The Standard - 2016 July 9 - Saturday

VOL. XXX  NO. 147  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  SATURDAY : JULY 9, 2016  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

LOCAL GOVTS PRESSED ON RH LAW

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PNOY SUED AGAIN Aquino, Abad accused of graft, malversation

By Maricel V. Cruz

MILITANT groups led the filing of a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman Friday against former President Benigno Aquino III and his Budget Secretary Florencio Abad for graft, malversation and usurpation of legislative powers through the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

The complaint was the second filed against Aquino, whose term ended June 30. The first was a multiple homicide charge filed by the parents of two of the 44 police Special Action Force commandos who died in the Mamasapano massacre on Jan. 25, 2015.

The Aquino administration created DAP ostensibly as a stimulus package to speed up public spending and increase economic growth.

But critics accused the Aquino administration of misusing public funds and usurping the congressional power of the purse and challenged the DAP before the Supreme Court, which struck it down as unconstitutional in February 2015.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, one of the complainants, said the DAP was “nothing more than presidential pork taken from forced savings then realigned for pet projects.”

“It was not a stimulus program as many of the projects approved by Aquino had nothing to do with stimulating the economy. It was presidential pork used to entice lawmakers to impeach then convict former Chief Justice Renato Corona,” he said.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr., another complainant, said the allegations they raised “were originally aired via the impeachment complaint filed before the House of Representatives in 2014.”

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Economy class. An economy

class flight steward attends to his VIP passenger, President Rodrigo Duterte, who took a Philippine Airlines flight to Davao City Thursday night.

MALACAÑANG PHOTO

RODY FLIES ECONOMY TO DAVAO PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte flew home to Davao City Thursday night, flying economy on board a commercial flight of Philippine Airlines, in line with his promise that public officials should shun special treatment.

A photo posted by the Presidential Communications Office showed Duterte sitting on the window side of a three-seat row in the economy class section of PAL Flight PR1825 that left Ma-

nila at 9 p.m. and arrived in Davao City at 10:45 p.m.

At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, President Duterte also shunned VIP treatment usually given to the President of the Philippines.

Several photos also posted by the PCO showed Duterte passing through the X-ray and metal scanners, raising his hands for inspection as he entered the departure area of the Naia Terminal 2.

In the first Cabinet meeting after his inauguration last June 30, Duterte ordered his Cabinet members to shun priority treatment at the airports. ”We should treat ourselves just like any other Filipino traveling,” the President told his Cabinet.

Amid air traffic congestion at the Naia, President Duterte also said he would do away with the presidential no-fly-zone whenever he will fly in and out of the country’s main gateway. PNA

LACSON FILES BILL AGAINST DYNASTIES

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LOCAL GOVTS PRESSED TO FOLLOW LAW ON RH

By Gabrielle Binaday

TO MAKE sure the Reproductive Health Law is fully implemented, President Rodrigo Duterte may issue an executive order requiring local government units to comply, Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said Friday.

“We will ask the President to issue an EO to local government executives, to the municipality level, not just big cities and provinces, that the RPRH law is a law and that should be implemented fully,” Pernia said.

He added, however, that there will be no additional incentives for couples that choose to use a particular family planning method, as Davao City did when Duterte was mayor.

At the time, contraceptives were given freely to couples in

health centers, and those who underwent a vasectomy or ligation received cash incentives.

“With the women employed… the number of children desired will go down. That is a built-in incentive,” Pernia said. “They do not need an extra incentive.”

Pernia said sex education in schools would also be pursued more aggressively this year.

“We can do that right away.

The materials are already there... the manuals are ready to go. The new Education secretary is in the

same page as far as implementing the provision,” Pernia said.

He said students must be fully informed about the hazards of unwanted pregnancy.

A study commissioned by the UN Population Fund shows that the fertility rate of the country stood at three percent in 2013, the highest across Southeast Asia.

“It would be disheartening to see that years down the road, Lao PDR and Cambodia will enjoy the dividends associated with the demographic transition

and transform their economies to the level that will improve the lives of millions of their citizens while the Philippines continues to languish in the high population growth-high poverty incidence trap,” the UN study said.

Economic managers of the Duterte administration earlier said that they aim to reduce poverty incidence in the country by 1.25 to 1.5 percentage points every year. This will result in a reduction in poverty incidence from the current 26 percent to about 20 percent at the end of Duterte’s term.

Pernia said this would be feasible if rapid economic growth was accompanied by an increase in jobs for the poorer sectors of the population.

Second lawsuit. Leaders of cause-oriented groups show the criminal complaint they filed against former President Benigno Aquino III and

former Budget secretary Florencio Abad at the Ombudsman over the implementation of the Disbursement Acceleration Program even after it was declared unconstitutional and illegal by the Supreme Court. ANDREW RABULAN

Crime drive out of control, lawyer claims PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s war on crime is spiralling out of control, a top human rights lawyer and opposition lawmakers said Friday after police confirmed killing more than 100 people.

Duterte won the May 9 election by landslide largely on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of narcotics suspects and other criminals, and has urged the police and civilians to help in the killings.

“President Duterte’s war on crime has spawned a nuclear explosion of violence that is spiralling out of control and creating

a nation without judges, without law, and without reason,” Free Legal Assistance Group chairman Jose Manuel Diokno said.

Diokno, also a prominent law professor, likened the killings to the actions of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, accused of killing thousands of dissidents during a 20-year rule that ended in 1986.

Police said Thursday that they had killed 103 drug suspects who resisted arrest, but insisted they had operated within the boundaries of the law.

“They put in danger the lives

of our police officers who then had to defend themselves,” police spokesman Dionaldo Carlos said.

About 10 criminal suspects had been killed by police or suspected vigilantes each day since Duterte took his oath of office, according to a running tally by the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper.

Forty-three were killed as part of police operations, while 29 others, five of them yet to be identified, were victims of “vigilante-style killings,” it added.

Among the dead was a policeman found tied to a post

Thursday with a cardboard sign hanging from his chest that accused him of being a “police drug pusher.” A photo of the victim was published on the paper’s front page on Friday.

Police in nearby Bulacan province said he had been under surveillance on suspicion of ties with drug gangs.

“That was the life he chose, so there’s no one to blame for his fate,” the provincial police chief, Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat, told Manila television network ABS-CBN in an interview. AFP

PNoy...

From A1 “However, the Liberal Party-dominated chamber did not give the impeachment complainants a chance to present evidence on the culpability of Aquino. It is only now that Aquino is no longer in power that we are able to revive our push for accountability,” Reyes said.

The complainants accused Aquino and Abad of technical malversation “for their act of misappropriating public funds to programs, and projects, in conspiracy with one another, through the DAP which had been declared illegal by the Supreme Court.

They said Aquino and Abad violated the Revised Penal Code, particularly the provision of the usurpation of legislative powers when the two “[implemented] the DAP, which resulted in the diversion of funds appropriated by the 2011, 2012, and 2013 General Appropriation Acts (GAA) to programs, activities, and projects (PAPs) they themselves identified and approved, from October 2011 to 2016, thereby supplanting the will of Congress with that of their own and repealing these GAAs and suspending their execution with respect to the items affected.”

They also said Aquino and Abad violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act “for causing undue injury to complainants and the various sectors of the public they represent, including the government, in the discharge of their official administrative functions through evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence, as a result of the implementation of the DAP.” And because Aquino and Abad insisted on the illegal DAP, they were guilty of “grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and gross dishonesty,” the complainants said.

Aside from Zarate and Reyes, the complainants were Alliance of Concerned Teachers chairman Benjamin Valbuena; Confederation For Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees president Ferdinand Gaite; Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption founding chairman and president Dante Jimenez; Mae Paner of the Juana Change Movement, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas secretarygeneral Antonio Flores; Gabriela secretary-general Joan Mae Salvador, Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap chair Gloria Arellano, and Philippine Heart Center Employees Association-Alliance of Health Workers president Bonifacio Carmona Jr. Former Palace deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte on Friday said the charges filed by progressive groups against Aquino were “neither surprising nor unexpected.”

Valte, also a lawyer, said the move was part of the “continuing harassment” on the former chief executive.

“This action from Bayan is neither surprising nor unexpected. As soon as PNoy stepped down, they mobilized to rally at his Times Street home, unwilling to extend to him a peaceful homecoming,” Valte said.

“Unsatisfied, they mobilized again the next day, deliberately provoking the policemen assigned there in the hope of manufacturing violence to boost media coverage of their shenanigans,” Valte said.

Aquino went back to his residence at Times Street in Quezon City after he stepped down from office last week, June 30.

“It is clearly part of their continuing harassment of a president who refused to be cowed by their chest-beating during his entire term,” Valte said of the incident.

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Joint exploration with China FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said Friday the Philippines was ready to negotiate with China on the joint exploration of oil and fishery resources in the South China Sea after the arbitration court decides on the case Manila has brought against Beijing on July 12.

He said the idea was discussed by President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jinhua during the envoy’s courtesy call on Thursday.

“If the Chinese, in respecting the decision of the arbitral tribunal, would like to negotiate within the context of that [decision] along with the other claimants... by all means let’s pursue that,” Yasay said.

He made his statement even as Beijing will not take a “single step back” in the contested South China Sea, state-run media said Friday, despite reports of US naval patrols close to its artificial islands ahead of a tribunal ruling in the dispute.

Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from Southeast Asian neighbors, and has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

It is currently holding a week of military drills around the Paracel Islands in the northern part of the sea, during which other ships have been prohibited from entering the waters.

Aside from the joint exploration, Yasay also said that Zhao made a commitment that his government would not do any untoward action that might undermine Beijing and Manila’s diplomatic relationship.

China would also not do any action that might undermine the Philippine interest, particularly Manila’s claim to the West Philippine Sea. “We summarily spoke about the strengthening of our friendship,” Yasay said citing Xhao’s courtesy call to Duterte.

Briefing. Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay gestures during an interview in Manila on July 8, 2016. The Philippines is willing to share natural resources with Beijing in the contested South China Sea areas even if it wins a legal challenge next week, Yasay told AFP on July 8. AFP

Bill seeks implementation of ban on dynasties AFTER nearly 30 years, the Constitution’s prohibition against political dynasties may finally be fulfilled if a bill filed by Senator Panfilo Lacson is approved.

Lacson said Senate Bill 49 seeks to implement the 1987 Constitution’s provision to give all Filipinos equal access to opportunities in the public service by thwarting political dynasties.

“While the State recognizes the pernicious effects of political dynasties, there is still no enabling law to prohibit its existence in the political arena,” Lacson said.

“Influential clans and families that are well-entrenched in the political arena have made positions in government their virtual playgrounds, resulting in the proliferation of small monarchies all over the country.”

Lacson said despite many attempts to produce a law against political dynasties as early as the 8th Congress, such has not happened.

He said his bill seeks to prohibit the spouse or person related within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity to an incumbent elective official seeking reelection to hold or

run for any elective office in the same city and/or province in the same election.

It also bars two or more people who have a political dynasty relationship from running simultaneously for an elective office within the same city and/or province, even if neither is so related to the incumbent public official.

But if the constituency of the incumbent elective official is national in character, “the above relatives shall be disqualified from running only within the same province where the former is a registered voter.” Macon Ramos-Araneta

Visaya wears four-star rank

WISH GRANTED. Giving an opportunity to those who need it most, the Wong Chu King Foundation (WCKF) once again granted 20 new scholars the chance to pursue quality education for a brighter future. The simple ceremony was held at Constacio Dee Hall, Malolos Bulacan recently. WCKF general manager James Vincent Navarrete (extreme right) and WCKF volunteers flank the newly accepted scholars from various regions of the country.

ARMED Forces Chief Ricardo Visaya on Friday wore his four-star rank after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana put it on him in Camp Aguinaldo.

His rank of full general is now up for confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.

Visaya was commander of the Southern Luzon Command based in Lucena City before President Rodrigo Duterte appointed him Armed Forces chief.

He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983.

Visaya has until December to lead the AFP as he will be reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 this year.

Duterte has ordered him to eliminate the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf and to help the Philippine National Police fight crime and eliminate illegal drugs.

After donning his new rank, Visaya proceeded to the headquarters of the Philippine Air Force where he was briefed on the command’s current programs.

His classmate, Air Force Chief Edgar Fallorina, awarded him the Honorary Aviator’s Gold Wings for being the top AFP official.

Florante S. Solmerin

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Rody eyes failed BBL if Con-Con is rejected

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte declared Friday night that he would ask Congress to pass the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law pushed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front should Filipinos reject his proposed shift to federalism through a Constitutional Convention.

Speaking to the Muslim community during the Eid‘l-Fitr celebration in Davao City, Duterte hoped he could persuade the Moro community to accept federalism because it will fulfill the aspirations of the Bangsamoro.

“If I could persuade everybody in Mindanao, if I could persuade my Muslim brothers, including Nur Misuari of the MNLF, there will be a reconfiguration of the territory and most of them would occupy regional and state positions,” Duterte said.

He said his federalism proposal is also one of the reaons why Moros were not given key positions in the government even if he is a “son of Mindanao.”

“It will be difficult because I see that at the end of the year, we will be able to come out with a framework on how to implement federalism,” Duterte said.

“But if the Filipino nation [does not] want it, then I am ready to concede whatever is there in the BBL. We will see to it that it will be passed [by Congress],” he added.

Duterte also outlined some of his ideas on sub-states under a federal government, including, for instance, a separate territory for the Tausug people.

“In fairness to Nur, we will

In the spotlight.

Daanbantayan, Cebu Mayor Vicente Loot speaks with journalists at Camp Crame in Quezon City after he met with Philippine National Police chief Director General Rolando dela Rosa to discuss his alleged involvement in the drug trade when he was still a police general.

ANDREW RABULAN

reconfigure his territory for the Tausug nation. Then we will have new boundaries which are not intended to separate Moros from the Christians. Rather it is only to delineate territories,” he said.

“But that should not keep us apart from being Mindanaoans because most of the Christians here in Mindanao are supporting federalism and the BBL,” he said.

If he succeeds in pushing for Federalism, Duterte envisions the actual shift to come in the middle of his six-year term.

“We must accept that we will be a nation that will be founded on peace and understanding. I think, with the grace of Allah, I might be able to do it in six years.

It will not be overnight but certainly it will come two to three years from now,” he added.

“I assure you that something will change before I end my term so to my brothers in the MILF, a promise is a promise.

My word of honor is something that I value very much so when I’ve already given my word, that is it and I will not change it,” the President said. “These are things that we must work in, our aspirations. This will be another chance for the Mindanaoans to expect change, it might not come again,” he added.

Distinguished alumnus. Retired senior Supreme Court Justice Josue Bellosillo was chosen distinguished alumnus in law by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association. The award was confered by UP president Alfredo Pascual and UPAA president Ramon Maronilla. Bellosillo, who is now dean of Centro Escolar University School of Law and Jurisprudence, graduated from the UP in 1957 and passed the Bar the same year.

He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1992 and retired in 2003. He authored several law books among which is ‘Effective Pre-Trial Techniques’ now being used as a reference material by trial judges and appellate justices.

Digong: US exporting terror

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte again flashed his anti-American streak on Friday night and scored the United States for supposedly enabling global terrorism when it invaded Iraq and started the spread of Islamism to other parts of the world, including the Philippines.

“The Middle East is not the one exporting terrorism to America.

America imported terrorism [to the Middle East],” Duterte said at an Eid‘l-Fitr gathering in Davao City on Friday.

“They destroyed Middle East,” he declared, adding that while Saddam was a dictator, he was in control of his country and current investigation even shows that the US had no legal basis to declare war against Iraq, apparently refer-

ring to the recently released Chilcot report in Britain.

Duterte said that the decision of the US and the United Kingdom to invade Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries led many Muslims to radicalism.

“Look at Iraq now. Look at what happened to Libya. Look at what happened to Syria. They are being exterminated. They are being bombed and they were pushed to the wall over failed promises,” he said.

Duterte drew parallelisms between the conditions in the Middle East and the Moro rebellion in the country which, he said, stemmed from historical injustices.

“It is a different setup here because these guys are driven to desperation. From Nur [Misuari] to the Abu Sayaff, there is a sufficient semblance. They’re pushed

to the wall, then they become radicalized,” he added.

Duterte expressed his views after the publication of the findings of the British public inquiry, headed

by Sir John Chilcot, into the United Kingdom’s role in the Iraq War. The inquiry began in 2009 and published only last July 6.

The inquiry was pursued by a committee of Privy Counsellors with broad terms of reference to consider Britain’s involvement in Iraq between mid-2001 and July 2009.

In 2012, the UK government vetoed the release to the inquiry of documents detailing minutes of Cabinet meetings in the days leading up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, particularly discussions between then US President George Bush and then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Zubiri files Con-Con bill

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo SENATOR Juan Miguel Zubiri has filed a bill calling for the election of 86 independent delegates and the appointment of 14 others to a Constitutional Convention alongside barangay and youth council elections in October.

Zubiri filed the bill as the Commission on Elections announced that it expects more than three million new voters to register for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan, or youth council, elections on Oct. 31.

Comelec Commissioner Luie Tito Guia said there will be no extension of the 15day registration from July 15 to 31 because of the short time frame involved.

“For those with opposition to registrations, they have 15 days to file their protest.

August 1 to 15 will be the period to accept opposition to applications and the hearings,” he said, adding that no application

for transfer of voter registration records will be entertained.

Zubiri, for his part, said his bill is the answer to the growing public clamor for constitutional reform—a clamor reinforced by the election of President Rodrigo Duterte who ran on a federalism platform.

“There shall be an election of delegates to a Con-Con simultaneous with the holding of the October 2016 barangay elections,” according to the senator’s proposed ConCon Act of 2016.

“We are proposing to constitute a ConCon of exactly 100 delegates—one delegate from every province, or a total of 81 from all provinces, five delegates from the National Capital Region, plus 14 delegates to be appointed by the President,” Zubiri said.

The Con-Con is expected to complete the draft of a proposed new Constitution within 36 months and the draft shall be submitted to the people for ratification in a plebiscite within 90 days.

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Aquino execs linked to drug trade

By John Paolo Bencito Malacañang late Thursday night signified that it is looking into the possible knowledge or involvement of some high officials who served under the aquino administration in the chinese drug triad and the five police generals whom President Rodrigo Duterte had publicly shamed.

Duterte accused retired Deputy Director General Marcelino Garbo, retired Chief Superintendent Vicente Loot, and three other active police generals, namely Chief Superintendents Joel Pagdilao, Edgardo Tinio and Bernardo Diaz of protecting the Chinese Drug Triad operating inside the National Bilibid Prisons, which is allegedly behind the multi-billion drug operations in the country.

Some Aquino Cabinet officials are rumored to have protected these big drug lords because they have allegedly put down any sting operation against them.

As a result, only small time drug pushers were apprehended.

An ex-PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) agent had earlier accused a former Cabinet official, who was overseeing a state anti-organized crime body, of not running after big drug lords.

Under the Aquino administration, the Reformation. More than 600 drug users and pushers voluntarily surrendered during the visit of Philippine National Police Chief Ronald New Bilibid Prisons became the head- ‘Bato’ De La Rosa in Bataan. MANNY PALMERO quarters of drug lords in this country.

Two of the named big-time drug lords —Wu Tuan alias Peter Co, a Chinese national who leads the triad operations in Luzon and National Capital Region and Herbert Colangco alias Ampang who operates the drug operations in Mindanao that certain persons have entered portions After yesterday’s afternoon dialogue have been remotely operating the drug

By Rio N. Araja of landholdings which are presently the with 146 Ambala members, Mariano imoperation and transaction through cellAGRARIAN Reform Secretary Rafael subject of G.R. No. 17110 (HLI vs. PARC, mediately tasked a team to coordinate phones.

Mariano on Friday called on the Haci- et al.). Regardless as to whether or not such with the local police and the military to Aguirre said that while he cannot yet enda Luisita Inc. (HLI) to stop harassing persons anchored their claims on the ba- ease tension in Mapalacsiao. divulge the names of these high officials He also vowed to help the farmers file farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehen- sis of certificates of land ownership award, or offices, he said they may have benefitit is imperative to maintain the status quo the appropriate charges against the persive Agrarian Reform Program. ted from the illegal drug trade and even In a one-page memorandum, Mari- that no person should directly or indirectly petrators. coddled traders.

Florida Sibayan, Ambala chairperson, ano directed the Department of Agrar- dispossess or abet the dispossessment of “If any evidence will be presented, then farmers presently occupying the land or said on July 1, the day Mariano was inian Reform’s Region 3 director and [action would be taken]; they could be in provincial officer in Tarlac to ensure the destruction of any crops, thereon until stalled into office as DAR chief, personnel conspiracy with these people because the safety of the affected farmers of the such time that a proper determination has of HLI and the Tarlac Development Corp., there are some information that many in Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid been made by the Supreme Court or DAR destroyed and flattened over 20 hectares of high positions received monetary considsa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala), and block in this case as to the rights of the parties,” palay and vegetables in Barangay Mapalaceration for protecting some of these drug siao “right in front” of Tarlac police officers. any personnel of HLI belonging to the the memorandum read. lords,” he said.

“Therefore, you are hereby directed to Sibayan, along with Unyon ng mga Cojuangco-Aquino clan from entering Aguirre added that he is studying the the CARP-covered farmlots in Barangay advise/inform all parties to refrain from Manggagawa sa Agrikultura secretarypossibility of placing on the immigration Mapalacsiao and other Hacienda Luisi- committing acts that will render moot general Danilo Ramos, claimed that Lookout Bulletin the five police officers, ta villages to evict them and to destroy and academic whatever Decision the Su- former President Benigno Aquino III and incumbent and retired, shamed by Dupreme Court and/or DAR may take on ex-DAR secretary Virgilio de los Reyes their crops. terte for their alleged involvement in ilwere behind the harassment.

“It has come to the attention of this office the pending incidents.” legal drugs.

DAR: Stop harassment of Luisita farmers

FOI bill filed anew in House

By Maricel V. Cruz

Vice. Caloocan City Police Chief Sr. Supt. Johnson Almazan (left) takes alleged drug pusher and user Luis Asistio III (right), the brother of Vice Mayor Macario Asistio III (center), to the Caloocan City Police Station on Friday. ANDREW RABULAN

A VISAyAN lawmaker has refiled the proposed Freedom of Information Act (FOI) that seeks to promote good governance, accountability and transparency in all branches of the government.

Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar filed the measure as Malacañang has issued an executive order on FOI covering all agencies under the executive department, including government-owned and -controlled corporations Del Mar said his proposed measure seeks to uphold the right of Filipino citizens to information held by the government and mandates full public disclosure of all government transactions in the public interest “This same measure was already approved on third and final reading during the 14th Congress. However, due to the lack of a quorum on the last session day, the subject conference committee report

was not ratified,” Del Mar said.

The bill provides that request for information shall be free of charge and it could be requested personally, by electronic means or by mail to the government agency concerned.

The FOI Act shall cover the executive, legislative and judicial branches, which shall include the national government and all its agencies, departments, bureaus, constitutional commissions and mandated bodies, offices of the senators and representatives, the Supreme Court and all lower courts established by law.

It shall also cover local governments and all their agencies, regulatory agencies, chartered institutions, government-owned or-controlled corporations including wholly owned or controlled subsidiaries, offices and instrumentalities, government financial institutions, state universities and colleges.

Law enforcement agencies, such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, shall be part of the FOI Act.

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MMDA team nabs illegally parked cars

12 flights canceled, seven diverted due to ‘Butchoy’

By Joel E. Zurbano

By Eric B. Apolonio

THe Metro Manila Development Authority has formed a new team tasked to rid major and secondary streets in the National capital Region of illegally parked vehicles.

The move came after the agency on June 30 dissolved its old unit whose members were tasked to go after vehicles illegally parked on 17 Mabuhay lanes, the alternate routes used by private motorists avoiding the congested epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

“This time, we will get rid of illegally parked vehicles in all roads anywhere in Metro Manila,” said lawyer crisanto Saruca Jr., head of the MMDA -Traffic Discipline Office.

Saruca said he will supervise the new team of 60 personnel from various offices of the agency, including those from the towing operation and anti-illegal parking groups. He added it will be headed by traffic officer Roldan Aban Sr. The 17 Mabuhay lanes are alternative routes to the 23.8-kilometer edsa. These cover the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati, Manila and Quezon city.

