The Standard - 2016 April 13 - Wednesday

VOL. XXX NO. 60 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 WEDNESDAY : APRIL 13, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Lawmen close in on Comelec hackers

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NOY BLAMED FOR CEBU CITY CRISIS

By Christine F. Herrera and Vito Barcelo

THE Palace on Tuesday drew flak for suspending allies of opposition presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay for releasing calamity assistance to typhoon victims, even if the Commission on Elections said it could do nothing to stop the corruption-related suspensions.

UNA candidates reelectionists Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, and 12 city councilors were suspended in connection with the release of P20,000 in calamity funds in 2013 for city hall employees who were affected by Super Typhoon “Yolanda.”

Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance denounced the suspension order as an act of desperation “patently illegal, excessive, vicious and relentless.”

Team Rama is pitted against the Palace-backed team of former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, head of Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan, a Liberal Party ally.

The suspension order against Rama was signed on Thursday by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa on behalf of President Benigno Aquino III, Liberal Party chairman.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body has not yet re-

ceived the request from the Palace for an exemption to the election restriction against suspensions during the election period.

He said the commissioners have to study the request before deciding on whether the suspension order can be imposed.

On the other hand, Jimenez said, if the offense involves a violation of the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act, no exemption from the Comelec is required.

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Weighing in. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, fourth from left, speaks to his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida during their talks in Tokyo on April 12, 2016. Ayrault is in Tokyo after attending the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Hiroshima. AFP

Robredo admits Mar has problems

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Beijing criticizes G7 position on disputed sea

By Vito Barcelo BEIJING—China said it is “strongly dissatisfied” with a Group of Seven statement calling for restraint in disputed waters, as worries grow in Asia over Beijing’s territorial and military ambitions.

“China is strongly dissatisfied with relevant moves taken by G7,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a

statement.

“We urge G7 members to abide by their promise of not taking sides on territorial disputes, respect the efforts by regional countries, stop all irresponsible words and actions, and make constructive contribution to regional peace and stability.”

A two-day meeting of G7 foreign ministers—a grouping that excludes China—in the Japanese city of Hiro-

shima issued a joint statement saying: “We are concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas, and emphasize the fundamental importance of peaceful management and settlement of disputes.

“We express our strong opposition to any intimidating, coercive or provocative unilateral actions that could alter the status quo and increase tensions.” Next page

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NBI closes in on Comelec hackers

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Maricel V. Cruz

THE National Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crime Division chief Ronald Aguto said Tuesday they now have a lead on the group that hacked the Commission on Elections website.

Protection. Former RCBC branch manager Maia Deguito is accompanied by her lawyer Ferdinand Topacio to the Department of Justice on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing on the money-laundering case filed against her. DANNY PATA

Noy...

From A1

UNA spokesperson Mon Ilagan said Malacanang’s second suspension on Rama was patently illegal and a “political squeeze to control city hall and Cebu City.”

Ilagan said the suspension order was illegal and forbidden by election laws.

In serving the order, Malacañang defied a Comelec ruling, prompting the poll body to remind the

Palace that the suspension of elective local officials is pro-

Beijing...

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The G7 statement did not explicitly name China, but Beijing lays claim to almost all of the South China Sea despite conflicting partial claims from Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines.

It has constructed artificial islands in the area in recent months as it asserts its sovereignty.

Japan, meanwhile, has its own dispute with China in the East China Sea over uninhabited islands that it administers but that are also claimed by Beijing.

The G7 also urged “all states to refrain from such actions as land reclamations” and “building of outposts... for military purposes.”

Beijing indicated that it felt targeted by the comments.

“Given the sluggish global economic recovery at the moment, G7 should have focused on global economic governance and cooperation instead of hyping up maritime issues and fueling tensions in the region,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu said.

hibited during the campaign period from Jan. 10 to June 8, 2016.

Anyone who violates this rule would be guilty of election offenses and may be disqualified from running for an elective post.

“What Malacañang and the Liberal Party are doing against the Mayor Rama and the entire city council of Cebu City is patently illegal, excessive, vicious and relentless.

The administration seems to have an unusually high interest in Mayor Rama that they need to suspend him twice over, and this time for giving P20,000 calamity assistance

to employees of city hall,” Ilagan said.

Ilagan likened the suspension to what happened to Binay’s son and namesake Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay in July 2015 when the Liberal Party took over city hall.

UNA denounced what it called a pattern of harassment and political persecution against Rama, saying it showed the administration was desperate to control Cebu City.

“The LP and the Palace don’t care if their move triggers a crisis in Cebu City as a result of suspending the entire city council. Without

a mayor, a vice mayor and councilors, they are free to pull off miracles with no one to question them,” Ilagan said in Filipino.

UNA denounced what it called the excessive use of executive power for political gain.

In December 2015, Rama was slapped by Malacañang a 60-day preventive suspension in connection for dismantling a 28-meter illegal structure in a barangay in Cebu City.

Rama was a member of the ruling Liberal Party until he bolted and joined Binay in 2012. Rama is UNA’s regional coordinator in Cebu. With Sandy Araneta

The Philippines on Tuesday welcomed the G7 statement on maritime security, which called on all countries to uphold the principles of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. “The statement, released on April 11 in Hiroshima, Japan, reaffirmed the need to ensure peace, stability, freedom of navigation and overflight, and to adhere to the rule of law in the South China Sea,” the Foreign Affairs Department said in a statement.

The department added that the Philippines, which filed a case before a UN tribunal against China’s claim to nearly all the South China sea, promotes a peaceful, rules-based approach to the disputes in the South China Sea. Ambassador to the United States Jose Cuisia on Tuesday said he hopes a victory for the Philippines in its case against China before The Haguebased tribunal would prompt Beijing to seek a resolution of the disputes in the South China Sea in a peaceful and diplomatic manner.

China has repeatedly said that it does not recognize Manila’s case nor would it abide by the court’s decision, a move,

which Cuisia warned, that may entail “some cost” to Beijing.

“China of course values its reputation in the international community. They are a rising power and of course they would like to enjoy the respect of the international community,” Cuisia said. “I don’t think they want to be pictured as a rogue nation.”

Cuisia said he expects China to sit down with the Philippines to settle the matter diplomatically even though it would be “unrealistic” to expect that to happen right away.

“It will take time,” he said.

“Maybe it will take a number of years before we get to that point, but hopefully China will realize that it is to their interest to resolve the issue peacefully in a manner that is mutually satisfactory because it cannot be just one-sided.”

A maritime standoff in 2012 in the Philippine-claimed Scarborough Shoal prompted the Philippines to seek international arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, a legal step that has angered China and impaired ties between the two Asian neighbors.

Manila’s case sought to demolish China’s claim that it

has indisputable and historical rights over nearly 90 percent of the South China Sea, including areas that are within the Philippines exclusive economic zone as allowed by international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Both Manila and Beijing, along with more than 160 states, are signatories to the UNCLOS. China’s massive islandbuilding on seven contested reefs in the South China Sea has drastically changed the security landscape in waters, a vital trading route where undersea oil and gas has been discovered in several areas, home to rich mineral deposits and teeming with abundant marine life.

Beijing has reclaimed more than 2,900 acres of land in the South China Sea in less than two years or immediately after the Philippines sought arbitration.

China has admitted that the reclaimed features, where at least two airstrips and massive buildings were constructed and surface-to-air missiles, were reportedly installed in one island, will have both military and civilian functions.

With AFP, PNA

In a press conference at the Comelec office, Aguto told the reporters that it appeared that the hacking was done by a group that resides in the Philippines.

Aguto said the Comelec had asked the NBI to identify the hackers in preparation for the filing of charges against them.

His group has been working on the case since March 28, and would be ready to identify, arrest and charge the group in the next few days, he said.

The hackers would be charged with violation of the Cybercrime Law, particularly its provision on hacking and unauthorized access to computer systems.

On Easter Sunday, the hacker group Anonymous Philippines hacked the official website of the Commission on Elections and allegedly downloaded 340 gigabytes worth of Comelec data and files.

Just before midnight of Sunday, the group defaced the poll body’s website (www. comelec.gov.oh) with the message addressed to the Comelec, demanding that they make sure that the security features of the vote counting machines will be implemented on Election Day. “What happens when the electoral process is so mired with questions and controversies? Can the government still guarantee that the sovereignty of the people is upheld?

We request the implementation of the security features on the PCOS [Precinct Count Optical Scan] machines,” the hacker named Anonymous wrote.

The message was accompanied by a threat to the commission that the group would watch how it conducted the May 9 elections.

“Commission on Elections, we are watching! We are Anonymous. We are legion.

We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us!” the message said.

A data privacy lawyer on Monday said the poll body could be sued for failing to protect personal information.

But Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll agency was the victim and could not be sued.

“Comelec itself is looking for legal remedy. We are victims here. We also have interest in legal remedies. If other people here feel we are responsible then they should file a case,” he said.

He also assured the public that there was no data on the website that could compromise the upcoming elections.

But Kabataan party-list

Rep. Terry Ridon expressed alarm over what he described as a massive voter data breach that exposed millions of sensitive personal information of voters, including passport information and fingerprint data.

He said the leak endangered the integrity of the upcoming elections and could lead to “colossal” automated electoral fraud.

“The Comelec must immediately assess the probable effect of the data breach on the integrity of the upcoming elections. In the past, the poll body has sustained its warning against ‘flying voters,’ yet now, with the personal data of millions of voters compromised, what’s stopping unscrupulous groups from using such data to hack the elections?” said Ridon, who is a member of the House committee on information and communications technology.

“Identity theft is only one cause of alarm. Who knows what other nefarious schemes may be done by those possessing Comelec’s whole database?” Ridon asked.

While the Comelec earlier played down the effects of the data leak, Internet security software company Trend Micro said about 15.8 million record of fingerprints are included in the data breach.

“Based on our investigation, the data dumps include 1.3 million records of overseas Filipino voters, which included passport numbers and expiry dates. What is alarming is that this crucial data is just in plain text and accessible to everyone. Interestingly, we also found a whopping 15.8 million records of fingerprints and a list of people running for office since the 2010 elections,” Trend Micro said in its blog.

The cybersecurity firm also warned that the data dump may also include—albeit in encrypted format—personal data of the 55 million registered voters in the Philippines, possibly making the leak one of the “biggest governmentrelated data breach in history, surpassing the US Office of Personnel Management hack last 2015 that leaked personal information, including fingerprints and social security numbers of 20 million US citizens.”

Experts have already expressed concern that the data breach opens affected voters to various cyber-attacks, including phishing, blackmail, and extortion.

Ridon said that Comelec officials must be held accountable for this massive data leak.

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Duterte tops Pulse Asia poll for ABS-CBN DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte topped the May 2016 presidential race in the latest ABS-CBN Pre-Electoral National Survey conducted by Pulse Asia Research Inc., the pollster revealed on Tuesday.

Senator Grace Poe led in second-choice voter preference, Pulse Asia also said.

If the May 2016 elections were held during the survey period, 30 percent of the registered voters would elect Duterte as the country’s next president.

Duterte again vowed to go after the drug lords if elected.

“I will run after the big fish. I will order the police and the military to run after the drug lords,” he said Monday night during a campaign sortie in Taguig City.

“I am just an ordinary person, but my God nobody can question my love of country.”

Poe was relegated to second place (25 percent) while Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II found themselves statistically tied for third place (20 percent and 19 percent, respectively).

Only 2 percent of the registered voters chose to support Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s presidential bid.

The rest (4 percent) did not support any candidate, refused to name their preferred presidential bets or were still undecided.

Based on a multi-stage probability sample of 4,000 registered voters 18 years old and above, with biometrics, Pulse Asia Research’s nationwide survey had a ± 1.5 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.

The subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey had the following error margins at the 95 percent confidence level: ± 4.6 percent for Metro Manila, ± 2.3 percent for the rest of Luzon and ± 3.4 percent for the Visayas and ± 3.3 percent for Mindanao.

In keeping with Pulse Asia’s academic nature, no religious, political, economic, or partisan group influenced any of these processes.

The survey was commissioned by ABS-CBN Corp.

As expected, most voters in Mindanao (55 percent) backed the candidacy of Duterte.

Duterte was also the top choice for president of those in the Class ABC (41 percent) and Class D (31 percent).

Meanwhile, Poe had the lead in the rest of Luzon (31 percent) while Roxas was the top pick in the Visayas (34 percent).

Among Metro Manilans, the leading candidates were Duterte (32 percent) and Poe (30 percent) while in Class E, three candidates shared the top spot: Poe (29 percent), Duterte (26 percent) and Binay (23 percent).

The Filipinos’ leading alternative candidate for president was Poe (31 percent). She also enjoyed the lead in the rest of Luzon (32 percent), the Visayas (31 percent), Mindanao (31 percent), Class ABC (33 percent) and Class D (31 percent).

Sandy Araneta and Rio N. Araja

Campaigning in Caloocan. Only the poor are killed by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, United Nationalist Alliance standard bearer Jejomar Binay told some 7,000 supporters in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, on Monday.

Leni says controversies affecting Mar’s ratings THE controversies that hounded Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II in his Cabinet portfolios could be the reason his ratings had been stagnant, his running mate Leni Robredo suggested Tuesday.

But Roxas said the surveys had not yet reflected the Liberal Party’s strength in the grassroots, adding he would “continue telling the truth” amid the black propaganda being spread against him by his rivals.

He made the statement even as the LP on Tuesday slammed former Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal for claiming the use of the campaign slogan “Daang Matuwid” as nicknames for Roxas and Robredo was a violation of Comelec rules.

But Larrazabal continued to question

the Comelec’s decision to accept the nicknames for Roxas and Robredo.

When asked about her continued rise in the polls compared to her running mate’s rather anemic performance, Robredo said Roxas had to start with dismal numbers but started improving after he was endorsed by President Benigno Aquino III. She said her advantage was her being a relatively “new” face in the campaign, while Roxas was being hounded by many controversies.

“Secretary Mar had many baggage due to the assignments given to him,” Robredo said.

Roxas, after losing to Vice President Jejomar Binay in 2010, was appointed by Aquino first as Transportation secretary in 2011 and then Interior secretary in 2013.

The latest Pulse Asia survey placed Robredo in second spot at 22 percent in the vice presidential race, surpassing former survey frontrunner Senator Francis Escudero at 21 percent and Senator Ferdinand

Marcos Jr. at 28 percent.

Roxas continued to trail, and had only 19 percent compared with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (30 percent), Poe (25 percent) and Binay (20 percent).

But Roxas said his strategy less than a month before the May 9 polls was to “continue telling the truth” amid the alleged black propaganda being spread against him by his rivals, particularly Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

“Our strategy is continue telling the truth,” Roxas said in Ozamiz City.

“We don’t need to establish lies, quip or insult others and bring them down to raise myself. Our countrymen know the truth.”

Since the start of the campaign, Duterte has positioned himself as the “anti-LP” candidate, claiming the ruling party was the “real threat to democracy” for protecting elite interests as he rebuked Roxas’ statements describing him as a “threat to democracy” and a “liar.” John Paolo Bencito and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

Critics: Poe hid critical information

Home run. President Benigno Aquino III campaigns for Liberal Party bets Manuel Roxas II and Leni Robredo in his hometown Tarlac on Monday night. JOHN PAOLO BENCITO

THE critics of Senator Grace Poe, who was overtaken by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the latest Social Weather Stations survey, have accused her of deliberately concealing from the public that her husband had served in the United States Air Force and that they acquired a house in Washington, D.C. The reports that Poe’s husband, Teodoro Misael Daniel Vera Llamanzares, was an enlisted man in the US Air Force from 1988 to 1992, and that they own a multi-million-dollar mansion in Virginia, went viral in the social network starting last week.

In his Facebook post, De La Salle University professor Antonio Contreras criticized Poe for not revealing that her husband worked with the USAF until she was cornered.

Contreras was one of the four petitioners who asked the Commission on Elections to cancel Poe’s Certificate of Candidacy in 2015 due to her alleged failure to meet the citizenship and residency requirements for one running for president.

Various sectors out to derail her presidential bid have criticized Poe for allegedly omitting critical information on her husband’s background and their house ownership in the US when she aired her intention to seek the country’s highest elective post.

A group of businessmen from Malate, Ermita and Binondo, led by Vicky Espiritu, president of the athletic events firm EAMvents Inc., have asked why Poe could not address the real citizenship status of her husband.

Espiritu said it was a serious matter that Poe could not say where she got the money to buy her mansion in the US. Espiritu’s sister Zonnie, a close associate of Poe’s adoptive father and movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., also asked why Poe could not be forthright on the matter if it was true that she had nothing to hide.

“Again, what was Poe’s reason for keeping it a secret her husband’s membership in the US Air force?” Zonnie said.

She said Poe could have feared that her family’s lifestyle in America would crop up since they depended only on their modest earnings.

Manuel Roxas II, the administration’s standard bearer, has said neither he nor President Benigno Aquino III knew the background of Poe’s husband during the time they were wooing her to be his running mate.

On several occasions, Aquino had met with Poe to convince her to join them in the coming May elections. Macon Ramos-Araneta

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Senators grill Philrem exec

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE foreign exchange firm used in the laundering of funds stolen from the Bangladeshi central bank is now under scrutiny not only for its supposed role in the cyberheist, but also for failing to pay the proper taxes, Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares said Tuesday.

Testifying in yesterday’s fourth hearing on the $81-million money laundering case, Henares told the Senate Blue Ribbon committee the taxes Philrem Service Corp. paid were wrong because it was functioning as a money changer and a foreign exchange company.

“The taxes they paid are wrong because when you are a money changer and a foreign exchange company, you are a nonbank financial intermediary, so you’re supposed to pay a 5-percent gross receipt tax. You’re not supposed to be paying VAT [value-added tax],” Henares said.

Philrem was the remittance firm used to channel the stolen funds from Bangladesh Bank that found its way into casinos in the Philippines.

Casino junket operator Kam Sing Wong, alias Kim Wong, maintained that about $17 million is still with Philrem, but this was repeatedly denied by its president Salud Bautista.

On several occasions, Bautista testified there is no more cash with Philrem and the funds from the Bangladesh Bank were all transmitted to the intended beneciaries.

Bautisa said they only got P10 million which they intend to return to the AntiMoney Laundering Council.

Bautista also denied that the company had any knowledge that the money was stolen, and denied being involved in any illegal transaction in their 18 years of operation.

But upon checking the records of Philrem, Henares said it was not registered as a remittance company with the BIR. She said Philrem was registered as a land transportation contractor and not as a remittance company.

“We looked at the registration of Philrem with us, I think there’s something wrong with their registration.

Their registration with us is for other land transportation contractor, not money changer and remittance company,” Henares said.

“They amended their articles on incorporation in 2005, but they did not update their registration with us,” Henares told the senate panel chaired by Senator Teofisto Guingona.

Ballot inspection. Workers of the National Printing Office check newly printed ballots inside the NPO plant in Quezon City amid concerns over possible cheating in the forthcoming May 9 elections. MANNY PALMERO

Relieve 4 generals, Escudero asks PNP

By Macon Araneta SENATOR Francis Escudero formally asked Philippine National Police chief Director General Ricardo Marquez to relieve four police generals who supposedly met privately with Liberal Party campaigners at a hotel in Cubao, Quezon City on April 2.

In a letter formalizing his complaint to the PNP chief, Escudero said the ranking police officials should be relieved pending the outcome of an investigation into possible electioneering or partisan political activity.

“We cannot permit a dodgy incident like the encounter of the four police generals to overshadow the integrity and credibility of the forthcoming May 9, 2016 elections,” Escudero said in his letter-complaint.

“Unscrupulous police officers bent on exercising partisan political activity for personal gain and self-aggrandizement have no place in the [PNP],” he added.

He noted that meeting with personalities identified with Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas is obviously a partisan political activity.

“Clearly, their actions undermine the series of internal reforms you have done to professionalize the police force and to strengthen the public trust it has achieved under your stead.”

As a noble profession, Escudero said the police service “demands not only a specialized knowledge and skills but a high standard of ethics and morality.”

“PNP members should inhibit themselves from soliciting political patronage on matters pertaining to assignments, awards and promotions. Its officers must set good examples for the other members to follow,” said Escudero, an independent candidate Escudero sent the complaint amid reports that the four PNP officials were seen at a meeting with people identified with Roxas at the Novotel Hotel, which

is a stone’s throw from the residence and headquarters of the administration presidential bet.

The four police officials were identified as Director Generoso Cerbo Jr., chief of the PNP directorate for intelligence, and Chief Superintendents Renier Idio, Bernardo Diaz and Ronald Santos.

Journalists attending a workshop spotted the generals, who were in civilian clothes, in the company of retired PNP official Marcelo Garbo Jr., a known Roxas supporter.

The report said a member of Roxas’ staff, identified as Thea Reyes, and retired Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo of the Western Mindanao Command were also seen at the meeting.

Escudero questioned the timing of the so-called “confidential meeting” of four police generals with personalities identified with Roxas, which happened barely a month before the May 9 polls.

He reminded Marquez that

the 1987 Constitution “clearly prohibits any officer or employee in the civil service to engage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.”

Escudero also cited a similar provision in the Civil Service Law which bars officers and employees in the civil service to engage directly or indirectly in partisan political activities or take part in any election except to vote.

He said the Omnibus Election Code also provides that “any officers or employee in the civil service, except those holding political offices; any officer, employee or member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or any police force, special forces, home defense forces, barangay self-defense units and all other para-military units… who, directly or indirectly, intervenes in any election campaign or engages in any partisan political activity, except to vote to preserve public order, if he is a peace officer shall be guilty of an election offense.”

SC junks Ombudsman plea

By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja

Clark Green City. Bases Conversion and Development Authority president Arnel

Paciano Casanova and BCDA chairperson Ma. Aurora Geotina-Garcia assist President Benigno Aquino III in lowering the time capsule for the Clark Green City in Capas, Tarlac on Monday.

THE Supreme Court has denied the appeal of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales seeking a reversal of its decision affirming the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals to review and stop suspension orders against elected officials facing criminal cases.

The high court released the decision as Morales denied allegations of selective justice, calling on politicians with pending cases before the office to stop crying political harassment and just face their pending lawsuits.

During its en banc session on Tuesday, the SC sustained its decision rendered in November 2015, which declared ineffective Section 14 of Republic Act No. 6770, or

the Ombudsman Act, that reserves review powers only to the SC. “The Court denied the motion for reconsideration filed by petitioner Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales from its decision dated November 11, 2015 which partially granted the petition,” SC spokesperson Theodore Te announced in a media briefing.

In its Nov. 11 decision, the SC also abandoned the so-called “condonation doctrine” that has been in place since 1959 and is rampantly being used by elected officials to defend themselves against administrative liabilities committed in their previous terms in office.

Under the condonation doctrine, administrative offenses by elected officials are deemed forgiven upon their reelection.

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New law enables teachers to reject poll duties

By John Paolo Bencito

Pangasinan’s bet. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (center) is endorsed by Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil (right) and Board Member Raul Sison during the assembly of municipal officials, barangay leaders and multisectoral groups at Resort Purok Marcela in Lingayen, Pangasinan. VER NOVENO

Enrile plea upheld on ‘pork’ evidence

By Rey E. Requejo The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld its decision granting the appeal of Senator Juan Ponce enrile for production of evidence in the plunder case field against him before the Sandiganbayan in relation to the pork barrel cases.

During its en banc session in Baguio City, the SC junked the motion for reconsideration of the Office of the Ombudsman seeking a reversal of its decision that overturned the Sandiganbayan’s ruling in 2014 denying Enrile’s motion for bill of particulars.

The tribunal also ordered the anti-graft body and its prosecution team “to submit a bill of particulars, providing the information to be contained in the Court’s judgment.”

Among the information and details sought by Enrile in his

petition were the names of persons who delivered and received the kickbacks or commissions, the dates of each delivery, the breakdown of the alleged P172,834,500 worth of kickbacks or commissions, the projects financed by the pork barrel funds and the names of the non-government organization involved.

With this ruling, the senator has been given “the opportunity to confirm or change the [not guilty] plea that the Sandiganbayan entered for him, if he so wishes.”

However, the SC clarified that this would not mean a

rearraignment of Enrile before the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division chaired by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje–Tang.

In August last year, the SC granted the bid of Enrile to be temporarily released from detention while facing plunder cases in the anti-graft court.

The high court granted his petition challenging the ruling of the Sandiganbayan in July last year that denied his motion to post bail. It allowed him to post a bail bond of P1 million in his plunder case.

Enrile argued that the Sandiganbayan violated his constitutional right to a fair trial.

PUBLIC school teachers are now allowed to turn down poll duties in the May 9 elections after President Benigno Aquino III signed into law Republic Act No. 10756 or the Election Service Reform Act. The law enables teachers and other qualified citizens to serve as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs), raising their honoraria and allowances for serving in the elections.

“The Department of Education [DepEd] welcomes the newly signed Election Service Reform Act, which makes election duties voluntary for public school teachers. We always welcome legislations that promote and uphold the rights and safety of teachers,” Education Secretary Armin Luistro said on Tuesday.

Under the new law, teachers have the option to serve or not to serve as members of the BEIs. The law also extended qualifications to other persons who can serve as BEI members to private school teachers, national government employees, and DepEd non-teaching personnel, respectively.

Honoraria for teachers serving as the chairperson will be increased from P3,000 to P6,000, while members of the BEI get P5,000 each, from P3,000.

DepEd Supervisors meanwhile will have their honoraria increased from P3,000 to P4,000 while support staff will be increased from P1,500 to P2,000.

Teachers will be given an additional travel allowance from P500 to P1,000.

The bill also grants five days of service credit instead of three days to all government officials and employees serving as members of the electoral boards, DepEd supervisor/official and support staff.

PNoy unlikely to ratify mercury pact

By Joel E. Zurbano

BIR steps in. BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto Henares, right, and RCBC-Jupiter branch manager Maia Santos Deguito come face to face at the resumption of the Senate probe of the alleged money laundering. EY ACASIO

ENvIRONMENTALIST group Ecowaste Coalition is optimistic that the next administration would ratify and enforce the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which it said, will help cut mercury pollution across the globe.

“The mercury treaty has not yet come into force more than two years since it was signed in October 2013 by most governments, including the Philippines,” said Ecowaste coordinator Aileen Lucero.

“As it looks improbable that the treaty will be ratified during the remaining days of the Aquino administration, we turn our hope to the new presidency for it to happen,” she said.

“Having named the Convention after Minamata, the Japanese city that

suffered heavily from industry-caused mercury pollution for decades, imposes a moral responsibility for all the world’s leaders to rally behind the treaty ratification for it to come into force,” Lucero emphasized.

Ecowaste said the early ratification and implementation of the Minamata Convention will help cut mercury pollution across the globe by providing for controls and reductions in products, processes and industries where mercury is used, released or emitted.

It will bolster the country’s efforts to prevent and reduce mercury pollution, which, among other things, include the phasing out mercury in medical devices, banning mercury in skin whitening cosmetics and prohibiting mercury in mineral processing, particularly in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, the group added.

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LABS warn Estrada of ‘junking’ WITh four weeks to go before the holding of the national and local elections on May 9 this year, the mayoral and vice mayoral tandem of the “Kabaka LABS Manila” Rep. Amado Bagatsing and Councilor Ali Atienza cautioned incumbent Mayor Joseph estrada of the coalesced Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino and Asenso Manileño to be wary of his partnership with the latter “for possible sabotage and junking” of his reelection bid.

“From the looks of it, the situation and time are ripe for some members of the AM to drop their support for estrada like the mythological ‘Trojan horse,’ a member of the PMP told The Standard yesterday.

Such is the tension and uncertainty, animosity and distrust that exist between the two political camps that estrada will eventually be the ultimate victim of this dumping scenario and lose the mayoralty derby, the source said.

The AM was founded by then Vice Mayor Danny Lacuna, whose daughter, honey, is the running mate of estrada, and who recently appointed incumbent Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, who is now seeking a Senate seat, as its current president.

On the other front, the LP in the premier city led by its president three-term Rep. Benjamin Asilo, disclosed that its candidates and sympathizers “are at a loss and total disarray as the party goes awry.”

Asilo who does not blame anyone in particular within the LP-Manila, summarized the situation: “We have multiple aspirants in every political positions—scores of bets for council seats for each of the six congressional districts (only six are allowed per district), same number for house of Representative hopefuls (only one is allowed per district), and four vice mayoral aspirants (only one is allowed).

Lim and Asilo are vying for mayor and vice mayor, respectively, under the administration’s Liberal Party. Tony Macapagal

Murder suspects. The National Bureau of Investigation presents to media the three policemen and two private individuals accused of murdering businesswoman Adora Lazatin whose body was found inside a plastic drum on Pasig River last Friday. The suspects allegedly withdrew cash using Lazatin’s ATM. DANNY PATA

Cebu under state of calamity Cebu province has been placed under a state of calamity due to el Niño while two other provinces are taking emergency measures to counter or at least mitigate the adverse effects of the drought.

Provincial board member Grecilda Sanchez, who chairs the budget committee and authored the calamity resolution, said a state of calamity would pave the way for the release of the provincial government’s P33-million calamity fund.

At least 30 provinces mostly in Mindanao and Visayas have suffered billions of pesos in farm losses since el Niño hit the country last year. earlier, Cebu Mayor Michael Rama declared Cebu City under a state of emergency as hinterland

barangays suffered water shortages caused by the prolonged dry spell.

The provincial board also approved a resolution asking the province to help farmers cope with water supply problems.

