The Standard - 2016 March 3 - Thursday

VOL. XXX NO. 22 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 THURSday : MaRCH 3, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Bohol pols snub PNoy’s rally

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iMaM, eNvoy Shot

Saudi author, attaché hurt in Zamboanga attack

By Francisco Tuyay

A PROMINENT Islamic author and a Saudi Arabian Embassy attaché were injured after they were shot by a lone gunman inside the Western Mindanao State University compound Tuesday.

Chief Insp. Rogelio Alabata, spokesman of the Police Provincial Office-9, identified the victims as A’id Al-Qarni, an author of inspirational and motivational

books, and Sheikh Turki Assaegh, religious attaché of the Royal embassy of Saudi Arabia.

A security escort shot and killed the assailant, while police arrested

two men who were seen with him.

Alabata said Qarni had just given a lecture organized by the Ulama Council of Zamboanga Peninsula and was waving goodbye to the attendees from his car when the suspect coming from the crowd shot at them.

“The suspect popped up from the crowd, moved in close and shot the victim” as he was boarding his car, said city police spokeswoman Senior Insp. helen Galvez, adding that the gunman then walked to

the other side of the vehicle and shot the Saudi diplomat.

A student driver’s license and a local government ID were recovered from the man, which identified him as a 21-year-old Filipino, but police said they were not ruling out forgery.

A uniform for engineering students in the Western Mindanao State University, where Qarni was speaking, was found hidden in his backpack, but university officials could not immediately confirm

the gunman was enrolled in the institution.

Alabata said Qarni sustained gunshot wounds to his right shoulder, left arm and chest while Assaegh had gunshot wounds on his right thigh and left leg.

The two Saudis were taken to Zamboanga Peninsula Medical Center and were in stable condition.

The two who were arrested were identified as Mujer Abubakar, 31, a pedicab driver and resident of Next page

Assassination attempt. This screen grab taken from a video on March 1 shows medical personnel transferring Saudi preacher Sheik A’id Al-Qarni into a hospital in Zamboanga after he was wounded in an assassination attempt. AFP

SM’s Sy, 10 others in Forbes’ richest list

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Carter warns China about militarization

By Vito Barcelo and Florante S. Solmerin The Philippines on Wednesday reiterated its call to China to respect the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, as a US defense official warned China against aggressive actions in the South China Sea, including the deployment of surface-to-air

missiles on a disputed island.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said China must not pursue militarization in the South China Sea, adding “such specific actions will have specific consequences.”

The Foreign Affairs Department earlier called on China to heed the collective call not to militarize the disputed body of water, adding that

the Philippines is gravely concerned

by China’s deployment of surface-toair missiles on Woody Island.

“Such actions negate China’s earlier commitment not to militarize the South China Sea,” the DFA said.

China confirmed it had sent vessels to a disputed atoll in the South China Sea to tow a grounded ship and that these vessels have since left the waters.

Next page

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SM’s Sy, 10 other traders make Forbes’ richest list

By Jenniffer B. austria

RETAIL tycoon Henry Sy and 10 other businessmen from the Philippines made it this year to Forbes’ annual list of the world’s billionaires.

The 91-year-old Sy, who has interests in real estate development, shopping malls and banking, maintained his spot as the richest man in the country.

He improved his ranking to 71st from 73rd last year despite a drop in his net worth to $12.9 billion from last year’s $14.2 billion.

In second place was business mogul John Gokongwei with a net worth of $5 billion for 270th place in the overall list.

Gokongwei, whose ranking fell from last year’s 254th spot as his net worth dropped from $5.8 billion in 2014, owns JG Summit with interests in food and beverages, airlines,

telecoms, property development, banking, hotels and power generation.

Beer and tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan came in third in the country with net worth placed at $4 billion, which was good for 380th place.

Tan’s LT Group has interests in banking, property development, beverages, spirits and tobacco. In 2014, Tan retained 100 percent control of Philippine Airlines, the country’s oldest airline.

The fourth Filipino who made it to the list was 83-year-old George Ty of the Metrobank Group.

Ty, with a net worth of $3.7 billion, was ranked 421st, lower than last year’s ranking of 369th.

Aside from Metrobank, Ty also has investments in power generation, the automotive industry and real estate development.

In fifth, sixth and seventh place were DMCI’s David Consunji, Megaworld’s Andrew Tan and Jollibee founder Tony Tan Caktiong, each with a net worth of $3 billion.

In eighth place was Enrique Razon Jr.

of the International Container Terminal Services Inc., whose ranking fell to 722nd from last year’s 291st place. His net worth was valued at $2.4 billion from last year’s $5.2 billion.

Rounding up the list of Filipino billionaires were Puregold’s Lucio and Susan Co with $1.6 billion; Prudential’s Robert Coyiuto Jr. with $1.6 billion; and Vista Land founder and former Senator Manuel Villar with $1.3 billion.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was once again the world’s richest person on Forbes’ 30th annual ranking of the world’s billionaires.

The technology guru has topped the list for 17 of the last 22 years, with a current net worth of $75 billion, down from $79.2 billion in 2015.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, on the other hand, was the biggest gainer on the 2016 list. His fortune is up $11.2 billion for a total net worth of $44.6 billion. He is the sixth richest man in the world.

Three-day visit. The Minesweeper Division 51 of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is in the Philippines for a three-day goodwill visit. Danny PaTa

Imam...

From A1

Camis, Sta. Barbara, Zamboanga City and Junaiir Kadir Isale, 36, of Taliti of Zamboanga City.

Investigators have yet to determine the motive behind the shooting but Qarni was recently included in an Islamic State hit list.

A police report said that a Saudi Embassy attaché was wounded in his right thigh and left leg, but an embassy statement later said none of Qarni’s companions were wounded.

The Saudi Embassy in Manila

confirmed the incident, stating Qarni was hit in the arm when a man approached his car and shot him as he left a conference.

He was visiting at the invitation of a local religious association, the embassy said.

The preacher was later flown to Manila on a plane made available by the Saudi Embassy, according to a statement.

Saudi media outlets described Qarni as a senior Islamic scholar. He has more than 12 million followers on Twitter.

In his book “Awakening Islam,” the French academic Stephane Lacroix included

Qarni among “the most famous” Saudi preachers.

Qarni’s name was among those of a number of Saudi scholars listed by the Islamic State group in the latest issue of Dabiq, its monthly online magazine, in an article entitled “Kill the Imams of Kufr.”

It accused the scholars of apostasy, and called on “lone wolves” to act against them.

Militants who launched a deadly assault on a remote army outpost in Mindanao late last month waved black IS flags when they raided the detachment.

The attack triggered a week

of fighting that left at least 12 militants and five soldiers dead.

Zamboanga is one of the largest cities in Mindanao, which has been home to a decadeslong separatist rebellion.

Zamboanga has a mixed Christian and Muslim population, and has been a frequent target of attacks by local Muslim militant groups.

One of the nation’s main Muslim rebel groups raided the city in 2013, triggering three weeks of clashes with security forces that left more than 200 people dead. With aFP

Carter...

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Kalayaan Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr. said China had stationed several ships near the Jackson Atoll (Quirino Atoll), preventing Filipino fishermen from accessing traditional fishing grounds and raising tensions again in the volatile region.

“I feel something different. The Chinese are trying to choke us by putting an imaginary checkpoint there. It is a clear violation of our right to travel, impeding freedom of navigation,” he said.

Carter said the US military was already increasing deployments to the Asia-Pacific region and would spend $425 million through 2020 to pay for more exercises and training with countries in the region that were unnerved by China’s actions.

He said China’s behavior has fueled trilateral agreements that would have been “unthinkable” even a few years ago.

The United States has carried out several freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea in recent months, sailing near disputed islands to underscore its rights to navigate the seas. US Navy officials say they plan to conduct more and increasingly complex exercises in the future.

Carter said the Pentagon also planned to spend over $8 billion in fiscal 2017 alone to expand its fleet of powerful submarines and undersea drones.

“There is no question that there are consequences for these actions,” Carter said.

“We have plans in all three of these categories. You’ll see them unfolding.”

Carter underscored the US military’s determination to safeguard maritime security around the world, and particularly in the South China Sea region, which sees about 30 percent of the world’s trade pass its waters each year.

On Wednesday, the chief of the Western Command, Admiral Alexander Lopez, denied reports that Chinese coast guard ships had occupied the Quirino atoll within the Kalayaan Island Group.

“It’s not true that they have control of the Quirino atoll.

In fact, our last surveillance flight showed we’ve fishermen there. So it’s incorrect, very inaccurate,” Lopez said of a news story in a daily newspaper (not The Standard).

He said three to five Chinese ships were seen near the atoll, but they did not stay long and sailed away.

Also on Wednesday, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the agreement signed between the Philippines and Indonesia should serve as a guide for a dialogue with the Chinese government.

This dialogue could ease rising tensions in the South China Sea caused by conflicting territorial claims. With Joel E. Zurbano

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A3 Escudero tells rivals: Accept NPC decision

Campaigning in Pampanga. Independent presidential candidate Grace Poe campaigns in Plaza Miranda in Angeles, Pampanga, on

Wednesday. JAy MorAles

Administration officials dump Roxas for Binay AT LEAST 27 incumbent administration lawmakers and mayors, including members of the ruling Liberal Party, were a “no show” in the campaign rally led by President Benigno Aquino III in Bohol Wednesday after they “defected en masse.”

They turned opposition and dumped Aquino’s anointed, Manuel Roxas II, in favor of his arch-rival Vice President Jejomar Binay of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance.

Aquino, who designated himself as the campaign manager of Roxas, was in Bohol to campaign for Roxas but was surprised to find their allies joining the Binay camp.

On the eve of the President’s arrival and the Liberals’ rally, incumbent officials and big politi-

cal groups in the province shifted alliances, turned opposition and forged a rainbow coalition dubbed “Bohol United Opposition” to back Binay’s presidential bid.

Apparently irked by the defection, Roxas criticized Binay’s getting the support of administration allies and branded as a “rip off” of his platform Binay’s promise to create jobs for the poor.

The mayors and a lawmaker, who did a complete turnaround, were members of the ruling Lib-

eral Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Nacionalista Party and PDP-Laban.

Roxas, who claims he has created more than a million jobs in the business process outsourcing industry, has also been repeating he would continue to create more jobs.

In a sortie on Tuesday, Binay reiterated he would also focus on generating jobs for the poor.

“You know what they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” LP spokesman Barry Gutierrez said.

“So we’re pleased that Vice President Binay is aping Mar’s platform on increasing jobs in the manufacturing and business process outsourcing sectors.

“A crucial difference, however,

is that Roxas has already delivered on his promise to create jobs while Binay was only making promises.”

Gutierrez said another difference was that Roxas had a track record unlike Binay.

“If the vice president insists on appropriating Mar’s ideas, why doesn’t he go all the way and copy Mar’s clean record on the use of public funds?” Gutierrez said.

“He can start by showing where Baloloy and Limlingan are, the documents that prove if his properties were bought or inherited, and how much he earned from his projects in Makati. We understand going clean will be extremely difficult for the vice president, but it’s worth a try.”

Christine F. Herrera and Vito Barcelo

VICE presidential candidate Francis Escudero on Wednesday told the administration’s standard bearer Manuel Roxas II and Vice President Jejomar Binay to be man enough to respect and accept the endorsement made by the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

The NPC, the country’s largest political party, on Monday announced its support for the candidacies of Senator Escudero and his presidential running mate Senator Grace Poe in the May elections.

Poe and Escudero have been the top picks in the various pre-election surveys.

“Be man enough regarding this matter,” Escudero in reference to Roxas of the Liberal Party and Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance.

“Accept and respect whatever decision whether it is favorable to them or not.”

In Tubigon, Bohol, Roxas II criticized Escudero for his statement. “[Escudero] should man up,” Roxas said.

But he declined to comment on the Nationalist People’s Coalition’s decision to endorse Escudero.

“I cannot speak for that party. Maybe you’ll have to talk to them for their procedure,” he said.

Escudero said Roxas and Binay were not in a position to speak on behalf of the NPC. “The last time I looked at it, Mar is from the LP and VP Binay is from UNA. They have no right to speak for the NPC,” Escudero said.

He slammed Roxas and Binay for trying to downplay the endorsement by the NPC. He also dismissed their comments, saying they were sour-graping.

“They have been saying many things after they failed to get the endorsement. They were the ones who already have a [political] party and machinery. Why are they complaining now?” Escudero said.

He insisted that the NPC’s support gave him and Poe a further lift two months before the May 9 elections.

“The NPC endorsement is a big deal to us because it will put warm bodies on the ground for our campaign,” Escudero said.

Poe and Escudero are independent candidates and who are running under the platform “government with a heart.”

During a press conference at the House of Representatives on Monday, NPC officials led by their president, Deputy Speaker and Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao, announced that the party had decided to adopt Poe and Escudero as their presidential and vice presidential candidates respectively in the May 9 elections.

Macon ramos-Araneta and sandy Araneta

Duterte calls Liberal Party ‘shameless, loathsome’ THE camp of presidential bet Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday called the Liberal Party “shameless, loathsome” over the use of government vehicles by the supporters of administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II and his running mate Leni Robredo.

Paola Alvarez, spokeswoman of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, questioned the LP’s use of a mini-dump truck loaded with yellow campaign posters in Zamboanga Sibugay, and a black Toyota Hilux (SDK-417) also loaded with a campaign materials bearing the word Roxas under the administration slogan “Daang Matuwid.”

“Daang Matuwid is but a platform of deceit that has been conditioning the minds of Filipinos that this administration has been clean and efficient, when in reality it is corrupt and worse than the past administrations,” Alvarez said in a statement.

“It is not only a sham—it is shameless and loathsome.”

Alvarez said the Aquino administration was “obviously at the height of desperation as its candidates continue to lag behind in the surveys.”

“This is proof of what desperation is,” she said.

“This administration is willing to do everything to the extent of devouring our national resources just so it can push its cards on the table.”

Peter Laviña, Duterte’s spokesman, said Roxas had been dangling the administration’s programs in his sorties win over voters.

He earlier accused Roxas of boasting he would expand the bottom-up budgeting program for the local governments if he won the presidency in this year’s elections.

“Government resources are now officially the campaign kitty of the bets of the administration,” Laviña said. rio N. Araja

Campaigning in Aurora. Presidential candidate Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance woos the residents of Aurora province on Wednesday.

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El Niño damage hit P4b, DA says

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales AGRILCULTURAL damage caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon has already reached more than P4 billion as of Feb. 26, the Department of Agriculture said Wednesday.

Official data showed that damage to rice, corn, high value crops and livestock reached P4.7 billion, affecting 121,490 farmers nationwide.

In terms of land area affected, the DA said El Niño has already affected 69,235 hectares of rice, of which 22,751 hectares have no chance of recovery. Value of production losses amounted to P2.05 billion.

The prolonged dry spell also affected 152,433 hectares of corn valued at P2.7 billion.

Damage to high value crops amounted to P21.6 million while damage to the livestock sector amounted to P11 million.

DA said it has already allotted more than P900 million this year to mitigate the impacts of the prolonged dry spell.

The amount will be used for cloud seeding operations, provision of hybrid seeds, certified seeds, multi-stress tolerant seed varieties, organic fertilizers and soil ameliorants.

DA said the fund will also be used to provide drugs and biologicals for the livestock sector, monitor fish health for the fisheries sector and control pest infestation.

The remaining amount will be used for the provision and

replacement of non-service pumps, solar pumps, wind pums, quick repair and rehabilitation of small water impounding projects and diversion dams.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala earlier said DA will focus on providing mitigation in Mindanao for the severe effect of El Niño.

Alcala assured that the government will continue to provide the best options for the farmers, with the DA providing shallow tube well, water pumps and solar water pumps to farmers’ groups and irrigators’ association.

“They don’t have to worry, as long as they can provide us certification from the municipal or city agriculturist, the government will give interventions,” said Alcala, who also ordered early last year immediate seeding of all seedable clouds.

For Luzon and Visayas, Alcala said that as far as water management is concerned, Typhoons ‘‘Lando’’ and ‘‘Nona’’ were able to fill up majority of the dams.

“Because the situation in Luzon and Visayas somehow improved, we will be able to focus our attention in Mindanao,” Alcala said.

Woman power. Members of the women’s group Gabriela protest in front of the House of Representative demanding more laws empowering women in observance of the National Women’s Day. MANNY PALMERO

VACC slams private armies

By Vito Barcelo and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE anti-crime group Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption urged the Commission on Elections on Wednesday to intensify its drive against private armed groups to preserve the credibility of the forthcoming elections in May. VACC president Dante Jimenez made the appeal as he questioned why the Department of Justice was delaying the prosecution of a woman and her husband, both incumbent town officials in Lanao del Norte, from whose home law-

men seized a large cache of highpowered firearms.

Jimenez said the law enforcers raided the residence of Pantao Ragat Mayor Eleanor Lantud and her husband, incumbent Vice Mayor Lacson Mangotara Lantud three years ago and seized a total of 31 firearms.

The guns included 15 M1 Garand rifles, two M16 Armalite rifles, six M16 rifles with attached grenade launchers, two M79 grenade launchers, one M-60 machine gun, one 30-caliber bar sniper rifle, one 45-caliber pistol, two 9mm machine pistols, one 9mm pistol, and thou-

sands of ammunition and grenades.

DoJ regional prosecutor Jaime Umpa filed charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives against the Lantud couple and several bodyguards in February 2013, but the case is still pending at the Justice department.

Jimenez said that authorities should prove their seriousness in their campaign against private armed groups by holding the two local executives liable for violating the law and asked the military and the police not to support any armed group to prevent electionrelated violence.

Search on for next AFP chief

By Florante S. Solmerin

Science power. Senator and vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and senatorial bet Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez are briefed by molecular biologists from the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna, led by Dr. Rosario Monsalud, on bio-organic fertilizers which are converted from agro-industrial waste.

EY ACASIO

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III is already considering whom to appoint as Armed Forces chief of staff, but military insiders said there was no assurance Aquino’s appointee would be able to serve out a complete tour of duty pending the results of the coming elections.

“The Commander-in-Chief, the President, I was told by one of his trusted men in Malacañang, is really thinking hard and would not want to make a mistake again who to appoint as the successor of Gen. Irriberi,” said a senior officer who is privy to the selection process.

Irriberi will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on April 22 and Aquino reportedly wants to appoint someone like Philippine National Police Director General Ricardo Marquez whose mandatory retirement will be in August yet.

The source, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, said Aquino is not keen on appointing the vice chief of

staff, Lieutenant General Romeo Tanalgo, because he is from the Philippine Marines which is identified with presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Binay is honorary member of Philippine Military Academy “Maringal” Class of 1988.

“It would be a political suicide for the Liberal Party if the President appoints Gen. Tanalgo as interim or acting chief of staff,” the source told The Standard.

The source said Army chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año would be “natural successor” to Irriberi, but he is being linked to the disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos.

“Assuming the President would appoint Gen. Año, there is no assurance he would not be replaced by whoever is elected president. If I were the new president, I wouldn’t want to begin my presidency facing public protests because my current chief of staff is linked to the abduction and disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos,” another senior officer opined.

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Romualdez bats for CCT reforms

By Maricel V. Cruz

Sumbilla fails to stop LTO bidding

Senatorial candidate and leyte rep. Martin romualdez on Wednesday vowed to reform and expand the conditional cash transfer program or the the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program should he win a Senate seat to ensure that this will be made available to those who truly need it and not to be used as a political pawn.

Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said he would sponsor a proposed law institutionalizing the CCT once elected to the Senate, underscoring the importance for the next 17th Congress to pass the measure to reduce poverty and improve the lives of many Filipinos.

“I am going to sponsor a proposed law on the matter [CCT] given a chance to serve in the Senate. All we have to do is to ensure that intended beneficiaries will benefit from the CCT by improving the system of granting aid to the poor in multifarious ways,” Romualdez, who ran unopposed in the last polls and a former chairman of the House committee on ethics and privileges, pointed out.

The Leyte opposition leader whose key platform focuses on improving jobs, health, education, agriculture and disaster preparedness lamented the consistent reports made by the Commission on Audit in connection with the inaccuracies in the list of beneficiaries being provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“There were serious problem on the list of beneficiaries, the distribution gridlocks and concerns of verifications issues and non-compliance of the requirements. We have to do something to reform the system so that this will not be politicized,” 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, explained.

“An effective implementation of the CCT can be seen by establishing basic parameters, procedures and mechanisms that are politically free. We have to make sure that this aid for the poor is available to them,” Romualdez, a shared senatorial candidate of Vice President Jejomar Binay, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago who are all running for president, said.

If handled properly, Romualdez said the CCT will “significantly improve the education status of the children and even their nutrition because the matter directly addresses poverty.”

By Rey E. Requejo

Achiever. Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto R. Romulo receives the JFC Arangkada Lifetime Achievement Award during the Arangkada Forum held at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City. Arangkada, a government policy watch group composed of the Joint Foreign Chambers and the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Headquarters Inc., assesses and recommends to the Philippine government ways to improve the economy and business transactions.

Pork ‘holiday’ mulled

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

Rush job. National Printing Office employees rush the printing of official ballots

for the May election with 23 percent of ballots printed so far out of the 55 million target. The deadline for printing is on April 25 , 2016. MANNY PALMERO

THe Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura on Wednesday urged the government to act fast on the smuggling of meat and other agricultural products.

In a statement, Sinag said that on pork alone, a total of 100,000 backyard raisers already lost their livelihood due to smuggling since 2010.

The group earlier warned that hog raisers are already planning a five-day pork holiday to dramatize the killing of the livestock industry.

“What is five days compared to the 365 days that our backyard growers are suffering,” said Sinag chairman Rosendo So. “The backyard growers have been forced to the wall, in fact

they are asking for a pork holiday since November last year.

We are just echoing their call,” So said.

Sinag said the farmgate price of pork is at P85 to P90 per kilogram which barely exceeds the expenses of backyard raisers.

“The backyard raisers are the ones calling for a pork holiday.

We are just supporting and echoing their call,” So said.

So said the President should immediately sign the approved bill that defines agri smuggling as an act that constitutes economic sabotage.

He added that the government should also strictly implement the quarantine first policy as embodied in the Republic Act 10611 or the Food Safety Act of 2013.

THe Court of Appeals denied a petition seeking to stop the Department of Transportation and Communications from bidding out the new information communications technology infrastructure and database systems for the Land Transportation Office with a budget allotment of P8 billion.

In an 18-page decision, the CA’s eight Division through Associate Justice Carmelita Salandanan Manahan sustained the ruling issued

by Regional Trial Court, Branch 217, of Quezon City, which “expunged and terminated proceedings” on the petition for declaratory relief with prayer for the issuance of a temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction to enjoin the implementation of DoTC Special Order No. 2011-181.

The appellate court junked the petition filed

by Bonifacio Sumbilla, who claimed to be the president of Stradcom Corp., to its rights as bidder under the Government Procurement Act, for judicial determination of the duties of the DoTC Bids and Awards Committee under the law and to ascertain the legality of DoTC Special Order No. 2011-181.

DoTC Special Order No. 2011-181 was issued by former DoTC secretary and now presidential aspirant Manuel Roxas III on Sept. 13, 2011 starting the process for the conduct of a public bidding for a new LTO ICT infrastructure and systems contract.

However, in an order issued on Feb. 6, 2013, the Quezon City RTC granted the motion filed by Cesar Quiambao, who claimed to be the true and lawful president of Stradcom, to junk the petition of Sumbilla group because the latter has no legal authority to institute the suit.

On Nov. 23, 2013, the QC RTC also denied the motion for reconsideration filed by the Sumbilla group saying that the latter failed to prove that it has the legal or official management and control of Stradcom.

It added that based on Stradcom’s General Information Sheets the Quiambao group manages and controls Stradcom from the start.

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PWD bill up for PNoy’s approval

By Maricel V. Cruz

AFTER two and a half months since it was ratified, the House of Representatives finally transmitted to Malacañang Wednesday for President Benigno Aquino III’s signature the “malasakit” (compassionate) bill of senatorial candidate Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez exempting persons with disabilities from the payment of 12-percent value-added tax on certain goods and services.

House Secretary-General Marilyn Barua-Yap said the House Records Management Service has sent to the Palace House Bill 1039 which the Leyte congressman describes as an equalizing measure that would accord PWDs exactly the same privilege being enjoyed by senior citizens who are exempted from VAT payment.

Grateful. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (right) hands a plaque of

appreciation to Angono, Rizal Mayor Gerardo ‘Gerry’ Calderon for helping the victims of Typhoon ‘Yolanda.’ VER NOVENO

Republic of the Philippines CO M M I SSI ON ON ELECTI O NS Intramuros, M anila PACKING AND SHIPPING COMMITTEE

NOTICE ALL ACCREDITED POLITICAL PARTIES/GROUPS ALL ACCREDITED PARTY-LIST ORGANIZATIONS and ALL ACCREDITED CITIZENS’ ARMS Greetings!

NOTICE is hereby given that the Packing and Shipping Committee (PSC) of the Commission on Elections, in connection to the preparations for the May 9, 2016 Automated National and Local Elections, shall commence on FRIDAY, MARCH 04, 2016, the TRANSFER OF PACKED OFFICIAL BALLOTS (OBs) from the National Printing Office (NPO), NIA Road corner EDSA, Quezon City, to the COMELEC Leased Warehouse, Noah Process and Materials, Inc., Marcos Highway, Calumpang, Marikina City.

Said transfer shall be for temporary storage and staging before dispatch, of the OBs intended for ARMM, CARAGA, Regions XII, XI, X, IX, VIII, VII, VI, V, IV, III, II, I and Cordilera Administrative Region.

In this regard, you may send your duly authorized representative/s to witness and monitor said activity. For any inquiry, you may get in touch with Mr. Emerito Tuscano, PSC Operations Supervisor, at telephone numbers (02) 527-55-86 and (02) 523-97-98.

For or information and guidance.

02 March 2016 ENGR. JULIO THADDEUS P. HERNAN Head, PSC Director IV,, Administrative Services Department ( T S - M A R . 3 , 2 016)

“It [PWD bill] was transmitted to Malacañang,” Yap said.

To expedite the process of making the bill a law, the regular route is for the House Bills and Index Service transmitting the measure to the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office.

The measure was ratified by the House of Representatives and the Senate before Congress adjourned for Christmas break last December, and was signed by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Senate President Franklin Drilon just last February.

Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said: “The proposed law grants 12-percent VAT exemption to PWDs on certain goods and services. My bill will put PWDs on equal footing with senior citizens who are already exempted from VAT payment on top of their 20-percent discount.”

He was referring to Republic Act No. 7277, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability” as amended by RA No. 9442 giving PWDs 20-percent discount.

The transmittal came after the call of various organizations of PWDs for Belmonte to transmit to Malacañang the bill to determine whether President Benigno Aquino III will sign this into law or suffer the fate of vetoed Social Security System bill raising by P2,000 the monthly pension of its members.

Manuel Agcaoili, president/chief

operating officer of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan Inc., and Emer Rojas, Cancer Alleviation Network on Care Education and Rehabilitation party-list nominee, said Belmonte has no good reason to keep Romualdez’s HB No. 1039 in the Bills and Index Service after he signed it along with Drilon who is running for reelection and Yap. HB 1039 of Romualdez and Senate Bill 2890 “seek to amend Section 32 of Republic Act 7277, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability” as amended by RA No. 9442 to exempt the PWDs from the payment of VAT. Agcaoili maintained that there are almost 10 million physically and mentally PWDs in the country or 10 percent of the country’s 100 million population based on the estimates by the World Health Organization in the third world countries.

But the Philippine Statistics Authority only pegged the number of PWDs in the country at almost 1.5 million.

Romualdez, who ran unopposed in the last polls and a former chairman of the House committee on ethics and privileges, was joined by Marikina City Rep. Miro Quimbo, who chairs the House committee on ways and means, in pushing for the proposal while the Senate authors include Senator Juan Edgardo Angara who is the chairman of the Senate committee on ways and means that deliberated the measure, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto who is a reelectionist, Senators Bam Aquino and Nancy Binay.

The PWD bill would also allow the relatives, up to the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, taking care of handicapped measures to claim a tax deduction of P25,000 in their annual income tax.

