The Standard - 2016 April 16 - Saturday

VOL. XXX  NO. 63  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  SATURDAY : APRIL 16, 2016  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Uprising vs Marcos ruled out

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WE DIDN’T COERCE ANYONE—DINKY

By John Paolo Bencito

SOCIAL Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman admitted Friday that recipients of government doles can suffer deductions from their stipends if they do not meet the 4Ps conditions, but denied that this was used to coerce them into joining nationwide rallies in support of administration candidate for president Manuel Roxas II.

Under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the government’s dole program, beneficiaries can be penalized for failing to attend “Family Development Sessions [FDS],” Soliman said.

Soliman was responding to accusations that the Liberal Party was using the 4Ps to drum up a show of support for Roxas, who has been on the tail end of most opinion surveys.

Some beneficiaries said they were told if they did not attend the “unity walk” for Roxas, they would get deductions from their stipends.

But Soliman said since the 4Ps is a conditional cash transfer program, beneficiaries are subject to penal-

ties should they fail to meet the program requirements: check-ups for pregnant women and children aged zero to five, deworming of schoolchildren aged six to 14, enrollment of children in daycare, elementary and secondary schools, and attendance at the monthly FDS. Leftist groups said Thursday the rally was being passed off as an FDS. But Soliman denied the Department of Social Welfare and Development coerced beneficiaries to attend the pro-Roxas rallies, which advocated the legislation of the CCT under the next administration.

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Required rally. Beneficiaries of the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer program rally at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila for a ‘unity walk’ supporting the candidacy of administration candidate Manuel Roxas II. DSWD PHOTO

Carter visits warship in disputed waters Roxas

By Sandy Araneta sees no and Florante S. Solmerin command votes

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sailors and Marines participated with you in Balikatan,” Carter said in Manila, referring to annual war games with the US DEFENSE Secretary Ashton Carter Philippines that ended Friday.

Carter’s trip to the warship is the latsaid he would visit a warship close to est move by the United States to show it flashpoint waters of the South China Sea on Friday, as Beijing reacted defiantly to an is committed to maintaining security in the hotly contested waters, where ChiAmerican military build-up in the area.

“Later today, I will visit the aircraft na has built artificial islands on islets carrier USS John C. Stennis, sailing in and reefs close to the Philippines.

China claims nearly all of the strathe South China Sea, after some of its

tegically vital sea, even waters close to its Southeast Asian neighbors, and has in recent years built the islands in an effort to assert what it insists are its sovereign rights.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to parts of the sea, which is home to some of the world’s most important shipping lanes and is believed to sit atop vast oil reserves. Next page

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Binay twits PNoy on uprising idea

By Christine F. Herrera

GUTALAC, Zamboanga del Norte—Opposition presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday rejected President Benigno Aquino III’s plan to lead a People Power uprising to prevent the leading vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. from sitting if elected.

In a news conference, Binay expressed alarm over the President’s call for a massive protest as a sign that he believed there would be no honest and orderly elections in May. The President said he would lead a people power “if the situation calls for it.”

“I was with the Aquinos in People Power I but this was to topple a dictatorship and restore democracy,” said Binay, questioning the President’s motive behind the plan to support an uprising against Marcos.

Binay said he would not join any uprising that sought to topple another Marcos.

“This time, it doesn’t seem right that people power will be used by the President to thwart Bongbong Marcos from sitting if he won the vice presidential race,” he said.

Binay said he would allow protests as part of free speech, but questioned the wisdom of calling for an uprising and said the Commission on Elections should take note.

“Attention Comelec. I don’t understand why the President would say he would mount a rally if Senator Bongbong [Marcos] won.

This is not a good open, because why rally against the winner if the election is clean and honest,” Binay said.

Binay said the President was not the man he knew.

“It’s like that’s not the President I know talking. It looks like he has really changed,” he said.

He said the Edsa revolution against Senator Marcos’ father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, was a fight against a prolonged dictatorship, while Aquino threatened to lead an uprising over just one election.

The President’s remarks came as Marcos picked up the support of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, which held a special meeting of its leaders to make official their support for Marcos.

“The platforms of government that vice

presidential candidate Marcos have been presenting are indeed championing the welfare of the people. He is also advancing the causes of the opposition. These are the main reasons that made Lakas-CMD to support his [Marcos] vice presidential bid,” the party’s executive director Butch Corpin said.

The Lakas-CMD was formed by then Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and former President Fidel Ramos.

It was the ruling party during the time of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Lakas-CMD vowed to deliver three million votes for Marcos.

Party president Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez called on his party mates to unite behind the candidacy of Marcos and work hard for their respective victories in the elections.

Marcos said he was honored by the party’s support and said his campaign for national unity was paying off.

The Bohol United Opposition also threw its support behind Marcos, pledging to push for his candidacy as one solid group.

BUO is a coalition of local leaders of the province from various political groups that have banded together to go against the ruling Liberal Party. With Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Deadline for returns. Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares visits a Bureau of Internal Revenues office in Quezon C ity on the last day of filing of income tax returns on Friday. MANNY PALMERO

Carter...

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China has constructed the islands on reefs in the Spratlys archipelago, which are close to the Philippines and Malaysia, as well as airstrips capable of accommodating military aircraft.

China in 2012 also took control of a rich fishing shoal just 220 kilometers from the main Filipino landmass. The shoal is 650 kilometers from China’s nearest major landmass.

Carter announced on Thursday that the US had launched joint naval patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea, as he spoke of growing concern about China’s “land reclamation” and “militarization” of the region.

He also said the US would deploy hundreds of troops, as well as five warplanes, to the Philippines.

China reacted defiantly to the announcement, with its defense ministry warning the military would protect the nation’s territory.

“US-Philippine joint patrols in the South China Sea promote regional militarization and undermine regional peace and stability,” said a Chinese defense ministry statement released late Thursday.

“The Chinese military will pay very close attention to related developments, and firmly safeguard China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

On Friday, Carter emphasized the US would back up the Philippines and other al-

lies in the region.

“At a time of change in this dynamic region, and democratic transitions in the Philippines and the United States, we will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder,” Carter said at the closing ceremony for the war games, which involved about 9,000 soldiers.

“We will continue to stand up for our safety and freedoms, for those of our friends and allies, and for the values, principles, and rules-based order that has benefited so many for so long.”

Carter also highlighted the presence of soldiers from Australia and Japan for the Balikatan war games this year, emphasizing that the two key regional players had also expressed concerns over China’s expansion in the South China Sea. With AFP

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From A1 “As far as I understand, civil society organizations organized the event and we had nothing to do with it. We did not organize it,” Soliman said.

She did not say how the organizations were able to get a list of the 4Ps beneficiaries, however.

On Thursday, militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan claimed that the beneficiaries of the government’s flagship poverty reduction program were threatened with a P500 deduction of their monthly support should they fail to attend the “unity walk” in Luneta.

“We have received information that CCT-4P’s members in Manila are being required to attend a “unity walk” for Mar Roxas in Luneta tomorrow under the guise of the monthly Family Development Session of the 4Ps. The event is being billed as a unity walk to push for the legislation of the 4P’s,” Renato Reyes, Bayan secretary-general said.

On Friday morning, beneficiaries of the government’s dole program across the country marched to major streets advocating for the legislation of a law for the CCT. Wearing white shirts and carrying banners, the beneficiaries said they were told that attendance was compulsory.

Another beneficiary said if they failed to attend, they would be removed from the 4Ps. Lito Villocero, a 4Ps beneficiary, said on his Facebook page that he even had texts to prove that they were told that attendance was compulsory.

Soliman also scored opposition candidate for president, Vice President Jejomar Binay, for claiming that the unity walk was a tool to promote Roxas’ candidacy.

“Isn’t he the one who is saying that he will expand it to 5Ps? Who is saying that they’re notusing Pantawid? They’re all using Pantawid,” Soliman said. “He even advertised it on TV.” In a speech at the Club Filipino on Thursday, Soliman hit the rivals of the ruling party with their flip-flopping of support for the dole program, pointing out that Roxas and Robredo’s rivals— once staunch critics of the program—immediately changed tune when the survey came out showing that most Filipinos favored the 4Ps. “Many promise to continue the 4Ps. Who are they? These are the critics, those who don’t understand... they said Pantawid is alms,” Soliman said.

A recent survey revealed that majority of Filipinos—about 80 percent—would vote for a candidate who promises to continue 4Ps. All presidential aspirants vow they will continue or expand the 4Ps program.

“All of them are promising that Pantawid will be continued. All of them are promising that they will be continuing Pantawid and are saying they will continue but only Mar Roxas has concrete plans of doing so,” Soliman told The Standard.

“Pantawid has made it where it’s now because of the people themselves. Of course with the help of the Aquino government. Let’s not insult the people. They know how to vote,” she added.

The House of Representatives, voting 127-8, has approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to institutionalize the 4Ps. The approved measure, House Bill No. 6393, was endorsed for plenary approval by the House Committees on Poverty Alleviation and Appropriations.

On Wednesday, senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez called for a growth that is inclusive, not one that widens the gap between the rich and the poor.

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Duterte to Binay: File case in court PRESIDENTIAL bet Rodrigo Duterte on Friday challenged Vice President Jejomar Binay to file criminal charges against him in court if the evidence showed he had been directly involved in killings in Davao City.

“If you have evidence against me, then file a case,” he said.

He made his statement even as Binay on Friday said Duterte’s days were numbered and that the law would eventually catch up with him.

He reminded Duterte that he had admitted to extra-judicial killings, which he said was considered “admission against interest.”

He said if there was someone who should kneel down and pray it should be Duterte―because he had admitted several times that he had killed many people.

“This is called admission against interest and you should know this being a former fiscal and a lawyer,” Binay said.

Duterte reacted when Binay came out with a video urging the people not to vote for him.

Duterte said he had not been involved in the summary execution of criminals in Davao City during his 22 years as its mayor.

After a series of investigations, Duterte said, even the Commission on Human Rights and the Department of Justice had failed to link him to any killings.

He said a former Justice secretary had twice investigated him for but never filed a case.

He insisted that he had never killed women and children. Rio N. Araja and Vito Barcelo

Rally in Camarines. Presidential candidate Grace Poe’s hands are raised by Rep LRay Villafuerte (left) and his son, Camarines Sur Gov. Migz Villafuerte, before supporters at the University of Saint Anthony in Iriga City, Camarines Sur.

Roxas confident of winning ADMINISTRATION standard bearer Manuel Roxas II said Friday the ruling Liberal Party’s machinery would not translate into command votes that would propel him to victory in the presidential elections.

Meeting in Pasay. Presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II is shown with vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo during a meeting with farmers and fishermen at the Cuneta Astrodome Pasay City. LINO SANTOS

Santiago does not believe in surveys PRESIDENTIAL candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago has topped almost all campus and social media polls, but on Friday she said she does not believe in surveys.

But she said she had received reports that some pollsters had excluded her name in the survey forms being distributed to respondents.

“No one believes surveys anymore because, in the first place, it’s all over social media that my name has been removed from some of the forms used in these surveys, so that the respondents would be forced to vote for other candidates,” said Santiago who is running under her own political party, the People’s Reform Party.

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She said several individuals who had been respondents in pre-election surveys said they were forced to write down Santiago’s name on the survey form because it was not on the options provided.

Others said they chose “Undecided” instead.

As a result, Santiago belied the results of the latest pre-election surveys, as she urged the public on Friday to guard against “mind-conditioning” by the moneyed candidates and their wealthy supporters.

Santiago has consistently been ranked No. 5 among the five presidential candidates in the May 9 elections based on the results from various pollsters. Macon Ramos-Araneta

But he said the administration stalwarts had promised that the formidable “Daang Matuwid” would give him and his running mate Leni Robredo an extra 8 to 12 percentage points to secure a closely fought victory in this year’s elections.

“The machinery does not translate to command votes,” Roxas told reporters.

“There’s no more command votes in the Philippines today, with Internet, with media, with information, there’s no more socalled command vote.”

Roxas said there was no need for him to change his strategy even as his numbers are yet to see a significant rise in the surveys.

“We’re doing okay. You can see there are changes who leads in the surveys,” he said.

“Meaning the support is soft. Ours is stable and solid. It didn’t change.”

Despite Roxas’ earlier promise that he would soon lead the polls once the campaign started, his numbers have yet to see a significant rise as he has been trailing Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace

Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay in nearly all the presidential surveys.

Still, Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas believes Roxas can do it.

“A lot of things can happen in 24 days. None of the candidates have the political machinery that Mar and Leni have,” Treñas said.

“LP’s machinery can deliver an extra push for the administration candidates translatable to at least 8 to 12 percentage points.”

While he has downplayed the existence of the command vote, Roxas said the local officials who were exemplifying the principles under the straight path would campaign for him and take him to victory.

“Of f icia ls w i l l i nf luence [voters] because t hey a re helpi ng t hem, because t heir leadership is rel iable,” Roxas sa id.

“And these officials will appeal [to the voters] to continue the straight path. The point is, we have someone to campaign for us on the ground, there are people who support us all over the country.”

He added that while he was not leading now, he would be the “flavor of the month” come May 2016.

He slammed Senator Grace Poe for calling the Department of Interior and Local Government “weak” in fighting crime and illegal drugs.

Roxas said Poe made her statement without reviewing the efforts of the DILG and the Philippine National Police. John Paolo Bencito

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Abu Sayyaf lower ransom

By Florante S. Solmerin and Francisco Tuyay THE Abu Sayyaf have lowered their ransom demand for their two Canadian, Norwegian and Filipina captives from P1 billion to P300 million and postponed the execution of their victims from April 8 to April 25.

The bandits announced the changes in a video posted on YouTube which featured messages from two of the four hostages.

The captives were identified as Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, Norwegian resort manager Kjartan Sekkingstad and Hall’s Filipina girlfriend

Marites Flor.

The victims were seized by armed men last Sept. 21 from the Oceanview Samal Resort in Barangay Camudmud in Samal island.

The videos were posted as another Abu Sayyaf bandit was killed while four troopers were wounded in the military

operation against the Al Qaidalinked terrorist group, presently holed-out in the jungles of TipoTipo, Basilan Thursday.

Major Felimon Tan, spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command, said the renewed fighting with the Abu Sayyaf erupted at 11 p.m. in TipoTipo town’s Barangay Amoloy.

He said the cadaver of the Abu Sayyaf bandit was recovered at the scene of fighting during military clearing operations at the battle site.

Ground troopers also seized 130 pieces of cartridges of 5.56 mm ammunition, 90 recoilless rifle shells, one cylinder tube, a solar charger, chemical

substances, two cellphones and a back pack with a rifle grenade.

The continued fighting between security forces and Abu Sayyaf brought the death toll to 32 militants and 18 soldiers since the bloody clash erupted last Saturday between some 200 ASG under its leader Isnilon Hapilon and Furuji Indama.

The skirmishes has also caused injury to 56 people, most of them army troopers who tripped land mines.

At least six battalions of combined troops were deployed to the jungles of Tipo-Tipo to neutralize the fleeing Abu Sayyaf.

Sporadic clashes has been

taking place in different parts of Tipo-Tipo as ground troops applied pressure against the terrorist group which is also believed to be in custody of 10 Indonesian seamen and four Malaysian hostages.

The 10 Indonesians were on board a tugboat towing a barge with 7,000 tons of coal en route to Batangas when they were interdicted by the Abu Sayyaf aboard a three-engine motor boat off the coast of Tawi-Tawi last month.

Few days later, the ASG struck anew in Semporna, Sabah taking with them four Malaysian nationals, who were taken to Sulu.

Court moves farmers’ hearing

By Rey E. Requejo THE Kidapawan municipal trial court has postponed the arraignment of the farmers arrested during the violent clash with policemen last April 1, according to Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta.

In an interview on Friday, Acosta said MTC Judge Rebecca de Leon granted their appeal on their motion to defer proceedings on the cases for direct assault, frustrated murder and illegal assembly against 70 detained farmers.

She said the arraignment of the farmers was originally set last Thursday, and the court initially denied their plea. But upon appeal, the MTC has reconsidered its ruling and reset the hearing to April 25.

In arraignment proceedings, the arrested farmers will be informed of criminal charges against them and will be asked to submit to the court their plea of either “guilty” or “not guilty.”

PAO lawyers who served as counsels for the 52 of the detained farmers earlier also filed a motion to quash seeking outright dismissal of the cases due to questionable arrest and lack of probable cause, which the trial court has rejected.

In the hot spot. A Smartmatic technician exposes some units of its communication equipment, called Broad Global Network (BGAN), to the

heat of the sun to test its ability to endure heat at the Commission on Election warehouse in Sta Rosa, Laguna. The Comelec will be using BGAN as its communication equipment in the May 9 election. DANNY PATA

‘No more mall voting’ Groundbreaking.

President Benigno S. Aquino III watches other officials shovel dirt during launching of the Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project in San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan on Friday.

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan AN OFFICIAL of the Commission on Elections confirmed on Friday that mall voting may not push through because the resolution authorizing the plan has not yet been signed with only 22 days remaining before the May 9 national and local polls.

The official, who asked not to be named, said there is still no resolution identifying the 352 clustered precincts to be transferred to 86 shopping malls.

The law only allows the Comelec to make changes in polling precincts 45 days before the May 9 poll, beyond that, the agency is not allowed to implement the plan.

“The Commission en banc has yet signed any resolution on mall voting” the

official said.

When asked if the poll body can still implement the plan although it’s already less than 45 days from the election, the official said “there may be no more mall voting.”

In a separate interview, a source privy to the automated election preparation said the Comelec planned to antedate the resolution to make it appear that it met the legal requirement that the resolution to change polling places should be filed 45 days before the May 9, 2016.

“Officially, the date of promulgation is the date of issuance. If they manage to make it appear that the resolution was promulgated last March 26, that will be presumed to be the date of actual issuance,” the source said.

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Poe eyes Querubin as crime buster FORMER Marines Col. Ariel Querubin, currently the most decorated soldier in the country’s history, has killed dozens of men in the battlefield but said he could never put to death a criminal who is defenseless or does not endanger the lives of others.

“I have never killed anyone defenseless. My conscience cannot bear to kill or have anyone killed who is defenseless or is not really a threat to the lives of innocent people,” Querubin, a Medal of Valor awardee, stressed.

A deeply religious Catholic, Querubin made this assurance as he confirmed that he accepted the offer of Senator Grace Poe to be her anti-crime czar should she win the presidency.

Querubin said he has agreed to take on the role offered by Poe shortly before the Partido Galing at Puso standard bearer made the announcement during the last presidential debate in Cebu City.

“Instead of funeral parlors, I will ask government to build bigger jails,” he said when asked how he will deal with criminals.

Although he has become an active member of a Catholic charismatic community, Querubin said he supports the restoration of the death penalty for heinous crimes.

However, he said his law enforcement style should not be compared to that of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who has vowed to put an end to criminality, drug abuse and government corruption within three to six months of his presidency.

“Nobody will be spared if he or she violates the law, even if he is a relative of the president,” he replied when asked how he would deal with a theoretical situation where the suspect is a presidential relative.

The retired military officer said he is “honored to serve my country” even if this means he will have to give up the perks and privileges of a well-secured job as San Miguel Corp.’s top executive for security.

Critical test. MRT engineers make final checks before making a test run of a new Chinese-made train at the MRT North Avenue depot in Quezon City on Thursday. MANNY PALMERO

Palace: No outages around election time

By Sandy Araneta MALACAÑANG on Friday assured the public that there will be no power interruptions a week before and after the May 9 elections amid thinning power reserves nationwide as demand soars because of the El Niño-induced dry spell.

“The objective of the [Department of Energy] is zero disruption one week before and one week after May 9. That is the ideal situation [we want] to achieve,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

This as vice presidential aspirant Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed suspicion that the recent power outages during his campaign sorties may not be pure coincidence but maybe related to the efforts of some groups to derail his vice presidential bid.

Coloma said the zero power disruption of the DoE is being aimed so that there would be no delay or other problems during the May 9 polls.

“This is so not to have any delay or problems during elections,” Coloma said.

Coloma’s statement was made amid the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placed Mindanao and Luzon on red alert, which signifies that the electricity supply could not cope with the demand.

Coloma said the high demand for

electricity was due to a combination of rising heat index—which reached a recordbreaking 52.3°C in Cabanatuan City on Tuesday—and the maintenance shutdowns of power plants.

Coloma said the DoE is closely monitoring the maintenance works to prevent a forced outage in the crucial period before the presidential elections.

“The government is continuing to have talks with power players to address the situation. Another source of trouble is the bombing of transmission towers,” Coloma said.

Malacañang appealed to the public to lessen their power consumption.

“When the weather is cool and not so hot, maybe the public can lessen the use of appliances and do other conservation measures,” said Coloma.

Reyes passing mourned

Voice for children. Member of the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development join hands to encourage candidates in next month’s election to make a pledge to legislate and enforce prochildren laws after the elections. MANNY PALMERO

MALACAÑANG on Friday expressed condolences to the family of former two-time press secretary Rodolfo T. Reyes who passed away Thursday.

“Rodolfo T. Reyes was a lifelong journalist who was deeply committed to his profession,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in a statement.

“He heeded the call to public service twice when he was appointed Press Secretary by Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada in 1992-1993 and in 1998-2000, respectively,” said Coloma.

“He is remembered kindly and respected highly by all those whose lives were touched by his humble and gentle ways. Our thoughts and prayers for his eternal repose go to his

bereaved family,” Coloma also said.

Reyes, the first publisher and editorin-chief of the Manila Standard, passed away early Thursday night at the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa City. He was 80.

A top journalist and news executive for almost 50 years, Reyes started his career in the pre-martial law Manila Times and served in various capacities in several newspapers before he put up the Manila Standard in 1987.

He is best known for an exposé on heroin addicts in 1961, for which he was acclaimed Journalist of the Year. Reyes was also chosen one of Ten Outstanding Young Men and received a Presidential Award from President Carlos Garcia and a Nieman Fellowship from Harvard University.

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Civil aviation employees cry ‘Mayday’ over salaries

By Eric Apolonio

MANILA—Employees of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines held a nationwide protest action Friday to dramatize their plight, asking President Benigno Aquino III to overrule the disallowance of bonuses and salary increases they have already received.

By Rio N. Araja ERSTWHILE Metro Rail Transit 3 general manager Al Vitangcol III on Friday urged the Sandiganbayan to stop Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas II from hurling various accusations against him in public.

In a very urgent motion for issuance of gag order, Vitangcol appealed to the antigraft court to prohibit Roxas from publicly talking about his pending graft suit over the questionable MRT line 3 maintenance deal.

He said he wants to ensure his right to a fair trial.

He expressed fear that Roxas would mention again the MRT issue and malign him in the fourth and final presidential debate to be held on April 24.

Earlier, Roxas slammed Vitangcol for his alleged financial interest in tapping the Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corp. to be the Department of Transportation and Communications’ project partner, wherein the uncle of Vitangcol was one of the incorporators.

Vitangcol reacted to a newspaper report of an interview with Roxas, who blamed him over the supposed anomalous MRT maintenance contract.

He said Roxas’ statements had subjected him to “trial by publicity” causing “irreparable damage.”

“A public outcry for a conviction, ignited and fanned by massive publicity in the news media, may prompt even the judges to take action calculated to railroad the accused to a conviction.

It is difficult to remain oblivious to the pressures that the news media can bring to bear on them both directly and through shaping of public opinion,” Vitangcol’s motion read.

Distress call. Employees of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines try to get the President’s attention over the disallowance of their bonuses and salary increases. ERIC APOLONIO.

Air traffic controllers and employees simultaneously unfurled black banners saying, “Mayday! Mayday!” from all the towers in the country’s CAAP-controlled airports as a distress call.

The workers asked the President to step in and stop the brain drain, triggered by poor compensation, at CAAP CAAP has 81 airports nationwide, 44 of them handling commercial operations.

There are about 3,500 regular workers, most of whom are technical personnel involved in air traffic management.

CAAP Employees’ Union president Valiant Sucion who led protesting employees at the entrance gate of the agency’s main office in Pasay City said: “We are not asking for more than we deserve. We are demoralized because after working so hard to achieve the President’s marching orders, the GCG [Governance Commission on Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations] disapproves the CAAP’s present salary structure and bonuses.”

The President’s marching orders to the CAAP were to remove the significant safety concerns of the International Civil Aviation Organization; lift the European Union’s ban on Philippine carriers; and reinstate Philippine civil aviation’s category 1 rating of US FAA. With these accomplished, the CAAP board granted bonuses and salary increases to boost the employees’ morale and recognize their dedication and competence.

