The Standard - 2016 July 8 - Friday

VOL. XXX NO. 146 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 FRIDAY : JULY 8, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

10 killed amid air strikes on ASG lair

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NARCO-GENERALS LINKED TO ‘TRIAD’ Duterte: Drug lords raking it in behind prison cells

By John Paolo Bencito and Macon Ramos-Araneta

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte revealed Thursday night that a high-level Chinese drug triad operating inside the National Bilibid Prison is behind the multibillion drug operation being protected by the five police generals he publicly shamed Tuesday.

Speaking at a delayed TV broadcast aired through state-owned PTV4 on Thursday, Duterte also revealed that one of the accused narco-generals, retired PNP general Marcelo Garbo is the top police coddler, protecting two of the drug triad operators in Luzon, Metro Manila and the Visayas.

The President also advised mayors and politicians involved in the drug trade to “commit suicide” before getting shamed on public, adding that drug ring leaders should get prepared to be shot in the airports or when they escape prison.

“I have decided to reveal the state of the drug situation to show

to you how corrosive and huge the dimensions of our problems are,” Duterte said.

First on the drug hierarchy of the so-called “Level 5 drug triad is Wu Tuan alias Peter Co, a Chinese national who leads the triad operations in Luzon and National Next page

Triad connection. President Duterte holds a copy of a diagram showing the extent of operation of drug syndicates during a press conference at Malacañang on July 7, 2016.

Wade returns to Chicago

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RH law gets P2-b shot in the arm—Neda

By Gabrielle Binaday THE Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law will be fully implemented under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and its budget will be increased to more than P2 billion, Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said Thursday.

Pernia, who also serves as the Na-

tional Economic and Development Authority director-general, said that they will even consider borrowing to fund the provisions of the RPRH Law. “I think in the past about P2 billion has been allocated in the budget, but we probably need more,” Pernia said during the sidelines of a press conference on Demographic Dividend by the United Nations Population Fund.

“President Duterte himself is an advocate of family planning, I’m sure he will be willing to increase that budget to make sure access to family planning services will be available to all those who want the services,” he added.

The proposed budget for the RPRH Law was P3.2 billion this year, but this was later reduced by P1 billion.

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War on drugs: Death toll rising Narco-generals...

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Capital Region. Co is currently detained at NBP and leader of the Bilibid 19, the notorious drug ring inside the national penitentiary, which has been slipping illegal drugs and selling them to prisoners.

Another Chinese drug lord identified by the President was Peter Lim, also known as Jaguar, who supervises the triad in the Visayas.

Lim is currently at large.

Garbo was identified by the President as the associate and protector of top Chinese drug lords Co and Lim, though his connections with the two are currently being established by the Philippine National Police.

The fourth member of the drug ring is Herbert Colangco alias Ampang, also an inmate at the national penitentiary. Apart from drug operations, Colangco is also allegedly involved in kidnap-for-ransom and bank robbery.

Solicitor General Jose Calida, in an interview with reporters, said that Co and Colangco control drug operations across the country even while inside the NBP. Under these five drug operators are other persons of interest composed of the following: Chinese nationals, PNP officials, BJMP officials, and local government officials, many of

RH...

From A1 “I think donor agencies are also willing to help in this regard because they see it as a problem, too,” he said.

Pernia said the implementation of RPRH Law will eventually aid in the reduction of poverty, according to simulations he has run.

These show that if families are able to achieve the desired family size of three children, the poverty rate would drop from 26 percent to 23 percent. If the poorest 40 percent of families achieve the desired family size, the poverty rate would drop even further to 20 percent, he added.

“This is just pure demographic effect,” Pernia said.

At the same time, Pernia said there is no official “three-child policy.”

“The three-child policy is a misunderstanding.

The President himself has already said that that was his suggestion and that’s because he has three chil-

them mayors.

Calida said that the four other officials implicated

by Duterte (Pagdilao, Tinio, Loot, and Diaz) were part of the bigger chart presented

by Duterte during the Cabinet meeting of the security cluster convened Thursday.

“There are five levels depending on capability of drug pushers to sell. These are categorized in grams or kilograms so the level five is the top tier of the drug hierarchy,” Calida told reporters in a press briefing.

Duterte added that the Ozamis Mayor Aldong Parohinog is the father-inlaw of one of the names under the line of hierarchy of the top drug triads, Colangco, who operates the drug ring in Mindanao.

Earlier, presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo said the President did not violate the law in shaming the five generals allegedly involved in drug trade.

Saying that the five generals were given a chance by the President to resign and leave the active service when they had ample time to do so, Panelo said they were given an opportunity to explain their side and stop whatever illegal activities they were doing.

“No law nor due process has been violated,” Panelo said in a chance interview with reporters at the Malacañan Palace.

“When you say due process, you give the respondent the chance to explain

his side whatever accusation anyone has made. If you recall, the President has been asking the people he has named to come out in the open and explain their side.”

Panelo made this statements as the Interior Department said that the public should expect a wider crackdown on all politicians and government officials involved in the proliferation and protection of the illegal drug trade.

The five police generals all denied the accusations against them and said they would cooperate with any investigation but also decried the lack of due process, and suggested that Duterte had been fed the wrong information.

Panelo, however, said there was a “slim probability” that Duterte has been fed the wrong information.

“If you are the President, you have access. [The information] has been scrutinized and validated,” he said. He added that the President will not name any person involved in illegal drug trade if he does not have a valid basis.

Panelo also denied the Palace was conducting a trial by publicity, saying that due process was being observed.

Duterte supporter and incoming Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III agreed that the President did not violate due process.

He added that Duterte was doing his sworn duty to

execute the laws as head of the executive branch.

But Senator Leila de Lima, former Justice secretary, said there was a violation of due process in Duterte’s “name-and-shame” tactic.

“There’s still presumption of innocence and therefore, they are entitled to be heard.

They should not be subjected to trial by publicity,” De Lima said.

De Lima also asked what would happen if one or two of the police generals happened to be innocent when their families were already affected by the public accusations.

De Lima said the cases should be investigated, not only by the National Police Commission, but also an independent body.

On the other hand, De Lima said, the President did demonstrate his seriousness about stamping out criminality and corruption. She cautioned, however, that those carrying out Duterte’s orders must be conscious of the need for due process.

De Lima also vowed to file a resolution calling for a congressional inquiry into the series of killings of drug suspects, noting the telltale signs of summary executions in a number of these cases.

In a separate interview, Senator Richard Gordon said the accused are going to get their day in court.

Gordon said no rights were violated.

“What’s violated? They were not judged,” he said.

dren. He said that as a suggestion, not as a policy,” Pernia said.

“We cannot be coercive,” Pernia added. “The RPRH law is essentially voluntary, and involves a policy of informed choice on which specific contraceptive to use or how many children to have.”

To reach the economy’s full potential, Pernia said he has suggested to the President that the three branches of government hold “friendly meetings.”

“I will suggest to the President...and to my colleagues in the Cabinet that we should also include the judiciary in that meeting,” Pernia said, referring to the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council set for Monday.

He said while the judiciary might not join the formal session, an informal meeting would help make sure that the different branches of government are not operating at cross purposes.

Pernia’s statements on the RPRH Law came in the wake of a Supreme

Court decision to extend the temporary restraining order issued to suspend the distribution and selling of contraceptive implants that can prevent pregnancies for up to three years.

“This is the problem with our judiciary, they take their sweet time. They don’t realize how serious it is to have a TRO like this because everyone knows by now, 11 woman die of pregnancy and birth-related causes. And this could have been prevented if the TRO is not in effect,” Pernia said.

“I heard there’s already a schedule to lift it sometime. I don’t know why we have to wait for one year. In the first place, I don’t see why the SC has to heed, has to listen to these unreasonable, silly petitions coming from the noisy minority,” he added.

Pernia also said there are many other instances in which courts prevent the government from moving forward, in terms of infrastructure projects.

“I don’t know why they have to give [importance]

to these nonsensical, many of them, really nonsensical theories,” Pernia said.

He said he has already consulted lawyers about putting together a “Ledactype meeting” and they said there shouldn’t be a problem.

Also on Thursday, Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosse-Ubial said the Duterte administration would do more to address mental health issues, which she said have been neglected.

While the government would continue its programs on infectious and non-communicable diseases, it would expand mental health services through the Hopeline Project to provide phone-based counseling services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to anyone who suffers from depression.

“This project was already in the pipeline with the change in the administration,” said Ubial, who rose from the ranks, serving 13 secretaries at the DoH. With Macon RamosAraneta

By Francisco Tuyay and Florante S. Solmerin

TWO suspected drug dealers died in a shootout with police in Bataan province Wednesday, bringing to 105 the number of suspects killed in a nationwide anti-drug campaign launched shortly before President Rodrigo Duterte came to power.

Sr. Supt Benjamin Silo Jr., identified the slain suspects as John Doe and Ali Abubacar, both described as a notorious drug pushers based in Quiapo, Manila, and operating in Bataan province.

A female identified as Bulawan Palao, 43, was also arrested in the aftermath of the operations.

The suspected ring leader, Warly Castillo, managed to elude arrest after the shootout.

Silo said the shootout followed a week-long surveillance of the group.

Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa is headed to Bataan province for a briefing on the ongoing operations against the illegal drug trade.

Data showed 29 drug suspects were killed from May 10 to June 15; 25 from June 16 to June 20; 18 from June 21 to June 26; and 31 from June 27 to July 3.

Of the killed, 43 were from the Calabarzon region; 31 from Central Luzon; eight in Central Visayas; six each in Regions 11 and 12; six in Metro Manila; two in Region 9; and one in Region 10.

The Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management of the PNP said 39 suspects were killed from Jan. 1 to May 9.

Some 5,845 drug suspects were arrested from May 10 to July 3, while 13,920 were arrested from Jan. 1 to May 9.

On Wednesday night, the body of a policeman suspected of being involved in the drug trade was found in Barangay Ubihan, Meycauayan City, Bulacan.

Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., acting Bulacan Police Provincial Office chief, identified the victim as PO3 Michael Lee Manalad, 34, formerly detailed with the Malolos City anti-illegal drugs unit. He was in uniform when found.

Residents of Barangay Ubihan said they heard two gunshots from where Manalad was found and upon checking, they found the policeman in a seated position leaning on a telephone pole with strangulation marks on his neck.

A piece of cardboard that hung from his neck said “Pulis na pusher wag tularan” (Police pusher, do not follow his example).

Crime scene investigators found a medium-sized plastic sachet containing shabu wrapped in packing tape in the victim’s upper left pocket.

The PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management said a total of 103 persons were killed due to drug-related incidents from May 10 to July 3.

Caramat said Manalad was member of the Bulacan Police Provincial Office assigned to the Malolos City Police Station.

He said Manalad was a native of Isabela, Basilan and a resident of Malolos City.

Also on Thursday, police said they arrested a former mayor of Bangued, Abra, Noel Catillo, after they found drugs in his house.

A report of regional CIDG chief Senior Supt.

Froilan Perez said they also found three caliber .45 pistols, two caliber .22 revolvers, several magazines of ammunition and drug paraphernalia.

Meanwhile, military spokesman Col. Benjamin Hao reported that 13 people from the Army headquarters tested positive for drugs in a surprise drug test conducted Tuesday.

The 13 were in custody and are now under investigation, Hao said.

He said the drug test involved almost 3,000 personnel composed of officers and enlisted personnel as well as civilian employees.

“Using illegal drugs is enough evidence for automatic dishonorable discharge,” Hao said.

Based on Army records, Hao said, 204 people were discharged for using drugs in 2012, the year drug testing started.

“In 2013, we discharged 131 personnel and the following year, 2014, we had 38. In 2015, there were 30,” he said.

He said mandatory drug tests of ground units were ongoing.

Earlier, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya said he had suggested to President Rodrigo Duterte to form a presidential task force that would include the military in the fight against the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country. With Joel E. Zurbano, Mel Caspe

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Envoy blames Aquino for South China Sea row

Duterte urged to look into ‘fat salaries’

CHINA blames the Aquino administration for creating trouble in South China, but it hopes to work with the Duterte administration to resolve the row in the South China Sea, Chinese Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Thursday.

THE left-leaning Bagong Alyansang Mabakabayan on Thursday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to review the “scandalous and fat salaries and bonuses” of top government officials.

The group made the statement following a Commission on Audit report showing those officials received as much as P13.9 million a year or P1.15 million a month.

Citing the agency’s 2015 report, Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr. said the top earners from the national government included executives of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System, Development Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and the Bases Conversion Development Authority.

“BSP Governor Amado Tetangco was the top earner, getting P13.9 million a year,” Reyes said.

Tetangco was followed by GSIS president Robert Vergara who received P13.4 million, he said.

Teresita Herbosa of the Securities and Exchange Commission was on third spot after she received P8.9 million in 2015.

Reyes called attention to the “obscene perks” of executives of the Social Security System following former President Benigno Aquino III’s move to veto the proposed P2,000 increase in the pension of retired SSS members.

SSS president Emilio de Quiros, he said, was the 11th highest paid official with P8.2 million after also receiving additional compensation as a board Member of PhilHealth.

“For the SSS, De Quiros received P6.57 million,” Reyes said.

“Four vice presidents received more than P4 million each for 2015. Twelve other vice presidents received more than P3 million each. Four other commissioners received P3 million each.

“De Quiros received P1.6 million in allowances and another P1.6 million in bonuses and other benefits as president of the SSS. “Former President Aquino vetoed a 2,000-peso pension hike saying there were not enough funds, yet his appointed officials at the SSS and other governmentowned and -controlled corporations were being given high salaries and other perks.”

Reyes said the new administration could now correct the “injustice.”

“President Duterte has been known to promote simple living among public officials,” Reyes said. “These huge perks, bonuses and allowances from the previous administration stand in stark contrast to what is being promoted by the President.

“Some of the bonuses are scandalous considering that the government plans to raise taxes again.” Christine F. Herrera

But the Foreign Affairs Department dismissed his claim, saying the issue was about China’s claim over the entire South China Sea that overlapped its neighbors’ water boundaries.

“The core issue is China’s claim of its so-called indisputable sovereignty over almost the entire SCS and its unilateral, aggressive and provocative actions to enforce that claim, Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told The Standard in a text message.

Hong told reporters that the South China Sea arbitration case

initiated by the Aquino administration was illegal, null and void from the outset, and that China would never accept any ruling by the arbitral tribunal on the matter.

He said China hoped that the Duterte administration would dialogue with China on the matter.

He said bilateral dialogues and consultations were the only viable way to resolve the dispute in the South China Sea. “We hope that the new Philippine government will work in unison with us, veer away from

the wrong path taken by the former government, return to the right track of having dialogue and consultation with China, and make tangible efforts to improve and develop China-Philippines relations,” Hong said.

Meanwhile, the Philippines invoked the United Nations’ commitment to the rule of law in support of an imminent decision by the arbitral tribunal in The Hague, which was constituted to hear the Philippines’ case on the South China Sea. Ambassador Lourdes O. Yparraguirre, the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said the States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea had been apprised of the developments in the arbitration proceedings since the last annual meeting in June 2015.

“We believe in the fairness

and thoroughness of the arbitral proceedings, the binding character of the outcome, and the need for all States Parties to the Convention and all members of the international community to respect this outcome,” Ambassador Yparraguirre said.

“This [arbitral] award will be the rule of law on this dispute.

The rule of law is a just and peaceful means of resolving disputes. The Philippines will fully respect the tribunal’s award as an affirmation of the Convention.”

The tribunal had found that it had jurisdiction to hear the Philippines’ case against China’s so-called nine-dash line claiming virtually all of the South China Sea, and that China as a State Party to UNCLOS would be bound by its decision even if it chose not to participate in the proceedings. Vito Barcelo

Ready for confrontation. People wait to cross a road in front of an electronic billboard urging a new generation of revolutionary soldiers at a

shopping mall in Beijing on July 6, 2016. Beijing must prepare for ‘military confrontation’ in the South China Sea, state-run media said on July 5, as China began naval drills in the area ahead of an international tribunal ruling over the maritime dispute. The drills come a week before a United Nations-backed tribunal in The Hague rules on a case brought by the Philippines challenging China’s position. AFP

Robredo appointed head of Housing Council VICE President Leni Robredo takes charge as Housing czar after President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday appointed her to head the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council during a Cabinet meeting.

In a delayed broadcast, Duterte announced Robredo’s appointment after a reporter from the government station PTV4 pressed him if he would consider appointing her to a government post.

“Nahihiya na ako ma’am, nakikinig ang buong Cabinet,” Duterte told Robredo by cellphone.

“Kasi para matigil na itong

tanung-tanong. Pwede ka sa Housing ma’am? Can you be the Housing Secretary? Tanggapin mo ma’am? Yes. The [Executive Secretary] will hand you the appointment para mahinto na ‘to ma’am.”

Duterte and Robredo appeared to have broken the ice after meeting for the first time at the AFP’s Change of Command last week, followed by a courtesy visit by Robredo on Monday.

Duterte and Robredo held separate inaugurations on Thursday, a first in Philippine history.

The working relationship be-

tween Duterte and Robredo became strained after Duterte expressed his “non-committal” stance about giving Robredo a post in his official family.

Duterte said he would not appoint Robredo to his Cabinet owing to his relationship with Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as well as her being a member of the Liberal Party.

Duterte had previously said his relationship with Robredo “could not be the starring role.”

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Duterte might have reconsidered his position

against Robredo following their meeting.

“The meeting between the two has been very amiable. That was the key for the President to offer her a position and the VP to accept it,” he said.

Robredo thanked the President for appointing her to the position.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo kay Presidente Rodrigo Duterte na itinalaga tayo bilang Tagapangulo ng Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council,” she said in a statement. John Paolo Bencito

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Rody to name 1st justice

By Maricel V. Cruz

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte may soon make his first appointment to the judiciary after the Judicial and Bar Council completed its list of nominees from 36 applicants for the position to be vacated by Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Teresita DiazBaldos.

Floating recyclables. A scavenger tries to retrieve floating recyclable materials brought ashore by choppy waters caused by monsoon rains that were intensified by Typhoon ‘Butchoy’ [international name: ‘Nepartak’] which was headed for Taiwan on Thursday. DANNY PATA

Advocacy group slams ‘mafia’ at DoTC

By Francisco Tuyay THERE is a “mafia” at the Department of Transportation and Communications that has been preventing the improvement of services at the Metro Manila Rail Transit System and it is composed of alumni of the Philippine Science High School, an advocacy group claimed Thursday.

The mafia is composed of former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, current MRT-3 general manager Roman Buenafe and newly appointed DoTC Undersecretary for Rails and Toll Roads Noel Kintanar, said Jo Perez, spokesperson of the Filipino Alliance for Transparency and Empowerment.

Another member of the so-called “Pisay mafia,” referring to the vernacular slang iused for the state institution, which controls decision making at the DoTC is former Light Rail Transit Authority administrator Honorito Chaneco, who supposedly recommended Buenafe.

Perez made the claim after another rail advocacy group Riles Network criticized the appointment of Kintanar, a longtime executive of the Ayala group of companies, as undersecretary for transportation.

Riles spokesperson Sammy Malunes claimed Kintanar, as part of the Ayala consortium that took over the Light Rail Transit Line 1, helped draft that “onerous and onesided” contract signed last year

with the DoTC. Perez said that it was Kintanar who broached the idea that the government would have to put up money for the private Light Rail Manila Corp. to take LRT-1 out of its hands.

Perez said it was Kintanar who said that government should consider all of its assets in LRT 1 as “sunk costs” and no longer of any value, hence allowing the LRMC’s partner, the government, to actually give money to the firm for the privilege of letting the private firm take over the rail line, including its extension from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite.

“Why did DoTC allow LRMC to declare all the assets of LRT-1 of no value “when immediately after the

private company took over, it has been collecting the P9 million in cash daily that the line produced in fares?” Perez asked.

“For years, the public has severely suffered from the poor services of MRT-3 and it seems that under the Duterte administration, this will continue with the current and newly appointed officials at DoTC,” said Perez.

Former MRT-3 general manager Al Vitangcol previously accused Abaya and Liberal Party bet Mar Roxas of manipulating events related to the maintenance of MRT-3.

The MRT-3 line has suffered almost daily breakdown of its coaches affecting hundreds of thousands of commuters, Perez added.

Alert up for terror attack

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera PRESIDENTIAL son and Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte was rattled on Thursday after receiving information that the so-called Islamic State terrorist group, or Daesh, would stage an attack in his city.

Duterte, who is acting mayor in the absence of his sister Mayor Sara Duterte-Morales who filed a leave of absence on the first day of her second term as mayor, declined to give details except that he had information on the whereabouts of the terrorist group.

“We are intensifying our intelligence monitoring. As of now we cannot disclose any details or confirm

anything yet,” Duterte said, adding that he ordered the police to beef up security measures and intensify intelligence monitoring to avert possible attacks from the terrorist group.

“I have already coordinated with the city’s anti-terrorism group, Task Force Davao, the Davao City Police Office, and the Eastern Mindanao Command to get more information about the threat,” Duterte said.

But Armed Forces of the Philippines chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya eased public alarm and clarified that there were no verified reports of any threat by Daesh and that there are no Daesh members in the Philippines.

Implicated. Former police general and newly elected Daanbantayan, Cebu Mayor Vicente Loot arrived from Cebu City on Thursday supposedly to speak with authorities about the charge of President Rodrigo Duterte that he was one of the police generals protecting the narcotics trade. PNA PHOTO

Sandiganbayan officials said Baldos is set to reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 on July 22 after serving the anti-graft court for 13. She was appointed Oct. 30, 2003 by former President Gloria Macapagal -Arroyo.

Baldos heads the Sandiganbayan Second Division which handles cases involving the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

The Second Division also handles the civil forfeiture cases against the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, the criminal cases against Cebu lawmaker Gwendolyn Garcia, and the pork barrel scam cases of former lawmakers Rodolfo Plaza, Arrel Olaño, and Arthur Pingoy.

Under the law, the President should choose from the JBC’s list of nominees within 90 days from the submission by the shortlist.

It will be the first time Duterte will be making an appointment to the judiciary, but two more vacancies are expected within the year.

On November 22, Associate Justice Jose Hernandez, chairperson of the court’s Fourth Division, will also reach the mandatory retirement age but he will be preceded by Associate Justice Napoleon Inoturan who has asked to be retired on August 1 due to health reasons although he will not turn 70 until 2018.

Three more Sandiganbayan justices are scheduled to retire within Duterte’s term: Associate Justice Rodolfo Ponferrada who turns 70 next year, Associate Justice Samuel Martires in 2019 and Associate Justice Maria Christina Cornejo in 2020.

After the retirement of Baldos and Inoturan, the 21-man Sandiganbayan will consist mostly of appointees of former President Benigno Aquino III, who appointed 11 magistrates of the superior court.

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Move Harbor, Naia out of MM—Jica

By Christine F. Herrera THE Japan International Cooperation Agency has proposed the transfer of Manila North Harbor and Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Metro Manila to the provinces, warning that the metropolis’ traffic crisis, if it goes unabated, will cost P6 billion a day or P2.19 trillion annually in productivity losses.

Multitasking. When not battling fires, firefighters perform other tasks like sweeping the streets and sidewalks clean of garbage brought on by flashfloods . LINO SANTOS

10 killed amid air strikes on ASG lair PHILIPPINE government forces fought hundreds of Islamic militants on two remote islands Thursday, with the military aircraft-backed campaign leaving up to 10 people dead, the Army said.

The gun battles on the southern islands of Jolo and Basilan followed orders by new President Rodrigo Duterte for the security services to go after the Abu Sayyaf, which recently beheaded two foreign hostages and is also blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history.

The fighting was continuing late Thursday with more troops being rushed in, backed by military aircraft and artillery, regional military spokesman Major Filemon Tan told reporters.

“Continuous indirect fire support and air strikes are being done and additional troops were deployed,” he added without giving details.

Army troops hunting down Abu Sayyaf units clashed with about 130 of the gunmen near the Jolo town of Patikul, killing a soldier and wounding six others, Tan said.

Military intelligence reports later determined that nine Abu Sayyaf members were also killed and 13 others wounded, he added.

Meanwhile up to 200 Abu Sayyaf gunmen have been fighting running gun battles with government forces in three Basilan towns since late Wednesday, Tan said, but did not say if there were casualties.

The Jolo militants are believed to be holding a Norwegian resort manager abducted elsewhere in the south in September last year and a Dutch birdwatcher kidnapped in 2012.

Tan did not reply when asked about the impact of the fighting on the hostages.

The Abu Sayyaf beheaded in April and June two Canadian tourists who were kidnapped along with the Norwegian, while a Filipina who was abducted with them was freed last month.