SC disbars Makati judge

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has ordered the dismissal and disbarment of a Makati City judge who was convicted in 2013 for graft and malversation by the Sandiganbayan for conspiring with a police officer to facilitate the withdrawal of P1 million from public funds when he was still Dapitan City mayor.

Apart from dismissal from service and disbarment of Judge Joseph Cedrick O. Ruiz of the Makati City, RTC, Branch 61, he also forfeited all of his benefits, except accrued leave credits, and was disqualified from reemployment in the government or any of its subdivisions, instrumentalities, or agencies including government-owned and –controlled corporations.

Ruiz was found by the Sandiganbayan First Division guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crimes charged on April 29, 2013. The antigraft court imposed on Ruiz penalties of fine and imprisonment, and perpetual disqualification.

The SC ruled that respondent judge’s denial cannot stand against

the positive declarations of the prosecution witnesses, which are supported by the documents on record.

It noted that Judge Ruiz had even failed to substantiate his claim that the charges against him had been politically motivated.

According to the tribunal, there was substantial evidence that Judge Ruiz actively worked for the approval of the P1 million cash advance from the Central Intelligence Fund allotted for the Mayor’s Office; and that he facilitated the withdrawal of the P1 million by one P/Insp. Pepe Nortal; and that the respondent judge received and used this withdrawn amount for his personal benefit.

The High Court found no merit in the judge’s claims that the present administrative case against him was premature because his criminal convictions by the Sandiganbayan are not yet final. It stressed that Ruiz was placed under preventive suspension because he was alleged to have committed transgressions that are classified as serious under Sec. 8, Rule 140 of the Rules of Court.

T H U R S D AY : M A R C H 3 , 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘Lanao Sur conflict will not spill over to other provinces’

Suspects in judge’ s killing face murder raps

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The military and police leadership in Northern Mindanao allayed fears of a spillover of the armed conflict in Lanao del Sur to its neighboring provinces in the region.

By Rey E. Requejo

Newly installed Philippine National Police Region 10 spokesperson Supt. Surki Sereñas and 4th Infantry Division spokesperson Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez agreed on one thing—that the police and the military would never allow the terrorists holed up in a remote part of Butig in Lanao del Sur to spread the conflict in the region.

While Lanao del Sur is not part of northern Mindanao, it

does not fall under the civilian jurisdiction of the PNP 10 or the military jurisdiction of the 4th Infantry Division.

Still, its proximity to northern Mindanao could be worrisome.

“The Police Regional Office 10 has actually taken countermeasures even before the incident in Lanao del Sur happened,” Sereñas said.

“Actually, during the onset of the bombing of the transmission

towers, the regional police has already intensified intelligence buildup and checkpoint operations in the boundaries of both regions [ARMM and Region 10],” Sereñas added.

The provincial police office in Lanao del Norte has a ready complement from the Regional Public Safety Battalion and their own public safety companies in case of eventualities, he said.

Martinez said the military’s objective is to contain the conflict within the confines of Lanao del Sur “to avoid spillover in the 4th Infantry Division area of responsibility and other parts

of Mindanao.

“Should the situation escalate, we have troops that are ready to be deployed to protect the civilian populace, their properties and all vital installations,” Martinez said.

Last Friday, the Philippine Army overran the terrorists’ camp associated with Jemaah Islamiyah in Butig, killing 42 lawless armed men and three soldiers.

The fighting started on Feb. 20 when the terrorists attacked an Army detachment in the area.

So far, the terrorist suffered more than 50 casualties while the military incurred 11 killed in action. PNA

Dancing bees. One-hundred Buyogan Dancers of Abuyog, Leyte have been invited to perform this month at The World Culture Festival 2016 in India. ‘Buyog’ is the local term for ‘bees.’ MEL CASPE

A COMPLAINT for murder has been filed before a Bulacan regional trial court against the alleged perpetrators in the killing of a Malolos City judge in 2015.

In a progress report to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno, the Office of the Court Administrator said an information for murder has already been filed against the suspects in the death of Judge Wilfredo T. Nieves of the Malolos City, Bulacan RTC, Branch 84, who was gunned down on Nov. 11, 2015.

Charged with murder were Jay Deogrades Joson with aliases Jepoy and Jefferson, and Raymond Dominguez. The complaint against Arnel Janoras, however, was dismissed because Janoras is already dead, while the complaint against the other respondents, including two John Does, was dismissed for lack of probable cause.

Based on the report to the OCA

by P/Sr. Supt. Ferdinand O. Divina, director of the Bulacan Police Provincial Office, it was learned that, as of Feb. 1, the case was already raffled to the Malolos RTC, Branch 82 and that a warrant of arrest is to follow.

“Rest assured that the Bulacan Police will continue to monitor and coordinate for progress and best result of the murder case filed against the suspects,” Director Divina said, in his letter to the OCA. Dominguez, who was convicted for carnapping by Judge Nieves in 2012, is currently detained at the New Bilibid Prison. He was included in the charge sheet after it was established, based on the deceased Janoras’ statement, that he had instructed Deogrades to kill Nieves. The statement of Janoras that Deogrades is a friend of Dominguez was bolstered by the fact that based on the list of visitors of NBP, the former visited Dominguez as a friend.

Judge Nieves was the 25th judge slain while in the service since 1999.

German found on boat suffered heart attack

A GERMAN man whose mummified body was found on a yacht adrift off the southern Philippines had died of a heart attack about a week earlier, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday.

Police earlier named the victim based on documents found on the yacht on Friday as Manfred Fritz Bajorat of Germany, but they have yet to establish where he had sailed from or where he was heading.

“The cause of death is acute myocardial infarction based on the autopsy by [the] regional crime laboratory,” national police spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor told AFP. “The German national is estimated to have been dead for more or less seven days,”

he added, citing a police statement by police in the southern Philippines.

Local fishermen found the white-hulled, 13-meter (44foot) yacht with a broken mast adrift on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean on Friday, with the dried-up corpse of the naked man hunched over a table in the main cabin.

Police launched an inquiry to determine whether he had been the victim of a crime, but the autopsy result indicated otherwise.

The area where the boat was found is some 100 kilometers (60 miles) off the town of Barobo, the town’s deputy police chief Inspector Mark Navales told AFP. “The... saltwater in the air could have mummified his

body,” Navales added.

Documents, old pictures of a family visiting Paris landmarks, rice and tinned food lay scattered on the cabin of the boat, which had taken in water and was listing to one side, he said.

One document photographed by police indicated the boat had obtained clearance from maritime police in Sao Vicente in 2013, although it was unclear if it was issued in Cape Verde or Brazil, which have ports of the same name.

Police were still investigating the yacht’s travel plan, Chief Superintendent Mayor said.

The German embassy in Manila referred queries on the case to the German foreign ministry. AFP

Sad boat story. A German man was found dead inside this boat, found adrift about 100 kilometers off the coast of Barobo. AFP

T H U R S D AY : M A R C H 3 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

DUTY CALLS FLORENCIO FIANZA

SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

ERUDITION ERUDITE is a word often used to describe officers of the court. It’s like intelligence, but it is something more than intellectual ability. It’s akin to wisdom, but is more grounded on actual examples.

Simply put, it is knowing better, all the time.

Magistrates of the Supreme Court are perhaps the people one would associate with this quality. Handpicked by a stringent council and appointed by the highest official of the land, justices of the high court are presumed to be the best of the best, untainted and oblivious to the trappings of money, influence and other human concerns.

This is why the nation is now watching all 15 justices as they deliberate, and hopefully decide swiftly, on the case involving the frontrunner in the presidential race, Senator Grace Poe. Poe is facing a serious challenge to her run after the Commission on Elections cancelled her Certificate of Candidacy on grounds of material misrepresentation. This concerns the facts surrounding her citizenship and residency, issues on which the Constitution is explicit and specific.

Poe has appealed her case before the Supreme Court. Oral arguments have been heard and the Supreme Court is reportedly nearing a vote—if it has not voted, already. Meanwhile, even as the cases are pending, Poe’s name remains on the ballot.

The question is simple: is Poe eligible to run for president according to the qualifications listed in the Constitution?

Apparently, getting to the answer is much more complicated. We have heard varying opinions as to how liberal these constitutional provisions must be construed. Even the poll conducted by this newspaper’s resident pollster showed that most Filipinos would prefer that Poe be allowed to run despite the pendency of her cases. Let them decide, in other words.

Then again, it is not just a function of interpreting the letters of the basic law. There are, first and foremost, political considerations. What will be the implications of a disqualification? If she is allowed to run, and she then wins? It is also not surprising that President Aquino’s appointees to the high court are said to staunchly support the senator. Is it payback time yet?

Some say they are advocates of the marginalized, like foundlings. Is this even counted as judicial activism?

The Supreme Court justices must be insulted at the assumption that they could be prevailed upon to decide a case by the very people who put them where they are. They have the sworn duty to uphold the law, specifically the Constitution in this instance, regardless of the appointing power or their previous working relationships with other agents of the government.

For everybody’s benefit, and for practical considerations come election time, the justices must decide soon. We trust that they would know better, all the time.

US-STYLE CRAZINESS LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES ACROSS the pond, they worry about the craziness that is attending their coming presidential election. I’d like to think that we in the Philippines are way ahead of them in that regard.

“The Trump nightmare,” the New Yorker magazine announced, “continues.” And the vaunted Republican establishment seems helpless against the billionaire’s over-the-top

onslaught at the end of Super Tuesday.

This early, Donald Trump looks about ready to secure the nomination of the Grand Old Party. And all those who believe that America’s voters will somehow turn away from the candidate with the outrageous hair and the extreme views, if they still harbor any hope of beating Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in the elections in November, just got clobbered.

An American friend of mine recently told me, apropos of the coming US presidential elections, that the primary system is particularly good at weeding

out crazies and other extremists like Trump. The protracted system of delegates voting in sequential primaries, he said, is designed to make people understand that both parties must find a candidate who will appeal to the most number of voters, if they hope to win at all in the general election.

In theory, this means that candidates with extreme views that normally appeal only to fringe groups get winnowed out when November comes along.

On the Democratic side of the equation, the theory seems to be holding. Clinton is proving that her appeal has a broader,

The collective form of political lunacy that Trump purveys can be extremely hard to cure.

A9

more inclusive base than her chief rival, Bernie Sanders, who is widely perceived to be the sort of ultra-progressive, big-government advocate who makes even the most liberal, left-leaning of Democrats nervous.

After an initial defeat to Sanders in New Hampshire, Clinton won decisive victories on Super Tuesday. The Dems’ establishment—and the selection process—seems to be working just fine.

Not so on the Republican side. For instance, Trump’s main opponents tried to link the flamboyant real estate developer and reality-show host to the Ku Klux Klan in an effort to paint their rival as just the

sort of candidate who is going to ensure a Clinton victory.

That certainly didn’t hurt Trump, who refused to disavow any links to the Klan. Perhaps it even helped burnish Trump’s image as the candidate who wants to expel Muslims from America and build a wall between the US and Mexico—which the Mexicans will supposedly pay for, as well.

Who knows? Maybe Trump will go all the way and beat Clinton, too.

The thing about craziness is, it’s extremely catching. And the col-

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-

lective form of political lunacy that Trump purveys can be extremely hard to cure. *** When the Aquino administration is finally gone, many Filipinos who pay taxes even before they receive their salaries (people like me, for example) will remember how they never seemed to catch a break in six years. And they will recall, as well, how all that talk of “inclusive growth” for the poor meant as much to them as the glowing numbers of macroeconomic improvement

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

—nothing, in short.

The famous fecklessness of President Noynoy Aquino is felt most of all by salaried workers, including those who are now merely hoping to get back some of the money that they saved when they were still working by way of increased pensions. But Aquino has, in the name of defending his nice GDP numbers and his credit ratings, has refused to give back to the very people whose taxes are the lifeblood of the national economy.

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

ONE of the most important issues that President Aquino is leaving to the next President is the problem in the South China Sea. Contrary to the claims of his administration that he is ending his term with a country overflowing with milk and honey, he is actually turning over to his successor a nation beset by problems and challenges.

Our country has consistently refused China’s invitation for bilateral talks without any preconditions, pursuing instead our case at the Hague with vigor. But right now, as United States Navy Admiral Harry Harris, the Commander in Chief of US Pacific Forces, said, China virtually has operational control over the whole of South China Sea. China has installed high-frequency radar in the Paracels, together with anti-missile batteries and fighter jets. Although the Paracels are in the northern part of the South China Sea and is nearer Vietnam than the Philippines, nevertheless, the installation of these various military equipment have completely altered the equation in the area. This being the case, should the next president make a sudden U-turn and agree to bilateral talks with China?

We have to remember that China has many times reaffirmed its inviolable sovereignty over the whole of China Sea because of some dubious ancient documents that has no basis in current international law.

Furthermore, for such talks to be fruitful, there has to be trust and so far, with what China has been doing unilaterally, it is hard to trust China’s words.

Admittedly, the dispute is complex and there are no easy answers. Even among our current leaders, there is no unanimity of approach and this is the big challenge that awaits the next president. He and his team and hopefully together with the collective wisdom of our national leaders must come up with a stand that the country can defend regardless of cost.

This administration has been steadfast in its single-minded approach and has concentrated its efforts to enhancing our alliance with our old colonial master, the United States, by signing the Enhanced Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T H U R S D AY : M A R C H 3 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

DUTY CALLS FLORENCIO FIANZA

SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

ERUDITION ERUDITE is a word often used to describe officers of the court. It’s like intelligence, but it is something more than intellectual ability. It’s akin to wisdom, but is more grounded on actual examples.

Simply put, it is knowing better, all the time.

Magistrates of the Supreme Court are perhaps the people one would associate with this quality. Handpicked by a stringent council and appointed by the highest official of the land, justices of the high court are presumed to be the best of the best, untainted and oblivious to the trappings of money, influence and other human concerns.

This is why the nation is now watching all 15 justices as they deliberate, and hopefully decide swiftly, on the case involving the frontrunner in the presidential race, Senator Grace Poe. Poe is facing a serious challenge to her run after the Commission on Elections cancelled her Certificate of Candidacy on grounds of material misrepresentation. This concerns the facts surrounding her citizenship and residency, issues on which the Constitution is explicit and specific.

Poe has appealed her case before the Supreme Court. Oral arguments have been heard and the Supreme Court is reportedly nearing a vote—if it has not voted, already. Meanwhile, even as the cases are pending, Poe’s name remains on the ballot.

The question is simple: is Poe eligible to run for president according to the qualifications listed in the Constitution?

Apparently, getting to the answer is much more complicated. We have heard varying opinions as to how liberal these constitutional provisions must be construed. Even the poll conducted by this newspaper’s resident pollster showed that most Filipinos would prefer that Poe be allowed to run despite the pendency of her cases. Let them decide, in other words.

Then again, it is not just a function of interpreting the letters of the basic law. There are, first and foremost, political considerations. What will be the implications of a disqualification? If she is allowed to run, and she then wins? It is also not surprising that President Aquino’s appointees to the high court are said to staunchly support the senator. Is it payback time yet?

Some say they are advocates of the marginalized, like foundlings. Is this even counted as judicial activism?

The Supreme Court justices must be insulted at the assumption that they could be prevailed upon to decide a case by the very people who put them where they are. They have the sworn duty to uphold the law, specifically the Constitution in this instance, regardless of the appointing power or their previous working relationships with other agents of the government.

For everybody’s benefit, and for practical considerations come election time, the justices must decide soon. We trust that they would know better, all the time.

US-STYLE CRAZINESS LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES ACROSS the pond, they worry about the craziness that is attending their coming presidential election. I’d like to think that we in the Philippines are way ahead of them in that regard.

“The Trump nightmare,” the New Yorker magazine announced, “continues.” And the vaunted Republican establishment seems helpless against the billionaire’s over-the-top

onslaught at the end of Super Tuesday.

This early, Donald Trump looks about ready to secure the nomination of the Grand Old Party. And all those who believe that America’s voters will somehow turn away from the candidate with the outrageous hair and the extreme views, if they still harbor any hope of beating Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in the elections in November, just got clobbered.

An American friend of mine recently told me, apropos of the coming US presidential elections, that the primary system is particularly good at weeding

out crazies and other extremists like Trump. The protracted system of delegates voting in sequential primaries, he said, is designed to make people understand that both parties must find a candidate who will appeal to the most number of voters, if they hope to win at all in the general election.

In theory, this means that candidates with extreme views that normally appeal only to fringe groups get winnowed out when November comes along.

On the Democratic side of the equation, the theory seems to be holding. Clinton is proving that her appeal has a broader,

The collective form of political lunacy that Trump purveys can be extremely hard to cure.

A9

more inclusive base than her chief rival, Bernie Sanders, who is widely perceived to be the sort of ultra-progressive, big-government advocate who makes even the most liberal, left-leaning of Democrats nervous.

After an initial defeat to Sanders in New Hampshire, Clinton won decisive victories on Super Tuesday. The Dems’ establishment—and the selection process—seems to be working just fine.

Not so on the Republican side. For instance, Trump’s main opponents tried to link the flamboyant real estate developer and reality-show host to the Ku Klux Klan in an effort to paint their rival as just the

sort of candidate who is going to ensure a Clinton victory.

That certainly didn’t hurt Trump, who refused to disavow any links to the Klan. Perhaps it even helped burnish Trump’s image as the candidate who wants to expel Muslims from America and build a wall between the US and Mexico—which the Mexicans will supposedly pay for, as well.

Who knows? Maybe Trump will go all the way and beat Clinton, too.

The thing about craziness is, it’s extremely catching. And the col-

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-

lective form of political lunacy that Trump purveys can be extremely hard to cure. *** When the Aquino administration is finally gone, many Filipinos who pay taxes even before they receive their salaries (people like me, for example) will remember how they never seemed to catch a break in six years. And they will recall, as well, how all that talk of “inclusive growth” for the poor meant as much to them as the glowing numbers of macroeconomic improvement

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

—nothing, in short.

The famous fecklessness of President Noynoy Aquino is felt most of all by salaried workers, including those who are now merely hoping to get back some of the money that they saved when they were still working by way of increased pensions. But Aquino has, in the name of defending his nice GDP numbers and his credit ratings, has refused to give back to the very people whose taxes are the lifeblood of the national economy.

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

ONE of the most important issues that President Aquino is leaving to the next President is the problem in the South China Sea. Contrary to the claims of his administration that he is ending his term with a country overflowing with milk and honey, he is actually turning over to his successor a nation beset by problems and challenges.

Our country has consistently refused China’s invitation for bilateral talks without any preconditions, pursuing instead our case at the Hague with vigor. But right now, as United States Navy Admiral Harry Harris, the Commander in Chief of US Pacific Forces, said, China virtually has operational control over the whole of South China Sea. China has installed high-frequency radar in the Paracels, together with anti-missile batteries and fighter jets. Although the Paracels are in the northern part of the South China Sea and is nearer Vietnam than the Philippines, nevertheless, the installation of these various military equipment have completely altered the equation in the area. This being the case, should the next president make a sudden U-turn and agree to bilateral talks with China?

We have to remember that China has many times reaffirmed its inviolable sovereignty over the whole of China Sea because of some dubious ancient documents that has no basis in current international law.

Furthermore, for such talks to be fruitful, there has to be trust and so far, with what China has been doing unilaterally, it is hard to trust China’s words.

Admittedly, the dispute is complex and there are no easy answers. Even among our current leaders, there is no unanimity of approach and this is the big challenge that awaits the next president. He and his team and hopefully together with the collective wisdom of our national leaders must come up with a stand that the country can defend regardless of cost.

This administration has been steadfast in its single-minded approach and has concentrated its efforts to enhancing our alliance with our old colonial master, the United States, by signing the Enhanced Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T H U R S D AY : M A R C H 3 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

HISTORY BARES LIES, HYPOCRISY TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

I HESITATED to write this column because most of the people involved, if not all of them, have died. May they rest in peace.

I write this in reaction to the 30th anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution when BS Aquino III lambasted Senator Bongbong Marcos, who is running for vice president.

Mr. Aquino said he feared the return of the Marcos dictatorship and martial rule.

He meant that the sins of the father should be inflicted on his son, Bongbong.

Perhaps Mr. Aquino could look back to what his grandfather did during the Japanese occupation.

Santa Banana, I cannot believe that BS Aquino does not remember that his grandfather, Benigno Aquino Sr., father of Ninoy, was the head of the Makapili Movement during the almost four-year Japanese occupation of the Philippines.

The Makapilis pointed to and turned over alleged collaborators for the Japanese Kempeitais to arrest, imprison, torture, and then killed. My family was afraid that we, too, would be pinpointed.

Did we, as a people, take against the late Ninoy Aquino that fact that his late father

headed the Makapili movement? We did not.

In fact, we honor Ninoy as a political martyr when he was assassinated in 1983. And the Aquinos—the late Cory and her son, BS Aquino —became the beneficiaries of Edsa 1.

I still recall when my family saw two well-known Abra personalities beheaded by the Japanese. Members of the dreaded Makapili Movement identified them as collaborators.

I also recall that Ninoy, the late Doy Laurel, and Mama Sinsuat, a Muslim friend of my wife, and others were sent to Japan to further study. When Japan surrendered to the United States, Ninoy, Doy, Mama and many others were sent back to the Philippines. But did we as a nation take it against Ninoy and Doy (whose father Jose P. Laurel was a Japanese Philippine president)? No, we did not! In fact, Jose Laurel Jr. became Speaker of the House of Representatives and Doy became the vice president of the late Cory Aquino.

In lambasting Bongbong and recalling the atrocities during the Marcos martial law regime, BS Aquino III had an attack of amnesia. It was all lies and hypocrisy, hallmarks of the BS Aquino regime for almost six years now.

Speaking of martial law, while admittedly, there were violations of human rights, atrocities and suppression of civil rights, there were also good things that it did for the country. That perhaps compelled the New York Times to call the Marcos regime the “Golden Age” of the Philippines.

First of all, Marcos broke the backbone of the communist movement when the New People’s Army were already knocking at the

THE MOST BAFFLING REPUBLICAN SUPER TUESDAY EVER

By Jonathan Bernstein WE’RE going to need some time to digest what happened on Tuesday night on the Republican side.

Donald Trump won the most votes. He won the most states.

He won the most delegates. But did he move closer to winning the nomination? That isn’t so clear. FiveThirtyEight’s delegate maven, David Wasserman, said going in that “a disappointing night for Trump...probably means anything less than 250” delegates won. It appears as if he’s going to wind up a bit over 250. This is fewer than half the delegates up for grabs, however, so he’s not moving closer to an overall delegate majority.

I’ve been looking at Trump’s overall vote percentages to see if he was picking up support as the Republican field narrowed or if he would have trouble increasing his vote totals. Overall, his Super Tuesday results were mixed and not especially impressive. His apparent polling surge last week seems either to have dissipated or wasn’t real to begin with.

Ted Cruz won in Texas, his home state, and in neighboring Oklahoma, and he was the spin winner of the night, judging by gates of Metro Manila with their presence in Balara, Quezon City.

He outlawed the Communist Party—this was reversed by Cory Aquino when she became President. Then came the Tripoli Agreement with the help of Imelda, which was the beginning of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao that led the breakup of the Moro National Liberation Front of Nur Misuari and his exile to Egypt. Arts and culture also thrived because of Imelda.

With Misuari out of the country, the MNLF separatist movement ended. MNLF commanders enjoyed many perks from Marcos.

The Marcos years also saw the construction of NLEX and SLEX and the Maharlika Highway to Leyte and the Marcos Highway to Baguio City.

Let’s give credit where credit is due. The Mar-

what the talking heads said on Tuesday night.

But Cruz failed to pick up any other wins in what should have been his strongest region. Some Southern states have yet to vote, and it’s easy to underestimate how many conservative voters there are outside of the South —at least as a percentage of voters in Republican primaries.

This was supposed to be Cruz’s big chance at winning delegates, however, and he appears to have fallen short.

Marco Rubio finally won a state, Minnesota. He came close in Virginia. He continues to do well with late-deciding voters.

While he fell behind Cruz in delegates on Tuesday night, he should have a clearer playing field ahead. And help is on the way. He spent relatively little on these states, but his superPAC has been raking in plenty of money, and will presumably blast Trump in each coming primary.

But Rubio failed to perform his biggest task of the day: Knocking out Cruz. It’s possible John Kasich will drop out, but it may be too late. Kasich probably accounted for the difference between a decent night and a disappointing one for Rubio. Had Kasich dropped out

cos martial law regime was not totally evil as BS Aquino would want us to believe.

As for the failure of the PCGG to recover the alleged $10 billion stolen by Marcos and Imelda, whose fault was it? If I recall “Operation Big Bird,” a sting operation conceived by investment banker Mike de Guzman, together with then retired General Jose Almonte to recover the Marcos hidden wealth, the operation would have succeeded were it not for then PCGG Chairman Jovito Salonga recalling the late Solicitor General Sedfrey Ordoñez back home. With his presence and confirmation, OBB would have succeeded in recovering a total of $7 billion pinpointed by De Guzman and Almonte.

The late Doy Laurel, who was then vice president of Cory, called the OBB operation Cory’s

after South Carolina and Nevada, the Florida senator would likely have won in Virginia, might have won in Vermont (where Trump and Kasich were running neck and neck), and probably would have crossed the thresholds needed to gain delegates in three states where it appears he will fall just short.

Now, perhaps, everyone stays in, and Trump keeps winning most states.

It’s even possible—though unlikely—that they will carve up the map and each take a slice (with Kasich staying in and winning only Ohio), and we will get a contested Republican convention after all, with no candidate ending the primaries and caucuses with at least half of the delegates.

More likely, one candidate will wind up winning states in the latter stages of the election calendar and reap plenty of delegates. This is what has happened before. Even frontrunners who wind up winning are usually below the 50 percent mark at this stage in their delegate count. And on the Republican side, the rules make it easy for anyone who wins big to get a lot of delegates quickly.

So that’s what will happen this time. Right? Bloomberg

biggest failure simply because Salonga did not trust De Guzman and Almonte. He thought the two were planning to run away with the recovered Marcos hidden wealth.

But how could they, when the Austrian bank through which the recovered wealth would pass through had no less than Ordoñez and the late Moscow Ambassador Alex Melchor as bank directors?

That’s history as they say. The point I am driving at is that if BS Aquino were only honest to himself and the Filipino people, he could learn well from history. Instead, BS Aquino points at everybody else but himself with the worsening problems the country is confronted with. *** Insiders say that insofar as residency is concerned, the majority of the Supreme Court

justices have already decided that Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Kelly Poe Llamanzares is NOT qualified.

However, insofar as the citizenship issue is concerned, the same court insiders told me that while five of them had already dissented from the draft resolution, some three Aquino appointees have yet to make up their mind.

This constitutes the “swing votes,” which another newspaper, not The Standard, had headlined the other day.

I am also told that insofar as the majority decision are concerned, Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno is still hoping that she can convince them to withdraw their concurrence.

That’s what is now reportedly happening at the Supreme Court, the reason why there is no decision yet.

Continued on A11

T H U R S D AY : M A R C H 3 , 2 0 1 6

A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE

THE PRESIDENT OF PEACE

PRESIDENTS have been a popular topic over the past couple of decades—the one sitting, the one who was a widow, the one that was deposed, the one under hospital arrest, the one that used to be in prison, the one still chewing on a cigar after all these years.

But these are the ones who are still alive, or died within recent memory. Forgotten are the ones who passed long ago, their memory kept green only by their families.

But if their families are movers and shakers, they could do much to renew interest and knowledge about the departed. This is true in the case of the Quirino family, who over the past couple of years worked hard to pull off a slate of commemorative activities related to the 125 th birth anniversary last year of President Elpidio Quirino.

PEQ was born in 1890 at the Ilocos Sur provincial jail, where his father was warden.

At 16, he taught school in the town of Caoayan, saving his earnings to finance his stud-

ies in Manila.

He obtained a law degree from the University of the Philippines, tying for second place in the bar examination of 1915 with another future president, Jose P. Laurel.

PEQ was the country’s sixth president and its third vice president. He succeeded Manuel Roxas who died in 1948, and served as president for five years, up to 1953.