But on May 2015, the Commission on Audit and the GCG disallowed salary increases

and bonuses of nearly P1 billion already given to CAAP employees since 2012.

The CoA and GCG disapproved the salary increases from P10, 000 to P14, 000 for 1,775 technical posts which were previously given by the CAAP board since October, 2012 as well as six months worth of bonuses given in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

“Many of our colleagues have already left to work abroad because the pay is better overseas, The CAAP may run out of technical personnel because of the compensation,” he added, saying that most of the former CAAP technical workers are already air traffic officials in the Middle East where salaries are commensurate to their expertise.

The Philippines may boast of the deepest bench in terms of air traffic management experts, but we are practically losing highly skilled manpower to other countries offering triple or even quadruple of what they are receiving, Sucion added.

Demoralization has also compelled them to seek opportunities elsewhere, he said.

The CAAPEU lamented the response to their plea of a Department of Transportation and Communications official, undersecretary Juanito Bucayon Jr., who told them during an audience that they might have better luck on their appeal with the next administration.

“We still firmly believe that President Aquino will hear us out and listen to our appeal.

We are doing this for our families and for the aviation industry,” Sucion said.

PH, vulnerable countries to lose $400B due to climate change

By Gabrielle Binaday THE Philippines and other vulnerable countries in the world are expected to lose about $400 billion if stronger measures are not implemented to mitigate the destructive effects of climate change, a top official of the Vulnerable 20 (V20) group said Friday.

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima who chairs the V20 group said the initial annual loss of $45 billion since 2010 is expected to escalate to $400 billion in the next 20 years.

“If we do not push for

stronger measures to arrest dangers, the estimated $45 billion annual loss of GDP potential since 2010 is expected to increase to close $400 billion in the next 20 years,” Purisima said in his opening remarks during the V20 2nd Ministerial Dialogue held in Washington, DC. Purisima said the possible losses could account for at least 2.5 percent of the GDP of the vulnerable countries.

Purisima cited a possible sea level rise that will partially or completely submerge the island nations of Kiribati, Maldive and Tuvalu, displacing at least

500,000 people.

He said the inundation of approximately 17 percent of land areas and the displacement of about 18 million people by 2050 in the case of Bangladesh is likely.

The V20 group was founded in October 2015 in Lima, Peru composed by Finance Ministers of countries that are so-called the most vulnerable to climate change.

The V20 Group in its 2nd ministerial meet also welcomed 23 new members that will plan and coordinate to lessen and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Plates soon. A Customs worker shows sample license plates that would be turned over to the Land Transportation Office. LINO SANTOS

s at u r d ay : a p r i l 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Highway to boost S. Luzon progress

Paradise beckons. Sambawan Island in Maripipi, Biliran is awaiting tourists this summer. MEL CASPE

Ex-university president gets 6-10 years over ‘Internet fee’

By Rio N. Araja

THE Sandiganbayan has sentenced a former president of Batangas State University to a jail term of six years to 10 years, and meted the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from government service for illegal collection of Internet fees from students in 2000 to 2002.

The Second Division found Former BSU president ernesto de Chavez guilty of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019

or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. De Chavez and a co-accused —Rolando Lontok Jr.—unlaw-

fully collected P550 from each student as school Internet fee.

Ombudsman prosecutors presented witnesses who testified that the fee collection was not sanctioned by the school board and was not supported with official receipts.

The witnesses also testified that the collected fees were deposited in the personal bank accounts of De Chavez and Lontok.

“The system of collection and disbursement of expenses

designed by the accused also gave them unwarranted benefit, allowing them to spend the Internet fund [totaling close to P500,000.00] as they please, since it would no longer be subjected to the usual procedure of procurement and accounting required for public funds,” the resolution read.

“The case against co-accused Lontok, who remains at-large, was archived pending his arrest,” the Office of the Ombudsman’s statement read.

The development and progress among regions in Southern Luzon is expected to be enhanced by a bill seeking to establish the QuezonBicol expressway, which has already been endorsed for plenary approval.

The house Committees on Southern Tagalog Development chaired by Rep. Isidro S. Rodriguez Jr. (2nd District, Rizal) and on Appropriations chaired by Rep. Isidro T. Ungab (3rd District, Davao City) have both approved house Bill No. 6475 or the proposed “QuezonBicol expressway Act” and have endorsed it for plenary passage.

The bill substituted hB 5623 authored by Rep. Scott Davies S. Lanete (3rd District, Masbate) and hB 3741 by Rep. Aleta C. Suarez (3rd District, Quezon).

It provides for the creation of the Quezon-Bicol expressway which shall be financed, constructed, operated and maintained by a grantee, offeror, consortium or proponent, under and by virtue of Republic Act No. 6957, as amended by R.A. 7718, otherwise known as the Build-Operate-Transfer Law. The QuBex shall link the province of Quezon with the Bicol Region starting from Malicboy, Quezon and terminating in Sorsogon.

The Department of Public Works and highways engineering District concerned shall construct the connect road for the purpose of linking the terminus of the SLeX Toll Road 4 in Lucena City and the entrance of the QuBex in Malicboy.

The DPWh shall be the lead implementing agency of the Act. The amount necessary to defray the cost of undertaking and completing the feasibility study of the project and other activities relative thereto shall be included in the General Appropriations Act. Lanete said the State has continuously failed to promote simultaneous development among the country’s regions as shown for example by the construction of expressways leading to Northern and Southern Luzon. PNA

Fisheries bureau: Increase presence in biodiversity site The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has cited the need for the Philippine government to increase its presence and jurisdiction over Benham Rise, the country’s newest territory rich in marine biodiversity and mineral resources.

Virtually larger than Luzon, Benham Rise is a 13-million hectare under the sea region, off the provinces of Aurora and Isabela. The shallowest part of the region is Benham Bank, with a depth of at least 50 meters.

It was only confirmed by the United Nations as part of Philippine territory on

April 12, 2012.

In order to tap the massive potential for abundant fishery production from Benham Rise, BFAR director Asis Perez said that the government should have an actual presence within the area so as to encourage small and medium-scale fisherfolk to explore the vast yet virtually undiscovered fishing ground.

“Without the government’s support, the small and medium-scale fishermen will be afraid to explore the area,” said Perez, adding that effective possession, control, and proper utilization of resources

is necessary.

The area is marine biodiversity-rich and is home to high-value fish species such as blue-fin tuna and black and white marlin. The area also teems with round scad or galunggong.

Perez cited a three-year fishing survey initiated by BFAR which revealed albacore and big eye tuna as the dominant species of tuna caught in the area. he noted that longline fishing is an effective strategy which can be implemented within the fishing ground. It uses a long line with baited hooks attached at intervals. PNA

Safety first. Skyway O&M Corp., the Manila Toll Expressway Systems Inc., and Star

Tollway Corp., operators of the Skyway System, South Luzon Expressway and Star tollway are intensifying their campaign against unsafe and non-road worthy vehicles.

A8

S AT U R D AY : A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ON THE POE DECISION

[ EDI TORI A L ]

VIOLATING A RIGHT

(Part 2)

REACTING to a proposal that more closed circuit television cameras be installed at the Bureau of Customs, Rommel Francisco said on national television that such a move would violate the employees’ human rights.

“What if they try to increase our salaries and give us the benefits due us? Do they think we would still do these things?” he told a reporter of GMA 7.

For his candor, the president of the Port of Manila chapter of the Bureau of Customs Employees Association now faces a lifestyle check ordered by his boss, Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina. Lina had in fact summoned Francisco following the latter’s virtual admission that he and his colleagues accepted bribes.

The installation of additional CCTVs at the bureau is just among the suggestions of a vice presidential candidate who also want to have deskless glass drawers and pocket-less uniforms. The intention is to curb, if not eliminate, corruption at the government agency that has over the decades become synonymous with corruption at all levels.

That the practice is so institutionalized is likely why Francisco was matterof-fact, forgetting the line that separates those inside the bureau and those outside—the public, specifically, who may have heard stories but have no conclusive proof of what truly happens inside it.

An investigation and eventual prosecution is most welcome. This would remind desensitized bureau employees like Francisco that just because corruption is the norm does not mean it cannot be acted upon.

Stopping with the investigation, however, would be foolish—even as we expect exactly that to happen.

The bureau’s notoriety has prevented the economy from reaping the revenues it deserves, and has fostered a culture of impunity among the people inside it. Who knows whether the supposed lifestyle check would not be another moro-moro, pacifying the public in the meantime but changing nothing in the long term?

If this country’s next leader were to be serious in stamping out corruption, then changes at the bureau must be a priority. With Francisco’s words, the next administration—we’ve given up hope on this one—does not need any more convincing that an overhaul, not just reforms, is in order.

The status quo, not just at the bureau but all other agencies that give us reason to despair, violates the people’s right to an honest, efficient government.

POST-ELECTION UNITY POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO IF SOCIAL media is the gauge, the coming elections is one of the most bitterly contested I have so far seen in my lifetime, and I have witnessed not a few.

There is so much anger and animosity between supporters of the candidates especially online.

Even friends have become political foes and have resorted to insulting each other. Passion is as hot as or even hotter than

the extremely high temperature we are enduring these days. This is anything but productive.

Indeed, a lot is at stake in the coming elections because of the pressing problems we have as a country. The perennial headaches of poverty, criminality, graft and corruption, social exclusion and inequality, injustice, and broken infrastructure for public utilities, remain. On top of these we have to deal with China’s aggression against our territorial sovereignty; the very serious threats of calamities due to climate change and environmental degradation; and the secessionist groups in Min-

danao now further complicated by news saying that ISIS is in the country.

Whoever will win in May have their work cut out for them. It definitely will not be easy. Because of our major problems, the honeymoon stage for the newly elected administration may be very short at best.

I am also not confident that the country will unite behind whoever becomes president next. The camps of all presidential candidates, except perhaps for the group of Senator Grace Poe (who refuses to trade insults with her opponents), seem to be ready and poised to turn oppo-

A9

The next president’s first acts and words are going to be crucial. I hope these will be a call for reconciliation and unity.

sition in the next six years.

Should Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte win, we can expect groups, even those outside of his political enemies to go against him IF people see that their fears of him being dictatorial are founded. I can vividly see LP turning opposition because many of those in the party are known Edsa 1 key people.

This will particularly be true if Senator Bongbong Marcos wins as vice president. Note that the two are the top contenders for president and VP per the most recent survey results.

If Poe wins, I do not expect those who question her citizenship and residency to stop despite the Supreme Court ruling that she is eligible to run for office. As early as now, some

lawyers groups are saying that the SC skirted these twin issues and continue to question Poe and the SC decision.

However, this issue may be put to rest if or when the SC declares Poe as a Filipino, and that she did not violate the rule on residency.

If Vice President Jejomar Binay wins, expect an anti-Binay movement to surface primarily because of the corruption accusations against him. For sure, Binay and his family will be very closely watched.

A Mar Roxas presidency will also not be easy because of existing disenchant-

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-

ment with “Daang Matuwid.” People will be hounding his administration on issues carried-over from this administration. Roxas will need to perform “miracles” and he is not exactly known for decisiveness and swift action. Roxas will also be very closely watched because people are hyped for change— drastic change at that.

The thing is, except for Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, all other candidates can possibly win. Of course, based on surveys, the top two, Duterte and Poe, have greater chances of winning.

However, one cannot say outright that

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

it is impossible for Binay and Roxas to prevail. The former primarily because of his proven capacity to come from behind (remember 2010?), and the latter, because of the LP’s local machinery and resources.

That seat in Malacañang Palace is so hotly contested that again, it is almost certain that we will have a president vested with incredible powers, but elected by a minority of Filipino voters.

Our system does not encourage unity by having a president elected by the majority. This is one factor why diviContinued on A11 sions persist.

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

AS STATED in last Tuesday’s column, nine justices of the Supreme Court decided that the Commission on Elections committed a grave abuse of discretion when it disqualified Senator Grace Poe from the presidential elections set for May 2016.

The nine justices opined that Poe committed “honest mistakes” when she declared under oath or made it appear in her Certificate of Candidacy for president that she was born to Fernando Poe Jr. and his wife even if she knew she is a foundling, and also when she indicated in her 2013 CoC for senator that she had been a resident of the Philippines for six years and six months only, which means that by May 2016, she will be six months short of the ten-year residency requirement under the Constitution.

Unless Poe is manifestly incompetent at her age of 48, it is difficult to see how she is unable to know that being born of particular parents is different from being a foundling. For the same reasons, it is unthinkable how Poe was unable to figure out that nine years and six months do not sum up to 10 years. It’s either Poe was deliberately lying, or she should go back to school.

Declaring that Poe committed “honest mistakes” is one thing. Explaining the legal basis for that conclusion (which is required by the Constitution) is another.

Aside from assumptions and conclusions, no legal basis has been advanced by the nine justices in support of the finding that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion. Therefore, the denial of the motions for reconsideration filed in the Supreme Court, without stating the legal basis for the denial, is not in accord with the Constitution.

The Presidential Electoral Tribunal angle is also disturbing.

Three justices said that the PET has the exclusive power to pass upon the qualifications of a presidential candidate, and only after his proclamation by Congress as the winning candidate.

That view deprives the Comelec of its powers and functions under the Constitution to resolve all questions affecting elections, which necessarily includes the qualifications of candidates for president, vice president, senators, and representatives, when such questions are raised prior to their proclamation as winning candidates. Jurisprudence states that the electoral tribunals enter the picture only after the candidate concerned is proclaimed a winner. Therefore, until and unless a proclamation of the winning candidate for president has been made by Congress, the Comelec, and not the electoral tribunals, has the power to decide questions concerning the qualifications of all candidates for president.

Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

A8

S AT U R D AY : A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ON THE POE DECISION

[ EDI TORI A L ]

VIOLATING A RIGHT

(Part 2)

REACTING to a proposal that more closed circuit television cameras be installed at the Bureau of Customs, Rommel Francisco said on national television that such a move would violate the employees’ human rights.

“What if they try to increase our salaries and give us the benefits due us? Do they think we would still do these things?” he told a reporter of GMA 7.

For his candor, the president of the Port of Manila chapter of the Bureau of Customs Employees Association now faces a lifestyle check ordered by his boss, Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina. Lina had in fact summoned Francisco following the latter’s virtual admission that he and his colleagues accepted bribes.

The installation of additional CCTVs at the bureau is just among the suggestions of a vice presidential candidate who also want to have deskless glass drawers and pocket-less uniforms. The intention is to curb, if not eliminate, corruption at the government agency that has over the decades become synonymous with corruption at all levels.

That the practice is so institutionalized is likely why Francisco was matterof-fact, forgetting the line that separates those inside the bureau and those outside—the public, specifically, who may have heard stories but have no conclusive proof of what truly happens inside it.

An investigation and eventual prosecution is most welcome. This would remind desensitized bureau employees like Francisco that just because corruption is the norm does not mean it cannot be acted upon.

Stopping with the investigation, however, would be foolish—even as we expect exactly that to happen.

The bureau’s notoriety has prevented the economy from reaping the revenues it deserves, and has fostered a culture of impunity among the people inside it. Who knows whether the supposed lifestyle check would not be another moro-moro, pacifying the public in the meantime but changing nothing in the long term?

If this country’s next leader were to be serious in stamping out corruption, then changes at the bureau must be a priority. With Francisco’s words, the next administration—we’ve given up hope on this one—does not need any more convincing that an overhaul, not just reforms, is in order.

The status quo, not just at the bureau but all other agencies that give us reason to despair, violates the people’s right to an honest, efficient government.

POST-ELECTION UNITY POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO IF SOCIAL media is the gauge, the coming elections is one of the most bitterly contested I have so far seen in my lifetime, and I have witnessed not a few.

There is so much anger and animosity between supporters of the candidates especially online.

Even friends have become political foes and have resorted to insulting each other. Passion is as hot as or even hotter than

the extremely high temperature we are enduring these days. This is anything but productive.

Indeed, a lot is at stake in the coming elections because of the pressing problems we have as a country. The perennial headaches of poverty, criminality, graft and corruption, social exclusion and inequality, injustice, and broken infrastructure for public utilities, remain. On top of these we have to deal with China’s aggression against our territorial sovereignty; the very serious threats of calamities due to climate change and environmental degradation; and the secessionist groups in Min-

danao now further complicated by news saying that ISIS is in the country.

Whoever will win in May have their work cut out for them. It definitely will not be easy. Because of our major problems, the honeymoon stage for the newly elected administration may be very short at best.

I am also not confident that the country will unite behind whoever becomes president next. The camps of all presidential candidates, except perhaps for the group of Senator Grace Poe (who refuses to trade insults with her opponents), seem to be ready and poised to turn oppo-

A9

The next president’s first acts and words are going to be crucial. I hope these will be a call for reconciliation and unity.

sition in the next six years.

Should Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte win, we can expect groups, even those outside of his political enemies to go against him IF people see that their fears of him being dictatorial are founded. I can vividly see LP turning opposition because many of those in the party are known Edsa 1 key people.

This will particularly be true if Senator Bongbong Marcos wins as vice president. Note that the two are the top contenders for president and VP per the most recent survey results.

If Poe wins, I do not expect those who question her citizenship and residency to stop despite the Supreme Court ruling that she is eligible to run for office. As early as now, some

lawyers groups are saying that the SC skirted these twin issues and continue to question Poe and the SC decision.

However, this issue may be put to rest if or when the SC declares Poe as a Filipino, and that she did not violate the rule on residency.

If Vice President Jejomar Binay wins, expect an anti-Binay movement to surface primarily because of the corruption accusations against him. For sure, Binay and his family will be very closely watched.

A Mar Roxas presidency will also not be easy because of existing disenchant-

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-

ment with “Daang Matuwid.” People will be hounding his administration on issues carried-over from this administration. Roxas will need to perform “miracles” and he is not exactly known for decisiveness and swift action. Roxas will also be very closely watched because people are hyped for change— drastic change at that.

The thing is, except for Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, all other candidates can possibly win. Of course, based on surveys, the top two, Duterte and Poe, have greater chances of winning.

However, one cannot say outright that

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

it is impossible for Binay and Roxas to prevail. The former primarily because of his proven capacity to come from behind (remember 2010?), and the latter, because of the LP’s local machinery and resources.

That seat in Malacañang Palace is so hotly contested that again, it is almost certain that we will have a president vested with incredible powers, but elected by a minority of Filipino voters.

Our system does not encourage unity by having a president elected by the majority. This is one factor why diviContinued on A11 sions persist.

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

AS STATED in last Tuesday’s column, nine justices of the Supreme Court decided that the Commission on Elections committed a grave abuse of discretion when it disqualified Senator Grace Poe from the presidential elections set for May 2016.

The nine justices opined that Poe committed “honest mistakes” when she declared under oath or made it appear in her Certificate of Candidacy for president that she was born to Fernando Poe Jr. and his wife even if she knew she is a foundling, and also when she indicated in her 2013 CoC for senator that she had been a resident of the Philippines for six years and six months only, which means that by May 2016, she will be six months short of the ten-year residency requirement under the Constitution.

Unless Poe is manifestly incompetent at her age of 48, it is difficult to see how she is unable to know that being born of particular parents is different from being a foundling. For the same reasons, it is unthinkable how Poe was unable to figure out that nine years and six months do not sum up to 10 years. It’s either Poe was deliberately lying, or she should go back to school.

Declaring that Poe committed “honest mistakes” is one thing. Explaining the legal basis for that conclusion (which is required by the Constitution) is another.

Aside from assumptions and conclusions, no legal basis has been advanced by the nine justices in support of the finding that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion. Therefore, the denial of the motions for reconsideration filed in the Supreme Court, without stating the legal basis for the denial, is not in accord with the Constitution.

The Presidential Electoral Tribunal angle is also disturbing.

Three justices said that the PET has the exclusive power to pass upon the qualifications of a presidential candidate, and only after his proclamation by Congress as the winning candidate.

That view deprives the Comelec of its powers and functions under the Constitution to resolve all questions affecting elections, which necessarily includes the qualifications of candidates for president, vice president, senators, and representatives, when such questions are raised prior to their proclamation as winning candidates. Jurisprudence states that the electoral tribunals enter the picture only after the candidate concerned is proclaimed a winner. Therefore, until and unless a proclamation of the winning candidate for president has been made by Congress, the Comelec, and not the electoral tribunals, has the power to decide questions concerning the qualifications of all candidates for president.

Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

A10

S AT U R D AY : A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

POLITICAL HEADHUNT BACK­ BENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN NEVER in the history of this country have the Filipino people resorted to political head-hunting.

This fad among voters goes like this: they first seek to know the official candidates of this crooked-path government, and then mark or swear not to vote for them. They no longer examine their qualifications or bother to read their platform of government. They just cancel them out. Invariably, the stooges have now become the victims of political vengeance caused by their broker’s incompetence.

This explains why Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo are experiencing a downward slope in their popularity rating—both have been marked as puppets.

Sad to say, only Robredo does not seem to have the IQ to know what is happening to her.

Since the people now know that this pretending-to-be-honest government is on the defensive, it has resorted to the clever strategy of deceiving them by secretly supporting alternative candidates who will carry on the platform of the oligarchy and of big business in the event the anointed puppet will not make it. Still, people are determined to hunt these puppets that outwardly pretend to belong in the opposition. This explains why suddenly Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero are experiencing a downward slope in their campaign.

Their hope of substituting Roxas and Robredo is fast evaporating even after Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and her shameless cabal in the Supreme Court did their dirty job of vandalizing the Constitution to allow an alien candidate of the oligarchy to run for president.

The other candidates, particularly Alan Cayetano, played with much gusto his assignment of a nasty political bouncer. He tried to maximize what he could extract as his bargain by zeroing in on Bongbong. He alone had the stomach to play the role of a pig ordered to wallow in the pool of mud and excrement. To put it straight, Cayetano realized that there is no way he could win, and the debate was, for him, a chance to demolish and besmirch the name of Ferdinand

“Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Nothing more could prove that, for right after that debate that he maliciously reduced to a wrangle, it was his rating that went down, and the man he reviled astoundingly increased that it affected the standing of Malacañang’s decoy candidate Chiz Escudero. All his sleaze charges appeared to have backfired. Despite that, Bongbong remained sober and cool under fire.

When Cayetano accepted that nauseating role of a political bouncer, he hoped to be repaid in terms of political accommodation in the event the puppets of Malacañang win. As one would put it, election, to him, is like a cancer that it has its own death, and Cayetano expects that to come. Thus, he could surmise that if it is not possible for him to win in this coming election, the least he could do is secure a political bargain from the ruling oligarchy and enjoy the same bounty accorded to corrupt politi-

The stooges have now become the victims of political vengeance caused by their broker’s incompetence.

cians. Besides, Cayetano realized there is no more rating that could be reduced in him. Cayetano’s go-for-broke approach in the debate resulted in two of Malacañang’s kennels slugging it out with Bongbong Marcos surging way ahead of them.

Some say Cayetano acted not as a lawyer, but that as a jerk. Common sense should have made him refrain from raising the issue of corruption against Bongbong because that would surely backfire against him. It is he and his wife who are now facing corruption and plunder charges. Whether the complaint for violating R.A. No. 3019 or the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act or for violating R.A. No. 7080 or the Act Defining and Penalizing the Crime of Plunder will prosper is something for the accused Cayetano to think about. People might rhetorically ask: Look who’s talking? The desperate Cayetano, as usual, alluded to the pork barrel scam supposedly master-

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA ASIDE from tackling the jurisdictional question raised by the parties, Associate Justice Jardeleza’s concurring opinion in the Poe vs. Comelec juxtaposed the citizenship arguments interposed by petitioner Poe and Comelec. He noted Poe’s claim that she is a natural-born citizen because of the presumption under international law that a foundling is a citizen of the place where he or she was born.

He also mentioned her argument that the deliberations of the 1934 Constitutional Convention reveal an intent by the framers to consider foundlings as Filipino citizens from birth.

In any case, she has presented enough evidence to buttress her claims.

On the other hand, the magistrate also noted Comelec and private respondents’ contention that because she is a foundling whose parentage is unknown, she could not definitively prove that either her father or mother is a Filipino.

Justice Jardeleza, whom I am proud to claim as a colleague in the University of the Philippines College of Law, gives more weight to Poe’s arguments. He argues persuasively that the approach taken by the Commission on Elections is tenuous. It presumes a fact that is not necessarily or universally true. Although, the possibility that the parents of a foundling are foreigners can never be discounted, this is not always the case. Delving on possibilities, Jardeleza said that there are four possibilities with respect to the biological parentage of Poe: (1) both her parents are Filipinos; (2) her father minded by Janet Napoles.