They also include secondary roads going to shopping destinations in Metro Manila such as baclaran in Parañaque, Greenhills in San Juan, Divisoria, and carriedo in Manila.

“The Mabuhay lanes have been dissolved. The operation was finished on June 30, so we created a new one under the Traffic Discipline Office. This group is for antiillegal parking operations.

The general rule is no parking on the roads and on the sidewalks,” Saruca said.

At leAst seven commercial aircraft of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air and Zest Air were diverted early morning Friday to Clark International Airport Corp. in Pampanga due to bad weather in Metro Manila brought about by typhoon “Butchoy” (International name: “Nepartak”).

Some regional and domestic flights at the Ninoy Aquino international Airport remain suspended due to bad weather.

Ding Aranas, ciAc airport terminal manager said

that PAl flight 321 from Davao, and cebu Pacific flight 319 from cebu arrived at clark Airport starting at 6 a.m. Friday after the Manila international Airport Authority suspended

several international and domestic flights at Naia.

Aranas also said that more aircraft reached clark Airport, among them PAl Airbus flight 340 from San Francisco, domestic flights of cebu Pacific from cebu, iloilo, bacolod and of Zest Air from cebu.

He said all passengers of the diverted flights landed safely at clark. but a MiAA Media Affairs office advisory to The Standard said all diverted flights at clark landed at the Naia one after the other starting 9 a.m. after the weather improved in Manila.

MiAA said that as

of noon on Friday, 12 flights were canceled due to the weather disturbance affecting northern luzon including batanes.

Regional flights to Taiwan were also affected, with china Airlines flight ci 711/712 from Manila to Kaoshung (Taiwan) and back to Manila and eva Air’s flight bR277/278 from Manila to Taipei to Manila cancelled. eight Domestic flights were affected: PAl express flights 2P 2084/2085 and Skyjet flights M8 816/817 from Manila to basco and back to Manila, cebGo flight 6041/6042 from Ma-

nila-busuanga-Manila and Air Asia flight Z2 775/776 from Manila-cebu-Manila were canceled.

Meanwhile, ciAc terminal operations said that at least 10 commercial aircraft of the Republic of Taiwan sought refuge at clark international Airport late Thursday afternoon due to Typhoon “butchoy”, which battered parts of Taiwan on Friday.

The ciAc said among the aircraft were TransAsia Airways A320, A321, three ATR72; Mandarin Airlines A320 and two eRJ190s; and two TigerAir Taiwan A320s.

Rescue. Members of the Bureau of Fire Protection negotiate with an unknown man who climbed a 20-foot electric post on Leon Guinto in San Andres, Manila on Friday. The man who was reportedly depressed, was rescued after five hours. DANNY PATA

Mandaluyong drainage project completed in September—DPWH

By John Paolo Bencito

Conveyance. Residents of Brgy. Maysilo in Mandaluyong City take a pedicab to cross a flooded street on Friday. Classes and government work in Metro Manila were suspended due to heavy monsoon rains enhanced by Typhoon ‘Butchoy.’ ANDREW RABULAN

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar on Friday vowed to finish the f lood-control project at Maysilo circle in Mandaluyong city by the end of September after a megadrainage project left untouched after three years under the Aquino administration caused f loods and endangered local businesses.

“We have already spoken to the contractor. His commitment is by September. if the contractor cannot finish by September, he himself will be swimming in the flood,” Villar said on television.

The already stinking flood water around the Mandaluyong city Hall is caused by the three-year construction left unfinished by a contractor tasked by the Public Works department to construct and maintain Metro Manila’s mega-flood control program.

The flood water does not dissipate even on sunny days and has caused businesses around the area to shut down because of “record-low” losses due to floods.

Former Mandaluyong mayor benhur Aba-

los had apprised the DPWH of the inconvenience caused by the project at least eight times since March 2013, to no avail.

Former Public Works secretary Rogelio Singson had promised residents that the department will do its best to finish the project

by May this year “with a little more sacrifice,” but no improvement was made since he made that statement.

Dengue cases in Mandaluyong from January to September last year rose to 176 cases from 140 cases in the first nine months of 2014 as a result of the flooding.

“With the permission of the city government as well as the residents, we will be working on the project 24/7,” Singson said last February.

He revealed that all flood control programs of the government were transferred from the DPWH to the Metro Manila Development Authority, which did not have the equipment to implement the programs.

Villar, however, assured the public that temporary measures to ease the burden of residents and motorists are already being taken by the DPWH.

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 9, 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

100 names added to list of cops in C. Luzon drug trade

By Francisco Tuyay MORE policemen have been dragged into the illegal drug controversy with at least 100 new names added to the list of protectors, pushers or users during their tour of duty.

Newly posted Central Luzon police director Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino said Friday they had more cops reportedly involved in illegal drugs operation in the region.

Aquino’s disclosure came a day after President Rodrigo Duterte exposed the supposed drug triad composed of prominent convicted members of Chinese drug syndicates now incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

“We will make a report and their profile will be determined for the eventual filing of administrative cases,” Aquino said during the first provincial visit of PNP Chief Ronaldo dela Rosa at Camp Tolentino in Balanga, Bataan.

There are 11,600 policemen assigned in Central Luzon, the bulk of which are posted in Bulacan and Pampanga.

President Duterte on Tuesday accused three active police generals and two former police officials as having links to illegal drugs.

Last week, 11 police officers tested positive to drugs in a random test in Camp Crame. On Friday, three policemen including a middle-grade officer tested positive for drugs during a weeklong drug test among policemen in Central Luzon.

Clearing the street. A member of the city rescue team clears Martin Street in Valle Verde, Pasig City of rock debris after a wall collapsed due to heavy rain caused by Typhoon ‘Butchoy.’ ANDREW RABULAN

Quezon, Kudarat pledge land for drug users’ rehab

By John Paolo Bencito

TWO provinces on Friday signified their intent to give parcels of their land to the government to help in the rehabilitation efforts for drug users.

Following the appeal of the Interior Department, the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Quezon said they were willing to provide land on which rehabilitation centers can be constructed.

Interior Secretary Mike Sueno said the department is now finalizing arrangements with other LGUs

which have expressed their commitment to support the anti-illegal drugs drive by donating land.

“I hope this will be replicated in all regions of the country. To our LGUs which have a wide area of land to spare, please give them to the government so that we can build rehab

centers to help the drug addicts in their journey to better lives,” he said.

In the past few days, thousands of drug users and pushers have turned themselves in to police and local government authorities after the President’s pronouncement that he would crack down on illegal drugs.

With the mass surrender of drug dependents, Sueno urged LGUs to donate land to build more rehab centers to help drug users change their ways and lead more productive lives.

Not all regions in the

country have rehabilitation centers where drug users could undergo a program to help them cope with addiction.

Sueno added: “The lack of rehabilitation centers is a real problem because most of them are in Metro Manila and there are only a few of them.”

Sueno said that he has also met with some people interested in helping the government’s campaign by putting up more rehabilitation centers.

“The illegal drugs problem is a societal menace.

Hence, we are also encouraging private individuals or entities to also join in the government’s efforts for the rehabilitation side of the drug campaign,” he said.

The DILG Secretary likewise started talks with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority which can help conduct livelihood trainings for drug dependents.

Drug users who have stopped schooling can also be enrolled in the Alternative Learning System program of the Department of Education.

Ombudsman clears former gov of corruption

By Brenda Jocson

Travel madness. Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo walks with Philippine Airlines' Jaime Bautista during the opening of the 5th Travel Madness Expo held at SMX Convention Center. LINO SANTOS

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya —Former governor Ruth Padilla and the provincial legal officer have been cleared by the Ombudsman of corrupt practices and grave abuse of authority filed against them by 21 provincial government employees.

A joint resolution approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales cleared Padilla and provincial legal officer Voltaire Garcia dismissing the case against them “for lack of probable cause and substantial evidence.”

In 2013, upon assumption as governor, Padilla revoked the said employees’ appointments and promotions in her issuance of Executive Order No. 3.

The said employees were appointed and promoted by then-governor, now Rep. Luisa Cuaresma.

They questioned Padilla’s authority to revoke their respective appointments and promotions before the Civil Service Commission which issued an order favoring the employees and directing Padilla for their reinstatement and payment of back wages.

On May 7, 2015, Padilla acted on the CSC order, reinstating the employees to their respective positions they were appointed and promoted. They were also paid of their backwages for the period January to June 2015. The back wages for 2013 and 2014, however, were not paid for lack of appropriation.

This was one of the bases for the employees’ filing of a case against

Padilla for her alleged willful disobedience for refusing to implement the CSC order.

However, the Ombudsman’s order said there is no showing that respondents openly refused to implement the CSC order without any legal justification.

The Ombudsman order stated: “Here respondent Padilla... implemented the CSC Resolutions by reinstating complainants to the positions they were appointed or promoted to and were paid their backwages for the period January to June 2015.”

“The backwages for the years 2013 and 2014 were not released for lack of appropriation therefor; hence, compliance therewith is impeded by one that is beyond her authority or power,” the Ombudsman said.

A8

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 9, 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

NO NEED FOR EMERGENCY POWERS TO SOLVE EDSA TRAFFIC MESS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

COMMON SENSE AND SOME

(Part 2)

THE five new senators—Leila De Lima, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Joel Villanueva and Emmanuel Pacquiao—are preparing for their entry into the 17th Congress on July 25.

They are getting to know the workings of the Upper House: Hiring members of their team, organizing their offices, drafting bills according to their advocacies and reviewing legislative processes. Some of them have attended orientations for firsttime senators and crash courses on governance.

To be sure, none of them are completely new to government work. They have achieved success—some, notoriety—in performing their duties, inspiring name recall that catapulted them to the Senate with its nationwide constituency.

Four of the five, with the exception of De Lima, have worked as members of the House of Representatives as either district or party-list representatives. Some of them have headed national government agencies. Gatchalian was for three terms a local chief executive.

Some need reinforcements more than others. While previous experience in government, particularly in legislative work, is ideal, the quality of the service counts as much as the nominal length of stay. Mouthing advocacy is meaningless when taken against how the officials actually lived.

Specifically, we take exception to Senator Villanueva’s shameless use of the agency he headed—the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority—to boost his senatorial candidacy. The former Tesda director-general had the temerity to call himself “Tesdaman” as though it was he who established the agency and funded all its projects. What ever happened to keeping the institution distinct from the individuals in it?

Inflating his achievements in running Tesda, we believe, was a convenient cover for accusations of misuse of Priority Development Assistance Fund while Villanueva headed, curiously, an anti-corruption party-list group at the House. He has never responded satisfactorily to the allegations.

And then there is Senator Pacquiao, who believes that popularity is enough preparation for public service. The boxer’s dismal attendance record during his years as lawmaker speaks volumes about how seriously he takes his job. It is likely the same pattern will emerge at the Senate, even as the Bible-quoting Pacquiao has filed an early bill supporting the death penalty.

It’s all common sense, Pacquiao tells us about how one should get the job done.

Lawmaking is not grandstanding and trying to sound smart, he added. This one he got right—we hope he would heed his own advice, but we’re not too optimistic.

Filipinos are no strangers to underperforming senators who bring their prominent names and nothing else to their offices. We complain and mock them, sure. Still, their presence is a sorry reflection of the way we collectively think.

That we continue to elect those with underwhelming records, or those whom we know to be unfit for the job, just because their names ring a bell, defies all common sense. Alas, there seems to be no crash course to help us snap out of this.

RETELLING HISTORY POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO (Part 1) OUTSIDE of my advocacies for human and women’s rights, heritage preservation and Philippine history are my other passions.

I am in awe of anyone who had a role in our country’s struggle for independence no matter how tiny their part was. To me, they are all heroes and we owe

them our freedoms, big time.

History comes alive for me when I enter ancestral homes, especially those that belonged to historical figures. Excitement fills me when I read historical accounts not taught in schools, or when I “discover” primary sources of information about our revolutionary past. I get goosebumps whenever I touch and pore over old documents.

Many times, I learn valuable lessons that shatter my own biases. Seeking out people who know much more than I do is something that gives me a sense of joy. Engaging them in lively

banter that sometimes turns into passionate discussions enlightens me.

My passion for history led me to Taal, the heritage town in Batangas. It was love at first sight for me. While the primary attraction for many is its Basilica de San Martin de Tours, the biggest Catholic church in Southeast Asia, this small town has rows and rows of ancestral homes a good number of which dates back to the Spanish era.

Walking its streets brings people back to the time of our heroes.

After all, Taal was home to some of the major players in the Phil-

A9

History comes alive for me when I enter ancestral homes, especially those that belonged to historical figures.

ippine revolution against Spain and our war against the Americans.

Taal gave us Marcela Agoncillo, the maker of our flag; her husband Felipe Agoncillo, our first diplomat under the first Republic’s President Emilio Aguinaldo; lawyer and revolutionary Leon Apacible, Aguinaldo’s finance officer in the province, and signatory to the Malolos Constitution; General Ananias Diokno, one of Aguinaldo’s trusted, and the only Tagalog general to lead a full scale military expedition to the Visayas; and Dona Gliceria Villavicencio, honored by Aguinaldo as the Godmother of the Philippine Revolution. Villavicencio’s affluent family contributed

much to the movement. They helped finance the publication of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo and donated the Katipunan’s first warship, Bulusan, which was used by General Diokno. The homes of these revolutionaries are intact and all (except Gen. Diokno’s) are open to visitors who want to see first-hand how our heroes lived.

Taal was a hotbed of the Philippine revolution and other homes of Katipuneros are still being discovered. We “discovered” the home of Felisa Diokno, Gen. Aguinaldo’s private secretary

of more than 45 years. This house now displays historical memorabilia that have never been seen before. In one of our trips, we entered another house of an unknown Katipunero. We found his uniform and some documents pertaining to his role in the revolution, including the actual paper of the oath he took when they were captured by the Americans. Thus, being in Taal is like being among our heroes.

Taal made me thirstier for knowledge about our history. The resources there do not disappoint. It is like being intro-

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

duced to a more detailed, albeit sometimes, different narrative of our revolution. To me, Taal retells history, makes me question well-accepted ideas about our heroes, and develops in me a more profound appreciation of the people who sacrificed for us.

Like many of my contemporaries in the University of the Philippines, my biggest hero was Supremo Andres Bonifacio, and next was Dr. Jose Rizal. The latter inspired others to rebel against our Spanish colonizers, and the former Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

OBSTACLES on the road like road dividers, markers, and signages should be conspicuous and visible to motorists at all times. Motorists who can see the road clearly are able to finish their trips without much delay. Again, this means less vehicles on the road, and thus less traffic jams.

The Metro Manila Development Authority under Francis Tolentino and Emerson Carlos allowed many road hazards to stay along Edsa. Fortunately for the two, nobody has sued them for their failure to make the roadways safe.

Having emphasized the foregoing postulates, a detailed discussion of more specific causes of the traffic mess is in order.

Motorcycles must stay on one lane along Edsa and major roadways, and motorcycle drivers must comply with traffic regulations.

At intersections where traffic grinds to a halt due to a traffic light or a traffic enforcer directing traffic, motorcycle drivers often overtake the stationary vehicles and move to the front of the line, even if they end up blocking the pedestrian lane.

Their blatant disregard for the pedestrian lane forces pedestrians to make diversions, thus adding to the traffic mess.

Motorcycle drivers often create an illegal counterflow. This narrows the opposite side of the road which, in turn, delays the flow of traffic there.

Many motorcycle drivers disregard traffic lights, and even some traffic cops, and move on as if they are exempted from traffic regulations.

The solution to this blantant disregard of traffic rules is to impose heavy fines on the violators, and to impound the motorcycles of rescidivists.

Inconsiderate motorcycle drivers, and there are many of them, block the three or four lanes along each side of Edsa in such a way that they impede the smooth flow of vehicular traffic behind them.

They are also infamous for making sudden turns when traffic is relatively heavy, and with no regard for other vehicles.

The solution to this nuisance is to require motorcycles to stay on one lane along Edsa and major roads. Ex-MMDA Chairman Tolentino once created motorcycle lanes on Edsa and Commonwealth Avenue, but discontinued them in 2015 when he focused on his anticipated campaign for the Senate.

Continued on A11 Publisher Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

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

A8

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 9, 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

NO NEED FOR EMERGENCY POWERS TO SOLVE EDSA TRAFFIC MESS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

COMMON SENSE AND SOME

(Part 2)

THE five new senators—Leila De Lima, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Joel Villanueva and Emmanuel Pacquiao—are preparing for their entry into the 17th Congress on July 25.

They are getting to know the workings of the Upper House: Hiring members of their team, organizing their offices, drafting bills according to their advocacies and reviewing legislative processes. Some of them have attended orientations for firsttime senators and crash courses on governance.

To be sure, none of them are completely new to government work. They have achieved success—some, notoriety—in performing their duties, inspiring name recall that catapulted them to the Senate with its nationwide constituency.

Four of the five, with the exception of De Lima, have worked as members of the House of Representatives as either district or party-list representatives. Some of them have headed national government agencies. Gatchalian was for three terms a local chief executive.

Some need reinforcements more than others. While previous experience in government, particularly in legislative work, is ideal, the quality of the service counts as much as the nominal length of stay. Mouthing advocacy is meaningless when taken against how the officials actually lived.

Specifically, we take exception to Senator Villanueva’s shameless use of the agency he headed—the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority—to boost his senatorial candidacy. The former Tesda director-general had the temerity to call himself “Tesdaman” as though it was he who established the agency and funded all its projects. What ever happened to keeping the institution distinct from the individuals in it?

Inflating his achievements in running Tesda, we believe, was a convenient cover for accusations of misuse of Priority Development Assistance Fund while Villanueva headed, curiously, an anti-corruption party-list group at the House. He has never responded satisfactorily to the allegations.

And then there is Senator Pacquiao, who believes that popularity is enough preparation for public service. The boxer’s dismal attendance record during his years as lawmaker speaks volumes about how seriously he takes his job. It is likely the same pattern will emerge at the Senate, even as the Bible-quoting Pacquiao has filed an early bill supporting the death penalty.

It’s all common sense, Pacquiao tells us about how one should get the job done.

Lawmaking is not grandstanding and trying to sound smart, he added. This one he got right—we hope he would heed his own advice, but we’re not too optimistic.

Filipinos are no strangers to underperforming senators who bring their prominent names and nothing else to their offices. We complain and mock them, sure. Still, their presence is a sorry reflection of the way we collectively think.

That we continue to elect those with underwhelming records, or those whom we know to be unfit for the job, just because their names ring a bell, defies all common sense. Alas, there seems to be no crash course to help us snap out of this.

RETELLING HISTORY POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO (Part 1) OUTSIDE of my advocacies for human and women’s rights, heritage preservation and Philippine history are my other passions.

I am in awe of anyone who had a role in our country’s struggle for independence no matter how tiny their part was. To me, they are all heroes and we owe

them our freedoms, big time.

History comes alive for me when I enter ancestral homes, especially those that belonged to historical figures. Excitement fills me when I read historical accounts not taught in schools, or when I “discover” primary sources of information about our revolutionary past. I get goosebumps whenever I touch and pore over old documents.

Many times, I learn valuable lessons that shatter my own biases. Seeking out people who know much more than I do is something that gives me a sense of joy. Engaging them in lively

banter that sometimes turns into passionate discussions enlightens me.

My passion for history led me to Taal, the heritage town in Batangas. It was love at first sight for me. While the primary attraction for many is its Basilica de San Martin de Tours, the biggest Catholic church in Southeast Asia, this small town has rows and rows of ancestral homes a good number of which dates back to the Spanish era.

Walking its streets brings people back to the time of our heroes.

After all, Taal was home to some of the major players in the Phil-

A9

History comes alive for me when I enter ancestral homes, especially those that belonged to historical figures.

ippine revolution against Spain and our war against the Americans.

Taal gave us Marcela Agoncillo, the maker of our flag; her husband Felipe Agoncillo, our first diplomat under the first Republic’s President Emilio Aguinaldo; lawyer and revolutionary Leon Apacible, Aguinaldo’s finance officer in the province, and signatory to the Malolos Constitution; General Ananias Diokno, one of Aguinaldo’s trusted, and the only Tagalog general to lead a full scale military expedition to the Visayas; and Dona Gliceria Villavicencio, honored by Aguinaldo as the Godmother of the Philippine Revolution. Villavicencio’s affluent family contributed

much to the movement. They helped finance the publication of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo and donated the Katipunan’s first warship, Bulusan, which was used by General Diokno. The homes of these revolutionaries are intact and all (except Gen. Diokno’s) are open to visitors who want to see first-hand how our heroes lived.

Taal was a hotbed of the Philippine revolution and other homes of Katipuneros are still being discovered. We “discovered” the home of Felisa Diokno, Gen. Aguinaldo’s private secretary

of more than 45 years. This house now displays historical memorabilia that have never been seen before. In one of our trips, we entered another house of an unknown Katipunero. We found his uniform and some documents pertaining to his role in the revolution, including the actual paper of the oath he took when they were captured by the Americans. Thus, being in Taal is like being among our heroes.

Taal made me thirstier for knowledge about our history. The resources there do not disappoint. It is like being intro-

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

duced to a more detailed, albeit sometimes, different narrative of our revolution. To me, Taal retells history, makes me question well-accepted ideas about our heroes, and develops in me a more profound appreciation of the people who sacrificed for us.

Like many of my contemporaries in the University of the Philippines, my biggest hero was Supremo Andres Bonifacio, and next was Dr. Jose Rizal. The latter inspired others to rebel against our Spanish colonizers, and the former Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

OBSTACLES on the road like road dividers, markers, and signages should be conspicuous and visible to motorists at all times. Motorists who can see the road clearly are able to finish their trips without much delay. Again, this means less vehicles on the road, and thus less traffic jams.

The Metro Manila Development Authority under Francis Tolentino and Emerson Carlos allowed many road hazards to stay along Edsa. Fortunately for the two, nobody has sued them for their failure to make the roadways safe.

Having emphasized the foregoing postulates, a detailed discussion of more specific causes of the traffic mess is in order.

Motorcycles must stay on one lane along Edsa and major roadways, and motorcycle drivers must comply with traffic regulations.

At intersections where traffic grinds to a halt due to a traffic light or a traffic enforcer directing traffic, motorcycle drivers often overtake the stationary vehicles and move to the front of the line, even if they end up blocking the pedestrian lane.

Their blatant disregard for the pedestrian lane forces pedestrians to make diversions, thus adding to the traffic mess.

Motorcycle drivers often create an illegal counterflow. This narrows the opposite side of the road which, in turn, delays the flow of traffic there.

Many motorcycle drivers disregard traffic lights, and even some traffic cops, and move on as if they are exempted from traffic regulations.

The solution to this blantant disregard of traffic rules is to impose heavy fines on the violators, and to impound the motorcycles of rescidivists.

Inconsiderate motorcycle drivers, and there are many of them, block the three or four lanes along each side of Edsa in such a way that they impede the smooth flow of vehicular traffic behind them.

They are also infamous for making sudden turns when traffic is relatively heavy, and with no regard for other vehicles.

The solution to this nuisance is to require motorcycles to stay on one lane along Edsa and major roads. Ex-MMDA Chairman Tolentino once created motorcycle lanes on Edsa and Commonwealth Avenue, but discontinued them in 2015 when he focused on his anticipated campaign for the Senate.

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

A10

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 9, 2 0 1 6

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

CRYING FOR DEMOCRACY BACK­ BENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN BASIC to our understanding of democracy is that it is anchored on the Greek concept on the “rule of the majority.” The early Greek society, which came to know as “city-states,” made necessary the practice about the rule of the majority or direct democracy. The citizens need not elect their leader to represent them. The majority of the population themselves by that fiat were vested with the power to govern, and their thoughts of democratic governance were not about freedom, but on how to put order in their civil society.

The growth of population and the complexities brought about by the advancement in civilization made necessary the process of leaders to govern the people. Democracy then went through a revolutionary transformation called “representative or indirect democracy” where the people, this time, choose who should govern them based on the same rule that he was elected by the majority of the people. The concept of election from thereon forms part of the democratic process that the person should have obtained the highest number of votes.

Thus, a leader who fails to obtain the highest number of votes if elected by plurality or by simple majority but claims was elected can be rightly called an “impostor,” and if his insistence is in open defiance to the will of the people, he can be called a “usurper.”

He is an impostor because he assumes the position to which he was not elected but succeeded in defrauding the people of their rightful mandate.