Provincial board member Alex Binghay, who authored the resolution, said there is a need to prevent a recurrence of the farmers’ protest and the subsequent violent dispersal that happened in Kidapawan City on April 1 and stressed that the provincial government “must be cautious and vigilant enough in

heeding the demand for relief from farmers in the droughtstricken Cebu province since last year.”

Provincial agriculturist Roldan Sarajena said some 31,000 farmers are insured by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., with the province paying for their premiums, but there have been no claims so far this year.

In General Santos, the city government has rolled out its emergency cash-for-work program for residents to counter the ill effects of the el Niño.

GenSan was placed under a state of calamity in February this year as el Niño destroyed P54 million worth of farm crops.

At least 10,624 families were named beneficiaries of the cash-for-work program, the

city government’s social welfare and development office said.They wil be hired to work for 10 days on community projects and receive a salary of P203 each day.

The city earmarked P21 million from the quick response fund for the emergency program.

Another drought-ravaged locality, Cagayan de Oro City, has asked authorities for the conduct of cloud seeding operation.

CDO, also under a state of calamity, incurred P60 million in damage to agriculture.

CDO Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the Air Force has expressed readiness to conduct cloud seeding as early as September last year. he said 15 barangays bore the brunt of el Niño. Maricel Cruz and PNA

Hontiveros dared to return P1.76b in PhilHealth bonuses

Plunder raps. Businesswoman Adelaida Yatco (left) takes her oath during her filing of plunder and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against Biñan, Laguna Mayor Marlyn Alonte-Naguiat and Vice Mayor Walfredo Reyes Dimaguila Jr. in connection with the 2009 purchase of a land which cost the city P77 million. ANDREW RABULAN

The National Association of Lawyers for Justice and Peace on Tuesday challenged senatorial bet Risa hontiveros to prove that she’s worthy of the people’s trust by spearheading the return of the P1.761 billion in unauthorized bonuses granted to officers and employees of Philhealth in 2013 during her term there as board member.

NALJP founding chairman Jesus Santos pointed out that public office is a public trust.

“Since Philhealth funds are the people’s money, Ms. hontiveros should show us that we can trust her with our welfare by leading efforts to get back the illegal bonuses.

If she will not do anything about it, there’s no reason to be confident that she will indeed serve the people should she win,” Santos said.

Philhealth had claimed that the bonuses were covered by board resolutions.

But the Commission on Audit said the resolutions were not submitted to the Office of the President for approval as required under Section 6 of Presidential Decree 1597.

“As a board member, Ms. hontiveros should have known of the conflict with Presidential Decree 1597. But it has never been reported that she has exerted any effort for the return of the illegal bonuses. Nobody knows

if she had even opposed the unauthorized bonuses, or had just simply went along with those who allowed it,” Santos said.

Santos said Philhealth funds are exclusively for the medical needs of its members and not for the personal interests of a few.

“One can only imagine the volume of medicines and medical needs, or the extent of medical care and the number of beneficiaries which could have been bought and provided for the sick by the P1.761-billion unauthorized bonuses.

“Ms. hontiveros owes the people a lot of explanation,” Santos stressed.

Article 1 DEFINITIONS “PAL” means Philippine Airlines, Inc. “YOU,” “YOUR,” and “YOURSELF” means any person, except members of the crew, carried or to be carried in an aircraft pursuant to a Ticket. (See also definition of Passenger) “AGREED STOPPING PLACES” means those places, except the place of departure and the place of destination, set forth in the Ticket or shown in PAL’s timetables as scheduled stopping places on your route.

“AIRLINE DESIGNATOR CODE” means two or three characters or letters which identify a particular air carrier.

“AUTHORIZED AGENT” a passenger sales agent who has been appointed by PAL to represent it in the sale of air passengers’ transportation services of PAL. “BAGGAGE” means your personal property accompanying you in connection with yourtravel. Unless otherwise specified, it includes both your Checked and Unchecked Baggage.

“BAGGAGETAG” means a document issued by PAL solely for identification of Checked Baggage.

“CHECKED BAGGAGE” means your Baggage which PAL takes custody of and for which PAL has issued a Baggage Tag. “CHECK-IN DEADLINE” means the time limit specified by PAL within which you must have completed check-in formalities and received your boarding pass.

“CONNECTING FLIGHT” means a subsequent flight providing onward travel on the same Ticket, on a separateTicket or on a Conjunction Ticket.

“CONJUNCTION TICKET” means a Ticket issued to you in conjunction with another Ticket, both of which constitute a single contract of carriage.

“CONVENTION” means whichever of the following instruments is or are applicable: • the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, signed at Montreal, 28 May 1999 (referred to as the Montreal Convention; • The Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air, signed at Warsaw, 12 October 1929 (referred to as the Warsaw Convention; • the Warsaw Convention as amended at The Hague on 28 September 1955.

“DAYS” means calendar days, including all seven days of the week; provided that, for the purpose of notification, the day upon which notice is dispatched shall not be counted; and that for purposes of determining duration of validity of a Ticket, the day upon which the Ticket is issued, or flight is commenced shall not be counted.

“DOMESTIC CARRIAGE” means travel between points within the Philippines and there is no transit, transfer or Stopover outside the Philippines.

“DOMESTIC TICKETS” means Tickets with purely Philippine domestic itinerary.

“ELECTRONIC COUPON” means an electronic Flight Coupon for an Electronic Ticket held in PAL’s database.

“ELECTRONIC TICKET” means the electronic record of your Ticket made by PAL or its Authorized Agent, which is held in PAL’s database.

“FLIGHT COUPON” means that portion of the Ticket that bears the notation “good for passage,” and indicates the particular places between which you are entitled to be carried.

“INTERNATIONAL CARRIAGE” means any carriage other than Domestic Carriage, however, when theConvention is applicable, the stated definition of “International Carriage” in the Convention shall prevail.

“ITINERARYRECEIPT” means a document or documents issued by PAL to Passengers travelling on Electronic Tickets that contains the Passenger’s name, flight information and notices.

“PASSENGER” means any person, except members of the crew, carried or to be carried in an aircraft pursuant to a Ticket.

“PASSENGER COUPON” means that portion of the Ticket issued by or on behalf of PAL, which is so marked and which ultimately is to be retained by the Passenger.

“STOPOVER” means a deliberate interruption of the travel by the Passenger at a point between the place of departure and the place of destination, which has been agreed to in advance by PAL. “TARIFF” means the published fares, fees or charges and related terms, conditions and restrictions filed, where required, with the appropriate authorities, and approved as such by the same.

“TICKET” means the document of carriage issued by PAL. “UNCHECKED BAGGAGE” means any Baggage hand-carried by the Passenger and Baggage other than Checked Baggage.

ARTICLE 2 APPLICABILITY

Article 7 REFUSAL AND LIMITATION OF CARRIAGE Section 1. RIGHT TO REFUSE CARRIAGE PAL will not refuse carriage to any person based solely on race, sex, color, nationality or religion. Further, as a matter of policy, PAL will not refuse carriage to any person based solely on disability subject to exceptions that may be allowed by applicable laws,rules, and government regulations.

PAL may refuse to carry you or your Baggage, or may remove you from the aircraft at any time, for any of the following reasons: (a) (b)

(c) (d) (e)

(f) (g)

Section 1. GENERAL Except as provided in Sections 4, 5, and 6 of this Article, these Conditions of Carriage apply to all domestic and international carriage of Passengers and Baggage operated by PAL, and in any case where PAL may have a legal liability to you in relation to your travel.

Sec 2. GRATUITOUS CARRIAGE These Conditions of Carriage also apply to gratuitous or reduced fare carriage except to the extent that PAL has otherwise provided in its Tarrifs, or in relevant contracts, passes, tickets, or policies.

Sec. 3. CONDITIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PAL may change these Conditions of Carriage and PAL’s Tariffs at any time, without prior notice.Your travel shall be governed by these Conditions of Carriage and PAL’s Tariffs in force at the date you purchased your Ticket; provided, however, that PAL reserves the right to apply the Conditions of Carriage and PAL’s Tariffs in effect on the date of your travel where reasonably necessary for operational efficiency.

Sec. 4. CHARTER OPERATIONS If the carriage is performed pursuant to a charter agreement, these Conditions of Carriage apply only to the extent that they are incorporated by reference or otherwise, in the terms of the charter agreement and the charter ticket. In case of any inconsistency between these Conditions of Carriage and the provisions of said charter agreement and/ or charter ticket, the latter shall prevail.

Sec. 5. CODESHARES AND COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS On some services, PAL may have commercial agreements with other airlines such as code shares and/or licensing agreements. This means that, even if you have a reservation with PAL and you hold a Ticket showing PAL’sAirline Designator Code, marks or tradename, another airline may operate the flight.

If such a commercial agreement applies to your flight, PAL or its AuthorizedAgents will inform you at the time you make a reservationif PAL or another carrier will be operating the flight.

If your flight is operated by another carrier, you may be subject to certain conditions of carriage of the operating carrier which may differ from those of PAL’s, such as but not limited to: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

If any provision of these Conditions of Carriage is invalid, under any applicable law, rules, and government regulations, the other provisions shall nevertheless remain valid.

Sec. 7. CONSENT OF PASSENGERS Upon your purchase of a Ticket for carriage by air on PAL, you shall be deemed to have acknowledged and given consent to these Conditions of Carriage and PAL’s Tariffs.

Article 3 TICKETS

(b) (c) (d) (e)

A person shall not be entitled to be carried on a flight unless that person presents and is named in a valid Ticket containing all corresponding Flight Coupon or Electronic Coupon duly issued in accordance with these Conditions of Carriage andPAL’s Tariffs. PAL may require you to present appropriate identification.

You shall not be entitled to be carried if the Ticket presented is mutilated or if it has been altered by a person other than PAL or its Authorized Agent.

Your Ticket is not transferable. If a Ticket is presented for carriage or for refund by someone other than you, PAL shall not be liable to you, if in good faith, it provides carriage or makes a refund to the person presenting the Ticket.

The Ticket is and remains at all times property of PAL. Changes to the Ticket you requested will be subject to PAL’s Tariffs and may require payment of a change fee.

If, for the reasons enumerated under Section 1 of this Article, PAL hasrefused to carry you, or removed you en route, PAL may cancel the remaining unused portion of yourTicket and you will not be entitled to further carriage or to a refund either in respect of the sector subject of the refusal of carriage or removal, or any subsequent sectors covered by the Ticket.

PAL reserves the right to prosecute offences committed. PAL will not be liable for any consequential loss or damage alleged due to any such refusal to carry or removal en route.

Sec. 3. GENERAL INDEMNITY If you conduct yourself in a manner described in Section 1 of this Article, you will indemnify PAL for all claims or losses, including, but not limited to, all costs arising from the diversion of the aircraft for the purpose of offloading you and all losses suffered or incurred by PAL, its Authorized Agents, employees, independent contractors, Passengers, and any third party in respect of death, injury, loss, damage or delay to other persons or to property, arising from such conduct.

Sec. 4. OTHER LIMITATIONS ON CARRIAGE (a)

Acceptance for carriage of unaccompanied children, persons with disability, pregnant women or ailing persons may be subject to prior arrangements with PAL, in accordance with these Conditions of Carriage and any applicable laws, rules and government regulations.

Acceptance for carriage of persons requiring special assistance such as but not limited to medical oxygen for use on-board the aircraft, packaging of wheelchair and wheelchair batteries, stretchers and other similar assistance, may be subject to advance notice and prior arrangements with PAL, in accordance with these Conditions of Carriage, PAL’s Tariffs and any applicable laws, rules, and government regulations.

If PAL believes that the aircraft weight limitation or seating capacity would otherwise be exceeded, PAL will decide in its reasonable discretion which persons or articles shall be carried.

Subject to applicable laws, rules, and government regulations, PAL may require a medical clearance when, in good faith and using its reasonable discretion, PAL determines there is reasonable doubt that a Passenger can complete the flight safely without requiring extraordinary medical assistance.

Sec. 6. BANNING NOTICE In addition to its right to refuse carriage under any of the grounds in Section 1 of this Article, PAL reserves the right to ban any person from all its flights and from availing of any of its services for the following reasons: (a) (b)

Such person is a habitual offender under any of the instances enumerated in Section 1; When records support that you habitually and in bad faith, filed unwarranted complaints against PAL and its employees tantamount to unjust vexation.

Sec. 7. ATTENDANT’S REQUIRED For reasons of safety, Passengers in the following categories may be required to travel with an attendant: (a) (b) (c)

A Passenger with a mobility impairment so severe that the individual is unable to assist in his/her own evacuation: A Passenger with severe hearing and severe vision impairment who is unable to establish some means of communications with PAL’s personnel adequate to permit the Passenger to receive PAL's safety briefing as may be required by the applicable law, rules, and government regulations; A Passenger who is traveling on a stretcher or in an incubator or who requires administration of certain medical services during the flight (e.g. medical oxygen, respirator, intravenous injections, etc.) which he/she cannot administer on himself/herself.

Article 8 BAGGAGE

Section 1. FREE BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE You may carry some Baggage, free of charge, subject to the conditions and limitations of these Conditions of Carriage and PAL’s Tariffs. PAL also reserves the right to change its free baggage allowance.

You will be required to pay a charge for the carriage of Baggage in excess of the free baggage allowance at the rate and in the manner provided in these Conditions of Carriage or PAL’s Tariffs. Baggage in excess of the free baggage allowance will be carried only at PAL’s discretion, subject to space availability and weight limitation.Excess baggage includes oversized and overweight baggage.

A Domestic Ticket is valid for one (1) year from the date of its issuance.

Sec. 3. ITEMS NOT ACCEPTABLE AS BAGGAGE

Sec. 4. COUPON SEQUENCE (a) The Ticket you purchased is valid only for the transportation as shown on the Ticket, from the place of departure via any Agreed Stopping Places to the final destination. Electronic and Flight Coupons shall be honored only in sequence. The Ticket will not be honored and will lose its validity if all the coupons are not used in sequence provided in the Ticket. (b) Each Electronic or Flight Coupon will be accepted for carriage in the class of service specified on the Ticket on the date and flight for which space has been reserved. When a Ticket is originally issued without a reservation being specified, space may be later reserved subject to PAL’s Tariffs, and the availability of space on the flight requested. (c) If you fail or have failed to use the Electronic or FlightCoupons in sequence, PAL is entitled to recompute the fares in accordance with PAL’s Tariffs and you are liable to pay PAL any fare difference applicable.

(a)

Sec. 2. TAXES, FEES AND CHARGES Applicable taxes, fees or charges imposed by governmentauthority, or other offices such as airport operators, must be paid by you in full before carriage, except as otherwise provided in PAL’s Tariffs. The taxes, fees and charges imposed on air travel are beyond PAL’s control and are constantly changing. Taxes, fees and charges may be imposed or increased even after the date of Ticket issuance. PAL reserves the right to refuse carriage if the applicable taxes, fees and charges arenot paid.

Sec. 3. CURRENCY Fares, taxes, fees and charges are payable in the currency in which the fare is published.PAL may, at its discretion, accept payment in another currency subject to applicable rate of exchange.

Article 5 RESERVATIONS Section 1. RESERVATION REQUIREMENTS (a) A reservation is not confirmed until: 1.

2.

3.

It is entered on the appropriate Flight or Electronic Coupon, by PAL or its Authorized Agent; You have paid for your Ticket; and A Ticket has been duly issued to you, or in the case of an Electronic Ticket, when it has been duly created in PAL’s database.

A reservation that does not comply with any of these requirements may be cancelled by PAL at any time without notice. (b) As provided in PAL’s Tariffs, certain fares may be subject to conditions which limit or exclude your prerogative to change or cancelreservations.

(b)

(c) (d)

(e) (f)

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

(a)

(b)

(c) (d)

(a) (b)

(d)

Sec. 5. RECONFIRMATION OF RESERVATIONS Your reservation may be subject to the requirement that it be reconfirmed not later than seventy-two (72) hours before flight departure. Your reservation with other carriers involved in your travelmust be reconfirmed with the carrier whose Airline Designator Code appears on the Ticket, and in accordance with their respective reconfirmation requirements.

Sec. 6. CANCELLATION OF RESERVATIONS If you do not use a reservation and fail to advise PAL, your reservation, including onward or return reservations, may be cancelled without prior notice.

Article 6 CHECK-IN AND BOARDING (a)

(b) (c)

Check-in Deadlines and boarding requirements are different in every airport and you must be aware of these deadlines and requirements prior to your travel. Youmust arrive at PAL's check-in location and assigned boarding gate sufficiently in advance of flight departure to permit completion of all departure procedures, including government formalities, and in any event not later than the time that may be indicated by PAL. PAL may cancel the space reserved for you if you fail to arrive on time at PAL's check-in location or if you fail to arrive at the assigned boarding gate within reasonable time prior to the closing of gates in preparation for departure. PAL will not delay departure of the flight by reason of such failure.

Persons with disability or Passengers requestingfor special assistance may be required to check-in earlier than the regular check-in time.

PAL will not be liable to you for any loss or expense incurred due to your failure to comply with the required Check-In Deadlines or boarding requirements.

PAL may specify maximum dimensions and/or weight for Baggage which you carry in the aircraft. If PAL has not done so, Baggage which you carry into the aircraft must fit under the seat in front of you or in an enclosed storage compartment in the cabin. Items determined by PAL to be of excessive weight or size will not be permitted in the cabin and if suitable shall be transported as Checked Baggage.

Objects not suitable, in the opinion of PAL, for transport in the cargo compartment, such as but not limited to delicate musical instruments and the like, will only be accepted for transportation in the cabin compartment if due notice has been given in advance and permission granted by PAL. The transport of such objects may be subject to separate charges.

PAL shall not be responsible for loss or damage of Unchecked Baggage not attributable to PAL. PAL may allow you to carry electronic devices on board, however, for security and safety reasons, and in accordance laws, rules, and government regulations of countries to be flown from, to or, over, PAL may limit the use aboard the aircraft of transmitting portable devices, including, but not limited to, cellular phones, laptop computers, E-book readers, personal gaming consoles, and two-way radios.

Sec. 6. RIGHT TO REFUSE CARRIAGE OF BAGGAGE

Sec. 3. PERSONAL DATA You recognize that personal data have been given to PAL for the purposes of: making a reservation, purchasing a Ticket,for obtaining ancillary services, facilitating immigration and entry requirements, complying with regulatory requirements of government authority and making available such data in connection with yourtravel. For these purposes, you authorize PAL to retain and use such data and to transmit them to its own offices, Authorized Agents, government authorities, other carriers or the providers of the above-mentioned services.

PAL reserves the right to charge for more than one seat in cases wherethe physical condition of the Passenger require additional seat.

Upon delivery to PAL of your Baggage to be checked, PAL shall take custody thereof and issue a Baggage Tag. If the Baggage has no name, initials or other personal identification, you shall affix such identification to the Baggage prior to acceptance by PAL. Checked Baggage will be carried on the same flight as you, subject to considerations of safety, security, or any other legal and valid cause, in which case, PAL will carry the Checked Baggage on PAL's next flight on which space is available.

PAL reserves the right to restrict the weight, size and character of Baggage according to capacity and accommodation of the particular aircraft.

You must ensure that the Checked Baggage is sufficiently robust and well secured to withstand the usual and normal rigors of carriage by air without sustaining damage except for ordinary wear and tear.

Sec. 5. UNCHECKED BAGGAGE

(c)

PAL reserves the right to assign or re-assign seats at any time, even after boarding of the aircraft. This may be necessary to comply with laws, rules, and government regulations,or for operational, safety, or security reasons.

items which do not constitute Baggage as defined in Article 1 and as stated below; items which are likely to endanger the aircraft or persons or property on board the aircraft, such as those specified in the Dangerous Goods Regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), these Conditions of Carriage and PAL’s Tariffs; 3. items which are prohibited for carriage by any applicable laws, rules, and government regulations; 4. live animals, except as provided in Section 11 of this Article.

5.

Items, which in the opinion of PAL, are unsuitable for carriage because they are dangerous, unsafe or by reason of their weight, size, shape or character, or because they are fragile orperishable.

Firearms and ammunitions may be accepted as Checked Baggage provided that they are covered by proper authorization, permits, and licenses from the appropriate government authority. Firearms must be unloaded, have the safety catch on, and must be suitably wrapped and packaged, and PAL may require them to be delivered to and remain in its custody until your arrival at the airport of destination. Carriage of firearms and ammunitions is subject to ICAO and IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and any applicable laws, rules, and government regulations.

PAL may implement restrictions on the carriage of liquids, aerosols and gels in compliance with guidelines set by the ICAO, IATA and any applicable laws, rules, and government regulations.

You shall not include in your Checked Baggage, artwork, cameras, money, jewelry, precious metals, silverware, computers, diving computers, personal electronic devices, negotiable papers, securities or other valuables, business documents, passports and other identification documents or samples, unless otherwise permitted by PAL in accordance with these Conditions of Carriage.

Weapons such as swords, knives and similar items may be accepted as Checked Baggage in accordance with these Conditions of Carriage, but will not be permitted in the cabin.

If any item referred to in this Article Sub-sections (a), (b) or (c) above is carried, whether or not it is prohibited from carriage as Baggage, its carriage shall be subject to the charges, limitations of liability and other provisions of these Conditions of Carriage.

Sec. 4. CHECKED BAGGAGE

Sec. 2. TICKETING TIME LIMIT If you have not paid or made credit arrangements for the Ticket with PAL prior to the specified ticketing time limit as advised by PAL or its Authorized Agent, PAL will cancel your reservation without prior notice.

Sec. 4. SEATING PAL will endeavor to honor your advance seating requests. However, PAL does not guarantee to provide any particular seat in the aircraft and you agree to accept any seat that may be allotted on the flight in the class of service for which your Ticket has been issued.

You shall not include in your Baggage: 1.

2.

Article 4 FARES AND CHARGES Section 1. FARES (a) Fares apply only for carriage from the airport at the point of origin to the airport at the point of destination. (b) Your fares are calculated in accordance with PAL’s Tariffs. Fares to be paid may change in cases of changes in your itinerary or dates of travel. (c) Where you voluntarily change the schedule of your flight as reflected in the Ticket, and there is a difference between the fare paid and the available fare in the new schedule. You shall pay the applicable fare difference in accordance with PAL’s Tariffs. (d) Fares do not include ground transport service between airports and between airports and town terminals, unless provided by PAL without additional charge.

Section 1. SCHEDULES The flight times shown in timetables may change between the date of publication and the date you actually travel, as shown in the Ticket. PAL does not guarantee these schedules and they do not form part of your Conditions of Carriage.

Sec. 2. CANCELLATION, CHANGES OF SCHEDULE, ETC. (a) Subject to applicable laws, rules, or government regulations, PAL may, when circumstances so require, cancel, terminate, divert, postpone, delay any flight, alter or omit stopping places shown on the Ticket or in schedules and may without notice substitute alternate carriers or aircraft. (b) If due to circumstances beyond its control, PAL cancels or delays a flight, is unable to provide previously confirmed space, fails to stop at a Stopover or point of destination, or causes you to miss a connecting flight on which you hold a confirmed reservation, PAL shall not be liable for losses or damages including any indirect, special or consequential loss, expense or damage.

Article 10 REFUNDS Section 1. GENERAL Refund of a Ticket or any of its unused portionis subject to these Conditions of Carriage and PAL’s Tariffs.

Sec. 2. PERSON TO WHOM REFUND WILL BE MADE (a) (b)

(e)

(e)

PAL may refuse to carry as Baggage the items described in Section 3 of this Article and may refuse further carriage of any such items upon discovery.

PAL may refuse to carry as Baggage any item, reasonably considered by PAL to be unsuitable for carriage by reason of its size, shape, weight, content, or character; or for safety or operational reasons; or for the comfort of other Passengers. PAL may refuse to accept Baggage as Checked Baggage unless it is properly packed in suitcases or other similar containers to ensure safe carriage with ordinary care in handling.

PAL may refuse to carry as Baggage any item, due to security, safety or operational reasons, including Baggage which does not belong to you or which you have pooled with your Baggage. PAL will not be liable for such Baggage and PAL reserves the right to seek indemnity from you in respect of claims or losses incurred as a result of damage caused to it.

Subject to laws, rules, or government regulations, PAL shall carry passenger wheelchairs or other disabilityassistive devices, unless such carriage would be inconsistent with safety requirements.

PAL shall not check through Baggage for other carriers with whom it does not have an interline agreement with. You are responsible for clearing yourBaggage and having it checked-in and re-tagged for your onward flight. In such circumstances, PAL shall not be liable for any loss, damage or delay.

Sec. 7. RIGHT OF SEARCH For safety and security reasons, PAL may conduct a search on your person and your Baggage, for the purpose of determining whether you are in possession of, or whether your Baggage contains any item described in Section 3, or any firearms, ammunitions, or weaponsare not presented to PAL in accordance with Section 3 of this Article. If you are unwilling to comply with such request, PAL may refuse to carry you and/or your Baggage. In the event a search or scan causes damage to your Baggage, PAL shall not be liable for such damage unless due to its fault or negligence.

The right of search of PAL does not impose an obligation on PAL, nor does it constitute an agreement, either express or implied, by PAL to allow carriage of items which would otherwise be precluded from carriage under Sections 1 and 2 of this Article.

Sec. 8. EXCESS VALUE DECLARATION AND CHARGES (a) You may declare a value for Checked Baggage in excess of the applicable limits of liability. If you make such a declaration, you shall pay the applicable charges in accordance with PAL’s Tariffs. PAL shall have the option to inspect the Checked Baggage to ascertain veracity of the declared value. (b) PAL will refuse to accept an excess value declaration on Checked Baggage when a portion of the carriage is to be provided by another carrier which does not offer the facility. (c) Except as otherwise provided in PAL's Tariffs, excess value charges shall apply for the entire travel and shall be payable at the point of origin, provided that if at a Stopover enroute, you declare a higher excess value than that originally declared, additional excess value charges for the increased declared value from such Stopover to final destination shall be payable.

Sec. 9. COLLECTION AND DELIVERY OF BAGGAGE (a) You are required to collect your Baggage as soon as it is available for collection at places of destination or Stopover. Should you not collect it within a reasonable time, PAL may charge you a storage fee. (b) Only the bearer of the Baggage Tag is entitled to delivery of Baggage. (c) If a person claiming the Baggage is unable to produce the Baggage Tag and identify the Baggage by any other means, PAL will deliver the Baggage to such person only on the condition that he or she establishes to PAL's satisfaction his or her right to the same. PAL also reserves the right to require such person to furnish adequate security to indemnify PAL for any possible loss, damage or expense which may be incurred by PAL as a result of such delivery. (d) Acceptance of Baggage by the bearer of the Baggage Tag without written complaint at the time of delivery is proof that the Baggage has been delivered in good condition and in accordance with these Conditions of Carriage.

Except as provided in this Article, refund shall be made either to the Passenger, or to the person who has paid for the Ticket upon presentation of satisfactory proof of entitlement to the refund.

If a Ticket has been paid for by a person other than the Passenger, and PAL, upon instruction of such person, has so indicated on the Ticket that there is a restriction on refund, PAL shall make a refund only to that person paying for the Ticket or to that person's order.

A refund made to anyone holding himself or herself out as a person to whom refund may be made in terms of (a) above shall be deemed a proper refund and shall discharge PAL from liability and any further claim for refund.

Refund due to Tickets paid for with credit cards will only be charged back to the credit card accounts originally used for the Ticket purchase. The refundable amount to be charged back to the credit card account of the card owner may vary from the originally debited amount due to differences in the exchange rate. Such variances do not entitle the recipient of the refund to a claim against PAL. PAL shall not be held liable for any damages that may result from the ticket cancellation.

If the credit card used is not under Passenger’s account name, Passenger warrants that the he/she and the credit card holder both agreed that: 1) either the Passenger orcredit card holder may apply for online refund;

Sec. 3. INVOLUNTARY REFUNDS If PAL cancels a flight, or fails to operate a flight reasonably according to schedule, or fails to stop at a point to which you are destined or ticketed to Stopover, or is unable to provide previously confirmed space, the amount of the refund shall be subject to these Conditions of Carriage, PAL’s Tariffs, and applicable laws, rules, and government regulations.

Sec. 4. VOLUNTARY REFUNDS If you are entitled to a refund of your Ticket for reasons other than those set out in Section 3 of this Article, the amount of the refund shall be in accordance with PAL’s Tariffs.

Sec. 5. RIGHT TO REFUSE REFUND (a) (b)

(c)

PAL may refuse refund when your application is made thirty (30) days after the expiry of the validity of the Ticket.

PAL may refuse refund on a Ticket which has been presented to PAL or other carriers or to government officials of a country as evidence of intention to depart from such country, unless you are able to establish to PAL's satisfaction that you have permission from the government to remain in the country or that you will depart such country by another carrier or by another means of transport.

PAL may refuse refund in the circumstances covered by Article 7, Section 2 of these Conditions of Carriage.

Sec. 6. CURRENCY All refunds will be subject to applicable laws, rules, and government regulations of the country in which the Ticket was originally purchased and of the country in which the refund is being made. Subject to the foregoing provision, refunds will normally be made in the currency in which the Ticket was paid but may be made in another currency in accordance with PAL's Tariffs.

Article 11 ARRANGEMENTS WITH CARRIER Section 1. NO LIABILITY FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES If in the course of concluding the Conditions of Carriage by air, PAL also agrees to make arrangements for the provision of additional services such as hotel accommodations, excursion trips and the like, PAL does so only as your agent and shall have no liability to you for any loss, damage or expense of any nature whatsoever you incurred as a result of or in connection with your use of such arrangements or the denial of its use by any other person, company or agency.