The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of a few hundred Islamic militants, formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaida network, that has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings-for-ransom. AFP

SC asked to void ruling on SOCE

By Rey E. Requejo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s political party on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to nullify the resolution issued by the Commission on Elections extending the deadline for the filing of the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures by candidates and their parties in the May 9 polls.

In a 25-page petition, PDP-Laban through its secretary-general, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez stressed that Comelec Resolution No. 10147 dated June 23, 2016 should be set aside for violating the provision of Section 14 of Republic Act 7166 or the Synchronized Local and National Elections and Electoral Reforms Act. Section 14 mandates all candidates and the treasurer of the political party to file their SOCEs within 30 days after the day of election.

Pursuant to the said law, the Comelec

earlier set deadline for the filing of SOCEs on June 8.

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista, one of the three commissioners who voted against the SOCE deadline extension, vowed to abide by the Supreme Court’s “definitive ruling.’’ The other commissioners have yet to comment on PDP-Laban’s petition.

Comelec extended the deadline until June 30 at the request of the Liberal Party which cited as reasons “the confusion brought by the stringent new requirements for its submission and the voluminous documents that will be attached to the SOCE filing of LP and its presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas.

The Comelec cited the possibility of Vice President-elect Leni Robredo as well as several senators and local winning candidates not being able to assume their posts as the reason for extending the deadline for the filing of the SOCE.

Comelec challenged.

Lawyer George Garcia, representing incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez files a petition at the Supreme Court questioning the Commission on Elections’ decision to extend the deadline for submission of Statement of Contributions and Expenditures of candidates for the May 9 elections.

LINO SANTOS

The JICA study prompted lawmakers including Liberal Party’s Senator Franklin Drilon to file a bill seeking to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to deal with the transport crisis.

JICA proposed the transfer of traffic-prone Manila North Harbor to Batangas and NAIA to Sangley Point in Cavite, to decongest Metro Manila which teemed with 70 traffic hot spots.

In Senate Bill 11, Drilon said the traffic congestion has resulted in an estimated productivity loss of around P2.4 billion a day or more than P800 billion a year.

“If the traffic congestion continues to be unabated, the traffic cost is expected to increase to P6 billion a day,” Drilon warned, citing the 2014 JICA study.

The snowballing calls for emergency powers came even as the Metro Manila Development Aurhority or MMDA disclosed seven choke points along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), NAIA and the roads leading to Manila North Harbor especially Circumferential Road - 3 (C-3 Road), A. Mabini Street, Dagat-Dagatan Avenue, North Bay Boulevard and Radial Road 10 (R10) as among those in the list of traffic-prone areas.

The JICA has proposed that since domestic shipping is primarily from the south of Manila, there would be savings in ship operating cost “if they dock at Batangas rather than at Manila North Harbor.”

“This would free up North Harbor, which has an area of about 600 hectares, for possible conversion into a mixed-use waterfront property development,” it added.

“This would also trigger a shift of cargo movements away from Manila and provide a volume of exportable TEUs [twenty-foot equivalent unit cargoes] that may entice foreign vessels to call at Batangas port,” the study said.

“For the city of Manila, it represents an opportunity to revitalize a city and regain its old glory,” the Jica study said.

As a mid-term solution to the traffic problem, Jica has proposed finding a replacement for the Naia within a short radius of 50 kilometers and to “examine the full range of costs.”

Drilon said his proposed measure called Transportation Crisis Act of 2016, would authorize Duterte to adopt alternative methods of procurement for the construction, repair, rehabilitation, improvement or maintenance of transportation projects aided at easing the traffic congestion in Metro Manila and other urban areas.

Among the alternative methods were negotiated procurement, limited source bidding, direct contracting, repeat order and shopping.

f r i D AY : j u lY 8 , 2 0 1 6

A6

NEWS editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘Tanim-bala’ nipped in the bud

By John Paolo Bencito

TransporT officials on Thursday said that they won’t be arresting passengers caught carrying bullets inside their luggage and instead allow them to pass through the country’s airports, a move that put an end to the “tanim-bala” (bullet-planting) scam.

“The new policy is that if passengers will be caught carrying bullets, we would just confiscate them and let the passengers pass,”

Transportation Undersecretary for Air Operations Bobby Lim said Thursday in an interview over radio dzMM.

Senior Superintendent Mao Aplasca, the new director of the police Aviation Security Group, meanwhile, said that President Rodrigo Duterte himself ordered the new policy to just profile the passenger “to clear them of links to any terrorist or criminal group, and of criminal intention in carrying the bullet.”

This is made to ensure that airport passengers will no longer be harassed or subjected to extortion by unscrupulous airport personnel.

“Laglag-bala modus operandi is a thing of the past and we assure the public that they no longer have to worry that they will miss their flight or get arrested at our airports for possession of an ammunition,” Aplasca said in a separate interview.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade ordered an end to extortion at the country’s premier airport.

“If we do not find a hint that they are part of crimi-

nal or terrorist elements, we will release them. Anyway, they can be traceable based on documents they have,” Aplasca said.

Airport authorities will profile all incidents and choose those that will be filed in courts, he said.

“Our primary job here is to provide assistance and protect the public. We are not here to find fault or prosecute,” Aplasca said.

The director-general, however, advised the public to remain vigilant

QC to keep roads open

By Rio Araja The Quezon City government will keep major roads and even inner streets open and stop the practice of road closures to give way to wakes, karaoke sessions during birthdays or other celebrations, livelihood activities and barangay programs in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to ease traffic in Metro Manila.

Police superintendent elmo San Diego (retired), the city’s Department of Public Order and Safety chief, vowed “to strengthen the policy of keeping secondary roads open at all times.”

San Diego said traffic enforcers will still be manning the streets at dark and the city government is deploying 100 of them in shifts.

Mayor herbert Bautista has given San Diego the green light to field night-shift traffic personnel on major roads from 6 p.m. to midnight. he announced the opening of additional alternate lanes to prevent traffic from building up along major thoroughfares.

The new alternative routes include epifanio de los Santos Avenue from Quezon City to Mandaluyong City and Makati City, North Luzon expressway to Marikina

City, Makati and San Juan City, San Juan and Mandaluyong to Quezon City, and Marikina and Pasig City to Quezon City.

Based on the alternative routes, West Avenue will be open for private motorist coming from edsa going to Mandaluyong City and Makati City, while Quezon City’s Mindanao Avenue will be used as alternate route by private vehicles from NLeX to Marikina, Makati and San Juan.

The MMDA has identified at least 77 metro chokepoints where the President can use his emergency powers to resolve the perennial traffic woes.

According to San Diego, in Quezon City alone, at least 13 chokepoints are identified, including Boni Serrano Avenue, Araneta Avenue, Timog Avenue, e. Rodriguez Avenue, Katipunan Avenue, C.P. Garcia Avenue, Magsaysay Avenue, Capitol Intersection, Luzon flyover, J.P. Rizal, Ayala heights Rotunda, Miriam gate and Ateneo gate. he, however, gave the assurance that a good number of traffic personnel will be fielded daily to ensure the smooth flow of traffic, especially in various chokepoints identified by MMDA.

and proactive in checking their luggage.

The “tanim-bala” scam allegedly involved airport personnel who planted bullets on unsuspecting passengers.

Former Transportation secretary Joseph emilio Abaya had denied the existence of the “tanim bala” scam, saying that there is no syndicate running the country’s main gateway— the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and that the entire business has been “blown out of proportion.”

OWWA’s cellphone purchases ‘excessive’

Against the wind. A man struggles to keep his umbrella intact while a woman runs for cover along Macapagal Ave. amid strong winds and rain induced by Typhoon ‘Butchoy.’ LINO SANTOS

The Commission on Audit is questioning the excessive grant of iPad and iPhone units to Overseas Workers Welfare Administration personnel in 2015.

In an audit report, the Commission said OWWA’s disbursements for expensive iPads and iPhones were deemed excessive.

Due to the absence of a management policy, several of OWWA’s employees and officials were able to avail themselves of more than one unit.

“There are officials/employees who possess more than one quality communication equipment that included iPhone and iPad. Also, even non-organic officer/personnel was provided with one unit,” the CoA said.

“The management does not have existing policy related to the limitation on the entitlement of OWWA personnel on the usage of electronic gadgets, such that officers/ employees can have gadgets of their choice and can even avail for more than one unit.”

CoA urged OWWA’s general and administrative service to recall the extra units from the concerned personnel. Rio N. Araja

3 Taiwanese rapped for shabu

Taiwanese suspects. Taiwanese nationals (from left) Chin Ming Tsai, Cheng Chuan

Kou and Chun Ming face the Department of Justice on Thursday, July 7 for inquest proceedings. They are accused of illegal possession of 300 kilos of shabu. DANNY PATA

The three Taiwanese nationals arrested by the Philippine Drug enforcement Agency in raids of shabu laboratories in Las Piñas and Parañaque cities last Tuesday have been charged before the Department of Justice on Thursday. The combined raids yielded P1.5 billion worth of shabu since President Rodrigo Duterte declared war on illegal drugs shortly after his administration took over on June 30, 2016.

The PDeA brought Tsai ShihMing, Cheng Kuo-chuan and Lin Chun Ming to the DoJ for inquest proceedings for charges of violations of Republic Act 9165 or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. Tsai and Cheng were specifically charged with manufacture,

possession and use of illegal drugs. The authorities arrested them at a house turned into a shabu laboratory at Philamlife Village in Las Piñas.

Lin, who was nabbed in a succeeding raid in another shabu laboratory in BF homes in Parañaque, was charged with conspiracy and possession of illegal drugs.

Arresting agents of PDeANational Capital Region filed the charges before investigating prosecutors under the DoJ task force on illegal drugs.

All three Taiwanese nationals refused to answer the charges against them, prompting prosecutors to submit the complaints for resolution upon submission

by PDeA agents of evidence seized from the respondents

during the raids.

In two referral-complaints, the PDeA said its operatives seized shabu, boxes of liquid meth and assorted laboratory equipment during the raid in Las Piñas City, while the raid in Parañaque City yielded 24 balikbayan boxes of ephedrine powder, the main ingredient in manufacturing shabu.

The anti-narcotics agents said they seized 347 kilograms of shabu with an estimated street value of P1.7 billion.

Tsai and Cheng were arrested last July 5 at Las Piñas house, which is situated next to the subdivision’s guardhouse, where authorities confiscated 46.85 grams of shabu and 263.08 grams of brownish substance with traces of shabu.

F R I D AY : J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Fitting. A girl tries her new moqna, a traditional garment for Muslim women, at the Ramadan Trade Fair in Cotabato City on Sunday. OMAR MANGORSI

3 die in shootout with Zambo police

By A. Perez Rimando

CAMP HAMAC, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte—A long-wanted criminal group leader and two of his men were killed during a 30-minute gunfight with policemen last Tuesday dawn at the outskirts of Sibuco town, this province, police said.

A belated report received here by Senior Supt. Edwin C. Wagan, police provincial director, identified

the fatalities as Jamaruddin Alih, 45, alias Boy Takas; Danny Kairal, 34, and Nurjin Alih, 26.

The report said Sibuco cops swooped down on Takas’ hideout at Sitio Looc, Barangay Lakiki to serve him a court-issued warrant of arrest for alleged murder, rape, and frustrated murder cases.

Takas, however, resisted. With eight of his followers, opened fire at the law enforcers.

Takas and his two aides sustained gunshot wounds in different parts

of their bodies and died on the spot while his other followers fled to a nearby forested area. A policeman, PO1 Usman Iyoh, suffered wounds from a grenade blast.

The report noted that Alih’s group was also involved in other criminal activities—like extortion, illegal drug trade, cattle rustling, and robbery—in several interior municipalities.

Fire razes Ateneo campus ZAMBOANGA CITY—Fire presumably caused by faulty electrical wiring destroyed two four-story buildings of Ateneo de Zamboanga University early Thursday morning.

City fire marshal Chief Inspector Clint S. Tsa, as of press time, could not yet provide the exact value of the damaged structures, equipment and office supplies. Unconfirmed reports, however, said the Jesuitrun university, managed by president Fr. Tarel San Juan, lost close to P15 million in the fire which began at about 7:30 a.m.

A school guard told media the fire started at the rooftop of Suaras building whose third and fourth floors housed the institution’s College of Law. The building was reportedly made of firstclass hard wood materials constructed several decades ago.

The other destroyed four-story building comprised the college faculty room, computer laboratory— where some 100 computer units were installed—and library. A. Perez Rimando

Better gay than a thief, says Aurora town mayor

By Ferdie G. Domingo DINGALAN, Aurora—“It’s better for gays to multiply in the town hall than thieves.”

Neophyte Mayor Shierwin Taay made this statement in the light of accusation the municipal hall would be saturated with gays once he assumes office.

Taay, a former executive director of the National Youth Commission, said being gay is a non-issue when it comes to governance.

“It’s performance as a public servant that matters. What is questionable is if you rob the public coffers while you are in office,” he said.

Taay said he would not discrim-

inate against gays when it comes to hiring personnel, so long as the applicants have the qualifications and none of the disqualifications for the job.

“What is important is you are discreet and professional. For as long as it does not affect the services you render to the people, [being gay] is okay,” he said.

Taay vowed to fulfill his promise to effect changes in the town hall anchored on his campaign platform CHANGE-Y. CHANGE-Y is an acronym for Championing community, Health, Agriculture and Livelihood, Nature and tourism, Good governance, Education and Youth and sports.

Breaking coconuts. A farmer from Bansalan, Davao del Sur breaks mature coconuts using a customized tool. OMAR MANGORSI

F R I D AY, j u LY 8 , 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

BACK CHAnnEl AlEJAnDRO DEl ROSARIO

Shortcut to corruption

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Solar buildingS THe age of solar power plants has finally arrived in the Philippines.

Previously considered a mere alternative source of power, solar plants are now a major contributor to the country’s electricity grid. The cost of solar panels has significantly gone down, prompting power companies to build plants with bigger capacities and at competitive rates. economic Planning Secretary ernesto Pernia saw the real advantages of building more solar facilities in the country. For starters, the government plans to require all buildings in Metro Manila to install solar panels as an alternative source of energy. Solar panels on rooftops may not generate enough power output and replace baseload plants, but they will still provide relief on the supply requirements, especially during the dry months.

Pernia’s preference for solar power plants will signal a policy shift from the country’s heavy dependence on coal-fired power plants, which take about three years to build. Solar and other renewable and cleaner sources of energy require a shorter time to install, or about six months in the case of sun-powered plants.

The cost of building solar power plants has become viable in recent months after world production cost fell significantly because of increasing demand. The actual production of solar facilities has gone down to an equivalent of P5 per kilowatt-hour, or comparable with other sources of energy and the subsidy rate of P8 to P9 granted by the government to renewable energy developers.

Big solar farms have risen in the Philippines as a result of favorable economics. Helios Solar energy Corp. and Soleq Holdings Inc. have built a 132.5-megawatt solar plant in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental province, while Solar Philippines installed a 63.3-MW facility in Calatagan, Batangas.

Buildings and commercial centers have also begun drawing part of their energy requirements from the sun. robinsons Starmills in San Fernando, Pampanga is putting up a 2.88-megawatt solar plant on its roof, making it the world’s largest solar-powered mall and beating SM Mall of Asia’s 2.7-MW facility in Pasay City.

The government’s preference to rely on solar energy should expand to other sources of renewable sources like wind and water. For one, it should encourage run-of-the-river hydroelectricity, which does not require water storage and generate enough ample power as well.

The Philippines is teeming with renewable sources of energy. They are assets that should be exploited.

Foi, Finally?

I’ve always believed that the person who succeeds Noynoy Aquino to the presidency will not have a difficult time identifying what his government’s priorities should be. All that person needs to do is to dig up Aquino’s unfulfilled promises and deliver on them.

Today (or on some other day soon), the Duterte administration is supposed to come out with its Freedom of Infor-

A9

mation directive, covering offices of the executive branch.

The executive order that will be signed by President Duterte is in lieu of an actual law that the new government will ask Congress to pass, probably as a priority legislative measure.

In all likelihood, the executive version of FOI will hew closely to earlier bills in the Senate and the House that languished in the legislative mill during the previous administration. The executive order will also be an accurate precursor of the new FOI law that the administration will ask Congress to approve, once it begins

sessions later this month.

I have no doubt that this administration will make good on its promise to see an FOI law passed that will cover all branches of government and all but a few sensitive transactions. Unlike his immediate predecessor, Duterte seems to value the promises that he has made.

The previous Congress, like the rest of the population, was misled into believing that Noynoy Aquino was really serious about passing an FOI law while he was still campaigning for president. Legislators in both Houses didn’t know

Why Aquino, who ran and won on the promise of transparency, failed to pass an FOI law is still a mystery.

that, far from being transparent, Aquino actually wanted secrecy, the better to hide anomalous and questionable deals entered into by government during his time.

An FOI law will allow the public and the media to demand that the details of all government deals, contracts and transactions be made known, in the spirit of transparency. In the previous versions of the proposed law in Congress, the only exceptions are negotiations involving national security and other such sensitive matters that cannot be divulged.

Why Aquino, who ran and won on a platform of transparency, accountability and

reform, failed to pass an FOI law is still a mystery. Perhaps if we already had an FOI law, we’d understand why Aquino failed to deliver on his promises, everything from defending recto Bank from the Chinese, to self-sufficiency in rice, to extending a train line to Cavite (which he vowed to do or else get himself run over by a train).

But maybe that’s why Aquino welshed on his FOI promise. Better to let people speculate that he’s just someone who never made good on

his promises than for everyone to find out just exactly what went down. *** An environmentalist group has questioned the awarding to a Manilabased businessman of a 200-hectare reclamation project along the coast of what is jocularly being called the new capital of the Philippines, Davao City.

Ann Fuertes, executive director for Interface Development Interventions, an arm of the ecowaste Coalition, called on presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte to

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

look into the awarding by the local council of the Davao City Coastline Port Development Project to reghis romero.

Fuertes said the council failed to conduct consultations about the P40-billion project before it was awarded to Mega Harbour Port and Development Inc., a new firm which romero has formed.

She said most people had not even heard of the project until after the ordinance approving the deal was passed on second reading by the council.

Continued on A10

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

GrANTING emergency powers to the President could lead to a shortcut to corruption, Buhay party-list rep.

Lito Atienza warned his colleagues in Congress. Atienza, who has emerged as a credible opposition leader in the House, said emergency powers for President rodrigo Duterte in dealing with the transportation and traffic crisis can be handled at the local level.

Atienza has made known to his peers in the House he’s seeking the post of Minority Floor Leader. He could be elected to the post if he can muster the numbers from those left in the fringes and unable to join the “supermajority” led by House Speaker, rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez.

“The Departments of Transportation and Communications and Interior and Local Governments can solve the transport crisis if only they do their job.” Atienza said, adding: “Let’s not leave everything to the President who has enough work on his plate.” Under the encompassing emergency power of the President, public bidding of service contracts and purchase of equipment in the MrT and LrT can be an area of concern as seen during the time of former DoTC Secretary Abaya. Questionable deals under Abaya’s watch included defective rails and equipment.

Commuters suffered from MrT doors that won’t close when the trains are running and leaking roofs when it’s raining.

Also under the DoTC are the LTFrB and the LTO. The delay and pileup in the issuance of motor vehicle license plates was awarded by Abaya to a Dutch manufacturing company who didn’t deliver on time. The indiscriminate granting of franchises to bus companies and other public utility vehicles by the LTFrB is also seen as one of the reasons for the heavy volume of vehicles on edsa, Metro Manila’s major road artery. The LTFrB and local city governments added to the traffic woes by allowing provincial buses to use public roads as bus terminals.

Some P2 billion in productivity and man-hours are lost due to the traffic mess, according to a study by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency. This amount could go up to P6 billion if the traffic problem is not solved soon.

The three-term Manila mayor proposed the cleanup of the LTFrB and the LTO and appointing competent officials to head these two key government agencies.The MrT and the LrT handle an estimated one million passengers daily in the two commuter lines and the public has been demanding a more efficient mass 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

F R I D AY, j u LY 8 , 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

BACK CHAnnEl AlEJAnDRO DEl ROSARIO

Shortcut to corruption

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Solar buildingS THe age of solar power plants has finally arrived in the Philippines.

Previously considered a mere alternative source of power, solar plants are now a major contributor to the country’s electricity grid. The cost of solar panels has significantly gone down, prompting power companies to build plants with bigger capacities and at competitive rates. economic Planning Secretary ernesto Pernia saw the real advantages of building more solar facilities in the country. For starters, the government plans to require all buildings in Metro Manila to install solar panels as an alternative source of energy. Solar panels on rooftops may not generate enough power output and replace baseload plants, but they will still provide relief on the supply requirements, especially during the dry months.

Pernia’s preference for solar power plants will signal a policy shift from the country’s heavy dependence on coal-fired power plants, which take about three years to build. Solar and other renewable and cleaner sources of energy require a shorter time to install, or about six months in the case of sun-powered plants.

The cost of building solar power plants has become viable in recent months after world production cost fell significantly because of increasing demand. The actual production of solar facilities has gone down to an equivalent of P5 per kilowatt-hour, or comparable with other sources of energy and the subsidy rate of P8 to P9 granted by the government to renewable energy developers.

Big solar farms have risen in the Philippines as a result of favorable economics. Helios Solar energy Corp. and Soleq Holdings Inc. have built a 132.5-megawatt solar plant in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental province, while Solar Philippines installed a 63.3-MW facility in Calatagan, Batangas.

Buildings and commercial centers have also begun drawing part of their energy requirements from the sun. robinsons Starmills in San Fernando, Pampanga is putting up a 2.88-megawatt solar plant on its roof, making it the world’s largest solar-powered mall and beating SM Mall of Asia’s 2.7-MW facility in Pasay City.

The government’s preference to rely on solar energy should expand to other sources of renewable sources like wind and water. For one, it should encourage run-of-the-river hydroelectricity, which does not require water storage and generate enough ample power as well.

The Philippines is teeming with renewable sources of energy. They are assets that should be exploited.

Foi, Finally?

I’ve always believed that the person who succeeds Noynoy Aquino to the presidency will not have a difficult time identifying what his government’s priorities should be. All that person needs to do is to dig up Aquino’s unfulfilled promises and deliver on them.

Today (or on some other day soon), the Duterte administration is supposed to come out with its Freedom of Infor-

A9

mation directive, covering offices of the executive branch.

The executive order that will be signed by President Duterte is in lieu of an actual law that the new government will ask Congress to pass, probably as a priority legislative measure.

In all likelihood, the executive version of FOI will hew closely to earlier bills in the Senate and the House that languished in the legislative mill during the previous administration. The executive order will also be an accurate precursor of the new FOI law that the administration will ask Congress to approve, once it begins

sessions later this month.

I have no doubt that this administration will make good on its promise to see an FOI law passed that will cover all branches of government and all but a few sensitive transactions. Unlike his immediate predecessor, Duterte seems to value the promises that he has made.

The previous Congress, like the rest of the population, was misled into believing that Noynoy Aquino was really serious about passing an FOI law while he was still campaigning for president. Legislators in both Houses didn’t know

Why Aquino, who ran and won on the promise of transparency, failed to pass an FOI law is still a mystery.

that, far from being transparent, Aquino actually wanted secrecy, the better to hide anomalous and questionable deals entered into by government during his time.

An FOI law will allow the public and the media to demand that the details of all government deals, contracts and transactions be made known, in the spirit of transparency. In the previous versions of the proposed law in Congress, the only exceptions are negotiations involving national security and other such sensitive matters that cannot be divulged.

Why Aquino, who ran and won on a platform of transparency, accountability and

reform, failed to pass an FOI law is still a mystery. Perhaps if we already had an FOI law, we’d understand why Aquino failed to deliver on his promises, everything from defending recto Bank from the Chinese, to self-sufficiency in rice, to extending a train line to Cavite (which he vowed to do or else get himself run over by a train).

But maybe that’s why Aquino welshed on his FOI promise. Better to let people speculate that he’s just someone who never made good on

his promises than for everyone to find out just exactly what went down. *** An environmentalist group has questioned the awarding to a Manilabased businessman of a 200-hectare reclamation project along the coast of what is jocularly being called the new capital of the Philippines, Davao City.

Ann Fuertes, executive director for Interface Development Interventions, an arm of the ecowaste Coalition, called on presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte to

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

look into the awarding by the local council of the Davao City Coastline Port Development Project to reghis romero.

Fuertes said the council failed to conduct consultations about the P40-billion project before it was awarded to Mega Harbour Port and Development Inc., a new firm which romero has formed.

She said most people had not even heard of the project until after the ordinance approving the deal was passed on second reading by the council.

Continued on A10

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

GrANTING emergency powers to the President could lead to a shortcut to corruption, Buhay party-list rep.