But the alleged mastermind herself has denied sharing to Bongbong her loot or even meeting and knowing the senator.

In fact, Cayetano appeared to be talking nonsense because the person who is supposed to narrate the charge against Bongbong as having received the anomalous DAP is now out on bail. On the contrary, Cayetano’s own colleagues in the Senate have pointed to him as one of the recipients of that “convict-for-a-price” bribery to impeach Chief Justice Renato Corona, Jr. Cayetano was completely caught offguard when he said that corrupt people end up as congressmen and senators when Marcos asked him if that was how he became a senator.

The candidacy of this

JUSTICE JARDELEZA EMPHASIZES DUE PROCESS is a Filipino and her mother is a foreigner; (3) her mother is a Filipino and her father is a foreigner; and (4) both her parents are foreigners. In three of the four possibilities, Poe would be considered as a natural-born citizen.

Borrowing from the page of the Solicitor General’s Comment, Jardeleza cited the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) suggesting that, in 1968, there was a 99.8 percent statistical probability that her parents were Filipinos. Given these statistics, then, that Poe’s parents are unknown does not automatically discount the possibility that either her father or mother is a citizen of the Philippines.

The fault of the Comelec in insisting that Poe must present DNA or other definitive evidence is to effectively subject her to a higher standard of proof— that of absolute certainty.

This is even higher than proof beyond reasonable doubt, which requires only moral certainty. In criminal cases, he pointed out, neither DNA evidence nor direct evidence are always necessary to sustain a conviction. Clearly, by insisting on such a standard, the Comelec violated the due process rights of Poe. According to Justice Jardeleza, another due process violation was committed by the electoral body with its presumption that Poe was not a naturalborn citizen. Making this injustice worse, the Comelec went on to set an unreasonably high burden to overcome such presumption. This unduly deprived Poe of citizenship, which has been described as “the right to have rights, from

which the enjoyment of all other rights emanates.”

For Justice Jardeleza, the Comelec’s unwarranted presumption against Poe, and foundlings in general, likewise violates the equal protection clause. In the same vein, the Comelec’s de facto conclusive presumption that foundlings are not natural-born also suffers from the same vice.

Adverse consequences would ensue in placing foundlings at a disadvantaged evidentiary position at the start of the hearing then imposing a higher quantum of evidence upon them, thereby effectively creating two classes of children: (1) those who know their biological parents; and (2) those whose biological parents are unknown. Resultantly, those belonging to the first class face no presumption that they are not natural-born and, if their citizenship is challenged, they may prove their citizenship by substantial evidence.

On the other hand, those belonging to the second class, such as Poe, are presumed not natural-born at the outset and must prove their citizenship with near absolute certainty.

The concurring opinion found the Comelec’s classification objectionable on equal protection grounds because it is not warranted by the text of the Constitution. He made mention that when the 1935 Constitution referred to “those whose fathers [or mothers] are citizens of the Philippines,” it necessarily included foundlings whose fathers or mothers are Filipino citizens.

Another point emphasized by Justice Jardeleza, making direct reference

to the statement of the Solicitor General, is the fact that foundlings are a “discrete and insular” minority who are entitled to utmost protection against unreasonable discrimination applying the strict scrutiny standard. Based on this standard, government action that impermissibly interferes with the exercise of a “fundamental right” or operates to the peculiar class disadvantaged, of a “suspect class” is presumed unconstitutional. The burden is on the government to prove that the classification is necessary to achieve a compelling state interest and that it is the least restrictive means to protect such interest. The underlying rationale for the heightened judicial scrutiny is that the political processes ordinarily relied upon to protect minorities may have broken down. Thus one aspect of the judiciary’s role under the equal protection clause is to protect discrete and insular minorities from majoritarian prejudice or indifference.

In my constitutional law classes, I emphasize that due process and equal protection are the two greatest rights recognized in our Constitution. They form the core of the Bill of Rights, with all the other right finding their basis in these two big rights.

Clearly, in the Poe case, the Comelec violated these rights and the Supreme Court rightly reversed its decision. That’s my takeaway from the Jardeleza opinion.

Cayetano is truly pathetic.

It is beyond description.

Instead of him doing the legwork for his presidential running mate, Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte, to increase his chances of winning, it is Duterte who is begging his voterssupporters to vote for his doggone vice presidential running mate. On one occasion, Duterte even threatened his own supporters that if they will not vote for Cayetano, they might as well not vote for him. Again, it has never happened in the political history in this country.

Traditionally, the presidential candidate is given a free hand to select his running mate, not necessarily on the basis that his choice will win, but on the basis that he will be able to increase his chances of winning the presidency.

As one would put it in the vernacular, si Duterte ang kumakalong kay Cayetano.

Probably irritated, Duterte made an off-thecuff statement that should his campaign against corruption, drugs and criminality fail in six months, he would vacate his post and give it to Bongbong Marcos. That statement carries deep-seated implications.

First, that Duterte is confident he and Bongbong will win, respectively. Second, Duterte could no longer deny that his running mate is the one pulling him down. Such statement from his own presidential running mate is enough for Cayetano to resign if he has the decency and shame for of himself.

If he is man enough, Cayetano should run alone because it is not fair to be treated by his running mate

as though he were afflicted with a social disease. There is no love lost between him and Duterte. They belong to two different political parties, and it was Cayetano who persisted in wanting to become the running mate of Duterte to a point of unilaterally proclaiming himself as Duterte’s vice presidential running mate to purposely box out Bongbong. Cayetano was part of the US-sponsored grand conspiracy to deprive Bongbong of a political party and machinery to translate the clamor of the people to vote. On the contrary, when Duterte mentioned Bongbong, by political instinct, he was betting on the right horse, and politics, whatever one would say, is a game of survival.

Facebook: tonylavs5 or Dean Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

rpkapunan@gmail.com

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OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

BREAKING FREE FROM COAL

EVERYMAN

By Renee Juliene Karunungan THE government appears to ignore the growing clamor to end the use of coal in the Philippines. It continues to justify coal investments to the country’s growing economy and the energy crisis.

Last March 30, Department of Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada said, “Even if all coal-fired power plants were closed, there would be no significant impact on the climate change situation in the country.”

Monsada, who firmly stated that the Philippines cannot stop coal plants also said that the plants have already been planned five years ago and a number of these are already under construction.

“We need power,” Monsada added. However, she also noted that the DoE was implementing stricter standards.

PH’s energy needs The Philippines has had a history of energy crises. In the early 1990s, the Philippines experienced power outages under the presidency of Corazon Aquino, the mother of the current president. At present, parts of the Philippines are experiencing rotating blackouts, such as in Davao City and Iloilo City. In addition, an estimated 2.7-million Filipinos still do not have access to electricity.

President Benigno Aquino III is clearly scared of having to undergo the same horrific situation as his mother had to go through in terms of energy cri-

sis. His answer to this problem: “cheap” coal.

In his State of the Nation Address in 2013, PNoy famously said, “Did they happen to mention that renewable energy is also more expensive—from the cost of building the plants to the eventual price of energy? Did they mention that it cannot provide the baseload—the capacity required to make sure brownouts do not occur? If you put up a wind-powered plant, what do you do when there is no wind? If you put up a solar plant, what do you when the sky is cloudy?”

Coal is not cheap However, that renewable energy is more expensive is a myth that needs to be debunked.

In Greenpeace’s report, Green Is Gold, coal is only cheap if its consequences and external costs are not taken into consideration such as health hazards, damage to agriculture and fisheries, and the economic costs of environmental damage due to climate change.

According to the same report, the Philippine Environment Monitor estimates that “the Philippine economy wastes $1.5 billion due to air pollution and spends more than $400 million in direct costs to health expenses.”

The 600-MW Masinloc Thermal Power Project in Zambales has also been linked to the decrease in fruit yield by 33 percent and less catch for fishermen since the plant began operations in 1998. The plant discharged its waste materials directly to Oyon Bay.

Unanswered... From A9 Why should the constitutional qualification of a candidate be decided only after he is proclaimed president, and not before such proclamation? Deciding upon the constitutional qualifications of a winning candidate only after proclamation constitutes disenfranchisement of the electorate.

Candidates for president must comply with the requirements provided in the Constitution for election thereto. Therefore, although it is the sovereign right of every voter to elect the presidential candidate of his choice, that right is premised on the assumption that only those candidates who comply with the constitutional requirements for the presidency may seek the people’s mandate on election day. Those who do not comply with the requirements of the Constitution have no right to participate in an election the rules of which are meticulously recited in the Constitution. This necessarily means that the Comelec has the power, if not the duty, under the Constitution, to weed out the misfits from the list of candidates the voters may choose from.

Under the Constitution, if the Comelec errs in its judgment, corrective relief from the Supreme Court may sought. That is the reason why CoCs for president must be filed months before election day so as to allow the Comelec sufficient time to pass upon the qualifications of candidates for the highest office in the land.

If the Comelec were deprived of the power to pass upon the qualifications of a candidate for president, and that power is left to the PET to exercise only after that candidate is proclaimed, voters will be disenfranchised.

For example, if Poe is proclaimed the winner in the presidential election and Poe’s qualifications are left to the PET to decide, and the PET eventu-

National Renewable Energy Board Chair Pete Maniego agrees. “When external costs are factored-in, coal is actually the most expensive and burdensome option for the Filipino people,” he said.

In addition, Maniego notes that Renewable Energy is more cost-friendly and provides immediate benefits to consumers.

“The Philippine Electricity Market Corporation released its study which showed that the power supply from new RE plants resulted to a net savings of more than Php 4 billion to consumers in 2016 due to lower spot market prices attributable to the increased RE supply,” he adds.

We don’t need more coal. We should invest more in RE According to Maniego, a report from the DoE’s Power Bureau to the NREB last month said that the base-load supply already exceeds base-load demand in Luzon and Visayas.

Base-load supply is projected to exceed the demand in Mindanao after the completion of the coal-fired plants under construction this year.

“Therefore, once all of the new coal plants are operational within the year, there will be no more energy crisis even in Mindanao,” Maniego said.

In fact, once all the new approved coal plants are built, the base-load supply will greatly exceed demand. According to Maniego, once power is generated, it must be utilized and end-users are paid to absorb the excess power. The negative pric-

ing will eventually be passed on to consumers.

Maniego adds that the Philippines has barely tapped its renewable energy potential. Solar power is only limited by available space—whether land, rooftop or water areas. Wind potential is estimated at 76,000 MW, geothermal at 4,000 MW, hydro at 10,000 MW, biomass at 4,400 MW and ocean at 170,000 MW. The total installed capacities of geothermal and hydro power plants are only 1,906 MW and 3,850 MW respectively.

“We have more than enough indigenous renewable energy potential to be fully energy selfsufficient and independent,” Maniego said.

Note, too, that renewable energy plants such as solar farms and wind farms are faster to build than coal plants.

“Small solar installations can be built in a matter of weeks.

Large solar and wind farms can be constructed in less than a year after pre-development activities. In contrast a typical coal plant will take two to four years to construct,” he said.

Break free from coal The government has time and again justified its support of the coal industry but the data is clear: we have enough renewable energy potential for the energy needs of the country. What seems to be lacking is the political will to start phasing out coal.

While we cannot close all existing coal power plants all at once, we need to stop investing in new coal plants and start a slow phase out of those already

ally rules that Poe is disqualified, Poe will be unseated as president, and the winning candidate for vice president shall replace her. Poe’s voters end up disenfranchised.

On the other hand, if Poe had been disqualified prior to the elections, then her erstwhile voters can still choose whom to vote for among the remaining candidates for president. Nobody gets disenfranchised.

Even if he meets the constitutional requirements for election to the presidency, the second placer in the presidential race will end up holding the proverbial empty bag, and his supporters will be unduly deprived of their choice for president. In the end, the candidates who obey the Constitution will end up punished for their compliance with the fundamental law. The people, in turn, will end up with a vice president getting the presidency to which he was not elected in the first place. If the vice president does not belong to the political party of the unseated president, that will create serious problems.

There is also the political consideration to reckon with.

Once a presidential candidate is proclaimed the winner, his supporters will surely pressure the PET by insisting that the will of the people should be respected. The PET will be hard put to overcome that pressure. If the PET yields to the pressure, that is not sovereignty upheld. That is allowing mob rule to prevail over the Constitution.

Poe’s victory in the Supreme Court may be described in this wise—a largely inexperienced and lackluster senator who once renounced the Philippines for a comfortable life as an American, and whose husband and children are ineligible to vote for her, got away with a wholesale violation of the Constitution just to satisfy a selfish craving for the highest office in the land.

Post-election... From A9

existing. The Philippines has committed to 70-percent mitigation of carbon emissions by 2030 and that we are a low carbon emitter is no longer an excuse to continue polluting. Monsada’s statement is true—there will be no change in the country’s climate change situation should all coal power plants close today.

And yes, the Philippines barely contributes to global carbon emissions, as many politicians would like to say. But they are missing the point.

The point is this: While the Philippines contributes little to global carbon emissions, investing in coal should no longer be an option if this government truly cares about its people.

How can a country most affected by climate change continue to invest in dirty energy that has largely contributed to climate change and has, in turn, claimed thousands of Filipino lives?

Many countries have committed to emission reduction and while current commitments are not yet enough for us to curb global warming to at least 2 degrees celsius, continuous investments in coal are pulling the world back to where we envision our future planet to be: clean and sustainable.

My question to the Philippine government is this: Are we ready to move forward and be part of the energy revolution or do we want to be left behind in the age of fossil fuels?

Renee Juliene Karunungan is the Climate Revolution Director of Dakila and a Climate Tracker.

These realities make choosing the next president quite difficult.

All candidates carry with them baggages that make them fair targets after the elections. In my circles of friends, I often here comments indicating dissatisfaction with the crop of candidates for president.

Not a few lament the fact that again, voters are left with no other option but to choose the “least evil.” There are those who said they will choose the evil that they know even if they are not convinced that s/he is best for the post. There are those who say that they will opt for the evil that they know because at least, there is hope that s/ he might deliver rather than someone they have tested and found wanting. Most surprising are those who out of desperation are willing to gamble with someone who might rule with an iron fist. These are the so-called “thinking voters.”

Among other things, we need a president who will, at the first instance, work to unite this seriously fragmented country. We need a president who will inspire the citizenry to be actively involved in solving our problems. Critical collaboration with government can be done and the President can give clear signals towards this. We need a president who will show through his or her actions that we can build, not destroy.

We need a president of the whole country and not just of a particular party or of some groups.

The next president’s first acts and words are going to be crucial. I hope these will be a call for reconciliation and unity.

After the elections, whoever becomes the president, I hope former friends will be friends again. I also hope that people will continue closely watching government and participating in its affairs with less animosity. Our job will not end with the elections. Like during campaigns, we ought to be involved. This is our ONLY country and governance is also our business.

It is not going to be easy but let us unite under our flag in the pursuit of public good, elections and thereafter. bethangsioco@gmail.com. @beryangsioco on Twitter.

Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Depleted Czechs, Swiss battle in Fed Cup semis DEFENDING champions Czech Republic will have to make do without leading duo Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova for this weekend’s Fed Cup semi-final against Switzerland in Lucerne.

However, the hosts also suffered a hefty blow as Swiss number one Belinda Bencic pulled out of the tie with a back injury that will require the 19-year-old to rest for at least four weeks.

With two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova struggling for form and Safarova sliding down the rankings as she grapples with the impact of a bacterial infection from last September, the Czechs will count on 18th-ranked Karolina Pliskova as they bid for a fifth title in six years.

Pliskova won both singles rubbers before teaming up with Barbora Strycova to overcome Romania 3-2 in

Jason Day hits a tee shot on the eighth hole during the first round of the 2016 RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. AFP

Ledecky grabs gold as Phelps, Franklin settle for consolation wins MICHAEL Phelps made a low-key start to the Mesa Pro Swim on Thursday, but his win in the 200m freestyle consolation final was a confidence booster in an event he’s found tough in his comeback.

“I swam that like I used to always swim it,” said Phelps, who smashed the 200m free world record at the 2007 world championships before making it one of his eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games in yet another world record.

“I kind of just stepped on the gas in the first hundred, and that’s when I swim my best 200 free.”

Phelps, the 18-time Olympic gold medallist juggling preparations for the Rio Games and plans for the arrival of a baby boy with fiancee Nicole Johnson next month, just missed out on qualifying for the championship final in the event.

His winning “B” final time of 1min 48.21sec would have given him bronze in the championship race won by Conor Dwyer in 1:46.61.

“I think the biggest thing I had tonight is I was able to get confidence back in that race,” Phelps said. “I haven’t really swum that race well in a long time.”

Phelps, always cagey about just what his Olympic programme plans are, said he wasn’t sure if he’d tackle the 200m free at the US Olympic trials in June.

But he wants to keep improving at least enough to challenge for a spot on the US 4x200m free relay team in Rio. “I’m pleased with it,” Phelps said.

Dwyer’s time tied him for sixth-fastest in the world this year. Venezuela’s Christian Quintero was second in 1:48.10 and Phelps’s old foe Ryan Lochte was third in 1:48.85. AFP

February, and those two will be joined by 61st-ranked Denisa Allertova and veteran Lucie Hradecka, who is 10th in the doubles rankings.

The Swiss toppled a Germany team featuring Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in round one, but coach Heinz Guenthardt has opted against naming a replacement for the sidelined Bencic.

Without the world number 10, Switzerland could be forced to turn to Martina Hingis in singles as well as doubles to back up Timea Bacsinszky, with 129thranked Viktorija Golubic the only other alternative.

“Of course the absence of Belinda Bencic is a big loss, but my three players have the potential,” said Guenthardt, in quotes carried by Swiss media. AFP

Donald, Grace share lead, ahead of Day at Heritage FORMER world number one Luke Donald, stung by his failure to qualify for this month’s Masters, was pleased to produce a straightforward 66 on Thursday for a share of the RBC Heritage first-round lead.

“It was a pretty simple 66,” said England’s Donald, who had six birdies and a bogey in a fiveunder effort that left him tied with South Africa’s Branden Grace at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

They had a one-shot lead over a quartet of players led by world number one Jason Day of Australia and including Sweden’s David Lingmerth

and Americans Matt Kuchar and Tony Finau.

“I didn’t have to scramble very hard and was able to just put it in good positions,” added Donald, who rolled in birdie putts of 15 feet, 16 feet, six feet and five feet.

That’s a step in the right direction for a player who said attempts to rebuild his swing had ultimately hurt his game, costing him sharpness in his short game and putting.

Harbour Town might be just the place for Donald to reverse his fortunes. He owns five runner-up finishes in the Heritage, the most heart-breaking a defeat to Matt Kuchar’s chip-in from a bunker two years ago.

Grace, playing the Heritage for the second time, also fired six birdies and a bogey to grab his share of the lead in tricky, windy conditions.

“It was not the best ballstriking day, but nothing’s easy on a day like today with the wind blowing all over the show,” Grace said.

Day’s five birdies included a 27-footer at the par-four 11th. He fell out of a share of the lead with his only bogey of the day at 18, where he took an unplayable lie in a green-

side bunker.

“I played some nice golf,” Day said. “Obviously that wasn’t the finish I wanted.

I shouldn’t have been in the bunker in the first place.

Today was the easiest day and now we got three tough days coming up.”

Day is coming off a respectable finish where he contended in The Masters, the first of four major championships in 2016.

“It is always tough to play the week after a major championship,” he said.

“I wasn’t pleased with how I hit it on Sunday (at Masters). So I came in here Monday to get in a good hitting session.”

Reigning US Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau made his pro debut and hit a 70. AFP

Ferrari pips Mercedes in practice FERRARI struck a psychological blow ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix as Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel pipped the dominant Mercedes in Friday’s second free practice.

Raikkonen blazed to a fastest lap of one minute, 36.896 seconds, edging out Vettel by 0.109, as Ferrari bared their teeth after some indifferent form in the season’s first two races.

Nico Rosberg, who won in Australia and Bahrain, went third quickest in 1:37.133 after posting the fastest time in the morning, while world champion Lewis Hamilton was

fourth in the Shanghai haze.

Fernando Alonso, who fractured ribs after a terrifying crash in the seasonopening race, was formally cleared to compete by medics after clocking the 12th-fastest time in the morning. The Spaniard inched up to 11th in the second session.

Though lacking, perhaps, the drama of Friday practice 12 months ago, when a Chinese fan vaulted the pitlane wall and demanded to test drive a Ferrari, there were plenty of thrills in the morning with two red flags after a series

of blown tyres.

The jousting between Mercedes and Ferrari in the afternoon was no less absorbing, Rosberg and Hamilton flexing their muscles early on before Ferrari’s two former world champions put in their blistering qualifying simulation times on super-soft tyres.

Raikkonen, who finished runner-up to Rosberg in Bahrain two weeks ago, had not been happy at all before setting his fast lap, snapping over the radio: “Do you really want me to keep going? Because it’s absolutely shit!” AFP

Haas F1 Team’s French driver Romain Grosjean steers his car during the second practice session for the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 15, 2016. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Tabal, Poliquit join Boston Marathon BOSTON—Reigning MILO Marathon Queen Mary Joy Tabal and MILO Marathon King Rafael Poliquit Jr. are one step closer to their dream.

Doping tests for triathlon winners TO ENSURE credibility and compliance with the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Top 3 Elite male and female winners of the NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon 2016 will go through a doping test on Sunday at the Subic Bay Freeport.

The tests will be conducted on-site by the National Anti-Doping Organization, led by Dr. Alex Pineda.

The organizing Triathlon Association of the Philippines has been following the standards of the WADA for the past several years. A total of $5,000 in cash prizes is at stake for the Elite category winners.

Meanwhile, there will be intense competition among the participants in the Sprint Junior Elite and the Mini-Sprint categories, which are set to happen on the opening day (Saturday) of the event supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Tourism Department, Century Tuna, Standard Insurance, Gatorade, Asian Center for Insulation, Subic Holiday Villas, ACEA Subic Bay, Biker’s Cafe, Blackbeard’s Seafood Island, The Lighthouse Marina Resort, Enervon Active, AH Cabgel, AH Enervon HP, Athena, Pure & Feminine Wash, RaceDay, SBR.ph, Multisport, Kikay Runner, Solar Sports, Philippine Star and PinoyFitness.com.

Winners, members and supporters of the Navy-Standard Insurance team are shown after the awarding rites of the Ronda PH.

Ronda PH wants to elevate PH cycling LAST February, the country’s biggest cycling competition hit the road.

It began with a three-leg race in Mindanao that crossed Butuan City, going to Cagayan and ending in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. A Visayan leg followed the Mindanao race in March; and this month, the prestigious cycling competition finally ended in Luzon.

For over three months, aspiring cycling champs pedaled across the country—covering more than 3,000 kilometers across routes that spanned everything from leisurely scenic roads to torturously inclined terrain. Over a hundred riders started Ronda Pilipinas, and now, Mindanao and Luzon Leg winner Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance and Visayas leg champion Ronald Oranza from the same team, finally earned the distinction of becoming 2016s winners.

Their display of sportsmanship, integrity and perseverance paid off as the company behind this initiative, which also happens to be the biggest name in logistics and ex-

press delivery in the Philippines, LBC Express, hosted the closing ceremony.

Leveraging on their expertise in logistics and organization, LBC managed to elevate cycling in the country as a serious sport that supported the promise of Filipino athletes and highlighted the values that they shared with company.

“When we started Ronda, we had the goal of creating a serious and respected event that raised the level of competition for cycling in the country. It was also important for LBC to put the spotlight on the values that this entire initiative represented,” said LBC Ronda Pilipinas project director and LBC sports development head Moe Chulani.

In conceiving Ronda, LBC understood its potential for nation building: highlighting the ideals of sustainability in a country facing the implications of vehicular traffic in the Philippines’ major cities; the opportunity to open up the country for sports tourism; and the chance to build rapport and camaraderie

with all the stakeholders on a nationwide scale.

“We’ve been hosting Ronda for six years now, and it continues to draw local athletes as well as international cyclists who fortunately, all share the same values as we do. And in the brief time that Ronda Pilipinas has existed, I truly believe that it continues—and will continue—to reflect the spirit of LBC to move things and move lives,” Chulani said.

The event is organized by LBC Express, sanctioned by PhilCycling and sponsored by the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation, Petron, TV5, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, Versa Radio - Tech1 Corp., and Standard Insurance.