Sec. 2. STOPOVERS Stopovers may be permitted at Agreed Stopping Places only if arranged with PAL in advance, subject to these Conditions of Carriage and PAL's Tariffs.

Sec. 3. ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION Consistent with Section 1 of Article 9 above, PAL may arrange for comparable air transportation or for other transportation which, at the time such arrangement is made, is scheduled to arrive at the place of your next Stopover, or place of your destination within the same time or reasonably within the same time frame as the scheduled arrival time of the flight where you hold a confirmed reservation.

Article 12 ADMINISTRATIVE FORMALITIES Section 1. GENERAL (a) You are responsible for obtaining and holding all required travel documents and visas and for complying with all applicable laws, rules,and government regulations, and travel requirements of all countries to be flown from, to or through which you transit. PAL shall not be liable to you on the following circumstances: 1.

Sec. 2. EXCESS BAGGAGE

Sec. 2. PERIOD OF VALIDITY Except as otherwise provided in the Ticket, these Conditions of Carriage orPAL’s Tariffs, an International Ticket is valid for carriage for one (1) year from the date of commencement of travel, or if no portion of the Ticket is used, from the date of issuance of the Ticket. A Ticket issued at other than normal fare or under certain restrictions may have a different period of validity as provided for in the conditions prescribed in the Ticketor PAL’s Tariffs.

Sec. 3. EXTENSION OF VALIDITY (a) PAL may extend the validity of your Ticket in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and government regulations. (b) If you are unable to commence or continue your travel within the period of validity of the Ticket by reason of illness, PAL may extend the period of validity of your Ticket until PAL’s first flight after the date when you become fit to travel according to a medical certificate, from the point where the travel is resumed on which space is available in the class of service for which the fare has been paid. Provided, however that, when the flight segments remaining in the Ticket involve one or more Stopovers, the validity of such Ticket, subject to PAL’s Tariffs, will be extended for three (3) months from the date shown on the medical certificate. (c) In the event of death of the Passenger or his/her immediate family member, PAL may likewise extend the validity of their Tickets. Any such change on the Ticket shall be made upon receipt of a proper death certificate and any such extension of Ticket validity shall not be for a period longer than forty-five (45) days from the date of the death.

Article 9 SCHEDULES, CANCELLATION OF FLIGHTS

(c)

Section 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS (a)

Sec. 13. ITEMS REMOVED BY AIRPORT SECURITY PERSONNEL PAL will not be responsible for, nor have any liability in respect of items removed from you or your Baggage by government authority or airport security personnel.

(d)

Sec. 5. MEDICAL CLEARANCE REQUIRED

Sec. 6. OVERRIDING LAW These Conditions of Carriage are applicable unless they are inconsistent with PAL’s Tariffs and applicable laws, rules, and government regulations in which event such Tariffs, laws, rules,and government regulations shall prevail.

Sec. 12. PLANTS Plants, flowers, fruits, cuttings or other plant products may be carried subject to these Conditions of Carriage and PAL’s Tariffs, and any applicable laws, rules, and government regulations of any country to be flown from, to or over.

If you commit any of the acts enumerated under Section 1(g) of this Article, and conduct yourself aboard the aircraft so as to endanger the aircraft or any person or property on board, PAL may take such measures reasonably necessary to prevent continuation of your conduct, including restraint. You may be disembarked and refused onward carriage at any point.

(c)

PAL’s website, www.philippineairlines.com, contains a list of partner carriers of PAL and provides links to each of their conditions of carriage.

Sec. 11. ANIMALS Carriage of animals by PAL shall be subject to the following conditions: (a) You must ensure that animals, such as dogs, cats, household birds and other pets, are properly crated and accompanied by valid health and vaccination certificates, entry permits, and other documents required by countries of entry or transit, failing which, they will not be accepted for carriage. Animals may be accepted for carriage as Checked Baggage, subject to PAL's Tariffs. (b) If accepted, the animal, together with its container and food carried, shall not be included in your free baggage allowance, and will constitute excess baggage, for which you will be required to pay the applicable excess baggage rate. Animals shall not be carried in the Passenger cabin.

However, PAL may issue policies to allow service animals, such as guide dogs, accompanyingPassengers with disability, consistent with applicable laws, rules, and government regulations. Provided that, containers and food of such animal shall be considered as Checked Baggage and will be carried subject to PAL's Tariffs. (c) You shall assume full responsibility for theanimal carried: (i) Where carriage is not subject to the liability rules of the Convention, PAL shall not be liable for any injury to or loss, sickness or death of such animal. (ii) PAL shall have no liability in respect of any such animal not having all the necessary exit, entry, health and other documents with respect to the animal’s entry into or passage through any country.The person transporting the animal must reimburse PAL for any fine, costs, losses or liabilities reasonably imposed or incurred by PAL as a result. (d) PAL shall have no liability to you if you are unable to travel as a result of the refusal of carriage to any animal that you attempt to carry on the aircraft.

Sec. 2. CONSEQUENCES OF REFUSAL OF CARRIAGE AND OF REMOVAL OF PASSENGER

(b)

refusal of carriage; check-in deadline; denied boarding compensation; boarding fees; baggage acceptance and liability; flight disruptions; advance seating arrangement; unaccompanied minors; carriage of animals; stretcher assistance; medical oxygen.

You fail or refuse to comply with these Conditions of Carriage; (i) The applicable fare or any charges or taxes payable have not been paid, or credit arrangements with PAL have not been complied with; (ii) the payment is done through fraudulent means; (iii) when the credit card used for payment could not be authenticated upon booking or is subsequently reported to be lost or stolen; or (iv) when the credit card used for payment is not presented for validation, if so required by PAL; The refusal to transport or removal from PAL’s aircraft is necessary to comply with any applicable laws, rules, and government regulations of any country to be flown from, to or over; Such action is necessary or advisable by reason of weather or other conditions beyond PAL’s control including, but not limited to: acts of God, force majeure, strikes, civil commotions, embargoes, wars, hostilities, terrorist activities, or disturbances, whether actual, threatened, or reported; (i) You appear to be improperly documented; (ii) you cannot prove, when so required that, you are the person named in the Ticket; (iii) the Tickethas been acquired or reported to have been acquired unlawfully or has been purchased or reported to have been purchased from an entity other than PAL or its Authorized Agent; (iv) your Ticket is acquired illegally, (v) if you’re Ticket is a counterfeit Ticket or has been altered, torn, damaged or tampered with; (vi) when the immigration authority of the country you are traveling to, or of a country in which you have a Stopover, informed PAL (either verbally or in writing) that it has decided not to allow you to enter that country, even if you have, or appear to have, valid travel documents; (vii) when you destroy your travel documents during the flight; (viii) when you have refused to allow PAL to photocopy your travel documents; (ix) when you have refused to give your travel documents to a member of the crew of the aircraft, when PAL asked you to do so; You are a person in the custody of law, unless you are sufficiently escorted; Such refusal or removal is reasonably necessary for the security, safety or comfort of other Passengers or PAL’s employees; or to prevent damage to the property of PAL or of its Passengers or crew or employees, including, but not limited to the following instances: 1.

When you assault, intimidate or threaten, whether physical or verbal, any of PAL’s ground staff, crew members or other Passengers; 2.

When you create a disturbance which interferes with the duties of the ground staff, flight crew or when the disturbance necessitates the pilot-in-command or any member of the cockpit crew to leave the cockpit to attend to the same; 3.

When you refuse to follow a lawful instruction given by the pilot-in-command, or on behalf of the pilotin-command,or by a crew member for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the aircraft or of any person or property on board or for the purpose of maintaining good order and discipline on board; 4.

When you commit an act of physical violence, sexual assault, or child molestation, against other persons; 5.

When your conduct results or may result to a risk of harm or damage to the aircraft, or properties belonging to PAL, its Passengers, or employees;When you refuse to submit to a security check; 6.

When you refuse to follow PAL’s policy on smoking and use of alcoholic beverages and drugs; 7.

When you tamper with the smoke detector or any other safety-related device on board the aircraft; 8.

When you fail to comply with safety regulations, including fastening seatbelts when required; 9.

When you use portable electronic device when such is prohibited; 10.

When you are not properly clothed; 11.

When you have a contagious disease which may be transmitted to others during the fight; 12.

When the Passenger who may have been required to present medical clearance in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and government regulations, failed to submit said medical certificate and where it appears that he/she cannot complete the flight without requiring medical assistance; 13.

When your conduct is disorderly, abusive, offensive or violent; 14.

When your conduct results or may result to a risk of annoyance, offense or disturbance to other Passengers; 15.

When you have made a hoax bomb or other security threat;

Sec. 10. UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE Any Baggage which is unclaimed after being in PAL’s possession for thirty (30) days shall be disposed of by PAL in any manner it deems proper.

2.

for any aid or information given by any agent or employee of PAL in connection with obtaining necessary documents or visas or complying with such laws, rules, and government regulations, whether given in writing or otherwise; or for your failure to obtain such documents or visas or to comply with such laws, rules, and government regulations.

Sec. 2. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS (a) Prior to your travel, you must present all exit, entry, health and other documents required by laws, rules, and government regulations of the countries concerned and permit PAL to take and/or retain copies of it. (b) PAL reserves the right to require you to present any of these documents at any time during the carriage. PAL may also refuse to carry you if you have not complied with applicable laws,rules, and government regulationsor when PAL has reason to believe that your travel documents are not in order.

Sec. 3. PASSENGER RESPONSIBLE FOR FINES, DETENTION COSTS, ETC. (a) You are required to pay the applicable fare whenever PAL, on government orders, is required to return you to your point of origin or elsewhere, owing to your inadmissibility into a country, whether of transit or of destination. (b) If PAL is required to pay any fine or penalty or it incurred any expenditure by reason of your failure to comply with any applicable laws, rules, and government regulations, and travel requirements of the countries concerned or to produce the required documents, you shall, on demand, reimburse to PAL any amount so paid and any expenditure so incurred. (c) PAL may use for such expenditure any funds paid to PAL for unused carriage, or any of your funds in PAL’s possession. (d) In addition to the above, PAL reserves the right to hold you liable for any fine and penalty incurred by PAL by reason of any fraud or misrepresentation you commit in relation to your travel or immigration documents.

Sec. 4. CUSTOMS OR OTHER OFFICIAL INSPECTION (a) If required, you shall attend the inspection of your Baggage, checked or unchecked, by customs or other government officials. (b) PAL is not liable to you for any loss or damage you suffered through your failure to comply with this requirement.

Sec. 5. SECURITY INSPECTION You shall submit to any security checks by PAL, government or airport officials to carry out security screening on your person and your Baggage.

Article 13 LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY Section 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS These Conditions of Carriage and applicable laws, rules, and government regulations govern PAL’s liability to you.

Sec. 2. LIMITS ON LIABILITY ON INTERNATIONAL CARRIAGE Unless otherwise stated in these Conditions of Carriage, International Carriage, as defined in the Convention, is subject to the liability rules of the Convention.

Sec. 3. LIABILITY FOR DAMAGE Where your carriage is not subject to the liability rules of the Convention, our liability provisions are as follows: (a) (b) (c) (d)

(e) (f) (g)

(h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o)

PAL will not be liable to you for any loss or expense incurred due to your failure to comply with any of the provisions of this Conditions of Carriage.

PAL is not liable if it proves that it or any of its agents have taken all necessary measures to avoid the damage or that it was impossible for it to take such measure.

In the carriage of Baggage, PAL is not liable if it proves that the damage was occasioned by negligence in the handling of the aircraft or in navigation and that, in all other respects, it has taken all necessary measures to avoid the damage.

PAL is liable only for damage occurring on its own line or air services. When PAL issues a Ticket or Baggage Tag over the lines or air services of another carrier, PAL does so only as agent for such other carrier and assumes no responsibility for the acts or omissions of such other carrier. Nevertheless, with respect to Checked Baggage, you shall have a right of action against the first or last carrier.

PAL is not liable for damage to Unchecked Baggage unless such damage is caused by the negligence of PAL. If there has been contributory negligence on your part, PAL's liability shall be subject to the applicable laws, rules, and government regulation relating to contributory negligence.

PAL is not liable for damage arising from its compliance with any laws, rules, and government regulations, orders or requirements, or from your failure to comply with the same.

If in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and government regulations, different limits of liability are applicable such different limits shall apply. If the weight of the Baggage is not recorded on the Baggage Tag, it is presumed that the total weight of the Checked Baggage does not exceed the applicable free baggage allowance for the class of service concerned. If in the case of Checked Baggage a higher value is declared pursuant to Article 8, Section 7, the liability of PAL shall be limited to such higher declared value.

PAL's limit of liability shall not exceed the amount of proven damages. PAL shall furthermore not be liable for indirect or consequential damages.

PAL is not liable for injury to you or for damage to your Baggage caused by property contained in your Baggage.

In the event that your property causes injury to another person or damage to another person's property or to PAL’s property, you shall indemnify PAL for all losses and expenses incurred by PAL as its result.

PAL is not liable for loss or damage to fragile or perishable items, money, jewelry, precious metals, silverware, negotiable papers, securities, or other valuables, business documents, passports and other identification documents or samples. Carriage of the foregoing shall be allowed only under special arrangements with PAL. PAL is not liable for any consequence resulting solely from your state of health.

The aggregate amount you may claim from PAL, including from Authorized Agents, employees, or representatives shall not exceed the limits of liability as prescribed in these Conditions of Carriage.

Unless so expressly provided nothing herein contained shall waive any exclusion or limitation of liability of PAL under the Convention or applicable laws, rules, and government regulations.

In the Domestic Carriage of persons, the limit of liability for death or injury of persons attributable solely to the act, omission or negligence of PAL and not due to any cause beyond its control, shall be governed by the relevant local law or regulation.

In the Domestic Carriage of Checked Baggage, the limit of liability for loss, damage or delay of the Checked Baggage or of any object contained in the Baggage, attributable solely to the act, omission or negligence of PAL and not by any cause beyond its control, shall be governed by the relevant local law or regulation.

Article 14 DENIED BOARDING COMPENSATION

Section 1. DENIED BOARDING Subject to the exceptions provided under Section 2 of this Article, PAL shall compensatePassengers holding confirmed reservations and who have undergone all the prerequisite formalities for check-in, but were denied boarding due solely to unavailability of space, in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and government regulations.

Sec. 2. EXCEPTIONS OF ELIGIBILITY You shall not be eligible for denied boarding compensation if: (a) (b) (c)

the flight for which you hold confirmed reservations is unable to accommodate you because of: (1) government requisition of space; or (2) substitution of equipment of lesser capacity when required by operational and/or safety reasons and/or other causes beyond the control of PAL; the flight is cancelled due to operational and/or safety reasons, force majeure, weather, strikes, or other causes beyond the control of PAL; or PAL arranges for comparable air transportation or for other transportation which, at the time such arrangement is made, is scheduled to arrive at the place of your next Stopover, or place of his destination not later than three (3) hours from the scheduled arrival time on the flight where he holds a confirmed reservation.

Article 15 MODIFICATION AND WAIVER

No agent, employee or representative of PAL, by conduct, in writing or otherwise, has authority to alter, modify or waive any provision of these Conditions of Carriage and PAL’s Tariffs Article 16 TOPIC HEADINGS The title of each Article of these Conditions is for convenience only, and is not to be used for interpretation of the text. ( T S - A P R . 6 /13 , 2 016)

W E D N E S D AY: A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

IS DUTERTE IT?

[ EDI TORI A L ]

OUR BAD LUCK WHEN you pile stupidity onto corruption, incompetence and arrogance, you’ve entered the rarefied world of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, consistently voted among the world’s most hated airports.

Here, bullets have been known to miraculously appear in luggage, giving airport officials the opportunity to shake down travelers, most of whom can be intimidated into parting with their cash to avoid trouble.

Now and again, parts of the ceiling have been known to collapse, injuring a hapless passenger or two. And here, airport officials proudly point to clean toilets with running water as a major achievement.

Small wonder that in such an environment, the airport’s general manager, a distant relation to President Aquino, is exempted from the periodic performance-based assessments that are normally applied to top executives of private corporations and government agencies.

General manager Jose Angel Honrado, who has been on the receiving end of demands that he resign over the mess he has made of the country’s premier airport, has consistently refused to go. “If every time there is a problem, you ask the official to resign, then you are looking for a problem every month,” he said by way of explanation.

The latest feather in Honrado’s cap was a five-hour power outage at Terminal 3 that plunged the airport into darkness overnight on April 2, forced the cancellation of more than 80 flights and stranded about 14,000 passengers from one airline alone.

Exhausted passengers sprawled on the floor as check-in counters and luggage carousels shut down. Long queues formed outside the terminal as entrances were closed until power was restored.

Hauled before the Senate to answer questions about the power outage at the airport, Honrado said the airport’s standby generator that supplied backup power to the terminal’s vital areas, including departure entrances, screening equipment, the baggage handling system, as well as some areas in the check-in lobby and immigration counters, had failed because of a defective battery.

For this, the airport manager blamed, not poor maintenance, but sheer bad luck.

Encouraged by Honrado’s insightful assessment, one unnamed airport official suggested to Naia-3 manager Octavio Lina that they bring in a feng shui expert to take away the bad luck that has plagued airport operations.

The official said the feng shui expert could identify what was wrong with the terminal’s design. Local shamans might also be called in to exorcise the evil spirits that resided at the airport.

Incredibly, Lina was quoted as saying he might suggest the idea to Honrado for approval, in the process adding an extra dose of foolishness to the already toxic Naia mix.

The truth is, the root of our bad luck is having a President who does not hold his managers accountable for their poor performance because they are his friends, allies, classmates or distant relatives.

Perhaps the local shamans should be sent to exorcise the Palace instead—and the rest of the evil spirits at the airport will follow.

WHAT’S IN A NICKNAME? LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES I WISH “Daang Matuwid” were really just a nickname, instead of a six-year curse on the nation. That said, I really wish Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo would look my way if I call them by their chosen (and mutual) official nicknames as they appear on the ballot even after the May 9 elections.

I’m not advocating the practice of calling Mar “Manuel” and Leni “Maria Leonor,” of course,

simply because those are their real names. But to change your name, given or preferred, simply to show your political affiliation and to rope in voters who still believe in it is just more than a little off-putting.

Of course, I’m pretty sure that neither Mar nor Leni would dream of even answering to the name “Daang Matuwid,” even if it were used by their loved ones in the privacy of their respective homes. I’d even hazard a guess that President Noynoy Aquino, the man who first mashed those two simple words together and made them into a cheap political slogan—

and an increasingly ironic one, at that—would respond to such a salutation.

The simple truth of the matter is, Aquino and his chosen tandem are just trying to gain an advantage, however slight, on the competition by attempting to pass off a slogan as a nickname. There’s just a small problem with the rules of the Commission on Elections, which allows nicknames on the official ballots (like “Jojo,” “Rody,” “Chiz” and the like) but forbids the use of slogans, like Mar and Leni’s joint “Daang Matuwid” moniker.

I asked Comelec Chairman

A9

Aquino’s tandem is just trying to gain an advantage on the competition by passing off a slogan as a nickname.

Andres (“Andy,” to his friends) Bautista if a violation of the rules has indeed taken place.

Because Andy is a nice guy, he said former Commissioner Gregorio (“Goyo,” to those who know him) Larrazabal should file a formal complaint instead of complaining to media, both traditional and social, about the matter.

Bautista’s spokesman James (who, as far as I know, doesn’t answer to any other name) Jimenez said all candidates were asked to specify their favored nicknames when they filed their certificates.

Jimenez said, basically, that Comelec has no control over the names candidates choose for themselves.

The LP spokesman, Ibarra (“Barry,” I’m told) Gutierrez, over-reacted, as usual, seeing a conspiracy when none obviously exists. Why did Larrazabal bring up the matter, he asked, only now if he was not part of some grand scheme to derail the administration’s upcoming victory—or words to that effect.

Personally, I think we should allow Mar and Leni (or “Daang Matuwid” Roxas and “Daang Matuwid” Robredo) the use of their chosen slogan—I mean nickname, of course. Neither of them

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-

can expect anyone to call them by that name anyway; after the elections, both of them will wish no one even remembers. *** Now, it’s Robredo who’s lecturing Roxas about his anemic performance in the voter preference surveys.

Robredo, who’s been enjoying an uptick in her own polling, said her running mate has a lot of “baggage” in the form of his previous assignments in the government of President Noynoy Aquino.

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

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“It’s not just him,” Robredo said, earning some points for being candid.

“It’s also the assignments given to him.”

Robredo’s candor is justified, because she’s already polling better than Roxas, both in rank and in percentage. Perhaps, at this point, even Aquino himself is ruing his decision to let Roxas “continue the gains,” as they say over at the Palace; maybe Leni would have fared better than Mar in the presidential race.

Continued on A11

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

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

THE presidential race has taken an unexpected turn. Long-time Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is now the leading presidential candidate. If he keeps his momentum, and it seems he will, Duterte would be the next president of the Philippines.

Three reasons for Duterte’s sudden surge: One, branding. He is seen as the law and order and anti-corruption candidate. Crime and corruption are the two biggest problems of this country.

The reason why the Philippines has more than 26 million poor Filipinos is corruption. A third of the P3-trillion budget is stolen. Because P1 trillion is stolen, money that could have gone to hike food production, send more kids to schools, and improve basic services is missing. Because 26 million are poor, they have no recourse but turn to drugs and crime to survive. Because government officials are corrupt, illegal drugs and criminality are rampant.

People are frustrated with BS Aquino III for having failed to tackle these major social problems. They see Duterte as their savior, their last card in an economic game of chance.

Two, Visayans are hungry for power.

Since 1962, all Philippine presidents have come from Luzon, particularly its Tagalog, Pampango and northern regions. This has given rise to imperial Manila because the national capital is in Luzon. Duterte is the nearest for Cebuanos to have their own president.

The last time they had that chance was in 1965 with then-Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez but then Ferdinand Marcos defeated him in a controversial party convention. To be sure, Luzon has more than 55 percent of the national population but the people of Visayas and Mindanao consider that kind of talk BS. Three, Grace Poe has failed to surge following the Supreme Court ruling that she is qualified to run. This failure might have been due to the controversial nature of the high court decision which lacked clarity and had no basis in the Constitution.

In the Social Weather Stations survey of March 30-April 2, 2016, Poe now only has a 23 percent voter preference, down from 34 percent on March 30, 35 on March 22, 33 on March 18, 29 on March 8-11, and 27 percent on March 4-7.

Continued on A11

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO Ambassador Del Rosario’s column will resume on Friday.

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

W E D N E S D AY: A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

IS DUTERTE IT?

[ EDI TORI A L ]

OUR BAD LUCK WHEN you pile stupidity onto corruption, incompetence and arrogance, you’ve entered the rarefied world of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, consistently voted among the world’s most hated airports.

Here, bullets have been known to miraculously appear in luggage, giving airport officials the opportunity to shake down travelers, most of whom can be intimidated into parting with their cash to avoid trouble.

Now and again, parts of the ceiling have been known to collapse, injuring a hapless passenger or two. And here, airport officials proudly point to clean toilets with running water as a major achievement.

Small wonder that in such an environment, the airport’s general manager, a distant relation to President Aquino, is exempted from the periodic performance-based assessments that are normally applied to top executives of private corporations and government agencies.

General manager Jose Angel Honrado, who has been on the receiving end of demands that he resign over the mess he has made of the country’s premier airport, has consistently refused to go. “If every time there is a problem, you ask the official to resign, then you are looking for a problem every month,” he said by way of explanation.

The latest feather in Honrado’s cap was a five-hour power outage at Terminal 3 that plunged the airport into darkness overnight on April 2, forced the cancellation of more than 80 flights and stranded about 14,000 passengers from one airline alone.

Exhausted passengers sprawled on the floor as check-in counters and luggage carousels shut down. Long queues formed outside the terminal as entrances were closed until power was restored.

Hauled before the Senate to answer questions about the power outage at the airport, Honrado said the airport’s standby generator that supplied backup power to the terminal’s vital areas, including departure entrances, screening equipment, the baggage handling system, as well as some areas in the check-in lobby and immigration counters, had failed because of a defective battery.

For this, the airport manager blamed, not poor maintenance, but sheer bad luck.

Encouraged by Honrado’s insightful assessment, one unnamed airport official suggested to Naia-3 manager Octavio Lina that they bring in a feng shui expert to take away the bad luck that has plagued airport operations.

The official said the feng shui expert could identify what was wrong with the terminal’s design. Local shamans might also be called in to exorcise the evil spirits that resided at the airport.

Incredibly, Lina was quoted as saying he might suggest the idea to Honrado for approval, in the process adding an extra dose of foolishness to the already toxic Naia mix.

The truth is, the root of our bad luck is having a President who does not hold his managers accountable for their poor performance because they are his friends, allies, classmates or distant relatives.

Perhaps the local shamans should be sent to exorcise the Palace instead—and the rest of the evil spirits at the airport will follow.

WHAT’S IN A NICKNAME? LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES I WISH “Daang Matuwid” were really just a nickname, instead of a six-year curse on the nation. That said, I really wish Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo would look my way if I call them by their chosen (and mutual) official nicknames as they appear on the ballot even after the May 9 elections.

I’m not advocating the practice of calling Mar “Manuel” and Leni “Maria Leonor,” of course,

simply because those are their real names. But to change your name, given or preferred, simply to show your political affiliation and to rope in voters who still believe in it is just more than a little off-putting.

Of course, I’m pretty sure that neither Mar nor Leni would dream of even answering to the name “Daang Matuwid,” even if it were used by their loved ones in the privacy of their respective homes. I’d even hazard a guess that President Noynoy Aquino, the man who first mashed those two simple words together and made them into a cheap political slogan—

and an increasingly ironic one, at that—would respond to such a salutation.

The simple truth of the matter is, Aquino and his chosen tandem are just trying to gain an advantage, however slight, on the competition by attempting to pass off a slogan as a nickname. There’s just a small problem with the rules of the Commission on Elections, which allows nicknames on the official ballots (like “Jojo,” “Rody,” “Chiz” and the like) but forbids the use of slogans, like Mar and Leni’s joint “Daang Matuwid” moniker.

I asked Comelec Chairman

A9

Aquino’s tandem is just trying to gain an advantage on the competition by passing off a slogan as a nickname.

Andres (“Andy,” to his friends) Bautista if a violation of the rules has indeed taken place.

Because Andy is a nice guy, he said former Commissioner Gregorio (“Goyo,” to those who know him) Larrazabal should file a formal complaint instead of complaining to media, both traditional and social, about the matter.

Bautista’s spokesman James (who, as far as I know, doesn’t answer to any other name) Jimenez said all candidates were asked to specify their favored nicknames when they filed their certificates.

Jimenez said, basically, that Comelec has no control over the names candidates choose for themselves.

The LP spokesman, Ibarra (“Barry,” I’m told) Gutierrez, over-reacted, as usual, seeing a conspiracy when none obviously exists. Why did Larrazabal bring up the matter, he asked, only now if he was not part of some grand scheme to derail the administration’s upcoming victory—or words to that effect.

Personally, I think we should allow Mar and Leni (or “Daang Matuwid” Roxas and “Daang Matuwid” Robredo) the use of their chosen slogan—I mean nickname, of course. Neither of them

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can expect anyone to call them by that name anyway; after the elections, both of them will wish no one even remembers. *** Now, it’s Robredo who’s lecturing Roxas about his anemic performance in the voter preference surveys.

Robredo, who’s been enjoying an uptick in her own polling, said her running mate has a lot of “baggage” in the form of his previous assignments in the government of President Noynoy Aquino.

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“It’s not just him,” Robredo said, earning some points for being candid.

“It’s also the assignments given to him.”

Robredo’s candor is justified, because she’s already polling better than Roxas, both in rank and in percentage. Perhaps, at this point, even Aquino himself is ruing his decision to let Roxas “continue the gains,” as they say over at the Palace; maybe Leni would have fared better than Mar in the presidential race.

Continued on A11

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THE presidential race has taken an unexpected turn. Long-time Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is now the leading presidential candidate. If he keeps his momentum, and it seems he will, Duterte would be the next president of the Philippines.

Three reasons for Duterte’s sudden surge: One, branding. He is seen as the law and order and anti-corruption candidate. Crime and corruption are the two biggest problems of this country.

The reason why the Philippines has more than 26 million poor Filipinos is corruption. A third of the P3-trillion budget is stolen. Because P1 trillion is stolen, money that could have gone to hike food production, send more kids to schools, and improve basic services is missing. Because 26 million are poor, they have no recourse but turn to drugs and crime to survive. Because government officials are corrupt, illegal drugs and criminality are rampant.

People are frustrated with BS Aquino III for having failed to tackle these major social problems. They see Duterte as their savior, their last card in an economic game of chance.

Two, Visayans are hungry for power.

Since 1962, all Philippine presidents have come from Luzon, particularly its Tagalog, Pampango and northern regions. This has given rise to imperial Manila because the national capital is in Luzon. Duterte is the nearest for Cebuanos to have their own president.

The last time they had that chance was in 1965 with then-Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez but then Ferdinand Marcos defeated him in a controversial party convention. To be sure, Luzon has more than 55 percent of the national population but the people of Visayas and Mindanao consider that kind of talk BS. Three, Grace Poe has failed to surge following the Supreme Court ruling that she is qualified to run. This failure might have been due to the controversial nature of the high court decision which lacked clarity and had no basis in the Constitution.

