The Standard - 2016 March 4 - Friday

VOL. XXX NO. 23 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 friday : MarCH 4, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Duterte to Mar: Where’s aid fund?

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‘sunni-shiite War behinD slay try’

By Francisco Tuyay

A SPOKESMAN for the Moro National Liberation Front linked Tuesday’s shooting and wounding of a popular Saudi cleric and a Saudi Embassy official at a religious symposium at the Mindanao State University to the sectarian conflict between Sunnis and Shiite Muslims.

“The attack could have been driven by the strong statement of Al-Qarni on matters affecting the Sunni and Shiite squabble in the Middle East,” said Absalom Cerveza, MNLF spokesman, who quoted a credible source present during the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines.

Cerveza said the shooter was a Shiite, a branch of Islam that ac-

counts for five percent or about 350,000 Moros.

Qarni suffered gunshot wounds in the shoulder, left arm and abdomen while Sheikh Turki Assaegh had bullet wounds in the thigh and leg when a gunman, identified as Misuari Kiliste Rugasanand, 21, an engineering student at MSU, opened fire on them. Lawmen shot and killed the gunman.

Cerveza said Qarni’s lecture centered on the complex environment between the two warring religious factions—the Sunnis and the Shiites—in the Middle East.

The latest conflict between the two sides was sparked by Saudi Arabia’s execution of a Shia religious leader, Nimr al-Nimr. In retaliation, Shiites burned the Saudi Embassy in Tehran.

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Rally. A student holds an anti-Chinese placard during a rally near Malacañang on Thursday to denounce China’s building activities in the West Philippine Sea. AFP

Comelec extends absentee listup

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Miriam hits complacency on sea dispute

By Macon R. Araneta and Sandy Araneta PRESIDENTIAL candidate Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Thursday slammed the administration of President Benigno Aquino III for being complacent on the West Philippine Sea dispute, and for being confident that the international tribunal will rule

in its favor on the case it filed against China.

She also hit the government for relying heavily on US support to deter Chinese expansionism, noting that both military giants have interests in controlling the West Philippine Sea. China has reportedly stationed up to five ships in the contested Quiri-

no Island, barring access to Filipino fisherman, a move which Santiago said highlights failure of negotiations despite ongoing international arbitration.

Under her administration, the government will take a more proactive approach in resolving the West Philippine Sea dispute, Santiago Next page said.

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ISIS sympathizers escalating war

By Joel Guinto

MILITANTS fighting in the name of the Islamic State group are escalating attacks in Mindanao, analysts said, deepening fears for the volatile region after its main Muslim rebel group failed to seal a peace pact.

Gunmen who have pledged allegiance to the jihadists controlling vast swathes of Iraq and Syria have instigated a series of deadly battles with the Army since Congress failed to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law to implement the government’s peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front last month.

An assassination attempt this week on a visiting Saudi Arabian preacher who was on an IS hit list has raised the alarm further, although police said they had yet to determine the gunman’s motives.

“Their influence is growing stronger and it is expanding,” Rodolfo Mendoza, a senior analyst at the Manila-based Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research said, referring to IS. He said the various local groups that had pledged allegiance to IS were “planning big operations, like bombings, attacks or assassinations.”

Such violence has plagued large areas of Mindanao for decades, as Muslim rebels have fought a separatist insurgency that has claimed 120,000 lives.

The violence has left the region one of the poorest in the Philippines, while allowing warlords and extortion gangs to flourish.

The biggest rebel group, the 10,000-strong MILF, had been working hard with the administration for nearly six years to broker an end to the rebellion.

But when Congress failed to pass the BBL last month that would have granted autonomy to the region, the peace process was frozen.

The MILF has pledged to honor a ceasefire while it waits for President Benigno Aquino III’s successor to be elected mid-year.

But hardline groups opposed to compromise with the government have started to take advantage of the vacuum, as they sense an opportunity to raise their profile and prove their credentials to IS, analysts said.

“There is an incentive if they show that they are a fighting force,” said Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, who specializes in Southeast

Asian security issues.

In the most spectacular attack, a previously obscure group discounted by the military as a small-time extortion gang launched an assault on a remote Army outpost.

The attack triggered a week of fighting that the military said left six soldiers and at least 12 militants dead, and forced more than 30,000 people to flee their homes.

The gunmen flew IS flags during the fighting, and bandanas with the group’s insignia were found when soldiers overran their base, a two-story concrete building, the military said.

At the same time about 100 kilometers away, soldiers were battling a bigger and much better known group that had previously declared allegiance to IS, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

That fighting, which began about a week after Congress missed its deadline to pass the BBL, has claimed the life of one soldier, the military said.

The clashes continued Thursday. Agence France Presse video footage on Tuesday showed rockets being fired from an Army helicopter, as well as troops in a cornfield firing mortars and carrying a wounded soldier on an improvised stretcher.

The military announced it had regained control of a village used by the BIFF to harass government forces.

“Fighting is still ongoing in Barangay Tee because there is still resistance from the armed men and our troops are treading on what we believed was a minefield,” Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, 6th Infantry Division commander, told reporters in Filipino.

Four more soldiers were killed as clearing operations intensified.

“The BIFF was still firing mortars toward Army positions as of Thursday morning,” Capt. Joann Petinglay, 6th ID spokesperson, said.

Pangilinan and his team had just arrived in the village of Tee at 1 p.m. Wednesday. As soon as he disembarked from an Army vehicle, two improvised bomb explosions came in succession.

As he monitored through military radio, he heard a soldier seeking assistance as four of them were hit by BIFF bombs beside a creek in Barangay Tee. Then, another explosion.

Minutes later, the fourth IED went off as heard through a military radio set.

This prompted Pangilinan to shell enemy positions with mortars and air strikes. For about an hour, two MG-520 attack helicopters were pounding the area with rockets while ground troops and military ambulance evacuate the four wounded infantry-

men from Barangay Tee to the 6th ID base in Maguindanao.

“We actually captured the BIFF stronghold but it was littered by improvised bombs and the area remained dangerous,” Pangilinan said, adding that the Army has not issued the green light for displaced civilians to return.

Sgt. James Joloro, among the four wounded soldiers, said he was leading a team clearing the former BIFF launching pad against Army when he stepped on one of the IEDs. “I stepped on it followed by a light blast,” Joloro told reporters. “Luckily, the 60 mm mortar main charged did not explode, only the blasting cap, ” Joloro added, saying he was now on his “second life.”

Since the fighting began on Feb. 5, about 50 improvised bombs have been detonated, defused and exploded in Barangay Tee and its environs, reports from the 6th ID showed.

Four soldiers were killed while 25 others were injured due to IED blasts and BIFF’s rifle grenade attacks.

About 40 BIFF were believed killed during the month-long fire fight, the 6th ID said.

As the number of BIFF increased, the military augmented its forces. Col. Lito Sobejana, 601st brigade chief, said a Marine contingent has arrived in Datu Salibo to augment Army units.

Col. Mel Budiongan, 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade commander, said more than 40 BIFF are believed killed base on the data gathered by Army ground troops and information provided by the locals.

However, Budiongan admitted there was no body count.

Petinglay said foot soldiers found several shallow mass graves believed to be burial sites of slain BIFF but the soldiers did not touch them.

The BIFF split from the MILF in 2008 after the previous peace process collapsed, then carried out attacks on Christian communities that left more than 400 people dead and 600,000 displaced.

“We all know what happened in 2008.

We don’t want that to happen again,” MILF spokesman Von al-Haq said.

“If the government keeps dragging its feet on the peace process, this fighting will continue and more groups will be enticed to follow ISIS,” he said, using another name for the Islamic State group.

Abuza also said more attacks could be expected from other groups that have publicly pledged allegiance to IS in Internet videos over recent years.

These include the Abu Sayyaf, a group notorious for kidnapping foreigners.

‘Sunni-Shiite...

Miriam...

Cerveza said Qarni was on a hit list of a still unknown group and said Tuesday’s attack was premeditated.

“They [the attackers] were just waiting for an opportune time and that was a good time. He was listed to be liquidated,” Cerveza said.

Reports of Tuesday’s attack spread throughout Zamboanga City and other parts of Mindanao and was the focus of discussion among the Muslim population.

The Ulamas expressed dismay that the country was being dragged into to Middle East sectarian conflict.

“They are getting worried about the situation in the Muslim world,” Cerveza said.

Reports said two people from Basilan who were with the gunman were arrested after the shooting.

Philippine National Police spokesman Chief Supt.

Wilbern Mayor said they are still investigating the motive behind Qarni’s shooting.

In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Department condemned the attack on Qarni and the Saudi attaché.

“The Philippine government condemns all forms of violence, especially as they occur in schools, which are considered zones of peace,” the statement said.

“We pray for the speedy recovery of Dr. Al-Qarni and Sheikh Assaegh.”

The government, it said, continues to monitor the situation closely and trust that local authorities in Zamboanga City will conduct a thorough investigation on the attack. With Vito Barcelo

“It is not true at all that the arbitral tribunal may decide on the Philippine side in the face of China’s excepting itself from the application of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [Unclos], Articles 297 and 298,” she said.

The two Unclos articles outline the cases that may be submitted for jurisdiction, as well as limits to arbitration.

Article 298 particularly states that “a State may… declare in writing that it does not accept any one or more of the procedures…”

She noted that the dispute with China requires a second level of diplomacy as the other party takes keen interest in bilateral negotiation bordering on conciliation, relying on the principles set forth in the Unclos, Part XV, Section 1,” Santiago said.

The Unclos, Article 280, states the right to “…agree at any time to settle a dispute between them concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention by any peaceful means of their own choice.”

The senator, who is also chair of the Senate foreign relations committee and the legislative oversight committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement,

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The violence has over the decades mainly been restricted to the south, many hundreds of kilometers from the capital.

But the Abu Sayyaf bombed a ferry in Manila Bay in 2004, killing more than 100 people.

Authorities have regularly said fears of growing IS influence on Filipino militants are misplaced.

They argue the militants are just criminals interested in money, and not radical Islamist jihadists.

But Abuza said the ability of IS to provide money and other forms of support were key to its rising influence in the south, and not its violent brand of Islam.

“It really has nothing to do with ideology,” Abuza said. “This is all about resources.”

As the fighting escalated, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation called on the Bangsamoro people to unite and remain committed to the peace process.

While OIC Secretary-General Iyad Ameed Madani expressed his “deep disappointment” over the non-passage of the BBL, he urged the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front to use existing mechanisms such as the Bangsamoro Coordinating Forum to reach a unified position.

Madani said the firm commitment of the MILF to the peace process was important in preserving the gains of the peace negotiations and sustaining the ceasefire mechanisms to prevent future violent encounters between forces of the government and the Moro group.

Also on Thursday, the Palace said it respects the MILF decision not to endorse any candidate or participate in the May elections.

“We respect the views expressed by Mr. [Mohagher] Iqbal [of the MILF]. It is the right of any organization to endorse or not to endorse candidates,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in a statement.

But earlier, MILF Vice Chairman Ghadzali Jaafar praised presidential aspirant Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for his character and leadrship.

“Duterte is brave,” Jaafar said, during the presidential aspirant’s visit to an MILF camp recently.

“We are inspired by his courage as we are impressed by what he did to Davao, a city that is progressive—where business is good and where people are given the opportunity to better their lives,” said Jaafar.

Jaafar, together with other top MILF leaders and members, warmly welcomed Duterte into their camp.

Jaafar said that if Duterte wins, he will also transform the Philippines just like how he transformed Davao City. AFP, Sandy Araneta, PNA

rallied her colleagues in January to assert that any treaty, including the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the US, is void without Senate concurrence.

The Supreme Court has since ruled on the validity of the Edca, which it considered an executive agreement implementing the VFA. The Senate has joined Santiago in 2009 to call for a renegotiation of the VFA, or its abrogation if the US refuses to negotiate.

Santiago said her administration will not depend on US support to resolve a dispute with a neighboring country. “If elected, I will negotiate with China together with other Asian countries,” she added.

But President Aquino on Thursday again slammed China for refusing to talk to the Philippines, saying his government has been trying to talk to them for a long time.

“I have been trying to talk to them.

The problem is when I do try to talk to them, they would say: ‘All of these are ours,’” Aquino said in his speech in Tagbilaran, Bohol.

“What negotiation will we do if that is their view? ‘These are all ours, do not enter,” Aquino said.

“To my mind, these [territories in the West Philippine Sea] have been ours. So, we have been fighting for this, we are in

arbitration, we are in the Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations],” the President said.

Aquino made his remarks while on the campaign trail with his anointed presidential candidate, Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II. The Palace said Thursday the Philippines will maintain its stand to resolve all issues in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea, through diplomatic means.

The statement came a day after the United States warned China against militarization of the South China Sea, where Beijing is locked in a territorial dispute with several countries, saying there would be consequences.

The Foreign Affairs Department also called on China to exercise self restraint, saying its activities could complicate the dispute in the South China Sea. The department referred to an incident two weeks ago when Chinese coast guard vessels were sighted in Quirino atoll.

Beijing confirmed that the vessels were there, but said they were merely towing a grounded ship and had already left the area.

Leftist youth groups on Thursday maintained their attacks against China but also denounced the United States as “another warmonger.”

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LP slams Binay’s ‘Dream Team’

Campaigning in Bulacan. Around 3,000 residents welcomed presidential candidate Jejomar Binay at the San Rafael Gymnasium in San Rafael, Bulacan.

Duterte asks where ‘Yolanda’ funds went DAGUPAN CITY—Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday promised a clean government if wins the presidency—even as he slammed administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II over Typhoon “Yolanda” that flattened Eastern Visayas and killed over 6,000 people in November 2013.

“I guarantee you, it will be a clean government. There will be no corruption,” he promised before students of the Lyceum Northwestern University here.

Duterte said he was also unfazed by the

Nationalist People’s Coalition’s of Senator Grace Poe and her running mate Senator Francis Escudero.

“I don’t think it [the endorsement] will affect the votes for me,” he told reporters.

“For as long as you stand for what you believe in, people will support you.”

He made his statement even as Malacañang on Thursday said all of the foreign aid for Yolanda’s victims had been accounted for.

“All the foreign aid received by the country for the benefit of the communities affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda are fully accounted for and have undergone the requisite audit by the Commission on Audit,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.

“According to the records of the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub, the Philippines received a total of $386.2 million in

He said the Aquino administration was boasting about having created millions of jobs, but most of the people who were given jobs were hired on contractual basis, adding there had also been a sharp drop in jobs in the key sectors like manufacturing.

He said that, contrary to the claim of the ruling Liberal Party that its standard bearer Manuel Roxas II was able to generate over four million jobs in the business process outsourcing industry, data showed that the sector employed only one million workers in 2015.

“According to the BPO industry, it employed over one million Filipinos in 2015, so

the local. We have a lot of allies,” Roxas said.

He belittled the reports that several of their allies had been transferring their support to UNA and other parties.

When reporters asked what Garcillano’s business in the hotel was, Gutierrez said he was there as a “consultant” but declined to say for whom.

He said the LP had received reports confirming that Binay was, indeed, Garcillano’s client.

“Mister Garcillano, his reputation precedes him. His reputation of being one of the architects of one of the most massive cases of electoral cheating in our history,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez was referring to the electoral scandal in the 2004 elections, dubbed as the “Hello Garci” scandals, when Garcillano was accused of conspiring with then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to rig the elections in her favor.

Garcillano was indicted for the crime but the case was closed in 2014.

Gutierrez called on the public to be vigilant to ensure the integrity of this year’s elections. sandy Araneta

foreign aid, 86 percent of which or $330.8 million were received by Non-Government Organizations, Multilateral Agencies and others.”

Duterte mentioned the billions of pesos that the country received for Yolanda’s victims.

“Now, I will ask Roxas, where did the Yolanda funds go?” Duterte asked.

He said Roxas, then the Interior secretary, must have an explanation for the missing funds.

Earlier, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, a senatorial bet, questioned the Aquino administration for the release of P90 billion in Yolanda rehabilitation funds as of June 30, 2013, under the stewardship of Roxas.

He also appealed to the government to set aside politicking and focus on rebuilding the Yolanda-stricken provinces. Rio N. Araja and sandy Araneta

Govt criticized for failing to provide good jobs THE camp of presidential candidate Jejomar Binay on Thursday slammed what it described as the Aquino administration’s failure to provide permanent and quality jobs for the last five years.

Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado said 3.7 million Filipinos were still unemployed despite the economic growth that the Aquino administration was trumpeting.

“A Binay administration will correct all the government’s mistakes by genuinely providing the Filipinos jobs by focusing on sectors that generate the biggest number of jobs like agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, BPO and exports,” Salgado said.

THE Liberal Party on Thursday slammed the so-called “Dream Team” of presidential candidate Jejomar Binay, saying the reports that Virgilio Garcillano was acting as a consultant to the vice president was already a cause for concern.

“Dream team na ‘yang grupo na ‘yan,” LP spokesman Barry Gutierrez said in response to the reports that Garcillano, the former elections commissioner, was seen in the same hotel that Vice President Jejomar Binay had stayed in for the first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro. “May expert ka na sa corruption, may expert ka pa sa pandaraya di ba?

Nakakatakot talaga ‘yun.”

In Lapu-Lapu City, LP standard bearer Manuel Roxas II expressed confidence he and the party’s other candidates would garner enough votes in the provinces, including in Cebu and Bohol, to win the elections.

He dismissed the influence of the political dynasties in the voterich province of Cebu, saying what he only needed was the support of the Filipino people.

“The campaign for Mar, Leni and Daang Matuwid, will start in

where are the three million?”

Salgado said.

“It only employed 101,000 workers in 2004 when then Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Mar Roxas ran for the Senate.

“The manufacturing industry, particularly the textile, wearing apparel and leather industries, meanwhile, hovered at between 800,000 to 900,000 workers from 1999 to 2003. It is down to less than 700,000 workers in 2013.”

Analysts, Salgado said, had noted that the country’s economic growth had yet to generate sizable numbers of new jobs needed to absorb the new entrants into the labor force.

Salgado said that, out of

the one million jobs created in 2014, around 700,000 were “vulnerable” or temporary positions.

He said most of the unemployed were young workers, and of the unemployed, 48 percent or 1.8 million Filipinos were young, aged 15 to 24 years. A further 1.2 million or 32 percent were aged 25 to 34.

Another seven million Filipinos were underemployed in 2015, up slightly from 2014’s 6.8 million Filipinos, Salgado said.

He said a Binay administration would focus on the sectors generating the biggest number of jobs like agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, business process outsourcing and export. Vito Barcelo

Break. Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. takes a break from his campaign sortie in Laguna to huddle with Miguel Tangonan, 96, a Marcos loyalist, in Santa Rosa City. Ey ACAsio REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT President Benigno S. Aquino III has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (C.A.) for confirmation the ad interim appointment of HON. ADRIAN S. CRISTOBAL, JR. as Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry.

The public may submit any information, written report or sworn complaints or oppositions in forty (40) copies on the above appointment to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, Metro Manila.

For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 551-7532, 831-0893, 831-1824, 834-2706, 831-1566 and 834-2713.

03 March 2016.

ARTURO L. TIU Secretary (TS-MAR. 4, 2016)

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Morales indicts 5 solons over pork

By Rio N. Araja

Bohol sortie. Liberal Party chairman President Benigno S. Aquino III speaks before local leaders at the Bohol Cultural Center in Tagbilaran City on Wednesday during the campaign sortie of former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo.

Absentee voting deadline extended

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Commission on Elections has extended the deadline for the application for the local absentee voting from March 7 to March 31.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, chairperson of the poll body’s committee on local absentee voting, said the commission decided to extend the deadline until the end of the month.

“Comelec En Banc moved the deadline of application for local absentee voting to March 31,” she posted on her Twitter account.

The decision to extend was due to their desire to enable more qualified voters to avail of the LAV.

“Because we only have more than 6,000 applicants and we have to give others time to apply,” said Guanzon.

“As of March 2, 2016, no one from the media applied for local absentee voting,” said Guanzon.

So far, there are 6,613 applicants for LAV with members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines having the most number with 5,522.

A total of 967 members of the Philippine National

Police have already applied for LAV; followed by 96 from the Comelec; 19 from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology; seven from the Department of Education; and one each from the Department of Interior and Local Government and the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.

Qualified in the LAV are government officials and employees, members of the PNP, members of the AFP, and media practitioners that are registered voters but will not be able to vote on Election Day due to the performance of their functions.

The date for the local absentee voters is from April 27 to 29 in

their designated place of voting.

They will be voting only for the positions of president, vice president, senators, and party-list group.

In a bid to ensure that there will be an adequate supply of electricity in Mindanao on Election Day, the Comelec has deputized the military and the police to help the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines in repairing and maintaining its transmission towers.

Based on Comelec Resolution No. 10067, the Comelec said it is deputizing the AFP and the PNP to provide NGCP personnel the necessary security in fixing transmission towers in Mindanao.

THE Ombudsman has indicted former congressmen Rozzano Rufino Biazon of Muntinlupa City, Rodolfo Valencia of Oriental Mindoro, Marc Douglas Cagas of Davao del Sur, Arrel Olaño of Davao del Norte and Arthur Pingoy Jr. of South Cotabato for graft, malversation and bribery raps in connection with the pork barrel fund scam.

In five separate orders, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales also found probable cause to indict businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, officials of the Department of Budget and Management, Technology Resource Center and National Business Corp., and representatives of Napoles-linked ghost foundations.

She ordered the filing of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or Republic Act 3019, malversation under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code and direct bribery with the Sandiganbayan.

The five cases arose from separate complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation and Levito Baligod, former lawyer of Benhur Luy and the other whistleblowers.

In affirming a June 22, 2015 resolution, Morales said “after a considered review of the case records, this Office finds no merit in the motions for reconsideration as the grounds raised do not warrant a reversal or modification of the assailed Resolution.”

Biazon was accused of anomalously using his Priority Development Assistance Fund in 2007 through the endorsement of P3 million to the Philippine Social Foundation Inc. with Evelyn de Leon as its president.

Biazon was supposed to receive P1.95 million as rebates through his agent, Ducut.

Senate probe of Purisima pushed SENATOR Sergio Osmeña III vowed on Thursday to push for an investigation of former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, a close friend of President Benigno Aquino III, over alleged collection of P1 billion from earnings from casino.

During the regular Senate media forum, Osmeña said he will ask Blue Ribbon committee chairperson Senator Teofisto Guingona III to look into the report that the First Cagayan Leisure and Resort Corp. released from January 2012 to June 2015 more than P937 million in 41 receipts to “Alan La Madrid Purisima.”

The fund was to benefit the Philippine Sports Commission as mandated by Republic Act 6847, which gives it five percent

of the gross earnings of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

But Osmeña said he cannot see any reason for Purisima to be taking charge of its collections since the PNP has nothing to do with it.

“What has the PNP to do with the casino collections?” he asked.

He said there is more reason for the investigation of this issue because Purisima is very close to the President.

He said the matter is “very suspicious.” “We are all aware that the President and Purisima are very protective of each other,” said Osmeña.

Still, Osmeña believes no amount went to the President as his interests are only guns and women.

The Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs found the President “ultimately responsible” for the death of 44 Special Action Force members in the Mamasapano incident when it allowed Purisima, then suspended from the PNP over graft charges, to take command of the ill-fated Oplan Exodus.

Oplan Exodus was the covert police operation in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao, to get Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and his Filipino henchman, Basit Usman.

Malacañang earlier challenged those who have evidence that Purisima embezzled public funds from the casino should file charges. He said they can bring the matter to the Ombudsman for proper assessment.

World Wildlife Day. A

crocodile jumps out of the water for some food from a caretaker of the Malabon Zoo, owned

by Manny Tangco.

MANNY PALMERO

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A6 Napoles’ bail plea rejected

By Rio Araja WITH finality, the Sandiganbayan on Thursday junked the bail plea of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind, Janet Lim Napoles, for lack of merit.

