The Standard - 2016 May 04 - Wednesday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXX NO. 81 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 WEDNESDAY : MAY 4, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Comelec: Supplies ready for elections

‘COUP IMMINENT IF DUTERTE WINS’ Trillanes warns of unrest if leftists share power By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Othel V. Campos

AN ADMINISTRATION led by presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte would be vulnerable to a coup, said Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a former Navy officer who led two failed mutinies in 2003 and 2007. Speaking at a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents of the Philippines (Focap) Tuesday, Trillanes said most members of

the military are averse to any form of power-sharing with the communist movement that the Davao mayor is proposing.

“It is going to be very easy to recruit people for such a military intervention,” said Trillanes. Trillanes, who recently accused Duterte of failing to report millions of pesos in a secret bank account, said even if the mayor wins on May 9, he takes office on June 30 and there was still time for people to stop him from taking office. He said the Ombudsman, the Anti-Money Laundering Council and other government agencies

were not investigating Duterte’s finances. “Back in 2001, we found a creative way of removing a sitting president who got mandate from the people,” said Trillanes, referring to ousted President Joseph Estrada. Trillanes also dared Duterte to file a libel complaint against him. “My accusations against him was very grave. I am accusing him of having ill-gotten wealth worth P2.4 billion. He can file a libel case

against me,” he said. “But you see, he wont file a libel case... You know why? Because if he files a case against me, the bank accounts now will be exempted from the Bank Secrecy Law.” Earlier, Trillanes told broadcaster and former vice president Noli de Castro in a radio interview that Duterte was bent on setting up a revolutionary government with the help of Jose Ma. Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Next page

In prayer. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte prays with longtime friend Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, whom the candidate admitted gave him various properties and vehicles, during a telecast of Quiboloy’s television program Monday night. SONSHINE MEDIA

Charges filed vs Finance, BoC heads

Bongbong: Noynoy sabotaged by his men honest intention of reducing corruption, but the people around him VICE presidential candidate Senator failed to help him,” Marcos said in Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday Filipino. that President Benigno Aquino III He said that as a result of politics, should be credited for launching an there was a widespread perception that anti-corruption drive, even though it Mr. Aquino’s opponents were proslost its luster when politics came into ecuted to the hilt, while Palace allies the picture. were largely allowed to go scot-free. “In my view, the President had the During his campaign sorties, Mar-

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

cos has called for national unity, saying politics should not influence governance and public service. “They should no longer be doing politics. An official should do what he ought to do to have an orderly government, so that many services will be felt by the people, so that our people will feel the wealth of our country,” he Next page said.

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Purisima, Lina face corruption charges

In a complaint filed Tuesday, lawyer Elvira Cruz, Customs port collector in Bataan and other similarly situated officers accused Lina of defying Civil Service Commission and Court of Appeals rulings that ordered him and Purisima to reinstate them in their old posts. President Benigno Aquino III, they said, was aware that the bureau suffered a P169.02-billion shortfall in collections over the last three years because of the inefficiency and incompetence of their replacements. “We can only surmise the reason behind the hiring of co-terminus, non-career and unskilled retired generals and personnel, including utility men, whose only job was to sign papers to allow the releases of shipments,” Cruz said. “These retired generals and other non-organic personnel replaced those who were in the Customs bureau for as long as 29 years and were assigned to plantilla positions that are not allowed by law and given compensation higher than what we are receiving,” Cruz said. “Can you imagine me, a lawyer, being replaced by a retired Coast Guard commodore, who knows nothing about the Bureau of Customs? Then he was replaced by a utility man, whose job was only to sign papers and God knows if he knew what those papers were,” Cruz told The Standard. “That mere act alone was tantamount to constructive dismissal against me, not to mention them threatening my security of tenure,” she added. Another Customs official who requested anonymity said the incompetence had cost the government some P201 million in double

salary expenses and a P169.02 billion shortfall in revenuefor the past three years. In 2013, Cruz said President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order 139 creating the Office of Revenue Agency Modernization (ORAM), where some 50 retired generals and 17 other Department of Finance executives were made to hold office. The President subsequently issued EO 140 creating Customs Policy Research Office, where all the 67 floating officials were assigned, without a clear mandate. Both offices were placed under Purisima’s supervision in the DoF and physically situated in the DoF building with the BoC as their mother unit. Cruz said she filed a case with the Civil Service Commission and won, and the Court of Appeals affirmed the commission’s ruling. But Purisima and Lina continued to defy both rulings, prompting Cruz to file graft and administrative charges against them. Purisima maintained the order of the President stands unless revoked by the chief executive. “The reason why [Purisima and Lina] opted to deploy an inexperienced and underqualified employee for the position can only be surmised. Notwithstanding the reason, however, these facts bear relevance: Prejudice has been caused to an employee who, by law, should be reinstated to the position. Likewise, prejudice has been caused to the government which is made to pay an individual who is underqualified for a position,” Cruz said. Cruz said Purisima and Lina violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by failing to heed the

CSC order. In his motion for reconsideration, Purisima said Cruz had proved she was effective and efficient in her new position at the CPRO, a claim Cruz disputed. All 67 officials who were put on floating status, including Cruz, were made to report to the CPRO, where little work was done and where they were not allowed to leave their desks from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Another official who was put on floating status at the CPRO told The Standard they were put in an office and were made to share the room with security guards, who were also victims of “not having padrinos.” “How would Purisima justify a security guard being tasked to make policies and research? While most of us can do it, they did not allow us to do anything. The President’s EOs may sound so respectable and exciting because the CPRO is supposed to initiate reforms in the BoC but the truth is, we were made to report everyday to do nothing only because they wanted to place their own men in highly sensitive and strategic positions like those we once held. We still hold the position and are getting paid for it but we were placed on floating status for the past three years,” the source said. Cruz confirmed the situation. Cruz said a port collector from Mindanao was uprooted and brought to Manila because a retired general took her position. “That official had to leave her minor daughter and a paralyzed husband and had to rent a small room in Manila so as not to lose her job because she was the only breadwinner. Her only mistake was that someone Purisima or Lina knew was interested in her post or they trusted him so much even if he was not qualified for the job,” Cruz said. The source said those who dared leave their desks were slapped with several administrative cases, including “loafing” or loitering. Among the ranking officials who were put on floating status were two deputy commissioners, five directors, 17 Customs collectors from 17 ports all over the country, deputy collectors and those in the intelligence division.

Bongbong: ...

Marcos also said the surge in his survey standings despite criticisms from his opponents and the Palace was due to his clear and relevant program of government and his call for national unity. Marcos also cited the positive traits of his rivals for the vice presidency, describing Senator Gregorio Honasan and Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano as “brave.” Administration candidate Leni Robredo, he added, was candid and transparent, noting that she said she was not yet ready to become a vice president before she ran. He also credited Senator Francis Escudero for being knowledgeable in governance due to his extensive experience as a public servant. Also on Tuesday, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino announced it was supporting Marcos in the coming elections. LDP secretary-general Demaree Raval said the party decided to support Marcos during a recent consul-

tation among party members and officers. “Following nationwide consultations by the LDP national leadership, the party have decided to endorse the vice presidential candidacy of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., in an effort to start a genuine healing process that continues to elude the country despite its newfound democracy,” said Raval in a statement. “There has been too much division and corrosion of the political community wrought by politics. It’s time to move and look forward,” he said. A new Pulso ng Pilipino poll of 1,800 registered voters conducted from April 11 to 16 showed Marcos still ahead in the vice presidential race with 31 percent, ahead of Robredo at 25 percent, Escudero at 18 percent, Cayetano at 15 percent, Honasan at 5 percent, and Trillanes at 3 percent. The survey has margin of error of + 2.5 percent.

By Christine F. Herrera

FINANCE Secretary Cesar Purisima and Customs Commissioner Albert Lina were accused of graft and grave abuse of authority before the Office of the Ombudsman Tuesday for putting 67 career officials on floating status and replacing them with “unfit” retired generals who cost the government an extra expense of P201 million for salaries.

From A1

Earlier, Marcos said he is ready and willing to help whoever wins as the country’s next president. On the homestretch of the campaign period, Marcos has kept to his vow not to engage in mudslinging. He said the next chief executive of the country should have a good working relationship with the vice president to be able to move the country towards progress. “There should be partnership between the next president and the vice president even if they don’t come from the same party. There should be a good working relationship between them in order to implement programs that will be felt by everyone,” Marcos said in an interview with Net 25. Marcos said he could work with any of the presidential candidates and would give his all-out support to the next administration.

Complaint. Lawyer Elvira Cruz shows the affidavit she filed with the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City detailing charges against Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina on Tuesday. MANNY PALMERO

‘Coup... From A1

“[Duterte’s] partners are communists, like Joma Sison,” Trillanes said. “They have an agreement. [Duterte] is really a disciple of Joma Sison and he does not even deny it. But I fear something more serious, not only corruption but a real threat to democracy,” Trillanes said. “He keeps on saying, ‘This is what we will do, if you really like me, this is what I will do. I will form a revolutionary government, maybe I will have to kill people,’” Trillanes said paraphrasing what Duterte has been saying in his campaign rallies. Sison himself agreed that a ceasefire between communist rebels and government is possible if Duterte wins the presidency. In an earlier interview, Sison said the communists would readily speed up negotiations with a Duterte administration. “He has gone so far as to express interest in a coalition government and in addressing the roots of the armed conflict and working out the necessary agreements on social, economic and political reforms in order to achieve a just and lasting peace,” Sison told journalists last year. More recently, Sison said he was looking forward to a ceasefire if Duterte becomes president and returning home after living in exile in The Netherlands since 1987. Duterte had said at Lyceum of the Philippines that Sison was one of his college professors and he played a big role in molding his views, which led him to join the communist-linked Kabataang Makabayan group in the late 1960s. Sison said he spoke with Duterte last April 26 and the Davao City mayor said he would offer a cessation of hostilities with the

communist guerrillas and Muslim secessionist forces once he is president. Duterte’s publicly declared closeness to Sison and the NPA rebels has caused concern in the military. His pronouncements have also spooked the business community. Speaking before the annual economic forum sponsored by the Economic Journalist Association of the Philippines in collaboration with the ING Bank, Makati Business Club chairman Ramon del Rosario hit Duterte for his “lack of respect for the rule of law.” “The image he created in my mind is a disturbing one. What he probably indicated is a lack of respect for the rule of law. To my mind the rule of law is extremely important if we want to have confidence in our economy,” he said. He noted that in the Philippine setting, the rule of law is the foundation of knowledge where confidence is built, and where there is confidence there will be investments that will create jobs. “So if we don’t have investments, we will not have jobs. Then, we will have a problem moving forward,” he added. He cautioned not only fellow businessmen but the voting public in general to make the right choices and look carefully at what the candidates have been laying out as promises. Del Rosario singled out Duterte for his penchant for quick fixes and the anarchic mode of resolving issues and problems that can be settled in ways more diplomatic. “Some people say that’s just tough talk, that he will not do what he says. But the biggest question is, what if he does? Sometimes more than not, we hope that the candidate will do as they promise. This is one time that I hope this one particular candidate will not do [as he] promises,” he said.

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All supplies ready for elections AN OFFICIAL of the Commission on Elections said Tuesday the deployment of vote counting machines, official ballots and other supplies were almost complete as this year’s elections neared. Comelec Commissioner Sheriff Abas told reporters the only deployment still pending was that for the scissors to be used to cut the printed voting receipts. "We won. At least we have good news for today," Abas said. He said the Manila Regional Trial Court had denied the petition filed by AIR21 against the Comelec and the winning bidder 2GO regarding the deployment of some P92 million worth of vote counting machines. He said the deliveries were almost 100-percent complete and that there were contingency plans in place. "The final testing and sealing will continue and hopefully our election will happen on May 9," Abas said. He made his statement even as Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said the Comelec would wait for 90 percent of all the votes to be canvassed before proclaiming the 12 senators who won in this year’s elections. But she said the proclamation might take longer since the commission en banc had decid-

ed to proclaim the 12 winning senators rather than declaring the winners in batches. “What we are going to do now is we will finish the counting and the canvassing and we will promulgate all 12 together. All at once,” Guanzon said. She said the decision was made to prevent vote trending and instill fairness in the electoral race. “We cannot do trending. Trending is against the law,” Guanzon said. “So that it will not be unfair to those trailing, 11th or 12th, let us wait for the completion of the canvassing before the en banc proclaims the winners.” Guanzon said the proclamation was unlikely on the night of the elections. “ In the past it took a few days… [but] I don’t want to speculate,” she said. In the 2013 elections the first six winning senators were proclaimed three days after the elections, with the next three proclaimed a day later and the final three the next day. Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

Ready for the elections. The Armed Forces of the Philippines launched on Tuesday its National Election Monitoring center to consolidate and coordinate information critical to the conduct of clean elections in 2016 in line with the AFP’s task as one of the Comelec’s deputized agencies. MANNY PALMERO

Binay to improve health care services PRESIDENTIAL candidate Jejomar Binay on Tuesday vowed to spend at least five percent of the country’s gross domestic product on health care services to help the poor who don’t have the money to spend for those. He said he wanted to achieve universal health care coverage in the country by implementing nationwide Makati’s Yellow Card program as an expansion of the PhilHealth program. “I believe that no one should die of sickness due to poverty,” Binay said. “We will establish a comprehensive health care system anchored on primary care, which is promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative and provides free medical services to indigents and senior citizens.” Binay said he will implement

nationwide Makati’s Yellow Card program that was recognized by the United Nations-Habitat as one of the world’s best. The Yellow Card program provides free maternal, child and elderly care, free outpatient consultations and medicines and government-subsidized hospitalization on top of PhilHealth benefits. “Isang layunin ng Yellow Card program ay mabawasan ang mga out-of-pocket expenses ng mga mahihirap,” Binay said. Data from the National Statistical Coordination Board shows that the Filipino households still carry most of the spending burden for health care despite the total spending for health care increasing by 11.7 percent year on year to P526.3 billion in 2013. Private out-of-pocket spending accounted for 56.3 percent

of the total or some P296.5 billion. Meanwhile, each Filipino spent P5,360 for health-related expenses in 2013—a 9.8-percent increase from P4,881 per capita expenditure recorded in 2012. Binay also said he would spend at least 5 percent of the country’s GDP for health care services in line with the World Health Organization’s recommendations. He said he will address the 3.5 doctors per 1,000 population ratio to the ideal 1.5 doctors for every 1,000 population by increasing the benefits for health workers, nurses, midwives and their families aside from implementing the Doctors to the Barrios program. Binay said he will also establish and rehabilitate hospitals, clinics and evacuation centers and put up health centers in every village. Vito Barcelo

Poe returns to woo 1.7-million voters

Launching. PPCRV National Chairman Henrieta De Villa with Comelec officials inspect a Smartmatic counting machine during the launching of the new command center office of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting in preparation for the national elections in 2016. LINO SANTOS

CAVITE—Senator Grace Poe returned to this province on Tuesday to woo its 1.7-million voters to back her bid for the country’s highest elective position. The Revillas, led by former Senator Ramon Revilla Sr. and his son, detained Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. and the Remullas have been known as the “political bigwigs” in this province. The Revillas are rooting for Poe but the Remullas are divided between Vice President Jejomar Binay and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Binay’s former spokesman, Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla, has bolted the United Nationalist Alliance and joined Duterte, the standard bearer of PDP-Laban. Binay, who is running under UNA, is leading the opposition in the coming elections. The province’s Vice Gov. Jolo Revilla, who belongs to the thirdgeneration Revillas, is also sup-

porting Poe. Together with the local candidates of Cavite, Revilla has joined Poe and three of her candidates for senator: Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, former Optical Media Board chairman Edu Manzano and lawyer Lorna Kapunan. Poe’s six-hour motorcade in the province started at 7 a.m. in Dasmariñas City and ended in the Southwoods Subdivision at the boundary of Cavite and Laguna. Poe was warmly welcomed by Cavite’s residents who braved the scorching heat of the sun as they waited for her motorcade. A vehicle bearing the sticker of Poe and Marcos and another with the campaign banner of the Cavite vice governor and Romualdez were seen in the longest-ever motorcade of Poe’s Galing at Puso. The jingles of Marcos and Romualdez were continuously

played during the motorcade. There was also a vehicle with the name of the Partido ng Bayan ang Bida, a party-list group identified with Poe’s father Fernando Poe Jr. PBB is endorsing Poe’s presidential bid but not Escudero. It earlier endorsed the vice presidential candidacy of Marcos. In an ambush interview at the sidelines of the motorcade, Poe was surprised when informed that PBB was part of the motorcade. “There was a PBB vehicle? You know, with our lengthy motorcade, while we were not yet finished going around, others have reached the finish line,” Poe said. Aside from PBB, she said, there were also other groups who were supporting her candidacy like the Magdalo Group of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV who is running for vice president. Macon RamosAraneta

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Duterte admits other assets By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENTIAL frontrunner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte admitted on Monday that he received expensive gifts from long-time friend, religious leader Apollo Quiboloy, even as he dismissed his accuser Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as a “paid mongrel.” But his rival, administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II, said the mayor is bending the law at his own convenience although the mayor had been a city prosecutor who cannot claim ignorance of the law. Duterte said Quiboloy gave him two real properties and two cars, but he did not specify who is the registered owner of the properties. “When I was mayor, Pastor [Quiboloy] bought three properties. I’ll buy for your children in case you die from doing your job. He gave me a house in Woodridge. I didn’t accept it but it’s there. Go to Woodridge, who bought it? It’s Pastor who paid,” Duterte said. The mayor revealed that Quiboloy gave him another lot at the Royal Pines subdivision in Matina, Davao City. Duterte also revealed that Quibolloy also gave him two luxury vehicles— a Nissan Safari and a Ford Expedition— which he both rejected but his daughter, former Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio, wanted to keep it. “I returned it. But Inday [Sara] went crazy because she wanted it. Where will you get money for gas? You’re foolish,” the mayor said. Duterte also described Quiboloy to be so generous “that every time he would buy something, he would buy two” so he could give him one. In the same interview, Duterte said that he will continue accepting favors from Quiboloy, who he said even offered to lend Duterte his private jet for the mayor’s personal use. “I said, I’ll use it if I win. I’ll sleep in Davao every day. That’s a service and a contribution of Pastor to the government,” he added. But Roxas, in an interview at Iloilo City, scored the mayor for breaking the law. “The law is very clear,” Roxas said. “First of all, it’s not right to accept gifts especially if you’re a public servant. Second, these are not declared in your [statement of assets and liabilities and net worth], if you have nothing to hide, right?”

Call me attorney.

An unidentified bar examinee jubilates after passing the 2015 bar examination taken at the Supreme Court. LINO SANTOS

UP grad tops bar; SC eyes revised rules By Rey E. Requejo A GRADUATE of the University of the Philippines led the 1,731 passers in last year’s Bar examinations, the Supreme Court announced on Tuesday. SC 2015 Bar Committee chairperson Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro said the passers represent 26.21 percent of the total of 6,605 graduates who completed the four-Sunday exams in November last year. De Castro noted that the percentage of Bar passers is higher than the 18.82 percent in the 2014 examinations, which represented 1,126 passers of a total 5,984 takers. According to her, unlike in the two previous years, the high court did not lower the passing grade of 75 percent. She said the passers would formally take their oath as new lawyers on June 16 at 2 p.m. at the Philippine International Con-

vention Center. The SC magistrate also revealed that the Rachel Angeli B. Miranda, a graduate of UP College of Law, is last year’s Bar exams topnotcher, with an average of 87.4 percent. Angeli said her landing as topnotcher came as a surprise. “I never expected it. I did my best, I tried my best during the exams, but the result still came as a surprise. I couldn’t believe it because what I was really just hoping for was to pass. I just wanted to pass, that’s it,” shared Miranda, who also finished her undergraduate degree in UP Diliman as a scholar. Miranda said she and her batch mates barely had five months to review for the Bar, having graduated in June 2015. “We were all pretty scared that we didn’t have enough time to prepare for it, but our professors kept telling us that we already had four years in law

school to prepare for this, that we shouldn’t be scared of passing, that we will pass. That helped me get through it,” she added. Aside from Miranda, three more graduates of UP law made it to the top 10, namely: Jayson Aguilar in third place with average of 86.75 percent, Giselle Hernandez in sixth place with 86.1 percent and Jedd Brian Hernandez in ninth place with 85.8 percent. The other bar takers who made it to the top 10 are: Athena Plaza of University of San Carlos in Cebu in second place with 87.25 percent; Reginald Arceo of Ateneo de Manila University in fourth place with 86.70 percent; Mandy Therese Anderson, also of Ateneo, in fifth place with 86.15 percent; Darniel Bustamante of San Beda College-Manila in seventh place with 85.9 percent; Jecca Jacildo of USC, Soraya Laut of Xavier University and

Jericho Tiu of Ateneo, tied in eighth place with 85.85 percent; and Ronel Buenaventura of Bulacan State University and Lara Carmela Fernando of San Beda College-Manila in 10th place with 85.75 percent. To give them credit for the successful 2015 Bar exams, the SC also disclosed the examiners for the eight Bar subjects: Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang for Political Law and Public International Law, SC spokesman Theodore Te for Labor and Social Legislation, Atty. Rita Linda-Jimeno for Civil Law, Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Amelia Cotangco-Manalastas for Taxation, Atty. Rafael Morales for Mercantile Law, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Efren Dela Cruz for Criminal Law, Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo for Remedial law and Associate Justice Maria Theresa Mendoza-Arcega for Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises.

GMA may vote in hometown By Rey E. Requejo

Planting evidence. Chief Public Attorney Persida Rueda-Acosta accompanies her clients Salvacion Cortabista and her husband Esteban in filing a complaint at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court against personnel of Office of Transportation Security whom they believed planted a bullet in their luggage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. DANNY PATA

DETAINED former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been allowed to vote in her hometown of Lubao, Pampanga on May 9. In its en banc session on Tuesday, the Supreme Court granted the plea of Mrs. Arroyo, who is currently detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, to be allowed to vote on May 9 elections. The former president will leave the hospital at 7 a.m. to travel to Lubao, but she has to return after she casts her vote. Arroyo, 68, is being tried by the Sandiganbayan for plunder, in connection with the

alleged misuse of P366 million in intelligence funds for the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office from 2008 to 2010. However, the trial proceedings have been suspended for 60 days, the second extension granted by the SC which is still deliberating on Arroyo’s appeal for the reversal of the Sandiganbayan decision, denying her bid to post bail. In her petition, Arroyo cited her deteriorating health in asking the tribunal to overturn the rulings of the antigraft court. Arroyo also noted that the SC had ruled in many cases that detainees are entitled to

bail “if their continuous confinement during the pendency of their case would be injurious to their health or endanger their life.” The petitioner invoked the case of De la Rama, where the high court ruled that hospital arrest “fell short of meeting or accomplishing the humanitarian purpose or reason underlying the doctrine adopted by modern trend of courts’ decisions which permit bail to prisoners, irrespective of the nature and merits of the charge against them, if their continuous confinement during the pendency of their case would be injurious to their health or endanger their life.

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‘Tanim bala’ raps versus 3 OTS men

Warm welcome. Vice presidential candidate Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. draws a warm reception from Quezon City residents during his motorcade around the city last Monday. He is accompanied by Tates Gana (left), who is running for councilor in the city’s 6th district, and his sister, Irene Marcos-Araneta.

TWo airport security screeners and a wheelchair attendant have been charged before the Pasay City Fiscal office with conspiring to extort money from a couple by planting a live bullet inside one of their bags at the Naia Terminal 1 last April 19 prior to their flight to the United States. Spouses Salvacion and Esteban Cortabista accused screeners Ferdinand Morales and Fatti Dame Go of the office of Transport Security and wheelchair attendant Niño Namba for violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act; robbery with intimidation of a person and unjust vexation. The Cortabistas through their lawyer Public Attorney’s office chief Persida Rueda Acosta asked the Pasay City prosecutor to indict the three accused for allegedly committing those criminal acts. Rey Requejo

Election day outages feared By Maricel V. Cruz Senatorial candidate leyte rep. Martin romualdez on tuesday expressed concern over the possibility of rotating brownouts hitting Mindanao on election day, stressing this is a serious threat to truthful and honest elections. Romualdez, head of the House Independent Bloc, said the Department of Energy should have been able to find solution to ensure adequate power supply on May 9, 2016. “This is unacceptable and a serious threat to the integrity of the polls. The possible rotating brownouts could have been prevented had the DoE work double time a long time ago in ensuring sufficient energy requirements for the May 9 polls,” Romualdez lamented.

During last week’s consultative hearing called by the House committee on energy, Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada assured the public that there will be no failure of elections, pointing out that there will be enough energy supply before, during and after the May 9 general elections But this week, Monsada warned of rotating brownouts in Mindanao on election day, but assured the public that there would be enough power for Mindanao poll-

ing centers to transmit election results. Romualdez reiterated his challenge for the presentation of a “dependable” contingency measures that would guarantee a stable power supply aimed at averting the possible failure of elections. He said the DoE should already have presented a well-planned and reliable contingency measures to address possible failure of elections in Mindanao because of the delayed repairs of power transmissions that were earlier bombed in North Cotabato and Lanao del Sur. “What we want to hear is a categorical statement on their preparedness in averting a failure of elections as a result of the delayed repairs of transmission towers,” Romualdez stressed. “The government must guar-

antee the public that it is capable of preventing power outages during the election day especially in Mindanao,” said Romualdez, who earlier condemned the series of bombings of power transmissions in Mindanao which drew public fears about potential failure of elections in the country’s second largest island with nearly 13-million registered voters. Latest reports quoted Monsada that Luzon and Visayas’s power supply were positive. The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines had said Mindanao would not have a gross reserve of power. It said that systems demand in the island group was projected to peak at 1,490 megawatts, while available capacity was only 1,415 megawatts - short by 75 megawatts.