Political scientists refrain from calling the impostor or usurper a dictator because dictatorship has reference to the curtailment of freedom. One must take note that a dictator can be an elected in a fair and honest election, but definitely not an impostor. The acts of a dictator have reference to the freedom of the people, and seldom do we understand that the concept of freedom is designed to put social order in our civil society, but to satisfy the needs of every class or sector in that society.

The ideal freedom as viewed by the Greeks is a precondition to creating harmony in society.

Democracy is much closer to the view of identifying the social order in society, while freedom is more in guaranteeing rights pertaining to the needs of men which only society having a solid foundation of democracy can guarantee.

Freedom has nothing to do with the fancy of those demagogues who cultivate the corrupted system of political patronage as a bait to get the votes of the ignorant people.

Since the concept of democracy and freedom have been extensively interchanged, such that every activity of the people in relation to their government is often referred to as either part of our democratic right or freedom. They tend to call a leader who would attempt to rectify this misconception a “dictator,” although in truth it is the elite who benefits from that distorted sense of democracy and freedom who wants to distort them.

The ideal freedom as viewed by the Greeks is a precondition to creating harmony in society.

An elected leader who exercises such power to put order in society so that others may enjoy their freedom is in truth exercising his power that is vested in him by the democratic process of an election. Trouble is, when people could no longer delineate democracy from freedom, they are in truth is seeking to advance their selfish view of freedom. Likewise, an impostor or a usurper who reacts to the social unrest because the wholesale commission of electoral fraud is likely to metamorphose into a worst kind of dictator because he destroyed the democratic process to hold an honest, fair and clear election.

When people now react, he would clamp down on their freedom.

We care giving this backdrop of our view of democracy—that essentially it is a process of governance,

EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA

PRACTICAL ADVICE FROM THE POPE ON FAMILY

THIS article is a summary of two chapters of Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”), namely: Chapter Six: “Some pastoral perspectives” and Chapter Seven: “Towards a better education of children.” As my readers know, I have been writing a series of columns on this apostolic exhortation Pope Francis issued a few months ago.

In Chapter Six entitled “Some pastoral perspectives,” the Pope offers a number of pastoral perspectives designed at forming solid and fruitful families according to God’s plan. The chapter extensively refers to the Final Reports of the two Synods and his catecheses on the family and that of his predecessor Pope John Paul II. On the statements of the Synod Fathers, the Pope writes that Christian families, are the principal agents of the family apostolate, above all through “their joy-filled witness as domestic churches.”

Therefore, “it is important that people experience the Gospel of the family as a joy that ‘fills hearts and lives,’ because in Christ we have been ‘set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness.’ The Pope asserts that families should not only be evangelized, they should also evangelize.

On pastors, Pope Francis regrets “that ordained ministers often lack the training needed to deal with the complex prob-

lems currently facing families.” He challenges pastors that showing generic concern for the family in pastoral planning is not enough. Families must be enabled to take up their role as active agents of the family apostolate calls for “an effort at evangelization and catechesis inside the family.” The Pope then says that together with a pastoral outreach aimed specifically at families, there is the need for “a more adequate formation... of priests, deacons, men and women religious, catechists and other pastoral workers.”

Chapter Six also deals with the preparation of the engaged for marriage; with the accompaniment of couples in the first years of married life, including the issue of responsible parenthood; and also with certain complex situations and crises, knowing that “each crisis has a lesson to teach us; we need to learn how to listen for it with the ear of the heart.” Some causes of crisis are analyzed, among them a delay in maturing affectively.

In this chapter, Pope Francis calls for accompanying abandoned, separated or divorced persons.

Among others, he emphasizes the importance of the recent reform of the procedures for marriage annulment, highlights the suffering of children in situations of conflict, and observes: “Divorce is an evil and the increas-

ing number of divorces is very troubling. Hence, the primordial pastoral task with regard to families is to strengthen their love, helping to heal wounds and working to prevent the spread of this drama of our times.”

The Pope also touches on the situations of a marriage between a Catholic and a Christian of another denomination (mixed marriages), and between a Catholic and someone of another religion (disparity of cult). Regarding families with members with homosexual tendencies, it reaffirms the necessity to respect them and to refrain from any unjust discrimination and every form of aggression or violence. To be more effective in their pastoral work, the Pope requires seminarians to receive a more extensive interdisciplinary, and not merely doctrinal, formation in the areas of engagement and marriage. Lay leaders must also be trained to assist in the pastoral care of families, with the help of teachers and counsellors, family and community physicians, social workers, juvenile and family advocates, and drawing upon the contributions of psychology, sociology, marital therapy and counseling.

In Chapter Seven, “Towards a better education of children,” the Pope exhorts parents to take up this essential role of edu-

cating their children and carry it out consciously, enthusiastically, reasonably and appropriately.

The education of children which includes: their ethical formation, the learning of discipline which can include punishment, patient realism, sex education, passing on the faith and, more generally, family life as an educational context, must be given emphasis. In this regard, Pope Francis clearly states that “obsession, however, is not education.

We cannot control every situation that a child may experience… If parents are obsessed with always knowing where their children are and controlling all their movements, they will seek only to dominate space. But this is no way to educate, strengthen and prepare their children to face challenges. What is most important is the ability lovingly to help them grow in freedom, maturity, overall discipline and real autonomy.”

The portion on education in sexuality is entitled: “Yes to sex education.” The need is there, and we have to ask “if our educational institutions have taken up this challenge … in an age when sexuality tends to be trivialized and impoverished.”

Sound education needs to be carried out “within the broader framework of an education for love, for mutual self-giving.”

Continued on A11

and to remind our people that when the system is purposely destroyed, those that assume the title to which they were not elected can only be called a usurper or impostor. Sad to say, those who have been delirious and obsessed about our democracy were the ones who purposely and maliciously destroyed it because election in any society whether ancient or modern, classed or classless, secular or non secular, is wholly dependent on honesty. Those people who have been claiming to be honest were the ones who violated that rule such that what we have now is a dysfunctional and corrupted system of democracy.

The worst thing about it is that those in charge of operating our democratic system masterminded the wholesale fraud to ensure that the lackeys of this infamous and most corrupt regime are elected. Their

proclamation of those alleged winners did not change the perception of the people that they were not elected, and that the number of votes presented by the Commission on Elections and by its confederate, the so-called Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting is nothing more but their self-serving opinion of the result. That is the consequence of what cheating can do to destroy the sanctity of the ballots.

Since all has been reduced to one of guessing game, people now can call Leni Robredo as an impostor or worse, a usurper.

They committed no crime for expressing their honest opinion. One must not forget that doubts about her status as an impostor began when they systematically manipulated the results of the election, and it now remains a permanent scar on her career as a fraudulent public official.

Her proclamation by the PNoy’s rubber stamp Congress as alleged vice president could not alter the people’s perception of her as an impostor. There is no way Leni Robredo and her cabal of yellowshirted cheaters can do to reverse the opinion of the people of her as a notorious cheater who robbed them of their choice on who should be the vice president. No court can resolve that nor punish anyone who insists in calling her an impostor.

There is a saying that it is only here in the Philippines where losing candidates claim they lost because they were cheated. This saying is often heard from the cheaters themselves to discredit the charge. But if one would examine the logic to this saying, there could be no charge of electoral fraud if those of the exercise did not leave some prints of election dishonesty. Hence,

destroying the democratic process is to destroy the credibility of the election, and the immediate effect is to reduce the result of the entire process to one of sham election.

Others say it is only Bongbong Marcos who is complaining about the anomalous results of the election. President Digong Duterte did not. But the question is this: Why should President Duterte complain when he won in that election? To say that just the same he was cheated is water under the bridge because a recount is necessary when there is a great possibility that the one who seeks for a recount has a great chance of winning.

And President Duterte has no reason to demand for a recount in an election for having already won. That is both common sense and logic. rpkapunan@gmail.com

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OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

SOME ELITIST VIEWS ARE PRETTY POPULAR

By Noah Smith ONE popular narrative about Brexit is that it’s a rebellion of the masses against the elites. If you ask me, that seems like a strange way to characterize a vote that was 51 percent to 48 percent. But again and again I’ve read this take, in rightleaning magazines such as the National Review, business publications like Forbes, and leftleaning outlets like the American Prospect and Huffington Post. The most popular version of the argument is that elites have created a global economy that works for them, but not for the masses—at least, in developed countries.

That’s certainly plausible.

After all, during the past few decades, the benefits of global growth have gone mostly to poor countries and to the rich, leaving behind the middle classes in places like Europe and the US. And in places like Michigan, manufacturing job losses —some of which were caused by trade with China—are correlated with support for Republican Donald Trump, whose presidential candidacy is sometimes portrayed as an anti-elite uprising similar to the British vote to leave the European Union.

So it seems likely that anger over the hollowing out of de-

veloped-country middle classes is at least one factor behind political upheavals like Brexit, or the support for insurgent candidates like Trump and Bernie Sanders. Still, I think the people-versus-elites framing isn’t very useful.

First, the numbers don’t support the narrative of a populist wave. The Brexit vote was very close and it’s possible a more effective “remain” campaign would have led to a different result. In the US, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won many more votes than her populist rival, Sanders—about three million more, by some estimates, out of a total of about 24 million Democratic primary votes cast. That’s a comfortable margin. Now, Clinton is solidly ahead of Trump in the national polls, and Trump is dramatically underperforming Republican Mitt Romney’s 2012 numbers in most red states.

So why are the elites more popular than the populists?

Sanders supporters might say that Clinton supporters have been hoodwinked by advertising, paid for with campaign contributions from big financial companies. But Sanders outspent Clinton during the primary race, and lost anyway. As for Trump, his divisive rhetoric has alienated so many segments

Retelling... From A9 was the fighter and the leader of the revolution. I believed this until I learned that in reality, my knowledge about our history was quite basic and limited to what teachers taught me in school.

My exposure to Taal and “discovering” the Felisa Diokno house paved the way to my “historical awakening” so to speak.

It sparked my interest in the much-maligned General Emilio Aguinaldo—he who is considered by many, including me then, as the villain of the revolution. Admittedly, I never bothered with Aguinaldo because he never figured in a heroic way when I was in my history classes in school. That Aguinaldo was the bad guy seemed to be a given.

He remained as such until I got to read the dedications in some books given to him. The General received a copy of The National Gospel or Highlights of Rizal’s Thoughts and Teachings and the dedication reads, “Sa dakilang patnugot ng himagsikan maluwalhati ng ’96, Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo, tanda ng paghanga at pagmamahal. (To the great author of the glorious revolution of ‘96, a token of admiration and love)” This intrigued me:

Practical... From A10 On the matter, the Pope warns that the young people should not be deceived into confusing two levels of reality: “sexual attraction creates, for the moment, the illusion of union, yet, without love, this ‘union’ leaves strangers as far apart as they were before. The exhortation also reminds us that the expression ‘safe sex’ conveys “a negative attitude towards the natural procreative finality of sexuality, as if an eventual child were an enemy to be protected against. This way of thinking promotes narcissism and aggressiveness in place of acceptance.”

By way of conclusion, the Pope reiterates the mission of the family to pass on

of the American people— blacks, Hispanics, immigrants, Jews, Muslims and others—that his claim to be a populist is on shaky ground in any case.

It’s true that most of Britain’s elites thought Brexit was a bad idea. But so did plenty of the UK’s regular, non-elite citizens.

It’s a logical fallacy to think that just because elites support one side, anyone who supports that side must be an elite. Elites also are surely against global thermonuclear war—but that doesn’t mean a pro-Armageddon campaign would be populist by definition!

But actually, there’s a deeper reason why the elites-versusthe people story doesn’t sit well with me. The “elite” isn’t a single unified bloc. There are many different kinds of elites. Politicians, bureaucrats, wealthy businesspeople, corporate managers, financiers, academics and media personalities can all be labeled elites. But there are huge fissures and rivalries both within and between these groups.

They are almost never in broad agreement on any issue—Brexit was the exception, not the rule.

That’s why it’s a little funny how everyone in the US is now scrambling to paint their side as the true standard-bearer of anti-elite populism. By picking the right group of elites, anyone

Why would someone address Aguinaldo in such terms?

I also got to read a letter written by Aguinaldo during the latter part of his life. It was addressed to a government functionary, asking assistance on behalf of a younger relative of another Katipunero. I wondered: Why would he still do that when he was already very old? It raised a lot of questions and challenged my perception of the man.

It also intrigued me that virtually all the heroes from Taal worked closely with Aguinaldo. He is actually the most central of all the revolutionary characters I get to encounter in my historical adventures. Then I decided to study him.

I am still in this journey but admittedly, my perceptions of the first president of the republic who wanted to be buried in a soldier’s uniform, General Emilio Aguinaldo, have changed. As far as I am concerned, the Philippine history I am experiencing is being retold.

More next week. bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook the faith to their children. As such, according to him, “The family is thus an agent of pastoral activity through its explicit proclamation of the Gospel and its legacy of varied forms of witness, namely solidarity with the poor, openness to a diversity of people, the protection of creation, moral and material solidarity with other families, including those most in need, commitment to the promotion of the common good and the transformation of unjust social structures, beginning in the territory in which the family lives, through the practice of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.”

Facebook: tonylavs5 or Dean Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

can make this claim. For example, David Dayen of the liberal New Republic thinks of the elite as rich people grabbing all the gains from an unrestrained free market: Over the past decade, elites broke the world…They created the conditions for the worst economic crisis in nearly a century, and made sure that their elite friends at the top would scoop up the post-crisis gains…They decided their project of globalization and [economic] liberalization mattered more than democracy. Brexit is among the first tangible responses.

Meanwhile, Victor Davis Hanson of the conservative National Review thinks of the elite as bureaucrats trying to stifle free markets with redistribution and regulation: The rage also arises from the hypocrisy of a governing elite that never seems to be subject to the ramifications of its own top-down policies. The bureaucratic class that runs Europe from Brussels and Strasbourg too often lectures European voters on climate change, immigration, politically correct attitudes about diversity, and the constant need for more bureaucracy, more regulations, and more redistributive taxes.

In one sense, they’re both right—some elites are more

No need... From A9 Tricycles, pedicabs, and bicycles should not be allowed on major roads.

Almost all tricycle drivers are as notorious as motorcycle drivers. Tricycle drivers take their sweet time on the road, without any regard if they are occuping the middle of the road and thus blocking the way of other vehicles.

Pedicab drivers are just as problematic. Their pedicabs are slower than their motorized counterparts.

Bicycle drivers travelling along major streets are the worst. Because they do not drive a motor vehicle, they do not consider themselves motorists. On that mistaken premise, bicycle drivers do not observe traffic rules.

Tricycles, pedicabs, and bicycles are not usually visible along Edsa, but they are readily seen in many major roads connected to Edsa. Since these troublesome vehicles block many roads which provide an exit from Edsa, they contribute to the needless accumulation of vehicles in Edsa.

Take for instance the numerous pedicabs along the side road of the northbound lane of Quezon Avenue near the corner of Edsa. They travel towards the opposite direction of the traffic flow, and they occupy one of the two available lanes. The obstacle they create causes the accumulation of vehicles in the area, particularly at the corner near the Edsa-Quezon Avenue flyover.

pro-market, others favor more government control. But that doesn’t mean either of these writers, or their publications, represents the masses as a whole. In fact, each one sides with one portion of the common people and one portion of a divided elite.

It’s understandable that everyone wants to make political hay from the shock of Brexit.

And it makes sense that in a world divided into a tiny, arrogant elite versus an angry mob, that most people would want to be on the side of those waving the rakes and pitchforks. Nobody, after all, wants to end up on the guillotine.

But we are not living through the French Revolution. It’s true that the middle classes of the developed nations have endured some economic setbacks in the age of globalization. But instead of a single, unified aristocracy scoffing “Let them eat cake,” what we have now is a divided elite, with many different prescriptions for reversing the damage.

Some elites want free markets.

Others want more redistribution.

Some want to keep out immigrants. Others want to let more in. There are no easy answers to the challenges of the modern global economy, even for the smartest elites or the most passionate mob. Bloomberg

This becomes a chokepoint for vehicles from the southbound lane of Edsa making a left turn towards Quezon Avenue under the flyover.

An MMDA road station nearby pays no attention to the problem.

Public utility buses along Edsa should stay in their proper place. Their drivers are notorious for blocking the way of other vehicles on Edsa, and for bullying smaller vehicles. They blow their loud horns as if they were ocean liners announcing their presence.

These buses deliberately occupy more than one lane whenever they negotiate a flyover. By virtually occupying two lanes, these buses limit the available road space to other vehicles and this obstructs the smooth flow of traffic along Edsa.

Many of these buses belch thick smoke, thus forcing the vehicles behind them to keep their distance or to move to other lanes. Again, this limits the available road space and creates a traffic nightmare.

Motorists using Edsa will attest that on many occasions, these buses can be found on the inner and middle lanes of Edsa, areas where they do not belong to in the first place.

The operations of taxicabs and similar on-line utility cars along Edsa should be subject to restrictions. Their drivers pick up passengers anywhere they please. They do not obey traffic signals, unless there are visible traffic enforcers in the vicinity.

Like jeepney drivers, many taxicab drivers convert intersections along Edsa and other major streets as their taxi stands.

Pedestrians have their share of the fault in the traffic mess. Many pedestrians are too lazy to use pedestrian overpasses and insist on crossing both lanes of Edsa at both prohibited segments like the one between the GMAChannel 7 complex and Quezon Avenue, and the one between Philamlife Homes and the SM mall on North Avenue. Heavy penalties should be imposed on them.

Traffic flows very slowly at the four corners of the intersection of Edsa and Shaw Boulevard because pedestrians occupy a chunk of the road to wait for buses. They also cross the street in disregard of traffic signals.

Of course, the MRT train system, ignored by the Aquino administration, must be rehabilitated. If the MRT trains are safely and efficiently operated, there will less people using Edsa.

The solution to the traffic problem plaguing Metropolitan Manila is efficient management, not the imposition of additional restrictions on private motorists. The government must be reminded that since private vehicle owners pay a mandatory road-users tax, they have a right to challenge in court any unreasonable restriction on their use of Edsa and other major roads in the metropolis.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

US sports stars decry shooting

Running of the bulls. Participants try to avoid a bull on the second day of the San Fermin bull run in Pamplona, Spain on July 8. AFP

Fury faces Klitschko in rematch LONDON, United Kingdom —Controversial British world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury claimed Thursday his postponed rematch against Wladimir Klitschko, who he sensationally beat last November, will take place on Oct. 29.

The 27-year-oldwho has regularly sparked a furor over his comments on women, pedophiles and homosexuality tweeted that his WBA, WBO and IBO belts, which previously belonged to Klitschko, will be on the line when he faces the veteran Ukrainian in Manchester.

“Sixteen weeks Saturday ‘till I blast Klitschko spark out,” Fury tweeted. “#Andstill! Can’t wait #manchesteroctober29 #letshaveit.”

Fury had originally been due to defend his titles—he relinquished the IBF belt when he declined to fight the mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov—this month, but an ankle injury he suffered while out running in June ruled him out.

AFP

LOS ANGELES, United States —The US sports world reacted with shock Thursday to deadly shootings that killed four police officers and wounded seven others in Dallas, with some describing it as a nightmare with seemingly no end in sight.

“Hurting for Dallas right now,” said Alex Morgan, a member of the US national women’s soccer team.

“It seems like we wake up or go to sleep reading more tragedies than not. I want to wake up from this nightmare.”

NBA star LeBron James took to Twitter to tell his 31.5 million social media followers that violence won’t solve anything.

“We are all hurting tonight,” James tweeted. “More violence is not the answer. #StoptheViolence.”

The American athletes were reacting to chaotic scenes of gun attacks during what was supposed to be a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas, Texas, against perceived police brutality and racial bias.

Police said at least two snipers opened fire ambush style on officers who were on duty for the protest march.

“I want to hope this is all a bad dream...it ain’t,” two-time Major League Baseball World Series champion Shane Victorino tweeted.

Chris Iannetta, catcher for the Seattle Mariners, called for an end to shootings on both sides.

“People. Please end the violence. Enough is enough. We are all humans. We all deserve the right to live happily!” he wrote. AFP

Griezmann double sends France to Euro 2016 final MARSEILLE, France—Antoine Griezmann took up the mantle as challenger-in-chief to Cristiano Ronaldo with two goals that crushed world champions Germany and saw France into Sunday’s Euro 2016 final against Portugal.

A penalty awarded seconds before halftime caused turmoil in the German camp. Griezmann took his chance and added a second strike to extend his lead as the tournament’s leading scorer and become France’s new football hero.

“He’s our little Mr Extra,” said fellow striker Olivier Giroud after the dramatic win before 65,000 spectators on a hot Thursday night in Marseille.

France’s first victory over their rivals in a major tournament since 1958 came out of a controversial penalty decision

at the end of the first half.

Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli saw that German captain Bastian Schweinsteiger handled the ball in an aerial challenge with Patrice Evra.

German players were furious but Griezmann sent goalkeeper Manuel Neuer the wrong way with his spot kick.

The 2014 World Cup winners had dominated possession and German coach Joachim Loew said he had to “calm the players down” in the dressing room at halftime because of the penalty.

Germany renewed their con-

trol of the ball in the second half but Griezmann rattled them again with a 72nd minute goal.

Paul Pogba’s cross from the left was cleared by Neuer into the Atletico Madrid star’s path to fire home through the legs of the goalkeeper who had only conceded one other goal in regulation time at the tournament.

Germany desperately pushed forward. Joshua Kimmich hit the crossbar with one shot and other efforts went narrowly wide. But France held firm for a famous and thrilling victory.

Sunday’s final will pit Griezmann against Ronaldo and a team from a nation of 11 million people against one of Europe’s giants, who won the World Cup in 1998 at the same venue and the European title in 1984.

French coach Didier Deschamps hailed Germany as a “a

great team.”

“We found it tough but we didn’t give up,” he said praising his own players’ determination.

France’s recent years have been clouded by defeats and scandal, including a player strike at the 2010 World Cup. Now the country appears to be behind them again.

“I’ve always believed in my players,” said Deschamps. “The ones I chose to form this squad have repaid me handsomely. This is their story, their victory.”

Griezmann’s goals took him to within three of the record nine scored in one tournament by French legend Michel Platini in 1984.

He was particularly relieved to have scored the penalty, having missed one when Atletico Madrid played in the Champions League final against Ronaldo’s Real Madrid in May. AFP

Serena targets Grand Slam history LONDON, United Kingdom— Serena Williams has history in her sights as the defending champion plots to avenge one of the most painful defeats of her career by beating Angelique Kerber in Saturday’s Wimbledon final.

Williams suffered a stunning loss against Kerber in the Australian Open final in January and the rivals will face off for the first time since then when they slug it out for the Wimbledon title.

There was further frustration for Serena when she lost the French Open final to Garbine Muguruza last month.

But the 34-year-old has been revitalized at the All England Club and, after taking just over 48 minutes to crush Elena Vesnina in Wimbledon’s quickest ever semifinal, she has the chance to

finally equal Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 major titles by lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish for a seventh time.

Making history at Kerber’s expense would be especially sweet, even more so after the fourth seed defeated Serena’s sister Venus in the semifinals, and Williams says she has learned the lessons of Australia.

“Obviously it’s significant that she beat me in Australia because that’s the last time we played,” Serena said.

“I made a lot of errors. She made little to no unforced errors.

I felt like she played great. She was fearless.

“That’s something I learned.

When I go into a final, I, too, need to be fearless like she was.

“It was inspiring afterwards to

realize there’s a lot of things that I need to improve on.”

Since failing to complete a calender Grand Slam last year, Serena has repeatedly had her hunger for more success questioned.

But, having reached a ninth Wimbledon final and 28th in Grand Slams, Williams insists she is still motivated.

“Yeah, I have no hunger anymore. Yeah, right,” Serena said in a defiant press conference after her demolition of Vesnina.

“I mean, I think for anyone else in this whole planet, reaching the final would be a wonderful accomplishment.

“For me, it’s not enough. But I think that’s what makes me different. That’s what makes me Serena. AFP

Serena Williams returns the ball to Russia’s Elena Vesnina during their women’s semifinal match of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club on July 7. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

UST crowned champ

NCR leg champions. Winners of the NCR leg of the 24th Shell National Youth Active Chess Champion-

ship – the longest-running, innovative chess tournament by Shell – held at SM Megamall recently are shown here. They are seniors’ division champion Lawrence Magura (third from left) of Nazareth School; kiddies’ titlist Mark Jay Bacojo (fifth from left) of Escuela De Sto. Rosario, and juniors’ champion Julius Gonzales (fourth from left) of La Salle Greenhills. Joining them are executives of Pilipinas Shell, led by Melanie Bularan (second from right), Social Performance and Investment Manager; Karla Zarate, External Relations Adviser for Brand and Government Relations; Carla Torre, Field Based Account Manager and event host; WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, as well as Shea Balgan, Shell Eco-marathon Student Management Lead.

