The Standard - 2016 May 06 - Friday

VOL. XXX NO. 83 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 FRIDAY : MAY 6, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Duterte warns against cheating

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MARCOS STILL UP, BUT LENI RALLIES

By Joyce Pangco Pañares and John Paolo Bencito

SENATOR Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo are now statistically tied at first and second places for the May 9 vice presidential race, the final The Standard Poll showed.

Iglesia calls for unity on May 9

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At least 30 percent of the respondents said they will vote for Marcos if the elections were held today, while 29 percent said they will go for Robredo.

The survey, conducted by resident pollster Junie Laylo, covered 3,000 respondents of registered voters from 79 provinces and 40 highly urbanized cities.

Conducted from April 27 to May 1, the survey has a nationwide margin of error of +/- 1.8 percent.

Senator Francis Escudero came in third with 20 percent followed by Senator Alan Cayetano with 12 percent.

Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Gregorio Honasan were tied at fifth and sixth places with three percent each.

Of the vice presidential bets, Robredo had the highest trust ratings at 49 percent, followed by Escudero and Marcos who had 42 percent each. Cayetano had 30 percent while Trillanes and Honasan had 19 percent each.

Marcos was the top choice in the National Capital Region (38 percent) and North and Central Luzon (59 percent).

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Poe, Roxas camps tell each other to quit

By Christine F. Herrera, John Paolo Bencito and Macon Ramos-Araneta SUPPORTERS of administration candidate Manuel Roxas II and Senator Grace Poe—statistically tied at second place—on Thursday urged the other side to withdraw from the race so that one of them could defeat the frontrunner,

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Liberal Party campaign spokesman Rep. Barry Gutierrez urged Poe supporters to switch to Roxas to thwart Duterte’s rise to the presidency.

While the two camps were trying to convince each other to drop out of the race, the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay asked all camps not to celebrate yet as “history will repeat itself.”

The Binay camp cited the 2010 vice presidential race in which Binay beat Roxas, contrary to the opinion surveys.

Duterte did not seem bothered by his opponents, and fended off questions instead of how he acquired several houses and many sports utility vehicles without paying for them when he was mayor.

Duterte admitted all those assets were Next page

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From A1 Robredo and Escudero were tied for second place in NCR with 22 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

With a regional margin of error of +/- 4 percent, they were also tied at second place in North and Central Luzon with 18 percent of the respondents saying they will vote for Escudero and 13 percent going for Robredo.

Robredo took the lead in South Luzon and Bicol (35 percent) followed by Escudero (28 percent) and Marcos (22 percent).

The Liberal Party vice presidential bet posted a wide lead in Visayas with 46 percent, followed by Escudero (18 percent), Marcos (16 percent) and Cayetano (12 percent).

Cayetano and Robredo shared the top spot in Mindanao with 27 percent each, followed by Marcos (17 percent) and Escudero (15 percent).

Marcos was the top choice of respondents in urban areas at 35 percent while a plurality of rural voters (34 percent) said they will vote for Robredo.

Meanwhile, the ruling Liberal Party played down the poor showing of their presidential candidate, Manuel Roxas II, who was in third place, but statistically tied for second place with Senator Grace Poe. “According to the most recent Laylo survey, Mar and Senator Poe are statistically tied. But this survey does not capture the movements that transpired in the past couple of weeks,” Rep. Barry Gutierrez said in a statement sent to The Standard, referring to this newspaper’s last survey on presidential candidates for the campaign period, conducted April 27-May 1.

The latest Standard Poll conducted by this newspaper’s resident pollster, Junie Laylo placed the administration candidate at 22 percent, still behind Duterte and Poe’s 32 and 25 percent.

Gutierrez referred to a Pulse Asia survey conducted from April 26 to 29 showing Roxas in second spot with 22 percent, still 11 points behind Duterte, who is leading in all surveys (Laylo, Pulse Asia and SWS) at 33 percent.

“Mar’s momentum continues. As seen in numerous other surveys, he has overtaken Senator Poe. This is now a twocornered fight between Mar and Mayor Duterte,” Gutierrez added.

He also asked Poe’s supporters to switch and rally behind the administration candidate.

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Trillanes still at it, charges Rody before Ombudsman

By Rio N. Araja

SENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV filed on Thursday a plunder complaint against presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the hiring of 11,000 ghost employees in 2014.

Vigilance needed. Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. issues a warning

about the possibility of ‘trending’ in voter preference surveys to favor the administration candidates. Marcos called on voters to guard their votes on Election Day. LINO SANTOS

Poe,...

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“gifts” from religious leader, Apollo Quiboloy.

Gutierrez said the race has become a two-cornered fight between Roxas and Duterte.

“To Senator Poe’s supporters, it’s time to shift to Mar,” the LP spokesman said.

“We have overtaken Vice President Binay. We have overtaken Senator Grace, and we are slowly moving up against Mayor Duterte.

We are hoping the day will come when we surpass Mayor Duterte,” Roxas said. “On May 9, we will win.”

The supporters of both Roxas and Poe separately sent out petitions asking their respective presidential candidates to make the “ultimate sacrifice” and withdraw from the race to defeat Duterte.

Both camps used the same vehicle, change.org.ph.

Some 2,138 Roxas supporters, led by Nenette Coronel, a single mother, asked Poe to withdraw to achieve the “continuity” espoused

by Roxas.

“For the love of our country and for the love of our children, may I ask you to please consider setting aside your personal interests for now and close ranks with the group of Sec. Mar Roxas in order to provide a credible reversal to the momentum of a Duterte presidency?” the petition addressed to Poe read.

“I ask for your sacrifice not because I am a RoRo (RoxasRobredo) follower. To be honest about it, I ask this on the basis of the trend of the surveys and the individual momentum of the candidates. Had Sec. Mar Roxas still languished at the bottom, I would have definitely written this letter to him instead. We need credible

electoral results in order to fight the ominous winds of change. We need to call on our love of country AND love of our children to find a peaceful solution to this dangerous precipice we are edging nearer to.

May I therefore ask for this supreme sacrifice from you for the sake of our country and of our children’s future?

May I humbly request you to please seriously consider this petition. Thank you very much.”

The petition also cited Poe’s youth and said she could make a strong run for the presidency after 2016.

Shortly after the “withdraw Grace” petition circulated on social media, another petition signed

by Troy de Leon and 69 other petitioners asked Roxas to also withdraw in favor of Poe. The petition said it was best for Roxas to withdraw from the race, instead of Poe, because Poe’s votes were non-transferrable to Roxas.

“Mr. Roxas, you’ve done it before please do it again. Real surveys show the public’s wide support for the senator. She is the only one who can present a credible alternative to Mayor Duterte and have a chance to win the presidency,” De Leon’s petition read.

“She has the support of the people without the benefit of a government machinery or a gigantic political party in power behind her. She is the second choice of the majority of Filipino voters, she presents a departure from the excesses and abuses of the current administration and more importantly, her votes are not transferable to you. Do your country a favor sir and be a hero for it,” the petition read.

But Roxas said recent surveys showed he had gained the momentum and that it was his turn to rise to the top.

“This is the good fight. This is

the fight of our lives. We will never give you any reason to regret your support for me and [vice presidential candidate] Len [Robredo],” Roxas added.

The Binay camp said it was confident the vice president would win on May 9.

“History will indeed repeat itself,” Binay spokesperson Rico Quicho said.

He pointed out Binay won the 2010 national elections after trailing in preelection surveys.

Quicho also warned other candidates not to be overconfident.

“To the other candidates: Do not celebrate yet, good things are about to happen, Binay is coming,” Quicho said.

“Vice President Jejomar Binay is determined to recapture the spirit of collective activism, and will continue to fight on behalf of the Filipino people for social justice and respect for human rights,” said UNA president Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco.

“There will be no letup in our efforts to communicating our message of hope and positive change,” he said.

Reacting to the recent comments of Poe in Manila claiming that the fight “is between her and Mayor Duterte,” Roxas said Poe cannot claim this because he’s already leading in the polls.

“Maybe that’s what she wants but I already edged her out,” Roxas said. “If you look at the surveys, all of them are going down.”

“Now that they are going down, they’re all crying foul. Both on the surveys, in the social media, and on the ground, we’re getting stronger,” Roxas said.

Four days before the elections, Poe urged voters to reject “an inept, insensitive and slow government” or a corrupt one, or one that did not respect human rights.

In a nine-page complaint-affidavit, Trillanes said he based his allegations on a Commission on Audit report in 2015 questioning the recruitment of 11,000 contractual workers that cost the Davao City government some P708 million in 2014.

The Duterte camp called Trillanes a congenital liar and a publicity hound.

“No ghost employees, just ghost accusations,” said PDP-Laban spokeswoman Paola Alvarez.

Apart from plunder, Duterte should also be held liable for malversation of public funds and graft for “unlawful activities” or “predicate crimes” as provided for in the Anti-Money Laundering Act, or Republic Act 9160 for alleged hidden peso and dollar accounts at the BPI-Julia Vargas branch, Trillanes said.

Duterte has better things to do than to dignify the unfounded allegations of Trillanes, Alvarez said.

“This is an old issue that Mayor Duterte has already explained [that the charges are] without any basis. The city government hired various employees and assigned them to different agencies for a certain period of time. They were contractual employees that the city government accommodated to give them temporary employment,” she said.

“If CoA found the hiring of contractual employees irregular, then it would have already filed a case against Duterte. But there’s none, so what is Trillanes talking about? He is a congenital liar and a publicity hound,” Duterte’s lawyer Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

She also asked Trillanes why his driver and household help were on the list of his Senate consultants, and noted that he spent the largest amount of pork barrel even when he was in jail for rebellion.

“He should explain who are the ghost recipients of pork barrel funds,” she added.

“It appears that Senator Trillanes now only wants to throw allegations left and right so he will still be in the public eye since he is the perennial cellar-dweller in all surveys. We are not bothered by the scurrilous allegations of Senator Trillanes who is a vicious attack dog unleashed by Malacañang to derail Mayor Duterte’s presidential bid.”

Amid criticisms, Duterte remained the frontrunner in several opinion surveys.

“We thank our supporters that despite all the bases allegations thrown at us, we are still getting warm support from all sectors throughout the country. The bandwagon of change is unstoppable,” Alvarez said.

Another Duterte spokesman, Peter Laviña, said it was Malacañang with its scare tactics, and not the mayor, who was causing jitters in the market.

“Instead of presenting its platform, the ruling party has engaged attacks dogs, such as Senator Antonio Trillanes, to throw piecemeal accusations against Duterte meant to pull his high ratings down in the preelection surveys,” he said.

In a statement, Laviña said the “media is lapping at the circus with glee without regard to its negative effect on the financial market.”

“The baseless accusation that Duterte has hidden wealth in a leading bank and not reported in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth proved to be a dud. No less than the bank issued the denial,” he said.

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Duterte warns against cheating THE camp of presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte and vice presidential bet Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday called on the public to be vigilant against any form of cheating on Monday, election day.

For Duterte. Members of the Women Movement for Change announce their support for Rodrigo Duterte’s candidacy for president in this year’s elections during a forum in Malate, Manila, on Thursday. LINO SANTOS

Comelec to lease 1,000 more BGAN channels FOUR days before the elections, the Commission on Elections decided to lease 1,000 more Broadband Global Area Network or BGAN channels to further speed up the transmission of the vote results.

Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon said the Commission en banc had decided at the last minute to lease of “hundreds of millions” worth of BGANs, awarding a direct contract “with condition” to its technology provider Smartmatic-Total Information Management.

Voting 5-1-1, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista, Commissioners Christian Robert Lim, Arthur Lim, Sheriff Abas and Al

Pareño voted in favor of direct contracting the lease to Smartmatic while Rowena Guanzon dissented and Luie Guia abstained.

“I voted against direct contracting because we need to bid that out, we are talking about big money, hundreds of millions worth,” Guanzon told the reporters on Thursday.

Guanzon said she asked Smartmatic why they advised them this late, but the technical provider said they sent the letter last March.

“They said they wrote us, they probably wrote the directors. I did not know about that, they said that they wrote as early as March to inform the commission that they

will need many more BGANs,” Guanzon said.

She said she was never aware of the letter of request and maintained that the Comelec should follow the procurement law.

“They say they can transmit faster if they have more. I said I have a problem, you know, when it comes to spending people’s money. I really have to follow the procurement law,” Guanzon said.

She said Lim might have voted for the direct contracting but asked Smartmatic to submit first a notarized certification that they were the exclusive supplier.

“Even if they are the exclusive supplier, the bids and awards committee has to determine if they

will recommend. It’s not as easy as if we vote on it now, we can buy tomorrow. It’s not that way. That’s not how the government procurement law works,” she said.

Guanzon said although they had already voted on and approved the direct contracting, they could not implement it since there was no resolution yet or an order from Bautista.

Bautista on Wednesday was on an official visit to Legazpi.

A Comelec insider said the poll body was supposed to have a morning en banc meeting on Thursday but moved it to 3 p.m. because Bautista was still on the way back to Manila. Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte’s running mate, said they had received reports of unusual movement or mobilization that could possibly lead to attempts to rig the election results—especially in the vote-rich provinces.

“One target is Cebu. We know that there were police officers who implemented the orders of General Generoso Garbo to harass the Garcias in the 2013 elections,” Cayetano said.

“We have received word that the the same police officers are now being positioned to do more damage in the 2016 elections against the 1 Cebu candidates.”

Cayetano made his statement even as political analyst Prospero De Vera on Thursday questioned two Pulse Asia surveys that were conducted only two days apart but showed two different results.

De Vera was referring to the survey conducted from April 26 to April 29 that showed ruling Liberal Party candidate Manuel Roxas II gaining two points to overtake Senator Grace Poe for second place, while in the vice presidential race Roxas’ running mate, Leni Robredo, jumped four points to overtake perennial front runner Senator Ferdinand Marcos with 30 points.

Marcos dropped three points behind with 28 percent.

The previous Pulse Asia survey was conducted just two days earlier from April 19 to 24.

De Vera said he could not help but be suspicious of the results.

He made his statement even as Marcos blasted the Aquino administration for the “trending survey” that he said gave false numbers. He insisted it was the administration’s first step to cheat in the May 9 elections to favor its candidates. Joel E. Zurbano and Macon RamosAraneta

Binay vows to protect people’s rights if elected VICE President Jejomar Binay said Thursday the task of eliminating poverty could not be given to a tyrant or to an inexperienced or insensitive leader.

He vowed to protect the rights and uplift the lives of the people if elected.

He said he would not let the people continue to suffer because of the failure of the current administration to improve their living conditions.

His presidency will provide health care to all, improve government services, provide more jobs and fix the Metro Rail Transit and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“If ever you give me the opportunity to become the next president, no one will die of sickness because they don’t have money to pay the doctor or buy medicine,” Binay said.

His administration will not tolerate incompetence and will work to address hunger, respect human

rights and the dignity of women, promote respect for the law and the right to life.

Binay, who has built his platform of governance on his experience in uplifting the lives of his constituents in Makati City, vowed to focus on ridding the country of poverty.

He said a candidate with a track record in incompetence would only worsen the country’s sorry state.

Binay, who fought against the dictatorship as a human rights lawyer during Martial Law, was also against the use of violence to correct the current administration’s blunders.

Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance expressed confidence he will come out the winner in the May 9 elections.

“History will indeed repeat itself,” Binay’s spokesman Rico Quicho said.

Binay won the 2010 national elections after trailing in the pre-election surveys. Vito Barcelo

Exercise. Members of the The Crowd Dispersal Management unit of the Philippine National Police conduct an exercise in Camp Crame on Thursday. MANNY PALMERO

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Iglesia urges unity on May 9

By Rio N. Araja and Maricel V. Cruz THE influential Iglesia ni Cristo reminded its over 2.2-million members “to follow God’s teachings on unity when they go to the polls on May 9.”

In a circular letter read by its ministers in all nationwide and international churches, Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo’s call for unity to support presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and vice presidential bet Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the May 9 elections.

The names of Duterte and Marcos were written in the sample ballots, along with 12 of the senatorial candidates— Rep. Martin Romualdez, ex-Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Joel Villanueva, ex-senator Richard Gordon, Senate President Franklin Drilon, ex-PhilHealth director Risa Hontiveros, ex-Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino, Leyte Senator Ralph Recto, Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, Senator Vicente Sotto III, Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, exsenator Panfilo Lacson and ex-senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.

“We welcome the endorsement of the Iglesia ni Cristo. This is a big boost to our campaign, particularly to thwart attempts by the administration to cheat the elections,” the camp of Duterte said in a statement.

The administration party is trying to condition the minds of the Filipino voters in claiming a Roxas-Robredo victory on its “grand fraud” to unleash with unbelievable election results, Duterte’s official spokesperson Pete Laviña said.

“This endorsement

shows that Duterte’s advocacy for Tunay Na Pagbabago has resonated to almost all our people and all our church formations affected by the rising crimes and drugs, continuing corruption and government neglect, poverty and sufferings of our people,” he stressed.

“These issues are close to the hearts of our moral leaders and the various churches have their own campaigns to end this malady.”

“We thank the INC as well as all other religious groups and religious leaders. In fact, we are very grateful that no less than the Pope [Francis] himself has written to Duterte and saying his own prayers,” Laviña said.

Romualdez thanked the Iglesia ni Cristo for endorsing his senatorial candidacy, vowing to serve God and people through his “malasakit’’ (compassionate) advocacies should he win a Senate seat. Romualdez, who has been endorsed by presidential front runner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, expressed gratitude to INC for believing on his ability and leadership as senatorial candidate who can contribute for the betterment of the country.

“I am inspired, deeply humbled and honored by the INC endorsement.

This is a very good news to my family and supporters. From the bottom of my heart, I thank Iglesia ni Cristo Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo and all the members of this well-respected religion,’’ Romualdez said.

Accomplishment report. President Benigno S. Aquino III outlines the accomplishments of his administration to local leaders of Digos City in Davao del Sur Wednesday.

Singer rocks South China Sea BEIJING—One of China’s top folk singers is rocking her away across disputed territory in the South China Sea, serenading hundreds of troops and construction workers stationed there, Chinese media reported Thursday.

Song Zuying, who has performed with the likes of Canadian superstar Celine Dion, is part of an allsinging, all-dancing People’s Liberation Army (PLA) entertainment tour of the Spratly Islands, reports said.

Footage of the troupe’s performance broadcast on Chinese state television was the first to show the progress of construction on Fiery

Cross Reef, one of the artificial islands China has built on outcrops also claimed by the Philippines, according to the Global Times.

“Buildings, roads, and lighthouses are beginning to take shape,” it said.

Pictures showed Song in uniform, microphone in hand, surrounded by hardhatted workers on one side and military personnel on the other.

The singer, who is said to hold the rank of rear admiral in the PLA, often appears in the country’s New Year gala, considered the most watched television program in the world.

The Fiery Cross project was one of several by China that have raised tensions in the region, with Washington sending ships and planes into nearby waters and airspace in an attempt to counter what it has described as a threat to freedom of navigation.

Facilities on the island include runways capable of accommodating military aircraft, one of which landed on the reef in April, ostensibly to aid ailing construction staff.

China will shortly carry out annual naval combat drills in the area, Xinhua reported separately, as well as the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific, with three vessels

leaving port on Wednesday to join the exercises.

The musical show by the 50 member troupe was the first of two in the Spratlys, according to an article in the state-owned China Youth Daily.

The performers arrived at the venue after a 40-hour trip aboard China’s secondlargest naval vessel, the Kunlun Shan, it said.

A construction worker at the event told the paper life on the reef “definitely isn’t easy, but our nation remembers us,” adding that the performance was “a type of respect to the workers, to us as individuals.” AFP

3 countries ready patrols

Machine test. Leyte provincial election officer supervisor Maria Corazon Montallana and Police Senior Supt. Elizar Egloso inspect a voting machine in Tacloban City.

MEL CASPE

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia—Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are to launch a joint patrol in their waters after a recent surge of kidnappings by a radical Islamic group, according to an agreement struck Thursday.

The decision to patrol the Sulu and Celebes seas, which together form a key waterway between the three countries, comes just over a week after the southern Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf beheaded a Canadian captive.

Abu Sayyaf gangs have earned many millions of dollars from kidnapping foreigners and locals in the region since the early 1990s.

Ten Indonesian sailors were abducted off the southern Philippines by Abu Sayyaf in March, but returned home last week after being freed.

“We will undertake coordinated patrol in the maritime areas of our common concern,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said after a meeting initiated by

Indonesia, and attended by foreign ministers and military commanders.

The Sulu and Celebes seas are used as passage of 55 million metric tonnes of goods and over 18 million people per year.

The three countries also agreed to set up a hotline to communicate faster during emergency situations, improve coordination when giving assistance to people and ships in distress as well as intensifying information and intelligence sharing.

“We recognized that threats from armed robberies against ships, kidnapping and other transnational crimes if not addressed appropriately can undermine the confidence in trade and commerce in our region,” Marsudi added.

Authorities say the Abu Sayyaf group is still holding at least 11 foreign hostages— four sailors from Indonesia and four others from Malaysia, a Canadian tourist, a Norwegian resort owner and a Dutch birdwatcher.

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Mines chamber upholds free and honest elections THE Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, an association of 23 large-scale mining companies employing an estimated 250,000 people around the country, promises to uphold free and honest elections in the country.

In a statement, the chamber called on the mining and allied industries’ two million-strong labor force and their families, particularly in the provinces of Benguet, Zambales, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, Batangas, Leyte, Cebu, Surigao, Zamboanga and Davao, to choose a candidate whose integrity is unshaken and unquestionable.

The chamber said: “Let’s choose a candidate with heart and compassion for all Filipinos; a candidate who will not remain passive and indifferent to our calls for genuine inclusive growth and for uplifting the lives of those on the fringes of society.

“Let’s go for a candidate who is truly capable of restoring peace and order in the country so that the brutal and senseless murder of our good friend John Ridsdel will no longer happen. “ The Chamber will support a candidate who espouses the values by which the mining industry stands—discipline, hard work, honesty, transparency and resilience.

“And a candidate who will heal and not divide the nation.”

Veloso, death convict, spared anew pending case review

By Vito Barcelo FILIPINO death convict Mary Jane Veloso, whose execution was reprieved on April 26, 2015, got a new lease in life after the Indonesian government did not include her name in the next batch of convicts to be executed within the year, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

The DFA said that Veloso was temporarily spared after a woman who allegedly recruited her to act as a drug courier gave herself up to police.

The 31-year-old Filipina is on death row for allegedly smuggling drugs into Indonesia.

The DFA said it filed another appeal seeking the Indonesian government to spare the life of Veloso because she is a victim of human trafficking.

The Philippine government appealed for judicial review of Veloso’s case.

Indonesia granted the Philippine government’s request last year and gave Veloso a last-minute reprieve to allow her to testify against her recruiters.

Veloso was arrested at the Yogyakarta Airport in 2010 after she was found to have 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage.

The DFA said a letter, dated April 30, quoted Indonesia Attorney General Prasetyo as saying that they “respect the legal process that is taking place in the Philippines.”

Her alleged recruiters are currently facing trial in Nueva Ecija.

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Witness backs extort raps vs OTS personnel

By Rey E. Requejo AN EYEWITNESS to the alleged extortion by three airport personnel has submitted an affidavit before the Department of Justice to beef up the criminal complaint filed against them by an elderly couple for their alleged role in the latest case of bullet planting or tanim-bala scheme at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

In a two-page sworn affidavit submitted to the DoJ, Maria Fe Balagot said she witnessed x-ray screeners Ferdinand Morales and Fatti Dame Go from the Office for Transportation Security and wheelchair attendant Niño Namba allegedly conspiring to try to extort P50,000 from Esteban and Salvacion Cortabista at the departure area of Naia last April 19.

Balagot, niece of the Cortabistas, narrated that she was with the couple when the incident happened and that they were supposed to fly with her to the United States to seek treatment for severe arthritis.

The witness said the discovery of the bullet came as a surprise because it was not detected by the first x-ray at the entrance of the airport.

Balagot recalled hearing the amount supposedly being demanded by the airport personnel immediately after the bullet was found in one of their carryon bags at the x-ray area.

“I heard the male operator in the x-ray say ‘mahina ang P50,000 dyan’ [P50,000 is a small amount for that], and then the female operator replied, ‘kung ako sa kanila magbigay nalang sila kesa madelay pa yung flight [If I

were them, they should just give it instead of their flight being delayed],” Balagot said, in a sworn statement she subscribed before the office of the consul general in Los Angeles, California last April 26.

Balagot said she saw Namba gesturing to Morales and Go, which she took as a sign of conspiracy.

Balagot recalled that she could not hide her frustration upon seeing her relatives being held by airport police and treated like criminals.

“That’s when I started crying and shouted, ‘Wala talaga kayong pinipiling bibiktimahin; ‘di na kayo naawa wala kaming pera. Wala kaming pera! wala kaming pera! [You really have no consideration inchoosing your victims, you have no mercy. We don’t have money!

We don’t have money!]” she said.

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SC honors Corona

By Rey Requejo

THE Supreme Court has eulogized former Chief Justice Renato Corona, who died of cardiac arrest last week, and honored him for fighting for judicial independence.

Court employees paid their last respect when the remains of the 23rd chief justice arrive at the SC. Corona has been remembered by them for fighting for judicial independence, which had been threatened when he was impeached and subsequently removed by allies of President Benigno aquino iii in Congress.

They wore white clothes and black armbands—reminiscent of the silent protest held by court employees during Corona’s impeachment. associate Justice Teresita leonardo-De Castro, who is acting chief justice while the three most senior justices are on leave, and other magistrates led the necrological rites for Corona held at the highcourt’s session hall.

“We prayed with him [during impeachment],” De Castro said. associate Justices Bienvenido Reyes and arturo Brion also shared their memories of their former chief. “He will be remembered as chief justice who went out of his way to ease the burden [of court employees],” Reyes said.

Reyes recalled that the ousted chief magistrate “never raised his voice—not even during most heated discussion” and that he “never lost common decency and civility.” in his eulogy, Brion said that Corona told him he was not the one that the executive wanted to bring down but rather the independence of the judiciary. “art, he said, it is the judiciary that they want to tame and bring to its knees, not Renato Corona. independence too is not solely mine to give away. in the end he paid dearly for his cherished values. He suffered with utmost dignity,” Brion added.

