The Standard - 2016 June 24 - Friday

VOL. XXX NO. 132 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 FRIDAY : JUNE 24, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Weapons upgrade for AFP

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POLL BODY FEARS CRISIS OVER SOCE Comelec defends ruling on LP deadline extension

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Maricel V. Cruz

THE Commission on Elections on Thursday defended its decision to extend the deadline for submitting statements of contributions and expenditures, saying it was fending off a constitutional crisis that might ensue if the winning Liberal Party candidates, including Vice President-elect Leni Robredo, were unable to assume office because of a failure to file the documents on time.

The Comelec en banc had voted 4-3 to grant the LP petition to extend the deadline from June 8 to June 30, after the party’s standard bearer Manuel Roxas II failed to submit his SOCE on time.

“We find it abhorrent to adopt the erroneous interpretation that our duly elected public officials cannot assume office simply because of the failure of the party treasurer to submit the party’s SOCE within the 30-day deadline,” the resolution stated.

“The resulting frustration of the people’s mandate, the widespread vacuum in the public service, and the likelihood of a constitutional crisis, constitute an absurdity not contemplated by the law. These are risks that the commission is not willing to take,” the Comelec en banc added.

The commissioners pointed out their fear that they may be disenfranchising millions of voters if they refused to allow the winning candidates to assume their respec-

tive posts.

“The stringent application of election laws must give way to the principle of liberality in their enforcement if a strict application will result in negating the will of the electorate. The commission cannot and will not prevent hundreds of elected officials from assuming office,” the Comelec said.

The Comelec en banc also said that extending the deadline would give all candidates more time to Next page

A question of law. File photo shows workers unloading the statement of contributions and expenditures of presidential candidate Mar Roxas several days after the deadline. The elections body claims the decision was meant to avoid a constitutional crisis but critics argue the claim can only be resolved by the Supreme Court. DANNY PATA

Bulls’ Rose traded to NY Knicks

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Lopez told: Abide by Rody’s mining policy

By John Paolo Bencito and F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—Incoming Department of Environment and Natural Resources secretary Gina Lopez will have to adjust to the “responsible mining policy” of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

In a media briefing here, incoming presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella

said that when Lopez—an anti-mining advocate—accepted the invitation to join Duterte’s Cabinet, it meant she would follow whatever guidelines that the President would give.

“The fact that she accepted it, it means that she will advocate the position of the president,” Abella said.

“The president is not anti-mining.

He actually supports each and every

venture that contributes to the health of the Philippine economy,” he said.

“What the president is demanding is that those who do that must be very careful,” he added.

On Tuesday, Duterte told the mining companies during a speech at a business forum here: “You have to do it right. If you cannot do it, then get out Next page of mining.”

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A2 Lopez...

fering to our rivers and streams, our agricultural land, our fishery resource, From A1 you kill everything. Is it Duterte has also asked worth it?” she said.

The DENR post was miners to apply the standards of responsible min- among four departments ing practiced in developed that Duterte offered to the countries such as Canada Communist Party of the and Australia, to ensure Philippines “if they decide the protection of the envi- to join my government” but later withdrew the ofronment.

Abella said a responsi- fer, saying there are serible miner will replant the ous problems particularly trees that were cut during on mining that would retheir excavation while the quire the active role of the irresponsible miner would military.

In his victory party at just leave it as it is.

He also said mining the Crocodile Park here, companies must be care- Duterte warned largeful in making sure that scale mining firms that any toxic chemicals do not are destroying Mindanao that they have no place get into the water.

Lopez, whom Duterte under his administraappointed as Environment tion. He vowed to give secretary, has gone around priority and assistance to the country campaigning poor Mindanawon minagainst mining, particu- ers who will band into a larly in Palawan and other cooperative.

“The mining people eco-tourism sites, advocating the need to protect must shape up,” said Duthe country’s rich biodi- terte as he cited the destruction wrought by big versity.

Lopez’s appointment mining firms, especially as Environment secretary in Surigao. “You have to had sent mining investors stop,” he said.

Philex Mining Corp. in panic and stocks entered a third day of volatil- said Thursday it is open to working with Lopez to ity.

Stock analysts say inves- help improve the country’s tor jitters are seen to con- mining industry.

In a statement, Mitinue until Lopez presents chael Toledo, MVP Group her mining policies.

Mining and oil, which Media Bureau head and consists heavily of miners, senior vice president for lost 736.48 points, ending Public and Regulatory Afat 10,715.36 as of noon fairs at Philex, said that the Thursday. The PSE index president-elect has every was almost flat, closing at right to appoint whoever he deems fit to become the 7,767.06.

In January 2013, Lopez next secretary, not just on rallied with residents in a matter of competence, the seven towns of Surigao but also on a matter of del Sur to oppose mining trust and confidence as in eco-tourism sites. She a member of his official also urged them to join her family.

“Philex has committed in generating 10 million votes for the Save Palawan to support President Duterte and his drive against Movement.

At the International illegal and irresponsible Conference of Mining in mining,” Toledo said.

“We are open to sitting Mindanao held at the Ateneo de Davao University down and working with in January 2012, Lopez the new DENR secretary asked if it is possible to to further the president’s have “responsible mining call, to stamp out the ilif government has a prob- legal and irresponsible miners who give the inlem with governance.”

“The fact is, people are dustry a bad name,” Tosuffering and government ledo added.

Toledo said that Phihas not demonstrated the ability to protect our peo- lex has adhered to “doing ple. Should we go on in what is right” according to this enterprise when we international standards, in can’t even assure the well response to the presidentbeing of our people?” she elect’s statements made at the recent Sulong Pilipinas asked.

Lopez, scion of the Davao conference.

Toledo said that Lopez Lopez group which owns broadcast giant ABS-CBN should be given a chance and has vested interests as she is a known advocate on power generation and for climate change and enenergy, explained her op- vironmental protection.

“I understand that she has position to mining last made recommendations Tuesday.

“Mining has a pathetic to President Duterte on track record. Pathetic. how to move the industry Wherever there’s mining, forward; we are always the people are poor. So open to working with why are we doing it? It’s whoever would want to crazy,” Lopez said in an improve the industry ANC television interview. and move the nation “For me, large scale, forward towards economic small scale, it’s just...when development and inclusive you destroy the environ- growth,” Toledo said. With ment and you cause suf- Anna Leah E. Gonzales

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Incoming DSWD head scoffs at dole program

“It is a pantawid program.

Why would you institutionalize a stop-gap measure?”

Taguiwalo said in a television interview.

“We should legislate longterm economic initiatives that will create more sustainable jobs and livelihood,” she added.

Taguiwalo pointed out that while the government’s conditional dole program, more popularly known as the 4Ps, will continue, it is still a temporary solution to the problem of poverty.

The 4Ps, she said, is just a “bridging program” that seeks to assist the “poorest of the poor” until they find stable sources of income.

She added that the incoming administration would close the gaps in the program to address those who need the program the most.

“What we want to look at is the implementation. There are reports of selectivity. Not everyone who really needs the program are being reached.

There is still an element of patronage there. We also want

to check if it is being used to campaign as well as used for anti-insurgency,” she said.

A better government initiative, she said, would be the enhancement of “social protection initiatives through skills development, cash for work, livelihood projects, among others.”

Taguiwalo vowed to review the program, which gives poor families cash assistance provided their children remain in school, visit health centers, and attend family development lessons.

“We have to look at the impact on the beneficiaries as well as the community.

I’m also aware of the fact that some beneficiaries are not really eligible but who are part of the program and there are those who are eligible who are not included in the program,” she said.

“There are also questions about CCT being used for political campaign like the last time,” Taguiwalo added.

Her predecessor, outgoing Social Welfare Secretary

Poll...

SOCEs, without regard for the fact that other candidates and parties with similarly voluminous records were able to comply on or before June 8, 2016,” Lim said in his six-page dissenting opinion.

He disclosed that it was only LP filed a written request for extension of the SOCE filing deadline while other national political parties with national candidates such as the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and Aksyon Demokratiko (AKSYON) made no such request.

“Hence, the decision of the majority to extend the SOCE filing deadline is clearly an accommodation in favor of the Liberal Party, whose own deliberate omission to file its SOCE on or before 08 June 2016 deadline is the root cause of the alleged ‘vacuum in public service’,’’ Lim said.

Lim said that LP, by failing to file its SOCE, showed a “blatant disregard” of the Comelec’s rules.

“There should be no dispute that the failure of the Liberal Party to file its SOCE on or before the 08 June 2016 is entirely due to its own fault or omission, a fault or omission that the commission, as a regulatory body, is not duty-bound to fix and resolve in accordance to the whims of the ruling party, with nary a sanction for such blatant disregard of the Commission’s rules.”

He said the Comelec should be independent and steadfast enough “in the face of political pressure to stand by the final and non-extendible deadline” as stated in Resolution No. 9991, a decision that “all the commissioners had unconditionally approved, signed and promulgated.”

Lim also slammed the LP and Roxas’ claims about the complexity of the new forms, saying that the Campaign Fi-

nance Office had actually made the forms “easier for candidates and parties to accomplish” by designing the forms in Excel file format with embedded formulas that automatically total and categorize the expenses.

“It is unbecoming of an independent constitutional commission to take up the cudgels for the LP and belabor the alleged complexity of the new forms, which were made available in the Comelec website and distributed to every election officer and provincial election supervisor in the country,” Lim said.

As for the feared “constitutional crisis,” Lim said such apprehensions are merely “unfounded fear” being created by the majority.

“There is no way of knowing at this point in time whether winning LP-nominated candidates will actually be prevented from entering into the duties of their elective offices come June 30,” Lim said.

“And while Section 14 of RA 7166 clearly states that they are prohibited to do so because of their political party’s failure to file its SOCE, which agency is actually responsible for enforcing this prohibition?” he added.

Lim, as the chief of the CFO, had recommended that the LP petition for an extension be denied, but the en banc disregarded his recommendation in its final ruling.

The resolution was promulgated one week after the commission en banc, in a vote of 4-3, opted to extend the deadline of filing SOCEs from June 8 to June 30.

Aside from Robredo, five senators, 115 congressmen, and 40 governors all nominated by the LP would have been prohibited from assuming the posts they won had the Comelec not opted to extend the deadline.

This is aside from winning

By John Paolo Bencito

INCOMING Social Welfare secretary Judy Taguiwalo on Thursday said she disapproved of institutionalizing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) because it was a stop-gap measure, even as President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said he intended to continue the cash doles for the country’s poorest families.

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declare all of their expenses correctly.

“Ordinarily, it stands to reason that those who failed should not be rewarded with an extension of the deadline. But there is a higher consideration, namely, extending the period for filing will precisely ensure that all possible evidence of election overspending are admitted into the record, rather than excluded,” it said.

The Comelec also feared that if it refused to accept SOCE of those candidates and parties who failed to submit it on time, they would simply pay the penalty and avoid disclosing how much they spend in the last election.

The commission noted the SOCE’s main purpose is to determine if the candidates were within the legal limits for campaign contributions and expenditures as provided by the law.

“The simple expediency of not accepting the SOCE if filed beyond the deadline and just imposing a fine is in effect throwing away the evidence of any infraction of the campaign finance rules and unwittingly assisting in hiding the evidence,” the Comelec said.

Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim, one of the officials who voted against the extension, slammed the en banc explanation, saying that his colleagues had “a very limited view of campaign finance regulation, with very little regard for the consequences that the extension of the SOCE filing deadline will entail in terms of implementation on a nationwide scale.”

“The majority adopted the view of only one single party lamenting about the voluminous and tedious [work] to prepare

Corazon Soliman, insisted that Congress should pass a bill to institutionalize the 4Ps or the Conditional Cash Transfer program, which started in 2008, before President Benigno Aquino III steps down.

During an economic forum earlier this week, businessmen recommended the “review of the Conditional Cash Transfer program,” which Duterte had repeatedly promised to continue and even expand during the campaign.

The program currently benefits 4.6 million poor households.

But forum participants criticized the program for promoting “dependency on government.”

A total of P62.7 billion was allocated by the government for the scheme, which is enough to cover 4.6 million households this year.

Duterte said he will draw funds from sin taxes and the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. to bankroll his expanded 4Ps program. candidates that were nominated by political parties, Aksyon Demokratiko and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, who also failed to file their SOCEs. The four commissioners who voted for extending the deadline are Arthur Lim, Sheriff Abas, Al Parreno, and Rowena Guanzon.

Lawmakers on Thursday rallied behind efforts of certain groups, including the Partido Demokratiko PilipinoLakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, to question the legality of the Comelec extension.

Reps. Terry Ridon and Sarah Elago of Kabataan party-list and Harry Roque of Kabayan partylist also agreed with the statement of incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez that the Comelec violated laws when it bent the rules to suit the LP and Roxas.

“Speaker Alvarez is correct.

The extension was nothing but special treatment for the Liberal Party and Mar Roxas. We hope the Supreme Court wll reverse the Comelec the soonest,” Ridon said.

Roque, a human rights lawyer, said there was no doubt that the LP-dominated Comelec favored Roxas at the expense of the law.

“Majority of Comelec is very close to Mar. I think that’s why they extended the deadline— to accommodate him,” Roque said.

Elago said that Comelec officials concerned must be held accountable for violations of Republic Act 7166 and Comelec Resolution 9991.

“The Comelec is clearly a tool of Aquino, Roxas and their clique. They can’t bend the rules in their favor just because they’re the party in power.

Shame on those commissioners who voted in favor of the extension,” Elago said.

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Alvarez vows to give Duterte extra powers DAVAO CITY—Incoming House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Thursday vowed to give Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to solve the traffic problems in Manila and Cebu.

Alvarez said that as soon as Congress reopens on July 26, he would give priority to discussing giving emergency powers to Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade.

“We need an immediate action for the traffic crisis not only in Metro Manila but also in Cebu,” Alvarez said.

“Definitely, within the year we can pass the emergency powers, and I hope it will be before Christmas.”

Alvarez made his statement even as the Federation of Fi lipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry declared its support for the proposal to grant “emergency powers” to Duterte so he could deal with the country’s pressing problems.

The group urged Alvarez to deal not only with the traffic problem but also with the high incidences of crime, corruption and illegal drugs.

“By granting our president-elect emergency powers, he would be able to instill discipline among our people and set the policies needed to protect and promote the interest of our citizens,” group president Angel Ngu said.

During Monday’s business forum in Davao City, Tugade said Congress must declare a traffic crisis so that the proposals to solve it could be implemented.

Tugade described the traffic congestion in Metro Manila and Cebu as a crisis that had been affecting the residents’ quality of life.

“Our quality of life is affected because we spend more time on the road as a result of the traffic congestion,” Tugade said. F. Pearl A. Gajunera and Vito Barcelo

Former Cathay station manager to head MIAA A FORMER station manager of Cathay Pacific Airways has replaced Angel Honrado as the head of the Manila International Airport Authority.

Incoming Transportation secretary Arthur Tugade on Thursday confirmed that Ed Monreal had been appointed MIAA chief, and said his main job was to remove the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from the list of the worst airports in the world.

Based on the travel website The Guide to Sleeping in Airports, the Naia ranked eighth among the worst airports in Asia.

“Passengers remain annoyed by the poor customer service, the long queues, the subpar food selection, the lack of restrooms and the crowded seating areas—aside from the

leaking ceilings and collapsing floors,” the website says.

Monreal will also have his hands full against the tanim-bala syndicate, a group of airport staff who plant bullets on passenger luggage and then shake down their owners.

He will also need to address the persistent complaint of arriving passengers on the terminal fee.

Monreal started working at the airport in 1978, and four years after was recruited by Cathay Pacific.

He retired from private service last year but was hired as a consultant of the MIAA. Airport old-timers welcomed his appointment, saying the MIAA needed a new face to professionalize airport operations.

Vito Barcelo

Transition report. Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal submits to outgoing President Benigno Aquino III the report of the Bangsamoro Transition Committee during a meeting in Malacañang on Thursday. MALACAÑANG PHOTO

Labor group praises plan to review CARP THE labor group Anakpawis on Thursday welcomed President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to review the expired Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program to determine if the lives of the farmer-beneficiaries had improved or if their land was taken back by landowners.

Rep. Fernando Hicap dismissed CARP as “a gigantic failure” because it squandered public funds and was used as a milking cow by the landowners.

“The 42-year implementation of Marcos PD 27 and Cory Aquino’s CARP obviously did not [save] the Filipino farmers from poverty,” Hicap said.

“Worse, they even fell victims to the violent attacks of the landowners and the government when they asserted their rights to land.”

Hicap made his statement even as incoming Agrarian Reform secretary Rafael Mariano said the farmers’ group Kilusang Magbubukid ng

Pilipinas will convene on June 27 to look into the liability of President Benigno Aquino III and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad for allegedly paying Hacienda Luisita P471 million from the funds of the Disbursement Acceleration Program.

At a forum at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City, Mariano said he will take part in next week’s convention to discuss actions on the payment scheme carried out by the Aquino administration to the Cojuangco-owned Hacienda Luisita as KMP national president.

“KMP will decide on

what to do. Our leaders will announce the decision,” he told The Standard.

He will pass on the filing of the cases against Aquino and Abad to the next leaders of their group since he will be assuming his next job as Agrarian Reform chief on June 30.

Citing data from the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council, Hicap said the combined public expenditure of Presidential Decree 27 and CARP from 1972 to 2007 reached to P289 billion, with the bulk of it or P233 billion alloted to land acquisition and

distribution.

On the other hand, Hicap said, the compensation to landowners reached P81 billion or almost 30 percent while support to farmers reached only P52 billion or 20 percent.

Another set of data says the CARP’s implementation used up P244 billion, with Land Tenure Improvement using up P154 billion, with the compensation to landowners reaching P63 billion or more than a quarter of the total. Support to farmers reached only P30 billion, Hicap said. Maricel V. Cruz and Rio N. Araja

S T R E N G T H E N I N G B O N D S . T h e Wo n g C h u K i n g Fo u n d a t i o n ( W C K F ) c o n d u c t e d a t e a m b u i l d i n g p r o g r a m i n T h e M a n o r a t C a m p J o h n H ay, B a g u i o C i t y r e c e n t l y f o r t h e i r 2 0 0 t o b a c c o f a r m e r- d e p e n d e n t s c h o l a r s c o m i n g f r o m A b r a , I s a b e l a , C a n d o n , V i g a n , L a U n i o n , P a n g a s i n a n , I l o c o s N o r t e a n d C a g ay a n . T h e s c h o l a r s a n d vo l u n t e e r s e n g a g e d i n a m i l i e u o f a c t i v i t i e s s u c h a s f u n a n d g a m e s , i n t e r v i e w s , m e a l s a n d a m a s s . T h e i n i t i a t i ve i s i n t e n d e d t o s t r e n g t h e n t h e r a p p o r t a m o n g t h e s c h o l a r s a n d W C K F vo l u n t e e r s a s w e l l a s t o b e a b l e t o vo i c e o u t a ny c o n c e r n s a n d q u e r i e s .

I n p h o t o a r e t h e 2 0 0 s c h o l a r s t o g e t h e r w i t h W C K F vo l u n t e e r s

F RI DAY : J UN E 2 4 , 2 0 1 6

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AFP shifts weapons tack

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines will focus on getting more modern helicopters and naval fast craft under its modernization program so that it can address the internal security threats of the country, the incoming military chief said Thursday.

Not helping. Smokers puff e-cigarettes at a store in Sta. Cruz, Manila Thursday as the World Health Organization said the sale of electronic cigarettes should be regulated because it only encourages people to smoke instead of helping them beat the habit. DANNY PATA

Ex-LWUA chief faces 300 graft charges

By Rio N. Araja OMBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered the indictment of 33 former officials of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and slapped 300 charges against the agency’s former administrator Lorenzo Jamora.

Jamora is facing 150 counts of malversation and another 150 counts of graft before the Sandiganbayan for claiming excessive extraordinary expenses in 2006 without supporting documents and exceeding the approved budget ceiling.

Morales also ordered the filing of corruption charges against LWUA executives Aurora Raymundo-

Arnaez, Leonard Matti, Francisco Dumpit, Eduardo Bangayan, Daniel Landingin, Emmanuel Malicdem, Lilian Asprer, Wilfredo Feleo, Jesus Copuyoc, Edelwina Parungao and Manalo Kagahastian.

Also charged were Manuel Yoingco, Alfredo Espino, Rebecca Barbo, Armando Fernandez, Edwin Ruiz, Bernardito de Jesus, Antonio Magtibay, Enrique Gita, Avelino Castillo, Lourdes Perele, Mario Quitoriano, Eleanora de Jesus, Hermilo Balucan, Edison Cuenca, Venus Pozon, Julian Tajolosa, Primo Lomibao, Arnaldo Espinas, Almer Zerrudo, Leopoldo Palad and Julita Corpuz.

According to the Commission on

Audit, the respondents claimed reimbursements of P12,879,337.77 supported by pro forma certificates, instead of official receipts and documents.

In July 2009, the CoA issued a notice of disallowance not authorizing the claims for reimbursement of extraordinary expenses ranging from P230,000 to P986,356 per executive.

“By attesting that the funds were spent on meetings, seminars and conferences, official entertainment, and public relations, when in truth and in fact, there were no receipts and other supporting documents to prove such expenses, respondents made untruthful statements on a public document to facilitate the

misappropriation of public funds,” the Ombudsman’s resolution.

“Respondents acted with evident bad faith and/or gross inexcusable negligence when they caused and/or participated in the illegal release of funds.”

In a related administrative case, the Ombudsman also found Jamora and the other respondents guilty of dishonesty, grave misconduct and falsification of official documents.

They were ordered dismissed from the service and meted the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and bar from taking the civil service examination.

PNP head to retire June 28 PHILIPPINE National Police Director General Ricardo Marquez has opted to retire on June 28, exactly two months before his mandatory retirement on August 28.

“Even before the election, I have said that whoever wins I will tender my courtesy resignation. I opted to retire early so that the incoming PNP chief [Chief Superintendent Ronald dela Rosa] will be able to hold the four star rank,” Marquez told reporters at Camp Crame.

“If I will not retire, the incoming chief would not be able to sport this four-star. So I told General Dela Rosa, I want you to hit the ground running come June 30. I will be out by then,” said Marquez who has been in the police service for 34 years.

Marquez said he is entitled to receive almost P8 million upon his

retirement and he plans to build a house in Cavite.

“I will take some weeks to rest first.

There have been job offers but when you have served the government for the past 34 years, you don’t want to think of working for the time being,” he added.

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte named Chief Superintendent Ronald dela Rosa to be PNP chief under his administration, but Deputy Director General Francisco Uyami will serve as officer-in-charge because Marquez will retire two days before Duterte assumes office.

Aside from Marquez, Deputy Director General Danilo Constantino, is also retiring early on July 24. Both Marquez and Constantino belong to Philippine Military Academy Class of 1982.

Thank you for your service. Outgoing National Police chief Ricardo Marquez waves goodbye after joining police reporters in a fellowship luncheon in Camp Crame, Quezon City where he announced his early retirement. LINO SANTOS

“[President-elect Rodrigo Duterte] would like to start by improving and updating equipment use for internal security operations so he will prioritize the acquisition of modern helicopters and fast craft, with night-fighting capabilities,” said incoming AFP chiefof-staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya.

Such platforms are useful in dealing with the country’s ongoing campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Group and New People’s Army threats.

Visaya said acquisition of such equipment are included in the AFP Modernization Program as emphasized by the procurement of the night-capable AgustaWestland AW-109 attack helicopters of the Navy and Air Force.

The lack of night-capable helicopters and fast craft, according to the incoming AFP chief, hampered the military response when the ASG attacked Samal Island and kidnapped Canadians John Ridsel, Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Hall’s girlfriend Marites Flor during their Sept. 21 attack on a posh resort in Samal Island.

Ridsel was beheaded last April 25 while Hall was executed last June 13 after the Philippine and Canadian governments snubbed the ASG ransom demand amounting to around PHP600 million for the two Canadians.

Visaya also clarified that acquisition of equipment that will beefed up the external capabilities of the AFP will continue as part of the ongoing modernization program.

“It [modernization program] will continue, but items needed for internal security operations will be prioritized,” Visaya said.