In a March 2 resolution, the anti-graft court’s Third Division upheld its earlier decision to dismiss Napoles’ motion for reconsideration to allow her to post a bail for the plunder charge against her.

The motion for the reversal of the bail denial was “devoid of merit,” Presiding Justice and Third Division chairperson Amparo Cabotaje-Tang ruled.

“Accused Napoles has not raised any sound argument that would warrant a reverse of the Court’s Resolution promulgated on Oct. 16, 2015,” the recent decision read.

The resolution was concurred by Associate Justices Samuel Martires and Sarah Jane Fernandez.

In November 2015, Napoles challenged the court’s Oct. 16, 2015 bail denial, saying the court “erred” when it anchored its decision on the testimonies of whistleblower Benhur Luy and the other witnesses, who were all “polluted sources.”

“The testimonies relied upon by the Court are obviously self-serving... the whistleblowers have openly admitted to have forged and falsified documents to be utilized in the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam,” her plea read.

But the anti-graft court claimed otherwise, saying “these witnesses are the incorporators and officers of the non-government organizations involved in the scam. Hence, if there’s indeed plunder, these whistleblowers are the perpetrators thereof.”

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‘Farm loans, cloud seeding to mitigate El Niño’s effects’

By Maricel V. Cruz

Senatorial candidate and leyte rep.

Martin romualdez on thursday urged the government to intensify its conduct of cloud seeding operations in places affected by el niño phenomenon and extend loans to the troubled farmers as immediate “malasakit” (compassion) to their plight.

While the concerned government has already been cloud seeding in El Niñostricken areas, Romualdez said the national and local governments should work double time and united to mitigate the impact of El Niño and damages to the agriculture sector.

“We have to prevent further damages to the agriculture sector now,” Romualdez said even as he called on the government to extend loans and other aid such as cloud seeding operations through the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau on Soil and Water Management.

“The national government and LGUs [local government units] should assist farmers not only with food supplies but also with loans to tide them over while the drought has yet to abate, apart from possible cloud seeding operations in affected areas,” Romualdez stressed.

The Leyte opposition leader issued the statement following reports that the country has already lost more than P4.7 billion worth of crops due to the weather phenomenon since February last year.

“The administration should show genuine compassion or malasakit for farmers who face hunger and the dire prospect of sinking

deeper into poverty because of El Niño,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez’s position was supported by fellow opposition lawmaker, Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III who stressed the need for the national government and the local government units “to undertake more aggressive and high impact programs” to lessen the impact of the worsening dry spell in the country.

“As the government has identified several provinces where there is expected minimal rainfalls due to El Niño, clearly, there is an urgent need for more aggressive programs and to lessen the dreaded worst ever drought to hit mother earth

in decades,” Albano said.

“We have to put in place policy initiatives, short- and long-term water supply development, management and conservation measures, water impounding dams and efficient irrigation systems including adoption of modern and innovative farming and fishery technologies to lessen the impact of the dry spell which is already with us now,” Albano said.

Data from the Department of Agriculture showed that the prolonged dry spell affected has 222,781 hectares across the country, causing damage to 349,620 metric tons of crops or P4.77 billion in losses from February 2015 to February 2016.

Malasakit platform. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez delivers his message to 4,500 leaders and members of multi-

sectoral groups in San Pedro City, Laguna. Romualdez expounds on his ‘malasakit’ platform on free education, health, job creation, agriculture and disaster preparedness. VeR NoVeNo

Ex-Manila dad passes away at 73

FORMER Manila Councilor Rogelio B. Dela Paz, a native-born Manileño, died of heart failure last Feb. 23.

He was 73.

His remains lie in state at the Loyola Memorial Park chapels along Sucat Road, Parañaque City.

He is survived by wife Evelyn, children Ronald and Beth, Malou and Marcos Trinidad, Myra and Jane Opulencia, Zandro and Lyn, and Leslie and Criszer Tolentino; and grandchildren Marcy Forker (Jay), Ralph, Jon, Francesca, Maria, Caitlyn, Aaron, Kiara, Ky, Mariel, and Brianna.

Dela Paz was an active three-term member of The City Council from

Rogelio B. Dela Paz

1988-1998. He authored/ sponsored ordinances and resolutions that addressed the needs and aspirations of ordinary, common city folks like vendors, jeepney drivers, oui-of-school youths, senior citizens, the handicapped or persons with disability, women’s rights, informal settlers, and benefits for city em-

ployees, among others.

He was also a consistent recipient/awardee as an outstanding alderman from local business groups and press organizations, notably the Manila City Hall Press Club—the acknowledged oldest media association in the country.

He last served as City Market administrator from 2013-2015.

Interment is on Saturday, March 5 at 11 a.m. after the celebration of Holy Mass at 8:30 a.m, at the nearby Manila Memorial Park, also along Sucat Road.

Among his selected pallbearers include best friends and colleagues Rep. Amado Bagatsing, Councilor Ali Atienza, lawyers Ed Francisco and Bert Jurado.

Northern venture. Victory Liner operations manager Ronald Sarmiento (left) has

tapped ‘Born to be Wild’ host Kiko Rustia ‘to venture forth to the North’ to explore virgin forests and to heighten public awareness of the importance of environmental conservation and protection as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

f r i d ay : m a r c h 4 , 2 0 1 6

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘Stop closure of trading post’

By Dexter A. See

21 cops relieved for fake eligibility

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—The Regional Trial Court Branch 63 has issued a 20-day temporary restraining order preventing the municipal government from closing the old vegetable trading post here. The closure was being planned for the trading post’s rehabilitation and conversion into a cutflower center to showcase other products from the municipality’s 16 barangays.

By Romeo Dizon CAMP Olivas, Pampanga—Twenty-one policemen, including 10 officers, have been relieved from the service after their civil service eligibility were found fraudulent.

Police Supt. Rudy G. Lacadin, police director for Region III, said 10 of the 20 cops immediately resigned; 10 others underwent pre-charge evaluation while one went on absence without leave.

Lacadin said that identities of the policemen were temporarily withheld pending further investigation, but said they came mostly from Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, and Olongapo City.

Lacadin said the policemen had been submitting their fraudulent eligibility documents since 2010.

He said he had ordered the more stringent processing of documents from new applicants.

Lacadin added he would continue to rid the region of bad eggs to restore public confidence in the Region III police force.

Cooling effect. A mother and her son enjoy some ice cream to beat the heat of El Niño in Kidapawan City. GEONARRI O. SOLMERANO

Judge Jennifer Humiding, in an order, required the 11 petitioners to post a P500,000 bond in order to make the restraining order effective only for a limited period of 20 days.

The court directed Mayor Edna C. Tabanda to file her position paper within a non-extendible period of five days to the petition of the affected disposers, stallholders, porters, packers among others seeking the stoppage of the closure of the old vegetable trading post.

The case is set for hearing before the expiration of the 20-day restraining order to allow the court to decide whether or not to grant the issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction virtually stopping the closure of the old vegetable trading post.

Tabanda issued a notice to stallholders of the old vegetable trading post of the impending closure of the facility 30 days after the receipt of the notice.

Petitioners, however, claimed that the closure of the old trading post would translate to loss of income to those individuals earning income from the operation of the facility and loss of income to the municipal government, among others.

The old vegetable trading post was established in 1988 through the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development to serve as the central vegetable trading areas in the capital town considering that the municipality is the center for trade and commerce in the province.

Tabanda appeared unfazed by the issuance of the restraining order, saying the court will be able to appreciate the wisdom of the municipality in closing the old vegetable trading post and its subsequent conversion into a cutflower center while vegetable trading will be done in the newly established Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center, a multi-million facility established by the national government to serve the interest of vegetable farmers in the province.

Surge in dam visitors alarms Ilocos town residents LAOAG CITY—The sudden upsurge of tourists visiting Madongan Dam, with its cascading waterfalls and crystal clear waters, is starting to alarm residents with an overwhelming number of cottages being built below its lower stream and some individuals disposing garbage improperly.

“Madongan Dam in Dingras, Ilocos Norte will only last for five years if the constraint in the upper stream of the watershed will not be given attention to,” said Charlie Batin, a forester-researcher who specializes in silviculture, agroforestry and social forestry at the state-run Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City.

According to Batin, the

watersheds need proper management so it can continue to serve its purpose for the next generation. Citing thousands of tourists and picnickers visiting the area this summer season, he suggested that carrying capacity studies be conducted “to regulate the influx of people going to this emerging local tourist destination.”

The Madongan river resort within the tri-boundaries of Dingras, Marcos and Nueva Era towns is attracting huge number of local and foreign tourists including balikbayans here.

The dirt road leading to the place has a hiking trail overlooking cornfields, silted rivers and denuded forests.

“Now that our place is be-

coming popular because of Madongan Dam, we need to lead by example and protect our environment. Our dam offers a majestic view but we can’t deny our mountains are denuded. We really need to plant more trees and prevent those who cut trees including those who burn our forest,” said Tony Casimiro, a resident of San Marcelino, Dingras, Ilocos Norte.

In view of this, the local government unit of Dingras town led by Mayor Erdio Valenzuela said Wednesday he will lead a team to visit Madongan to meet with local tourism stakeholders in the area and formulate plans for eco-tourism development and at the same ensure protection of the critical watershed. PNA

Cover your nose! Employees of Polytrade Sales and Service at Golden Mile Business Park, Barangay Maduya, Carmona, Cavite wear protective masks after an ammonia leak on Wednesday. Some 20 employees were brought to the nearest hospital.DANNY PATA

F R I D AY : M A R c h 4 , 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA Editor

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

A lifeTime AchievemenT BacK cHaNNEl alEJaNdro dEl roSario

[ EDI TORI A L ]

El Niño aNd agriculturE The damage wreaked by el Niño on agriculture again exposed the government’s lack of preparations to deal with the weather phenomenon.

The current el Niño and its severity have been predicted nearly a year before it started to happen. Yet, the government failed to make plans to mitigate the prolonged dry spell and minimize the damage on agriculture crops.

Agricultural damage caused by the el Niño phenomenon has already reached P4.7 billion as of Feb. 26, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The damage to rice, corn, high-value crops and livestock also affected 121,490 farmers nationwide.

The Agriculture Department, it seems, has not taken a proactive stance in dealing with el Niño. Much of its so-called intervention measures are still to be implemented at a time when the dry spell is about to reach its peak.

Its pronouncement of allotting more than P900 million this year to mitigate the impact of el Niño is too late. The amount aims to fund cloud seeding operations and the purchase of hybrid and certified seeds, multistress tolerant seed varieties, organic fertilizers and soil ameliorants.

The department, upon learning of the extent of crop damage so far, promised to release cash to replace non-service pumps, solar pumps, wind pumps, and quick repair and rehabilitation of small water impounding projects and diversion dams.

Such mitigation measures, however, should have been prepared and implemented much earlier when the weather phenomenon was just starting.

At the very least, the government could have sped up the releases of the funds at the start of the year to effectively minimize the damage on crops and agricultural lands.

The presidential candidates, meanwhile, should present their respective climate change agenda to the public. A clear-cut climate change policy could save previous lives and lessen the financial damage that will normally be funded from the national budget. el Niño and other destructive weather phenomena may occur more often in the future. The incoming government should be prepared to deal with them.

Two GuTierrezes The word from the Cubao White house has the designated Yellow candidate and his team shopping around for a new campaign spokesman to replace UP- and NYU-trained lawyer Rep. Ibarra “Barry” Gutierrez III of the Akbayan party-list. According to my sources in nearby Farmer’s Market, Gutierrez (who is not related, as far as I know, to chief Mar Roxas campaign

financier Francis eric Gutierrez) “is just not getting the Liberal Party message across.”

You have to wonder though if the bad press and poor polling numbers hounding Roxas are really the fault of his messenger or that of his basic message, which is “Ituloy ang Tuwid na Daan,” or something like that. But of course, the people behind the LP candidate’s increasingly flaccid campaign will not accept that there is something wrong with that message—there are people in Malacañang Palace, after all, who are just waiting for Roxas and his team to stray

from the straight-path line in order to justify junking him in favor of someone else who actually has a chance of winning in May. And that would mean that Gutierrez (the well-heeled mining magnate, not the combative Akbayan lawyer) would have to dig even deeper into his pockets to fund the Roxas campaign.

What with the falling prices and demand for nickel ore in the world market, that simply will not do.

As it is, people in Yellow circles are already whispering about how the Yellowin-Chief is already giving the

A9

Neither gutierrez (the mining tycoon nor the lawyer) seems capable of producing a miracle for roxas.

cold shoulder to Gutierrez (the miner) whenever they meet in social gatherings.

The Cubao crowd tries to console itself that President Noynoy Aquino is probably ignoring eric because the President is really enamored with another mining magnate with an inordinate love

for New York deli products; others think this is Noynoy’s unique way of saying that Gutierrez (either or both of them, really) is on his own.

But getting back to the plan to shoot the LP messenger, I doubt very much that changing spokesmen is going to reverse Roxas’ political fortunes.

And I have serious doubts, as well, that if Ronald Reagan himself were to come back from the dead and speak for Mar, the Great Communicator would be able to make Roxas win.

At this point, it would take a miracle for Roxas to win. And neither Gutierrez (the mining tycoon nor the lawyer) seems capable of producing one for him. *** Some people want to know whatever happened to the cases supposedly filed against bureaucrats and lawmakers

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-

involved in the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam and the alleged misuse of the revenues of the Malampaya natural gas project. After all, more than two years after both scandals broke, it seems that no more has been heard about them.

True, three senators were jailed in connection with the pork barrel scandal, but nothing has been heard again about the case since. As for the Malampaya funds, after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales filed plunder cases against 21 individuals led by former

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

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, there has been total silence about that, as well.

Both the PDAF and the Malampaya fund cases have been found to have been attended by fraud, according to special audits conducted by the Commission on Audit. Sizable portions of these funds supposedly ended up as kickbacks to a bunch of legislators and bureaucrats who green-lighted allocations to fake projects of bogus non-government organizations such as Continued on A11

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

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

TheRe can be no better measure of the man. For his advocacy to help build a better Philippines no matter which government is in power, former Foreign secretary Roberto R. Romulo was conferred a lifetime achievement award by the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines. Whether in his private- or publicsector capacity, Romulo was consumed in his advocacy and vision of a modern, prosperous, just and sustainable society.

Romulo joined other awardees like former President Fidel V. Ramos, SGV founder Washington Sycip and Philippine economic Zone Authority Director Lilia de Lima who have been conferred the honor over the years by the JCF’s Arangkada Assessment program.

In its citation and conferment held Tuesday at the Marriot hotel, the business group took cognizance of Romulo’s achievements from his role in the private sector as regional head of IBM and later when he joined government. he served under three presidents—the late Corazon Aquino who appointed him Philippine ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the Brussels-based european Union.: as secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet of President Ramos: and as pro bono chairman of the Apec Business Advisory Council during the time of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

As Foreign secretary, Romulo distinguished himself for implementing economic diplomacy as a pillar of the country’s foreign policy. he was awarded the highest decorations by the governments of Belgium, Chile and Thailand for enhancing diplomatic relations between the Philippines and those countries.

Romulo received an AB degree from Georgetown University and finished law at Ateneo. Although he spent many years in America as a student and then as an IBM executive in New York, his zeal to advance Philippine interests through diplomacy was unquestioned.

In his acceptance speech, Romulo renewed the call for government to make it a priority to focus on a climate- and disaster-resilient agriculture sector and its effect on the country’s economic growth.

Aside from the human toll, the country lost billions of pesos in farm crops when Super Typhoon “Yolanda’’ swept eastern and central Visayas. Pushing an agricultural agenda has to be accorded the highest priority of the next government, suggested the awardee.

“The agriculture sector is not only stagnant, it is deteriorating,” lamented Romulo, noting the sector yielded the lowest productivity and the lowest incomes with an average annual growth of 1.3 percent in the last five years.

There is no shortage of academic papers profuse with ideas and solutions for agriculture in the country’s economic development, alleviating poverty to Continued on A10 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

F R I D AY : M A R c h 4 , 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA Editor

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

A lifeTime AchievemenT BacK cHaNNEl alEJaNdro dEl roSario

[ EDI TORI A L ]

El Niño aNd agriculturE The damage wreaked by el Niño on agriculture again exposed the government’s lack of preparations to deal with the weather phenomenon.

The current el Niño and its severity have been predicted nearly a year before it started to happen. Yet, the government failed to make plans to mitigate the prolonged dry spell and minimize the damage on agriculture crops.

Agricultural damage caused by the el Niño phenomenon has already reached P4.7 billion as of Feb. 26, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The damage to rice, corn, high-value crops and livestock also affected 121,490 farmers nationwide.

The Agriculture Department, it seems, has not taken a proactive stance in dealing with el Niño. Much of its so-called intervention measures are still to be implemented at a time when the dry spell is about to reach its peak.

Its pronouncement of allotting more than P900 million this year to mitigate the impact of el Niño is too late. The amount aims to fund cloud seeding operations and the purchase of hybrid and certified seeds, multistress tolerant seed varieties, organic fertilizers and soil ameliorants.

The department, upon learning of the extent of crop damage so far, promised to release cash to replace non-service pumps, solar pumps, wind pumps, and quick repair and rehabilitation of small water impounding projects and diversion dams.

Such mitigation measures, however, should have been prepared and implemented much earlier when the weather phenomenon was just starting.

At the very least, the government could have sped up the releases of the funds at the start of the year to effectively minimize the damage on crops and agricultural lands.

The presidential candidates, meanwhile, should present their respective climate change agenda to the public. A clear-cut climate change policy could save previous lives and lessen the financial damage that will normally be funded from the national budget. el Niño and other destructive weather phenomena may occur more often in the future. The incoming government should be prepared to deal with them.

Two GuTierrezes The word from the Cubao White house has the designated Yellow candidate and his team shopping around for a new campaign spokesman to replace UP- and NYU-trained lawyer Rep. Ibarra “Barry” Gutierrez III of the Akbayan party-list. According to my sources in nearby Farmer’s Market, Gutierrez (who is not related, as far as I know, to chief Mar Roxas campaign

financier Francis eric Gutierrez) “is just not getting the Liberal Party message across.”

You have to wonder though if the bad press and poor polling numbers hounding Roxas are really the fault of his messenger or that of his basic message, which is “Ituloy ang Tuwid na Daan,” or something like that. But of course, the people behind the LP candidate’s increasingly flaccid campaign will not accept that there is something wrong with that message—there are people in Malacañang Palace, after all, who are just waiting for Roxas and his team to stray

from the straight-path line in order to justify junking him in favor of someone else who actually has a chance of winning in May. And that would mean that Gutierrez (the well-heeled mining magnate, not the combative Akbayan lawyer) would have to dig even deeper into his pockets to fund the Roxas campaign.

What with the falling prices and demand for nickel ore in the world market, that simply will not do.

As it is, people in Yellow circles are already whispering about how the Yellowin-Chief is already giving the

A9

Neither gutierrez (the mining tycoon nor the lawyer) seems capable of producing a miracle for roxas.

cold shoulder to Gutierrez (the miner) whenever they meet in social gatherings.

The Cubao crowd tries to console itself that President Noynoy Aquino is probably ignoring eric because the President is really enamored with another mining magnate with an inordinate love

for New York deli products; others think this is Noynoy’s unique way of saying that Gutierrez (either or both of them, really) is on his own.

But getting back to the plan to shoot the LP messenger, I doubt very much that changing spokesmen is going to reverse Roxas’ political fortunes.

And I have serious doubts, as well, that if Ronald Reagan himself were to come back from the dead and speak for Mar, the Great Communicator would be able to make Roxas win.

At this point, it would take a miracle for Roxas to win. And neither Gutierrez (the mining tycoon nor the lawyer) seems capable of producing one for him. *** Some people want to know whatever happened to the cases supposedly filed against bureaucrats and lawmakers

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-

involved in the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam and the alleged misuse of the revenues of the Malampaya natural gas project. After all, more than two years after both scandals broke, it seems that no more has been heard about them.

True, three senators were jailed in connection with the pork barrel scandal, but nothing has been heard again about the case since. As for the Malampaya funds, after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales filed plunder cases against 21 individuals led by former

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

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, there has been total silence about that, as well.

Both the PDAF and the Malampaya fund cases have been found to have been attended by fraud, according to special audits conducted by the Commission on Audit. Sizable portions of these funds supposedly ended up as kickbacks to a bunch of legislators and bureaucrats who green-lighted allocations to fake projects of bogus non-government organizations such as Continued on A11

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

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

TheRe can be no better measure of the man. For his advocacy to help build a better Philippines no matter which government is in power, former Foreign secretary Roberto R. Romulo was conferred a lifetime achievement award by the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines. Whether in his private- or publicsector capacity, Romulo was consumed in his advocacy and vision of a modern, prosperous, just and sustainable society.

Romulo joined other awardees like former President Fidel V. Ramos, SGV founder Washington Sycip and Philippine economic Zone Authority Director Lilia de Lima who have been conferred the honor over the years by the JCF’s Arangkada Assessment program.

In its citation and conferment held Tuesday at the Marriot hotel, the business group took cognizance of Romulo’s achievements from his role in the private sector as regional head of IBM and later when he joined government. he served under three presidents—the late Corazon Aquino who appointed him Philippine ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the Brussels-based european Union.: as secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet of President Ramos: and as pro bono chairman of the Apec Business Advisory Council during the time of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

As Foreign secretary, Romulo distinguished himself for implementing economic diplomacy as a pillar of the country’s foreign policy. he was awarded the highest decorations by the governments of Belgium, Chile and Thailand for enhancing diplomatic relations between the Philippines and those countries.

Romulo received an AB degree from Georgetown University and finished law at Ateneo. Although he spent many years in America as a student and then as an IBM executive in New York, his zeal to advance Philippine interests through diplomacy was unquestioned.

In his acceptance speech, Romulo renewed the call for government to make it a priority to focus on a climate- and disaster-resilient agriculture sector and its effect on the country’s economic growth.

Aside from the human toll, the country lost billions of pesos in farm crops when Super Typhoon “Yolanda’’ swept eastern and central Visayas. Pushing an agricultural agenda has to be accorded the highest priority of the next government, suggested the awardee.

“The agriculture sector is not only stagnant, it is deteriorating,” lamented Romulo, noting the sector yielded the lowest productivity and the lowest incomes with an average annual growth of 1.3 percent in the last five years.

There is no shortage of academic papers profuse with ideas and solutions for agriculture in the country’s economic development, alleviating poverty to Continued on A10 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

A10 making us dizzy with pension statistics MoST of our emofilipino tional outbursts over penSioner PNoy’s veto of the proposed P2,000 pension horAcio increase have simtemplo mered down by this time, but the statements that the Social Security System officials have made in stonewalling this proposal linger in our minds.

How can we—two million pensioners—forget?

Their short and terse statements considered us ignorant and irresponsible for seeking that increase which they claimed would bankrupt SSS after 13 years, or by 2029.

To them, the bill’s principal author—Rep. Neri Colmenares—was merely grandstanding.

If at first PNoy has favored approving the bill to add a few million votes to his anointed candidates, he must have been egged by the uncompromising position of SSS into vetoing it on Jan. 12 or three days before it was supposed to have lapsed into law.

PNoy’s stubborn defense of SSS would have been more acceptable had he done it much earlier.

But he has already exhausted his quota for defending blindly his buddies and relatives—whom he had personally recruited to serve in his administration—for their monumental blunders: unconstitutional releases of billions of pesos for non-existing Disbursement Acceleration Program projects through Janet Napoles, unauthorized execution of “oplan Exodus” that resulted in the massacre of 44 Special Action Force commandos at Mamasapano, mismanagement of the world’s worst airport named after his father and its “laglag-bala” scams, and transformation of the once historically-famous Edsa into a fatal avenue of chaotic traffic conditions and horrible light railway system.

SSS officials are making us believe that ideally, the soSSS officials should cial security prosimply publish the gram must have an actuarial fund life of unedited executive 70 years, yet it demonstrates no qualms summary of its latest actuarial valuation in admitting that its present fund life is report. only 26 years.