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas turned what was expected to a down-to-the-wire decider into a lopsided finish, overpowering National U in the fifth set to fashion out a 21-25, 25-20, 25-19, 13-25, 15-4 victory and capture the Shakey’s Girls’ Volleyball League of Champions Season 14 crown at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig late Thursday.

The Junior Tigresses bounced back strong from a fourth-set meltdown with a dominating performance in the fifth with Ejiya Laure leading the attack while drawing solid backup from Janna Torres, Bernadett Pepito and Ma. Regina Mangulabnan to deliver another Shakey’s GVL crown to the España-based school.

Its was UST’s fourth championship since the league, sponsored by Shakey’s, started the Tournament of Champions, now the League of Champions which gathered the top teams from various regional eliminations.

UST actually ruled the first edi-

Battle royale looms rd in Triple Crown 3 leg A BATTLE royale looms as Dewey Boulevard and Radioactive clash in the third and final leg of the Philippine Racing Commission’s Triple Crown, hosted by the Manila Jockey Club, on Sunday at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

Dewey Boulevard, owned by Hermie Esguerra, was the early favorite during the 1st leg of the Triple Crown Series, but Radioactive scored an upset triumph.

In the second leg, Dewey Boulevard returned the favor by beating the first-leg winner in a duel from start to finish.

The two 3-year-old thoroughbreds will try to settle the score once and for all and prove who is indeed the best local 3YO in the country.

Their third-leg rivals, however, in Underwood, Homonhon Island and 1st Leg Hopeful Stakes Race winner Guatemala

will be around looking to spoil the grudge race and win the 2,000 meter race, which offers P1.8 million to the champion from the P3 million total pot.

“Third fight nila ito kaya expect a thrilling race,” said Philracom commissioner Atty.

Dondon Bagatsing. “Siyempre hindi rin naman natin puwedeng ipagkaila ‘yung tatlo pang kasali.”

The Triple Crown is the ultimate test for 3-year-old, island born thoroughbred horses, having started its first leg in May, running a monthly series consisting of three legs.

Radioactive is under SC Stockfarm, while Underwood is owned Stony Road Horse Farm.

Guatemala is with Engr. Jun Sevilla, while Homonhon Island is owned by Wilbert Tan. “We expect another exciting day at the racetrack,” said Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez. “When you have the best runners of the season bunched together in a major race setting such as the Triple Crown, you can anticipate a good show for all Filipino racing fans.”

As a run-up to the Triple Crown, the third leg of the Phil-

AffiniTea Race slated Aug. 7 at SM by the Bay AFFINITEA Race, in partnership with Mizuno, stages a 2nd Leg of a Japanese inspired theme On Your Mark set on Aug. 7, 2016 at Mall of Asia, SM by the Bay. A one-of-a-kind running event will be mounted for runners to encourage them to Never Settle and keep pushing the limits of their body.

On Your Mark means: Ready to change your lifestyle towards healthier you; Focus on your goal to be healthy first and followed to be fit; Determination to sustain and to continue your goal; Discipline is to quit bad habits and to keep level up; Kai Sen means to improve the improved.

The On Your Mark event expects to gather 5,000 runners, who will lace up their running shoes and make their move in striving excellence and inspiring other people to reach their fitness goals. Three distances will be offered to the runners: 5KM, 10KM and 21KM. Interested participants may register online www.affinitea.run or at the following registration partners: Mizuno (SM Mall of Asia, Alabang Town Center, Trinoma, SM Megamall Bonifacio High Street); AffiniTea (SM North, Osmena Makati, Binakayan) and Garmin Glorietta.

The event will be concluded buy a fun zumba party, games and raffle.

A one-of-a-kind running event will be mounted for runners to encourage them to Never Settle and keep pushing the limits of their body.

racom’s Hopeful Stakes Race features Indianpana (Deemark International Trading), Mount Iglit (Wilbert Tan), Pinagtipunan (Benjamin Abalos), Pinay Pharaoh (Hermie Esguerra), Real Flames (George Raquidan), Secret Kingdom (Leonardo Javier), Space Needle (Stony Road) and Tagapagmana (Eduardo Dimacuha).

Winner takes home P600,000 from the total pot of P1 million.

Race distance is 2,000 meters.

Rounding up the Philracom races is the third leg of the newly introduced Locally Bred Stakes Race featuring Leave It To Me (Antonio Tan Jr.), Piskante (Hermie Esguerra) and Play It Safe (Jade Bros Farm). Having a total prize of P500,000, the race will also run a distance of 2,000 meters.

tion with Alyssa Valdez, now one of the faces of women’s volleyball, as spearhead before Hope Christian College took five out of 14 titles disputed in the league backed

by MyPhone, Asics and Mikasa and organized by Metro Sports.

Laure went on to bag the MVP trophy and was named the first best outside attacker with Torres taking the second best middle blocker plum, Pepito copping the best libero honors and Mangulabnan nailing the best setter award.

NU’s Thea Gagate won the first best middle blocker plum and teammate Faith Nisperos was named the second best outside attacker and De La Salle-Lipa’s Alleiah Malaluan took the best opposite attacker trophy.

It was another sorry title setback for the Lady Bullpups, who also lost in the decider to the DLSLipa side last year. The dethroned champions took third place with a 25-18, 25-17 victory over the Central Philippine U spikers.

WTA slots up for grabs in Cebuana tilt LIVING up to its reputation as the country’s leading supporter of tennis, Cebuana Lhuillier, which has been running an agegroup tennis circuit for 10 years, is staging a qualifying tournament to be held in Metro Manila on Sept. 16 to 18 for Girls’ Under-14 and Under-16 years old.

Champions in each age group will earn the rights to represent the country in the WTA Future Stars in Singapore, which will be held on Oct.17 to 23.

The qualifying tournament will be sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association.

“This is the first time that a tournament is being staged solely for the purpose of selecting the Philippines’ representatives to the WTA Future Stars tournament. We pushed for this because we want to ensure that we will send the best players to represent our flag and country.

We want this tournament to be as prestigious as possible and get the best players to play,” said Jean Henri Lhuiller, Philippine Tennis Association Chairman of the Board and Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO. The WTA Future Stars qualification will employ the same format as the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the crown jewel event of the Women’s Tennis Association, where only the greatest eight singles’ players and doubles’ team qualify to compete.

The top eight players in each age group ranked by PHILTA rankings as of Aug. 15, 2016 will get to play in the qualification. They will be divided into two groups and the top two players of each group will advance to the crossover semi-finals. The two winners will play for the championship and the right to represent the country in the prestigious tournament in Singapore.

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE SALE OF VARIOUS SUBTRANSMISSION LINES/ASSETS OF THE NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION (TRANSCO) TO BENGUET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BENECO), AS COVERED BY A LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT DATED 19 DECEMBER 2014

ERC CASE NO. 2015-207RC

NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION (TRANSCO AND BENGUET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BENECO),

Applicants. x---------------------------------------------------------------------x NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on December 7, 2015, the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO) and the Benguet Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BENECO) filed a joint application for approval of the sale of various sub-transmission lines/assets of TRANSCO to BENECO as covered by Lease Purchase Agreement (LPA) dated 19 December 2014.

In the said application, TRANSCO and BENECO alleged, among others, the following: 1.

TRANSCO is a government-owned and controlled corporation created and existing by virtue of R.A. No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), with principal office address at the TRANSCO Main Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City.

2.

BENECO is an electric cooperative (EC) duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address in Alapang, La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines.

3.

By virtue of Section 8 of the EPIRA, TRANSCO assumed the electrical transmission functions of the National Power Corporation (NPC) and the responsibility of the latter for the planning, construction and centralized operation and maintenance of high voltage transmission facilities, including grid interconnections and ancillary services.

4.

Section 8 of the EPIRA and Rule 6, Section 8 (e) of the EPIRA’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) also mandate the segregation of the transmission and subtransmission functions and assets for transparency and disposal, and authorize TRANSCO to negotiate for, and to transfer such sub-transmission assets (STAs) and facilities to qualified distribution utilities (DUs).

5.

Pursuant thereto, the Commission promulgated the “Guidelines on the Sale and Transfer of the TRANSCO’s Sub-transmission Assets and the Franchising of Qualified Consortiums” (ERC Guidelines) dated 17 October 2003, as amended

by Resolution NO.3, Series of 2005 dated 17March 2005 which set forth among others, the standards to distinguish TRANSCO’s transmission assets from its subtransmission assets and establish the approval process prior to the final sale and transfer of STAs to DUs.

6.

Consistent with the ERC Guidelines, TRANSCO adopted its own Guidelines on the Sale of Sub-transmission Assets (“TRANSCO Guidelines”) [Annex “A”] as approved

by TRANSCO Board Resolution No. TC-2003-067 dated 28 November 2003 [Annex “A-1”], as further amended by TRANSCO Board Resolution NO.TC-2004-009 dated 16 March 2004 [Annex “A-2”].

7.

On 16 July 2011, the Commission issued Resolution No. 15, Series of 2011 entitled “ A Resolution Adopting the Amended Rules for the Approval of the Sale and Transfer of TRANSCO’s Sub-transmission Assets and the Acquisition by Qualified Consortiums.”

8.

In accordance with the aforesaid ERC Guidelines, and based on a thorough evaluation conducted by TRANSCO, it was determined that the La Trinidad-Atok 69 kV line and Beckel- BENECO 23 kVline are sub-transmission assets. Copies of the report regarding the nature of the assets, the List of STAs for sale to BENECO and the Single line diagram are attached to the application as Annexes “B”, “C” and “D,” respectively.

9.

TRANSCO has clearly established that BENECO meets the financial capability criteria under Article IV of the ERC Guidelines in acquiring, operating, maintaining, upgrading and expanding the said STAs. Attached to the application are copies of the Financial Qualification Evaluation [Annex “E”] and Audited Financial Statements of BENECO as of 31 December 2012 and 31 December 2013 [Annex “F”].

10.

TRANSCO has likewise established that BENECO meets the minimum technical qualifications of an EC as set for the under the ERC and TRANSCO Guidelines.

Attached to the application is a copy of the Technical Qualification Evaluation of BENECO [Annex “G”].

11.

BENECO is the only qualified DU that is directly connected to the subject assets, as evidenced by the List of Connected Distribution Utilities attached to the application as Annex “H”.

12.

On 02 December 2014, the BENECO Board of Directors issued Resolution No. 1362014 [attached to the application as Annex “I”] relative to the desired acquisition.

13.

On 19 December 2014, they concluded a Lease Purchase Agreement [attached to the application as Annex “J”] covering the subject sub-transmission assets amounting to TWO MILLION THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY SEVEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FORTY NINE, Philippine Currency (PhP2,377,149.00), plus interest, plus twelve percent value-added tax (12% VAT) which BENECO shall pay in twelve (12) equal monthly installments.

14.

The subject STAs are valued in reference to the Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) valuation pursuant to ERC Resolution No. 01, Series of 2009, as amended. An excerpt from the SKM report for the third regulatory period is attached to the application as Annex “K”

15.

Finally, applicants submitted the following documents in compliance with the Commission’s requirements: a. b.

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 9, 2 0 1 6

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Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

PH athletes bag 3 golds, 6 silvers in Thailand Open

By Peter Atencio

THE Philippines finished its campaign with three golds, six silvers and a bronze medal in the three-day 2016 Thailand Open athletics’ meet in Bangkok.

Coach Sean Guevarra said in his message to the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association that the golds came from of Mervin Guarte (1,500-m run) and Christopher Ulboc Christopher in the first two days (3,000m steeplechase).

Then, the 4x400m relay team of Edgardo Alejan Jr., Johan Caido, Ryan Bigyan and Archand Christian Dimaano

Bagsit added another one on the final day.

The six silvers came from Alejan (400 meters), Immuel Camino (3,000msc), Guarte (1,500m), Emily Jean Obiena (junior women’s pole vault ), Aries Toledo (decathlon) and Marco Vilog (800m run).

Toledo hurled a distance of 50.15 meters in the javelin throw, surpassing his personal

best of 47.78 meters.

Guevarra, said that on the last event of the decathlon (1,500 meters), Toledo’s pace was too fast on the first lap and managed to run with a time of 4:57.53.

Toledo’s time was below his personal best of 4:41.8 set during the last Philippine National Open 2016.

The total points Toledo earned was 6,964 points, which is above the 6,796 bronze medal standard of the recent South East Asian Games in 2015.

“This performance is good for a silver as the Thai won the gold with a total points of 7,082 and Vietnam, the bronze,” said Guevarra.

Bayron, Shin grab lead; Lascuña fumbles

Draft of the Deed of Absolute Sale [Annex “L”]; and, Franchise Description [Annex “M”].

16.

The proposed sale has satisfied all of the requirements and criteria set by the EPIRA and its IRR, as well as the Commission’s and TRANSCO’s Guidelines on the Sale of Sub-transmission Assets;

17.

The approval by the Commission of the instant Joint Application shall pave the way for the attainment of a reformed electricity industry under the EPIRA, which would ultimately best serve the interest of the consuming public.

18.

Applicants pray that after due notice and hearing, judgment be rendered approving the sale of TRANSCO’s sub-transmission assets in favor of BENECO under the terms provided in the Lease Purchase Agreement dated 19 December 2014.

The Commission has set the application for initial hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and evidentiary hearing on 21 July 2016 (Thursday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.) at BENECO’s Principal Office, Alapang, La Trinidad, Benguet.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the applicant concludes the presentation of its evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the application may request from the applicant that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. The applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman, JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Commissioners, ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 27th day of May 2016 at Pasig City.

ATTY. TY. NATHAN MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office fice of the Chairman and CEO (TS-JULY 2/9, 2016)

Jay Bayron studies the line of his putt on No. 1

Huey...

From A16

Both teams held serve all the way through the third set to force a tie-break.

From there, Huey and Mirnyi went on a fourpoint run to lead, 6-2.

They then took a commanding lead after winning their second set point.

Extra Judicial Settlement

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late Rogelio S. Narciso has been extrajudicially settled with Deed of Sale with transfer of rights among his heirs as per Doc. No. 51, Page No. 12; Book No. XLIX; Series of 2016 before Atty. Gervacio B. Ortiz, Jr. Notary Public PTR No: 5323504/Jan. 4, 2016. ( T S - J U LY 2 , 9 & 16 , 2 016)

A backhand winner from Mahut gave the French pair the lone break of the fourth set to lead, 5-4. After that, they forced a deciding fifth set in the next game.

The teams traded routine service holds in the final set until 4-4, when the top seeds were gifted a break of serve on a double fault, 5-4.

Herbert and Mahut held their rivals to love, (40-0) in the next game, with Mahut firing an ace on match point to send them into the final.

The two French teams have only played each other once, with Herbert/ Mahut prevailing in a deciding set in the quarterfinals of last year’s Australian Open.

Durant...

From A16

inside punch to go with Curry and Thompson in an up-tempo attack.

“You can’t do any better than adding KD to the current crew,” Kerr said. “To play with them and play our style, I think that was attractive to him. It does feel like it should be a perfect fit. It’s going to be a lot of fun once we get rolling.” AFP

“I wanted to leave with some class and dignity. It was difficult, being in a place for so long, the relationships I built, it was hard.”

Neither can Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who sees Durant as an easy scoring fit, adding more

BAC OL OD —M ic a h Shin and Jay Bayron pounced on Tony Lascuña’s disastrous “9” on No. 13 and finished off with two birdies each to forge ahead in a topsyturvy third of the ICTSI Bacolod Golf Challenge at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Binitin here yesterday.

Lascuña quickly overcame a three-stroke deficit to storm ahead by three with a solid 30 start but drove out-of-bounds twice while trying to reach the 283-yard par-4 13th which he birdied in the first two days. He fell short on his third try, made it in six then three-putted.

“I gambled and lost.

That’s golf,” said Lascuña, who bogeyed the next but birdied two of the last four to salvage a 69.

That enabled Shin and Bayron to take charge and zero in one top P270,000 purse in this ninth leg of the Philippine Golf Tour sponsored

by ICTSI with the former birdying three of the last six to shoot a 68 and the latter gunning down two birdies in the last five to card a 69 for 202s.

From three down at the turn, Shin and Bayron found themselves leading by three over Lascuña, Dutch Guido Van der Valk and a rallying Orlan Sumcad, who all pooled a 205 heading to the last 18 holes of the P1.5 million event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments,Inc. Van der Valk failed to sustain a 65 in the second round and fumbled with a one-over 71 while Sumcad finally found his touch and form, rattling off three birdies in the last eight to fire a 67 and revive his bid for a maiden victory in his hometown.

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 9, 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 4 DIGITS 00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Title lifts Cavs’ sales, but Curry tops jersey list

New Zealand’s Mika Vukona (left) is pushed by France’s Boris Diaw in a shooting play at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena on Thursday. The French won, 66-59, to grab the top seeding in the knockout semifinals.

Castro might have played his last game for Gilas PH

By Jeric Lopez

HE is only 30 years old and still at the prime of his playing career, but Jayson Castro may very well retire from international play already.

According to the star guard of the Gilas Pilipinas team, the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament likely served as his last one.

The talented Castro said that he might retire from the national team.

“Siguro, this could be my last,” said Castro.

A fresh post from his Instagram account further supported his claim that his playing days for the Philippine team is likely done at

this point.

“The end of our bid for a spot at the Rio Olympics will also be the end of my stint as a member of Gilas Pilipinas,” said Castro.

A many-time servant of the country, Castro expressed his pleasure of serving the national team.

“It has been my honor to represent all of you. Hindi ko makakalimutan lahat ng pinagsamahan natin,” said Castro. “Ako si Jay-

WE could be wrong, but we have always believed that the international sports organizations, especially FIBA which is the governing body for basketball and to a much-lesser extent AIBA, the governing body for boxing, which are both under the aegis of the International Olympic Committee, do us no favors other than sucker our country and our willing sports patrons into parting with hard-earned dollars in order to be able to host some of the major events such as the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which just concluded, as far as Filipino fans are concerned, at the Mall of Asia Arena, where the country’s cherished dream of making it to the Rio Olympics ended in a nightmare.

Our basketball fans, without question the most passionate

OQT Manila continue hostilities in the semifinals today.

Group A top seed Canada will take on New Zealand, the No. 2 rank from Group B, while Group B first placer France will dance with Group A No. 2 Turkey.

The first game between the Canadians and the Kiwis will be at 6 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, while France and Turkey go at it at 8 p.m.

Winners of both games will face each other in the finals tomorrow at 8 p.m.

Playing it fair and square

INSIDE SPORTS RONNIE NATHANIELSZ

son Castro William, taga Guagua, Pampanga.

Lumaban para sa bayan.”

Still dealing with the aftermath of Gilas Pilipinas’ disappointing campaign in the qualifier, skipper Gabe Norwood admitted that it really was a bitter pill to swallow for him and Castro his teammates.

“It pains to be in this situation,” said Norwood. “We didn’t have any answers at a time when we needed them.

Meanwhile, the four teams vying for the lone ticket to Rio in the FIBA

NEW YORK—Unprecedented demand for Cleveland Cavaliers merchandise after the team’s first NBA title lifted them atop team sales, the league announced Thursday, but Golden State’s Stephen Curry topped jersey sales.

The Cavaliers edged Golden State 4-3 in the best-of-seven championship series, bringing Cleveland its first champion in any major sport since 1964 and boosting the club on global online league store sales.

Not since January of last year, near the start of LeBron James’ first season back in Cleveland after four seasons in Miami, had the Cavaliers topped the team sales chart.

Golden State ranked second in sales, followed in order by the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.

NBA scoring leader Curry, who won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award, topped the jersey sales list, as he has since the end of last season.

James ranked second after leading Cleveland’s astonishing comeback from 3-1 down to win the final, the greatest finals fightback in NBA history, to claim his third career title in his sixth consecutive finals appearance and seventh overall.

Kobe Bryant, the five-time NBA champion who retired from the Lakers in April, was third followed by two other NBA Finals participants, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving and Golden State’s Klay Thompson, both of whom will also play for the US team in next month’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook was sixth, followed by Golden State’s Draymond Green at his highest spot ever in seventh.

Kevin Durant, who joins the Warriors next season after leaving Oklahoma City in a blockbuster free agency move, was eighth, although he’s likely to jump as Golden State supporters pick up his new Warriors jersey. AFP

and knowledgeable in the world, responded to what our basketball leaders requested them to do by wearing white when Gilas Pilipinas played the mighty French team, ranked No. 5 in the world, and blue when we faced off against the Tall Blacks of New Zealand, ranked No. 21, seven slots ahead of Gilas.

We cannot understand and indeed refuse to accept the fact that FIBA gave absolutely no leeway to the local organizing body—the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas —to schedule the games for one thing which takes away any form of advantage that the hosts, who pay so much for the right to host the tournament, should be considered an inherent right.

Quite honestly, we noticed the blatant bias in the game schedule with Gilas Pilipinas facing France on opening day and on the very next game day was matched up against New Zealand, which had the first day off,

which also gave their coaching staff an opportunity to scout our team in the game against France.

How do you think they learned to stop Terrence Romeo and to a lesser extent Jayson Castro?

Coach Tab Baldwin and our players refused to take it easy against the French and preserve themselves for what was by all accounts an easier match-up against New Zealand and played their hearts out on opening day, in the process wearing themselves out just 24 hours before facing the fully rested Tall Blacks.

That is in the sporting nature of the Filipinos…to give of our very best no matter, who the opponent is in fairness to the 20,000 fans, who paid good money to see them play.

That is as it should be. But in the end, we lost out because of this commitment to give it our best shot for the sake of the fans.

We would have expected that as hosts we at least could enjoy

the right to draw up the schedule to make it more interesting and certainly more fair to the association that pays the huge sums FIBA demands, often asking the SBP under esteemed businessman-sportsman Manny Pangilinan to up the ante which we know he did in order to keep the event in Manila as he also did in trying to bring the last Asian qualifier to Manil,a which was an obvious ploy by FIBA to get China to pay more, which they did.

The same thing happened in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships before we were out-hustled and out-paid by China to grab the event in 2015, which we just failed to conquer and secure an outright berth to Rio as FIBA and its hand-picked referees gave China the advantage in the crucial calls down the stretch.

To FIBA, as it is to the National Basketball Association, the sport has degenerated into big business with smaller countries like the

Philippines left at the mercy of the moneyed clients.

Imagine. We were hosts, but even had to pay millions for the right to telecast the games only in the Philippines and were denied the opportunity to even have the games transmitted to millions of overseas Filipino workers by “live” streaming.

If you looked at the Manila games with any degree of objectivity, you would have noticed that the traveling violations called against Gilas in the France game and the non-calls against the French mirrored a subtle difference that refused to allow the favored teams a chance to lose to the poorer, lesser lights of Southeast Asia, although in terms of skills and fighting hearts, we could match any nation.

The energy sapped out of Gilas Pilipinas, which gave it their all against France, took its toll in the game against New Zealand and we paid the price of seeing our cher-

ished dream turn into a nightmare.

We suggest that like the Games and Amusements Board in the time of the brilliant lawyer-sportsman Rodrigo “Rudy” Salud, who fought the American-dominated world of boxing tooth and nail and brought about meaningful and relevant change to deny the Americans their dictation and domination that resulted in the establishment of a fair and equitable leadership, which the late Don Jose Sulaiman appreciated and worked on, our leaders in basketball should forget wasting our resources and pandering to FIBA, the Europebased organization that refuses to play it fair and square.

Basketball is not solely about Europe and North America, it is about the regions of Asia, Africa and South America that enjoy an inherent right to fairness and equality.

It’s about time FIBA realized this.

S AT U R DAY : J U LY 9, 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

Durant: This is no shortcut Huey, pal bow to Mahut, Herbert

By Peter Atencio THE first all-French doubles’ finals will take place after top seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut and unseeded Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin won hard-fought semifinal matches on Thursday in the men’s doubles semifinals of the Wimbledon Championship at the All England Lawn Tennis Croquet Club in London.