Lito Atienza warned his colleagues in Congress. Atienza, who has emerged as a credible opposition leader in the House, said emergency powers for President rodrigo Duterte in dealing with the transportation and traffic crisis can be handled at the local level.

Atienza has made known to his peers in the House he’s seeking the post of Minority Floor Leader. He could be elected to the post if he can muster the numbers from those left in the fringes and unable to join the “supermajority” led by House Speaker, rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez.

“The Departments of Transportation and Communications and Interior and Local Governments can solve the transport crisis if only they do their job.” Atienza said, adding: “Let’s not leave everything to the President who has enough work on his plate.” Under the encompassing emergency power of the President, public bidding of service contracts and purchase of equipment in the MrT and LrT can be an area of concern as seen during the time of former DoTC Secretary Abaya. Questionable deals under Abaya’s watch included defective rails and equipment.

Commuters suffered from MrT doors that won’t close when the trains are running and leaking roofs when it’s raining.

Also under the DoTC are the LTFrB and the LTO. The delay and pileup in the issuance of motor vehicle license plates was awarded by Abaya to a Dutch manufacturing company who didn’t deliver on time. The indiscriminate granting of franchises to bus companies and other public utility vehicles by the LTFrB is also seen as one of the reasons for the heavy volume of vehicles on edsa, Metro Manila’s major road artery. The LTFrB and local city governments added to the traffic woes by allowing provincial buses to use public roads as bus terminals.

Some P2 billion in productivity and man-hours are lost due to the traffic mess, according to a study by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency. This amount could go up to P6 billion if the traffic problem is not solved soon.

The three-term Manila mayor proposed the cleanup of the LTFrB and the LTO and appointing competent officials to head these two key government agencies.The MrT and the LrT handle an estimated one million passengers daily in the two commuter lines and the public has been demanding a more efficient mass 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

F R I D AY, j u lY 8 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

UndercUtting Francis

PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO Following two synodal encounters between 2014 and 2015 with bishops and laypersons from all over the world on the issues besetting 21st century families, Pope Francis issued his widely acclaimed exhortation, Amoris Laetitia. By all accounts it is a joyful exhortation, one that exudes the mercy that the Pope has frequently complained is not as manifest as it should be in the Church and by members of the Church towards the world. Quite clearly, he has also pleaded with the all of humanity to make ours a more merciful world.

Popes may not always be heeded but the prophetic voice will not be silenced by the world’s nonchalance! one thing that has particularly appealed to me about what is officially known as an “apostolic exhortation” is its rejection of simplistic approaches to the often very complicated challenges with which couples must wrestle. There are no easy answers to very difficult problems, and proffering simplistic solutions is simply not pastoral at all! no, those who had hoped that the Pope would “amend” moral theology and reverse

the Church’s long-standing rejection of divorce and cohabitation did not have it their way. But that itself is tricky business. when Pope Francis urges the Church to be more understanding and welcoming of persons in “difficult situations”—divorced and remarried Catholics, cohabiting couples who have not been married according to Church law are ready examples—he is in fact announcing doctrine that these convoluted situations—into which many get themselves often voluntarily—are not outside the embrace of the Church and do not necessarily result in the “excommunication” of the believer.

Here is Francis in his own words: “The divorced who have entered a new relation, for example, can find themselves in a variety of situations, which should not be pigeonholed or fit into overly rigid classifications leaving no room for a suitable personal and pastoral discernment. one thing is a second union consolidated over time, with new children, proven fidelity, generous self-giving, Christian commitment, a consciousness of its irregularity and of the great difficulty of going back without feeling in conscience that one would fall into new sins…Another thing is a new

The Pope is passionate and zealous about showing the world of the 21st century the face of Christ.

union arising from a recent divorce, with all the suffering and confusion which this entails for children and entire families, or the case of someone who has consistently failed in his obligations to the family…we know that no easy recipes exist.”

The approach is wisely nuanced, eminently pastoral and admirably cognizant of the meandering ways of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve! notice the prudent reference to “irregular” in place of the traditional characterizations of “ob-

jectively sinful” or “immoral.” now comes Philadelphia’s Archbishop Charles Chaput who insists that for divorced and remarried Catholics to be able to receive Holy Communion, they must renounce sex and live with each other as brother and sister! And one wonders which planet the good Archbishop has just landed from. The man is obviously out to sabotage whatever pastoral openness Pope Francis has brought into the life of the Church for his own rigid version of Catholicism— a rendering of the faith that might have served the institution well but the faithful, in miserly fashion. i will grant that the Archbishop believes it is his duty to safeguard the “deposit of the faith.” But Pope Francis has been adamant at making the Church pay heed to Jesus’ example, manner and disposition of mercy as much as it looks to the words and the doctrine of Scripture! The manner of mercy is itself the doctrine! Archbishop Chaput is clearly wrong. what Amoris laetitia urges in the case of divorced or separated and re-married Catholics is “careful pastoral discernment,” most appropriate in the so-called “internal forum”—the forum of conscience: the sacrament of Reconcili-

ation and pastoral counseling. not even the Archbishop of Philadelphia can preempt “pastoral discernment” by the unrealistic demand that such spouses “abstain from sex and live as brother and sister.”

But Chaput is not alone. Equally vocal in his criticism of Pope Francis pastoral openness is a man like Cardinal Raymond Burke who, at one time, presided over the church’s supreme tribunal—the Apostolic Signature and who has since been sent packing

by Pope Francis, to oversee the spiritual needs of the Sovereign order of Malta. it is the same Cardinal Burke who loves ermine and occasionally dons the capa magna—that flowing cape that has a train borne by a page. it is not only in ritual matters that he seems trapped in a time warp. So is his doctrine and his sense of the pastoral (or lack of it).

Francis knows that not everyone is applauding him, but he is passionate and zealous about showing the world of the 21st century the face of Christ, merciful like the Father, rather than earning applause and ovation. rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

Only a Few days aFter FILIPINO PENSIONER HORACIO TEmPLO ABout this time last year, most of us were not able to imagine how Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte and his maverick type of leadership could change and improve our lives.

Relatively few who knew him well did. Mostly Davaoeños, inspired by and in love with him, relentlessly egged him to run for president until he consented.

Quietly but passionately, they started campaigning for his candidacy in every opportunity that they could get.

Soon, more and more people from all economic and social classes of Philippine society supported him. By Election Day, they had become the most active, most fanatical, and biggest army of political followers. not surprisingly, Duterte took the lead from the moment the electronic counting of votes started on the night of May 9.

His followers stayed wide awake late that night until the wee hours of the next morning, jubilantly monitoring how his lead

widened as each election return was canvassed live on national television.

Even those who didn’t vote for him joined his followers in celebrating his victory.

Considered already the presumptive president, Duterte continued uttering curses and wolfwhistling, threatening drug lords and criminals, warning corrupt government officials, and challenging established icons of the Roman Catholic Church, business groups, and the international community.

These things didn’t make us like him less, but they annoyed his already declining number of critics.

For us, they only reflected his minor imperfection, which we have already come to know during the campaign period. what mattered was that his victory ushered real change, and it would soon improve our lives and continue to uplift us in the next six years of his presidency.

President Duterte’s June 30 inaugural speech impressed us with his resolve to make our government head for real change, which he expressed with simplicity, candidness, and forcefulness using the language that paid tribute to his Davaoeño and Visayan roots—

FOI... From A9 Critics of the deal doubt if Romero can finish the project, as stipulated in the contract, in three years. They also asked if Romero’s new company has the financial capability to undertake such a huge project.

These are important issues, considering Romero’s track record in completing projects in partnership with the government. That record doesn’t look good. under President Fidel Ramos, Romero’s R-ii Builders inc. won a P6.6-billion

“Tinud-anay nga kabag-uhan.

Mao kana ang tumong sa atong pang-gobyerno.” only a few days after he assumed office, real change has started to come. on the day he took his oath of office last June 30, President Digong immediately addressed the needs of the country’s poor and marginalized sectors by signing his first executive order, which placed under ex-priest Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco’s supervision 12 agencies that were “tasked to evaluate existing poverty reduction programs, formulate projects that seek to reduce poverty, and improve the lives of the most venerable sectors.” in contrast, Pnoy wasted a month after assuming office before signing his first E.o. on July 30, 2010, which created the Philippine truth Commission to “investigate reports of graft and corruption of such scale and magnitude that shock and offend the moral and ethical sensibilities of the people, committed by public officers and employees, their co-principals, accomplices and accessories from the private sector, if any, during the previous administration; and thereafter recommend the appropriate action or measure to be taken thereon

contract to transform the Smokey Mountain dumpsite in tondo, Manila, into a mass housing and commercial center.

After more than 20 years, the project has not been completed.

This, even after the national Housing Authority paid Romero P806 million for P211 million worth of work.

That’s why Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago once called the Smokey Mountain project “the most lopsided deal in Philippine history.” it is doubtful if Romero or his Mega Harbour have P40 billion to fund the

to ensure that the full measure of justice shall be served without fear or favor.”

Did this commission accomplish anything? its final report was supposed to be published upon Pnoy’s directive before Dec. 30, 2012, but who has read it? on President Digong’s first Monday in office, he made clear that road discipline would be imposed along Edsa.

Senior Superintendent Antonio gardiola, the Philippine national Police Highway Patrol group’s new chief, deployed its 250 patrolmen to “bring back the glory days” of the HPg with his reminder that only they “should lord over Edsa.”

President Digong’s economic team knows that enforcement of rules alone is not enough to solve the traffic problem. The engineering solution must be employed, too.

Consistent with this approach, Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez announced that same day that “unsolicited infrastructure projects would be welcome under the Duterte administration” including the possible use of presidential emergency powers to open up private subdivisions to traffic.

As he rationalized— “we intend to take the traffic crisis by the horns not only because of the grave economic costs

Davao project by themselves. But will any bank or consortium of banks advance him that kind of money for the Davao reclamation project?

Again, Romero’s track record is a good guide. The Smokey Mountain contract required Romero and R-ii to raise P6.6 billion in exchange for 40 hectares of reclaimed land. He has come up with only P300 million in financing so far.

But did the government punish Romero for his failure to fulfill his end of the bargain? on the contrary, the

of congestion, but also because of its adverse effects on the health and quality of life.” we like his economic team’s plan to undertake major infrastructure projects in Metro Manila around the clock or 24/7. As justified by Budget Secretary Ben Diokno, this would “ensure that roads and other major projects are finished on time” while warning us that “things will get worse before they get better.” we are convinced more than ever that President Digong could eliminate illegal drugs, criminality and corruption in the next three to six months after he named five police generals who are involved in illegal drugs last tuesday.

Every day since his election, drug users and pushers are surrendering voluntarily while policemen had been busting drug dealers and confiscating kilos after kilos of shabu. unfortunately, offenders are being killed as they elude, resist and fight arrests. only a few days after President Digong assumed office, real change has indeed started to come, with his government prioritizing the restoration of social order preparatory to addressing our long-desired basic public services, economic development, and pension increase.

government gave him not 40 but 79 hectares as a reward.

By rights, the reclaimed land in Smokey Mountain belongs to Home guaranty Corp., which guaranteed the deal financially. But Romero refuses to hand over the property, which his company has rented out, with the proceeds going directly to him. if President Digong Duterte really hates corruption, the Smokey Mountain deal should grab his attention. As would yet another deal between Romero and the government.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

The P114-billion coco levy last June 15, meeting his designated cabinet officials for the second time, then President-elect rodrigo duterte ordered the release of coco levy funds to the country’s coconut farmers.

The farmers number between 3.5 million and 4.5 million. They are among the poorest of the filipino poor. With the coconut industry in the doldrums, thanks to government neglect, their future is bleak and uncertain—but for a bright note: The government has some P114 billion of coco levy money. in addition, the government has taken control of the United coconut Planters Bank which as a group has P285.35 billion assets and P239 billion in deposits. in 2015, UcPB reported P3.3 billion in profits. in ordering the “return” of coco levy to the “farmers,” duterte said: “This is an emotional issue for the coconut farmers, including my late mother,” he said. “The coconut levy funds should be given to the farmers,” the President told his brandnew cabinet.

The coconut industry thus has easily P399.35 billion of assets— some P114 billion in coco levy money that used to be invested first, in common shares and later, into preferred shares of giant san Miguel corp., plus P285.35 billion in assets of UcPB. This P399.35 billion is the cumulative earnings—in cash and assets—of the P1.656 billion in so-called levy money invested by Eduardo “danding” M. cojuangco

Jr. in san Miguel corp. and another P115.52 million in equity of United coconut Planters Bank. in effect, the P399.35 billion is cojuangco’s gift to the coconut farmers. it is the largest dole given by a filipino tycoon to any particular group of farmers. yet, the government, not cojuangco, will become the generous soul for the gesture. duterte’s presidential legal counsel, salvador Panelo, has been assigned to draft the legal opinion and the legal strategy to effect the gift to the farmers. Panelo (UP law 1970) has to navigate through the labyrinth of court decisions and rulings and years of legal maneuvers by parties involved in the assets to come up with a clear, concise and fair opinion and a doable strategy to effect it. compute the yield of P1.656 billion becoming P114 billion in 32 years. The increase in amount is P112.34 billion. The increase in percentage, between 1984 and 2016, is 6,784.05 percent in 32 years. or a 212-percent average per year! can you think of any other business that almost triples your money every year?

The yield is even more mindboggling if you consider what became of the P9.695 billion coco levy money collection between august 1973 and august 1982. of that P9.695 billion, P115.52 million was invested by cojuangco in the controlling equity of first United Bank, what is today UcPB. today, UcPB has total assets of P285.35 billion. an investment of P115.52 million was parlayed into

Shortcut... From A9 transport system. What they suffered instead under the abaya management team was the Mrt’s almost daily breakdown. although older, the lrt line and its Belgian-supplied carriages and equipment proved sturdier than the Mrt line 3. atienza attributes the traffic and mass transport mess to massive corruption, bad management and poor public compliance. he cited provincial buses plying Metro Manila streets and the city’s side streets being used for parking by car owners who don’t have

#failocracy

an asset worth P285.35 billion.

That’s an increase of P285.204 billion or 246,887 percent in 32 years or 7,715.2 percent every year. your money grows by 7.7 times every year or by 21 percent every day. yet, today, critics and naysayers call that cronyism—by Eduardo “danding” cojuangco Jr. a crony? let’s have more of him.

The P114-billion equivalent coco levy money today began as a P1.656 billion invested by cojuangco in 1983 for 31 percent of sMc. The P1.6 billion was part of the P9.69-billion levy collected from coconut millers and exporters (not farmers, mind you) organized as a unified group by cojuangco. cojuangco organized the millers and exporters in 1973 so the Philippines could command higher prices for its coconut products—at that time, the biggest dollar or export earner. While the Philippines was the world’s biggest coconut producer, it was the buyers (multinational companies in the Us and Europe), and not the sellers (the filipino producers), that dictated the price of copra, coconut oil, desiccated coconut and other coconut products in the world market. in those days, when one talked of “farmers,” one invariably referred to the coconut planters who owned the coconut plantations and the coconut produced from them. The so-called “farmers” today were then considered just “workers” because they were really just workers at the plantation doing work as laborers— taking care of the coconut trees, harvesting the coconuts, packaging

any garage. Barangay officials also allow side streets to be used by vendors who put stalls that become permanent eyesores. atienza called for public vigilance against the abuses in the awarding of contracts under duterte’s emergency powers, and against vigilante justice in the war on crime and corruption by those replacing the crooks in the past regime.

While we cannot blame people for wanting to buy cars to go to their place of work and bring their children to school, road traffic would be less if we have a reliable public transport system

them, doing some crude processing, and transporting them to the mills or to wherever the farmerplanter wanted his nuts delivered.

But then by some legal somersault by the supreme court in its decisions, the laborers became “farmers” overnight. at the time of the rulings, cojuangco had invested P1.656 billion of the P9.6 billion coco levy money in buying 31 percent of san Miguel. originally, the shares numbered 33.133 million common shares of sMc which was then engaged mainly in three businesses—beer and beverages, food, and packaging.

The 33.133 million shares were bought with P1.656 billion money borrowed by cojuangco from UcPB. The bank was at that time the depository bank for two major funds—the coco levy money and operating funds of san Miguel, the country’s largest industrial company then and today. later, the shares were converted into preferred shares numbering 753.848 million earning 8 percent a year in cash dividends. in october 2012, sMc exercised its option to redeem the 753.848 million preferred shares, paying P75 per share. sMc paid P56.53 billion to redeem the shares, giving the government P56.54 billion in cold cash. add P26.296 billion in dividends sMc paid the government from 1984 to october 2012 and the total yield became P82.83 billion in 2012—in cash. add the imputed yield, about 6.57 percent per year of the P82.83 billion per year from 2013 to 2016.

like other major cities in the world, said atienza citing nearby hong Kong and singapore. does anyone come with more credible credentials for the role of house Minority floorleader than atienza? he was a member of the Batasang Pambansa during the Marcos martial law years who proved himself a staunch opposition assemblyman. lito was appointed national housing authority manager by President cory aquino after the Edsa People Power revolution of february 1986. after three terms as Manila mayor, atienza served as secretary of Environment and natural re-

The P82.83 billion becomes P114 billion today. Where’s that money? in 1983, when cojuangco made the investment of P1.656 billion with money borrowed from UcPB, sMc had annual sales of just P6.644 billion. Most of that money was being deposited in UcPB, at the rate of P18.2 million a day. today, with P1,100 billion in annual sales, sMc would be making deposits in its banks of easily P3 billion—daily. sMc had more deposits in UcPB than the coco levy money. on March 18, 2015, President Benigno simeon cojuangco aquino iii issued two executive orders that took possession of nearly P400 billion in coco assets—resources produced through the vision and entrepreneurial zeal of one man— danding cojuangco.

Eo 179 provides administrative guidelines for the inventory and privatization of coco levy assets. Eo 180 provides administrative guidelines for the reconveyance and utilization of coco levy assets for the benefit of the coconut farmers and the development of the coconut industry.

Eo 179 wants to know how much in coco levy assets there are. Eo 180 seizes and transfers to the government those assets, ostensibly for the good of the coconut farmers and the coco industry which in the 1970s was the mainstay of the economy.

Both Eos have been stymied by supreme court’s June 30, 2015 temporary restraining orders asked by cocofEd. Email: biznewsasia@gmail.com

sources under former President gloria Macapagal arroyo.

Why did arienza forego a run for the senate with his credentials and name recall? atienza says that more than the astronomical cost of a senate run, he wants to stay in the house where important bills, including the initiation of impeaching a President, emanate.

“These are interesting times ahead and i want to be part of historical events during the six-year term of President duterte,” said atienza, who wants to be a fiscalizer and not an obstructionist in the house.

chong ardivilla

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Murray advances to semifinals LONDON, United Kingdom – Andy Murray survived a five-set rollercoaster to defeat battling Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (12/10), 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1 and reach his seventh Wimbledon semifinal Wednesday.

Fan support. Admiring fans cheer as France’s players arrive at their hotel in Marseille, on July 6, on the eve of the much-awaited Euro 2016 football match against Germany. AFP

Ronaldo dreams of leading Portugal to glory LYON, France – Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to fulfill a lifelong dream and lead Portugal to their first ever international tournament win by shocking hosts France or world champions Germany in Sunday’s Euro 2016 final.

Ronaldo equalled Michel Platini’s record of nine goals in European Championship finals matches by powering home the opener as Portugal overcame Wales 2-0 in Lyon on Wednesday to book their place in the final.

The Real Madrid star was on the losing side when Portugal lost their only previous

final to Greece on home soil at Euro 2004.

However, victory in Paris on Sunday would cap a remarkable career already boasting three World Player of the Year awards and three Champions League wins.

“We are yet to win anything, but it is the final and I don’t think many people thought we would make it to the final,” said Ronaldo, who has now scored three goals at this year’s finals.

“We are there and that fills me with pride. Now we have to make this dream come true on Sunday.

“I have broken many records be-

fore and I am still breaking records for club and country, but that comes naturally and the most important thing is to reach the final.

“Me and the boys have always dreamed of being there. I have always dreamed of winning something for Portugal and now it is just one match away.

“Dreaming is free, so let’s continue to dream.”

The victory was Portugal’s first over 90 minutes in the whole competition.

Three draws were enough to see them sneak through the group stage in third place before they

saw off Croatia and Poland in extra-time and on penalties respectively.

However, Ronaldo defended their route to the final, claiming the tournament was a “marathon” not a sprint and that they had timed their return to form to perfection. AFP And after landing the Champions League on penalties with Madrid in May, Ronaldo believes 2016 may be his lucky year.

“Personally speaking I am very happy. After winning the Champions League I believed in my heart we would go far in the Euros. AFP

Wade returns to Chicago

Age doesn’t matter. Venus Williams, all of 36 years old, returns to Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova during their women’s singles quarterfinal match of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships won by Williams. AFP

NEW YORK—Dwyane Wade, a three-time NBA champion with Miami, is set to join his hometown Chicago Bulls following 13 seasons with the Heat, the US media reported Wednesday night.

The 34-year-old free agent and 12-time all star reportedly balked at a two-year, $40 million deal from the only franchise he has known.

His new deal will reportedly pay him $47.5 million over two years, with a player option in year two.

Heat owner Micky Arison wished Wade good luck with his new team on Wednesday night.

“Thank you @Dwyane Wade for a great 13 yrs! You’ve had a tremendous impact on our community and our organization. We wish you all the best,” Arison said in a tweet.

The Heat no doubt figured Wade was expendable as injuries – especially knee problems – have cut down his playing time over the last few seasons.

This past season he played a career low 30.5 minutes a game and averaged 19.0 points per game, which equalled his lowest total since his rookie season in 2003-04.

He was also reportedly upset with Miami making a priority of trying to re-sign Hassan Whiteside and attempting to woo Kevin Durant from Oklahoma City. AFP

Second seed Murray, the 2013 champion at the All England Club, goes on to face Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych on Friday in what will be his 20th semifinal at the majors.

It was 29-year-old Murray’s 13th win in 15 matchups with 12th seeded Tsonga and his 100th career grass court win.

But like Roger Federer, who came back from two sets down to beat Marin Cilic earlier in the day on Centre Court, Murray did it the hard way.

Having looked in cruise control after two sets, he lost his way against the big-serving Tsonga, who was chasing a third appearance in the semifinals.

Murray rallied impressively in the decider, screaming out to his box ‘there’s no way I’m losing this match’ before making good on his rallying call.

“It was a tough match.

Tsonga is one of the best grass-court players in the world and he came up with some great shots at big moments,” Murray said.

“I just tried to use all my energy at the start of the fifth set to get myself pumped up and thankfully I got the early break and managed to hang on to it.”

“In any of the Slams when you get to the final stages you want to play your best tennis and win.

“At the beginning you try to work your way through and play good tennis but now you are trying to get through matches and play as well as possible and I am happy to get into the semis.”

Murray’s first problem of the quarterfinal was to get grit out of his right eye.

It wasn’t too much of a distraction as he broke for 3-2 before Tsonga returned the favor for 4-4.

Both men wasted three set points apiece in the ensuing tie-break before Murray pocketed it, just about fair reward for his high-speed scrambling.

The second set went by in a flash with Murray easing through in 26 minutes, a whole 50 minutes quicker than the marathon opener. AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

National U, UST duel for volley title UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas and National University overpowered their respective rivals to arrange an all-NCR showdown for the Shakey’s Girls’ Volleyball League of Champions Season 14 at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig late Wednesday.

Behind Ejiya Laure and guest players Baby Barbon and Janne Torres, the Junior Tigresses ended the De La Salle-Lipa side’s drive for back-to-back championship, scoring a 25-21, 25-14 victory to clinch the first finals berth in the league sponsored

by Shakey’s and backed by MyPhone, Asics and Mikasa.

The Lady Bullpups, on the other hand, stayed on course for redemption as they foiled the Central Philippine U spikers, 2518, 25-16, in their side of the crossover semis in the event organized by Metro Sports.

NU lost a three-setter to DLS-Lipa in last year’s finale with the Bustillos-based school raring to atone for that setback on a team built around Faith Nisperos, Nicole Magsarile, Thea Gagate, Joyme Cagande and liberos Jennifer Nierva and Ferlyn Nomil. afp

Bayron storms ahead BACOLOD—Jay Bayron rode on a blistering fourbirdie binge coming home at the front to wrest control then bucked a bogey finish with a 66, moving past erstwhile leader Micah Shin of the US and a charging Dutch Guido Van der Valk halfway through the ICTSI Bacolod Golf Challenge at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Binitin here yesterday.