Chief Justice Ma. lourdes Sereno, who succeeded Corona at the helm of the country’s 15-member bench, was on sick leave yesterday, but she already visited the wake of Corona in the Heritage Park earlier this week.

Corona’s wife Cristina thanked former colleagues of her husband in the high court, calling them their “extended family.”

On Christian values. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (left) discusses Christian family values with Radio Veritas anchor Bernard Canaberal during the live radio program ‘Pamilya Mo, Pamilya Ko’ at Radio Veritas Station in Quezon City. VER NOVENO

Customs seizes P1.5b watches; rebars next?

The Philippine Iron and Steel Institute has asked the Customs bureau to seize and detain 5,000 metric tons of reinforced steel bars (rebars) from China valued at P95 million and brought in by a company engaged in the food business. Customs, meanwhile, confiscated P1.5 billion worth of fake branded watches and jewelry from a warehouse in Manila.

PiSi also asked the district collector of the Port of Subic, where the cargo was unloaded late last month, to hold the processing of the import entry of Mannage Resources Trading Corp., the consignee, until the completion of tests to make sure the rebars are not substandard to ensure public safety.

The Customs bureau had

issued an alert order on the cargo for “lack of permit.” a hearing had been set on May 17 and 18.

PiSi president Roberto Cola said in his april 25 letter to the Subic customs collector that the importation “lacks the required import commodity clearance [iCC].” in another letter, dated april 20, PiSi also said “no iCC certifi-

cate…has been filed for the shipment.”

The Department of Trade and industry in Subic, however, showed it issued an iCC to Mannage on april 18 allowing the consignee to transfer the cargo from customs’ custody to its warehouse despite the pending customs hearing. it was signed by DTi provincial director leonila Baluyut although it is the director of the Bureau of Philippine Standards who is authorized to issue an iCC. Cola said it was the first time for Mannage to import rebars since it is in the food business. The shipment is worth around P95 million while Mannage’s subscribed capital was only P400,000.

Rebar is one of the few

products that are monitored for mandatory safety certification. Based on current practice, at least 250 samplings and tests must be conducted on the shipment to establish their quality. Cola asked for industry representatives to be present at the testing of the rebars by BPS. But in a letter to Cola, Baluyut denied the local industry’s participation in the inventory and inspection of the subject goods although DTi normally requests for the cooperation and assistance of industry experts in evaluating questionable shipments, particularly when the safety and security of the consuming public is concerned. in another development, Customs and nBi operatives

seized fake watches and jewelry worth P1.5 billion in a warehouse in Manila. at least 150,000 pieces of fake designer watches were seized from the warehouses allegedly owned by a certain Jones Hernandez Sy and his wife lily Desierto Sy. The watches had such brands as Rado, Omega, Breitling and Seiko, among others. “initial investigation showed that the couple is a primary importer and supplier of fake watches,” said Terence agustin of the national Bureau of investigation. “We found delivery records showing this warehouse served as distribution hub for Manila, stretching as far as Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga and agusan,” agustin said. Vito Barcelo

Erap downplays coalition of rivals

By Joel E. Zurbano Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Thursday brushed aside the coalition of two former mayors—alfredo lim and lito atienza—saying he was confident he would win another term in office as he promised to create more projects for the next three years to make the city glorious again.

Estrada said his rivals are now in a panic mode as seen by their hastily-formed alliances and dropping of original allies in a desperate effort to bring him down.

“They are panicking as indicated by the fact that they are changing alliances. That shows i am the stronger contender,” said Estrada. lim has abandoned his original running mate, Manila 1st

District Rep. Benjamin asilo, in favor of atienza’s son ali as his new vice mayoralty partner.

On Thursday, Estrada and the entire ticket of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino led by his running mate Honey lacuna held their grand miting de avance at Moriones Street in Tondo, the place where he was born.

His goddaughter presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe and some candidates for senators were expected to attend the event.

Estrada also asked for the solid support of 970,000 city residents to vote for Poe, whom he has described as the country’s “next president.”

Just like her father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., Estrada believes Poe would take care of the

poor and the oppressed should she become the next president. in his first year in office in 2013, Estrada was met by a P5.5billion debt left by the previous administration. Using his vast experience in fiscal administration, he successfully paid the financial obligations of the city.

With the debts already settled by 2014, the city government started to have sufficient funds to implement much-needed programs and projects, including the P500-million modernization of the six public hospitals and 59 health centers of Manila.

The city’s revenue also increased from P6.6 billion in 2012 to P7.2 billion in 2013 and to P9.2 billion in 2014. By 2015, the city has built up a General Fund of P5 billion.

INC charity event. Residents of Moriones, Tondo received free pieces of clothing and

new pairs of shoes as part of the Iglesia ni Cristo’s Aid to Humanity charity event last April 29, 2016. The 200,000 clean pieces of used clothing and 17,000 pairs of shoes were officially certified as new Guinness world records.

F R I D AY : M AY 6 , 2 0 1 6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

A7

‘Actor not Bulacan resident’

By Orlan L. Mauricio

MALOLOS CITY—The Court of Appeals has upheld the findings of the Regional Trial Court of Bulacan that actor Philip Salvador, who is running for vice governor in this province, is not a registered voter in Barangay Sta. Rosa II, Marilao, Bulacan.

Salvador is the running mate of former governor Josie M. dela Cruz, who is contesting the post of Gov. Willy Sy-Alvarado. He is eyeing the vice gubernatorial post held by fellow actor Daniel Fernando.

Unless Salvador secures a Temporary Restraining Order from the Supreme Court with barely two days left before the May 9 elections, his bid for the vice governor’s post might end up in futility.

Last Feb. 25, RTC Judge Albert Fonacier released a joint resolution on Election Cases Nos. 01-M 2016, 02-M-2016 and 03-M-2016 which reversed the earlier findings of the Municipal Trial Court of Marilao declaring Salvador a registered voter of Precinct NO. 275-D in Brgy. Sta. Rosa II, Marilao.

The RTC judge also ordered the Election Registration Board and the Commission on Elections in Marilao to exclude the name of Phillip Salvador from the list of registered voters prompting the lawyers of Salvador to elevate the case to the Appellate Court.

In its 14-page decision, penned

by CA Associate Justice Ramon A. Garcia and concurred by Associate Justices Myra Garcia-Fernandez and Nina Antonio-Valenzuela, the Special 15th Division of the CA said that the court “finds no compelling reason to reverse or modify the Joint Judgement of the court a quo.”

“A reading of the Joint Decision would likewise show that the reasons

for the course of action the court a quo had taken were thoroughly and sufficiently discussed. There was no hint of whimsicality. no gross and patent abuse of discretion as would amount to an evasion of positive duty,” the CA said.

“Instead, the Court a quo, in its 20-page decision, had painstakingly and exhaustively show it arrived at its conclusion that petitioner is not a resident of Marilao, Bulacan and thus is not qualified to vote therein,” the CA ruling added.

Salvador, through counsel, filed a petition for review with urgent prayer for Temporary Restraining Order or Status Quo Ante Order and writ of preliminary injunction under Rule 22 of the Revised Rules to reinstate the MTC ruling, dated Jan. 25, declaring Salvador a resident of Marilao.

The CA also pointed out in its decision that “the instant petition for review merits an outright dismissal on the ground that the petitioner availed of the wrong remedy of appeal.

It added that: “As correctly pointed out by respondents, the decision of the court a quo in the instant case is immediately final and executory by express provision of law.”

Six residents of Sta. Rosa 2, Marilao, Bulacan filed petitions for exclusion of voter against Salvador, all of which alleged that he is not a resident and presented documentary evidences that showed that the actor is a resident of Wack Wack, Mandaluyong City.

Smelling the lilies. Two little girls gather wild rain lilies that bloom only when rained upon.

DAVID CHAN

Maternal deaths in Cordillera drop

By Dexter A. See BAGUIO CITY—Regional health authorities revealed that maternal deaths in the different parts of the region is on a downtrend over the past four years, indicative of the successful interventions put in place by concerned government agencies and local governments through the years.

Melanie June P. Caleño, nurse IV of the Women and Men Health Development Cluster of the Cordillera office of the Department of Health, said that in 2015, there were 15 maternal deaths recorded in the region compared to the 18 cases in 2014, 23 cases in 2013 and 25 cases in 2012.

Abra recorded the highest number of deaths last year with five, followed

by Apayao and Benguet with three maternal deaths each, Kalinga with two cases and Baguio and Ifugao with one case each. There were no deaths in Mountain Province.

The DOH-CAR official cited there is a growing awareness among pregnant mothers in seeking the appropriate advice from health authorities near their villages and the importance of giving birth in medical facilities and birthing clinics that were established in the barangays, municipalities, cities and provinces nationwide.

Caleño said there were 194 birthing stations in hospitals, rural health units and barangay birthing stations which were established in the different parts of the region.

However, she admitted that there are still numerous areas in the region that do not have access to birthing stations. This is why they are encouraging mothers from remote communities to live near established birthing stations a week before their expected due date.

Moreover, she claimed 93 percent of pregnant mothers give birth in established birthing facilities in their respective places while only 7 percent of them are forced to give birth at home because of the remoteness of their residence.

The DOH-CAR official expressed confidence that there will be a continuous drop in the number of maternal deaths in the region in the coming years because of the infusion of huge investments by the government and its private partners to build more birthing stations.

( T S - M AY 6 , 2 016)

A8

F R I D AY: M AY 6 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

A MURKY POSTELECTION SCENARIO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

ECONOMY AT STAKE IN THE POLLS THE Philippines will choose a new chief executive on Monday to replace President Benigno Aquino III, with the results of the political exercise largely shaping the course of the economy in the next six years.

Many of the Filipinos may not be aware of it, but their presidential choice will mainly be responsible for luring investments, creating job opportunities and improving the lot of the majority of the population.

The Philippine economy had a relatively stellar performance under the administrations of past President Gloria Macapal Arroyo and President Aquino. The gross domestic product in the last 15 years had grown steadily despite a global economic meltdown and shrinking export market.

President Aquino built on the economic success of Ms. Arroyo, who fixed the budget deficit problem by raising tax revenues and developed the business process outsourcing sector as a third major dollar earner after exports and tourism.

President Aquino corrected budget leakages and strengthened investments through the Public-Private Partnership program in trying to jump-start major infrastructure projects that the Philippines sorely needs to boost the economy further.

The new president, meanwhile, must follow the footsteps of President Aquino, who nurtured the economic gains of the Arroyo administration.

He or she must not deviate from the current economic policies. He or she, instead, must introduce reforms in the economy to attract more foreign investments and, thus, generate jobs, to approximate the levels in Thailand, Malaysia and even Vietnam.

The next president must also decisively respond to the complaints of the public, who has long endured the inefficient mass transportation system and metropolitan traffic, the proliferation of illegal drugs, increasing crime incidents and corruption that remains embedded in major institutions such as the Bureau of Customs, the police and even the judiciary.

The next president would be wasting six years of his entire term if he or she alters the current economic policies. The next leader could revert the current “rising tiger” status of the Philippines back to Asia’s “sick man” if he or she refuses to acknowledge the economic gains of the recent past and improve on them.

A FINAL APPEAL LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES

BY THE time the next installment of this column appears, on Tuesday, the elections will be over. Soon after that, we will have a new president, elected to lead the country and manage it for the next six years.

I’ve always believed that the next leader of the country should also be a good manager. Sadly, I—and an increasing number of Filipinos, really—have become convinced that the soon-to-de-

part incumbent possesses neither leadership or managerial ability.

What Benigno S. “Noynoy” Aquino III always had was a sterling political pedigree and a gift (and a fearsome machinery) for propaganda. Even after his election, he never developed the managerial skill necessary to run an entire country, let alone the leadership that inspires his countrymen.

He was elected anyway. And in the next six years, in my view, Aquino dissipated all his political capital and threw away a golden opportunity to become a great president—great by consensus, mind you, not simply because

he and his propagandists keep telling us so.

So, with your indulgence, I am reprising my appeal for voters to choose someone who can not only lead but who can also ably manage. Someone who can inspire, unite and roll up his sleeves to do the heavy lifting and the hard work himself, if he has to.

We already threw away six years’ worth of opportunities with Noynoy, the diffident, workaverse, responsibility-shirking and blame-tossing accidental president. Let’s not make the same mistake again.

What follows are my six-yearold musings on Aquino as presi-

A9

I don’t know if I should be proud that Noynoy proved my predictions about his presidency to be largely correct.

dent before he was even elected, published in this newspaper on May 4, 2010. I really don’t know if I should be proud that the years that followed proved my predictions to be largely correct. *** Sometimes, I think the focus on Noynoy Aquino’s mental health—or the lack thereof—is misplaced. More germane to the job that he seeks, in my view, is an evaluation of his managerial skills—or, again, the lack of them.

We all know that Noynoy has not had a lot of experience running a company, a [government] agency or even a household.

And yet the presidency that he now seeks is a daunting position that will test the skill of even the most seasoned CEO or industry captain, to say nothing of how

it will potentially overwhelm someone with Aquino’s meager resume, as far as executive experience is concerned.

There will be many decisions to be made, interests to balance, lives to be saved or harmed and quick fixes and long-term solutions to consider. Sometimes, all of these just in one day’s work and merely within the borders of this country....

Noynoy [I was told by a businessman close to him and who was working to get him elected] is averse to making decisions. “He doesn’t seem comfortable

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-

making decisions; often, he would rather let others decide and then wait for the fallout,” the businessman said.

Aquino seems to be content to delegate even important aspects of his campaign to other people, be they relatives, trusted advisers or key supporters. Many aspects of Noynoy’s presidential run do not even get resolved at the candidate’s level simply because they do not reach that high up.

Noynoy also has a thing about personal loyalty. He is also prone to take offense quickly, especially when he feels

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

that he is being threatened.

In a word, the businessman described Noynoy—whom he still supports openly and generously, by the way—as “indecisive.”

So I called up my favorite management consultant, who has advised businessmen who own and run everything from family corporations to multinational regional and countrywide companies, often as CEOs. This expert’s analysis of the managerial skills of Aquino are scary, to say the least.

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

WE ARE already seeing a murky postelection scenario on the morning after May 9. With a suspect Smartmatic vote counting machines and money flowing around to sway voters, we can expect poll protests to crop up even before the votes are counted. The lines are drawn. Presidential candidate and poll survey leader Rodrigo Duterte vowed to put arch-critic Senator Antonio Trillanes behind bars as one of his first official acts when he assumes the presidency.

Being put behind bars is nothing new to Trillanes, a former Philippine Navy lieutenant. He has been there before where he spent some seven years under detention for his lead role in the Oakwood Hotel mutiny in Makati during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He won a seat in the Senate while under detention.

With Duterte’s threat to have him arrested and detained, Trillanes one-upped the Davao City mayor by already filing plunder raps against the would-be president arising from Duterte’s alleged hidden wealth not declared in his last Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. This is the required document from anyone serving in government whether or not he or she is seeking higher public office.

Trillanes claims Duterte has a P211-million account at the Julia Vargas branch of the Bank of the Philippine Islands plus several properties allegedly acquired through smuggling and drug trafficking.

Duterte has denied Trillanes’ allegations and is studying, through his lawyers filing a libel case against the senator, a vice presidential candidate. Trillanes, this early, also warned of a military coup against Duterte if he wins the May 9 presidential elections. This is a scary scenario wherein this country of 100 million could experience a ruling military junta for the first time in its tumultuous political history.

But the brash-talking Duterte brought this on himself when he threatened to abolish Congress if it obstructs his program of reforms. He has also bragged about killing all the criminals and wiping out crime in the first three to six months of his presidency, This has alarmed human rights advocates who see a Duterte presidency as a return to dictatorship.

Rounding up the usual suspects might become a thing of the past because, once rounded up, the usual suspects might not be seen again if we are to believe Duterte’s claim of how he pacified Davao City.

Meanwhile, the influential Iglesia ni Cristo was reported to have endorsed the candidacies of Duterte as president and Senator Bongbong Marcos as vice president. This prompted Vice President Continued on A10 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

A8

F R I D AY: M AY 6 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

A MURKY POSTELECTION SCENARIO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

ECONOMY AT STAKE IN THE POLLS THE Philippines will choose a new chief executive on Monday to replace President Benigno Aquino III, with the results of the political exercise largely shaping the course of the economy in the next six years.

Many of the Filipinos may not be aware of it, but their presidential choice will mainly be responsible for luring investments, creating job opportunities and improving the lot of the majority of the population.

The Philippine economy had a relatively stellar performance under the administrations of past President Gloria Macapal Arroyo and President Aquino. The gross domestic product in the last 15 years had grown steadily despite a global economic meltdown and shrinking export market.

President Aquino built on the economic success of Ms. Arroyo, who fixed the budget deficit problem by raising tax revenues and developed the business process outsourcing sector as a third major dollar earner after exports and tourism.

President Aquino corrected budget leakages and strengthened investments through the Public-Private Partnership program in trying to jump-start major infrastructure projects that the Philippines sorely needs to boost the economy further.

The new president, meanwhile, must follow the footsteps of President Aquino, who nurtured the economic gains of the Arroyo administration.

He or she must not deviate from the current economic policies. He or she, instead, must introduce reforms in the economy to attract more foreign investments and, thus, generate jobs, to approximate the levels in Thailand, Malaysia and even Vietnam.

The next president must also decisively respond to the complaints of the public, who has long endured the inefficient mass transportation system and metropolitan traffic, the proliferation of illegal drugs, increasing crime incidents and corruption that remains embedded in major institutions such as the Bureau of Customs, the police and even the judiciary.

The next president would be wasting six years of his entire term if he or she alters the current economic policies. The next leader could revert the current “rising tiger” status of the Philippines back to Asia’s “sick man” if he or she refuses to acknowledge the economic gains of the recent past and improve on them.

A FINAL APPEAL LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES

BY THE time the next installment of this column appears, on Tuesday, the elections will be over. Soon after that, we will have a new president, elected to lead the country and manage it for the next six years.

I’ve always believed that the next leader of the country should also be a good manager. Sadly, I—and an increasing number of Filipinos, really—have become convinced that the soon-to-de-

part incumbent possesses neither leadership or managerial ability.

What Benigno S. “Noynoy” Aquino III always had was a sterling political pedigree and a gift (and a fearsome machinery) for propaganda. Even after his election, he never developed the managerial skill necessary to run an entire country, let alone the leadership that inspires his countrymen.

He was elected anyway. And in the next six years, in my view, Aquino dissipated all his political capital and threw away a golden opportunity to become a great president—great by consensus, mind you, not simply because

he and his propagandists keep telling us so.

So, with your indulgence, I am reprising my appeal for voters to choose someone who can not only lead but who can also ably manage. Someone who can inspire, unite and roll up his sleeves to do the heavy lifting and the hard work himself, if he has to.

We already threw away six years’ worth of opportunities with Noynoy, the diffident, workaverse, responsibility-shirking and blame-tossing accidental president. Let’s not make the same mistake again.

What follows are my six-yearold musings on Aquino as presi-

A9

I don’t know if I should be proud that Noynoy proved my predictions about his presidency to be largely correct.

dent before he was even elected, published in this newspaper on May 4, 2010. I really don’t know if I should be proud that the years that followed proved my predictions to be largely correct. *** Sometimes, I think the focus on Noynoy Aquino’s mental health—or the lack thereof—is misplaced. More germane to the job that he seeks, in my view, is an evaluation of his managerial skills—or, again, the lack of them.

We all know that Noynoy has not had a lot of experience running a company, a [government] agency or even a household.

And yet the presidency that he now seeks is a daunting position that will test the skill of even the most seasoned CEO or industry captain, to say nothing of how

it will potentially overwhelm someone with Aquino’s meager resume, as far as executive experience is concerned.

There will be many decisions to be made, interests to balance, lives to be saved or harmed and quick fixes and long-term solutions to consider. Sometimes, all of these just in one day’s work and merely within the borders of this country....

Noynoy [I was told by a businessman close to him and who was working to get him elected] is averse to making decisions. “He doesn’t seem comfortable

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-

making decisions; often, he would rather let others decide and then wait for the fallout,” the businessman said.

Aquino seems to be content to delegate even important aspects of his campaign to other people, be they relatives, trusted advisers or key supporters. Many aspects of Noynoy’s presidential run do not even get resolved at the candidate’s level simply because they do not reach that high up.

Noynoy also has a thing about personal loyalty. He is also prone to take offense quickly, especially when he feels

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

that he is being threatened.

In a word, the businessman described Noynoy—whom he still supports openly and generously, by the way—as “indecisive.”

So I called up my favorite management consultant, who has advised businessmen who own and run everything from family corporations to multinational regional and countrywide companies, often as CEOs. This expert’s analysis of the managerial skills of Aquino are scary, to say the least.

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

WE ARE already seeing a murky postelection scenario on the morning after May 9. With a suspect Smartmatic vote counting machines and money flowing around to sway voters, we can expect poll protests to crop up even before the votes are counted. The lines are drawn. Presidential candidate and poll survey leader Rodrigo Duterte vowed to put arch-critic Senator Antonio Trillanes behind bars as one of his first official acts when he assumes the presidency.

Being put behind bars is nothing new to Trillanes, a former Philippine Navy lieutenant. He has been there before where he spent some seven years under detention for his lead role in the Oakwood Hotel mutiny in Makati during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He won a seat in the Senate while under detention.

With Duterte’s threat to have him arrested and detained, Trillanes one-upped the Davao City mayor by already filing plunder raps against the would-be president arising from Duterte’s alleged hidden wealth not declared in his last Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. This is the required document from anyone serving in government whether or not he or she is seeking higher public office.

Trillanes claims Duterte has a P211-million account at the Julia Vargas branch of the Bank of the Philippine Islands plus several properties allegedly acquired through smuggling and drug trafficking.

Duterte has denied Trillanes’ allegations and is studying, through his lawyers filing a libel case against the senator, a vice presidential candidate. Trillanes, this early, also warned of a military coup against Duterte if he wins the May 9 presidential elections. This is a scary scenario wherein this country of 100 million could experience a ruling military junta for the first time in its tumultuous political history.

But the brash-talking Duterte brought this on himself when he threatened to abolish Congress if it obstructs his program of reforms. He has also bragged about killing all the criminals and wiping out crime in the first three to six months of his presidency, This has alarmed human rights advocates who see a Duterte presidency as a return to dictatorship.

Rounding up the usual suspects might become a thing of the past because, once rounded up, the usual suspects might not be seen again if we are to believe Duterte’s claim of how he pacified Davao City.

Meanwhile, the influential Iglesia ni Cristo was reported to have endorsed the candidacies of Duterte as president and Senator Bongbong Marcos as vice president. This prompted Vice President Continued on A10 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

F R I D AY: M AY 6 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

WHERE ‘DAANG MATUWID’ WENT AWRY PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO THERE can be no valid protest to the aspiration for an honest and a righteous government. Ironically, that seems to be the reason that parties and personalities markedly opposed to the present administration seem to be gaining ground steadily and almost unstoppably. This, despite the fact that the Yellow Party has vowed to pursue the program of Daang Matuwid. Some analysts rightly see that as a liability. It is precisely a radical departure from the style, posturing, mismanagement and misrepresentation of the last six years that is propelling a popular drive for more “unorthodox” options! So, where did Daang Matuwid go wrong?

First, it is good to aspire after righteousness. But it is wrong and pretentious to make claims at being in possession of the exclusive recipe of virtue and to characterize all others—who may not be in agreement—as thieving, cheating, dishonorable and deceitful.

Masyadong bilib sa sarili… that would be the most popular way to put this principal affliction of the present administration. It is this posturing that led Malacañang to its first missteps.

Its supposed zeal for integrity reduced itself to implacable hatred for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the overpowering obsession with shaming and jailing her. The first two executive orders were both negative in tenor and vengeful in intent: recalling the appointments of thousands of employees labelled as “midnight appointees,” and creating a Truth Commission. The latter, the Supreme Court saw through, correctly finding that it was, by intent, a “vengeance commission” that in fact violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution. The issue of midnight appointees lay languishing in the Court of Appeals for the longest time possible and has only recently been finally laid to rest by the Supreme Court.

This was one among several other reasons—possibly including the thorny Hacienda Luisita dispute —that brought about the downfall of Chief Justice Renato Corona, eventually sending him to an early death.

Second, there was no real check on presidential discretion and its abuse. Congress was compliant and servile, and only a few hardy souls dared speak against the meandering ways of Daang Matuwid. The Lower House was easily prevailed

A murky... From A9 Jejomar Binay, the former poll survey leader, to issue a statement telling his rivals not to celebrate just yet. This, despite Binay losing some of his former supporters like the Cavite political clan of the Remullas. Binay is now in fourth place behind Senator Grace Poe and new second placer, Mar Roxas, the former Interior Secretary and ruling Liberal Party standard-bearer.

upon to dangle the Damocles sword of impeachment over Merceditas Gutierrez, then Ombudsman, if she would not resign. She preferred to resign—an option Renato Corona would not take. It also haled the bishops before a congressional investigation, once more instigated by the Palace lackeys, on the so-called “Pajero Scandal”.

It took the forthright testimonies of the bishops—and the stinging rebuke of Cardinal Orlando Quevedo—to unmask the hypocrisy of Daang Matuwid. In the first place, there was no Pajero involved—an embarrassed Margarita Juico had to admit—and more importantly, Cardinal Orlando Quevedo and the bishops pointed out: the vehicles were used to deliver services to the hinterlands that politicians would never visit!

Third, it soon became apparent that the government in power was not only a caboodle of neophytes but worse, a bunch of novices who

It is wrong and pretentious to make claims at being in possession of the exclusive recipe of virtue and to characterize all others —who may not be in agreement—as thieving, cheating, dishonorable and deceitful.

listened to no counsel and sought none, believing themselves, delusional, to be in possession of insight supreme! The Rizal Park hostage crisis that embarrassed the nation was principally this: executive incompetence. Mamasapano and the bloodied remains of SAF 44 would later confirm, at the expense of grieving widows and fatherless orphans, that a student government was not equal to the tasks of governing a nation.

