The Standard - 2016 February 23 - Tuesday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXX NO. 13 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 TUESday : FEBRUaRy 23, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Poe gets praise for views on poverty

RECEIPTS, PLEASE Force Comelec to enable paper audit, court asked

By Rey E. Requejo and Sandy Araneta

A SENATORIAL candidate on Monday asked the Supreme Court to compel the Commission on Elections to activate a paper audit for the votecounting machines that will be used in the May elections, as a new survey showed that 39 percent of Filipinos expect cheating to take place at the polls.

In his petition, former senator Richard Gordon, who is seeking a Senate seat this year, said the Comelec’s decision to scrap the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail disregarded the required security features set out under the Automated Elections System Law, which he wrote. The seven Comelec commissioners earlier decided to scrap the VVPAT because it could be used

as a tool for vote buying and would also extend the voting period by seven hours. Gordon filed his petition as a new Pulse Asia survey showed that only about half of Filipinos (49 percent) expect the May elections to be clean because the counting of votes is automated. On this question, 36 percent said they were undecided, while 15 percent said automation would not make the elections credible.

On a separate question, a sizable plurality (39 percent) said they expect cheating to take place. Only 29 percent said they believed no cheating would take place, while 32 percent were unsure. Among those expecting cheating to occur, a sizable majority (65 percent) said vote-buying is most likely to happen. This was the predominant view in all geographic areas and socioeconomic classes. Next page

Testing. This file photo shows a Comelec official testing an updated model of the Precinct Count Optical Scan machine at the Marikina High School on Jan. 29 this year. JANSEN ROMERO

Fishermen blast Mar proposal on funding

Bets refuse to break bread after debate By Christine F. Herrera and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

ILIGAN CITY—On camera, the five presidential candidates were cordial to one another, shook hands, hugged and raised each other’s hand, but off camera, they refused to break bread. Before the debate, they made small talk and shared snacks on camera.

But shortly after the two-hour debate Sunday night, the candidates parted ways and skipped sharing a table for dinner together, debate organizers said. The caterer Sentro 1850 was told to send the food instead to the five separate holding rooms for the presidential bets. All camps gave excuses to skip the dinner.

Senator Grace Poe of Partido Galing at Puso said she had to see her supporters. She had ordered food good for 1,000 supporters from Pepper Lunch at Centrio, the city’s Ayala Mall, organizers said. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago said she was tired, while Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Next page

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PH backs US call for other navies to visit China sea By Vito Barcelo

THE Philippines said Monday it supports the US call on other countries to conduct their own “freedom of navigation” naval operations within 12 nautical miles of contested islands in the South China Sea.

Petition. Former Senator Richard Gordon asked the Supreme Court on Monday to require the Commission on Elections to activate the Voter Verification Paper Audit Trail feature of the vote-counting machines to prevent cheating during the elections. Ey AcAsio

Bets... From A1

Jejomar Binay said they were unaware of the dinner plans and already scheduled dinners with their supporters. Each camp was allocated 20 seats in the Cagayan Capitol College theater for the first of three scheduled presidential debates was held. But the organizer said the camp of the ruling Liberal Party’s candidate Manuel Roxas II did not want his core group to be identified. One of those on his list of guests was businessman and mining executive Eric Gutierrez, who figured in a recent controversy for allowing Roxas to use his airplane. The Liberals immediately denied having used the plane for free. Former National Food Authority chairman Lito Banayo and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III were seen in the entourage of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan. Vice President Jejomar Binay’s running mate, Senator Gregorio Honasan; his daughter Senator Nancy Binay; United Nationalist Alliance president Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco; Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla, prominent lawyer and Kabayan Party List Group nominee Harry Roque; and Binay’s campaign manager former Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez were seated in the slots reserved for the Binay camp. Poe’s spokesman Valenzuela City Rep. Rex Gatchalian was seated in the area reserved for her camp while Senator Miriam Santiago’s husband Narciso was in her corner. An ambulance was on standby. Amid criticism that the televised

debate featured too many commercials, Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista said they would study the possibility of reducing their number in the next leg of debates, in the Visayas. In a phone interview, Bautista said that the public should consider the cost that the media groups are incurring. “To be fair to them, they need to recoup this, so we need to find a balance,” Bautista said in a phone interview. The online news service MindaNews on Monday said 48 minutes or 35.5 percent of the entire 135-minute debate, were taken up by advertisements spread across six commercial breaks of eight minutes each. MindaNews said there were 117 ad placements during the debate, seven of them campaign ads of the presidential candidates, except for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte; and three from the Commission on Elections. Bautista said the three Comelec commercials were all free of charge. Binay, Poe and Roxas had two ad placements each, while Santiago only had one. Duterte had none. Still, Duterte generated the most buzz on Twitter, with 322,000 tweets; Binay placed second with 212,000 tweets, Roxas with 78,000, Poe with 69,000 and Santiago with 65,000. Senatorial candidates Francis Tolentino and Martin Romualdez also had two ad placements each while Senator Ralph Recto had one. Duterte asked hosts Jessica Soho and Mike Enriquez of GMA if they would be given additional time so the candidates could talk at length about their platform of governance. “We’re good until 9 [p.m.]... Give us time to explain further what we’d like to present to the people,” he said.

“The Philippines reiterates its previous position that the United States’ freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea and similar actions are fully consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and the rule of law, of which the Philippines has been a staunch advocate,” the Foreign Affairs Department said in a statement Monday. Foreign affairs spokesperson Charles Jose earlier said there is a collective need to protect and uphold international law in the South China Sea in response to “illegal, unilateral and expansive behavior that undermines security, not only in Asian region, but potentially for the whole world as well.” “Failure to challenge false claims of sovereignty would undermine this order and lead China to the false conclusion that its claims are accepted as a fait accompli,” he said. The Unclos is a guide for the behavior of countries in the world’s oceans covering all marine activities and providing the definition of maritime Mindanawon wondered why only one Mindanao-specific issue were asked and why only two of the five presidential candidates were given the opportunity to say their piece on the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Former Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said he hopes that the next presidential debate will give the candidates more time to answer. “Any constructive criticism can be used to help improve the debate. What’s important is, the candidates can be able to answer questions and expound on their plan for their country,” Larrazabal said in phone interview. The youth group Anakbayan on Monday slammed the presidential candidates for virtually ignoring education and other youth issues. “On top of featuring mostly motherhood statements and lack of a deeper discussion of platforms, it would seem that our [presidential candidates] have forgotten about education and other issues close to the heart of the Filipino youth,” said Anakbayan national chairman Vencer Crisostomo. Anakbayan warned that the presidential hopefuls ignore the youth’s legitimate demands at their own peril as youth voters compose 40 percent of the total registered voters in the 2016 elections. The youth group also reserved special attention for Roxas for defending President Aquino and justifying the continuation of the current administration’s programs. “Another six years of daang matuwid under Mar Roxas means the perpetuation of tuition hikes, mushrooming school fees, intensified commercialization of education and more suffering for the Filipino youth and people,” said Crisosotmo.

zones; the establishment of boundaries; the assignment of duties and responsibilities of nations; as well as a machinery for the settlement of sea disputes. In Sydney, US Navy’s Seventh Fleet commander Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin urged Australia to conduct its own “freedom of navigation” operations in high-level talks with defense leaders, which discussed growing concerns over China’s military expansion in the South China Sea. Beijing claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes yearly. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. Last month, a US Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Parcels group, and in November, two B-52 bombers flew near the disputed territory. The air and sea patrols have angered Beijing. In Australia, Aucoin said Australia and other allies should also send warships to conduct similar operations within 12 nautical miles of the disputed islands. “What we’re trying to ensure is that all countries, no matter size or strength, can pursue their interests based on the law of the sea and not have that endangered by some of these actions,” reports quoted Aucoin as saying. “It’s up to those countries, but I think it’s in our best interests to make sure that those sea lines remain open.” Tensions in the region have been heightened by reports that China has installed surface-to-air missiles on Woody Island, part of the Paracels.

Receipts... From A1

The second most often mentioned form of cheating was tampering with the precinct count optical scan machines (37 percent). Other forms of cheating mentioned were the presence of flying voters, attempts to change the actual vote count, and the replacement of ballots inserted into the PCOS machines. Fewer respondents mentioned physical threats or the stealing of PCOS machines. The Pulse Asia survey also asked respondents if they would vote for politicians who already have relatives in office. About a third (32 percent) said they would and a third (34 percent) said they wouldn’t. The rest were undecided. Also on Monday, the Comelec asked IT expert Jim Battung to specify which algorithm in the automated election system was vulnerable to hacking. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said they never claimed that the vote-counting machines could not be hacked. “In fact, one of the things that we always say is that if anyone tells you that they have a system that is unhackable, they are either incompetent or lying, so we’ve never said that,” he said. Battung, a telecommunication engineer who served as Transportation and Communications undersecretary during the Ramos administra-

tion, said the poll body should be concerned with the VCM’s algorithms rather than their source code. Jimenez said Battung should be more specific so that the Comelec could look into the matter. In his petition, Gordon said the Comelec was a “recidivist” in violating the Automated Elections System Law. “The last two automated elections in the country have not been credible because of its failure to implement the safeguards such as presenting the source code for review, the use of digital signatures was disabled and the random manual audit was announced. Because of this continued failure, the integrity of the elections has not been restored as the automated elections law intended. This has got to stop,” Gordon said. Gordon said Congress had the constitutional duty to protect the sanctity of the ballot, which is why he ensured that safeguards were incorporated into the automated election law. “Several safeguards were put in place to ensure the sanctity of the ballot. Among these safeguards was the VVPAT. A voter verified paper audit trail consists of physical paper records of voter ballots as voters have cast them on an electronic voting system. The voter-verified part refers to the fact that the voter is given the opportunity to verify that the choices indicated on the paper record correspond to the choices that the voter has made in casting the ballot,” he said.

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Binay camp denies LP bet’s claim THE camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday criticized Liberal Party presidential bet Manuel Roxas II for saying Makati was a drug haven while the poverty there continued in a bid to get political mileage during the presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro City on Sunday. “Under Binay’s leadership the poverty incidence in Makati declined dramatically. No other presidential candidate can claim that,” Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado said. He said Makati was consistent in fighting illegal drugs, and that from 17,630 in 2000 the number of poor families in Makati dropped to only 2,645 in 2012. Salgado made his statement even as Binay vowed to bring lasting peace and progress in Mindanao once elected president— something that he said the Aquino administration had failed to do. “In the last four years Mindanao has taken a backseat, seeing very little in terms of development. But this will soon change under a Binay administration which plans to encourage investors, pursue reforms and provide support for infrastructure development in the region,” Binay said. “Peace will be realized. I will use my experience to make all parties agree.

If there is peace, there is progress in the entire country.” Salgado said Makati residents were being provided a wide range of services: from free workbooks, bags and uniform to scholarships and a skills-matching program that ensured employment for the graduates of the University of Makati. Makati residents were also receiving free medical and hospitalization. “Experience is what our country needs and Vice President Binay has lots of it as compared to the other candidates. He is the only candidate with a track record of reducing poverty,” Salgado said. He said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency had consistently cited Makati for its programs against illegal drugs. “Makati has been consistently recognized by PDEA for its anti-drug campaign, which is considered a best practice in enlisting communities in the fight against drugs,” Salgado said. Vito Barcelo

On the stump. Senator Grace Poe is shown here campaigning in Valencia City in Bukidnon on Monday. Jay MOrales

Poe praised on her views on poverty A MEMBER of the Makabayan Bloc on Monday praised presidential candidate Grace Poe’s views on agricultural development and food security during the presidential debate organized by the Commission on Elections in Cagayan de Oro City on Sunday. Anakpawis party-list Rep. Fernando Hicap also praised Poe’s statement that the majority of the hungry Filipinos are in countryside, that farmers who cultivate rice even buy rice, and that at least P70 billion of the coconut levy funds should be used for the benefit of farmers. Poe is the presidential candidate backed by Anakpawis and other militant groups such as Bayan Muna whose representative, Neri Colmenares, is running under Poe’s Partido Galing At Puso. Poe on Sunday promised a bigger chunk of the national budget to support infrastructure projects in impoverished Mindanao. She said there had to be a trans-

parent, inclusive and sustainable development in Mindanao where 10 of the poorest provinces in the country could be found. She cited the need to have a sufficient supply of cheap electricity for our people. “That’s what we are going to do: We will rehabilitate our dams. We will watch our transmission grids,” Poe said. She also said there should be enough jobs for the Mindanaoans. Hicap said he was hopeful a Poe presidency would be able to address the fundamental issues hounding the poor including poverty, unemployment, and having no land to build a home on. He said the other presidential candidates were not able to present their platforms of government clearly. “Nobody touched the issue of landlessness as if they were scared to upset the persisting property relations in the countryside,” Hicap said.

“With the farmers not owning their land, any agricultural program is doomed to benefit landlords, thus failing in its objective of alleviating poverty.” Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Hicap said the poverty incidence increased from 18.8 percent in 2013 to 20 percent in 2014, or from 24.6 to 25.8 million families. He lambasted Liberal Party candidate Manuel Roxas II’s claim that about two million families had been uplifted from poverty. Hicap said the reason for Roxas’ claim was that the government modified its standard on poverty statistics by changing the poverty threshold from P52 to P46 per day in 2011. “If Roxas could boast that a Filipino with 50 pesos or 60 pesos in his pocket is already not poor, his mindset is really wicked and he does not deserve to be president,” Hicap said. Maricel V. Cruz and Macon ramos-araneta

Fishermen slam Roxas over low-cost loans

Protest. Teachers and students protested against the K to 12 program before the Supreme Court on Monday.

A FISHERMEN’S group on Monday slammed Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II for saying the way to ease their poverty was to give them low-interest loans during the first presidential debates in Cagayan de Oro City on Sunday. In a statement, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipi-

nas, an alliance of fishermen’s organizations in the Philippines, said Roxas’ solution to their problem was an insult. “The fisherfolk are already buried in debt due to the high cost of production. Is he out of his mind?” Pamalakaya vice chairman Salvador France said. “The main reason why fisherfolk suffer from

poverty...is the lack of government support and services that will [help] uplift their lives.” Pamalakaya said the high cost of production and the backward fishing technologies in the country were the reasons fishermen remained the poorest of the poor. “Roxas is really a disappointment,” France said.

“From the time he filed his Certificate of Candidacy last year we already closed our doors on him [because] he was no longer in contention in the 2016 presidential race. “He is just the extension of President Aquino’s ‘Daang Matuwid’ which gives nothing to the Filipino people.” sandy araneta

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Alert up vs terror attacks in Asia

Call for justice. Family and friends of 74 slipper factory workers who were killed in a fire in Valenzuela City last May rallied outside the Department of Justice in Manila to demand accountability for the loss of lives. DANNY PATA

Boy killed, 34 injured in Kudarat town blast By Florante S. Solmerin A SIX-year-old boy was killed while 34 others were wounded after still unidentified perpetrators lobbed two grenades at a town fair in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat early Sunday evening, security forces reported Monday. “our initial report said hand grenades were thrown by unidentified perpetrators. one exploded and the other did not explode and recovered by responding military and police personnel,” Capt. JoAnn Petinglay, spokesperson of the Army’s Sixth Infantry division, said in a telephone interview. In a separate report, esper-

anza town police director Chief Inspector Bryan Benardino said they were in custody of one of three men who are suspected of lobbing the grenades at the fair grounds near the town market around 8:15 p.m. Sunday. Bernardino identified the sole fatality as six-year-old Anton John Antonio, who was having

a snack at the fair when the grenade exploded and the shrapnel hit him in the head. one of the 34 victims was in critical condition at press time, he added. “eighteen of the wounded were still in the hospital. There were also 16 persons who sustained slight injuries and opted to go home after treated of their wounds,” he said. He said two of the suspects are believed to have come from Maguindanao province, but he did not elaborate because of the pending investigation. Bernardino said the attack may have been due to a grudge against the operator of the fair, but the authorities are not discounting the possibility that the

‘Fire out’ at Calaca LPG plant

THe accidental fire at a liquefied petroleum gas storage facility in the coastal town of Calaca in Batangas has been effectively contained, according to the company that owns the facility. “The fire that started around 4:00 p.m. Saturday was suppressed by 4:00 a.m. Sunday, at which point the fire marshal simply decided to allow the residual gas in the tanks to safely and gradually burn off,” said engineer Ronie Badidles, spokesperson for South Pacific Inc. “There is nothing burning in the facility now, except the flare headers of the affected tanks,” Badidles said, adding that flare headers are safety devices on top of the tanks used to burn

off the gas in a controlled manner during unplanned overpressuring of the tanks due to excessive heat. There were no fatalities, but two company employees were hurt when they first responded to the fire, he said. “They were injured as they bravely tried to put out the initial flames. But they’re now okay and resting in the hospital. They did not suffer any burns,” Badidles said. only company-owned property were damaged by the fire, he said, referring to the storage tanks and the products inside. “The storage facility in particular and the entire Phoenix industrial park in general were purposely built in isolation

from residential areas for safety reasons, so at no point were communities in harm’s way even at the height of the blaze,” Badidles said. Just the same, he said the company “deeply apologizes to the residents of Calaca for the unease and the disturbance caused by fire engines roaring in to quell the flames.” “LPG is the second-cleanest fuel after natural gas, so air pollution was never an issue during the fire. In fact, we burn the cooking gas in our homes every day,” Badidles said. Compared to coal, gasoline, and diesel fuel, he said LPG produces the least amount of carbon dioxide into the air when burned.

attack was carried out by the renegade Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. Sixth Infantry division commander Maj. Gen. edmundo Pangilinan said he has ordered intelligence officers from the 601st Brigade to help the police and determine whether the attack was part of a supposed BIFF mission to avenge the killing of 18 members in clashes in Maguindanao last week. In the past three days alone, Pangilinan said military ordnance experts defused 14 improvised roadside bombs BIFF forces planted along farm trails in the the Maguindanao towns of datu Salibo, datu Piang and datu Saudi.

No plunder. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Ferdinand Rojas answers questions about the plunder filed against him and several other PCSO board members at Kapihan sa Manila Hotel news forum on Monday. EY ACASIO

AS IndoneSIAn security forces cracked down on suspected jihadists over the weekend, Australia warned of a possible terror attack in Kuala Lumpur, fueling fears of a revival of jihadism across Southeast Asia. Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan told The Australian Southeast Asian communities were grappling with Islamic State-style radicalization, attack planning, and a tide of Muslims traveling to Syria to fight for the terror group. “It’s been clear for some time we’ve been seeing a deteriorating security picture in the region,” Keenan said. “[our neighbours] are subject to the same threats that we’ve seen in Australia. IS has been recruiting their citizens to go to fight in the war zone and it’s also been encouraging their citizens to carry out attacks at home.’’ Australian officials now regard Southeast Asia as the emerging battleground with Islamic State and issued on Monday an advisory to their nationals in Malaysia to be wary of terror attacks, like that in Jakarta last month. “Terrorists may be planning attacks in and around Kuala Lumpur,” Australia’s department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in its latest advice issued late Sunday. “Attacks could be indiscriminate and may target Western interests or locations frequented by Westerners. You should be particularly vigilant at this time.” The advisory, which did not raise the overall threat level for the country from “exercise normal safety precautions”, said there was “an ongoing threat of terrorism in Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur and other major cities”. It noted that Malaysian authorities had arrested a number of people allegedly involved in planning attacks, including, it said, against entertainment venues in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian police said late last month they had arrested seven alleged Islamic State militants plotting violence, including one who had allegedly been in contact with Indonesian extremist Bahrun naim. AFP

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Romualdez: Probe SSS finances By Maricel V. cruz In a bid to solidify the campaign to extend “malasakit” (compassion) to around two million Social Security System retirees, senatorial candidate Rep. Martin Romualdez of Leyte filed a resolution pressing the state-pension fund to justify its opposition to efforts in Congress to override the presidential veto on the proposed P2,000 monthly increase in the pension of senior citizens.

Here comes the son. Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. receivesa rousing welcome from his supporters during a campaign sortie in Alabang, Muntinlupa City on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. EY AcAsio

Tower bombings linked to polls our people and treat this as a grave problem by taking more decisive and concertVICe presidential candidate Ferdinand ed actions,” Marcos stressed. “Bongbong” r. Marcos Jr. on Monday Cynthia Alabanza, spokesperson of said the bombings of transmission lines the nGCP, was earlier quoted as saying could be related to the forthcoming May “(w)e have observed an escalation, and we are honestly worried about the elecelections. “I don’t want to speculate but I could tions. It’s very difficult to conduct elecnot help but suspect because no less than tions in darkness or by candlelight. how the national Grid Corporation of the can people exercise their right to vote? Philippines had raised the alarm over It’s a presidential election pa, so we are the escalation of incidents and its rela- very concerned.” Marcos said the Inter-Agency task tion to the upcoming elections. So I am Force created to secure the transmisextremely worried,” Marcos stressed. Marcos issued the statement in the light sion towers should make a periodic of the series of bombing of transmission report on what its members have been lines in Mindanao and just recently two doing to stop the bombings and the transmission towers of wind farms in Ilo- status of the repairs made on the damaged towers. cos norte. he said because of its possible impact “our leaders should assuage the fears of

By Macon Araneta

on the elections, the incidents should be acted upon more resolutely by the government. “We need swift and determined action on this very serious problem because it will affect the credibility of the elections. We might have more serious problems later on,” he pointed out. As a start, Marcos pointed out, those responsible for the bombings must be arrested and charged in court. “What is the status of the investigations done? have we made arrests? We have to show people that we are doing something to prosecute those behind it because otherwise it will just embolden those responsible to attack more towers,” he stressed. he added that a round-the-clock security mechanism should be put in place to guard the towers.

romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, filed house resolution 2638 urging the SSS to disclose its current and real financial standing. “to date, the SSS has not released any documentary basis or proof to support the supposed financial incapability and possible bankruptcy,” romualdez, head of the house Independent Bloc and a threeterm congressman who is running for the Senate under a platform anchored on compassionate governance, said romualdez in filing the resolution. romualdez was among the 75 lawmakers who co-authored the resolution of Bayan Muna party-list rep. neri Colmenares seeking to override the presidential veto on house Bill 5842 that was by the house of representatives in June 2015 and was adopted in toto by the Senate last november. “these alibis come on the heels of multimillion salaries and bonuses to top SSS officials and exposes of the System’s receivables and actual funds,” romualdez, shared senatorial candidate of Vice President Jejomar Binay, Davao City Mayor rodrigo Duterte and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago who are all running for president, said. romualdez said the SSS must be able to provide Congress and the Filipino people cogent reasons that will justify its claims of financial incapability and possible bankruptcy as early as 2029. “the continued failure of the SSS to come out in public with their financial records could not mean anything else but its refusal to grant the P2,000 monthly pension despite the fact that it will be a big help in easing the plight of its pensioners,” romualdez stressed, even as he lamented the present P1,000 to P1,200 minimum SSS pension since 1997.

Educators junk K12 program trenchment of employees is the outright measure set forth without discussion Another group of educators prodded of other measures prior to retrenchthe Supreme Court on Monday to speed ment. this is contrary to the rule that up the resolution of petitions seeking retrenchment is a measure of last resort.” to stop the K to 12 education program, Last week, a group of parents and which is set to be implemented this teachers from Manila Science high school year. School filed a similar pleading with the the Council of teachers and Staff of high court. Colleges and Universities of the Philipthey also claimed there is extreme pines said it is extremely urgent for the urgency for the high court to act on high court to rule on the case as affected their petition since colleges and uniteachers stand to lose employment be- versities are already conducting their cause of the implementation of repub- entrance tests. lic Act no. 10533 (the enhanced Basic In their petition, the groups argued education Act) and Department of edu- that the K-12 law violated their constication order no. 31. tutional rights to due process and equal According to petitioners, their mem- protection. bers from University of Santo tomas they also assailed the lack of conand St. Louis University are already in sultation with parents and teachers danger of being retrenched and suffer ir- prior to the issuance of the order. reparable injury if the SC fails to resolve Petitioners also accused the Deped of their plea for issuance of temporary re- usurping legislative powers in issuing straining order to halt the program. order no. 31, which implemented the they reiterated their argument that K-12 Basic education Curriculum and their rights would be violated: “re- Senior high School.

By Rey E. Requejo

American expansion. Iglesia Ni Cristo Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo is set to

inaugurate this house of worship in Orange Park, Florida this March. The new church seats 162 people in its main hall.

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Oil prices rise amid output freeze By Alena Mae S. Flores

Oil players raised prices this week by as much as P1.30 per liter after speculations of production freeze cropped up in the global oil market last week. The oil firms issued separate price advisories of the increase amounting to P1.30 per liter for diesel and kerosene and P0.95 per liter for gasoline, reversing the price rollback last Feb. 16. Eastern Petroleum Corp., in its advisory, said it will hike the price of diesel and gasoline by P1.30 and P0.95 per liter, respectively, at 6 a.m. Tuesday. PTT Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines and Seaoil

Philippines also issued separate advisories of the oil price increase. Other oil companies are expected to follow suit. “Traders speculate that Russia is in talks with Saudi to freeze production to January levels although Saudi said it will only agree provided that the oil-producing countries will freeze production,” Energy director for Oil Industry Management Bureau Melita Obillo said.

Oversupply of US crude stock reaching 504.1 million barrels, increased output of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the slowdown in demand from China has led to the significant decline in world oil prices since mid-2014. “We expect oil prices will continue to fluctuate between $20 per barrel [operational stress level] and $40 per barrel [financial stress level] with significant volatility and no price trend until second half of 2016,” Goldman Sachs said. It noted that the overhang in oil supplies together with an economic slowdown in China, means prices will remain low until the second half of the year.

The department said that despite report of talks to reduce production, competition between Opec members still appears to be fierce, with producers fighting for market share by lowering prices as Iran offered its crude to Asia at a discount to rival Opec producer Saudi Arabia. Iran also cut its heavy crude price for export to the Mediterranean by a larger amount compared with top exporter Saudi Arabia as Tehran seeks to attract more buyers after sanctions were lifted. Most local oil companies cut domestic oil prices last Feb. 16 of P1.40 per liter for gasoline, P0.70 per liter for diesel and P0.90 per liter for kerosene.

As this developed, Obillo said supply of liquefied petroleum gas is expected to remain stable despite the fire that engulfed South Pacific Inc.’s facility in Calaca, Batangas. Obillo said supply coming from South Pacific, a company led by Rep. Arnel Ty, is not large enough to affect demand. South Pacific is a new locator at the Phoenix Petroterminals Industrial Park engaged in the importation and wholesale distribution of LPG. A fire broke out at the South Pacific LPG plant at about 4 p.m. on Feb. 20. The fire was contained within the plant at 4 a.m. of Feb. 21.