France sends stealth ship By Florante S. Solmerin

Shabu on the seaside. A scene-of-the-crime operative inspects the boxes containing 60 kilos of shabu found inside an abandoned van along the Pasay City seaside on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Police said that the van was parked in the area for several days. DANNY PATA

THE French Navy has sent one of its stealth ships to the Philippines for a goodwill visit, adding to the list of visiting militaries such as the United States, Japan and Australia— all of which are advocates of freedom of navigation in the disputed sea in Southeast Asia that China wants to have full control. This developed as Japan agreed to lease military aircraft to the Philippines in another sign of deepening security ties between the two countries to counter China’s increasing regional infouence. Philippine Navy spokesman Captain Lued Lincuna said the French Navy ship Guepratte (F714) will be arriving on May 4 at Pier 15, South Harbor, Manila. Skippered by female commander Claire Pothier, the warship will stay in the country until May 7. Guepratte is a multi-mission La Fayette-class stealth frigate whose visit will involve a series of confidence building engagements between the two navies including a goodwill soccer game. Lincuna said the French Navy’s mission is also for “sustained promotion of peace and stability, and enhancement of maritime cooperation through naval diplomacy and camaraderie.”

SIM fraud suspects: Japanese, 10 Filipinos A JAPANESE national along with 10 Filipino employees of a Makati-based firm were arrested for their alleged role in a multi-million digital fraud. PNP Anti-Cyber Crime Group’s Senior Supt Guillerno Lorenzo Eleazar said the Japanese and the 10 employees of Tech Resource Inc. situated at Dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City, were involved in Subscriber Identity Module (Sim) card cracking activities in the country. The suspects: Yuseke otani, 30; Bonna Salamat, 30; Fea Alyana, 22; Neil Stevens Cruz, 24; Ashley Solomon, 25; Mark Neil Sta Catalina, 23; Keith Manuntag, 20; Edna Atcha, 47; Ma Ellaine Garcia; Jackilyn Acha, 26; and Lamberto Tagguiped, 46. Police seized computers, routers, telephones, SIM cards, servers, GSM gateways, laptops, CCTV cameras, cable, cellular phones and documents allegedly used by the suspects in their illegal activities. Francisco Tuyay

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3 Metro cities under watch By Rio N. Araja

A HUMAN rights watchdog will field its own team in three areas of concern in Metro Manila—Manila, Caloocan City and Makati City—to monitor electionrelated violations of human rights. The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates said tension can be expected to grip the three areas of

concerns because of intense political rivalry, according to Rose Trajano of PAHRA. “We will stay vigilant over

any incidence of killings, torture, and illegal arrest and detention in many areas of Manila, Caloocan and Makati,” Trajano told The Standard during the forum “Bantay Karapatan sa Halalan” at the Commission on Human Rights in Quezon City. “They have been considered election hot spots even in the past elections.” The mayoralty race in Manila is a three-way battle among Mayor Joseph

Estrada, former mayor Alfredo Lim and District 5 Rep. Amado Bagatsing. In Caloocan, the incumbent representative Enrico Echiverri is pitted against the incumbent Mayor Oscar Malapitan. Makati Rep. Abigail Binay is up against Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña. “Political rivalry is intense in the three metro’s election hot spots,” Trajano said. The Commission on Elec-

tions, in a memorandum of agreement, has allowed Bantay Karapatan sa Halalan composed of PAHRA, Lente, Dakila and CHR to go inside the polling precincts, observe and document any election-related human rights violations. CHR chairman Chito Gascon said they are still waiting for Comelec’s final instruction on what would happen if ballots would run out in a polling precinct.

“As we move closer to May 9, voters are more prone to threats, intimidation. We would like to call on the security forces to ensure that this problem would be prevented. Also, the threat to life and security of the candidates’ increases, hence we would like to remind them again to report to the police immediately on the first sign of threat to their or their supporters’ persons,” he pointed out.

Sample email:

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION 02 MAY 2016

FDA CIRCULAR No. 2016-004 TO

: ALL ESTABLISHMENTS REGULATED BY THE THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION SEEKING LICENSE TO OPERATE (LTO)

SUBJECT : Procedure on the Use of the New Application Form for License To Operate (LTO) thru the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Electronic Portal (e-portal) In consonance with Section 5 (Re-engineering of Systems and Procedures) of Republic Act No. 9485, also known as the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, the Food and Drug Administration hereby adopts a new application process and form for License To Operate which are navigable and accessible thru the electronic portal found at the FDA website (www.fda.gov. ph) . This replaces the current Integrated Application Form (IAF) when applying for a License To Operate as indicated in FDA Circular No. 2014-003, “Filing and Receiving of Registration, Licensing and Other Authorizations Using the Integrated Application Form”. The use of the new application form and the corresponding procedures thru the e-portal facilitates application in terms of timeliness and ease of submission especially for applicants outside of the National Capital Region (NCR). Aligning with Republic Act No. 9485, this new process and form will likewise ensure transparency, accountability and greater operational efficiency. Applicant companies are required to provide true, correct, updated and complete information pertaining to their type of application. Documentary requirements as contained in AO No. 2016-0003, “Guidelines on the Unified Licensing Requirements and Procedures of the Food and Drug Administration”, should follow the prescribed specifications: a. All documents for uploading must be in PDF file format, free from bugs, viruses and the like that may jeopardize the system of the FDA; b. Before uploading, all documents must be scanned and complied with 100-150 dotsper-inch (dpi) ; c.

Filename of documents for uploading should be less than 40 characters in length and should not contain the following characters \ ? / : * “ > < |

Accessing the e-portal to file an LTO application requires the use of an authorized User Account to be provided via email by the Public Assistance, Information and Receiving (PAIR) Unit upon request. Details on the issuance of the User Account is discussed in ANNEX A.

Applicant companies with existing User Account and have previously availed of the cosmetics, toys and childcare articles notification and food electronic registration systems need not file a new request for the issuance of another User Account. However, this is subject to validation by PAIR Unit. 3. Please take note that the User Account will be sent to the company e-mail address provided in the body of the request and not to the sender’s e-mail address. The User Account, including the username and password, is company- specific and valid for one (1) year. The FDA should be duly notified thru pair@fda.gov.ph of any changes concerning the authorized representative or reactivation of the User Account before its expiry date. Reactivation request should be sent to pair@fda.gov.ph within three (3) months before the expiration of the User Account. 4. Issuance of the User Account is within two (2) days upon receipt of the complete and compliant request. Request received beyond 5:00 pm on regular working days and on holidays, Saturdays and Sundays shall be processed on the next working day. 5. The PAIR Unit will accommodate request for User Account starting 16 May 2016.

This new application system will be on a pilot run from 01 June 2016 to 31 August 2016. Mandatory use of this web-based application form shall be strictly implemented nationwide starting 01 September 2016, with no exemptions.

ANNEX B Template for the Authorization Letter

Applicant companies, who wish to use the new application form during the pilot run, may start using this medium based on the following schedules per sector :

[[COMPANY LETTERHEAD]]

01 June 2016

Drugstores, Retail Outlet for Non-Prescription Drugs (RONPDs), Contract Research Organizations (CROs)/Sponsors

(DATE)

01 June 2016

All Distributors

The Director General Food and Drug Administration Civic Drive, Filinvest City Alabang, Muntinlupa City

01 August 2016 -

All Manufacturers By Authority of the Secretary of Health

Dear Director General : MARIA LOURDES C. SANTIAGO, MSc., M.M. OIC, Director General

ANNEX A Guidance Notes on the Issuance of the User Account Establishments accessing the FDA e-portal to file for an LTO application, whether initial, renewal or variation/s, shall be required to have an authorized User Account to be provided by the Public Assistance, Information and Receiving (PAIR) Unit via email. The following are the steps in securing a User Account : 1. Accomplish the Authorization Letter for the eLTO User Account application (please refer to ANNEX B). 2. Send a request for a User Account to pair@fda.gov.ph following the format specified below with the signed and notarized Authorization Letter as an attachment. The authorization letter should be scanned and saved in pdf form, and must be free from bugs, viruses and the like that may jeopardize the system of the FDA, before being attached to the email. SUBJECT : Request for eLTO User Account BODY : a. E-mail address (preferably company e-mail address) b. Name of the authorized company representative (preferably permanently employed and not merely a consultant) c. Position in the Company d. Contact Number e. Company Name

In accordance with Republic Act No. 9711 and other related issuances, we ________________________________________(Company Name) with business address at_____________________________________________________________________ hereby authorize _____________________________ (Name of Company Representative) as the account holder of eLTO and shall be responsible for all applications submitted through the e-LTO system. I hereby undertake and warrant that the data and information submitted in connection with this application as well as other submissions in the future including variations, are true, correct and reflect the total information available. ____________________________________ (Owner/President/CEO/Authorized Officer) Subscribed and sworn to me this _______ day of ____ at ___________________________. _________________________ Notary Public

Doc No. __________ Page No. _________ Book No. _________ Series of __________ Standard – May 4, 2016

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EU, UNDP pour in P63m for peace in Mindanao

39 LGUs in state of calamity By John Paolo Bencito

THIRTY-NINE local government units in the country are now under a “state of calamity” following the ill effects of the dry spell this year, the Interior Department and the National Economic and Development Authority said Tuesday.

By Ronald O. Reyes THE European Union and the United Nations Development Programme have funded another peace project amounting to €1.2 million (P63 million) to sustain peace efforts in Mindanao, Southern Philippines. “We would like to keep the dialogue open to strengthen peace-building efforts even in the grassroots level. This initiative would contribute to ensuring participation of all stakeholders especially women and children in local processes, decision-making and conflict mitigation for sustainable peace,” said EU Ambassador Franz Jessen as they launched the new project last week. The EU Ambassador along with UNDP Philippines Country Director Titon Mitra presented the “Support Peace-Bangsamoro Project” that will be implemented from 2016 to mid-2017. With its another funding, the Support PeaceBangsamoro project is geared on giving support capacity-building for local leaders and other stakeholders on public administration and parliamentary processes. It will also strengthen the constituency for peacebuilding in the Bangsamoro, including establishing partnerships with local government units and civil society organizations, and develop platforms that will enable the youth and women to actively engage in peacebuilding. The said project aims to provide support to the Third Party Monitoring of the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Fancy wear. A vendor in Lucena City peddles silver accessories. DIANA B. NOCHE

Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento said that concerned local government units can utilize their respective local calamity funds and tap other available national government funds to help mitigate the effects of the extreme weather phenomenon. These LGUs are: Region 2—the provinces of Isabela and Quirino; Region IVB—the towns of Looc, Magsaysay and Paluan, Occidental Mindoro; Region 9—the town of Titay and Zamboanga City; Region 10—Bukidnon province, and the towns of Libona, Bukidnon, and Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte; Region 11—province of Davao del Sur. For Region 12, the province of Cotabato and the towns of Matalam, Alamada, Carmen, Antipas, Banisilan, Arakan and Pikit, and the cities of Cotabato and Kidapawan; Koronadal City and its component barangays Brgy. Carpenter Hill and Brgy. San Roque; General Santos City and the towns of Banga, Surallah, Tampakan and Tantangan. For CAR, Alfonso Lista in Ifugao; and for ARMM—the province of Maguindanao and the towns of Datu Piang and Pagalungan; Upi in North Maguindanao, the province of Basilan and Lamitan City. Sarmiento said that Section 21 of Republic Act 10121 provides that local governments have to set aside not less than five percent of their yearly budget for a local calamity fund or what is now known as the local disaster risk reduction management fund in their yearly budgets. He explained that the LDRRMF shall cover 30 percent lump-sum allocation for quick response fund or standby fund for relief and recovery programs, and 70 percent allocation for disaster prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, rehabilitation and recovery. LGUs may also access the P19-billion national calamity fund, a lump sum fund appropriated under the General Appropriations Act to cover aid, relief, and rehabilitation services to communities/areas affected by manmade and natural calamities like the El Niño and the Quick Response Fund, a built-in budgetary allocation that represent pre-disaster or standby funds for agencies in order to immediately assist areas stricken by catastrophes and crises like El Niño.

DoE confident of adequate power supply in Luzon, Visayas By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Department is confident that Luzon and Visayas will have adequate power supply during the May 9 national elections as power plants come back from maintenance shutdown and more than 400 megawatts from natural gas plants become available. Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada told reporters that as of Monday, only the 180MW capacity from the Kalayaan hydro facility was under maintenance shutdown. She said the 300 MW of the Ilijan natural gas plant tripped on Monday but was also expected to immediately

come back online. Monsada said the two natural gas plants of First Gen Corp., namely the 100-MW Avion and 414-MW San Gabriel natural gas plants in Batangas have started testing and commissioning that could provide additional buffer in case of increased demand. “There will be additional capacity from San Gabriel and Avion. During the election period, they will be commissioning, around 400 MW which we have not added to the outlook. So we are confident in terms of capacity,” the energy chief said. Monsada reiterated that Mindanao may still have

rotating brownouts in some residential areas although voting centers will have available power. Monsada is also hoping that the first 105-MW unit of the Sarangani Energy coal plant will be up and running by May 9. “We’re just hoping there will not be many unplanned or forced plant outages,” Monsada said, noting that there was a power shortage last April 15 because 10 power plants went offline. No brownouts occurred on that day as participants of the Interruptible Load Program did not draw power from the grid and used their generating sets to reduce demand.

Neat rows. A man arranges smoked fish in Rosario, Cavite. DANNY PATA

W E D N E S D AY: M AY 4 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

BEATING DUTERTE: WHAT THE POLLS INDICATE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

THE DEATH OF RATIONALITY AND CIVILITY AMONG the biggest casualties of the bitterly fought 2016 presidential campaign are rationality and civility. The two commodities have been in short supply, ever since rival camps took to the internet, not only to support their candidates but to mock the competition. On Facebook and other social media networks, there was simply very little evidence that the three official presidential debates encouraged intelligent debate among voters. Instead of a rational examination of all the candidates based on their character, track record and platforms of government, we saw memes that ridiculed them and angry exchanges of insults among supporters of opposing camps. While all sides were guilty of wearing blinders that preclude open discussions, supporters of presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte seemed particularly virulent and intolerant of any view but their own. “Even if he sexually harasses all the women in the Philippines, curses the Pope again and again, kills even the innocent, rapes the dead, steals all the money from government coffers and pays taxes to the communist rebels, I’ll still be for Duterte because he stands for change,” one Duterte supporter said in Filipino in a Facebook exchange. When a senator accused Duterte of stashing millions in a secret bank account in BPI, the mayor’s supporters threatened to pull their deposits from the bank on the farfetched assumption that bank officials would brave imprisonment by violating bank secrecy laws. “Today, I and my husband are going to BPI to close our accounts,” one woman wrote. “The reason—loss of confidence and trust in BPI. If a senator… who is supposed to create laws can break them with impunity for the sake of destroying the reputation of a wellknown bank depositor, like Rody Duterte, how can we, the ordinary people be assured that this will not be done to us?” The woman then urged others to follow her lead, without entertaining even for a moment that the leaked bank information might have come from some other source, or that if the allegations were true, they would certainly cast doubts on her candidate’s honesty. But perhaps the most glaring example of the loss of civility and rationality—and even common decency—was the online bullying that human rights advocate Renee Julienne Karunungan suffered at the hands of Duterte supporters who threatened her for a Facebook meme she created depicting the mayor as “a lazy choice.” Karunungan has filed charges of grave threats against 14 of the cyberbullies, whose messages to her were truly disturbing. “I hope you get raped, or get mugged,” one Duterte supporter told her. “That’s what you want, right? You don’t want change because you are against Duterte. I hope one of these days you get raped so you’ll come to your senses.” Another said: “I have friends who want to kill you. You have the money anyway, save that for your hospital expenses.” How did we get to this point? When did it become all right to insult, browbeat and threaten those who hold political views that are different from ours? Have we become incapable of mature political discourse that is both rational and civil? This question will haunt us long after the heat from the current campaign dissipates and the next president is chosen. We can only hope that we can still step back from the edge where brownshirts and jackboots prevail over reason and conscience.

NOYNOY KILLED CORONA LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES THE doctors said Chief Justice Renato Corona died last Friday of cardiac arrest. I agree with them; he died of a broken heart. These days, when politicians routinely accuse each other of amassing huge sums of money while professing a monopoly on decency, I remember Corona. He was a truly decent man falsely charged with enriching

himself by thieving hypocrites, and yet he still fought a war that he must have known he simply could not win. Corona always believed in the majesty and inherent fairness of the law. He was also convinced that he headed a branch of government co-equal with the presidency and Congress. How wrong he was. And how wrong many of us, who allowed Corona’s thoroughly unjust public humiliation and eventual removal, were. Corona, in his political naivete, committed several fa-

tal mistakes. And foremost of these was trusting that his innocence and the law were enough to make him beat back his powerful accusers. He believed that his appointment late in the Arroyo administration was lawful because the Supreme Court said so, in a 14-0 vote. And then he thought he could get away with winning the case to return the land of Hacienda Luisita to the farmers who tilled it. Corona never expected how vindictive his main adversary was and how willing he

How can anyone mourn the injustices that Aquino committed and not recall what he did to Corona four years ago?

would be to use the limitless resources at his command to get back at the chief justice who dared to engage him in a stare-down. And Corona probably never imagined how easy Congress, both of its craven Houses, would acquiesce to Malacañang’s demands, especially if it was sufficiently larded with Disbursement Acceleration Program funds. Corona was convicted and removed from office because that was what President Noynoy Aquino, still enjoying stratospheric popularity and an unlimited supply of taxpayers’ money, wanted. To believe otherwise, this late in the day,

is to be pig-headed like Noynoy himself—as if refusing to accept blame and responsibility for errors committed in the past absolves the one who committed the error in the first place. But how can anyone bewail the injustices that Aquino committed as president, a fashionable pastime in these times, and not recall what he did to Corona four years ago? How can anyone mourn the victims of the treasonous crimes of this administration, from Abaya to Zamboanga, and forget how

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-

Aquino plotted and suborned, schemed and stole just to exact revenge on the chief justice whom he hated with such a monomaniacal passion? I must insist that Aquino killed Corona, a man whose intellectual and career accomplishments he could never dream of approaching, just as surely as if he took a gun to Corona’s head and pulled the trigger. And those of us who stood idly by— and those who even cheered—were accomplices to the murder of a truly

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great man. Now Corona is dead and Aquino is still alive. Where, pray tell, is the justice in that? *** Like that memorable character in Jose Rizal’s novel, Corona died without seeing the dawn. But I hope that someday, when we are all finally cured of the Yellow plague, that we will understand Corona’s sacrifice— and Aquino’s culpability. Continued on A11

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

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

WITH the May 9, 2016 elections less than a week away, can Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s rivals catch up and steal the presidency from him? The answer is No. The reason is simple arithmetic. In the 1998, 2004 and 2010 presidential elections, the major pollsters always got the winner right though not the winning percentages (which invariably were higher than the ratios monitored by preelection surveys). Digong Duterte’s possible margin of victory is so huge (between four and over five million votes) the only way to defeat him is to cheat him massively. Cheating, however, would trigger violence, on the scale of a mass unrest, erupting not just in Metro Manila and Davao but perhaps in every major city nationwide. In the Pulse Asia poll of April 19-24, 2016 paid for by ABS-CBN, Duterte garnered 33 percent, 11 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival, Senator Grace Poe, with 22 percent. Assuming a voter turnout of 43.49 million, 11 percent is equivalent to 4.78 million votes. The Pulse Asia survey has a margin of error of +/-1.5 percentage points (between 650,000 and 1.3 million votes), with 4,000 respondents. In the Social Weather Stations survey of April 18-20, 2016, Duterte is ahead of Poe by nine percentage points, 33 percent vs. 24 percent. Nine points is equivalent to 3.9 million votes. The SWS poll has a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points (equivalent to 870,000 to 1.73 million votes), with 1,800 respondents. In polling, the more respondents, the better or more accurate the results. With its smaller error margin, Pulse Asia, it seems, is the better and more reliable pollster. In the 1998 presidential election, SWS missed the percentage winning ratio of the president-elect but got the rankings right. Joseph Estrada won the presidency with 39.86 percent (10.722 million votes). He defeated Speaker Jose de Venecia who had 15.87 percent or 4.268 million votes. In its April 16, 1998 survey, SWS predicted a 30 percent share for Erap and 12 Continued on A11

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO Ambassador Del Rosario’s column will resume Friday. Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

BEATING DUTERTE: WHAT THE POLLS INDICATE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

How can anyone mourn the injustices that Aquino committed and not recall what he did to Corona four years ago?

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

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

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POLL CHEATING TODAY’S POLITICIANS COULD IS INEVITABLE USE MORE HOLLYWOOD STYLE TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO BS AQUINO went to the Iglesia Ni Cristo palace in Quezon City. He begged that Iglesia Supremo Eduardo Manalo throw its command votes (two million to 2.5 million) behind administration candidates Mar Roxas for president and Leni Robredo for vice president. It was a sign of panic and desperation. The President must think that Manalo is that stupid to fall for his talk on the continuation of “Daang Matuwid.” Everybody knows that a Roxas administration would mean incompetence and insensitivity, hypocrisy and lies. These have become the hallmarks of the Aquino reign. Manalo told the President that the Iglesia had not yet decided whom to support. Of course the Iglesia hasn’t made up its mind. It still has to collate all the house-tohouse surveys of every INC deacon. They will submit it today during a “samba” and the results will be circulated to all the members. Sources have confirmed, however, that the Iglesia will go for Senator Bongbong Marcos for vice president. While the same sources are not too sure about the presidential candidate to be endorsed, I am told that it’s a toss up among Senator Grace Poe, Vice President Jojo Binay and Davao City mayor Rodrigo Du-Dirty. It all depends on its final survey. Only a miracle can now make Mar Roxas win. Of course, cheating is always an option. BS Aquino has the motive and capability to cheat. That’s a given, because we have a President who is so desperate he would do anything to win. BS Aquino may still have his Manchurian Candidate, Grace Poe, even as that may seem far-fetched already at this point. Election fraud has already surfaced in overseas voting. Those who voted for Bongbong Marcos did not see their votes reflected in voter’s receipts. Above everything else, the Comelec website has been

hacked, compromising the biometrics of millions of voters. When my friend, Comelec Chairman Andy Bautista, assures us of a fair, honest and clean elections, I cross my fingers. *** I have been asking my fellow journalists if the media—print and broadcast (radio and television) —will continue to be as free as it is now with the next president. According to my colleagues, if Roxas or Poe or Binay wins, we will continue to have a free press. But if Du-Dirty does, it will be the opposite. He has promised the people that he can end criminality and corruption in six months. My friends think Duterte will not be able to handle a critical press. So far, Du-Dirty hasn’t taken all the media critics again as a personal affront. But it might be another story if he is elected.

The President’s panic and desperation are palpable.