According to outgoing Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, a total of 36 modernization projects, worth P41.2 billion, were completed and awarded under the leadership of President Benigno Aquino III. The modernization program was first implemented in 1995 with the enactment of Republic Act No. 7898 which was amended by Republic Act No. 10349 in 2012. PNA

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Legal forum a win-option for PH in sea dispute

By Rey E. Requejo

Quick response center. The Quezon City government under reelected Mayor Herbert Bautista launches the Emergency Operations Center

along Kalayaan St. Quezon City which boasts Integrated Surveillance and Emergency Response System designed to improve not only the city’s crime watch and prevention but also its response mechanisms during disaster and other emergency situations and vehicular traffic monitoring.

LINO SANTOS

Human resource crisis hits healthcare industry

By Macon Araneta Despite the burgeoning Health budget and the rising philHealth coverage, the country’s healthcare system continues to deteriorate owing to the shortage of healthcare workers caused by massive migration.

Dr. anthony leachon, PhilHealth Independent Director, noted that while Health budget has increased from P30 billion in 2010 to P205 billion in 2015, the delivery of health services and compensation of healthcare professionals remain pathetically low. this led to massive migration or exodus of doctors and nurses to greener pasture abroad, he said.

“But can you blame them?” asked leachon as he lamented President aquino’s veto of the

proposed measure which sought an increase in the salary of public nurses.

“We respect President Benigno aquino’s decision to veto nurses’ pay hike but his latest action depicts a poor appreciation of the healthcare system and pervasive lack of compassion and empathy to the plight of healthcare professionals and the Filipino patients,” stressed leachon, also president of the Philippine College of Physicians’ Foundation Inc.

leachon said we have a “human health resource crisis “now despite the country being the number one exporters of nurses in the world and the number two exporters of doctors in the world next to India.

He said the number of Filipinos who die without seeing a healthcare worker—doctor, nurse, dentist, or a midwife, has increased to as high as 66 percent.

He also said that although Philhealth coverage has increased, its utlization rate is poor at 33 percent among the poor due to the huge out of pocket expenses at 57 percent.

In contrast, PhilHealth utilization among the richest was pegged at 88 percent.

With the spectrum of services and benefits of PhilHealth increasing with the sin tax funds, leachon said “we are faced with a shortage of healthcare workers who will see these poor patients

particularly in the countryside. “ He said the sin tax funds did not include a provision for a national Workforce Plan that will align the salary and compensation of all healthcare workers to meet the needs of the times. the PhilHealth officer also said the current shortage of doctors particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao or in the poorest areas in the Philippines.

In the public sector, he said there are five healthcare workers per 10,000 population (ideal - 25). there is 1 healthcare worker per 20,000 ( ideal is 20 ).

“We will need more healthcare workers such as doctors, nurses, dentists and midwives as the Duterte administration and incoming Health secretary Paulyn Ubial push for the one-doctor-per barangay scheme which is the basic concept of primary care system,” leachon said.

InternatIonal legal forum is the only option for the Philippines in pursuing its claim over the disputed West Philippine Sea, according to a senior magistrate of the Supreme Court.

Senior associate Justice antonio Carpio said the decision of the Hague-based Permanent Court of arbitration (PCa), which sources said could be released next month, is the only way by which the country could win the dispute. “the only forum where we can bring the dispute where we can possibly win is the legal forum. We need the ruling to start all our programs on the West Philippine Sea,” Carpio said, in his speech before the Philippine Press Institute event at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

Carpio, who was part of the Philippine delegation that argued before the tribunal in July last year, expects the PCa to “purely base [the decision] on the law of the seas.” according to him, war with China is definitely not an option for the government.

“We will not start the war we know we will lose… If we remain in our right mind, we will not start a war with China,” he stressed. the SC justice stressed that the government should remain in its tactic to pursue the case in the legal forum while “China wants to win this battle without firing a shot, just by intimidating us.” nonetheless, he admitted that a ruling favorable to the Philippines would be hard to enforce. “there is no world policeman to draw out the Chinese in the [disputed] area,” he said, adding that even the US cannot also be expected to enforce the ruling as an ally of the Philippines.

Carpio had been publicly discussing the West Philippine Sea issue in a number of his speeches since 2013.

He believes that China’s claim to a “historical right” to the waters enclosed within the nine-dash line in the South China Sea is utterly without basis under international law.

24 in Cabinet get presidential award

By Sandy Araneta PreSIDent Benigno aquino III on thursday bestowed the Presidential award on 24 members of his Cabinet, a week before his administration steps down from office.

During the “Conferment of Presidential awards to Various Heads of Departments and agencies,” held at the rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace, aquino awarded the “Presidential Medal of Merit” to the following: Susan reyes, assistant Secretary of the office of the Social Secretary; Celia anna Feria, Chief of Presidential Protocol; emmanuel esguerra, Director General of national economic and Development authority and Secretary of the Socio-economic Planning; Manuel Quezon III, Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning office; lilia de lima, Director General Philippine economic Zone authority; Gerardo angelito esquivel, administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System;

robert Vergara, President and General Manager of the Government Service Insurance System; arnel Paciano Casanova, President and Chief executive officer of the Bases Conversion and Development authority; Mary ann lucille Sering, Secretary of the Climate Change Commission; Chito Cruz, Chairman of Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and General Manager of the national Housing authority; Cesar Villanueva, Chairman of the Governance Commission for Government owned or Controlled Corporations; aquino bestowed the “order of lakandula” award on the following: emmanuel Joel Villanueva, Director General of technical education and Skills Development authority; luwalhati antonino, Chairperson of the Mindanao Development authority; Cesar Garcia, national Security adviser and Director General of the national Security Council; Mario Montejo, Secretary of the Department of Science and technology.

Bayani. President Benigno S. Aquino III confers the Order of Lakandula with a rank of

Grand Cross (Bayani) on DFA Secretary Jose Rene Almendras during the ‘Conferment of Presidential Awards to Various Heads of Departments and Agencies’ at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Thursday (June 23, 2016). MALAcAñANg PhOTO BuREAu

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NEWS editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Consla seeks probe of poll mess

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

A PARTY-LIST group on Thursday asked the Commission on Elections to immediately investigate the alleged manipulation of the results of the May 9, 2016 elections.

The Confederation of Non-Stock Savings and Loan Associations Inc. cited inaccurate Twitter posts made by the citizen’s arm of the Comelec and through Consla legal counsel Joel Hernandez demanded that the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting through its spokesman Anna Sing-

son should explain the discrepancies of voting results as posted on PPCRV’s social media account.

“We want to emphasize that it maybe an unofficial canvassing of votes but the PPCRV has a very grave responsibility in ensuring that what it publishes, or it tweets to the general public are accurate,” Hernandez

told reporters in an ambush interview after Consla handed the letter to PPCRV and Comelec on Thursday.

“They said Singson has already made a public explanation regarding the discrepancies made in their Twitter account, but we want something in writing for our client,” he added.

In a letter-request addressed to Comelec chairman Andres Baustista, Consla cited the discrepancy in votes it garnered during the May 9 national and local elections based on the quick count conducted by the PPCRV and the Comelec in seeking a probe.

The group, which failed to obtain a seat in Con-

gress, said that the discrepancy could be an indication of cheating and vote manipulation to favor certain candidates during the last elections.

“PPCRV twitted its partial canvassing of votes. So did multiple media outlets.

How can votes canvassed

by PPCRV from the Transparency Server, which essentially are the same votes canvassed by the Comelec, turn out completely different results? The Comelec needs to investigate this matter to avoid further allegations of irregularities during the May 2016 elections,” another Consla lawyer Rodolfo Sandiego said.

The party-list attached a

copy of the screen capture of PPCRV’s Twitter feed provided by a certain Arnold “Bong” Arriola of the Buhay Party-list group on its letter-complaint submitted to the PPCRV to prove the anomaly.

The group claimed Arriola was able to take photographs of the partial and unofficial votes for partylist groups generated by the PPCRV Quick Count Results in the workstation of a certain Rommel Bernado.

The photos showed that Consla had garnered 342,513 votes from the 68,626 clustered precincts that had already transmitted their results to the transparency server of the Comelec.

The photos also show that the group ranked 17 among contending party list organizations with the stage of the completion of transmissions at 74.18 percent. Consla was one of the 115 party-list groups accredited by the Comelec to participate in the last election.

Hernandez added that Consla’s votes peaked to 555,896 by 12 noon on May 10 as shown in the photos.

“It therefore came as a surprise when the tally of votes by Comelec showed that Consla only garnered a total of 213,814 votes at rank number 54,” the lawyers stated in a statement.

Cops kill 25 suspects in anti-drug campaign

By Francisco Tuyay

TWENTY-FIVE more drug suspects were killed in the latest police operations against illegal drugs, seven days before President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s formal swearing-in on June 30.

Statistics derived from the PNP’s Directorate for Intelligence and Investigation Management showed that the victims were killed in a span of four days as the police intensified their campaign against the illegal trade.

The latest figure brought to 93 the number of suspected drug dealers killed by law enforcers.

Of the 25 killed suspects, 20 were from the Calabarzon area covering the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon, two each from Central Luzon and Central Visayas and one in Northern Mindanao.

The intensive police operations also netted 552 drug personalities during the same period with Calabarzon topping the list followed by National Capital Region and Central Luzon.

Since the increased illegal drugs operations commenced, not a single big-time foreign drug lord operating in the country has been neutralized or arrested.

So far, only one suspected drug lord from Cebu was slain.

He was identified as Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz who was shot dead by policemen who also arrested his accomplice Alvaro “Baroc” Alvaro, a prominent drug dealer from Cebu with pending warrant of arrest.

The operations also include the killing of five drug dealers last Tuesday in separate operations in what was considered a drug haven in Cavite.

One of the slain suspects was identified as Jerry Abundo who fought it out with policemen during a buy-bust operations.

Baywalk exhibit. Jerika Ejercito, daughter of Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada, leads the opening of ‘Balik Tanaw Maynila’ outdoor exhibit along Manila’s Baywalk area. EY ACASIO

Bullet-planting case dismissed

By Rey E. Requejo

Navotas infra. Navotas City Congressman Tobias Tiangco (left) and Mayor John Rey Tiangco inaugurate the NHA housing units and the newly renovated road at Navotas Homes in Barangay Tanza, Navotas City.

ANDREW RABULAN

THE Department of Justice has dismissed the criminal complaints against airport employees and aviation police personnel for their alleged role in the “laglag-tanim-bala” (bullet-planting) scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

In a resolution, the DoJ through Associate Prosecution Attorney Honey Rose Delgado ruled that there is no probable cause to warrant the filing of the complaints before the court against Maria Elma Cena and Marvin Garcia of the Office of Transportation Security and Inspector Adriano Junio, SPO4 Ramon Bernardo and SPO2s Romy Navarro and Rolando Clarin of the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group.

The investigating prosecutor said even if based on the footage taken by closed-

circuit television cameras, respondents Cena and Garcia have committed some irregularities in the standard operating procedures or SOP, the prosecution failed to adduce or present evidence showing any “direct or covert act of placing, inserting, or attaching the ammunition for 22 caliber pistol” recovered inside the luggage of complainant, Lane Michael White.

The National Bureau of Investigation earlier filed a complaint against Cena and Garcia for violation of Article 5, Section 3 (B) (Liability for Planting Evidence) of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunitions Regulation Act. On the other hand, the police officers were charged with violation of Article 293 (robbery and extortion) of the Revised Penal Code, violation of Republic Act 7438 (An Act

Defining Certain Rights of Persons Arrested, Detained or under Custodial Investigation and Duties of the Arresting, Detaining or Investigating Officers) and Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Apart from White, the other complainant is his stepmother, Eloisa Zolita.

The prosecutor also stressed that there was no evidence nor even intimation showing that the two solicited money from White as they immediately turned him over to the custody of Clarin after the ammunition was discovered.

The DoJ noted that while it believed White’s explanation that the ammunition found in his luggage was not his and he has no knowledge about it, there is no showing that it was Cena and Garcia who placed the ammunition inside the luggage.

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news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

CAAP says Cagayan intl airport may accommodate bigger planes

By Brenda Jocson

Race enthusiasts. Boys from Lubuagan, Kalinga play with their handcrafted carts also used to haul farm produce. DAVID CHAN

Police nab 20 in Bulacan on ‘sextortion’ charges The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group arrested 20 persons for cybercrime charges during an operations in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, PNP-ACG director, Senior Superintendent Guillermo Lorenzo T. eleazar said Thursday.

Eleazar said that before midnight Wednesday the cybercops raided a cybersex den in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan where they arrested 20 persons, 13 of them males accused of recording the sex act of their victims and threatening to send the video to their target’s families if their extortion demand is unheeded.

“Through our Strikeback Operation 2016, we have smashed another local cybersex ring victimizing foreigners and even

Filipinos, luring them into webcam chats and blackmailing the victims with the footage showing them in compromising situations,” said Eleazar.

Strikeback is a massive operation of the PNP ACG aimed at neutralizing cybersex syndicates in the country particularly those involved in so-called sextortion.

The Interpol has tagged the Philippines, Morocco and Ivory Coast as the top three countries where “sextortion” rings operate.

Around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, cybercops from the PNP ACG Cyber Response Team led by Superintendent Jay Guillermo raided the office of the Jaira Online Marketing Services located at the 2nd and 3rd floors of 8650 ME Building in Eraño Manalo Street, Purok 6, AreaC in Barangay San Martin, Sapang Palay, San Jose del Monte City on the strength of a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybersex Act of the Philippines issued by Judge Ramon D. Pamular of the Guimba, Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court Branch 32.

The authorities, with the assistance of the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Office 3 and the San Jose del Monte City Police Station arrested the 20 suspects and seized 39 computer sets, three computer servers,

three TP link routers, two PlDT DSl, one CPU without monitor, 16 different cellphones and one Ipad during the operation.

All 20 suspects who are residents from different parts of Bulacan were taken to the PNP-ACG headquarters in Camp Crame for documentation after they were apprised of their constitutional rights, said the PNP-ACG director.

Eleazar said the sextortion rings target males who are lured by messages from attractive women to expose their private parts on webcam. They are then told to pay up if they did not want the images to be shared with friends, family members and social media contacts.

He said that “sextortion” syndicates usually demand USD500USD2,000 from their victims. PNA

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan— The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has given the Cagayan North International Airport a Global Express certificate to accommodate bigger airplanes.

Jose Mari Ponce, administrator and chief executive officer of Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, said CAAP has issued the new certificate which will allow the operations of Global Express aircraft category and below (Code 3C).

“This means that, from the previous permit limiting the operations under Code 2C [29-seater aircraft and below], the Airport can now cater to 100-seater and below aircraft,” Ponce said.

He said that with the new certificate, Ceza can now invite bigger aircraft operators in the P1.6billion airport.

“We have been aggressive in inviting investors to locate in the area and a big airline firm has already expressed interest to provide regular commercial flights to and from the Airport,” Ponce said.

He said a negotiation is ongoing with the airline company because “our intention is to open the airport to commercial flights as soon as possible,” Ponce said.

Meanwhile, Ceza public relations chief Joyce Marie Calimag said CAAP has granted the said certificate following a satisfactory inspection on the airport’s facilities and on other requirements.

Calimag said the airport project involves the development of a fully operational international airport that is able to accommodate larger aircraft and international flights.

She said the airport is a vital component in the operation of the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Free Port with its 2.1-kilometer long and 45-meter wide runway which can accommodate up to 320 airbuses.

The Cagayan airport is a twohour drive from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Valley’s regional center.

Clark Freeport seen as national operation center during calamities

By Romeo Dizon

Reading up. A grade-six student of Tenorio Elementary School in Datu Odin

Sinsuat, Maguindanao reads a leaflet handed out during a symposium on dengue fever. OMAR MANGORSI

ClARk FREEPORT, Pampanga—The former largest military installation outside the US mainland is now being envisioned as the National Operation Center during calamities.

Businessman Manny Pangilinan, co-chairman of the Philippine Disaster and Recovery Foundation, said that Clark is the ideal place for a disaster and rehabilitation center because of its location.

During a media forum

here, Pangilinan, who is also the chairman of PlDT-Smart, said that the former air base has a backdrop of hills and high elevation making itself safe from the onslaughts for severe tropical storms and floods.

Since 2015, Pangilinan has underscored NOC’s great role in coordinating efforts to mitigate the impact of disaster and conduct organize rescue effort.

Unlike the present center of the foundation which is located in Salcedo Village in

Makati, Clark is also known for its well-paved and wide road network including the access to the Subic seaport via SCTEX. “Clark is readily accessible. It has an airport and is thickly populated and I don’t think there is an earthquake fault here,” he said.

Other co-chairmen of the foundation are Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala of Ayala Corp. and Cardinal luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila.

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ADELLE chuA EDITOR F R I D AY, J u N E 24 , 2 0 1 6

opinion [ EDI TORI A L ]

Traffic soluTion The traffic mess in Metro Manila and other urban areas in the rest of the Philippines has long been the scourge of commuters and workers. It has robbed the population of precious hours and caused huge economic losses that the previous administration largely ignored.

The Aquino government’s insensitivity to the plight of commuters, indeed, has infuriated many and it is just fitting that they should be given a break. Incoming Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade’s proposal to grant President-elect Rodrigo Duterte special powers to deal with the deteriorating traffic situation in Metro Manila is a change that had been a long time coming.

The transportation infrastructure has been unable to keep up with the rising demand, while vehicle sales in the Philippines have risen to unprecedented heights.

The proposal to grant special powers to Mr. Duterte has gained support from many sectors, especially from the Makati Business Club and former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The business community noted that the Philippines was near transportation crisis that needed urgent action and solutions.

Arroyo is proposing a bill in Congress to grant the powers to Mr. Duterte, saying the traffic congestion in Metro Manila “impedes progress and leads to a situation where billions are lost daily in fuel cost, man hours and opportunities.”

The bill also aims to empower Mr. Duterte to reorganize the Metro Manila Development Authority to make it more effective, innovative and responsive to the traffic crisis in Metro Manila. MMDA is one agency that has failed to live up to its role in meeting the demands of a growing metropolis.

The government must also use its powers to accelerate the construction of roads and rail systems and penalize companies for any delay in the job. It should start relocating provincial bus stations along major roads like edsa to decongest the metropolis.

The riding public deserves a break from the traffic chaos after being long neglected by the callous Aquino administration.

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), 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

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Vice as VirTue lOwDOwn jOjO A. ROblEs There’s being prudent and frugal and then there’s being lazy and incompetent. The first two traits belong to the virtuous, while the last two should be rightly shunned as vices.

A friend wrote recently about attending one of those daily goodbye sessions that President Noynoy Aquino has been holding for the past few weeks. There, she learned that Aquino, among his many claims, was leaving behind P1.5 trillion in the national treasury.

Being of the Yellow persuasion—apart from being somewhat uncritical in her thinking, which is probably the same thing—my friend announced this online with no small amount of jubilation. Then she added that she asked to kiss Aquino before he left the room, perhaps as a sort of personal “thank you” from her for his being such a great steward of the nation’s fi-

Aquino’s feckless, lackadaisical and performance-free reign is really all about what he didn’t do while in office.

nances.

I found this truly offensive.

And no, I’m not just talking about planting a kiss on Aquino’s nicotine-stained lips, either.

I wondered if Aquino understood what he was telling people regarding all the money he was leaving behind—the people who are no longer enamored with him, anyway, who clearly constiRolando G. Estabillo Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

tute the vast majority. how could an administration that stands universally accused of doing basically nothing for six years be proud of accumulating a trillion and a half in government funds that it could have used for needful things?

Is there nothing else that this country needs funding for that Aquino now has the luxury of collecting money? how many roads, bridges, school buildings, ports and airports, to name just a few things that the people desperately need, would such a huge amount be able to construct?

I mean, if Aquino had chosen to give out all the money he had stockpiled to the beneficiaries of his conditional cash transfer dole scheme, perhaps that would have been a better use for it— never mind if a sizable chunk of the funds intended for the program is stolen by politicians. (Of course, we already know that the half-a-billion or so earmarked for the cash dole every year is borrowed from foreign financial institutions; even in giving to the poor, Aquino has chosen to Continued on A11

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F R I D AY, J U N E 24 , 2 0 1 6

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

On the eve Of a verdict PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO LegaL circles are abuzz with talk of an impending verdict in the dispute between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China. The arbitral tribunal that has jurisdiction under the compulsory dispute-settlement provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is said to be ready to promulgate judgment sometime in the first week of July. Not too long ago, an article appeared in the South China Morning Post on how the PROC might save face after an adverse judgment. It is widely (not wildly, I hope) surmised that the tribunal will rule in favor of the Philippines.

What China would do should judgment be adverse to it is a no-brainer. at the outset, it has rejected the tribunal’s assertion of jurisdiction. It abstained from participation in all proceedings. But it had earlier issued statements and declara-

tions that provided the adjudicating panel with enough material with which to make out the PROC’s legal claim and its warrants. Predictably, the Chinese will shrug off the decision—or at least put on the appearance of shrugging it off—by pointing to its non-participation in the proceedings. Legally, of course, that is an untenable position. a party to a dispute cannot avoid the binding force of adjudication by the expedient of refusing to participate. The proceedings, it must be insisted, were not voluntary. arbitration is the “default-setting” in respect to dispute resolution when the parties —antecedently bound by the provisions of the Convention— have not agreed on a common mode of dispute settlement. and so it is that many, Filipinos among them, doubt that the judgment would do very much. How does one enforce a judgment against a behemoth that has muscle enough to keep even the americans at bay? But that is not really the point. The first effect of any judgment is a declaration

All this talk about negotiations and a return to bilateral talks is, at this stage, premature.

of where rights lie, and in the case of the present dispute, that might just be what is most important. China’s aggression in the area—its forcible occupation of islands and features, its eviction of all others from the disputed waters, its saberrattling—would be arrant lawlessness, if not criminality, except for the color of legitimacy lent by its claims, supported by documents it has thus far proffered, including maps supposedly going back to the Sung

Dynasty. after a tribunal ruling that passes upon the claims of either party, then it shall become clear whose actions are pursuant to sovereignty and whose are nothing more than the swaggering of a bully!

But it will be well to remember what the matter in issue is, what the law calls the lis mota.

The judgment will not resolve claims to sovereignty. That is beyond the jurisdiction of the proceedings and beyond the purview of UNCLOS. Claims to territorial sovereignty are properly raised in different proceedings, if not before the International Court of Justice.

What we have asked the arbitral tribunal to rule on are our claims to sovereign rights and the actions of the People’s Republic of China in that part of ocean vis-a-vis the rights guaranteed us by the Convention. at the moment, any action of the american government to interdict further incursions of the PROC is suspect in that it can always be assumed that america is protecting american interests, no matter that

these may not be patent! With a tribunal ruling, however, any action of any other State to check China’s advances will be “pursuant to law,” “in accordance with law,” “in defense of adjudicated rights.” and that is not something that can be dismissed as de minimis, a rather forgettable triviality! and all this talk about negotiations and a return to bilateral talks is, at this stage, premature. We went that path before and it did not serve us well at all. China did not want the issue internationalized because it might have suspected from the very outset that its claims were exaggerated and that not too many would be comfortable with its expansionist overtures!

Let the judgment issue first, and if we come out with an arbitral pronouncement in our favor, then let us sit down to negotiations, secure in the pronouncement that the law is on our side. rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

Key perfOrmance indicatOr Of Our pensiOn agencies FILIPINO PENSIONER HORACIO tEmPLO SIx years from now, the standards that we used to measure the performance of PNoy’s administration would also be applied to President Digong’s team.

In the case of the Social Security System, most of these standards are already summarized in its monthly Facts and Figures Report, which it publishes in its website. Soon, this report will show the final statistics describing its program at the end of PNoy’s administration, and from which President Digong’s SSS would be compared six years later.

In it we can view its average monthly retirement pension, which, for us pensioners, is the key performance indicator that measures the effectiveness of SSS. Its fund life is also an important detail of its operations, but its purpose is mainly to assure us of the financial sustainability of the pension program.

But as of today or seven days before the end of June, SSS has only released the November 2015 value of its aMRP:

P3,615.

Similarly, the KPI of the government Service Insurance System is also its aMRP, not its concessionary loans to its members and pensioners.

While it does not disclose its aMRP and fund life, its minimum pension of P5,000 is high enough to dwarf by comparison the SSS aMRP. Neither pension agency has released its 2015 annual Report as of today.

PNoy’s appointed bosses would only demonstrate their irresponsibility by not writing and releasing these reports by June 30. President Digong’s new appointees would surely not cherish writing them the way President Cory’s appointees in February 1986 wrote blindly their predecessors’ 1985 accomplishment reports.

These agencies are not openly disclosing the values of their aMRP and fund life.