This ideal actuarial life is nothing but a “kwentong barbero” and is only a myth.

No social security program has ever reached this status for it could only happen if that program is linked to programmed increases in contribution rates in the next 70 years.

The American pension program, for instance, has a fund life now of 19 years. Its trust fund asset reserves are projected to be depleted in 2034, yet its pensions are still automatically increased to keep up with inflation.

SSS never stops to convince us that everything is rosy in its operations.

It is true—it collected a record P119.51 billion in contributions in 2014, increased to P40,000 its funeral expense benefits, and introduced several innovative loan programs.

Its pensioners—provided they are not more than 70 years old—can now borrow instantly through a few selected banks P50,000 at an interest rate of 1.25 percent per month, with the loan repayment to come from future pensions.

But wait a minute, isn’t that 1.25 percent monthly interest rate a bit high when converted to its equivalent annual interest rate of 16 percent?

Maybe, this is its investment strategy for recovering the P15 billion it has lost in the stock market recently.

For these self-declared achievements, SSS officials have regularly granted themselves performance bonuses.

Fantastic and out-of-this-world is the formula they use in granting performance bonuses to their board members—100 percent of the per diems that they have been authorized to receive in one year.

F R I D AY : M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

the upside of plunging oil prices wealth has disempowered women, both by removing the need for a secSHARPLy lower oil prices have rat- ond family income and by retarding tled equity markets and are com- export industries that might emplicating economic policy across ploy them. The ensuing higher ferthe world. But “oilmageddon” isn’t tility rates and accompanying youth all bad—and its benefits go beyond bulge have in turn made the region lower costs for consumers. Falling more susceptible to unrest. oil prices also put salutary pressure The two-thirds plunge in the on some of the world’s more unsa- price of oil from its 2014 high may vory regimes. disrupt this unhealthy dynamic.

Many big oil exporters just aren’t Saudi Arabia has not only cut the kind of countries you’d want to spending and subsidies but is conbring home to mother. only one sidering taxes that would require of the world’s top 10 oil exporters the support of its people. And the (Canada) was rated “free” by Free- anti-corruption campaign of Nigedom House. Many rank near the bot- ria’s President Muhammadu Buhari tom on Transparency International’s has taken on a new edge. indices of corruption. They spend a Russia, Iran, and Venezuela are lot on their militaries and security also under greater pressure. Hyservices. And in many cases—Russia, drocarbon taxes account for nearly Iran, and Venezuela, for instance— half or more of their public revtheir hydrocarbon bounty has en- enue, and current oil prices have abled them to intimidate neighbors, forced their governments to run fuel adventurism, and generally proj- large budget deficits. (Venezuela’s ect a baleful influence. debts also leave it perilously close to With huge pools of oil money, a possible default.) That will make the rulers of these states are less it harder for these countries to supaccountable to their citizens, on port separatists in Ukraine, Bashar whom they don’t need to rely for al-Assad in Syria, Houthi rebels in taxation. They’ve used the money to yemen, and the Castros in Cuba. buy off or repress opponents, limitPredicting long-term oil prices ing political rights and squelching is a mug’s game—but a restorative the development of independent spike looks unlikely in the next civil society. In the Middle East, oil year or two. Democracies that want

to expand their ranks should try to seize the moment. one of the best things they can do is encourage greater transparency, with rules that force oil companies to disclose their payments to foreign governments. And a glut of oil makes this a good time for countries that depend for energy on Russia and Venezuela—or that might be tempted by cut-price Iranian oil —to consider other suppliers.

The US can step up assistance to nations such as Nigeria that are trying to lift the so-called resource curse while coping with terrorism. More generally, with its new capacity to produce oil, ample strategic reserves, and revived commitment to export energy, the US is in a good position to make oil and gas less of a friend to bad global citizens than in decades past.

The costs of oil-fired economic instability are real enough, but the situation is not without benefits.

when he was Philippine ambassador to Belgium. He recruited me from Manila Standard when I was then its executive editor. I joined him as the embassy’s press attaché.

Later, as senior foreign affairs adviser to Secretary Romulo, I traveled with him extensively around the Asean countries and also during state and official visits of former President Ramos in Europe and the US. I have known Romulo all of 27 years, and there’s no one more deserving of a lifetime achievement award than the man they call as Triple R at the DFA. Reject “dirty money” —Pope Francis Pope Francis called on the people to reject “dirty money” from donors who abuse their lowly paid workers. The papal message is seen as an indictment of

companies who exploit employees through “contractualization.”

Through this onerous practice, business establishments hire their workers from recruitment agencies on a five-month basis that lets them avoid paying workers’ compensation benefits such as social security, health care, 13th month pay, separation and retirement pay.

“Contractualization” has been practiced with impunity by business companies who contribute millions in campaign funds to politicians, who when elected return the favor by protecting the interests of the donors by not passing any anti-“contractualization” measure in Congress. The poor, sadly also accept money from candidates during election time. It’s a vicious cycle perpetuated by the politics of poverty.

Bloomberg editorial

A lifetime... From A9 promote inclusive growth. But there’s still much to be done, otherwise they remain just ideals, said Romulo.

Sharing his experience as head of the Zuellig Family Foundation in the area of health services, Ambassador Romulo said local governments must also be empowered in the agriculture sector to seam the gap between programs and projects designed by the central government. Empowering local governments allows them to influence the strategic directions and designs of these programs.

The Zuellig Foundation, according to Romulo, provided technical assistance to build the capacity of local officials in improving the health system in the rural areas.

Bobby Romulo was my boss

They must have imported this bonus formula from Timbuktu.

Surely, it was not invented by its board members who are supposed to represent the interests of the country’s workers, employers, and the general public. After all, they were appointed by PNoy because of their “adequate knowledge and experience regarding social security.”

“Collection efficiency is not the solution,” their chosen one lectured to us while disclosing that the “33 million members pay an average of P1,100 per month” at “an average of nine months per year.”

These are the members whom PNoy and SSS officials would not want prejudiced with the granting of that P2,000 pension increase and the consequential bankruptcy of the system.

But surely—if only SSS officials had done their basic arithmetic correctly—they would have calculated and thus collected P326.7 billion from the 33 million members who pay P1,100 in monthly contributions for nine months, or almost triple than the P119.51 billion that they collected in 2014.

penSeeS fr. rAnhilio cAllAnGAn AQUino Fr. Aquino’s column will resume on Monday.

They would not admit having problems collecting, yet they refuse to increase our monthly pensions that average P3,200 only.

This makes my senior citizen friends and me dizzy, but fortunately not all.

While Jorge Banal Sr. and his Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines are settling for a P1,000 pension increase that would be supported by a staggered contribution rate increase, our progressive legislators—Bayan Muna’s Neri Colmenares and Gabriela’s Luz Ilagan—still pursue doggedly their advocacy for a congressional reversal of PNoy’s veto.

Rep. Martin Romualdez opted to file a courteous resolution urging SSS “to disclose its current and real financial standing.” We would have suggested that he file, instead, a strongly-worded resolution mandating it to clarify its dizzying statistical statements.

But for the sake of transparency, SSS officials should simply publish the unedited executive summary of its latest actuarial valuation report in the same way that its American model does.

F R I D AY : M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 6

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Hottest stock: DoubleDragon The hottest publicly owned Philippine company today is DoubleDragon Properties Corp. In less than two years, the company’s stock price has risen more than 13-fold, from P2 per share in April 2014 when it conducted its IPO (initial public offering), to P26.80 as of yesterday, an astonishing gain of 1,240 percent for its investors.

Between March 3 last year and March 3 this year, DoubleDragon’s stock price more than tripled, from P7.73 per share to P26.80, a gain of 247 percent. Your P7.73 million a year ago is now worth P26.80 million today. even more amazing is if you reckon from the date of DoubleDragon’s IPO, in April 2014. The stock was priced at only P2. Your P2 is now worth P26.80, a gain of 1,240 percent. Your P1 million in April 2014 increased to P12 million in less than two years.

The massive price surge has expanded DoubleDragon’s market value or market capitalization to P60 billion ($1.27 billion at P47 to $1).

DoubleDragon has defied market trends and market sentiment. The Philippine Stock exchange Index has lost 12 percent in points in the last 12 months.

With ownership of 37 percent, Injap is worth P22.2 billion, making him a veritable billionaire in peso terms, and a multi-millionaire (with $472 million) in US dollars.

Injap’s dream is to make

DoubleDragon Properties one of the largest, if not the largest, and one of the most profitable, if not the most profitable, realty company in the Philippines. he plans to be the biggest mall developer in the country, with 100 CityMalls by 2020 by building malls at the rate of 25 malls per year. he will locate his malls in 80 percent of some 145 Philippine cities unserved by the likes of SM and Robinsons. These cities are two hours drive from Metro Manila or are in the Visayas and Mindanao where many areas growing faster than the national capital.

DoubleDragon CityMalls seeks to serve the so-called millennials, Filipinos who were born after 1980. More than half of the Philippine population is young, below 25 years old.

With 100 malls in five years, DoubleDragon will become one of the most profitable companies in the Philippines.

This year, the company is on track to record P1 billion in profits. Over the next five years, profits are expected to

rise 50 percent per year and hit at least P4.8 billion by 2020.

As a listed stock, DoubleDragon has defied bearish market trends. The stock market has so far lost 12 percent in value since January.

The bluest of the property companies, Ayala Land Inc., saw its stock price slump by 26 percent between March 2, 2015 and January this year, before recovering at its current

two... From A9 those put up by Janet lim napoles and others.

To be fair, the current administration was not the only one that stands accused of abusing the funds allocated for both projects. There were also officials from the previous government involved who were never called to account, for some strange reason.

#failocracy

price of P33.75, down 9 percent from a year ago.

DoubleDragon Properties was founded in 2003 by edgar “Injap” Sia II, 39, a college architecture dropout from Bacolod in west central Philippines. he is the chairman and CeO of DoubleDragon.

At 33, six years ago, he became the country’s youngest billionaire, when he sold his Mang Inasal barbecue chicken food chain for P3 billion to Jollibee. This enabled Injap to become a billionaire faster than henry Sy Sr., John Gokongwei Jr., and Tony Tan Caktiong did in their time.

DoubleDragon Properties was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Injap Investments Inc. until July 2012 when Sia formed a joint venture with Tan Caktiong, founder of Jollibee and buyer of 70 percent of his Mang Inasal. A third partner is the giant SM Investments Corp. which owns 34 percent of DoubleDragon’s subsidiary, CityMall Commercial Centers Inc. As a property developer, DoubleDragon’s goal is one million square meters of leasable space in five years.

Of that, 70 percent will come from the 100 malls (each with an average leasable space of 7,000 sqm), while 30

for instance, at the center of both scandals (at least during the time of arroyo) was then Secretary rolando andaya Jr. of the department of Budget and Management. andaya is now running for reelection in his camarines Sur congressional district that used to be represented by arroyo’s younger son diosdado ignacio “dato” arroyo. according to news reports, andaya received P255 million from napoles

percent (300,000 sqm) will come from a 4.8-hectare commercial block BPO and office building at the Mall of Asia called DD Meridian Park, with 280,000 sqms leasable, and the 40-story Jollibee Tower in Ortigas, with 47,909 sqm leasable.

The CityMall brand is thus poised to become the largest branded community mall player in the Philippines. Twenty-five additional CityMalls are being constructed simultaneously across the country and are expected to be turned over to tenants by the end-2016.

DoubleDragon has secured 44 locations so far for its malls, reveals Sia. On DoubleDragon’s outlook, Sia says “Investors can see our vision makes sense, and maybe they are confident with our dynamic team to execute the laid out plans.”

Also, “investors continue to have confidence in DD shares because they know we just started, and they can see DD will continue to be on a ultra high growth years for the next many years as we become a strong and great company. Our thousands of shareholders will share that success in the long term. We are also relentless to build a truly great company that will stand the test of time and remain relevant for generations.”

Injap is sure that the CityMall space will be leased.

“We have the strongest retail brands in the country,” he points out. In non-food, locators are BDO, Chinabank,

and signed nearly all the Special allotment release orders from 2007 to 2009 issued to “Tanda,” “Sexy” and “Pogi” for Pdaf-funded projects implemented by the napoles’ ngos. andaya has not been charged in connection with the Pdaf racket supposedly masterminded by napoles. as for the Malampaya scam, the office of the ombudsman has not acted on the case, despite evidence present-

Savemore, Ace hardware, Watsons (drugstore), SM Appliance, and Simply Shoes.

Among the food brands are Jollibee, the biggest fast food chain; Chowking, the biggest Chinese food chain; Mang Inasal, the biggest barbecue chicken chain; along with Red Ribbon, Greenwich pizza, and highlands Coffee.

With 100 malls, Injap doesn’t think he would have competitors. he cites four factors—first mover advantage, familiarity of the provincial landscape (the malls will be located in third-tier cities, those with population of 100,000 or less and where the likes of SM and Robinson’s don’t have the time and the scale to be viable), the scarcity of prime city center sites (Injap says a big mall like SM needs about six hectares), and less operational baggage (DD is lean but mean).

“We will be the clear, dominant player in the community mall space,” Injap gushes.

On the first day of DoubleDragon’s trading on April 7, 2014, its stock price rose spectacularly, by 50 percent, from P2 to P3. It helped that DoubleDragon was the first IPO of 2014, the boom year for IPOs. As an IPO DoubleDragon was 14 times oversubscribed.

Injap has certainly delivered on DoubleDragon.

Note: I don’t own any DD stocks.

biznewsasia@gmail.com

ed by an nBi task force on an alleged conspiracy between arroyo, andaya and others to misuse at least P900 million for relief and rehabilitation projects for supposed victims of Typhoons “ondoy’’ and “Pepeng.’’ The nBi concluded that arroyo gave andaya authority to bankroll projects providing relief to ondoy—and Pepeng-battered provinces using the fund.

The question is: What gives?

chong ardivilla

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Spurs stop Pistons, make playoffs LOS ANGELES— Kawhi Leonard tallied 27 points as the San Antonio Spurs clinched their 19th straight playoff berth and remained unbeaten at home with a 97-81 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

Net aces roll into Iloilo Open semis JOHNNY Arcilla, Vicente Anasta, Fritz Verdad and Leander Lazaro carved out victories in varying fashions as the top four seeds rolled into the semifinal round of the first Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Iloilo City Men’s Open Tennis Championship at the Iloilo City Tennis Center in La Paz yesterday.

Arcilla cut short younger brother Joseph’s surge, 6-2, 6-1, as the multi-titled top seeded bet stayed in the hunt for another Open crown while No. 2 Anasta clipped Kyle Parpan, 6-3, 6-1, in the lower half of the 32-player draw that features the top 16 players in the current Philippine Tennis Association ranking.

No. 3 Verdad, meanwhile, scored a 6-4, 3-0 (ret.) win over No. 6 Mari Altiche while the fourth seeded Lazaro needed an extra set to dispose of fifth ranked Roel Capangpangan, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, in the weeklong event presented by Palawan Pawnshop and held in partnership with the City of Iloilo and sanctioned by Philta headed by president and Paranaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

“This promises to be a thriller of a semis but Arcilla and Anasta need to toughen up against Lazaro and Verdad, who are both capable of pulling off surprises, making the Final Four worth watching,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Johnny, who swept the PPS-PEPP Open crowns in Gen. Santos City, San Carlos City and Naga City, Cebu last year, faces Lazaro while Anasta and Verdad dispute the other finals berth in the event backed

by Slazenger.

Top-scorer. Raymond Bunquin scored 26 points to lead the way for Eagle Ridge in the new Aviator Division of the 30th PAL Interclub at Mimosa in Clark, Pampanga on Thursday.

PCBL opens import-laced tournament

By Randy Caluag COMING off a successful inaugural offering, the Pilipinas Commercial Basketball League opens its second conference with a bang Saturday at the Malolos Sports and Convention Center in Bulacan.

No less than PCBL chairman Buddy Encarnado introduced on Thursday the league’s new commissioner in multi-titled coach Joel Banal and bragged about the presence of imports in the conference that will be known as the Chairman’s Cup.

“I am very excited for our second conference because, in addition to the six teams which are fully committed to our vision, we have tapped the best people to manage our league,” said Encarnado, who has served for a long time as team manager of the Sta. Lucia in the PBA. Banal, who led the Tropang TNT Texters to the championship in the PBA and the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP, for his part, said he is committed to the new challenge and vowed to make the league’s “competition as exciting as possible.”

Banal is not just bringing with him his credential as a successful basketball coach, his management experience as president of an international school will also serve him in good stead as he works on bringing the PCBL to greater heights.

“My wife and I built and managed an international school when I left the basketball scene years ago.

Now, we have partners who are helping us run it and I’m so glad to be back to my first love—basketball,” said Banal, who is a also a Master of Entrepreneurship graduate at Asian

Institute of Management.

For a starter, Banal gets to offer a league with imports from countries like Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Nigeria playing for the six teams namely Sta. Lucia Realty, Jumbo Plastic, Linoleum Giants, Supremo Lex, EuroMed, Foton and new team Mighty.

Jumbo Plastic, champion of the inaugural Founder’s Cup, will again bank on its solid core, ex-pros James Martinez, Marcy Arellano, Allan Padilla and Finals MVP Jeff Viernes.

Linoleum will parade 6’9” Nigerian import Allwell Oraeme, who played for Mapua in the NCAA.

Kaya FC faces New Radiant KAYA FC is looking forward to its game with Maldives’ New Radiant in the 2016 Asian Football Confederation Cup group stage.

After taking a 0-1 defeat in their first-ever game in the tournament last month to Kitchee in Hong Kong, Kaya believes beating the Maldivian squad will definitely boost the spirits of the team on home soil.

“We have to remain focused on the task at hand.

It’s drilled into the guys’ heads that we’re going to do this,” said team captain and former Philippine Azkals member Aly Borro-

meo in a statement.

The Philippine side next faces Maldives’ New Radiant on March 8, before it goes up against Singapore’s Balestier Khalsa on March 15.

Both games will be played at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

With a semifinal appearance and two quarterfinal exits in the last three years in the AFC Cup, Kitchee is the clear favorite in Group F. New Radiant drew Balestier Khalsa 2-2 in their opening group game. Peter Atencio

Winners and organizers of the Bobby D. Pacquiao Random Chess Festival 2017 held at

the SM City Mall in General Santos City are shown here. They are (from left) Random Blitz Individual Champion Jeric Cajeras, Random Rapid Individual Champion IM Joel Pimentel, Local Organizer Aris Sacayanan, Tournament Organizer GM Eugene Torre, and members of Random Standard Champion Team-Elegant Houses in Pampanga, namely GM Darwin Laylo, Norman Longjas, Edsel Montoya, Gerry Millan and team manager Mark Anthony Yabut.

The Spurs overcame a sloppy first half before running away with it in the second as they improved to 29-0 at home to stretch their record for the best home start by an NBA Western Conference team.

“It was very good,” said coach Gregg Popovich.

“We allowed 30 points in the second half.

“It’s pretty special if you can do that. We played a better second half for sure.”

It was the Spurs’ first game at the AT&T Center arena since February 6 because of their annual Rodeo Road Trip, during which their performance was outstanding.

LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 23 points and a team-high 10 rebounds for the Spurs as four of their starters finished in double figures.

Tim Duncan had 12 points and eight rebounds and Tony Parker scored 10 points for San Antonio, whose 19 straight playoff appearances ties the Boston Celtics (1951-69) for the fourth-longest streak in NBA history.

It’s the fewest games needed to punch their playoff ticket in franchise history, excluding strike-shortened seasons.

The Spurs own the second-longest active playoff streak among the four major professional sports, trailing only the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings (24).

The Spurs threw up a defensive curtain in the third quarter as Detroit shot just 22 percent from the floor and trailed by as many as 17 points. Aldridge scored 13 points in the period.

The victory also allowed the Spurs to lengthen their regularseason home victory streak to 38 games, dating back to an overtime loss to Cleveland last March.

Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris scored 16 points each to lead Detroit while reserve Aron Baynes added 12 points and Reggie Jackson tallied 11.

Andre Drummond grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for the Pistons, who had saw four-game winning streak halted.

“San Antonio plays great defence but we were very individual on offence in the second half,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Pague whips foes, bags 3 tennis titles

JOSE Ma. Pague, one of the rising tennis stars in the country today, showed glimpses of the future as he ruled both the 16-under and 18- under boys’ singles crown and shared the 18-under boys’ doubles title with Vince Geo Serino at the recent Cagayan de Oro leg of the 2016 Cebuana Lhuillier Age-Group Tennis Championship Series.

Pague, who hails from Zamboanga Sibugay, swept his opponents in the singles’ events, beating Iligan City’s Serino, 6-4, 7-5, for the 18-under crown.

Earlier, he defeated Marawi City’s Duma Hakim Boloto, 6-4, 6-1, in the 16-under category.

Pague teamed up with Serino to win the 18-under boys’ crown with an 8-5 victory over the pair of Kurt Dewey Mosqueda and Ryan Maglinao.

The tournament, also supported by Dunlop Sports, is a year-round tennis developmental program initiated by Cebuana Lhuillier President/CEO and Philippine Tennis Association Chairman Jean Henri Lhuillier.

“Grassroots development is at the core of Cebuana Lhuillier Sports’ vision/mission. We believe that we should develop the skills and attitude of these provincial talents while they are still young, as from these ranks will come future national players and Pague should be one soon,” said Lhuillier.

Lanao del Norte bet Heinz Asian Carbonilla pocketed two titles, ruling the 19-under unisex group with a 4 -1, 4-1 victory over province mate Kurt Gervan Bandolis and shared the doubles’ event in the same category with Bandolis, after beating Kian Sanchez and Judy Ann Padilla, 4-1, 4-1. Rupert Ohrelle Tortal from Surigao duplicated the feat, winning the 12- under boys’ title, 6-1, 6-1, over Brent Sigmond Cortes and teamed up with Chrlie Cabranilla to top the 14-under boys’ doubles crown, posting an 8-4 win over the duo of Cortes and Prince Najeeb Langitao,

Casimero fight not in Manila

THE rematch between former world light flyweight champion Johnreil Casimero and reigning flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng will not be staged in Manila after there were no takers among local TV networks, according to promoter Sammy Gello-ani.

Gello-ani, who is partners with internationally known promoter and matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz, told The Standard that they had agreed to stage the rematch in either Thailand or China and that Ruenroeng himself appeared to prefer China as the venue.

The promoter indicated that since the IBF had set March 3 as the cutoff for the purse bid, they had decided to negotiate instead of entering a purse bid and had assigned the promotion to Thailand’s respected Thai promoter Jimmy Chaichotchuang. Ronnie Nathanielsz

Holcim golf tourney. William de Lumley (left), Aggregates and Construction Materials Head of Holcim Philippines; Ramon Allado

(second from left) of Allado Construction; Paul Vu-Huy-Dat (third from left), business development head of Holcim Philippines; Rodolfo Manuel (fourth from left) of Megacem Inc. and Edwin Villas, national sales head for Holcim Philippines’ Institutional Accounts, prepare to tee off in the recent 6th Invitational Holcim Golf Classic at Clark Sun Valley Golf and Country Club.

Fixed number of Olympic sports to SEAG pushed SENATOR Grace Poe on Thursday said the Philippines’ hosting of the Southeast Asian Games in 2019 could be an opportune time to start institutionalizing the number of Olympic events that would help level the playing field in the biennial regional meet.

And if all 11-member nations of the SEA Games Federation would agree, Poe said it would be for their common good as it would help strengthen their chances at winning Olympic medals.

No SEA Games-member country won a gold medal in the last Olympics in London in 2012, and Poe said the level of competition in the SEA Games have somehow been diminished by the present SEAGF practice in the selection of sports to be played in each edition of the Games.

SEA Games hosts have a say in the selection of disciplines and have often inserted non-Olympic events to strengthen their chances at higher placings in the medal tally. But Poe said this practice has weakened SEA Games countries in the higher, stronger field of the Olympics.