His first official act was to convene the Social Security Commission, which set up the Social Security System. He established major infrastructure projects still in use today, such as the Maria Cristina hydroelectric plant in Iligan City and Ambuklao Dam. He pushed for the Minimum Wage Act, the eight-hour work law, the Foreign Service Act, and the Public School Salary Act. PEQ is perhaps best known for his tremendous capacity for forgiveness. His wife Alicia Syquia and three children, as well as five other family members, were killed

by Japanese during the occupation. Yet in 1953, he gave

executive clemency to 100 Japanese prisoners-of-war.

His explanation: “I am doing this because I do not want my children and my people to inherit from me the hate for people who might yet be our friends for the permanent interest of our country.”

He was consistent and true to his values, for at his inaugural speech, he asked for “better and closer understanding among us, and I beseech you to manifest more tolerance, goodwill, and love…”

PEQ died in 1956 and was buried at Makati South Cemetery because he was no longer president at the time. The Quirinos sought his re-interment in the LIbingan Ng Mga Bayani, a long-overdue honor finally granted last Feb. 29, the 60th anniversary of the late leader’s death.

It was a privilege to watch the re-interment ceremony. It was solemn, it was dignified, it was simple, it was moving.

It was all that a president’s funeral should be. He was a class act in life, and was fitting that his final death hon-

ors were the same.

President Benigno Aquino III led the funeral procession, along with the Armed Forces of the Philippines major service commanders, followed by President Fidel V. Ramos, PEQ granddaughter and celebrity Cory Quirino and other members of the family, and many other AFP personnel and guests.

As a finale, two sacks of pink and red rose petals were showered upon the assemblage from a helicopter that dipped low in respect.

PEQ joins two other presidents interred at the Libingan—Carlos P. Garcia and Diosdado Macapagal.

There’s an interesting piece about presidential funerals at malacañang.gov. ph, in line with this event. It says that while “there are no laws mandating presidential funerals, certain protocols and traditions are maintained,” including military honors. Learn more at www. elpidioquirino.org.

I also highly recommend that you visit Vigan City to see memorabilia of the late

president at his birthplace— the Ilocos Sur provincial jail beside the museum—and the Syquia house, the ancestral home of his wife’s family.

At the former you’ll see one of PEQ’s intricately-embroidered barongs, the fabric so sheer it is almost transparent; a cabinet of his shoes, polished oxfords and sandals and loafers in mint green and yellow; a ditto of his walking canes, carved and inlaid with mother-of-pearl; and other personal items.

At the Syquia house, there is a restored carriage from the mid-1800s; furniture of the Spanish colonial era, including magnificenly carved four-poster beds and armoires; photographs, books, typewriters, and more.

For me, the piece de resistance is a massive breakfront along one wall of the dining room, filled with antique china.

See my photos of these places as well as the reinterment at my FB page.

South... From A9

out openly against Edca because she believes it is constitutionally infirm. She has not said whether she is against our alliance with the US. Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar Binay, former secretary Manuel Roxas II and Senator Grace Poe have not issued specific statements where they stand on the issue.

Since this problem is so important, all the candidates must state categorically where they stand. Yes, there are other issues in foreign relations but the South China Sea dispute has become an existential problem to us as a country. For the first time, our insularity as an island nation separated by 600 miles from the Asian mainland is no longer there. Planes can now be in our territory in less than 10 minutes yet the vast majority of our citizenry seem unmindful of what the current tensions in the South China Sea mean to our wellbeing as a nation.

Only the fishermen who are prevented by the Chinese from fishing are concerned and only because it directly affects their livelihood.

For the rest of us, it is business as usual. We have even allowed Foton, the Chinese vehicle manufacturing company,

to locate right in Clark where one of our bigger Air Force bases is located. The place is also reported to be one of the military bases being offered to the US. Are we even thinking right in this? Just yesterday, China was reported to have taken another atoll near Palawan called Quirino or Jackson Atoll. This is an area between the Philippine occupied Lamak Island and the Chinese occupied Panganiban reef. Chinese naval and coast guard ships are in the area preventing Filipino fishermen from fishing. We of course are completely unable to prevent it. It seems clear that China is ramping up its pressure on us and even accused us of political provocation for filing a case in the Hague contesting China’s claim. China would want us to keep our mouth shut and simply accept what it is saying and doing. Because of its size, China can perhaps afford to ignore the Hague decision or other international pressures.

China believes what Mao once said that power comes out of the barrel of a gun. But what it forgets is that if it wants to be a respected leader in the region, China must show that it does deserve to be a leader and earn the respect of its neighbor.

US-style... From A9

inflation that has increased their salaries but which also took a huge bite out of their purchasing power since the current tax program was implemented during the Ramos years.

And the people who understand our tax scheme will remember that the value-added tax was sold as an alternative to income taxes, which should have been abolished after VAT was implemented. Because VAT is a more just way of collecting taxes, being consumption-based instead of income-based, we agreed to the new scheme —but the government hoodwinked us by imposing both instead.

And yet, it is the wage-earner who suffers most from the inequitable tax regime that Aquino never touched in his six years.

If you’re one of those who never got any relief—and who received less and less from a government that demanded more and more —repeat after me: Never again.

Defense Cooperation Agreement which has not been universally accepted by all sectors of our society. We have also signed an agreement with Australia and Japan. In spite of our efforts to procure new military equipment, it would appear that our poor country is destined to be the dumping ground of old surplus military equipment from the United States and now Japan. But Japan at least, will be turning over 10 brand new coast guard patrol boats which we will be paying under generous concessional terms. Except for two of our presidential candidates who have discussed parts of the dispute, the other three up to now have not discussed in detail their stand on the conflict or what they intend to do.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was reported to have said that he is not in favor of Edca but will not abrogate it.

He also mentioned that he does not believe that the United States would go to war with China for us. He advocates instead that we develop our own capability so we can defend our sovereignty with honor.

Senator Miriam Santiago, on the other hand, has come

But at least one candidate in the coming May elections wants to change a tax system that has kept wage earners from enjoying the largesse given to the oligarchs and the CCT beneficiaries alike.

And if only because he proposed exempting workers who make up to P30,000 a month from income taxes, I sure hope Vice President Jejomar Binay deserves some serious consideration.

By now, we all know that the Aquino administration will not even allow the “indexation” of the current two-decade-old income tax brackets that has put people who make P50,000 a month (a bracket that includes many people in supervisory and middle-management positions in the private sector) pay the same maximum 32-percent tax level as the richest Filipinos in the Forbes list. And indexation only means that taxes will be adjusted for the

History... From A10 As I said in my column yesterday, it’s a defining moment for the gods of Mount Olympus at Padre Faura. It will show us the kind of people BS Aquino appointed to the Supreme Court.

If there are leaks from the Supreme Court coming out in media, it’s to be expected. Whether or not Mrs. Llamanzares is deemed

Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram:@jensdecember

qualified for the race is of national interest. Can we afford to have an alien leading us? *** Gambling casinos are being used to launder hidden wealth.

We have seen enough movies showing how it is being done.

That’s the reason there is a need to amend the Anti-Money Laundering Act to include casinos. Some do it openly, while others are more sophisticated.

TH U RSDAY : M ARC H 3 , 2 0 1 6

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 212 MANDALUYONG CITY SHAUGHNESSY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, -versus-

Plaintiff,

CIVIL CASE NO. MC14-8674

JELLY M. CABILES, and YOLANDA M. CABILES,

Defendants. x---------------------------------------------------------x

DECISION Submitted for decision is the above-captioned Complaint for Enforcement of Maceda Law and Damages filed by Shaughnessy Development Corporation against Jelly M. Cabiles and Yolanda M. Cabiles.

In its Complaint, Plaintiff primarily avers that it is the owner-developer of Summerfield East Subdivision located at Sitio Hulong, Barangay San Juan, Rizal which includes among others, a parcel of land with an area of 58.65 square meters embraced in Transfer Certificate of Title No. 684949 of the Register of Deeds for the Province of Rizal. On May 16, 2005, Plaintiff and defendant Jelly M. Cabiles (hereafter referred to as “defendant Jelly”) entered into a House and Lot Agreement to sell involving the said parcel of land. Upon paying the required down payment, the latter took possession of the subject property.

Defendant Jelly however defaulted in the payment of the monthly amortizations starting September 2009 prompting the Plaintiff to send her a reminder letter on January 26, 2010, then a formal demand letter on February 22, 2010 and another on May 20, 2011 but these notwithstanding, said Defendant still refused to update her account. Thus, in a letter dated April 10, 2012, Plaintiff cancelled the aforesaid Agreement by Notarial Act pursuant to the provision of Maceda Law which was received by the said Defendant. Meanwhile, the cash surrender value reserved for the said Defendant was not withdrawn by the latter until the check was considered stale. Plaintiff now asks the court to render valid the notarial cancellation it made over the subject property. Likewise, Plaintiff is willing to deposit the value thereof in court for proper consignation.

Plaintiff further alleges that despite the valid cancellation of the Agreement, said Defendant still illegally occupies the subject property to the great detriment of the Plaintiff which illegal possession can easily be assessed at P10,000.00 a month if rented out to others.

Notwithstanding the repeated demands, said Defendant refused and continues to refuse to peacefully surrender the subject property. Worse, said Defendants mother, defendant Yolanda M. Cabiles (hereafter referred to as “defendant Yolanda”), now claims that the property is not owned by the Plaintiff but by Tallano Estate, to which organization the defendant Yolanda is a member. Such organization, with the help of defendant Yolanda, filed a nuisance suit against the plaintiff before the Regional Trial Court of Antipolo City, Branch 98 that was eventually ordered dismissed. Plaintiff now asks the court to adjudge exemplary damages against defendant Yolanda in the amount of P100,000.00 to deter others from such evil ways.

Finally, Plaintiff alleges that as a consequence of Defendants’ unlawful acts and omissions, it was constrained to secure the services of a counsel to protect its interest and spent litigation expenses in the total amount of P200,000.00, which should be assessed against the latter.

Officer’s Return dated February 19, 2014 shows that on February 18, 2014, Summons was DULY SERVED to Defendants by way of substituted service to a person found at the Defendants’ known address but who refused to disclose her identity and sign the receiving copy of the Summons.

On March 11, 2014, Plaintiff filed its Motion to Declare Defendants in Default alleging that the latter failed to file their Answer within the reglementary period of fifteen (15) days since receiving the Summons issued by the court and which was eventually granted in the Order dated March 14,2014.

Also, Plaintiff filed on March 17, 2014, an Urgent Ex Parte Motion for Consignation of the Union Bank Manager’s Check No. 0000313405 in the amount of P665,978.68 and issued in favor of defendant Jelly representing the cash surrender value to which the latter is allegedly entitled. The said motion was denied in the Order dated March 19, 2014 for failure of the Plaintiff to establish the requisites for a valid consignation.

Meanwhile on March 27, 2014, Defendants filed through their counsel a Motion by Way of Protest on Jurisdiction of Court Over Persons of Defendants with Priorly Express Leave alleging that defendant Jelly is residing in Barcelona, Spain, hence, the court did not acquire jurisdiction over her person. It is also alleged that defendant Yolanda should be dropped from the Complaint reasoning that she is not the real-party-in-interest or the representative of defendant Jelly. Plaintiff filed its Comment/Opposition thereto and another Motion for Consignation that was eventually treated as Motion for Reconsideration of the Order dated March 19, 2014.

On May 5, 2014, the court partially granted Defendants’ Motion by Way of Protest on Jurisdiction of Court but only insofar as defendant Jelly is concerned and directed the Plaintiff to cause the service of Summons as against said defendant. Anent Plaintiff’s second Motion for Consignation, the same was denied and the case was set again for the presentation of Plaintiff’s evidence ex parte against defendant Yolanda only.

On June 17, 2014, Plaintiff filed an Omnibus Motion for Leave of Court to Serve Summons

by Publication and to Withdraw the Union Bank Manager’s Check No. 0000313405. Upon the other hand, defendant Yolanda through counsel also filed an Omnibus Motion to Lift Order of Default and for Reconsideration of the May 5, 2014 Order.

After jointly hearing the said Omnibus Motions and the parties filing their respective pleadings, the court granted Plaintiff’s Omnibus Motion and partially granted defendant Yolanda’s Omnibus Motion only insofar as the default order is concerned and the latter was allowed to file her Answer within fifteen (15) days from receipt thereof.

On October 2,2014, defendant Yolanda filed her Answer with Special Allegations, Affirmative Defenses and Counterclaim and for Dismissal of the Complaint by counsel. She raises the special allegation that Plaintiff took advantage of the absence of defendant Jelly and that the Maceda law was neither incorporated in the so called “Agreement” nor explained to the said defendant. As by way of affirmative defenses, she contends that the complaint fails to state a cause of action considering that she is not privy to the Agreement and that she did not and have not in any occasion ever claim that the subject property is owned by another.

Defendant Yolanda in turn seeks recovery of attorney’s fees, moral and exemplary damages, as by way of compulsory counterclaim, and prays for the dismissal of the Complaint.

In the Order dated October 7, 2014, the case was referred to the Philippine Mediation Center (PMC) for mandatory mediation. However, defendant Yolanda failed to appear despite notice, hence, the case was returned back to court for the conduct of Judicial Dispute Resolution which was set on March 12, 2015.

Meanwhile on October 17, 2014, Plaintiff filed its Compliance with the Order dated September 15, 2014 directing it to cause the publication of the Summons against defendant Jelly once in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, by submitting proofs that the Summons was indeed published on October 13, 2014.

On January 30, 2015, Plaintiff filed a Motion to Declare Defendant Jelly M. Cabiles in Default on the alleged failure to file her Answer despite the lapse of more than 100 days from the time of the publication of the Summons.

In the Order dated March 6, 2015, the resolution on the motion for default was deferred considering that the case against defendant Yolanda is set for Judicial Dispute Resolution.

During the Judicial Dispute Resolution conference on March 12, 2015, defendant Yolanda without the assistance of counsel, forthwith interposed her objections to the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case and manifested that she will not enter into any form of settlement, hence, the court was constrained to terminate the same and the Plaintiff’s Motion to Declare defendant Jelly M. Cabiles in Default was finally considered submitted for resolution while the case against defendant Yolanda was set for the conduct of Pre-Trial Conference proper on May 8, 2015.

On April 13, 2015, the court granted the Plaintiff’s Motion to Declare defendant Jelly M. Cabiles in Default and set the presentation of evidence ex parte before a Commissioner on April 24, 2015 but the same was merely reset to May 28, 2015.

Meanwhile, during the Pre-Trial Conference held on May 8, 2015, only the representative of the said defendant appeared and moved for a resetting to June 26, 2015 with the Plaintiff’s counsel interposing no objection.

During the ex-parte presentation of evidence against defendant Jelly held on May 28, 2015, counsel for the Plaintiff presented Ms. Francia R. Tolentino who testified by way of her Judicial Affidavit dated May 28, 2015 (Exhibit “L”) that she is employed by the Plaintiff as Accounting Assistant tasked to monitor accounts of buyers of the subdivision house and lots owned by the Plaintiff, report delinquent accounts to management, prepare notices of delinquent accounts, refer to legal counsel accounts that need to be cancelled, and file cases if necessary for and on behalf of the Plaintiff (Exhibit “A”). In the course thereof, she handled the account of Jelly M. Cabiles who executed a House and Lot Agreement to Sell on May 16, 2005 in favor of the Plaintiff (Exhibit “D”) for the purchase of the latter’s house and lot in Summerfield East, particularly Blk. 2, Lot 39, with an Area of 58.65 square meters and covered by Transfer Certificate of Title No. 684949 (Exhibit “B”) and Tax Declaration No. 13-0004-03916 (Exhibit “C”).

The witness testified further that after defendant Jelly was allowed to occupy the subject property (Exhibit “E”), she defaulted in the payment of the monthly installments as stated in the said Agreement beginning December 2009. Despite receipt of written notice (Exhibit “F”) requiring her to update her account and formal demands (Exhibits “G and “H”) made upon her, said defendant still failed to pay the overdue amortizations. Thus, the Plaintiff issued in favor of the said defendant Union Bank Check No. 2002579212 dated May 15, 2012 in the amount of P665,978.68 (Exhibit “J”) representing the cash surrender value of the payments made by the latter and the Plaintiff caused the notarial cancellation of the Agreement on May 21, 2012 (Exhibit “I”) that was received by the said defendant on June 8, 2012 (Exhibit “I3”). The said check however remained in the possession of the plaintiff until it became stale.

Defendant Jelly also continued to occupy the property despite the cancellation, thus, prompting the Plaintiff to send her a demand letter (Exhibit “K”) to vacate the same. However, such demand was merely ignored by the said defendant who continued to refused to vacate the subject property to the damage and prejudice of the Plaintiff which may be estimated at the rate of P10,000.00 per month beginning June 2012.

Finally, Plaintiff was forced to litigate and incurred expenses in the form of Attorney’s fees and cost of suit in the amount of P200,000.00.

Upon the completion of the testimony of his witness, counsel for the Plaintiff moved for fifteen (15) days within which to formally offer their exhibits.

On June 5, 2015, Plaintiff, through counsel, formally offered its exhibits consisting of Exhibits “A” to “L” together with their sub-markings which were all admitted on Order dated June 10, 2015 and the case against defendant Jelly was considered submitted for Decision while the case against defendant Yolanda which was scheduled for Pre-Trial Conference on June 26, 2015 proceeded.

During the said Pre-Trial conference, defendant Yolanda and her counsel failed to appear despite due notice, prompting the counsel for the Plaintiff to move for the presentation of its evidence ex-parte before the Commissioner which was granted by the court and the same was set on August 4, 2015.

The said witness further stated that during the pendency of the instant case or on June 3, 2015, the Plaintiff received a letter (Exhibit “R”) from the same squatting syndicate which filed a case against it, threatening to file legal actions if the Plaintiff will not follow their demand. Upon verification by one of their senior sales agent, it was discovered that the present possessor of the subject property is a relative of Romeo P. Bravo – the signatory in the recent letter they received. But as per advice of their legal counsel, any person who is now in possession of the property is covered by the present suit brought against defendants Jelly M. Cabiles and Yolanda M. Cabiles.

Finally, the witness testified that the Plaintiff now asks that all the defendants be solidarily liable for the amount of P200,000.00 representing attorney’s fees exclusive of appearance fee of P3,000.00 every hearing and litigation expenses plus cost of publication.

After the testimony of the witness was terminated, counsel for the Plaintiff manifested that they are adopting Exhibits “A” to “L” and their submarkings for which they were offered and as part of the testimony of their witness. Said counsel also proceeded to formally offer their recent exhibits consisting of Exhibits “M” to “S” and manifested that upon the admission of the same, plaintiff rests its case and moved that the case shall be finally submitted for decision.

In the Order dated August 12, 2015, the court admitted Exhibits “M” to “S” and their submarkings and the case was finally considered submitted for Decision.

It must be noted that defendant Jelly was declared in default while defendant Yolanda’s non-appearance during the Pre-Trial Conference allowed the Plaintiff to present its evidence ex-parte, hence, the latter’s evidence in the present case remained uncontroverted.

Thus, from the four (4) causes of action brought to this court by the Plaintiff, the following are the issues ought to be resolved by the court, to wit:

Whether or not Plaintiff validly cancelled the subject House and Lot Agreement it entered with the defendant Jelly pursuant to the provisions of Maceda Law; Whether or not Plaintiff may eject the Defendants and all persons claiming rights under defendant Jelly;

3.

Whether or not Plaintiff is entitled to recover exemplary damages against defendant Yolanda for the alleged nuisance suit she filed before the Regional Trial Court of Antipolo City; and

4.

Whether or not Plaintiff is entitled to claim attorney’s fees and cost of suit against all the defendants.

As to the issues of validity of notarial rescission pursuant to the Maceda Law and the right of the Plaintiff to eject the Defendants from the premises Republic Act No. 6552, also known as the Maceda Law, or the Realty Installment Buyer Protection Act, has the declared public policy of “protecting buyers of real estate on installment payments against onerous and oppressive conditions.” While Section 3 of said law provides for the rights of a buyer who has paid at least two years of installments but defaults in the payment of succeeding installments, it likewise recognizes the right of the seller to cancel the contract upon non-payment of an installment by the buyer, which is simply an event that prevents the obligation of the vendor to convey title from acquiring binding force. However, the cancellation of the contract by the seller must be in accordance with Sec. 3 (b) thereof, which requires a notarial act of rescission and the refund to the buyer of the full payment of the cash surrender value of the payments on the property. Actual cancellation of the contract takes place after 30 days from receipt by the buyer of the notice of cancellation or the demand for rescission of the contract by a notarial act and upon full payment of the cash surrender value to the buyer. As held in cases1 decided by the Supreme Court, the foregoing procedure provides for an out-of-court cancellation of Contract to Sell involving real properties with the condition that the mandatory twin requirements of notarized notice of cancellation and refund of cash surrender value are complied with before such cancellation may be considered valid.

To the mind of the court, rescission or cancellation takes effect by operation of law upon full compliance of such requirements by the seller. Thus, the latter can simply demand for the recovery of possession of the real property involved from the buyer who was allowed to possess the same at the inception of their contract. Failure of the latter will entitle the seller to file the proper action for recovery of possession before the proper court which has jurisdiction over the area where the property is located.

In this case, while Plaintiff had properly performed the notarial cancellation of the Agreement on May 21, 2012 (Exhibits “I”) it is clear that it has not yet refunded the cash surrender value of the payments to defendant Jelly as the former remained in custody of the check representing the value of the same and it is actually seeking for consignation of the same in court. Whether fault may be attributed to defendant Jelly for not withdrawing the same despite due notice thereof, the fact still remains that the essential requisite of “actual refund” under the subject law was simply not completed by the Plaintiff.

Be that as it may, nothing prevents the seller from pursuing a judicial action to finally have the contract cancelled or annulled on the ground of breach of the terms thereof by the buyer.

As a matter of fact, it is the considered view of the court that such action is the only recourse left for the Plaintiff given the apparent adamant refusal by defendant Jelly to recognize the right afforded by the law in its favor.

Interestingly, while Plaintiff erroneously designates its Complaint as one for “Enforcement of Maceda Law” a reading of the allegations therein and the relief being prayed for in its first cause of action readily shows that the present action is principally an action for rescission or annulment of contract for breach of the terms and conditions thereof, particularly, for failure of defendant Jelly to pay the monthly amortizations beginning December 2009. On this score, the court is guided by the prevailing jurisprudence that “what determines the nature of an action, as well as which court has jurisdiction over it, are the allegations contained in the Complaint and the character of the relief sought” (Cabrera, et al., vs. Francisco, et al., G.R. No. 172293, August 28, 2013).

Thus, being an action for rescission or annulment of contract it is one incapable of pecuniary estimation and jurisdiction is vested with this court. Venue also lies herein since the principal office address of the Plaintiff is in Mandaluyong City. Furthermore, save for the claim of the Plaintiff for exemplary damages against defendant Yolanda, there is proper joinder of causes of action considering that the Complaint complied with Sec. 6, Rule 3 of the Rules of Court as to proper joinder of parties, viz.: “Sec. 6. Permissive joinder of parties. All persons in whom or against whom any right to relief in respect to or arising out of the same transaction or series of transactions is alleged to exist, whether jointly, severally, or in the alternative, may, except as otherwise provided in these Rules, join as plaintiffs or be joined as defendants in one complaint, where any question of law or fact common to all such plaintiffs or to all such defendants may arise in the action; xxx” Having threshed out the procedural issues, the court shall now go to the merits of Plaintiff’s claims of rescission of the subject Agreement and its right to eject the defendants from the property covered by the same.

It is uncontroverted that Plaintiff’s claim is based on the House & Lot Agreement to Sell (Exhibit “D”) it entered with the defendant Jelly on May 16, 2005. While the former complied with its undertaking to deliver the subject property pursuant to the said Agreement (Exhibit “E”), defendant Jelly committed breach in the performance of their obligation to the Plaintiff when she failed to pay the monthly amortizations starting December 2009 (Exhibit “F”).

Despite receipt of the formal demands (Exhibits “G” and “H”) made upon her to update her accounts, said defendant still failed to pay the overdue amortizations. As of May 2, 2011, defendant Jelly’s outstanding obligation to the Plaintiff is P507,747.31, hence, the latter caused the notarial cancellation of the Agreement on May 21, 2012 (Exhibit “I”) that was received by the said defendant on June 8, 2012 (Exhibit “I-3”) and even prepared Union Bank Check No. 2002579212 dated May 15, 2012 in the amount of P665,978.68 (Exhibit “J”) representing the cash surrender value of the payments made by the latter in hope for the cancellation of their contract under the Maceda Law. It is fundamental that the contract executed by and between the Plaintiff and defendant Jelly is the law which must be complied reciprocally in good faith and the breach thereof by the said defendant entitles the former to its claim against the latter (Co Chien vs. St. Lucia Realty and Development, Inc. 513 SCRA 570).

Verily, by a preponderance of evidence, the Plaintiff was able to show that it is entitled for the rescission of House & Lot Agreement to Sell dated May 16, 20015. Corollary thereto, it is also obliged to return the cash surrender value in conformity with the requirement of the Maceda Law. But the question is, how much?

Applying the provision of the subject law, Plaintiff initially determined the cash surrender value in the amount of P665,978.68 representing fifty per cent (50%) of the total payments made by defendant Jelly less accrued interest, and which the court finds in order considering that defendant Jelly defaulted after two (2) years but less than five (5) years of payment of the required amortizations under the contract.

However, it must be noted that the present case is also joined by an action for the recovery of possession of the subject property against defendant Jelly and all persons claiming rights under her as a necessary consequence of the cancellation of their Agreement such that the Plaintiff is demanding for the payment of rentals for the use thereof in the amount of P10,000.00 per month. In this respect, the court is guided by the ruling in Pilar Development Corporation vs. Sps. Cesar Villar and Charlotte Villar, G.R. No. 158840, October 27, 2006.

In the said case, the petitioner corporation did not actually return the cash surrender value due the respondents-spouses, but still, the Supreme Court sustained the former’s right to recover possession of the property from the latter, ruling that the cancellation of the Contract to Sell took effect by virtue of the Court’s judgment. It also charged the respondents with rentals for the use of the property from the time they obtained possession thereof up to the time that its actual possession is surrendered or restored to the petitioner to prevent the respondents, who breached the terms of their contract to sell, from unjustly enriching themselves at the expense of the petitioner which, for all legal intents and purposes, never ceased to be the owner of the same property because of the respondents’ non-fulfillment of the indispensable condition of full payment of the purchase price, as embodied in the parties’ contract to sell.

The Court then decreed that the sum of the rentals is to be reduced by the cash surrender value of the payments so far made by the buyer, and the resulting net amount still owing as accrued rentals shall be subject to legal interest from finality of the Decision up to the time of actual payment thereof.

It is therefore beyond question that Plaintiff has the right to demand from defendant Jelly and persons claiming rights under her to immediately vacate the property subject matter of their Agreement as a necessary consequence of the cancellation of the same But since the latter refused without just cause, Defendants are liable to pay the accrued rentals in the amount of P10,000.00 per month beginning May 7, 2005 (Exhibit “E”) up to the time that its actual possession is surrendered or restored to the plaintiff. Such accrued rentals shall be reduced by the cash surrender value in the amount of P665,978.68.

As to the issue of Plaintiff’s right to recover exemplary damages against defendant Yolanda for the alleged nuisance suit she filed before the Regional Trial Court of Antipolo City By the very nature of such claim of the Plaintiff, it is apparent that the same should have been set up as a compulsory counterclaim in the action allegedly brought by defendant Yolanda before the Regional Trial Court of Antipolo City. Thus, the failure of the Plaintiff to do so bars it from claiming the same pursuant to Section 2, Rule 9 of the Rules.

But even assuming arguendo that the same is not a compulsory counterclaim, such cause of action cannot be joined in the present Complaint as the facts involved do not arise out of the same transaction or series of transaction compared to the other causes of action and that there is no common question of law or fact involving the same. However, impleading defendant Yolanda in this action may be said to be proper only insofar as the Plaintiff’s claim that the said defendant continued to possess the subject property and even allowed others to possess the same despite breach of the terms of the Agreement by defendant Jelly to whom defendant Yolanda derives her authority.