In the Social Weather Stations survey of March 30-April 2, 2016, Poe now only has a 23 percent voter preference, down from 34 percent on March 30, 35 on March 22, 33 on March 18, 29 on March 8-11, and 27 percent on March 4-7.

Continued on A11

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W E D N E S D AY: A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

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OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

BINAYBONGBONG ON ELECTION DAY TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO WHILE our attention, less than a month before the May 9 elections, is on who will become the next president, vice president and the next batch of senators, we should not forget that the bigger problem is whether or not we will have clean, fair and honest elections.

I say this in the wake of the recent hacking of the Comelec’s website.

Information on some 1.5 million registered voters, whose biometrics are in the Comelec’s website, may already have been compromised.

I am sticking my neck out for this, but I say it anyway.

Santa Banana, add this problem to the fact that there’s still so much doubt about the credibility of Precinct Count Optical Scan machines of Smartmatic, given the allegations of fraud during the 2010 and 2013 elections.

We should not discount the impact of cheating on May 9. If the people’s will is frustrated, that may just explode into something we cannot imagine.

Even if the Comelec assures us that hacking of the results on May 9 is not possible, we are still worried. We know that hackers can get into the websites of governments’ security institutions.

Cybercrime is a real global threat.

The possibility of fraud during election day is something that the nation should be forewarned about. And the only one that has that capability is the Aquino administration itself. Imagine if his anointed one, Mar Roxas,

and his Manchurian Candidate, Grace Poe Llamanzares, both lose.

He may just find himself in jail! *** Reports have it that Llamanzares, Roxas and their running mates Senator Chiz Escudero and Rep. Leni Robredo are seeking the support of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

Obviously, they are unaware of the fact that the Iglesia cannot just support a presidential or vice presidential candidate so easily.

Through the years, the Iglesia has learned to know where its bread is buttered. Recall that in 1992, the Iglesia threw its support behind San Miguel top honcho Danding Cojuangco who lost. Since then, the Iglesia has had its own poll surveys on who will win come election day.

They conduct houseto-house and face-toface surveys by the Iglesia “deakonos” or deacons in their own jurisdiction nationwide.

The result of this survey is submitted in what they call a “samba” where all the INC ministers and council are assembled.

This is done within days before Election Day, after which a circular is issued to all Iglesia members numbering some 2.5 million voters.

I know this because the late Ka Imon Cuevas, an Iglesia stalwart and close associate of the late Iglesia Supreme Ka Erano Manalo, told me that the Iglesia went for former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo according to their poll surveys against very popular movie icon Fernando Poe Jr. in the 2004 polls.

I was also told that the Iglesia has become more realistic—“segurista” in the vernacular—after it had burned in 1992 when it threw their support behind Cojuangco.

The Iglesia has high stakes in supporting the winner of presidential and vice presidential elections. They want their members appointed to sensitive positions in government, especially the PNP Chief of Police and other positions.

That’s why we find Iglesia members not only in

THE AMBITION OF BERNIE SANDERS

By Francis Wilkinson AMBITION is the most consistent, yet variable, component of public life. Lincoln and FDR had it, and that was good. Benedict Arnold and Joseph McCarthy had it, too. And that turned out very bad.

Bernie Sanders is not often described as an ambitious man. But you don’t run for mayor of your city without a dash of ego and drive. You don’t leverage that position into a congressional seat without wanting more. And no one ends up a US senator without the gnawing, often insatiable, hunger peculiar to political ambition.

After more than a quarter century of playing at the margins of the political arena, Sanders has entered the main contest. Running for president is the most public imprint of an individual’s ego, ambition and desire.

That’s not to suggest Sanders is in it solely for himself; his ideals have been manifest throughout his career. It’s merely a statement of political fact, as indisputable as weather.

Hillary Clinton’s weather patterns are familiar. “I am not a natural politician,” she said during a debate with Sanders, “in case you haven’t noticed, like my husband or President Obama.” Having been eclipsed, in different ways, by two preternaturally gifted politicians, Clinton nevertheless kept plugging.

The one-time Goldwater Girl knows her political archetype cold: She is a persevering Nixon forever working to get a leg up on some charming damned Kennedy.

Clinton’s marriage uniquely boosted her. But her diligence and dogged mastery of detail would otherwise be familiar to Nixon. In “Six Crises,” Nixon wrote: “I won my share of scholarships, and of speaking and debating prizes in school, not because I was smarter but because I worked longer and harder than some of my more gifted colleagues.” the executive, but in the judiciary. After all, they also have business interests to protect. *** I may be sticking my neck when I say that the May 9 elections will ultimately be a fight between Vice President Jojo Binay and administration candidate Mar Roxas. But I say it anyway. Why? Of all the five presidential candidates, only Binay and the administration candidate Roxas have what they call grassroots political machinery which can deliver the votes on Election Day. While Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Du-Dirty and Mrs. Llamanzares may

As a law student at Duke University, an upperclassman reassured an anxious Nixon that he had what it took to succeed—the “iron butt” to endure countless hours of study.

Clinton has an iron butt.

Sanders doesn’t. He still exhibits difficulty filling in the details of his own proposals. His cursory tour of contemporary global affairs, one year into his surprisingly competitive campaign, ends in a political safe house, and a prescription immune to contradiction: If you travel back in time to 2002, don’t vote for the Iraq war.

A disciplined orator, he has made a marketable virtue of quirky authenticity. But he’s no Kennedy or Obama. And he set a quixotic goal from the outset of his campaign, repeatedly saying that his success depends on fomenting a peaceful “revolution.”

That’s a tall order six years into a Republican Thermidor in which reaction, not revolution, has been the most salient feature of American politics. As the Republican primary confirms, the scorching headwinds haven’t cooled. So what compels a 74-year-old to make his first presidential run into the furnace blast?

It seemed at first that Sanders was running mostly to make a point. His hero, American socialist Eugene Debs, ran repeatedly for president in the first two decades of the 20th century, hitting a peak of 6 percent of the national vote in the four-way election of 1912. Debs didn’t expect to be elected. But he did hope to lead a revolution, and his motivation would be familiar to any Sanders supporter.

Debs was prosecuted in 1918 for making an antiwar speech under the Espionage Act. Addressing the court, he lamented rampant inequality, which enabled 5 percent of the population to control two-thirds of the nation’s wealth—a ratio that, a

be leading in poll surveys because of popularity, it’s just that, popularity. It does not necessarily translate to votes.

I know for a fact, having gone with presidential candidates in the past in their sorties nationwide, that popularity is not all there is to it in winning.

Since he became mayor of Makati and through his family who also got elected after him, the Vice President has had this grassroots machinery intact. He had that in 2010 when he won against Mar, and he has enhanced it for his presidential bid.

I think it will be a BinayBongbong Marcos come election day.

century later, is once again familiar.

Debs attacked “the plutocratic element that absolutely rules our country. They privately own and control our common necessities. They wear no crowns; they wield no scepters; they sit upon no thrones; and yet they are our economic masters and political rulers.”

With Sanders, the rhetoric is reprised but the goal seems to be mutating. If Sanders ever thought of himself as a protest or “movement” candidate, he does no longer. If he ran in part because he never had before, and would be too old to ever try again, his trajectory has changed.

His revolution has fallen short of capturing even half the Democratic Party, let alone the number of voters powering respective assaults on the castle by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. But revolution has been displaced by more pragmatic concerns.

“I think we have a real shot to end up with more delegates,” he saidSunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Electoral success, popularity and a spectacular grass-roots fundraising organization have brought Sanders tantalizingly near the Democratic nomination. He is beginning to taste something for which some doubted he had the appetite. Last week he launched a surprise attack on Clinton, the most prepared Democratic candidate for president at least since Al Gore in 2000, as “unqualified.”

In a campaign that Sanders casts as a contest between his righteous idealism and his opponent’s compromised ambition, his aggressive overreach was clarifying. Clinton’s ambition has been on public exhibit for years, producing volumes of commentary, much of it snide.

Sanders, citing a higher calling, has escaped such scrutiny. He may not share his opponent’s ferrous backside, but Sanders knows far more about the metallurgy of ambition than he lets on. Bloomberg

*** A good question is: Why is Du-Dirty surpassing Mrs. Llamanzares in all poll surveys? One reason is that many people are deluded by Du-Dirty’s promise for real change if he gets elected, like solving corruption, criminality and illegal drugs problems within three to six months of his term. Can you believe that since to solve these problems will need a dictator, which is next to impossible if you read Article VII, Section 18 of the Constitution.

I would even say that only idiots would believe Du-Dirty’s promises, and there are no doubts are many of them as shown in

poll surveys.

First of all, Du-Dirty will have to rely on police intelligence to know the criminals and the illegal drug dens. The problem is that even the police and politicians are involved in illegal drug trafficking. It is a multi-billion peso enterprise. What do we expect Du-Dirty to do, kill all suspected criminals?

If he can find them in the first place.

Du-Dirty forgets that in both Mexico and Colombia, where there are so many drug cartels, drug trafficking continues to exist even if the United States DEA or Drug Enforcement Agency intervenes.

Continued on A11

W E D N E S D AY: A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

THE REAL REASON WOMEN STILL GET PAID LESS

By Cass R. Sunstein WHEN it comes to discrimination, Americans pride ourselves on how far we’ve come. Racial segregation is history. Explicit sex discrimination is banned.

Same-sex marriage is the law of the land. But amidst all the progress, the male-female wage gap persists, and it’s big.

A new essay by Cornell economists Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn offers by far the most comprehensive and illuminating discussion to date of that gap. They find that for every dollar earned by a man working full time, women working full time earn about 79 cents. More alarming, the gap hasn’t closed much since 1990. Sex discrimination is probably a big part of the explanation.

It’s true that things were a lot worse in 1980, when women earned about 62 percent as much as men. By 1989, women were earning about 74 percent as much, cutting the gap by nearly one-third. But since then, prog-

ress has been slow. Interestingly, the gap is now highest at the top of the income distribution, suggesting the possibility of a glass ceiling.

Blau and Kahn do find some good news. Women have reversed men’s longstanding educational advantage. They now have higher average levels of schooling than men, and are more likely to have advanced degrees.

Women have also come close to obliterating the experience gap. In 1981, men had almost seven years more full-time experience in the labor market than women. Right now, the gap is around 1.4 years. Here again, much of the improvement for women occurred in the 1980s.

Blau and Kahn find that gains in education and experience account for the lion’s share of the post-1980 reduction in the wage gap. In 1981, men had a strong majority of managerial jobs; now men and women are nearly equal on that count.

Why, then, does the gap per-

Is Duterte... From A9 In the same SWS surveys, Duterte went up from 21 percent on March 4-7, 23 on March 8-11, 24 on March 18, 26 on March 22 before settling at 31 percent on March 30, second to Poe’s 34 percent.

The senator from Manila and Pangasinan is losing ground. Perhaps, she should recast her branding outside of being a Fernando Poe Jr. daughter who will continue what he stood for.

Decency? It cannot solve crime and corruption. Fresh face? It cannot solve crime and corruption. Toughness and no-nonsense leadership will do it.

It is the same situation with Senator Chiz Escudero who has lost the vice presidency to Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., 22 vs. 28 percent in the Pulse Asia poll of March 29-April 3, and 21 vs. 26 percent in the SWS poll of March 30-April 2.

In the last Pulse Asia (March 29-April 3, 2016) survey, Mayor Duterte is the choice of 30 percent of voters, up six percentage points from his 24 percent in Pulse Asia’s polls of March 1-6, 2016 and March 15-20, 2016.

The frontrunner since February 2016, Grace Poe is losing ground. About 28 percent of voters wanted her had elections been held during Pulse Asia’s March 1-6 and March 15-20, 2016 surveys. But by March 29-April 3, 2016, the senator had lost three percentage points.

Binay-Bongbong... From A10 As for corruption, only idiots will believe that it can be stopped overnight.

Du-Dirty claims that he will institute federalism nationwide to solve even the separatist movement in Mindanao. This can only be achieved by amending the Constitution. This cannot be done within three or even six months since that would need the help of both the Senate

sist, and why is it so big? The difference in experience levels, while vastly reduced, continues to be a contributing factor. And because women are more likely to leave work to care for children, men also benefit from a significantly lower rate of workforce interruptions.

But more important are the areas in which women work.

The occupations and industries historically dominated by women (such as administrative support and service jobs) pay less than the occupations and industries historically dominated by men (such as managerial and professional jobs and high-wage craft positions).

While women are increasingly entering traditionally male jobs, occupational segregation remains substantial. According to Blau and Kahn, occupation and industry differences now account for 51 percent of the remaining male-female pay gap.

Which brings us to the question of sex discrimination, pure and simple. Controlling for everything else, Blau and Kahn

find a big chunk of the gap comes from “unexplained factors”—that is, factors that do not amount to measurable differences between men and women (such as work experience).

There’s good reason to think that sex discrimination is among those “unexplained factors.” (It might not be all of it; for example, men might have productivity advantages that the data cannot capture.) Studies of law school graduates find that controlling for a wide range of variables, men earn 11 percent more than women; a similar study of business school graduates finds a gender gap of 7 percent.

As Blau and Kahn note, discrimination is a complicated matter, and it takes multiple forms. Employers might be consciously biased; they might just prefer men (maybe because they think their customers do). Or employers might have implicit or unconscious biases: Formally committed to sex equality, and not intending to discriminate, they might nonetheless favor men over women when it comes

Given the right race at this point of the campaign, a lead of 5 percentage points (Duterte’s 30 percent minus Poe’s 25 percent), per the Pulse Asia March 29-April 3 poll, is quite comfortable for Davao’s presidential aspirant. It is equivalent to 2.17 million votes, assuming a voter turnout of 43.44 million.

All the candidates have reached their highs—meaning for a candidate to gain, he or she must eat into the voting shares of his/her rivals. There are only two percent undecided, about 868,000 voters and I suspect they will remain undecided up to election day, May 9.

Comparing Pulse Asia’s March 15-20 and March 29-April 3 surveys, Duterte got his additional voters from Mindanao which went up a huge 12 percentage points for him from 43 to 55 percent; Balance of Luzon (Luzon except Metro Manila) which rose four points, from 15 to 19 percent; Visayas which is up five percentage points, from 20 to 25 percent.

These are substantial numbers.

In just two weeks, Duterte gained additional 2.85 million votes, broken down into: 1.5 million votes in votes in Mindanao (the 12 percent gain), 772,800 in Balance of Luzon, 565,750 in the Visayas, and 50,000 in Metro Manila.

That’s a tremendous surge in popularity.

Filipino voters look at personalities rather than policies and principles when electing their president.

That is what happened in 2010 when some 15 million voters elected Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III as president, out-distancing the second placer former president and movie icon Joseph Ejercito Estrada by about five million votes. Erap was another personality-driven candidate.

By now, many Filipinos would have regretted picking Noynoy Aquino over Estrada and over the third placer, tycoon-turned-politician Manuel Villar Jr. who got a measly five million votes.

At the time of his election in 2010, BS Aquino had little to show in terms of solid achievements, in his nine years as congressman and barely three years as a senator of the republic. As an employee, Aquino had little management experience outside of helping manage their vast hacienda (which has been money-losing for 20 years), and selling the three “s”—shorts, shirts, and shoes, for Nike, in his younger days.

Yet, BS Aquino took the job which his predecessor Gloria Macapagal Arroyo once described as “the most difficult in the world.” “Everything in you is tested,” says Barack Obama of the presidency.

On April 1, I wrote that Mindanao could elect the next president of the Philippines. On May 9, more than half of its voters will do it for Duterte.

and the House of Representatives.

Why then are people gravitating to DuDirty? I am guessing for entertainment. *** Notice to all 365 club members: Beginning April 16, the 365 Club of which I am chairman emeritus, being the only living founder since 1972 when it started, will have its official address at Dusit Thani Hotel coffee shop seven days a week.

Our temporary quarters have been at Holiday Inn Suites Hotel in Makati after the 365 Club ended its home at the defunct Hotel Intercontinental for the past 43 years. We were actually invited to stay temporarily at Holiday Inn, a subsidiary of Hotel Intercon.

We thank Danish Khan, director of Food and Beverage, and Cora Aguisenda, restaurant manager, for welcoming the 365 Club in its new venue.

biznewsasia@gmail.com

to setting salaries.

A lot of employers act on the basis of stereotypes, which may or may not be accurate. For example, they might think that women are especially likely to leave the work force if they have children, and their decisions about women’s wages might reflect that belief. Research strongly suggests that women are penalized for being mothers.

(Men are not penalized for being fathers.)

For those who want their daughters to have the same opportunities as their sons, the new research has two implications. The first involves the continuing importance of women’s education and work experience, which have been the main drivers of the post-1980s reduction in the wage gap.

The second is the urgent need for creative reforms, from both the private and public sector, to address the role of “unexplained factors”—discrimination above all else—in accounting for the remarkably slow progress since 1990. Bloomberg

What’s... From A9 As for Roxas’ Cabinet assignments, I wouldn’t blame them as much as I’d blame Mar for accepting them to further his own ambition—and then failing spectacularly. The fact that he made such a mess out of things when he could have boosted his political stock, first as secretary of transportation and later as secretary of local government, is Roxas’ fault entirely.

Roxas’ much-maligned work as the top government official on the ground when super-typhoon Yolanda hit Tacloban City and its environs, of course, is Exhibit A. Regardless of what his revisionist comic book tells us, Roxas merely became the poster boy of government incompetence and helplessness in Tacloban.

The continuing disaster that is the MRT-3 started when Roxas decided to junk the maintenance contract with the perfectly capable Japanese provider Sumitomo, even if it was the perfectly incompetent Jun Abaya, his successor at the transportation department, who signed off on the deal. And these are just two cases of Mar turning opportunity into catastrophe, because of his own incompetence.

It’s him entirely, Leni. And if I were you, I’d keep my opinions about Roxas’ bottom-dwelling survey numbers to myself from hereon—after all, nobody put a gun to your head and asked you to be Roxas’ vice presidential candidate.

we dn e s day : a p ri l 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Ex-FIFA VP faces criminal charges Former FIFA vice president Alfredo Hawit pleaded guilty monday to four criminal charges, including racketeering and wire fraud conspiracy, in connection with the massive corruption scandal that has rocked the football world, US court officials said.

McEvoy ready for Rio after stunning swim win CAmerON mcevoy has zoomed into gold medal calculations for the 100-metres freestyle at the rio Olympics with the third fastest time in history at the Australian Championships in Adelaide.

The 21-year-old physics student overpowered a strong field to win the sprint late monday in a new Commonwealth and Australian record of 47.04 seconds in this year’s fastest time in the event.

It placed mcevoy a tantalising 0.13secs off Brazilian Cesar Cielo’s 2009 world record of 46.91secs, making him nominally the man to beat in Brazil.

Only Cielo and Frenchman Alain Bernard (46.94) have registered quicker times than mcevoy’s effort, but significantly both were set in the controversial super-suit era.

The performanceenhancing, non-textile swimsuits were subsequently banned by world swimming’s governing body FINA after 43 world records fell at the 2009 rome world championships. mcevoy, surprised by how close he came to lowering the world record, said he would be a marked man in the lead-up to the Olympics in August.

“If I had known I was that close (to the world record), then there might have been something else in me that would have pushed me a bit further,” he said.

“But it’s a 0.52secs PB (personal best) off the PB I did in Perth (Aquatic Super Series in January). It’s unbelievable. afp

Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan performs his short program in the Men’s Competition at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. afp

US women threaten Olympics boycott THe United States women’s football team could boycott the Olympic Games in rio de Janeiro if demands to be paid the same as their male counterparts are not met, World Cup winner Becky Sauerbrunn said.

Sauerbrunn, a member of the USA team that lifted the World Cup in Canada last year and a gold medal-winning veteran of the 2012 Olympics, told eSPN that players would not rule out the possibility of a boycott.

The 30-year-old defender said a boycott would be discussed by the team if they believed no progress on the increasingly acrimonious dispute had been made.

“It would still be on the table,” Sauerbrunn said. “We are reserving every right to do so and we’re leaving every avenue open. And if nothing has changed, if we don’t feel real progress has been made, then that’s a conversation that we’re going to have.”

Sauerbrunn is one of five members of the US team who have filed a complaint with the equal employment Opportunity Commission against the US Soccer Federation alleging wage discrimination.

High-profile stars such as World Cup most Valuable Player Carli Lloyd, megan rapinoe, Hope Solo and Alex morgan are the other signatories to the complaint, which was filed with support from the rest of the squad, Sauerbrunn said.

Sauerbrunn said she hoped the legal action would lead to “equal pay for equal play.”

“I think, compensation-wise, respect-wise, that’s what I’m really hoping comes out of this complaint,” she told eSPN. “I hope that it puts enough pressure on the federation to show them our worth, our value.”

The US women earned $2 million in prize money for winning last year’s World Cup, which the federation distributed to the women and

the organization.

The men’s team received $9 million after losing in the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

“The message they’ve been putting out by paying us drastically less than the men is that they don’t value our contributions to the game as much as the men,” Sauerbrunn told eSPN. Opponents of the women players’ complaint justify the disparity by asserting that the men’s game generates more revenue than the female game.

However the US women are also pointing to other areas such as the quality and type of pitches used for their fixtures as evidence of discrimination.

For last year’s “victory tour” following the World Cup, eight out of 10 games took place on artificial turf.

“The men never played in any friendlies on (artificial) turf so why are we playing eight out of 10 on turf when we just won a World Cup?” Sauerbrunn said. afp

Hawit, who is from Honduras and also served as CONCACAF president, appeared at a hearing in a Brooklyn court where he agreed in addition to his guilty pleas to forfeit nearly $1 million.

The 64-year old former soccer executive pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to US court officials.

Hawit entered the guilty pleas “in connection with his receipt of bribes in exchange for the awarding of contracts for the media and marketing rights to CONCACAF tournaments and FIFA World Cup qualifier matches,” a court statement said.

“Hawit, who served in high-ranking positions in soccer from 1998 to 2015, also agreed to forfeit $950,000,” the statement said.

Hawit faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for each count. It was not clear whether the prison terms would be served concurrently or consecutively.

Hawit was extradited to the United States from Switzerland in January following his arrest on December 3.

He was living with a daughter in Florida while free on $1 million in bail, of which he paid $50,000 in cash with the rest guaranteed with property. afp

Russian boxer banned for illegal drug use THe european Boxing Union (eBU) on monday confirmed a two-year ban for light-heavyweight champion Igor mikhalkin as he becomes the latest russian to test positive for the banned substance meldonium. mikhailin, who fights out of Germany, tested positive for the banned drug when he won a unanimous points victory over Frenchman Patrick Bois near Paris on march 12 to make the third and latest defence of the title he first won in 2014.

meldonium, a recent addition to the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) list of banned substances, has snared dozens of russian athletes including tennis icon maria Sharapova.

The eBU announced on its website that mikhailin is banned until march 12, 2018.

Its General Secretary, enza merchionne Jacoponi, told AFP on monday: “Igor mikhalkin tested positive for an illegal substance last month and, in accordance with the rules

of the eBU, he was stripped of his belt.

“The illegal substance in question was meldonium, which is now on WADA’s banned list but was not on the list until January of this year.

“We asked him if he had taken the drug, and he confirmed it. That is why no counter-analysis of a B sample has taken place.”

Over 100 athletes, many of whom are russian, have tested positive for meldonium although mikhailin is believed to be the first boxer. afp

Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel drives during the second practice session at the Sakhir circuit in Manama on April 1, 2016 ahead of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. afp

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Kim, Constantino pace Phl Junior Am Open Korean Tom Kim hit two birdies coming home to card a one-under 71 and wrest control of the boys’ division while Harmie Constantino sizzled with a four-under 68 in scorching heat to pace the ladies side at the start of the Philippine Junior amateur open Golf Championship (Strokeplay) at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Trece Martirez, Cavite yesterday.

Kim recovered from a one-over card after nine holes with birdies on nos. 10 and 14 while coming through with a couple of scrambling pars to turn in a 37-34 card and post a twostroke lead over ryan Monsalve in the four-day championship sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and hosted by Sherwood Hills Golf Club.

Monsalve wavered with a 73 while Ira alido rallied from an opening 39 with a 35 to move to third at 74 and Lance Uy blew an impressive 35 with a woeful 42 and dropped to 77 in the tournament serving as part of the PLDT Group national amateur Golf Tour. another Korean, Ko Myeong Hun, strung a pair of 39s for a 78, Peter Po shot a 79 and Jolo Magcalayo and Joaquin Gomez made a pair of 80s in the event organized and conducted by the national Golf association of the Philippines for the country’s top and rising junior players aged 17-and-below.

Star, Mahindra battle for last Final 8 berth

By Jeric Lopez

A lot is at stake when the climax of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup elimination round goes in full swing.

The race for the Top 8 now boils down to a single game as Star and Mahindra, tied for eighth place at the moment with similar 4-6 marks, battle each other for the last berth in the quarterfinals at 4:15 p.m. at the Smart araneta Coliseum.

The winner will head on to the next phase and will gain the no. 8 ranking while the loser will join GlobalPort, Phoenix and Blackwater in an early vacation as it will be booted out directly.

Two hours prior, an equally important fight occurs as current front-runner Meralco (8-2) attempts to put a lock as the overall top seed heading into the quarters when it plays Barangay Ginebra (6-4), who also needs a victory, at 7 p.m. in the nightcap. expect the Hotshots and the enforcers to go all out as they fight for their lives.

Both teams have been inconsistent in the tournament but a golden opportunity to enter the next round

Games today (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 4:15 p.m. - Star vs. Mahindra 7 p.m. - Barangay Ginebra vs. Meralco

still looms. all the Bolts need to do is top Ginebra to claim the top ranking outright. Should they lose, they will have to wait for the result of the last game of second placer San Miguel (73) to see if they will be no. 1 or no. 2.

If the Beermen win their final assignment and Meralco loses to Ginebra, they will be tied at the top and San Miguel will automatically get the top seed via the winner-over-theother rule. either way, Meralco is already guaranteed of a top two finish and a twice-to-beat advantage in the next round.

Still, Meralco coach norman Black wants to gain even more with this last game of his squad in the eliminations.

“We definitely want to win our last game to game momentum for the playoffs,” he said. “We have Ginebra as our last game and whoever we face in the quarterfinals, bahala na.”

The Gin Kings need to win to secure that they will end up in the top six and avoid a twice-to-beat disadvantage in the quarters.

“The key for us is really getting in the top six to avoid any disadvantage,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.

MILOlaunches Nutri Up Fit Con 2016

Fitness gurus (from left0 Chyme Piedad-Fitness training Manager, Fitness First; Jim Saret-Organizer and President of Athletic Performance Enhancement,Inc., Robbie De Vera-Milo Sport Executive; Don Velasco, President and Founder of Flying Don V and Rochelle VandenvergheBrand marketing Head, FWD Life Insurance Corp. discuss with the sports media the upcoming Nutri Milo event. ey ACASIo

Builders rally to beat EAC, 73-71 MarK Maloles hit the back-breaking three-point with time running out and new San Jose Builders rallied to beat emilio aguinaldo College, 73-71, in the 2016 MBL open basketball championship at the rizal Coliseum.

Maloles’ heroics capped a dramatic comeback by nSJBI, which battled back from an 18-point deficit to pull the rug from under eaC and clinch its third straight win after opening the tournament with three consecutive setbacks.

More importantly, the win enabled the Builders of manager Jomar acuzar and coach ranier Carpio to advance to the next round of this eight-team tournament sponsored by Smart Sports, Ironcon Builders, Bread Story, Dickies Underwear, PrC Couriers and Gerry’s Grill. after Maloles’ basket, the Generals had three chances to salvage the game—one on a contested three-pointer to win the game and two more short jumpers off offensive rebounds to send the game into overtime—but missed all of them.

Universirty uf the Philippines (UP) Volleyball Team try their hand at the Trampoline Park Zero Gravity Zone Greenfield District in Mandaluyong City. MAnny PALMero

SoMe of the country’s leading health and fitness brands gather on Saturday in the MILo nutri Up Fit Con 2016 at the Globe Circuit events Grounds in Makati City.

The whole-day event will feature different kinds of fitness activities, such as practical sessions to be conducted by various fitness organizations; lectures from credible guest speakers on health, fitness and nutrition; discounts from partner stores and shops; and fitness classes, clinics, and group workouts. as early as 7 a.m., people can participate in activities such as running and triathlon clinics, yoga, zumba, pilates, crossfit, pole dancing, and body building, to name a few.

By 3 p.m., most of the group classes and clinics will be in full swing, to be dubbed as a “workout party.” hosted by top DJs. overall, the venue will feature two hectares full of fitness activities and multiple stage areas for simultaneous demos happening throughout the day. entry fee is only pegged at P150. “apart from promoting our brand, this is one of our programs in helping educate people to a healthy and fit lifestyle,” said MILo Sports executive robbie De Vera in the weekly PSa Forum backed by San Miguel Corp., Philippine amusement and Gaming Corp., accel and Shakey’s.

“It’s going to be one-stop place for fitness and health enthusiasts. We’re hoping that everyone can experience this to get more info about different kinds of fitness activities from different brands,” added known fitness coach Jim Saret, who also appeared in the forum along with Fitness First’s Chyme Piedad, Flying Don V’s Don Velasco and FWD Life Insurance’s rochelle Vandenberghe. although the event caters to people age 16 and above, it can also serve as a family affair as kids can also sample food and goodies and from partner chefs, restaurants and health stores. among the participating brands in the event are Under armour, Crossfit affiliate alliance, Gold’s Gym, Beyond Yoga, nutrition Depot PH, Philippine Flag Football, Plana Forma, Polecats Manila, Under armour, reebok, and Vivian Zapanta Pilates Studio.