Minor sponsors included Maynilad, NLEX, ASG / National Sports, GoPro / Dans Bike, Garmin / Time Depot, Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, DWIZ, 97.9 Home Radio, Lightwater / Vitamin Boost and You C 1000, Reserve Tavern, Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Pueblo de Panay, Pueblo de Oro, Megaworld Iloilo Business Park, and Iloilo Bike Festival.

The pair has safely landed in the United States for the Boston Marathon, to be held on April 18, and both are equally excited to step on the track on race day to represent the Philippines.

MILO gave the champions all-expense paid trips to the USA for the Boston Marathon. The world’s oldest annual marathon, the Boston Marathon is known as one of the world’s most prestigious road racing events, and this year marks its 120th anniversary.

The Boston Marathon has set itself apart from other races due to its traditions, longevity and very challenging qualification requirements, and is known as the pinnacle event of the sport of road racing. The event also attracts about 500,000 spectators each year, which makes it one of the most widely viewed sporting events.

Tabal has been preparing for the Boston Marathon through intensive training sessions. Prior to flying to Boston, she trained under top coaches in Japan, in harsh and cold weather conditions.

She also participated as a guest runner in the Adachi Goshikizakura Half-Marathon in Tokyo, and broke not only her 21K personal record, but also the 21K record of the Philippines. Tabal now holds a record of 1:18:44, besting her previous record of 1:19:22.

Phoenix slalom invitational on Sunday THE heat is on. RACE Motorsports Club is inviting all car enthusiasts to join the first leg of the Phoenix Slalom Invitational on Sunday at the Robinsons Place Calasiao Parking Lot in Pangasinan.

Registration will start at 7 a.m. and will continue for the whole day. Practice runs are set until 11 a.m. before the start of the official runs at 11:30 a.m.

Entries after 11 a.m. will be given only a one-time practice run.

Expected to participate are the different clubs/teams headed by Team Kuneho, Corolla

Auto Club Baguio, Team Makaluma, Team La Union Greenlight, Wholesome Concepts, Manantan Team, Speedlimits and privateers from Dagupan, Pangasinan, Tarlac and Metro Manila.

The 2016 Race Motorsports Club Phoenix Slalom Invitational is powered by Phoenix Premuim’98 and Phoenix Accelerate fully synthetic motor oil and co-sponsored

by Federal Tyres, Outlast Battery. It is also supported by Starbright Body Kits, Auto Transporter, medical team Aeromed, Robinsons Malls and Robinsons Place

Calasiao Pangasinan, media partners Stoplight TV, Inside Motoring, DZRJAm, Pinoy Speed sa mga Pahayagan and Spin.Ph Sports Interactive Network and C! Magazine.

This is the first out of the three invitational legs set for the year.

The next two legs will held on August 14 and Nov. 29.

All drivers will receive a gallon of Phoenix Accelerate Fully synthetic oil plus shirt and cap and NBA sports bottle. All class and overall winners will also receive four liters of oil

Organizers and sponsors of the Phoenix National Slalom Series are shown prior to the races.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Swimmers give NCR huge Palaro lead

By Peter Atencio

LEGAZPI, Albay—Maurice Sacho Ilustre did not break a record in the final day of the swimming meet of the 2016 Palarong Pambansa here.

But his two-gold haul in the 200-meter freestyle and the 4x100 meter freestyle relay helped the National Capital Region dominate 8 of 12 events on tap at the poolside of the Bicol University-Albay Sports and Tourism Complex.

“I’m happy because I bonded with my teammates with the wins I had,”said Ilustre, who went

on to become one of the most bemedalled athletes of the Games as he duplicated the feat he had last year.

His teammates in the relays included Miguel Barlisan, Andrei Pogiongko and Patrick Galvez.

NCR went on to rule the secondary boys’ 100-meter breast stroke, the secondary girls’ 200-meter breast stroke, the secondary girls’

4x100-meter freestyle relay, the elementary boys’ 50-meter freestyle, the 4x100-meter freestyle and elementary girls’ 4x100meter freestyle relay.

“Eight of 12 is good for NCR. It’s a good way to end the tournament,” said NCR swimming coach Aldo Tong.

The NCR remained solidly in front with its 48-25-17 gold-silver-bronze tally.

Meanwhile, records continued to fall after a girl from Davao broke her second meet mark, while four typhoon victims from Southern Leyte and a lanky farmer’s daughter from Isabela came up with their best-ever finishes in the

fifth and last day of action in the athletics’ meet.

Mea Gey Ninura, a Grade 10 student at Kapatagan National High School in Davao City, followed up on her outstanding feat in the secondary girls’ 3000-meter steeplechase by smashing the two-yearold time of Jie Ann Calis (4:44.4) in 4:39.46 in the 1500-meter run.

Twin sisters Lenlyn Sanita and Lealyn, kids whose family was made homeless when supertyphoon Yolanda struck the country in 2013, ran their personal best times as they led Leyte Sports Academy team to the 4x400 gold in a record-shattering time of 3

minutes, 56.53 seconds.

Cherry Mae Banatao, a carpenter’s daughter from Isabela, cleared 1.66 meters in the secondary girls’ high jump, getting past Maureen Schrijvers’ 1.62-meter feat in 2012.

Her rival Alexie Mae Caimoso of Region 7 took the silver in 1.63, also past Schrijvers’ mark.

Francis Edward Obiena gave NCR another gold in secondary boys’ pole vault, clearing 4.06 meters, some 1 cm above Adel Valdecanas’ 4:05 set in 2010.

In secondary basketball, San Beda-Taytay (Calabarzon) reached the finals after pulling off a 79-68 win over NCR selection over at the

Ibalong Centrum gym.

They will meet Central Luzon in the finals after they turned back Central Visayas, 77-66.

Ninura got off to the fast start and never let go of the lead after the first 400-meters as she held her own against Northern Mindanao’s Jie Ann Calis for the second time.

Last Monday, Ninura clocked 10 minutes and 3.4 seconds to break Calis’ 2015 record of 10:10.16.

“Nu’ng unang lap pa lang, inunahan ko na siya para ‘di na siya makahabol,” said Ninura, who later came up empty-handed in the 800-meter run, with a fifthplace finish.

Resorts World hosts taekwondo qualifier RESORTS World Manila hosts another world-class sporting event as top jins within the region arrive in the country for the 2016 Asian Taekwondo Qualifying Tournament for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

From April 16 to 20, the Marriott Grand Ballroom in RWM will house four prestigious taekwondo events organized by the Philippine Taekwondo Association and sanctioned by the World Taekwondo Federation.

Aside from the Olympic qualifiers, the property will also host the 4th Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships and the 2nd Para-Taekwondo Open Championships on April 18 and the 22nd Asian Taekwondo Championships on April 19 and 20.

Around 200 athletes from 35 Asian countries are expected to participate and vie in four male and female weight categories each in the Asian qualifying event for the right to compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The fighters will be holding training sessions and exhibitions at The Plaza in RWM’s Newport Mall until April 19.

For more information about special events and happenings at Resorts World Manila visit www.rwmanila. com or call the Tourist/Visitor Hot-

line at (632) 908-8833.

RWM is the first one-stop, nonstop entertainment and leisure destination in the Philippines that features recreational thrills, world-class performances, unique events, and exciting lifestyle options.

Conveniently located across Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, RWM is an instant gateway to world-class Philippine hospitality and is home to four lodging brands, (MAXIMS Hotel, MARRIOTT Hotel Manila, REMINGTON Hotel, and BELMONT Hotel), a three-story convention center housing the country’s largest hotel ballroom (Marriott Grand Ballroom), and two more hotels (SHERATON Hotel Manila and HILTON Manila Hotel) currently under construction.

Also home to RWM is NEWPORT Mall which features international luxury brands, state-of-the-art movie theaters at Newport Cinemas, an award-winning, ultra-modern Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT), and a cozy, 24/7 entertainment hub at Bar 360. Dine in one of almost 50 restaurant outlets offering a diverse selection of local and world cuisine, prepared by top Filipino and foreign chefs and paired with a wide selection of the finest wines and popular liquors.

Some of the participants in the 2016 Asian Taekwondo Qualifying Tournament for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games warm up and hold their training sessions at the Resorts World Manila, which is also the venue of the tournament.

Garcia captures back-to-back age-group net titles Bulletin

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Matthew Castillejo Garcia (center) receives his trophy from former national player Roland So. They are joined by Matthew’s mother, Dyan Castillejo, a former national tennis champion and WTA-ranked player.

MATTHEW Castillejo Garcia, son of former longtime national ladies singles’ champion Dyan Castillejo of ABSCBN and husband Antonio Garcia, has won two 14-under national age-group championships recently, beating players who were seeded higher than him without dropping a set.

Garcia used his overpowering ground strokes, with his wicked forehand just skimming the net to win at the hardcourts of the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

In the Henry Lee Memorial National 14-under age group championship, the young Garcia won in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4, against no.

4 seed Miguel Luis Vicencio after beating No. 5 seed Diego Dayrit, 6-3, 6-3 in the semis, third seed Rafael Liangco, 6-1, 6-1, in the quarterfinals and Marlon Avila, 6-1, 6-0,

in the Round of 16.

The tournament ran from March 28 to April 3.

In the Milo Technifibre Tournament which ran from April 4 to 10, Garcia opened up with a 6-0, 6-0 thrashing of Nicolas Katigbak and ousted top seed Sebastien Lhuillier, 6-1, 6-3, followed by a 6-1, 6-3 victory over No. 3 seed Rafael Liangco, 6-1, 6-3.

In the finals, Garcia made short work of No. 4 seed Miguel Luis Vicencio, 6-1, 6-1, to cap a rousing run of success in the 14-under tournament, clearly following in the footsteps of his mother Dyan, who together with her sisters Jackie and Nina were a formidable trio in women’s tennis in the Philippines some years ago. Dyan even qualified for the Asian Games, Wimbledon and the Federation Cup. “He (Matthew) is better than me,” Dyan said.

scribe’s uncle dies

FRANCISCO Suarez Cuasay passed away on Monday morning (April 11) at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. He was the uncle of Manila Bulletin sportswriter Nick Giongco.

His remains lie in state at Arlington Memorial Chapels on Araneta Ave., Quezon City.

Chito left behind Cheryll, Chermaine, Carole, Christine, Charles and JC, Franchesca and Chelin and Chean.

Interment is scheduled tomorrow morning (April 17) at Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig.

S AT U R D AY : A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 4 DIGITS 00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Donaire ready for challenger

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

American John Michael O’Toole plans his approach in the third round of the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship ADT.

O’Toole takes charge, but wild ICTSI golf finish looms CARMONA, Cavite—American John Michael O’Toole held up a bit after a hot 61 at resumption of his second round stint but his three-under 68 proved enough to shove him to the lead as the erstwhile frontrunners tumbled with faltering finishes in the topsyturvy third round of the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship ADT at the Legends course here Friday.

O’Toole birdied the last two holes at the completion of his weather-delayed second round to join fellow American John Jackson, Filipino Mhark Fernando and Thai Pijit Petchkasem at second behind Malaysian Gavin Green. But the winner of ADT’s PGM Clearwater Masters in Malaysian last February took charge at 13-under 200 as Jackson carded a 72 and dropped to joint ninth at 204 and Fernando fumbled with a 73 fell to a share of 12th at 205.

Petchkasem did cling to joint second with a gutsy 69 for a 201, the same output put in by Thai Suradit Yongcharoenchai, who gunned down four birdies at the back for a 66.

But while Fernando failed to sustain a bogey-free stint after 45 holes and dropped out of the Top 10, rookie pro Jobim Carlos took the cudgels for the local bets with a five-under 66 to move up to solo fourth at 202.

“I’m happy with the way I’ve been playing after coach Carito (Villaroman) made some adjustments on my swing after I missed the cut at Luisita,” said Carlos, who shot a 67 and 69 in the first two rounds but only got into the mix with a 33 start. “But I have to be consistent, especially with my chipping and putting to stay in the contention.”

Just two off the pace, Carlos, one of the best players to have come out of the ranks, is very much in the thick of things, so does

Pacquiao must stay retired INSIDE SPORTS RONNIE NATHANIELSZ

ALTHOUGH he dominated Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley in their third fight at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas last Sunday (Manila time), Manny Pacquiao, to us, has clearly had slowed down. His punches, while still strong, lacked the sting of the devastating ones that ripped into Britain’s Ricky Hatton, re-arranged the pretty face of Oscar de la Hoya, battered

Miguel Cotto and mauled Antonio Margarito.

Manny appeared to have lost a fraction of his handspeed and his footwork, and could not keep the pressure up for a full three minutes in each round, like he did against such Mexican greats as Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik “El Terrible” Morales and Chicago’s David Diaz.

Against Bradley, Pacquiao was aggressive in stretches and couldn’t engage “Desert Storm” Bradley in a sustained aggressive mode.

We sincerely believe that unless he is able to wangle a rematch with Floyd May-

weather Jr., who beat him in their May 2 “Fight of the Century,” which was a disappointment after Manny aggravated a rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder which necessitated surgery some five days later, Pacquiao should, as he himself announced, hang up his gloves.

A fight against the unbeaten Mayweather, confident that he could beat Pacquiao again after he watched the Bradley fight, which he claimed was a draw in a ridiculous assessment of the 116-110 result on the scorecards of all three respected judges, may have been a

Keanu Jahns, who rattled off six birdies at the front before slowing down with a bogeybirdie stint at the back.

But his 65 put Jahns in joint fifth at 203 with Poom Saksansin and Donlaphatchai Niyomchon of Thailand, who shot 66 and 67, respectively, and Green, who fended off his pursuers’ attack with a solid 32 at the front but fell back with a closing 40 marred by a double bogey and three bogeys for a 72.

That guarantees a wide, open battle for the top $10,500 purse in the $60,000 event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. with just three strokes separating eight players, three just four back and five more five shots behind, strokes that could be gained or lost at any given time on the bunker-laden layout.

Fernando did just that on the par-4 14th when he dumped his drive into the bunker, hit a wayward shot into the hazard, knocked in his fourth shot into the greenside bunker, reached the green in 5 and two-putted for 7, ending an impressive bogey-free run after 45 holes. ploy to light a fire in terms of interest in a rematch after Floyd himself retired after a win over Andre Berto. Mayweather is one win away from breaking the 49-0 record of former heavyweight champion, the late Rocky Marciano and reigned as pound-for-pound king for sometime and may go for the record.

If Pacquiao ever fights again, it should be Mayweather and nobody else because with his apparently healed shoulder, Manny could carry the fight to Floyd, although with Mayweather’s control over the Las Vegas environment, including the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the bookmakers and the judg-

WORLD Boxing Organization super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and his Hungarian challenger and WBO world No. 4-ranked Zsolt Bedak are scheduled to arrive in Cebu City on Saturday, according to ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer.

Donaire, the five-division world champion, told The Standard he was leaving for Cebu to check out the environment at the sprawling Cebu City Sports Center with the stifling heat being a matter of concern.

In fact, Donaire said oppressive heat is sure to create problems for Bedak, who is flying in from the Hungarian capital of Budapest, where the temperature registered a high of 69-degrees fahrenheit and a low of 51 with sunny skies.

Bedak, the former Olympic boxer, scored an impressive victory over Abner Mares, who later became a world champion, in the first round of the Athens Olympics. He is noted for his sound amateur background, which is reflected in his fighting style built around both hands raised up, a good left jab and overhand right.

Bedak also has the ability to double-hook to the body and side of the head, leading to his nickname “Mr. Left Hook.”

However, the consensus among boxing pundits and fight fans is that Donaire possesses a lethal left hook, which he has demonstrated in several of his dominant victories, with a solid right added to his arsenal.

Donaire has trained rigorously in the sweltering heat of the “Bebot” Elorde Gym in Saint Rita’s Village in Paranaque and said he is “ready to go.”

After winning his first 12 fights, including the WBO European super bantamweight title in 2009 and the WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight title when he knocked out Filipino Ramie Laput (39-3, 19 KOs) in the 7th round, Bedak lost by a 10th-round TKO in a world title fight against Puerto Rico’s Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. in May 2010, after he reportedly broke his jaw in the second round but gamely continued to fight on, until his corner threw in the towel when he began to take a bad beating.

es and referees won’t make it easy.

But the money will be good and if they are able, with some astute promotional hype push the payper-view numbers to even 50 percent of the 4.5 million record breaking buys in their first fight, it may be well worth the effort.

Pacquiao was said to have earned $150 million in the “Fight of the Century,” although Mayweather himself and some of his people don’t believe Pacquiao collected that much and blamed Top Rank promoter for this.

Any plans of fighting unbeaten, young light welterweight champion Terence Crawford, who has a record of 20 knockouts in 28 wins

would be a major risk.

Crawford is young, quick with both hands and on his feet, has power in either hand and is a hungry fighter waiting for the recognition that a Pacquiao fight will bring.

It’s best for Manny to concentrate on his senatorial campaign, where he is rating in the Top 10 in the various surveys, which points to a victory in May. Should that happen, as we hope it will, then Manny must pay full attention to his nationwide constituency, unlike what he didn’t do in his two terms as a congressman from Sarangani province, most especially since he has ambitions of running for president in 2022.

S AT U R DAY : A P R I L 16 , 2 0 16

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Alaska stays in the hunt NLEX import Al Thornton tries to keep possession of the ball against the pesky attempts of Alaska’s Cyrus Baguio, Vic Manuel and Eric Menk in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup game won by the Aces, 104-98.

By Elmer Manuel

ALASKA managed to stay in the hunt for the twice-to-beat incentive after surviving a gritty NLEX side via a 104-98 victory in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday night.

The Aces moved up to a 7-4 record and would be assured of a playoff for the No. 2 spot should Talk N Text beat San Miguel, which is still playing at presstime.

If San Miguel wins, Alaska will be relegated to No. 3 and will have a best-of-three quarterfinals series.

Calvin Abueva provided the needed boost by the Aces at a time when the Road Warriors were rallying from a 20-point deficit.

Abueva capped the night with 23 points and eight rebounds and was later named Best Player of the Game.

Not to be outdone, Sonny Thoss and RJ Jazul stepped up for Alaska’s offense, finishing with 19 and 18 points, respectively.

Alaska import Rob Dozier, on the other hand, managed to chip in 14 points and 13 rebounds in his first game after a long layoff

due to injuries.

“Offensively, we really looked like a team, we moved the ball really well,” said Aces coach Alex Compton. “The first quarter was great.”

“In the second half, we played a little individualistic. We made plays but left particularly stops,” he added.

Asked about Dozier’s situation, Compton said that the import will be ready for whichever team they play in the next round.

“Healthy na siya,” said Compton. “In our game against Meralco, he wasn’t healthy, but I think we will be off to a great quarterfinals stint.”

Alaska actually broke the game wide open in the first period, erecting a 34-14 lead with Abueva taking charge on offense and

Mapua rules beach volley meet MAPUA Institute of Technology students emerged victorious in the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association, handing the Institute its first Men’s Beach Volleyball trophy.

“We are just thankful and happy that after long years of drought, we finally brought home a trophy for Mapúa,” said Paul John Cuzon, one of the team’s players.

Cuzon was also hailed the Most Valuable Player.

Both graduating students taking up Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, the pair of Cuzon and Michael Bagalay said that the training they did pushed

them to work hard.

The two travel to Cavite every morning to play the sport and train in the afternoon at the Ateneo court.

Coach Mario Mia said he really pushed his players to work hard, always reminding them: “Don’t stop until good becomes better and better becomes best.”

“I think the turning point was when we had our do-ordie game with the team from the College of Saint Benilde before we entered the semifinals. The team played excellently during the first and second day of the tournament but played poorly on the third

day,” said Mia. But the team shocked the University of Perpetual Help’s team in the finals and clinched the title of the tournament held in Subic.

It was the last season for Bagalay and Cuzon to play in the NCAA, and the team is now looking for new players.

“Keep learning from every mistake during the game and don’t let pressure get to you,” Bagalay told the players who could replace them.

“Love the sport and work hard for it.”

Beach Volleyball was formally included in the roster of NCAA in 2002.

scoring 14 points in that frame.

But NLEX did not take this sitting down, as Al Thornton and Sean Anthony sparked a 14-0 run in the second period to trim the deficit to six, 45-51, at the break.

The Road Warriors continued their comeback in the third and managed to take a two-point advantage, 53-51, courtesy of Jonas Villanueva’s trey.

A close fight ensued in the payoff period with both teams never letting up both on offense and defense up until Jazul fired backto-back triples to give Alaska a 96-93 lead.

Thornton tied the game at 96all after a trey in the final two minutes, but Abueva was there to neutralize the Road Warriors with a jumper for a 98-96 advan-

tage in the last 1:51 of the game.

After miscues from the imports, Baguio then scored a fastbreak layup to push Alaska’s lead, 100-96, with 21 seconds left.

Jazul stole the ball from NLEX in the next possession and scored an easy fastbreak layup to seal the win.

The scores: Alaska (104)—Abueva 23, Thoss 19, Jazul 18, Dozier 14, Manuel 12, Baguio 7, Banchero 3, Exciminiano 3, Hontiveros 3, Dela Rosa 2, Baclao 0, Dela Cruz 0, Menk 0.

NLEX (98)—Thornton 37, Anthony 24, Taulava 11, Enciso 9, Villanueva J. 7, Lanete 6, Borboran 2, Reyes 2, Alas 0, Arboleda 0, Cardona 0, Khobuntin 0, Villanueva E. 0, Camson 0.

Quarterscores: 34-14, 51-45, 76-74, 104-98.

Mapúa’s winning Men’s Volleyball players (frome left) Samuel Joseph Almalel, Paul John Cuzon, and Philip Michael Bagalay display their trophies.

SATURDAY: APRIL 16, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

All-new Innova. Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. introduces the All New Innova at a ceremonial line-off at its manufacturing plant in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Shown offering a toast during the event are (from left) TMP executive vice president Yohei Murase, TMP senior executive vice president David Go, Toyota Dealers Association president Rene So, Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas, Mitsui & Co.(Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd. Manila Branch general manager Yoshiyuki Hata, Toyota Motor Corp. managing officer and Toyota Motor Asia Pacific-Engineering and Manufacturing president Tatsuro Takami, TMP vice chairman Alfred Ty, Philippine Economic Zone Authority director general Lilia De Lima, TMC executive general manager Hiroyoshi Ninoyu, TMP president Satoru Suzuki, Science Undersecretary Cristina Rowena Guevara and Labor Region IV-A director Ma. Zenaida Campita.

Remittances jump 9% to $2.1b PSe comPoSite index Closing April 15, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,321.30 35.98

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing April 15, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.060

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.060 LOW P46.200 AVERAGE P46.134 VOLUME 649.000M

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

oPriceS il P today

P19.25-P22.75 Diesel

By Julito G. Rada

MONEY sent home by Filipinos working overseas jumped 9.1 percent in February from a year ago, the fastest growth in eight months, despite the oil price slump that displaced hundreds of workers in the Middle East.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said remittances in February reached $2.11 billion, up from $1.935 billion a year ago and $2 billion in January.

This brought cash remittances in the first two months of 2016 to $4.133 billion, a 6.2-percent increase from $3.89 billion in the same period last year.

Data showed cash transfers from both land-based ($3.2 billion) and sea-based ($917 million) workers rose 6.9 percent and 3.7 percent year-on-year, respectively.

The last time cash remittances

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, April 15, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.2560

Japan

Yen

0.009141

0.4228

UK

Pound

1.415300

65.4661

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128932

5.9639

Switzerland

Franc

1.034982

47.8741

Canada

Dollar

0.778392

36.0053

Singapore

Dollar

0.733622

33.9344

Australia

Dollar

0.768800

35.5616

Bahrain

Dinar

2.658019

122.9493

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266745

12.3386

Brunei

Dollar

0.730941

33.8104

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028555

1.3208

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.5949

Euro

Euro

1.126700

52.1166

Korea

Won

0.000867

0.0401

China

Yuan

0.154238

7.1344

India

Rupee

0.015016

0.6946

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.257069

11.8910

New Zealand

Dollar

0.684300

31.6530

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030878

1.4283 Source: PDS Bridge

Cash remittances grew 4.6 percent in 2015 to a record $25.767 billion from $24.628 billion in 2014, surpassing the 4-percent growth projection of Bangko Sentral.

Personal remittances also increased by 4.4 percent last year to $28.483 billion from $27.273 billion in 2014.

Remittances fuel private consumption and serve as a backbone of economic growth.

Bangko Sentral was looking at a four-percent growth in remittances in 2016.

Global debt watcher Moody’s Investors Service earlier said remittances to Asian countries would be affected by the oil price slump in the Middle East this year.

Moody’s, however, said the diversified locations of overseas Filipino workers would ease the impact of the slump in oil prices that hurt mostly Middle East countries.