Bayron flashed superb iron play and steady putting coming off a bogey-bogey mishap at the back where he teed off, drilling in four straight birdies from No. 3 inside six feet to take charge but missed going 2-up with a second straight bogey on the tough par-4 ninth of the par-70 layout.

“I just got a bit lucky on my second nine and my putting

clicked,” said Bayron, who actually pressed his bid early with birdies on Nos. 10, 13 and 16. “But I made poor decisions and was really upset over my bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18.”

Still, the veteran Davaoeño campaigner, the former Asian Development Tour Order of Merit winner who last won at Summit Point last year, recovered big at

the front, his closing 32 and 66 shoving him past two foreign rivals with a sevenunder 133 heading to the last 36 holes of the P1.5 million event sponsored by ICTSI. Van der Valk, a regular Philippine Golf Tour campaigner still in search for a breakthrough win, bolstered his bid this time with an impressive 32-33 card spiked by three birdies at the front, catching Shin at 134 after the young American based in Davao slowed down with two birdies against one bogey for a 69 after beating the course – and the elite field – with a 65 Wednesday.

“I struggled with my short game and missed a couple of short putts,” rued Shin, who

for a while looked headed for another superb round after hitting two birdies at the front, only to be stymied with flubbed putts at the back, the last resulting to a bogey on No. 16.

After yielding just 10 under-par scores in the first round, the BGCC took some beating with 23 breaking pars as the pros finally figured out the short but tight, tree-lined layout with Tony Lascuña reviving his hopes for a third straight victory with a flawless four-under 66.

“I could’ve shot better if not for two missed birdie putts at the front,” said Lascuña, who turned in a mediocre 70 in the first round but gunned down four birdies yesterday, including three in the last six holes.

Imus netfest lures huge cast OVER 200 age groupers from the host province, the Big City and nearby towns slug it out for top honors in various divisions as the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis tournament shifts to Cavite starting today (Friday, July 8) at the Imus and Mabolo Tennis Club.

Blanche Lagrisola, Gab Zoleta, Cindy Nuguit and Christy Sanosa banner the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under divisions with the young but talented Zoleta also leading the 14-U roster of the Group 5 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop with Slazenger as presentor.

This marks the first time that Imus Tennis Club will host a ranking tournament with ITC president Robert Bautista guaranteeing a successful staging of the four-day event sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez and backed by Asiatraders Corp., exclusively distributor of Slazenger, the official ball.

“This is a big boost to local tennis and to the youth of Imus, Cavite. We thank Palawan Pawnshop and we expect to be a regular stop of the longest-running agegrouper in the country that has been the breeding ground of tennis talents,” said Bautista, a former Palarong Pambansa champion from La Salle-Taft.

Fight Farm participants and ABS-CBN Sports + Action channel head Vince Rodriguez and AFC’s Ron Catunao are ready to get the series started.

MMA proponents join hands for Fight Farm

By Maxine Lagman MIXED martial arts proponents believe that the next ‘Manny Pacquiao’ could come from their sport.

With this is mind, Universal Reality Combat Championship founder Alvin Aguilar, Academy Fighting Championship founder Ronald Catunao and ABS-CBN have joined forces to showcase Fight Farm, the first locally-produced MMA documentary reality TV series in the country to be aired by ABS-CBN Sports and Action every Sunday, 7 p.m. starting in August.

The Fight Farm series is a documentary reality show filled with each fighter’s life story behind their gut-wrenching fights inside the cage.

“The series would let the audience be aware kung gaano kahirap ‘yung pinagdadaanan ng fighters through their life stories, and to inspire the au-

dience to work hard and persevere,” said Catunao.

Like Pacquiao, many Filipino MMA artists came from poor families, and organizers are hoping that one of their fighters in the Fight Farm series would become a world champion.

Like in a Grand Prix Fight League, only one man would remain standing and be the grand winner.

Sixteen amateur MMA fighters from different teams would fight against each other on certain weight divisions.

The featured fighters are Norman Agcorpa, Jiar Castillo, Pepito Masangkay Jr., Jestoni Lim, Donald Adam, Edison Cashela, Johnny Merto, Charles Sayson, Joevincent So, Astralle Iglesia, Raul Luba, Bryan Salando, Andy Ligao, Ariel Oliveros, Jason Oranda and Jomar Manlangit.

All of them have been training hard for their fights and are hungry to win and be

the champion of the tournament.

“Kailangan kong manalo para sa pamilya ko. Sila ‘yung pinaka- motivation ko para magpatuloy sa laban na to,” said Agcorpa, one of the fighters, during Wednesday’s press conference at Shakey’s Tomas Morato.

This one-of-a-kind series, packed with adrenaline pumping action, will be hosted by Aguilar and Catunao.

“This is part of our advocacy. In order to promote the sport, we need to be able to show stories of ordinary people who can compete, show that anyone can be a MMA fighter with hard work, dedication, and discipline. We believe in MMA, we believe in local talent. Suportahan natin sila hindi lang sa laban nila sa ring, kundi pati sa laban nila sa buhay,” ABS-CBN Sports + Action channel head Vince Rodriguez said regarding their new program.

Cebu all set for biggest Ironman THE stage is set for the biggest triathlon event on Philippine soil as the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships presented

by Ford blasts off on Aug. 7 in Cebu.

Close to 3,000 competitors led by defending Photo shows (from left) actor Matteo Guidecelli, Tourism Board COO Domingo Ramon Enerio III, Asia Brewery Inc. VP for Commercial Division, designer Kenneth Cobunpue, Ford Philippines champions Tim Reed and managing director Lance Mosley, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Caroline Steffen are set to Rogelie Catacutan, Alaska president/CEO and Sunrise Events Inc. president Wilfred Uytengsu, answer the starting gun for Cebu Provincial administrator Atty. Mark Tolentino, Globe VP for Content Jil Go, Shangri-Lathe prestigious race that Mactan director of Sales Natalia Zotova, and Asia Brewery Inc. VP of Non-Alcoholic Division starts and ends at ShangriJoseph Cruel during the launch of Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship La Mactan Resort and Spa. presented by Ford at Shangri-La Global City yesterday. The event, which will feature some of This will mark the first the world’s top triathletes, will be held Aug. 7 in Cebu.

time the AsPac tourney will be held outside of Australia.

“On Aug. 7, we’ll have over 2,900 athletes from 43 countries, marking the biggest triathlon in the history of the Philippines,” Wilfred Uytengsu, president of the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc. said during yesterday’s kick-off event at Shangri-La at The Fort.

“We will assemble the largest cast of professional triathletes – over 30, many of whom are world champions competing and prepar-

ing not just for the rights to be Asia Pacific champion but also for the world championships in Australia set a few months after the race,” he added.

Produced and organized

by Sunrise Events and backed by Cobra Energy Drink as title sponsor with Ford as Presenting Sponsor, the 1.9K swim, 90K bike, 21K run race will also offer the biggest prize money ever in the Philippines at $75,000 and the highest points earned.

FRIDAY : JULY 8, 2016

Department of Transportation and Communication LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE Regional Office IV-A B. Morada Avenue Interior, Lipa City, Batangas

The LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE is inviting offers for public bidding by way of sealed bids the following impounded motor vehicles for disposal on an “As is Where is” basis; ITEM NO.

PLATE NO.

BODY

MAKE

NAME OF OWNER OR TRADE NAME

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ACTIVITY 1.

Availability Form

of

Bid

2.

Submission of Sealed Bids

3.

Opening of Bids

DATES

VENUE

Thursday, July 18, 2016

LTO Regional Office IV-A, B.Morada Ave. Interior, Lipa City

Monday, July 25, 2016 (8:00am -1:00pm)

LTO Regional Office IV-A, B.Morada Ave. Interior, Lipa City

Monday, July 25, 2016 (2:00pm)

LTO Regional Office IV-A, B.Morada Ave. Interior, Lipa City

Bid tender should be properly addressed as specified below: FRANCISCO P. RANCHES JR., CESO VI Chairman, Committee on Disposal of Unclaimed Impounded Motor Vehicle Old City Hall Compound, B. Morada Ave., Lipa City, Batangas The LTO reserves the right to reject any or all bid offers, or any part thereof or to wave any required formalities an accept offers most advantageous to the interest of the LTO.

(SGD) FRANCISCO P. RANCHES JR., CESO VI Assistant Regional Director Chairman,Committee on Disposal of Unclaimed Impounded Motor Vehicle (TS-JULY 1/8/15, 2016)

A14 SPORTS

PH bets bag gold, 2 silvers in Thai meet

By Peter Atencio

FILIPINO athletes finished with one gold and two silvers after two days of the 2016 Thailand Open Athletics’ meet.

Two-time Southeast Asian Games champion Christopher Ulboc showed the way when he took the gold in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase in nine minutes and 13.04 seconds.

According to official results, the Rene Herrera-coached Ulboc, was off his best time of 8:56 in the Singapore Open last year.

Arellano University student Immuel Camino settled for the silver in 9:24.14.

In Day 1, Mervin Guarte also bagged a silver medal, this time in the men’s 1500-meter run, finishing in

3 minutes and 56.01 seconds behind a Sri Lankan rival.

Melvin Calano placed fourth in the javelin throw after heaving the spear in 64.95 meters.

Bryan Mercado landed seventh with his clocking of 10.79 seconds in the men’s 100-meter dash.

Edgardo Alejan submitted a time of 47.5 seconds in the 400-meter heats, while Joan Caido clocked 47.97 seconds.

Raymond Alferos registered a time of 48.11 seconds and Ryan Bigyan finished in 48.27 seconds in the other heats.

Fr. Martin Cup lures 29 schools A TOTAL of 29 school teams will see action in the senior and junior divisions of the 14th Fr. Martin Division 2 Cup basketball tournament when it gets going on July 16.

Fifteen college teams, led by defending champion Ateneo, and 14 high school squads have confirmed their participation to chief organizer Edmundo “Ato” Badolato and commissioner Robert de la Rosa.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles, who won over the Arellano University Chiefs, 107-100, in the finals last year, are back to defend their crown in the senior division.

Manila Patriotic School, which bowed to the Infant Jesus Academy Deltas of Pampanga, 8165, in the junior side are also returning in this cagefest for varsity teams, which have players who are listed in their school’s developmental team (Team B).

Listed with the Blue Eagles are Letran, St. Michael, Adamson University, San Sebastian College, Arellano University, San Beda College and Mary the Queen College.

Also joining are Colegio San Agustin of Binan, Diliman College, Far Eastern University, Centro Escolar University-A and CEU-B, and University of Perpetual Help-Cavite.

Set to join MPS in the junior division are reigning UAAP champion National University, La Salle-Zobel, St. Michael, San Benildo and San Beda-Mendiola.

San Beda-Rizal also confirmed, along with Xavier School, Hope Christian School, Chiang Kai Shek College, Makati Gospel College, CSA-Binan, Adamson and FEUf or participants in the junior division (players born in 1997).

Eligibility for the senior division has been set for those born in 1991 and beyond.

FRIDAY : JULY 8, 2016

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

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

Lhuillier likes PH Cuppers’ chances PHILIPPINE tennis patron Jean Henri Lhuillier is ecstatic of the current semifinal run by Cebuana Lhuillier Sports ambassador and member of the Cebuana Lhuillier-Philippine Davis Cup Team Treat Huey at the Wimbledon Open, saying it will boost the Philippines’ campaign in the coming tie.

“Treat is showing the world that we Filipinos can be world-class in tennis. He’s doing it sans the hype and attention. He just keeps on winning. This will augur well for the confidence of the rest of our Philippine Davis Cup team’s match against Chinese-Taipei next week. I hope he goes all the way and become the first Filipino professional tennis player to win a Grand Slam tennis title,” said the RP Davis Cup team manager Lhuillier.

Huey’s tandem with Belarusian Mas Mirnyi has been very great so far this year, winning a title in Acapulco and making a quarterfinals run in the French Open.

They are currently ranked fifth as a doubles’ team in the Race to London. They defeated the doubles’ pair of Jonathan Murray of Great Britain and Adil Shamsdin of Canada in the quarterfinals.

They next face the top-seeded Pierre Hughes Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the semifinals for a chance for the Wimbledon crown.

Huey will banner the Cebuana Lhuillier-Philippine Davis Cup Team in their tie with last year’s tormentor Chinese Taipe when they take them on July 15 to 17 at the Philippine Columbian Association.

“We are upbeat of our chances.

All our players have been competing internationally the past months and all of them have been doing well. We also have the home-court advantage this year and we intend to put that to good use. I expect the Filipino crowd to be a factor. Our goal is to move back to Group 1 of Asia –Oceania by end of the year and I strongly believe we will make it,” added Lhuillier.

PBA All-Star at Big Dome. The PBA All-Star Manila 2016 in August will be hosted by the Araneta Coliseum. This was the agreement entered into by the league with the Uniprom Inc. (Araneta Group) in a contract-signing held at the Novotel Manila. The contract signing was done by Irene Jose, COO/OIC, Uniprom Inc. and Shiela Viug, Head, Sales and Marketing, with PBA Commissioner Andres Narvasa Jr. In attendance were Uniprom’s Karen Nicasio; Maricar Bernabe and Annie Alejo; and the PBA’s Pita Dobles, Assistant to the Commissioner; Rickie Santos, Deputy Commissioner for Basketball Operations; Rhose Montreal, Director for Sales and Marketing; and Willie Marcial, Director for External Communications.

Foton infuses more talent to PH Superliga AVC squad FOTON has drafted four Philippine Superliga stars as additional reinforcements when it competes in the AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship in Manila from Sept 3 to 11.

Foton team manager Alvin Lu on Wednesday said Aby Marano of F2 Logistics, Jen Reyes of Petron, and Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachel Anne Daquis of RC Cola-Army will infuse talent and power into their lineup in preparation for the highly competitive battles of this prestigious continental tourney.

The four stars are tipped to provide valuable experience on the floor as Marano, Reyes and Daquis were part of the Petron squad which saw action in this tourney last year.

Gonzaga is a seasoned international campaigner, who skippered the Nationals in the 28th

Southeast Asian Games last year.

They have already reported for training and will join the Tornadoes when they open a training camp in Bangkok right after the ongoing PSL All-Filipino Conference.

“Their experience in the international competition will be a major boost to our team,” said Lu, adding that coach Villet Ponce-de Leon is leaving no stone unturned in coming up with a very good performance.

“This shows how serious we are in forming a very competitive team. We will be playing before our countrymen, we want to make sure that our team will put

up a gallant stand.”

The four PSL stars will be joined by American imports Ariel Usher and Lindsay Stalzer, while locals Jaja Santiago, Angeli Araneta, Patty Orendain and Ivy Perez comprise the nucleus of the 18-woman pool.

Also in the team are Bia General, Rhea Dimaculangan, Maika Ortiz, Kara Acevedo, EJ Laure, Cherry Rondina and Carol Cerveza.

The team will be formally launched in a press conference on July 22.

“We will trim the lineup to the final 12 right after we arrive from Bangkok,” Lu said. “So we expect everybody to show up and give their best because representing the country is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The Tornadoes are in a relatively light bracket in Pool A, to-

gether with Lien Viet Post Bank of Vietnam and the Hong Kong national team.

But things get more difficult from there as they have to overcome Asian heavyweights like reigning champion Bangkok Glass of Thailand, April 25 of North Korea, Sarmayeh Bank of Iran, Hisamitsu Springs of Japan, Zhetysu Almaty of Kazakhstan, Jakarta Electric PLN of Indonesia, Taiwan Power of Chinese Taipei and Bayi Army of China before winning the crown.

The Malaysians will also compete, but they have yet to formally inform the organizers the team they will field in.

“We really have to put our best foot forward because this tourney is an Asian championship,” Lu said. “It is not a walk in the park.”

Rio Olympics police reinforcement come under gunfire RIO DE JANEIRO—Members of a huge police force sent to secure crimeridden Rio before the Olympics next month have already come under gunfire, officials said Wednesday as Brazil’s interim president promised “absolute peace” at the Games.

The shooting incident in the troubled north of Rio de Janeiro underlined the challenge to ensuring safety for the 10,500 athletes and 500,000 tourists expected at the August 5-21 Olympics, the first ever to be held in South America.

Brazil is deploying some 85,000 police and soldiers, double the num-

ber used for the London 2012 Olympics, with the vast majority in Rio and others in cities where the football matches are set to take place.

The attack on an elite police unit on Tuesday was the first since the reinforcements started to deploy, although similar shootings between city police and drug traffickers take place almost daily.

“A vehicle from the national force was returning from a reconnaissance mission when it was shot at,” a spokesman for the Justice Ministry told AFP. “A wing mirror was hit, but no one was injured.

The agents returned fire and exchanged shots in an exchange that lasted a few seconds.”

O Dia and Globo newspapers reported the incident, which comes against a backdrop of soaring muggings and a rise in murders over the last year.

However, officials on Wednesday said visitors to the Olympics have nothing to fear.

“The country has put together a solid security program... to ensure that sporting events take place in an atmosphere of absolute peace and tranquility,” Brazil’s interim

president Michel Temer said.

“This contingent of security personnel will work in an integrated fashion, overseeing the protection of athletes, coaching staff, heads of state, government officials, local residents and journalists,” he added in an open letter posted in English on the Facebook page of the country’s Olympic organizing committee.

Defense Minister Raul Jungmann told a news conference that he could guarantee “peace, with the happiness and calmness that we expect.”

Soldiers on patrol The 80-85,000 security force in-

cludes regular police, officers from the elite federal police Forca Nacional, and servicemen including soldiers, marines and units from the air force, which is enforcing air security over Rio. A total of around 65,000 security personnel will be deployed in Rio, with another approximately 20,000 in the five football competition cities. The military component is 40,000 strong, with some 22,000 in Rio. “This is a number that can be increased if required,” Jungmann said. AFP

F R I DAY : J U LY 8 , 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

Jayson Castro, shown here against three New Zealand defenders, and the Gilas Pilipinas team need more tuneup games against the world’s best teams in order to improve.

Huey, partner a win shy of Wimbledon net finals

By Peter Atencio

FIL-AMERICAN netter Treat Huey made history for Philippine tennis as he and Max Mirnyi of Belarus whipped the pair of British player Jonathan Marray and Canadian Adil Shamasdin, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-3, in the men’s doubles quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championship at the All England Lawn Tennis Croquet Club in London.

Their triumph allowed them to advance to the semifinals.

(See related Huey story on A15) Huey, who is ranked no. 24 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals, and the 25thranked Mirnyi, are a win shy of their first-ever Wimbledon finals They meet the French pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas

Wade returns to Chicago TURN TO A12

Mahut, who are ranked no. 2 and 3 in the world, in their semis clash on July 7 (July 8, Manila time).

For Marray, it was his second attempt for the Wimbledon Grand Slam title, and it will have to wait for another year, according to The Star of UK. Marray admitted to have played below par against two of the most

formidable players on the men’s doubles’ circuit.

He said he lost his serve in the first game, setting the tone of the match.

“It was a disappointing performance and I didn’t play very well personally,” said Marray afterwards to the Star of UK, “They were good but I served rubbish from the off and just couldn’t get my rhythm going.”

For the 30-year-old Huey, who is based in Washington, DC, this is his first semis stint in the doubles competition of any major tournament he joined.

Huey also made it to the quarterfinals of the US Open in 2013 and reached the mixed doubles’ semis at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Bayron storms ahead TURN TO A13

He had already reached the men’s doubles’ quarterfinals in Melbourne in 2014 and 2016.

Huey’s stint serves as part of his preparation for the Philippines’ tie against Chinese Taipei in Manila next week.

“Treat is showing the world that we Filipinos can be worldclass in tennis. He’s doing it sans the hype and attention. He just keeps on winning. This will augur well for the confidence of the rest of our Philippine Davis Cup team’s match against Chinese Taipei next week. I hope he goes all the way and become the first Filipino professional tennis player to win a Grand Slam tennis title, said PH Davis Cup team manager Jean Henri Lhuillier.

Baldwin: Gilas PH needs more international exposure

By Jeric Lopez IT wasn’t the outcome that Philippine coach Tab Baldwin expected.

And Gilas Pilipinas didn’t exactly have the campaign it desired in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Manila after it failed to make the semifinals.

In the middle of all the disappointments, though, Baldwin gave an overview of how the team is taking its failed attempt to land a spot in next month’s Rio Olympics.

“It’s an eye-opener for us. It really is,” said Baldwin of the entire experience of his team in this FIBA OQT. Though Gilas Pilipinas wished for the best outcome and came out with high hopes, it wasn’t able to reach the Promised Land, losing to France and New Zealand and kissing their Olympic dreams goodbye.

Baldwin, however, still believes that there were still some positives that were gained.

“One of the positives from the tournament is getting more exposed against this level of competition,” said Baldwin.

The Philippines needs more of this kind of exposure to catch up with the powerhouses in terms of international play.

“More international experience and exposure are needed. That will be crucial to the Gilas program,” he said.

B1

FRIDAY: JULY 8, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

SEC imposes 15% public float

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday it will impose a minimum 15-percent public float requirement on companies holding an initial public offering.

SEC chairperson Teresita Herbosa said in an interview the new requirement for companies planning to list their shares with the Philippine Stock Exchange would be imposed starting next month.

“We will target the new issuers with higher minimum public float requirement by August,” Herbosa told reporters.

Companies currently listed with PSE have a minimum public ownership of 10 percent.

Among the IPOs in the pipeline are those of business process outsourcing company Pointwest Technologies Corp., community mall developer Philippine Primark Properties Inc., miner TVI Pacific Inc., brokerage Philstocks Financial Inc., construction firm Datem Inc. and property developer DM Wenceslao & Associates Inc. SEC said it would also decide before the end of the year if it would raise the minimum public float for

all listed companies to 15 percent from the current 10 percent.

“By end of this year, we will resolve if the higher minimum public float will be applicable to existing listed firms,” Herbosa said.

After imposing a 10-percent minimum public float for listed firms in 2011, the corporate regulator last year indicated plans to gradually increase the public float of listed firms until it hit the target of 25 percent.

Under the plan, SEC will initially increase the minimum public float by 5 percent every year. The planned increase this year was deferred after financial markets turned volatile towards the end of 2015 until the first few months of 2016.

Herbosa said with the recent

surge in the market after the May elections, SEC would review the proposed increase in public float requirement.

Herbosa earlier said the move to increase the public float requirement aimed to make the local capital markets at par with other Asean countries.

Stock markets in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand already imposed a minimum float requirement of 10 percent to 25 percent.

SEC said the move would could also encourage small investors to invest in the stock market instead of putting their hard-earned money in investment scams.

PSE said despite the 10-percent minimum public float, listed companies had an average public float of 30 percent.

PSe comPoSite index Closing July 7, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,753.46 54.67

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing July 7, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.000

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.970 LOW P47.110 AVERAGE P47.040 VOLUME 570.900M

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, July 7, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate

Ayala bonds.

Ayala Corp. starts the issuance of the first tranche of its P20-billion fixed-rate bonds issued with an aggregate principal of P10 billion. The bonds, rated PRS Aaa by PhilRatings, was priced at 3.92 percent per annum. Shown during the listing ceremony of the bonds at Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. are (from left) Securities and Exchange commissioner Ephyro Luis Amatong, Ayala Corp. chairman and chief executive Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, SEC chairperson Teresita Herbosa, BDO Capital president Eduardo Francisco, Philippine Dealing System Holdings Corp. president and chief executive Cesar Crisol and BDO Unibank Inc. president Nestor Tan. Story on B3.

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.9000

Japan

Yen

0.009871

0.4629

UK

Pound

1.293300

60.6558

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128911

6.0459

Switzerland

Franc

1.026378

48.1371

Canada

Dollar

0.771605

36.1883

Singapore

Dollar

0.740905

34.7484

Australia

Dollar

0.751500

35.2454

Bahrain

Dinar

2.651887

124.3735

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266581

12.5026

Brunei

Dollar

0.738171

34.6202

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.028417

1.3328

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.7703

Euro

Euro

1.110000

52.0590

Korea

Won

0.000863

0.0405

China

Yuan

0.149345

7.0043

India

Rupee

0.014837

0.6959

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.248756

11.6667

New Zealand

Dollar

0.712800

33.4303

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030905

1.4494 Source: PDS Bridge

ERC asks Supreme Court to resolve open access competition

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Regulatory Commission said Thursday it asked the Supreme Court to decide on a case filed by power retailer Manila Electric Co. that aims to suspend the implementation of retail competition and open access.

ERC said the Office of the Solicitor General filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition with the Supreme Court raising the case filed by Meralco before

the Pasig regional trial court.

“We filed a petition before the SC last Tuesday, raising the assumption of jurisdiction of the trial court over the Meralco case and its issuance of a restraining order,” ERC spokesperson Rexie Digal said.

