for the longest time), I want to learn how to properly put on makeup to achieve different looks.

Editor-in-chief, Calyxta.com Hmmm… I have two. The first is to be really strict about moisturizing day and night. I get lazy sometimes, but now that I’m in my mid-thirties, I think great skin and less makeup is my new thing. The second is to stop abusing my hair. I’m still paying for the two years of bleaching it blonde. After I cut out all the dry ends, no dyeing for a while and I’ll try to limit heat styling, too.

KAT REAMBILLO,

NTC (Nike Training Club) Certified Trainer

I vow to sleep at least seven hours a day, by spending less time online. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @jigsmayuga

F R I D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

James Reid for Milanos Shoes

@LIFEatStandard

Nadine Lustre for Parisian Shoes and Bags

JaDine x Parisian + Milanos = #TheHottestPair

The country's hottest pair Nadine Lustre and James Reid (third and fourth from left) are revealed as the new brand endorsers of Parisian Shoes and Bags and Milanos Shoes. Also at the event are The SM Store senior vice president Eugene Saw (rightmost) and other executives

Wick

Yoko

Taura

he SM Store’s Parisian and Milanos brands are starting strong this 2016 with a big reveal last Tuesday (January 19) at the 3rd Level of SM Makati. Loud cheers broke out from mall visitors, event guests and even media people when the country’s hottest pair – James Reid and Nadine Lustre – slowly came down the escalator to confirm that they are the new brand ambassadors of Parisian Shoes and Bags and Milanos Shoes. The young endorsers – considered as two of the freshest faces in the local entertainment industry today – will be representing the two popular fashion brands whose new collection will hit the stores in the first months of this year. The SM Store’s biggest shoes and bags brand – Parisian Shoes and Bags and Milanos Shoes – have the trendiest collections to date. From casual to trendy shoes and bags, the collections include a reboot of styles, chic inspiration, and sports motifs. “We’re every excited about 2016, and this event is just the start of our campaign this year. We want to relate with the youth of today and so James and Nadine are perfect because they are the hottest pair right now,” shared The SM Store senior vice president and Business Unit head Eugene Saw. Like James and Nadine, Parisian Shoes and Bags and Milanos Shoes

are looking towards the young and sophisticated. Today’s shoppers who are as passionate about their looks as in their spending, and value comfort as much as the hottest styles. Nadine, who has been a longtime follower of Parisian, represents the modern and versatile young women of today. Like the diverse roles she plays, her fashion choices are also as wide and varied – from updated classics to trendy street fashion. Her top picks for the Parisian Shoes Spring 2016 collection show how she loves to play up her personal style. When it comes to bags, she goes for small pieces to hold her essentials, which she can carry from day to night. She also favors bags accented with fringes for an instant Boho-chic look when she wants a more laid back and casual feel. Filipino-Australian James, on the other hand, exudes this young, edgy and fun appeal. He’s the epitome of the cool dude with his casual style, transcending from the boy-next-door look to the ultimate heartthrob with Milanos Shoes in blues and browns that provide a comfortable fit.

Rider

Pete

Parisian Shoes and Bags and Milanos Shoes are exclusively available at The SM Store. Check out thesmstore.com for the latest news and updates. Follow Parisian Shoes and Bags and Milanos Shoes on Facebook. Athena

F R I D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Up-and-coming designers from across Asia and Europe took part in The Redress Forum 2016: Ford Design Challenge

FORD’S ECOCHIC DESIGN CHALLENGE WINNER REVEALED Recycling restyled: Designers transform car seat fabrics into high-fashion outfits All the outfits created in the challenge will be showcased on the runway at HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week

Pan Wen and Amy Ward at work during the competition

Competing designers were provided with off-cuts of sustainable seat fabrics made from recycled plastic water bottles

