The Standard - 2016 June 25 - Saturday

VOL. XXX  NO. 133  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  SATURDAY : JUNE 25, 2016  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

UK VOTES OUT OF EU, CAMERON RESIGNS

B5

SEAMEN ABDUCTED 7 Indonesians taken as Filipina captive freed

Home is the hostage. Incoming peace process adviser Jesus Dureza escorts former Abu Sayyaf hostage Marites Flor after getting off a flight from Sulu within hours from her release from nine months of detention.

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera and John Paolo Bencito

SEVEN Indonesian sailors have been kidnapped at sea in Mindanao, the Indonesian government said Friday, the latest in a spree of abductions by armed gangs in the strife-torn region.

News of the abductions came as the Abu Sayyaf kidnap gang released Marites Flor, the Filipina girlfriend of Canadian hostage Robert Hall, who was beheaded earlier this month after the bandits’ ransom demands

were not met.

The Indonesian crew were towing a coal barge in the Sulu sea on Monday when their tugboat was hijacked by armed groups, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said.

Seven sailors were taken hostage in two separate attacks on the vessel around an hour apart, Marsudi added. The six other crew aboard the tugboat were left unharmed.

“The government will do everything possible to free these hostages,” Marsudi told reporters.

“The safety of these seven Indonesian citizens is our priority.”

A spokesman for the foreign ministry said he could not confirm whether a ransom demand

COLLEAGUES SLAM COMELEC CHIEF

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan COMMISSION on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista on Friday shrugged off a memo from his fellow commissioners, who took him to task for “failed leadership” and the delay in release of payments to teachers who served as board of election inspectors during the May 9 polls.

“This is old news. I have pre-

pared a response and met with several commissioners about this already,” he said in a text message.

On Thursday, the other members of the Commission en banc issued a strongly worded memo to Bautista asking him to explain why there was a delay in the release of honoraria for the board of election inspectors and other poll workers.

Bautista also shrugged off their assessment that there was

a failure of leadership in the poll body.

“I find the phrase ‘failure of leadership’ ironic after the May 2016 elections, which most believe was the fastest, most organized and successful elections in Philippine history,” he said.

Bautista added, “Was the holding of nationwide presidential debates after 24 years a manifestation of failure of leadership as well?”

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had been made, or if the Abu Sayyaf was responsible for the abductions.

Earlier this year the group kidnapped four Malaysian seamen and 14 Indonesian sailors, holding them in their stronghold in Sulu. They were freed several months later but there was no information on whether a ransom was paid.

A spokesman for the Philippine government said they were working to verify the report.

If confirmed, it would be the

third kidnapping of Indonesian sailors this year.

Defense officials from the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia agreed this week to consider coordinated steps including possible joint patrols to tackle a wave of seaborne crime in the Sulu and Celebes seas, which together form a key waterway among the three countries.

Abu Sayyaf, a small band of bandits, is highly active in the region and specializes in kidnappings-for-ransom.

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CUSTOMS, PPA CLASH IN NORTH HARBOR

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TURF WAR BREAKS OUT BETWEEN BoC, PPA

By Christine F. Herrera A TURF war between the Philippine Ports Authority and the Bureau of Customs broke out Friday after Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina held his ground and asserted he has the jurisdiction to grant authority to his friend, businessman Ramon Ang, to engage in international trade, despite the PPA’s exclusive contract allowing his company to engage only in domestic trade.

“The Bureau of Customs does not grant concessions similar to those granted by PPA. Under existing laws, the opening or closing of a ‘port of entry’ is an exclusive Customs function and BoC has jurisdiction and authority over vessels engaged in foreign trade and over goods subject of importations, including its means of transport,” said Lina in a statement.

But the PPA rebuffed Lina and said the BoC may have jurisdiction over opening and closing a port of entry but Lina did not have jurisdiction over port operations and the handling of such cargo.

PPA Officer-in-charge and assistant general manager for operations Raul Santos said that under its charter, “the PPA is the sole regulator over the ports.”

Lina and Santos earlier exchanged memos to assert who has jurisdiction over port operations

and cargo handling in Manila North Harbor, a 52-hectare port now being run for domestic trade

by Ang’s Manila North Harbor Port Inc. (MNHPI).

In PPA Memorandum Order 08 – 2016 dated June 21, Santos issued the directive to “disallow” the MNHPI to operate as an international port operator.

Santos’ order was in response to Lina’s June 2, 2016 Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) 12-2016 enjoining the PPA, among others, to allow foreign vessels to dock at the Manila North Harbor.

Lina said he granted the NMHPI the status of Authorized Customs Facility or ACF to engage in international trade because Ang was a “friend.”

He also said the memo in favor of Ang was not a midnight deal, but that he would have granted him the ACF even if it were his “last day in office or [the] last min-

ute in office on June 30.”

“For Customs purposes, it has exclusive control, direction and management of Customs offices, facilities, warehouses, ports, airports, wharves, infrastructure, and other premises,” Lina said Friday.

“Further, in implementing Customs laws and regulations, it has jurisdiction over all coasts, ports, airports, harbors, bays, rivers and inland waterways,” he added.

Santos reminded Lina that the Manila North Harbor has always been known and was treated as a domestic port as mandated by Presidential Decree No. 857 or the Revised PPA Charter.

“MNHPI’s contract was the result of a competitive public bidding in 2009 where the terms of the bid parameters limit the cargo handling operations to domestic cargo only,” Santos pointed out.

He also called the attention of

Lina, who also sits in the board of the PPA, that the Customs chief’s series of memoranda and administrative issuances will place the MNHPI “in direct violation of its terminal contract with the PPA should MNHPI handle foreign cargo.”

Lina, on the other hand, said that as a sub-port of the Port of Manila, it can accept vessels engaged in foreign trade.

Christian Razon Gonzales, senior vice president of the International Container Terminal Services Inc., said he agreed that Customs has complete jurisdiction over opening and closing of ports of entry, but it is also clear in existing laws that PPA has jurisdiction over the handling of cargo through those ports of entry.

“Existing law, including the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act or Co-loading Act, also ensures that contracts for the handling of said cargo are not changed by Customs’ implementation of the IRRs [implementing rules and regulations,]” Gonzales said. “Nor does it permit Customs to change the terms of a publicly bid concession under another agency.”

With Gabrielle Binaday

Duterte magic. President-elect Rodrigo Duterte speaks before a crowd that gathered in Davao City to welcome the return of Abu Sayyaf hostage Marites Flor.

Colleagues...

From A1

The commissioners also assailed Bautista for issuing statements to the media favoring the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October .

“The Commission on Elections exists primarily for the holding of elections. The unilateral statement of the chairman places the entire organization in bad light as being lazy to conduct the elections,” they said.

The Comelec officials noted

that Bautista also failed to immediately act on the hacking of the Comelec website.

Those who signed the memo were commissioners Christian Robert Lim, Luie Guia, Al Parreño, Arthur Lim, Rowena Guanzon, and Sheriff Abas.

Christian Robert Lim denied suggestions that they were trying to force Bautista to resign, but said they wanted him to change the way he handled the Comelec.

“We talked already and we don’t want him to resign. Probably, what we want to see are improvements in the commis-

sion,” Lim said. “We don’t want him to resign. We believe all issues are solvable.”

Guanzon also agreed.

“Why should I ask him to resign? He should just come back from his travel abroad and sit down with us. We have been asking him to sit down with us,” she said in a separate interview.

The clarification of Guanzon and Lim come after all six commissioners issued a memo against Bautista on June 3, expressing their disappointment over his leadership.

“At the outset and with all due respect, we, the commissioners

constituting the majority of the commission en banc, express our position of a failed leadership of the Comelec,” the memo said.

The memo, which has not been released to the public, detailed some 15 issues and concerns.

Commissioner Arthur Lim, in signing the memo, said he was doing so with a “heavy heart.”

Among the issues raised in the memo by the six commissioners are the manner by which the weekly en banc meetings are being conducted, the failed mall voting project, and the delays in the payment of teachers who served as board of election inspectors. With PNA

Seamen...

From A1 The Western Mindanao Command on Friday said it is still confirming reports that seven Indonesian sailors were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf Group.

The lone Filipina kidnap victim, Flor, arrived at the Davao City police office escorted by incoming peace panel chief Jesus Dureza as a symbol of “gesture of goodwill of the Abu Sayyaf Group.”

Flor was presented to incoming President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on Friday afternoon.

Dureza said that when he was in Oslo, he was informed that the Norwegian Prime Minister had a phone conversation with Duterte for the possible release of Kjartan Sekkingstad.

“When I was in Oslo, I was in touch with our local contact, Governor [Abdusakur] Tan. He made all the efforts,” Dureza said.

He said that when he came back from Oslo, he was informed that Flor was ready to be turned over to him.

Asked why Flor and not Sekkingstad was released, Dureza said that Tan told him that it was a goodwill gesture.

“They knew that President-elect Rody wanted badly the release of these hostages,” he added.

Duterte said kidnappings and beheadings must stop, and that time would come when he would confront the Abu Sayyaf.

“We were able to negotiate the release of Marites Flor, but apparently the Norwegian is still with the Abu Sayyaf,” Duterte said.

Flor, 38, a native of Valencia, Bukidnon, was teary-eyed when he was turned over to Duterte and said the Abu Sayyaf treated her like a dog.

“They told me that I was next to be beheaded after they cut the head of my fiance [Hall],” she said. “Before they killed Hall, they were like happy and excited to do it.”

Flor said that she was just awakened at dawn of Friday and told that she would be taken somewhere.

Later did she found out that she would be released to governor Tan of Sulu.

Flor was one of the four kidnap victims at Ocean View Resort, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte in September 2015.

Her boyfriend Hall was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf on June 14, after his ransom was not paid.

The other Canadian, John Ridsdel, was beheaded in April.

Duterte said Friday the Abu Sayyaf ’s reign of terror would be brought to an end.

Speaking before policemen at the Davao City, Duterte said kidnappings should no longer be toleraged.

“I don’t want to fight with anyone but there will be a time when I will have to confront the ASG. It is not yet forthcoming but the kidnappings have to stop.”

“My brother Muslims. I don’t want to fight, but stop. This has given us a bad image. There will be a reckoning of what happened,” Duterte said.

Duterte said that they are still negotiating the release of Sekkingstad.

He said he was still verifying reports that the Abu Sayyaf were unable to cross the rough seas with Sekkingstad. With Sandy Araneta, Florante S. Solmerin, AFP, PNA

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Arroyo appeals on her case FORMER President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has urged the Supreme Court to immediately resolve her appeal to dismiss her remaining plunder case in the Sandiganbayan, which involves her alleged misuse of P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds.

In her appeal filed on Thursday, Arroyo, a reelected representative of Pampanga, urged the high court to act on her appeal to dismiss the case via demurrer of evidence.

She made her appeal even as the Sandiganbayan on Friday allowed her to challenge the evidence presented by the prosecution in the graft raps filed against her in connection with the $329-million National Broadband Network-ZTE deal in 2007.

The anti-graft court’s Fourth Division allowed her to file a demurrer within 10 days.

Arroyo said it was necessary to resolve her case after the Office of the Ombudsman recently started investigation on a new complaint for plunder involving PCSO funds, and this time covering the period 2004 to 2007.

“That the institution of the new complaint which involves disbursements of PCSO funds for earlier years hardly suggests that its filing is to vindicate a public wrong,” Mrs. Arroyo said in her motion filed by her lawyer Estelito Mendoza.

“Indeed, in an earlier pleading, the petitioner has stated that, in the light of the arguments now on the records of the case, [petitioner Arroyo] sees the ‘break of dawn’ in the restoration of full restoration of her freedom.

The office of the Ombudsman seeks to prolong her nightmare.”

Arroyo asked the high court to resolve her petitions “at the earlier possible opportunity” as she had been in detention since October 2012.

Aside from her petition on demurrer to evidence, she also has two other pending petitions questioning the Sandiganbayan’s decisions upholding the finding of probable cause and denying her bail petition.

A source from the high court revealed that the Arroyo case would be tackled on Tuesday next week.

Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja

Welcome. Workers of the Kilusang Mayo Uno massed at the Mendiola Bridge on Friday to welcome the resumption of the peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front as signaled by the meeting by the two sides in Oslo on June 15. DANNY PATA

Lawmaker hopeful on exact-change bill A LAWMAKER on Friday expressed hope that President Benigno Aquino III will sign into law a bill requiring business establishments to give exact change to consumers.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate, one of the bill’s authors, said he was hopeful that Aquino, whose term ends next week, would not veto the proposed “Exact Change Act” like he did to several other measures―including the bill granting a P2,000 increase in the pensions of Social Security System members and that increasing the salary of nurses.

The proposed “Exact Change Act” was referred to the President for his approval and sig-

nature after the House ratified the Conference Committee Report of House Bill 4730 on June 6 and Senate Bill 1618 on May 23, 2016.

Zarate said the measure, if passed into law, would strengthen the protection of consumers.

“The bill affirms the policy of the State to protect the interest and promote the general welfare of the consumer as well as establish standards of conduct for business and industry,” Zarate said.

The bill would make it unlawful for any business establishment to give insufficient change or no change at all to consumers purchasing products or services even if such change represented only a small amount.

The bill would prohibit any business establishment from giving change in any other form other than the currency or to ask the consumer for permission to be exempted from the provisions of the proposed Act for any reason, including the non-availability of small bills or coins.

The bill would also require business establishments to put signs in every counter saying “Demand your Exact Change.”

Business establishments would be required to use price tags when appropriate, indicating the exact retail price per unit or service that already includes the taxes applicable. Maricel V. Cruz

Faeldon: Use social media to catch crooks

Optimism. Urban planning expert Felino Palafox said he was optimistic President-elect Rodrigo Duterte had the political will to address the many structural hazards besieging Metro Manila during a talk at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City on Friday. DANNY PATA

INCOMING Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said Friday he will urge the transacting public to use the social media to catch the crooks at the Bureau of Customs, which is considered one of the most corrupt government agencies.

Faeldon, a former Marine, assumes his post on July 1. He was Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte’s personal choice to head Customs.

Faeldon said he will install surveillance cameras in all the bureau’s offices and stream the video on

the internet to stop corruption in the agency.

He also plans to limit the physical transaction between Customs officers and importers.

He wants the bureau to be like a bank where customers cannot choose who to do business with.

He is giving himself 45 days to “renovate” the agency’s structure.

Customs has consistently failed its collection targets, with the last year’s collection of P366.9 billion failing to meet the target by 16 percent. Vito Barcelo

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Health workers’ plaint. Members

of Philippine Nurses Association stage a protest in front of their head office in Malate, Manila against President Benigno Aquino III’s veto of the proposed Comprehensive Nursing Law that would have increased the salaries of nurses.

DANNY PATA

Ubial outlines health priorities

By Macon Araneta

Police pay increase not doable this year

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—The increase in the salary of policemen up to P50,000 may not be doable within this year, incoming Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael “Mike” Sueno said after the incoming Philippine National Police chief admitted he may not be able to stop criminality in the next six months.

“We cannot really make an immediate increase,” Sueno told reporters here. “I don’t think so, maybe we can increase it slowly next year... Staggered is doable.”

Sueno said it is almost impossible to immediately raise the salary of policemen to as much as P50,000 because it will have to be studied, deliberated upon and ap-

proved by Congress.

“It will now depend on the legislative branch if it is possible that we increase the salary of the police.

How about the others [security forces]? I don’t know what will be the implication of that,” Sueno said.

The salaries of the country’s 100,000 policemen range from P13,000 to P67,000 de-

pending on their rank.

On June 12, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, the running mate of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, said he had sent a proposal to incoming PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa to increase policemen salaries to P50,000 to discourage corruption in their ranks.

But Sueno said they are also looking at the possibility of increasing the number of policemen and other security forces.

The incoming Interior secretary, however, did not say whether the delay in the proposed pay hike of policemen had anything to do with Dela Rosa’s admission that the PNP may not be able to achieve President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign promise to stop criminality in three to six months.

“In six months, it should be 100 percent. Our objective is that high,” Dela Rosa told journalists.

“But I am sure we cannot achieve these goals.”

Saying he will resign if he fails to fulfill Duterte’s promise, he said the PNP’s strategy will be based on closely monitoring statistical targets.

“For example, in three to six months, 50 percent of the problem must be solved. After three months, we need to achieve another 60 percent,” he said.

“However, we cannot achieve an outright 100 percent. If we fail, at least [we resolved] 60 percent to 70 percent,” Dela Rosa added, pledging not to fudge crime statistics just so to make it appear that the police is succeeding in the promised anticrime drive.

INCOMING Health Secretary Jean Paulyn Rusell-Ubial said she will review the Department of Health’s “distorted” health expenditures which resulted in the failure to implement an ideal health insurance program.

“But the framework is already there, how we can actually help the majority of the Filipinos to access quality health services,” Ubial clarified in an interview over GMA 7 on Thursday.

She said that since the focus between hospitals and public health is divided, the poorest Filipinos are not sufficiently reached by the DoH. Ubial said she has discussed with President-elect Rodrigo Duterte her vision to provide quality health care to the poorest Filipinos by realigning health expenditures.

For one, she said they are looking at how to provide annual mandatory medical check-ups for 20-million poor Filipinos. “We see this as a way for them to be closer to our services,” said the new Health secretary.

At the same time, Ubial said they would push for higher health spending in order to better cater to the needs of the Filipino people and vowed to use her expertise as a public health official to prioritize primary health care.

“Before, the focus was on hospitals. But because I’m a public health official, I will prioritize primary care, preventive, promotive services.

Our dictum will be ‘prevention is better than cure.’’’

She said increasing health spending as a portion of the country’s gross domestic product is needed for the DoH leadership to really focus on the poorest of the poor Filipinos.

Albay relief exercise set LEGAZPI CITY—Albay hosts a new round of joint humanitarian partnership program on June 27 to July 11, involving some 1,000 troops from the US Navy and Australian Navy, among others, and the world’s largest hospital ship, the USNS Mercy.

Dubbed “Pacific Partnership,” the program started during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and its consequent deadly tidal waves or tsunami, Pacific Partnership features an annual deployment of forces from the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet in cooperation with regional governments.

The activity in Albay is under the auspices of the the Philippine-US Mutual

Defense Treaty. The visiting troops will be joined by the Philippine Navy in South Luzon, and will be received

by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda in ceremonies at the Albay Astrodome here city on June 27.

Salceda said Pacific Partnership provides an opportunity to enhance goodwill and cooperation among the region’s military forces and governments, needed during disaster relief operations, and at the same time deliver humanitarian and engineering assistance to local stakeholders.

He said Pacific Partnership also opens up an opportunity for Albay to show off its ecotourism wealth, being a

multi-awarded and fastest growing global tourism destination in the country. Albay, a Unesco World Biosphere Reserve is itself a UN global model for Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and a pioneer of novel strategies in disaster resiliency with its Green Economy program.

The world’s largest hospital ship, USNS Mercy, serves as the centerpiece of the humanitarian activity.

Equipped with state-ofthe-art medical facilities, its medical personnel with local troops, will treat some 4,000 local patients aboard the ship and in designated areas around the province.

I delivered universal health care. President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his speech during the 118th anniversary of the Department of Health at the Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel on Thursday. MALACAÑANG PHOTO

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Rody hikes bounty on drug lords’ heads

By John Paolo Bencito and Macon Ramos-Araneta President-elect rodrigo duterte on Friday reiterated that he can match the bounty allegedly placed by drug lords on his head.

Duterte made these statements as he defended his stance on the death penalty, saying that the death penalty law has never deterred criminals from committing crimes because of its lousy implementation.

“There will be no questions asked, let both sides make the highest bid. If they put up P100 million, I will give you [policemen] P150 million to slaughter them.

I will promote you on the spot from PO1 [Police Officer 1] to general,” the president-elect said at the turnover of command of the Davao City Police Office.

Duterte said he will even be willing to promote on the spot any policeman who will “slaughter” anyone who would attempt to kill him.

“I was chosen. I never had anything to [lose]. I’m a hardliner,” Duterte said.

Relatedly, returning Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III vowed to seek the reopening of the hearing on the so-called “blue book” that contains the name of the country’s alleged big time drug pushers and carjackers.

Speaking in an interview over radio dzMM, Sotto said he would resurrect the investigation of the alleged blue book and call for a continuation of the hearing because there was no end to it.

Meanwhile, a major television network reported that a top drug suspect who surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation spilled the beans on police officials involved in the illegal-drug trade.

Alleged drug lord Alvaro “Barok” Alvaro surrendered to the NBI in Tagbilaran, Bohol, after his fellow drug suspect Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz was killed in a police operation in Las Piñas last week.

NBI Regional Director Attorney Jojo Yap on Friday said Alvaro surrendered because he feared for his and his family’s safety as authorities were already closing in on him.

“Before the surrender of Alvaro, we actually demanded that he cooperate with us before we facilitate the surrender,” Yap told ANC’s Dateline Philippines.

Alvaro is reportedly Diaz’s next-incommand in the province of Cebu.

Yap said Alvaro has given “a lot of valuable information on his network and the network of his competitors,” based on interviews by NBI agents.

Manila Day. Manila City Hall Cultural Affairs head Liz Villasenor watches as Muslim clergy and other religious groups lay a wreath in front of the Raha Sulayman shrine during the 445th Araw ng Maynila ceremonies. DAnny PATA

Buhay party-list slams ‘vote manipulation’ 213,814 votes.

Arnold Arriola, who works for BuBuhAY Party-list on Friday supported hay Party-list, attested that the number the call of the Confederation of Non- of Consla’s votes had reached 342, Stock Savings and Loan Associations 513 as of 10:40 p.m. of May 9 with Inc. (Consla) for the investigation of the 66,2626 clustered precincts or roughly alleged vote manipulation during the re- 74.18 percent counted, and was ranked number 17 among contending party-list cent elections in May. This was after an officer of Buhay ex- organizations.

In his affidavit, Arriola recounted that ecuted a sworn-affidavit backing Consla’s complaint before the Commission on Elec- at around 8 p.m. of May 9, he went to the tions and the Parish Pastoral Council for PPCRV headquarters to inquire about and Responsible Voting about the discrepancy monitor the results of voting for party-list in the number of votes it garnered for the groups.

After waiting for approximately three party-list elections on May 9.

Consla through its lawyer Rodolfo hours without getting information, he San Diego claimed that the group’s votes said, he decided to go in and talk to the reached 555,896 by 12 noon of May 10 first available person he met and asked based on the PPCRV’s Quick Count posted for the status of the voting for the partylist candidates. on its Twitter account.

At 10:30 p.m., Arriola said he was able however, San Diego said the group was surprised to find out that the of- to talk to a certain Rommel Bernardo who ficial result of the Comelec’s canvass- agreed to show the quick count results.

Bernardo, according to Arriola, opened ing showed Consla with a total of only

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

a workstation and showed him the partial and unofficial counting of votes for partylist groups according to the PPCRV quick count.

Arriola said he took photos of the screen using his cellular phone.

The photos, which Consla submitted to the Comelec and the PPCRV to support its complaint, would show the discrepancy in the votes tallied by PPCRV and the final results released by the Comelec, he added.

“The attached pictures are faithful reproductions of the photographs in my Experia [cellular phone]. The photographs have not been altered, whether digitally or otherwise,” Arriola assured. he also said he was willing to submit his cellular phone for examination by the Comelec and the PPCRV. On Thursday, Consla formally asked the Comelec to conduct an investigation into the discrepancy in the number of votes it garnered.

DepEd launches solar-power classrooms with internet

By John Paolo Bencito

Rehab. An estimated 1,000 alleged drug users and pushers from different barangays in

Quezon City turned themselves in to the Quezon City Police District in Camp Karingal on Friday, amid the ongoing crackdown on illegal drug syndicates inspired by President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s tough stance against crime. Police said the surrenderees will undergo drug testing and fingerprint verification. MAnny PAlMeRo

TO BRINg quality education to far-flung areas that have no electricity or connectivity, the Department of Education has teamed up with Microsoft Philippines and launched the Egg—a self-contained classroom that can be transported to remote areas, generate its own water and power, and connect to the internet.

The Egg can be easily set up in three days and can accommodate more than 30 students. It adapts to the archipelagic nature of our country where delivering education to every nook and cranny is a real challenge.

A self-sustaining, fully functional learning facility, the Egg can be dropped-off by helicopter, truck, or boat anywhere in the

country and can be set up by the natives themselves.