But never did Edwin Lacierda, Abigail Valte and Sonny Coloma ever apologize. Were they a choir, Misererere…have mercy was not on their repertoire. It was one, continuous, annoying “noyzart” —singing the praises of Him Who Could Do No Wrong! There was, however, the embarrassing disclosure by the Supreme Court itself, through two judgments, that Palace practice of juggling funds around and awarding largesse was

The first to declare his interest in the presidency as soon as he beat Roxas as vice president in the 2010 elections, Binay’s political fortune unraveled after a year of investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee that looked into the allegedly overpriced Makati parking building and the Ospital ng Makati medical equipment during the Binays’ nearly three-decade watch.

Trillanes, together with Senators Koko Pimentel and Alan Peter

SURRENDERING OR CONCEDING AFTER campaigning desperately and bitterly in the past three months—or maybe, six years—it is time for our feuding presidential candidates and their followers to surrender to the will of the Filipino people the fate of their battle to win the presidency.

Anyway, what have they accomplished during this campaign period?

Instead of inspiring us, the voters, they have only demonstrated their mediocrity, bad manners and preference to insult their rivals.

Barely outlining how they would deliver their promises to improve our lives, they have instead flooded us with too much of their outrageous campaign gimmicks, dirty tactics, and black propaganda.

They have to stop campaigning on Sunday, anyway, and by advancing the day they’d cease campaigning, they’d be doing us a big favor.

Coincidentally, today exactly 74 years ago on May 6, 1942 was when the Americans surrendered to the invading Japanese forces our island of Corregidor which they used to call “The Rock” and the “Gibraltar of the East.”

Only 11,000 “grim, gaunt, and ghostly” American and Filipino soldiers were physically turned over, but the surrender also included all other troops who were still fighting the Japanese elsewhere in the country.

Lt. Gen. Jonathan “Skinny” Wainright—the Allied forces commander in the Philippines who replaced Gen. Douglas Macarthur after he escaped to Australia on March 11—had to sign an almost unconditional surrender that Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma of the 14th Japanese Imperial Army demanded from him.

For the past several days before, the Allied forces at Corregidor had been suffering heavy casualties from the enemy’s continuous bombardment and were also short of food and ammunitions. They had no choice but to surrender to avoid losing more lives.

In fact, the general had earlier not only unconstitutional but potentially criminal! The nation had attestation from the highest court of the land that the dishonesty that the Administration repeatedly boasted it was absolutely free from had corrupted its very core!

Finally, it went irremediably wrong when it virtually swept aside the Rule of Law. Rebuffed by the Supreme Court on his first four executive orders, the President’s ire raged uncontrollably against Renato Corona, and then nationally televised trial of the Chief Justice —followed by the disclosures of the senators he later on caused to be jailed that they had been bribed to vote for conviction—struck fear in the hearts of many: If a Chief Justice could be at the receiving end of the calculated and deliberate

Cayetano, laid bare all the alleged anomalies of the Binays during a year of Senate investigation. Binay has claimed the Senate hearing was politically motivated. Cayetano is Duterte’s vice presidential running mate while Trillanes is also running as an independent VP candidate.

Will Binay’s sagging political stock affect the Makati mayoral run of his daughter Abigail Binay? Abigail is on her last term as congresswoman and decided

FILIPINO PENSIONER HORACE TEMPLO conveyed in his last radio message to American President Franklin Roosevelt that the battle to defend the island—and consequently, the Philippines— was already lost.

“There is a limit of human endurance, and that point has long been passed.”

Like those American and Filipino soldiers on Corregidor, we have also reached as of today our limit of patience from listening and watching our candidates’ mudslinging and use of black propagandas.

Besides, any mudslinging or use of black propaganda at this time is unfair to the accused candidate and to us, the voters. With limited time before Election Day, no accused candidate could explain and defend himself against a vicious black propaganda. Neither could we assess its truthfulness.

The intentions are, of course, to divert the accused candidate away from his winning campaign strategies and to confuse us, voters. After succeeding in creating a chaotic situation, the accuser and his minions could then launch their evil plans and cheat their way to undeserved victory.

Our mass media practitioners— in their exercise of press freedom— should never allow themselves to be used as instruments in spreading any black propaganda. Comelec should consider their use as an election and criminal offense.

The week-old allegation of Senator Antonio Trillanes that Mayor Digong Duterte is illegally keeping P211 million at the Bank of the Philippine Islands is an example of a mudslinging that is unfair to the mayor and to us, voters, simply because it was intentionally released to leave little time for its verification and clarification.

Obviously, it is black propaganda against the leading presidential

contender that his shrewd rivals are encouraging, fanning, and possibly, even funding.

After all, why would a tail-ender vice presidential candidate become an attack dog against a non-rival?

Why doesn’t he pick a fight against his fellow vice presidential candidates from whom he could steal some votes?

BPI couldn’t confirm or deny the veracity of the allegations because doing either would open it to court cases involving violations of the bank secrecy law. It would also risk triggering a bank run from secretive big depositors who may start worrying that their bank deposits are being leaked freely by the bank’s employees and officers to malicious parties.

So far, what has this black propaganda accomplished?

The mayor’s loyal followers— who now comprise the biggest group of voters—are simply treating it as another futile attempt by a failed coup d’état leader to weaken their trust and confidence on their chosen leader. In response, they have become more committed to him.

Yes, the previously undecided voters might now go to his rivals.

But some would choose to abstain instead of voting, or join the mayor out of sympathy.

But the pragmatic ones who have rationally concluded that the mayor would win on May 9 have started openly supporting him. They include the political clans of the Singsons, Pinedas, Remullas, Fuentebellas, Garcias, and recently, Herbert Bautista of Quezon City.

They have jumped into his bandwagon and have been joined lately by the members of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

They all know that vicious black propagandas are only launched against winners.

Unfortunately, those who have joined his rivals’ camps for years now would continue to pursue this black propaganda until Election Day and beyond.

They should realize that surrendering or conceding early is much, much better.

miscarriage (abortion, better) of justice, who would be spared? And when Leila de Lima thumbed her nose at the Supreme Court orders, virtually countermanding them and refusing to abide even when ordered by the highest court of the land, it was clear to all that this was a government that heeded none, feared none, respected none!

This is the reason that the second half of the CBCP’s latest pastoral letter on the elections is of eminent significance. No, Mr. Aquino should not be imprisoned after his term. No, we should not go after those he kept in his stables to prosecute them. Let them recede into obscurity. Let the nation rise from the kind of vengefulness that has sent us all careening into the precipice of policy incoher-

ence and governmental ineptitude. Let the new government be the diametrical opposite of what these past six years of a dud have been. Above all, let the incoming government desist from any claims that it has the master strategy, the key word, the coveted formula to righteousness. On that, we must all be thoughtful, listening and participative. All that we can have isphronesis, the halting, tentative steps that searchers take, ever wary of the possibility of missteps, ever prepared to concede that we have been in error, ever prepared to accord to all the fundamental human right to be heard!

to seek the Makati mayoralty against acting Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña. There are indications that Makati residents, particularly the poor who have benefited from the Binays’ reign, are ready to move on without a Binay at the helm. Peña took over from Junjun Binay who was ousted by the Office of the Ombudsman which found probable cause against the Vice President’s son.

To topple Duterte from the pole position with only three

days before the May 9 elections, certain quarters have urged Poe and Roxas to give way to each other. But who will yield? Both are driven by their ambition for the presidency. Will it be Roxas who patiently waited six years to be anointed by Aquino, or Poe who rushed from the United States when she saw the opportunity of picking up the failed presidential bid of her father, the late movie icon Fernando Poe Jr?

rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

F R I D AY: M AY 6 , 2 0 1 6

A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

PRESIDENT DUTERTE AND MY SENATORS

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ THE Philippine currency and stock markets are in turmoil, largely because of an impending Rodrigo Duterte presidency.

The peso hovers at P47 to one dollar, a depreciation of more than three percent from P45.50 to the dollar a year ago.

The stock market index has fallen below 6,990 after hitting 7,372 index points on March 22 this year—a fall of 5.0 percent.

April was when it became clear Duterte was on the way to win the presidency, by as many as 5 million more votes than his nearest rival.

To me, the fears of business are misplaced. Duterte could, in fact, be good for business.

He hates red tape. In Davao City, all permits must be processed in 72 hours. Otherwise, the permits officer must explain to the mayor who could punish him if his explanation is BS. I assume Duterte will apply that policy nationwide.

A President Duterte will focus on education. In fact, he wants to divert infra money to education—for schools and scholarships.

That’s

improvement of human capital and human capital is what this country has plenty of.

He will focus on agriculture.

Duterte laments that multinationals in Mindanao are using huge tracts of land to produce what he calls “cash crops”— pineapples, bananas, coffee and cacao, which are not consumed by the natives. I assume he will order these MNCs to produce also what he calls “food crops”—rice and corn, which are 15 percent of the consumer basket. So there will be a rice and corn surplus, which means no food shortages which means social stability because “a hungry man knows no law,” as Joseph Estrada says.

Duterte wants to double the salaries of policemen and soldiers. They earn P14,000 a month. Within maybe three years, that will be P28,000.

That will, of course, trigger protest from the teachers who are college graduates (compared to policemen who are high school graduates). So teachers will also enjoy P28,000 monthly salary.

Since teachers (741,000), soldiers (125,000), and policemen

(174,000) are half of the government workforce, a doubled salary will create purchasing power which in turn will induce consumption, which in turn will induce economic activity.

Remember that consumption, including government consumption, makes up 84 percent of GDP (the value of economic production). Consumption has been the engine of growth in the last 20 years; it is not Matuwid na Daan which does not exist.

Duterte will remove income tax for those earning P25,000 or below a month. That will create savings that can go into tuition (human capital) or consumption (good for the economy).

The President will also reduce corporate tax from the current 32 percent, the highest in Asia.

That will free corporate capital that can go into fixed assets (machinery) or labor generation or dividends (which could go into consumption).

Of course, Duterte vows, with his life, to curb corruption and criminality. A third of the P3.5 trillion budget is stolen.

Curbing corruption will divert

more than P1 trillion into productive activities—like paying for doubled salaries of policemen, soldiers and teachers; investment in infra; and more cash for the very, very poor.

A curb on criminality will be good for the funeral industry but bad for Manila Bay which will be polluted by as many as 100,000 cadavers of criminals. The Supreme Court has a decision that penalizes big companies every time Manila Bay gets polluted. So either way —funeral business or Manila Bay pollution—will be good for the economy.

Finally, if Duterte gets pissed off, he will abolish Congress and declare a revolutionary government. We save money, at least P50 billion a year, if we have no Congress. And Duterte could just open up productive sectors of the economy to foreign investments and competition, with his revolutionary powers.

And of course, the rebels, communists and Muslim separatists, will be forced to come to the negotiating table.

To paraphrase Jojo Binay’s

jingle, only Duterte. The masa are willing to bet their future on that kind of presidency.

On a personal note, three of the 50 senatorial candidates are my compadres—Frank Drilon, Kiko Pangilinan, and Ralph Recto. Frank and Kiko are in the Top 3 so they don’t need my vote. Ralph is No. 11 or 12. So he needs my vote. Ralph is an economist and conscientious senator. Vote for him.

Also borderline is a good friend, colleague in Philconsa and my boss in this paper, lawyer Martin Romualdez. His INC endorsement should bring him up into the win column because the INC vote is good for about 1.5 million votes—exactly the number of votes he needs additionally, to win a Senate seat.

So vote for Martin. As Duterte loves to say, “you won’t regret it.”

Finally for the youth vote, please vote for Win Gatchalian, another well credentialed candidate.

So there. This is my last column before the May 9 election.

Read it carefully and be guided.

You won’t regret it.

A final... From A9

be like their boss, in that they will also take no responsibility for their own failures.”

So, what you hadn’t decided upon is not your responsibility simply because you didn’t do the decision-making? “I think the term for it is plausible deniability,” said this source. “If you can deny that you were a part of the decision-making process, then you aren’t guilty of making the wrong decision.”

As for delegation of important tasks, this expert said that having your subordinates decide at their level is not a bad thing, by itself. “There is, of course, a big difference between delegation and abdication,” the source explained.

“Delegation requires clarity

in direction, principles, policies.

Also, delegation means that you are always available for a quick opinion or even a decision.

Deciding things ‘at their level’ should not mean ‘all things.’ It’s like [the military] chain of command. Some things need to be kicked upstairs. Otherwise, it’s just Pilate washing his hands,” said the source.

In any case, a good executive who delegates must still require some sort of report afterwards.

“This is because, as leader, you must have a clear understanding of what is happening. You can’t be blind,” the source explained.

As for the emphasis on “loyalty,” this trait actually fits nicely with a classic profile of a bad

manager, this source says. “Personal loyalty means your loyalty will be to him, not to the country, not to the government,” the source said. “This is not even the profile of a nice person. This is the profile of a weak, selfish person, one who rises by taking advantage of circumstance and connections and has no compunctions about using relationships to get what he wants.”

As for “easily takes offense,” this is a symptom of weakness, the source said. “He probably knows he is not as good as he should be for the positions he has been put in. This explains the entire profile. It must be hard for him to accept that he really is not qualified. I suspect that he has been in this position many times

in his life, being in jobs he is not entirely qualified for.”

Summing up, the source said: “You just described the sort of manager I would hate to work with or for or hire. If he wins, I certainly hope someone else takes the reins. Otherwise, we are in for a lot of trouble.”

You mean, like during Cory’s time? “Cory’s one saving grace was she really did not have her ego on the table. This one, from your description, will. It’s a recipe for disaster, definitely worse than Cory.” *** So vote wisely on Monday, is my appeal. Find both a leader and a manager.

And God bless the Philippines.

“Very often,” this source told me, “making a wrong decision is better than making no decision at all. Decision-making is possibly the primary job of managers.

Someone who prefers to let others make decisions and then deals with the fallout later is someone who does not want to take responsibility or accountability.”

How so? “Well, if the decision is not yours, then, conceptually, the fallout is not yours either,” this source explained. “Of course, if the result is good, you can always claim it as part of your efforts. But this is the sort of person who will end up surrounded by brown-nosers and sycophants, who will probably

#FAILOCRACY

CHONG ARDIVILLA

bring another vessel to a specified place. kk) Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) – a marine traffic monitoring system established by PPA to keep track of vessel movements and provide navigational safety in a limited geographical area. ll) Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) Fees – fees paid for the use of VTMS. mm) Water distribution service - supplying the water needs of vessels, stallholders, and offices within the port premises. nn) Wharf – a continuous structure built parallel to or along the margin of the sea or alongside riverbanks, canals, or waterways where vessels may lie alongside to receive or discharge cargo, embark or disembark passengers, or lie at rest. oo) Yard – also called container yard or marshalling yard; a port facility at which containers and other cargo are accepted for temporary stacking before loading onboard ships, or before withdrawn by the consignees. pp) Yard dwell time – the time that containers or cargo are stored in the yard.

Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila1018, Philippines P.O. BOX 436, Manila, Philippines Tel. No. (0632) 527-8356 FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 http://www.ppa.com.ph

A p r i l 2 5 , 2 016 PPA ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 03 - 2016 TO

:

All Port Managers Cargo Handling Operators Private Port Owners/Operators Others Concerned

V.

General Guidelines 1.

: PORT TERMINAL MANAGEMENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Given the particular nature of port operations at each specific port, PPA shall determine the different modalities of private public partnerships, such as full concessions, pure operations and management contracts, and other modes of partnership in the delivery of the port services and infrastructure.

2.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 6 (a) of Presidential Decree No. 857, as amended, and Board Resolution No. 2530, the following guidelines for award of Port Terminal Management contracts are hereby prescribed.

The scope of investment responsibilities to be provided by PPA and the Contractor in developing the port facilities shall be specified prior to a transparent and competitive bidding process.

3.

PPA shall make a determination of the incremental investments required for the port infrastructure to match market requirements versus the projected port revenues, including tariff adjustments or reasonable phasing of investments to make the project viable. If the project remains financially non-viable but economically desirable, PPA shall be responsible for capital investment to the extent that is necessary to ensure the commercial viability of the port.

SUBJECT

I.

Policy Statement 1.

2.

II.

The greater participation of the private sector in the management and operations of ports is encouraged.

The privatization of the management and operations of all ports under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) shall be awarded through transparent and competitive public bidding.

4.

PPA shall prepare an asset register that contains the assets owned by PPA, the Port Zone Delineation, land titles, existing contracts and other details that are material to the operations of the port prior to the conduct of the bidding.

Objectives

VI. Specific Policy Guidelines

1.

1. Investment Categories

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

To ensure the provision of efficient port management and other related port services through better coordination and realization of economies of scope in all ports to the satisfaction of port users in particular and the public in general; To encourage private sector participation in port operations in order to provide higher quality services; To promote consistency in the determination of contract requirements and contracting procedures in the award of port management contracts through competitive bidding; To reduce compliance, transport and transaction costs for agricultural and other products and related inputs that can result in a more efficient and competitive trade and transport environment; To provide greater opportunity to build stronger and more sophisticated private sector port operators and/or contractors; To allow costs, including a reasonable return on port investments, to be recovered through port tariffs, while taking into consideration the affordability of port services for all port users; and To improve the environmental and social impact of port operations

a.

The classification of investments arrangements between PPA and the Contractor may be a combination of some or all services as guided by the following table:

c.

d.

e.

f.

1.

2.

3.

4.

IV. Definition of Terms a) b) c) d) e) f) g)

h)

i) j) k)

l) m) n)

Above ground fixtures – immovable properties as defined under the Civil Code, which are located at the port, which include but are not limited to passenger terminal building, pavement, and fence.

Above ground semi-fixtures – movable properties as defined under the Civil Code, which are located at the port, which includes but are not limited to quay cranes and gantry cranes.

Asset register – a register which contains the list of the assets owned by PPA, the Port Zone Delineation, land titles, existing contracts and other details that are material to the operations of the port.

Average gross service time at berth– the time spent by the vessel at berth, including working time and idle time. It is the difference between the time the vessel arrived at and departed from berth or anchorage.

Average working time at berth – the time spent by the vessel at berth while loading and unloading, excluding idle time.

Bagging service – the loading of bulk cargo from the vessel to the hopper or storage container to empty sacks/bags and weighing and sewing of sacks.

Berthside operations - mooring or berthing at a pier, wharf, bulkheadwharf, river or channel marginal wharf at any port in the Philippines; or mooring or making fast to a vessel so berthed; or berthing or mooring within any slip, channel, basin river or canal under the jurisdiction of any port of the Philippines.

Business plan – is a business and investment strategy employed by the Contractor to effectively provide, manage, operate and market the services aimed to ensure efficient turnaround of vessels, attain service satisfaction of concerned users and entice port clientele to patronize the port.

Cargo handling – services involving handling of cargo including but not limited to stevedoring, container handling, and other related services.

Competitive bidding – refers to a method of procurement which is transparent and open to participation by any interested party.

Concession agreement– an agreement between the PPA and a Port Terminal Management Operator (hereinafter “Contractor”) with a tenure of at least 25 years to develop, construct, operate, and maintain the port. It spells out the conditions and duration of the agreement and the method of computing concession fees.

Container – a metal unit for carrying cargoes that is durable, reusable, facilitates transference from mode to mode, and of minimum scale.

Container terminal management – services involving management of a container terminal and handling of containers discharged or loaded unto vessels.

Dredging: a.

b.

o)

p) q) r) s) t) u) v) w) x)

y) z) aa) bb)

cc)

dd) ee) ff)

gg) hh) ii) jj)

Capital dredging – is an infrequent process usually a one-time expenditure, intended to effect a permanent improvement in the seabed assets of the port, which involves the removal of large amounts of virgin material from the sea bed to create, deepen, or otherwise improve a shipping channel

b.

The maintenance of PPA-owned and built equipment and infrastructure shall be undertaken by the Contractor in accordance with to a pre-determined maintenance plan.

c.

The bundling of port terminal management at several ports may be included to ensure the commercial viability of the Contractor.

d.

The Contractor shall ensure that PPA design depth of the port and port channels are maintained.

The Contractor shall be allowed to collect fees and charges for the services it will render in accordance with PD 857 and other PPA rules and regulations.

8. Equipment, facilities, and port development plan a.

As part of its bid documentation, the Contractor shall provide a Port Development Plan. The Port Development Plan shall be a business plan with indicative investment targets, both triggered and fixed targets, designed by the Contractor to effectively provide, manage, operate and market the services aimed to ensure efficient turnaround of vessels, satisfy the service requirements of concerned users and entice port clientele to patronize the port.

b.

The Contractor shall fully comply with the commitments and conditions stipulated in the Port Development Plan. The Port Development Plan may be revised by the Contractor to ensure that the commitments contained therein continue achieve key port performance targets, and allow the Contractor the opportunity of a fair return of investment. Substantial revisions to the Port Development Plan will require prior approval from by PPA.

c.

The Contractor shall utilize the cargo handling equipment and facilities installed

by PPA in the Port, or its own equipment and facilities if these are more efficient than the ones installed by PPA. The Contractor shall have available, at the commencement of the operations, the equipment for the provision of services as required by the PPA, all in serviceable and good condition.

d.

The Agreement shall include a provision on the implementation/compliance to Equipment and Facilities Maintenance Schedule prescribed by PPA.

e.

The facilities and equipment that are used in the port operations shall be covered by insurance. Such insurance shall be obtained by the Contractor from the Government Service Insurance System pursuant to R.A. 656 and Presidential Administrative Order 33 and 141 since the insurance shall cover government property.

a.

The Contractor shall efficiently operate the port and provide cargo handling services and related services. The Contractor must be able to maintain productivity equal to or better than pre-specified key performance indicators as detailed in the Master Plan study which may be progressively increased during the duration of the Agreement, such as: 1. Average gross service time at berth 2. Average number of cranes per vessel 3. Average tonnes per hour (bulk, breakbulk) 4. Average moves per hour (container) 5. Average yard dwell time 6. Port user satisfaction survey results 7. Minimum port user and passenger service standards

b.

The Contractor’s productivity rates shall be considered in setting the approved tariff rates and shall be subject to periodic review by PPA.

c.

The performance metric may be based on a single performance measure for transparency and ease of collection.

d.

If the Contractor fails to maintain productivity equal to or better than prespecified productivity measures in any given period, the Contractor may be required to provide additional variable fee payments.

e.

If the Contractor fails to maintain productivity equal to or better than pre-specified productivity measures in any given year, PPA will conduct a mandatory review of the provisions of the Agreement. Failure to meet productivity measures for three (3) consecutive years may result in the termination of the Agreement.

Prior to the conduct of the bidding, PPA shall conduct a Master Plan study for each specific port to determine: 1.

2.

3.

4. b.

The requirements for cargo handling equipment, port facilities and services to achieve minimum performance and productivity targets The type of Agreement, such as a Concession Agreement if substantial port development and improvement are required, or a Management Contract if mainly port operations and management are involved, among others The length of the Agreement, which will be designed to allow for reasonable return of investment by the Contractor; and The optimal port tariffs that provide for cost recovery, while taking into consideration the affordability of port services for all port users.

Upon the determination of the scope of investment responsibilities for the port, PPA shall conduct a transparent and competitive public bidding process, in accordance with Guidelines in the Conduct of Public Bidding to be issued for this purpose.

3. General conditions on all Agreements a.

b.

A Port Terminal Management Contract (“Agreement”) shall serve as the authority of the Contractor to provide services in the port. The Agreement shall contain the applicable terms and conditions in providing such services and for the faithful compliance by the Contractor for the duration of the Agreement.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13. c.

Investments in port terminal infrastructure, as determined in the Agreement Container terminal management Passenger terminal management Stevedoring services Berthside operations Porterage services Bagging services RORO cargo services Parking Storage Water distribution service Security services Ancillary and other related services

4. Tenure of Agreements The tenure of Contracts shall be based on investments committed by the Contractor per Tier classification. The duration shall depend on factors which include, among others, the following: (1) extent of port infrastructure investment, (2) type and volume of vessels and cargo, (3) manner of cargo handling and (4) size, configuration and development of the port.

b.

The tenure of the Agreements will be for a minimum of five years.

c.

Six months prior to the expiration of the Agreement, the PPA must initiate the procurement of a new agreement. The new agreement shall be awarded prior to the expiration of the existing agreement.

5. Financial Obligations and Liabilities a.

b. c. d. e.

f.

g.

In consideration of the rights and privileges granted to the Contractor, the latter shall remit to PPA a periodic concession and/or management fee and a variable fee as specified in the Agreement. Such amount for the concession and/or management fee shall be increased periodically, subject to a preestablished formula to be determined by PPA. Should actual traffic volumes exceed certain pre-determined amounts in any given period during duration of the Agreement, the Contractor shall also remit a variable fee to PPA. Any obligation of the Contractor which is unpaid when due shall bear interest and a penalty charge in accordance with existing regulations.

The consideration mentioned above is exclusive of the Value Added Tax (VAT).The VAT due thereon, including any subsequent increase thereof, shall be paid for by the Contractor.

All expenses incurred by the Contractor under the terms and conditions of the Agreement, and all the liabilities to which it may be subjected, shall be for the account of and paid by the Contractor. This may include, but not be limited to investment and maintenance of port facilities.

The Contractor binds itself to establish and maintain a deposit in a reputable bank the amount specified in the Agreement as working capital to sufficiently meet its day-to-day operational needs, including claims arising from its operations.

The real property tax shall be for the account of the Contractor.

6. Operational obligations a.

b.

a.

Prior to the conduct of bidding of the Agreement, PPA shall determine the inventory and capital expenditure of the port for the last 5 years and investments (e.g. CH equipment) on the part of the Contractor, which are approved by both parties. PPA may provide equipment which the Contractor may not be able to provide (e.g. Gantry Cranes) in order to increase port efficiency. Appropriate rentals shall be collected by PPA as a consideration for providing such equipment.

b.

The Contractor shall seek PPA approval prior to demolition, renovation, sale, or movement of any permanent structure or equipment.

c.

The ownership of all properties of PPA and improvements, facilities, structures, and equipment introduced by PPA shall remain with PPA and shall be returned to it by the Contractor in good working condition upon the termination of the Agreement.

d.