He seems to believe he’s the Messiah who can save the country. *** Du-Dirty said that the controversy over his alleged P2.5-billion account at the Bank of the Philippine Island plus other undeclared properties will soon end. It should not. Unless Du-Dirty can explain why he did not declare his assets in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, they can be considered ill-gotten and hidden. The allegations of Senator Antonio Trillanes must be investigated. Trillanes may have made the allegations to boost his vice presidential bid, but all the same, they make the people wonder. As a small BPI depositor, however, I am concerned about how

By Stephen L. Carter IN AN episode from the final season of “The West Wing,” a journalist asks Republican presidential candidate Arnold Vinick (played by Alan Alda) about a rumor that a flag was burned in the White House at a birthday party for the president’s daughter. Vinick replies that it was a private family event irrelevant to the campaign, and adds that politics is being ruined by putting such matters center stage. That tale came to mind after C. J. Cregg showed up the other day to brief the White House press corps. The woman behind the lectern was actually the actress Allison Janney, whose fictional press secretary Cregg was the television show’s most popular character. And she was there on serious business. But I doubt that I am the only “West Wing” fan who found myself nostalgic for the program’s serious, pragmatic and respectful politics —a politics that is missing today both on television and, worse, on the stump. Consider the second-season episode where President Jed Bartlet decides to nominate the controversial Josephine McGarry, superintendent of schools in Atlanta, to a position in the Education department. Conservative Republicans are furious. The administration, spoiling for a fight, nevertheless moves forward—until a photograph emerges of Josephine at the scene of high school students being arrested for praying on school grounds to protest the banning of prayer. There is nothing wrong with the arrest—not legally. The White House chief of staff, Leo McGarry, calls her into his office. Josephine is full of energy, ready to fight, listing the names of groups that will be coming to her defense. Leo, who happens to be her older brother, tells her that he wants her to withdraw her name. It turns out that she hired a free-lance photographer to take the picture. She was looking for a fight all along. “Now, we have laws and they are difficult and they have to be enforced, and it’s right that they’re enforced,” he tells Trillanes was able to gain access to the accounts of Du-Dirty. That would also put to risk all the deposit accounts of the bank. Even now, BPI depositors are getting jittery over allegations of Trillanes that he was informed by somebody who got it from an agency specializing in hidden and ill-gotten accounts. Santa Banana, what then is the use of the bank secrecy laws? *** Every candidate for president and vice president is against corruption. The problem is that

her gravely. Then he adds one of the most memorable phrases ever spoken on the show: “But we do not strut, ever!” Chastened, Josephine agrees to withdraw. There is an integrity to such a politics; a view that process matters, that in almost every case how one accomplishes a goal is as important as whether one does. In Leo’s mind, hard choices—arresting the praying protesters—should evoke not a frisson of pleasure but a reluctant sadness. “Those kids are commendable in this day in age,” he tells her. “Those kids are phenomenal.” In the penultimate episode of season four, the president’s daughter Zoe is kidnapped from a party on the night of her college graduation. Yes, the plot is absurdly farfetched. But this set-up leads to a pair of matching grace notes. In the season finale, Bartlet, now a grieving father, decides to invoke the 25th Amendment and step aside temporarily as president. Because his vice president has resigned in a scandal, this hands power to the Republican Speaker of the House, Glen Allen Walken. As the fifth season begins, Democrats inside and outside the White House fret about what administration policies Walken might overturn to please his conservative backers. This concern leads to the second, matching grace note. When news leaks that the acting president might nominate a vice president, Bartlet’s Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman rushes off to find Steve Atwood, Walken’s top aide (played in a splendidly creepy guest turn by Zeljko Îvanek). Atwood lets him have both barrels: We’re not stupid, Josh. We try to use this to our advantage, it’ll blow up in our faces. We’d seem callous and unfeeling, in contrast to Bartlet’s extraordinary gesture of courage and patriotism. And anyone who thinks otherwise, has a particularly craven way of looking at politics. There are plenty of other examples of a politics far more mature than our own. Like the time a Democratic Senator, defeated in his reelection bid, refuses to

almost every candidate —from the president, down to vice president, for the Senate, Congress to governor, vice governor, board member, city or municipal mayor vice mayor and councilor, even barangay officials—has to depend on contributions from donors to fund their campaign. In other words, it’s a chain of political patronage. There are expectations of payback. And they are high. Don’t tell me that a rich Fil-Chinese taipan will part with his millions

vote for his pet cause in a lame duck session because the people of his state voted him out on precisely that issue. When a White House aide argues that he lost only because of unfair campaign attacks, the senator shoots back: “Well, that’s not for me to say. And I’m going to choose not to assume that my constituents feel a certain way because they were duped.” This level of political integrity— about which I’ve written before—is admirable in its exaltation of the process itself. It is also nowadays difficult to imagine. Finally, let me mention the “West Wing” episode least likely to warm contemporary political hearts, although I consider it one of the most powerful. Owen Brady, a conservative activist on the Supreme Court, suddenly dies. The president’s choice to succeed him, Judge Evelyn Baker Lang (Glenn Close), is a brilliant liberal activist with no chance at confirmation in a Republican Senate. Should the administration settle for a middle-of-the-roader who can eke out enough votes to get through? The White House comes up with a clever solution. The president persuades the ailing chief justice, last of the great liberal lions, to step down, and nominates Lang as his successor. He simultaneously nominates a brilliant conservative to succeed Brady. Confirmation of both is assured. And what the writers plainly mean us to take from the episode is that the coup is less political than intellectual: it’s important, Bartlet decides, that the great arguments among the Justices continue. The “West Wing,” to be sure, emerged in a different era: the late years of Bill Clinton’s presidency. It hit its stride in the early years of the George W. Bush administration. Politics are harder-edged now. Victory and ridicule have replaced mutual respect and devotion to process as the cardinal virtues of public life. We are killing our democracy. That’s why I was so delighted when, for a happy moment, C. J. Cregg took the podium to remind us of a time when, even in our fictional selves, we aspired to more. Bloomberg

without expecting anything in return. Note that at one time, even Du-Dirty said that he could no longer withdraw from his candidacy for the presidency since he had already obtained contributions from his Chinese friends. This is why corruption will never end. Du-Dirty promises us a parliamentary-leader system of government. That entails an amendment of the Constitution. Unless the President has enough political will and the cooperation of Congress and

the people, that’s an impossible dream. In other words, it’s easier said than done. *** Most of the regular members of the 43-yearold 365 Club, which began at defunct Hotel Intercontinental in 1972, have decided to continue staying at the Holiday Inn in Makati City. Some regulars opted to transfer to a classier venue like Dusit Thani Hotel, but the group always abides by the majority rule. So, it’s Holiday Inn 356 days a year.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A POSSIBLE CURE FOR JAPAN’S LOW INFLATION By Narayana Kocherlakota JAPAN’S central bank has long been battling an ailment that now afflicts much of the developed world: unduly low inflation, which tends to go together with lackluster economic growth. If it wants to succeed in its efforts, it may have to aim to overshoot its inflation goal. The Bank of Japan announced an inflation target of 2 percent in March 2013. Since then, it has made some progress: The consumer price index has risen at an average annual rate of 1.3 percent, up from negative 0.3 percent over the previous three years. That’s better than the Federal Reserve has done in the US, where prices have risen at an average annual rate of only 0.8 percent since March 2013. Still, the Japanese central bank has fallen short of its goals. In April 2013, it announced that it expected to reach the 2 percent target in “about two years”—yet even now there’s a long way to go.

Beating... From A9 percent for JdV. It missed Erap’s actual share of the vote by 9.86 percentage points (39.86 minus 30). Thankfully, Erap’s margin of victory over second placer Jose de Venecia was so large (6.45 million votes), the error did not matter. In its May 1 to 4, 2004 preelection survey, SWS predicted a win for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s 37 percent to challenger Fernando Poe Jr.’s 30 percent, and Panfilo Lacson’s 11 percent. Pulse Asia, in its April 26-29, 2004 survey, showed Arroyo winning with 37 percent—by six points over FPJ’s 31 percent and by 26 points over Lacson’s 11 percent. The actual results in 2004: Arroyo 12.905 million (39.99 percent); Poe 11.782 million (36.51 percent); and Panfilo Lacson 3.51 million (10.88 percent). Both SWS and Pulse Asia got the 1-2-3 rankings right but got the ratios or percentages grossly wrong. Both SWS and Pulse Asia missed GMA’s winning margin by 2.99 percentage points or 964,899 votes. SWS missed FPJ’s actual ratio of 36.51 percent by 6.51 points or 2.1 million votes, and

#FAILOCRACY

The lack of success might stem from an inadequately ambitious strategy. One key to achieving higher inflation is convincing people and companies that prices will start rising faster. The Bank of Japan wants to get those inflation expectations up to 2 percent—but in doing so, it doesn’t want them ever to rise above 2 percent. That limitation could be self-defeating, according to a recent paper by professors Kinda Hachem and Jing Cynthia Wu of the Chicago Booth School of Business. Hachem and Wu posit that many people forecast inflation simply by looking at how fast prices have recently been rising. The central bank wants them to pay attention instead to what it says inflation will be—a task that would be much easier if actual inflation proved to be a lot different than what they had seen in the past. Hence, the central bank can be more effective if it initially aims above its longer-term inflation target.

Suppose, for example, that the Bank of Japan had announced a target of 4 percent in March 2013. Actual inflation over the past three years would probably have been higher—teaching wage-setters and price-setters that if they want to avoid costly mistakes, they’d better pay attention to what the central bank says will happen. Having built up that credibility, the central bank could then more easily guide expectations to its long-run goal of 2 percent. Here’s an analogy that I find helpful. Imagine tossing your keys onto a table from about a yard away. It’s not that hard to do. But now imagine that the keys can’t rise above the level of the table top. Now it’s impossible to achieve your goal of landing the keys on the table. I have faith that the Bank of Japan will eventually reach its inflation goal. I suspect, though, that it would get there sooner if it first tried to overshoot. Bloomberg

Pulse Asia missed it by 5.51 points or 1.778 million votes. In 2010, both SWS and Pulse Asia preelection surveys got the winner right but again, their percentages were wrong. The SWS survey of April 28, 2010 predicted 38 percent would vote for Benigno S. Aquino III, 26 percent for Manny Villar, and only 17 percent for Joseph Estrada. The Pulse Asia poll of April 23-25, 2010 had it 39 percent for BS Aquino III, and 20 percent each for Estrada and Villar (a tie). In its preelection survey on April 28, 2010, SWS got the second placer wrong (Villar, instead of Estrada). The actual numbers: Aquino 15.2 million votes (42.08 percent); Estrada 9.487 million (26.25 percent), and Villar 5.573 million (15.42 percent). SWS missed Aquino’s ratio by four percentage points (38 vs 42.08), while Pulse Asia missed it by 3.08 points (39 vs 42.08). The error was equivalent to 1.445 million votes for SWS and 1.11 million votes for Pulse Asia. SWS missed the ratio for the winner by 9.8 points in 1998, by 2.99 points in 2004, and by 4.08 points in 2010— an average error of 5.62 points. Pulse

Asia missed the ratio for the winner in 2004 by 2.99 points and in 2010 by 3.08 points—an average error 3.03 points. This implies that Pulse Asia is the more reliable pollster. In three elections, SWS got the winner right but was wrong on the winning ratio by an average of 5.6 percentage points. In two elections, Pulse Asia predicted the winner but missed the winning ratio by an average of 3.03 percentage points. In 2010, both pollsters failed to predict the sharp plunge in numbers of Villar who ended up a poor third, instead of a strong second as they predicted. Fast forward to 2016. SWS predicts a 33-percent vote share for winner Duterte, nine points higher than Poe’s 24 percent. If SWS is wrong by 5.6 points (its average mistake in three presidential elections), Duterte’s winning margin is cut to 3.4 percent (from 9 percentage points). The 3.4 would be equivalent to 1.47 million votes. The mayor’s vote will only be 27.4 percent or 11.91 million votes, which is still higher than Poe’s expected 24 percent or 10.43 million votes. But considering increasing sophistication in the science and magic of polling,

Noynoy... From A9 By dying just months before Aquino leaves the presidential palace, Corona was deprived of the satisfaction of seeing his vengeful tormentor return to being a full-time self-pleasuring layabout, his real profession before he inflicted himself on an entire nation of clueless, gullible Filipinos. But this doesn’t mean that Aquino will forever escape blame. The blood will never be washed away from Aquino’s hands—from Tacloban to Kidapawan, from al-Barka to Mamasapano. If there really is justice in this world, Aquino will have to pay. Never again, they say, hypocritically, apropos of something else entirely. Never again, I say, should goodness and truth be co-opted and prostituted in the name of a thoroughly discredited movement of self-serving, self-righteous slaves of the oligarchs and the oligarchs themselves. Of course, it’s perfectly possible that history and future generations will absolve Aquino and look kindly on him for what he did while in office. But I was there and I saw what Aquino did to Renato Corona, a man Noynoy broke and, for all intents and purposes, killed. I can only hope that Aquino suffers for his crimes, just like he made the people he decided were his enemies— for reasons only his twisted mind can come up with—suffer. Rest now, CJ. The fight continues. will SWS be really that dumb to miss Duterte’s winning margin by a hefty 5.6 percentage points? If it does, it should get out of the survey business. In its April 19-24, 2016 survey, Pulse Asia predicts a Duterte win of also 33 percent. If it is wrong by 3.03 points (its average error in two elections), Duterte gets 29.97 percent (33 less 3.03). Digong still upstages Poe’s 22 percent by about eight percentage points (or by 3.47 million votes). Note that Poe would capture only 20 votes or 20 percent of every 100 votes that Duterte loses so that Poe would gain only an insignificant 0.60 percent (20 percent of 3.03). With SWS surveys, Poe has a better chance of winning than with Pulse Asia’s. But then, Pulse Asia has proved the more reliable and credible pollster in the past. Pulse Asia figures indicate a solid victory by Duterte who would take 33 to 35 percent (if not higher) of the May 9 votes. The mayor will win by five million votes (perhaps more) over the second placer. biznewsasia@gmail.com

CHONG ARDIVILLA

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Federer withdraws, Azarenka scores ROGER Federer’s withdrawal due to a back injury overshadowed the day’s play in Madrid on Monday as seeds continued to fall on the women’s side. Federer said he injured his back in practice on Saturday, but hoped to be fit for the Rome Masters next week in the build-up to the French Open later this month. “There’s no feeling that I can practise so at this point I don’t want to take more chances, as I know I won’t be fully ready for Wednesday,” said the 17time Grand Slam champion.

“I want to play it safe, rest up and get ready for Rome, that’s the schedule now.” After shock defeats for top two seeds Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber on Sunday, more big names fell leaving just seven of the 16 seeds still standing. However, Victoria Azarenka extended her winning streak to 16 matches with a comfortable 6-3,

UEFA calls special meeting on Platini crisis UEFA will hold a special meeting before the Europa League final in Switzerland on May 18 to decide how to choose a new leader if Michel Platini fails to overturn a six-year ban from football. Senior vice president Angel Maria Villar told the UEFA congress in Budapest that the executive committee would meet in Basel to decide the “procedures” to be taken after the Court of Arbitration (CAS) rules on Platini’s appeal. Spanish football supremo Villar said UEFA must “remain united” as it confronts the crisis caused by Platini’s suspension by FIFA over a suspect $2 million payment authorised by former FIFA leader Sepp Blatter without a contract. CAS is scheduled to announce its decision on Platini’s appeal on May 9 and Villar said “we very much hope that Michel will be back with us any day now”. He added, however, that the emergency executive meeting on May 18 “will make its decision on the procedures, we will announce our next steps, and take decisive steps for the good of the sport”. AFP

6-2 victory over France’s Alize Cornet. The Belarussian clinched her last two tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami and is the favourite to land her first title in Madrid in the absence of world number one Serena Williams due to flu. Azarenka raced into a 4-1 first set lead against world number 48 Cornet and, despite a blip dropping serve for the only time in the match for 4-2, broke once more to seal the set 6-3. The second set was even more straight forward for the two-time Grand Slam

champion as two breaks of serve sealed victory in just under 90 minutes on court. Azarenka will face American qualifier Louisa Chirico in the third round after she stunned 14th seed Ana Ivanovic 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. Defending champion Petra Kvitova remained on course for a quarter-final showdown with Azarenka with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Russian Elena Vesnina. The two-time Wimbledon champion reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart a fortnight ago and believes her positive start to the clay-court season

is down to her new coach David Kotyza. “I have a new coach. That’s always great to have someone who’s helping you and finding a good way of your game and plan,” said Kvitova. “I feel okay. Importantly is that my body feels okay. I hope that this will kind of continue.” Kvitova faces Australian Daria Gavrilova in round three after she ousted 12th seed Elina Svitolina 6-2, 7-6 (7/4). Sloane Stephens failed to build on her win in Charleston last month as she lost to Romanian qualifier Patricia Maria Tig

6-2, 6-3 and Czech 13th seed Karolina Pliskova fell to American Christina McHale 7-6 (7/3), 6-4. The seeds fared better on the men’s side of this joint WTA/ATP event as Richard Gasquet, Milos Raonic and Giles Simon all sealed their place in the second round. A resurgent Rafael Nadal begins his quest to win a fifth title in Madrid on Tuesday when he faces Russian Andrey Kuznetsov. Defending champion Andy Murray is also in action on Tuesday against Radek Stepanek or Vasek Pospisil. AFP

Priestesses dance around the Olympic flame burning in a cauldron, during the handover ceremony at the Panathinean stadium in Athens, Greece. The torch was handed over to Brazilian officials as the 100-day countdown to the August 5 opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics begins. AFP

Olympic torch to land in middle of Brazil crisis BRAZIL’S Dilma Rousseff greets the Olympic flame on Tuesday in what could be her last big public appearance as president if she is impeached. The arrival of the flame in Brasilia from an ancient Greek temple via Switzerland will start a threemonth countdown to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Brazil’s big chance to shine on the global stage. The flame will be met with indigenous rituals, dangled from a helicopter and carried on a canoe, on foot and on horseback to mark

its arrival for the first Olympics in South America. Rousseff will take hold of the torch in her presidential Planalto Palace in the capital. It will then be carried around the country by a relay of 12,000 people before reaching the legendary Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro for the start of the Games on August 5. The president, 68, will meanwhile be counting down the days until next week. On May 11 or 12 the Senate is

expected to vote to open an impeachment trial against her over allegations that she illegally manipulated government accounts. Rousseff claims to be the victim of a coup. If an impeachment trial is launched, she would be replaced by Vice President Michel Temer, whom she has branded a “traitor.” A definitive Senate vote on Rousseff ’s fate could take months more, but unless she were cleared, her nemesis Temer would stay in

power until the next scheduled elections in 2018. Rousseff has vowed to “fight to the end.” If suspended, she will hunker down at the presidential residence on half pay for up to six months. From there she will attempt to persuade senators that the accounting tricks she is accused of do not amount to an impeachable offense. She is accused of dressing the books to cover up the depth of Brazil’s economic crisis. AFP

2018 Winter Games head resigns

(Multiple exposures were combined in camera to produce this image.) Reliever Seung Hwan Oh (no. 26) of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh inning at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. AFP

THE chief organiser of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea resigned Tuesday less than two years before the Games begin, citing urgent problems with his troubled shipping business. Cho Yang-Ho, the chairman of Hanjin Group and Korean Air, resigned with immediate effect due to the “critical financial issues” facing Hanjin Shipping, the Pyeongchang 2018 organising committee said in a statement. The statement made no mention of a possible replacement. Hanjin Shipping - the South’s top container carrier - applied for a creditor-debt restructuring plan last week to avoid bankruptcy after reporting mounting losses stemming from slowing demand in China. Cho took over as president of the Games organising committee in August 2014, when the event was struggling with construction delays

and significant funding problems. Things got so bad at one point that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) floated the possibility of moving some events to other countries such as Japan. The South Korean tycoon, who initially signed up for a two-year term, was widely credited with turning the situation around, and bringing in big name sponsorship, including some of South Korea’s largest conglomerates like Samsung and Lotte Group. The organising committee recently said it had reached 70 percent of its funding goals. The first test events held in February were largely successful, although the International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission Chair Gunilla Lindberg said the workload would “soon increase dramatically” with two dozen test events scheduled for the next winter sports season. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Adamson, 2 others keep softball titles TOP-RANKED Adamson re-staked its claim as the country’s premier softball team, winning not just one but two titles in the 10th Summer Grand Slam tournament presented by Cebuana Lhuillier at the Batangas Sports Complex over the weekend. But the San Marcelinobased squad needed to fend off a tough University of the Philippines side, 7-6, to retain the women’s Open championship while its sister teams disputed the women’s Club crown in an all-Adamson finale with AdU-C nipping AdU-B, 8-7. The Philippine Air Force, meanwhile, sustained its top form from the elims to the finals, clobbering the visiting Indonesian team, 9-2, to keep their men’s Open plum in the tournament sanctioned by the Ama-

teur Softball Association of the Philippines. The San Antonio Bobcats, on the other hand, survived Rizal Technological University, 5-4, to complete a back-to-back title run in the men’s Club division of the annual event sponsored by Cebuana Lhuillier which drew the country’s leading teams in four categories. “The 10th year of the Summer Grand Slam has been nothing short of exhilarating. While some did better than the others, every team stepped up their game and delivered their best performance,” said Asaphil president Jean Henri Lhuillier. “The high level of competition this year was an excellent way to celebrate a decade of this tournament. I’m looking forward to supporting softball in the Philippines and to empowering more athletes in the coming years.”

QUE

LASCUNA

Que favored in Manila Masters ANGELO Que hopes to sustain his good run of form as he slugs it out with fellow local aces and a slew of foreign bets, upbeat of his chances for a title repeat in the ICTSI Manila Masters unfolding Wednesday at the Eastridge Golf Club in Binangonan, Rizal. Que turned in a strong ninth place finish at The Crowns of the Japan PGA Tour last Sunday and took the first flight out Monday to make it in time for the P3.5 million tournament serving as the fifth leg of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour. He begged off from yesterday’s pro-am tournament to take the much-needed rest but did some chipping and pitching while polishing his putting stroke. That makes him ready for

the 72-hole championship he ruled via a two-stroke win over Miguel Tabuena and Ferdie Aunzo last year with the 38-year-old former three-time Asian Tour winner hoping to fuel his titleretention drive with a strong start in the featured 7:40 a.m. flight with Mars Pucay and Clyde Mondilla at the backside of the mountaintop layout. “I feel good and in great shape. But I’m just really happy to be home because

I’ve been away for three weeks,” said Que, also priming up, together with Tabuena, for the Rio Olympics in August. “I’ll let you know on Friday,” he added in jest when asked of his probable rivals in the final flight on Saturday. That could be Tabuena or Tony Lascuna or any other local or foreign players who could dish out superb form in the first three days at the upand-down hazard-laden layout, which changes in character in every swirl of the wind. With Que out of the pro-am, Tabuena ruled the 18-hole tournament, leading his team made up of Patrick Solano, Thirdy Sinjian and Jay Pabalan

to victory with a 16-under 56 aggregate, winning by one over Rolando Marabe Jr. and teammates Ron Mercado, Raffy Mercado and Alliana Casas, who nipped Albin Engino, with amateurs Manny Alarilla, Sunny Donato and Alex Ryu, in the countback. Que actually needed one solid round last year to clinch the championship, firing a 66 in the third day to tie Tabuena at the helm then outlasting his young rival and holding off a charging Aunzo with an even par 72. But the power-hitting Que believes he would need four rounds of solid play this time to keep the championship and hold off the expected charge of Tabuena, Lascuna and

the rest of the 93-player starting field chasing the top P650,000 purse in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Pacsports, TaylorMade, Sharp and Champion. Tabuena, the reigning Order of Merit winner chasing a follow-up to his victory in the kickoff leg at Anvaya Cove, drew Charles Hong and Aunzo in the 10:50 a.m. group, also on No. 10, while Lascuna, the former threetime OOM champion and winner of this year’s second leg at Luisita, will start late at 11:10 a.m. on No. 1 with the long-hitting pair of Marvin Dumandan and Orlan Sumcad.

Alido, Kim set golf pace

RC Cola Army cops crown. The Philippines’ RC Cola-Army, supported by ARC

Refreshments Corporation, the licensed bottler of RC Cola International in the Philippines, emerged victorious at the battle for volleyball supremacy in this year’s Philippine SuperLiga Invitational Conference held at The Arena in San Juan. The RC ColaArmy Lady Troopers prevailed in four grueling sets (25-23, 25-23, 14-25 and 25-23) to score a major upset against the then undefeated Est Cola team from Thailand. Photo shows the Lady Troopers flashing the no. 1 sign together with ARC Refreshments Corporation executives led by Gerry Garcia (2nd row, 5th from right), Executive Vice President and COO, Amb. Alfredo Yao (2nd row, 4th from right) Chairman; and Rizza Alfonso (2nd row, 2nd from right), Senior Manager for Marketing Services.

IRA Alido hit a late birdie to card a one-under 71 and tie Korean Tom Kim at the helm while Yuka Saso matched par 72 to open a six-stroke lead in girls’ division of the 2016 Philippine Junior Amateur Match Play Golf Championship at the Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa Tuesday. Kim, gunning for a sweep of the national titles after winning the stroke play crown three weeks ago, actually headed for an explosive outing after gunning down three birdies at the front but he wavered at the back, fumbling with two bogeys and enabling Alido to gain a share of the lead at the start of the 36-hole stroke play elims.

Alido made two birdies against a bogey at the front but fumbled with two bogeys against a birdie after six holes coming home, needing to birdie the par-5 16th to catch Kim at the helm of the weeklong event held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour and sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, PLDT, Smart, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and the Philippine Sports Commission. The duo stood four shots ahead of another Korean John Jun, who carded a 75, while locals Carlo Villaroman, Aniceto Mandanas, Peter Tyler Po and Liam Cully each shot a 76 for joint fourth followed by Ryan Monsalve, who turned in a 77.

PSC health program lures 43 athletes, 72 coaches FORTY-THREE athletes and 72 of their coaches confirmed their participation in the Philippine Sports Commission’s Personal Enhancement Program for Sports module on wholistic health scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at the PSC-Philsports Multi-Purpose Arena in Pasig City. The last of the PEP’s three modules will feature discussions and practical activities on laughter yoga by Pinoy Laughter Yoga founder Paolo Trinidad, first aid for sports injury by Dr. Vivien “Sckye” Mercado, and the basics of wholistic health by Dr. Willie Ong of ABS-CBN’s Salamat Dok fame. Unlike the previous modules on financial literacy and personality development, the PEP’s working committee, led by PSC Commissioner and Program Director Wigberto “Iggy” Clavecilla, Jr. decided on running the wholistic health module for two days to maximize the time required for each participant to absorb new learnings and knowledge on the topics to be covered. “After the very positive feedback we received from our recent [personality development] module, there were more athletes and coaches eager to attend the next module. But our allotted slots for wholistic health were already filled up before the confirmation deadline on May 3. We are indeed grateful to our national athletes and coaches for their interest in the PEP,” Clavecilla said.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Alaska, Meralco in death match By Jeric Lopez

ONE more time. Alaska and Meralco will have one more go at it with the last ticket to the finals on the line as they conclude their roller-coaster best-of-five semifinals in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. Tied up at 2-2, the Aces and the Bolts head into the deciding Game 5 at 7 p.m. today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with the victor earning the right to enter the big stage against Rain or Shine in the best-of-seven finale that starts Friday. Alaska is no stranger to this type of situation as it is looking to make the finals for the fourth time Meralco’s Cliff Hodge makes his move inside the lane against Alaska’s Tony Dela Cruz in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup game won by the Bolts, 86-70.