Reds go back to old deadly tricks—PNP By Francisco Tuyay

ThE Philippine National Police said the New People’s Army has reverted to its old guerilla tactics to boost its weapons’ arsenal by way of killing cops and snatching their firearms (“agaw armas”). PNP Chief Ricardo Marquez said this NPA tactic came to the fore after the rebels launched a series of killings of policemen in the countryside and even urban centers which left eight cops dead and a dozens of others wounded and their issued firearms taken this week. “In the past, that’s the way they demonstrate it. They’re still a force to reckon with,” Marquez said. NPA rebels in Cagayan staged a daring ambush on a police convoy responding to a distress call from a project construction manager after rebels torched equipment at the outskirts of Baggao town and killed six policemen. Two days later, NPA rebels waylaid a police prowl car responding to a stabbing incident in Negros Occidental

killing two policemen. Marquez advised policemen to observe the rules and safety procedures in responding to crime situation and other forms of distress calls that could be a ploy by NPA rebels. he said the Cagayan incident could be a form of extortion by the NPA against legitimate businessmen. As to the possible resurgence of NPA hit squad, Marquez said they have not seen any indication that NPA rebels have been resorting to “’agaw-armas,” but reminded field policemen, particularly in urban centers, to be on the alert. Marquez said he would fly to Cagayan to find out whether police officers have committed lapses in the province in relation to the ambush in Negros island. “We have deployed a security investigation team there, but the investigation is not yet completed. We will check if operational lapses were committed by our units on the ground so that we will learn from our experiences,” Marquez said.

From womb to tomb services. Manila Mayor Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada and city manager Roberto Bernardo lead the groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 22 at the Manila North Cemetery for his P90-million initiative to build Columbarium, apartment- type crypt, and City Funeral Homes, free of charge for Manila residents.

Ban on plastic, poison-laced tarpaulins proposed By Joel E. Zurbano ENvIRONMENTAL group Ecowaste Coalition on Monday said it has found cadmium, a cancer-causing substance, in plastic tarpaulins used by candidates as election campaign materials. “Plastic tarpaulins have become extremely popular for all types of advertising and promotion. The use of tarps by politicians running for the May polls is a case in point,” said Ecowaste coordinator Aileen Lucero. “But, the problem goes beyond the huge volume of tarps hanging on unauthorized places like bridges, cables, lamp posts and trees that have to be laboriously removed by the Metro Manila Development Authority and Public Works De-

partment workers,” she noted. Lucero said most tarpaulins, especially those made of polyvinyl chloride plastic, contain hazardous additives such as cadmium, a carcinogenic substance that is among the 10 chemicals of major public health concern of the World health Organization. She cited the results of the chemical screening conducted by their group on 300 pieces of campaign tarps from various national and local candidates that were among those removed by the MMDA because they were posted outside the common poster area. All of the 300 tarpaulins were found to contain cadmium in the range of 697 to 1,921 parts per million, way above the European

Union’s 100 ppm limit for cadmium in plastics. “While developed economies have adopted measures to ban cadmium in all plastics, the Philippines has yet to follow suit,” Lucero said. Lucero also cited the European Commission Regulation No. 494/2011, which prohibits manufacturers from placing mixtures and articles produced from plastic material containing cadmium “equal to or greater than 0,01 percent by weight,” or 100 ppm. “We need to ban the intentional use of cadmium-based pigments and stabilizers in all plastics, including tarps and packaging materials, to protect the public health and reduce the amount of cadmium that enters the waste streams,

which, at the end of the day, will get dispersed into the environment,” she said. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, “products containing cadmium are not typically collected separately from the general waste stream in developing countries. Therefore cadmium discards will end up in municipal waste and disposed of in landfills, incineration, open burning or indiscriminate dumping.” “Some of the cadmium in these products will be released to the environment, the extent of which depends on disposal method, control technologies applied and other factors,” UNEP stated. Scientific studies have linked

long-term exposure to cadmium to high blood pressure, age-related macular degeneration, and cancer of the breast, lung and kidney, which is considered the critical target organ for toxicity of cadmium in humans, Cadmium is classified as “carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. To decrease global environmental cadmium releases and reduce occupational and environmental exposure to cadmium and associated health effects, the WhO has recommended, among other things, the “[reduction] as far as is practicable emissions of cadmium—particularly into surface waters.”

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Pangasinan cop shoots man high on drugs By Florante S. Solmerin A POLICEMAN shot dead a man believed to be under the influence of illegal drugs who had taken some 30 passengers inside a bus in Villasis, Pangasinan, the provincial police office said Monday. Senior Police Officer Herminigildo Ramos, a member of the Urdaneta City Police Office, shot the unidentified man after almost 20 minutes of negotiations. Ramos chanced upon the bus after observing the traffic jam along McArthur Highway, Barangay Bacag, at around 4 a.m. Monday. In his personal account of the incident, Ramos said he decided to take the shot that killed the man instantly “to prevent greater damage to properties and possible loss of lives of passengers.” Investigators said they recovered a sachet of shabu from suspect’s pocket who was brought to Ideal Funeral homes in Barangay Carmen, Rosales, Pangasinan. They said the man purportedly stole a jitney-type vehicle (PGG-299) in Baragay Maligaya, Tarlac City, Tarlac and headed north direction. “When the suspect arrived at Barangay Bacag the front wheel of the vehicle had blown off prompting the suspect to leave it in the middle of the highway. SPO1 Ramos was then on his way to report for duty in Urdaneta City when he noticed the suspect walking in the middle of the highway armed with a wrench, blocking and hitting vehicles passing by. Ramos alighted from his motorcycle and approached the man. He identified himself as a police officer. The suspect ignored him and tried to attack him,” police investigators said. Ramos cautiously followed the man and continues to appeal for his peaceful surrender.

Leaving home. Residents evacuate their homes after a petrochemicals plant in Barangay Salong, Calaca, Batangas was hit by fire. DANNY PATA

GenSan airport to house disaster response center By Eric B. Apolonio

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has partnered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the United Nations World Food Programme for the construction of the Disaster Response Center for Mindanao at the General Santos International Airport complex. The agreement was finalized last week during a site visit by Undersecretary Vilma B. Cabrera, OPG-Protective Programs-DSWD; Mads Vejlstrup, Special Opera-

tion project manager, UN WFP and CAAP deputy director general for Administration, retired general Artemio Orozco. CAAP will provide the lot in the General Santos City

Airport while the UN WFP will fund the construction and manage the DRC for two years, after which the DRC will be handed over to the Government of the Philippines through the DSWD as vice chairman for the Disaster Response Pillar of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The response center will include a warehouse in which to store disaster relief goods, offices for the humanitarian clusters, and a training center for disaster operations personnel. The facility is a Philippine government-UN initia-

tive to improve disaster response mechanisms, and to provide more efficient and timely response to future disaster-affected area. The World Food Programme is the food assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security. DSWD is also in close coordination with the other lead agencies in the Response Cluster such as the Department of National Defense for telecommunications and logistics, Department of Health for medical and

health emergency services, Department of Education on safety plans and alternative learning spaces for students during disasters, and Armed Forces of the Philippines for search, rescue, and retrieval operations. General Santos Airport manager Allan Punay said that airport is the biggest of the 81 airports being managed by CAAP with an area of over 600 hectares and a single 3,200-meter runway capable of accommodating for landing the biggest commercial aircraft in the world, the double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner Airbus A380.

Lawmaker wants to waive farmers’ irrigation fees By Maricel V. Cruz A HOUSE leader has asked the National Irrigation Administration to waive the irrigation service fees to be paid by the farmers in the province of Cotabato in the light of the adverse effects of El Niño phenomenon that will affect the country this year. North Cotabato Rep. Jose Tejada, in filing House Resolution 2656, said his province was identified by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration as one of

the provinces with the highest El Niño vulnerability for rice crop. “The current weather pattern in the Philippines reinforces the announcement of Pagasa that a strong El Niño event is already taking place, affecting the dry season rice crop,”Tejada, vice chairman of the House committee on agriculture and food, said. Tejada said the ongoing strong El Niño condition was at its peak during the November-December-January 2015/2016 planting season and may continue up to the May-June-July

2016 planting season. The Mindanao solon cited the warning raised by the International Rice Research Institute over food security in the country as the El Niño phenomenon wreaks havoc across the vast agricultural areas, leaving staple crops such as rice dying in parched earth. Tejada said based on the assessment and conveyed in a January 2016 report by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the El Niño had damaged 7,216.06 hectares or 36,683.47 metric tons of rice.

Starting him young. A boy harvests carrots in Paoay, Atok in Benguet. DAVE LEPROZO

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

HUMAN RIGHTS, 30 YEARS AFTER EDSA

[ EDI TORI A L ]

WHO WINS SUNDAY’S first presidential debate held in Cagayan de Oro City trended online in the country and the world, and for good reason. It was that rare event—the last televised debate was 24 years ago—when all candidates gathered on stage, abiding by the same rules and limiting their supposedly elaborate platforms to just a few minutes of statements and rebuttals. Each of the five candidates was able to articulate what his or her presidency would look like, with some doing a more colorful or substantive job than the others. They also took different tacks —some using humor, statistics, criticism, appeal to emotion, to answer the questions and engage their adversaries. Social media sites were awash with commentary on how this or that candidate sounded, looked, or behaved. Some organizations adjudged this or that candidate the winner—by what standards, and by whose measure, it is not clear. To be sure, the debate is not the presidency itself. It is the game of the eloquent, or those with the more competent advisers. Perhaps one candidate was not feeling well, or was nervous, or was not in the right frame of mind at the time of the debate. Still, the debate is a good preview of the candidates’ confidence of their grasp of issues, and how well they can instinctively respond to difficult questions without having to rehearse what to say. Unpreparedness, like insincerity or incompetence, has a way of making itself known at once. We look forward to the next debate. There does not have to be a winner. There just has to be glimpses into competence, good faith, demeanor and overall fitness for the job. We’re fine with knowing the winner much later, when the thinking electorate has evaluated them by the right standard. If we don’t, we would emerge the losers yet again.

THAT DEBATE LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES CONSIDERING that this country hasn’t had a debate among presidential candidates in two dozen years, it’s a start. But we’re still a long way from having a real faceoff that truly enlightens the voting public and helps them choose the next president. Let’s start with the commercials. MindaNews, the

Mindanao online news service, has come up with a report stating that a full 48 minutes of the two-hour nationally televised debate was taken up by advertising. Now, as a journalist, I know that media organizations— broadcast outfits, in particular—make a pile of money during elections from political ads. And I’m not going to tell them not to seize the opportunity when it arises. But if the media really wanted to provide the valuable service of informing the

public about the candidates by hosting a presidential debate, perhaps they shouldn’t be airing political ads this once. The prestige of cohosting a debate sanctioned by the Commission on Elections should be enough compensation for the media outfits involved, I think. The media can resume their money-making activities on other occasions. The voters want to see and hear more of the candidates, which is why they tuned in—flooding them with advertising

We’re still a long way from having a real face-off that truly enlightens the voting public and helps them choose the next president.

just leaves a bad taste in the mouth and takes away all the goodwill that the media entities involved may have earned for their hosting duties. Then there’s the small matter of making the debates more relevant to the place where it was held, which is why I think there will be three of them, or one each in Mindanao, the Visayas and Luzon. But while I admire the organizers of Sunday’s debate for tossing questions that were Mindanao-centric, like agriculture and fisheries, there was far too little attention to other important local matters, like the Moro

question, the lack of funding and support from “Imperial Manila” for Mindanao in general and other such issues. Instead, the people in charge of formulating the questions seemed only too eager to focus on “gotcha” items like Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago’s health, Vice President Jejomar Binay’s wealth, Senator Grace Poe’s inexperience, Secretary Mar Roxas’ incompetence and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s

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womanizing. And because there was just too little time for all of the other things that such a rare faceoff of the candidates could delve into, we were treated to sniping and one-liners—stuff that failed to enlighten us and help us make a more informed choice. Finally, there’s all that polling of who “won” the debate, a strange exercise that only seemed to have exposed the biases of the people and organizations who did the survey-

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ing. I doubt very much that anyone can win the presidency by debating —and given the format used and the time constraints, I think only partisans (and their paid socialmedia trolls) immediately formed an opinion on who won or who lost. There simply wasn’t enough to “vote” on, I think. And treating the debates as a horse race, like it was yet another popularity survey, defeats the very purpose of debating.

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager

Continued on A11

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

AS A result of the series of coup attempts staged by disgruntled military personnel against the administration of President Corazon Aquino, then-Senate Minority Floor Leader Juan Ponce Enrile was arrested by law enforcement officers on suspicion of rebellion on the strength of a warrant issued by Hon. Jaime Salazar of the Regional Trial Court. The warrant was issued on an information charging Senator Enrile, the spouses Rebecco and Erlinda Panlilio, and Gregorio Honasan with the crime of rebellion with murder and multiple frustrated murder allegedly committed during the period of the failed coup attempt from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10, 1990. Senator Enrile was taken into custody at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters and held without bail, none having been recommended in the information and none fixed in the arrest warrant. As a result, Enrile filed a petition for habeas corpus before the Supreme Court. In his petition, he argued that the crime he was being charged with is nonexistent. He insisted that there is no such crime as rebellion with murder and multiple frustrated murder. Enrile invoked the ruling in the landmark case of People vs. Hernandez where it was ruled that rebellion cannot be complexed with common crimes such as murder; as such, the proper crime that should have been charged against him is simple rebellion—which is bailable. Enrile’s petition was granted. The Court, speaking through Justice Andres Narvasa, later Chief Justice, said that the Hernandez ruling was still good law, that is, rebellion could not be complexed with murder, that there was no such crime as rebellion with murder. Common crimes such as murder are absorbed in rebellion and so only the latter can be charged. Enrile was entitled to bail as a result. In Enrile vs. Sandiganbayan, a case decided last year by the Supreme Court, bail was also granted to Enrile. In this case, Senator Enrile, now more than 90 years old, once again stands as an accused before the Sandiganbayan in the crime of plunder,

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T U E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

HUMAN RIGHTS, 30 YEARS AFTER EDSA

[ EDI TORI A L ]

We’re still a long way from having a real face-off that truly enlightens the voting public and helps them choose the next president.

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Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager

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

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

Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

MEANINGLESS TO THE MASSES TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

THE camp of Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Kelly Poe Llamanzares plans to show all the Fernando Poe Jr. movies depicting him as a man of the masses, the marginalized and the oppressed over ABS-CBN and even in the provinces and barrios. This plan, however, has been put on hold by a conglomerate financing the Grace Poe campaign until the Supreme Court makes a final decision on the citizenship and residency status of the senator running for President. *** I took time to watch the first of a series of presidential debates sponsored by GMA-7 and the Daily Inquirer. I was disappointed; I expected more from the five candidates.

They will still vote for the candidate who can put food on the table.

The Standard front page headline rightly stated that the five presidential candidates were just sniping at each other. What I would like to find out, however, is how these presidential debates affect the electorate. As I always say in this space, all elections are local. By this, Santa Banana, I mean that our kind of elections, which happens every three years, is decided locally by the masses who constitute over 60 percent of the over 54 million registered voters. The masses could not care less about the can-

didates’ so-called platforms of government. Their main concern is whether there is food on the table, where their next meal would come from, when they could finally land a job and who could assist them in their time of need. This is why politicians realize the need for well-oiled grassroots political machinery. Only this can deliver the votes. Only the A, B and perhaps the Upper C class of voters who could be influenced by the outcome of political debates. In answer to the question on what they intend to do to eradicate poverty, the presidential candidates simply mouthed off motherhood statements that they would do this or that for the poor, among the farmers and fisherfolk, to lighten their burden. Where would they get the funds if they are elected? It is so easy for anyone to say “I will do this” or “I will do that.” But how? That’s when I started to separate the competent and the experienced from those who are not. Those who know about governance and those who still have to learn. If one is elected president, one must hit the ground running. Since these presidential debates are meaningless to most of the voters, the candidates should take note of the kind of voters we have. Actually, over the years, they have not changed. We have the A & B class whose main concern is to have a president to protect their interest. They are the ones who invest money on a presidential candidate, hoping that when payback time comes, they will harvest what they have sown. There’s also the Upper C or middle class, most of whom, I believe will vote according to their conscience. Perhaps they have not

WTF LATELY we’ve been hearing a lot more comedy from our politicians than we are supposed to. Expect more of this in the coming weeks in the runoff to May 9. The more sober option is to see a comedian give his take on politics—which is what Jon Santos does in WTF—Wala Talagang Forever (sa Malacañang), running this month until early March at the Marriott Grand Ballroom at Newport City. Santos first comes in as pop icon Madonna, who is set to visit the Philippines this week. Madonna slips into the country a week ahead, instead, because she is scared she would not make it in time for her Rebel Heart show due to the traffic. Filipinos do have a lot of heart, she says—and it seems we see it get broken all the time, not out of love, but out of politics. In comes Miriam DefensorSantiago, the bright one, too bright, it is hinted, saying we keep electing dumb people into office. Of late, Miriam has been attuned to the youth because of her pickup lines, but at the same time she says today’s young people rely too much on apps—even in finding the suitable person to date. Benigno Aquino III is deciding which items to take along with him to his home in Times Street. He looks forward made up their minds. They are the ones that get influenced by debates and social media. Unfortunately, there are in the minority. Among the Lower C, D and E class of voters, mostly the poor living below the poverty line, they are further divided into the “command votes.” It depends on whom their local leaders would vote for. These voters, sadly, can be bought, and they will support whoever it is who could put food on the table and give them jobs. Every election, my wife and I see a long line of people, mostly from the Lower C and D classes, just standing by during the last hours of voting. They wait for those who would give them cash in favor of this or that candidate. And this is just in San Lorenzo Village, mind you. How much more

CHASING HAPPY ADELLE CHUA to leading a quiet life again. As he rummages through the items, his memories rush in. He exits the stage convincing himself he has not done that bad a job after all. And then, Grace Poe, prim and proper in her immaculate long-sleeved shirt and pearl earrings. Poe subjects herself to a question-and-answer session but ends up invoking the name of “Poe” and the legacy of her adoptive father in every response, whether it makes sense or not. The rivalry between Jejomar Binay and Mar Roxas is shown in a video clip. Roxas says no drama, but weeps as he remembers how in 2009 he was asked to step aside in favor of Aquino in the presidential race, and how he lost anyway to Binay after his supreme sacrifice. It turns out he is afraid, not of his short and dark rival, but of his wife—the former broadcaster Korina Sanchez who desperately wants to be first lady. Another clip shows Vilma Santos resisting offers from presidential candidates to have her as their running mate. In the end she gives her coveted

in the rural areas? It all boils down to money—or the lack of it. *** The nation will go again today into the rigmarole of marking the 30th year of the so-called “People Power Revolution” that resulted in the downfall and the exile of Marcos. Much credit is given to the people who went to Edsa to support the mutiny of RAM (Reform the Armed Forces Movement) led by thenDefense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and then Armed Forces of the Philippines Col. Gringo Honasan, who were later joined by then-PC/ INP Chief Fidel V. Ramos. That breakaway is clear in my mind since I know for fact that the RAM had the support of almost 80 percent of the military nationwide. Thus, whether

yes only to Mother Lily—so sick is she of politics that she decides to return to show business, full time. Dionisia Pacquiao then ballroom dances her way to the stage, accompanied by her dashing DIs. She defends her son Manny from his bashers from the LGBT community. According to her, Manny owes them his boxing prowess— did he not perfect his moves by punching the gay people in their town when he was younger? In the end, the flamboyant Mrs. Pacquiao assures the audience that her son has given up his senatorial ambition. He is no longer running in May —he will just wait for 2022 to run for the presidency. And then Jon Santos, as himself, appears on stage and makes an A-to-Z recitation of the ills that plague our country: from Abaya to Zika. In the end, he makes us confront what it is in us that has consigned politics to the circus that we know it to be: Filipinos’ hearts, so forgiving, so routinely distracted, so easily swayed. It’s a comedy, and people are erupting in guffaws, but the tragedy is so clear. We must vote well, lest be become our own punchline. A WTF moment, indeed. adellechua@gmail.com

or not the people went to Edsa, the RAM under Enrile, Honasan and Ramos would have toppled the Marcos dictatorship anyway. My belief is anchored on the fact that for a coup to succeed, it need not have civilian support. The military coups in Thailand, South Korea, Egypt and others are examples. Another distortion of Edsa 1 is that the late President Cory Aquino was “an icon of democracy,” a label propagated by the United States to show its support of Edsa 1. Icon of democracy, my foot, when Cory was hiding at a Carmelite convent in Cebu at that time. She was just a beneficiary, not an icon! Santa Banana, what did Edsa 1 bring us, the people? Greed, corruption and poverty are still among us. This is the tragedy of Edsa.

*** Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is typical of the many born-again Protestant Christians I know who have adopted the holier-than-thou attitude towards others outside their newfound faith. Just because they have read the bible, and exult in the passage that “unless you are born again, thou shall not see God,” many of them think they are more blessed than others. Thus, when Pacquiao quoted the Bible about same-sex marriages, and claimed they are “worse than animals,” he was simply acting as a typical born-again Protestant Christian. For this, Pacquiao’s reaction to same-sex marriages must be taken within the context of his lack of education. Pacquiao deserves our pity and sympathy.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

THE LATEST SURREAL ARGUMENTS FOR GRACE POE HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA (Part 2) LAST week, it was discussed in this column that reliance on what purportedly took place during the deliberations of the 1934 Constitutional Convention (which drafted the 1935 Constitution), is misplaced, and such deliberations cannot be cited to warrant a ruling allowing Senator Grace Poe to run for president in the May 2016 elections. The “silence” of the 1935 Constitution on the status of foundlings cited by the Office of the Solicitor General in favor of Poe needs to be scrutinized. Far from favoring Poe, the supposed “silence” of the 1935 Constitution actually works against her. If the delegates to the 1934 Constitutional Convention really wanted to protect foundlings, then those delegates should have included their sentiments in the text of the 1935 Constitution. Although there was nothing preventing them from doing so, at the end of the day, they did nothing about it. Their inaction indicts them. Poe’s defenders insist that the “silence” of the 1935 Constitution was caused by the belief of the delegates that since there were only a few foundlings in

Human... From A9 a non-bailable offense, on the basis of his purported involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam. Before the Supreme Court, Enrile assailed the resolution by the Sandiganbayan denying his Motion to Fix Bail and his Motion for Reconsideration. He asserted that before judgment of conviction, an accused is entitled to bail as a matter of right; that it is the duty and burden of the prosecution to show clearly and conclusively that Enrile comes under the exception and cannot be excluded from enjoying the right to bail; that the prosecution has failed to establish that Enrile, if convicted of plunder, is punishable by reclusion perpetua considering the presence of two mitigating circumstances—his age and his voluntary surrender. Voting 8-4, the magistrates granted the petition of Enrile. The decision, penned by Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin, stated that even non-bailable charges in offenses punishable by death, life imprisonment or reclusion perpetua is subject to judicial discretion. The majority said “bail may be granted as a matter of right or discretion” in allowing Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s temporary freedom. It further said the granting of Enrile’s motion was due to humanitarian considerations. “Enrile’s poor health justifies his admission to bail,” the ruling said. Four magistrates registered

the Philippine Islands back in 1934, there was no need to put in writing any rule on the citizenship of foundlings. Assuming that to be true, the inaction of the delegates clearly reveals that foundlings are the exception rather than the general rule. Being so, the 1935 Constitution, which is binding on all, cannot be bent just to accommodate one person. All told, the inexcusable failure of the delegates to put their alleged sentiments in the text of the 1935 Constitution, speaks for itself. In the realm of statutory construction, the rules of which are applicable to the interpretation of provisions of the Constitution, what the law does not include, it excludes. It is unfair to bind the people who ratified the 1935 Constitution to something which they did not see, or which was not included, in the text of the charter they ratified. To hold otherwise is to allow invisible provisions to be smuggled into the text of the 1935 Constitution, and to expect the people to be bound by those invisible provisions whether the people like it or not. In the law governing contracts, that’s called vitiated consent. If invisible stipulations are frowned upon in private contracts, there is greater reason to frown against invisible stipulations when they are smuggled into the text of the Constitution. their dissenting opinions from the majority decision. In particular, Justice Leonen, dissenting, found no grave abuse of discretion by the Sandiganbayan when it failed to release the accused on bail for medical or humanitarian reasons. According to Leonen, Enrile’s release for medical and humanitarian reasons was not the basis for his prayer in his Motion to Fix Bail filed before the Sandiganbayan. Neither did he base his prayer for the grant of bail in this Petition on his medical condition. For Leonen, the grant of bail by the majority was a special accommodation for Enrile as it is based on a ground never raised before the Sandiganbayan or in the pleadings filed before the court. Leonen also criticized the decision for having a weak legal basis—the grant of bail over mere humanitarian grounds. He also claims that the court has no authority to use humanitarian grounds. The dissenting justice wrote: “not only is this contrary to the rule of law, it also undermines the legitimacy and the stability of our entire judicial system,” adding that “bail for humanitarian considerations is neither presently provided in our Rules of Court nor found in any statute or provision of the Constitution,” and that the conditions for bail under court rules were “so canonical”— hence, clear-cut. In my view, the Salazar ruling was correct but I see that prosecutors have adjusted and charged revolutionaries with common crimes instead of

Although it may be argued that foundlings are entitled to protection from the State, that protection does not include bending the Constitution to suit an individual, or reading something in the charter that isn’t there in the first place. The exercise of fundamental political rights is protected by the Constitution. Such rights, however, are not absolute, because a regime of absolutism inevitably breeds chaos. That is the reason why such rights are subject to limitations imposed by the Constitution itself. Thus, even if running for public office is a fundamental political right, the exercise of that right presupposes compliance with the requirements imposed by the fundamental law. Inasmuch as the Constitution categorically mandates that the president must be natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a candidate for president must comply with that requirement. Since the Constitution applies to everyone in the Philippines, foundlings included, requiring a foundling like Poe to obey the Constitution cannot be equated to preventing foundlings from exercising fundamental political rights. Moreover, there is nothing unjust or discriminatory about requiring people, whoever they are, to obey the Constitution. There is no basis for the proposition that the implied

protection afforded to foundlings under the 1935 Constitution was carried on to the 1973 and the 1987 charters. First, and as pointed out earlier, no such implied protection exists in the 1935 Constitution. What then is there to carry over to the other charters? Second, both the 1973 and the 1987 charters do not mention anything about foundlings. Third, even assuming for the sake of argument that the deliberations of the constituent assemblies which drafted the 1973 and 1987 charters are controlling considerations in constitutional interpretation, foundlings were not mentioned, much less discussed, in those deliberations. Clearly, therefore, no such implied protection exists in any of the three charters. The 99.83 percent statistical probability (cited by the OSG) that a child born in the Philippines between 1965 and 1975 (a decade which covers Poe) is a natural-born Filipino, may be accurate, but the 1987 Constitution requires a fact (that a candidate for president is a naturalborn citizen), and not a mere statistical probability. Besides, professional statisticians admit that there is no such thing as a perfect inference from a statistical sample, or a 100 percent degree of reliability. Even the quote attributed by the OSG to the late Chief Justice Enrique Fernando—“The Con-

absorbing them into the political crime of rebellion. This is a distortion. I hope the Supreme Court sees through this and applies the Hernandez and Salazar rulings to favor revolutionaries. As for Enrile vs. Sandiganbayan, I favor a more liberal approach to bail but I am uncomfortable with humanitarian considerations as a basis for provisional liberty. It is too subjective a standard and opens up courts to special pleadings by powerful people. In the last three columns, I have summarized and analyzed several cases involving Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. Together, they form an interesting pattern of cases that do not speak well about the history of human rights in our country. In a way, this is symptomatic of the mixed record of human rights since 1986. True, we are no longer a dictatorship, but still extrajudicial killings of journalists, murders of leaders of indigenous peoples and their forcible eviction from their ancestral lands, involuntary disappearances of political and social activists, torture of detainees, and other atrocities continue. I hope that we will be able to do better in the next 20 years and come 2036, on the 50th anniversary of the Edsa revolution, we can say that we now have a country where the Bill of Rights reigns supreme and that powerful persons are not favored by the law. Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylavs

stitution is not silently silent, it is silently vocal”—is inaccurate. It was a reference to a phrase which Chief Justice Fernando stated back in 1981 in Mitra, Jr. v. Comelec, and which Fernando borrowed from a foreign legal scholar. What Chief Justice Fernando actually said was that the past pronouncements of the Supreme Court regarding the validity of the 1973 Constitution, and not the Constitution itself, was “silently vocal and not silently silent.” Ambiguity, where none exists, should not be created. The definition of a natural-born citizen in Section 2, Article IV of the 1987 Constitution is clear and unambiguous. Being so, there is room only for implementation, none for interpretation. As a rule, the 1987 Constitution speaks in general terms. In rare instances, however, the charter goes out of its way to define a specific term. Section 2, Article IV thereof, which defines the term natural-born citizen, is one such instance. By providing a detailed definition of the term, the Constitution made sure that its intention is not side-stepped by any erroneous interpretations. That is how important that definition is. Surely, a provision of the Constitution of that importance should not be left to the mercy of speculative and unfounded interpretations.