The winners showcase the award-winning piece which was handcrafted in just three-and-a-half hours

an Wen from China and Amy Ward from the United Kingdom emerged as the winners of The Redress Forum 2016: Ford Design Challenge during ceremonies held in Hong Kong recently. Wen and Ward bested other up-and-coming designers from across Asia and Europe – specifically Hong Kong, mainland China, Thailand, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom – and wowed judges with their innovative up-cycled statement pieces. The contest challenged the 10 finalists of The EcoChic Design Award 2015/16 competition to create high-fashion outfits from the sustainable seat fabrics used in Ford vehicles. The result was an eclectic mix of designs ranging from couture dresses to spiritually inspired suiting, and the winning piece was a floor-length asymmetrical dress in hues of neutral fabrics and contrasting copper. The piece was was inspired by a quiet underpass on Hong Kong’s famous Victoria Peak, near where tourists take shots of the city’s iconic skyline. The design itself embodies the sustainable fashion industry. “With visible construction and hidden details, we wanted to create something that forces the wearer to dig a little deeper and to get to know the garment. “Rather than picking an obvious skyscraper for our inspiration, we looked closer and liked the industrial feeling of the location, focusing in on the finer details,” Ward said. The award-winning outfit was handcrafted in just three-and-a-half hours, following an educational workshop about the impact of design on product sustainability. The dialogue in the workshop promoted crossindustry thinking for sustainable solutions. “At the design challenge, we armed these talented designers with off-cuts of our sustainable seat fabrics – which are made from recycled plastic water bottles,” said Marie Smyth, senior designer, Color and Materials Design, Ford Asia Pacific. “We wanted to give them the opportunity to work with this alternative material and show them

Winners Pan Wen from Mainland China and Amy Ward from the UK

that eco-friendly fabrics can come from surprising sources.” “We were expecting the materials at the challenge to be a lot heavier and more difficult to manage, but were surprised at how easy they were to work with,” said Pan Wen. “Working with Ford’s fabric today has definitely inspired me to look for more sustainable fabrics in my future designs,” adds the designer. Ford’s sponsorship of The EcoChic Design Award 2015/16reflects the company’s longstanding and growing commitment to sustainable design research. Beyond seat fabrics, Ford produces storage bins using wheat-straw, dashboards padded with scrap cotton from recycled jeans, and seat foam from a bioplastic made from soybeans. All the outfits created in the challenge will be showcased on the runway at HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week, as part of The EcoChic Design Award 2015/16 grand finale show. This will be Ford’s sustainable seat fabric debut at an official Fashion Week show. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, visit www.corporate.ford.com. You may also check out www.ecochicdesignaward.com.

F R I D AY : J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Highlights from the Mark Bumgarner x Love Marie collection

#MBxLV Gala: A Show Stopper PHOTOS BY STAR SABROSO

he first collaboration between designer Mark Bumgarner and actress turned painter Love Marie Ongpauco-Escudero culminated in a well attended gala last Monday at Dusit Thani Manila hotel. The 40-piece collection was definitely a sight to behold, 15 of which were thoroughly and carefully hand painted by Love Marie herself. A dozen sleek and tailored sexy dresses opened the show with a theme apparently inspired by Mazda – one of the major sponsors of the show– with the collecion pieces done in black and red. Then came Julia Barretto – who opened the first set of the collection for #MBxLM – wearing a dress that was set for auction that night for the benefit of the Corridor of Hope Foundation and the Thalassemia International Association (formerly Balikatang Thalassemia Foundation). Other show stunners include pieces worn by the designer’s muses Lovi Poe, Gabbi Garcia, Bianca Valerio, Maggie Wilson-Consunji, Hillarie Parungao, and Ara Arida. The main highlight of the star-studded show were the hand painted, hand graved, hand-tacked corsets and hand-embellished dresses that are worthy of the red carpet. The details in each clothing make each piece a wearable art. #MBxLM opened the New Year with a great show and collection that is definitely one for the books this 2016. This first collaboration between two young artists is certainly not the last. “We do accept commission works,” says Love Marie. Maybe after this show, both Mark and Love Marie’s phones will be off the hook with clients asking for personalized dresses. The #MBxLM gala was produced by Fearless Productions Inc. with co-presenters Mazda and Dusit Thani Manila. Other sponsors of the event were Bettina Araneta Aboitiz, New San Jose Builders, Inc., Frabelle Corporation, Philippine Estates Corporation, GoPro, Mac Cosmetics, Creations by Lourd Ramos, Grey Goose, Janylin, and Albert Kurniawan.