Luzon on red alert status after tight power supply

By Alena Mae S. Flores

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

grew higher than 9 percent was in June 2015, when the yearon-year increase reached 10.9 percent.

Most cash remittances came from the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and Qatar.

Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, also expanded 9 percent in February to $2.33 billion from $2.14 billion a year earlier, also an eight-month high.

This brought total personal

remittances in the first two months to $4.56 billion, up by 6.1 percent from $4.3 billion a year ago.

“Personal remittances continued to draw strength from the steady rise in transfers from land-based overseas workers with work contracts of one year or more which reached $3.5 billion, as well as compensation of seabased workers and land-based workers with short-term contracts which totaled $1 billion,” Bangko Sentral said.

The steady deployment of overseas workers remained a key driver to the growth of remittance inflows. Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration showed that 31.6 percent of the 160,277 total job orders were intended to fill in demand for service, production, and professional, technical and related workers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.

LUZON was placed on a red alert status Friday afternoon due to a shortage of power supply amid increased demand. No brownouts occurred, however, as some large power users stopped drawing supply from the grid and used their generating sets.

Visayas and Mindanao were also on red alert with reserves at 26 MW and 196 MW below the required levels, respectively yesterday.

Manila Electric Co. issued a warning Friday afternoon of a tentative manual load dropping schedule, which means some parts of its franchise area will experience brownouts.

“Tentative manual load dropping is scheduled starting 1 p.m.

Participants under the interrupt-

ible load program, however, have already been called to start deluding starting 1 p.m. [Friday] to reduce demand,” Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said.

Meralco’s franchise area suffered a deficiency of 30 MW at 1 p.m., 200 MW to 220 MW at 2 p.m. and 160 MW at 3 p.m.

Meralco persuaded large power users to deload, or stop drawing power from the grid, where demand is high in return for a certain level of compensation.

Participants to the program have a total available capacity of over 800 MW. System operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines declared red alert from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Friday due to the generation deficiency.

“Malaya has reduced capability from 350 MW to 130 MW. Pro-

jected demand was high at 9,746 MW versus latest capacity of 9,771 MW. No MLD but Meralco implemented ILP,” Energy Undersecretary Mylene Capongcol said.

Actual demand peaked to 9,455 MW at 1 p.m. Friday against the capacity of 9,771 MW, while operating reserves were 44 MW below the required levels with generation deficiency at 333 MW. Industry data showed Kalayaan hydro power plants units 3 and 4 (180 MW each) were put on emergency shutdown.

The Quezon Power plant with a capacity 289 MW also tripped.

Other power plants that are still out are the Malaya 1 (300 MW), Botocon 2 (10 MW) and Magat units 3 & 4 (95 MW).

The Pagbilao unit 1 power plant with a capacity of 382 MW also went offline but came back online

in the afternoon.

Other power plants were also on limited capability, such as Calaca 1 which dropped to 190 MW from 200 MW and Calaca 2 to 220 MW from 300 MW. Other power plants were on maintenance shutdown but were expected to come back online by end April in preparation for the May elections.

Capongcol said the red alert status was lifted for Luzon at 3 p.m. but yellow alert was still imposed at 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. due to insufficient operating reserves.

Visayas, meanwhile, was forecasted to have a peak demand of 1,784 MW against the available capacity of 1,758 MW. Mindanao’s demand was projected to reach 1,436 MW against an available capacity of only 1,297 MW.

SATURDAY: APRIL 16, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Friday, april 15, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 0.92 2.6 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.74 1.02 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

47 5 1.46 2.36 89 148 20.6 125 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 40.3 32 15.32 62.5 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

79 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 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 1.3 26 2.17

34.1 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 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 0.640 10.02 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3

76 5.29 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

49.55 3 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.48

6.74 0.65 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 0.97

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.33 3.24 46.65 45.15 104.40 103.50 90.00 89.25 39.6 39.5 3.00 3.00 1.55 1.43 14.12 14.12 15.86 15.68 7.52 7.50 0.7 0.7 1.7 1.7 595.00 590.00 0.650 0.620 84.8 83.2 1.04 1 15.00 14.86 25.00 24.50 53.70 53.40 103.7 103.7 271 270.4 32.45 32.15 188.9 183.1 1373.00 1360.00 57.80 57.50 1.6 1.57 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

44.4 44.75 43.5 Agrinurture Inc. 5.09 5.13 4.9 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.9 0.94 0.84 Alsons Cons.

1.4 1.44 1.41 Bogo Medelin 55 62.9 53 C. Azuc De Tarlac 240.00 220.00 220.00 Century Food 19 19.1 18.8 Chemphil 166 178.9 160 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 321 322 304 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 19.14 19.48 19.06 Concepcion 47.05 48 47.05 Crown Asia 2.4 2.42 2.38 Da Vinci Capital 5.85 5.91 5.6 Del Monte 11.3 11.3 11.24 DNL Industries Inc. 9.520 9.420 9.250 Emperador 8.00 8.16 8.07 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.92 5.93 5.88 EEI 7.50 7.63 7.43 Euro-Med Lab 1.84 1.83 1.6 First Gen Corp.

22.5 22.55 21.6 First Holdings ‘A’ 71 71.2 70.3 15.70 14.24 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 15.70 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.80 13.80 13.76 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.8 5.82 5.75 Ionics Inc 2.720 2.860 2.650 Jollibee Foods Corp.

228.80 229.00 227.80 LBC Express 11.06 11.06 10.62 Liberty Flour 34.90 35.00 34.90 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.8 4.13 3.8 Macay Holdings 41.00 39.50 36.05 Manila Water Co. Inc. 26.75 27 26.5 Maxs Group 22.5 23 22.4 Megawide 6.59 6.57 6.51 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 332.00 335.00 329.40 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.83 3.81 3.8 Petron Corporation 11.14 11.10 10.94 Phil H2O 3.25 3.3 3.25 Phinma Corporation 11.56 11.66 11.58 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 4.40 4.45 4.35 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.65 1.65 1.62 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.75 2.88 2.76 RFM Corporation 4.20 4.20 4.15 Roxas and Co. 2.51 2.55 2.5 4.65 4.89 4.51 Roxas Holdings San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 197.2 205 198 SPC Power Corp.

4.12 4.12 4.11 Splash Corporation 2.84 2.89 2.8 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.163 0.168 0.161 TKC Steel Corp.

1.27 1.29 1.21 Trans-Asia Oil 2.90 2.93 2.82 Universal Robina 214 214.6 209 Vitarich Corp.

1.1 1.12 1.03 Vivant Corp.

31.00 32.00 32.00 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.34 1.30 1.28 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.365 0.370 0.360 Aboitiz Equity 64.55 64.50 64.10 Alliance Global Inc. 16.70 16.72 16.42 Anglo Holdings A 1.19 1.19 1.19 Anscor `A’ 6.10 6.19 6.10 ATN Holdings A 0.310 0.320 0.305 ATN Holdings B 0.315 0.315 0.305 Ayala Corp `A’ 780 782 768 Cosco Capital 8.54 8.61 8.27 DMCI Holdings 12.76 12.80 12.64 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.2 5.2 5.02 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

5.34 5.53 5.25 Forum Pacific 0.218 0.218 0.218 GT Capital 1418 1414 1390 House of Inv. 6.50 6.48 6.48 IPM Holdings 9.73 9.75 9.70 JG Summit Holdings 82.30 83.60 82.30 Keppel Holdings `A’ 6.1 6.19 6.19 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.3 7.32 7.1 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.66 0.7 0.66 LT Group 15.92 15.94 15.82 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.14 6.14 5.96 Pacifica `A’ 0.0340 0.0350 0.0330 Prime Media Hldg 1.360 1.390 1.300 Prime Orion 1.930 1.960 1.930 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.75 2.66 2.66 San Miguel Corp `A’ 76.00 75.80 74.45 SM Investments Inc. 965.00 967.00 959.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.20 1.34 1.23 South China Res. Inc. 0.81 0.80 0.80 Top Frontier 180.000 181.000 177.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3250 0.3300 0.3100 Wellex Industries 0.2040 0.2090 0.2000 Zeus Holdings 0.280 0.285 0.285 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.780 7.920 7.790 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.48 1.53 1.44 Arthaland Corp.

0.228 0.241 0.240 Ayala Land `B’ 35.950 35.850 35.300 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.2 3.19 3.13 Cebu Holdings 5.2 5.22 5.2 Century Property 0.560 0.57 0.550 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.000 1.050 0.980

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

Close

SHARES 13,032,211 119,733,062 97,148,411 93,788,162 211,781,869 985,518,164 1,526,051,443

3.36 46 104.20 89.75 39.55 3.00 1.55 14.2 15.78 7.55 0.63 1.79 595.00 0.620 84.9 1.01 14.88 25.00 53.60 103.9 271 32.05 189.3 1370.00 57.55 1.57

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.29 46 103.50 90.00 39.55 3.00 1.50 14.12 15.86 7.50 0.7 1.7 590.00 0.620 84 1.04 15.00 24.50 53.70 103.7 270.4 32.15 183.5 1360.00 57.50 1.6

-2.08 0.00 -0.67 0.28 0.00 0.00 -3.23 -0.56 0.51 -0.66 11.11 -5.03 -0.84 0.00 -1.06 2.97 0.81 -2.00 0.19 -0.19 -0.22 0.31 -3.06 -0.73 -0.09 1.91

238,000 34,900 425,420 1,437,000 396,100 46,000 518,000 8,800 157,200 39,300 12,000 1,000 450 2,819,000 3,905,970 232,000 52,800 5,800 50,950 50 190 190,800 2,344,470 1,130 26,630 87,000

44.35 5 0.88 1.44 59 220.00 19.02 178.9 319.8 19.06 47.5 2.39 5.65 11.24 9.320 8.10 5.92 7.50 1.83 21.6 70.35 14.24 13.76 5.8 2.690 228.20 11.06 35.00 3.96 39.30 27 22.8 6.55 330.00 3.8 11.00 3.3 11.64 4.45 1.62 2.79 4.16 2.5 4.51 202 4.11 2.8 0.167 1.29 2.84 211 1.06 32.00 1.28

-0.11 -1.77 -2.22 2.86 7.27 -8.33 0.11 7.77 -0.37 -0.42 0.96 -0.42 -3.42 -0.53 -2.10 1.25 0.00 0.00 -0.54 -4.00 -0.92 -9.30 -0.29 0.00 -1.10 -0.26 0.00 0.29 4.21 -4.15 0.93 1.33 -0.61 -0.60 -0.78 -1.26 1.54 0.69 1.14 -1.82 1.45 -0.95 -0.40 -3.01 2.43 -0.24 -1.41 2.45 1.57 -2.07 -1.40 -3.64 3.23 -4.48

1,219,400 208,000 3,081,000 4,465,000 770 10 3,981,000 410 1,180 94,500 52,900 646,000 3,099,600 12,700 1,734,300 16,298,000 9,841,400 90,100 16,000 4,044,800 154,720 18,400 33,700 205,700 15,383,000 510,220 6,700 2,900 124,000 3,400 1,137,100 636,100 28,600 48,820 53,000 3,192,500 2,000 43,500 315,000 192,000 144,000 841,000 14,000 10,000 185,660 10,000 592,000 3,710,000 20,000 4,783,000 1,777,040 36,429,000 1,000 191,000

0.365 64.50 16.52 1.19 6.10 0.315 0.305 782 8.31 12.70 5.04 5.52 0.218 1400 6.48 9.75 82.50 6.19 7.32 0.67 15.82 5.99 0.0350 1.350 1.930 2.66 75.35 962.00 1.28 0.80 178.500 0.3150 0.2070 0.285

0.00 -0.08 -1.08 0.00 0.00 1.61 -3.17 0.26 -2.69 -0.47 -3.08 3.37 0.00 -1.27 -0.31 0.21 0.24 1.48 0.27 1.52 -0.63 -2.44 2.94 -0.74 0.00 -3.27 -0.86 -0.31 6.67 -1.23 -0.83 -3.08 1.47 1.79

180,000 759,800 2,061,500 5,000 32,000 540,000 150,000 430,140 2,975,800 12,489,400 48,100 1,355,800 30,000 37,635 9,700 1,443,800 2,389,710 300 5,999,400 356,000 611,100 14,804,400 32,000,000 39,000 281,000 38,000 82,230 124,140 6,777,000 100,000 12,950 9,060,000 1,050,000 30,000

7.880 1.47 0.241 35.500 3.14 5.2 0.560 1.000

1.29 -0.68 5.70 -1.25 -1.88 0.00 0.00 0.00

183,000 9,240,000 170,000 16,247,000 932,000 80,000 2,775,000 165,000

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

High

Close

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 3.1 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

Crown Equities Inc. 0.128 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.540 Double Dragon 37.9 Empire East Land 0.850 Global-Estate 1.10 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.89 Keppel Properties 4.67 Megaworld 4.13 MRC Allied Ind. 0.094 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2650 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.540 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 27.05 Primex Corp.

8.57 Robinson’s Land `B’ 29.20 Rockwell 1.61 Shang Properties Inc. 3.15 SM Prime Holdings 22.85 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.88 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.160 Vista Land & Lifescapes 4.850

0.127 0.540 37.5 0.860 1.10 1.88 4.67 4.02 0.091 0.2650 0.510 27.05 8.6 29.00 1.58 3.15 22.85 0.89 1.140 4.810

-0.78 0.00 -1.06 1.18 0.00 -0.53 0.00 -2.66 -3.19 0.00 -5.56 0.00 0.35 -0.68 -1.86 0.00 0.00 1.14 -1.72 -0.82

760,000 973,000 572,600 299,000 5,255,000 13,398,000 7,000 25,397,000 2,050,000 400,000 445,000 2,300 101,000 1,518,300 268,000 55,000 3,753,400 1,068,000 5,351,000 2,314,000

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 28.5 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 3.2 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 18.2 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 1.95 3.1 0.650 1.8 6

0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 14.54 3 8.8 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. Berjaya Phils. 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 Macroasia Corp.

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp.

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

7.3 59.4 1.28 0.600 11.3 28.45 4.70 0.0640 3.12 90.7 9.7 1.7 7.00 2.92 1000 2154 7.24 24.05 1.20 68 16.48 11.3 0.0110 0.295 1.5900 2.29 7.69 3.91 2.83 23.00 0.590 2 2.57 4.10 0.280 2.460 17.5 4.99 8.75 111.00 22.00 1896.00 0.450 0.870 40.05 78.00 6.59 3.69 0.620 1.93 3.64 0.330 4.900

-0.95 0.51 -1.54 0.00 1.62 -0.18 -1.26 -1.54 0.97 -0.38 0.00 -1.16 0.43 -4.26 0.00 1.99 0.00 -14.11 -2.44 0.00 -0.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.58 -0.43 1.05 0.00 1.07 0.00 -1.67 0.00 -3.38 -0.97 -3.45 11.82 0.00 -0.20 2.22 0.91 0.00 0.00 -5.26 -1.14 -2.32 -1.39 -2.37 -5.38 0.00 6.63 -1.09 -1.49 -4.11

69,000 242,580 1,000 134,000 800 100 2,775,000 17,540,000 466,000 185,560 12,600 34,000 119,600 2,000 495 34,475 184,700 400 837,000 198,140 24,100 9,200 500,000 12,440,000 4,710,000 30,000 20,000 66,000 1,000 400 234,000 92,000 9,840,000 1,337,000 410,000 90,332,000 797,900 287,600 20,000 4,480 56,700 128,895 8,350,000 24,649,000 4,409,000 8,604,320 1,276,900 12,024,000 6,656,000 1,000 619,000 220,000 97,900

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

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

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

Benguet Corp `A’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia 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’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

TA Petroleum

0.0042 2.16 4.22 0.260 8.7900 8.6000 0.77 0.570 0.880 0.290 0.260 0.265 0.0120 0.0120 2.17 5.15 2.49 0.5600 1.2700 0.0099 0.0099 3.85 5.40 2.40 0.0120 127.00 3.58

-4.55 -0.92 -0.94 4.00 17.99 10.26 2.67 -1.72 -1.12 -3.33 0.00 -7.02 0.00 -7.69 -0.46 -2.46 -1.19 -3.45 -2.31 1.02 -1.00 -1.28 -1.82 -4.00 -7.69 -0.31 19.33

822,000,000 97,000 -33,100.00 188,000 -194,920.00 2,060,000 75,900 37,300 12,045.00 2,616,000 -47,100.00 1,997,000 238,830.00 11,859,000 661,360.00 990,000 14,690,000 97,440,000 834,150.00 1,000,000 3,200,000 389,000 2,795,600 -5,588,622.00 29,000 237,000 55,000.00 47,000 13,970.00 5,000,000 800,000 11,000 356,700 -341,049.00 3,087,000 2,400.00 43,000,000 51,800.00 380,540 -32,181,068.00 9,142,000 191,570.00

70 553 120 515 8.21 12.28 111 78.95 84.8

33 490 101.5 480 5.88 6.5 101 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I

59.95 518 117.1 520 7.07 1.08 110.8 77.5 80 77 75.6 76.95 75 75

-0.08 -1.33 0.09 0.00 -0.14 -1.82 0.73 0.00 0.00 1.99 -0.53 0.39 0.00 0.00

433,790 4,200 42,500 11,000 53,000 100,000 100 10,180 437,610 500 30,000 11,160 250,790 98,810

1,180,958.00 -1,500,930.00

6.98

3.360

-0.59

93,000

483,905.00 407,380.00

15 12.88

0.8900 LR Warrant SME Alterra Capital 3.5 Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas 5.95 Xurpas

2.23 1.60 0.31 -2.83

93,000 140,000 305,000 4,507,800

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

4.04 4.26 3.99 4.13 3.75 3.85 3.75 3.81 3.24 3.4 3.21 3.25 19.8 20 19.2 19.24 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 120.7 120.7 119.7 120.2

-0.41

3,350

82,500.00 -82,560.00 -36,066,600.50 -150,000.00 -1,691,016.50 1,338,350 -132,304,962.00 437,450.00 5,750.00 47,929,705.00 101,000.00 853,100.00 11,882,454.00

-2,328,750 -1,584,790.00 5,620.00 -9,895,576.00 -100,145,266.00 13,693,914.00 -342,106.00 -15,328,840.00 -6,964,443.50 -457,760.00 -674,560.00 -2,747,680.00 -40,973,898.00

39,200.00 14,257,965.00 -38,990.00 -16,393.00 -4,193,384.00 167,200.00 -6,115,092.00

818,080.00 3,969,310.00

188,800.00 -127,936,312.00 -11,263,250.00 32,000.00

28,308,236.50 -224,469,502.00

28,795,275.00 -2,747,360.00 -104,689,244.00

3,364,935.00 94,675,675.50 -1,777,739.00 616,752.00 4,815,270.00

-1,403,305.00 443,305.00 166,480.00

-830,580.00

0.128 0.127 0.550 0.530 38 37.4 0.860 0.850 1.13 1.09 1.90 1.84 4.67 4.67 4.14 3.99 0.093 0.089 0.2800 0.2450 0.520 0.500 31.20 27.05 8.7 8.6 29.40 28.75 1.63 1.57 3.15 3.09 23.00 22.40 0.89 0.87 1.180 1.140 4.850 4.800 SERVICES 7.37 7.41 7.26 59.1 59.5 59.1 1.3 1.28 1.28 0.600 0.600 0.600 11.12 11.3 11.3 28.5 28.45 28.45 4.76 4.80 4.68 0.0650 0.0640 0.0630 3.09 3.12 3.06 91.05 91.05 90.5 9.7 9.8 9.7 1.72 1.8 1.7 6.97 7.00 6.90 3.05 2.92 2.92 1000 1000 1000 2112 2166 2112 7.24 7.26 7.21 28.00 24.05 24.05 1.23 1.23 1.19 68 68.2 66.8 16.50 17.30 16.10 11.3 11.3 11.3 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 0.295 0.300 0.290 1.5500 1.6300 1.5200 2.3 2.3 2.22 7.61 7.69 7.69 3.91 3.91 3.85 2.80 2.83 2.83 23.00 23.00 23.00 0.600 0.610 0.590 2 2 1.99 2.66 2.7 2.52 4.14 4.16 4.07 0.290 0.280 0.280 2.200 2.530 2.190 17.5 17.5 17.38 5.00 5.00 4.91 8.56 8.75 8.75 110.00 111.00 110.80 22.00 22.00 21.90 1896.00 1900.00 1856.00 0.475 0.475 0.450 0.880 0.880 0.850 41.00 41.15 40.05 79.10 79.20 77.50 6.75 6.90 6.58 3.90 3.90 3.68 0.620 0.630 0.620 1.81 1.93 1.93 3.68 3.66 3.63 0.335 0.330 0.325 5.110 5.250 4.880 MINING & OIL 0.0044 0.0044 0.0042 2.18 2.23 2.10 4.26 4.30 4.21 0.250 0.260 0.250 7.4500 8.8 7.3 7.8000 8.8000 7.4000 0.75 0.8 0.75 0.580 0.590 0.570 0.890 0.910 0.870 0.300 0.310 0.290 0.260 0.260 0.255 0.285 0.290 0.250 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 2.18 2.24 2.17 5.28 5.32 5.06 2.52 2.57 2.49 0.5800 0.5600 0.5500 1.3000 1.2800 1.2700 0.0098 0.0099 0.0099 0.0100 0.0990 0.0099 3.90 3.90 3.85 5.50 5.54 5.26 2.50 2.50 2.38 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 127.40 127.50 126.90 3 3.71 3.09 PREFERRED 60 60 59.9 525 525 517 117 117.1 117.1 520 520 520 7.08 7.07 7.07 1.1 1.08 1.08 110 110.8 110.8 77.5 77.5 77 80 80 79.4 75.5 77 77 76 75.7 75.6 76.65 76.95 76.95 75 75.05 75 75 75.05 75 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.380 3.370 3.340

%

0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

-113,450.00 774,090.00 -2,079,099 17,643,839.50 743,100.00

T op g ainerS VALUE 971,559,854.00 1,207,478,427.174 1,225,623,976.32 902,410,392.04 1,633,316,647.35 154,167,887.829 6,184,617,248.11

Low

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,638.86 (down) 13.44 INDUSTRIAL 11,869.01 (down) 83.82 HOLDING FIRMS 7,225.84 (down) 29.53 PROPERTY 3,011.15 (down) 25.42 SERVICES 1,547.72 (down) 2.48 MINING & OIL 10,704.31 (down) 143.37 PSEI 7,321.30 (down) 35.98 All Shares Index 4,314.67 (down) 20.78 Gainers: 68; Losers: 128; Unchanged: 46; Total: 242

-9,122,790.00 -146,630.00 -6,545,000.00 -40,826,110.00

17,551,375.00 39,790.00 24,155,155.00 176,000.00 57,500.00 -191,150.00

2,801,730.00 -3,609,497.00

44,176,200.00

4,810,673.50

75,500.00 -61,100.00 38,450.00

-4,280,940.00 -110,090.00 11,732,250.00

458,430.00 -75,850,820.00 219,850.00 -968,650.00 38,977,595.00 20,247,211.00 -3,633,960.00 63,630.00 -301,090.00

6,226,687.00 -1,312,500.00 -3,747,200.00 -2,080,000.00 77,770.00

-206,440.00

-66,800.00 112,348.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

TA Petroleum

3.58

19.33

Grand Plaza Hotel

24.05

Benguet Corp `A'

8.7900

17.99

Ginebra San Miguel Inc.

14.24

-14.11 -9.30

NOW Corp.

2.460

11.82

C. Azuc De Tarlac

220.00

-8.33

First Abacus

0.7

11.11

Manila Mining `B'

0.0120

-7.69

Benguet Corp `B'

8.6000

10.26

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.0120

-7.69

Chemphil

178.9

7.77

Lepanto `B'

0.265

-7.02

Bogo Medelin

59

7.27

Phil. Realty `A'

0.510

-5.56

Solid Group Inc.

1.28

6.67

SSI Group

3.69

-5.38

Transpacific Broadcast

1.93

6.63

PremiereHorizon

0.450

-5.26

Arthaland Corp.

0.241

5.70

I-Remit Inc.

1.7

-5.03

SATURDAY: APRIL 16, 2016

B3

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

Stocks retreat; Now, BPI advance

STOCKS fell Friday to end a six-day rally, as investors took profit after China released data showing the world’s number-two economy grew at its slowest rate in seven years in the first quarter.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, lost 35 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 7,321.30 Friday. The bellwether was still up 5.3 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also retreated 20 points, or 0.5 percent, to settle at 4,314.67, on a value turnover of P6.2 billion.