“Microsoft is glad to be spearheading this initiative with DepEd. We believe now is the perfect time to fully harness the power of technology and help Filipino learners get a 21st century education through connectivity for all,” said Karrie Ilagan, Microsoft Philippines general manager.

Ilagan said the Egg is equipped with information technology tools to help students and teachers. “It can serve as an independent classroom or can be connected and stacked together with other Eggs to form clusters, pop-up classrooms, or a whole school. It has adaptive reuse and it can also be used as a storm shelter for the areas where they will be deployed.”

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DND: AFP capability upgrade cost P60b

Inton wants more female public transport drivers

By Florante S. Solmerin

By Rio N. Araja

ouTgoing Department of national Defense Secretary Voltaire gazmin said on Friday that the sixyear administration of outgoing President Benigno Aquino iii has spent at least P60.14 billion to buy equipment under the capability upgrade and modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. “i am happy to say that through the strong support of President Aquino, we have gained significant progress in the implementation of the AFP capability upgrade and modernization program with the release of P60.14 billion pesos from July 2010 to April 2016 and extended to the Philippine Army its modest share of the implementation of the said program,” gazmin said in his speech during a testimonial review given to him by the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio. “i depart from our Defense department on June 30, 2016 contented and pleased that i am leaving behind my endeared institution, the Philippine Army, the immortal monument of courage and patriotism in the defense of our citizenry and their treasured social and democratic ideals,” he added. gazmin, a former Army chief and a member of the Philippine Military Academy class 1968, has served six years as the alter-ego of Aquino in the defense department.

Aquino had earmarked after his assumption to power a total of P75 billion to modernize the AFP to at least achieve a “minimum credible territorial defense.”

Such a promise, however, was not fulfilled because of corruption and other issues that beset the Defense department, such as the controversial P1.2billion helicopter deal with an American-based company.

A RANKING official of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Friday expressed support for women-drivers of public utility vehicles in Metro Manila.

Ariel enrile inton, one of the two lTFRB board members, said there was a need to substantially increase the number of female drivers in the public transportation, since they drive more carefully than

their male counterparts. “it’s about time to expand the pool of qualified drivers in public transportation by encouraging more women drivers,” inton said. “let’s have more women drivers in public

transport. Women are known to drive safely and i think passengers will feel much safer with women drivers.”

JAM liner operating to and from Quezon city or Pasay city to central luzon provinces has only seven lady bus drivers, he said. iloilo city has only one lady taxi driver, inton added.

According to him, parents prefer lady drivers for school services because they are trusted, careful and caring.

Bus operators are satisfied with the performance of their lady drivers, the lTFRB official noted.

“Also, women drivers are satisfied with a fixed income and will prefer receiving fixed pay as drivers over the boundary system, which is being pointed out as one reason there are many vehicular accidents,” he explained. “The income of a female driver is used to augment the family income, while a huge portion of a male driver’s income goes to personal needs and

sometimes to vices.” inton, however, said women drivers are more vulnerable to crimes and said protection of them “must be drawn clear and solid if we want to encourage more of them to join the public transportation industry.” “in return, this will answer the complaints of many operators that it is hard to find trustworthy drivers. i think women drivers will have a lot of benefits to bring to the industry,” he said.

Top transgender. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada jokes with Trixia Maristela, one of the 10 top Manilans during the awarding ceremony at Manila Hotel.

Maristela, a University of the Philippine European Languages graduate, is a transgender woman who is an LGBT rights advocate and an actress. She won Eat Bulaga’s Super Sireyna Worldwide and authored a book entitled ‘He’s Dating the Transgender.’ DANNY PATA

Violence mars SJ festival

By Vito Barcelo

Violence marred the celebration of the Wattah Wattah Festival in San Juan city yesterday after a group of men mauled a suspected snatcher, while four other persons, including a woman were slightly injured in a rumble between two groups of youths on Pinaglaban Street, police said.

Police said a group of men mauled a suspected snatcher who reportedly tried to grab the cellular phone of a woman watching theWattah Wattah event.

The suspect, identified as Manny Manuel, denied the

allegation. He said he was a legitimate resident of San Juan and had no intention of stealing the woman’s phone.

Manuel sustained head injuries and bruises and was brought to a clinic for treatment. He is facing theft charges.

Meanwhile, three more persons were slightly hurt in a fight between two groups of young men who were reportedly drunk. The men were taken to a police station.

The annual festival is in honor of the town’s patron saint, St John the Baptist, and locals splash water on friends and passersby and participate in different games.

Revelry. San Juan City residents are doused with water from fire trucks during the ‘Wattah-Wattah Festival’ on the feast of St. John the Baptist on Friday. MANNY PALMERO

s at u r d ay : J u N E 2 5 , 2 0 1 6

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Organizers: No media interviews at concert for Digong

By Junex Doronio CEBU CITY—Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte will grant no media interviews even as he is slated to grace the “One Love, One Nation” thanksgiving concert for him to be held at the Sugbo grounds in the South Road Properties today.

This was confirmed

by Doris Mongaya, media coordinator of #Call4Change, even if the event which 80,000 people are expected to attend, would be open to the media.

She said Duterte will arrive to personally thank Cebu for delivering 1,022,805 votes to his candidacy.

Duterte received 726,559 votes in Cebu province and 296,246 votes in Cebu City to post a half-a-million vote edge against Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas.

At the same time, Mongaya said their group #Call4Change will launch its Cebu Alliance for Change with the signing of a commitment among parallel groups that will monitor the pro-people agenda earlier promised to be implemented under Duterte’s administration. #Call4Change is the biggest faction among Duterte supporters in Cebu. The group also opposes the appointment of Cebuano businessman Michael Lloyd Dino as presidential assistant for the Visayas, citing conflict of interest.

Peddling their wares. Elderly women in Sagada, Mt. Province sell their goods in front of the Church of St. Mary. DAVID CHAN

Marine groups ask Duterte to end sea, coastal crimes

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

Leaders of fisherfolk and Marine conservation groups yesterday urged Presidentelect rodrigo duterte to end crimes happening at sea and in coastal communities.

In a statement, the groups also called for the creation of a separate Department of Oceans and Fisheries to be able to better plan, monitor and implement reforms and contribute towards food security.

“We are here to request a dialogue and to remind incoming President Duterte of his campaign promise to address fishers’ and ma-

rine issues, and to end very high poverty incidence among people directly relying on seas for food and for a living. His administration will play a critical role in the country’s transition to sustainable fishing,” said Greenpeace Philippines oceans campaigner Vince Cinches.

“We expect nothing less than strong, resolute im-

plementation of the amended fisheries law against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF). Doing less is a disservice to millions of Filipinos who have been clamoring for change,” Cinches added.

The groups said that latest data from the Philippine Statistics showed that the poverty incidence among fisherfolk reached 39.2 percent in 2012, the highest among the basic sectors of society, followed by farmers at 38.3 percent, and children at 35.2 percent.

“Coherent and holistic programs should especially be quickly put in place that recognize our vulnerability to climate change. We need focused and

sustained efforts in combatting crimes against the oceans and to allow a better playing field for our small fishers and fishing communities,” said Dennis Calvan, executive director of the NGOs for Fisheries Reform.

“We strongly urge the incoming administration to target an end to illegal fishing within their first six months of office,” added Calvan.

During the election campaign period, fishers, marine conservationists and environmental groups pushed for the 10-Point Blue Agenda to be taken up by the presidential candidates. This include the delineation of municipal waters, the implementation of

traceability mechanisms for fishery products, sustainable fishing, and capacity-building for fisherfolk to better adapt to climate change.

“We call on the new administration to immediately address the crime of illegal fishing and start rehabilitating our overfished waters. We look forward to seeing political will in the new government’s campaign against crime to include its focus on prosecuting plunderers of our oceans, to protect the people’s right to healthy marine ecosystems and ensure food security for all Filipinos,” said Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos, vice president of Oceana Philippines.

Ombudsman suspends Bacolod’s Puentevella

By Rio N. Araja DAYS before Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella ends his term on June 30, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered his suspension on Wednesday for delaying the implementation of an administrative decision involving two city building officials.

In its decision, the Ombudsman found Puentevella guilty of simple misconduct and was ordered suspended for one month and one day.

In July 2014, the Ombudsman issued a suspension order on building official Isidro Sun Jr. and building inspector Jose Maria Makilan for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

On Dec. 9, 2015, Puentevella received a directive from the Ombudsman to implement the suspension order on Sun and Makilan.

In a letter-reply, Puentevella

maintained “in the spirit of Christmas, the effectivity of the Order is set on Jan. 1, 2015.”

“The Ombudsman Act of 1989 [Republic Act No. 6770] plainly states that decisions of the Office of the Ombudsman are immediately effective and executory and that there is nothing vague or ambiguous with this wording,” the Ombudsman said.

“Neither RA No. 6770 nor the issuances of the [Ombudsman] authorize a head of office or agency to schedule a different date for the effectivity of the Decision.”

The case stemmed from the order of the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas to suspend Sun and Makilan for six months and one day after finding them guilty of the administrative offense of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service in relation to an application of a company for a business permit for the expansion of a mall in Bacolod in 2013.

Praying and fasting. Muslims pray inside the Pink Mosque in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in

Maguindanao. AFP

A8

S AT U R D AY : J U N E 2 5 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

BAD ENGLISH GRAMMAR ON CABLE TV FEATURING FILIPINOS; SKY CABLE’S MONOPOLY

[ EDI TORI A L ]

TROUBLE AT THE COMELEC

On the surface, it seems a good thing that our elections commissioners are of different persuasions. This lends credibility to the collegial nature of the Comelec, a constitutional commission independent of all other branches of government.

The operative phrase, however, is “on the surface.”

More than a month after the May 9 national and local elections, the poll body faces criticism for agreeing to extend the deadline for the filing of Statements of Contributions and Expenditures from June 8 to June 30.

The extension is seen as an accommodation to the Liberal Party, which submitted its SOCE six days after the deadline, or on June 14. The LP’s presidential candidate, Manuel Roxas II, only submitted his SOCE on June 22, saying he had voluminous documents that had to be attached and scanned.

According to election laws, winning candidates of parties that fail to submit the SOCE will not be able to assume their posts. The LP’s Leonor Robredo has been proclaimed winner of the vice presidential race.

One of the three dissenters, Commissioner Christian Lim, slammed the en banc’s decision, saying that his colleagues had a limited view of campaign finance regulation and little regard for the consequences of the extension. Lim used to head the Campaign Finance Office that had recommended the denial of the Liberal Party’s request.

But the Comelec’s woes transcend the SOCE. Online news organization Rappler reported that the six commissioners had written Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista a letter earlier this month lamenting his failure of leadership.

Among the issues was the delay in the release of allowances of teachers who served as election inspectors even as the law required a payment within 15 days from the date of the elections. Bautista had blamed the teachers because they refused to use cash cards to receive their pay.

The commissioners also said Bautista made a statement to the media that the barangay and the Sangguniang Kabataan elections should be postponed. The chairman should have consulted them because they were supposed to speak and act as a body, the commissioners said.

The people’s faith in the electoral system is only as strong as their belief that the Comelec is a sound, stable and sensible agency capable of performing its job despite administrative imperfections and differences among its key players. The commission plays a central role in upholding democracy. Beyond parties and personalities, a far greater concern is whether the will of the people is reflected and whether elections are conducted in the manner envisioned by the law. The Comelec must get its act together.

MY FIVE WISHES FOR DUTERTE’S PRESIDENCY POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO IN A few days, President-elect Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte will formally take the reins of government from his predecessor, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Duterte has remained controversial even after winning the elections. His pronouncements and actions related with human and women’s rights, his Cabinet appointments and his treatment

of members of the media all created a lot of buzz, especially online.

Not a few people I know are apprehensive about the six years of Digong’s presidency. Some are scared outright, especially with the unusually high number of killings of alleged or suspected drug dealers, even before the new president holds office.

There are a few who said that they are considering leaving the country because of what they consider as threats to their and their family members’ lives.

On the other hand, there are those saying that people are

over-reacting especially since Duterte has yet to take his oath of office. The implication is, he will be different once he formally becomes president.

Duterte the candidate is the same as Duterte, the presidentelect. Will he be any different from Duterte, the sitting president? By now, I am already convinced that he is as he said he would be. We have been adequately forewarned as to what kind of a president he would be.

By now, we already know that Duterte breaks stereotypes of how a president acts and speaks.

He has said that his working

A9

I hope President Duterte makes good on his promise that the change he represents is the change that people want, a change that will propel the country forward.

hours would start after lunch and that he would spend a good part of his time in Davao City.

He also said he would choose people he would work with based on trust and alliances.

Still, I have this wish list that I hope we will see happening during President Duterte’s administration.

Respect for human rights, and therefore, due process.

While criminality and corruption must be significantly curbed, this should not be attained by violating people’s inherent rights. Power is easily abused as we have seen many

times before. Sadly, many of those victimized are those who are without means to protect themselves—the poor.

Suspected criminals must be brought to court, not summarily killed. Due process must be observed so the law punishes those who are proven to have done criminal acts.

In this regard, Duterte’s government needs to instead focus on improving our justice system which, people know is also corruption-ridden. The Philippine National Police must also be helped, not by egging them to kill,

but by giving them just compensation, making them follow rules so cases are not lost on technicalities, and providing them with gadgets and equipment, and retraining them in modern ways of crime prevention, detection, and apprehension.

Peace and order can be attained while fully protecting people’s human rights.

These are not mutually exclusive.

Respect for women’s rights. This should not be difficult for President Duterte who is known to have done many good things for women in

The Standard 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, 8325556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard.com.ph; E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

ONLINE

can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Davao City. All he needs to do is to be conscious of his actions, and careful with his words when dealing with, or speaking about women. Whether he likes it or not, because he is president, everything he says become policy statements. With all our pro-women’s rights laws, he cannot be perceived as the first to contradict, or violate these laws. This happened when he catcalled journalist Mariz Umali in Davao City where a Gender and Development (GAD) Code prohibiting such actions Continued on A11 is in full effect.

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

OVER the past four weeks, many people who watch cable television have noticed the bad English grammar employed in a cable TV advertisement featuring male and female Filipino celebrities. The advertisement appears several times daily, on prime time at that, on at least two international cable TV channels—History Channel and CNN Philippines—as indicated at the end of each advertisement.

The advertisement appears to be an institutional campaign against slavery in the 21st century, under the slogan “buy out slavery.”

From a commercial perspective, however, the advertisement appears to have been timed to promote the initial cable telecast of a recent remake of the classic television documentary-drama Roots.

The docu-drama tells the story of the horrors of slavery in the United States during the decades prior to the American Civil War. The advertisement features several local celebrities like Giselle Sanchez, Aiko Melendez, Joel Trinidad, and Ruby Rodriguez delivering separate lines against slavery, and about the plight of many people who still live in bondage all over the world today. There seems to be two versions of the advertisement.

At the end of each advertisement, three selected celebrities deliver a part of the whole line which goes—“... to show the world that you and I, and every human being, is not for sale.” That sentence is grammatically erroneous because it uses a compound subject, the elements of which are put together by the conjunction “and.” Being so, the correct tense of the operative verb should not be “is” but “are.” Any teacher of basic English grammar will readily see the error.

Many black Americans on US TV speak English in such a way that they use the verb “is” when the correct verb should be “are.” People are asking if the advertisement in question is an indirect way of mocking black Americans.

Other questions arise. Why did the cable TV networks allow that erroneous line to go on the air in the first place?

Was it a case of clumsy scriptwriting, or sloppy editing, or did the networks let that error happen just to put Filipinos in bad light?

Take the popular cable TV program Science of Stupid, which features a Filipino host, and which has humorous lines delivered in Pilipino, with English subtitles supplied. It seems like the Filipino host is made to look like anything except “scientific.” As a consequence, there are foreigners who get the mistaken impression that among Asians, Filipinos are the Continued on A11 Publisher Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Maan Ilustre Advertising and Marketing Head Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

A8

S AT U R D AY : J U N E 2 5 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

BAD ENGLISH GRAMMAR ON CABLE TV FEATURING FILIPINOS; SKY CABLE’S MONOPOLY

[ EDI TORI A L ]

TROUBLE AT THE COMELEC

On the surface, it seems a good thing that our elections commissioners are of different persuasions. This lends credibility to the collegial nature of the Comelec, a constitutional commission independent of all other branches of government.

The operative phrase, however, is “on the surface.”

More than a month after the May 9 national and local elections, the poll body faces criticism for agreeing to extend the deadline for the filing of Statements of Contributions and Expenditures from June 8 to June 30.

The extension is seen as an accommodation to the Liberal Party, which submitted its SOCE six days after the deadline, or on June 14. The LP’s presidential candidate, Manuel Roxas II, only submitted his SOCE on June 22, saying he had voluminous documents that had to be attached and scanned.

According to election laws, winning candidates of parties that fail to submit the SOCE will not be able to assume their posts. The LP’s Leonor Robredo has been proclaimed winner of the vice presidential race.

One of the three dissenters, Commissioner Christian Lim, slammed the en banc’s decision, saying that his colleagues had a limited view of campaign finance regulation and little regard for the consequences of the extension. Lim used to head the Campaign Finance Office that had recommended the denial of the Liberal Party’s request.

But the Comelec’s woes transcend the SOCE. Online news organization Rappler reported that the six commissioners had written Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista a letter earlier this month lamenting his failure of leadership.

Among the issues was the delay in the release of allowances of teachers who served as election inspectors even as the law required a payment within 15 days from the date of the elections. Bautista had blamed the teachers because they refused to use cash cards to receive their pay.

The commissioners also said Bautista made a statement to the media that the barangay and the Sangguniang Kabataan elections should be postponed. The chairman should have consulted them because they were supposed to speak and act as a body, the commissioners said.

The people’s faith in the electoral system is only as strong as their belief that the Comelec is a sound, stable and sensible agency capable of performing its job despite administrative imperfections and differences among its key players. The commission plays a central role in upholding democracy. Beyond parties and personalities, a far greater concern is whether the will of the people is reflected and whether elections are conducted in the manner envisioned by the law. The Comelec must get its act together.

MY FIVE WISHES FOR DUTERTE’S PRESIDENCY POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO IN A few days, President-elect Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte will formally take the reins of government from his predecessor, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Duterte has remained controversial even after winning the elections. His pronouncements and actions related with human and women’s rights, his Cabinet appointments and his treatment

of members of the media all created a lot of buzz, especially online.

Not a few people I know are apprehensive about the six years of Digong’s presidency. Some are scared outright, especially with the unusually high number of killings of alleged or suspected drug dealers, even before the new president holds office.

There are a few who said that they are considering leaving the country because of what they consider as threats to their and their family members’ lives.

On the other hand, there are those saying that people are

over-reacting especially since Duterte has yet to take his oath of office. The implication is, he will be different once he formally becomes president.

Duterte the candidate is the same as Duterte, the presidentelect. Will he be any different from Duterte, the sitting president? By now, I am already convinced that he is as he said he would be. We have been adequately forewarned as to what kind of a president he would be.

By now, we already know that Duterte breaks stereotypes of how a president acts and speaks.

He has said that his working

A9

I hope President Duterte makes good on his promise that the change he represents is the change that people want, a change that will propel the country forward.

hours would start after lunch and that he would spend a good part of his time in Davao City.

He also said he would choose people he would work with based on trust and alliances.

Still, I have this wish list that I hope we will see happening during President Duterte’s administration.

Respect for human rights, and therefore, due process.

While criminality and corruption must be significantly curbed, this should not be attained by violating people’s inherent rights. Power is easily abused as we have seen many

times before. Sadly, many of those victimized are those who are without means to protect themselves—the poor.

Suspected criminals must be brought to court, not summarily killed. Due process must be observed so the law punishes those who are proven to have done criminal acts.

In this regard, Duterte’s government needs to instead focus on improving our justice system which, people know is also corruption-ridden. The Philippine National Police must also be helped, not by egging them to kill,

but by giving them just compensation, making them follow rules so cases are not lost on technicalities, and providing them with gadgets and equipment, and retraining them in modern ways of crime prevention, detection, and apprehension.

Peace and order can be attained while fully protecting people’s human rights.

These are not mutually exclusive.

Respect for women’s rights. This should not be difficult for President Duterte who is known to have done many good things for women in

The Standard 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, 8325556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard.com.ph; E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

ONLINE

can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Davao City. All he needs to do is to be conscious of his actions, and careful with his words when dealing with, or speaking about women. Whether he likes it or not, because he is president, everything he says become policy statements. With all our pro-women’s rights laws, he cannot be perceived as the first to contradict, or violate these laws. This happened when he catcalled journalist Mariz Umali in Davao City where a Gender and Development (GAD) Code prohibiting such actions Continued on A11 is in full effect.

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

OVER the past four weeks, many people who watch cable television have noticed the bad English grammar employed in a cable TV advertisement featuring male and female Filipino celebrities. The advertisement appears several times daily, on prime time at that, on at least two international cable TV channels—History Channel and CNN Philippines—as indicated at the end of each advertisement.

The advertisement appears to be an institutional campaign against slavery in the 21st century, under the slogan “buy out slavery.”

From a commercial perspective, however, the advertisement appears to have been timed to promote the initial cable telecast of a recent remake of the classic television documentary-drama Roots.

The docu-drama tells the story of the horrors of slavery in the United States during the decades prior to the American Civil War. The advertisement features several local celebrities like Giselle Sanchez, Aiko Melendez, Joel Trinidad, and Ruby Rodriguez delivering separate lines against slavery, and about the plight of many people who still live in bondage all over the world today. There seems to be two versions of the advertisement.

At the end of each advertisement, three selected celebrities deliver a part of the whole line which goes—“... to show the world that you and I, and every human being, is not for sale.” That sentence is grammatically erroneous because it uses a compound subject, the elements of which are put together by the conjunction “and.” Being so, the correct tense of the operative verb should not be “is” but “are.” Any teacher of basic English grammar will readily see the error.

Many black Americans on US TV speak English in such a way that they use the verb “is” when the correct verb should be “are.” People are asking if the advertisement in question is an indirect way of mocking black Americans.

Other questions arise. Why did the cable TV networks allow that erroneous line to go on the air in the first place?

Was it a case of clumsy scriptwriting, or sloppy editing, or did the networks let that error happen just to put Filipinos in bad light?

Take the popular cable TV program Science of Stupid, which features a Filipino host, and which has humorous lines delivered in Pilipino, with English subtitles supplied. It seems like the Filipino host is made to look like anything except “scientific.” As a consequence, there are foreigners who get the mistaken impression that among Asians, Filipinos are the Continued on A11 Publisher Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Maan Ilustre Advertising and Marketing Head Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

S AT U R D AY : J U N E 2 5 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A SEPARATE OATHTAKING BACK­ BENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN MAYBE it is unprecedented, but Presidentelect Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte deserves a choice of wanting to have separate oathtaking ceremonies for the president and the vice president.

His decision should be respected much that it conveys a meaning deeper than what one might think. To the majority of our people, Duterte represents the president who was elected, though many believe he could have gotten more votes than what was made to appear in the seemingly fabricated results announced by the government-controlled Commission on Elections and by the front organization of the clerics which is supposed to assist the heathens how to conduct an election and count the result through what it calls the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting.

The incoming president must have figured out that taking his oath of office with a woman whose mandate is highly questionable is to tinge his administration with the same cloud of dishonesty. Even if Duterte is not a product of that electoral fraud, it would appear he is approving and consenting to the rape of our democracy by allowing the impostor to stand sideby-side with him in the oathtaking ceremony.

Yes, Robredo has been proclaimed by Congress that is controlled by the same notorious lackeys who catapulted her to power, but her proclamation will never erase the doubt about her election or will prevent the people from calling her an impostor. This is because those who operated what many now call swindling machines denied them the evidence to point out how the results were systematically manipulated to make the lackeys of the corrupt regime win. The impostor could no longer be prevented from taking her oath of office, but neither can she demand to be called Vice President or be allowed to stand side by side with the one they rightly elected to office.

If the non-taxpaying clerics had their privilege

to bless the person as the alleged winner despite the heckles and denunciations, President Duterte has the right and even the moral high ground to demand that. In fact, many suspect that the late filing by the Liberal Party of its Statement of Contributions and Expenditures was intentionally done to show their disfavor on the manner how the election was rigged to let Robredo win.

Many now interpret this as a crack within the party.

