The Standard - 2016 February 3 - Wednesday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXIX NO. 356 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 WEDNESDay : FEBRUaRy 3, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Sereno: Rulings favored foundlings

GLOVES COME OFF

Malacañang, Liberal Party trade barbs with Binay By Vito Barcelo and Sandy Araneta

Malacañang and its standard bearer, Manuel Roxas II, traded barbs with opposition candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay Tuesday after the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee recommended the filing of plunder charges against Binay.

“The Senate report speaks for itself. I have nothing to add to this,” Roxas said during a campaign sortie in Antipolo, Rizal. “The appeal of the people [is] for him to answer the charges,” he said, adding that the senators had heard all the testimony and examined all the evidence before release their partial report.

“Who am I to oppose the view of the Senate?” Clearly referring to the charges against Binay, Roxas added: “It is important that a President should not steal.” Binay’s camp, on the other hand, said the Senate subcommittee report held nothing new, and accused Roxas’ Liberal Party of

timing its release during the campaign and just before the next survey period for the opinion polls. United Nationalist Alliance spokesperson Rico Quicho accused the Liberal Party of using the charges against Binay to divert public attention from the administration’s failure to improve the lives of the poor. Next page

Promise. Vice President Jejomar Binay shares a light moment with the United Nationalist Alliance’s candidates in Cebu, where he vowed a bigger share of internal revenue allotments to local governments once he was elected president.

MILF eyed in Sultan Kudarat explosion By Francisco Tuyay and Florante S. Solmerin TWO people were wounded after a bomb planted in a private vehicle in Sultan Kudarat went off, in an attack that appeared to be carried out by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in response to

the failure of Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law. The blast came as the military deployed more ground troops in several areas of Mindanao, particularly Sulu, in preparation for any eventualities after the BBL—the lynchpin in the government’s peace pact with the MILF—failed to win

passage in Congress. A security expert said he had received reliable reports that the MILF was preparing for a possible all-out war against government forces. “The MILF faction led by Abdullah Macapaar alias Commander Bravo, who had an autonomous Next page

Erice says Duterte is ‘weird, crazy’

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Speaker’s defense: BBL went a long way in the House By Maricel V. cruz

SPEAKER Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Tuesday shrugged off the accusation by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that he and other House leaders should be blamed for a failed Bangsamoro Basic Law. “I tried my best,” Belmonte told The Standard. “It has gone a long way in the House of Representatives.” As far as the House is concerned, Belmonte said, lawmakers—particularly those in the ad hoc committee on the BBL chaired by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez—have conducted extensive and through deliberations to come up with a peace document that complies with the Constitution. “We have been discussing it for about two years,” Belmonte said. He added that Congress cannot pass the BBL the way the MILF wants it, and said the rebel group should admit that the bill was also unpopular among senators because of its perceived constitutional flaws. “Let’s face it, it has hardly moved in the Senate,” Belmonte said. The leader of the independent minority bloc in the House, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, said the BBL

Gloves... From A1

“The apparent full-court press of the Liberal Party against the vice president is a crude attempt to divert attention from its utter failure to address poverty,” he said, adding that the charges against Binay were politically motivated and aimed at pulling down the ratings of the Vice President after he topped the recent Social Weather Stations opinion poll. “The people are already tired of this callous and failing government that we have today. It’s been six years and yet 11 million Filipino families continue to suffer from poverty, 3 million families are starving, and 10 million people are unemployed,” Quicho said. But presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government’s dole program, the conditional cash transfer, has lifted 1.5 million families or over 7.7 million Filipinos out of poverty. “Mr. Vice President, while the government was addressing poverty, where have you been in the last five years before you started attacking the President?” Lacierda said. “Now that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has forwarded its report to the Ombudsman on corruption allegations against you, maybe you will no longer say this is all politics. Maybe you’d like to

as it was submitted would not pass even if the Mamasapano massacre did not occur, because of the bill’s constitutional infirmities, which the House tried to correct. At a news conference Tuesday, Romualdez, president of the Philippine Constitution Association or Philconsa, also appealed to President Benigno Aquino III to respect the Constitution in advocating the passage of the peace measure. “Where else will you find a Romualdez defending an Aquino Constitution? I am serving and defending the Constitution drafted and passed during the term of then President Cory Aquino. Under the BBL, there were assaults to it [Constitution[ by this administration led by the son of the former president. If you want to pass the BBL as currently submitted, there must be substantial changes to avoid violations of the Constitution,” Romualdez said. “The BBL is diametrically opposed to the Constitution and lawmakers will not approve a half-baked peace bill that will soon be questioned before the Supreme Court and declared unconstitutional. Even without the Mamasapano incident, the BBL was doomed,” Romualdez said, referring to the covert operation on Jan. 25, 2015, in Maguindanao in which 44 police commandos were killed by Muslim rebels, including those belonging to the MILF. Romualdez said the government failed to communicate well with stakeholders during the drafting of the BBL.

improve your script,” he said in Filipino. A spokesman for Roxas, Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez, said Binay should just explain himself before the Ombudsman. “No matter how long the procession may be, corrupt people will still end up in jail. Maybe this is the reason why the Binays do not want to attend the Senate probe,” Gutierrez said. But Binay spokesman Joey Salgado said that after more than a year and 25 public hearings, the subcommittee fell back on false accusations, hearsay and erroneous conclusions. He insisted that the subcommittee did not have the competence or the authority to determine criminal liability. “And clearly, the investigations were made in aid of demolition, not legislation,” Salgado said. He said that Binay has consistently asked his accusers to take their allegations to court, but the accusers would not allow it because, in a court of law, false witnesses are not allowed to testify and perjury is punished, and not rewarded. “In a court of law, conjectures, insinuations and hearsay are thrown out. But since none of them took up the challenge, the Vice President himself has brought the matter before the courts and we look forward to bringing these accusers to the witness stand,” he said. Salgado said that the subcommittee’s partial report will

be thrown out in its entirety, for relying on perjured testimony and hearsay from tainted witnesses. He also said the subcommittee relied on incorrect methods to conclude that Makati City Hall Building II was overpriced. “All these methods… rely on CFA [construction floor area] to arrive at the project cost per square meter—an approach that the Supreme Court has ruled unreliable and erroneous in determining overpricing. The comparison, said the Supreme Court, must be based on the actual price of the item purchased at the time the item is actually purchased,” he said. He said that even Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson had testified before the subcommittee that a building’s price cannot actually be determined by merely using the floor area, but this testimony was not even mentioned in the partial report. The Senate subcommittee earlier said there was “plunder through grand conspiracy” in the overpricing of the Makati City Hall building by at least P1.12 billion. The panel also alleged that other structures in Makati were also overpriced and questioned several deals that Binay approved when he was still mayor of Makati. But Salgado said these allegations were nothing new. “If you check your files last year that was the same report released to media,” he said.

Anniversary. President Benigno Aquino III graces the celebration of the

Department of Social Welfare and Development’s anniversary in Malacañang on Tuesday. With him are Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and Assistant Secretary Noel Macalalad. MAlAcAñAng Photo BureAu

MILF... From A1

leadership within the MILF, was monitored to be preparing extensively and massing up,” the security expert, who asked to remain anonymous, said. The bombing, he said could be the start of a bigger series of actions that could affect the peace and order situation in the region. “Because of the non-passage of the BBL, there will be a renewed tension in the region,” he said. MILF chairman Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim and chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, along with the head of the government’s negotiating panel, had earlier said that the failure to pass the BBL would change the peace and order landscape in Mindanao. The bomb went off in a vacant lot near Jose Abad Santos Street in Barangay Poblacion, Tacurong City, wounding three bystanders, days after reports that the MILF have started to mass up in Central Mindanao. Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, public affairs officer of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the explosive device packed with concrete nails and metal fragments was placed in the bumper of a black Toyota car. The wounded were identified as Freddie Tumindig, 42; Patrick Pepito; and Cicole Fobar, 19, who were brought to Quijano and Sandig Hospital for treatment. Military and police teams were investigating the incident. Commander Bravo has been blamed for the series of attacks in Lanao province after the Supreme Court rejected the passage of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain during the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2008. However, Bravo supported the signing of the peace agreement between the government and the MILF on Oct. 12, 2012.

“It is Bravo who initiated the series of attacks in Lanao province and in Cagayan de Oro City after the scrapping of MOA-AD and it’s highly possible that Bravo may be taking the initiative again,” the security expert said, adding that the MILF leadership could not control the actions of Bravo. He said the presence of five Indonesian jihadists in Lanao province could aggravate the situation, since some of Bravo’s fighters have links with jihadist groups. An additional Marine battalion was mobilized in Sulu as part of the government’s bigger preparations for possible flare-ups after the BBL’s collapse. Five Army battalions including elite forces from the Special Operations Command and three Marine battalions are currently deployed to go after an estimated 200 fighters of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu. A member of the 1st Special Forces Battalion was killed when armed men ambushed a group of soldiers in Barangay Anoling, Patikul, Sulu on Tuesday. Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said the soldiers who were in civilian clothes conducting an intelligence operation when fired upon by suspected terrorists. Tan said the soldiers fought back but one of them died during the firefight and the outnumbered troopers were saved by a convoy of tanks. Earlier, military chief Gen. Hernando Irriberi urged the operational and ground commanders having jurisdiction in Sulu and Basilan to eliminate the Abu Sayyaf before President Benigno Aquino’s term ends. Irriberi is set to reach his mandatory retirement age of 56 in April. The military estimates some 200 Abu Sayyaf operating in Basilan. They are said to be holding 10 civilians—including foreigners— hostage.

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Agreement. Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista and MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos sign an agreement to encourage public awareness of the need for clean and honest elections. DANNY PAtA

Roxas backer calls Duterte ‘weird, crazy’ A STAUNCH supporter of Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II on Tuesday defended him from the claim of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, another presidential aspirant, that the former Interior secretary had a “breakdown” when Super Typhoon “Yolanda” devastated Tacloban in 2013. In a news conference, Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, the Liberal Party’s vice chairman for political affairs, dismissed Duterte and described him as “weird” and “crazy.” Erice also criticized Duterte for being a bad example to the youth as a result of his foul mouth and for flaunting his womanizing ways. “Kung pagkukumparahin ninyo iyong istilo ni Secretary Mar at ni Mayor Duterte, s’ya ‘yung kakaiba. S’ya ‘yung parang may katok,” Erice told reporters.

“Minumura ‘yung pope. O, hindi ba, nagmumura sa harap ng mga kabataan, sa telebisyon? Masamang impluwensiya ‘yan sa mga kabataan. Pati ‘yung apo ko nanonood, akala tama ‘yung ginagawa niya. Kaya sabi ko doon sa apo ko, hindi, may katok ‘yan, ‘wag mong pakinggan.” Erice made his statement even as Roxas II on Tuesday tagged Duterte as a “liar.” “I was surprised because we are friends, I consider him a friend,” Roxas said, during his campaign sortie in Antipolo, Rizal. He tells lies about me. I do not know where this started. I will not respond to this.” Roxas said Duterte’s attacks on him showed that he did not have a solid platform of government. Erice made the statement in response to Duterte’s allegation that Roxas had a “breakdown” during Yolanda’s onslaught. “Mar Roxas got the scare of his life during Yolanda,” Duterte said. “I was there on Day 2. I was there. I was talking to him. He was not acting like a person who was in charge.” Maricel V. Cruz and Sandy Araneta

Ready for Chinese New Year. Wong Seng Tian of the Sheng Lian Temple in Imelda village in Quezon City shows off the temple’s display for the coming Chinese New Year. LiNo SANtoS

Decisions on foundlings cited CHIEF Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said Tuesday the Supreme Court had already declared that foundlings were presumed natural-born Filipinos and cited several cases decided by the tribunal in the past. During the continuation of the oral arguments on the petitions of Senator Grace Poe assailing the Commission on Elections’ decision disqualifying her from seeking the presidency, Sereno stressed that in the 1976 Duncan case and in the 1963 Ellis case involving foundlings, the high court ruled that the children in the two cases were presumed to be Filipino citizens even in the absence of evidence that their parents were Filipinos. In questioning Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim, who represented the poll body in the arguments, Sereno said the high court had made such presumptions on a number of instances, and beyond simply applying the jus sanguinis or right of blood doctrine. She made her statement even as a group asked the Su-

preme Court to rule in favor of Poe because such decision would remove the social stigma under which hundreds of thousands of abandoned children were suffering. “We appeal to the humanity of the Supreme Court. Our children are natural-born citizens as they embrace the Philippines and serve their fellowmen in the country of their birth and culture,” the Adoptees, Adoptive Families and Foundlings Conference said in a statement. “They [foundlings] should not be made to feel inferior just because of the impoverishment of their birth.” In the case of Ellis v. Republic of the Philippines, Sereno noted that the tribunal presumed that Baby Rose was a Filipino citizen despite her unknown parents. The child was abandoned in a hospital and a couple wanted to adopt her. A lower court allowed them to do so but the government took the case to the Supreme Court, and the Court declared that the child was “a citizen of the Philippines.”

In the Duncan case, Sereno said, an abandoned three-yearold child was declared a Filipino citizen despite the absence of evidence on the identity of its parents. She said “the law is not and should not be made an instrument to impede the achievement of a salutary humane policy. As often as is legally and lawfully possible, their texts and intendments should be construed so as to give all the chances for human life to exist—with a modicum promise of a useful and constructive existence.” But Lim defended the Comelec’s decision that Poe was not a natural-born citizen and so could not run for president. Nonetheless, Sereno also cited the Tecson case in which the high court ruled that Poe’s adoptive father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. was a Filipino citizen. The tribunal considered Poe’s grandfather a Filipino citizen despite the lack of evidence that his grandfather was present during the mass Filipinization of Fernando Poe Jr.’s grandfather Lorenzo Poe. Rey E. Requejo

Agency urged: Jail drug pushers SENATOR Grace Poe on Tuesday asked the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to post on its website, in police stations and schools the names and photos of wanted drug pushers so they could easily be arrested. “It is very important to put them in jail because they endanger the health and security of our children,” said Poe who is running as an independent candidate for president in this year’s elections. She also raised the possibility that drug money was being used to finance the election campaign of some politicians, although she admitted not having enough information on it. “What I am saying is, it is not an impossibility especially now that we don’t have PDAF [Priority Development Assistance Fund] and other sources of funding from the national

government,” Poe said. The Supreme Court has declared the PDAF, a source of pork barrel, unconstitutional. “We’ve already heard the statement of the local government from Iloilo, but some witnesses were alleging that there was something going on there. We need to be able to verify if there is narco-politics,” said Poe who heads the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs. That committee conducted a hearing on the illegal drug trade in Iloilo following the attempted break in at Radyo Aksyon Station in Iloilo City in November last year. PDEA Director-General Arturo Cacdac Jr. confirmed the existence of “narco-politics” in the country during the hearing. “More government officials were arrested last year compared to the previous

year,” Cacdac told reporters after the hearing. “This happened because we make them high-value targets.” Cacdac said most of the government officials that were caught were either elected village captains or councilors, and many of them were caught during buy-bust operations. “If they are government officials or employees, people expect that they are the ones who will help solve the drug problem, and if they are the ones involved in drugs, they must know where to stand because they are high-value targets,” Cacdac said. He warned government employees and law enforcement officers that the PDEA, the police and the NBI would get them if they were involved in the illegal drug trade. Macon Ramos-Araneta

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Promotion spurs Army reshuffle By Florante S. Solmerin FORMER army spokesman and Armed Forces public affairs chief Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. has been promoted to the general staff of the Philippine Army as deputy chief of staff for civil-military operations (G7). Burgos, the longest serving AFP Public Affairs Office chief having served five chief of staffs, replaced Col. Ramiro Manuel Rey who is being eyed to replace recently promoted Brig. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista, commander of the Special Forces Regiment. Evangelista was one of the new brigadiers recently inducted by President Benigno Aquino III who is being groomed for a division command. Aside from Evangelista, other officials promoted to the ranks of brigadier general and commodore were Captain Elson Aguilar, Colonel Cornelio Pelaez, Col. Florentino Rasco, Col. Danilo Chad Isleta, Col. Emmanuel Salamat, Capt. Ernesto Enriquez, Col. Francisco Carada, Col. Nicolas Parilla, Col. Joel Celino, Col. Laurcris Tumanda, Col. Frederick Evans Ramos, Col. Librado Moog, Capt. Virme Torralba, Col. Alan Arrojado, Col. Leoncio Cirunay Jr., Col. Emigdio Guevara Jr., Col. Arleen Gorreon, Col. Rafael Sera Jose, Col. Demy Tejares, Col. Rhoderick Parayno, Col. Raul Farnacio, Capt. Jande Francisco, Col. Maximo Ballesteros, Col. Romeo dela Cruz, Capt. Gaudencio Collado Jr., Capt. Robert Empedrad, Col. Avin Parreno, Capt. Rene Medina, Col. Diosdado Respecio, Col. Archimedes Viaje, Col. Harold Cabreros, Col. Noel Clement, Col. Alvin Francis Javier, and Col. Ronnie Evangelista. The new brigadiers were inducted at Malacañang along with newly appointed military chief General Hernando Iriberri, Major Generals Ricardo Visaya, Eduardo Año, and Romeo Tanalgo who were promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, and Rear Admiral Caesar Taccad, who was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral.

Standard precaution. Quarantine nurses at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals check the temperature

of incoming passengers by using portable non-touch thermal temperature scanners as a standard protection against the entry of diseases in the country. ERIC APOLONIO

No travel alerts over Zika THE Department of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday it has no plans to issue travel advisories after the World Health Organization declared “public health emergency of international concern” over the Zika virus, blamed for causing a surge in brain-damaged babies. The UN health body said that a rise in cases of microcephaly —in which babies are born with an abnormally small head—was likely caused by the mosquitoborne virus, and declared the situation a “public health emergency of international concern.”

But DFA spokesperson Charles Jose said since the Department of Health has said that the Philippines was still free of the virus, the government still has no plans of issuing a travel advisory to the 26 countries that the United States

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said had “active Zika transmission. “We have no plans at this time, but we continue to monitor the situation,” Jose said as he advised Filipino travelers against going to countries affected with Zika virus if they have no important things to attend. The countries with active Zika transmission are Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Martin, Suriname, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, American Samoa, Samoa and Cape

Verde But officials in Thailand said a 22-year-old Thai man is likely to have caught the same strain of the virus that has caused panic in countries such as Brazil and Colombia. The virus “was confirmed by blood tests,” Air Vice Marshall Santi Srisermpoke, director of Bangkok’s Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, told reporters. “His symptoms were a fever, a rash and redness of the eyes,” he said, adding he had not traveled abroad. The man has recovered and been discharged from hospital, he added, without giving further details of how long he was in hospital, or where he contracted the sickness.

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By Vito Barcelo

Amnuay Gajeena, directorgeneral of the Disease Control Department of the Public Health Ministry, said it was “likely to be the same strain as the one found in South America”. “It’s not a new disease in Thailand... we had the first confirmed case in 2012. Since then we have an average of not more than five cases yearly,” he said. “There is no need to panic... we have never had an epidemic of the Zika virus in Thailand all of the cases were one-offs.” The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue fever, carries the sickness. It breeds in tropical areas, including the Philippines, which has seen a surge in cases of dengue in recent months.

Reward up for Dasma cat killer By Joel E. Zurbano THE People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia on Tuesday offered a reward of up to P50,000 for any information leading to the arrest of a suspected “serial cat killer” in the upscale Dasmariñas Village in Makati City. “Peta is offering a reward up to P50,000 for information leading to the identification and conviction of those responsible for these cruel acts. It’s imperative that any community faced with a violent act such as the vicious killing of the community cats of Dasmariñas Village take measures to find the culprit or culprits and bring them to justice,” said Peta Asia

Vice President for International Operations Jason Baker. “Animal abusers are a danger to everyone: They take their issues out on whomever is available to them, human or nonhuman, and must be caught before they act again. We’re appealing to anyone with information about those responsible for these cruel crimes to come forward now so that the perpetrator or perpetrators can be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The group said at least 12 community cats from Dasmariñas Village have gone missing, and some have been found dead, apparently from unnatural causes. It added that the circular re-

leased by village management reports that one cat died slowly and painfully from chemical burns after paint thinner was poured over the said animal. Aggravated cruelty to animals carries a penalty of up to P250,000 and three years im prison under the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 as amended by Republic Act No. 10631. The group said anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Peta Asia hotline at (0999)888-7382. Peta said the community cats in Dasmariñas Village have been spayed and neutered by the Compassion and Responsibility for Animals Philippines and and fed by village residents.

Killing spree. Despite the photograph of a cat supposedly poisoned in Dasmariñas Village in Makati City, village officials denied there was a spate of cat killings in the upscale subdivision and dismissed it as an urban legend. JOEL ZURBANO

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Romualdez pushes shift to ‘green’ energy WITH sea levels in the Philippines rising at five times the global rate, Rep. Martin Romualdez on Tuesday urged the government to revisit its policy on the construction of coal-fired plants, saying that the risks associated with coal properties far outweigh its short-term benefits. “Yes, we need energy, but our homes will have no use for light bulbs if they’re underwater,” said Romualdez, a member of the House of Representatives’ special committee on climate change. The Leyte representative, whose native province was inundated by Typhoon “Yolanda” in November 2013, said that the continued construction of coalfired plants is inconsistent with the country’s commitments during the recently held Conference of Parties in Paris, France whereby the government committed to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions by 70 percent by 2030. President Aquino further committed to full decarbonization of the country by 2050 by shifting to clean and renewable sources to power the country’s growing energy needs. “It is disappointing that the President inaugurated a 300-megawatt coal-fired plant in Davao barely a month after committing to shift to clean energy. There had been many studies proving that coal-fired plants are the biggest contributors to global warming. A typical coal plant generates 3.5 million tons of carbon dioxide [CO2] per year,” Romualdez added. According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal, the effects of global warming on rising sea levels and warmer oceans have been underestimated and may be two times greater than previously thought. The overall sea level rise rate is about 2.74 millimeters per year, combining both thermal expansion and melting ice. While sea level rise was also found to vary substantially from place to place, the rate around the Philippines has been calculated to be estimated at five times the global rate.

Six nuisance bets delisted; Comelec sets ‘shame’ drive By Rey E. Requejo and Sara Fabunan

The Supreme Court has affirmed the delisting of six more presidential aspirants for the May polls earlier declared nuisance by the Commission on elections. During its en banc session, the SC dismissed the separate petitions filed by Ranulfo Feliciano, Ma. Aurora Marcos, Simeon De Castro Jr., Dante Valencia, Rodel Mancilla and Pedrito Diaz Tagle questioning the decisions of the Comelec to cancel their Certificates of Candidacy for president. SC spokesman Theodore Te revealed that the tribunal has ruled that the Comelec did not act with grave abuse of discretion in disqualifying the six candidates.