“We all know that our sports leaders have long been making this appeal to prioritize Olympic sports in the SEA Games’ roster of events.

With the Philippines hosting the Games in 2019, govern-

ment should also extend all efforts to support their call and maybe help institutionalize this practice which will benefit the rest of the region eventually,” said Poe, a taekwondo blackbelter.

“Maganda din na sa Pilipinas magsimula ang panawagan na tigilan na ang pagka-kanyakanya at simulan na natin magtulungan bilang isang rehiyon. Imagine Southeast Asia becoming a force in sports in the future. This would also help fortify the Philippines’ chance at winning our very first gold Olympic medal, hindi ba?” enthused Poe. The last time a SEA Gamesmember country won an Olympic gold medal was in 2008 in Beijing, when Jongjit Jongjohor claimed the flyweight mint in boxing and Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon bagged the gold in the 53-kg category of women’s

weightlifting for Thailand.

It was an improvement from the one gold medal won by the tandem of Hendra Sityawan and Markis Kido for Indonesia the men’s doubles in badminton, a sport in which Indonesia is considered a powerhouse competitor. But in the last Summer Games in London, Thailand only managed to win two silver medals and a bronze, Indonesia and Malaysia had a silver and bronze each, while Singapore had two bronze medals.

The last time the Philippines won an Olympic medal was in 1996 in Atlanta, courtesy of Mansueto Velasco in the men’s light-flyweight division of boxing. It was the Philippines’ second Olympic silver medal that followed the feat by the late featherweight Anthony Villanueva in 1964 in Tokyo. The Philippines has yet to win a gold medal in the Olympics.

Dottie, Cyna gear up against Taiwan rivals

Cyna Rodriguez and Dottie Ardina (above) will carry the cudgels for the local bets against a crack international field, led by 50 Taiwan LPGA Tour campaigners.

CYNA Rodriguez and Dottie Ardina take time out from their respective US campaigns to banner the local challenge against a slew of Taiwan LPGA Tour campaigners, both upbeat of their chances in the $75,000 ICTSI Champion Tour unfolding March 9 at Splendido Taal Golf Club in Tagaytay.

The two Filipina aces have been in deep training as early as last month and both expect to reach peak form in time for the threeday championship serving as the kickoff leg of this year’s ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour and the first of two Taiwan LPGA events jointly presented by Champion and TLPGA which the country is

hosting this month.

“I’m getting myself back into championship form. It’s just a quick fix and then I’m ready to go but I have to focus more on the game and hope everything will turn out fine,” said Rodriguez.

The duo are also out to atone for their mediocre stints in the inaugural TLPGA event, the ICTSI Ladies Open, won by Korean Hwang Ye-Nah at Southlinks last year with the former ending up sixth and the latter finishing tied for 23rd.

But Rodriguez has since improved, gaining an LPGA Tour card with a strong joint fourth finish in the Final LPGA Q-School, while Ar-

dina honed up by competing on the Symetra Tour, the farm league of the LPGA. “I’m excited to play in my first tournament for the year. I hope I could get one win before heading to the US,” said Ardina, winner of at least three LPGT events.

Rodriguez, a former Philippine Ladies Open and reigning three-time ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner, is also using the upcoming tournament to toughen up after missing the cut in two legs of the LPGA after debuting with a joint 72nd finish in Bahamas.

The event has lured 50 TLGPA players, including Thai Kanphanitnan Muangkhumaskul, who

ruled the TLPGA kickoff leg’s Hitachi Ladies Classic, and five in the current Top 20 money list of the Taiwan circuit – Yu Pei-lin (No. 8), Chen Yu-Ju (No. 10), Huang Ching (No. 12), Lu Ya Huei (No. 18) and Pan Yen-ling (No. 19).

The same field will vie in the ICTSI Champion Tour at Manila Southwoods on March 16-18 at the Legends course in Carmona, Cavite, another $75,000 tournament co-presented by Champion and TLPGA and backed by adidas, Custom Clubmakers, KZG, TaylorMade, Champion, Summit Natural Drinking Water, Pacsports, Sharp and Rustans Supermarket.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Bullpups seek 2nd win against Jr Archers

By Peter Atencio

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 niabaneimo_es@yahoo.com/niabaneimo_om@yahoo.com niabaneimoafs@yahoo.com

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

INVITATION TO BID

THE National University Bullpups will seek a much-needed second win against the La Salle Zobel Junior Archers when they meet for a third time at 2 p.m. Friday in Game 3 of the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines Junior Basketball Championship at the Arena in San Juan.

March 2, 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-49 ANGAT RIS (AMRIS) Improvement of Bitukang Manok San Luis, Pampanga. The Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) is P9,466,795.31 with contract duration of 90 calendar days. Bid Documents cost P 9,000.00 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 4, 2016 @ 10:00 AM NIA BANE, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan

Schedule of Activities; Pre-Bidding NIA, BANE IMO ITB No. R3-BANE-RRENIS-2016-BU-49 March 10, 2016 1:30 PM

Submission/ Opening of Bids March 23, 2016 1:00 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.

SGD.ROBERTO J. DELA CRUZ Chairman – BAC

(TS-MAR.4, 2016)

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

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGION IV-A CALABARZON

Bulacan-Aurora-Nueva Ecija Irrigation Management Office

Gate 2 Karangalan Village, Cainta, Rizal March 2, 2016

INVITATION TO BID

The Department of Education Regional Office of Region IV-A (CALABARZON), through its Bids and Award Committee (BAC) invites contractors registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to bid for the following projects at DepEd Regional Office IV-A (CALABARZON), Gate 2-Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal: Cluster Name of Project Recipient Schools Location Cost of Bid Docs Contract Duration Amount (Php)

1 Rehabilitation of Gebaldon Building Alfonso Elementary School Alfonso, Cavite 23,000.00 150 10,276,200.47

TOTAL

10,276,200.07

Prospective biders must be PHILGEPS registered with a valid PCAB License applicable to the contract. Have completed a similar contract with value of atleast 50% of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), and with key personnel and equipment available for the execution of the contract. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/ fail criteria in the Preliminary Examination of Bids and conduct post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid.

All particulars relative to the Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bids, Post-qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR).

The schedule of BAC activities is as follows: No.

BAC Activities

SCHEDULE

VENUE

1

Advertisement

March 3,2016March 10, 2016

2

Issuance of Bid Documents

March 4, 2016March 22, 2016

ESSD

3

Pre-bid Conference

March 9, 2016,9:00 AM

DepED RO IV-A Conference Room

4

Receipt and Opening of Bids March 22, 2016,9:00AM

DepED RO IV-A Conference Room

The BAC will issue bidding documents to prospective bidders at Education Support Services Division (ESSD), DepED Regional Ofice-IV-A, Gate 2, Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal upon payment of a non-refundable amount to the Regional Office Cashier.

The DepEd Regional Office IV-A reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, and to annul the bidding process and reject all bids prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

(SGD) ANN GERALYN T. PELIAS Chief Administrative Officer RBAC Chairman ( T S - M A R . 4 , 2 016)

Office Address: Telephone Nos. Email Address:

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

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

INVITATION TO BID March 2, 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-50 ANGAT RIS (AMRIS) Improvement of Various Irrigation Facilities-Improvement of BitukangManok Creek @ Baliuag and Candaba & San Simon, Pampanga.

The Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) is P14,222,977.43 with contract duration of 120 calendar days. Bid Documents cost P 14,000.00 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 4, 2016 @ 10:00 AM NIA BANE, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan

Schedule of Activities; Pre-Bidding NIA, BANE IMO ITB No. R3-BANE-RRENIS-2016-BU-50 March 10, 2016 1:30 PM

Submission Opening of Bids March 23, 2016 2:00 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.4, 2016)

SGD.ROBERTO J. DELA CRUZ Chairman – BAC

The Junior Archers denied the Bullpups that chance when they struck hard from outside in a 71-60 Game 2 win at the Arena in San Juan.

The time around, the NU Bullpups will have to score more from the outside and match La Salle-Zobel’s shooting if they are to claim their second crown in three years.

In Game 2, NU fared badly from the outside, hitting only 19 out of 62 field goal attempts, considering that they are the leading scorers this season.

On the other hand the Junior Archers’ adjustments on their zone defense can still work wonders for them as they try force a deciding Game 4.

“We hope to get our shape back and step up our game this Friday,” said Junior Archers’ coach Boris Aldeguer.

Last week, the Junior Archers had 13 fastbreak points, while making 41 perimeter points.

The Bullpups, who have a thrice-to-beat incentive over the Junior Archers, drew 25 points from John Lloyd Clemente.

Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas finished the first round with a 25-21, 25-22, 25-21 upset victory over La Salle in the women’s volleyball tournament yesterday at The Arena.

They were playing catch up most of the time, but the Tigresses found just enough energy to book their third win in seven matches, ending a five-game losing skid against the Lady Spikers.

EJ Laure fired 13 hits, Cherry Rondina added 11 points and 10 digs, while RJ Rivera, playing as libero for the second time this season, collected 13 digs for UST. Earlier, University of the Philippines tied Far Eastern University at third place, posting a 25-19, 25-21, 25-20 victory over National University.

F R I DAY : M A R C H 4 , 2 0 16

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Philracom institutes drug testing for horses HORSERACING fans will now have even more confidence in the sport after the Philippine Racing Commission recently passed a resolution instituting the post-race drug testing of horses.

Resolution No. 16-16, approved last Feb. 3, gives technical specifications for Philracom’s laboratory set-up, as well as for sampling and post-race examination units that must be established within three

months by the three racing clubs - Manila Jockey Club, Philippine Racing Club, and Metro Manila Turf Club.

A technical working group comprising three veterinarians -- Andrew Rovie Buencamino and Alejandro Cambay of Philracom and Romy Modomo -visited the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Macau Racing Club last September to benchmark standards in laboratory facilities and protocols.

Mayweather says no to Rio Olympics

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

UNBEATEN former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., who bagged a bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, will not be tempted by the lure of Olympic gold at the Rio games some four months from now.

Mayweather’s reaction was in stark contrast with eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao’s, as the Filipino ring icon revealed it would be an honor if he is chosen to fight for the Philippines in Rio. Sky Sports in Britain reported that May-

weather has no plans to return to the ring after beating Pacquiao in their “Fight of the Century” last May, before easily handling Andre Berto in what turned out to be his last fight.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, said he would set aside his decision to hang up his gloves after

his third fight against Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley at the MGM Grand on April 9 if it means representing the country in its quest for an elusive Olympic gold medal.

Despite talk of a rematch with Pacquiao that is expected to draw huge pay-per-view numbers, Mayweather has repeatedly insisted he has no plans on making a comeback.

According to Sky Sports, the American made it clear a ring return was not on the cards.

“Absolutely not,” said Mayweather when asked about a possible

Olympic stint. “For my body to recover from all my fights will be for the rest of my life. I’m truly blessed to have been fighting for so much of my life. I had a great run. Ain’t no more for this body to heal but rest,” said Mayweather.

He figures by the time he’d be ready to surpass Hall of Fame heavyweight legend Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record, which he has equaled: “The only record in boxing I would be looking at is old age.

I was able to retire from the sport with all my faculties. I did not let the sport retire me.”

Their recommendations were adopted as the preliminary Implementing Rules and Regulations for the existing rules governing prohibited substances and procedures for drug testing, which were not implemented prior to this because of the lack of facilities and infrastructure.

“Drug testing of horses will serve to protect the public interest,” said Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez, adding,

“Having adequate drug testing facilities is a requirement for membership in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, something that Philracom has been pursuing for years.”

Upon the implementation of drug testing as well as international quarantine protocols, the Asian Racing Federation, of which the Philippines is a member, will endorse the country’s bid for membership to IFHA.

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

S EC R E TA RY ' S C ERT I FI C AT E O F T H E R ES O LU T I O N PA S S ED A N D A PPROV ED BY T H E B OA R D O F D I R ECTO RS O F MIDMAC MANPOWER SERVICES & PLACEMENT CORPORATION I, SAHARA D. ABDULSALAM, the Corporate Secretary of MIDMAC MANPOWER SERVICES & PLACEMENT CORPORATION, a corporation duly registered and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, do hereby certify that at a meeting of the Board of Directors of said corporation, duly called and held on 05 January 2016 at its business office, at which a quorum was present, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors, and that said resolution has not been in any way rescinded, annulled or revoked and the same is still in full force and effect, to wit: Resolution No. 001 , series of 2016 "WHEREAS, the Corporation has a Board of Directors composed of Five (5) members and the following are the duly elected members of the Board of Directors for the current year 2016-2017: ABDUL Y. HADJISALAM SAPIA D. ABDULSALAM SAHARA D. ABDULSALA RAIHANAH D. ABDULSALAM RAIZA-ALIA D. ABDULSALAM

Chairman of the Board Member MMember Member Member

Resolution No. 002, series of 2016 "WHEREAS, the Board of Directors has elected a new set of officers and the following were elected into office: ABDUL Y. HADJISALAM SAHARA D. ABDULSALAM

President Executive Vice President Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary Vice President for Finance and Administration, Treasurer and Assistant Corporate Secretary Assistant Treasurer

RAIHANAH D. ABDULSALAM RAIZA-ALIA D. ABDULSALAM

IN CERTIFICATION WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 01 day of February, 2016 in the City of Davao, Philippines SAHARA D. ABDULSALAM Corporate Secretary Noted: ABDUL Y. HADJISALAM President

(TS-MAR.4, 2016)

In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published.

We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

Republic of the Philippines O FFI CE O F TH E M AYO R BI DS A N D AWA R DS CO M M IT TEE Binmaley, Pangasinan INVITATION TO BID The Municipality of Binmaley, through the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) invites Contractors registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to apply for eligibility and if found eligible, to bid for the hereunder project: Name of Project

:

Location Approved Budget For the Contract (ABC) Source of Fund Contract Duration

:

CONSTRUCTION OF BINMALEY EVACUATION CENTER (PHASE I) POBLACION, BINMALEY, PANGASINAN

: : :

Php 8,996,268.00 LGU COUNTERPART-BUB 247 CD

Prospective bidders should possess a valid PCAB License ( Category Medium A) which is applicable to the contract, have completed a similar contract with a value of at least 50% of the ABC, and have key personnel and equipment ( listed in the Eligibility Forms) available for the prosecution of the contract. The BAC will use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria in the Eligibility Check Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids. The BAC will conduct post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid.

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Screening , Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

The complete schedule of activities is listed as follows: B AC A c t i v i t i e s 1. Pre-Procurement

Cheerdancing at flower festival. Members of the NLEX Cheer Dance Troupe display their acrobatic,

cheer-dancing skills as they perform at the 2016 Panagbenga Float Parade in Baguio City. NLEX is a regular fixture in the annual flower festival. ROMAN PROSPERO

Jungolfer...

From A16 trail the joint leaders by 26 as Kristopher Arevalo was the closest player to matching par with 33. Niko Santiano and King Stehmeier fired 31s with JP De Claro rounding out scoring for Orchard with 29.

“I was surprised. I thought Southwoods had the stronger lineup yesterday,” said Canlubang non-playing captain Luigi Yulo.

“The results today will keep up the excitement in the Interclub.”

A tight race has also developed in

the Founders Division, with Cebu CC wresting a two-point lead Forest Hills and three over Villamor after a second round 118 built around the 36 of Julius Neri and 32 of the veteran Ramontito Garcia.

With Marko Sarmiento shooting 27 and Marc Gonzales accounting for 23, Cebu CC, which until last year was in the Championship Division, has 228 aggregate going into third round action also at the Mountain View layout.

Jude Eustaquio paced Forest Hills for the second straight day with 34 points, and got support from the 29 of Ronald Littaua, Raffy Garcia’s 25 and 24 from Pe-

ter Young for their 112.

Villamor, which raced to the opening round lead after a 119 on Wednesday, could only draw 29 points from Jay Jay Dinglasan and 27s from Jun Arceo and George Rivera, with Bobby Marajucon rounding out its 106 for 225.

Del Monte collected 126 points from Noel Langamin 34, Raul Miñoza 34, Jovencio Lusterio 29 and Yoyong Velez 29 for a two-day total of 250, five points behind Luisita.

Orchard, on the other hand, had another frustrating day with 124 points for 249 while Mimosa totaled 232 following 114 in the second round.

Conference

Schedule Feb.23, 2016 - 9AM/Conference Rm., Municipal Hall, Binmaley, Pangasinan

2. Issuance of Bid Documents

Feb. 27, 2016 - March 17, 2016/BAC OFFICE Municipal Hall, Binmaley, Pangasinan Monday to Friday/8AM-5PM

3. Pre - bid Conference

March 7, 2016 -10am/Conference Rm., Municipal Hall, Binmaley, Pangasinan

4. Opening of Bids

March 18, 2016- 10AM/Conference Rm., Municipal Hall, Binmaley, Pangasinan Deadline for the Submission of Bids is 9:30AM

5. Bid Evaluation

March 21, 2016

6. Post-Qualification

March 22, 2016- 10AM/Conference Rm. Mun. Hall, Binmaley, Pangasinan

7. Notice of Award

March 24, 2016

8. Notice to Proceed

March 28, 2016

Bid Documents will be available only to prospective bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable amount of Php 10,000.00 at the Office of the Treasurer, Binmaley, Pangasinan.

The Municipal Government of Binmaley assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bids and reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any formality, informality, and/or defect and to make an award to the bidder whose proposal is most advantageous to the government.

CONTACT PERSON: (SGD.) CATALINA R. FLORES BAC Secretariat Poblacion, Binmaley, Pangasinan Tel. No. (075)681-3881 APPROVED BY: (SGD) FERNANDO B. FERRER BAC Chairman ( T S - M A R . 4 , 2 016)

A16

F R I DAY : M A R C H 4 , 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

Aces gun for 3 win in a row rd

Jungolfer powers Southwoods to share of PAL golf lead CLARK Field, Pampanga—Ira Alido became the unlikely anchor for Manila Southwoods yesterday, shooting a three-under-par 69 for 39 points that boosted the defending champions into a 36-hole tie with Canlubang halfway through the 69th PAL Interclub Men’s Championship.

The 16-year-old drained five birdies against two bogeys at the composite Lake View and Acacia nines of the Mimosa Complex here and led the Carmona-based squad to 138 for the day and 275 that kept its repeat bid solidly afloat.

“I was surprised with how I played. I couldn’t play this way in the practice round,” the high school student from Dela SalleZobel told reporters after Southwoods got 35s from Jets Sajulga abd Brixton Aw and 29 from Ryan Monsalve before throwing away veteran Vince Lauron’s 27 points.

Many-time national titlist Rupert Zaragosa and Carlo Villaroman fired 36s to pace the Sugar Barons, who tallied 137 for the day after Luis Castro contributed 35 and Gab Manotoc 30. Canlubang discarded the 29 of Jakey Yulo.

It was a surprising performance

by Southwoods, which obviously fielded a stronger team in the opening round on Wednesday to trail the Sugar Barons by one.

Luisita drew 38 points from Korean Brian Kim and 36 from Luis Miguel Guerrero but still lost ground on the two heavyweights after a 135 left it trailing by 20 from 18 overnght.

Basti Lorenzo fired 31 and senior standout Jingy Tuason contributed 30 for the Luisitans, who are just four up on Del Monte, which fired 126.

Orchard, the 2014 champion, reeled back with a woeful 124 to Turn to A15

Spurs stop Pistons, make playoffs TURN TO A12

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

By Jeric Lopez

TEAMS in the upper half of the standings battle teams from the lower half as everyone continues to jock for better position in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.

Jungolfer leads Southwoods. Ira Alido signed for 39 points, a three-under-par in regulation, to lead the defending champion Manila Southwoods’ charge as it tied erstwhile leader Canlubang with a two-day team total 275 in the championship division of the 69th PAL Interclub in Clark, Pampanga. The 16-year-old junior golfer from De La Salle Zobel mixed five birdies as against two bogeys at the Acacia layout. LINO SANTOS

Dottie, Cyna gear up vs Taiwan golf foes TURN TO A13

Already finding its groove, Alaska (2-1) shoots for a third straight win when it goes head to head with skidding Phoenix (1-2), loser of two in a row, at 7 p.m. Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

In the appetizer at 4:15 p.m., two hard-nosed teams NLEX (22) and struggling Rain or Shine (1-3) collide.

Winner of two straight after dropping its initial assignment, the Aces seemed to be over their heartbreaking defeat in the Philippine Cup finals.

One good reason is the scintillating play of import Shane Edwards, who is jelling quite well with his Alaska teammates.

Since taking over the chores from the injured Rob Dozier, Edwards has evidently helped Alaska’s cause as the Aces racked up consecutive wins to suddenly move up in the ladder.

“Shane (Edwards) is a great guy,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton. “We’re doing well now and I hope we keep winning these games.”

The Aces came up with a huge win in their last game, totally dominating the Elasto Painters, 128-102, with Edwards and star Calvin Abueva, who was named as the Player of the Week, leading the way.

While Alaska is starting to rack up wins, league newbie Phoenix is having the exact opposite of a stretch.

The Fuel Masters have lost their last two after winning their debut game in the league. They lost, 96-108, to Talk ‘N Text also last week.

In the second game, teams who are struggling to find consistencies go at it.

While the Road Warriors have alternated wins with losses in their first four games, the Elasto Painters are in a serious drought as they’re the league’s coldest team at the moment, having lost three straight after winning their first game.

B1

FRIDAY: MARCH 4, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Best renewable finance deal. Alpha

Southeast Asia awards Hedcor Bukidnon Inc.’s P10-billion project finance loan facility as the best renewable finance deal of the year during its 9th Annual Best Deal & Solution Awards 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. SB Capital Investment Corp., the investment banking arm of Security Bank Corp., also received an award as a joint lead arranger for the transaction. Shown with the awards for the project are (from left) SB Capital first vice president and director Gerald Abrogar, Hedcor assistant vice president for finance Arazeli Malapad and Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. assistant vice president Clarice Uvas-Marucut. Hedcor is a unit of the Aboitiz Group.

SM Group increases capital by over 100%

By Jenniffer B. Austria

SM Investments Corp., the holding company of the Philippines’ richest man Henry Sy, is increasing its authorized capital by 133 percent to P28 billion from P12 billion to pave the way for a stock dividend declaration and obtain flexibility for future expansion.

SM Investments said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board approved the hike in the capital to have enough unissued capital stock to declare stock dividends of P4.015 billion.

It said the increase in capital would provide the conglomerate the capability and flexibility for future capital initiatives.

“With availability of sufficient unissued capital stock, the corpora-

tion will be ready to take advantage of opportunities as they arise,” SM Investments said.

The conglomerate, which has investments in banking, property development, shopping malls and retail sectors, said it would spend as much as P90 billion in 2016 primarily to roll out more shopping malls, hotels, office developments and residential projects.

This year’s capital spending

will be funded through internally generated funds and borrowings.

Meanwhile, the board of SM Investments also approved the declaration of 50-percent stock dividends, based on the company’s 2015 consolidated net income.

The terms of and conditions of the stock rights offering remain to be finalized.

The conglomerate currently has P12 billion in authorized capital stock divided into 1.19 billion common shares and 10 million nonvoting, cumulative and redeemable preferred shares both with par value of P10 per share.

With the proposed capital increase, SM Investments will have P28 billion authorized capital divided into 2.7 billion common shares and 10 million non-voting, cumulative and redeemable preferred shares both with par value of

P10 per share.

SM Investments’ said net income in 2015 reached P28.4 billion, as revenues grew 7 percent to P295.9 billion.

Recurring net income, excluding extraordinary items, jumped 13 percent in 2015 as income from operations increased 8.5 percent to P56.9 billion from P52.5 billion in 2014.

The conglomerate said the underlying earnings increase was driven by a 17-percent growth in retail earnings, 14-percent growth in property recurring net income and 10-percent rise in bank net income.

SM Investments said core units would continue with aggressive expansion plans this year.