Some party insiders grumbled that the first-term congresswoman from Camarines Sur spent P406.82 million worth of airtime from Feb. 9 to April 27, even surpassing her own presidential running mate Manuel “Mar” Roxas as the biggest spender. She spent more than any presidential candidate!

Some party members claim they know no oligarch or tycoon to have vouched for the financial cost of Robredo’s candidacy, which means that a

The incoming president must have figured out that taking his oath of office with a woman whose mandate is highly questionable is to tinge his administration with the same cloud of dishonesty.

great portion of the campaign funds was most likely funneled to her directly by Malacañang.

It must be recalled that PNoy was quoted saying he will not allow any of the Marcoses to ascend to power again, and the best weapon to effectively check the candidacy of Bongbong Marcos was to provide Robredo’s candidacy with enormous campaign funds. Bongbong was touted as the unbeatable candidate for vice president and PNoy concentrated his firepower in preventing that imminent victory of Bongbong.

He forgot that his stupid

EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA PRESIDENT-ELECT Rodrigo Duterte is on a roll.

Even before assuming office as the 16th President of the Philippines, his administration is off to a good and fast start. Verbal pyrotechnics and media controversies aside, the initial decisions have been encouraging. In particular, with a few exceptions, I find the Duterte cabinet to be by and large solid— impressive, in fact.

There are individuals in the Duterte cabinet that stand out right away —among others, Sonny Dominguez, Ernie Pernia, Ben Diokno, Jun Evasco, Bebot Bello, Jess Dureza, Salvador Medialdea, Art Tugade, Rodolfo Salalima and Liling Briones—for their experience and seniority. Their professional records in and out of government assures us that at the helm of the most critical departments are people of the highest caliber.

Finance secretary-designate Dominguez does not just know money. He also understands rural and sustainable development, having performed excellently in the Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources during the time of Cory Aquino.

His stewardship of the La Fayette mining company in Rapu-rapu, Albay also saw the reversal of the bad environmental and social development record of that company.

Forming the core of Duterte’s economic team strategy would somehow hurt and humiliate Roxas.

For being tactless and irascible, PNoy forgot that the primary objective in that election was to capture the presidency. He should have considered that by electing a Liberal Party president, the party would easily be able to control Congress because this pretending-to-be-honest government has systematized bribery called “pork barrel” by christening it as Disbursement Acceleration Program and, of course, the Priority Development Assistance Fund. PNoy did not even consider that Roxas gave way to allow him to run in the 2010 because their prefabricated poll surveys indicated that he was more popular than Roxas even if he had not filed a single bill as elected legislator.

Even if we might say that the rating of Roxas failed

GINA LOPEZ AND OTHER APPOINTMENTS are two world-class economists from the University of the Philippines —Diokno and Pernia.

Diokno’s understanding of the budget is unparalleled. Together with Pernia’s insight on poverty, it complements the vision of inclusive development articulated by Dominguez.

I must add that Ramon Lopez, the new Trade and Industry Secretary, while younger than his peers in the economic team, brings with him the success of the innovative program Go Negosyo and could provide impetus for new thinking on the economic challenges (particularly poverty) we face.

I can say the same of Jess Dureza and Bebot Bello, both of whom I worked with during the administration of Fidel V. Ramos. Dureza and Bello are seasoned consensus builders – people you would like to be with in a foxhole (literal and figurative) during conflict situations. They are trusted by the constituencies they are now responsible for. I must say that I am optimistic that we will finally be able to forge permanent peace with all the major revolutionary movements the country has to contend with.

The personal history of Jun Evasco is well-known.

His leadership role in the Duterte campaign has also been recognized. He will be a strong advocate for the poor and for lo-

cal governments in the new administration. The Cabinet, and more importantly, the country, is fortunate to have Evasco as Cabinet Secretary.

Salvador Medialdea is highly respected in legal circles. His family name of course is an admired brand in law, his father being a former Supreme Court Justice and longtime Court Administrator.

Bingbong, as he is called, has been described a lawyer’s lawyer—as straight as an arrow on legal and integrity issues. This assures us that the rule of law will not be set aside in an administration that could be daring in many issues.

Finally, among the senior officials, Art Tugade and Rodolfo Salalima come to their positions in the Department of Transportation (for Tugade) and the newly formed Department of Information and Communications Technology (for Salalima) with stellar reputations in the private sector. They have challenging mandates but I am hopeful that finally, the government will deliver on the areas in which the Aquino administration failed so miserably.

The Duterte administration is not impressive only at the Cabinet level but also at the sub-Cabinet level. To cite one example, I am very happy that Martin Delgra, from Davao City, will be the

new Chair of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

Chuck or Chuckbong, as we call him, is totally incorruptible, extraordinarily competent, and absolutely patriotic. He is pro-poor and an advocate of good governance.

I should know because we have been friends for 35 years since we were batch mates as Jesuit Volunteers in 1981. Chuck served as a high school teacher in Kadingilan, Bukidnon and then took up law in Ateneo de Davao. He then became a human rights lawyer, basing himself in Basilan for a number of years, before returning to law practice in Davao City. The transportation sector and public is wellserved to have someone like Delgra overseeing the public interest.

I am very happy of course that many Mindanawons are in the Duterte government. The Department of Agriculture, for example, will now led by Manny Piñol from North Cotabato. He brings to that position the experience of someone who has actually been a farmer and a governor of a province dependent on agriculture. I am also proud to claim that two of his undersecretaries are people with my surname. Evelyn Laviña will be undersecretary for high-value crops while Pompee La Viña will be undersecretary for Continued on A11

to pick up such that there was a consensus of pessimism that he, unaided by his acerbic character, would fail in his presidential bid, PNoy should have taken into account that Roxas was the man who made him President, and served him will as a Cabinet member even if he was disliked by many. Paradoxically, it could be well said that it was PNoy who betrayed him at the last moment when he needed his assistance most. It was treachery of the first order because he paid much attention to his hatred by preventing Bongbong from winning which was painful to Roxas.

Aside from the late submission of SOCE, the huge amount of expenses has cast much doubt on how Robredo was able to recoup that amount by merely selling lugaw (congee). It is telling that the Roxas camp

now has its eye on destroying the credibility of the impostor. The disgruntled LP candidates knew that they would be putting at risk the favored lackey of PNoy. The late compliance in the filing of SOCE was intended to disallow her to assume office because that specific provision is clear that there is a fixed period for the candidates or their party to file their statement of contributions and expenditures within 30 days after the holding of the election.

Among the vice presidential candidates, Chiz Escudero only spent half of what the maglulugaw spent, placing him the secondbiggest spender for the vice presidential race spending P269.05 million, followed

by Alan Cayetano, P185.39 million, Bongbong Marcos P45.44 million, Antonio Trillanes IV, P40.13 million and Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, P21.83 million.

To make things palatable, a poll survey has again been rolled to appease the public who sharply reacted to the wholesale defrauding of their votes as when it was discovered that a new script was uploaded to the Comelec’s transparency server which resulted in the alteration of the hash codes of the packet data without their permission. The hypocrites have come out with a survey telling the Filipino people that the impostor now enjoys a higher trust rating than President-elect Duterte. It says the poll survey conducted recently by the Social Weather Station, Robredo got a 45 percent “good” trust rating as against President-elect Rodrigo Duterte who only got a “moderate” trust rating of 26 percent in a survey conducted from May 1 to 3. It was another mindconditioner to the people to Continued on A11

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OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A BAD DAY FOR EUROPE Bloomberg editorial THIS was never supposed to happen. Three years ago, when UK Prime Minister David Cameron promised his country a referendum on remaining a member of the European Union, he was sure of victory. The country had other ideas. On Thursday, Britain voted to quit.

It’s a momentous choice—and not in a good way. The immediate risk to Britain’s economy is grave, because the vote creates enormous uncertainty. This is likely to persist for months, until it becomes clear what kind of new trading rules will govern Britain’s economic relationship with Europe and the rest of the world.

Add to this the likelihood of political turmoil at home. Cameron, in effect, has just lost a national vote of confidence; he

Bad... From A9 most inferior in the field of science.

Perhaps the show wanted to use comedy to convey a lesson, but it seems to put Filipinos in bad light.

Somebody should correct the erroneous spiel in that cable TV advertisement about slavery. As long as the bad English remains in that advertisement, its message will always get upstaged. *** Speaking of cable TV, Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte ought to set his sights on Sky Cable, which has a virtual monopoly on cable TV in Metropolitan Manila. The Constitution and existing laws frown against monopolies because monopolies are bad for consumers in a market economy.

Since a monopoly faces no competition, it dictates its own prices, and the consumer is at the mercy of the monopoly.

When San Miguel Beer was the only local beer available in the country, its price was expensive. Later on, when competition came from other breweries, San Miguel Beer had to be keep its price competitive enough with the other brands. As a result, consumers had a choice, and the price of beer was determined by market forces. The same can be said of the local ice cream, and cooking oil industries in the country.

There was a time when the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. held a monopoly on the telephone industry in the national capital region. Before the 1990s, it took years before a home was able to obtain a telephone line. When competition was provided by BayanTel, and later on by mobile telephone service providers, PLDT had to shape up. As a result, a PLDT phone line could be obtained overnight.

Sometime in the 1990s, when Sky Cable faced competition from Home Cable and Destiny Cable, the subscription fees it charged were fairly reasonable—around P1600 for every quarter. Complaints were diligently

announced his resignation Friday. Most members of Parliament—Labour and Conservative alike—were supporters of the Remain campaign. What confidence does the electorate any longer have in them? Scotland has supported remaining in the EU, so demands for Scottish independence might surge anew. This vote will shake the UK to its foundations.

It may shake the European Union almost as badly. Britain is only one EU member, but among the biggest and most influential.

The first country to leave the union in this fashion, it will now resolve to prove that exit works.

If, against the odds, it succeeds, other EU members could be tempted to do the same.

Anti-EU sentiment is not confined to Britain. In 10 EU countries recently polled by the Pew Research Center, the

union is viewed unfavorably by roughly one in two citizens.

A median of 42 percent want powers returned to national governments, versus 19 percent who want more transferred to the EU. Today, the union is less popular in France than it is in Britain. An election is approaching in Spain, as is a referendum on constitutional reform in Italy. The shock of Brexit is sure to reverberate.

There’ll be time later for blame—and there’s plenty to go around. For the moment, amid all the uncertainty, the priority must be to restore calm. This means rowing back from the rhetorical excesses of the campaigns, with each side predicting doom if the other had its way. Instead, so far as possible, the emphasis should be on continuity over discontinuity.

As Britain prepares to leave

the EU, it will seek and should quickly be promised access to Europe’s market on friendly terms, akin to those enjoyed by Norway and Switzerland. This is a matter of compelling mutual interest. To make this possible, the UK will have to accede to an array of EU rules and regulations, with details to be decided.

In coming to this new accommodation, neither side should take a maximalist position. After the bogus certitudes of the referendum debate, a spirit of compromise is called for.

To be sure, Britain’s former EU partners may be tempted to punish the UK, and that way set an example for other would-be quitters. They should resist. First, because a punitive approach is unlikely to endear the EU to citizens elsewhere, already chafing at what they perceive to be its excesses. Second,

because the UK and the EU can and must be close friends and allies, despite this vote. The time to start building this new relationship is now.

It’s clear that the dangers in all this outweigh the opportunities—yet there are opportunities nonetheless, and they should be seized. Whatever posture the EU adopts toward its former partner, it should recognize the force of rising anti-EU sentiment elsewhere in the union and act to stanch it. Maybe Brexit will provide the necessary jolt.

Europe’s leaders have long preferred to ignore such discontent rather than acknowledge it— much less accommodate it.

Britain’s vote for exit shows the great cost of such complacency. To minimize the harm to its own interests, and to stop the next such vote before it happens, Europe needs to change.

attended to by its telephone personnel.

Service was prompt and courteous.

In the ensuing years, the competition was eliminated, and Sky Cable enjoyed a monopoly. Soon thereafter, its subscription prices tripled.

Today, complaints are referred to incompetent call center employees who use endless recordings to discourage calls. Reconnection fees, minimal during the years there was still competition, are now in the thousands of pesos.

Sky Cable also interrupts certain foreign cable transmissions by inserting its own advertisements. Are the overseas sponsors—those who pay program sources so their advertisements can reach Philippine cable TV audiences—aware of this?

The “must carry” rule of the National Telecommunications Commission requires Sky Cable (and all cable TV service providers) to carry the broadcasts of all television networks operating in the metropolis, including the competitors of its sister company, ABS-CBN. One such competitor, a large TV network, repeatedly complains that its programs on Sky Cable suffer from chronic technical interference.

It will be difficult to compete with Sky Cable. Cables have to be placed either overhead through existing light posts, or buried underground.

Overhead cables will require the payment of regular rent to the Manila Electric Co. (a sister company of Sky Cable) which owns the electric posts. Underground cables will require very expensive excavation throughout the metropolis, and numerous permits from local government units.

Since President-elect Duterte has already warned existing telecommunications companies in the country to shape up or face tough competition from others, perhaps the same arrangement should be made for the cable TV industry in the Philippines.

If change will really come, as Duterte promised, the local cable TV industry could sure use that change.

My five... From A9

integrity against China’s claims on parts of our lands. We cannot and should not surrender parts of our territory to another country no matter how big or powerful it is. Duterte’s government must strongly pursue our case under applicable international laws. We must exhaust all possible ways so China keeps off our territory. I do not agree that bilateral negotiation is the way to go and here, I am hoping that Duterte’s statements have been misconstrued.

Our country’s territorial sovereignty must be defended. There is no ifs or buts about this.

Shift to federal form and parliamentary system of government. This project may be the biggest and boldest for any president to embark on. I am for the shift and I hope Duterte’s resolve on this does not wane. Only one who is fully convinced that the change will do good for the country will dare to take this challenge.

If there is someone who might be able to do it, Digong is the one.

I have written a few pieces on the advantages of federalism and parliamentary form over our present system. I am particularly

convinced that these changes will help resolve the Mindanao problem.

However, to do this, Duterte’s administration should embark on a massive education drive so people understand. Public discussion and consultation on the matter cannot be forgotten. A constitutional convention or constitutional assembly is needed to craft a new constitution. I prefer a Con-Con with substantial sectoral representation so the voice of the masses becomes integral to the new basic framework of the country.

Duterte’s administration has the time to achieve this if it begins early and I hope it does.

Our country is entering an important new phase. I hope President Duterte makes good on his promise that the change he represents is the change that people want, a change that will propel the country forward. Our people must keep watch and remain vigilant.

be translated into results in the ground which they can politically defend from attackers.

In the end, they will unify all stakeholders (not just their usual constituencies).

Finally, reserving the best for the last, I enthusiastically support the appointment of Gina Lopez for environment secretary. Among others, Lopez understands what is at stake in the many fights going on all over the country over coal-fired power plants. It is time for the country to transition to clean and renewable energy. That policy shift starts by making sure that the environment and health impacts of coal-fired power plants are properly internalized and accounted for in pricing electricity. As a study the Ateneo School of Government produced last year has pointed out, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources can enable this shift by imposing a gold standard in ap-

proving coal-fired power plants.

We should approve only those plants that can perform according to the highest global pollution standards and deny permits to those that can only comply with lower standards.

While I personally believe that responsible mining is doable, its principal enabling condition is strong environmental governance. Lopez will assure us that the government will always be on the side of planet and people; she will require the highest standards of performance from her own colleagues in government and from the private sector. If such standards were followed, then indeed only mining consistent with sustainable development will be operating in the Philippines.

Change is coming. These individuals definitely will bring positive change. Let’s welcome that.

A separate... From A10 accept the impostor as the alleged elected Vice President. SWS also cited the unprecedented trust rating record of PNoy after his election in 2010 where he got a trust rating of 83 percent despite the fact that his only credential is being the son of Cory and Ninoy. The same can be said now of this demagogue who was plucked from nowhere but had the only qualification of being the biyuda of the late Jesse Robredo, the Local government secretary of PNoy. rpkapunan@gmail.com

Full and efficient implementation of the reproductive health (RH) law. Beyond issuing scathing statements against the Catholic Church that seem unnecessary at this point, Duterte’s presidency is in a very good position to work so maternal mortality substantially decreases, the very high teenage pregnancy rates arrested, and unmet need for family planning, addressed.

For these to happen, the president needs to see to it that RH programs are fully funded, local government units follow the law, and the National Implementation Team (NIT) headed by former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral is mandated to continue its good work. Moreover, the Supreme Court should already lift the Temporary Restraining Order against subdermal contraceptive implant—a very popular modern family planning method with women. On RH, Duterte has already started by choosing a proRH DOH secretary.

Pursue and protect Philippine’s territorial sovereignty and

Gina... From A10 agricultural enterprises. Evelyn, who happens to be the spouse of my cousin Peter, has extensive experience as a planter herself of high value crops, while Pompee, my brother, is a business entrepreneur with degrees from both Ateneo de Manila and the Asian Institute of Management.

I also welcome into the highest ranks of government those personalities coming from progressive organizations. I really admire President-elect Duterte for appointing Paeng Mariano, Judy Taguiwalo, and Joel Manglungsod in the Departments of Agrarian Reform, Social Welfare and Development, and Labor and Employment. With the chairmanship of the National Anti-Poverty Commission also going to another militant, this will be a historic moment for our country. I look forward to these colleagues to show that consistency in principles can

bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

Facebook: tonylavs5 or Dean Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Zika fears give Day doubts on Rio NEW YORK— World number one Jason Day said Thursday he remains undecided about whether or not he will compete at the Rio Olympics because of worries about the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus.

No Messi for Team Argentina in Olympics BUENOS AIRES—Argentina coach Gerardo Martino on Thursday named part of his squad for the Rio Olympics but superstar Lionel Messi was not included after being chosen for the Copa America instead.

The full list of 22 will be revealed in the coming days but not before Sunday’s final of the Copa, where Argentina take on holders Chile.

Messi’s exclusion was expected. He won gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 but Martino had already decided that the Barcelona star would not compete at both the Copa and the Olympics in August.

Nine players were named in the squad on Thursday.

They were Giovani Lo Celso (Rosario Central), Geronimo Rulli (Real Sociedad), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Emmanuel Mammana (River Plate), Jonathan Silva (Boca Juniors), José Luis Gomez (Lanus), Mauricio Martinez (Union), Leandro Paredes (Empoli) and Cristian Espinoza (Huracan).

Argentina were Olympic champions in 2004 and 2008 and will be favourites in Rio. They are in Group D of the competition along with Portugal, Algeria and Honduras.

AFP

UFC fighter John Dodson (right) is shown with Master Chef of France and RWM Director for Culinary Arts and F&B Cyrille Soenen.

Fil-Am promotes Fight Night at RWM RESORTS World Manila recently welcomed 31-year old FilipinoAmerican fighter Jon Dodson to promote his Ultimate Fighting Championship Bantamweight Fighter Tour with a press conference last Thursday at the integrated resort’s French-themed restaurant Impressions.

Dodson, who hails from New Mexico, USA is in the country for a four-day promotional tour to talk about his f lourishing career and the road to a championship belt.

“The plan I have for the UFC is to make sure I can secure a title. That’s always been a lifelong dream that I want to go ahead and do,” shared Dodson during the press conference. “When I entered the UFC, I wanted all three titles. I might have missed that first chance but I’ll secure that again.

I’ll do 125, then I’ll take that 135 and make my way back down and then go back to 145s. I want that.”

One of the quickest and most explosive fighters in the UFC, John ‘The Magician’ Dodson gained popularity after giving current UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw a first-round TKO in 2011 to earn the Ultimate Fighter 14 bantamweight title.

Dodson has fought in the flyweight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions with wins over flyweights Timothy Elliott and Jussier Formiga in 2012 and earning a title shot against champion Demetrious Johnson. Dodson lost via a unanimous five-round division to Johnson for the title fight in 2013.

Dodson gained ground and another shot at the title winning convincing victories against fly-

weights Darrell Montague in 2013, John Moraga in 2014 and Zach Makovsky in 2015. Dodson then got another shot at the title with a rematch against Johnson in 2015 but lost another unanimous decision to the champion.

Returning to the bantamweight division this year, Dodson won over Manny Gamburyan in April 2016 via a 47-second TKO win and currently holds a UFC record of 18 wins comprised of nine KO/TKOs, two submissions and seven decisions against 7 losses via decision.

More spectacular sporting events happen at Resorts World Manila this coming second half of 2016 including the 4th Resorts World Manila Masters Golf Tournament in November. Visit www. rwmanila.com or call the Tourist/ Visitor Hotline at (632) 908-8833 for more information.

Speaking at a promotional event ahead of defending his first major title at next month’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol, the 28-year-old Australian said he will talk with his family and agent Bud Martin about the risks before taking a final decision.

“I’ll talk to Bud and family members because family for me is priority number one, so I want to make sure that they are happy and then from there I’ll make a decision,” Day said.

Golf makes its return to the Olympics after a 112year absence, but fourthranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland pulled out Wednesday over Zika worries and Aussie Adam Scott, ranked eighth, withdrew over schedule issues.

In addition to severe illness, Zika has been linked to birth defects and that has made many athletes leery of traveling to Brazil.

“It’s a tough one, going from trying to represent your country and trying to win a gold medal but also understanding it’s a life decision you have to make,” Day said.

Graham McDowell, whose wife is due to give birth in September, said he will not go to Brazil in place of McIlroy on the Irish squad, likely meaning Padraig Harrington will join Shane Lowry in Rio. AFP

Speedo PH wants to champion swimming, yoga

By Maxine Lagman IN TIME for summer, Speedo unveiled this season’s swimwear collection with a new group of ambassadors during Thursday’s fashion show at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura Premier.

Since 2013, Speedo has been inspiring swimmers to be fit and improve their techniques through swimming.

“Speedo wants to champion the sport of swimming and show how anyone who aspires to a fit and healthy lifestyle should consider swimming as a fantastic fitness activity,” said Jamie Cornforth, the Vice President of Product and Marketing at Speedo International.

Runner Lauren Lim and yoga practitioner Katrina Mercado are the new ambassadors of Speedo Philippines.

In order to achieve a high level of fitness, these athletes challenged fitness enthusiasts to add swimming into their routine and acquire the right swimwear.

In partnership with the world’s leading athletes and sports scientists, Speedo Philippines produced a swimwear collection that corrects and perfects the body’s position when swimming.

The Competitive Collection features bright colored elements blended creatively. This collection also features swimsuits that are made of polyester fibers which helps provide high chlorine resistance and a UVA and UVB protection from the sun.

A swimmer’s body shape is also an important factor when choosing a swimwear. With Speedo’s Fast Skin Suits, swimmers would get comfortable with the right suits perfect for their bodies. This collection would increase

compression and streamlines that would help a swimmer higher in the water, making him/ her faster.

Compared to the other suits in the market, Speedo’s latest collection features a range of swimsuits carefully made with materials that are long lasting, versatile and stylish.

Speedo ambassador Jasmine Al-Khaldi also continued to inspire young swimmers as an Olympian and a recent graduate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

“Swimming played a huge role in shaping who I am today, not just because of the accomplishments in the pool but also the life lessons and skills that I have learned in the sport,” Al-Khaldi said.

Speedo’s swimwear and products cater to everyone who wants to look good, be fit and healthy, win a medal, relax or simply enjoy a leisure time.

Speedo ambassador Jasmine Al-Khaldi

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Pocari, BaliPure in title preview Games today (Philsports Arena) 1 p.m. – Bounty Fresh vs Navy (S Turf) 4 p.m. – NU vs UP (V-League) 6:30 p.m. – Pocari vs BaliPure (V-League)

Ben Simmons walks on stage after being drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. AFP

Petron, RC eye PSL lead Games Today 2 p.m. – Petron vs Generika 4 p.m. – RC Cola vs Cignal

ANOTHER blockbuster weekend showdown gets underway as pre-season favorites Petron and RC Cola-Army march to the war zone to shoot for a share of early lead in the 2016 Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference women’s volleyball tournament today at The Arena in San Juan.

The Tri-Activ Spikers raise the curtain as they battle Generika at 2 p.m., while the Lady Troopers clash with Cignal at 4 p.m. in this prestigious club tourney bankrolled by KLab Cyscorpions, Asics, Grand Sports, Mikasa, Mueller and Senoh with TV5 as official broadcast partner.