Pasig RTC branch 157 earlier issued a 20-day temporary restraining order in favor of Meralco, suspending the implementation of RCOA. The regional trial court said in a decision that based on the

documents presented, Meralco established compliance to the requisite requirements in support of the grant of the TRO. “Thus, the petitioner’s prayer for temporary restraining order is hereby granted and the same is hereby issued enjoying the DoE [Department of Energy] from implementing and enforcing the DoE circular DC 2015-06-0010 and the ERC from implementing and enforcing its ERC Resolution No. 10 Series of 2016 and ERC Resolution No. 11 Series of 2016,”

the lower court said.

Both circulars prohibited distribution utilities such as Meralco from engaging in the supply business, imposed market and other restrictions and required mandatory contestability.

Meralco asked the court on May 27 to issue a temporary restraining order and subsequently a writ of preliminary injunction.

Meralco said permitting the implementation of the said issuances would violate the rights

of the company and the other distribution firms and cause them to suffer “irreparable injury.”

ERC earlier said Meralco “had all the chance and opportunity to mitigate probable losses by virtue of the implementation of the RCOA.” The regulator said Meralco knew since 2006 of the imminent transition from the captive market to the contestable market where customers could choose their own suppliers as these underwent public consultations.

FRIDAY: JULY 8, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Thursday, July 7, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 2.6 890 1.01 100 30.5 75 91.5 361.2 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 17.8 58 62 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 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 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 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 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 5.29 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 1.61 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 1.15 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 0.030 0.550 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 1.44 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 2.22 2.1

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 0.79 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 1.15 1.42

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.64 3.6 47.55 46.5 113.30 111.80 99.45 98.00 38.15 38 4.15 4.04 1.38 1.34 14.6 14 18.82 18.64 1.93 1.82 628.00 628.00 0.540 0.510 89.2 88.75 15 15 23.80 22.00 57.05 56.70 269 268.8 32.15 31.85 191 188.1 1341.00 1341.00 65.30 64.90 1.52 1.5 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

45 45.2 44.9 Agrinurture Inc. 3.69 3.73 3.6 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.82 0.9 0.82 Alsons Cons.

1.99 2 1.97 Asiabest Group 12.1 12.1 11.5 Century Food 24.3 24.7 23.85 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 165.1 165 151 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 17.2 17.48 16.64 Concepcion 47 47.4 46.5 Crown Asia 2.04 2.09 2.05 Da Vinci Capital 5.5 5.6 5.4 Del Monte 12.48 12.58 12.4 DNL Industries Inc. 9.470 9.720 9.450 Emperador 7.41 7.40 7.32 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.60 5.64 5.53 EEI 7.60 7.80 7.60 Euro-Med Lab 1.69 1.69 1.69 First Gen Corp.

25 25 24.3 First Holdings ‘A’ 69.1 69.6 68.7 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.20 12.00 12.00 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.20 15.30 15.08 5.54 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.6 5.6 Ionics Inc 2.450 2.530 2.410 Jollibee Foods Corp.

244.80 247.00 244.00 Liberty Flour 36.00 38.00 35.95 LMG Chemicals 2.14 2 1.95 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.25 3.29 3.29 Macay Holdings 35.20 35.25 35.25 Manila Water Co. Inc. 27.15 27.2 27.05 Maxs Group 29.8 29.9 28.8 Megawide 7.08 7.14 6.86 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 313.00 314.00 311.40 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.42 3.44 3.4 Petron Corporation 10.66 10.84 10.46 Phinma Corporation 11.26 11.32 11.32 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.20 6.20 6.10 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.64 1.65 1.61 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.87 3.11 2.9 RFM Corporation 4.20 4.20 4.19 Roxas and Co. 2.49 2.48 2.31 Roxas Holdings 4 4 4 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 220 215 209 Splash Corporation 2.57 2.57 2.53 0.154 0.155 0.152 Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

1.88 1.96 1.83 Trans-Asia Oil 2.48 2.46 2.42 Universal Robina 201.8 201.6 198.8 Victorias Milling 4.54 4.52 4.5 Vitarich Corp.

0.97 1.13 0.95 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.24 1.31 1.24 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.370 0.375 0.370 Aboitiz Equity 76.50 78.80 77.25 Alliance Global Inc. 15.30 15.34 15.08 Anglo Holdings A 1.14 1.14 1.07 Anscor `A’ 6.10 6.10 6.02 ATN Holdings A 0.360 0.380 0.370 ATN Holdings B 0.360 0.390 0.370 Ayala Corp `A’ 860 860 844 Cosco Capital 7.73 7.83 7.66 DMCI Holdings 12.74 12.74 12.64 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.39 5.45 5.31 F&J Prince ‘B’ 5.7 5.7 5.7 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

6.50 6.59 6.44 Forum Pacific 0.245 0.245 0.230 GT Capital 1460 1475 1456 House of Inv. 6.45 6.46 6.40 JG Summit Holdings 84.00 85.20 83.70 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5.35 5.35 5.35 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.72 7.72 7.6 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.69 0.7 0.69 LT Group 15.96 15.96 15.76 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.510 0.500 0.500 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.79 6.91 6.75 Pacifica `A’ 0.0330 0.0330 0.0320 Prime Orion 1.820 1.820 1.820 San Miguel Corp `A’ 78.45 78.55 77.95 Seafront `A’ 2.26 2.26 2.26 SM Investments Inc. 990.00 995.00 984.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.19 1.20 1.18 South China Res. Inc. 0.90 0.90 0.87 Top Frontier 191.500 192.000 186.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3050 0.3100 0.3050 Wellex Industries 0.2010 0.2040 0.2040 Zeus Holdings 0.290 0.290 0.280 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.600 7.630 7.550 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.24 1.42 1.24 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.240 2.320 2.200 Arthaland Corp.

0.295 0.285 0.275 Ayala Land `B’ 39.000 38.950 37.900 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.27 3.35 3.26 Century Property 0.520 0.51 0.500 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.030 1.030 1.020 Crown Equities Inc. 0.131 0.130 0.130 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.650 0.670 0.650 Double Dragon 61.2 62.05 61.1 Global-Estate 0.98 0.98 0.97 Filinvest Land,Inc. 2.00 2.00 1.97 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 PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

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

Close

SHARES 12,535,543 198,137,675 94,213,383 155,181,344 302,914,673 684,808,295 1,450,151,093

3.62 47.55 112.00 99.15 38.15 4.09 1.37 14.4 18.8 1.91 628.00 0.540 88.8 15 22.00 57.05 259 32 191.8 1390.00 65.05 1.52

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.64 47.55 112.80 98.45 38.05 4.10 1.35 14.5 18.64 1.89 628.00 0.540 89 15 23.80 56.90 268.8 31.85 190 1341.00 65.05 1.5

0.55 0.00 0.71 -0.71 -0.26 0.24 -1.46 0.69 -0.85 -1.05 0.00 0.00 0.23 0.00 8.18 -0.26 3.78 -0.47 -0.94 -3.53 0.00 -1.32

22,000 12,300 2,513,350 452,370 92,400 105,000 73,000 65,100 597,200 224,000 400 1,030,000 3,103,110 500 1,759,400 64,450 210 155,700 1,648,370 95 112,070 313,000

44.95 3.6 0.89 1.98 11.98 24 151 17.4 47 2.08 5.4 12.48 9.600 7.40 5.55 7.69 1.69 24.35 69.55 12.00 15.20 5.57 2.460 244.80 38.00 1.95 3.29 35.25 27.2 28.8 6.93 312.40 3.42 10.46 11.32 6.13 1.62 2.95 4.19 2.4 4 215 2.57 0.152 1.86 2.46 199.7 4.5 1.1 1.31

-0.11 -2.44 8.54 -0.50 -0.99 -1.23 -8.54 1.16 0.00 1.96 -1.82 0.00 1.37 -0.13 -0.89 1.18 0.00 -2.60 0.65 -1.64 0.00 -0.54 0.41 0.00 5.56 -8.88 1.23 0.14 0.18 -3.36 -2.12 -0.19 0.00 -1.88 0.53 -1.13 -1.22 2.79 -0.24 -3.61 0.00 -2.27 0.00 -1.30 -1.06 -0.81 -1.04 -0.88 13.40 5.65

2,423,200 710,000 4,270,000 507,000 3,300 550,000 6,710 6,490,300 98,500 2,549,000 1,315,200 84,600 2,042,300 270,300 14,164,000 161,500 28,000 3,438,600 173,190 20,000 2,400 199,200 2,581,000 896,050 1,000 7,000 1,000 1,400 722,000 558,100 276,500 89,960 672,000 8,637,400 400 336,300 385,000 4,035,000 1,526,000 21,000 5,000 850 120,000 2,020,000 695,000 1,602,000 3,989,000 52,000 128,615,000 757,000

0.370 78.00 15.28 1.13 6.02 0.375 0.390 844 7.68 12.68 5.31 5.7 6.55 0.245 1460 6.46 84.30 5.35 7.6 0.7 15.96 0.500 6.78 0.0330 1.820 78.35 2.26 985.00 1.18 0.89 186.000 0.3050 0.2040 0.290

0.00 1.96 -0.13 -0.88 -1.31 4.17 8.33 -1.86 -0.65 -0.47 -1.48 0.00 0.77 0.00 0.00 0.16 0.36 0.00 -1.55 1.45 0.00 -1.96 -0.15 0.00 0.00 -0.13 0.00 -0.51 -0.84 -1.11 -2.87 0.00 1.49 0.00

80,000 1,674,220 2,835,100 84,000 2,700 2,940,000 1,290,000 452,440 4,383,700 1,776,000 57,500 6,400 285,000 50,000 238,515 3,600 4,063,970 1,400 3,841,100 555,000 1,492,400 40,000 36,830,000 24,800,000 126,000 373,710 3,000 168,140 146,000 59,000 7,480 140,000 10,000 2,260,000

7.550 1.42 2.220 0.285 37.900 3.34 0.500 1.030 0.130 0.650 61.2 0.98 1.97

-0.66 14.52 -0.89 -3.39 -2.82 2.14 -3.85 0.00 -0.76 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.50

4,150,600 23,122,000 736,000 130,000 14,986,000 839,000 2,865,000 32,000 470,000 7,283,000 1,031,670 2,831,000 879,000

548,380.00 -58,647,410 -5,191,434.50 2,660,000.00 -27,560.00 -7,866,080.00 125,600.00 -358,860.00 86,454,084.00 2,060,245.00 -5,376.00 -2,507,760 -114,804,618.00 -84,781.00 -21,269,135.00 -26,000.00 1,044,270.00 -3,266,336.00 169,200 -335,970.00 2,574,864.00 613,010.00 6,149,041.00 783,283.00 27,754,565.00 -386,000.00

-74,300.00 1,878,900.00

7,464,235.00 -2,959,980.00 -136,189.00 -207,176.00 119,700.00 3,154,674.00 -250,170.00 -1,772,480.00 -118,250.00 -34,020.00 -185,920.00 -399,110,612.00 -1,847,730.00

-54,025,046.00 -6,482,210.00

76,100.00 -296,798,360.00 12,405,652.00 1,963,662.00

49,496,005.00 49,545,882.50 -160,742.00 938,232.00 -11,513,060.00 448,000.00 2,764,746.50 10,643,865.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

33,000.00 1,772,842.50 -146,700.00

High

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

Keppel Properties 5.00 Megaworld 4.74 MRC Allied Ind. 0.102 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2650 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.430 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 40.00 Primex Corp.

11.1 Robinson’s Land `B’ 30.25 Rockwell 1.75 Shang Properties Inc. 3.29 SM Prime Holdings 27.55 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.94 Starmalls 6.94 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.000 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.450

0.00 -1.90 1.96 3.77 0.00 -7.50 6.31 -0.83 -1.71 0.30 -1.63 2.13 0.86 0.00 2.20

42,000 22,249,000 10,190,000 10,000 20,000 1,700 751,100 3,457,700 401,000 236,000 32,056,500 5,630,000 6,500 1,145,000 19,616,000

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 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

1.97 119.5 7 12.5 0.017

1.23 102.6 3.01 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 1 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 0.650 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 4 185 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 2.28 79 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.00 1.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 -2.55 1.08 0.00 0.35 -0.20 -3.46 -2.00 1.60 -2.50 -0.25 -0.31 -3.87 2.61 -0.16 -0.76 -1.54 3.26 0.00 3.03 0.00 4.05 -1.33 7.38 -1.88 1.75 -1.00 1.88 1.52 1.38 0.83 0.00 2.04 9.60 -2.34 2.33 0.85 3.62 0.00 1.90 -0.57 0.00 -2.04 -0.29 0.00 2.14

66,300 61,400 21,000 287,000 2,500 65,500 4,491,700 32,500,000 18,485,000 443,960 8,700 6,000 437,000 10 47,965 323,500 2,602,700 3,000 1,648,880 16,100 500 89,000,000 337,500 57,170,000 784,000 69,000 19,100 1,851,600 1,499,000 15,000 34,000 4,690,000 20,473,000 21,483,000 75,500 54,400 5,000 4,970 171,545 6,870,000 14,252,000 6,565,200 365,760 1,485,900 6,684,000 636,000 3,000 372,000 60,000 168,500

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.00 3.17 -0.91 0.00 0.00 5.63 0.70 1.67 2.00 -0.11 2.27 0.00 3.24 3.92 0.00 0.00 3.85 3.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -7.69 0.00 2.07 2.67 0.00 -0.80 -1.76 0.00

211,000,000 4,000.00 4,647,000 -1,632,960.00 218,000 -74,620.00 400 310,000 41,800 6,100 -2,148.00 116,000 7,241,000 77,200.00 14,600 -30,275.00 19,723,000 2,346,610.00 80,000 121,160,000 5,350,000 -124,000.00 187,000,000 35,100,000 1,463,000 95,000.00 12,286,100 25,054,149.00 184,000 50,000 33,000 22,500,000 3,100,000 15,000 5,413,600 4,670,039.00 3,887,000 -703,910.00 25,600,000 232,140 8,299,716.00 173,000 17,600,000

70 553 525 120 8.21 12.28 111 1060 1047 84.8

33 490 500 101.5 5.88 6.5 101 997 1011 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen G GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I

0.21 -1.29 -1.55 -7.68 0.00 0.94 -0.09 0.00 0.00 -0.56 0.00 -0.26 0.13 0.13 0.06

58,100 40 7,700 40 755,300 46,000 15,000 1,000 3,000 33,690 73,600 210 379,610 553,300 47,510

4.40

1,595,000

-1.84 -0.29 -2.00 -1.36

579,000 2,000 1,190,000 579,900

-0.78

8,180

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,754.70 (DOWN) 1.77 INDUSTRIAL 11,798.32 (DOWN) 66.64 HOLDING FIRMS 7,617.99 (DOWN) 11.58 PROPERTY 3,391.80 (DOWN) 61.52 SERVICES 1,644.00 (DOWN) 9.84 MINING & OIL 11,529.33 (UP) 104.42 PSEI 7,753.46 (DOWN) 54.67 All Shares Index 4,708.76 (DOWN) 18.10 Gainers: 78; Losers: 98; Unchanged: 59; Total: 235

Close

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

5.01 4.45 5.00 4.75 4.64 4.65 0.104 0.100 0.104 0.2750 0.2750 0.2750 0.430 0.430 0.430 39.50 36.25 37.00 11.8 11.2 11.8 30.25 29.95 30.00 1.76 1.72 1.72 3.3 3.29 3.3 28.20 27.00 27.10 0.96 0.94 0.96 7 6.93 7 1.030 1.000 1.000 5.600 5.390 5.570 SERVICES 7.28 7.36 7.2 7.28 47.2 49 47.7 47.7 1.29 1.29 1.29 1.29 0.580 0.580 0.580 0.580 11 11.02 11 11 7.06 7.1 6.85 6.88 6.51 6.60 6.44 6.58 0.0580 0.0590 0.0580 0.0580 2.87 2.92 2.82 2.88 98.6 98.75 97.7 98.4 9.84 9.52 9.5 9.5 2 1.96 1.91 1.96 4.99 5.20 5.00 5.07 1000 975 975 975 2356 2400 2340 2350 6.37 6.40 6.33 6.35 18.62 19.50 17.90 17.90 1.15 1.18 1.18 1.18 63.55 63.7 62.5 63.45 13.20 13.60 12.90 13.10 11.7 11.52 11.1 11.52 0.0092 0.0095 0.0092 0.0095 9.39 9.40 9.25 9.39 0.330 0.345 0.330 0.340 1.6100 1.6300 1.6000 1.6100 2.22 2.51 2.3 2.31 13.56 13.56 12.9 13.38 6.10 6.80 6.15 6.55 3.20 3.19 3.14 3.14 0.570 0.580 0.580 0.580 2 1.99 1.98 1.98 3.73 3.84 3.73 3.8 4.60 4.67 4.41 4.67 3.630 3.870 3.630 3.680 11.98 12.18 11.88 12.08 5.20 5.30 5.20 5.20 2.45 2.5 2.5 2.5 125.00 142.00 127.00 137.00 2136.00 2130.00 2086.00 2086.00 0.430 0.445 0.430 0.440 1.170 1.180 1.140 1.180 42.80 45.00 42.70 44.35 84.50 84.60 83.10 84.50 6.31 6.53 6.31 6.43 3.48 3.50 3.55 3.42 0.580 0.590 0.580 0.580 1.96 1.92 1.88 1.92 3.4 3.44 3.38 3.39 0.325 0.350 0.325 0.325 6.070 6.280 5.870 6.200 MINING & OIL 0.0041 0.0041 0.0040 0.0041 3.47 3.74 3.56 3.58 4.38 4.42 4.31 4.34 11.80 11.80 11.22 11.80 0.230 0.232 0.230 0.230 7.1000 7.61 7.5 7.5000 7.1600 7.2100 7.1600 7.2100 0.6 0.62 0.61 0.61 0.500 0.530 0.500 0.510 8.86 8.98 8.65 8.85 0.880 0.920 0.890 0.900 0.295 0.295 0.285 0.295 0.247 0.260 0.249 0.255 0.255 0.275 0.255 0.265 0.0130 0.0140 0.0120 0.0130 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 1.82 1.93 1.77 1.89 5.5 5.8 5.52 5.67 2.8 2.84 2.71 2.8 0.5500 0.5500 0.5500 0.5500 1.2100 1.2400 1.2100 1.2100 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 8.70 9.18 8.86 8.88 4.50 4.79 4.50 4.62 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 125.00 124.50 121.50 124.00 3.97 4 3.88 3.9 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 PREFERRED 47.2 48.95 47 47.3 543 536 536 536 549.5 548 541 541 125 115.4 115.4 115.4 6.35 6.35 6.26 6.35 1.06 1.07 1.07 1.07 112 111.9 111.9 111.9 1065 1088 1065 1065 1021 1022 1021 1021 79.95 79.95 79.5 79.5 76 76 76 76 78.4 78.2 78.2 78.2 78 78.1 77.95 78.1 76.9 77.05 76.95 77 76.95 77 76.85 77 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.500 2.720 2.490 2.610 SME 3.81 3.84 3.71 3.74 3.5 3.49 3.49 3.49 4.5 4.64 4.39 4.41 16.22 16.26 15.96 16 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 128.4 128.4 127.4 127.4

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,012,291,249.405 1,814,266,649.97 2,075,227,605.95 1,927,186,883.765 1,598,228,167.8792 246,152,321.316 8,691,195,206.2878

Low

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

30,810,028.00 -178,380.00 -143,796,720.00 620,490.00 -2,550.00

Close

-14,775,590.00 20,400.00

566,600.00 -34,285,330.00 -256,720.00 -22,230,665.00

-9,159,454.00

6,450.00

1,714,166.00 -249,540.00 -17,729,520.00 254,900.00 5,321,290.00 1,071,396.00 -35,488,297.00

-141,000.00 -80,850.00

3,530,961

-5,676,680.00 13,343,160.00 224,590.00

381,880.00 -53,850,150.00 -472,000.00 180,259,505.00 -5,044,918.50 -42,060.00 -102,080.00 -703,970.00

-454,070.00

-4,780,240.00 -958,615.00

7,580,679.50 7,680,750.00

-6,980.00 110,800.00 487,538.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

A. Brown Co., Inc.

1.42

14.52

LMG Chemicals

1.95

Vitarich Corp.

1.1

13.40

Conc. Aggr. 'A'

151

-8.88 -8.54

Phil. Seven Corp.

137.00

9.60

Oriental Pet. `B'

0.0120

-7.69

Alliance Tuna Intl Inc.

0.89

8.54

First Gen G

115.4

-7.68

ATN Holdings B

0.390

8.33

Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry

37.00

-7.50

Phil Bank of Comm

23.80

8.18

Golden Haven

17.90

-3.87

Leisure & Resorts

6.55

7.38

Century Property

0.500

-3.85

Primex Corp.

11.8

6.31

Roxas and Co.

2.4

-3.61

Vulcan Ind'l.

1.31

5.65

Sun Life Financial

1341.00

-3.53

Benguet Corp `A'

7.5000

5.63

Centro Esc. Univ.

9.5

-3.46

FRIDAY: JULY 8, 2016

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

B3

Ayala plans new acquisitions Enterprising WHAT exactly is an intrapreneur? As my friends know, it takes little to animate my inner language geek. So when this question comes up, I almost automatically lapse into the history of the word —which, while usually entertaining, can sometimes stray well away from the actual definition. In this case, though the etymology is actually illuminating.

Enterprise Quite simply, the word intrapreneur comes from the merging of the prefix “intra” meaning within, with the word entrepreneur. Hence an intrapreneur is simply someone who behaves like an entrepreneur while within a corporation. The word entrepreneur, on the other hand, has its roots in the French “entreprende”, meaning undertake, and the English word “enterprise.” The English word enterprise is itself rooted in the French word “entreprendre”, being borrowed from the French “entrepris”, a past participle of the word “entreprendre.”

Dictionary.com defines enterprise as: (a) a project or undertaking, especially one that requires boldness or effort; (b) participation in such projects; or (C) readiness to embark on new ventures; boldness and energy. Similarly, the online etymology dictionary defines the noun enterprise two ways: first, as an undertaking and second, in the abstract, as a sense of “adventurous disposition, readiness to undertake challenges, or spirit of sharing,” and traces this latter use of the word to the 15th century.

The modern usage of the word entrepreneur clearly emanates from both definitions of the word enterprise.

Google defines entrepreneur as “a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.” Webster’s simple definition of “entrepreneur” reads: “a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money.” Simply put, an entrepreneur is one who founds and runs an enterprise, taking on the risks necessary to do so.

Entrepreneur Actual use of the word entrepreneur in the modern context can be traced to the 1700’s. Jibran Malek of MassChallenge credits Richard Cantillon with the first traceable use of the word as “non-fixed income earners who pay unknown costs of production to earn uncertain incomes.” This definition embeds risk-taking in the definition of entrepreneur. Malek credits Joseph Schumpeter with the linking of entrepreneurs with driving “change and progress.” Malek explains that it was Schumpeter who “championed the idea that “innovation and change in a nation only come from entrepreneurs.

All of this brings us to modern meanings of the word entrepreneur and explains why entrepreneurship is seen as critical to national and even regional economies. Entrepreneurship is widely seen as the engine of economic growth.

More specifically, entrepreneurship that is founded on innovation, is seen as the primary engine for economic growth.

This whole nation of driving change and progress links back to why the idea of creating “entrepreneurs” within corporations is seen as increasingly important. More and more, innovation is driving not only business growth but also the foundation for survival in an increasingly competitive and fastmoving business environment. What many managers and researchers have realized is that the early foundation of modern management, and most large enterprise management especially in

the traditional economy, is about creating discipline and order. In short, most of what happens within large corporations is about creating predictability.

Being able to continuously create successful business innovation requires something extra. It requires entrepreneurship. This is the lesson we see again and again in high growth industries.

Intrapreneur By contrast, the word intrapreneur is a much younger word. In fact, Dictionary.com traces the earliest use to the late 1970’s.

Wiktionary defines intrapreneur as “a person employed to work independently within a company in order to introduce innovation and to revitalize and diversify its business.” Webster’s simple definition is “a corporate executive who develops new enterprises within the corporation.” Dictionary. com defines as an intrapreneur as “an employee of a large corporation who is given freedom and financial support to create new products, services, systems, etc. and does have to follow the corporation’s usual routines or protocols.”

These definitions make it clear that intrapreneurs, like entrepreneurs, are expected to create something new.

Intrapreneurs, like entrepreneurs, subject their creations to the three key tests of a successful new enterprise (or project or product line, or method): (a) that it is technically viable (It can be done in the desired scale); (b) that it is market viable (It can be done in the scale and at the cost that helps the company be market competitive); and (c) that it is economically viable (it helps the company turn a profit, protect revenues, or save money).