One of the dresses auctioned for the benefit of the Corridor of Hope Foundation and Thalassemia International Association (formerly Balikatang Thalassemia Foundation)

Bianca Valerio walks for #MBxLM

Ara Arida Julia Barretto opens the runway for Mark Bumgarner x Love Marie collection

Maggie Wilson Consunji closes the last set of the #MBxLM collaboration

Details on the dress were hand painted by Love Marie

The Mazda collection

Star studded runway for #MBxLM with Julia Barretto, Ara Arida, Maggie Wilson-Consunji, Lovie Poe, Bianca Valerio, and Hillarie Parungao

A sea of green

Details of Maggie Wilson-Consunji's back trail

All smiles – Love Marie and Mark Bumgarner

Julia Barretto wearing the dress that was auctioned off for the benefit of the Corridor of Hope Foundation and Thalassemia International Association (formerly Balikatang Thalassemia Foundation)

Details of the hand painted dress by Love Marie

Love Marie Ongpauco Escudero and Mark Bumgarner (third and fourth from left) with their sponsors (from left) Dusit Thani general manager Bruno Cristol, Philippine Hoteliers Inc. vice chairman and president Evelyn Singson, Mazda president and chief executive officer Steven Tan, Mazda senior managing executive Yuji Nakamura, Mazda executive director and chief executive officer Dato’ Sri Ben Yeoh, Mazda executive officer Hiroshi Inoue, and Mazda executive director Dato Francis Lee

F RIDAY : JA NUA RY 2 2, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Leonardo DiCaprio plays the legendary Hugh Glass in the intense thriller and now multi awarded The Revenant

‘The RevenanT’ edges ouT ‘FoRce awakens’

ith multiple wins at the recent Golden Globes and major nominations in the upcoming 88th Academy Awards, The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Academy Award winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu is fiercely strong at the (U.S.) box-office with an incredible opening (Friday, Jan. 8) of $14.4 million, edging out Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($10.75 million) that day. The Revenant best seen on the big screen, is on its way to $100 million with an estimated gross of $97 million to-date. Inspired by true events The Revenant is physically intense and emotionally gripping story of a man presumed to be dead but came back to life. The legend of Hugh Glass (regarded to be the revenant) who came back from the dead, is played by DiCaprio. Part thriller, part wilderness journey, The Revenant explores primal drives not only for life itself but for

dignity, justice, faith, family and home. Glass’s mythology began in 1823, when he was among thousands joining the fur trade, a driving new force in the US economy. It was a time when many saw the wild as a spiritual void that demanded to be tamed and conquered by the steeliest of men. And so they poured into the unknown, plying unmapped rivers, disappearing into impossibly lush forests, seeking not only excitement and adventure but also profits -- often in fierce competition with the Native tribes for whom these lands had long been home. Many such men died anonymously, but Glass entered the annals of American folklore by flat-out refusing to die. His legend sparked after he faced one of West’s most feared dangers: a startled grizzly bear that for the most tested frontiersmen that should have been the end, but not for Glass. In Iñárritu’s telling of the tale, a mauled Glass clings to life – then suffers a human

