The Standard - 2016 February 11 - Thursday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXIX NO. 364 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 THURSday : FEBRUaRy 11, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Mar tells rivals to declare fitness

POLL: VOTERS SEE POE’S ‘POSITIVES’ By Joyce Pangco Pañares

VOTERS backed the presidential bid of Senator Grace Poe because they saw in her eight out of 10 positive attributes that candidates for the May 9 elections should have, the latest The Standard Poll showed.

POLL

Mass media also contributed greatly to Poe’s widening lead over other presidential bets, with her “Huwag Tayong Mag-iwanan” advertisement—released after the Supreme Court stopped the Commission on Elections from disqualifying her—getting the highest net likability at +65 among other campaign messages. Of the 10 positive attributes, Poe was the top choice of majority of Filipino voters in the following: has a clean reputation (64 percent), is honest (59 percent), will stand up for people like you (58 percent), will fulfill promises (58 percent), has the best plan for the country (58 percent), will bring the change we need (57 percent), and can unite the country (54 percent). A plurality of the respondents (49 percent) said Poe is a strong leader. It was only for the attributes “has many accomplishments/good track record” and “can instill discipline among Filipinos” that Vice President Jejomar Binay and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte emerged as the top choices, with 57 percent and 50 perNext page cent, respectively.

Incumbents still ahead in Senate race By Adelle Chua INCUMBENT and reelectionist senators continue to top the senatorial race, according to The Standard Poll’s resident pollster, Junie Laylo, in a survey conducted between Jan. 27 and Feb. 4, 2016. Senator Vicente Sotto III of the Nationalist People’s Coalition ranked first in the survey with 54 percent of all survey respondents saying they would vote for him. Behind him are Senate President Franklin Drilon with 43 percent and Senator Ralph Recto, both from the Liberal Party, with 43 and 42 percent, respectively. Former Senators Francisco Pangilinan of the Liberal Party and Panfilo Lacson, an independent candidate, placed fourth and fifth, with 41 and 40 percent share of respondents nationwide, respectively. Next page

Launching. Presidential candidate Grace Poe greets supporters while launching a campaign for the May national elections in Manila on Tuesday. AFP

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PH: Good numbers, but still poor By Christine F. Herrera

LAWMAKERS on Wednesday lamented that while the country’s economic indicators have improved, the Philippines remains in the list of the world’s poorest countries.

Poll: ... From A1

On the other hand, Poe was not the top choice in any of the eight negative attributes that may apply to presidential candidates. Senator Miriam Santiago was the top choice for the following attributes: have not heard much about his/her accomplishments (47 percent), platform and plans for the country are not clear (41 percent), and not yet ready to be president (37 percent). Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas also led in three of the eight negative attributes: will cater to vested interests (39 percent), poor in making decisions (41 percent), and will only rely on

Incumbents... From A1

The Standard Poll conducted surveys among 3,000 respondents across the country, with 300 from the National Capital region, 700 from Northern and Central Luzon, 600 from South Luzon and Bicol, 700 in the

advisers (45 percent). At least 50 percent of the respondents perceived Binay as “can be corrupt” while 49 percent said Duterte “has a tendency to be a dictator.” Closely behind Poe’s “Huwag Tayong Mag-iwanan” advertisement was Binay’s “Ginhawa Sa Buhay ng Bawat Pilipino” with +60 net likability and Santiago’s “Matapang, Matalino, MakaDiyos” with +59. When asked who among the presidential bets could best respond or resolve specific issues, Poe was the top choice for ensuring job creation (28 percent) and preparing for any calamity (27 percent); Binay for improving foreign relations (28 percent) and helping the poor (31 percent); and Duterte for reducing corruption (29 percent), fighting criminality (46 per-

cent), and maintaining peace in Mindanao (45 percent). The Standard Poll also showed that Poe was the top second choice for president of the “soft voters” or those who may still change their preference until the May 9 polls of all the other candidates. Poe will get 45 percent of Binay’s soft voters, 60 percent of Roxas’ soft voters, 33 percent of Duterte’s soft voters, and 30 percent of Santiago’s soft voters. Roxas, however, will benefit the most out of Poe’s soft voters, standing to get 35 percent if they change their minds. As for who is the presidential bet that respondents will never vote for, 38 percent said they will not vote for the late Ambassador Roy Señeres (during the survey period, the deceased had yet

to withdraw his Certificate of Candidacy). Señeres was followed by independent candidate Dante Valencia with 33 percent, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino standard bearer Romel Mendoza with 28 percent, Duterte with 27 percent, Santiago with 24 percent, Roxas with 19 percent, Binay with 15 percent, and Poe with only 6 percent. The survey, conducted by resident pollster Junie Laylo from Jan. 27 to Feb. 4 had 3,000 respondents—all of whom are registered voters with biometrics and who said they are sure to vote in next year’s elections. Respondents came from 79 provinces across the country and the 17 cities in the National Capital Region. It has a national margin of error of +/- 1.8 percent.

Visayas and 700 from Mindanao. All respondents were biometrically registered voters and said they are certain to vote in the May 2016 elections. Other names that emerged in the Top 10 were that of Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel (36 percent), Leila de Lima (35 percent), Sherwin Gatch-

alian and Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso (both 35 percent), and Juan Miguel Zubiri (34 percent). For the senatorial race, 65 percent of those polled nationwide said they “will definitely no longer change” their preferences while 35 percent said they “may still change.” Asked which candidate

they would never vote for, respondents nationwide cited Ina Amboldito (39 percent), Rafael Alunan III (38 percent), Godofredo Arquiza (35 percent), Tonyboy Aquino (35 percent) and Levito Baligod (33 percent), among others. The Standard Poll has a margin of error of +/-1.8 percent nationwide.

Citing the latest United Nations Human Development Report, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the Philippines is ranked 117th in the list of the world’s 187 poor countries. The country’s poor ranking has prompted senatorial candidate Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to bat for more jobs to combat poverty. “Creating more jobs is the solution to our poverty problem. This, in turn, is a function of attracting the right investments and putting in place the correct macroeconomic policies,” Romualdez said. Rodriguez said the Philippines is rated among Egypt, Paraguay, Gabon, Bolivia, El Salvador, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Syria, and Iraq, which are in 100 to 120 levels. The Philippines belongs to the medium human development bracket unlike its neighbors Malaysia and Thailand, which came at 62nd place and 89th place, respectively, which put them in the high human development bracket, Rodriguez said. In fact, the Philippines ranked below all but Indonesia among the five founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The UN report observed that when countries with similar starting points take different development paths, “national forces, policies, institutions, social context and idiosyncratic shocks” affect the outcome. “We have had modest economic growth in recent years, but the important thing is for such growth to create more jobs and livelihood opportunities,” Romualdez said. “Jobs for the jobless and better jobs for the underemployed should be part and parcel of the economic platforms of candidates during this campaign,” he said. Rodriguez said the report also cited the Philippines as one of the countries where the connection between social exclusion and conflict can be illustrated. “It means that these are places where a significant part of the population become vulnerable due to conflict situations such as insurgencies, rebellions or separatist movements,” Rodriguez said. The UN report, Rodriguez said, takes the view that vulnerability threatens human development, he added. “Unless it is systematically addressed by changing policies and social norms, progress will be neither equitable nor sustainable,” he added. Romualdez, on the other hand, noted that JP Morgan observed that the key markets within the Asean, including the Philippines, were proving to be resilient as their currencies have adjusted to recent global shocks. The outcome of the May elections, he said, would determine if the country’s modest economic growth could be sustained over the next five years. Romualdez, a lawyer and president of Philippine Constitution Association or Philconsa, is running as an independent senatorial candidate on a platform of “compassionate governance.” His Senate bid has been endorsed by two presidential bets, Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of PDP-Laban.

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Roxas says rivals must reveal state of health

Message. President Benigno Aquino III delivers a message to the League of Municipalities of the Philippines’ general assembly at the Marriott Hotel on Wednesday. Malacañang Photo Bureau

Binay says P30b a year being lost to smugglers VICE President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday slammed the government’s failure to curb smuggling, saying smuggling was causing more than P30 billion in revenue losses a year. “Billions of pesos of revenues are lost in smuggling. Billions more are wasted due to government agencies’ wrong spending,” the United Nationalist Alliance’s presidential bet said. Binay made his statement even as a legal expert said the Office of the Ombudsman’s affirmation of probable cause against Vice President Jejomar Binay and his son, dismissed Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, over the alleg-

edly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II was a repudiation of a Supreme Court decision in November last year. Former Integrated Bar of the Philippines national president Vicente Joyas said the Ombudsman should have recognized the high court ruling saying the abandonment of the condonation doctrine was prospective and could not be applied to Junjun Binay’s case.

“If the Ombudsman insists on not applying the condonation doctrine in the Junjun Binay case, the Ombudsman is acting in total disobedience of the ruling of the SC in the Junjun case that the abandonment of the condonation doctrine must be applied prospectively,” Joyas said. Former University of the East law dean Amado Valdez agreed. Jejomar Binay said for almost six straight years under the Aquino administration, the Bureau of Customs had failed to attain its annual revenue target due to unabated smuggling. He cited a Commission on Audit report saying Customs collected just P366.9 billion in 2015,

which was 16 percent short of the total collection target of P436.5 billion for that year. The 2015 collection of P366.9 billion was also lower by 0.6 percent compared to the 2014 collection of P369.2 billion. UNA said rampant smuggling had become widespread because of the inability of the government to prevent smuggled goods from flooding the local market. In his speech kicking off UNA’s campaign in Mandaluyong, Binay vowed to fight all forms of illegal activity, adding his priority was to uplift the lives of the Filipino people left behind by the current administration. Vito Barcelo and rey e. requejo

ADMINISTRATION standard bearer Manuel Roxas II on Wednesday urged his rivals to reveal their health records, saying the Filipinos deserved to know everything about their prospective leaders including their health status. “I am for a public and transparent [disclosure of medical records].” Roxas said. “Our elections are nothing different from a job interview. When someone screens us for a job, the employer’s making sure that everything’s made known— their experience, track record and health. Why not make these things the same in choosing the President?” Roxas made his statement even as Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday denied he is suffering from kidney problems or any illness. He brushed off Roxas’ statement that he would not allow himself to be beaten by a thief again. Binay won the vice presidential elections against Roxas in the 2010 national elections by a wide margin. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, another presidential candidate, is being hounded by her ongoing battle against lung cancer. A doctor had earlier questioned Santiago’s health condition and wondered if she was fit enough to seek the highest post. But Santiago said she will not reveal her medical records, citing her right to privacy. In a statement on her Facebook page July last year, Santiago asked for the prayers of her supporters so she could fully recover from her ailment. Another presidential aspirant, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, was earlier rumored to have “throat cancer” but he denied it. John Paolo Bencito and Vito Barcelo

Duterte: Straight Path a sham DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday slammed the administration’s “Daang Matuwid” or straight path platform, saying it failed to stop corruption and rising criminality because it was just an illusion. “I’m running [for President] because I’m angry with the government,” Duterte said during the start of the PDP-Laban’s campaign in Tondo, Manila, on Tuesday night. “There is no straight path.” Duterte said the Aquino administration was too inefficient to solve the Filipinos’ problems. “This government may be of the people and by the people, but definitely this government is not for the people,” he said. But the leaders of the ruling Liberal Party dismissed Duterte’s statement, saying he had no experience and the country would be doomed under his presidency. President Benigno Aquino III, who was catapulted to the presidency after the death of his mother Corazon Aquino, brought the term “Daang Matuwid” to national prominence in 2010 after his administration filed various corruption charges against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He promised that

under the straight path, he would end corruption and make the country progressive. Former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Aquino’s anointed, promised to build on what Aquino had achieved under the straight path. In his home province Capiz on Tuesday, Roxas vowed to “defeat thieves, tricksters and abusers” who, he said, were blocking the straight path, referring to his rivals Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe and Duterte. Roxas’ allies said Duterte must be “really blind” after failing to see the benefits under the straight path, including the economic gains made by the administration. The LP’s chairman for political and electoral affairs, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, said Duterte’s mindset of “instant solutions” on curing the country’s problems would bring the country greater harm. “Reforms cannot be done overnight, the mistakes of the past 40 years cannot be cured in 6 years. His instant solutions to problems are doomed to create more problems to our Proclamation. Presidential and vice presidential candidates Rodrigo Duterte and Peter country and people,” Erice told The Standard Cayetano face their supporters during their proclamation rally in Tondo, Manila, Tuesday night. in a text message. John Paolo Bencito Danny Pata

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Comelec explains code errors By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Elections has trashed the first set of source codes it deposited in escrow with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas after its code auditor found errors in the “trusted build” submitted by election equipment supplier Smartmatic, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said Wednesday.

Ashes to ashes. A pupil of the

San Felipe Neri Parochial School in Mandaluyong City gets a reminder of his mortality and accountability with the imposition of a cross of ash on his forehead during Ash Wednesday. EY ACASIO

Solon pushes govt salary hike By Maricel V. Cruz SENATORIAL candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on Wednesday challenged Malacañang to fast-track the implementation of the first tranche of the proposed salary hike for 1.53 million state workers through executive action as malasakit (compassion) to state workers. Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said the government should expedite the salary increase as an alternative option following the failure of Congress’ bicameral conference committee to break the impasse on the proposed P226-billion four-year Salary

Standardization Law (SSL) 4. “We welcome the plan of Malacañang to implement the planned salary hike through executive order, but we should do it quickly and fast-track the process because state workers and their loved ones need it badly,” said Romualdez, head of the House Independent Bloc and a threeterm congressman who is running for the Senate under a platform anchored on compassionate governance. Romualdez made the statement in response to the announcement of the Department of Budget and Management that it will submit to Malacañang its recommendation for an executive order to be

issued by President Benigno Aquino III. “Our state workers deserve salary increase a long time ago and we should not be keeping them waiting,” Romualdez, a shared senatorial candidate of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who are both running for president, said. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad earlier cited Section 13 of Presidential Decree No. 985 and Item 17 (iv) of Congress Joint Resolution 4, s. 2009, which authorizes the President to periodically revise or update, upon the recommendation of the DBM, the government’s Compensation and Position Classification System.

