The Standard - 2016 February 24 - Wednesday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXX NO. 14 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 wedNeSday : FeBRUaRy 24, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘People Power only aided Aquinos’

foreign jihAdist, 4 soLdiers kiLLed By Francisco Tuyay

AN INdoNesIAN jihadist, 24 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and four Army soldiers were killed in heavy fighting since saturday as part of a three-week offensive against the bandit group in various parts of Mindanao. The Indonesian terrorist was identified by a source as Mohammad Muktar, who was operating under the BIFF’s Abdullah Maka-

paar, alias Commander Bravo. The Indonesian and two local bandits were killed after soldiers from the Army’s 51st Infantry

Battalion repulsed an attack on a military post in Bayabao Poblacion, Butig, Lanao del Sur Saturday evening. Muktar was the second Indonesian terrorist killed since Sucipto Ibrahim Ali, a member of the Mujahidin Indonesia Timur, one of the 10 foreign jihadists with apparent links to the Islamic State that slipped into the country and were hiding in Mindanao. The fighting in Lanao del Sur

started after the BIFF attacked Charlie Company of the 51st Infantry IB and the 2nd Platoon of the 5th Mechanized Infantry Battalion in Butig town. Shortly after, the group launched another attack on Army troopers at a nearby post, prompting Army commanders to mobilize armored tanks reinforced by two MG520 attack helicopters and OV-10 bomber planes, which pounded rebel positions until Sunday.

The fighting spilled over to a nearby village in Alog, Lumbatan town, after rebels said to be affiliated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ambushed a convoy of military reinforcements at 10:45 a.m. Monday. Reports said military convoys with two armored personnel carriers from the 5th Mechanized Battalion were waylaid by gunmen believed to be followers of Edris Salindawan, alias Abuhanif, an MILF base commander. Next page

Practice. Air Force planes do a flyby along Edsa in preparation for the 30th anniversary of the People Power Revolution on Feb. 25. Manny PalMero

Lanao LP members jump ship, back Binay

China now installing radar in disputed sea CHINA is installing radar systems on its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, an American think tank has said, in a move that could significantly change the operational landscape. Satellite imagery of Cuarteron reef in the Spratly islands released by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies

shows what appears to be a high-frequency radar installation, as well as a lighthouse, underground bunker, helipad and other communications equipment. The photographs come only a week after US officials said China had deployed surface to air missiles in the Paracel islands further north, and with tensions mounting in the strategically

vital region. “Placement of a high-frequency radar on Cuarteron Reef would significantly bolster China’s ability to monitor surface and air traffic coming north from the Malacca Straits and other strategically important channels,” said CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. Next page

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Foreign... From A1

Checkpoint. Valenzuela City Police man a checkpoint along MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City on Tuesday. Andrew rAbulAn

Lanao LPs declare allegiance to Binay by Christine F. Herrera and Vito barcelo

PANTAO RAGAT, Lanao del Norte—Original stalwarts of the ruling Liberal Party on Tuesday declared their old party as “enemies” and backed the presidential bid of Vice President Jejomar Binay of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance. In a show of force, Pantao Ragat Mayor Eleanor Dimaporo-Lantud brought with her to Binay 27 “LP originals” during a campaign rally attended by 5,000 UNA supporters. “Your enemies are our enemies now. Just tell us when to charge. Susugod kami. We are ready anytime,” Dimaporo-Lantud declared amid loud cheers from the crowd. “We act like one. We adhere to the principle ‘All for one, one for all.’ We fight to the end,” she said. Dimaporo-Lantud brought victory to the LP in the 2010 presidential polls that catapulted President Benigno Aquino III to power and during the 2013 midterm polls where Team PNoy won nine of the 12 seats in the Senate. Dimaporo-Lantud’s then LP slate also won in those elections. Dimaporo-Lantud is now running for governor under the UNA banner. The LP originals who joined her in jumping ship to UNA were Munai Mayor Maquiling and Baloi Mayor Hanifa Ali, who are running for congressmen in Districts 1 and 2, respectively, and 24 other provincial candidates. Dimaporo-Lantud showed her power and influence by choosing to suspend school on a school day for Binay’s campaign rally.

The school grounds of the Pantao Ragat Central School were filled with supporters. School officials said the students would be made to take make-up classes this weekend. Several armored personnel carriers and soldiers also lined the streets to secure the rally site and the UNA candidates. Not one campaign poster, banner or tarpaulin from other presidential candidates, particularly from the Liberal Party or the PDP-Laban could be seen in the whole of Pantao Ragat. Along the highway, however, were billboards announcing an ongoing road project funded under the government’s bottom-up budgeting program, which was led by Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II when he was still secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government. In her welcome remarks, Dimaporo-Lantud hit the administration’s “straight path” as a sham. She said due to “LP arrogance,” the administration party lost 27 original party members in Lanao del Norte to its arch-rival, UNA, on the eve of the filing of Certificates of Candidacy in October 2015. Dimaporo-Lantud brought to Bi-

nay the 27 LP originals a day after they were allegedly shabbily treated by the LP officials at the Balay headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City. “We were at Balay headquarters of the Liberal Party. They just passed by us like they don’t know us. Like they did not see us. The true character of LP people showed,” Dimaporo-Lantud said. Dimaporo-Lantud said the LP was aware of the LP originals in Lanao del Norte but preferred newcomers. Dimaporo-Lantud is the daughter of the late Caromatan Mayor Sultan Naga Dimaporo, brother of the late congressman Mohammad Ali Dimaporo. On Tuesday, Binay said he would build a Malacañang in Mindanao so that he could personally see that progress reaches the island when he becomes president. “I promise you that I will personally address the problems besetting Mindanao. My plan is to establish a Malacañang in Cebu. Similarly, I will build a Malacañang here in Mindanao,” Binay told the more than 3,000 supporters in a campaign rally in Lanao del Norte. After the first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro, Binay and his running mate Senator Gregorio Honasan II barnstormed Opol and Lugait in Misamis Oriental, and Iligan and Pantao Ragat in Lanao del Norte. Binay assured supporters that his administration would encourage investors, pursue reforms and provide support for infrastructure development in the region. He also stressed that he would use his competence and experience in public service to pursue lasting peace for Mindanao.

The rebel force, armed with high-powered firearms, numbered about 100 and launched sporadic attacks on Army positions, leaving one soldier killed and six others wounded. Armed Forces spokesman Gen. Restituto Padilla said the rebels were trapped by pursuing troops in Cadapaan village, where fighting raged on until late Monday. Col. Roseller Murillo, commander of the 103rd Brigade said more reinforcements were mobilized to take out the rebel groups while airborne troops were on standby. At the town of Datu Salibo, the BIFF also laid out land mines. Padilla said about 100 of these were recovered during clearing operations. Padilla urged residents not to venture in the surrounding town until all land mines are recovered. After 24 days of military offensives, government troops captured a major BIFF camp in Maguindanao. But clearing operations were continuing after the bandits fled the well-fortified stronghold in Barangay Tee, Datu Salibo municipality in Maguindanao. Three soldiers were killed when an improvised bomb went off, said Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, 6th Infantry Division commander. Five civilians, including the town treasurer of Datu Salibo, were also killed when a roadside bomb went off in Datu

China... From A1

Images of other small reefs nearby which China has transformed into artificial islands— Gaven, Hughes, and Johnson South—revealed other features identified by CSIS as possible radar towers, gun emplacements, bunkers, helipads, and quays. CSIS said that while the earlier deployment of HQ-9 surface to air missiles was “notable,” it did not alter the military balance in the South China Sea. But the new radar facilities could, it added. The Philippines said it was verifying the reports on the new radar systems. The Foreign Affairs Department also said it would raise the issue of militarization of the South China Sea when Southeast Asian ministers meet in Laos this week. “Our priority is our maritime security and we will be focusing on that,” said department spokesman Charles Jose. China, a key dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has long opposed the mention of the disputes in the meetings, saying it is not the proper venue for it. The US has in recent months sent warships to sail within 12

Saudi Ampatuan highway. The military said the BIFF fighters fled deep into the marshland, probably toward the borders of Maguindanao and North Cotabato. On Monday, Army bomb experts arrived to help locate the mines so that residents could return home. The military could not say how many BIFF fighters were killed in the 24 days of fighting that started when the BIFF harassed a private construction company dredging the Butilen River in a flood control project. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process said Tuesday construction of a farm-to-market road to connect the towns of Aleosan and Pikit in Cotabato Province would push through despite security threats as part of the government’s commitment under its ceasefire agreement with the MILF. OPAPP said the road is expected to benefit more than 300 households when completed. Most people in the barangays where the road will be built are Bangsamoro and civilian members of both the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front. Work on the project was suspended in January, however, when the BIFF tried to extort P500,000 from the local government of Barangay Pagangan. When barangay officials did not respond to the demand, the BIFF burned a closed van owned by the contractor Sunstone Construction and strafed the house of Barangay Pagangan Chairman Gregorio Guanzon. with Sandy Araneta, PnA nautical miles—the usual territorial limit around natural land—of a disputed island and one of China’s artificial constructions in what it says is a defense of the right to free passage. Beijing claims almost the whole of the South China Sea— through which a third of the world’s oil passes—while several other littoral states have competing claims, as does Taiwan. Last week, China confirmed it had placed “weapons” on Woody Island in the Paracels, defending what it said was its sovereign right to do so. Beijing says it defends the right to freedom of navigation, and insists its island building aims to provide public goods, such as search and rescue facilities, but maintains it has the right to deploy necessary “selfdefense” capabilities. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was heading to Washington on Tuesday for talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry, where the issue was expected to be on the agenda. Kerry told reporters last week: “There is every evidence, every day, that there has been an increase of militarization of one kind or another. It’s of a serious concern.” US President Barack Obama last week called for tangible steps to lower tensions in the region. Vito barcelo, AFP

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Comelec chief vows transparency COMMISSION on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista on Tuesday assured the public he and the other poll officials will be “transparent, efficient and accountable” in preparing the automated election system for May 9 elections this year.

On the stump. Vice President Jejomar Binay tells supporters in Lanao del Norte he will put up a ‘Malacañang of Mindanao’ once he wins the presidency in this year’s elections.

‘Roxas a protector of drug lords’ THE camp of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a presidential candidate, on Tuesday called administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II an “accomplice and protector of drug lords.” And Duterte’s spokesman Peter Laviña slammed Roxas for saying he knew where to buy illegal drugs in Davao City and called him “pathetic.” “Mar is showing he is not fit to be the leader of our country,” Laviña said. “He did not only exhibit irresponsible citizenship by not reporting to authorities where drugs are being peddled, he has in fact become an accomplice in protecting drug lords

and drug pushers.” Laviña made his statement even as House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., the Liberal Party’s campaign manager, said Roxas would win this year’s presidential elections after Duterte called Roxas a “failed politician.” “Don’t worry, Mar will win this next one,” Belmonte said in a text message to reporters. But the relatives of the late President Jose P. Laurel on Tuesday publicly expressed their support for Duterte. At the Manila Golf Club in Intramuros, the relatives, friends and business associates of the influential Laurel family of Batangas took turns praising Duterte.

“We the Laurels stand together. We have one united decision for Duterte. We have invited friends and business partners to this gathering,” Philip Laurel Yupangco said. Jose Laurel Delgado said he was impressed with Duterte’s integrity, while lawyer Maricar Laurel said she believed in Duterte’s battle cry for “real change.” Robert Yupangco, a son of Nita Laurel who is the sister of the late President Jose P. Laurel, said Duterte “walks his talk and is not tainted with graft and corruption.” Interviewed after the first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro City on Sunday, Roxas blasted Duterte’s anti-drug

campaign. “There are drugs in Davao up to now. Even now I can accompany you to buy drugs in Davao,” Laviña’s statement read quoting Roxas. Laviña also quoted Roxas as saying Davao’s crime incidence was the fourth highest in the country and that “the Davao City police office has also said the high volume of crimes recorded was because the local police was successful in doing its job.” Laviña said Roxas deserved to “go to jail, not to Malacañang.” “He is painting others black so he will look white,” he said. Rio N. Araja and John Paolo Bencito

‘Binay cheated me in 2010 election’ SAN MIGUEL, Bulacan—Administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II on Tuesday insisted that Vice President Jejomar Binay cheated him during the 2010 vice presidential race. He made his comments following a recent survey showing that 39 percent of the Filipinos polled believed that cheating would take place in the May 2016 elections. “Well, it’s saddening but I won’t resort to cheating. I won’t steal and I am not a liar,” Roxas said in an apparent dig at Binay. “I was even cheated in the last elections, and that’s why I am very much with our countrymen who are advocating that our

elections should be clean and credible.” But JV Bautista, secretary-general of Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance, told reporters earlier that Roxas might have the advantage in this year’s elections for being President Benigno Aquino III’s “anointed one.” “We have been going around and the resources of the government are being mobilized to favor Roxas,” Bautista said. “We’re preparing for a five-way fight but Vice President Binay’s true opponent will be Mar Roxas who definitely has the backing of government. “It’s not Mar Roxas the candidate that we’re afraid of. It is Mar

Roxas the candidate of the Liberal Party and of the government that we’re afraid of because they could mobilize the machinery [of the government].” In the 2010 elections, then Senator Roxas lost to then Makati Mayor Binay despite leading in almost all the surveys. He then filed an electoral protest but nothing came of it. When asked what intervention the Aquino administration could do to beat Binay in the presidential race, Bautista raised the possibility of electoral fraud, adding Aquino could mobilize funds to ensure Roxas’ victory on May 9. In its survey held on Jan. 24 to 28, the

polling firm Pulse Asia said about four in every 10 Filipinos believed there would be cheating in the May 2016 elections, while less than half of those expected the national and local elections to be clean and credible. Thirty-nine percent of the respondents were sure that the candidates would cheat while 29 percent believed otherwise. And 32 percent of those polled were ambivalent on the issue. Nearly seven out of 10 Filipinos or 65 percent said there would be a massive vote-buying while 37 percent believed the vote-counting machines would be tampered with. John Paolo Bencito

He made the statement after acknowledging the negative perceptions on the Comelec following fears of cheating in this year’s elections as a result of a vulnerable election system. He said he was now working harder to make the public trust the Comelec more. “We are not blind to how we are regarded by many people,” Bautista said. “That’s why we are making sure to change our processes.” Bautista made his statement even as Malacañang on Tuesday said the Comelec had promised orderly, peaceful and clean elections following a Pulse Asia Research survey saying 39 percent of the Filipinos polled expected cheating in this year’s elections. “The Comelec is one with the government in its goal of ensuring an orderly, peaceful and clean elections in May,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement. “We must know the worries and fears regarding the allegations that there will be cheating in the elections.” In Baguio City, vice presidential candidate Francis Escudero said Tuesday the fears of cheating in the May elections could have stemmed from President Benigno Aquino III’s endorsement of and campaigning for the administration’s candidates. He also cited the lobbying by Aquino’s allies to appoint their “friends” to key positions in the Comelec. He accused administration candidate Manuel Roxas 11 and Senate President Franklin Drilon for lobbying for certain Comelec officials that he did not name. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ordered the Comelec to comment on the petition filed by former Senator Richard Gordon seeking to compel the poll body to activate the Voter Verification Paper Audit Trail or system for

this year’s elections. The high court gave the Comelec five days to comment on Gordon’s petition. Bautista said the negative impressions on the Comelec had prompted him and his fellow commissioners to be “transparent” on their automated election preparations. “We do not deny the culture of trust especially in the Comelec. It has long been there,” Bautista said. But he said improving the public’s perception of the Comelec would not happen overnight. He said that since he assumed office, the Comelec had started being transparent by letting all organizations, civil society and the political parties to scrutinize the source code of the vote-counting machines seven months before the elections. Former Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes had earlier said the reason why the reports of errors or glitches were unfolding during the preparation process for the automated election system was because the new administration led by Bautista was very transparent “I gave him a grade of nine out of 10,” Brillantes said. Brillantes admitted that, during his time, the Comelec had received reports of glitches, delays or errors but they did not reveal those reports to reporters as long as they were able to fix them. “This time the Comelec is transparent,” he said. Bautista made his statement after the latest survey by Pulse Asia said that nearly four in 10 registered voters expected cheating in the May elections. Of the 1,800 respondents, 39 percent said they saw that happening while only 29 percent said otherwise. Some 32 percent were undecided. Sara Susanne D. Fabunan, Sandy Araneta, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo

SECURITY PLANT COMPLEX (SPC) DISPOSAL COMMITTEE

NOTICE OF SPECIAL PUBLIC AUCTION The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through its Disposal Committee, invites bidders to participate in the auction for the sale of the following: Description I te m N o. 1 1 Lot Assorted Dismantled Building Materials The schedule of activities is as follows: 1. Issuance of Bid Documents Starting date: 24 February 2016 Room 405, 4th Floor, Building A, BSP-SPC, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City 2. Inspection of Items for Auction Date/Time: 24 February 2016, 26 February 2016 and 29 February 2016 at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. 3. Opening of Bids Date/Time: 01 March 2016 3/F Staff Dining Room at 2:00 p.m.

The BSP reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to declare the bidding a failure, to annul the bidding process and to reject all bids at any given time prior to award of contract, without thereby incurring any liability to the bidders. Furthermore, the BSP reserves the right to waive any minor defect or formality and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the Bank. (SGD) ROUENA L. ROSAL Chairperson 22 February 2016

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‘86 revolt brought suffering’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE 1986 People Power revolution benefitted only the Aquino family and the Filipino people were left to suffer the presidencies of two Aquinos, according to one of the three people who started the revolt 30 years ago.

Baguio sortie. Presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe and her running mate Senator Francis Escudero outline their platform of government during a press briefing in Baguio City on Tuesday. DAVID CHAN

FM2 still tops ‘Solid North’ SENATOR Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. remains the top choice for vice president in the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, bolstering his claim of support from the Ilocano-speaking provinces of Northern Luzon. In a local non-commissioned survey conducted by the Issues and Advocacy Center from Feb. 15 to 20 in Isabela and Feb. 15 to 18 in Cagayan, Marcos continued to lead his vice presidential rivals by a large margin. In Isabela, Marcos emerged the top choice of his fellow Ilocanos with 42.3.1 percent while Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero came in second at 21.0 percent. Bicol Rep. Leni Robredo is in third position with 14.3 percent while Senator Alan Peter Cayetano posted 12.2 percent.

Senators Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan and Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV garnered 5 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Another survey showed a similar result in Cagayan province where Marcos took the top spot with 43.2 percent with a 18.7 percent margin over Escudero who got 24.5 percent. Robredo was in third with 12 percent while Cayetano is in fourth with 8.3 percent. Honasan and Trillanes trailed the pack with 5 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively. The pre-poll surveys used a sampling size of 800 respondents in Cagayan and 1,200 respondents in Isabela culled from registered voters who are eligible to vote in the May 9 automated polls. The survey has an applied margin of error of 2.5 percent more or less with 98 percent confidence index.

In a similar survey, 1,500 residents in Pangasinan on Jan. 10 to 18, Marcos also emerged the top choice of voters for vice president. Meanwhile, Marcos Jr. called on barangay officials and volunteer workers to flex their political muscle and press for the enactment into law of his Barangay Retirement Benefits Bill which has already been approved by the Senate, but is still pending in the House of Representatives. The measure provides a retirement pay of P100,000 for each qualified barangay chairman, P80,000 for each member of Sangguniang Barangay, and P50,000 each for the barangay treasurer and secretary, barangay tanod, member of the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa, and barangay health and day care workers. Macon Araneta

“It was and it is still being celebrated by the Aquinos because they benefited from it,” the dean of the Philippine Senate, Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, said Tuesday. “At least it made two Aquino presidents. That’s all the country got,” the 92-year-old senator said, noting that the Filipino people suffered not only power and transportation crises on both occasions, but also a slew of natural disasters. In fact, Enrile said the original vision of the revolt was never fulfilled, and the dream of building a stronger nation remains just emotions, promises and slogans. “[There was] no substantial act of nationbuilding,” Enrile said, adding that the two Aquino presidencies the nation has undergone even brought about deterioration in some aspects of national life. “If you remember, the [Cory] Aquino administration stopped the Nuclear Power Plant that brought about the brownouts and high cost of electricity in the country,” Enrile said, referring to the Power Crisis of the later 1980s. During the Power Crisis that occurred from around 1988 to 1991, most of the country experienced lengthy brownouts, some lasting more than eight hours, and that also affected economic progress and worsened the country’s inability to create jobs, Enrile said. Even before the Power Crisis, there was the Transportation Crisis of 1987 when workers had to spend up to three hours because of the lack of public transportation and mismanagement of public works and vehicular traffic. “With this [current Aquino] administration, what did they do? They wasted their time in jailing people whom they called corrupt. That was the only problem they have,” said Enrile, who was sent to jail for a year until he was released on bail by the Supreme Court. Worse, Enrile said, the country has become a nation of mendicants and dependents through the Pantawid Pamilya dole program and a foreign policy of dependency. “If they used that money for some more important projects, maybe we will not be begging America to save us, save our asses,” said Enile.

Poe names plane owners BAGUIO CITY—Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday finally revealed the owners of the aircraft she and her running mate, Senator Francis Escudero, have been using in their campaign sorties. “We are not hiding anything here. It’s true that there are those who lent their planes,” Poe said in a news briefing, adding that while they leased some of the planes they used, some were also lent to them. She said they are renting planes from Helitrend. “That’s their business and we are not the only ones renting planes from them. Many [other candidates] are renting from them. That will be placed in our Statement of Campaign Expenses.” She also said San Miguel Corp. has also lent them planes, and “if there are others, these will be placed in our SOCE.” She said other politicians also borrow aircraft from the conglomerate and even President Benigno Aquino III has borrowed aircraft from them. “They can be asked about it and even our President, he also borrows from them,” said Poe, claiming that some of the jets she and her

team use during campaign sorties are either leased at “a very discounted rate... or we pay for the gasoline, We have to pay for the pilot. ” Meanwhile, Poe made her final appeal for the Supreme Court to reverse the two decisions of the Commission on Elections that cancelled her Certificate of Candidacy, insisting that she is a natural-born Filipino citizen and satisfied the 10-year residency requirement to run for president. In a 330-page memorandum filed on behalf of the Galing at Puso standard-bearer, her legal team led by lawyer Alex Poblador maintained that Poe, who is the frontrunner in the presidential race, had met the citizenship and residency requirements to run for president in the May 9 general elections. Poe’s lawyers assailed the Comelec ruling, saying the senator did not commit material misrepresentation when she indicated in her CoC that she was a natural-born Filipino citizen and that she will be a resident of the Philippines for 10 years and 11 months by May 9, which is way beyond the 10-year residency requirement for presidential candidates prescribed in the 1987 Constitution. Macon Araneta

People’s day. Actor Robin Padilla encourages residents of South Upi in Maguindanao to support the programs and projects of the regional government of Muslim Mindanao during the ARMM People’s Day Tuesday. OMAR MANGORSI

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His platform. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez expounds on his platform on free education, job creation, health and agriculture during the assembly of more than 10,000 members of local government units and sectoral groups of Isabela. VER NoVENo

‘More hospitals needed to care for the poor’ By Maricel V. Cruz SENATORIAL candidate Rep. Martin Romualdez of Leyte on Tuesday vowed to push for the creation of more public hospitals in the countryside as a show of “malasakit” (compassion) to the plight of indigent patients. Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, stressed the need to put up new public hospitals that would cater to the health concerns of poor people by allocating more funds to the Department of health under the country’s annual national budget. “We have to improve the country’s health care system by creating new public hospitals that would truly provide free health care services to the indigents as our malasakit to the people,” Romualdez, who

ran unopposed in the last polls and a former chairman of the house committee on ethics and privileges, explained. “The free health and medical services should be more accessible to many poor families.” “I want to make health and medical services more accessible to as many families as possible,” Romualdez, head of the house Independent Bloc and a three-term congressman who is running for the Senate under a platform anchored on compassionate governance, stressed.