betrayal that fuels him to continue at any cost. In spite of tremendous loss, Glass pulls himself from an early grave – clawing his way through a gauntlet of unknown perils and unfamiliar cultures on a journey that becomes not just a search for reckoning but for redemption. As Glass moves through the frontier in turmoil, he comes to reject the urge for destruction that once drove him. He has become a “revenant” -- one returned from the dead. Adds DiCaprio, “The Revenant is an incredible journey through the harshest elements of an uncharted America. It’s about the power of a man’s spirit. Hugh Glass’s story is the stuff of campfire legends, but Alejandro uses that folklore to explore what it really means to have all the chips stacked against you, what the human spirit can endure and what happens to you when you do endure.” “There are powerful themes for me in the film: the will to live and our relationship with wilderness,” explains DiCaprio of his

immediate attraction to the story. “I’ve also previously played a lot of characters who were incredibly articulate in different ways and had a lot to say, so this was a unique challenge for me. It was about conveying things without words or in a different language. A lot of it was about adapting in the moment, about reacting to what nature was giving us and to what Glass was going through as we filmed. It was about exploring the most internal elements of the survival instinct.” Based in part on Michael Punke’s novel The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, 20th Century Fox and New Regency present The Revenant also starring Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Paul Anderson, Kristoffer Joner, Joshua Burge and Duane Howard. Powerful epic saga unfolds on the big screen when The Revenant opens in Philippine cinemas ton Feb. 3 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

ANC uNveils New studio ABS-CBN News Channel or more familiarly ANC is now in the heart of the country’s central business district with the blessing of its new studio at the Rockwell Center in Makati on Jan. 13. ABS-CBN officers – Chairman Eugenio Lopez III, President & CEO Carlo Katigbak, Integrated News & Current Affairs Head Ging Reyes, and ANC Chief Operating Officer Cilette Liboro-Co – led the launch of the new state-of-theart facility, which is currently the base of programs Mornings@ANC and Headstart with Karen Davila, with more shows expected to use the studio soon. Katigbak said that the studio enhances the gathering and delivery of news by being near the central business district. “This is part of our commitment to stay close to decision makers,

The new ANC studio at the Rockwell Center in Makati City

the business leaders, the policy makers, and opinion shakers of the community. We want ANC to be the go-to channel for people who want to know what big decisions are going to be made in business or policies in the country,” he said. Reyes added that the new studio is part of the country’s first 24-hour global news channel’s efforts to remain as the gold standard among news channels

From left, Fr. Tito Caluag, Cilette Liboro-Co, Eugenio Lopez III, new ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak and ABS-CBN News head Ging Reyes at the studio blessing

in the country. “This studio is an essential component in ANC’s commitment to strengthen our business news equity apart from our political coverage. Eventually, the site will be a satellite newsroom and feed point to supplement the main ABS-CBN headquarters in Quezon City,” she said. The new studio is just one of many developments and inno-

vations ANC will be introducing to mark its 20th anniversary this year. The channel recently had its re-launch in October 2015, introducing a new logo and a unified look that highlights ANC’s expertise in presenting a wide range of stories from politics, business, and economy to lifestyle and entertainment. It also unveiled a retooled AM morning grid featuring a lineup of shows that still carries ANC’s

trademark quality news and indepth analysis but with better form, substance, and visuals. ANC is available in multiple platforms: on local cable TV via SkyCable Channel 27, online at www.anc.abs-cbnnews.com, and in different parts of the world through TFC, the Filipino News Channel. It also has wide social media following on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.

F RIDAY : JA NUA RY 2 2, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

PeOPle

...aRE taLking abOUt

John Lloyd Cruz

MainE MEnDOZa After Sarah Geronimo and Kim Chiu, it’s Eat Bulaga’s darling’s turn to become a Disney Princess. The Dubsmash Queen transformed into Snow Queen Elsa of Arendelle from the Oscar-award winning film Frozen in this year’s edition of Disney calendar. Maine’s inclusion in the popular calendar is not surprising at all, besides people couldn’t think of anyone who can rival her massive popularity these days. JOhn LLOyD CRUZ He’s the man of the hour and it’s not only because of the now controversial film Honor Thy Father. Kibitzers have been on the lookout if the actor would confirm or deny his rumored troubled relationship with Angelica Panganiban. Since people love gossip and find celebrity couples calling it quits great entertainment, his statement, whether or not it validates the rumor, is very much anticipated.