At the same time, the election watchdog Fairness, Accuracy, Integrity, Transparency and Honesty in Elections urged the Ombudsman and the Supreme Court to resolve the cases filed against the Comelec and its supplier Smartmatic-TIM to ensure the implementation of security measures for the 2016 elections. Bautista said the US software testing firm SLI Global Solutions Inc., its program auditor, found errors in the file copy, or ISO image, of the source code of the consolidated and canvassing system, one of three programs that will be used in the May 9 elections. “We didn’t see it during the build process itself. But once we finished building that image, we sent it to the lab. We went to install it and realized that there was an issue,” said SLI senior test manager Michael Santos. Santos said they also found errors in the code of the vote counting machines which was supposed to pick up the marks on the ballot. The VCM rejected one- to two-percent of the ballots because of small, out-ofplace marks in the paper. “The VCM was detecting them and rejecting them, which is a good thing because it is showing that it’s capable of catching just about any mark,” he said, adding that Smartmatic later made changes in the code so that the machine would not reject the ballots because of dots in the paper. Santos said they did not find any errors when they checked the actual source code of the CCS when the source code for the election management system was placed in escrow with the central bank last Jan. 27. But Santos said finding errors is normal during the source code review. “We usually do several trusted builds before we reach what we call a ‘golden trusted build’, where no more issues are found and are considered as final. It’s just the nature of software development,” Santos said.

Poe’s husband in limelight By Christine F. Herrera THE American citizen-husband of independent presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe came under the limelight on Wednesday after journalists pressed Poe’s campaign manager on what role he would take if the senator is elected to office. Cebu Rep. Joseph “Ace” Durano, campaign manager of the Poe-(Senator Francis) Escudero team said Poe’s husband Neil Llamanzares will work “behind the scenes” during the campaign. “Sir Neil [Llamanzares] is more of a husband than anything else. So, if we see Sir Neil in the campaign [trail], it will not be, you know, shouting, ‘vote for Senator Grace.’ We would see a husband just supporting Senator Grace [Poe],” Durano told House reporters when grilled during the Ugnayan sa Batasan forum. “His role would be low key but high impact,” Durano said. Should Poe get elected as president,

Durano said Llamanzares’ role as first gentleman would be relegated to a merely “social function” and not an official function. Pressed that as first gentleman, Llamanzares would undoubtedly represent his president-wife in some official and diplomatic functions. Durano had this to say: “Well, there are many diplomatic functions in Malacañang, so, of course, the spouse is there, but it doesn’t mean that he has official function for being there.” “That is more of a social role. That is more of a social role rather than a legal or governmental role.” Asked if Llamanzares has already renounced his American citizenship, along with his children, or that if he carries dual citizenship, Durano said, “Actually, I do not know. I do not know.” He said there was no prohibition for Llamanzares to show up in his wife’s provincial sorties. In fact, Durano said, Llamanzares was at the proclamation rally of the Team Galing at Puso.

Improper self-promotion. A worker of the Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety removes campaign materials illegally posted in various places in the city. MANNY PALMERO

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Anti-age bias bill okayed on 2nd reading By Maricel V. Cruz

Poll safety. Less than 90 days to the national elections, various groups gather to form the ‘Faith e Coalition’ at the Quezon City Memorial Circle to

clamor for the full implementation of a law that mandates the activation of all security features of the precinct count optical scan machines and other safety nets that were not implemented in the 2010 and 2013 elections. MANNY PALMero

6 more solons buck SSS veto; Leni silent At leAst six members of the liberal Party in the House of Representatives have signed the resolution to override President Benigno s. Aquino III’s veto of the sss pension hike, bringing to 65 the number of lawmakers supporting efforts spearheaded by Rep. Neri Colmenares to gather the 192 signatures required to defeat the presidential veto. The latest signatory from the LP is Marikina 1st district Rep. Marcelino Teodoro, who joins five other LP representatives who initially signed the resolution: Pedro Acharon Jr., Rosemarie Arenas, Rodolfo Biazon, Manuel Iway, and Roman Romulo. Acharon, Biazon, Iway, Romulo, and Teodoro were among the 211 representatives who originally voted in favor of the pension hike on June 9, 2015. LP vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo, who also voted for

the hike last June, was not among the LP solons who crossed party lines to support the Colmenares resolution. house records also show that she was absent when senior citizens trooped to the Batasan Pambansa last week for the house’s last session to show support for veto override resolution. In a Facebook post, activist Mae Paner, better known as Juana Change, minced no words as she slammed LP solons for having time to campaign but no

time to listen to senior citizens who trooped to Congress last week to push for the SSS pension hike. “May time kayo mangampanya pero ni wala kayong binigay na karampot na oras para pakinggan ang hinaing ng mga seniors? Ito ba ang tuwid na Daan? (You have time to campaign but you can’t even spare a bit of your time to hear the concerns of our senior citizens? Is this the straight path?)” Paner also scored LP members who reversed their positions on the pension hike after initially supporting the measure. Addressing LP stalwart Rep. Jorge “Bolet” Banal of the 3rd district of Quezon City, Paner said “nabago lang naman pagtingin nyo nung nag veto na si PNoy eh. [Your views only changed when PNoy vetoed the bill.]”

Despite voting for the SSS pension hike earlier, LP members in both the Senate and the Lower house have taken turns defending Aquino’s decision to veto the bill. Among LP reps who initially voted for the measure are its spokespersons, Rep. edgar erice, Rep. Barry Gutierrez, and Rep. Miro Quimbo. Senate President Franklin Drilon, after announcing in December that the hike would be an early Christmas gift for retirees, later said that he respected the decision of the President. even LP presidential bet Mar Roxas has also come out in defense of the veto, stressing that Aquino’s veto “is the right decision.” If the override initiative in the house succeeds, the Senate will also have to vote on the measure. A total of 16 senators, or two-thirds of the Senate, will make the vetoed SSS pension bill into a law.

The house of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill seeking to prohibit the discrimination against any individual in employment on account of age. In a unanimous vote, the house passed the proposed “Anti-Age Discrimination in employment Act,” which calls for the state to promote equal opportunities in employment for everyone, hence its policy shall be to promote employment of individuals on the basis of their abilities, knowledge, skills and qualifications rather than their age. One of the bill’s authors, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said the measure was in accordance with the policy of the State prohibiting arbitrary age limitations in employment and promote the rights of all employees and workers, regardless of age, to be treated equally in terms of compensation, benefits, promotion, training and other employment opportunities. Zarate, a lawyer and member of the Makabayan Bloc, said said in these times of global recession, a number of Filipinos have lost their jobs, while many employers have limited the work hours of their employees and reduced their take- home pay. Zarate stressed unemployment rate has gone up, especially as fresh graduates continue to join the labor force. Because of this, a new type of discrimination has emerged, which is discrimination against an individual due to age.

3,300 want Valentine’s date with Marcos By Macon Araneta FIve days after the contest was opened, at least 3,300 entries have been received from those who have always wanted a date with vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. during this valentine’s season. Posted on his official Facebook page (https://www. fa c e bo ok .c om / bong bong marcos), anyone can win a lunch date with Marcos this February by simply sending an entry to his social media page. All netizens have to do is go to his official Bongbong Marcos Facebook page

and click on the contest entitled “Bongbong Into My Heart” or simply logging into the http://bbm. ph/BongbongIntoMyHeart app. They will then be asked to log in their basic personal details. Anyone can send as many entries until Feb. 15, 2016. The winner will be announced on Feb. 17. Details of the lunch date will be announced in the website. Meanwhile, Ilocos Sur leaders on Tuesday aired their full support for Marcos’ vice presidential bid as he swiftly moved to consolidate the vaunted “Solid North” immediately after the formal launch of his campaign in

his home province of Ilocos Norte. Led by Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Singson and his father, former governor Luis “Chavit” Singson, business groups, people’s organizations, professionals, and other civic groups from the province and adjacent areas came in force to welcome Marcos at the Plaza Maestro Convention Center in vigan City. “his running for the vice presidency provides us new hope for the Ilocandia. Drawing inspiration from the past, I am confident that he would bring us further into a better future. Let us turn this into reality,” said Governor Singson.

Bongbong and Martin. Former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Chavit Singson (center)

endorses vice presidential candidate Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos (right) and his cousin senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez during the assembly of Abra leaders at the covered court of Bangued, Abra. Ver NoVeNo

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Drug sting nets 7 suspects, P15m Marcelino’s transfer from police jail bucked By Rey E. Requejo THE Philippine National PoliceAnti-Illegal Drugs Group on Wednesday opposed the bid of the Department of Justice to move detained Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino out of Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City pending preliminary investigation on drug charges. PNP-AIDG chief Sr. Supt. Manolo Ozaeta opposed the recommendation of investigating Senior Deputy State Prosecutor of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology for the transfer of Marcelino to the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation or the Philippine Navy of which he is in the active service. “Allowing the transfer of LTC Marcelino will commence a bad precedent and open the floodgate of similar requests from members of the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] who are now languishing in jails,” Ozaeta said. “To address negative public perception that respondent LTC Marcelino enjoys special treatment while in detention, it is best to detain him pending preliminary investigation at the BJMP facility,” the PNP-AIDG official said. As to the concern raised by the DoJ on security and safety of Marcelino in Camp Bagong Diwa where detained drug suspects were arrested, the PNP-AIDG official believes that BJMP is “highly capable and specially trained” to handle the situation. In a related development, Marcelino’s co-respondent Yan Yi Shuo also insisted he was innocent of the drug charges filed against him by the PNP-AIDG in a counter-affidavit submitted to the DoJ in hearing yesterday. According to Yan, he is an “action agent” of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and that his presence in the raided drug facility was also part of a covert operation.

By Joel Zurbano and Florante Solmerin

LAWMEN arrested seven persons, including a bigtime drug trafficker operating in Manila, and seized from them more than three kilos of shabu valued at P15 million during a buy-bust operation in Binondo on Tuesday. The latest operation brings to 3,762 the total number of suspected drug traffickers arrested in Manila during the continuing campaign against illegal drug dealing launched by the Manila Police District and the National Capital Region Police Office. NCR-CIDG chief Ronald Lee led the buy-bust in Binondo. Mayor Joseph Estrada presented the seven suspects to the media and identified one of them—Karen Mae Tan, 37, as a notorious drug pusher who used a flower shop as front for her illegal activities.

Three of the suspects were also identified as Bernadette Tagle, 43; Aina Marquez, 28, and Arman Okba, 41. Estrada confronted the suspects and aired a stern warning against drug pushers, dealers and traffickers not to use any part of Manila in their illegal activities. “We will not tolerate any illegal activity here in Manila. Even if you are a police officer, barangay official or anyone, if you are involved, you are going to jail,” said Estrada, as he confronted the suspects.

Estrada said joint operatives of the MPD and NCR Criminal Investigation and Detection Group conducted the drug sting around 4:45 p.m. at the Epitome Flower Shop situated at Room 809-B of the Pacific Centre Building. Police conducted a week-long surveillance operation against the suspects following information that the flower shop is being used as front in the illegal activity. “The flower shop has business permit but it does not have flowers in its display areas,” said Estrada. The suspects are now detained at the MPD detention center and were charged with violation of the anti-dangerous drug act before the Manila Prosecutors Office. Aside from arresting drug traffickers and persons wanted for murder, the MPD also able to neutralize several groups responsible for car thefts, kidnap for ransom, and

armed-robbery incidents in the city. Estrada earlier commended MPD director Rolando Nana and his men for the neutralization of big-time criminal gangs like Burdado Carnap Group, Balweg/Navarro Drug Group, Sanaya Drug Syndicate, Dominguez Robbery Group, Magbutay Robbery Group, Burgos Robbery Group, Macalanda Robbery Group, Toper Group, and Guiroy Robbery Group. He said “There would be no economic growth without peace and order. Giving the policemen their due wages and allowances would encourage them to perform better.” During the MPD’s 115th anniversary celebration last month, Estrada noted that his administration has poured in at least P136 million in funds for the allowance and other financial needs of the policemen, and P150 million for the procurement of equipment.

Online service. Entrepreneurs cash in on modern technology and offer online services to applicants using their mobile phones along a sidewalk near the NBI office in Manila on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016. DANNY PATA

MMDA collects a ton of ‘epal’ posters By Joel E. Zurbano

Citation. Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Muntinlupa executives award the plaque of recognition to Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (2nd from left) for his commitment to uphold peace and order for a safe business environment during the Chamber’s General Membership Meeting on Feb. 9, 2016 at Vivere Hotel in Muntinlupa City. From left: PCCI-Muntinlupa president Elvie Sanchez-Quiazon, Chito Borromeo, Gina Jimenez, and Ellen Montehermoso Stokes of Fil-American Chamber of Commerce.