The pair of Herbert and Mahut endured a five-set clash with no. 12 seeds Fil-American netter Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4.

They arranged a finals’ match with Benneteau and Roger-Vasselin, who prevailed over no. 11 seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram, 7-5, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (5).

According to the tournament’s official website, Herbert and Mahut broke serve in the first game of their match. Then, they took the momentum they gained all the way to the opening set.

Huey and Mirnyi then earned their first break of the match on a double fault to lead, 5-3, in the second set.

The two held serve comfortably in the next game to level the match at one set each.

Turn to A14

Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors is interviewed during the press conference introducing him in Oakland, California. AFP

SAN FRANCISCO—NBA star Kevin Durant dismissed critics of his leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder for Golden State on Thursday after signing a two-year deal worth $54.3 million to join the Warriors.

“All I can control is how I come to work every single day and help this team get better,” Durant said.

“I can’t worry about the outside noise.”

Four-time NBA scoring leader Durant, the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player, combined with Russell Westbrook to lift the Thunder to the Western Conference finals four times in the past six years but has never won an NBA title.

Some say joining the Warriors was his way of trying to take a shortcut to a crown by joining a Golden State club that retains the core of a title that won the 2015 NBA crown and came within one game of a championship repeat last month.

“It’s not a popular decision but I can live with it,” said Durant.

“Nothing in this league is easy.

Castro retiring from Gilas PH TURN TO A15

There are no shortcuts. This is the hardest road. I’ve never lived in this community, don’t know anybody here.

“We live in this superhero comic book world and you are either a superhero or a villain. I understand the fans in Oklahoma City and around the world are upset. I made the decision based on what I wanted to do.

“I’m sorry you feel that way but I just want to live my life the way I want to live it. I’ve got a short amount of time to play basketball and I just want to enjoy every day of it.”

Durant, 27, can opt out of the deal next July and take advantage of television money boosting the NBA salary cap to $107 million a club to test free agency again. But he says the Warriors are in his

long-term plans.

“I figured it was time for me to try a new challenge and there’s no better place to do it,” Durant said.

“I went with my gut and my instincts and I trusted the situation.

I’m out of my comfort zone. I’m super excited. I’m pumped to get started.”

‘They were a great fit’ Durant said what made a big impact was a sense of belonging from his new teammates—twotime NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry, 3-point sharpshooter Klay Thompson and forwards Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala—in a visit to make their pitch last weekend.

“When they came in to see me, everything was real. They were a huge family walking in. They were a great fit,” Durant said. “I just felt like I wanted to be a part of it.”

Durant will play his first game in Golden State’s arena since joining the Warriors on July 26 as a member of the US Olympic team against China in a warm-up contest for Rio.

Bayron, Shin grab lead; Lascuña fumbles TURN TO A14

It was in Oakland where the Warriors ended Durant’s title dream in May, defeating Oklahoma City to complete a rally from 3-1 down to win the best-of-seven Western Conference semi-finals.

Golden State then squandered a 3-1 NBA Finals lead in losing to Cleveland.

Despite coming so close to a repeat crown, the Warriors dumped a fistful of reserves and traded Australian center Andrew Bogut to Dallas to make salary room for Durant.

“We just try to get better,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said. “You never expect to get this much better.”

Tough call to Westbrook Durant, whose 27.4 points a game ranks as the third-best career average in NBA history, called telling the Thunder he was leaving “the toughest day of my life” and had trouble explaining himself to ex-teammate Russell Westbrook.

“I talked to him. It was tough. I’m sure he wasn’t happy about the decision but he respected it,” Durant said.

Turn to A14

B1

SATURDAY: JULY 9, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

PSe comPoSite index Closing July 8, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,771.52 18.06

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing July 8, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.125

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.060 LOW P47.130 AVERAGE P47.095 VOLUME 354.500M

Property pioneer. Philippine Realty & Holding Corp. holds its stockholders’ meeting at the Andrea North Clubhouse, New Manila, Quezon City. PhilRealty chairman Gerardo Lanuza (center) discusses the company success in developing best-of-class, luxury projects that embody spacious uncompromised living within intimate communities. With him are (from left) PhilRealty vice chairman Antonio Olbesand president and chief executive officer Andrew Alcid.

ADB backing Duterte infrastructure projects

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE Asian Development Bank on Friday expressed support to the infrastructure projects that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte plans to build.

ADB president Takehiko Nakao met with two of Duterte’s economic managers—Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia—to express support for the administration’s 10-point economic agenda, particularly infrastructure development.

“The recent strong growth of the Philippines provides a foundation for further sustainable

growth to fully realize this country’s enormous potential,” said Nakao.

“Our support will be tailored to the government’s socio-economic and poverty reduction priorities, and to the country’s middleincome status. We are looking forward to further discussions on how we can best support the country,” he said.

Nakao said aside from support

in accelerating infrastructure development with special attention to the role of public-private partnerships, ADB would also assist in rural and value chain development in agriculture; improving human capital investment including health and education; and social protection through conditional cash transfer.

Nakao said ADB could help the country implement innovations in infrastructure development, based on the bank’s extensive experience and access to global knowledge and advanced technologies.

Dominguez welcomed the commitment from ADB, saying the bank’s full backing would go a long way in helping President Duterte deliver on his electoral

mandate to bring progress to all Filipinos.

“This is because the strengthened partnership between the bank and the Philippine government on the Duterte presidency would, as conveyed by Mr. Nakao, focus on key areas that the 10-point agenda itself aims to harness to enable our people to truly benefit from a strong economy that the ADB projects to grow beyond 6 percent in 2017,” Dominguez said.

ADB said the Philippines experienced strong economic growth in recent years. Gross domestic product grew 5.9 percent in 2015 and is expected to rise to 6 percent in 2016 and 6.1 percent in 2017, led by higher private consumption and investment.

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 Friday, July 8, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

47.0400

Japan

Yen

0.009926

0.4669

UK

Pound

1.291200

60.7380

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128904

6.0636

Switzerland

Franc

1.022286

48.0883

Canada

Dollar

0.769172

36.1819

Singapore

Dollar

0.741015

34.8573

Australia

Dollar

0.747700

35.1718

Bahrain

Dinar

2.651816

124.7414

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266574

12.5396

Brunei

Dollar

0.738280

34.7287

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.028433

1.3375

UAE

Dirham 0.272301

12.8090

Euro

Euro

1.106700

52.0592

Korea

Won

0.000864

0.0406

China

Yuan

0.149629

7.0385

India

Rupee

0.014818

0.6970

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.248756

11.7015

New Zealand Dollar

0.722600

33.9911

Taiwan

0.030914

Dollar

1.4542 Source: PDS Bridge

DBS Bank of Singapore keeps GDP growth forecast of 6.3%

By Julito G. Rada DBS Bank of Singapore kept its growth forecast for the Philippines this year at 6.3 percent on possible moderation in private sector investment that may offset the increase in spending of the Duterte administration.

“At this juncture, we maintain our 2016 GDP growth forecast at 6.3 percent. There are some upside risks to our 2017 GDP growth forecast of 6.3 percent, given the upward revision in fiscal deficit,” the bank said in a report Friday.

“Nevertheless, it is important to see how the private sector will re-

spond to the new administration’s policies. Let’s not forget that there has been a tremendous frontloading of investments since 4Q15, ahead of the elections in May,” it said.

It said a moderation in private sector investment could offset the growth-boosting measures set by the new government.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said his administration would increase fiscal spending, especially for infrastructure projects, to sustain the growth of the economy.

But on Tuesday, the Duterte administration lowered the GDP

forecast this year to 6 percent to 7 percent from the previous administration’s target of 6.8 percent to 7.8 percent. For 2017, the GDP growth is seen settling between 6.5 and 7.5 percent, slightly lower than the previous target of 6.6 percent to 7.6 percent.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said factors that might affect economic expansion this year could be the tapering of the effects of election spending, slow agricultural output due to El Niño, weak infrastructure activities because of seasonality and reduced external trade.

“Growth is still seen to accel-

erate going forward, however, with the 7-8 percent target set for 2018-2022. Core to the assumption, fiscal deficit will be raised to 3 percent of GDP as the government’s infrastructure spending is set to rise to 5 percent of GDP starting in 2017,” DBS said.

Earlier, global credit watchdog Standard & Poor’s Rating Services slightly raised the growth forecast for the Philippines this year to 6.1 percent from the earlier estimate of 6 percent, despite the turmoil brought about by the recent exit of United Kingdom from the European Union and slowdown in

Chinese economy.

In a report titled “Asia-Pacific’s Overall Economic Picture Brightens A Bit Outside Of China” released on Wednesday, S&P said the Philippines would continue to outperform its peers in the Asean region. The forecast for the Philippines is higher than that of Indonesia’s 5.1 percent; Malaysia, 4.5 percent; Singapore, 1.8 percent; and Thailand’s 3.2 percent.

For 2017, it said the Philippine economy could grow by 6.3 percent, stronger than Indonesia’s 5.3 percent, Malaysia’s 4.7 percent, Singapore’s 1.9 percent, and Thailand’s 3.2 percent.

SATURDAY: JULY 9, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Friday, July 8, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 2.6 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 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 6.12 1.02 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 20.6 125 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 15.32 62.5 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 0.66 1455 76 5.29 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 9.66 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 390 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 0.152 837 49.55 3 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 3 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 170 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.68 3.64 47.55 46 113.50 112.60 99.45 98.20 38 37.75 4.09 4.00 1.36 1.34 14.6 14.24 19 18.62 6.80 6.56 1.91 1.85 0.530 0.520 90.9 89 0.92 0.9 14.98 14.84 23.80 22.25 57.25 56.75 270 265 31.8 31.6 191.2 190 1345.00 1340.00 65.20 65.00 1.54 1.49 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

44.95 45.65 44 Agrinurture Inc. 3.6 4.03 3.7 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.89 0.91 0.85 Alsons Cons.

1.98 2.03 1.96 Asiabest Group 11.98 12.1 11.98 Century Food 24 23.6 22.4 Chemphil 153.5 155 155 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 151 154 149.4 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 17.4 17.92 17.04 Concepcion 47 47 47 Crown Asia 2.08 2.21 2.07 Da Vinci Capital 5.4 5.5 5.34 Del Monte 12.48 12.54 12.36 DNL Industries Inc. 9.600 9.750 9.520 Emperador 7.40 7.40 7.31 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.55 5.60 5.49 EEI 7.69 7.70 7.61 First Gen Corp.

24.35 24.7 24.05 First Holdings ‘A’ 69.55 69.55 69.3 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.00 12.20 12.20 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.20 15.30 15.20 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.57 5.6 5.54 Ionics Inc 2.460 2.470 2.390 Jollibee Foods Corp.

244.80 245.00 244.00 Liberty Flour 38.00 38.00 38.00 LMG Chemicals 1.95 1.91 1.87 Macay Holdings 35.25 38.00 36.00 Manila Water Co. Inc. 27.2 27.25 26.9 Maxs Group 28.8 28.9 28.4 Megawide 6.93 7.05 6.93 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 312.40 314.80 311.00 MG Holdings 0.270 0.290 0.280 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.42 3.43 3.42 Petron Corporation 10.46 10.66 10.20 Phil H2O 3.19 3.04 3.04 Phinma Corporation 11.32 11.46 11.46 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.13 6.25 6.15 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.62 1.65 1.60 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.95 2.95 2.87 RFM Corporation 4.19 4.19 4.18 Roxas Holdings 4 3.99 3.98 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 215 215 213.8 Splash Corporation 2.57 2.58 2.54 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.152 0.150 0.150 TKC Steel Corp.

1.86 1.91 1.83 Trans-Asia Oil 2.46 2.49 2.43 Universal Robina 199.7 200.8 199.7 Victorias Milling 4.5 4.69 4.4 Vitarich Corp.

1.1 1.11 0.99 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.31 1.52 1.28 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.370 0.395 0.370 Aboitiz Equity 78.00 79.00 78.00 Alliance Global Inc. 15.28 15.28 15.14 Anglo Holdings A 1.13 1.69 1.13 Anscor `A’ 6.02 6.05 6.01 ATN Holdings A 0.375 0.370 0.365 Ayala Corp `A’ 844 844.5 833 Cosco Capital 7.68 7.76 7.66 DMCI Holdings 12.68 12.70 12.42 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.31 5.34 5.32 Forum Pacific 0.245 0.230 0.222 GT Capital 1460 1470 1451 JG Summit Holdings 84.30 84.40 83.60 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5.35 5 5 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.6 7.7 7.5 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.7 0.7 0.69 LT Group 15.96 16 15.86 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.500 0.600 0.480 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.78 6.84 6.77 MJCI Investments Inc. 3.39 3.33 3.11 Pacifica `A’ 0.0330 0.0330 0.0320 Prime Media Hldg 1.230 1.240 1.230 Prime Orion 1.820 1.920 1.810 San Miguel Corp `A’ 78.35 78.45 77.50 SM Investments Inc. 985.00 990.00 986.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.18 1.21 1.16 South China Res. Inc. 0.89 0.93 0.87 Transgrid 182.00 181.00 181.00 Top Frontier 186.000 190.000 186.100 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3050 0.3100 0.3000 Wellex Industries 0.2040 0.2040 0.1990 Zeus Holdings 0.290 0.290 0.290 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.550 7.600 7.450 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.42 1.48 1.31 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.220 2.230 2.180 Arthaland Corp.

0.285 0.290 0.270 Ayala Land `B’ 37.900 38.250 37.600 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.34 3.33 3.26 Century Property 0.500 0.51 0.500 City & Land Dev. 0.95 1.14 1.00 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.030 1.080 1.040 Crown Equities Inc. 0.130 0.132 0.132 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.650 0.700 0.650

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

Close

SHARES 21,948,327 304,038,383 229,288,498 476,725,861 329,946,348 8,814,806,092 10,178,262,129

3.64 47.55 112.80 98.45 38.05 4.10 1.35 14.5 18.64 6.54 1.89 0.540 89 0.94 15 23.80 56.90 268.8 31.85 190 1341.00 65.05 1.5

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.68 47.5 112.80 99.00 37.8 4.09 1.34 14.5 18.86 6.80 1.91 0.530 90.9 0.92 14.94 22.25 57.00 270 31.6 191 1340.00 65.15 1.49

1.10 -0.11 0.00 0.56 -0.66 -0.24 -0.74 0.00 1.18 3.98 1.06 -1.85 2.13 -2.13 -0.40 -6.51 0.18 0.45 -0.78 0.53 -0.07 0.15 -0.67

32,000 188,300 1,034,970 605,790 45,700 74,000 88,000 4,200 556,000 2,100 129,000 231,000 3,417,890 13,664,000 165,400 6,600 91,210 9,900 138,600 1,288,080 175 13,690 160,000

44 3.89 0.85 2.03 12.1 22.65 155 150 17.92 47 2.16 5.35 12.54 9.700 7.35 5.50 7.65 24.05 69.45 12.20 15.20 5.54 2.400 244.80 38.00 1.87 36.00 27.2 28.5 7.04 311.40 0.290 3.43 10.28 3.04 11.46 6.25 1.64 2.9 4.19 3.98 213.8 2.58 0.150 1.86 2.49 200 4.4 1 1.34

-2.11 8.06 -4.49 2.53 1.00 -5.63 0.98 -0.66 2.99 0.00 3.85 -0.93 0.48 1.04 -0.68 -0.90 -0.52 -1.23 -0.14 1.67 0.00 -0.54 -2.44 0.00 0.00 -4.10 2.13 0.00 -1.04 1.59 -0.32 7.41 0.29 -1.72 -4.70 1.24 1.96 1.23 -1.69 0.00 -0.50 -0.56 0.39 -1.32 0.00 1.22 0.15 -2.22 -9.09 2.29

3,428,600 4,054,000 2,376,000 8,157,000 30,300 13,862,700 50 3,030 7,063,900 15,600 9,359,000 561,800 59,700 1,051,900 892,800 12,016,600 68,300 1,645,700 401,900 500 4,400 450,000 2,139,000 462,530 1,000 24,000 200 147,400 345,600 279,400 202,760 2,710,000 311,000 7,106,700 3,000 600 3,578,700 588,000 261,000 506,000 15,000 460 10,000 80,000 501,000 2,690,000 987,250 6,053,000 70,588,000 20,764,000

0.390 78.00 15.26 1.45 6.01 0.370 844 7.69 12.50 5.33 0.222 1470 84.25 5 7.7 0.69 15.98 0.480 6.82 3.33 0.0330 1.230 1.910 78.25 987.00 1.21 0.93 181.00 190.000 0.3000 0.2000 0.290

5.41 0.00 -0.13 28.32 -0.17 -1.33 0.00 0.13 -1.42 0.38 -9.39 0.68 -0.06 -6.54 1.32 -1.43 0.13 -4.00 0.59 -1.77 0.00 0.00 4.95 -0.13 0.20 2.54 4.49 -0.55 2.15 -1.64 -1.96 0.00

20,730,000 920,100 2,028,400 39,327,000 19,600 1,640,000 186,980 8,876,600 3,576,200 216,300 100,000 60,645 1,828,140 400 4,111,100 17,521,000 7,104,300 10,213,000 27,643,300 600 60,700,000 4,000 3,220,000 817,310 405,730 384,000 133,000 460 1,630 6,400,000 460,000 470,000

7.550 1.32 2.180 0.270 38.200 3.32 0.510 1.00 1.050 0.132 0.670

0.00 -7.04 -1.80 -5.26 0.79 -0.60 2.00 5.26 1.94 1.54 3.08

691,600 22,829,000 614,000 20,000 29,325,500 2,619,000 1,329,000 127,000 64,000 290,000 59,354,000

8,475,325.00 36,060,862 32,563,708.00 -1,018,650.00 39,150.00 -5,951,808.00 3,120.00 93,822,744.00 12,374,140.00 232,440.00 -3,728,992.50 557,000.00 -3,946,640 -22,853,740.00 -565,719.00 -108,031,630.00 -577,570.00 -43,000.00 2,919,560.00 -114,300,125.00 -3,251,192.00 -700,300 -44,100.00 -12,500.00 4,541,976.00 1,366,149.00 10,068,443.00 182,034.00 4,185,915.00 12,533,715.50 1,927,777.00 -686,760.00 27,370,992.00

1,578,555.00 -1,869,550.00 1,203,770.00 1,121,028.00 229,120.00 -13,058,540.00 61,600.00 307,800.00 5,780.00 -593,980.00 -88,150.00

29,160.00 -24,483,546.00 -26,606,800.00 1,105,200.00 5,194,070.00 6,090,200.00 -47,594,488.00 2,352,374.00 33,675,060.00 -15,075.00 -106,461,705.00 53,887,329.00 -25,416,076.00 9,945,235.00 -36,702,387.50 -1,067,288.00 12,020,490.00 -46,112,322.00 4,663,820.00 -43,106,725.00 1,868,800.00 549,820.00 50,205,150.50 54,021,275.00 53,940.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

16,322,300.00

High

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

Double Dragon 61.2 Empire East Land 0.790 Ever Gotesco 0.147 Global-Estate 0.98 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.97 Interport `A’ 1.24 Megaworld 4.65 MRC Allied Ind. 0.104 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.430 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 37.00 Primex Corp.

11.8 Robinson’s Land `B’ 30.00 Rockwell 1.72 Shang Properties Inc. 3.3 SM Prime Holdings 27.10 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.96 Starmalls 7 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.000 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.570

-0.65 0.00 2.04 1.02 0.51 0.00 0.00 1.92 1.16 0.81 0.51 0.33 2.91 0.00 1.48 -2.08 0.00 2.00 0.00

930,260 37,918,000 25,880,000 366,000 16,571,000 62,000 79,847,000 128,910,000 11,140,000 200 243,800 1,631,500 243,000 231,000 14,899,000 12,603,000 22,700 1,584,000 20,368,600

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 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 1600 5.95

1.97 119.5 7 5.8 12.5 0.017

1.23 102.6 3.01 4 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 3.2 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.95 3.1 0.650 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 18 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 8.8 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

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

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Racing Club PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.96 1.89 0.00 5.17 0.00 2.33 3.04 0.00 1.74 0.10 1.05 4.59 0.99 0.26 0.16 0.56 -3.39 -2.29 -1.37 -4.40 1.56 -1.05 -0.43 0.00 2.48 6.06 -0.30 0.15 0.96 -6.47 -4.90 0.00 0.51 -0.53 -2.14 5.98 0.00 0.00 1.18 0.38 3.41 0.85 1.24 -0.59 -0.31 4.89 -1.72 0.88 1.54 1.29

22,300 56,800 5,000 17,363,000 2,200 2,300 18,465,000 88,540,000 11,136,000 247,290 2,200 28,000 181,900 56,150 116,700 559,000 23,000 717,820 8,400 200 800 5,000,000 338,100 24,870,000 4,497,000 5,000 1,400 1,273,800 342,000 102,000 1,100 8,000 8,000 8,286,000 23,221,000 39,064,000 15,700 8,700 100 150,720 17,470,000 9,456,000 3,808,800 745,040 259,500 24,732,000 26,521,000 1,215,000 50,000 15,300

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

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

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

Benguet Corp `A’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ 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 -2.79 1.38 0.00 -5.47 6.10 1.64 -1.96 -0.56 -1.11 -3.39 -2.75 -5.66 0.00 -1.06 -2.47 -0.71 5.45 0.83 -8.33 0.00 0.00 -1.46 -1.52 0.00 -1.69 -0.26 0.00

6,670,000,000 21,268,000.00 2,143,000 1,540,550.00 63,000 154,060.00 31,130,000 7,148,400.00 31,100 25,000 2,160,000 1,127,890.00 3,452,000 76,590.00 5,700 17,659,000 889,000.00 114,950,000 33,473,900.00 30,660,000 1,030,000 12,500.00 707,500,000 1,378,000 -34,440.00 3,700,900 595,053.00 172,000 1,190,000 540,000.00 520,000 258,400,000 3,000,000 44,000 5,067,400 6,447,039.00 5,036,000 800.00 805,000,000 9,471,600.00 203,040 -2,238,928.00 364,000 -77,650.00 149,800,000 753,000.00

70 525 8.21 78.95 84.8

33 500 5.88 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GMA Holdings Inc. SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I

0.00 0.09 -1.42 3.10 0.19 0.00 0.00 -0.26 0.26 0.00 0.00

56,900 760 360,500 27,000 3,100 194,450 40,000 74,220 149,600 141,150 103,400

1.53

414,000

1.60 5.44 1.81 0.75

1,022,000 14,000 330,000 134,700

0.39

3,820

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,765.15 (UP) 10.45 INDUSTRIAL 11,750.38 (DOWN) 47.94 HOLDING FIRMS 7,627.04 (UP) 9.05 PROPERTY 3,418.88 (UP) 27.08 SERVICES 1,647.62 (UP) 3.62 MINING & OIL 11,333.17 (DOWN) 196.16 PSEI 7,771.52 (UP) 18.06 All Shares Index 4,713.90 (UP) 5.14 Gainers: 104; Losers: 86; Unchanged: 40; Total: 230

Close

2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.39 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