Petron and RC Cola-Army are tied at second spot with 1-0, half game behind the La Sallepowered F2 Logistics, which smothered Cignal in the opener and dominated Amy’s in three sets late Thursday for a 2-0 winloss slate.

POCARI Sweat and BaliPure finally come face to face in a duel of fancied teams with the top seeding in the Final Four at stake even as National University and University of the Philippines fight for survival in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Open Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Both the Lady Warriors and the Water Defenders are also putting their respective streaks on the line in their keenly awaited 6:30 p.m. clash with the former seeking their sixth straight and the latter likewise gunning for the same number of runs in their final elims assignment.

What makes this match doubly interesting and intriguing is that both teams will be coming into the game in full force with Michelle Gumabao and Myla Pablo, who missed Pocari’s last two outings, confirming their stint to what has been billed as a preview of the championship.

Simmons is Sixers’ no. 1 choice; LA picks Ingram NEW YORK—Philadelphia selected Ben Simmons with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, making the Australian forward the first 76ers top pick since Allen Iverson 20 years ago.

“It feels amazing, honestly,” Simmons said.

“I can’t even -- my legs were shaking when I was on stage,” he added.

“Anything you want to do, you can do. I’ve been wanting to do that since I was five, six, seven and I’ve finally accomplished that.”

The 19-year-old playmaker from Melbourne is also the third Australian-born player taken first overall, joining Kyrie Irving (2011) and Andrew Bogut (2005).

The Los Angeles Lakers

chose small forward Brandon Ingram with the second overall pick and the Boston Celtics made forward Jaylen Brown the third pick at the Barclays Center arena.

Simmons averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists playing US college basketball last season at Louisiana State.

“I am happy the Sixers chose me. I have been working so hard to get to this point,” he said.

“It honestly feels like all this pressure just has hopped off me. Now I can relax, but now I

know where I’m going to be.”

He has been on NBA scouts’ radars since moving to the United States in 2013 to attend Florida’s Montverde Academy.

Simmons conducted his only workout for the 76ers on Tuesday.

He has skill at passing and ball handling as well as the size and strength to succeed as a big man scoring and grabbing rebounds.

He goes to a team that seems to be constantly rebuilding, compiling a dismal 47-199 win-loss record since 2013.

The 76ers are coached by Brett Brown, an American who guided the Aussie Olympic squad to the 2012 London Olympic quarterfinals and took Australian league coach of the year honors in 1994 as he guided the North Melbourne Giants to a title.

Simmons, who has the same agent as the new three-time NBA champion LeBron James of the

Cleveland Cavaliers, has been working out in the Ohio city ahead of the draft.

He will turn 20 on July 20 shortly after he concludes his first pro games in the NBA Summer League.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Duke University forward Ingram with the second pick. He averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in his lone season with the Blue Devils.

It was the Lakers’ first pick in the post-Kobe Bryant era.

“You kind of feel pressure, but it’s a good pressure, of course,” Ingram said. “It gives you motivation and the potential to be someone like Kobe Bryant and some of the greats in the league.”

The Celtics had obtained the pick from Brooklyn in the 2013 Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade.

Brown averaged 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in his only season with California. AFP

Local bets Baladad, Benasa win in Solano LOCAL bets Evangela Baladad and Angeline Benasa made host city Solano in Nueva Vizcaya proud after the recent Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series leg by winning the girls’ 14-under and 16-under titles, respectively .

Now on its first decade of discovering and producing young tennis champions all over the country, the tournament provided an opportunity for provincial players in the region to get their competitive juices flowing.

“By bringing this series to farflung places in the Philippines, young tennis players get to play in organized and competitive tournaments and unknown talents emerge,” said Jean Henri

Lhuillier, President/CEO of the sponsoring Cebuana Lhuillier Group that has been at the forefront of grassroots tennis development in the country.

Lhuillier is also the current Philippine Tennis Association Chairman.

Baladad posted an easy 6-2, 6-3 win over Isabela lass Pauline Morales in the 14-under finals, but bowed down to Benasa in the 16-under championship match, 6-2, 6-4.

The other female winners in the tournament, also supported by Dunlop Sports as official ball, were Quirino province’s Aina Corpuz, who deprived Benasa of a double win with a 6-2, 6-2 win in the 18-under finals match, and Pauline Molina, champion in

the 12- under as she defeated local bet Ma. CZGen Bustamante, 6-2, 6-3.

The winners in the boys’ division were led by double champion Laurenz Quitara from Bacoor, Cavite as he posted a win by retirement over 12-under champion Rainier Angelo Selmar, 4-2, in the first set to win the 14-under title and followed it up with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over local player Darwin de la Cruz in the 16-under group.

In an earlier match, Selmar defeated sibling Ralph Adrian Selmar, 6-0, 6-1, for the 12-under title.

Markvin Marquez and Jan Latrell Javier, both from Isabela, met for the title in the 18- under finals with Marquez winning, 6-2, 6-2.

Multiple exposures were combined in camera to produce this image.

Danell Leyva competes on the pommel horse during day one of the 2016 Men’s Gymnastics Olympic Trials at Chafitz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri.

AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Knights start title-retention campaign LETRAN opens its back-to-back championship bid minus its old coach and two of its leaders as it clashes with an equally new-look San Beda College, even as title contenders Mapua and Jose Rizal clash in today’s start of the 92nd NCAA basketball tournament at The MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The Knights will be without Aldin Ayo, who was replaced by Jeff Napa after he left to coach La Salle early this year, and the veteran pair of Kevin Racal and Mark Cruz, who are now in the pros, when they battle the Lions, who lost starters Ola Adeogun, Baser Amer, Arthur dela Cruz and Ryusei Koga, at 2 p.m.

The Cardinals and the Bombers, who finished third and fourth a season back, for their part, tangle at 6 p.m.

The season will be ushered in by a colorful opening number directed

by Douglas Nierras using the season theme “Sports Builds Character; Achieving Breakthrough @ Season

92” and the parade threat, it challenges Games today of all 10 participatus more,” he added.

(MOA Arena, Pasay City) ing schools starting 12:30 p.m.- Opening Ceremonies San Beda mentor 2 p.m.- San Beda vs Letran (srs) at 12:30 p.m.

Jamike Jarin also beThe league will 4 p.m.- Mapua vs Jose Rizal (srs) lied notion that they also honor the late will be one of the fagreat Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga, vorites to win the crown. whose number 14 he used when he “I’m really surprised that we’re played for San Beda in the 50s, will considered title favorites when we be retired for making the country lost practically all our starters and proud in world competitions. our Defensive Player of the Year in And then it’s going to be war.

Ola (Adeogun),” said Jarin, now in “The good thing about this team his second season. is that we have no superstars,” said “But we’re thankful of the early acNapa, who won three UAAP high colades we’re getting and we hope to school titles with National Univer- really do better this season and live up sity before accepting the Letran job. to their expectations,” he added.

“It’s probably good for us also The Lions are aiming to bounce that they’re not considering us a title back after they were denied a “sixth-

peat” feat after losing the deciding Game 3 of their title showdown last year to Ayo and the Knights.

“We just want another chance, but we have to work really hard for it,” said Jarin.

The Bombers and the Cardinals have kept an almost intact line up and were tipped to challenge for the crown this season.

Jose Rizal retained all its core headed by Tey Tey Teodoro, Abdoul Poutouochi, Cris Jordan dela Paz, John Pontejos and AbdulRazak Abdul Wahab while Mapua made up for the departure of Josan Nimes and Andretti Stevens with the return of Andrew Estrella and Joseph Eriobu.

Lascuña stumbles but widens lead to 8 ANTIPOLO—Tony Lascuña birdied the three par-5s to negate a triple-bogey mishap on No. 5 but his first over-par card in three days—a 72—still put him eight strokes clear of Michael Bibat and three others and closer to the ICTSI Forest Hills Championship crown at the Forest Hills Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Just when his rivals tried to cash in on his early mishap, Lascuña used his power off the tee and solid iron play and putting to nail birdies on Nos. 6, 10 and 16, his missed green bogey on No. 15 marring his brilliant recovery but failing to stop him from virtually nailing his third leg victory on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

“I gambled on my approach shot on No. 5 but my 6-iron fell short into the hazard,” said Lascuña, whose three-putt miscue compounded his misadventure on the par-4 fifth hole.

Still, it hardly mattered in a day of soaring scores at the tough par-71 layout as Lascuña pooled a 54-hole aggregate of 12-under 201, spiked by an opening 65 and a solid 64, and went unassailably ahead after Bibat hobbled with a three-over 74, Jay Bayron and Marvin Dumandan matched par 71s and Orlan Sumcad fired a oneunder 70 for identical 212s.

Bibat, who started the round six shots off Lascuña, closed to within three with a 34 after nine holes but

Tony Lascuña used his power off the tee and solid iron play and putting to nail birdies on Nos. 6, 10 and 16, with his missed green bogey on No. 15 marring his brilliant recovery but failing to stop him from virtually nailing his third leg victory on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

he stumbled with a double-bogey on No. 12 and fumbled with three more bogeys against a birdie in the last seven holes.

Bayron also failed to put it all together, shooting three birdies but making the same number of bogeys, while the long-hitting Dumandan rattled off four birdies but had a double bogey and two bogeys, the last on No. 17 costing him the hold of solo second heading to the final 18 holes of the P2 million championship sponsored by ICTSI. Sumcad, one of the tour’s noted power-hitters, turned in one of three best cards of 33 at the front, went three-under with another birdie on No. 10 but struggled while tackling the tough pin placements in the closing holes. He bogeyed Nos. 12 and 15, birdied the 16th but holed out with another bogey for that 70.

Mars Pucay also fired a 33 at the front but the 2010 champion here closed out with a double-bogey and settled for a 71 and a 211 in a tie with veteran Danny Zarate, who rallied with a 34 for a 70.

Zanieboy Gialon, who fought back with a 65 midway through the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Pacsports, TaylorMade, Sharp and Champion, birdied No. 18 for a 70 to gain a share of eighth with Rene Menor, who strung up four-straight birdies from No. 11 to turn in a 70 for 212.

Personal kudos nothing if Spain can’t beat Italy, says Euro topscorer Morata MONTPELLIER—Alvaro Morata is joint top scorer at Euro 2016 but doesn’t care who hits the net if Spain beat a familiar Italy side to a coveted quarter-final place in their last 16 clash on Monday.

“I couldn’t care less about the top scorer’s chart if we lose,” Morata said after the defending champions’ shock 2-1 defeat to Croatia left them second in Group D and facing a nightmare draw as they bid to retain their title.

Against all hopes and expectations, Spain’s second-place finish means they now face what Morata, who has spent two seasons with Juventus, called a “tough” and “tactically perfect” Italy side in Paris.

Moreover, the winners of the tie on Monday could face Germany in the quarter-finals and hosts

France in the last four.

“They’re undoubtedly one of the toughest teams we could have drawn,” said Morata, who will return to Real Madrid following the Euros after the Spanish giants triggered a buy-back clause in his contract with Juventus this week.

“Tactically, I think they’re perfect and we’ll have to put in a perfect performance of our own if we’re going to beat them.”

Unsurprisingly, Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque had been hoping for an easier path to the latter stages.

“We have time to analyse the next game (with Italy), but it wasn’t the route we had planned to take,” he said.

Yet, it is a game fans of ‘La Roja’, who beat Italy 4-0 to win their second successive European Championship crown in 2012, will be hop-

ing inspires Morata.

He has played with 32-time Italian champions Juventus for the past two seasons, notably scoring the Old Lady’s only goal when they lost the 2015 Champions League final to Barcelona in Berlin.

And when he walks on to the Stade de France pitch, he will come face to face with the three-man colossal Juventus defence he encountered on a daily basis at their Vinovo training ground outside of Turin.

On paper, inside knowledge could help Morata and Spain get the better Italy’s ‘BBC’ of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, who have been formidably tight on their way to helping goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon keep clean sheets on his two Spain’s forward Alvaro Morata takes part in a training session at Saint Martin de appearances so far in France. AFP Re’s stadium during the Euro 2016 football tournament. AFP

S AT U R D AY : J U N E 2 5 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Volley tryouts. Star players from the different teams playing in the Philippine Superliga club tournaments answered the call by their coaches and the PSL to join the tryouts

set by the Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas, Inc. for the national team that will compete in two international tournaments set later in the year. These are the Asian Club Championship and the World Club Championship, which are both sanctioned by the International Volleyball Federation. ROMAN PROSPERO

‘Sports department not a good idea’ Pagara confident of winning vs Juarez

By Ronnie Nathanielsz UNBEATEN Prince Albert Pagara is confident he can triumph in his make-or-break showdown with hard-hitting Mexican Cesar Juarez when they clash in the main event of “Fists of the Future” at the San Mateo Events Center in California on July 9.

Pagara anticipates a knockout victory in the highly acclaimed “Pinoy Pride” 37th edition, telecast by ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel, which is widely watched, particularly in the Middle-East.

During the press launch at the ABS-CBN International Office in San Francisco, Pagara said he was confident he could sustain how many rounds he needs to get the job done.

He recalled that Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach told him to work on his stamina because he knows Juarez is a fighter.

Roach told Prince Albert he believes in his ability as a good fighter, “but you have to be careful and work hard for it.”

The young Filipino said he isn’t afraid of losing and this was true of all his past fights as long as he comes prepared, pointing out that “training is the key.” He also believes that his key to success will be his “speed and power.”

Pagara expressed his gratitude to trainer Roach, who handled some of his training sessions at the Wild Card Gym. “Roach called me out for what I need to be doing even in the middle of a session,” said Pagara.

By Peter Atencio

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. thumbed down the proposed creation of a Department of Sports, saying that it “may not be a good idea.”

Cojuangco said the establishment of such an agency will not be able to fully address the needs of the national sports associations and the athletes.

“It’s (now) being handled the way it should be. Once we get it into a department, it’s going to be difficult,” said Cojuangco during the recent launch of the PSC’s coffee table book entitled, “The Triumph of Philippine Sports in 25 Years,” at the PSC Athletes’ Dining Hall in Vito Cruz, Manila.

Cojuangco said that under a sports department, there may not be enough budget to be allocated to athletes and qualified people to run it at the regional level.

The POC chief said that the Philippine Sports Commission is doing a great job in addressing the needs of the NSAs and the athletes, as well as its thrust to discover young talents at the grassroots level.

“Its (PSC) programs are now attracting the youth. From the very first staging of the Batang Pinoy,

we can see that many of the youth the address the various needs of who joined are now seeing action in Philippine sports, including ininternational competitions,” added frastructure and solve perennial Cojuangco. problems such as lack of trainThe creation of a DOS is being ing, the need for a comprehensive pushed by newly elected 1Pacman grassroots program and inadpartylist solon Mikee Romero, who equate sports facilities. said that such a department can help find ways to give direct financial assistance to athletes and programs, which will help solve a lot of problems in Philippine sports.

00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ Romero said this will be made possible since the DOS will be a cabinet posiDIGITS 00-00-00-00 tion directly under the supervision of the incoming DIGITS 00-00-00 administration.

Romero said that with the creation of a DOS, the EZ2 00-00 government will be able

LOTTO RESULTS

6/45 4 3 2

Plan of including pros in Olympics takes a beating INSIDE SPORTS RONNIE NATHANIELSZ

THE decision of AIBA —the Alliance of Boxing Associations—the international governing body for the sport under the umbrella of the International Olympic Committee— continues to take a beating from various professional boxing organizations and renowned world champions, led by former heavyweight king Lennox Lewis.

As of this writing, we haven’t seen the entry of any pro boxer in the final qualifier in Vargas, Venezuela, while a couple of boxers from the hotbed of warrior fighters, Mexico, have announced their withdrawal.

In short, the short-sighted effort of AIBA president Dr. Wu Ching-Kuo has fallen flat on its face.

In fairness to Dr. Wu, the approval of the entry of professional boxers into the Olympics beginning in Rio this August was rushed, far too close to the final qualifier and the games themselves.

Just the other day, the

International Boxing Federation announced a strong stand against allowing pro boxers to fight in the Olympic Games and warned of the dangers of such a move.

The IBF stand was discussed last week during a meeting of the IBF’s executive officers and Board of Directors following preliminary discussions during the IBF Convention in Beijing, China in May, when the IBF Medical Committee members and ringside physician Dr. Paul Wallace presented the organization with a letter he sent to AIBA’S president Dr. Wu

by Dr. Raymond Monsell, chairman of the Association of Ringside Physicians and Dr. Harry Lovelace, president of the Association of Ringside Physicians.

In the letter, the doctors addressed the dangers faced by an amateur boxer competing against a professional boxer and in particular referred to the skill level, the difference in scoring amateur bouts compared to pro bouts and the use of head gear.

In a statement we received, the IBF said that upon reviewing the medical opinions put forth in

the letter and conferring with other individuals and organizations involved in the sport, the IBF believes there is an inherent risk with professionals competing against amateurs.

It stated that while the IBF/USBA Rules governing championship contests do not specifically address pro boxers competing against amateur boxers, the organization will apply its rules 5 and 14 in addressing any situation, where an IBF champion or fighter rated by the IBF, chooses to \compete as a boxer in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Rule 5 of the IBF/USBA Rules Governing Championship Contest says: “A Champion and Challenger must at all times set high ideals and act in a sportsmanlike manner. Any action by a Champion, Challenger promoter, manager or cornerman which reflects poorly on the IBF/USBA or the sport of boxing will subject the contestant to the imposition of discipline and penalties. The provisions of Rule 14 will be applied to any such situation.”

Rule 14 of the IBF/USBA Rules Governing Championship Contest cites:

“Should any Champion or Challenger be found in violation of any of the rules of the IBF/USBA, he may be removed from the rankings for a period of not less than one (1) year. Should any Champion, Challenger, promoter, cornerman or manager be found to have acted in an unsportsmanlike or unprofessional manner as provided in Rule 5 (IBF and USBA championship, elimination and unification bouts) by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, the Champion or the Challenger may be subject to fine, forfeiture of monies, vacation of title, lowering or removal from the ratings or any other discipline directed by the Board of Directors. Any boxer, promoter, cornerman or manager subjected to discipline under this rule has a right to appeal the finding of a violation or the imposition of discipline, or both, under Rule 12, Appeal Procedure.”

Essentially, an IBF Champion or fighter included in the IBF ratings that chooses to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio will be found in violation of rule 5 and their participation in

these games will be considered unsportsmanlike behavior due to the potential risks involved with amateur boxers competing against professional boxers.

An IBF Champion found in violation of rule 5 will have the title vacated and will be removed from the ratings for one year, and an IBF rated fighter will be removed from the ratings for one year.

IBF president Darryl Peoples said “Making this decision was not difficult for us. We felt it was important for the IBF to get involved and take a stance against professional boxers competing against amateurs due to safety concerns as part of our commitment to this sport is to promote the health and well-being of the boxers.”

Earlier, the World Boxing Council said any champion, contender or fighter rated in the Top 15 in any weight division who competes in the Olympic Games will be banned for two years from fighting in WBC events.

Obviously, the pro boxing organizations are using their influence to prevent implementation of what they sincerely believe is a poor decision by AIBA.

S AT U R DAY : J U N E 2 5 , 2 0 16

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Cleveland’s Lebron James (left) is skipping the Rio Olympics, citing the grind of having logged so much court time through six consecutive trips to the finals. NY’s Carmelo Anthony (right), on the other hand, is going to the games and would have the chance to become the first US player with three basketball gold medals after helping the Americans take gold in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. AFP

LeBron out, Carmelo in for Rio-bound US team NEW YORK—LeBron James reportedly joined an NBA All-Star lineup of talent Thursday that will not play for the United States at the Rio Olympics, while Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant will try to bring the Americans a third consecutive gold medal.

A flurry of reports ahead of next week’s announcement of the final US roster for Brazil was topped when Cleveland.com said James has told USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski that he will not play in August.

“I could use the rest,” James told the website.

James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the greatest-ever NBA Finals comeback to dethrone the Golden State Warriors, cited the grind of having logged so much court time through six consecutive trips to the finals.

NBA Most Valuable Player and

Simmons is NBA, Sixers’ no. 1 pick TURN TO A13

scoring leader Stephen Curry of Golden State said during the finals that he would not play in Rio. Star guards Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and James Harden of Houston also have backed out of consideration, as have San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Washington forward John Wall, Clippers forward Blake Griffin and Anthony Davis of New Orleans.

Joining that group Thursday were Portland’s Damian Lillard, who wants to rehabilitate a plantar fascitis injury; Utah forward Gordon Hayward and San Antonio

forward Kawhi Leonard.

“This was a very difficult decision.

Leonard said. “It’s an honor to have been considered for the team and I hope in the future I will have the chance to represent my country.”

“I have withdrawn my name from consideration due to family obligations,” Hayward said. “My wife Robyn and I are blessed to be expecting our second child this summer.”

The pullout brings back memories of 2004, when security worries were a concern in the Athens run-up and many top names withdrew. Those who played could only muster bronze.

The roster to be named next week

by USA Basketball is expected to include Oklahoma City star Durant and New York playmaker Anthony plus Indiana’s Paul George, Golden State’s Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins, Chicago’s Jimmy Butler, the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan and Toronto’s Kyle

Lascuña stumbles but widens golf lead TURN TO A14

Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.

Irving still might go Two other available spots could include Cleveland star guard Kyrie Irving, who played a key role alongside James in bringing the first sports title to Cleveland since 1964.

James sparked a Cleveland rally from a 3-1 deficit in the best-ofseven final to a stunning seventhgame triumph for the NBA crown.

James was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player for a third time—only Michael Jordan has won the award more —after an unprecedented feat of leading both finals teams in every major statistic with 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocked shots a game.

A source told the website a desire to rest his body from the title run to better prepare his bid to defend the crown was his only reason for not playing in Rio, the Zia virus not playing a role in his decision. AFP

Kobe PH tour starts today

By Jeric Lopez KOBE Bryant may have already retired, but the impact that he brings to the game of basketball continues.

Just as Kyrie Irving admitted that he went on “Mamba mentality” when he helped the Cleveland Cavaliers win their first National Basketball Association championship early this week, the legacy of Bryant lives on and he will once again make his presence felt Saturday in front of thousands of Filipino fans for his Nike Mamba Mentality Tour Manila 2016.

Bryant is set to once again share to basketball-loving Filipinos the mentality and approach that he had in his illustrious 20-year NBA career, which gave him five championships, a Most Valuable Player award and 18 All-Star recognitions.

He will start his day with a Media Conference at around lunchtime at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, where he will discuss his philosophy and approach to the game that he loves as well as his aspirations of chasing perfection through hard work, perseverance and passion in every aspect of life, on and off the court.

This will be followed by the “Mamba Mentality Night” scheduled at 4 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where his 20-year legacy will be honored.

Bryant will cap his tour tomorrow when he conducts a “Kobe Academy” basketball camp, where he will train chosen young basketball players in the country.

B1

SATURDAY: JUNE 25, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

PSe comPoSite index Closing June 24, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,629.72 100.06

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing June 24, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.950

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.600 LOW P46.975 AVERAGE P46.866 VOLUME 621.500M

A trader from ETX Capital works in central London on June 24 following the announcement of the EU referendum. London stocks plunged in early deals Friday but pared losses significantly as British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation after Britain voted to leave the EU. AFP

Peso, global markets tumble after ‘Brexit’

THE Philippine peso and stocks tumbled Friday after Britain voted to leave the European Union, joining the rest of the global market in a tailspin.

The pound collapsed and world stock markets descended into pandemonium, fueling a wave of global uncertainty.

Sterling hit a 31-year low, crashing 10 percent to $1.3229 at one point, and the euro also plummeted against the US currency as the Brexit result caught markets by surprise.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slumped 100.06 points, or 1.3 percent, to 7,629.72 on a value turnover of P9.6 billion. Losers routed gainers, 158 to 37, with 41 issues unchanged.

The peso, meanwhile, lost P0.41 to a US dollar on Friday as investors searched for safe-haven currencies, especially the greenback and yen.

The peso closed at 46.95, weaker than 46.535 on Thursday. It was the local currency’s weakest level in almost two months since closing at 47.09 on May 6, 2016, three days before the national elections.

“As expected, the US dollar and yen benefitted as safe-haven currencies. While regional currencies are down, the peso remained in the middle of the pack,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said in a statement.

Tetangco said more volatility in the domestic markets might be seen in the near term. He said monetary authorities would be watching closely the impact to the

Philippines “via contagion from moves in the US dollar.”