A TON of “epal” posters and other illegal and unsafe election campaign materials was collected by the Metro Manila Development Authority during the first two days of its “Oplan Baklas” operation. Francis Martinez, MMDA Metro Parkway Clearing Group head, said as of 11 a.m., his team was able to remove more than one ton of campaign materials posted outside the common poster area set by the Commission on Elections. He said the operation covered the areas of Plaza Miranda, Lawton, Moriones, Dagupan and North Cemetery in Manila. To prevent the candidates’ supporters from resisting, Martinez said his team only removed campaign materials outside the common poster area. “Our men have a list of common

poster areas provided by Comelec,” he said. On the first day, the MMDA was able to collect at least a truckload of illegally posted campaign materials in some parts of Manila and Quezon City. The Department of Public Works and Highways is helping the MMDA and the Comelec in the campaign. DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson ordered his men to dismantle election propaganda materials posted alongside or in all ongoing or recently completed DPWH projects. “This is our way of supporting the ‘anti-epal’ campaign or the citizens’ call on politicians not to use government projects as accessory resources to drumbeat their accomplishments at the expense of taxpayers’ money,” said Singson. Epal is street lingo for the Fili-

pino term “mapapel” or one who craves attention, takes credit for other people’s work, or needlessly meddles in their affairs. The Comelec, in a resolution, tapped the two agencies to remove election propaganda materials posted on bridge approaches, road and bridge railings, road signage, chevrons, crib walls, ripraps, and in other similar public structures within the road right-of-way limits. Environmentalist group Ecowaste Coalition reiterated its call to all candidates to support the “Basura-Free Elections” they initiated in coordination with the Comelec and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “As actions speak louder than words, please roll out a green campaign that will not add to our garbage woes,” said Aileen Lucero, Ecowaste coordinator.

t h u r s D AY : f e b r u A r Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Lawyers’ group wants to halt ‘overpriced’ Butuan project

Farmers’ Day. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao conduct a grand farmers’ day and rice harvest festival in Barangay Katil, Datu Paglas in Maguindanao. OMAR MANGORSI

Soldiers clash with MILF, not BIFF, in Maguindanao By Florante Solmerin, Francisco Tuyay Government troops from the Army’s 61st Division reconnaisance exchanged a series of firefights over the past six days with the moro Islamic Liberation Front and not the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters as previously believed, even as a military spokesman insisted the military fought with the BIFF although the sites of encounter were close to mILF areas. Ground commanders who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were verifying re-

ports that troops they had encountered in Maguindanao were actually from the MILF. “Or, it

could be a composite of both groups,” one of them told The Standard in a phone interview. Captain Jo-An petinglay, spokesperson of the Army’s 6th infantry Division, said the firefight between the soldiers and the BIFF started Friday in Datu Salibo have spread to Barangay Dawang in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town. One soldier was wounded in the encounter. Another military source said “earlier today, our forces came in contact with elements they believed were BIFF but turned out to

be MILF forces.” MILF spokesman Von An Haq, in a published report, blamed the soldiers for not coordinating their ongoing pursuit of the BIFF and simply going into an MILF area. This is a similar argument for the fighting involving the philippine National policeSpecial Action Force in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25, 2015. The clashes occurred after the failure of Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law last week.

A GrOup of lawyers has filed a petition to stop the implementation of an allegedly anomalous and overpriced p120-million heavy equipment project of Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante. In their petition, lawyers Clint Dabalos, Dennis Bacala, Araceli LuyahanOrcilla, Vincent Jose Fortun and Dendo ugarde asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order or writ of preliminary injunction against the project. The petition was raffled off to the sala of Judge Augustus Calo of Branch 5 of the regional Trial Court of Agusan del Norte and Butuan City. It was docketed Civil Case No. 7263. The petitioners discovered that the heavy equipment that will be supplied by Conequip were all made from China and considered as the cheapest in Asia. However, the price of heavy equipment indicated in the bidding documents from Conequip were far higher compared to branded heavy machineries in the market. Aside from Amante, the lawyers also included private contractor Conequip phils. Inc. and members of the Bids and Awards Committee as respondents. The petitioners claimed that the price of 11 different heavy equipment awarded to Conequip phils. Inc. was “glaringly excessive and displays a badge of corruption.” Conequip phils. Inc. won the bidding to supply one crawler-type excavator, four 10-wheeler dump truck, two pneumatic pavement breaker, one motor grader, one vibratory compactor, one 10-wheeler tractor head, three 6-wheeler 4 x 2 garbage compactor, two 6-wheeler garbage compactor truck, one transit mixer and one vacuum and jetting truck. The lawyers also asked the court to order the respondents to produce the documents pertaining to the contract, which is presently under their full control and custody. Despite the lack of documents in their possession, the petitioners conducted extensive research and analysis on Conequip’s heavy equipment and the results were “dumbfounding.” “petitioners are making the stand for and in behalf of every citizen and taxpayer of Butuan City. If we allow our government officials to snoop into our government coffers and let them get away with it easily, then our City has no way of reaching its envisioned moral destination,” the petitioners said.

Ombudsman to probe 600 officials for illegal dumps By Rio N. Araja

Dance rally. Theater actor Monique Wilson leads the One Billion Rising Eastern Visayas Program in Tacloban City. MEL CASPE

ABOuT 600 mayors, vice mayors and councilors in 13 administrative regions are in trouble for illegal dump sites. The Office of the Ombudsman will investigate close to 600 local officials for alleged violation of republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. romeo Hidalgo, Ecowaste Coalition commissioner, filed at least 50 complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman, saying involved mayors, vice mayors and councilors have “the mandate to establish policies and having control over

the funds of the city” and that “they conspired in committing the violations of rA No. 9003 within their jurisdiction.” He invoked the law stipulating that “no open dump sites shall be established and operated, nor any practice or disposal of solid waste by any person, including local government units, which constitutes the use of open dumps for solid wastes, be allowed after the effectivity of this Act, every LGu shall convert its open dumps to controlled dumps.” In 2013, the Environmental Ombudsman program, in collaboration with the

Department of Environment and Natural resources’ Environmental Management Bureau, kicked off a threeyear nationwide campaign to heighten public awareness of the law and promote voluntary compliance. under the program, the local governments were directed to conduct their respective self-assessment as to their compliance status and to voluntarily implement corrective actions. Two years after the implementation, tracer results showed the law remained to be the least prioritized local government program.

T H U R S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

DUTY CALLS FLORENCIO FIANZA

POVERTY

[ EDI TORI A L ]

PERSONS OVER PLANS

THIS newspaper marks its 29th anniversary today, curiously at a time of both uncertainty and certainty. The uncertainty stems from the coming May elections where, a recent survey says, a good percentage of voters have not yet made up their minds on whom to support for the top post. Given the issues faced by this nation on all fronts and at all levels of governance, electing the next batch of national and local leaders and making sure the votes are counted properly are at the top of our concerns. How will the candidates’ promises measure up to what they would actually accomplish when they have secured their election? Over the decades, we have become painfully aware of the disconnect between campaigns and reality. How can we arrest the widening gap between the rich and the poor, the continued absence of opportunities, the poor infrastructure and the life-altering threat posed by climate change? Finally, how can we even be sure that the supposedly technologybased vote counting and canvassing system will be safe from those planning to rig the results? What will the next months and years look like and will these translate to an improved life for most of us? Despite these, some things remain certain. Foremost is that Filipinos still prefer to evaluate their candidates on the images they project rather than the substance they can potentially bring to the table. Perception remains key, despite exhortations on the voting public to deliberate before they make their choice. As a result, candidates’ handlers resort to catchy messages that appeal to emotions rather than encourage people to compare and contrast the officials running against each other on objective measures. What a convenient way to keep voters unintelligent. The Standard enters another year—nay, another decade—of bringing news to its readers. Here’s to reporting better developments more effectively.

I MISS HIM ALREADY LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES I DON’T know about you, but I sure am going to miss President Noynoy Aquino when he steps down from office. I guess I’ll have to look outside of Malacañang Palace for amusement after he’s gone. The Daily Guardian of Iloilo reported a strange incident that took place during Aquino’s visit to that province the other day to inaugurate some new classrooms and to attend the

proclamation of his anointed successor, former Secretary Mar Roxas. I am quoting from the local newspaper directly, which published the story under the byline of Louine Hope Conserva: “A lowly stairway stole the thunder from President Benigno Aquino III’s official visit-cum-political sortie in Iloilo, Feb. 9, 2016. [Note: I disagree with this lead sentence, but I’ll let it pass. —JR] “During the turnover of new classrooms at Pavia National High School in Pavia town, President Aquino could not help but notice the stairway which he referred to as ‘parang hagdanan

sa kanto (like a corner stairway).’ “The stairway was actually a series of steel bars jutting out of the corner of the new school building. “‘Me and Senator Franklin Drilon have been talking about it earlier. I do not know if it is an engineering problem or architectural design. Baka palaisipan. Baka kailangan na magkaroon ng tamang purpose yan [It might be a riddle. It might need some purpose],’ he said. “The President referred the matter to Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro to address the concern.

I wish I was making this all up, as people of the Yellow persuasion routinely say when their idol is criticized.

“President Aquino was later told that the ladder was a fire escape. “‘Syempre kapag fire escape dapat may pinanggalingan ka. Syempre babasagin natin yung salamin. But Brother Armin already saw it. Aayusin natin yan at gagawing totohanan ang fire escape [If it’s a fire escape, it must begin from somewhere. We must break the [window] glass. We will fix that and make a real fire escape],’ he added.” Just to be certain that this unusual speech was actually delivered, I had a reporter call up the recording of Aquino’s actual speech at the Pavia National High School. Conserva’s story was a faithful account of what Aquino said, I learned, after

listening to the tape. To its credit, the usually reliable Malacañang press office posted a video of the speech—but did not upload a transcript, as it usually does. I can’t blame the Palace propagandists, of course, for the omission. How would it look if “the best president this country ever had” could not even identify a fire escape and divine its purpose? It’s a good thing no fire broke out during Aquino’s visit, or he would not have known where to run. I wish I were making this all up,

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

as people of the Yellow persuasion routinely say when their idol is criticized. But you simply can’t invent stuff as good as this. *** Back in Metro Manila, the Metro Manila Development Authority has announced that the section of Katipunan Avenue (also known as White Plains Avenue) from the corner to Temple Drive to Edsa will be “fully closed” from Feb. 14 to Feb. 29 “to give way to the construction, set up, operation and dismantling of the Edsa Experiential

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Museum.” And here I was thinking that my daily commute on the metropolis’ choked-up main thoroughfare is enough of an experience. The folks over at the Edsa People Power Revolution Commission dreamed up this bright idea to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1986 uprising. They even came up with a very thinly disguised theme for this year that echoes that of Malacañang’s candidate in the May elections “Pagbabago: Ipinaglaban N’yo, Itutuloy Ko!” Continued on A11

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

WITH the campaign period for national positions finally under way, the candidates are now free to square off openly. They have been shadow boxing in the sidelines for months. Now, they can go at each other to their hearts’ content. If we scan all their pronouncements, one constant favorite issue common to all is the issue on poverty. Every candidate is promising to be the one to be able to finally put an end to it. In fact, this is not the only election that poverty is a major election issue. Indeed, it has been the issue in national elections ever since I can remember. It is the favorite punching bag of every politician running for office. Yet, poverty in this country has remained very high. This is one big reason why I am skeptical whether we as a country will ever succeed in bringing down poverty in the near term. While other countries in the region were able to bring down poverty significantly, our poor has been stuck at about 25 percent of the population. The poor in this country have always been the prop of every politician. If a president happens to come along and will be able to significantly reduce the poverty rate in this country, there is no doubt that he or she will go down in our history as the greatest president. As it is, the Filipino people have been condemned to a life of servitude to the interests of the less than one percent of the population who basically own the country to make them richer while the vast majority of Filipinos remain poor working for hand-to-mouth existence. Poverty is not impossible to reduce if only the nation can elect a president who is determined to eradicate the grinding poverty of many of our people whose numbers are growing every year due to population increase, about which the country cannot or refuses to do something. China for instance, was able to uproot half a billion people from poverty within a generation while we are unable to do anything with 25 million people. The comparison is revealing in that it reveals the quality and ability of our leaders. In every national election, there is a rhetorical contest among the presidential candidates on who among them will do the most for the poor but without much success when elected. Former President Estrada, the most recent president so identified with the poor—in fact, a populist—was not able to do much. Electing an able leader who can put the interest of the people and country above his or her own is admittedly hard. There are after all very few of this kind of leader in our midst. Among our current crop of candidates, we have a populist in VP Binay, a technocrat in Mar Roxas, a sincere and compassionate person in Senator Poe, 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

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

T H U R S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

DUTY CALLS FLORENCIO FIANZA

POVERTY

[ EDI TORI A L ]

PERSONS OVER PLANS

I wish I was making this all up, as people of the Yellow persuasion routinely say when their idol is criticized.

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

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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

T H U R S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

THE MAN WHO CHOSE HELL TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

WITH the campaign period for national candidates in full swing and with only three months to go before Election Day, I am reminded of the story of a man who died, and soon found himself before St. Peter. The man asked St. Peter where he was going. “Well, son,” St. Peter said, “you have a choice between Heaven and Hell.” The man replied: “Since I have a choice I’d like to see Hell first.” St. Peter then pointed to an elevator. That man took the elevator down to Hell. When the elevator door opened, the man was greeted by a handsome man in a tuxedo, accompanied by a bevy of beautiful girls in bikini.

Let’s not be blinded by promises during this campaign period.