Earlier, the high court upheld the disqualification of nine other presidential candidates—former Presidential Commission on Good Government chief Camilo Sabio and independent candidates Vetallano Acosta, Rizalito David, Elly Pamatong, Juanita Trocenio, Ephraim Defino, Buenafe Briggs, Antonio Obiña and Luisito Falcon. The tribunal also sided with the Comelec in disqualifying vice presidential aspirant Teodulo Malangen and senatorial candidates Efren Bernabe, Mary Lou Estrada, Roberto Gloria Reyes (more popularly known as comedian Amay Bisaya), Roger Alim Rodriguez and Sixto Lagare. The SC also junked the petitions of 11 more disqualified party-list groups: Samahang Magbabasura Inc., Abante Bicol Oragon—Philippines Inc., Peace Advocates and Reformation of Democratic System Inc., Alliance of Cavite Land Reform Tenant Association Inc., 1st Kabagis, Movement Against Dynasty, Bukluran ng Malayang

Mamamayan at Kawal sa Kuta Bonifacio, Aagapay sa mga Bata at Taong KapusPalad, Bumabagang Sigaw ng Lahing Kayumanggi Kalayaan sa Kahirapan, Ang Laban ng Indiginong Pilipino and Kampilan ng Lakad Inc. Lastly, the high court affirmed it earlier ruling dismissing the petitions of Pamatong and party-list groups Mindanao Alliance for Reforms and Political Party of the People’s Movement for Democratic Governance. As this developed, the Comelec gave all candidates one week or until Feb. 9, 2016 to tear down their unlawful campaign materials or face charges and end up on the poll body’s “shame” website. Comelec chairman Andres Bautista told the reporters that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metro Manila Development Authority will start dismantling and penalizing those campaign materials that were posted on prohibited walls or outside the designated areas.

Choice of the elderly. Mabalacat City Mayor Marino Morales (left) and officers and members of Federation of Senior Citizen Association of the Philippines endorse senatorial candidate Martin Romualdez (center) during the fiesta celebration of Our Lady of Grace in Mabalacat City Pampanga. VER NoVENo

US marine stays in AFP jail–SC Pemberton has been detained at the expeditionary THE Supreme Court has af- holding facility within the Mufirmed its earlier decision al- tual Defense Board-Security lowing US Marine Lance Cor- Engagement Board ground poral Joseph Scott Pemberton inside Camp Aguinaldo as an to remain in his detention cell “interim extension” sub-fainside the Armed Forces of the cility while the AFP custodial center is being prepared for Philippines’ headquarters. In an en banc resolution, the the US serviceman’s eventual SC dismissed with finality the detention. In their petition in April last petition of the family of slain transgender woman Jennifer year, Laude’s sisters Marilou Laude to have the American and Mesehilda assailed the orserviceman transferre to a der of the Olongapo Regional regular jail following his Trial Court Branch 74 that deconviction for homicide last nied their motion to transfer the American serviceman to December. The tribunal resolved to dis- a jail while standing trial for miss with finality the appeal murder. The SC has denied the petifiled by the Laude family and instead affirmed its decision in tion and held that there was no grave abuse of discretion on the November last year.

By Rey E. Requejo

part of trial court in rejecting the plea. It agreed with the RTC in rejecting the plea based on petitioners’ failure to comply with the three-day notice rule. The said rule under Section 4, Rule 15 of the Rules of Court requires every written motion required to be heard, including the Notice of Hearing, to be served upon the adverse party at least three days before the date of hearing. The SC also cited the government prosecutor’s lack of support to the Laude family’s plea. Pemberton was already convicted of homicide last Dec. 1 for the killing of 26-year-old Laude, who was found dead inside a lodge in Olongapo City on Oct. 11, 2014.

Eco-friendly bets. Environmental advocates come together in an education campaign ‘Green Vote 2016’ to help voters choose eco-friendly candidates in the May election during a press conference in Quezon City. LINo SANToS

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A6 House, Senate hasten bills’ OK

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Araneta CONGRESSMEN rushed the approval on third and final reading of several economic measures in the Senate and in the House of Representatives as they were to adjourn today (Wednesday) for the election campaign period. With 188 lawmakers in attendance, the House approved the bills such as institutionalizing and strengthening the public-private partnership, removing investment restrictions in the Foreign Investment Negative List, declaring large-scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage, measure institutionalizing the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program or the conditional cash transfer and extending the corporate life of the Human Rights Claims Board by two years until May 12, 2018. Most notable among the Senate measures were the bill protecting children against disasters, the special program for the employment of students and the uniformed personnel retirement benefit and pension reform. All the proposed measures will be forwarded to bicameral conference committees for deliberations before these are transmitted to the Office of the President for President Benigno Aquino III’s signature. The Congressional bicameral committee has adopted the mandatory installation of speed limiters in public utility vehicles under Senate bill No. 2999. The third and last regular session of the 16th Congress is expected to be cut short as Congress will take a break from Feb. 3 to May 22 for the May 9 national and local elections. Congress will adjourn session on May 3, and will adjourn sine die on July 11. The bill on PPP, authored by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., seeks to recognize what the bill describes as the indispensable role of the private sector as “the main engine for national growth and development, create an enabling environment for PPP.” The measure also seeks to provide “the most appropriate incentives to mobilize private resources for the purpose of financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure projects and services normally financed and undertaken by the government.”

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Metro water supply raised amid El Niño By Anna Leah Gonzales

THE National Water Resources Board on Tuesday approved a higher water allocation for Metro Manila concessionaires this month. NWRB executive director Sevillo David Jr. said the board set the water allocation for this month at 44 cubic meters per second, up from last month’s 42 cms. The board also approved an additional 1 cms allocation for the National Ir-

rigation Administration from 35 cms on Jan. 19 to 31 to 36 cms this month. David said Metro Manila water users are assured of continuous domestic and municipal water supply from the Angat reservoir despite El Niño. As of Tuesday morning,

Angat Dam’s water level reached 209.76 meters and La Mesa Dam’s water level, at 79.43 meters. “Farmers in Bulacan and some parts of Pampanga are assured that sufficient amount of water will be apportioned in their whole cropping calendar,” David said. Manila Water Co. Inc. Corporate Communications Head Jeric Sevilla Jr. said due to the retained allocation, water supply in the East zone will continue to be normal.

Sevilla said the company also indefinitely suspended the implementation of the offpeak water pressure reduction in its area. Maynilad Water Services Inc. also assured its customers of safe water supply in the West zone. Pagasa said that strong El Niño will continue until the second quarter of 2016. NWRB reminded the public to continue their water conservation measures even though they are assured of stable water supply

in the coming months. “Everyone must not be complacent in the utilization of the precious water resource because there is a possibility that the El Niño phenomenon may extend beyond June 2016,” David said. “It also needs to be considered that the transition period from Enso (El Niño Southern Oscillation) to neutral condition is expected by May to July 2016 thus the impacts of El Niño may be prolonged,” David added.

Anti-poverty drive should unite all faiths, says Iglesia THE Iglesia ni Cristo is one with all other religious denominations in fighting poverty, a common enemy that should be fought in all corners of the Philippine archipelago, a church official said on Tuesday. According to INC General Auditor Glicerio B. Santos Jr., this was the reason the church has decided to step up its regular and continuing outreach programs to needy communities all over the country. On Saturday, the INC organized one of its biggest Lingap Pamamahayag projects to date with the distribution of clothing, livelihood supplies and vehicles to residents of Dantal and Datal Biao in Tampakan town in South Cotabato. “Our objective in the Lingap projects is twofold—to provide spiritual enrichment and material assistance. For the Church, the most effective way to address the prevalent poverty around us is to meet it head on. If greed is one of poverty’s root causes, generosity is one of its cures, and the INC is blessed with the resources and will to provide assistance where it’s needed,” explained Santos.

The INC officer said that they regularly receive requests for livelihood assistance even from non-Iglesia members in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The Church, according to him, heeds the call to serve without considering religious affiliations. “Our duty to help extends to everyone.” For the big Lingap activity in South Cotabato, the INC distributed 8,000 fivekilo livelihood packs, 15,000 pieces of clothing, 10,000 toys for children and 20 sewing machines. The distribution coincided with the holding of a medical and dental mission for the residents of the two chosen communities. The latest initiative builds on the INC’s earlier success at setting up a 16,000 hectare eco-farming site in the province. The location was meant to provide livelihood assistance to around 8,400 members of the Lumad and B’laan indigenous communities. Under the leadership of Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo, the homegrown Filipino church has intensified its anti-poverty and socio-civic initiatives, which are all conducted through the INC’s own Felix Y. Manalo Foundation.

Fr. Jonil Lalap, 49

Creative minds. Students from Bulacan State University and Mapua Institute of

Technology demonstrate their respective inventions during the 2015 Sikat Design Challenge awarding ceremonies held at the Manansala Tower, Rockwell Center in Makati City. BSU (top) presented the ‘Gravity Powered Generator,’ which uses gravity from weighted material to produce electricity while MIT had the ‘Rocketstove’, a wood-fired but smokeless cooking stove. MANNY PALMERO

REV. Fr. Jose Nilo “Jonil” Natividad Lalap, SDB, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 4:30 a.m. at the Makati Medical Center. He was 49. His parents, both deceased, were engineer Policarpio Rodriguez Lalap and Raymunda Natividad Lalap. Fr. Lalap entered the Don Bosco Juniorate in Pampanga at the age of 13 and was ordained a Salesian priest on Dec. 8, 1995. At the time of his demise—the feast day of St. John Bosco—Fr. Jonil was assigned at San Ildefonso Parish, Pio del Pilar, Makati City. He is survived by siblings Alex (married to Susana Zarco) and Ma. Cattleya L. Medenilla (married to Dexter C. Medenilla) as well as by sister-in-law Cecilia Castillo. The wake will be held from Wednesday, Feb. 3 to Thursday, Feb. 4 at Siranglupa, Calamba City, Laguna, and at the Don Bosco Seminary in Canlubang, Laguna from 10 a.m. Interment will take place on Saturday, Feb. 6, after the 9 a.m. mass.

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Suspect gets life term for 5 counts of murder

Maguindanao declares state of calamity due to drought BULUAN, Maguindanao— Damage to agricultural crops has prompted the provincial board to place the entire province under state of calamity.

By Dexter A. See BAGUIO CITY—The city’s Regional Trial Court Branch 4 found the lone suspect, Philip Tolentino Aviño alias Michael Geronimo, in the Kayang massacre guilty beyond reasonable doubt for five counts of murder and sentenced him to suffer the maximum penalty of reclusion perpetua in all the filed cases with no eligibility for parole. The case emanated from the killing of Lackielyn Nociete, 19, Joey Nociete Jr., 9, Dave John de Guzman, Raymond Adrian Delmendo and Jonalyn Lozano inside the apartment of the Nocietes on the early afternoon of April 6, 2014. The victims sustained multiple stab wounds on different parts of their bodies. Aviño reportedly fled from the city after committing the crime but subsequently surrendered to Manila City Vice Mayor Isko Moreno who turned him over to elements of the Baguio City Police Office. Mia Joy Cawed also ordered the convicted killer to pay actual damages, civil indemnity, and moral and exemplary damages to the families of the victims. According to the decision, Aviño’s DNA profile was found on the crime scene. He was identified to be on the scene of the crime before and during the time when the killing occurred. His clothing and belt were found in the crime scene and had a motive to commit the crime. The defense presented no evidence to prove that he was not in Baguio City on said date. In fact, he did not even take the stand to support his defense.

El Niño effects. A farmer in Linangkod, Kidapawan City shows a portion of the rice field that has dried up because of El Niño. GEONARRI SOLMERANO

Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu, chairman of the provincial disaster risk reduction and management council, said the provincial legislative body had readily approved his recommendation to put the province under state of calamity as the damages reported by agriculture officials had risen to about P130 million. “The effects of dry spell has been massive, our farmers are now suffering from lack of water, rat infestation and extreme heat,” he told reporters. “I also received reports that some farmers have resorted to eating wild crops for survival,” Mangudadatu said. The upland town of South Upi, known as corn-producing capital, has been producing nothing the past three months as corn crops have been hit by drought. No irrigation system in South Upi and both corn and palay fields are dependent on rain. “There has been no rain for the past three months so the crops will surely die,” Mangudadatu said. After learning some farmers in South Upi have resorted to eating wild jam, locally known as “kayos,” Mangudadatu appealed to indigenous peoples, particularly the Teduday tribe, to refrain from taking the wild jam “because it is very dangerous.” He assured the provincial government emergency teams are sending relief and food packs to affected families. At least 30 of Maguindanao’s 36 municipalities have reported severe crop damages. “All towns have been affected, I expect more reports to come so we can have complete picture of the extent of damages to crops, work animals, and to plantations,” Mangudadatu said. Maguindanao is home to several banana plantations and oil palm plantations but the governor said these are heat resistant.

Two years after Yolanda, Leyte teachers await housing fund By Ronald O. Reyes

New home. Residents of Barangay San Jose and Daang Hari, Navotas City—areas close to the sea—move to their new residence in Pandi, Bulacan. ANDREW RABULAN

TACLOBAN CITY—There is a trace of bitterness in the words of Jet Cananes, 40, a public school teacher in Palo, Leyte, as he wonders why until now he, along with his colleagues, has not yet received the full amount of the promised housing fund for education employees who were hit by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in November 2013. “My house is not yet completely fixed two years after Yolanda. Considering our economic condition, we still need more money for our housing needs. I hope that the housing fund promised to us will be completely given the soonest time,’’ said Cananes, whose town was one of the hard-hit areas of Yolanda. In January 2014, the national government through the Presidential Management Staff Secretary Julia Andrea Abad, daughter of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, issued a guideline for the release of the housing reimbursement assistance taken from President’s Social Fund which range from P100,000 in cash for the repair of totally or

heavily damaged houses and P30,000 for partially damaged. The fund is said to cover education employees 27 Department of Education divisions in Regions IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, VII, VIII, X, and XI who were both hit by powerful Bohol earthquake in October and super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013. Cananes recalled that they, under the first batch, only received the first tranche of the financial assistance sometime in September 2015 after complying its many requirements, while others who are not yet included in the first batch are also waiting for their first release. “It is disheartening to note that the teachers were not spared the criminal neglect of this government. It can be recalled that the only ‘relief’ that they received two weeks after Yolanda were beauty kits—lipstick and make-up”—not a single centavo nor a single grain was received by the devastated teachers from this government,’’ said Dr. Efleda Bautista, retired educator and convenor of People Surge, the alliance of storm victims in Eastern Visayas.

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OPINION

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

ECONOMIC GROWTH UNDER AQUINO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

AS CLEAR AS DAYLIGHT OBSERVERS were either relieved or disappointed last week at the reopening of the Senate investigation of the Mamasapano massacre in which 44 police commandos were killed in a covert operation to neutralize two high-profile terrorists on Jan. 25, 2015. Administration officials and their allies must have been relieved when Senator Juan Ponce Enrile produced no new evidence as he had promised to show that President Benigno Aquino III took a direct and active role in the operation. Those on the other side of the political fence were disappointed by the same lack of new evidence. Where, they must have wondered, was the political bombshell they had been promised? Both sides seemed to miss the point. The 91-year-old senator, who had been detained on an as yet unproved plunder charge when the Senate first opened its investigation last year, used previous testimony and a record of text messages already introduced into evidence to put into sharp focus the role of President Aquino in the disastrous operation, and clearly established his direct responsibility for the deaths of the 44 Special Action Force commandos. First, the testimony of officials involved and the record of text messages established that the President, contrary to his claims, was not only briefed but took an active role in the planning and execution of Oplan Exodus. In fact, the operation had even been delayed because the President suggested that more troops be sent. Second, there was no doubt that the President kept the operation secret even from his Cabinet secretaries and top police and military officials, and put his trust instead on his good friend, a police chief that had been suspended at the time. This was a clear violation of the chain of command, and would later have disastrous effects on the military’s ability and readiness to come to the aid of the beleaguered police commandos and to stop their slaughter. Third Enrile’s line of questioning offered a disturbing portrait of a President who was more concerned about bringing back proof of the mission’s success than the safety of his own men. The record of text messages was damning. As the SAF commandos were being slaughtered, he texted his suspended police chief, Alan Purisima, several times—the first time to ask why the body of the terrorist known as Marwan was left behind, and the whereabouts of bomber Abdul Basit Usman. His text messages, according to the official record, are as follows: 7:36 a.m. Why was it left behind? The other two targets? 7:59 a.m. If I remember correctly 160 SAF troopers were directly involved in this operation plus provisions for other PNP and AFP units to assist. The terrain is flat and clear as opposed to upland forested or jungle terrain. Why could they not contain and or overwhelm 15 to 20 members of opposing force. Are they still in contact with other targets? If not, and the opposing forces escaped, are we now back to square one? 8:41 a.m. Review your earlier and latest text. They differ as to which was engaged first. 10:16 a.m. Basit should not get away. Nowhere in the exchange was there one word of concern for the police commandos who were trapped by Muslim rebels, and who were soon to give up their lives for their country. Mr. Aquino’s apologists in the Senate insist the President was misinformed by his friend and the commander of the SAF, but Enrile’s rejoinder is damning. If this is the kind of President we have—who cannot even get the true picture of one police operation with millions of pesos in intelligence funds and the entire machinery of government at his beck and call—then he deserves to dumped along with the rest of the garbage. Senator Enrile’s point last week was that no new evidence is required, because if we properly appreciate the existing testimony and records of the Mamasapano debacle, it becomes as clear as daylight that Mr. Aquino was guilty of high crimes against the Filipino people.

NONSENSE BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO JUST when you think no one else can out-nonsense Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio “Jun” Abaya with his “traffic does not kill” remark, now comes along that other Malacañang mouthpiece, Undersecretary for Communications and Strategic Planning Manuel Quezon III. More effective when he kept a low-key, low-profile role as Undersecretary for

Communications and Strategic Planning, Nonong Quezon was probably pushed to the forefront by the other Palace talking heads who have run out of defensive doublespeak. Hey, why are we taking all the heat? Nonong should do some of the talking; let him take the flak. Poor Nonong, his illustrious family name has been tarnished for mixing with bad company. Here’s what the fourth man in the Malacañang miscommunication team said the other day in defending the daily breakdown of MRT-3: “There are just too many commuters taking the train!”

Then, Quezon goes on to put down senator and presidential candidate Grace Poe’s threat to sue Abaya for criminal negligence and awarding of questionable MRT service maintenance contract. Here’s MQ III’s classic comment: “She’s a senator, why doesn’t she just file the necessary legislation to solve the public transport system problem?” Or something to that effect. What? Duh! That’s what government is supposed to do. With its vast and awesome powers, government doesn’t have to wait for legislation as long as it acts to provide public service. Providing a mass transit system

Roxas is actually the most qualified to serve as president but he’s closely identified with Aquino.

is what a government is expected to do for its taxpayers. Too many commuters? I have taken the public railway systems in London’s underground tube, the Paris Metro, New York’s labyrinthine subway and their commuters cannot be any less than our 500,000 daily on work days. Their trains are longer from the number of carriages compared to the six, now nine, wagons MRT has on every run. Nearby Hong Kong and Singapore’s underground rail system may not be as intricate as in the three other cities mentioned, but they run efficiently. It’s troubling to one’s train of thoughts when he thinks about the mass transit system government was supposed to fix after

nearly six years in office. On the day DoTC announced the harnessing of trains bought from the Chinese company Dalian and the awarding of the service maintenance contract to the Korean-Filipino consortium, the MRT broke down right away because of a non-working signal light or a crack in the rail. Former MRT general manager Al Vitangcol, who has been indicted by the Office of the Ombudsman for graft in connection with the anomalous service maintenance contract, wants the

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Sandiganbayan to make available to him the records of the case. Vitangcol has a right to the Ombudsman’s case records. He wants to know why Abaya has been absolved while he has been indicted when Abaya has overall supervision of MRT Line 3 operation and final approval of all bids and contracts it entered into. Senator Poe is also asking the same question why Abaya, the ruling Liberal Party’s acting president and in effect its chief campaign fund–raiser, has not been included in the Ombudsman’s

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case against Vitangcol. The answer, dear senator, is that Abaya is Aquino’s fair-haired boy while Vitangcol is the designated fall guy. Continued on A11

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES Mr. Robles’ column will resume tomorrow.

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

FILIPINO consumers, not the economic planners and economists of President BS Aquino III, are responsible for the strong growth of the economy during the first full five years of his administration. Outgoing Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan says the 6.2-percent average economic growth during Aquino’s first full five years is the highest in the past 40 years. What he doesn’t say is that even if Aquino were not the president, or any other person were the chief executive, the economy would have done as well, growing at 6.2 percent average in five years. If Aquino had not been the president, economic growth rate would probably have been higher. Consumption would have been accompanied by investments—in crucial infrastructure. The lack of investments in infra like roads, railways and mass transit has gridlocked Metro Manila, which accounts for 34 percent of total economic production. Some P2.6 billion is lost daily due to the capital’s horrendous traffic and yet, Aquino’s men are not at all worried. “It’s not fatal,” Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya once said. Aquino himself and his spokesmen make it appear traffic is a sign of progress. It’s like saying rising murders are a sign of progress because they indicate a strong demand for guns and since guns are part of industrial manufacturing, murders are also good for industry. So bad is the traffic that pollution has worsened. To cover that much pollution, number.com estimates each commuter would need 28 trees each year to produce the oxygen to make up for the pollution. Half of Metro Manila’s pollution is produced by cars caught in traffic. Back to Filipino consumers. Household expenditures account for 72.4 percent of the economy. That is equivalent to P9.154.4 trillion or 72.4 percent of P12.642-trillion GDP (gross domestic product) in 2014, and P9.796 trillion or 73.7 percent of the P13.285 trillion GDP in 2015. Nearly P74 of every P100 output of the economy comes from consumption—money you and I spend for food, electricity, cellphones, transportation, shopping, travel, and purchases of so-called durable goods like cars, TV sets, and other equipment. If you have money to spend, do you credit Aquino for that? No. Because unemployment has remained very high. About seven million Filipinos have lousy jobs and cannot find any better work. These are the so-called underemployed. Nearly three million Filipinos really have no work. Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

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OPINION

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

ECONOMIC GROWTH UNDER AQUINO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Roxas is actually the most qualified to serve as president but he’s closely identified with Aquino.

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

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case against Vitangcol. The answer, dear senator, is that Abaya is Aquino’s fair-haired boy while Vitangcol is the designated fall guy. Continued on A11

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES Mr. Robles’ column will resume tomorrow.

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

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THE DEATH OF THE BBL TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO THE blame game has started with the Bangsamoro Basic Law dead in the water. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front blames the House leadership for allowing members of the House of Representative to filibuster against the proposed law. Miriam Coronel Ferrer, head of the negotiating panel, and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles, also blame Congress. BS Aquino III also blames Congress for dragging its feet. Santa Banana, who are at fault in fact are President Aquino and his peace negotiating panel themselves. They have apparently been made to drink a love potion by the Moro rebels. They were all ready and willing to give the rebels everything,

President Aquino has nobody else to blame.

even to the point of dismembering the country in the name of peace and development of Muslim Mindanao? It was a defective and constitutionally flawed law from the start, with provisions contrary to and violative of the Constitution. My gulay, if you read what BS Aquino III was all too willing to give the MILF, keeping out of the loop other stakeholders in the peace and development of Mindanao, like the Moro National Liberation Front, the indigenous tribes, the Sultanate of Sulu and even the Christians, who dominate Mindanao, you would know that the end result would be the continuation of internal strife and civil unrest.