That debate... From A9 Of course, everybody can (and should) form such a postdebate opinion. Personally, I think both Duterte and Poe came across very well last Sunday—but I’m not about to conduct any sort of poll to see if there are enough people who hold the same view. I also know that post-debate polls are also conducted in places like the United States. But when supposedly unbiased surveys — and, in one case, a poll of one news outfit’s editors—proclaim that Roxas won the debate, I wonder if the face-off isn’t just being used in yet another propaganda effort to boost the chances of a virtually unwinnable candidate. I watched the entire debate, too, and I can’t for the life of me say that Roxas won anything that night. I think Poe was the most prepared, Duterte won the one-liner battle and Santiago (even if she sounded and looked like she was just a shadow of her old self) did fine. But Binay and Roxas seemed hell-bent only on demolishing each other—with Roxas performing even worse than Binay because he apparently came into the debate convinced that he had to take everyone down. If Roxas won anything that night, it was the negativity award. But I can’t really blame him since he’s doing so badly in the surveys that his desperation was almost palpable. Having said all of that, there’s still two more presidential debates (and one vice presidential face-off) in the pipeline. Maybe the people hosting the debates—and the candidates themselves— will have learned from last Sunday and do better. We, the voters, deserve nothing less. *** This week, those of the Yellow persuasion will once again reminisce about those days 30 years ago when they ousted a dictator and, depending on who you talk to, either brought upon us a golden age or merely handed over power from one ruling class to another. But I fear that this year’s Edsa event has an undercurrent of political malice, since it is an election year and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is running for vice president. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If we really wanted to hold contemporary politicians accountable for the sins of their forebears, let’s go all the way. I’m sure there are enough Filipinos alive who remember that Noynoy Aquino’s grandfather was a Japanese collaborator during World War II. Play fair. And don’t be a hypocrite, is all I’m saying.

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Watson claims 2nd Riviera title in 3 years PACIFIC PALISADES—Bubba Watson captured the Northern Trust Open for the second time in three years on Sunday, emerging from a crowded leaderboard to win by just one stroke. The two-time Masters winner now heads to the first major championship of the season at Augusta National in seven weeks looking for his third green jacket. The 37-year-old American, who also won at Pacific Palisades (Riviera) in 2014, birdied two of his final three holes en route to a 3-under 68 for a 15-under 269 total. “What I was looking for today was to make par and then throw in some lucky birdies,” said Watson, who now has nine wins on the US PGA Tour. “I want to get to 10 wins because that is a big stepping stone in this day and age on the PGA Tour.” Watson’s playing partner, Jason Kokrak, fell just short in his quest for his first PGA title, closing with a 68 to finish at 14 under and share second with Adam Scott. Australia’s Scott birdied 17 and 18 en route to a 67. Scott chipped out from 25 feet on 18 for a birdie and looked for a while like he could be headed to a playoff, but Watson sealed the victory with a short two-foot putt on 18. Rory McIlroy’s hopes of launching his Masters preparations with a victory fell apart after the world

number three from Northern Ireland fired a final round 75. Kokrak, Scott, Dustin Johnson, K.J. Choi and Marc Leishman all took runs at top spot on the leaderboard. Watson moved into a tie for the lead at 14-under with a birdie on the par-three 16th, landing his tee shot just five feet from the hole. He had a 45-foot putt for eagle on the par-five 17th that stopped three feet short, giving him another easy birdie. Watson reached the green in two on 18 then two putted for the victory. “Starting the day, it was anybody’s ballgame, so I just held it together,” Watson said. “I looked at the leaderboard and I saw nobody was running away with it. So I knew that I still had a shot if I could make some good swings and some good putts down the stretch, and somehow it worked out.” - Scott, McIlroy eagle early Several golfers got off to hot starts Sunday thanks in part to the parfive first being the easiest hole on the course this week. McIlroy, Justin Rose and Scott all opened with eagles.

Clean leap. World record holder Renaud Lavillenie clears the bar at 6.02m altitude to win the first edition of the All-star pole vault competition in Clermont-Ferrand. AFP

8 kids make Jr. NBA/WNBA camp JAN Zyrus de Ayre and Katreena Areola lead six other kids who made the grade during the first regional Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA camp presented by Alaska at Benguet State University in Baguio over the weekend. Others who gained spots in the National Training Camp in Manila in April from the Baguio camp conducted by Jr. NBA Philippines coach Craig Brown were Ric Ozner Gatuz, Vincent Madiwo, Rae Jemina Caba, Wrench Mason Roquid, Emmanuel Macaramas and Sergz Quitales. The two-day Baguio camp kicked off a series of nationwide clinics that will select the best boys and girls aged 10-14 to become members of the Jr. NBA and

Jr. WNBA All-Star team, which will travel for an NBA experience along with the other top campers from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Last year, the Jr. NBA All-Stars went to China to watch the NBA Global Games in Shenzhen featuring the Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Clippers. The next regional selection camps will be held on Feb. 27-28 in Davao followed by Cebu (March 5-6) and Metro Manila (April 9-10). The top 50 boys and 24 girls will advance to the final selection stage in the National Training Camp in Manila on April 22-24. There is also a search for the boys and girls coaches who will handle the two teams.

The Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA, one of Alaska Milk’s programs that shape, train, challenge and inspire children to achieve their dreams and aspirations in life, is free and open to boys and girls born 2002 to 2006. For details, visit www.jrnba.asia/philippines. “These holistic programs train children to be confident, disciplined and hardworking because Alaska Milk Corp. aims to prepare them to be winners in life in the future. This year’s program includes new locations such as Batangas, Catanduanes and Cavite to reach more children and coaches and discover the best basketball players across the country,” said marketing director Blen Fernando.

Veteran Mabao captures vacant fly title VETERAN Donny Mabao has beaten favored Michael Enriquez to win the vacant Philippine flyweight title by a majority decision in one of five title fights staged at the Taguig Sports Center by United International Promotions, headed by Japan’s Ryuta Kato and executive director Warren Evison, a British

boxing trainer, last Saturday. Nicknamed “Mr. Shallow,” Mabao, ranked No. 11 light flyweight in the ratings of the Games and Amusements Board in January, outhustled Enriquez, whose name didn’t appear in the ratings, with a fight plan that was certainly not shallow. Enriquez, nicknamed “Blade”

was unable to cut through the defense of the quick-footed Mabao, who used his veteran’s experience to eke out a majority decision, with judges Benz Penafiel (115113) and Ver Abainza (116-113) scoring the fight for Mabao, while judge Oliver Garcia saw it a draw (114-114.).

Bulacan, GenSan chessers share lead By Arman D. Armero

A Libyan man practices kite boarding in the eastern city of Benghazi, on February 21, 2016. AFP

FROM four teams in the third round, the number of leading teams dwindled into two, as unheralded GenSan Omicrons and no. 3 seed Novelty Chess Club-Bulacan posted contrasting wins over separate foes Monday to remain as the only undefeated teams after four rounds in the Bobby D. Pacquiao Random Chess Festival at the Trade Hall of the SM Mall here. Ranged against the top seed and GM Jayson Gonzalesled Bobby Pacquiao C squad, GenSan Omicrons leaned on the victories by Board 2 player Sheider Nebato and Board 4 Dalton Intela and a draw by John Michael Parrenas to prevail 2.5-1.5.

Gonzales, also the Executive Director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, finally won after three draws in the tournament at the expense of NM Richelieu Salcedo at the top board, but his efforts fell short as this failed to save Bobby Pacquiao C from dropping out of the lead and into a tie with a big group of six-pointers halfway in the tournament using the Chess 960 format, otherwise known as the Fischer Random Chess. Novelty Chess Club-Bulacan, on the other hand, made easy picking of Elman Team A, 3.5-1.5, as Marc Christian Nazareno, Kelly Rancap and Louie Salvador all won their assignments, even as its top board player NM Roel Filipinas held NM Efren Bagamas-

bad to a draw. In Round 3 late Sunday, Filipinas stunned IM Oliver Dimakiling to steer Novelty Chess Club-Bulacan to a similar 3.5-1.5 result over Dimachintucan. Another unheralded squad, the 25th seed Property Realty-B, continued to impress, essaying a 3-1 result over no. 22 seed Tagaytay City to stay at close second in a three-way tie with Cotabato Province and the Elegant Houses in Pampanga. Anchored by NM Alexander Lupian, the 33rd seed Cotabato Province upset no. 6 Property Expert Realty A, 3-1, even as the the GM Darwin Laylo-led Elegant Houses in Pampanga crushed Cong. Anthony del Rosario Team, 3-1.

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Cuevas wins 4th title RIO DE JANEIRO—Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas, coming off an upset of Rafael Nadal, won his fourth career ATP title on Sunday, defeating Argentina’s Guido Pella 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 in the Rio Open final. Cuevas smashed a forehand winner on the final point, the only break point either player managed in the last two sets, to claim the crown after two hours and 16 minutes at the clay court event. The final was interrupted by rain in the opening set and completed in the early morning hours of Monday. The $303,000 top prize was the biggest single payday of Cuevas’ career, coming after his semi-final shocker over Nadal. “I know people were expecting Nadal but I’m glad you cheered for me,” Cuevas said. “I hope everybody in Uruguay enjoyed it.” Left-hander Pella, ranked 71st,

is likely to jump to a career-best ranking later Monday despite failing to capture his first ATP crown. He took home a runner-up prize of $142,450 (US), the biggest payday of his career. Cuevas, ranked 45th but set to jump to 27th, missed two seasons from 2011 to 2013 due to injury but has come back to win titles at the 2014 Swedish and Croatian Opens and last year’s Brazil Open at Sao Paulo. In the WTA singles final, former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, who turns 36 in June, won her first title since 2013, defeating Shelby Rogers of the United States 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the final. The Italian former world number four, now ranked at 132, came back from a set and a break down to defeat her 23-year-old opponent and claim her seventh career title. AFP

Philracom, racing industry members attend ARC. Members of the Philippine Racing Commission and officials of Manila Jockey Club and Metro Manila Turf Club attended the 36th Asian Racing Conference held Jan. 24-28 in Mumbai, India, to learn best practices and trends in horseracing operations and regulation. Horseracing in the Philippines grossed P7.7 billion a year in 2015, with P1.33 billion remitted to the government as direct taxes. The Philippines is a full member of the Asian Racing Federation that stages the ARC. Shown here are (from left) MJC Racing Manager Jose Ramon C. Magboo, MJC President & CEO Alfonso G. Reyno Jr., Philracom Commissioner Bienvenido C. Niles Jr., ARF Secretary-General Andrew Harding, Philracom Commissioner Ramon S. Bagatsing Jr., and Metroturf Vice-President for Marketing Fernando M. Sevilla.

Morales tries to keep hold on Ronda PH lead CAGAYAN DE ORO—Navy-Standard Insurance’s Jan Paul Morales tries to keep his overall lead, while teammate Ronald Oranza shoots for his third lap victory as the Mindanao Leg of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2016 resumes today with a 2.40-kilometer Stage Three at the Pueblo de Oro here. After two stages, Morales is ahead of the pack with 29 points, 18 of which came after finishing second to Oranza in the first two laps in Butuan City over the weekend that propelled him to the symbolic LBC red leader’s jersey. He also picked up eight points from winding up second to Navy team captain Lloyd Lucien Reynante in the lone King of the Moun-

tain result of the Mindanao leg and three for topping the intermediate sprint race in the opening stage. And Morales knows his fiercest foe will come from his team. “If a Navy teammate wins this, I will be happy for him. If I do, I will be happier,” said Morales, a 31-year-old native of Calumpang, Marikina. Morales said he had his bruises on his right shoulder

and thigh he sustained after he accidentally bumped into Oranza’s rear wheel in one of the turns and crashed in Stage Two treated. “Nothing serious, they’re just bruises,” he said. For Reynante, he is running second behind Morales having accumulated 23 points, including 10 from emerging the KOM winner of this five-stage leg that ushered in this sixth edition of this event considered the biggest cycling race in the country. “I still have some fight in me, I still feel young,” said the 37-year-old Reynante, whose late father Manuel won the Tour twice in 1977 and 1980. Oranza, who hails from Villasis, Pangasinan, reigned supreme in the first two stages including the 3.71-km Stage

Two where he timed in an hour, 17 minutes and 59.32 seconds and earned 20 points. But he didn’t gain any point from the KOM and sprint races to end up at No. 3 with 20 points. Oranza though has a chance for stage win No. 3. “I will do my best to win another one,” said Oranza. It was an all-Navy show entering Stage Three as Rudy Roque (17 points), the younger Daniel Ven Carino (16), Joel Calderon (12), John Mark Camingao (10) and the elder El Joshua Carino (5), have occupied the first eight positions. Team LCC Lutayan’s James Paolo Ferfas and LBC/ MVPSF’s Ronnilon Quita were the only riders outside Navy who crashed into the Top 10 overall with five and three points, respectively.

RC Cola eyes 3rd straight triumph Games Today (Alonte Sports Arena) 4 p.m. -- RC Cola-Army vs New San Jose Builders 6 p.m. -- F2 Logistics vs Foton

THREE-TIME champion RC Cola-Army guns for its third consecutive victory when it clashes with New San Jose Builders in the 2016 PLDT Home Bro Ultera Philippine Superliga Invitational Conference women’s volleyball tournament Tuesday at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan City. Action starts at 4 p.m., with the Lady Troopers looking to close their first round campaign on a sizzling note in this inter-club tourney backed by Asics, Mikasa, Senoh, Mueller and Grand Sports with TV5 as official broadcast partner. In the second game at 6 p.m., F2 Logistics and Foton lock horns for their second win, knowing that the second round will get much tougher, especially with powerhouse Petron and Cignal joining the mix in this tournament patterned after the International Volleyball Federation Grand Prix. The first match will be aired live over TV5 and Aksyon TV, while only Aksyon TV will beam the second game. After notching a pair of three-set victories over Foton and F2 Logistics, RC Cola-Army had solidified its reputation as the team to beat for parading a seasoned roster sprinkled with stars of the present led by a comely pair of attackers in Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachel Anne Daquis.

Garcia steals Davao tennis show

Ready for a tougher challenge. Holcim Philippines, Inc., one of the leading construction solutions company in the Philippines, recently held its 6th Holcim Golf Classic for business partners at the Clark Sun Valley Golf & Country Club in appreciation of its customers’ unwavering trust. Eighty-one business partners comprised of real estate developers, wholesalers, contractors and end-users joined the golf tournament. Holcim Philippines Marketing manager Cara Ramirez-Tecson said the event opens avenues for the company’s customers to unwind and network with peers. “Definitely, we will continue to spend more quality time with our customers to amply address their needs and give them better quality of service.”

PATRICIA Velez posted another two-title romp at home turf but NCR’s Matthew Garcia grabbed the spotlight when he upended local ace Jhon David Velez to snare the boys’ 14-and-under crown in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis circuit at the GSIS Tennis Club in Davao yesterday. Patricia flashed the form that netted her the 16- and 18-U titles in Kidapawan and Koronadal the last three weeks, thwarting Danna Abad, 6-4, 6-4, in the 16-U finals and turning back Gennifer Pagente, 7-5, 6-1, for the 18-U diadem in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger. Garcia, ranked No. 6 in a fullpacked field of 64, racked up four victories in straight-set fashions,

including a 6-1, 6-0 rout of top seed Sebastian Lhuillier in the semis. The son of former tennis star Dyan Castillejo then clipped the No. 2 Jhon David, 6-2, 6-3, to nail his maiden win in the nationwide circuit backed by Asiatraders Corp., exclusively distributor of Slazenger, the official ball. Macie Carlos, also from Manila, also pulled off a pair of wins in girls’ play, thumping April Bentillo, 6-2, 6-1, for the 12-U plum and repulsing Angela Novis, 6-3, 7-5, for the 14-U diadem, while Tenielle Madis from Mlang, Cotabato bagged the 10-unisex crown with a 4-1, 4-2 romp over Jillian Manangking. “It is inspiring to see so many youngsters compete and chase titles and ranking points. While Patricia continues to dominate, the

competition in other divisions remains unpredictable, underscoring the level playing field,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/ CEO Bobby Castro. Koronadal City’s Janus Ringia held off Vince Tugade, 6-3, 6-4, in the semis then overpowered Lordrens Pacheco, 6-4, 6-2, to nail the boys’ 18-U crown but Tugade, from Sultan Kudarat, got back at his tormentor and took the 16-U title via a 6-4, 6-2 decision. Meanwhile, action shifts to Iloilo this Thursday when the eighth leg is held at the Iloilo City Tennis Center, featuring more than 300 entries. For details, call tournament organizer and supervisor Bobby Mangunay, also the PPS-PEPP sports program development director, at 0915-4046464 or log on to www. palawanpawnshoptennis.com.

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Boxers aiming for Rio off to US camp IN PURSUIT of the Olympic dream and international glory, a 20-man delegation from the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines is leaving tomorrow for a threeweek training tour of the US West Coast. ERRORS & OMISSIONS

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Stops in Olympic training facilities located in Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles are scheduled for the 14 ABAP boxers and five coaches, said ABAP executive director Ed Picson, who will head the boxing contingent seeking slots in the Asia-Oceania Qualifying Tournament in Qan’ An, China from March 23 to April 3. Only one boxer from each weight category will be chosen. Leaving for the States are Rogen Ladon and Mark Anthony Barriga (light flyweight), Ian Clarke Bautista and Roldan Boncales (flyweight), Mario Fernandez and Mario Bautista (bantamweight), Charly Suarez, Junel Cantancio and James Palicte (lightweight), Eumir Felix Marcial and Joel Bacho (welterweight), and women boxers Josie Gabuco, Irish Magno and Nesthy Petecio (flyweight). Coaches are Nolito Velasco, Romeo Brin, Roel Velasco and Mitchel Martinez. Head coach Pat Gaspi, who left Monday morning for Manchester, England for the annual AIBA Coaches Commission of which he is a member, won’t be able to join the US trip. The US training camp, a rare opportunity for the Filipino boxers made possible by the invalu-

able assistance of Philippine Sports Commission’s Jolly Gomez and Philippine Airlines president Jimmy Bautista and PAL SAVP Harry Inoferio, is part of the ABAP strategic plan for Olympic qualification drawn up by the national coaches and the ABAP sports ccience Team. University of San Francisco Professors Angelo Merino (former head coach of the USF Boxing Gym) and Dr. Joaquin “Jay” Gonzalez did the spadework in paving the way for the boxers’ trip. Nonito “Dodong” Donaire Sr., meanwhile, is helping the team by arranging training stints in various gyms in the different areas. “This training camp is just the initial phase in our preparations for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics,” said ABAP president Ricky Vargas. “We want to give our boxers the best opportunities to qualify and if and when they do, we have even bigger plans for their Olympic medal quest.” The MVP Sports Foundation Inc. is bankrolling the trip. Earlier this year, Great Britain Boxing and AIBA 3-star coach Christopher Cain stayed for a month with the boxers in Baguio City to observe and give his insights on their training regimens. He also exchanged notes with local coaches on various methodologies.

Republic of the Philippines CITY OF SAN PEDRO Province of Laguna BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

INVITATION TO BID

The City Government of San Pedro Laguna through the 2016CDC Budget Approved by Sangguniang Panglungsod intends to apply the sum of Php 14,157,150.36 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the hereunder project:

The City Government of San Pedro Laguna through the 2016LSBBudget Approved by Sangguniang Panglungsod intends to apply the sum of Php 26,901,810.92being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the hereunder project:

NAME OF PROJECT LOCATION ABC SOURCE OF FUND

: : : :

Proposed Construction of Bridge Brgy. Landayan Php 14,157,150.36 CDC Budget Approved by the Sangguniang Panglungsod CONTRACT DURATION : 240 Calendar Days

NAME OF PROJECT LOCATION ABC SOURCE OF FUND

: : : :

CONTRACT DURATION:

Proposed 3-Storey 12 Classrooms School Bldg. SPRCNHS Brgy. Langgam Php 26,901,810.92 LSB Budget Approved by the Sangguniang Panglungsod 240 Calendar Days

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna now invites contractors registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to apply for eligibility and if found eligible, to bid for the above-mentioned projects. Completion of the Works is required on or before the contract duration.Bidders should have completed, two (2) calendar 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. Bids received in excess of the Approved Budget for the Contract shall be automatically rejected at bid opening

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 restricted, unless otherwise stated, to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) 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 Republic Act 5183 (RA 5183) and subject to Commonwealth Act 138 (CA 138).Only bids from eligible bidders will be opened. In accordance with the IRR-A of R.A 9184, the contract/project shall only be awarded to the Lowest Calculated and Responsive Bidder who was determined as such during postqualification.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the City Government of San Pedro, Laguna and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:30AM to 9:30 AM only.

Office of BAC Secretariat 4/F Conf.Rm. City Administrator’s Office San Pedro City Hall

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address above and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of PESOS: 25,000.00. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before March 9, 2016 at 10:00AM: Office of BAC Secretariat 4/F Conf.Rm. City Administrator’s Office San Pedro City Hall All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted. All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bids, PostQualification and Awards of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The City Government of San Pedro, Lagunareserves 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:

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before March 9, 2016 at 10:00AM: Office of BAC Secretariat 4/F Conf.Rm. City Administrator’s Office San Pedro City Hall

Pre – Bid Conference on February 26, 2016 All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted. All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bids, PostQualification and Awards of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna 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:

Mr. Merlin B. Paala Office of the BAC Secretariat San Pedro City Hall San Pedro, Laguna Telefax No. 808.2020 loc.320 (sgd.) ENGR. FILEMON I. SIBULO Chairman Bids and Awards Committee

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address above and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of PESOS: 25,000.00.

Mr. Merlin B. Paala Office of the BAC Secretariat San Pedro City Hall San Pedro, Laguna Telefax No. 808.2020 loc.320

(TS-FEB. 23, 2016)

(sgd.) ENGR. FILEMON I. SIBULO Chairman Bids and Awards Committee

(TS-FEB. 23, 2016)

Yabo, Tan rip rivals By Randy Caluag TRESTLE Tan and Jimm Yabo made short work of their respective foes for impressive victories in the ONE Championship: Tribe of Warriors held over the weekend at the Istora Senayan, in Jakarta, Indonesia. Tan returned to the winner’s circle with a submission victory over Djatmiko Waluyo. Tan secured a rearnaked choke to force the tap in the first round. Yabo, nicknamed “The Silencer” surprised Pakistan’s Bashir Ahmad, earning the stoppage in under 30 seconds. As Ahmad rushed in aggressively, Yabo stepped back to unleash a sharp counter-right hook, which landed on the button, dropping the Pakistani. With Ahmad out in one fell swoop, the referee called a halt to the bout. Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen of the Netherlands averted a clean slate for the Philippine fighters as he submitted Rocky “The Outlaw” Batolbatol of the Philippines, forcing the latter to tap out due to a rear naked choke in round one. Batolbatol used his boxing to keep Engelen temporarily at bay, but once the Dutch fighter was able to close the gap, things went south quickly for the Filipino. An outside leg trip brought the fight to the mat, where Engelen was quick to secure Batolbatol’s back and locked in the submission. In the main event, Luis “Sapo” Santos of Brazil delivered the goods in a successful return to the ONE Championship cage by making quick work of Portugal’s Rafael “The Machine” Silva.

T UE S DAY : F E B RUA RY 2 3 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

Motorsports athlete

Milo Rivera (right) displays his trophy during the Annual Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night 2016 at the One Esplanade. Rivera was cited by the PSA for his achievements in motorsports as the 2015 National Slalom Champion (winning 10 out of the 12 races) and becoming the ﬁrst and only Filipino Young Driver Ambassador for Motorsports and Road Safety to the Federation Internationale del’Automobile. Rivera, who is joined here by Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., is also currently being invited by Jenzer Motorsports, a team based in Switzerland, to race for them in the 2016 FIA German and Italian Formula 4 Championships, a feeder program for several premier championships, among others, Formula 1. Aside from being a multi-awarded race-car driver, Rivera is also a certiﬁed motorsports instructor and is part of the AAP National Motorsport Development Program team of driver instructors. RAMON D. BOADO

6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M

Sleepless in GenSan GENERAL SANTOS–I have lost count how ARMAN many times I’ve D. ARMERO been in this city, but my journeys and adventures here have always been unforgettable. After all, this is where I got married in church, with my now ex-wife, and this is where she and my now 15-year-old son Aaron Cham, live, or to be exact, 20 minutes from this bustling city in Polomolok, South Cotabato, where Dole Philippines grows the sweetest pineapples you can find. So my coverage of the past two chess tournaments here has a twofold aim: to write about one of my favorite sports (the royal game of chess) and to find time to bond with my son. When I am here, Aaron stays with me in whichever hotel I am billeted and we really had a good time bonding, and bonding means eating out (he loves Mang Inasal for its unlimited rice, and he’s good for at least four cups of rice), or just chilling out. With every visit, I am amazed by how time flies and how fast he had grown. He’s gotten bigger and now wears all my clothes, including a brand-new pair of shoes given by my elder brother, who works in Saudi Arabia. My son staying here also means that I will lack sleep for the next several days. When he is at the hotel, he watches HBO movies every night even as I try to get some sleep. Sometimes, he asks me to eat snacks in the middle of the night in the city proper. But I have no complaints. After all, this is one of the few times that we are together and I cherish every second of it. At the same time, I cherish every moment when I am at the playing venue, watching chess players agonize over their next move, and watching them break into a triumphant smile after winning a hardfought match. Even my conversations with GM Eugene Torre, who organizes all Pacquiao chess events here, are moments to be treasured. Torre is a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to the game of chess and has now reinvented himself as the no. 1 promoter of random chess, which was introduced by his friend, the late GM Bobby Fischer. Aside from Torre, I find time to bond with some same, old faces, people I have known over the years who continue on with their work either as an arbiter or chess steward with unmatched dedication. There’s chief arbiter Gene Poliarco and his assistants Ilann Perez, Patrick Lee and Yves Ranola. They are a joy to work with because they obviously enjoy their work, and they find time to smile and laugh and crack jokes, even as they strictly enforce the rules of the tournament. They are also a great help with us sportswriters, who rely on them for the results and statistics needed for us to come up with a good story. Overall, while I remain sleepless here, I treasure my waking hours because of the time well spent, with my son, and with the game (and the people) I love. For reactions, email me at armero_23@ yahoo.com STEP BACK

Cone: Win over Painters boosts Kings’ confidence By Jeric Lopez

GINEBRA coach Tim Cone is glad that his team got its act together sooner rather than later. After two disappointing losses to start the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup, the Gin Kings were finally able to get the monkey off their backs after they routed Rain or Shine, 10392, Sunday night. For Cone, the victory is very timely as the Gin Kings just simply couldn’t afford to remain winless at this point. “That was a huge win for us. We’ve finally made things work and got a win. Such a relief,” said Cone. With an improved 1-2 record, Ginebra is now back in the thick of things in the battle for the top eight. Moreover, Cone believes that the muchneeded victory is also a huge confidence

booster and is something that they’ve been longing for. “A win like that instantly gives us more confidence,” he said. “We need that as we’re looking for more wins.” Also, Cone is happy to finally see import Othyus Jeffers come out of his shell. The conference’s shortest import battled a sore back on his way to an impressive showing against the Elasto Painters, anchoring Ginebra with game-highs 38 points and 20 rebounds. Cone said that a high-level Jeffers is just what the doctor ordered for the Gin Kings. “We brought him (Jeffers) in for his character and energy and he’s now showing it completely.”