As to the award of attorney’s fees and cost of suit against all the Defendants.

Paragraph 40 of the subject House & Lot Agreement to Sell provides for the parties’ stipulation with respect to the payment of attorney’s fees in case of recourse to the court is availed of by the Plaintiff, viz.: “LEGAL REMEDY” 40. If the OWNER and/or Association resorts to regular courts of justice in order to enforce the provisions of this Contract, for the protection of its rights and redress of grievances, the PURCHASER of the lot or his/her successor-in-interest is obliged to pay the OWNER by way of attorney’s fees, a reasonable sum which in no case shall be less than Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00) xxx; an additional Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00), if it is in the Regional Trial Court, xxx, plus costs of litigation and damages, actual or consequential which the Developer may be entitled under the law.”

The Plaintiff is therefore entitled only to the stipulated award of attorney’s fees in the amount of P30,000.00 for its failure to prove that it is entitled to more than said amount.

WHEREFORE, premises considered, judgment is hereby rendered for the Plaintiff and against the Defendants, as follows:

During the said ex-parte presentation of evidence, counsel for the Plaintiff presented Mr. Timothy M. Ang for the following purposes, to wit: that the Plaintiff had the right to cancel the contract it entered with the principal defendant Jelly M.Cabiles, in accordance with the provisions of R.A. No. 6552 (Maceda Law); and that as the consequence thereof, Plaintiff had the right to eject the defendants and all other persons claiming rights over her to the subject property and to solidarily charge the defendants for compensation for the reasonable use of the property as actual damages, attorney’s fees and cost of suit.

Mr. Ang then testified by way of his Judicial Affidavit dated August 3, 2015 (Exhibit “S”) that he is the President of Shaughnessy Development Corporation, the plaintiff in this case.

He is tasked, among others, to oversee and monitor the overall operations of their company including any legal actions brought against or by the corporation in any court or tribunal (Exhibit “M”). In the course thereof, he encountered a suit brought against their company

by Julian Morden Tallano before the Regional Trial Court of Antipolo City docketed as Civil Case No. 12-9726 (Exhibit “O”). Such suit was filed with the help of defendant Yolanda who is also a member of the squatting syndicate of the Tallano Noble Estate. The said civil case was eventually dismissed after the Plaintiff’s counsel filed a motion to dismiss and such order became final and executory. Thereafter, Plaintiff filed the instant case also against defendant Yolanda in view of the damages it suffered by the filing of the nuisance suit by the latter.

1.

2.

1.

The House & Lot Agreement to Sell executed on May 16, 2005 by and between the Plaintiff and defendant Jelly M. Cabiles is hereby declared RESCINDED/ CANCELLED;

2.

Ordering the Defendants and all persons claiming rights under them to vacate the property subject matter of the said House & Lot Agreement to Sell and deliver possession thereof to the Plaintiff;

3.

Ordering Defendants, jointly and severally, to pay Plaintiff the sum of P10,000.00 per month by way of rental for their use and occupation of the subject property from the date they obtained possession of the the subject property on May 7, 2005 and every month thereafter until the subject property is finally vacated and possession thereof turned over to the Plaintiff minus the cash surrender value in the amount of P665,978.68. The resulting net amount still owing as accrued rentals shall be subject to 12% interest from finality of this Decision up to the time of actual payment thereof; and

4.

Ordering Defendants, jointly and severally, to pay Plaintiff the sum of P30,000.00 as attorney’s fees.

“Plaintiff’s claim for exemplary damages against defendant Yolanda M. Cabiles is hereby DISMISSED. ”Finally, considering that the summons had been served to defendant Jelly M. Cabiles by publication, let a copy of this Decision be published once at the expense of the Plaintiff in a newspaper of general circulation to be raffled at the Office of the Executive Judge, Regional Trial Court, Mandaluyong City pursuant to Section 9, Rule 13 of the Rules of Court.

SO ORDERED. Mandaluyong City, Philippines November 11, 2015 Copy Furnished:

(Sgd.) RIZALINA T. CAPCO-UMALI Judge

ATTY. ARISTOTLE Q. SARMIENTO Counsel for the Plaintiff 507 5th Floor Jovan Bldg., 600 Shaw Blvd., cor. Samat St., Mandaluyong City Atty. PACIFIC C. YADAO Counsel for the Defendant Yolanda 10 Caragay Street, SFDM, Quezon City JELLY M. CABILES Lot 39 Block 2 Summerfield, Barangay San Juan, Taytay Rizal Olympia Housing, Inc. v. Panasiatic Travel Corp. 443 SCRA 385 and Pagtalunan v. Dela Cruz Vda. De Manzano, 559 SCRA 658.

(TS-MAR. 3, 2016)

1

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Canlubang seizes lead CLARK Field, Pampanga—Jobim Carlos played according to pre-tournament hype, shooting a threeunder-par 69 worth 39 points to power Canlubang to a one-point lead over defending champion Manila Southwoods at the start yesterday of the 69th PAL Interclub Men’s Championship.

The 23-year-old Carlos, who is ed its top two players in the 16-yearusing this event as his final ama- old Katsuragawa and the long-hitting teur event before joining the pro Quiban but fell a tad short in the first ranks next week, mixed six birdies round as action shifts to the shorter with three bogeys at the picturesque Acacia and Lake View nines today.

“This is a better line-up for us, Mountain View layout of the Mimosa here to get the Sugar Barons to a but the team faces a stiff challenge with Canlubang around,” Thirdy 138 total for the day.

Young Aidric Chan pooled 34 Escano, Southwoods’ non-playing points and Marco Olives assembled skipper, said.

With ex-pro turned businessman 33 for the Sugar Barons, who are making their first appearance in this Gary Sales shooting 34 points, Viltournament since 2011 and are look- lamor zoomed to a five-point lead over ing to complete another Men’s-Sen- Forest Hills in the Founders Division, which also got going at the composite ior’s double since 2010.

Yuto Katsuragawa scored 38 points Acacia and Lake View nines. and national pool member Justin Quiban shot 37 as Southwoods tallied a 137 after getting 32 points from Chepe Dulay and throwing away the 30 of the veteran Jun Jun Plana.

“I just want to play well for my team,” Carlos, who was a member of that 2010 squad, said. “I have no aspirations for the individual award. Team comes first here.”

Orchard, the champion two years ago in Bacolod, tallied 125 built around the 35 of Liam Cully, with Richard Joson and ex-pro Raymond Sangil counting with 31s even as Luisita lay another five points back at 120 after getting 31s from Koreans Tom Kim and Aidric Chan pools 34 points for Canlubang in the first Chan Jung-park. day of 69th PAL Interclub Golf Tournament at Mimosa Southwoods field- Golf and Country Club in pampanga. LINO SANTOS

Actor is Ford Forza star

By Peter Atencio ACTOR-TRIATHLETE Matteo Guidicelli is excited as he continues to compete in several triathlon events this year.

Guidecelli is part of the team Ford Forza Team Refueled, whose members won the prestigious Ironman Silver All Star Athlete award recently.

The award is given to triathletes of various age groups in recognition of their hard work, dedication and performance in the IronMan and IronMan 70.3 racing.

Other members of the team were also cited and awarded finishers’ medals in Taiwan and Arizona.

Meanwhile, Sports U host Dyan Castillejo and coach Elmo Clarabal were also recognized for their firstplace finishes in the Safeguard 5i50 in Bohol, while Giorgia also won a title in the Century Tuna 70.3 race

in Subic.

“I will be running with the team again. We’re expecting other teammates to also have podium finishes,” said Matteo during the team’s presentation on Thursday last week at the B Hotel in Quezon City.

Team Refueled team captain Gianlucca Guidicelli, Matteo’s father, is upbeat that the team will do even better.

“Definitely, we will move forward. We have good athletes and potential podium finishers,” said the elder Guidicelli.

The team has welcomed three new members this year. They are Maria Hodges, Joseph Miller and Glenn Gonzalez. Hodges, who was a runner-up in the Century Tuna 70.3 event held last year, will see action in the women’s elite category, while Miller and Gonzalez are considered the best triathletes in the age-group category.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Falcons, Cards, Stallions win

Cage court inauguration. San Juan City Vice Mayor Francis Zamora, Congressman Ronny Zamora, Coun. Totoy Bernardo, with PBA Legends

Ronnie Magsanoc, Alvin Patrimonio, Johnny Abarrientos, Bonel Balingit, Kenneth Duremdes, Jerry Codiñera, Marlou Aquino, and Bal David; PBA Veterans Don Allado and Paul Artadi; and Volleyball Superstars Rachel Daquis, Fille Cainglet-Cayetano, Aby Maraño, Jen Reyes, Jov Gonzaga, and Cha Cruz are shown during the inauguration of the basketball court of Barangay Kabayanan and the Opening of the Zamora Cup Basketball and Volleyball Inter-Barangay Tournament. This program aims to promote sports, physical fitness, and a drug-free lifestyle in the City of San Juan.

Foton eyes fine show FOTON will be aiming for a good performance when it carries the country’s colors in the coming Asian Women’s Club Championship to be held in Manila later this year.

The team earned the right to represent the Philippines after winning last year’s Super Liga Grand Prix, dethroning defending champion Petron.

“We know that we are not just going to carry our company name, but more importantly the country when we participate in this tournament, where the best volleyball clubs in Asia will be competing. We are determined to do what it takes to come up with a worthy performance. Right now, we are looking at a sixmonth preparation for the team we will send,” said Foton team manager Alvin Lu. Lu also shared management’s plan to reinforce the team with other players from other PSL teams.

“I have been in touch with the other teams already and in principle, we are in agreement that we should field a strong team to represent the country and the league, and our coaching staff is presently working on a training program that will take into consideration the other teams’ own preparations for the All-Filipino conference. I am confident that we will be able to come up with a good program for this, “ added Lu.

THE Adamson Falcons, the Manuel L. Quezon University Stallions and the Mapua Cardinals put away separate foes last Sunday to complete the quarterfinal cast in the 12th Fr. Martin Cup Collegiate Open basketball tournament at the Far Eastern University gym in Morayta, Manila.

The Falcons, with Renren Ritualo calling the shots on behalf of head coach Franz Pumaren, posted back-toback wins, taking their second triumph after they crushed University of the East, 64-46.

Their first victory for the weekend came from a 96-59 smothering of Philippine College of Criminology last Saturday at the Arellano University gymnasium in Legarda, Manila.

The Stallions trounced Letran-B, 8161, while the Cardinals won over College of St. Benilde, 57-55.

Terrence Mustre shot 10 points, while Papi Sarr added nine for the Falcons in their third win in five matches in Group B, at the expense of the UE Warriors.

Superliga bets to put premium on defense THE Philippine Superliga All-Star will work on its defense to strengthen its chances when it competes in the prestigious Thailand Super League women’s invitational volleyball tournament from March 23-28 at the MCC Hall of The Mall Bangkapi in Bangkok.

No less than PSL president Ramon “Tats” Suzara issued the marching order late Tuesday shortly after presenting the members of the 14-man squad, led by the charming pair of Rachel Anne Daquis of RC Cola-Army and Cha Cruz of F2 Logistics.

Aside from Daquis and Cruz, also included in the team are Rhea Di-

maculangan and Maika Ortiz of Foton; April Ross Hingpit and Jeanette Panaga of Cignal; Jen Reyes, Aiza MaizoPontillas, Mina Aganaon and Frances Molina of Petron; Melissa Gohing and Michelle Gumabao of Philips Gold; and Stephanie Mercado and Aby Marano of F2 Logistics.

Two-time champion

George Pascua of Petron will be the head coach, while Macky Carino of Cignal will be his chief deputy.

“What we have is a fighting team which has a combination of skills, power and beauty,” said Suzara, who served as the secretary-general of the Philippine Amateur Volleyball Association, when the country won its last gold medal in the women’s volleyball in the Southeast Asian Games.

“Defense—both at the net and on the floor—made the 1993 SEA Games team very successful.

That’s why I told George to put special emphasis on blocking and reception. We may not be the tallest, but if we have solid defense, at least we stand a good chance against the best club teams in the region.”

Pascua echoed Suzara’s statement, saying that opposing

teams, led by reigning champion Bangkok Glass, are not too tall, making it easier for them to contain their attacks if they will come up with a solid defense at the net.

He added that Bangkok Glass, which is expected to parade its national team members in Pornpun Guedpard, Wnida Kotruang and skipper Pleumjit Thinkaow, remains as the team to beat while Thai squads like King-Bangkok, Idea Khonkaen, 3BB Nokhonnont, Supreme Chonburi and Nakhon Ratchasima as well as a potent squad from Hong Kong are also tipped to give them a serious fight.

The eight teams will be divided into two groups where the top two squads will clash in a crossover semifinals. The survivors of the semis will figure in a sudden-death finals showdown.

Martin, Cuizon share net honors JACOB Martin and Chad Connor Cuizon both survived second set scares and pulled off a pair of tough victories over Alfrancis Andrade and Jeff Jimenea, respectively, to lead the winners in the upsetmarred Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis circuit at the Iloilo City Tennis Center last Monday.

The top-seeded Martin, playing out of Xavier School, played true to form and romped off with four straight-set victories but needed to toughen up against the unranked Andrade in the boys’ 16-and-under finals to hack out a 6-1,

7-6(2) victory.

The second-ranked Cuizon also got past three rivals via straightset victories but had to withstand Jeff Jimenea’s fightback to carve out a 4-2, 5-3 decision over the No. 1 bet in the 10-unisex finals of the five-day Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented

by Slazenger.

Bliss Bayking, on the other hand, finally snapped a run of setbacks in the country’s premier age-group circuit as the San Carlos City, Negros ace nailed not just one but two crowns over top seeded rivals in the

tournament sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Paranaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez, and backed by Asiatraders Corp., exclusively distributor of Slazenger, the official ball.

The third ranked Bayking stunned No. 2 Averille Sacapano, 6-4, 6-2, in the semis then blasted No. 1 Keana de Asis, 6-2, 6-1, to snare the girls’ 14-U crown. Sustaining her form, she repeated over De Asis, 6-3, 6-2, in the 16-U semis then battled back from a set down to foil top seed Tracy Llamas, 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-1, to pocket the 16-U plum.

Chad Connor Cuizon (second from left) and Jacob Martin (second from right) hold their trophies and prize as they pose with Philta regional vice president for Panay Island Dr. Andres Bayona (left) and ULTRA president Angel Gella after topping their respective divisions in the PPS-PEPP age-group tennis in Iloilo City recently.

T H U R S DAY : M A R C H 3 , 2 0 16

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

FEU Tamaraws climb to 2nd spot THE Far Eastern University Tamaraws stunned the National University Bulldogs, 25-19, 22-25, 26-24, 25-20, to move up to second spot at the close of the first round in the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines volleyball tournament at the Arena in San Juan.

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

INVITATION TO BID FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF VARIOUS FITTINGS

G o o d s - 2 0 16 - 0 0 4 Va r i o u s F i t t i n g s P. R . # 16 - 0 2 - 0 0 2 7 MNWD, Naga City

The METROPOLITAN NAGA WATER DISTRICT (MNWD) through its approved Corporate Budget, intends to apply the sum of THREE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THIRTY NINE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED PESOS (Php 3,839,900.00) only, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF VARIOUS FITTINGS, CONTRACT REFERENCE NO. GOODS 2016-004. 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 VARIOUS FITTINGS. 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 THURSDAY, MARCH 3 to 22, 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 Tamaraws, who improved to 5-2 played superb volleyball, while the Bulldogs played poorly as they committed 44 errors.

With the win, the Morayta-based spikers moved to solo second behind the Ateneo Blue Eagles and Adamson Falcons, who share the lead with identical 6-1 marks.

JP Bugaoan and Jeric Gacutan had 12 points each to lead FEU, which disposed of the Bulldogs in one hour and 43 minutes, FEU engaged NU into three deadlocks in the third set before setter Republic of the Philippines Metropolitan Naga Water 4 0 J. M iranda Avenue, Naga City

Vince Mangulabnan committed an error that gave the Tams a 2-1 edge entering the fourth set.

In the only other match, rookie spiker Manuel Medina joined forces with veteran teammate Arnold Bautista to lead University of Santo Tomas to a 3-setter against De La Salle, 25-23, 25-21, 25-19, its first after a three-game losing streak and second overall in seven games.

Medina, a 16-year-old prized find from Jose Rizal Institute, posted 14 points, 12 coming from kills and two off his blocks.

G o o d s - 2 0 16 - 0 0 2 Var i ous S izes of Water M eter s (B r and N ew) P. R . # 16 - 0 1 - 0 0 6 6 MNWD, Naga City

I N V I TAT I O N T O B I D FO R T H E S U P P LY A N D D E L I V E RY O F VA R I O U S S I Z E S O F WAT E R M E T E R S ( B R A N D N E W ) The METROPOLITAN NAGA WATER DISTRICT (MNWD) through its approved Corporate Budget, intends to apply the sum of FOUR MILLION NINE HUNDRED TWELVE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY THREE PESOS AND 80/100 (Php 4,912,783.80) only, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF VARIOUS SIZES OF WATER METERS (BRAND NEW), CONTRACT REFERENCE NO. GOODS 2016-005. 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 VARIOUS SIZES OF WATER METERS (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.

The MNWD will hold a PRE-BID CONFERENCE on MARCH 10, 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.

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

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before MARCH 22, 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.

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.

BID OPENING shall be on MARCH 22, 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

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 3

Bulacan-Aurora-Nueva Ecija Irrigation Management Office Office Address: Telephone Nos. Email Address:

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-3888/766-4142/766-0157/766-3524 niabaneimoafs@yahoo.com

BID OPENING shall be on MARCH 22, 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 (SGD) MELVIN B. MACARAIG BAC Chairman

( T S - M A R . 3 , 2 016)

March 1, 2016 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Bulacan-Aurora-Nueva Ecija Irrigation Management Office (BANE IMO) Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, through its Bids and Award Committee (BAC), invites Contractors to bid for: ITB No.R3-BANE-RRENIS-2016-BU-40 ANGAT RIS (AMRIS) REPAIR REHAB OF LATERAL G-2 AND VARIOUS IRRIGATION FACILITIES,Pulilan, Bulacan. The Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) is P18,964,505.00 with contract duration of 120 calendar days. Bid Documents cost P 19,000.00 ITB No.R3-BANE-RRENIS-2016-BU-41 ANGAT RIS (AMRIS) BITUKANG MANOK CREEK AND VARIOUS IRRIGATION FACILITIES,Candaba, Pampanga. The Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) is P 9,462,183.00 with contract duration of 120 calendar days. Bid Documents cost P 9,000.00 ITB No. R3-BANE-RRENIS-2016-BU-42 ANGAT RIS (AMRIS) LATERAL A-2 AND VARIOUS IRRIGATION FACILITIES,San Rafael, Bulacan. The Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) is P 9,739,932.93 with contract duration of 120 calendar days. Bid Documents cost P 10,000.00 Only those, Letter of Intent together with the company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer will be accepted.

Interested bidders must have experience in undertaking similar project within the last three (3) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding.

Any bid above the ABC as stated above each ITB shall be rejected outright.

Issuance of Bid Documents; (upon payment of non-refundable amount as stated above each ITB)

March 3, 2016 @ 10:00 AM NIA BANE, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan

Schedule of Activities; NIA, BANE IMO

Pre-Bidding

Submission Opening of Bids

March 9, 2016 1:30 PM 2:15 PM 3:00 PM

March 22, 2016 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM

The NIA-BANE assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of bids. Also, NIA reserves the right to reject any or all bids at any time prior to award, waive any defects therein and to declare the bidding a failure for whatever reasons it may deem appropriate.

(TS-MAR.3, 2016)

The MNWD will hold a PRE-BID CONFERENCE on MARCH 10, 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.

Telefax No. (044) 766-3888 TIN 000-578-009-000

INVITATION TO BID

ITB No. R3-BANE-RRENIS-2016-BU-40 ITB No. R3-BANE-RRENIS-2016-BU-41 ITB No. R3-BANE-RRENIS-2016-BU-42

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting on THURSDAY, MARCH 3 to 22, 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).

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before MARCH 22, 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.

(SGD MELVIN B. MACARAIG BAC Chairman

( T S - M A R . 3 , 2 016)

Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the IRR of RA 9184.

SGD.ROBERTO J. DELA CRUZ Chairman – BAC

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

I N F R A - 2 0 16 - 0 0 4 Installation of Parallel Pipeline at Pacol I Pumping Station – San Felipe (n e a r D e c a H o m e s S u b d i v i s i o n), N a g a C i t y P. R . # 16 - 0 1 - 0 0 2 8 Naga City

INVITATION TO BID FOR FURNISHING OF LABOR AND MATERIALS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF PARALLEL PIPELINE AT PACOL I PUMPING STATION – SAN FELIPE (NEAR DECA HOMES SUBDIVISION), NAGA CITY

The METROPOLITAN NAGA WATER DISTRICT (MNWD), through its approved Corporate Budget, intends to apply the sum of TEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED NINETY THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTY FOUR PESOS AND 62/100 (Php 10,693,254.62) ONLY being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract FURNISHING OF LABOR AND MATERIALS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF PARALLEL PIPELINE AT PACOL I PUMPING STATION – SAN FELIPE (NEAR DECA HOMES SUBDIVISION), NAGA CITY, Project No.: INFRA 2016-004. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The MNWD now invites bids for FURNISHING OF LABOR AND MATERIALS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF PARALLEL PIPELINE AT PACOL I PUMPING STATION – SAN FELIPE (NEAR DECA HOMES SUBDIVISION), NAGA CITY. Completion of the Works is required within ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY SEVEN (187) CALENDAR DAYS. Bidders must have an experience of having completed at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from MNWD and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below 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 THURSDAY, MARCH 3 to 22, 2016, from the Office of the BAC Secretariat c/o Administrative Division, Ground Floor MNWD Building, MNWD, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City, and upon payment of a non refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (Php 25,000.00).

The MNWD will hold a PRE-BID CONFERENCE on MARCH 10, 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 22, 2016 at 1:30 PM at Office of the BAC Chairman c/o Planning and Design Division, 2nd Floor MNWD Building, 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 22, 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 and Design 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 ( T S - M A R . 3 , 2 016)

(SGD) MELVIN B. MACARAIG BAC Chairman

Pacman...

From A16

Leopoldo Serantes in 1988 in Seoul and Onyok’s brother Roel in Barcelona in 1992.

Other Filipino Olympic bronze-medal winners were Teofilo Yldefonso, who won twice in 1928 in Amsterdam and 1932 in Los Angeles, high jumper Simeon Toribio, also in 1932 in L.A. and hurdler Miguel White in 1936 in Berlin.

The Philippines had actually won a gold medal in the demonstration sport of bowling in 1988 in Seoul. Taekwondo jins Bea Lucero and Stephen Fernandez also brought home a bronze each in 1992, also in Barcelona where their sport was held as demonstration event.

In Olympic boxing, there are only 10 weight categories, compared to 17 in the pro ranks. If Pacquiao fights in Rio, he’ll enter either the light-welterweight (64 kilogram limit or 140 pounds) or the welterweight (69 kilogram limit or 147 pounds) divisions.

AIBA will vote within three months on the proposal, which according to Wu is “absolutely possible” even amidst widespread opposition from the professional boxing world, including former Olympics and world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and current World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman.

Top Rank’s bossman Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, likewise, expressed doubts on the idea of allowing pros, particularly Pacquiao, to fight in the Summer Games.

Boxing is the only Olympic sport where professionals are not allowed to compete.

Dr. Wu reasoned out that “it’s the International Olympic Committee’s view to bring the world’s best athletes to the Olympics as reason for AIBA’s proposal. Basketball welcomed NBA players to the 1992 Barcelona Games, signaling the start of the open era in Olympic hoops.”

“It’s time to do the same for boxing,” said Dr. Wu. “We want the best boxers to come to the Olympics. It is AIBA’s 70th birthday and we want something to change, not after four years but now.”

T H U R S DAY : M A R C H 3 , 2 0 16

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Beermen notch 2nd straight win

By Jeric Lopez

SAN Miguel Beer is starting to gain some steam.

Tyler Wilkerson was once again spectacular, scoring a game-high 35 points and pulling down 17 rebounds to lead the Beermen to a 108-96 thumping of Blackwater for their second straight win in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup Wednesday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Reigning Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo added 20 points and seven rebounds.

After a sorry loss in its initial assignment, San Miguel Beer has racked up two wins in a row.

“It’s good to see that we’re playing really well again and our import is really helping us a lot,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria. “We’re able to get a lead in the second quarter and we gained more confidence.”

The Beermen are now tied with the Alaska Aces for third place, while Blackwater, after starting out at 2-1, slipped to P0 M+ 2-3 after this second straight setback.

P0 M Following a tight first quarter, San Miguel slowly but surely gained ground behind a significant run to close the first half.

Back-to-back triples from Wilkerson and a lay-up from Fajardo

LOTTO RESULTS

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

Games Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 4:15 p.m. - Rain or Shine vs. NLEX 7 p.m. - Alaska vs. Phoenix Fuel

produced an 8-0 run that gave the Beermen their first double-digit lead, 41-31, late in the second half to wrest control of the contest. At the half, their lead was chopped a bit to 46-39.

The Beermen picked up from where they left off as they posted a 14-3 run right out of the dugout for a comfortable 18-point cushion, 60-42, at the 7:40 mark of the third.

The Beermen upped their lead to 22, 69-47, on an alley-hoop play

by Wilkerson on a Fajardo pass.

It was practically game over from there for the Elite, who was never in the game following that huge run in the third quarter.

The scores: SAN MIGUEL 108—Wilkerson 35, Fajardo 20, Cabagnot 13, Lassiter 11, Santos 9, Espinas 6, Lutz 4, Arana 2, Heruela 2, Mabulac 2, Reyes 2, Ross 2, De Ocampo 0, Semerad 0.

BLACKWATER 96—Erram 16, Lastimosa 16, Cervantes 12, Rhett 12, Reyes 11, Dela Cruz 10, Gamalinda 9, Tiongson 6, Sena 2, Vosotros 2, Golla 0.

Quarters: 18-17, 46-39, 80-57, 108-96

Auken wins 2016 Slava Memorial Cup SLVA CUP— in memory of Slava Grinunk Team Auken won the 2016 Slva Memorial Cup in Moscow (Russia): Dennis Bilde, Morten Bilde, Sabine Auken and Roy Welland.

SYLVIA LOPEZ In the final match Auken defeated Swedish Juniors (Ola Rimstedt, ALEJANDRO Simon Hult, Mikael Rimsteadt and Simon Ekenberg) by 84-81.

-oOo2016 February Teams The winners: No.

Team Name

Players

Total VPs

LA VISTA

Nonot Carreon, Nene Quimson, Romy Virola, Manny Tanjangco

53.68

1

Team 2

MAGIC

George Francisco, Gemma Tan, Alvin Uy Lim, Elita Thiergen

51.57

2

FORBES

Chuchay Tuason,Lars Manneteg, Sylvia Alejandro, Joseph Maliwat, Shrikant Wad

35.8

3

The vital importance of Opening Leads In last Saturday tournament when Joseph Maliwat and I played the opponents of the La Vista the auction was as follows: Board 26 E Deals Both Vul

North ♠7 ♥AQJ9 ♦KQJ1065 ♣72

West ♠A42 ♥K87654 ♦2 ♣J96

South ♠KQJ ♥102 ♦A974 ♣A1083

West

North

East

Pass Pass Pass Pass

1NT 3♦ 4NT 6♦

Pass Pass Pass Pass

East ♠1098653 ♥3 ♦83 ♣KQ54

South 1♦ 2♦ 3♥ 5♥ Pass

Maliwat was on lead. He lead the Ace of Spades.

Contract was made. Had he lead the club the contract would be unmakable.

Board 31 S Deals N-S Vul West ♠QJ9 ♥KJ ♦AQ9873 ♣63

North ♠K1085 ♥1042 ♦42 ♣J974

South ♠A643 ♥9873 ♦K6 ♣852

Republic of the Philippines CITY OF SAN PEDRO Province of Laguna BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID PR NO. 2016-0496 1.