A14 PSC resumes PEP program THE Philippine Sports Commission resumes its Personal Enhancement Program (PEP) for Sports this summer with a module on personality development on April 14 and 15 at Philsports Complex, Pasig City.

One-hundred elite athletes and national coaches are scheduled to undergo the PEP for Sports’ second of three modules tomorrow and on Friday.

The personality development module focuses on boosting participants’ confidence, assertiveness, and public carriage.

Training and development industry veteran George Mercado will conduct the module’s lectures, while language expert Lourdgina Cordero-Lalim shall facilitate the workshops.

PSC Commissioner and PEP for Sports director Wigberto “Iggy” Clavecilla Jr. promises a full day of learning and activities for the participants. “It is always good to improve on what we think we already know,” he mused.

To ensure the quality of lectures and workshops, a limit of fifty participants per day was established. “But if this week’s participants will provide great feedback and there will be a clamor for it to be reconducted so that other athletes and coaches can attend, we will work for that to happen,” Commissioner Clavecilla added.

The PEP, with the full support of PSC Chairman Richie Garcia and the rest of the Board of Commissioners, is a series of seminars grouped into three modules to strengthen the non-sporting aspects of national athletes and coaches’ lives which inevitably merge with their respective athletic careers.

The PEP’s final module on wholistic health will be launched next month, along with follow-up sessions on financial literacy which was initially offered last September and October.

W E D N E S D AY : A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Clarkson won’t suit up for Gilas in Rio qualifier

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

THE president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, eminent businessman-sportsman Manny Pangilinan has told The Standard that outstanding Los Angeles Lakers rookie Jordan Clarkson will not suit up for the Gilas Philippine National Team in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the Mall of ASia Arena in August.

Pangilinan told us that he was gladly spending over 200 million on hosting the major international event because he loves our country so much and “wants to entertain our people and considers it public service. So lets proceed with the hosting and lets try our best.”

Asked whether our best would be good enough to win an Olympic berth with Clarkson, Pangilinan said “I think we have to stay positive and give all our support to the team even without Clarkson. I am optimistic they have a good chance of winning so lets get on with it.”

He said he doesnt know what kind of condition naturalized American NBA player Andray Blatche is in because he hasn’t seen him for some time but clearly the advise from Fiba during a meeting in Geneva was that “they would like to see a Blatche of Spain rather than the Blatche of China” referring to his being overweight in the Olympic qualifying tournament in China and “that says a lot.”

Pangilinan said a well-conditioned Blatche would be a major boost to the Philippine team and that team manager

Butch Antonio “might have to go to the US just to see his physical condition and lay out the appropriate remedies including the possibility of hiring a physical conditioning coach between the time he arrives which I believe is May 1 and the first playing date.”

The SBP president noted that Blatche’s statistics in the Chinese league were “very good which is what we think but obviously its subject to verification.”

Pangilinan said he was “grateful to the PBA for the support they have extended so far to this particular tournament. Coach Tab Baldwin still has to decide on the kind of slate. Maybe he’ll decide on the final 14 or 16 before the final 12.”

Together with a well-conditioned Blatche, Pangilinan believes we have a chance to qualify for the Olympics in Rio “if we send our best players.”

He noted that the PBA players in the national pool have shown that they want to give it their best shot and that will help.

Basketball officials led by Manuel Pangilinan, chairman of the FIBA Manila OLympic Qualifying Tournament Local (OQT) Organizing Committee Board (center), Al Panlilio, CEO FIBA Manila OQT Local Organizing Committee (left) and TV 5’s Noel Lorenzana discuss the preparations, schedule and other details for the FIBA Qualifying Tournent 2016 during a press briefing at the Manila Peninsula in Makati city on Tuesday, April 12. Pangilinan said that the PH Gilas team is now battle-ready in their bid to earn passage to the Rio Olympic in August. The Philippines will take on France on July 5 and will play New Zealand the next day, July 6. DANNY PATA

Sta. Lucia eyes outright semis spot vs Foton STA. LUCIA tries to bounce back from a stinging loss it suffered at the hands of Euro-Med on Sunday and vent its ire on banged up Foton even as SCTEX and Jumbo Plastic eye to get back on winning track in today’s double header of the PCBL Chairman’s Cup. The Realtors came out flat against Euro-Med and eventually dropped an 83-75 loss.

It was the third loss in seven games for the Realtors, who are hoping to fortify their hold for second spot to

make an outright berth to the semifinal round. They want to put the forgettable setback behind them and focus on their 5 p.m. match against the Toplander, who are still high coming away with an inspiring victory last time out against Jumbo Plastic.

But the Toplander will be coming to this game with only eight healthy players available as Levi Hernandez and Mikee Reyes have been sidelined by separate injuries while Allan Enriquez had to travel with his team

Games today (Marikina Sports Center) 5 p.m. – Foton vs Sta. Lucia 7 p.m. – SCTEX vs Jumbo Plastic

in Arellano.

“We only have eight players. Mikee suffered a knee injury and will be out for the next two weeks while si Levi aggravated his heel injury. Allan will be joining Arellano.

Aalis sila to train and join in a competition,” said Foton coach Budds Reyes.

Foton is locked in a threeway tie for fourth to sixth

places with Euro-Med and Jumbo Plastic, which faces Biyaheng SCTEX in the main game at 7 p.m.

Biyaheng SCTEX is just half a game behind the Realtors with a 3-3 win-loss record and they will be facing a Linoleum Giants team that have gone some retooling.

SCTEX is parading a new import in Steve Cedric Alcomo, a Nigerian from University of Visayas. The 6-foot-7 reinforcement will replace the ineffective Jeff Aguara.

W E D N E S D AY : A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

ABAP describes possible Pacquiao’s Rio stint ‘fantastic’

By Ronnie Nathanielsz THE president of ABAP, the Alliance of Boxing Associations in the Philippines Ricky Vargas told The Standard that if eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao decides to represent the Philippines in the Olympic Games in Rio this August "it will be fantastic."

Vargas said that winning a g old medal with the present crop

of qualifiers "is going to be very tough" but if Manny competes and wins the country's first Olympic gold medal "thats better than a belt because after the fight the Philippine flag will fly high above all and the national anthem will be played."

However, the A BP president that he "doesn't want to meddle with it "(in reference to the strong objections of the various professional boxing organizations led

by the World Boxing Council) but emphasized "we are after a gold medal.

“Pacquiao must want to do it. We are not forcing him but if he does decide that would be fantastic."

AIBA president Dr. Ching KuWu had previously invited Pacquiao to compete and committed that he would not have to go through the preliminary rounds but would be automatically seeded into the championship phase

of the tournament with Pacquiao responding positively saying "if its for the country, why not."

Vargas also revealed that A BAP "was talking to the father of Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire, "Dodong" Donaire to train the Filipino Olympic boxers" and that he was "very open to it" but that ABAP would need the support of the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission because its not free."

LOTTO RESULTS

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

Mendoza, two others set new javelin throw mark

By Peter Atencio

LEGAZPI, Albay—The son of a farmer from Quezon led two others in setting a new meet record in shot put, while a big girl from Kalookan handed the National Capital Region its second gold medal in athletics in Day 2 of the 2016 Palarong Pambansa.

Fifteen-year old Jerick Mendoza heaved a 400gram spear at a much longer distance on his fourth attempt, and reset an 18-year old meet mark in the elementary boys javelin throw yesterday at the track stadium of the Bicol UniversityAlbay Sports and Cultural Complex here.

Mendoza, an incoming sixth grader from Malibago Elementary School in Mulanay Quezon, who used a heavier javelin during training, recorded a distance of 57.50 meters with his throw.

“Nilakasan ko ang bato at binilisan ang steps,” said Mendoza, whose father is a rice farmer back home, after he surpassed 51.88 meter feat of Southern Tagalog Region’s Jonah Robles in 1998 by 6.62 meters.

It was likewise Mendoza's second medal after he earlier settled for the silver in shot put to NCR’s Lawrence Tagaca, who recorded a 10.76 meters throw.

Mendoza's rivals in the javelin, Jan Marvin Francisco of Region IV-A and Melvin Lacson of Region V, took the silver and the bronze also record-breaking fashions with throws of 54.15 meters and

51.92 meters respectively.

While Mendoza was rejoicing a few meters away, 16-year old Daniella Daynata was having her own moment of celebration in the nearby secondary girls shotput action.

The 5'5 Daynata, a 10th grader from Kalayaan National High School, gave her alma mater a fitting farewell by clinching the gold in the secondary girls shot put event.

The 16-year old Daynata hurled the ball at a distance of 10.94 meters on her third try, while Region X’s Sylvia Abunda and Marizelle Buer of Region XII settled for the silver and bronze, respectively, with their 10.55 meter and 10.42 meter feats, respectively.

Daynata, the daughter of a family driver back home, said she dedicates her medal to her mom who passed away last year.

In swimming, UAAP MVPs and La Salle Zobel schoolmates Maurice Sacho Ilustre and Nicole Pamintuan snared two golds each with Ilustre ruling the secondary boys 400-meter freestyle and the 200 meter butterfly.

Pamintuan, who won seven golds for Calabarzon last year before she transferred

Daniella Daynata of the National Capital Region grimaces as she tries to throw the iron ball in the secondary girls shot put event.

to another school in Metro Manila, grabbed the golds in the 100-meter freestyle and the 100-meter backstroke.

The 16-year old Ilustre bested Christian Anor of Davao in 4:12.94 in he 400-meter freestyle, before taking the

200-meter freestyle gold in 2:08.00, which is 32 seconds of the meet record.

Anor won a gold medal for Western Visayas after prevailing over NCR’s Jerard Jacinto in 1:01.20 in the 100m backstroke.

NCR now has four golds after Ancilla Mari Manzano dominated the women’s artistics gymnastics meet at St. Agnes Academy, capturing three golds in the individual all around, the floor exercise and the balance beam events.

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

Fiery start looms as ADT S’woods golf unwraps TONY Lascuña is back on the winning track, Miguel Tabuena is back in the hunt while the Asian Development Tour campaigners are back for a repeat of their sweep of last year’s ADT events, guaranteeing a fierce battle in the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship ADT starting today (Wednesday, April 13) at the Legends course in Carmona, Cavite.

Sixteen former ADT leg titlists, including four winners of this year’s ADT’s first nine legs, are in the fold, all eager to upstage the local aces on the par-71 layout in what promises to be a shootout in extreme heat as they seek to extend their domination of the ADT events here after Malaysian Arie Irawan ruled the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational and Itthipat Buranatanyarat of Thailand topped the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic last year.

Buranatanyarat, in fact, is back to lead the foreign charge with the 22-year-old Thai, winner of the ADT Players Championship in Singapore last January, priming up for his title defense at Sherwood next week. Others in the hunt are American Josh Salah, who bagged the PGT Raham Putra Championship in Malaysia, Japanese Shunya Takeyasu, winner of the PGM UMW Championship, also in Malaysia, and John Michael O’Toole, also of the US, who clinched the PGM Clearwater Masters crown last month.

But the local bets are much as upbeat as their foreign counterparts with Lascuña and Tabuena heading the hosts’ title drive along with Clyde Mondilla, Jay Bayron, Cassius Casas, Elmer Salvador and rookie pros Jobim Carlos and Justin Quiban.

Trainers and jockeys academy to be headed by UP prof THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE

THE Philippine Racing Commission hired a retired veterinary medicine professor to run the newly-established Philracom Jockeys and Trainers Academy.

The academy, which provides two-year cours-

es, will start classes for trainers on April 28 under Ceferino R. Maala, professor emeritus and former assistant dean of the University of the Philippines College of Veterinary Medicine.

For the trainers course, the first semester for the first year will run from April to July 2016 with three subjects: equine anatomy and conformation, equine health and

disease management, and equine nutrition.

The second semester, from September to December, will feature stable management and horse training and fitness development.

In the second year, the subjects are animal welfare (legal aspects) and rules and regulations of horseracing, to be taken up from January to April.

Apprenticeship as a

practical subject will be taken year-round. The students will be taught by veterinarians and industry experts, and supervised by ten Philracom-licensed trainers.

There will be a minimal monthly tuition fee of P1,000.

The training course for jockeys is being developed and details will be announced when ready.

Interested applicants may

call Philracom at 843-0971. *** Twelve runners were declared last Monday to run in Sunday’s (Apr. 17) Philracom 3YO Fillies and Colts at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

The 1,400-meter race will feature Dance Again with jockey RC Fernandez, Jess Jewel with JL Lazaro, Guatemala with MA Alvarez, Johnny Be Good

with JPA Guce, Kid Benjie with KB Abobo, Mahayana Budur with JB Guce, Mt. Eaglet with Dan L. Camañero, Piskante with FM Raquel Jr., Secret Kingdom with JT Zarate, Sky Dancer with PR Dilema, Spectrum with JB Hernandez, and Tagapagmana with AB Alcasid Jr. *** Facebook: Gogirl Racing, Tw itter :@gog irlracing, Instagram: @jensdecember

A16

W E D N E S DAY : A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 16 RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Kevin Durant (no. 35) of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball against Kobe Bryant #24 the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. AFP

Thunder dump Lakers as Durant ‘destroys’ Kobe KEVIN Durant showed no mercy to Kobe Bryant in his penultimate game in the NBA as the Oklahoma City Thunder trounced the Los Angeles Lakers 112-79.

Bryant, playing his final game on the road before he retires after Wednesday’s home game at the Staples Center, was given a torrid sendoff by the Thunder’s star players.

Durant, who finished with 34 points, said he had been motivated by the memory of Bryant’s ruthless approach to Michael Jordan when the NBA icon was approaching retirement.

“I remember when Michael Jordan was on his way out and Kobe didn’t take it easy on him,” Durant said.

Mendoza, 2 others set new javelin throw mark TURN TO A15

“That’s all I was thinking. I was trying to destroy him every chance I got. Every time I got the ball, he was ‘Come on. Let’s see what you got.’ That shows what type of player, what type of competitor he is.

I just wanted to play against him one last time.”

Durant’s points tally was matched by yet another triple double from Russell Westbrook, his 18th of the season—the most by any player in one season in the past 30 years.

Bryant was left voicing admi-

ration for Westbrook after his latest triple.

“I have never seen a guy get as many triples-doubles as many times as he has in a season,” Bryant said.

“That is pretty outrageous what he has been able to do all year long. He has been flying under the radar because of what Steph (Curry) is doing up there in Golden State. But he is having a remarkable season himself,” added Bryant, who was pleased with the lack of sentimentality shown to him by Westbrook.

“I didn’t smile much on the court either,” Bryant said of Westbrook. “He plays the game with such energy, such aggressiveness, it needs to be appreciated. He is

Clarkson won’t suit up for Gilas in Olympics qualifier TURN TO A14

not out there trying to be cute with the basketball. He’s not out there trying to look fancy. This guy’s playing hard every time down.”

Bryant finished with 13 points on four-of-12 shooting from 19 minutes.

The 37-year-old admitted he was looking forward to signing off from the sport on Wednesday after two decades.

“I feel really excited,” Bryant said. “I feel really happy. I’m looking forward to lacing them up one more time.”

The Thunder’s Steven Adams meanwhile joked of being awestruck by Bryant.

“I shook Kobe’s hand,” Adams said after the game. “I ain’t going to wash my hand for like a week.”

Curry out to make history for Warriors

GOLDEN State Warriors star Stephen Curry says the team is determined to forge their place in NBA history by clinching a record-breaking 73rd regular season victory against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

Curry and the Warriors stand on the threshold of immortality after a superb 92-86 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday which saw them equal the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls’ longstanding mark of 72 wins.

Curry said the Warriors are now determined to finish the job in Oakland against Memphis by claiming win number 73 -- even if the priority remains a successful defense of their NBA crown.

“We are in the moment and enjoying the ride, but the goal is to win a championship,” Curry said.

We’ve put ourselves in a great position to do something no other team has ever done.

“It’s hard to step out of the locker room and understand the hoopla that comes with chasing the record. We want to go out and take advantage of an opportunity that may never come again.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr—a member of the iconic Michael Jordan-era Bulls team 20 years ago—admitted he was still struggling to come to terms with the achievement.

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WEDNESDAY: APRIL 13, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

IMF keeps 6% growth target

By Julito G. Rada

THE International Monetary Fund in its World Economic Outlook for April kept its growth forecast on the Philippines at 6 percent in 2016 and 6.2 percent in 2017 mainly on robust domestic demand.

“Real GDP growth is projected at 6.0 percent in 2016 and 6.2 in 2017, unchanged from the February 2016 IMF mission statement, driven by continued strong domestic demand and a modest fiscal stimulus in 2016,” IMF resident representative to the Philippines Shanaka Jayanath Peiris said in an e-mailed statement Tuesday.

“Monetary conditions also remain

supportive of growth,” Peiris said.

He said the economic outlook was one of the strongest in the region but subject to increased downside risks, including lower growth in China and the region, higher global financial volatility and capital outflows, and weather related disruptions.

“However, the Philippines’ capacity to respond if these risks ma-

terialize is substantial given its ample reserves and policy space, both monetary and fiscal,” Peiris said.

He said a continuation of prudent macroeconomic policies and good governance over the medium term period would be critical to sustain investor confidence and the growth momentum.

Peiris said structural reforms would also be needed to raise the low rate of government revenue and infrastructure investment, opening up the economy to greater competition and foreign investment, and benefiting from the demographic dividend by addressing skill mismatches and inequality of opportunity.

The multilateral lender during the IMF mission to the Philippines

led by Chikahisa Sumi from Feb. 11 to 17 lowered its growth forecast for the Philippines this year to 6 percent from the previous estimate of 6.2 percent made in January, on account mainly on slower global growth, financial market volatility and capital reversals.

The forecast in 2017 was also reduced to 6.2 percent from 6.5 percent.

Sumi earlier said the Philippine economy performed remarkably well in 2015 despite a weaker external environment and global financial turbulence in 2015. He said despite a large drag from net exports, real GDP remained robust at 5.8 percent, reflecting a strong pickup in private investment and public construction

through the year.

The 5.8-percent GDP growth last year was below the 6.1-percent expansion a year ago but remained one of the fastest in the Asia. It was also significantly below the government’s official forecast of between 7 percent and 8 percent last year.

The government expects the economy to expand between 6.8 percent and 7.8 percent on robust domestic demand.

Sumi noted the decline in unemployment rate to a decade’s low of 5.3 percent, although significant underemployment remained. Inflation, meanwhile, fell to 1.4 percent in 2015, below the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent, due to lower food and fuel prices.

PSe comPoSite index Closing April 12, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,306.56 15.13

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing April 12, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.015

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.015 LOW P46.140 AVERAGE P46.071 VOLUME 464.800M

SM Prime report.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. chairman Henry Sy Jr. (center) presides over the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. With him are SM Prime corporate secretary Elmer Serrano (left) and vice chairman and independent director Jose Cuisia Jr. BOBBY CABRERA

PLDT plans to sell Makati office, transfer to new site

By Darwin G. Amojelar PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. said Tuesday it plans to sell or redevelop its building in Makati City and transfer to a campus-type complex in the south or north of Metro Manila.

PLDT said in disclosure to the stock exchange its board approved the plan to redevelop certain land and appurtenant air rights and improve land and buildings owned by the company to maximize or enhance their value.

The PLDT board also approved the proposal to invest in an asset holding company that will form a joint venture with a real estate company for the sale or redevelopment of the Makati properties.

PLDT chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan told reporters selling or redeveloping

the Ramon Cojuangco Building and Makati General Office was a part of the plan to transfer to new headquarters which would be designed like those owned by technology companies in the US. “We are not doing it because we want to sell the property. We are doing it because in digital age, you really have to have a flat office environment,” Pangilinan said.

“We have made a decision in principle to build new headquarters most likely in the north or the south [of Metro Manila]. We haven’t chosen a spot yet where the PLDT Group can build a campus-style headquarter’s building which is a not a tower, but a horizontal campus like building—maybe two or three-story building,” he said.

The new headquarters would be similar to those built by Google

and Facebook in the US. Pangilinan earlier met with Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California to discuss ways to strengthen their partnership to introduce the value of Internet to more Filipinos.

Through a strategic partnership with Facebook, Smart was the first telco in Southeast Asia to roll out Free Basics, a groundbreaking service that aims to make mobile Internet available to two-thirds of the world who are not yet connected and uplift their lives by offering access to online sources and services without data charges.

The service is now available in more than 30 countries.

Since its debut in the Philippines in March 2015, millions of users on the Smart network have enjoyed

Free Basics, which allows them to get in touch with their loved ones, search information, learn from educational sites, seek jobs and check the news and weather, without additional cost – effectively breaking down barriers for many Filipinos to appreciate the real-life benefits of mobile Internet.

Building on the success of Free Basics in the Philippines, Smart and Facebook subsequently introduced Free Facebook Toggle and Free Instagram, leading to a surge in the number of online users.

Pangilinan recently took part in a series of engagements with Silicon Valley leaders and partners, amid the PLDT Group’s rapid transformation as the country’s leading digital company, in line with its thrust to use technology in introducing meaningful changes in the life of Filipinos.

P400.00-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank P30.00-P39.32 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P19.25-P22.75 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, April 12, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.1150

Japan

Yen

0.009264

0.4272

UK

Pound

1.423800

65.6585

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128966

5.9473

Switzerland

Franc

1.047998

48.3284

Canada

Dollar

0.775374

35.7564

Singapore

Dollar

0.744491

34.3322

Australia

Dollar

0.759200

35.0105

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653857

122.3826

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266709

12.2993

Brunei

Dollar

0.741730

34.2049

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028523

1.3153

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.5565

Euro

Euro

1.140700

52.6034

Korea

Won

0.000876

0.0404

China

Yuan

0.154847

7.1408

India

Rupee

0.015086

0.6957

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.257268

11.8639

New Zealand

Dollar

0.685100

31.5934

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030917

1.4257 Source: PDS Bridge

WEDNESDAY: APRIL 13, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, april 12, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 59 2.65

47 5 1.46 2.36 89 20.6 125 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 109 31.8 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 40.3 15.32 62.5 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 71.5 20.2 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

79 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 7.34 1450 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

34.1 2.3 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 5.9 801 4.1 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 1.15 2.26 0.152 837

76 6.5 5.29 6.66 9.25 17.3 0.71 5.53 9.66 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 390 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

49.55 3.43 3 3.52 4.84 12 0.580 4.2 3 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 170 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.8 3.55 46.45 45.8 103.30 102.30 90.05 89.80 39.55 39.55 2.95 2.92 1.44 1.36 14.38 14.2 16 15.72 0.740 0.650 85.95 83.7 1.05 1.01 15.10 14.80 25.00 25.00 53.50 52.00 104 98.9 275 274 31.65 31.3 193 187 57.85 57.45 1.62 1.6 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

43.1 43.7 43.1 Agrinurture Inc. 5.16 5.2 4.87 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.74 0.76 0.74 Alsons Cons.

1.37 1.38 1.35 Bogo Medelin 52 74 52 Century Food 18.68 18.98 18.68 Chemphil 170 171 170 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 330 331 310 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 19.6 19.56 19.12 Concepcion 47.2 47.5 47 Crown Asia 2.4 2.44 2.4 Da Vinci Capital 5.65 6.3 5.65 Del Monte 11.38 11.3 11.1 DNL Industries Inc. 9.420 9.630 9.410 Emperador 7.70 7.75 7.70 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.76 5.90 5.76 EEI 7.78 7.78 7.41 First Holdings ‘A’ 71.5 71.8 70.75 First Gen Corp.

22.5 22.65 22.15 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.60 12.50 12.50 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.80 13.90 13.80 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6 6.03 5.86 Ionics Inc 2.580 2.630 2.540 Jollibee Foods Corp.

230.80 231.20 230.40 LBC Express 10.9 11.1 10.2 Liberty Flour 34.90 34.90 34.90 LMG Chemicals 2.19 2.2 2.15 Mabuhay Vinyl 4.03 4.05 4 Macay Holdings 41.20 41.10 41.10 Manila Water Co. Inc. 26.7 26.7 26.4 Maxs Group 22.2 22 21.8 Megawide 6.37 6.48 6.38 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 327.00 328.60 325.20 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.44 4.27 4.27 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.76 3.86 3.77 Petron Corporation 10.78 10.78 10.68 Phil H2O 3.25 3.25 3.25 Phinma Corporation 11.50 11.56 11.48 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 4.34 4.39 4.28 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.69 1.66 1.64 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.72 2.76 2.7 RFM Corporation 4.30 4.30 4.00 Roxas and Co. 2.6 2.56 2.5 Roxas Holdings 4.62 4.61 4.61 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 188 191 186 SPC Power Corp.

4.66 4.68 4.6 Splash Corporation 2.77 2.94 2.66 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.170 0.173 0.162 TKC Steel Corp.

1.26 1.28 1.23 Trans-Asia Oil 2.75 2.81 2.75 Universal Robina 218 218 215.4 Victorias Milling 4.88 4.85 4.7 Vitarich Corp.

1.2 1.3 1.01 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.29 1.31 1.25 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.360 0.365 0.350 Aboitiz Equity 64.50 64.50 64.45 Alliance Global Inc. 16.90 16.90 16.37 Anglo Holdings A 1.11 1.21 1.14 Anscor `A’ 6.10 6.10 6.10 ATN Holdings A 0.325 0.350 0.320 ATN Holdings B 0.320 0.340 0.320 Ayala Corp `A’ 760 778 755 Cosco Capital 7.78 8.19 7.8 DMCI Holdings 12.72 12.94 12.74 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.03 5.08 5.03 F&J Prince ‘B’ 5.11 5.11 5.11 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

5.02 5.19 5.02 Forum Pacific 0.229 0.229 0.224 GT Capital 1373 1401 1370 IPM Holdings 9.75 9.75 9.60 JG Summit Holdings 82.00 81.80 80.40 Jolliville Holdings 4.96 4.94 4.94 Keppel Holdings `A’ 6.2 6.2 5.36 Keppel Holdings `B’ 7.48 4.51 4.22 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.02 7.21 7.02 LT Group 15.86 16 15.76 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.490 0.510 0.490 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.81 5.94 5.81 MJCI Investments Inc. 3.44 3.7 3.45 Pacifica `A’ 0.0360 0.0390 0.0350 Prime Media Hldg 1.370 1.340 1.280 Prime Orion 1.950 1.950 1.930 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.7 2.75 2.75 San Miguel Corp `A’ 76.50 76.75 76.40 SM Investments Inc. 960.00 961.00 954.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.19 1.24 1.20 South China Res. Inc. 0.82 0.88 0.81 Transgrid 227.00 200.00 193.00 Top Frontier 189.000 189.000 184.200 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3550 0.3550 0.3250 Wellex Industries 0.2110 0.2100 0.2020 Zeus Holdings 0.280 0.290 0.280 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.760 7.950 7.800 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.44 1.48 1.39 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.550 1.550 1.520 Arthaland Corp.