For the sake of peace, BS Aquino III was willing to give the Moro rebels control of the so-called Bangsamoro juridical entity—police, elections, audit, and more—outside of the central government. This President is all too willing to gain peace at all costs so that he could leave a legacy. “Ano, sinuswerte siya?” In the first place, why give the Moro rebels a parliamentary system of government headed by a prime minister when the national government has a presidential and republican form of government? That to me is unacceptable. If we must have peace and development in Mindanao, the next administration should see to it that it is inclusive of all stakeholders, not just one secessionist group like the MILF. BS Aquino III is definitely ignorant about the history, culture, traditions, social and political structure of Muslim Mindanao. History tells us that Muslim Mindanao is predominantly controlled by the Maranaos of Lanao, who are traders, the Maguindanaoans of Central Mindanao, who are farmers and the Tausugs of Sulu, who are seafarers and the pirates of old. These three can never get along. That’s the reason the MILF of Central Mindanao broke away from Nur Misuari’s MNLF, who are Sulu-based, Nur being a Tausug. That’s also why the Maranaos would rather align themselves with the Maguindanaoans than Misuari. What BS Aquino III and the incoming administration should now be alarmed about is the rise of so many vigilante groups of Christians—the Ilocanos, Cebuanos and the Ilongos—that could spark clashes that in turn could make a peace process untenable. These vigilante groups remind us of the violent confrontations of the Ilagas composed of Ilongos against the Moro rebels. This brings us back to the question: Will we ever have peace and development in Muslim

‘KUROT SA PUSO’ (2) NOW let’s get to the messages of this campaign. Officially, it’s but 95 days before E-Day. As previously stated in previous articles on this page, it’s a four-way fight, and it’s still anybody’s game. Exciting. In Monday’s article, I described how Noynoy’s numbers dropped from 54 to 36 in a matter of three to four months. And how Villar’s gradually went up to 34 from 18, in statistical dead heat by the start of the official campaign period. In the latest surveys, Binay is ahead at 31, Poe, Duterte and Roxas are statistically tied at 24, 21, and 20, more or less. Everyone says Binay has “recovered.” The strategy of letting the ads do the talking (“Ang iba nangangako pa lang, si Binay ginawa na”; Nognog and Pandak), while quietly moving from barangay to barangay, pumping flesh, doing “boodle” fights with the poor, and forbidding his children and cantankerous spokespersons from opening their mouths seems to be paying off. All ads have the magic ingredient—“kurot sa puso.” But can the strategy be sustained in the next 95 days? Can “no talk, no mistake” be, as the young ask, “forever”? Already, negative ads aired in the last few days, asking Binay to come clean and explain his side on the corruption charges against him and family. What the voters may have forgotten, and Binay’s American handlers cleverly want many to forget, some handlers from the opposing camp want people to remember. Will it work? Negative campaign ads have not really been tried in this country, unlike in the US of A where it has been commonplace starting from the 60s. Look at the hard-hitting messages of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders vis-à-vis Clinton’s, Rubio’s and Cruz’s. The radicals versus the conservatives versus the middleMindanao? By now, the next administration should have learned its lesson how not to pursue peace, given the mistakes of the Aquino administration which dealt only with the MILF. Peace in Mindanao is a painstaking and long process, but with enough political will, a leader—who is not after self-glorification—can still make it possible. *** The second phase of oral arguments in the Supreme Court on the disqualifications cases of Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Kelly Poe Llamanzares was primarily on the argument of petitioners to disqualify her because she lacks residency and that she is not a natural-born Filipino. The Supreme Court has only this week and until

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO roaders. Now, take the other most moneyed candidate. Without veering away from the “daang matuwid” escutcheon (neither PNoy nor the trio of Dinky, Ging and Henedina, as well as their Lea Navarros and Jim Paredeses will ever allow that), Mar pictures himself now as the quiet plodder, the worker (trabaho lang), who will correct the “pagkukulang kung meron” of the holy “daan,” and even do better. He tried an ad which gave a veiled threat to recipients of the CCT program if “daang matuwid” is discontinued by the “wrong” winner, but that didn’t seem to sell, especially after PNoy vetoed the increase in SSS pensions. Mar’s latest monologue on TV and radio is an improvement over previous selling spiels. Yet on radio last Saturday, a wag said: “Wala namang nagsasabing tamad si Roxas. Trabaho nga siya ng trabaho, mula DOTC hanggang DILG. Kaya lang, lahat palpak.” Wow—solar plexus! The same may be said of Binay’s “sino pa ba ang magtutulungan kundi tayo?” while looking at the masa in the frame. As his main competitor now resurrects the corruption allegations in negative ads, will the people remember? And how strong is the hope that the masa will fortify their perception of “lahat naman yan magnanakaw…kay Binay inaambunan tayo.” As for Duterte, there was an attempt at “kurot” with his Tapang at Malasakit TV ad which aired for two weeks or so mid-year of 2015. Balancing the “tapang” was a compassionate message, that in Davao, the poor are cared for, the future of the youth secured.

Feb. 9—when the names of the candidates will be printed on the ballots—to decide Mrs. Llamanzares’ case. This is why I believe the oral arguments should be done daily. My own sources at the Supreme Court tell me that as of this date, the justices are divided 60-40 in favor of the disqualification of Mrs. Llamanzares. They are divided on the issue whether or not to interpret the 1987 Constitution liberally and out of context, or to interpret the Constitution according to its intent, letter and spirit. Some justices claim that the “will of the people” should prevail, which means that the Supreme Court should allow Mrs. Llamanzares to run. I have misgivings about the doctrine of interpreting the Constitution

But after his numbers zoomed and the papal infraction spewed from his unguarded mouth, Duterte seems to have reverted to his “sigasiga” image. Singular in his message of being tough against crime and drugs, Duterte is now seen as a unidimensional leader. Voters may be wondering: Is there anything else he can do? Being a toughie has both mental and emotional connotations. Think Robin Padilla, even Erap. Now Mar seeks to equate Digong’s “tapang” with bullying, rather than courage. For sure, his competitors will hit Duterte hard on human rights, the “womanizing,” the dirty mouth. He has somehow admitted these in legally but not politically correct manner, and so he hopes the public mind has been sufficiently “inoculated.” Maybe so. Maybe not yet. He eschews an image make-over which he claims some friends have advised, something refreshing for a national candidate. What you see is what you get. Love him for it, or hate him, the man does not give a hoot. His problem is how he can break the voter “ceiling” for those fed up with the system and want radical change. Mar did “pitik” by saying in his ad, “hindi ako paawa (Grace Poe), hindi ako siga-siga (Duterte), hindi ako nag-abuso (Binay). And a double whammy against the survey leader…“hindi ko kayo nanakawan.” Does it have the “kurot sa puso” element? No, it’s still asking the voter to think. To reason instead of being swayed by emotion. Mar, after all must have learned his lessons from previous ads that failed to resonate. After the Mr. Palengke soft-sell commercial that made him Numero Uno senador in 2004, connecting to the heart has never been his strong suit. Probably best to forget it, and hit the minds instead, or so his handlers may be telling him. Continued on A11

liberally and letting the “voice of the people” decide. The preamble of the Constitution already states: “We, the sovereign Filipino people” which means that the Constitution, having been ratified, is already the voice of the people. What I am leading to is that the Constitution must be interpreted according to its letter, intent and spirit, not to how some justices feel, much less what he think is best for the nation. That would veer away from the rule of law. Otherwise, we may as well throw the Constitution into the trash can. *** When the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., under the past administration, was planning on an Entertainment

City on the reclaimed area along Roxas Boulevard, I said that this would be an engine of tourism, and consequently, growth. Thus, when four global giants built gaming establishments and hotels, I knew it was only a matter of time before the country reaped benefits in the form of tourism. The problem, however, is that Pagcor, the government regulatory agency of gaming and amusement establishments, continues to operate some 38 gambling casinos nationwide. This is in direct competition with private gaming and entertainment firms which have invested as no less than $1 billion each. Nowhere in the world is there a regulatory agency that directly competes with private firms. Continued on A11

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

‘Kurot... From A10 And Senadora Gracia? Still trying to connect to the “puso” of the voter. First it was memories of FPJ, her adoptive father. Then it was “pity the foundling.” Then images of the elderly in hospitals, the lumpen, the harried and hassled MRT commuter. But rolling her immaculately white sleeves did not seem to resonate. It ain’t as easy. Now she still focuses on her travails before the high tribunal magistrates. Her PR team spread wide the “heart” arguments of Justices Marvic Leonen and then CJ Maria Lourdes Sereno. Associate Justice Leonen even made that “justice instead of legalist” tagline, with “just” as the root word of justice. I am no Latin expert (why bother? Only theologians and lawyers still try to decipher the dead language), but isn’t “justitiae” or justice the root word itself, not “just” being root for justice? And Poe’s latest ads proclaim her fighting for her political rights as “lumalaban” (“Akala ni Duterte siya lang ang palaban,” her propagandists must have thought), pero “may puso.” The problem of the senadora is more basic. Her audience is the highest magisNonsense... From A9 Then DoTC Secretary Mar Roxas recommended Abaya to succeed him when he moved over to DILG after the untimely death of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo. Metro Manila’s motorists and commuters will never forgive Roxas for giving us Abaya. That will cost Mar Roxas about three million voters in the National Capital Region who are suffering from the horrendous traffic and poor mass transit system. So, whenever Mar mouths Aquino’s “daang matuwid,” voters of Metro Manila can only seethe and curse the “daang masikip.”

tracy of the land, not yet the voters. She pines for the magistrates’ soft hearts for foundlings, and adherence to that non-legal maxim of “vox populi est vox Dei,” maybe in the hope that the case will be dribbled and that the justices will let the voice of the people overwhelm their sense of the Constitution they are sworn to uphold and re-affirm. She and her handlers forget two things: One, that her survey numbers have gone a-tumble, so for those who might be swayed by populism—well, the proof of the pudding is in the numbers. There won’t be any public unrest if the magistrates interpreted the Constitution in letter and not by taking an emotional detour. Two and more telling, the Constitution of 1987 was overwhelmingly ratified by the people. Sixty-five percent of the population versus 35 said yes, if memory serves me right. Can anything be more vox populi than that? How now would her survey numbers in the mid-20s be considered vox populi by the justices? Still and all, expect surprises. It’s a wide-open contest, and until the legal variables are decided (DQ cases), forecasting the outcome will still be very iffy. With Mar Roxas not gaining traction among voters, team Aquino is putting together Plan B, or is it Plan P? We all know who and what P stands for, di po ba? Poor Mar, they’re digging the ground from under him again. Roxas is actually the most qualified to serve as president but he’s closely identified with Aquino. That’s like having an albatross around your neck. A bit of historical footnote: The Italian dictator Benito Mussolini came to power by promising to make the trains run on time and he delivered on his word. The officials running our trains are running away with taxpayers’ money—and the trains don’t even run right.

The death... From A10 Not in Nevada, not in Macau, and not in South Korea. The next administration must look into this. The problem is that Pagcor’s casinos also provides the President social funds at his disposal. Now, you know why Pagcor’s gambling casinos have not been privatized. *** Senator Antonio Trillanes had it coming. I am talking about the arrest order coming from the Makati Regional Trial Court, where he had been charged with libel for his statements against suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay. Recall that Trillanes, who is now running for the vice presidency, but way below the totem pole, claimed outside of the halls of the Senate that Binay bribed two justices of the Court of Appeals to secure a TRO for his suspension. Arrogance of power has its limits, Mr. Senator.

#FAILOCRACY

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Why did growth collapse to 3.7 percent in 2011 from the whole-year growth Because having a job is the best way of 8.2 percent in 2010? Incompetence. to fight poverty, and unemployment Aquino didn’t spend some P149 billion has remained very high, poverty has re- money intended for infrastructure, for mained very high—about 25 of every 100 two reasons—he thought it would be Filipinos are poor, meaning they make stolen anyway and he really didn’t know only $1.25 a day. What is $1.25 a day? how to spend it. Every time you don’t That is P58.75. That will buy the cheap- spend, you harm the economy. est Jollibee burger. But then after eating To window dress the figures and to the burger, you cannot go home because show that he is indeed a good economistyou have no more money. You cannot use president, Aquino’s statisticians keep on your TV, if any, because you cannot pay adding the whole growth rate of 8.2 perfor electricity. You cannot go anywhere, cent in 2010 to the 5.85 percent average simply because you have no money. You growth rate in his first full five years cannot even drink safe water because wa- in office (2011 to 2015) to show an ter costs money. average growth of more than 6 percent, So what do you do? Praise Aquino. or 6.2 percent. According to the Social Weather Stations, How do you make it appear that majority of Filipinos are satisfied with growth under Aquino was above 6 perthe President. Why? Because majority cent? Simple, add 8.2 (the growth in the of Filipinos are really like that. They are whole of 2010) and 5.85 (the average of stupid. They don’t know any better. five years, 2011 to 2015), you get 14.05. So rather than curse like what Rodrigo Divide 14.05 by two, you get 7.025 perDuterte does, they pray. They like cent. You then claim that this is the highPope Francis who likes the poor. Since est five-year growth since the 1970s. This Pope Francis likes the poor, the people is the claim of BS Aquino III’s statistifeel good. Pope Francis also teaches you cians. should like your fellowmen. Even people Even if you add only the second half of like Aquino. So people like Aquino. 2010 growth of 6.7 percent plus the 5.85 Consumption—by households—is the percent during 2011 to 2015, you still get mainstay of the economy. The economy an average growth of 6.275 percent. But (measured by GDP or the value of the the growth rates of 7.3 percent and 6.1 output of goods and services) has been percent in the third and fourth quarters of growing at an average of 6 percent per 2010 should still be credited to the spillyear under BS Aquino III not because he over effects of reforms under Arroyo. is an economist or that he is a good presiThe first six months of a president dent. In fact, the opposite is true. (July-December in Aquino’s case) is usuIf BS Aquino, who studied econom- ally a learning period and nothing conics, were a little more hardworking, a crete could be done. The highest quarlittle more sympathetic to the plight of terly growth rate under President Arroyo the people, and a little less divisive, the was 8.9 percent—in the second quarter Philippines would have been truly the ti- of 2010; her second highest, 8.4 percent, ger economy he claims the country has was achieved in first quarter 2010. become. In contrast, Aquino’s highest quarterly In the last six years of President Gloria growth rate was 7.9 percent in the second Macapagal Arroyo, an economist, growth quarter of 2012. Since then, GDP growth was a stellar 6.5 percent, achieved despite has steadily declined, reaching a low of the worst global recession, in 2008 and 5.2 percent in the first quarter of 2015, 2009 when Philippine growth rate fal- before making a technical correction at tered, to 4.2 percent and to 1.1 percent, 5.6 percent in the second quarter and 6.1 respectively, after rising 6.6 in 2007. percent in the third. Aquino never faced a recession, except Average GDP growth during the first in the talent and intelligence of his cabi- three quarters of 2015—a disappointing net and the rest of the government bu- 5.6 percent. reaucracy. With fourth quarter (OctoberYet, in his first full year as president, December) growth below 6 percent, the in 2011, BS scored a home run, a scin- whole year 2015 growth was 5.8 percent, tillating growth rate of 3.7 percent, after the lowest since the 3.7 percent growth coming from a whopping 8.65 percent in 2011, Aquino’s first full year, and the growth rate in the first half of 2010—the lowest in four years, since the 3.7 percent last semester of Mrs. Arroyo, and 6.7 in 2011. percent, in July-December, the first six months of Aquino III. biznewsasia@gmail.com Economic... From A9

CHONG ARDIVILLA

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

US players’ fake passports probed MADRID —A Spanish judge is to investigate allegations that American basketball players Marcus Slaughter and Andy Panko used fake passports when at Spanish clubs, judicial sources confirmed on Monday.

Rafa gets wildcard invite BUENOS AIRES—Rafael Nadal has had his request for a wildcard invitation to next week’s Argentina Open accepted as the Spaniard rejigs his schedule after his shock Australian Open exit. The world number five lost in the first round of a Grand Slam for just the second time in his career to fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in Melbourne. After his unexpectedly early departure the 29-year-old travelled to Mallorca to start training for what could be a make or break year on clay, starting now with the defence of his title in Buenos Aires. “I want to thank the organisers of the Argentina Open for giving me this wild card to play in Buenos Aires,” he told the ATP website from Mallorca on Monday. “The times that I’ve played in Argentina have been special and full of good memories because the people are some of the best in the world. “I asked for this wild card after the bad result in Melbourne and I hope that Buenos Aires will once again be the start of a good run for me. I will try my best to make sure it is.” Nadal strengthens the line-up in Argentina which already features world number five David Ferrer, France’s JoWilfried Tsonga the number nine and 12th ranked American John Isner. After last week’s loss Nadal’s coach and uncle Toni Nadal raised the possibility that the 14-time Grand Slam champion may seek a new or expanded coaching team in a bid to arrest his slide in form. AFP

Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos addresses the media at Super Bowl Opening Night at SAP Center in San Jose, California. AFP

Denver’s Manning plays down retirement talk SAN JOSE—Peyton Manning shrugged off fresh speculation about his possible retirement Monday as he prepared for what could be his Super Bowl swan song next weekend. Manning will become the oldest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history on Sunday when he leads the Denver Broncos into battle against the Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium near San Francisco. The 39-year-old is widely expected to call time on his career after the finale and fresh reports Mon-

day said he had already told friends and family that he plans to retire. However, Manning insisted he remained undecided and would not address the issue until after Super Bowl 50. “I haven’t made my mind up and I don’t see myself making a decision until after the season,” Manning said at the Super Bowl 50 Opening Night extravaganza in San Jose’s SAP Center. “Whatever cliche you want to use —I just want to stay in the moment, focus on the task in hand and con-

centrate on this week. “That’s the way I’ve approached everything this season ... It’s served me well up to now and I’m going to stick with that. Obviously I have a big task in hand,” Manning added. Manning was caught on film telling New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick that their clash in the AFC Championship Game “might be my last rodeo.” “I just wanted to tell him manto-man how much I had enjoyed and respected our battles over the

years,” Manning said. “I said the same thing to (Tom) Brady. Brady’s going to play until he’s 70, Belichick’s going to coach until he’s 90. Maybe I’ll play for another 10 years. “But I just wanted them to know, that if this was the last time, how much it has meant to me,” he added. Manning once again said he was relaxed about an ongoing National Football League investigation into allegations by Al Jazeera America linking him to banned performance enhancing drug human growth hormone. AFP

Worth the wait as Snedeker lifts Torrey Pines’ golf trophy

Brandt Snedeker tees off on the 6th hole during Round 2 of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines North in San Diego, California. AFP

LOS ANGELES—Brandt Snedeker’s stellar 69 in brutal weather on Sunday proved enough to see the American lift the trophy at a sunsplashed Torrey Pines on Monday as the weather-delayed Farmers Insurance Open concluded. Snedeker had been simply sensational on Sunday when gusting winds and spells of driving rain forced three delays and pushed scores up at Torrey Pines north of San Diego, California. Snedeker, who described it as “like playing a British Open on a US Open set-up” had built a 72hole total of six-under 282 when play was halted Sunday afternoon with most of the field still to finish. Jimmy Walker was seven-under on the course, and South Korean

veteran K.J. Choi at six-under, both with eight holes to play. Although the sun was out on Monday, winds were still strong enough that spectators were banned from the course—where several trees had toppled overnight—and neither Walker nor Choi could get into the clubhouse ahead of Snedeker—the only player to break par in the final round. “You would not imagine what was going through my head,” Snedeker said of his anxious night spent worrying about the weather and whether he was really likely to find himself collecting his eighth US PGA Tour title. Snedeker was at the 18th green watching when Choi missed a long birdie attempt at his final hole that would have forced a playoff. AFP

Slaughter and Panko are accused of using fake passports from Equatorial Guinea when they played with Real Madrid and Montakit Fuenlabrada respectively to avoid being counted as foreign players due to a convention between Spain and the former Spanish colony. Each side is allowed a maximum of two players from outside the European Union. Real Madrid’s rivals Barcelona have requested to be included as a damaged party in the case. Falsification of public documents carries a judicial sentence of six months to two years in Spain. The judge has ordered for Slaughter and Panko, who are currently playing for Darussafaka Istanbul in Turkey and Nancy in France respectively, to testify to Spanish judicial officials. According to reports in Spain, the Spanish basketball federation (FEB) were alerted to the problem last year when Fuenlabrada tried to register Panko with the same passport number as Slaughter. Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia reported the Spanish embassador to Equatorial Guinea had sent a letter to the judge confirming the passports are false. The case could have serious ramifications for Real Madrid, who won the Spanish league and Cup last season. Both titles could be stripped if it transpires they fielded an ineligible team. “If these accusations are confirmed, it would implicate a series of serious sporting consequences,” Barcelona, who lost the Cup final to Madrid, said in a statement. The Spanish league (ACB) has also requested to be included in the investigation of the case. “The ACB...will take all the actions it considers necessary in the defence of the legitimate interests of the competition and the organisation,” they said in a statement. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Lorenzo kicks off MotoGP ‘16 on top

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo of Spain prepares to leave the pit lane during the second day of 2016 MotoGP pre-season test at the Sepang International circuit. AFP

Zika virus prompts Brazil to issue Olympic warning GENEVA—Brazil warned pregnant women Monday to stay away from the Summer Olympics after the World Health Organization declared an international emergency over the Zika virus, blamed for causing a surge in brain-damaged babies. The UN health body said that a rise in cases of microcephaly—in which babies are born with an abnormally small headwas likely caused by the mosquito-borne virus, and declared the situation a “public health emergency of international concern.” That prompted an unprecedented warning from Brazil, just six months from the Olympics opening ceremony on August 5 in Rio de Janeiro. “The risk, which I would say is serious, is for pregnant wom-

en. It is clearly not advisable for you (to travel to the Games) because you don’t want to take that risk,” said President Dilma Rousseff ’s chief of staff, Jaques Wagner. Wagner sought to downplay fears for Olympic athletes and fans who are not expectant mothers. “I understand that no one needs to be afraid if you are not pregnant,” he said. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the WHO’s declaration raises more awareness and provides

“more resources to fight the virus.” Olympic Committee officials “are in close contact” with the WHO and Olympic committees “around the world,” said Bach, speaking in Los Angeles. “There is no travel ban,” he said. The Games “will also take place in winter time in Brazil and this is not the preferred breeding time for mosquitoes.” These factors “make us very confident that at the time of the Olympic Games there will be good conditions for athletes and spectators.” Some health officials also blame the Zika virus for causing Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder in which the immune system attacks the nervous system, causing weakness and sometimes paralysis. That syndrome directly af-

fects Zika patients themselves. Most recover, but the syndrome is sometimes deadly. Panic in the Americas Zika was first detected in Uganda in 1947, but it was considered a relatively mild disease until the current outbreak was declared in Latin America last year. Brazil was the first country to sound the alarm on the apparent link with birth defects, after health authorities noticed a surge in babies born with microcephaly. It has since become the worst affected country, with some 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, of which 270 have been confirmed, up from 147 in 2014. The WHO said that French Polynesia had also seen a spike in microcephaly cases during a Zika outbreak there two years ago. AFP

SEPANG—Reigning MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo riding a Yamaha was fastest on day one as the 2016 test season got off to a blistering start at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit on Monday. With the track temperature reaching 52 degrees Celsius, Lorenzo, chasing a fourth MotoGP world championship title, overcame the tough conditions to clock 2min 00.684sec, 1.033 seconds quicker than his Italian team-mate Valentino Rossi, giving a strong start for Yamaha. Rossi, the charismatic 36-year-old, remains the biggest draw in MotoGP and is eyeing a 10th world title this year after losing out in 2015 to team-mate Lorenzo amid an ugly rivalry. Tyres and electronics are likely to be the focus of this year’s season and Lorenzo said he was pleased with the way his new Michelin tyres were performing. Michelin has replaced Bridgestone as MotoGP’s official tyre supplier from 2016. “I can go fast. I was a second ahead of everyone,” a beaming Lorenzo told reporters. Spain’s Dani Pedrosa, racing a Honda, was third, 1.096 seconds slower than the 28-year-old Lorenzo. Italian Danilo Petrucci on a Ducati was fourth, 1.127 seconds slower than Lorenzo. Fellow Italian Andrea Iannone on another Ducati was fifth at 2:01.912 while Spaniard Hector Barbera, also riding for Ducati, was sixth at 2:02.002. Honda’s double MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was seventhfastest, 1.594 seconds off the pace. “We still have a (big) job to do, like being able to accelerate out of a corner faster. I am trying to learn how to ride with the Michelin tyres,” he said at the end of the first of the three days of the test session, which ends on Wednesday. Australia’s Casey Stoner, who won the first of his two MotoGP world titles with Ducati, has returned to the Italian team for 2016 as a test rider and is expected to race in Sepang again on Tuesday. Stoner, 30, rejoins Ducati after a fiveyear spell with Honda, with whom he won the 2011 world championship, four years after his first title. From Malaysia, MotoGP riders will head to Australia for three days at Phillip Island from February 17 to 19.