SM Prime Holdings, its property development unit, is set to open five new malls and plans to expand two existing malls.

Telecoms blame LGUs, govt policy for slow Internet

By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. asked the government to address permit and right-of-way issues that hamper infrastructure development in the telecommunication industry.

Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo said the prohibitive permitting environment, site acquisition and RoW issues kept telecommunication operators, including Globe, from aggressively rolling out broadband infrastructure to boost Internet speed in the country.

“A lot of the infrastructure backlogs in the telecommunications in-

dustry could be attributed to challenges in getting LGU permits. This is why Globe has been calling on the government to provide policy support for initiatives to improve Internet infrastructure in the country,” he said.

Castelo said telecommunication companies were required to secure at least 25 permits, a few of which were also mentioned in the broadband policy paper and which caused delay in the deployment of Internet infrastructure such as cell sites and fiber builds.

He said securing different permits at the LGU level could become very challenging, from the sheer number of permits to the different

political personalities that mobile operators had to deal with. Globe alone has more than 500 cell sites waiting to be built at any given time, he said.

“What we need is to increase cell site density by building more cell sites,” Castelo said.

Based on the study made by TowerXchange in February 2016, the number of unique physical cell sites in the Philippines was one of the lowest in Asia with a combined 15,000 cell sites.

China had the highest number with 1.18 million cell sites, followed

by India with 450,000, Indonesia with 76,477 cell sites while Vietnam had 55,000, Thailand with 52,483,

Pakistan with 28,000, Bangladesh with 27,000 and Malaysia with 22,000 sites.

Meanwhile, mobile broadband services in the Philippines improved in the fourth of 2015, as operators stepped up investments in data networks, according to the latest Asia Network Quality Report of J.P. Morgan Securities.

J.P. Morgan Securities said the advances were most felt in carriers’ 3G mobile data service, as the Philippines’ average 3G download speed increased from 1.77 megabits per second in the third quarter to 2.09 Mbps in the fourth quarter of 2015.

PSe comPoSite index Closing March 3, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,963.44 80.99

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing March 3, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.080

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.065 LOW P47.190 AVERAGE P47.115 VOLUME 962.500M

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 Thursday, March 3, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.2600

Japan

Yen

0.008814

0.4165

UK

Pound

1.408000

66.5421

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128667

6.0808

Switzerland

Franc

1.003714

47.4355

Canada

Dollar

0.745434

35.2292

Singapore

Dollar

0.716127

33.8442

Australia

Dollar

0.729300

34.4667

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655690

125.5079

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266738

12.6060

Brunei

Dollar

0.713572

33.7234

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028129

1.3294

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.8683

Euro

Euro

1.087000

51.3716

Korea

Won

0.000817

0.0386

China

Yuan

0.152655

7.2145

India

Rupee

0.014840

0.7013

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240385

11.3606

New Zealand

Dollar

0.667100

31.5271

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030234

1.4289 Source: PDS Bridge

FRIDAY: MARCH 4, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Thursday, March 3, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 2.6 1.01 100 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 1.02 0.225 78 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 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 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

79 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 238 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

34.1 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 161 4.1 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

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

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

76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 9.66 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.510

49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 3 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.310

10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 41.4 5.6

6.74 12 0.65 1.2 30.05 3.36

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.88 2.78 45.05 44.2 100.20 98.20 84.45 83.10 37 35.6 3.10 3.07 1.40 1.36 14 13.92 15.3 14.8 1.74 1.7 0.580 0.550 77.4 76.85 15.10 15.00 23.05 23.05 52.50 51.80 102.1 98.2 275 273 33.55 33.1 142.9 141.7 1300.00 1300.00 56.50 55.40 1.54 1.54 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

43.55 44 43.5 Agrinurture Inc. 5.4 5.58 5.3 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.67 0.68 0.68 Alsons Cons.

1.52 1.53 1.5 Asiabest Group 10.8 10.8 10.6 Century Food 17.6 17.7 17.6 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 52.5 52.5 48 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 18.9 19.3 18.8 Concepcion 39 40 39 Crown Asia 2.29 2.37 2.25 Da Vinci Capital 3.47 4.21 3.49 Del Monte 11.86 12.2 11.7 DNL Industries Inc. 8.680 9.100 8.730 Emperador 7.11 7.53 7.13 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.78 6.04 5.88 EEI 7.09 7.15 7.00 Euro-Med Lab 1.61 1.79 1.51 First Gen Corp.

20.35 20.8 20 First Holdings ‘A’ 60.95 61.55 61 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.00 12.00 12.00 Holcim Philippines Inc. 14.00 14.04 14.00 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.49 5.5 5.47 Ionics Inc 2.470 2.750 2.540 Jollibee Foods Corp.

230.00 229.80 224.20 LBC Express 9.8 9.8 9.5 Liberty Flour 32.50 26.00 26.00 Mabuhay Vinyl 3 2.9 2.9 Macay Holdings 37.85 37.75 35.00 Manila Water Co. Inc. 26.6 26.95 26.35 Maxs Group 17.26 17.28 17.12 Megawide 5.89 5.89 5.8 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 331.00 330.00 328.00 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.2 3.37 3.25 Petron Corporation 9.41 9.97 9.45 Phinma Corporation 11.50 11.50 11.20 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.79 3.94 3.79 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.70 1.80 1.70 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.9 3.07 2.9 RFM Corporation 4.18 4.23 4.02 Roxas and Co. 2.32 2.32 2.31 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 136.1 140 136.1 SPC Power Corp.

3.9 3.9 3.9 Splash Corporation 2.51 2.51 2.46 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.154 0.159 0.152 TKC Steel Corp.

1.19 1.18 1.10 Trans-Asia Oil 2.32 2.34 2.31 Universal Robina 205 204.4 200.6 Victorias Milling 4.79 4.76 4.6 Vitarich Corp.

0.65 0.73 0.65 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.15 1.20 1.12 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.335 0.335 0.330 Aboitiz Equity 59.00 61.00 59.05 Alliance Global Inc. 14.80 15.50 14.80 Anscor `A’ 6.00 6.07 6.00 ATN Holdings A 0.240 0.244 0.244 ATN Holdings B 0.240 0.250 0.250 Ayala Corp `A’ 710 739.5 713 Cosco Capital 7.4 7.67 7.44 DMCI Holdings 13.04 13.50 13.06 F&J Prince ‘A’ 4.84 5 4.5 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

4.82 4.80 4.74 Forum Pacific 0.221 0.217 0.217 GT Capital 1340 1357 1333 House of Inv. 5.99 6.00 6.00 IPM Holdings 9.79 9.78 9.52 JG Summit Holdings 71.15 73.45 71.00 Lopez Holdings Corp.

5.28 5.48 5.34 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.71 0.71 0.65 LT Group 16 16.05 15.9 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.485 0.495 0.475 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.09 6.07 5.76 MJCI Investments Inc. 3 2.3 2.3 Pacifica `A’ 0.0300 0.0310 0.0300 Prime Media Hldg 1.170 1.450 1.430 Prime Orion 1.990 2.040 1.980 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.62 2.75 2.65 San Miguel Corp `A’ 75.00 75.00 74.35 SM Investments Inc. 900.50 947.50 902.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.00 1.00 1.00 South China Res. Inc. 0.81 0.79 0.79 Top Frontier 168.000 170.000 167.400 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3050 0.3200 0.3050 Zeus Holdings 0.300 0.290 0.290 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.100 7.150 7.130 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 7.50 8.04 7.60 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.91 0.93 0.87 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.420 1.430 1.360 Ayala Land `B’ 33.800 34.400 33.800 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.13 3.27 3.17 AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

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

Close

SHARES 11,590,465 166,636,486 185,416,894 242,670,708 294,114,565 1,113,530,065 2,018,692,444

2.85 45 99.90 83.05 36.6 3.10 1.42 14 15 1.85 0.560 77.3 15.02 23.00 51.90 98.6 269 32.5 141.5 1300.00 56.20 1.54

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.81 45.05 98.50 84.00 37 3.10 1.38 14 14.8 1.74 0.560 77 15.10 23.05 52.20 98.3 275 33.35 142.3 1300.00 55.40 1.54

-1.40 0.11 -1.40 1.14 1.09 0.00 -2.82 0.00 -1.33 -5.95 0.00 -0.39 0.53 0.22 0.58 -0.30 2.23 2.62 0.57 0.00 -1.42 0.00

78,000 67,600 2,575,520 1,652,730 336,300 324,000 202,000 4,000 353,700 24,000 846,000 2,920,390 47,700 100 36,360 1,170 3,710 33,100 1,059,370 120 104,640 13,000

43.85 5.46 0.68 1.5 10.6 17.6 52 18.9 40 2.32 4.15 12 9.040 7.37 5.98 7.00 1.51 20 61.5 12.00 14.00 5.5 2.740 228.00 9.5 26.00 2.9 37.75 26.8 17.18 5.89 328.80 3.26 9.90 11.50 3.85 1.76 3 4.06 2.31 140 3.9 2.48 0.154 1.18 2.33 203 4.65 0.73 1.12

0.69 1.11 1.49 -1.32 -1.85 0.00 -0.95 0.00 2.56 1.31 19.60 1.18 4.15 3.66 3.46 -1.27 -6.21 -1.72 0.90 0.00 0.00 0.18 10.93 -0.87 -3.06 -20.00 -3.33 -0.26 0.75 -0.46 0.00 -0.66 1.87 5.21 0.00 1.58 3.53 3.45 -2.87 -0.43 2.87 0.00 -1.20 0.00 -0.84 0.43 -0.98 -2.92 12.31 -2.61

2,224,100 709,700 5,000 423,000 200 108,900 4,450 143,700 3,500 1,009,000 20,678,000 130,900 15,039,900 8,038,500 31,944,800 141,000 440,000 3,632,700 248,570 300 152,700 151,000 21,956,000 645,100 35,900 400 1,000 3,500 1,878,400 378,700 15,300 108,170 465,000 20,676,900 6,500 2,748,000 287,000 1,628,000 874,000 9,000 41,170 22,000 223,000 8,720,000 68,000 3,631,000 1,250,330 22,000 15,235,000 341,000

0.330 60.20 15.30 6.00 0.244 0.250 735 7.62 13.20 5 4.80 0.217 1354 6.00 9.78 72.90 5.48 0.7 15.94 0.495 5.82 2.3 0.0310 1.450 2.000 2.75 75.00 938.00 1.00 0.79 170.000 0.3200 0.290

-1.49 2.03 3.38 0.00 1.67 4.17 3.52 2.97 1.23 3.31 -0.41 -1.81 1.04 0.17 -0.10 2.46 3.79 -1.41 -0.38 2.06 -4.43 -23.33 3.33 23.93 0.50 4.96 0.00 4.16 0.00 -2.47 1.19 4.92 -3.33

130,000 4,123,130 10,392,600 7,700 190,000 450,000 552,940 6,302,700 4,368,200 121,000 25,000 150,000 276,330 68,200 2,706,300 3,205,290 3,071,300 22,000 1,919,900 80,000 128,550,700 1,000 10,800,000 3,000 1,566,000 114,000 553,400 613,720 1,402,000 101,000 107,520 3,050,000 300,000

7.130 7.60 0.89 1.370 34.000 3.24

0.42 1.33 -2.20 -3.52 0.59 3.51

126,300 3,000 2,841,000 191,000 14,130,100 2,662,000

2,978,560.00 6,140,635 -35,010,366.00

-13,920.00 -3,476,028.00 1,740.00 -47,315,455.50 1,022,030.00 -109,440.00 357,165 43,713,376.00 -1,682,674.00 63,849,785.00 -314,317.00 30,200.00 359,520.00 -60,000 -23,200.00 20,336,220.00 -655,166.00 80,384,863.00 -21,129,667.00 144,515,240.00 -39,324.00 -12,580,885.00 4,517,501.00 -2,009,298.00 -6,914,000.00 42,432,236.00

-15,799,665.00 2,314,542.00 -8,938,952.00 656,530.00 -26,189,004.00 -7,822,260.00 -48,020.00 2,168,590.00 -5,580,000.00 7,550.00 4,655,680.00 32,596,726.00 32,200.00 -827,240.00

172,935,719.00 25,714,546.00

35,915,725.00 8,149,212.00 33,530,770.00 67,130.00 59,906,740.00 119,717,802.50 3,252,625.00 610,548.00 -487,147,692.00

-794,470.00 -3,534,236.00 340,191,170.00 -202,800.00

160,302.00 14,472.00 55,620.00 4,110.00 146,775,860.00 2,773,310.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

Cebu Holdings Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

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

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 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 3.2 95.5 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.95 3.1 1.8 6

0.62 1.040 4 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 2.28 8.8 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 APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp.

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IPeople Inc. `A’ Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp.

Paxys Inc. Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp.

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers 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 0.016

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 0.0100

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 United Paragon

70 553 120 515 8.21 1047

33 490 101.5 480 5.88 1011

78.95 84.8

74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

High

VALUE 893,067,052.60 1,505,449,848.3175 3,036,181,361.52 1,787,318,184.705 1,490,923,219.999 121,179,322.4046 8,939,854,137.2445

FINANCIAL 1,506.33 (UP) 0.52 INDUSTRIAL 11,426.50 (UP) 31.62 HOLDING FIRMS 6,842.78 (UP) 153.45 PROPERTY 2,847.03 (UP) 38.18 SERVICES 1,425.73 (UP) 14.76 MINING & OIL 10,854.25 (DOWN) 138.08 PSEI 6,963.44 (UP) 80.99 All Shares Index 4,008.27 (UP) 39.52 Gainers: 106; Losers: 71; Unchanged: 43; Total: 220

Close

5.27 0.560 0.96 0.950 0.119 0.415 26.8 0.820 0.155 0.90 1.53 1.26 3.68 0.090 0.2260 0.435 8.5 26.25 1.43 3.08 21.30 0.78 5.78 0.940 4.430

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

5.3 5.27 5.3 0.57 0.540 0.550 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.950 0.950 0.950 0.121 0.119 0.119 0.430 0.415 0.430 28.95 27.05 28.95 0.830 0.810 0.830 0.156 0.155 0.155 0.93 0.91 0.92 1.57 1.52 1.54 1.28 1.26 1.28 3.89 3.69 3.88 0.090 0.085 0.090 0.2260 0.2250 0.2250 0.450 0.435 0.445 8.49 8.39 8.39 27.70 26.25 27.50 1.46 1.43 1.46 3.03 3.03 3.03 21.60 21.25 21.40 0.8 0.78 0.8 5.76 5.54 5.54 1.040 0.940 1.030 4.580 4.430 4.570 SERVICES 6.68 6.8 6.68 6.75 54.2 55 54.05 55 0.480 0.500 0.485 0.485 11.2 11.2 11.18 11.18 4.48 4.85 4.50 4.75 0.0520 0.0520 0.0500 0.0510 3.14 3.2 3.15 3.18 84 84.3 83.6 84.2 10 10 10 10 1.5 1.61 1.55 1.6 6.18 6.30 6.06 6.29 1735 1798 1735 1770 6.60 6.61 6.58 6.60 1.18 1.28 1.19 1.20 64 64.9 64 64.4 11.2 11.3 11.3 11.3 0.200 0.232 0.195 0.218 1.2000 1.2000 1.1700 1.2000 2.1 2.1 2.02 2.1 7.60 7.70 7.65 7.70 4.10 4.38 4.09 4.28 2.58 2.57 2.40 2.57 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.95 2.16 2.25 2.17 2.22 3.54 3.73 3.55 3.60 0.275 0.280 0.270 0.275 0.700 0.730 0.700 0.710 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 8.95 8.95 8.95 8.95 100.00 100.00 99.00 99.00 22.00 22.50 21.45 22.00 1824.00 1860.00 1830.00 1835.00 0.435 0.440 0.420 0.440 0.940 0.970 0.930 0.950 33.35 34.00 33.30 33.30 60.85 62.75 61.90 62.30 7.22 6.95 6.00 6.18 3.30 3.42 3.33 3.36 0.510 0.520 0.500 0.500 3.75 3.79 3.69 3.74 4.950 4.950 4.900 4.920 MINING & OIL 0.0045 0.0047 0.0045 0.0046 2.10 2.25 2.09 2.25 4.18 4.35 4.20 4.20 12.50 12.50 11.00 12.00 0.245 0.245 0.239 0.245 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.440 0.440 0.430 0.435 7.47 7.53 7.23 7.47 0.710 0.740 0.700 0.700 0.285 0.285 0.280 0.280 0.300 0.300 0.290 0.295 0.300 0.305 0.295 0.300 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.013 2.08 2.15 1.95 2.01 5.7 5.98 5.7 5.75 2.66 2.72 2.53 2.69 1.2700 1.2700 1.1600 1.2600 0.0095 0.0093 0.0093 0.0093 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 5.79 5.85 5.73 5.75 1.70 1.72 1.66 1.69 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 128.10 128.20 125.10 125.10 2.37 2.4 2.34 2.37 0.0070 0.0082 0.0082 0.0082 PREFERRED 54.05 56.95 54.5 55.5 544.5 544 526 544 118 118 118 118 540 535 527 527 6.77 6.52 6.52 6.52 1018 1018 1018 1018 105.9 105.9 105.9 105.9 78.2 78.2 78 78 80 80.15 80.15 80.15 76 76.7 76.05 76.05 77.3 78 77.1 77.1 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.540 2.700 2.460 2.520 SME 3 3.15 3 3 2.46 2.55 2.47 2.55 13.6 14.38 13.6 14.12 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 112.5 113.2 112 113

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

0.57 -1.79 -3.13 0.00 0.00 3.61 8.02 1.22 0.00 2.22 0.65 1.59 5.43 0.00 -0.44 2.30 -1.29 4.76 2.10 -1.62 0.47 2.56 -4.15 9.57 3.16

51,700 11,183,000 2,000 13,000 1,340,000 3,380,000 5,312,000 725,000 570,000 4,689,000 69,935,000 150,000 70,688,000 1,320,000 100,000 1,360,000 22,900 4,841,200 277,000 5,000 20,001,900 1,380,000 300 7,486,000 12,292,000

-53,000.00 -570.00

1.05 1.48 1.04 -0.18 6.03 -1.92 1.27 0.24 0.00 6.67 1.78 2.02 0.00 1.69 0.63 0.89 9.00 0.00 0.00 1.32 4.39 -0.39 0.00 0.00 2.78 1.69 0.00 1.43 0.00 0.00 -1.00 0.00 0.60 1.15 1.06 -0.15 2.38 -14.40 1.82 -1.96 -0.27 -0.61

43,900 20,100.00 88,330 130,000 2,000 16,787,000 28,767,520.00 37,020,000 78,000 -19,080.00 739,890 22,146,259.00 700 68,000 327,700 188,870.00 59,000 35,806,385.00 50,100 275,000 67,040.00 880,420 6,693,550.00 600 134,670,000 -84,970.00 531,000 39,000 126,300 38,500.00 785,000 -331,300.00 31,000 300 10,000 31,405,000 -16,661,290.00 2,015,000 1,429,150.00 100,000 1,522,000 7,200.00 3,000 100 2,020 198,000.00 4,384,700 19,954,585.00 263,835 36,063,935.00 1,220,000 22,683,000 -2,281,920.00 1,821,900 29,287,975.00 3,238,880 -13,336,444.50 11,969,900 -36,873.00 8,750,000 -5,686,610.00 8,722,000 1,365,000 -2,881,340.00 63,000 -68,740.00

1.77 7.14 0.48 -4.00 0.00 0.00 -1.14 0.00 -1.41 -1.75 -1.67 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.37 0.88 1.13 -0.79 -2.11 0.00 -0.69 -0.59 0.00 -2.34 0.00 17.14

993,000,000 -23,000.00 161,000 641,000 -602,590.00 1,000 130,000 163,000 410,000 24,100 -75,000.00 23,883,000 1,409,210.00 20,000 29,720,000 3,970,000 11,600,000 16,300,000 873,000 -90.00 7,469,000 6,331,920.00 146,000 324,000 1,000,000 1,000 1,454,400 -1,655,840.00 1,333,000 -86,000.00 18,300,000 222,230 -7,696,665.00 244,000 2,000,000

2.68 -0.09 0.00 -2.41 -3.69 0.00 0.00 -0.26 0.19 0.07 -0.26

313,030 25,060 100 760 11,600 250 560 2,700 20 19,550 10,900

-0.79

1,079,000

0.00 3.66 3.82

20,000 114,000 4,183,700

0.44

415,140

-216,750.00 36,770,150.00 -95,450.00 -92,000.00 -58,455,680.00 10,200.00 36,558,640.00

42,037,520.00 29,010.00 -30,800,850.00 87,000.00 -34,600.00 1,143,290.00

-9,446,920.50

-74,328.00

76,500.00 79,413.00

-25,000.00 8,013,072.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Prime Media Hldg

1.450

23.93

MJCI Investments Inc.

2.3

-23.33

Da Vinci Capital

4.15

19.60

Liberty Flour

26.00

-20.00

United Paragon

0.0082

17.14

SBS Phil. Corp.

6.18

-14.40

Vitarich Corp.

0.73

12.31

Euro-Med Lab

1.51

-6.21

Ionics Inc

2.740

10.93

I-Remit Inc.

1.74

-5.95

Suntrust Home Dev. Inc.

1.030

9.57

Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

5.82

-4.43

Island Info

0.218

9.00

Starmalls

5.54

-4.15

Double Dragon

28.95

8.02

Atok-Big Wedge `A'

12.00

-4.00

Apex `A'

2.25

7.14

GMA Holdings Inc.

6.52

-3.69

Discovery World

1.6

6.67

Araneta Prop `A'

1.370

-3.52

FRIDAY: MARCH 4, 2016

B3

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

Paths WE WERE born in the same year, a scant day apart. We met before we hit our teenage years. She was the quiet one, an odd combination of intense and lyrical. She had long, black hair and opted for the uniform skirt and black patent shoes.

I was the girl from Catholic school, happily opting for denim jeans and the wooden Happy Feet sandals, my nose in a book. Somehow, we became friends, the pianist and the writer, the quiet girl and the rebel.

She opted for accounting and music, and I pursued a degree in mathematics, intent on becoming an actuary. Even then, she had already laid out two paths.

Paths Perhaps it had to do with our parents. Her parents were educators. They believed in professions, and honing skills.

My parents were born poor. My father was an entrepreneur, my mother ran enterprises out of the household. Some years, we produced cakes and cookies, some years, we produced bags. Summers, we made halo-halo (a Filipino iced dessert) to sell to the neighborhood children. As soon as I learned how to bake cookies, my father had me calculating the cost to produce and churning them out by the hundreds. Before I was out of school, I had organized a system of premixing dry, wet, and fruit and nut ingredients for my mom’s annual Christmas fruitcake production.

Practicality was our number one virtue, efficiency a close second.

When it came time to choose a major for college, there was, of course, some consideration of what I wanted to do. But, the decision really boiled down to two questions: Do you have the aptitude for this? Will you make money doing this?

My father quickly turned down my first few choices. They were either impractical or too common. This early, my father taught me the value of differentiation. When I suggested mathematics as a major, he pulled out the impractical argument he had pulled out when I suggested physics.

This time, however, I had an answer.

Math was only the first step towards a specialization—one that paid well, and one I could do well in given my natural aptitude with numbers, and one few individuals chose. I had hit the jackpot.

In corporate strategy, you would say I had found that happy intersection between my competence and a clear market need, one especially attractive because there were few players.

Choices After graduation, I was invited to join an information technology firm. I declined. I was focused on the path I had chosen. I gravitated naturally to the life insurance industry, the natural home of the actuarial profession in the Philippines. I was fortunate to work for a medium-sized firm positioning to break into the top five in the industry, giving me front side seats—and opportunities to contribute—to a successful repositioning and gearing up.

My friend finished her double degree and spent a few days agitating about doing her music recital and taking the CPA exams in the same year. She eventually did both with flying colors and then accepted a job in an audit firm, shifting very early on into information technology.