0.229 0.229 0.229 Ayala Land `B’ 36.150 36.250 35.500 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.08 3.2 3.11 Cebu Holdings 5.23 5.22 5.15 Century Property 0.560 0.57 0.550 City & Land Dev. 1.01 1.00 1.00 Cityland Dev. `A’ 0.980 1.050 1.040 Crown Equities Inc. 0.134 0.133 0.128 AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Union Bank Vantage Equities

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

Close

SHARES 36,190,349 299,921,769 311,237,744 153810,228 352,463,741 429,517,569 1,586,212,220

3.69 46.4 102.50 89.75 39.55 2.90 1.36 14.38 15.7 0.670 84.55 1.02 14.72 23.70 52.55 103.8 270.2 31.4 186.4 57.50 1.63

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.6 46.45 103.00 89.95 39.55 2.95 1.41 14.28 15.88 0.650 85.95 1.04 15.00 25.00 52.60 104 275 31.65 193 57.55 1.62

-2.44 0.11 0.49 0.22 0.00 1.72 3.68 -0.70 1.15 -2.99 1.66 1.96 1.90 5.49 0.10 0.19 1.78 0.80 3.54 0.09 -0.61

402,000 23,700 2,020,240 788,990 89,400 391,000 378,000 11,100 28,600 22,374,000 2,072,270 276,000 9,500 3,000,400 109,390 1,070 390 216,600 3,588,020 99,290 20,000

43.3 5 0.75 1.38 62 18.78 170 310 19.56 47 2.4 5.88 11.28 9.580 7.72 5.87 7.47 70.9 22.3 12.50 13.88 5.86 2.620 230.80 11 34.90 2.2 4 41.10 26.7 22 6.46 326.40 4.27 3.8 10.78 3.25 11.50 4.38 1.66 2.75 4.15 2.55 4.61 190 4.62 2.74 0.168 1.28 2.78 216.2 4.7 1.05 1.30

0.46 -3.10 1.35 0.73 19.23 0.54 0.00 -6.06 -0.20 -0.42 0.00 4.07 -0.88 1.70 0.26 1.91 -3.98 -0.84 -0.89 -0.79 0.58 -2.33 1.55 0.00 0.92 0.00 0.46 -0.74 -0.24 0.00 -0.90 1.41 -0.18 -3.83 1.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.92 -1.78 1.10 -3.49 -1.92 -0.22 1.06 -0.86 -1.08 -1.18 1.59 1.09 -0.83 -3.69 -12.50 0.78

1,598,100 16,156,475.00 740,400 12,755.00 360,000 2,895,000 2,390 4,909,500 769,812.00 490 1,900 36,900 43,700 -1,973,825 375,000 12,392,700 13,557,339.00 94,900 -649,750.00 3,530,700 9,382,781.00 8,513,000 -50,887,475.00 7,445,000 -15,462,498.00 1,006,100 -3,567,879.00 209,000 -1,443,782.00 209,000 -1,443,782.00 11,400 -80,000.00 23,900 -307,930.00 1,220,400 -1,883,821.00 3,057,000 -57,200.00 480,180 15,756,672.00 111,900 -304,116.00 500 21,000 54,000 -4,000.00 1,000 702,500 1,506,285.00 177,600 671,000.00 170,400 -192,340.00 64,070 -5,910,148.00 1,000 797,000 1,048,510.00 2,064,100 611,472.00 5,000 56,500 252,000 -8,580.00 441,000 152,000 933,000 -1,001,830.00 16,000 2,000 37,460 2,178,159.00 308,000 4,660.00 2,586,000 -19,920.00 16,320,000 33,000.00 78,000 5,326,000 -367,780.00 1,116,870 -50,982,992.00 35,000 212,654,000 19,667,270.00 166,000

0.355 64.50 16.78 1.14 6.10 0.325 0.320 778 8.19 12.82 5.08 5.11 5.12 0.224 1393 9.75 80.90 4.94 6.14 4.51 7.21 15.86 0.490 5.9 3.68 0.0360 1.330 1.950 2.75 76.60 960.00 1.20 0.81 200.00 184.200 0.3300 0.2100 0.280

-1.39 0.00 -0.71 2.70 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.37 5.27 0.79 0.99 0.00 1.99 -2.18 1.46 0.00 -1.34 -0.40 -0.97 -39.71 2.71 0.00 0.00 1.55 6.98 0.00 -2.92 0.00 1.85 0.13 0.00 0.84 -1.22 -11.89 -2.54 -7.04 -0.47 0.00

2,510,000 -14,000.00 686,840 7,088,335.00 3,136,200 -20,821,764.00 80,000 20,000 11,890,000 970,000 522,320 29,381,905.00 774,100 23,066,275.00 9,596,600 -45,254,596.00 27,000 2,900 615,600 33,014.00 1,490,000 185,955 50,641,130.00 1,308,300 1,569,030 -41,313,545.00 11,000 11,100 300 11,925,000 31,294,120.00 2,083,300 1,026,294.00 490,000 18,375,100 30,786,159.00 30,000 216,500,000 -92,000.00 28,000 410,000 250,000 -275,000.00 100,240 -1,185,178.00 508,660 -59,605,080.00 898,000 -24,600.00 430,000 550 -11,793.00 35,450 -167,400.00 9,390,000 -13,450.00 760,000 180,000 -28,000.00

7.800 1.45 1.550 0.229 35.750 3.19 5.2 0.550 1.00 1.040 0.129

0.52 0.69 0.00 0.00 -1.11 3.57 -0.57 -1.79 -0.99 6.12 -3.73

26,000 9,042,000 42,000 120,000 8,594,600 2,845,000 149,500 2,416,000 300 10,000 5,680,000

973,510.00 -4,605,389 41,192,028.50 3,294,415.00 -71,910.00 7,100.00 -167,240.00 -14,721,431.50 -4,769,154.50 -1,533,945 142,386,982.00 -920,500.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

-366,950.00 -343,500.00

High

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

Cyber Bay Corp.

0.560 Double Dragon 38.7 Empire East Land 0.850 Ever Gotesco 0.156 Global-Estate 1.13 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.90 Interport `A’ 1.38 Keppel Properties 4.29 Megaworld 3.98 MRC Allied Ind. 0.092 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2500 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.500 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 15.48 Robinson’s Land `B’ 28.50 Rockwell 1.62 Shang Properties Inc. 3.1 SM Prime Holdings 22.50 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.88 Starmalls 6.85 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.220 Vista Land & Lifescapes 4.810

-3.57 -1.16 0.00 0.00 -2.65 -0.53 0.00 -1.86 -0.25 -1.09 -2.00 0.00 49.87 0.70 -1.23 1.61 0.67 0.00 -7.30 -4.10 -0.62

12,626,000 797,300 955,000 800,000 11,710,000 24,494,000 339,000 1,000 50,333,000 80,000 100,000 748,000 700 1,733,000 367,000 5,817,000 6,388,300 334,000 41,900 3,834,000 3,367,000

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 4 1700 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 7 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 2.58 830 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 3.1 0.650 1.8 6

0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.00 2.73 -3.82 3.33 0.18 0.86 6.56 0.96 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.65 -4.40 -0.57 0.97 20.83 0.00 -0.30 -5.56 0.86 0.00 -3.23 -2.52 0.90 2.11 -0.78 -4.65 11.92 -4.84 -0.50 -2.89 5.13 0.00 0.52 0.00 -1.96 2.80 0.00 1.08 -1.03 -1.12 0.51 0.12 -2.46 6.00 0.00 -1.55 -1.36 4.62 10.02

80,400 58,120 38,000 2,705,000 1,100 3,668,000 138,780,000 267,000 380,690 400 2,000 3,412,800 37,000 20 41,695 275,900 5,700 42,000 1,566,400 35,900 100 0 32,450,000 5,948,000 100,000 19,900 428,000 6,000 3,900 982,000 6,000 21,430,000 44,938,000 2,530,000 2,499,000 557,500 10,200 1,460 62,700 187,490 18,060,000 9,900,000 3,694,300 74,763,636 1,460,100 20,450,000 6,441,000 46,000 1,712,000 200,000 454,000

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

Benguet Corp `A’ Benguet Corp `B’ 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 Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

TA Petroleum

0.00 -0.50 -3.20 -2.04 0.28 0.00 -5.00 12.50 -0.12 2.41 -1.75 1.89 1.75 0.00 -7.69 3.40 -0.95 -1.19 0.00 0.77 0.00 -0.26 1.66 0.00 0.00 -0.16 1.65

72,000,000 50,000 591,000 -489,070.00 1,080,000 21,000 7,700 5,105,000 -150,400.00 19,960,000 28,600.00 1,100 14,037,000 1,032,510.00 910,000 57,540,000 1,300,000 130,300,000 96,000,000 12,000.00 724,000 -21,500.00 1,888,100 -4,301,305.00 66,000 8,000 16,000 19,000,000 39,000 835,100 -628,590.00 1,463,000 -73,500.00 5,200,000 25,200.00 667,670 -38,772,614.00 288,000

70 553 525 120 8.21 12.28 1060 1047

33 490 500 101.5 5.88 6.5 997 1011

78.95 84.8

74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

4.39 0.00 0.19 1.39 3.60 0.00 -2.91 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.00 -4.43 0.00 0.00 0.65 0.00 0.00

432,590 400 320 44,480 54,700 611,000 300 950 15,700 4,590 249,150 8,100 20,000 6,200 53,000 345,010 90,040

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

7.59

1,219,000

-6.36 1.35 -0.62 3.83

132,000 21,000 118,000 2,796,000

299,148.00

0.25

3,420

-10,791.00

15

3.5

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,656.09 (up) 17.91 INDUSTRIAL 11,904.03 (down) 14.79 HOLDING FIRMS 7,194.02 (down) 26.70 PROPERTY 3,011.94 (down) 4.87 SERVICES 1,530.55 (up) 7.86 MINING & OIL 10,814.32 (up) 22.65 PSEI 7,306.56 (up) 15.13 All Shares Index 4,302.81 (up) 9.29 Gainers: 98; Losers: 92; Unchanged: 56; Total: 246

Close

0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 3.1 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 23 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

0.570 0.530 0.540 39.5 38.95 38.25 0.860 0.830 0.850 0.157 0.156 0.156 1.16 1.09 1.10 1.92 1.86 1.89 1.38 1.35 1.38 4.21 4.21 4.21 4.05 3.97 3.97 0.092 0.091 0.091 0.2500 0.2450 0.2450 0.570 0.490 0.500 23.20 23.20 23.20 29.00 28.50 28.70 1.64 1.6 1.6 3.4 3.02 3.15 22.75 22.40 22.65 0.88 0.86 0.88 6.46 6.25 6.35 1.240 1.150 1.170 4.830 4.760 4.780 SERVICES 7.3 7.39 7.3 7.3 56.75 58.65 56.7 58.3 1.31 1.26 1.25 1.26 0.600 0.630 0.590 0.620 11 11.02 11.02 11.02 4.66 4.74 4.69 4.70 0.0610 0.0660 0.0610 0.0650 3.14 3.22 3.16 3.17 90 90.35 89.8 90 9.9 9.9 9.9 9.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 7.00 7.00 6.80 7.00 3.07 3.06 3.05 3.05 1046 1000 1000 1000 2098 2104 2080 2086 7.18 7.27 7.20 7.25 24.00 29.00 26.80 29.00 1.22 1.26 1.22 1.22 67 67.1 66.6 66.8 18.00 18.50 17.00 17.00 11.6 11.7 11.7 11.7 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 0.310 0.310 0.295 0.300 1.5900 1.6300 1.5200 1.5500 2.23 2.3 2.25 2.25 7.59 7.79 7.60 7.75 3.87 3.90 3.83 3.84 1.29 1.23 1.23 1.23 20.55 23.00 20.55 23.00 0.620 0.620 0.590 0.590 2.01 2 2 2 2.42 2.56 2.28 2.35 3.90 4.23 3.91 4.10 0.295 0.300 0.280 0.295 1.920 1.980 1.830 1.930 17.8 17.8 17.8 17.8 5.10 5.10 5.00 5.00 107.00 114.40 107.00 110.00 21.95 21.95 21.90 21.95 1860.00 1888.00 1868.00 1880.00 0.485 0.510 0.470 0.480 0.890 0.900 0.860 0.880 39.50 40.00 39.00 39.70 78.30 79.40 78.10 78.40 6.50 6.54 6.33 6.34 3.50 3.74 3.50 3.71 0.620 0.640 0.610 0.620 1.93 1.97 1.88 1.9 3.67 3.67 3.62 3.62 0.325 0.340 0.325 0.340 4.890 7.330 4.540 5.380 MINING & OIL 0.0044 0.0045 0.0044 0.0044 2.02 2.04 2.01 2.01 4.37 4.33 4.23 4.23 0.245 0.245 0.240 0.240 7.1100 7.13 7.09 7.1300 7.8000 7.8000 7.3000 7.8000 0.8 0.8 0.72 0.76 0.480 0.600 0.490 0.540 8.20 8.19 8.00 8.19 0.830 0.860 0.820 0.850 0.285 0.290 0.280 0.280 0.265 0.270 0.260 0.270 0.285 0.295 0.285 0.290 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.1200 0.0120 2.06 2.17 2.08 2.13 5.24 5.26 5.1 5.19 2.53 2.53 2.48 2.5 0.5500 0.5500 0.5500 0.5500 1.3000 1.3100 1.2600 1.3100 0.0096 0.0096 0.0096 0.0096 3.80 3.87 3.79 3.79 5.43 5.60 5.46 5.52 2.25 2.33 2.23 2.25 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 127.90 129.00 126.50 127.70 2.42 2.52 2.42 2.46 PREFERRED 56.95 59.45 57.5 59.45 520 520 520 520 520 521 521 521 115.4 117 116.9 117 6.95 7.2 6.95 7.2 1.1 1.1 1.07 1.1 1030 1000 1000 1000 1014 1014 1014 1014 103.6 103.7 103.7 103.7 78 78 78 78 80 80.5 80 80 79 75.65 75.5 75.5 75.5 75.5 75.5 75.5 77 77 76 77 77 77.5 77 77.5 75 75.1 75 75 75 75.05 75 75 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.160 3.750 3.190 3.400 SME 4.4 4.4 4 4.12 3.7 3.75 3.74 3.75 3.21 3.19 3.08 3.19 18.28 19.06 18.28 18.98 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 119.7 120 119.2 120

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,283,347,530.68 1,197,333,236.49 1,928,844,610.91 867,890,512.00 1,357,606,654.65 154,718,265.814 6,843,799,672.54

Low

0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 27 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

-3,915.00 217,500.00 -27,480.00 -52,081,000.00 252,180.00

Close

159,000.00 4,958,895.00 -46,800.00 -407,720.00 -18,065,720.00 10,960.00 -238,760.00 2,450.00 7,475,040.00 27,200.00 -16,914,700.00 19,865,095.00 8,190.00 -2,439,610.00

-124,000.00 12,122.00 -9,086,740.00 -6,348,349.50

-6,412,660.00 -80,316,002.00 2,200.00 -3,000.00 1,550.00

179,020.00 9,182,300.00 58,000.00 -118,570.00 110,000.00 -87,600.00 85,537,780.00 -52,000.00 -3,246,250.00 -30,672,205.00 31,115.00 21,411,060.00 -126,000.00 -3,748,430.00 -52,000.00 -26,050.00

16,837,375.50

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry

23.20

49.87

Keppel Holdings `B'

4.51

-39.71

Grand Plaza Hotel

29.00

20.83

Vitarich Corp.

1.05

-12.50

Bogo Medelin

62

19.23

Transgrid

200.00

-11.89

Coal Asia

0.540

12.50

Manila Mining `B'

0.0120

-7.69

Manila Broadcasting

23.00

11.92

Starmalls

6.35

-7.30

Yehey

5.380

10.02

Unioil Res. & Hldgs

0.3300

-7.04

LR Warrant

3.400

7.59

Alterra Capital

4.12

-6.36

MJCI Investments Inc.

3.68

6.98

Conc. Aggr. 'A'

310

-6.06

Boulevard Holdings

0.0650

6.56

Imperial Res. `A'

17.00

-5.56

Cityland Dev. `A'

1.040

6.12

Century Peak Metals Hldgs

0.76

-5.00

WEDNESDAY: APRIL 13, 2016

B3

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

Basic, Trans-Asia drilling OKd

By Alena Mae S. Flores

The government approved the drilling of an exploratory well in a geothermal power project in Batangas, the project’s proponents said Tuesday.

The Energy Department approved the notice of intent to drill submitted by the consortium of Basic Energy Corp. and TransAsia Oil and Energy Development Corp. for the Mabini geothermal project.

“The approved NID [notice

of intent to drill] pertains to the drilling of an exploratory well in Geothermal Service Contract No. 8,” the consortium members said in separate disclosures to the stock exchange.

The consortium signed last month a drilling contract with

Diamond Drilling Corp. of the Philippines to provide services for the drilling and coring of an exploratory hole with a minimum depth of 1,500 meters.

The drilling program is set to be completed within 90 days.

“Drilling will start during the second week of May,” Trans-Asia senior vice president Raymundo Reyes Jr. said. Total drilling cost is estimated at more than P100 million.

The decision to award the drilling contract to Diamond Drilling, followed the consortium’s rigorous assessment of the technical

capabilities of shortlisted contractors, given the approved budget.

Mabini Geothermal Sevice Contract No. 8 covers 3,841 hectares in the Calumpan peninsula.

Based on the pre-feasibility study, the area is projected to yield a power capacity 20 megawatts to 60 MW. Basic Energy has a 75-percent stake in the project and is the operator of the service contract.

Trans-Asia holds the remaining 25 percent.

Under the terms of the farmin agreement, Trans-Asia will shoulder 25-percent undivided

participating interest in the rights, interests, privileges, duties and obligations in and under Geothermal Service Contract No. 8.

Basic Energy was originally incorporated as Basic Enterprises Inc. on Sept. 19, 1968 and became an oil and gas exploration and development company on April 26, 1971, assuming the name Basic Petroleum and Minerals Inc. The company evolved from an operating company to a holding company under the corporate name Basic Consolidated Inc.

Market advances; Ayala, SCB post gains STOCKS rose for a fourth day, bringing the benchmark index above the 7,300-point level, after the World Bank retained its 6.4-percent growth forecast for the Philippines.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company bellwether, gained 15 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 7,306.56 Tuesday.

It was also up 5.1 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also rose 9 points, or 0.2 percent, to settle at 4,302.81, on a value turnover of P6.8 billion. Advancers led losers, 98 to 92, while 56 issues were unchanged.

Twelve of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Metro Retail Stores Group Inc., which climbed 5.1 percent to P4.10 and Security Bank Corp. which went up by 3.5 percent to P193.

Ayala Corp. advanced 2.4 percent to P778, while Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. added 1.7 percent to close at P85.95.

Meanwhile, Japan drove gains in Asian shares as the yen snapped its longest rally since 2012, providing respite for the nation’s exporters. Australia’s currency strengthened and its bonds fell after a report showed business confidence is improving.

A fall in the yen pushed Japan’s stock market higher in early trade Tuesday, helping it lead a broad Asia-wide advance, although analysts warned worries about the world economy and earnings would temper any rally.

World markets have been unable to maintain their momentum after the bright run seen in March, with concern growing that central banks may be running out of tools to kick-start growth and inflation.

Tokyo’s Nikkei, which has been among the worst performers this year, enjoyed a rare rally Tuesday morning thanks to a dip in the yen, which supports exporters.

By the break the index was up 1.2 percent. With AFP, Bloomberg

Toy library. UnionBank of the Philippines teams up with the Education Department and the Philippine Toy Library to establish a toy library in

Guinsay Elementary School in Danao City, Cebu. Shown cutting the ribbon for the opening of the toy library are (from left) DepEd district supervisor Arnold Peñalosa, UnionBank assistant vice president for corporate social responsibility Paula Katerina Joson, UnionBank executive vice president for strategic partnerships Genaro Lapez, PTL president Edsel Ramirez, DepEd division superintendent Rosalie Pasaiol and school principal Dina Dagatan.

Pepsi-Cola’s net income reaches P810m as revenues rise 7%

By Jenniffer B. Austria SOFTDRINKS maker PepsiCola Products Philippines Inc. said Tuesday net income in 2015 stood flat at P810 million, on higher sugar prices and increased expenses when it diversified into snack foods.

PCPPI said in a filing with the stock exchange gross revenues increased 7 percent in 2015 to P27.33 billion from P25.35 billion in 2014.

Revenue growth was ahead of volume expansion, driven by a strong focus on revenue management and overlapping of pricing rollback, it said.

Sales of carbonated drinks rose 7.8 percent last year to P20 billion from P18.56 billion in

2014, while sales of non-carbonated beverages also increased 7.8 percent to P7.29 billion from P6.76 billion.

Cost of goods climbed 10 percent in 2015, driven by sharp increase in sugar in the last two quarters, higher depreciation and amortization, which was partially offset by volume growth.

PCPPI started commercial production of snacks in 2015.

PCPPI said the creation of the snacks-and-beverage franchise operations in the Philippines reflected the group’s ongoing drive to ensure the integration of its food and beverage portfolio across multiple platforms, including manufacturing and go-to-market execution.

“2015 was a special year for PCPPI. We began commercial production of our globally acclaimed snack food brands.

The introduction of Lays and Cheetos at affordable price points opens up exciting new growth horizons for PCPPI. On the other hand, our beverage business performance also remains solid as we managed to outgrow the industry for yet another year,” PCPPI president Furqan Ahmed Syed said.

“We are well positioned to be a leading F&B company in the Philippines and we are bullish about the future of our business.

We will continue to build our food and beverage portfolio and invest in accelerating our future

growth,” Syed said.

PCPPI said it invested P4.2 billion in manufacturing and distribution assets last year, up by 8 percent from a year ago.

The company said it would continue its long-term strategy of distribution and manufacturing investments, supported by marketing programs to sustain the growth momentum.

The PCPPI is a licensed bottler of PepsiCo Inc. and Pepsi Lipton International Ltd. in the Philippines.

It manufactures a range of carbonated and non- carbonated beverages that included Pepsi-Cola, 7Up, Mountain Dew, Mirinda, Mug, Gatorade, Tropicana/Twister, Lipton, Sting, Propel, Milkis and Let’s Be.

B4 Exports declined again in February

By Gabrielle Binaday MERCHANDISE exports dropped 4.5 percent February to $4.31 billion from $4.51 billion a year ago on weak global demand for the country’s articles of apparel and clothing accessories and chemicals, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday.

The drop marked the 11th consecutive month of decline in the country’s exports bills since April last year.

Exports also fell 4.2 percent in the first two months to $8.498 billion from $8.87 billion year-onyear.

The National Economic and Development Authority said the global economic slowdown continued to weigh on the country’s export bill.

“The export performance of most of the trade-oriented economies in East and Southeast Asia continues to reel from weak global demand that is largely influenced by the global economic slowdown,” Economic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra said.

“For the Philippines, we see this continuing only within the near term but it remains important for us to set up short-term measures that will support some of our export products,” he said Only Vietnam and Thailand posted positive export gains while China recorded the steepest decline at 25 percent during the period.

“As softer external demand is expected over the near term, the Philippines should at least aim for a 5.4-percent growth in merchandise exports, which is the low-end projection of the Export Development Council. Short-term measures may include providing government support to export products for which demand is growing faster relative to other export segments and where the Philippines has an increasing market share,” Esguerra said.

Electronic products, the country’s top export, grew 8 percent to $2.131 billion in February from $1.97 billion on year.

Philusa partner. Philusa Corp.’s Rhea Generics teams up with global healthcare leader Sanofi to help bring high quality and innovative medicines to the Filipino market with affordable prices. Signing the partnership agreement are (from left) Stanislas Camart, chief financial officer of Sanofi; Carlito Realuyo, country chairman, Sanofi; Neogin Evangelista, president, Philusa; and Cora Lim, vice president for merchandising, Mercury Drug Store Corp.

PLDT bares P25-b expansion program

By Darwin G Amojelar

PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. on Tuesday announced an ambitious network expansion program in a bid to outshine rival Globe Telecom Inc., which has been eating up on its market share.

PLDT and Smart chief technology and information advisor Joachim Horn told reporters the company would spend P25 billion this year to expand its mobile network, including the integration of Smart and Sun networks, rollout of 3G and long term evolution as well as deployment of LTE-Advanced mobile service.

PLDT has programmed P43 billion in capital expenditures this year.

“It’s a very ambitious project. Our key focus is improving customer service whether in 3G,

LTE or even in 2G,” Horn said.

PLDT spokesman Ramon Isberto said the network expansion program of the company would “improve or hopefully will be able to keep our customers loyal and win more customers. “ PLDT’s subscriber base stood at 65 million last year, down by 5 million from 69 million in 2014, while that of Globe Telecom reached 52.9 million, up by 20 percent from 44 million subscribers a year ago.

Horn said the integration of Smart and Sun networks was expected to be completed by the end of 2016 or early 2017 and improve network coverage from 50 percent to 100 percent.

He said PLDT would give specific attention to enhancing 3G/HSPA/HSPA+ coverage and capacity because about 90 percent of Smart and Sun subscribers who go online use 3G handsets.

“Improving our 3G data service thus delivers immediate benefits to the largest number of people in our subscriber base. At the same

time, we have been expanding the coverage of our LTE network because the number of subscribers using LTE phones is steadily rising,” Horn said.

PLDT Group’s LTE penetration rate stood at 45 percent, while 3G was 89 percent.

“We will probably double LTE coverage by next year,” Horn said.

Horn added Smart had begun to roll out the country’s first LTE-Advanced service, which could provide significantly higher data speeds than existing LTE services using a capability called “carrier aggregation.”

Initially deployed in Boracay, Aklan, one of the country’s leading tourist destinations, Smart’s LTE-A service there posted speeds of up to 260 Mbps.

“With the introduction of our LTE-Advanced service, the next stage of development of 4th generation of mobile technology, Smart is again at the technology forefront, setting the bar higher for mobile service experience,” Joachim said.

JG Summit’s profit jumps to P28b; Ayala investing P90b

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE JG Summit Holdings Inc. said core net income in 2015 jumped 38 percent to P28.05 billion from P20.3 billion in 2014, boosted by the double-digit income growth of the airline and petrochemical subsidiaries.

JG Summit said in a disclosure to the stock exchange net income attributable to equity holders of the parent also increased 23.9 percent to P22.6 billion from a

year ago level of P18.25 billion.

“The increase is slower compared to the growth of core net income because of foreign exchange losses caused by the depreciation of the Philippine peso vs. the US dollar by more than P2 by year-end 2015 as well as mark-to-market losses mainly from Cebu Air’s hedging losses in 2015,” JG Summit said.

Consolidated revenues climbed 24 percent to P229.3 billion due to the strong performance of core businesses.

Universal Robina Corp. reposted consolidated sales of P112 billion, up 16 percent from a year ago, while Robinsons Land Corp., booked revenues of P20.3 billion, an increase of 24 percent from 17.43 billion.

Airline unit Cebu Air Inc. generated gross revenues of P56.5 billion, up 8.7 percent from P52 billion a year ago, mainly attributed to the increase in passenger revenues.

JG Summit Petrochemical Group booked gross revenue

of P26.78 billion, significantly higher P3.23 billion year-onyear, as the company resumed its commercial operations after the completion of its polymer plant expansion and rehabilitation project.

Ayala Land Inc., meanwhile, said it would spend P80 billion to P90 billion in capital expenditures annually to achieve the target of expanding the company’s net income to P40 billion by 2020, according to a top official of the company.

“The capex number will be within the vicinity of P80 to P90 billion every year through 2020.

That is pretty much the level we are looking at,” Ayala Land chief finance officer Jaime Ysmael said in an interview at the sidelines of the annual stockholders’ meeting.

“We will try to spread it out so we could finance it internally. But that is the level we will be able to act and enable us to continue to develop and achieve our plans,” Ysmael added.

W E D N E S D AY : A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

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

Meralco row seen to impact on supply PHILIPPINE Electricity Market Corp. said Tuesday the decision of Millennium Energy Inc. to withdraw from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market will have an impact on supply during the dry months.

PEMC, which operates the electricity market, delisted Millennium on April 1 after the power generator sought an end to its WESM membership following the non-renewal a the distribution wheeling service agreement with Meralco.

Millennium operates the 100-megawatt diesel-fired power plant in Navotas. The company decided to stop supplying power capacity to the wholesale electricity spot market after incurring losses due to the wheeling charges collected by Meralco.

PEMC, however, said despite the cessation of registration, the outstanding obligations and liabilities of Millennium to the WESM were valid until fully settled.

“PEMC followed its procedures in deregistering Millennium from its roster of WESM membership. The immediate impact will be the reduction of offers to be traded in the market that will result in the tightening of supply against the backdrop of increased demand during the summer months and forthcoming election day,” PEMC president Melinda Ocampo in a statement.

Demand has been going up in recent days with the onset of the dry months.

Power supply in the Luzon grid, meanwhile, normalized Tuesday with the return of operations of several power plants, including unit 2 of the Sual coal-fired power plant in Pangasinan with a capacity of 647 megawatts.

One unit of the Sual plant was back online at 8:01 p.m. Monday after the plant tripped at 3:14 p.m.

Monday.

The yellow alert for the Luzon grid was lifted at 10:01 p.m. Monday even as the Therma Mobile units 5 and 6 with a combined capacity of 119 MW and the 300MW Calaca coal plant in Batangas remained offline.

A yellow alert means the grid has a limited or thin power reserve.

The Magat hydro plants units 3 and 4, however, are expected to return to operations late Monday.

Energy Undersecretary Mylene Capongcol said Luzon grid’s capacity reached 10,526 MW compared with the peak demand of 9,154 MW. Luzon’s net reserve was at 1,005 MW on Monday afternoon, increasing to 1,643 MW Monday evening.

On Tuesday, peak demand reached a high of 9,255 MW, which the department attributed to the hottest El Niño weather phenomenon to date.

Alena Mae S. Flores

B5

PSA: Factory output up 8.4% in February

By Gabrielle Binaday

FACTORY output rose in February at a slower pace of 8.4 percent, with furniture, food products and rubber leading the expansion, the National Economic and Development Authority said Tuesday.

Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority in its Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries showed the volume of production index expanded at a lesser pace from 34.3 percent in January but rebounded from the 2.1-percent contraction year-onyear.

The Value of Production Index also recorded a modest growth of 2.8 percent in February from a decline of 7.6 percent decline on year.

“The manufacturing sector is expected to sustain growth this year because of our strong macroeconomic fundamentals, resilient domestic consumption, and upcoming national elections.

There is a positive business outlook due to anticipated increases in gross revenues and net income of some of the country’s largest corporations,” said Economic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra.

Esguerra said the outlook

increased the job opportunities, while stable prices of commodities, government assistance such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and electionrelated spending would provide additional boost to domestic consumption.

The PSA noted significant increases in eight major sectors, namely furniture and fixtures, food manufacturing, rubber and plastic products, fabricated metal products, machinery except electrical, printing, non-metallic mineral products and electrical machinery.

Furniture and fixtures registered strong growth on the back of robust domestic demand, increasing in volume by 32.4 percent and value by 13.2 percent in February.

The food subsector sustained a

double-digit growth in February, with a 26-percent and 25.8-percent expansion in volume and value of production, respectively.

“Driven by strong consumer spending and efficient distribution of goods, the growth in food production is expected to continue in the coming months as El Niño is anticipated to weaken and fade away during the second quarter of 2016,” said Esguerra.

On intermediate goods, rubber and plastic products increased 25.6 percent in volume and 1.5 percent in value of production.

The output of electric machinery expanded 16.3 percent and 8.3 percent in volume and value, respectively.

Esguerra said with low global oil prices, lower production costs would encourage expansion of manufacturing production.