Finally, intrapreneurs, like entrepreneurs must be willing to take risks and forge new paths. To this end, many companies provide intrapreneurs with more “wiggle room” to pursue their goals.

And that, in fact, is what I like to say to both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. Three words lie at the heart of entrepreneuring: inspiration, discipline, courage.

The ability to continuously find inspiration for new ideas is what keeps an entrepreneur (and intrapreneur) fresh. It is what allows him to keep finding new alternatives for creating a better future.

Discipline allows the entrepreneur and intrapreneur to husband his resources so that the portfolio of risk-taking creates success. And, finally courage (entrepreneurs call this passion). Courage is what helps entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs take that first step, and all of the succeeding steps forward.

The heart of intrapreneuring, like entrepreneuring, is not about taking risk for risk’s sake, it is about having the courage to take risks because of the vision that they see. That is where the courage comes from. The risks that they take are not risks that they create – that would be just foolish. The risks they take are a function of the reality that every new thing entails unknowns.

That is where the risks come from.

The humbling reality is that sometimes, courage trumps discipline. Some ideas are so big, so new, that much of the data does not exist. There is nothing to analyze. Courage is what it takes to even begin.

This month, as we push into a postBrexit world, with a new president whose style is radically different from anything we have ever had, that is something worth thinking about.

Readers can email Maya at integrations_manila@yahoo.com. Or visit her site at http://integrations.tumblr.com.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Coal Asia ships fuel to clients

AYALA Corp., the oldest conglomerate engaged in property development, telecommunications, water distribution and banking, is bullish on the economy, saying it is looking at possible acquisitions and

By Alena Mae S. Flores investments.

Ayala chairman Jaime Zobel de Ayala said in an interview at the sidelines of a successful P10-billion bond listing at Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp., said the group was scouting for investments in areas of infrastructure, water and real estate to support the administration’s countryside thrust.

“We are involved in provincial areas in infrastructure, water and real estate. We’ll see if we have some new areas to invest in,” Zobel said.

Ayala Corp. on Thursday issued the first tranche of its P20-billion fixed rate bonds amounting to P10 billion.

The bonds, rated PRS Aaa by Philippine Ratings Services Corp., were priced at 3.92 percent a year with demand reaching over 180 percent.

The bonds were the first offering under the Duterte administration.

“We are delighted with this bond offering. We are especially delighted that it is the first bond offering under the new Duterte administration and our plans in Ayala to continue. We’re very focused on contributing to the economy,” Zobel said.

The company plans to use proceeds from the fund-raising activity to refinance the conglomerate’s peso denominated debt obligations and those with early redemption options.

PDEx chairman and chief executive Cesar Crisol said the listing of the P10-billion bonds by Ayala had made the conglomerate one of the leading corporate issuers with total listed issues of P50 billion, representing 8.9 percent of the P561.16-billion of bonds listed at PDEx. The Ayala Group’s share of listed issues worth P143 billion was 25 percent of the overall outstanding listed corporate bonds.

Crisol said two more bond listings were slated this month.

In the pipeline are the P15-billion bond offering of San Miguel Global Power Holdings Inc. and the P10-billion bond sale of SM Prime Holdings Inc.

TITAN Mining and Energy Corp., a wholly-owned unit of Coal Asia Holdings Inc., has completed another 1,000 metric tons of coal shipment to Sarangani Energy Corp. in Maasim, Sarangani province.

Coal Asia said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange the company and Titan “are prepared to assist their clients to cushion the impact of the shortfall in coal import by making available its equivalent local resources.”

Indonesia recently banned flagged coal vessels sailing to Philippine waters after the kidnapping of its nationals in Mindanao.

Titan, which started operations in 2008, acquired 40,000 hectares across eight provinces within a short period of 10-months—more than any other mining company in the past few years.

The Energy Department earlier awarded Titan Mining five coal exploration contracts covering 11,000 hectares in Zamboanga Sibugay (Siay, Payao, Diplahan and Buug) and 7,000 hectares in Davao Oriental (Manay).

B4

FRIDAY: JULY 8, 2016

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

Oil sector investments hit P49b IN BRIEF Miners secure ISO THE Chamber of Mines of the Philippines said most members have secured the International Standards Organization 14001- Environmental Management Systems certification.

The group made the statement after Environment Secretary Regina Lopez said all mining companies would be required to secure the ISO certification.

CoMP said of its 21 members, 13 mining companies had already secured the ISO 14001 certification. These firms include Benguet Corp., Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co., Ocenagold Philippines Inc., Benguet Corp. Nickel Mines Inc., Eramen Minerals Inc., Rio Tuba Nickel Mines Corp., Filminera Resources Corp. and Carmen Copper Corp.

Other mining companies which were able to secure the certification were Greenstone Resources Corp., Hinatuan Mining Corp., MarcVentures Mining & Development Corp. and Taganito Mining Corp.

COMP said the remaining eight members were in the process of securing the ISO certification.

These companies include LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc., Berong Nicjel Corp., Apex Mining Co. Inc., TVI Resources Devevelopment Inc., Minimax Mineral Exploration Corp., CTP Contruction & Mining Corp., Pacific Nickel Phils. Inc., Platinum Group Metals Corp. and Philsaga Minig Corp. Anna Leah E. Gonzales

Airlines to clean toilets

By Alena Mae S. Flores

INVESTMENTS in the downstream oil industry reached P49 billion in 2015, up from P38 billion in 2010 as the number of industry players increased to 249 from 181 over the past five years, according to the Energy Department.

Latest Energy Department report showed that with the increased investments and number of players, the total industry storage capacity also expanded, with depots now totaling 163, up from 144 in 2010.

Refining capacity also improved to 285 million barrels per day from 278 million barrels a day in 2010.

The number of retail outlets of petroleum products also jumped to 6,264 in 2015 from 4,114 in 2010, data showed.

Sales of refined petroleum products increased last year to 124.5 million barrels from 111.8 million barrels in 2010.

The department, however, said there was a continuing threat of supply security as 99.9 percent of the total oil requirement of the Philippines was imported last year.

The department said aside from weather factors, political factors from supply sources could affect security of supply.

The agency cited the need to encourage industry players to increase investments to ensure supply security, improve market competition and make prices reasonable.

The department said it would continue to

seek investments in the industry, especially from foreign investors who could put new oil refineries.

The country has two oil refiners including Petron Corp. and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. with facilities in Bataan and Batangas, respectively.

“The said investment would provide a more stable and bigger supply base for the country,” it said.

The department said studies on a domestic, strategic oil stockpile was ongoing.

“This is on top of the commercial stockpile that the existing oil players are required to maintain. Aspects to be considered include the type and quantity of oil, storage facilities, cost of putting up and operating the stockpile, timing of oil acquisition, conditions that would warrant a stockpile drawdown and the entity who would manage the facility,” the report said.

THE Transportation Department tapped local airlines to maintain the toilets at Ninoy Aquino International Airport amid complaints from domestic and foreign passengers.

“We are making a big step to address problem in the airport,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters in a news briefing.

The department signed a cooperative agreement with Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, PAL Express, Cebgo and Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions for the upkeep of Manila Airport terminals.

Under the agreement, the Philippine carriers committed to undertake at no cost to the government the maintenance and upkeep of public restrooms at the four terminals under the management of the Manila International Airport Authority.

PAL will undertake the maintenance of the public restrooms at Terminal 2 while Cebu Pacific, PAL Express, Cebgo and AirAsia would maintain the Terminal 3’s public restrooms. PAGS would maintain the toilets at Terminal 1 and Cebgo and AirAsia would be in charge of the restrooms at Terminal 4. Darwin G. Amojelar

150 brands coming to PH ABOUT 150 international brands plan to enter the Philippine market via the upcoming Franchise Asia Philippines 2016.

The franchising event in its 24th year is hosting more than 500 exhibitors, of which 30 percent are foreign brands. “We’re turning down a lot of exhibitors. We’re over-subscribed and we plan to expand the show starting next year,” Philippine Franchising Association chairman emeritus Sammie Lim said in a pre-event briefing Thursday in Makati City.

Lim said the show attracted a number of international brands, both returning and new brands. In 2015, about 50 brands joined Franchising Asia.

Lim said the association planned to expand its program to include micro, small and medium enterprises. “MSMEs are considered the backbone of our economy comprising 99.6 percent of local enterprises. We intend to reach out to them and hopefully raise their market positing one step at a time until they have reached global recognition,” said conference chairman Richard Sanz of Food Asia Corp., maker of Bibingkinitan. Othel V. Campos

LRT 1 to extend hours LIGHT Rail Manila Corp., a consortium led by Ayala Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said Thursday it will extend the operating hours at Asia’s oldest mass rail system during a month-long dry run starting July 10.

“If the test run will show an interest from the public, then we would be pleased to do a more detailed study to make it permanent,” LRMC president and chief executive Jesus Francisco said.

The trial run will be from July 10 to Aug. 9.

LRT 1 service hours will be extended for one hour, with northbound trains leaving Baclaran terminal at 9:40 p.m., 9:50 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. and southbound trains leaving Roosevelt terminal at 10:10 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.

LRMC said on weekends and holidays, northbound trains would leave Baclaran terminal at 9:10 p.m., 9:20 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. while southbound trains would leave Roosevelt terminal at 9:40 p.m. and 9:50 p.m.

LRT Line 1 currently has an average daily ridership of 400,000 commuters from Baclaran in Parañaque City to Roosevelt in Quezon City. Darwin G. Amojelar

Steel firms ask Faeldon’s help THE Philippine Iron and Steel Institute asked newlydesignated Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon to look into the case of 5,000 metric tons of deformed steel bars imported by Mannage Resources Trading Corp. in April.

Pisi president Roberto Cola said in a letter to Faeldon the shipment was misdeclared and undervalued, as Mannage allegedly used a tariff heading in its import entry declaration that was not for rebars.

Cola said Mannage used tariff heading 72.28.30.90 which had a Customs reference value of $340 per ton. However, the BOC reference value was $380 per ton for carbon rebar and $410 per ton for alloy rebar, he said.

He said Mannage’s misdeclared tariff heading and corresponding value of $330 per ton represented a loss for the government of up to P2.25 million in taxes. Othel V. Campos

GIR climbs to $84b GROSS international reserves climbed to $83.97 billion as of end-June from $82.93 billion in May, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said Thursday.

Tetangco said the increase was led by revaluation adjustments on Bangko Sentral’s gold holdings as the price of gold increased in the international market.

Another factor was the net foreign currency deposits by the national government, which was partially offset by payments made by the government formaturing foreign exchange obligations.

Tetangco said that at almost $84 billion, the GIR could cover 10.3 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and income. It was also equivalent to 5.9 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.3 times based on residual maturity.

Julito G. Rada

UCPB’s legacy branch. UCPB, as a part of its 53rd anniversary celebration this year, inaugurates its Escolta branch as a legacy

branch. The bank opened its first branch and first head office in Escolta, Manila in May 1963. Shown during the ribbon-cutting ceremony are (from left) UCPB vice president and Metro Manila 1 region head Anthony Evan Lluch, executive vice president and branch banking group head Edmond Bernardo, SM Treasury senior assistant vice president Jeffrey Ang, UCPB president and chief executive Jeronimo Kilayko and Escolta branch manager Anna Bunagan.

Shame of the generals AS EXPECTED, denials and protestations of innocence were issued by the generals who were called out by President Rodrigo Duterte as alleged drug protectors during the 69th anniversary of the Philippine Air Force in Clark. This bold move by the president has earned both admiration and concern.

Admiration because it is unprecedented and bolsters long-held suspicions that high-ranked officials are on the take and are some of the reasons why the drug menace continues to spread across the country. Concern because the “announcement” could result in trial by publicity with the implicated officials as good as guilty, what with the chief himself saying these generals are involved in the business of illegal drugs.

Aside from the generals, their loved ones and families will now be subjected to scrutiny and gossip naturally. Many Filipinos after all thrive on this national pastime and relish the thought that the once mighty are now fallen.

Duterte fans, however, believe the tough talking former mayor, who was also a prosecutor, would not have dared to name

names unless he had solid evidence to back up his accusations. Senator Ping Lacson, himself a former Philippine National Police Chief, says he has reason to believe the president must have strong evidence to substantiate his claims. Two of those named matched the information he has, the senator added.

While due process must be observed and that the accused be given the opportunity to defend themselves, this latest action of Duterte has convinced many that their votes were not wasted—because it takes a president with strong political will to do what he just did.

While others were just content to whisper, sometimes even look the other way so as not to rock the boat, PDiggy said it loud and clear.

And for those generals who are dirty and are in the list reportedly held by the president, it will soon be game over.

Philex takes up the Gina challenge Reacting to Environment Secretary Gina Lopez’s call for an audit of mining companies to be ISO 14001-compliant or face suspension, Philex Mining Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiary Silangan Mindanao Mining Corp. declared, “We are compliant!”

In a press statement, Philex disclosed that it obtained IMS certification from TUV Rheinland in April 2015 while SMMC receivedISO 14001 certification just recently, in fact before President Duterte assumed office.

“With these certifications, we have emphasized our care for the environment and the safety of our people. Environmental awareness and looking after the safety of workers are the trademarks of a responsible miner,” said Philex

president and chief executive Eulalio Austin Jr. An IMS certification covers all company processes and the management requirements on environment as well as quality and labor protection.

SMMC’s ISO 14001: 2004 certification was awarded for its pre-mining development activities by Certification International Philippines – proof of “Silangan’s hard work in establishing the culture of responsible mining,” said SMMC president and chief executive Yulo Perez. “This certification is also a result of an actual audit done by an internationally accredited independent group. We are probably the first mining company who received an ISO:14001 certification prior to the actual mining operation,” Perez added.

According to MVP Media Bureau head and Philex senior vice president for public and regulatory affairs Atty. Mike Toledo, Philex and SMMCI have both set the benchmark and inspiration for other mining companies to follow as evidenced by the said IMS and ISO certifications, along with numerous awards on corporate governance and sustainability and active participation in government transparency initiatives. In their combined 60 years of operations, both companies have been living the tradition of responsible mining, Toledo stressed.

••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https:// www.facebook.com/happyhourmanilastandard.

We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

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B5

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD Another attack on Bangladesh DHAKA—Suspected Islamists carried out another deadly attack in Bangladesh Thursday at the country’s biggest prayer service for the start of Eid, days after a mass murder of hostages in the capital Dhaka.

Authorities said four people, including two policemen, had been killed after several explosions and gunfire near a prayer ground in Kishoreganj district as at least 250,000 people joined a post-Ramadan gathering.

“Two policemen, an attacker and a woman who was shot during the gunfight were killed,” national police spokesman A.K.M. Shahidur Rahman told AFP. “Nine policemen were also injured. They are in a critical condition and have been shifted to a military hospital in Dhaka.”

Another senior officer said that a group of at least three attackers had hurled hand bombs at police manning a checkpoint just outside the main prayer ground, which is around 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Dhaka.

Nearly 1,000 police were on duty in Kishoreganj at the time of the attack.

“We responded with gunfire. A gunfight ensued and they fired back and threw more hand bombs,” Tofazzal Hosain, the northern district’s deputy police chief, told AFP. Two attackers were arrested, including one who had been shot and injured, while a pistol and machete were recovered from the scene.

The gathering in Kishoreganj is known as the Sholakia Eid prayers

and officials put the number of people at the service on Thursday at between 250-300,000.

It is by far the biggest such congregation in Bangladesh, a mainly Muslim country that is home to around 160 million people.

While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, it came less than a week after Islamists killed 20 hostages and two policemen in an overnight siege at a Western-style cafe in Dhaka. All the victims, including 18 foreigners, were hacked to death with machetes.

Bangladesh has been on a heightened state of alert in the wake of the killings in Dhaka last Friday night and many Eid services included pleas from religious leaders for an end to the violence.

“Allah, protect our country ... and protect our children from the evils of terrorism,” Mohammad Sadequl Islam, the local imam, told a gathering of around 5,000 devotees at Dhaka’s Mahakhali neighborhood.

Many of those who attended services in Dhaka could be seen weeping as clerics led prayers for a more peaceful and prosperous Bangladesh.

The biggest service in the capital was at the National Eidgah Maidan where more than 50,000 people, including Bangladesh’s President Abdul Hamid, took part in prayers under a giant canopy. AFP

Running of the bulls. Spectators watch from balconies as participants run ahead of Fuente Ymbro fighting bulls on the first day of the San Fermin bull run on July 7, 2016, in Pamplona, northern Spain. On each day of the festival six bulls are released at 8:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) to run from their corral through the narrow, cobbled streets of the old town over an 850-meter course. Ahead of them are the runners, who try to stay close to the bulls without falling over or being gored. AFP

Seoul welcomes Kim’s blacklisting SEOUL—Washington’s move to place North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on its sanctions blacklist for the first time was welcomed by South Korea Thursday, with Seoul saying it would highlight the human rights abuses in the hermit stat The US said Kim and 10 other top officials also blacklisted were behind widespread abuses—including extra-judicial killings, forced labor and torture in the country’s system of prison camps for political detainees—which had made North Korea “among the world’s most repressive countries”.

Seoul backed its ally Thursday, saying it hoped the move would shine a light on the human rights “violations” in the North.

“The government... notes with appreciation and welcomes the US announcement... of sanctions against

human rights abusers in North Korea”, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The measure is expected to raise the international community’s awareness of the gravity of the human rights situation in North Korea, where systemic and widespread violations of human rights are being committed, while greatly helping intensify international discussions on the issue and strengthening relevant measures.”

Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director of the US-based Human Rights Watch, said the measure was an “important step forward in achieving justice for the countless victims of human rights abuses in North Korea”.

He added the US was “leading the international community to send a clear message to mid-level North Korean officials that obey-

ing orders to violate rights could have very negative consequences for them”.

Robertson called for Washington to extend the blacklist and to make clear to Pyongyang “that taking rights abusing decisions will have consequences because the world is closely watching and will judge them accordingly”.

South Korean analysts said the North was likely to react angrily at what the North Koreans could perceive as a “personal insult” against Kim. “There will be a bombardment of diatribes from North Korea against the US as the military, government agencies and various social groups are likely to fall all over themselves to prove their loyalty to Kim”, Professor Yang Moo-Jin of the University of North Korean Studies told AFP. AFP

Festival. A young Indian Muslim girl sits among her elders during Eid-al-Fitr prayers in Bangalore on July 7, 2016. The three-day festival, which begins after the sighting of a new crescent moon, marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan during which devout Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. AFP

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Support for Ukraine reaffirmed KIEV—US Secretary of State John Kerry meets Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Thursday to reaffirm support for Kiev’s fight against pro-Russian insurgents and its bid to anchor its ties to the West.

Kerry’s visit comes ahead of a NATO summit in Warsaw on Friday that Poroshenko will also attend in the hope of securing new assistance for his former Soviet republic’s 26-month war in the separatist industrial east.

Thursday’s meeting falls in line with Washington’s bid to curb Russian President Vladimir Putin’s perceived expansionist ambitions and follows a visit to Georgia—another Kremlin foe that has also lost parts of its territory to Moscowbacked separatists.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that Russia’s actions in Ukraine had caused a loss of trust with the West.

“If through words and deeds the validity of law and the inviolability of frontiers are questioned, then of course trust is lost,” she told the

German parliament.

The deputy head of Poroshenko’s administration, Kostyantyn Yeliseyev, said he expected Thursday’s meetings to discuss “the issue of global security, regional security, and of course the issue of Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO”.

He said Kiev hoped to receive further assistance from the US and other allies in upgrading its outdated and underfunded armed forces and also discuss the tortuous peace process with the pro-Russian rebels.

Ukraine changed the course of post-Soviet history by ousting its Kremlin-backed leader in a pro-EU revolution in 2014 that was followed by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of one of Europe’s bloodiest conflicts since the 1990s Balkans wars.

The revolt in the east has killed nearly 9,500

people and left many of Ukraine’s most important coal mines and steel mills under rebel control.

The war has now ground to a stalemate that sees sporadic spikes in fighting around hotspots surrounding the de facto rebel capital of Donetsk.

But Washington has turned a deaf ear to Ukrainian pleas to supply them with offensive equipment that could help Kiev’s forces stamp out the insurgents and win back control of its porous eastern border with Russia.

Washington fears such a step would only further infuriate Putin and complicate US efforts to work with Russia on pivotal issues such as the Syria war.

Poroshenko and the West accuse Russia of covertly using rebelheld parts of the border to supply insurgents with weapons and soldiers—a charge Moscow persistently denies.

Ukraine last weekend did receive 14 longrange US radar systems that should help its army detect and destroy rebel rockets. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 8, Tacloban City Office Address: Website:

NIA Road, Marasbaras Tacloban City, Philippines www.nia.gov.ph

Tel. No. (053) 323-7596 TIN 000-916-415

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Region 8, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1. BIGRIS Contract #08-2016 (Re-Bid) Construction of Canal Lining, Balire South, Macarthur, Leyte 2. BTRIS Contract #37-2016 – Construction of Binahaan River Protection Dike, Lower Binahaan RIS, Tanauan, Leyte

Approved Budget for Contract (Php)

Duration

1,977,204.08

180 cd

19,911,175.27

210 cd

The Prospective Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project whose value must be at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of republic Act 9184 (R.A. 9184), otherwise known as the “Government procurement Reform Act”.

Prospective Bidders are not allowed to participate if they have negative slippage in their on-going contracts. Individuals with Special Power of Attorney (SPA) are not allowed to transact and participate in the procurement utilizing another construction firm. The pre-bid conference shall be open only for those who have purchased the Bid documents.

The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities Schedule 1. Issuance of Bid Documents Starting May 10, 2016 2. Pre-bid Conference June 27, 2016 3. Receipt and Opening of Bids July 8, 2016

Time 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

10:00a.m.

10:00 a.m.

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders from the address above and upon payment of non-refundable amount of P5,000.00 for package#1 and P20,000.00 for package #2to the Cashier.

The NIA reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Noted:

the sulphur quarry in Kawah Ijen, an active volcano in remote Indonesia Banyuwangi regency in East Java.

Hot sulphuric gases—escaping at high pressure through cracks in this legendary mountain–ignite upon contact with air, burning a fantastic, iridescent blue. By day, traditional miners brave the highly toxic gases to extract huge chunks of sulphur from the shores of a large turquoise lake within the crater. AFP

Man’s dying moments livestreamed

INVITATION TO BID No. 20-2016

Item/Description

Hazard. This picture taken on June 15, 2016 shows, an Indonesian miner turning away from the fumes at

(SGD) GLORIA A. SEVILLA BAC Chairman

(SGD) ROMEO G. QUIZA Regional Manager (TS-JULY 8, 2016)

WASHINGTON—A video of the dying moments of a black man shot by police after being pulled over while driving in the US state of Minnesota went viral Thursday, a day after a video emerged of a similar incident in Louisiana.

Police said the man— identified by family and activists as school cafeteria worker Philando Castile, 32—died late Wednesday after being pulled over while driving in the town of Falcon Heights.

The aftermath of the

attack was captured by his girlfriend on her camera phone.

“Oh my God, please don’t tell me he’s dead, please don’t tell me my boyfriend just went like that... You shot four bullets into him, sir,” the woman, identified on her Facebook page as Lavish Reynolds, is heard saying.

Castile can be seen in the driver seat, large blood stains spreading through his white shirt.

Reynolds was sitting in the front passenger seat. Her young daughter was also traveling in

the car.

The shooting took place just one day after police in Louisiana shot dead a black father of five at point-blank range, in a incident being probed by federal investigators.

In the video of the Falcon Heights killing, broadcast on Facebook Live and already viewed more than 1.7 million times, Reynolds says the car was pulled over for a broken tail light. She later says there was also marijuana in the car.

Castile had a legal license to carry a firearm

and was reaching for his license and vehicle registration when police shot him, she adds.

Police said the incident was being investigated and a handgun was recovered at the scene.

Castile “was trying to get out his ID and his wallet out of his pocket, and he let the officer know that he had a firearm and he was reaching for his wallet, and the officer just shot him in his arm. He just shot his arm off,” Reynolds says in the video. AFP

Aussie state bans greyhound racing SYDNEY—Australia’s greyhound industry was reeling Thursday after the country’s most populous state banned the sport following a string of scandals, including “live baiting” and the slaughter of tens of thousands of dogs.

New South Wales state Premier Mike Baird said the industry appeared incapable of reform and his government would work toward a shutdown from July 1 next year.

“Greyhound racing has been banned in many countries and many states of the US and is legal in only eight countries around the world. New South Wales will be the first state in Australia to ban it,” he said on Facebook.

“I understand the disappointment of people who enjoy having a punt on the dogs. But we simply cannot and will not stand by and allow the widespread and systemic mistreatment of animals.”