But they are submitting them to the Department of Finance and the governance Commission for government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations, which now supervise them.

We are sure that if the incoming administration wants, it could easily disclose publicly these pension details.

How much should the SSS

aMRP be at the end of President Digong’s administration?

If that P2,000 across-theboard pension increase is immediately released, its aMRP would suddenly jump to P5,615. also, if five 10-percent annual increases were to be granted annually henceforth, its aMRP would reach P9,043.01 six years from now.

Those who now receive P10,000 would have their pensions increased to P19,326.12, or by 93 percent.

Would that be enough? For some, maybe, but not for many who would be getting less than this amount, even if the aMRP were increased 150 percent or multiplied 2-1/2 times.

SSS could certainly not afford these increases, but it could implement them in phases by prioritizing pensioners according to their needs.

My friends Billy and Cristy have suggested that P2,000 could be given to those who are 80 years old and above, P1,500 to those aged 70 to 80 years old, and P1,000 to the rest. SSS could first improve the pensions of widows with young children or those who live alone.

But eventually, SSS would have to shore up its funding. and increasing the contribution rate and freeing the salary cap

that is subject to deduction— not via taxes to subsidize the scheme—are the most appropriate ways of achieving this.

We could propose a number of innovative contribution and pension formulas, but they could always be challenged. after all, they are yet to be tested and proven.

But who would challenge the gSIS pension system? It has worked and has kept its members happy.

Therefore, why not adopt it for private sector workers? after all, they, too, should enjoy the same pension benefits of public sector retirees.

I have been conducting informal surveys among my private-sector friends about their willingness to pay the same pension contributions as their public sector counterparts, and their responses have been positive. I need only to explain briefly the gSIS contribution and pension formulas, and immediately they would agree to adopt them. They don’t require exaggerated assurances of higher pensions.

Jo, for instance, earns P100,000 a month and would have to contribute P9,000 while ed, who makes P50,000, has to contribute P4,500.

Compared to their present SSS

contribution shares of P581.30 for each of them, these contributions are definitely much higher. Jo would increase 15.5 times his contributions, and ed, eight times.

If their employers would match the contributions of public sector employers, they have to contribute P12,000 for Jo, and P6,000 for ed. These amounts are also much higher to what they now contribute— P1,178.70 for each.

But consequently, my friends’ pensions would be P75,000 and P37,500, respectively. Beyond doubt, these are significantly much higher than the present maximum SSS pension of about P13,140.

These contribution and pension adjustments need not be done overnight. They could be implemented gradually over the next six years, or even in the next 20 years.

We have to start narrowing the very wide gap between the public and private sector pension amounts.

Who says that these are easy to implement? They could be even harder than solving our illegal drug, criminality, and traffic problems.

But as President Digong has said, “If there’s a will, there’s a wa y.”

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Bracing for the Big one BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO Metro Manila residents carried out an earthquake evacuation drill in preparation for “the big one”—a 7.2-magnitude temblor that will run along from the West Valley fault in Marikina to the cities of Pasig, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, all the way to Biñan Calamba and Sta. rosa in Laguna. Unlike typhoons and severe weather conditions that can be predicted by meteorologists, you never know when an earthquake will strike. Aside from causing buildings and other structures to crumble, earthquakes can also set off fires and tsunamis. two north-bound lanes of the Guadalupe bridge were temporarily closed to traffic during Wednesday’s earthquake drill. Contingency plans are in place, according to the Metro Manila Development Authority, in case the muchtraveled Guadalupe bridge connecting Mandaluyong to Makati collapses. MMDA officials have designated alternate

vice... From A8 borrow, instead of spending his own government’s money.)

But let’s attempt to put Aquino’s P1.5-trillion claim in its proper context. First of all, Aquino’s administration allocated a humongous, recordbreaking total of P13 trillion in funds in the national budget over its six years in office.

Having P1.5 trillion left over is just like leaving around 10 percent of all the budgeted funds in six years—for a government that built nothing at all of significance, it certainly spent a mind-boggling amount of money.

Then, there’s the national debt stock. According to the Freedom from Debt Coalition, Aquino assumed office in

bridges—if they are deemed still structurally safe after an earthquake—if this happens.

These metro-wide shake drills is the second such exercise to prepare school children and residents of high-rise condominium towers. A growing concern among residents in high rises is the small space in designated areas for evacuation. Some of them, merely parking spaces for cars, lie near the area of buildings which if could send debris spilling over to the evacuees.

What ever happened to the required parks and green spaces designated by law in Makati’s central business district? Land developers, particularly the Ayala group, have constructed condo towers in every available space in Makati. The Ayala triangle park, once a haven for joggers and walkers living within Salcedo Village, has lost the corner space on Paseo de roxas and Makati Avenue to give way to the new location of the Mandarin Hotel which is being reconstructed as another high-rise condominium building in the area.

The elderly and persons with disabilities are advised against living in high-rise condominiums. evacuation during earth-

quakes can be quite a challenge.

With the elevators turned off for safety, going down those long flight of stairs can be excruciating, if not daunting. I myself live on the 24th floor of a condo building and I dread the thought of having to take the stairs even to go down. If the earthquake happens at night, it would be a nightmare to move out in total darkness. Certainly, power will be cut off when an earthquake strikes.

Here are a few survival tips worth keeping in mind. Have a flashlight, a whistle, all your needed medications and a medium- size bottle of water in a bag near the door so that you can easily grab it when leaving your condo unit in case of earthquake or fire. The whistle can be a life saver if you are trapped in the rubble and no one can hear your cries for help.

While an earthquake drill makes sense to brace for the big one, let’s hope and pray it does not happen soon or at all.

Unfortunately it’s only a matter of time because the Philippines is located, like other countries laced around the Pacific “rim of fire.” Most of these countries from Chile in South America to Indonesia in Asia have volcanoes and are

prone to earthquakes.

A revealing SOCE The Statement of Contributions and expenditures submitted by defeated presidential candidate Mar roxas revealed that his mother, Judy Araneta roxas, bankrolled his Palace run with P110 million. The SoCe required from candidates who ran in the last elections showed Mar spent a total of P487 million, next to Senator Grace Poe, the biggest spender with P511 million. Not bad for a foundling abandoned at the door of a church in Jaro, Iloilo. A lot of businessmen must have lost a lot of money in betting on her winning.

President-elect rodrigo Duterte who rode on his mass appeal spent only P371 million.This would prove money and political machinery do not make for a surefire formula for winning the presidency. Winning as president, even by a landslide, is also not an indication of acceptability.

The next six years of Duterte will tell voters whether they made a mistake or the former Davao mayor really deserved to win. Will Digong deliver on his campaign promises or will he turn out to be just an

entertainer who can regale the masses with his vulgar and expletive-laced language?

All in the family Senator J.V. ejercito has been ordered arrested by the Sandiganbayan in connection with his role as San Juan City mayor in the allegedly anomalous purchase of high-powered submachine guns worth P2.1 million. Aside from ejercito, the Sandiganbayan also issued arrest warrants against 13 other former San Juan officials after the ombudsman found probable cause for technical malversation when the money was taken from the city’s calamity funds. earlier, the senator said the case was politically motivated and the amount was too small for him to even get involved.

He posted bail for his temporary liberty.

Jayvee is the son of former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph estrada who was convicted of plunder but was pardoned by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Jayvee’s half brother, Senator Jinggoy estrada, is under detention for allegedly taking kickbacks in the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam of Janet Lim Napoles.

2010, when the national debt was a little under P2.3 trillion; by the start of 2016, Aquino had borrowed a total of P4.16 trillion, leaving behind a national debt of P6.4 trillion, or nearly three times of what he found when he started his term.

Finally, there’s the famous underspending that is the real financial hallmark of Aquino’s administration, the macroeconomic equivalent of the political policy of noynoying. Most estimates say that this soon-tobe-extinct administration actually failed to spend a total of P1 trillion in funds that it had already set aside and apportioned to its various agencies in budgets prepared over six years.

What this means is that the P1.5 trillion that Aquino claims

he is leaving to his successor is only P500 billion, because his government’s incompetence has led to the failure to spend for projects that it had already set aside funds for. Now, what president in his right mind would claim underspending as an achievement? *** If you’ve noticed, Aquino’s feckless, lackadaisical and performance-free reign is marked by “achievements” that are really all about what he didn’t do while in office. And so, Aquino can claim that he didn’t steal from the government and that he didn’t even spend that money, never mind if nearly a third of the population still live below the poverty line.

Now, if Aquino were

elected to become a security guard at the Bangko Sentral, he should be commended for not stealing and not spending.

But because Aquino’s job is to spend for government programs to help the poor, not just his Makati Business Club cronies, he has no reason to be proud—heck, if he stole a little while spending, like many of his predecessors did, he’d still be a better president in my book.

But I believe that Aquino is by nature and by choice really a slacker. At his age, and after stepping down the highest position in the land, he’s even going home to his mother’s old house, where he doesn’t even have a wife or a child to welcome him back.

Which brings me back to an old theme of mine, which is that Aquino’s real gift is not running a government or working for the people. It’s talking about how good he is, despite the near-total absence of proof.

But what bothers me is that some people—a very small number these days, to be sure —still fall the same old Aquino shtick. okay, you may kiss him now.

#failocracy

Mr. Lopez’s column will resume next week.

chong ardivilla

FRIDAY: J UNE 24, 2016

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Cardinals, Bombers try again Taconing vows to win WBC fly crown

By Ronnie Nathanielsz THE Philippines’ Jonathan Taconing left for Mexico early Thursday morning, determined to return home with the World Boxing Council junior flyweight belt having trained for over two months for his showdown with Mexico’s Ganigan Lopez.

The champion will be making the first defense of the title he won from Japan’s Yu Kimura in Japan.

The management team of Johnny and Liza Elorde said the original fight date was set back. Despite the disruption to his training schedule, the 29-year-old southpaw has trained rigorously. He sparred a total of 160 rounds against Benezer Alolod, Ruel Rosia, Robert Onggocan, Jerome Clabite, Felipe Cagobgob, Cris Alfante and Edward Semillano.

Liza told The Standard that her two sons, Miguel and Martin Elorde will accompany Taconing to Mexico for the fight at the Arena Coliseo in Mexico City on July 2.

She said she and her husband Johnny will follow in time for the title fight.

Boxing Scene’s Jake Donovan described the hardhitting Taconing as “a dangerous opponent” for champion Lopez.

Donovan noted that while Lopez’s first defense taking place at home should be considered a luxury, it can be argued that his upcoming defense is an even tougher task four months after outpointing Yu Kimura on the road in Japan.

AFTER a failed attempt at making the finals last year, Mapua and Jose Rizal are expected to give it all out for another shot at an elusive championship berth.

The Cardinals have kept an almost intact line up anchored on reigning MVP Allwell Oraeme, CJ Isit and the comebacking duo of Andrew Estrella and Joseph Eriobu, making it a favorite to make it to the Final Four for the second straight year as a legitimate title favorite.

Same with the Bombers,

who have kept their old core of Tey Teodoro, Paolo Pontejos, Jordan dela Paz, Gio Lasquety and the frontcourt pair of Abdoul Poutouochi and Abdul Razak Abdul Wahab to remain as another pre-season favorite.

And Mapua coach Atoy Co likes his chances.

“We’ve been playing a

lot of tune up games and I’m happy with the way my team is playing,” said Co in Filipino. “I just hope it will translate into another good NCAA season for us because we’re really looking forward to make it back to the Final Four and hopefully the finals.”

Jose Rizal mentor Vergel Meneses, in contrast, was quick to downplay their chances.

“We’re the least visible team in the pre-season, so I’m surprised people consider us a favorite,” said

Meneses.

Truly, Jose Rizal played only in the Fr. Martin Cup where it ended up in the quarterfinals this summer.

During their stint, Teodoro and Pontejos have accounted themselves really well.

“It’s just the pre-season.

But we will need them (Teodoro and Pontejos) to really step up for us to have a chance,” said Meneses.

After a pair of miserable performances in his first two years, Co finally came through and made it to the

Final Four after finishing third in the elimination round with a 12-6 (win-loss) record.

Mapua lost to eventual champion Letran, 90-91.

But making it that far not only ended Mapua’s Final Four miseries, it also kept Co his job for a few more seasons.

Jose Rizal had also done well last year by winding up fourth also with a 12-6 card but was beaten by San Beda in the finals, 68-78.

“We’ll try again this year,” said Meneses.

Red-hot Lascuña breaks away by 6

Tony Lascuña hits an approach shot on No. 12.

ANTIPOLO—Tony Lascuña bettered his opening 65 with a solid seven-under 64 despite tough conditions yesterday and pulled away by six strokes over Michael Bibat halfway through the P2 million ICTSI Forest Hills Championship at the Forest Hills Golf and Country Club here.

Four birdies at the front spiked Lascuña’s flawless 31-33 card as the Davaoeño ace shotmaker continued to pound the par-71 layout with near-impeccable long game, solid iron play and steady putting that put him way out in front at 13-under 129.

“I was just lucky to have put it all together for two days.

My driving, iron and short game and putting are clicking,” said Lascuña, who made it look easy while the rest of the field grumbled over the tough course made more daunting by the early morning rain.

Bibat took the challenger’s role with a 68 as erstwhile pursuer and chief rival Clyde Mondilla groped for form in demanding condition at the rolling, tight layout, limping with a double-bogey and a bogey against a lone birdie for a two-over 73.

Bibat stumbled with two

bogeys but rammed in five birdies, the last from 40 feet out at the par-4 No. 8 that capped his pair of 34s and a 135.

“Tony has been solid with his ball striking and putting but I can’t control his shots. So I just have to focus on my game and see what happens in the last two days,” said Bibat, who stressed the need to keep the ball on the fairways to have a chance to score.

Jay Bayron fired a twounder 69 while Marvin Dumandan carded a 70 as they moved to joint third but lay nine shots off Lascuña at 138 while Orlan Sumcad and Nelson Huerva stood a shot farther back at 139 with a 67 and 72, respectively.

Bayron, a former Asian Development Tour Order of Merit winner, will join Lascuña and Bibat in the featured flight in today’s pivotal third round of the 72-hole championship, the eighth leg of the Philippine Golf Tour sponsored by ICTSI. Mondilla, who like Lascuña is chasing a third leg win after scoring back-to-back title romps at Eastridge and Calatagan, fell to joint seventh with Mars Pucay at 140, 11 strokes off the pace.

Kuwait hales IOC to court for $1b KUWAIT CITY—Kuwait has filed suit in a Swiss court seeking $1 billion in damages from the International Olympic Committee over its suspension from competition, its youth and information minister said.

The IOC and world football governing body FIFA suspended Kuwait in October over laws that allow government interference in sports.

Sheikh Salman al-Humoud Al-Sabah said that the suspension, which threatens to exclude Kuwaiti athletes from the Olympics in Rio in August, was “unjustifiable” and imposed without proper investigation.

“It’s totally unacceptable that Kuwait is treated in this

unfair way and barred from international sports activities without any appropriate probe being conducted,” the official KUNA news agency quoted the minister as saying late on Wednesday.

The minister did not give further details of the lawsuit but the IOC is headquartered in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Apart from the IOC and FIFA, 16 other international sporting federations have also blacklisted Kuwait.

In January, the Kuwaiti government filed suit in a domestic court seeking damages of $1.3 billion from 15 Kuwaiti sports officials it alleged had actively sought the suspensions.

They included Sheikh

Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, who heads the Olympic Council of Asia and is a top IOC official as well as a member of the FIFA executive committee.

The youth minister renewed those allegations on Wednesday, charging that officials who were supposed to represent Kuwait had been “happy” about the country’s suspension.

The Kuwaiti parliament approved sweeping changes to sports laws on Monday but MPs said the amendments did not go far enough to end the country’s suspension.

It is the third time since 2007 that FIFA and the IOC have suspended Kuwait for alleged government interference. AFP

The RP Blu Girls, aiming for a slot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where women’s softball has been re-instated as a regular event, are shown with ASAPHIL President Jean Henri Lhuillier and the rest of the newly elected ASAPHIL Board. The team, which has been dominating the Southeast Asian Games, will be joining two strong international tournaments as part of a long-term preparation for its campaign to earn an Olympic slot.

FRIDAY: J UNE 24, 2016

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Cleveland fans give Cavs hero’s welcome

With his teammates listening, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers gives a speech to the fans during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Victory Parade And Rally in Cleveland, Ohio. AFP

C L E V E L A N D —D ow ntown Cleveland was a sea of wine and gold Wednesday as hundreds of thousands of jubilant fans gave a hero’s welcome to NBA superstar LeBron James and his Cavaliers teammates.

The team brought home the city’s first major sports title in more than 50 years —since the Browns took the National Football League title in 1964—ending the longest such drought for any American city.

Confetti in the team’s colors rained down as the parade snaked through the city, with the NBA championship trophy in a black pickup truck and team members traveling in separate vehicles.

The Cavaliers, led by series MVP James, pulled off the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history to dethrone the Golden State Warriors, winning Game 7 on Sunday 93-89 to complete an improbable rally from a

A Rose in the Garden NEW YORK—Chicago Bulls playmaker Derrick Rose, a former NBA Most Valuable Player nagged by knee injuries for years, was traded to the New York Knicks on Wednesday in a six-player deal.

The move came on the eve of the NBA Draft, when the Knicks will look for more help after missing the playoffs last season.

Rose, fellow guard Justin Holiday and a secondround 2017 NBA Draft pick were sent to New York by the Bulls in exchange for center Robin Lopez and guards Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon.

“Knowing Derrick as I do makes this trade a hard one,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. “Everyone knows him as the local kid who became MVP for his hometown team, but not

everyone got to know him like I did. While he is a terrific basketball player, he is an even better person with a tremendous heart.”

Oft-injured Rose, 27, tore his left anterior cruciate knee ligament in the 2012 playoffs and tore the meniscus in his right knee early in the 2013-14 campaign.

Rose averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 assists for the Bulls last season.

“I wish him the best of health for the remainder of his career and I want to personally thank him for everything he did on the court and in the community dur-

Rose

ing his time with the Chicago Bulls,” Reinsdorf said.

The Bulls were also linked to trade talk involving guard Jimmy Butler and the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves, but that is less likely with Rose being moved.

The Knicks add backcourt depth with Holiday, 27, who averaged 4.5 points and 1.7 rebounds a game

last season after coming to Chicago in a deal with Atlanta.

Knicks president Phil Jackson says his club should make the playoffs next season with the combination of a healthy Rose alongside Carmelo Anthony and rising star Kristaps Porzingis.

The trio should help the Knicks in their triangle offensive scheme, one used famously by Jackson in his days with the Michael Jordan-led Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.

New Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek takes over a team that finished 32-50 last season, a third consecutive losing campaign.

Calderon, who turns 35 in September, was New York’s starting point guard and averaged 7.6 points and a career-worst 4.1 assists per game last season.

Grant, 23, added 5.6 points and 2.3 assists a game in 2015-16 while Lopez, 28, averaged 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds last season.

The Atlanta Hawks traded point guard Jeff Teague to the Indiana Pacers as part of a three-team deal that sends point guard George Hill from Indiana to the Utah Jazz, who will send the 12th pick in Thursday’s NBA draft to Atlanta.

Teague, 27, averaged 15.7 points and 5.9 assists last season in leading the Hawks to a 48-34 record, saying in a now-deleted Instagram post that he played the entire season with a torn knee tendon.

Atlanta was swept in the playoffs by eventual NBA champion Cleveland for the second season in a row.

Hill, 30, averaged 12.1 points and 3.4 assists with the Pacers last season. AFP

Clean-Up run listup extended REGISTRATION for the 2016 Manila Bay Clean Up Run has been extended to July 4.

The event, which is part of fund-raising efforts for the environmental sanitation program instituted by establishments along Roxas Boulevard under the “sunset partnership,” will be held on Sunday,

UFC fighter...

From A14

single time they don’t see it in my skin tone, but I wear it in my heart.”

Dodson, known for his moniker The Magician, is one of the UFC’s

July 10 and is open to all interested participants in the 3K, 5K, 10K, and 21K divisions for both men and women. Medals and cash prizes will be given to the top three winners in each race.

Interested runners may register at the designated registration desk at the lobby of Manila Broad-

casting Company, Sotto Street, CCP Complex, Pasay City or at Olympic Village outlets in Trinoma, Market Market, Alabang Town Center, Gateway Mall, SM Taytay, and Robinsons Antipolo.

For detailed enquiries, call Runners Link at mobile number 0926.205.2787

quickest and most explosive bantamweight fighters with a current fight record of 19 wins and 7 losses.

He is the Ultimate Fighter 14 winner following a victory over UFC bantamweight TJ Dillashaw.

Dodson’s visit is part of the UFC’s promotional activity for the holding of the UFC Fight Night Manila 2 on Oct. 15 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

UFC fights are shown live on Cignal TV via Hyper Channel 53 and Hyper HD Channel 130.

Runners of last year’s Manila Bay Clean Up Run wait for the starting gun.

3-1 deficit to take the title.

Many fans wore team jerseys—23 for James or 2 for Kyrie Irving were the most popular—and waved team flags, some of them dancing with joy.

James—who turned in a performance for the ages in the Finals, sealing his place in the pantheon of the sport’s greats—stood atop the convertible in which he was traveling, extending his arms to the crowd.

“King” James also documented the festivities with his smartphone, while Irving hopped off his pickup truck, high-fiving fans and gesturing to the crowd.

In a moment filled with symbolism at Wednesday’s post-parade rally, James accepted the MVP trophy from Jim Brown, a legendary running back who helped the Browns win in 1964.

“What’s going on right now is still unreal,” James said. AFP

Trackster intensifies training

By Peter Atencio RIO-bound Cebuana runner Mary Joy Tabal is getting ready to take her preparations for the 2016 Olympics to the next level.

She will leave in the next four days for Japan to train at the Nippon Sports Science Institute under Olympian Akio Usami in Yokohama.

Tabal was supposed to leave last week of July.

After finally getting confirmation that she will be in the women’s marathon event, Tabal’s training schedule has since changed.

“Tuloy lang ang training.

I am now undergoing something more intense,” said Tabal after she emerged from an evening workout with her coach John Philip Duenas at the Cebu Sports Complex.

The 26-year-old Tabal clocked two hours, 43 minutes and 31 second when she hit the Olympic qualifying standard in the 2016 Scotia Bank Ottawa Marathon almost a month ago.

Duenas is helping Tabal recover physically from the extreme difficulties she experienced, while running in Canada.

He is making her run 10-km intervals around the oval in a bid to help achieve a steady pace.

The pace will help Tabal feel comfortable when she tries to hit a lower target time of two hours and 35 minutes.

“She is 70 to 80 percent ready. I am trying to get her to have a relaxed pace while going for 10 kilometers in her every run,” said Duenas.

Tabal is expected to be in Rio by Aug. 2, at least a week before the opening ceremonies.

F R I D AY : J U N E 24 , 2 0 1 6

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Government sports body to put up regional offices

By Peter Atencio

THE Philippine Sports Commission will be bigger in scope when William “Butch” Ramirez returns as Chairman of the government sports agency.

Regional offices will be put up in numerous provinces to reinforce incoming President Rodrigo Duterte’s thrust to strengthen the agency’s grassroots sports program

at the national level.

This is also in line with the Duterte administration’s efforts to push for the implementation of federalism in the country.

“Palalakasin natin ang

community sports kaya magkakaroon tayo ng maraming regional offices,” said Ramirez, who accepted President Duterte’s offer last Monday.

Ramirez, in an interview with The Standard, said he will officially assume office on July 1. He will meet outgoing PSC chairman Ricardo “Richie” Garcia and other PSC employees on June 28.

He earlier had a meeting with incoming execu-

tive secretary Salvador Medialdea.

Aside from basketball star Ramon Fernandez, Ramirez is tapping former PSC executive director Joseph Encabo to also return to the agency, this time as a commissioner.

Someone associated with the camp of Senator Allan Peter Cayetano, Duterte’s vice presidential running mate, will be named commissioner.

Wilfredo Roldan, a for-

mer sports complex administrator of the Philsports Arena, is also rumored to be one of the commissioners.

Ramirez is crafting plans to revamp the training program of national athletes.

He headed the Davao City Sports Development Division after he quit his post as PSC Chairman in 2008.

Ramirez wants resources of the agency to be directed and focused on the training of national athletes.

UFC fighter Dodson proud of Pinay mom

By Randy Caluag MIXED martial arts fighter John Dodson is very proud of his Filipina mother and he does not hide it.