All improvements, facilities, structures, and equipment, if any, introduced by the Contractor in its operations shall be transferred to PPA free from liens and encumbrances, without any obligation to reimburse the cost thereof.

e.

The costs of investments carried out by the Contractor, (including any allowable return on such investments) that cannot be recovered within the remaining period of the Agreement, may be subject to a cost-recovery mechanism. The cost-recovery mechanism must be approved by PPA, before the additional investments are made.

f.

In cases of pre-termination of the Agreement by PPA, the investments by the Contractor may be subject to a pre-termination payment by PPA based on the book or replacement value of the equipment and other investments, as determined by a third party. In cases of pre-termination of the Agreement due to the Contractor’s default, the Contractor shall not be entitled to any pre-termination payment.

The core functions of the Contractor are investments in the port terminal infrastructure, container terminal management, passenger terminal management, cargo handling services, and berthside operations.

d. Except for the core functions of the Contractor, such Contractor may, subject to approval of PPA, sub-contract or designate a qualified third party to provide any of the foregoing services. Any fees or charges, of any form or kind, to be imposed by such sub-contractor shall be subject to prior disclosure to PPA.

a.

10. Status of properties located at the port

The Contractor shall manage and operate the port, provide cargo handling and related services to include, but not limited to, the following: 1.

Maintenance dredging - an ongoing process which involves the periodic removal of silt and sediment that have been deposited in the shipping channel, turning basins and berth pockets restoring the designed depth

Equipment – shall mean any machinery, gear or equipment used by the ship operator or a duly authorized and licensed port operator to service or handle cargo, on board the vessel at the port or in the terminal or container yard such as, but not limited to cranes, forklifts, top lifts, stackers, tractor heads, containers, pallet boards and the like, including all spare parts, replacement parts, appurtenances accessories, articles, supplies and materials thereof.

Management contract – agreement between the PPA and a Contractor hired to improve, maintain or operate the port. It spells out the conditions and duration of the agreement and the method of computing management fees.

Other related services – services within the port area, which cannot be categorized as stevedoring services but are considered incidental to or complementary thereto.

Port user satisfaction survey – a tool to measure how products and services supplied by a company meet, exceed or fall short of customer expectation.

Passenger terminal management – services involving management of a passenger terminal.

Physical landside infrastructure –infrastructure located at the port, including but not limited to wharf, piers, land reclamation.

Physical undersea infrastructure –infrastructure located on the seabed, including but not limited to dredging, such as piles.

Pier – any structure built into the sea but not parallel to the coast line and includes any stage, stair, landing place, landing stage, jetty, floating barge or pontoon, and any bridge or other works connected therewith.

Pilotage services –the act of conducting a vessel from/to Pilot’s Boarding Station, to/from anchorage or berth, at any public or private wharf or pier.

Port – a place where ships may anchor or tie up for the purpose of shelter, repair, loading or discharge of cargo, or for other such activities connected with water-borne commerce and including all the land and water areas and the structures, equipment, and facilities related to these functions.

Port terminal management – services involving the management and operations of a terminal and all the facilities and structures existing thereon, including the handling of cargo.

Port Terminal Management Operator or Contractor – any individual, partnership, or corporation authorized by the PPA to operate ports.

Port users – the bodies, organizations, or persons which use the port and its facilities Port Zone Delineation – a process wherein the President declares specific areas as Port Districts upon the recommendation of PPA, indicating the geographical location of the area or areas to be declared as the Port District with their respective boundaries properly delineated.

Porterage service – the carriage by manual handling and/or with the use of wheeled equipment like pushcarts, of passengers’ pieces of baggage, luggage, and personal belongings to/from the passengers’ point of embarkation or disembarkation to/from the entrance or exit gates of the port premises.

Productivity measures – measures designed to allow the monitoring of the productivity of various aspects of port operation.

Security services – services provided to ensure the safety and security at the port, which may include but not be limited to hiring security guards.

Ship or Vessel – may be used interchangeably and shall mean any kind, class or type of craft or artificial contrivance capable of floating in water, designed to be used, or capable of being used as a means of water transport for the carriage of passengers or cargo, or both, utilizing its own motive power or that of another.

Stevedoring –all work performed on board a vessel (ship side) and on the dock (dock side).

Storage –the storing of containers, bulk and break bulk cargoes in all storage areas at the port.

Terminal Facility – includes the port and its facilities of wharves, piers, slips, docks, dry docks, bulkheads, basins, warehouses, cold storage, and loading or unloading equipment.

Tugboat services –a service wherein one vessel (a tugboat) is hired to

9. Performance measures

2. Competitive bidding a.

The Contractor shall provide PPA with reports pertaining to the port operations, finances, performance, productivity, engineering and maintenance plans, environmental and safety standards compliance, among others in electronic format on a periodic basis.

The Contractor shall, within one (1) month from the execution of the Agreement, put up a performance security under the conditions and in the

Labor and management relations Records and books of accounts Claims and liability for losses and damages Other relevant provisions (e.g. tax and penal provisions)

7. Charges and related fees

III. Coverage This Administrative Order covers all government ports within PPA’s jurisdiction except those with existing port management contracts at the time of the effectivity hereof.

amount prescribed in the Agreement. The performance security shall be obtained from any insurance company which is accredited by the Insurance Commission. The performance security, until so released in writing by PPA, shall remain in full force and effect and shall answer and guarantee the full and faithful compliance with each and every term, stipulation, and condition of the Agreement and other applicable rules and regulations of PPA. The amount of the performance security may be based on annual concession fee, annual revenue or working capital.

The Contractor shall adopt environment-friendly measures and to consider the occupational health and safety of the workers. Additional payments may be required from the Contractor for failing to meet certain safety and environmental standards.

The Contractor shall obtain certification of the standards set under ISO-9001 (Quality Assurance Standard), ISO-14001 (Environmental Management Standard), and OSHS 18001 (Occupational Safety and Health Standards) within five (5) years upon signing of the Agreement.

Port Workers’ Retirement and Separation Fund (PRSF) – The Contractor shall establish and maintain a PRSF strictly in accordance with the pertinent provisions of PPA Administrative Order No. 01-2006, as amended. The PRSF shall be used exclusively to finance and pay the benefits of port workers and employees of the Contractor who resign, retire, have been retrenched or whose services have been terminated due to change of contractor at the Port. At the end of the contract, the Contractor shall pay all claims for retirement and separation pay against the PRSF and dissolve the existing PRSF. The Contractor shall comply with the other terms and conditions of the Agreement to be adopted from PPA Regulations pertaining to Cargo Handling operations, under PPA AO No. 01-2006 as follows:

11. Control and supervision PPA shall have control and supervision over the operations and services to be performed by the Contractor within the port zone. The Contractor shall, upon notice by PPA, submit to an audit/evaluation of its operations and shall effect the necessary changes or improvements based on the results of the audit within a prescribed period.

12. Competition Shipping companies may be allowed to bid as a Contractor, provided that safeguards to promote competition are included in the regulations and the Agreement. For auxiliary services, such as chandling, tugboat, pilotage, and bunkering, the Contractor must not prohibit access to other qualified providers and there shall be no special privileges given to a particular provider of auxiliary services.

13. Application of regulations The Contractor shall comply with all existing policies, rules and regulations, and those that may be issued after the execution its Agreement with the PPA. VII. TRANSITORY PROVISIONS Existing cargo handling contracts and those with an authority to operate shall be provided with a hold-over authority until the award of the Agreement under this Administrative Order.

VIII. REPEALING CLAUSE The provisions of PPA AO 01-2006 (Compendium) which are inconsistent with this Order are hereby expressly repealed.

All PPA orders, rules and regulations or issuances inconsistent herewith are hereby deemed modified, amended or otherwise revised accordingly.

IX. EFFECTIVITY This Order shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation and a copy filed with the University of the Philippines Law center.

(SGD.) RAUL T. SANTOS Officer-In-Charge (TS-MAY 6, 2016)

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Modern Ilocos Sur Sports Complex now open THE provincial government of Ilocos Sur, under Gov. Ryan Singson, formally inaugurated the President Elpidio Quirino Stadium located in Bantay, Ilocos Sur over the weekend.

Basketball courts, a lawn tennis court, a rubberized track oval and an artificial football pitch are housed in the stadium, which used to be a bare and idle area.

“We are very happy that our dream has become more than a reality. Our Quirino Stadium is the only third world-class sports complex in the country,” said Gov. Singson. “We made the state of the art sport facilities to hone our athletes even as we look forward to bringing the Palarong Pambansa here in the province on 2018. This is open to all local clubs for their athletes’ training.”

Msgr. Garry Formoso solemnized the newly built infrastructure’s blessing witnessed by other provincial government officials, Department of Education Regional Director

Dr. Alma Ruby Torio and other DepEd officials, Tourism Council headed by Mr. Eddie Quirino and representatives of different sectors.

A football match between Ilocos Sur and R1AA XIs unveiled the world-class football pitch with Gov. Singson, Dir. Torio, sports coordinators and coaches of the Region 1 Athletic Association figuring in the ceremonial kickoff.

DepEd commended the leadership of Gov. Singson for the construction of this state of the art sports complex as it will boost sports development among the Ilocano youth.

Dir. Torio recalled the remarkable moment when R1AA contingent clinched one of the most coveted awards during the Palarong Pambansa-- the “most disciplined award”--despite lack of resources, facilities and training.

“With these sports facilities you have in your province right now, I am confident that the athletes’ skills will be more developed leading to more

High TV ratings for Nonito tiff THE World Boxing Organization super bantamweight title fight between champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and former Hungarian Olympian and world No. 4-ranked Zsolt Bedak at the sprawling Cebu City Sports Center turned in a fantastic rating of 25.4 percent in the telecast over ABS-CBN Channel 2.

The fight, which indeed finished in a flash with Donaire retaining his title in a short but action-packed battle in which he bloodied and battered Bedak in three rounds before referee Russell Mora called a halt at 2:44 of the third round,

overwhelmed GMA 7’s “I Bilib” which rated 8.4 percent and Spongebob Square Pants, the movie which turned in a rating of 14.1 percent.

Donaire scored a handsome victory in his first defense of the title he won in a brutal battle against No.1-ranked Cesar Juarez of Mexico, whom he dropped twice in Round 4, en route to a lopsided unanimous 12-round decision. He also won the fight against Bedak and earned the respect of over 23,000 thrilled fans, making millions of Filipinos both at home and abroad proud with his latest triumph.

Ronnie Nathanielsz

Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Singson (in white polo barong) presided over the inauguration of the artificial grass football pitch and the unique blue-colored tartan athletic track oval in the refurbished Pres. Elpidio Quirino Stadium in Bantay, Ilocos Sur recently. With him are Ilocos Sur Vice Gov. DV Savellano (2nd from left), DepEd officials led by Regional Dir. Alma Torio (with garland), other provincial officials and Ilocos Sur Tourism Council officials. Msngr. Garry Formoso officiated the blessing of the said facilities.

awards,” Dir. Torio said.

Provincial Sports Coordinator Marius Cabudol said construction of a beach volleyball court inside a stadium a la Philsports

is underway. Covered court for indoor sports such as badminton, table tennis and boxing; wide and infinity swimming pool; and billeting quarters will soon follow.

Meanwhile, the provincial government announced Ilocos Sur’s hosting of the R1AA 2017, a test event for its bid to host the 2018 Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Sur.

Rory kickstarts season WASHINGTON—Rory McIlroy, whose seven-stroke romp at Quail Hollow last year made him a two-time winner of the Wells Fargo Championship, hopes a return to Charlotte, North Carolina, will jumpstart his 2016 season.

“Quail Hollow and Charlotte has been a very good place for me in my PGA Tour career,” McIlroy said Wednesday of the course where he won his first US tour title in 2010 and was in a playoff in 2012.

In all McIlroy has five top-10 finishes in six appearances on the course well-suited to his length

and accuracy off the tee.

“Being so comfortable and with the great memories I have here it all sort of adds up to a really enjoyable week but a week where I feel I can play well and strongly and have a chance to contend again,” McIlroy told reporters on Wednesday.

The four-time major champion hasn’t won on

the US tour since his victory in Charlotte last year, and his last victory worldwide was in the World Tour Championship at Dubai in November.

After another disappointing outing at the Masters in April, McIlroy said he took some time off “just to recharge the batteries a bit”.

“I started to work hard last week and try to get the game back in shape,” he said.

“There was a couple of things at Augusta I wasn’t really happy with.

“I’ve been working on my swing a lot, been working on a couple of tactical things.

Hopefully I can continue to bed them in and hopefully

get some competitive play as well.”

McIlroy will play the first two rounds with Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler -- who won that 2012 playoff over McIlroy and D.A. Points.

Fowler said that after recent rain the course will set up even better for McIlroy.

“The length is a premium this year here more than others,” Fowler said. “If you can drive it a little bit further than other people and keep it in the fairway having a shorter clubs in it definitely helps here.

“If (McIlroy) drives the ball well this week, he will play well as he has done here multiple times. He has a very good record here.” AFP

Ganon Baker Camp expands base

Ganon Baker with students training at his Elev8 Sports Institute in Fort Lauderdale. One of them is Ranton Andaya, a Filipino player from Brent invited to be among the Top 80 high school players in the National Basketball Training Camp after training with Baker in 2015.

DUE to insistent public demand, the The Ganon Baker Basketball Camp Manila 2016 is now open to coaches in the pro and amateur categories. It can now also accommodate basketball athletes who are younger or older than its original 12-18 target age category.

Coach Eric Bañes, the official representative of the elite basketball trainer and skills specialist in the Philippines, said the change in the program was in response to requests from parents, athletes and coaches who want to avail of the once-in-a-lifetime experiece of being trained by Ganon Baker here in the Philippines.

The camp will be held from May 16 to 20 at the Ronac Center in San Juan City from 1 to 4 p.m., except on the last day when it will be held in the morning.

Players and coaches may register at step1bc@yahoo.com or

call (0917) 809-0067 for more information.

Baker, has worked closely with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Amar’e Stoudemire, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Vince Carter travels the world to conduct classes in camps similar to the one he will conduct in Manila for the very first time. He runs his Elev8 Sports Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where American and foreign players, including individual athletes and teams from the Philippines, have gone for training. Baker has been credited for changing the game of teams and individual athletes and giving them a new, competitive edge.

“The cost of the trip, the tuition and the accommodations abroad is quite prohibitive for players and coaches who want to bring their game to a whole new level. Yet there are those who

make the effort simply because they want to learn from the best.

Now, Ganon Baker himself is coming to Manila so this camp is a rare opportunity that basketball coaches, athletes and athletes’ parents want to take advantage of,” said Bañes, himself a certified skills coach and strength and conditioning specialist from the Ganon Baker school.

“Ganon inspires players to learn, perform and execute at the highest level. It’s amazing to see him demonstrate the drills and share his teaching methods. That’s why he is so effective as Nike Basketball’s lead instructor for skills training and development and was also connected with the Jordan brand camp. Campers learn all the right values and their physical skills and overall basketball IQ improve tremendously. He has very strong credibility in this game,” Bañes added.

F R I D AY : M AY 6 , 2 0 1 6

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Carlos’ 2nd straight 69 nets 2-shot lead BINANGONAN, Rizal—Rookie pro Jobim Carlos birdied all but one of the par-5s and kept his errors to a minimum in another windy day, firing a second straight three-under 69 and grabbing a two-shot lead over erstwhile leader Rene Menor midway through the ICTSI Manila Masters at the Eastridge Golf Club here yesterday.

Rookie pro Jobim Carlos studies his approach going to the hole.

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY 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 Contracts (ABCs) to payments for the following contracts: Ref. No. 2016 -05173

2016 -05174

Project

ABC/ Source Duration of Funds (P) (c.d.)

Trucking Services 7,980,000.00 to Transport NG Subsidy Belongings of Informal Settler Families (ISF’s) Living along Waterways in Muntinlupa City

Transport Services 3,012,600.00 (Vans) for the NG Subsidy Elderly Women, Children & Person with Disability (PWD) of Informal Settler Families (ISF’s) Living along Waterways in Muntinlupa City

84

84

Work Description Provision of trucks to transport belongings of ISF’s affected by the clearing of waterways in Muntinlupa City to Villa Sta. Rosa Housing Project, Brgy. Caingin, Sta. Rosa City Laguna Provision of vans to transport elderly women, children & Person with Disability (PWD) of ISFs living in along waterways in Muntinlupa City to Villa Sta. Rosa Housing Project, Brgy. Caingin Sta. Rosa City Laguna

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

Carlos relied on solid shotmaking and superb iron play to take charge as the big guns continued to grope for form in hot, blustery condition, coming out of a brief drizzle at mid-noon with four birdies to negate a lone bogey mishap on the last par-5 on No. 18 and find himself on top of the elite field at 138.

“The wind was strong and the rain poured in after the first few holes. But it’s good to still score in this round,” said Carlos, now 36 holes away from scoring an early breakthrough for one of the best players to have come out of the amateur ranks.

Carlos, who birdied the par-5 13th, the par-4 15th and the two other par-5s at the front, is enjoying top form after rallying with a 64 in the final round at ICTSI Sherwood Classic three weeks ago. Though he ended up way down at joint 18th in the Asian Development Tour event, the former national standout somehow regained his touch, rhythm and confidence which he continued to dish out after two days of the P3.5 million championship sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Menor, who surprised the stellar field with a 68 Wednesday, found the going tough with his putter early and made a

bogey-double-bogey start but struck back with three birdies in the last 11 holes to salvage a 72.

“My putting was awful and I missed five makeable birdie putts,” rued Menor, who did drop to second at 140 but whose gritty fightback underscored the unheralded shotmaker’s readiness to go up against the tour’s big guns for a crack at a first-ever crown in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Pacsports, TaylorMade, Sharp and Champion.

Defending champion Angelo Que, who matched par 72 in the first round, sputtered in a late start, bogeying three of the first five holes and spent the hot day groping for form with two more bogeys against the same number of birdies.

He ended up with a 75 and slipped to a share of 12th at 147 with Japanese Yuta Sudo and American Sam Ayotte, who shot a 73 and 72, respectively.

Miguel Tabuena also failed to cash in on an early start, posting a 39 at the front marred by three straight bogeys from No. 5. He stormed back with five birdies in the first six holes at the back, including four straight from No. 12, but fumbled with two bogeys in the last three holes for a 72 and 148, 10 strokes off Carlos.

“I started on the wrong foot. But I regained my composure at the back,” said Tabuena.

Clyde Mondilla, just two down at the start of the round, made an early surge with two birdies in the first six holes but the winner of the season-ending ICTSI Tournament Players’ Championship at Sherwood last year stumbled with four bogeys in a six-hole stretch from No. 9 and needed to birdie two of the last three holes to save a 72 for a 142.

Jay Bayron matched that output with a second 71 as the par-72 layout continued to bedevil the games of the strong 91-player field with the wind coming into play in most holes for the second straight day, yielding just eight under-par scores, two more than in the first round.

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY 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.

Projects

ABC/ Source of Funds (P)

Duration (c.d.)

Work Description

2016 -05171

Land Development of Maniboc Sites and Services Project Phase 2, Brgy. Maniboc, Lingayen, Pangasinan

Required PCAB License

15,477,894.00 NG Subsidy

180

Category “B” and Medium “A” for Roads

Land Development Works and Roadworks

2016 -05172

Land Development Urbiztondo,Resettlement Project, Brgy. Batancaoa, Urbiztondo, Pangasinan

11,678,601.00 NG Subsidy

180

Category “C” and Small “B” for Roads

Land Development Works and Roadworks

The NHA now invites bids for the above-cited contract. Delivery of the Goods is required within the duration herein cited upon receipt of Notice to Proceed.

Bidders should have completed, within five years from the date of submission of bids, 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.

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

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/ sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

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

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 and Official Company ID upon submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and upon Cash Payment of non-refundable fee of P8,000.00 for Ref. No. 2016-05-173 and P3,000.00 for Ref. No. 2016-05-174 at the Office of the NHA-BAC 2 Secretariat, 2nd Floor NHA Main Building, Diliman, Quezon City starting on May 6, 2016. Deadline of submission of LOI is on May 18, 2016. For further information, the NHA BAC 2 Secretariat may be contacted at Tel/FAX. No. 928-8272.

The NHA will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 19, 2016, 9:00 a.m. at the Operations Center, 3rd Floor NHA Main Building, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, which shall be OPEN only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered at the Operations Center, 3rd Floor NHA Main Building, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City on June 2, 2016, not later than 9:00 a.m.

All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount as stated in 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 at the address above. 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 or bidders.

(SGD) VICTOR C. BALBA Chairperson, Bids and Awards Committee 2 (BAC 2) NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY

Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City

( T S - M AY 6 , 2 016)

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.

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.

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 P15,000.00 for Ref. No. 2016-05-171 and P11,000.00 for Ref. No. 2016-05-172 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 6, 2016. Deadline of submission of LOI is on May 18, 2016. The BAC 2 Secretariat may be contacted at Tel/Fax No. 928-8272.

The NHA will hold a Pre-bid Conference on May 19, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. at the Operations Center, 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 Operations Center, 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: June 2, 2016

-

Ref. Nos. 2016-05-171 and 172

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

( T S - M AY 6 , 2 016)

Kim, Alido advance TOP seed Tom Kim and No. 2 Ira Alido fashioned out victories in emphatic fashions to roll into the quarterfinal round of the 2016 Philippine Junior Amateur Match Play Golf Championship at the Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa yesterday.

Kim, who dominated the 36-hole stroke play elims, overpowered Nathan Kawpeng, 7&6, to arrange a Last 8 duel with No. 9 Peter Tyler Po, who scored two wins in the day, including a 3&1 romp over Jaime Oposa and a 3&2 triumph over Dan Emilio Cruz.

Alido, who like the Korean ace drew a bye in the first round of the knockout phase of the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, PLDT, Smart, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and the Philippine Sports Commission, trampled Pierre Ticzon, 7&5, to seal a quarters faceoff with seventh ranked Luis Castro, who whipped Alfonse Lazaro, 7&6, in the morning play and nipped Carlo Villaroman, 1-up, in their afternoon duel.

No. 13 John Jun produced the day’s shocker by booting out fourth seed Liam Cully, 1-up, as he set up a clash with No. 12 Ryan Monsalve, who trounced Aldo Barro, 4&3, in the morning, then blasted Jolo Magcalayo, 5&4, in the Last 16.

F R I D AY : M AY 6 , 2 0 1 6

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

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LOTTO RESULTS

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

Diaz, Soriano to focus on defense in PSL Challenge Cup

By Peter Atencio VETERAN spikers Norie Jane Diaz and Jovelyn Gonzaga will have a lot going for them in the coming Philippine Super Liga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup 2015, which gets going this Saturday at The Sands of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

After winning the crown with Danika Gendrauli, Diaz will be more defensive minded with new partner Pau Soriano around.

Diaz and Soriano, playing under the Standard Insurance-Navy A banner, are expected to be in top fighting form in Group A when they plunge into action.

“May adjustments kami. Dati wala kaming blocking ni Danika. Kay Pau, meron kami nito,” said Diaz.

They will be in the company of Gonzaga and Nerissa Bautista, and the University of the East duo of Jasmine Alcayde and Angelica Dacaymat. They are picked to make it to the quarterfinals.

Gonzaga, a former national team member, will bring around her experience in winning numerous beach volleyball crowns at the collegiate ranks into the club level when she teams up with Bautista for RC Cola-Army A in Group A. She has a fearsome reputation with her numerous title conquests.

With Bautista at her side, she promised to fight it out for the top honors again.

“We need to work double time because we just came from a two-week break, so hindi talaga sya madali. All teams are very strong,” said Gonzaga.

The Foton Toplanders and F2 Logistics Cargo Movers are among the top teams also expected to shine in the fourweekend spikefest.

The Toplanders will banner sand specialists Cherry Rondina and Patty Orendain, while the Cargo Movers have Gendrauli with a new partner in Aby Marano.

Participants of the Philippine Super Liga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup 2015 are shown during the tournament’s official launching.

ROMAN PROSPERO

Painters, Aces begin PBA title showdown

By Jeric Lopez

IT’S on.

Rain or Shine and Alaska, two teams back in familiar territory but always end up as bridesmaids in recent times, duke it out in a much-anticipated finals showdown in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. Game 1 of their best-of-seven championship series is scheduled today at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Having found consistent success the past few years only to fall short of winning it all one conference the other, these two teams are certainly hungry and both intend to end stretches of coming up short.

“The players themselves are motivated. They really want to

win a championship again,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, who is hoping that his team can win its second PBA title in its second straight Commissioner’s Cup finals appearance. “We’re motivated and ready.”

Alaska Aces head coach Alex Compton is equally grateful for the opportunity to compete for the Commissioner’s Cup crown.

“I’m just so proud of the team.

After everything we’ve been

more fatigued team through, our resilGame Today coming in. The iency and persever(Finals, Game 1 - Smart Araneta Coliseum) Aces had a oneance got us back here,” said Comp- 7 p.m. - Alaska vs. Rain or Shine day off, Thursday, to prepare and rest ton, who is still in search of his first championship after its semifinal series with the with the Aces in his fourth fi- Bolts ended just last Wednesday.

This is the third straight finals stint. “It’s going to be tough against Rain or Shine. That nals appearance for Alaska team is playing really well now and fourth in the last five conand we’ll give it our best with ferences. It is hoping that this time around, it can finally bag a this chance.”

The much-improved and championship after going 0-of-3 streaking Elasto Painters dis- in its last three trips, all against patched Philippine Cup cham- San Miguel.

These two teams are the pion San Miguel Beer, 3-1, in bridesmaids of the champions their best-of-five semifinals.

Rain or Shine won with rela- in the last five conferences with tive ease, but the Aces needed Alaska having three secondto grind it out before escaping place finishes and two for Rain Meralco, 3-2, in a grueling five- or Shine.

For one of these protagonists game showdown.

Rain or Shine will come in at least, the heartbreak will rested, while Alaska will be the come to an end.

Volcanoes gun for Asian crown THE Philippine Volcanoes National Men’s 15s team, in partnership with headline sponsor Seapac Philippines, will commence their Asian Rugby Championship Division 1 campaign when the tournament kicks off on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Philippines will be vying for the title against Malaysia, Singapore, and last year’s winners, Sri Lanka.