When I joined a company that was decentralizing core operations from regional to the Philippines, I had occasion to ask her to interview for the position of IT head in

What is it that you really want to do? our firm. We worked together for a few short months. She stayed in the firm. I pursued other interests, juggling consulting, running a business and teaching.

In those latter years of our career, she was the focused one and I was the juggler. We kept in touch somehow, the pianist and the writer, the executive and the rebel consultant.

Changes As the children grew, we hit the point in our lives when we didn’t need to work. We could, but we didn’t have to. She retired from her executive position and enrolled in a music therapy program. She had come full circle, back almost full time to the music she loved, preparing for a new path in a field related to the one I was in—education.

It is an enormously joyful thing to watch her talk about her new path, all the things she is doing, all the things she plans to do. She is as busy now as she was when she was just starting out. Not surprising as she is, in a very real sense, starting out again.

This second starting out is very different, though. It is a beginning fraught with hope and no fear. It is the beginning of one who has already finished the difficult climb. It is, also, a beginning composed almost entirely of passions and preferences.

She reminds me of my friend who left a legal career to become a writer. They have taken very different approaches to their change, but they are both now doing what they really want to do. They inspire me.

Forward The real challenge in these changes, in fact is that one matter. What is it that you really want to do?

In business, the most important guidance we give to managers lie in the corporate vision and mission. They explain what we really want to do. The how is important, of course. The formulation and implementation of strategy determine whether or not a company succeeds. Understanding the environment and continually monitoring the situation is critical—as Nokia realized too late.

Sadly, in life, many people focus on only one thing—the practicalities, the how. There is an old Chinese saying—it does not matter how fast you go up a ladder if the ladder is placed against the wrong wall.

Money is important. Professional success, fame, notoriety—they don’t necessarily have value. For the most part, they are really just means. They are a way to get other things, things that are meaningful.

The real tragedy would be to wake up at the end of a successful career, only to find that nothing you have achieved is important.

So here is our question for this week, the week when we have that extra day in February to try and figure out some things. For those like me, who have already put in the time. Now is the moment to address the one really important question. What is it that you really want to do?

Readers can email Maya at integrations_manila@yahoo.com. Or visit her site at http://integrations. tumblr.com.

Stocks gain; index nears 7,000 points THE stock market rose for the third straight day Thursday on generally favorable earnings Alliance names new chairman report and encouraging US data.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index surged 80.99 points, or 1.2 percent, to 6,963.44 on a value turnover of P8.9 billion. Gainers beat losers, 106 to 71, with 43 issues unchanged.

SM Investments Corp. of retail tycoon Henry Sy climbed 4.2 percent to P938, while conglomerate Ayala Corp. increased 3.5 percent to P735.

Megaworld Corp., the secondbiggest property developer, rallied 5.4 percent to P3.88, while Petron Corp., the bigger of the two oil refineries, advanced 5.2 percent to P9.90.

The broadly upbeat mood that has pushed global markets higher recently helped extend gains on most Asian trading floors Thursday following a lead from Wall Street.

Tokyo ended up 1.3 percent, Shanghai gained 0.4 percent and Syd-

ney 1.2 percent, while there were also strong gains in Singapore, Wellington, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur.

However, after a two-day surge of about 4.5 percent, Hong Kong retreated 0.5 percent in late exchanges.

“Globally it’s becoming risk-on,” said Ryoma Sugihara, head of equity flow sales in Tokyo at Societe Generale, in reference to rising confidence.

“We’re starting to see the bottom in US manufacturing, oil is rebounding, China is stabilizing.”

Energy firms were the big winners thanks to the recovery in crude, while there are hopes that China’s leadership will unveil new economy-boosting measures when they start a policy meeting at the weekend. With AFP

ALLIANCE Select Foods International Inc. elected a new chairman after conducting its much-delayed annual stockholders’ meeting on Tuesday.

Elected to the board were Antonio Pacis, Joseph Peter Roxas, Raymond K.H. See, George E. Sycip and Marie Grace Vera Cruz as regular directors. Erwin Elechicon and Dobbin Tan were elected independent directors.

Pacis was voted chairman of the board. A graduate of of Ateneo Law in 1965, he acquired his masteral law degree from the Harvard Law School. He has been practicing law for close to five decades and is currently with the Pacis and Reyes Law Office Roxas and Tan, meanwhile, are the newest additions to the board.

Shell bigwigs. Shell Philippines country chairman Edgar Chua (left) joins Royal Dutch Shell chief financial officer Simon Henry at the Powering Progress Together–Asia forum held at the Manila Hotel on March 3. On the third and final year that the Philippines is hosting the regional dialogue series on sustainability and future energy, collaborative action is the key discussion of the multi-sectoral panel comprised of local and international experts from both the private sector and government.

Scion asserts ownership of Boracay lot A SCION of one of Boracay’s first settler-families asserted her claim on a 1,447-square-meter beachfront part of the famed Friday’s Boracay Island Resort, saying a court-recognized tax declaration certificate proves what she called her “absolute ownership” of the property.

Mila Yap-Sumndad said the Quezon City Regional Trial Court’s recognition of the tax declaration certificate covering the portion of Friday’s resort “established her absolute ownership of this property as one of her deceased parents’ successors-in-interest who has been in continuous and exclusive possession of it for a long time or since time immemorial.”

“This tax document recognized by the Quezon City RTC has virtually rendered as spurious a different and undated tax declaration certificate not certified by the Ak-

lan Provincial Assessor’s Office but supposedly covering the same land that Fridays Holdings Inc. has from out of the blue presented to this court in a third-party claim,” said Yap-Sumndad.

“This shows that FHI has no qualms about falsifying a public document in a desperate bid to stop the RTC-ordered public auction,” she added.

Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 95 Judge Edgar Belosillo, in a writ of execution issued on Dec. 14, scheduled on March 7 a public auction of Yap-Sumndad’s properties as part of her compromise agreement with her creditor, Lonavla Properties Inc., to settle a loan worth P73.4 million.

Quezon City RTC sheriff Ruben Blanco Jr. issued on Feb. 3 a notice of auction in the city as well as a notice of levy to the Register of Deeds and Assessors Office in Kalibo, Ak-

lan, attaching the properties found to be owned by Yap-Sumndad preparatory to their public sale.

Assessment of Real Property or Tax Declaration No. 3676 covering the 1,447-sq. m. parcel within Friday’s resort in Barangay Balabag in Malay, Aklan is one of YapSumndad’s two tax declaration certificates that RTC sheriff Blanco identified and attached to clear the way to a public auction of both her properties.

Issued by the Aklan Provincial Assessors Office on Dec. 9, 2009, the tax declaration states that YapSumndad is the owner of “Commercial 1” lot covering 1,477 sq. m. in the barangay’s Sitio Pinaungon.

The other tax declaration certificate that Blanco had attached to the notice posted at the Quezon City Hall is ARP/TD No. 3676 covering a 2,498-sq. m. property, also in Barangay Balabag.

FRIDAY: MARCH 4, 2016

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

IN BRIEF LRT 2 bidding deferred

THE Transportation Department said Thursday it deferred the bid submission for the operation and maintenance of Light Rail Transit Line 2 to April 4, 2016.

“In order to give ample time to for prequalified bidders to prepare their bids, please be informed that the deadline for submission of bids for the project shall be moved from March 8 to April 4, 2016,” the agency said.

The contract will last for 10 to 15 years, with the winning bidder given the right to maintain the existing 11 stations as well as the 4.2-kilometer Masinag extension.

The department said pre-qualified bidders requested for a change in the composition of consortium members and list of subcontractors.

Earlier shortlisted for the LRT 2 operations and management project under the public-private partnership scheme were Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. and SMRT Transport Solutions Consortium; D.M. Consunji Inc. and Tokyo Metro Co. Ltd. Consortium; Light Rail Manila Holdings 2 Inc. (LRM2) Consortium of Ayala Corp., Metro Pacific Investments Corp., RATP TransDev Asia and RATPDevelopment SA; and San Miguel Holdings Corp. and Korea Railroad Corp. Consortium.

Darwin G. Amojelar

DoE rejects carbon tax

ENERGY Secretary Zenaida Monsada rejected proposals to impose a tax on carbon emissions, which she said could push up power rates.

Monsada, speaking at the Shell Powering Progress Together-Asia forum, said the power rate in the country was already very high.

“There was a mention of carbon tax.

The concern is we already have a very high power rate. We’re not competitive with our neighbors because of this high rate and it would not be a good idea to impose carbon tax on coal,” Monsada said.

The energy chief said the Energy Department was instead encouraging the use of more renewable energy and the reclassification of the power plants into baseload, midmerit or peaking plants. “[Carbon pricing] can be part of consideration but putting tax on carbon may lead to higher prices,” Monsada said. Alena Mae S. Flores

BMW sells 1,000 cars

GERMAN carmaker BMW sold a record 1,000 units in the Philippines last year, extending its leadership in the luxury car segment to 13th consecutive year.

Asian Carmakers Corp., the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, said sales grew 38.5 percent yearon-year in 2015, surpassing the 11-percent growth in 2014.

“In 2016, the BMW brand will celebrate its centennial anniversary worldwide, and we would like to mark the milestone in the Philippines through the innovative product launches and participation in significant events that will set the tone for the next hundred years,” ACC president Maricar Parco said.

“We are confident that with an unparalleled vehicle portfolio complemented by the unique experience we bring our distinguished clientele and the bullish outlook for the Philippine economy, we will be able to further our growth in the country,” Parco said.

She said the 2015 growth was fueled largely by the popularity of the compact executive automobile BMW 5 Series and supported by sales of the compact sport sedan BMW 3 Series and the sports activity vehicle BMW X3. Othel V. Campos

E-commerce promoted THE government plans to allow 100,000

micro, small and medium enterprises, or about a tenth of total businesses in the country, to take advantage of electronic commerce by 2020.

The Trade Department said the Philippine e-commerce roadmap was targeting about 100,000 MSMEs, out of the total 937,000 businesses, to transact online by 2020, along with fast and competitive Internet access.

The Trade Department said its e-commerce office would hold e-commerce roadshows around the Philippines in coordination with Trade regional offices to help achieve the target.

“We are focusing our promotion activities on e-commerce not only within the East Asia sub region but as well as nationally to help micro small and medium enterprises to engage in borderless trade, given the population within the East Asia sub region. There is a huge market for E-Commerce,” said Trade undersecretary for special concerns Prudencio Reyes.

Asean has 143.1 million Internet users, including 44.2 million in the Philippines.

Othel V. Campos

ADB opens solar project THE Asian Development Bank said Thurs-

day its solar-diesel hybrid power generation system started providing electricity for the first time in the island of Cobrador in Romblon province.

The Manila-based multilateral lender said the newly launched system would provide round-the-clock electricity to 244 households in the island.

“Cobrador’s pristine beaches mean it could, with reliable electricity, now attract tourists. The island’s main source of livelihood—fishing—also stands to benefit from the ability to produce ice to preserve the day’s catch,” the bank said.

ADB said the pilot project showed how clean, renewable energy could be tapped to upgrade existing local electricity systems to meet the needs of remote and energy-deficient communities in the Philippines.

Gabrielle H. Binaday

3 large solar plants open, add 214 MW

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THREE more power solar plants are now operational, adding 214 megawatts to the country’s electricity supply, the Energy Department said Thursday.

Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada said during the Shell Power Progress Together Forum that two solar plants were inaugurated Thursday, including the 135-MW solar facility in Cadiz, Negros Occidental of Soleq Holdings, and the 50-MW solar project of PetroSolar Corp. in Tarlac province.

The other completed solar project is Enfinity Philippines’ 29-MW Digos solar plant in Davao, which was still undergoing site verification.

Monsada said solar projects were “fast moving renewable energy resources” and in a hurry to meet the March 15 deadline to avail of feed-in tariff incentives.

Soleq switched on the P10-billion, 132-MW solar farm in Barangay Tinampaan, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental Thursday, becoming the largest operational solar power plant in Southeast Asia.

The massive solar farm, sprawled over 176 hectares of land, went online in a simple ceremony attended by national and local officials as well representatives of Soleq, the Asian utility that built the facility.

Conergy, a leading German

photovoltaic solution and service provider and PetroSolar Corp., a company owned by PetroGreen Energy Corp. and EEI Power

Corp., held the inauguration of the Tarlac solar power project Thursday.

Petrosolar and Conergy said the 50-MW facility was synchronized to the Luzon grid and started delivering power on Jan. 27, 2016.

Meanwhile, Enfinity business development director Bill Ruccius said the Digos project was now completed and would undergo site verification by the En-

ergy Department this week.

Former Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said the Philippines now had 10 fully functional solar power plants with a combined installed capacity of 377 MW. He said additional solar farms were now being put up in Bacolod City, La Carlota City and in the municipalities of Murcia and Manapla in Negros Occidental and Mabinay in Negros Oriental.

UCPB in Aseana.

UCPB inaugurates its Aseana City branch at Sole Mare Parksuites along Bradco Avenue at Aseana Business Park in Parañaque City. This is the bank’s sixth branch in Parañaque. Shown cutting the ribbon are (from left) UCPB vice president Susan Desamero; Aseana City branch manager Kat Mercado; Janet Olivarez, wife of Parañaque City mayor Edwin Olivarez; UCPB president and chief executive Jeronimo Kilayko, executive vice president and branch banking group head Edmond Bernardo and vice president and Metro Manila 1 region head Anthony Evan Lluch.

DoH’s lack of urgency is dangerous to public health HAPPY Hour got wind of a very disquieting experience that a topnotch hotel in Metro Manila allegedly had with the Department of Health and the Makati City Health Office-Health Emergency Management Staff, which prompted the hotel (which we will not name for obvious reasons) to write to the Philippine Hotel Owners Association Inc. The hotel narrated two incidents involving guests who were tagged as “persons of interest” by the DoH because they reportedly displayed symptoms indicative of MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory SyndromeCorona Virus), the first one happening towards the latter part of January.

According to the hotel, it received a call at around 10 a.m. from the DoHNCR that one of the guests who went for a consultation with a leading hospital exhibited MERS-CoV symptoms—which the hospital promptly reported to the DoH. The hotel was then informed that a medical team from the Makati HEMS would extract and quarantine the guest—which is the right protocol to isolate the “person of interest” and protect the others in case he really is afflicted with the dreaded virus.

The medical team arrived in the afternoon—around 3:30 p.m., but was unable to extract the guest because the latter was already out by then. Later that evening, the hotel immediately called the medical team leader advising that the guest had arrived—only to be told that since it was already past 5 p.m., the team will just come back the next morning at 9 a.m.

Well, what do you know, 9 a.m. the next day came and went but no medical team arrived. Naturally concerned, the hotel called the DoH who said that it will send another team, then was later told that there were no staff available. The hotel physician was then instructed to examine the guest for MERS-CoV symptoms and perform the throat swab test.

The second incident happened in the third week of February with the DoH-NCR calling the said hotel, saying that a guest who went for a consultation at the same leading hospital the night before showed MERSCoV symptoms. Apparently, the hospital immediately reported the findings to the D0H—but the latter took its own sweet time and waited until the next day to inform the hotel.

Following protocol, the hotel nurse requested the DoH to issue a letter stating that quarantine was necessary so that there would be an official document to show the guest, but the DoH said there was no reason to issue a letter because a medical team was on the way to extract the guest. However,

the hotel guest refused to be confined at the RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine) for two days because he was already leaving for the Middle East the next day. The medical team then performed the throat swab procedure—and released the results two days later. Fortunately, the guest—who had since left the country—tested negative for MERS-CoV. We can’t really blame the hotel though for wondering if others have had similar experiences with the DoH and its local offices and hospitals.

Philippine Hotel Owners Association president Arthur Lopez said the two incidents experienced by the hotel are indeed disturbing and has raised a number of concerns from their group. For instance, will there be rapid reaction or deployment from the DOH once it receives information about potential MERS-CoV (or other communicable diseases for that matter) presence? Are government hospitals ready to accept and isolate those suspected of carrying the virus?

The question is if the DoH has sufficient equipment or facilities to deal with MERS-CoV cases in case the disease spreads. From the two incidents, it’s obvious that the health institutions lack coordination which could have potentially fatal consequences. Wasn’t it only last year when the Philippines reported the first incident of a MERS-CoV death—a Saudi national – who arrived in the Philippines Sept. 17, reportedly showed symptoms of the disease on Sept. 26 and then died three days later—with the DoH claiming it only found out about it on the day the foreigner died.

We suspect that the medical team leader who went to the hotel during the first incident is afflicted with the 5:01 virus—since he refused to extract the hotel guest the minute the latter arrived because it was already past 5 p.m.

And this is what really scares us—the lack of urgency displayed by the DoH and Makati HEMS in trying to extract and isolate the guest who showed symptoms of the MERS-CoV—a deadly corona virus strain which, if left unchecked, could spread like wildfire and become a pandemic. In case the DoH does not realize it, the lack of urgency on the part of its personnel is dangerous to public health.

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

F R I D AY : M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 6

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CesAR bARRIoquInto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Canines sniff out illegal ivory in Kenya NAIROBI—Burrowing deep into a huge pile of jumbled luggage, Dick the dog wags his tail, pawing at a small green rucksack: inside is the hand-sized tip of an elephant’s tusk.

Sniffer dogs have long been used to seek out drugs and explosives in airports, but now Kenya has deployed specialized dogs trained to find elephant ivory and rhino horn in the latest bid to stem surging wildlife crime.

This time, the hidden ivory was part of a training exercise, a test that Dick—a Belgian Shepherd, or Malinois breed—passed with flying colors and earned him a rub from his handler.

Conservationists say the dog teams open a vital new front in the war on smuggling, increasing the risk for criminals.

Earlier this year, in just one week, the dog team sniffed out four separate bags—travelers from China, Thailand and Vietnam— carrying ivory home.

“It speaks volumes if you can arrest people like that consecutively,” said Mark Kinyua, who heads the dog unit for the government’s Kenya Wildlife Service. “It is a huge deterrent.

The dogs’ sensitive noses can smell out the tiniest pieces of carved ivory, which otherwise might have passed through the busy airport unnoticed.

“Arrests have been for worked ivory, in the form of bangles and pendants and even finger rings,” Kinyua said, adding that recent cases include pendants wrapped in aluminum foil, in the hope of hiding its scent from the dogs and its shape from X-rays.

“Others were hidden in a cigarette pack, another in a suitcase,” Kinyua said. “That is where the dogs come in, and they make the arrests for us.”

More than 30,000 elephants are killed for their ivory every year in Africa to satisfy demand in Asia where raw tusks sell for around $1,100 (1,000 euros) a kilogram.

Kenya plans next month to torch its vast stockpile of 120 tonnes of ivory, eight times the size of any ivory stockpile destroyed so far. AFP

world

‘Climate change set to hurt food supplies’ PARIS—The effects of climate change on food production could cause 500,000 extra deaths by 2050 compared to a world without global warming, according to a study released Thursday.

Premiere. Actress Jessica De Gouw attends WGN America’s ‘Underground’ World Premiere on March 2, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. AFP

If greenhouse gas emissions continue at current rates, this would cut projected increases in food availability by about a third before mid-century, the study found.

As of 2015, some 800 million people in the world are undernourished, meaning they cannot meet daily minimum dietary energy requirements, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization has said.

With the global population set to increase from seven to nine billion by 2050, food production will have to expand even more rapidly if all the world’s people are to have enough to eat.

But global warming—on track to boost temperatures three degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100, compared to pre-Industrial-Era levels—is threatening to make that difficult or impossible, experts warn.

“Climate change effects are expected to reduce the quantity of food harvested, which could lead to higher food prices and reduced consumption,” according the study, published in the medical journal The Lancet.

Even these grim projections may be overly optimistic, it warns, because they only count calories and fail to anticipate a likely worsening in the balance of future diets.

“Our results show that even modest reductions in the availability of food could lead to changes in the energy content and composition of diets,” said Marco Springmann, a researcher at the Oxford Martin Program on the Future of Food at the University of Oxford, and leader of the study.

“These changes will have major consequences for health.”

The proportion of fruits and vegetables in diets, for example, will almost certainly decline in a climatechange-addled world, he said.

Low- and middle-income countries will probably be hit hardest, with almost three-quarters of all climate-related deaths expected to occur in China and India under a so-called “business and usual” climate scenario.

Even if the world’s nations succeed in holding the rise in global temperature to 2C (3.6F), there would still be an additional 150,000 climate-related deaths due to changes in diet and calorie intake, the researchers found. AFP

Drug lord Chapo sought ghostwriters MEXICO CITY—Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was so obsessed with telling his life story that he pursued an actress, journalists and a former Colombian trafficker who became a writer.

His contacts with MexicanAmerican star Kate del Castillo became famous after Hollywood legend Sean Penn wrote about his meeting with Guzman and the drug lord’s hope that the actress would produce his biopic.

Mexican authorities say Guzman’s obsession with Del

Castillo, who played a drug capo in “La Reina del Sur,” helped lead to his recapture in January, three months after he met with her and Penn.

But Guzman sought out a slew of other people to ghostwrite his story before getting in touch with the screen stars.

His desire to tell his side of his criminal life appears to have intensified when he was in prison between February 2014 until his Hollywood-like escape through a massive tunnel in July.

Andres Lopez Lopez, a former member of Colombia’s Norte del

Valle drug cartel, told AFP that he was among the people contacted by Guzman’s associates during that time.

In 2014, Lopez said, “I started receiving 80,000 messages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, phone calls, you name it. It was Chapo Guzman’s people, his lawyers.”

Lopez is now a renowned author and scriptwriter for TV shows about drug traffickers such as “El cartel de los sapos” (“The Cartel of Toads”) and “El senor de los cielos” (“The Lord of the Skies”). AFP

Failure. Syrian refugees walk back after a failed attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on March 3, 2016, at Dikili in Izmir. AFP

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F r i D aY : M a r c H 4 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

N. Korea sanctions give China room to maneuver BEIJING—The new United Nations sanctions against nuclear-armed North Korea are being touted as the “toughest ever”, but loopholes leave plenty of room for Pyongyang’s key economic supporter China to continue business as usual, analysts and diplomats said Thursday.

The Security Council measures are the product of seven weeks of arduous negotiations between Washington and Beijing, Pyongyang’s sole ally and main provider of trade and aid.

In 2014, China ac-

tential leverage, Beijing has long resisted targeting Pyongyang’s fragile economy over its atomic and missile ambitions.

The roots of their alliance were forged during the Korean War, and Beijing fears that a collapse of the regime would lead to a flood of refugees—and worse, that a reunified Korea would see US troops stationed on its border.

US officials described the latest Security Council resolution as the toughest ever imposed on Pyongyang,

counted for more than 90 percent of North Korea’s $7.61 billion in total trade, according to the latest available figures from South Korea’s state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.

But despite this po-

which has repeatedly flouted the United Nations’ edicts.

But one of the document’s key provisos—a ban on the exports of coal, iron, gold, titanium and rare earth minerals from North Korea—provides an exception if the proceeds do not go towards funding its nuclear or weapons programs.

That determination, a US diplomat told AFP, is at the sole discretion of Pyongyang’s trading partners. There is no requirement to report such transactions to the UN’s

sanctions committee.

“In practice, this provision means that China and other North Korean coal and iron importers will be able to take solace in vague language when they wish to”, said Andrea Berger, an expert on Korean peninsula security issues at the Royal United Services Institute, a think tank in London.

“The most likely outcome of caveated sanctions on coal and iron trade is that there will be little systematic curbing of North Korean coal

imports,” she said, adding that China might simply make “periodic use of the measure to demonstrate displeasure with Pyongyang’s actions: an occasional pinching action”.

Trade with China is critical to the isolated, impoverished North, which has suffered regular food shortages.