The Australian Capital Territory, of which Canberra is the capital, said it would likely follow suit, although the sport is on a much smaller scale there.

Australia has one of the world’s largest greyhound racing industries and live baiting has been banned for decades.

But last year national broadcaster ABC exposed that animals such as piglets, rabbits and possums were used as bait to train some of the

country’s most successful dogs.

Greyhounds traditionally chase an artificial hare or rabbit and the revelations sparked raids across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland states that rocked the industry.

It prompted an inquiry by New South Wales, which uncovered the mass killing of dogs considered too slow to pay their way and widespread live baiting, Baird said. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELL

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MOTORING

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

B7

BANKING ON

SUZUKI CIAZ LAUNCHED in the country last April, the Suzuki Ciaz has piqued the interest of thousands of car lovers who want to try the next-level comfort and road handling excellence of this subcompact sedan, prompting Suzuki Philippines to hold a test drive for bankers last May 31, 2016.

Bankers tried their hands at the sporty Ciaz during a test drive featuring the newest Suzuki sedan.

FASTLANE Hyundai Elantra wins 2016 design award THE 2017 Hyundai Elantra is among more than 1,700 designs projects from 30-plus countries that competed in IDEA 2016. Jury Chair Cameron Campbell, IDSA, led a team of global design experts from June 3 to 6 at the iconic Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI to judge more than 600 finalists. The result—26 Gold; 47 Silver; and 63 Bronze IDEA winners that span a wide range of 21 categories such as social impact; medical and scientific innovations; transportation; home and garden; office; personal accessories; children’s products; sporting goods; and much more. “I value

the critical discussions with my peers from diverse disciplines in defining the best of design,” said Campbell.

“This top honor for the 2017 Elantra shows that Hyundai Motor is committed to creating bold and extraordinary designs,” said Peter Schreyer, President and Chief Design Officer of Hyundai Motor Group. “This award for the 2017 Elantra makes us proud and is a great recognition for our design leadership.”

IDEA® is a premier international design competition, recognizing and promoting design excellence across a wide array of industries and disciplines conducted annually by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). IDEA judging is based on the following criteria of Design Excellence: Design Innovation, Benefit to the User, Benefit to the Client, Benefit to Society and Appropriate Aesthetics.

The 2017 Hyundai Elantra, offered as a traditional compact sedan, an efficient turbocharged Eco model and a performance-minded upcoming Sport edition, sports a bold aerodynamic design with a comprehensive suite of safety features, modern interior styling with class-above features and user-friendly technologies.

Petron, Honda team up for road safety WITH a common goal to promote road safety and fuel efficiency, Petron Corporation and Honda Cars Philippines Inc. have entered into a partnership to further enhance their promotional efforts and customer relations programs.

Honda has committed to support Petron Lakbay Alalay, the longest-running motorist assistance program in the country. During long holiday weekends when many motorists hit the expressways and head out to nearby vacation destinations, Honda car mechanics will be stationed at strategically-located Petron Lakbay Alalay stations to provide roadside assistance to Honda car owners. In a similar initiative, the Honda Emergency Assistance Teams (HEAT) are also deployed by 24 Honda dealerships nationwide as part of their public service and road safety advocacy.

In the recently-concluded DOE Euro 4 Fuel Economy Run 2016, powered by Petron XCS, the eight Honda vehicles achieved outstanding fuel economy ratings averaging 25.1 km/L, and the Honda Jazz 1.5 VX CVT delivering the best Honda performance recording 28.6 km/L. In anticipation of the government mandate re-

quiring all fuels and vehicles to be Euro 4 compliant by January 2016, Petron introduced its Euro 4 gasolines last June 2015, followed by Euro 4 diesels in October 2015. Similarly, Honda was among the first car manufacturers to obtain Euro 4 certification for its local vehicle line-up, starting with the Honda City last August 2015. All Honda vehicles sold in the Philippines were certified as Euro 4 compliant by September 2015.

Petron was the first local oil company to produce a full range of gasoline and diesel variants that meet Euro 4 standards. Petron Euro 4 fuels deliver TriActiv advantages—better engine protection, better mileage, and better power—to optimize the performance of Honda’s technologically-advanced and fuel-efficient engines developed under its Earth Dreams Technology. A number of marathon fuel economy runs performed by both companies confirm that Petron Euro 4 fuels are the best match for various Honda car models.

Petron and Honda have also agreed to partner in more fuel economy runs as part of their shared advocacy in promoting fuel efficient driving habits among motorists.

A total of 27 representatives from the leading names in the banking industry road tested the Ciaz which boasts of best-in-class fuel efficiency, a sporty yet elegant exterior design, and other advanced features.

Suzuki Philippines’ General Manager for Automobile Shuzo Hoshikura takes pride in the positive response of the market to the newest member of Suzuki’s B-segment vehicles. “Since the introduction of the all-new Ciaz in April this year, the number of in-

quiries and request for test drives we have been receiving about this sedan has pleasantly surprised us,” Hoshikura said.

“With this overwhelming response, we believe that the Ciaz will be one of our bestsellers this year, and contribute significantly to the company’s continuous growth. We hope that with this model as well as all of our other best-loved vehicles, we will be able to top last year’s impressive 52% year- on-year growth,” Hoshikura said.

Mini-car luggage for kids WITH the generation Xers influencing their kids to get hookled on the car culture, what better way is there to immerse your tykes with everything automotive starting with their own personal luggage.

Ridaz, a spin-off company of known toy maker Welley, has just made travelling stylish and hip with their latest line of licensed carry-on cases. Made from a durable plastic shell with two retractable handles, the Ridaz carrying case was designed for travel, everyday use and storage.

Designed and engineered with kids and (kids at heart) in mind, a retractable metal carrying handle allows it to be used as a suitcase or let your kid pull the luggage using the retractable elastic strap. Additional safety for personal belongings is provided by a hinged body with two safety latches, plus elastic tie down straps inside the case to keep the clothes in place.

Ridaz Kids Luggage comes in a variety of colors and in

different car makes such as the Lamborghini Huracan (yellow and orange), Ford Mustang GT (red and yellow), Toyota GT86 (black and orange), Chevrolet Camaro (red, sky blue and yellow) and the Batmobile in Dawn of Justice, which is my personal choice, aside from the Toyota GT86.

Ridaz Kids Luggage is available in Hobbes and Landes branches in BGC, Rockwell, Greenbelt, and Greenhills or visit their Facebook page/RidazLuggage.Ph or call 09175754812. Dino Ray V. Directo III

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RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING

OVERSEEING OVERLAND Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo, III

OFF-ROAD driving/trailing is fast gaining popularity in the country. Enthusiasts from the different sectors of society such as businessmen, doctors, engineers and members of the motoring media are rolling up their sleeves and exploring the roads less traveled almost every weekend or holiday.

As you drive along that muddy path, have you taken into consideration the amount of work behind every off-road equipment or gear? Surely, most of us have noticed that off-road rigs look far more different from the garden variety pick-up or SUV. Those massive steel bumpers, step boards, and lift sus-

pension systems surely serves a purpose. The journalist in me started to ponder, how are these things made?

That question was answered recently by way of a factory tour in one of Thailand’s biggest offroad companies, Overland.

Established more than a decade ago, Overland is

The steel bumper gets fortified.

a company dedicated to fulfilling the desires and requirements of the blue blooded off-road enthusiasts. From steel bumpers, roof mounted luggage racks and down to step boards and suspension systems, this Thai company has been carving out its own niche in the Southeast Asian market. “Aside from Thailand, we have a strong presence in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. At the moment, the Philippine market is the second biggest next to Thailand in terms of volume and sales,” explains Bryan Kestle, Overland’s Executive Foreign Manager.

The Philippine contingent to the Overland factory familiarization tour

A Toyota Fortuner decked with Overland equipment

was composed of local regional dealers from Bacolod, Davao, Cagayan, Cebu, Cabanatuan, Dagupan and Metro Manila.

The group was headed by Rod Chiong, Overland’s exclusive distributor for Ph operations. “This is an incentive tour for our dealers which have been with the company since

Workers prepare the raw steel bumper for painting.

day one of operations.

Through their efforts, Overland is now gradually gaining a domineering slice of the domestic market,” says Chiong.

Kestle took us around the massive PIAK facility in Rayong, Thailand, where Overland products are being conceptualized and manufactured. After a brief introduction about the company, Kestle and Chiong acted as our guides as we toured the manufacturing facility from step one, which is cutting and forming of the metal sheets, and up to the actual product assembly line.

“We have a team of designers and engineers. From being a product concept, the whole process takes 30 days, from product presentation, manufacturing and actual delivery to the

dealers here and around ASEAN,” says Kestle. “We design products using powerful computers and from there, a jig has to be created to line up all the welds and shapes,” he adds.

The work involved to make a single Overland front bumper is divided into different sections of the assembly line and spread across three massive buildings inside the plant. Once a product is finished, it goes through a quality inspection, wrapped in plastic and put in a crate for delivery.

Overland has ust penetrated the U.S. market and is currently working on having an active presence in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Plans are under way to secure a foothold in the European market.

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

BING PAREL

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS

isahred @ gmail.com

WRITER

DEST IN AT IONS

LIFE

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The new Presidential Suite of premier five-star hotel The Manila Hotel features a combination of Filipino and Contemporary design aesthetics evident in its lounge area, meeting room, dining area, living room, study room, powder room and spa

A SUITE FIT FOR A KING H ave you ever dreamed about living like a king? Well, you can actually.

The Manila Hotel’s newly renovated three-bedroom Presidential Suite exudes a taste of grandeur and luxury, truly worthy of world’s royalty.

Located at the topmost floor of the hotel, it spans a floor area of 1,200 square meters making it one of the biggest Presidential Suites in the Southeast Asian region. It commands a superb view of Manila Bay, an important factor considered before the renovation of the suite. It enables guests to have a glimpse of the famous Manila Bay sunset, Corregidor island, and the ruins of the medieval fortress that is Intramuros, from almost anywhere in the suite. The Presidential Suite is indeed one of the Grand Dame’s jewels.

On May 18, The Manila Hotel opened the new Presidential Suite. Among the guests who had the chance to have a peek at the suite were members of the diplomatic community, government officials, businessmen and hotel industry top guns. Atty. Joey Lina, president of the hotel, welcomed the guests and had cocktails, thanks to hotel’s talented chefs. The Manila Hotel string quartet provided soft music while the guests enjoyed their drinks and hors d’oeuvre.

The suite can be accessed via an exclusive elevator at the hotel’s Grand Lobby. It has a lounge area, meeting room, dining area, a living room, study room, powder room, and a spa. A 24-hour personal butler service is available to guests and so is a pillow menu.

The suite is a charming union of Filipino and Contemporary artistry. It features an indoor lanai a.k.a. azotea, reminiscent of the old Bahay na Bato in the Spanish era

next to the dining room where guests can stay after a hearty meal for some light banter. Furthermore, fine dining, just like in a high-end restaurant, is possible in the suite. The show kitchen is well equipped and can accommodate two or three chefs as they prepare different dishes in full view of the guests. The suite even has its own helipad overlooking Manila Bay and Manila city’s skyline.

For this transformation project, the hotel chose Manny Samson, head of Manny Samson and Associates.

Un d e n i a b l y, this is another milestone in the rich history of the Grand Dame!

Some of the well-known guests who have stayed at The Manila’s Presidential Suite include Sultan Haji Hassanal B o l k i a h Mu’ izzaddin Wad’daulah of Brunei; HRH The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles; HM Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain; Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko of Japan; President Thein Sein of Myanmar; Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye of South Korea; World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov; Spanish singer and songwriter Julio Iglesias and Korean Pop star Rain. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Republic of the Philippines also stayed at the historic suite.

The list goes on and on.

As the true heart of the Philippines, The Manila Hotel is the country’s premier fivestar and flagship hotel. It is located at One Rizal Park, Manila.

The suite can be accessed via an exclusive elevator at the hotel’s Grand Lobby. It has a lounge area, meeting room, dining area, a living room, study room, powder room, and a spa. A 24-hour personal butler service is available to guests and so is a pillow menu

For more information, call (02) 527 0011 or visit www.manila-hotel.com.ph; follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ TheManilaHotel and on Twitter @ManilaHotel and Instagram @manila_hotel.

Presidential Suite guests have their own living room within their suite

The Manila Hotel President Atty. Joey Lina (third from left) led the hotel's officials in welcoming guests to the opening of the new Presidential Suite. With him are (from left) The Manila Hotel Assistant Vice President for Public Relations and Corporate Communications Nian Liwanag-Rigor, Miss World Philippines National Director Cory Quirino, Miss World 2013 Megan Young, The Manila Hotel Chairman of the Board Basilio Yap, Miss World Philippines 2015 Danielle Parungao and Justice Josue Bellosillo

The executives of The Grand Dame. From left: Director and Corporate Secretary Atty. Francis Gaw, Vice Chairman of the Board Dr. Emilio C. Yap III, Director Benjamin C. Yap, Director Michael Y. Yap, Executive Vice President Dr. Enrique Y. Yap Jr., Atty. Hermogenes Pobre, Justice Manuel Lazaro, Chairman of the Board Basilio C. Yap, President Atty. Joey D. Lina, and Sergio Apostol

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LIFE isahred @ gmail.com

Visit the Merlion and other attractions in Singapore by availing Singapore Airlines' all-in fare promo PHOTO BY ANDREW TAN

Marvel at the wonders of Vientiane in Laos

AIRLINE REWARDS CUSTOMERS WITH GREAT FARES

S

ingapore Airlines and MasterCard, together with SilkAir – the Airline’s sister carrier, launched the largest nationwide Mid-Year Travel Fair from July 8 to 31, 2016 encouraging all travelers to begin new adventures.

Throughout this period, MasterCard holders as well as KrisFlyer members have the exclusive privilege of availing the special promotional deals and a chance to win a trip to Germany or South Africa.

For travelers who are not KrisFlyer members yet, the airline and MasterCard encourage all travelers to sign up as a member on krisflyer.com for free to enjoy the exclusive fares and get the chance to win the exciting prizes.

The airline is offering all-inclusive round trip promotional fares starting from $180 for travel out of Manila, Cebu, Davao and Kalibo from today till March 31, 2017.

Economy Class all-in fares

All-in economy fares to Singapore are available from $180, while tickets to Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong are available starting from $230 and to Cambodia and Myanmar from $250. Japan and South Korea fares start from $450.

Fly off to either the great city Dubai or the great outback of Australia for as low as $600 only.

For vacations off the beaten track, travels to India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka are available from $650. Enjoy the cobblestoned-streets of Europe and take an unforgettable safari in South Africa starting from $850.

The picturesque hills and meadows of New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington) is only $950 away, and traveling to see the family all the way to the USA will just cost $950 per ticket.

Premium Economy Class all-in fares

Experience the all new Premium Economy Class when you travel to

The ultimate A350 experience

Buyers of Singapore Airlines' promotional tickets have a chance to win a pair of Business Class tickets to Dusseldorf

mystical Delhi, Mumbai and Dubai for only $1,200 per ticket and to thrilling Sydney from $1,350, diverse Cape Town and Johannesburg from $1,700, historic Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, London, Manchester, Munich, Paris and Zurich from $1,900, and modern Auckland (New Zealand), and fantastic Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York from $1,900 only.

Business Class all-in fares

Asia is the pearl for travelers around the world, and Singapore Airlines makes this part of the globe more accessible for luxury travelers and businessmen. Enjoy all-in business class treatment on board when you fly to the business centers of Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam for as low as $890, and to Dubai and the Maldives from $1,800.

For vacationers who seek the Zen in the south, smell the spices of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka starting from $2,200. You can rest easy on board as you make your way to Australia—available at $2,200, and New Zealand for $2,800. Finally, travel in style all the way to Europe for as low as $3,000, or to

South Africa starting from $3,300 and the Americas from $3,500.

Booking your tickets

Travelers can book via singaporeair.com using their MasterCard credit card for Economy Class and one-to-go Business Class. Promo code will be announced on the Singapore Airlines Facebook page.

Book and stand a chance to win Priceless Packages

Big surprise from Singapore Airlines and MasterCard await travelers. MasterCard cardholder and KrisFlyer members who purchase promotional tickets will automatically earn a chance to enter into a lucky draw. Lucky winners will enjoy these exciting prizes: a pair of Business Class tickets to Dusseldorf, Germany with MasterCard’s Priceless Package, or a pair of Premium Economy Class tickets to Cape Town, South Africa with MasterCard’s Priceless Package.

Every purchase of Economy Class ticket is equivalent to one (1) raffle entry while for every purchase of Premium Economy Class ticket is equivalent to five (5) raffle entries.

Ten (10) raffle entries can be earned for every purchase of Business Class ticket.

Sometimes it’s not just about the destination that matters but also how you get to the destination. With Singapore Airlines’ new Airbus A350-900, any flight will be like being on Cloud 9. The new generation aircraft boasts a much more comfortable inflight experience with greater spaciousness. Singapore Airlines has fitted its first A350-900 with a threeclass configuration that includes 42 seats in Business, 24 in Premium Economy and 187 in Economy. One of the unique perks of the aircraft is the “Companion App” feature, the first of its kind in the world.

Available across all cabins, the mobile app gives passengers a chance to customize their entertainment experience. Once they find their seat, they can connect their mobile phone onto the IFE system and it will automatically play their picks during the flight.

Come October 23, the airline’s A350 will also commence non-stop flights between Singapore and San Francisco on a daily basis. Alongside this launch, the Airline will also be adding a second daily flight to Los Angeles.

New destinations, new adventures

The airline continuously expands its network with the recent announcements of new services to Dusseldorf, Canberra, Wellington, and two more cities in Laos, Vientiane and Luang Prabang via the airline’s regional wing, SilkAir. Visit the Deaconess’s Institute of Kaiserswerth where Florence Nightingale worked, relax along the romantic Rhine river and drink and be merry in Altstadt, locally nicknamed as the “longest bar in the world when you fly to Dusseldorf as it commences first flight on July 21.

With the new service to Australia and New Zealand, the airline will bring international flights to Canberra, and link Canberra with Wellington for the very first time.

Where to find things you need before heading to boarding gate

Looking for a durable and stylish luggage? How about a universal adapter? Or, are you searching for a quick-drying towel and a set of mini toiletry bottles that will make taking a shower in different places a little less challenging?

Traveling is a fun and fulfilling endeavor, but it can also be a taxing activity especially when you don’t have the essentials to make the trip smooth sailing.

Fortunately, Singapore-based concept store Boarding Gate is now here to help ease your travel preparation. It recently opened its first branch in the Philippines.

Boarding Gate is a travel concept store by Seager, the largest distributor of travel brands and accessories in the region. It is currently present in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and Indonesia.

The travel concept store carries multiple brands such as Travel House for premium quality luggage, O2COOL for fans and spray bottles, BG Berlin for a selection of tote bags, and Cabeau for other travel essentials, among a couple more other traveler must-haves.

“We are so excited to be bringing Boarding Gate to Manila. It is such an innovative store and carries so many exciting

travel brands. Whatever travel needs you have, Boarding Gate has the answer,” Boarding Gate Singapore’s Director of Sales Jeff Tan said during the store opening.

In essence, the store comes handy for people who love to travel, are always on the go, and are looking for travel essentials that are as functional as they are stylish.

Get on board with Boarding Gate. No boarding pass or ticket necessary. Visit the store at Level 2 Pedro Gil Wing, Robinsons Place Manila. For updates and more information, check out Boarding Gate Philippines on Facebook or @BoardingGatePH on Instagram.

Luggage and tote bags in different sizes and styles, among other travel essentials, are available at Boarding Gate

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E

CEBU PACIFIC TAKES YOUNG ADVENTURERS ON AN EPIC RIDE

ndless escapades, boundless discoveries and a whole lot of fun— this is what traveling around the Philippines is all about. Cebu Pacific showcased all these and more in the Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge, which recently concluded its fifth and biggest year.

For seven straight days, five teams from different universities nationwide traveled to exotic locales and conquered as many awesome adventures that the country has to offer within their given travel allowance worth P35,000. By the end of the challenge, #JFFJUANTeamPH was hailed as this year’s Ultimate Backpackers and received the most epic prize—a Travel-All-You-Can pass. This entitles each member to as many free flights to domestic and international short-haul destinations as they want within one year. They also got to take home gift certificates from Cebu Pacific’s partner brands: Tripologie travel store, Merrel shoes, and Boreas travel bags.

Hailing from Bacolod, #JFFJUANTeamPH kicked things off in Iloilo, before making their way to Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Surigao, and Butuan. For their final stop, they paid a visit to the majestic Mt. Mayon in Legazpi City. their adventure coach, TV host and VJ Robi Domingo guided teammates Glenn Layola, Audrey Ramos and John Ray Blance – students of La Salle Bacolod.

Placing second was #JFFTeamPura, composed of Marie Tuason, Karlo Carranza and Samantha Rice. To say that they had fun would be an understatement, especially with their itinerary covering Bohol, Cebu, Dumaguete, Siargao, Iloilo and

One for the road. The five teams (TeamPH, TeamPura, TeamWork, TeamPablo and TeamTAG) who joined Cebu Pacific's Juan For Fun Backpacker Challenge 2016 with their celebrity adventure coaches

Davao. Matching their boundless energy was their adventure coach, Bogart the Explorer.

In third place was #JFFTeamWork. True to their team name, Serge Calumpong, April Nacion and Jaysson Presores leveraged on their years of friendship to conquer Laoag, Cebu, Bacolod and Davao. Their adventure coach, travel writer Jude Bacalso, also made sure that the team succeeded and made unforgettable memories in each stop.

Tied at fourth place were #JFFTeamPablo and #JFFTeamTAG. The former is composed of Brendan Tangan, Linus Pagulayan, and Cherson Bariuan of St. Paul University Philippines. They were welcomed by the

pristine waters of Coron and Camiguin, and were wowed by the natural beauty of Iloilo and Cebu. With their adventure coach Saab Magalona giving them expert tips, the team was able to enjoy their adventure to the hilt. #JFFTeamTAG’s Tricia Quintero, April Baldovino and Gian Nicdao of University of the Philippines-Manila hit four of the country’s top tourist spots: Boracay, Cebu, Iloilo, and Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Helping them make the most out of their time in these destinations was their adventure coach, musician Champ Lui Pio. The Cebu Pacific Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge 2016 has Boreas

Gear as the official travel gear, Merrell as the official footwear, and GoPro as the official camera. The challenge is also supported by Wenger and Dan’s, and endorsed by the Department of Tourism and Commission on Higher Education.

Get going and explore more of the Philippines with Cebu Pacific. Revisit the adventures of the Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge 2016 teams by visiting www.juanforfun.com. For bookings and information on new and exciting programs, follow Cebu Pacific’s official Facebook and Twitter (@CebuPacificAir) pages.

Book on PAL packed with historical trivia

A five-year-in-the-making coffee table book on Philippine Airlines (PAL) was launched recently as part of the flag carrier’s 75th anniversary celebration.

The 200-page book, unveiled to foreign dignitaries, government officials and media, contains the history of PAL, stories of its past and present employees and interesting trivia on the airline’s many firsts.

PAL Chairman Dr. Lucio C. Tan and President Jaime J. Bautista were on hand for the book signing during the formal launch held July 1 at the Century Park Hotel.

Also in attendance was Aurora “Aimee” Carandang-Gloria, the country’s first female commercial pilot; Fr. Cesar Santos, representing his recently demised mother, Rebecca Verzosa-Santos, PAL’s first international stewardess; among others.

“PAL’s story is also the story of the Philippines and the Filipino people. The flag carrier is our country’s ambassador to the world,” wrote Dr. Tan in the book.

“This coffee table book serves as a chronicle of the company’s storied legacy to the Filipino nation,” added Mr. Bautista.

PAL celebrates its 75th anniversary with a coffee table book

The fleet evolution of Philippine Airlines among other stories are chronicled in the airlines' 200-page coffee table book

Aside from stories on Santos and Carandang, the book also includes articles on a family of PAL employees spanning three generations, the evacuation flight of

Filipinos from war-torn Libya, the pilot of Saint John Paul II during his 1981 Papal visit, the 2015 Pope Francis’ visit to Tacloban and many more.

Also in the book are the evolutions of the PAL fleet of airplanes, the PAL logo since 1941 and the cabin crew uniforms since 1946.

The well-researched article on PAL’s history is penned by Carlos Palancaawardee Carmen Aquino Sarmiento.

Copies of the book are available through the PAL Boutique.

FedEx Wins ‘Best Road Haulier’ Award

at the 2016 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards FedEx Express (FedEx), a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world’s largest express transportation companies, has earned the "Best Road Haulier" award at the 2016 Asian Freight, Logistics & Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards ceremony in Shanghai, China. FedEx had to overcome competition from three other shortlisted providers, but ultimately garnered more online votes to net the award.