Jeffers

PSA Forum Naga Region expects better tackles showing in Palarong Pambansa motocross By Peter Atencio OFFICIALS of the coming Diamond Motocross Series headline today’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate. Gracing the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. are Jon Blaylock, Sam Tamayo, and Gino Cruz. The three will discuss in the 10:30 a.m. forum aired live over DZSR Sports Radio 918 the opening of the five-leg series to be held at the Messiah Fairgrounds in Taytay, Rizal. PSA president Riera Mallari of The Standard enjoins all members to attend the session.

P0 M+

LEGAZPI CITY—Expect Camarines Sur to shine in the 2016 Palarong Pambansa when it gets going from April 10 to 18 here. From a seventh-place finish in the overall medal race in 2014 to a fifth-place feat last year, Camarines Sur is confident of a good performance for the Region V bets this time around. Gov. Joey Salceda, who is leading the preparations for the games this year, promised this after Naga spearheaded Region V’s efforts by snaring the overall championship honors in the recent Palarong Bicol 2016 held from Feb. 7 to 13. “We still expect the National Capital Region to retain the title. But the region is expected to increase its medal output,” said Salceda after Region V yielded 12 medals last year from five.

During the regional meet, Naga took home 72 gold, 58 silver and 58 bronze medals in the standings. They bested six other provinces and seven cities in the Bicol region, with Albay adjudged as the first runner-up after taking 53 golds, 56 silvers and 63 bronzes. Camarines Norte was third with 52 golds, 54 silvers and 48 bronzes. During the games, there will be 17 sports which will be contested for top honors in the Palaro, including arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and tennis. There’s also archery, volleyball and boxing. Wushu, billiards, wrestling and fustal will remain as demo events. Special games for students with disabilities will also be held.

T U E S DAY : F E B R U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 16

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

Anthony Davis (left) of the New Orleans Pelicans tries to maneuver his way inside against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Pelicans won, 111-106, banking Davis’ 59 points and 20 rebounds. AFP

Davis scores 59, lifts Pelicans past Pistons WASHINGTON—Anthony Davis scored a career-high 59 points and grabbed 20 rebounds Sunday in one of the NBA’s most epic performances, powering the New Orleans Pelicans over host Detroit 111-106. On a day when LeBron James powered the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 115-92 rout of Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Davis stole the show with an effort for the ages. The 22-year-old forward scored eight points in the first quarter, 18 in the second, 14 more in the third and 19 in the fourth quarter with the game still in doubt to produce the most points by any NBA player in a game this season. “Everybody on the bench

Watson nails 2nd Riviera crown in 3 years TURN TO A12

was saying, ‘That’s a lot of points. He can score them all, you might as well get 60,’” Davis said. “It’s great to finally score 50. Now that I’ve got that off my shoulders, I can go out and just keep playing. “We play hard, play great defense, play with a lot of energy. We’re just clicking on all cylinders right now.” Davis became only the third NBA player since 1983 with 50 points and 20 rebounds in a game, the first since Chris Webber had 51

points and 26 rebounds in 2001. Shaquille O’Neal had a career-high 61 points and 23 rebounds in a 2000 game. “It’s great to be in the category with those two guys who dominated the game,” Davis said. Davis connected of 24-of34 shots from the floor and still managed to pass off four assists and block a shot. He made both 3-pointers he attempted and went 9-of-10 from the free throw line. “I just came out with a lot of energy and played very well, shot real well,” Davis said. “My teammates did a great job of setting me up, getting me the ball so I could score. “I’m going to live it up tonight and hopefully I can do the same thing again.”

Davis is doing everything he can to keep the magic going. “I told the equipment manager to give me the exact same things you gave me today, practice jersey, everything,” Davis said. At 22-33, the Pelicans are 5 1/2 games behind Houston for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, but Davis says New Orleans is ready for a late-season surge. “A little tired but happy we got that win. It’s very important,” Davis said. “We just try to come out and play with a lot of energy. We’re trying to make a push to get in the playoffs.” At Oklahoma City, James scored 25 points, passed out 11 assists and pulled down seven rebounds to power the Cava-

Win over Painters boosts Kings’ confidence TURN TO A15

liers’ rout of the Thunder. Kevin Love had 29 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland while Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Durant had 26 points and Westbrook 20 in a losing cause. Suns lose 11th in a row Frenchman Tony Parker scored 22 points, Australian Patty Mills added 21 and LaMarcus Aldridge had 19 points and 10 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs beat Phoenix 118-111, handing the Suns their 11th loss in a row. Derrick Rose and E’Twaun Moore each scored 24 points while Pau Gasol added 21 against his former teammates in Chicago’s 126-115 home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant had 22 for the Lakers. AFP

UST stuns NU in football Matches Thursday: (Moro Lorenzo Field) 1 p.m. – Ateneo vs UP (Men) 3 p.m. – UE vs AdU (Men)

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas shocked erstwhile co-leader National University, 3-1, giving La Salle the UAAP Season 78 men’s football lead late Sunday at the McKinley Hill Stadium. Renz Gumban netted a brace for the Growling Tigers in the 72nd and 81st minutes right after comebacking Ronald Batisla-Ong opened the scoring in the 54th minute. UST, the league’s winningest side with 35 titles, climbed to second spot with eight points. Rookie Carlos Joseph nailed the game-winner in the 82nd minute as the Green Archers got some sort of revenge from its Finals loss to Far Eastern University with a 2-1 victory, giving last season’s runner-up a league-best 10 points. Darwin Regala struck in stoppage time to avert a shutout for the Bulldogs, who dropped to third with seven points. Greggy Yang slotted the spot kick in to the left as FEU keeper Ray Joyel misread it, allowing De La Salle to take the 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute. The Tamaraws scored the equalizer two minutes after the restart as rookie Rico Andes converted his fourth goal of the season, a header from a Paolo Bugas free kick. Turn to A14

TUESDAY: FEBRUARY 23, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

SM Prime earns P28.3b

By Jenniffer B. Austria

SM Prime Holdings Inc., the country’s largest property developer, said Monday net income surged 54 percent in 2015 to P28.3 billion, bolstered by a one-time extraordinary gain from the sale of marketable securities. The company said excluding the P7.4 billion one–time trading gain, recurring income grew 14 percent year-on-year to P20.9 million, while consolidated revenues rose 8 percent to P71.5 billion. “SM Prime sustained its overall net income growth in 2015 as the malls’ overall operations led the performance of the group. This is

a reflection of the overall expansion of the economy that continues to be driven by the 6.2-percent growth in household consumption,” SM Prime president Hans Sy said. “We believe we could sustain this growth in 2016 as we continue to focus on enhancing the synergies across our core business units

as an integrated property developer,” Sy said. Rental revenues from malls and commercial spaces, which accounted for 57 percent of the consolidated revenues, climbed 12 percent to P40.7 billion from P36.5 billion in the previous year. SM Prime attributed the sustained growth in rental revenues to the group’s aggressive mall expansion as well as continued buildup of its office projects. SM Prime’s real estate sales, which accounted for 31 percent of consolidated revenues, stood at P22.2 billion in 2015. The flat performance was due to lower revenue recognition from the almost completed housing projects that

were launched in 2011 and 2012, it said. The property firm said newly launched projects of residential unit SM Development Corp. continued to enjoy brisk sales, with reservation sales growing 12 percent in 2015 to 14,390 units. SM Development booked an 8-percent increase in net income to P5.1 billion in 2015 from P4.7 billion in 2014 . SM Development will launch between 11,000 to 14,000 units in Quezon City, Bicutan and Sucat in Paranaque, Las Piñas and Pasay at the Mall of Asia Complex this year. SM Prime is also set to launch new mixed-use developments in Bulacan, Pampanga and Cavite.

Canilas resigns as PPP head

By Darwin G. Amojelar PUBLIC Private Partnership Center executive director Cossette Canilao said Monday she has resigned from her post. “Yes … effective March 8,” Canilao said in a text message to confirm reports on her resignation. “It is with a heavy heart that I am resigning from my post due to pressing family concerns,” she said in a letter to President Benigno Aquino III. Canilao, who has over 20-year experience in the private sector in the field of advisory, investment banking and corporate banking, was appointed as executive director of PPP in 2011. She recommended that PPP consultant Andre ‘Raj’ Palacios take her place. The government has awarded 12 projects under the PPP scheme since 2010 but only three have been completed so far, including the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway, Automated Fare Collection System and PPP for School Infrastructure phase one.

PSe comPoSite index Closing February 22, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,773.83 8.98

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing February 22, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.605

44.00

43.00

HIGH P47.595 LOW P47.670AVERAGE P47.630 VOLUME 451.000M

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

oPriceS il P today

New BMAP officers. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. (seated, center) inducts the new set of officers and directors of the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines at the BSP Complex. Shown are (seated, from left) BMAP auditor Belen Lim (Security Bank), BSP director for corporate affairs Fe Dela Cruz, BMAP newly elected president Mary Ann Ducanes (China Bank) and treasurer Emmanuel Mari Valdes. Other officers and directors are (standing, from left) membership committee chairperson Estela Calderon (Metrobank), elections committee chairperson Ma. Luz Javier (Avanza, Inc.), director for program and ways and means Tricia Marie Quiambao (BPI), director for BOYF/financial inclusions Allan John Tumbaga (EastWest); secretary and director for publicity Mai Sangalang (Standard Chartered) and director for digital Bennett Alfred Zerrudo.

P20.40-P23.80 Diesel

Nomura expects remittances to rise 5.2% in 2016

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

By Julito G. Rada

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, February 22, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.6650

Japan

Yen

0.008879

0.4232

Pound

1.437100

68.4994

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128637

6.1315

Switzerland

Franc

1.010407

48.1610

Canada

Dollar

0.726480

34.6277

Singapore

Dollar

0.711693

33.9228

Australia

Dollar

0.711389

33.9084

Bahrain

Dinar

2.656748

126.6339

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266702

12.7124

Brunei

Dollar

0.709170

33.8026

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000074

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.027963

1.3329

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

12.9778

Euro

1.113500

53.0750

Korea

Won

0.000812

0.0387

China

Yuan

0.153372

7.3105

India

Rupee

0.014591

0.6955

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237925

11.3407

New Zealand

Dollar

0.659805

31.4496

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030050

1.4323 Source: PDS Bridge

REMITTANCES are expected to grow 5.2 percent this year, bucking the effects of external headwinds such as declining oil prices, slower global growth and financial market volatility, Nomura Global Economics said in a report. Nomura conducted a survey of migrant Filipino workers and found out that a number of structural factors could mitigate the risks to remittances, especially from workers in the Middle East—one of the major sources of money sent home by them. “... We have observed increased geographical diversification of remittances in recent years, an increased proportion of the contribution from more skilled workers in service sectors with strong demand and

higher per-capita remittances reflecting a higher proportion of higher income workers. We conducted a survey of overseasbased Filipinos to support these findings,” Nomura said. “Overall, we continue to forecast a current account surplus of around 3.7 percent of GDP in 2016 from 4.0 percent in 2015, and expect OFW remittances to grow by 5.2 percent y-o-y in 2016... ,” Nomura said. The forecast is higher than the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ target of 4-percent growth for remittances this year. Latest Bangko Sentral data showed that remittances last year grew 4.6 percent to a record $25.767 billion from $24.628 billion year-on-year, surpassing the 4-percent growth projection for the year. Cash remittances in December

expanded 4.9 percent to $2.47 billion from $2.35 billion a year ago, also the biggest monthly inflow on record. “Global developments in recent months have increased the pressure on the Philippines’ balance of payments and on Philippine peso. These include increased financial market volatility and continued concerns over China’s economic slowdown, the impact of policy normalization from the Fed and worries over the impact of lower oil prices, particularly on overseas Filipino worker remittances,” Nomura said. It said the adverse developments resulted in material capital outflows from foreign and domestic investors and a flight-tosafety into US dollar bonds. Philippine equity markets also experienced outflows, possibly exacerbated by valuation con-

cerns amid global risk-aversion. “With our US economics team’s forecast of two more interest rate hikes from the Fed in 2016 and our below-consensus forecast for China’s growth [5.8 percent in 2016], the risk is that subdued risk appetite may continue to pressure the Philippines’ BOP via capital outflows,” Nomura said. It said the Philippines appeared to be a victim of its own success: strong investment spending has kept capital goods imports elevated while higher tourism imports (Filipinos traveling overseas) have increased, possibly due to higher per-capita incomes. Nomura said investors were particularly concerned on the impact of lower oil prices on remittances, given that 2 million Filipino workers based in the Middle East.

TUESDAY: FEBRUARY 23, 2016

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Monday, February 22, 2016

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 1.01 100 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.225 78 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

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

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 32 15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

79 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

34.1 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 161 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

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

0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5

0.44 48.1 20.85 6.62 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3

76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 1.61 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 390 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 0.030 0.550 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 170 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

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

10.5 1.99 1.75 41.4 5.6 5.59 5.6 1.44

6.74 0.65 1.2 30.05 3.36 4.96 2.8 0.79

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop À’ Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. À’ Cebu Holdings Cebu Prop. À’ Century Property

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

SHARES 4,693,211 72,023,233 187,870,764 72,515,553 150,441,830 232,973,916 720,853,187

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.97 2.88 44.9 44.5 100.90 99.50 90.30 87.20 36 35.8 2.60 2.60 1.40 1.40 14.2 13.9 16.5 16.48 0.480 0.475 78.8 76.45 15.02 15.02 23.00 23.00 53.00 51.05 97 96 274 269 34.5 34 143 141.1 1280.00 1280.00 55.50 55.50 1.59 1.49 INDUSTRIAL 42.95 43.2 42.25 5 5.58 5.06 0.69 0.7 0.67 1.46 1.45 1.39 10.1 10.1 10.1 200.00 200.00 189.90 17.52 17.68 17.48 55 75.95 65 18.22 18.7 18.1 39.3 39.8 39.8 2.06 2.14 2.03 2.19 2.23 2.19 11.4 11.48 11.4 8.500 8.500 8.410 7.30 7.30 7.28 5.82 5.90 5.77 6.75 7.12 6.70 21.1 21.75 20.5 59.9 60.5 60.1 12.00 11.02 11.02 13.98 13.98 13.78 5.52 5.47 5.53 2.300 2.340 2.280 217.80 220.00 217.40 8.8 8.7 8.5 27.15 27.80 24.55 38.75 38.70 35.80 26.8 28.05 26.8 15.5 15.8 15.06 5.8 5.95 5.9 320.20 323.60 319.80 3.95 4.05 3.92 3.25 3.38 3.3 9.20 9.63 9.04 3.19 2.7 2.7 11.38 11.38 11.08 3.75 3.70 3.55 1.56 1.83 1.60 2.7 2.79 2.7 3.75 3.83 3.75 143 143 142.9 2.4 2.42 2.35 0.151 0.157 0.150 1.01 1.01 0.99 2.11 2.16 2.11 188.2 194.4 188.2 4.7 4.9 4.7 0.63 0.65 0.63 1.04 1.01 1.01 HOLDING FIRMS 0.325 0.335 0.320 57.3000 57.8000 57.4000 14.60 14.78 14.28 6.01 6.05 6.00 0.231 0.240 0.231 693.5 697 692.5 7.23 7.31 7.23 12.30 12.46 12.20 4.85 4.85 4.5 4.75 4.76 4.60 0.232 0.232 0.231 1260 1263 1260 5.61 5.84 5.82 9.79 9.80 9.78 69.00 69.20 68.05 5.57 5.71 5.5 0.66 0.68 0.65 16.3 16.36 16.16 0.48 0.49 0.49 5.9 5.93 5.78 0.0300 0.0330 0.0300 2.220 2.280 2.100 71.35 71.90 68.90 2.44 2.25 2.07 827.00 835.00 825.00 1.06 1.06 1.05 150.00 152.00 152.00 144.900 146.000 140.000 0.2900 0.3000 0.2900 0.2020 0.2020 0.2000 0.310 0.300 0.290 PROPERTY 6.980 7.000 6.860 0.86 0.87 0.83 1.400 1.410 1.310 31.350 32.050 31.500 3.01 3.08 2.9 4.7 4.75 4.6 5.5 5.99 5.99 0.570 0.57 0.550 2.93 44.85 101.00 90.40 36 2.60 1.40 14.2 16.5 0.480 79.05 15.00 24.70 52.40 96.9 274.6 34.1 141.7 1315.00 55.60 1.49

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.88 44.85 100.00 87.60 36 2.60 1.40 14 16.48 0.480 76.45 15.02 23.00 52.30 97 274 34 141.5 1280.00 55.50 1.59

-1.71 0.00 -0.99 -3.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.41 -0.12 0.00 -3.29 0.13 -6.88 -0.19 0.10 -0.22 -0.29 -0.14 -2.66 -0.18 6.71

68,000 18,500 761,870 1,158,570 105,700 10,000 13,000 44,800 23,500 250,000 1,155,790 21,100 100 32,360 20 750 12,000 289,280 5 5,200 9,000

43.1 5.52 0.67 1.42 10.1 189.90 17.6 75.95 18.18 39.8 2.09 2.22 11.4 8.430 7.30 5.82 7.08 21 60.2 11.02 13.80 5.5 2.310 218.80 8.5 25.15 38.70 27 15.8 5.9 320.40 3.92 3.32 9.49 2.7 11.08 3.65 1.81 2.75 3.80 142.9 2.42 0.153 1.01 2.16 194.4 4.71 0.64 1.01

0.35 10.40 -2.90 -2.74 0.00 -5.05 0.46 38.09 -0.22 1.27 1.46 1.37 0.00 -0.82 0.00 0.00 4.89 -0.47 0.50 -8.17 -1.29 -0.54 0.43 0.46 -3.41 -7.37 -0.13 0.75 1.94 1.72 0.06 -0.76 2.15 3.15 -15.36 -2.64 -2.67 16.03 1.85 1.33 -0.07 0.83 1.32 0.00 2.37 3.29 0.21 1.59 -2.88

2,083,700 4,098,200 511,000 918,000 200 220 274,900 710 113,700 300 854,000 631,000 48,200 4,451,400 666,300 5,781,900 1,740,800 6,747,500 324,750 200 49,500 52,600 1,051,000 1,287,070 1,200 2,100 2,900 2,258,800 901,300 88,400 203,540 42,000 2,331,000 21,765,600 1,000 1,000 354,000 4,151,000 481,000 143,000 550 262,000 1,820,000 21,000 2,695,000 1,721,990 178,000 504,000 29,000

0.320 57.4500 14.32 6.00 0.231 696 7.3 12.46 4.5 4.60 0.231 1261 5.82 9.80 69.00 5.63 0.68 16.26 0.49 5.79 0.0310 2.170 70.00 2.25 835.00 1.05 152.00 146.000 0.2950 0.2000 0.290

-1.54 0.26 -1.92 -0.17 0.00 0.36 0.97 1.30 -7.22 -3.16 -0.43 0.08 3.74 0.10 0.00 1.08 3.03 -0.25 1.04 -1.86 3.33 -2.25 -1.89 -7.79 0.97 -0.94 1.33 0.76 1.72 -0.99 -6.45

690,000 1,156,860 -5,056,862.00 3,970,000 20,207,408.00 5,600 360,000 182,110 19,391,695.00 849,700 -770,095.00 244,700 2,477,338.00 4,000 21,000 23,000.00 450,000 36,095 27,712,265.00 41,500 3,400,000 714,830 -13,588,082.50 9,201,500 15,885,275.00 5,012,000 938,000 -246,554.00 50,000 36,996,400 -21,826,818.00 108,300,000 5,756,000 -3,000.00 536,990 -4,247,475.00 3,000 85,040 20,011,025.00 77,000 10 65,330 -14,600.00 2,080,000 -15,000.00 290,000 190,000

6.860 0.84 1.380 31.900 3.03 4.75 5.99 0.560

-1.72 -2.33 -1.43 1.75 0.66 1.06 8.91 -1.75

6,900 1,595,000 96,000 8,580,100 1,843,000 94,000 300 3,593,000

792,515.00 -32,775,273 -20,571,550.00 360,000.00

-151,700.00 -4,827,846.00 90,379.00 -970.00 91,460.00 -3,440 -680,936.00 -184,815.00 45,103,105.00 -466,784.00 28,600.00 2,684,150.00

6,270.00 85,670.00 -512,114.00 -3,431,917.00 -2,565,590.00 -12,023,448.00 -191,450.00 -19,234,895.00 6,851,791.00 -573,684.00 -439,120.00 5,891,388.00

24,775,295.00 10,445,454.00 0.00 -29,061,788.00 564,710.00 8,786,276.00

-50,540.00 -159,580.00 14,300.00

-319,500.00 121,688,944.00 423,000.00 -2,600.00

-46,920.00 26,186,610.00 929,310.00 -495,000.00

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. À’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp. Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport À’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp. Phil. Realty À’ 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 1.09 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 4 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 15.2

1.97 35.2 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 2.58 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 6

0.62 1.040 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 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 APC Group, Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp. Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IPeople Inc. `A’ Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp. Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp. 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 0.330 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

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

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

70 553 525 515 8.21 12.28 111 1047

33 490 500 480 5.88 6.5 101 1011

84.8

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred F

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp. Italpinas Xurpas

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

High

VALUE 377,093,190.18 1,477,929,616.18 904,322,391.34 789,114,710.09 680,144,253.49 179,164,025.1668 4,410,524,309.448

FINANCIAL 1,525.61 (DOWN) 28.02 INDUSTRIAL 11,089.67 (UP) 133.40 HOLDING FIRMS 6,405.08 (UP) 8.93 PROPERTY 2,701.16 (UP) 2.31 SERVICES 1,539.88 (DOWN) 6.48 MINING & OIL 10,599.03 (DOWN) 166.96 PSEI 6,783.08 (DOWN) 8.98 All Shares Index 3,911.89 (DOWN) 5.40 Gainers: 90; Losers: 94; Unchanged: 32; Total: 216

0.94 1.040 0.116 0.420 23.85 0.830 0.153 0.91 1.55 1.24 3.46 0.090 0.2300 0.395 8.39 26.00 1.49 3.05 21.10 0.76 5.9 0.940 4.450

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.99 0.98 0.99 0.960 0.960 0.960 0.117 0.115 0.116 0.425 0.415 0.415 24.3 23.5 24 0.840 0.830 0.830 0.145 0.145 0.145 0.93 0.91 0.92 1.54 1.51 1.51 1.29 1.26 1.26 3.55 3.46 3.49 0.090 0.088 0.090 0.2370 0.2350 0.2350 0.450 0.390 0.390 8.47 8.4 8.4 26.65 25.25 25.60 1.5 1.47 1.47 3.06 3 3 21.10 20.55 20.75 0.77 0.75 0.76 5.9 5.71 5.89 0.970 0.930 0.950 4.490 4.300 4.490 SERVICES 6.5 7 6.55 6.9 54.3 54.35 54.1 54.25 0.495 0.490 0.485 0.485 4.27 4.42 4.25 4.33 0.0510 0.0520 0.0500 0.0520 3.18 3.24 3.19 3.24 82.55 82.8 81.5 81.5 10 10 10 10 1.48 1.5 1.49 1.49 5.90 5.94 5.71 5.94 2.70 3.19 2.64 3.19 1840 1844 1810 1825 6.68 6.79 6.68 6.71 1.19 1.24 1.18 1.19 59.35 60.4 59.35 60 11.74 11.74 11.74 11.74 0.165 0.178 0.160 0.174 1.2000 1.2300 1.1500 1.1900 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 7.60 7.69 7.50 7.69 4.02 4.02 3.90 3.96 1.04 1.12 1.10 1.10 2.50 2.50 2.35 2.44 1.94 2 1.86 1.95 3.52 3.53 3.50 3.52 0.265 0.270 0.260 0.270 0.730 0.750 0.720 0.750 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 27.00 27.00 26.70 26.95 2246.00 2258.00 2212.00 2220.00 0.390 0.400 0.385 0.395 0.820 0.830 0.780 0.830 34.10 34.25 34.10 34.15 63.00 63.50 62.50 63.00 4.95 5.10 4.90 4.90 3.50 3.86 3.41 3.75 0.475 0.480 0.465 0.465 3.81 3.82 3.77 3.8 0.335 0.320 0.320 0.320 4.900 4.900 4.560 4.560 MINING & OIL 0.0043 0.0044 0.0043 0.0043 2.07 2.07 2.00 2.04 4.45 4.45 4.34 4.45 0.222 0.225 0.225 0.225 0.61 0.6 0.58 0.6 0.430 0.440 0.425 0.440 7.25 7.38 7.06 7.21 0.710 0.760 0.710 0.730 0.295 0.295 0.290 0.290 0.315 0.315 0.295 0.300 0.320 0.320 0.300 0.300 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 0.014 0.013 0.013 0.013 1.81 1.83 1.8 1.82 4.97 5.11 4.92 4.94 2.45 2.54 2.37 2.45 0.5400 0.5600 0.5400 0.5600 1.2500 1.2700 1.2400 1.2400 0.0097 0.0095 0.0095 0.0095 3.51 3.55 3.48 3.48 5.82 5.82 5.56 5.59 1.81 1.87 1.77 1.81 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 123.00 123.20 120.00 122.80 2.35 2.54 2.32 2.4 PREFERRED 54 54 54 54 525.5 528 525 528 530 530 530 530 520 525 523 525 6.52 6.78 6.78 6.78 1.1 1.08 1.08 1.08 112.4 112 111 112 1028 1011 1011 1011 105 104.1 104 104 110.9 107.6 107.5 107.5 82.3 83 82.3 83 78 78 78 78 78.4 78.4 78.25 78.4 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.400 2.430 2.320 2.350 SME 3.74 3.74 3.4 3.6 2.75 2.85 2.84 2.85 2.45 2.4 2.45 2.48 13.58 13.9 13.5 13.66 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 110.6 111 110.5 111

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

5.32 -7.69 0.00 -1.19 0.63 0.00 -5.23 1.10 -2.58 1.61 0.87 0.00 2.17 -1.27 0.12 -1.54 -1.34 -1.64 -1.66 0.00 -0.17 1.06 0.90

22,000 15,000 230,000 840,000 393,200 329,000 150,000 1,974,000 12,549,000 76,000 12,670,000 110,000 40,000 1,040,000 10,700 321,800 628,000 56,000 13,646,900 711,000 28,800 805,000 5,094,000

6.15 -0.09 -2.02 1.41 1.96 1.89 -1.27 0.00 0.68 0.68 18.15 -0.82 0.45 0.00 1.10 0.00 5.45 -0.83 0.00 1.18 -1.49 5.77 -2.40 0.52 0.00 1.89 2.74 0.00 -0.19 -1.16 1.28 1.22 0.15 0.00 -1.01 7.14 -2.11 -0.26 -4.48 -6.94

379,400 24,800 240,000 2,741,000 18,800,000 47,000 262,380 100 15,000 3,000 46,000 25,180 94,100 310,000 2,317,850 100 37,790,000 1,538,000 5,000 8,000 213,000 34,000 45,000 28,986,000 2,136,000 120,000 1,763,000 290 36,900 69,930 520,000 16,794,000 651,600 456,800 968,000 28,359,000 1,100,000 2,078,000 520,000 3,000

0.00 -1.45 0.00 1.35 -1.64 2.33 -0.55 2.82 -1.69 -4.76 -6.25 -7.69 -7.14 0.55 -0.60 0.00 3.70 -0.80 -2.06 -0.85 -3.95 0.00 0.00 -0.16 2.13

37,000,000 142,000 197,000 -13,130.00 50,000 107,000 700,000 -13,200.00 398,700 32,476.00 23,224,000 1,026,180.00 6,020,000 108,840,000 18,790,000 60,500.00 18,700,000 300,000 309,000 2,380,000 -1,016,870.00 41,000 155,000 48,000 1,000,000 19,000 2,086,800 -813,371.00 1,778,000 -92,800.00 8,100,000 717,580 -36,885,358.00 392,000 -183,900.00

0.00 0.48 0.00 0.96 3.99 -1.82 -0.36 -1.65 -0.95 -3.07 0.85 0.00 0.00

185,040 1,100 20,100 2,000 500 7,000 81,000 990 2,200 2,500 9,900 270 34,670

-2.08

235,000

-3.74 3.64 1.22 0.59

59,000 14,000 123,000 135,700

0.36

2,980

-552,820.00

-17,202,820.00 79,040.00

1,682,830.00 -499,500.00 -107,362,365.00 46,500.00 -9,557,990.00

-5,318,790.00 -8,400.00 -18,325,431.00

-5,523,240.00 -7,422,677.50 -17,000.00 58,500.00 0.00 80,000.00 -11,345,520.00 2,446,260.00 29,200.00 29,000.00 -568,590.00 -37,452,140.00 -3,598,350.00 4,039,960.00 21,313,931.50 0.00 -23,528,860.00 -33,250.00 -285,370.00

5,813,100.00 -53,000

61,700.00 711,542.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Conc. Aggr. 'A'

75.95

38.09

Phil H2O

2.7

Easy Call "Common"

3.19

18.15

Ginebra San Miguel Inc.