Losers outnumbered gainers, 128 to 68, while 46 issues were unchanged.

Five of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by technology company Now Corp., which jumped 11.8 percent to P2.46. Liquor company Emperador Inc. rose 1.3 percent to P8.10.

Bank of the Philippine Islands gained 0.3 percent to P90, while Ayala Corp. went up 0.3 percent to P782. JG Summit Holdings Inc., the investment company of tycoon John Gokongwei, added 0.2 percent to P82.50.

Meanwhile, Japanese investors turned cautious as they assessed the impact of a powerful 6.5-magnitude earthquake that struck the country overnight, killing least nine people and forcing the closure of the factories of several major manufacturers.

Shares around the world have piled higher this week as a string of upbeat data from China and a surge in oil prices fueled hopes for the global economy.

But investors decided to take their cash off the table Friday, sending most markets lower.

Hong Kong lost 0.2 percent in late trade and Shanghai ended down 0.1 percent while Seoul was 0.1 percent lower. But Sydney added 0.8 percent.

Tokyo gave up 0.4 percent, with big-name firms including Sony and Honda among the key losers. Sony dived 3.2 percent and Honda one percent.

With Bloomberg, AFP

AIA summit. Forty three managers from Philippine American Life and General Insurance Company join AIA Premier Leaders’ Summit 2016 organized by the AIA Group in Bangkok. The event gathered the best agency leaders of AIA from all over Asia. The Philam Life managers became self-made millionaires through hard work and perserverance in building a successful team of expert financial advisors.

Ayala eyes P50-b net profit by 2020

By Jenniffer B. Austria

AYALA Corp., one of the country’s largest and oldest conglomerates, said Friday it expects net income to double to P50 billion by 2020, as it seeks new businesses in automotive and manufacturing while strengthening the energy and infrastructure investments.

Ayala Corp. chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said during the annual stockholders’ meeting the conglomerate forged a joint venture partnership with European motorcycle producer KTM AG to manufacture motorcycles for the Philippines and for export to China and Southeast Asia.

“This partnership is the first of many investments as we ramp up our manufacturing portfolio. Over the years, we have built a long track record of excellence in manufacturing and engineering. We believe manufacturing

should be a critical component for the country’s growth moving forward, providing thousands of jobs, creating ancillary business opportunities and helping five inclusive growth for the Philippines,” Zobel de Ayala said.

Under the plan, the joint venture partners will build a manufacturing facility in Laguna with a capacity of 20,000 units, of which 70 percent will be for export to China while the remaining 30 percent will be for the domestic market.

“We are delighted to have found a strong and capable Asian partner in Ayala Corp, one of the leading conglomerates in the Philippines—a country we view as a key platform, for achieving out global growth strategy,” KTM chief executive Stefan Pierer said in a statement.

“Ayala’s capabilities in manufacturing, distributorship and dealership as well as its regional expertise and excellent reputation make them the ideal strategic partner for our Ready to Race aspirations. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship and plan to rapidly grow KTM and its brands across Asia,” Pierer said.

Aside from production and distribution of

motorcyles, the partnership between KTM and Ayala also involves co-development of the next-generation motorcycles for the world market.

The 65:35 joint venture partner in favor of Ayala Corp. will have an initial capitalization of $2 million, while at least P500 million will be invested to build the manufacturing plant.

The conglomerate said the venture into motorcycle manufacturing was a part an overall plan to eventually go into automotive manufacturing.

Aside from venturing into automotive and manufacturing businesses, Zobel de Ayala said the group under a newly drafted five-year plan aimed to achieve the P50-billion net income target by expanding the earnings contribution of other businesses outside four largest units, namely Ayala Land, Globe Telecom, Bank of the Philippine Islands and Manila Water Co. Inc., to 20 percent from four percent at present.

It also aims to expand the group’s presence in Southeast to 10 percent of equity earnings by 2020.

Ayala Corp. aims to improve shareholder return on common equity to 15 percent.

GMA Network’s net income jumped 111% to P2.13b in 2015

By Darwin G. Amojelar GMA Network Inc. said Friday net income in 2015 jumped 111 percent from a year ago, on the back of higher advertising revenues.

The broadcast company said net income reached P2.13 billion last year, up from P1.01 billion recorded in 2014, as consolidated revenues increased 15 percent ito P13.73 billion from P11.98 billion.

The network attributed the increase in net profit to the sustained growth in airtime rev-

enues, particularly regular advertisements, which reached P12.38 billion or 16 percent higher than in 2014.

GMA Network said without the impact of political advocacies, airtime revenues would still be ahead by 12 percent.

Top-rating GMA Channel 7 accounted for majority of the increase in airtime revenues, with a 16-percent improvement over 2014.

The group’s radio business also posted a year-on-year increase of 15 percent, while GMA News TV climbed 24 percent, representing

the highest sales in the history of the leading news channel.

Other revenue streams were production and subsidiaries operations, which recorded a 3 percent improvement with wholly-owned subsidiaries GMA New Media Inc., which manages and operates the Network’s Internet play and GMA Worldwide Inc., which syndicates Kapuso programs to the international market, partly accounting for the increase.

“Our financial performance in 2015 was a result of multiple factors but mostly from our reclaimed lead in nationwide rat-

ings and continued dominance in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila,” GMA Network chairman and chief executive Felipe Gozon said.

GMA said it prevailed over rival networks in National Urban Television Audience Measurement with 35.4 percent household shares versus ABS-CBN’s 34.9 percent and TV5’s 9.2 percent based on official data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

“We are determined to replicate, if not surpass, what we were able to achieve last year this 2016, as we remain committed to strengthening our core business

and other new and emerging ventures,” Gozon said.

The company’s total operating expenses rose 2 percent to P10.75 billion, mainly on higher production cost. Backed by the continued success of GMA’s online platforms as well as recent tie-ups with major over-the-top operators iFlix and HOOQ, NMI ended 2015 with a 50-percent increase in total advertising revenues over 2014.

GWI, on the other hand, exceeded 2014’s sales by 34 percent as it sold 4,003 program hours in various countries across the Asia Pacific region.

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

IN BRIEF Mactan bridge deal CEBU CITY—The tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. on Friday signed a joint venture agreement with the Cebu government that will pave the way for the construction of a P27.9-billion third bridge between Mactan Island and mainland Cebu.

“After we signed the joint venture agreement, we will enter a toll concession agreement with the government of Cebu.

The concession period would be 35 years, including the construction period,” Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco told reporters.

The company has to secure approvals from the Philippine Reclamation Authority and Toll Regulatory Board before signing the concession agreement.

Franco expects to secure approvals from TRB and PRA before the end of the year.

He said the company planned to start the construction of the Cebu-Codova Bridge in the second half of next year and complete it by 2020.

“It’s a good project, we expect vehicle traffic to ramp up very quickly,” Franco said. Darwin G. Amojelar

AGI, Lopez profits up CONGLOMERATE Alliance Global Group Inc. and Lopez Holdings Inc. reported higher profits in 2015 from a year ago levels, driven by strong performance of core units.

Alliance Global, the listed holding company of business tycoon Andrew Tan, said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the company booked an all-time high net income of P21.6 billion in 2015 on a recurring basis, up 3.5 percent from 2015.

The company, which is engaged in property development, food and beverage manufacture and distribution, quick-service restaurants and integrated tourism development businesses, posted record consolidated revenues of P139 billion, up 11 percent.

Lopez Holdings Corp., meanwhile, said net income in 2015 jumped 65 percent to P6.2 billion from P3.76 billion a year ago on robust financial performance of units First Philippine Holdings Corp. and ABSCBN Corp.

Consolidated revenues declined by three percent to P96.5 billion.

First Philippine Holdings reported a recurring net income of P5.2 billion, up 11 percent on the strength of its power generation, manufacturing and geothermal well drilling businesses.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Another toll road company sues govt

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CEBU CITY—Another tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. sued the government for failure to increase toll at the Manila-Cavite Expressway since January 2012.

“The notice has been sent to the government. We are just awaiting for the reply,” Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. president Rodrigo Franco told reporters here.

Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. on April 15, issued a notice of arbitration and statement of claim to the government through the Toll Regulatory Board.

Ity said the filing of the arbitration was consistent with the dispute resolution procedures under the existing toll operation agreement to obtain compensation in the amount of P877 million as of March 27 this year for TRB’s inaction on lawful toll rate ad-

justments, which were due 1 January 2012, 1 January 2014, and 1 January 2015.

“Despite compliance with applicable legal requirements and submission of proper petitions, and even after acceding to TRB’s requests to extend the amicable settlement period by more than 90 days, CIC has not received any feasible settlement offer from the TRB,” parent Metro Pacific Investments Corp. said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

CIC said it was compelled to deliver the notice of arbitration to preserve its rights under the TOA. “We have not filed yet the arbitration case in New York, but it’s already the start of the arbitration process,” Franco said.

CIC has nominated former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura as one of the members of the arbitration panel while the government will also nominate one. The two members will nominate the third member.

Manila North Tollways Corp., the operator of North Luzon Expressways, on April 4 issued a notice of arbitration and statement of claim to the government through the TRB,

consistent with the dispute resolution procedures under the existing supplemental toll operation aqgreement.

The company plans to file the arbitration case in Geneva.

The operator of NLEX was seeking for a P3-billion compensation claim as of last year for the TRB’s inaction on lawful toll adjustments, which were due since January 1, 2013.

MNTC filed a petition with TRB in September 2014 for the bi-annual toll adjustment that was supposed to start on Jan. 1, 2015, as stipulated under its concession.

The new petition is on top of the one the company filed in 2012 for a toll increase scheduled in January 2013. This would bring the cumulative toll adjustment to 15 percent, of which 12 percent was long overdue.

Tolls at NLEx from Mindanao Avenue to Sta. Ines currently amount to P218 for Class 1 vehicles (cars, jeepneys, pickup trucks and vans), P544 for Class 2 vehicles (two-axle trucks, buses and vans) and P652 for Class 3 vehicles (trucks and trailers with three or more axles).

EastWest bullish EASTWEST Banking Corp., the banking unit of the Fiilinvest Group, will strengthen its asset base from the current P250 billion to P500 billion in the next couple of years to increase earnings.

Bank president and chief executive Antonio Moncupa Jr. said during the annual stockholders’ meeting Friday in Alabang the bank would focus on improving its productivity. He also said EastWest would slow down on its expansion program this year to focus on is core businesses.

“This year we will put up around 10 branches, mostly in Metro Manila, including the restricted areas. But in 2017 and 2018, we will resume our aggressive store expansion program,” Moncupa said. The bank ended 2015 with a total branch network of 433, the fifth largest in the industry.

Moncupa said the current network size of the bank would make it compete fairly with other big universal and commercial banks. Julito G. Rada

Bloomberry loss BLOOMBERRY Resorts Corp., operator of $1.2-billion Solaire and Resort Casino, returned in the red in 2015 after registering a net loss of P3.37 billion from a P4.07-billion net profit in 2014 as expenses grew faster than revenues.

Bloomberry said in a disclosure to the stock exchange revenues rose seven percent to P34.35 billion from P32.11 billion in the previous year.

Expenses, however, climbed 51 percent to P26.66 billion from P17.64 billion in 2014 as the company set aside from large provisions for bad debt, the first-time consolidation of its Korean operations and the full-year impact of the additional costs associated with start-up operations of the Sky Tower in Solaire.

“During the year in review, we accomplished much, refurbishment and subsequent re-opening of our first overseas property and the start-up of our first Philippine expansion, the Sky Tower. These projects may have taken a toll on earnings, but were nevertheless essential to ensure continued growth for the company,” Bloomberry chairman and chief executive Enrique Razon Jr. said.

Jenniffer B. Austria

ICT awards. Globe Business, the enterprise information and communication technology unit of Globe Telecom Inc., presents the Best Employer

of the Year award to Sutherland Global Services Philippines at the recent 10th International ICT Awards. Giving the award to Sutherland is Globe senior advisor for enterprise and IT-enabled services group Mike Frausing (rightmost), with Miss Earth 2015 Angelia Ong (second from right) gracing the occasion. The awards saw more than a hundred nominations with three hundred C-level representatives from the IT-BPM Industry in attendance.

Police arrest another suspect selling fake cigarettes POLICE tracking down shady people selling smuggled and fake cigarettes arrested a third suspect at a public market in Guiginto, Bulacan, not far from where two other preys were captured earlier by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation.

The PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Bulacan, under Police Chief Insp.

Patrick Ramillano, held Eva Bulante after she was caught redhanded selling fake Mighty Corp. products at Sta. Rita Public Market in Guiguinto.

Bulante was charged with violating Section 155 in relation to Section 170 of Republic Act 8293, also known as the Intellectual Property

Code of the Philippines, following a criminal complaint filed by an MC representative.

CIDG chief, Police Director Victor Deona, said fake tobacco products posed a serious threat to consumers and the economy because they were not tax-paid.

“This is why they are being sold very cheap,” Deona said, warning against the sale and distribution of contraband “because we are ready to charge them and throw them in jail.”

The CIDG chief said aside from the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, those caught could also be help for violating Republic Act 7394, or the Consumer Protection Act, and the National Internal

Revenue Code, whose penalties range from one year to 12 years imprisonment and fines of up to P200,000, or both.

Earlier, NBI agents collared Guillermo Ediesca and Jonathan Jimenez while selling counterfeit Mighty Full Flavor and Menthol 100’s soft pack variants at a sarisari store in Bocaue, Bulacan on a complaint filed by MC, the Filipino-owned cigarette manufacturer.

Among the discrepancies confirmed by Mighty were the cigarette quality and the print packaging such as misspelling of the word “Manufactured” to “Manufacture” and the absence of an obscure manufacturing code on the packs, among others.

Demonstrating its commitment to curb the proliferation of illicit cigarettes in the country, MC destroyed cartons of seized fake and untaxed cigarettes.

Mighty representatives along with officials of the PNP, Bureau of Customs, NBI and the Bureau of Internal Revenue witnessed the swift destruction of the bogus products, including more than 4,000 sticks of fake Mighty brands.

The counterfeit cigarettes were part of a large cache of bogus products seized last month by authorities inside a warehouse in Sta. Cruz, Manila, following the nationwide campaign, initiated by MC, BoC, NBI, PNP and the BIR.

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD Search starts for survivors MASHIKI, Japan—Rescuers were scrambling to find survivors Friday after a powerful earthquake hit southern Japan that left at least nine people dead and hundreds injured, sparking fires and buckling roads.

Erdogan wraps up Istanbul summit ISTANBUL—Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on Friday wrapping up a twoday summit of leaders from the world’s Muslim countries aimed at narrowing bitter sectarian divisions over crises including the Syria and Yemen conflicts.

Leaders at the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul include King Salman of Sunni power Saudi Arabia and President Hassan Rouhani of Shiite Iran whose countries are pitted on opposing sides in Syria and Yemen.

But with Turkey seeing the summit as a chance to shore up its prestige in the Islamic world, Erdogan has made it his mission at the meeting to bring the world’s 1.7 billion Muslims closer together.

He reaffirmed his call for unity at an official dinner late Thursday in the Dolmabahce Palace by the Bosphorus, where the late Ottoman Sultans ruled a decaying empire of Muslim lands that once stretched from from the Balkans to Arabia.

“At this summit, our biggest expectation is for Islamic countries throughout the world to give a message of unity and togetherness to all Muslims,” Erdogan told leaders beneath the dome of the vast Muayede Salon, the ceremonial hall where the Sultan would receive visitors.

“Our aim is to give the whole Islamic family hope in the future. God willing, with this summit, a new era will begin for all of us.” AFP

Convention. Actress Kristen Bell accepts the Female Star of the Year Award during the

CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theater Owners, in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

Tens of thousands of people fled their homes after the 6.5-magnitude quake struck the southwestern island of Kyushu on Thursday night, leaving lumps of broken concrete strewn in the streets.

Houses collapsed, factories stopped work and a high-speed train was de-railed, while the roof of the treasured Kumamoto castle in the southern city of the same name was also damaged.

“The house shook up and down,” said Nobuyuki Morita, 67, a resident of the worst hit town of Mashiki in Kumamoto prefecture, adding that he was watching TV at home when the quake struck.

“I was really surprised,” he said. “I had never experienced such a big quake since I was born.”

He and his wife spent the night in their car as the roof of their house had collapsed and furniture toppled over.

Dozens of aftershocks followed the quake, which hit about 9:26 pm (1226 GMT) on Thursday evening, and officials warned the death toll could rise as rescuers scoured the collapsed structures.

As rescue workers toiled through the night, an eight-month-old baby girl was pulled from the rubble alive and unharmed, NHK reported.

“As far as we can tell from infrared images from a police helicopter, there appears to be a significant number of houses destroyed or half-collapsed,” said disaster minister Taro Kono.

“There are fears the number of injured could rise.”

Rescuers are concentrating their searches in Mashiki, near the epicentre of the quake where the most deaths have been recorded.

On the streets, the remains of collapsed Japanesestyle houses many of then aged wooden structures could be seen, and damaged roof tiles lay in piles.

A rescue team with several search dogs patrolled around half-collapsed houses in the town.

But no new deaths have been announced for more than eight hours, suggesting that many among the thousands forced to flee their collapsed or unstable homes may have escaped alive.

Scores of people spent the night huddled in front of Mashiki’s town hall, some in tears, while others wrapped themselves in blankets to ward off the nighttime chill.

“I’m so scared of the aftershocks that I cannot sleep,” 94-year-old Tomiko Takahashi told Jiji Press.

Rousseff’s impeachment gathers pace BRASILIA—Brazil’s Supreme Court on Friday rejected a lastditch attempt by President Dilma Rousseff to halt the impeachment process against her, clearing the way for a key vote in Congress.

Justices refused a request for an injunction against proceedings that the government lawyer called “Kafkaesque” and said amounted to denying Rousseff the opportunity to defend herself against allegations of illegally fudging government budget numbers to boost her re-election chances in 2014.

The 7-3 ruling in an emergency Supreme Court session that began

late Thursday and went well past midnight in the capital Brasilia paved the way for Sunday’s vote by the lower house of Congress, which is due to decide whether to send Rousseff to an impeachment trial.

In an atmosphere of maximum drama and tension in Latin America’s largest country and economy, debate in the lower house begins later Friday leading up to the vote on Sunday.

Latest counts of voting intentions in the lower house by major Brazilian newspapers show the pro-impeachment camp either at, or on the verge of, the necessary two-thirds majority.

If the vote passes on Sunday, the Senate will have authority to open a trial against Rousseff. If the Senate finds her guilty with another two-thirds vote, she would be forced from office.

The 68-year-old leftist leader’s grip on power is fast slipping, leaving Brazil in crisis at a time of a major recession and less than four months before Rio de Janeiro hosts the Olympics.

Rousseff has been desperately trying to assemble enough support in the lower house to prevent the opposition amassing the 342 out of a total 513 votes they need to move the impeachment forward. AFP

Launching. Jade Jagger and guests attend the launch of Jade Jagger’s new fine jewelry collection at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, California. AFP

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Greece, Macedonia fight over migrants ATHENS—Scenes of desperate migrants being teargassed at the Greece-Macedonia border are straining an already testy relationship between the two neighbors, as Skopje also grapples with a political crisis that has seen protesters ransack the president’s office.

With thousands of people camped out on the Greek side of the border in squalid conditions, the two countries have traded increasingly undiplomatic protests, with Greece accusing non-EU Macedonia of unacceptable tactics in its use of tear gas—and rubber bullets according to doctors on the scene—and Macedonia accusing Greece of inaction.

The violent scenes unfolded at the flash point Idomeni border crossing last week as hundreds of migrants tried to break through a

fence following a rumor the crossing was about to be re-opened.

Skopje last month closed its border with EU encouragement, after a succession of EU states voiced alarm at the mounting flow of Syrians, Iraqis, Afghans and other people fleeing war and poverty.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Macedonia had “shamed” Europe by its actions while President Prokopis Pavlopoulos went a step further, arguing such “incomprehensible” behavior showed Macedonia had “no

place” in the EU or Nato.

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov shot back that it was Greece’s job to prevent migrant incursions on its soil, a task he said Athens has repeatedly failed to live up to.

The war of words is just the latest in a long and troubled history between the two neighbors.

Greece and Macedonia have been at loggerheads over the right to the name Macedonia since the early 1990s.

When the former Yugoslav republic proclaimed independence in 1991, it took the name Republic of Macedonia, the same name as a northern Greek province.

Athens worries it could imply a claim on its territory, and the Greeks also accuse Skopje of trying to usurp the heritage of the ancient Macedonians and stake a claim to

Alexander the Great, one of antiquity’s greatest warriors.

Ioannis Armakolas, an assistant professor of comparative politics at the university of Macedonia in northern Greece, says EU aspirant Macedonia will have been happy with its handling of the border situation.

“For [Skopje] specifically, the handling of the crisis was a success and an upgrade of its role, because it became indispensable for the resolution of this crucial European security problem,” Armakolas said.

But with Britain’s Brexit vote looming, the ongoing refugee crisis and economic malaise leaving weaker EU members with record unemployment and austerity, Armakolas argues that it is unlikely to translate into tangible advances for Macedo-

nia’s EU membership hopes.

“The EU is in such a deep crisis that it’s totally unrealistic to expect any new noteworthy attempts to promote enlargement issues,” he said.

Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership since 2005 but accession talks have yet to open and a prolonged political crisis has not improved its chances.

Another source of discord between the two neighbors is Macedonia’s Nato ambitions.

Macedonia’s application to join NATO was blocked in 2008 by Greece as part of the name row.

The country’s current political crisis would be “a cheap excuse” for Greece to continue blocking both Macedonia’s EU and Nato aspirations, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki told AFP. Protesters rampaged through President Ivanov’s office on Wednesday and set fire to the furniture after he blocked legal proceedings against top politicians involved in a wire-tapping scandal.

Twelve people were arrested and a journalist was injured in clashes with riot police.

For all the difficulties, however, Poposki still believes Macedonia will advance its cause by its handling of the migrant crisis. AFP

More Western art in tycoon’s shopping list

Two-day visit. Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, walk up a trail leading to a Buddhist monastery referred to as the ‘Tiger’s Nest’ on their two-day visit to Bhutan. AFP

30,000 civilians flee the clashes in Syria N OTIC E O F LO S S THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT VALLE VERDE COUNTRY CLUB, INC. P R O P R I E TA R Y MEMBERSHIP FEE CERTIFICATE NO. 3660 ISSUED TO MR. QUIRINO KEHYENG WAS LOST. ( T S - A P R . 16 , 2 3 , 3 0 , 2 016)

BEIRUT—At least 30,000 civilians have fled the fighting between jihadists and rebels in northern Syria in the past 48 hours, Human Rights Watch said, calling on Turkey to open its border to them.

The watchdog accused Turkish border guards of shooting at some of those displaced in Aleppo province by the fighting between the Islamic State group and rebels as they approached

the frontier.

“As civilians flee ISIS fighters, Turkey is responding with live ammunition instead of compassion,” said HRW researcher Gerry Simpson, using another acronym for the jihadists.

“The whole world is talking about fighting ISIS, and yet those most at risk of becoming victims of its horrific abuses are trapped on the wrong side of a concrete wall.”

HRW said many of those who fled were residents of emergency camps set up along the border who headed for other camps or nearby towns and villages even though they were still unsafe.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, meanwhile, estimated that up to around 23,000 displaced people had fled the IS offensive in northern Syria. AFP

HONG KONG—He first stunned the auction world by snapping up hugely expensive Chinese antiquities, but now taxi driver turned tycoon Liu Yiqian is targeting Western masterpieces, saying it is his “social responsibility” to show them to China’s younger generation.

Liu has become China’s highest profile art collector, hitting headlines with record-breaking buys and an irreverent approach.

His acquisitions have mainly been of Chinese heritage, most famously the tiny Ming Dynasty “Chicken Cup” for which he paid $36 million in 2014 at Sotheby’s before drinking tea from it, causing a social media meltdown.

But in a departure from his Chinese collecting spree, last year Liu splashed out on Modigliani’s “Nu Couche” or “Reclining Nude” for more than $170 million at Christie’s, the second highest price ever paid at auction for a work of art.

Liu says he hopes the museum he founded in Shanghai, the Long Museum, where much of his collection is on display across two branches, will increasingly become a showcase for Western art as well as Chinese classics.

The Modigliani is due to go on show at the museum next year.