Soccsksargen expo. The ‘Treasures of Sox Travel and Trade Expo’ showcases tourist spots, travel packages, native fabrics, diverse indigenous

cultures, culinary delights, export-quality local brands and investment opportunities in Soccsksargen, or Region 12, at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City from April 11 to 14. Regional officers of the government agencies led by convenor Tourism regional director Nelly Nita Dillera bang the gong to formally open the expo. Nicknamed ‘Sox,’ Soccsksargen is the acronym for South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and Gen. Santos City. It also embraces the cities of Cotabato, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Koronadal, the regional center.

Trans-Asia mulls over LNG plant in Pangasinan

By Alena Mae S. Flores TRANS-ASIA Petroleum Corp., a unit of Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp., is studying the feasibility of putting up a liquefied natural gas import terminal and natural gas plant in Sual, Pangasinan estimated to cost at least $500 million.

Trans-Asia Petroleum executive vice president Raymundo Reyes Jr. said during the stockholders’ meeting Tuesday the planned LNG facility would be enough to power a 500-megawatt gas-fired power plant.

The company, in a separate disclosure, said “it is seeking to

expand operations to include the midstream sector,” which involves the transportation and delivery of petroleum products.

“Tapet is currently conducting a pre-feasibility study for the construction of a liquefied natural gas import terminal at a prospective site in Sual, Pangasinan,” it said.

“The facility is intended to supply gas for power generation as well as for industrial, commercial and transport applications,” it added.

Trans-Asia Petroleum president and chief executive Francisco Viray, said the pre-feasibility study for the LNG facility would be completed by the middle of the

year.

Viray said the company was going ahead with the study while waiting for the fuel generation mix policy from the government.

“The study will determine the economics of the project,” he said.

He said Trans-Asia Petroleum was also open to potential joint ventures, adding the company would offer the output as “baseload and mid-merit.”

Trans-Asia Petroleum assured it would maintain its interest in local petroleum service contracts.

The company said “it is also actively seeking upstream investment opportunities in the region, in particular those that involve

petroleum assets with existing production or are in the development stage.”

The company has stakes in service contract 6 Block A (offshore northwest Palawan), SC 6 Block B (offshore northwest Palawan), SC 51 (East Visayas), SC 55 (deepwater West Palawan), SC 69 (Central Visayas) and SC 50 (North Palawan).

Viray said the company expressed interest in LNG two years ago pending a policy from the government Trans-Asia Oil and Energy, meanwhile, is also developing a coal-fired power plant also in Sual, Pangasinan with an output of up to 900 MW.

WEDNESDAY: APRIL 13, 2016

B6 MSMEs told to tap electronic commerce

By Othel V. Campos THE Trade Department advised micro, small and medium enterprises to venture into electronic commerce to expand market reach.

The agency recently launched the Philippine e-commerce roadmap which targeted to engage 100,000 MSMEs by 2020.

“The Philippine e-commerce roadmap engages people and organizations to collaborate for MSME development. We need to build capacity, attract investments in infrastructure and institute policies to enable MSMEs to maximize benefits of e-commerce,” Trade Secretary Adrian Cristobal Jr. said.

He said for nearly one million MSMEs in the Philippines, the e-commerce roadmap could unlock the doors to a virtual market of 3.37 billion Internet users worldwide, including 1.62 billion in Asia and 47.13 million in the Philippines.

The Philippine e-commerce roadmap 2016-2020 is a blueprint to address issues in the country’s e-commerce ecosystem with infrastructure, investment, innovation, intellectual capital, information flows and integration as key focus areas.

The Trade Department and the Philippine Trade Training Center conducted a special workshop on developing a full e-commerce business.

The pilot workshop assesses the training needs of MSMEs to engage in business-to-business e-commerce transactions, e-commerce site building, readiness for electronic payments; and basics of Facebook marketing and advertising, customer relations management and e-mail marketing.

Trade undersecretary Prudencio Reyes Jr. said Negosyo centers would soon work with MSMEs on e-commerce trainings.

Reyes said the department met with various agencies such as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to discuss the country’s readiness for online transactions.

The Philippine e-commerce outlook 2018 expects the e-commerce industry to grow by 101.4 percent by 2018 from $1.15 billion in 2013.

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

BSP wants higher penalties vs. banks

By Julito G. Rada

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas on Tuesday asked Congress to increase the penalties against banks and other financial institutions involved in money laundering.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said during the fourth Senate hearing on the $81-million money laundering case that penalties against erring banks should be increased as “the economy has grown.”

“To apply the issue of proportionality, there is a basis for Congress to consider higher penalties… imposable by the BSP because the economy has grown and there should be flexibility,” Espenilla said.

Espenilla said the increase in penalties should be imposed under the BSP charter and AntiMoney Laundering law.

Senator Ralph Recto said Bangko Sentral should make specific recommendations on the increase in penalties.

The penal provisions under the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 or Republic Act 9160 impose imprisonment ranging from seven to 14 years and a fine of not less than P3 million but not more

than twice the value of the monetary instrument or property involved in the offense.

The penalty of imprisonment from four to seven years and a fine of not less than P1.5 million but not more than P3 million shall be imposed upon a person convicted under Section 4(b) of the same law.

If the offender is a corporation, association, partnership or any juridical person, the penalty shall be imposed upon the responsible officers who participated in the commission of the crime or who have knowingly permitted or failed to prevent the act.

If the offender is a juridical person, the court may suspend or revoke its license. If the offender is an alien, he shall, in addition to

the penalties be deported without further proceedings after serving the penalties herein prescribed.

If the offender is a public official or employee, he shall in addition to the penalties suffer perpetual or temporary absolute disqualification from office.

Espenilla said Bangko Sentral could also impose non-monetary actions and disciplinary actions against covered institutions.

Covered institutions under the Bangko Sentral include banks, non-banks, quasi-banks, trust entities, foreign exchange dealers, pawnshops, money changers, remittance and transfer companies and other similar entities and all other persons and their subsidiaries and affiliates supervised by the BSP.

Filipino farmers visit Japan. Twenty young Filipino farmers are scheduled to go to Japan on April 13 and stay for 11 months in Japanese farmers’ houses to learn production techniques, management and distribution systems. Shown are the participants of “Young Filipino Farmers Training Program in Japan,” organized by Japan Agricultural Exchange Council.

BIR, Globe relaunch mobile income tax payment system

By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE Bureau of Internal Revenue said Monday it will accept payments of annual income tax returns from the public through the mobile payment system provided

by Globe Telecom Inc. BIR deputy commissioner Nelson Aspe said the relaunch of the electronic tax payment through Globe G-cash would ease the process of paying the annual income

tax returns due on April 15.

“I think the G-cash mechanism... would ease [the process] of paying taxes,” Aspe said during the launch of the payment system in Quezon City.

Aspe, however, said that before using the mobile payment system, the taxpayer should first file their income tax returns through the eBIR electronic filing system.

BIR and Globe teamed up with the United States Agency for In-

ternational Development in developing the system.

“This an event to celebrate because it is a significant milestone.

It is designed to help raise money for the government. The ease of efiling and e-payment is transparent.

It’s gonna change BIR in the future,” USAID facilitating public investment project and e-Peso activity chief of party Bill Gardner said.

G-cash Xchange Inc. chief executive Albert Tinio said about 2 mil-

lion G-cash application users at the moment could use the application.

BIR said it aimed to increase tax collection for the country’s growing needs for basic infrastructure and social programs necessary to reduce poverty.

“The continuous payment of right taxes will sustain the growth of the Philippines,” said BIR commissioner Kim Henares.

G-cash was first introduced for national tax payments in

2005. It was expanded to allow payments for all types of taxes.

BIR also works with local and national government agencies to increase public’s awareness through the e-Bayad campaigns and enable usage of electronic payments in government transactions.

G-cash is a mobile money platform that transforms mobile phone into virtual wallet for secure, fast, convenient and most affordable money transfers and access to financial service.

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Taliban starts ‘spring offensive’ KABUL—The Afghan Taliban announced Tuesday the start of their “spring offensive” even as the government in Kabul tries to bring the insurgents back to the negotiating table to end their drawn-out conflict.

For authentication. French painting expert Eric Turquin speaks on April 12, 2016, in Paris in front of the painting entitled ‘Judith cutting off the head of Holofernes,’ presented as being painted by Italian artist Caravaggio (1571-1610), while experts are still to determine its authenticity. The painting was found in an attic of a house near Toulouse, southwestern France. AFP

Drunk drivers to serve in morgues BANGKOK—Drunk drivers in Thailand will be sentenced to community service in morgues, authorities said on Tuesday, stepping up efforts to combat the country’s appalling traffic safety record.

Thailand’s junta hopes the morbid rehabilitation plan will ram home the message that drunk driving kills and help to cut traffic-related deaths in a country with the world’s second most dangerous roads.

Nontajit Netpukkana, a senior official at the department of probation, said Thailand’s cabinet had approved their morgue proposal.

“We originally had community services at hospital wards [for offenders],” he told AFP on Tuesday.

“But we think the intensity that comes from working in a morgue will help give those doing community service a clearer picture of what happens after accidents caused by drunk driv-

ing,” he said.

The announcement coincides with Songkran, an annual threeday festival that kicks off on Wednesday and marks the Thai new year.

It is celebrated with water throwing, partying and, more often than not, heavy drinking—a lethal combination given many make long journeys to their hometowns to celebrate with family.

Each year hundreds of people are killed on Thailand’s roads during the Songkran week.

It is one of two periods dubbed the “Seven Deadly Days” by the Thai government and press—the other being western New Year.

But while attention tends to be focused on those two holidays, each week brings carnage on Thailand’s roads.

Despite its relative wealth and infrastructure, the kingdom has the second most dangerous roads in the world in terms of

per capita deaths.

The World Health Organization estimates about 24,000 people die each year in Thai road traffic accidents.

Only Libya records a greater number of fatalities per capita.

Successive government promises—both civilian and military—have made little dent in the annual death toll.

Over New Year, the junta announced a renewed crackdown on drunk drivers, including powers to impound cars. But it appeared to make little difference.

By the end of the week, 380 people had died on the roads and more than 3,300 were injured according to government data, the highest toll in five years.

The WHO figures, however, would suggest that the true number is far higher and that Thailand, like many other countries, vastly under-reports the severity of the problem. AFP

Bomb thrown after ‘Satan’ comment KUALA LUMPUR—A petrol bomb was thrown on Tuesday at the office of a senior politician in Malaysia’s oppositionruled Penang state, after he described a visiting fiery Islamic preacher as “Satan”.

State officials said no one was injured and no damage caused in the early-morning attack after the firebomb landed on the center’s metal shutters.

State Deputy Chief Minister P. Ramasamy said the attack may have been prompted by his Facebook post over the weekend about preacher Zakir Naik.

“It could possibly be related to my comment

on Zakir as Satan,” he told AFP. Ramasamy accused Zakir, an Indian national, of giving speeches designed to promote hatred of other faiths.

His posting was not directed against Islam or Muslims but against “this particular person”, he said in a statement.

“I regret the use of the word ‘Satan’ which has caused uneasiness and unhappiness among Muslims in Malaysia,” Ramasamy said, adding that the word was later deleted.

Malaysia generally practixes a moderate brand of Islam among its majority Malay community, but conserva-

tive views have gained increasing traction in recent years.

Minorities—mainly ethnic Indians and Chinese—complain of what they see as Islamization.

Religious tensions escalated in 2010 after three churches were attacked with firebombs, causing major damage to one, as Muslims pledged to prevent Christians from using the word “Allah”.

Zakir, 51, is an Islamic preacher on comparative religion.

Ramasamy, who is also the Penang Hindu Endowment Board chairman, had spoken out against a planned

program by Zakir’s son, also an Islamic preacher, in Penang state on April 15.

On Sunday police banned Zakir from giving a lecture at a university in the southern state of Malacca following complaints from minority groups.

He had planned to speak on “Similarities between Hinduism and Islam”.

National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said in a tweet on Monday that Zakir was barred to ensure public order.

The aim was to protect “public order and religious sensitivities in Malaysia”, he wrote.

AFP

The Taliban said in a statement they would “employ large-scale attacks on enemy positions across the country” during the offensive they have dubbed “Operation Omari” in honor of the movement’s late founder Mullah Omar, whose death was announced last year.

The annual spring offensive normally marks the start of the “fighting season”, though this winter the lull was shorter and they continued to battle government forces albeit with less intensity.

The statement promised “martyrdom-seeking and tactical attacks against enemy strongholds”, a reference to suicide bombings—a strategy the group has long resorted to against its enemies the Afghan police and army, whom they view as “stooges” of the West.

On Monday, 12 fresh recruits were killed in one such attack in the country’s east.

The Islamists, who have been waging an insurgency since being toppled from power in 2001, also promised attacks on the 13,000 NATO troops currently stationed in the country, officially in a training and advisory role ince the end of their combat mission in 2014.

“By employing such a multifaceted strategy it is hoped that the foreign enemy will be demoralized and forced to evict our nation,” they said.

The Taliban have made the departure of all foreign forces a precondition to the resumption of direct peace talks with Kabul which began last summer in Pakistan but ended abruptly after it was revealed that Mullah Omar had been dead for two years.

Responding to the announcement, Dawlat Waziri, the Ministry of De-

ERRORS & OMISSIONS 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.

fence spokesman, said: “The Taliban announce their offensive every year, this is part of their propaganda which has no meaning for us.

“Now that the Taliban have rejected peace talks, we are prepared to respond to war with war.

A four-country group comprising Afghanistan, the United States, China and Pakistan has been holding meetings since January aimed and jump-starting negotiations, though their efforts have so far been in vain.

Mullah Omar’s successor Mullah Akhtar Mansour, meanwhile, has won a string of impressive victories on the battlefield, helping to silence emerging factions by stepping up the intensity of his military campaign.

Last year the Taliban were able to briefly capture northern Kunduz, the first time they had held an Afghan city since the fall of their government in 2001.

The Taliban’s resurgence has raised serious questions about Afghan forces capacity to hold their own, with an estimated 5,000 troops killed last year, the worst ever toll.

Kabul-based analyst, Haroon Mir said: “This is the first Taliban spring offensive launched under their new leadership.

“Mansour has persistently rejected peace talks and insisted on war. Therefore he is expected to focus more on battlefield victories this year—that could mean a worse year for Afghanistan in terms of violence and bloodshed.”

It has also prompted calls for the US to reconsider its troop withdrawal schedule, already delayed once by President Barack Obama. AFP

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF MOBILE TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC. Notice is hereby given on the amendment of the Articles of Incorporation of Mobile Travel Technologies International Inc., shortening the term of its corporate existence and thereby dissolving the said corporation as of February 15, 2013. All persons having claims against the corporation are requested to present the same at its principal office at Unit 1703 Hanston Square, 17 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City for immediate settlement.

This announcement will serve as a notice to all parties concerned of the legal dissolution of the said corporation.

Signed this 29th day of March, Makati City, Philippines.

CAROLINE M. EDGINTON President Affiant ( T S - A P R . 13 , 2 0 & 2 7, 2 016)

Republic of the Philippines CAV ITE S TATE U N IV E R S ITY (C vS U ) D on S ev eri no de al as C ampus Indang, c av i te (046) 415010/415-0011 415-0012 w w w.c v s u.educ .ph INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID The CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites suppliers/manufacturers/ distributors/contractors to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder project: Name of Project

: SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF GROUND FILLING MATERIALS

Location

: CARMONA CAMPUS, CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY, CARMONA, CAVITE

Brief Description

: MIXED GROUND FILLING MATERIALS INCLUDING LEVELING

Approved Budget For the Contract : P 2,497,152.00 Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last two (2) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding. The Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted.

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

The complete schedule of activities is listed, as follows: Activities

Schedule

1. Issuance of Bid Documents

April 12, 2016 to May 3, 2016; 8:00AM – 5:00PM

2. Pre-bid Conference

April 19, 2016; 2:00 PM; S.L. Lasap Hall, Administration Building, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite

3. Opening of Bids

May 3, 2016; 2:00 PM; S.L. Lasap Hall, Administration Building, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite

Bid Documents will be available only to prospective bidders upon payment of a non-refundable amount of Five Thousand Pesos Only (P 5,000.00) to the CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY Cashier.

The CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid.

Approved by: ( T S - A P R . 13 , 2 016)

(SGD) GILCHOR P. CUBILLO, PhD BAC Chairman

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B8 EU plans crackdown on tax havens STRASBOURG—The EU unveils plans on Tuesday to limit the rampant use of tax havens by the world’s biggest multinationals, a measure the authorities say is made even more urgent by the Panama Papers scandal.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said under the new rules big companies operating in Europe would have to make public what they earn in each member of the 28-nation bloc.

Country-by-county reporting has for years been a major demand of tax activists who accuse big corporations of secretly shifting profits to low or no tax jurisdictions, often through the use of shell companies such as those exposed in the Panama Papers leak.

Longstanding criticisms of corporate tax policy blew up into the open with the Lux Leaks scandal in 2014, which exposed the secret sweetheart tax deals given to huge corporations—including IKEA and Pepsi—by the small duchy of Luxembourg.

EU Financial Services Commissioner Jonathan Hill will make the announcement at 1300 GMT at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

Hill is Britain’s representative on the Commission and a close political ally of Prime Minister David Cameron who is under pressure in London for family links to an offshore fund exposed by the Panama Papers leak.

“This is a carefully thought through but ambitious proposal for more transparency on tax,” Hill said in a statement ahead of the plan’s release.

“While our proposal ... is not of course focused principally on the response to the Panama papers, there is an important connection between our continuing work on tax transparency and tax havens that we are building into the proposal,” he said.

The EU plan closely follows recommendations by the OECD agreed by G20 leaders last year.

They would apply to all global companies with sales worth 750 million euros or above worldwide and with activities in the EU. AFP

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD Battle for last votes to seal Rousseff’s fate BRASILIA—Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s fate rested Tuesday on the loyalties of the last 100 or so congressional deputies yet to declare how they will vote in a looming impeachment showdown.

Atmosphere. A general view of the atmosphere during ‘The Walking Dead’ For Your Consideration Event at The Montalban Theater on April 11, 2016, in Los Angeles. AFP

In a ruthless and complex contest, supporters and opponents of Brazil’s first female president raced to amass the magic number that will make history when the lower house of Congress votes in a week’s time.

A congressional committee voted late Monday in a non-binding measure to approve impeachment. It gave a taste of the bruising struggle, with deputies yelling and coming close to blows in a day-long debate.

The full house is expected to start voting Sunday or the following Monday.

This time, a two thirds majority, or 342 deputies, will be needed to send Rousseff’s case to the Senate for impeachment trial.

Anything less and Rousseff—accused of fiddling accounts to mask the dire state of the government budget during her 2014 reelection—will have won.

The latest survey of the 513 deputies in the lower house by Estadao daily on Monday showed 298 in favor, still short of 342. The count showed 119 opposing impeachment.

That left the result in the hands of the 96 deputies still undecided or not stating a position.

After winning Monday’s skirmish in the committee—where only a simple majority was required to win—the opponents of Rousseff declared they were on a roll.

“It was a victory for the Brazilian people,” said opposition deputy Jovair Arantes, predicting that the result would carry with “strong” pro-impeachment momentum into the full chamber’s vote.

But pro-government deputy Silvio Costa said he was also confident. “The opposition is very arrogant” after Monday’s committee victory, he said, noting that past presidents of Brazil have usually struggled to get even the 308 votes needed for constitutional amendments.

If the lower house does approve Rousseff’s impeachment, the case goes to the Senate.

If the Senate then confirms it will take the case, Rousseff would have to step down for up to 180 days while a trial was held. Her vice president,

India eyed to check China’s ambitions NEW DELHI—US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will meet Indian leaders in New Delhi later Tuesday, seeking to bolster a strategic relationship Washington sees as crucial in the face of China’s growing military ambitions.

Carter will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar and with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit, aimed at shoring up security and defense ties with the regional power.

Washington has increasingly turned its focus to Asia as it tries to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, and is eager for India to play a greater role in its network of regional defense alliances.

India, the world’s biggest arms importer, wants access to US technology so it can develop sophisticated weapons at home—a key part of Modi’s “Make in India” campaign to boost domestic manufacturing.

“Both our values and our interests overlap in so many important ways, and that happens with few countries around the globe,” Carter told reporters late Monday in India.

A senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said China was “operating more frequently both throughout Southeast Asia and in the Indian Ocean”, something both Washington and New Delhi were “watching closely”.

Modi, who enjoys close ties with

US President Barack Obama, has criticized what he called China’s “expansionist mindset”.

Regional superpower China is expanding its deep-water naval presence and staking a claim to disputed areas of the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing claims almost all of the contested South China Sea, which is important for international shipping, and has in recent months built massive structures including radar systems and an airstrip over reefs and outcrops.

It has also courted countries in the Indian Ocean, pouring money into the Maldives and Sri Lanka— where it funded the construction of a deep-sea port. AFP

Harvest time. Afghan farmers harvest opium sap from a poppy field in the Zari District of Kandahar province on April 12, 2016. AFP

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BiNG pArEl

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

BErNADETTE lUNAS WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@liFEatStandard

H oME & l i v iNG

LIFE

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The Vantage units offer flexibility in space, allowing homeowners to convert their second room to a den, nursery, an entertainment room, or to any space they want

ThE VAnTAgE AT KApITOlyO

Rockwell PRimaRies’ fiRst high-Rise, veRtical village develoPment in Pasig

T

hey say that the best time to invest on real estate is when you are still young, as “time” can be your strongest financial asset because as you age, so does the investment you made. One example are condo units that make ideal homes for single and busy working class people, as well as newlyweds trying to start a small family. In today’s market, there are tons of developer options to choose from, but it is very important to choose the right name and the ones that house the best locations for your investment.

Kapitolyo has been a bustling location for the hip and young as most restaurants and hangout places are becoming hot spots for millennials. So given the target market of the area, it may be time for you to invest in a property that fits your lifestyle as city living always requires accessibility to services and areas that can cater to your every day life.

Premium property developer Rockwell Land Corporation, known for bringing exclusivity and opulence along with its name and at the same time building world-class communities for Filipinos, brings forth an “affordable premium” living space in Kapitolyo under its newest property development subsidiary, Rockwell Primaries. The Vantage at Kapitolyo is Rockwell Primaries’ first high-rise, vertical village development in Pasig. In today’s condo market, each squaremeter is considered luxury and The Vantage offers bigger cuts in space as compared to other living spaces in the market today.

“With The Vantage at Kapitolyo, discover a life lived better with our quality units that can be designed according to one’s own taste and liking,” explains Malou Pineda, senior vice president, Rockwell Primaries Development Corporation. “Staying true to the Rockwell lifestyle, The Vantage at Kapitolyo offers a secure and quality vertical community with high property value appreciation,” she adds.

The Vantage offers one-bedroom units with 40 to 43-sq. meter cuts, a slightly bigger option than what some developers offer. Bigger cuts means better space, so owners have the option to convert their spaces in any way they like. The property also offers two bedroom units with provision for the buyers to convert the other room into a working space, a gym, a nursery, a study, or any area that may fit your liking. “We designed our spaces with the homeowners’ needs in mind. We took into account the possibility that they may want to convert their second bedroom into a more useful space – like a workstation, their own fitness gym, or a nursery,” says Arch. Rochelle Baylon, project head, The Vantage at Kapitolyo.

With the Rockwell name under its wing, the condo sure carries with it the tasteful aesthetics and design from the developer’s other properties. You may visit The Vantage at Kapitolyo Pop Up Studio Unit at the North Court of Power Plant Mall until April 14 and see the possibilities of how homeowners can design the space.

The two-bedroom Pop Up Model unit at the North Court of Power Plant Mall visualizes the dream home that unit owners may have at The Vantage at Kapitolyo

To learn more about the property, visit www.rockwellprimaries.com.ph or call 828-9888.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@liFEatStandard

pArtY pAlS: thE oNE-Stop Shop For Your pArtY propS CaleidosCope World by cal tavera

W

here’s the party?? Summer is here and you know what that means! It is THE perfect excuse to have that house pool party, a barbeque with friends or just simply have fun under the sun. Whether the occasion calls for a simple get together or a meaningful event like a birthday or a baby shower, there is now a new and more playful way of celebrating life. Enter…

Party Pals. By now, you have probably seen snippets of its whimsical decorations in launches, malls or through people’s posts.

It will most likely catch your eye because well, how can one resist a huge pizza slice with everything on it floaty? It’s cheat day without the calories.

Party Pals was founded in 2015 by a group of individuals from various industries. While each member is involved in diverse enterprises, their shared enthusiasm for celebrating life’s significant moments inspired the idea of creating the brand. Whether these special events are celebrated in an intimate or massive way, they wanted to provide an experience that would make shopping for party props fun, happy and definitely hassle-free through an online store that delivers right to your doorstop nationwide. Co-founder Ange dela Cruz shares, “Filipinos love to celebrate and have fun. It is in our culture, and being creative comes naturally.

However, it is difficult to put together a party because there is no one-stop shop for all your party needs. As a customer, you need to go through multiple shops to get what you need and typically have to go through traffic so we thought, why not offer a well-curated selection of products online so that shopping can be easy and fun?”

A wide range of profiles seems to enjoy their products – from mothers to internetsavvy folks to DIY types. Surprisingly, even the men are ordering from the online shop to surprise their wives and girlfriends.

To give an idea of what you can order from Party Pals, out this list of items: Balloons – It has an extensive list of balloons for any milestone, like letter and number balloons called alpha- and numbaloons in multiple styles, sizes and colors as well as a large selection of foil and latex balloons for many different party themes and needs. The gold and silver ones are favored by many.

Summer and pool party floaties – The fun pool floaties are making an appearance at many pool parties and weekend getaways, and are bestsellers year-round. The group is particularly excited about the new pool statement floaties that include the white/black/ gold swans, unicorn, popsicles, watermelon, pretzels and more. Aside from these fun accessories, Party Pals also provides Tropical Fruit Straws and other pool party essentials to spruce up an event, party or celebration.

Paper decor – Details are everything in party planning. The online shop offers paper honeycombs, lace fans, buntings, garlands, confetti, wall décor and many more.

Tableware – Party Pals tries to make party essentials fun by offering an array of styles of plates, cutlery, happy birthday candles, number candles and paper straws.

These items are personally selected and curated by the team from suppliers around the world. Low maintenance is required for the balloons and paper décor. A quick wipe

Finally, a pizza with no calories

Float on the white swan

Even dogs want to have fun

There's something for babies and the parents

Summertime!

Does anyone fancy a doughnut

A new way of making that birthday wish

with a dry cloth will do the trick in cleaning them. Many of their items can also be reused. For example, the foil balloons can be deflated and reflated and their paper fans can be opened and utilized as needed.

For inspiration, the entrepreneurs get them from just about anywhere. The

partners credit Pinterest and Instagram as their biggest sources of ideas and inspiration for emerging trends but they also do research on what kids and mothers would prefer. It is often a joy discovering new products and inspiration during the research process.

While the group expects to launch the website www.partypals.ph this month, interested buyers for now can access the catalogue by emailing them at shop@partypals.ph. Customers can also stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram at @partypalsph.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Kembali’s unspoiled terrain makes its a conducive habitat for green sea turtles and other marine life

@LIFEatStandard

Paradise awaits homeowners of luxury development Kembali located on Samal Island

A SNEAk pEEk INto ExcLuSIvE ISLAND LIvINg

W

hat does it look like living in your own piece of seaside paradise? How does it feel like being face-to-face with nature while enjoying the comforts a luxury development provides?

The Kembali Sales Lounge, which was launched recently, offers an exclusive sneak peek into the life of owning a home on a paradise island. The interactive gallery showcases Filinvest Premiere’s Kembali property, a Balinese-inspired residentialleisure development on Samal Island in Davao.

Guests to the showcase platform can see the progress inside Kembali, whose Phase 2 development commenced in March. The upscale property’s mid-rise condominium development is also set to open its doors to privileged homeowners as marked by the groundbreaking of its first building and amenity area.

Filinvest vice president for Real Estate Marketing Bernadette Ramos, project consultant for SouthMin and Kembali PDO Toshi Onozawa, first vice president and VisMin cluster head Tristan Las Marias and area general manager Geraldine de Gorostiza officially open the Kembali Sales Lounge in Davao City

A residential masterpiece, Kembali is more than just a taste of Bali. It’s that and then some.

A private playground. Kembali provides its residents with a private escape from the hustle and bustle of the

city. Taking inspiration from the Bahasa Indonesia word that means “welcome” or “to go back to,” Kembali offers a taste of exclusive island living that is truly worth returning to. A 20-minute boat ride from the Davao Boat and Leisure Club and a 40-minute boat transfer from the mainland will bring you to Kembali’s 1.8-km of beach frontage, a white sand coastline facing the Talikud Strait.

A beachfront home and a grand escape in one. Staycation at its finest is made possible by Kembali’s generous lot cuts and highly secured community features.

Homeowners can design their second home especially for their private getaways with family and friends and experience the ease and comfort of living within a masterplanned community.

Kissed-by-nature encounters. Kembali’s unspoiled terrain makes it the most conducive

The latest Sony Bravia lineup boasts of innovative televisions that delivers a full cinematic experience for just about any type of space

Sony’s new Bravia showcases infinite ways to fit your lifestyle TV is no longer just a device that most people put in the center of their living room. Besides the entertainment features, television sets are usually centerpieces in an interior design, either complementing the space or making it stand out. With more and more advanced television models coming out in the market, it’s getting harder to choose which one to take home.

Sony Philippines is kicking it up a notch and making the competition even harder as it released the expanded product line of the new Sony Bravia.