11.02

-15.36 -8.17

Phoenix Semiconductor

1.81

16.03

Seafront `A'

2.25

-7.79

Agrinurture Inc.

5.52

10.40

Cityland Dev. `A'

0.960

-7.69

Cebu Prop. `A'

5.99

8.91

Manila Mining `A'

0.0120

-7.69

SSI Group

3.75

7.14

Liberty Flour

25.15

-7.37

Vantage Equities

1.59

6.71

F&J Prince 'A'

4.5

-7.22

2GO Group'

6.9

6.15

Manila Mining `B'

0.013

-7.14

Lorenzo Shipping

1.10

5.77

Yehey

4.560

-6.94

Island Info

0.174

5.45

Phil Bank of Comm

23.00

-6.88

TUESDAY: FEBRUARY 23, 2016

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

Rockwell OKs P5-b borrowing Market slips; BDO, Metrobank decline THE stock market fell Monday, ignoring the gains in Asia as some investors opted to cash in on gains last week. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 8.98 points, or 0.1 percent, to 6,783.08 on a value turnover of P4.4 billion. Losers edged gainers, 94 to 90, with 32 issues unchanged. Banks led decliners, with BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, losing 1 percent to P100. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co.,the second-largest bank, tumbled 3.3 percent to P76.45. Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the biggest telecommunications firm, fell 1.2 percent to P2,220, while SM Prime Holdings Inc. of retail tycoon Henry Sy retreated 1.7 percent to P20.75. Metro Pacific Investments Corp. of the Salim Group declined 1.9 percent to P5.79. The rest of Asian shares swept higher on Monday, with Shanghai leading the charge after news China had replaced its securities regulator, while a rise in oil prices cheered investors across the region. Equities extended last week’s sharp rally, notching gains almost across the board after reports that Russia and Saudi Arabia may freeze production sent crude higher. Chinese shares closed up more than two percent after the head of the securities regulatory body who was in place during last year’s market rout was dismissed, while Japan’s exporters gained on a weaker yen. But traders remained cautious after a roller-coaster start to the year. The pound sank after news London’s popular mayor would campaign for Britain to leave the EU in a June referendum. “People are willing to take risk again,” Karl Goody, a private wealth manager at Shaw and Partners in Sydney, told Bloomberg News. With Bloomberg, AFP

By Jenniffer B. Austria

ROCKWELL Land Corp., the property unit of the Lopez group, said Monday it plans to borrow P5 billion from Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. to fund capital expenditures. Rockwell Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors approved the plan to avail up to P5 billion in bilateral loan facility with tenors of five, seven and 10 years. Rockwell Land identified several projects in the pipeline to sustain the growth of the company. The property developer is currently expanding its upscale shopping mall in Makati that will add roughly 6,000 square meters of space. Total capital spending is estimated at P600 million this year. The expansion of Power Plant Mall, which is expected to cost P600 million, is slated for completion by 2017. The property firm is also spending P3 billion to develop a one-hectare lot at the corner of United and Sheridan Streets in Mandaluyong City into an office and retail development. The project to be called RBC United will initially offer nine floors of prime office space and

two floors of retail shopping. Another P1 billion will be used for the development of a 1.3-hectare lot in San Juan City to be called Retailscapes Santolan. Retailscapes Santolan will have a shopping mall and office component. These projects are expected to add 68,000 square meters of leasable space to the company’s office and retail space portfolio. Rockwell Land is focusing on increasing recurring income streams to complement its residential business. All projects will help the company’s target to double its commercial development portfolio to more than 200,000 square meters of gross leasable space. Share price of Rockwell Land closed lower by 1.3 percent to P1.47 on Monday. Rockwell Land, meanwhile, is close to acquiring a beach resort in Cebu province. Rockwell Land president Nestor Padilla earlier

Congress’ third house strikes again THE Senate members of the bicameral conference committee—bicam for short—on the 2016 budget of the Department of Health recently demonstrated anew why the bicam is called the third house of Congress. The Senators in question included Senator Vicente Sotto III and Senator Loren Legarda, who is the chairperson of the upper chamber’s committee on finance. It is easy to understand why the need for bicams exists. In virtually all cases, the two Constitutionally created chambers of Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives—pass bills on an issue that differ in content and the bills have to be reconciled so as to embody the common intent of the two chambers. Upon ratification by the entire Senate and the entire House of Representatives, the measure approved by the bicam is sent to the President of the Philippines for signature. The demonstration that Senators Sotto and Legarda and their Senate colleagues in the 2015 DOH bicam was that legislation is a two-part exercise. The first part is crafting a measure for conversion into law by a Presidential signature (or a lapsing into law if the Chief Executive does not act on the measure within 30 days). The second part of the legislative exercise, which comes into play after a measure has become law, is approving a General Appropriations Act provision to give effect to the intention of Congress in passing the measure. Without an appropriation in the national budget, a law will wither on the vine. It cannot be implemented. The Senator members of the 2015 DOH budget bicam apparently believe in a saying that is popular in tennis (and probably other sports too). The saying is: “It isn’t over till it’s over.” For Senator Sotto what wasn’t over was the fight over the passage of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act (RPRHA) of 2012, which provides for the “inclusion in the Philippine National Drug Formulary of non-abortifacient, legal and medically safe hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine devices, injectables and other family planning products and supplies.” Senator Sotto was

fiercely opposed to the passage of RPRHA, which was principally sponsored in the Senate by Pia Cayetano. For Tito Sotto the game wasn’t over. He would lay in wait and would ambush RPRHA when an opportunity presented itself. In time the opportunity presented itself. That was the bicam deliberations on the 2016 GAA for the DOH which necessarily included the RPRHA budget. With the support of Senator Legarda, Senator Sotto sought the removal of the P1-billion appropriation for family planning supplies and services from the 2016 DOH budget. Between the two of them, Tito Sotto and Loren Legarda effectively contracepted—if there is such a word— DOH’s RPRHA activities in 2016. Sen. Legarda, who apparently fancies herself as an expert in security matters, has indicated that the P1 billion intended for RPRHA had been diverted to the Department of National Defense (DND) for West Philippine Sea-related expenditures. Assuming that no anti-RPRHA sentiment was involved, this begs the question: Did the additional funding for DND have to be taken from DOH’s family planning budget? But that is not the key question raised by the removal of the P1-billion family planning appropriation from the 2016 DOH budget. The key question is, is slashing appropriations so as to render disliked laws ineffective the Constitutionally proper role of bicams? The Constitution speaks of the Senate and the House of Representative—two legislative bodies—crafting bills that are in due course reconciled and sent to the President of the Philippines for signing into law. There is no provision in the Basic Law for a third legislative body that amends laws through the GAA process. Yet, the record will show that bicams have been known to remove from, or insert into, bicam-agenda items provisions that were not in the texts of the measures approved by either or both chambers. The bicams have struck before. In the case of DOH’s 2016 family planning budget, the third Congressional chamber clearly has struck again. E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

said the company had plans to bring its Aruga Hotel brand to Mactan Cebu. “We are bullish about Cebu, especially with the airport project. At this point, we will want to make sure we have the right components for the project,” Padilla said. It will be the first beach resort project of Rockwell Land, which started operations in 1995 with the redevelopment of an old thermal power plant complex into an upscale mixed-use community, now known as Rockwell Center in Makati City. Rockwell Land also acquired a 5.9-hectare property in Sto. Tomas, Batangas as it plans to venture into the socialized and affordable housing segment of the real estate market. Padilla said the company’s venture into affordable housing segment was in preparation for the enactment of a bill requiring condominium developers to build socialized housing projects. “There is already a draft bill. So we are already preparing for that,” Padilla said last year. The company’s venture into socialized housing sector will enable it to diversify into new markets and expand its footprint in Luzon. Socialized housing projects refer to house and lots costing not more than P400,000 per unit.

CIT YPL ANS, INCORPOR ATED SYNOPSIS OF THE ANNUAL STATEMENT * As of December 31, 2014 ASSETS Investments in Tr ust Funds Insuranc e Premium Fund Stoc ks Real Est ate Cash on Hand & in Banks Shor t Ter m Investments Ac c r ued Investment Inc ome Ac c ounts / N otes Rec eivable O ther A ssets Tot al A sset s LIABILITIES Pre - need Reser ves Insuranc e Premium Reser ve O ther Reser ves Planholder s’ Benef its Payable Planholder s’ Deposits C ounselor s’ Bond Reser ve Ac c ounts / N otes Payable Ta xes Payable Ac c r ued E xpenses O ther Liabilities Tot al Lia bili t i e s

P 3 6,5 8 8,3 6 3. 24 3 5 0,0 0 0.0 0 13,425,173.0 8 18 4,823,372.92 5 8,020,3 8 3.5 5 1,0 91,119.11 162,5 81. 28 21, 25 4,5 6 3.4 4 1, 251,4 5 8.5 6 P 316,9 67,015.18

3 3,93 9,0 81. 52 275,3 6 0.0 8 20,791,137.41 3,3 6 6,0 02. 81 29,3 91. 2 2 11,97 7.4 3 3,12 2,793.7 7 91,162.0 0 6 9 0,5 49.61 2, 259,4 31.5 6 6 4,576,8 87.41

S T O C K H O L D E R S’ E Q U I T Y Paid - up Capit al Stoc k

P 125,000,000.00

Spec ial Sur plus Funds: Fluctuation Reserve - Investments in Trust Funds 1,0 91,59 6. 8 8 Fluc tuation Reser ve - Stoc ks 9, 218,4 67.6 5 Ret ained Ear nings 117,0 8 0,0 6 3. 24 Tot al Stoc khol d er s’ Equi t y 252,3 9 0,127.7 7 Tot al Lia bili t i e s & Stoc khol d er s’ Equi t y P 316,9 67,015.18

CIT YPL ANS, INCORPOR ATED Consolidated Tr ust Fund Annual Statement As of December 31, 2014 ASSETS G over nment Sec ur ities Cash in Savings / Time Deposits Shor t Ter m Investments C or porate Bonds Planholder s’ Loans Stoc ks Real Est ate Ac c r ued Investment Inc ome O ther Investments O ther A ssets LIABILITIES Tr ustee Fee Payable O ther Liabilities FUND EQUITY Tr ust Fund Fluc tuation / Revaluation Reser ve

P P P P P

Pension 2 2,9 8 3,3 47.3 8 3 6 9, 267.6 4 4,3 61,6 01.61 1,173,8 3 3.19 16 6,9 9 8.15 2, 26 6,9 5 0. 81 4, 297,9 8 0.10 202,313. 29 5 8 5, 2 20.0 0 473,49 8.0 5 3 6,8 81,010. 2 2 49,0 8 0.11 24 3,5 6 6.7 7 2 92 ,6 4 6 . 8 8 3 5,49 6,76 6.4 6 1,0 91,59 6. 8 8 36,5 8 8,36 3. 3 4 36,8 81,010. 2 2

* This synops is , pr epar ed fr om the 2 014 A nnual S tatement, appr oved by the I nsur anc e C ommiss ioner is publis hed pur suant to S ec tion 4 4 of the Pr e - N eed C o de of the Phi lippines .

B4 PH eyes increased imports of sugar THE Philippines will import an additional 33,000 metric tons of sugar this year to ensure enough supply for domestic consumption, the Sugar Regulatory Administration said Monday. SRA administrator Ma. Regina Martin said the volume would be on top of the 133,000 MT of sugar imports earlier allowed by the agency. SRA earlier allowed sugar producers and traders to import as much as 133,000 MT of sugar to replace the volume that would be shipped to the United States. The Philippines received a regular US sugar quota allocation of 142,000 MT raw value under the tariff-rate quotas for crop year 2015 to 2016. The sugar quota allocation allows a country to export sugar to the US at a low tariff. Martin said for the additional imports, only sugar traders who exported to the US would be allowed to import. “The sugar will come from Thailand. This will be done in a staggered basis until June of this year,” Martin said. Martin earlier said SRA expected lower sugar production for the current crop year due to the effects of El Niño dry spell. Sugar production in crop year 2015 to 2016 is expected to reach 2.15 million to 2.19 million MT. Martin said the volume was significantly lower than 2.32 million MT of sugar produced in the last crop year. It was also lower compared to the earlier forecast of 2.25 million to 2.35 million MT. “Because of El Niño and a reduction in area planted with sugarcane, sugar production is projected to be lower than the initial estimate at the start of the crop year,” Martin said. Anna Leah E. Gonzales

Pepsi-Pizza Hut deal. With a partnership that spans over 30 years, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. and Pizza Hut Philippines celebrate a new milestone marking another renewal of their tactical business tie-up to continue offering popular Pepsi drinks in all 181 Pizza Hut outlets nationwide. Shown during the renewal of the bilateral business partnership are (from left) Pizza Hut Philippines business development manager Noel Leonor, purchasing senior manager Marilyn Corral, PCPPI president Furqan Ahmed Syed, Pizza Hut Philippines chief operations officer TH Lim and Pepsico country manager Maricelle Narciso. Standing are PCPPI general manager for modern trade Marvyn Taningco and Pizza Hut Group controller Ken Mondero.

Philex finds new reserves in Padcal By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

PHILEX Mining Corp. said Monday the on-going drilling at the Bumolo porphyry coppergold deposit near Padcal mine in Benguet province produced encouraging results. Philex said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the maiden inferred mineral resources for Bumolo were estimated to be 21.7 million tons at 0.2 percent copper and 0.3 grams per ton gold. The Bumolo porphyry copper-gold deposit is located in the Baguio mineral dis-

trict and is only 1.5 kilometers east of the Sto. Tomas II deposit of the Padcal mine of Philex. The Bumolo deposit lies within the mineral production sharing agreement 1562000-CAR of Philex. Philex said the inferred mineral resources represented the first phase of the on-going resource definition drilling program to advance the project and provide additional ore to Padcal mine. “Philex is pleased to announce the results of the company’s on-going near mine exploration to assess the possibilities of further extending the life of the Padcal mine,” said Philex Mining president and chief executive Eulalio Austin Jr. “The maiden inferred resource estimate

for the Bumolo project confirms the potential we have been progressing with over the past year. This resource result exceeds our expectations and we further look forward to the next two years of exploration around the Padcal mine,” Austin said. The company’s Padcal mine has been in active operation for the past 58 years and has produced over 378 million tons of ore. Philex announced last year it had identified additional ore reserves that would extend Padcal’s mine life by two years from 2020 to 2022. The mining company said an engineering study conducted on the mineral resource estimates from the 800 to 600 meter level had identified an additional 20 million tons of ore reserves.

PCSO cleared of tax case over small town lottery By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE Bureau of Internal Revenue has cleared the state-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office of any liability in paying the documentary stamp tax for the small town lottery operations. PCSO general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II said the agency had not received any “adverse opinion” on the DST from the BIR or the Commission on Audit. Nina Asuncion of the BIR legal department said in a recent hearing at the House committee on ways and means the pay-

ment of the DST was the sole responsibility of private companies operating the STL under a contract with the PCSO. Rojas said since its assumption to office in 2010, the PCSO board has implemented reforms including the payment of DST by STL operators. “We have been strict and prudent in our management of PCSO, including its games and programs,” he said. STL was established in 2005 under the previous administration to combat jueteng and be a source for funds for PCSO’s social welfare programs including medical assistance and am-

bulance and medical equipment donations. Rojas said from 2010 to 2012, PCSO had corrected the weaknesses they found in the STL and imposed stricter implementing rules and regulations in 2014 including the payment of DST by STL operators. He said PCSO also paid P2 billion in tax arrears and debts left by the previous administration including contributions to government agencies. Based on the PCSO charter, revenues collected are divided with 55 percent going to the prize fund for the games, 30 percent for the charity fund and

15 for the operating fund as the PCSO does not get any budget from the government. Rojas earlier refuted the plunder complaint filed before the Ombudsman over the nonremittance of documentary stamp tax on small town lottery operations, saying it adhered to good governance. Diego Magpantay and Carlo Batalia of the Citizens Crime Watch on Thursday filed the plunder and graft complaint against Rojas and other board directors for allowing the STL operators not to remit the 10-percent documentary stamp tax from 2006 to July 2015.

Rojas said the complaint was “malicious” and “baseless” designed to “malign the present board for the personal agenda and self-serving interest of certain individuals.” Rojas said the PCSO board had introduced reforms since 2010 to improve charity services and gaming activities, which earned the office a recommendation for an ISO-certification. “We have implemented longlasting improvements in procedures and policies and judicious expenditures, among others. PCSO is a small but successful story of our performance and good governance,” Rojas said.

T U E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 6

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

Why you don’t need MS Office I COULDN’T believe my ears when I recently overheard a salesman pitching an Office 365 bundle to a potential Mac buyer. Why in the world would anyone—much less a Mac user—want to pay to use Microsoft’s subscription-based office productivity suite when free alternatives are readily available? Apple has bundled its iWork suite—which includes Pages (a word processor), Numbers (a spreadsheet) and Keynote (presentation software)—for free on all Macs and iPads since 2013. If, like me, you want to use the same software across different operating systems, you need look no further than LibreOffice—a free and open source drop-in replacement MS Office that will work on Windows, OS X and Linux. I find it astounding that there are still people—including that customer at the Mac store--who don’t know about LibreOffice. LibreOffice has been around since 2011, when it was spun off as a fork of OpenOffice. Since then, it has been downloaded 120 million times and has been deployed by large organizations in every continent. If you still don’t have it, you can grab it for free here: http://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-fresh/ LibreOffice includes Writer, the word processor; Calc, the spreadsheet application; Impress, the presentation engine; Draw, a drawing and flowcharting application; Base, a database and database front end; and Math for editing mathematics. This month, the foundation behind LibreOffice, gave us even more reasons to download the free productivity suite. The new LibreOffice 5.1 released Feb.10 incorporates significant improvements over the previous version, including reduced startup time and an overall increase in speed on any of the three operating platforms on which it runs. Although the user interface has been reorganized to provide faster and more convenient access to its most used features, LibreOffice thankfully retains the traditional menu-based approach. I never cared much for Microsoft’s ribbon interface that first appeared with the release of MS Office 2007 and have always felt that it was confusing and that it took up too much screen space, especially on a laptop. Among the interface changes, Version 5.1 adds a new menu to each of the applications: Style for Writer, Sheet for Calc, and Slide for Impress and Draw. LibreOffice has always been read and write documents and spreadsheets created on MS Office. Now, Version 5.1 improves its compatibility with more proprietary formats, with new filters for Apple Keynote 6, Microsoft Write and Gnumeric files. There have been improvements in each of the LibreOffice modules. On Writer, there is are new contour and spacing controls for text wraps. Calc’s formula engine has been improved with features addressing restrictions in table structured references and sticky column or row anchors, interoperability with OOXML spreadsheets and compatibility with ODF 1.2 The presentation engine, Impress, has also received several tweaks that make it easier to use, as well as new transitions that take advantage of OpenGL. Not obvious to users, LibreOffice 5.1 has also been improved under the hood, making the open source office suit easier to develop, maintain and debug—which can be important in enterprise installations. Bjoern Michaelson, director at the Document Foundation and a leading LibreOffice developer, says LibreOffice 5.1 is a sign of things to come for the open source productivity suite. “Since 2010, we have gone through different development cycles to clean up the code and make it more responsive. We are now at a stage where we are close to providing a better user interface.” Jan Holesovsky, a director and member of the LiberOffice design team, adds that the goal is to enable users to choose the best layout of the elements on the screen for their own needs, so that they can make the best use of their desktop space. All this was going through my brain when I heard the sales pitch for Office 365. I couldn’t help myself—and offered the potential Mac buyer some unsolicited advice. “Why not just download LibreOffice? It’s free,” I said. Column archives and blog at: http://www.chinwong.com

BayanTel is poised to post profit in ’16 By Darwin G. Amojelar

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Monday newly acquired Bayan Telecommunications Inc. is expected to post a profit this year, after emerging from corporate rehabilitation last year. Globe treasurer Rizza ManiegoEala said the company expected Bayan to post a net income this year, rebounding from a net loss of P165 million last year. Bayan posted total service revenues of P3.17 billion in 2015, with P1.39 billion coming from fixed-line data and P1.35 billion from broadband. Bayan had 156,336 broadband subscribers as of end-2015. Globe received the resolution from rehabilitation court granting its motion for the termination of rehabilitation proceedings involving Bayan in November.

“The resolution sets a key milestone for Bayan, wherein it successfully exits rehabilitation and provides key opportunities for Globe to continue to unlock prospects for synergies with Bayan,” Globe said. Globe earlier said it would spend between $200 million and $300 million over the next two years to modernize its fixed-line infrastructure, including that of Bayan. Globe’s equity interest in Bayan stood at 98.57 percent. Globe owns 98.57 percent of the outstanding capital of Bayan,

after it acquired the remaining stake of the Lopez family in the telecom company for P1.83 billion. Globe acquired 98.26 percent of Bayan’s loans and 100 percent of Radio Communications of the Philippines Inc.’s liabilities. RCPI, a unit of Bayan, is owned by the Lopez Group. The acquisition cost of $130 million was lower than the $400-million face value of BayanTel. Globe posted a net income of P16.5 billion last year, up 23 precent from P13.4 billion in 2014. Globe’s core net income, which excludes the impact of non-recurring charges, including one-time gains and accelerated depreciation charges, foreign exchange and mark-to-market charges, also grew 4 percent to P15.1 billion from P14.5 billion in 2014.

Finance minister of the year. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima is awarded Finance Minister of

the Year 2015 by FinanceAsia, second in a row from the publication and his sixth in total for his six-year tenure under the Aquino administration. FinanceAsia says the Philippine debt-to-GDP ratio fell to 44.8 percent as of end-2015, with foreign debt minimized to 15.6 percent of GDP amid extended maturities. The publication also recognized how the government’s tax collection expanded too, from 12.1 percent in 2010 to 13.7 percent for January-November 2015.

Govt raises P20b as T-bill rates decline By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE government on Monday raised P20 billion from the local debt market, as Treasury bill rates fell across the board amid strong demand from investors. The Treasury said it awarded P20 billion worth of short-term debt papers to investors on Monday, following the successful global bond sale last week. It raised P8 billion from the sale of 91-day Treasury bills, P6 billion from 182-day papers and P6 billion from 364-day instruments. “The auction committee decided for a full award of the Treasury bills offered during today’s auction, citing healthy market appetite and rates aligning below secondary market benchmarks,” the Treasury said in a statement after the auction. The first treasury bill auction

for the year was more than twice oversubscribed, attracting total tenders of P51.98 billion for the P20-billion debt instruments up for sale. Interest rate on the P91- day or three-month debt facilities fell 17.1 basis points to 1.513 percent Monday from the previous rate of 1.684 percent, as tenders reached P26 billion or more than three times the original offer of P8 billion. Interest rate on the 182-day or six-month debt papers averaged 1.508 percent, or 13.4 basis points lower than the previous rate of 1.642 percent. Tenders for the six-month Treasury bills reached P16.35 billion, or more than double of the original offer of P6 billion. Data showed the 364-day or one-year instruments also saw the average rate drop 6.2 basis points to 1.678 percent from the

previous auction average rate of 1.74 percent. Tenders for the debt facilities amounted to P9.66 billion, exceeding the P6-billion offer by P3.66 billion. “Auction results reveal strong preference for the short-dated securities,” the Treasury said. The 91-day treasury bills will mature on May 25, while 182-day debt papers will mature on Aug. 24. The 364-day papers will mature on Feb. 22 next year. The Treasury earlier said it planned to sell P135 worth of debt papers in the first quarter of 2016, including P60 billion worth of short-term debt papers while the rest would be bonds, or those with more than a year of maturity. The government set the borrowing mix for 2016 at 85 percent from domestic market and 15 percent from the foreign market.

TUESDAY: FEBRUARY 23, 2016

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

percentage of its’ power supply from a renewable energy technology. It shall conduct resource assessment and determine the optional integration of renewable energy in the distribution system;

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR AUTHORIZATION TO PROVIDE ELECTRICITY SERVICE IN BARANGAYS CANDAWAGA AND CULASIAN, RIZAL, PALAWAN AS QUALIFIED THIRD PARTY (QTP) AND FOR ISSUANCE OF THE CORRESPONDING AUTHORITY TO OPERATE (ATO) AND FOR APPROVAL OF THE QTP SERVICE AND SUBSIDY CONTRACT (QSSC) WITH NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION (NPC), WITH PRAYER FOR ISSUANCE OF A PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY,

PHILIPPINES,

INC.