In fact, everything he does on the cage is dedicated to her.

“I make my mom proud every single day. I just don’t sit there and try to hide my heritage,” said the bantamweight contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s media event at the Maxims Resort World Manila.

“My mom is my biggest inspiration because she is the woman who worked hard to get me where I am today,” he added.

Sports 5 and Cignal TV hosted Dodson’s three-day visit to the Philippines, where her mother, Esperanza Montemayor, comes from.

Esperanza acted as a single parent to Dodson and his brother Eric.

“My mom and dad divorced when we were younger. She worked four jobs to make sure we have a roof over our head and food at our table,” Dodson said. “It’s time for me to repay and work hard for her as well.”

Filipino fans get to meet and greet Dodson in an open workout tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) at the Robinsons Place in Manila.

“I want to meet the true fans and show the world that I’m a Filipino. I want them stop asking questions over and over again.

People, I am Filipino,” added Dodson. “I tell people that every Turn to A13

Wensh Tiu of Generika scores against Jaja Santiago and Carol Ann Cerveza of Foton. ROMAN PROSPERO

OUTGOING Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Ricardo “Richie” Garcia said William “Butch” Ramirez’s past experience in the government sports body will be a big plus when he officially returns to the agency next week.

Garcia said this during the launch of the PSC’s coffee table book “The Triumph of Philippine Sports in 25 Years,” at the PSC Athletes’ Dining Hall in Vito Cruz, Manila.

“The experience of Butch Ramirez as Chairman will be an asset for him,” said Garcia, adding that an official of the PSC must have a feel for the athletes and also be able to get along with the leaders of more than 50 national sports associations.

Garcia was PSC Chairman for six years.

He added that he had a great working relationship with Ramirez, starting when the incoming PSC chief came aboard as commissioner of the sports agency in 1999 and until he became Chairman during president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s time.

“This is a welcome appointment to all, considering that he has been here before,” said Garcia.

Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., who was present at the book launch, said it won’t be difficult for the POC to establish a good working relationship with Ramirez.

“We won’t be wasting our time trying to get acquainted and having a good working arrangement. We have worked together for a few years,” said Cojuangco.

Peter Atencio

New recruit Rondina carries Foton past Generika CHERRY Rondina announced her arrival with a big performance, towing Foton to a thrilling 25-11, 22-25, 26-24, 25-21 victory over Generika Thursday night in the 2016 Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference women’s volleyball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.

Rondina, a pint-sized open spiker, who was a direct hire from University of Santo Tomas, came

was switched from through with crucial Saturday middle to the open hits in the fourth set 2 p.m.Games • Petron vs Generika to help the Tornadoes 4 p.m. • RC Cola vs Cignal spiker position to finish the job with 12 kills and capture their first win in this prestigious club tourney four blocks for Foton, which made bankrolled by KLab Cyscorpions, an emphatic performance after Asics, Grand Sports, Mikasa, Muel- dropping its opening-day game to ler and Senoh with TV5 as official Petron. broadcast partner.

“It’s good that we lost to Petron in Rondina delivered 19 of her 21 our first game. At least the wake-up points on kills, while Jaja Santiago call came early,” said Foton coach

UFC Fight Night returns to Manila in October FOLLOWING on the heels of 2015’s inaugural UFC live event in the Philippines, UFC, the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts organization, and SM Lifestyle Entertainment join forces again this year to bring fans another sensational night of fights—the UFC Fight Night Manila at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Oct. 15.

This coming October, UFC looks to exceed last year’s historic debut, which featured an electric showdown between longtime rivals

Ramirez’s past PSC experience a plus, says Garcia

Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber.

The fight that had everyone talking however, belonged to Mark Munoz, who, after a dramatic victory, hung up his gloves before a roaring hometown Manila audience.

This year’s event promises to be another night to remember, with the best MMA athletes in the world taking to the Octagon, ready to go to battle and make their mark in front of Filipino fans.

“We are very excited to be back

in the Philippines,” Executive Vice President & General Manager of UFC Asia Kenneth Berger said. “The consistently warm reception we receive from Filipino fans and last year’s sold out event shows us that UFC has an incredibly strong following in the country. Manila is a fighting city and we hope to put on another unforgettable show that will capture the hearts of Filipino sports fans throughout the country.”

The event is sponsored by Mon-

ster Energy, Harley Davidson Asia Pacific, Hudson Shipping Lines, Reebok Philippines, Lazada Philippines and Police Watches.

Viewed by many as the pinnacle of MMA, the world-class sporting events UFC has held in the region over the years have built a wide base of fervent fans across Asia. Previous events in the region have taken place in Macau, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo, attracting tens of thousands of fans and millions of TV viewers.

Villet Ponce-de Leon. “They saw the effect of that loss and everybody woke up and vowed to win it this time. It was a total team effort.”

With the Lifesavers threatening to stretch the game to a deciding fifth set, 14-11, Rondina caught fire and almost single-handedly carried the Tornadoes, giving them a 19-16 lead entering the crucial phase of the match.

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

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445th araw ng maynila

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Manila, still the premier Philippine city Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines, is celebrating the 445th year of its cityhood. Early this year national Competitiveness Council (nCC) ranked the City of Manila 1st Place in Overall Competitiveness, 1st Place in infrastructure, and 1st Place among all Highly Urbanized Cities in the country. The city surely has gone a long way—through ups and downs—from its beginnings as “a small tribal settlement ruled

by Rajah Sulayman on the banks of the Pasig River near the mouth of Manila Bay,” according to Manila.PH. Last May 9, incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada received a fresh mandate from the city dwellers together with his running mate, first-time Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna.

History In 1571, Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived at the mouth of the Pasig River and claimed the islands in the name of the King of

Spain. He established the “distinguished and ever loyal city” of Manila, proclaiming it as the capital. Thus began more than 300 years of Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Manila.

PH relates.

“The new city was enciBy the late 1800s, Spain lost control over the Philippines, with her major defeat by the American fleet in the Battle of Manila Bay.

From 1942-1945, the country was under Japanese occupation. “In July of 1946, the Commonwealth government under Manuel L. Quezon declared independence,” Manila.PH narrated.

The website added that “the post-war years saw reconstruction of Manila. Land was developed in areas now covered by the cities of Makati, Mandaluyong and San Juan.

Subdivisions and residential villages flourished in Quezon City, Pasig, Pasay and Parañaque.”

Industries burgeoned in Calookan, Malabon and Valenzuela, Manila.PH further said. “Adjoining municipalities of Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Taguig, Pateros and Marikina were developed.”

And in 1976, a conglomeration of four cities - Manila, Pasay, Calookan and Quezon City - and 13 municipalities was officially designated as Metro Manila, the National Capital Region.

Tourist Attractions A visitor’s first experience of the city life are the parks, the churches and the historical sites. Rizal Park or Luneta is still popular among the middle classes and is often the place where students rehearse their dances, plays and choral recitations, martial arts trainees practice their skills, and aspiring bartenders juggle wooden bottles amidst families having picnics on the grass. Paco Park, like the Luneta, is known for its stage presentations. Manila Bay is famous for its sunset, and nearby Ermita and Malate abound in hotels, malls, restaurants, spas, antique shops and night clubs.

In the old days, shoppers flocked to Divisoria market for textiles, clothes and just about everything on their shopping list. It has since turned into a modern shopping district, with Tutuban Mall, an antique train station restored and turned into a shopping center, 168 Mall, 999 Mall, Lucky Chinatown,

without losing its textile merchandise. Around Manila, other malls had made their mark, including SM Manila, SM San Lazaro, SM Sta Mesa, Lucky Chinatown, Robinsons Place Manila and other stores.

For history buffs, there is Intramuros, the Walled City, fronted by Fort Santiago, where national hero Jose Rizal spent his last hours.

There is the Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Republic.

Nayong Filipino, which gathers replicas of the tourist spots of the country in one place, the City Hall itself, the Palacio Del Gobernador, Plaza Sampalucan and the list goes on.

For those interested in the Catholic faith, Manila has the Manila Cathedral, San Augustin Church, Santa Cruz church in the city’s downtown, Quiapo Church or the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, Malate Church and Binondo Church.

Aside from Paco cem-

etery, the locals lay their dead to rest at the Manila North Cemetery, the Chinese Cemetery and the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

For art and history enthusiasts, they will find much to love in the National Museum, the Archdiocesan Museum of Manila, the Central Bank Money Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with its Central Bank pre-colonial gold and pottery collection, and, for children, the Museo Pambata. The city is home to many famous schools and universities such as the De la Salle University, the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the Philippines in Manila.

Indeed, Manila is still a favored destination for migrants, businessmen, students, and tourists. The city’s leaders are working to uplift the standard of living of their constituents, and to make the city a mecca for investors. The Standard wishes the Manileños a Happy 445th anniversary! Edgardo S. Tugade

We combine decades of industry savvy, smart technologies, top-rate equipment and expert workforce to move your goods through our ports swiftly and safely.

Father figure. Estrada is a hands-on mayor.

Estrada ... From A16 Insurance Corporation membership of the city’s 42,000 poor in 2015 and increased it to P142 million during 2016.

The City also invested in human capital, so that his administration was able to build 22 schools; while the public school teachers’ incomes were hiked.

Among his achievements is the modernization and rehabilitation of seven city public markets, i.e. the San Andres market, Trabaho Market, Sampaloc market, Quinta market, Sta Ana Market, Central Market and Paco market.

The Manila mayor said that when he first assumed office, cash on hand was only P230 million, which was not enough to run the city or meet the payroll of city hall personnel for a month.

With Manila hosting more than two million people, dirty, with a high crime rate and plagued with traffic, he immediately instituted reforms, including boosting the city coffers.

He updated the property taxes and doubled real-estate taxes, angering many businessmen. Revenues improved from P3.04 billion in 2012 to PP6.7 billion in 2015.

Crime incidence has fallen from 11,468 in 2102 to 8,842 in 2015, with the cooperation of barangay officials, the police and the residents. Estrada also gave the police force P136 million in back allowances. The Manila police district received 41 new mobile patrol cars and 110 electric personal transporters.

Only last year, Estrada declared a 14th-month incentive pay for all city employees, on top of the 13th-month pay.

Estrada said the city government is also planning to buy more lands for the construction of barangay halls, which are mostly located on sidewalks.

Estrada plans to regain ownership of Metropolitan Theater, Manila’s cultural landmark which was taken by former first Lady Imelda Marcos during Martial Law. The cultural icon is being remodeled to give rise to a blackbox theater, galleries and exhibit halls, lounges and open spaces.

Also to be developed is the Pasig River Promenade to revive the Escolta-Intramuros Boardwalk with riverside walkways, shops and gardens.

Because your customers can’t wait...

We keep moving to keep your business moving and growing.

ASIA-PACIFIC Philippines: Manila | Subic | Laguna | Batangas Davao | Gen. Santos City | Misamis Oriental Tagum City | Indonesia: Jakarta | Makassar Muara, Brunei Darussalam | Karachi, Pakistan Yantai, China | Melbourne, Australia AMERICAS Portland, Oregon, USA | Mexico: Manzanillo | Tuxpan Puerto Cortes, Honduras | Guayaquil, Ecuador Pernambuco, Brazil | Buenaventura, Colombia La Plata, Argentina EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST Gdynia, Poland | Batumi, Georgia | Rijeka, Croatia Umm Qasr, Iraq AFRICA Toamasina, Madagascar | Lagos, Nigeria Matadi, DR Congo

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A16

f r i DAY : j u n e 24 , 2 0 16

445th araw ng maynila

eDGArDO S. TuGADe SUPPLEMENT EDITOR

Estrada to make Manila great again

By Vito Barcelo Bringing back Manila to its old glory would be a gargantuan task for re-elected Manila Mayor, former President Joseph Estrada—more popularly known to film buffs as “Erap”—because life is building fresh successes on past achievements.

Estrada, who will lead today’s celebration of Manila’s 445th founding anniversary, has envisioned a more illustrious and modern city, but one that remembers history, as he rehabilitates and reconstructs old buildings and structures around the city.

In an interview, Estrada admitted that bringing the past back would be impossible, but making the present benefit the millions of Manilenos is feasible and will make young Filipinos proud.

He said that clinging to the past is useless, and giving way to technological advancements is the only way to go.

The mayor said his administration lifted the city government from bankruptcy, which stemmed from alleged mismanagement and corruption during the administration of his predecessor.

He said that under his leadership, the local government has paid its debt of P57 million to Maynilad

Water Services Inc., another P650 million in electricity charges as well as P4.4-billion tax liabilities.

Estrada has a 10-point agenda that is posted on the city’s website manila.gov.ph. First on the agenda is peace and order, which the mayor wishes to improve by reviving its police force, Manila’s Finest. The next concern is the health of the citizens, which will be addresses by sufficient medicine and affordable health care services. On Estrada’s housing agenda is the provision of decent shelter for the poor within the city. To fill transportation needs and solve traffic, the mayor proposes to improve and clean up roads, bridges and rivers. Related to this is cleanliness, which will be maintained through efficient collection and disposal of garbage.

Through his program for education, Estrada hopes to make Manila a “center of academic excellence.”

To give the city’s youth a wholistic education, the mayor is working to

Estrada’s Manila. An ultramodern city rich in history. boost sports development in all its districts. Estrada said his style of governance is “tapyasan ang labis,” i.e. an efficient distribution of resources where they are most needed. Transparency, he defines as faithful and honest public service.

And the 10th point on his agenda is people participation to realize the administration’s plans.

In the past three years, Manila’s chief executive said, he made it the most competitive city and has reduced crime incidence and raised

crime solution and efficiency.

Estrada added that he paid P5 billion in city debts and improved health services for the masses.

In fact, the city spent more than P100 million for Philippine Health

Continued on A15

B1

FRIDAY: JUNE 24 , 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Coal plants now face hurdles

By Alena Mae S. Flores

NEW coal power plant projects are facing uncertainties following the appointment of Regina Lopez as the new Environment secretary, an industry executive said Thursday.

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte named Lopez as the new head of the Environment Department, which is in charge of issuing environmental compliance certificates to new power projects.

Lopez is a daughter of ABS-CBN chairman Emeritus Eugenio Lopez Jr. Her family controls renewable energy producer First Philippine

Holdings Corp., which declared its stance against coal projects.

Other power companies, however, are building thousands of megawatts of new coal-fired power plants across the country’s three power grids to meet the rising power demand.

“With a true bloodied environmentalist heading the DENR, get-

ting an ECC for coal plants will really go through very stringent requirements,” said Rolando Bacani, president of Global Business Power Corp., one of the largest independent power producers, which owns and operates several coal power plants.

Bacani, however, said he remained optimistic that the construction of coal plants would continue “until such time that reliable sources of non-fossil-fired baseload plants are available and acceptable to the Filipinos [natural gas and nuclear power plant].”

Global Business Power is building a 670-megawatt coal-fired power plant in La Union.

Meralco PowerGen Corp., the power generation arm of Manila Electric Co., is waiting for new policies from the department to determine whether these policies will have an impact on projects in the pipeline.

“We will have to wait for new policies, if any is forthcoming,” Meralco PowerGen general manager Aaron Domingo said, adding existing power projects had already gone through the proper and complete process to secure the ECCs. Meralco PowerGen, together with partners, is putting up several coal-fired power projects such as the 455-MW San Bue-

naventura coal-fired power plant in Quezon, 1,200-MW Atimonan coal project also in Quezon and the 600-MW Redondo Peninsula Energy Corp.’s coal plant in Subic.

Other companies that have ongoing coal power projects and new coal projects in the pipeline are San Miguel Corp., Aboitiz Power Corp., AES Philippines, Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp.

The coal plants are also facing challenges this year as the Climate Change Commission pushed for a review of the country’s energy policy with the view of eventually replacing coal plants with renewable energy projects.

PSe comPoSite index Closing June 23, 2016

8300

BSP’s award.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is the NCR regional champion of Gawad Kaligtasan at Kalusugan Award of the Labor Department.

BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. (center) receives the plaque from Systems and Methods Office director Catherine Regala (second from left), Health Services Office director Susan Sison (fourth from left) and Facilities Management Engineering Department director Carlos Panes (right). With Tetangco is BSP Deputy Governor Vicente Aquino (left).

GKK is an award given by the Labor Department in recognition of the outstanding achievements of establishments and individuals in terms of responding to the safety and health needs of workers, workplaces and community.

7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,729.78 28.59

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing June 23, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.535

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.475 LOW P46.580 AVERAGE P46.533 VOLUME 591.000M

P427.00-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank P36.35-P43.45 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.75-P29.60 Diesel

Bloomberry selling Jeju casino in South Korea

By Jenniffer B. Austria BLOOMBERRY Resorts Corp., the integrated casino and resort developer owned by businessman Enrique Razon Jr., said Thursday it is selling its casino property in Jeju Island, South Korea.

“Bloomberry Resorts Corp. and Iao Kun Group Holding Company Limited hereby jointly announce that their respective subsidiaries have signed an agreement on the sale by Solaire Korea Co. Ltd. of its 96.23-percent shareholding in Golden & Luxury Co. Ltd.—the owner and operator of the Jeju Sun Hotel & Casino in Jeju Island, South Korea,” Bloomberry said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

The agreement is subject to several conditions, including the satisfactory results of a due diligence that Iao Kun will conduct on the shares to be sold, G&L and its assets and business.

It is also subject to the approval of other government authorities, according to Bloomberry.

The purchase price for the shares and the shareholder’s loan is 117.5 billion Korean won.

Bloomberry said other details would be disclosed once the transaction was completed within the next 45 days.

“Iao Kun desires to enter into the Jeju market and is confident that it can attract its Chinese VIP customers to Jeju Island.

Solaire Korea on the other hand

intends to focus its effort on the development of its property in Muui and Silmi Islands,” Bloomberry said.

Iao Kun Group is a holding company which operates through its subsidiaries and related promoter companies as a VIP room gaming promoter.

The company is entitled to receive all of the profits of the VIP gaming promoters from VIP gaming rooms.

Analysts said the move to sell Bloomberry’s assets in Jeju Island would help eliminate the financial drag into its operations.

Jeju Sun Hotel & Casino, which is five minutes away from Jeju International Airport, has 208 rooms and suites, 2,125

square meters of gaming space, dining options featuring fresh local produce and international cuisine, a bar and lounge and other hotel facilities such as an events space.

The hotel and casino complex was reopened in September 2015 after implementing the first phase of a multi-stage refurbishment plan.

Under Solaire Korea’s management, the newly renovated casino was equipped with the latest state-of-the-art table games and electronic gaming equipment for the exclusive use of foreign guests.

Share price of Bloomberry closed lower by 1 percent to P5.90 Thursday.

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, June 23, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.5110

Japan

Yen

0.009579

0.4455

UK

Pound

1.471200

68.4270

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128899

5.9952

Switzerland

Franc

1.043515

48.5349

Canada

Dollar

0.778695

36.2179

Singapore

Dollar

0.747440

34.7642

Australia

Dollar

0.750000

34.8833

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653083

123.3975

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266738

12.4063

Brunei

Dollar

0.744657

34.6347

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028401

1.3210

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.6650

Euro

Euro

1.129900

52.5528

Korea

Won

0.000871

0.0405

China

Yuan

0.152091

7.0739

India

Rupee

0.014828

0.6897

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.248016

11.5355

New Zealand

Dollar

0.716100

33.3065

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031136

1.4482 Source: PDS Bridge

FRIDAY: JUNE 24, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Thursday, June 23, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

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

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

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 First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

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 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3 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 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 5.29 6.66 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 156 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 1.15 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3 3.52 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 5.6 1.44 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 2.8 0.79 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.6 3.41 46.5 45.5 109.60 109.20 97.30 96.50 38.2 38 5.19 3.48 1.39 1.36 14.2 14.02 18.2 18 0.7 0.7 1.87 1.83 595.00 594.00 0.550 0.540 89.05 88.5 0.91 0.91 15.04 15.00 22.80 22.80 59.85 58.10 105.7 104.7 262 260 32.95 32.3 202.8 200.2 1379.00 1361.00 65.80 65.30 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

46.8 46.9 46.55 Agrinurture Inc. 3.76 3.8 3.71 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.81 0.81 0.8 Alsons Cons.

1.99 2.03 1.99 Asiabest Group 12.32 12.36 11.5 Bogo Medelin 55.1 55.05 55 C. Azuc De Tarlac 190.00 204.00 204.00 Century Food 21.55 22.05 21.5 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 183 186 178 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 16.5 16.7 16.3 Concepcion 46.15 46.15 46 Crown Asia 2.08 2.16 2.04 Da Vinci Capital 5.18 5.65 5.15 Del Monte 11.4 11.4 11.18 DNL Industries Inc. 9.730 9.750 9.600 Emperador 7.10 7.29 7.10 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.72 5.85 5.63 EEI 7.85 7.85 7.75 Euro-Med Lab 1.85 1.85 1.7 First Gen Corp.

24.9 26 24.9 First Holdings ‘A’ 67.7 70.2 68 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.14 15.20 15.00 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.47 5.59 5.47 Ionics Inc 2.300 2.310 2.270 Jollibee Foods Corp.

234.60 234.60 231.60 Liberty Flour 33.00 33.00 33.00 LMG Chemicals 1.83 1.83 1.8 Macay Holdings 38.70 38.55 35.10 Manila Water Co. Inc. 27 27.2 26.85 Maxs Group 28.45 28.2 27.6 Megawide 6.6 6.69 6.6 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 318.00 319.20 315.60 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.18 4.30 4.25 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.42 3.54 3.38 Petron Corporation 11.38 11.48 11.32 Phil H2O 3.09 3.09 3.02 Phinma Corporation 11.64 11.64 11.64 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.20 6.20 6.06 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.69 1.70 1.67 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.75 2.79 2.75 RFM Corporation 4.20 4.23 4.20 Roxas and Co. 2.31 2.32 2.31 Roxas Holdings 4.12 4.11 4.11 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 212.2 215 213 Splash Corporation 2.61 2.65 2.58 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.149 0.149 0.147 TKC Steel Corp.

1.62 1.67 1.58 Trans-Asia Oil 2.48 2.48 2.46 Universal Robina 206.6 206.2 205 Victorias Milling 4.71 4.71 4.52 Vitarich Corp.

0.88 0.91 0.88 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.28 1.30 1.30 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.370 0.385 0.370 Aboitiz Equity 75.60 75.60 75.30 Alliance Global Inc. 15.80 15.80 15.62 Anglo Holdings A 1.14 1.14 1.13 Anscor `A’ 6.05 6.10 5.99 ATN Holdings A 0.370 0.415 0.370 ATN Holdings B 0.355 0.415 0.370 Ayala Corp `A’ 870 870.5 846 Cosco Capital 7.85 7.98 7.83 DMCI Holdings 12.90 12.90 12.64 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.37 5.33 5.33 F&J Prince ‘B’ 6.1 6.5 6 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

6.40 6.40 6.38 Forum Pacific 0.215 0.224 0.224 GT Capital 1520 1520 1488 House of Inv. 6.46 6.33 6.33 JG Summit Holdings 85.30 85.45 84.50 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5.3 5.79 5.22 Keppel Holdings `B’ 6.98 6 6 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.75 7.8 7.64 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.7 0.7 0.69 LT Group 15.78 16.1 15.7 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.6 6.8 6.56 Pacifica `A’ 0.0320 0.0330 0.0320 Prime Media Hldg 1.340 1.350 1.350 Prime Orion 1.820 1.810 1.810 San Miguel Corp `A’ 78.00 79.00 78.00 Seafront `A’ 2.13 2.23 2.21 SM Investments Inc. 980.00 990.00 976.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.17 1.15 1.15 Top Frontier 190.000 190.000 188.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3100 0.3100 0.3100 Wellex Industries 0.2010 0.2010 0.1960 Zeus Holdings 0.295 0.305 0.295 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.460 7.600 7.470 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.23 1.25 1.21 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.170 2.190 2.170 Arthaland Corp.