As the man was escorted around, he saw bacchanalian feasts, naked girls romping and in the company of his former friends long dead. The man felt at home and looked very happy. When the elevator took him up before St. Peter, the key speaker of Heaven asked the man, “Well, what is your choice?” The man said, “I would like to see Heaven first.” The Pearly Gates opened and the man found himself in Heaven where he saw it all lighted up with people all around seemingly contended, and at peace. He saw angels and cherubs. The man appeared bored. He then told St. Peter. “I want to go to Hell.” Thus, he entered the elevator once again and went down to Hell. When the elevator door opened, there was Lucifer surrounded by devils. He saw fires, and devils torturing people. He heard cries of pain and

anguish. In fact, a devil was already assigned to boil the man in oil. The man asked Lucifer, “What happened? When I was here yesterday, it was a completely different place. Lucifer laughed maniacally, and told the man, “Yesterday we were campaigning, but today you voted... welcome to Hell.” *** If you read all the campaign platforms of presidential candidates, and believe in them, you would think it would be Nirvana for the next six years, especially for the poor and the jobless, who constitute the bulk of our people. “The criminals will be all dead; and so will all drug traffickers. There will be no corruption,” Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Du-dirty intones. “We will have a government with a heart,” according to Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Kelly Poe Llamanzares, adding that it was the legacy of her late adoptive father, movie icon Fernando Poe Jr., who appeared in movies helping the poor and the marginalized. Legacy, my gulay, when it was all in the movies! The administration candidate, Mar Roxas, wants us to follow the straight path of his master, BS Aquino III. Straight path? That’s baloney since the hallmark of the Aquino administration is incompetence, lack of sensitivity and hypocrisy. “When I die, Bongbong Marcos will be president,” Senator Miriam Santiago told Ilocanos in Batac, Ilocos Norte, in an attempt to win sympathy from the Ilocanos. Santa Banana, do you believe them? Will you vote for them? Unfortunately, there are still many of us who cannot differentiate fact from fiction. We get fascinated with new faces. Unfortunately, our story may be similar to that of the man who chose hell just because he believed in promises. I refer to the bulk of our electorate who simply cannot separate the grain from the chaff. Others sell their votes, and some just follow their leaders. That’s the tragedy of our nation during election time.

BREAKING CUSTOMS’ LOSING STREAK IT HAS been a rough 2016 for the Bureau of Customs, and it has only been the first two weeks into the new year. Last Monday, the BoC released a statement that the agency missed its P436.5-billion collection targets for 2015. The agency’s P366.9-billion collection was even down 0.6 percent from 2014. November and December collections also underperformed compared to last year’s. The BoC leadership has less than six months to shape up before it adds a whimper of sour notes to the Aquino administration’s swan song after the May elections. The same Monday saw the BoC giving seven district collectors the boot, all of which were said to have military backgrounds and were calling the shots in important ports since 2013. This development carries its own ironic twist, as the Department of Finance itself put the retired generals and former military officers in those plum positions based on their integrity, management skills, and capabilities as part of the Office of Revenue Agency Modernization, in the name of improving revenue collection. Rumors swirled around the firings as somehow election-related because of allegations of raising campaign money through the notorious tara system, but that’s beside the point that I want to make when it comes to getting BoC personnel to do their jobs as public servants. If there’s anything I’ve seen in BoC’s 2016 so far is that the call for the Aquino administration—however late in the game they are—to fully implement and enforce Republic *** We will soon mark the 30th anniversary of Edsa I, or the so-called People Power Revolution, which placed the Philippines on the world map. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of distortion about Edsa I because of political bias. One of the distortions, for instance, is the belief that without the people who went to Edsa, the military mutiny could not have succeeded. Truth is, there was a breakaway of a portion of the military—Reform the Armed Forces Movement led by then- Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and then-Col. Gringo Honasan, and later on joined by thenPC/INP Chief Fidel Ramos. What people do not know was that the RAM had followers among all segments of the military— the marines, the Air Force, the Navy and even among the commands outside Metro Manila. I’d say that the presence of people of Edsa helped a lot in overthrowing the

MINORITY REPORT DANILO SUAREZ Act No. 9335, or the Lateral Attrition Act. The Lateral Attrition Act has been part of the law of the land for more than a decade now and its constitutionality has been upheld by the Supreme Court in 2008, but Daang Matuwid has yet to come around this way to improving the collection capabilities of the BoC. This law provides that Customs employees, as well as those from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, who fail to achieve their collection targets by at least 7.5 percent would be dismissed from service, while giving incentives to those who go above and beyond their collection goals. The Lateral Attrition Act also requires the BoC leadership to submit regular reports on the status of tax collections to the Department of Finance-led Revenue Performance Evaluation Board. The usual attitude for an ordinary Customs collector towards the law is to fear the repercussions of bad performance. But that shouldn’t be the default attitude of a lawabiding, hardworking, and patriotic public servant. Instead, the leadership in the DoF and the BoC should focus more on the incentives. Studies in behavioral economics have shown that incentivizing people for a job well done works wonders, and this is also holds true for the civil service. I remember in 2007, the BoC gave 3,000 Customs employees

dictator, but history also tells us that military coups alone had succeeded in Thailand, South Korea, and in Egypt without civilian support. Vice versa, can the people alone without military support succeed in overthrowing a government? The only civilian uprising in history that succeeded was in France with the Storming of the Bastile. The point I am driving at is that it was not a People’s Revolution. What people do not know was that Enrile and the RAM had planned the breakaway months before it happened. Enrile recounted the fact that the RAM had been training for a coup in Cagayan province, as well as in Quezon and Zambales. Enrile and the RAM had imported sophisticated firearms from Israel and had a well executed plan to paralyze the forces led by then Chief of Staff Fabian Ver. Enrile told me that they were ready for thousands of RAM patches because they expected to be supported by thou-

more than P500 million in incentives for surpassing collections for the previous year. The Lateral Attrition Law gives Customs employees a chance to earn additional and honest earnings, and in the same way gives the bureau a chance to veer off from its notoriety towards the opposite direction. Not only is the lack of enforcement of the Lateral Attrition Law a loss for commendable Customs employees, but it is also the loss of revenue for an administration that has been consistently missing its collection targets at a worsening rate. Rumors of campaign fund drives through the bureau would have been nipped right off its bud had the administration consistently implemented this law throughout its regime. Incentivizing Customs employees to rally towards a comefrom-behind win in the dying seconds of the Aquino administration could might as well break the Bureau of Customs’ losing streak. That being said, the country should look forward to the new administration fully implementing and enforcing the Lateral Attrition Law. The law needs to realize its potential in improving the government’s revenue generation capabilities and its concerned agencies. In addition, the new administration should also champion the computerization and automation of customs transactions and procedures as part of the country’s commitment to the Asean integration, which would also bring down smuggling and corruption in the agency. We need to bring the Bureau of Customs to the winning track.

sands from the military. Another untold facet of the Edsa I event was that the late President Cory Aquino was in Cebu when it happened. Somehow, Cory was told by some sources that a breakaway group was ready to move into Metro Manila. According to Enrile, Cory had plans to go to Mindanao to continue the revolution to overthrow the Marcos regime with the help of then-General Rodolfo Biazon. It was with this knowledge that Enrile hatched a plan to form a Military Council with him, Ramos, Paeng Salas, then Ambassador Rafael Ileto, a former Chief of Staff, and Cory herself, which did not materialize. Enrile and his group handed power to Cory on Feb. 25, 1986. In other words, with Enrile, Ramos and Honasan leading the RAM and other segments of the military, they could have succeeded without people support just like in military coups in other countries. That’s why I believe

that to call Edsa 1 a People Power Revolution is a misnomer. You may not believe it, but Marcos knew it was the end of him. He said he would hand down his power to Enrile et al, and he’ll just go to Paoay, Ilocos Norte to retire in exile. But, it seemed that the Americans had other plans. The rest is history. *** Haven’t you noticed that three Supreme Court justices appointed by BS Aquino III are now on the side of Mrs. Llamanzares on her disqualification case? They are Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and Associate Justices Marvic Leonen and Francis Jardeleza. This adds to my suspicion that Mrs. Llamanzares is the “Machurian candidate” or the alternative bet of BS Aquino III. Isn’t it obvious? My suspicion started when Senator Bam Aquino voted for Mrs. Llamanzares at the Senate Electoral Tribunal when as a Liberal Party member, he could have voted against her.

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A11

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

POP GOES THE WORLD

DEFENDING THE ‘3 STARS AND A SUN’

JENNY ORTUOSTE I TEARED up within the first few minutes, and the show hadn’t even begun yet. I am no crybaby. Yet the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s new musical, 3 Stars and a Sun, manages to reach into the core where sentiments of nationhood and pride of country reside, and twist. Hard. The Feb. 7 show, backed by event impresario and lawyer Roy Allan Magturo, was performed to a sold-out crowd that packed the Peta theater in Quezon City. Peta, which recently staged the runaway hit Rak of Aegis, scores again with this dystopic narrative set in a future Philippines. It is 2096 and the characters live inside the Stormdome, a massive structure erected by a hero known only as Pancho, who built it to protect Filipinos from the radiation of a nuclear war. He dies, charging his friend Rasputin with protecting the

people—“alagaan ang lahi.” But the latter, driven by family interests, rejects democracy and grabs power for himself, over time creating a situation where the remaining populace are divided into the haves living in luxury in Lumino City, and the have-nots in Diliman Sector scavenging scrap materials in exchange for food packs. Hotdog powder, anyone? Adobong pichi-pichi? Does this situation seem familiar? It should. It describes our present, and the poverty and social inequality that still retard the country’s development. The music of the late “father of Pinoy hip hop,” Francis Magalona, is the foundation of the story. Says director Nor Domingo, “Where the premise of the play gladly goes hand-inhand with Francis M’s themes is also where the sad truth of our realities sets in. His songs still ring true because when we look around, we see that nothing has

Poverty... From A9 a local leader who would like to concentrate on our existential problems such as criminality and illegal drugs in Mayor Duterte, and a legal luminary in Senator Santiago but whose health is in question. One of them will be our next leader. Hopefully, he or she can resist the temptation that the position of president will provide for the sake of the country. *** This administration has never stopped reminding people that its economic achievements have been the best since the 1970s. But even with this boost, it has hardly made a dent on the poverty rate in this country. If at all, it has gotten worse. If its battle cry is true that there would be no poverty if there is no corruption, then the poverty rate in this country clearly shows that corruption is alive and flourishing in this administration. Part of the reason that the

actually changed.” Playwright Mixkaela Villalon agrees. “Francis M’s music works as the perfect war drum for the play…The issues he rapped about are the same issues we had decades back, and will be the same issues our children’s children will face if we don’t act now.” I’ve said many times that we as a people have no sense of history nor a thought for the future. Instead, we are happygo-lucky dwellers in the present. The social cancers that Jose Rizal diagnosed over a century ago are still eating away at the flesh of our society, compounded many times over by the insatiable greed and thick-skinned sense of impunity of the selfish and reigning elite. Why have we not fixed this yet? What will it take, another hundred years? It will be too late by then. In this vein, Villalon says, “How many times can we rehash

administration candidate Mar Roxas is not going up in the polls is his insistence in continuing with the straight path program of the Aquino administration which the discerning public know very well to be a farce and a myth and people simply do not want a second term for President Aquino. Corruption is present in every country, even in countries that go around the world preaching against it. But the corruption that goes on in our country is truly mindboggling. It is not only the amount that is being stolen but also the cavalier fashion and ease in the way that the money is stolen and distributed among the thieves in this government that is extraordinary. President Aquino has succeeded in projecting himself as the squeaky-clean president and it is for this reason alone, in spite of his incompetence, that his ratings have remained relatively good. But is he really that clean? I do not believe so. But where is the evidence of his

#FAILOCRACY

the injustices Rizal wrote about? History repeats itself—first as tragedy, second as farce.” I’ve traveled the country many times over the past couple of years and nearly everywhere, the stories are the same— political families in power and in control of the local economy, treating their bailiwicks as their personal fiefdoms. Never mind that some politicians are wellmeaning and benevolent—a dynasty is still tyrannic, and contrary to democratic ideals. In 3 Stars and a Sun, the Tropang Gising from Diliman place their lives at risk to achieve freedom from oppression, in part because they have nothing to lose. This feeling of desperation reflects the plight of the 25 percent of Filipinos living below the poverty threshold of P8,778 a month who have not been touched by the “inclusive growth” that the government is harping about but that barely trickles down

corruption? Well, let’s be patient. Even a retired person like myself who is living far from the madding crowd, I do get information once in a while from people that I have worked and associated with while in government. This information tends to show that there are people in the Palace who have been lining their pockets with huge sums of money as their retirement fund. In due time, this, I was informed, will be exposed. Who are involved? What is the amount involved and how long has this been going on? There is no reason for me to doubt the veracity of this information because as they say in intelligence, the source has the credibility and is in a position to know about this information. Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, this information will really be revealed so that these corrupt people who work in the Palace will be exposed for what they truly are.

to the masses. Among the questions that 3 Stars and a Sun poses are related to that sense of patriotism within us—how far would you go to defend and uplift the three stars and a sun, and its people? What would you give up to uphold justice and equality? The play also reminds us that the power to bring about change lies in the hands of individuals working together as a team. Nationalism is teamwork writ on a large scale, and if this is strong enough within us, we can effect a transformation for the better. The Luminos and Dilimans inside the Stormdome had to destroy their world in order to create a new one. All we have to do to change ours is to vote wisely in the coming national elections. Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram:@jensdecember

I miss... From A9 According to the organizers, this year’s festivities will focus on “introducing the youth to the martial law years and the people power experience.” And the highlight is the nine-hall “experiential museum” that will be set up along White Plains Avenue. One hall will be devoted to “images of those tortured during martial law, [while] another will show images from the people power revolution. The last hall will show President Benigno Aquino III via hologram asking the youth to continue the fight against corruption.” People can visit the fun-filled (for the Yellows, anyway) museum for free on Feb. 25 and 26. Apparently, the two-week closure of the important road for an event that will take place for only two days will be used to put up and then dismantle the museum. I think I speak for the hundreds of thousands of people who use Edsa every day and who will suffer from having this vital road (where thousands of vehicles pass on their way to Quezon City, Marikina and other points east of Metro Manila) when I say that the people who dreamed up this whole event should be lined up and shot. These are the same bright people, after all, who closed Edsa last year and forgot to declare a public holiday. There is really no need to remind us of tortures past. We already get that every day, on Edsa and almost every other place where this Yellow government rules.