Applicant. x-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - -x NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

In support of said Application, PSPI alleged, among others, the following:

The instant Application likewise seeks the approval of the QTP Service and Subsidy Contract (QSSC)1 dated 09 October 2015, executed by and between PSPI and the NPC, including the Full Cost Recovery Rate (FCRR) provided therein. A copy of the QSSC is attached to the Application as Annex “A”;

PSPI is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines with its principal office at the 10th Floor, The Athenaeum Building, 160 Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City, Metro Manila. Copies of Applicant’s relevant corporate documentation such as the Certificate of Registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Articles of Incorporation, latest Audited Financial Statements and latest General Information Sheet are attached to the Application as Annexes “B”, “C”, “D”, and “E” respectively;

Applicant has the full legal, financial and technical capacity to operate. At present, the Department of Energy (DOE) still has to issue the Certificate of Endorsement stating that Applicant was prequalified in accordance with DOE Circular No. 2004- 06-006 and DOE Circular 2005-12-011. A copy of the Certificate of Endorsement will be attached to the Application as Annex “F” once it is released by the DOE;

PSPI may be served with orders or other legal processes through the undersigned counsel;

As stable and reliable supply of power is essential to economic growth and sustainability, the electricity service provided by a QTP is envisaged to spur development in an economically unviable area and, in the long term, elevate such area to a level of viability. However, the provision of electricity service in unviable areas is expectedly costly and not economically feasible. It would not be reasonable to charge consumers In rural and remote areas high cost of providing such service;

20.2.

Debt/Equity Ratio. The debt-equity ratio for the capital cost of the Generation Facilities shall be 67:33; Computation of Return on Investment/Weighted Average Cost of Capital. The Weighted Average Cost of Capital (“WACC”) for the project is 11% p.a. This was obtained considering a minimum desired return of 14% p.a. on equity capital and an interest of 9.5% p.a. on debt capital;

20.4.

The minimum desired return for equity capital for the project and the cost of debt capital are placed at 14% p.a. and 9.5% p.a., respectively, to reflect the significantly higher risks associated with providing electricity service in a remote and unelectrified rural community without an offtake” ,guaranteed by a contractual counter-party. A computation of the above WACC is contained in Annex “0”;

24. Procurement of Fuel. PSPI is sourcing and will source its future diesel fuel supply from potential. suppliers willing to deliver fuel to the site. It will procure fuel from the least expensive supplier should additional suppliers become available. It will source its biomass fuel from local farmers and it will also develop its own plantation to produce such fuel; RATE IMPLICATIONS OF THE QTP SERVICE AND SUBSIDY CONTRACT 25· The grant of an Authority to Operate and the approval of the QSSC, along with the corresponding subsidy support, will enable PSPI to operate viably and, at the same time, charge a lower tariff on its customers in the QTP Service Area. In the absence of an ERC-approved SARR, the tariff to be charged by it shall be equivalent to the ERC-approved retail rate of PALECO, in accordance with Section II, Article IV of the ERC QTP Guidelines. The following table shows the impact of the QSSC on the eIectricity rates: Before ERC approval True cost of electricity (FCRR)

10. In accordance with Section 70 of the EPIRA, the entry of QTPs to stimulate economic growth in unviable areas is made feasible by a subsidy sourced from the Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification (UC-ME). This enables a QTP to operate viably while charging its consumers at rates, that are reasonably acceptable in the area, as may be determined by the Commission;

Rate paid by consumers Subsidy requirements

11. Pursuant to Sections 59 and 70 of the EPIRA and its IRR, the DOE issued Department Circular No. 2004-06-006, which prescribes the qualification criteria for QTPs, and Department Circular 2005-12-011, which prescribes the guidelines for the participation of QTPs for provision of electric service in remote and unviable areas;

* **

30. Furthermore, the PA will be submitted by PSPI to its prospective lenders as a requirement for the grant of loans, necessary to finance the project; 31. Moreover, it must be emphasized that PSPI has already secured offers from third parties for the lease of the rights to the generation and distribution facilities for the project. Applicant is, therefore, constrained to request for the issuance of the PA before the expiration of the aforesaid offers; 32. In the matter of interim relief, PSPI is seeking to collect a lower rate through the Subsidized Approved Retail Rate (SARR) instead of the Full Cost Recovery Rate (FCRR) as ordered by the ERC in consideration of the limited paying capacity of its consumers. The electrification of the QTP Service Area will not be possible if consumers were charged at true cost;

15. Selection of Applicant as Service Provider. In a letter dated 23 January, 2015, DOE has determined that PSPI has satisfied the qualification criteria under the DOE QTP Qualification Circular;

Pursuant to the Waiver Agreen1ent,’ PSPI shall take over from PALECO the missionary electrification function of supplying the electricity requirements of Barangay Candawaga and Culasian, Rizal, Palawan;

33. Finally, the success of this project with the regulatory imprimatur of this Commission will pave way for further investment by PSPI in more projects designed to spur economic growth in remote and unviable areas through the provision of a 24-hour reliable electricity service. Applicant’s interest in other project sites will be dependent on the success of the present Application, particularly on the availnment of the necessary subsidy support under the QTP program. With such support, PSPI looks forward to replicating the success of this project in other areas; PRAYER 34. PSPI prays that, at the soonest possible time, the Commission grants it provisional and interim relief as follows:

16. PALECO’s Waiver of Service and Declaration of QTP Service Area as a Remote & Unviable Area. On 10 January 2005, PALECO issued Board Resolution No. 001, Series of 2005, formally waiving its franchise to operate in several barangays including Barangay Candawaga and, thereafter, Culasian, Rizal, Palawan. A copy of the said Board Resolution is · attached to the application’ as hereto as Annex “K”, 16.1.

Following the issuance of the PALECO Board Resolution, PALECO and PSPI executed on 01 October 2014, a Waiver Agreement, whereby P ALECO waived in its favor the right to provide electricity service in the QTP Service Area. A copy of the Waiver Agreement is attached to the application as hereto as Annex “L”;

17. QTP Operations. Prior to PSPI’s entry in the QTP Service Area, based on actual survey conducted by its staff, the average monthly electricity expense of residents in Barangay Candawaga is approximately PhP 378.20 while the average monthly electricity expense of residents In Barangay Culasian is approximately PhP1,084.24;

Subject to periodic adjustments based on consumer price indices, foreign exchange rate, and actual costs, In the absence of an E1-ZC-approved SARR, the retail rate of PALECO shall be applied, Once the ERC approves an SARR, the SARR shall apply.

29. In the case of PSPI, it must be noted that the PA is necessary for the execution of its agreement with NPC which will embody the seamless phase-in of its operation, and the eventual phase-out of NPC’s generating function, in the QTP area;

There is a Barangay Power Association (BAPA) located in Sitio Sicud, Candawaga and is operating a 1X100 kVA diesel genset 5-hours daily from 6pm-11 pm. While in Culasian, it was once a KEPCO recipient in the O’law Program of the government. The power plant is no longer operating since 2009 due to financial reasons (high fuel costs and low collection efficiency);

15.2.

P25.58/kWh

28. Rule 14 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure authorizes the issuance of a PA and/or an interim relief prior to a final decision, provided that the facts and circumstances warrant the issuance thereof;

The QTP Service Area is located approximately 230 kilometers southwest from Puerto Princesa City, about 5-6 hours land trip. From Rizal’s town center, Barangays Candawaga and Culasian are accessible via a gravel road with an approximate distance of 22 kms. A location map and description of the QTP Service Area is attached hereto as Annex “I”,

Pursuant to a MOA and a Revised MOA (attached as Annex “J”) in February 14, 2013 at Liminangcong, Taytay, Palawan, PSPI and PALECO, a cooperative duly registered under the laws of the Philippines with office address at PALECO main office, North National Road, Barangay Tiniguiban, Puerto Prinsesa City,: Palawan, Philippines executed a Waiver Agreement on 11 October 2014 whereby PALECO waived in favor of PSPI all of the Provincial Government of Palawan/PALECO’s right and interests to provide electricity service in the QTP Service Area;

P8.5/kWh**

none provided

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF REQUEST FOR INTERIM RELIEF & PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY (PA) TO OPERATE IN THE QTP AREA

14. The QTP Service Area. Barangays Caridawaga and Culasian, both located in the Municipality of Rizal in the Province of Palawan (QTP Service Area) is a remote and unviable area within the franchise area of Palawan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PALECO);

15.1.

P34.08/kWh*

P[X]/kWh

27. PSPI respectfully submits that the aforementioned amount is more than reasonable considering the 24hour, enterprise level service provided under the QSSC that directly results in the significant economic uplifment and improvement in the quality of life in the QTP Service Area which is beyond anything possible in the traditional 6 to 12 hour rural electrification systems;

13. PSPI is a pioneer QTP having been issued the very first Authority to Operate as a QTP in the entire country for its Rio Tuba electrification project. This exemplifies the successful economic upliftment of a remote and unviable area through the entry of a QTP;

14.2.

P34.08/kWh*

After ERC Provisional Authority or Final Approval

26. The subsidy component necessary for the continued supply of electricity that will sustain the economic growth of the QTP Service Area results in an impact on the Universal Charge in the amount of Php25.58/kWh;

12. At the time when the regulatory and administrative framework for QTP projects, including mechanisms for the availment of UC-ME subsidy by QTPs, were still being developed, Applicant already commenced its operations as a QTP in Barangay Rio Tuba, Bataraza, Palawan (Rio Tuba) and in Malapascua Island, Barangay Logon, Daan Bantayan, Cebu and was about to begin its operations in Balut Island, Saranggani, Davao Occidental and in Barangays Candawaga and Culasian, Rizal, Palawan;

14.1.

Initial Costs, Operating and Maintenance Expenses. The initial capital cost for the project consists of diesel plant costs amounting to Twenty-Three Million One Hundred Ninety-One Thousand Three Hundred Ninety-Two Pesos (PhP23,191,392.00). The capital costs for the first five (5) years, as well as the breakdown of the operating and maintenance expenses for the fifteen (15) year term of the QSSC are shown in Annex “R”;

23. Projected Demand. Considering the nature of the project, there is no minimum energy off-take, as the sale of power is based on actual energy consumed by each end-user consumer. The FCRR is, determined based on an assumed annual increase in energy demand of four percent (4%). A detailed discussion on the projected demand is contained in Annex “S”. A survey study was commissioned by PSPI on the QTP Service Area. The results of the survey were considered and used as the assumption for the load demand and load growth in the Financial Model. The survey summary report is attached as Annex “T”;

STATEMENT OF FACTS

Project Cost. The total capital cost for the Generation Facilities amounts to Twenty-Three Million One Hundred Ninety-One Thousand Three Hundred Ninety-Two Pesos (PhP23,191,392.00) consisting of the costs of the plant equipment, buildings, capitalized expenses and working capital for initial stocks of fuels and lubes and mobilization during plant trials and personnel training. A summary of the project cost components is contained in Annex “N” of the Application;

20.3.

22.1

Furthermore, PSPI has caused the publication of the present Application in its entirety in a newspaper of general circulation within the Municipality of Rizal. Copies of the corresponding Affidavit of Publication and the newspaper are attached to the Application as Annexes “H” and “H-1”, respectively;

Under Section 59 of Republic Act No. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA) and Rule 14 of its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) , the provision of electric service in remote and unviable areas that a distribution utility is unable to service shall be opened to QTP;

Availment of UC-ME Subsidy. The QSSA provides the terms and conditions governing PSPI’s availment of the UC-ME Subsidy. For the provision of electricity service, it shall charge and collect from its end users the SARR. Should the FCRR be higher than the SARR, PSPI shall be entitled to recover the difference from the UC-ME Subsidy through the mechanism provided in.the QSSC;

22. Cash Flow.

In compliance with Rule 6 of the ERC’ Rules of Practice and Procedure, approved by the Commission on 22 June 2006 as Resolution No. 38, Series of 2005, PSPI has furnished the Sangguniang Bayan of the Municipality of Rizal and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Palawan copies of the Application with all its annexes. Copies of the certifications from the Sangguniang Bayan of the Municipality of Rizal and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Palawan, or their duly authorized representatives, attesting to the fact of such service, are attached as Annex “G” of the Application;

19.6.

21. Purchased Power Rate. The Full Cost Recovery Rate (FCRR) consists of a levelized base rate of PhP34.08/kWh, which shall be automatically adjusted for each billing period based on Philippine and US consumer price indices as well as actual fuel costs, in accordance with the adjustment mechanisms in the QSSA. In accordance with the ERC QTP Guidelines, PSPI shall charge and collect from the endusers SARR. Should the FCRR be higher than the SARR, PSPI shall be entitled to ‘recover the difference from the UC-ME Subsidy. A detailed discussion on the FCRR, including its breakdown and the rationale supporting the indexation, is attached to the Application as Annex “P”;

COMPLIANCE WITH PRE-FILING REQUIREMENTS 6.

The operations and maintenance, of the distribution system, as well as billing and collection, will be performed by PSPI. This fee is incorporated as a flat rate in the Full Cost Recovery Rate;

20.1.

Notice is hereby given that on 12 November 2015, PowerSource Philippines, Inc. (PSPI) filed an Application for authorization to provide electricity service in Barangays Candawaga and Culasian, Rizal, Palawan as a Qualified Third Party (QTP), with request for the issuance of the corresponding Authority to Operate (ATO) , and for approval of the QTP Service and Subsidy Contract (QSSC) with the National Power Corporation (NPC), with prayer for the issuance of provisional authority.

This is an Application for authorization to provide electricity service with request for the issuance of the corresponding Authority to Operate (ATO) as a Qualified Third Party (QTP) in Barangays Candawaga and Culasian, Rizal, Palawan, filed pursuant to and by virtue of the Rules for the Regulation of the Qualified Third Parties Performing Missionary Electrification in Areas Declared Unviable by the Department of Energy (ERC QTP Guidelines), as approved in ERC Resolution No. 22, Series of 2006;

19.5.

Fuel supply shall be arranged through a purchase contract considering the current fuel provider of NPC. The fuel supply contract shall be established mutually to ensure continuous plant operations. A detailed discussion of the funding/financial aspects of the project is attached to the Application as Annex “M”;

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

Distribution System and related operations. PSPI will rehabilitate and upgrade the existing distribution network in Rizal. It will also plan for an expansion of the existing grid based on the high load growth potential. For the term of the Project, PSPI will strive to maintain on the average 11% system loss;

20. Financial Plans. PSPI intends to enter into a long-term lease agreement with a credible generator set leasing company to minimize generation cost of the electricity provided. A long-term lease reduces the up-front capital required and ensures optional genset operation. In the long-term lease agreement, the genset leasing company guarantees the necessary genset performance metrics including fuel efficiency, plant availability and fixed and variable costs thereby creating an additional layer of power supply stability. .

ERC CASE NO. 2015-200 RC POWERSOURCE (PSPI),

19.4.

34.1.

Authority to Operate as a Qualified Third Party under the ERC QTP Guidelines;

34.2.

A Provisional Authority to Operate in the QTP Area be immediately issued in its favor pending ERC Resolution

34.3.

The QTP Service Contract, including the Full Cost Recovery Rate therein, be approved;

34-4.

Authority to charge its customers a tariff equivalent to the ERC-approved retail rate of P ALECO, in accordance with Section II, Article IV of the ERC QTP Guidelines; and

34.5.

Permission to recover from the UC-ME Subsidy the difference between the FCRR and rate charged by it to its consumers; and to this end, NPC be directed to release to PSPI such subsidy in accordance with the terms of the QTP Service Contract.

The Commission has set the Application for jurisdictional hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and evidentiary hearing on 15 March 2016 (Tuesday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.) at the Barangay Gymnasium in Candawaga, Rizal, Palawan. All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition’, with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired.

17.1.

Based on an extensive house-to-house customer load surveys, and projected small loads of electricity on off-peak hours which will likely be experienced in the early years of Project Development, PSPI will install a very modular, flexible ‘and highly redundant diesel generating plant based on 2 units of small high speed gensets, 1 x 48 kW and 1 x 80 kW on the first year of operation. This ensures modest capital cost and maximum operating flexibility in the early years of operation;

17.2.

PSPI’s project is aimed to be a realization of the goal of the QTP program to stimulate economic progress in remote and unviable areas through electrification. The beneficial impact of stable and reliable electricity service to the economy of the local community in the QTP Service Area as well as the daily lives of the consumers cannot be overstated;

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the Application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the Applicant concludes the presentation of its evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon.

18. Formation of Project Company for Candawaga and Culasian Project. Similar to its plans in the Rio Tuba Project and Malapascua Project, PSPI intends to incorporate a project company with local investment for the purpose of providing electricity service and performing the functions of a QTP in the QTP Service Area to which it will assign its ATO as a QTP and transfer its rights and interests in the QTP project as well upon the approval of the present Application;.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from the Applicant that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. The Applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

SIGNIFICANT ASPECTS OF THE, PROJECT AND THE QTP SERVICE AND SUBSIDY CONTRACT 19. Under the QSSC, PSPI shall provide 24-hour electricity service in the QTP Service Area for a term of fifteen (15) years. In order to ensure that PSPI will be able to viably serve the QTP Service Area, it may be allowed to avail of the UC-ME Subsidy; 19.1.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman, JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Commissioners, ALFREDO J. NON, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 9th day of February 2016 at Pasig City.

The Generation Facilities. In Barangays Candawaga and Culasian, PSPI will install a 1x48 kW and 1x80 kW in the first. Additional 1x140 kW in the Second Year. Nonetheless, should there be a massive increase in load growth as foreseen by it, the latter reserves the right to request for the adjustment of the FCRR to include a new generator set and its relevant , components in the computation;

19.2.

The relevant Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Certificate of Compliance (COC) issued by the Commission covering the diesel generating units will be obtained prior to Commercial Operations Date;

19.3.

In line with legislative and regulatory policies on the promotion of renewable sources of energy, PSPI intends to comply with the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), sourcing a certain

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO

The QTP Service and Subsidy Contract (QSSC) is the resulting legal document after combining the provisions of the QTP Service Contract (QSC) and Subsidy Disbursement Agreement (SDA). (TS-FEB. 23/29, 2016)

Alsons lines up ‘green’ plants ALSONS Consolidated Resources Inc. plans to put up around 200 to 210 megawatts of renewable energy capacity in the next five years with estimated investments of approximately $650 million. Alsons vice president for business development Joseph Nocos told reporters baseload or coal-fired power plants under construction, especially in Mindanao, were enough to meet future demand. “We’re looking ahead to what Mindanao grid will need. First there is enough baseload power plants being built, so we believe there will be adequate baseload in next 10 to 15 years. We’re anticipating, an opportunity for generation companies in RE space, mainly hydro,” Nocos said. The company is pursuing the projects under newly-established Alsons Renewable Energy Corp. Nocos said the company planned to build up to 180 MW of hydro power capacity, mostly located in Mindanao. It already obtained hydro service contracts of 90 MW from the Energy Department, while the balance is pending approval. “Around 80 to 90 MW is under application and we expect DoE to decide within the year. If all is approved, we will have 180 MW which we hope to implement in next five years,” Nocos said. He said the company was pushing the construction of the 15 megawatt Siguil hydro power plant in Maasim this year. Nocos said the project would be followed by a 40-MW hydro power project in Negros island along Bago River. “Except for a 40MW [hydro in Negros], all projects will be in Mindanao... Two other [hydro projects] in Mindanao could be rolled out in next couple of years,” he said. Nocos said the company was also investing in solar power projects on a selective basis, mainly in the General Santos area. “We’re actually looking at one solar project in Gen San of 25 MW,” the official said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

T U E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

editorial@thestandard.com.ph CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

Cameron to rally party on EU poll LONDON—David Cameron will present parliament with a deal on EU reforms Monday, hoping to win support for his campaign to stay in the bloc after London Mayor Boris Johnson dealt a blow by backing a “Brexit”. The British prime minister’s speech follows Johnson’s dramatic announcement Sunday that he will back the Leave campaign, despite Cameron having appealed for his support. Cameron had secured the backing of the majority of his cabinet after striking a reform deal at a European Union summit on Friday to give Britain “special status” in the 28-nation bloc. But following the announcement, six ministers, including Justice Secretary Michael Gove, said they would support a vote for Britain to leave the European Union. Johnson, a popular figure seen as a contender for Conservative Party leadership, said outside his London home that Cameron’s reforms did not fundamentally change the UK’s relationship with the European Union. In a column for the Daily Telegraph, he wrote that the European Union project had “morphed and grown in such a way as to be unrecognizable” and that there was nothing xenophobic in wanting to quit. “We are seeing a slow and invisible process of legal colonization, as the EU infiltrates just about every area of public policy,” he said, adding that the vote was a once-ina-lifetime chance to secure a new relationship. Cameron now faces a battle to keep his centerright Conservatives together while convincing voters he has secured a good enough deal from Brussels for them to support continuing membership. However, Johnson’s high-profile decision to oppose the premier has exposed divisions between the pro- and antiEU wings of the party. While Cameron chose not to force his MPs to vote one way or the other, he has staked enormous political capital on the campaign to stay. Dozens of lawmakers have hinted or openly stated they will campaign to leave. AFP

covering the diesel generating units currently installed in the site are attached to the Application as Annexes “M” and “N”. 19.3. Applicant intends to comply with Renewable Portfolio Standards and source a certain percentage of its power supply from renewable energy technology. Applicant shall conduct resource assessment and determine the optimal integration of renewable energy in the distribution system. 19.4. Availment of UC-ME Subsidy. The QSSC provides the terms and conditions governing Applicant’s availment of the DC-ME Subsidy. For the provision of electricity service, Applicant shall charge and collect from its end users the SARR. Should the FCRR be higher than the SARR, Applicant shall be entitled to recover the difference from the DC-ME Subsidy through the mechanism provided in the QSSC.

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR AUTHORIZATION TO PROVIDE ELECTRICITY SERVICE IN BARANGAY LIMINANGCONG, TAYTAY, PALAWAN, AS QUALIFIED THIRD PARTY (QTP) AND FOR ISSUANCE OF THE CORRESPONDING AUTHORITY . TO OPERATE (ATO) AND FOR APPROVAL OF THE QTP SERVICE AND SUBSIDY CONTRACT (QSSC) WITH NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION (NPC), WITH PRAYER FOR ISSUANCE OF A PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY,

20. Financial Plans/Sources of Funds. Applicant intends to enter into a long-term lease agreement with a credible generator set(genset)-leasing company in order to minimize generation cost. A long-term lease reduces the up-front capital required and ensures optimal genset operation. In the long-term lease agreement, the genset-leasing company guarantees the necessary genset performance metrics including fuel efficiency, plant availability, and the fixed and variable costs, thereby creating an additional layer of power supply stability. Fuel supply shall be arranged through a purchase contract with the current fuel provider of NPC. The fuel supply contract shall be established mutually to ensure continuous plant operations. A detailed discussion of the funding/financial aspects of the project is attached as Annex “0” of the Application.

ERC CASE NO. 2015-208 RC POWERSOURCE (PSPI),

PHILIPPINES,

INC.

20.1. Project Cost. The total capital cost is Twenty Million Seven Hundred Sixty-Eight Thousand Five Hundred Sixty-Five Pesos (Php20,768,565.00), consisting of the costs of the plant equipment, buildings, capitalized expenses and working capital for initial stocks of fuels and lubes and mobilization during plant trials and personnel training. A summary of the project cost components is contained in Annex “P” of the Application.

Applicant. x-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - -x NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

20.2. Debt/Equity Ratio. The debt-equity ratio for the capital cost of the Generation Facilities shall be 67:33.

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

20.3. Computation of Return on Investment/Weighted Average Cost of Capital. The Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) for the project is 10.5 % p.a. This was obtained based on an interest of 9.5 % p.a. on debt capital.

On 10 December 2015, applicant PowerSource Philippines, Inc. (PSPI) filed an Application for authorization to provide electricity service as a Qualified Third Party (QTP), with request for the issuance of the corresponding Authority to Operate (ATO), and for approval of the QTP Service and Subsidy Contract (QSSC) with the National Power Corporation (NPC), with prayer for the issuance of provisional authority.

20.4. The minimum desired return for equity capital for the project and the cost of debt capital are placed at 12.59% p.a. and 9.5% p.a., respectively, to reflect the significantly higher risks associated with providing electricity service in a remote and unelectrified rural community without an offtake guaranteed by a contractual counter-party. A computation of the above WACC is contained in Annex “Q” of the Application.

In support of said Application, PSPI alleged, among others, the following: 1.

This is an Application for authorization to provide electricity service with request for the issuance of the corresponding Authority to Operate (ATO) as a Qualified Third Party (QTP) in Barangay Liminangcong, Taytay, Palawan, filed pursuant to and by virtue of the Rules for the Regulation of the Qualified Third Parties Performing Missionary Electrification in Areas Declared Unviable by the Department of Energy (ERC QTP Guidelines), as approved in ERC Resolution No. 22, Series of 2006.

The instant Application likewise seeks the approval of the QTP Service and Subsidy Contract (QSSC)1 dated 9 October 2015, executed by and between PSPI and the NPC, including the Full Cost Recovery Rate (FCRR) provided therein. A copy of the QSSC is attached to the Application as Annex “A”.

21. Purchased Power Rate. The Full Cost Recovery Rate (FCRR) consists of a levelized base rate of 37.09/kWh, which shall be automatically adjusted for each billing period based on Philippine and US consumer price indices as well as actual fuel costs, in accordance with the adjustment mechanisms in the QSSC. Pursuant to the ERC QTP Guidelines, Applicant shall charge and collect from the end-users SARR. Should the FCRR be higher than the SARR, Applicant shall be entitled to recover the difference from the UC-ME Subsidy. A detailed discussion on the FCRR, including its breakdown and the rationale supporting the indexation, is attached as Annex “R” of the Application. 21.1

22. Cash Flow. 22.1

Applicant may be served with orders or other legal processes through the undersigned counsel.

The FCRR is determined based on an assumed annual increase in actual energy consumed at four percent (4%). A detailed discussion on the projected demand is contained in Annex “V” of the Application. From January 2013 until present, the average load growth in Liminangcong is 5.91%. Moderately, 4% annual increase is assumed in the Financial Model. The historical load and Customer connection profile are shown in Annex “W” of the Application.

In compliance with Rule 6 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, approved by the Commission on 22 June 2006 as Resolution No. 38, Series of 2005, Applicant has furnished the Sangguniang Bayan of the Municipality of Taytay with copies of the Application with all its annexes. Copies of the certifications from the Sangguniang Bayan of the Municipality of Taytay attesting to the fact of such service are attached as Annex “G” of the Application.

24. Procurement of Fuel. Applicant is sourcing and will source its future diesel fuel supply from potential suppliers willing to deliver fuel to the site. Applicant will procure fuel from the least expensive supplier should additional suppliers become available. Applicant will source its biomass fuel from local farmers and it will also develop its own plantation that may generate the needed biomass fuel.