0.265 0.270 0.270 Ayala Land `B’ 39.600 39.550 38.800 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.37 3.45 3.35 Cebu Holdings 5.15 5.16 5.15 Cebu Prop. `A’ 5.73 5.45 5.45 Century Property 0.510 0.51 0.495 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.080 1.120 1.080 Crown Equities Inc. 0.135 0.135 0.133 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.670 0.670 0.650 Double Dragon 57.9 60.5 56.6 Empire East Land 0.800 0.800 0.800

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

Close

SHARES 10,262,839 76,254,501 151,012,424 142,001,869 284,822,341 1,665,032,291 2,336,894,185

3.53 46 109.50 97.25 38 3.46 1.38 14 18 0.73 1.77 595.00 0.540 88.5 0.91 15.00 23.00 58.95 104.9 262 32.25 202.8 1361.00 65.35

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.49 46.5 109.50 97.30 38 4.20 1.39 14.2 18.12 0.7 1.86 594.00 0.540 88.85 0.91 15.04 22.80 58.60 104.9 260.2 32.4 201 1379.00 65.30

-1.13 1.09 0.00 0.05 0.00 21.39 0.72 1.43 0.67 -4.11 5.08 -0.17 0.00 0.40 0.00 0.27 -0.87 -0.59 0.00 -0.69 0.47 -0.89 1.32 -0.08

213,000 68,000 1,422,850 1,097,590 49,800 1,586,000 49,000 3,000 266,700 1,000 26,000 2,420 618,000 3,084,950 106,000 47,200 16,400 519,970 1,010 4,840 179,200 549,780 85 348,190

45.85 3.78 0.81 2.02 12.3 55 204.00 21.5 180 16.4 46 2.12 5.64 11.4 9.610 7.10 5.63 7.80 1.7 24.9 69 15.10 5.58 2.300 232.20 33.00 1.8 38.55 27.1 28.1 6.67 316.20 4.30 3.38 11.32 3.02 11.64 6.15 1.68 2.75 4.21 2.31 4.11 213 2.59 0.147 1.62 2.47 205.6 4.71 0.9 1.30

-2.03 0.53 0.00 1.51 -0.16 -0.18 7.37 -0.23 -1.64 -0.61 -0.33 1.92 8.88 0.00 -1.23 0.00 -1.57 -0.64 -8.11 0.00 1.92 -0.26 2.01 0.00 -1.02 0.00 -1.64 -0.39 0.37 -1.23 1.06 -0.57 2.87 -1.17 -0.53 -2.27 0.00 -0.81 -0.59 0.00 0.24 0.00 -0.24 0.38 -0.77 -1.34 0.00 -0.40 -0.48 0.00 2.27 1.56

771,300 312,000 337,000 2,410,000 1,700 350 10 487,700 6,870 870,900 6,400 2,322,000 1,265,600 23,100 1,796,000 880,500 23,218,700 60,500 28,000 12,584,400 501,870 570,700 60,800 2,135,000 439,830 50,000 10,000 200 590,500 151,000 28,600 212,710 10,000 220,000 1,582,900 7,000 200 1,745,400 426,000 48,000 709,000 14,000 4,000 140 712,000 4,330,000 494,000 577,000 1,589,160 2,000 7,360,000 40,000

0.385 75.40 15.80 1.13 6.01 0.400 0.390 847 7.83 12.78 5.33 6.5 6.38 0.224 1500 6.33 84.80 5.31 6 7.8 0.69 16 6.8 0.0320 1.350 1.810 79.00 2.23 990.00 1.15 190.000 0.3100 0.1970 0.300

4.05 -0.26 0.00 -0.88 -0.66 8.11 9.86 -2.64 -0.25 -0.93 -0.74 6.56 -0.31 4.19 -1.32 -2.01 -0.59 0.19 -14.04 0.65 -1.43 1.39 3.03 0.00 0.75 -0.55 1.28 4.69 1.02 -1.71 0.00 0.00 -1.99 1.69

460,000 874,150 1,787,900 12,000 13,600 95,600,000 3,230,000 222,900 979,900 5,739,000 2,600 9,500 50,700 10,000 68,350 61,200 1,301,740 2,100 3,000 1,322,600 77,000 8,743,700 22,317,400 2,700,000 34,000 114,000 104,530 88,000 121,660 40,000 5,070 210,000 750,000 3,690,000

7.500 1.24 2.170 0.270 38.950 3.4 5.16 5.45 0.500 1.110 0.135 0.660 60.1 0.800

0.54 0.81 0.00 1.89 -1.64 0.89 0.19 -4.89 -1.96 2.78 0.00 -1.49 3.80 0.00

245,800 1,832,000 199,000 1,630,000 8,545,900 1,156,000 41,900 100 3,862,000 281,000 830,000 21,549,000 1,436,800 317,000

2,837,910.00 45,444,096 -45,224,279.00 1,132,400.00 11,480.00 243,220.00 91,100.00 130,796,202.50 13,098,920.50 525,450 -22,505,102.00 9,743,572.50 12,076,840.00 -182,699.99 223,890.00 -59,800 214,000.00 3,236,014.00 -3,850,346.00 -2,945,113.00 34,166,841.00 -2,330.00 1,720.00 62,166,720.00 6,217,981.50 8,142,420.00 -344,000.00 -17,851,088.00 -1,934,145.00 115,020.00 6,670.00 -7,249,590.00 -660,460.00 -247,416.00 704,090.00 -81,800.00 476,880.00 120.00 73,500.00 12,400.00 181,620,730.00 6,220.00

12,952,486.50 -15,531,600.00 -174,300.00 1,389,465.00 343,230.00 -8,456,302.00

-10,542,595.00 63,300.00 34,140,132.00 -1,199,597.00 58,593,818.00 35,146,868.00 41,600.00 -705,237.50 25,355,345.00 3,800.00

52 Weeks

Close

High

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

-2.60 0.00 0.00 25.89 2.19 2.25 0.00 2.22 -3.98 -0.21 0.00 -3.35 2.59 0.39 3.41 2.99 -1.96 -0.93

70,000 492,000 10,897,000 77,000 54,161,000 6,000,000 60,000 400,000 3,800 24,100 2,129,200 614,000 330,000 17,057,600 3,636,000 200 490,000 3,601,600

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 0.017

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 3.2 95.5 1 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.95 3.1 0.650 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 4 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 2.28 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ Imperial Res. `B’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. 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 Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

-0.68 -0.72 1.56 -1.64 0.88 1.32 -1.01 0.00 -2.02 0.15 -1.42 -1.95 0.94 0.00 -0.08 0.63 -18.27 0.88 0.16 -0.77 -0.60 -9.09 -3.33 -5.48 3.16 -2.13 -0.17 -0.64 0.00 3.05 -0.90 -3.39 2.52 1.75 1.79 1.12 0.00 0.00 2.48 0.00 -1.91 1.16 1.72 -1.16 -3.31 8.49 -1.88 0.00 1.47 4.48 -6.61

28,500 417,400 14,000 553,000 1,200 214,900 3,415,700 72,390,000 2,286,000 328,420 2,600 5,000 50,600 57,600 28,940 33,600 900 15,000 2,407,450 15,200 70 11,200,000 827,800 78,520,000 2,692,000 57,000 11,500 203,300 974,000 45,000 600 21,000 15,446,000 26,224,000 12,626,000 6,400 48,000 5,000 10 43,700 85,980 6,950,000 21,323,000 2,679,600 196,700 12,998,100 4,441,000 1,986,000 596,000 30,000 139,200

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 6.5 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

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

Benguet Corp `A’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

2.44 5.09 -3.82 0.00 -1.35 1.67 -4.17 0.11 -1.16 0.00 3.02 3.31 8.33 0.00 1.69 6.88 1.15 -1.79 -3.23 0.00 20.00 2.81 6.44 3.14 0.00 1.09 -1.04 20.00

223,000,000 410,000.00 657,000 4,360.00 199,000 -51,870.00 90,000 18,600 1,049,000 1,820,000 35,700 44,130,000 -975,000.00 560,000 113,070,000 7,290,000 27,400.00 831,500,000 245,800,000 335,000 58,880.00 9,469,000 415,200.00 123,000 291,000 755,000 120,000.00 42,500,000 1,100,000 2,200.00 1,000 15,449,900 -530,521.00 4,914,000 -2,087,990.00 1,000,000 2,144,260 -53,840,063.00 815,000 33,660.00 116,700,000

70 525

33 500

-0.74 1.57 -46.10 7.12 0.00 -0.18 4.75 0.00 0.00 -1.30 0.00 0.00 0.17 1.32 0.00 1.33 0.00 0.46 0.00 0.52

95,100 6,000 600 90 2,000 170 700 2,000 270 1,800 130 1,910 5,030 6,190 41,710 15,070 18,000 1,000 2,100 135,000

-2.58

172,000

-2.76 -2.58 2.12 -1.88

1,451,000 16,000 4,701,400 1,335,800

-0.55

3,320

118 120 515 8.21 12.28 111 1060 84.8

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ BC Pref A 101 First Gen F 101.5 First Gen G 480 GLOBE PREF P 5.88 GMA Holdings Inc. 6.5 Leisure and Resort 101 MWIDE PREF 997 PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B 1011 PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3B 75 SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,750.68 (down) 0.75 INDUSTRIAL 11,853.57 (down) 54.97 HOLDING FIRMS 7,642.13 (down) 11.79 PROPERTY 3,363.99 (down) 7.97 SERVICES 1,619.28 (down) 18.73 MINING & OIL 10,866.71 (up) 252.01 PSEI 7,729.78 (down) 26.59 All Shares Index 4,598.44 (down) 4.70 Gainers: 100; Losers: 100; Unchanged: 47; Total: 247

Close

Ever Gotesco 0.154 Global-Estate 0.98 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.99 Keppel Properties 4.21 Megaworld 4.57 MRC Allied Ind. 0.089 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2550 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.450 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 42.70 Primex Corp.

9.62 Robinson’s Land `B’ 30.10 Rockwell 1.79 Shang Properties Inc. 3.09 SM Prime Holdings 25.55 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.88 Starmalls 6.7 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.020 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.350

0.150 0.150 0.150 0.99 0.98 0.98 2.00 1.97 1.99 5.70 4.21 5.30 4.69 4.58 4.67 0.091 0.083 0.091 0.2550 0.2550 0.2550 0.475 0.445 0.460 42.50 40.70 41.00 9.65 9.31 9.6 30.50 29.75 30.10 1.83 1.73 1.73 3.17 3.1 3.17 25.85 25.50 25.65 0.91 0.88 0.91 6.9 6.9 6.9 1.030 1.000 1.000 5.360 5.270 5.300 SERVICES 7.4 7.4 7.3 7.35 48.65 49 47.9 48.3 1.28 1.3 1.3 1.3 0.610 0.610 0.600 0.600 11.3 11.4 11.4 11.4 7.6 8.05 7.61 7.7 5.96 6.02 5.85 5.90 0.0620 0.0640 0.0620 0.0620 2.97 3.05 2.9 2.91 97.75 98.5 97.45 97.9 9.88 9.75 9.29 9.74 2.05 2.01 2.01 2.01 6.40 6.46 6.25 6.46 960 960 960 960 2384 2400 2376 2382 6.32 6.37 6.34 6.36 26.00 21.25 21.15 21.25 1.14 1.18 1.15 1.15 61.8 62 61 61.9 13.00 13.30 12.90 12.90 166 165 165 165 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 9.61 9.50 9.29 9.29 0.365 0.370 0.340 0.345 1.5800 1.6600 1.5800 1.6300 2.35 2.35 2.23 2.3 12.02 12.3 12 12 7.80 7.80 7.75 7.75 3.23 3.33 3.23 3.23 2.62 2.70 2.70 2.70 19.98 19.80 19.80 19.80 0.590 0.570 0.570 0.570 3.18 3.4 3.19 3.26 4.01 4.16 4.00 4.08 2.800 2.970 2.780 2.850 12.5 12.64 12.2 12.64 4.80 4.81 4.80 4.80 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 121.00 124.00 124.00 124.00 24.40 24.40 24.10 24.40 2090.00 2092.00 2042.00 2050.00 0.430 0.455 0.425 0.435 1.160 1.190 1.140 1.180 43.00 43.00 42.25 42.50 83.20 83.20 80.45 80.45 6.36 6.90 6.27 6.90 3.20 3.21 3.12 3.14 0.580 0.590 0.580 0.580 3.4 3.48 3.4 3.45 0.335 0.350 0.335 0.350 6.200 6.200 5.780 5.790 MINING & OIL 0.0041 0.0042 0.0041 0.0042 2.16 2.28 2.17 2.27 4.45 4.47 4.27 4.28 0.233 0.233 0.233 0.233 7.4000 7.3 6.96 7.3000 0.6 0.62 0.59 0.61 0.480 0.485 0.455 0.460 8.90 9.00 8.53 8.91 0.860 0.870 0.830 0.850 0.290 0.305 0.280 0.290 0.232 0.246 0.225 0.239 0.242 0.250 0.240 0.250 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 0.0140 0.0140 0.0130 0.0140 1.78 1.81 1.67 1.81 4.8 5.13 4.69 5.13 2.6 2.67 2.6 2.63 0.5600 0.5600 0.5500 0.5500 1.2400 1.2100 1.1900 1.2000 0.0100 0.0110 0.0099 0.0100 0.0100 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 3.92 4.03 4.03 4.03 7.14 7.62 6.90 7.60 4.14 4.33 4.11 4.27 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 119.50 121.90 112.00 120.80 3.86 3.86 3.7 3.82 0.0100 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 PREFERRED 47.5 47.95 47.15 47.15 541 549.5 541 549.5 22.3 12.02 12.02 12.02 116.5 124.8 124.8 124.8 124.9 124.9 124.9 124.9 541 540 540 540 6.1 6.39 6.39 6.39 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 112 112 111.9 112 1079 1065 1065 1065 1119 1119 1119 1119 1031 1031 1031 1031 114.8 115 114.9 115 79.4 80.45 80.45 80.45 76 77 76 76 75 76 75.95 76 77.5 77.5 77 77.5 76.65 77 77 77 76.6 76.6 76.6 76.6 76.5 76.9 76.1 76.9 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.100 3.100 3.020 3.020 SME 3.99 3.99 3.88 3.88 3.49 3.5 3.4 3.4 5.18 5.53 5.06 5.29 16 16.1 15.68 15.7 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 127.7 127.6 126.3 127

T op g ainerS VALUE 727,540,131.32 1,219,622,510.24 1,069,841,880.285 1,247,260,230.405 1,119,428,809.732 525,812,254.53 5,961,784,732.512

Low

0.188 1.15 1.42 3.1 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

-35,846,485.00 52,030.00 -83,110.00 -106,480.00 1,350.00 -759,490.00 4,333,105.00

STOCKS

0.305 2.22 2.1 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

1047 1,106,543.00

Previous

High Low

-9,922,790.00 53,076,810.00 -600.00 8,900.00 24,144,120.00 93,273,750.00 -90,000.00 -7,063,086.00

18,200.00 14,436.00 503,779.00 -293,680.00 262,240.00 7,247,375.00

8,640,210.00 15,097,018.00

-16,750.00 1,640.00 46,460.00 469,749

-669,280.00 20,887,340.00 -656,890.00 -52,829.99 -4,820.00 -67,239,500.00 -8,282,860.00 -7,294,625.00 -1,449,204.00 -1,958,960.00 -296,550.00 232,000.00 -497,290.00

-792,405.00

-57,450.00 -760,000.00 -1,133,920.00

-3,219,802.00 -16,041,036.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Keppel Properties

5.30

25.89

BC Pref A

12.02

-46.10

BDO Leasing & Fin. INc.

4.20

21.39

Grand Plaza Hotel

21.25

-18.27

United Paragon

0.0120

20.00

Keppel Holdings `B'

6

-14.04

Oriental Pet. `B'

0.0120

20.00

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.0100

-9.09

ATN Holdings B

0.390

9.86

Euro-Med Lab

1.7

-8.11

Da Vinci Capital

5.64

8.88

Yehey

5.790

-6.61

SBS Phil. Corp.

6.90

8.49

Island Info

0.345

-5.48

Manila Mining `A'

0.0130

8.33

Cebu Prop. `A'

5.45

-4.89

ATN Holdings A

0.400

8.11

Coal Asia

0.460

-4.17

C. Azuc De Tarlac

204.00

7.37

First Abacus

0.7

-4.11

FRIDAY: JUNE 24, 2016

B3

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

Calata donation. Calata Corp. president, chairman and chief executive (third from left) Joseph Calata donates P2 million to a scholarship fund of De La Salle Araneta University.

The institution is known for its notable program in agricultural science, with the proceeds of the fund earmarked to deserving scholars. Shown with Calata are (from left) DLSAU Chancellor Christopher Polanco, Calata Associate Parker Ong, DLSAU president Bro. Narciso Erguiza Jr., Calata Foundation Board member Vladimir Valdepeñas and DLSAU consultant for advancement and development Jose Kalaw.

Villar IPO attracts investors

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE maiden share offering of Golden Haven Memorial Parks Inc., a leading death care development and services cocmpany owned by the Villar Group, drew strong demand from investors, with the issue more than two times oversubscribed.

Jose Anton Lichauco, president of Asian Alliance Investments Corp., the issue manager and lead underwriter handling the transaction, said in an interview the offering was received positively by investors because of good fundamentals.

He also cited the company’s close relationship and synergies with Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., the property unit of the Villar Group owned by the family of the former senator

Manuel Villar.

Lichauco said investors were attracted to Golden Haven because it was the first initial public offering this year. It is the first company engaged in memorial parks development in the Philippines to raise funds through the stock market.

Other companies engaged in the death care development and services are listed in the China and Hong Kong stock exchanges.

Stock market drops; Philex, other mining issues recover THE stock market fell Thursday on profit-taking, but mining issues recovered after being spooked by the appointment of an anti-mining crusader to the top post of the Environment and Natural Resources Department.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 26.59 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,729.78 on a value turnover of nearly P6 billion. Gainers and losers were even at 100 each, with 47 issues unchanged.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which owns Philex Mining Corp., the biggest miner, rallied 3 percent to P6.80. Philex surged 6.4 percent to P7.60, while Nickel Asia Corp., the largest nickel producer, jumped 6.7 percent to P5.13.

Conglomerate Ayala Corp. dropped 2.6 percent to P847, while unit Ayala Land Inc. declined 1.6 percent to P38.95.

The pound, meanwhile, climbed against the dollar in Asian trade

while stock markets were mostly up but traders stepped nervously as Britain began voting in a knife-edge in-out EU referendum Thursday.

Attention around the globe is now fixated on the ballot, which opinion polls are saying is too close to call but bookmakers suggest will definitely see a victory for the “remain” camp.

On equity markets, Tokyo ended up 1.1 percent and Sydney was 0.2 percent higher while Hong Kong rose 0.4 percent. Shanghai closed 0.5 percent down and Seoul shed 0.3 percent.

In early European trade London and Frankfurt each rose 0.5 percent and Paris added 0.6 percent.

Markets suffered a sharp sell-off last week after surveys indicated Britain would leave, which many analysts warn could lead to another global rout just months after a China-fueled sell-off that wiped trillions off valuations.

Demand for the company’s maiden share offering was not affected by the upcoming P40billion IPO of Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. Golden Haven’s public offering period started on June 16 and ended on June 22. The listing of the shares with the Philippine Stock Exchange is tentatively set on June 29.

The offering period for Cemex Holdings’ shares, meanwhile, is scheduled from July 4 to July 11, with the listing date tentatively set on July 18.

Golden Have plans to use proceed from the IPO to finance acquisitions and growth expansion strategies.

The Villar Group in 2015 announced it planned to accelerate the expansion of Golden Haven by putting up a branch in at least 100 sites across the country.

Golden Haven started operations in 1984 with the development of a two-hectare memorial park in Las Piñas.

The company later began to expand, opening one in Cebu in

2003, followed later by memorial parks in Cagayan De Oro City, Zamboanga City, Santuario de San Ezekiel Moreno in Las Piñas, Iloilo and Bulacan. It also plans to open branches in Pampanga and Nueva Vizcaya provinces.

Once listed, Golden Haven will be the third company owned by the Villar Group to trade in the PSE. The Villar family owns integrated property developer Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. and Starmalls Inc.

FPG INSURANCE CO., INC. (FORMERLY FEDERAL PHOENIX ASSURANCE CO., INC.) SYNOPSIS OF THE ANNUAL STATEMENT As of December 31, 2014 ADMITTED ASSETS Bonds Stocks Real estate Short-term investments Security fund Other investments (IMA) Cash on hand and in banks Premiums receivable Premiums due from ceding companies - Treaty Premiums due from ceding companies - Facultative Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses - Treaty Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses - Facultative Reinsurance recoverable on paid losses - Treaty Reinsurance recoverable on paid losses - Facultative (Claims recoverable) Accrued investment income (Dividend/Interest receivable) Electronic data processing machine TOTAL ADMITTED ASSETS LIABILITIES Losses and claims payable - Direct Business Losses and claims payable to ceding companies - Facultative Reserve for unearned premiums Premiums due to reinsurers - Treaty Premiums due to reinsurers - Facultative Premiums reserve withheld for reinsurers - Treaty Commissions payable Accrued expenses Premium tax payable Fire service tax payable Documentary stamp tax Value-added tax Withholding tax payable Other taxes and licenses payable Catastrophe loss reserve Accounts payable Other liabilities (Retirement liability, premium deposit) PAG-IBIG payable SSS/Medicare/ECC payable TOTAL LIABILITIES STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Capital stock paid-up/Statutory deposits Special surplus funds - Fluctuation reserve - Bond investments Special surplus funds - Fluctuation reserve - Stock investments Retained earnings/Earned surplus (Inclusive of NAA) TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

P

P P

P P

P

(This synopsis, prepared for the 2014 Annual Statements, approved by the Insurance Commissioner, is published pursuant to Section 231 of the Amended Insurance Code (R.A. No. 10607).

99,765,330.31 3,627,670.90 2,225,000.00 8,895,509.09 22,590.00 1,391,741,890.12 651,977,835.77 724,638,789.87 18,038,647.75 34,162,204.36 451,695,404.46 1,658,761,178.20 75,575,348.45 81,839,243.48 1,640,723.13 10,674,882.86 5,215,282,248.75 2,442,936,041.46 219,017,444.75 727,076,450.62 324,243,118.36 430,759,107.14 106,448,223.37 126,165,362.50 34,515,019.81 121,774.51 2,603,515.91 (9,805,248.00) 126,027,964.68 13,429,872.36 10,816,452.74 55,811,443.66 154,481,184.52 35,576,352.53 119,814.39 710,619.79 4,801,054,515.10 350,000,000.00 14,907,857.88 1,896,270.90 47,423,604.87 414,227,733.65 5,215,282,248.75

FRIDAY: JUNE 24, 2016

B4

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

BSP keeps interest rates steady IN BRIEF Tax collection rises 11% THE Bureau of Internal Revenue said Thursday tax collection increased 11 percent in the first five months to P659.96 billion from P596.31 billion a year ago, but fell short of the target for the period.

BIR said in a statement tax collections in the January-May period were 20.9-percent below the P833.937-billion target.

BIR said in May alone, tax collections grew 18.4 percent to P152.14 billion from a year earlier, but fell 22.4 percent short of the P196.098-billion target for the month.

Data showed that collections from BIR operations rose 11 percent in the first five months to P644.47 billion, while collections from non-BIR operations declined 3.9 percent to P15.49 billion.

BIR has a target to collect P2.025 trillion worth of taxes in 2016. Gabrielle H Binaday

Circular on renewables THE Energy Department issued a draft circular requiring electric power companies to source at least 1 percent of their annual energy demand from renewable energy resources for the next 10 years.

It said the draft circular on renewable energy portfolio standards or RPS was being adopted to contribute to the growth of the renewable energy industry by diversifying energy supply. It said the draft circular was subject to further comments from the industry.

RPS refers to a market-based policy that mandates participating companies to source an agreed portion of energy supply from eligible RE resources.

The department said the rules, once effective, should be implemented across three power grids provided that the department issued separate rules for the operationalization of the RPS in Mindanao until the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market was implemented in the said region.

The industry participants required to source not less than one percent of annual demand from renewable energy include distribution utilities, retail electricity suppliers, generating companies, distributors within the economic zones and other entities approved by the department.

Alena Mae S. Flores

By Julito G. Rada

THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, kept the benchmark interest rates steady on Thursday, amid a manageable inflation environment and robust economic growth.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said in a news briefing the interest rates were maintained at 3.5 percent for overnight lending, 3 percent for overnight borrowing and 2.5 percent for overnight deposits. The reserve requirement ratios were also left untouched.

“The Monetary Board’s decision is based on its assessment that the inflation environment continues to be manageable.

Latest forecasts showed that average inflation is likely to settle near the lower edge of the 2 to 4 percent target range in 2016 and rise toward the mid-point of the target range in 2017 and 2018,” Espenilla said.