Romualdez made the statement as he maintained his opposition to the proposal to privatize some hospitals in the country like the Philippine Orthopedic Center, Dr. Jose Fabella Medical hospital, San Lazaro hospital, Dr. Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center among others. Instead of privatizing them, Romualdez said the Doh should be given bigger allocation of the annual national budget to ensure adequate health care system for everyone, especially those from the poor and disadvantaged sectors. “Instead of privatizing public hospitals, what we should do is to allocate more funds to the Doh for the creation of new hospitals to boost the health care system in the country. Otherwise the government could be held liable for abandoning government’s

mandate of providing adequate health care system or malasakit for Filipinos especially to the disadvantaged and marginalized sectors,” Romualdez pointed out. Romualdez recalled that the glory days of health care service for Filipinos happened during the time of the late President Ferdinand Marcos when the country’s best public hospitals had been built like the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, heart Center of the Philippines, Lung Center of the Philippines. “We should preserve public hospitals especially the best performing health care facilities,” Romualdez stressed. “I am against the privatization of government hospitals as this would mean abdication of the responsibility of the State to protect and promote the health of the people as mandated by the Constitution.”

Cayetano stumps in ‘lantern country’ The Duterte-Cayetano “RondaSerye” listening tour has extended its reach to Central Luzon on Tuesday, with vice presidential bet and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano conducting a dialogue with ordinary workers in Pampanga to spread his message of real change. The senator went around Barangay Dolores in San Fernando City and met with local lantern-makers and handicraft workers, who shared with him their daily concerns. Cayetano, the running mate of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, also presented to them his bold solutions to restore order in their lives. Among the problems which cropped up during the dialogue was the lack of access to capital to help sustain the workers’ livelihood. “The lack of support being given to small businesses in the country forces our people to borrow money from loan sharks, which only puts them deeper in debt,” Cayetano noted. The senator said that, if elect-

ed, he and Duterte will implement stronger measures that will provide better opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Among these is the establishment of a public bank that will grant loans and other services to MSMes, like Thailand’s SMe Bank. “Ang pinapautang dapat ng

San Fernando, Pampanga—Vice presidential aspirant Alan Peter Cayetano sits with lantern and handicraft workers to listen to the workers’ daily woes as well as to present to them his and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s vision of creating real change in Filipinos’ lives.

gobyerno ay ang mga mahihirap, hindi lang ang mga mayayaman,” he said. Cayetano also pledged to provide ordinary workers with a living wage. Citing data from the National Wages and Productivity Commission, he lamented that while Metro Manila’s daily minimum wage is only P9,620 monthly, the region’s estimated family living wage is P27, 510 per month. “Saan sila kukuha ng dagdag na panggastos para sa mga kailangan nila? Napakalinaw na sobra na ang gulo at pahirap sa buhay ng mga tao. This is why they long for real change. We cannot achieve this without effecting bold solutions and swift action,” Cayetano said. “Ang makakagawa lang ng ganitong uri ng pagbabago ay ang mga lider na may tapang at tibay ng loob para tapusin ang gulo. This is what I and Mayor Duterte will bring,” Cayetano ended.

4 more bets confirmed by high court as nuisance By Rey E. Requejo The Supreme Court has affirmed the disqualification of four more presidential candidates earlier declared nuisance by the Commission on elections. During an en banc session on Tuesday, the SC dismissed the petitions of Gerald Arcega, Juanito Luna, Bethsaida Lopez and eric Negapatan assailing the Comelec ruling to cancel their Certificates of Candidacy for president for being nuisance. The high court ruled that the Comelec did not act with grave abuse of discretion in disqualifying the presidential aspirants. earlier, the SC upheld the disqualification of 16 other presidential candidates—former Technical education and Skills Development Authority director and Iloilo Rep. Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco, former Presidential Commission on Good Government chief Camilo Sabio and independent candidates Vetallano Acosta, Rizalito David, elly Pamatong, Juanita Trocenio, ephraim Defino, Buenafe Briggs, Antonio Obiña, Luisito Falcon, Ranulfo Feliciano, Ma. Aurora Marcos, Simeon De Castro Jr., Dante Valencia, Rodel Mancilla and Pedrito Diaz Tagle. The tribunal also junked a similar petition filed by disqualified senatorial candidate emmanuel Lopez. It also junked the petitions of four more disqualified party-list groups: Bidsak higpong sa mga Bisaya Alang sa Kauswagan ug Kaangayan Inc., Isang Adbokasiya sa Alternatibong Panggagamot, Pagsasaka at Pangkabuhayan, Integrated Land and Agri Workers Inc. and Pilipinos Aspiring for Country’s Yes-Man Advancement Organization or Workers Advocating for Reform and Advancement of Yes-Man. The SC ruled that the Comelec was correct in disqualifying the groups.

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15 cops sacked; racket bared By Florante S. Solmerin

NatioNal Police chief Ricardo Marquez has ordered the suspension of Firearms and Explosives office director Elmo Sarona and 14 of his subordinates over an alleged gun-permit racket. Marquez said that Sarona and the others were ordered relieved based on the recommendation of PNP-CIDG director Victor Deona pending the results of an investigation on their alleged “P15,000 package deal racket” where every applicant who wants to have a “License to Own and Possess Firearms” is charged that much.

The other relieved police officers were Senior Inspector Edward Onate, Senior Police Officer 2 Darwin Miguel, SPO1 Edward Bondoc, PO3 Ferdinand Sapla, PO3 Alberto Dominong Jr., PO3 Ben Ferel, PO3 Joan Liza Young, PO3 Roy del Rosario, PO3 Rodel Crisostomo, PO3 Emmanuel Cajulao and PO3 Bernard Catungal.

FEO civilian employees Audita Cabbab, Emelia Lorenzo and Edith Famillaran were also reassigned to the Office of the Director of the Civil Security Group along with the police officers. Marquez ordered the CIDGAFCCU to have full access to FEO records to determine the extent of the racket. In his report to Marquez, Deona said the racket at the PNP-FEO was discovered by agents of the PNP Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crime Unit. Deona said the agents were able to obtain in November last year copies of LTOPF without submitting documentary requirements for a package deal of P15,000.

Some of the spurious documents were LTOPF application forms being processed by some gun dealerships. Because of this, Deona has also recommended to Marquez the filing of criminal charges for falsification of official documents against 12 persons. They are identified as Romeo Paul Taruc, John Roel Cruz and Ronnello Maningding Taruc, officers of Reloader Guns and Ammo Trading; and nine others whose names appeared on the spurious certificates: Nelson Caballa, Renato Docin, Alvin Chua, Edgar Derecho, Jayken Celi, Gabriel Estrella, Reginald Lee, Noel Susano and Michael

Angelo Desquitado. At the Office of the Ombudsman, a Quezon City prosecutor from government service was dismissed for grave misconduct by accepting bribe money from a complainant. Assistant Prosecutor Edgar Navales was also meted the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office. In case of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to respondent’s salary for one year. The Ombudsman directed the filing of an information for direct bribery against Navales before the Sandiganbayan. With Rio Araja

Drug sting yields P15-m shabu; three Chinese fall

Advocacies. Groups representing farmers, the academe and consumerists stage a protest march from the offices of the

Department of Agriculture to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to demand a stop to the importation and cultivation of genetically modified organisms. Photo below shows members of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development launching a campaign to empower voters with information that will help them make better choices on Election Day in a ceremony held at Sulo Hotel in Quezon City. MANNY PALMERO

THREE Chinese nationals, along with their two Filipino cohorts were arrested during a buy-bust operation in the vicinity of the Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park in Manila, said Chief Supt. Edgardo Tinio, Quezon City Police District director. Tinio said elements of the District Anti-illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group seized from the suspects five kilos of shabu valued at P15 million. “The suspects were nabbed early this morning at a parking lot,” Tinio said. He identified the Chinese nationals as Dixon Kee Yu, 35, Qian Li alias Joey Li, 39, and Simon Tan, 53. The Filipinos are Husni Balenti, 30, and Amir Cana, 27. DAIDSOTG head Chief Inspector Enrico Figueroa said the successful operation was the result of weeks of surveillance and confirmation operations against the three Chinese and their cohorts. Before the arrest, a police agent contacted the Chinese at around 7 p.m. to buy a kilo of shabu. They agreed to meet at the McDonald’s fast-

food along Quezon Avenue. After further negotiations, both parties finally agreed to meet again at around 6:30 a.m. the next day inside the Harborview parking lot where the arrest took place. Also seized from the suspects were a Toyota Fortuner with only a conduction sticker, a blue Montero (AQA 3092), a Samsung tablet and three cellular phones. Tinio said the arrest of the suspects was an offshoot of several previous antiillegal drug-bust operations which, among others, included the arrest of Chinese national, Yong Han Cai y Co; Jamil Lawi y Dimaro, and Aira Ranese y Carino, at a hamburger restaurant on Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City on Dec. 11, 2015 and the confiscation of 10 kilos of shabu worth P30 million; the arrest of Paul L. Co, and Arvin O. Caray on Nov. 25, 2015 at the corner of V. Luna Avenue and Mapagbigay Street, Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City and the confiscation of 3 kilos of shabu worth P9 million. Florante S. Solmerin

#NeverAgain: Essay writing contest bared CAMPUS journalists of both high school and college students in the National Capital Region are called to take part in the Ditto Sarmiento Essay Writing Competition. Now on its second run, the competition is in commemoration of the young campus journalists whose lives were taken in the fight for the right to freedom of expression during the Martial Law. Abraham “Ditto” Sarmiento Jr., after whom the competition is named, is one of such valiant youths. He died at the age of 27, having offered most of his life

battling being gagged by the oppressors of free speech under the Martial Law regime. Sarmiento served for an undaunted term as editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian. He was imprisoned and died shortly thereafter. Organized by the UP Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity, in partnership with the Philippine Collegian, the Ditto Sarmiento Essay Writing Competition juxtaposes the lessons of history with the status quo of today’s journalism practices. This competition’s primordial objective is to bring about the Ditto Sarmientos of today and of the future.

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Subic Bay Freeport prepares for influx of tourists By Butch Gunio SUBIC Bay Freeport—Central Luzon’s most visited tourist destination has started its preparation for the summer when it expects an influx of visitors. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman Roberto Garcia said the agency has already implemented major face-lift projects in most tourism facilities and infrastructure here. “We really have to make sure that the freeport remains the best destination they’d always want to return to,” he added. Referring to reports from the SBMA Tourism Department, Garcia said that tourist arrivals in Subic reached 7.3 million in 2015, an increase of 14 percent over the 6.4-million record in 2014. He noted that tourists who actually stayed overnight or for several days in Subic reached 1.43 million in 2015, or 21 percent higher than the 1.18 million recorded in 2014. The figures were based on reports from hotel operators in Subic, who noted that the occupancy rate also increased to 70 percent last year, the highest in the past four years. “This is why all of us should be ambassadors of tourism of the SBMA,” Garcia also told employees on Monday. Subic has been named the Number 1 Tourist Destination in Region 3 by the DoT-3 for the past two consecutive years, and was named Premier Convention Capital of Central Luzon in 2012.

Phivolcs sets alert level 1 as Mt. Bulusan spews ash LEGAZPI CITY—Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon spewed a 500-meter-high grayish ash column, which drifted towards villages in the town of Juban and Irosin, at about 5:01 p.m. Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. Ed Laguerta, Phivolcs resident volcanologist, said the volcano exhibited two successive minor explosions that produced a grayish ash plume, followed by a steam and ash plume that drifted towards the west side of the volcano.

Laguerta said the eruption was a “phreatic” type as indicated by the two steam-driven explosions that took place. The eruption consisted of two earthquakes, followed by rock-fracturing events a few second later by an explo-

sion-type earthquake that lasted for about four minutes and 20 seconds. Prior to the low-energy ash and steam ejection on Monday afternoon, Phivolcs seismic instruments detected no volcanic earthquake, although increased seismicity was recorded over the weekend. In a phone interview, Laguerta said the easterly wind that prevailed triggered the ashfall to drift to the villages of Cogon and Bulos in Irosin town and Puting Sapa and Sangkayon in Juban town—areas lo-

cated at the west side of the volcano. The Phivolcs will examine the extent of ashfall that drifted towards the villages in Juban and Irosin towns. Laguerta said the phreatic explosion might have been produced by hydrothermal fluid or steam and that the steam pressurization underneath the volcano edifice might have triggered the movements in the local earthquake faults, saying further that “it needs to be thoroughly evaluated.”

The Phivolcs official said it needs further close monitoring because the volcano, although still in restive state, did not show signs of magma movements signified by volcanic tremors or ground deformation. The volcano has remained restive following a series of explosions beginning June 2015. Alert Level 1 remains in effect and the Phivolcs warned the villagers not to venture in the four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone due to sudden phreatic explosions. PNA

Here’s our pledge. The Bureau of Internal Revenue-Region 8 launched the

campaign Angat Pa Pinas, which recognizes the importance of the tax system in nation building. MEL CASPE

Negros solar farm connects to power grid, starts operation

Dance show. Former Senator Richard Gordon is entertained by the dance troupe of La Trinidad Elementary School during Ibaloy Day in Baguio and Benguet. DAVID CHAN

BACOLOD CITY—The 132.5-megawatt solar farm in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental has connected to the grid and started its operations ahead of its inauguration on March 3. Mayor Patrick Escalante said the P10-billion solar power facility is now serving Negrense consumers through various distribution utilities after it connected to the Visayas grid on Feb. 13. Situated on a 176-hectare land in Tinampaan village, the solar farm developed by Soleq Holdings will become the biggest in Southeast Asia and the seventh largest in the world once it is formally inaugurated next week. Soleq is the solar power arm of Singapore-based Equis Funds group, Asia’s largest independent energy and infrastructure private equity fund manager.

“Negros Occidental is using about 200 MW per hour, and half of it is being supplied by renewable energy sources, including solar,” Escalante said, adding that the province’s 70-percent consumption during daytime is being supplied, mainly, by solar. The mayor said the solar project will also spark opportunities for more investments, not only for Cadiz City but also for the entire Negros Occidental. Some international investors are attending the unveiling rites, he said. Also attending are officials of the Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, and Philippine Economic Zone Authority. PNA

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FAST AND LOOSE WITH THE LAW A SENATORIAL candidate this week asked the Supreme Court to compel the Commission on Elections to restore the security measures that the poll body had decided to remove from the automated election system. In his petition, former Senator Richard Gordon argued that the Comelec’s decision to scrap printed receipts for voters disregarded the required security features set out under the Automated Elections System Law, which he helped write when he was in Congress. The seven Comelec commissioners earlier decided to scrap the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail, saying it could be used as a tool for vote buying and also make the voting process longer. In defending the poll body’s decision, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said voters could use the printed receipts to prove how they voted so they could more easily collect from vote buyers. He also said printing receipts for voters could add from five to seven hours to the election period on May 9. But Gordon argues that Section 6 of Republic Act No. 9369 lists a voter verified paper trail as among the minimum system capabilities required in an automated election system. As such, he says, this is not an optional feature but a mandatory one. Thus, the Comelec may not opt to turn the feature off, regardless of its reasons. Sadly, this is not the first time the Comelec has played fast and loose with the law. In previous elections, it also did away with the source code review required by law. The Comelec chairman who preceded Bautista also violated provisions of the procurement law by granting a P268-million contract to a favored service provider to diagnose and repair 80,000 vote-counting machines without the benefit of a public bidding. In that instance, the Supreme Court said the Comelec failed to justify its resorting to a negotiated contract and struck down the deal. Similarly, the Court should strike down the Comelec’s decision to deactivate the paper audit trail, a key security requirement under the law. The decision is even more critical as the nation heads toward a close election, and when public confidence in the election system is not particularly high. The Gordon petition comes as a new survey showed that only half of Filipinos (49 percent) expect the May elections to be clean because the counting of votes is automated. The balance were either undecided or believed that automation would not make the elections credible. On a separate question, a sizable plurality (39 percent) in the Pulse Asia survey said they expect cheating to take place. Significantly, 37 percent of those who expected cheating said it would come in the form of tampering with the vote-counting machines. Given the already low confidence in the election system and the tightness of the race, the Comelec has chosen a particularly perilous time to continue playing fast and loose with the law.

NOYNOY’S SENDOFF LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES AT AROUND this time, people of the Yellow persuasion hold their annual festivities to remember what happened in 1986. This year, they’re planning something special, not only because it is their 30th year, but also because it is the last People Power celebration with the direct inheritor and beneficiary of their cult-like political faith at the helm of the government. Apparently, the Yellows have

learned their lesson from the last time the faithful held a similar sendoff-cum-anniversary in 1992, when Cory Aquino was bidding adieu to the presidency. And they don’t want a repeat of that sad non-event. When Cory was about to leave, a lot of the goodwill that had attended her installation by a military revolt six years earlier had almost entirely dissipated. The succession of coup attempts, the unremitting blackouts, the natural disasters (the eruption of Mount Pinatubo and the earthquake that leveled Baguio and other areas, to name just two) and the host of other

problems that beset her administration had sapped the energy of her once-adoring fans. The much-ballyhooed campaign against the corrupt cronies of the Marcos administration had not only ground to a halt and gotten tied up in the courts. It had also given rise to a new class of rapacious Yellow vultures who feasted on sequestered real estate, jewelry and anything they could lay their hands on in the name of avenging the looting of the country by the Marcoses. Nobody wanted to celebrate People Power with Cory anymore by 1992. She had to im-

People Power was a mere transfer of power, pelf and privilege from one class of oligarchs to a mix of older ones and arrivistes.

plore the head of a newly emerging religious group to attend the shindig, whose leader agreed only if his members wore white instead of the usual yellow. An election unlike any other this country has ever seen was also just months away. A record number of candidates wanted to succeed Cory in office, led by the hero of the revolt and Aquino’s anointed one, Fidel Ramos, Speaker Ramon Mitra, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco and even former First Lady Imelda Marcos. Everyone was just waiting for Cory to step down and return to her Times Street digs, there to spend the rest of her days

playing her favorite mahjong games. Nobody had time anymore for reminiscing about an event that was hyped up like it was the Second Coming a mere six years ago. The Corystas had become Sorrystas. A new ruling class had replaced the old one, more rapacious than its predecessor because it had been away from the trough for so long. People Power was exposed as a mere transfer of power, pelf and privilege from one class of oligarchs to a mix of older ones and arrivistes. Poverty didn’t

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

go away and neither did corruption; a dictatorship had been replaced by democracy, with little or no effect on a majority of the population. *** In the twilight of his own term, Cory’s son Noynoy is feeling the backlash from the same buyer’s remorse that plagued his mother’s last years in office. Nobody really cares what Noynoy says anymore or what he’s doing or where he’s off to on the taxpayers’ dime. The same feelings of regret for having been hoodwinked by a still-Yellow me-

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dia and a fearsome, well-funded official propaganda machinery attend the end of Noynoy’s term. “Daang matuwid” has become synonymous with incompetence, lack of empathy and, yes, corruption on a scale that hasn’t been seen since the arrival of the fiscal agents of the Presidential Commission on Good Government. And because Noynoy is who he is—a diffident, work ethic-challenged, unsympathetic rich kid—he even fares worse when compared to his mother as Continued on A11

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

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

THE major dailies used phrases such as “cross swords” and “traded punches,” but last Sunday’s presidential debates held in Cagayan de Oro City provided only snapshots of what the candidates plan to do to solve the country’s many problems. This, in a country where 39 percent think there will be cheating in the May 9, 2016 elections. The five candidates themselves felt the debates did not give them enough time to present their platforms of government. The debate at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro was held under the auspices of the Commission on Elections. “What can you expect if you’re only given 90 minutes to state your platform of government, 60 minutes on why you want to be president and another 30 seconds to respond or rebut,” asked one of the participants. Moderator Mike Enriquez and Jessica Soho conducted the debate in a professional manner but the whole thing seemed short, giving only a glimpse and not a real look at the candidates. The two hours allotted to the debate is public service and has no revenue value for the TV network. Let’s hope the next debates scheduled in Cebu and Pangasinan will be more lively and substantial in what the candidates have to offer to improve the lives of 100 million Filipinos. Whoever expected a slam-bang exchange felt disappointed. The questions asked were expected by the candidates. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago took a dig at the Binay political dynasty. When Vice President Jejomar Binay responded the senator also had a son who ran and won as a party-list congressman. Miriam merely said her son served only one term and she does not have any relative any more in government. She should have pointed out that Binay after his term as Makati mayor was succeeded by his wife, Elenita, and followed by son Junjun. A Binay daughter, Nancy, sits in the Senate. Another daughter, Abigail, whose term as Makati congresswoman ends this year, is running as Makati mayor against Romulo “Kid” Peña who took over when Junjun Binay was ousted by the Ombudsman for plunder in connection with alleged anomalous transactions in Makati. It would be interesting to see whether the people of Makati .are ready to move on without the Binays, the only name they have known for the last 30 years since Cory Aquino appointed Jejomar Binay as Makati officer-in-charge in the aftermath of the Edsa People Power Revolution. Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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MAKING MARCOS AN UNDERDOG TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO THERE’S a great number of wannabes for the Senate, and most of them, I know, are there just for the money. Santa Banana, they know they cannot make it even in their wildest dreams. Still they’re running. Why? It’s for the “funds” of it, which briefly means that even if they lose, they come out winners because of the money they solicit from friends and the usual campaign contributors.

The sins of the father should not be borne by the son.