61.3 60.35 60.8 0.800 0.790 0.790 0.150 0.150 0.150 0.99 0.97 0.99 1.99 1.94 1.98 1.25 1.24 1.24 4.71 4.64 4.65 0.114 0.104 0.106 0.475 0.430 0.435 37.30 37.15 37.30 12 11.82 11.86 30.45 30.00 30.10 1.77 1.72 1.77 3.3 3.28 3.3 27.60 27.15 27.50 0.96 0.92 0.94 7 6.48 7 1.030 1.000 1.020 5.680 5.530 5.570 SERVICES 7.28 7.39 7.24 7.35 47.7 48.7 47.3 48.6 1.29 1.32 1.29 1.29 0.580 0.610 0.580 0.610 11 11 11 11 6.88 7.05 6.88 7.04 6.58 6.80 6.45 6.78 0.0580 0.0580 0.0570 0.0580 2.88 3.04 2.88 2.93 98.4 99.1 98.4 98.5 9.5 9.84 9.6 9.6 1.96 2.05 1.99 2.05 5.07 5.44 5.10 5.12 2350 2366 2340 2356 6.35 6.37 6.35 6.36 17.90 18.38 17.80 18.00 1.18 1.14 1.13 1.14 63.45 63.45 62 62 13.10 13.28 12.92 12.92 159 156 145 152 11.52 11.7 11.7 11.7 0.0095 0.0096 0.0094 0.0094 9.39 9.39 9.25 9.35 0.340 0.345 0.335 0.340 1.6100 1.7100 1.6200 1.6500 2.31 2.45 2.32 2.45 13.38 13.52 13.24 13.34 6.55 6.99 6.56 6.56 3.14 3.22 3.16 3.17 2.78 2.60 2.50 2.60 19.98 19.00 19.00 19.00 0.580 0.590 0.580 0.580 1.98 1.99 1.98 1.99 3.8 3.83 3.72 3.78 4.67 4.75 4.55 4.57 3.680 4.000 3.670 3.900 12.08 12.1 12.06 12.08 5.20 5.20 5.20 5.20 8.51 8.61 8.61 8.61 2086.00 2102.00 2086.00 2094.00 0.440 0.470 0.440 0.455 1.180 1.190 1.160 1.190 44.35 45.50 44.40 44.90 84.50 84.50 83.95 84.00 6.43 6.50 6.35 6.41 3.48 3.68 3.46 3.65 0.580 0.590 0.570 0.570 3.39 3.45 3.39 3.42 0.325 0.350 0.330 0.330 6.200 6.280 6.100 6.280 MINING & OIL 0.0041 0.0041 0.0040 0.0041 3.58 3.54 3.45 3.48 4.34 4.40 4.34 4.40 0.230 0.230 0.230 0.230 7.5000 7.5 7.05 7.0900 7.2100 7.6500 6.8000 7.6500 0.61 0.62 0.61 0.62 0.510 0.520 0.500 0.500 8.85 8.98 8.65 8.80 0.900 0.910 0.880 0.890 0.295 0.295 0.285 0.285 0.255 0.255 0.248 0.248 0.265 0.260 0.250 0.250 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 1.89 1.93 1.87 1.87 5.67 5.67 5.41 5.53 2.8 2.83 2.69 2.78 0.5500 0.5800 0.5400 0.5800 1.2100 1.2800 1.2100 1.2200 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0110 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 8.88 9.09 8.70 8.75 4.62 4.81 4.52 4.55 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 124.00 123.00 121.20 121.90 3.9 3.9 3.81 3.89 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 0.0110 PREFERRED 47.3 48.95 47.25 47.3 541 541.5 541.5 541.5 6.35 6.3 6.26 6.26 77.5 79.9 79.7 79.9 79.5 81 79.65 79.65 76 76 76 76 76.5 76.5 76.5 76.5 78.2 78.1 78 78 78.1 78.3 77.05 78.3 77 77 76.1 77 77 77 77 77 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.610 2.750 2.610 2.650 SME 3.74 3.88 3.74 3.8 3.49 3.69 3.53 3.68 4.41 4.49 4.41 4.49 16 16.18 15.98 16.12 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 127.4 127.9 127.2 127.9

T op g ainerS VALUE 780,182,316.60 4,070,079,138.918 2,281,394,563.825 2,536,499,862.14 1,395,421,708.66 244,206,114.781 11,315,891,028.928

Low

10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

3,800,000.00 42,700.00 -60,705,115.00 7,234,610.00 12,550.00

Close

61,000.00 29,898,340.00 3,882,000.00 6,688,330.00 143,482,940.00 9,250,870.00 4,308,600.00 -13,999,870.00 70,851,440.00 47,000.00 6,060.00 -20,868,185.00

9,280,000.00 3,448,455.00 4,172,520.00 427,700.00 1,756,560.00

-16,763,040.00 408,652.00 9,040.00 833,088.00

34,000.00

-1,342,656 -230,770.00

-9,976,660.00 40,430,590.00 -632,730.00

45,412,850.00 330,000.00 -3,424,200.00 109,028,395.00 -426,745.00 -341,260.00 12,222,920.00 -609,260.00

-2,224,960.00 -2,263,478.00

-7,800,000.00 -7,680,750.00 -3,850,000.00

-116,400.00 66,350.00 -546,318.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Anglo Holdings A

1.45

28.32

Forum Pacific

0.222

Agrinurture Inc.

3.89

8.06

Vitarich Corp.

1

-9.39 -9.09

MG Holdings

0.290

7.41

Oriental Pet. `A'

0.0110

-8.33

Benguet Corp `B'

7.6500

6.10

A. Brown Co., Inc.

1.32

-7.04

Jackstones

2.45

6.06

Keppel Holdings `A'

5

-6.54

NOW Corp.

3.900

5.98

Phil Bank of Comm

22.25

-6.51

Omico

0.5800

5.45

Macroasia Corp.

2.60

-6.47

Makati Fin. Corp.

3.68

5.44

Lepanto `B'

0.250

-5.66

Abacus Cons. `A'

0.390

5.41

Century Food

22.65

-5.63

City & Land Dev.

1.00

5.26

Benguet Corp `A'

7.0900

-5.47

SATURDAY: JULY 9, 2016

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

B3

Market up; Bloomberry rises STOCKS rose Friday at the end of a volatile week dominated by the fallout from Britain’s European Union exit, with investors now turning their attention to the release of US jobs data.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, picked up 18 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 7,771.52. It was also up 11.8 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also advanced 5 points, or 0.1 percent, to settle at 4,713.90, on a value turnover of P11.3 billion. Advancers outnumbered losers, 104 to 86, while 40 issues were unchanged.

Thirteen of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led

by Now Corp. which climbed 6 percent to P3.90 and Bloomberry Resorts Corp. which rose 3 percent to P6.78.

Meanwhile, most Asian markets traded lower. The June non-farm payrolls figures from Washington will be pored over for clues about the Federal Reserve’s interest rate plans in light of the Brexit vote, following a surprisingly low reading in May. They come after a week of losses in stocks around the world, after the head of the Bank of England said the risks of leaving the EU were “crystalizing” and British property investment funds suspended client withdrawals to prevent a run on them.

“While a strong June report is not going to ring alarm bells for an imminent rate hike, strong print tells the market that when the post-Brexit dust settles, the door will be open for the Fed to resume a path of interest rate normalisation,” said Stephen Innes, senior trader at Oanda Asia Pacific.

Tokyo fell 1.1 percent—a fourth-straight loss ahead of weekend elections to Japan’s upper house that are expected to see a win for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s party despite the country’s stuttering economy.

With AFP, Bloomberg

SATURDAY: JULY 9, 2016

B4

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

IN BRIEF

4 Security Bank awards.

Century sells shares

Security Bank Corp. bags four awards during the 6th Asian Excellence Awards 2016 hosted by Corporate Governance Asia at the JW Marriott Hotel, Hong Kong. Receiving the awards in behalf of Security Bank are (from left) investor relations head Ropi Dangazo and assistant corporate secretary and SB Foundation Inc. trustee Melissa Aquino.

With them are Corporate Governance Asia managing director and publisher Aldrin Monsod.

CANNED food producer Century Pacific Food Inc. said Friday its parent company sold P2.6 billion worth of shares through an overnight placement, boosting its public float to 21 percent.

Century Pacific said in a disclosure to the stock exchange parent Century Pacific Group Inc. sold 118 million shares in the company for P22 apiece.

The placement price of P22 per share is equivalent to a four percent discount from the stock’s 10-day volume weighted average price of P22.87 apiece and a one percent discount from its 30- day volume weighted average price of P22.28.

“The transaction was conducted to broaden CNPF’s shareholder base and is in response to demand from global institutional investors for additional shares and improved trading liquidity,” the company told the stock exchange.

Century Pacific shares sold during the placement were all owned by CPGI and will not dilute the shareholdings of the company’s existing public investors as of the date of the placement. Jenniffer B. Austria

Financial inclusion

AirAsia PH names new chief executive

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Philippine unit of Southeast Asia’s largest budget carrier on Friday announced changes in leadership after the airline’s chief executive resigned from her post.

Philippines AirAsia Inc. appointed Captain Dexter Comendador as interim chief executive effective July 30, replacing Joy Cañeba who resigned after three years of service in the company.

Comendador has over 34 years of experience in the aviation industry as officer of Philippine Air Force and commercial pilot for several airlines.

He joined Philippines AirAsia in 2011 as director of flight operations and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2015.

“We are pleased that Captain

Dexter has agreed to step into the interim CEO role and we are excited about the important change and strategic direction that we are committed to bring for our guests and travelers here and abroad. We remain focused on driving solid growth with emphasis on quality and innovation,” said Philippines AirAsia chairperson Maan Hontiveros.

Philippines AirAsia has reached a turnaround phase with revenue and passenger load improving year-on-year.

The number of guests carried

in 2015 increased significantly, enabling the airline to boost its passenger load from 70 percent in 2014 to 81 percent.

The airline recently expanded its network in China with the addition of the Manila-Shanghai route on June 10.

“We would like to thank Joy for her valuable contributions over the past years. Her leadership has driven Philippines AirAsia to grow and expand from strength to strength. We are fortunate to have Captain Dexter serve as interim CEO as we continue to build our presence in the market,” AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said.

Joy Cañeba said she was plesed to lead and work with the comnmpany.

“I have no doubt that under Captain Dexter’s leadership, the team will continue to succeed. I

am thankful for the support of the stockholders,” she said.

Cañeba has served the company as legal head, chief operating officer and chief executive officer in the last three years.

She was appointed CEO in April 2014. She will resume her post as partner at the Santiago, Gaspar, Caneba & Franco law firm.

The airline currently has 12 operating aircraft servicing domestic destinations, such as Kalibo (Boracay), Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Tagbilaran (Bohol), Cebu and Tacloban. They also fly to China, Korea, Macau and Hong Kong.

Malaysia’s Air Asia, through AA International, owns 40 percent of Philippines’ Air Asia Inc., while Filipinos Marriane Hontiveros, Michael Romero, Antonio Cojuangco and Alfredo Yao hold the balance of 60 percent.

Jica offers solutions to decongest Metro Manila roads THE Japan International Cooperation Agency has offered five proposals as medium-term solutions to decongest roads in the capital region.

Jica made the recommendations in a 2014 study, which are often cited as bases for the emergency powers sought to enable President Rodrigo Duterte to address the vehicular traffic crisis in Metro Manila, The proposals included a restudy of the gateway airport options for Metro Manila, the feasibility of a mega-Manila Subway System, reform of the road-based public transport system, feasibility of secondary mass transport system lines and a redevelopment

of the congested North Harbor.

Senate President Franklin Drilon in submitting Senate Bill 11, or the “Transportation Crisis Act of 2016” which seeks to grant Duterte extra powers to address the Metro Manila vehicular traffic congestion, has backed the Jica study called “Roadmap for Infrastructure Development for Metro Manila and Surrounding Areas.”

The study estimated productivity loss of around P2.4 billion a day or more than P800 billion a year from the daily traffic jams.

“If the traffic congestion continues to be unabated, the traffic cost is expected to increase to P6 billion a day,” Drilon said, citing findings of the study.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, who spearheaded the proposal to give Duterte emergency powers to solve road congestion, also supported the results of the study, which showed the economic impact of traffic and its effect on families and their quality of life.

Jica noted that since domestic shipping was primarily from the south of Manila, there would be savings in operating cost if they docked as Batangas rather than at Manila North Harbor.

“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.

“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.

Tugade added a major impediment in solving traffic congestion in most metropolis was the restraining orders, injunctions, right-ofway issues, and regulations from local governments, aside from people’s lack of discipline.

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

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said the financial inclusion efforts of the government will be a vital tool to alleviate poverty in the country.

In a speech delivered in a workshop on financial inclusion at Bangko Sentral July 5, Tetangco said poverty alleviation was a national priority of the government.

“While the incidence of poverty in our country has been on the decline, the Philippine Statistics Authority estimates that poverty incidence among Filipinos in the first semester of 2015 was at 26.3 percent. That means more than 26 million Filipinos still live in poverty,” he said.

“In this connection, the Bangko Sentral continues to address persistent barriers to financial inclusion.

These come in the form of human barriers such as lack of financial literacy, age and gender issues,” he said.

Bangko Sentral last year took steps to bring together 12 other government agencies along with representatives from the private sector, multilateral institutions and the NGO community to prepare a harmonized plan under the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion, or NSFI. Julito G. Rada

Contact center expo ABOUT 150 investors from Europe, US, Japan, Australia and other countries are coming to the Philippines to see first-hand why the Philippines has become the best customer experience destination for services, the Contact Center Association of the Philippines said Friday.

“The Philippines continues to be the most preferred offshore destination worldwide. Despite the challenges, the preference is still the Philippines for voice, as a compelling value proposition differentiated from any other market out there,” association president Benedict Hernandez said.

Philippines is set to host the 11th International Contact Center Conference and Expo at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City on September 27 to 29, 2016.

ICCCE is the largest contact center industry event by size and scope. It is the leading learning and networking event of the Philippine call center industry.

On its eleventh year, the event will present speakers from Fortune 500 companies and world-famous companies such as Accenture, EGS and Frost & Sullivan. Othel V. Campos

Enactus finals start ENACTUS National Finals, which aims to pick from among the Enactus Philippines’ competing teams the country’s bet at the Enactus World Cup to be held in Toronto, Canada on September 28-30, got underway Friday at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

The finals brings together students, academic, and industry leaders from all over the country to celebrate entrepreneurial action and witness how it transforms the lives of people in the communitiesthey work with. The competing teams from various colleges and universities will showcase through rounds of presentations how human progress is or may be achieved through entrepreneurial initiatives.

“The Enactus Finals is an inspiring event that not only fosters creativity but also encourages students, faculty members, and advisors to continue being beacons of change and hope for our fellow Filipinos,” Enactus Phillippines chairman and CEO Jose Leviste said.

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 9, 2 0 1 6

B5

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

‘Madama Butterfly’. American tenor Bryan Hymel, as Pinkerton (R), and Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho (L) , as Cio-Cio San, perform during the opera ‘Madama Butterfly’ by Giacomo Puccini, directed by Nadine Duffaut and conducted by Mikko Franck on July 7, 2016, in Orange, during the Choregies d’Orange festival, dedicated to opera, lyrical art and symphonic concert. AFP

Snipers kill 5 US policemen Falling pound lifts tourism in Britain LONDON—On a sunny afternoon near Big Ben, two weeks since Britain’s historic decision to leave the European Union, little has changed for visitors to the capital London except that their visits are now cheaper.

As tourists take selfies at the foot of the British parliament’s famous clock tower and at red telephone boxes, there is little talk of what the “Leave” victory in the referendum means for the EU’s future.

But the ensuing currency plunge is seen as a plus.

“For my holidays, it’s great!

They are cheaper every minute,” said Robbert de Reus, from Middelburg in the Netherlands, his sunglasses perched on his head.

This is because a plunge in the value of the pound against the dollar and the euro has made holidays in Britain almost 15 percent cheaper for foreign tourists.

Roberto Serraglia said he had just arrived from Cuneo in northwestern Italy with his wife and two children.

“Compared to before the vote, we will save at least 15 percent, given what the pound has lost,” Serraglia said.

“For us it is a very good thing to come to London at this moment, even if it’s not something we would have wanted.”

Bretton Pyne, a US student in a French football jersey, said that he had gone on a small shopping spree to make the most of the falling pound. AFP

DALLAS—Snipers shot dead five police officers and injured six others in Dallas, unleashing chaos during a protest against police shootings of black men in an ongoing standoff Friday.

Police had the city on lockdown after a suspect warned that bombs had been planted throughout the city center.

The shootings, which the police called a “terrorist incident”, took place as several hundred people marched through the Texan city to protest the fatal shootings this week of two black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota.

As the rally was winding up, shots rang out around 9:00 pm (0200 GMT Friday), causing panic among the protesters, who scrambled to take cover.

City police chief David Brown said two snipers shot at the police “from elevated positions during the protest/rally”. A civilian was also wounded.

Police continued to trade fire with a suspect into the early hours

of Friday at a downtown garage.

The suspect “has told our negotiators that the end is coming, and he is going to hurt and kill more of us, meaning law enforcement. And that there are bombs all over the place in this garage and in downtown,” Brown told reporters.

Three others suspects were taken into custody―one woman and two men found with camouflage bags in a car.

“We still don’t have a complete comfort level that we have all the suspects,” Brown warned.

Another man turned himself into the police after the authorities tweeted a picture of him wearing camouflage and an assault rifle slung across his shoulder, with a call for information on his whereabouts.

It is legal for those with per-

mits to openly carry weapons in the state of Texas. The man, named as Mark Hughes, was later released.

The shootings, which looked set to further strain race relations in the US, stunned the country.

One witness at the rally spoke of “complete pandemonium.”

“There was blacks, whites, Latinos, everybody. There was a mixed community here protesting. And this just came out of nowhere,” Cory Hughes, a brother of the man who turned himself in and was cleared, told CNN. “I’m still kind of startled, shaken up. As you know being in the front, it’s almost like the gunshots were coming at us. It was complete pandemonium...

It’s bananas.”

The protest was one of several nationwide over the fatal police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana this week that have prompted President Barack Obama to make an emotional appeal for urgent police reform. AFP

12 die in giant Indonesian traffic jam BREBES, Indonesia—Twelve people have died during a massive threeday traffic jam in Indonesia that stretched more than 20 kilometers and brought thousands of holidaymakers to a complete standstill, an official said Friday.

The horror traffic at a major highway junction at Brebes, a city on the main island of Java, was so bad that Indonesians dubbed the disastrous toll gate “Brexit”, from the words “Brebes exit”.

Roads across the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country are choked every year at the end of the holy

month of Ramadan, as millions head to villages to celebrate Eid, which fell on Wednesday.

But the chaos at the “Brexit” junction this year was particularly acute in the three days before Eid, as tens of thousands of cars crammed the arterial highway, transport ministry spokesman Hemi Pramuraharjo told AFP. “In terms of this Brexit case, there’s been a total of 12 victims over different days,” he said. The deaths occurred between July 3 and July 5, not a single day as earlier reported, he said.

Pramuraharjo said several of the victims were elderly while others died from fatigue and other health complications. Local media reported that a one-year-old suffering from fume poisoning was also among the deceased.

More than 400 motorists had died on Indonesia’s roads so far this holiday season, including those in the “Brexit” jam, Pramuraharjo said.

Accidents are not uncommon during the holiday odysseys, particularly on the potholed roads of overcrowded Java, home to more than half of Indonesia’s 255 million people. AFP

Filming scene. This picture taken on June 29, 2016, shows beach

houses in Gruissan Plage, southern France, where the French film “37∞2 le matin” (Betty Blue) was filmed 30 years ago. AFP

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 9, 2 0 1 6

B6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Nato takes up Russia issue WARSAW—NATO leaders met Friday for a crucial summit in Warsaw to send a clear message to a resurgent Russia while trying to contain the fallout from Britain’s dramatic divorce from the European Union.

Britain’s future will dominate the talks between US President Barack Obama, attending his last Nato summit, EU President Donald Tusk and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.

“This may be the most important moment for our transatlantic alliance since the end of the Cold War,” Obama wrote in the Financial Times as the two-day summit got underway.

He said he was also “confident that the UK and the EU will be able to agree on an orderly transition to a new relationship”.

Obama was due to meet British Prime Minister David Cameron, who is set to resign over the Brexit vote, at the summit.

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg insisted on Friday that while the June 23 referendum result would inevitably change Britain’s ties to the EU, “it will not change UK’s leading position in Nato.”

Obama was meanwhile being briefed on the shootings in Dallas, where five police officers were killed by snipers during protests against police shooting deaths of black Americans.

“The President has been updated on the shooting of police officers in Dallas. He asked his team to keep him updated on the situation as they get additional information,” the White House said.

Security was tight across the Polish capital with police locking down roads to the

venue in Poland’s national stadium and helicopters flying overhead.

The uncertainty over Britain, a key nuclear-armed ally, comes as Nato prepares to endorse its biggest revamp since the end of the Cold War in response to Russia’s 2014 intervention in Ukraine.

The summit centerpiece is a “Readiness Action Plan” to bolster Nato resources and readiness in the face of a Russia under President Vladimir Putin that the allies now see as more aggressive and dangerously unpredictable.

Nato leaders will approve rotating four battalions in eastern Europe in Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, up to 4,000 troops in all, as a collective tripwire against fresh Russian adventurism.

Stoltenberg said this would “make clear that an attack on one ally will be met by forces from across the whole alliance.”

The plan also includes a pledge to spend two percent of

annual economic output on defense, ending years of cuts, and the creation of a 5,000-strong “Spearhead” force ready to deploy within days.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that while Russia’s actions in Ukraine had eroded mutual trust, the alliance should balance “deterrence and dialogue” with Moscow.

Stoltenberg however sounded a conciliatory note on Russia, with the alliance due to hold fresh talks with Moscow just after the summit.

“Russia is our biggest neighbor and an integral party of European security so sustaining dialogue is essential,” Stoltenberg said. “Nato does not want a new Cold War. The Cold War is history and should remain history.”

Russia has said it will examine closely what is decided at the summit for how it affects its security.

Moscow bitterly opposes Nato’s expansion into its So-

viet-era satellites, which it sees as a threat to its own security.

It is even more strident in its opposition to the Ballistic Missile Defense system the United States is building and which the summit is due to declare has reached an initial operating level.

Washington says the shield is designed to counter missile threats from Iran or the Middle East but Russia says that once the system becomes fully operational in 2018, it will undercut its strategic nuclear deterrent.

Separately Russia warned Friday that the US deployment of an advanced missile defense system in South Korea would have “irreparable consequences”, echoing warnings by China.

The Nato leaders will discuss the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan where Obama on Wednesday said he would keep 8,400 troops into next year to tackle the Taliban. AFP

Livelihood Recovery Program for Farmers Affected

by Typhoon Lando GOODS 100-16-06-034 (REBID) 1.

The Local Government of Dinalupihan, through General Fund 2016 Budget intends to apply the sum of Two Million Nine Hundred Twelve Thousand Eight Hundred Ninety Pesos (Php2,912,890.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Livelihood Recovery Program for Farmers Affected by Typhoon Lando. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The Local Government of Dinalupihan now invites bids for Livelihood Recovery Program for Farmers Affected by Typhoon Lando. Delivery of the goods is required on August 01, 2016. Bidders should have completed, within two (2) from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

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

4.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

5.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Bids and Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours at eight o’clock in the morning to five o’clock in the afternoon.

winds in over a century lashed part of the island. AFP

6.

15,000 flee as ‘Nepartak’ hits Taiwan

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on July 1-8, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (Php 5,000.00).

7.

Pre Bid Conference will be on June 7, 2016 at 2:30PM at BAC Office 2nd Floor Municipal Bldg, Dinalupihan, Bataan.

8.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before July 11, 2016 at 2:30PM. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Chaos. Super Typhoon ‘Nepartak’ forced more than 15,000 people to flee their homes as the strongest

TAIPEI—Super Typhoon Nepartak brought chaos to Taiwan on Friday, forcing more than 15,000 people to flee their homes as the strongest winds in over a century lashed part of the island.

The season’s first major storm hit Taimali town in eastern Taitung county early Friday, bringing torrential rain, shutting offices and schools and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Ferocious winds battered the island at close to 200 kilometers per hour with Taitung recording the strongest gusts in the county

since 1901, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau.

A soldier who fell into the sea off Dongyin Island was found dead Friday, the day after a man drowned off a beach in Hualien county, according to an official tally.

Dozens of injuries were also reported, most caused by fallen objects.

The storm weakened as it passed over the island before leaving southwest Tainan City at around 2:30 pm (0630 GMT), heading for eastern China.

More than 15,000 people have been moved from their homes, which were prone to landslides or flooding and about 3,600 of them were in shelters.

Nearly 4,000 people evacuated were in New Taipei City, which includes Wulai, a popular hot spring area near the capital which was cut off for days after Typhoon Soudelor ravaged Taiwan last August.

Soldiers on Thursday went door-to-door in remote mountainous areas urging villagers to leave their homes. AFP

Bid opening shall be on July 11, 2016 at 2:30PM at BAC Office 2nd Floor Municipal Bldg, Dinalupihan, Bataan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

9.

The LGU of Dinalupihan reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: AMELITA E. PEÑAFLOR BAC Chairman San Ramon, Dinalupihan, Bataan (SGD) ARCELI SAMSON BAC Secretariat San Ramon, Dinalupihan, Bataan

(T S-J U LY 9 , 2016 )

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PROPERTY PROPERTY

JOEL D. L ACSAMANA JOEL D. L ACSAMANA

EDITOR EDITOR

maannaa@ @ggm maaiill..ccoom m jjddllaaccssaam

B7

‘Pioneering landscapes.’