“The world is globalized...our collection is mainly Chinese traditional works of art, [but] we are going to expand into Western and Asian works. I hope in my lifetime I can collect more from both China and the West,” he told AFP in an recent interview at Christie’s regional headquarters in Hong Kong.

Liu said he felt a “social responsibility” to enable Chinese youngsters to experience Western masters.

“Other than Chinese traditional and contemporary works of art, younger generations in China have developed deeper recognition of Western works,” he said, relaxing in an armchair and talking through a haze of cigarette smoke after cutting the ribbon on a preview ahead of Christie’s spring sales in May. “I hope top Western works of art can be exhibited in Shanghai or in our country. I think it’s something someone has to do...it’s cultural exchange.”

With a personal wealth of $1.38 billion according to Forbes magazine, Liu is among the ranks of the new Chinese super-rich.

Having made his fortune in real estate and finance in the 1990s, he now runs a huge conglomerate across several industries from chemicals to investments. AFP

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JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR

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Backing the chain gang. Metro Retail Stores Group recently

Resort-style hub. SM Development Corporation (SMDC) recently held an “At Home” event at Shell Residences

inaugurated a new 6,500-square meter leased warehouse in Cebu, which has fully-racked storage and security features to ensure efficient movement of goods. The sprawling facility, part of the company’s program to modernize its logistics and supply chain processes, is equipped with nine docks, parking space for simultaneous truck deliveries. It also features dock levelers at receiving bays, a roll-up door, and CCTVs. The structure is complemented by an ORACLE warehouse management system, and is supported by a team that oversees end-to-end warehouse processes.

The facility meets the performance metrics set by the Good Warehouse Practices & Standards. “We want to bolster our capabilities to ensure availability of products in our 47-strong store network,” explained MRSGI chairman and chief executive Frank S. Gaisano.

Pet-heaven in Cebu. Parkmall in Mandaue City, Cebu is hosting the Pet Festival 2016, the establishment’s

Getting a Vantage point. Rockwell Primaries recently dangled

in the SM Mall of Asia Complex The event sought to show its new residents and guests SMDC’s ‘staycation’ merits. The company is positioning its developments as resort-style properties with all the business and lifestyle amenities. These include Shore and Shore 2 Residences, all in the SM MOA Complex.

flagship event, on April 21-24, together with the 5th Cebu Dog Agility Cup, organized by the Philippine Dog Athletics Association (PDAA). Now on its second year, the festival is the biggest gathering of pets and pet lovers, not just in Cebu, but in the entire country as well. One of the highlights of the event is “Pawshionista”, a pet fashion runway contest now on its 7th year. This year’s theme is “Pets Around the World” where participating pets get to sport the national costume of their assigned countries .Pet Festival 2016 will also hold the Great Pet Adventure Race, AllBreed Fun Match, creative dry-grooming competition, My Pet’s Got Talent video contest, Aquatic Cebu enthusiasts “aquascaping” competition, Cebu Avian Society’s bird fun match, and an exhibit to be participated in by pet clubs and pet stores. The festival kicked off in 2009 when Parkmall, located at the city’s reclamation area, opened its doors to pets.

Safety where it counts. Practical tips from Bosch to prevent fires in our homes this summer.

flexible payment terms for attractive units at its latest development in Mandaluyong City, The Vantage located in the bustling Kapitolyo district.

The Vantage is close to key establishments such as the Ortigas and Taguig central business districts, some good universities, retail malls, and restaurants. For those with a growing family, or for couples starting a life together, the two-bedroom unit (see photo) seems a perfect fit. “True to the Rockwell lifestyle, The Vantage offers a secure community accessible to your families’ interests and needs,” promised Malou Pineda, senior vice president, Rockwell Primaries.

Breakthrough smartboard. SCG, recently unveiled their concept of “unbound fiber cement” at the 21st WorldBEX. One of their innovations was the SCG smartboard, a fiber-cement board consisting of SCG Portland cement and non-asbestos cellulose fiber. Visitors to the booth were invited to test the strength of the board by stomping heavily on the board, which wasn’t damaged (See inset). Two other fascinating technologies were the extrusion and digital printing technologies. The former uses a free form molding process that provides a wide range of styles and designs. The digital printing technology on fiber cement board enables printing of a variety of colors, designs, and textures on wall tiles. “SCG is ready to introduce and deliver the latest technologies, innovative building materials and creative construction solutions for Filipinos,” said Phaskorn Buranawit, SCG’s Philippines director for cement-building materials. At the SCG booth were Sirin Atsawapattananon, SCG regional brand manager; Phaskorn Buranawit; and Sunchai Jindras, vice-president of sales and marketing of Mariwasa Siam Ceramic (MSC).

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JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR jdlacsamana@gmail.com

PROPERTY

Innovative floater. Designed to start from the second floor up, like the elevated “bahay kubo.”

‘FLOOD-RESPONSIVE HOME’, COMING UP As cities and populations grow, the human impact on the environment is worsening, causing the destructive effects of climate change.

Disasters such as flooding—especially in lowlying areas—have increased in recent years.

Developers are thinking out of the box to remedy the situation The need became clearer when Typhoon Ondoy struck in 2009, wreaking Php11 billion worth of damages across the region as rains totalling 556 mm flooded Metro Manila cities and submerged areas by as much as ten feet of water. The metropolis has since seen the worsening effects of floods with infrastructure, roads, and vehicles taking big hits.

While working on his first home project in 2009, corporate executive John Aguilar, saw the magnitude of the devastation wrought by the rampaging floodwaters. Aguilar’s house-inprogress was almost damaged, in fact, kudos to the higher ground where it was built on.

“The Ondoy experience got us thinking: why not build a house that can adapt to flooding and is inspired by a time-tested Filipino home model?” said Aguilar. “That’s how the idea of Project: Smart Home, was born.”

Stranded, but safe Aguilar, a producer at Philippine Realty TV (PRTV), partnered with the Buensalido + Architect firm for a flood-responsive home.

“We used the concept of the traditional Filipino home—the bahay kubo—to design the Smart Home,” said Jason Buensalido, the chief architect of the project. “Since the first floors are the first thing hit when floodwaters rise, we made sure that our homes are designed to start from the second floor up, like the elevated bahay kubo.”

The first floor of the three-storey Smart Home has a space

for cars, a covered multi-functional portion, a small pocket garden, and the stairs leading to the main entryway. Instead of a communal area, the bedrooms are located on the second floor while the living, dining, and kitchen area on the top-most floor.

Buensalido said the open-space of the communal area is where those who are stranded can stay while awaiting rescue.

“With the kitchen on the top-most floor, stranded residents will still have access to food and water as it’s the least likely place that floodwaters will reach,” Buensalido explained. “Plus, it’s the best place to safeguard all their appliances and electronics, like the TV and refrigerator.”

Can’t wait Among the features that differentiate the Smart Home from normal townhomes, are its two floating platforms: the floating carport and the Regenerative Amphibious Floating Terraces (RAFTs).

The floating carport is a platform that one’s car sits on the moment it comes into garage. In the event of flooding, it will safely float with and above the rising waters.

The RAFT, on the other hand, is a floating balcony connected to the second level that can be detached from the entire structure to provide a safe escape for residents.

Aguilar also used a wall panel system that contains an EPS core—known commonly as Styrofoam—to allow a generally cooler indoor temperature. Solar Panels and LED lighting, on the other hand, keep the carbon footprint of the smart home to a minimum.

“By injecting technology and innovation into home designs to create out-of-the-box ideas, we are making homes in the country more flood and climate-responsive,” said Aguilar. “We can’t wait to see how homes across the Philippines can adapt our ideas, and how this kind of change can affect the country’s responsiveness to drastic changes in our climate.”

Castillian bearing. Developer DMCI recently completed, and turned over to its new unit owners, One Castilla Place , a tranquil residential set up in Gilmore, Quezon City. Buyers ostensibly couldn’t get enough of the resort-inspired development as 90 percent of the 729 units have been lapped up pronto. DMCI, which has a growing portfolio of intimate, sanctuary-like condominiums, offers a two-year warranty covering unit deliverables - a veritable steal compared to other condo developers that usually offer only a one-year warranty. One Castilla Place has one, two and three-bedroom units with floor areas ranging from 40 to 81 square meters. Each unit has its own balcony that provides ample views of the city. Resort-like amenities abound including a plush lobby, swimming pools, entertainment room, game area and a roof deck for get-togethers.

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BiNG pAREl

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

BERNADETTE lUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@liFEatStandard

p op CU lT U RE

LIFE

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MAjESTIC PulAg:

COnquERIng luzOn’S HIgHEST PEAK “I like the mountains because they make me feel so small… They help me sort out what’s important in life.”

— Mark Obmascik

CoffeeWithKai

By KAI MAgSAnOC

T

he first and last time I ever climbed a mountain was in 1999, when I and my fellow UP Astronomical Society members went up Buntot Palos in Famy, Laguna, for a beautiful night of naked eye observation and camping at the base of the falls.

I still remember the experience, and how it changed me: I formed a “relationship” with trees and the earth, as their

spirits seemed to welcome us warmly even if we began our ascent at nightfall. I fell a couple of times, got scratches on my chin and knees, got sunburned like nothing else.

But if I could, would I do it again? Certainly.

The last few years have seen the rise in popularity of Mount Pulag in Baguio among aspiring mountaineers and climbing beginners. It is the highest peak in Luzon and the third highest mountain in the Philippines at 2,922 meters above sea level.

I asked several people who have climbed Pulag – some more than once – about the experience and magic of seeing the sea of clouds, waking up to the sunrise, and marveling at the view that only the peak of Pulag can give, and what mountaineers – beginners or otherwise, should be mindful of.

So, how does it feel to reach its peak and finally behold the enchanting “sea of clouds”?

Six people from different walks of life share their Mount Pulag stories.

Mt. Pulag is known for the picturesque sea of clouds

For Elynor, climbing Mt. Pulag is such a life changing experience

360-view from a treeless plateau where you can see a good portion of the Cordilleras

Paul Cuenca

Entrepreneur and Landscape Photographer I climbed Pulag in 2014 and 2015, because it’s the highest climb in Luzon and it has a special environment, plus the sea of clouds and spectacular view.

The trek itself is not difficult by mountaineering standards. It is unique in that it is the highest mountain in Luzon, yet it is the most accessible to anyone who wants to climb it. The payoff is the commanding view at the summit. It has a 360-view from The payoff is the commanding view at the summit a treeless plateau where you can see a good portion of the Cordilleras. The “sea of clouds” phenomenon is special as it blankets an entire valley below the summit. Pulag has a clearly marked out trail that is maintained, plus it is a gradual climb.

The environment itself is special. The many undulating shapes on the ridges, the treeless landscape, the shadows, the clear skies at night where you can see the entire Milky Way galaxy and shooting stars and, of course, the sunrise in cool, crisp, and clear air. For those asking why we people should climb Mt. Pulag – I cannot [think of] any other place in the country that gives you so many different experiences in one place.

Climbers have to be informed of the issues in Pulag before they climb. If they want to preserve these sites, then they have to be responsible with how they approach it. As an example, it is important that they pick the right tour company for the climb. Go for a company that takes only a small group to a climb (not more than 10 pax), practices “leave no trace” (LNT), and has a good reputation among climbers. No mountain was ever designed to handle 500 tourists on any one day.

A different view from the sea of clouds

Elynor Matencio Mother and Digital Marketing Manager I climbed Pulag in February 2013. I wanted to climb a mountain while I could still do it. I was at a crossroads in my life, and I knew that being with nature and travelling changes our perception.

I knew I had to be physically fit so I started walking daily. I also prepared the items needed for the climb. I prepared my mind by reading blogs about Pulag. It felt like preparing for a sports tournament.

The climb wasn’t difficult since we took Reaching the top is worth the struggle the Ambangeg easy trail, but the stamina needed in walking for five hours was challenging.

The view was out of this world. I was super proud to have that kind of natural beauty in the Philippines. The challenge was the cold weather; it was 8 degrees! (But) the sea of clouds was worth all the pain! I couldn’t help but cry when I reached the summit. It was a personal achievement to survive it. I came down a new person.

People should climb Pulag to see and appreciate the beauty of our country. Being a mom or a certain age has nothing to do with climbing. My group had senior citizens and 10 year olds. It takes will and courage to get through it.

So what can people do to preserve Pulag? Don’t litter. Don’t pick up or keep anything as a souvenir. Respect the locals, and just help maintain the environment by picking trash you may see along the way.

Continued on C2

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@liFEatStandard

MAjESTic pUlAg...

From C1

Sunrise from the campsite

Looking at the sea of clouds gives the climber a feeling of deep calm and serenity

Kelly Austria

Anna Gamboa

Associate Editor, adobo magazine My department just got dissolved and some of us had decided to undertake the hike as a bonding activity before going our separate ways.

Mt. Pulag was exhausting to climb, especially the last 2-km to Peak 1, and the thin air made things difficult for a novice like me. I’m grateful for the guide/sweeper who encouraged me to crawl/walk/get up to the top. Looking back, I realize not many people have had this privilege, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to Finally reached the top! climb the mountain – especially when supportive friends loaned backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags for the trip.

What struck me most was the serenity, quiet, and amazing biodiversity. One moment I was trekking through a semi-humid forest, and the next I was in the middle of a field of dwarf bamboo.

If you are Filipino, climbing Pulag reinforces your love for the land and heritage, as well as the efforts involved to keep it for future generations while giving some form of livelihood to the locals. Better (or more lucrative) livelihood programs should also be available to the locals so they don’t have to farm on protected forestland. Climbers/hikers have to be better oriented so they respect the land they step on; and stricter guidelines should be enforced when it comes to the number of people allowed to climb at any given point in time to avoid overcrowding, and to allow resource management (especially during peak season, when rescue/medical teams may be in most demand).

PR Practitioner The first time I climbed Mt. Pulag was in May 2008. I was with the group called Guys4Mountains. I remember it was raining hard so we had to let go of sunrise at the peak. We went to the summit midmorning but it was still glorious. I returned November the same year with SABIT, another mountaineering group. We didn’t have clearing, though (the summit was On the way to the summit covered with clouds), so I made another plan to return. The next climb was in March 2009. That was when I saw the sea of clouds and sunrise. The weather was perfect. My last climb was in January 2011. I wanted to try different months. The sea of clouds was more majestic and it was colder.

Every climbing experience in Pulag was different Pulag is really beautiful. Even without seeing the sunrise the first time I climbed, or without the clearing the second time I climbed, I was still amazed at how beautiful Pulag was.

I know that the sea of clouds gets the most exposure on Instagram or Facebook, but the mossy forest is equally beautiful. The campsite is also beautiful. It is actually hard to leave it, especially early morning. There are also the dwarf bamboos and a lone tree there on the way to the summit – one of my favorite spots.

Pulag is (an) easy climb. The jump-off point is already quite high so don’t be intimidated by the thought of it as being the highest in Luzon; necessary preparation is key. People should climb Pulag if they want to be in awe. The feeling of being amazed never ceases, no matter how often I have climbed the mountain before. It is that beautiful. Although I should say that Mt. Pulag is a sacred mountain. It should be accorded respect. Follow LNT (leave no trace) principles. They can research about that. They can also do simple things like use the trail. Don’t divert or create a new one. Leave your campsite the way you found it. Carry everything with you on your way down, especially your trash.

Respect other climbers, especially those who want to fully experience nature. Keep the noise down. Be respectful of the locals and fellow climbers. Mountaineers greet everyone; that’s how you know if one person really is a climber.

Waiting for sunrise from the mountain peak

Minnehaha Calleja

Tattoo Artist, Good Hand Tattoo I climbed Mt. Pulag in early November 2014 as a birthday gift for myself. Ryan (my husband) and I were curious about the “sea of clouds” and the magical sunrise that it was said to bring to all its climbers. It was the best birthday gift!

I heard that it wasn’t an easy climb, so I challenged myself to do it. (But) the challenge was really within my self; I had to A well deserved selfie with a view get going. Once the three-hour hike to the summit began, there was no stopping. It was dark so one can really get lost, and it was really cold! You can literally die there due to the temperature and the six-hour hike to and from the peak. But the rewards are priceless!

Climbing with my husband unlocked another experience shared together, which we shall cherish forever. The experience brought us closer.

What struck me most about Pulag was the sea of clouds and the sunrise, which was the best I had ever seen. The sight of the majestic sunrise and sea of clouds that greeted us at the summit soothed our body and soul. It definitely emptied our mind and made us pray to God in thanks for such a beautiful world, a beautiful life! The warmth of the sun will hug and energize your tired body, the sea of clouds will freshen your sight, and the magical surroundings will teach you that God is everywhere, and within.

It’s really beautiful here in the Philippines. We all need to make the effort to preserve its beauty for our children to see. So leave no trash! On your way up, you will attend an orientation about the rules of climbing Mt. Pulag, for your safety and the preservation of the beauty of the mountain. Listen to and follow instructions, bring your own garbage bag, and leave no human trace anywhere on the mountain! Take nothing but photos; leave nothing but footsteps. Even when nobody’s looking, choose to do the right thing and karma will reward you.

Edward overlooking the stunning view from Mt. Pulag

Edward Calugtong

Web Designer I climbed Pulag the first time four years ago, during Holy Week in 2012. I returned in 2014. We went for the hardest trail, the Akiki-Ambangeg. It was like traversing the mountain.

It was hard, since it was our first time.

The Akiki trail is said to be a killer trail. We always wanted to see if we could go for the Climbing shows you how beautiful nature is harder one and test our endurance and stamina, for our passion.

What struck me most about Pulag is that after all the hard work and perseverance that came with climbing, you will always have the great view that you longed for. The view was stunning and magnificent.

Being outdoors is a way of moving out of your comfort zone, and trying something you have never done before. It will show you how wonderful nature is, as well as teach you how to take care of it. The leave no trace (LNT) principle should be upheld and taken to the city. As they say, “Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but pictures. Kill nothing but time.”

There should be a limit on how many people can climb at a certain day. Pulag can’t accommodate 500 to 1,000 people on a weekend. There should be a season for climbing Pulag. And let the mountain heal during the off-season. Tourism is good but it should be regulated.

Follow the author on Instagram and Twitter: @kaimagsanoc

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

The bar is not just a place to get drinks, it's where hookups start

ScEnE qUEEnS AnD hIpSTER boIS

A once-Avid clubber looks bAck At the rise And fAll of gAy clubbing culture And AnAlyzes whAt hAs tAken its plAce in this four-pArt essAy. (SEconD oF A FoUR-pART SERIES)

THE GIST

By ED BIADO

C

lubbing is not easy. It takes a toll on you. Dancing and drinking from midnight till five in the morning results in a nasty hangover and dark circles around your eyes the next day – definitely not a good look. And doing that every weekend might be feeding your youthful soul but it’s slowly draining the life and energy out of your aging body.

After all, you’re not the wide-eyed 20-yearold that you once were.

The cosmos might have looked so appealing and enticing to those virgin eyes, but after years of doing the same thing, it gets old. You begin to realize that the disco lights, laser beams and smoke effects in the dark of night only mask, ever so temporarily, the ugly truth. When the morning sun starts to permeate the cosmos, you finally see how Orosa-Nakpil unravels. You realize that the person you were dancing with really isn’t all that attractive; that the guy who rejected your advances four hours ago is going home with someone who is clearly a five as opposed to your seven; that the cosmos, with its beautiful lights, beautiful music and beautiful people, is now reduced to a puddle of spilled beer and burnt cigarette butts; that you’re sticky, drunk, disheveled and your high, either natural or otherwise, is wearing off, and you’re feeling the onset of the inevitable crash.

You wonder why you go clubbing at all.

But your fear of missing out insists that you do it all over again the following weekend.

I engaged in that cycle on and off for most of the 2000s until I decided that I had to make a change. The Scene was fun while it lasted but I knew it couldn’t last forever.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. By the turn of the decade, familiar faces were few and far in between. The only ones that were still there were those who refused to grow up or,

Everyone's looking for Prince Charming, like Josh Dallas in Once Upon A Time

at least, were in denial that they have grown up. So the script remained the same, but the cast was different. My generation’s turn has ended and it was finally time to pass the torch to the young ones – new wide-eyed and fresh-faced 20-year-olds who were eager to take our place.

But The Scene proved unsustainable for the new breed of scene-queen wannabes.

Times have changed. It was the end of an era. The dynamics of clubbing have been tampered with. During my time, going into a club meant exposing yourself. You were forced out of your comfort zone, of your personal space, of your defenses. You had to learn to blend in with the crowd and you had to teach yourself to stand out. You had to balance levity and gravity, tiptoeing the line between confident and arrogant. You had your friends to act as human shields if the situation called for it, but if they were busy making out with a prospect from the other side of the room, you were on your own.

Inasmuch as the cosmos was your home, it was also the home of others just like you.

And you were all fighting for space, time, attention. Fiercely territorial. Aggressively vicious. This was not a friendly exercise; it was an epic battle. The hottest and most attractive bois were the top prize, and they were also the toughest competition. They were the belles of the ball and each was worried that it would be his last night at the top of the food chain. Each was cautiously watching the new twink, the boi with the taut skin and toned slender body, the hot property, the flavor of the month. He was both prize and competition. The more

Don't know what a twink is? Think Sebastian Castro circa 'Bubble' music video

established bois had to have him, and they also had to make sure that he doesn’t throw them off balance. They watched and hovered and circled. They were predators waiting to attack. And devour.

The cosmos was your home but it was never a safe place to be alone. So you were never alone. You always had a posse.

Looking out into the crowd, you would see that everyone arrived in groups and left in groups. Scene queens were cliquish, guarded and protected by invisible walls, each clique forming a unit, a battalion. You had your own and you’ve learned never to stray far from your home base. The only time you would venture off into the unknown was when someone caught your eye. Only then would you be brave enough to take a few small steps to the center of the room or to the bar and hope, wish, beg, beseech of the Great Fairy in the Sky that She would nudge your prospective Mr. Right Now in the right direction, the only direction that mattered: Yours.

That was always a gamble because it could go either way and your heart would be pounding, as if it was your first time picking up bois in the club even if you’ve done it dozens of times before. You wouldn’t be able to focus on conversations – all you could think about was that boi and how he was making your whole body quiver. The familiar stirring in your loins had completely taken over your entire being. The long psychological tango had begun. Full of anticipation and yearning, the metaphorical dance that you initiated would last for hours. It was intoxicating,

exciting, thrilling, daunting. Every move and every little detail from the moment you laid eyes on your target was shrewdly calculated and strategic: The bottle of beer in your hand, your deep exhale as you brush up against his back on your way to the men’s room, the way you turn your head, the manner and number of times you lick your lips. Nothing was to be left to chance.

By then, it was no longer about clubbing and spending time with your friends and dancing and enjoying the music. Screw The Scene. Screw the cosmos. Screw the pecking order and all the vultures around you. It was about The Singular Goal: To go home and have sex with the target. Everything leading up to that was foreplay. That is, if you actually end up in each other’s arms by the end of the night. Otherwise, prepare for blue balls.

I’ve had my fair share of blue balls.

Sometimes, it would be so frustrating that even with all the pent-up sexual energy inside me, I couldn’t masturbate when I got home. I was too tired. I just wanted to sleep for 12 hours straight and forget the rejection as quickly as possible. It was heartbreaking, not because I thought that I could actually have a connection with what’s-his-facewho-rejected-me, but because my ego was yet again bruised. By the time I’m over it, maybe by Tuesday, I think to myself, “Oh well, there’s always next Saturday.”

To read the first part of the series visit www.thestandard.com.ph/lifestyle/popculture/203251/scene-queens-and-hipster-bois I’m @EdBiado on Twitter and Instagram

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Backpacking is considered a 'rite of passage' between adolescence and adulthood by some cultures

ExplorE thE philippinES, onE backpack at a timE

LocaL backpacking destinations for young adventurers by bErnadEttE lunaS

W

hen airline companies began slashing their fare prices off and budget accommodations popped up both in popular and yet-to-be-discovered destinations, more people started getting seen hauling their possessions in a backpack and ticking items off their travel bucket lists.

Backpacking is today’s most popular form of traveling. But because of the nature of this adventure – backpacks are favored over wheeled luggage, low-cost lodgings over full-serviced hotels, longer routes over well-trodden tracks – it is notably more accepted among the younger crowd. In fact, it is even considered a “rite of passage” between adolescence and adulthood by some cultures.

Since budget is limited when backpacking, countries with a relatively lower cost of living, rich culture and breathtaking sights are prioritized. Owing to their diverse cultures and stunning attractions that don’t break one’s bank, Southeast Asian countries top the lists of many backpackers.