Espenilla said with global oil prices recovering, the risk of second-round effects from lower oil prices would likely recede in the period ahead.

“Nevertheless, slower global economic activity remains a key downside risk to the inflation outlook. Given improved rainfall conditions and the shift to neutral weather conditions in the May to July period, the upside risks to food and utility prices due to El Nino are also seen to recede in the coming months,” Espenilla said.

He said domestic economic activity remained firm, backed by solid private household consumption and investment, buoyant business and consumer sentiment and sufficient credit and domestic liquidity.

The board’s move Thursday was the first time it maintained the adjusted interest rates under the interest rate corridor which

Growth fails to uplift poor

New ecozone enterprise.

INCOMING Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said Thursday he will ask the Philippine Statistics Authority to have more economic metrics measuring the impact of growth on the lives of Filipino people.

Pernia, who was tapped by President-elect Rodrigo Duterte as the director-general of the National Economic Development Authority, cited the need for metrics on how economic growth was distributed to different income groups and across regions.

“I will have to ask the Philippine Statistics Authority to have new metrics. We see the need for innovative statistics that will explain why we have high GDP growth when it is not trickling down [to the masses],” Pernia said during a joint meeting between Makati Business Club and Philippine-US Business Council at Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City.

He said the blue economy, referring to the Philippine marine ecosystem, also deserved to have separate statistics that would give guidance on how the economy should be managed in connection with poverty-alleviating measures.

The blue economy or water-based economy could be larger than land-based economy in terms of opportunities for growth, as the former accounts for about 70 percent of the entire Philippine territory, he said. Othel V. Campos

Arch Global Services Inc. president Petronila Hartman (left) receives a registration agreement from Philippine Economic Zone Authority director general Lilia de Lima (center) as an ecozone information technology enterprise to provide global information, technology/business process outsourcing and back office operations support services including information technology related services at Eaton Centris. With them is Mark Daniel Morales of Arch Global Services.

Metrobank to raise P20b METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Co., the country’s secondlargest lender, said it plans to issue long-term negotiable certificates of deposits worth P20 billion.

Metrobank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors approved Thursday the planned issuance of up to P20 billion in one or more tranches.

The bank said the LTNCDs would be issued “at P10 [billion] to P20 billion per tranche, and a tenor of 5.5 up to 10 years, subject to market conditions.”

“The president of Metrobank has been granted authority to appoint the arranger/s and required third parties for the issue, with authority to approve the pertinent details, including the timing of the launch, issue size, tenor, interest rate and denomination,” the bank said.

Other features of the LTNCD are tax exemption on interest income for individual investors if held for at least five years; quarterly interest payments; deposit insurance coverage with the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. up to a maximum of P500,000 per depositor; and negotiability subject to market conditions.

Metrobank expressed optimism that it could sustain growth this year as the economy was expected to remain robust which could boost its core businesses, particularly loans and deposits. Julito G. Rada

Ayala to sell P20-b bonds THE Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday approved the Ayala Corp.’s shelf registration of P20 billion worth of fixed-rate bonds.

Documents filed with SEC showed Ayala Corp. would initially issue P10 billion seven-year bonds, while the remaining P10 billion would be placed under shelf registration, ready for issuance within the next three years.

Ayala hired BDO Capital & Investments Corp. as the issue manager for the fund raising activity. Other lead underwriters are BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp. and First Metro Investments Corp.

Proceeds will be used to refinance the group’s P10-billion bonds maturing in April 2017.

Ayala Corp., which has major investments in real estate, banking and telecommunications sectors, expects most of its business units to continue growing at a healthy pace in 2016.

The conglomerate said it would continue to strengthen its growing portfolio of power and infrastructure investments. Jenniffer B. Austria

Govt debt papers at P3.8t GOVERNMENT’S outstanding debt papers slightly went down to P3.796 trillion as of end-May from P3.81 trillion a year ago, Treasury data show.

Data showed bulk of the debt issuances in 2015 were Treasury bonds amounting to P3.515 trillion, while Treasury bills stood at P281.4 billion.

Outstanding debt papers maturing in the next three and five years amounted to P50.76 billion and P251.398 billion, respectively.

Longer tenor papers such as the seven- and 10- year debt facilities reached P544.127 billion and P362.632 billion, respectively.

Bonds with 20 years of maturity stood at P298.32 billion while 25-year debt papers amounted to P235.98 billion.

Domestic debt papers, normally bought by banks during regular auctions, are used to finance the budget deficit and provide investment instruments in the financial system.

Gabrielle H. Binaday

started June 3.

The Monetary Board reduced the inflation forecast this year to 2 percent from an earlier estimate of 2.1 percent, but kept the forecast of 3.1 percent for 2017. The inflation forecast for 2018 was 2.6 percent.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the slight adjustment in the 2016 inflation forecast stemmed from the lower minimum wage adjustment of P10 in June compared to the planned P27 for July 2016.

Inflation in the first five months averaged 1.2 percent, below the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent. The gross domestic product grew 6.9 percent in the first quarter, faster than 5 percent a year ago.

Experts expect GDP growth to accelerate further in the second quarter.

Guinigundo downplayed any huge impact on the domestic market of the possible exit of Great Britain from the European Union, saying the Philippines’ solid macroeconomic fundamentals would make foreign investors think twice before leaving the country.

Fighting fakes THE best way to spot fakes is not by studying the counterfeits but by learning everything about the real thing until you practically start dreaming about it. Or at least that’s what some of our buddies say when we asked them how to spot fakes.

Of course, these falsies are everywhere – from medicines to perfumes to bags to cellphones and even laundry soap.

A psychologist said that some people buy fake products unknowingly, but there are a lot more who purchase products willingly despite knowing that these are counterfeit for so many reasons. They want the prestige attached to owning a branded item without having to pay an arm and a leg, or they couldn’t care less that they are breaking the law. And then there are those who think they are putting one over big business when they buy fakes that are priced far below the original products.

The recent statement of Alibaba founder Jack Ma (yup, the guy who shared the spotlight with our very own Aisa Mijeno and US President Barack Obama during

the recent Apec Summit) that fake goods sometimes (or often) turn out to be better than the original has opened a floodgate of controversy, particularly from US and European manufacturers who are oftentimes the victims of fake good manufacturers mostly coming from China.

While Alibaba does not directly sell products, it’s the one that facilitates purchases through its online platform.

Critics of Ma and Alibaba have complained that the online site has become a breeding ground for counterfeit products because it makes it easy for people to buy knockoff goods. Alibaba’s core, Taobao, handles more than 90 percent of the local consumer-to-consumer market in China while the Tmall platform covers more than 50 percent of consumer-to-consumer transactions.

Following his “controversial statement,” Ma has since clarified that Alibaba has “zero tolerance” for fakes. “Failing to protect original designs, trademarks and technology is akin to thievery, and it is detrimental not only to innovation but also to the integrity of the marketplace,” the Alibaba founder stated. “We do not and will never condone any act of stealing,” he reiterated, but this has been received with a lot of skepticism.

Estimates place the amount of fake trade at a quarter of a trillion pounds according to a recent study from the UK.

It would appear that piracy as an industry has increased a lot in just a decade, with fake goods now estimated to make up 2.5 percent of all international trade, up from 1.9 percent in 2005 – and these do not even include figures from file sharing and illegal downloads.

In the Philippines, the problem of fakes is also getting a lot of attention, so much so that the Homeland Security Agency has seen fit to conduct a workshop for the NBI and the PNP on how to enforce action against intellectual property violators and most importantly, how they can successfully prosecute violators.

Undoubtedly, law enforcement plays a major role in curbing the proliferation of fakes – from investigation to apprehension down to successful prosecution.

According to reports, China is the biggest source of fake goods with 63 percent of apprehended items traced back to manufacturers from China. But then again, the business of fakes wouldn’t really grow this big if people didn’t patronize these products knowingly.

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!

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Exercise. Israeli soldiers take part in a military exercise, which includes infantry, tanks and artillery units, in the northern part of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near the border with Syria on June 23, 2016. AFP

Britain votes in referendum LONDON—Millions of Britons began voting Thursday in a bitterly-fought, knife-edge referendum that could tear up the island nation’s EU membership and spark the greatest emergency of the bloc’s 60-year history.

A record 46.5 million voters have registered to decide Britain’s future in the 28-nation European Union, which was born out of a determination to unite in lasting peace after the carnage of two world wars.

Across much of southeast England, many voters braved torrential rain to have their say in a battle fought on two main fronts: immigration and the economy.

Experts have predicted a high turnout.

The once-in-a-generation referendum asks: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”

In one of the last opinion polls before the vote, “Remain” took a lead with 48 percent against “Leave” on 42 percent. The rest

were undecided, according to the telephone survey by ComRes for the Daily Mail and ITV News.

Two other polls published on the eve of the referendum—both conducted over the Internet—had put the “Leave” camp ahead by one or two percentage points, well within the margin of error.

“Leave” advocates say a Britain cut loose from the EU will be able to rein in high levels of immigration and take back power from Brussels, while the “Remain” camp warns of a huge economic shock if Britain abandons the bloc.

World financial markets appeared to be banking on a “Remain” victory. In Tokyo trade, sterling briefly hit $1.4844—its highest level so far this year—while stock markets in London, Paris and

Frankfurt climbed in early trade.

Financial institutions are reinforcing their trading teams to cope with the prospect of frantic trading through the day and the world’s leading central banks say they are ready to react to any eventuality.

With no exit polls taking place, the result is unlikely to begin emerging before about 0300 GMT Friday.

Using the hashtag #ivoted, some people posted mobile phone images of their completed ballot papers on Twitter. Election authorities had asked voters to refrain from taking selfies.

“Our polling station had a queue of people waiting to get in at 7 am— first time anyone can remember that on polling day,” voter Nick Turner in northwestern Cumbria said on Twitter.

Under clear skies in Glasgow, Scotland, people were waiting to cast a ballot.

“It would be silly to leave,” the first voter, Gemma Rosario, a 24-year-old office worker, told AFP. “Being in the EU is an advantage for Scotland.” AFP

Porn industry sorry over coercion claims TOKYO—Japan’s multi-billiondollar pornographic industry has issued a formal apology and promised change in response to allegations that women have been forced to perform sex acts on film against their will.

The move comes after the arrest this month of three talent scouts accused of coercing a woman to perform in more than 100 pornographic films over several years.

The high-profile case sparked the industry’s response, but campaigners say the practice is more widespread and welcomed the apology as “the first of its kind”.

The Intellectual Property Promotion Association, which represents Japan’s adult film industry, said in a statement Wednesday it will “encourage

producers to take action to quickly improve the situation and restore the soundness of the entire industry”.

“The association deeply regrets that we had failed to take initiatives [to deal with problem before]. We are very sorry.”

This month, police arrested the three men, including a 49-yearold executive at Tokyo-based agency Marks Japan, on suspicion of violating the country’s labor laws.

The talent agency pressed the victim to perform in adult videos by allegedly warning her that she had to pay penalties for breach of contract if she refused, local media have reported.

The unnamed woman thought she was going to be working as a model, media said. AFP

Solar plane completes Atlantic flight

Hearing. South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius covers his eyes as the father of his late girlfriend testifies at the Pretoria High Court on June 14, 2016, on the second day of his pre-sentencing hearing set to send him back to jail for murdering his girlfriend three years ago. AFP

SEVILLE, Spain—The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Spain on Thursday morning after completing a 70-hour flight from New York in the first solo transatlantic crossing in a solar-powered airplane.

Applause broke out as the experimental plane set down at Seville airport in southern Spain just before 7:40 am (0540 GMT) where a team was on the ground to welcome Swiss pilot and adventurer Bertrand Piccard, an AFP correspondent said.

“It is so fantastic!” Piccard told the plane’s mission control center

in Monaco in remarks broadcast live on the Internet as the plane, which took off from New York on Monday, touched down. “@bertrandpiccard lands in #Seville completing, in 70h, the 1st #Atlantic solar flight #futureisclean,” the support team’s official Twitter account said.

“A dream is coming true,” the team had tweeted as the plane slowly approached its final destination early on Thursday after flying 6,272 kilometers across the Atlantic.

Solar Impulse, which has just completed the 15th leg of its

around-the-world trip, set out on March 9, 2015 in Abu Dhabi, and has flown across Asia and the Pacific to the United States with the sun as its only source of power.

“Good morning Seville! Do you have a lot of direct flights from NYC?” Piccard tweeted with a wink shortly before landing.

Prince Albert of Monaco, a patron of the project who had spent the entire night at the control center, congratulated Piccard on the journey: “Bravo, it was magnificent to see!” he said from the tiny state on the French Riviera. AFP

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Jury out in Led Zeppelin copyright case LOS ANGELES—A US jury will deliberate for a second day Thursday on whether Led Zeppelin poached the opening to “Stairway To Heaven” from an obscure Los Angeles rock band.

Songwriting duo Robert Plant and Jimmy Page have denied plagiarizing the guitar introduction of their classic 1971 song from “Taurus,” an instrumental track by the long-defunct 1960s group Spirit.

The case was brought before a federal court in Los Angeles by Michael

Skidmore, the trustee and friend of Spirit guitarist Randy California, who drowned in 1997 having never taken legal action over the song.

A jury of four men and four women deliberated for five hours Wednesday before being sent home

by Judge Gary Klausner and asked to return on Thursday morning.

Led Zeppelin frontman Plant, 67, testified on Tuesday that he recalled writing the lyrics of “Stairway” in 1970 as he and Page sat by a fireplace in an English country manor house

where the band recorded and rehearsed.

He said he was inspired to write the lines after he heard guitarist Page, 72, play the opening notes of what would become one of the most famous rock songs of all time.

The suit, which was filed by Skidmore two years ago, seeks damages and claims California deserves a songwriting credit so that he can “take his place as an author of rock’s greatest song.”

“Give credit where credit is due.

AFFIDAVIT OF SELF-ADJUDICATION OF THE ESTATES OF TERESITA TARONGOY Notice is hereby given that THE ESTATES OF TERESITA TARONGOY, who died on January 01, 2013 at 174 NIA Road, Wakas, Bocaue, Bulacan has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE OF TERESITA TARONGOYWITH ABSOLUTE DEED OF SALE AND DEED OF PARTITION of her heirs AURELIO TARONGOY, RAYMOND TARONGOY, RONALD TARONGOY, AUTER TARONGOY, and AUBREY TARONGOY, over two (2) parcels of land together with all the improvements covered by TCT No. T-9992-P(M), TCT No. T-365797 (M); the heirs hereby adjudicate themselves the above mentioned real properties and have agreed to sell one parcel of land under TCT No. T-365797 (M) to MARITA VILLAMAR; as per instrument dated April 07, 2016; known as per Doc. No. 43;Page No. 10; Book No. IV; Series of 2016 under the Notary Public ATTY. CLAUDETTE C. TOLENTINO. ( T S - J U N E 10 , 17 & 2 4 , 2 016)

Republic of the Philippines MUNICIPALITY OF CABUGAO Ilocos Sur Office of the Bids & Awards Committee Invitation to Bid for the Supply & Delivery for the Provision of Farm Inputs to Various Brgys. Of Cabugao, Ilocos Sur 1. The Local Government Unit of Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, through the R.A. 7171 under Appropriation Ordinance No. 2016-01 intends to apply the sum of Nineteen Million, Nine Hundred Ninety Two Thousand & Fifty Pesos (Php. 19,992,050.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) of the projects to payments under the contract for Contract No. 16-06-003. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The Local Government Unit of Cabugao, Ilocos Sur now invites bids for Supply & Delivery of Various Farm Inputs. Duration of the project is required for 30 calendar Days. Bidders should have completed at least 50% of the approved budget which is similar to the project to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

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

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from Local Government Unit of Cabugao and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on June 24, 2016 – July 20, 2016 until 10:00 a.m from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Fifty Thousand Pesos Only (Php. 50,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

6. The Local Government Unit of Cabugao will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 6, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at Conference Hall, Mun. Hall, Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

This case has always been about credit,” Skidmore’s attorney Francis Malofiy said as he presented his closing arguments on Wednesday.

David Woirhaye, the chief financial officer of Rhino Entertainment— which markets and distributes the Led Zeppelin catalog—testified that “Stairway” had grossed $3.4 million during the five-year period at issue in the civil trial.

“We’re asking for a one-third credit, a shared credit,” Malofiy told jurors, asking that damages of between

that amount and $13.5 million be awarded to California’s trust.

The jury had been told Zeppelin opened for Spirit when the hard rockers—Plant, Page, John Paul Jones and the late John Bonham— made their US debut on December 26, 1968 in Denver.

But the surviving members have submitted testimony that they never had substantive interaction with Spirit or listened to 1967’s “Taurus” before recording “Stairway” in December 1970 and January 1971. AFP

Democrats fail gun-control bid WASHINGTON—US Democrats failed to force Congress to vote on gun safety legislation following the Orlando nightclub massacre as Republican leaders adjourned the House early on Thursday after a dramatic overnight sit-in by Democrats.

The scenes on the House floor, unprecedented in recent history, began after Democrats took over the chamber’s proceedings for most of the day, prompting Republican Speaker Paul Ryan to gavel the House into session late at night, nearly drowned out by chants of lawmakers protesting his effort to bring the sit-in to a close.

Ryan, who dismissed the protest as a “publicity stunt,” refused to allow votes on two bills demanded by Democrats: one ex-

panding background checks to include sales at gun shows and on the Internet, and another that prevents people on the government’s no-fly list or FBI terror watch lists from buying a gun.

Instead, he called for votes on unrelated issues as he sought a return to regular order.

The Democrats shouted “No bill, no break!” referring to the efforts to prevent Congress from adjourning for the Fourth of July holiday.

“The time for silence and patience is

long gone,” said House Democrat John Lewis, a civil rights icon who marched with Martin Luther King Jr in the 1960s and led Wednesday’s protest.

“We’re calling on the leadership of the house to bring common sense gun control legislation to the house floor. Give us a vote!” he added.

“Do we have raw courage to make at least a down payment on ending gun violence in America?”

After another vote in the early hours of Thursday morning—on combating the Zika virus—15 hours after the sit-in began, the presiding officer adjourned the session for two weeks and Republicans began leaving the building.

Democratic House whip Steny Hoyer said the protest had sent a

“powerful message.”

A c c u s i n g Republicans of “slinking off in the middle of the night,” he added: “The fight will continue when the House comes back in session” on July 5.

The congressional disobedience, which earned praise from President Barack Obama, reflects the escalating political confrontation of an extraordinary presidential campaign season, with Democrats cornering Republicans over an issue backed by the vast majority of Americans—even if gun-control legislation has virtually no chance of passing a vote.

The House drama began before noon, when Lewis and dozens of colleagues sat down on the carpeted floor in the well of the chamber.

AFP

7. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before July 20, 2016 until 10:00 a.m.

All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

8. Bid opening shall be on July 20, 2016 at 02:00 P.M. at Conference Hall, Mun. Hall, Cabugao Ilocos Sur. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The complete schedule of activities is listed, as follows: Issuance of Bid Documents Pre-Bid Conference Opening of Bids Bid Evaluation Post Qualification Notice of Award Signing of Contract Notice to Proceed

June 24, 2016 – July 20, 2016 until 10:00 a.m July 6, 2016, 10:00 a.m @ Conference Hall July 20, 2016 @ 02:00 p.m @ Conference Hall, Mun. Hall, Cabugao, Ilocos Sur July 21, 2016 July 22, 2016 July 25, 2016 July 26, 2016 July 27, 2016

9. Following Farm Implements to be bid are: Name of Farm Inputs

ABC

a. 14-14-14 Fertilizer Php. 3,200,000.00 b. 16-20-00 Fertilizer Php. 4,600,000.00 c. 46-0-0 Fertilizer Php. 4,600,000.00 d. 21-0-0 Fertilizer Php. 2,760,000.00 e. 06-09-15 Fertilizer Php. 3,040,000.00 f. 18-46-0 Fertilizer Php. 1,474,900.00 g. 17-17-17 Fertilizer Php. 200,100.00 h. 20-10-0 Fertilizer Php. 65,550.00 i. Dolomite Fertilizer Php. 51,500.00 ================================================================== Total Php. 19,992,050.00 10. The Local Government Unit of Cabugao, Ilocos Sur 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.

11. For further information, please refer to: (SGD) ENGR. HERMES A. ASIT LGU- BAC- Secretariat Tel No. 077-728-5128, Fax No. 077-728-5565 (SGD) CRESCENCIO MARCOS C. FORMOSO BAC- Chairman

Campaign. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign event at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds on June 22, 2016, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Clinton discussed her vision for America and the issues she would tackle if elected president. AFP

F R I D AY: J U N E 24 , 2 0 1 6

MOTORING

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

CONCEPT One, one of the most recognizable aftermarket brands in the country, recently expanded their reach and established a showroom at the Karport Building in the automotive row of the Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

This satellite facility was established to further increase their presence in the business district and for consumers who live South of Metro Manila. “The rainy season is here and quite a few clients have asked us how to set up their

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BLACK RHINO SET TO CONQUER NEW TERRITORY

SUV’s to better equip themselves for trailing or flooding.

Now we have a satellite location to service clients around this area,” says Sammy Liuson of Concept One. Aside from offering affordable Saffiro tires for cars and

SUV’s, the BGC satellite showroom will also serve as a display area for Wheel Gallery’s line of Black Rhino wheels from the United States. Black Rhino wheels are engineered to carry the heavy loads often associated with Trucks

and SUV’s. The wheels come in a variety of 17”, 18”, 20” and 22” sizes in a variety of finishes - Matte Black, Gloss Black, Matte Black with Matte Machine, 5,6 and 8 Lug, all depending on what perfectly suits your truck, lifted truck

and SUV. The facility also carries other car related accessories such as PIAA lighting products and Bilstein suspension systems.

Visit the Concept One showroom at the Karport Building and give your ride some horns!

Fuel-saving habits

Aftermarket industry stalwarts (from left) Johnny Lim Tan, Managing Partner; Justin Uy, Manager of Concept One BGC showroom ; and Sam Liuson, Managing Partner

FASTLANE Mitsubishi Montero Sport head-to-head test drive AFTER the successful Davao leg of the first ever Mitsubishi Montero Sport Head to Head Test Drive Challenge, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) is pleased to announce that it will be bringing this one of a kind test drive event to the Queen City of the South – Cebu. From June 25 to 26, 2016, MMPC invites all Cebuanos to take the opportunity to test drive the all new Montero Sport and other competitive brands and see for themselves which among the available SUVs in the market is the best. This event will be held at the open parking of SM City Cebu (North Reclamation Area, Cebu City 6000, Metro Cebu) from 10am to 6pm.

This test drive event is a great opportunity for customers to test

drive the all new Montero Sport and the competition. Customers who are in the lookout for an SUV will now be able to personally experience and compare the class leading features of the Montero Sport versus competitive models and experience for themselves why the all new Montero Sport got all praises from the media test. Customer who’s interested to join the test drive event just needs to present his/her valid driver’s license. A test drive course will be laid out to specifically demonstrate the Montero Sport’s power, suspension, maneuverability and riding comfort among others and at the same customers will get the chance to compare its performance versus other midsize SUVs in the market. This test drive event will help customers decide which SUV will best cater for his/ her requirement. Exciting freebies and exclusive discounts will be given to all customers who will dare to take the test drive challenge.

WHEN you save gas, you don’t just improve your gas mileage and save more money, you also reduce your impact on environment. Some clever fuel-saving moves – like reducing vehicle load and properly inflating tires –can really make a difference.

Michelin shares some tips with you to help you making your trips safer and wallet-friendlier.

• Plan your trips well and cut down on them, if you can.

Try to schedule all your errands and tasks in just one big car trip.

Starting a car that’s been parked a long time uses a whole lot of fuel for the first eight kilometers or so.

Running different unplanned trips a day can cost you bigtime. Think of carpooling too, if you seriously want to save on fuel.

• Let the traffic ease up before you go.

Getting caught in a traffic jam is a waste of fuel. First gear and second gear driving use up fuel the most. If you have to go out during rush hour, travel steadily at a slow speed and avoid accelerating and braking. Always anticipate what the driver ahead of you is doing.

• Reduce vehicle weight.

A loaded car burns more fuel. Do not store heavy equipment, tools, and other unnecessary items in your trunk. Extra luggage on top of the roof increases the wind resistance of

your car and makes it use up more gas. Remove the roof rack, bull bar and other accessories when not in use.

• Accelerate smoothly.