Infantino pledges to kick down FIFA’s walls LONDON—FIFA presidential candidate Gianni Infantino would mark a clean break with the organisation’s troubled recent past by appointing more women and non-Europeans to senior roles, he told AFP on Monday. Infantino, 45, said he would quickly look to replace sacked general secretary Jerome Valcke if he wins the election on Feb. 26. All 10 previous general secretaries, including disgraced former president Sepp Blatter, have been men from western Europe and Infantino believes having someone from a different background in the post would mark a fresh start in FIFA’s corridors of power. “It’s about opening up FIFA, being open, being transparent, being inclusive,” he said in an interview at London’s Wem-

bley Stadium, where he revealed his plans for the first 90 days of his tenure. “I think FIFA as a worldwide organisation has to be inclusive, has to have more women, has to have people from all over the world in administration that are not only good executives in Switzerland or Germany or France. “There are good executives all over the world and I think if FIFA wants to gain respect it has to embrace good people from everywhere.” Infantino faces competition from Bahrain’s Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim AlKhalifa, South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale, Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, a former FIFA vice-president, and former FIFA official Jerome Champagne of France

in the vote of FIFA’s 209 federations. Sheikh Salman has stated that he would be open to striking a deal with Infantino, his fellow front-runner for world football’s top job. But Infantino, who already has declarations of support from UEFA and the South American confederation, CONMEBOL, said he would not agree to work under another candidate. “No, definitely not,” said the Swiss lawyer, who has been UEFA’s general secretary since 2009. “I take this very, very seriously. “If I’m elected I will be FIFA president on February 26. If I’m not elected, there are no deals to be made or being made.” ‘Do something for football’ Infantino only joined the presidential race in October after UEFA president Mi-

chel Platini was provisionally suspended over a $2 million “disloyal” payment from Blatter, which eventually saw both men banned for eight years. But he rejected the suggestion that he would be seen as a second-choice candidate and said he had felt a moral responsibility to act after US and Swiss authorities targeted FIFA in wide-ranging corruption probes. “It’s true that until a few months ago I was not thinking about being a candidate, but in life sometimes there are situations where you have to take decisions,” Infantino said. “When I saw what is going on, I thought you simply cannot sit and lean back and watch everything being destroyed or destroy itself. You have to do something. You have to do something for football. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Zaragosa eyes rare golf 3-peat

Squash Rackets Association of the Philippines delegates at the 2nd East Asian Cup Squash Championship are shown during their appearance at the PSA Forum. They are (from left) David William Pelino, Head Coach Jaime Ortua, SRAP President Robert Bachmann, Yvonne Alyssa Dalida, Jamyca Aribado, Robert Garcia and Rey Mark Bergonia. EY ACASIO

Cavs... From A16

Irving and James each sank two free throws during the final 13 seconds as Cleveland improved to 25-2 when scoring 100 points or more and 25-3 when leading at halftime. Spurs stretch home win streak Forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored a seasonhigh 28 points as the San Antonio Spurs shrugged off a lackluster second quarter and held off the Orlando Magic 107-92 to keep their home unbeaten streak intact. The Spurs went on a 15-2 surge over a span of 3:37 that straddled the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth to erase Orlando’s short-lived lead. Kyle Anderson had seven of his nine points during that deciding stretch for San Antonio while reserve point guard Patty Mills hit three jumpers as part of his season-high-tying 22-point performance. San Antonio (40-8) improved to 26-0 at the AT&T Center this season, matching the 1977-78 Portland Trail Blazers for the best home start ever by a Western Conference team. The win also allowed the Spurs to extend their regular-season home win streak to 35 games, dating back to an overtime loss to Cleveland last March. It was the 14th time this season that Aldridge has led the Spurs in scoring. Guard Manu Ginobili added 13 points for the Spurs while forward Kawhi Leonard had 10 points.

RUPERT Zaragosa hopes to flash his familiarity with the Canlubang layout again as he guns for a rare three-peat in the 21st W Express RVF Cup Amateur Golf Championship unfolding Feb. 9 at the North Course of the sprawling golf complex in Laguna. The diminutive shotmaker actually seeks to recover from a so-so campaign in the Philippine Amateur Stroke Play Championship last month where he struggled to finish seventh with a strong performance next week although he would facing a crack field toughened up by the presence of a number of Koreans and Japanese players out to spoil the local bets’ bid. Zaragosa nipped Andres Saldaña by two to annex his first W Express RVF title in 2014 then held off Korean Kim in Jae last year to retain the championship sponsored by W Express and held in honor of the late Rod Feliciano, a long-time golf patron who also served as president of the organizing National Golf Association of the Philippines. Others expected to see action in the 72-hole event, serving as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour and sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT and Metro Pacific Investment Corp. and Canlubang Golf and Country Club, are Koreans Kang Dong Guk, Jeong Hwi Gyeong, Lee Geon and Jun John along with Koji Yasuma and Ryu Yasuma of Japan, Indonesian Kevin Akbar and local bets Justin Quiban, Raymart Tolentino, Jelbert Gamolo, Ira Alido, Kristoffer Arevalo, Wei Wei gao and Carlo Villaroman.

PH squash on the rise; sets sights on SEA Games THE success of the Philippine team to the recent 2nd South East Asian Cup Squash Championship will go a long way in its bid for a historic first-ever gold medal in next year’s staging of the Southeast Asian Games. Robert Bachmann, president of the Squash Rackets Association of the Philippines, said the one gold, one silver and two bronze medals the Filipinos won in the Jan. 11-17 meet in Nay Phi Taw, Myanmar, is definitely a big boost to their campaign in the 2017 edition of the biennial meet to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Filipino squash bets won three bronze medals when the sport returned

to the SEA Games in Singapore last year. It was the most medals the country won in squash event since it was first played in the meet in 1991. “No way we’re going lower than a bronze,” said Bachmann in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum Tuesday at Shakey’s Malate. “The gold and silver (medals) are achievable. No doubt, we can garner the gold in 2017 and perhaps, more in 2019.”

The tandem of Jemyca Aribado and Yvonne Dalida provided the lone gold for the country in the Myanmar meet by topping the women’s jumbo doubles. The men’s jumbo doubles of Robert Garcia and David Pelino accounted for the Filipinos’ silver medal, while Aribado (women’s individual) and the mixed team tabbed the two bronze medals. All medalists joined Bachmann, Macmac Begornia, and coach Jaime Ortua in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. The Filipino squashers finished third overall in

the tournament topped by Singapore, which won two golds, two silvers, and three bronze medals. Other countries which saw action were Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar. Aribado and Dalida beat the same Singapore pair which defeated them in the last staging of the SEA Games. “We had so much fun. Hindi kami makapaniwala na naka gold kami because we don’t have jumbo doubles here in the country,” Aribado said. At the moment, Bachmann said the lack of squash centers in public where every enthusiast can play is one major concern the federation is trying to address

to help Filipinos understand and at the same time, enjoy playing the game. At the moment, there are 30 squash courts in the country, although most of them are located inside private clubs. “To create squash centers, that’s the key (in propagating the sport),” said Bachmann, son of the late Philippine Hall of Famer Kurt Bachmann and brother of Alaska board of governor and team manager Dickie Bachmann. Still, that doesn’t inhibit SRAP from setting its sight of winning a gold in the Kuala Lumpur Games. “(Win a) first gold. That has never been done before,” said Bachmann.

Galang returns as La Salle fights FEU ARA Galang makes her much anticipated comeback as De La Salle clashes with Far Eastern University today in the UAAP Season 78 women’s volleyball tournament at the Philsports Arena. Whether Galang is fully recovered from a harrowing knee injury she sustained in the semifinals 11 months ago remains to be seen, but the Lady Spikers are determined to reclaim the throne after successive runner-up finishes. Gametime is at 4 p.m. right after University of Santo Tomas takes on dangerous Adamson University in the curtain raiser at 2 p.m. In the men’s division, De La Salle

collides with University of the East ter Kim Fajardo will do what she does at 10 a.m. right after National Uni- best in orchestrating plays. versity and Adamson take the floor The quest for the elusive 30th tiat 8 a.m. ara begins for the Lady Tamaraws Toughened by a with setter Gyzelle Sy stint in a club league, returning for one final Games today (Philsports Arena) the Lady Spikers still 8 a.m. stab for glory along • NU vs AdU (Men) boast of one of the 10 a.m. • DLSU vs UE (Men) with holdovers Bernap.m. • UST vs AdU (Women) tallest frontlines in 42p.m. • DLSU vs FEU (Women) deth Pons, Remy PalMika Reyes, Majoy ma, Jerilli Malabanan, Baron and Christine Soyud, as Toni Rose Basas and rookie Carly blocking remains the Taft towers’ Hernandez. biggest asset. With Pam Lastimosa out due to If Galang struggles, the Lady Spik- an ACL injury, new skipper EJ Laure, ers can count on Kim Dy and Cyd last year’s co-Rookie of the Year, will Demecillo to get their offense going. carry the load of the Tigresses, who Libero Dawn Macandili will take are eyeing to end years of not makcare on the defensive end, while set- ing it to the Final Four with coach

Kungfu Reyes, who took over from Odjie Mamon, who is now full-time with their men’s teams. Middle hitters Ria Meneses, Chloe Cortez and Jessey de Leon, along with open spikers Carmela Tunay, Cherry Rondina and comebacking Gi Reyes will be the vital cogs for UST. Hoping to recover from a seventhplace finish, the Lady Falcons, who played against club teams in Thailand last month, will bank on veterans Mylene Paat, Jema Galanza, Erika Alkuino, Keith Lebumfacil, Jelli Tempiatura and Joy Dacoron. The victors will join opening-day winners Ateneo and University of the Philippines for the early lead.

W E D N E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Beermen seek date with history, but Aces unfazed By Jeric Lopez

HISTORY or destiny? Either way, there can only be one champion when San Miguel Beer and Alaska clash in a much-anticipated Game 7 decider of their bestof-seven 2015-16 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup showdown. The two protagonists, who will head in fresher following a long four-day break, go at it one last time at 7 p.m. in an expected jam-packed Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, with the victor being crowned as the Philippine Cup king. When Alaska jumpstarted to a commanding 3-0 lead to start the series, the Aces looked primed up to finish the Beermen off. Instead, the stubborn defending champions dramatically fought their

way back after being inspired by the return of superstar June Mar Fajardo since Game 5. They also capitalized on the improved production of their core to level the series at 3-3 as they moved on the cusp of history. If the Beermen win today, they will become the first team in history and possibly in all of sports to have come back from a 0-3 hole in a series en route to the title. For Alaska coach Alex Compton, that means pressure for San Miguel Beer. Unlike what many

people think that he is positive that Game Today pressure might be (Mall of Asia they can have a Arena, Pasay City) on the Aces after a 7 p.m. - San Miguel vs. Alaska good shot at writ3-0 start, Compton ing history. believes otherwise. ‘’We’ve achieved nothing yet ‘’I think the pressure is really on at this point. It’s just a tied series them,’’ said Compton. ‘’They’re and there’s Game 7 to decide it,’’ the defending champions and said Austria. ‘’Through our exthey are chasing history.’’ periences from last season, we While the Aces are looking to know how to win and hopefully claim their 15th overall champi- we can continue showing our onship and end a long 16-year championship heart.’’ drought in the All-Filipino conAustria then went on to remind ference, San Miguel, the league’s everyone that all statistics and intanwinningest team and only pio- gibles don’t count now and the only neer squad left, aims for title No. thing that matters for both teams is 22 and a third crown in the last winning Game 7 and earning the four conferences, on top of suc- coveted championship. cessfully defending the throne. ‘’Game 7 is a winner take all,’’ San Miguel Coach Leo Aus- he said. ‘’Lahat ng mga stats tria, despite the astounding feat nu’ng first few games will all go of racking up three straight wins to waste na. Ilalabas na lahat ng and forcing a deciding Game 7, parehong teams. ‘Importante stated that the Beermen have din sa amin ang history kaya not yet achieved anything, but gagawin talaga namin lahat.”

Caida Tiles’ Jiovani Jalalon elects to pass to a teammate after encountering stiff resistance from Wangs Basketball’s John Montemayor in a 2016 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup game at The Arena. Caida Tiles won, 110-106.

Baker’s dozen in Feb. 13 PCSO 3YO open THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE

THIRTEEN runners have been declared to run in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office 3YO Open race on Feb. 13 at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. Fourteen ran the 1,500-meter trial race held last Jan. 29. The entries were divided into two batches, with the following order of arrival: Batch 1: Pinagtipunan, Space Needle, Pro-

fessor Jones, Pamilican Island, Mighty Pride, Pangarap, and Secret Kingdom. Mayor Benhur Abalos’s Pinagtipunan had the best time overall at 1:37 (18.6-25.4-25.627.4) under the guidance of jockey Jonathan Hernandez. Stony Road Horse Farm’s Space Needle clocked 1:37.2 and Raymund Puyat’s Professor Jones, 1:37.6. The others were timed at 1:38 and slower. Batch 2: Kangaroo Court, Indianpana, Johnny Be Good, Graf, Creative, Artikulo Uno, and Kaligayahan. Lawyer Narciso Mo-

rales’s Kangaroo Court did 1:37.8, and the others in this batch posted times of 1:38 and slower. Indianpana, despite passing the trial, opted out of the actual race, leaving 13 runners. Space Needle, Secret Kingdom, and Graf are fillies and will carry 52 kgs. handicap weight. The others are colts and will carry 54 kgs. I’d say look closely at the ones I mentioned that set times below 1:38. It’s likely that Pinagtipunan will be the favorite come raceday. *** Racing fans looking to take their dates

somewhere special can spend their Valentine’s Day at SLLLP watching the 1,400-meter 1st leg Import/Local Challenge sponsored by the Philippine Racing Commission. SLLP has an openair dining area at the ground floor of their turf club directly fronting the racetrack, with live singers and a band. They also have a finedining restaurant and bar, Chantilly on the third floor. The second Philracom-backed stakes race for the month is the 1,400-meter 4YO and Older Stakes, set for

Feb. 28 at Metroturf. PHilracom offers an average of two stakes races per month, with more staged in the latter part of the year, when the juveniles get stronger and can join more races. In 2015, Philracom supported the racing industry with P43.32 million in prizes for its sponsored stakes races, and conducted 20 charity races with proceeds to the beneficiaries amounting to P3.5 million. *** Facebook: Gogirl Racing, Twitter: @gogirlracing, Instagram: @ jensdecember

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 6 DIGITS 0-0-0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

‘Bradley can KO Pacquiao’ By Ronnie Nathanielsz JONATHAN Banks, the trainer of former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, is giving Timothy Bradley a very good shot to score a knockout victory over Manny Pacquiao in their third meeting on April 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight is being hyped as the eight-division champion Pacquiao’s farewell bout. Boxing Scene reported that Banks was actually surprised that Bradley was not made the favorite in the prior two meetings. He holds him in a higher standing than Pacquiao. “I didn’t think Pacquiao should have been the favorite in any of the previous fights. I think Timothy Bradley is a good athlete, I think he’s a hard worker, and I really believe if comes in there and fights Pacquiao, I honestly think that he will beat him,” said Banks, who made the comments on the popular “On The Ropes Boxing” radio show. The Klitschko trainer recalled: “You gotta look at what Marquez did. Although Pacquiao and Marquez had such a good rhythm because they had fought so many times before, they could fight each other with their eyes closed. Marquez said, ‘You know what? Everytime he tries to fight me, he jumps in to me but let me see if I can time that jump.’ Marquez timed it right and I think Timothy Bradley should do the same thing, time the jump.” He noted that “Pacquiao hasn’t changed, just time that jump and catch him when he comes in and Timothy Bradley should be able to knock him out. I really believe Bradley can knock him out. I take nothing away from the training of Teddy Atlas, I think he does a good job with his fighters—his corner ethics are a little extreme but that’s Teddy Atlas trying to get whatever he can out of his fighters, and who can blame him for that?”

Aranas is elected archery president FORMER secretary general Clint Aranas is the new president of the World Archery Philippines, which is used to be known as the Philippine Archers National Network Alliance. Aranas, a lawyer, took over from former archery chief Federico Moreno during a board meeting last Dec. 19 at the Makati Sports Club. New board members were named during the meeting, according to the association’s website. Reelected to the board were Felizardo Sevilla, who was named chairman. John Philip Orbeta and Peter Miguel are back as treasurer and vice president, respectively. Newcomers Sheree Gotuaco, Daniel Ongchoco and Rosendo Sombrio were also named to the board with Gotuaco serving as VP-Internal, Ongchoco as VPmarketing, and Sombrio as the new secretary general. The board also chose to rename the PANNA as the WAP. Officials said the among the priorities laid out by the new board include the grassroots development of archery, a year-round tournament calendar, a nationwide club and archer membership registration. Peter Atencio

A16

W E D N E S DAY : F E B R U A R Y 3 , 2 0 16 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

LeBron James #23 and Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrate after the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. AFP

Cavs whip Pacers in overtime LOS ANGELES—Guard Kyrie Irving scored eight of his team-high 25 points in overtime as the Cleveland Cavaliers came from behind to defeat the Indiana Pacers 111106 on Monday. Forward LeBron James added 24 points and 12 rebounds as Cleveland (35-12) stretched its winning streak to five games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Cavaliers outscored the Pacers 1510 in overtime with Irving scoring eight, James adding four and Kevin Love sinking a key threepointer. Irving also had finished the game, in front of a crowd of 17,300, with three rebounds and seven assists while James chipped in with 12 rebounds and six assists. Love tallied 19 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks. “It’s only one of 82, but we knew what we came here to do, and that was to take care of business,” Irving said. “We knew it would be a hard fought game in this arena, and we were locked in.” “They made a run in the third quarter, but we came back in the fourth quarter and overtime,” he added. The Cavaliers improved to 3512 as James gave them the lead for good with 1:37 remaining in the extra period before two Irving free throws pushed the Cleveland lead to 107-104 with 43 seconds to go. Turn to A14

Jawo hints at PBA return By Randy Caluag

IS ROBERT “Sonny” Jaworski making a long-awaited comeback to the Philippine Basketball Association? The former basketball player, coach and senator did not give any details of his plans, but reading between the lines, he just made himself available for a coaching job in the country’s premier professional basketball league. “Mahal ko ang sport na ‘yan. Ang susunod du’n, ay mahal mo ang mga kasama mo, ganu’n lang ‘yun,” Jaworski, also known as the Big J and the Living Legend, told a small group of media people on Tuesday. The only coaching vacancy available in the PBA now is that of new team Phoenix Petroleum, which acquired Barako Bull’s franchise. Jaworki’s friend and confidante

Manning plays down retirement talk TURN TO A12

Reli De Leon did not confirm it, but he said: “Basta meron.” Jaworski has been out of the limelight after serving as a Philippine senator for several years and electing to focus on his family business afterwards But he still loves basketball. “I don’t know if you’re watching football, I think basketball is far more exciting than football. I like it (football). Ang ayaw ko lang doon, may nakatalikod na player tinamaan ng bola tapos pumasok, tayuan lahat nga tao at hiyawan. Wow, aksidente lang ‘yun ha,” he explained. “Basketball is poetry in motion. Guys can have different characters (inside the court) and it

can be amusing sometimes. May rock, classic, may maganda at may sweet. ‘Yung walang kahirap-hirap pumapasok ang tira. Minsan naman, ile-lay up na lang, idadakdak pa, kaya hayun tumba.” During his heydays in the PBA, he earned the moniker Living Legend as a tribute to his larger than life persona and the way he steered his Ginebra team to always play the game as if it’s its last. It was in his time as playercoach when his never-say-die Ginebra team became the PBA’s crowd darlings. Jaworski was the league MVP in 1978 and had his last game in March of 1997 in Dumaguete City, owning the record as the oldest player to ever play in the PBA at 50 years old. As playing coach, he was piloted a rag-tag Ginebra team devoid of stars to four championships. A couple of years back, Jawor-

Worth the wait for Snedeker TURN TO A12

ski was reported to be negotiating with San Miguel Corp. executives for his return as coach of Ginebra. While talks were not confirmed, Jaworski, in the middle of his Ginebra comeback reports, made a rare appearance in PBA game at the Araneta Coliseum. He visited the Ginebra locker room and made a short pep talk to the Gin Kings, who incidentally, won the game against San Mig Coffee Mixers to force a Game 7 in the finals. Insiders said Jaworski priced himself so high that Ginebra management deemed it unfeasible to acquire his services at the time. This time, Jaworski sounded more pragmatic in making himself available for a coaching job. “Tayo ay cool lang, nag-oobserve lang. Wika nga, mahal ko ‘yang sport na ‘yan. Wala pa ring tatalo sa blood type ko na AB, All Basketball,” he said.