Landco Pacific Corporation recently launched its new brand as a game changer in the real estate industry. The new logo was unveiled at a formal brand launch top-billed by Phil and James Younghusband, two of Azkals’ star football players who are Landco’s ambassadors (Shown in photo). Spearheading the event were Albert Villa-Real, Landco’s first vice president for sales and marketing, and Erick Manzano, Landco CEO. “Landco’s new branding communicates all its attributes which are enjoyed by all homeowners,” said Manzano.

Landco is first and foremost a family-oriented brand which allows all its inhabitants to relax, maintain an active lifestyle and have fun with the rest of the family.”

Water, water everywhere. Water, and lots of it, is something you im-

mediately notice when you walk into the Century Properties’ Acqua Private Residences, Azure Urban Resort Residences, and The Residences at Commonwealth. The beach at the Azure (inset), in particular, brings into harmony urban living and a laid back daily lifestyle. Meanwhile, the nature escape at the Residences at Commonwealth is highlighted by a reflecting pond, a rapid pool, and water falls (Main photo). In all these developments, the water features are not just there to look at: residents and guests can plunge into it, swim through it, and revel in all its fresh glory at their own pace.

Groundbreaking by the bay. Anchor Land

Holdings, Inc. (ALHI), a developer of luxury condominiums, is branching out to office developments with their first Corporate Center in Bay City along Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

Leading the recent groundbreaking at ALHI’s new project (a twelve-storey, two-tower affair) were Asya Designs architect Albert Yu; Anchor Land Holdings board director Jason Li; chairman Stephen Lee; vice-chairman and chief executive officer Steve Li; and Hypro Construction president Apollo Dionisio. ALHI has already bult two prime properties in the area, the SoleMare and Monarch Parksuites. Dubbed as the “entertainment capital of Asia”, Bay City is home to some of the country’s most thriving shopping malls, hotels, casinos and resorts. It likewise serves headquarters to various property developers, IT businesses and multinational companies.

PH real estate...

From B8

Secondary and provincial markets could likewise experience a much-needed shot in the arm under Duterte’s watch.

Observers say Duterte is likely to decentralize Manila, and promote impoverished provincial locations, where he aims to bring prosperity, citing a “crime-less” Davao as his template.

“Davao City is my Exhibit A,” he constantly reminded the press during campaign sorties. “Before a city or province can really prosper, you have to establish order. So that the investors would be coming in, comfortable in their thoughts that there would be no corruption, that they are safe, and that their businesses will prosper.”

Davao real estate, a big winner.

The next six years could belong to Davao, according to property analyst Enrique M. Soriano III. “The newfound confidence brought about by the first Philippine president from Mindanao could translate into a buoyant real estate sector fuelled primarily by two types of property activity,” said Soriano, Ateneo program director for real estate, and senior adviser for Wong+Bernstein Ad-

visory Group.

“First, there is speculative real estate, or real estate bought for resale at a profit. The second type of property activity is investment in income-producing property, bought to maintain and hold for its rental income and its future capital growth,” he said.”

Monique Cornelio-Pronove, chief executive officer of Pronove Tai International Property Consultants, agreed. “Davao has been one of the next wave cities for the business process outsourcing (BPO) market and has always been in the radar screen as a tourist destination. Duterte will further boost the attractiveness of Davao as he continues to draw local and foreign attention to it,” he said.

Davao was cited as one of the nine trending local cities this year . It remains southern Philippines’ economic and business center.

Federalism fever

Property developers will likely benefit from federalism, one of the key campaign promises of Duterte, said Vista Land president and CEO Manuel Paolo Villar.

Duterte had repeatedly promised to push for a federal form of government to empower the provinces.

Villar said property developers

are expected to benefit from federalism as this will further spur developments in other key cities outside Metro Manila.

“I think it benefits everybody and it benefits us because federalism means that there will be more developments outside Metro Manila,” Villar said.

Decentralizing governance throughout the country would encourage real-estate developers to increase investments in areas outside of Metro Manila, agreed Rick M. Santos, CBRE Philippines chairman. He welcomed the Duterte’s ostensible goal to promote inclusive growth by way of a decentralized system of governance.

But he acknowledged that the decentralization process already began with the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, as well as the real estate market in general.

Metro Manila has always been the country’s center of development but it is now spreading out, he pointed out.

“Developments in these secondary sites were initially limited to the local developers. Over the past several years, the national developers started to enter these sites on a growing scale,” Santos said.

the market will pick up six months after the Duterte swear in.

“The market is generally optimistic,” said Julius Guevara, Colliers International Research and Advisory Services director. “President Duterte has a very good platform across crime-fighting, infrastructure-building: his advocacy to improve services would really facilitate improvement in the sector,” he said.

Duterte’s vow to kick-start infrastructure PPPs (Pubic Private Partnerships), implement traffic laws more strictly, improve urban thoroughfares, and build more roads and railway systems will open up more options for buyers and encourage them to buy properties outside known (and more congested) key areas,” said Guevara.

“Bringing telecommunications and utilities to underserved areas of the Philippines will also encourage developers to construct more homes in provinces, providing current and future residents with a safer and more comfortable lifestyle,” added CBRE’s Santos.

Improve infrastructure

Finally, green building is steadily gaining momentum in the real

Property experts predict that

Sustainable building has new champion?

estate industry, but not all players have adjusted their developments and construction practices to accommodate sustainable elements.

Duterte, based on his campaign pronouncements, and appointment of a pro-environment secretary at the DENR, could be leaning for a change. Industry experts believe this would mean giving new secretary Gina Lopez elbow room to push for more sustainable residential, commercial, and retail projects.

Said urban developer Paulo Alcazaren: “This would encourage more developers to do their part in lessening their carbon footprint. Hopefully, this would encourage builders and architects to adopt more sustainable technology in their projects, and not just “greenwash” their claims in their respective marketing strategies.”

The press reported during the campaign that Duterte pushed last year a Davao city ordinance requiring property developers to allocate 10 percent of green space in residential subdivision development projects.

Observers said if Duterte would push Congress to require developers nationwide to follow strict regulations on sustainability and urban planning, then the Philippines could be a greener place.

B8

By Joel D. Lacsamana

A tipping point for businessmen investing in infrastructure projects in the Philippines occurred two years ago when then Transportation secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya plucked a highprofile government contract from one conglomerate— after it had already won approval from the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)—and awarded it to another.

After that, following similar contract “rule changes” which marked the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III, investors more or less came to the conclusion that a Rubicon had been reached: the government’s tottering mantra of “Tuwid na Daan “(“Straight Path”) was truly over.

Today, businessmen are anchoring their hopes on a new leadership. After 2,192 days under the Aquino administration, mostly marked by disappointment, expectations are high that “the punisher”, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the 16th president of the Republic of the Philippines. will be able to whip the country into shape.

Boon for property, real estate, construction players

For high stakes investors in the real estate and construction business, including low profile “buybuild-and-sell” property entre-

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JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR jdlacsamana@gmail.com

PROPERTY

Levelling the playing field. Order first, then progress, President Digong’s business template.

PH real estate to get boost from Duterte presidency

Real estate hub. PH as next Singapore, Hong Kong.

Business hub. The Bay City reclamation project, formerly called Boulevard 2000, is billed as the next business center in Metro Manila by Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC). Located west of Roxas Boulevard on Manila Bay, Bay City offers office accommodation to BPOs and corporate offices.

Among the early bird developments are Central Business Park 1, the sector of Bay City that also includes Aseana City and SM Mall of Asia. David Leechiu, LPC CEO, said Metro Manila’s office markets performed well as of mid 2016, and predicted that 62% of the office stock will be completed in 2016. “The top business locations of Metro Manila now have high occupancy levels so it’s high time to bring attention to new hubs that can accommodate the office space demand of BPO and corporates,” he said. The NexGen Tower (shown in photo) is one of the buildings in the pipeline in Bay City.

preneurs, and millions of Filipino home dreamers, Duterte’s inaugural speech last week exuded sincerity, strength and best of all, hope.

What are the expectations of Philippine real estate professionals about a Duterte presidency?

One, the Philippines could be home to the next Singapore or Hong Kong In a campaign interview early this year, Duterte intimated that he planned to lease some of the country’s islands (there are around 7,500) to establish the next Singapore or Hong Kong as entrepot centers for business “If we can lease our land for military bases, why not lease an island… to create our own version of Hong Kong, Taiwan or Singapore? The jobs will come here. Going abroad must be a choice, not a necessity,” he said, adding that the buildings and infrastructure owned by multinational corporations should revert to the Philippines after 50 years.

“From the 51st year to the 99th year, they will pay

rental for those buildings and infrastructure from the Philippines, thereby creating the country’s income,” he said.

End crime and corruption

Duterte’s administration could also mean the end of crime and corruption, which would aid in gaining in much-needed government transparency.

Duterte’s victory in the May polls was largely attributed to his promise to eliminate crime and corruption within the first six months of his presidency.

While this vow, ambitious as it sounds, remains to be fulfilled, his call to eradicate crime and corruption would definitely improve real estate transparency, which has been categorized as “semi-transparent”, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Philippines.

Lindsay J Orr, country head of JLL Philippines, said that the “perceived corruption in the Philippines has affected the country’s transparency rating.”

Turn to B7

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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 WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

P OPYOU CU LT T HU RE

LIFE

AIMEE SONG

INSPIRES FILIPINO

FASHIONISTAS

BY MICHELLE BUENCAMINO

“Y

ou have to try and be yourself, “organically” and “naturally” as she has find your own voice instead of always been into fashion even as an Interior trying to be somebody else.”

Architecture student.

The words of “It” fashion Since Song dedicated her site to her outfit blogger and interior designer Aimee Song posts—which are characterized by being echoed on the accessible but ground floor of aspirational— ‘My greatest inspiration SM Makati where her audience she was officially would be the real people that has grown and introduced to I see¼ I travel a lot so I meet continues to do the public as the so until now. different types of people According mall’s new brand to ambassador Forbes, she gets from different cities with four million page for its Style Up campaign. different cultures, so they views a month.

The LA-based At such a style icon was all inspire me’ – Aimee Song, young age, Song recently here in the has style blogger and SM Style already country to inspire several feathers UP brand ambassador and encourage in her cap. She Filipinos to level is part of Forbes’ up their personal styles—which the Style Up “30 under 30” list for 2016, and she has campaign of SM Makati espouses. And in been featured in publications such as The this age when fashion blogging, or blogging New York Times, Women’s Wear Daily, in general, is prevalent, Song advised fellow Vogue Spain and has guest-edited Korean bloggers and blogging hopefuls not to fall Vogue. She has graced different exclusive into the trap of imitation and instead work fashion events and runs Song of Style on becoming their better versions.

Design, an interior design business.

“You can always be the best version of Song also wrote a book entitled Capture yourself,” emphasized Song.

Your Style, which is all about finding and Song started her blog, SongofStyle.com in creating a brand, showcasing your life, and 2008 while studying Interior Architecture standing out from the rest on Instagram. in the Academy of Art University in San It will be released in September but is Francisco, with the original intent of available on pre-order from Amazon. focusing on interior design. But when her The young style icon has an Instagram outfit posts received an overwhelmingly following of 3.7 million as of this writing. positive response, she quickly switched to In maintaining her status as an online doing style blog. influencer, Song said that she does not feel She explained during the press any pressure. “I just do what I love and I’m conference that the “switch” happened gonna continue doing what I love.”

Korean-American 'It' fashion blogger Aimee Song styles up SM Makati as the mall's Style Up campaign brand ambassador

Her Instagram feed would take her followers to different places in different styles. The photos she shares also give a peek into her personal life.

“My greatest inspiration would be the real people that I see…I travel a lot so I meet different types of people from different cities with different cultures, so they all inspire me,” shared Song.

And her recent visit in the Philippines was also an inspiring experience for the Internet “It girl.”

“It feels amazing, I actually almost cried. We looked at the mall and like

the billboards with my face and it just feels super surreal. I can’t believe I’m here like talking to everybody, meeting so many people and being on everywhere like that’s an incredible feeling,” related Song.

Aside from answering questions, she also gave her two-cent on some of the latest fashion trends, approving almost every trend including wearing denimon-denim, owning off-shoulder pieces, having a messy bun, and mixing metals.

The bottom line, she said, is to have fun and experiment with fashion.

Be the best version of yourself. Song's style is known for being accessible but aspirational, but at the end of the day, she believes that one should always have fun and experiment with fashion

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LIFE isahred @ gmail.com

JUJEATH NAGAOWA

B

READY TO BE THE FACE OF FILIPINA MMA FIGHTERS

enguet-native Jujeath Nagaowa who has a 2-0 record for MMA, having fought for another international MMA organization, is back in action in Las Vegas-based World Series of Fighting Global (WSOF Global). Her much anticipated comeback is slated on July 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for WSOF GC 3’s Philippines vs. The World Fight.

Her MMA fans would remember her exciting bouts in her previous fights, where she competed in the undercard.

Most fans recall that they had to make sure that they arrive at the stadium on time to catch her fight, which was usually the first one in a card of 10 matches. Fans from up North would also trek down to Manila just to watch her fight.

The Philippines has yet to see its best Filipina MMA fighter. Nagaowa is its best bet. A trained boxer and a former titleholder for the Women’s International

Boxing Association (WIBA) light flyweight division, she was also a former WBC Asian Boxing Council Female Atomweight titleholder. She was once interviewed for a story, “Female Boxer Fights to Open Mixed Martial Arts Doors for Filipino Women,” published in Wall Street Journal.

Nagaowa says, “I’m more than ready, I’ve been waiting to stage a comeback.

Buong puso ko at buong isip ko ibibigay ko sa laban na ito. Gusto ko ipakita sa kababayan natin na kaya ng Pilipina lumaban sa mga taga ibang bansa.”

Jujeath is set to go against Japanese MMA fighter Yuko Kiryu, in WSOF GC 3’s fight card, which highlights Philippines vs. the World.

With the MMA organization, Nagaowa is given the opportunity to have a possible exposure in more international fights. Previous fights of WSOF GC in Asia were held in China and Japan, and they are slated to do more fights within

the Asian region. WSOF GC has affiliates around the world including partners in Argentina, South Africa, Malaysia, Australia and Italy, among others. More partnerships will be announced as well in the next few months.

WSOF GC’s owner also happens to be a Filipina, Dunessa Hesser, who is based in Las Vegas, but was born in Escalante in Negros Occidental.

Dunesa says, “The Philippines is known very well for combat sports and Filipino fans are very passionate. Despite that, very few Philippine MMA fighters have gained global recognition. We hope to change that by promoting them not only on events in the Philippines, but international events as well.”

A lucky member of the audience at Smart Araneta Coliseum on July 30 will also win P1,000,000.

Tickets at P300 with ringside seats available at P4000 now on sale at ticketnet.com.

MMA muse. Jujeath Nagaowa stages a comeback via a match in the World Series of Fighting GC 3's on July 30

Coro San Benildo competes in International Choir Competition in UK Coro San Benildo, the resident choral group of De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde (DLSCSB), competes at the prestigious Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod 2016 in Wales, United Kingdom.

The choir participates in four different categories – the Adult Folk Song Choirs and Youth Choirs (yesterday), and today in the Mixed Choirs and Open Category.

The Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod is one of the most prestigious choral festivals in the world. First staged in 1947,

the singing tournaments are at the heart of Llangolen’s six-day music event, which was started as a way of healing global wounds following the end of World War II. Choral groups from different continents see this as a great opportunity for exchange, as well as to bring pride to the participants and their respective nations.

They will also perform in several venues, such as St. Mary’s Church in Chester City, St. Collen’s Church in Llangolen, North Wales and the All Saints Church in London.

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde's Coro San Benildo is taking over the United Kingdom one song at a time

Coro San Benildo is led by its choirmaster Lorenzo C. Gealogo, under the management of the DLSCSB Office of Culture and Arts.

Having participated in numerous festivals and competitions, it has transformed into an internationally respected

group. Its strong sense of showmanship and innovation has garnered numerous awards and recognitions.

Investing in a SMART Start and a SMART Future The future, according to Multiple Intelligence International School founding directress Mary Joy Abaquin, will be about good communicators, critical thinkers, creators, innovators, and good leaders.

This is exactly what MIIS set out to do. As a progressive international school, MIIS recognizes the importance of giving students a smart start for a smart future. Preschool is the most formative period of child’s life when 80 percent of a child’s brain develops. “The best investment of a parent is preschool education.

It gives a child the foundation to discover their strengths, love learning, and have good empathy towards others. This sets them up for success throughout their life,” says Abaquin.

International preschool education that advocates for multiple intelligences ensures that children gain the right skills and mindset to be globally competitive. The world is rapidly changing and as future citizens they need to be able to use their passion and strong intelligences to create and innovate solutions. This leadership mind is honed by MIIS in

Preschool students learn real-world skills through MIIS' entrepreneurship programs

their preschool called Child’s Place, established in 1996.

MIIS uses the multiple intelligences as entry points to teach skills and concepts to children. “We use the different smarts of the children to help them learn a concept in many ways,” say MIIS Preschool Head Ella Inventor. “For example, our children are early readers because they learn how to read through song, movement and tactile activities, dramatization and interactive learning instead

of drills in a work book. But more than learning through their different smarts, the best gift we give our students is the understanding that they are smart in different ways.”

Young preschoolers at MIIS are given the unique advantage of learning real-world skills through the leadership and entrepreneurship programs. The foundation for the entrepreneurial mindset starts in preschool. MIIS founding directress, Mary Joy Canon-Abaquin, shares the

pioneering program of MIIS in her best-selling Go Negosyo book, 8 Simple Secrets of Raising Entrepreneurs.

One of these activities is the Kindergarten International Café for a Cause by five-year-olds. In line with global citizenship, food from different parts of the world were prepared and served by the kindergarten classes. Students excitedly took on different realworld roles as chefs, maître-de, cashiers, and servers in line with their strong smarts. Number smart kids were cashiers while People smart kids were servers.

The Café was for a cause and the students used the proceeds to make a difference for typhoon stricken communities.

Preschoolers in MIIS are developed as leaders who use their smarts to make a difference.

Another interesting real-world initiative is the Art Exhibit and Auction of the four yearolds. Through the international curriculum for art appreciation, they learned about art masters including Michelangelo, Kandinsky, Pollock, Amorsolo, and many others. They recreated

versions of the artists and auctioned the work for the benefit of Child Haus, a halfway house for children with cancer. Preschool children learn true empathy and that they are never too young to make a difference in the lives of others.

“We take the trust of parents seriously.

Our preschool programs help students develop their minds with the right skills, their hearts to be caring and kind, and their hands to be helpful and innovative,” shares Abaquin. In this fast changing globally competitive world, it is important to give students the right start in life. What better way than to ensure a bright future than helping students discover their smarts, giving them relevant 21st century education and meaningful learning to make them happy lifelong learners.

“Children learn through meaningful experiences,” adds Abaquin. “At the end of every school year, it is always a joy to see how children who started with us awkward and shy, grow to be confident, more curious, filled with questions and not afraid to ask them.

This is a good start for any learner.”

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LIFE

isahred @ gmail.com

THE MOVIES YOU NEED TO SEE TO UNDERSTAND PRIDE

ccording to Advocate, there are 12 countries in the world “that will kill you for being LGBT.” The reality in those countries is far different from what we in democratic Philippines have come to enjoy. While marriage equality is still beyond sight in this overwhelmingly Catholic nation, at least we are somewhat free to be ourselves without fear of persecution and prosecution.

As a matter of fact, the Wikipedia article LGBT rights in the Philippines starts with the proclamation that these 7,107 islands are “ranked as one of the most gay-friendly nations in the world, and the most LGBT friendly in Asia.”

Gay Pride was essentially borne out of However, these liberties that many young people take for granted have not those circumstances, which are widely recognized as the singular always been there. Preincident in modern colonial documents The acceptance history that paved the way reveal that it was normal for the world to accept for male babaylans to of LGBT in its lesbian, gay, bisexual have romantic and sexual and transgender citizens. relations with other men.

Philippine Today, Gay Pride parades But Catholicism brought to the country by the society today can are held across the globe to Spaniards began an era of be attributed to promote self-affirmation, rights and dignity. anti-homosexual norms. further American equality The events, typically held When the Americans in late June to coincide arrived at the turn of influence, with the anniversary of the 20th century, these beginning with the Stonewall uprising, beliefs were reinforced due to the perception the gay liberation also serve as a reminder that courageous men then that sexualities that movements in and women fought for are not hereto were a freedoms that we psychological disease. the US following the The acceptance of now have. the Stonewall LGBT in Philippine Here, The Gist offers society today can be some recommended riots of 1969 attributed to further viewing to help you American influence, brush up on your LGBT beginning with the gay liberation history and understand that the struggle movements in the US following the didn’t end in 1969, and why Pride Stonewall riots of 1969. continues to matter in 2016.

Stonewall (2015) – This fictionalized account of the days leading up to the riots tells the story of a country bumpkin’s introduction to the New York gay culture of the late 1960s. The film allows the viewer a peek into the past through the eyes of an observer (who eventually got involved), which is a great way to narrate the tale as all of us here in 2016 never really got to experience how it was being an outsider during that contentious time in America.

Paris Is Burning (1990) – This cult favorite documentary follows the lives of those participating in the ball subculture of New York in the mid- to late-1980s.

With the turbulent gay liberation movement far behind them, the film tackles diversity in race and class, drag culture and transgender issues. It’s a thoughtful look at how times have changed since the liberation, as well as how much progress was still needed to eliminate the stigma of being different.

Milk (2008) – This biopic of gay rights activist icon Harvey Milk (beautifully portrayed by Sean Penn) focuses on the man’s personal and professional struggles as the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California. But its emphasis is on his fight against Proposition 6, an initiative to ban gays and lesbians from working in public schools, which indirectly caused his assassination.

Angels In America (2003) – This HBO miniseries based on the play of the same name is a commentary on the sociopolitical climate of mid-1980s America, an era marked by the impactful Reagan era policies and the alarming AIDS epidemic of the time. It explores, among other gay-themed topics, the different society-perception-based motivations of closeted homosexual people, which remain relatable even in 2016.

A

Stonewall Uprising (2010) – This documentary that details the actual accounts of the Stonewall riots paints a vivid picture of homosexuality and its dangers in the ‘60s. It narrates the circumstances around the Stonewall Inn and analyzes the rebellion’s aftermath and impact on society and politics.

SNAPSHOTS

Academic Book Fair to tackle educational reform Seeking to bridge content gaps between schools and massive educational reforms, the 20th Philippine Academic Book Fair was formally opened by the Academic Booksellers Association of the Philippines (ABAP).

Leading the ribbon cutting of the Book Fair are ABAP’s board members, from left, Anna Jhorie Arciga (University of the Philippines Press), treasurer; Dina Berioso (IBC Book Consolidators, Inc.), ex-officio president; Evelyn Millar (Golden Books Services, Inc.), vice president; Lino Dagus

(CD Books International, Inc.), president; Jovita De Jesus (F&J De Jesus, Inc.), auditor, and Sr. Maricar Andamon (Paulines), FSP, asst. secretary.

This year’s book fair introduces new books for the first ever year of Senior High School in the country, along with new educational tech including e-Metrics computer programs for librarians and school management programs for school admins as well as huge discounts.

The Book Fair ran until July 7 at the 1 Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

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LIFE

isahred @ gmail.com

SKY, KNOWLEDGE CHANNEL

S

DONATE SKYDIRECT KITS TO SCHOOLS

chools in far-flung areas of Zambales and Bataan can now access the vast learning content available in Knowledge Channel through the donation of SKYdirect kits, Sky Cable Corporation’s newest directto-home satellite TV service.

Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI) and SKY officially turned over the SKYdirect kits in a ceremony held at the Gugo Elementary School in Samal, Bataan. At the turnover were KCFI President and Executive Director Rina Lopez-Bautista, SKY Pay TV Head Claudia Suarez, students, school officials and DepEd representatives.

“Filipino students nationwide deserve access to the modernized learning materials of Knowledge Channel to help them achieve their full potential. Now, students in our chosen schools can harness their learning although they are located in very remote areas in Zambales and Bataan because of SKYdirect,” Suarez said.

She added that SKYdirect and Knowledge Channel have been working closely together to identify public schools in Luzon that need access to the curriculum-based educational programs of Knowledge Channel.