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna through the 2016 Budget Approved by the Sangguniang Panglungsodintends to apply the sum of Php 60,000,000.0 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Collecting, Hauling and Disposal of Solid Wastes Services for Various Location – City Government of San Pedro. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna now invites bids for the following: Collecting, Hauling & Disposal of Waste Services (12 Months Period Covered) Delivery of the Goods is required within twelve (12) months upon receipt of Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed, within 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.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “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”.

In addition,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.

Rank

Team 3

Team 1

Cruising class kings. Hong Kong’s Andrews 70 Bella Uno, skippered by Michiel Brinkers, together with his crew, celebrated after claiming the daily double in the cruising class division during the 7th Standard Insurance Boracay Regatta Cup in Malay, Aklan, the other day. The foreign sailing team received their trophy from this year’s organizing committee chairman Ricky Sandoval and vice chairman Jun Avecilla the after race awards night at the Seawind Boracay.

4.

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

Office of the BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on thedate, time and address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Php 50,000.00.

East ♠72 ♥AQ65 ♦J105 ♣AKQ10

West North East South 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass 4NT Pass 5♦ Pass 6♦ Pass North was on lead. Between her four card spade suit headed by king of spades, she elected to lead from her four club suit. This lead allowed Maliwat to finesse the king of the diamonds and allowed him to make the contract.

A discourse followed when it is appropriate to lead on a slam contract headed by a king. One view held that such lead given the strength of East and no clue from the bidding it was difficult to know that a spade was lead called for.

Comments to: sylvia.alejandro@yahoo

5.

ISSUANCE OF ELIGIBILITY AND BIDDING DOCUMENTS:

March 7 – March 22, 2016 8:30AM – 9:30AM BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna

PRE-BID CONFERENCE:

March 10, 2016

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before the specified date and time. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND OPENING OF BIDS:

March 22, 2016 10:00 AM BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna

Bid opening shall be on the same date and time for deadline of submission of eligibility requirements and submission of bids and shall be conducted at the Office of the BAC Secretariat. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address given above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

6.

The City Government of San Pedro, Lagunaassumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bid.

Further, City Government of San Pedro, Laguna, reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

7.

For further information, please refer to: Mr. Merlin B. Paala Office of the BAC Secretariat San Pedro City Hall San Pedro, Laguna Telefax No. 847.1722

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

(TS-MAR. 3, 2016)

A16

T H U R S DAY : M A R C H 3 , 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 But WBC objects

Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao gets a couple of pointers from trainer Freddie Roach during one of his sessions in General Santos City. The Pacman is open to the possibility of representing the Philippines in the Olympic Games. WENDELL ALINEA

Pacman wants to carry PH flag in Rio Olympics

By Eddie G. Alinea

FILIPINO boxing idol and Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao could finally end a 92-year wait for a gold medal, that is if the Amateur International Boxing Association will have its way.

No less than AIBA’s Taiwanese president, Dr. Ching Kuo Wu has extended his invitation to the Filipino eight-division champion to compete in the 28th staging of the Rio Olympics set Aug. 5 to 21 in Brazil during the world amateur boxing championships held in October last year in Qatar, where

Sugar Barons seize golf lead TURN TO A12

Pacquiao was one of the special guests.

“Why not? For as long as it’s for the country,” Pacquiao said when asked whether he is amenable to carrying the country’s flag in the Olympics during one of his training sessions at the MP Wild Card Gym in General Santos City, where he is in deep preparation

for his coming fight with American Timothy Bradley.

“Kahit walang bayad, lalaban ako sa Olympic Games alang-alang sa bayan at sa ating mga kababayan. Para mabigyan na natin ang Pilipinas ng kanyang kauna-unahang gintong medalya na matagal-tagal na rin naman nating pinapangarap” added Pacquiao, who is considering the Bradley fight as the last of his 21-year pro career.

Pacquiao added, however, that he is still studying the matter.

“Kung walang malala-

Beermen notch 2nd straight victory TURN TO A15

bag na regulasyon or rules, for that matter, I’m in. Even to the extent of postponing my planned retirement, it’s okay with me,” he said.

“It’s a big honor to be invited to this landmark event that will give small countries like the Philippines a chance of winning Olympic medals. Good for us, good for boxing. Good for sports in general,” he added.

AIBA’s invitation to Pacquiao has assured the 37-year-old Filipino sensation of a wildcard ticket, allowing him an outright passage into

the main draw without having to undergo several Olympic qualifying tournaments, After seeing action in 22 editions of the Summer Games, Filipino athletes have so far brought home a pair of silver medals, both in boxing —Anthony Villanueva in 1964 in Tokyo and Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco in 1996 and seven bronze medals, three of them, also in boxing.

Villanueva’s father Jose “Cely” went home with a bronze from Los Angeles in 1932, a feat duplicated by fighters Turn to A14

WORLD Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman blasted the plan of AIBA, the international amateur boxing organization, to include professional boxers in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio some four months from now.

“The move shows great ignorance and lack of information of what has happened in amateur boxing in recent years, which has positioned amateur and Olympic boxing and its world structure at its worst level,” said Sulaiman.

Assailing the system to determine boxers who could qualify for the Olympics, Sulaiman added: “The so-called World Series of Boxing has been an embarrassment, showcasing very low-level fights and dangerous mismatches. So, now AIBA is attempting to include fully developed professionals to compete in the Olympic games.”

AIBA has threatened expulsion or suspension of several countries from international tournaments, up to and including the Olympics, if that country does not accept to be ruled only by the exclusive authoritarian imposition of AIBA rules and regulations. In doing so, AIBA has sought to intimidate and abuse its power, in order to establish a monopoly on professional boxing as well, even by eliminating the word “amateur” from its own name, meaning that for AIBA, amateur boxing no longer exists. ” The WBC president stressed that “Boxing cannot be considered without keeping separate amateur and professional boxing, for the most basic principle of safety, by avoiding such dangerous mismatches between experienced professional fighters and amateur boxers. This is something AIBA is not able to understand, because it seems their leadership does not have a clue of what boxing really means and represents.

AIBA’s priority appears to be the commercial and business aspects of the sport.

Boxers are obligated to sign commercial contracts with AIBA and its affiliates, which positions AIBA in an undeniable and clear conflict of interest.” Ronnie Nathanielsz

B1

THURSDAY: MARCH 3, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Korean investors. Board of Investments managing head Ceferino Rodolfo (seated, fifth from left) welcomes a Korean delegation of businessmen. Ambassador Kim Young-

Sun (seated, third from right), secretary-general of the Asean Korea Center, leads the delegation of 14 Korean companies keen on investing on infrastructure and energy projects in the Philippines. With them are participants of the Philippines-Korea Investment Forum.

MNTC agrees on lower toll

By Darwin G. Amojelar

Manila North Tollways Corp. accepted the condition of the government to reduce the toll for the proposed expressway linking North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway.

MNTC president Rodrigo Franco said in a text message the company, which operates NLEx, accepted the lower internal rate of return for the new expressway that would cut through Caloocan City and Manila.

The lower IRR for NLEx-SLEx connector road was the condition set by the board of the National Economic and Development Authority to approve the Swiss Challenge for the project.

The Neda board in December asked MNTC, the original proponent, to reduce the IRR to 10.87

percent from 12.09 percent, by lowering the opening tariff from P100 to P87.

“Yes, we have accepted [the lower IRR],” Franco said.

The Neda board subsequently approved the NLEx-SLEx connector project under the unsolicited mode, subject to a Swiss Challenge.

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson earlier said the agency would publish the Swiss Challenge this month.

The project involves the construction of an eight-kilometer,

four-lane toll road that would pass through Metro Manila along the existing Philippine National Railways alignment.

The Public Works Department will implement the project, which has a total estimated cost of P23.2 billion and a concession period of 35 years.

Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp., which is separately constructing the P26.7-billion Skyway Stage 3 Project, will build the five-kilometer common alignment from Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila to Buendia in Makati City of the NLEx-SLEx project.

MNTC, which operates NLEx, sealed a joint venture with Philippine National Construction Corp. in a bid to facilitate construction of the NLEx-SLEx connector.

Other MNTC shareholders are Egis Projects S.A. of France, Leighton Asia Ltd. of Australia

and PNCC, which holds the franchise to run the expressway.

The government decided to subject the project to a Swiss challenge after the Justice Department issued a legal opinion, saying the Neda board’s decision to implement the project as a joint venture was “without factual basis or jurisdiction.”

The joint-venture route aimed to do away with the Swiss challenge, which was required of the project when it was still being pursued as an unsolicited venture.

MNTC reported a net income of P2.22 billon in the JanuarySeptember period, up 22 percent from P1.82 billion a year ago, mainly due to high traffic growth and toll revenues generated during the period.

MNTC’s revenues in the ninemonth period grew 10 percent to P6.04 billion from P5.47 billion last year as average daily traffic hit 199,196, up 9 percent in 2014.

Pagcor starts probing $100-m money laundering

By Gabrielle H. Binaday STATE-RUN Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. said Wednesday it started investigating reports that as much as $100 million of illicit funds were allegedly remitted to three casinos’ bank accounts.

“Pagcor expects the casinos to submit their comments on the allegation as an initial step in the investigation within this week,” the agency said in a statement.

“As a matter of regulation, Pagcor requires casinos to employ strict internal control policies on funds movements and issuances of playing chips. In addition, casinos implement ‘know your customer’ protocols particularly with regard to high value patrons,” it said.

Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Teresita Her-

bosa warned the country risked returning to the list of nations that weren’t doing enough to fight money laundering if laws were not strengthened to include sectors like casinos among institutions required to report suspicious transactions.

“We already have warnings” from the Financial Action Task Force, Herbosa told reporters Tuesday night. “If the reports coming out were true, it really shows the consequences. I don’t think they have any reason now to oppose the bill that casinos should be covered.”

Herbosa is a member of the country’s Anti-Money Laundering Council, which unsuccessfully lobbied lawmakers to include casinos in a 2012 amendment that added terrorism as a predicate crime for laundering.

Pagcor said in a statement it appeared that “none of the casinos mentioned in the news report have accounts with the bank through which the funds in question first entered the Philippine financial system.”

“It is worth noting that all bank remittances into casino bank accounts regardless of amount are subjected to scrutiny as to the identity of the remitting party and the purpose of the remittance,” it said.

AMLC said in a statement its policy was to maintain confidentiality in any and all of its on-going investigations. “Rest assured that the AMLC is fully committed to combating money laundering and helping preserve the integrity of the financial system pursuant to its legal mandate,” it said.

A banker said a single incident

could not reflect the state of antimoney laundering efforts in the country. “ I am not sure anyone could make a judgment on the state of AML [anti-money laundering] in the country based on a single incident. We don’t even know the details,” EastWest Banking Corp. president and chief executive Antonio Moncupa Jr. said in a text message.

“What I know is the regulators and the banks continue to work hard and are making significant progress to make the banking system avoid money launderers,” Moncupa said.

RCBC president and chief executive Lorenzo Tan, who is also the Bankers Association of the Philippines president, did not respond when sought for comments. His bank was being linked to the alleged money laundering. With Julito G. Rada, Bloomberg

PSe comPoSite index Closing March 2, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,882.45 152.92

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing March 2, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.295

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.230 LOW P47.300 AVERAGE P47.260 VOLUME 639.400M

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

oPriceS il P today

P20.40-P23.80 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Wednesday, March 2, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.3910

Japan

Yen

0.008773

0.4158

UK

Pound

1.395100

66.1152

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128687

6.0986

Switzerland

Franc

1.003110

47.5384

Canada

Dollar

0.745935

35.3506

Singapore

Dollar

0.714286

33.8507

Australia

Dollar

0.717400

33.9983

Bahrain

Dinar

2.657031

125.9194

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266752

12.6416

Brunei

Dollar

0.711744

33.7303

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.028074

1.3305

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.9040

Euro

Euro

1.087000

51.5140

Korea

Won

0.000814

0.0386

China

Yuan

0.152588

7.2313

India

Rupee

0.014762

0.6996

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240096

11.3784

New Zealand

Dollar

0.662700

31.4060

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030287

1.4353 Source: PDS Bridge

THURSDAY: MARCH 3, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Wednesday, March 2, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 1.01 100 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 124 3.26 47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.48 0.201 0.69

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.88 2.78 45 44.1 101.50 99.80 84.30 82.95 36.6 35.85 3.15 3.07 1.44 1.34 14 13.9 15.4 15 0.580 0.550 77.9 76 15.04 15.00 52.50 51.90 98.6 98.6 274 269 32.8 32.3 143.8 141 56.50 56.20 1.54 1.52 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp.

43.45 43.55 43.4 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 5.53 5.55 5.2 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.69 0.67 0.67 1.86 Alsons Cons.

1.55 1.57 1.52 7.92 Asiabest Group 10.3 10.8 10.3 32 C. Azuc De Tarlac 190.00 188.00 187.00 15.32 Century Food 17.8 17.9 17.5 20.2 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 60 60 50 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 18.96 19.3 18.72 29.15 Concepcion 40 39 38 1.5 Crown Asia 2.19 2.3 2.17 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 2.9 3.47 2.91 10.72 Del Monte 11.5 11.86 11.58 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 8.470 8.760 8.550 9.04 Emperador 7.19 7.26 7.11 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.70 5.89 5.72 8.86 EEI 6.85 7.10 6.79 1.06 Euro-Med Lab 1.83 1.75 1.61 20.2 First Gen Corp.

20.4 20.6 20.15 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 60.8 61 60.8 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 14.00 14.02 13.60 5.54 5.45 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.46 0.395 Ionics Inc 2.400 2.520 2.410 173 Jollibee Foods Corp.

221.60 230.00 222.00 LBC Express 9.35 9.8 9.4 34.1 Liberty Flour 31.00 32.50 30.00 2.3 LMG Chemicals 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.63 Mabuhay Vinyl 2.82 3.3 3 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 26.7 26.65 26.5 17.3 Maxs Group 17.1 17.46 17.12 5.88 Megawide 5.9 5.89 5.8 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 332.00 337.80 331.00 3.37 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.01 3.97 3.97 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.16 3.28 3.14 8.45 Petron Corporation 9.09 9.50 9.09 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.50 11.50 11.50 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.75 3.79 3.75 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.71 1.71 1.68 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.85 2.98 2.85 4.02 RFM Corporation 4.08 4.20 4.01 5.9 Roxas Holdings 4.5 4.6 4.3 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 140 142 136.1 1.55 Splash Corporation 2.5 2.54 2.46 0.152 0.157 0.153 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 1.02 TKC Steel Corp.

1.19 1.19 1.08 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.35 2.35 2.30 152 Universal Robina 199.2 206 199.4 4.28 Victorias Milling 4.7 4.79 4.6 0.640 Vitarich Corp.

0.67 0.67 0.65 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.17 1.22 1.15 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.310 0.335 0.310 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 58.1000 59.0000 57.4500 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 14.38 14.80 14.38 6.62 Anscor `A’ 5.96 6.00 5.96 634.5 Ayala Corp `A’ 690 714 690.5 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.43 7.46 7.35 12.8 DMCI Holdings 12.94 13.30 13.00 2.6 F&J Prince ‘A’ 4.58 4.85 4.8 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

4.80 4.82 4.70 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.222 0.221 0.221 837 GT Capital 1313 1340 1317 5.3 House of Inv. 6.00 5.99 5.62 IPM Holdings 9.78 9.79 9.78 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 68.50 71.15 68.50 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp.

5.26 5.35 5.26 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.69 0.71 0.69 12 LT Group 16.02 16.04 15.92 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.05 6.15 6.05 0.030 Pacifica `A’ 0.0300 0.0310 0.0300 1.23 Prime Media Hldg 1.470 1.170 1.170 0.550 Prime Orion 1.960 2.000 1.970 59.3 San Miguel Corp `A’ 74.00 75.00 73.90 751 SM Investments Inc. 877.00 905.50 888.00 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 1.01 1.04 1.00 0.93 South China Res. Inc. 0.77 0.82 0.73 80 Top Frontier 164.800 168.000 164.000 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3050 0.3050 0.3000 0.179 Wellex Industries 0.2000 0.2130 0.2000 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.285 0.300 0.300 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 7.040 7.150 7.050 12 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 8.04 8.04 7.50 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.85 0.92 0.85 1.2 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.380 1.460 1.380 0.192 Arthaland Corp.

0.229 0.222 0.222 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 32.700 33.850 32.800 3.36 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.13 3.18 3.13 4.96 Cebu Holdings 5.31 5.32 5.27 0.79 Century Property 0.560 0.58 0.540 0.97 Cityland Dev. `A’ 0.960 0.950 0.950 0.083 Crown Equities Inc. 0.118 0.120 0.119 0.415 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.435 0.445 0.405 2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.225 78 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 MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Union Bank Vantage Equities

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

SHARES 15,268,405 141,198,706 121,552,355 211,555,109 274,030,491 2,223,997,774 2,989,036,890

2.93 44.4 99.45 83.95 35.6 3.16 1.40 14 15.08 0.590 75.9 15.28 51.95 98 274 32.5 141.8 55.75 1.54

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.85 45 99.90 83.05 36.6 3.10 1.42 14 15 0.560 77.3 15.02 51.90 98.6 269 32.5 141.5 56.20 1.54

-2.73 1.35 0.45 -1.07 2.81 -1.90 1.43 0.00 -0.53 -5.08 1.84 -1.70 -0.10 0.61 -1.82 0.00 -0.21 0.81 0.00

106,000 41,700 4,451,730 3,735,890 266,900 50,000 264,000 105,600 722,400 943,000 2,651,250 14,500 109,180 10 3,590 13,200 876,510 170 127,000

43.55 5.4 0.67 1.52 10.8 188.00 17.6 52.5 18.9 39 2.29 3.47 11.86 8.680 7.11 5.78 7.09 1.61 20.35 60.95 14.00 5.49 2.470 230.00 9.8 32.50 1.95 3 26.6 17.26 5.89 331.00 3.97 3.2 9.41 11.50 3.79 1.70 2.9 4.18 4.6 136.1 2.51 0.154 1.19 2.32 205 4.79 0.65 1.15

0.23 -2.35 -2.90 -1.94 4.85 -1.05 -1.12 -12.50 -0.32 -2.50 4.57 19.66 3.13 2.48 -1.11 1.40 3.50 -12.02 -0.25 0.25 0.00 0.55 2.92 3.79 4.81 4.84 0.00 6.38 -0.37 0.94 -0.17 -0.30 -1.00 1.27 3.52 0.00 1.07 -0.58 1.75 2.45 2.22 -2.79 0.40 1.32 0.00 -1.28 2.91 1.91 -2.99 -1.71

3,756,600 3,286,400 11,000 480,000 1,400 190 6,725,500 410 116,900 3,200 872,000 19,755,000 75,000 9,734,700 4,217,500 28,267,200 426,300 6,000 4,203,700 142,320 565,400 72,900 3,467,000 2,393,330 6,300 10,100 6,000 10,000 160,200 816,800 76,900 392,030 3,000 16,729,000 18,716,100 36,000 206,000 277,000 1,180,000 349,000 116,000 10,390 111,000 2,340,000 70,000 6,797,000 2,314,750 17,000 1,408,000 262,000

0.335 59.0000 14.80 6.00 710 7.4 13.04 4.84 4.82 0.221 1340 5.99 9.79 71.15 5.28 0.71 16 6.09 0.0300 1.170 1.990 75.00 900.50 1.00 0.81 168.000 0.3050 0.2130 0.300

8.06 1.55 2.92 0.67 2.90 -0.40 0.77 5.68 0.42 -0.45 2.06 -0.17 0.10 3.87 0.38 2.90 -0.12 0.66 0.00 -20.41 1.53 1.35 2.68 -0.99 5.19 1.94 0.00 6.50 5.26

880,000 1,198,600 2,934,000 404,600 502,510 152,300 4,996,600 10,000 146,000 50,000 306,430 8,200 2,721,500 2,497,180 2,650,300 17,000 3,460,200 79,522,400 9,200,000 5,000 779,000 1,041,370 688,320 2,452,000 510,000 109,910 3,620,000 270,000 110,000

7.100 7.50 0.91 1.420 0.222 33.800 3.13 5.27 0.560 0.950 0.119 0.415

0.85 -6.72 7.06 2.90 -3.06 3.36 0.00 -0.75 0.00 -1.04 0.85 -4.60

1,588,700 3,000 5,096,000 173,000 130,000 15,912,700 1,894,000 172,000 4,016,000 83,000 3,070,000 7,800,000

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

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

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

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 1 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 0.650 1.8 6

0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 4 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 14.54 3 2.28 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 1.14

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers 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 3.06 0.020 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 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

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

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

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

TA Petroleum

-454,800.00 -12,391,909.50 252,684,740.00

70 553 515 111 1060

33 490 480 101 997

816,012.00

1047

1011

78.95 84.8

74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ GLOBE PREF P MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

55,800.00 1,452,415.00 -39,993,708 -222,437,723.50

-1,899,424.00 85,400.00 3,285,821.50 -3,739,434.50 161,400.00 -107,250 -19,432,622.00 -1,130.00 -1,520.00 60,252,705.00 211,650.00

4,944,354.00 3,800 22,640,720.00 -226,574.00 45,378,843.00 -4,002,700.00 13,923,391.00 1,058,129.00 -6,481,200.00 1,793,447.00 -7,663,024.00 -24,900.00 341,183,280.00

-126,605.00 7,500,602.00 8,835.00 5,275,730.00 -143,000.00 -12,352,904.00 -18,950.00 16,800.00 -205,000.00 -1,082,532.00

3,329,230.00 228,607,135.00 69,000.00 542,450.00 -73,710.00 29,829,516.00 12,857,858.00 85,200.00 -1,560,220.00 264,808.00 -5,763,372.00 576,600.00 -73,186,005.00 58,607,824.50 366,593.00 -31,772,284.00 206,133,859.00

4,853,104.00 16,080.00 206,050.00 6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

99,027,790.00 -232,370.00

15

3.5

-268,940.00

12.88

5.95

-22,000.00

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

High

VALUE 1,180,662,278.888 2,222,468,713.4722 2,501,246,790.35 1,542,727,446.37 1,729,466,080.99 205,392,155.11 9,419,587,121.1802

FINANCIAL 1,505.81 (UP) 5.38 INDUSTRIAL 11,394.88 (UP) 184.52 HOLDING FIRMS 6,689.33 (UP) 150.14 PROPERTY 2,808.85 (UP) 72.19 SERVICES 1,410.97 (UP) 41.27 MINING & OIL 10,992.33 (UP) 204.36 PSEI 6,882.45 (UP) 152.92 All Shares Index 3,968.75 (UP) 67.66 Gainers: 117; Losers: 71; Unchanged: 29; Total: 217

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

25.5 0.810 0.90 1.54 1.27 3.53 0.088 0.405 8.5 25.70 1.47 3.07 20.70 0.77 5.85 0.920 4.550

26.8 25.65 26.8 0.820 0.820 0.820 0.91 0.90 0.90 1.54 1.51 1.53 1.28 1.26 1.26 3.68 3.56 3.68 0.091 0.088 0.090 0.445 0.405 0.435 8.5 8.5 8.5 26.25 26.00 26.25 1.47 1.42 1.43 3.08 3.05 3.08 21.30 21.00 21.30 0.79 0.77 0.78 5.78 5.6 5.78 0.940 0.920 0.940 4.550 4.430 4.430 SERVICES 6.62 6.9 6.67 6.68 54 54.5 54 54.2 1.18 1.16 1.14 1.14 0.500 0.485 0.430 0.480 4.21 4.57 4.22 4.48 0.0520 0.0530 0.0510 0.0520 3.11 3.15 3.11 3.14 82.05 84.1 82.3 84 9.5 10 10 10 1.49 1.5 1.5 1.5 5.98 6.18 5.97 6.18 956 957 957 957 1684 1745 1717 1735 6.57 6.63 6.55 6.60 21.25 21.35 21.35 21.35 1.17 1.18 1.18 1.18 61.1 64 62.3 64 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 0.0095 0.0095 0.0092 0.0092 0.202 0.209 0.195 0.200 1.1600 1.2000 1.1700 1.2000 2.1 2.2 2.1 2 7.35 7.67 7.45 7.60 4.00 4.15 4.00 4.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 0.570 0.570 0.510 0.570 1.96 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.99 2.18 2.01 2.16 3.36 3.55 3.36 3.54 0.265 0.275 0.265 0.275 0.690 0.720 0.690 0.700 17.12 18 17.1 17.1 4.60 4.70 4.56 4.64 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 22.35 22.65 21.80 22.00 1755.00 1837.00 1780.00 1824.00 0.440 0.440 0.420 0.435 0.880 0.950 0.880 0.940 34.00 34.20 33.35 33.35 60.30 61.80 60.30 60.85 5.04 7.22 5.05 7.22 3.20 3.33 3.23 3.30 0.490 0.510 0.530 0.520 3.72 3.81 3.74 3.75 4.600 4.950 4.600 4.950 MINING & OIL 0.0044 0.0047 0.0045 0.0045 2.10 2.10 2.10 2.10 4.34 4.44 4.18 4.18 12.78 12.50 10.00 12.50 0.245 0.245 0.245 0.245 0.6 0.6 0.59 0.59 0.440 0.440 0.430 0.440 7.40 7.60 7.40 7.47 0.680 0.730 0.690 0.710 0.285 0.300 0.280 0.285 0.295 0.300 0.290 0.300 0.305 0.305 0.300 0.300 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013 1.85 2.09 1.92 2.08 5.1 5.7 5.16 5.7 2.48 2.68 2.44 2.66 1.2500 1.2700 1.2500 1.2700 0.0092 0.0095 0.0095 0.0095 3.38 3.56 3.35 3.35 5.79 5.80 5.67 5.79 1.65 1.71 1.61 1.70 0.0110 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 127.20 128.50 126.50 128.10 2.33 2.37 2.29 2.37 PREFERRED 53.85 54.5 53.85 54.05 544.5 544.5 526 544.5 527 540 540 540 112 112 109 109 1084 1030 1028 1028 1100 1061 1061 1061 1045 1018 1018 1018 107 108.7 108.7 108.7 80 80 78.2 78.2 82.8 82.5 80 80 76.5 76.5 76.5 76.5 76.6 76.8 76 76 78 78 77.2 77.3 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.300 2.590 2.360 2.540 SME 3.78 3.77 3.76 3.77 3 3.17 3 3 2.5 2.55 2.41 2.46 13.52 13.78 13.52 13.6 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 109.5 112.5 109.5 112.5

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

5.10 1.23 0.00 -0.65 -0.79 4.25 2.27 7.41 0.00 2.14 -2.72 0.33 2.90 1.30 -1.20 2.17 -2.64

4,823,500 194,000 1,764,000 17,022,000 219,000 79,408,000 1,900,000 100,000 8,700 1,848,700 416,000 32,000 16,667,000 1,137,000 50,800 469,000 7,552,000

5,002,420.00 -8,200.00

0.91 0.37 -3.39 -4.00 6.41 0.00 0.96 2.38 5.26 0.67 3.34 0.10 3.03 0.46 0.47 0.85 4.75 0.00 -3.16 -0.99 3.45 -4.55 3.40 2.50 0.00 0.00 -0.51 8.54 5.36 3.77 1.45 -0.12 0.87 0.00 0.00 -1.57 3.93 -1.14 6.82 -1.91 0.91 43.25 3.12 -1.92 0.81 7.61

37,000 22,030 90,000 224,000 13,960,000 47,000,000 3,358,000 633,150 100 84,000 868,200 100 108,130 61,800 400 40,000 2,075,240 5,800 5,000,000 32,580,000 376,000 40,000 130,000 254,000 3,000 10,000 1,000 42,077,000 1,163,000 170,000 2,432,000 2,900 32,000 303,000 414,970 2,157,000 330,100 10,600,000 61,143,000 2,218,600 1,855,910 18,793,400 8,385,000 8,609,000 127,000 10,000

-13,700.00

2.73 0.00 -3.69 -2.19 0.00 -1.67 0.00 0.95 4.41 0.00 1.69 -1.64 0.00 0.00 12.43 11.76 7.26 1.60 3.26 -0.89 0.00 3.03 9.09 0.71 1.72

2,089,000,000 -183,800.00 61,000 1,174,000 231,000.00 11,500 10,000 164,000 360,000 112,500 29,303,000 1,804,790.00 270,000 -2,900.00 31,070,000 3,480,000 21,000.00 3,000,000 500,000 1,430,000 -106,030.00 18,526,100 -6,194,682.00 2,896,000 119,000 1,000,000 55,000 1,923,900 -2,882,387.00 2,903,000 -145,440.00 36,100,000 240,000.00 231,660 -4,553,766.00 87,000

0.37 0.00 2.47 -2.68 -5.17 -3.55 -2.58 1.59 -2.25 -3.38 0.00 -0.78 -0.90

909,660 20,010 200 19,000 2,080 50 1,610 20 30,000 26,560 29,000 37,400 94,330

10.43

1,325,000

-0.26 0.00 -1.60 0.59

2,000 35,000 216,000 963,400

2.74

217,150

-14,184,250.00 2,560.00 40,065,850.00

4,959,445.00 187,790.00 18,002,060.00

-14,121,150.00

-11,694,440.00 514,700.00 -80,950.00 19,133,773.50 861,660.00 -56,385,045.00 23,600.00 15,423,193.00 -550.00 448,484.00 -82,800.00

3,262,850.00 1,383,140.00 -42,934.00 0.00 29,100,730.00 94,974,100.00 -21,750.00 -14,911,650.00 7,516,815.00 6,783,410.00 -3,873,281.00 7,975,860.00 7,500.00 -165,300.00

-5,410,986.50

156,000.00

-21,000.00 10,668,506.00 -11,200.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

SBS Phil. Corp.