WEDNESDAY: FEBRUARY 3, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandardtoday.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

PSe comPoSite index Closing February 2, 2016

8000 8340 7880

BUSINESS

7420 6960 6500

6,642.45 58.91

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing February 2, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.740

44.00

43.00

HIGH P47.650 LOW P47.780 AVERAGE P47.730 VOLUME 663.400M

P417.00-P627.00 LPG/11-kg tank P33.30-P40.75 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P20.40-P23.80 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, February 2, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

47.6850

Japan

Yen

0.008265

0.3941

Pound

1.443400

68.8285

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128564

6.1306

Switzerland

Franc

0.980873

46.7729

Canada

Dollar

0.718081

34.2417

Singapore

Dollar

0.703284

33.5361

Australia

Dollar

0.707814

33.7521

Bahrain

Dinar

2.661840

126.9298

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266845

12.7245

Brunei

Dollar

0.700820

33.4186

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000073

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028098

1.3399

UAE

Dirham 0.272301

12.9847

Euro

1.089300

51.9433

Korea

Won

0.000831

0.0396

China

Yuan

0.152015

7.2488

India

Rupee

0.014725

0.7022

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240964

11.4904

New Zealand

Dollar

0.650111

31.0005

Taiwan

Dollar

0.029945

1.4279 Source: PDS Bridge

Big ﬁnes. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is joined by SEC Enforcement Director Andrew Ceresney where they announced a settlement with Barclays and Credit Suisse on federal and state charges on February 1, 2016 in New York City. Both banks settled in separate cases which found that they violated federal securities laws while operating alternative trading systems known as dark pools and Credit Suisse’s Light Pool. Barclays and Credit Suisse will pay $154.3 million combined, the two largest ﬁnes ever paid in connection with cases involving dark pools. AFP

ING Bank expects PH to expand 6.2% By Julito G. Rada

ING Bank of the Netherlands on Tuesday raised its 2016 economic growth forecast for the Philippines to 6.2 percent from an earlier estimate of 6 percent, as it expects more robust activities in the country in the coming months. The Dutch bank made the upward adjustment, even as the Philippines’ gross domestic product growth decelerated to 5.8 percent in 2015 from 6.1 percent in 2014. “The overall GDP growth in 2015 of 5.8 percent was slower than 2014’s 6.1-percent pace. We are not discouraged by this, since the trajectory of growth in the

coming first half seems to be on an uptrend,” ING Bank Manila senior economist Joey Cuyegkeng said in a report. “Milder impact of the weatherrelated disasters on agriculture together with stronger mining, construction, transport and communication, financial intermediation and real-estate performances was one of the reasons for the up-

side surprise,” Cuyegkeng said. He said government construction activity continued to post robust growth while investments in durable equipment together with overall strong government and household spending boosted overall economic activity. He cited the second consecutive quarter of strong durable equipment investments. Domestic demand, Cuyegken said, was likely to continue to power 2016 growth, as the momentum of 2015’s robust performance of government spending and infrastructure boost would continue in 2016 while election spending would deliver additional lift to economic activity. “Based on the strength of domestic demand growth in 2016,

we revise higher our 2016 economic growth to 6.2 percent from 6 percent,” Cuyegkeng said. He said the upward revision in GDP growth this year also considered the expected slower growth in remittances from overseas Filipino workers, especially those based in the Middle East. Money sent home by OFWs in the Middle East accounted for 22 percent of total remittances in 2014 and 2015. “News from these economies about the repercussions of 12year low oil prices and challenging fiscal positions raise the likelihood of weakening remittances. Stronger US dollar has also affected remittances from other host economies such as EU, Japan and other Asian economies,” he said.

Coca-Cola Femsa investing $800m to expand PH operations By Othel V. Campos COCA-COLA Femsa Philippines Inc. is spending at least $800 million to expand operations in the Philippines from 2016 to 2020 with immediate plans to acquire two more polyethylene terephthalate lines this year. Chief executive Fabricio Ponce said the company committed to invest annually in the Philippines on growing demand for CocaCola products. “This year we’re putting in

investments of $170 million. We’re investing into two more PT lines and probably another two tetra lines,” he told reporters at the sidelines of the company’s third year anniversary in the Philippines held at the Bonifacio Global City in Makati City. The company is supporting its PET bottling format to encourage an “on-the-go” consumption behavior among consumers thereby increasing per capita consumption of sodas and other ready-todrink beverages.

The additional infrastructure will increase the company’s production capacity by at least 20 percent. The company every year spends about $160 million to $180 million to improve production and sales. The company remains the single biggest industry shareholder for sparkling drinks at 65 percent. Sales in January 2016 grew 30 percent, said Ponce, citing initial data. Total sales in 2015 rose 2 percent, with the company optimistic

revenues will grow 5 percent in 2016 due to the hot weather pattern and rising public expenses amid an election year. The company attributed the growth in sales to a price reduction scheme imposed in 2015. The company cut the price of the Sakto size from P8 to P7 per 8-ounce bottle. It will soon launch another price point for its flagship beverage Coke soft drink—a 400 ml bottle. Ponce noted that Filipinos love several price points for beverages

to give them more options. The company in 2013 spent over $150 million to improve operations and sales in the Philippines after the mother firm acquired 51 percent of Coca Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. from The Coca-Cola Company of the US for $688.5 million. The mother company operates 23 plants and 42 sales offices with over 7,800 direct employees. It offers the widest selection of beverages for different needs, like soft drinks, water, juices, teas, sports and energy drinks.

WEDNESDAY: FEBRUARY 3, 2016

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, February 2, 2016

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

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

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

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp. PB Bank 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 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 15.32 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

High

3.25 44.75 102.60 88.50 35.2 1.40 14.22 16.04 0.450 73.95 0.87 15.28 49.50 280 32.85 144.8 1270.00 56.20 1.45

74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

Aboitiz Power Corp. Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons. Asiabest Group Century Food Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI First Gen Corp. First Holdings ‘A’ Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp. LBC Express 33 Macay Holdings 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 17.3 Maxs Group 5.88 Megawide 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 3.37 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 8.45 Petron Corporation 3 Phil H2O 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 4.02 RFM Corporation 1.65 Roxas and Co. 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 1.55 Splash Corporation 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 1.02 TKC Steel Corp. 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 152 Universal Robina 4.28 Victorias Milling 0.640 Vitarich Corp. 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l.

41.75 4.45 0.57 1.29 9.5 15.6 19.6 39.9 2.09 2.31 11.78 7.800 7.35 5.43 5.37 18.4 56.65 14.28 5.17 2.300 207.80 7.44 38.95 24.75 14 5.6 310.00 4.04 3 6.69 2.25 3.51 1.34 2.51 3.80 2.3 146 2.5 0.145 0.98 2.14 194.8 4.64 0.6 1.00

0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5

0.44 48.1 20.85 6.62 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3

76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

Abacus Cons. À’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anscor À’ ATN Holdings A Ayala Corp À’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ Filinvest Dev. Corp. Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. IPM Holdings 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp. 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 12 LT Group 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings À’ 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 0.030 Pacifica À’ 0.550 Prime Orion 59.3 San Miguel Corp À’ 751 SM Investments Inc. 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 80 Top Frontier 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.179 Wellex Industries 0.310 Zeus Holdings

0.295 58.0000 14.78 6.00 0.230 670 7.37 11.26 5.2 4.78 0.225 1299 5.34 9.63 67.00 5.4 0.55 16 0.51 5.42 0.0290 2.050 72.00 830.00 1.01 108.000 0.2700 0.2100 0.250

10.5 1.99 41.4 5.6 5.6 1.44 0.201

6.74 0.65 30.05 3.36 2.8 0.79 0.083

7.000 0.79 31.400 2.38 6 0.520 0.118

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Prop. `A’ Century Property Crown Equities Inc.

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

SHARES 11,586,432 92,313,206 101,048,313 99,412,790 177,997,014 120,296,828 603,679,953

Low

FINANCIAL 3.43 2.97 44.7 43 101.60 99.40 89.30 87.75 35.6 35.1 1.40 1.25 14.32 14.22 16.98 16.2 0.445 0.445 74 73 0.88 0.88 14.70 14.36 51.90 49.60 279.8 268 33 32.9 145.5 144.8 1275.00 1270.00 56.50 56.25 1.45 1.43 INDUSTRIAL 41.75 41 4.64 4.3 0.62 0.58 1.28 1.25 10.2 9.31 16 15.5 19.68 19.3 42.9 39.8 2.13 2.03 2.55 2.19 11.9 11.8 7.950 7.880 7.35 7.23 5.50 5.35 5.35 5.20 18.64 18.3 56.9 56.6 14.30 14.20 5.2 5 2.380 2.260 208.00 206.80 8.49 7.2 38.95 38.95 24.95 24.7 15.18 14.1 5.6 5.53 310.00 304.80 4.05 4.05 3.07 2.98 6.78 6.50 2.4 2.38 3.60 3.51 1.36 1.35 2.52 2.26 3.78 3.70 2.7 2.7 149 132.5 2.5 2.28 0.145 0.144 1.05 0.98 2.13 2.10 195 190.2 4.65 4.56 0.6 0.58 1.09 1.00 HOLDING FIRMS 0.305 0.290 57.0000 56.2000 14.78 14.50 6.00 6.00 0.230 0.229 678.5 670 7.49 7.4 11.66 11.26 5.55 5.1 4.80 4.62 0.220 0.201 1279 1254 5.35 5.29 9.69 9.59 65.90 63.75 5.49 5.25 0.57 0.55 15.98 15.76 0.55 0.52 5.49 5.37 0.0300 0.0280 2.140 2.010 71.05 67.30 836.50 830.00 1.06 1.01 110.000 104.300 0.2850 0.2600 0.2100 0.1900 0.260 0.260 PROPERTY 7.210 7.060 0.81 0.75 32.000 31.400 2.5 2.41 5.6 5.5 0.52 0.490 0.117 0.117

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3 44.7 100.00 89.30 35.15 1.40 14.22 16.7 0.445 73 0.88 14.36 51.45 279 33 144.9 1270.00 56.50 1.45

-7.69 -0.11 -2.53 0.90 -0.14 0.00 0.00 4.11 -1.11 -1.28 1.15 -6.02 3.94 -0.36 0.46 0.07 0.00 0.53 0.00

773,000 24,100 3,015,410 1,904,520 57,200 317,000 2,100 141,100 230,000 3,046,630 1,000 264,600 78,900 1,190 204,700 186,100 110 465,600 70,000

41.5 4.6 0.62 1.26 10.2 15.9 19.6 39.8 2.03 2.19 11.86 7.910 7.29 5.43 5.32 18.36 56.6 14.30 5.02 2.330 207.00 8.4 38.95 24.75 14.88 5.6 305.00 4.05 3 6.50 2.38 3.52 1.36 2.37 3.75 2.7 144.5 2.4 0.145 1.05 2.12 194 4.65 0.6 1.04

-0.60 3.37 8.77 -2.33 7.37 1.92 0.00 -0.25 -2.87 -5.19 0.68 1.41 -0.82 0.00 -0.93 -0.22 -0.09 0.14 -2.90 1.30 -0.38 12.90 0.00 0.00 6.29 0.00 -1.61 0.25 0.00 -2.84 5.78 0.28 1.49 -5.58 -1.32 17.39 -1.03 -4.00 0.00 7.14 -0.93 -0.41 0.22 0.00 4.00

10,284,700 917,000 331,000 90,000 15,000 1,408,800 41,300 44,200 512,000 11,281,000 22,300 8,217,000 624,400 22,500,800 1,055,600 1,191,800 1,639,880 96,200 233,400 3,868,000 795,570 247,700 700 69,500 4,470,300 684,500 147,030 4,000 235,000 7,076,200 7,000 55,000 164,000 1,401,000 282,000 1,688,000 10,010 5,266,000 910,000 45,000 995,000 2,418,650 13,000 206,000 435,000

0.295 56.8000 14.62 6.00 0.230 670.5 7.45 11.52 5.1 4.80 0.220 1260 5.30 9.69 65.15 5.32 0.56 15.88 0.52 5.37 0.0300 2.030 71.00 830.00 1.03 110.000 0.2750 0.1910 0.260

0.00 -2.07 -1.08 0.00 0.00 0.07 1.09 2.31 -1.92 0.42 -2.22 -3.00 -0.75 0.62 -2.76 -1.48 1.82 -0.75 1.96 -0.92 3.45 -0.98 -1.39 0.00 1.98 1.85 1.85 -9.05 4.00

270,000 4,037,550 8,089,000 86,800 100,000 217,160 1,630,700 15,991,300 219,900 424,000 510,000 322,685 126,400 2,400,300 2,512,010 1,624,000 112,000 1,839,500 165,000 30,834,700 11,200,000 13,464,000 1,029,850 248,530 559,000 109,950 1,910,000 550,000 400,000

7.200 0.75 31.900 2.48 5.5 0.510 0.117

2.86 -5.06 1.59 4.20 -8.33 -1.92 -0.85

465,000 2,649,000 12,156,200 1,773,000 9,900 3,848,000 10,000

142,560.00 912,700.00 6,394,868 102,953,468.50 -28,205.00 -6,800.00 44,500.00 -27,258,481.50 145,000.00 -796,435.00 5,923,570 -1,833,709.00 -553,700.00 -42,050.00 103,097,085.00 -103,060.00

11,810,996.00 1,553,100 41,800.00 -2,548,030.00 10,755,436.00 -3,448,548.00 -23,205,878.00 2,123,444.00 -5,072,310.00 77,552,823.50 450,072.00 -1,673,890.00 -1,864,714.00 510,970.00 1,546,910.00 -11,829,280.00 -29,063,275.00

72,960.00 -85,150.00 -22,832.00 138,580.00 210,000.00 -43,748,534.00 -41,850.00

-24,685,745.00 -19,111,720.00 14,706,080.00 4,285,331.00 -48,469,234.00

-20,384,350.00 138,598.00 -90,931,658.00 -2,456,039.00 -16,509,126.00 -57,048,629.00 -245,790.00 -6,495,062.50 -8,900,290.00 -1,463,810.00

52 Weeks

High Low 0.69 10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

0.415 2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 15.82 0.1430 99.1 12.3 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 8.6 0.0770 56.1 10.14 4.8 830 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 3.1 0.650 1.8 6

STOCKS

Cyber Bay Corp. Double Dragon Empire East Land Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp. Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IPeople Inc. `A’ Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail 0.335 MG Holdings 0.37 NOW Corp. 14.54 Pacific Online Sys. Corp. 3 PAL Holdings Inc. 4.39 Philweb.Com Inc. 2748 PLDT Common 0.435 PremiereHorizon 1.2 Premium Leisure 31.45 Puregold 60.55 Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp. 7.59 SSI Group 0.63 STI Holdings 5 Travellers 0.315 Waterfront Phils. 1.14 Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 3.06 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 1.54 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Apex À’ Atlas Cons. À’ Atok-Big Wedge À’ Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto À’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining À’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Oriental Peninsula Res. Petroenergy Res. Corp. Philex À’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. À’ Semirara Corp. TA Petroleum

70 553 120 8.21 12.28

33 490 101.5 5.88 6.5

1047

1011

78.95 84.8

74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ First Gen G GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred F

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

1,457,215.00 -60,800.00 171,222,735.00 1,337,360.00

12.88

5.95

Alterra Capital Italpinas Xurpas

-10,100.00

130.7

105.6

First Metro ETF

High

VALUE 847,958,381.84 1,689,967,052.20 1,818,948,114.57 944,951,555.64 868,177,529.47 115,043,766.9547 6,294,529,933.67

FINANCIAL 1,520.81 (down) 8.68 INDUSTRIAL 10,544.04 (down) 48.27 HOLDING FIRMS 6,243.36 (down) 63.05 PROPERTY 2,684.32 (up) 7.80 SERVICES 1,500.55 (down) 15.01 MINING & OIL 9,318.32 (up) 150.32 PSEI 6,642.45 (down) 58.91 All Shares Index 3,805.82 (down) 20.03 Gainers: 84; Losers: 79; Unchanged: 34; Total: 197

0.425 20.2 0.820 0.87 1.52 1.22 3.47 0.076 0.2700 24.95 1.49 3.05 21.45 0.74 4.59 0.900 3.840

0.445 0.425 0.425 20.4 19.98 20.35 0.850 0.830 0.850 0.95 0.87 0.91 1.54 1.50 1.50 1.40 1.23 1.30 3.51 3.41 3.43 0.075 0.074 0.074 0.2750 0.2300 0.2650 24.90 24.00 24.20 1.49 1.48 1.48 3.05 3 3.05 21.35 20.80 21.20 0.76 0.75 0.75 4.3 4.2 4.2 0.940 0.850 0.860 4.050 3.790 4.050 SERVICES 6.35 6.45 6.35 6.43 55.65 56 55.6 55.95 1.13 1.15 1.13 1.15 0.405 0.455 0.410 0.440 4.11 4.45 4.10 4.45 0.0410 0.0420 0.0400 0.0410 77 77.7 77 77.55 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 6.00 6.00 5.80 5.83 989 980 956 980 1882 1880 1863 1871 6.53 6.54 6.48 6.50 1.22 1.17 1.17 1.17 59.9 58.2 56.5 56.85 11.96 11 11 11 0.142 0.144 0.140 0.144 1.4000 1.3200 1.2400 1.2600 1.95 2.05 2 2.05 7.30 7.45 7.38 7.42 4.00 4.10 4.00 4.10 1.21 1.21 1.21 1.21 18.00 18.00 18.00 18.00 0.500 0.500 0.500 0.500 1.98 1.94 1.94 1.94 2.3 2.46 2.25 2.3 3.28 3.44 3.24 3.35 0.255 0.250 0.250 0.250 0.750 0.780 0.720 0.730 18.88 18.78 18.1 18.1 4.40 0.60 4.35 4.50 20.05 20.30 19.74 20.30 2200.00 2178.00 2128.00 2150.00 0.385 0.385 0.385 0.385 0.750 0.800 0.730 0.750 33.80 33.95 33.80 33.85 59.00 63.00 59.00 63.00 5.20 5.20 5.02 5.05 3.30 3.70 3.25 3.49 0.400 0.405 0.400 0.400 3.89 3.82 3.78 3.78 0.340 0.320 0.320 0.320 3.770 3.860 3.780 3.780 MINING & OIL 0.0042 0.0042 0.0041 0.0041 1.57 1.68 1.62 1.65 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 13.40 11.00 10.98 10.98 0.390 0.400 0.380 0.380 6.20 7.00 6.12 6.50 0.600 0.630 0.570 0.630 0.255 0.265 0.255 0.265 0.170 0.174 0.165 0.171 0.189 0.198 0.195 0.195 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.012 1.7 1.74 1.68 1.68 4.33 4.7 4.2 4.53 2.46 2.6 2.31 2.55 1.1500 1.2400 1.1500 1.1900 3.37 3.30 3.30 3.30 4.10 4.13 4.05 4.11 1.43 1.50 1.42 1.45 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 121.00 126.00 120.50 122.50 1.99 1.99 1.83 1.91 PREFERRED 55 55.2 55 55.2 521 530 525 530 114 114 114 114 6 6.01 6 6 1.09 1.09 1.07 1.07 1065 1065 1065 1065 1026 1027 1027 1027 105 105 105 105 80.5 80 77 77 83 82.5 82.3 82.3 79 79.35 79.35 79.35 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.660 2.940 2.540 2.790 SME 3.14 3.15 3.02 3.15 2.54 2.57 2.41 2.57 13.38 13.42 12.86 12.88 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 109.7 108.7 108.5 108.5

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.00 0.74 3.66 4.60 -1.32 6.56 -1.15 -2.63 -1.85 -3.01 -0.67 0.00 -1.17 1.35 -8.50 -4.44 5.47

2,460,000 852,700 706,000 7,692,000 17,665,000 3,596,000 14,497,000 510,000 300,000 1,757,500 22,000 8,000 11,670,700 104,000 2,000 1,146,000 11,349,000

-16,150.00 3,131,130.00

1.26 0.54 1.77 8.64 8.27 0.00 0.71 0.00 -2.83 -0.91 -0.58 -0.46 -4.10 -5.09 -8.03 1.41 -10.00 5.13 1.64 2.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 -2.02 0.00 2.13 -1.96 -2.67 -4.13 2.27 1.25 -2.27 0.00 0.00 0.15 6.78 -2.88 5.76 0.00 -2.83 -5.88 0.27

49,200 10,530 526,000 1,440,000 34,195,000 8,000,000 483,820 1,300 35,800 80 40,475 113,900 45,000 1,191,280 36,300 1,920,000 4,651,000 6,000 73,200 155,000 1,000 2,000 8,000 5,000 58,244,000 3,493,000 110,000 13,810,000 3,200 107,000 102,200 79,880 280,000 22,838,000 1,198,800 724,630 1,023,200 19,656,000 40,000 983,000 230,000 25,000

31,850.00

-2.38 5.10 0.00 -18.06 -2.56 4.84 5.00 3.92 0.59 3.17 0.00 9.09 -1.18 4.62 3.66 3.48 -2.08 0.24 1.40 0.00 1.24 -4.02

59,000,000 247,000 164,000 8,000 790,000 21,000 13,793,000 80,000 2,840,000 30,000 19,000,000 300,000 74,000 7,320,000 1,029,000 171,000 1,000 599,000 828,000 12,500,000 523,440 105,000

0.36 1.73 0.00 0.00 -1.83 0.00 0.10 0.00 -4.35 -0.84 0.44

132,560 4,000 750 100,000 85,000 100 100 10,000 40,000 18,130 510

4.89

1,526,000

0.32 1.18 -3.74

32,000 377,000 612,200

-1.09

4,170

-92,000.00 3,379,520.00 66,250.00 -7,276,110.00 5,777,160.00 -1,689,935.00

-4,362,260.00

-5,102,440.00 -4,100.00 -17,209,473.00

-7,082,545.00 52,650.00 -21,540,036.00 -54,980.00 30,960.00 738.00

-7,990,790.00 2,066,220.00 386,920.00 -119,565.00 -43,185,280.00 -361,520.00 38,265,445.00 1,631,504.50 611,250.00 -2,304,520.00 -2,561,470.00

-248,000.00

-91,310.00

43,000.00 -6,766,520.00

-941,170.00 -37,180.00 -9,000.00 231,520.00

-600,005.00

-3,161,630.00

-1,450,676.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Roxas and Co.

2.7

17.39

Atok-Big Wedge `A'

10.98

LBC Express

8.4

12.90

ISM Communications

1.2600

-18.06 -10.00

Manila Mining `B'

0.012

9.09

Wellex Industries

0.1910

-9.05

Alliance Tuna Intl Inc.

0.62

8.77

Starmalls

4.2

-8.50

APC Group, Inc.

0.440

8.64

Cebu Prop. `A'

5.5

-8.33

Bloomberry

4.45

8.27

IPeople Inc. `A'

-8.03

Asiabest Group

10.2

7.37

AG Finance

-7.69

TKC Steel Corp.

1.05

7.14

PB Bank

14.36

-6.02

Robinsons RTL

63.00

6.78

Waterfront Phils.