Meanwhile, Lopez-Bautista explained that the public schools they have chosen in Zambales

and Bataan were resourcestrapped and low-performing schools located in areas that couldn’t be reached by cable signal transmission.

“Knowledge Channel’s mission is to become available to public schools nationwide. With our collaboration with SKYdirect, we are now able to reach more students even in isolated areas since Knowledge Channel is part of SKYdirect’s channel lineup,” Lopez-Bautista elaborated.

In previous years, Knowledge Channel and SKY have been working together to make Knowledge Channel’s content available on-air through SKYcable.

Today, Knowledge Channel is now accessible in both cable (SKYcable) and satellite (SKYdirect) platforms.

SKY employee volunteers will install the SKYdirect kits in the public schools initially in Bataan and Zambales, and soon in public schools in Bulacan and Pangasinan. In the future, SKY is planning to donate more SKYdirect kits to several schools in North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in partnership with Knowledge Channel.

Earlier this year, SKYdirect donated installation kits to the troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who are deployed in various areas nationwide to enable them to access news and information in

Turnover of the gift of knowledge. Government officials of Bataan led by Rep. Geraldine Roman (sixth from left) together with Knowledge Channel President Rina Lopez Bautista (second from left) and SKY Pay TV head Jaja Suarez (fifth from left) at the official turnover of SKYdirect kits in Gugo Elementary School.

support of their call of duty to serve the country.

Founded in 1999, Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. is the only non-profit organization in the Philippines that offers curriculum-based, multimedia educational resources and professional teacher training that

improve teaching skills; thereby making learners learn better through technology.

It has established a solid reputation as a channel that has brought public schools nationwide access to innovative and fun multimedia learning for 16 years. Through its

availability on SKYdirect, Sky Cable Corporation’s newest service powered by direct-tohome technology, more Filipino students can gain a better learning experience. Sky Cable is a unit of leading media and entertainment organization ABSCBN Corporation.

Alternative class on Italian culture “Italian Delights: Coffee and Gelato Experience”, is the title of an alternative class that means to dig into Italian Culture through two of the most popular treats of the Italian “culinary” culture: Coffee (Caffé) and ice cream (Gelato).

The class will be held at the Culinary Institute of the Lyceum of the Philippines University on July 13 at 1p.m. through the Arts and Cultural Affairs Department of LPU. The four-hour talk will bring guests to the core of Italian culinary culture and will provide tips and methods to prepare coffee and icecream the Italian way.

The Philippine-Italian Association and its partners, LPU University, Barista and Coffee Academy of Asia and Handyware, are convinced that a national cuisine is more than just drinks and food, it is a window that allows people to glance into a particular culture and also a door that, once opened, can give access to it.

In this class, coffee and ice cream are the vehicles that will allow students to travel into the Italian culture touching important topics such as literature, theatre, cinema, folk music, history, society, language, etc.

An important part of the class will also be dedicated to strengthen the familiarity that students already have with these products and their preparation.

Since its foundation in 1962, the Philippine-Italian Association has been maintaining links with universities, proposing lectures, Italian language classes and other

tour of this particular activity is the following: after UP Diliman and LPU will come Ateneo de Manila University and hopefully Far Eastern University.

The Philippine-Italian Association operates to strengthen the friendship between Italy and the Philippines through a series of programs that include

Artistic, Educational, Social and Charitable projects. The Philippine-Italian Association also proposes practical services including Italian language classes, translation and interpreting services.

For more information, please contact philippineitalianassociation@ gmail.com or call (02) 815-1310.

Rainbow of lights for LGBT In celebration of diversity and inclusiveness, the TELUS House McKinley Exchange building was lit up with colors of the rainbow on the eve of Pride March.

An active supporter of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community, TELUS International Philippines

(TIP) showed again this year that they are a company that promotes a culture based on acceptance and respect for one other. TIP also participated in the Pride March through the presence of a company float, with hundreds of TIP representatives wearing shirts that read #ShareLove.

The Philippine-Italian Association, Lyceum of the Philippines University and other partners organize a talk that tackles Italian treats coffee and gelato

cultural projects. This specific project came to life in March 2016 thanks to a specific request by the student association, Piccola Italia, in UP Diliman for the annual ACLE (Alternative Class Learning Experience). It also through this request that the PhilippineItalian Association met two of its best partners: Angela Tan for

the BCAA (Barista and Coffee Academy of Asia) and Pietro Mazza, representative of both Food technology and Handyware.

The success of the first experience in UP Diliman on March 30 pushed the PhilippineItalian Association to propose this concept to other universities in Metro-Manila. The university

The TELUS building shines with pride in support to the LGBT community

SAT URDAY : J ULY 9, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C5

6Cycle Mind rocks the concert stage at the town’s public plaza to fire off the annual Pulang-Angui Festival

ALBAY TOWN

PAINTS THE TOWN RED

T

he municipality of Polangui painted the town red, quite literally, as it relived a local folklore retracing its early beginnings through the recent Pulang-Angui Festival.

The two-week event is one of Albay’s most-awaited, star-studded and multiawarded festivals.

The festivity relives the legend of Angui, a beautiful maiden dressed in red from

head to toe, who was said to possess all the best qualities of a woman. Oral tradition says suitors pursued her even when she had already surreally transported into the world of myths.

Sensational rock quintet 6Cyclemind fired off the celebrations as it rocked the town’s public plaza in a sizzling concert night.

The highlight of the two-week extravaganza is the crimson-red street dance presentaCelebrity judges of Binibining Pulang Angui: (from left) 2015 Mr Philippines Universe Mike Gerard Mendoza, and Binibining Pilipinas beauties Elaine Kay Moll, Parul Shah and Janicel Lubina

Binibining Pulang Angui Marie Sherry Ann Tormes (third from right) with Gov. Joey Salceda (third from left), Mayor Cherry Sampal and the pageant judges

tion depicting the legend of “Pulang Angui”, which is regarded by the Department of Tourism as one of the best in the Bicol region.

Another crowd-drawer is the Binibining Pulang Angui, a beauty pageant, that selects Polangui’s ambassadresses of good and tourism from all over the Bicolandia. Marie Sherry Anne Tormes of Bula, Camarines Sur bested 12 other hopefuls and was crowned the coveted title.

Gracing the pageant were guest celebrity judges Binibining Pilipinas International 2015 Janicel Lubina, Mr Philippines Universe 2015 Mike Gerard Mendoza, Binibining Pilipinas Tourism 2014 Parul Shah, and Miss Supranational Philippines 2012 Elaine Kay Moll.

Homegrown personalities that were part of the judging panel for the beauty tilt were lawyer Caroline Cruz, the charming chief

of staff of former Albay Governor Joey Salceda, three-term Provincial Board Member Glenda Ong-Bongao, former Miss Earth Fire 2003 Gina Ritter-Lee, and tourism media consultant Bernard Supetran.

Manila-based boyband quintet Crossbond serenaded the contestants that were resplendent in their white evening gowns.

Former PBB Housemates and teen stars Jane Oineza and Kyle Secades added glitter to the beauty and brains tilt in the prepageant night.

This year’s Pulang Angui Festival is special as it marked the new term of Mayor Cherilie Mella-Sampal and the conclusion of the term of former Governor Salceda, who have worked jointly to take the festivity to the next level and make Polangui a tourist destination in Albay.

CNN ‘Going Green’

CNN International presenter Nicki Shields

This month, CNN International presents the half-hour special Going Green exploring the individuals that are passionate about their environmental causes, and their belief that responsibility for the planet begins at home.

Fronted by Nicki Shields, tech presenter and host of CNN International’s Supercharged, Going Green is hosted from Findhorn, the worldrenowned eco community in Scotland.

Furthermore, the program presents self-authored reports from across the globe, including Fai Hun, a farmer, lecturer and the figurehead behind one of Hong Kong’s biggest online green networks, Go Green Hong Kong.

In Hun’s opinion, rooftop farming is about more than growing fresh food. It’s about re-

ducing food miles and carbon emissions.

Other portrayed environmentalists and their projects are Lauren Singer, from Brooklyn, New York, who can store four years’ worth of her rubbish in a jam jar; Emily Smith, who gave up using plastic for 40 days, having seen first-hand the damage plastic wreaks on the oceans and through her work at London Zoo, she remains pas-

sionate about marine conservation; Patrik Baboumian, a vegan German-Armenian body builder, who claims to have achieved improved performance ad recovery time since his dietary change.

CNN Going Green is sponsored by Kirloskar Proprietary Ltd. It airs on CNN International tday, 10:30 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. tomorrow.

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SAT URDAY : J ULY 9, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

DOUBLE THE EXCITEMENT

I

WITH 2 SAME-DAY-AS-JAPAN SERIES ON ANIMAX

t’s a power-packed July as Animax brings to fans two highly anticipated anime series express from Japan.

Handpicked from the best series of the upcoming season, viewers across Asia will now be able to watch D.Gray-man Hallow and Mob Psycho 100 with localized subtitles on the same day as Japan.

Picking up where the previous season left off, D.Gray-man Hallow brings a fresh new look to the hit series for the 10th year anniversary of its anime debut. Set in the early 20th century, the series revolves around Allen Walker, a teenager exorcist who is able to transform his left arm into a large claw or sword. He is part of a group known as the Black Order, whose sole mission is to protect mankind from the evildoings of the villainous Millennium Earl. With social media and the online sphere abuzz with anticipation for the series, it is undoubtedly one of the hottest new titles of the upcoming season!

D.Gray-man HALLOW airs 10 p.m. every Tuesday.

“D.Gray-man Hallow” (left) and “Mob Psycho 100” (right) feature localized subtitles

Adapted from a celebrated manga by One Punch Man author One, Mob Psycho 100 is a supernatural comedy that revolves around Kageyama Shigeo, a seemingly ordinary boy who keeps his psychic powers hidden. Known

to others as “Mob”, Shigeo intentionally refrains from making his presence known or standing out amongst others due to a peculiar affliction – his psychic powers will go out of control and he explodes if his emotional capacity

reaches 100 percent. P Produced by renowned studio Bones (known for its work on hit series such as Fullmetal Alchemist and Space Dandy), fans are sure to be in for an amazing visual treat.

Mob Psycho 100 premieres on the

same day as Japan on July12 and airs 10:30 p.m. every Tuesday thereafter.

Rounding off the exciting new premieres is a brand new look for the top anime channel in Asia, as Animax is set to unveil a sleeker, refreshing set of brand elements come July 25. Fronted by the tagline “It all starts with a stroke of Imagination. Re-create your World,” the new look emphasizes the endless possibilities that can arise from a single small action, much like how elaborate anime worlds and intriguing characters all begin from a pen stroke.

In line with the refresh, audiences will also get a rare chance to participate in creating a part of channel mascot OO-Kun’s world, through a contest to create a new character based on a template of a single stroke. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ animaxasiatv.

With the new brand look, complemented by a blockbuster lineup of hit shows, viewers can look forward to an exhilarating July with Animax.

Turn virtual experience into reality Today, virtual technology makes experiencing a whole new dimension possible. Lenovo enables consumers to transport themselves into their dream destination with just one touch of their fingertips with two of the world’s first ever smartphones with TheaterMax powered by the Lenovo VR Technology – the Lenovo VIBE X3 and Lenovo VIBE K4 Note.

Taking an immersive experience into a whole new level, Lenovo Smartphone Philippines is giving consumers an opportunity to turn their awesome virtual experience into a reality through the #TheaterMaxPH Online Contest.

One lucky winner will get a chance to win the grand prize of a trip for two to any local destination within the Philippines (worth up

to P75,000.00). Lenovo will also be giving away one Lenovo VIBE X3 and one Lenovo VIBE K4 Note.

With the TheaterMax, the Lenovo VIBE X3 and VIBE K4 Note can convert any multimedia content to an immersive viewing experience. With the VIBE X3 and VIBE K4 Note’s TheaterMax capability coupled with the Dolby Atmos® enabled speakers, users are sure to get an immersive viewing experience like no other.

The #TheaterMaxPH contest, which will run till July 22, is open only to legal residents of the Philippines at least 18 years old at the time of the entry.

Interested participants need to visit any participating Lenovo retailer nationwide. Lenovo promoters will be present to explain

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 Chess piece 5 Brooks and Tillis 9 Aberdeen’s river 12 Notion 13 Phoenician port 15 Ember 16 Frosh’s digs 17 Kind of bar 18 Mine and thine 19 Forget posture 21 Isosceles for one

23 Get pooped out 25 Reacts to tearjerkers 26 Lab warning 29 Tiberius’ garb 31 Dirty politics 35 Sign before Virgo 36 Hindu mystics 38 Grant money for 39 Sofa ends 41 “M*A*S*H” extra 43 Ripped

44 Because of (2 wds.)

46 Perry’s secretary 48 Chilly comment 49 Aardvark features 51 Ensure failure 52 Aurora, to Socrates 53 Cameron — of film 55 Cesspool 57 Walks through mud 61 Skoal and salud 65 Drachma’s successor 66 From Baghdad 68 Not cluttered 69 Feels under par 70 Petty officer 71 A funny Bombeck 72 Trapper John, et al.

73 Layered haircut 74 Bold look DOWN 1 Little ones 2 Megastar 3 Roman emperor 4 Full range 5 Grow out of control 6 LGA abbr.

7 Cheery tone 8 Leaves a mark 9 QB — Flutie 10 Rank below

#TheaterMaxPH takes an immersive mobile experience into a whole new level

the features of the Lenovo VIBE X3 and Lenovo VIBE K4 Note and demonstrate how to use the TheaterMax. Customers are free to explore and try on the gadgets.

To join the contest, participants must take a photo or video inside the Lenovo retailer as they try on the VR headset. Participants are encouraged to maximize their

SATURDAY, JULY 9 , 2016

marquis 11 “So what — is new?”

14 Baja bye 15 Green light 20 Urban district 22 Type of seaman 24 Spurred on 26 Spiky flowers 27 Familiar episode 28 Ill-fated lover 30 Pitched in 32 Hacienda brick 33 Man in a mask 34 Big-mouthed pitchers 37 Round buildings 40 MGM has them 42 Smacking 45 Redding of R&B 47 BBs 50 Raj title 54 Plenty of nothing?

56 Wainscoting 57 Thin stratum 58 Tobacco wad 59 Browser bookmarks 60 Cummerbund 62 Bone-dry 63 A bit blah 64 Galaxy unit 67 Sine — non

creativity and throw in different gimmicks in capturing their entries. They must upload their entries to their personal Instagram, Twitter or Facebook accounts and tag @lenovomobileph on Instagram or Twitter or Lenovo Mobile Philippines on Facebook.

They can upload as many unique entries as they can during the

contest period. Caption must tag #TheaterMaxPH to qualify.

Winners will be selected via electronic raffle on July 22 and will be announced not later than July 31.

For the complete contest mechanics, visit Lenovo Mobile Philippines’ Facebook page. https:// l e novomobi l e. c om . ph / c am paigns/theatermaxph/

SAT URDAY : J ULY 9, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C7

FILIPINOS’ MOST TRUSTED TV NETWORK

W

hen it comes to TV networks, Filipinos highly trust ABS-CBN Corporation as their source of information and entertainment.

Recently, ABS-CBN was the recipient of the Platinum Trusted Brand Award, the highest honor given to a brand at the annual Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Awards 2016 organized by Reader’s Digest Asia-Pacific.

While ABS-CBN had won the Gold Trusted Brand award for the TV Network category for five consecutive years from 2010 to 2015, this is the first time that it bagged the Platinum Trusted Brand Award since 2010.

According to Reader’s Digest, the Platinum Trusted Brand award is given to “brands that performed exceptionally, winning their category with a score that vastly outpolled their nearest competitor.”

For the 2016 Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand survey, ABS-CBN, the country’s leading media and entertainment organization, emerged as the top scorer in the TV network category

Toni Gonzaga is recognized as Most Trusted Entertainment/Variety Show Presenter

ABS-CBN executives receive the Platinum Trusted Brand Award for the TV Network

in a survey conducted among consumers in the Philippines spearheaded by CATALYST, a global market research company.

Around 1,000 respondents were surveyed in the Philippines.

Young actor Kristoffer Martin plays a dramatic role in today’s episode of “Wish Ko Lang”

IN ‘WISH KO LANG!’

Kristoffer Martin is an exemplary son and brother Kapuso actor Kristoffer Martin plays the son who will do everything for his family in this Saturday’s episode of Wish Ko Lang!

Since his father was sent to jail, Mark (Kristoffer) had to take the responsibility of supporting his family.

His siblings are too young to take care of themselves and their mother seems to have accepted the fact that her husband won’t be able to be free again.

Mark has to find himself a job that accepts people like him, a high-school graduate. On top of the household expenses he has to deal with, he is also trying to save money for his father’s case.

Meanwhile, Mark’s mother finds herself a new partner—younger and almost Mark’s age. To make matters worse, Mark is not in good terms with this man who also lays his hands on Mark and his siblings.

Catch Kristoffer together with Jak Roberto, Elijah Alejo, Mikoy Morales, and Tanya Gomez in Wish Ko Lang!, hosted by Vicky Morales, after Karelasyon on GMA-7 today.

Survey participants gave high ratings to ABS-CBN based on the qualitative criteria of trustworthiness, credibility, quality, value, understanding of customer needs, innovation and social

responsibility. Half of the respondents were Reader’s Digest subscribers, while the remainder was composed of randomly selected respondents that reflected the demographics of the general population.

Meanwhile, Kapamilya star Toni Gonzaga is also this year’s Most Trusted Entertainment/ Variety Show Presenter, a special award honoring the country’s most trusted personalities.

Reader’s Digest defines trust as “an emotion that fuels our decision whether we are conscious of it or not. It is that intangible quality that signals reliability and integrity.”

Now on its 18th year, the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Survey in Asia is conducted annually and seeks to identify which brands consumers in Asia trust, and provides an objective and reliable reference for consumers throughout the region.

‘GRR TNT’ goes to Centris, Tacloban

Have you been to Centris in Quezon City?

There’s marketplace in Centris that opens early Sunday mornings. It has stalls that sell ranging from furniture, apparels, shoes and bags, fruits and veggies. It also has a garden section where you can buy ornamental plants and medicinal herbs.

A must visit is the food section.

It features a wide array of local and international dishes. And they are very affordable.

You can also find out the secrets in whipping up delicious dishes as they share and demonstrate a few of their recipes,like seafood paella, beef brisket and sausage pasta. They did exactly that when to Gandang Ricky Reyes Todo na Toh (GRR TNT) visited the market recently.

Host and beauty guru Ricky Reyes

Meanwhile, Tacloban celebrated its 127th Fiesta, on June 30, in honor of its patron Senor Santo Niño de Tacloban.

GRR TNT was there as the show paid a visit to the newly elected mayor of the city, former actress Cristina “KringKring” Gonzales –Romualdez. The

show also joined in the celebration of Sangyaw Festival as well.

The culmination of the fiesta coincided with the mayor’s oath taking together with the city councilors. There were industrial and agricultural fairs, food and music festivals, a Miss Tacloban 2016 beauty pageant, and the awarding of outstanding Taclobanons. Its centerpiece event was the picturesque Parade of Lights.

The newest franchise of Ricky Reyes Learning Insitute (RRLI) recently opened its doors to residents of Fairview in Quezon City. Momprenuer Flor Briones Santos toured GRR TNT around the school premises.

Travel with host Ricky Reyes on GMA NewsTv 11 9 a.m. in Gandang Ricky Reyes Todo na Toh (GRR TNT), produced by Scripto Vision, on GMA News TV 11.

Philippines makes mark

as global entertainment destination The Philippines once again made its mark in the global entertainment scene as over 26,000 fans from across the globe gathered together for some explosive dance music performed by renowned local and international pop icons in this year’s biggest music event, the MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016.

Presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the one-night-only outdoor live music event, with the theme Can’t Stop Movin!, presented the amazing evolution of pop music and its dance influences. The concert grounds of SM Mall of Asia was basically on fire as fans danced, cheered and sang their hearts out on hit after hit of iconic and contemporary pop dance music.

World-renowned local artists, Mr. Pure Energy Gary V. and his son, Gab Valenciano fired up the stage with an intense set of performance. Filipino favorite teen love team, James Reid and Nadine Lustre followed sending fans high above the love cloud with their kilig-filled performance.

One Republic performing at the MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016

American singer-songwriter, Bebe Rhexia also pumped up the stage with her hit songs including “Me, Myself and I” and “Broken Hearts”. Fans also went wild as A-Pink, one of Korea’s favorite K-pop

idol female groups, flawlessly performed “Remember,” “Mr. Chu,” “Luv” and “No No No.” L.A. grown electronic dance trio Far East Movement got everyone singing, dancing and jumping with their hit singles, “Like a G6” and “Rocketeer.” The headliner, prolific hit-maker, One Republic, wrapped up their performance of “Counting Stars,” “Apologize,” “Stop and Stare” and “Secret” with an explosion of fireworks.

It gets even better as the Philippines will also be highlighted in a global telecast reaching an international audience of more than three-quarters of a billion households in over 160 countries under the MTV World Stage global series.

Only on its second year, MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016 proved once again that the Philippines is not only a premier global destination for arts and culture and leisure and adventure, but is also one of the world’s top destinations for worldclass entertainment.

To know more, visit www.mtvmusicevo.com or www.tpb.gov.ph.

SAT URDAY : J ULY 9, 2016

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR NICKIE WANG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Pillars of GMA News and Public Affairs: (from left) Vicky Morales, Mike Enriquez and Mel Tiangco

ISAH V. RED

G

MA Network (GMA) kept its ratings advantage in its stronghold areas of Urban Luzon and Mega Manila in June, based on data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, the industry’s widely recognized ratings service provider.

Urban Luzon and Mega Manila respectively account for 77 and 60 percent of all urban TV households in the country.

From June 1 to 30 (with June 26 to 30 based on overnight data), GMA strengthened its lead in Urban Luzon with an average household audience share of 39.9 percent; 6.8 points higher than ABS-CBN’s 33.1 percent and 33.4 points higher than TV5’s 6.5 percent.

GMA also remained at the forefront of the ratings game and led across all dayparts in Mega Manila with 42.5 percent, decidedly ahead of ABSCBN’s 29.4 percent by 13.1 points and TV5’s 6.8 percent by 35.7 points.

Furthermore, GMA outnumbered its closest rival, ABS-CBN, in the list of top programs (including specials) for viewer-rich Urban Luzon and Mega Manila.

Primetime newscast 24 Oras posted the highest rating overall in Mega Manila, while leading the list of Kapuso programs in Urban Luzon.

Other top-rating programs for the month of June include Magpakailanman, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, Pepito Manaloto, Poor Señorita, Lip Sync Battle Philippines, Eat Bulaga, 24 Oras Weekend, Panata Sa Pagbabago: The GMA News Special Coverage, Ismol Family, and Once Again.

Completing the list are Hay, Bahay!, Vampire Ang Daddy Ko, Sunday Pinasaya, Wowowin, Hanggang Makita Kang Muli, Bubble Gang, Juan Happy Love Story, Conan My Beautician, The Million-

“Poor Señorita” lead star Regine Velasquez -Alcasid

GMA NETWORK

STRENGTHENS URBAN LUZON AND MEGA MANILA RATINGS LEAD Carla Abellana (left) and Ryan Agoncillo (right) of the sitcom “Ismol Family”

aire’s Wife, Magkaibang Mundo, Karelasyon, and Imbestigador.

GMA News and Public Affairs’ special coverage of the inauguration of President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo on June 30 was also the most watched coverage among urban viewers nationwide, proving yet again its status of being the country’s most trusted news source during events of national significance.

GMA’s Panata Sa Pagbabago registered a household share of 39 percent in National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM), besting ABS-CBN’s Ang Panunumpa: Pangako ng Pagbabago, which posted 33.6 percent based on overnight data from Nielsen.

Nielsen data is gathered through a greater number of sampled homes nationwide in comparison to Kantar Media. Nielsen has a nationwide sample size of 3,500 urban and rural homes, bigger than Kantar’s sample size of 2,610.

As the leading ratings service provider, Nielsen TV Audience Measurement service boasts a total of 31 clients/subscribers including 8 local TV networks, 4 regional clients, 2 blocktimers, and 17 media agencies.

From June 1 to 30 (with June 26 to 30 based on overnight data), GMA strengthened its lead in Urban Luzon with an average household audience share of 39.9 percent; 6.8 points higher than ABS-CBN’s 33.1 percent and 33.4 points higher than TV5’s 6.5 percent