7.22

43.25

Prime Media Hldg

1.170

-20.41

Da Vinci Capital

3.47

19.66

Conc. Aggr. 'A'

52.5

-12.50

Marcventures Hldgs., Inc.

2.08

12.43

Euro-Med Lab

1.61

-12.02

Nickelasia

5.7

11.76

Anchor Land Holdings Inc.

7.50

-6.72

LR Warrant

2.540

10.43

PCOR-Preferred A

1028

-5.17

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.0120

9.09

MEDCO Holdings

0.560

-5.08

Melco Crown

2.16

8.54

Cyber Bay Corp.

0.415

-4.60

Abacus Cons. `A'

0.335

8.06

Jackstones

2.1

-4.55

Yehey

4.950

7.61

APC Group, Inc.

0.480

-4.00

Phil. Realty `A'

0.435

7.41

Atlas Cons. `A'

4.18

-3.69

THURSDAY: MARCH 3, 2016

B3

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

Stocks advance; Jollibee, PLDT up

Philusa-Sanofi partnership. Philusa Corp.’s Rhea Generics teams up with global healthcare leader Sanofi to help bring high quality and innovative medicines to the Filipino market at affordable prices. Medicines from the partnership will soon be available to all Mercury Drugstore branches nationwide. Sealing the partnership are (from left) Stanislas Camart, chief financial officer of Sanofi; Carlito Realuyo, country chairman of Sanofi; Neogin Evangelista, president of Philusa; and Cora Lim, vice president for merchandising of Mercury Drug Store Corp.

Filinvest Land bares P14-b projects in ’16

By Jenniffer B. Austria

FILINVEST Land Inc., the real estate subsidiary of the Gotianun family, plans to launch P14.4 billion worth of residential projects in 2016, focused on developing its core business and expanding the retail and office building portfolio to generate recurring income.

Filinvest Land said in a regulatory filing it prepared 12 horizontal developments with a total sales value of P7.2 billion and two high-rise buildings with estimated revenues of P4.9 billion.

The property company also lined up three new medium-rise buildings and two additional structures within existing developments with total sales value of

P2.3 billion.

Filinvest Land aims to complete two office towers catering to the business process outsourcing companies as part of a strategic plan to triple its office portfolio by 2019.

These are Vector 3 with a leasable space of 36,345 square meters in Northgate Cyberzone, and Pasay Cyberzone with leasable area

of 36,807 square meters.

For its retail portfolio, the property company said it started constructing two malls—one in Tagaytay City and another in Princeton Heights in Cavite.

Filinvest Land reported operating regular net income rose 10.9 percent in 2015 to P5.11 billion from P4.6 billion in 2014.

Total consolidated revenues in 2015 increased seven percent to P16.53 billion from P15.46 billion a year ago, boosted by robust real estate and rental sales.

Real estate sales climbed 6.4 percent to P14 billion with nearly 80 percent of the sales coming from units sold to the middle income market, including mediumrise and high-rise buildings.

Rental sales grew 9.7 percent to P2.48 billion, mainly due to high-

er rental revenues and increased occupancy take up from office developments.

Filinvest Land recently bagged two long-term lease agreements involving huge properties in Clark. These are the 201-hectare former Mimosa Leisure Estate from government-owned Clark Development Corp., and the 288-hectare section of Clark Green City, which it plans to develop into a mixed-use development.

The Mimosa property is in joint venture with Clark Development, while the Clark Green City is in partnership with the Bases Conversion Development Authority.

Share price of Filinvest Land on Wednesday closed at P1.53, down 0.6 percent from previous day’s close.

THE stock market surged Wednesday in step with the rest of Asia, as upbeat US economic data and China’s fresh stimulus lifted the mood on trading floors, defying a dip in oil prices.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index advanced 152.92 points, or 2.3 percent, to 6,882.45 on a value turnover of P9.4 billion. Gainers beat losers, 117 to 71, with 29 issues unchanged.

SM Investments Corp., the holding company of retail tycoon Henry Sy, gained 2.7 percent to P900.50, while Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the biggest telecommunications firm, rallied 3.9 percent to P1,824.

Jollibee Foods Corp., the largest fastfood chain, climbed 3.8 percent to P230, while International Container Terminal Services Inc., the biggest port operator, gained 4.8 percent to P64.

Ayala land Inc., the secondlargest property developer, rose 3.4 percent to P33.80.

Major Asian markets also soared Wednesday, with Tokyo and Shanghai adding more than four percent.

Better-than-expected reports on the sluggish US manufacturing sector, construction spending and auto sales showed the world’s top economy was still resilient even as global growth sputters.

The upbeat figures also put the chances of another Federal Reserve rate rise this year back into play.

Buoyed by a sharply weaker yen, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index rocketed 4.1 percent to its best close in a month, while Shanghai ended up 4.3 percent.

Hong Kong added 3.2 percent in late afternoon trade, Seoul closed up 1.60 percent, and Sydney finished 2.0 percent higher.

Australian shares got a boost as official figures showed the economy grew more than expected in the fourth quarter, hinting that the resource-dependent economy is on a recovery track.

“Bets on a US recession or the Fed having to reverse course on rate hikes are quickly coming out of the market,” said Angus Nicholson, a market analyst at IG in Melbourne. With AFP

Air Asia PH reduces losses, expects to break even this year

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Philippine unit of Southeast Asia’s largest budget airline said net loss fell 46 percent to P3.09 billion in 2015 from P5.18 billion in 2014.

Air Asia Inc., operator of Air Asia Philippines, posted a net loss of P118.79 million in the October-to-December period from a loss of P1.28 billion year-on-year.

“We are proud to have turned around our operations [in the Philippines] in this quarter and

achieved figures close to breakeven,” AirAsia Group chief executive Tony Fernandes said.

Fernandes said the company expects a similar trend this year, with a revenue improvement of 25 percent to 30 percent projected in the first quarter of 2016 from a year ago.

“In addition, our forecast shows high load factor in the current quarter, which coupled with low oil prices, is expected to allow us to continue achieving break even or even profit-

ability in our Philippines’ operations in the coming months,” he said.

The company’s revenues amounted to P8.93 billion in 2015, up 18 percent from P7.54 billion in 2014.

The airline company attributed the 19 percent growth in revenue to the increase in the number of passengers carried, as capacity rose 3 percent year-on-year.

Air Asia Philippines carried 3.59 million passengers in 2015 from 3.03 million last year, while

load factor rose to 81 percent.

The airline has 14 operating aircraft serving domestic destinations, such as Kalibo (Boracay), Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Tagbilaran (Bohol), Cebu and Tacloban. It also flies to China, Korea, Macau and Hong Kong.

“We will be disciplined and continue with our planned retirement of two remaining inefficient aircraft in first quarter of 2016 as well as matching capacity growth with demand,

while pushing forward with our plans to market the Philippines as an untapped tourist destination with great potential as part of the governments campaign to ‘Visit the Philippines Again 2016’,” Fernandes said.

Malaysia’s Air Asia, through AA International, owns 40 percent of Philippines’ Air Asia Inc., while Filipinos Marriane Hontiveros, Michael Romero, Antonio Cojuangco and Alfredo Yao own the balance of 60 percent.

B4

Bistro to open 3 new stores

By Othel V. Campos THE Bistro Group is opening three American casual dining restaurants in 2016 as a part of its expansion program.

“We see casual dining trend continuing in years to come,” The Bistro Group assistant vice president for marketing Lisa Ronquillo said during a briefing for Food and Hotel Asia 2016 that would be held in Singapore on April 12 to 15.

TBG is as regular participant in FHA, in its search for vendors and suppliers with the capability to provide hard-to-find resources for the different brands it carries.

Ronquillo said the entry of Texas Roadhouse, Denny’s and Moe’s would bring TBG’s total number of brands to 14, with a combined 63 stores.

Denny’s, a 24-hour breakfast place, will open its first branch at Uptown Bonifacio in May with future branches in Makati and in Pasay while Moe’s, a Texan-Mexican restaurant and steak restaurant Texas Roadhouse would open their first branches in April at Mckinley’s Venezia in Taguig City.

TBG holds the biggest market share for casual dining franchise with 11 brands that include flagship brand Friday’s, Italianni’s, Fish and Co and home-grown brand Krazy Garlic.

It has also brought in Asian franchises such as the Bulgogi Brothers, Watami, Modern Shanghai and Tonkatsu.

Ronquillo said the latest trends in the local restaurant scene included gastro pubs and craft beers, Asian franchise invasion, chef-driven restaurants and healthy options dining.

She said these trends were driven by the growing interest in foreign cuisine with the entry of more international full-service restaurant brands; the growing number of middle-income consumers who were more adventurous and willing to try more food offerings; group deal promos and the increasing influence of consumer food reviews.

EJAP board members.

Securities and Exchange Commission chairperson Teresita Herbosa (right) administers the induction of the 2016 Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines board led by The Standard business reporter Jenniffer Austria (second from right) as the new president at the BDO Corporate Center in Makati City. Other members of the EJAP board are (from right) Amy Remo as vice president for internal; Darwin Amojelar of The Standard, vice president for external; Kathleen Martin, secretary; Zinnia dela Peña, treasurer; and board members Louella Desiderio, Jerome Morales, Villy Cabuag, Ruelle Albert Castro (treasurer), Ben de Vera and Madelaine Miraflor. TEDDY PELAEZ

Ayala-SSI joint venture sells Wellworth outlets

By Jenniffer B. Austria

SIAL Specialty Retailers Inc., a joint venture of Ayala Land Inc. and SSI Stores Inc. of the Tantoco group, has sold two department stores under the Wellworth brand to Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

Ayala Land and SSI said in separate disclosures to the stock exchange Sial Specialty had signed a deed of absolute sale with Metro Retail of Gaisano group to sell two Wellworth department stores at Fairview Terraces and UP Town Center in Quezon City.

Metro Retail said in a separate disclosure the transaction would

enable it to expand its network of department stores in these two key locations, by a combined gross floor area of 25,000 square meters.

Ayala Land and SSI formed a 50:50 joint venture partnership in 2014 to develop a new department store concept under the Wellworth brand.

Wellworth is a mid-market department store that carries a wide array of international and local brands like F&F, Le Tigre, Savile Row and Forme. It also has its own private brands for all ages.

Sial earlier targeted to open three department stores every year over the next five years.

Aside from Sial, Ayala Land and SSI are also joint venture partners alongside with Itochu group, in the convenience store business through FamilyMart.

Metro Retail, which was listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange last year, is the largest department store and hypermarket operator in the Visayas region.

Metro Retail raised P3.62 bil-

lion in fresh capital from an initial public offering last year and plans to double its retail business by opening 50 to 70 stores over the next five years.

Metro Retail chairman and chief executive Frank Gaisano said the company was ready to compete with other retail players and had mapped out plans to maintain its position as the largest retailer in the Visayas.

Metro Retail has 400,000 square meters of gross floor area across 46 stores, mostly in the Visayas.

Metro Retail said it was also looking at mergers and acquisitions to accelerate growth and plans to venture in Mindanao by 2017 or 2018.

PH emerges as viable destination for foreign retirees

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippines is emerging as a viable destination for foreign retirees, according to the Board of Investments.

BoI and retirement industry stakeholders agreed to push for the Philippines as a viable retirement destination by finalizing an industry roadmap in the first half this year.

“With our compassionate and competent pool of healthcare professionals and world-class wellness facilities, the Philippines

is fast becoming an attractive country for foreign and Filipino retirees from around the world,” said Trade Undersecretary and BoI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo.

The roadmap outlines the course of action needed by the industry to become globallycompetitive.

The Philippine Retirement Authority, the chair of the technical working group, is currently reviewing the draft roadmap.

The International Living Magazine, in its annual glob-

al retirement index in 2016, ranked the Philippines as 17th out of the 23 best countries to retire in.

The global retirement index bases its rating on a number of composite factors including real estate costs, special benefits for retirees, cost of living, leisure amenities, healthcare services, infrastructure and climate.

The retirement industry has contributed to the economy, reflected largely in revenues from visa deposits of special resident retiree’s visa holders.

Introduced by PRA in 1987 to entice foreign nationals and former Filipino citizens to retire in the country, retirees can either apply for multiple entry privileges and rights to stay permanently or indefinitely in the country by way of visa deposits ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 and $1,500 for former diplomatic corps workers.

In 2014, PRA enrolled 4,781 new retirees. Total visa deposits of SRRV holders as of Dec. 31, 2014 amounted to $452 million or about P19 billion.

T H U R S D AY : M A R C H 3 , 2 0 1 6

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

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Unfair trading rules are also poll issues C A N DI DAT E S in the 2016 presidential election may find many economic and business issues abstruse for the electorate to comprehend. But economic topics, in reality, are the ones that will ultimately matter to the voters when they are translated into jobs, prices and cost of living, and financial security.

The four presidential candidates or their representatives failed to impress the business sector during the 5th Arangkada Forum held Tuesday at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City. The Joint Foreign Chambers noted the candidates, who were given the chance to present their respective economic platforms during the event, did not address the question on how to improve Philippine economy.

The JFC, comprising of foreign business chambers in the Philippines, wants the next administration to basically keep current reforms and make them bolder and more inclusive.

“We expect to see a continuation of reforms that the previous administration had introduced and build on that,” JFC and American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines advisor John Forbes said during the forum.

Arangkada, a government policy watch group that includes members of the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Headquarters Inc., assesses and makes recommendations on improving the economy and business transactions.

The forum reminded the candidates that foreign investments were a critical component of economic growth and in generating jobs and lowering the poverty level. The business grouping committed to help the new government in raising the foreign direct investment level by two to two-and-a-half times from the current level in the next 10 years.

It cited the success and the benefits of the public-private partnership program to the consumers, saying the privatization of water services effectively reduced water cost and expanded distribution channels to reach even the remote areas in Metro Manila.

“PPP brings down prices. It makes prices more stable and enable commodities to bring out the best of their qualities,” said European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines president Guenter Taus.

The JFC stressed the importance of job creation, increasing FDI to over $10 billion yearly, doubling exports to $100 billion and hiking infrastructure spending to support trade and investment and industrial development.

Business restrictions Such goals, however, may be difficult to attain if the succeeding government fails to level the playing field to foster competition and change the rules of doing business midstream.

Former Finance Secretary Roberto de Ocampo, for one, noted that the regulation of businesses was bordering on the excessive.

Such sentiment was shared by many in the forum.

Traders observe that instead of helping businesses flourish and building a framework where everything operates more efficiently, regulations in the country oftentimes serve to hinder growth. Building a power plant in the Philippines, for instance, requires a hundred signatures and clearances even from the barangay level.

Dan Lachica, president of Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc., earlier warned that frequent changes on rules in the country’s business environment could negatively affect the image of the country.

Seipi said the unpredictability of investment rules could send negative signals to prospective foreign investors and impact on their decision to do business in the country.

The supposed reforms in the power sector are also creating a confusion in the industry and could raise electricity rates and render electronics exporters less competitive. Seipi cites the proposed revised rules on contestability, as well as the initial draft of the rules on the mandatory shift to competitive retail electricity market in the energy sector.

The proposed regulation could result in less retail electricity suppliers to choose from. With less suppliers in the market, buyers of electricity will have decreased bargaining power during supply contract negotiations. This, in turn, drives up the cost of power.

The draft rules actually contradict certain provisions of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, which encourages buyers or customers to choose from any supplier of their choice, without limitations or restrictions.

The industry also expressed concerns over whether contestable customers would be allowed to sign a contract with one prospective generation company, after their initial deal expired.

The industry, in addition, finds the time period by which they could secure a contract with a RES too tight. Seipi said manufacturers could end up incurring higher power cost if they would be automatically designated to a supplier of last resort, in the event they fail to meet the deadline.

It called for public consultations to arrive at a consensus and avoid a decision detrimental to the semiconductor industry.

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or business@thestandard.com.ph or extrastory2000@gmail.com

ADP anniversary. Human resources and payroll solutions provider ADP, which has 2,600 associates in its two sites, celebrates the 5th anniversary of its Philippine operations by recognizing outstanding associates.

The awardees are Tristan Salgado, Darwin Zabala and Andrea Sususco. Handing out the awards are ADP vice president and general manager Josep Maria Elias (sixth from left), senior service operations director Dino Ouradnik (second from left), marketing and communications senior manager Margie Escueta (third from left), senior director for shared services Cris Mirador (fifth from left), senior director for finance Laura Baui (eighth from left) and human resources director George Mathews (right).

7 foreign airlines eye flights to Clark

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CLARK International Corp. said Wednesday seven foreign airlines have expressed interest in establishing operations at the former US military airbase.

CIAC president Emigdio Tanjuatco III identified the seven airlines as Jet Star of Singapore, Thai Smile of Thailand, Rayani Air of Malaysia, Express Air of Indonesia, Air India, V-Air of Taiwan and Airline 4.0.

Airlines currently operating in Clark include Qatar Airways, Asiana Airlines, Dragonair, Jin Air, CebGo, Tiger Air of Singapore, Air Asia Berhad and Cebu Pacific Air. These airlines mount flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Macau, Pudong, Incheon, Doha, Dubai, Davao, Cebu and Kalibo.

Emirates Airlines announced that it would launch a daily service from Dubai to Cebu and

Clark starting March 30, using a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Tanjuatco earlier said he was in talks with other carriers to expand operations in Clark as the airport can accommodate five million passengers annually.

CIAC plans to construct a P7.2-billion low-cost passenger terminal building, designed by Aeroport De Paris of France.

The first phase would increase the terminal’s capacity to eight million from the current five million passengers a year, while the second phase would increase the capacity to 46 million by 2025.

The government was also looking into the feasibility of bidding out the Clark Airport operations

and maintenance and the construction of the legacy terminal and improvement of the facilities required on the airside and landslide.

Aside from Clark, the government plans to auction off the P74.56 billion NAIA Development Project, which aims to turn over the operation and maintenance of the country’s main gateway to the private sector under a public-private partnership scheme.

It also aims to tap the private sector to redevelop the airport’s facilities. The plan is now being studied by the board of the National Economic and Development Authority.

A recent study done by the Japan International Cooperation Agency showed NAIA would exceed its designed capacity this year, with its four terminals handling 37.78 million passengers, above the 30-million capacity.

By 2040, passenger traffic would reach 101.49 million, according to the Jica study.

Roxas Holdings doubles expenditures

By Jenniffer B. Austria SUGAR producer Roxas Holdings Inc. said it doubled its planned capital spending this year to P1.4 billion from an initial estimate of P700 million to support the expansion of its bioethanol business and improve the operational efficiency of sugar mills.

Roxas Holdings president Hubert Tubio said in an interview at the sidelines of the annual shareholders’ meeting the group would focus on rolling out immediate measures to enhance efficiency, increase production and reduce costs

of milling facilities after the company faced operational challenges that affected its financial performance last year.

The company said of the P1.4billion programmed spending for this year, P800 million would be set aside for sugar business while P600 million would be allocated for the expansion of bioethanol.

Roxas Holdings’ core net income dropped 74 percent to P169 million in the fiscal year 2015, due to costly competition for cane supply and deteriorating relationship with planters.

The group said in the first

quarter of fiscal year 2016, covering the period October to December, it registered a net loss of P125 million, a turnaround from P9-million net income recorded in the same period amid operational challenges affecting two manufacturing plants.

“Management had identified and accepted the various concerns that seed initially trivial but which clearly inflicted a devastating effect to the company.

Gleaning from the lessons of the past, RHI is implementing a proactive approach to overcome the address these issues,” Tubio said.

THURSDAY: MARCH 3, 2016

B6

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

LandBank credits to key sectors hit P384b

By Julito G. Rada STATE-RUN Land Bank of the Philippines, which is expected to become the second-largest bank when it merges with Development Bank of the Philippines, said it released P384 billion worth of loans to priority sectors last year.

LandBank said the amount represented 88.3 percent of the total P434.8 billion loans extended to all sectors.

LandBank president Gilda Pico said in a statement pursuing the social mandate remained the core of LandBank’s operations.

“Alongside our thrust to be financially viable and competitive, we strive to keep our focus in bringing access to credit to the marginalized sectors and other development players,” Pico said.

Pico said the expansion in loans was consistent with efforts to further strengthen its credit support, particularly for key sectors and projects with high development impact.

LandBank’s priority sectors include small farmers/agrarian reform beneficiaries and fishers and their associations, microenterprises and SMEs, agri- and aqua-businesses, agri-aqua related projects of LGUs and GOCCs, communications, transportation, housing, education, healthcare, environment-related projects, tourism, utilities and livelihood.

Agribusiness loans grew 65 percent to P45.4 billion in 2015 from P27.5 billion in 2014. Loans to small farmers and fishers also increased 15 percent to P38.7 billion from P33.7 billion. Meanwhile, outstanding loans to micro-enterprises and SMEs grew 11 percent to P57.3 billion from P51.4 billion in 2014.

Loans to the utilities sector reached P62.2 billion, up by 19 percent from P52.1 billion in 2014, while the bank’s loans for socialized, low-cost, and medium-cost housing expanded to P39.5 billion from P37.3 billion.

Balesin aircraft. Alphaland Balesin Island Club’s newly-acquired ATR72 500 lands at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, after a four-day ferry flight from Toulouse, France. The 68-seat ATR72 500 is one of the most popular regional aircrafts worldwide. After completing regulatory requirements, the plane will be in service for Balesin Island Club members and guests.

Grupo Emperador takes over Fundador GRUPOEMPERADOR Spain S.A., a unit of Emperador Inc., has completed the purchase of Bodegas Fundador from Beam Suntory.

In a special ceremony in Jerez, known to be Spain’s brandy capital, Emperador was welcomed by the employees of Fundador and Spain’s local officials.

The formal turnover was attended by Emperador chairman Andrew Tan, Jerez mayor Carmen Sanchez, Philippine Ambassador to Spain Carlos Salinas and other city officials of Jerez.

GrupoEmperador Spain S.A. managing director Jorge Domeq said the turnover of one of Spain’s most iconic, largest and oldest brandy production facilities to Emperador was a major milestone for the company.

“With the combined brandy production facilities of Emperador and Fundador, the world’s largest brandy company is born.

We now have almost 1,500 hectares of vineyard land in Spain, around 1,000,000 sqm of cellar and bottling facilities, and four distilleries here in Spain,” said Domecq.

Tan said there was a huge opportunity for innovation and creativity in Spain’s brandy and sherry industry.

“A new era begins not just for Fundador, but the whole brandy and sherry industry in Spain. This is an era that will bring in more

innovation and new ideas,” Tan said.

Tan said his goal was to create the world’s best brandy.

“If the world’s best whiskies are aged in sherry casks in Jerez, then many of the brandy products now aged in sherry casks in Jerez should become the best brandy in the world. In Bodegas Fundador, we have a sizable inventory of brandy that has been aged for more than 50 years. Once they are bottled, they should become one of the most valuable brandies in the world,” said Tan. Emperador earlier purchased Fundador of Spain and Harveys of the UK from US-based Beam Suntory for 275 million euros ($291 million).

Fundador produces popular brandies including one of the

same name and the Terry Centenario and Tres Cepas brands. It also makes Harveys, a sherry.

In 2014, Emperador paid 430 million pounds for Scottish whisky maker Whyte and Mackay and 60 million euros for half of Spanish brandy producer Bodega Las Copas. It has also been acquiring Spanish vineyards and brandy stocks.

Emperador reported a net income of P4.7 billion in the first nine months of 2015, up by 3 percent from a year ago.

Consolidated revenues reached P29 billion, inclusive of foreign operations, in the nine-month period.

Emperador began selling Whyte and Mackay products led by single malt whisky brands Dalmore and Jura.

Candidates should talk about irrigation LIKE the rest of the campaigning that preceded it, the recent first presidential candidates’ debate – the one held in Cagayan de Oro City on Feb. 16, 2016 – was replete with motherhood declarations and woefully short of detailed statements. Typical of the state of affairs was the treatment of the subject of this country’s agricultural sector.

The five candidates, without exception, spoke of the high importance of the agricultural sector to the elimination of poverty in this country and of how they would ensure that adequate resources were budgeted for the development of Philippine countryside. That was all they said. No details about the inadequacies and obstacles that Filipino farmers and fisherfolk faced and about what needed to be done so that the agriculture sector would no longer be the worst-performing sector of the Philippine economy.

The devil, as the expression goes, is in the details, and one of the details that this election’s presidential candidates have not wanted to get into is water. Not nearly enough of Philippine farms are irrigated.

Given this country’s two climatic periods – the dry season and the less dry season – Philippine farms are deluged during the less dry season and starved for water during the remainder of the year. And that’s the normal situation. When the El Niño phenomenon strikes, as it is currently doing, multiply the problem many times.

Of late, there has been a revival of the debate among economists as to whether self-sufficiency should be the object of government policy with regard to rice supply.

Several respected economists have been arguing that if other countries, like Thailand and Vietnam can produce rice less expensively, the Philippines should just import from them the Filipino’s preferred grain and divert resources to the production of other crops, especially those with higher value and export potential, e.g., coffee and fruits.

This point of view suggests that its proponents believe that the Filipino farmer is incapable of producing rice as efficiently as farmers in nearby countries. Is this viewpoint valid?

I don’t think so, and I have said so in a number of recent columns. It is my view that the Filipino farmer can produce rice competitively and that if he has not been able to do so, it is because his counterparts in mainland Southeast Asia have the benefit of year-round irrigation. Thai and Vietnamese farms don’t have to undergo the be-submerged-then-be-parched production cycle that Philippine farms have to endure. That’s because of the dependable flow of water from the mighty Mekong River and its tributaries.

An economic study that I saw not so long ago stated that the Philippines has close to fifty rivers of significance. Northern Luzon and Bicol are particularly blessed.

Of course, in Mindanao, there is the Rio Grande de Mindanao and the Agus River and their tributaries.

One of the oldest components of the Department of Agriculture is National Irrigation Administration. If NIA were better managed and enjoyed greater budgetary priority, this country’s farms would be adequately and dependably watered, would be

able to produce more crops in a two-year production cycle and then would be able to produce rice as efficiently as the mainland Southeast Asian countries.

Inadequate irrigation has always been the bane of Philippine farms and of the Filipino farmer’s existence. Year after year irrigation is discussed in the DA budgetary request and in the Congressional hearings on that request. But nothing much happens. And so Filipino farmers continue having to do with inadequate water for their farms. And the DA happily continues to place orders for foreign rice.

Hey, presidential candidates, if you’re really interested in improving the status of the Philippine agricultural sector and want to go beyond making motherhood statements, talk about irrigation. That will make the farmers and the economists think that you’re being serious.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

t H u r s D aY : M a r c H 3 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Many seniors still working in Japan TOKYO—Many people his age would be happy to slip on a cardigan and put their feet up, but not Teruo Sugiura.