Megaworld Corp., the biggest lessor of office spaces, dropped 3.6 percent to P4.50, while BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender, lost 2.3 percent to P107.

Ayala Land Inc., the second-biggest property developer, declined 1.9 percent to P38.20, while Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is into electricity and water distribution, toll roads, hospitals and mining, fell 2.9 percent to P6.60.

European stock markets went into free fall at the opening, mirroring a rout in Asian markets, which were still open as the referendum results trickled in.

The London FTSE-100 index was down by around 5 percent in morning deals, having come off early lows after British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation.

Banking stocks led the way

down, with Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and Lloyds all losing close to a quarter of their market value at the opening.

“The British people have voted against the economic warnings of the overwhelming majority of expert economic opinion. Not surprisingly, this morning the referendum result has sent shock waves through global financial markets,” said Daniel Vernazza, economist at UniCredit Research.

The eurozone’s main markets, Frankfurt and Paris, both fell more than 10 percent at one point, as financial stocks took the biggest hit.

In the weeks leading up to Thursday’s historic vote, there had been widespread warnings that a “Brexit” would cause a rout across global markets that would wipe trillions off valuations.

With Julito G. Rada, AFP

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

oPriceS il P today

P24.75-P29.60 Diesel 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

Bangko Sentral ready for volatility, to keep monetary stance

By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said the monetary policy stance remains appropriate at the moment despite the exit of Great Britain from the European Union.

“We can expect more volatility in domestic markets in the near term. Even as the direct Philippine exposure to UK is relatively small, we will watch the impact on us via contagion from moves in the US dollar,” Tetangco said in a statement to reporters.

“Medium term we will look at developments particularly how the rest of EU will react to Brexit.

BSP is ready to provide liquid-

ity to our market as needed. But we don’t see any need to change stance of monetary policy at the moment,” Tetangco said.

Outgoing Finance secretary Cesar Purisima, meanwhile, said the Philippines could face market volatilities following the exit of the UK from the EU. “In light of the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union, the world has entered uncharted waters. Its immediate repercussions will roil the global financial markets and affect all countries, without exception but with varying degrees,” Purisima said in a statement.

“The improvement in the fundamentals of the Philippine economy

will put us in good stead but should not lull us into overconfidence. The Philippines is taking a cautiously vigilant stance on the Brexit’s effects on our shores—gradual and minimal at this stage,” he added.

The Finance department said about 200,000 Filipinos work in the UK, sending around $1.4 billion in 2015, about 5.6 percent of the total remittances.

“Their welfare is one of the government’s topmost priorities as we watch the resulting developments unfold,” Purisima said.

“We likewise note that our diplomatic and economic relationship with the UK is not contingent on its membership in the EU. As such, our ties will continue to

strengthen and deliver tangible benefits for both our peoples for the long-term. We are heavily invested in our productive economic partnership with the UK and will remain so regardless of the Brexit vote,” he added.

The policy-setting Monetary Board of Bangko Sentral on Thursday kept the benchmark interest rates steady due to a manageable inflation environment and robust domestic economic growth.

Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the bank regulator was closely monitoring the foreign exchange market and “prepared to act in order to ensure orderly transactions and smooth wild volatility.”

“And we are confident that the flexible exhange rate regime would be able to absorb the necessary adjustments should they be necessary. After all, the market should be assured of the strength of the Philippine macroeconomy and the banking system as well as the comfortable level of both our FX reserves and the FX deposits in the banks,” Guinigundo said.

Guinigundo earlier downplayed any significant impact to the Philippines of the exit of Great Britain from the European Union.

He assured the bank regulator was ready to take the necessary actions to counter any negative effect of the development to the domestic financial markets.

SATURDAY: JUNE 25, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Friday, June 24, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

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

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

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

47 5 1.46 2.36 89 20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 40.3 15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 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 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 5.29 6.66 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 9.66 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 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 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3 3.52 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 3 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 751 1.13 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

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

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

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.6 3.4 46.75 45 110.50 105.80 97.50 96.00 38.25 38 4.20 3.80 1.39 1.35 14.3 14 18.36 17.2 1.9 1.85 600.00 594.00 0.550 0.540 90 85 0.94 0.89 14.84 14.80 58.95 55.30 104.9 100.2 262 258.6 32.95 31.95 203.2 198 1385.00 1361.00 65.30 65.00 1.52 1.5 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.85 47 46 Agrinurture Inc. 3.78 3.84 3.69 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.81 0.85 0.81 Alsons Cons.

2.02 2.02 1.88 Bogo Medelin 55 55.1 55.1 Century Food 21.5 22 20.95 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 180 180 177.2 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 16.4 16.56 15.9 Concepcion 46 47 45.5 Crown Asia 2.12 2.15 2.04 Da Vinci Capital 5.64 5.88 5.41 Del Monte 11.4 11.46 11.2 DNL Industries Inc. 9.610 9.800 9.150 Emperador 7.10 7.26 6.96 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.63 5.78 5.41 EEI 7.80 7.80 7.37 Euro-Med Lab 1.7 1.8 1.7 First Gen Corp.

24.9 25.45 24 First Holdings ‘A’ 69 70 66.05 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.40 12.40 12.00 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.10 15.22 14.84 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.58 5.56 5.41 Ionics Inc 2.300 2.330 2.240 Jollibee Foods Corp.

232.20 235.80 231.80 Liberty Flour 33.00 32.55 32.50 LMG Chemicals 1.8 1.85 1.76 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.3 3.18 3.16 Macay Holdings 38.55 36.25 36.00 Manila Water Co. Inc. 27.1 27.5 26.65 Maxs Group 28.1 28.35 26.35 Megawide 6.67 6.7 6.42 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 316.20 316.20 309.00 MG Holdings 0.275 0.270 0.265 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.30 4.30 4.20 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.38 3.45 3.31 Petron Corporation 11.32 11.38 10.78 Phil H2O 3.02 3.19 3.19 Phinma Corporation 11.64 11.02 11.02 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.15 6.17 5.85 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.68 1.69 1.63 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.75 2.85 2.71 RFM Corporation 4.21 4.21 4.19 Roxas Holdings 4.11 4.01 4.01 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 213 210.4 208 Splash Corporation 2.59 2.59 2.5 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.147 0.147 0.147 TKC Steel Corp.

1.62 1.65 1.58 Trans-Asia Oil 2.47 2.47 2.35 Universal Robina 205.6 207.8 203 Vitarich Corp.

0.9 0.9 0.85 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.30 1.27 1.23 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.385 0.380 0.360 Aboitiz Equity 75.40 76.20 74.35 Alliance Global Inc. 15.80 15.78 15.42 Anglo Holdings A 1.13 1.16 1.11 Anscor `A’ 6.01 6.06 6.06 ATN Holdings A 0.400 0.405 0.365 ATN Holdings B 0.390 0.390 0.375 Ayala Corp `A’ 847 868 829 Cosco Capital 7.83 7.97 7.66 DMCI Holdings 12.78 13.00 12.38 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.33 5.06 5.05 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

6.38 6.37 6.30 Forum Pacific 0.224 0.223 0.215 GT Capital 1500 1525 1440 House of Inv. 6.33 6.40 6.31 JG Summit Holdings 84.80 85.80 80.90 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5.31 6.98 5.75 Keppel Holdings `B’ 6 7.95 5.62 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.8 7.85 7.44 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.69 0.7 0.67 LT Group 16 16 15 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.8 6.9 6.4 MJCI Investments Inc. 3.3 3.1 3.09 Pacifica `A’ 0.0320 0.0320 0.0320 Prime Media Hldg 1.350 1.340 1.270 Prime Orion 1.810 1.820 1.800 San Miguel Corp `A’ 79.00 79.00 76.00 SM Investments Inc. 990.00 997.50 949.50 Solid Group Inc. 1.15 1.17 1.15 Top Frontier 190.000 190.000 185.400 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3100 0.3100 0.3050 Wellex Industries 0.1970 0.1970 0.1940 Zeus Holdings 0.300 0.320 0.295 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.500 7.630 7.450 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.24 1.24 1.15 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.170 2.260 2.080 Arthaland Corp.

0.270 0.270 0.270 Ayala Land `B’ 38.950 39.650 37.600 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.4 3.46 3.28 Cebu Holdings 5.16 5.17 4.95 Century Property 0.500 0.51 0.490 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.110 1.100 1.080 Crown Equities Inc. 0.135 0.134 0.130 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.660 0.660 0.590 Double Dragon 60.1 63.1 54.6

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

Close

SHARES 13,833,200 112,012,362 147,904,280 277,044,491 367,147,062 1,416,804,242 2,353,461,747

3.49 46.5 109.50 97.30 38 4.20 1.39 14.2 18.12 1.86 594.00 0.540 88.85 0.91 15.04 58.60 104.9 260.2 32.4 201 1379.00 65.30 1.52

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.4 46.75 107.00 97.05 38 4.18 1.39 14 17.5 1.85 594.00 0.550 87.25 0.94 14.80 57.40 104.9 260 31.95 198.8 1361.00 65.25 1.5

-2.58 0.54 -2.28 -0.26 0.00 -0.48 0.00 -1.41 -3.42 -0.54 0.00 1.85 -1.80 3.30 -1.60 -2.05 0.00 -0.08 -1.39 -1.09 -1.31 -0.08 -1.32

1,231,980 52,400 1,878,040 1,389,750 225,200 124,000 119,000 12,200 1,942,800 17,000 150 119,000 5,097,580 200,000 35,800 342,200 2,000 9,380 541,500 477,420 210 147,440 159,000

46.2 3.72 0.85 1.94 55.1 21.2 179 16.3 45.5 2.1 5.56 11.46 9.280 7.18 5.60 7.39 1.8 24.4 66.95 12.00 14.84 5.5 2.280 235.00 32.50 1.76 3.16 36.00 26.95 28.1 6.5 312.20 0.270 4.30 3.35 10.92 3.19 11.02 5.99 1.68 2.73 4.20 4.01 208 2.5 0.147 1.58 2.39 204 0.86 1.27

0.76 -1.59 4.94 -3.96 0.18 -1.40 -0.56 -0.61 -1.09 -0.94 -1.42 0.53 -3.43 1.13 -0.53 -5.26 5.88 -2.01 -2.97 -3.23 -1.72 -1.43 -0.87 1.21 -1.52 -2.22 -4.24 -6.61 -0.55 0.00 -2.55 -1.27 -1.82 0.00 -0.89 -3.53 5.63 -5.33 -2.60 0.00 -0.73 -0.24 -2.43 -2.35 -3.47 0.00 -2.47 -3.24 -0.78 -4.44 -2.31

747,100 575,000 472,000 11,446,000 400 1,519,400 760 2,072,200 2,600 1,990,000 1,457,300 34,500 5,678,500 2,854,200 25,091,900 702,600 19,000 11,761,800 302,080 22,000 628,000 244,000 2,749,000 752,550 5,500 62,000 10,000 4,500 387,600 577,700 1,093,400 250,080 170,000 11,000 1,136,000 111,667,198 3,000 200 598,700 608,000 437,000 1,556,000 2,000 1,840 276,000 1,030,000 856,000 7,045,000 2,229,850 10,642,000 126,000

0.370 74.35 15.60 1.11 6.06 0.365 0.375 850 7.74 12.42 5.05 6.30 0.223 1467 6.31 83.70 5.8 5.68 7.85 0.69 15.88 6.6 3.09 0.0320 1.270 1.800 77.00 965.00 1.17 190.000 0.3100 0.1960 0.300

-3.90 -1.39 -1.27 -1.77 0.83 -8.75 -3.85 0.35 -1.15 -2.82 -5.25 -1.25 -0.45 -2.20 -0.32 -1.30 9.23 -5.33 0.64 0.00 -0.75 -2.94 -6.36 0.00 -5.93 -0.55 -2.53 -2.53 1.74 0.00 0.00 -0.51 0.00

1,970,000 1,626,510 3,557,800 210,000 3,000 38,160,000 630,000 292,020 1,461,600 7,893,000 10,000 96,700 50,000 183,550 133,400 3,602,980 95,900 347,800 2,325,300 2,004,000 1,626,800 49,731,000 6,000 20,700,000 13,000 2,758,000 316,510 215,350 167,000 15,340 1,980,000 1,380,000 3,860,000

7.450 1.18 2.140 0.270 38.200 3.32 5.11 0.500 1.080 0.130 0.620 60

-0.67 -4.84 -1.38 0.00 -1.93 -2.35 -0.97 0.00 -2.70 -3.70 -6.06 -0.17

526,800 4,913,000 1,916,000 830,000 23,581,500 2,666,000 205,800 5,360,000 9,000 7,320,000 38,243,000 4,687,730

2,215,000.00 71,953,286 -3,886,666.50 -1,406,000.00 55,970.00 -3,709,662.00

69,635,258.00 -68,264.00 -2,570,786.00 -936,120.00 5,915,645 -299,686.00 4,409,579.00 3,554,840.00 493,500.00 -10,473,305.00 40,000.00 19,620.00 389,310.00 -10,097,536.00 9,273,579.00 20,240,522.00 -359,970.00 38,940,280.00 -5,272,195.50 3,218,140.00 64,053.00 -332,330.00 81,959,136.00

2,737,690.00 1,623,735.00 13,100.00 -284,392.00 585,600.00

42,180.00 2,746,660.00

385,650.00 128,938,290.00 -681,040.00

1,875,295.00 -14,179,462.00

-48,750.00 103,491,205.00 6,369,015.00 -354,332.00

82,241,640.00 219,489.00 -8,552,704.00 -1,148,176.00 2,540,686.00 -38,632,706.00 352,000.00 -360,000.00 -4,716,673.00 207,951,600 -187,400.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

-93,980.00 739,820.00 14,151,241.00

High

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

Empire East Land 0.800 Global-Estate 0.98 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.99 Interport `A’ 1.27 Keppel Properties 5.30 Megaworld 4.67 MRC Allied Ind. 0.091 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2550 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.460 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 41.00 Primex Corp.

9.6 Robinson’s Land `B’ 30.10 Rockwell 1.73 Shang Properties Inc. 3.17 SM Prime Holdings 25.65 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.91 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.000 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.300

-1.25 -3.06 -1.01 -2.36 -11.13 -3.64 0.00 7.84 -3.26 0.00 -1.04 -2.16 -0.58 -1.89 0.00 -3.30 -2.00 -2.08

521,000 7,634,000 39,487,000 33,000 71,100 85,762,000 3,750,000 2,800,000 18,000 3,300 107,400 1,295,300 1,909,000 39,000 17,034,000 10,882,000 2,272,000 9,867,000

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 7 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 1.23 102.6 3.01 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 3.2 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.95 3.1 0.650 1.8 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. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey 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

-1.63 -1.04 -1.54 1.67 0.00 -3.90 -7.46 -4.84 -1.72 -2.96 1.13 -0.50 -1.08 0.00 -0.92 -0.94 -1.74 -0.24 -1.40 0.00 0.11 -5.80 0.61 -4.78 -4.00 -0.65 -0.93 -2.96 1.01 0.00 0.51 -3.68 -3.43 -2.11 -1.11 0.00 -1.85 -3.23 -0.20 0.00 0.00 -0.85 -2.35 -3.05 -7.25 -6.69 -1.72 -4.06 -5.71 0.35

32,500 155,400 46,000 1,189,000 1,300 45,900 14,702,900 80,530,000 9,764,000 1,487,480 200 20,000 86,600 10 164,840 418,300 318,000 4,179,430 10,200 6,200,000 439,100 74,210,000 8,069,000 143,000 54,700 325,800 1,994,000 60,000 100 175,000 255,000 31,806,000 16,456,000 9,767,000 7,000 5,000 1,000 12,660 53,700 108,330 4,410,000 50,939,000 2,486,600 2,356,410 21,435,100 12,639,000 74,000 3,528,000 1,500,000 1,071,500

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 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 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 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 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’ Atok-Big Wedge `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 Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.00 40.97 -0.70 1.37 0.86 2.74 0.00 0.00 -0.11 -1.18 0.00 4.60 2.00 0.00 0.00 -3.31 -4.87 -0.38 -3.33 0.00 0.00 0.74 8.42 -3.98 8.33 -3.15 -3.14 0.00

155,000,000 11,959,000 1,481,710.00 326,000 -174,500.00 3,900 20,000 30,600 -42,340.00 826,000 40,000 5,100 47,177,000 -2,623,450.00 630,000 205,650,000 6,723,100 601,100,000 272,700,000 484,000 -49,300.00 10,799,000 2,923,906.00 1,546,000 553,000 -164,100.00 9,400,000 300,000 9,000 29,498,400 3,399,284.00 8,357,000 790,710.00 22,600,000 1,389,010 5,896,588.00 607,000 -77,600.00 9,300,000

70 553 120 8.21 12.28 111

33 490 101.5 5.88 6.5 101

1047 84.8

1011 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ First Gen G GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I

-0.32 -0.09 0.08 -4.54 0.00 0.00 -0.18 0.00 0.00 0.53 0.00 0.00 1.23 0.39 0.07

724,400 8,020 20,010 100,000 16,000 1,730 770 10 50 20,000 18,080 9,400 70,620 8,710 7,500

-4.30

1,461,000

-2.06 0.00 -14.93 -3.18

1,204,000 -19,450.00 1,000 14,879,600 346,124.00 2,596,500 -24,197,394.00

-1.26

30,910

6.98 15

0.8900 LR Warrant 3.5

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,728.81 (DOWN) 21.87 INDUSTRIAL 11,751.77 (DOWN) 101.80 HOLDING FIRMS 7,521.29 (DOWN) 120.84 PROPERTY 3,318.35 (DOWN) 45.64 SERVICES 1,601.01 (DOWN) 18.27 MINING & OIL 10,847.21 (DOWN) 19.50 PSEI 7,629.72 (DOWN) 100.06 All Shares Index 4,542.64 (DOWN) 55.80 Gainers: 37; Losers: 158; Unchanged: 41; Total: 236

Close

0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 3.1 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

0.810 0.790 0.790 0.99 0.95 0.95 2.01 1.93 1.97 1.26 1.22 1.24 5.30 4.55 4.71 4.78 4.36 4.5 0.092 0.086 0.091 0.2750 0.2500 0.2750 0.465 0.445 0.445 41.00 40.75 41.00 9.6 9.15 9.5 30.90 28.95 29.45 1.84 1.72 1.72 3.18 3.11 3.11 26.40 24.95 25.65 0.91 0.86 0.88 1.020 0.980 0.980 5.360 4.900 5.190 SERVICES 7.35 7.4 7.21 7.23 48.3 48.45 47.6 47.8 1.3 1.3 1.28 1.28 0.600 0.620 0.600 0.610 11.4 11.4 11.24 11.4 7.7 7.95 7.4 7.4 5.90 6.05 5.28 5.46 0.0620 0.0630 0.0580 0.0590 2.91 2.98 2.8 2.86 97.9 97.9 92.3 95 9.74 9.85 9.84 9.85 2.01 2 2 2 6.46 6.39 6.27 6.39 960 960 960 960 2382 2408 2340 2360 6.36 6.37 6.27 6.30 1.15 1.15 1.13 1.13 61.9 62.25 61 61.75 12.90 13.40 12.72 12.72 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 9.29 9.45 9.29 9.30 0.345 0.350 0.320 0.325 1.6300 1.7500 1.5900 1.6400 2.3 2.23 2.19 2.19 12 12.32 11.52 11.52 7.75 7.80 7.59 7.70 3.23 3.28 3.20 3.20 2.70 2.62 2.58 2.62 19.80 20.00 20.00 20.00 0.570 0.570 0.570 0.570 1.96 1.97 1.9 1.97 3.26 3.35 2.9 3.14 4.08 4.15 3.80 3.94 2.850 2.900 2.690 2.790 12.64 12.5 12.5 12.5 4.80 4.80 4.80 4.80 2.7 2.65 2.65 2.65 124.00 120.00 110.20 120.00 24.40 24.40 24.00 24.35 2050.00 2110.00 2020.00 2050.00 0.435 0.435 0.415 0.435 1.180 1.200 1.080 1.170 42.50 42.50 40.95 41.50 78.00 80.45 82.40 76.90 6.90 7.05 6.28 6.40 3.14 3.21 2.84 2.93 0.580 0.580 0.570 0.570 3.45 3.51 3.31 3.31 0.350 0.335 0.330 0.330 5.790 5.980 5.600 5.810 MINING & OIL 0.0042 0.0042 0.0041 0.0042 2.27 3.25 2.27 3.20 4.28 4.40 4.24 4.25 11.64 11.80 11.48 11.80 0.233 0.235 0.233 0.235 7.3000 7.56 7.3 7.5000 0.61 0.63 0.6 0.61 0.460 0.460 0.460 0.460 8.91 9.00 855.00 8.90 0.850 0.880 0.820 0.840 0.290 0.300 0.280 0.290 0.239 0.260 0.236 0.250 0.250 0.270 0.246 0.255 0.0130 0.0140 0.0120 0.0130 0.0140 0.0150 0.0130 0.0140 1.81 1.81 1.71 1.75 5.13 5.14 4.76 4.88 2.63 2.75 2.58 2.62 1.2000 1.2200 1.1600 1.1600 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 4.03 4.07 4.06 4.06 7.60 8.40 7.50 8.24 4.27 4.41 3.88 4.10 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 120.80 123.50 115.90 117.00 3.82 3.94 3.7 3.7 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 PREFERRED 47.15 49 46 47 542 543 541.5 541.5 124.9 125 119 125 6.39 6.1 6.1 6.1 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 112 112 112 112 1119 1119 1117 1117 1031 1031 1031 1031 80.45 80.45 80.45 80.45 76 76.4 76 76.4 76 76 76 76 77.5 77.5 77.5 77.5 77 77.95 77.5 77.95 76.6 76.9 76.3 76.9 76.9 76.95 76.9 76.95 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.020 3.090 2.840 2.890 SME 3.88 3.93 3.74 3.8 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 5.29 5.5 4.35 4.5 15.7 16.02 14.8 15.2 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 127 127.9 123.5 125.4

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,032,711,810.36 1,623,328,247.66 1,779,861,508.29 2,321,631,229.50 2,042,387,838.491 641,742,630.9832 9,561,176,485.281

Low

0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

2,347,248.00 118,000.00 81,000.00 13,401,285.00 2,626,710.00 -78,491.00 39,600.00

Close

-80,000.00 2,850.00 -10,755,600.00 12,600.00 31,805,330.00 -18,600.00 4,450.00 -187,725.00 -370,105.00 183,852,385.00 299,970.00 -2,079,082.00 20,300.00 46,800.00 -3,180.00 -9,445,481.00 -56,640.00 20,110.00 4,176,689.50

209,080,600.00 25,990.00 51,562,908.00 465,000.00 65,000.00 -31,860.00 -8,746.00 710,370 131,000.00 -190,000.00 23,474,290.00 12,083,600.00 372,800.00

56,400.00 -7,255.00 73,921,000.00 -407,920.00 14,861,945.00 3,769,407.00 -607,040.00 -1,531,650.00 261,000.00 1,744,160.00 85,200.00

-4,833,335.00 -2,380,000.00 -610,000.00

-1,374,080.00

-61,560.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Apex `A'

3.20

40.97

Italpinas

4.5

-14.93

Keppel Holdings `A'

5.8

9.23

Keppel Properties

4.71

-11.13

Philex `A'

8.24

8.42

ATN Holdings A

0.365

-8.75

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.0130

8.33

Bloomberry

5.46

-7.46

Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2750

7.84

SBS Phil. Corp.

6.40

-7.25

Euro-Med Lab

1.8

5.88

SSI Group

2.93

-6.69

Phil H2O

3.19

5.63

Macay Holdings

36.00

-6.61

Alliance Tuna Intl Inc.

0.85

4.94

MJCI Investments Inc.

3.09

-6.36

Lepanto `A'

0.250

4.60

Cyber Bay Corp.

0.620

-6.06

Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

0.94

3.30

Prime Media Hldg

1.270

-5.93

SATURDAY: JUNE 25, 2016

B3

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

PH fastest growing market of smartphone

By Darwin G. Amojelar SOME 3.5 million smartphones were shipped into the Philippines in the first quarter, making the country the fastest growing market in Southeast Asia.

“While many of the more mature smartphone markets of the world already displayed signs of saturation, the Philippines smartphone market continues to enjoy robust growth owing to a relatively low smartphone penetration rate, active local brand presence and healthy consumer spending,” said Jerome Dominguez, market analyst for mobile devices of IDC Philippines.