According to Chinese Customs data, imports from North Korea totaled $2.56 billion last year, including $1.05 billion worth of coal and another $73 million of iron. AFP

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

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan MUNCIPALITY OF LIMAY

INTERIM NORTHERN SAMAR IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Catarman, Northern Samar Office Address:

INVITATION TO BID

National Irrigation Administration Capitol Site., Brgy. Dalakit, Catarman N. Samar 055-500-9377 www.nia.gov.ph

Telephone Nos. Website:

The Bids and Awards Committee of the Municipality of Limay will be accepting bids for the procurement of the ff; Name of Project/ Contract

Location

Sources of Duration FUNDS

Approved Budget Cost(ABC)

Cost of Bid Doc’s.

1. Supply and Delivery of Fuel Storage Tank

Limay, Bataan

General Fund

30 Days

350,000.00

1,000.00

2. Supply and Delivery of Laboratory Supplies and Reagents

Limay, Bataan

General Fund

15 Days

1,283,868.00

5,000.00

3. Supply and Delivery of Drugs & Medicines/ Medical Supplies

Limay, Bataan

General Fund

15 Days

9,000,000.00 10,000.00

4. Supply and Delivery Residents I.D. Phase 2

Limay, Bataan

General Fund

60 Days

10,500,000.00 11,000.00

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Delivery of Goods shall not exceed thirty (30) calendar days upon winning bidder’s receipt of the Notice to Proceed. 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.” The Bidding Documents is available at the office of the BAC Secretariat, 2nd Floor, Limay Municipal Building, National Road, Barangay Townsite, Limay, Bataan and may be acquired by interested bidders through payment of nonrefundable fee for the bidding documents.

The schedule of activities is listed, as follows: ACTIVITIES

SCHEDULE

Issuance of the Bidding Documents

March 02-17, 2016

VENUE Procurement Office, Ground Floor, Limay Municipal Bldg.

Pre-Bid Conference

March 03, 2015, 2:00 P.M.

Multi-Purpose Room, Ground Floor, Limay Municipal Building.

Submission/Opening of Bids

March 17, 2016, 2:00P.M.

Multi-Purpose Room, Ground Floor, Limay Municipal Building.

The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

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

For further information, please contact: Mr. Ronnie Latanafrancia BAC Secretariat 2nd Floor, Limay Muncipal Building, National Road, Brgy. Townsite, Limay, Bataan Telephone No. 613-8026

(TS- MAR. 4, 2016)

Telefax No. (055) 055-251-8274 TIN 000-916-415-064

INVITATION TO BID No. 01-2016 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), interim Northern Samar Irrigation Management Office (INSIMO), through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess ofABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

ITEM/DESCRIPTION

Cost of Approved Budget Duration Bidding for the Contract Documents

1. Maxvilla CIP Contract No. INSIMO# 01 -2016Construction of Diversion Works and Canal System.

Php 13,537,255.10

300 cd

Php 14,000

2. Cal-igang CIP Contract No. INSIMO# 02 -2016Repair of Right Side Downstream, Cons/. of Concrete Canals, & Canal Structures.

Php 6,359,104.39

180 cd

Php 6,500

3. Sinimangan CIP Contract No. INSIMO# 03-2016Construction of Diversion Dam

Php 14,045,302.35

240 cd

Php 14,500

4. Macagtas CIS Contract No. INSIMO# 042016 Repair of Intake Wall, Const.lRepair ofConcrete Canals, Canal Structures and Terminal Facilities.

Php 9,977,097.07

240 cd

Php 10,000

The Prospective Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date ofsubmission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project whose value must be at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (lRR) of republic Act 9184 (R.A. 9184), otherwise known as the “Government procurement Reform Act”.

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

The schedule of BAC activities is listed as follows: Project Name

1. Maxvilla CIP Contract No. INSOMO#01-2016 2.Cal-igang CIP Contract No. INSIMO#02-2016 3.Sinimangan CIP Contract No. INSIMO# 03-2016 4.Macagtas CIS Contract No. INSIMO# 04-2016

Issuance of Bid Documents (Date and Time Schedule)

Pre-bid Conference (Date and Time Schedule)

Receipt & Opening of Bids (Date and Time Schedule)

Starting February 22, 2016 (8AM-5PM) Starting February 22, 2016 (8AM-5PM) Starting February 22, 2016 (8AM-5PM) Starting February 23, 2016 (8AM-5PM)

March 4,2016 (10AM) March 4, 2016 (10AM) March 4, 2016 (10AM) March 7, 2016 (10AM)

March 17, 2016 (9AM) March 17, 2016 (9AM) March 17, 2016 (2PM) March 18, 2016 (9AM)

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Document from the address above and upon payment of its respective non-refundable amount to the cashier.

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

(SGD) CEZAR R. ECHANO BAC Chairman

(Sgd.) ROMARIO C. PANANGUI Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee (TS-MAR. 4, 2016)

Romania turns its back on dark past BUCHAREST-For generations, they were owned by the rich and powerful, who bought and sold them as chattels.

The owners would sometimes force them to wear collars fitted with iron spikes on the inside, to prevent them from lying down to rest when they were supposed to work.

The women would be sexually abused.

Couples would be forcibly separated.

Their children would be taken away from them and turned into slaves too.

Yet this tale of subjugation comes not from the grimmest era of America’s Deep South but from continental Europe: Romania.

And it is a story that remains largely untold today, even though hundreds of thousands of descendants of those who were enslaved—the Roma—struggle with the stigma it left.

“The five centuries of slavery mark a tragic period in the history of Romania... a period in which the Roma were deprived of the status of human beings,” Delia Grigore, a specialist in ethnology and herself a Roma activist told AFP. “The slavery of the Roma is a lost page of history,” said Alina Serban, a young Roma actress and playwright who has written about the Roma identity.

The Roma are believed to have left an ancestral home in northern India around 1,500 years ago and arrived in mediaeval Europe about six centuries later.

The dark-skinned nomadic folk, called Romani, became known as “Tzigans”— from the Greek word Athinganoi, which became derived, often pejoratively, into “Gitans” in French, “Gitanos” in Spanish and “Gypsy” in English. AFP

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MOTORING mst.daydesk@gmail.com

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

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Maserati’s first SUV debuts Modena—Maserati has chosen the 86th edition of the Geneva International Motor Show to introduce the first SUV in its hundred-year history: the Levante.

Honda issues safety recall Honda Cars Philippines Inc. has called on owners of select Honda vehicles for a voluntary preventive measure campaign.

The safety recall covers Jazz (2012-2013), City (2012-2014) and CR-V (2011), with a combined estimated total of 19,200 units sold in the country, due to a suspected defect in the driver’s airbag inflator, HCPI said in a statement. although the concern remains unconfirmed, the campaign is HCPI’s proactive action to ensure the safety of the owners of the affected vehicles to avoid any unfortunate cir-

cumstance should the problem occur. To date, no accidents nor injuries were reported related to this concern in the Philippines, HCPI said.

HCPI asked all the owners of the affected vehicles to call and contact any authorized Honda Car dealership

for service appointment. Replacement and repair of the affected inflator will take only one (1) hour and no cost will be charged to the customer for both parts and labor.

HCPI said it “apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause the owners of the vehicles.”

as with many Maseratis from the past, the new car's name is inspired by a wind: the Levante is a warm Mediterranean wind that can change from a light breeze to an irresistible natural force in an instant, mirroring the character of the first Maserati SUV. The Levante is fitted with a 3 litre V6 Twin-Turbo petrol engine with either 350hp or 430hp, and a 275hp 3 litre V6 Turbo diesel. The Levante S (430hp) covers 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, has a top speed of For more information, cus- 264 km/h, and provides comtomers may contact author- bined nedC-cycle consumpized Honda Car dealerships tion and emission figures of and service centers nationwide 10.9 l/100 km and 253g Co2/ or call Honda by phone at (02) km respectively. It (350hp) 857-7240 or email update@hon- accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h daphil.com. Customers may in 6.0 seconds and achieves a visit HCPI’s website www.hon- top speed of 251 km/h. The Levante daphil.com for the complete list diesel-powered (275hp) covers 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 230 km.

The human-machine interface on board is based on The public will soon learn an evolution of the Maserati more about the communi- Touch Control system, comties and people who have pletely updated to offer even been transformed by the CSR more functionality and conprojects through the stories of venience: the 8.4” high-resolution screen is capacitive, and the SPMJ members.

The SPMJ was founded in can – in addition to the touch 2002, by a group of motoring system - be operated using the journalists who shared the same new rotary control in the cenintention to help people. Its tral tunnel. a wide range of sophisticatfirst project was the “Road Safety for Children” which conduct- ed advanced driver assistance ed workshops on the safe use of systems is available, including roads to students and teachers. adaptive cruise control with The project also produced a automatic Start&Stop funcmanual for teaching road safety tion, forward collision warnto children which were given to ing, automatic brake assist schools after workshops were system and lane departure warning. done.

SPMJ award to boost community projects THe significant gains quietly established by the corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects of the automotive companies will be given the recognition they deserve soon to encourage more efforts to help communities around the country.

The Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (SPMJ) has taken this task as its new advocacy to strengthen community service in the motoring industry. Unknown to many, automotive companies have engaged in various CSR projects that after years of quiet work, have established many suc-

cess stories in the communities. The projects have revolved around the preservation of the environment, education and training, and community development.

“I have worked with the industry for almost three decades and I am aware that many players are seriously involved in CSR initiatives, choosing to do those projects without much fanfare. SPMJ strongly feels that it is about time that such laudable efforts be recognized to further inspire others to do the same,” said SPMJ founding chairman Ray Butch Gamboa who is also the chairman -Ceo

of Sunshine TV and one of the pioneers in the motoring beat.

Pinky Concha Colmenares, SPMJ president and executive editor, Manila Bulletin, said the SPMJ has already launched the committee work for the CSR awards project. The awards will be evaluated by the committees and will be judged by a panel of respected experts in their fields of specializations, she explained.

“We are journalists and we aim to use our skills and network to help communities by inspiring automotive companies to continue to be ‘driven to serve’,” Colmenares said.

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RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

motoring

The decades-old Panglao Church serves as the perfect backdrop for the new Innova.

Innova completes Toyota IMV lineup Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

Following a series of launches starting with the second generation Toyota Avanza, followed by the Hilux and then the Fortuner, the second generation Toyota innova takes its turn. otherwise known as the An140 series, the innova MPV completes Toyota’s iMV line-up.

In the scenic island of Bohol, Toyota staged for the Innova two-day event that provided the motoring media with some much-needed downtime as they took turns driving it around Panglao on a pre-determined route.

Built from the ground-up, the Innova has a new platform and engine series. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter 1TR-FE Dual VVT-i engine that churns out 139 PS of power at 5600 rpm with 183 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. The diesel version has a powerful 2.4-liter 2GD-FTV four-cylinder turbodiesel with VNT that delivers 149 metric horsepower (110 kW) at 3,400 rpm and 359 newton meters (265 lbf·ft) of torque from 1,200 to 2,600 rpm. The Innova is available in two transmission options, the five-speed manual and a six-speed automatic.

In terms of safety, the AN140 offers seven airbags, and stability control.

All variants are equipped with ABS, EBD, 3 airbags (dual SRS front + knee), window jam protection (driver only), parking sensor, Isofix with top tether anchor and immobilizer key as standard. Q

variant was enhanced with extra side and curtain airbag (7 airbags in total), electronic stability control (ESC), traction control, all-automatic power window with jam protection and emergency brake signal. “With the all-new Innova completing the IMV line-up, this latest generation brings a new dimension of innovation to the Fllipino’s much loved MPV,” says Satoru Suzuki, president of Toyota Motors Philippines.

Hiroki Nakajima, Executive Chief Engineer, revealed that the exterior design of this second generation MPV aims to capture the essence of toughness and sophistication. “I am confident that this ground breaking image will satisfy customers who are looking for something special in addition to the Innova’s much loved heritage,” he says. The Innova comes equipped with LED Headlamps with Daytime Running lights; 16’inch alloy wheels, shark fin antenna and a subtle rear spoiler. The exciting thing about the allnew variant is the interior with comfortable second row Captain’s seats; stylish silver and wood grain panels on the dashboard and door panels; an HD multi-information display, capacity touch screen audio with navigation, built-in cooler box, seat back tables, adjustable mood lights, and a smart keyless entry plus push start function.

The Innova will be manufactured locally at TMP’s Santa Rosa assembly plant and is available in four levels of trim, the base J, the mid-level E, the higher spec G and the top tier V variant. Patrons will have two new color hues to choose from, the Alumina Jade Metallic and the Blackish Red Metallic.

Prices start at P919,000 for trhe entry level J Gas manual transmission, up to the P1.46m high spec V diesel A/T variant.

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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

ST Y L E & BE AU T Y

LIFE

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Manuel Dacanay, Ramon Tan Mangila, Rochelle Romero, Judith Staples, Dawn Dacanay and Alan Dacanay

PMAP models Jai Ferrer, Raph Kiefer and Patty Betita with son Emilio Ejercito

Of WATChES, BluE STEEl, AnD Zoolander W

TW Blue Steel collection

Brazilian models Hideo Muraoka and Fatima Rabago

e all remember the gaze, the funny pout on his lips, and the way he can stop anything with his “Magnum” look. Ben Stiller once again plays his famous character Zoolander from the 2001 movie of the same title. The film teems with cameos from the top names in the fashion industry and a series of celebrity greats – Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Anna Wintour, Valentino, Mark Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Susan Sarandon, Keifer Sutherland, Susan Boyle, Justin Bieber, Benedict Cumberbatch, and many more.

With so many signature poses patented to his name (well, all of them look the same) – Ferrari, Le Tigre, Magnum, his signature look “Blue Steel” is what catapulted Zoolander to fame. Before Zoolander hit the big screen, TW Steel, the big time watch brand from Amsterdam, celebrated the movie with a VIP screening under the wing of its latest Blue Steel Canteen watches in Manila. According to Manuel Dacanay, regional marketing director of TW Steel Asia, it was apt to celebrate the film with this collection since famous fashion celebrities wear the signature big watch, and he even jokes it’s no brainer to hold a screening of the film. “The collection is called Blue Steel and the watch face is Blue,” he shares.

The Blue Steel collection takes after the famous Canteen Style design of TW Steel

TV actor/model/chef Jose Sarasola, Luke Jickain and Sofia Sibug

Joey Mead-King

and features 45mm and 50mm case sizes that come in three variants – three-hand, Chronograph and Automatic. Each of the watches is distinctive with the threehand executions incorporating a shiny bezel and mid-pieces on the bracelet. The Chronograph sports a tachymeter on the bezel while showcasing a brushed steel bracelet, and the Automatic timepieces have a hammered bezel and hammered mid-pieces on the bracelet, making the look trendy and stylish. Aside from different sizes, movements and design, the collection also boasts of varying colors which TW Steel patrons will go gaga about – a Steel bracelet, a PVD Rose Gold bracelet and a two-tone edition which is a combination of Steel with a PVD Rose Gold finish on the mid-piece of the bracelet.

The screening night competed with the first night of the Madonna concert but nevertheless, the screening was attended by Blue Steel fanatics from the stylish members of the fashion industry, media, and patrons of TW Steel who sported blue reflective sunglasses during the cocktail hour.

Michelle Sison and Junjun Ablaza

TW Steel watches are available at TW Steel Boutiques (Century Mall, Podium, Shangri La Plaza, SM Aura, SM Makati, SM Megamall, and SM North Edsa), Lucerne, Swissgear, Wristpod, Le Temps Newport Mall, and Adora Greenbelt 5.

Jack de Mesa

Winners of the Best in Costume contest Anton del Rosario as 'Derek Zoolander' and Michaella Recto as 'Mugatu'

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White linear lace short sleeve dress

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Black nappa biker

@LIFEatStandard

Serenity bonded modern stretch

Navy/black jersey twill nylon combo jacket

Bright orange does it

DISRUPTED mODERNISm WITh cALVIN KLEIN PLATINUm SPRING 2016

old, defined, free. These are only some of the words to describe the Spring 2016 Collection of Calvin Klein Platinum – with the pieces highlighted by disrupted modernism that transcends convention. Despite the striking colors and interrupted geometry in shape and prints, the collection still evokes pure and unpretentious style.

For Spring 2016 Women’s Calvin Klein Platinum, silhouettes are streamlined – modern with a layered ease and a defined construction.

Familiar proportions display novelty with unexpected and conflicting combinations of shapes and surfaces. Distinctive top stitching accentuates definition. Silver exposed hardware set in black adds a rebellious contrast against soft fluid fabrics. Chalky feminine latticed dresses, transparent and open, are rendered graphic when overlaid on black.

Fabrics are infused with color and energy with compact density textures and smooth modern stretch fabrics defined with contrast stitches. Innovative surfaces are layered with dimension, and the pieces become a palette of unanticipated combinations and provocative clashes shining forth. For instance, serenity nude and ice pink are juxtaposed against graphic dynamic red, bright orange and black. Pops

of surprising color appear on belts and break up monochrome silhouettes.

Play around with combinations, like woven tops and dresses paired over body skimming viscose sweaters or pleated ribs.

Belts also add more definition to a look, made more interesting when irreverently layered over streamlined maxis or minis.

On the other hand, silhouettes for Calvin Klein Platinum Men’s Spring 2016 are slim fitting. Despite cropped proportions with unexpected pairings, a sense of balance is still created. Innovative combinations of textural surfaces and trims, linear pop piping, athletic mesh and sweater trims frame hems on shorts, collars, plackets and seams. Exposed silver hardware amplifies zippers, snaps and shiny studs to inject an attitude that is youthful and rebellious.

Colors bring unanticipated combinations and provocative clashes with a palette of graphic definition and vibrancy. Black and optical white are paired with sonic blue and speed red, which are also applied as embroidery and piping trims. Key looks are dimensional prints and patterns with playful layers.

For a well-put together look, Calvin Klein Platinum accessories showcase Velocity in a season inspired by dynamism

and refined performance. Leather goods feature angular constructions with origami details. Volumes are kept clean and geometric while the contours of handbags are highlighted with graphic-pinched cut edge details. Women’s shoulder bags are offered in both small and large sizes; while men can opt for a dual function mono shoulder/duffle bag in an elongated boxy silhouette and carried with a sharp slouch for a dynamic yet languid poise.

Footwear for her showcase fitted ankle and mid-calf boots made on a bevel construction with an inserted conical mid-height heel. For him, ankle boots and sneakers are built on a leather wrapped rounded bumper wedge for a tough and sturdy twist. The unisex sandals stand on a similar bumper construction finished with wide banded straps and a hidden buckle detail.

Check out the latest pieces from Calvin Klein Platinum at L1, SM Aura Premier.

For updates, log on to facebook.com/ calvinklein; calvinklein.tumblr.com; google. com/+calvinklein; youtube.com/calvinklein; twitter.com/calvinklein; instagram.com/ calvinklein; pinterest.com/calvinklein; snapchat: calvinklein; show yours. #mycalvins. Brand handle: @calvinklein.

Bright orange stretch short sleeve top

Gravel light grain nappa raw edge biker

Ceramic interlock short sleeve

Pleated poly easy top with belt

THE BODY SHOP TURNS 40

BRITISh cOmPANY cOmmITS TO BE ThE WORLD’S mOST EThIcAL AND SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL BUSINESS British cosmetics and skincare company The Body Shop is turning 40 and it celebrates this milestone by doing what it has come to be known for: committing to a pioneering new global corporate social responsibility strategy that will underpin all aspects of company operation.

The Body Shop’s “commitment” will support The Body Shop in its aim to be the world’s leading ethical and sustainable global business by 2020 through an extensive programme of global activity and measurable targets in all of the business.

The British company firmly believes that business can be a force for good and change. The new commitment, entitled Enrich Not Exploit™, embraces the bold ethical principles from which The Body Shop was built.

According to chairman and CEO Jeremy Schwartz, “The Body Shop courageously pioneered new ways of thinking, acting and speaking out as a company. Our ground-breaking campaigns were ahead of their time and changed laws on animal testing, domestic violence and human trafficking. We were the first in beauty to use community trade and we still have the strongest programme in the industry. We are small, but we lead. Today for all of us, the greatest challenges lie ahead and The Body Shop’s 40th anniversary is the perfect

time to reassert our aim for leadership in ethical business. For us, being truly sustainable means shaping our business to work in line with the planet’s natural systems so they can replenish and restore themselves. With our Commitment we’re challenging ourselves to go further than we’ve ever gone before to make a real, sustainable and positive difference. We have set ourselves a significant goal to be the world’s most ethical and truly sustainable global business.”

The commitment will enable The Body Shop to protect and nurture the environment and society across every part of its business, from ingredients, products, packaging, stores, employees, and suppliers down to its campaigns. The company’s three pillars – enrich our people, enrich our products and enrich our planet – has specific, measurable targets by 2020 that make the business accountable for delivery.

“Forty years ago, Anita Roddick set out a challenge for The Body Shop to tackle the big issues of her time. We’re now tackling the big issues of today. We want our Enrich Not Exploit™ Commitment to inspire a new generation of customers, supporters and especially millennials who truly care about how a company operates. Re-establishing The Body Shop as a leader will come from delivering our ambitious aim to be the

The Body Shop’s Enrich Not Exploit™ commitment aims to protect and nurture the environment and society across every part of its business

world’s most ethical and truly sustainable global business,” Schwartz shared.

“Our new global commitment, Enrich Not Exploit™ provides an opportunity for The Body Shop Philippines to be the most ethical and sustainable beauty brand in the country. It also gives us an opportunity to build a stronger community of socially aware employees and consumers. We have never been more excited to be part of a milestone that will strengthen our continuous fight for cruelty-free beauty, producing products while aiding in the preservation of our environment and creating livelihood,“ disclosed The Body Shop Philippines general manager Cecille Marie Chua-Uy.

To find out more about The Body Shop’s new Enrich Not Exploit™ commitment, log on to www.thebodyshop.com/Commitment.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Party-goers from Focus Modeling Agency at Zalora’s 4th Birthday Bash at Revel at The Palace

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@LIFEatStandard

Host Ai Dela Cruz, Zalora marketing director Tolian Gjika and Asia’s Next Top Model runner-up Jodilly Pendre

Zalora PhiliPPines turns 4

nline fashion retailer Zalora Philippines recently celebrated its four years of providing Filipino customers hassle-free shopping experience in a stylish way.

Zalora executives were joined by industry partners, members of the media, bloggers, models and VIP customers in a night that celebrated style and fashion at Revel at The Palace in Bonifacio Global City.

“It has been an amazing four years for us at Zalora Philippines,” enthused Zalora Philippines co-founder and chief executive officer Paulo Campos.

“We’ve grown bigger – now with more than 100,000 products and 1,400 brands available on Zalora, and smarter – as we continue to provide our customers with great features that make online

shopping simpler,” he added.

The revelry was in line with the company’s style, as the guests owned the night donned in OOTN-perfect (outfit of the night) outfits. “We are celebrating with a bang here at Revel with our friends from the industry and fashion’s style headliners,” said Campos.

Heart-pumping beats reverberated within the premiere luxury club, and a fashion show featuring Zalora’s latest head-turning pieces made everyone excited for what the online retailer will soon have on its digital racks.

Successfully drumming up excitement for another year in business, Zalora Philippines announced its plans for 2016.

“Zalora Philippines has a lot in store for the country’s fashionistas this year.

As part of the fourth year anniversary celebration, Zalora aims to give back to the fashion community starting with two exciting initiatives: a regional model scouting competition and the Zalora Style Awards,” shared Campos.

In April, Zalora will launch its first ever regional model scouting competition to give aspiring models a chance to fast-track their career and become the newest face in modeling.

The online fashion retailer will soon be announcing its first “Zalora Style Awards” that will recognize individuals across the region who have contributed to the fashion community.

For more information, visit www.zalora.com.ph.

Guests partied the night away

KARLIE KLOSS x KuRT GEIGER

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Behind the scenes while shooting the campaign

Sexy, sporty chic for Kurt Geiger SS 2016

wo months after its release, we’re still not over Karlie Kloss’ new campaign with Kurt Geiger. Photographed

by Erik Torstensson and shot in a London-based studio, Kloss dawns a sporty look for the footwear brand’s spring campaign.