The 86-year-old makes his way to a seniors’ work center in Tokyo several days a week where he repairs traditional Japanese sliding doors.

It doesn’t pay much, but that hasn’t stopped Sugiura from turning up for the last 20 years—one of the millions of elderly Japanese still collecting wages into retirement age.

“I’m working to keep my body in good shape,” said Sugiura, a former sweets salesman at a high-end department store.

“I think it’s wrong not to be doing anything.

There’s no point staying at home twiddling my thumbs.”

Japan’s silver-haired

workforce is everywhere these days—from wrinkled men waving glow sticks at construction sites to checkout counter clerks or caregivers for the very old.

And this geriatric working class shows no sign of shrinking— more than 20 percent of Japanese older than 65 still work.

That is the highest proportion among the developed economies and a figure likely to soar as the pool of younger workers falls and the fast-aging population squeezes a strained social welfare system.

People over 65 are expected to account for nearly 40 percent of the graying population by 2060 as Japan wrestles

with a low birth rate.

Meanwhile, the country’s labor force—the number of employed and unemployed people aged 15 to 64—is at risk of losing more than 27 million workers in the same time frame, a drop of about 42 percent from current levels, according to a government advisory panel.

Demand for workers is high and Japan’s unemployment rate for January, published on Tuesday, was an enviable 3.2 percent, a twodecade low and well below the United States or many European nations.

In response to demographic shifts, the government is gradually raising the official retirement age and starting ages for state pension payments to 65. The official retirement age will be raised in steps from 61 to 65 by

2025. It will be raised to 62 next month.

“This is enough incentive for [seniors] to push back their retirement and keep working,” investment bank Goldman Sachs said in a recent report on Japan’s labor market.

And Tokyo is putting the pressure on firms to keep workers on longer, or by hiring older employees.

Some firms have responded, including automaker Honda which has said it would raise its working age by five years to 65 starting in April, a move that could affect tens of thousands of workers.

Meanwhile, in northern Japan, nationwide convenience store chain Circle K Sunkus has trained a handful of elderly people in a nod to the aging labour pool.

AFP

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC This is to inform the public that Ma. Ginette T. Barranco is no longer connected with Cirrus Global, Inc. effective March 01, 2016.

All transactions entered by Ms. Barranco for and on behalf of the Company after the said date shall no longer be honored by the Company.

(TS-MAR. 3, 2016)

Notice of Loss Stock Cer tificate N otic e is hereby given that R ic a rd o S. Pa scu a loss his sto c k c e r t i f ic at e nu m b e r 0 0 0 0 0 0 02 0 9 rep re sent ing 1, 9 6 0,770 p ref e r re d sha re s in Pr i m e M e di a Hol ding I nc . (PM H I). Please t ake f ur ther notic e that af ter the expiration of one (1) year f rom the date of last public ation, if no c ontest has been presented to PM HI regarding said c er tif ic ate of stoc k, the r ight to make suc h c ontest shall be bar red and said c or poration shall c anc el in its books the c er tif ic ate of stoc k whic h has been loss and issue in lieu thereof a new c er tif ic ate of stoc k unless a bond for issuanc e of new c er tif ic ate before the expiration of one (1) year is sec ured. ( F E B . 18 , 2 5 & M A R . 3 , 2 016)

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Republic of the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources MINES AND GEOSCIENCES BUREAU North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. Philippines

Tel. No. (+632) 928-8642/928-8937 Fax No. (+632) 920-1635 E-mail: central@mgb.gov.ph

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST AND TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID ITB No. 2016-02-018 P.R. No. 2015-12-951

PROJECT TITLE: CONSULTANCY SERVICE – RISK ASSESSMENT AND PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ROMBLON MARBLE MINING LOCATED IN ROMBLON, ROMBLON 1.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for CY 2016 intends to apply the sum of Two Million Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (PhP2,750,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for One (1) Lot Consultancy Service – Risk Assessment and Preparation of Environmental Management Plan for Romblon Marble Mining located in Romblon, Romblon under Purchase Request (PR) No. 2015-12-951. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected during opening of the Financial Proposal.

2.

The MGB now calls for the submission of Expression of Interest (EOI) and Eligibility Documents for the Conduct of Consultancy Service - Risk Assessment and Preparation of Environmental Management Plan for Romblon Marble Mining located in Romblon, Romblon. Interested contractors with a minimum of at least three (3) years’ experience in the above-mentioned service must submit their EOI and Eligibility Documents on or before March 2, 2016, Wednesday, 1:30PM. Opening of Eligibility Documents will be on the same day, March 2, 2016, at 2:00PM at the Office of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), MGB Compound, North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion. Late submission shall not be accepted.

3.

Eligibility Documents shall consist of: Legal Documents i. Registration certificate from the Securities and Exchange Commission, or from the Department of Trade and Industry for sole proprietorship, or any proof of such registration as stated in the Bidding Documents; ii. Mayor’s permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the prospective bidder is located; Technical Documents i. Statement of the prospective bidder of all its ongoing and completed government and private contracts, including contracts awarded but not yet started, if any, whether similar or not similar in nature and complexity to the contract to be bid, within the relevant period as provided in the Bidding Documents. ii. Prospective bidder’s Omnibus Affidavit stating among others, that the prospective bidder is not “blacklisted” or barred from bidding by the Government of the Philippines (GOP) or any of its Agencies, Offices, Corporations or LGUs, including non-inclusion in the Consolidated Blacklisting Report issued by the GOP; iii. BIR Registration Certificate; iv. Latest BIR/Tax Clearance; v. Company profile of the prospective bidder; vi. Statement of the consultant specifying its nationality and confirming that those who will actually perform the service are registered professionals authorized by the appropriate regulatory body to practice those professions and allied professions, including their respective Curriculum Vitae (CV);

Workshop. This picture taken on June 12, 2015, shows female workers making flower bamboo baskets at a workshop of Asia Deck, a privately-owned company that exports artisan home-ware to Europe, on the outskirts of Hanoi. AFP

Sexually harassed at the workplace TOKYO—One-third of Japanese working women have experienced sexual harassment at their place of employment, though nearly two-thirds of these women suffer in silence, a survey has showed.

The results of the first-of-its-kind study commissioned by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, came as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to support working women to kick-start the country’s struggling economy.

Economists have said for years that Japan needs to make better use of its well-educated but underemployed women, which could go a long way toward plug-

ging the country’s labor gap as the country faces an aging and declining population.

The written survey questioned women currently and previously employed, both full and part time, from the ages of 25 to 44 throughout the nation and received some 10,000 responses.

It was conducted over a three-week period in September and October last year.

Some 30 percent in total said they experienced sexual harassment at work, according to the results, released on Tuesday.

Among those fully employed, the figure was slightly higher at about 35 percent.

More than half of the

total who experienced sexual harassment complained that their appearance, age and physical features were subject to casual comments, mostly by male co-workers. A total of 40 percent said they were physically touched in unpleasant ways.

The survey also showed that 38 percent said they were subject to comments or were asked questions of a sexual nature.

In more serious cases, some said they were relentlessly asked out or were pressed with demands to have sexual relations.

But more than 63 percent said they reluctantly remained silent about the abuse, though

the survey did not offer any reasons why.

And about one in 10 who did complain, however, said they were treated unfairly for speaking up, such as being demoted.

In speech after speech, Abe has urged the country to open up to “womenomics”, encouraging some of Japan’s biggest firms— including Toyota, Panasonic and All Nippon Airways—to announce targets for boosting the number of female executives.

While women are well represented in poorly-paid, part-time work, only a fraction of executives at 3,600 listed companies are female. AFP

Financial Documents i. Audited financial statements, stamped “RECEIVED” by the Bureau of Internal Revenue or its duly accredited and authorized institutions, for the immediately preceding calendar year, showing, among others, the total assets and liabilities of the prospective bidder.

4.

The MGB-BAC and its Technical Working Group (TWG) shall draw up a short list of consultants from those who have submitted their EOI and eligibility documents. The selection of the short-listed consultants will be determined in accordance with the criterion and rating system as follows: • Firm Experience – 50% • Job Capacity – 25% • Qualification of Personnel - 25% Only contractors with a minimum score of 60% shall be part of the shortlist.

5.

Short-listed consultants shall be notified in writing and issued bidding documents upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Two Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (PhP2,500.00).

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the revised IRR of RA No. 9184.

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.

6.

The MGB shall evaluate bids using Quality-Cost Based Evaluation/Selection (QCBE/ QCBS) procedure. The MGB shall indicate the weights to be allocated for the Technical and Financial Proposals. The criteria and rating system for the evaluation of bids shall be provided in the Instruction to Bidders.

7.

The contract shall be completed within twelve (12) months upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed.

8.

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

9.

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

(TS-MAR. 3, 2016)

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

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CeSAR bARRioqUinTo EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

Two astronauts return to Earth DZHEZKAZGAN, Kazakhstan—US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko returned to Earth Wednesday after spending almost a year in space in a ground-breaking experiment foreshadowing a potential manned mission to Mars.

The 340-day mission saw Kelly break the record for the longest single stay in space by a US astronaut, while Kornienko is now fifth on the list for the lengthiest mission by a Russian cosmonaut.

“We have landing,” Russian Mission Control confirmed after the trio touched down southeast of the settlement of Dzhezkazgan in central Kazakhstan at around 0430 GMT. After returning from his lengthy stint in space, Kelly was clearly in high spirits as he was lowered to the ground by burly

Russian rescue workers at the landing site.

“The air out here feels great. I’ve no idea why you guys are so bundled up,” NASA TV reported him as saying as he sat upright in a chair on the steppe in temperatures just below zero.

Kelly and Kornienko returned with Russia’s Sergei Volkov, who was stationed at the ISS for over five months and was met upon landing by his father, retired cosmonaut Aleksandr Volkov.

The “one-year crew” mission—which began on March 27 last yearwas the longest by any astronauts aboard the ISS and seen as a vital chance to measure the effects of a prolonged period in space on the human body.

They have been subjected to a battery of tests and other experiments in preparation for a future manned mission to Mars and beyond. AFP

Rehearsal. American soprano Linda Watson (L) in the role of Brunnhilde, and Polish bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny as Wotan, perform at the National State Opera of Budapest on March 1, 2016, during a rehearsal for German composer Richard Wagner’s opera “Die Walkuere” produced by Hungarian artist Geza M Toth. The premiere will be held on March 6, 2016. AFP

Russian debt collectors feared MOSCOW—”If you don’t die by yourself, we’ll help you,” threaten the phone messages that Natalya, a 69-year-old Russian pensioner, has been receiving for months after falling further behind on her credit card payments.

Resorting to harassment and threats of violence, the debt collectors sent out by banks to recover money have become notorious in Russia and, many complain, usually face no punishment.

But as Russia’s unpaid debt soars to dramatic levels due to an economic crisis, authorities are now seeking to regulate the cowboy sector.

For Natalya, who declined to give her full name due to fear of reprisal, the problems began last

summer.

She had to go into hospital and was forced to stop the part-time car park supervisor’s job that supplements her monthly pension of around 150 euros ($164) plus the 70-euro disability benefit of her son, who lives with her.

It became impossible for Natalya, who lives in the region outside Moscow, to cover the monthly bills for her credit card that she says come to about 5,000 rubles (60 euros, $66), although

she does not understand exactly what the amount represents.

Interest rates can reach as high as 20 percent for longer term loans such as mortgages, and much higher for short term ones.

The menacing phone calls have become increasingly frequent, “day and night,” she said.

Noting the telephone numbers used by the debt collectors, she has listed up to 18 calls per day.

The callers’ tone has also grown more menacing, with threats of violence.

“We will come to your home to see if you have any gold teeth,” or “we will confiscate your property,” and “we will make you run for the cemetery’—just some of the threats she received.

“They got me into such a state

that I didn’t have the strength to leave my flat. I begged them but to no avail. They just kept on shouting and insulting me,” she said, fighting back tears.

She finally went to a lawyers’ association to attempt to get her repayments cut to a manageable level.

Natalya’s case is far from unusual, as are the tactics used against her.

Russian media have carried reports of bailiffs beating up people with debts, posting insults in the entrance halls of their apartment blocks and threatening to attack their children.

“Over the last year, we have seen a wave of complaints,” said Irina Malinina, a lawyer who heads a group helping people with unpaid

loans.

“Delays or failures to make payments have increased so the visits and phone calls from debt collectors have gone up,” she told AFP. Collapsing oil prices and sanctions on Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine have plunged the country into recession, prompting a drop in spending power that caught out many Russians who had taken loans during the boom years when credit was available with almost no background checks.

Payments were late on nearly 18 percent of personal loans on January 1, up from 10.3 percent a year earlier, according to the National Bureau of Credit Histories, a company that holds a large database of credit history records. AFP

Story of gun-toting pedophile priest

Visit. French President Francois Hollande salutes employees of Showroomprive, a French company of online sales, during his visit at their headquarters in La Plaine Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on March 1, 2016. AFP

SYDNEY—An Australian inquiry Wednesday heard of a gun-toting pedophile priest who made children kneel between his legs during confession as Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell admitted a time of “crimes and cover-ups” within the Catholic Church.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney heard evidence from Pell, via videolink from Rome, for a third day, with the senior Australian official again facing intense questioning about what he knew.

The inquiry is currently focused on the town of Ballarat and the city of Melbourne in the state of Victoria, where Pell grew up

and worked, and how the church dealt with complaints, many dating back to the 1970s, against the Catholic clergy.

Gail Furness, the top lawyer leading questioning in the inquiry, centered attention Wednesday on Doveton parish priest Peter Searson, who Pell called “one of the most unpleasant” men he had ever met.

The church failed to act in the 1980s despite mounting evidence of his bizarre behavior.

The commission heard that one complainant said Searson brandished a gun and made children kneel between his legs when they went to confession, during which he had a tape recorder.

Pell called Searson’s behavior

“abhorrent” but denied knowing about it at the time, and suggested that Melbourne Archbishop Frank Little, now deceased, should have done more.

“Archbishop Little for some reason seemed incapable or unable to deal with Father Searson, or even to provide any adequate level of information about the situation,” said Pell, suggesting he likely took no action to protect the church’s reputation.

The inquiry heard Searson, who died in 2009, was also accused of sexual assault, swinging a cat by its tail over a fence, killing it, showing children a dead body in a coffin and holding a knife to the chest of a young girl. 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

w EL L BEING

LIFE

Reset (lemon, cayenne, cider, turmeric, turnips, yacon), Glow (cranberry, lemon, grapes, and apple), Pink Lady (red beets, pineapple, ginger, and maca), Romance (strawberries, mountain rose, apple, and lime), Yoga Love (kale, lettuce, celery, lime, ginger, cucumber, green apple, and chlorella), Hunger Quench (grapefruit, camu camu, lemon, mint, and apple), Restore (kiwi, kale, watercress, passionfruit, pear, cucumber, and spirulina), and Black Reset (elderberry, activated charcoal, lemon, pineapple, mint, and yacon)

FIvE-DAy JuICE ClEAnSE

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t’s my third time to do a juice fast, and the first time I did it in five days. Yes, spell #HANGRY. The first time I did my juice fast last year, it lasted me three days and I was so hotheaded the entire time no one wanted to talk to me at work because I would always explode if something ticked me off. Well, this is my first time to use Cocogreen Evolve Norwalk Pressed juices and amazing how the results were different from my last fast.

Okay, first things first. Why juice fast?

A lot of people think of juice cleanse as a way to lose weight, and I wouldn’t argue with that because I lost four kilos in just three days on the cleanse. Some people have a hard time even shedding one kilo in a month. Four kilos in five days is a scary drop on weight – too fast, too soon as many would say, but then maybe I’m all water inside. I can’t say though that the result would be the same for everyone as we all have unique structures.

Juice cleansing is a way to actually give your digestion a break from consuming solid food. Reboot, so they say. Though it may give short-term benefits, there’s no proof that this can give your body longterm effects. A lot of doctors and dietitians would argue about the benefits of juice fast or if there’s any benefit at all. But for me, it was a great way to jumpstart into a healthy diet.

A lot of trendy bottled juices are available online or off the shelves. I have tried a few and so far Evolve cold pressed juices satiated my hunger the most while on juice cleanse. While others dilute their bottles with water, Cocogreen Evolve cold pressed juices are packed with one kilo of vegetables and fruits per bottle. It didn’t make me as HANGRY and cranky. A lot of reading materials are available online on how you can get started before the actual cleanse, and mostly they will tell you to veer away from fatty, sugary, and junk foods – which could be a great way to prepare your body for the fast. I wouldn’t lie; I ate everything I wanted the day before the fast. But I’m not telling you to follow that.

By TATum AnChETA

Here’s a day-by-day account of my experience and what it actually made me feel: Day 1. Eight bottles of juice/weight: 56 kilos I’m a breakfast eater, and I can’t function if I have not eaten anything before 11:00 a.m., so when I woke on the first day of the fast I had to instantly gulp down the first bottle which is “Reset.” The bottle contains lemon, cayenne, cider, turmeric, turnips, and yacon. This was followed by “Glow” (cranberry, lemon, grapes, and apple) as part of the breakfast. You have to at least consume a bottle every two hours to keep your hunger at bay. I was okay for about two more bottles by lunchtime and at 2:00 p.m. By 3:00 p.m., I was back at work and was feeling nauseous and dazed especially looking at so many words on paper. I downed my fifth bottle gradually, scared that I would go hungry for the next couple of hours until dinnertime.

The Cocogreen nutritionist was checking up on me and I told her I was feeling dizzy.

She then reminded me to drink water.

Umm, yeah, about that – the reason I was feeling dizzy was I was getting dehydrated not drinking water when the note on the package with the juice cleanse said you have to drink eight glasses of water a day while on juice fast. So then I continued, and after dinner, I was feeling okay, didn’t do much activity as I was just consuming more than 400 calories the whole day.

Day 2. Eight bottles of juice/weight: 54 kilos The next day was better, I was getting accustomed to the idea of just consuming liquids the whole day that it became okay until – well, need I remind anyone not to do juice fast on your birthday week? I was getting cakes and sweets as presents and every delectable moist cake made me want to slobber and quit the fast at every sight of a box. In addition, do not stay near the kitchen as the smell of sautéed garlic and fried rice will want to make you swim on top of the pan while it’s still cooking.

But aside from that, I was not hungry, nor angry. I was full, and it takes so much

Saltless vegetable soup

First meal after the cleanse—Green smoothie with spinach, lettuce, pear, apples and a dash of lemon juice

Reset, Glow, two bottles of Pink Lady, Romance, Yoga Love, Hunger Quench and Black Reset

Grilled vegetables

mind control not to dive in to the food that passed my sight.

taste buds exercised. Never drink any tea with caffeine.

Day 3. Eight bottles of juice/weight: 52 kilos Drinking juice has almost become second nature as I wasn’t even thinking about food, until the kitchen aromas would hit. I was feeling weak and dizzy so I stayed at home and worked from there. Again, sometimes I would forget to drink water; it’s very important to do so. I would sometimes have a cup of herb tea like banaba tea just to keep my

Day 4. Eight bottles of juice/weight: 52 kilos I was still feeling a bit weak and dizzy and would forget to drink water every now and then, which was important to keep me from getting dehydrated. By dinnertime all I could think about was Filipino cuisine and how much I would want to eat daing na bangus for some reason.

Continued to C2

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Medical practitioners join the cardiac pulmonary resuscitation simulation exercise with the help of Zoll defibrillator

@LIFEatStandard

Zoll Medical Corporation offers defibrillators, ventilators and AEDs, among others

Cardiac arrest deaths can be prevented if people knew how to give CPR

I

n the Philippines, as in other parts of the world, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death.

According to the Department of Health, 170,000 Filipinos die annually from diseases of the heart. But what many don’t know is that half of these recorded deaths are due to sudden cardiac arrest or SCA. “A lot of people don’t realize how many people die (each year) from cardiac arrest, and actually it’s over a million worldwide,” reveals educator and licensed paramedic Tim McGough.

He adds that SCA kills more people than AIDS, breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer combined.

“But we don’t hear about the deaths not until a celebrity dies,” McGough says.

True enough, following the sudden death of Filipino director Wenn Deramas on February 29, Google search for “cardiac arrest” surged on the same day.

Not only cardiac arrest cases are underreported, many often mistake SCA for heart attack or vice versa. But the two medical condition cannot be used interchangeably.

According to the American Heart Association, a heart attack occurs when a blocked artery prevents oxygenrich blood from reaching a section of the heart. It’s basically considered a “plumbing problem.” Symptoms start slowly and persist for hours to weeks, before a heart attack happens.

Cardiac arrest, on the other hand, is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia. When the pumping is disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs. It’s considered an “electrical problem,” and occurs suddenly and often without warning.

by beRnadette lunas Photos by staR sabRoso

“It can happen to anyone – young, old, healthy, out of shape and even those who have no other medical condition,” says McGough.

Also, cardiac arrest can happen anywhere. In the Philippines and other Asean countries, McGough says the survival rate for cardiac arrests happening in public places is but a mere one percent. Survival rate in hospitals is a little better, albeit still low, at 17 percent.

“The reason it’s so low is because of all the challenges we face in giving good CPR (cardiac pulmonary resuscitation),” posits McGough. The resuscitation science expert is talking about the public’s lack of knowledge on how to do CPR when the situation calls for it.

Global data show that 53 percent of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are witnessed by a bystander. However, McGough says only 25 percent of the victims get CPR from a bystander before trained help arrives.

When it comes to cardiac arrest, immediate response is crucial. “As each minute goes by the patient loses as much as 10 percent chance of survival,” says McGough, hence highlighting the need for more people, specifically those without substantial medical training, to learn how to do CPR. Not just CPR, but high quality CPR. “We’ve found that the single most important factor in determining whether someone survives in the event of cardiac arrest is the quality of CPR given,” shares McGough.

Citing a recently published guideline, McGough states that a good CPR must have the right compression rate and depth. The ideal depth when pushing down the center of the victim’s chest is 2 to 2.4 inches.

But even as a licensed paramedic, McGough admits to having a difficult

FIvE-DAY JUIcE cLEAnSE From C1

Day 5. Eight bottles of juice/weight: 52 kilos It was the last day and I was feeling so triumphant after holding off on solids for the past days. It was almost Valentine and I had to go to a concert that night.

When you’re on juice fast, you should rise early and go to bed early, but I had plans that night and I went out until before midnight and forgot to drink my last bottle for dinner. I was so hungry so I

time “getting such a perfect depth.”

To help emergency responders achieve the right compression depth and rate, and in times when CPR must be given by a non-medical practitioner, it is important to get the AED or automatic external defibrillator to the patient’s side as fast as possible.

“Until recently, we didn’t have the way to measure the right compression depth until some guidelines came out in 2010 that talked about using a device to measure the chest compression quality,” recalls McGough.

As the director for international strategic marketing and sales of Zoll Medical Corporation, the world’s largest resuscitation company, McGough stresses the advantages of using AEDs. “If you have a sensor under the chest you can measure the quality of compression and you can immediately improve it, and therefore immediately improve the outcome,” he explains.

Zoll, whose array of products are distributed by TAO Corp.’s Health Solutions here in the Philippines, has a wide range of defibrillators and AEDs, among others.

Zoll’s AED Plus, for instance, is the only AED that features a unique feedback tool that helps responders monitor CPR quality, and provides real-time feedback for depth and rate of chest compressions.

“You only get the right CPR with the help of right technology that will measure it,” asserts McGough.

Since SCA happens anytime and anywhere, he also stresses the need to require every establishment to have an AED, just like how all public places are required to have a fire extinguisher.

Visit www.zoll.com to know more about Zoll and its products.

held it in and downed water until I could get to my last bottle.

You can actually see a glow on your skin after the cleanse. Now that the juice cleanse is done, it didn’t mean that I headed to the nearest buffet station and swam in all the food I could eat. What you do after your fast is very important. Your body is in starvation mode. Anything you put in your system, your body will store in places you do not want.

What you eat after your fast may actually give you more weight than what you shed off, so it’s important that you follow a light diet after.

My weight stabilized already on the sixth day and won’t shed anymore. I was so happy to finally be off the juice and made myself a

A good CPR must have 2 to 2.4 inches compression depth

Zoll Medical Corporation Asia Pacific regional manager Christopher Barnabas

Zoll Medical Corporation director for international strategic marketing and sales Tim McGough

vegetable and fruit smoothie. A smoothie is a good way to break the fast as you will still have juices with some fibers in it already.

For lunch, I prepared saltless and greaseless cabbage soup with garlic and onion, and drizzled it with pepper and cayenne to taste. It was heaven for me – finally a taste of real food! For dinner, I grilled carrots, eggplant, tomatoes, and onions. It felt like HEAVEN. Yes, food in my tongue, the simple flavors of the vegetables were exploding in my mouth. On the second day off the cleanse, I still did not eat anything starchy, I maintained a plant-based diet, raw as much as possible, steamed or boiled.

Only on the fourth day did I introduce

starch and seeds in my system. On the fifth day off the cleanse, I started to eat egg and added some olive oil. I lost another kilo after those days, and after a week off the cleanse, I finished a 21-k marathon without actually breaking down.

I’m currently on a plant-based diet; I eat fish sometimes but in small portions and have not had a single chip since I started my cleanse.

The juice cleanse made me lighter, and like I said it was a good way to restart my diet.

To learn more about Cocogreen Evolve Norwalk Pressed juices and to order your batch of bottles visit www.cocogreen.ph or call 09166414309.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

T

Izumi Bottleless Home Water System

@LIFEatStandard

Drink your way to a healthy summer with izumi Bottleless home water system

he long, hot summer months are almost upon us, and while sodas and juices can help keep you from feeling parched and dry, there’s nothing like a glass of cold water to quench your thirst. However, households are unnecessarily spending an enormous amount of money buying water by the bottle or by the gallons from water stores whose delivery people make you doubt about their adherence to sanitation practices.

The good news however is that there is now a more convenient way to have a continuous supply of healthy drinking water right from your faucet without need for plastic containers that are heavy to lift and are also a source of environmental concern – through the Izumi Bottleless Home Water System.

The water dispenser from Izumi can be connected to the water faucet at home, ensuring savings because people do not have to buy single-use plastic bottled water that are quite expensive, or rely on the large five gallon blue bottles of water from the store.

With the Izumi Bottleless Home Water System, the water goes through a system of filtration that has five stages: Sediment Filter, Pre-Carbon Filter UF Membrane, Post Carbon Filter and Calcium Carbonate Filter. Aside from the convenience of having hot and cold water anytime, the freshly filtered water is very good for the health because it lessens the acidity inside the body.

The filtration system also helps eliminate bacteria and harmful chemicals from the water – preventing the onset of water-related diseases such as diarrhea, amoebiasis, dysentery and others.

Drinking water from the Izumi Bottleless Home Water System has so many health benefits, costs less and helps reduce

environmental waste. It’s definitely an easy habit to adapt into your daily living and improve your health as well.

To know more about the Izumi Bottleless Home Water System, log on to www.izumicares.com or call/text (02)806-0031 or 0932-878-3287.

A clear, cold glass of safe water is the healthiest way to quench your thirst

leap year myths 101 Once every four years, an extra day is added to the calendar – a phenomenon we all know as Leap Year – like this 2016. It was Julius Caesar who introduced the extra day in 45 B.C. to simplify the calendar, and make up for that additional revolution of the planet. However, the rare and mysterious occurrence brought with it various superstitions that continue to survive today.

Among these superstitions and strange notions include the refusal to make any significant changes in life such as getting married or having a baby. The Philippines’ leading health institution Makati Medical Center debunks some of the most popular and strange leap year myths that are known today.

But first things first. What exactly is a leap year? The earth revolves around the sun for 365.24 days. To take the extra hours into account, people used to observe a 355-day calendar with an extra month every two years. When Julius Caesar came into power, he ordered this system simplified to a 365day year with an extra day every four years.

But that’s not the only rule. According to Pope Gregory XIII, a year divisible by

100, but not by 400, is not a leap year. This makes the year 2000 a leap year under the Gregorian calendar, but not 1900.