The Volcanoes have been preparing for the tournament in difficult, hot conditions at the Southern Plains Rugby High Performance Centre in Silangan, Laguna under the guidance of Head

Coach Stu Woodhouse, Forwards Coach Dave Johnston and Set-Piece Coach Chris Hickey.

“The team is progressing well throughout a tough training camp. There’s a good mix of youth and experience in this squad and we’re looking forward to implementing what we have been working on into next week’s tournament,” said Team Captain, Oliver Saunders.

The Philippine Volcanoes will depart for Malaysia on Saturday in preparation for their first game against the host nation on Sunday, followed by a rematch with Singapore on Wednesday, before their

final game against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

The Volcanoes will be led

by Captain Oliver Saunders, as well as experienced campaigners Austin Dacanay, Justin Villazor Coveney, Michael Estrada Duhig, Jake Robirgado Letts and Matt Abalos Saunders.

The squad has also been boosted with new and exciting young players who will look to make their mark for the future including Andrew Pagalilauan Ramsden and Aldrin Harvey Mercado.

The Philippine Volcanoes remain confident in Division 1 and look to regain the title after a second place finish in 2015.

The Volcanoes, shown here during one of their games, have been preparing for the tournament in difficult, hot conditions at the Southern Plains Rugby High Performance Centre in Silangan, Laguna under the guidance of Head Coach Stu Woodhouse, Forwards Coach Dave Johnston and Set-Piece Coach Chris Hickey.

F R I DAY : M AY 6 , 2 0 16

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Cavs bury Hawks with 25 triples

UP Lady Maroons crowned football queens

By Peter Atencio ANGELIZA Sta. Clara headed in the winning goal in the 67th minute, sending the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons to a 2-1 victory over La Salle in the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines women’s football finals at the Rizal Memorial turf on Thursday.

She went for a header from inside the penalty, closed her eyes and never thought her attempt would hit the net, handing the Lady Maroons their first-ever crown since 1995.

“It was a hard, hard battle. La Salle dominated in the first half.

But we were resilient,” said UP coach Anton Gonzales.

Cristina de los Reyes scored UP’s first marker with a free kick in the 48th minute.

Then, La Salle equalized in the 61st, when Sara Castaneda scored on an indirect free off a handball violation by a UP defender.

The loss kept La Salle from winning its first title since 2010.

LeBron James (23) shoots one of the 25 treys the Cleveland Cavaliers made against the Atlanta Hawks during the Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2 at The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. AFP

LOS ANGELES—The Cleveland Cavaliers fired a record-setting 25 three pointers as they pummelled the Atlanta Hawks 123-98 to seize a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference playoff series on Wednesday.

Cleveland produced 18 first half three pointers which propelled them to a 74-38 halftime lead. JR Smith led the barrage from beyond the arc with seven overall as 10 Cleveland players made three pointers in the second round postseason game.

“When he’s making shots, it becomes contagious,” said Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said of Smith.

Dahntay Jones’ three-pointer with 2:24 remaining in the fourth gave Cleveland the all-time record, surpassing the 2009 Orlando Magic and the 2013 Houston Rockets,

Baker camp expands base TURN TO A13

who each made 23 threes.

Mo Williams added the final three-pointer on the Cavaliers’ next possession.

“We were getting open shots and taking open shots and we were making them,” Lue said.

The Cavaliers also broke the record for most threes in a playoff game of 21, which was set by the Golden State Warriors last month.

The Cavaliers have won their last nine games against the Hawks and all 10 playoff games between the two teams.

The series shifts to Atlanta for

game three on Friday and game four on Sunday.

“We will just continue to keep sharing the ball. Our guys have a lot of trust. They trust each other on the defensive end and they trust each other on the offensive end. If a guy is open he knows he is going to get the ball,” Lue said.

Cleveland’s halftime lead of 36 points is the largest in the NBA during a playoff game since 1987.

The Cavaliers also led by as many as 41 points in the third quarter.

Lue said he also credited his defense with helping secure the dominating victory.

“Outside of the threes I thought our defence was great,” he said.

“That was our best defensive effort in a long time. If we compete and we play great defensively we can get out and run and pretty much

Aces, Painters begin title duel TURN TO A15

get anything we want.”

LeBron James scored 27 points, Smith scored 23 while shooting seven-of-13 from three-point range, and Kyrie Irving had 19 points.

Kevin Love added 11 points and 13 rebounds. Cleveland began the night averaging an NBA-best 14.4 three-pointers.

Despite their success Wednesday, James insists that making threes isn’t their identity.

“We’re not a three-point shooting team. We don’t want to be labeled that,” he said. “We’re a wellbalanced team that’s capable of making threes.

“Obviously, we’ve got guys that can knock down shots from the perimetre. It’s been key to our success, but we have to continue to understand that we have to be very balanced offensively.” AFP

B1

FRIDAY: MAY 6, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Metro Retail’s new store. Retailer Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. opens its 48th store at the UP Town Center in Quezon City, in line with its plan to double footprint in the next five years. Shown during the inauguration of the store are (from left) MRSGI president and chief operating officer Arthur Emmanuel, Ayala Land Inc. group head for commercial business Jose Emmanuel Jalandoni, Quezon City vice mayor Joy Belmonte, MRSGI chairman and chief executive Frank Gaisano and ALI group head for Ayala Malls Rowena Tomeldan.

Petron’s profit grows tenfold

By Alena Mae S. Flores

OIL refiner and distributor Petron Corp. said consolidated net income increased by more than tenfold in the first quarter to P2.8 billion from P257 million a year ago, boosted by higher sales in local and regional markets.

“We are now experiencing the full benefits of our strategic programs and we are gaining momentum as we reach new levels of growth and profitability,” Petron president Ramon Ang said.

Consolidated sales volume rose 9 percent to 25.3 million barrels in the January-March period from 23.2 million barrels a year earlier, despite the drop in retail prices.

Sales volumes were up across all major business segments in both the Philippines and

Malaysia.

“We are definitely on track to deliver a stronger performance this year,” Ang said.

Petron remained the market leader in the country, with total sales growing 8 percent in the first quarter.

The company made headway in the local lubricants sector, which expanded 16 percent while also posting strong growth in reseller, industrial and cooking or liquefied petroleum gas trades.

Petron also saw a 17-percent growth in industrial customers in Malaysia, reflecting the increasing confidence in the Petron brand.

Service station volumes also improved, supported by the company’s upgrading and network expansion programs.

Petron said the increase in sales partially offset the drop in oil prices, which led to lower sales revenues.

Sales revenues in the first quarter dropped 11 percent to P77 billion from P86.7 billion in the first three months of 2015.

Operating income nearly doubled in the first quarter, reaching P5.8 billion from P3

billion in the same period in 2015.

“Despite weak oil prices in the first few months of 2016, the differential between crude and finished products remained strong, supporting refining margins,” Petron said.

Petron’s $2-billion refinery upgrade project also supported margins with higher utilization of its 180,000-barrels-per-day capacity, increased production of higher-value fuels and petrochemicals, and the use of costefficient heavier crude.

Petron’s refinery, the biggest in the country, is located in Bataan.

Petron said it would continue to focus on network expansion program with the aim of building over 250 new service stations in the Philippines and Malaysia in 2016. There are nearly 2,800 Petron stations combined.

Petron is the largest oil refining and marketing company in the Philippines and is a leading player in the Malaysian market.

It has a combined refining capacity of 268,000 barrels per day and produces a full range of world-class fuels and petrochemicals.

Power charges likely lower in May—Meralco

By Alena Mae S. Flores ELECTRICITY rates may go down this month, on lower generation charges, power retailer Manila Electric Co. said Thursday.

“There are strong indications that we could see a generation charge reduction this May,” Meralco senior vice president Lawrence Fernandez said.

Fernandez said the cost of power produced by the natural gas plants of Ilijan, Sta Rita and San Lorenzo with a combined capacity of 2,700 megawatts “all registered reductions, largely because of the downward repricing of Malampaya natural gas.”

“These three [natural gas] suppliers account for almost

half of Meralco’s requirements,” Fernandez said.

“For the coal-fired suppliers, we saw reductions in Calaca and Masinloc, which both offset higher charges from Pagbilao,” Fernandez said.

The 735-megawatt Pagbilao coal plant was undergoing scheduled maintenance for much of the April supply month, resulting in reduced dispatch level.

Fernandez said he was hoping that “there are no other adjustment that would reverse the direction” of electricity prices for May. “We’re still waiting for other billings,” he said.

Meralco’s power rates went up

by P0.22 per kilowatt-hour in April due to the higher generation

charges and the implementation of the feed-in tariff allowance.

“Main drivers for this increase in the rate are the higher generation charge and the imposition of an additional P0.08 per kWh on the feed-in tariff allowance,” Meralco said earlier.

Meralco said the higher power demand amid the hot weather also resulted in higher charges from the wholesale electricity spot market, the country’s trading floor of electricity .

“The increase in the rates was primarily due to the generation charge, which increased by P0.10 per kWh from last month. At P4.10 per kWh, it is P1.31 per kWh lower compared to April 2015’s P5.41 per kWh,” Meralco said.

The company attributed the increase in the generation charge in April to the higher charges from the WESM, which went up

by P2.23 per kWh. Peak demand in the Luzon grid increased by more than 500 MW from the February to the March supply months with the approach of summer.

Meralco said costs of energy sourced from the power supply agreements and independent power producers registered slight reductions of P0.02 and P0.01 per kWh, respectively.

“These reductions in the PSA and IPP charges were mainly due to the higher dispatch of a number of plants under them, along with the appreciation of the peso in March,” Meralco said.

PSe comPoSite index Closing May 5, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

6,999.75 82.11

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing May 5, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.240

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.150 LOW P47.250 AVERAGE P47.205 VOLUME 617.000M

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 Thursday, May 5, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.0620

Japan

Yen

0.009346

0.4398

UK

Pound

1.449300

68.2070

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128833

6.0631

Switzerland

Franc

1.044714

49.1663

Canada

Dollar

0.777182

36.5757

Singapore

Dollar

0.736540

34.6630

Australia

Dollar

0.745600

35.0894

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653717

124.8892

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.5499

Brunei

Dollar

0.733837

34.5358

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.028504

1.3415

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.8150

Euro

Euro

1.148900

54.0695

Korea

Won

0.000858

0.0404

China

Yuan

0.153808

7.2385

India

Rupee

0.015011

0.7064

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.250878

11.8068

New Zealand

Dollar

0.687800

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030892

32.3692 1.4538 Source: PDS Bridge

FRIDAY: MAY 6, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Thursday, May 5, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

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

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

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 148 20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 26 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3 32 15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 10.02 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 1455 7.5 76 5.29 9.25 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 837 5.3 49.55 3 4.84 12 0.580 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.85 2.82 45.5 45.35 100.30 98.55 90.50 89.80 40.2 39.8 2.98 2.90 1.61 1.50 14.2 14 15.2 15 7.05 7.05 1.67 1.67 0.570 0.550 79.1 78.55 0.97 0.97 15.00 14.38 51.00 50.20 102.9 102.9 264 262 30.55 30.2 173.2 168.5 1370.00 1350.00 57.80 57.90 1.55 1.5 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.5 44.65 44.25 Agrinurture Inc. 4.3 4.31 4.07 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.75 0.76 0.75 Alsons Cons.

1.4 1.4 1.37 Asiabest Group 12.92 14.48 12.9 Bogo Medelin 55.15 57 55.45 C. Azuc De Tarlac 175.00 192.00 188.00 Century Food 18.98 19.2 18.98 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 188.8 201 187.4 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 17.8 18 17.78 Concepcion 44.1 47.95 44.35 Crown Asia 2.28 2.28 2.2 Da Vinci Capital 4.75 4.8 4.72 Del Monte 10.7 11 10.6 DNL Industries Inc. 9.100 9.040 8.810 Emperador 7.80 7.80 7.70 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.79 5.70 5.60 EEI 7.18 7.22 7.10 Euro-Med Lab 1.8 1.67 1.67 First Gen Corp.

19.58 20 19.58 First Holdings ‘A’ 64.6 64.4 63.3 13.80 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 13.80 14.80 Holcim Philippines Inc. 14.26 14.26 14.02 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.43 5.55 5.31 Ionics Inc 2.240 2.240 2.210 Jollibee Foods Corp.

229.40 228.00 224.80 Liberty Flour 34.50 34.50 34.50 Macay Holdings 36.60 35.30 34.00 Manila Water Co. Inc. 28 28.2 27.55 Maxs Group 21 21 20.4 Megawide 6.4 6.44 6.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 338.80 339.00 336.00 MG Holdings 0.285 0.285 0.270 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.40 4.30 4.25 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.64 3.58 3.42 Petron Corporation 10.72 10.72 10.58 Phil H2O 3.16 3.16 3.16 Phinma Corporation 11.60 11.60 11.60 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 4.77 4.80 4.56 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.51 1.53 1.50 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.77 2.84 2.7 RFM Corporation 4.18 4.16 4.10 Roxas and Co. 2.23 2.23 2.23 212.8 205 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 213 Splash Corporation 2.59 2.6 2.55 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.151 0.152 0.150 TKC Steel Corp.

1.22 1.24 1.22 Trans-Asia Oil 2.50 2.50 2.45 Universal Robina 204.2 204.2 203 Victorias Milling 4.65 4.65 4.65 Vitarich Corp.

0.91 0.92 0.89 Vivant Corp.

35.90 30.10 29.00 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.27 1.30 1.25 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.365 0.370 0.350 Aboitiz Equity 66.30 66.00 63.50 Alliance Global Inc. 14.70 14.52 14.22 Anglo Holdings A 1.10 1.09 1.09 Anscor `A’ 5.97 6.00 5.97 ATN Holdings A 0.500 0.540 0.440 ATN Holdings B 0.495 0.540 0.445 Ayala Corp `A’ 748 737.5 732.5 Cosco Capital 7.89 7.9 7.68 DMCI Holdings 12.00 11.92 11.62 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.15 5.06 5.05 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

5.51 5.68 5.45 GT Capital 1345 1365 1330 House of Inv. 6.42 6.20 6.20 JG Summit Holdings 81.50 79.00 78.00 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5.3 5.35 5.35 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.15 7.08 6.98 LT Group 14.5 14.5 14.4 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.450 0.460 0.460 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.7 5.68 5.61 Pacifica `A’ 0.0320 0.0330 0.0320 1.340 1.440 Prime Media Hldg 1.440 Prime Orion 1.790 1.820 1.760 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.7 2.79 2.7 San Miguel Corp `A’ 68.30 68.90 67.90 SM Investments Inc. 921.00 920.50 917.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.14 1.15 1.11 South China Res. Inc. 0.75 0.79 0.75 Top Frontier 144.500 144.000 140.100 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3150 0.3150 0.3050 Wellex Industries 0.2000 0.1980 0.1920 Zeus Holdings 0.280 0.295 0.260 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.700 7.600 7.500 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.04 1.07 1.03 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.090 2.260 2.000 Arthaland Corp.

0.260 0.290 0.260 Ayala Land `B’ 33.750 34.000 33.650 Belle Corp. `A’ 3 2.95 2.9 AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

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

Close

SHARES 8,105,540 44,192,725 178,909,205 161,990,474 224,946,223 2,528,326,978 3,150,242,905

2.85 45.5 100.00 90.50 40.2 3.00 1.62 14.2 15.1 7.03 1.67 0.560 79 0.96 14.60 50.35 102.9 264 31 173 1366.00 57.80 1.5

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.83 45.45 100.30 90.30 39.9 2.90 1.55 14.2 15.18 7.05 1.67 0.550 78.8 0.97 15.00 50.20 102.9 263 30.2 168.5 1370.00 57.80 1.5

-0.70 -0.11 0.30 -0.22 -0.75 -3.33 -4.32 0.00 0.53 0.28 0.00 -1.79 -0.25 1.04 2.74 -0.30 0.00 -0.38 -2.58 -2.60 0.29 0.00 0.00

79,000 3,500 1,939,460 1,216,330 21,800 71,000 177,000 4,600 85,000 6,700 15,000 347,000 2,050,170 2,000 30,000 196,480 50 15,960 160,800 1,416,060 185 74,140 53,000

44.5 4.28 0.75 1.37 14 57 188.00 19.08 187.4 18 47.9 2.26 4.77 10.78 8.850 7.79 5.65 7.13 1.67 19.6 63.55 14.80 14.20 5.45 2.230 227.00 34.50 35.30 28.2 21 6.2 338.50 0.285 4.30 3.42 10.64 3.16 11.60 4.80 1.53 2.7 4.11 2.23 206.8 2.59 0.150 1.24 2.50 203.8 4.65 0.9 30.10 1.27

-2.20 -0.47 0.00 -2.14 8.36 3.35 7.43 0.53 -0.74 1.12 8.62 -0.88 0.42 0.75 -2.75 -0.13 -2.42 -0.70 -7.22 0.10 -1.63 7.25 -0.42 0.37 -0.45 -1.05 0.00 -3.55 0.71 0.00 -3.13 -0.09 0.00 -2.27 -6.04 -0.75 0.00 0.00 0.63 1.32 -2.53 -1.67 0.00 -2.91 0.00 -0.66 1.64 0.00 -0.20 0.00 -1.10 -16.16 0.00

2,152,700 556,000 90,000 502,000 3,100 580 70 628,500 340 109,100 800 302,000 147,000 18,300 2,869,800 952,900 5,854,000 76,200 6,000 1,826,200 511,420 29,000 1,800 181,800 737,000 584,430 200 7,400 2,687,300 4,648,440 13,100 158,820 120,000 9,000 613,000 4,017,500 14,000 100 748,000 271,000 461,000 118,000 4,000 2,930 50,000 3,720,000 33,000 3,090,000 1,297,310 12,000 4,071,000 400 369,000

0.350 64.30 14.36 1.09 5.97 0.455 0.445 733 7.76 11.74 5.05 5.65 1345 6.20 79.00 5.35 7.08 14.4 0.460 5.64 0.0320 1.440 1.780 2.79 68.50 918.50 1.14 0.75 143.000 0.3100 0.1920 0.295

-4.11 -3.02 -2.31 -0.91 0.00 -9.00 -10.10 -2.01 -1.65 -2.17 -1.94 2.54 0.00 -3.43 -3.07 0.94 -0.98 -0.69 2.22 -1.05 0.00 0.00 -0.56 3.33 0.29 -0.27 0.00 0.00 -1.04 -1.59 -4.00 5.36

1,520,000 1,329,920 2,275,600 17,000 3,000 102,647,000 12,460,000 258,050 2,052,100 3,300,000 10,000 334,100 191,710 137,500 2,318,810 20,000 2,756,800 1,749,500 20,000 25,039,400 15,000,000 304,000 1,166,000 120,000 35,770 291,610 106,000 8,000 1,430 1,630,000 560,000 1,130,000

7.500 1.03 2.080 0.280 33.800 2.93

-2.60 -0.96 -0.48 7.69 0.15 -2.33

337,600 1,147,000 6,423,000 5,940,000 11,833,600 4,868,000

136,290.00 -191,459 -17,174,102.00 99,625.00

-15,818.00 -25,050.00 7,609,520.00 -46,784.00 -5,697,355.50 -4,207,615 -10,161,633.00 -137,000.00 -12,138.00 -25,441,060.00

-1,265,776.00 21,360.00 9,040.00 -24,000.00 -4,242.00 3,865,713.00 320,800.00 -19,410,534.00 -164,526.00 -13,768,178.00 -34,418.00 9,808.00 175,340.00 -19,555,954.00 -31,226,255.00 17,200,922.00 -29,700.00 -1,289,660.00 8,773,472.00

9,000.00 344,210.00 -59,868.00 -15,100.00 2,779,520.00 103,792,756.00 55,800.00

-51,420,599.50 -14,380,472.00

159,250.00 -113,980,725.00 -4,071,629.00 -23,606,366.00 1,028,328.00 -4,250,820.00 232,500.00 -59,826,144.50 -7,436,784.00 -12,179,484.00 -9,200.00 -60,684,937.00

-796,828.00 -22,714,520.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

5.59 5.6 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

4.96 2.8 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

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

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

Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

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

10.5 66 1.09 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 7 5.8

1.97 35.2 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 3.01 4

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 1 15.2

6.5 1.91 0.650 6

1.040 6.41 4 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 3 2.28 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ Imperial Res. `B’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Manila Bulletin Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.0098 5.45 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 Abra Mining 1.72 Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `B’ 0.236 Basic Energy Corp.

6.5 Benguet Corp `A’ 5.11 Benguet Corp `B’ 0.85 Century Peak Metals Hldgs 0.77 Coal Asia 5.99 Dizon 1.17 Ferronickel 0.305 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.2130 Lepanto `A’ 0.2160 Lepanto `B’ 0.013 Manila Mining `A’ 3.240 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 18.96 Nickelasia 2.11 Nihao Mineral Resources 0.365 Omico 1.54 Oriental Peninsula Res. 0.013 Oriental Pet. `B’ 5.4 Petroenergy Res. Corp.

7.26 Philex `A’ 2.27 PhilexPetroleum 0.015 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 115.9 Semirara Corp.

3.67 TA Petroleum 0.0100 United Paragon

70 525

33 500

1047

1011

84.8

75

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15 12.88

3.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

31,000.00 26,000.00 -253,827.00 -536,600.00 106,000.00 -62,456,645.00 -5,283,120.00

Close

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I

Italpinas Makati Fin. Corp.

Xurpas

High

VALUE 755,542,372.187 890,097,079.974 1,337,942,604.71 1,329,759,153.71 1,117,714,593.04 143,087,427.64 5,634,576,802.257

FINANCIAL 1,583.44 (down) 7.99 INDUSTRIAL 11,593.70 (down) 91.20 HOLDING FIRMS 6,855.25 (down) 109.28 PROPERTY 2,889.34 (down) 24.43 SERVICES 1,438.43 (down) 24.13 MINING & OIL 10,740.09 (down) 125.27 PSEI 6,999.75 (down) 82.11 All Shares Index 4,162.12 (down) 43.76 Gainers: 58; Losers: 121; Unchanged: 46; Total: 225

Close

5.1 6 0.510 0.94 0.970 0.131 0.455 38.65 0.850 0.98 1.81 1.33 3.72 0.082 0.2550 0.560 8.52 27.10 1.54 3.12 22.90 0.87 6.5 1.000 4.650

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

5.1 5.1 5.1 5.41 5.41 5.41 0.52 0.510 0.510 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.970 0.970 0.970 0.131 0.128 0.130 0.455 0.450 0.455 38.65 38 38.5 0.850 0.830 0.830 0.98 0.92 0.92 1.80 1.77 1.80 1.33 1.26 1.33 3.7 3.55 3.57 0.083 0.082 0.082 0.2500 0.2360 0.2500 0.580 0.520 0.520 8.52 8.52 8.52 27.00 26.40 27.00 1.56 1.51 1.52 3.03 3.02 3.03 22.90 22.45 22.60 0.89 0.85 0.87 6.45 5.91 6.45 1.020 1.010 1.020 4.640 4.520 4.550 SERVICES 7.29 7.5 7.3 7.5 55.8 55.9 55 55.25 0.570 0.560 0.560 0.560 4.04 4.06 4.00 4.00 0.0550 0.0560 0.0540 0.0550 3.03 3.09 3.03 3.08 88 88 86.55 87.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 1.77 1.77 1.74 1.74 6.90 7.00 6.70 6.90 960 955 955 955 2178 2220 2100 2170 6.71 6.78 6.71 6.78 1.15 1.19 1.18 1.18 63 62.95 62.45 62.7 18.50 19.16 17.74 17.76 184.8 199.6 153 187 9.66 9.68 9.50 9.68 0.340 0.380 0.330 0.370 1.8500 1.9600 1.7500 1.8200 2.15 2.13 2.11 2.11 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 7.70 7.75 7.48 7.70 3.99 4.41 3.88 4.22 0.580 0.620 0.550 0.580 2.27 2.3 2.18 2.2 3.82 3.82 3.73 3.75 2.770 2.860 2.600 2.610 5.00 5.00 4.90 4.90 2.75 2.75 2.42 2.42 108.90 115.00 115.00 115.00 23.00 22.95 22.60 22.85 1750.00 1709.00 1681.00 1681.00 0.420 0.425 0.420 0.420 0.870 0.860 0.830 0.850 38.10 39.65 38.20 39.10 76.00 77.00 74.00 75.00 6.06 6.12 6.05 6.06 3.26 3.27 3.23 3.24 0.590 0.580 0.570 0.570 2.04 2.04 1.99 2 3.22 3.38 3.25 3.27 0.345 0.330 0.330 0.330 5.380 5.350 5.240 5.350 MINING & OIL 0.0043 0.0043 0.0041 0.0042 1.96 2.04 1.96 2.04 4.20 4.26 4.26 4.26 0.242 0.247 0.238 0.247 8.0000 7.9 7.85 7.9000 7.9000 7.9100 7.7500 7.7500 0.64 0.64 0.61 0.61 0.500 0.500 0.490 0.500 8.25 8.27 7.97 8.27 0.910 0.920 0.860 0.870 0.290 0.285 0.280 0.285 0.246 0.248 0.236 0.238 0.260 0.265 0.255 0.260 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 2 2.08 1.98 2.01 5.31 5.31 5.07 5.18 2.4 2.48 2.4 2.45 0.6100 0.6100 0.5600 0.6000 1.3000 1.3300 1.2500 1.2500 0.0095 0.0095 0.0095 0.0095 3.89 3.70 3.70 3.70 6.34 6.35 6.14 6.18 2.21 2.26 2.13 2.25 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 127.00 127.00 126.10 126.50 3.12 3.21 2.96 3.2 0.0083 0.0083 0.0083 0.0083 PREFERRED 55 54.75 54.05 54.35 530 530 530 530 1041 1045 1045 1045 1015 1020 1015 1020 103.7 105 105 105 109.5 110 110 110 80.95 80.5 78.55 80.5 78 78 77.8 78 75.5 75.6 75.1 75.6 75.1 75.5 75.5 75.5 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.880 2.880 2.820 2.870 SME 2.87 2.9 2.99 4.2 4.2 3.81 4.08 16.26 16.42 16.2 16.28 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 116.4 115.1 114.6 115

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

0.00 -9.83 0.00 4.26 0.00 -0.76 0.00 -0.39 -2.35 -6.12 -0.55 0.00 -4.03 0.00 -1.96 -7.14 0.00 -0.37 -1.30 -2.88 -1.31 0.00 -0.77 2.00 -2.15

13,700 200 2,407,000 2,000 9,000 2,890,000 930,000 841,500 79,000 10,033,000 21,377,000 191,000 46,365,000 130,000 50,000 1,124,000 145,000 1,669,500 236,000 19,000 15,650,100 3,333,000 2,200 209,000 4,818,000

2.88 -0.99 -1.75 -0.99 0.00 1.65 -0.57 0.00 -1.69 0.00 -0.52 -0.37 1.04 2.61 -0.48 -4.00 1.19 0.21 8.82 -1.62 -1.86 0.00 0.00 5.76 0.00 -3.08 -1.83 -5.78 -2.00 -12.00 5.60 -0.65 -3.94 0.00 -2.30 2.62 -1.32 0.00 -0.61 -3.39 -1.96 1.55 -4.35 -0.56

52,300 297,490 70,000 6,023,000 2,388,320.00 16,550,000 1,100.00 48,000 15,200.00 343,110 4,627,876.00 100 37,000 199,400 622,820.00 10 70,680 -12,313,820.00 74,300 57,000 1,445,430 -577,554.50 81,600 1,300 -9,250.00 240,000 114,220,000 -418,450.00 1,601,800 -460,630.00 20,000 200 110,600 383,975.00 6,861,000 92,070.00 585,000 7,111,000 -6,596,770.00 798,000 -18,720.00 31,968,000 892,520.00 12,800 7,000 10 91,700 -34,210.00 200,835 -161,264,795.00 470,000 10,070,000 4,501,400 8,484,475.00 183,530 -6,715,781.50 394,600 -484,800.00 2,768,000 -1,934,320.00 1,064,000 -11,400.00 243,000 639,000 -130,970.00 430,000 -12,190.00 7,600

-2.33 4.08 1.43 2.07 -1.25 -1.90 -4.69 0.00 0.24 -4.40 -1.72 -3.25 0.00 0.00 0.50 -2.45 2.08 -1.64 -3.85 0.00 -4.88 -2.52 1.81 0.00 -0.39 2.56 0.00

390,000,000 -12,600.00 69,000 2,000 320,000 10,100 7,300 -6,247.00 1,171,000 -32,000.00 46,000 5,100 53,950,000 13,226,320.00 450,000 52,090,000 1,560,000 12,750.00 3,200,000 198,000 2,537,300 -7,033,512.00 69,000 17,000 191,000 4,000,000 -9,500.00 52,000 2,434,400 -6,875,329.00 987,000 13,200,000 240,020 -10,789,654.00 336,000 2,001,000,000 -16,608,300.00

-1.18 0.00 0.38 0.49 1.25 0.46 -0.56 0.00 0.13 0.53

208,840 16,100 40 275 4,050 2,590 8,160 22,490 57,570 700

-0.35

111,000

4.18 -2.86 0.12

22,000 107,000 3,635,900

-1.20

6,860

9,000.00 1,362,975.00 -4,637,550.00 -24,587,970.00 -16,590,240.00

-21,311,890.00 117,700.00 12,120.00 3,806,640.00

-5,630,350.00

-10,511,771.00 -102,000.00 -350,407.50

-8,676,482.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Island Info

0.370

8.82

Vivant Corp.