The latest lineup boasts of innovative televisions featuring the 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range) series that delivers a

full cinematic experience for just about any type of space, and the X9300D series that boasts of Sony’s new Slim Backlight Drive technology and the latest Google Android TV operating system.

Adding to the sleek design that Sony Bravia is known for is the hands-free functionality that we used to only see on sci-fi movies. You can now browse information from your TV with the Google Android TV system that allows immersive user interface and enables you to navigate content via a voice command.

The Google Cast technology is built-in and gives users a full range of control over the TV set straight from their Android

and iOS devices, while the Voice Search function allows users to give voice commands rather than using a remote to navigate the screen. Users can play photos, movies, games, and music on their Bravia whichever is more convenient to them – via phone or voice command.

“We at Sony are taking the next big step by providing a viewing experience that goes beyond just the screen – we’re pursuing more realistic and immersive visuals by merging our superb 4K picture clarity technology with HDR,” shares Nobuyoshi Otake, Ppresident and managing director, Sony Philippines.

“We continue to make an impact on our

habitat for green sea turtles. The development was designed around the preservation of its natural diversity. The island’s mangroves, on the other hand, serve as nesting grounds for birds, as well as the breeding ground for rich marine life. Kembali features a bird hill and fish feeding activities for enjoyable, natureintimate encounters.

Kembali is a joint venture project of Filinvest Land, Inc., under its upscale Filinvest Premiere brand, and FernandezHermanos, Inc. Filinvest Premiere offers masterfully crafted luxury residential spaces and leisure masterpieces.

Have an immersive, first-hand experience of exclusive island living at the Kembali Sales Lounge, Ground Floor, McPod Bldg., McArthur Highway, Matina, Davao City.

For more information, call 0917-5957788 or log on to www.kembali.com.ph. customers by creating products that truly matter; and with the latest range of 4K HDR TVs operated by the Android OS, we provide a more captivating visual experience for them,” he adds.

During the launch of the new lineup, Sony teamed up with lifestyle store Heima to design the showrooms themed according to different personalities and styles to showcase the range of the new Bravia. Entitled “Infinity,” the designs showcase infinite styles and highlight the flexibility of the TV screen for any chosen lifestyle space – whether you’re a bachelor adding the TV in your swanky new pad, a professional, a businessman, or a family that wants to spice up your entertainment den.

“Partnering with Sony Philippines gave us the opportunity to showcase a range of lifestyle designs a home can have, demonstrating how each Bravia TV not only complements the home’s interiors but also reflects the owner’s personality. It was easy to incorporate the Bravia TV in each design given its slim frame and cable management feature that made styling the home interiors a breeze,” shares Bong Rojales, co-owner and marketing director, Heima.

The 4K HDR TV series screen sizes range from the 55” to the 75” class, while the new HD TVs will come in multiple screen size options from the 32” to the 55” class. The complete lineup of 4K HDR TVs will be available in the Philippines this April while the Full HD model TVs will be available starting May. For more information, visit www.sony.com.ph, like them on Facebook at SonyPhilippines, or follow @SonyPHinc on Twitter and @sonyPHInc on Instagram.

Photos by star sabroso

W E D N E S D AY : A p r I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

The Ayala Malls is in full bloom this April as a diverse display of Philippine orchids and ornamental plants in vibrant palette of summer will bring color to the spaces of Glorietta, Greenbelt, Alabang Town Centre, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Centre Cebu, Centrio Mall, Ayala Malls Solenad and UP Town Center; (inset) A centerpiece made of Heliconia rattle snake, Snapdragon, Alstroemeria, succulent and Dendrobium flowers

garden at the maLL

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Ayala Malls in full bloom with events that support sustainable green living

nown for its manicured gardens and open spaces, Ayala Malls takes further advantage of the relaxing effect of greeneries as it fills the corners with beautiful blooms that would invite mallgoers to stop and smell the flowers.

“Gardens have been proven to be relaxing,” says Ayala Malls vice president Myrna Fernandez. Thus Ayala Malls offers a respite to people, especially those always in a rush, to relax, reflect and enjoy the beauty of natural surroundings.

A diverse display of Philippine orchids and ornamental plants in a vibrant palette of summer brings color to the spaces of Glorietta, Greenbelt, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu, Centrio Mall, Ayala Malls Solenad and UP Town Center this April.

In addition to bedecking its malls with colorful flowers, Ayala Malls is also staging a series of events and activities that support sustainable green living from April to May via its Lov’Em Blooms campaign.

Learn about greens

Mallgoers curious about the flora at Ayala Malls may sign up for the Green Walks, a guided learning experience wherein Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, Inc. speakers and volunteers will share information about the most popular native trees and other plants at selected Ayala Malls.

The Green Walks at Fairview Terraces is scheduled on April 16, on April 23 at Ayala Malls Solenad and on May 7 at Alabang Town Center.

Learn how to tend and nurture a garden on May 7 as Joey Quintana and the Ayala Alabang Garden Club share tips on how to make a garden grow.

Bring mom to Greenbelt’s Afternoon Tea by the Garden on her special day on May 8. In this unique Mother’s Day activity, shoppers can enjoy tea from the herbs grown at Greenbelt’s edible garden, tour the edible garden and meet with the gardeners.

As an added treat, participants will also

be given the “first pick” of the fruits and vegetables of the season.

reveL in nature and natureinspired exhibits

Local producers, growers, florists, designers, stylists and local botanical suppliers will showcase their best blooms in a series of flower and garden exhibits, dubbed “Blooms Market,” at Ayala Malls.

The delightful display will come at Greenbelt on Apr. 15 to 17; Ayala Center Cebu on May 6 to 15; at Abreeza Mall on May 6 to 8; at Alabang Town Center on May 7 and 8; at TriNoma on May 21 and 22; at Glorietta on June 3 to 5; at Fairview Terraces on June 22 to 26; and at Centrio Mall on June 24 to 26.

They may not smell as sweet but the Lego flora display at Greenbelt, TriNoma and Alabang Town Center starting May 16 will serve as an inspiring sight to mallgoers of all ages.

From the garden to the sea, Ayala Malls also partners with The Mind Museum to bring “A Glass of the Sea” traveling exhibition for its Lov’Em Blooms campaign. The immersive and interactive exhibits, along with facilitated activities, give participants a glimpse of the beauty of marine life and importance of conservation, specifically of the Verde Island Passage in Batangas.

The Verde Island Passage is part of the Coral Triangle that extends from the Philippines to Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.

The Coral Triangle is also globally known as the center of marine diversity, and the Verde Island Passage is its epicentre.

Catch the tour today until Apr. 17 at Ayala Center Cebu; on Apr. 30 to May 4 at Abreeza Mall; on May 11 to 15 at Centrio Mall; on June 1 to 5 at Alabang Town Center’ on June 8 to 12 at TriNoma; on June 15 to 19 at Glorietta; on June 22 to 26 at Fairview Terraces; and on June 29 to July 3 at Greenbelt.

Let creativity bLoom

Nature has always been an inspiration for many an artwork, the reason why in May,

Ayala Malls mounts events and activities that support sustainable green living and wellness of shoppers in all its shopping malls nationwide from April to July

From left: Bernadette Litonjua of Lego Philippines, Menie Odulio of Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, Mind Museum curator Maria Isabel Garcia, Ayala Malls vice president Myrna Fernandez, Ayala Land Inc. vice president Rowena Tomeldan and Ayala Malls assistant vice president Javi Hernandez during the launch of Ayala Malls’ Lov’Em Blooms campaign

Ayala Malls offers exciting arts and crafts workshops. On May 7 and 8, the Alabang Town Center will mount a Flower Watercolor Painting session, Van Gogh Paint by Number workshop and Still Life Flower Sketching at the Corte De Las Palmas and Town Plaza.

Also, get a chance to win prizes in the Ayala Alabang Camera Club photo contest.

Visit Greenbelt on May 20 to 22 for various art activities such as a Flora and Fauna Water Color station and Nature Sketch art

station. There will also be a mini selling activity of arts and craft materials, healthy eats and organic finds. TriNoma will have its own series of arts and crafts workshops on May 22 at the Level 4 Garden Restaurants.

This summer is truly in full bloom at Ayala Malls. Call (02) 795-9595 or visit www.ayalamalls.com.ph and Ayala Malls on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more details on Lov’Em Blooms events and activities.

wEDnES DAy : A pRIl 13, 2016

SHOWBITZ

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The cast of the hilarious American film directed by Kirk Jones and written by nia Vardalos

My BIg FaT gREEk WEDDIng 2

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fter almost 15 years, they’re still a phenomenon. The original cast of 2002’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding – Nia Vardalos and John Corbett (as Toula Portokalos-Miller and Ian Miller) – are back basking in the glory of their most anticipated sequel.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 earned even beyond $18 million in the US box office over the Easter weekend, placing second to Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

This makes it the highest grossing romantic comedy this season.

Thanks to one emotional incident Vardalos had when her own daughter first went to kindergarten, the idea for the sequel was born.

Laughing, she shares, “I was crying so hard at the idea of my daughter starting school. Another mom, I think in an effort to calm me, said: ‘In 13 years, they’ll go off to college and move away from home. I was struck by such panic and fear at the thought of my daughter leaving me that I realized I had morphed into my own overbearing, bordering-on-suffocating, Greek parents.”

So she began writing the script, bearing in mind that the original cast should be on board. Over the years, everyone has remained in contact, but they hadn’t all been in the same room since they finished their first film. Amazingly, according to Joey Fatone who plays Cousin Angelo, as soon as production of the sequel started, they “jumped right in as if no time had passed.”

The table read on May 7, 2015, was an emotional day; the cast arrived, hugged and cried happy tears. Michael Constantine, who plays Toula’s father Gus Portokalos, recalls, “It was wonderful being together again working on a film filled with love. It was a big family reunion.”

HIgHEsT gROssIng cOMEDy In THE U.s.

Toula (nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) are back in “My Big Fat Greek wedding 2”

John Corbett claims to be the happiest about this reunion, and reveals how the first film affected his career. “Nobody on this team was happier than me. When I first read the script, I called Nia to say it was a masterpiece. After My Big Fat Greek Wedding was such a success, countless people of all ethnicities would come up to me and tell me the film was something their family could relate to.”

The things that Ian and Toula go through are indeed relatable. In the beginning, they struggled to have their relationship accepted by Toula’s family who wanted her to marry someone who is Greek like them.

Toula also worked hard at proving to her over-protective father that she can be trusted to make her own decisions and use her skills to work some place else other than their family restaurant.

This time, Toula and Ian have a teenage daughter named Paris (played by Elena Kampouris), and they wonder if they should just let her make her own choices

(e.g. which college to go to) or have her follow their traditions and their expectations. Aside from this, the couple also has to deal with keeping the fire in their marriage while making themselves available to Toula’s aging parents.

Being the new addition to this one big happy family, Elena remarks, “It was special for me—being that I am Greek—to work with such a close-knit cast, and they welcomed me with open arms.” On the cultural traditions of the story, Kampouris says, “Nia has been able to show how Greek parents influence us. They tend to put a lot of pressure on their kids as they are growing up, and they make sure their Greek roots and traditions are instilled in them.

As she deals with that, Paris is trying to find herself and her own identity.”

Toula’s parents, Gus and Maria (played

by Lainie Kazan), are also asking themselves the same question that every couple faces: Where did the romance go? Maria hopes to find that spark again for her re-

lationship, especially after learning that their wedding license was not signed by the priest. That is a big shocker for the whole Portokalos clan, and they all come together to make sure that the elder couple ties the knot for real.

Director Kirk Jones says, “This time out, the film is about three generations of relationships, and it’s saying that if you enter into a relationship, you can never take it for granted. Remember, wherever there is drama, there is comedy as well.”

Of course, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 won’t be complete without the hilariously blunt Aunt Voula (played by Andrea Martin), who plays a big part in nudging Ian and Toula into reconnecting. Vardalos admits that she based the character on some of her own relatives “whose philosophy is a satin-red nightgown will solve any problem you could possibly have in your relationship.”

The entire cast and crew of this blockbuster film always focused on one truism that audiences have embraced and championed since the first film: At the end of the day, what matters most is family.

Vardalos concludes, “What surprises me over and over again is how everyone sees their family in this one. The ethnicity doesn’t matter; they’re not relating necessarily to a Greek family, they’re relating to their family. It was a happy accident. I was writing about mine, and I found out I was writing about theirs, too.”

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is making thousands laugh hard and love more, and you are invited to experience it too. Catch it in theaters nationwide starting April 13.

Presented by Viva International Pictures and MVP Entertainment.

ipHOTO

gMa network Excellence ambassador and slam poetry Kapuso actor and GMA network Excellence lead advocate Benjamin Alves celebrated his birthday with a poetry reading session at the Asia pacific College (ApC). Around 150 freshman Multimedia Arts and Engineering students joined the activity.

Elizabeth Reyes, chairman of the English Department (in photo, extreme right) welcomed Alves and invited him to pick the best from the top three winners of ApC’s slam poetry. He also wowed the students with his own composition.

Also in photo with Alves is Unis loleng, GMA’s corporate relations manager.

GMA network Excellence Award is the Kapuso network’s CSR program that lauds an outstanding graduating student of Mass Communication or Electronic Communications Engineering. Benjami Alves, as the lead advocate, talks about imbibing excellence in a student’s way of life as a way to succeed.

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wEDnES DAy : A pRIl 13, 2016

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

KAtHRyn BERnARDo now An AutHoR wIThOuT wang2 nIckIE wang

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rom a child actress, Kathryn Bernardo has emerged as one of the biggest stars of her generation top billing hit TV series and blockbuster films. She also has a platinum-selling CD to her name.

But amid numerous accolades and recognition received, Kathryn felt that she hasn’t done everything yet. She wanted do something else, something entirely different.

“It’s true that I have done a lot of things throughout my career, I was able to record a CD, act alongside big stars and appear on TV and movies, which I really enjoy. But I still needed to do something else that would allow me to reach out to more people especially to those who look up to me.

That’s why the idea of writing a book came into picture,” Kathryn told The Standard as to how authoring a book was conceived.

In a collaborative effort with Summit Media, Kathryn’s question on what else can she do to please her fans has been answered. In the book entitled Everyday Kath: Kathryn Bernardo’s 365 Ways To Be A teen Queen, the 20-year-old shares everything she’s learned about fashion, beauty and friendship.

Fueled by her endeavor to inspire every girl to be her best self, the Kapamilya star also shared that it took her almost a year to complete the book, which she’s been wanting to release since last year but couldn’t do so because of her hectic schedule. Obviously, she doesn’t have a huge amount of spare time on her hands these days.

“We wanted to release the book last year pa. But because of Pangako Sa ‘Yo, we had to postpone it. And now that I’ve just celebrated my 20th birthday, I think it’s my perfect gift to my fans and my way of inviting them into my colorful, inspiring world,” Kathryn, sounding very proud during the launch of her book, said.

Teen Queen. In her book “365 ways to be a teen Queen,” Kathryn Bernardo talks about everything she’s learned about fashion, beauty and friendship

ence, they will be able to inspire, motivate and give grants to more filmmakers so they can develop their individual materials to a full length features for public exhibition.

Having that in mind, we asked filmmakers Adolf Alix Jr., Ato Bautista, Mes De Guzman, Jay Altarejos and Gino M. Santos, who are all part of this year’s fest, if they feel they’ve already created enough films to change the mindset, the stigma normally

associated with indie films, to encourage more people to watch independently produced movies.

None of the filmmakers was able to answer the question. It’s either the audio system was bad or our question wasn’t clear enough for our esteemed guests not to understand what we were trying to ask. The answers they gave us were generic: “We make films because we want-

creating core audience for indie films At the launch of Sinag Maynila, an indie film festival that is on its second year now, festival director Brillante Mendoza said that through the annual festival, they aim to create a core audience for independently produced films.

The multi-awarded filmmaker furthered that having steady followers, a core audi-

Actors, producers and directors in this year’s Sinag Maynila, an indie film festival organized by filmmaker Brillante Mendoza and television executive wilson tieng

cROsswORD puzzlE

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe

ACROSS 1 Faucet, actually 6 Cut and ran 10 Be indiscreet 14 A second time 15 Lay at anchor 16 Country cousin 17 Doohickey 18 Clapton or Sevareid 19 Paperless exam

20 Cutting 22 Handbag logo 23 Latin I verb 24 Poser 26 Blow one’s mind 29 Rostrum 31 Powdery residue 32 128 fl. oz.

33 Ocean-going bird 34 Army duds 38 “Topaz” author

40 Chitchat 42 Girl in “Dracula” 43 “Cocoon” star 46 Bushwhack 49 Youngest Cratchit 50 Not square 51 Trig function 52 Dog days in Dijon 53 Waxy flower 57 Mindy’s boarder 59 German coins 60 Talked at length 65 Black, to Donne 66 Turpentine source 67 Cider source 68 Hookah 69 Wayfarer’s refuges 70 Vaguely 71 Tarot reader 72 Freud concerns 73 Mountain curves DOWN 1 Dye containers 2 — Khan 3 Wildlife refuge 4 Lombardi of coaching 5 Swashbuckler’s shout (2 wds.)

6 Worrying too much 7 Loughlin of “Fuller House” 8 Royal decree 9 Solstice mo.

10 Closed carriage

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016

11 Stagger 12 Low-tech calculators 13 Gainsay 21 German coal region 22 Pour forth 25 Squirrel hangout 26 Water, to Juana 27 Balmy 28 Nadelman or Ducommun 30 Chairs 35 Toy on a string 36 No future — — 37 Ditto 39 Tall beer glass 41 Like a toque 44 Female lobsters 45 Prefix for center 47 Dwarf buffalo 48 Suffuse 53 Honks 54 Jazzman — Blake 55 Search blindly 56 Mimicry 58 French Legion caps 61 Half of AD 62 LP speeds 63 Fashion magazine 64 Pashas 66 Diner staple

ed to tell real-life stories.” Sure, that’s the goal of every storyteller.

For Wilson Tieng, however, he believes that Filipino made indie films already have an audience.

“When Brillante and I were planning this [festival] in 2015, we didn’t think it would be that fast. In six months we were able to put up the first Sinag Maynila. After my birthday in September last year, we went to Europe and brought our films to 37 film festivals there. We were overwhelmed.

Malaki ang audience ng Philippine cinema overseas. To foreign audience kasi, walang distinction ang films.”

Tieng explained that foreign audiences “don’t look at our films and ask whether it’s mainstream or indie. They look at the story the film tells rather than how the film was produced.”

And inspired by this premise, the CEO and Founder of Sinag Maynila decided to add new categories in this year’s festival to encourage young and budding filmmakers to create and tell their own stories. It will run from April 21 to 26.

wEDnES DAy : A pRIl 13, 2016

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Rapper and hip hop artist Raymond Abracosa, better known as Abra

Alternative rock band callalily

Actor Alex Medina

AbRA, KRIS lAwREncE HEADlInE AlIwAn FIEStA 2016

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op Filipino entertainers have been invited to provide the live musical entertainment for the 2016 Aliwan Fiesta celebrations on April 16.

Luke Mejares, DJ Tom Taus, Calla Lily, Acel Van Ommen, Papa Jack, Tanya Chinita and Banda ni Kleggy will provide entertainment during the Aliwan Music Jam on April 14.

Former Miss Earth Jamie Herrell, who was Reyna ng Aliwan in 2013, will co-host the Search for Festival Queen on April 15,

with Paolo Valenciano and Alex Medina rendering musical numbers.

And, on April 16, the awarding ceremonies following the grand parade will be anchored by a special opening production number arranged by Jun Latonio, to be performed by master rapper Abra, R&B specialist Kris Lawrence, along with Bet ng Bayan’s Hannah Precillas and Kai Atienza.

Ronnie Liang and popular band Aegis will also perform that evening, with

Love Radio’s Chris Tsuper and Nicole Hyala as hosts.

On Saturday, the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard, from Manila Hotel on A. Bonifacio Street, until Vito Cruz, will be closed to traffic from 2 to 10 p.m. for the Aliwan Fiesta parade.

Aliwan Fiesta 2016 is a production of Manila Broadcasting Company and Star City, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the cities of Manila and Pasay. Now on its 14th year,

the festival is supported by Globe Telecom, Tanduay, Alaska, Coca Cola, Pride Detergent, Unique Toothpaste, Shield Bath Soap, Columbia Candies, Cherry Mobile, Fukuda, AICS, GES Led Lights, Bayview Park Hotel, Robinsons Place Ermita, and Hotel Jen. For details about this year’s Aliwan Fiesta line-up of activities, call 832.6125 / 555.3477 or check out Aliwan Fiesta’s official Facebook page and website www.aliwanfiesta.com.ph.

AbS-cbn tVplus, AbS-cbnmobile’s free film screenings at home

wish 107.5 female jockeys (from left) Alice, Faye, princess leigh and Jelly Kiss

wish 107.5 Ultimate Fandom challenge Wish 107.5 keeps on reinventing itself to deliver the coolest musical experience. It has truly gone out, beyond conventional, by providing new avenues where great Filipino talents can perform and showcase their music.

Wish 107.5 now unveils the first Wish 107.5 Ultimate Fandom Challenge, which aims to revitalize Filipino music by empowering fans to show their support and appreciation for the music of their favorite artists.

The official fandoms that have at least 1,000 members, organized for and recognized by the artist, are invited to join. The first batch of participating fandoms are DARRENatics (Darren Espanto), MOWIEnatics (Morissette Amon), PAOLOwers (Paolo Onesa), SweetBryTerNatics (Bryan Termulo), Juan Karlos United Families Club (JK Labajo), Callalista United (Callalily), DYfenders (Jason Dy), JUANistas (The Juan Band), JBKlisters (JBK), FRANCISnatics (Francis Ryan Lim), Esang’s Angels (Esang De Torres) and DARYLnatics (Daryl Ong).

A series of challenges that will ultimately test the unity of the fandoms await participants. This competition will have over P2 million in prizes. The two-month

contest will culminate at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum in June.

Another first from the radio station is set to spice up your television, as Wish 107.5 takes on center stage and brings more reasons to enjoy facing the boob tube, with the right mix of music and melodies with the Wish 107.5 TV. Avid wishers will now see Wishclusive performances from the brightest stars in the industry today, and get a first glance on the various wish events and happenings, right in front of their TV sets at the comforts of their home or wherever they may be.

Wish granting moments will be a lot more memorable as every smile and move are captured on Wish107.5 TV. Exciting segments will surely capture every wisher’s heart including: Wish Happenings –the latest update on music events in the country and the world.

Wish Updates – the freshest music and entertainment scoops, Wish to Know – entertaining trivia and other interesting bits about the all-hits FM station, Wish 107.5 Wish Lounge – another avenue for great performances and WISHclusive interviews with local and international artists. For

the first week of airing, worldclass talents like Jed Madela and 4th Impact were featured in this segment. OPM artists like Daryl Ong, JBK Band, 5th Gen, Tim Pavino and Kris Lawrence also joined the show.

Wishclusive – a special feature that brings the world-class WISHclusive performances recorded inside the Wish 107.5 Bus for television airing. The videos were originally uploaded to Wish 107.5 YouTube Channel, which now has over 28 million views and counting.

Wish List – all wishes and expressions from the touring Wishing Wall, gathered and read for heartwarming wish-granting moments.

Today in Wishtory – a daily flashback into significant moments that occurred on a day in the history of music.

Wish 107.5 TV is a one-hour block time program airs Monday to Friday, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on UNTV Life.

The show is anchored by Jelly Kiss of the Roadshow, while the segments are hosted by the other female Wish jocks – Princess Leigh of Wonderland, Alice of Wishlist, and Faye of Wishpers of Love.

With all these progressive innovations, what else could we wish for?

Non-stop fun awaits families in the next two weekends as ABS-CBN TVplus and ABS-CBNmobile showcase more free screenings of certified blockbuster films via Kapamilya Box Office (KBO) until April 17.

Last weekend, KBO brought to television some of the well-loved films in Philippine cinema including hit ‘kilig’ movies You Changed My Life, You Got Me and Status: It’s Complicated. The horror film Tragic Theater was also shown for free.

On the following weekend (April 16 to 17), the slew of entertaining movies that families will get to enjoy are Don’t Give Up On Us top-billed by Piolo Pascual and Judy Ann Santos, Relaks, It’s Just Pag-Ibig, the rom-com starring Inigo Pascual, Sofia Andres, and Julian Estrada; the supernatural horror film T2 starring Maricel Soriano, and Agent X44, the action spy comedy film featuring Vhong Navarro and Mariel Rodriguez.

Aside from free movies at home, ABS-CBN TVplus is also treating families to a free catch-up marathon of Dolce Amore, the no.1 ‘kilig serye’ in the Philippines starring Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil. All ABS-CBN TVplus users who already own an ABSCBN mobile prepaid SIM may avail of the Kapamilya Box Office free one month trial by texting KBO

<TVplus box ID> to 2131 using an ABS-CBNmobile prepaid SIM for free. Once registered, users simply need to press SCAN on the TVplus remote control to activate KBO on the ABS-CBN TVplus’ 7th channel.

For users who do not have an ABS-CBNmobile prepaid SIM, the prepaid SIM is available at any SM store, 7-Eleven store, and ABS-CBNmobile store. Users may also text 23661 to order a prepaid SIM for delivery.

All ABS-CBN TVplus boxes priced at P1,999 are bundled with an ABS-CBNmobile prepaid SIM and are available in any accredited retail outlets, sales agents, and dealers.

The Kapamilya Box Office service is available in Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Benguet, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao.

Subscribe now to the Kapamilya Box Office free trial until April 17.

For more information on the promo, text KBO INFO to 23661 and visit tvplus.abs-cbn.com.

“Dolce Amore” stars liza Soberano and Enrique Gil

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isaH V. red EDITOR niCKie wanG WRITER

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JERIchO ROsalEs InvITEs FIlIpInO bIkERs TO JOIn ‘TRuE WanDERER’ wrangler “True wanderer” ambassador Jericho rosales promotes adventure bike riding

ISAH V. RED

i

conic American denim brand Wrangler is continuing their search for biking and travel enthusiasts out to fulfill their passion on the open road through its Asia-Pacific-wide digital competition, “True Wanderer.”

The competition celebrates bold souls who traverse off-the-beaten paths to discover new places and experiences by sharing their passion and stories. Out of the 485 entries last year, graphic designer Marvin Geronimo heeded the contest’s call for thrill-seekers and emerged as 2015’s “True Wanderer” after taking his motorbike out to the scenic Polillo Island off Quezon province.

Back on its second year with the support of the Department of Tourism, Wrangler goes bigger and better as 10 passionate

foodies, shutterbugs, adventure-seekers, naturists and back-packers will be selected to go on a five-day all-expense paid rideout to one of the three key tourist destinations in the Philippines.

The 10 bold souls will be exploring undiscovered gems in the country and blog about their journey via Wrangler’s website (www.wrangler-ap.com/ph). One grand winner will be awarded the title of “True Wanderer” and ride away with a Royal Enfield Classic Chrome Black 500 cc and P100,000 worth of Wrangler merchandise.

This year, Wrangler True Wanderer ambassador Jericho Rosales calls on fellow bikers to join the competition.

To sign up, visit Wrangler’s website (www.wrangler-ap.com/ph), and create an account. Select one pre-determined passion and explain what drives your passion to explore the open road. Submission of entries is only until 11:59 p.m. of April 17.

For more updates, follow Wrangler Philippines on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: WranglerPH.

Culture Club featuring Boy George in Manila Who would have expected that one of the biggest ‘80s pop groups, Boy George and the Culture Club, are back together for a major concert tour? This news doesn’t get much cooler for all their Filipino fans with the announcement of a Philippine Leg slated on June 17 and 18, 8 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. As the title of their song says, “It’s A Miracle!”

Formed in 1981 in London, Culture Club is known for smash hits “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?,” “Time (Clock of the Heart),” “Karma Chameleon,” “Miss Me Blind,” “The War Song,” “Love is Love,” among other chart-toppers. The group achieved worldwide success in the 80s, scoring three Top Ten U.S. hits from their debut album, Kissing to Be Clever, and becoming the first group to hit that milestone since the Beatles.

Composed of Boy George (lead vocals), Jon Moss (drums), Mikey Craig (bassist) and Roy Hay (guitar), Culture Club rode a wave of pop hits and sold more than 10 million copies of their album Colour By Numbers and captured the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The said album is included in Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of the 1980s.

The band broke up in 1986 and got back together in 1998. Their last album, Don’t Mind If I Do, was released in 1999. In November 2014 the band released “More Than Silence”,

their first single from their upcoming album called Tribes, expected for release this year.

“There wouldn’t be any point in doing it if it wasn’t everybody. I think when bands try to come together and they got like a different singer or a different drummer, it’s never quite the same.

There’s a kind of magic about those four people that created the band,” says the flamboyant Boy George about Culture Club’s reunion.

After all these years, Culture Club has not missed a beat. The group kicked off with their tour last year and their fans are really happy to see them back on stage.

Boy George, who is now regularly seen as a judge in The Voice U.K., is excited to perform for their Filipino fans. He expects it to be one big party and a celebration of one’s individuality.

George said, “We’re rewriting the story of Culture Club. This concert tour will be a new chapter and will definitely be part of the band’s history. And we’d like all our supporters, fans, and everyone to be part of that story.”

Culture Club Featuring Boy George is a mustwatch concert as it happens live for the first time in Manila, presented by Royale Chimes Concert & Events Inc. Tickets are now on sale at Ticketnet (911-5555). For more info, call (0918) 4972121 and (0906) 418-0786.

singer-songwriter Boy George to perform onstage with engish band Culture Club