The chances of being born on leap day are odd – one in 1,461 – and those born on February 29 are referred to as “leapers” or “leaplings.”

So what are the strange myths that people observe during a leap year such as 2016? Here are some.

Change is not good. It seems that everything from a simple makeover to starting up a business is taboo for this year. For some reason, people are convinced that the leap year is entirely unsuitable for new beginnings.

According to Dr. Rene M. Samaniego of MakatiMed’s Section of Psychiatry, “Being something that isn’t part of the norm, the leap year can affect our customary worldview. And as a rule, most people are afraid of anything ‘supernatural’ or different from what they’re used to, so superstitions like these are created.”

Statistics however show that trips are taken, jobs are changed and businesses flourish even during a leap day, so why should one turn down a great offer – like a

fantastic new job for example – just because it was proposed during a leap year?

Mortality goes up. The leap year drives belief that the mortality rate increases around the world, yet official statistics would show that the number of people born in a leap year remain in the standard.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority website, 1,790,367 live births in the country were reported during the previous leap year in 2012. As to the number of deaths during leap year, we have yet to get sufficient data to prove this belief.

No weddings, divorces or babies. Old superstitious folks would dissuade couples from tying the knot on a leap year because the marriage will supposedly end badly.

They also say that one should not engage in a separation, otherwise one will never find happiness again. Contrast this to the old Irish tradition of women proposing on leap day – a practice that supposedly started when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about how unfair it is that women have to wait for suitors to propose. So St. Patrick then gave women a day in a leap year to ask the men – and this fell on the last day of the shortest month.

‘Children born during a leap year are no different from those born in any other year,’ says Dr. Rita Josephine E. Dolendo, chairman of Makati Med’s Department of Pediatrics

Dr. Rita Josephine E. Dolendo, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics of Makati Med, says on the superstition regarding babies: “It’s a good thing many aren’t taking the advice because we’ll probably be facing a demographics crisis every four years if they did! I can say that children born during a leap year are no different from children born in any other year.”

Older people shouldn’t celebrate their birthdays. Another leap year myth says that the elderly shouldn’t celebrate their birthdays at all during this time because this may trigger disaster. Aside from this being terribly unfair (seniors should have fun on their big day!) and quite baseless, Dr. Samaniego says that “Telling our grandparents about this could actually affect them more, and cause them to be nervous and expect the worse. We shouldn’t give them unnecessary anxiety.”

For more information, contact MakatiMed On-Call at 8888.999, email mmc@makatimed.net.ph, or visit www.makatimed.net.ph.

T H U R S D AY : m A R c H 3 , 2 0 1 6

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Healthy snack options prepared by Dietitian Cheshire Que and chefs of Edsa Shangri-La Hotel

Doing Ashtanga yoga everyday helps alleviate stress and relieves cramped muscles

how to kEEp bloat and mood swings away during your pEriod

m

any say women have it harder than men.

Unlike our male counterparts, females have to go through many different struggles in life, one of which is the unpleasant visitor that comes every single month.

During menstruation, not only does the body shed the uterus lining, it also goes through a group of symptoms called premenstrual syndrome that affects women’s mood and physical looks. According to Mayo Clinic, three in every four menstruating women have experienced some form of PMS. PMS includes both physical and emotional symptoms, but the most popular of which are mood swings and bloating. These two come on top of the painful

by bErnadEttE lunas

dysmenorrhea that attacks the lower abdomen or back.

But having that monthly visitor – with all its unwelcome companions in tow – doesn’t mean women can no longer be functional members of the society. Here’s how ladies can survive and take charge during that time of the month.

ExErcisE

When you’re feeling sluggish and your abdomen and back hurt like hell, exercising, let alone moving, may be the last thing you would want to do.

“A lot of women complain about dysmenorrhea and about the unpleasant feeling of moving when they have their menstr uation,” shares triathlete and former national polo player Dr. Lyllian Banzon.

“But it’s not an excuse to slack.”

Instead of nursing the pain, Dr. Banzon stresses that women should instead move, as movement can often relieve the discomforts of cramp. She says there are many things women can do even if they have their monthly period.

“There’s no contraindication that if you have menstruation you should not exercise,” Dr. Banzon points out.

“Stretch, jog, walk a little

– anything. Just make sure you move in comfortable places, and wear comfortable clothing and good sanitary pads or liners.”

Physical activities also help in alleviating stress, as the body releases endorphins when you exercise.

Yoga teacher Bubbles Paraiso (left) shows the downward facing dog pose

strEtch and rElax

Perhaps the best activity for one to relax and squeeze in some workout is yoga, one of which is Ashtanga yoga.

“Ashtanga is a very dynamic or yang type of yoga that works on your legs, core, shoulder strength and opens up your hips.

It’s a good form of exercise for women,” explains yoga teacher and The Standard LIFE columnist Bubbles Paraiso.

Ashtanga helps regulate the flow of blood in our body, calm the mind and relieve menstrual cramps, as some asanas or poses relieve cramped muscles and boost one’s mood.

However, Paraiso says, “when you have your period, you are not supposed to be doing yoga.”

She instead suggests doing yoga everyday before your period.

But for those who want to do yoga during their period, Paraiso recommends avoiding inversions “because when you’re upside down, it interferes with the flow of energy.”

Eat right

During their period, majority of women feel moody and bloated.

Why? Philippine-US registered dietitian Cheshire Que says its because we let our cravings get the best of us and give in to sinful, salty and sweet comfort food.

When progesterone increases during menstrual cycle, the cortisol or stress hormone increases while the serotonin or happy hormone decreases.

Decreased serotonin, according

Menstruation is not an excuse for women to forgo exercise

to Que, leads to craving for carbohydrates.

“Serotonin comes from protein like fish, chicken and other lean meat. But since it cannot go to the brain without insulin, the body craves for carbohydrates,” explains Que. In most cases, many opt for bad and unhealthy food choices to get their “carb fix,” like chocolates, potato chips, and other processed food high in sodium and refined sugar.

“When insulin is high [from high intake of sugar and carbohydrates] the body stores up fat all over. You’re in insulin fatstorage mode, the reason why you feel bloated,” expounds Que. Bloating is also a result of eating food high in sodium, which makes it all the more important to always be hydrated.

“When you feel bloated, drink lots of water and eat fruits and vegetables to help flush out salt in your body because usually its just sodium retention,” she adds.

Que suggests choosing lean protein (fish, nuts, chicken),

complex carbohydrates (potatoes, red/brown/black rice), and food high in fiber (at least 3g of fiber per serving).

bE sEcurEd

Coinciding with the Women’s Wellness Month this March, sanitary napkin and liner brand Jeunesse Anion reiterates its call for women to make the right choice when it comes to their pads.

Jeunesse Anion’s wide range of products features a quick absorbing top sheet and inner material made of virgin pulp that helps relieve dysmenorrhea, eliminates bacteria, and may help fight against vaginal infections or irritations.

The brand which celebrates its 4th anniversary is coming up with a new offering soon.

Jeunesse official MJ Huang told The Standard LIFE that they will soon offer Jeunesse Anion sanitary pads and liners in single packs that will be available in supermarkets, convenience stores and sari-sari stores nationwide.

T HURS DAy : m A RcH 3, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C5

Hugh Jackman (left) and Taron Egerton team up in a feel-good movie directed by Dexter Fletcher

H

OlympIcs’ TRIumpHanT unDERDOg sOaRs In ‘EDDIE THE EaglE’

ugh Jackman and Taron Egerton, recently seen in an impressive lead performance in Kingsman: The Secret Service team up in the upcoming highly inspirational true-to-life comedy in Eddie The Eagle.

Inspired by true events, Eddie The Eagle is a feel-good story about an underdog with a never say die attitude, Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Egerton), an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself – even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach (played by Hugh Jackman), Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

Eddie’s story is inspirational. Although he was never athletically gifted, from an early age he dedicated his life to achieving one goal: to become an Olympian. Eddie

tried his hand at various sports and disciplines, before settling on downhill skiing.

Having narrowly failed to make the British team at the Winter Olympics in 1984, he recalibrated and switched to ski jumping.

Edwards’ exploits were solitary. Largely shunned by the ski jumping community, he would either train himself or go through a string of short-lived coaches. For the film however, producer Matthew Vaughn and director Dexter Fletcher wanted to create a character to join Eddie through every step of his journey. “We needed someone we can relate to, a participant we can imagine ourselves to be,” says Fletcher. “Our attitude towards Eddie would be that he’s mad, but we’re won over by his inspirational enthusiasm and approach.”

It actually took almost thirty years. One night, towards the end of 2014, Matthew Vaughn - director of Kingsman: The Secret Service, X-Men: First Class - sat down to watch a film with his children. The film

was Cool Runnings, the comedy about a Jamaican bobsled team that defied all the odds to compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. “My kids were loving the film,” says Vaughn, “and I started thinking, ‘Why does nobody make movies like this anymore?’ I wanted to make a movie that you could watch and just come out feeling inspired. And I wanted to do a film I could show my kids!”

Perhaps spurred on by the remarkable coincidence that the Jamaican bobsledders and Eddie Edwards competed at the same Olympics, Vaughn turned his thoughts towards The Eagle. Fifteen years or so earlier, Vaughn and his then directing partner, Guy Ritchie, had been sent an Eddie The Eagle screenplay with a view to turning it into a movie. That deal hadn’t worked out, but something about it resonated with him.

“I thought it was charming, and worth making. Loads of people had bought it since, but nothing had happened,” Vaughn

explains. “I tracked down the script, said I wanted to buy it, and three months later we were filming.”

It now seems almost impossible for someone to replicate Eddie’s achievements.

As detailed in the film, the standards required to qualify for the ski jump were almost immediately increased by the International Olympic Committee. Eddie never qualified for the event again, although he was selected as a torchbearer for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Yet the film was devised by Fletcher and Vaughn as a testament to the unshakeable faith that Edwards possessed. “He’s a hero,” says Vaughn. “Eddie literally risked his life with every jump. He was being bloody brave. The word ‘no’ is not in my vocabulary, and it wasn’t in his, either. That’s for sure. I admired Eddie.”

Eddie The Eagle opens April 6 in theatres nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Tom JonES LIVE AT BIg DomE

celebrated Welsh singer and actor Tom Jones in concert at the Smart Araneta coliseum

The powerful, captivating vocals behind “It’s Not Unusual,” “Help Yourself,” “Delilah” and many other hits will awe and mesmerize music enthusiasts when singer Tom Jones comes to Manila for a live concert on April 2 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Live Nation and Ovation Productions are bringing one of the most enduring personalities in the music entertainment industry whose exceptional vocal power, talent and personal appeal have endeared him to hundreds of millions all over the world.

Tom Jones Live in Manila will showcase a fabulous range of genres from pop to rock to country to rhythm and blues through an array of songs popularized by one of the best-selling male singers and artists of all time during a successful musical and entertainment

career spanning more than 40 years.

The one-night-only concert will spotlight the outstanding talent and skill of a music legend who, at 75, still exudes a timeless appeal and charm as he thrills audiences with his music in his strong and perfectpitch voice that can effortlessly shift from baritone to tenor.

After making an auspicious recording debut in 1964 with the single, “It’s Not Unusual,” which later became a huge international hit, Tom took the music world by storm with other bestselling songs like “What’s New Pussycat,” “Help Yourself ” and ” I’ll Never Fall In Love Again”-- which made him one of the most popular recording artists of the time.

He rose to greater heights after winning a succession of gold and platinum singles: “Delilah,” “Help Yourself,”

“Love Me Tonight” and “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” in 1968 and “Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings” and the LPs Tom Jones Live, Tom Jones In Las Vegas and This is Tom Jones the following year. For most of the year, several of the LPs landed on the Top 10 charts in both Europe and United States.

Tom started his own television show on ABC in the summer of 1969, which featured an impressive roster of guests largely suggested by the artist himself, including Aretha Franklin, Burt Bacharach, Elvis and Priscilla Presley and Stevie Wonder, among many other big names.

Tom Jones Live In Manila is presented by Live Nation and Ovation Productions. Tickets are priced at P8,185, P6,075, P5020, P2960, P1.750 and P930 and are available through Ticketnet.com.

C6

T HURS DAy : m A RcH 3, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

WEnn DERamas calls ‘IT’s a WRap’

By nIckIE Wang

n a rather untimely manner, television and film director Wenn Deramas succumbed to cardiac arrest on Monday Feb. 29, after seeing the doctors failed to revive his sister who suffered from multiple complications of diabetes.

According to his close friend and manager, June Rufino, Deramas rushed to Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City where his sister was confined. He witnessed the doctors reviving her sister. As a reaction to the her sister’s terrible condition and eventual passing, at 2 a.m., he suffered a heart attack and, at 6:15 a.m., pronounced dead by doctors.

He was 49.

Born Edwin Villanes Deramas, he completed a bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management at University of Sto. Tomas.

He started working in television as a production assistant for the TV show Tatak Pilipino. Then, he

I

worked as a writer for the morning talk show Teysi ng Tahanan and was promoted as the executive producer of Calvento Files.

After entering the entertainment industry as production assistant in 1990, Deramas got his first chance as TV director in 1996 with Mula Sa Puso, a toprating drama starring Claudine Barretto and the late Rico Yan. The series was revived in 2011, and Deramas once again took the helm as director and screenwriter.

A leading figure on the local comedy filmmaking scene, Deramas had established himself as a box office director having helmed 32 movies throughout his career. He directed commercially successful movies like the highest grossing local film of all time, Beauty and the Bestie and the top-grossing Praybeyt Benjmin series, which all starred Vice Ganda.

Television and movie stars like

Vice Ganda, Kris Aquino, Heart Evangelsita, Anne Curtis, Marvin Agustin, and Gary Valenciano took to social media to pay tribute to the film and TV director following news of his death. A few other celebrities also took to Twitter to express their shock upon knowing the untimely demise of the director whom they consider as a dear friend and mentor, too.

Deramas was supposed to receive two awards (Most Popular Screenwriter and Most Popular Film Director) from the annual Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation Box-Office Entertainment Awards (GMMSF-BOEA) to be held next month. He had been named Most Popular Film Director of GMMSF-BOEA every year since 2011.

His remains lie in state at Arlington Funeral Homes in Quezon City. Interment details, according to close friends, will be announced later.

MARCH 3, 2016

Role of women in history in student dance drama

“Pendulo” is a dance production staged

by DLSU students

In celebration of National Women’s Month this March, the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) junior Arts Management students mount Pendulo, a dance production that presents the contributions of underrated Filipino women in history and their impact on the way we live today.

The show presents five movement studies and their interactions with light, sound, textile, text and architecture as a way of discussing the role these characters played in shaping the past.

Pendulo is written by Ivan Gozum, and is directed by Allen Gulmatico. The production team includes Anastasia Altomonte and Bea Dela Cruz

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 Sweet murmur 4 Begged 8 Look the joint over 12 A fez lacks one 13 Writer — Paretsky 14 Killer whales 16 Underwater shockers 17 Hairy twin 18 Kind of jacket

19 Summer quaff 20 No reason (2 wds.)

22 Violent storm 24 Rumple 25 —, amas, amat 26 Trucker, often 28 — Paulo, Brazil 31 Igneous rock source 34 Kind of prize 35 Springlike 36 “Off the Court”

author 37 Young girl 38 Poker stake 39 Herbal brews 40 Courtroom ritual 41 Trademarks 42 Airline to Stockholm 43 Mouse catchers 44 Soviet space station 45 Make a video 47 Broom wielder 51 Noisy ghost 55 Stretchy bandage 56 From Rangoon 57 Big black dogs 58 Dampen 59 — it’s at 60 Psychic’sintro(2wds.)

61 Parroted 62 Like the Kalahari 63 Twins and doubles 64 Deep black DOWN 1 Ism 2 Tanker 3 Mantra chants 4 Fake 5 Rodeo gear 6 Q.E.D. part 7 Apply a mudpack 8 Agree 9 General vicinities

(set design), Marvs Fabular and Dean Carayag (music), Marielle Valenzuela (choreography), Timothy Axibal (lights), and Pamela Alibusa, Issa Palomar and Kat Joplo (costume design).

The production is in completion of the students’ Workshop in Performing Arts (WPEPFOR) class.

Pendulo will have performances today and tomorrow, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the Black Box Theater of DLS-CSB School of Design and Arts Campus.

For ticket inquiries, contact Rutrisha Anne Herrera at 0916661-3074. Visit the official Facebook page fb.com/PENDULO, and Twitter and Instagram @pendulo2016

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

10 Skiing downhill quickly 11 Snakes lack them 12 Tempo 15 Hire a lawyer 20 Dr.’s magazine 21 Nail file 23 Appoints 26 Sells for 27 Nonsense!

29 Low voice 30 Keats feats 31 Shower accessories 32 Offshore 33 More dreadful 34 Gauge 35 Early New Zealander 37 Yard tool 41 Fabric fuzz 43 Blossomed forth 44 Hordes 46 Video-game pioneer 47 Corresponded 48 Pantyhose shade 49 Eight voices 50 Cattail 51 Bear’s foot 52 Job-safety org.

53 Too smooth 54 Move gingerly 58 Capt.’s superior

Wenn Deramas, dead at 49

celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in cNN’S ‘Talk Asia’

Gordon Ramsay’s reputation precedes him. He is at the helm of a multi-million dollar empire that includes a diverse portfolio of restaurants around the world, multiple television shows, books, a production company, and three Michelin stars.

Next month Talk Asia takes a culinary journey with Ramsay in Singapore, at his renowned restaurant Bread Street Kitchen.

Known for his fiery on-screen persona, CNN gets an inside look into the man behind the brand.

The master chef opens up about his rough childhood, how an injury led to his career in cooking,

and laughs at the Internet buzz around his notorious insults.

Talk Asia airs 5:30 p.m. on March 3. Encore telecast on the following days. For time, please refer to CNN International schedule.

celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay

T HURS DAy : m A RcH 3, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C7

JulIa MOnTEs Is GawaD TanGlaw BEsT acTREss

K

apamilya actress Julia Montes was once again hailed as the Best Actress for TV in the 14th Gawad Tanglaw Awards 2016 for her portrayal of twins Kara and Sara in the afternoon series Doble Kara.

“It is an honor to be recognized once again by Gawad Tanglaw. I am very happy and thankful that they appreciated my portrayal of the twins,” said Julia, who first nabbed the Best Actress Award for Ikaw Lamang.

She added, “More trials and conflicts will face the twins and the other characters in

Kapamilya starJulia montes wins another acting award

the story that the viewers will surely not want to miss.”

Julia also wants to thanks afternoon viewers for tuning in to the series, which consistently wins against its rival program in its timeslot.

According to the latest data from Kantar Media, Doble Kara recorded a national TV rating of 17.2 percent on Feb. 23, higher than that of GMA’s Wish I May, which only hit 10.7 percent.

Meanwhile, the series get even more thrilling now that Lucille (Carmina Villaroel) tried to win Kara back and clashed with Laura (Mylene Dizon) in the process.

But Kara didn’t let Lucille deceive her once again as she stood by her real mother and protected her family from Lucille’s wrath.

Will Lucille’s plan of bringing the Suarezes down stop? Can Kara and Sara have the peaceful life they have always wanted?

Doble Kara airs Monday to Friday after It’s Showtime on ABSCBN Kapamilya Gold. For more information about the program, visit the official social networking site of Dreamscape Entertainment Television at Facebook. com/DreamscapePH, Twitter. com/DreamscapePH, and Instagram.com/DreamscapePH.

cHIz TELLS GRAcE Thousands witness JaDine kiss in OTWOL finale’s live viewing party HE nEVER LEfT fPJ’S SIDE

Despite intrigues from opponents, Senator Grace Poe is confident about her team mate, Senator Chiz Escudero.

According to Poe, Escudero has proved his loyalty as a friend during the time when her father, Fernando Poe, Jr., ran in 2004 against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Every time Poe introduces Escudero during campaign rallies, she never fails to mention her team mate’s loyalty to his father.

“Bilang inyong kababayan na naririto hinihingi ko rin ang tulong ninyo para sa ating mga kasama ngayon. Si Senator Chiz na matagal na nating kaibigan, na hindi iniwan si FPJ, na matalino, magaling at may paninindigan,” Poe said in her

speech in Pangasinan recently.

If you recall, Escudero was FPJ’s spokesman during the 2004 elections.

Esudero said that he and Grace have the longest-running friendship compare to the other presidential and vice-presidential tandems in May’s elections.

Escudero says that his and Poe’s tandem is not merely for “political convenience.”

“Lahat ng tandem maski na isa-isahin pa natin, lahat sila ay bagong kilala lang naman at ngayon lang yata nagkasama. Kaya siguro ang puntirya ng black propaganda at paninira ay sa amin dahil kami ang may pinakamalalim at mahabang pinagsamahan,” Escudero said in an interview.

Certified Otwolistas and JaDine fans once again united and showed their love for On the Wings of Love stars James Reid and Nadine Lustre as they packed OTWOL’s live viewing party at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Feb. 26.

Fans all over the country started to line up early morning to make sure they could witness the union of their most loved characters live.

And as soon as Mr. and Mrs. Clark Medina stepped and locked lips on the Ynares stage, OTWOListas and JaDine fans could not help but scream their hearts out and go wild for the couple.

The show’s finale also set social media ablaze as ne-

tizens expressed their happiness for Clark and Leah’s happy ending, with the official hashtag #OTWOLTheLastFlight topping Twitter’s trending topics and generating almost four million tweets.

As the show ended, James and Nadine thanked their fans for their unwavering support and for tuning in to Clark and Leah’s love story.

Meanwhile, the kiligfest continues as the real -life couple revealed some scoops about their relationship in an exclusive tell-all interview with Robi Domingo and Gretchen Ho in Achieve!

From Reel to Real on Feb. 28 after Banana Sundae.

from reel to real: real life couple nadine Lustre and James Reid during OTWOL finale

Best Picture: “Spotlight” Pop star Lady Gaga in a prod number during the Oscars

Sharmeen Obaid-chinoy

Best music Original Score for Ennio morricone

Jimmy napes and Sam Smith for Best music Original Song

Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Reese r

Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera

chris Jenkins (center), Gregg Rudloff (left) and Ben Osmo (right) for Best Sound mixing won by “mad max: fury Road’

“Spotlight”’s Josh Singer and Tom mccarthy

Best Director A. G. Iñárritu and maría Eladia Hagerman

Benjamin cleary and Serena Armitage stars of Stutterer

Direction: “The Revenant,” Alejandro G. Iñárritu Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant” Actress: Brie Larson, “Room” Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies” Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl” Adapted Screenplay: “The Big Short,” Charles Randolph and Adam McKay Original Screenplay: “Spotlight,” Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy Cinematography: “The Revenant,” Emmanuel Lubezki Production Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson (set decoration) Film Editing: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Margaret Sixel Visual Effects: “Ex Machina,” Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett Costume Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Jenny Beavan Makeup: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin Sound Editing: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Mark Mangini and David White Sound Mixing: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo Score: “The Hateful Eight,” Ennio Morricone Song: “Writing’s on the Wall,” from “Spectre,” Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith Foreign Language Film: “Son of Saul” (Hungary) Animated Feature: “Inside Out” Documentary Feature: “Amy” Animated Short: “Bear Story” Documentary Short: “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness” Live Action Short: “Stutterer”

T HURS DAy : m A RcH 3, 2016

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ Best Actress Brie Larson

“The Revenant” director Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Leonardo Dicaprio won his first Academy award for survival epic “The Revenant”

Best Supporting Actor mark Rylance

Best Supporting Actress Alicia Vikander

Best costume DesignerJenny Best Production Designer Beavan for ‘mad max” colin Gibson for “mad max”

Stars of the Best Animated Short Film, “The Bear Story”

cast of this year’s Best motion Picture, “Spotlight”

Program host chris Rock

Best cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki

Josh Singer and Tom mccarthy for Best Original Screenplay for “Spotlight”

AfTER 6 nOmInATIOns,

LEOnARDO DICApRIO

fInALLy bAgs An OsCAR TROphy

L

eonardo DiCaprio won his long-awaited first Oscar for the revenge epic The Revenant.

The film failed to bag the best film trophy though.

The journalism drama Spotlight won best picture in a surprising end to Hollywood’s glittering awards season.

The night was overshadowed by a simmering race row, addressed head-on by black host Chris Rock, who delivered a series of caustic jokes targeting the Academy’s overwhelmingly white male membership.

As well as DiCaprio’s best actor award, The Revenant picked up the statuettes for best director for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu -- his second in a row -- as well as for best cinematography.

But Spotlight, a searing study of The Boston Globe’s investigation into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church, grabbed best picture honors in one of the shocks of the 88th Academy Awards.

The film had only taken one other award -- best original screenplay -- and Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre gasped as a stunned cast and crew headed onstage to accept the trophy.

“This film gave a voice to

survivors. And this Oscar amplifies that voice, which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican,” coproducer Michael Sugar told the audience.

“Pope Francis, it’s time to protect the children and restore the faith.”

A defeat for Creed star and Tinsel town darling Sylvester Stallone was the other big surprise of the night, as he was snubbed for best supporting actor, with the trophy going against the odds to Britain’s Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies.

George Miller’s stark action epic Mad Max: Fury Road was the big winner in the technical categories, taking home Oscars for best costumes, production design, make-up, film editing, sound editing and sound mixing.

DiCaprio’s success for his grueling star turn as 19th century fur trapper Hugh Glass came 22 years after his first of four unsuccessful acting nominations. For the 41-year-old actor, the fifth time was a charm.

He thanked a long list of figures that have helped him in his career, including filmmaker Martin Scorsese, before speaking on his passion -- climate change.

“Climate change is real. It

is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work together and stop procrastinating,” DiCaprio said to applause.

First-time nominee Brie Larson picked up a widely predicted best actress statuette, having dominated the awards season with her performance as a kidnapped mother in Room.

But it was not all celebration, as a row over the lack of ethnic minority acting hopefuls overshadowed Hollywood’s biggest night.

“Well, I’m here at the Academy Awards -- otherwise known as the white People’s Choice awards.

You realize if they nominated hosts, I wouldn’t even get this job,” joked Rock, 51, who continued with a series of jibes at the Academy throughout the night.

For the second year running, all 20 nominees in the main acting categories were white, and an angry social media backlash under the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite has grabbed the awards season headlines.

Rock, who hosted despite calls for him to join a boycott, unleashed a fierce monologue -- one he apparently rewrote in the wake of the scandal to hold the Academy’s 6,000-plus voting

members, overwhelmingly white men, to account.

Former radio DJ Inarritu, just the third filmmaker to win back-to-back Academy Awards for best director, picked up the theme as he hailed his latest Oscar as a tribute to diversity.

“There is a line in the film that says, ‘They don’t listen to you when they see the color of your skin’,” Inarritu said.

“So what a great opportunity to our generation to really liberate ourselves from all prejudice and, you know, this way of thinking and make sure for once and forever that the color of skin becomes as irrelevant as the length of our hair.”

The first acting award of the night went to Sweden’s Alicia Vikander, who dazzled on the red carpet in a strapless pale yellow Louis Vuitton gown, for her supporting role in transgender love story The Danish Girl.

“This is insane,” a visibly moved Vikander said, hailing her co-star Eddie Redmayne, “Thank you for being the best acting partner. I could have never done it without you.

You raised my game.”

It was a huge night for Spotlight director Tom McCarthy, who also picked up the Oscar for best original screenplay.

Emmanuel Lubezki, Dicaprio, and Iñarritu show off their Academy trophies right after the awarding ceremony

mark mangini and David White hold their trophy for Best Sound Editing for “mad max: Fury Road”

Adam McKay and Charles Randolph took the adapted screenplay Oscar for financial crisis satire The Big Short, also a best picture contender.

Mexico’s Emmanuel Lubezki made history with his third consecutive Oscar for cinematography, for his dramatic work on The Revenant.

One of the moments of the night came when Lady Gaga led the Oscars in a rally against campus sexual assault, bringing together

survivors who joined arms in solidarity.

The pop star, who recently has spoken out about being raped as a teenager, was introduced

by Vice President Joe Biden, who personally took part in Hollywood’s biggest night to lend his voice to the cause. –AFP (The complete list of winners on C7.) phOTOs by Afp AnD COuRTEsy Of hbO AsIA