CHONG ARDIVILLA

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Two umpires banned, four probed over corruption

The pack rides in the Pearl Corniche district in Doha during the second stage of the 2016 Tour of Qatar cycling race, starting and finishing at the Qatar University on February 9, 2016. Norway’s Alexander Kristoff won a sprint finish ahead of Britain’s Marc Cavendish for the second stage of the Tour of Qatar. AFP

Kristoff wins second stage, Cavendish keeps Qatar lead NORWAY’S Alexander Kristoff edged British ace Mark Cavendish in a bunch sprint to clinch Tuesday’s second stage of the Tour of Qatar. Dimension Data rider Cavendish nonetheless maintained his overall race lead by 5sec from Katusha’s Kristoff with Italian Sacha Modolo third at 14sec. “It was close and Cavendish is

very strong, so I’m happy with this victory,” said the Norwegian, for whom the shallow climb to the finish was ideal despite seeing two of his lead-out train, Andrea Guardini and Soren Kragh

Andersen, crash on the home straight. For the second day, the 135km stage was around the campus of the University of Qatar taking in the 15.3km circuit of the artificial island The Pearl, on a course prepared for the world road race championships in October. Kristoff had managed to sneak into a breakaway group that stretched to a 1min 20sec lead

running into a headwind before Cavendish galvanised the peloton to reel in the group of twenty riders. There was a second attempted breakaway by Belgium’s Preben Van Hecke and the Latvian Gatis Smukulis, who were also reeled in. Wednesday’s third stage of five will be a 11.4km individual timetrial on the Lusail motor-racing circuit, north of Doha. AFP

Bail hearing set for FIFA corruption scandal suspect A US judge has scheduled a bail hearing for Wednesday for the only FIFA corruption scandal suspect still in custody in the United States. Judge Robert Levy will preside over the hearing for Eduardo Li, a Costa Rican, in a courthouse in Brooklyn, according to the judge’s official agenda. Li, 57, is the former presi-

dent of the Costa Rican Football Federation. He asked last week to be released on five million dollars bail, $300,000 of it payable in cash. Li was one of seven top football officials arrested in a raid on a Zurich luxury hotel in May. That kicked off an unprecedented crisis at FIFA, world football’s governing body. Li’s arrest came two days

before he was to have been elected to the FIFA executive committee in representation of CONCACAF, football’s governing body in North and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Switzerland extradited Li to the United States in December to face charges that include fraud and money laundering. Li says he is innocent.†

Griffin suspended four games for punch LOS Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin was suspended for four games and fined on Tuesday for his part in a punch-up that left him with a broken hand. Griffin underwent surgery last month to repair his hand, which was injured when he attacked a team equipment manager in a fight outside a Toronto restaurant. The five-time NBA All Star had already issued an apology for the incident.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and head coach Doc Rivers said in a statement Griffin would be suspended for four games while having his pay docked for five matches. The money from the fine would be donated to charities which help disadvantaged youths in Los Angeles. “We have made it clear that this conduct has no place in the Clippers organization,” Ballmer and Rivers

said in the statement. “Blake is remorseful and has apologized for his actions. He is a valued member of our Clippers family and we support him as he†rejoins the team... it is time to move forward which begins today and ultimately concludes when we have Blake back on the court.” Reports have said Griffin attacked the Clippers employee after an argument in a restaurant turned violent. AFP

After Honduran Alfredo Hawit, the suspended president of CONCACAF, was moved to house arrest last week, Li is the only suspect left behind bars in the United States. The spiraling scandal at world football’s governing body FIFA has led to the suspension of its president Sepp Blatter from any activity related to football. AFP

TWO tennis umpires have been banned for corruption and four more are currently suspended while under investigation, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Tuesday. Kirill Parfenov of Kazakhstan was banned for life in February 2015 for contacting another official in a bid to “manipulate the scoring of matches”, the ITF said in a joint-statement with the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU). Croatia’s Denis Pitner was suspended for a year last August after passing on information about a player’s fitness to a coach and accessing a betting account that was used to place bets on tennis matches. Confirming a story broken by the Guardian, the ITF and TIU said: “Kirill Parfenov of Kazakhstan was decertified for life in February 2015 for contacting another official on Facebook. “Separately, Denis Pitner of Croatia had his certification suspended on 1 August 2015 for 12 months for sending information on the physical well-being of a player to a coach during a tournament and regularly logging on to a betting account from which bets were placed on tennis matches.” The Guardian said that the offences related to matches in eastern Europe on the Futures Tour, which is the lowest level of professional tennis. The story follows allegations about elite-level match-fixing made by the BBC and BuzzFeed shortly before the start of the Australian Open last month. In response to those claims, an independent review into anti-corruption measures was announced, to be overseen by the TIU. Explaining why Parfenov and Pitner’s bans had not previously been made public, the ITF and TIU said it was because they had been sanctioned under a code of conduct for officials that did not allow for public disclosure. They said that future sanctions of a similar nature would be made public. The ITF and TIU also confirmed that four other umpires have been suspended pending investigation by the TIU. AFP

James Reimer #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs defends the net against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on February 9, 2016 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. AFP

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Sharapova to miss Fed Cup tie with Belarus WORLD number six Maria†Sharapova will skip her country’s upcoming Fed Cup play-off tie against Belarus, Russia’s tennis federation said Tuesday. “Sharapova will definitely not play,” R-Sport agency quoted Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpischev as saying. “She will be busy with tournaments in the US.” Sharapova remained on course to compete at this summer’s Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games after being named to Russia’s doubles team for the country’s Fed Cup first-round tie with the Netherlands last week. The five-time Grand Slam champion was warned by Tarpischev earlier this month that she risked missing out on Rio if she failed to turn out for the Fed Cup tie, which Russia lost 3-1. Russia will now host Belarus—which defeated Canada in World Group II last week—on April 16 and 17 to avoid relegation from World Group I. AFP

Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during their game against the Houston Rockets at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. AFP

Curry magic as Warriors down Rockets STEPH Curry turned on the style as the Golden State Warriors overcame a brave Houston Rockets fightback to triumph 123-110 and stretch their winning streak to 10 games on Tuesday. Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Curry scored 35 points in a pulsating battle in Oakland to take the Warriors’ record to 47-4 for the season. The highlight of Curry’s latest

masterclass was his role in a remarkable passage of play in the third quarter, when he stripped the ball inside the Warriors paint and then darted forward to launch an attack.

UCI considers testing all bikes for hidden motors INTERNATIONAL Cycling Union president Brian Cookson said on Tuesday his organisation will leave no stone unturned in the bid to rid the sport of cheats. Speaking during a visit to Doha where the Tour of Qatar is ongoing, Briton Cookson said the UCI would even consider expanding the tests for motorised bicycles if need be. “If we need to go to a situation where every bike has to be pre-examined before a race, including the bikes on the team cars, then maybe this is something that we have to look at,” he said. “We have much better technology now to check whether there are any suspicious signs and then we can do the more invasive tests to prove it one way or another.” The issue of motorised bicycles—or technological doping as it is sometimes called—has come to the fore since Belgian rider Femke Van Den Driessche’s bike at the recent cyclocross world championships was found to have a hidden motor. Cookson, who was checking out facilities in Doha ahead of the world road race championships in the desert city in October, said he could not comment specifically on that case but insisted the UCI is doing everything it can to weed out the cheats. “They’ve been looking everywhere. Please don’t delude yourself that we haven’t been taking this seriously,” he said. “What we’ve been trying to do is to trial and develop equipment that will be easier to use and will allow us to scan more bikes, more quickly and at more races.” AFP

An incredible behind-the-back pass found Andre Iguodala, who flipped to Leandro Barbosa to score. The Rockets had fought back after a disastrous first quarter which saw the Warriors jump out to a 3822 lead after only 11 minutes. Houston fought back however with James Harden (37 points) and led 74-69 early in the second half. Curry’s 35-point night came despite 12-for-24 shooting for the

Warriors, who improved to 24-0 at home this season with their 42nd consecutive victory at Oracle Arena. Curry made seven three-pointers along with nine assists. Warriors’ Australian center Andrew Bogut added 13 points while blocking six shots. The Warriors now have the Chicago Bulls’ remarkable 72-win season in their sights, a record benchmark long seen as unbeatable.

Elsewhere Tuesday, Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points but it was not enough to prevent the New York Knicks from sliding to defeat against the Washington Wizards in their first match since the dismissal of coach Derek Fisher. Anthony drained a threepointer with 67 seconds left to reduce Washington’s lead to 106101 but the Wizards held on for a 111-108 victory at Madison Square Garden. AFP

Paris 2024 logo lights up Arc de Triomphe PARIS’ iconic Arc De Triomphe was lit up with the city’s 2024 Olympic Games bid logo at precisely 20:24 local time on Tuesday. A multi-coloured image of the Eiffel Tower with the words ‘Paris, Candidate city, Olympic Games 2024’ was screened onto the Arc at the top of the ChampsElysees, and simultaneously on the town hall in Marseille. The logo’s unveiling marked the start of the French capital’s campaign to lure the Games to Paris, which faces competition

from Budapest, Hamburg, Los Angeles and Rome, with a decision to be made on September 13, 2017 in Lima. Paris, which lost out to London for the 2012 Olympics, has staged the sporting spectacular twice before: in 1900 and 1924. The 2024 bid committee is co-chaired by former French rugby supremo Bernard Lapasset and triple Olympic canoeing champion Tony Estanguet, who were joined at the unveiling by the city’s mayor,

Anne Hidalgo. French sports ministers Patrick Kanner and Thierry Braillard were also in attendance. Next week Paris 2024 will unveil details of Olympic sites as well as elaborating on their vision for the event and launch the bid’s official website. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has previously insisted that November’s terror attacks which killed 130 people “will absolutely” not affect the French capital’s bid. AFP

The campaign’s official logo of the Paris bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games is seen on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on February 9, 2016. AFP

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Flawless game nets Tabuena a 62 MORONG, Bataan—In-form Miguel Tabuena made good his vow, making a fast, impressive start in the rich ICTSI Anvaya Cove Invitational he said he had wanted to win—his career-best, course record-breaking 10-under 62 netting him a huge six-stroke lead over Jay Bayron at the Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club here yesterday. Republic of the Philippines Depar tment of Environment and Natural Resources ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUREAU D E N R C o m p o u n d , V i s a y a s A v e n u e , D i l i m a n , Q u e z o n C i t y 1116 Te l . N o s . 9 2 5 - 4 7- 9 3 t o 9 7 E m a i l : e m b . g o v. p h V i s i t u s a t h t t p : / / w w w . e m b . g o v. p h

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING On the ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) REPORT of the proposed expansion of the SOUTHERN NEGROS GEOTHERMAL PROJECT of the proponent ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (EDC) in the MUNICIPALITY OF VALENCIA, PROVINCE OF NEGROS ORIENTAL: Notice is hereby given to all parties who wish to give their opinion regarding the implementation of the proposed expansion of the SOUTHERN NEGROS GEOTHERMAL PROJECT to attend a Public Hearing on 10 MARCH 2016 (THURSDAY) at 9:00 AM (registration starts at 7:30 AM) in YEVA GYMNASIUM, VALENCIA, NEGROS ORIENTAL: This Public Hearing is being conducted in connection with the review of the EIA Report of the aforementioned project by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). All interested parties who wish to attend/ participate in this Public Hearing should confirm their attendance/ participation and may give their opinion(s) in a concise position paper to the Environmental Impact Assessment and Management (EIAM) Division of this Office through mail or through email at eia@emb.gov. ph. You may also reach us at telephone numbers (02) 920-2240 to 41. Those who will not be able to confirm or submit written positions may be given the opportunity to share their issues and concerns on the day of the hearing itself. The project’s EIA report will be downloadable at our website: www.emb.gov. ph starting 12 February 2016 (kindly access the Notice of Public Hearing/ Consultation link found in the lower right portion of our web page) while the hard copies will be available at this Office and in the following offices starting 17 February 2016: EMB Negros Island Region Office Address: Corner Porras-Abad Santos St., Barangay 39, Bacolod City 2 . Municipal Environmental and Natural Resources Office Municipality of Valencia, Province of Negros Oriental 3. Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office Province of Negros Oriental

The 21-year-old phenom quickly underscored his readiness to claim the crown in the P3.5 million kick-off leg of this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour by birdying the first four holes from close range while majority of the starting 98-player field struggled to even set up birdie chances. He muffed an eagle putt from 12 feet on the par5 10th, reached the drivable par-4 11th in one and missed another eagle bid from just about a club length but finally hit one on the last par-5, No. 15, off a 3-wood second shot from 260 yards that rested 15 feet off the cup. He then birdied the par-3 16th to complete a pair of 31s on a sunny but windy day at the seaside layout. “It was really a fantastic game, the best round in my career. Everything’s in place,” said Tabuena, who had expressed his desire to win this event during Tuesday’s pro-am sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. “I never played this game before and hopefully, I sustain this form the rest of the tournament.” Tabuena did fumble with a bogey on the par-5 ninth

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President National Irrigation Administration (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) UPPER PAMPANGA RIVER INTEGRATED IRRIGATION SYSTEM DIVISION I-BALBALUNGAO SRIP Muñoz Science City, Nueva Ecija Office Address : CLSU Cmpd. Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija TELEPHONE Nos. : (044) 456-0043/456 7346 Website : www.nia.gov.ph

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE

InvItatIon to BId no. 1 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Biliran-Leyte del Norte-Leyte del Sur Irrigation Management Office, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2016 intends to apply the sum corresponding to the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), to payment for the following contracts listed hereunder.