The ideal way to travel is at constant speed. Be a patient, defensive driver who doesn’t overtake, shift gears constantly and beats the red light. Patience and discipline help lower fuel bills.

• Brake efficiently Sudden acceleration burns a lot of fuel, and so does sudden and frequent braking. When approaching a stop, keep your foot away from the accelerator pad.Do not slam on the brakes at the last-minute.

• Use air conditioning wisely Know how to use the car air conditioner wisely. Drive at low speed with the A/C turned off and windows rolled down to get a few extra kilometres per liter of gas in the tank. Keeping the air conditioner on while driving at high speed with the windows rolled up actually improves fuel economy, because of reduced air drag.

• Keep tires properly inflated.

Tires account for up to 20% of your vehicle’s fuel consumption? Underinflated tires lead to a higher rolling resistance and waste more fuel.

Make it a practice to check your tire pressure at least once every month to improve gas mileage by more than 3 percent.

Volkswagen BGC offers complete experience VOLKSWAGEN Bonifacio Global City showroom on 28th Street launched on June 16 the Ilustrado Café & Lounge.

The concept was born from the business partnership between the two brands, Volkswagen and Ilustrado. V by Ilustrado Café and Lounge was established in January 2016 to cater initially to customers visiting the showroom.

The introduction of an “instore” cafe and lounge inside an automobile showroom is not only meant to extend Ilustrado’s

27-year-old brand of cuisine to the clients of Volkswagen but also to enhance the overall customer showroom experience.

With V by Ilustrado, visitors will not only enjoy the ambiance of a VW showroom, in the company of world-class cars created with that distinct German craftsmanship and precision, but also indulge in the cafe’s Filipino-Spanish cuisine and select German specials in a brightly lit, modern yet casual lounge-style seating. Small group parties and events may be held. Store hours are from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm for Tuesdays to Thursdays, 8:00 am to 10:00 pm for Fridays to Saturdays, and 8:00 am to 8:00 pm for Sundays. The lounge closes later on Fridays and Saturdays to allow guests who may wish to unwind after a busy work week.

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RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING

GOING TO EXTREMES they call it WITH HYUNDAI That’s why accident

The scenic beachhead of Kandaya provides the perfect back drop for the all-new Elantra

Text and photo by Dino Ray V. Directo III

WHAT better way is there to launch a new variant than to take it to the open roads of the country’s second most densely populated island, Cebu. Second only to Luzon in terms of strategic and economic importance, scenic roads, plus the island’s natural beauty, Cebu provides the perfect backdrop for Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc’s ride and drive event.

Dubbed as the “extreme boldness” media drive, members of the motoring press were given the opportunity to get up close and personal with the 2016 Hyundai Elantra. Known as the “Avante” in South Korea, this sixth generation Elantra looks like a baby Sonata. With its massive hexagonal grille design complimented wit slim and projection headlamps, the car is a looker with its sleek bodylines and dynamic stance plus an all new Nu 2.0 liter MPI engine.

Stepping back a bit to appreciate the exterior design features, you’ll notice that the roof flows back to the trunk almost seamlessly, with the sides left simple and unembellished, while with understated lines on the shoulders to create an elegant and smooth look. Distinctive, shining tail lights, equipped with Rear Combination Lamps are arranged in an attractive horizontal line, while the rear bumper completes the balanced design.

The cabin definitely has elements that were inherited from its more luxurious siblings, the Sonata and the Genesis. Dashboard buttons are grouped according to functions. The cockpit display is angled 6.9 degrees toward the driver, and softtouch and high-quality materials are used across the surfaces for convenience. Passengers get to enjoy the premium value as well, as rear air conditioner vents are added in the newest model. The current generation is also 20mm longer and 25 mm wider than the previous generation and rolls on either 16” or 17” alloy wheels.

The new compact sedan from Hyundai is available in two levels of trim. The top-of-the-line GLS variant is powered by an Nu 2.0 MPi engine, has a maximum horsepower of 152ps and torque of 19.6 kg-m. The less expensive variant , the GL variant is equipped with a Gamma 1.6 MPi engine. Both variants are front-

wheel drives with 6-speed automatic transmission.

With Hyundai’s dealership in Cebu as our jump-off point, the convoy of 10 brand spanking new Elantra’s snaked through the city’s horrendous traffic jam and drove 157 kilometers to our destination in Kandaya Resort.

The route was scenic and was a series of uphill and downhill passes with a few straight aways along the Dalan Antonio y de Pio Highway.

The Elantra behaved quite well during fast corners and sudden stops when I had to blip the pedal to decelerate when negotiating a sweeping turn. Power of the 1600cc was a bit lacking during the uphill portions and when performing a passing maneuver, you really have to step on the accelerator to gain momentum.

The 2.0 liter version was a different experience altogether. It gave power when needed and I enjoyed driving this variant on our way back to Cebu on the third day. The road ruts were gamely absorbed by the suspension and the climate control system provided comfort against the humidity.

True to its award-winning lineage, the all-new Elantra was recently crowned “Best New Small Sedan” at the prestigious Middle East Car of the Year (MECOTY) 2016. It is certainly out to conquer hearts once more with class-leading convenience features that take it a notch higher from the previous model.

REMEMBER the movie “Forrest Gump?” “Life is like a box of chocolates; you’ll never know what you’re going to get.”

It is true that life is full of surprises, sudden twists and turns, but no matter how prepared and how far we look ahead into the road, somehow, somewhere, something unexpected will turn up at the next corner.

This is true for all motorists out there. You’ll never know when something unfortunate and sudden will happen while driving. And that’s why they call it “accident.”

And many fall victim to “acci-

dents,” “road accidents” specifically.

In the Philippines, road accidents are among the top causes of fatalities.

Last year, 11,285 road accidents were recorded for six months from January to June, according to the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG). From these accidents, 15,292 motor vehicles were involved, with cars/automobiles accounting for a total of 6,157 or about 40 percent.

You need to get protection from road accidents, fast. Be safe and sure by buying a comprehensive motor

vehicle insurance package that you can secure easily in just a few clicks of the mouse.

Malayan Insurance, a member of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, the number 1 and most trusted nonlife insurance company in the Philippines, launched auto.malayan.com, the first of its kind in the Philippines.

At auto.malayan.com, you can easily get an instant quote and with a valid credit card, buy Malayan’s complete car insurance package, the Malayan Automaster, in 20 minutes or less. That’s how easy it is!

The “Malayan Automaster” coverage includes Automobile Loss/ Own Damage, Third Party Liability, Auto Personal Accident, Acts of God Protection, Riots, Strikes and Civil Commotion, Standard Automobile Accessories Protection, Optional Valuable Accessories Protection, Loss of Use, access to CAMILLE, the 24-hour Malayan Insurance Live Line road emergency assistance hotline, access to Accredited Repair Shops, Express Claims Service and Decentralized Claims Processing.

Just go to auto.malayan.com and fill up some basic vehicle information to get a quote where you may also proceed to payment. The process is done conveniently online and once you’ve paid the required fees, a copy of your policy is sent to you via email and that’s it! You’re already insured!

And you don’t have to worry about the security of your transaction. Malayan’s 3D Secure Payment and Confirmation system makes your online transactions through auto.malayan. com safe and all account information is absolutely confidential. Even submission of claims can be done online.

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

BING PAREL

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS

isahred @ gmail.com

WRITER

DEST IN AT IONS

QUIT YOUR JOB, THEN TRAVEL

T

LIFE

BY NICKIE WANG

he wind was warm I could feel it gently blowing against my face. From a short distance, I could hear some chuckles. It was almost music to my ear – those snickers mixed with the splashing sound of gentle waves. But that was just my friends playing with a giant star fish and a miniscule jellyfish.

Jean, a French engineer based in Hong Kong, was hopping from cottage to another trying to sell the jellyfish he placed in a plastic cup.

“Nobody likes to buy my jellyfish. I’m already selling it at a bargain price – 20 pesos,” he said in a distinctive French accent.

Kuya Henderson, our tour guideslash-boat man butted in with a wide smile, “Never mind your jellyfish, lunch is ready.”

Everyone huddled around and started taking snaps of the food served on the bamboo table.

We were on Smith Beach, our second pit stop after an hourlong swim at the Kayangan Lagoon. Smith is a small beach covered with powdery white sand and surrounded by towering limestone cliffs. The tiny piece of paradise can be accessed through a 30-minuteboatride from Port of Coron, the main entry to the island.

While feasting on our lunch prepared by the amiable tour guide, a group of Chilean tourists approached our cottage. One of them, Valentina, asked for a cigarette lighter. I offered her a glass of beer.

Val, her nickname, has just finished her school. She went to Australia right after graduation where she worked as a waitress and a traffic controller. She’s able to saved enough money and now spending on a vacation in the

Philippines. Her first destination is Palawan then she’ll visit Bohol and Cebu before finally embarking on an Asian trip (if her budget permits) that will cover Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.

But she might change her mind she said, deciding that she might stay longer in Coron (that seems love at first sight).

“My friends in Chile are already building their career professionally. And here I am, chasing my dream of traveling the world. But I’d go back to the Philippines most definitely. I like the people and the beaches.

They’re captivating,” said the young tourist.

Val’s story is similar to Daniel, an engineer from Essex. Like Val, Danny left his career in London after working for a few months.

The ex-engineer has been staying in Manila for three months now.

He’s also been to Cebu and Bohol and some parts of Bicol. I first met Danny in Port of Coron when he asked our tour guide if our boat could still accommodate a passenger so he could hop on.

But since we pre-booked our island tour, we could no longer accommodate the British bloke.

At Smith Beach, I saw Danny again. This time, he’s now with a group of local tourists from Quezon City.

“As a solo traveler, I’m always a chance passenger. If I got lucky, people would take me where they headed. It excites me to meet new faces. I don’t take pictures though. I collect memories. And I will share them with my friends and relatives when I go back to London,” the man beamed.

Danny’s Philippine trip has been “good” so far if not for the delayed flights, which he’s beginning to get used to. His rather long

The breathtaking view of Kayangan Cove, taken atop a limestone cliff accessed by an uphill trek

‘As a solo traveler, I’m always a chance passenger. If I got lucky, people would take me where they headed. It excites me to meet new faces. I don’t take pictures though. I collect memories. And I will share them with my friends and relatives when I go back to London’ –Danny, Englishman tourist in Coron, Palawan holiday in the country happened not by chance. He chose to stay in the Philippines particularly in Visayan Islands because of the laid back atmosphere – a complete opposite of his life back

The author (in life vest) swimming among a school of tropical fish and marine life surrounding the remains of a Japanese ship in Skeleton Wreck

in London. Prior to his arrival to the country, he read a few travel reviews online, and when he stumbled upon a review about Palawan, he had moment of eureka. Quitting his job was an

PHOTOS TAKEN WITH SAMSUNG NOTE 5

easy decision. He’s bachelor and is only responsible for himself.

Though some people viewed his chosen path a bit unordinary, a number of young professionals have already started chasing their dreams, exchanged their decent paying job to be free-spirited. In case of Val and Danny, leaving a comfortable life back home and venturing into a world unfamiliar to them is similar to enriching someone’s soul. The pleasure and excitement of seeing and physically experiencing foreign land is worth the barter.

Dive. A group of tourists frolicking at the secluded Barracuda Lake

Continued on C2

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LIFE isahred @ gmail.com

APTM REDEFINES LUXURY ACCOMMODATION

BY BERNADETTE ANDREA CATALAN

T

he recently concluded 2nd Asia Premium Travel Mart on June 21 to 23 focused on redefining luxury not only as as aspect of accommodation but as “total experience” with exhibitors that prioritize maintaining the planet green.

“It is high-time that we introduce luxury to the Philippines,” said APTM president Fe Abling Yu. APTM’s hotel and resorts industry partners, Sofitel Philippine Plaza and The Peninsula Manila, have been practicing environment-friendly measures to achieve “sustainable luxury.” Both hotels concentrate on greening their workflow by building their own vegetable gardens, reduction of carbon emission and through following a corporate social responsibility.

“Luxury need not be wasteful,” affirmed The Peninsula Manila public relations manager Claire Hernandez Fernando.

The central board wishes each Philippine destination to be explored by the foreign buyers. They intend to accommodate a “sustainable carrying capacity” that will be helpful for the community and environment instead of volume-driven tourism.

Light Miles Travel, Inc. General Manager Edwin Villanueva talks about the local and international luxury travel trends

Light Miles Travel, Inc. one of APTM’s partners, supports the goal of the trade fair, as its general manager, Edwin Villanueva, said “We want to absorb and sustain tolerant visitors and tourism activities in the environment and the community surrounding it.”

“I don’t think we have a program for the long-term. It is more on the awareness of our country as a fun destination,” explained Villanueva.

As the government has not yet taken concrete action in actively participating in inbound attraction of tourists, APTM focused more on marketing and promoting the Philippines’ cultural treasures.

The exhibitors at the first Asia Premium Travel Mart in October 2015

“We’re trying to complement what Department of Tourism is doing. They usually go to a country reference with several local agencies with them. Ours is different, they get to talk to people

from all over the world,” said JP Cabalza, former president of Philippine Travel Agencies Association.

The 2nd APTM happened at the SMX Convention in SM Mall of Asia.

What’s Bourdain’s favorite city

Television host Anthony Bourdain reveals his favorite city in the world for solo trips

There probably isn’t a lot in the world that can still surprise No Reservations and Parts Unknown host Anthony Bourdain.

He's been to 75 countries and counting and has eaten everything from fermented shark fin to Namibian warthog.

But taking a solo trip to Tokyo? “That’s intimidating and thrilling,” says Bourdain.

In an interview for a travel magazine, Bourdain remembers his first visit to the Japanese capital as an eye-opening, traumatizing, life-changing experience.

“Tokyo is very exciting alone,” Bourdain said. “Every time you need to feed yourself at a restaurant you’re taking the plunge, stepping through the curtains into a room filled with

locals, menus in Japanese, feeling awkward and freakish being the tallest guy in the room having no clue what it is that they’re serving.

We may not all have such imposing frames, but almost any traveler can relate to the electrifying sense of dislocation and uncertainty.”

When you finally get to the point when you can order breakfast at a restaurant? “That’s a great feeling of accomplishment,” said Bourdain. “That’s what I love about Tokyo.

You’re forced to learn stuff every inch of the way. Practically speaking, Japan is one of the best countries for solo adventures.

When you elbow up to a sushi counter here, you’ll likely find you’re not the only solitary traveler marveling at the sashimi.”

Danny, an English tourist who spends a long holiday in the Philippines after quitting his job as an engineer in London

The author with Simba (left), a Hong Kong-based tourist and Val (right), a Chilean tourist visiting Coron

fresh, salt and brackish water and dramatic temperature shifts, I was told.

When we arrived at the area, a group of German divers were emerging from the water. So, I thought we had the lake all to ourselves. But I was wrong. We had to share the secluded lake with Spanish tourists.

Not wasting any time, I asked one of the young ladies what brought her to Coron.

Her companion was the one who’s quick to answer.

“We invited her here, and now she doesn’t want to leave!” the man exclaimed.

Vanessa, that’s her name, was obviously smitten with the island. Like the previous tourists I had spoken with, Van was a newly

graduate. Instead of immediately working after graduation, she decided to just work for a few months just to experience Palawan.

While at the lake and balancing myself on a bamboo raft, I’ve realized that I was meeting the same kind of tourists in Coron.

And all of them say the same exact thing: Quit your job, and travel!

I sure want to explore more of Coron – immerse myself in local culture while marveling at its majestic sights. But no, I’m not going to quit my job. For one, I wanted to share stories, stories like those of Val, Danny and Vanessa who are choosing an unconventional way of life. I think that would work better for me.

QUIT YOUR JOB...

From C1

After a few minutes of chatting with Danny and Val, Kuya Henderson waived his hand asking our group to board the boat. We were headed to Skeleton Wreck, a little wreck that can either be done as a dive or snorkeled on.

Swimming away from our boat was no longer necessary when we reached the wreck. A school of tiny tropical fish were already waiting for us. They were like tiny guest relation officers welcoming the tourists before they finally explore the

sunken ship and the surrounding area.

We didn’t stay long in Skeleton Wreck.

We were told by our tour guide that we have to head fast to CYC Beach and Twin Lagoons. You see, we had a lot of places to visit for such a limited time.

Our last stop was Lake Barracuda.

Lake Barracuda is Coron’s primary attraction. And it’s easy to understand why.

Named after a ray-finned fish that thrives in the lake, Coron’s hidden jewel is of more interest to divers for its unique layers of

A local tourist on a bamboo raft cruising the crystal waters of Twin Lagoons

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LIFE

isahred @ gmail.com

A

A TOUR WITH A PURPOSE

nchored on its mission to promote and preserve the different wonderful destinations in the Philippines, employees of Tourism Promotions Board recently visited Occidental Mindoro for a series of activities that safeguards the province’s cultural and natural wealth.

The “tour with a purpose” is part of TPB’s corporate social responsibility program. TPB is an attached agency of the Department of Tourism.

TPB employees participated in an underwater cleanup of the port of the town of Sablayan and mangrove planting at Barangay Poblacion. They also attended lectures on solid waste management and upcycling as well as talks on tamaraws at the Tamaraw Gene Pool Farm at Mt. IglitBaco National Park. They also met the indigenous people of Mindoro through immersion and a feeding program at a Mangyan Village.

Occidental Mindoro is located at the western part of the island of Mindoro.

While agriculture is the main source of livelihood, its tourism industry is fast catching up with Oriental Mindoro where the white sand of Puerto Galera has been on the global tourist map for decades.

The 16th century church at the foot of Bundok-Bayan in Brgy. Poblacion, Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro

Dubbed as a marine wonderland, the province boasts of numerous islets, white sand beaches, dive spots, as well as the world’s second largest reef – the Apo Reef.

It is also home to the mangyans who are the original inhabitants of Mindoro, and the critically-endangered tamaraw which is endemic to the island.

In fact, Occidental Mindoro has more than its fair share of natural wonders to satisfy nature lovers as well thrill-seekers.

Pandan Island is known for its fine white sand and rich coral garden

Its latest attraction, the Sablayan Zipline, is the world’s longest island-to-island zipline.

“The country’s biggest asset and best ambassadors are its people. With the CSR program, we are encouraging our employees to explore and discover for themselves the wonders and beauty of the Philippines”, said TPB chief operating officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III. “And as employees and stakeholders, we need to take an active part in protecting

and preserving our numerous tourist destinations,” he added.

Aside from Occidental Mindoro, TPB has had similar activities in Boracay, Bohol and Camiguin last year. By setting an example, TPB hopes to encourage each and every Filipino to help preserve the country’s cultural heritage and natural assets in whatever way they can, however small, which makes giving back to the community more fun in the Philippines.

BMW incorporates HTC Vive VR headsets and mixed reality in new vehicle models BMW has become the first car manufacturer to introduce a mixed reality system into vehicle development that has been devised entirely using components from the computer games industry. This offers some significant advantages over the VR systems that have existed to date, and is the first step towards making virtual reality a very real part of many developer workstations in the not-too-distant future.

The adoption of this computer system makes it possible to save a great deal of time and effort, especially during the early stages of development.

VR investigations could previously only be conducted at costly specialized facilities.

By incorporating consumer electronics, the developers gain an unprecedented degree of flexibility, because any modifications can be implemented and tested very quickly.

In addition to this, developers around the globe will be able to take part in the decision-making process from their own office without having to travel too far. Only once the draft designs have been approved with the help of the 3D headsets will they actually be built for further testing.

BMW has been employing VR systems in the development process since the 1990s. It is now reaffirming its pioneering status by systematically implementing technology from a sector which has not previously been the focal point of industrial applications. Since this spring, components from the computer games industry have been allowing engineers and designers to immerse themselves more and more often in virtual worlds that are increasingly realistic. The shorter innovation cycles of consumer electronics result in a far wider scope of functions together with lower costs. This thereby enables more vehicle functions to be translated to a VR model in ever more realistic fashion. It is furthermore possible to scale the system to many different developer workstations with little effort.

This lends itself ideally to the BMW strategy with its focus on innovative technologies and digitization. Vehicle functions and new interior designs can quickly be modelled with the aid of the visual experiences. This makes it possible to

HTC Vive developer kit for pilot project

simulate drives through a city while testing what the all-round view of the surrounding area is like or whether a display is poorly legible or awkward to reach depending on the viewing angle or seat position. All the time, the development engineer has the impression of sitting in a real car in a real driving situation.

Following thorough evaluation over the course of 2015, BMW has opted to implement the most powerful solutions currently available. Thanks to the timely support provided by mobile computing manufacturer HTC, several HTC Vive developer kits have already been in use in pilot projects since autumn 2015.

This headset’s core components consist of two high-resolution screens and a laserbased tracking system that covers an area of 5 x 5 meters in the BMW application.

The graphics are computed by software that normally serves to produce the very best computer gaming graphics. BMW uses Unreal Engine 4 from Epic Games for this task. This enables stable rendering of 90 frames per second while achieving photorealistic quality too. The computation is performed using high-end gaming computers with water-cooled, overclocked components (including Intel Core i7 and two Nvidia Titan X graphic cards). Further advances are expected in terms of both the headset hardware and software, and these will be evaluated at regular intervals.

Visual sensations alone are not enough though. For this reason, BMW employs a reusable interior assembly which, thanks

to the use of rapid prototyping, further enhances perception by producing a mixed reality experience. Precise, stereoscopic acoustic playback, e.g. for the characteristic BMW engine sound, further intensifies the immersive experience. This, combined with the VR model enables to experience the vehicle in different environments.

The completely realistic vehicle impression produced by this method is so far unique in the automotive industry.

The HTC Vive Lighthouse tracking system that is used floods the room with an invisible light field that is tracked by sensors on the VR headset and the controllers. The system’s lasers

refresh the tracking field at intervals of just a few milliseconds, thereby enabling ultra-precise tracking of every body movement and even the slightest alteration in the viewing direction. It is thanks to this supremely accurate and stable tracking that the wearer is able to move around in the virtual environment with zero interference – this is essential not just for creating a spatial impression that is as true to life as possible and maximizing the level of immersion, but also for making the VR headset easy to get accustomed to. The overall mixed reality system that was developed in-house

by BMW ensures optimum interaction between the individual devices and components, such as the VR model, rapid prototyping, VR headset and tracking.

TRAVEL DEALS

Staycation at 50 percent off If you are planning a staycation or a trip around the country for business or pleasure, you can enjoy modern comforts and highly personalized service at any Seda hotel and get a 50 percent discount on published room rates on Fridays to Sundays simply by using your Citi credit card or debit card.

What’s more, get 20 percent discount whenever you dine at their signature Misto restaurant, which offers a range

of classic international and local dishes.

Book now until September 30 to avail of the special room rate on weekends, valid for stays until December 30 at the following Seda hotels: Seda Atria, Iloilo; Seda Abreeza, Davao City; Seda BGC, Metro Manila; Seda Centrio, Cagayan de Oro; and Seda Nuvali, Laguna.

For more travel deals and promotions, visit www.citibank.com.ph or call the 24hour CitiPhone at 995 9999.

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LIFE

isahred @ gmail.com

Conrad Manila’s facade (artist's rendering) resembles that of a cruise liner

The swimming pool has an ‘island’ for guests who want the feeling of isolation

A JEWEL BY THE SEA MERCURY RISING

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

I

have checked in at quite a number of de luxe hotels in many parts of the world, but none of them has triggered a “Wow” from me as the newly opened Conrad Manila did. In fact, I, surprisingly, verbalized such interjection, not just once but three times, in the course of my weekend stay at the hotel. When the elevator door opened upon reaching the third floor Main Lobby, the awesome view I was faced with yanked out a loud “Wow” from me. Then, I said it again when I opened the door to my suite because the room key triggered a mechanism that electronically opened the drapes inside the room, revealing a panoramic, breathtaking view of Manila Bay. And I said “Wow” one more time when I entered the bathroom and saw a small, colorful, rubber “Nemo” replica on my bathtub. What a nice touch!

But that’s putting the cart before the horse. The Conrad chain of hotels is the luxury brand of Hilton Hotels worldwide, and is named after their founder, Conrad Hilton. The opening of the 347-room Conrad Manila has long been anticipated by a lot of Metro Manila residents who frequent the Mall of Asia Complex, as they can’t help but take notice of the building’s unique facade, even while still under construction, because it resembles the exterior of a cruise ship.

In sync with such unique design, the hotel’s interior décor carries a “sea” theme.