Take the case of somebody I know who is running for the Senate. This person certainly won’t make it, but is still running as he did in 2010 and 2013. He makes the rounds of his friends, being a former public official, and the usual campaign contributors. If, for instance, he visits 10 of his friends and the usual election suckers (pardon the language), shell out P20,000 to P30,000 just to get rid of him, my gulay, that’s a bundle! At the end, this wannabe goes laughing all the way to his bank, still very much a winner. *** A number of human rights victims during the Martial Law years have vowed to stalk Senator Bongbong Marcos, who is running for vice president, to remind the people of the atrocities perpetuated under the dictatorship of his late father. They are hoping the people won’t forget the suppression of civil and human rights some 30 years or so ago. I can understand the sentiments of these human rights victims. But why heap the blame on Bongbong, the dictator’s son, who was not part of it? Should the sins of the

father be inflicted on the son? Bongbong, as candidate for the second-highest post of the land, is certainly qualified for the job, having been governor of Ilocos Norte, congressman, and now senator. His record in the Senate speaks for itself, especially on a controversial issue like the Bangsamoro Basic Law. And not surprisingly, the youth, ages 18 to 30, are also for Bongbong. This group of Martial Law rights victims should be warned against making Bongbong an underdog in the vice presidential race. This may just make him the candidate to beat. The fact that Bongbong is now tied, according to the latest poll survey, with erstwhile frontrunner Senator Francis Escudero is enough proof of his following in the Solid North, vote-rich Pangasinan, the National Capital Region, some Tagalog provinces, Eastern Visayas and Mindanao. As a journalist who has been in the industry for 66 years now, I believe that what we need is a leader to move the country forward through the healing of political wounds. If we keep on reminding ourselves of sins of the past, we can never move forward as a nation. Having said that, I’ll go for the candidate for president and vice president who will make unity a priority. To me, the vindication of the Marcoses with Bongbong as vice president is just the first step. *** That there will be cheating in the coming elections is a given. Even the people nationwide expect cheating this coming elections with 39 percent—four out of 10 people—according to poll surveys. There are many forms of cheating. The most predominant of these is vote-buying. Even here in Metro Manila, local candidates buy votes costing as much as P3.50 to P5 per vote. To be a mayor in Metro Manila, one should be prepared to spend as much as the cost per vote has now gone up as high as P4 to P6 per vote. This means that to be a mayor, one has to spend between P500 million and P700 million. To be a senator, the cost could go up to as much as P900 million. In the provinces, to be a governor with the hope of winning the elections,

BINAY VERSUS POE IT’S Jejomar Binay vs. Grace Poe. Or Poe vs. Binay. The vice president got 29 percent of the vote in the BusinessWorld-SWS February 2016 Pre-Election Survey: Binay upstaged the senator’s 24 percent and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s similar 24 percent rating. In Pulse Asia’s Jan. 24 to 28 survey, Poe had led with 30 percent of the vote, seven percentage points ahead of Binay’s 23 percent. Thus, on May 9, this year, the presidential election could be a toss-up between Binay and Poe. As of this writing, the vice president has the edge, but once the Supreme Court allows Poe to run for president, the senator most likely will make mincemeat of her rivals. Poe is clearly an underdog right now largely because the Commission on Elections does not think she is a natural-born Filipino and that she has not met the 10year residency required of presidential candidates immediately preceding the election. The senator went to the Supreme Court to overturn the Comelec rulings. So far, based on coverage of the nearly one month of hearings, many of the high court justices seem warm to her, particularly Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and freshly minted Justice Francis Jardeleza, along with pro-Benigno Aquino Justice Marvic Leonen. The three justices carry a lot of weight. They are all appointees of President Aquino. Meanwhile, in the vice presidential race, graduating Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero are suddenly tied for first place, with 26 percent choosing each of them in the SWS February survey. Eating dust are Rep. Leni Robredo and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, with 19 percent and 16 percent, respectively. In the senatorial race, the leaders are Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto, 52 percent, returning Senator Panfilo Lacson at 49 percent, reelectionist Senator Ralph Recto at 46 percent, returning Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan at 42 percent, and reelectionist Senator Frank Drilon, the incumbent Senate President, at 40 percent. the cost can go up as much as P800 million. Santa Banana, with elections getting more expensive every three years, graft and corruption in government will never be eradicated. Another form of cheating is through the manipulation of the “hokusPCOS” or the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines on source and especially through transmission. There is persistent talk that this happened during the 2010 and 2013 polls, mostly done by the Little Garcis at the Comelec. There’s not much we can do about vote-buying because in many places in the country, there are always people who wait for political leaders whom to vote for. These are the impoverished people who look upon political leaders

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ Implications on foundlings On Feb. 2, Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno fretted about the implications on foundlings like Senator Grace Poe if she were not allowed to run for president for not being a natural-born Filipino citizen. Addressing Arthur Lim, the Comelec commissioner defending the poll body’s stand disqualifying Poe for not being natural born, Sereno asked point blank: “If you’re saying that foundlings are not natural-born citizens, have you thought about the impact on the rights of all foundlings?” “The court now has to categorically answer the question about her [Poe’s] status, because the pronouncements we will make will affect so many others,” mused Sereno. Earlier for his part, Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen pursued a voice of the people [vox populi, vox dei] argument in supporting Poe’s bid. “If I am going to say that a foundling is not a natural-born Filipino citizen, that they cannot hold thousands of offices that require naturalborn citizens, [does it mean that] any of those persons holding any of those positions who is alleged to be a foundling, must be removed?” Sereno wondered. “The moment any of them does not know their parents, they forfeit their right to office,” she argued. “If your relative is a foundling, a petition for quo warranto may be brought against them to remove them from office, so the Office of the Solicitor General must set up a special division.” Sereno seems to believe that foundlings should be declared natural born, pointing out that many countries recognize foundlings are citizens. It’s a question of fairness and equal protection of the law. Whatever ruling is adopted by the court should not be based on “absurd and extreme interpretation that may be perceived as cruel and unjust,” the youngest post-war chief

to meet their daily needs. It is these political leaders who deliver the votes for candidates who are able to produce the funds. This is the reason a wellfunded grassroots machinery is essential. Political strategists will attest to this fact—it all boils down to money. Another form of cheating is harassment of voters in places where there is opposition to a certain candidate, and that candidate, with the help of the police and goons, prevents people from going to the precincts to vote. This usually happens when voting places are far from where the voters live. This is usually made by incumbent public officials with the police on their side. In some cases, even the military are used by powerful politicians.

justice said. “My advocacy is for the rule of law,” Sereno also pointed out. Article VII, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution provides: “No person may be elected President unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at least 40 years of age on the day of the election, and a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years immediately preceding such election.” Comelec’s Lim had contended that Poe never presented documentary or testimony to at least provide “substantial basis” that she is a natural-born Filipino. Sereno recalled that in the past, the Supreme Court decided cases regarding “filiation based on presumptions,” wherein the Philippine citizenship of foundlings was presumed by the tribunal. In the 1976 case of Duncan and Christensen v. Court of First Instance of Rizal, the court held that a child who was given for adoption to a couple by a lawyer who knew the mother but was made to promise that she would not disclose her identity was presumed by the Supreme Court to be a Filipino citizen. In the 1963 case of Ellis v. Republic, the Supreme Court barred a non-resident American couple from adopting a baby left in a hospital by an unidentified mother. The court presumed the child to be a Filipino and subject to a Philippine law that prohibits nonresident aliens from adopting abandoned children in the country. Sereno also noted that in 2004, the Supreme Court assumed that Poe’s great-grandfather Lorenzo was a Filipino even based only on the evidence that he died in Pangasinan province and was residing there when all Spanish subjects when the American came and later passed a law deeming all former Spanish subjects as Philippine citizens. Consequently, Lorenzo was also able to transfer Philippine citizenship to his son Fernando Poe Sr. and to his grandson, Ronald Allan Poe, known popularly as Fernando Poe Jr.. FPJ, in turn, is Grace Poe’s adoptive father. Email: biznewsasia@gmail.com

While a great number of people expect a credible, honest and fair elections, it’s really impossible to stop cheating. Blame it all on the system where only the elite and the rich can win elections, and why political dynasties exist. The people themselves have made this so. *** Ping Lacson, a former senator and once chief of the Philippine National Police during the Erap Estrada administration says that the claim of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Du-dirty” that if elected president, he could rid the country of criminals and illegal drugs within six months is not doable. I can believe Lacson. For one thing, we still live in a society where the rule of law and due pro-

cess are the anchors of democracy. Santa Banana, a president cannot just have criminals and illegal drug traffickers killed or publicly hanged, as “Du-Dirty” vows, without breaking the rule of law. Public hanging would be a return to the Dark Ages when witches were publicly burned at the stakes. The people are just as angry as “Du-Dirty” is with criminality and the trafficking of illegal drugs. Still, even criminals have rights. To do as “Du-Dirty” would want to do would make the country a pariah before the world. Will the people want that with “Du-Dirty” as president? God help the Philippines. *** We have heard the first debate among the five Continued on A11

W E D N E S D AY: F E B R U A R Y 24 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

MAIL MATTERS NONE OF OUR SALARIES AND BONUSES ARE UNREASONABLE THIS is in response to The Standard’s editorial titled, “Righting a grave injustice” that appeared on Feb. 15, 2016. We are at a loss at how this article loaded with outdated information passed the layers of editorial factchecking when up-to-date data are already available; some of which even saw print in the past issues of your paper. We noticed that most of the data in that editorial voiced the same allegations being hurled at SSS by its detractors, whose claims were later belied by correct data and recent SSS pronouncements. Whoever wrote this article had been busy digging out passé charges just to fare poorly in a clear attempt to attack our integrity and negate the truth. As previously explained, the information on uncollected revenues totaling P325 billion is actually referring to the total employer delinquency stated in a letter from former SSS PCEO Romulo Neri to former Congressman Lorenzo R. Tañada III in 2008 during congressional meetings on the Social Security Condonation Law of 2009 (Annex A). The amount had been reduced to only P13.5 billion in 2013 as stated in the CoA report for that period.

Pretenders... From A9 On the other hand, has Peña been able to consolidate his power in the last few months as incumbent mayor? For Miriam not to bring up each Binay name is out of character for the feisty senator. It was noticeable that she had lost some of her sting; at times, her voice sounded weak. She brought up the issue of the Philippines-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement insisting it should have been submitted to the Senate for ratification. What for? The issue is moot and academic. The Supreme Court has already ruled that Edca is an executive agreement.

Despite the Unqualified Opinion issued to SSS on its financial statements in 2014 (Annex B), The Standard editorial only mentioned that part of the 2014 CoA report on SSS’ idle assets. CoA’s Unqualified Opinion is the best opinion that an agency could get and it establishes the fact that SSS has generally complied with existing financial policies and guidelines. It seems that the editorial deliberately wants to create the impression that SSS has not yet acted upon those audit findings. It has successfully revived past audit reports but completely failed at checking relevant developments. Last year, SSS reported an income of P274.5 million in the first half of 2015 from the lease and sale of 70 percent of the P18-billion real-estate properties cited in the 2014 CoA report. These properties continue to bring in regular

It must be a relief for the Duterte handlers that the loquacious Davao City mayor kept his cool and did not say anything outrageous except to say anew he would wipe out the problems of surging criminality and drug trafficking in three months if elected president. He acknowledged that some of Mar Roxas’ plans for the development of Mindanao was good. He, however, said the flaw was in the implementation and the lack of funding resources from the Aquino administration. Roxas took issue with Duterte on this, claiming funding for Mindanao development had gone up in the last five years. Roxas cited figures but Duterte, after the debate, won-

#FAILOCRACY

income for the agency. The rest of SSS assets are put up on sale while others are retained due to their expected increase in value. Likewise, we deny that SSS “collects only 38 percent of the money collected by private companies for the SSS contributions of their employees.” The editorial must have mistaken our coverage ratio of 38 percent for collection efficiency. Coverage ratio refers to the number of actively paying members over SSS’ membership while collection efficiency is the amount of contribution collections versus the total collectibles. In 2014 for example, our collection efficiency was at almost 90 percent as contribution collections further increased to P120.65 billion against the total collectibles of P134 billion based on CoA report. Lastly, for the record, none of the salaries and bonuses that SSS officials received are unreasonable based on what the law provides and the assessment of their performance by the Governance Commission on GOCCs. MARISSU G. BUGANTE Vice President Public Affairs and Special Events Division Social Security System

dered where Mar pulled those figures from. Neophyte Senator Grace Poe defended her lack of experience for the presidency, saying no one really has the experience for the job of president until one comes to grips with it. She said the key to Mindanao’s development lies in providing the region with enough electricity to encourage investors into relocating industries and manufacturing activities there. Meanwhile, why is there so much brouhaha over Manny Pacquiao fighting Timothy Bradley during the campaign period? Party-list Rep. Walden Bello claims the publicity surrounding the fight would give Pacquiao undue advantage in

A11

Making... From A9 president. Cory, at least, woke up near the end of her term and realized that she was in dire danger of leaving nothing behind and roused herself enough to build some flyovers on Edsa; the son has no such accomplishments to point to after he’s gone. And Cory was able to marshal the Yellows behind Ramos to make him her successor. Barring David Copperfieldlike magic this May, Noynoy is simply not going to make his own anointed one, Mar Roxas, win. But at least he intends to leave on a noisier, more intrusive note. Noynoy is planning a celebratory sendoff that includes what the Yellows are calling an “experiential museum” of the atrocities of Marcos’ Martial Law, whatever that is, and close portions of the main highway, just in case people have forgotten that it is their usual, divisive holiday. Most people just want Noynoy to go away and return to Times Street like his mother once did, there to indulge full-time in his own amusements. There, Noynoy will await the fate that many think he will suffer, unless Roxas (or some other “secret” candidate of his) wins. And in this respect he is sure to finally do something his mother never did: He will languish in a jail cell with his corrupt and incompetent officials, perhaps until the next Yellow candidate is chosen and he is rehabilitated and reborn as a hero, saint or—using the favored title his remaining followers like to bestow upon him—“the best president the Philippines ever had.”

his bid for a Senate seat. But what about negative publicity if Manny loses? Besides, if Bello wanted to sideline Pacquiao, he should have done it earlier for more valid reasons such as non-performance and non-appearance. Manny has the most number of absences in the House as Sarangani congressman whenever he’s training for a fight. The debates under the auspices of the Commission on Elections is also being planned among vice presidential candidates Senators Francis Escudero, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Alan Peter Cayetano, Gregorio Honasan, Antonio Trillanes IV and Rep. Leni Robredo.

Making... From A10 presidential candidates which, to me, was a big disappointment. There was the time constraint. How can they espouse their advocacies and answer the questions adequately when they were given so little time? I can understand why there was need for commercials. Any event or television show on air costs money. And advertisers were just too happy to place their commercials in an event like that debate because the viewership is high. But, if the people must understand what a presidential candidate stands for, the sponsors should forego the commercials, if that’s possible. Otherwise those debates become meaningless.

CHONG ARDIVILLA

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A12

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

PH hosts Asian taekwondo tilt THE Philippine Taekwondo Association hosts another major international competition when it stages the 2016 Asian Taekwondo Championships on April 19-20 at the Marriot Convention Center Grand Ballroom in New Port City Complex, Pasay City.

Diamond Motocross slated THE 2016 Diamond Motocross Series kicks off this weekend. Riders Glenn Aguilar, Jovie Saulog, Jing Leongson, Bebet dela Cruz, Jolet Jao, along with brothers JC and Enzo Rellosa are expected to crowd out each other in the centerpiece Pro Open class right in the opener of the five-leg competition set Feb. 27 at the MX Messiah Fairgrounds Club Manila East Complex, Taytay, Rizal. A grand prize of P20,000 awaits the first-leg winner, while second and third placers receive P14,000 and P10,000, respectively. Equally exciting is the race for the Pro lites division, with fast-rising Jacob Orbe, Ralph Ramento, Mclean Aguilar, and Jepoy Rellosa among those fancied to win the event. “The country is currently developing at a very rapid pace and what we’ve seen elsewhere is that when this happens, the impact is often evident in certain industries – and extreme sports is definitely one of those industries,” said Jon Blaylock, head of planning and marketing of Diamond Motor Corporation during the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate on Tuesday. Eigene Cruz, XAS marketing head, and Samuel Mark Tamayo, director of Generation Congregation, joined Blaylock in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Succeeding legs will be held on March 12, April 2 and 23, and finally on May 21.

Philippine taekwondo team standout Pauline Lopez (right) fends off an attack from her opponent in a previous international event.

Dizon shines in Round 6 of PH karting JOHN Dizon grabbed the spotlight in the final race to capture the KF Junior Blaze 100 crown recently in Round 6 of the 2015 Petron Blaze 100 ROK Karting Super Series at the Carmona Racetrack. Patience paid off for Dizon, who waited for the right opportunity to snatch his first season win in the event sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines and sponsored by Petron, Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4, Petron XCS, Petron Ultron, Petron Xtra, Petron Sprint, Magnolia Pure Water and Yokohama the official tyres. Mikey Jordan earlier dominated both the Qualifying and Pre-Final Heats as the determined Dizon bounced back to challenge Jordan from a DQ stint in the first race. He made his way up and checked in behind Jordan in the Pre-Final to claim the No. 2 grid side-by-side Jordan for

the Final race. Even as Jordan gained distance in controlling the front seat, Dizon went on doing his best to keep the rest behind until the opportunity came when Jordan was forced to take the early exit. From there, Dizon took over the lead in the KF Juniors and kept the others at bay as he completed the 20lap race in 14:15.432, just 0.5 of a second ahead of runner-up Sean Draeco McLelland, with Jordan finishing third. Bianca Bustamante actually ruled the combined race, checking in 0.624 of a second ahead of Dizon to emerge the KF Restricted Blaze 100 champion over Keon Romoff. Even more exciting was the MiniROK class, where Jarred Kim pulled off an upset win over top favorite Eduardo Coseteng Jr., winning the crown by just 0.230 of a second ahead,

Joaquin Garrido bagged third place, while Zach David and Constantin Reisch wound up fourth and fifth respectively. Inigo Anton also copped the crown in the Formula Cadet Novice Ultron over Reisch, Miguel Angeles, Maverick Corpus and William Go, while Garrido emerged the Formula Cadet Expert Ultron champion. Karl Wilhelm prevailed in the ROK Novice Blaze 100 class over Jericke Don Holganza and Jacky Lo, while Jerry Choi captured the ROK Expert Blaze 100 plum. Tai Zulberti copped the Formula SL Novice Xtra title over Gsbrielle Garcia while Mguel Angeles won the Cebu Club Race over William Go. For more info, call the Carmona Racetrack, c/o Rose Feria at 845-0745, 889-3389, 845-3287 and 845-4142 or visit the website www. asiankarting.net.

Forty Asian countries, led by world power Korea, will vie for honors in the prestigious event sanctioned by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and promoted by the Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU). Other countries which have already confirmed their participation are Iran, Uzbekistan, Thailand, China and Japan. Organizing Committee Chairman Sung Chon Hong says “it is a big honor for PTA to host the biggest taekwondo (senior kyorugi) event in Asia in our country. It is actually the second major competition that we will stage in April – the first being the Asian qualifying event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.” Hong, who is also the top PTA official, adds that the Asian championship is a good opportunity for our jins to widen their international experience and at the same time promote camaraderie with the other Asian taekwondo families.” The Asian championship is supported by Smart, MVPSF, PLDT, Meralco, Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee.

WBC title fight on The Main Event DESPITE giving away nearly five inches in height and another five inches in reach, little southpaw Jonathan Refugio from Valencia, Bukidnon used a perfect fight plan to stun defending World Boxing Council International light flyweight champion Richard Claveras at the spacious Taguig Sports Complex before a good crowd on Saturday. Refugio darted in and out with quick combinations to befuddle Claveras, who appeared to depend on his one-punch power to try and score a knock-

out, but failed to connect with any of his big shots. Refugio used his quickness to stay out of range and thwart Claveras, who went into the fight with an impressive record of 12 knockouts in 14 wins, with only one loss to former world champion Pedro Guevara. The fight will be telecast on the top-rating weekly boxing show “The Main Event” over Pinoy box Office on Sky Cable at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, with a replay at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Claveras tried desperately to turn the fight around in the champion-

ship rounds as he chased Refugio with occasional combinations anchored on body shots. But Refugio stole several rounds with late, counter-punching flurries and occasionally smiled as he nailed Claveras with rapid-fire combinations anchored on an overhand right. Despite a one-point deduction in the 10th round when Claveras suffered a cut just under his left eyebrow following a clash of heads, which was initiated by the champion, Refugio had the title in the bag. Ronnie Nathanielsz

Soaring to a new record. Daniel Andre Tande of winning team Norway set the new hill record to 136 meters during Ski Jumping Men’s Team HS127 Competition at FIS World Cup in Puijo, Kuopio. AFP

WE DN E S DAY : F E B RUA RY 2 4 , 2 0 1 6

A13

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

No. 699 in the bag for Novak

Serbian Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Spanish Tommy Robredo during their ATP tennis match on the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. AFP

Magsayo needs big win By Ronnie Nathanielsz UNBEATEN featherweight Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo needs a big win over Mexico’s Eduardo Montoya in the “Pinoy Pride 35” fight card at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu on Saturday before a fight with American Chris “Hitman” Avalos can be finalized. ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer did the right thing when he told The Standard that while he had sent a contract to the handlers of Avalos and that Top Rank matchmaker Brad Goodman had “agreed in principle,” the promoter said they can’t sign the contract since Magsayo “has a fight on Feb. 27 against Eduardo Montoya. We need to respect that fight (against Montoya). That’s the agreement. We don’t want to overlook Montoya.” Aldeguer said that the unbeaten young proteges of ALA Promotions are “excited, but there is no more tension” prior to their first appearance in the US when both scored impressive victories.

DUBAI—Novak Djokovic hammered Spain’s Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-2 at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday, winning the 699th match of his career. “Every milestone is very special, of course. I wish to make the 700th win in this tournament, obviously,” said the world number one. He added: “But it’s not going to affect too much my preparation for the next match. It’s not going to change too much the way I approach the next match or this tournament. So of course I’ll be very pleased if it happens here. If not, maybe next one.” Djokovic one now stands 13-0 this season as he bids for a third 2016 title after trophies in Doha and Melbourne. He last played in the final at Melbourne Park, beating Andy Murray. The top seed will next face Tunisian wild card Malek Jaziri, who advanced over qualifier Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-1. “Obviously playing the first match in three weeks, different conditions, I didn’t know how I’m going to start, whether or not I’m going to execute the game plan,” Djokovic said. AFP

Warriors become fastest squad to win 50 games LOS ANGELES—The Golden State Warriors notched their 50th win of the NBA season in record-setting style, thwarting a Hawks rally to triumph 102-92 in Atlanta on Monday. Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry scored 36 points for the Warriors, who wasted a 23-point third-quarter lead but held on to grab win number 50 in their 55th game of the season. That eclipsed the record of 56 games needed by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls needed to reach 50 wins -- another encouraging sign for a Warriors team bent on beating the record 72-10 regular-season mark put up by those Michael Jordan-led Bulls. “We’re right on track,” Curry said. “We’re not complacent, (we’re ) trying to get better, finding different ways to win.

“We understand our potential, but we’re not getting ahead of ourselves,” Curry added. “Fifty wins is great, but we’ve got to keep plugging away and stay hungry.” Curry connected on 14 of 22 from the field and made five of 11 three-pointers. He has made a three-pointer in 126 consecutive regular-season contests, one shy of matching the alltime record held by Atlanta’s Kyle Korver. Klay Thompson added another five three-pointers for the Warriors, scoring 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as Golden State battled back

after seeing the Hawks gain an unlikely lead. The game looked as if it would be a blowout until the third quarter. Golden State led 58-30 at halftime and built the cushion to 7047 on Curry’s drive to the basket with 6:58 left in the third quarter. But with center Al Horford and guard Dennis Schroder scoring eight points apiece, the Hawks responded with a 28-6 scoring run that pulled them to within a point heading into the fourth. They took the lead on a basket by Horford and led 80-76 on a three-pointer from Thabo Sefolosha. But Golden State regained control with a 17-4 scoring run. Golden State center Andrew Bogut, back after missing a game with a sore Achilles tendon, had three of his five blocked shots in the fourth to help the Warriors seal it.