0.320

-5.88

Interport `A'

1.30

6.56

Pryce Corp. `A'

2.37

-5.58

WEDNESDAY: FEBRUARY 3, 2016

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

Semirara plant adds 150 MW Stocks retreat; DMCI climbs STOCKS retreated from a recent rally, as oil prices fell and weak factory data from China and the United States added to the selling pressure in emerging markets including the Philippines. The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, fell 58 points, or 0.9 percent, to close at 6,642.45 on Tuesday, ending a four-day rally. The gauge was down 4.5 percent since the start of the year. The heavier index, representing all shares, also lost 20 points, or 0.5 percent, to settle at 3,805.82, on a value turnover of P6.3 billion. Advancers outnumbered losers, 84 to 79, while 34 issues were unchanged. Only five of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by casino and hotel operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp., which jumped 8.3 percent to P4.45. DMCI Holdings Inc., the investment company of the Consunji family, climbed 2.3 percent to P11.52, while property developer Ayala Land Inc. rose 1.6 percent to P31.90. Meanwhile, most Asian stocks ended lower Tuesday. The euphoria fuelled by Japan’s decision Friday to adopt a negative interest rate—effectively charging lenders to park cash with the central bank—soon gave way to the same fears that hammered global markets in January: China and low oil prices. “We’re in for a period of continuing caution,” Angus Gluskie, a managing director at White Funds Management in Sydney, told Bloomberg News. “It’s a period of uncertainty. China remains the biggest concern for investors. If the Chinese situation develops more adversely, it could have greater ramifications,” Gluskie said. In early trade, Sydney lost 0.4 percent and Seoul shed 0.4 percent. Tokyo was marginally lower by lunch after surging about 4.5 percent over the previous two session in response to the Bank of Japan’s surprise stimulus announcement. Oil resumed its slide back towards $30 a barrel, with both contracts down more than one percent in early Asian trade. On Monday, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate tanked almost six percent and Brent dived around five percent as the rally fuelled by last week’s hopes for output talks between Russia and OPEC faded. Among energy stocks CNOOC shed two percent in Hong Kong and PetroChina shed 1.3 percent. With AFP, Bloomberg

By Alena Mae S. Flores

SOUTHWEST Luzon Power Generation Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Semirara Mining and Power Corp. of the Consunji Group, said Tuesday it expects to start the commercial operation of a 150-megawatt unit of the 300-MW Calaca coal plant expansion project in Batangas province this month. “First unit [has been] already running since Sunday. [It] will be on commercial operations before end of February,” Southwest Luzon chief executive Isidro Consunji said. Once fully operational, the first unit would add 150 MW of capacity to the Luzon grid, while the second unit would

add another 150 MW in the coming months. The power expansion project experienced delay in the start of operations last year, but Southwest Luzon said it expected to complete the plant on time to meet the increased demand during the dry months. “The second unit is to start

final testing next week,” Consunji said. Southwest Luzon is expanding the existing 600MW Calaca coal-fired power plant in Batangas in phases. The completion of the 300-MW expansion is seen to significantly boost Semirara Mining’s revenues this year. The current Calaca facility consists of two 300-MW generating units and is designed to utilize local coal from the Semirara coal mines in Antique. The expansion project would bring the total capacity of the Calaca coal facility to 900 MW. DMCI Holdings Inc., the holding company of the Consunji family, bought the existing Calaca plant from the gov-

ernment in July 2009, with a bid of $361.7 million. The expansion project involves the construction of two 150-MW units which are expected to be fully completed this year. Southwest Luzon also plans a bigger expansion project in the future. Under the plan, the second phase of the expansion involves the construction of two single units of 350 MW each, which would bring the total capacity of the Calaca coalfired power plant complex to 1,600 MW. Semirara has been negotiating with prospective joint venture partners for the initial 350-MW unit under the second phase of the expansion project, but no firm plan was announced so far.

Aboitiz re-electrification.

The Aboitiz Group ramps up relief initiatives in typhoon Nona-stricken areas by deploying technical teams to lead re-electrification efforts in Oriental Mindoro and Sorsogon. In Oriental Mindoro, three Visayan Electric Co. Inc. teams assisted Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative in fixing over 35 kilometers of 13.2-kilovolt lines, secondary lines and service wires in Calapan City and the municipalities of Victoria and Naujan. In Magallanes, Sorsogon, Davao Light & Power Co. Inc. teams assisted Sorsogon I Electric Cooperative in fixing poles, wires and transformers as well as re-energizing customers’ meters.

RFM’s net income increased 9% to P908m in 2015 By Jenniffer B. Austria RFM Corp., the food and beverage company owned by the Concepcion family, said Tuesday net income rose 9 percent in 2015 to P908.4 million from a year ago, as revenues reached a record level. RFM said in a disclosure to the stock exchange sales climbed 11 percent in 2015 to P12.2 billion, the highest level achieved by the company since it began operations. RFM president and chief executive Jose Concepcion III said sales continued to come in strong especially for the con-

sumer branded businesses such as pasta and ice cream units. Concepcion said revenue from pasta business grew by double digit, after the company improved the lineup of distributors and solved placement issues with some accounts. The group’s ice cream business under the Selecta brand also hit a double-digit growth rate as it expanded the market and increased consumption with new product innovations and value propositions. Concepcion earlier said he expected the pasta business to increase its market share to 70 percent over the next two years

from current 39 percent, while the ice cream business would remain the dominant player in the industry with 80-percent market share. “Income also registered a new-high level as we sold more of the higher-margin products and as we hit better economies of scale that helped spread overhead costs. Other businesses like milk have also exhibited improvements in performance after fine-tuning its business model,” Concepcion said. “RFM also retained its healthy cash position in spite of the bigger working capital used for pro-

duction during the peak months of the fourth quarter,” he said. The company, which has been consistently growing in sales and income over the past several years, settled the remaining P252-million long-term debt in July. RFM said for 2016, net income was expected to top the P1-billion mark as sales would likely be boosted by electionrelated spending. The company recently expanded its plant capacities, particularly the pasta plant to accommodate higher production of the newly-acquired pasta brand Royal.

B4 8990 sees ’16 profit increasing to P4.8b By Jenniffer B. Austria MASS housing developer 8990 Holdings Inc. expects net income to rise 20 percent in 2016 to P4.8 billion as it plans to unveil 14 new house and lot and mid-rise developments across the country. 8990 Holdings said in a disclosure to the stock exchange 2016 revenues were projected to increase 24 percent to P12 billion amid the growing tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran and the softening of oil prices that could affect the monthly amortization payments of migrant Filipino workers in the petroleum industry and seafarers manning oil tankers Aside from the external threats, the company expects a potential delay in the release of permits on new projects due to the presidential, national and local elections in May and the longer processing of accreditation by the Board of Investments that could also affect sales this year. 8900 Holdings said the 14 new projects would add 75,608 units worth P7.3 billion to its inventory. These projects include horizontal developments under the Deca Homes brand in Bulacan, Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, and Bacolod, and medium-rise building projects under the Urban Deca Homes in Cavite, Cebu, and Manila. The property developer said net income in 2015 increased 23 percent to P4.05 billion, exceeding the full-year target of P4 billion. Gross sales rose 24 percent to P9.65 billion from P7.79 billion amid strong sales and increased construction capacity. Core business income, which comprises housing and income from contract to sell receivables, hit P10.7 billion, up 27 percent from P8.4 billion in 2014. Approximately 85 percent of total revenues came from house and lot development under the Deca Homes brand in Cavite, Pampanga, Iloilo, Davao and General Santos, while 15 percent were contributed by medium-rise Urban Deca Homes projects in Cebu and Muntinlupa.

Nintendo soars. A man looks at video game softwares of Nintendo in Tokyo on February 2, 2016. Nintendo announced that its latest operating profit soared with strong demand for games on its Wii U console, including popular shoot-em-up title ‘Splatoon,’ although its bottom line fell owing to a year-earlier gains. AFP

PSALM readies 2nd Sucat plant auction By Alena Mae S. Flores

POWER Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. is pursuing the second round of bidding for the decommissioned 850-megawatt Sucat Thermal Power Plant this month.

“Target bidding is [this] month,” PSALM officer-in-charge Lourdes Alzona said. PSALM earlier set the bidding deadline on February 17. Ten of the 12 prospective bidders participated in the pre-bid conference during the second round of auction for the structures, plant equipment, auxiliaries and accessories of the decommissioned Sucat plant in November. “PSALM is pleased with the interest shown by investors in this privatization activity, which is among the highly participated disposal initiatives of the corporation. It has at-

tracted 12 prospective bidders, two of which are foreign companies. We are appreciative of the continued enthusiasm of the private sector for the government’s privatization program,” said PSALM vice president and general counsel Cecilio Gellada Jr. earlier. PSALM plans to use the proceeds from the Sucat privatization to liquidate the financial obligations it assumed from National Power COrp.. Gellada, meanwhile, assured the participants the bidding processes would be efficient, fair and transparent. The first round of bidding failed last year amid allegations of dubious documents submitted by the winning bidder. PSALM earlier said Genetron International Marketing, a Bulacan-based chemical manufacturer, submitted the highest bid of P602 million for the decommissioned power plant. More than 100 employees of PSALM in a petition raised questions on the March bidding last year and called for the removal of the former PSALM head for not taking immediate action against the higher bidder. Genetron was required to submit a performance bond amounting to P301 million after

the issuance of the certificate of effectivity. PSALM employees, in their petition, claimed Genetron allegedly submitted a fraudulent performance bond in the form of a standby letter of credit, supposedly issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank. PSALM is selling all plant equipment, structures, auxiliaries and accessories of the Sucat plant on an “as is, where is” basis. Located in Sucat, Muntinglupa City, the Sucat plant is an oil-fired power station that was previously owned by Manila Electric Co. and later acquired by Napocor in November 1978. It consists of Unit 1, which has a rated capacity of 150 MW; Units 2 and 3, each with 200 MW; and Unit 4, which is rated at 300 MW. Formerly known as the Gardner Snyder Thermal Plant, the Sucat facility officially started commercial operations on August 1, 1968 after the completion of Unit 1. Units 2, 3 and 4 started operating in 1970, 1971, and 1972, respectively. In January 2000, Units 1 and 4 were decommissioned and placed under preservation, while Units 2 and 3 were shut down in January 2002.

EDC subsidiary receives favorable ruling on arbitration case ENERGY Development Corp., the biggest geothermal power producer, has received advice its subsidiary Bacman Geothermal Inc. obtained a favorable ruling on an arbitration case against contractor Weir Engineering Services Ltd. EDC disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce ordered Weir to pay Bacman Geothermal $4.404 million within seven days of the date of the partial award.

The amount relates to the sums owned by Weir to Bacman Geothermal under the its contract, along with the post-award simple interest calculated at the rate of 5.33 percent a year. The ICC Tribunal also ordered Weir to pay Bacman Geothermal $887,902.03 within 21 days from the date of the partial award. The ICC Tribunal also ordered Weir from pursuing proceedings in any other forum in connection with disputes arising under from contract with Bacman Geother-

mal. “The remaining disputes between the parties will be decided by the ICC Tribunal in the future Phase 2 Award,” EDC said. Bacman Geothermal, which owns and operates the Bacman Power Plants, filed a request for arbitration of its dispute against Weir with the ICC last year. The company sought payment of at least US$8.8 million, exclusive of interest, following Weir’s breaches on the contract for works. These include completion of

works on the steam turbine and generator of units 1, 2 and 3 dated March 29, 2012 as agreed between Bacman Geothermal. Bacman Geothermal engaged Weir to carry out rehabilitation works on the steam turbine, generator and rotor installations in three power-generating units at its Bacon-Manito geothermal power plants, namely Units 1 and 2 at the BacMan I Plant in Palayan, and Unit 3 at the BacMan II Plant in Cawayan. “BGI initiated the arbitration in

order to enforce its rights under the contract, following a favorable determination by the engineer that sums are owed by Weir to BGI. Parsons Brinckerhoff Philippines Inc. is the appointed engineer pursuant to the contract,” EDC said. The Bacman geothermal plants are composed of three units with a rated capacities of 55 MW, 60 MW and 20 MW. The plants all use steam supplied by EDC, the country’s biggest geothermal producer. Alena Mae S. Flores

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

HMO group reacts on anti-discrimination bill HAPPY Hour received an email from Association of Health Maintenance Organizations of the Philippines executive director Carlos Da Silva in reaction to out January 6 column, “Batting for Seniors,” where we wrote about Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo’s proposed AntiHealthcare Age Discrimination Act (House Bill 6348). According to Mr. Da Silva, most health maintenance organizations or HMOs would likely have only one or two major products in the marketplace which are the traditional “individual” or “family” plan, while the other one is the traditional “corporate” plan (or a variation thereof under an “Administrative Services Only” or ASO program). As explained by Da Silva, some HMOs only cater to corporate accounts and do not offer individual plans. There are, however, HMOs that offer a variety of products for various target markets. “Many factors are taken into consideration by HMOs in pricing their products or services, e.g., the prevailing medical costs in the industry, the attained age of an individual applicant or the median age for a corporate account, risk assumptions on existing health profile/s of the individual or group, occupational or environmental hazards of the applicants, industry classification they belong to, past history of program utilization (for renewing accounts), medical or lay underwriting results, if any, marketing and selling expenses, if any, competition in the marketplace, the company’s administrative loading, the many benefits of the program including latest modalities of treatment, tailor-fitted benefit inclusions per client requests, medical network including specialists, point-of-service privileges, etc. All these are taken into consideration in order to price correctly the risks involved and the cost of doing business with a particular client,” explained Da Silva. Only a very few HMOs have taken the risk on geriatric care plans for senior citizens as a target HMO market mainly because geriatric care encompasses a more holistic approach to cope with aging and its effects, not to mention the onset of the inevitable failing of mental and physical health—health risk conditions some HMOs may not be organized to assume nor prepared to undertake, the HMO group executive director continues. Of course, we have to remember that HMOs are business organizations and not charitable institutions. And just like any business, a health maintenance company packages its products and services according to its capacity to assume risks based on risk-based capitalization, as well as the HMO’s expertise and technical know-how in terms of service delivery. “To be forced to provide healthcare packages to a market it is not prepared to undertake would be against their rights as corporate citizen of the Philippines, not to mention the possibility of a failed business venture that will not only affect the ‘seniors’ amongst their planholders, but all their planholders in general, not to mention leaving a lot of unpaid bills with affiliated hospitals and accredited doctors in case of their closure,” Da Silva maintained. “We fully agree with you that HMOs should not discriminate against senior citizens especially in the light of increased benefits for our senior citizens—in particular, in the area of healthcare. But let it be the decision of the HMOs concerned to offer plans for senior citizens and if ever they do, at a price equitable to both parties,” he concludes. One of the things that we Filipinos are most proud of is the respect we pay our elders. Unlike other cultures whose children, more often than not, see their elderly parents as an unwanted burden whose needs (health and other aspects) can cramp their lifestyle, we see to it (or try our best) that parents are given the comfort and care that they deserve as they approach the twilight of their years. This is the reason why many see the proposal of Romulo—who is running for senator by the way—as timely and appropriate. Why we agree that HMOs should not be compelled to go into a product or service that they are not prepared to handle financially, organizationally and other aspects, there has to be a way for the state and the private sector to work together to provide better healthcare options for senior citizens. In the first place, HMOs provide ceilings for the coverage of planholders (both for individual and corporate) regarding certain illnesses (including pre-existing), so they could probably do the same for seniors instead of just totally excluding them from their “target market.” ••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

Union Bank grants P5b-loan to MNTC By Darwin G. Amojelar

MANILA North Tollways Corp. said on Tuesday it borrowed P5 billion from Union Bank of the Philippines to finance its toll road expansion and refinance debts. The operator of North Luzon Expressway on January 29 signed a 10-year fixed-rate term loan facility agreement with Union Bank. “The proceeds of the loan will be used by MNTC to fund toll road expansion projects and the refinancing of MNTC’s loans,” it said. MNTC in December signed an agreement with Philippine National Bank for a 10-year fixedrate term loan facility amounting to P5 billion. MNTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco had

said the loan proceeds “will be used for various projects like our NLEx widening and SCTEx projects.” The North Luzon Expressway widening project includes the expansion of the Sta. Rita-to-San Fernando segment to three lanes on both directions. The segment currently has two lanes. Further north, the Dau to Sta. Ines section will be expanded to two lanes each from the existing one. MNTC is currently implementing the construction of Segment 10 at NLEx, part of the Harbor Link project leading to

the Port Area, which is estimated to cost around P10.5 billion. Segment 10 is expected to open by the second quarter of 2017. The company also allotted P1.5 billion over two years to upgrade the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority formally turned over the management, operation and maintenance of SCTEx to MNTC last year. MNTC earlier reported a net income of P2.22 billon in the January-September period, up 22 percent from P1.82 billion a year ago, mainly due to high traffic growth and toll revenues generated during the period. MNTC’s revenues in the ninemonth period grew 10 percent to P6.04 billion from P5.47 billion last year, as average daily traffic hit 199,196, up 9 percent in 2014.

Farmers’ aid.

Chairman Daniel Villanueva of the Federation of Irrigators Association Bucao Rice Irrigation System receives the certificate of turnover for the P8.6million rice processing center with complete machineries during a farmers’ forum held at the Iba Sports Complex in Zambales on January 26, 2016. The federation will serve as a service provider to local farmers who are expected to increase their productivity and income, following the distribution of various farm equipment and machines of the Department of Agriculture. Also shown are (from left) Zambales 2nd District Rep. Cheryll Montalla, Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.

Rural Bank of Victoria teller charged By Julito G. Rada THE Oriental Mindoro Provincial Prosecution Office indicted a former bank teller of closed Rural Bank of Victoria for qualified theft based on a complaint filed by the state-run Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. Emelda Resurreccion was charged with qualified theft for conducting unauthorized withdrawals from the bank aggregating P799,980. PDIC said in a statement Tuesday respondent Resurreccion falsified withdrawal slips and manipulated other records of the closed Rural Bank of Victoria “to make it appear that withdrawal transactions were made by the bank’s depositors, when in fact, no such transactions transpired.” In a separate complaint for qualified theft previously filed by the bank against Resurreccion,

the Regional Trial Court of Oriental Mindoro, Branch 40 issued a warrant of arrest on her on Jan. 15, 2014. It also involved unauthorized withdrawals by Resurreccion amounting to P12.6 million from various deposit accounts. “The filing of charges against erring bank officers and employees and unscrupulous individuals is an important undertaking of the PDIC to achieve the twin objectives of deterring other parties from taking advantage of the deposit insurance system, and at the same time protect the interests of the depositors and the Deposit Insurance Fund. The DIF is the state agency’s funding source for payment of deposit insurance. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, meanwhile, placed a rural bank in Cebu under the custody

of PDIC because of unsound financial condition. Bangko Sentral said in a circular posted on its Web site the policy-making Monetary Board ordered the closure of Lapu-Lapu Rural Bank Inc. on Jan. 28. The bank is based in Sta. Catalina Street, Poblacion II, Carcar City, Cebu province. “Under receivership notice is hereby given that the Monetary Board, in its Resolution No. 121 dated 28 January 2016, decided to prohibit the Lapu-Lapu Rural Bank Inc. from doing business in the Philippines and to place its assets and affairs under receivership pursuant to Section 30 of Republic Act No. 7653 [The New Central Bank Act],” Bangko Sentral said. “The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. has been designated as receiver of the aforementioned rural bank,” it said.

WEDNESDAY: FEBRUARY 3, 2016

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

Sanofi-Aventis CBA. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz (seated, center) and other officials of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board meet the labor and management of Sanofi-Aventis Philippines Inc. as they sign their new collective bargaining agreement. The signing caps the fruitful mediation meeting recently called by Baldoz for the management and union of the pharmaceutical company.

Sin tax collections climbed 25% in ’15 By Gabrielle H. Binaday

EXCISE tax collections from tobacco and alcohol, or the socalled sin products, climbed 25 percent in 2015 to P141.84 billion from a year ago, the Bureau of Internal Revenue said Tuesday. Latest data from the BIR showed the total sin tax collections in 2015 jumped from P113.81 billion recorded in 2014. The BIR said the 2015 sin-tax collections were also 19.1 percent or P22.76 billion higher than the P119.08-billion target for the year. The sin tax law, or Republic Act No. 10351, restructured the excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco products, starting January 2013 with the goal of shifting to unitary

taxation by 2017. It imposed annual adjustment on tobacco excise tax rates until 2017, when both lowpriced and premium brands will have a uniform tax rate of P30 per pack. The excise tax rate on a pack cigarettes with a net retail price of up to P11.50 was raised to P21 in 2015 while the tax rate on cigarettes with a net retail price of more than P11.50 was adjusted to P28 per pack. In 2016, the tax rate was raised to P25 per pack of cigarettes with a net retail price of P11.50 and below and P29 for a pack of cigarettes with a retail price of higher than P11.50. The tax for fermented liquors was increased to P21 per liter in 2016, for those with a net retail price of P50.60 per liter or below and to P23 per liter for those with retail price of higher than P50.60. “Sin tax collections growing by a full quarter on year is no small feat. I expect Commissioner Henares and the BIR to continue to expand

the fiscal space we need to invest more heavily in universal healthcare,” Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said when sought for a comment. “With the figures in for its third year of implementation, sin tax reform is a lesson in good governance: sound policy and tough enforcement going hand in hand to deliver results for the uncovered and most vulnerable,” Purisima said. The BIR said collections from cigarette products in 2015 reached P100.02 billion, or 32 percent higher than P75.51 billion recorded in 2014. Excise tax from tobacco products also exceeded the P77.48 billion target by 29.1 percent. Collections from alcohol products rose 12.12 percent to P41.82 billion in 2015 from P37.3 billion in 2014 and surpassed the P41.6billion target collection for alcohol products last year. Data showed that of the total collections

PH economic freedom ranking rises to 70th spot THE Philippines climbed six places to rank 70th among 178 countries in terms of economic freedom in 2015, US-based think tank Heritage Foundation said Tuesday. Heritage Foundation said the Philippines sustained improvement in the capacity of its citizens and investors to own properties, generate income, consume goods and services and do business last year. Results of the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom showed the Philippines scored 63.1 points and jumped six notches to 70th place last year from 76th place in 2014. The country’s score was also higher than the global average of 60.7 points and the regional average of 59 points. The Philippines ranked 14th among Asia-Pacific countries.

Heritage Foundation said the Philippines’ economic freedom score improved 0.9 points last year to 63.1, which meant the country was moderately free. The Philippines has emerged one of the most improved countries over the past six years, with its global ranking jumping by 45 notches since 2010. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said the positive development reflected the virtuous cycle consisting of reforms, improving perception of investors and thirdparty observers like Heritage Foundation and economic development. “Underpinning the country’s improvement across virtually all global measures is guiding philosophy behind the Aquino administration: good governance. Over the past six years,

we have worked to better our institutions and improve business environments to facilitate robust private sector growth,” Purisima said. “The consistency of results and recognition in the past five years mean only one thing: we must keep the faith in our governing principles. We will continue to expand the field of economic opportunity to enlarge the share of Filipinos benefiting from and contributing to the gains we are making,” he said. The report said the Philippines posted the biggest gains in ‘business freedom,’ as licensing requirements for enterprises have been eased. The country registered a 32-notch improvement in its ranking under this component, or from 131st to 99th. “The time involved in dealing

with licensing requirements has been notably reduced, and the cost of completing them has been cut,” Heritage Foundation said. It also said the Philippines registered significant improvement in the area of ‘freedom from corruption,’ consistent with the implementation of good governance reforms in line agencies of government. Its ranking in this component improved 8 notches, or from 95th to 87th. Another area of marked improvement, the think tank said, is ‘trade freedom’ amid efforts to further open up the economy to investments, such as an environment that now allows foreigners to fully own and operate banks in the country. The Philippines’ ranking in this component improved from 99th to 94th. Gabrielle H. Binaday

PLDT unit introduces shareable broadband LEADING telecom and digital services provider PLDT introduced the country’s first broadband plan that cuts across home and mobile broadband subscriptions with the launch of PLDT Home DSL Speedster Fam Plan 1299. Offering five-times faster speeds of up to 10 megabits per second, the Speedster Fam Plan has shareable monthly data allowance of 50 gigabytes. “To enjoy the Speedster Fam Plan’s data sharing feature, subscribers can get a Smart mobile line that comes with a free smart phone for an additional P299 per month or with a free iPhone for P799 per month,” said PLDT vice president and Home marketing director Gary Dujali. “Subscribers can share 6 GB of the 50-GB monthly data allocation to up to four mobile phone lines, which they can use even outside the home. Bundled with the Speedster Fam Plan, these are all conveniently billed under one subscription,” he said. “Internet today is not just about high-speed connectivity,” Dujali said. “More importantly, it’s about sharing and nurturing the connections that matter most in this digitally-driven world. This data sharing offer from PLDT Home DSL, in partnership with Smart, is only the beginning of more gamechanging innovations that we’ll be unveiling this year,” he said. Aside from giving subscribers access to an array of multimedia entertainment options from iflix, Fox and Netflix, the Speedster Fam Plan revolutionizes the way subscribers can share data. For instance, parents can share data with their children so they can book an Uber going home or check up on their kids while they’re out through video call.