The Philippines’ smartphone penetration rate reached 30 percent in 2015.

Dominguez said local vendors continued to dominate the Philippine smartphone market as they offered the most affordable smartphone options.

“Smartphones priced below P3,500 still make up the majority of smartphones shipped to the Philippines. MyPhone’s successful budget my28S model catapulted its lead in the smartphone market in first quarter of 2016. However, this is no reason for the homegrown brands to rest on their laurels as global and Chinese vendors are gradually catching up on the budget segment,” he said.

The past few quarters showed vendors such as Samsung and Asus playing more aggressively in the lower-than-P6,000 space, IDC said.

China-based vendors Oppo and Huawei are also on a steady growth track as they continue to expand channel coverage.

“As the Philippines smartphone market matures and shifts from being an acquisition game to a replacement one, consumers are expected to demand more from a smartphone in terms of specs and performance,” Dominguez said.

He said with the mobile brand war growing more intense by the day, vendors would be welladvised not to be complacent and continue to foster innovation and improve product quality and after-sales to stay ahead of the game.

GT Capital raising P12b in 3rd quarter

By Jenniffer B. Austria

GT CAPITAL Holdings Inc., the holding company of tycoon George Ty, is raising up to P12 billion from the sale of perpetual preferred shares in the third quarter.

GT Capital president Carmelo Bautista said in a text message proceeds from the preferred shares issuance would be used to finance recent investments in Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and acquisition of additional shares in mass housing developer Property Company of Friends Inc. Under the plan, GT Capital will sell 8 million Series “A” and “B” perpetual preferred shares, with an oversubscription option of an-

other 4 million shares at an offer price of P1,000 per share.

The perpetual preferred shares are cumulative, non-voting, nonparticipating, non-convertible and peso-denominated, it said.

GT Capital, which has investments in automotive and real estate, banking, power generation and insurance sectors, said it would file appropriate registration statement and prospectus for the fund raising activity with the

Securities and Exchange Commission.

It will also file a listing application with the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Metro Pacific formed a strategic alliance with GT Capital in May by swapping shares and acquiring a majority stake in the latter’s power generation unit.

Under the plan, Metro Pacific signed an agreement with GT Capital to acquire 56 percent of Global Business Power Corp. for P22.6 billion.

Metro Pacific will then issue 3.6 billion new common shares in GT Capital at P6.10 apiece or for a total of P21.96 billion.

Upon completion of the subscription, GT Capital would hold 11.4 percent of the enlarged com-

mon share capital base of Metro Pacific.

GT Capital will also acquire 1.3 billion shares from Metro Pacific’s majority shareholder, Metro Pacific Holdings Inc., to bring its stake in Metro Pacific to 15.6 percent.

GT Capital is spending another P8.76 billion to increase its stake in Profriends to 51 percent by the first quarter of 2017 from the current 22.68 percent.

GT Capital’s consolidated net income attributable to equity holders of the parent company increased 32 percent in 2015 to P12.1 billion from P9.2 billion in 2014.

The increase was led by a 13-percent hike in consolidated revenues to P159.2 billion from P141.1 billion in 2014.

Operations at The Ivanpah solar electric generating system in California Mojave Desert

Solar power to grow sixfold by 2030 as sun becomes cheapest resource THE amount of electricity generated using solar panels stands to expand as much as sixfold by 2030 as the cost of production falls below competing natural gas and coal-fired plants, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Solar plants using photovoltaic technology could account for 8 percent to 13 percent of global electricity produced in 2030, compared with 1.2 percent at the end of last year, the Abu Dhabibased industry group said in a report Wednesday.

The average cost of electricity from a photovoltaic system is

forecast to plunge as much as 59 percent by 2025, making solar the cheapest form of power generation “in an increasing number of cases,” it said.

Renewables are replacing nuclear energy and curbing electricity production from gas and coal in developed areas such as Europe and the US, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. California’s PG&E Corp. is proposing to close two nuclear reactors as wind and solar costs decline.

Even as supply gluts depress coal and gas prices, solar and wind technologies will be the cheapest ways to produce electricity

in most parts of the world in the 2030s, New Energy Finance said in a report this month.

“The renewable energy transition is well underway, with solar playing a key role,” Irena Director General Adnan Amin said in a statement. “Cost reductions, in combination with other enabling factors, can create a dramatic expansion of solar power globally.”

Bloomberg New Energy Finance also forecasts growth in solar photovoltaics, reaching 15 percent of total electricity output by 2040, according to Jenny Chase, head of solar analysis in Zurich. “Irena’s assumptions are

reasonable,” she said. “Solar just gets so cheap under any reasonable scenario.”

The “most attractive” markets for solar panels up to 2020 are Brazil, Chile, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, according to Irena.

Global capacity could reach 1,760 to 2,500 gigawatts in 2030, compared with 227 gigawatts at the end of 2015, it said.

Smart grids, or power networks capable of handling and distributing electricity from different sources, and new types of storage technologies will encourage fur-

ther use of solar power, Irena said.

As of 2015, the average cost of electricity from a utility-scale solar photovoltaic system was 13 cents per kilowatt-hour. That’s more than coal and gas-fired plants that averaged 5 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt hour, according to Irena.

The average cost of building a solar-powered electricity utility could fall to 79 cents per watt in 2025 from $1.80 per watt last year, it said. Coal-fired power generation costs are about $3 per watt while gas plants cost $1 to $1.30 per watt, according to Irena.

Bloomberg

SATURDAY: JUNE 25, 2016

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

IN BRIEF

Education contribution. The

New IMI president INTEGRATED Microelectronics Inc., a unit of Ayala Corp., appointed Gilles Bernard as its new president and director.

Bernard, who is currently the company’s senior managing director and global chief operating officer, succeeded Arthur Tan as president and John Eric Francia as director.

IMI in a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday said Bernard would be responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the company’s strategy, policy and vision and for achieving the company’s overall targets.

Tan will remain company’s chief executive officer and chairman of the executive committee, taking care of longterm strategy formulation and overall direction setting.

“Mr. Tan’s role in the Ayala group has been expanded to include overseeing the automotive manufacturing, dealership and distributorship businesses of Ayala Corp. and, in this connection, he was recently appointed as the vice chairman of Ayala Automotive Holdings Corp.,” IMI said.

Bernard, 58, became IMI’s global chief operating officer in February 2014.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Aboitiz Group comprising of its corporate social responsibility arm and 12 business units is honored at the Department of Education’s Partners’ Appreciation Event on June 10 for its steadfast commitment to support the country’s public education system. Aboitiz Foundation executive vice president and chief operating officer Augusto P.I Carpio III (center) receives the award in behalf of the Aboitiz Group. Nearly 60 percent of the group’s CSR initiatives, or P232 million, in 2015 went to education as the Aboitiz Foundation increased its investments that delivered better learning environment to students in communities where Aboitiz operates.

WESM hearing set

April imports highest in over 5 years—PSA

By Gabrielle Binaday

IMPORTS in April surged 29 percent to $6.52 billion from $5.05 billion year-on-year on increased orders of metal and electronic products, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show Friday.

The PSA said merchandise imports in April were the highest in monthly value in 65 months, or since November 2010 when inbound shipments jumped 36 percent.

Cumulative imports from January to April 2016 reached $25.126 billion, up 13.5 percent from $22.142 billion year-on-year.

The Philippines registered a trade deficit of $2.275 billion in April, significantly higher than the gap of $618.95 million on year.

Data showed that imports of nine of the top 10 major commodities—metal products, industrial machinery and equipment, telecommunication equipment and electrical machinery, electronic products, iron and steel, miscellaneous manufactured articles, plastics in primary and non-primary forms, transport equipment and other food and live animals— rose in April.

“Two things drove the growth in imports, electronic compo-

nents and capital goods. This shows that we are replenishing semi-finished products to be used in exports, so hopefully this is a sign that our mainstay electronics exports picks up in the coming months,” Bank of the Philippine Islands market research and strategy officer Nicholas Antonio Mapa said in an email.

Electronic products, which accounted for 27 percent of the total import bill, increased 70 percent to $1.74 billion from $1.02 billion a year ago.

Imports of metal products jumped 91 percent year-on-year to $134.51 million in April this year.

Inbound shipments of mineral fuels and lubricants dropped 11 percent on-year to $694.52 million in April.

The National Economic and Development Authority said among selected Asian economies, only the Philippines and Vietnam posted positive imports growth in April 2016.

“The continued strength of merchandise imports, buoyed by purchases of capital goods and durable goods, hints of a robust economic performance in the second quarter,” said Economic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra.

“In particular, the double-digit growth of capital goods since September 2015 points towards sustained business sector confidence while robust imports of durable consumer goods point towards strong consumer confidence,” he said.

Imports of capital goods in April on year surged 57 percent to $2.2 billion.

US call center company bullish on PH operations

By Darwin G. Amojelar A US-BASED call center company has set up its first facility in the Philippines and in the Asia Pacific, leveraging the world-class service of Filipinos to meet the growing demand of its customers.

Affinion Philippine country manager Nono Felipe told reporters his company decided to establish its presence in the country due to the availability of the vast pool of talented resources and the competitive cost of doing business.

“Our global management team has worked for different business process outsourcing companies in

the Philippines, and they love the experience,” Felipe said.

“They like the specific skills set of Filipinos in relation to the contact center and shared services industry. Also, it’s because of lower operating cost,” he added.

The facility, which is located in Bonifacio Global City, started operations in April with a total capacity of 200 seats.

Affinion senior vice president for service delivery and contract operations Rich Pitrolo said the Philippines offered with a high level of expertise and talent in the service delivery and contact center arena.

“We provide end-to-end loyalty solutions that help clients reward, motivate and retain customers.

We are also a solutions provider that delivers a flexible mix of benefits and service for our clients that meet their customers’ needs relating to greater peace-of-mind and meangful savings for everyday purchases,” Pitrolo said.

The company is also a leading third-party agent, administration and marketer of accidental death and dismemberment and other accident and life insurance products.

Affinion has 5,600 marketing partners worldwide, including many of the largest and most re-

spected companies in financial services, retail, travel, and Internet commerce.

The company has about 3,150 employees and marketing capabilities in 19 countries globally.

Affinion in the first quarter of the year posted a total net revenue of $254.9 million, down 16 percent from $302.3 million last year.

The decrease in overall net revenues was primarily due to expected revenue declines in Legacy Membership and Package, as well as lower Global Loyalty revenue and slightly lower Insurance Solutions revenue.

THE Energy Regulatory Commission has set an August hearing of 12 companies charged with anti-competitive behavior that pushed up prices at the wholesale electricity spot market in November and December 2013.

ERC investing officer Isabelo Joseph Tomas II, in separate notices of pre-trial conferences, asked the 12 companies to submit their respective trial briefs, which include summary of facts, issues to be resolved and documents.

Tomas on June 10, 2015 filed 13 complaints against the companies for violation of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.

Epira states that “no participant in the electricity industry or any other person may engage in any anti-competitive behavior including, but not limited to, cross-subsidization, price or market manipulation, or other unfair trade practices detrimental to the encouragement and protection of contestable markets.”

The regulator set the pre-trial conference on August 11, 2 p.m. at the ERC hearing room in Pasig City.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Palawan electricity

STATE-OWNED National Power Corp. granted a 24-hour power service to the municipality of Araceli in Palawan that is expected to boost the local economy and tourism.

Napocor president Ma. Gladys CruzSta. Rita said in a statement the corporation delivered a 160-kilowatt generating set to its Araceli Diesel Power Plant to pave the way for the extension of service hours.

The Araceli diesel power plant used to have 12 hours of power supply until Napocor extended it to 16 hours in November 2015.

It serves some 700 households and commercial establishments in barangays Poblacion and Tinintinan.

Although the island municipality has 13 barangays, only the two have distribution lines through the Palawan Electric Cooperative.

“Araceli is one of the 11 indigent island municipalities of Palawan and with a 24-hour power supply, we at Napocor wish to contribute in driving up its local economy through more businesses, tourists and jobs,” said Sta. Rita.

Alena Mae S. Flores

DBS sees rate hike

DBS Bank of Singapore expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to raise interest rates twice in 2017, judging from its latest moves such as the increase in the volume of its weekly term deposit facility auction.

“CPI inflation is expected to return to 3.1 percent in 2017, within target. Domestic demand is said to remain robust.

Whether or not these comments are meant to prep the market for gradually higher rates is debatable,” DBS said, referring to Bangko Sentral’s comments when it decided to keep the benchmark interest rates steady in a meeting Thursday.

“Note, however, that starting in July, the BSP will increase the amount of its term deposit facility auction from P30 billion to P50 billion. This is a strong signal that the BSP would want to continue absorb excess liquidity in the market,” the bank said.

DBS said it saw a high risk of a rate hike within the next 12 months.

“We expect at least two hikes in 2017 to bring the policy rate to 3.5 percent, up from the current 3 percent,” the bank said. Julito G. Rada

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

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Casualty. People gather on Whitehall at the gates of Downing Street as British Prime Minister David Cameron speaks to the press in front of 10 Downing Street in central London on June 24, 2016. Britain has voted to break out of the European Union, striking a thunderous blow to the bloc and spreading panic to world markets Friday as the sterling collapsed. AFP

Britain leaves European Union Pound, stock markets fall as Britons vote for an exit

LONDON—The pound collapsed and world stock markets descended into pandemonium Friday after Britain voted to leave the European Union, fueling a wave of global uncertainty.

The sterling hit a 31-year low, crashing 10 percent to $1.3229 at one point, and the euro also plummeted against the US currency as the Brexit result caught markets by surprise.

European stock markets went into free fall at the opening, mirroring a rout in Asian markets, which were still open as the referendum results trickled in.

The London FTSE-100 index was down by around 5 percent in morning deals, having come off early lows after British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation.

Banking stocks led the way down, with Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and Lloyds all losing close to a quarter of their market value at the opening.

“The British people have voted against the economic warnings of the overwhelming majority of expert economic opinion. Not surprisingly, this morning the referendum result has sent shock waves through global financial markets,” said Daniel Vernazza, economist at UniCredit Research.

The eurozone’s main markets, Frankfurt and Paris, both fell more than 10 percent at one point, as financial stocks took the biggest hit.

In the weeks leading up to

Thursday’s historic vote, there had been widespread warnings that a “Brexit” would cause a rout across global markets that would wipe trillions off valuations.

But investors were still clearly wrong-footed by the vote outcome. European stock markets and the pound had gained steadily in the run-up to the referendum on the basis of polls and bookmakers’ predictions.

“It’s scary, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” James Butterfi ll, head of research and investments at ETF Securities, said in London. “A lot of people were caught out, and many investors will lose a lot of money,” he told Bloomberg News.

Fears are also growing that other EU members will push for referendums, posing the biggest threat to the future of the grouping since its inception almost 60 years ago.

That worry pushed stock markets in the eurozone’s weaker southern economies even lower than those at the core, with Milan stocks falling 10 percent in early business, Madrid 12 percent and Athens by 15 percent.

“Leave’s victory has delivered one of the biggest market shocks of all time,” said Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital.

The dollar slumped briefly to 99.02 yen, the first time it has gone below 100 yen since November 2013, before edging back up above 102 yen. The Japanese unit is considered a safe bet in times of uncertainty and turmoil. AFP

LONDON—Britain voted to break away from the European Union Friday, toppling Prime Minister David Cameron and dealing a thunderous blow to the 60-year-old bloc that sent world markets plunging.

Cameron announced he would step down to make way for a new leader by early October after voters opted to exit the 28-nation alliance in defiance of his predictions of economic disaster and isolation.

Britons decided 52 percent to 48 percent in favor of quitting the bloc, a margin of more than one million votes, according to the final results from Thursday’s referendum.

“The British people have voted to leave the European Union and their will must be respected,” Cameron said, as the shock wave of their decision sent the sterling, global stocks and oil prices plummeting.

The Conservative prime minister promised to try to “steady the ship” over the next few months but said a new leader should be installed by early October.

“I do not think it would be right for

A thunderous blow. A journalist waiting outside the home of former London Mayor, and “Vote Leave” campaigner Boris Johnson, watches on a mobile device Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron speaking in Downing Street in London on June 24, 2016, after Britain voted to leave the European Union, toppling Prime Minister David Cameron and dealing a thunderous blow to the 60-year-old bloc that sent world markets plunging. AFP

me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination,” he said outside his official Downing Street residence in London.

The bookmakers’ favorite to replace him is former London mayor Boris Johnson, a rival from within his ruling Conservative Party who was the “Leave” camp figurehead.

Britain will be the first country to leave in the history of the EU, the culmination of decades of suspicion over European aims of creating an ever-closer political union.

The vote also threatens the unity of the United Kingdom, with Scotland unwilling to follow the rest of the country out of the EU. “Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day,” said top anti-EU campaigner Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, who had promised Britons the chance to retake power

from Brussels and rein in high immigration.

“We’ve done it! We’ve won!” anti-EU campaigners shouted at the festivities in an office block in Westminster, popping open champagne bottles as “Leave” victories flowed in. “Out! Out! Out!”, they chanted as dawn broke.

The result saw the sterling collapse 10 percent to touch a 31-year low of $1.3229. European stock markets dropped around eight percent at the opening bell, while British banking shares collapsed by some 30 percent.

The Bank of England promised to take “all necessary steps” to secure market stability.

“It’s a madhouse in here. It has been a bloodbath. Carnage,” said David Papier, head of sales trading at foreign exchange house ETX Capital in London.

Voters appeared to have to shrugged off warnings that a Brexit would create a budget hole requiring spending cuts and tax increases once they lose unfettered trade access to the EU. AFP

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Cameron’s legacy in tatters LONDON—After the failure of his high-stakes referendum gamble, David Cameron’s legacy as the prime minister who took Britain out of the European Union was sealed Friday with his resignation.

Cameron promised the referendum to try and unite his Conservative party but the result means Britain becomes the first country ever to leave the bloc and raises questions about the future unity of the United Kingdom.

In announcing his intention to quit, Cameron said he had put his “head, heart and soul” into the “Remain” campaign so had little option but to go after voters rejected EU membership by 52 percent to 48 percent.

As the referendum campaign took on an increasingly anti-establishment, anti-elite tone, the polished authority of Cameron, supported by the big hitters from US President Barack Obama to the International Monetary Fund,

struggled to cut through.

Financial Times commentator Janan Ganesh wrote that Cameron must now “prepare to be remembered for inadvertently presiding over the end of his country’s 43year place in the European project and for nothing else.”

The son of a stockbroker, Cameron was educated at the elite boarding school Eton and Oxford University, where he was admitted to the Bullingdon Club, a harddrinking, socially exclusive student group.

He worked for the Conservatives as an advisor before a stint in public relations, which ended when he was elected to parliament in 2001.

Cameron rose swiftly through the ranks of the party which was

then struggling badly against prime minister Tony Blair’s Labor government and was elected leader in 2005 at the age of 39.

He tried to “detoxify” the party brand in part by avoiding discussion of the EU, which has split the Conservatives since Margaret Thatcher’s premiership in the 1980s.

At the 2010 general election, Cameron became the youngest premier for 200 years but the center-right Conservatives did not win enough seats to govern alone and had to form a coalition with the centrist Liberal Democrats.

The coalition was dominated by spending cuts as Britain emerged from recession, while foreign policy debate was largely hijacked by Conservative wrangling over the EU. A previous risky referendum gamble paid off when Scotland voted to stay as part of Britain in 2014.

After five years in coalition, the

Conservatives won a surprise clear majority in the May 2015 general election, allowing them to rule alone.

The win meant that the EU referendum first promised by Cameron in 2013 to placate his restive party, but which many in Westminster say he never believed would happen became a reality.

Cameron spent much of the rest of 2015 lobbying other European countries for a deal to improve Britain’s relations with the EU. Sealed in February, this allowed him to argue going into the referendum that Britain had a “special status” in the 28-country bloc, notably allowing it to limit benefit payments to EU migrants.

But the deal was derided as “thin gruel” by some Conservative MPs. The bitterest blows to Cameron came as campaigning got under way.

Some of his most loyal lieutenants, including justice minister Michael Gove godfather to one

of Cameron’s children said they would campaign for Brexit.

Then Boris Johnson, who was London’s charismatic mayor at the time, sprung a surprise by also backing “Leave”.

During the campaign, Cameron led from the front with a barrage of speeches arguing that Britain’s economy would be badly hit by Brexit.

However, he failed to counter the “Leave” camp’s argument that immigration from EU countries needed to be cut to reduce the strain on public services, and that this could only happen if Britain left.

His old rival Johnson, who quickly morphed into a leading pro-Brexit figure, is favorite to succeed him as prime minister.

Ultimately, though, a change of prime minister might be seen as one of the less significant consequences for a country that is now plunging into the unknown. AFP

Londoners stunned following Brexit vote LONDON—Bank employee Francesca Crimp broke down in tears on Friday after Britain voted to leave the European Union, triggering an earthquake in the City of London financial hub.

“I’m scared, I voted for my son’s future and I feel so uncertain now.

I’m just absolutely devastated,” said Crimp, who works for a US bank.

“This multi-cultural city that I live in is going to change drastically, and the world as I know it is just not the same today.”

The sterling and world stock markets plunged after the Brexit vote in which Britons decided 52 percent to 48 percent in favor of quitting the bloc.

In London, banking stocks lost a quarter of their value as the FTSE100 index tumbled 5.0 percent in morning trade.

The sterling plummeted 10 percent to $1.3229 at one point, its weakest level since 1985.

At foreign currency trader ETX Capital, some employees were in shirts and ties.

Others were in jeans and sports shoes, having stayed up throughout the night “jacked up on coffee”, as one trader put it.

Traders stood up with phones pressed to their ears watching numbers scroll past on giant screens. Others had headsets on just shouting out what they saw before them on their screens.

Others yelled out the numbers to relay how far stocks such as HSBC banking giant had fallen.

Bells and trills sounded. Traders came in and out carrying mugs of coffee. Some stood while relaying the action on their phones.

“It is a madhouse in here. It has been a bloodbath. Carnage,” said David Papier, 34, head of sales trading at ETX Capital. AFP

Aftermath. Residents walk in the rubble of destroyed houses after a tornado in Funing, Yancheng, in China’s Jiangsu province, on June 24, 2016.

Extreme weather, including hailstorms, heavy rain and a tornado, killed 78 and injured dozens in the province. AFP

EU vows unity after Britons decide to leave the bloc BRUSSELS—A stunned European Union vowed to remain united on Friday despite Britain voting to leave, as fears grew that a “chain reaction” of further referendums could tear the bloc apart.

As Brussels, Paris and Berlin woke up to the grim news, leaders warned of a difficult divorce in a sign that Britain will win few concessions in negotiating life outside the circle of the other 27 members of the bloc.

“Today on behalf of the 27 leaders, I can say that we are determined to keep our unity as 27,” EU President Donald Tusk told reporters in Brussels in the first official

reaction to the vote.

With global markets in turmoil, Tusk who had earlier warned that a Leave vote could “end Western political civilization” said it was “a historic moment but for sure not a moment for hysterical reactions.”

Although the EU had recently gone through “the most difficult” years in its 60-year history, it was worth remembering that “what does not kill you makes you stronger,” he said.

But the biggest fear in capitals across the continent was of contagion, with immediate calls by far-right leaders in France and the Netherlands for their countries to

hold their own votes on EU membership.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said the British result was a “victory for freedom” and there should be referendums across Europe, while Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders said “the Dutch people deserve a referendum as well.”

European Parliament President Martin Schulz said he was speaking to Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel to avoid a “chain reaction” of euroskeptic success across Europe.

“The chain reaction that the eurosceptics are celebrating everywhere will absolutely not happen,” he told Germany’s ZDF television.

Stunned European nations said they were saddened by the news, as they struggled to work out what lies ahead, with meetings planned in several capitals ahead of an EU summit on Tuesday.

EU heavyweight Germany said the news was “truly sobering”.

“It looks like a sad day for #Europe +the #UnitedKingdom,” Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote on Twitter.

“Sad for the United Kingdom.