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan City of Balanga BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE OFFICE InvItatIon to BId no. Goods-022-2016 22

The Provincial Government of Bataan, through the General Fund intends to apply the below listed procurement w/ corresponding Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected a bid opening. Name of Project

Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC)

1. Supply & Delivery of One (1) Unit Ambulance for the use of Orani District Hospital Barangay Ma. Fe, Orani, Bataan

=P=2,014,110.00

Dooley still Azkals’ coach for 3 more years By Peter Atencio THOMAS Dooley will continue coaching the Philippine Azkals national football team. The Philippine Football Federation extended the contract of the 54-year-old Dooley with the Azkals for two more years. PFF General Secretary Ed Gastanes said Dooley’s coaching

Invitation to Bid The National Housing Authority (NHA), through the Corporate Budget approved by the NHA Board for the year 2016 intends to apply the sum of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payment for the following contracts: Ref. No.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Office of Bataan Bids & Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the same office.

Approved Budget for the Contract 500,000 and below More than 500,000 up to 1 Million More than 1 Million up to 5 Million More than 5 Million up to 10 Million More than 10 Million up to 50 Million More than 50 Million up to 500 Million More than 500 Million

Maximum Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Peso) 500.00 1,000.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 25,000.00 50,000.00 75,000.00

Because of this, Dooley will be at the helm as the Philippines target a finals appearance in the 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup. The Philippines is co-hosting the Suzuki Cup, with Myanmar for the first time in November. He will also call the shots for the Azkals when they compete in the group stage of the AFC Asian Cup UAE qualifiers.

NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY

Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bid documents will be available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a non-refundable amount of using standard rates approved by GPPB as stated on their Resolution No. 04-2012 listed below.

stint with the Azkals will be from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2018. Dooley began handling the Azkals in 2014. In his two-year stint, the former United States team captain led the Azkals to the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup Semifinals. He also steered the team to the finals of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup in Maldives.

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

The Provincial Government of Bataannow invites bids for the above listed Procurement. Delivery of goods is requiredon or before the maturity date stipulated on contract. Bidders should have completed, at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

in the last five conferences. Meralco, on the other hand, will look to enter the finale for the first time in franchise history. The Aces had an initial chance to clinch the last finals berth, but failed to do so after failing to capitalize on their erstwhile 2-1 series lead. With its back against the wall, Meralco rose to the occasion and showed that it is mature enough to have a deeper playoff run after it took Game 4 emphatically, 86-70, to force this decider. Bolts coach Norman Black is looking forward to this opportunity ahead for his club and he wants them to seize the moment as they are in good position to have the breakthrough that they’ve been longing for. “We’re able to live another day. We’re here and we’ll do our best to win Game 5,” said Black. “At this point in the season, why worry about everything that happened before? It’s all about what’s ahead for us and we have a chance.”

Projects

ABC/ Source of Funds (P)

Duration (c.d.)

Required PCAB License

Work Description

19,970,407.56 PCSORestricted Fund

230

2016 -05168

Construction of 152 Core Housing Units of Bato Resettlement Project-Phase 1, Brgy. Masoli, Bato, Camarines Sur

11,997,200.19 NG Subsidy

150

2016 -05169

Construction of 100 Core Housing Units, Sorsogon Resettlement Project, Brgy. C a b i d - a n , Sorsogon City

At least Category “C” and “D” and Small “B” for Building

Construction of Core Housing Units

866,585.60 Corporate Receipts

2016 -05170

Construction of One (1) Unit Day Care Center, Pili Resettlement Project, Sitio San Isidro Labrador, Brgy. Del Rosario, Pili, Camarines Sur

At least Category “C” and “D” and Small “B” for Building

Construction of Day Care Center

At least Construction of Category “B” Core Housing and Medium “A” Units for Building

The Provincial Government of Bataan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 11, 2016 at 10:00 A.M at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan, which shall beopen only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Bids must be delivered on or before May 24, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated on IRR of RA 9184 and Bid Securing Declaration in standard form.

The NHA now invites bids for the above-cited projects. Completion of the works is required within the duration herein cited upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed a single contract similar to the project costing at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

The winning bidder has the option to deliver the items requested by the end-user with higher technical specification & better technology provided it will be beneficial to the government & will not incur additional expenses on the part of the procuring entity.

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

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend opening of Bids at Bataan BAC Office. Late bids shall not be accepted.

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

In case of the above dates is declared a special Non-Working Holidays, it will automatically reset on the next working days.

A complete set of Bidding Documents shall be issued only to bidders/authorized official representatives or employees of the bidder who can show proof of Notarized Authority to secure bid documents for the specific project, Official Company ID upon submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and upon Cash Payment of non-refundable fee of P17,500.00 for Ref. No. 2016-05-168, P12,500.00 for Ref. No. 2016-05-169 and P1,000.00 for Ref. No. 2016-05-170 at the Office of the NHA-BAC 2 Secretariat, 2nd Floor NHA Main Building, Diliman, Quezon City from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. starting on May 4, 2016. The BAC 2 Secretariat may be contacted at Tel/Fax No. 928-8272.

Other necessary information deemed relevant by the Provincial Government of Bataan Activities 1. Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid 2. Eligibility Check 3. Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents 4. Request for Clarification 5. Opening of Bids

Schedule May 4 -10, 2016 Refer to date of Opening of Bids May 4 – May 24, 2016 May 13, 2016 May 24, 2016

The Provincial Government of Bataan reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to: Engr. Josephine R. Valenzuela Provincial BAC / PEO Bataan Provincial BAC / PEO Office, Capitol Compound, BalangaCity, Bataan 047-237-9316 bac@bataan.gov.ph

(TS-MAY 4, 2016)

The NHA will hold a Pre-bid Conference on May 17, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. at the NCR Conference Room, 3rd Floor NHA Main Building, Diliman, Quezon City, which shall be OPEN ONLY to bidders who have purchased the Bidding Documents. Bids must be delivered at the NCR Conference Room, 3rd Floor NHA Main Building, Diliman, Quezon City not later than 9:00 a.m. on the date specified below. Schedule of Opening of Bids: May 31, 2016

–

Ref. Nos. 2016-05-168, 169 and 170

All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and amount as stated in Bid Data Sheet (BDS). Bid opening shall follow immediately after the deadline of submission of bids at the same venue. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted. The NHA reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder/s.

(SGD) ENRICO T. YUZON BAC CHAIRMAN

(SGD) VICTOR C. BALBA Chairperson, Bids and Awards Committee 2 (BAC 2) NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City

( T S - M AY 4 , 2 016)

Barnard rips 3000-m mark again FOR the third time in three years, FilAmerican Jessica Lyn Barnard shattered the women’s national record in the 3000-meter steeplechase. She finished 10th in her heat with time of 10 minutes, 22.49 seconds, during the Payton Jordan Invitational Athletics meet in Stanford University, Stanford, California. Valerie Roffino of GS Fiamme ruled their section in 9:47.45, with Trinity West’s Regan Yee taking the silver (10:03.24) and Regan Patrignelli (Team Run Eug) earning the bronze in 10:10.05. The 25-year-old Barnard lowered her best time by 13.31 seconds. Last year, she set the national record for the second time in the 2015 Singapore Southeast Asian Games when she finished in 10:36.80 for the bronze medal. Barnard, whose mother is from Cebu, broke it for the first time in the 2013 SEA Games with a time of 11:04.8. She will be the country’s top bet again if the 3000-meter steeplechase is reinstated in the SEA Games. Peter Atencio

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 4 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

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

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

US or Cuban training camp for PH boxers THE Philippine boxing team is looking at either a US or Cuban training as the highlight of its preparation for the coming Rio De Janeiro Olympics. Coach Nolito ‘Boy’ Velasco said the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines is merely awaiting the final two Olympic qualifying tournaments to be held in the next two months before deciding which of the two countries will serve

as training camp of the national squad. The women’s qualifier is set in Kazakshtan on May 16, while the final qualifier for men’s will be in Azerbaijan on June 14. Velasco is hopeful more Filipino boxers will earn Olympic berths out of the two tournaments and join Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez in their bid to give the country its first ever gold medal in the

quadrennial meet. “Pagkatapos ng qualifiers, ipush through na namin ‘yung (training) program namin either sa US or Cuba, kasi mas malapit na ‘yung dalawang bansa na ‘yun sa Brazil,” said Velasco, flanked by both Ladon and Suarez during their appearance at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at Shakey’s Malate.

Still in contention for a berth in the Olympics is top bet Nesty Petecio, who will vie in the 51 kg. class. Female boxers Josie Gabuco and Irish Magno are also going to compete, but not part of the qualifier. In the men’s side, looking to book a trip to Brazil are Ian Clark Bautista or Roldan Boncales (52 kg), Mario Fernandez (56 kg), Dennis Galvan (64 kg) and Eumir Marcial (69 kg).

Lady Spikers open to joining PH team By Peter Atencio

IF given the chance, members of the victorious La Salle Lady Spikers will join the national women’s volleyball team seeing action in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia. Team skipper Kim Fajardo said this a few days after the Lady Spikers won their ninth women’s volleyball crown in the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines spikefest. “Iko-consider ko ito, malak-

ing opportunity ito,” said Fajardo as members of the team pondered on their future at the end of their campaign last Saturday. The rest of team agreed with Fajardo when asked about their future plans Tuesday in the weekly Philippine Sportswrit-

ers Association Forum at the Shakey’s Restaurant in Malate, Manila. Last year, members of the Lady Spikers did not join the tryouts for the national squad headed to the Games. They stayed away from the tryouts while a leadership dispute was going on within the national association of the sport, now known as the Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas Inc. “If given a chance, I’ll grab the opportunity,” said Mika Reyes, another member the squad.

But for now, members of the team will just enjoy their championship and rest following a long, tiring season. They also need to catch up with their studies. In a month’s time, team members of the Lady Spikers will be joining offseason sorties, which include the Philippine Superliga. The Lady Spikers are still quiet about their plans of joining clubs, but they will be around in the coming PSL All-Filipino Conference starting June 18.

For now, Galang, who is seen as one of the top picks, said she plans to focus on her studies in the coming months. The 21-year-old Galang hopes to finish her studies in this academic year, adding she will just focus on her studies before considering plans to return to action. “Plan ko kasi baka mag-skip muna ako sa volleyball,” she said. On the other hand, Reyes also plans to take it easy before taking up her Masters.

Local bets rule Cebuana age-group tilt

Members of the De La Salle University Lady Spikers, the UAAP Volleyball Champions, ﬂash the heart sign during their appearance at the PSA Forum at Shakey’s Restaurant in Manila. LINO SANTOS

Legaspi, Bayking dominate HEAD tennis in Bacolod LORENZO Legaspi and Bliss Bayking dominated two separate age-group categories to rule the fifth leg of 18th HEAD Junior Tennis Satellite Circuit at the Panaad Park tennis courts in Bacolod City. Legaspi relied on his strong forehand to beat Alfrancis Andrade, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, in the championship stage to bag the boys’ 18-and-under trophy of the satellite tournament attended by more than 200 participants around the Visayas area. Legaspi claimed his second title when he teamed up with Alfrancis Andrade as they beat

Karl Baran and Reynan Mahusay, 8-3, for the boys’ 18-andunder doubles’ title. Bayking, also a winner of two titles in the Iloilo leg, rallied past Kiana De Asis, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, to gain the girls’ 14-and-under singles crown. She played impressively in the girls’ 16-and-under finals to outplay Averille Sacapano, 6-3, 6-1, for her second title. The competition attended by more than 150 entries all over the regions of Visayas was supported by HEAD, Chris Sports, Toalson, 92.5 FM Aksyon Sports, Reach Magazine, Phil-

ippine Tennis Association, Pilipino Mirror, ANC, Impact Magazine and Podcast.ph. Top seed Karl Baran beat Lorenzo Legaspi, 6-2, 6-3, for the boys’ 16-and-under trophy, while Cesar Fernando Po outlasted Rich Dejilla, 6-2, 6-3, to win the boys’ 14-and-under crown. Pete Rodriguez blasted Khenz Justiniani, 6-1, 6-1, to clinch the boys’ 12-and-under diadem. In girls’ under finals results, Valerie Desoyo blanked top seed Tracy Llamas, 6-4, 6-2, to earn the 18-and-under crown, while Alexa Milliam bested

Wendy Galanza, 6-1, 6-1, for the 12-and-under trophy, and Wilyn Segura beat Fritz Verances, 4-0, 4-0, for the 10-andunder unisex title. Other doubles’ champions were Averille Sacapano and Abigael Sacapano (girls’ 14-andunder); Tracy llamas and Kiana De Asis (girls’ 18-and-under); and Fernando Cesar Po and Earl Mosquera (boys’ 14-andunder). The sixth leg of the junior tennis organized by Dynamic Sports goes to Luzon region starting this week in Naga City in Bicol.

LOCAL bets dominated the recent Baguio leg of the Cebuana Lhuillier Age-Group Tennis Championship Series, now on its first decade of producing tennis champions all over the country, winning six categories in the series, even as Mt. Province entry Sharryl Caluza emerged as the event’s only double winner. Caluza took the 14-under crown by beating local player Angelyn Atos, 6-2, 6-3, followed by her come-from-behind 4-6, 6-2, 10-3 win over Pangasinan’s Gabriel Nisi Abarquez in the 16-under group of the tournament, hosted by the Baguio Tennis Club at the Athletic Bowl and supported by Dunlop, the official ball. “Practically in every leg, we are discovering and identifying new young tennis talents in the provinces and it is a matter of time that they take center stage in future legs of the Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier President /Chief Executive Officer of Cebuana Lhuillier and Philippine Tennis Association Chairman. Local players, who posted wins for the host city were 18-under boys’ champion Niel Tangalin, who beat another local bet Joshua de Guzman, 7-5, 6-1, for the title; his sibling Angelina Tangalin, who deprived Caluza of a third title following a 3-2 (retired) win in the 18-under girls; Zire Mina, who went home with the 16-under boys’ crown at the expense of De Guzman, 6-3, 6-1; and De Guzman, who earlier won the 14-under boys’ title after his finals’ opponent Exequiel Jucutan retired in the first set with the score at 6-5 for the former.

A16

W E D N E S DAY : M AY 4 , 2 0 16 RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

LOS ANGELES—LeBron James led the way as the Cleveland Cavaliers finally broke the Atlanta Hawks’ resistance to seal a 104-93 victory and take a 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final playoff series on Monday.

Cavs rout Hawks; Thunder nip Spurs LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers goes for a layup against the Atlanta Hawks during the Eastern Conference Semiﬁnals Game 1 at The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. AFP

James scored 25 points and came up with two big steals late in the fourth quarter to help the Cavaliers seize the early initiative in the best-of-seven series at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena. Kyrie Irving added 21 points with eight assists and one rebound as the wellrested Cavaliers dominated against a weary Atlanta. The Cavs had benefited from more than a week off after wrapping up a 4-0 sweep of the Detroit Pistons in the first round. A satisfied James suggested Cleveland had benefited from eight days off against an Atlanta side who were taken to six games by the Boston Celtics in the previous round. “Give a lot of credit to the Atlanta Hawks, they brought it today,” James said. “Obviously, you could tell they went through a longer series than us. “We’re going to get better as the season goes on but it’s a great start to the series.” James meanwhile was pleased with his own contribution to the victory. “I had to make some plays for this team,” James said. “They look at me as the leader of this team every single night.” Germany’s Dennis Schroder was the top scorer for Atlanta, pouring on a gamehigh 27 points with six assists and three rebounds. Paul Millsap added 17 points while Kent Bazemore finished with 16 points for the beaten visitors. Atlanta had fought back to within four at 92-88 with 3:11 left on the clock before James

dispossessed Schroder and converted a three-point play to stretch the Cavs lead. ‘A great team’ “I just like how our guys come together when things get tough now,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. “That’s the biggest thing for us. We’ve got a great team. When things get tough, we have to come together even more.” Game two in the series takes place in Cleveland on Wednesday. In Monday’s other game, Russell Westbrook scored 29 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back to beat San Antonio 98-97. Just two days after suffering a 32-point blowout defeat on Saturday, Westbrook and Kevin Durant both produced big games to propel the Thunder to a crucial victory. Westbrook’s haul was matched by another masterful performance from Durant, who added 28 points to underscore his value to the franchise as free agency looms. LaMarcus Aldridge meanwhile contributed 41 points for the Spurs in vain, with three assists and eight rebounds. Kawhi Leonard weighed in with 14 points for San Antonio, with Argentina’s Manu Ginobili the only other Spurs player to make double digits with 11. The Thunder were forced to endure a nervous finish as the Spurs fought back to within one point in the closing seconds. Durant made a superb jumper with 33 seconds left to give the Thunder a 96-91 lead but the Spurs hit back with an Aldridge threepointer. AFP

Borlains fastest in aquathlon; Ramos wins male category SAMANTHA and Tara Borlain crossed the finish line handin-hand as they ruled the 2016 Alaska Aquathlon at The Village Paranaque last Sunday. The sisters tied for first in the 13 to 14, female category followed by Everly Janarie Macalalad, and Jasmine Relf. Joshua Alexander Ramos ruled the male category followed by Joe Bernard Sarmiento and Russel Mikolai Villaraza. The 2016 Alaska IronKids is the country’s biggest and most exciting race for boys and girls, 6 to 14 years old. It included a swim at the Olympic-sized, 100-meter The Village sports club pool and concluded with a run.

Tara was well ahead of Samantha, but waited for her elder sister near the finish line. Finishing the race alongside each other and having fun was apparently more important for the two sisters than just winning. Jaz Villanueva, Catherine Angeli Yu and Alison Ann Noble were first in the 11 to 12, female category. Clifford Pusing, Jojo Miguel Delizo and Matthew Thomas Atumbres won the male category. Aubrey Tom won the 9 to 10, female. She was followed by Michaela Jasmine Mojdeh and Kira Ellis. Michael Gabriel Lozada, Gabriel Labasan, Jabrielle Marcos Del-

izo and Matt Gian Carlo Molino won the male category. Zurielle Kenzie Galo, Franchezka Borlain and Julia Isobel Tolentino won the 6 to 8, female. Daniel Louw was the first in male. He was followed by Ythnmthw Orellano and Gabrielle Gan. Alaska IronKids is than just a race. It is a venue for families to bond in a shared activity, giving the parents a chance to show their children that being physically fit and healthy is more fun. It also fosters the importance of starting the day right with a combination of exercise and proper nutrition.

Borlain sisters Samantha and Tara raise their hands in victory as they won the 2016 Alaska Aquathlon at The Village Parañaque.

WEDNESDAY: MAY 4, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

PLDT eyes San Miguel’s 700 Mhz By Darwin G. Amojelar

PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. said Tuesday it is interested to enter into a deal with San Miguel Corp. to acquire a piece of the latter’s 700-megahertz spectrum, which is seen to deliver faster wireless Internet services. Spectrum is the “real estate” on which telecommunication operators develop their respective network to deliver services to customers. PLDT chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan said “we are always open” to such an agreement with San Miguel. When asked if there were ongoing talks with San Miguel

over the 700-Mhz frequency, Pangilinan said “nothing that I’am aware of.” Globe president Ernest Cu earlier said his company was open to an agreement with San Miguel to get a share of the 700 Mhz. San Miguel Group owns 100 Mhz of spectrum in the 700-MHz band, of which 80

PANGILINAN

Mhz was assigned to wi-Tribe Telecommunications Inc., 10 Mhz to High Frequency Telecommunications Inc. and 10 Mhz to New Century Telecommunications Inc. The 700 MHz band, located above the TV broadcast channels, penetrates buildings and walls and covers larger areas. Mobile service providers in other countries have been using the spectrum to offer mobile broadband services. Aside from 700 Mhz, San Miguel Group owns spectrum under the 900 Mhz, 800 Mhz and 1,800 Mhz. PLDT Group holds frequency in the 800 Mhz, 900 Mhz and 2,100 MHz bands while Globe owns frequency in the 900 Mhz, 1,800 Mhz and 2,100 Mhz bands.

PLDT and Globe earlier asked the National Telecommunications Commission to reassign the 700 MHz to other existing telecom players. Utilizing the 700 MHz would allow the deployment of a highcapacity LTE-based wireless and fixed-broadband network to deliver higher data rate and LTE broadband service. San Miguel president Ramon Ang earlier turned down the request of Globe and PLDT to share some of its 700 Mhz, as it plans to offer its own mobile broadband this year. San Miguel and Australia’s Telstra Corp’s ended talks on a $1-billion joint venture to offer wireless services in the country.

PSe comPoSite index Closing May 3, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,046.57 7.31

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing May 3, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.850

44.00

43.00

HIGH P46.850 LOW P47.030 AVERAGE P46.956 VOLUME 541.200M

Chemical imports deal.

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Dangerous Drugs Board and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency sign a memorandum of agreement to ease doing business for companies located in 340 economic zones. The agreement focuses on the implementation of DDB Board Regulation 2014-01 which eased the requirements for the importation and use of controlled and precursor chemicals and allows exemption for low CPECs concentration. Shown during the signing of the agreement are (from left) DDB executive director Jose Marlowe Pedrogosa, Peza directorgeneral Lilia de Lima and PDEA director-general and undersecretary Arturo Cacdac Jr.

PH to outperform other economies in Asia, says IMF By Julito G. Rada THE Philippines will continue outperforming other top economies in Asia this year and in 2017, multilateral lender International Monetary Fund said in a report Tuesday. The IMF in its latest regional outlook released May 3 maintained its growth forecast for the Philippines at 6 percent this year and 6.2 percent in 2017. “The modest uptick in growth is expected to be driven by the continued strength of domestic demand, which will more than offset the drag from net exports. The latter will remain subdued, but spillovers from China are and will continue to be smaller than in other parts of the region,” the IMF said.

It said domestic demand would benefit from higher public consumption and investment growth, but private demand was also expected to remain buoyant, helped by low unemployment, low oil prices and higher workers’ remittances. “Private investment growth is expected to remain robust owing to improvements in public infrastructure and implementation of public-private partnership projects,” the IMF said. The forecasts for the Philippines this year and next was higher than Indonesia’s 4.9 and 5.3 percent; Malaysia’s 4.4 and 4.8 percent; and Thailand’s 3 and 3.2 percent. In the April World Economic Outlook, the IMF said the economic outlook for the Philippines was one of the strongest in the region but subject to increased

downside risks, including lower growth in China and the region, higher global financial volatility and capital outflows, and weather-related disruptions. But is said the Philippines’ capacity to respond if these risks materialized was substantial given its ample reserves and policy space in both monetary and fiscal. To support growth, IMF said structural reforms would also be needed to raise the low rate of government revenue and infrastructure investment, opening up the economy to greater competition and foreign investment, and benefiting from the demographic dividend by addressing skill mismatches and inequality of opportunity. The IMF, during a mission to the Philippines led by Chikahisa

Sumi from Feb. 11 to 17, lowered its growth forecast for the Philippines this year to 6 percent from the previous estimate of 6.2 percent made in January, on account mainly of slower global growth, financial market volatility and capital reversals. The forecast for 2017 was also reducedto 6.2 percent from 6.5 percent. The 5.8-percent GDP growth last year was below the 6.1-percent expansion a year ago but remained one of the fastest in Asia. It was significantly below the government’s official forecast of between 7 to 8 percent last year. The government expects economic growth this year at 6.8 percent to 7.8 percent anchored on robust domestic demand.

P426.00-P637.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.40-P42.60 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P23.49-P27.07 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, May 3, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.9990

Japan

Yen

0.009398

0.4417

Pound

1.467500

68.9710

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128904

6.0584

Switzerland

Franc

1.048108

49.2600

Canada

Dollar

0.798276

37.5182

Singapore

Dollar

0.746269

35.0739

Australia

Dollar

0.766500

36.0247

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653998

124.7353

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.5331

Brunei

Dollar

0.743494

34.9435

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.028645

1.3463

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

12.7965

Euro

1.153500

54.2133

Korea

Won

0.000880

0.0414

China

Yuan

0.154342

7.2539

India

Rupee

0.015075

0.7085

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.256213

12.0418

New Zealand

Dollar

0.701800

32.9839

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031011

1.4575 Source: PDS Bridge

WEDNESDAY: MAY 4, 2016

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, May 3, 2016

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 2.5 75.3 66 124.4 88.05 -80,211,350 107 88.1 56.5 45.45 2.49 1.97 4.2 1.68 17 12.02 30.45 19.6 10.4 6.12 1.01 0.225 100 78 1.46 0.9 30.5 17.8 91.5 62 137 88.35 80 52 361.2 276 57 41 180 118.2 1700 1200 124 59 3.26 2.65

AG Finance 2.86 Asia United Bank 45.5 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc.