30.10

-16.16

Concepcion

47.9

8.62

Paxys Inc.

2.42

-12.00

Asiabest Group

14

8.36

ATN Holdings B

0.445

-10.10

Arthaland Corp.

0.280

7.69

Cebu Prop. `A'

5.41

-9.83

C. Azuc De Tarlac

188.00

7.43

ATN Holdings A

0.455

-9.00

Ginebra San Miguel Inc.

14.80

7.25

Euro-Med Lab

1.67

-7.22

Liberty Telecom

4.22

5.76

Phil. Realty `A'

0.520

-7.14

Phil. Seven Corp.

115.00

5.60

Global-Estate

0.92

-6.12

Zeus Holdings

0.295

5.36

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

3.42

-6.04

City & Land Dev.

0.98

4.26

NOW Corp.

2.610

-5.78

FRIDAY: MAY 6, 2016

B3

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

Globe’s profit rises to P4.34b

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Thursday net income rose 3 percent in the first quarter of the year, boosted by its mobile and home broadband businesses.

The telecommunications company owned by conglomerate Ayala Corp. said net profit amounted to P4.34 billion in the January-to-March period from P4.15 billion year-on-year.

Globe’s core profit, which excludes the impact of the nonrecurring items, one-time gains, foreign exchange and mark-tomarket charges, amounted to P4.19 billion in the first quarter

from P4.18 billion last year.

“We are pleased that Globe maintained its growth momentum... Even as we face intense industry competition in the months ahead, we remain confident that we can achieve sustainable financial growth moving forward” Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu said.

Globe posted consolidated revenues of P29.9 billion in the first quarter, up 14 percent from P26.2 billion a year ago.

The second-ranked telecom

Ayala Land posts P4.7-b profit

By Jenniffer B. Austria AYALA Land Inc., the second-biggest builder, said it registered a net profit of P4.7 billion in the first quarter of the year, up 14 percent from a year ago, fueled by the growth of its large-scale integrated mixed-use estates and residential and commercial leasing businesses.

Ayala Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues rose eight percent to P26.97 billion from P25.06 billion a year ago after launching P38.1 billion worth of residential, office for sale and leasing projects.

“ALI’s first quarter earnings remain positive and reflect the steady performance of our core business units. With the strong economic fundamentals of the country, we continue to expand in existing locations and prime up our emerging and new estates,” Ayala Land president and chief executive Bernard Vincent Dy said.

Sales from property development, which include residential, office and commercial/ industrial lots, rose two percent to P17.39 billion while revenues from commercial leasing, which include shopping center, office, hotels and resorts, climbed 10 percent to P6.45 billion from P5.8 billion in 2015.

Residential sales in the first quarter of 2016 stood at P24.7 billion for an average monthly sales of P8.2 billion.

Sales to migrant Filipino workers amounted to P6.2 billion, representing 25 percent of the total reservation sales.

Ayala Land in the first quarter launched the P19-billion Ayala Center Intercon block redevelopment.

The project involves the construction of

an office development with 85,000 square meters of gross leasable area, a retail podium with 54,000 GLA, a 600-hotel, and 300-room condominium-for-lease and a transport terminal.

The property company last week ventured into the Bicol region with the opening of Ayala Malls Legapsi with 29,000 square meters of leasable space.

“Ayala Malls Legazpi marks our entry into the Bicol region. This is in line with our plans to expand our presence in key geographic growth centers in the country, to reach and serve more Filipinos and contribute to the local economies,” Dy said.

Ayala Land expanded its office development and leasing businesses with the opening of BGC Corporate Center and launched Park Triangle Corporate Plaza-South Tower, both located in Bonifacio Global City.

Ayala Land spent P23.4 billion for project and capital expenditures in the first quarter of the year. It spent over 50 percent on the completion of residential and commercial leasing projects, with the rest of the amount disbursed for new businesses and other investments.

The company recently raised P8 billion and P7 billion, representing the first and second tranche, respectively, of an approved P50billion debt securities program to be issued over the next three years.

(Editor’s note: The Standard erred in Thursday’s headline showing Ayala Land Inc.’s first-quarter income at P3.7 billion. We regret the error.)

company said the sustained robust revenue growth was driven by gains across datarelated product segments, as complemented by the subscriber growth for both mobile and home broadband.

The year-on-year improvement was likewise aided by the revenue contribution from Bayan amounting to P1.5 billion as of end-March this year.

Even excluding Bayan’s revenues, Globe’s consolidated service revenues increased to P28.5 billion, up 9 percent from the same period last year.

Mobile revenues climbed 7 percent year-on-year to P23.1 billion at end-March from P21.6 billion reported a year ago, driven by the strong revenue performance mostly from the prepaid brands.

Globe’s mobile subscriber base at the end of March reached 57.3 million, up 18 percent from 48.4 million subscribers reported in the same period last year.

Mobile data service revenues continue to soar reaching P9.1 billion in 2016, 62 percent higher than P5.6 billion reported a year ago, given the increasing smartphone penetration, availability of low-priced data capable devices, and Globe’s attractive market-

relevant data offers backed by the improved and modernized dataready network.

The growth in mobile data, however, was partly offset by the decline in mobile voice (domestic and international) and mobile SMS revenues by 11 percent and 15 percent, respectively due to the shift of traffic from core voice and SMS in favor of data which is consistent with global trends.

Mobile data contribution to total mobile revenues now accounts for 40 percent as end-March from 26 percent of the same period in 2015.

The Globe Group’s home broadband business (including Bayan) sustained its growth momentum, increasing both in revenues and subscriber base by 51 percent and 41 percent, respectively.

Total home broadband service revenues reached P3.5 billion as of end-March of 2016, with total subscriber base now reaching 1.1 million.

Globe spent around P7.1 billion in capital expenditures as of end-March of 2016 to support the growing subscriber base and its increasing appetite for data.

Globe to date has a total of 29,008 base stations, with over 18,900 for 4G3, to support the service requirements of its customers.

B4

FRIDAY: MAY 6, 2016

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

IN BRIEF Inflation unchanged at 1.1% INFLATION remained steady at 1.1 percent in April, on lower prices of food and utility, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Thursday.

Preliminary data from PSA showed inflation stood at 1.1 percent, unchanged from March but slower than 2.2 percent recorded in April last year.

The figure brought average inflation in the first four months to 1.1 percent, lower than 2.3 percent posted in the same period last year and below Bangko Sentral’s target of 2 percent to 4 percent for 2016.

“Price movements for major commodity groups remained unchanged, while the slight price increases in some commodities were offset by downward price adjustments in others,” said Economic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra.

Excluding selected food and energy items, core inflation settled at 1.5 percent, slower than 2.5 percent posted in April last year.

“This supports favorable demand prospects and is broadly in line with the expectation of brisker operations during the election period and anticipated pick-up in the economic activity during the summer season,” Esguerra said. Gabrielle H. Binaday

PNB, ChinaBank earn more PHILIPPINE National Bank, the country’s fifth largest lender in terms of assets, said net income in the first quarter jumped 117 percent to P2.6 billion from P1.2 billion a year ago.

“The robust first-quarter performance was driven by substantial improvements in both core and nonrecurring revenues,” the bank said in a statement.

Income from core businesses continued to show progress as net interest income increased 12 percent year-on-year, on the back of an 18-percent growth in loan portfolio and improvement in loan-to-deposit ratio to 71 percent from 69 percent a year-ago.

Meanwhile, China Banking Corp., the eighth largest bank, said consolidated net income in the first quarter grew 15 percent to P1.39 billion on steady growth of core businesses and a 27-percent increase in noninterest revenues.

China Bank said the first three months’ growth translated into a return on equity of 9.23 percent and a return on assets of 1.05 percent.

“We are gratified with the double-digit growth in our first quarter results. Our strategic thrusts of sustaining our core businesses and strengthening our fee-based businesses even as we continue to expand our network are starting to bear fruit,” China Bank president and chief executive Ricardo Chua said.

Julito G. Rada

Political ads boost networks’ incomes

By Darwin G. Amojelar

POLITICAL advertisements boosted the incomes of the two leading broadcast companies in the first quarter.

GMA Network Inc. said Thursday net income jumped 148 percent in the first quarter, on higher political and regular advertising.

The broadcast company said net income hit P1.01 billion in the January-to-March period, up from P408 million in the same period last year.

“We expect our company’s financial performance to continue to trend upward and we hope to further improve the growth, particularly in regular advertising,” GMA chairman and chief executive Felipe Gozon said.

Consolidated revenues from all platforms rose 30 percent to P3.9 billion in the first quarter from P3.01 billion in the same period last year.

Revenues from regular advertising increased 32 percent in the first quarter to P3.57, while political advertising revenues hit P640 million in the first three months, up 6,710 percent from P9 million in 2015.

The network said it expected to post P1.5 billion in revenues from political advertising until May 8.

Gozon said full-year net income was expected to hit P3 billion in 2016, up from last year’s P2.13 billion.

Meanwhile, rival ABS-CBN Corp. said net income was expected to grow 37 percent this year on higher television ratings and political advertising.

ABS-CBN chief financial officer Aldrin Cerrado said during the stockholders’ meeting the profit guidance 2016 was P3.2

Submarine power line.

National Electrification Administration administrator Edita Bueno (third from left), Coron mayor Clara Reyes (fourth from left) and Busuanga Island Electric Cooperative Inc. general manager Ruth Galang (left) lead the laying of time capsule for the inauguration of the Barangay Lajala submarine cable project. The 1.9-kilometer submarine cable will deliver power from Barangay Poblacion 5 to Uson Island, Barangay Lajala, and is expected to be operational by the first week of August 2016.

Consumer loans rise 17.5% CONSUMER loans grew 17.5 percent in 2015 to P1.061 trillion from P902.6 billion in 2014, on the back of robust domestic economy, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday.

The double-digit expansion sustained the year-onyear growth in consumer loans that started in 2008.

Consumer loans in December were driven by higher demand for motor vehicles and residential real.

“Consumer lending by banks continued to rise as the domestic economy sustained its growth amid the steady increase in overseas Filipino remittances, a growing business process outsourcing industry, the solid performance of the services sector and heightened consumer spending and investing,” Bangko Sentral said in a statement.

Bangko Sentral said the non-performing consumer loans of universal, commercial and thrift banks represented 4.5 percent of their total consumer loans as of end-December last year, a slight decrease from 4.8 percent posted a year earlier. Julito G. Rada

GDP to hit $1t by 2030 THE Philippines has the potential to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2030 if economic reforms are sustained beyond the term of the current administration, a global think tank said in a report Thursday.

“The total size of the Philippines’s economy is projected to grow from $300 billion in 2016 to $700 billion by 2025, becoming a trillion dollar economy in US dollar terms by 2030. This will make the Philippines one of the leading emerging markets in Asia,” Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist for IHS Global Insight, said in a report titled ‘Can the Philippines Tiger Economy Continue to Roar?’

He said under the current administration, the Philippines saw a rapid GDP growth averaging around 6 percent per year over 2011-2015.

“If the incoming president and the new Philippines government administration can continue to pursue economic reforms and strengthen institutional governance, then GDP growth of around 6 percent per year can be sustained over 2016-2020,” Biswas said.

Julito G. Rada

Melco reduces net loss MELCO Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp., the operator and developer of integrated resort and casino City of Dreams Manila, said it incurred a net loss of P1.13 billion in the first quarter, lower than the P3.08-billion net loss it booked in the same period last year.

Melco Crown said in a regulatory filing first-quarter operating income nearly doubled to P4.53 billion from P2.34 billion a year ago, as it ramped up resort operations following the opening of City of Dreams Manila in December 2014.

Casino revenues, which accounted for 83 percent of total net operating revenues in the January-March period, jumped 108 percent to P4.05 billion from P1.95 billion recorded in the same period last year.

Non-casino revenues, including hotels, food and beverage, entertainment and retail, amounted to P388.6 million in the first quarter. Room revenues, mainly from Crown Towers Hotel, Nobu Hotel and Hyatt City of Dreams Manila, rose 43 percent to P226.3 million from a year ago, on improved occupancy rate.

Jenniffer B. Austria

billion to P3.5 billion.

ABS-CBN posted a net income of P2.55 billion in 2015, up from P2.03 billion in 2014. The network’s revenues remained strong at P38.278 billion last year, up 14 percent from P33.54 billion in 2014.

Cerrado attributed the increase in net income this year to higher TV ratings, consumer business and political advertising.

“You’ll see the primetime ratings of ABS-CBN has gone up and for our noontime shows as well. And our consumer business is also helping us. SkyCable Direct-to-home will be launched on May 9, so hopefully that will also help meet our profit guidance,” Cerrado said.

ABS-CBN president and chief executive Carlo Katigbak said election-related spending this year would be close to or slightly higher than P2.3 billion in 2010.

Only cheating can thwart voters’ will THREE days before E-day, suspicion is widespread that this soon-to-exit administration is going to do everything in its power to prevent Bongbong Marcos from being elected as vice president, and with good reason, after all, President BS Aquino had said that if there was anything in his power, he would not see it come to pass. What’s funny is that he projects to be all knowing, saying the son might make the same mistake as the father simply because the BBM camp slogan happens to be “we will make this nation great again.”

Just two weeks ago, a hitherto unknown survey group with a curious name started coming out with incredibly dubious results,claiming that the yellow candidates were leading. We almost fell off our seats when we saw these supposed reports published in tabloids—obviously to sway the masses. No one in his right mind would also believe the sudden the surge of another candidate as claimed by a survey firm that unfortunately, has long been suspected of allowing itself to be utilized by the powers that be.

Of course, the administration candidates have the most extensive political machinery and seemingly bottomless campaign funds (wonder where the money comes from...) but as pointed out by Senator Bongbong Marcos at the Manila Rotary meeting yesterday where he was guest speaker, Filipinos no longer vote on the basis of party.

If truth be told, many Filipinos especially

the younger generation are just itching to cast their “protest votes” as a stinging indictment against the hypocrisy and incompetence that is characteristic of this current dispensation.

Just mention MRT and you will get a volley of curses Abaya, LTO, DOTC and the bane of many commuters’ existence: traffic.

Marcos, who has kept himself above the fray by refusing to engage in negative campaigning, and avoiding “negative politics and hysterics” and the fear mongering that some candidates and their supporters have been resorting to -- has captured the imagination of millennial voters because they see him as someone who is competent.

A businessman who is a rabid anti-Marcos was surprised that his son was rooting for the young senator. “Did you know that Marcos declared Martial Law?” The man asked his son. “Yes,” the boy said. “And did you know that your grandfather was incarcerated?”

Same answer from the young man. Exasperated, the man shouted at his son, “Then why are you voting for Bongbong Marcos?” The boy’s simple reply: “He’s cool. And he shouldn’t be blamed for his father’s mistakes. Just the same

way that I wouldn’t be judged according to your mistakes.”

The 58-year-old senator, who is the running mate of Senator Miriam Santiago, promises to bring back excellence in government, to get the best and the brightest on the basis of capability and competence and not because they are classmates, friends or they make the president laugh.

When the senator ran for the Senate in 2010, he obtained over 13 million votes, landing him in seventh place with 34 percent of the total votes cast. His supporters are throughly convinced that his supporters have since increased exponentially, considering his popularity with the young voters who are also supportive of his running mate. Senator Miriam after all is considered the rock star of students, always getting the top spot in online private surveys. Add to that the endorsement of the Iglesia ni Cristo and the El Shaddai group of Brother Mike Velarde and it is quite clear that Marcos is the top candidate among voters.

The only obvious conclusion is the only way for Marcos to be dislodged is through cheating. If that happens, God help this country.

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

Cheers!

F R I D AY : M AY 6 , 2 0 1 6

B5

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Protest. Protesters threw paint balloons at the building that houses the State Electoral Commission in Skopje on May 4, 2016, to express anger after the state body failed to efficiently

clean the electoral roll , in series of protests dubbed Colorful Revolution. The country has been politically gridlocked for two years but the crisis rose a notch on April 12 when President Gjorge Ivanov halted a probe into more than 50 public figures suspected of involvement in corruption and a wire-tapping scandal. The move triggered street protests against Ivanov and the ruling party’s leader, Nikola Gruevski. AFP

US, Russia win truce promise Aleppo residents emerge after ceasefire takes hold

ALEPPO—Under pressure from Russia and the United States, the Syrian army agreed on Wednesday to respect a two-day truce in the war-ravaged city of Aleppo

ALEPPO—A 48-hour ceasefire took hold Thursday in Syria’s battered second city of Aleppo as fighting subsided and relieved residents returned to the streets.

The Syrian army said late on Wednesday that it had agreed to the calls from Russia and the United States for a two-day truce in Aleppo that would begin from 1:00 am on Thursday.

Renewed fighting in and around Aleppo in recent days had threatened the full collapse of a landmark ceasefire agreed between President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and nonjihadist rebels in late February.

More than 280 civilians were reported killed since April 22 in the fighting in divided Aleppo, with regime air strikes pounding the opposition-held east while rebels fired a barrage of rockets into the

The Syrian climb-down came after Washington said the US and Russia had agreed to push the warring parties to extend their shaky ceasefire.

“A truce will be in place in Aleppo for 48 hours from 1:00 am on Thursday (2200 GMT Wednesday),” Syrian army command said, according to state media.

The Russian defense ministry said its ceasefire monitors had agreed with their US counterparts to oversee this truce until midnight on May 6.

But for his part, US Secretary of State John Kerry said a new Aleppo truce had already begun at at midnight Syrian time (2101 GMT Tuesday) and that violence had already fallen off.

On the ground, AFP correspon-

government-controlled west.

Early on Thursday, an AFP correspondent in the city said there had been no signs of fresh air raids since the ceasefire took effect.

As residents emerged, shopkeepers were reopening their doors while fruit and vegetable markets—one of which was struck in an April 24 raid that left 12 dead— were again up and running.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, confirmed there had been no bombing in the city, though it said a civilian had died in a western district from rebel shelling that came minutes after the ceasefire took effect.

The head of the powerful Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) rebel force in Aleppo, Ahmad Sanada, told AFP the group would respect the ceasefire. AFP

dents said fierce fighting continued in both Aleppo and an area west of Damascus that was already under the ceasefire regime.

“We’ve seen an overall decrease in violence in those areas even though there are some reports of continued fighting in some locations,” Kerry said.

Kerry added that US officials in Geneva were coordinating with their Russian colleagues on “enhanced monitoring efforts for this renewed cessation.”

And he stressed that for Washington, the “cessation of hostilities” must spread nationwide and underpin a return by both sides to peace talks in Geneva.

Russia and the US were joint sponsors of the previous February 27 ceasefire agreement that had be-

gun to fall apart, especially around Aleppo.

The city is divided between Bashar al-Assad’s government forces, Western-backed opposition forces and Al-Nusra Front rebels not party to the ceasefire.

Last week, Russia agreed to a ceasefire in Latakia and a suburb of Damascus but said Assad should be allowed to fight Al-Nusra “terrorists” in Aleppo.

Intense fighting continued in the city, and hospitals in both rebel and government-held areas were hit, which two top UN officials warned Wednesday amounted to war crimes.

On Sunday, Kerry flew to Geneva for talks with UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura, who in turn went to Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

By Wednesday, Kerry felt confident enough in Russia’s “buyin” to the process that the State Department was able to announce what it hopes will be a new truce.

AFP

Bangladesh Islamist leader set to hang DHAKA—The leader of Bangladesh’s top Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami is set to hang within days after the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld his death sentence for war crimes.

Motiur Rahman Nizami was convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of intellectuals during the country’s 1971 independence struggle.

“We’re satisfied. Now there is no bar to execute him unless he seeks clemency from the president and the president pardons him,” Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told AFP after the Supreme

Court dismissed Nizami’s final appeal.

A defense lawyer for the 73-yearold said he would not seek clemency and Alam said jail authorities would begin preparing for the execution once they received a copy of the verdict.

Security has been stepped up in Dhaka, already tense after a string of killings of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities by suspected Islamist militants.

Hundreds of people who had campaigned for the Islamist leaders to be tried for their roles in the

1971 war burst into impromptu celebrations at a square in central Dhaka and in the port city of Chittagong.

“Justice has finally prevailed.

We hope the government will now execute him without wasting any time,” said Imran Sarker, a secular blogger.

Three senior Jamaat officials and a key leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the main opposition party, have been executed since December 2013 for war crimes despite global criticism of their trials by a controversial tribunal. AFP

Feature. Tuilerie gardens are pictured on May 5, 2016, in Paris. AFP

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Thousands flee Canada wildfires EDMONTON—Raging wildfires pressed in on the Canadian oil city of Fort McMurray Thursday after more than 80,000 people were forced to flee, abandoning fire-gutted neighborhoods in a chaotic evacuation.

No casualties have been reported from the monster blaze, which swept across Alberta’s oil sands region driven by strong winds and hot, dry weather.

But authorities warned that the next 24 hours would be critical for the city’s survival.

Meanwhile, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for two other Alberta towns— High Level, home to 4,000 people about 350 kilometers northwest of Fort McMurray, and Lac Ste Anne, a community of several hundred people about 100 kilometers east of Edmonton, the provincial capital.

The alert was later lifted in Lac Ste Anne.

In Fort McMurray, the fires late Wednesday forced the evacuation of Saprae Creek, a neighborhood east of the city’s airport that until now had been out of danger. Even its fire sta-

tion was pulled out.

“This fire is absolutely devastating,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “It’s a loss on a scale that is hard for many of us to imagine.”

The flight from Fort McMurray began in earnest shortly before midnight Tuesday when the Alberta emergency services placed the city of 100,000 under a mandatory evacuation order.

Footage showed trees ablaze near highways crowded with bumperto-bumper traffic, while black smoke billowed as the flames ate away at buildings.

Mayor Melissa Blake said predictions of what would happen not only came true but were worse than imagined.

“This is a very explosive situation,” warned Bernie Schmitte of Alberta’s agriculture and forestry ministry. “These are catastrophic wildfires.”

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT N AT I O N A L C A P I TA L J U D I C I A L R E G I O N O F F I C E O F T H E E X- O F F I C I O S H E R I F F QUEZON CIT Y B P I FA M I LY S AV I N G S B A N K , I N C .