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Killing puts Sweden on edge STOCKHOLM— Masked men chased migrants in Stockholm this weekend in a rare act of overt violence against refugees, but one that reflects smouldering tensions in Sweden as it grapples with the consequences of a record influx of migrants. The attack came just days after a teenage asylum-seeker killed a young woman working at an asylum residence. Between 50 and 100 masked and hooded men chased and reportedly beat up “people of foreign appearance” on Friday evening at the Sergels Torg plaza in the heart of the city and handed out leaflets calling for “the street children of North Africa to get the punishment they deserve”. Police swiftly chased off the assailants, but footage of the racist attack shocked many Swedes as they struggle with conflicting emotions regarding the flood of arrivals. On the one hand there is a deep-rooted, longstanding sense of humanity and willingness to give refuge to those in need. While on the other, there is a grim realization that the country’s infrastructure is overwhelmed after welcoming more migrants per capita than any other European Union country in 2015. “What is going on in Sweden?” asked daily Expressen on Sunday, listing a growing number of issues linked to migrants, including arson attacks on asylum residency centers and cultural as well as religious tensions. On both the left and right wings, the Swedish media have squarely placed the blame on Prime Minister Stefan Lofven—a Social Democrat whose party has hit record lows in the polls—accusing him of downplaying the challenges facing the country. “Those who dared discuss the link between the number of [migrant] arrivals and the capacity to welcome and integrate them were accused of painting a pessimistic picture and playing into the hands of the far-right,” the centre-right daily Svenska Dagbladet wrote last autumn. AFP

Plastic choking Hong Kong HONG KONG—A little girl shrieks with excitement as she strolls along the beach: “Oh look mummy. Hong Kong snow.” Despite the cold snap what she’s pointing to is not a meteorological anomaly—but in fact swathes of polystyrene thrown out as rubbish. The city is suffocating under a film of plastic: “Each day the equivalent weight of two A380 Airbus planes is discarded” in domestic waste, says Lisa Christensen, co-founder of HK Clean Up initiative. Add to this trashed industrial and commercial plastic, and more than 2,000 tons of the material is thrown out daily in Hong Kong—saturating landfill sites but also clogging up country parks, coastal areas and waterways. “For our supermarket generation the focus is on convenience, issues of pollution seem very far away,” says local environmental campaigner Jo Wilson, whose daughter highlighted the “Hong Kong snow” problem. “People produce double digit pieces of trash—especially plastic—just by having lunch. Hong Kong has an army of cleaners and helpers so perhaps some people are not used to taking care,” she explains, adding a long hours culture, excessive packaging by the food industry, and lack of public education are exacerbating the prob-

lem. Globally plastics production has surged from 15 million tons in 1964 to 311 million tons in 2014—the weight of 900 Empire State Buildings—and is expected to double in 20 years as demand grows, according to “The New Plastics Economy” report presented by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation at the World Economic Forum in January. The situation in Hong Kong is pronounced because it is “an extremely consumption-based society,” Christensen says. “On average we generate 1.36kg (3lbs) of domestic waste per person, per day. Tokyo, on the other hand, only generates 0.77kg.” While there has been some success encouraging people to recycle paper and some metals, the situation is deteriorating for plastics: Just five percent of plastic was sent for recycling in 2014— compared with 25 percent in 2005, according to government figures. Recycling is not mandatory in Hong Kong, but efforts by authorities to push the practice have been undermined by media reports revealing items separated after use by consumers have ended up being mixed up or dumped. There is also little incentive for plastics recycling contractors in the city, because their profits are dented by the costs of transport and sorting, and with low global oil prices new plastic is cheaper for manufacturers to buy than reworked material. Due to limited facilities, most items are processed in mainland China. AFP

Three’s company. Natalia Safran, Producer Peter Safran and Actress Maggie Grace attend the premiere of Lionsgate’s ‘The Choice’ after the party at ArcLight Cinemas on February 1, 2016, in Hollywood, California. AFP

NOTICE

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF CORAZON P. ARCILLA Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late CORAZON P. ARCILLA has been extrajudicially settled among her heirs as per Doc. No. 391, Page No. 79, Book No. 3, Series of 2016 of Notary Public Atty. Ramiro S. Osorio with CA-M. No. NP-013(2016 -2017) of Quezon City. ( T S - F E B . 3 ,10 ,17, 2 016)

Notice is hereby given that the Estate of the late ALEJANDRO L. PAUCO and LOURDES I. PAUCO was extrajudicially settled among their heirs on Jan. 17, 2016, as per Doc. No. 95; Page No. 20; Book No. 1, Series of 2016 (Extrajudicial Settlement of the Estate of Alejandro L. Pauco and L:ourdes I. Pauco) before the Notary Public Atty. Ernesto D. Urbano of City of Ls Piñas.

ERRORS & OMISSIONS In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published. We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

( T S - J A N . 2 7/ F E B 3 /10 , 2 016)

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bohol Municipality of Candijay Local Government Unit BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

Republic of the Philippines Province of Aurora Municipality of San Luis ---oOo--OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL MAYOR

Invitation to Bid for the Improvement of Candijay Integrated Water System, Level III (Phase 1) 1.

The Local Government Unit of Candijay, Bohol, through the CY 2015 BUB-DILG Fund and local counterpart (20% Municipal Development Fund) intends to apply the sum of Ten Million Five Hundred Twenty Two Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety Two Pesos and Seventy Five Centavos (PhP. 10, 522, 992.75) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Improvement of Candijay Integrated Water System, Level III (Phase 1). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Local Government Unit of Candijay, Bohol now invites bids for 1 Unit Construction of Spring Intake Box, Pipe laying of 8233 linear meters Earthwork, Installation of 650 linear meters Transfer Pipeline, Installation of 6917 linear meters Transmission Pipeline, Installation of 500 linear meters Service Pipeline, Construction of 53 cubic meters Ferrocement Water Tank (T2) (53.0 cu.m.), Construction of 61 cubic meters Ferrocement Water Tank (T3) (61.0 cu.m.), Installation of 6 units Control Valves, Installation of 6 sets Air-Release Valves, Installation of 5 sets Blow-off/Drain Valves, Installation of 4 sets RCPC Crossings, Installation of 3 sets RCBC Crossings, 50 linear meters Demolition and restoration of Pavements (Road Crossing), Construction of 50 units Pipe Supports and Thrust Blocks, Construction of 36 units Valve Boxes/ Casings, 6917 linear meters Pipeline Hydro Testing/System Disinfection & Test Run and 2 units Project Signboards. Completion of the Works is required within Two Hundred Forty (240) calendar days from issuance of Notice to proceed. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, Section II, Instructions to Bidders.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

The Bids and Awards Committee, Local Government Unit, Candijay, Bohol, Philippines will hold a Pre-Bid Conference for this project on February 12, 2016, at 9:00 o’ clock in the morning. Venue will be at the Municipal Session Hall. Only bidders who had purchased bid documents can participate in the Pre-bid conference.

1. Prescribed performance security;

2. Proof of commitment of the required equity contribution, as specified by the BAC; and

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Local Government Unit of Candijay, Bohol and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from February 2-25, 2016; 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM during working days.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Pesos. However, bid documents cannot be purchased unless the interested bidder is able to present a Certificate of Site Inspection duly signed by Engr. Rey B. Caadlawon/ Engr. Alberto G. Bernales, Municipal Engineer and Anecito Calulo, Market Administrator.

NOTICE OF AWARD January 4, 2016 EPOWER TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION Unit 3A Seibu Tower, 24th St. cor. 6th Ave. Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City S i r: We would like to inform you that the Joint Venture Agreement for the REHABILITATION, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF 2X384KW SAN LUIS MINI-HYDRO POWER PLANT PROJECTlocated at Barangay Ditumabo, San Luis, Aurora is hereby awarded to you as the Original Proponent with no comparative proposals received by the municipality at a project cost equivalent to EIGHTY FIVE MILLION PESOS (PhP85,000,000.00). You are therefore required, within twenty (20) calendar days from the receipt of this Notice of Award, to formally enter into contract with us, and to submit the following:

3. Proof of firm commitments from reputable financial institution to provide sufficient credit lines to cover the total estimated cost of the project. Failure to enter into the said contract/ agreement or provide the aforementioned requirements within the prescribed period shall constitute a sufficient ground for cancellation of this award and forfeiture of your Bid Security.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids. 8.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before February 25, 2016; 10:00 A.M. at Municipal Session Hall, Candijay, Bohol. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

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.

Very truly yours,

10. The Local Government Unit 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.

ANNABELLE C. TANGSON, CPA, MGM Municipal Mayor

For further information, please refer to: JOSEPHINE MANLUPIG Municipal Budget Office, 2nd Floor, Municipal Building, Candijay, Bohol or through: Mobile Phone. No. 09273328142BAC Chairperson

Conforme:

(SGD) JOSEPHINE MANLUPIG BAC Chairperson

(SGD) EPower Technologies Corp. ( T S - J A N . 2 6 / F E B . 3 , 2 016)

( T S - F E B . 3 , 2 016)

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B8 Envoy to press Assad’s regime GENEVA—The UN envoy for Syria was set Tuesday to press President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to ease the suffering of ordinary Syrians after declaring the official start of indirect peace talks with the opposition in Geneva. Staffan de Mistura said that on Monday the opposition High Negotiations Committee had made the “very strong point” that parallel to any talks, the Syrian people “deserve to hear and see facts on the ground”. “When I meet the Syrian people they tell me don’t just have a conference, have also something that we can see and touch while you are meeting in Geneva,” de Mistura told reporters late Monday. In particular, the HNC is pressing for humanitarian access to be allowed through to besieged towns, for the bombardment of civilians to cease and for prisoners, many of them women and children, to be freed. De Mistura was due to meet representatives from Assad’s government on Tuesday morning and the HNC in the afternoon “to go deeper into the issues”. His declaration that the hopedfor six months of indirect negotiations on ending the almost fiveyear-old war had begun followed his first official talks with the HNC. The Swedish-Italian diplomat said he expected the talks to be “complicated and difficult” but that he hoped the negotiations would “achieve something” by February 11. But the HNC, while welcoming “positive messages” from de Mistura, said that they were awaiting the outcome of the envoy’s talks Tuesday with Syrian government envoy Bashar al-Jaafari. “I believe we received positive messages from the special envoy. Tomorrow [Tuesday] he will have meetings with (the) regime side and we will wait for a reply from him,” HNC spokesman Salem alMeslet told reporters Monday. In an apparent gesture of goodwill for the talks, Syria’s government agreed on Monday “in principle” to allow aid into three besieged towns in Syria, including starvation-struck Madaya, the UN said. AFP

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD On edge of Syria’s war, skiers enjoy the slopes MOUNT HERMON—The snowy ridge of Mount Hermon separates two worlds. In one, Syria’s war rages. In the other, Israeli tourists slalom down ski slopes or drink mulled wine to the sound of techno music.

Premiere. Actress Maggie Grace attends the premiere of Lionsgate’s ‘The Choice’ at the ArcLight Cinemas on February 1, 2016, in Hollywood, California. AFP

On a clear day Damascus is visible from the top of the ski lift 2,200 meters above sea level in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights where tourists reapply their sunscreen. The Syrian capital is only 40 kilometers away but there is no access to it as Israel and Syria are still officially at war. Israel seized most of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed the territory in a move never recognized by the international community. For Israelis, the Hermon range, straddling Lebanon and the Syrian and Israeli-held sectors of the Golan, is a highly strategic area under close surveillance. But every year when the snowflakes fall, Mount Hermon becomes a ski resort unlike perhaps any other in the world. Skiers thinking of venturing off-piste are discouraged by the large signs warning of land mines, while in the distance antennas mark vast Israeli military bases. Soldiers are everywhere. Chair lifts are close to military outposts where soldiers scan the horizon with binoculars. “If Syrians want to infiltrate here then they should be very good skiers,” jokes Nabir Abu Saleh, head of the ski patrol station, pointing to the steep slope forming a natural buffer adjacent to the Syrian side. “And if it is summer, they would have to be motocross champions.” The Israeli army is less fearful of infiltration than of stray shells fired by the Syrian military or rebels. “We have already had to evacuate the site on several occasions. We’re very well organized,” Liron Mills, the director of the site, told AFP. “We do not feel the war here. It is protected. There is the army, the police and we are in complete coordination with them,” says Mills, who is also a ski instructor with reservists for the Israeli army. In his spare time, he introduces young conscripts deployed to the area to ski basics. Despite their white camouflage dress, soldiers are easily identified on the slopes, rifles strapped around their necks as they carefully practice maneuvers amid more skilled skiers. Israel, more known for its southern desert, is not a country famed for its expertise in winter sports. But the country’s only resort and its 14 slopes—which range from green to black—are able to accommodate up to 8,000 visitors a day. AFP

US criticizes China over HK booksellers WASHINGTON—Washington called on Beijing Monday to explain the disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers, with a State Department spokesman saying the incidents “raise serious questions about China’s commitment to Hong Kong’s autonomy”. The five, all affiliated with Hong Kong’s Mighty Current publishing house which is known for salacious titles critical of Beijing leaders, disappeared in recent months and are feared to have been detained in mainland China. “We urge China to clarify the current status of all five individuals and the circumstances sur-

rounding their disappearances and to allow them to return to their homes,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Washington. In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry Lu Kang said Tuesday it was “not proper” for the US to comment on China’s domestic affairs. “Hong Kong residents have been fully entitled to freedoms and rights in accordance with law” since the territory’s return to China, he told a regular briefing. Three of the five went missing in southern China. Another disappeared in Thailand and a fifth in semi-autonomous Hong Kong,

raising fears Chinese authorities are extending their reach internationally. Mainland law enforcers have no authority to operate in Hong Kong, where Lee Bo vanished on December 30. Lee, who has a British passport, and Swede Gui Minhai, who vanished in Thailand, were both born in China and were rumored to be preparing a tell-all book about the love life of President Xi Jinping. Activists, local media and various politicians in Hong Kong have expressed concern that Lee may have been abducted from the city. AFP

Wildlife. This picture taken on February 2, 2016, shows sand gazelles at the Al-Marzoom Hunting reserve 150 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. AFP

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

H OME & L I V ING

LIFE

While we will be celebrating the Chinese New Year on February 8, the first day of the Year of the Monkey will officially start on February 4. To help prepare our homes for this celebration, I got to interview a Chinese astrology CALEIDOSCOPE expert, Sherab Chosang, to forecast what awaits us for WORLD the year and help us enhance BY CAL TAVERA our luck through our homes. My friends and clients have been going to him to assist them in their residential and commercial spaces and he has been practicing feng shui for over two decades. Aside from feng shui, he is also a trained energy healing practitioner as well as a trained Akaschic reader at the Metatron level. He has helped those who wish to be more spiritual and those who want to discover themselves deeper; beyond what astrology can reveal. I am not Chinese but it wouldn’t hurt to try some of these tips. Who wouldn’t want to be more prosperous? According to him, we have to welcome the new energies with a fresh, neat and clean looking home by 5:48 p.m. of February 4. How do we do that? Sherab Chosang shares, “We can start by de-cluttering the entire home before the said date and time. Replace the old energies to make room for new ones. Aside from detoxing the home, clean all the tired and worn out energies with water and salt. This can be achieved by mopping floors and wiping walls with water and dissolved salt. This is similar to the act of bathing oneself with sea water to dissolve tired energies and facilitate healing.” As a final touch, he adds that you can light an incense stick and go around the house in a clockwise manner starting from the main door. While you go through the rooms of the home, visualize that all the remaining energies are being erased as you pass by. The ritual ends when you are back to the main door. For 2016, he says the home will bring in more fortune if the main door is either in the Southwest, South, Southeast or East because those enclosed areas will contain beneficial energies for the year. If the main door is not located in those directions, don’t worry. Check if your bedroom is

Bearing / Degrees (Use Compass)

352.6 - 7.5

112.6 - 127.5

232.6 - 247.5 MONKEY

DRAGON

ROOSTER

SNAKE

292.6 - 307.5

172.6 - 187.5

52.6 - 67.5 TIGER

262.6 - 277.5

142.6 - 157.5

22.6 - 37.5

DOG

HORSE

82.6 - 97.5 RABBIT

HOME FORECAST FOR THE YEAR OF THE MONKEY

Bearing / Degrees (Use Compass)

RAT

322.6 - 337.5

202.6 - 217.5 SHEEP

BOAR

You can help improve the luck of your animal sign by knowing the area where the most beneficial energies are situated, as shown in the chart

within that range. If your bedroom is also not included in those directions, frequently use the spaces in those directions to absorb the beneficial energies there. Maximize those energies by doing your activities there such as preparing reports, signing papers, talking with clients and loved ones, eating and resting. Water is also very fortuitous for the 2016 chart. Expect more opportunities for creating wealth if you have a swimming pool, garden water feature and koi pond in the Southwest, East or Southeast direction. To avoid negative energies, there should be no renovations, gatherings or noise in the Northeast, South, North and Northwest directions. Avoid these activities as well within 232.6 – 247.5 degrees in the Southwest area. To help improve the luck of your animal sign, Sherab Chosang provided a table. Please refer to it to make sure that your animal’s corresponding area is tidy and clean. To check your bearings, you can easily download a compass on your smart phone. I downloaded mine a few days ago and found out my bedroom and balcony are the most lucrative spaces so I have to start the detox project there soon. If you wish to know more, Sherab Chosang can be reached through punsoy@ymail.com for inquiries and consultation appointments. Advanced Gong Xi Fa Cai or Kung Hei Fat Choy! Follow me on Instagram @cal_tavera.

W E D N E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Lenovo Yoga 500 versatile hybrid laptop is convertible to a tablet with its 360-degree flip and fold design

@LIFEatStandard

COOL GADGETS FROM SM APPLIANCE CENTER

he Year of the Fire Monkey brings a lot of exciting opportunities, which is why now is the best time to become more organized and efficient with the help of cool gadgets from the SM Appliance Center. But aside from giving you new ways to enjoy favorite apps, get entertained and stay connected with friends on social media, these nifty gadgets also help the family enjoy their time together when they go on a trip out of town or just a relaxing day at a nearby resort in the metro. For instance, the high performance Go Pro Hero4 Silver cameras can immortalize memorable moments – whether it’s a photo of the funny kid in the family hamming it up or mom and dad going sweet on each other. And to make sure the battery doesn’t run out and ruin those bonding moments, there’s the Avalon Intensity Power Bank with a remote camera shutter to keep gadgets fully charged and help you get that perfect selfie shot. But if you are the type who prefers the comfort of your home, the Sony Home Audio System with Bluetooth is on hand to play your favorite songs from selected smart phones in 500W of powerful sounds. Jazz things up by bringing a club ambiance to your living room with its built-in multi-colored LED speaker lights. And if you feel like working out but don’t want the hassle of braving the traffic to get to the gym, do sit-ups at home and pump up the volume with the lightweight, sweat proof Philips ActionFit Sports headphones.

Acer Aspire V3 Notebook with a crisp 17.3” full high definition display, Dolby Digital Plus home theater sound, and an Intel Core processor for powerful performance

You can also turn your home into a mini office with the versatile and high performance Acer Aspire V3 Notebooks with Dolby Digital Plus technology, and the Samsung Tab S2 with Super AMOLED technology that makes web browsing, email checking and photo or video viewing a breeze. And oh, you can also do a little gaming to help you unwind. Also check out the Lenovo Yoga 500 which has a 360-degree flip and fold design that allows it to easily change between four modes: laptop, stand, tent and tablet. The SM Appliance Center also offers the latest smartphones in one store. These include the iPhone 6S, which is made of the 7000 aluminum series (strongest alloy ever used in an iPhone) and a 3D touch display; the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 with a bigger screen display and wireless charger; and the Sony Xperia Z5 with an auto-focus and powerful clear image zoom that captures fleeting moments. You can find these cool new gadgets at selected SM Appliance Center stores nationwide. The more you shop at SM Appliance Center, the more chances you have of winning a Volkswagen Polo Sedan 1.6 MPI AT. Watch out for SM Appliance Center’s upcoming “Libreng Appliances Araw Araw promotions grand play-off at SM City Fairview on February 13. Visit www.smappliance.com to shop online or check for updates. You may also like it on facebook.com/smappliance or follow on twitter.com/smappliance.

Get creative with this Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SmartPhone with a powerful S-Pen

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 featuring Super AMOLED technology for true color

Capture stunning photos in high definition with this waterproof Go Pro Hero4 Silver Camera

Capture blink-of-an-eye moments with this Sony Xperia Z-5 Smartphone

Sony Home Audio System with Bluetooth

Avalon Intensity Selfie Power Bank

These durable, lightweight and sweat-proof Philips ActionFit Sports headphones are a perfect workout companion

One lucky shopper has a chance to drive home a Volkswagen Polo Sedan 1.6 MPI AT in SM Appliance Center’s Libreng Appliances Araw Araw promotion

W E D N E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

ALL NEW WOLF M SERIES BUILT-IN OVEN LAUNCHED Go for a bold look, accented by Wolf’s iconic red knobs, with the Professional M Series Oven

Leading US-based manufacturer of luxury appliances Sub-Zero and Wolf recently introduced its all-new line of M series built-in ovens as part of the brand's biggest new generation product rollout in its history. The M series features Wolf ’s sleekest and most full-featured ovens to date that come in a variety of styles and sizes that seamlessly integrate into any kitchen. “The new M series line of ovens is not only revolutionary to the industry, it allows owners more versatility in design,” said Jim Bakke, president and CEO of SubZero and Wolf. “We’ve also uncovered new heating and airflow technology to make cooking more efficient and consistent,” he adds. Among the features of the new M series ovens are the Dual VertiCross™ convection system – a first in the industry – that provides more consistent cooking results. The oven houses two columnar vertical blower fans and reconfigured heating elements that produce uniform heat and air flow throughout the oven, significantly minimizing cool spots. The air columns also allow for improved multi-rack cooking, perfect for evenly baking multiple batches of cookies at once. The new convection system is also a time saver as it cuts down on preheating time. Relocated vertical fans in the back corners of the oven allow for a curved back wall, creating more usable space within the oven. Users have a choice of 10 cooking modes accessible through an LCD touch screen control panel: roast, bake, broil, convection, convection roast, proof, dehydration, bake stone, warm and Gourmet. The new Gourmet mode includes a menu of preset options to guide users through the cooking process of commonly prepared foods.

The classic Transitional M Series Ovens look good in any kitchen with its stainless steel finish and tubular handles

If you want the perfect juicy steak for example, just input the steak thickness and how well you want it cooked – and the oven will decide temperature, time and even rack placement. This eliminates guesswork, with cooking settings adjusted throughout the process to guarantee the best results possible. The M series has three new distinct styles that can seamlessly fit a specific kitchen design: contemporary with an ultra-sleek and minimalist handle-less design, black glass and a full-color LCD touch; the classic which is flexible transitional; and the bold professional. Pair an M series oven with other Wolf products and match handles with Sub-Zero refrigeration and wine storage. The New built-in M series ovens now fit standard cabinetry installation (61 cm (24”) deep) and can be installed proud or flush inset. “At Sub-Zero and Wolf, we always strive to provide our customers with the highest quality kitchen appliances.