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3 15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 4.1 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 6.66 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710

0.44 48.1 20.85 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3.52 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15

Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp. PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.98 2.85 45.6 43.2 99.95 100.00

91.25 90.50 39.95 38.75 3.00 3.00 1.67 1.48 14.2 14 15.38 15.2 7.19 7.14 0.580 0.560 79.5 78.1 0.98 0.96 14.52 14.52 50.75 50.45 102.9 102.9 310 310 267 262 31.25 30.65 179 168.4 1421.00 1420.00 57.70 58.00 1.5 1.49 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp. 44.55 44.7 44.55 Agrinurture Inc. 4.35 4.42 4.05 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.75 0.75 0.75 Alsons Cons. 1.39 1.41 1.38 Asiabest Group 14.14 14.3 13.5 Bogo Medelin 55 56 54.5 Century Food 18.86 18.9 18.88 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 202 202 190 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 17.82 17.8 17.72 Concepcion 48 48 48 Crown Asia 2.28 2.32 2.26 Da Vinci Capital 4.61 4.88 4.63 Del Monte 10.8 10.74 10.66 DNL Industries Inc. 8.780 9.000 8.740 Emperador 7.90 7.99 7.81 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.70 5.80 5.62 EEI 7.22 7.22 7.12 First Gen Corp. 19.52 20 19.58 First Holdings ‘A’ 64.8 66.6 64.85 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 13.90 14.98 13.80 Holcim Philippines Inc. 14.20 14.26 14.24 5.7 5.61 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.62 Ionics Inc 2.220 2.310 2.220 Jollibee Foods Corp. 230.00 229.00 225.80 Liberty Flour 35.00 33.00 28.55 LMG Chemicals 2.07 1.94 1.93 Macay Holdings 38.00 37.40 32.00 Manila Water Co. Inc. 27.6 28.1 27.3 Maxs Group 20.55 20.75 20.5 Megawide 6.23 6.42 6.22 Mla. Elect. Co À’ 339.00 339.80 337.40 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.35 4.67 4.34 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.65 3.79 3.7 Petron Corporation 10.64 10.66 10.36 Phil H2O 3.16 3.16 3.16 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 4.74 4.74 4.60 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.51 1.58 1.51 Pryce Corp. À’ 2.72 2.74 2.67 RFM Corporation 4.15 4.18 4.13 Roxas Holdings 4.8 4.55 4.55 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods À’ 207.8 212 207.8 SPC Power Corp. 3.98 4.1 3.98 Splash Corporation 2.5 2.7 2.5 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.152 0.153 0.152 TKC Steel Corp. 1.25 1.26 1.17 Trans-Asia Oil 2.53 2.58 2.52 Universal Robina 201.6 206.4 203 Victorias Milling 4.89 4.72 4.72 Vitarich Corp. 0.86 0.93 0.87 Vulcan Ind’l. 1.29 1.31 1.26 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. À’ 0.355 0.380 0.355 Aboitiz Equity 66.00 66.15 65.30 Alliance Global Inc. 14.36 14.86 14.42 Anscor À’ 6.00 6.20 5.96 ATN Holdings A 0.385 0.470 0.390 ATN Holdings B 0.385 0.460 0.400 Ayala Corp À’ 760 769 745 Cosco Capital 7.68 8.08 7.66 DMCI Holdings 11.98 12.16 11.80 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.06 5.06 5.06 Filinvest Dev. Corp. 5.45 5.50 5.45 Forum Pacific 0.201 0.205 0.205 GT Capital 1340 1346 1337 House of Inv. 6.32 6.47 6.33 JG Summit Holdings 79.70 80.00 79.00 Keppel Holdings `B’ 5.21 6.1 6.1 Lopez Holdings Corp. 7.13 7.2 7.13 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.68 0.71 0.68 LT Group 15 15 14.62 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.67 5.8 5.67 Pacifica À’ 0.0330 0.0330 0.0320 1.600 1.470 Prime Media Hldg 1.450 Prime Orion 1.800 1.830 1.790 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.7 2.70 2.7 San Miguel Corp À’ 67.50 69.00 67.90 Seafront À’ 2.14 2.13 2.13 SM Investments Inc. 930.00 938.00 926.50 Solid Group Inc. 1.14 1.15 1.13 South China Res. Inc. 0.75 0.79 0.78 Top Frontier 145.000 144.500 139.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3050 0.3200 0.3050 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.750 7.770 7.740 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.11 1.15 1.08 Araneta Prop À’ 2.280 2.420 2.090 Arthaland Corp. 0.260 0.270 0.260 Ayala Land `B’ 33.800 34.000 33.750 Belle Corp. À’ 2.97 3.01 2.97 Cebu Holdings 5.1 5.1 5.1 Century Property 0.540 0.6 0.510 City & Land Dev. 0.96 0.96 0.96 Crown Equities Inc. 0.130 0.132 0.130 Cyber Bay Corp. 0.460 0.460 0.450 Double Dragon 38.95 38.8 37.9 Empire East Land 0.850 0.840 0.840 Ever Gotesco 0.150 0.160 0.151 Global-Estate 0.98 0.99 0.98

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

SHARES 20,030,215 39,484,135 174,813,248 265,874,748 193,733,162 5,150,850,080 5,845,845,018

90.95 39 2.90 1.50 14 15.2 7.14 0.580 78.5 0.99 14.52 50.45 102 310 267 30.55 167.9 1381.00 57.70 1.5

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

2.1 1.8 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

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

Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp. Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 4 1700 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 12.5 0.017

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 2.58 830 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800

0.041 1.200

12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 3.1 0.650 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 1.14

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp. Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ Imperial Res. `B’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp. Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp. Pacific Online Sys. Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp. SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Yehey

18,387,312.00 6,198,056.00

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Apex À’ Atlas Cons. À’ Atok-Big Wedge À’ Basic Energy Corp. Benguet Corp À’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto À’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining À’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. À’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp. Philex À’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. À’ Semirara Corp. TA Petroleum

-108,000.00 257,775.50

70 553 525 120

33 490 500 101.5

515 111 1047

480 101 1011

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

2.95 45.2 99.00

3.15 -0.66 99.65

102,000 7,700 -0.30

90.95 39.95 3.00 1.64 14.2 15.32 7.14 0.580 78.5 0.96 14.52 50.55 102.9 310 262 30.7 176 1420.00 57.80 1.5

0.00 2.44 3.45 9.33 1.43 0.79 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.03 0.00 0.20 0.88 0.00 -1.87 0.49 4.82 2.82 0.17 0.00

13,344,520 250,300 92,000 167,000 4,100 55,100 27,000 982,000 1,365,870 68,000 26,600 48,290 20 10 550 148,800 760,090 210 111,810 113,000

44.55 4.27 0.75 1.4 14.2 56 18.88 194 17.8 48 2.29 4.88 10.66 8.740 7.98 5.62 7.12 19.58 66 13.80 14.26 5.61 2.250 227.00 31.80 1.94 36.60 28 20.75 6.27 338.60 4.67 3.7 10.62 3.16 4.73 1.52 2.73 4.18 4.55 212 4.1 2.6 0.153 1.25 2.55 205 4.72 0.91 1.30

0.00 -1.84 0.00 0.72 0.42 1.82 0.11 -3.96 -0.11 0.00 0.44 5.86 -1.30 -0.46 1.01 -1.40 -1.39 0.31 1.85 -0.72 0.42 -0.18 1.35 -1.30 -9.14 -6.28 -3.68 1.45 0.97 0.64 -0.12 7.36 1.37 -0.19 0.00 -0.21 0.66 0.37 0.72 -5.21 2.02 3.02 4.00 0.66 0.00 0.79 1.69 -3.48 5.81 0.78

794,500 810,000 99,000 432,000 5,800 1,640 683,700 2,420 33,900 800 336,000 270,000 92,700 3,901,600 233,000 6,587,600 71,200 1,334,400 48,810 14,300 59,700 47,800 1,784,000 427,460 14,000 8,000 31,800 3,351,900 63,700 39,100 116,290 33,000 251,000 2,683,200 10,000 491,000 95,000 65,000 77,000 5,000 14,370 12,000 200,000 240,000 37,000 306,000 3,030,940 5,000 7,824,000 546,000

0.370 65.50 14.86 5.99 0.445 0.440 745 7.98 11.90 5.06 5.50 0.205 1340 6.46 79.00 6.1 7.2 0.71 14.74 5.71 0.0320 1.470 1.800 2.7 68.20 2.13 927.50 1.15 0.79 144.000 0.3150

4.23 -0.76 3.48 -0.17 15.58 14.29 -1.97 3.91 -0.67 0.00 0.92 1.99 0.00 2.22 -0.88 17.08 0.98 4.41 -1.73 0.71 -3.03 1.38 0.00 0.00 1.04 -0.47 -0.27 0.88 5.33 -0.69 3.28

390,000 838,310 3,275,700 175,000 83,270,000 13,480,000 214,490 787,200 4,249,700 200 105,200 120,000 132,360 588,700 1,111,880 200 634,600 5,000 4,283,800 36,326,900 11,300,000 32,000 1,687,000 40,000 71,780 30,000 249,030 60,000 180,000 9,430 10,890,000

7.750 1.08 2.100 0.270 33.750 2.98 5.1 0.510 0.96 0.131 0.460 38.8 0.840 0.160 0.99

0.00 -2.70 -7.89 3.85 -0.15 0.34 0.00 -5.56 0.00 0.77 0.00 -0.39 -1.18 6.67 1.02

62,900 4,756,000 38,150.00 3,993,000 -2,690.00 300,000 8,397,900 13,748,195.00 1,688,000 2,553,870.00 5 62,220.00 154,239,000 29,596,110.00 16,000 4,800.00 2,970,000 910,000 9,200.00 863,700 3,341,545.00 3,000 820,000 -48,000.00 2,736,000

-4,550.00 2,354,870 90,951,111.00 8,364,150.00 16,500.00 -12,256.00 -1,000.00 -40,679,630.50 -2,156,274.00

-1,593,050 20,347,094.00 57.70 2,272,075.00 4,100.00 -4,170.00 7,371,106.00

27,240.00 -136,560.00 8,253,338.00 447,688.00 -20,170,442.00 -2,148.00 -9,953,068.00 1,005,611.00 -791,430.00 -1,401,860.00 619,980.00

20,800,755.00 -166,060.00 -37,320.00 741,450.00 675,970.00 66,868.00

16,270.00 99,800.00 1,622,536.00

134,634,254.00 203,500.00 3,750.00 -23,730,350.50 -16,557,624.00 205,250.00 -26,834,415.00 2,564,770.00 -18,607,422.00 55,000.00 4,955,645.00 20,256.00 -24,169,187.50 -232,702.00

-73,711,130.00

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp. Italpinas Xurpas

High

VALUE 1,714,115,359.31 1,238,430,953.98 1,180,636,404.87 965,165,640.19 1,226,795,670.54 216,542,968.91 6,557,365,623.80

FINANCIAL 1,593.33 (up) 12.10 INDUSTRIAL 11,633.67 (up) 39.91 HOLDING FIRMS 6,930.73 (down) 27.78 PROPERTY 2,903.00 (down) 2.65 SERVICES 1,463.05 (up) 10.07 MINING & OIL 11,046.51 (up) 100.37 PSEI 7,046.57 (down) 7.31 All Shares Index 4,197.93 (up) 4.24 Gainers: 114; Losers: 82; Unchanged: 40; Total: 236

1.81 1.25 4.60 3.64 0.085 0.580 8.52 26.90 1.59 3.02 22.75 0.86 1.020 4.700

1.85 1.80 1.85 1.34 1.25 1.33 4.50 4.40 4.40 3.8 3.66 3.71 0.083 0.083 0.083 0.600 0.560 0.560 8.53 8.52 8.52 27.50 26.80 27.35 1.56 1.51 1.51 3.04 3.03 3.04 22.90 22.50 22.50 0.89 0.86 0.87 1.050 1.000 1.020 4.780 4.680 4.770 SERVICES 7.23 7.2 7.16 7.2 56.2 56.3 56 56.3 1.22 1.25 1.22 1.23 0.560 0.580 0.560 0.570 11.8 11.6 11.6 11.6 4.19 4.32 4.13 4.13 0.0550 0.0560 0.0550 0.0550 3.11 3.17 3.06 3.06 88.3 89.95 88.1 89.5 9.55 9.6 9.5 9.5 1.77 1.71 1.7 1.7 6.95 7.17 6.70 6.90 2.86 2.81 2.81 2.81 960 960 960 960 2140 2166 2130 2160 6.62 6.78 6.63 6.78 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 1.15 1.19 1.19 1.19 64.9 64.95 63.5 63.75 17.70 19.80 17.70 19.40 199.8 219.8 175 205 11.52 11.52 11.52 11.52 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 9.59 9.68 9.55 9.68 0.355 0.375 0.350 0.350 2.1300 2.1400 1.9900 1.9900 10.5 10.5 10.4 10.4 7.52 7.80 7.56 7.78 3.87 3.88 3.85 3.88 1.15 1.14 1.14 1.14 2.80 2.80 2.79 2.80 23.50 21.95 20.00 21.95 0.570 0.560 0.560 0.560 2 2 1.99 2 2.3 2.47 2.28 2.41 3.80 3.82 3.75 3.82 2.820 2.860 2.430 2.490 16.96 17.6 16.96 17.6 4.90 5.00 4.99 5.00 107.50 113.80 108.10 108.90 23.25 23.20 22.80 23.15 1690.00 1739.00 1695.00 1721.00 0.435 0.440 0.440 0.440 0.840 0.870 0.830 0.870 39.25 39.80 38.70 39.30 76.95 77.60 76.75 76.85 6.10 6.28 6.11 6.12 3.31 3.33 3.30 3.31 0.590 0.600 0.590 0.590 1.92 1.88 1.8 1.88 3.3 3.45 3.3 3.3 5.310 5.550 5.400 5.400 MINING & OIL 0.0042 0.0045 0.0041 0.0044 2.14 2.14 2.05 2.06 4.26 4.26 4.21 4.21 12.50 12.38 10.38 12.38 0.248 0.248 0.248 0.248 8.2100 8.88 7.5 8.2500 8.2500 8.9300 7.9000 7.9000 0.68 0.68 0.66 0.66 0.500 0.500 0.490 0.500 8.10 8.28 7.99 8.25 0.920 0.950 0.920 0.930 0.290 0.290 0.285 0.285 0.265 0.270 0.255 0.260 0.285 0.290 0.265 0.280 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 0.0140 0.0140 0.0130 0.0130 2.02 2.1 2 2.06 5.27 5.5 5.11 5.5 2.45 2.5 2.4 2.49 0.5600 0.6100 0.6100 0.6100 1.2700 1.3300 1.2500 1.3000 0.0095 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 0.0094 0.0095 0.0095 0.0095 3.75 3.89 3.76 3.89 6.30 6.45 6.33 6.45 2.25 2.30 2.24 2.29 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 125.50 127.10 125.50 126.90 3.2 3.45 3.2 3.2 PREFERRED 56.1 57.4 56 56 520 518 517 517 530 530 530 530 116 117.5 117 117 500 510 510 510 520 520 520 520 108.2 108.5 108.5 108.5 1020 1015 1015 1015 103.8 103.8 103.7 103.7 110 109.5 109.5 109.5 76 76.1 76 76 77 76.4 76 76 77.7 78 77.5 78 77 78.15 77.5 78 75.1 75.1 75.05 75.05 75 75.6 75.05 75.6 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.900 3.170 2.810 3.020 SME 4.02 4.01 4 4 4.23 4.2 3.94 4.2 2.88 2.95 2.88 2.9 16.32 16.38 16.3 16.3 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 116 116.5 115.9 115.9

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.21 6.40 -4.35 1.92 -2.35 -3.45 0.00 1.67 -5.03 0.66 -1.10 1.16 0.00 1.49

8,689,000 246,000 6,000 33,035,000 320,000 1,138,000 45,000 2,512,200 60,000 7,000 8,935,300 1,970,000 376,000 26,753,000

-5,249,790.00 0.00

-0.41 0.18 0.82 1.79 -1.69 -1.43 0.00 -1.61 1.36 -0.52 -3.95 -0.72 -1.75 0.00 0.93 2.42 0.00 3.48 -1.77 9.60 2.60 0.00 0.00 0.94 -1.41 -6.57 -0.95 3.46 0.26 -0.87 0.00 -6.60 -1.75 0.00 4.78 0.53 -11.70 3.77 2.04 1.30 -0.43 1.83 1.15 3.57 0.13 -0.13 0.33 0.00 0.00 -2.08 0.00 1.69

61,300 31,010 75,000 511,000 2,400 4,600,000 6,710,000 316,000 138,720 5,500 3,000 870,600 15,000 20 81,600 28,000 100 31,000 628,140 257,500 760 300 8,500,000 712,000 72,760,000 11,398,000 11,500 14,300 247,000 4,000 21,000 4,400 2,000 21,000 13,623,000 199,000 45,522,000 7,500 19,000 3,606,050 84,900 128,145 200,000 17,343,000 1,336,800 552,620 187,900 794,000 675,000 26,000 552,000 55,800

4.76 -3.74 -1.17 -0.96 0.00 0.49 -4.24 -2.94 0.00 1.85 1.09 -1.72 -1.89 -1.75 0.00 -7.14 1.98 4.36 1.63 8.93 2.36 2.11 1.06 3.73 2.38 1.78 0.00 1.12 0.00

4,909,000,000 -131,000.00 121,000 -52,300.00 86,000 -42,220.00 9,300 60,000 16,800 6,000 392,000 704,000 6,500 38,966,000 -89,850.00 2,850,000 59,780,000 4,040,000 -280,000.00 74,500,000 10,300,000 388,000 4,211,100 -1,977,243.00 329,000 1,000 74,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 14,000 5,854,100 354,095.00 679,000 -11,450.00 35,000,000 565,710 -52,757,596.00 866,000 -6,620.00

-0.18 -0.58 0.00 0.86 2.00 0.00 0.28 -0.49 -0.10 -0.45 0.00 -1.30 0.39 1.30 -0.07 0.80

26,340 2,000 7,600 30,130 100 1,300 920 1,000 9,500 5,700 11,100 30,000 56,000 142,180 20,200 5,060

-870,504.00

4.14

699,000

-18,100.00

-0.50 -0.71 0.69 -0.12

25,000 61,000 67,000 902,900

26,100.00 -9,744,042.00

-0.09

3,530

23,962,170.00

-30,820,645.00 67,780.00 15,777,270.00 4,736,230.00

-10,354,820.00 -494,241.50 2,098,922.00 10,151,570.00

7,838,366.50

52,500.00 308,320.00 31,200.00 13,854.00

-1,791,630.00 -3,810.00 1,428,490.00 0.00 9,702,780.00 526,070.00 -22,072,375.00 16,439,592.00 -430,100.00 231,870.00 -598,200.00

51,900.00 76,100.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Keppel Holdings `B'

6.1

17.08

NOW Corp.

2.490

-11.70

ATN Holdings A

0.445

15.58

Liberty Flour

31.80

-9.14

ATN Holdings B

0.440

14.29

Araneta Prop `A'

2.100

-7.89

Imperial Res. `A'

19.40

9.60

Manila Mining `B'

0.0130

-7.14

Bright Kindle Resources

1.64

9.33

Manila Broadcasting

21.95

-6.60

Omico

0.6100

8.93

ISM Communications

1.9900

-6.57

Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

4.67

7.36

LMG Chemicals

1.94

-6.28

Ever Gotesco

0.160

6.67

Century Property

0.510

-5.56

Interport `A'

1.33

6.40

Rockwell

1.51

-5.03

Da Vinci Capital

4.88

5.86

Keppel Properties

4.40

-4.35

WEDNESDAY: MAY 4, 2016

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

Financial summit. BPI Foundation holds the Financial Inclusion Summit 2016 in partnership with ASKI Global at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The summit gathered thoughtleaders, practitioners, policy makers and business leaders from across the region to initiate a discussion on how to effectively channel remittances for inclusive development. Shown during the summit are (from left) BPI Foundation executive director Faye Corcuera, ASKI Philippines president Rolando Victoria, BSP managing director Chuchi Fonacier, Senator Bam Aquino, Commission of Filipino Overseas chairperson Imelda Nicolas, Card MRI managing director Jaime Aristotle Alip and BPI Family Bank president Natividad Alejo.

RCBC’s net income rises 12.4% to P1.6b By Julito G. Rada

RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp., the ninth-largest lender in terms of assets, said consolidated net income rose 12.4 percent in the first quarter to P1.8 billion from P1.6 billion a year ago, on the strength of core businesses.

This resulted into an annualized return on equity and return on assets of 12.24 percent and 1.43 percent, respectively, the company said. “We are pleased with our first-quarter 2016 financial results as these numbers clearly demonstrated RCBC’s core business uptrend. We will continue to execute our strategies and focus on delivering the quality products and services that our clients deserve,” RCBC chairperson Helen Dee said in a statement. Net interest income grew 17 percent to P4.21 billion, which represented 67 percent of gross income. RCBC said even with the intense pricing competition, it still achieved an annualized net inter-

est margin of 4.27 percent, which remained one of the highest in the sector and a 12-basis-point improvement over the 4.15 percent NIM a year earlier. Loans, excluding interbank loans, expanded 12 percent to P302 billion. All market segments sustained their growth with average loan volumes of corporate, consumer and SME increasing by 15 percent, 18 percent, and 13 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, microfinance lending through unit Rizal Microbank continued its consistent climb with outstanding loan portfolio increasing by 119 percent. Interest income from the lending business accounted for 81 percent of the total interest income of the bank. Asset quality remained well-managed with NPL ratios of the parent bank at 0.24 percent and consolidated bank at 0.82 percent. Other operating income reached P2.11 billion, representing 33 percent of gross income. Total deposits reached P317.22 billion while current and savings account deposits rose to P204.68 billion, translating into Casa-to-deposits ratio of 64.52 percent as of end-March 2016, up from 63.25 percent as of end-March 2015. Consolidated assets expanded 9.2 percent yearon-year to P488.22 billion as of end-March, while capital funds improved 8.9 percent year-on-year to P59.93 billion.

Stock market extends losses to 8th day STOCKS fell for the eighth day, after major companies reported lower first-quarter profits and as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the May 9 elections. The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, lost 7 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 7,046.57 Tuesday. Despite the loss Tuesday, the bellwether was still up 1.4 percent since the start of the year. The heavier index, representing all shares, picked up 4 points, or 0.1 percent, to settle at 4,197.93, on a value turnover of P6.6 billion. Advancers outnumbered losers, 114 to 82, while 40 issues were unchanged. Nine of the 20 most active

stocks ended in the green, led by Security Bank Corp., which climbed 4.8 percent to P176. Property developer Megaworld Corp. rose 1.9 percent to P3.71, while Philippine Long Distance Telephone Corp. gained 1.8 percent to P1,721. Meanwhile, most Asian stocks rose, on expectations the US Federal Reserve will not lift interest rates soon. Figures showing growth in US factory activity slowed last month came after last week’s soft consumer spending report and news that the world’s top economy did not expand as much as expected in the first quarter of the year. Attention now turns to the release of US jobs data on Friday

that many expect to show a slowdown in hiring, which would in turn force the Fed to further delay tightening monetary policy. The weaker dollar lifted US markets, with all three main indexes ending sharply higher. That filtered through to Asia, where most bourses were in positive territory. Shanghai rose 1.9 percent after three straight losses, while Sydney soared more than two percent after Australia’s central bank slashed interest rates to a record low after inflation last week came in well below expectations. The decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia sent the country’s dollar 0.8 percent lower against the greenback. Bloomberg, AFP

Form 2B (Revised June 2014)

16th to 19th Floors, Fort Legend Towers 31st Street corner 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City 1634 Statement of Condition (Head Office and Branches) As of March 31, 2016 AMOUNTS ASSETS

CURRENT QUARTER

PREVIOUS QUARTER

Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Due from Other Banks Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets-Net Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets-Net Unquoted Debt Securities Classified as Loans-Net Investments in Non-Marketable Equity Security-Net Loans and Receivables - Net Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables - Others General Loan Loss Provision Other Financial Assets Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture and Equipment-Net Real and Other Properties Acquired-Net Other Assets-Net

PhP

368,000,205.92 3,220,301,723.63 3,232,721,037.32 780,907,013.94 515,704,617.45 291,934,843.67 80,861,113.02 12,440,816.63 20,554,765,087.56 1,414,875,278.84 19,411,148,006.89 271,258,198.17 91,783,667.13 210,605,817.41 33,868,780.48 1,683,149,382.16

422,896,718.39 3,971,812,073.57 1,653,114,080.82 203,616,861.06 931,125,061.15 298,657,799.26 102,740,220.44 12,440,816.63 22,095,559,477.48 1,719,375,674.90 20,607,618,944.40 231,435,141.82 119,570,959.52 220,031,109.36 7,600,826.68 554,791,036.43

TOTAL ASSETS

PhP 31,077,044,106.32

30,593,957,040.79

Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Bills Payable a) Interbank Loans Payable Due to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities

PhP

155,164,701.67 20,958,124,770.69 921,400,000.00 921,400,000.00 2,216,085.95 212,217,076.03 1,972,090,808.68

46,490,151.88 19,323,474,062.62 2,749,161,040.00 2,749,161,040.00 0.00 130,360,196.54 1,564,691,668.76

TOTAL LIABILITIES

PhP 24,221,213,443.02

23,814,177,119.80

LIABILITIES

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings

PhP

2,533,200,985.17 75,255,677.72 4,247,374,000.41

2,533,200,985.17 250,450,952.58 3,996,127,983.24

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

PhP

6,855,830,663.30

6,779,779,920.99

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

PhP 31,077,044,106.32

30,593,957,040.79

Financial Standby Letters of Credit Performance Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Trust Department Accounts a) Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts b) Agency Accounts Derivatives Others

PhP

1,151,750,000.00 796,382,886.38 194,827,280.51 2,438,379.54 3,376,588,651.68 1,455,105,230.59 719,201,174.44 735,904,056.15 17,076,193,057.80 1,224,453,696.71

0.00 1,958,265,604.41 295,672,863.59 1,566,156.80 625,683,551.40 1,419,456,115.67 695,653,752.75 723,802,362.93 13,840,034,886.19 323,033,028.52

TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

PhP 25,277,739,183.21

18,463,712,206.58

PhP 21,086,316,529.40 PhP 260,293,243.67

22,567,216,445.15 240,221,825.85

CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Gross Total Loan Portfolio (TLP) Specific Allowance for credit losses on the TLP Non-performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) c. Net NPLs d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses Ratio of DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to TLP (%) Gross Non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivable to TLP (%) Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises b. 2% for Medium Enterprises Return on Equity (ROE) (%) Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis a. Total CAR (%) b. TIER 1 Ratio (%) c. CET 1 (%) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) TAGUIG CITY ) S.S.