Mortgagee, -versus-

F R E N O . 1114 8

S P O U S E S PAU L J E R I C H O R . D E L E O N AND NOENA VIRGINIA E. DE LEON Mortgagor / s. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x

NOTICE OF E X TR A- JUD ICIAL SALE OF RE AL PROPERT Y/ IES UNDER ACT 313 5 (AS AMENDED ) UPON ex tra-judicial petition under ACT 3135, as amended by ACT 4118 and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Deed of Real Estate Mor tgage executed on Januar y 3, 2014 by SPOUSES PAUL JERICHO R . DE LEON AND NOENA VIRG IN IA E . DE LEON, mor tgagor / s with residence and postal address at Unit 115 Kauia / Kauai Tower Ohana Place, Almanza Dos, Alabang Zapote Road, Las Piñas Cit y and Unit No. 26 & 27 2 / F Pine Crest Building 2, Aurora Blvd., cor. Balete Drive, Quezon Cit y in favor of BPI FAM ILY SAVINGS BANK , INC., mor tgagee / s to satisf y the mor tgage debt in the amount of P4,678,4 61.6 6 as of March 31, 2016, inclusive /exclusive of interest, penalties, at torney ’s fees and other charges together with all the law ful fees and expenses of foreclosure sale, the Ex- Of ficio Sherif f of the Regional Trial Cour t of Quezon Cit y and / or his duly authorized Deput y Sherif f, hereby announces that on June 1, 2016 bet ween the hours of 9 : 0 0 A .M. to 4: 0 0 P.M., at the Of fice of the Clerk of Cour t & Ex- Of ficio Sherif f, Regional Trial Cour t, Hall of Justice Bldg., (beside, Quezon Cit y Hall) Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon Cit y, will SELL through public auction to the highest bidder and for cash, in Philippine currency, the following described real proper t y / ies with all the improvement / s existing thereon, to wit :

CONDOM IN IUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 0 0 4 -2014 01418 5 Registr y of D eeds, Quezon Cit y “ PINE CREST BUILDING 2 FLOOR UNIT NO. UNIT AREA UNIT T YPE BALCONY AREA DRYING AREA CAGE TOTAL 2/F 26 20.81 STUDIO 4.13 4.0 0 28.94 SQ.M

The fire has destroyed some 2,000 residences in the city’s most outlying districts and ravaged 10,000 hectares, he said.

More than 80,000 have fled the city, located 400 kilometers north of the provincial capital Edmonton, according to Scott Long of Alberta’s emergency management agency. The area around the airport is the only one not under an evacuation order.

Warning that the next 24 hours were critical, Schmitte launched an urgent appeal to the population as firefighters noted that winds were fanning the flames in various parts of the city.

“We are going to ask you to stay where you are so that we can utilize all roads,” he said.

Nine air tankers, a dozen helicopters and some 250 firefighters were battling the flames, and the military was put on alert.

“Obviously, Fort McMurray being evacuated has been extremely difficult, not just for the province and officials, but for the folks who live there,” Trudeau said. AFP

Onstage. Presenter and actress Nichole Bloom speaks on stage at the 17th Annual Golden Trailer Awards on May 04, 2016, in Beverly Hills, California. AFP

Mexico fights to save endangered totoaba SAN FELIPE—The high-speed navy boat stopped on the moonlit waters of Mexico’s Gulf of California as sailors looked through binoculars for small vessels conducting illegal activities under the cover of darkness.

While naval forces patrol the seas to thwart drug trafficking, the sailors were not searching for cocaine ships that night off the coast of San Felipe, a fishing

town.

They were hunting for poachers using banned gillnets to catch totoaba, a critically endangered fish whose swim bladders are dried and sold for tens of thousands of dollars on the black market in China despite an international prohibition.

The government beefed up patrols on the upper Gulf of California a year ago because the vast nets have also led

to the near extinction of the world’s smallest porpoise, the vaquita marina (“little cow”).

The alarm was raised after a 2014 study found fewer than 100 vaquitas, down from 200 in 2012, warning the species could vanish by 2018. Scientists spotted up to 25 in October, but two turned up dead in March.

While pods of dolphins raced alongside the navy speedboats

in the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on Transfer Cer tificate of Title No. N -324780 ; N -324781 which embraces and described the land located Aurora Blvd., cor. Balete Drive, Quezon Cit y, with an area of Seven Thousand Six Hundred Sevent y-Seven and Fif t y-Two (7,677.52) Square Meters.”

ATTENTION

CONDOM IN IUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 0 0 4 -2014 014187 Registr y of D eeds, Quezon Cit y “ PINE CREST BUILDING 2 FLOOR UNIT NO. UNIT AREA UNIT T YPE BALCONY AREA DRYING AREA CAGE TOTAL 2/F 27 21.0 0 STUDIO 0.0 0 4.0 0 25.0 0 SQ.M in the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on Transfer Cer tificate of Title No. N -324780 ; N -324781 which embraces and described the land located Aurora Blvd., cor. Balete Drive, Quezon Cit y, with an area of Seven Thousand Six Hundred Sevent y-Seven and Fif t y-Two (7,677.52) Square Meters.”

All sealed bids must be submit ted to the undersigned on the aforesaid Of fice on the above stated date and time.

Interested par ties are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title / s to the said proper t y / ies and the encumbrances thereon, if there be any.

In the event that public auction should not take place on said date due to for tuitous event or if the same be declared a non-working holiday, it shall be held on June 8, 2016 at the same time and place without fur ther notice.

Quezon Cit y, Metro - Manila, May 2, 2016

( Sgd. ) FRUCTOSO L . LO JA Sheriff IV ( Sgd.) GREGORIO C. TALLUD Clerk of Court VI and Acting Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff WARNING It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface or destroy this Notice of Sherif f ’s Sale on or before the date of the auction sale under penalt y of the law.

Copy furnished : BPI LEGAL AFFAIRS AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION DIVISION AT T Y. CESAR BERNARD R. COLOMA 14 TH Floor, BPI Bldg., Ayala Ave., cor.

Paseo de Roxas St., Makati City ( T S - M AY 6 ,13 & 2 0 , 2 016)

SPOUSES PAUL JERICHO R. DE LEON AND NOENA VIRGINA E . DE LEON Unit 115 Kauia / Kauai Tower Ohana Place, Almanza Dos, Alabang Zapote Road, Las Piñas City and Unit No. 26 & 27 2 / F Pine Crest Building 2, Aurora Blvd., cor. Balete Drive, Quezon City

WHAT:

STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATION FOR THE PROPOSED DEMONSTRATION OF SITE REMEDIATION OF POPS CONTAMINATED SITE BY DEEP SOIL MIXING

WHEN:

10 MAY 2016, 1:00 PM

WHERE:

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, PAMPANGA

FOR DETAILS, PLEASE CONTACT THE FOLLOWING: CLARK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION: Environmental Permits Department 2/F Bldg. 2127, CP Garcia Street, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga Tel No.: (045) 599-9000 local 865/ 499 1137 to 38 email: Rmagat@clark.com.ph LICHEL TECHNOLOGIES INC.: Unit 1403 Prestige Tower Condominium F. Ortigas Jr. Rd., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

Tel No.: (02) 633-0094, 637-8209 email: ravasquez@licheltechnologies.com ecleofas@licheltechnologies.com ( T S - M AY 6 , 2 016)

and whales sprayed mist out of their blow holes, no vaquitas were seen when Mexico’s military recently gave journalists a one-day tour.

The shy 1.5-meterlong (five-foot) cetacean, which has a dark ring around the eye and a mouth turned up a like a smile, avoids human contact.

“We have sailed a lot and it hasn’t been possible [to see one],” said Captain Federico Castro Dominguez, who commands a patrol ship with a powerful radar that relays information to the fast boats that intercept nets or poachers.

“We have seen many species that we thought were vaquitas. We have sent some images, but unfortunately the experts said they were not vaquitas,” he told AFP. As he spoke, navy sailors in a small boat handed a gill net to environmental authorities, one of more than 500 seized since President Enrique Pena Nieto imposed a twoyear ban on such nets in April 2015.

Pena Nieto also increased the vaquita pro-

tection area tenfold to 13,000 square kilometers, sending the navy patrol ship with a helipad, a dozen high-speed boats and two planes to help environmental protection authorities.

Authorities have detained around 80 people while seizing more than 100 boats and hundreds of totoaba swim bladders.

Sailors on the night watch are finding nets three to 10 times the length of a football field every day, often ensnaring totoabas, dolphins, turtles and sea lions.

But officials see progress because 350 to 500 nets were found annually between 2012-2014, when the vaquita refuge was in a much smaller area.

“There is less illegal fishing,” said Joel Gonzalez Moreno, wildlife inspections director at the federal environmental protection prosecutor’s office.

He said the government hopes for a four percent increase in the vaquita population.

Results from a new count through acoustic and visual studies are expected soon. AFP

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MOTORING mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Explore and enjoy summer!

DON’T let the punishing rays of the sun ruin your summer.

Rhino Racks of Australia, the World’s foremost authority in the outdoors exploration industry, encourages you to enjoy the bounties of Nature by way of its Awning tent system.

Designed and engineered for ease of use, the Rhino Rack Awning tent system can be set up and packed away in easily without the hassle making it the perfect solution to protect you and your family from the elements. Stored in its own heavy duty PVC bag, the Rhino Racks Awning system comes complete with all the gear you need to set it up including telescopic poles, guy ropes and pegs. The solid frame consists of anodized aluminum and corrosion resistant hardware, so it won’t rust. Rhino Racks Awning system is a quick and easy solution

which was tested in extreme conditions from rain, snow and the hot UV rays of the sun. So whether you are an avid camper, Traveler or Tradesman the Awning tent system is a must have accessory when camping out.

If you’re gearing up for that camping weekend, bird photography, outdoors photography session or bike trailing, check out the tent system of Rhino Racks at the Outdoors Club at the Ground Floor of the Banco de Oro Bldg. 2, Ortigas Avenue, West Greenhills, San Juan, beside the Segafredo Zanetti Café, with Tel. numbers 744-6367.

EDITOR

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Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

MAZDA UPS THE ANTE

FASTLANE

RAMON L. TOMELDAN

BERJAYA Auto Philippines has thrown a wild card into the highly competitive domestic auto market with the introduction of Mazda diesel powered variants.

Experience Petron’s Best Day Promo PETRON gives you some respite from the heat of the summer with its Best Day Promo at participating service stations. Petron helps you start and end the work week right by giving you one free bottle of Magnolia Purewater and Polo candies for any amount of fuel purchase between 6AM to 9AM on Mondays and Fridays from April 22 to May 30, 2016.

Each time you gas up with Petron’s Euro 4 Tri-Activ fuels—Blaze 100, XCS, Xtra Advance, DieselMax, and Turbo Diesel—during the promo period at twenty participating service stations in Metro Manila, the service masters will stamp your receipt (no minimum purchase required) and give you a refreshing bottle of Magnolia Purewater and Polo candies.

In addition, you can also get to see your favorite Petron Tri-Activ Spikers volleyball

players and other Petron celebrity endorsers when they show their support for the Best Day promo. The Petron Tri-Activ Spikers were at the Petron station along Shaw Boulevard in Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City on April 22, and then at the Petron station on Connecticut St along EDSA in Greenhills, San Juan on April 29. In May, Luis Manzano and Gretchen Ho are expected to visit Petron service stations to help give customers their Best Day experience.

Mazda’s top selling variants, the CX-5 and the Mazda 6 Executive Sedan were presented to the media equipped with Mazda’s latest SKYACTIV-D diesel engine technology.

The 2.2-Liter two-stage turbocharged motor that produces 173 horsepower and 420 Newton-meter of torque.More remarkable is lowest in the world diesel engine compression 14:1, the SKYACTIV-D is Mazda’s answer to the quest for lower emission, high combustion efficiency, more power and torque and superior fuel economy.

“The Mazda Skyactiv-D diesel engine is amongst the most advanced in the world, and with the availability of low-sulfur Euro4 Diesel fuel, we are proud to be able to introduce the engine into not one, but two of the critically acclaimed and awardwinning Mazda6 executive sedan and the CX-5 compact crossover,” says Berjaya Auto Philippines president Steven Tan. “SKYACTIV-D is the cleanest and most fuel efficient diesel engine available in the market and our customers deserve the best that Mazda can deliver.”

A select group of motoring writers got to experience the feel of driving Mazda’s Skyactiv-Diesel technology by way of a 114 kilometer ride and drive to the resort town of Mabini, Batangas, a popular destination for snorkeling and diving enthusiasts.

After a brief product overview by Chiaki Santo of Powertrain Planning Development from Mazda Motor Corporation of Japan, the convoy of Mazda 6 and CX-5 Skyactiv diesels started the journey from the Mazda Makati showroom.

The drive along SLEX and the Star Tollway allowed the lead-footed journalists to have a feel of the smooth power and torque of the SKYACTIV-D engines to the hilt.

With traffic slowing down as the drive reached Bauan, Batangas, both the Mazda6 and CX-5 diesels relied on the highly effective i-STOP ignition start and stop system to reach commendable fuel economy figures despite the distance travelled.

The second day drive to Tagaytay from Anilao took the Lemery route on the way up. The 68-kilometer drive was characterized by a smooth ascent up the Tagaytay ridge via mildly winding roads for the journalists to experience the much praised handling prowess of the two latest diesel-engine variants. After a brief lunch, it was back to Mazda Makati to cap the two-day 246-km drive.

The all-new Mazda 6 and CX-5 diesel are both available at the Mazda showrooms located across the country at P1,985,000.00for the Mazda6 SKYACTVI-D and P1,985,000.00 for the CX-5 SKYACTIV-D. Mazda aims at a larger share of the executive sedan and compact SUV market which not only value practicality and fuel efficiency but also put a premium on a driving experience that is unlike any other.

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B8 Tollways brace for pre-election traffic THE Manila North Tollways Corporation, concessionaire of the North Luzon Expressway and Subic-ClarkTarlac Expressway, assures that traffic and toll collection management plans are in place for the anticipated surge in traffic from May 6 to 10, as people are expected to go to the provinces for the election long weekend.

“It’s all systems go for the rise in traffic volume this long weekend.

Our team has always been prepared to assist our motorists and ensure smooth traffic flow,” said MNTC president Rod Franco.

From Friday afternoon of May 6 to Tuesday morning of May 10, NLEX-SCTEX Traffic Operations will be on heightened alert. Additional patrol vehicles and traffic personnel will be deployed at NLEX Balintawak, Mindanao, and Bocaue barriers and SCTEX Tarlac and Tipo toll plazas to manage the volume of vehicles and immediately respond to distressed motorists.

Patrol visibility will be increased specifically at the NLEX road widening area from Sta. Rita to San Fernando. One tow truck each will be dedicated to the road widening areas in Sta.Rita-Pulilan and San Simon-San Fernando for faster clearing of possible traffic incidents.

Mainline road works will likewise be suspended during this period unless safety repair is required. All equipment being used by contractors will not be allowed to park at the median openings and emergency lanes. Road works will resume on Wednesday, May 11.

Starting early Saturday morning of May 7, the Balintawak Toll Plaza will open 24 toll collection points instead of the usual 16, and the Mindanao Toll Plaza will also increase its toll collection points to 10 from 6. Toll collection points in Tarlac and Tipo toll plazas will be doubled during this period.

By Sunday afternoon, the Bocaue Toll Barrier will open 40 toll collection points to accommodate motorists returning to Metro Manila. The set-up will be the same on the late afternoon of Monday until midnight.

Portabooths and portable toll collection gadgets will be used to speed up transactions in the said toll plazas.

To prevent sudden lane changing of motorists going to and coming from fuel stations, traffic cones will be placed at the deceleration and acceleration lanes of all toll service facilities. Median openings near the viaduct will be pre-opened with traffic cones stored in the area to be ready for counter flow in case of traffic buildup at the viaduct area.

Traffic advisories will be relayed to motorists through variable message signs and regular updates on social media. Additional traffic informatory signs will be installed in strategic locations to further guide motorists.

Towing and emergency medical services will also be augmented to provide quick motorist assistance.

“We are hoping that with all these preparations, we will be able to provide our motorists a faster and safer travel experience at NLEX-SCTEX,” Franco said.

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING

A decades-old church is the perfect backdrop for the modern Kia Sorento and Sportage GT.

Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

AUTOMOTIVE manufacturers are doing a great job in promoting local tourism here in our country. Their ride and drive events take us to scenic and postcard perfect destinations while subjecting their cars to a torture test.

Recently, I got to explore and enjoy the natural beauty and the rich heritage of Negros by way of a cross-country drive event organized by Columbian Autocar Corporation, the exclusive distributors of the Kia brand in the Philippines.

Our three-day journey to the awesome island of Negros started upon our arrival at the SilayBacolod Airport, where spanking new variants of the Kia Soul, Forte, Sorento, Sportage AWD and the GT-Line, plus the cavernous Grand Carnival awaited us at the parking lot.First stop of the day was Kia’s Bacolod dealership,

EXPLORING NEGROS, THE KIA WAY

where our gracious host prepared some authentic Chicken Inasal to tickle our palate.

During breakfast, a team of racing veterans led by Pepon Marave and George Apacible explained to us the itinerary for the day. As soon as I saw the feast that was laid before us, I knew that we were in for a long day as Marave described the driver changes and strategic stops along the 250km route to Dumaguete. As part of the team of “elders” which including myself, Aris Ilagan of the Bulletin and Ira Panganiban of Wheels Magazine, the organizers deemed fit that we enjoy the

The road to Dumaguete provided the venue for testing the vehicles

comfortable Sportage GT Line.

The Sportage GT Line is a high-end version and judging by the looks alone, we were in for some fun. For starters, the front end is a vast improvement from the garden variety Sportage. Peter Schreyer has done a great job with this one, it’s got a tidy and well sculpted exterior; plus the quad LED lights at the front bumper greatly compliments the massive mesh type grille and swept back head lamps. The rear end of the Sportage tells you of Schreyer’s Audi roots and the car looks and feels European.

The 2.0 liter CRDi engine offers descent performance, and the longer wheelbase compared to the previous generation makes this Sportage roomier. The ride of the GT line is a bit on the firm side due to its massive wheels, but overall, it provided a comfortable ride as we encountered various road repairs enroute to Dumaguete. We were so enamored by the Sportage that we skipped the planned car changes and drove the SUV all the way to Dumaguate, known as the City of the Gentle People.

We arrived at the hotel just

in time for dinner at the Casablanca, where a sausage platter plus other delectable meats were spread out to our group of tired and hungry pen pushers.

Day Two was spent hitting the scenic island of Sumilon where we enjoyed the 24-hectare coral island and the shifting sand bar.

The clear blue waters and white sands were just too much to ignore that I had to dive into the water and enjoy the splashing of the waves by the beach head. After a sumptuous lunch of seafood and pasta, we took the opportunity to do some snorkeling and scuba diving activities.

Day three was spent high-tailing it back to Bacolod to catch the late afternoon flight back to Manila. For this journey, our group of elders got behind the wheel of the funky Kia Soul. Equipped with a 1600cc CRDi engine matted to a seven-speed dual clutch automatic drivetrain, the journey was pleasurable and the engine had enough grunt for passing maneuvers. The second leg of the journey saw us swapping cars for the luxurious Grand Carnival as our last ride back to civilization.

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C1

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

ST Y L E & BE AU T Y

LIFE

The Brazilian-born model, actress, and designer Alessandra Ambrosia and her seven-year-old daughter Anja are the faces of Michael Kors' Mother’s Day 2016 campaign

m

LIkE MOThER, LIkE DAughTER

other’s Day is just a couple of days away, and brands are gearing up for this gifting occasion.

Every year, Michael Kors ups the ante and releases engaging and interactive campaigns that entice consumers to keep the brand foremost in mind when buying for mom. This year, Michael Kors tapped one of the world’s sexiest women and real life mom, Brazilian model and actress Alessandra Ambrosio, to be the face of its Mother’s Day campaign.

Together with Alessandra’s real life daughter, sevenyear-old Anja, the mother-daughter tandem lit up the lens of renowned photographer Pamela Hanson for a series of black and white photographs. The campaign extends to video and Instagram Boomerangs showing images of the fashionable tandem in fun and warm moments of mother-daughter bonding accompanied by shareable phrases about motherhood.

The campaign features carefully curated items from Michael Kors that make for perfect gifts for mothers on their special day. Get luxurious matching handbags in two sizes for that mother and daughter twinsies look. If you’re looking for a fresh season buy for a fashionable mom, get the latest MK fragrance, bags and accessories that will sure put a smile on any mother’s face.

To keep her smiling, clip a printed version of Alessandra Ambrosio and her kid from the MK campaign and put a note, “Mom, we may not look like supermodels, but to me our life together is always this picture perfect,” and end with a wink emoticon.

In the Philippines, Michael Kors is located at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street Central, Greenbelt 5, Newport Mall, Power Plant Mall, Rustan’s Makati and Shangri-La Plaza Mall. Follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.

Bridgette Saffiano Leather Crossbody, small and medium

Jargon Gold-Tone and Acetate Watch

The MK Mother's Day campaign photographed by Pamela Hanson

Michael Kors Signature Eau De Parfum

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.

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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COACH mOTHER’S DAY GIFT GuIDE

M

om and her bag can sometimes be inseparable. Some of us might even have recollections of our mother carrying her purse or bag anywhere she goes, even when just in the house. So dear hubby or child, when choosing a gift for mommy on her special day, look for something that will definitely make her smile.

New York design house Coach has curated a special selection for Mother’s Day that will make any mom (even non-moms for that matter) go gaga over the bags and accessories.

Worn by Hollywood celebrity moms, a highlight from the collection is the Swagger bag, one of the best-selling bags from Coach. This time, the brand is launching the all new Soft Swagger, a softer take on the original and more lighweight and relaxed in construction whose style exudes Downtown New York City, perfect for fashionable moms on the go. The bag features a multi-functional strap that

can be used as a crossbody bag or an over-theshoulder bag, ‘cuz for moms with a young kid, anything that gives her hands more freedom is a shoo-in in her arsenal. For young mothers, or those wanting to be young again, the colors from the new collection will sure make anyone feel vibrant.

Choose from metallic hues or colorful interludes like the bright canary yellow bag.

Wallets make for a good gift as well. Coach lined up soft wallets and accordion zips with florals in leather designs in different colors to choose from.

To see more of the newest women’s collection from Coach, shop at Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza store and pick out the perfect gift this Mother’s Day.

Swagger Wristlet in Colorblock Leather

In the Philippines, Coach is located at Rustan’s Shangri-La. Follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.

Accordion Zip Wallet in Floral Print Coated Canvas (Plum Field Flora)

Slim Wallet in Pebble Leather (Petal)

Soft Wallet in Floral Print in Coated Canvas (Field Floral)

Swagger 27 Carryall in Colorblock Leather (Cornflower)

18K Gold and Silver Kick Cuff with Black Onyx; 18K Gold and Silver Small Kick Cuff with Rock Crystal with Inclusion; 18K Gold and Silver Kick Cuff

18K Gold Diamond Pavé (0.11ct) Slim Chain Bracelet and 18K Gold Diamond Pavé (0.15ct) Small Chain Bracelet

18K Gold and Silver Carved Chain French Wire Earrings with Black Onyx

The Dot Collection

by John Hardy Jewelry is another option for gifting this Mother’s Day. For people with deeper pockets and money to spare, a piece of jewelry can be a gift option for mom as it will definitely make her eyes sparkle when she opens the box.

Jewelry buying can be a tough decision to make especially if intended for someone special, as more than just its aesthetic or monetary value, you may need to choose a piece with meaning attached to it. For Mother’s Day, John Hardy’s iconic Dot Collection has items that any mom may love to own. The collection is designed with no beginning and no end, symbolic of boundless love and infinite possibilities.

For stylish career moms who are always polished as they dash off from one meeting to another, the timeless gold bracelets from the Dot motif is a perfect jewelry for her as it can seamlessly transcend from workweek to weekend accessory.

We all know that being a mother can be a stressful job, coupled with more responsibilities of being a wife and a

career woman. John Hardy’s jewelries with powerful healing stones may be the perfect gift for her. Not only do they look good, they also promote harmony between the physical and spiritual self.

Check designs with Rock Crystal, also known as the “Light Master,” with the stone believed to amplify and restore energy to promote focus and clarity.

Jewelries with Onyx, touted as a stone that is a “Dark Healer,” protects from negative energy transforming, darkness to happiness and prosperity. Part of the season’s latest style is the bold bangles accented with Onyx and Rock Crystal.

The symbol of the design evokes the fundamentals of motherhood – life, love, strength and protection.

Every John Hardy piece is intricately crafted by hand; each little dot is hand soldered onto heated metal – a testament to the enduring love of the brand’s dedicated artisans. It is the perfect jewelry for the special woman in our lives.

John Hardy is exclusively available at the Rustan’s Silver Vault located in Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La and Cebu.

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IT’S TImE TO GIVE BACK WITH KIEHL’S

K

iehl’s is well known all over the world as a company committed to giving back. It is recognized not only for taking care of one’s skin but also for supporting multiple charitable initiatives. “Kiehl’s Gives” is the global platform that the company uses to push forth its key altruistic endeavors: The fight against HIV/AIDS, children’s causes and the environment.

Hollywood celebrities Brad Pitt, Alicia Keys, Julianne Moore and Pharrell Williams are among the many personalities collaborating with Kiehl’s to spread awareness on the causes supported by the company and help raise funds to develop the programs that benefits charitable organizations around the world.

Isabelle Daza's package design for Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream limited edition

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream limited edition

In the Philippines, the company encourages the millennial generation to share the same advocacy of giving back with the message to “start it right – and to start it right now.” Kiehl’s tapped celebrity Isabelle Daza and restaurateur, travel and food blogger Erwan Heussaff to be the ambassadors for the campaign. The two influencers share the same vision with the brand via the Start It Right with Kiehl’s campaign featuring a limited edition design for the best-selling Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream featuring the brand ambassadors’ very own artworks, which will be launched by June.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream literally sells four bottles per minute globally, and that makes the product the perfect platform for the campaign.

Kiehl’s will donate 100 percent of the net earnings from each product sold to the Payatas Orione Foundation. This chosen organization feeds over 600 malnourished children annually and with the help of Kiehl’s, these kids will be able to grow physically and mentally to get them ready to receive proper education that hopefully, will help them release their families from the bondage of poverty.

The limited edition facial cream will be available in stores from June until July. To know more about the campaign, follow the hashtag #StartItRightwithKiehls or visit www.startitrightwithkiehls.com.