According to Kurt Geiger’s creative director, Rebecca Farrar-Hockley, this season ushers in new boundaries between sports and fashion.

“Strong, energetic and alive. The campaign is about fashion designed for real life,” she says.

Sporty comfortable clothing have become everyday fashion staples, as seen worn by Hollywood celebs and fashion icons. Kurt Geiger’ Spring campaign ups the ante a notch with Kloss leading the look in sports bra, soccer socks, boxing gloves, cycling in heels and in gladiator sandals. Yup, it’s like a continuation of Kloss’ hot portrayal in the Bad Blood video where she throws punches and kicks Taylor Swift’s butt, this time doing so in heels and sneaks.

“I loved being part of the Kurt Geiger spring/summer campaign. I’ve always been a fan of this iconic brand not only for being a perfect red carpet look, but also now for every day running from the gym to work and everything in between! Rebecca’s vision for this collection brilliantly works for women who do it all,” says Kloss about the recent release of the campaign. “As a someone who is constantly in transit, finding the perfect bag that is stylish and has everything you need is key! I love how the sporty, energetic vibe of the collection is combined with chic style. The Penelope Hobo, for example fits my lifestyle whether I’m going from boxing classes to coding classes or hopping on a plane from New York back home to St. Louis,” she adds.

If you want more of Karlie Kloss, catch the Kurt Geiger spring/summer 2016 campaign video on www.kurtgeiger.com/be-inspired/ss16final-film. In the Philippines, Kurt Geiger is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati.

Karlie Kloss x Kurt Geiger SS 2016

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

tiMepieces for the sophisticated traveler S trong, sporty and elegant – these are the three characteristics a sophisticated modern traveler looks for in a watch that but only a few, if any at all, brands are able to provide. Marking its 110 th anniversary, German brand Montblanc introduces new timepieces in its 4810 collection.

Built on this best-selling line that was first presented in 2006 for the Maison’s centennial celebrations, the new 4810 collection respects all the codes of Montblanc’s watchmaking. The brand presented five new watches under the 4810 range and and a limited edition piece from the TimeWalker collection during the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie 2016.

Montblanc 4810 exotourbillon sliM 110 Years special editions for europe, north aMerica and asia

Montblanc 4810 exotourbillon sliM

The theme of travel across the Atlantic is beautifully highlighted in three Montblanc ExoTourbillon Slim Limited Editions for Europe, North America and Asia, as each version features a miniature handpainting of the respective continent on the dial. Each of the 110 piece is totally unique as no individual handpainted map can ever be exactly the same as another. The lower section of the dial has been decorated with the Côtes de Genève motif to highlight the ExoTourbillon construction at six o’clock, and a single rhodium plated XII and rhodium plated skeletonized hands maximize the view of the map.

These limited editions feature the Calibre MB 29.24 – powered for the first time by a micro-rotor decorated with a Côtes de Genève en Eventail.

The new Montblanc ExoTourbillon Slim Collection combines the Maison’s patented ExoTourbillon complication with the addition of a quick stop-second function. It is fitted with a black alligator strap to accentuate the warmth of the red gold case and red gold details on the dial.

Montblanc 4810 tWinflY chronograph 110 Years edition

This flyback chronograph allows the wearer to time one event, and then stop, reset and restart the chronograph with just one press on the pusher at four o’clock – exhibiting the highly functional manufacturing complications known to Montblanc’s horological offerings.

This TwinFly function not only restarts the central chronograph seconds hand (in blue), but also the central minutes chronograph hand (in red gold), sending both hands back to zero and instantly restarting them for a new time measurement. Another pusher at two o’clock starts and stops the chronograph, while the pusher at four o’clock also returns the chronograph to 0 when it has previously been stopped.

Montblanc 4810 orbis terraruM

Following the success of the launch of the Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum in 2015, Montblanc presents its version under the 4810 collection.

Named after the Latin Orbis Terrarum, which translates to “globe,” “earth” and “world,” this timepiece tells the time in 24 timezones in an intelligent and intuitive way, thanks to a manufacturing complication developed in-house by Montblanc’s master watchmakers. The dial is constructed of multiple layers, starting with the main sapphire crystal disc that displays the continents as viewed from the North Pole and the names of the 24 cities representing the different timezones.

This disc also includes the 24-hour ring that indicates the different times in the 24 cities.

Montblanc collection villeret tourbillon cYlindrique pocket Watch and navigator 110 Years edition

The one-of-a-kind Montblanc Collection Villeret Tourbillon Pocket Watch & Navigator 110 Years Edition, developed in collaboration with Erwin Sattler, combines a nautical clock with a pocket watch that can be placed in a dedicated compartment for display and safekeeping when not in use.

Weighing an impressive 120 kg, the navigator is designed to stand firm whether it is placed on the motionless floor of a library or on the pitching and rolling planks of the ship. The nautical precision clock keeps its balance with a cardanic suspension system that sits inside a nickelplated brass cage. Even when the ship rolls to one side, the clock remains perfectly horizontal and runs precisely, thanks to a case mounted with eight ball bearings, indicating the ship’s heeling with a downward pointing arrow on a scale from 0 to 27 degrees, the perfect symbiosis of aesthetic form and nautical function.

Montblanc tiMeWalker exotourbillon Minute chronograph liMited edition 100

This timepiece under the TimeWalker collection boasts of being the first equipped with Maison’s exclusive in-house patented ExoTourbillon. The combination of high performance, daring and imposing aesthetics, plus the mix of lightweight yet highly resistant materials reinforces the spirit of performance of the TimeWalker from case to movement.

The design and the functionality of the model is further highlighted by the use of high-tech materials such as titanium, carbon fiber and diamond-like carbon, which make the timepieces extremely lightweight and robust.

Montblanc is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Newport Mall, Rustan’s Cebu and Greenbelt 5.

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SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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The Batman vs Superman Hexagon toys inspired by the widely anticipated action film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”

BaTman Vs. supERman TOy cOllEcTIBlEs aT sm cInEma

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nspired by the much anticipated face-off by two iconic superheroes on screen, SM Cinema’s Snack Time will be offering an exclusive Batman vs.

Superman hexagon toy collectible set to film enthusiasts.

Fans of the dark knight and the man of steel can now collect toys of their favorite characters from the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie when they purchase a snack-merchandise combo meal at SM Cinema’s Snack Time counters nationwide. A popcorn tumbler and drink set, or a hotdog

sandwich and drink set will entitle one to a mystery toy for each purchase.

Fans can collect a total of seven different figurines, ranging from different versions of the much-loved title heroes, to the showstopper Wonder Woman, and even of the brilliant villain Lex Luthor.

The collectible hexagon toys are on limited supply from the world’s biggest comics and collectible superstore, Comicave. SM Cinema’s Snack Time is the only brand in the Philippines carrying the hexagon collection from the international brand.

Batman v Superman fad: even the popcorn tub at Sm cinema is inspired by the action film

For fans who prefer a wearable keepsake, Snack Time also has a limited Batman vs. Superman digital touch watch.

Durable, waterproof, and lights up when touched, the watch is a perfect accessory during playtime, or when bonding with family & friends to see one of the widely anticipated action films in recent years.

Batman vs Superman souvenirs will be available in all Snack Time branches located at SM Cinemas nationwide. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premieres in SM Cinema, IMAX, Director’s Club Cinema and DX Laser Projection on March 26.

BEA Alonzo on wHy TRAVElERS SHoulD InVEST In A mIRRoRlESS cAmERA You spend your hard-earned money on a vacation that doesn’t come cheap. You give much time and effort in planning this perfect “me” time. Then when you finally get there, you document your dream escape using smart phoneor worse- your tablet. The very thought of it shocks Bea Alonzo, a celebrity first and foremost and a road warrior at heart.

Her social media posts have been winning a lot of admirers, especially her Instagram #btravels series taken with the ever-reliable Fujifilm X-A2 camera. “It’s a good, good camera,” says the lovely Bea. “It brings back all the beautiful memories I accumulate when I travel.”

In late January, the ABS-CBN star hied off to an exclusive island resort in Palawan ringed by a white sand beach and coral reefs.

Some of the striking images captured on Fujifilm X-A2 show the actress in silhouette and clad in swimwear standing in the waters, the sunset providing a spectacular background; a small feast of pizza, tea, and desserts with the caption: “So…paano? (how?)”; and a solitary heart drawn on the sand with a hat sitting on its left.

Fujifilm X-A2 allows the popular and beautiful TV-movie actress to

Bea Alonzo is the face of fujifilm mirrorless cameras

give justice to her travel memories.

From the time she discovered this Mirrorless camera, Bea knew that it suited her needs and lifestyle more than camera phones, smart phones and even the quite heavy DSLRs. More compact, capable, and userfriendly, Fujifilm Mirrorless cameras are the future of photography and can outperform DSLRs in form and function.

For social media and travel mavens

like Bea, Fujifilm X-A2 is the best everyday accessory. Be it selfies, landscapes, macro shots, lowlight party shots, or flash photography, the X-A2 allows users to document important moments perfectly with superb prolooking quality. It also allows direct transfer to any iOS or android device for instant posting.

Available in myriad of colors, the X-A2 with its evolved Film Simulation or advanced filter settings

A road warrior herself, Bea takes pictures of all her travel adventures

doesn’t only help Bea capture the best vacation or travel memory. It is also a great purchase, the better choice over camera phones. Bea also owns an Instax Mini 70 which produces credit card-sized photos.

“It is great for scrapbooking,” says Bea. She has started to enjoy using her Mini 70. “I can hang the prints somewhere. I can also place them in a box.” Available in three colors, namely Canary Yellow, Island

Blue, and Moon White, the Instax Mini 70 features the Auto Exposure Control Function to capture both the main subject and background in natural brightness as well as the newly-added Selfie mode.

Fujifilm’s 80-year history and expertise in photographic film manufacturing allows Bea to enjoy her youth, beauty, and fame to the fullest and preserve the best, most splendid travel memories.

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f RIDAy : m A RcH 4, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

pEOplE ¼

are talking about

¼

are not talking about

JaDInE

Panday

On the heels of On The Wings of Love’s massive success, being the most profitable and most popular TV series n ABSCBN in recent time, the celebrity couple is currently on location taping for another romantic comedy. Doing a movie together has never been a problem with real life couple James Reid and Nadine Lustre. For one, JaDine was born because of their undeniable chemistry in their first big screen excursion.

We don’t have enough space to properly describe how bad TV5’s reimagining of the iconic superhero story is. Also it’s hard to list the reasons why Richard Gutierrez is a miscast in the recent adaptation of the iconic action fantasy. It all boils down this. Reviving Panday with an equally terrible production c omp are d to its predecessors is a bad idea.

MARCH 4, 2016 JOna

lIza SObERanO

It’s hard to ignore a natural beauty hence it’s not surprising at all that she caught the attention of international modeling agencies. At least two talent scouts/managers have expressed their interest in getting Liza’s service to represent their agencies in London and in New Zealand. We wouldn’t mind if Liza would take this offers seriously, besides, the face like that deserves a bigger stage and a wider audience.

alDEn

IñIgO paScual

RIchaRDS

He needs to be in a love team. That’s the trend and it’s hard to make it big in showbiz nowadays without an onscreen partner. Not even his last name could help him be a star. But the big challenge is, his mother studio has tried pairing him with numerous young female stars already but none of them seems to click. Is Iñigo really cut out to be a star? His father would definitely say yes. But some people would say otherwise.

The fans of Pambansang Bae are showing no signs of slowing down.

Their unparalleled support to Alden once again became evident when their idol’s latest album reached quadruple platinum status. Thanks to them Alden is in the running to become the most successful recording artist this year amid not being a legitimate singer.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 Groundhog mo.

4 Hedge 9 Runner’s concern 13 Pub pint 14 Dressed to the — 15 Richard of “Stir Crazy” 16 Monitor (2 wds.)

18 Rudders 19 Draw

conclusions 20 Tonto’s friend (2 wds.)

22 Scoundrels 25 Howard and Wood 26 Handle dough 28 “—, peel me a grape” (Mae West) 32 How come?

35 Hawk’s gripper 37 Big Dipper neighbor

From now on, Jonalyn Viray will be known by a different name. This was announced at the launch of a new ABS-CBN TV show. Along with a screen name change is her decision to cut her ties with Kapuso network and finally “go over the bakod.” We understand that Jonalyn was an underappreciated talent in her previous studio but what made her think the situation would change with ABSCBN where a lot of more marketable singers and stars are waiting in the wings?

38 Cops, to a felon 40 First-magnitude star 42 Cigar end?

43 Knight’s gear 45 Grills a steak 47 Mountain curve 48 Become expert in 50 Not hunched 52 Paton or Thicke 54 What Macbeth did 58 Daniel of “My Left Foot” (2 wds.)

62 Caterpillar or grub 63 One more time 64 Without risk 67 Beyond well-done 68 Number of Fates 69 Prizefighter’s stat 70 Trolled 71 Hitched, as oxen 72 Half a bray DOWN 1 Hindu ascetic 2 Helen, in Spanish 3 Complaints 4 Contest hopeful 5 Caesar’s man 6 Wheel buy (2 wds.)

7 Knock flat 8 Glacial ridge 9 Stress 10 Jean Auel heroine

FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2016 11 Search thoroughly 12 Gaelic 15 Rang up 17 Bushel fraction 21 Disorderly crowd 23 Heavy metal 24 Closeouts 27 Grant recipient 29 After midnight 30 Circus routines 31 Whacks weeds 32 Pow! 33 Juno, in Athens 34 Edible roots 36 Advances 39 Coming to 41 A Maverick brother 44 Give some slack 46 Sold hot tickets 49 Chilly and damp 51 Vail conveyor (hyph.)

53 Really neat 55 Stock, in cookery 56 Draw forth 57 Willem of “Platoon” 58 Pats on 59 Water, in Baja 60 Knitter’s supply 61 Carnaby Street locale 65 Mork’s planet 66 1865 yielder

f RIDAy : m A RcH 4, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

K

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KIa ThEaTRE’s ExcITIng cOncERTs

ia Theatre, the newest landmark at the Araneta Center, officially opened its doors in a recent cocktails party attended by top executives of Araneta Center and Columbian Autocar Corporation, the assembler and exclusive distributor of Kia Motors vehicles in the Philippines.

The event was highlighted by ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Rowell Recinto, management consultant of Araneta Group; Irene Jose, OIC-COO of Uniprom, Inc.; Gov. Jose Alvarez, honorary chairman of CAC; and Chito Santos, chairman of CAC. Patrons can look forward to exciting concerts and performances that will position the venue as one of Metro Manila’s top performing arts venue. The lineup includes Russell Peters’ Almost Famous World Tour, which will feature the international comedy rock star’s latest takes on communities, jobs, technology, dating, plus his signature lightning-fast improv with the audience.

Kia Theatre reopened last year

with The Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. Major events have also jazzed up the venue at the start of the year, including the Pilipinas Got Talent Season 5 Auditions and the concert of Nate Ruess.

The ’80s powerhouse singer Richard Marx is also set to perform at the venue for his Solo Tour in March. Marx will sing some of his greatest hits, including “Endless Summer Nights,” “Right Here Waiting,” “Now and Forever,” and “Hazard.”

In May, the British girl group Little Mix will pump up Kia Theatre for their Get Weird Tour. Fans can expect a sassy and fun music experience as Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson heat up the stage with their original songs, including “Black Magic” and “Love Me Like You.” With major concerts and exciting performances coming up, Kia Theatre is set to become a worldclass performing arts venue.

For concert details and updates, follow Kia Theatre on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KiaTheatre

The state-of-the-art Kia Theater im Araneta center is one of the newest performance venues in the metro

AranetaGr oup management consultant Rowell Recinto( left) and cAc chairman chito Santos

The Kia Theater lobby also hosts numerous functions and events

ABS-cBn on director Wenn Deramas’ death

The whole ABS-CBN family mourns the passing of director Wenn V. Deramas, who spent 25 years of his life in creating shows and films that helped the media and entertainment company fulfill its goal of bringing joy and inspiration to every Filipino family.

Wenn will be remembered for his unbelievable passion for his craft, his comedic genius, and mastery in telling stories centered on family relationships. Many look up to him as a mentor, from big The late movie and TV director stars to young writers and direc- Wenn Deramas tors, who have been inspired by his love for his work and his desire to entertain people. His life revolved on writing and directing stories that capture his own love for his family and his optimism in life.

From starting out as a production assistant, Wenn learned the ropes and successfully made his own name, fulfilled his dreams, and established life-long friendships in ABS-CBN, where he directed box-office hit movies like the highest-grossing local film in history Beauty and Bestie, Ang Tanging Ina Mo series, The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin, Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy as well as unforgettable series Flordeliza, Mula sa Puso Saan Ka Man Naroroon, Dyosa, Kokey, Marina, among others.

His voice, his vision, and his presence will be missed in ABS-CBN and the entire entertainment industry. But his legacy will live on in the hearts of Filipino viewers who laughed, cried, and were inspired by his films and shows.

So long and thank you Kapamilya, Wenn Deramas, Philippine cinema’s box-office hit director.

fIBA OlympIc QuAlIfyInG TOuRnAmEnT On TV5

It was an announcement that the Philippine sporting world was eagerly awaiting for – the Philippines as one of the three official sites for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments that will decide the remaining slots for the Men’s Basketball event in the RIO 2016 Olympic Games.

It was no other than outgoing Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) President Manny V. Pangilinan (also chairman of TV5) who was among the first to proclaim the FIBA decision that now puts the spotlight on the Philippines in the world basketball scene.

For the benefit of Filipino basketball fans, the Philippine-leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments will be held from July 5 to 10 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena with Gilas Pilipinas joining the other qualified countries for potential Olympic honors, to be played in two other venues – Turin (Italy) and Belgrade (Serbia). Playing in Manila are France, Canada, Senegal, New Zealand and Turkey. The other qualified teams are: Serbia, Angola, Puerto Rico, Japan, Latvia, Czech Republic, Greece, Mexico, Iran, Tunisia, Croatia and Italy.

TV5’s fruitful and productive partnership with FIBA has made its exclusive coverage of the Tourna-

ment possible, I The network’s Free TV airing of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship has earned praises from FIBA TV executives who also commended Sports5’s outstanding technical and programming prowess in bringing the live basketball action in vivid colors to basketball fans all over the country. Its biggest recognition though came from the basketball - loving fans that have most ardently stayed tune with the whole tournament through their television sets at home. TV5’s heartstopping 2013 FIBA Asia coverage lead the viewership ratings compared with its rival networks during its timeslot making TV5 the weekend primetime winner of the ratings game. With this track record matched with Sports5’s continuous commitment for world-class coverage, the FIBA OQT in July will definitely be something that every household would once more enjoy.

According to Emrnanuel C. Lorenzana, TV5 president and CEO, “TV5 and our multi-platform reach have been the gold-standard for sports coverage in the local television scene and we are proud of the opportunity to bring the F!BA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments to Filipino homes this coming July. Our track record speaks for itself having covered the fabled journey of our very own Gilas Pil-

ipinas to the FiBA World Cup in Spain and our exclusive live freeTV airing of all the Gilas team’s games starting with the FiBA Asia Championship and now this FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament that we are hopeful to get a seat in the hard-court in Rio.” The MOA arena’s 20,000 seating capacity is expected to be filled with local fans rooting for our very own Gilas team that has already made history when it joined basketball’s elite teams in the FIBA World Cup in Spain in 2014. The games will also be beamed to global audiences via television through FIBA OQT and its official Philippine broadcast partner, TV5.

According to Patricia Hizon, Sports5 head, “We are deeply honored by FIBA’s continuing recognition of the effort and dedication of our television crew, staff and talents and for the support of Filipino audiences who have watched our past coverage of world-class basketball that FIBA is known for. With our tradition of excellence and commitment to bring monumental sporting events for the whole Philippines to witness, TV5’s FIBA OQT coverage will definitely be another great addition to its growing fame as the number one sports channel in Philippine television,” she added.

f RIDAy : m A RcH 4, 2016

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ Janno Gibbs

Ogie Alcasid

Derek Ramsay

NEw sEasON fOR ‘Happy TRuck HappINas’

L

ocal television’s most riotous and happiest game show, VIVA Communications Inc. and TV5’s Happy Truck Happinas, begins its 2016 season with an even bigger lineup of hosts, exciting game portions, better look and new name.

The tried and tested wacky tandem of Ogie Alcasid and Janno Gibbs are the program’s front liners as main hosts together with Kapatid network hunk Derek Ramsay and formidable Kapatid artists Gelli de Beien, Tuesday Vargas, Empoy, Tom Taus, Kim Idol, Alwyn Uytingco, Ritz Azul, Eula Caballero and VIVA’s allgirl group Sugar and Spice making up the “The Happy Peeps” squad.

More exciting prizes will be given away to lucky contestants, who will be brought by the Happy Truck from various barangays to the TV5 studios. Handpicked studio participants will then be asked to join the “Linggo Limbo” warm-up game, where the five best limbo rock performers will be chosen by Ogie and Janno to advance in the portion’s next level. Each “Linggo Limbo” level corresponds to a cash prize.

Aside from “Linggo Limbo,”

ISAH V. RED

other fresh segments on Happy Truck Happinas include Kim Idol’s “Dummy Kong Tawa,” “My DIY (My Daddy is Yummy),” a studio search for good looking and hot daddies, and “Mutya Ka ng Bayan (The Next Beks actor),” a talent search for gays with extraordinary skills/jobs.

The revitalized Happy Truck Happinas also offers remote segments like “Kalye Diva,” for biriteras in barangays. “I-Peg Peg Mo,” for those with celebrity look-alikes, and “Special Delivery,” where a neighbor can vote for someone who has one a good deed and who will receive a surprise gift from the Happy Truck.

Other segments worth watching for are “Basagan ng Brains,” “IQ ay Pili-

pino,” “OJ In-Between,” “VideOK na, KantaRant,” “Quick ang Answer,” “Pik Pak Boom,” “Walang Hulugan!” and “Walang Basagan ng Trip.”

The “happinas” to be spread by the Happy Truck gang of Ogie, Janno, Derek and others will be made double by the addition of new mainstays, led by the country’s new child wonder Alonzo Muhlach, 2016 “It” Girl Shy Carlos, “Princess of the Dance Floor” Yassi Pressman, VIVA artists Meg Imperial, Sam Pinto, Bangs Garcia, Ella Cruz, Roxee B, Kim Molina, Monica Cuenca and the new all-male group of YOLOL (You Only Live Once Lang) composed of Akihiro Blanco, Andrew Muhlach, VJ Marquez, Jason Salvador, Owy Posadas and Jack Reid.

Don’t be left behind. Come join the more exciting, bigger and better Happy Truck Happinas ride starting at 11 a.m. on Sunday only on TV5.

Rising boyband yOLOL (you Only Live Once Lang)

Roxee B Viva Entertainment’s newest girl group Sugar

****

solid Grace and chiz

Ogie Alcasid has written two songs for the campaign of Senator Grace Poe who is running for president in the coming elections.

Alcasid will even sing the songs in the sorties of Partido Galing at Puso.

“I might join sa Lipa, sa Iloilo, at sa kanyang miting de avance,” the singer-songwriter said during the grand press conference of Happy Truck HAPPinas on TV5 on Feb. 24.

We all know that Alcasid is a supporter of President Noynoy (from left) Sam Pinto, yassi Pressman, Shy carlos and mark Neumann

Aquino, but this time he chose to throw his support to the GraceChiz tandem and not on the administration’s candidates.

“Tandem sila ni Chiz so doon ako sa kanila,” Alcasid said when asked if he’d be supportive of Escudero as well.

“Solid na ‘yan, pero si Regine, hindi ko naman siya isinasali sa ganyan, this is my thing. Pero alam mo naman yung asawa ko, kung saan ako, doon siya. But I don’t impose it on her,” added Ogie.

Regine sais that her husband throws his support base on principles and to those whom he thinks will help the nation best.