PhP

487,807,689.04 2.31% 227,514,445.37 1.08%

355,322,184.41 1.57% 115,100,358.56 0.51%

PhP

598,186,229.33

620,735,611.46

PhP

20,804,782.58

21,079,906.54

PhP

0.10% 0.00

0.09% 94,295.03

0.00%

2.63% 6.41% 3.34%

2.95% 5.96% 4.13%

22.93% 22.09% 22.09%

24.31% 23.49% 23.49%

PhP

I/We, ANDRE P. PAYAWAL and STEVE TSAI of the abovementioned Bank, do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above statement of condition are true and correct to the best of my/our knowledge and belief. (Sgd.) ANDRE P. PAYAWAL Chief Finance Officer, SVP (Signature Over Printed Name)

(Sgd.) WEN-HSIUNG TSAI a.k.a. STEVE TSAI President and CEO (Signature Over Printed Name)

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this April 22, 2016 affiants exhibiting to me his/their TIN 150-031-779000 and 462-868-631-000. Doc. No. 406; Book No. I; Page No. 83; Series of 2016

(Sgd.) ATTY. MARY ANGELINE S. TOL NOTARY PUBLIC FOR TAGUIG CITY UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2017 APPT NO.5 (2016 - 2017) / ROLL NO 51630 PTR NO. A-2802106 /01-08-16 / TAGUIG CITY IBP NO. 1016816 / 12-22-15 / CAVITE MCLE COMPLIANCE NO. V-0007014 / 01-23-16 16/F, Fort Legend Tower, 31st St. corner 3rd Avenue Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

B4 D&L sees mart cap of $2b in five years D&L Industries Inc. is aiming to reach a market capitalization of $2 billion by 2019 to 2021 as it expects income growth to sustain an upward trajectory over the next couple of years. D&L Industries’ market capitalization stood at P62.71 billion ($1.34 billion) as of May 3. D&L Industries chief finance officer Alvin Lao said in a press briefing the group was now targeting the market capitalization after hitting $1 billion in September 2015, or one year ahead of target. D&L Industries, meanwhile, said net income reached P576 million in the first three months of the year, up 12 percent year-on-year, as the company sustained a favorable mix shift to higher margin specialty products. First-quarter revenues, however, dropped four percent to P4.63 billion, as the lower business registered a 10-percent decline in volume “But because it is low margin business, the impact on profits is not a big,” Lao said. The contribution of high margin specialties to revenues increased to 64 percent from 62 percent in 2015. As a result, overall gross profit margin reached another all timehigh of 19.2 percent from 16.9 percent in the previous year. Lao said earnings were driven by the strong growth in specialties on the back of increasing volume and expanding margins. As expected, specialty plastics volume led the double-digit growth in food ingredients, aerosols, and oleochemicals, as well as the increase in margins. Lao said the company was sticking to its 10-percent target for 2016 despite the better-than-expected first-quarter performance. “With the volatility in the global market and the upcoming elections, we are sticking to the same 10-percent growth in net income,” he said. The company will pursue new investment opportunities. “Thoughtfully pursuing opportunities in the high growth, high margin space, as well as entering exciting new markets in specialty ingredients, food safety, and oleochemicals, the company is positioned well for long-term growth. This shift satisfies goals not only of volume and margin growth, but also of continuous value creation,” D&L Industries said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Video contest. The Intellectual Property Office Philippines, Motion Picture Association, United States Embassy and the Korean Copyright Com-

mission launch the ‘Rise Against Movie Piracy Philippines,’ a video-making contest for Metro Manila-based film students to raise awareness on the importance of respecting copyrighted content. The four announced the contest along with video-on-demand service providers Blink, Hooq and iflix. At the launching event are (from left) Sherwin Dela Cruz, country manager of iflix; Valerie Domantay, head of legal of Solar; Josephine Santiago, director general of IPOPHL; Brian Breuhaus, economic officer of the US Embassy; and Jeffrey Remigio, director of content and programming, HOOQ.

SM Investments nets P7b as sales increase By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONGLOMERATE SM Investments Corp. said net income in the first three months of the year climbed 3.6 percent to P7 billion from P6.7 billion year-on-year, boosted by strong consumer spending and the stable economic growth. Minus non-recurring gains, SM Investments said net income would have increased by 12 percent in the first three months of the year. SM Investments said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first quarter consolidated revenues rose seven percent to P69.8 billion “We are pleased with SM’s strong underlying growth in

the first quarter as consumer spending continued to be vibrant and sentiment about the Philippine economy remains strong. Our continuing efforts to improve efficiencies in all our businesses have also helped ensure solid earnings growth,” SM Investments president Harley Sy said. Property accounted for 43 percent of the group’s consolidated

net income in the first quarter, followed by banks at 36 percent and retail at 21 percent. Retail operations under SM Retail Inc., which consist of both food and non-food, reported sustained growth with total sales rising eight percent to P48.8 billion in the first quarter, while net income increased 16 percent to P1.5 billion. The conglomerate’s food retail business continued to expand, adding five new stores to end the quarter with 314 stores SM earlier announced the merger of SM Retail with a group of specialty retail stores. The combined entity will have over 1,900 outlets and 2.4 million square meters of gross floor area. Meanwhile, the SM Investments’ banking unit BDO Unibank posted a net income of P5.5 billion as core lending, deposit-

taking and fee-generating businesses delivered solid numbers. The group’s property arm SM Prime Holdings Inc. booked a recurring net income growth of 12 percent to P5.8 billion while consolidated revenues rose 10 percent to P18.2 billion. Rental revenues from malls and commercial spaces went up 14 percent to P10.8 billion, while the residential group recorded a five-percent increase in revenues to P5.8 billion Total assets of SM Investments as of end-March improved six percent to P760.5 billion. Shareholders of SM Investments last week approved the increase in the company’s authorized capital stock to P28 billion from P12 billion to pave the way for a stock dividend declaration and obtain flexibility for future expansion.

Meralco signs deals to purchase 3,551 megawatts of power By Alena Mae S.Flores MANILA Electric Co., the biggest power distributor, signed agreements to purchase 3,551 megawatts of power supply with seven generators. The power supply accounts for 81 percent of the 4,384-megawatt combined capacity of the generators. Meralco disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange it filed applications with the Energy Regulatory Commission to approve the supply agreements between

the company and the power companies. The company sought approval of the agreement with Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. for the supply of 225 MW for its baseload requirements. RP Energy, which is majority controlled by Meralco PowerGen Corp., plans to construct a 300-MW coal-fired power plant within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Meralco PowerGen is the power generation unit of Meralco. Other RP Energy shareholders

are Aboitiz Power Corp. and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp. The company said it also signed a supply agreement with St. Raphael Power Generation Corp. for the purchase of up to 400 MW of electrical output. St. Rafael, the joint venture between Semirara Mining and Power Corp., Meralco PowerGen and Marubeni Corp., plans to build a 700-MW, coal-fired power generating facility consisting of two 350-MW units in Calaca,

Batangas province. Meralco agreed to purchase the entire 1,200-MW output of Atimonan One Energy Inc. Atimonan One, also majority controlled by Meralco PowerGen, plans to construct a 1,200-MW coal-fired power generating facility consisting of two 600-MW units in Atimonan, Quezon province. Meralco also signed supply agreements with two companies owned by San Miguel Corp., namely Central Luzon Premiere Power Corp. and Mariveles Pow-

er Generation Corp. Meralco will purchase up to 528 MW of the output of Central Luzon Premiere, which is building a 600-MW coal-fired power generating facility in Pagbilao, Quezon, which is scheduled to become operational not later than 2021. It agreed to buy 528 MW from Mariveles Power, which plans to construct a 600-MW coal-fired power plant in Mariveles, Bataan, which is scheduled to become operational not later than 2020.

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 4 , 2 0 1 6

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

Slain OFW’s family seeks help from govt FOR taking his work seriously and engaging in a scuffle with a Syrian national who took an item from the convenience store without paying, 26-year-old overseas Filipino worker Ronald Jumamoy landed in the hospital and became comatose for days. He never recovered and died last February 12. It took more than two months for the remains of Ronald—an OFW who worked in a convenience store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—to be repatriated, thanks in large part to the combined efforts of ACTSOFW party list nominee John Bertiz, the Saudi-based organization Patnubay sa mga Manggagawang Pilipino, and the Blas F. Ople Policy Center (headed by senatorial candidate Susan “Toots” Ople). Last Friday, Ronald’s remains arrived in Manila and was flown to Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City. A native of Montevista in Compostela Valley, Ronald will soon be finally laid to rest, but the search for justice continues. His grieving family has asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to represent them in pursuing justice in Saudi courts for Ronald’s murder “We have been waiting for months for his remains to arrive so that we can pay our last respect and bestow a decent burial in our hometown,” Anne Jumamoy, Ronald’s sister, said in a statement issued through the ACTS-OFW party list group. “We have long suffered in pain and now, we hope that justice shall be served according to the laws and practices in Saudi Arabia so that we can pick up the bits and pieces of our lives that have been shattered by his death,” she added. Under the Shariah law, there are two aspects of a murder case: the public action where the punishment is meted for offense against the law or religion, and the private rights of actions for compensation for the victim or the victim’s family. “We are still thinking if we will demand for blood money. What is important now is an early court decision for qisas [or beheading] or should we decide to forgive in exchange of diyat [or blood money],” Anne shared, adding that what they need is to prepare a special power of attorney for the Philippine embassy to proceed with private rights of action. “We are thankful that our fellow OFW Ronald will be finally laid to rest. Our prayers and thoughts are with his family during these trying times, but we want to assure them that we will help them seek justice for his death,” Bertiz said. Bertiz assured that he, along with Patnubay and the Ople Center, will continue to assist the Jumamoy family until all money claims, including insurance, burial and death benefits, have been completed by concerned parties. Kapatid employees’ union happy with new CBA Militant labor groups observed Labor Day last Sunday with the usual red-bannered protests, but at least one employee union celebrated because it successfully concluded the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement much earlier. We’re referring to the ABC employees’ Union (ABCEU) that sealed an agreement with the management of TV5 during a ceremonial signing at the office of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. The new package includes salary increases, union leave benefits and other concessions like an educational loan assistance and additional rice subsidy. The management of TV5, led by its president and CEO Emmanuel Lorenzana, also agreed to discuss performancebased salary increases. The negotiations, which began in September last year, became almost derailed after a deadlock this February. According to ABCEU president Vladimir Martin, the package is substantial and the union is “happy about it.” While they may have wanted more from the new economic package, the union leader said what they got was better than the last time. “The company can only give so much at the present,” he said, but promised that the union would push for the other concessions they asked for in the next CBA negotiations. The financial status of TV5 has been going through challenges but the network tried to strike a balance between ensuring company viability while still providing acceptable increases to the salary of workers. For his part, Lorenzana thanked the management in resolving the issue and praised the union for responding to the call for unity within the ranks during the difficult moments in the negotiations. The show of cooperation will help the management and employees achieve the mutual goal of ensuring the viability and efficiency of the Kapatid network, Lorenzana said. ••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

PLDT’s income fell 34% to P6.2b in Q1 By Darwin G. Amojelar

PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. said on Tuesday net profit fell 34 percent in the first quarter of the year, dragged down by its investment in a German Internet company and higher cost of handset subsidies amounting to nearly P3 billion. PLDT, partly owned by Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd. and Japan’s NTT group, reported a net income of P6.22 billion in the January-toMarch period from P9.48 billion year-on-year. The company blamed the decline in net income during the period to the higher product subsidies and financing costs, and

increased impairment charges related to the investment in Rocket Internet. PLDT said handset subsidies amounted to P1.2 billion, while impairment loss from its investment in Rocket Internet reached P1.6 billion. The value of its investment in Rocket Internet was P13 billion, down from the P19.7billion acquisition cost.

“Our results for the first quarter confirm our view that the digital pivot will be a difficult and complicated process,” PLDT chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan said. He added the company was maintaining its core profit guidance for the year to P28 billion due to “intense” competition and continued shift to lower-margin revenues. Core profit, which excludes foreign exchange gains or losses and other non-recurring income, dropped 22 percent to P7.21 billion in the first quarter from P9.28 billion last year. Consolidated revenues amounted to P42.78 billion in the January-to-March period from P42.55 billion in the same period last year.

Bancassurance award. Security Bank Corp. and FWD Life Philippines, are recognized with the ‘Highly Commended: Best Bancassurance’ award at the 7th Annual Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Summit & Awards 2016 held on March 17 in Singapore. Security Bank and FWD signed a bancassurance partnership on September 2014 and officially launched the business in February 2015. Retail Banker International Asia Editor Lim Xiou Ann (left) joins Delbert Ang-It (center), Security Bank bancassurance head, and Irene Andas, FWD chief partnership distribution officer and Bancassurance head, during the awarding ceremony.

BPI’s profit flat in the first 3 months By Julito G. Rada BANK of the Philippine Islands, the country’s third-largest bank, said Tuesday net income in the first quarter rose 1.3 percent to P4.98 billion from P4.92 billion a year ago. Total revenues reached P15.27 billion, up 4.9 percent on year, as net interest income posted a 6-percent increase to P10 billion. Non-interest income grew 2.8 percent to P5.27 billion with securities and foreign exchange trading combining for a P1.2-billion gain or a 22-percent increase. Operating expenses ended at P7.85 billion, up 7.3 percent, mainly driven by increases in regulatory and marketing-related costs. The bank’s cost-to-income ratio was 1.1 percent higher than last year’s 51.4 percent. Return on

assets was 1.3 percent, down 0.2 percent from the prior year. Return on equity was 13.1 percent, down 0.8 percent. Total loans increased 18 percent to reach P861.22 billion on a 78 percent to 22 percent corporate-retail mix. Gross 90-day NPLs slightly decreased to 1.69 percent from 1.70 percent. Reserves cover was 114.2 percent. Total deposits stood at P1.30 trillion, up 12 percent year-onyear. CASA (current and savings account) ratio at the end of the first quarter was 72.6 percent. Total assets stood at at P1.54 trillion, 8.6 percent or P122.70 billion above that of the same period last year. Investment securities stood at P301.84 billion, a 15.6-percent increase year-on-year. The bank’s investment portfolio continued to be heavily-weighted in held-

to-maturity securities at P253.79 billion. Capital increased 7.1 percent to P155.99 billion. Capital adequacy ratio—a measurement of financial strength—ended at 13.9 percent, well above the regulatory limit, while CET1 stood at 13 percent. BPI is allocating P450 million, at the most, for the establishment of additional branches this year to widen its coverage areas nationwide. Chief financial officer Joseph Albert Gotuaco said in an earlier interview BPI planned to open 25 to 30 branches in 2016. Most of these would be in Metro Manila and the Visayas and Mindanao areas, he said, adding the establishment of new branches would cost around P5 million to P15 million, “depending on the location.”

WEDNESDAY: MAY 4, 2016

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

Full Circle names de Quiros as prexy FULL Circle Communications Inc. announced the appointment of vice president Paul de Quiros as the new president of the public relations firm, following the untimely passing of president Milen Sison-de Quiros. He was unanimously elected as the president during a recent meeting of the board of directors. Paul’s more than 25 years work experience has been anchored on the management and dissemination of information both in the government and private sectors. As an award-winning PR practitioner, he also specializes in issues/crisis communications and management. “We promise to give you the kind of work that will celebrate Milen’s mark in the public relations industry. Our work will be sealed with passion, excellence, sincerity, commitment and love,” said de Quiros. Full Circle chairman Javier Jose Manila

Standard

TODAY

Berjaya’s vision.

The Berjaya Group Philippines ﬁnds a common objective with Gawad Kalinga to build communities dedicated to ending poverty and restoring human dignity. Berjaya and GK brought hope by building communities for over 820 Filipino families since October 2015. Shown is Berjaya Philippines country head Paul Soo as he gives an inspiring talk during The 3rd Global Social Business Summit 2016 at the GK Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan.

Calero also assured present clients, partners and the entire PR industry that Full Circle is still in business and is fully operational. “We remain committed to delivering the best work that would fulfill the PR requirements of our clients, both present and future, as well as the media and other stakeholders,” said Calero. “We will not wane in the quality of service that we have been giving our clients and partners for the past years. We are quite firm in our commitment to continue Milen’s legacy in the PR industry. We will make her proud,” he said. Established in 2000, Full Circle is a full-service, award-winning public relations firm based in the Philippines. With its varied and wide network, the company offers a broad range of strategic public relations and marketing services that build awareness, increase visibility and achieve market edge and growth.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLO

METRO SOUTH COOPERATIVE BANK

040608 (Bank Code)

IDC Centre, Zapote Street cor. Kalayaan Avenue, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Makati City

BALANCE SHEET

As of MARCH 31, 2016 ASSETS

Account Code

Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Due from Other Banks Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets-Net Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets-Net Unquoted Debt Securities Classified as Loans-Net Investments in Non-Marketable Equity Security-Net Loans and Receivables - Net Loans to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables - Others Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB General Loan Loss Provision Other Financial Assets Equity Investment in Subsidiaries, Associates and Joint Ventures-Net Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture and Equipment-Net Real and Other Properties Acquired-Net Non-Current Assets Held for Sale Other Assets-Net Net Due from Head Office/Branches/Agencies, if any (Philippine branch of a foreign bank) TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Due to Other Banks Bills Payable a) BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) b) Interbank Loans Payable c) Other Deposit Substitute d) Others Bonds Payable-Net Unsecured Subordinated Debt-Net Redeemable Preferred Shares Special Time Deposit Due to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities Net Due to Head Office/Branches/Agencies (Philippine branch of a foreign bank) TOTAL LIABILITIES Stockholders’ Equity Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings Assigned Capital TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS Guarantees Issued Financial Standby Letters of Credit Performance Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commitments Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Securities Held Under Custodianship by Bank Proper Trust Department Accounts a) Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts b) Agency Accounts c) Advisory/Consultancy Derivatives Others TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Gross total loan portfolio (TLP) Specific allowance for credit losses on the TLP Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) c. Net NPLs d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross allowance of credit losses Ratio of DOSRI loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to gross TLP (%) Gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables to TLP (%) Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises b. 2% for Medium Enterprises Return on Equity (ROE) (%) Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations a. Total CAR (%) b. Tier 1 Ratio (%) c. Common Tier 1 Ratio (%) 1/ Deferred Charges not yet Written Down Unbooked Allowance for Credit Losses on Financial Instruments Received

108000000000000000 105150000000000000 105200000000000000 112000000000000000 195200000000000000 195250000000000000 195300000000000000 195350000000000000 195400000000000000 140050000000000000 195401000000000000 140150500000000000 195402000000000000 175150000000000000 148000000000000000 195452500000000000 195500500000000000 195501000000000000 150150000000000000 152000000000000000

Amount Current Quarter Previous Quarter 833,736.25 6,479,511.86 47,274,241.93 47,276,761.93 396,924,999.25 481,030,140.11 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 20,000,000.00 20,000,000.00 0.00 1,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 1,869,411,003.80 1,817,687,702.64 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,930,684,286.39 1,871,460,985.23 0.00 0.00 61,273,282.59 53,773,282.59 25,835,979.22 27,653,237.75 0.00 0.00 42,247,177.53 43,433,524.34 18,971,196.96 21,081,884.11 0.00 0.00 10,299,519.45 11,603,534.64

155250000000000000

0.00

100000000000000000

2,431,797,854.39

2,477,246,297.38

208000000000000000 215000000000000000 220050000000000000 220100000000000000 220100001500000000 220100002000000000 220100002500000000 220100003000000000 295201500000000000 295202000000000000 220250000000000000 220300000000000000 230350000000000000 240050000000000000 240100000000000000 230850000000000000 200000000000000000

0.00 1,369,173,664.74 0.00 511,166,666.68 0.00 511,166,666.68 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 6,556,161.64 50,849,737.44 0.00 1,937,746,230.50

0.00 1,471,658,746.06 0.00 468,116,666.67 0.00 0.00 0.00 468,116,666.67 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 5,757,309.61 56,593,583.86 0.00 2,002,126,306.20

335050000000000000 335100000000000000 315000000000000000 325200000000000000 300000000000000000 905000000000000000

419,369,966.21 3,737,471.66 70,944,186.02 0.00 494,051,623.89 2,431,797,854.39

403,095,524.15 -1,296,891.00 73,321,358.03 0.00 475,119,991.18 2,477,246,297.38

405000000000000000 410050000000000000 410100000000000000 415000000000000000 420000000000000000 425000000000000000 430000000000000000 495220000000000000 495250000000000000 495250500000000000 495251000000000000 495251500000000000 435000000000000000 440000000000000000 400000000000000000

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3,410,873.91 3,410,873.91

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,268,307.91 4,268,307.91

499020000000000000 499300000000000000

1,937,217,606.79 6,533,320.40

1,877,994,305.63 6,533,320.40

499100500000000000 499150500000000000 499101000000000000 499151000000000000 499200000000000000 499400000000000000

214,764,097.34 11.09 208,230,776.94 10.75 45.00 132,564,520.74

128,721,907.35 6.85 122,188,586.95 6.51 45.00 174,547,184.64

499480000000000000

6.84

9.29

499500000000000000 499550000000000000

0.00 0.00

499050500000000000 499051000000000000 499350000000000000

14.75 13.62 4.00

16.90 15.59 7.00

499650500500000000 499650501000000000 499650501500000000 499700000000000000 499750000000000000

18.30 452.22 0.00 0.00 0.00

16.39 393.02 0.00 0.00 0.00

1/ Common Equity Tier 1 is only applicable to all Universal and Commercial Banks and their subsidiary banks.

Republic of the Philippines ) Makati City

) s.s.

I/We, RODA L. CRUZ and RENELIA V. ESTIOKO of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of my/our knowledge and belief. RODA L. CRUZ Finance Head

RENELIA V. ESTIOKO President

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 19 day of April, 2016 at Makati City, affiant exhibiting his/her/their Passport No.EB5924413 , issued at Manila City on July 13, 2012 and Passport No. EB6029990, issued at Manila City on July 25, 2012. th

Doc. No. 218 Book No. LXLVII Page No. 54 Series of 2016

Ecozone investments climb 18.6% By Othel V. Campos

INVESTMENT pledges approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority climbed 18.6 percent in the first four months to P48.75 billion from P41 billion a year ago, amid the resurgence of the manufacturing sector. Peza director-general Lilia de Lima said the number of projects approved by the agency in the four-month period also rose 11 percent to 208 from 187 projects a year earlier. Exports of locators in economic zones slightly went up by 0.7 percent to $7.06 in the first two months of 2016 from $7.03 billion in the same period in 2015. De Lima said manufacturing remained the biggest contributor to inbound investments. “But information technology is catching up. There are existing IT parks that are expanding locations while there are also some that are just setting up operations in the Philippines,” she said. Investments in the IT sector jumped 129.1 percent to P9 billion from P4 billion in the same period last year. The number of IT projects also grew 28.8 percent to 85 from 66, while IT exports grew 21.4 percent to $1.75 billion from $1.4 billion. Direct employment by all enterprises in economic zones reached 1,255,476 as of end-April, up from 1,287,505 a year earlier. IT accounted for almost half of the manpower at 581,565 people as of end-April, up 12.1 percent from 518,739 in the same period in 2015. The agency said of the approved IT projects, Daiichi Properties committed the biggest investment of P2.92 billion this year to develop a financial center at the Bonifacio Global Center. The biggest investment in the manufacturing sector was a P2.3-billion rubber and plastics facility. Meanwhile, Peza, the Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency signed Tuesday a memorandum of agreement to assist investors in bringing in the required chemicals needed by companies in the course of their manufacturing in the Philippines. De Lima said PDEA would now allow the entry of low-concentration chemicals usually used by manufacturers without clearance from the agency. Regulated drugs still need clearance from DDB and PDEA.

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

California Muslims go to court over hijab LOS ANGELES—Two lawsuits filed in California on Monday claim that Muslim women were discriminated against in separate incidents because of their religion and for wearing the hijab. One of the suits claims that police in Long Beach forcibly removed a suspect’s headscarf while another suit alleges that a group of women were kicked out of a Laguna Beach coffee house for being Muslim. According to the complaint against the city of Long Beach and its police department, Kirsty Powell and her husband were pulled over by two officers while driving home in May of last year. She was subsequently arrested on two outstanding warrants -- one linked to her sister allegedly falsely using her identity and one in relation to a 2002 shoplifting incident at a grocery store. Powell, who is African American, alleges that while being booked at the police station, one of the officers forcibly removed her headscarf in view of other male officers and inmates, telling her she was “not allowed to wear her hijab” and that policemen were “allowed to touch women.” The suit states that Powell “suffered and continues to suffer extreme shame, humiliation, mental anguish and emotional distress” as a result of her experience. “The actions taken by the Long Beach police officers were unwarranted and a serious violation of Mrs Powell’s bodily integrity,” said Yalda Satar, attorney for the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the suit on behalf of Powell. “The manner in which Mrs Powell was treated by LBPD officers was simply a show of authority over a woman of color who was unable to protect herself, and is another example of the type of discrimination faced by women who wear a hijab.” The Long Beach Police Department said in a statement late Monday that Powell’s hijab was taken off in line with the department’s policy to remove certain items from inmates—ncluding belts, shoe laces and head coverings—for their own protection. AFP

Talks shift to Moscow in effort to save truce MOSCOW—Desperate efforts to salvage Syria’s ceasefire shifted to Moscow on Tuesday as the country’s battered second city of Aleppo came under fresh fire that killed at least four people.