Europe carries on but it must react and win back the trust of its people. It is urgent,” agreed his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault, also writing on Twitter. AFP

S AT U R D AY : J U N E 2 5 , 2 0 1 6

PROPERTY PROPERTY

JOEL D. L ACSAMANA JOEL D. L ACSAMANA

EDITOR EDITOR

maannaa@ @ggm maaiill..ccoom m jjddllaaccssaam

From B8

Heritage, culture gatekeeper. Filipino developer New San

Jose Home Builders (NSJB) is seeking to come up with more projects that would provide a venue for Filipino craftsmen to preserve the character of homes that reflect the Philippines’ depth and culture. NSJB’s business development officer Jam Acuzar said the company’s support for the youth and the arts, will continue, including pump-priming activities of the the Bellas Artes Projectsm, which it founded in 2013, to hone the talents of young Filipino artists, and provide a home for up-and-coming ones. NSJB built Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan, a community with more than 30 heritage homes, in-house artisans, and distinctly Filipino elements. It also built the gargantuan Philippine Arena in Bulacan. On the commercial front, NSJB’s condominium developments can be found all over Metro Manila, in bustling Quezon City, powerhouse districts like Makati and Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and in emerging residential districts such as Valenzuela and Rizal.

Top developer. DMCI Homes, was hailed as one of the best developers in the country in the recently concluded BCI Asia Awards 2016. City. DMCI Homes was given one of the Top 10 developers awards, which honors the most commercially significant developers in the country. This is the fifth time DMCI received he award. The BCI Awards recognizes the top architectural firms and developers that had the greatest impact on the built environment in Southeast Asia. Receiving the award for DMCI Homes was senior vice president for construction and post construction Elmer G. Civil (3rd from left). With him were (from left) Samsung executives Mark Lester Salvador and Victor Filart, Jr., together with BCI Asia chief operating officer Robert Krups.

market that offers attractive buying rate to get a new car, the public resorted to getting their own cars rather than take the train, hence we have so much cars in EDSA today,” Inacay said.

Inacay gave his take as well on the traffic mess in MM, and supported the granting of emergency powers for the duterte administration to solve the problem: He proposed the following: Persuade commuters to wait for their rides in designated areas.

“Swallow the bitter pill, and look at jeepneys—it is a prehistoric thing of the past….probably a tourist attraction, but not a solution to mass transit strategy— we’re not being anti poor, just being realistic.”

Rationalize bus and jeepney operations.

“Revisit the Public Private Partnership program’s terms of references. Look at these closely, and seek for reality checks within them.”

Lack of connectivity

Government authorities blamed the huge volume of cargo containers in major roads as a major cause of traffic congestion, but a representative of large shipyard operator thought otherwise.

“There are no cargo container trucks using EDSA to deliver goods from south to north so truck operators should not be blamed for the snail pace traffic condition,” Christian Gonzales of ICTSI, a multinational shipyard operator said.

Gonzales said they are now in the midst of completing a proposal to the government to allow them to legally use the existing PNR railways to efficiently move cargoes from their Laguna shipyard to the Manila Port using the Tutuban-Laguna PNR railways.

“The lack of connectivity to Manila ports is causing truck operators to lose a lot of money. It is no brainer that the solution is to establish a railway to deliver the goods by taking advantage of the existing PNR rail tracks,” he said.

“With traffic congestion going to get worse in Metro Manila, shippers/locators could opt to bypass Metro Manila by using the rail system to transport their goods while at the same time truckers can still provide their services when moving the goods from the inland container terminals to the end destination of the goods, or the other way around,” Gonzales suggested.

Gonzales agreed that Duterte’s proposal to improve the current state of the Philippines’ rail system is definitely a good jump point to address traffic congestion.

B7

He said Duterte could take his initiatives on the rail system a step further by encouraging investments in the cargo rail system, too.

He expressed hope that incoming DOTC secretary Arthur Tugade would seriously review proposals that would restore the rail connectivity between the ports of Manila to an inland container terminal facility in Laguna.

MAP supports emergency power for Duterte

Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) chairman Eduardo Yap, called for emergency powers for President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to solve the MM traffic problem.

Yap explained that ongoing infrastructure projects to address the issue that would take years to complete. He gave the precedent of Congress giving President Fidel V. Ramos emergency powers to deal with the power crisis inherited from the first Aquino administration.

He called for the issuance of an executive order to declare that a transportation and traffic crisis exists in Metro Manila and, with the concurrence of Congress, secure emergency powers for the President to address the crisis.

“The government can then mobilize all government resources and undertaking necessary measures unhampered by appointments, procurement, budgetary and COA regulations during its presidency,” he said.

Free for all

Some forum participants suggested that studies on freight rail be integrated so that “infrastructural needs of the freight transport could be identified and proposed and not only focus as always to the needs of the passenger travel.”

It was also proposed that an upgrade of the PNR system, through public-private partnership (PPP), be undertaken as an important part of a long-term traffic management scheme, as the government through its PPP Center has long recognized that a PPP arrangement was the best way to speed up its rehabilitation.

Ejercito said that moving a larger volume of people on Metro Manila’s limited road network can be achieved by improving the country’s entire public transport system. “The different modes have to behave like a family member, complementing each other’s strengths rather than elbowing each other on the streets,” he said.

Bay area shuttle

Just what the doctor ordered. The buses will be a mix of MAN Lion’s City low floor entry buses and HIGER 6129G low floor entry buses, with wheelchair ramps and PWD facilities.

Not just office spaces. Daiichi Properties recently topped off the World Plaza to celebrate completing of the building’s structural phase. Hailed at the 2015 Asia-Pacific Property Awards as the Best Office Development, World Plaza is slated to open in 2016, one of three Daiichi developments in BGC. Eric Manuel, vice president for business development at Daiichi Properties, said the developer uses tperformancebased structural assessment technology to determine how to best achieve above-standards structural reliability for their buildings, with emphasis on earthquake and typhoon resistance. He added added that the company continues its efforts to use green technology in all of their projects, in line with what experts see as a more aggressive global stand towards this initiative. At the topping off event were (from fourth from left) Arch. Reynaldo Fuentez Jr., VP for project management group; Charmaine Uy ,senior vice president; Engr. Bernard Parajado, project director; Engr. Noel Villena. project director; and Eric Manuel, VP for business development.

Jolly good ride. Be

prepared to shell out PHP 5.00 per ride, and a PHP 300.00 monthly ticket with unlimited rides for one calendar month.

A NEW transportation project BAS (Bay Area Shuttle) was launched recently to service the the Central Business Park (CBP) in Pasay City.

The service, a cooperative venture between Froehlich Tours Inc. and Central Business Park management and stakeholders, will connect up to 18 bus stops within the Central Business Park, Pasay City for a hop on, hop off bus service.

The initial routes will connect Mall of Asia, Bay Area, SMDC Condominium Projects, SMX, Convention Centre, Parking Areas, E-COM Centers, Office Buildings and Commuter Hubs. The service will start with 2 - 4 buses in a 5 minutes interval on a 30 days

free trial period and will increase by 1st of July 2016 to 10 buses in a 5 minutes interval per stop.

The buses will be powered by low emission EUR 4 and EUR 5 engines, with speed limiters on 40 km per hour maximum speed, GPS monitoring System and a CCTV security system.

BAS will offer connections to MRT / LRT end stations, airport terminals, Coastal Mall bus terminal, Pasay bus terminal, SM Jazz Makati, SM Megamall, SM City North EDSA and SM BF by using brand new dedicated 8 - 12 seater vans and premium mini buses, as well as the MAN Lion’s City and Higer 6129G buses for frequented routes.

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JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR jdlacsamana@gmail.com

PROPERTY

TRANSPORT EXECS BAT FOR RAIL TO SOLVE TRAFFIC WOES SUPPORT CALLS FOR EMERGENCY POWERS FOR DUTERTE GOV’T

By Joel D. Lacsamana

S

enator JV Ejercito stressed last week the importance of having a well-thought out mass transit system in the country, and batted for a railway solution to solve the gridlocked vehicle congestion, particularly the capital city of Metro Manila.

“Just my observation, parang naging priority kasi natin was how to move vehicles through infrastructure projects such as Skyways,” said the senator who chairs the economic affairs committee. “It is better now to concentrate how to move people through projects such as the PNR, North, and South rail projects.”

Ejercito participated in a transport forum organized by ADR Institute and Citizen Watch, to discuss recent calls for Congress to grant the incoming Duterte administration emergency powers to tackle the country public transport woes.

Prominent government and private sector think tanks attended the forum held in Makati City. Most shared Ejercito’s

Traffic conundrum. “Free-for-all” operations of buses and jeepneys aggravate congestion in Metro Manila.

proposal to push for rail system solutions, but also pointed out that much work needs to be done to improve the efficiency of the country’s transport infrastructure.

The discussion centered on what the government, primarily the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), its attached agencies, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and LRT/MRT and Philippine National Railways (PNR) operators had accomplished under the present administration to enhance public transport, and what else needs to be done.

Move people, not vehicles

“An efficient and a modern railway system will not only solve our traffic congestion. It will spread out development, bring down the cost of living, bring down cost of transport of goods and therefore will be the backbone of our economy.”

Ejercito said the lack of a blueprint for Metro Manila is another reason why traffic problems persist.

“Kung maganda at tumatakbong maayos ang ating MRT, LRT at PNR, and tao ay hindi na kailangan bumili ng sasakyan,” he said. “Kahit isang libo pang Highway Patrol Group ang ilagay nila sa mga kalye, hangga’t hindi nailalatag ang mass transport system dagdag lang nang dagdag ang vehicles.”

Emergency powers

Ejercito said he is from the school of thought which believes moving people instead of building infra projects to move more vehicles, is the best idea.

He proposed plans to concentrate on the railway systems and on how to move people.

He said that one indicative sign of progress is when people take public transportation.

MRail president Ferdinand Inacay said, due to the country’s inefficient mass transport system, the public were forced to purchase cars, resulting in a huge volume of cars on our roads.

“A large segment of our society has big disposable income to purchase cars; and with a very competitive car industry Turn to B7

Green academe. Architectural firm Casas+Architects is currently

designing the new Far Eastern University (FEU) campus which will be built in Filinvest City, Alabang. FEU Alabang will be a vertical campus with a 15-floor academic building for its laboratory facilities and classrooms for the institution’ science and IT programs. It will also have a 7-storey administration building with an auditorium and centralized library. FEU tapped Casas+Architects to master plan its sixth campus in a 1.8 hectare lot that can accommodate up to 18,000 students. The facility will be a sustainable structure, taking advantage of the sun’s orientation and prevailing wind direction to conserve energy for light and ventilation. Soft landscaping and foliage will be incorporated into the design. “Sustainability means to make a building function as it is designed more than the years it is expected to withstand, while green architecture is a necessity to care for the environment by using energy-efficient designs, processes and methodologies,” said Carmelo Casas, president and CEO of Casas+Architects.

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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

P OPYOU CU LT T HU RE

LIFE

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MICHAEL MARTINEZ RETURNS HOME, HOLDS FIGURE SKATING CAMPS

BY ENNA HERMOSO PHOTOS BY SONNY ESPIRITU

W

orld-class Filipino figure skater Michael Martinez wowed his fans when he showcased his graceful and majestic moves in an ice show at SM Megamall’s Skating Rink on June 18.

Fresh from intense trainings and competitions abroad, the 19-year-old Pinoy pride performed for his fans along with the other national figure skating champions. They entertained the audience with solo and group production numbers featuring different song genres and astounding routines.

One of Martinez’s dance numbers was a soulful routine along with a jazz rendition of “Halo” by Beyoncé. He gave the audience a sneak peak of his winning triple jumps and combo spins.

Being branded by foreign journalists as the “Tropical Prince,” he said it feels great to represent the Philippines in an international figure skating competition.

“The fire is really there to show off that I am from the Philippines. Even though we don’t have snow [and] we don’t have winter here, I wanted to show them that we can definitely do it,” said Martinez.

Martinez is the first skater from Southeast Asia and figure skater from the tropical zone to qualify for the Olympics and the only athlete to represent the Philippines at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

According to him, whenever he is on ice, he lets go of his rowdy and playful self and transforms into an entirely different person.

“My friends see, when I’m on the ice, that I am really focused on what I do. This is how I achieve my goals,” the figure skater shared.

Amid his successful figure skating career, he said that he still wants to go back to studying. He wants to study Law and is planning to apply at several universities in the US next year.

Skating camp

One of the main reasons why Martinez went home to the Philippines would be to hold skating camps in partnership with SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. (SMLEI).

“This is a very expensive sport. That’s why I am really thankful to SM. Because of them, I was able to reach my dream. Now, it’s my turn to give back,” he said.

His next camp is scheduled from June 30 until July 1 in Cebu where he will also perform the same routines he performed at SM Megamall.

It has always been his hope to begin a formal program for Filipino figure skaters for them to be ready in international arena. Hence, despite the limited training facilities, Martinez is very hands-on when it comes to giving tips and trainings. He is optimistic that more Filipino skaters will be able to compete internationally.

After his skating camp, he is scheduled to fly back to California to resume his training for another competition in August.

As an athlete who had faced a few struggles before finally realizing his dream, he has a message to young Filipinos who wanted to follow in his footsteps.

“Don’t be afraid to take up the first step because you’ll never know what’s in store for you. Just do everything, no regrets and stay focused to reach your goal,” ended Martinez.

(Enna Hermoso is a student majoring in journalism at University of Sto. Tomas.)

19-year-old figure skater Michael Martinez showcases his winning moves at SM Megamall’s skating rink

‘The fire is really there to show off that I am from the Philippines. Even though we don’t have snow [and] we don’t have winter here, I wanted to show them that we can definitely do it’ – Michael Martinez, champion figure skater

Martinez returns to the Philippines for a series of skating camps and ice shows alongside other national figure skating champions

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LIFE isahred @ gmail.com

KIDS TAKE ON LEADERSHIP, RESPONSIBILITY

A

n exciting destination for dreamers, KidZania Manila is a kid-sized metropolis designed to replicate the real world. Here, children can learn and experience how a community works—from taking on various professions, earning and managing their own money, to cooperating with their peers. They can also learn leadership and good governance as part of the KidZania Manila CongreZZ. The first set of leaders was sworn into office recently at the first KidZania Manila CongreZZ inauguration. Led by Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara, they took an oath in front of the national emblem of KidZania, promising to uphold the values set by the play city and to act as role models to their fellow kids, fulfilling their duties to help build a better world.

The newly elected CongreZZ Kids are (7 to 9-Year-Old Category): Aria Imao; Badger Tajonera; Caleigh Teng; Ianna Macapagal; Isabel Mariano; Oplex Dilidili; Paula Sarmiento; Pria Temporal; Riana Roxas; and Zinda Vir. They are joined by (10 to 14 Year-Old Category): Ailish Espina; Caitlyn de Lusong; Josh Vir; Leighne Sto. Tomas; Lian Sy; Mika Bosano; Nico Tittel; Raine Roxas; Samantha de Lusong; and Sophie Ti.

KidZania Manila Mayor Cookie Bartolome (left), KidZania Philippine State Governor Maricel Pangilinan-Arenas (seventh from left) and Senator Sonny M. Angara (ninth from left) with the first batch of KidZania Manila CongreZZ Kids

“By being a part of the KidZania Manila CongreZZ, we are empowering our kids to lead and to voice out their views and opinions,” said KidZania Philippines State Governor Maricel Pangilinan Arenas. “It can be a powerful, engaging experience that will teach them to uphold their independence, make their own decisions, and build confidence.”

The play city’s legislative government body, the CongreZZ, is made up of

citiZens, or paZZport holders, of KidZania Manila ages seven to 14 years old. During the application period, CongreZZ hopefuls sought the help of their parents or guardians and prepared a two-minute video featuring the reasons they should be selected as a CongreZZ Kid. They uploaded this on the play city’s website, manila.kidzania.com.

A special CongreZZ Panel screened and selected the finalists from the pool

of applicants. The shortlisted misters and misses were chosen based on their ability to speak, interact with a group, and the way they share and convey their ideas.

The CongreZZ elections was among the highlights of the Miting de Pamilya, a special weekend that celebrated the International Day of the Family. CitiZens were given the option to cast their votes through the official KidZania Facebook page, or cast their votes in person at the play city where the CongreZZ candidates campaigned. Kid visitors voted by filling up their ballots at poll stations in the play city, attaching their ballots to their boarding passes, and dropping them in locked drop boxes located at the poll stations.

The campaign period was a good chance for the candidates to get to know their fellow citiZens and share their ideas on how they can help improve the KidZania Manila experience.

Throughout their one-year term, the elected misters and misses will get to share their ideas and opinions on various topics, including addressing the concerns of tourists and citiZens, and improving their fun learning experience at the play city. They will get exciting perks and help develop programs that benefit other children.

Piaget supports British Polo

Argentine polo player Gonzalito Pieres represents Team Piaget at the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy

The Duke of Cambridge has taken part in the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy at Beaufort Polo Club, Gloucestershire on June 18.

The charity match helped raise funds and awareness for three charities that The Duke and Prince Harry support as Patrons – The Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust and the England and Wales Mountain Rescue, whose Patron is The Duke of Cambridge; and The Household Cavalry Foundation, whose Patron is Prince Harry.

The charity match is part of the Gloucestershire Festival of Polo, hosted by Beaufort Polo Club from June 18 to 19. On Saturday, June 18, honors were contested between sponsors Team Piaget and Team

COOL VENTURE

Taylor Softserve Ice Cream Machines

The success of one’s business, for the most part, hinges on the quality of products it carries. It doesn’t matter if you own a restaurant, a retail outlet, car shop or any other business for that matter. A successful enterprise is built on high-performing and reliable equipment and processes to ensure output of the highest standards.

This is the promise of Taylor Softserve Ice Cream Machine as the top choice of businesses, including quick service restaurants, fast-food chains, convenience stores, cafes and other establishments in the local restaurant and hospitality industry.

Taylor Softserve Machines have “ a high over run ratio” of Taylor Softserve Mix than other brands. This means that a Taylor machine can inject the right amount of air into the mix that makes the finished product look and taste good. Guaranteed customer satisfaction and more sales for one’s business are guaranteed.

Exclusively distributed by Technolux, the country’s largest importer and distributor of a complete line of foodservice and small wares for the past 40 years, these US-made ice cream machines are available in a wide variety of models ranging from single serve counter top to twin twist floor models to produce ice creams of all kinds of gelatos, sorbets, soft-serve and frosty ice cream.

Technolux is proud to offer machines of all kinds that will cater to your business’ needs. On-top of that, purchases come with a one-year warranty on parts and a five-year warranty on essential compressor and freezing cylinder parts. Technolux also provides preventive maintenance programs to ensure minimal downtime. These services include but are not limited to regular check-ups, cleaning and calibration among others.

To know more about Technolux and Taylor Machines, check out Technolux’s website: http://www.technolux. net/” www.technolux.net or call 8964941and 8994531. You may also visit its corporate office at 2176 Primo Rivera Street, Barangay La Paz Makati City.

Maserati. Playing for Team Piaget were Piaget Ambassador, Gonzalito Pieres (10) and Britain’s, Malcolm Borwick (6).

This match was part of a series of charitable polo matches The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry would play this summer. The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry have been playing polo in support of their charities since 2007 and have continued each year since, raising over £9.5 million for charitable causes to date, including money raised from the Sentebale Polo Cup. This summer’s matches will see this total pass the £10 million mark.

In 2015, The Duke and Prince Harry played in eight matches, which raised over £800,000 benefitting 17 organizations. They

hope to raise a similar amount this year.

To further help the Prince’s get closer to reaching this milestone mark, Piaget is donating a Piaget Polo Forty Five watch to be auctioned before the match.

June 18 also marked the debut of the Piaget Young England team that battled it out against Ireland.

In order to nurture and support emerging talent in Polo, Piaget has collaborated for the third year running with the Hurlingham Polo Association, (HPA), to support the next generation of England players coming up through the sport.

Piaget is exclusively available in Silver Vault Rustan’s Makati and City of Dreams Manila.

HIV advocate now a social entrepreneur

HIV advocate Laurindo Garcia (third from left) is welcomed as a new Ashoka fellow by (from left) Ashoka Country Manager Terri Jayme-Mora, Ashoka Leadership Group Representative Ashwin Naik and Ashoka Philippines Chairman Rico Gonzalez

Ashoka Philippines welcomed HIV advocate Laurindo Garcia into its global network of social entrepreneurs at the Ashoka Fellow Launch and Induction Ceremony at The Globe Tower.

As the newest Ashoka Fellow, Laurindo Garcia will develop a mobile/web application which allows users to rate the attitudes of businesses and institutions toward LGBT people and people living with HIV. In doing so, Laurindo hopes to promote a culture of acceptance across all sectors of society for marginalized communities worldwide. Laurindo is the latest to join a network of over 3,500 Ashoka Fellows in over 80 countries who have developed unique solutions to the world’s most pressing issues.

Moving forward, Ashoka hopes to continue finding local innovators in the Philippines whose ideas can lead both the country and the global community toward a better future. philippines.ashoka.org/

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LIFE

isahred @ gmail.com

ORLANDO MATTERS

T

he shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida is more than just “another shooting” for this guy from Manila, Philippines. It matters to me because it happened at a gay nightclub.

Readers of this column will remember that I spent all of April talking about gay clubs and what they mean for their patrons.

A gay club is not just a place to dance and flirt in the hopes of taking someone home at the end of the night. It’s not just where one gets drunk and wasted. It’s a community, a fortress, a home.

A gay club is that one place where gay men and women can be themselves and not fear the prosecution of the heteronormative world. There, you can freely make out with whomever you want and the only looks you’ll get are because of jealousy, not judgment. That’s where you can let loose and admire the eye candy around and hit on every single person in the room – and you don’t have to be afraid of being punched in the eye for being flirty with a straight guy. Because there are no straight guys there. If there were, they’d be open to the flirtation and simply politely decline your advances.

A gay club is a gay clubber’s comfort zone.

It’s a place they truly call their own and it’s –supposedly – one of the few things that cannot be taken away from them. It’s home.

But with the Pulse shooting by a lone gunman that killed 49 and injured 53, gay clubbing is forever changed. At least for this observer. I mean, where else can gay people feel safe when their own home has been smeared with the blood of 49 of their own? How can we ever go inside a club and not think of our fallen brothers and sisters?

These people, whose ages range from 18 to 50, were not just strangers who died in a shooting. They were sons, daughters, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, parents and

Love conquers hate. Mourners gather at a vigil in Washington DC a day after the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida AFP PHOTO

colleagues to many. Most of them were gay men who probably went through the same struggles that many gay men did growing up gay: the road to self-acceptance, the coming out to their families and friends, the rejection by society, the heartbreaks, the tears, and sometimes, the blood.

They had hopes and dreams. And it’s not unlikely that one of such dreams is to live in a world without prejudice, where they are not judged for being their true selves, where they are not deemed unclean sexual deviants, where they are not considered outcasts.

In a way, they represent every nonheterosexual person on this Earth. And they died because they were themselves.

They died because there are people living and breathing amongst us who still cannot process the idea that it’s possible for men to

fall in love with men, and women to fall in love with women.

Or if they know it’s possible, they can’t process that it’s not wrong; that they don’t have the right to impose their own beliefs on others; that they are not superior.

This is not the work of one man. Only he pulled the trigger but everyone like him was in on it. This is the work of an entire system of bigotry, of homophobia, of discrimination, of superiority complex, of insanity.

Heteronormativity is the real enemy here. It’s the belief that society subscribes to – and it’s an evil belief system that has to be stopped.

This unfortunate event is an eye-opener.

It tells us that even in 2016, you can live in a democracy, a country with legal gay marriage, and still be hurt or, worse, killed for exercising your basic rights. Only

A large crowd gathers in front of Dr. Philips Center for the Performing Arts during the memorial service for the victims of June 11 shooting at Pulse nightclub AFP PHOTO

one person had the nerve to act on his murderous rage on June 11, but imagine all those others who are just bottling it all in and cheering him on in their own homes.

They exist and if the world and its leaders continue to oppose equality, then that’s all the ammunition they need to lock and load their own guns.

But if there’s a silver lining to all of this – and believe me, I’m reaching here – it’s probably that the slain 49 died so that we can finally talk about this and realize that unless we correct society and rid it of flawed convictions, anyone of us can just be shot dead. They died so that perhaps, we don’t have to. I beg everyone who’s reading this: We have an opportunity to do something good here. Please don’t let these unnecessary and senseless deaths be in vain.