Furthermore, Applicant has caused the publication of the present Application in its entirety in a newspaper of general circulation within the Municipality of Taytay. Copies of the corresponding Affidavit of Publication and the newspaper are attached to the Application as Annexes “H” and “H-1”, respectively.

RATE IMPLICATIONS OF THE QTP SERVICE AND SUBSIDY AGREEMENT

STATEMENT OF FACTS 8.

Under Section 59 of Republic Act No. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA) and Rule 14 of its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), the provision of electric service in remote and unviable areas that a distribution utility is unable to service shall be opened to QTP.

As stable and reliable supply of power is essential to economic growth and sustain ability, the electricity service provided by a QTP is envisaged to spur development in an economically unviable area and, in the long term, elevate such area to a level of viability. However, the provision of electricity service in unviable areas is expectedly costly and not economically feasible. It would not be reasonable to charge consumers in rural and remote areas high cost of providing such service.

Initial Costs, Operating and Maintenance Expenses. The initial capital costs for the project consist of the diesel plant cost at Php20,768,565.00. The capital costs for the first five (5) years, as well as the breakdown of the operating and maintenance expenses for the fifteen (15)-year term of the QSSC, are shown in Annex “T” of the Application.

23. Projected Demand. The hourly average load curve is presented in Annex “U”. Considering the nature of the project, there is no minimum energy off-take, as the sale of power is based on actual energy consumed by each end-user consumer.

COMPLIANCE WITH PRE-FILING REQUIREMENTS 6.

Breakdown of the FCRR. The FCRR reflects fifteen (15) years of operations and the use of the WACC of 10.5% as discounting factor for all costs and generated electricity. A sample computation of the FCRR and the ME Subsidy requirement is attached to the Application as Annex “S”.

25. The grant of an Authority to Operate and the approval of the QSSC, along with the corresponding subsidy support, will enable the Applicant to operate viably and, at the same time, charge a lower tariff on its customers in the QTP Service Area. In the absence of an ERC-approved SARR, the tariff to be charged by the Applicant shall be equivalent to the ERC approved retail rate of DASURECO, in accordance with Section II, Article IV of the ERC QTP Guidelines. The following table shows the impact of the QSSC on the electricity rates:

10. In accordance with Section 70 of the EPIRA, the entry of QTPs to stimulate economic growth in unviable areas is made feasible by a subsidy sourced from the Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification (UC-ME). This enables a QTP to operate viably while charging its consumers rates that are reasonably acceptable in the area, as may be determined by the Commission.

Before ERC approval

After ERC Provisional Authority or Final Approval

True cost of electricity service (FCRR)

Php33.15/kWh*2

Php37.09/kWh*

Rate paid by consumers

Php33.15/kWh**

Php8.5/kWh

none provided

Php28.59/kWh

Subsidy requirement

11. Pursuant to Sections 59 and 70 of the EPIRA and its IRR, the DOE issued Department Circular No. 2004-06-006, which prescribes the qualification criteria for QTPs, and Department Circular 2005-12011, which prescribes the guidelines for the participation of QTPs for provision of electric service in remote and unviable areas.

12. At the time when the regulatory and administrative framework for QTP projects, including mechanisms for the availment of DC-ME subsidy by QTPs, were still being developed, Applicant already commenced its operations as a QTP in Barangay Rio Tuba, Bataraza, Palawan (Rio Tuba) and in Malapascua Island, Barangay Logon, Daan Bantayan, Cebu and was about to begin its operations in Balut Island, Saranggani, Davao Occidental and in Barangays Candawaga and Culasian, Rizal, Palawan.

27. Applicant respectfully submits that the aforementioned amount is more than reasonable considering the 24-hour, enterprise level service provided under the QSSC that directly results in the significant economic upliftment and improvement in the quality of life in the QTP Service Area which is beyond anything possible in the traditional 6 to 12 hour rural electrification systems. ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF REQUEST FOR INTERIM RELIEF & PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY (PA) TO OPERATE IN THE QTP AREA

13. Applicant is a pioneer QTP having been issued the very first Authority to Operate as a QTP in the entire country for its Rio Tuba electrification project. This exemplifies the successful economic upliftment of a remote and unviable area through the entry of a QTP.

14. The QTP Service Area. Liminangcong is a coastal barangay in the Municipality of Taytay, Palawan (the QTP Service Area). It is a remote and unviable area within the franchise area of Palawan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PALECO). A location map and description of the QTP Service Area is attached to the Application as Annex “I”.

29. Furthermore, the PA will be submitted by the Applicant to its prospective lenders as a requirement for the grant of loans, necessary to finance the project.

14.1. The QTP Service Area is located about 30 kilometers South from El Nido, Palawan and connected to the National Highway via gravel road. There is a total of 709 households covering 9 puroks.

30. Moreover, be it emphasized that the Applicant has already secured offers from third parties for the lease of the rights to the generation and distribution facilities for the project. Applicant is, therefore, constrained to request for the issuance of the PA before the expiration of the aforesaid offers.

14.2. In Liminangcong, there is a Barangay Power Association (BAPA) which operates a lX100 kW and lX40 kW diesel gensets 10 hours daily from 2PM to 12MN. The existing 13.2 kV distribution system needs some rehabilitation due to damaged electrical poles. It also requires line extension to several sitios and line upgrade for better quality of electric services.

31. In the matter of interim relief, Applicant is seeking to collect a lower rate through the Subsidized Approved Retail Rate (SARR) instead of the Full Cost Recovery Rate (FCRR) as ordered by the ERC in consideration of the limited paying capacity of its consumers. To stress, the electrification of the QTP Service Area will not be possible if consumers were charged at true cost.

15. Selection of Applicant as Service Provider. In an Agreement entered into in 2009, the Provincial Government of Palawan (PGP), after a competitive selection process, granted to PSPI the right to perform the electricity service in any of the waived areas in Palawan. A photocopy of the Agreement, forming an integral part of the Application, is attached thereto as Annex ”J”.

32. Finally, the success of this project with the regulatory imprimatur of this Commission will pave way for further investment by the Applicant in more projects designed to spur economic growth in remote and unviable areas through the provision of a 24-hour reliable electricity service. Applicant’s interest in other project sites will be dependent on the success of the present Application, particularly on the availment of the necessary subsidy support under the QTP program. With such support, Applicant looks forward to replicating the success of this project in other areas.

15.1. The original agreement in 2009 was reiterated and reinforced in a Revised Master Agreement duly executed by PGP and PowerSource in 14 February 2013 at Barangay Liminangcong, Taytay, Palawan.

PRAYER

15.2. In the Revised Master Agreement, PGP in effect assigned to PowerSource all of PGP’s rights and interests under the MOA entered into with PALECO.

33. PSPI prays that, at the soonest possible time, the Commission grants it provisional and interim relief as follows:

16. Declaration of QTP Service Area as a Remote & Unviable Area and PALECO’s Waiver of Service. In Resolution No. 001, Series of 2005, dated 10 January 2005, PALECO formally waived its franchise privilege in several barangays, including Liminangcong, in favor of a QTP.

33.1. Applicant be granted Authority to Operate as a Qualified Third Party under the ERC QTP Guidelines; 33.2. A Provisional Authority to Operate in the QTP Area be immediately issued in favor of the Applicant pending ERC Resolution.

16.1. As a result of said declaration and by virtue of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) dated 15 March 1995 and Subsidiary MOA dated 21 August 2000, PALECO agreed to implement a joint energy prerogative with PGP, granting the latter the right to operate, maintain, and provide electricity in the waived areas. The said Subsidiary MOA stated that the operation, management, and maintenance of the project shall be governed through a separate MOA. A Copy of the separate MOA dated 2001 is attached to the Application as Annex “K”.

33.3. The QTP Service Contract, including the Full Cost Recovery Rate therein, be approved;

16.2. After the competitive selection process, PowerSource was granted, by virtue of the previous and Revised Master Agreement, all of PGP’s rights and interests under the MOA and Subsidiary MOA with PALECO. By virtue thereof, a Waiver Agreement was entered into with PALECO on 17 July 2013. A copy of the Waiver Agreement is attached as Annex “L” of the Application.

33.5. Applicant be permitted to recover from the UC-ME Subsidy the difference between the FCRR and rate charged by Applicant to its consumers; and to this end, NPC be directed to release to Applicant such subsidy in accordance with the terms of the QTP Service Contract.

17. QTP Operations. Before Applicant begun its operation in Barangay Liminangcong, there was minimal electrification service operated and managed by the BAPA System.

The Commission has set the Application for initial hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and evidentiary hearing on 17 March 2016 (Thursday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.) at the barangay covered court of Liminangcong, Taytay, Palawan.

17.1. Due to constant pressure from the local government units and residents, Applicant conceded to their request and began construction and eventual operations. Applicant is currently operating from 2PM to 12MN. Applicant intends to provide 24/7 electricity service. The community population of 709 households will initially yield significant sales of 252,939 kWh on the first year. 17.2. QTP operations shall be for a period of fifteen (15) years in accordance with the Waiver Agreement with PALECO and the QTP Service and Subsidy Agreement with NPC. 17.3. Applicant’s project has been a realization of the goal of the QTP program which is to stimulate economic progress in remote and unviable areas through electrification. The beneficial impact of stable and reliable electricity service to the economy of the local community in the QTP Service Area as well as the daily lives of the consumers cannot be overstated. 18. Formation of Project Company for Liminangcong Similar to its plans in the Rio Tuba Project and Malapascua Project, Applicant intends to incorporate a project company that will invest in the electricity service and perform the functions of a QTP in the QTP Service Area. Correspondingly, Applicant will assign its ATO as a QTP and transfer its rights and interests in the QTP project to the said project company upon the approval of this Application. SIGNIFICANT ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT AND THE QTP SERVICE AND SUBSIDY AGREEMENT

33.4. Applicant be authorized to charge its customers a tariff equivalent to the ERC-approved retail rate of PALECO, in accordance with Section II, Article IV of the ERC QTP Guidelines; and

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired. All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the Application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the Applicant concludes the presentation of its evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon. All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from the Applicant that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. The Applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours. WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman, JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Commissioners, ALFREDO J. NON, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 26th day of January 2016 at Pasig City.

19. Under the QSSA, Applicant shall provide 24-hour electricity service in the QTP Service Area for a term of fifteen (15) years. In order to ensure that Applicant will be able to viably serve the QTP Service Area, it may be allowed to avail of the UC-ME Subsidy. 19.1. The Generation Facilities. Due to small loads in off-peak hours, Applicant will install a modular, flexible and highly redundant diesel generating plant based on three (3) units of small high speed gensets, 3x36 kW, on the first year of operation. This ensures modest capital cost and maximum flexibility in the early years of operations. 19.2. Copies of the Certificate of Non-Coverage (CNC) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Certificate of Compliance (COC) issued by the Commission

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO

T U E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 6

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

150 killed as Russia, US press Syria truce SAYYIDA ZEINAB—A string of suicide bombings near a Shiite shrine outside Syria’s capital and in Homs claimed by jihadists killed more than 150 people Sunday, as Washington and Moscow worked to secure a ceasefire. The Islamic State group said it was behind the carnage. US Secretary of State John Kerry said a provisional deal had been reached on the terms of a truce in Syria’s brutal five-year conflict, only for the bloodshed to intensify on the ground. Near Damascus, a car bombing followed by two consecutive suicide attacks ripped through the area of the Shiite shrine of Sayyida Zeinab and killed 96 people, according to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syria’s official news agency SANA, quoting a police source, said 178 people, including children, were among the wounded. An AFP reporter said the blasts struck about 400 meters from the revered Shiite shrine containing the grave of a granddaughter of the Prophet Mohammed. A January attack in the same area—also claimed by IS—killed 70 people. The Observatory also reported that two car bombs killed at least 59 people and wounded dozens in the pro-regime district of AlZahraa in the central city of Homs. IS said online that two suicide bombers struck in Sayyida Zeinab and two others drove explosivepacked cars into crowds in Homs. UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura “strongly condemns” the attacks, his spokesperson said in a statement. State television footage from Homs showed emergency workers carrying a charred body on a stretcher past devastated shops and mangled cars and minibuses. Al-Zahraa—whose residents are mostly from the same Alawite sect of Shia Islam as Syria’s ruling clan—has been regularly targeted. World powers, which have been pushing for a halt in Syria’s nearly five-year war, had hoped to see a truce take effect on Friday but have struggled to agree on the terms. AFP

Aftermath. In this photograph posted by Care Australia and taken by Sarah Boxall on February 22, 2016, shows vendors opening their businesses for the first time after Cyclone Winston slammed into Fiji’s capital Suva. The death toll from the super-cyclone that hit Fiji over the weekend has risen from six to 17, Care Australia said on February 22, citing Fijian government officials. AFP

Uber driver arrested over shooting spree CHICAGO—A man arrested on suspicion of shooting dead six people in the northern US state of Michigan was an Uber driver who may have picked up fares during the killing spree, officials and media reported. The suspect, 45-year-old Jason Brian Dalton, is set to appear in court Monday to face charges of murder, Kalamazoo County prosecutor Jeff Getting said. Uber confirmed that Dalton was a driver for the ride-sharing company, adding he had passed a background check and had no criminal record. “We have reached out to the police to help with their investigation in any way that we can,” Uber’s chief security officer, Joe Sullivan, said in a statement.

Dalton was apprehended at 12:40 am local time Sunday (0540 GMT). Police are certain that he is the gunman who opened fire at three different locations in the city of Kalamazoo, killing six people and seriously wounding two others. A woman was seriously wounded outside an apartment complex, two people were killed at a car dealership, and four more were shot dead at a restaurant, where a teenage girl was also seriously wounded.

Getting said Dalton surrendered without incident during a traffic stop. There is “no reason to believe” more than one person was involved in the crime, Getting said. Dalton picked up and dropped off passengers between shootings, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source with knowledge of the investigation. Investigators believe that Dalton was still looking for fares after the shooting rampage, the source said. Local resident Matt Mellen said he was Dalton’s passenger just a few hours before the rampage began, and was taken on a hair-raising ride. “We were driving through medians, driving through the lawn, speeding along and when we came

to a stop, I jumped out the car and ran away,” Mellen told CBS affiliate WWMT. “He wouldn’t stop. He just kind of kept looking at me like.’ Don’t you want to get to your friend’s house’ and I’m like, I want to get there alive.” Mellen said he jumped out of the car at 4:30 pm, and called the emergency phone number 911. He told his fiancee what had happened and she posted Dalton’s picture on Facebook as a warning to others. “We’re looking into his connection to Uber and whether or not he was picking up fares in between the shootings,” Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley said, according to CNN. The shootings began at 6:00 pm Saturday. AFP

Official: US rejected N. Korea treaty bid

Ritual. Nepalese Hindu devotees offer prayers after performing a bathing ritual on the last day of the month-long Swasthani Festival in the Hanumante River at Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu on February 22, 2016. Devotees mark the Swasthani Festival with fasting, and with women in particular undertaking rituals in the hope of a prosperous life for their families and conjugal happiness. AFP

WASHINGTON—The United States said Sunday it received a North Korean proposal to discuss a peace treaty for the Korean peninsula but rejected it when Pyongyang refused to consider reducing its nuclear arsenal. State Department spokesman John Kirby disclosed the exchange when asked about a Wall Street Journal report that President Barack Obama’s administration had secretly agreed to peace talks to formally end the Korean War of 1950 to 1953, days before Pyongyang carried out its latest nuclear test early this year. That January 6 test—the country’s fourth after previous tests in

2006, 2009 and 2013—brought an end to the exploratory contacts that took place at the United Nations, where US and North Korean diplomats can mingle informally in the absence of formal relations between their two countries, the Journal reported. “‘To be clear, it was the North Koreans who proposed discussing a peace treaty,” Kirby told reporters traveling with Secretary of State John Kerry in Amman, Jordan. “We carefully considered their proposal, and made clear that denuclearization had to be part of any such discussion,” he added. “The North rejected our response. ‘Our response to the NK proposal

was consistent with our long-standing focus on denuclearization.’” Citing unnamed US officials familiar with the matter, the Journal claimed the White House had dropped a long-standing condition to talks—that North Korea first take steps to cut back its nuclear arsenal. “Instead the US called for North Korea’s atomic-weapons program to be simply part of the talks,” the newspaper reported. In response to the North’s January nuclear test, which triggered global concern and condemnation, the UN Security Council agreed to roll out new measures to punish the reclusive Asian nation. AFP

TUESDAY : FEB RUARY 23, 2016

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

A RTS, CU LT U RE & T ECH

LIFE Kris Abrigo and his contemporary painting

Tripp 63 posing with his artwork

The limited edition mini heart paper weights designed by pop–culture artists

AYALA MALLS STAGES PUBLIC EXHIBITS AND INSTALLATIONS FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR

Patrick Cabral and his framed piece

Alessa Lanot with her creations

Front row from left: Anthony Go, Dee Jae Pa’este, Patrick Cabral, Kris Abrigo, Jose Gabriel Naguiat, Tripp 63, BLIC and Carlos Cosiol. Back: Mark Sablan, senior division manager of Ayala Malls; Javi Hernandez, assistant VP of Ayala Malls; Tippy Go, Camy Francisco Cabral, Bambi Manosa, Sam Galvez-Lorenzo; Myrna Fernandez, Ayala Malls VP; Rowena Tomeldan, Ayala Land VP and Head of Operations – Commercial Business Group; Alessa Lanot; Mercedes Olondriz; Veronica Cosio; Bing Jose, Ayala Land AVP - Commercial Business Group; and Maricris Bernardino, Ayala Malls Marketing head

rt in public spaces has become an important part of a community. Not only do these spaces make art available for all, the effect of art gives communities a sense of place. And unlike in museums, art in public spaces is free and open to everyone regardless of class. If you missed last weekend’s Art Fair, Ayala Malls has an ongoing public exhibition for Filipino artists that was launched last Valentine’s Day and will be available all year round. The premier lifestyle destination for shopping and dining provides enriching experiences that will delight everyone. Ayala Malls has always been an avid supporter of the arts and a propagator of culture, and this year, it has have gathered talented artists in the country and scattered their works in an exhibit entitled the HeART series in all Ayala Malls in the country. No need to pay for expensive gallery tickets or line up in museums, get your friends and family together and immerse yourselves in art just by taking a leisurely stroll around Ayala Malls establishments like Glorietta, Greenbelt, Bonifacio High

Street, Alabang Town Center, Market!Market!, Serendra, UP Town Center, Trinoma, Marquee Mall in Pampanga, Harbor Point Mall, Solenad, Serin, The District Imus, Fairview Terraces, Vismin Malls, and Abreeza Mall. Renowned and upcoming artists in the country showcased their artistic masterpieces for the series. In Makati, find works of artist Mercedes Olondriz and renowned crafter and pattern designer Alessandra Lanot in Glorietta. In Greenbelt, find romantic interpretations of art by famous designer Francis Libiran. If you’re heading towards the BGC area, Camy FranciscoCabral and The GooglyGooeys will be beautifying the spaces of Market!Market! and Serendra, while FilipinoAmerican graffiti artist Dee Jae Pa’este creates an artwork reflecting a “mixture of old world aesthetics and new world consciousness” in Bonifacio High Street. In the North, UP Town Center will have the graffiti-inspired art of Drone, and young artists – Kris Abrigo, Egg Fiasco and Seikon – will have their contemporary works displayed in Trinoma.

Fairview Terraces gets colorful with pop-culture inspired pieces by EXL D. At the Marquee Mall in Pampanga, Marcushiro and Bru of Electrolychee’s colorful vector art and hand-drawn imagery will be featured, while renowned young artist Farley Del Rosario’s works will be on display in Harbor Point Mall. Towards the South, Alabang Town Center will host the artworks of Bambi Mañosa and Kids4Kids, Sam GalvezLorenzo of Village Art Gallery and Patrick Cabral of Bucketfeet will display their creative whims at the live art presentation. In Solenad, Serin and The District Imus, artists Tripp 63, Chill, BLIC, and Fine Arts students

of Adventist University of the Philippines will showcase graffiti-inspired art works. At Abreeza Mall, visual art students from the University of Mindanao will feature arts inspired by the “Lov’em” theme in different media while Vismin Malls will house works of community-based artists. For sure, there will be a lot of mall goers who will love to pose and show their selfies with these art pieces and Ayala Malls had that in mind. Experience a new kind of connectivity as Ayala Land’s real estate arm partners up with Globe for Ayala Malls Go Wifi. The project is an intelligent wifi

Jose Gabriel Naguiat poses with his paintings

system that boosts each Ayala Malls’ internet capability to up to 100mbps. Each person can enjoy up to one hour of free internet access per day, per device; all you have to do is register your mobile numbers and wait for a verification code with instructions to be sent on your smart devices. Towards the end of February, get connected with Ayala Malls and be in the loop with the latest news and updates via the Ayala Malls A-Portal mobile app, the brainchild of Idea’Yala’s Team Barkadayala. The app enables the public to get updates on the newest shopping promos and dining perks, as well as news about upcoming events, cinema schedules, restaurants, lounges, and transportation hubs. It also allows users to share online to their social media account through the check-in and share feature. And for convenience and centralization, Ayala Malls launches its One Concierge Hotline. Now you can call any Ayala Malls across the country with just one 7-digit

Dee Jae Pa’este for BHS

hotline number 795-9595. What an exciting year for Ayala mall goers. Get it all – art and connectivity – in one hub. For more information follow @ayalamallstweets on Twitter, @iloveayalamalls on Instagram. Follow other users’ journey via the hashtags #LovEmConnections #LovEmExpressions #ILoveAyalaMalls.

Camy Francisco-Cabral poses with her artwork

TUESDAY : FEB RUARY 23, 2016

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

ARTS AND CULTURE ROUNDUP What’s on in theaters and galleries this week

EXHIBITS Drawing the Lines Lopez Museum and Library, Pasig City February 26 to July 8

Labyrinthine Video Room, Finale Art File, Makati City Ongoing until February 27 VISUAL artist Keiye Miranda uses water as a symbol of passage and transition in her latest series of paintings that revolves around her personal reflections on loss, life and death, memory, and time. With bodies of water as her base, Miranda merges fluid, flora and textiles to create abstracted fragments of a fleeting world. She gathers wilted flowers from a memorial park, submerges them in water, and combines these with small wooden boats laced with colored fabrics. The act of submersion symbolizes cleansing, while the water connotes physical and symbolical journey. With these two elements, her paintings are able to show

how things can be momentarily purified, revisited and seen anew. For more details on this exhibit, visit www.finaleartfile.com.

Bululs And Other Oddities Silverlens Gallery, Makati City Ongoing until March 12 IN his solo exhibition, Eduardo Olbés commemorates the Bululs by presenting his version of these once-considered guardian figures of Filipinos before foreign religious figures arrived on our shores. The sculptures of Bululs on display take the viewers back to the time when virulent antagonisms between warring religions did not yet exist, and back when we had a more equal nature – the time when women could manage their own property even after marriage, have children with no husband, and be a political leader or a priestess, among other rights. Olbés also exhibits another cultural oddity, a series of Smoking Mirrors (obsidian) which are considered sacred in the Mesoamerican context to the god Tezcatlipoca.

complementing the written texts and musings of their readers. Entrance fee to the museum to view this exhibit ranges from P60 to P100. Call (02) 631-2417 or email lmmpasig@ gmail.com for inquiries and more details.

THEATER PLAYS Almost, Maine Onstage Theater, Greenbelt 1, Makati City Ongoing until March 13 THE Repertory Philippines tells a story of warmth, love, hope and friendship set in a cold, bleak and fictional town of Almost, Maine. Veteran theater actors Reb Atadero, Jamie Wilson, Caisa Borromeo and Natalie Everett play the 19 characters in this critically-acclaimed John Cariani play.

Call (02) 816-0044 or email info@ silverlensgalleries.com for inquiries and more details on this ongoing exhibit.

Beyond; The Big Room, ArtInformal Gallery, Mandaluyong City Ongoing until March 12 WHERE do we go when we die? How about the animals around us, do they have a certain kind of heaven or hell or limbo as well? Dazed with the enigma of death and modern societies’ continuous practice of religious rites that involve blood and animal massacre, Jonas Eslao exhibits his current series of paintings and, for the first time, a makeshift shrine installation that scrutinizes the endless string of theories and probabilities of our destination following our demise. A serial surrealist, Eslao sketches images of existing barbaric death rituals using earthy colors tempered by pastel patterns, rendering lightness into an otherwise dark and violent phenomenon. The artist adds layers of animal anatomy into people in his paintings, deliberately paints headless

LOPEZ Museum and Library opens the year with an exhibit that reassembles defunct publications by piecing together clippings, old photographs, caricatures and other materials to reevaluate the role of editorial and political cartoons and the importance of this medium in light of different contexts. The group show features the powerful editorial cartoons of Danilo Dalena, Neil Doloricon, E.Z. Izon, Dengcoy Miel, Dante Perez, Jose Tence Ruiz and Pinggot Zulueta. Completing the exhibit are illustrations by Liborio Gatbonton and Vicente Manansala, as well as social realist and abstract works by Onib Olmedo, Cesar Legaspi, Brenda Fajardo and Galo Ocampo, among others. The exhibit attempts to position these artists as rightful co-authors of history through illustrated media, while

Directed by another Rep veteran, Bart Guingona, Almost, Maine is an endearing story that captures the audience’s imagination. It follows the emotional journey of friends in the loneliest and most solitary landscape, but somehow, through their stories, made it a place worth living.

For more details and ticket inquiries, call the Repertory Philippines at (02) 843-3570 or visit www.repertoryphilippines.ph.

WORKSHOPS Calligraphy Workshop Ayala Museum, Makati City February 27; 10:00 a.m.

humans to show what it looks like when people take out that body part from the animals they slaughter, and packages wild animals as a way of giving them proper burial which not only humans deserve. The title of the solo show ends with a semicolon to let the spectators add their own questions and other speculations on their end and destiny. For more details, visit www.artinformal.com.

MODERN calligrapher Anina Rubio teaches the basics of decorative handwriting in a oneday workshop. Participants will learn how to choose nibs and papers, create strokes and textures, and perfect the art of lettering using pen and brush. During the session, participants will be taught how to either immortalize their personal messages or replicate phrases from historical love letters courtesy of Filipinas Heritage Library. The P3,500 workshop fee comes with materials, handouts and snacks.

For more inquiries, call (02) 7598288 loc. 35 or email education@ ayalamuseum.org.