- Pistons shock Cavs As the Warriors continued their march toward the post-season, Eastern Conference leaders Cleveland were up-ended on their home floor, falling 96-88 to the Detroit Pistons. Reggie Jackson scored 23 points and center Andre Drummond had 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Pistons, who had 59 points dropped on them by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis on Sunday but bounced back to end the Cavaliers’ five-game winning streak. Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 19 points, coming up with a big late steal from Cavaliers star LeBron James that resulted in a basket. James’s 12 points matched his season low as the Cavaliers came out flat a day after handing the Oklahoma City Thunder their worst defeat of the season. AFP

Subic hosts Standard Insurance Regatta Cup THE Philippines’ defending champion Centennial III, skippered by Judes Echauz and perennial challenger Frank Pong’s 75foot Jelik, will vie for supremacy for the third time in the 7th Standard Insurance Subic Bay to Boracay Race from Feb. 26 to March 5. Seventeen other elite sailors from Asian countries, Australia, Germany, China and local competitors will again test their skills in tackling the 210-nautical mile race that will be made more challenging by the shifting winds of Subic and the treacherous Verde Passage on the way to the scenic island of Boracay. Echauz and Centennial III’s 15-crew were cited during the recent Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night after

bagging the overall title in an international race in the combined Subic to Boracay Race and Boracay Cup Regatta 2015 in Malay, Aklan, after several second-place finishes in the past. Subic Bay hosts two out of 12 races from the Asian Yachting Grand Prix. This will be followed immediately by the Boracay Cup Regatta from March 1 to 4, backed by Subic Racing Club; Cebu Pacific Airlines; PLDT Alpha; Resorts World Hotel; Lighthouse Hotel, Philippine Coast Guard; Philippine Sailing Association, Municipality of Malay; and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Four Hong Kong-based sailors, led by Warlick-design Shahtoosh helmed by Peter Cre-

mers, Geoff Hill’s Antipodes, Black Baza of Steve Manning and Freefire of Sam Chan and Russ Parker are entries in Racing Class I. They will be challenged by Australia-based Syd Fisher’s Ragamuffin 90, who holds the fastest time. The Division Class II, will be led by Germany’s Emocean, piloted by Michael Raueber and Singapore’s Zanzibar skippered by Jonathan Mahony and five other sailors from Hong Kong and the Philippines. Mermaid of Hong Kong’s Xiong Ting; Bella Uno of Michiel Brinkers and then the Philippines’ NG 3 of Elmer Gualberto will compete in Cruising Class Division.

Klay Thompson (11) of the Golden State Warriors drives between Al Horford, Kent Bazemore and Jeff Teague of the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. AFP

LGU-SAN EMILIO

Contract Reference Number 3711669 Construction of Kalumsing Bridge Phase II Location of the Contract Kalumsing , San Emilio,Ilocos Sur

Republic of the Philippines Metropolitan Naga Water 4 0 J. M iranda Avenue, Naga City

Standard Form Number: SF-INFR-05 Revised on: July 29, 2004

INVITATION TO BID The Local Government Unit of San Emilio, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites contractors registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to apply for eligibility and if found eligible, to bid for the hereunder contract: Name of Project

Location Brief Description No. of Days ABC Source of Fund

: : : : :

CONSTRUCTION OF KALUMSING BRIDGE PHASE II Kalumsing,San Emilio, Ilocos Sur Construction works 120 C.D. P 5,885,449.78 RA 7171 Municipal Fund

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

Schedule

1. Posting 2. Pre-bid Conference 3. Submission of Bids 4. Opening of Bids 5. Bid Evaluation 6. Post Qualification 7. Approval of Resolution 8. Notice of Award 9. Contract Signing 10. Notice to Proceed

February 22-29,2016 March 1,2016 March 14, 2016 @ 10:00 AM March 14, 2016 @ 10 :01 AM at Municipal Hall March 15, 2016 March 16, 2016 March 17, 2016 March 18, 2016 March 21, 2016 March 22, 2016

The BAC will issue to prospective bidders Eligibility Forms at BAC Secretariat upon their submission of a LOI, and upon their payment of a non-refundable amount determined by the BAC to the LGU Cashier. Prospective bidders shall submit the Eligibility Requirements to the BAC at the said address. They may also obtain the results of the Eligibility Check by the BAC at the same address.

The METROPOLITAN NAGA WATER DISTRICT (MNWD) through its approved Corporate Budget, intends to apply the sum of TWO MILLION SIX HUNDRED THIRTY TWO THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED PESOS (Php 2,632,900.00) only, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS & MOTORS (BRAND NEW), CONTRACT REFERENCE NO. GOODS 2016-002. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The MNWD now invites bids for the SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS & MOTORS (BRAND NEW). Delivery of the Goods is required within THIRTY (30) CALENDAR DAYS. Bidders should have completed, within the last two (2) years, from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a single contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the IRR of RA 9184. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the MNWD and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below starting from 8:00 AM – 12:00 NN and 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 to MARCH 14, 2016, from the Office of the BAC Secretariat c/o Planning, Design and Construction Division, 2nd Floor MNWD Building, MNWD, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City, and upon payment of non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (Php 5,000.00). The MNWD will hold a PRE-BID CONFERENCE on MARCH 2, 2016 at 1:30 PM at 2nd Floor, Conference Room, MNWD Building, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before MARCH 14, 2016 at 1:30 PM at the Office of the BAC Chairman c/o Planning, Design and Construction Division, 2nd Floor MNWD Building, MNWD, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. BID OPENING shall be on MARCH 14, 2016 at 1:30 PM. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. The MNWD reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to: ENGR. MELVIN B. MACARAIG Planning, Design and Construction Division MNWD Compound, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City Tel. No.: (054) 473-7813 local 119; Fax No.: (054) 473-9288 E-mail address: mnwdbac@yahoo.com

Social Housing Finance Corporation

a subsidiary of National Mortgage Finance Corporation INVITATION TO BID FOR

Noted by:

(SGD) JONAS O. BERTO BAC Chairman

(SGD) FERDINAND A. BANUA Municipal Mayor

(TS-FEB. 24 2016)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPlNES PR0VINCE OF ILOCOS SUR MUNICIPALITY OF LIDLIDDA

Procurement of the Supply and Delivery of Various I.T. Equipment 1. The Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) through its Corporate Budget for the Year 2016 intends to apply the sum of Eight Hundred Seventy Nine Thousand Nineteen Pesos & 07/100 Only (P879,019.07) being the Annual Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for PROJECT NO. 2016-05: Procurement of the Supply and Delivery of Various I.T. Equipment. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at Bid opening. 2. SHFC now invites bids for the Supply and Delivery of Various IT Equipment located at BDO Plaza 8737 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City, to be supplied and delivered within Forty (45) working days from the date of the official notice to proceed. Bidders should have completed, within the past two (2) 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.

INVITATlON TO BID The Municipal Government of Lidlidda, Ilocos Sur, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites Contractors to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder projects: Name of Project

Location Brief Description ABC Source of Fund

: : : :

Contract Duration Delivery Period

: :

CONSTRUCTION OF TASABU WATER IMPOUNDING PROJECT LABUT, LIDLIDDA, ILOCOS SUR To Construct Water Impounding Project Php 9,760,000.00 NTA`s Irrigation Support Project for Small Tobacco Farmers (ISPSTF) 210 C.D.

Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last two years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding. The eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted. All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid security, Performance Security, Pre Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. 4. Interested Bidders may obtain further information from SHFC and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on February 24, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of One Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00) to the SHFC Cashier. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of SHFC, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The method of payment will be on cash basis.

The complete schedule of activities is listed as follows: Activities

Date Schedule

Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid Request for Expression of Intent

February 23-29,2016

Issuance and availability of bidding document

February 23- March 14, 2016

Pre-Bid Conference

March 1, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., Conference Hall

Submission and receipt of bids/opening of Bids

March 14, 2016 at 8:30 a.m., Conference Hall

Bid Evaluation

March 15, 2016 at 8:30 a.m., Conference Hall

Post-qualification

March 16, 2016 at 8:30 a.m., Conference Hall

Approval of Resolution/Issuance of Notice of Award

March 17, 2016

Contract Preparation & Signing

March 18, 2016

Approval of Contract by higher authority

March 21, 2016

Issuance of Notice to Proceed

March 22, 2016

Bid Documents will be available only to prospective bidders upon payment of Nonrefundable to the Treasury Office, Lidlidda, lIocos Sur, to wit: APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT 1. 2. 3. 4.

MAXIMUM COST OF BIDDING DOCUMENTS

500,000.00 & below More than 500,000.00 up to 1 Million More than 1 Million up to 5 Million More than 5 Million up to 10 Million

: Php 500.00 : Php 1,000.00 : Php 5,000.00 : Php 10,000.00

The Municipal Government of Lidlidda, Ilocos Sur assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid. Prepared by: (SGD) MON Z. MAGAN-AN BAC Secretariat

(TS-FEB. 24, 2016)

NOTED: (SGD) ENGR. EDGAR F. TIONGSON BAC Chairman

(SGD) MELVIN B. MACARAIG BAC Chairman

( T S - F E B . 2 4 , 2 016)

The Local Government Unit of San Emilio assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred d in the preparation of their bids. Approved by:

G o o d s - 2 0 16 - 0 0 2 Submersible Pumps and Motors

P. R . # 16 - 0 1 - 0 0 2 7 INVITATION TO BID MNWD, Naga City FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS & MOTORS (BRAND NEW)

6. SHFC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on March 04, 2016, 10:00 a.m. at the SHFC Board Room, 5th Floor, BDO Plaza 8737 Paseo De Roxas, Makati City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents. 7. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before March16, 2016at 10:00 a.m. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bid opening shall be on March 16, 2016, 10:00 a.m. at the SHFC Board Room,5th Floor, BDO Plaza 8737 Paseo De Roxas, Makati City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. 8. SHFC assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid. SHFC reserves the right to waive any or all formal requirements, so that it shall likewise not be held liable for any defects or typographical errors in all documents received by the bidder, which shall be presumed to have been read and understood by the bidders to be mere defects in form only. 9. SHFC reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject at any time prior to the contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. 10. For further information, please refer to:

Ethel S. Bugho Officer-In-Charge, BAC Secretariat Social Housing Finance Corporation 2nd Floor, BDO Plaza, 8737 Paseo De Roxas, Makati City (T) +63 2 750 6337 (loc) 421; (02) 8172794 procurement@shfcph.com (F) +63 2 817 3168 www.shfcph.com ( T S - F E B . 2 4 , 2 016)

(SGD) ATTY. JOSE D. MELGAREJO Chairman, BAC

W E D N E S D AY F E B R U A R Y 24 , 2 0 1 6

Novelty Chess Club retains lead By Arman D. Armero GENERAL SANTOS City—Novelty Chess ClubBulacan surrendered its top two boards and had to rely on its lower board players to force a 2-2 tie with top seed Bobby Pacquiao C to remain in the lead with 11 points, half a point ahead of four other teams going into the seventh and final round late Tuesday in the Bobby D. Pacquiao Chess Festival 2016 at the Trade Hall of the SM Mall here. Top board player National Master Roel Filipinas and Marc Crhistian Nazario dropped their assignments, but Board 3 player Kelly Rancap and Board 4 occupant Louie Salvador delivered the needed wins as the Bulacan-based campaigners barely retained their lead. Filipinas, playing the white pieces, bowed to the superior play of Grandmaster Jason Gonzales in the complicated middlegame, while Nazario was outclassed by Alfredo Rapanot in Board 2. Despite the loss, Novelty Chess Bulacan, which beat Gensan Omicrons, 3-1, in the fifth round, will go all out for the championship and the top P500,000 cash prize against the NM Roel Abelgas-led Pacman Team A in the 7th and final round late Tuesday. Pacman Team A dumped Cotabato Province, 3.5-.5, in the sixth round behind Abelgas, NM Stewart Manaog and Eric Abanco to improve its mark to 10 points and into a four-way logjam with NICA Team Ilonggo, Elegant Houses in Pampanga and Gensan Omicrons. Relying on its three lower boards, NICA Team Ilonggo turned back SLVP Chess Team, 3-1; Elegant Houses in Pampanga, with GM Darwin Laylo leading the charge, topped Novelty School of Ches-QC, 3-1; while Gensan Omicrons edged Team Larry Dumadag, 2.5-1.5. In the final round, NICA Team Ilonggo takes on GenSan Omicrons, while Elegant Houses in Pampanga battles Bobby Pacquiao C (9 points) in the much-awaited tussle between GMs Gonzales and Laylo at the top board. Aside from Bobby Pacquiao C, the other teams with nine points and which remain in the hunt for the top three places after late Tuesday’s final round include Tagaytay City Chess Club, Tagaytay City and the Novelty Chess Club - Quezon City The individual contest in the rich P2-million event will start today at 9:30 a.m.

W E D N E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 24 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Top Rank won’t reset Pacquiao-Bradley fight By Ronnie Nathanielsz

TOP Rank promoter Bob Arum cited a precedent in arguing against the attempt of senatorial candidate Walden Bello, who petitioned the Commission on Elections that allowing Manny Pacquiao to compete during the campaign period would violate a law giving contenders for the seat equal access to media publicity and a ban on television and radio programs favoring a candidate. Sky Sports in Britain reported that Bello said the fight should be postponed until after the elections. Pacquiao has remained in the Top 8 in various surveys conducted by the Social Weather Station and Pulse Asia in the race for a seat in the Senate. Bello made it clear he was not seeking Pacquiao’s disqualification as a senatorial candidate, but was asking the elections’ commission to take action on the complaint. “I imagine if they rule in our favor, which

I believe they will, then they will have to tell Manny that he would have to comply with it,” said Bello, adding that if Pacquiao refuses to comply, disqualification from the election could be a logical outcome. However, Arum, who insisted last week in an interview with ABS-CBN Sports consultant Peter Musngi on his program “Teka Muna” over dzMM Teleradyo that he will not postpone the fight, cited a precedent to demolish Bello’s position in a conversation with Steve Carp of the Las Vegas

Review Journal. Arum noted that in April 2007, when Pacquiao was running for a seat in the House of Representatives from Sarangani province and fought Jorge Solis, the issue came up and the then Comelec did not prevent the fight from taking place. “The rule is plain – you can’t publicize that you are running for office. We are not going to publicize that you’re (Pacquiao) running for office . We are not going to be holding any political rallies for Manny while he’s here in the United States preparing for the fight with Bradley,” said Arum. But the promoter conceded that Pacquiao “has to be very careful about what he says, pointing out that the simple solution is to have a moratorium when Pacquiao does a media session regarding the April9 fight but it won’t be easy given Pacquiao’s “penchant for saying what’s in his heart.”

Seniors’ Interclub tees off. Philippine Airlines President Jaime J. Bautista leads the ceremonial tee off to open the Seniors’ division of the 69th PAL Interclub golf tournament at Mimosa Golf & Country Club in Clark, Pampanga, from Feb. 25 to 28. Others at the tee off are (from left) Eric Gozo, manager, Mimosa Golf & Country Club; Genaro Velasquez, chairman, Interclub Executive Committee; Bautista; and Gen. Ricardo Banayat, vice president, security services, Clark Development Corp.

LOTTO RESULTS

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

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

Morales gets firmer hold on Ronda PH lead CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance came through with his best effort and ruled the 2.40-kilometer Stage 3 criterium on Tuesday to solidify his hold on the overall lead in the Mindanao Leg of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2016 at the Pueblo de Oro grounds here. The 31-year-old Morales out-sprinted the rest of the field in the final loop to snare his first stage triumph in an hour, nine minutes and 23.64 seconds and gained some precious points that further put him on course in topping the Mindanao Leg. It was Morales’ first stage win here after coming second to Navy teammate Ronald Oranza in the first two stages in Butuan City. “It’s a good feeling finally winning one,” said Morales, who hails from Calumpang, Marikina, in Filipino. It was also a departure to Stage 2, where Morales crashed and suffered bruises to his right shoulder and thigh after he hit the rear wheel of Oranza. “We had a team meeting before the stage and we talked about keeping everybody safe and I’m happy it turned out well,” he said. Navy’s Daniel Ven Carino and Rudy Roque finished second and third in 1:09:23.95 and 1:09:24.03, while Oranza checked in at fourth in 1:09:24.47. It was Oranza’s worst performance after he went on attack mode early by snaring Stages 1 and 2. Navy team captain Lloyd Lucien Reynante checked in at No. 5 in the stage in 1:09:24.67. Team LBC/MVPSF’s Arnold Marco and Ronnilon Quita bared their fangs and finished at Nos. 6 and 8 with clockings of 1:09:24.92 and 1:09:25.89, respectively, while Mindanao bet James Paolo Ferfas of Team LCC-Lutayan wound up at No. 10 in 1:09:27.07.

PCSO Freedom Cup on Sunday THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE

CAN vaunted filly Gentle Strength’s staying power see her through to victory in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Freedom Cup mile? The stakes race backed by the charity agency will be held on Sunday (Feb. 28) at Metroturf in Malvar, Batangas, and also showcases the talents of colts Kanlaon, Biseng Bise, Low Profile, and Messi and Tap Dance (coupled entries). I’m going with Kanlaon

because he placed second to Dixie Gold in the 2015 PCSO Presidential Gold Cup last Dec. 13 at San Lazaro Leisure Park. Kanlaon beat Low Profile, the 2015 Horse of the Year while both were carrying the same handicap weight of 55 kgs. The same racecard will also feature the Philippine Racing Commission’s 1,400-meter 4YO and Older Stakes. *** The trial race for the PCSO’s next 3YO maiden race is on Feb. 26 at Santa Ana Park, with declared runners Wolverine, Big Cat Drama, Indianpana, World Famous, Silhouette,

My Destiny, Tapped It, Lollipop, and Clear Time. The actual race of 1,400 meters will be held on Mar. 12 at the same track. *** After some recent incidents involving the starting gate, Philracom recently passed Resolution 14-2016 requiring racing clubs to assign at least 25 properly-trained starting gate helpers at every race. Common practice has at least one starting gate helper for each horse participating in a race. But when horse Xen Young acted hostile in the gate last month after being accidentally hit with the metal end of a halter, and

after considering similar incidents in the past, the Commission deemed the new rule necessary. Some horses, especially juveniles, balk at entering the gate and need more experienced handlers to guide them inside with the use of appliances such as rope, hammocks, or ear clamps. The presence of more helpers should hasten and ease the loading of horses into the gate and reduce delays in start times. *** Congratulations to the Philippine Sportswriters Association on its recent staging of what has been described as the most suc-

cessful PSA Night yet! Kudos to PSA president and The Standard Sports Editor Riera Mallari for a great job in honoring the nation’s athletes, and to the other PSA directors and the events management team. *** I was sorry to hear of the demise of People’s Journal racing photographer Bobot Manzano a couple of weeks ago. He was a fixture at the racetrack for decades. You couldn’t miss him—he was tall, lean, and confident, and he dominated the photographers’ pack at every event. I relied on him absolutely for photos to use in the racing magazines I produce annually. Bobot set the stan-

dard for photography in the sport. He will be missed. I was also saddened by the recent deaths of racecaller Romy Cheng Tejada with whom I worked when I was on the broadcast panel of Santa Ana Park years ago, and of Manila Jockey Club assistant racing manager Benjie Reverente, whose father was also an MJC racing official back in the day. Friends gone too soon: the lesson is to treasure them because you’ll never know how long they’ll be around. *** Facebook: Gogirl Racing, Twitter: @gogirlracing, Instagram: @jensdecember

A16

RC Cola shows full might BIÑAN CITY—RC Cola-Army showed its full might in crushing a young Games on March 8 N e w (The Arena) San Jose 4 p.m. • F2 Logistics vs San Jose Builders Builders side, 25- 6 p.m. • Petron vs Cignal 15, 25-20, 25-15, Tuesday in the 2016 PLDT Home Bro Ultera Philippine Superliga Invitational Conference women’s volleyball tournament at the Alonte Sports Arena. Flaunting a well-balanced offense topped with several defensive gems, the Lady Troopers were unstoppable, dominating the Victorias in just an hour and 11 minutes en route to their third straight win in this premier inter-club tourney backed by Asics, Mikasa, Senoh, Mueller and Grand Sports, with TV5 as official broadcaster partner. Jovelyn Gonzaga led the scoring parade, but it was Rachel Anne Daquis and Honey Rose Tubino, who delivered the killer punches early on that left San Jose Builders grasping for form. Gonzaga, who skippered the national team in the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore last year, fired 10 kills and three aces to finish with 14 points, while Daquis and Tubino delivered 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the Lady Troopers, who will close their first-round campaign without losing a single set. “It was a job well done,” said RC Cola-Army coach Kungfu Reyes. “We took it easy early on, so I told the girls that we should not count San Jose Builders out. They are young and aggressive. Fortunately, they responded and came up strong in the second and third sets.”

W E D N E S DAY : F E B R U A R Y 24 , 2 0 16 RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

RC Cola-Army’s Jovelyn Gonzaga scores against the defense of Lourdes Clemente and Jamela Suyat of New San Jose Builders. ROMAN PROSPERO

Blackwater eyes win no. 3 By Jeric Lopez

A SURPRISING hot start is just what Blackwater needs for its confidence to soar. The Elite eye a third straight win when they take on a challenge from a team that has yet to list a win in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. Winner of two in a row, Blackwater (2-1), surprisingly tied for second place with several teams, can grab solo second should it keep its winning run going, but a stiff test from a desperate Star (0-3), the only winless team left in the league, awaits as they clash at 4:15 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday. What follows is a battle of heavyweights still trying to find their way this conference in Talk

Warriors fastest to win 50 games TURN TO A13

‘N Text (1-2) and Alaska (0-1) at 7 p.m. This early, the sophomore franchise’s mild success is indeed a big breakthrough, especially for a team still finding its way in the league. Just ask Elite head coach Leo Isaac. “We had the first back-to-back wins in our franchise here in the PBA. Siyempre masarap sa pakiramdam. It feels good to achieve this,” said Isaac. “We just have to continue now.” In its last victory Friday, Blackwater pulled off an upset win against import-less Alaska, 107-101, as Carlo Lastimosa and

Reil Cervantes three games All-FilGames Wednesday continued to deipino following the (Smart Araneta Coliseum) liver the goods for troubles of banned 4:15 p.m. - Star vs. Blackwater the Elite, along 7 p.m. - Talk ‘N Text vs. Alaska import Ivan Johnwith the help of son, Talk ‘N Text import MJ Rhett. finally has a new reWhile the Elite are enjoying inforcement in tow. their good start, the Hotshots are The Tropang Texters will paexactly on the opposite end. rade new import David Simon, Last Saturday, Star collapsed a 33-year-old journeyman, who yet again as it suffered its third had tons of experience playing straight defeat, this time at the overseas. hands of NLEX, 106-99, in Binan, Talk ‘N Text is hoping that he Laguna. can elevate the play and the moMeanwhile, Alaska played sans rale of the defending champion. resident import Rob Dozier, who “It’s tough to immediately find as he sat out with a plantar fascitis a quality import and we’re hopinjury on his foot against Black- ing he (Simon) can really help water. us,” said Talk ‘N Text coach Jong For the meantime, Alaska is Uichico, whose squad isn’t exactly tapping a temporary import in having the start it wants in its title NBA D-League veteran Shane defense. Edwards in place of Dozier, while In their last game also last Frihe is still recovering. day, the Tropang Texters bowed After playing two of its first to GlobalPort, 108-101.

Morales firms up hold on bike lead TURN TO A15

WEDNESDAY: FEBRUARY 24, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

New medical tower.

Manila Doctors Hospital holds a topping-off ceremony on February 20, 2016 for its new medical tower, The Norberto Ty Medical Tower, in T.M Kalaw Street. The 18-story tower will function as the new home of more specialty centers, patient rooms and clinics. At the ceremony are (from left) Manila Medical Services Inc. board member Cecilio Pedro, MDH chairman and acting president Antonio Abacan Jr., Metrobank Group chairman George SK Ty, Metro Paciﬁc Investments Corp. president and chief executive Jose Maria Lim, Manila Medical board member Mary Ty and MDH vice chairman Aniceto Sobrepeña.