People comfort each other at Lake Eola in Orlando AFP PHOTO

GMA Network joins

in Metro Manila Shake Drill The Kapuso community tested their IMReady capabilities when they joined the Metro Manila Shake Drill, spearheaded by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), held on June 22.

Supporting the region-wide campaign on disaster preparedness, the entire GMA workforce practiced the MMDA’s Drop, Cover and Hold technique used

in the event of an earthquake, coupled with safety guidelines from GMA’s public safety campaign, IMReady.

To stay updated on the latest news, tips and warning signs for impending disasters, visit the Network’s online public safety portal, IMReady (www. imready.ph) or download the app on Google Play Store for Android devices and App Store for iOS devices.

GMA employees drop, cover and hold during MMDA Shake Drill

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LIFE

isahred @ gmail.com

Some of the programs offered at MIIS for senior high school

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM ANSWERS THE CALL FOR GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

H

igh schools all over the country are gearing up to welcome the first batch of Grade 11 Senior High School students. The Philippines is challenged to be equally competitive with its ASEAN neighbors by ensuring that students are equipped for workforce readiness.

The Multiple Intelligence International School is one of the pioneering institutions in the country that has been a trailblazer for integrating internationalism and entrepreneurship into its curriculum. Now on its 20th year, it has helped students be future ready by helping them discover their intelligences and give them the opportunity to find careers that match their passion.

What is noteworthy is that the MIIS Ready for Life program allows students to gain the exposure to potential career tracks through its internship and mentoring programs.

Anica Abaquin, a HUMSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) student, excitedly shared that her international exposure as Best Delegate at the Harvard Model

Congress International Criminal Court, helped her realize her passion for international relations. Her MIIS Internship in the Philippine Senate helped her realize a potential career path for international governance. “In the future, I hope to be a Filipino who will make a difference in the United Nations,” she shares.

MIIS SHS program partners with organizations and companies who believe in the importance of developing future leaders who will create innovative solutions to help in national development.

Ateneo Java Wireless Competency Center (AJWCC) is one of the partners who helped students gain exposure to different solutionbased programs such as eBayanihan, a web disaster system. The MIIS STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students were inspired to think of their own solutions. Through developing this mindset, MIIS students recently won the TechClash Challenge where students designed their own applications to solve a problem.

Real world experience in the various SHS tracks – STEM, GAS, HUMS and ABM- such as the medical profession, broadcasting, retail, social entrepreneurship, government, legal and the hotel and restaurant industry is the MIIS SHS advantage. Leon Fernandez wants to be an architect in the future.

During his internship at ArkiNetwork, he learned to digitize the design of Architect Marcos de Guzman, which inspired him to make his own designs. It is interesting how MIIS students are excited learners who as early as high school have found a goal to work for.

Teacher Joy Abaquin, founding director of MIIS explains, “The MIIS SHS program is unique because it gives the students the global advantage of being work and life ready by helping them convert their interest or strong intelligence into a skill. We give students the 21st century skills needed to be globally competitive leaders and at the same time unique opportunities such as international study tours for exposure to

innovative ideas. We focus on giving our students the global advantage through our 3 E’s – Exposure, Experience and Experts.

The MIIS Senior High School Program also puts strong focus on leadership and entrepreneurship for sustainable development, which has always been one of the school’s core disciplines. Since 2000, the youth entrepreneurship program from preschool to upper school has successfully instilled an entrepreneurial mindset among students, recognized by Go Negosyo as a Youth Enabler institution. With the MIIS SHS Program, students and parents invest not only in good education but also in a good future.

At MIIS, Senior High School is a most exciting phase in a student’s life. It is the time when students realize their fullest potential and discover their passion.

Students are equipped through the Ready for Life program with personal skills for leadership and learning beyond the classroom. MIIS students are learning to be ready for the world.

State agencies review, endorse Rescue 5’s disaster preparedness program Rescue 5, the premiere public service team of TV5, has partnered with various government agencies to strengthen its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) initiatives.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) have reviewed and given Rescue 5’s activity book on disaster preparedness their seals of approval.

The team pioneered a fun, innovative and sustainable way of educating children how to protect themselves during floods, fires, earthquakes and storm surges by developing the Rescue 5 activity book.

“Although they are the most vulnerable during disasters, we believe children can be empowered and engaged to ensure their safety. By coloring and answering the

activity book, kids are motivated to learn about disaster preparedness,” TV5 Public Service’s Sherryl Yao said.

The activity book written in different mother tongues, likeTagalog, Sinugbuanong Binisaya and Waray, contains various interactive contents such as pictures to color, puzzles and mazes that make learning about disaster preparedness easy to understand and remember, and more enjoyable. It has also bagged several recognitions from the Philippine Quill Awards and Anvil Awards.

The activity book’s distribution is part of Rescue 5’s “Oplan Handa sa Eskwela” project. The team goes to public elementary schools especially in disaster-prone areas nationwide to conduct safety demos and hand out 72-hour survival kits (backpacks containing emergency devices and school supplies).

Rescue 5 is the country’s trailblazer in cause journalism. It combines broadcast innovations and public service to deliver news that takes action.

PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum Jr. (left) with TV5 Public Service Head Sherryl Yao and Rescue 5 Host Renz Ongkiko

SAT URDAY : J UNE 25, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

C5

Child actor Jacob Tremblay plays Cody, a foster child whose dreams become reality, but his nightmares are deadly and manifest in real life

‘BEFORE I WAKE’ WILL KEEP YOU WIDE AWAKE

W

aking up from a terrible dream is one of the worst feelings in the world. But what if you start living someone else’s nightmare?

Jessie and Mark Hobson’s grief over their son’s death is taking a toll on their relationship. To save their marriage, they adopt Cody, an eight-year-old child who lost his mother to cancer. Sweet and intelligent, Cody has one major quirk – he does everything he can to avoid falling asleep.

Jessie and Mark soon discover that Cody’s dreams manifest physically when he sleeps. One night, Cody dreams of their deceased son, Sean, and the latter appears right before their eyes. The couple tries to create a more complete picture of Sean in Cody’s mind so they can enjoy Sean’s presence when Cody dreams of him. But there’s another figure that torments Cody in his sleep, and Jessie and Mark are helpless in keeping this monster from coming to life.

“The horror of Before I Wake is borne of the souls of its characters,” says director/co-writer/editor Mike Flanagan who made his mark in the horror genre with his multi-awarded 2005 film, Oculus. “This is really a bedtime story for grownups complete with its own boogie man.”

Flanagan collaborated with Jeff Howard, his writing partner for 13 years now, to create the story. While thinking of some never before seen horror elements, they realized that “with their imaginary friends and make-believe boogie man, no one is a better horror writer than a child.” Flanagan adds, “I knew we had something that had to be further developed.”

Just like their usual practice, Flanagan and Howard spent months of walking around and talking through all of their ideas, created a very intensive outline, and locked themselves away for five days to get the script written.

The end result is “a cerebral thriller,” according to executive producer Scott Lumpkin who worked with Flanagan in Oculus.

Joining Lumpkin in producing Before I Wake is Mali Elfman who commends Flanagan’s and Howard’s fear-inducing abilities. He says, “What they do so well is not just the boo factor that makes you jump out of your seat but they create a

Kate Bosworth and a child actor in “Before I Wake”

Kate Bosworth and young actor Jacob Temblay in a scene from fantasy horror film

fearful uneasiness and discomfort that causes you to sink way down in your seat which is a lot more psychologically

frightening than the boos.”

Because of the powerful script, producer Trevor Macy says it was easier to get their

chosen actors, such as Kate Bosworth, on board. He says, “We are very fortunate that she wanted to so strongly embrace this role, her first as a mother. She brings some very powerful maternal instincts to her role as Cody’s mother.”

Bosworth played the iconic Lois Lane in Superman Returns. Critics dubbed her as America’s Next Sweetheart for her performance in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton.

As for his role as Mark, Thomas Jane “brought this real sort of coolness to Mark as Cody’s dad,” says Lumpkin. “We wanted him based on some of the beautiful work he has done not only in films such as 61 and The Mist but also for his ability to take smaller roles in films like Thin Red Line and Boogie Nights and make them so memorable,” says Flanagan.

Himself a fan of Flanagan, Jane says that the former is “very much like Alfred Hitchcock in that he is very precise in how he sets up shots. He really takes care of the story elements visually. As a writer he has this gift for exorcising and overcoming our universal fears and horrors. He knows how to hold back and then really fill in the blanks.”

Majority of the film relies on the performance of the child actor playing Cody, so when the filmmakers saw the self-made audition tape of seven-year-old Jason Tremblay, they just had to cast him at once.

“That tape blew us away,” exclaims Lumpkin. “Jacob, who is very much like a younger Hailey Joel Osment, is going to be the next ‘it’ kid. Jacob and those big eyes just perform so much,” said Elfman.

Flanagan added, “This kid is genuinely good and just exudes that. He understands complicated scenes way beyond his age.”

Jane also praises the boy who plays his son. “He is an amazing little actor. He will steal the movie. They say don’t do movies with kids or animals but if you are going to do a movie with a kid do it with a kid as good as Jacob,” he says.

Distributed by VIVA International Pictures and MVP Entertainment, Before I Wake opens in cinemas on June 29. Don’t miss this chance to meet Cody. He will make Annabelle seem like an angel.

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SAT URDAY : J UNE 25, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Shaina Magdayao, Miel Espinoza and JC de Vera in this Saturday’s episode of MMK

A picture of a happy family: JC de Vera, Shaina Magdayao and young actors in a story of hope in “MMK”

COURAGEOUS CAITIE’S INSPIRATIONAL STORY IN ‘MMK’

T

he longest-running drama anthology in Asia presents another heartwrenching story as the life of Courageous Caitie, the little angel who showed the world her unwavering smile and immeasurable resolve despite her very rare condition, is featured in Maalaala Mo Kaya or MMK on ABS-CBN tonight.

Caitie (Miel Espinoza) is the eldest daughter of married couple Tine (Shaina Magdayao) and Jayjay (JC de Vera). The couple met when both were rebuilding their lives from failed relationships and suddenly found themselves in each other’s

Child actress Miel Espinoza

arms. Seeing each other as life partners, they planned to get married and to have children. To the couple, the birth of Caitie made their union perfect and as it stood were both very happy on the day they first laid eyes on Caitie.

When Caitie was three years old, symptoms of a mystery illness began surfacing such as rashes all over her body. In a span of three months, Caitie had to be confined in three different hospitals yet doctors could not seem to diagnose her condition.

Jayjay felt responsible for Caitie’s condition due to his family’s medical his-

tory, while Tine felt so lost that she already thought of ending their marriage.

Consumed by hopelessness, they shared Caitie’s story online to find support. An overwhelming response came their way and Caitie came to be known as Courageous Caitie.

Joining this MMK episode are Aubrey Miles, Dante Ponce, Aiko Climaco, Bernadette Allyson, Kenzo Gutierrez, and Miko Raval. The episode is directed by Dondon Santos and written by Joan Habana. MMK is led by business unit head Malou Santos.

All things new and good at FYI July is all set to be an exciting month as FYI makes sure viewers get only the best shows every time you switch to their channel.

Starting July 4, prepare to lust over the amazing homes from Buying the View. The series, on Mondays at 10 p.m. explores some of the most majestic homes with jaw-dropping views in North America. Stunning cityscapes and sprawling mountain ranges are just some of the things luxury homeowners wake up to. Follow the luxury realtors as they find the perfect homes with breathtaking views that suit the needs of every client.

FYI hears what viewers want.

Now it’s premiering another home DIY show. Starting July 13, every Wednesday at 10 p.m., it airs episodes of He Shed, She Shed. Follow hosts Luke and Sarah as they each take over an outdoor shed and turn them into functional and creative outdoor living spaces. Be sure to catch the premiere episode where two party-lovers get their sheds turned into amazing outdoor bars and entertainment areas.

Another reason to get hyped is the new show, Get Swank’d. Hosted by Emily and Nicole—stylists and former stars of Pretty Wicked

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 Univ. marchers 5 Hold, as attention 10 Margarita rim 14 Environs 15 Teresa’s town 16 Lab medium 17 Dueler’s pride 18 Tree secretion 19 Reject 20 Bliss

22 Meadowlike 24 Camper, maybe 25 He gets crowned 26 Pounced 29 Note 33 “The — Mutiny” 34 Not written 36 Bonn connector 37 Depart quickly 38 Like the ocean 39 PC memory unit

40 Pacino and Gore 41 Kennel sounds 42 “I Got a Name” singer 44 Baton wielder 47 Missouri mountains 48 Steak cut 49 “Casablanca” piano player 50 On the wane 53 Ump’s call (2 wds.)

58 It may be festive 59 Cayuse 61 Roast pig repast 62 Knight’s weapon 63 Not our 64 Revise 65 Grills, maybe 66 Bubbly drinks 67 Ceremony DOWN 1 Rough file 2 Killer whale 3 Natural eyewash 4 Gypsy wagon 5 — to go (eager) 6 Composer Charles — 7 Clamp 8 Yale grad 9 Manifestly

Moms— who have made an impact on viewers for their fashion sense and friendship. The two return to TV on their Swankmobile to makeover and transform the lives of fashionably challenged individuals. Get hooked with the show’s two-episode back-to-back premiere 8 p.m. on July 28.

Can’t get enough of FYI shows?

Spend the weekends tuned in to some of best via FYI Weekend Binge airing every Saturday and Sunday, 12 noon to 6 p.m. the entire month of July. Don’t miss Strangers in Danger, which follows thrill seekers and pro-BMXers as they take on crazy challeng-

SATURDAY, JUNE 25 , 2016

10 11 12 13 21 23 25 26 27 28 30 31 32 34 35 38 42 43 45 46 47 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 60

Feral Birthday counts Muscles near delts Where Priam ruled Guy like Hamlet ER staffers Zen riddles Get out fast Actress — Prentiss Car-wash step Grapevine item Sweater style (hyph.)

Brinks Sky hunter Pull apart by force Justly (2 wds.)

Despot Climbing rose Eludes the tag Heavy weight Basket willows Jane Austen title Glamorous wraps Spring beer Mr. Flintstone Great Wall locale Autobahn vehicle Cafe au — Guitar ancestor Melodramatic cry

“He Shed, She Shed” starts airing on FYI beginning July 13

es all over the world. Or journey with funny man John Catucci as

he takes viewers to the must-visit food joints in You Gotta Eat Here.

SAT URDAY : J UNE 25, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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‘GARY V PRESENTS¼ ’ AT KIA THEATER

G

ary Valenciano is back for a fresh, new serving of his critically acclaimed and smash hit concert franchise Gary V Presents…, this time at Kia Theater in Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City on July 15 and 16.

This is the third and much awaited installment of Gary V Presents…, which had a successful maiden run at Resorts World Manila last year.

Directed by Gary Valenciano with son Paolo Valenciano and with musical direction by Mon Faustino, it is a must-see musical extravaganza that will feature Gary with his personal choice of new and up and coming artists, which consists of The X-Factor Philippines season 1 top finalist Allan Silonga of the all-male vocal group Daddy’s Home; world music singer Bullet Dumas; award-winning theater actress Carla Guevara-Laforteza; the talented singers of The Voice Of The Philippines such as season one grand winner Mitoy Yonting, season 1 grand finalist

Benefit concert. Mr. Pure Energy Gary V (center) stages the third installment of “Gary V Presents...” at the Kia Theater

Janice Javier, season 1 finalist RJ Dela Fuente, and season 2 finalist Timmy Pavino; Star In A Million season 2 grand finalist and R&B singer Jimmy Marquez; award-winning recording artist and singer-songwriter Kiana Valenciano; and suklay diva and Internet sensation Katrina Velarde; and classical-pop sing-

er Lara Maigue of TV-5’s toprating series Trenderas. To spice up the line-up, singer-songwriter Abby Asistio will be featured as the concert’s opening act.

These artists are all known for their exceptional artistry and the respective musical genres they each represent. Most of them were catapulted to mainstream recog-

nition after they became part of different talent competitions on national TV. Gary chose them to be part of the concert on the basis of their individual achievements as solo artists as they are rapidly conquering the fields of recording, live shows and local bar circuits, theater, and television.

The amazing repertoire of the

show will showcase Gary’s most well-loved hits as well as a sampling of songs that have been identified with him for past 33 years. Each of the songs will be re-arranged to highlight each of the guest artist’s respective genres in their spot numbers as well as in their production numbers with Gary.

“You must watch this concert.

It is full of love and teamwork,” says Gary who is 2015’s Best Male Concert Performer as well as recipient of 2014’s Concert Of The Year (ARISE Gary V 3.0), winner of Best Inspirational Album of 2014, and this year’s MTV Philippines OPM Icon awardee. “I am happy and excited to reunite with these fantastic artists and we can’t wait to bring the show to Kia Theater.”

Gary V Presents… is for the benefit of the scholarship and diabetes programs of Shining Light Foundation Inc. For ticket inquires call Ticketworld at 911-5555 or contact 09175413389 and (632) 535-0786.

Jackie Lou Blanco and Arianne Bautista bring good vibes in ‘Laff, Camera, Action!’

Momshies. (from left) Melai Cantiveros, Karla Estrada and Jolina Magdangal

‘Magandang Buhay’ in new time slot

The fun and learning continues every weekday morning in ABSCBN’s talk show Magandang Buhay, which now airs at 8 a.m., its new timeslot.

Join momshies Karla Estrada, Melai Cantiveros, and Jolina Magdangal as they discuss family, love, and life in general with their special guests.

This week, watch out for brothers Jeron and Jeric Teng and Marco and Paulo Gumabao, heartthrob dads Ian Veneracion

and Richard Yap, at skillful mom Jodi Sta. Maria.

Watch Magandang Buhay on its new timeslot on ABS-CBN, ABSCBN HD (SkyCable ch 167), and live online via iWant TV. Meanwhile, catch the episodes on ABS-CBN Regional channels the following day at the same time, 8 a.m. For updates, follow @_magandangbuhay on Twitter and Instagram or like the official Facebook page on www.facebook. com/OfficialMagandangBuhay.

Today, GMA’s improvisational comedy game show Laff, Camera, Action! continues to spread good vibes with Arianne Bautista as guest co-host and veteran actress Jackie Lou Blanco as celebrity guest.

Can Team Fierce composed of Boobay, Divine and Ian Red be able to continue their winning streak as they face off with Le Chazz, Rafa SiguionReyna and AJ Tamiza of Team Pa-sweet? Who between the two teams will give an amazing performance before the MapanghusGANG judges Sef Cadayona, Gladys Guevarra and Direk Caesar Cosme?

Kapuso teen actress Barbie Forteza is the Game Mechanics Master while Louie Ignacio is the Director of the Week.

Laff, Camera, Action! airs after Wish Ko Lang on GMA Sabado Star Power.

‘Matanglawin’ pits Hashtag versus Girltrend It’s a battle of Pinoy pride and wit this Sunday as It’s Showtime favorites Hashtag Jameson Blake and Girltrend Maika Rivera take the Matanglawin challenge that will test their knowledge of Philippine history, geography, and social studies.

Brush up on Pinoy trivia as Kuya Kim Atienza quiz the celebrity challengers on the unique places and events in the Philippines, our national symbols, and Filipino vocabulary in another fun episode of the country’s most awarded educational television program.

Don’t miss Matanglawin, 9:30 a.m. tomorrow on ABSCBN on free TV, ABS-CBN HD Ch. 166 on SKYCable, and

www.iwantv.com.ph online.

Follow their Facebook page at http://facebook.com/Matan-

glawinTV and official Twitter account (@MatanglawinTV) for more updates.

From left: Hashtag Jameson Blake, Kuya Kim Atienza and Girltrend Maika Rivera

Stage actor Rafa Siguion-Reyna (center) flanked by stand-up comedian Aj Tamiza (left) and Le Chazz (right)

Mangyan native gives back to community RRLI beefed up their Mangyan native Ana trainings and improved Sodoy was given a good their facilities to make education. And now their students ready that she is a full pledged when they finish their teacher, Ana gives back courses. to her community by In line with this, Flor teaching them what she Brioso Santos, a kinhas learned so that they dred soul who shares too can have the power her dreams with Mother of knowledge.

Ricky Reyes franchises Meanwhile, the Ricky Mother Ricky Reyes an RRLI school so she Reyes Learning Institute (RRLI) which offers a range too can reach out for more people of courses in cosmetology, creative who want their lives uplifted.

Gandang Ricky Reyes Todo na Toh hair styling, creative nail design, and advanced haircutting, with ho- (GRR TNT) Hair Police catches a pertel and restaurant service courses son with unruly hair. Reyes comes to such as bartending, food and bev- the rescue with a special treatment.

GRR TNT hosted by Ricky Reyes and erage and housekeeping, sets off the school year with a new zest to produced by Scripto Vision airs every all aspiring individuals at their Cu- Saturday 9-10 a.m. on GMA News TV. bao branch.

SAT URDAY : J UNE 25, 2016

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR NICKIE WANG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

#JoDian or #JoChard? Either way, fans of the trio (Jodi Sta. Maria, Richard Yap and Ian Veneracion) are in for a treat as the stars take their small screen romance to the big screen

JODI AND RICHARD TOGETHER AGAIN IN ‘THE ACHY BREAKY HEARTS’ ISAH V. RED

L

oyal fans of the inimitable tandem of Jodi Sta. Maria and Richard Yap are in for a fabulous treat as the two stars team-up for the big screen for the very first time in Star Cinema’s upcoming romantic-comedy, The Achy Breaky Hearts.

Jodi and Richard captivated millions of Filipinos in the groundbreaking feel good morning series Be Careful With My Heart as Maya and Ser Chief - television’s first couple who reigned supreme for a very successful two and a half years.

Jodi is regarded both by fans and critics as a talented and accomplished actress. With a career that spans almost two decades, Jodi has breathed life into some of the most complex and unforgettable characters both in film and on TV. Jodi has seamlessly transitioned as a serious actress from being a teen star in the late 90s. Prior to her role as Maya in Be Careful With My Heart, Jodi has displayed her impressive prowess as a dramatic actress in some of ABS-CBN’s highest rating primetime series such as Tanging Yaman, Noah, and 100 Days To Heaven.

Jodi also delivered great performances in noted that The Achy Breaky Hearts is the a number of films such as You Are The One, very first film project of Jodi and Richard Cinco, and Maria Leonora Teresa among and this is also the first time fans will see many others. the two together after Be Careful With Be Careful With My Heart catapulted My Heart. her to superstar status while her powerful To spice things up, Ian Veneracion will portrayal of the iconic join Jodi and Richard character of Amor in The Achy Breaky Powers in the remake Hearts, which is diof Pangako Sa ‘Yo esrected by Antoinette Chinggay finds herself tablished her as the Jadaone. most well loved lead- torn between two kinds of With a script Direk ing lady on television.

Antoinette co-wrote Richard on the oth- love. Who will she choose? with Yoshke Dimen, er hand, enthralled Ryan or Frank? Or will she The Achy Breaky countless fans with realize that the love she Hearts is a modern his unforgettable porlove story centered on needs won’t come from Chinggay (Sta. Matrayal of the character of Papa Chen on the ria) whose love life is either? primetime series My suffering from a sevBinondo Girl and he en-year drought. The had the entire nation plot thickens as Chhooked with his peringgay is unexpectformance as Ser Chief in Be Careful With edly faced with the dilemma of choosing My Heart. Richard also conquered the between two men, Ryan (Veneracion) big-screen with memorable appearances and Frank (Yap), who suddenly take an in movies like 2014’s Ekstra, 2014’s block- interest in her. buster hit Praybeyt Benjamin, 2015’s You’re Together, Ian, Richard, and Jodi and DiStill The One, and most recently in the hit rek Antoinette will weave another unformovie Just The 3 Of Us. gettable romantic- comedy laced with just The television tandem of Jodi and the right serving of witty and sharp hugot Richard as Maya and Ser Chief spawned dialogues and identifiable characters that multi-platinum albums, sold-out con- audiences will surely relate with in The certs, and worldwide tours. It should be Achy Breaky Hearts.

“ ”

Jodi Sta. Maria is torn between two men in the upcoming Star Cinema rom-com “TheAchyBreakyHearts”

In the movie, Chinggay finds herself torn between two kinds of love. Who will she choose? Ryan or Frank? Or will she realize that the love she needs won’t come from either? Find out and be part of the roller coaster journey of Chinggay, Ryan, and Frank.

The Achy Breaky Hearts is showing in cinemas nationwide starting June 29.