It's Showtime hosts have reasons to celebrate

Maine Mendoza as Elsa

...aRE nOt taLking abOUt

Struggling actor Julian Estrada

Campomanes is a professor and ocassional showbiz talent

A tearful Xian during a movie presscon

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 47 49 50 51 53 56 57 61 65 66 69 70 71 72 73 74 75

Evade, as work 1040 pro Contract provisos At the same time Natural elevs. Pamplona runner Dehydrates (2 wds.) Elizabethan collars Monthly expense Pet pleas Role for Liz Omnia vincit — Dwight opponent Loaf end Broadway trophy Caribou and elk Padlock brand

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Gets stuck 5 — Rice Burroughs 10 Time can do it 14 La senorita 15 At a slow tempo 16 Teen bane 17 Willowy 18 Show teeth 19 Desktop picture 20 Golfer Sam — 22 Pollen and honey (2 wds.)

24 27 28 32 36 37 39 40 42 44 45

Loud arguments Business VIP Keats wrote a poem about him Waugh and Baldwin Average guy Vintage tune Ms. Washington of blues Recedes Two under par Pumice feature Modeling media

DOWN 1 Boeing products 2 Arkin or Alda 3 Marseilles Ms. 4 Earnings 5 Urban people-movers 6 Karate level 7 Clutch 8 See eye-to-eye 9 Omega rival 10 Barrette 11 Livy’s “Lo!” 12 Dwarf buffalo

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

13 21 23 25 26 28 29 30 31 33 34 35 38 41 43 46 48 52 54 55 57 58 59 60 62 63 64 67 68

Give temporarily Thank you, in Kyoto Dewdrop — E. Coyote Fizzy drinks Cockpit button High-born Blackball Vampire’s shift Tennyson’s — Arden — diem Harvest wool George who was a she Balance Hence Mach 1 breakers Golden State coach Quick to take offense Tent dweller Type of jacket Confound it! San — (Riviera resort) Privy to (2 wds.) Decorated tinware Kind of collar Have a hunch One-and-only Armed conflict Lisa, to Bart

it’S ShOWtiME If we are to believe the nationwide viewership data of Kantar Media, then Kapamilya fans have all the reason to rejoice. According to the ratings data provider, the noontime show has been outperforming Eat Bulaga for five consecutive weeks now. That’s actually a first for over half a year. It makes perfect sense why It’s Showtime’s biggest competition is losing its audience.

Xian LiM The Kapamilya showed his emotional side when he cried during the press conference of the film Everything About Her. He said that all the nasty bashing gets to him. Wasn’t he told that he’s not the only target of trolls and fantards? Crying was a bit overboard, Xian. We understand your point but leave crying to Angel Locsin and Vilma Santos, please. JULian EStRaDa Gutsy radio jock Mo Twister tagged the political scion a douchebag and we perfectly understand why. In an obvious display of arrogance and self-entitlement, the television and movie star wannabe took to social media his shallow sentiments when a police officer stopped him while on the road for being shirtless. Arrogantly, Jules lambasted the police officer who was onl doing his job. As a result, reasonable people on social media bashed Estrada’s progeny. aLvin CaMPOManES You might have heard of his name, at least on the Internet due to his viral open letter addressed to film and television director Cathy Garcia-Molina. It’s easy to empathize with the educator/television talent because, the bottom line is, he was humiliated. But Mr. Campomanes is abusing this public sympathy he is getting making people think that he’s nothing but an attention seeker.