TUESDAY : FEB RUARY 23, 2016

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

#TWITTERCITYPH LAUNCHED AT THE MIND MUSEUM

ILIPINOS have a penchant for bombarding social media feeds with their thoughts and comments especially when it comes to celebrity faux pas and current events that are appealing to the mass market. Though Facebook has been a major social media hub, Twitter is emerging as the leading social networking site when it comes to breaking/hot news items. Last year alone, you can almost hear the Philippines “roar” on Twitter with 6.7 million tweets during the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant when the wrong beauty queen was crowned. Then there was the global phenomenon “AlDub” with Maine Mendoza’s tweets that got 76,000 retweets and were viewed nearly 2.4 million times on Twitter. The AlDub charity concert in October got over 41 million global tweets while the Kalyeserye segment on noontime show Eat Bulaga generated one to two million daily tweets. During the visit of Pope Francis in January, about 3.3 million tweets were generated while there were 2.7 billion global tweets related to the Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather bout last May. The Philippines has been an amazing success story for Twitter in 2015, with the site helping Filipinos regardless of age or background connect to one another. More importantly, it also allows the rest of the world to touch base with our country’s vibrant culture. This year, Filipino users can expect a whole lot more from Twitter in terms of partnerships in the media landscape. Last month, Twitter entered into a partnership with the Commission on

Elections, with expectations that the use of Twitter will become even more aggressive as the political season gets hotter. While there will be a lot of focus on the turnout, there will also be high interest on developments in the political landscape as seen in the presidential debates that started this weekend. Twitter can be used in a powerful way – such as listening to the audience, sourcing questions from the audience, and understanding the current mood of the country. Recently, Twitter installed #TwitterCityPH at the Mind Museum, the first one in the Asia Pacific region. It is comprised of different structures and interactive zones – a photo-booth area #SelfieMuna, a classroom with #FightSchool training, a #Trending Frenzy Wall, an AlDub TV booth, a basketball court, a #FoodStrip, and #PilipinasDebates2016 podiums, to name a few including city street signs and local transportation. The installation allows visitors to immerse themselves into the local culture and discover facts about how Twitter is integrated into the daily lives of Filipinos. Rishi Jaitly, vice president for media in the Asia Pacific and Middle East, is convinced that Twitter’s product and platform will continue to be essential in livening up interest in mass culture and entertainment. Twitter will help brands create a live connection to customers and will raise heightened awareness on people’s passions and ultimately, the Filipino culture. This kind of connection

Twitter VP for Online Sales, Asia Pacific and Latin America Aliza Knox; vice president for Media, Asia Pacific and Middle East Rishi Jaitly; and VP for Global Online Sales, Richard Alfonsi pose beside a life-sized standee of global social phenomenon Maine Mendoza #AlDub

is possible because of Twitter’s influential live audience, premium live reach, and live creative canvas. No other service offers this combination to marketers, especially with 92 percent of users in the Philippines watching videos on Twitter – something that the latter is increasingly becoming associated with. Twitter is now the fastest growing video platform,

and the video is all about interaction, virality and global optimization. As Richard Alfonsi, vice president for Global Online Sales observes, a story happening in the Middle East remarks: “If you are a publisher looking for public high speed and fast traveling, engaging interactive video, Twitter is the place to do it.” – Charmaine Loveria

CLOSEUP FOREVER SUMMER: NOW OR NEVER

loseup Forever Summer has been a popular music festival for the last two years. It is the musical fest that brought Manila closer to the world’s best DJs like Afrojack, Alleso and Martin Garrix. This May 21, Closeup Forever will hold the last leg of the trilogy. Electronic dance music (EDM) fanatics can party during the fest to the beats of the top DJs in the world – Belgian brothers Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike (DVLM) – the duo that has been creating official Tomorrowland anthems

Party with the beats of DVLM on May 21

since 2010. SM MOA concert grounds will be transformed into a Desert Oasis with other local and international DJs. The acts playing during the fest are slowly being revealed on Closeup’s social media feed including its Snapchat account. Closeup Forever Summer will be the first ever performance in the Philippines of remixers to the A-list elite and award winning hit makers Dimitri and Mike Thivalos. Having toured internationally, the duo’s performances are the hottest tickets in electronic dance music, as they grace the biggest

venues and festivals with their explosive brand of EDM. “It is now or never,” highlights Closeup as it celebrates Forever Summer for one last time. Purchase your early bird VIP tickets now for only P2, 000 until March 15 at SMtickets. com. Starting March 16, VIP tickets will be sold at the original price of P4,000. For SVIP table reservations, contact Kim at 0917689888. For updates follow # C los e up Fore ve r Summe r and #NoworNever hashtags on Twitter and Instagram. – Karla Mae M. Manalo

Closeup Forever will hold the last leg of the trilogy with the biggest duo in electronic dance music – DVLM

TUESDAY : FEB RUARY 23, 2016

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Dr. Felix Chan Lim’s beautiful blooming Peonies

Beautifully painted flowers in a scroll by the Chan Lim family

300 ARTWORKS SHOWCASED AT CHAN LIM EXHIBIT IN SM MEGAMALL

Artist Jose Chan Lim (middle) with friends and family members (from left) Dr. Alex Chan Lim, Steven Ching, Benjamin Chua, and Nelson Ong

Porcelain Plate by Kathleen Uy Kong

he talented Chan Lim family headed by their patriarch Jose Chan Lim, also known as Angkok, held an exhibit that showcased 300 artworks painted by more than 40 artists that include members of the family and their students at the Mega Fashion Hall in SM Ma. Charisma Faith Panes and Adele capture nature in their Chinese Megamall. The first Chan Lim Chi paintings on scrolls exhibit was in 1995 also at SM Megamall, and it is just fitting that the largest display of artworks so far would also be held in the artistic family’s first exhibit home. With a Chinese pagoda and fire monkey statue in the backdrop, the artists used Chinese scrolls, oil paintings, lanterns and porcelain plates as their canvas – creating a fusion of Eastern and Western techniques with different brush strokes that made use of oil and watercolor as a medium Angkok and his four sons – Dr. Alex, Dr. Felix, Rolex, and Jolex – have been involved in art for more than 40 years, with the family also successfully producing art exhibits internationally. Nature, animals, still life, Chinese paintings, and sceneries from the Philippines, China, and United States are among the subjects of the Chan Lim artworks. The family also conducts art workshops, seminars and painting demonstrations to share their eknowledge and talent to friends and aspiring artists. During the event, the Grace Christian College 100-piece orchestra serenaded the guests with Chinese music to kick off the event.

Angkok (rightmost) with friends and students Jose Siong Loo, Emily Lee, and Lau Lai Wing

Ma. Flordelis Aguenza’s porcelain plate depicts butterflies and blooms

LOVE THE EARTH, HEAL THE SPIRIT

‘IRREVERENT ARTIST’ FERNANDO MODESTO HOLDS FIRST SHOW FOR 2016

“S

Angel in the Air

ince Fernando Modesto burst in the art scene in 1977, his one abiding quality has been irreverence, but irreverence laced with zaniness and hilarity.” This is the famed review made by art critic and book author Cid Reyes about artist Fernando C. Modesto, whose colorful persona, loud laughter and “irreverent” heart has made him a darling of the Philippine Art Scene close to a decade since the time he started in the late ’60s. Even before being environmentally friendly became the rage, Modesto was already spewing comments like “this is good for the environment” and “to the revolution” back then during conversations with friends and co-artists who, more often than not, would react with puzzlement, unsure how to reply to the artist. After living in Indonesia for two decades, Modesto is now back for his one-man show at the Hiraya Gallery in UN Avenue, Manila that features new paintings and touches on his more serious side. His angels – floating and flying in his pastel landscapes (“Angel in flight”) and fantasy takes on his favorite artists (“Tapies” and “Picasso’s Back”) provide viewers a glimpse of the artist’s more spiritual side. His artworks continue to be colorful with bright splashes of paint and textured molding paste. The show’s title “Love the Earth, Heal the Spirit” seems to hark back to his comments on the environment in the past and shows in landscapes of places

he has visited – “Capri,” “Tuscany” and “Syquijor” capturing the beauty and ethereal quality of the caves of Capri, the trees of Tuscany and the mystical ambiance of the island of Siquijor. Modesto has exhibited his works at the CCP, Hiraya, Metropolitan Museum as well as other local galleries and in international exhibitions such as the Royal Festival Hall in London, England; Fukuoka Museum, Japan; Kunsan International Modern Art Exhibition in South Korea; the VII Biennale International del Arte de Valparaiso in Chile; Italy, and Indonesia, among many others. Fernando Modesto’s “Love the Earth, Heal the Spirit” show will run from Feb. 25 until March 15 at the Hiraya Gallery located at 530 UN Avenue, Manila. For more information, contact Hiraya Tel# (632) 523 3331 or visit http://www.hiraya.com/ and follow on Facebook.

Sweet Angel

T UES DAY : F EBRUA RY 2 3, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

PREPARE FOR BLOODY HELL

IN ‘LONDON HAS FALLEN’ Scottish actor Gerard Butler in the upcoming action thriller helmed by Babak Najafi

n 2013, America was under siege in the box office smash hit, Olympus Has Fallen. Gerard Butler played the hero who single-handedly crushed the terrorists who tried to eliminate the US President, played by Aaron Eckhart, thus preventing the entire nation from meeting unspeakable doom. This summer, Butler returns as Secret Service Agent Mike Banning in the sequel London Has Fallen, which is already creating so much buzz for its promise of being more explosive and action-packed. Eckhart also reprises his role as Benjamin Asher who is now on his second term of presidency. London Has Fallen is set two years after the White House tragedy. The world’s most powerful leaders gather in London for the

funeral of the British Prime Minister. President Asher is accompanied by Banning and Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (played by Angela Bassett). Security is evaluated to be at exceptional level, yet a series of gunfire and explosions devastate the city. Five of the world’s leaders are killed, but terrorist leader Aamir Barwaki vows to cause more bloodshed and create mayhem across the continents until President Asher is captured. Back in Washington D.C., Vice President Trumbull (played by Morgan Freeman, whose previous role in Olympus Has Fallen was Speaker of the House), races against time brainstorming with top advisors in the Situation Room (portrayed by Jackie Earle Haley and Olympus Has Fallen veterans Robert Forster, Melissa

Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart in a scene from London Has Fallen

Leo, and Sean O’Bryan) to get those trapped in London a lifeline of support and a way out. And Banning, who no longer has the advantage of knowing the territory, must maintain contact with Trumbull to stop Barwaki (Alon Aboutboul) from carrying out his evil plans and secure President Asher’s safe return home. “All the action and the attitude that people loved in Olympus Has Fallen comes through again. Audiences expect as much from Gerry [as Banning], and he’s really into it,” says Aaron Eckhart. But aside from the action, producer Les Weldon guarantees that the movie has a heart. “They had been through a lot before,”Weldon begins as he describes the development in the bond between Asher and Banning, “but now (they) are going through an extreme situation together and we see more of their interactions: moments of weakness and fragility, and how they have to support each other to push through and survive.” Gerard Butler’s character also undergoes some personal changes. He and his wife Leah (played by Radha Mitchell) are now more connected than ever, and they are expecting their first child. Mitchell reveals, “The real-life people who have these jobs, guarding the President and being in these high-stress situa-

Morgan Freeman plays Vice President in the sequel to 2013 American action film Olympus Has Fallen

tions, are risking their lives for their country. It’s interesting to consider who these people are when they are at home, and what their domestic situation is. That’s what we get to explore in the scenes between Banning and Leah. Banning has a lot of stress, but Leah carries the burden as well. You can see there is a team effort behind the hero.” Angela Bassett is generous with praise for Butler, Eckhart, and Freeman. She says, “Gerard has a great, very wry sense of humor and he brings that into the make-up of the Banning character. He is the guy all guys want to be, and of course the girls like him rather a lot too. As the President, Aaron complements Gerard because he has a cowboy quali-

ty, strong and masculine; you know that if called upon, he will hold his own. Morgan Freeman’s authority and gravitas add weight to the issues he addresses, but he also has a sense of humor. He is an absolute natural to play Trumbull, now as a Vice President.” Butler also wears the producer’s hat in this sequel, along with Alan Siegel who says that “the best thing about (Butler) is his work ethic,” and that the actor “will make an amazing director one day because he is so attentive to detail.” Presented by VIVA International Pictures and MVP Entertainment, London Has Fallen is the must-see action thriller this summer. Itopens in cinemas on March 3.

FILIPINO CULTURAL PERFORMERS IN WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL

ne hundred Filipino cultural performers set to grace 2016 World Culture Festival. The Art of Living Foundation, one of the largest volunteer based international organizations aiming to transform societies through educational and humanitarian projects, made a pressing call for support to help raise funds to send the award-winning cultural performers from the Buyogan Festival to the World Culture Festival (WCF) on March 11-13 in New Delhi,

India, where 3.5 million people worldwide are expected to join. The participation of the highly talented Buyogan Festival dancers from Leyte in this groundbreaking event is seen as a springboard to place the Philippines in the global spotlight as they showcase Filipino talent and artistry while rising again from the devastation brought by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Present during the media briefing on WCF are representatives of Buyogan Festival

dance troupe and Mayor Octavio J. Traya Jr. of Abuyog, Leyte (center) with (from left) Art of Living Philippines executive director Amar Daswani; country coordinator NameetaDargani; volunteer teachers Madeline Pajarillo, Siaw San Liew, Kim Hartman; and Randall Chua. Help fund the initiative online at www.tinyurl.com/ BuyoganToWCF. Learn more about the Art of Living at: www.artofliving.org or call 0917-840-0049 (02) 6222566 for inquiries. #wcf2016 #worldculturefestival.

The Philippine contingent: local cultural performers who will join 2016 World Culture Festival

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CNN ‘ON ThE ROAD’ 23, ExplORES FEBRUARY 2016 ThE yOuThful fuTuRE Of INDIA

CNN's Paula Newton filming On The Road India

‘Top 20 FunniesT’ highlighTs hilarious everyday momenTs EvErydAy is comedy material, proven by hilarious moments caught on camera and curated for the public’s viewing pleasure courtesy of Top 20 Funniest. Coming in this season is its new “voice,” Charlie Schlatter. Top 20 Funniest debuts its third season to its viewers in Asia on Sony Channel. Its first season was thematic, with each episode running a countdown of videos following a specific theme. The second season were clips arranged according to specific categories. The third season presents its clips more similar to its last season’s format with the best viral video clips to home movies, pranks, surveillance videos, events footage and news bloopers. Get ready to giggle, guffaw and flat out laugh roll on the floor with these candid scenes caught on camera. Enjoy Top 20 Funniest Season 3 all weeknights at 7:55p.m., first and exclusive on Sony Channel. Sony Channel is seen on SKyCable Channel 35, Cignal digital Tv Channel 60, destiny Cable Channel 62, Cable Link Channel 39.

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ACROSS 1 Engrossed 5 Cunning 10 Shrivel 14 Chekov’s crewmate 15 Acrylic fiber 16 Between ports 17 Go off course 18 Crocks 19 Wade through 20 Smoothed wood 22 Title for Camilla

24 Corn serving 25 PC enthusiast 26 Depression era 30 Moray hunter 35 Lend a hand 36 Web suffix 37 Sink unclogger 38 Respire 41 Made lovelier 43 Pet shop buy 44 Top seed’s reward 45 A Knute successor

his month, CNN On The Road explores what lies ahead for India by getting to know the children who will build its future. Join CNN International correspondent Paula Newton as she journeys across this vibrant country, travelling through schools, temples, cricket grounds and dance academies to meet the youthful Indians who are shaping what will soon become the youngest country on earth. Highlights of the coverage include: Einstein in the village Agastya International Foundation is an NGO whose mobile science labs roam more than 600,000km a year in India reaching over 10,000 schools. On The Road journeys with Agastya as they inspire impoverished children in rural India to change their country’s destiny with science.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

23 Tenet 46 Type of question 25 Mil. branch 47 Editor’s chore 26 Pool or coffee — 50 Post-it message 27 Offers a position 53 Ego ender 28 Inklings 54 — riche 29 Job-ad letters 58 Shutter slat 31 Drop the ball 62 “Diana” singer 32 Veranda, on Maui 63 Splice, in botany 33 January, in Jalisco 66 Novel 34 Godzilla foe “Adam —” 39 Film speed no. 67 66 & 45 40 Kitchen herb 68 Repair-bill item 41 Tar’s reply 69 — -in-the-bone 42 Mischief 70 Damage, slangily 44 Family mem. 71 Mournful poem 48 Equal, in combos 72 Length measure 49 Thickset DOWN 51 Flying predator 1 Host’s request 52 Wall decor 2 “The Mammoth 54 DEA operative Hunters” writer 55 Not taken in by 3 Urgent appeal 56 Small music 4 “I, Tina” penner makers 5 Name in tires 6 Search engine find 57 Like the sky 59 “Alice” waitress 7 Not in the pink 60 Kassel’s river 8 Rigs, as dice 61 Funny Foxx 9 Come next 64 Homer Simpson’s 10 Take a bath 11 Castaway’s refuge dad 65 Low-lying clouds 12 Tolstoy et al. 13 License plates 21 Stop for a snack

Serving up success India’s mid-day meal program works on a simple concept: children fed well at school will feel better, learn more and keep coming to school. On the Road travels to one of the most famed cities in India, Jaipur, to see how the mid-day meal program has become a transformative force for children’s education and ensures India’s newest generation will be well- nourished enough to meet its full potential. Guru knows best? The Golden Temple in Amritsar is built on the ‘pool of immortality’. Its name and inspiration resonates for young Sikhs finding a new way to reconcile their spiritual future with their religious history. On The Road visits Amritsar during one of the one of the most spiritual times of the year to speak with devout Sikhs tutoring their young to preserve and strengthen their faith.

Cricket dreams Cricket is a national passion in India and tens of millions of young Indian boys dream of a future as a cricket star. On the Road speaks with young cricketers and their families to find out whether an academy system similar to European football academies can help their game and their dreams A passion for dance On the Road pirouettes to India’s cultural capital Kolkata to meet one of India’s most celebrated modern dancers and choreographers Tanusree Shankar. She teaches children as young as five her unique dance form that blends both traditional and modern elements and attempts to inspire her charges to be eternal students in all walks of life. On The Road: India, a 30-min special airs 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 26. Check CNN International schedule for encore telecast.

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HEaRT In CHIz’s sORTIE In nuEva ECIja aangat talaga tayo,” Heart added. It is very evident that Chiz is a big influence on heart Heart who now espouse the husband’s advocacies and platforms . “Ngayon na mag-asawa na kami, na-realize ko na senador nga pala ang asawa ko at ang malaki ang responisibilidad na kasama nito. Nakikita ko na nalulungkot siya kapag may nagyayari na hindi maganda sa bansa. Marami talaga siyang goals at dreams para sa bayan,” the actress said. Heart says that she wants to see more places around the country and if given the chance, she will join her husband’s campaign sorties. She also wants to hear the voices of the Filipinos and in return she wants them to listen

er first campaign sortie with husband, Vice presidential candidate Francis “Chiz” Escudero, was in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija. The Novo Ecijanos welcomed the candidates of Partido Galing at Puso and Heart EvangelistaEscudero was visibly pleased by the crowd’s very warm reception they gave the party. When asked on radio in Cabanatuan why she thinks her husband should be the next vice president, Heart said,“Hindi lang siya gwapo, matalino at magaling, may puso pa. Importante at no.1 yan sa akin na may puso ka at mahal mo ang bayan.” In Chiz’s 17 years in public service, the Filipinos have known his

capacity and capability to lead.. “Trusted na siya ng mga tao dahil marami na syang nagawa at sana ngayo ng higher position ang tinatakbuhan niya, sana talaga manalo siya,” said Chiz’s beautiful wife. Heart said that she was able to open her mind on the issues confronting the country when she married the senator. She sais that when elected, Chiz will give priority to the the agriculture sector. “Yan ang isa na gusto niya ng i-promote; dapat naman talaga bigyan pansin dahil 60 percent of the poor population ay farmers. Marami tayong matutulungan kung ipa-prioritize natin ang agriculture. With Chiz around promoting farming and agriculture,

‘KnocKout’ returns to GMA

‘PangakO sa ‘YO’s gRIPPIng fInalE

BEGINNING yeaterday, GMA Astig Authority brought back the animated series Knockout, which is about high school student Ippo Makunochi. He usually spends his free time helping his family business and seldom hangs out with other teenagers. This makes him out of place and results to after-school bullying. One day while being attacked by fellow students, a boxer named Takamura comes in to save him. He is inspired to learn boxing and to become a professional boxer himself. How far can he go to reach this dream? Follow his action-packed adventures Monday to Friday at 8:30am on GMA.

VIEWERS nationwide tuned in to the riveting finale of Pangako Sa ‘Yo as the episode hit a national TV rating of 44.5 percent, making it the most watched program in the country last Friday (Feb. 12), according to data from Kantar Media. Pangako Sa ‘Yo also scored a 28-point lead

Couple Chiz Escudero and Heart Evangelista in a campaign sortie in Cabanatuan

to what Chiz will promise them. She said she knows her husband very well and feels how he is yearning to be of service to all the Filipinos.

over its rival on GMA, That’s My Amboy, which only recorded 16.1 percent. The finale took viewers on an action-filled and unexpected ride when Claudia (Angelica Panganiban) held Yna (Kathryn Bernardo) and Amor (Jodi Sta. Maria) captive before setting to kill them, only to be saved by Angelo (Daniel Padilla).

“Sumama ako kasi kailangan makita nila kung gaano ka laki ang puso niya at dapat siya ang maging susunod na bise presidente ng bansa,” Heart concluded.

It also moved viewers to tears when Angelo, on the verge of dying after being shot, professed her love for Yna. In the end, Claudia confessed all of her crimes and apologized to everyone she hurt, including Amor and husband Eduardo (Ian Veneracion).

UFC FigHter StepHen tHompSon ViSitS manila

UFC, the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization and Cignal TV, its official Philippine broadcast partner, have announced that Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompsonis in Manila until Feb. 28. Currently the no.3 Ranked Welterweight fighter in the world, Thompson is a four time World Kickboxing Champion who is undefeated in his professional kickboxing career. A long time training partner of former UFC Welterweight and Middleweight Champions Georges St Pierre and Chris Weidman, Thompson entered the UFC in February 2012, quickly amassing an impressive 12-1 record with signature wins over Robert Whittaker, Jake Ellenberger and most recently former Welterweight Champion Johnny Hendricks. He currently holds the record for longest winning streak (6) in the UFC Welterweight division. Thomson’s five-day tour, entitled On The Rise is presented by UFC and Cignal, supported by Smart Bro, and is part of a continuous effort to expand the brand and spread awareness of Mixed Martial Arts in the Philippines. The Fighter arrived in country on Sunday and will be staying in Manila until the 26th participating in a series of public and media engagements. The trip will culminate with an open workout held at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on Feb.25 from 2:30to 5p.m. with Filipino Featherweight Mark Eddivaand Asia Octagon Girl Red dela Cruz. Fan’s can follow the tour on social media via the following channels:UFC Asia’s Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/UFCAsia; UFC Instagram and Twitter@UFC/ @UFC_Asia, Hashtags#UFCManila, CIGNAL.

#UFCon-

(From left) Jodi Sta. maria, Angelica Panganiban and Kathryn bernardo

A collection of dramatic scenes from the finale of Pangako Sa ‘yo

CElEbRATIng TogETHERnESS In buIlDIng AnD TRAnSFoRmIng lIVES On Jan. 29, Habitat for Humanity Philippines formally launched “WeBuild” campaign at The Peninsula Manila Hotel to further strengthen partnerships with donors and partners in building homes and transforming lives. Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Habitat for Humanity International’s Board Secretary and Habitat Philippines’ Capital Campaign Cabinet Chairman led the event. Alongside him were esteemed guests including Habitat Philippines’ Ambassadors; Alden Richards, Christian Bautista, Cristina Romualdez, Mateo Guidicelli, David Bonifacio, TonipetGaba and Habitat Youth Council Founder and Chairwoman, Alexandra Eduque Envisioning a world where everyone has a decent place to live, these partners have paved a way in raising funds and awareness towards the issues of poverty housing facing the nation. In the Philippines alone, there are almost four million families living in unsafe, unsanitary and unsustainable conditions (University

of Asia and the Pacific, 2012). Through “WeBuild,” Habitat aims to reach 20 percent of this number by the year 2020: serving 800,000 families and mobilizing a million volunteers. “We want to build not just a four-walled structure, but communities of transformed individuals who will be empowered to share that same love they’ve experienced to even more people,” Charlie Ayco, managing director and CEO of Habitat Philippines said. “It’s a practice that we, as a nation — as a family — should do and nurture.” The event highlighted Filipino families nationwide whose lives were transformed for the better through decent housing. One of which was Habitat home partner, a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Philippines Diliman, and now structural engineer, Christian Seso. He reminded fellow partners at the event, “There is a reason why you are blessed. You are blessed not just to be a blessing to your family, but to be a blessing to others, as well.”

Charlie Ayco, managing Director and CEo of Habitat for Humanity

T UES DAY : F EBRUA RY 2 3, 2016

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

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Father Nick, played by Kean Cipriano, sees the devils with abs.

‘ECHORSIS’ TRAILER EXCITES MOVIEGOERS M

John Lapus as Kristoff.

oviegoers of all ages express excitement with the horrorcomedy film Echorsis after its official trailer was released online last week. Echorsis: Sabunutan Between Good and Evil, which features the triumvirate of comedian John Lapus, Callalily vocalist Kean Cipriano, and award-winning independent film actor Alex Medina, received overwhelming reviews from netizens who called the movie “one of the most awaited comedy flicks of the year.” The film was directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker Lemuel Lorca and was written by Jerry Gracio. “Gusto kong mapanood ‘to! Trailer pa lang nakakatawa na. Good vibes lang! Angbongga pa ngcast. Aabangan naming ‘to ngmgabekifriends ko,” Facebook user Nathan Cruz remarked. “Kahit may bagyo sa open-

A romantic scene between Kristoff (Lapus) and Carlo (Medina).

ISAH V. RED

ing day, nood pa rinako,” added Thio Tisado Pie. The trailer, which has so far gone viral and received close to one million views, likewise attracted the straight crowd with some men even asking their girlfriends to watch the movie on their date. “Must watch babe! Hahaha! Make some time for this movie babe please. Nakakatawa solid!” said Facebook user Christian Medina who is inviting his girlfriend. Acceding to the persistent requests of netizens that the movie be shown in cinemas as soon as possible, the film produced by Chris Cahilig under Insight 360, is set

to open on April 13 in theatres nationwide—a week ahead of its original schedule. “There is a clamor for the movie to be shown earlier than its original April 20 playdate. We didn’t expect the public to be so excited to see it soon on the big screen,” said Cahilig. Echorsis, a parody of the iconic horror film The Exorcist, revolves around a gigolo Carlo, played by Medina, who is possessed by a gay demon after he deceived his closeted gay lover Kristoff (Lapus). The task of exorcising the devil out of Medina’s character then falls on the lap of Father Nick, who is portrayed by Cipriano. Legions of Facebook users tagged their friends on the movie’s trailer, saying how excited they are to see it. Some even invited friends to watch Echorsis with them. Veteran director Wenn V. Deramas also showed interest in watching the film.

Kristoff (Lapus) falls in love with the gigolo named Carlo (Medina).

The movie’s trailer was also posted on different blogsites where readers also showed enthusiasm toward the movie. “Tawang-tawa ako bwisit!!! Mahusay! Suportahan natin ‘to, ‘wag puro overrated artists lang ‘yung sinusuportahan natin,” said a reader of FashionPulis.com. “Oh em!! Natawa ako sa trailer! Mag showing kaya diteysa Toronto?? I want! Mas ok ‘yung ganitong movie,” said another reader of the same blog. Completing the ensemble cast of Echorsis are Alessandra de Rossi, Chokoleit, KirayCelis, Mich Liggayu, Ruby Ruiz, Negi Negra, Bekimon, Nico Antonio, Francine Garcia, Odette Khan, and 1:43’s Yuki Sakamoto, Anjo Resurreccion, Gold Aquino, and Yheen Valero. Echorsis is supported by BellaVita Land Corp. and McJim Classic Leather.