BUSINESS

PSe comPoSite index Closing February 23, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,819.34 36.26

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing February 23, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.635

44.00

43.00

HIGH P47.570 LOW P47.650AVERAGE P47.623 VOLUME 426.500M

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

oPriceS il P today

P20.40-P23.80 Diesel

Biggest PPP auction goes ahead in March By Darwin G. Amojelar

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, February 23, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.6300

Japan

Yen

0.008861

0.4220

Pound

1.415600

67.4250

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128718

6.1308

Switzerland

Franc

1.001803

47.7159

Canada

Dollar

0.729288

34.7360

Singapore

Dollar

0.714796

34.0457

Australia

Dollar

0.723275

34.4496

Bahrain

Dinar

2.656748

126.5409

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266702

12.7030

Brunei

Dollar

0.712251

33.9245

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000074

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.027963

1.3319

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.9690

Euro

1.103400

52.5549

Korea

Won

0.000818

0.0390

China

Yuan

0.153304

7.3019

India

Rupee

0.014590

0.6949

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238436

11.3567

New Zealand

Dollar

0.671411

31.9793

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030172

1.4371

THE Public-Private Partnership Center said Tuesday the bidding for the P122.8-billion Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike Project, the largest toll road under the PPP scheme so far, will push through on March 14. “We met with Secretary [Rogelio] Singson and his team last week to iron out the last commercial details. All systems go, according to DPWH for the Laguna Lakeshore project,” PPP Center executive director Cosette Canilao said. The LLED project involves the construction of a 47-kilometer flood control dike and an express-

way on top of it from Taguig City to Los Baños, Laguna and the reclamation of over 700 hectares of land for commercial development in Taguig and Muntinlupa. It aims to mitigate flooding in the western coastal communities along Laguna Lake. The proposed alignment runs 500 meters from the shoreline of Laguna Lake. Once completed, the project

is expected to cut travel time from Bicutan to Los Baños from 90 minutes to 35 minutes, with an improvement in travel speed from 30 kilometers per hour to 80 kph. Canilao said the bid submission for the project was rescheduled on March 14, from Jan. 7, 2016. This was the third time the agency extended the bid submission deadline. The original schedule was July 6, 2015, which was deferred to Nov. 6, 2015 and then to Jan. 7, 2016. Under the original schedule, pre-qualified bidders had until July 6, 2015 to submit their technical and financial proposals. The Public Works Department originally planned to award the

project on Aug. 21 and sign the concession agreement on Sept. 20, 2015. Three prospective bidders were shortlisted for the project, including San Miguel Holdings Corp., Alloy Pavi Harshen LLEDP Consortium of Malaysia and Team Trident. Team Trident is composed of Trident Infrastructure and Development Corp., Ayala Land Inc., Megaworld Corp., Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. and SM Prime Holdings Inc. The Alloy-Pavi Hanshin LLEDP Consortium consists of Malaysia’s Alloy MTD Capital Berhad, Prime Asset Ventures Inc. and Hanshin Engineering Construction.

Source: PDS Bridge

Investments needed to sustain growth momentum, says IMF By Julito G. Rada THE Philippines must not rely solely on remittances from migrant Filipino workers and the business process outsourcing industry, and should instead improve both public and private investments to sustain the country’s economic growth momentum, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. “There must be increased investments, both private and public. The legs of [economic] growth

should be improved,” IMF resident representative to the Philippines Shanaka Jayanath Peiris said during a forum held at the New World Manila Bay Hotel in Manila. “The investment leg needs to be improved... but I am not saying that there is anything wrong with the... remittances and BPO. While maintaining those two legs of growth, private and public investments must also be improved,” Peiris said. Remittances fuel private con-

sumption and are one of the backbones of economic growth. Money sent home by overseas Filipinos in 2015 rose 4.6 percent to a record-high $25.767 billion from $24.628 billion year-onyear, surpassing the 4-percent growth projection of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The 2015 remittance level represented 9.8 percent of the gross domestic product and 8.1 percent of the gross national income. Remittances and BPO revenues contribute around $50 billion annually.

Peiris said the Philippine economy had an enormous potential for expansion going forward, especially with its young population that could contribute significantly to the country’s output. “There are also strong contributions potentially coming from agribusiness, tourism and mining sectors. The country’s economic fundamentals are solid and we need these to realize these potentials,” Peiris said. Peiris also cited the country’s less exposure to Chinese trade,

unlike its neighboring countries in the region, such as Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. He said the Philippines could also be affected by volatility in the global financial markets this year but “least affected” compared with its regional peers. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said in the same forum the country’s resilience to both domestic and external headwinds could be sustained due to strong macroeconomic fundamentals.

WEDNESDAY: FEBRUARY 24, 2016

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, February 23, 2016

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 2.6 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 1.02 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 59 2.65

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

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 125 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 32 15.32 62.5 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

79 3.95 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 238 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 26 2.17

34.1 2.3 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 161 4.1 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 10.02 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp. Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons. Asiabest Group C. Azuc De Tarlac Century Food Chemphil 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’ Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp. LBC Express Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils. Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ SPC Power Corp. Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp. Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp. Vivant 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 2.99 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 0.030 0.550 2.26 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 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 Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp À’ Seafront À’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

10.5 1.99 1.75 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44

6.74 0.65 1.2 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79

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

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

SHARES 6405976 59315951 96401808 862696594 439721046 375285533 1840301847

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.94 2.9 45 44.8 100.20 99.05 88.00 87.35 36.4 35.5 2.80 2.60 1.40 1.30 14.38 13.9 16.5 16.32 1.76 1.66 0.500 0.490 77 75.5 0.94 0.94 15.00 15.00 53.00 51.10 97 97 270 269 34.3 33.65 144 141.2 56.50 54.80 1.58 1.58 INDUSTRIAL 43.1 43.15 42.55 5.52 5.76 5.41 0.67 0.69 0.66 1.42 1.45 1.41 10.1 10.8 10.1 189.90 200.00 188.00 17.6 17.6 17.06 107 107 107 75.95 80 60 18.18 18.6 18 39.8 40.5 39.8 2.09 2.25 2.1 2.22 2.33 2.22 11.4 11.5 11.22 8.430 8.660 8.430 7.30 7.30 7.29 5.82 5.83 5.77 7.08 7.28 7.15 21 21.5 20.2 60.2 60.5 60.2 13.80 13.80 13.62 5.5 5.52 5.4 2.310 2.350 2.300 218.80 220.00 218.60 8.5 8.7 8.28 25.15 27.00 26.95 1.9 1.95 1.85 27 27.5 27.05 15.8 16.5 15.86 5.9 5.9 5.8 320.40 321.00 319.00 3.92 4.09 4.00 3.32 3.32 3.3 9.49 9.63 9.24 11.08 11.50 11.38 3.65 3.70 3.65 1.81 1.96 1.82 2.75 2.78 2.71 3.80 3.87 3.80 2.79 2.22 2.22 142.9 142.9 142 4 3.9 3.9 2.42 2.42 2.4 0.153 0.157 0.151 1.01 1.29 1.01 2.16 2.17 2.14 194.4 196.9 193.8 4.71 4.84 4.6 0.64 0.66 0.63 22.50 22.50 22.50 1.01 1.10 1.03 HOLDING FIRMS 0.320 0.330 0.325 57.4500 58.2500 57.5000 14.32 14.62 14.36 6.00 6.04 6.00 0.231 0.233 0.233 696 701 696 7.3 7.31 7.2 12.46 12.58 12.40 4.5 4.51 4.51 4.60 4.70 4.50 0.231 0.231 0.228 1261 1273 1263 5.82 5.85 5.85 9.80 9.80 9.55 69.00 70.00 69.00 5.63 5.63 5.42 0.68 0.68 0.66 16.26 16.5 16.18 0.49 0.49 0.49 5.79 5.9 5.78 0.0310 0.0310 0.0300 2.170 2.200 2.130 2.74 2.62 2.61 70.00 70.00 68.70 2.25 2.45 2.45 835.00 838.00 820.00 1.05 1.06 1.50 146.000 150.000 142.000 0.2950 0.3150 0.3000 0.2000 0.2150 0.2000 0.290 0.295 0.285 PROPERTY 6.860 6.900 6.830 0.84 0.88 0.84 1.380 1.410 1.320 31.900 33.100 32.050 3.03 3.15 3.06 4.75 5 4.75 0.560 0.58 0.560 2.88 44.85 100.00 87.60 36 2.60 1.40 14 16.48 1.78 0.480 76.45 0.95 15.02 52.30 97 274 34 141.5 55.50 1.59

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.9 45 100.00 87.80 36 2.80 1.30 14.1 16.32 1.75 0.490 76.4 0.94 15.00 53.00 97 270 34.3 142.5 55.10 1.58

0.69 0.33 0.00 0.23 0.00 7.69 -7.14 0.71 -0.97 -1.69 2.08 -0.07 -1.05 -0.13 1.34 0.00 -1.46 0.88 0.71 -0.72 -0.63

193,000 25,200 1,750,250 1,117,880 94,100 281,000 255,000 26,300 50,200 44,000 260,000 1,450,900 2,000 25,000 41,940 1,020 1,000 28,100 387,180 5,370 7,000

43 5.45 0.66 1.41 10.3 188.00 17.5 107 79 18 40.5 2.25 2.3 11.4 8.600 7.30 5.80 7.18 20.5 60.2 13.80 5.5 2.300 220.00 8.69 27.00 1.95 27.4 16.4 5.8 319.00 4.09 3.31 9.30 11.50 3.69 1.83 2.76 3.80 2.22 142 3.9 2.4 0.152 1.25 2.15 196 4.6 0.64 22.50 1.04

-0.23 -1.27 -1.49 -0.70 1.98 -1.00 -0.57 0.00 4.02 -0.99 1.76 7.66 3.60 0.00 2.02 0.00 -0.34 1.41 -2.38 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.43 0.55 2.24 7.36 2.63 1.48 3.80 -1.69 -0.44 4.34 -0.30 -2.00 3.79 1.10 1.10 0.36 0.00 -20.43 -0.63 -2.50 -0.83 -0.65 23.76 -0.46 0.82 -2.34 0.00 2.97

1,467,600 1,953,900 91,000 614,000 7,300 90 591,900 20 6,050 44,600 4,300 2,226,000 3,488,000 57,200 707,600 1,885,600 13,477,800 508,600 3,871,400 317,800 21,500 24,600 761,000 890,820 27,300 1,300 45,000 2,028,000 739,300 80,300 139,030 13,000 285,000 12,061,700 20,300 140,000 2,225,000 86,000 1,258,000 3,000 1,570 6,000 101,000 990,000 1,118,000 940,000 2,203,280 21,000 95,000 1,200 810,000

0.325 57.9500 14.58 6.00 0.233 699.5 7.23 12.58 4.51 4.70 0.231 1273 5.85 9.80 70.00 5.44 0.67 16.2 0.49 5.78 0.0310 2.150 2.62 69.00 2.45 827.00 1.06 150.000 0.3100 0.2000 0.285

1.56 0.87 1.82 0.00 0.87 0.50 -0.96 0.96 0.22 2.17 0.00 0.95 0.52 0.00 1.45 -3.37 -1.47 -0.37 0.00 -0.17 0.00 -0.92 -4.38 -1.43 8.89 -0.96 0.95 2.74 5.08 0.00 -1.72

40,000 852,970 10,103,300 257,000 100,000 195,540 1,192,600 4,120,900 2,000 24,000 360,000 42,980 48,100 2,730,600 671,770 6,734,800 185,000 1,943,900 10,000 35,435,500 19,100,000 2,732,000 11,000 506,870 2,000 207,490 190,000 210,180 5,650,000 2,010,000 550,000

6.900 0.86 1.400 33.000 3.14 5 0.570

0.58 2.38 1.45 3.45 3.63 5.26 1.79

304,000 1,655,000 458,000 9,341,500 2,347,000 1,680,000 4,461,000

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

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

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

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 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 3.2 95.5 15.2

1.97 35.2 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.95 3.1 6

0.62 1.040 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

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

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 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 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 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 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Apex À’ Atlas Cons. À’ Atok-Big Wedge 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’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp. Philex À’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. À’ Semirara Corp. TA Petroleum

-68,323,805.00

70 553 525 120 515 111 1047

33 490 500 101.5 480 101 1011

-928,990.00

84.8

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen G GLOBE PREF P MWIDE PREF PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

560,210.00 1,068,505.00 -41,951,823 -11,185,297.00

13,900.00 -498,618.00 15,760.00 -25,000.00 -19,141,029.00 482,219.50 -98,940.00 671,110 1,904,359.00 10,174.00 21,631,300.00 -19,720.00

3,158,706.00 36,320.00 117,450 -22,320.00 100.00 -382,720.00 1,259,182.00 -2,799,932.00 13,492,050.00 775,613.00 -23,652,310.00 5,920,446.00 0.00 23,000.00 40,404,810.00

12,410,560.00 2,157,390.00 -5,541,782.00 563,110.00 4,495,231.00 -93,400.00 -2,398,100.00 -6,660.00

-24,000.00 207,872,274.00 -46,300.00 27,000.00 -5,500.00 30,656,074.50 -3,368,188.00 24,299,780.00 4,437,245.00 -3,778,090.00

9,114,105.00 -98,000.00 9,673,756.00 -4,065,444.00 -8,791,452.00 24,805,848.00 21,500.00 -226,702.50

1,757,897.00 -174,470.00 7,773,495.00 2,834,700.00

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant Alterra Capital Italpinas Xurpas

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

High

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.970 0.970 0.970 0.120 0.116 0.119 0.415 0.415 0.415 24.7 23.8 24.35 0.840 0.830 0.840 0.161 0.157 0.160 0.93 0.90 0.92 1.53 1.50 1.52 1.26 1.25 1.25 3.57 3.53 3.55 0.089 0.089 0.089 0.2300 0.2300 0.2300 0.400 0.380 0.395 8.47 8.47 8.47 26.20 25.75 25.85 1.63 1.48 1.48 3.05 2.95 3.05 20.95 20.70 20.80 0.79 0.76 0.78 5.87 5.45 5.87 0.970 0.940 0.960 4.470 4.370 4.450 SERVICES 6.9 7.18 6.8 6.8 54.25 54.3 54.15 54.25 0.485 0.500 0.490 0.495 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 4.33 4.52 4.30 4.30 0.0520 0.0570 0.0520 0.0540 3.24 3.28 3.12 3.2 81.5 82.45 81.2 81.5 10 10 10 10 1.49 1.48 1.48 1.48 5.94 5.95 5.51 5.95 1825 1858 1810 1820 6.71 6.75 6.65 6.65 1.19 1.20 1.20 1.20 60 62.5 60.3 62 11.74 11.24 11.24 11.24 0.0097 0.0095 0.0095 0.0095 0.174 0.196 0.178 0.186 1.1900 1.1900 1.1600 1.1800 2.1 2.06 2.06 2.06 7.69 7.80 7.62 7.69 3.96 4.02 3.96 3.97 2.44 2.45 2.44 2.45 25.90 24.00 24.00 24.00 1.95 2.06 1.98 1.98 3.52 3.63 3.51 3.59 0.270 0.280 0.275 0.280 0.750 0.760 0.740 0.760 4.60 4.60 4.50 4.50 100.00 101.00 101.00 101.00 26.95 26.95 26.40 26.50 2220.00 2242.00 2218.00 2224.00 0.395 0.400 0.400 0.400 0.830 0.870 0.820 0.830 34.15 34.50 34.15 34.20 63.00 63.00 62.70 62.70 4.90 5.04 4.90 5.00 3.75 3.88 3.68 3.69 0.465 0.475 0.460 0.470 3.8 3.89 3.76 3.77 0.320 0.335 0.320 0.320 4.560 4.750 4.650 4.700 MINING & OIL 0.0043 0.0044 0.0043 0.0044 2.04 2.04 2.01 2.01 4.45 4.51 4.31 4.49 11.30 12.78 10.06 12.78 0.225 0.265 0.238 0.255 0.6 0.6 0.58 0.6 0.440 0.450 0.430 0.435 7.21 7.45 7.15 7.42 0.730 0.760 0.720 0.730 0.290 0.300 0.280 0.290 0.300 0.305 0.290 0.300 0.300 0.315 0.300 0.310 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013 1.82 1.9 1.83 1.84 4.94 5.22 4.98 4.98 2.45 2.55 2.45 2.47 0.5600 0.5600 0.5600 0.5600 1.2400 1.2500 1.2300 1.2500 0.0095 0.0095 0.0095 0.0095 0.0094 0.0092 0.0092 0.0092 3.48 3.51 3.46 3.49 5.59 5.68 5.55 5.65 1.81 1.97 1.86 1.88 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 122.80 124.00 121.50 122.30 2.4 2.59 2.44 2.49 PREFERRED 54 54.15 54 54 528 530 530 530 530 531 531 531 118 118 118 118 525 525 520 525 112 112 112 112 1011 1028 1020 1028 104 103.7 103.7 103.7 83 82.3 82.3 82.3 78 78 78 78 77 77.1 77 77 78.4 78.4 78.3 78.3 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.350 2.450 2.350 2.370 SME 3.6 3.78 3.7 3.7 2.48 2.6 2.5 2.57 13.66 13.7 13.5 13.5 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 111 111.2 110.9 111

1.04 2.59 0.00 1.46 1.20 10.34 0.00 0.66 -0.79 1.72 -1.11 -2.13 1.28 0.83 0.98 0.68 1.67 0.24 2.63 -0.34 1.05 -0.89

20,000 630,000 30,000 1,331,400 222,000 410,000 1,932,000 14,578,000 250,000 33,167,000 1,160,000 50,000 470,000 5,000 2,114,400 9,479,000 61,000 9,375,000 3,155,000 16,900 328,000 4,356,000

-1.45 0.00 2.06 0.00 -0.69 3.85 -1.23 0.00 0.00 -0.67 0.17 -0.27 -0.89 0.84 3.33 -4.26 -2.06 6.90 -0.84 -1.90 0.00 0.25 0.41 -7.34 1.54 1.99 3.70 1.33 -2.17 1.00 -1.67 0.18 1.27 0.00 0.15 -0.48 2.04 -1.60 1.08 -0.79 0.00 3.07

507,100 57,160.00 58,630 240,000 1,000 3,150.00 3,425,000 -3,496,460.00 256,870,000 19,800.00 217,000 225,150 -14,125,829.00 12,400 2,000 24,800 94,270 59,961,470.00 101,400 120,000 120,000.00 2,548,790 -24,872,914.50 59,600 4,000,000 84,700,000 -5,660.00 1,328,000 117,000.00 281,200 300,000 31,000 1,100 26,237,000 1,556,000 260,000 3,519,000 6,000 110 78,000 80,260 90,000 31,457,000 1,222,700 788,310 624,000 12,687,000 3,690,000 55,900 920,000 149,000

2.33 -1.47 0.90 13.10 13.33 0.00 -1.14 2.91 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.33 0.00 0.00 1.10 0.81 0.82 0.00 0.81 0.00 -2.13 0.29 1.07 3.87 0.00 -0.41 3.75

96,000,000 47,000 84,000 800 9,120,000 267,000 2,070,000 844,600 9,588,000 170,000 36,190,000 7,310,000 99,500,000 29,700,000 244,000 6,247,000 605,000 5,000 99,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 14,000 1,028,300 3,562,000 33,800,000 439,560 532,000

0.00 0.38 0.19 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.68 -0.29 -0.84 0.00 0.00 -0.13

317,070 20 2,000 30,000 130 23,400 930 8,800 14,710 2,500 30,080 61,290

0.85

294,000

2.78 3.63 -1.17

11,000 214,000 242,400

0.00

7,460

262,445.00 91,000.00 -18,307,630.00 -15,658,490.00 44,500.00

-4,362,040.00 -8,648,820.00 -69,192,985.00

-4,747,440.00

-61,060.00 48,800.00 -3,688,380.00 1,233,230.00

0.00 -69,160.00 -22,814,140.00 -5,191,290.00 5,044,855.00 -18,081,823.50 580,300.00 -774,720.00 -1,134,680.00 4,710.00 -4,400.00 -4,450.00

-1,073,870.00

123,500.00 5,304,160.00

-1,308,230.00 -433,850.00 -10,607,453.00 -187,170.00 1,739,340.00 -1,062,000

-438,600.00 -156,000.00 1,567,000.00

91,680.00 637,772.00

T op L oSerS

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,527.72 (up) 2.11 INDUSTRIAL 11,114.66 (up) 24.99 HOLDING FIRMS 6,422.58 (up) 17.50 PROPERTY 2,749.61 (up) 48.45 SERVICES 1,545.83 (up) 5.95 MINING & OIL 10,636.21 (up) 37.18 PSEI 6,819.34 (up) 36.26 All Shares Index 3,926.21 (up) 14.32 Gainers: 107; Losers: 69; Unchanged: 42; Total: 218

0.960 0.116 0.415 24 0.830 0.145 0.92 1.51 1.26 3.49 0.090 0.2350 0.390 8.4 25.60 1.47 3 20.75 0.76 5.89 0.950 4.490

T op g ainerS VALUE 482015977.382 1347311107.152 1053840129.31 4373271813.32 840715802.425 4460665505.959 12562535625.132

Low

Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

TKC Steel Corp.

1.25

23.76

Roxas and Co.

2.22

Basic Energy Corp.

0.255

13.33

Manila Broadcasting

24.00

-20.43 -7.34

Atok-Big Wedge `A'

12.78

13.10

Bright Kindle Resources

1.30

-7.14

Ever Gotesco

0.160

10.34

Republic Glass 'A'

2.62

-4.38

Seafront `A'

2.45

8.89

IPeople Inc. `A'

11.24

-4.26

BDO Leasing & Fin. INc.

2.80

7.69

Lopez Holdings Corp.

5.44

-3.37

Crown Asia

2.25

7.66

SPC Power Corp.

3.9

-2.50

Liberty Flour

27.00

7.36

First Gen Corp.

20.5

-2.38

Island Info

0.186

6.90

Victorias Milling

4.6

-2.34

Cebu Holdings

5.26

PAL Holdings Inc.

4.50

-2.17

WEDNESDAY: FEBRUARY 24, 2016

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

Garnishment against LBC lifted By Jenniffer B. Austria

A MAKATI regional trial court lifted the garnishment order against LBC Group of the Araneta family, after the defendants delivered a counter-bond for the P1.8-billion case filed by Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. in relation to the shuttered LBC Development Bank. LBC Express said in disclosure to the stock exchange Makati RTC branch 143 issued an order to lift and set aside the writ of preliminary attachment issued on Dec. 17, 2015 and the garnishment on

LBC Group’s assets. “The order to lift and set aside the preliminary attachment directs the sheriff of the court to deliver to the defendants all properties previously garnished pur-

suant to the writ of preliminary attachment,” LBC Express said. “The counter-bond delivered by the defendants shall stand in place of the properties so released and shall serve as security to satisfy any final judgment in the case,” it said. LBC Express said that in compliance with such order, the sheriff of Makati RTC branch 143 served the lifting of the garnishment against the company on the main offices of Landbank of the Philippines, BDO Unibank Inc., Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Rizal Commer-

cial Banking Corp. and Philippine National Bank The defendants to the case are LBC Express Inc., LBC Development Corp, LBC Properties Inc., Juan Carlos Araneta, Santiago Araneta, Fernando Araneta, Monica Araneta, Carlos Araneta, Ma. Eliza Berenguer, Ofelia Cuevas, Apolonia Ilio, Joseph Jeffrey Rodriguez and Arlan Jurado. PDIC, the appointed receiver and liquidator of LBC Development Bank, claimed it was owed P1.8 billion in “unpaid service fees” by the defendants. LBC Development Bank, a 20-

unit thrift bank of the Araneta group, was ordered closed by the Monetary Board of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and placed under receivership by PDIC on Sept. 9, 2011, PDIC filed syndicated estafa charges against former officials and employees of LBC Development Bank in September last year for misappropriating P60 million of the bank’s funds generated from the public by way of deposits. LBC Development is the parent company of the listed LBC Express Holdings, which in turn owns LBC Express Inc.