F RIDAY : JA NUA RY 2 2, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ViVa LiVe reunites circus, MinstreLs anew From c8

et ready for over the top singing and dancing, lots of romantic memories and a grand sing-along time as Viva Live brings back the famed Greatest Hits Circus Band and New Minstrels Reunion to their first ever concert at Kia Theater in Araneta Center, Quezon City. Titled Best of Our Love, the show stars Basil Valdez, Hajji Alejandro, Eugene Villaluz, Ray-An Fuentes, Ding Mercado, Louie Reyes, Pat Castillo, Jacqui Magno, Tillie Moreno and Ali Sotto on Feb. 13. This high-powered line-up will use their legendary singing talents to bring to life such famous songs as Basil’s “You,” Hajji’s “Tag-araw,” Eugene and Louie’s “Nothing I Want More,” Tillie and Ray-An’s “Umagang Kay Ganda,” Pat’s “Somewhere In Time” plus many others like songs by Earth, Wind and Fire, Carpenters, Natalie Cole and many others in grand production numbers. Basil, Hajji, Pat, Tillie and Jacqui all started their careers as members of the Circus Band. Eugene, Ding and Louie were with The New Minstrels. Ray-An was a member of both groups. Ali was with neither but before she turned to acting and radio broadcasting, she was a recording artist and lounge singer. Best of Our Love marks her return to performing.

(From left, back row) Basil Valdez, Ali Sotto, Hajji Alejandro, Jacqui Magno Ray-An Fuentes, and (front row) Tillie Moreno, Ding Mercado, Louie Reyes, Eugene Villaluz, and Pat Castillo

Tickets to Best of Our Love are available at TicketNet 911-5555 or at Viva Live 687-7236 P3300.00 VIP; P2500.00 Orchestra; P2000.00 Loge; and P1500.00 Balcony. HHHHH Heart dedicates art exHibit to dad There’s a reason why Heart Evangelista’s subjects on her paintings are fish and mermaids. According to Senator Chiz Escudero’s wife, she remembers those happy days when she was with her farther, Rey Ongpauco, on fishing expeditions. That was when she was just a little girl. “I used to go fishing with him,

Jennifer Lawrence flocked by Edgar Ramirez and Robert DeNiro in a scene from the movie

Lawrence and Ramirez play young couple in the family drama

SuCCeSS Story In ‘Joy’ The quote on family that says “No family is perfect. We argue, we fight. We even stop talking to each other at times, but in the end, family is family, the love will always be there” is all true in the upcoming modern-day true-tolife movie Joy starring Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence directed by acclaimed filmmaker David O. Russell that also stars Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Virginia Madsen, Edgar Ramirez, Isabella Rosselini, Diane Ladd and Dascha Polanco. Joy joins a long legacy of films about chasing dreams of success in business and family -- but it does so in its own comedic, emotional and inventive ways. The story began with the unlikely but reallife narrative of Joy Mangano, who in the 1990s became a new kind of television star and entrepreneurial powerhouse with a series of

when I was growing up, kasi gusto niya ng boy (na anak), so ginagawa niya kong boy. So, I’d hike with him, fish with him,” Heart told members of the media. Oceans Apart, that’s how she calls her exhibit at Ayala Museum on Jan. 30. It runs until Feb. 10. The paintings illustrate the happy childhood Heart spent with her father. Heart is very close to her father and she’s glad that her husband, Chiz, is getting along fine with him. “I am the happiest,” she captioned a photo on Instagram of her with her father and husband on New Year’s Eve.

Jennifer Lawrence

household inventions, including the famed, “self-wringing” Miracle Mop, which kicked-off the Long Island single mother’s ongoing business empire. The story – with its everyday contours but outsized dreams -grabbed the attention of David O. Russell, always drawn to that very specific mix. He saw in it the blossoming of a gutsy, ingenious woman and an inspiring story of someone taking a chance on long-buried dreams while never losing the sense of duty to family at her core.