Duration

1. BNLSL-LCB-02-2016 – Construction of Canal System of Amagos CIS, Bato, Leyte

Approved Budget P 9,037,039.09

120 cd

2. BNLSL-LCB-05-2016 – Construction of Canal and Farm Level System of Governor Jaro CIS, Babatngon, Leyte

10,080,314.96

135 cd

3. BNLSL-LCB-10-2016 – Procur./Fab. & Inst. Of Steel Gate and Construction of Canal, Farm Level and Drainage System of Palaraw CIS, Leyte, Leyte

10,036,845.20

135 cd

4. BNLSL-LCB-15-2016 – Construction of Diversion Works, Canal and Farm Level System of Imelda CIP, Naval, Biliran

9,399,998.47

130 cd

Bidding will be conducted in accordance with relevant procedures for open competitive bidding as specified in the IRR of RA 9184. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The contract shall be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during post-qualification. Interested bidders may submit a Letter of Intent together with the Class “A” documents addressed to the Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee, NIA, Biliran-Leyte del Norte-Leyte del Sur Irrigation Management Office, Marasbaras, Tacloban City.

The National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRllS), Division I, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, now invites bids for contract on CY 2016. Bidders should have completed, within two (2) 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, in Section II, Instruction 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.

Interested bidders. may obtain further information and inspect the Bidding Documents. From National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS), Division I, Science City of Munoz. Nueva Ecija from 8:00 AM. to 5:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount shown below. PACKAGE NO. RRREIS-Dl-2016-01 RRREIS-DI-2016-02

Schedule

Time

Starting February 10, 2016

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

2. Pre-Bid Conference

February 17, 2016

10:00 a.m.

3. Receipt and Opening of Bids

February 29, 2016

9:00 a.m.

The National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated IrrigationSystems (NIA-UPRllS), Division I, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on Feb. 18,2016 @ 2:00 PM at NIA-UPRllS, Division I Conference Hall, CLSU Compound, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, which shall be opened only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered on or before March 01, 2016 @ 12:00 NN at NIA-UPRIIS, Division I, CLSU Compound, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija. 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 above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

For further information, please refer to: EDWIN T. BRIONES National Irrigation Administration Marasbaras, Tacloban City (053) 323-6210 (Sgd.) EDWIN T. BRIONES BAC Chairman Noted: (Sgd.) GLORIA A. SEVILLA Division Manager A, EOD Concurrent Capacity, Leyte IMO

(TS-FEB. 11, 2016)

The complete schedule of activities is listed as follows: 1. Posting of Invitation to Bid (PhiIGEPS, NIA-Bulletin Boards)

Feb.10 - March 01, 2016

2. Issuance of Bid Documents

Feb. 10 - March 01, 2016 until 12:00 NN

3. Pre-Bid Conference

Feb. 18, 2016 @ 02:00 PM

4. Deadline of Submission of Bids

March 01, 2016 @ 12:00 NN

5. Opening of Bids

March 01, 2016 @ 01:00 PM

The National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIAUPRIIS), Division I, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija reserves the right to accept or reject any bids, 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.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by the interested bidders from the address above and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of P10,000.00 to the Cashier. NIA reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

AMOUNT Php 25,000.00 Php 25,000.00

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

The schedules of BAC activities are as follows:

1. Issuance of Bid Documents

Small B

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) now invites bids for:

BAC Activities

Php 16,047,937.70 295 Cal. Days

Package No.: RRREIS-DI-2016-02 Project Name: Improvement of Sta. Maria Creek (Drainage of Sapang Toro Creek) Location: Municipalities of Quezon and Licab, Nueva Ecija Scope of Work: Dredging Works Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): Php 14,199,015.47 f. Contract Duration: 295 Cal. Days g. Min. PCAB ARC Size Range (Irrigation & Flood Control) : Small B

Tel. No. (053) 323-6210 Fax. No. (053) 323-7204

Item/Description

RRREIS-D1-2016-01 Improvement of Lateral F-1, SDA Phase II Municipality of Quezon, Nueva Ecija Concrete Canal lining including necessary component (i.e. joint filler and sealant)

a. b. c. d. e.

Biliran-Leyte del Norte-Leyte del Sur

Website:

Package No: Project Name: Location: Scope of Work:

e. Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): f. Contract Duration: g. Min. PCAB ARC Size Range (Irrigation & Flood Control):

( T S - F E B . 11 & 18 , 2 016)

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

: (044) 456-0043 : 005-154-569

The National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIAUPRllS), Division I, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, through the CY 2016 projects intends to apply the hereunder Approved Budget for the Contract to payment of the corresponding contract packages below. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. a. b. c. d.

1. ENGR. CARLO VIC ARIDA 2. ENGR. JOSE PAOLO ARAGONCILLO

Office Address:

Telefax No. TIN No.

INVITATION TO BID NO. UPRIIS-DI-CW-2016-01

For more details, please contact the EIAM Division of this Office and look for the project Case handlers:

Protect the environment... Protect life..

but the miscue hardly diminished the impact of his brilliant round that wiped out the 64 posted by Angelo Que in the final round to rally from six and beat Tony Lascuna by three in this event. last year. Despite Tabuena’s hot start, the reigning Philippine Open champion couldn’t go no farther than two-up as flightmate Bayron turned in his own version of 33 after nine holes and tried to give chase with a birdie on No. 15 and move within two again. But Tabuena answered with an eagle and restored a four-stroke lead then birdied the next to drive a wedge between him and his nearest pursuer – Bayron, who missed moving a shot closer with a final hole bogey and signed for a 68. American qualifier John Jackson carded a 70 to take solo third as the other fancied local bets struggled, including Tony Lascuna who had a 71 for joint fourth with John Kier Abdon, Charles Hong, Clyde Mondilla, Mars Pucay, Dutch Guiod Van der Valk and top qualifier Toru Nakajima of Japan. Lascuna, the third player in the featured flight, praised Tabuena’s near-flawless game, saying “He just a played a solid all-around game.” Que opened with a birdie on No. 10 but never recovered from two double bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17, limping with a four-over 76 for joint 34th and in danger of missing the cut on the very tournament he ruled in stirring come-from-behind fashion.

For further information, please refer to: WILFREDO C. RAMOS Chairman, Bids & Awards Committee Head, Operations Unit NIA-UPRIIS. Division I CLSU Compound, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija Fax No. (044) 456-0043 Tel. No. (044) 456-7346 Email Address:niaupriis_divisionl@yahoo.com

Approved by:

Noted by:

(SGD) WILFREDO C. RAMOS Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee

(SGD) FREDDIE M. TOQUERO, Ph. D. Manager, Division I, NIA-UPRIIS

(TS-FEB. 11, 2016)

(SGD) FLORENTINO R. DAVID, CESE Department Manager, NIA-UPRIIS

Japanese leads by 4; Superal pulls away CANLUBANG—Powerhitting Yuto Katsuragawa birdied all but one of the four par-5s for a fourunder 68, storming to a four-shot lead over overnight leader Luis Castro and Justin Quiban even as Princess Superal pulled away by six with a 71 in the 21st W Express RVF Cup Amateur Golf Championship at Cangolf’s North Course here yesterday. Complementing his superb driving with solid iron play and putting, Katsuragawa gunned down five birdies on Nos. 2, 14 and 17—all par 5s—and on Nos. 7 and 10 against a missed green bogey on that par-3 11th that shoved the Japanese, who has won a number of low amateur honors on the Philippine Golf Tour, from joint third to the top of the heap at 140 halfway through the 72-hole championship sponsored by W Express and held in honor of the late golf patron Rod Feliciano. Castro failed to sustain an impressive opening 70 with a shaky start of two double bogeys and a bogey against two birdies although he toughened up a bit at the back with a birdie on No. 15 for a 74 and a 144. Quiban, a mainstay of Southwoods team in the Interclub, mixed three birdies against the same number of bogeys for a 72 to join the Aguinaldo bet at second while fancied Jobim Carlos never recovered from a bogey-riddled 39 start and ended up with a 75, dropping from solo second to fourth at 146, six shots adrift.

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LOTTO RESULTS

6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M+ 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

PSA honors departed sportsmen THE Philippine Sportswriters Association pays homage to the dearly departed friends of local sports in its Annual Awards Night presented by MILO and San Miguel Corp. this Saturday at the One Esplanade. The great late national men’s basketball team coach Ron Jacobs heads the list of those to be given with Posthumous Awards by the country’s oldest media organization during the formal rites that start at 7 p.m. and hosted by Quinito Henson and Patricia Bermudez-Hizon. Others to be recognized posthumously are Ginebra executive and Tarlac Rep. Enrique ‘Henry’ Cojuangco Sr., Olympian and former national shooting association president Arturo ‘Art’ Macapagal, cage great and Hall of Famer Lim Eng Beng and ex-softball national team player Ireneo ‘Nayong’ Federigan. Completing the list are Servillano Aquino Padiz Jr., considered the ‘father of sepak takraw’ in the country, PBA technical director Ramil Cruz, and one-time PSC commissioner and running enthusiast Jose ‘Jun’ Castro Jr. A trophy and a minute of silence will be offered to the eight of them during the two-hour affair with the Philippine Sports Commission as major sponsor and supported by Smart, MVP Foundation, Maynilad, SM Prime Holdings, Sen. Chiz Escudero, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Philippine Basketball Association, Globalport, Rain or Shine, One Esplanade, and National University.

San Beda edges CKSC five, makes national cage finals SAN Beda pushed harder in overtime to beat Chiang Kai Shek College last Sunday, 87-81, and rule Division 1 of the Metro Manila Basketball League at the San Beda Gym in Mendiola. The Red Cubs, with a very long winning tradition in high school basketball, hit two birds with one stone by scoring the close win before an enthusiastic crowd. San Beda avenged a bitter loss to CKSC in last year’s MMBL finals, and advanced to the National Basketball Training Center Finals set March 13 to 17 at the MOA Arena. National University A beat San Beda B, 6961, for the Division 2 title, while Adamson University A trounced Escuela de Sophia of Caloocan, Inc., 87-61, for the Division 3 title. National University B drove past San Beda D, 69-47, in the Division 4 finals. Only the top two teams in Division 1 (San

Beda and CKSK) advanced to the NBTC Finals, where they will be joined by the UAAP titlist, the champions from Cavite, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Zamboanga, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, and foreign squads Durham Crossover of Canada and Trail International School of Thailand. The NBTC, which was formed in 2007, is being supported by the SM Group through its sports development program. PBA champion coach Eric Eltamirano is NBTC program director, while Ato Badolato is in charge of the MMBL. Albert Bordeos provided the firepower for the Red Cubs, nailing three-pointers from all angles for a game-high 21 points. His two charities sent the game into overtime at 68-68. But it was Addie Velasquez and Evan Nelle who delivered the killer blows, hitting two triples each in overtime as San Beda finally broke the back of last year’s champion. Velasquez gave San Beda an 84-75 lead with only 35 seconds left and had 17 points

while Nelle, who kept on trying the whole game, had 11 points, including a triple to start the overtime. Rafaelo Toribio and the sweet-shooting Miguel Oczon led the CKSC Blue Dragons with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Donn Lim and John Galinato each had 11. “We hit the three-pointers in overtime, and momentum shifted to our favor. They (CKSK) are the defending champions so we prepared harder this year,” said San Beda head coach JB Sison. The other members of the San Beda squad are Joshua Tagala, Robi Nayve, Christian Samaniega, Prince Etrata, Ry dela Rosa, Germy Mahinay, Peter Alfaro, Samuel Abunijleh, Luke Sese, Miguel Bolanos and JM Lagumen. San Beda is back in the NBTC Finals where it lost to Sacred Heart of Cebu in last year’s title showdown. “We will continue training and working hard,” said Sison, backed by Noli and Andy Mejos, Manu Inigo and VL Sandalo in the coaching staff.

Le Tour Filipinas General Assembly. Ube Media Inc. President Donna Lina, Project Director Sunshine Mendoza and Race Manager

Paquito Rivas join commissaires, race column officials, motorcycle marshals and support personnel during the Seventh Le Tour de Filipinas General Assembly Wednesday at the Cargohaus Building in Paranaque City. The Le Tour, presented by Air21, kicks off with the Antipolo CityLucena City Stage One on Feb. 18. The four-stage UCI race will also have stops in Daet, Camarines Norte, and Legaspi City in Albay.