Present. Actress Amber Heard attends the ‘Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of

Technology’ Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. AFP

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due to hold talks with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura in the Russian capital in a last-ditch bid to rescue the peace negotiations that have been undermined by fierce fighting around Aleppo. The high-profile talks follow a day of diplomacy in Geneva as US Secretary of State John Kerry added his weight to the efforts to resuscitate the stuttering truce. Kerry said the situation in the war-torn country was “in many ways out of control and deeply disturbing” as the two-month-old ceasefire brokered by Washington and Moscow hung by a thread. Skirmishes continued in and around Aleppo, where more than 250 people have died during a week of violence. Rebel rocket fire on the government-held districts of the city killed at least four civilians including a child early on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. State news agency SANA put the death toll at six and said 37 people were wounded However, an AFP correspondent reported no regime air strikes as ceasefire efforts intensify. Meanwhile, heavy air strikes throughout the night on the Islamic State group’s de facto Syria capital Raqa killed at least 13 civilians and five jihadists, the Observatory said. But the monitoring group had no immediate word on whether the strikes were carried out by the Damascus regime, its Moscow ally or the US-led coalition battling IS. “Raqa has not been targeted by air raids of this intensity for several weeks,” Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. “These raids continued throughout the night and into the morning.” Washington accuses Russia of doing little to rein in the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s around Aleppo. But Moscow retorted earlier this week that it would not ask the Syrian regime to halt air raids on Aleppo as it believes that they are helping to combat jihadist groups there. Since then, Russia has said talks are under way to include Aleppo province in a so-called “regime of silence”—a freeze in fighting. To buttress the truce, Washington and Moscow have agreed to bolster the number of Geneva-based ceasefire monitors, Kerry told reporters, pledging to work “in the next hours” to rein in violence on the ground. Kerry accused Assad’s regime of deliberately targeting three clinics and an attack on a major hospital last week, which he described as “unconscionable”. AFP

Indonesian villagers mistake sex toy for angel JAKARTA—Indonesian villagers thought they had been blessed by an angel fallen from heaven when a beautiful doll washed up on a beach—only to discover it was an inflatable sex toy Rapidly-spreading reports of a heavenly offering and fears of possible social unrest prompted a police investigation. Detectives who arrived in the remote spot soon punctured the

theory of divine intervention. “When our officers arrived they saw that the ‘fallen angel’ was just a doll, it was a sex toy,” local police chief Heru Pramukarno told AFP. Villager Pardin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, found the doll when he was fishing off the remote Banggai islands off Sulawesi in central Indonesia, police said. The discovery in March came

a day after a solar eclipse swept across the area, a deeply spiritual experience in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. This led superstitious locals to believe the two events were linked. Pardin took the partially inflated doll to his home in Kalupapi village, where it was treated with great reverence. His mother gave the “angel” a fresh change of clothes and new

Muslim headscarf to wear every day, and pictures showed it sitting up in a chair and accompanying locals on a boat trip. Police decided to investigate after becoming concerned the increasing excitement about the “angel” could lead to unrest. “We were hearing many stories, such as that the ‘fallen angel’ was crying when she was discovered,” Pramukarno said.

The problem, it seemed, was the remoteness of Kalupapi. “They have no Internet, they don’t know what a sex toy is.” After investigating, officers confiscated the doll and took it to the local police station, a move they said was intended to stop false rumors from spreading. It is not the first time that a sex toy has been mistaken for something else entirely. AFP

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Arrival. Blake Lively arrives for the Costume Institute Benefit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016, in New York. AFP

Migrants trapped in limbo Pakistan slams Trump over imprisoned doctor ISLAMABAD—Pakistan’s interior minister has launched a blistering assault on “ignorant” Donald Trump after the Republican presidential front runner vowed to free the doctor who helped track down Osama bin Laden if he wins office. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the “government of Pakistan and not Donald Trump” will decide the fate of Shakeel Afridi, who is languishing in prison five years after his fake vaccination program helped the CIA track and kill the Al Qaeda leader. Khan spoke late Monday in response to an interview with Trump on Fox News on Friday in which the billionaire claimed that if he became president he would have Afridi out of prison “in two minutes”.

“I would tell them, let them [him] out and I’m sure they would let them [him] out. Because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan,” Trump said, adding that Pakistan “takes advantage like everybody else”. Pakistan has historically been among the top recipients of US aid, receiving $633 million in 2015 according to USAID and billions in the previous decades. But Khan said the “peanuts” the US had given his country “should not be used to threaten or browbeat us into following Mr Trump’s misguided vision of foreign policy”. “Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America,” he said, adding that Trump’s comment “serves to show not only his insensitivity but also his ignorance about Pakistan”. AFP

BAYEUN, Indonesia—One year after struggling ashore during Southeast Asia’s human-trafficking crisis, Sonamia and hundreds of other desperate Rohingya migrants remain in limbo, forgotten footnotes as record numbers worldwide flee violence and persecution. Sonamia was among about 400 starving people plucked to safety off Indonesia from an overloaded green boat that became emblematic of the crisis, its emaciated passengers pleading for help as countries in the region rejected them in an impasse that triggered global outrage. Under pressure, Indonesia and Malaysia eventually allowed Rohingya boat people to land, pending resettlement within a year. But none have been resettled, hundreds are stuck in camps and detention centers, and some have once again risked their lives by taking to the high seas at the hands of people-smugglers. “I have learned to wait,” Sonamia,

who goes by one name, told AFP at a temporary shelter in Bayeun village in Indonesia’s Aceh province. The 42-year-old is still tormented by nightmares of what was termed an appalling game of human “ping-pong”, with boats bouncing between unwelcoming countries as food and water ran out. “I feel upset every time I recall that, because it felt like we were not human,” he said. About 1,000 Rohingya, a Muslim minority that has fled persecution in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, were welcomed ashore in staunchly Islamic Aceh, but only around 300 remain. The rest are believed to have

quietly sailed for Muslim-majority Malaysia—attractive because of its relative affluence—where they face uncertainty as illegal immigrants. In Malaysia, 371 Rohingya who were allowed in amid the crisis remain shut away in an immigration center, government officials say. The United States has agreed to take 52, but resettlement prospects for the rest remain bleak, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees says. Several hundred Bangladeshis were also among the boat people but most have been labeled economic migrants and are in various stages of being sent home. Last year’s crisis began when Thailand discovered mass graves in a human-trafficking camp along its southern border and launched a crackdown on the brutal networks that ferry migrants to Malaysia. The traffickers subsequently abandoned boatloads of migrants at sea, leaving several thousand to be rescued or swim ashore. AFP

Stars go bold with glam-tech looks NEW YORK—Hollywood stars, music moguls and fashion models strutted tech-inspired glam at the Met Gala Monday, working their friend-of-fashion poses on the giant staircase of the “Oscars of the East.” From pop icons Beyonce to Lady Gaga and a cheeky Madonna to a goth-looking Taylor Swift, and an almost unrecognizably intergalactic Katy Perry, it was the most glamorous night of the year in a city that likes to dress up. Supermodel Gigi Hadid posed with pop star significant other Zayn Malik, who wore a metallic arm contraption.

Hollywood heavy hitters Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp and Bradley Cooper, also turned out looking more old-school than sci-fi. Hosted by American Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, the benefit brought out stars of film, television, fashion, politics and sports: from Lupita Nyong’o with a towering hairdo, to Kim Kardashian posing away in a metallic outfit that looked ready for NASA. In line with the technology theme, there was an abundance of black and metallics, cutouts, thighhigh boots and a few people in princess dresses who did not know

there was a theme. The gala, held the first Sunday in May, raises money for the Met’s Costume Institute. It picks out a theme each year and attendees are encouraged to embrace it and run with it. This year, the theme was “Manus X Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” which is also the title of the Costume Institute’s big annual exhibition opening May 5. “Fashion and technology are inextricably connected, more so now than ever before,” said Thomas Campbell, director and CEO of the Met. AFP

Play time at dusk. Palestinian children play on a tree as the sun sets on May 2, 2016, in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. AFP

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TATUm ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

H omE & L I v ING

LIFE

Monumental moments do have a habit of leaving us speechless, and all that’s left for us to do is savor them

Some small things are so ordinary and normal that we don’t really take notice of them, but our kids do

12 LESSOnS MOThERhOOD hAS TAughT ME the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way:

Liv.e SimpLy

By LIv ESTEBAn

ost first-time moms are blessed with instant access to advice and tips on motherhood from their own moms. I was not one of them, having lost mine as a mere child. I have six siblings, three of whom are older sisters, but because I happened to be the first to venture down the parenting path, I did not have the advantage of learning from them either. And so, 24 years ago, I faced my first pregnancy armed with great joy, a little trepidation, and no other choice but to jump right into motherhood and just wing it. Train by experience. Make the mistakes and learn the lessons. And oh, what an incredible education motherhood has given me, one that has enriched me and enlarged my heart (and, unfortunately, my body too). It’s an ongoing education without a graduation date – after all, we never cease being mothers no matter how old our children grow – although there are certain lessons we manage to master with great proficiency. Here are twelve of

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff Some things are important enough to wage wars on (for me, that’s any time my children are put in situations where they risk being hurt or harmed, physically, emotionally or spiritually). But most things are simple skirmishes that can be ignored. I’ve learned that if we want to keep our heartbeat normal and our minds sane, we need to pick our battles. So your son insists on wearing the striped shirt with the printed shorts in clashing colors? Let him, even if it offends your sense of fashion. He’ll catch on to it when he turns into a teen, believe me. But if he steps out of school after class to go malling with friends without first asking permission, that’s grounds for, well, grounding. Kids need to know what’s okay and what’s not, and they’ll take their cues from what you make a huge fuss about and what you let slip. It’s easier to do that when not every little thing is a big deal. Bonus: It means less wrinkles for you as well. 2. Don’t underestimate the small things either Some small things don’t matter. And some small things matter a great deal. Like beginning and ending meals with grace. Like biting your tongue and swallowing that curse word when you stub your pinky on a chair leg, because little ears are listening and little eyes are watching. Like

In celebration of Mother’s Day, we will be treating three special moms to a lunch or dinner for two at New World Manila Bay and a special beauty treatment for mom at Vietura, the aesthetic lifestyle institute of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Surprise your mom for Mother’s Day by nominating her as one of The Standard Life‘s three special women.

ensuring that the Rosary is prayed and Sunday Mass attended together as a family. Like dressing and dining and speaking with refinement. These small things are so ordinary and normal that we don’t really take notice of them. But our kids do. It’s the small things done day in and day out that turn into habits, and it’s up to us to make sure our kids end up with the good ones. 3. There will be moments when words will fail The first time you hold your pink, wrinkly, freshly-birthed baby in your arms and think he’s the most beautiful miracle you’ve ever laid eyes on. The first time your toddler gazes at you like you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. The bittersweet moment when you watch your son transfer that look of adoration to another woman as he slips his ring onto her finger and gives her his name. Times like these you won’t have any words for, and that’s okay, because monumental moments do have a habit of leaving us speechless, and all that’s left for us to do is savor them as we tuck each one, protected and nurtured, in the deepest recesses of our hearts. 4. There will be moments when you will fail On the other hand, there will be times when you wish you had actually lost the power of speech, right after you utter harsh words you wish you hadn’t. You will fly into a rage over some transgression or another

and regret it immediately. You will forget to fill his wallet with his daily allowance one day, or rush in to pick him up when all his other classmates have gone home. Don’t beat yourself up when it happens. We’re human, after all, not mamabots; some days we win, some days we could do better. We learn that it’s really the struggle that matters. 5. Some rules can be bent; others cannot You’ll develop a feel for what you’ll allow to pass you by and what you just won’t. Your kid fails to do her chores because she zonked off after a hard day at school? Let’s allow that to go for today. Lying, disobedience, disrespect, unkindness? Not okay at any point in time. Kids need to know which fences can be nudged from time to time and which are permanently set in the ground. It prepares them for the real world when they will need to discern which things to let go of and which things they need to hold on to, as they learn how to manage the shifting tides of life. 6. The Rule of Two should precede all else Motherhood changes us; fatherhood changes our first loves, too. After all, it’s a partnership (and the reason why I think the whole business of becoming a parent requires two to tango). I’ve learned that kids need to see mom and pop as a united front. When my boys ask for permission, their pop will always say, “Ask your mom.” When they come to Continued on C2

Share with us what makes your mom – and she does not have to be your biological mother but a grandma, an aunt or any other lady who has been like a mom to you – special and we will share it to the world.

COnTEST MEChAnICS:

1. Share a creative photo of you and your mother on your Facebook or Instagram account with the hashtag #CelebrateLIFEwithMom. Your image should contain a description about your mom and what makes her special. 2. Tag us at www.facebook.com/ thestandardph and @LifeatStandard on Instagram. All entries will be received from May 4 until May 7, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. Philippine Standard Time. The winners will be announced on Mother’s Day, May 8, 2016. 3. Photo entry must be owned by the person submitting it for the contest. No other entity should have rights, claims and interests on the submitted photographs. They must be

original, unpublished and free of watermarks, markings or borders. 4. Participants submitting photos must have sufficient permission and consent from any recognizable models or other persons appearing in the photograph. 5. Entering the contest signifies that the participant grants The Standard the right to display, exhibit and publish the entry outside the contest. 6. All prizes are non-transferrable and not convertible to cash. 7. Entries should not have been entered in any other contest or submitted to other publications.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

How moms can make summer productive for children

ith the opening of classes still more than a month away, a big challenge for moms is to keep their children busy in a productive way. Kids are kids, and it’s but natural if they would want to spend the rest of the vacation just lazing around, playing online games with their friends. Sometimes though, kids’ idea of fun is not exactly what parents have in mind as they would like children to spend their days in a more fruitful way. It’s really a challenge to attain the right balance between learning, productivity and fun, but it’s possible. Here are a few ideas to help kids make the most of the rest of summer in a way that they will find enjoyable. Engage kids thru art Do-it-yourself art activities like scrapbooking can make the days extra creative for kids. They can start by filling pages and pages with cute pictures, colorful artworks, and other souvenirs such as stamps, tickets, etc. Doing DIY art will not only keep kids occupied while having fun, but also encourage them to be as creative as they can be. You can also teach them to be resourceful and innovative by recycling old materials and household items for their summer project. Expose them to activities that promote social responsibility It’s never too early to teach kids about values and social responsibility by helping others and caring for the environment, and this can be done by exposing them to local community efforts. It could be as simple as a tree planting activity, a community cleanup, or a visit to an organization that promotes an advocacy like homes for the aged or animal shelters. This is a great bonding experience not for just mommies and their kids but for the whole family as well. Explore the great outdoors Technology allows kids to learn and have fun in the comforts of their own home, but there are some things that are best experienced in real life, like nature. Give kids a break from their gadgets and take them to parks and zoos, where they can have a breath of fresh air, engage in active play, and appreciate the outdoors. A lot of parks offer more than just their

12 LESSoNS... From C1

me, they also know for any decision I make, “Pop has veto power.” There will be inevitable moments when the hubby and I will be at odds with each other, but by unspoken agreement and shared principles, we will never put down the other in front of the kids. For us, that is the biggest no-no. The biggest yes-yes: Showing our affection for each other in front of the kids. Knowing that their parents see each other as the best thing in each other’s lives is as basic to the children’s wellbeing as food, clothing, and shelter: It gives them security, reassurance, and something to pattern their future relationships on. 7. You have a right to solitude Some days you’re going to be totally wiped out. Exhausted. Drained. Sometimes you’ll rummage through the laundry, trying to find the self you seem to have lost after you took the name “Mama.” Other times you’ll just have an all-encompassing need to hog the bathroom to yourself, uninterrupted. Take that time to be alone and cherish it without guilt. It’s called a sanity break and you deserve those few minutes to regroup, regather, and spend a few moments breathing, relaxing, praying. 8. You also need your own Mommy Posse Motherhood is a club with a built-in support group and we should all take

Give kids a break from their gadgets and take them to parks and playgrounds Encourage your kids to be as creative with DIY workshops and art lessons

picnic grounds – most have boat and bike rentals, zip line rides, petting zoos, and playgrounds – so there is always something for kids and moms to do and bond over. Exposing them to the outdoors is also a good opportunity to teach them about the value of and caring for nature and animals. Give kids a first-hand experience of history, culture and science Introduce your kids to a refreshingly different learning environment by bringing them to museums. Not only will they be exposed to art, history and science lessons outside the classroom, but they will also learn in a much more interactive and entertaining way. Together, you and your kids can bond and discover the story of the universe, the evolution of humans and inventions, important history facts and items, and other interesting tidbits of knowledge. The best part about these museum trips is that the kids won’t even realize how much they’ve learned in such a short time because they are too busy exploring and having fun. Enroll your kids in summer camps that promote fun learning Look for summer camps where kids can learn the value of work, excellence, and leadership through fun and games

advantage of its perks. Who else will understand your terror over all the possible implications of your kid’s three-day bout with high fever? Who else will commiserate with you when you weep over the first time your rebellious teenager answered back? Who else will sit with you, twiddling her thumbs in unison with yours, as you wait for your son to drive back home in one piece after a night out with friends? See what I mean? Mommy-buddies are precious lifelines. 9. It’s your job to document family life Whether with your pen in a journal or a finger on the shutter of your camera, you’ll want to record both the everyday moments and precious milestones of your family for posterity’s sake. I realized how important it was to have family albums because they, and the memories they contained, helped me a lot as I waded through the tough years after my mom passed away. And today, when I see my children going through our own family albums and scrapbooks, I see how their memories are bolstered and their happiness fostered by tangible proof of the precious times we’ve spent together as family. 10. Your job can be tiring, but immensely rewarding Fresh laundry. Healthy food. Stocked pantries. Comfy home. These are all things we see to, every day. And it’s not always easy to balance our multiple roles

At Jollibee Mini Managers Camp, kids will be exposed to Jollibee’s best store practices and learn how to be responsible mini managers

– providing them with a well-rounded experience. An example is the Jollibee Mini Managers Camp. During the camp’s interactive role-play activity, kids will be exposed to Jollibee’s best store practices and asked to apply what they have learned as responsible Jollibee Mini Managers. The Mini Managers is open to all Jollibee Kids Club members aged 4-7 and comes with a kit and their very own Jollibee Mini Manager uniform. Interested parents may enroll their kids in any of the 300

participating Jollibee stores nationwide. For more details, visit www.facebook.com/ JollibeePhilippines. For moms, nothing can beat seeing kids having fun and still having a productive time. Just make sure though to ask them first about the things they would be most interested in, so you can plan ahead and make sure that the activity they will engage in will be interesting for them. After all, every mom wants her kids to experience the best and most memorable summer ever.

as doctor, driver, accountant, cleaning lady, laundress, psychologist, etcetera. It’s a job we perform silently, often unnoticed and seemingly unrewarded. Until we see our husband relieved and ecstatic to be home; until our kids choose to bring their friends home instead of hanging out elsewhere. Then we realize that there’s no greater reward than a happy family in a happy home. And we gain a deeper understanding of how the little sacrifices we make actually add up to immeasurable joy. And we know: It’s all worth it.

to bravely survive other heartbreaking moments. What doesn’t break you makes you stronger, they say… and mothers are virtually unbreakable. Thank God, we’re blessed that way.

11. Your heart has magical healing power I don’t think there’s any mom who can steer clear of heartbreaking moments. The time your child scrawls in his five-year-old hand: “Goodnight, everybody… except Mama” because you wouldn’t allow him to snack on candies before bedtime. Or the time your tween glares at you and whispers under his breath, “I don’t love you.” Or the time your teenager leans on your shoulder and chokes out in anguish, “She doesn’t love me.” These are the times you look down and see your heart splattered on the floor in a million tiny pieces, reflected in salt water drops threatening to escape from your eyes. Take heart, literally. Because even if it seems impossible at the moment, tomorrow you know your heart will be patched up, healed and whole, simply because mothers’ hearts have that magical ability. And you will not only love again, but love even more, enough

12. You’re the best mom… second only to One As we go through our lives as moms, we’ll find that, like the best of wine, we get better with age. Our bones may creak and it may take us longer to run from here to there, but that’s a small price to pay for wisdom gained and love multiplied beyond breaking point. We’ll fail from time to time, because we’re not perfect. And that’s okay. We’re a work in progress, after all. And no matter how we choose to raise our children, whether others agree with our methods or not, whether we think we’re awesome moms today or not, one thing is for sure. God gave you to your kids and me to mine, and He doesn’t make mistakes. There is no better mom for your kids than you… except for one, the Blessed Mother of All. And with recourse to her, there is no mommy hurdle we can’t fly over, no motherly pain we can’t get over, and no motherly triumph we can’t reach for, with hands both cradling our children and raised in gratitude and love to Him who entrusted them to our care. Follow me on Twitter @ LivE_LiveSimply. Like my page, follow all my articles, and send me feedback @ Facebook/liv.esimplywithLiv

W E D N E S D AY : m AY 4 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

PET PULSE

TAkINg cArE oF prEgNANT pETS

aving a pregnant pet at home can be such a daunting task for owners. You’d feel as though you will be a new mother yourself. Knowing the proper way to take care of your preggy little furball is important for your baby’s comfortable pregnancy. Pet Food Institute and the Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines, experts in pet nutrition and pet care, share some tips on how to take care of pregnant cats and dogs. As part of their Well Fed, Well Nurtured campaign, they are committed to impart the value of responsible pet ownership to pet owners. Follow these pointers and go through this difficult but exciting times for your beloved pets.

Ensure that your pet is in best health

A balanced diet plays an important role in keeping the mom and the baby in her tummy healthy and in good weight. Pregnant pets may have additional

specific nutritional requirements and it’s important that you consult with your veterinarian on what to include in her daily meals. You should also watch out for the food portions, as you don’t want your pets gaining or losing weight in the process. It is always advisable to still give your pet a regular exercise like light walks and play time but make sure she gets plenty of rest to recharge and refuel.

A welcoming environment

Make sure that her nesting place is well tended to. Accessibility to water, food, and soft bedding is important. It is also best to give her personal space during this time as her moods will be a little erratic. She is a pregnant female after all; you don’t want to give her stress as much as possible.

Proper hygiene and good grooming You furball should be well kept and clean to make sure that she doesn’t have

ticks and parasites. Seek consultation from the vet on how many times and how often you can bathe your pregnant pet, or if this will cause too much stress for her. Occasional brushing will keep her fur clean and neat.

Give her plenty of water

Staying hydrated during pregnancy is of utmost importance. Make sure that her water dish is always filled and accessible.

Provide comfort and support

If the final day has come for her delivery, make sure your pet has the best form of care possible. Once she undergoes labor, make sure that you watch her carefully for any abnormal behavior. If there will be blood or mucous or pus, it is best to bring her to the nearest 24hour veterinary clinic. Make sure that as owner you properly consult your veterinarian on how to

care for your pregnant pet. PFI aims to promote pet health by encouraging pet owners to choose carefully formulated, nutritionally complete, and balanced UScommercial pet food products. With the Well Fed, Well Nurtured campaign, PFI seeks to drive awareness of responsible pet ownership throughout the Philippine pet community through proper feeding and regular veterinary care. For more information on PFI and proper pet nutrition, visit www.petfoodinstitute.org.

Tips to keep cool in this extreme summer heat The Philippines will continue to experience extreme heat this May primarily due to the El Niño phenomenon according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA). The extreme heat has been taking its toll. While some enjoy getting tanned at the beach and frolicking in the waters, for some people, the heat is causing more problems for their health. Pinoys looking for the coolest remedies to combat the summer heat may stumble upon some interesting discoveries. Hanabishi, known provider of affordable yet quality home products, suggests some tips and the best products from its portfolio to keep you cool while the scorching heat continues to blaze. Chill Air con or boyfriend? Netizens have cast their votes, and air con won the day. The best way to keep temperatures low is to stay inside an air conditioned room. But while the cooling effects of air conditioning may be the answer to the heat, it is always best to choose an air con that won’t consume too much electricity. Hanabishi’s WindowType air conditioner offers both high cooling capacity and economy. Its double adjustable louvre feature allows for fast distribution of cool air even in a big area, making it economical for long term use. It also has a fast cooling capability and high

Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) that makes it perfect for extreme summer heat. For people with asthma, a cool breeze is always best to alleviate attacks. Hanabishi Air Cooler has an evaporative technology and cooling mist that can cool an area more than a normal electric fan can. With its ionizer feature, you can be sure that the air you breathe is clean. Heavy duty use of cooling machinery is needed during this season and this air cooler can give up to eight hours of cooling performance. Easy breezy With heavy use of cooling machines this season, home appliances with low energy requirement is advisable. For people who do not have the financial capacity to keep their air con running for longer periods, keep cool with Hanabishi Aero Windmill Stand Fan that provides ample cooling while keeping energy consumption low. It features a banana-type blade of the 16-inch model, and a stable, balanced base that helps reduce vibration to prolong the life of the fan. Enjoy fruits in season An ice cold refreshing bite of fruits or any fruit drinks can keep body heat at bay. Ice candy, frozen fruit salad, or halo-halo might be a good profitable business for small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) owners for the summer. The Hanabishi Chest-Type

Ice cold fruits or fruit drinks can help cool down body heat

Freezer is a practical partner for your home or commercial use. It provides a safety lock to keep for kids from opening the top cover, or so that your little pets at home won’t have accidents while chilling near the freezer. The spacious compartment can contain all the things you want chilled and frozen. For biz owners, a steady supply of

cold products can be sustained with the capacity of this freezer. Hanabishi’s consumer products are available at leading appliance stores nationwide. For more information about Hanabishi, visit www.myhanabishi.com/shop and like them on Facebook at MyHanabishiAppliances.