Says Russell, “The idea that drew me was how do you tell the story of more than 40 years of a life, from the magic of childhood, through marriage, divorce and single parenthood, to going back to fulfilling on those childhood dreams? How do you tell the story of a person’s soul – and how that soul is comprised of all the people we love, the ideas we have, the things we cherish? Joy brings together all these pieces. You have trauma and love. You have a girl who grows up in her father’s metal garage and in her mother’s refuge of soap operas filled with strong women. You have a dreamer exhusband in the basement and is still a friend and a loving sister who is an envious rival. And you have a cable television station in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that becomes a factory of dreams. In the middle of it all, you see Joy develop a quietly fierce determination that sees her through.” Russell also saw Joy as the chance to tell a different kind of rise-to-riches story: the story of a business magnate’s emergence from a blue-collar

“I am the happiest. God you are so amazing. I knew it!! #happynewyear2016,” Heart wrote as the caption for the picture showing Chiz and her Daddy Rey kissing her on her cheeks. HHHHH starting tHe new Year rigHt As we embark and get ready for 2016, let’s start it off with the right footing, and it’s all about incorporating healthy habits into your life. One setback that we often face is the thought of revamping your entire diet to suit a healthier lifestyle, but more often, simple

adjustments like eating in moderation can help you get in the right track already – but juicing can take it up a notch. Juicing can add variety to your diet while helping you get the necessary nutrients from fruits and vegetables. And to get the best of juicing, the right kind of machine is vital. Hurom delivers that and so much more. Hurom Slow juicer’s advanced “Slow Squeezing Technology” produces pure juice, preserves enzyme and retains essential nutrients. It can squeeze various types of fruits and vegetables, can extract large amounts of juice at once and make mixed juices and smoothies. With Hurom HH Elite series slower 40 rpm, nutrients are further preserved and you get get 75 percent more juice. In effect, juices produced from a Hurom Slow Juicer have the natural flavor and nutrition of fresh fruits and vegetables. With the Hurom Slow Juicer, you are sure to have the best 365 days of your life. Check out Hurom Slow Juicer at leading department stores and appliance stores nationwide. For promos and updates visit www. hurom.ph and huromphofficial on facebook, Instagram and twitter.

Joy is anchored by strong performance of Lawrence who plays the main character Joy Mangano

domestic world still oft-ignored in cinematic epics. “Half or more of the movie is based on Joy Mangano, and the other half is based on daring women I’ve been aware of and read about for many years,” Russell explains. “That includes Lillian Vernon, who started the first big mail order catalogs for household products. It also includes numerous other women I’ve known, who dared to start ventures, some that succeeded and some that failed. I am fascinated by the kind of spirit that drives someone to start a venture out of their home and try to break a new path for themselves and their families. So many women throughout history have felt dead ended and had to carve out their own opportunities.” Because the film is created as a lived experience of Joy’s upand-down search for happiness, Joy is also Russell’s most visually inventive film. Joy’s everyday reality – and the constant tug-ofwar she faces between necessity and achievement – is punctuated in bursts by hyper-melodramatic

soap opera sequences, song-anddance, surreal daydreams and bewitching snowflakes. Russell muses, “In the soap opera world all these big, gothic, melodramatic things happen. People are constantly speaking about betrayal, treachery, money and death – so it’s like Gogol, Tolstoy or Dostoevsky. But soap operas are also often about bold women and aspiration, and that’s why they strike a chord.” Joy opens Feb. 17 in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

A collection of dramatic scenes from the film helmed by David O. Russell

F RIDAY : JA NUA RY 2 2, 2016

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

dennis trillo, solenn heussaff and Kit thompson immersed themselves in the bikers' world to portray their characters well

Dennis anD solenn heat up ‘Lakbay2Love’ ISAH V. RED Award-winning actor Dennis Trillo and Solenn Heussaff ignite the silver screen with their third and biggest team-up: the film, Lakbay2Love from Erasto Films. They first worked together in a TV commercial and were last seen in the family drama Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. L2L is a love story overflowing with kilig moments as well as hugot lines to convey the need to fall in love with nature. As added attractions, Dennis and Solenn, together with co-star Kit Thompson, immersed themselves in the world of bikers. They pedaled through scenic biking spots such as La Mesa Dam, Timberland Heights and Benguet, to bring

filmmaker Ellen ongkeko-marfil (second from left) with dennis, solenn and Kit.