Market up; ICTSI, Ayala Land advance STOCKS rebounded Tuesday, following overnight gains on Wall Street and as investors welcomed reports that remittances, which fuel household spending, are expected to rise 5 percent this year. The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, gained 36 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 6,819.34. The bellwether, however, was still down 1.9 percent since the start of the year. The heavier index, representing all shares, also advanced 14 points, or 0.4 percent, to settle at 3,926.21, on a value turnover of P12.6 billion. Advancers led losers, 107 to 69, while 42 issues were unchanged. Ten of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc., which climbed 3.3 percent to P62. Property developer Ayala Land Inc. rose 2.5 percent to P32.70 while rival Megaworld Corp. gained 2 percent to P3.56. Alliance Global Group Inc., the holding company of tycoon Andrew Tan, added 1.7 percent to close at P14.56. Meanwhile, Asia’s share rally stalled Tuesday, as a boost from Wall Street was overshadowed by renewed weakness in the price of oil. Japanese stocks were broadly flat while Shanghai and Hong Kong were down in early trade, the day after Chinese markets surged on the announcement of a new securities regulatory chief. Mace Blicksilver, the US-based director of Marblehead Asset Management, said he was “cautious” about the prospect for further gains. “I just don’t think everything that was a concern two weeks ago has gone away,” he said. US crude for April, a new contract, fell 1.38 percent while Brent for April was down 1.30 percent, as traders weighed continuing discussions on an output freeze by key crude producers in an oversupplied global market. With AFP

Transport hub plan. Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez (center) and Transportation Undersecretary Edwin Lopez, along with Megawide Construction Corp. and WM Property Management Inc. executives, discuss the trafﬁc management and rerouting plan for the construction of the P2.5-billion Integrated Transport System-Southwest Terminal project in April. The project, expected to be completed in June 2017, includes passenger terminal buildings, arrival and departure bays, public information systems, ticketing and baggage handling facilities, and park-and-ride facilities that will be constructed on a 2.9-hectare property within the Coastal Road Terminal along the Manila-Cavite Expressway.

PhilJets, Bell sign helicopter contract By Othel V. Campos PHILJETS Aero Services, a fast-growing boutique aviation company in the Philippines, signed a management contract with Bell Helicopter to manage a four-passenger-seat, single-engine, turbine helicopter for corporate and VIP transport. PhilJets founder and chief executive Thierry Tea and Bell Helicopter’s vice president of global sales and marketing Patrick Moulay signed the letter of intent to manage the Bell 505 unit at the Singapore Airshow, making it one of 350 LOIs submitted worldwide and the first in the Philippines. “We are thrilled that our group’s clients will be the first in the country to have the new Bell 505. The value and performance capabilities will complement the range of our expanding fleet. It is what a growing client segment is looking for. It will enable us to quickly and comfortably transfer our customers and partners at a competitive cost throughout the region,” said Tea. He said the company would have seven bigger size single engine helicopters in 2016 and “the 505 is good for clients looking at a size bigger than the R44 but smaller than the Ecureuil AS350B2. Our customer wanted it, and we are responding to their needs.” Moulay said Bell 505 offers an exceptional combination of value, performance and features available on the market today and customers continue to respond. “With more than 100 letters of intent throughout Asia Pacific alone, the Bell 505 is proving to be a strong contender to address the corporate and VIP market,” he said. Through its subsidiary PhilJets Aero Charter Corp, PhilJets aims to provide comprehensive solutions to the needs of both helicopter and jet owners on one side and timesharing or charter clients on the other side, at international standards.

SECURITY PLANT COMPLEX (SPC) DISPOSAL COMMITTEE

22 February 2016

(SGD) ROUENA L. ROSAL Chairperson ( T S - F E B . 2 4 , 2 5 & 2 6 , 2 016)

B4 Alveo attracts P3.89b in sales By Jenniffer B. Austria ALVEO Land Corp., a unit of Ayala Land Inc., said Westborough, its 33-hectare joint venture development project with Cathay Land in Laguna province, has sold P3.89 billion worth of commercial lots. The project, located along the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay-Silang growth corridor, is comprised of three commercial phases, namely Westborough Commercial Strips, Westborough Town Center and Westborough Park Square. Launched on December with a total lot inventory of 41 worth over P800 million, Westborough Park Square commercial lots were sold out on its first day of selling. The development has an average lot size of 636 square meters, priced at about P30,000 per sq. m., and will be ready for turnover by the last quarter of 2018. Paulo Ong, division manager for the project development group of Alveo Land, in a statement attributed the strong take-up of inventory to Westborough’s strategic location. “The property lies in the midst of several existing built-up communities such as Ayala Westgrove and Cathay Land’s South Forbes. Investors have a captive market of over 6,500 households, not to mention the property’s close proximity to Laguna Technopark and Nuvali,” Ong said. Laguna Technopark has approximately 240 locators and over 101,000 employees. The industrial estate is just five minutes or three kilometers away from the Westborough district. “Westborough Park Square’s commercial lots are right-sized for SMEs, start-ups and private investors seeking a neighborhood locale for their products and services. The district not only provides an immediate market and growth opportunity, but a locale that has been master planned to become a thriving community,” Ong said. Westborough sales began in 2013 with three commercial strips along South Boulevard—Commercial Strips 1, Commercial Strips 2 and Rodeo Drive. Some 42 lots worth almost P1 billion were sold on its first day of selling.

Tokyo summit. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima delivers the keynote address at the 2016 Association for Promotion of International

Cooperation-Japan Summit held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Tokyo. Looking on are panelists Yasushi Akahoshi, president of Japan External Trade Organization; Rintaro Tamaki, deputy secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development; and convenors Ashish Chauhan, chief executive of the Bombay Stock Exchange, India/South Asia, and Robert Vergara, president and chief executive of the Government Service Insurance System, Philippines.

IFC commits $700m in equity investment By Gabrielle H. Binaday

International Finance Corp., the investment arm of the World Bank, said Tuesday it is ready to allocate up to about $700 million in the form of investments in the Philippines. IFC director for East Asia and the Pacific Vivek Pathak told reporters in the Public-Private Partnership forum in Makati the institution was prepared to allocate about $500 million to $700 million in investment equity in various sectors in the Philippines. Pathak said IFC had not placed a ceiling on investments. “We allocate funds depending on the needs. We can always allocate $500 to $700 million a year depending on the project that come up. We look at opportunities and investment opportuni-

ties. We don’t see that cap as a constraining factor,” Pathak said. Pathak said the Philippine government should ensure continued continuity of the PPP program to keep its position as a regional leader in private sector engagement. “The Philippines has been a model for how to use publicprivate partnerships, or PPPs, to leverage the extensive expertise and resources of the private sector to meet the country’s growing infrastructure needs,” Pathak said. “By building on what it has already achieved, the Philippines

can accomplish even more.” Pathak said the Philippines had been a leader in PPPs in Asia due to the high level of private sector participation and effective tapping of private funding for infrastructure. He said institutionalizing the country’s PPP Center as a permanent agency, along with ensuring fairness and transparency in PPP projects—from planning, procurement and award to implementation—will provide significant long-term benefits to the government private sector partners, and the public. “Fairness and transparency attracts more private sector firms to participate in PPP projects”, said Pathak. “More participation leads to competition and helps achieve better bids and more equitable terms for the government and the public.” Psthak said the Philippines should focus on developing other

sectors such as leisure, medical tourism and tourism. “The Philippines probably has better potential than a lot of other countries in the Asia and the Pacific. Infrastructure can further improve connectivity. I think the private sector is willing to invest i tourism here and that is a lot of job opportunity,” he said. IFC acted as transaction adviser on two PPP projects awarded under President Aquino’s administration. The NAIA Expressway (Phase II) Project for the Department of Public Works and Highways is nearing completion, while the concessionaire of the LRT 1 Cavite Extension and Operations and Maintenance Project signed a P24-billion loan agreement on February 12, reaching financial closure in a relatively short period considering the size and complexity of the project.

National Grid set to complete key Ormoc transmission line By Alena Mae S. Flores National Grid Corporation of the Philippines plans to complete within the year a crucial transmission facility as part of efforts to aid in the recovery of typhoonravaged Eastern Visayas. National Grid, operator of the country’s transmission network, said the second line of the Ormoc-Babatngon 138-kilovolt line in Leyte province would require the construction of an overhead

transmission line spanning almost 80 kilometers. It also includes the installation of necessary upgrade equipment at the Ormoc and Babatngon Substations. The company said the line would transmit the power supply from the geothermal plants in Leyte to Samar Island, highlighting the importance of the project’s timely completion. The line reinforcement will increase the reliability of power

transmission to Samar, which has no internal generation facility within the island, and is heavily dependent on the supply coming from Leyte. “For the often typhoonstricken Samar, a steady supply of electricity is important to ensure the island’s continuous growth and recovery from disasters. This is what we are trying to address by constructing the Ormoc-Babatngon 138 kV line. In addition, this project

will also cater to the increasing demand for electricity in Tacloban after Typhoon Yolanda,” National Grid said. It said Leyte II Electric Cooperative, which distributes power to Tacloban, will be the main customer to benefit from the project. National Grid is a privatelyowned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining and developing the country’s power grid. It transmits high-voltage elec-

tricity through transmission lines, towers, substations, and related assets. The consortium, which holds the 25-year concession contract to operate the country’s power transmission network, is composed of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp. led by businessman Henry Sy Jr., Calaca High Power Corp. led by Robert Coyiuto Jr., and the State Grid Corporation of China as technical partner.

W E D N E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 24 , 2 0 1 6

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

Foreign investments hit P245b By Gabrielle H. Binaday

DuRiam FTW THE recent presidential debates held in Cagayan de Oro City generated a lot of buzz in social media and we’re not really surprised there because it’s the first debate organized by the Commission on Elections after more than two decades, so interest was really high. All five major contenders were present, and while the people were able to take a glimpse of each one’s agenda, platform and character, many were also disappointed because they expected a more engaging format and an in-depth discussion of the issues. Many also frowned at the attempts of Mike Enriquez at humor, saying they found his double entendre disturbing and inappropriate. Many would disagree with what we said, most especially the followers of the each presidentiable whose perceptions would be colored by their loyalties. If you ask the supporters, his or her candidate came out the winner. Oh well, the most entertaining part for many was the Rodrigo Duterte-Miriam Santiago love fest, and it appears we now have a new social media political love team that could give AlDub a run for their money—DuRiam. For sure, the two could do the rounds in talk shows or speaking engagements and they would have a captive audience. There seems to be some chemistry between Mayor Digong and Senator Miriam—both are feisty, witty and they do not really subscribe to political correctness since they can be uncomfortably blunt. DuRiam for the win— kinda has a cute ring to it, don’t you think? Aksyon, hindi salita! This is the battle cry of ACTS OFW party list, a broad coalition of land-based and sea-based OFW organizations and individuals who share a similar concern for the welfare of overseas Filipino workers. Founded and formally adopted as a coalition in August 2010, ACTS OFW—which has been duly accredited by the Comelec to participate this coming May elections—boasts of more than 200,000 card-bearing members who are mostly retired or former OFWs and their families, aside from the members and supporters of the OFW Advocates Coalition and the United Filipino Seafarers. Among the party list’s objectives is to provide education, technology and skills trainings, business development, savings, jobs and livelihood opportunities, and it is also looking at initiating advocacies that involve transformation and sustainable development, participative and good governance, promotion and awareness on human trafficking and illegal recruitment, constitutional reforms and human rights violations. Among its nominees are John Bertiz, a second generation OFW whose father worked in Saudi Arabia and therefore is no stranger to the hardships and homesickness/nostalgia that overseas workers have to endure in the effort to get a decent job that would allow them to provide for their families and loved ones. “I know how it is to be poor, how it is to go to school with an empty stomach, and how it is to live away from the comforts of our home,” said Bertiz, adding that the struggles faced by OFWs are also his. Having been an OFW kid before he became an OFW himself, Bertiz certainly knows the joy and happiness that a blaikbayan box can bring especially to a child. Knowing that they can and their kids to good schools and put food on the table is already a great source of accomplishment for OFWs, whose dollar remittances (almost $26 billion in 2015) are acknowledged by this government as a big contributor to economic growth. Despite that however, OFWs can still be ignored, the last to be consulted on important government policies that affect them. That’s because the perception is that these “modern-day heroes” do not command the votes since are divided. Now is a good time as any to prove that OFWs are united and have a strong voice. “It is time we showed them that we play an important role in building this great nation, and take it upon ourselves to change our situation,” shared Bertiz, reminding his fellow OFWs that the election is not really about him or any other candidate but the fight for Filipino workers to achieve their dreams and aspirations, to make change possible—not later but now—and they can do that by supporting ACTS OFW party list, Bertiz said. ••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

TOTAL investment pledges jumped 31 percent to P245.2 billion in 2015 from P187 billion in 2014, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday. The PSA collated the data based on projects approved by seven investment promotion agencies—Board of Investments, Clark Development Corp., Philippine Economic Zone Authority and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, as well as the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan, BoI-Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority. Netherlands ranked first among the sources of investments, committing P82.7 billion, or 33.7 percent of the total. Japan and South Korea ranked second and third, with investments of P54.7 billion and P23.2 billion, respectively. By region, Region IVA stands

to receive the largest amount of foreign investments valued at P115.7 billion, or a 47.2-percent share. The region is followed by the National Capital Region with pledges amounting to P34.1 billion, or 13.9 percent, and Cordillera Administrative Region accounting for P26.3 billion, or 10.7 percent. The projected employment from approved investments in 2015 declined 40.3 percent to 169,075 jobs from the 283,354 expected a year ago. The administrative and support service activities are poised to generate the most number of jobs at 51,290. Meanwhile, investment commitments in the fourth quarter climbed 45.6 percent to P138.6

billion from 95.2 billion in 2014. Approved investments of foreign and Filipino nationals in the fourth quarter rose 43.7 percent to P332.3 billion from P231.2 billion in the October-to-December period in 2014. “Filipino nationals continued to dominate investments approved during the quarter, sharing 58.3 percent or P193.7 billion worth of pledges,” said national statistician Lisa Bersales. The top three prospective investing countries in the fourth quarter of 2015 were Japan, the Netherlands and the United States. Japan’s investment pledges reached P39.4 billion for a 28.5-percent share, while The Netherlands and the US committed P37 billion and P16.5 billion, or 26.7 percent and 11.9 percent of the total, respectively. “Manufacturing received the largest amount for approved foreign investments during the quarter at PhP 95.8 billion or 69.1 percent,” Bersales said.

New rail vehicles. Two new light rail vehicles from Dalian, China are released at the Manila International Container Port over the weekend, allowing the Transportation Department to complete assembly works. The Bureau of Customs, Department of Finance and Metro Manila Development Authority ensured the prompt clearance of the trains to meet Transportation timelines and increase passenger capacity. The LRVs were assembled at the MRT-3 Taft Avenue Station over the weekend and undergoing testing at the depot in preparation for the launch.

Cebu Pacific passengers up 13% in ’15 By Darwin G. Amojelar CEBU Pacific said on Tuesday it carried over 1.6 million passengers in January, up 13 percent over the same period in 2015. The airline, which recorded an 86 percent load factor last month, attributed the doubledigit growth in passengers to the increasing international network and strong domestic sales. Based on internal estimates, Cebu Pacific holds 58 percent of the total domestic market share for January 2016. “We will continue to expand our network and flight frequency to meet the growing demand for air travel,” Cebu Pacific vice

president for corporate affairs Paterno Mantaring Jr. said. The airline’s record passenger loads continued into the first half of February, with over 1.1 million guests flown from February 1 to February 21—a 19 percent growth versus the same period last year. Cebu Pacific in 2015 flew 18.4 million passengers, up from 16.9 million passengers in 2014. The average load factor, which pertains to number of seats occupied, averaged 83 percent last year. Cebu Pacific, meanwhile, recorded a net income of P3.56 billion in the first nine months of last year, up 71 percent from

P2.08 billion in 2014. Revenues amounted to P42.26 billion in the nine-month period, or 9.9 percent higher than P38.45 billion posted in the same period in 2014. The airlines offers flights to a network of over 90 routes on 64 destinations, spanning Asia, Australia and the Middle East. It is slated to launch direct flights between Manila and Guam, its first US destination, on March 15, 2016. Cebu Pacific’s 57-strong fleet is comprised of 8 Airbus A319, 35 Airbus A320, 6 Airbus A330, and 8 ATR 72-500 aircraft. It is one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world.

WEDNESDAY: FEBRUARY 24, 2016

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

Govt woos Indian BPOs

Citicore completes solar plant in Silay

By Othel V. Campos

CITICORE Power Inc. on Tuesday completed the first 25-megawatt solar power plant in Silay City, Negros Occidental, making it eligible to avail of feed-in tariff incentives.

THE Philippine Trade and Investment Center is wooing more Indian business process outsourcing companies to invest in the Philippines. PTIC New Delhi commercial counselor Michael Alfred Ignacio, who recently led a 10-man delegation to the NASSCOM India Leadership Forum at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai, underscored the importance of attending international fora to meet top executives of major companies. “It is of high importance for our country to meet with top executives of IT-BPM industry in India since it will help us strengthen existing bilateral relations with India and further explore the potential of IT-BPM sector for both countries,” said Ignacio. The event primarily aimed to jointly explore possible business partnerships to promote the Philippines’ expertise in IT-BPM. Aditya Birla Group president and chief information officer Atul Jayawant and two other executives of the Indian conglomerate met with the Philippine business delegation. Aditya Birla Group is a $40-billion conglomerate with businesses spanning from manufacturing aluminum/metal, cement, pulp, fiber and textiles to services such as financial, fashion retail, telecommunications. The Birla Family is known for its excellent relations with the Philippines as Rajashree Birla, mother of chief executive Kumar Birla, is currently serving as the Philippine honorary consul general in Mumbai. “Given Aditya Birla’s long standing presence and close ties with the Philippines, the country’s IT-BPM sector is ready for renewed and potential new strategic partnerships to support the conglomerate’s global footprint and growth, particularly in the Asean’s 600-million strong market with the entry into force of the Asean Economic Community,” said Ignacio.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

The 25-MW plant spans 43 hectares and includes over 96,000 photovoltaic modules. It is expected to power 30,000 homes connected to the Visayas grid. Citicore Power tapped sister unit Megawide Construction Corp. as engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the project. The plant is expected to help avoid 18,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year or equivalent to planting 800,000 trees over the life of the facility. Project funding was secured through LandBank of the Philippines. “This is a very significant milestone for us as

we complete the first batch of Citicore’s projects, beginning with the Silay plant,” Citicore Power executive vice-president Manolo Candelaria said in a statement. Candelaria said Negros Occidental was an optimal location for solar power production. Energy Department data showed that more than 1,000 MW of solar power would soon come from Negros Occidental, once all targeted projects in the area were commissioned. Silay City officials welcomed the new plant, saying the Citicore-led project created almost 500 new jobs in the area. “This facility helps ensure not only the continued supply of electricity for Negros Island but it also boosts Silay City’s position as an ideal location for job-generating green investments,” Silay City Mayor Jose Montelibano said. Former Negros Occidental Governor Lito Coscolluela, an investment advisor to current Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr., lauded the project as it supports the energy, environment and tourism thrusts of the provincial government. “This power station firmly puts Silay City and Negros Occidental on the map. It is a big adventure towards a more sustainable future,”

he said. Candelaria said Citicore Power would also launch other solar power projects in key areas of Visayas and Luzon. “We are also inaugurating a 20-MW solar farm in Bataan by the end of February,” the official said. Citicore Power committed to mitigating the effects of global warming in the Philippines, which has been hit with abnormally strong typhoons such as typhoon Yolanda. “I believe the international community has already achieved momentum in the call for renewable energy, especially after the recent Paris Climate Conference,” said Candelaria. “DOE is leading a bold transition from fossil fuels to clean energy and we are proud to partner with them in this effort and in future collaborations. It is time for us to do our part in reducing carbon emissions and for RE to take center stage in the Philippines,” he said. Citicore Power is a renewable energy company committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through solar, wind, hydro and biomass projects across the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of Citicore Investment Holdings Inc.

Recruitment site. Five government agencies receive an influx of applications after teaming up with recruitment startup Kalibrr. The

agencies got 11,273 applications from 8,743 jobseekers to 552 job posts in January, proving yet again that public service is in strong demand. Shown are (seated, from left) Bureau of Local Government Finance executive director Jocelyn Pendon, Education undersecretary Rizalino Rivera, Kalibrr chief executive Paul Rivera, Transportation undersecretary Rene Limcaoco, Social Welfare undersecretary Angelita Gregorio-Medel and PPP Center executive director Cosette Canilao.

National Museum to put up P50-m branch in Cagsawa Ruins DARAGA, Albay —The National Museum of the Philippines is set to put up a P50-million modern museum inside the Cagsawa Ruins Park here, to replace a former structure destroyed by typhoon Reming in 2006. The construction is deemed essential to NMP’s declaration of Cagsawa Ruins as a national cultural treasure in December last year. NMP said that before Reming, its Cagsawa branch was its most visited facility outside Metro Manila. The construction of the new National Museum branch here

was announced by NMP authorities who officially read the declaration of Cagsawa Ruins as a national cultural treasure during the opening of the Cagsawa Festival early this month, led by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and other government officials. Salceda has welcomed NMP’s project and said he was proposing for a wing in the spacious building to house two new museums Albay was presently working on – the Museum of the Natural History of Albay, to display native artifacts, and important archaeological and historical finds; and

the Museum of Albay Resiliency, to house the province’s records on zero casualty experiences, and its pioneering and multi-awarded rehabilitation programs and disaster risk reduction strategy. Salceda said Cagsawa Ruins was the right site for such a museum as it was a symbol of Albay’s “indomitable spirit and resilience, surviving this far, after more than two centuries ago when Mayon Volcano erupted violently, burying a huge Baroque church and an entire settlement around it in a lahar avalanche and the flashfloods that followed.”

The 1.5-hectare ruins area is just 11 kilometers away from Mayon Volcano, two kilometers from Daraga town proper and eight kilometers from Legazpi City. It is what remains of a Franciscan church built in 1724, buried underground by lahar after Mayon Volcano’s cataclysmic eruption of 1814. Some 1,200 people reportedly perished when volcanic materials inundated the areas. NMP director Jeremy Barns said the declaration highlighted Cagsawa Ruins’ importance “to the entire world that the ruins are officially recognized as intrinsic

part of the patrimony of the Filipino people and… central to the legacy that the present generations should take special care of.” Following its declaration as national cultural treasure, the 202-year-old Cagsawa Ruins is getting a P42-million budget for refurbishing, promotion, protection and the long needed preservation of its fragile facade. Of the budget, P35 million comes from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, P5 million from Albay and P2 million from the Daraga local government.