Exemplary defense by Golfermike-Sylgen SYLVIA LOPEZ ALEJANDRO

GOLFERMIKE who regularly plays with me on Bridge Base Online as me my partner on Bridge Base Online had this murderous defense. The hand which we played on Feb. 3, 2015 was as follows: Board 8 North Volkay ♠1054 ♥KQJ97 ♦QJ543 ♣ West East Golfermike Sylgen 1 ♠K9876 ♠J3 ♥3 ♥A542 ♦109762 ♦ AK ♣95 ♣KJ732 South Manu 52 ♠AQ2 ♥1086 ♦8 ♣AQ10864 3♣ South NS:0 EW:0 West North East South Pass Pass 1NT 3♣ Pass Pass Dbl Pass Pass Pass I sitting East as sylgen1 opened the bidding with one notrump. Manu sitting as South overcalled with a jump bid of three clubs.

My partner, golfermike passed and sitting as North passed. When next my turn I doubled. All passed. Golfermike led the singleton heart which I won with the Ace. The first trick for us. I returned a heart which Golfermike trumped. The second trick for us. He played his ten of the diamonds which I won with the Ace. The third trick for us. I played another heart which Golfermike won with his trump. The fourth trick for us Golfermike led another diamond which was won the declarer. His first trick for them. Manu led his ten club which was won by my jack. The fifth trick for us. I led the jack of spades he played his queen. Golfermike won this trick with king this was the sixth trick us. He returned a spade which was by manu the declarer by his ace. Two tricks for the declarer. Manu was forced to lose another spade trick when I trumped. And one trick more losing to club king. So we got seven tricks. This exemplary defense executed by golfermike and myself reaped for our team one thousand seven hundred imps. The overcall by Manu three clubs against my one opening one trump which I doubled disastrous for them. -oOo2016 IMSA Elite Games: Bridge Players The inaugural IMSA Elite-Mind Games (IEMG) will be held Feb. 25 to March 3, 2016, at New Century Hotel in Hua’an City, Jiangsu Province, China. The new event replaces the previous Sport Accord World Mind Games 9SAWMG) held in December from 2011 to 2014 This is the list of the participating bridge players: Country Name Position Country Name Position WOMEN China Wang Wenfe England Catherine Draper Shen Qi Nevena Senior Wang Hongli Nicola Smith Zhang Yu Sally Brock Yan Ru Fiona Brown Li Yiting

Wang Xiaojing coach France Huang Yan extra pair Wang Nan extra pair Netherlands Anneke Simons Jet Pasman Carla Arnolds Wietske van Zwol Doris van Delft Laura Dekkers Hans Kelder npc

Bénédicte Cronier Catherine d’Ovidio Sylvie Willard Nathalie Frey Mourgues Jennifer Huberschwiller Anne Laure

OPEN

China Sun Shaolin Bulgaria Liu Jing Haou Xu Kang Meng Li Xiaoyi Hu Linlin Chen Gang coach Poland Krzysztof JASSEM Sweden Marcin MAZURKIEWICZ Piotr GAWRYS Michal KLUKOWSKI Stanislaw GOLEBIOWSKI Wlodzimierz STARKOWSKI

Diyan DANAILOV Vladi Isporski Vladimir MIHOV Ivan NANEV Jerry STAMATOV Julian STEFANOV Fredrik Nysström Johan Upmark Frederic Wrang

February 11, 2016 Comments to: sylvia.alejandro@yahoo

A16

T H U R S DAY : F E B R U A R Y 1 1 , 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

Blackwater’s Carlo Lastimosa loses the ball to the pesky defense of TNT’s Jayson Castro and Aaron Aban in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup game won by the Texters, 108-102.

Importless Talk ‘N Text frustrates Blackwater 5 By Jeric Lopez

NO import, no problem. Talk ‘N Text showed that playing all Filipino isn’t necessarily a handicap as it dominated for the most part and quashed a late-game rally by Blackwater to take a 108-102 victory in the opening game of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to begin its title defense on a positive note. Tropang Texters’ superstar Jayson Castro once again showed the way for his squad by scoring 19 of his teamhigh 22 points in the first

half to set the tone for Talk ‘N Text before scoring his last three on a crucial threepointer that proved to be the marginal basket with less

than a minute the pre-seaGames Friday remaining in (Smart Araneta Coliseum) son, the Tro4:15 p.m. - Mahindra vs. the contest. pang Texters GlobalPort In his first 7 p.m. - Ginebra vs. NLEX still managed game back to show everyfrom injury, Talk ‘N Text one why they are the destar Ranidel De Ocampo fending champions and didn’t show any signs of one of the teams to beat. rust as he quickly resumed “Buti nakalusot ng walang his role of leader, helping import,’’ said Talk ‘N Text the Tropang Texters by coach Jong Uichico. “Credit adding 20 points of his to the players. Lumaban pa own, along with four re- rin sila kahit walang import. bounds and three assists. We’re still adjusting and I Despite playing with- hope we can get better.’’ out import Ivan JohnLed by its two stars, Talk son, who sat out to serve ‘N Text kept Blackwater at a one-game suspension bay for the entirety of the for being involved in an game, despite a resistance altercation with some of from the Elite towards Blackwater’s big men in the end, as its methodical

ways paid dividends. A few minutes into the third quarter, Talk ‘N Text opened up its first doubledigit lead of the game, 5544, after two free throws from Kelly Williams. By the end of the third, they still held an 11-point lead, 83-72. The largest lead for the Texters was 14 points and that occurred twice with over nine minutes left in the game. At that point, it seemed that Talk ‘N Text was headed for an easy finish but Blackwater had one last hoorah to threaten towards the end.

Bradley formally relinquishes WBO welter crown By Ronnie Nathanielsz WORLD Boxing Organization welterweight champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley has opted to relinquish his title as part of the price he is willing to pay for a third encounter with eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao. The fight with the Filipino icon is expected to enhance Bradley’s career legacy and a lucrative payday that comes with the decision. Managing Editor Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene reported that when Pacquiao and Bradley meet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena

on April 9, they would know the winner of the showdown between Sadam Ali and Jessie Vargas, which takes place at the DC Armory in Washington D.C. on March 5. Donovan said Sadam Ali emerged as the mandatory challenger to the vacant interim ti- Bradley tle Bradley acquired in a 12-round unanimous decision win over Vargas last June. The title was upgraded to full championship status once the

WBO stripped Floyd Mayweather —a mere formality as the former unbeaten pound-forpound king ultimately retired last September —but also came with the condition that the mandatory defense would have to be honored at some point. Bradley went ahead with a defense against Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios in which he scored a ninth-round knockout in their HBO-televised title fight last November in Las

Vegas. Bradley was well aware of Ali being due for a title shot, when Pacquiao and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum chose him to face Pacquiao in a trilogy. Explaining his decision in a notarized letter to WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, Bradley said: “As you know, I will be fighting Manny Pacquiao on April 9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. To accept this fight invariably means I cannot comply with my mandatory obligation and must forgo the mandatory (challenge) against Sadam Ali, as ordered by the WBO.”

‘Foot races must be sanctioned’ ALL foot races held in major cities need to be certified by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association. This is what PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico will ask when he seeks to have an audience with officials of the Metro Manila Development Authority, which gives out permits to hold running activities in the metropolis’ major thoroughfares. Juico said this after two runners collapsed and died during Sunday’s staging of the 2016 Condura Marathon in Alabang. They were Manases Alfon Jr., 38, who took part in the full marathon, and Major Arnold Lubang, 40, who was taking part in the half-marathon event. Lubang reportedly suffered from cardiac arrest and collapsed barely one kilometer away from the finish line of the 21-km “Run for a Hero” Condura Skyway Marathon Run. “The MMDA will have to coordinate with the PATAFA on the conduct of road races. We will follow this up with them,” said Juico. Juico believes that for 42-km runs, 21-km half marathons and fun runs to be held in the future, a certification should be sought first from the PATAFA. “We will take care of the certification so this will be part of the logistics and preparations for the races. This is to make sure that the runners will be safe, and the event will not be prone to accidents like this,” added Juico. Peter Atencio

THURSDAY: FEBRUARY 11, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Mitsubishi chairman in town. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. chairman and chief executive Osamu Masuko (left) visits Manila to announce the company’s participation in the government’s Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program. Shown with Masuko during a news brieﬁng in Pasay City are Sojitz Corp. executive vice president Shigeki Dantani (center) and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. president and chief executive Yoshiaki Kato. EY ACASIO

BSP lifts ban on new banks By Julito G. Rada

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas said Wednesday it will phase out a 17-year moratorium on setting up new banks to further boost the banking industry that has recently opened up to foreign investors. “This initiative provides local businesses the avenue to explore opportunities in the banking sector amid the opening of the industry to foreign capital infusion,” Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said in a statement Wednesday. The Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral, approved the lifting of the ban on granting licenses to

establish new banks. The approval comes in two phases. The initial phase, which allows existing thrift banks to apply for a license to convert into a universal or commercial bank, will apply until the end of 2017, it said in a statement. The second phase will start in January 2018, when all restrictions on granting new licenses will be fully lifted, Bangko Sentral said. “The two-year transition

period also gives interested parties ample time to strategically position themselves in line with evolving policy reforms and regional integration efforts,” Tetangco said. Foreign banks including Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. and Singapore’s United Overseas Bank Ltd. have received approval to open branches after the Philippines loosened its rules on foreign ownership in 2014. Local lender Security Bank Corp. last month agreed to sell a 20-percent stake to Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., Japan’s biggest bank, in a $773-million deal. Wealthy families running some of the largest Philippine banks need to attract foreign capital and know-how if they are to

withstand growing competition from overseas lenders and avoid “stagnation,” Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla said in January. Bangko Sentral in 1999 imposed a moratorium on new banks to encourage mergers and consolidation as it sought bigger and stronger lenders. It allowed licenses to still be granted in areas without banks. Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said in a text message phase one of the transition period would take effect immediately “upon [the] issuance of [a] circular.” All restrictions and exemptions will be fully lifted under phase two. The regulations also provide for a graduated matrix of application and licensing fees.

Security Bank’s proﬁt rises 7% to record P7.7b SECURITY Bank Corp., the country’s sixth largest bank, said Wednesday net income in 2015 rose 7 percent year-onyear to a record P7.7 billion, on sustained growth of loans and deposits. The bank said the 2015 profit translated into a 15.2-percent return on shareholders’ equity. “2015 results exceeded our expectations. Customer loans grew at rates significantly above industry with no deterioration in the net NPL [non-performing loan] ratio. Likewise, deposits outpaced industry growth. Core revenues are growing robustly, with the increase progressively making up for lower trading gains,” Security Bank president and chief executive Alfonso

Salcedo Jr. said in a statement. “Our three core businesses— wholesale banking, retail banking and financial markets/treasury— all contributed to produce record net profits,” Salcedo said. Loans increased 24 percent to P240 billion while deposits grew 17 percent to P290 billion. Corporate and commercial loans increased 21 percent yearon-year. Key consumer loan portfolios composed of home and auto loans and credit card receivables rose 67 percent. The bank said total assets jumped 34 percent to P532 billion as of end-2015. It said asset quality remained healthy, with an NPL ratio of 0.14 percent, lower than 0.28 percent in 2014. Net NPL ratio of 0.14

percent remained among the lowest in the Philippine banking industry. NPL reserve cover stood at 205 percent, among the highest in the industry. Security Bank said net interest income increased 11 percent to P12.4 billion while net interest margin stood at 3.3 percent. Total non-interest income was P6.5 billion, or 16 percent higher than the previous year. Security Bank had 262 branches and 555 automated teller machines nationwide as of end-2015. The bank said this was expected to increase in the next five years to around 500 to 600 branches after the acquisition by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFG of a 20-percent stake in

the bank. BTMU, the largest bank in Japan, sealed an agreement with Security Bank on Jan. 14 for the acquisition of a 20-percent stake worth P37 billion ($782 million), making it the largest investment by a foreign financial institution in the Philippines. The capital infusion increased Security Bank’s shareholder capital from P52.4 billion as of September 2015 to P89.3 billion on a pro-forma post transaction basis. BTMU, a member of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., is Japan’s largest bank, with a global network spanning more than 40 countries. Julito G. Rada

PSe comPoSite

index

Closing February 10, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,637.48 0.05

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing February 10, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.470

44.00

43.00

HIGH P47.440 LOW P47.630 AVERAGE P47.538 VOLUME 698.600M

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

il P PriceS today

P20.40-P23.80 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Wednesday, February 10, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.7370

Japan

Yen

0.008689

0.4148

Pound

1.447100

69.0802

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128231

6.1214

Switzerland

Franc

1.029760

49.1577

Canada

Dollar

0.720617

Singapore

Dollar

0.715666

34.1637

Australia

Dollar

0.709019

33.8464

Bahrain

Dinar

2.656748

126.8252

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266709

12.7319

Brunei

Dollar

0.713114

34.0419

34.4001

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000074

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028201

1.3462

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

12.9974

Euro

1.129800

53.9333

Korea

Won

0.000835

0.0399

China

Yuan

0.152332

7.2719

India

Rupee

0.014729

0.7031

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240674

11.4891

New Zealand

Dollar

0.666178

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030157

31.8013 1.4396 Source: PDS Bridge

THURSDAY: FEBRUARY 11, 2016

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Wednesday, February 10, 2016

52 Weeks

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 2.6 1.01 100 30.5 91.5 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 1.02 0.225 78 17.8 62 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 20.75 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 32 15.32 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.86 5.34 0.395 173

79 3.95 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 1.3 2.17

34.1 2.3 1.63 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 161 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 0.640 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837