to life the film’s environmentalthemed message. Dennis plays a forester and biker named Jay-R while Solenn portrays the role of videographer Lianne who is making a feature about climate change. A special friendship develops between them and, slowly, Lianne is able to recover from a heartbreak. But just as Lianne is starting to move on, her exboyfriend and Jay-R’s good friend Macky (played by Kit) returns to turn her world upside-down. Dennis is a real biker who has been into the sport since he was about eight years old. In fact, the actor had long wanted to portray a biker and his wish came true when director/producer Ellen OngkekoMarfil offered him the role. “I really love biking. This is what I usually do when I have free time. Even if I have work or shooting a movie, I make time to go biking. It is my form of rest,” he said. The star took to the role easily because, like Jay-R, he is fond of nature and concerned about the environment. For Ellen, no other actor could have played Jay-R. She describes him as perfect because aside from his professionalism, “He is 100 percent alpha male. He exudes mystery, a guy you cannot have so you are hooked forever.” Meanwhile, fans of Solenn will not be disappointed because her beauty radiates in the entire film. Her irresistible charisma shines through in her every scene. Behind Solenn’s beautiful face and sexy body lie a real trouper who is

willing to endure long travels and challenging weather conditions. Solenn discloses one unforgettable shoot, “We were supposed to shoot in a forest pero umuulan noong day na ‘yon. So everyone, including the bikers from different groups who were part of the scene, sumilong kami sa tents, nagsiksikan. Super fun! We were just eating ice cream and having fun!” Like Dennis, Solenn also found her role relatable. “I am always questioning my path so I relate to Lianne in that way. Plus Lianne is mahilig sa boys. Ako rin!” Ellen explains Solenn’s natural but undeniable appeal this way, “Solenn is softly in control and can put on the sexiest act even. But if you meet her, she is almost child-like, an Audrey Hepburn— she of classic innocence!” Beyond the sophisticated goddess image, the director says that what the public will see is a vulnerable Solenn. As Katti Sta. Ana, founder of the bikers’group Firefly Brigade said after a preview, “Totong-totoo siya.” Completing the L2L love triangle is Pinoy Big Brother discovery Kit Thompson whose manliness can unnerve even the most confident woman. But, the staff members swear, when Kit clasped hands with Solenn for a scene, the guy seemed so nervous and smitten. L2L is the third released movie of award-winning writer, producer and director Ellen. Her debut Pusang Gala won for her a Docker’s First Feature Award at the San Francisco

dennis trillo as biker and forester Jay-R

Frameline Film Festival. Her second, Boses, has toured many international film fests, won several awards and continues to be screened here and abroad since its release in 2008. In the name of love for romance and love for the environment, join Dennis, Solenn and Kit in their Lakbay2Love opening in cinemas on Feb. 3. Check out and listen to Dennis and Solenn’s duet of the song “Overdrive” by Eraserheads, where this time, the word “drive” has been changed to “bike,” just as the biking communities are growing fast in various places in the country. Listen to the OST of almost a dozen songs, including Kai Honasan’s “Liwanag” and the newly launched “Kilig” by Solenn, written and composed by Edward Fernandez of Gig Manila. The film is supported by La Mesa Ecopark, Timberland Heights, 7-Eleven, Firefly Brigade and the Cordillera Conservation Trust. For more information, log on to facebook.com/Lakbay2Love, www.lakbay2love.com.ph ➜ Continued on C7

solenn heussaff plays videographer lianne dennis trillo

solenn heussaff

Ellen ongkekomarfil

Photos by EnniE REyEs and couRtEsy of ERasto films