While Cambodia has Angkor Wat, Thailand has exotic beaches, and Vietnam has Halong Bay, the Philippines also abounds with beautiful destinations scattered in its 7,107 islands. It’s not called the “Pearl of the Orient” for nothing, right?

Sagada

Metro Manila citizens and those living in the southern part of Luzon who want to escape the heat and take respite in the mountains usually drive up to Baguio City.

But over the years, more and more travelers have been going further up and braving the long bus rides to visit the sleepy town of Sagada in Mountain Province.

A visit to Sagada can be paired with a side trip to the “City of Pines.” After you’ve had your strawberry taho fix or have spent two hours (because one is never enough) browsing through racks after racks in the ukay-ukay, head over to Sagada to wait for the sunrise at Mt. Kiltepan (screaming your lungs out is optional). Test your will while spelunking in Sumaguing Cave, visit the hanging coffins at Echo Valley, take a dip in the Bomod-ok Falls (after an exhausting-butworth-it trek), and indulge in a slice or two of lemon pie at Sagada Lemon Pie House.

Since backpacks are favored over wheeled luggage, cut the amount of clothing you plan to bring and roll your clothes instead of folding to maximize the space

Backpackers get the most out of their money in Sagada because it offers a complete package: Stunning sights, delectable tastes, unique activities and a vibe that makes one feel like he could forget his worries and just revel in the beauty of this gem in the north.

Quezon province

Perhaps because of its proximity to Manila (three hours drive), Quezon Province is often overlooked and always underrated. But this province is more than just its colorful Pahiyas Festival (which, to be honest, is also a good reason to pay Quezon a visit).

There are several bus companies in Manila traveling to Quezon, and once you’re there, you may go ahead and fill your tummy with delicious treats. Forget about utensils for a while and eat pancit habhab, buy budin (cassava cake) and fried siopao to munch on the road, and don’t forget to buy a dozen or four of the famous Lucban longganisa.

Quezon also abounds with churches (Tayabas Church and Lucban Church), heritage houses and unspoiled beaches.

Backpackers looking for hitherto unknown beaches may go the farther route and visit the hidden Salibungot Beach on Jomalig Island, Minasawa Island in Burdeos, Cagbalete Island in Mauban and Borawan

Beach in Padre Burgos, among a couple more others.

bohol

The Chocolate Hills may be the most delicious looking attraction of Bohol, but the province has several more other magnificent sights scattered around.

Soak up the sun on Panglao Island, or meet our country’s diverse marine life while diving or snorkeling on Balicasag and Virgin Islands.

The more adventurous can get a kick of adrenaline rush at Chocolate Hills Adventure Park where they can bike on a rope with the Chocolate Hills as their backdrop.

Enjoy malunggay in its glorious ice cream form at Bohol Bee Farm. And for those who want to take advantage of the province’s location, they may opt to take a two-hour ferry to explore Siquijor.

bacolod

Negros Occidental’s capital will truly make every visitor smile with its charming attractions and delectable treats. Various modes of transportation can help backpackers go around Bacolod City.

Drop by Negros Museum to learn about the province’s history. After a quick tour of the province, further discover the “City of Smiles” by visiting the famous ancestral

houses that give an old world charm to Bacolod. Explore the ruins of Don Mariano Lacson ancestral house, Gaston Farm ancestral house, Hofilena ancestral house, and the Bernardino-Ysabel Jalandoni house (now called The Pink Museum).

After burning calories walking around the city, refuel with a delicious chicken inasal meal and go to Calea, which is popular for its pastries, for your dessert fix.

cagayan de oro

On the southern part of the country lies another gem that’s perfect for the thrillseeking backpackers.

When in Cagayan de Oro, make sure to try the wild and wonderful White Water Rafting adventure. Wrestle with the waves, conquer the rapids and come out a hero.

If water or raging water, for that matter, is not one of your strong suits, opt to enjoy the view from Asia’s longest zipline at Dahilayan Adventure Park.

Don’t forget to grab CDO’s famous pastel, a pastry made of soft bun with sweet caramel filling, before heading out of the province to venture in nearby Bukidnon Province or Camiguin Island.

So grab that backpack now and take what could be the greatest adventure yet this summer.

SAt uRDAy : A pRIl 16, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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‘HaRDcORE HEnRy’ ElEvaTEs anD alTERs mOvIE vIEwIng ExpERIEncE

S

cience fiction action film Hardcore Henry is one of the most unflinchingly original wild-rides to hit the big screen in a long time.

Audience will experience the entire film through the main character, Henry.

As the film begins, Henry remembers nothing, he just looks around. Mainly because he has just been brought back from the dead by his wife (Haley Bennett).

She tells him that his name is Henry. Five minutes later, he is being shot at, his wife has been kidnapped, and he should probably go get her back. Who’s got her? His name’s Akan (Danila Kozlovsky), a powerful warlord with an army of mercenaries, and a plan for world domination.

Henry is also in an unfamiliar city of Moscow, and everyone wants him dead.

Everyone except for a mysterious British fellow called Jimmy (Sharlto Copley).

A natural talent, with a striking presence, Haley Bennett who takes on a leading role in Hardcore Henry is quickly establishing herself as one of Hollywood’s most dynamic actresses. Bennett was last seen in Antoine Fuqua’s hit film The Equalizer opposite Denzel Washington and Chloe Grace Moretz. Bennett made her on screen debut opposite Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant in the Marc Lawrencedirected film Music and Lyrics. She then went on to star in a range of different films including the hugely successful Marley and Me opposite Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson.

The movie was shot on location in Moscow and plays out like a punk rock travel guide to the city. For Haley Bennett, Moscow was one of the film’s appeals and she took full advantage of the opportunity to explore Russia.

“I really appreciate that aspect of my profession which allows me to travel to distant lands and immerse myself in the history and culture. Russia has so much going on. You can just get lost. I was very far from home. Being a foreigner, the crew made sure I felt comfortable. I appreciated that, especially because there was a significant language barrier. Everyone was so kind and welcoming. My assistant, Lidia, took me on a little journey outside of the city of Moscow to the countryside. Her mother prepared us a very memorable home cooked Russian meal. That was a highlight. Seeing how her family lived and having a taste of their traditions,” Bennett relates.

Shot almost entirely on GoPro cameras with custom engineered rigs, Hardcore Henry completely abandons, even evis-

A scene from the science fiction film featuring American actress Haley Bennett

the film directed by Ilya Naishuller can have a physical effect on viewers due to its over-the-top bloody violence

cerates traditional filmmaking and replaces it with a raw and immediate experience, allowing the audience to become one with the protagonist, so viewers go

“Hardcore Henry” is told in a first person perspective like a live video game. pictured are Haley Bennett and tim Roth.

on a very personal and breathtaking journey with the central character.

Brace for an all-new viewing experience when Hardcore Henry opens May 4 in cin-

emas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

Check out the film’s trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =vOrBWP0TdA4&feature=youtu.be

Bridging the art of spoken word to mainstream audience

young poet Juan Miguel Severo with his adoring fans during his book signing in trinoma last month

After releasing his first poetry book in March, Juan Miguel Severo has reached another milestone with Habang Wala Pa Sila, which is now on its second printing.

This career highlight for the spoken word extraordinaire comes less than a month after his jam-packed book launch.

Severo successfully bridged the art of spoken word to mainstream audiences nationwide as evident in another successful book signing recently at National Book Store, Trinoma.

Fans were beyond thrilled as Severo signed books, took selfies, and performed poems from Habang Wala Pa Sila.

Habang Wala Pa Sila is a collection of Severo’s spoken word pieces, some of which have gone viral on Facebook.

As the title suggests, most of the poems in the collection were written during times when the young poet was wait-

ing for a companion, a colleague, or a past love.

Severo’s unlikely role as the voice of poetry for the millennials first began with the viral video for his piece, Ang Huling Tulang Isusulat Ko Para Sa’yo, which was shared by thousands on social networking sites. This was followed by his breakout role as Rico on the primetime show, On The Wings of Love.

Released by ABS-CBN Publishing, Habang Wala Pa Sila is the latest addition to ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc.’s successful line of bestselling books. Severo joins an elite roster of authors that includes Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Alex Gonzaga, Georgina Wilson, Solenn Heussaff, and Ramon Bautista.

The book is now available in all leading bookstores and newsstand nationwide for 185 pesos.

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SAt uRDAy : A pRIl 16, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Full house. the crowd in Vancouver for “Bae in the city canada tour 2016”

Kalyeserye’s lola tinidora (Jose Manalo), lola nidora (wally Bayola) and lola tidora (paolo Ballesteros)

Aicelle Santos, Alden Richards and Betong Sumaya in Dubai for GMA pinoy tV’s Kapusong pinoy concert

Alden Richards, Rocco nacino and Kim Idol take a selfie with the crowd in Edmonton

that’s My Amboy stars Andre paras and Barbie forteza in San Diego

GMA pInoy tV tHRIllS wItH A StAR-StuDDED MontH of MARcH

G

MA’s flagship international channel, GMA Pinoy TV, continues to bring Filipinos abroad closer to home when it staged a series of star-studded events across North America and the Middle East throughout the month of March.

GMA Pinoy TV’s first stop was in the United Arab Emirates for Kapusong Pinoy Dubai featuring Pambansang Bae Alden Richards, actor-comedian Betong Sumaya and singer Aicelle Santos at Al Nasr Leisureland on March 10.

The concert venue was packed with over 1,600 spectators who witnessed a spectacular evening of non-stop entertainment which included song and dance numbers from each of the Kapuso artists, as well as comedic skits that kept the audience laughing.

While in Dubai, the Kapuso stars visited the United International Private School, the first Filipino school in the country and touched

base with even more fans during a radio interview with Tag 91.1, the first premium Filipino radio station launched in the UAE. They also paid a courtesy visit to the Philippine Consulate General and were warmly received by Consul General Paul Raymond Cortes.

The trip became a meaningful experience for the artists because it included a visit to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Association where they met with fellow Filipinos who are under the protection of the Philippine Consulate General.

Continuing the March festivities on the other side of the globe, the Pambansang Bae was joined by fellow Kapuso heartthrob Rocco Nacino in Canada. They headlined Bae in the City Canada Tour 2016 along with comedian Kim Idol from March 22 to 24.

Alden and Rocco felt the love from their fans as the series of shows spanning three cities in

cROsswORD puzzlE

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe

ACROSS 1 Lion’s mane 5 Rain forest parrot 10 Dits and dahs 14 Paul Drake’s creator 15 Overhead 16 Play award 17 Cold — — icicle 18 Archipelago dot 19 Secluded corner 20 Fasten

22 Dispute settler 24 Per person 27 Graceful wrap 28 Doubt 32 Bunkhouse locale 35 Admiral’s org.

36 Dull 38 Cower in fear 40 Thine and mine 42 Bert’s pal 44 All, in combos 45 They’ll curl your

hair 47 Considers as 49 Publishing execs 50 Schemes secretly 52 Project (2 wds.)

54 Normandy port 56 Greek colonnade 57 Fair maidens 60 Oil-lamp cords 64 Ms. Drescher 65 Town near Madrid 68 Carnaby Street locale 69 Lo-cal 70 Wyoming range 71 Notable decades 72 Poker pair 73 Blow, as a volcano 74 Jean — of “Ronin” DOWN 1 Not phony 2 Bear in the sky 3 Lady’s shoe 4 Enclosures 5 Ms. Zetterling 6 Delts neighbor 7 Burger mate 8 Says decidedly 9 Deluxe resort amenity (2 wd.)

10 Harmonic background 11 Plaintive reed 12 Designer label

Canada – Edmonton, Winnipeg and New Westminster – was jampacked with attendees from all over North America, with some coming all the way from the United States just to see the two artists.

While the two Kapuso leading men were entertaining Canada, the Lolas of Eat Bulaga’s phenomenal Kalyeserye were busy shaking up California with their own set of shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego from March 22 to 24.

Dubbed Lolas of Kalyeserye visit California!, the concert marked the first time the three Lolas, made up of Jose Manalo (Lola Tinidora), Wally Bayola (Lola Nidora) and Paolo Ballesteros (Lola Tidora) headlined their own international show.

Joining the wacky trio were the stars of the GMA primetime drama series That’s My Amboy, Barbie Forteza and Andre Paras.

Moreover, fans were given an

SATuRDAY, APRIL 16, 2016

13 Response to a rodent 21 Caps or lids 23 Baghdad’s country 25 Quote from 26 Miser’s cache 28 Je ne sais — 29 Seize power 30 Register (var.)

31 Poker pair 33 Bit part 34 Devotee of Rama 37 Cuts calories 39 Memory jogger 41 Icy treats (hyph.)

43 Radiate 46 Hockey’s — Mikita 48 Trash hauler 51 Not hyper 53 Crusty roll 55 When pigs fly 57 — -a-brac 58 Past the deadline 59 In — (as found) 61 Geologic sample 62 Mongol ruler 63 Nothing special (hyph.)

64 Gulf st.

66 Remove, as branches 67 Colony member

added dose of laughter and entertainment with the special participation of Comedy Queen Ai-Ai delas Alas in the San Francisco and LA legs.

It was an overwhelming turnout as countless Filipinos trooped to the Fox Theatre in San Francisco, Saban Theatre in Los Angeles and the California Center for the Arts in San Diego to see the shows. Some fans took the fun to the next level by dressing up as the Lolas, even coming with their own Rogelios (the bodyguards of Lola Nidora on the Kalyeserye segment).

With the conclusion of a starstudded and event-filled month of March, GMA Pinoy TV is gearing up for an even more exciting lineup of events in other countries around the world.

“These events are essentially a homecoming for Filipinos who are based abroad,” explains GMA First Vice President and Head of International Operations Joseph T. Francia.

“We want our viewers to know that GMA Network is one at heart with them, bringing them closer to home by keeping the Kapuso spirit alive in Filipino communities overseas,” he said.

Bae in the City Canada Tour 2016 was staged in partnership with Corazon’s Money Express (Winnipeg), Palabok Promotions (Edmonton) and Red Productions (New Westminster).

Meanwhile, The Lolas of Kalyeserye visit California! was produced in cooperation with Happy Box Productions.

For updates on GMA Network’s artists, programs, international channels and events, visit the website www.gmapinoytv.com, Facebook pages www.facebook.com/ GMAPinoyTV, www.facebook. com/gmalifetv, and www.facebook. com/gmanewsinternational, Twitter pages @gmapinoytv, @gma_ lifetv, and @gmanewstvintl and Instagram account @gmapinoytv.

SAt uRDAy : A pRIl 16, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C7

‘SItAtA tASyo’:

GMA NEwS tV’S ANIMAtED VotER EDucAtIoN SERIES

F

ilipinos are pleasant by nature, unwilling to rock the boat. One of the country’s core values after all, is pakikisama or being agreeable, just going with the flow. We shy away from confrontations to protect a kapwa Pilipino’s amor propio.

Sitata Tasyo is the record scratch to all that.

Sitata Tasyo, GMA News TV’s central character in its election awareness plug series, is the antithesis to the usual pleasant, cajoling voices that urge voters to choose wisely. In less than a minute per edition, Sitata

Tasyo attacks wrong old world values head-on, pointing out archaic and flawed voter practices that elect human errors into office.

Sitata Tasyo uses wit, sarcasm, irony, and sometimes even impatience in pointing out what’s wrong – and what could be ideal – in choosing our leaders. But no one takes offense as Sitata Tasyo resembles everyone’s cool, caring uncle. He has his hair in a ponytail, and his everyday garb is as colorful as his language.

Sitata Tasyo is voiced by GMA Post Production director Vincent Gealo-

go. The series’ look and content were handled by Program Support Department manager Catherine Ko, Ghani Madueno and Anna Cajudo, and Joseph Saguid. Jeffrey John Imutan animated all the episodes.

And if you listen closely enough, you will hear the distinct voices of Kara David and Love Anover in the series.

Sitata Tasyo is a character conceptualized by GMA News and Public Affairs officer Jaileen F. Jimeno.

Catch Sitata Tasyo on GMA News TV Channel 11.

ABS-cBN corp. and Binibining pilipinas charities Inc. renew partnership ABS-CBN Corporation and Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) renew partnership on April 11.

“The partnership of both groups are geared towards working for the best. We’ll continue doing the same thing until we produce more Miss Universe titlists,” shared

BPCI chair Stella Marquez Araneta.

Present in the signing were ABS-CBN Integrated Marketing head August Benitez, Corporate Services Group 2 head and group chief financial officer Ron Valdueza, Betsy Westendorp, Conchitina Bernardo aand Irene Jose of BPCI, ABS-CBN chief

operating officer for Broadcast Cory Vidanes, BPCI chair Stella Marquez Araneta, ABS-CBN president and chief executive officer Carlo Katigbak, and ABS-CBN chief financial officer Aldrin Cerrado.

Catch the airing of Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Pageant on ABS-CBN soon.

l-R August Benitez, Ron Valdueza, Betsy westendorp, cory Vidanes, Stella Marquez Araneta, carlo Katigbak, Irene Jose, conchitina Bernardo, and Aldrin cerrado

Another patrimonio smashes her way to sport greatness on ‘Sports u’ Fresh off a three-peat conquest in the UAAP’s tennis event, the National University Lady Bulldogs’ heart and soul, Tin Patrimonio, took center stage last Thursday (April 14) on Sports U. Her father, Alvin Patrimonio, is wildly popular and one of the best ever to hold a basketball in the Philippines’ sports scene. But that is not stopping the former Pinoy Big Brother housemate from making a name for herself in a sport that many may not recognize for a Patrimonio. Ever since her younger years, Tin and tennis were just a match.

Meanwhile, Sports U host Dyan Castillejo, who not many know used to be the women’s tennis darling of the country, remembered her own passion for the sport when she heated up the court for a few rounds of tennis with the leader of the Bulldogs’ three-peat squad.

Sports U aims to promote athletes who have inspiring stories to share and may possibly become future sports stars of the country. It also promotes fitness and healthy lifestyle by looking into how celebrities stay in shape.

Sports U airs after Bandila on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167).

Catch up via or iwantv.com.ph or skyon-

tin patrimonio talks about life, tennis and the uAAp championship on “Sports u”

demand.com.ph for Sky subscribers Follow their Facebook page at http://facebook.

com/SportsUtv and official Twitter account (@SportsUTV) for more updates.

Sen. chiz Escudero and host-comedian Vic Sotto

chiz thanks ‘Bossing’ Vic for support Vice presidential candidate Sen. Chiz Escudero is grateful for the support shown by “Bossing” Vic Sotto and wife Pauleen Luna to him and to presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe. On Tuesday last week, the TV host and comedian joined the Chiz-Grace tandem in their campaign sortie in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

It was the first time that Bossing publicly showed his support for the tandem, amid his bother Sen. Tito Sotto already being part of Partido Galing at Puso ticket.

Sotto and Luna took the center stage during the campaign rally held in Lapu-lapu City to the delight of an estimated crowd of 8,000 people chanting “Bossing! Bossing!

Bossing!” He also exchanged banter with Dabarkads co-host Ruby Rodriguez, who also endorses the team.

In the rally, people also noticed Kapamilya star Bela Padilla, Susan Roces’s co-star in the series FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, joining them.

“Kung si Chiz may Heart, ako may P,” he said, eliciting laughter from the audience.

Sotto took a selfie with the crowd as his background, and shouted “Grace-Chiz kita! Grace-Chiz tayo!”

Overjoyed by the TV host’s support, in his Instagram account, Escudero posted a photo with Sotto backstage. “With Bossing at our rally at Lapu-lapu City, Cebu…

Maraming salamat poe sa paniniwala at pagtitiwala,” the senator captioned the photo.

Meanwhile, Chiz’s wife, actress Heart Evangelista and Sen. Poe’s sister Lovi Poe have been tirelessly touring the country campaigning for the Chiz-Grace tandem.

The two Kapuso stars said that they will never get tired touring all parts of the country just to convince Filipinos to vote for the Poe and Escudero.

“We’re doing this because we wanted to personally tell our kababayan how committed Chiz and Grace are in serving the country,” Heart affirmed.

sat urday : a pril 16, 2016

C8

isaH V. rEd EDITOR NiCKiE WaNG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Jodi sta. Maria and Julia Montes (center) are both named Best actress at the 14th Gawad tanglaw awards

ABS-CBN WINS GAWAD TANGlAW AWARDS BEST TV STATION ANEW, hAulS 24 TROphIES

a

BS-CBN Corporation picked up another Best TV Station trophy as its radio, news, and cable TV platforms were also recognized to amass a total of 24 awards at the 14th Gawad Tanglaw awards held at De La SalleZobel Alabang last week, April 8.

The country’s leading media and entertainment company won most of the major awards for entertainment, as expected, and also made a killing in the news and current affairs categories.

TV Patrol’s Noli De Castro won Best Male Anchor in a News Program; My Puhunan was named Best Public Service Program; SOCO won Best Investigative Program; while ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel; took home Best Business Pro-

angel aquino’s performance in “Maalaala Mo Kaya” won her an award

gram (On The Money); Best Lifestyle Program (Green Living); Best Opinion Talk Show (Headstart with Karen Davila); and Best Sports Program (Hardball).

Not to be outdone, DZMM, which was hailed yet again as Radio Station of the Year, also received Best Radio Female Anchor (Kaye Dacer for Aksyon Ngayon) and Natatanging Tanglaw ng Bayan sa Sining ng Radyo (Usapang Kapatid).

The 14-year-old award-giving body, which is composed of respected critics, scholars, and academicians, also honored the network’s top-rating entertainment programs and artists with Best TV Series (FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano), Best Variety Show (ASAP), Best Comedy Show (Home Sweetie Home), Best Game Show (Celebrity Play-

time), Best Reality/Talent Show (Your Face Sounds Familiar), and Natatanging Gawad sa TV-Edukasyon (Nathaniel).

Awards for the Kapamilya stars and talents were led by ties between Coco Martin (FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano) and Paulo Avelino (Bridges of Love) for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series and between Julia Montes (Doble Kara) and Jodi Sta. Maria (Pangako Sa ‘Yo), who both took home the Best Performance by an Actress in a TV series.

Other Kapamilya personalities who received awards were Marco Antonio Masa (Natatanging Baata for Nathaniel), Pilar Pilapil (Best Supporting Actress for Etiquette for Mistresses), Gerald Anderson (Best Single Performance by an Actor, for

Clarence delgado, who plays toni Gonzaga’s little brother Gus abelgas receives the Best in “Home sweetie Home,” accepts the Best Comedy show investigative program award for “sOCO” award for the sitcom

an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya), Angel Aquino (Best Single Performance by an Actress, for an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya), and ABS-CBN’s FM radio station MOR 101.9’s DJ Chacha (Best Radio DJ).

This is the 5th Best TV Station won by ABS-CBN this year. The multimedia corporation, which has long expanded its business beyond TV and radio broadcasting, is also the leader in the film, music, cable TV, and publishing industries in the Philippines. It also pioneered digital television through its “mahiwagang black box” ABS-CBN TVplus, and has its own mobile telephone company, ABS-CBNmobile, which offers exclusive made-for-mobile content, one of ABS-CBN’s many innovations as a pioneer in media and entertainment in the nation.

paulo avelino tied with Coco Martin (not present) for Best actor at the annual tV awards

‘MMK’ presents the Nonito donaire story Today, MMK presents the inspiring life story of Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr., who overcame bullying to become a world boxing champion.

Nonito’s childhood was mostly miserable. Aside from always getting mocked at school because of his small stature, he also got beaten up by his grandfather whenever he would do something wrong.

Soon enough, his father brought him, together with his other siblings, to the US, but the bullying worsened because people hit him at school.

At age 11, he started training for boxing only because of his father’s encouragement, until he became a professional boxer at 18.

But he then quit boxing when he discovered that his father was having an illicit affair, only

to go back to it upon his mother’s request.

He reunited with his father until another serious disagreement arose between them, when his father expressed his disapproval of Nonito’s relationship with Rachel.

Joining this MMK episode are Kyle Banzon, Ian De Leon, Mickey Ferriols, Claire Ruiz, Ken Anderson, Harvey Bautista, Mitch Naco, Gigi Locsin, Ces Aldaba,

sam Concepcion plays Nonito donaire, Jr. in today’s episode of “MMK.” Joining the young actor are (from left) ian de leon, Mickey Ferriols and Kyle Banzon

Niña Dolino, and Josh Ford.

The episode is directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng and written by Benson Logronio. MMK is led by business unit head Malou Santos.

MMK airs every Saturday on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167). Catch its latest episodes on iwantv.com.ph or skyondemand.com.ph for Sky subscribers.