Erwan Heussaff and his Kiehl's package design

The healing power of Vaseline Summer is the highlight of the year for some people – school break, beach, outing, and whatnots. But living in a tropical country like the Philippines, the heat is especially unbearable at this time of the year. It can be bothersome since the skin is more exposed to the sun, causing dehydration and moisture loss.

To fight against the harmful effects of the sun, Vaseline formulated new body lotions infused with a wonder ingredient that will help bring back moisture to all Filipinas. Ever used petroleum jelly for your chapping lips or sunburn? Today, petroleum jelly is now present in the New Vaseline body lotions.

Petroleum jelly was created by chemist Robert Chesbrough in 1859.

The product became a household name

Vaseline's billboard along C5 last April 8 to 10

and people dubbed it as the “wonder jelly” because of the many things it can do, like help with rashes, bruises, burns and more.

To prove the product’s effectiveness, Vaseline put up a billboard along C5 last April 8 to 10 using real leaves as part of the experiment. Divided into two sections, the leaves in one section were covered in petroleum jelly while the leaves in the other one had none. Within three days, the leaves showed significant difference as the ones with petroleum jelly still had color and kept their moisture, while the others were dull and lacked luster.

These new Vaseline body lotions help keep the Filipina skin moisturized and protected all throughout the heat of summer. The micro-droplets that go

within the epidermis help bring back moisture and aid in healing the skin from damages caused by heat and pollution.

You can check the condition of your skin by going to www.vaseline.ph/skin-index-test.

If you’re interested to see the live billboard, visit bit.ly/vaselineleafbillboard.

Vaseline petroleum jelly

New Vaseline body lotions–Healthy White and Intensive Care

After three days exposure in the sun, the leaves showed significant difference as the ones with petroleum jelly still had color and kept their moisture

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Rustan’s Colors and Petals apparel collection

Rustan’s vibRant coloRs of summeR

m

ore than any other season, it is summer that conjures colorful images that evoke energy and vibrancy. Rustan’s has seen fit to celebrate with an exciting launch of fashion must-haves through a color-filled, floral fairytale that will make everyone savor the joys of summer all over again.

Dubbed as Rustan’s Colors and Petals, the event held at the Loft at Manansala transported guests to an uber-chic gourmet food and flower market-themed sunset party made more enjoyable by scrumptious treats, cool and fresh beats, plus overflowing drinks and champagne.

Inspiration suffused the place, with the soft and vivid colors of summer brought indoors through the lovely, summer-inspired home décor accents from Lalique, Lladro and Franz, plus a wide selection of dinnerware in romantic floral prints and solid tones from Lenox, Rosenthal and Portmeiron. To complement the fun summer vibe of the

Rustan’s Colors and Petals home decor accent

campaign, pieces from Kate Spade, Casa Alegre and Bugatti easily made a refreshing statement as their vibrant hues stood out.

A main highlight of the evening was a fashion presentation that encouraged guests to kick-off their summer with stylish ensembles from Rustan’s. Setting the mood for staples on stylish summer gatherings were Rustan’s trendy picks in soft and creamy pastel colors. One can even bring the quintessential country garden feel everywhere with nature-inspired pieces like embellished caftans and silk dresses from Josie Natori’s latest collection. Vibrant shades and breezy fabrics from Pedro Del Hierro, Adolfo Dominguez and Marina Rinaldi personified elegance.

To complete the look, all that is needed is a set of jewelry with a fabulous flash of aqua blues and rejuvenating pops of verdant greens from Carolee. For a touch of elegance go for a pair of Akoya pearl earrings in white and rose gold from Majorica. Longchamp, Loewe, Fendi and Rebecca Minkoff offer contemporary eye-catching bags perfect for the season.

Renowned fashion houses like Christian Louboutin, and Sergio Rossi are also celebrating the season of colors with shoes that will add flair to any outfit.

For the men, classic pieces in lightwashed tones from Pedro Del Hierro and Adolfo Dominguez are perfect for weekend getaways. New summer styles with subtle contemporary twists are also evident in Faconnable, Ascott Chang and Thomas Pink. Timepieces from Tsovet and Miansai accessories complement the resort wear look for men.

Spotted among the stylish guests were Teresa Herrera, Kelly Misa, Victor Basa, Ruffa Gutierrez, Tricia Gosingtian, Tweetie and Sabina Gonzalez, Mari Jasmine and Tim Yap, among others. New York-based photographer JC Cerilla had a grand time taking snapshots of the guests in their OOTDs by the iconic flower wall. Everyone was encouraged to post their photos online using the hashtag #RustansColorsandPetals and #RustansSunsetParty to join the raffle and get a chance to win P25,000 worth of Gift Certificates from Nobu Restaurant.

Rustan’s is certainly pulling out all stops to make summer even more fun and exciting with a special promo for

shoppers. A single receipt worth P15,000 entitles a shopper to a free S’well 9-oz bottle available in three colors exclusive to Rustan’s (Bikini Pink, Blue Suede and Birds of Paradise).

To know more about the latest collections available in the stores, you may visit Rustan’s in Makati, Shangri-la, Gateway, Alabang and Cebu. You may also visit rustansph on Facebook for more details.

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PInOys cElEbRaTE WORlD asThma Day

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ast Tuesday, April 3, was World Asthma Day, an annual event organized by the “Global Initiative for Asthma” (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world, GSK Philippines unveiled its “ASTHMAlaya Ka Ba Talaga? campaign, a disease awareness initiative that also seeks to encourage asthma patients to be more proactive in consulting their doctors on how they can achieve asthma control.

So how do you know if you need asthma control? It’s easy, if you are an asthma patient who experiences daytime asthma symptoms (coughing or wheezing) more than twice a week, wakes up at night due to asthma, uses an asthma reliever more than twice a week or have any activity limitations due to asthma, you may have uncontrolled asthma and need to immediately consult your doctor.

The celebration was participated in by advocates from Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) and the Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Inc. (PSAAI) with the advocacy of furthering awareness and urgency among patients to consult their doctors for proper asthma control.

As Dr. Melvin Pasay, a pulmonologist and Medical Affairs Manager of GSK, profoundly puts it, “Our message is clear; “You don’t have to serve a life sentence of limitations because of Asthma, be in control and be ASTHMALAYA. According to the Global Asthma Report, an estimated 300 million people worldwide are affected by asthma. In the Philippines, approximately 11 million or 1 out 10 Filipinos are suffering from this debilitating disease. This incurable disease burdens patients with a sense of imprisonment and constant restraint preventing them to live their lives to the fullest.

What is asthma?

“Asthma is a recurring inflammatory disorder in the airways of breathing, which undergoes variable expiratory flow and reversible bronchoconstrictions. In people with asthma, the airways are chronically inflamed. Certain triggers can make the inflammation worse and cause a narrowing of the airways”, shares Dr. Pasay.

Common symptoms include constant wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing often late at night or early in the morning. Asthma can be triggered by dust, changes in weather (often cold), animals (pet hair in particular), exercise, tobacco smoke and stress.

The cause of asthma is unknown. However as shared by Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Inc. (PSAAI) President, Dr. Carmela Kasala, several predisposing factors to consider include genetic history (personal history or first degree relative) with asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema; weight and smoking history. “While there is also no known cure for asthma, this serious chronic disease can be controlled and effectively treated. By establishing a strong partnership between a patient and his doctor, results showed that asthma can be controlled” shares Dr. Kasala.

World Asthma Day Event with doctors Carmela Kasala, Sylvia yang, Jennifer Ann Wi, Vincent Balanag and melvin Pasay

burden of having asthma

In the Asia Pacific, including the Philippines, a study showed that activity limitation caused by asthma has been quite prevalent.

“A lot of asthma patients have resigned and became ‘prisoners’ to their condition. Many seem to have created imaginary cages and locking themselves up with lifestyle restrictions. They are assuming that frequent symptoms, exacerbations and lifestyle limitations are inevitable consequences of

ASTHmAlaya campaign is a disease awareness initiative that seeks to empower asthma patients achieve asthma control

having asthma - unaware that their condition can be controlled,” observes Dr. Pasay.

asthma control awareness

What is alarming is that 98 percent of Filipino asthma patients remain uncontrolled or only partly controlled.

“This means that asthma patients will only use medication

when they have attacks believing that as long as there are no attacks they will be okay. As such, they believe that it is enough that they have available medicines to be taken on an as-needed basis,” shares Dr. Sylvia Yang, World Asthma Day committee chairman of Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP).

Regular visits and consultations

with doctors likewise became less as children grew up and had lesser asthma attacks. Most are relying on peers, family and even online resources to provide limited information and possibly, sub-optimal treatment for their condition.

This makes patients underestimate their condition leading to poor asthma control.

Cost of treatment is also a main consideration for compliance, but the truth is uncontrolled asthma can lead to higher odds of hospitalization and emergency room visits and become more expensive due to direct medical cost like hospitalization or medications and indirect cost like time lost from work, overall productivity or even premature death.

For more updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/winagainstasthma/, or for more in-depth information, you can check out GSK’s website. https:// health.gsk.ph

JK Labajo livens up ‘Isang Number Para sa Pinas’ concert stage

by JaO GavInO

“The Voice Kids” alumnus JK Labajo

The summer afternoon temperatures soared and dipped as Sarah Geronimo, Elmo Magalona, and JK Labajo treated a large crowd to sizzling song and dance numbers last week, as part of Jollibee’s Isang Number Para sa Pinas mall show, held at the SM Mall Of Asia’s Concert Hall, celebrating the launch of the fast-food chain’s unified number for a nationwide audience, #8-7000.

The event, hosted by sportscaster Rizza Diaz, kicked off with a performance from JK Labajo, of The Voice Kids fame, cooling down the sweltering summer afternoon with soothing renditions of his songs “This Gravity” and “Summer Time Love,” in addition to a contest where one lucky fan got the opportunity to be serenaded by JK live on-stage.

Temperatures slowly rose, however, when Elmo Magalona appeared on-stage, singing songs like Chris Brown’s “Five More Hours,” and Justin Bieber’s “Been You.” Eventually, Sarah Geronimo, accompanied by G-Force, made the seaside breeze sizzle, treating her audience to a song-and-dance number to the tune of her singles “Perfectly Imperfect” and “Tala.”

Topping the festivities off, the three performed the #8-7000 jingle together.

We also had the opportunity to hold a very brief interview with JK Labajo, about his experiences as a Jollibee brand ambassador, as well as his transformation from a contestant in The Voice Kids to a full-time musician-con-entertainer. Here is the excerpt from the interview:

JK Labajo, Sarah Geronimo and Elmo magalona kick off Jollibee mall show

How has the journey been from The Voice Kids up to where you are now, especially with your new album?

It’s been a roller-coaster ride, actually. I’ve experienced a lot of new stuff; it’s my first time to be in this type of event. I feel blessed, privileged to be here.

How does being a Jollibee brand ambassador feel?

I feel fantastic! I feel happy, honored that, out of all the aspiring artists out there, I was chosen to work with Kuya Elmo, and especially [The Voice Kids] Coach Sarah.

What’s currently occupying your time as a musician?

I’m still focusing on my first album, “JK” … still promoting it along with some singles, such as “Summer Time Love,” which we recently did a music video for… Of course, a second album is in the works. When it comes… bahala na. *laughs*” Coming from The Voice Kids, do you have any advice for aspiring young artists out there?

Well, just humble yourself, be yourself, and be you. Just stay true to your career, and don’t forget what you set out to do.

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are talking about

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are not talking about

Aljur Abrenica Andi Eigenmann

The actor admitted that he auditioned to be part of the much-anticipated incarnation of Encantadia.

While he was not considered to play the role that Digdong Dantes played in the original version, Aljur asserted that he didn’t regret he tried because he gave his best. He didn’t feel upset that the part has been given to Ruru Madrid instead because he believes everyone should have his own time to shine. Does it mean his best wasn’t good enough and his time to shine has long been over?

The actress shows off her pinup worthy curves as she strips down to next-to-nothing for the cover of a popular men’s magazine. The not-so-busy Andi says she feels like she’s at the point in her career where she can show what she can do without so many restrictions. Regardless of what she says, a lot of men definitely love what they are seeing.

And they fervently hope she does more projects like this.

sharon cuneta Julie Anne san Jose She will go down in history as one of the few music stars whose album received diamond record award from PARI, but despite her successful music and television career, the Kapuso artist has never been content to be just a showbiz star. She tried to complete college and succeeded. Julie Anne majored in mass communications at Angelicum College.

willie Revillame

Judy Ann and Ryan Agoncillo

Wowowin is going off the air so the host can think of new segments (read gimmicks) to make the show even better. But the truth is, Willie is facing a bigger challenge, if he and his pool of lawyers are really taking the child abuse case against the host seriously. His lawyers are ready for a full-blown trial and said that justice will prevail. Of course, it must and it should because we all know who the real victim was.

Sometimes, people harbor a fantasy that never becomes a reality, but for this couple, their dream came true when they renewed their wedding vows in the presence of close friends and relatives. Indeed, Judy Ann and Ryan are nothing but a picture of happy, content couple with a growing family, too – a very rare picture in the world of showbiz!

cROsswORD puzzlE

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe

ACROSS 1 Mirage site 7 Top NCO 10 Ride the rapids 14 Has one’s say 15 Luau fare 16 European capital 17 Musical gourd 18 Adjective for Cassius 19 Mouse target?

20 Twining plant

(2 wds.)

23 Gracie or Fred 26 USN officer 27 Rudner and Moreno 28 Go yachting 29 Part of GPA 30 Fasten temporarily 31 “Lettuce pray,” e.g.

32 Santa — winds 33 Ice floe dweller 37 Umbrage

People were given a glimpse on how she is as a judge when she became part of Your Face Sounds Familiar. Hence, the feedback on her sitting as one of the coaches in the new season of The Voice Kids was unfavorable. While we cannot discount her impressive music catalog and her ability to mentor new music superstars, Ate Shawie must undergo comprehensive preparation on how to be a logical and presentable judge. A side course on how to stop laughing excessively on things not funny is also required.

38 Buy at auction 39 Put 2 and 2 together 40 Good buddy 41 Double-deck game 43 Fem. honorific 44 Friction easer 45 Big extinct bird 46 PFC mail drop 47 Like cheetahs 48 Subsequently 51 Mao — -tung 52 Ten percent 53 Colorful catch? (2 wds.)

56 Sheepskin holder 57 Petite, plus 58 Rite sites 62 Horrible boss 63 Always, to Poe 64 Bends 65 Warty critter 66 Ave. crossers 67 Untroubled DOWN 1 Abbot 2 Emissions watchdog 3 Polite address 4 Tooth coating 5 Enemy survey 6 Industrial giant 7 LeCarre’s subject 8 Hired thugs 9 Metallic sound

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016

10 11 12 13 21 22 23 24 25 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 42 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 54 55 59 60 61

Muddying up Wide cravat Fauna and — Broadway awards “Bonanza” setting Reduces to powder Tomato jelly Classic Tierney role Of flax Playwright — Loos Explorer Cabral Soak up Mollycoddle Kapitan’s command (hyph.)

Kind of stew Nick of films Improved Late bloomers In better shape Legalese Partner of Wells Jeweled ornament Bird call Gauzy fabric Has bills Bumblers Logging tool Cartoon Chihuahua NNW opposite

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ABS-CBN DomINAtES NAtIoNAl tV RAtINgS IN ApRIl

he Philippines’ leading media and entertainment company starts the second quarter of 2016 strong as it maintained its nationwide TV ratings leadership with an average audience share of 44 percent from combined urban and rural homes versus GMA 7’s 34 percent to remain the most watched TV network in the nation even as its online viewership continues to thrive via its iWant TV platform.

Once again, ABS-CBN is able to reach and draw millions of viewers in multiple screens – on television via its free TV station, and online via its video streaming website iWant TV (www.iwantv. com.ph), where people can watch ABS-CBN programs using their gadgets, laptops, or smartphones wherever they are and whenever they want to.

Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes that represent 100 percent of the total Philippine TV viewing population, while the other ratings data supplier, AGB Nielsen, reportedly has only 2,000 homes based solely in urban areas that represent only 57 percent of the Philippine TV viewing population.

ABS-CBN remains in a league of its own on the primetime block

with a commanding 50 percent average audience share that is 19 percentage points higher than rival GMA’s 31 percent average audience share on the same time block. The primetime block is the most important part of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investment in to reach more consumers effectively.

Still topping the list of most watched primetime programs during the previous month is FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano with an average national TV rating of 41.6 percent, followed by Dolce Amore with 33.4 percent. The 1-2 punch of the Kapamilya network is joined in the Top 10 most viewed programs in April 2016 by Pilipinas Got Talent (30.7 percent), Maalaala Mo Kaya (29.4 percent), Wansapanataym (29.1 percent), TV Patrol (27.5 percent), Home Sweetie Home (23.5 percent), and Rated K (21.5 percent).

The last leg of the Pili Pinas Debates 2016, PiliPinas 2016 Debates: Presidential Town Hall Debate registered a whopping 40.6 percent rating, the highest rating among all COMELEC TV debates, and even did better than the Pacquiao-Bradley III showdown (32.4 percent) in terms of TV ratings.

ABS-CBN’s vice presidential debate Harapan ng Bise also performed admirably, netting 21.4 percent, good enough for a spot between the 8th and 9th-ranked programs for the month. The telecast of ABS-CBN Sports’ boxing special The Time Has Come: Donaire vs Bedak also got 20.1 percent rating despite being aired the day after the fight.

Meanwhile, Be My Lady (18.5 percent) is still the most-watched daytime program while It’s Showtime (18 percent) continues to pound Eat Bulaga (13.9 percent) in the ratings war on the noontime slot. The Kapamilya Network also ruled the afternoon block with a 43 percent nationwide rating compared to GMA’s 36 percent, thanks to the strong ratings of Doble Kara (17.5 percent) and Tubig at Langis (15.4 percent).

ABS-CBN also dominated in other territories, like in Balance Luzon (places in Luzon outside of Metro Manila) where it struck a national average audience share of 45 percent against GMA’s 36 percent; Visayas where it scored 54 percent against rival network’s 26 percent; and in Mindanao where it garnered 54 percent versus Kapuso’s 28 percent.

On the other hand, ABS-CBN’s

“Dolce Amore” leads stars Enrique gil, liza Soberano and matteo guidicelli

live streaming channel on www. iwantv.com.ph got 3.87 million page views, an indication that many Filipinos are already viewing ABS-CBN shows online as they are aired on television. ABSCBN continues to lead the way in addressing this change in Filipinos’ viewing habit by boosting the offerings of the iWant TV platform, the network’s pioneering video-on-demand website that allows people to watch content online at their convenience.

ABS-CBN continues to lead the way in addressing this change in Filipinos’ viewing habit by boosting the offerings of iWant TV, which features programs from different ABS-CBN channels and platforms.

Primetime favorites Dolce Amore (5 million page views) and

FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (4.15 million page views), and daytime leader Be My Lady (1.59 million views) were among the most watched shows online.

ABS-CBN Corporation, which began as a broadcasting network, has evolved through the years to become the leading media and entertainment company in the land. It has gone beyond radio and television to also become the leader in the local music, film, cable TV, and publishing industries. Also the pioneer in digital television in the country, ABS-CBN has ventured to other businesses including telecommunication services, money remittance, cargo forwarding, TV shopping services, theme park development, among others.

Andrea Brillantes is may’s Halalan 2016 app powered by ABS-CBN myX celebrity VJ One of the industry’s most talented young actresses will be on the country’s no.1 music channel this May. The pretty Andrea Brillantes is this month’s MYX Celebrity VJ. The teen actress clearly loves music just as much as she loves acting. Proof is her amusing Musical.ly videos that have been trending and making rounds on the Internet.

Musical.ly is a mobile app where you can create music videos using your favorite songs. Andrea seems to be enjoying this app as she loves performing rap songs.

That is why for the month of

May, the former “Annaliza” star will be trying her hand as MYX Celebrity VJ adding nonstop fun in dishing out the top hits and best music videos for the month.

Join MYX Celebrity VJ Andrea as she hosts Pop MYX until tomorrow, Mellow MYX from May 8-14, Pinoy MYX from May 15-21, and My MYX from May 22-28.

MYX, the no.1 music channel, is on Skycable channel 23.

For updates, log on to www. myxph.com, follow MYX on Instagram (@myxph) and Twitter (@myxphilippines).

teen star Andrea Brillantes

Search is on for 2016 mr. and miss Chinatown

Mr. and Miss Chinatown Philippines continues to strengthen Filipino and Chinese relations and promote a developed sense of belonging among different cultures in the country. This year, the search is on for the twelve young men and women who will compete in representing the excellence of the Chinese Filipino youth in leadership, the arts, entrepreneurship, and academics.

Mr. and Miss Chinatown 2016

is looking for well-rounded young men and women who can promote unity and oneness among the Chinese-Filipino community as well as represent beauty in diversity through the union of two cultures. It is open to single men and women with ages 18-25 years old, can speak Mandarin or Fookien, has a pleasing personality, with good moral character, and represents the modern Chinese Filipino youth.

Interested individuals can send their applications with a close up and full body photo to misschinatownph@gmail.com.

The application form is available for download at www.misschinatownfoundation.com and the deadline of submission is on May 15, 2016.

The grand coronation will take place at Resorts World Manila on July 31 and will be aired exclusively on GMA Network.

Filipinos can turn to the COMELEC Halalan App - a project of ABS-CBN and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) - to check their status as voters, locate their precincts, check national candidates’ profiles, decide on their final bets through a ballot cheat sheet, get updated on election-related news, and directly report election violations to the COMELEC. Here is a quick tour of the COMELEC Halalan 2016 app for new users: The News section provides users the latest election-related news from ABS-CBN News, which operates in different media platforms. With the COMELEC Halalan 2016 app, voters are kept informed on the election issues using their smartphones and gadgets. The Candidates page, meanwhile, gives users basic information on the candidates for president, vice president, senator, and even a list of all party-list groups participating in the national elections on May 9.

For those who are looking for their voting precinct, the My Status section will be able to help them as it presents the complete registration data of the voter with the user just providing basic information such as First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, and birthday. The Results page shows the status of electionrelated reports or complaints sent

by the user through BMPM, which is also integrated in the app. Finally, there is the Halalan 101 section that features infographics, quotes, and facts about the elections developed

by ABS-CBN News Digital.

Arlene Burgos, ABS-CBN News Digital Head for Social Media and Mobile, said the new COMELEC Halalan 2016 App is a big improvement from its earlier versions, and gives voters a unique experience that no other election app can provide.

“We listened to the people and worked hand-in-hand with the COMELEC to come up with an app that can really be useful to voters. This app empowers the Comelec to act on these submissions, and enhances ABSCBN News’ efforts to educate the voting public,” Burgos said.

The COMELEC Halalan 2016 app is available on App Store and Google Play and can be downloaded for free. It is a part of ABS-CBN’s “Ipanalo ang Pamilyang Pilipino” Halalan 2016 campaign that encourages the public to support their chosen.

The ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs’ extensive and comprehensive reportage of this election season is set to go full blast on May 9 with a cross platform marathon news coverage of the national polls, which starts early morning.

f riday : m ay 6, 2016

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iSaH V. rEd EDITOR NiCKiE WaNG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

in “my Candidate,” iza is Vera Chavez, Sonny’s (derek ramsay) erstwhile girlfriend and arch rival in his senatorial bid

in the movie, derek ramsay plays a politician running for senator, while Shaina magdayao plays his communications coach

‘My CanDIDaTE’ Is yOuR pOsT-ElECTIOns aMusEMEnT ISAH V. RED

W

hen the results of the May 9 elections disappoint you or even elate you, you’ve found yourself a reason for diversion. Watch a movie to forget that your candidates lost or celebrate the victory of your choices.

Here’s my suggerstion. Check out My Candidate in theaters on Wednesday, two days after you had cast your vote. The film is about politics and the madness it wreaks upon the people involved in it.

Showbiz hunk Derek Ramsay, pretty Iza Calzado and provocative Shaina Magdayao star in a different tale of love and romance.

Quantum Films, MJM Productions, Tuko Film Productions and Butchi Boy Films, the same producers of the award-winning and critically-acclaimed romantic-comedy films, English Only, Please and #Walang Forever produced My Candidate.

The film is set against a political background and so it is timely as today’s headlines.

Derek plays Congressman Sonny Suarez, now seeking a Senate seat. He may be a perfect candidate but is painfully shy and a bit withdrawn.

Iza, meanwhile, is Vera Sanchez, Sonny’s erstwhile girlfriend and archrival in his senatorial bid. She possesses strengths lacking in Sonny. She’s charming as well as engaging but is not able to relate to people

Shaina magdayao

from the grassroots.

Shaina is Billie Pono, a life coach and communications trainer. Sonny’s campaign team hires her services to help polish their candidate’s public speaking skill and innate charisma.

Billie succeeds at turning Sonny into the dream candidate and the two become close while at work.

In turn, Sonny is able to unleash some unresolved issues in Billie’s life, including her insecurities thereby making her a better version of herself.

The movie’s teaser immediately earned almost a million views, shares and likes the minute it was posted on the “MC” Facebook page.

Sence from “my Candidate,” a light romantic film that’s also apt for the upcoming elections

derek ramsay

Netizens swore by Derek, Iza and Shaina’s outstanding performances.

Shaina held her own against Iza in the film, and this may be considered as her biggest break as a lead actress.

Shaina definitely gave the role her all, especially in scenes where her character finds herself slowly falling in love with Sonny.

Take note, Derek and Shaina also register very strong positive vibes on screen. Their romantic scenes together are neither hard sell nor put on, so, their pairing is indeed one of today’s freshest, newest romanticcomedy tandem.

No wonder, Quark Henares, who directed the movie, is satisfied with his three main stars plus the support cast composed

iza Calzado

of Al Tantay, Nico Antonio, Ketchup Eusebio, Ricci Chan, Jun Sabayton and Tirso Cruz III playing a special role.

The movie imparts all these funny situations during election time coupled with the resounding message that it must indeed be: “Bayan Muna Bago Puso.”

Also part of the movie is box-office director Dan Villegas, who serves as Creative Producer.

Villegas is the man behind such award winning and blockbuster English Only, Please and #Walang Forever. His latest hit project is Always Be My “Maybe.

My Candidate gives the election season a romantic twist starting May 11 in theaters nationwide.