That’s exactly what we’ve done with our brand new line of M series ovens. We place a high value on quality, design and features, and we expect our ovens to deliver delicious results, every time,” said Michele Bedard, vice president of marketing for Sub-Zero and Wolf. Sub-Zero and Wolf is distributed exclusively by Focus Global Inc. Metro Manila showrooms are located at: Makati (The Residences at Greenbelt, Manila Tower, Esperanza Street, Makati City; Taguig (Twenty-four Seven McKinley, 24th Street corner 7th Avenue, McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City); Mandaluyong (Pioneer corner Reliance Streets); and Cebu (The Design Center of Cebu, P. Remedios corner A.S. Fortuna Streets, Mandaue City.

The minimalist, handle-less, black glass design of the Contemporary M Series Oven achieves a sleek look

PRACTICAL HOME LAUNDRY SOLUTION Household chores are unpleasant but necessary. They take up a lot of time of the person doing it – time that should have been spent for more enriching tasks or bonding with loved ones. For domestic divas who juggle career and taking care of a household, time spent for each chore is valuable. One of the many domestic chores that most people find very timeand energy-consuming is doing the laundry. Many opt to hand wash their clothes or go to the laundromat to take care of it. However, cheaper, frequent hand washing may not only result in damaged hands but also backaches. Taking your dirty clothes to a quality laundry shop, on the other hand, is proven to be costlier in the long run. Practical home solutions come in handy in this kind of situation. Global appliance manufacturer Midea has partnered with Concepcion Industrial Corporation to bring their household innovations to Filipino homes. Now available here

in the Philippines are Midea Washing Machines that promise to make laundry days less of a hassle. Equipped with powerful features, the washing machine units of the brand boast of efficiency and costeffectiveness. With their “Piso Wash” feature, the home gizmos are said to only consume one peso in electricity usage for a complete wash, rinse and dry cycle. Finish your laundry in less time with the washing machines’ “Quick Wash” feature that washes clothes in as fast as 19 minutes. Meanwhile, the Midea washing machines’ “One Touch” feature lets users wash clothes with just the press of a button. With the benefits and practicality of Midea home appliances, Filipinos, especially young upgraders who are just starting out on their own can spend less time on chores and more time with their family. To know more about Midea’s lineup of washing machine and other home appliances, visit www.midea.com.ph.

W E D N E S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

REVIVING THE TRADITIONAL ART OF DYE WEAVING WITH THE INDIGO PROJECT

The indigo plant

or many years, the indigo was widely favored by local weavers to add color to fabrics because of its excellent resistance to fading or running. Unfortunately, this natural dye lost its luster due to the emergence of cheaper and easy to obtain synthetic dyes that textile manufacturers soon preferred. There’s good news however, with the collaborative network of non-governmental organizations and communitybased groups in South and Southeast Asia called NonTimber Forest Products – Exchange Programme (NTFPEP) that have started working on “The Indigo Project.” The initiative reaches out to indigenous artisans in various

Stylish indigo fashion

Indigo farm in Brgy. Pang-itan, Madalag, Aklan

upland and rural communities in the Philippines. These artisans include Mangyan tribe members from Mindoro, Higaonon of Bukidnon, Palaw’anon and Tagbanua of Palawan, T’boli of South Cotabato, and many others. The Indigo Project promotes the development and implementation of environmental and social standards in hand-woven textiles production and supports the production and sourcing of environmentally friendly natural dyes and fibers, establishes eco-friendly product standards, and scales production of eco-textiles. In the Philippines, NTFP-EP partnered with CustomMade Crafts Center (CMCC) as its integrated design and

marketing arm to give project beneficiaries proper skills training that will allow them to combine modern technology with age-old practices. The goal is to produce world-class materials made of natural dye and fiber that can be promoted in the international market. The social enterprise has found a major supporter in Globe Telecoms. “When we started the Indigo Project, there were no takers. It was only Globe who really worked with us on this,” says Benilda Camba, NTFP-EP Enterprise Development coordinator. “Globe believes that everyone should have a share in the country’s economic growth that is why we continue to focus on underserved communities which we can

Artisanal hand-woven products using indigo dye from CustomMade Crafts Center

help by providing sustainable livelihood programs,” said Fernando Esguerra, director of Globe Corporate Social Responsibility. NTFP-EP and CMCC benefit from the information and communication technology tools from Globe such as internet connectivity and mobile credit card payment facility through Globe Charge, as well as capacity building support and market access. Globe has also embarked on rehabilitation and recovery efforts in the Province of Aklan in partnership with CMCC to expand the program and added more barangay beneficiaries to allow more subsistence farmers to take advantage of the vibrant weaving industry in Aklan. In Madalag for instance where the indigo plant is grown, the leaves are eventually turned into powdered dye which CMCC buys to supplement the livelihood of the communities. By preserving this traditional craft, NTFP-EP, CMCC, and Globe are able to keep such customs alive and provide the communities a way to a better life in the face of growing marginalization.

NISSAN PHILIPPINES INC.: THE PROMISE OF A STRONGER YEAR Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) president and managingdirector Antonio Zara toasted the high points of the company’s performance in 2015 during their recent thanksgiving party held at Revel in the Palace, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The brand ended 2015 strongly with a record 60 percent growth in vehicle sales, with Nissan continuing to excite consumers with innovation and good quality products for 2016. In 2014, Nissan’s sedan models, the Sylphy and the Altima, were inroduced, while 2015 saw the presentation of the company’s best selling vehicles NP300 Navara pick-up truck, NV350 Urvan, New Almera sedan, and the latest Nissan Juke subcompact crossover. Last year, not only did Nissan introduce a slew of refreshed vehicles, it also ushered in innovative programs and activities like the Nissan GT Academy Asia where six Filipino gamers advanced to Silverstone Race

Circuit in the UK to compete with the best gamers in Asia in a real motorsport combat. We also saw the expansion of its dealership network with 11 new dealers in key cities and provincial areas in 2015. There was also the launch of new online shopping platform Nissan Parts Online, with competitions like the 2nd Nissan Service Technician Excellence Competency Award (NISTEC), and the Nissan Service Advisor Excellence Competency Award (NISAC). NPI also strengthenedits CSR efforts by partnering with Habitat for Humanity Philippines. ‘’Being named as one of the world’s most valuable brands for 2015, we take on the challenge of bringing the company, and the country further up the road to progress, as we continue our drive for excellence in the coming days,’’ says Zara. “Expect new things, new innovation to come, as we at Nissan make it happen.’

NPI’s general manager for Marketing SJ Huh, president and managing director Antonio Zara, and party host Janeena Chan

Guests enjoy the festivity with some games and raffle prizes given away during the thanksgiving party

Antonio Zara talks about the highlights of 2015 for NPI

W EDNES DAY : F EbRuA RY 3, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAHV.V.RED RED ISAH EEDDI TI TOORR

MaInE MEnDOza anD CDO

henomenal star Maine Mendoza is living her dream these days. Thrust into the spotlight in mid2015, there has been no looking back since for the young lady, “Never kong inakala na makararating ako sa lugar na ‘to. I am doing what I really want to do and I am very thankful because of that.” The former YouTube sensation achieved stardom when she started exchanging sweet nothings on air with Alden Richards in Eat Bulaga’s “Kalyeserye” as Yaya Dub. But being in demand, she found out has its down side. “(It’s) Not as easy as I thought it was,” she confessed, “I must admit that it is physically-tiring but I am humbled and really thankful that there are fans who support me. To me, that is the best part of the job.” One of the perks of Maine’s job these days is being the cover girl of numerous magazines where she gets to experiment with different looks and styles. She has also become one of the nation’s favorite celebrity endorsers in just over six months of being in showbiz. It’s a role that she takes very seriously, “I have to set an example because of all the personalities that we have, they still chose me to represent their product.” She has set a rule when accepting and doing commercials and

that is, “I should make sure that it is of quality because I know that having me as their endorser will affect people’s choices.” This is why she was elated when she was chosen to represent one of her favorites, CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino. “I got excited because this is another blessing and opportunity for me,“ she admitted. The plus factor is that even before she was chosen to endorse it, Maine was already a big fan of CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino that is made from 100 percent young pork and has no salitre. “Kumakain na talaga ako ng CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino so super excited ako to do the project.” Her belief in the product and her love for CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino made shooting the commercial a breeze, “The shoot was quite an experience for me as I have to show different emotions in just one commercial! I have to act serious, fierce, heart-broken and the like. Pero syempre I have my favorite part. The consumption scene! Finally, I was able to express the real me, kengkoy and fun. Fantastic baby pa more!” She also loves CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino because as she pointed out, “It’s delicious. It’s very tender because it’s gawa sa young pork at hindi sa inahing baboy. Hindi malitid!” Maine emphasized.

“It’s so easy to cook too! Walang ka-hassle-hassle i-prepare! Hindi sya nag-ii-stick sa pan unlike other brands!” These are bonus points to someone like her who doesn’t really spend much time in the kitchen. “Also,” she added, “it has low shrinkage when cooked compared to other brands with high shrinkage. ‘yung iba, sobrang lumiliit kapag niluluto. Turn off.” Maine likens her love for her newest endorsement as a testament to young love. “The beauty of young love is pure and carefree. You enjoy and be yourself without any worries. Parang fun and puro good vibes lang.” As she points out, eating CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino is like that. It’s delicious and something you can eat without any worries. “Talagang young ang love ko,” Maine added. “Why settle for anything less than CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino?” That’s Maine Mendoza for you –carefree, pure and “young ang love…” with CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino.

Bailey now a recording star From Internet sensation who performs cover of songs of popular artists, Pinoy Big Brother 737 4th Teen Big Placer Bailey May is now ready to conquer the industry with songs and an album he can call his own. Now a certified recording artist, Bailey has just released his first-ever, self-titled solo album under Star Music. “I’m so blessed to have my own album and to have worked with such great writers and producers. It’s also an awesome blessing that my dream has come to be a part of the Star Music Family. God is good,” said Bailey. The Global Gwapito of UK is indeed blessed to have worked with Inspirational Diva Jamie Rivera, who served as his album’s overall album producer. Jamie also composed two tracks on the album – the catchy “Can You Be My Girl” and Bailey’s first single, “Gusto Kita.” His fans will also surely love the hiphop-laced “Boom goes My Heart,” the sparkling “Now We’re Together,” the inspiring “Gotta Win,” and Bailey’s version of “Build Me Up, Buttercup.” Bailey, which includes minus-one versions of all the tracks, can now be streamed on Spotify and will soon be available at all record bars nationwide. Digital tracks can also be downloaded via leading record stores all over the country and in online music stores such as iTunes, Mymusicstore.com.ph, Amazon.com, and Starmusic.ph. For more information, visit Starmusic.ph or follow Star Music’s official social media accounts at Facebook.com/starrecordsphil, Twitter. com/starrecordsph and Instagram. com/Starmusicph. Thirteen-year-old Fil-brit bailey May is now a certified recording artist with the release of his eponymous debut album under Star Music

Queen of TVC: Maine Mendoza already has almost two dozens of product endorsements to her name

W EDNES DAY : F EBRUA RY 3, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

HUGH GLASS’ INDOMITABLE SPIRIT NICKIE WANG

The much talked-about emotionally-charged final scene in The Revenant

egend says American frontiersman and fur trapper Hugh Glass died and rose from the dead. But that’s not case as told in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film The Revenant that gathers a highly pedigreed cast. In the critically acclaimed masterpiece, Glass is attacked by a grizzly bear lacerating the flesh on his back and neck. He is severely wounded but he survives the ordeal. Bloody but unbowed After Glass is badly mauled by a female bear while hunting, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) argues that Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) will not survive the journey back to their base. He suggests killing him to speed up their journey. Their commander, Andrew Henry (played by Domnhall Gleeson) decides to offer payment for several men to stay behind the badly wounded Glass instead. Taking the offer are Fitzgerald, Hawk (Glass’s son played

by Forrest Goodluck) and Jim Bridger (Will Poulter). Once alone with Glass, Fitzgerald tries to smother his fellow fur trapper who’s strapped on an improvised stretcher. Hawk discovers Fitzgerald’s rather selfish/ evil plan. A struggle ensues and Fitzgerald kills Hawk while Glass helplessly watches. When Bridger returns, Fitzgerald says Hawk is missing, and Glass is too injured to protest. Fitzgerald later lies that the Arikara (Native Americans who, in the film, hunt and kill white men) are nearby and that they must abandon Glass; he drags Glass into a makeshift grave. Bridger hesitates but then eventually flees with Fitzgerald. At this point, the story now hovers around Glass and how Leonardo DiCaprio effectively portrays the character without the aid of any dialogue. Indeed, actions speak louder than words as the

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 42 43 45 47 49 50 51 54 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE

1 5 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23

ACROSS 24 Campground Upstream spawner initials Term paper 25 Fish hawks “Fernando” band 29 Retiree’s income Loosen, as a grip 33 Gives a Pooh creator thumbs-up Clomped along 34 Slick Diet 36 Bullring bull Urban maps 37 Chewbacca’s pal Beyond risque 38 Wears a crown Thongs (hyph.) 39 — “King” Cole Some are raw 40 Singer Egg — yung — James

“Diana” artist Bread choice Slope downward Conifers On the — vive Toon pooch Take place Bob Dylan’s Mr. Exotic island Kind of race Tarzan’s title Was, to Ovid Banal Exasperate Longings Hold off on Worry a lot DOWN 1 Kind of portrait 2 Icy precip 3 — spumante 4 Cook in fat (hyph.) 5 Put to work 6 Granary, often 7 Smack 8 Aardvark’s diet 9 Be my guest! 10 Minimally (2 wds.) 11 La — Tar Pits 12 Tureen 13 Throws in 21 Persians, to

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2016

Greeks 22 “— Giovanni” 24 Deciding factors 25 Exclaimed over 26 Large aquarium fish 27 Dog breaths 28 Noise 29 Guilty and not guilty 30 Column order 31 Spout rhetoric 32 Observes 35 Class 38 Hindu royalty 41 Clears 43 Little chirper 44 Yearns for 46 KLM destination 48 Slightest chance 51 Knuckle under 52 Anagram of acre 53 Laird’s household 54 Singer — — King 55 Viking name 56 Fictional Eyre 57 Cafe au — 58 Della Street’s penner 59 Multitude 61 Free of

movie takes the audience to a virtual quest for survival relying solely on the actor’s painful groans and expressive eyes while overcoming his unimaginable adversities. It’s an immersive journey, to say the least, where a man’s spirit is put to the test facing conflicts with the forces of nature. Still bloody and severely wounded, Glass crawls and helps himself after being swept away by raging and frigid rapids, falling from a cliff and almost freezing while out in the chilly wilderness. In the process, Iñárritu features how beautiful yet unforgiving unchartered American forests were back in the 19th century. To say the mise en scene is flawless is an understatement - every angle, with the use of natural lighting (as claimed by the director) is generously and picturesquely set from one frame to another ultimately succeeding in making the audience understand the unpredictable

weather condition fur trappers experienced during that period. For one, The Revenant is a very smart film executed in a very thrilling fashion with Iñárritu uncovering a reality that is believable yet difficult to imagine – a person who has to crawl over hundreds of miles while in constant battle with malnutrition, harsh weather condition and some savage Arikara. But as we are all aware, Hugh Glass’s incredible tale of survival is a campfire legend. And what really happened to him depends on who tells the story. In The Revenant, by the time the film ends, the director’s fascinating interpretation of the story has already convinced the audience that his film speaks strongly not about the legend of the Pennsylvanian frontiersman but about the power of human’s indomitable spirit and that Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance is worthy of an Oscar.

W EDNES DAY : F EbruA rY 3, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. rED eDITor

isahred @ gmail.com

UAAP VolleybAll on AbS-Cbn SPortS + ACtion

he volleyball fever is on with the opening of the UAAP Season 78 Volleyball competition last Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena. Fans of volleyball superstars like Alyssa Valdez, Mika Reyes, and Jaja Santiago can catch the exciting action on the hard court live on ABS-CBN Sports +

Action. The eight participating schools have been hard at work for the upcoming season and it looks like that the action that will take place will be hard to gauge. Fans can look forward to more competitive and exciting games with all the teams strengthening their lineups to contend for the crown, currently held by the Ateneo Blue

Comebacking actress Claudine barretto stars in a new soap bakit Manipis ang ulap

Eagles and Ateneo Lady Eagles for the Men’s and Women’s divisions, respectively. Players to watch for Ateneo are Season 77 Most Valuable Players (MVP) MarckEspejo and Alyssa Valdez, for Adamson University it’s Michael Sudaria and MylenePaat, for De La Salle University it’s John Onia and the returning AraGalang, while Far

Eastern University has Greg Dolor and Bernadeth Pons leading the charge. Also ready to heat up the court are Vince Mangulabnan and Jaja Santiago of National University, Edward Camposano and ShayaAdorador of University of the East, Alfred Valbuena and Kathy Bersola of the University of the Philippines, and Kris De Guz-

CLAudine BArretto BACk on the soAp front SHTICKS JoSepH peTer GonzAleS

fter five long years, Claudine Barretto is officially back in the soap opera scene via TV5’s latest offering Bakit Manipis ang Ulap? “Yes! It feels good to be doing a soap once again. This is a grand project in which I’m sharing the frame with Diether Ocampo, Meg Imperial and Mr. Cesar Montano. What a great cast, right? Add to that the critically-acclaimed Mr. Joel La-

mangan as our director. It’s just the perfect comeback vehicle for me,” she says. The soap’s title sounds familiar. “Actually, this is the boob tube remake of the Danny Zialcita classic ‘80s movie which starred Janice de Belen, Tommy Abuel and Chanda Romero among others. It’s a touching story of love, acceptance, sacrifice and forgiveness. For sure, the viewers will love it!” Claudine is simply over-

barretto is joined by Diether Ocampo in the new TV5 small screen offering

whelmed by the reception she is receiving of late from the fans, entertainment press, network execs and friends with her television comeback. “It’s very encouraging! They are the ones who appear to be more excited for me and I’m just so grateful for their undying love and support despite my hiatus.” Speaking of her five-year absence in acting, the award-winning star reveals it helped her find normalcy in her life again. “Definitely, I will not trade those five years for anything else. It gave me time to fix a lot of things in the major areas in my life, especially the domestic part. My routine then was home, school, kids. Those times brought back balance in my existence, away from the fast-paced life in the ‘biz.” Many hope that her comeback will be for good. “That’s for sure! As I’ve mentioned earlier, my life is a lot better now. It’s more in place, so to speak. For one, all’s well in our family. At least now, I can work full blast without worrying about my children since I can leave them with my kin. Everything’s fine and I’m happy and grateful with such development,” ends Claudine.

Finally, Julia Clarete sheds light on the real reason of her sudden disappearance from the top-rating noontime show Eat Bulaga as one of its co-hosts. “Honestly, it was a tough decision to make,” she states. “I’ve been with the program for ten years already, so you can just imagine the friendships I’ve built and all our bonding moments together. It’s hard but I’ve got to make a choice!” Love life is the reason why she arrived at such decision. “My boyfriend and I are hitting our fifth year together so we thought that maybe, we can already move on. Take things to a higher level… start building a life together. At this point, I want to focus on my personal state, something which I can’t do if I have a daily show like EB. “I’m sorry to all EB supporters if I wasn’t able to say goodbye. Everything hap-

man and EJ Laure of the University of Santo Tomas. Tune in to the games every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for the UAAP Season 78 Volleyball season on ABS-CBN Sports + Action. For more info about the players and the teams participating, visit sports.abs-cbn.com, and follow their Facebook and Twitter (@abscbnsports) accounts.

2016 SAG Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: Spotlight Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Brie Larson, Room Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: Downton Abbey Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series: Kevin Spacey, House of Cards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series: Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Idris Elba, Luther Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in Television Movie or Miniseries: Queen Latifah, Bessie Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series: Orange Is the New Black Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series: UzoAduba, Orange Is the New Black Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture: Mad Max Fury Road Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series: Game of Thrones Lifetime Achievement Award: Carol Burnett

Julia Clarete

pened so fast. I will be based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from now on so I cannot do EB anymore. Of course, my exit was a clean one. I talked to the management regarding my situation and they wished me luck.” The talented host-singer-actress nixes the rumor that she’s in an interesting stage that’s why she left the program. “As in pregnant? For the record, no! I would also like to clarify the issue that I have friction with my EB co-hosts and it’s also one reason why I left. Of course not, in fact I will surely miss them as I trek my new path,” says Julia.

W EDNES DAY : F EBRUA RY 3, 2016

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Idris Elba

Viola Davis

Leonado DiCaptio is all smiles receiving his very first SAG trophy

AFTER SAG¼

WILL DICAPRIO GET HIS ACTING OSCAR THIS TIME? ema,” he said. “You realize we all stand on the shoulders of giants.” Previous to winning ISAH V. RED his peers’ accolade, DiCaprio also won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his perforLeonardo DiCaprio won mance in the same film. best actor for his perforNow, the question is, will mance in The Revenant. He he be the Oscar’s choice for received a standing ovation the best actor as well? as he accepted his award. Observers of the annual “I’m truly humbled by awards night seem cautious this because it comes from in answering the quesall of you, my fellow actors,” tion. One even said that he said adding that after he the Academy is know to starred in This Boy’s Life, he spring surprises, although started watching films to DiCaprio is notably a shoosoak up the history of mov- in for the honors, anything ies. can still happen. “For any young actors Meanwhile, four black out there, I encourage you actors including Idris Elba, to watch the history of cin- who won twice, take home

Cast and Crew of Downton Abbey

statues as Spotlight cast won the top prize. The Screen Actors Guild awards provided a counterbalance to the much-protested lack of ethnic diversity the Oscar nominations as the actors union honored four black actors: Idris Elba, who won two awards, Viola Davis, UzoAduba and Queen Latifah. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to diverse TV,” said Elba, presenting an award after Davis’s win. The British actor won outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role for Beasts of No Nation, and outstanding performance by a male actor in a TV movie or miniseries for Luther. He has been

Uzo Aduba

overlooked entirely for the Oscars. The top award went to Spotlight for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, about the Boston Globe’s expose of a network of pedophile priests. Michael Keaton dedicated the award to “the disenfranchised everywhere, for every Flint, Michigan in the world, for the disadvantaged and the powerless”. He added: “There’s fair and there’s unfair and I’m always going to vote for the good guys.” The TV awards saw streaming sites dominate, with Netflix’s Orange is the New Black taking two awards and Jeffrey Tambor taking outstanding perfor-

Alicia Vikander

mance by a male actor in a comedy series for his lead role as a transgender woman in Amazon’s Transparent. Tambor dedicated his award to the transgender people who don’t have the wealth and privileges of his character, “for their operations, for their medicines, for their freedom”. Winning outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series, Davis gave arguably the most stirring speech of the night, saying: “People are always saying, ‘Wow, Annalise is an antihero. Don’t you worry she’s not likable? Don’t you worry that she’s not a mentor?’ And I always think: ‘Why do I have to be a hero? Why do you

Brie Larson

have to like me? Why do I have to be a mentor?’ My job as an actor is to create a human being to the best of my ability. Flawed, messy, maybe not always likable. Maybe not cute. But it is my job and I do it to the best of my ability and I get so much joy out of being an actor.” Meanwhile, Alicia Vikander, who won outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role for The Danish Girl, thanked the trans community in her tearful acceptance speech, another indication of the respect for diversity that set this ceremony apart from the Oscars. For the complete list of SAG winners, turn to C7.

Kevin Spacey