“I’m pleased that FedEx has once again been recognized by this awards program, which is considered to be one of the industry’s foremost accolades,” said Eddy Chan, senior vice president and head of China, FedEx Express.

“The results are determined solely by votes from service users and supply chain professionals, so this recognition is a strong endorsement of FedEx as a leader in the logistics sector, providing best-in-class services and comprehensive solutions to

customers in a changing industry.”

The awards are held annually to recognize outstanding performance by leading organizations in the logistics industry, including air and shipping lines, air and sea ports, as well as 3PL providers. FedEx has consistently been recognized as a leader in its field.

Earlier this year, the company was recognized as one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, landing as the #8 ranked company overall, and #1 in the delivery industry.

FedEx Express China Marketing Managing Director Catherine Chen (left) receives the 'Best Road Haulier' Award from Ni Hongliang of Shanghai Pudong International Airport

F R I D AY : J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 6

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LIFE

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The entrance of Marco Polo Hong Kong has a breathtaking view of the harbor

HONORING

THE VENETIAN TRAVELER MERCURY RISING

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

M

arco Polo, born to a wealthy family, was a merchant from Venice whose travels were recorded in a book, which was, during earlier times, instrumental in getting Europeans acquainted with Asia.

He traveled all the way to China, with his father and uncle, and met Kublai Khan, the Mongol leader, and grandson of Genghis Khan.

Their epic journey to Asia included a 17-year stay in China, taking them away from Venice for a total of 24 years, and finding out upon their return that the city was at war with Genoa. Marco Polo commanded a ship in that war, but was captured and imprisoned in Genoa.

There he befriended a fellow prisoner and writer, Rustichello, who recorded on paper Marco Polo’s stories of what he had seen, where he had traveled and what he had accomplished. These manuscripts were later published in a book, The Travels Of Marco Polo.

The book made the Venetian traveler a celebrity who, by then, was already released from prison. There were French, Italian and Latin versions of the book, making it very popular all over Europe. However, some readers believed that the tales in the book were pure fiction, but Marco Polo stood by what he had recounted.

Moving on with his life after his release from prison, he returned to Venice, got married, raised three daughters and carried on with his family business for around 25 more years. At his deathbed, some friends urged him to admit that his stories were all fiction, but he swore by their veracity, and declared that they were not even half of what he saw and experienced.

Finally, many centuries after his death, the man was vindicated as other explorers and researchers verified everything mentioned in the book. This inspired many other adventurers to set off on their respective journeys to see the world. In fact, two centuries later, Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic, hoping to find a new route to the Orient. He sailed with a copy of Marco Polo’s book.

Fast forward to modern times, Marco Polo’s reputation has become even more significant in today’s Travel Industry.

Since the name has, through the years, been associated with the discovery of beautiful destinations, a Hong Kong-based hotel management company named its chain of hotels the Marco Polo Hotels, giving tribute to the Venetian traveler who opened Asia to the Western world. The chain now operates three hotels in Hong

My cozy room at Gateway Hotel

Marco Polo Ortigas’ Director of Marketing Communications Judith Los Banos, Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel’s Director of Communications Samantha Poon, and Head of Sales and Marketing Sonny Ang, and Marco Polo Davao Director of Sales and Marketing Pearl Peralta-Maclang

Kong, seven in Mainland China, and three in the Philippines.

Recently added to the list is Niccolo

by Marco Polo, the luxury category of the brand, which opened its first hotel in Chengdu, China. Soon to open are three more Niccolos and an additional Marco Polo, all in China, bringing the chain’s total to 18 hotels.

Not too long ago, a team representing the chain’s three properties in Hong Kong – Marco Polo Hong Kong, Gateway Hotel and Prince Hotel – came to town. The energetic and amiable duo – Samantha Poon, director of Communications, and

Sonny Ang, head of Sales and Marketing – announced the latest offerings of their three hotels which, because of their central location, have become very popular with our country’s leisure travelers.

Checked-in guests at these hotels may now avail of a handy smartphone, free of charge, with unlimited 3G mobile internet, unlimited local calls in Hong Kong and international calls to China, Philippines, Japan, USA and UK. This saved me a considerable amount when I checked in at Gateway Hotel, as I didn’t have to pay for my almost-daily calls to my siblings in the US and to my children here in Manila.

Shopping aficionados staying at any of the three hotels are also entitled to significant discounts in most of the shops in Harbour City, Hong Kong’s largest and most diverse shopping complex with over 450 high-end brand shops, 50 food and beverage outlets, and a cinema.

For those who enjoy trying out something new, the three hotels even made their own special brand of beverage, the Earl Grape Iced Tea which is concocted from cold Earl Grey Tea poured over seedless green grapes and elderflowerinfused ice cubes. This is presented with Turkish delight, a sugar-based confection, and is available at any of the hotels’ restaurants and in-room dining.

MasterCard holders who check in at any of the three hotels, for a minimum of two consecutive nights, will be entitled to a free Star Ferry 4-day pass for two persons plus many other benefits, details of which may be obtained from www.marcopolohotels.com.

These luxurious accommodations, customized service and guest-friendly innovations that Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotels provides certainly make a fitting tribute to the Venetian traveler…and to those of us who enjoy the finer things in life.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

YOUR FRIDAY CHUCKLE KOBE BRYANT: The most effective way to remember your wife’s birthday is to forget it once.

F RIDAY : J ULY 8, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

F

rom musicals, concerts, to plays, circuses, and more, Resorts World Manila proudly presents three world-class performances concert and theater aficionados can look forward to in July and August.

Theater stars MiG Ayesa and Tanya Manalang, accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra, will perform on one stage for the first time as they bring the audience to Broadway and West End’s favorite, Curtains Up. Both singers have made a promising career in theater, locally and internationally, with Tanya’s performances in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, In the Heights, The Sound of Music, and her absolute performance as Kim in Miss Saigon, while Migs starring in Burn the Floor, as Stacee Jaxx in Rock of Ages, as Galileo Figaro in Thriller Live, and We Will Rock You. “To be honest, it’s a lot more stressful doing a concert because you’re given this amount of time to work on everything as supposed to doing a musical. You do rehearsals, easing right through it,” says Tanya, comparing roles as stage actress and staging a concert.

With Mig’s rocker persona, Curtains Up has made a whole new different take on his usual role as a musical theater actor.

“The surprise is, you’ll see none of that, that’s the thing. This is the chance for me to do something different, something new that you may not have seen me do before,” says Mig. Having both performers with contrasting portraits in one stage, director Freddie Santos says it was quite a challenge for him because he had never heard the two sing together. “I am familiar with their individual performances and keeping that in mind and realizing that these voices could actually fit in so well with each other, that came the challenge.

And it was very easy challenge because as you can hear from what they just sang, their voices do blend perfectly well,” Santos says referring the artists’ performances during the concert’s press launch.

Broadway singer Lea Salonga will join the two artists in the concert. Her participation is considered as one of the high-

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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TOP-CALIBER SHOWS TO ROCK

RESORTS WORLD STAGE

BY ANNE RENEE SUAREZ PHOTOS BY SONNY ESPIRITU

Theater stars MiG Ayesa and Tanya Manalang brings Broadway and West End experience to Manila via “Curtains Up”

MiG Ayesa (third from right), Tanya Manalang (fourth from left) flanked by the members of Tenors of Rock

lights of the show.

Another world-class show to anticipate this August is Tenors of Rock Live in Manila, which will get those rock-savvy audiences to their feet.

With the concept of combining different genres and songs from different rock bands, Tenors of Rock – a five-front man group or rock singers – will stage a twonight show that features all the

elements that makes Las Vegas show what it is.

“We came up with a vision really that is to create a classic rock experience show. It’s not just about some nice singing and songs anymore, it’s about creating a whole visual experience,” says Dai Richards, one of the members of the rock band.

Being the first rock vocal group, the Tenors of Rock broke into the industry, popularly through the TV talent show, The X-Factor UK. “We came up with the idea because we wanted to create a new rock vocal group. There’s never been one before. We wanted to take the favorite classic rock songs of all time and give it a brand new flavor,” says Richards.

Aside from the most popular rock hits from different generations, expect a massive production with RJ Durell and Nick

Florez of The Goldenboyz, the most in-demand director and choreographer in the world that made Katy Perry, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Cirque Du Soleil world tours, to name a few, possible.

“We’re going to blow the theater away,” says Jonathan Williams, a member of the group.

Meanwhile, to commemorate 50 years of The Beatles’ music, Resorts World Manila brings in town The Fab Four live via The Bootleg Beatles’ performance.

From vocal mimicry, spot-on costumes, to their uncanny resemblance, The Bootleg Beatles will surely take you back to the 60s.

Catch these world-class performances on July 12 for The Bootleg Beatles, July 14 for the Curtains Up, and Aug. 12 and 13 for The Tenors of Rock, all at 8p.m. at the Resorts World Manila.

‘Vice Principals’ debuts same time as the U.S. on HBO Created by Danny R. McBride and Jody Hill, who also created HBO’s Eastbound & Down, along with Ben Best, Vice Principals tells the story of North Jackson High School and the two people who almost run it, the vice principals.

This brand-new HBO Original

comedy series kicks off its nineepisode first season in Asia on July 18 at 10.30 a.m., with same day primetime encore at 10:30 p.m., exclusively on HBO. New episodes debut every Monday on HBO at the same time after Ballers. The series will also be available on HBO GO

North Jackson High School’s vice prinicipals Neal Gamby and Lee Russell played by Danny McBride and Walton Goggins

Georgia King as Amanda Snodgrass, the idealistic English teacher

Kimberly Hebert Gregory as Dr. Belinda Brown, Lincoln High’s principal

(where available).

When the long-time principal of a suburban high school steps down, ambitious vice principals Neal Gamby and Lee Russell both set their sights on the vacated top spot – only to see new rival Dr. Belinda Brown enter the picture. Putting their mutual disdain aside, these bitter antagonists form an unholy

alliance to bring down the outsider by any means necessary.

Told over the course of a single school year, the first season takes place during the fall, with the second season to cover the spring term. “Finally, a tale of the unsung hero in every child’s education,” says McBride.

“No one will look at high school administrators the same again.”

“Knowing that Danny and Jody were going to be bringing Neal Gamby and Lee Russell into the world made retiring Kenny Powers a little bit easier,” observes Amy Gravitt, executive vice president, HBO Programming. “Nobody else creates characters like these two. We are so proud that HBO is their home and we can’t wait for everyone to see their take on high school.”

In addition to McBride (Neal Gamby) and Goggins (Lee Russell), Vice Principals also stars Kimberly Hébert Gregory as Dr. Belinda Brown; Georgia King as English teacher Amanda Snodgrass; Busy Phillips as Gale, Gamby’s hot, trashy ex-wife; Shea Whigham as Ray, Gale’s nice-guy new husband; and Sheaun McKinney as cafeteria worker, Dayshawn.

Guest stars on the first season include Bill Murray as outgoing Principal Welles; Susan Park as Christine, Russell’s wife; and Maya Love as Janelle, Gamby’s daughter.

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F RIDAY : J ULY 8, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

PEOPLE ¼

are talking about

¼

are not talking about

Ian King

Rhian Ramos

Everyone’s attention was diverted from politics and summary killings when Joey Mead’s husband for five years came out as a transwoman. Ian, who now prefers to be called Angelina Mead King or simply Angie, did a Caitlyn Jenner causing utter commotion on the Internet. Many were surprised, others were shocked and a lot of people still couldn’t believe how an Alpha Male perceived to be a king is actually a queen. Nonetheless, amid mixed reactions from people, everyone seems to agree on one thing – Ian or Angie is a human who has been emancipated and now enjoying the freedom he deserves.

She makes her debut as an FHM Philippines cover girl. The shoot took place in France, the third time that the magazine went overseas for a pictorial. But how were they able to convince Rhian to say yes and go this daring? Simple, like most female stars on the verge of becoming washed-out celebrities, Rhian has adapted this trick: When everything else failed, start to flash some flesh.

My Super D

Jodi Sta Maria

Contrary to what many people say about superheroes, not every fictional TV character that possesses superpowers can instant win the hearts of children and general audience. Take Super D for example. The lead character in the actioncomedy fantasy, which is shown too early for primetime, does not enjoy the same kind of adulation compared to other superhero characters in which Super D is obviously derived from. No wonder, the show is already down to its last episodes.

She’s hot that’s why people were surprised and amused at the same time when she posted a photo on Instagram sporting a new look. Interesting enough, her new ash blonde locks even made headlines. But that shouldn’t be the highlight of her birthday month. Jodi silently collaborates with an NGO that builds houses for underprivileged families…That’s what people should be talking about, not her new hairdo or her recent breakup.

Andi Eigenmann Gab Valenciano Did you know what inspired him to post his “super selfie” videos, which became viral and even caught the attention of A-list stars in Hollywood? Actually, nothing really inspired him. In a recent interview, he said he was battling boredom and depression when he was living alone in the US, which is why he decided to channel his energy on something that would take his mind off the things that bothered him. And voila “super selfie” was born.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 42 44 45 47 49 50 51

ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 Kind of caterpillar 5 2.2-pound units 10 Laugh (hyph.)

14 Comics pooch 15 Chart 16 Disney CEO Bob — 17 — colada 18 Catcher under Stengel 19 Knowledge 20 Iffy attempts

22 After Rome fell (2 wds.)

24 Woe is me!

27 Whodunit suspect 28 Russian novelist 32 Vexes 36 Environmental prefix 37 Hart of tennis fame 39 Play banjo 40 Magic word

Rubens subjects Hatha — Journal notation FYI notes Put down, slangily Happen next It’s easier than linen 53 Part of MIT 56 It has flippers 57 Chink in one’s armor (2 wds.)

61 Nuisances 65 Viking name 66 Expect 69 “Mondo Cane” theme 70 Simon or Diamond 71 Contract provisos 72 Admit openly 73 Like horror flicks 74 Upgrade 75 Lip, slangily DOWN 1 Exceeds 2 Revise 3 1492 ship 4 Thing to dunk (2 wds.)

5 Cold War org.

6 Eur. country 7 Lace heavily 8 Ms. Winfrey 9 Percentage 10 Boisterous humor

FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2016

11 Worked up 12 Present!

13 Warmonger of myth 21 Iditarod vehicle 23 Basinger and Delaney 25 By and by 26 Vaccine 28 Cheyenne abode 29 NCAA Huskies 30 Pine anchors 31 Blockbuster rental 33 Tolkien hobbit 34 Tempus — 35 Batter 38 18-wheelers 41 Lab insect (2 wds.)

43 One-and-only 46 Sudden urges 48 Sore covering 52 Nash’s poetic beasts 54 Minor disputes 55 Poolside turban 57 Birdcall 58 Bogus butter 59 Just 60 Luau staple 62 Exploding star 63 God of love 64 Uses a needle 67 Mischief-maker 68 Mao — -tung

She is making a makes TV comeback via a new drama series called The Greatest Love, and no, it is not a local version of the hit and multi-awarded South Korean rom-com of the same title.

It’s an ABS-CBN project that apparently does not feature a stellar cast.

What an underwhelming comeback, isn’t it?

F RIDAY : J ULY 8, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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PRODUCERS UP IN ARMS

AGAINST MOVIE’S UNAUTHORIZED POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

S

tar Cinema is alarmed by the sharing of links to copies of The Achy Breaky Hearts on Facebook while the movie is still being shown on cinemas nationwide.

In a statement sent to newspapers late this week, the movie production company of broadcasting giant

stated, “The unauthorized posting of the movie, whether in full or in parts, on social media is a form of stealing that is prohibited by law.

“We strongly condemn this criminal act that slowly kills the film industry. We feel for the hundreds of staff and crew who worked so hard behind the cam-

era just to produce a quality film for the enjoyment of moviegoers.

We appeal to the public to join us in our crusade against piracy.

“If you encounter the illegal links to the film on social media, please do not share it and instead, report it to us by e-mailing report@abs-cbn.com.”

Well, fans are fans and they are eager to share their excitement over the movie. But they should be aware that what they have done is against the law and if they are caught, they’d be liable to the owners of the film. They can be imprisoned and asked to pay a fine of several thousands of pesos.

Just a reminder to fans, it doesn’t help to be so eager and share your eagerness by way of downloading a movie from a website of pirated movies and sharing the same to fellow fans. If you are a fan, show your support to your idols in a legal way. Watch the movie and tell other fans to do the same.

Cesar Montano pumps up the action in ‘FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano’

Taking up the challenge: Move-A-Thon winners who shimmied and shook their “groove thang” for up to 24 hours straight while watching popular movie musicals

Star Movies mounts 7th Movie Marathon Star Movies kept moviegoers up on their feet all day and all night on June 27 for the Star Movies Move-A-Thon. The movie marathon required non-stop dancing from contenders that wanted to be declared the Philippines’ ultimate film lovers.

Groups of avid film viewers shimmied and shook their “groove thang” for up to 24 hours straight while watching the best and most popular movie musicals of all time—all for the chance to win the grand prize of P200, 000.00.

With each movie binge embracing a different theme, Star Movies marathons have been highly successful, garnering thousands of entries each time. Starting with a straight-up movie marathon with unlimited food and drinks in 2010, the Star Movies marathon was upgraded with a fitness theme with yoga and other physical challenges in 2012; a rigid boot camp theme in 2013, where the grand prize was awarded to just one hardy individual; and a scare-a-thon of all horror movies in 2015, where 500 participants were required to sit completely still until one winner remained.

The Star Movies Move-A-Thon is the channel’s seventh movie marathon, and it was the first time that viewers were allowed to compete in teams. Contestants danced non-stop for an entire day while watching the most entertaining musicals in movie history, and because of the nature of the contest, Star Movies took the movie marathon out of the cinemas and onto the dance floor, holding it in the nightlife mecca of House Manila at Resorts World Manila.

The channel and partner sponsors also provided contestants with

food and beverages throughout the day.

Not only did the teams have to move continuously throughout the contest, all while enjoying memorable films, but they also had to go through various challenges in order to earn their bathroom breaks. Contestants scrambled to follow the rigid requirements of the movie marathon while thinking of their teammates’ physical comfort, resulting in a fun and chaotic dance-partyslash-movie-marathon that went down in Star Movies history. In the end, the last team dancing— and watching—was declared the winner of the movie marathon.

The five team members had the privilege of sharing the grand prize of P200,000.00.

“We were so excited to continue Star Movies’ tradition of exciting movie marathons this year and add another cool twist to up the game. Star Movies Move-A-Thon certainly brought the most dedicated film lovers out of the woodwork and onto the dance floor, and we’re proud to be handing the prize over this year to those who really worked for it, had a lot of fun, and really deserved it,” said Charo Espedido, director and head of Marketing for FOX International Channels.

The Star Movies Move-A-Thon was brought to you by FOX Networks Group in cooperation with Listerine: Bring Out The Bold, 5 Star Cadbury: The latest, happiest, craziest Cadbury in town #youthinkyoucan, and Dolfenal “para laging good vibes, magdolfenal”, official venue partner, Resorts World Manila, Nothing Compares, and House Manila and official coffee partner, Bo’s Coffee, Your Homegrown Coffee.

The audience will witness more thrilling scenes every night as action star Cesar Montano joins the cast of the country’s top series FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.

Don’t miss Cesar as he plays Hector, a hit man hired by Tomas (Albert Martinez) and Don Emilio (Eddie Garcia), tasked to put down Cardo’s (Coco Martin) grandfather Delfin (Jaime Fabregas) to stop him from further investigating their illegal business.

Joining Cesar in pumping up the action are seasoned actors Eddie Gutierrez and Bembol Roco with Kapamilya actress Meg Imperial.

With the new characters to watch out for, the action-series continues to prove its supremacy in primetime and even hit a national TV rating of 44.2 percent last Monday (July 4), easily beat-

Cesar Montano plays a pivotal role in the next episodes of “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano”

ing its rival show Poor Señorita, which only got 14.7 percent (data from Kantar Media). Watch out for the action-packed scenes in the number one teleserye, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, weeknights on

ABS-CBN or on ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable Ch 167).

Catch up on the program’s past episodes via iWanTV.com and skyondemand.com.ph for Sky subscribers.

BUD SPENCER AND MACISTE

A common thread in Italian B-cinema

BY ALESSANDRO MILANI A few days ago, a giant (literally) of the Italian cinema passed away at the age of 86. His name was Carlo Pedersoli, known the world over as Bud Spencer.

From the late 60s through the 80s, he starred in dozens of Italian B-films that poked fun at popular Hollywood genres such as Westerns and Who-Done-Its. The films of this comedic and unusual superhero, broadcast by the RAI channels, were my best companions on Friday nights as a child and teenager.

Bud Spencer’s characters were always powerful.

He usually played the brawny, generous, perhaps abit Carlo Pedersoli, known the world over as Bud Spencer, dies at 86 slow but goodhearted giant, always keen at throwing big punches at the baddies to defend the vulnerable.

It is interesting to note that this kind of character is common in the spectrum of Italian Cinema.

This year, both the Italian Pordenone Silent Film Festival (the biggest and most important silent film festival in Europe) and the Philippine-Italian Association, in the 10th edition of the International Silent Film Festival, the first of its kind in the whole Southeast Asia, taking place at Shangri-La Plaza Edsa from Aug. 25 to 28, are proposing a film of another “good giant”, another unusual (perhaps the first??) superhero of the world cinema – Maciste.

The name Maciste comes directly from an epithet of the mythological figure of Hercules. Maciste was a Herculean-like figure invented by the Italian writer, poet, Bartolomeo Pagano was an Italian actor known for playing playwright and adventurer, Gabriele D’Annunzio Maciste in a 1914 silent movie whose many films enjoyed immense success in the while Bartolomeo Pagano was a simple docker.

But they both reflect and nourish major characItalian film industry from 1915 to the mid1960s. From 1914 to 1929, there were 26 silent films about Maciste teristics in the Italian collective imagination that can directed by different directors but only one had the still be found in Italian society and even history. I privilege of playing the role, the actor Bartolomeo Pa- refer to the Italian trait of playing down and making gano. His role as Maciste was consistently a powerful light of things but also to their perhaps unconscious man using his massive strength to achieve heroic feats and paradoxical fascination for human strength.

Whether you agree or not, it can be safely said that and protect the vulnerable.

Bud Spencer and Bartolomeo Pagano are by no the success that this type of characters have in our means considered the best representations of Italian Cinema would definitely give you an insight to the Cinema; Bud Spencer came from the world of sports, Italian psyche that you would not find anywhere else.

F RIDAY : J ULY 8, 2016

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR NICKIE WANG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

XIAN LIM TAKES FANS ON A DATE

Kapamilya star Xian Lim will serenade his fans in a one-night only concert at the Kia Theater on July 9

ISAH V. RED

L

iterally, that’s what actorturned-singer Xian Lim will do tomorrow. He is on A Date With Xian, a concert, 8 p.m. at the Kia Theatre in bustling Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City.

Xian has proven to all and sundry that he isn’t just the leading man of Kapamilay Chinita princess Kim Chiu, but a talent to reckon with both in the acting and singing departments.

After proving his acting prowess and star power on TV and in films, Xian Lim is set to showcase his musical talents in his first-ever major solo concert.

Produced by Star Events, the concert is a fulfillment of Xian’s longtime dream to perform for his fans and headline a major show. Juggling multiple commitments while gearing up for his big night, Xian is very proud to say

that he is very hands-on with the project, personally selecting the songs that he will be performing and the outfits he will donning.

“I have the whole show pictured in my head already. I will try to play as many instruments as I can for the fans. This is something that we are really preparing and working hard for,” he said.

It is not news to his most loyal supporters that Xian, who has released two solo albums and recorded some of his compositions in his eight-year career, can play at least 10 instruments.

A music enthusiast since he was a kid, Xian also promised that the repertoire at his concert would be diverse – with classical pieces, ballads, and pop songs.

Aspart from these, the audience are also in for a huge treat as Xian will be showing his rapping and dancing skills.

A Date With Xian will be made even more special with special guests Abra, Dawn Chang, Morissette, Richard Poon, and his love team partner Kim

After proving his acting prowess and star power on TV and in films, Xian Lim is set to showcase his musical talents in his firstever major solo concert

Chiu. Alco Guerrrero directs the show while the musical direction has been commissioned to Chino David of Silent Sanctuary.

Tickets are priced at P3,710 for the VIP section; P3,180 for orchestra A; P2,650 for orchestra B; P1,400 for loge; and P800 for balcony.

For tickets, log on to www.ticketnet.com.ph or call 911-5555.

For more updates about A Date With Xian, visit Star Music’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/ starrecordsphil, follow @starrecordsph on Twitter, and follow @ starmusicph on Instagram.