W E D N E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 24 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Mystery surrounds US drone program WASHINGTON—The United States has made little or no progress in explaining how and why it orders lethal drone strikes, even as America’s reliance on the unmanned aircraft soars worldwide, a report found Tuesday. According to a study by the Stimson Center, a Washington-based nonpartisan think tank, President Barack Obama’s administration has failed to provide basic transparency into the drone program that has become a keystone in America’s counterterrorism efforts. “In terms of the justification for the program and all the legal basis, that remains out of reach of the American public,” study author Rachel Stohl told AFP. Her paper gives American school-style grades in a “report card” to the US government, rating how it has improved its drone accountability since the Stimson Center wrote a damning report on the matter in June 2014. The report card gave the Obama administration an “F”—or a failing grade—in three areas: a lack of progress on releasing information on targeted drone strikes, developing better accountability mechanisms, and explaining the US lethal drone program’s legal basis. A seemingly everexpanding global war against extremist groups means the United States relies heavily on drones to monitor hostile lands and launch missiles at suspected extremists. Obama has drastically expanded the drone program during his tenure, but his administration provides scant information on strikes. Critics say many drone strikes kill civilians, and the aircraft alienate and radicalize local populations on the ground. Since June 2014, the United States has reportedly carried out lethal drone strikes in Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, as well as against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria. The Stimson Center said at least a dozen countries now host US drone bases, including Ethiopia, the Seychelles and Yemen.

“The targeted killing program has been the most precise and effective application of firepower in the history of armed conflict,” said Michael Hayden, former head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which carries out most drone strikes. Writing in The New York Times on Sunday, he credited drones for decimating the ranks of Al-Qaeda. But the Stimson Center says such assertions are meaningless without any publicly reviewable data available to back them up. “We know very little about the actual drone

operations, the missions, even in aggregate we don’t know,” Stohl said. “How do we evaluate if this program is successful?” Much of the limited data available on deadly drone strikes has been compiled by journalists, watchdog groups and industry whistle blowers. The report’s highest grade is a “C.” While it’s a passing grade, it’s still far from stellar. It credited the administration with making some progress in releasing a new export policy on drones, progress toward adopting rules and regulations for the use of drones in US airspace, and progress acknowledging the use of drone strikes in foreign countries. The Stimson Center’s 2014 report had called for more transparency from the Obama administration, urging it

to acknowledge drone strikes after they have been carried out in a foreign country. Obama has promised to curb the secrecy around the strikes and in 2014 said any operation should not “create more enemies than we take off the battlefield.” But Stohl said Obama needs to act fast if he wants to enhance the drone program’s accountability before he leaves office. “There are pragmatic steps that President Obama can take prior to the end of his term to improve America’s drone policy,” Stohl said. “Doing so would set a positive precedent for the next administration and better balance legal and ethical frameworks with national security and foreign policy concerns. But time is running out.” AFP

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PROJECTS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2015 ERC CASE NO. 2015-153 RC DAVAO LIGHT AND COMPANY, INC. (DLPC),

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 12 August 2015, the Davao Light and Power Company, Inc. (DLPC) filed with the Commission an application for the approval of its capital expenditure projects for calendar year 2015. In the said application, DLPC alleged, among others, that: 1.

DLPC is a corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at Aboitiz Corporate Center, Gov. Manuel A. Cuenco Ave., Kasambagan, Cebu City. It is the grantee of a legislative franchise under Republic Act No. 8960 to operate the electric light and power distribution system in the Cities of Davao and Panabo, and in the Municipalities of Carmen, Sto. Tomas and Braulio Dujali, all in the Province of Davao del Norte (Franchise Area). DLPC may be served with orders and other processes of the Commission through its counsel;

In accordance with Resolution No. 26, Series of 2009 of the Commission, otherwise known as the “Amended Rules for the Approval of Regulated Entities’ Capital Expenditure Projects”, DLPC hereby applies for the authority of the Commission to implement the construction, ownership and operation of the following Capital Expenditure Projects (CAPEX) which will be implemented for Calendar Year 2015, summarized and enumerated as follows:

Project Name Acquisition of Land Buildings and Improvements Substation Projects Upgrading of Distribution Lines IT Hardware and Management Tools Meter Data Management Mobile Apps Project Aguila Project Hyperion Single Sign-On WAM Phase 2 Consultancy Residual Capex TOTAL 3.

The Bids and Awards Committee of the Municipality of Limay invites registered contractors to apply for eligibility to bid of the following projects/contracts; Name of Project/Contract Location

Source of Duration FUNDS

Approved Budget Cost(ABC)

Cost of Bid Doc’s.

Public Market & Slaughterhouse Various Improvement; 1. Canopy/Partition Walls Glasswalls Ceilings for Food Court Brgy. 2. Construction of Additional Reformista, Counters,Drainage System, Limay, Floor Slabs Bataan 3. Tiling and Lighting System for New Wet/Vegetables/Fruits Stalls at Former Tennis Court 4. Bridge Connecting Dry Goods to former Tennis Court

General Fund

150 days

23,068,615.00

Major Project Description and Justification; Project Cost Estimates; Technical Analysis; Economic Analysis; Project Schedule; and DLPC Distribution Development Plan;

The total cost of the proposed CAPEX for Calendar Year 2015 is estimated at PhP979,727,165.00 to be funded from long term loans to be secured by DLPC;

The construction, ownership and operation of the above CAPEX for RY 2014 and RY 2015 has been approved by the Board of Directors of DLPC as evidenced by the Secretary’s Certificate attached to the application as Annex “B” thereof;

The foregoing CAPEX for Calendar Year 2015 are indispensable for the systematic and economic expansion and rehabilitation of DLPC’s distribution facilities and ensuring compliance with safety, performance and regulatory requirements. It will ultimately benefit customers in terms of continuous, reliable and efficient power supply; and

It prays that the Commission:

25,000.00

1. Approve the Capital Expenditure Projects for Calendar Year 2015 listed in paragraph 2 of DLPC’s Application; and

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid pening. Bidders should have completed, within ten(10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the bidding documents, particularly, in section II, Instruction to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary 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”. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the BAC Secretariat of the Municipality of Limay and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 10:00am to 5:00pm. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Cost of Bidding Documents. A Pre-Bid conference will be held at Multi-purpose Room, Ground Floor, Limay Municipal Building on March 02, 2016 at 9:00 A.M. Bids must be delivered to the BAC-Secretariat/TWG Office, 2nd Floor, Limay Municipal Building on or before March 15, 2016 until 1:00P.M.and to be opened at 2:00 P.M. of the same day at the Multi-purpose Room, Ground Floor, Limay Municipal Building. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. Submission of Class “A” documents and Financial Statements at least seven(7) calendar days and the Technical documents(completed/on-going projects) at least fifteen(15) calendar days before the deadline for the submission of opening of bids. The Municipality of Limay 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: RONNIE LATANAFRANCIA BAC Secretariat/TWG – Office 2nd Floor, Limay Municipal Building, National Road, Brgy. Townsite Limay, Bataan (047)6138026 (SGD) ROMARIO C. PANANGUI BAC Chairman (TS- FEB 24, 2016)

Project Cost (PhP) 72,000,000 147,642,106 99,101,650 373,257,089 14,669,131 15,567,818 173,784 3,495,698 7,215,000 3,120,000 274,560 243,210,329 979,727,165

The justifications for DLPC’s CAPEX for Calendar Year 2015 are discussed in detail in Annex “A”, including sub-annexes, in support of DLPC’s application and containing the following: a. b. c. d. e. f.

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan MUNICIPALITY OF LIMAY InvItatIon to BId

POWER

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

2. Grant DLPC the authority to implement, construct, own and operate said Capital Expenditure Projects. The Commission has set the application for jurisdictional hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and evidentiary hearing on March 8, 2016 (Tuesday) at eleven o’clock in the morning (11:00 A.M.) at the ERC Mindanao Field Office, Mezzanine Floor, Mintrade Building, Monteverde corner Sales Streets, Davao City. 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, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 25th day of January, 2016 at Pasig City.

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO ( T S - F E B . 17/ 2 4 , 2 016)

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

China says missiles in S. Korea not acceptable SEOUL—China’s ambassador to South Korea warned Tuesday that the planned deployment of a US missile defense system in the country could damage BeijingSeoul ties, possibly irreparably. Once damaged, it would be “hard” to normalize relations between the two former Cold War enemies, ambassador Qiu Guohong said, according to a spokesman for South Korea’s main opposition Minju party. Qiu made the remarks when he met Minju party head Kim Jong-In at parliament. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy said the Minju party’s briefing on the meeting to journalists was accurate. “It has taken much effort to develop China-South Korea ties to this degree. But these efforts could be destroyed in an instant because of one issue,” Qiu said in reference to the planned deployment of the advanced US missile defense system in South Korea. China has repeatedly protested since Washington and Seoul announced plans to instal the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in the South, in response to North Korea’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch. But Tuesday was the first time that a Chinese diplomat or official has warned of the effect on diplomatic ties with Seoul. Qiu repeated Beijing’s argument that the THAAD deployment would “greatly undermine” China’s security interests, cause instability and spark a regional arms race. “[South Korea] should consider whether its own security, under these circumstances, could be guaranteed,” Qiu said. China fought alongside North Korea against the South and its allies during the 1950-53 war. It established diplomatic ties with Seoul only in 1992 but is now the South’s top trading partner. Earlier on Tuesday, South Korea’s defense ministry said Washington and Seoul had postponed the signing of an accord, originally due on Tuesday, on setting up a joint working group to discuss details of the THAAD deployment. AFP

WORLD Landmark Syria truce takes effect Saturday BEIRUT—A landmark truce is to take effect in Syria on Saturday, the United States and Russia announced, but the “cessation of hostilities” does not include the Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front, the main jihadist factions.

Launching. Stylist Kit Scarbo attends a dinner for the launching of the first luxury handbag collection by Christian Siriano at Chateau Marmont on February 22 in Los Angeles. AFP

The leading opposition group in the five-year conflict gave its conditional acceptance to Monday’s announcement, but Israel said it was skeptical the deal would hold, and analysts warned any pause in the fighting would be dependent on Russia, Iran and President Bashar al-Assad. The announcement came a day after the deadliest jihadist attack in Syria’s brutal civil war, with 134 people—mostly civilians—killed in a series of blasts near Damascus. In a joint statement, Washington and Moscow said the partial truce would begin at midnight Damascus time (2200 GMT Friday), suspending a vicious conflict that has left more than 260,000 people dead and seen half the population displaced. “If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said. US President Barack Obama and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin discussed the deal by phone, the White House said. “This is a moment of opportunity and we are hopeful that all the parties will capitalize on it,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. Putin said Moscow would do “whatever is necessary” to ensure Damascus respects the agreement. “We are counting on the United States to do the same with its allies and the groups that it supports,” he said. The two global powers are pursuing separate air wars in Syria, with Russia pounding rebel targets and a US-led coalition focused on IS jihadists. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the deal a “long-awaited signal of hope”, and urged all sides to abide by it. There was no immediate reaction from Damascus, but the main grouping of opposition factions said it “agreed to respond positively to international efforts to reach a truce deal”. AFP

Singapore deports suspected extremists JAKARTA—Singapore has deported four suspected Indonesian extremists allegedly heading to Syria to fight with the Islamic State group, authorities said Tuesday. The four, who included a 15-year-old boy, were arrested Sunday in the city-state when officials became suspicious after checking their documents and finding one of them had previously spent time in Syria, Indonesian police said. Authorities deport-

ed them to Batam, an Indonesian island not far from Singapore, the same day, and they have since been sent on to Jakarta. “Four Indonesians were deported to Indonesia after investigations revealed that they had plans to make their way to Syria to fight for ISIS,” a spokesman for Singapore’s ministry of home affairs said, using an alternative name for IS. “Singapore authorities informed their

Indonesian counterparts before the deportation.” After questioning the men, all from the main island of Java, Indonesian officials also concluded that the group were likely heading to Syria, Indonesian police said. IS has provided a potent new rallying cry for Islamic extremists in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslimmajority country, with hundreds believed to have headed to fight in the Middle East with the

jihadists. National police chief Badrodin Haiti said the detained men were also thought to be followers of radical preacher Aman Abdurrahman, who is in jail for his role in forming a militant training camp, and has pledged allegiance to IS. There have been suspicions Abdurrahman may have helped plan last month’s gun and suicide attacks in Jakarta that left four attackers and four civilians dead. AFP

Official visit. This handout picture provided by the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on February 23, 2016, shows him (R) and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev reviewing the honor guard at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran. AFP

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

H OME & L I V ING

LIFE

If you have a bed backed up against a window, place Venetian blinds with the slats or louvers facing upwards

Having a mirror in front of the bed depletes energy

FENG SHUI FOR THE BEDROOM can cover them with fabric or if you own the space, it may be wise to remove all those mirrors. My mirror during that seminar was on top of a vanity table and I just covered it with an extra blanket. I was able to sleep well afterwards. If the

intimate space for some great and positive energies.

CALEIDOSCOPE WORLD BY CAL TAVERA

e are now approaching the last week of February, which means… my last topic on feng shui. For the past weeks, I touched on the home fortune forecast for the different animal signs, tips and features to look out for before buying a home and also on harmful energies and their cures. I am saving the best for last, which is feng shui for the bedroom. This is something EVERYONE can relate to, whether they live in a huge house or a small apartment. The bedroom is an important part of the home, obviously. This is where we replenish our bodies and minds after a long day at work or errands. This is also an important space for couples and the foundation of a happy marriage. I researched on some basic feng shui tips we can all apply to this

1. Have back up. In order to have quality sleep, it is essential that the bed has to have backing. Do not leave it in the middle of the room. If it is not placed against the wall, the occupant will not be able to feel rested even after long hours of sleep. A window is not considered as backing. The cure is to place horizontal venetian blinds on the window with the slats or louvers faced upwards. 2. Sometimes, we design homes with exposed beams for character. However, be careful where you place the beams in the bedroom. Try not to have it above th=e head. This can cause migraines or that feeling of heaviness. Cabinets above the head will result in the same experience. Also avoid placing it where it cuts through the middle of the bed from above. It can cause the couple to move away from the center due to pressure created by the presence of the beam, creating distance between them. 3. Avoid placing the bedroom above the garage. This is something my clients and I make sure to note when we do our space planning. This tip is pretty practical since unwanted

and cover it up with a stack of books or a huge arrangement of flowers or a piece of art to cover it. This does not mean you cannot have mirrors in your bedroom. Just be mindful of their location. 5. If your bedroom is near the kitchen area, avoid placing the bed against the wall behind the stove. We may end up feeling “hot-headed” due to the fire “chi” created by the appliance. How do we avoid feeling temperamental? Easy – just move the location of the bed. Hope these five basic tips will help create a more restful and positive energy in your bedrooms! For comments and topic suggestions, please email me at caltavera@gmail.com. For my personal adventures, follow my Instagram @cal_tavera.

An exposed beam directly above the head can cause migraines or a feeling of heaviness

gases from the revving up of the cars may find its way to the bedrooms which is unhealthy to the occupants. 4. To create a more spacious feel, we use mirrors as a trick for small spaces. However, we should be careful where we place the mirrors in the bedrooms. Instead of making things better, we may be inviting more harmful effects. When I attended a seminar out of town, I remember there was a mirror in

front of my bed. For some reason, I was very restless throughout the night and could not sleep well. Even my father told me it is not advisable to sleep directly in front of one. According to feng shui, it depletes our personal energies instead of replenishing our bodies at night. If the mirror is free standing, it is easy to move it around and find a new place for the accessory. If your mirrors come with the closet doors facing you, you

Avoid placing the bedroom above the garage

mirror is fixed, be creative

Avoid placing the bed against the wall behind a stove

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

DTI-INDUSTRY PROMOTIONS GROUP STRENGTHENS PH TRADING AND COMMERCE CAMPAIGNS UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP

he Industry Promotions Group (IPG) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently transitioned to a new leadership under Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado. Terrado accepted a compilation of the IPG performance reports from 2013-2015 and proposed plans for 2016 from outgoing Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo, Jr. during the 33rd founding anniversary of the Center for International Trade and Expositions Missions (CITEM) as a symbolic gesture to underscore her new role as head of the Industry Promotions Group. The IPG is composed of DTI bureaus and attached agencies that promote Philippinemade products and services that help draw foreign and domestic investors to do business in the country. Terrado plans to strengthen the promotion of Philippine products and services, and empower micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to continue positioning the country as preferred trading partner in the global value chain, and she is also looking into the heavy use of social media to communicate IPG’s goals and effectively reach a wider audience and the right target market.

“CITEM has always been a precious jewel in the crown of the DTI. Over the years, it has creatively crafted projects that have showcased the brilliance of Philippine products on the global stage,” Terrado said, highlighting CITEM’s critical role in fortifying the Philippine brand. CITEM, the owner and organizer of the biannual trade fair Manila FAME: The Design & Lifestyle Event has been at the core in promoting Philippine-made quality products and services. “It has provided a global platform for Philippine exporters, including emerging MSMEs to promote their products in the world market. It has done this through its signature events; through overseas trade fairs and missions; a permanent showroom; and, a lot more of innovative executions,” the new IPG head remarked about CITEM’s efforts in aiding MSMEs in their progression towards becoming Philippine assets to the global business community. Part of CITEM’s projects are the emergence of platforms like FOODPhilippines, DESIGNPhilippines, LIFESTYLEPhilippines, and FASHIONPhilippines that promotes the country’s brands globally, making Philippine products synonymous to world class, quality, innovation, and craftsmanship.

Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado (right) accepts the compilation of 2013-2015 performance and 2016 proposed plans of the Department of Trade and Industry’s Industry Promotion Group from outgoing Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo, Jr. during the recent turnover ceremony held at the Golden Shell Pavilion in Pasay City

PHILIPPINE EXPORT COMPANIES JOIN FOREMOST EUROPEAN TRADE FAIR

A From left: Commercial Counselor at the Philippine Embassy in Germany, Althea Antonio; product consultant and designer Detlef Klatt; Philippine Ambassador to Germany Millie Sta. Maria Tomasek; Division Chief of Corporate Planning at CITEM Doris Gacho; and First Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy in Germany Catherine Torres

Philippine-made products exhibited under the LifestylePhilippines brand during the trade fair Ambiente held on tFebruary 12 to 16

mbiente, Europe’s foremost consumer goods trade fair held at Messe Frankfurt in Germany, showcased 18 Philippine companies under the LifestylePhilippines brand. The export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry, CITEM (Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions) organized the group exhibition that featured top-quality Philippine home, fashion, and gift products. Ambiente is an annual trade fair that is considered as one of the most important exhibitions in Europe and is a central platform in the business of dining, gifts, and home and living, with leading international exhibitors presenting innovative solutions for the hospitality and restaurant business. The trade fair is also a good platform for businesses to exchange ideas with expert architects and designers as well as the international exhibitors. LifestylePhilippines was curated by German product consultant and designer Detlef Klatt, along with young Philippine talent Rachelle Dagñalan. They featured Philippine-made products including unique jewelry and bags, home and holiday décor, boudoir furniture, and lamps and lighting crafted from various natural materials such as shagreen, bone, buffalo horn, capiz shells, nacre or mother-of-pearl, ebony, and indigenous fibers. They showcased two pavillions – Giving and Living. Located at Hall 10.0, the Giving exhibition showcased fashion merchandise, handicrafts, and gifts by Alice Blue Candle Inc., Avatar Accessories, Inc., Cyprea International, Inc., Klassy Collections & Designs Co., Larone Crafts, Inc., Oricon Corp., and, under the Philippine International Trading Corporation, Delza's Native Products, Eva Marie Arts And Crafts, and Lolo Bobby Handicraft. The Living pavilion at Hall 10.2 featured exclusive home décor and accessories by Arden Classic, Inc., Celestial Arts, Inc., Chanalli, Finali Furniture & Home Accessories Co., Firma Objects Of Art, Inc., Peter And Paul Inc., Prado Filipino Artisans, Inc., Tadeco, Inc., and Venzon Lighting Manufacturing. For more information, visit citem.com.ph/ambiente

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

CREATE A LOVE FEAST RIGHT IN YOUR OWN HOME

alentine’s Day has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that love should no longer be celebrated. True love is not something that is fleeting, but couples also have to put some effort into keeping the relationship exciting. One way to keep the flames burning is through romantic dates – like candlelit dinners in a secluded corner of a topnotch restaurant. However, our busy work schedules plus the hassle of traffic can put a damper on any thought of a romantic night out, with good food and wine to boot. After all, a celebration of love would not really be complete without the right food and drink to complement it. So instead of spending grueling hours on the road just to get to the restaurant that also took you ages to reserve a spot for, you’d be better off creating an intimate setup in a place where the heart truly belongs: the home. And here is where Rustan’s Supermarket and Marketplace by Rustan’s has got you covered with its mouthwatering, ready-to-eat dishes and easy, step-by-step recipes that will surely impress your man. After all, it is said that the easiest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Turn your home into an intimate, relaxing place by adding little touches like scented candles or a vase of flowers, with the lights turned down while music softly plays in the background. Complement the setting with Marketplace by Rustan’s wonderful menu that puts the fancy in your dinner date. The gourmet go-to even features serving suggestions that couples or families can enjoy at home by simply ordering at its cooked food section. For instance, Slow Roasted Beef Rib-eye, White Truffle Macaroni and Cheese, Roasted Squash and Rosemary, Truffled Mashed Potatoes, Herb Roasted Pork Loin, Sweet Glazed Eggplant, Garlic and Parsley Roasted Potatoes, Crisp French Green Beans, White Miso Glazed Salmon, and brownies. Thinking of cooking up a storm to impress? Nothing beats a dinner (or breakfast) made with love and served right in the comfort of your home. Rustan’s Supermarket helps you brave the kitchen and makes it extra easy with a line-up of appetizing dishes with full recipes that you can download. It even displays the ingredients set around the stores so you’d know exactly what to get and where to go when you shop. The Easy as Pie menu features delectable Black Forrest French Toast with Nutella filling, Berry Parfait with Coconut Whip Cream, Baked Eggs in cream with Heart shaped toasts, Strawberry Shortcake, Grape Ricotta Crostini, Slow-cooked shortribs with Gremolata, Truffled

Nothing beats a dinner (or breakfast) made with love and served right in the comfort of your home with the help of Rustan’s Supermarket

Carbonara with fresh mushrooms and pancetta, Baked Eggplant Parmesan Stacks, and Orange Glazed Scallops. All these are available until February 29, so head over to Marketplace by Rustan’s, and visit the website www.rustansfresh.com/easy-as-pie before shopping at Rustan’s Supermarket for a February love affair to remember.

RUSTAN’S SUPERMARKET NOW AT THE GROVE BY ROCKWELL

ustan’s Supermarket marked the grand opening of its newest branch at The Grove by Rockwell located in Pasig City with a delightful bread breaking ceremony to symbolize the arrival of the freshest and finest selections of food and grocery for homes and families in the area. Residents of The Grove by Rockwell and nearby areas can enjoy an exciting shopping experience with the presence of the iconic supermarket. Moms will especially enjoy perusing the extensive and topnotch lineup of Rustan’s Supermarket’s food and non-food products from all over the world, knowing they are getting the best items for their families. Of course, the excellent customer service is a plus for an enjoyable shopping experience. Leading the bread breaking ceremony (shown in photo) are Rustan’s Supermarket VP Kerwin Legarde together with AVP and general manager for Retail of Rockwell Tin Coquiero, RSCI president Donnie Tantoco, TV host/actress and The Grove resident Bettina Carlos with daughter Amanda Lucia, Rockwell SVP and treasurer Miguel Lopez, and SVP for Rockwell Residential Development Val Soliven. Rustan’s Supermarkets are located at Makati area: Glorietta, Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Magallanes, Alphaland Makati Place, Paseo Center, Century City Mall, San Antonio Plaza. North area: Shangri-La Plaza, Gateway Mall, Katipunan, Tomas Morato, P.Guevarra, Corinthian Hills, Village Center Antipolo, The Grove by Rockwell. South area: Ayala Alabang Village, Evia Lifestyle Center, Uptown Mall BGC. Cebu: Oakridge Business Park, Ayala Center, Arcenas Estate. CDO: Ayala Centrio Mall. You may also visit Marketplace by Rustan’s at Rockwell Power Plant Mall and Central Square Bonifacio High Street.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

ALIVE AND KICKING: LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM FOOTBALL

LIV.E SIMPLY BY LIV ESTEBAN t’s not easy being a varsity mom. I can’t count the number of times I’ve lugged around folding chairs, sat in the sweltering sun after spraying copious amounts of sunblock on my sons, walked in the rain oblivious to the water dripping off my eyebrows and lashes, sat in traffic traveling to tournaments on the other side of the city before sunrise, and then sat in even more horrendous traffic traveling back home at dusk. I can’t count the number of bottles of water and Gatorade my boys have guzzled, nor the boxes of pizza wolfed down in seconds by a bunch of trainingweary, tired boys. Can’t count the number of late nights spent reviewing for tests and doing homework because training sessions took away the best of daylight hours. So why do I continue to take my sons to their football training week after week and to their tournaments month after month? Here’s a reason that counts: Football (or any other sport, for that matter) teaches children a good number of infinitely valuable life lessons that are best learned, not so much within the four walls of the classroom or between the pages of a textbook but out on the field in the heat of the sun.