W E D N E S D AY : m AY 4 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

The master bedroom features a more subdued and traditional look and feel that complement the character of the dwellers

@LIFEatStandard

White couch and blinds, mirrored tables and pops of yellow accents create balance against the rich gray walls painted with Nippon Paint Momento Elegant Smoke Pillar

Life, drama and texture on waLLs

Aspiring interior designer trAnsforms A dull home into A sAnctuAry of dAydreAm

n every home, walls are the blank canvas onto which the dweller can express his personality. They could come in plain white, painted with bold colors or could have an interesting appeal that makes the walls alive. Aspiring interior designer Patricia Quintos was tapped to give a cozy unit in The Grove, Rockwell a creative and appealing revamp that would reflect the personality of its owners. The 24-year-old designer was excited during the design process. “I found myself daydreaming about how it would turn out. In the end, that’s where I got the concept for a ‘Modern Daydream’,” said Quintos. She wanted to incorporate all the qualities of a daydream into her design – misty and relaxed, but ambitious and playful, unexpected yet has a nostalgic appeal. And she was able to do it using Nippon Paint’s Momento Special Effect Paint. Momento is the coatings manufacturer’s revolutionary textured paint series that allows one to add texture to the walls.

Nippon Paint Momento comes in two lines – the Textured Paint Series, a premium line of opaque paint featuring Elegant, Sparkle Pearl, Sparkle Silver and Sparkle Gold special effects; and the Enhancer Series, a semi-transparent glaze-over featuring Frost and Cloud special effects. Each theme comes in a wide array of shades. Through Nippon Paint Momento, Quintos was able to bring life to the previously dull and plain walls. According to her, the interesting textures of the paint compensated the soft, neutral palette that she chose for the interior. “The paint had amazing visual as well as tactile qualities, which made the condo more interactive to anyone who went inside,” she shared. With the walls of a two-bedroom unit as her canvas, Quintos painted the living room with a darker shade, the bedroom with a lighter tone and the bathroom with an earthy hue. The color scheme,

according to her, complements the profile of the residents. “The master bedroom for example was more subdued and traditional. In the living room, I definitely knew I wanted drama so I chose the Momento Elegant Smoke Pillar – a gorgeous, rich dark gray,” she shared. To balance the visuals, she matched the dark walls with a white couch and blinds, mirrored tables and pops of yellow. “For the bathrooms, I painted them with earthier tones to give an organic ambience,” said Quintos. Seeing those textured walls, one might think that the entire painting process had been meticulous and difficult. But Quintos shared that the application process was fun. “Painting the walls with Momento was more of a creative process. It’s so flexible that you can play with patterns and strokes to find out what works best for the unit.” The designer used the Momento Toolkit, which consists of a specially designed synthetic brush to ensure a more exquisite

textured finishing, a spatula to even out textures and a stirrer to thoroughly mix the top coat. “Using Nippon Paint allowed me to be as creative as possible and to push myself in terms of design. All of the options were so beautiful and I could not wait to use it for more projects to come,” enthused Quintos. For those a bit reluctant or unsure of how the walls would look like after a coat of Nippon Momento, the coatings manufacturer offers the Nippon Paint Colour Creations app. The application enables users to instantly apply colors directly onto an image, virtually painting the walls at the swipe of a finger. Available for free on iTunes and Google Play Store, the Nippon Paint Colour Creations app features unlimited color cards and useful tools to create color schemes and palettes. The Nippon Paint Momento Series is available nationwide. For more details, visit nipponpaint.ph.

manila office of design firm HBA in full swing Travelers and city dwellers have become more discerning as far as the design, the style and function of a place is concerned, with this new level of taste elevated by social media. Hotels or condotels that are appealing to the selfie generation – from the check-in desk to the lobby and other facilities – will always win hands down because they provide the background that is most shareable on social networking sites. As a favorite tourist and business destination, the Philippines’ hospitality and residential businesses are bustling, with successive groundbreaking, construction, renovation, and launches of more places to call home, no matter how temporary or permanent. Each new establishment that opens is even more impressive or innovative than the last. “It’s all about the experience now, especially for today’s discerning visitors,” explains Norman Agleron, director of world-renowned hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates’ (HBA) Philippine Design Office. “Being aware of their target market’s shifts in preferences and their familiarity with global trends, the hospitality businesses know they need to deliver in order to stay relevant and counted among the top destinations,” he adds. Established in Los Angeles, California, HBA has been a consistent top choice, having been able to create brand-strengthening moods, scenes, and experiences for several top hotels, resorts, residential buildings, and business establishments worldwide.

HBA Philippine Design Office director Norman Agleron

“There is a lot more involved than many realize, to put together a resort, a hotel, or one’s home; to be able to visually captivate and transport anyone who walks in, and to bring a sense of whatever it is they want infused in the venue. What our company is known for is our concept-driven approach to design. We listen to what our

Arbor Lanes showroom

clients want and need, and we check this against the location and the architecture,” Agleron says. In Manila, HBA’s projects include the recently opened Shangri-La at the Fort in Bonifacio Global City, Inagiku and Sage Bar in Makati Shangri-La, and the soon-toopen Mercure Hotel Manila in Ermita. Agleron – who has over 20 years of international design experience in hospitality, retail, high-end residences, architecture and construction including notable work in award-winning projects such as The Fullerton Singapore, The Four Seasons Jakarta, and The Siam Kempinski in Bangkok – looks forward to leading the Manila design office in BGC in offering world-class design consultancy services to hotels and operators in the country and throughout Asia. Having spent several years overseas, he considers the move back

to the Philippines a privilege, “especially because of the booming hospitality landscape along with the unprecedented growth in the Philippine economy.” The Philippine office belongs to the over 21 offices of HBA around the globe, with more than 85 percent of its employees now outside the United States. HBA’s international presence, combined with its extensive knowledge of the interior design industry, has facilitated the ability to rewrite the language of design with each new project. “What each of our client’s gets, apart from the service and intuitive design and work excellence we have been known for, is access to the specialties of the other HBA global offices,” Agleron says. For more on the design firm and its projects, visit www.hba.com.

A deluxe room at Shangri-La at The Fort

wEDnES DAy : m Ay 4, 2016

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

miss Global Philippines 2016 candidates during the pageant’s press presentation

Reigning Queens Candice Ramos (Vigan, miss Global Philippines 2015) and Angela Aninang (negros Occidental, 2nd runner-up)

bevy of beauties. Candidates vying for the coveted title miss Global Philippines 2016

23 vIE fOR 2016 MIss GlObal-PhIlIPPInEs TITlE

ll is set for the 3rd Miss Global Philippines pageant with 23 women competing for the title. The winner will compete in the Miss Global 2016 pageant that will be held in the Philippines for the second consecutive year on Sept. 3. Filipino American model Janelle Olafson is the early favorite. She was named Darling of the Press. The 26-year-old New York-based teacher, professional dancer and dog-lover created mild controversy during the recent Bb. Pilipinas pageant when she was disqualified for

posing topless for a breast cancer awareness ad campaign. Danica Ebrada, a 21-year-old, travel enthusiast and Clarize Angelica Barrameda, a 24-year-old Mass Communication major at New Era University, were named second and third rspectively to Olafson’s special preliminary award. Miss Global Philippines, the only pageant that is open to unmarried, single mothers, aims to empower women and embrace culture through the promotion of the country’s rich heritage and diverse culture. “We are extremely

proud and happy to hold the 3rd edition of Miss Global Philippines to provide deserving Filipinas a chance to be recognized, to launch her platform in support of the local tourism sector and to represent the country in the international stage,” said Pauline Sofia Lapin, CEO and national pageant director of Miss Global Philippines. The rest of the candidates are Perlyn Ocampo, Princess Marie Garcia, Camille Hirro, Kayla Fajardo, Joanna Marie Lee, Karina Ray Dabu, Sammie Anne Legaspi, April Soliven, Abigail

Faith Cawili, Anne Krishia Antonio, Kristine Joy Cruz, Christine Horstmann, Kimberly Denise Isla, Joyce Mandanas, Eliza Johanna Cruz, Marcia Nicole Bautista, Joyce Ann Pakingking, Virgie Marie Alcantara, Nahida Shohaibar and Jane Flodine Espiritu. Miss Global Philippines 2015 Mary Candice Ramos, who finished 4th runner-up in Miss Global 2015, will crown her successor on coronation night at the UP Theater Diliman on June 4, and telecast over GMA News TV on June 19.

Safeguard your investment With over 100 years in operation, Brother has continuously provided innovative, reliable and practical solutions for everyday life, now enjoyed by consumers all over the globe. The company is committed to providing quality global products in order to meet the needs of its customers, and through this mission, Brother ensures that quality and reliability are built into every machine and consumable it manufactures. Through extensive research and development, Brother has designed and manufactured an impressive roster of digital imaging solutions including inkjet and laser printers, Multi-Function Centers (MFCs) and fax machines. The company has also developed innovative ink, toner and paper technologies, which work perfectly with the entire Brother printing system and ensure optimum performance and component protection.

Cheap, off-brand supplies result in poor performance and quality

Finding cheaper options for everything has become a source of pride for many Pinoys,

but this practice often yields “you get what you pay for” results. While ink and toner refilling services offer low prices, they produce unimpressive results over time and may even seriously damage the sensitive components of printer heads and gears. Upfront costs for refills are appealing, but over time, expensive repairs, time-consuming maintenance and costly continuous replacement pile up, costing the consumer way more than the price of genuine Brother supplies. Professional prints and peace of mind Genuine Brother Consumables ensure exceptional print quality, print longevity, richer color output, sharper images, high print yields and long-term savings. Brother’s patented ink formula penetrates and dries on paper in optimal time, in order to prevent smearing during the printing process. What consumers get is clean, exceptional print-out quality every time. This ink formula also features the right viscosity, which delivers the perfect amount of ink on paper for vibrant colors and sharp details, without clogging the cartridge nozzles and corroding print heads.

Brother’s formula has the right viscosity to deliver the perfect amount of ink on paper for vibrant colors and sharp details

On the other hand, genuine Brother toner cartridges contain polymerized toner particles that ensure smooth gear operations even after thousands of pages printed. Brother toners also allow for tiny differences in color and the finest details to shine through, and prevent toner leakage that can smudge and destroy printed images and information. With genuine Brother Consumables, consumers can make the most out of their Brother machines and ensure excellent

performance and print quality even after years of use. Moreover, to ensure customers purchased genuine supplies, Brother updated the security label on the ink and toner cartridge packaging for easy authentication. The new Security Label allows users to personally authenticate the product purchased by simply scanning the data matrix found on the sticker. For more information on where to buy Brother inks and toners and how to spot genuine products, visit www.brother.com.ph.

wEDnES DAy : m Ay 4, 2016

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

no polItIcS foR RIcHARD yAp By NIckIE waNg

hile most celebrities have been busy and visible in the campaign trail in the past few months, Kapamilya actor Richard Yap, a native of Cebu, chose not to be linked to anyone who would like to further their political careers with the help of showbiz stars. According to the 48-year-old actor, who rose to fame as the appealing Sir Chief in the top-rating series Be Careful with My Heart, there has been a couple of political personalities and parties who had asked him to support or endorse them but he decided not to join the bandwagon of showbiz

personalities who publicly display their political colors. Though he doesn’t want to come out as someone who is against the phenomenon of celebrities publicly declaring their support for political parties or personalities, he believes the electorate is wiser now and can make better decisions without the help of celebrity endorsements. “It’s more of a personal choice not to endorse anyone. I think I can share with other people who I think is a good choice but I don’t want to come out as an endorser for anybody right now,” Yap told The Standard during an exclusive interview when he was launched

Richard yap with the officers of mcBl, manulife philippines and china Banking corporation

as the ambassador of The Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCBL).

On a roll

Also in our sit-down interview with the actor, he opened up about being “too excited” with a new project he considers as “a dream come true.” He is returning to the recording studio to do a collaboration album with Richard Poon. “The album will feature two Richards,” he chuckled. “We are still working on the theme of the album and it makes more excited because finally I’m going to have a follow-up music project to my debut album released last year.” The project that will be unveiled in June will also lead to the promotion of a concert that will feature the “the Richards” in August. “We are still discussing it. We don’t have a working title yet. I’m referring to both the album and the concert. But with all these, I just feel that I’ve been really blessed to be in this position. I guess I was lucky to be at the right age, the right time and the right project,” he said. After his phenomenal portrayal of Sir Chief in the ABS-CBN television series opposite Jodi Sta. Maria, the actor and business-

man has been busy with numerous projects for TV and movie. And he’s on a roll being on one of the trusted names when it comes to product endorsements. “Well I guess apart from being lucky, I’m also fortunate that there are brands that really trust me,” Yap related. Part of his long list of product and brand endorsement is his partnership with The Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCBL), a bancassurance joint venture between Manulife Philippines and China Banking Corporation (China Bank). Yap, who’s been a client of Manulife since his early 20s, will support MCBL’s efforts and initiatives to raise awareness among its customers on how they can achieve their financial goals through MCBL’s life and wealth solutions. “As a respected actor, successful businessman, and devoted family man, he is the embodiment of many of our customers’ aspirations. Our relationship with Richard goes back to 1992, when he made his first investment with us,” said MCBL CEO Robert Wyld during a press conference held in a hotel in Makati. As someone who started preparing for the future early in life,

sir chief. Kapamilya actor Richard yap

Yap is an example of someone who plans ahead and takes care of his finances to help make his personal aspirations and the dreams he has for his family come true. He became Manulife Philippines’ brand ambassador 3 years ago and continues to be an active endorser of the brand. He took part in the ManulifeMOVE campaign when it was launched in the Philippines in January this year. “As a long-time supporter of the company, both as a customer and as an ambassador, and recently, as a China Bank customer too, I am honored to be the brand ambassador for MCBL,” said Richard. “This is something I am proud to be part of, if you know what I mean. Because it can inspire Filipinos to prepare for the future they have always dreamed of.”

Jake cuenca in illegal drug trade in ‘fpJ’s Ang probinsyano’ Kapamilya actor Jake Cuenca is packing more action in the evening viewing habit of viewers. He is now part of the cast of the no.1 primetime series FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano. Jake plays Jonas, a man bitter with his family. He works for Don Emilio (Eddie Garcia) as a drug dealer. In trading illegal drugs, they target huge clubs where they can attract customers and generate huge money. The audience should also watch out for Elmo Magalona and Janella Salvador as their

tandem adds kilig to the action series. And though their characters have not crossed paths yet, their supporters have already expressed their excitement online and congratulated the Kapamilya stars for being part of the phenomenal series. FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano airs weeknights on ABS-CBN or on ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable Ch 167). Viewers can also catch up on the program’s past episodes via iWanTV.com andskyondemand.com.ph for Sky subscribers.

cROsswORD puzzlE 39 42 43 45 46 48 50 51

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe

ACROSS 1 Happy medium 5 Short distance 9 “— -A-Lula” (hyph.) 14 Lectern 15 Cut it out 16 Water, for one 17 Makes a bow 18 Anagram for Luna 19 Occupied, as a seat

20 Goddess of the hunt 22 Bareheaded 24 Trite 26 Go bad 27 Affect 30 The weather 35 Make merry 36 Cel character 37 First light of day 38 Motel of yore

Ideal Chiang — -shek PR persons Cyrus’ realm, now Tip over Loan party Frat hopeful Move after swerving 52 Perry’s aide 54 Bunted, as a pet 58 Cruise ship fare 62 Ring-shaped reef 63 S&L deposit 65 Diva — Gluck 66 Opposite of neo67 What fans do 68 Votes against 69 Pointed 70 Jot down 71 Ready the guitar DOWN 1 — Hari (Garbo role) 2 Sheik colleague 3 Drive the getaway car 4 Dobbin’s “dish” 5 Gaze into the sun 6 Oklahoma town 7 Uno, to Friedrich 8 Universe creator, to Pharaoh 9 Inning half 10 Put on a pedestal

Jake cuenca joins “fpJ’s Ang probinsyano” to play a baddie role

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016

11 12 13 21 23 25 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 40 41 44 47 49 50 53 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 64

Ten-speed Works by Keats Desk items Temple city — Picchu Gladiator’s place Clouded or snow — Of the hipbone Tropical fruit Drop-kicks Kind of roast In the raw Longbow’s sound Catty Shredded Faint trace Makes void Bacon or summer day Serf Fast gait Nebraska river Disney site Nods off Bryce Canyon state Defender of Dreyfus Doggone Baseball family name Feds (hyph.) Cut some slack Sweet murmur

Janella Salvador (top) and Elmo magalona add “kilig” to the action series

wEDnES DAy : m Ay 4, 2016

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

mikoy morales wOwOwIn TAkES A BREAk bares his soul fOR 2 wEEkS through first single After his successful stint in concert production, GMA Artist Center star Mikoy Morales goes back to his roots as a singer and launches his first single entitled “Ang Pusong Hindi Makatulog” on April 28 at the Music Hall in Metrowalk, Pasig. The GMA Artist Center star describes his single as the anthem of his fellow insomniacs. “The song redeems the nights when you just couldn’t and wouldn’t sleep. May it be because of a broken heart or just missing someone,” he explains. Mikoy’s experience in writing songs for his home network helped him discover his identity as a musician. Now that he is making his own, he is proud to share this

track that evokes naked emotions and exudes a fresh take on the pop-ballad genre. Meanwhile, Mikoy is also excited for his upcoming independent film, 4 Days, with award-winning director Adolf Alix Jr. The material speaks about the experiences of the youth today, which millennials can easily relate to. “Bukod sa nag-enjoy talaga ako sa paggawa ng film na ‘to, maganda yung material dahil napakatotoo ng film and I’m sure maraming millennials na makaka-relate. So far, ito yung project na masasabi kong ipinagmamalaki ko talaga,” says the Kapuso star.

GmA Artist Center star mikoy morales goes back to his roots as a singer

iphOTO

Richard Gomez, Master of Arts in Business Administration Actor and Ormoc City mayoral aspirant Richard Gomez (3rd from right) graduated with a master of Arts major in Business Administration at University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (UPHSD) Las Piñas City campus. The 37th Commencement Exercises on were held at the Pleanary Hall of Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on April 27. Gomez’s master’s thesis was awarde “best thesis.” with Gomez in photo are (from left) LP campus School Director, Dr. Alfonso Loreto, President Anthony moran Tamayo, Vice Chairman Dr. Daisy moran Tamayo, Richards wife Congresswoman Lucy Torres-Gomez and daughter Juliana Torres Gomez.

willie Revillame wants to think of new segments for “wowowin”

ast week, Willie Revillame announced that he and the game show Wowowin on GMA Network would be on a two-week break. This alarmed many of the show’s avid followers, but the drummerturned-comedianturned-game show host assured them that he and the show would be back. “I am just going to take a short break and make sure I am physically fit to do the show daily,” he said and added, “It will also give me time to think of new segments and refurbish the set so that when we return the audience will

be more comfortable while watching the show live.” Angela Javier Cruz , VP for Corporate Communications, said, “GMA Network’s well-loved daily game show Wowowin with host Willie Revillame will take a short break this May. Willie welcomes the brief vacation and is excited and busy preparing for the program’s first anniversary celebration upon its return. Coinciding with Wowowin’s break, the studio facilities will be temporarily utilized for election coverage. Fans and supporters can look forward to bigger prizes, more fun games and excitement from Wowowin.” So there you are fans of Wil, he won’t go anywhere else, he will still be around.

TG Guingona vows to continue fight versus corruption Senator TG Guingona may seem too uninvolved in show business but he, by some twist of fate, is related to a theater actor and the man who has gotten himself involved with a starlet. During a brief lunch with the senator last week, we learned he is related to theater actor-director Bart Guingona and model Vino Guingona, father of starlet Empress Schuck’s seven-month old baby name Athalia. Apart from those, the senator is unaware of any relationship, personal or professional, with show business, although his father, Teofisto Guingona, Jr. is very close to the people in the entertainment industry, thanks to his friend, showbiz writer and talent manager Norma Japitana. Teofisto “TG” Guingona was born on April 19, 1959 to a renowned and respected family of Filipino politicians. His grandfather, Teofisto Guingona, Sr., was one of the first Philippine senators from Guimaras when the island was still part of Iloilo province. His father is former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr. and his mother is former Mayor Ruth de Lara Guingona of Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental. He has two siblings, Marie and Rolly, and is married to his law school classmate, Ma. Victoria. With deep roots in Visayas and Mindanao, TG Guingona is fluent in Bisaya (Cebuano), Tagalog, and English. TG Guingona studied at Ateneo de Manila University for his elementary, secondary, and tertiary education. He graduated in 1981 with a degree in Economics. He then pursued a Juris Doctor or law degree at the Ateneo Law School and was admitted to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in 1986. Guingona is known for his fight for good governance. He is a staunch anti-corruption advocate as you can see in his TV commercial during the duration of the

campaign leading to the elections on May 9. He was just 19 when he was jailed for rallying and protesting against the dictatorship of former President Ferdinand Marcos. He was thrown in a cell with regular criminals together with other notable political prisoners like his father, Teofisto Guingona, Jr. and former senator Lorenzo Tañada. Several years after democracy was restored in the country, TG Guingona ran for Congress was elected in 2004 representing the second district of Bukidnon and in 2007 was re-elected. A member of the House minority, Guingona had been a vocal critic of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, supporting and endorsing her impeachment following the various corruption cases against her. TG Guingona ran for the Senate in 2010 under the Liberal Party and took his oath as a Senator of the Republic of the Philippines on June 30, 2010.

Most recently, Sen. TG Guingona was back in the news after he thumbed down a request for an executive session in connection with the Senate probe on the controversy involving an $81-million money-laundering scheme. He said he could not agree to an executive session because subject funds belong to the Bangladesh government, “which did not invoke confidentiality.” Officials in Bangladesh were in the gallery to observe the proceedings at the Senate. “The bank secrecy law does not apply in this case,” Guingona said, noting that the Bangladesh Central Bank is in fact requesting for assistance for the return of the stolen funds. Some $81 million have been taken from the account of the Bangladesh Bank in the US Federal Bank of New York and allegedly transmitted to the RCBC branch on Jupiter Street where it was withdrawn by five bank account holders.

Senatorial candidate TG Guingona

w ednes day : M ay 4, 2016

IsaH V. Red EDITOR nICKIe wanG WRITER

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SHOWBITZ

Princess Punzalan co-stars with John Prats (right) for the film “dIyOs-dIyOsan,” a timely socio-political/spiritual treatise directed by Cesar Buendia

MakERs Of ‘DIYOs-DIYOsan’ hOpE TO InspIRE vOTERs ISAH V. RED

ith the election campaign season nearing its homestretch, it would be safe to assume that Filipino voters have become more enlightened regarding their choices for the country’s next set of leaders. But have we really learned our lessons well? With all the grandstanding, mudslinging and furious bashing on social media, majority believes that they have made the right choices based on reason and logic. Spouting facts and figures, many believe that choosing is merely a numbers game, with the likely victor amassing the most number of points based on rationalization and intellectualization alone. But how many have relied on their moral compasses to guide them? Is this not as valid a criterion for making the right choice? This is the basic premise of the movie dIYOS-DIYOSAn, which stars John Prats and Princess Punzalan, ably supported by a stellar cast that includes Kiko Estrada, Cheska Diaz, Lorenzo Mara, Vaness del Moral, Ryza Cenon, Tirso

Cruz III and many others. Directed by Christian film director Cesar Buendia, dIYOS-DIYOSAn grapples with such timely issues as corruption and faith, and hopes to inspire viewers to question the very foundations upon which they build their faith and their political beliefs and struggles. Explaining his main inspiration for writing the film, Buendia recalls, “We may have thrown out the most corrupt dictator the country ever had, but the spirit of corruption remained in our soul as a people. No rally, no people power, no revolution can extinguish that. Is there hope? Absolutely! And the hope does not lie on us people True change can never come from people. Real change can only come from God. Hindi ako, hindi tayo ang simula ng pagbabago.” dIYOS-DIYOSAn chronicles the transformation of Bernard Mojica (John Prats) from a young idealist to a deceptive, cunning and crafty politician thanks to his teacher Estrell (Princess Punzalan) a former activistturned-teacher, who shaped his destiny by way of her atheistic beliefs and self-centered ideology. Can we unlearn the dogma that we have been brainwashed with during our formative years? Can we purge ourselves of the demons of our past?

a scene from “dIyOs-dIyOsan” featuring Princess Punzalan and John Prats

Vaness del Moral plays a pivotal role in the film that hopes to enlighten voters

Buendia, who also previously directed such indie films as Idol: Pag-asa ng Bayan, Padre de Pamilya and Agawan Base, couldn’t help but feel blessed with his lead stars’ outstanding performances. “John was a revelation,” he says. “We usually know him for his comedy stints, but he has such depth and intensity as a dramatic actor. I think this could very well be the start of his promising ca-

reer as a serious dramatic actor.” “Equally-convincing was Princess, who we all know to be a fine character actress. We’re glad that she’s making a comeback, and I think she can stay in the country for a longer time, because just like a gem, there’s so much she can reveal, so many layers of feelings and emotion, the deeper you get into her very core.” dIYOS-DIYOSAn seeks to open the eyes of Filipino millennials to

the realities of what a true leader should be. Its timing is perfect as it opens a few days before the May 9 elections. It is also expected to be a media catalyst for the large percent of undecided voters. Hopefully, voters can imbibe the film’s lessons and reflect as who are deserving and can change our country’s course for the better. dIYOS-DIYOSAn opens in cinemas nationwide on May 4.

young actor Kiko estrada playing a challenging role