As I entered the Ground Lobby, I was greeted by a giant-sized art installation depicting sea vegetation, crafted by Leeroy New, a young contemporary UP Fine Arts graduate from GenSan, who has made a name for himself in theater, film, fashion and visual arts. This beautiful display is just one of the more than 600 attractive art pieces hotel guests will see throughout the property, all of which were specially chosen by the amiable and distinguished Elizabeth “Betty” Sy herself, president of SM Hotels and Convention Bureaus, the company that owns Conrad Manila.

The elegant chandeliers in the hotels’ two ballrooms pose a sharp and extraordinary contrast to the carpet that has a sea-waves design. The hallway from the Main Lobby to the Brasserie on 3, the all-day dining venue, is lined with large, attractive orange spirals that remind one of underwater currents. And I like the huge swimming

A view of the Manila Bay from the guests' living room

Conrad Manila General Manager Harald Feurstein (left) with SM Hotels and Convention Corporation President Elizabeth Sy, SMHCC Senior Vice President Peggy Angeles and the author

pool. It has an “island” right in the middle, equipped with sunbathing chairs, for those who want the feeling of “isolation” from the rest of the crowd.

What other features make Conrad Manila a “jewel of a hotel?” It has China Blue, a specialty restaurant which offers modern Chinese cuisine infused with local flair, curated by master celebrity Chinese chef Jereme Leung. I was curious about how the restaurant got its name. When I had lunch there, I got the answer – the chinaware is colored blue. Now, what could be easier than that?

The hotel is big on food…good food! In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Room Service Menu with so much to offer.

The choices are so extensive. They are listed on all of 48 pages.

There is also the C Lounge, which is a lobby lounge during day and a bar at night, where guests can enjoy the breathtaking view of Manila Bay while sipping their favorite beverage, with live entertainment in the background. I like the outdoor section of this lounge because it puts guests right up front and closest to the Bay, in semi-private settings with mellow lighting, with the breeze flowing from all directions, and the background music coming out from speakers under the seats. The set-up is perfect for “two bottles.”

I’m sure business travelers will enjoy the Executive Lounge on the 7th floor, as

I did. It offers complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails, matched with the soothing view of Manila Bay. Guests belonging to the same corporate entity may even use the lounge’s meeting room for free, in case they need to do some important strategizing. Guests in the suites and the executive floor have the privilege of making complimentary local calls, and light pressing service of garments, in case they want to look immaculate for their business appointments.

Fitness buffs will also marvel at the modern equipment the 24/7 Fitness Center offers. The latest technology these tools provide makes it easy for guests to maintain their fitness regimen during their stay.

And I made sure I indulged my senses at the Conrad Spa, which offers a selection of nourishing body rituals, themed massage, and therapy for “ultimate rejuvenation.”

After my 90-minute Deep Tissue massage, I felt so rejuvenated, I thought I heard myself cooing like a newborn baby.

What am I looking forward to in the hotel? The shopping mall on the second floor.

The hotel’s gregarious general manager Harald Feurstein told me there are more than a hundred shops of luxury brands getting ready to open in a few weeks, so guests in a hurry do not even have to cross over to the next door Mall of Asia to find what they need. And, those looking for the ultimate cinematic experience, the hotel now has two Director’s Club cinemas showing the latest Hollywood blockbusters.

It’s been a long while since I last raved about a component of the Tourism Industry, and that was that quaint little hilltop boutique hotel when I made my third visit to the tiny Greek island of Santorini more than a decade ago. It feels good to be “wow’d” again, this time,

by Conrad Manila, and I thank Peggy Angeles, the hardworking senior vicepresident of SM Hotels and Convention Bureaus, for introducing me to this “Jewel

By The Sea.” This hotel is definitely a class of its own, “a world of style and elegance matched with intuitive service” which will now be the standard against which other accommodations will be measured. Since real jewels come rare, aren’t we lucky to have Conrad Manila?

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

YOUR FRIDAY CHUCKLE MICHAEL JORDAN: “There’s a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking. It’s called Marriage.”

F RIDAY : J UNE 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C5

GERALD SANTOS IN FIRST FILM-STARRER

S

inger-actor Gerald Santos plays the lead character in a psychological thriller movie opening on June 30.

Dubbed as the “Prince of Ballad”, Gerald, who made waves following his musical stint playing St. Pedro Calungsod, is appearing for the first time in a movie, a starring role at that.

Memory Channel, directed by Raynier Brizuela, is one of the six entries to the World Premieres Film Festival from June 29 to July 10.

Also starring are Epy Quizon, Bodjie Pascua and Michelle Vito.

Gerald singled out the son of Dolphy for serving as mentor to him, saying, “Sobrang thankful po ako kay Sir Epy Quizon, napaka-generous niya, napakagaling at very professional.”

Gerald’s manager Cocoy Ramilo, who produces and writes songs for him, related, “The role was very demanding but he immersed himself into the character. His portrayal was instinc-

In Raynier Brizuela’s “Memory Channel,” Gerald Santos plays a local singer who suffers from retrograde amnesia, which results in depression and anxiety

tive, you can feel his character.”

Ramilo also stated that his ward also finished doing Emilio Jacinto: Utak ng Katipunan pro-

duced by the National Historical Commission.

Gerald is likewise set to record a new love song called “Ibulong

Mo Na Sa Akin” penned by music journalist Yugel Losorata.

Screenings are on July 3, 7 p.m. SM Megamall; July 5, 5

‘UnREAL’ lead staff dishes more about Rachel UnREAL returns on Lifetime for a second season with two strong female characters – expert manipulator Rachel Goldberg (Shiri Appleby) and her demanding executive producer Quinn King (Constance Zimmer).

Set against the backdrop of popular dating competition, “Everlasting” (a Bachelor-like franchise), producers Rachel and Quinn are out once again, pulling the strings behind-the-scenes to do whatever it takes to get those dramatic and vital footage to drive their show’s ratings. The plot lines are about to get even more intriguing, and the schemes reaching a new high, but what’s even more exciting is lead star Shiri Appleby making her directorial debut on the series.

“It’s not every day you get a chance to direct your own show,” and for Shiri, “it certainly is a dream come true. I’ve been trying to direct for many years. I knew that a very easy way to get a job would be to star in a television show and have it be a success.” Though it was her first time taking the director’s chair, she certainly felt all the love and support from her cast mates, “The actors of the show were nothing but incredibly gracious and they really worked with me.” She says, “I think we’ve told a really great story.”

With “Director” now added to her glittering portfolio, Shiri proves she is just as driven as her character when it comes to achieving her goals. “I think Rachel is an incredible character,” she says. “She is definitely manipulative, but she’s an incredibly strong, smart woman.”

Every woman on the show has an agenda and Rachel is no different whether it be taking control of her own life after an almost career-ending incident or even trying to outdo and outsmart her own mentor, Quinn. “Rachel definitely wants to prove that she’s capable of doing whatever it is Quinn is capable of,” says Shiri of her character. “She thinks she can run a network or be higher up in the entertainment industry.”

It’s a tumultuous race to the top for each of the characters, from the re-

Rachel Goldberg, played by Shiri Appleby, is brought back to the show following her epic breakdown during the previous season

turning producers to the new batch of contestants. Expect to see them all fight for their rightful spot on set even in the most appalling yet twistedly brilliant ways. What ensues is another eyeopening look at the outrageous world of unscripted television, where being a contestant can be vicious and being a

producer is a whole other reality.

Shiri says, “It’s really just trying to cover a lot of ground but at the same time being incredibly ambiguous and not trying to force messages down anyone’s throat.” The success of the show is attributed to its sexy, and highly thought-provoking storyline.

UnREAL Season 2 pulls out all the stops with the most provocative twists, and daringly touches on topics that haven’t been highlighted enough, or at all, in television such as mental health, race, and feminism. This season explores more of these issues especially as it casts its first African-American suitor named Darius Hill, an All-American football star played by B.J. Britt.

Also, returning as series regulars are Craig Bierko as “Everlasting’s” creator, Chet, who is on a quest to reclaim his full power on set; Josh Kelly as Jeremy, “Everlasting’s” director of photography; and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman as Jay, a field producer whose ambitions run far beyond the show.

UnREAL broadcast same day as in the U.S., every Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on Lifetime available on SKYCable Ch 65 and Lifetime™ HD Ch 199; Cable Link Ch. 223; Dream Satellite Ch 28; Destiny Ch 44.

“UnReal” Season 2 cast members: (from left) Constance Zimmer as Quinn King, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman as Jay and Shiri Appleby as Rachel Goldberg

p.m. SM Megamall 5pm; July 7, 7 p.m. SM North EDSA; 5 p.m.

July 8 SM North EDSA; and 7 p.m. July 10 SM North EDSA.

SM Cinema joins GMovies roster

of theater partners SM Cinema, the country’s largest chain of movie houses, has joined GMovies roster of theater partners, giving users of the mobile movie booking app a faster and easier way to buy tickets from any of over 300 SM theaters nationwide anytime at their convenience.

For the SM Cinema partnership, Globe Telecom’s mobile money solution GCash will initially be the exclusive payment gateway for GMovies users. GCash will be used in tandem with ePLUS, SM’s integrated e-wallet and loyalty system to give SM Cinema patrons another way to enjoy the movies.

SM Cinema operates over 300 2D and 3D screens, 8 IMAX Theaters and 13 Director’s Club Cinemas for a total market share of over 50 percent.

“We are always looking for ways to provide the best experience for our customers, thus, it is a big win for GMovies to have SM Cinema on board since it gives our users from all over the Philippines more options to choose from. With SM Cinema as a partner, GMovies now covers 77 percent of movie theaters nationwide,” said Glenn Estrella, vice president of Globe Digital Ventures, which offers GMovies.

“This is just the start of a more dynamic partnership with Globe and its services. Both our companies are committed to providing a more convenient and rewarding access to entertainment. ePLUS with SM Cinema and GMovies with GCash will work together towards building a cashless society,” said Sahara Jean Garnica, assistant vice president, SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc. managing ePLUS. GMovies is an all-in-one solution for movie tickets on the go. It is the only platform in the Philippines that aggregates movie ticket booking capabilities for multiple cinema chains. The mobile app allows users not only to purchase movie tickets and reserve seats at their favorite cinema whenever they want and wherever they may be but also keeps them updated with the latest and upcoming blockbusters to hit the theaters. It can be downloaded for free from App Store and Google Play.

To purchase seats from SM Cinema, simply select movie schedule, branch, and preferred seat/s; select GCash as payment option; and log into GCash and confirm transaction. GCash load will automatically be converted to ePLUS movie credits. The user will receive an e-ticket via email which will also be saved in their phone gallery. For ease of access, patrons can just go straight to the cinema and tap their e-ticket at the ePLUS reader.

SM Cinema will go live in GMovies website and Android app. The iOS app will follow after two weeks.

For more information about GMovies, please visit www.gmovies.ph.

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F RIDAY : J UNE 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

PEOPLE ¼

are talking about

¼

Maine Mendoza

are not talking about

Hay Bahay!

Everybody is convinced she no longer needs an introduction. Maine’s astronomic rise to stardom is something other artists could only dream of.

But on the flipside, she is getting crushed under the pressure of sudden success - expectations are high and all eyes on her scrutinizing whatever she does. In all fairness to AlDub’s other half, she delivers and we don’t see her star waning down anytime soon. Not just yet.

In ratings game, some start out strong and end up losing viewers over time, while others just can’t make it work in even on their debut on the boob tube. The latter case best describes GMA-7’s latest sitcom starring Vic Sotto, Oyo Boy Sotto, his wife Kristine Hermosa and so-called Comedy Queen AiAi delas Alas. AGB Nielsen and TNS Kantar Media don’t usually agree with their ratings data, but surprisingly, both ratings provider say that wherever the sitcom stands now, things aren’t looking good.

Ian Veneracion Pia Wurtzbach

He is 41 and still looks almost exactly the same 10 years ago. If you put him side by side with younger actors in an audition, Ian would easily get the part and that wouldn’t be a hard decision for the casting director make. Like his older pal Richard Yap, aging works pretty well with them. Perhaps working with Jodi Sta. Maria comes along with a secret potion that makes them look young and very much likeable.

TJ Marquez

Marian Rivera

The struggling young actor seems to find a new life in a rather unexpected place. From a middling bit player on TV, TJ is making numerous appearance on Indonesian TV shows, not to mention starring in his own movie and TV series.

In fact, he’s already considered a big star in Indonesia maintaining a number of loyal following.

Her morning program Yan Ang Morning! is shown in a timeslot when its target audience is not really watching TV. If nobody noticed, this talk show is nothing but a filler and that’s not a good way to treat someone who is called their “Primetime Queen.” Perhaps her network is finding it difficult to find her a project that will suit her age. Well, that’s understandable.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 Poultry cooker 4 Worked with nails 9 Library motto 13 Dublin’s — Lingus 14 — — against time 15 Erle’s lawyer 16 Its diet is fruit 18 Doric’s cousin 19 Sound a bell 20 Without a paddle?

(3 wds.)

22 25 26 28 32

Dazzle Pearl starter Freshwater fish Long bouts Roman teenager’s age 35 — Park, Colorado 37 Grumbles 38 MHz part 40 Khartoum locale 42 Penn or Connery 43 Construct

Without consulting an expert and even by just asking a five-year-old kid, it’s easy to say that she looks dangerously thin. And by dangerous, we mean something is wrong about the way she looks which we feel is not so healthy. She’s become a role model to a lot of full-figured women because of her not-so-usual curves winning the Miss Universe crown. She won the title for being curvaceous, and we hope she stays that way because her sudden weight loss is just disturbing.

45 Respectful title 47 Ques. opposite 48 — squeak 50 Does dock work 52 Witness’s phrase (2 wds.)

54 Fools with 58 Fall event (2 wds.)

62 Cleveland exurb 63 “Taxi” role 64 Unfriended (2 wds.)

67 College credits 68 Put in a log 69 Billy — Williams 70 No sweat 71 Misrepresents 72 Screw things up DOWN 1 “The Castle” author 2 Terrarium plants 3 Vinegar bottle 4 Washout 5 Columnist — Kupcinet 6 Thai language 7 Grayish-brown 8 Ocean trenches 9 Inventory followups 10 Sea eagle 11 Indy champ — Luyendyk

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016

12 Flemish painter van — 15 Kind of basket 17 Whipped-cream serving 21 Smallish batteries 23 Famed Loch 24 Statistic 27 Award for valor 29 Earth Goddess 30 Anagram for bean 31 FICA numbers 32 Mutant heroes of comics (hyph.)

33 Flo’s co-worker 34 Disney CEO Bob — 36 Nobelist from Egypt 39 Bitterness 41 Zilch 44 Discards 46 They’ve paid their dues 49 Lacking color 51 Went rapidly 53 Stops sleeping 55 Form a butte 56 Mention 57 Less risky 58 Detective’s lead 59 Chaplin’s wife 60 Mr. Bunuel 61 Carnation color 65 Sault — Marie 66 Baste

F RIDAY : J UNE 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Unlikely love triangle. “My Husband’s Lover,” GMA-7’s groundbreaking series starring Dennis Trillo, Tom Rodriguez and Carla Abellana

F

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As a landmark drama on local TV, “My Husband’s Lover” has been recognized by various local and international award-giving institutions

‘MY HUSBAND’S LOVER’ ON FOX FILIPINO

OX Filipino announced that one of the most talked about local drama series in the country, My Husband’s Lover, is now on the pay TV channel.

This groundbreaking series that follows the story of a woman’s awakening to her husband’s hidden sexuality is shown weeknights, with back-to-back episodes from Monday to Friday, 7 to 8:50 p.m.. Fans of My Husband’s Lover can also get their fill of this critically acclaimed drama on weekdays when the channel airs the replays from 7 to 9 a.m. and with marathons from 9 a.m. to 5: 55 p.m. every Saturday.

My Husband’s Lover centers on the story

of Lally (Carla Abellana), a woman who marries at a young age when her boyfriend Vincent got her pregnant. Vincent in turn strives to become a good husband.

Despite his good intentions, Vincent (Tom Rodriguez) hides a secret and it threatens his marriage. It’s his unshakeable attraction to men.

When Vincent encounters his old love Eric (Dennis Trillo), who is openly gay, he slides into a passionate affair with him that even Lally can’t ignore in her innocent devotion to her husband. Lally refuses to give up on her marriage and the future of their children, and she makes a bold deci-

sion that will change her life, Vincent’s, and Eric’s forever.

On its first run, the series gained generally positive reviews from critics and viewers for its portrayal of tolerance, forgiveness, and a side of marriage rarely seen on Philippine television. My Husband’s Lover was also given recognition by various local and international awardgiving institutions, including a “highly commended” distinction for Trillo’s portrayal as Eric at the prestigious Asian Television Awards. It was also nominated in the Telenovela category at the International Emmy Awards, which recognizes

television production excellence outside the US. Charo Espedido, Director and Head of Marketing for FOX Networks Group Philippines said, “We’re excited to feature a highly lauded production such as My Husband’s Lover on FOX Filipino—it’s a quality Filipino production that not only entertains audiences but also challenges them to question outdated norms. FOX Filipino is giving those who missed out on the series an opportunity to fall in love with its fascinating characters and their struggle to care for each other under rigid expectations from society.”

Learn #HowToBreakup

in ‘Single/Single’ episode 7 Heartaches and pain are inevitable in every relationship. But such experiences impart valuable lessons and opportunities to help us become better individuals.

Yup, breakups tend to make people melodramatic but the 7th episode of Single/Single season 2 goes beyond the drama and takes viewers into a whirlwind of emotions. Be ready to laugh and cry as the lead characters, Joee and Joey, played by Shaina Magdayao and Matteo Guidicelli respectively, struggle with different kinds of break-ups.

In the previous episode, Joee finally admitted to herself that her feelings have waned for Steve, JC Santos’ character. Steve tries hard to turn a blind eye on all the signs that their relationship is doomed; he continues to woo

her. But Joee has finally mustered the courage to tell the truth – she and Steve have to breakup. How will he take it?

Will he continue to fight for love or will he let her go?

Joey, on the other hand, finds himself often arguing with his mom, Bianca, played

by Cherie Gil, when it comes to managing Bistro Biajo. These little fights are starting to impinge on their mother-son relationship. Deep inside, both know that their partnership has to end but who will have the courage to breakup first?

Join your favorite Single/Single characters as they confront themselves and their relationships in learning #HowToBreakup.

Don’t miss out on this inspiring episode of Single/Single, the award-winning series of PhilStarTV and Cinema One.

Joee and Joey, played by Shaina Magdayao and Matteo Guidicelli, deal with break-up blues in the latest episode of “Single/Single”

Catch the show every Sunday, 10 p.m. on Cinema One with replays on Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturdays.

Past episodes can also be viewed on

philstartv.com.

For more updates, visit facebook.com/ SingleSingleC1 and follow @SingleSingleC1 on Twitter and Instagram.

Anita Awards for Cinema names ‘Heneral Luna’ Best Picture The tragic story of Filipino patriot General Antonio Luna and the events that surrounded the outbreak of the PhilippineAmerican War, Heneral Luna, produced by Artikulo Uno Productions, was named Best Picture at the first Anita Awards for Cinema given by the Society of Film Enthusiasts (SOFIE).

The film topped other nominees Da Dog Show, Imbisibol and Honor Thy Father” and picked up four other awards including Best

Screenplay (Henry Francia, Eduardo A. Rocha, Jerrold Tarog), Best Editing (Jerrold Tarog), Best Sound (Mikkl Quizon) and Best Visual Effects (Blackburst).

Francis O. Villacorta, charter president of the said cineaste group cited Heneral Luna for its “powerful evocation of the open secrets of Philippine history and a curious reworking of the fabric of historical drama to impact today’s audiences.”

Dennis Trillo won the Best Ac-

tor award for his richly textured performance in Felix Manalo beating nominees Lou Veloso (Da Dog Show), John Arcilla (Heneral Luna) and Buboy Villar (Kid Kulafu).

Alessandra da Rossi bagged the Best Actress award for her truthful performance in Bambanti beating nominees Therese Malvar (Hamog), Nora Aunor (Taklub) and LJ Reyes (Anino sa Likod ng Buwan).

JM de Guzman was named Best

Supporting Actor for his layered performance as a migrant worker in Imbisibol besting Allen Dizon (Imbisibol), Bor Lentejas (Hamog) and Micko Laurente (Bambanti).

Perla Bautista earned the Best Supporting Actress award for her honest and quietly intense performance in Honor Thy Father.

Other nominees included Annicka Dolonius (Apocalypse Child), Bela Padilla (Felix Manalo) and Tessie Tomas (Water Lemon).

Ralston Jover (Da Dog Show)

picked up the Best Director prize over nominees Jerrold Tarog (Heneral Luna), Erik Matti (Honor Thy Father) and Lawrence Fajardo (Imbisibol). Jover’s work was singled out for its powerful imagery.

The Anita Awards, named after the mother of its founding chair, is likened to a mother nurturing her children in a parallel way to filmmakers nurturing their work.

The award ceremony will be announced later.

F RIDAY : J UNE 24, 2016

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR NICKIE WANG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

WISHperience. Fans of Darren Espanto, Jason Dy, Morisette Amon, Francis Lim and Juan Karlos Labajo go through some boot camp challenges leading to the Wish 107.5 Ultimate Fandom Challenge final

WISHDEPENDENCE DAY 2016

ULTIMATE BONDING EXPERIENCE FOR FANDOM CHALLENGE’S CONTENDERS ISAH V. RED

T

he final four and survivors of the first Wish 107.5 Ultimate Fandom Challenge demonstrated their unity during the station’s celebration of WISHdependence Day at the Bakasyunan Resort and Conference Center in Tanay, Rizal.

Each of the top contenders — Darrenatics (Darren Espanto), Dyfenders (Jason Dy), Juanistas (The Juans), Mowienatics (Morissette), Darylnatics (Daryl Ong), Francisnatics (Francis Lim) and JK UFC (Juan Karlos Labajo) — sent 15 representatives to participate in an extreme adventure race.

Before the challenge proper, the participants eagerly took part in an icebreaker where they unleashed their creativity by performing an impromptu cheer.

The excitement escalated quickly as the adventure race official kicked-off. Some of the challenges the fandoms conquered included crossing a hanging bridge, doing a unity walk, and finishing a maze.

The Dyfenders emerged victorious among the Final Four while the Francisnatics topped the other two Survivors.

Erly De Vera, one of the administrators of Jason Dy’s fandom, shared their repre-

sentatives’ WISHperience, “All of them enjoyed the event because until now they are still talking about it.”

“Some of them have just met [during the race] but still, they managed to work well together towards a common goal — to score high and to be on top…Though there were only 15 representatives, it felt like the whole Dyfenders was there.”

Meanwhile, Ernie Sabandal, head administrator of the Francisnatics, shared that the WISHdependence Day was an “ultimate bonding experience” for the group.

Asked about their strategy, he said that they just highlighted their “unity and teamwork by knowing their strengths and weaknesses.” The team dedicated their win to Francis Lim, who served as their inspiration throughout the game.

Kapamilya’s ‘Born For You’ rated highly nationwide

Viewers were easily captivated by the story of destined couple Sam (Janella Salvador) and Kevin (Elmo Magalona) as the pilot episode of ABS-CBN’s newest primetime series Born For You scored high in the national TV ratings last Monday.

The series topbilled by Elmo and Janalla proved its strength in primetime and garnered a national TV rating of 17.1 percent, easily beating its rival show Juan Happy Love Story, which only got 11 percent, according to data from Kantar Media.

#ElNella. Elmo Magalona and Janella Salvador are billed to be the next big tandem on local TV

Netizens also shared their kilig and excitement online, which made the official hashtag #BFYTheRedString trend worldwide on Twitter.

In its pilot episode, viewers were introduced to the simple life of Sam with her parents Cathy (Vina Morales) and Buddy (Bernard Palanca). But their family faced deep turmoil with the sudden death of Buddy as a speeding vehicle hit him while chasing Marge (Ayen Munji-Laurel), mother of Kevin and wife of Mike (Ariel Rivera), to

take back his composition “Born for You” that he wrote for his wife.

What future awaits Sam and Cathy? Will they ever know the real reason behind Buddy’s death? How soon until Sam and Kevin’s paths cross?

Don’t miss the teleserye that proves destiny exists, Born for You weeknights after Dolce Amore on ABS-CBN or ABSCBN HD (SkyCable 167). Catch up via iWant TV and skyondemand.com.ph for Sky subscribers.