Lesson 1: Being Part of a Team When your kid plays team sports, he quickly realizes that he’s not The One and Only, he’s just one of many. When that football zooms into the goal, he’s not alone on the field claiming victory; there are 10 other guys whooping and doing high fives along with him because they’re equally responsible for scoring that win. And when the attempt

fails? Your kid knows he’s not alone in the throes of defeat either. (An added bonus: You know how teenagers have a tendency to think that the world revolves around them? There’s no better way to get that illusion debunked than team sports). Being on a team teaches our kids the twin values of unity and selflessness. They learn to move the “I” behind so that the “We” can move forward.

and emotionally. They get battered shins and cleat-engraved toes. They learn that no matter how hard they try, sometimes they just don’t make the win. But they learn that that’s part of The Game. And they learn that, no matter the suffering, they can’t give up, because that would be the biggest loss of all. They learn to pick themselves up and keep plodding on. Because when the going gets tough, the tough keep going.

Lesson 2: Losing and Winning with Grace When your kid plays sports, he quickly learns that every game must have a winner and a loser. He learns that it’s not just about losing graciously; it’s also about winning gracefully. A true sportsman knows that both are equally important. Your kid learns to shake his opponent’s hand with as much zest and goodwill, whether he’s on the giving or receiving end of congratulations.

Lesson 4: Control Sometimes a referee won’t call a shot. Sometimes your kid gets elbowed in his face and nobody pulls out a yellow card. Sometimes the team sweats buckets and tries its best, but they still lose. Sports teach our kids that not everything is within their control. But they can control how they react. They can control their choices. And they learn that being a gentleman who reacts graciously and chooses properly is just as important as being a victorious sportsman.

Lesson 3: Pain and Perseverance Some days they win, some days they lose. And some days, that loss can be painful – physically

Lesson 5: Eye on the Goal The ball zooms across the field and changes play: your kid knows he can’t stand and stare into

space; he’s got to keep his feet on the move and his eye on the goal if he wants to score a win. Today the goal is a white net on green grass; tomorrow it’s his dream job or the girl he wants to marry or the house he wants to buy. But the lesson is the same: Keep working hard and never lose sight of the goal, and you’ll get it for sure. Lesson 6: Sacrifice and Discipline When there’s a weekend tournament, your kid learns to say goodbye to mornings spent lounging in bed, playdates, and gadget games. He learns that even when he doesn’t feel like it, he has to show up for hours and hours of training, sweating it out and working those muscles. He learns that relying on his talent isn’t enough; he’s got to work – and work hard – at getting better and better. And he learns that sacrifice and discipline pay off big time in the end. Lesson 7: Commitment It’s not about feelings, because those change every day. So sometimes your kid will feel like kicking a few, and some days he’d rather not. But he’ll still have to

tie on his cleats and kick those balls because that’s what being committed is all about. He’s in for the long haul, come what may. And that sense of loyalty, of staying true to one’s pledge, and of resisting the temptation to walk away when things don’t turn out wonderfully – all these transform that kid into someone who knows the true meaning of commitment. Lesson 8: Every single one is a blessing Being one of a united number teaches our children that there is something unique in everyone, something amazing and valuable to the whole team. Each player has something to bring to the game, and the whole beauty of teamwork lies in recognizing each one’s unique gifts and combining them so that the entire team works together toward victory. Now show me a world that is run by leaders that recognize the value of each and every individual in society, and we’ll find a world that is blessed with peace and unity and progress. So yes, I’ve declared that it isn’t easy being a mom of kids involved in sports. But then nobody ever said that the things worth having in life would come easy. We’re talking about building character here, and which parent would not want to have an awesome kid? If you’re a parent of a sports freak, you know what I’m talking about. If you’re not, allow me to drag you and your son and daughter to the nearest sports center so you can sign them up on a team or two. Because, I guarantee you, the invaluable life lessons that kids pick up from sports are more than worthwhile. And that’s a promise you can definitely count on. Follow me on Twitter @ LivE_LiveSimply Like my page, follow all my articles, and send me feedback at Facebook/liv.esimplywithLiv

Each player has something uniquely valuable to bring to the game

WEDnES DAy : F EbRuA Ry 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

pening on March 2 exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas is Queen of the Desert starring Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman, Academy Award nominated James Franco, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Damian Lewis and Robert Pattinson, a true story of the life of British explorer and adventurer, Gertrude Bell (Kidman). Queen of the Desert chronicles Bell’s journeys of love and loss in the Middle East during the early 20th century.

Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman as British explorer Gertrude Bell

Nicole Kidman and James Franco in Queen of the Desert

A curious and adventurous young woman eager to explore the world outside of England, Gertrude Bell (Kidman) goes to the British embassy in Tehran where she quickly falls in love with a secretary of the embassy, Henry Cadogan (Franco). This sparks the beginning of a life-long adventure among the beautiful but misunderstood peoples and cultures of the Middle East. Along the way, her path intersects with archaeologist T.E. Lawrence (Pattinson) also known as Lawrence of Arabia, and Major Charles Doughty-Wylie (Lewis), the British Consul General in the Ottoman Empire.

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QuEEn Of THE

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ExclusIvE aT ayala Malls cInEMas

A scene from the movie, which is inspired by true events

Queen of the Desertis written and directed by Werner Herzog. “I call it Werner World. Werner World is just a different realm. It’s glorious. I said to him, ‘Werner, I feel like I’ve been in a dream with you for the past two-and-a-half months, and now I’ve got my feet back on earth.’ I’m at a place where I’m so interested in exploring things and going places that I haven’t been. I want my life to be full, so that means all of us – my family – up and moving to Morocco and doing this so we can have the experience,” shares Kidman on working with the director. Kidman’s interest in exploration mirrors Gertrude Bell’s own adventurous spirit. While Kidman admires Bell great-

ly, she also shares her insight of why Bell pursued travelling and adventure, “She went off and lived a life that I would only dream of living. What she did is amazing, but she did it through motivations that, I believe, come from huge loss so that’s fascinating in itself, too. And the landscape and what the desert gave her was her salvation.” As Kidman discovered that while Bell was a true trailblazer in a time when women were not treated as equals, especially in politics, she also had ambiguous aspects. “There’s an interesting fact about Gertrude though, is that she was not a supporter of the suffragette movement, so that was fascinating,” says Kidman.

Her extensive research of Bell enables her to bring a realistic and nuanced performance to this legendary character. Of Kidman’s performance as Bell, director Herzog says, “Now, Nicole Kidman. Wait for that one. Wait for it. I make an ominous prediction: How good she is.” Queen of the Desert opens March 2 at Ayala Malls Cinemas distributed by AxiniteDigicinema. Check out the film’s trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUYU65NbGkk&f eature=youtu.be Log on to www.sureseats.com for schedule and online ticket purchase.

Xi Jinping’s power disCussed in Cnn’s ‘on China’

On the next episode of CNN’s On China, host Kristie Lu Stout explores the growing power of China’s paramount leader

Televised confessions, human rights activists on clampdown, critics of the Communist Party going missing in Hong Kong and abroad,what does it all say about this regime, and what, if anything, does it say about Xi Jinping, China’s president and general secretary of the ruling Communist Party? Xi has been called the most powerful Chinese ruler since Mao Zedong. Affectionately called “Xi Dada”, he is admired for advancing the “Chinese Dream” – a vision of a stronger nation. He has wielded his power to crack down on corruption, while also targeting human rights defenders and reining in dissent. Yet world

leaders rarely seems to raise the issue of human rights, and welcome the Chinese leader and the world’s second largest economy with open arms. This month’s On China, CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout explores the growing power of China’s paramount leader with Wang Feng, editor-in-chief of Financial Times Chinese; Mike Chinoy, senior fellow at University of Southern California US-China Institute; and Willy Lam, adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. On China airs on CNN International at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 27. For encore telecast refer to the channel’s schedule.

WEDnES DAy : F EbRuA Ry 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

SupERhEROES claSh In mOST anTIcIpaTED mOvIE Of ThE yEaR

wo of the most iconic superheroes in the D.C. universe face off in the sequel to Man of Steel movie where Henry Cavill as Superman is pitted against Metropolis’ black caped crusader played by Ben Affleck. Aptly titled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the action adventure movie, which will premiere on March 25, promises an action-packed feature as two of the world’s biggest superheroes clash on the big screen for the first time in history. Directed by Zack Snyder, the film centers on Batman and Superman being at war with one another putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before. Gearing up for the release of this epic action adventure, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and Warner Bros. Pictures joined forces to give Filipinos an experience inspired by the lifestyles of iconic heroes Batman and Superman. By registering to Big Bytes 50, Smart’s biggest mobile Internet offer yet, subscribers all over the country can get a chance to live like Heroes in all-expense-paid trips to Japan and Hong Kong, win premium items and special passes to the much awaited film.

WIThOuT Wang2 nIckIE Wang

FEBRUARY 24, 2016 The Smart chopper will treat lucky Smart subscribers to an aireal tour of the metro

The Batman experience gives the winner an exciting driving experience through the streets of Tokyo with a professional guide, and a luxurious sevencourse meal at the Tokyo Skytree, Japan’s tallest tower that offers a stunning 360-degree view of the city. On the other hand, the Superman experience takes the winner to an adrenalinepumping jetpack flight and an exhilarating Superman-style Sky

Baby Daddy is one of the four programs that headline Sony Channel’s ROFLing Sundays

1 7 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23 26

ACROSS Yelled insults RN assistant Tall flower Canadian capital Period Nerve network Frothy Wine category Peer of the realm Dracula’s digs Starry vistas Dawn goddess

27 Mineral analysis 28 Breeze or gale 29 Common ID 30 Wish undone 31 California fort 32 CD preceders 33 They may be half or full 37 Louis XIV, e.g. 38 Jackie’s tycoon 39 — out (withdraw) 40 Just a taste 41 One fleeing a

ness head at PLDT and Smart. The telco executive added that with Big Bytes 50, Smart subscribers are able to take their Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice-inspired experience beyond the film into the digital realm at their fingertips by watching trailers on YouTube, sharing reviews on Facebook, debating who will win on Twitter and even uploading inspired photos on Insta-

gram – whether they are for Batman or for Superman. For every top-up of Big Bytes promos (50, 99, 299, or 799), Smart Prepaid, Smart Postpaid and Smart Bro subscribers can start earning and accumulating e-raffle entries. They will be notified via SMS to choose their side – either TEAMBATMAN or TEAMSUPERMAN – which they need send to 238.

‘ROFLing’ Line up OF COmedy shOws SONY Channel had released a few noteworthy series over the last months, and there’s more on their way. On Feb. 17, the channel, known as the premier destination for femaleskewing entertainment, partnered with Corona Sunsets PH to give the press and party guests a sneak preview of the programs that aim to chase the blues away every Sunday. Four comedy shows were presented as part of the channel’s Roll-On-Floor-

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE

Jump from the Macau Tower. “We are thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures as the official mobile partner on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in the Philippines, which puts us in the perfect position to offer larger-than-life and super-sized treats for our beloved customers as they enjoy their dose of digital content using Big Bytes 50, Smart’s biggest mobile Internet offer yet,” said Ariel P. Fermin, executive vice president and Consumer Busi-

Ariel P. Fermin, Executive Vice President and Consumer Business Head at PLDT and Smart, Jasmine Curtis, Kathy C. Carag, Smart Masterbrand Department Head, and Kat Luna-Abelarde, Wireless Consumer Operations Head.

storm 43 Coast Guard alert 44 Here, to Pierre 45 Pyrite 46 Ingenuity 47 Sugar source 48 Range 51 Get the picture 52 — Haute 53 Mosquito eater (2 wds.) 56 Jason’s vessel 57 Autumn mo. 58 Hieroglyphics birds 62 Merger or buyout 63 Tina Turner’s ex 64 Opera barber 65 Ferber or Best 66 Berlin article 67 Like cobras DOWN 1 Chore 2 Dijon dog days 3 SFO info 4 Informed on 5 Jugs 6 Elcar or Carvey 7 Learning experience 8 Hunts, with “on” 9 Table salt

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

10 Readies loaf pans 11 Slants 12 Open-air lobbies 13 Postpone 21 Tabloids “monster” 22 Bank features 23 Vowed 24 Bolshoi rival 25 Krishna’s land 29 Buying frenzy 30 Move a mum 32 Hardy’s other half 33 Snoopier 34 Wickerwork twig 35 More accommodating 36 Malice 42 “The Godfather” director 46 Loom user 47 Kindly 48 Digging implement 49 Like bacon 50 Bach instrument 51 Type of signal 52 Shinbone 54 Oklahoma town 55 Minor falling-out 59 Droop 60 Before now 61 Piece of turf

Laughing (ROFLing) line up of popular US series. The comedy marathon starts at 7 p.m. with a tongue-in-cheek series Odd Mom Out, a satire based on a novel published in 2007, Momzillas. It stars its creator Jill Kargman as a fictional character based on herself. It will be immediately followed at 7:30 p.m. by the Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy) starrer legal comedy Bad Judge. At 8 p.m., viewers will be introduced

to the colorful mix of characters that pursue success in both love and career in the second season of Younger. Then, they will be treated to a comedy of errors with heart-warming consequences where a bachelor’s world turned upside down, in the exclusive Philippine debutat 8:30 p.m.of Baby Daddy. Sony Channel is seen on SKYCable Channel 35, Cignal Digital TV Channel 60, Destiny Cable Channel 62, Cable Link Channel 39.

WEDnES DAy : F EbRuA Ry 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

GRACE GlAD TO bE SuSan RoCeS on RumoRS bAby ZIA’s GODmOThER GRaCe iS maRCoS’ dauGhteR

Sen. Grace Poe with Dingdong Dantes cuddling up Baby Zia

DESPITE her busy schedule campaigning all over town, Senator Grace Poe still found time to be Maria Letizia’s godmother. The child is Marian and Dingdong Dantes’s first born and was christened on Feb. 14 at St. Alphonsus Mary de Ligouri parish church in Magallanes Village in Makati. “Delighted to be chosen as godmother to Baby Z Dantes. Congratulations again to Marian and Dingdong on your happy occasion,” Grace said in a post on herInstagramAlso seen at the christening were Bettinna Carlos, AiAi Delas Alas, Gabby Eigenmann, Arthur Solinap, Roxanne Barcelo among others. Grace admires Dingdong for his work as commissioner at the National Youth Commission (NYC). Dingdong, according to Grace, is proof that people should not underestimate people from show business when they are given responsibilities in government service.

‘DEADpool’ TopS box-oFFIcE WEEkEnD T he hyper-hero Deadpool, the latest Marvel superhero everyone’s talking about and can’t get enough of has landed at no. 1 in the Philippine box-office with an impressive haul of P145 million on its first five days of release. It opened on Feb. 10. Dominating a crowded week and despite its R-rating, Deadpool has seen new and repeat viewing cineastes such that its box-office dominance carried on over the red-hot Valentine’s weekend. Its opening weekend grossed a total of P 145 million, surpassing that of Fifty Shades of Grey’s opening weekend at P94 million. Deadpool now holds the Biggest Opening Weekend for an R-rated film all-time industrywide. So far, with its remarkable opening weekend, Deadpoolnow stands as the Biggest Opening Weekend for the year industrywide, beating Everything About Her and is now the second Biggest Fox Opening Weekend alltime, outranking Taken’s P106.8 million and next to X-Men: Days of Future Past’s P175 million. With the nation’s penchant for a good laugh and craving for a new adventure, Deadpool breakthroughs as a relatable superhero who does indeed breaks the fourth wall, talking to the audience that never fails to elicit rip-roaring laughter among viewers in cinemas across the nation. Deadpool to-date continues to pull viewers in and from its opening weekend report, following are the top cinemas where Deadpool grossed the highest: SM Mall Of Asia (6.7M); SM Megamall (6.2M); SM North Edsa/The Block (5.8M); Trinoma (4.3M); SM Cebu (3.7M); Glorietta4 (3.5M); Greenbelt3 (3.4M); Gateway Cineplex/Alimall (3.1M); SM Aura (3M); Eastwood (2.7M); BonifacioHighstreet(2.46M); Alabang Town CenteR (2.45M); Ayala Cebu(2.26M); Theatremall (2.23M); SM Clark (2.14M); Powerplant (2.11M); SM South-

SuSAn Roces finally opened up on the urban legend alleging Grace Poe is Rosemarie Sonora’s daughter by the late Ferdinand Marcos. In an interview in Iloilo on Feb. 16 while campaigning with Grace Poe, she said, “’Yung sinasabi nilang anak si Grace ngkapatid ko, bakit ko ipagkakaila kung totoo? Kasama ko ang kapatid ko, araw at gabing mga panahong iyon. Hindi ko siya nakitang nagdalang-tao. That was 1968, the year I got married,”

Grace was born in 1968. According to Susan, Rosemarie was that time with a show on television. That’s the truth, she said, and she can’t do anything if people wouldn’t believe what she says. “Ay naku, alam mo kaya ganito ang attitude namin diyan kahit anong paliwanag nakaraan na ang maraming taon, lumaki na si Grace; she’s past 40,” Susan said when asked if Grace didn’t like to ask the Marcos kin to submit to a DNA test.

Mother and daughter Sen. Grace Poe and actress Susan Roces

nEW WEST GuITAR GRoup In ToWn FoR InTERnATIonAl JAzz FESTIVAl

he new West Guitar Group (NWGG), one of the premier guitar ensembles all over the world, is in town to participate in the ongoing International Jazz Festival held at the Palacio de Maynila. The 10-year old group is composed of Perry Smith (New York City), John Storie (Los Angeles) and Will Brahm (Los Angeles) who are known to specialize in classic pop covers, jazz standards as well as exciting original compositions. With five studio albums to their credit, the NWGG’s signature sound comes from an innovative style that highlights rhythm, beauty and virtuosity through combining acoustic and electric guitars. Since Smith and Storie formed the group, they’ve toured as a trio all throughout he United States and other countries and went on to be an acclaimed guitar group. With their latest album, Send One Your Love, the NWGG collaborated with guest jazz vocalists: Gretchen Parlato, Tierney Sutton, Sara Gazarek, Becca Stevens and Peter El-

drige. They said the album, released in August 2015, “tells a story about the highs and lows of love. Each vocalist is featured on a traditional and contemporary standard with lyrics that portray themes of vulnerability, hope, pain and happiness.” The album brings together timeless compositions from Cole Porter, Joni Mitchell, Kurt Weill, Randy newman and others. The tracks in the album are “Send One Your Love,” “Detour Ahead,” “My Ship,” “I Fall in Love Too Easily” and James Taylor’s “Secret O’Life.” On Feb. 26, NWGG will perform at 8p.m. at the ballroom of Pan Pacific Hotel, and the following day, Feb. 27, 6 p.m. at the International Jazz Festival Gala at the Palacio de Maynila. The group will be jamming wig our own “Prince of Jazz” Richard Merk. The NWGG Manila performances are presented by Laurel Media Company, Philippine Veterans Bank, TCBC, Forte-D, Lily’s Peanut Butter and Mito’s Place Sucat and Boracay.

Town’s newest big screen hero Wade Wilson as played by Ryan Reynolds

malL (2M); SM Iloilo (1.98M); Shang Cineplex (1.96M) AND Newport (1.92M). Deadpool, which also opened in the US at top spot, starring Ryan Reynolds and directed by first timed director Tim Miller is based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero. It tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with

accelerated healing powers adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life. Also starring in Deadpool are Morena Baccarin, TJ Miller, Ed Skrein, Gina Carano and Brianna Hildebrand. Deadpool is currently in cinemas nationwide in 2D, IMAX and 4DX screens from 20th Century Fox distributed by Warner Bros.

Perry Smith, John Storie and Will Brahm collectively known as New West Guitar Group

W EDNES DAY : F EBRUA RY 24, 2016

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ KIM AND XIAN TEST ENDURANCE OF LOVE

ill two people’s love and commitment endure the struggles that drove them apart in order to love each other again? Find out how far a person will go in the name of love and sacrifice in ABS-CBN’s newest primetime drama series The Story of Us, which features the awaited and highly anticipated comeback of Kim Chiu and Xian Lim – one of today’s biggest love teams on television. According to Xian, who expressed how he misses working with Kim, “These are more mature roles for me and Kim. It revolves around their love story and how they will keep their love despite having different priorities in their lives.” Kim added, “It’s not a normal story that starts out with us not getting along like cats and dogs. We already love each other from the start.” This year also marks Kim’s tenth anniversary in showbiz, even made more special by her return to television. “I’m so excited because I took a break from TV for a year, so this feels new to me

ISAH V. RED

again. It’s also my first time to shoot a teleserye outside of the Philippines,” she said. Since Kim and Xian’s tandem was introduced in My Binondo Girl, they have become one of the most sought-after love teams. They were together too in Ina, Kapatid, Anak and movies Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo?, Past Tense, and Bride for Rent, one of the highest-grossing Filipino films of all time. KimXi also starred in Must Date the Playboy, the first-ever film made by ABS-CBNmobile’s StarFlix exclusively for mobile devices. “Thanks to everyone who continues to support us and those who stuck with us. I give myself and my soul to all of my projects, especially here in The Story of Us,” said Xian. In The Story of Us, Tin (Kim) and Macoy (Xian) are childhood best friends-turned-lovers who grow up together in El Nido, Palawan and will dream of a better life for them and their family.

But circumstances will drive them apart when Tin goes to the United States to meet her estranged mother. Away from each other, they are forced to make it on their own, driving them further apart until their relationship crumbles. They meet each other five years later in New York, only to discover each other’s differences that crushed everything they had built together. With all the changes that happened to them as individuals, will they still be able to find a second chance at love? Will their love for each other survive despite life changing them? Also included in the cast of The Story of Us, helmed by acclaimed director Richard Somes, are some of the most respected actors in the country – Aiko Melendez, Gardo Versoza, Susan Africa, and Zsa Zsa Padilla. Joining them are Bryan Santos, Mara Lopez, Alyanna Angeles as the young batang Tin, and Zaijian Jaranilla as the young Macoy. The Story of Us premieres on Feb. 29 and airs weeknights on ABS-CBN Primetime Bida. For exclusive updates, log onto Twitter.com/StarCreativesTV and Instagram.com/StarCreativesTV.

Onscreen pair Kim Chiu and Xian Lim otherwise known as KimXi to most of their fans

Aiko Melendez

TV director Richard Somes

Kim Chiu

Xian Lim

Zsa Zsa Padilla