76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 156 0.710 0.510

49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 751 1.13 80 0.211 0.310

10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 0.201

6.74 12 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 0.083

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.8 2.68 44.7 44.6 100.00 96.90 89.20 87.00 35.15 35.15 2.50 2.50 1.48 1.48 14.3 14.28 16.54 16.3 6.70 6.62 1.78 1.66 0.450 0.420 73.75 73 15.12 14.70 50.50 50.40 274 270 33.3 33.2 144 140 1310.00 1310.00 56.50 55.20 1.46 1.46 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp. 42 42 40.4 Agrinurture Inc. 4.59 4.57 4.4 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.63 0.64 0.62 Alsons Cons. 1.3 1.32 1.28 Asiabest Group 11 10.98 10.5 C. Azuc De Tarlac 121.00 165.00 137.90 Century Food 16.32 16.48 16.32 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 19.44 19.46 19.2 Concepcion 37.1 37.2 37.1 Crown Asia 2.17 2.16 2.08 Da Vinci Capital 2.04 2.42 2.03 Del Monte 11.5 11.8 11.46 DNL Industries Inc. 8.100 8.350 8.010 Emperador 7.20 7.35 7.25 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.20 5.26 5.19 EEI 5.35 5.65 5.33 First Gen Corp. 18.4 18.4 18.2 First Holdings ‘A’ 55.5 56.95 55.5 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 11.50 11.10 11.00 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.18 5.35 5.23 Ionics Inc 2.350 2.360 2.260 Jollibee Foods Corp. 212.20 211.80 205.00 LBC Express 9.2 9.1 8 Liberty Flour 25.00 25.00 25.00 LMG Chemicals 1.81 1.85 1.85 Mabuhay Vinyl 2.9 2.78 2.7 Manila Water Co. Inc. 25.9 25.9 25.75 Maxs Group 14.9 14.88 14.48 Megawide 5.65 5.98 5.68 Mla. Elect. Co À’ 315.00 315.00 311.00 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.05 3.95 3.95 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3 3.22 2.93 Petron Corporation 6.62 6.76 6.60 Phinma Corporation 11.50 11.50 11.26 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.60 3.60 3.46 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.32 1.37 1.29 Pryce Corp. À’ 2.25 2.39 2.24 RFM Corporation 3.81 3.85 3.83 Roxas Holdings 4.8 4.75 4.75 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 139 139 137 Splash Corporation 2.4 2.4 2.38 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.146 0.155 0.145 TKC Steel Corp. 1.03 1.01 1.01 Trans-Asia Oil 2.09 2.08 2.07 Universal Robina 195 196 192.4 Vitarich Corp. 0.6 0.6 0.6 Vulcan Ind’l. 1.02 1.03 1.02 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. À’ 0.330 0.350 0.340 Aboitiz Equity 57.8000 57.4500 56.1000 Alliance Global Inc. 14.38 14.34 13.96 Anglo Holdings A 1.18 0.95 0.95 Anscor À’ 5.90 5.91 5.90 ATN Holdings A 0.200 0.208 0.205 Ayala Corp À’ 685 687 672.5 Cosco Capital 7.32 7.39 7.3 DMCI Holdings 11.60 11.90 11.36 F&J Prince ‘A’ 4.75 5 5 Filinvest Dev. Corp. 4.73 4.75 4.70 Forum Pacific 0.220 0.205 0.200 GT Capital 1250 1260 1230 IPM Holdings 9.80 9.80 9.77 JG Summit Holdings 65.15 66.00 62.55 Lopez Holdings Corp. 5.14 5.21 5.13 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.63 0.65 0.62 LT Group 16.06 16.7 15.68 Mabuhay Holdings À’ 0.53 0.53 0.53 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.65 5.67 5.6 Pacifica À’ 0.0290 0.0290 0.0280 Prime Media Hldg 1.090 1.090 1.070 Prime Orion 2.040 2.040 2.020 San Miguel Corp À’ 73.00 73.80 72.05 SM Investments Inc. 825.00 824.00 803.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.04 1.04 1.04 Top Frontier 126.000 128.500 122.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.2750 0.2850 0.2750 Zeus Holdings 0.315 0.330 0.285 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.100 7.150 7.010 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 7.00 7.00 7.00 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.76 0.74 0.73 Araneta Prop À’ 1.190 1.180 1.160 Arthaland Corp. 0.219 0.210 0.210 Ayala Land `B’ 31.000 31.500 31.000 Belle Corp. À’ 2.38 2.43 2.33 Cebu Holdings 4.5 4.75 4.5 Century Property 0.500 0.51 0.495 Crown Equities Inc. 0.117 0.119 0.116 AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil. National Bank PSE Inc. RCBC À’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

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

SHARES 6,572,136 106,242,923 73,724,605 81,177,320 550,906,848 6,527,883,033 7,347,017,905

2.9 44.7 96.20 89.95 35.15 2.50 1.35 14.3 16.5 6.70 1.78 0.420 72.8 15.00 50.25 274 33.2 143.6 1310.00 56.40 1.46

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.76 44.7 99.50 88.40 35.15 2.50 1.48 14.3 16.54 6.62 1.78 0.440 73.75 15.00 50.50 270 33.2 143.8 1310.00 55.20 1.46

-4.83 0.00 3.43 -1.72 0.00 0.00 9.63 0.00 0.24 -1.19 0.00 4.76 1.30 0.00 0.50 -1.46 0.00 0.14 0.00 -2.13 0.00

329,000 15,200 2,963,650 1,486,080 8,900 5,000 2,000 2,700 12,300 2,600 65,000 140,000 364,570 40,200 58,360 80 44,000 789,410 10 8,630 232,000

41.7 4.54 0.62 1.3 10.92 165.00 16.48 19.42 37.1 2.09 2.18 11.5 8.300 7.30 5.21 5.65 18.24 56.55 11.00 5.33 2.290 210.00 8 25.00 1.85 2.7 25.9 14.88 5.9 312.20 3.95 2.93 6.70 11.50 3.50 1.34 2.37 3.85 4.75 137 2.38 0.149 1.01 2.08 194 0.6 1.03

-0.71 -1.09 -1.59 0.00 -0.73 36.36 0.98 -0.10 0.00 -3.69 6.86 0.00 2.47 1.39 0.19 5.61 -0.87 1.89 -4.35 2.90 -2.55 -1.04 -13.04 0.00 2.21 -6.90 0.00 -0.13 4.42 -0.89 -2.47 -2.33 1.21 0.00 -2.78 1.52 5.33 1.05 -1.04 -1.44 -0.83 2.05 -1.94 -0.48 -0.51 0.00 0.98

958,700 243,000 166,000 652,000 1,900 2,860 2,057,500 99,300 68,600 119,000 43,079,000 31,800 5,495,200 14,165,500 9,058,900 399,400 1,020,700 93,530 10,000 504,900 2,922,000 2,380,860 8,400 200 5,000 48,000 62,400 763,000 121,700 49,220 20,000 372,000 2,716,500 2,100 1,028,000 566,000 210,000 421,000 2,000 250 322,000 11,190,000 28,000 709,000 3,458,130 76,000 15,000

0.345 57.3500 14.00 0.95 5.91 0.208 685 7.31 11.90 5 4.71 0.200 1243 9.79 66.00 5.15 0.62 16.4 0.53 5.62 0.0290 1.080 2.030 73.80 813.00 1.04 122.000 0.2800 0.285

4.55 -0.78 -2.64 -19.49 0.17 4.00 0.00 -0.14 2.59 5.26 -0.42 -9.09 -0.56 -0.10 1.30 0.19 -1.59 2.12 0.00 -0.53 0.00 -0.92 -0.49 1.10 -1.45 0.00 -3.17 1.82 -9.52

90,000 413,340 5,400,400 200,000 96,100 100,000 241,460 559,900 1,250,300 1,000 71,000 1,150,000 20,395 1,481,500 684,620 1,925,900 6,000 5,820,800 1,000 28,894,900 6,600,000 31,000 1,261,000 782,700 231,840 54,000 75,810 720,000 5,500,000

7.100 7.00 0.74 1.160 0.210 31.500 2.38 4.75 0.510 0.119

0.00 0.00 -2.63 -2.52 -4.11 1.61 0.00 5.56 2.00 1.71

87,300 1,000 382,000 11,000 50,000 1,818,700 3,397,000 930,000 1,660,000 140,000

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.72 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.39 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

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

10.5 66 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 2.6 7.67 4 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 95.5 15.2

1.97 35.2 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 1.6 4.8 2.58 830 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 3.1 6

0.62 1.040 6.41 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 3 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp. Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Manila Broadcasting Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp. SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils. Yehey

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

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

Abra Mining Apex À’ Atlas Cons. À’ Basic Energy Corp. Benguet Corp À’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs 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 Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. À’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp. Philex À’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. À’ Semirara Corp. TA Petroleum United Paragon

70 525 8.21 111 1047

33 500 5.88 101 1011

-149,280.00

78.95 84.8

74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GMA Holdings Inc. MWIDE PREF PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

7,000.00

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

643,260.00 -27,076,229 -47,206,137.50

26,464.00

1,679,052.00 -1,705,919.00 531,550 -46,814,328.00 -2,260.00 -3,039,145.00

329,780.00 33,478,080.00 2,118,885 4,597,230.00 19,538,882.00 -66,007,963.00 -2,335,102.00 1,772,539.00 -2,001,022.00 701,616.00 -152,952.00 15,310.00 -5,331,390.00

1,215,555.00 3,447,526.00 110,330.00 -8,832,152.00 -4,465,090.00 -3,600,000.00 -458,430.00 -34,480.00

-184,204,446.00

-7,544,118.00 5,572,670.00

33,622,655.00 -387,715.00 -6,996,444.00

-6,797,705.00 -20,095,053.00 911,660.00 8,685,144.00 22,839,178.00 16,800.00 -20,300.00 -2,076,620.00 -117,080,645.00

-7,444,985.00 -467,180.00 -2,592,000.00 10,200.00

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp. Italpinas Xurpas

High

VALUE 573,136,369.60 1,725,824,635.286 959,953,315.69 375,564,264.47 696,008,403.115 238,467,802.459 4,573,350,310.625

FINANCIAL 1,514.71 (UP) 9.26 INDUSTRIAL 10,609.67 (UP) 27.20 HOLDING FIRMS 6,264.60 (DOWN) 20.22 PROPERTY 2,667.14 (UP) 30.09 SERVICES 1,491.40 (UP) 6.92 MINING & OIL 10,118.94 (DOWN) 420.42 PSEI 6,637.48 (UP) 0.05 All Shares Index 3,825.21 (UP) 8.44 Gainers: 81; Losers: 91; Unchanged: 39; Total: 211

0.410 20.8 0.860 0.145 0.91 1.50 1.23 3.44 0.084 0.350 25.00 1.47 3.05 20.65 0.77 4.22 0.930 4.200

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.400 0.395 0.395 21.8 20.7 21.6 0.890 0.860 0.880 0.145 0.145 0.145 0.93 0.91 0.91 1.50 1.49 1.49 1.27 1.24 1.24 3.5 3.38 3.44 0.086 0.080 0.080 0.320 0.320 0.320 25.40 24.50 25.30 1.48 1.42 1.48 3 3 3 21.40 20.50 20.90 0.77 0.75 0.76 6.2 4.35 6.2 0.940 0.900 0.930 4.200 4.050 4.200 SERVICES 6.23 6.35 6.24 6.28 54.9 55 54.4 54.5 0.415 0.440 0.430 0.440 10.06 10.5 10.06 10.5 4.00 4.24 3.96 4.16 0.0420 0.0500 0.0420 0.0470 3.11 3.16 3.1 3.1 77.4 77.4 76.9 77 1.49 1.6 1.49 1.6 5.83 5.85 5.85 5.85 2.38 2.39 2.38 2.38 955 990 990 990 1875 1877 1825 1875 6.46 6.53 6.46 6.52 1.18 1.14 1.14 1.14 57.8 58 56.3 56.45 11.96 11.96 11.96 11.96 0.0081 0.0086 0.0081 0.0086 0.145 0.153 0.142 0.151 1.1400 1.1700 1.1200 1.1500 2.07 2.1 2.1 2.1 7.14 7.35 7.14 7.35 4.10 4.08 3.95 4.02 18.00 18.00 18.00 18.00 1.86 2.21 1.86 2.2 3.38 3.40 3.27 3.40 0.255 0.255 0.250 0.255 0.700 0.730 0.690 0.710 4.50 4.49 4.49 4.49 26.75 26.75 25.00 26.00 2164.00 2150.00 2106.00 2140.00 0.380 0.390 0.390 0.390 0.700 0.830 0.680 0.830 33.40 33.35 33.05 33.15 60.00 60.05 59.90 59.90 5.02 5.14 4.99 5.13 3.20 3.32 3.17 3.24 0.420 0.420 0.410 0.410 3.7 3.74 3.69 3.73 0.310 0.320 0.310 0.320 4.200 4.100 4.050 4.050 MINING & OIL 0.0043 0.0046 0.0043 0.0045 2.10 2.19 1.94 1.95 4.74 4.79 4.36 4.45 0.207 0.206 0.200 0.200 5.5000 5.48 5.48 5.4800 5.4800 5.5000 5.5000 5.5000 0.56 0.56 0.55 0.56 0.395 0.400 0.390 0.390 7.78 7.78 7.05 7.70 0.650 0.670 0.630 0.670 0.280 0.290 0.265 0.265 0.270 0.280 0.240 0.246 0.295 0.300 0.250 0.260 0.0150 0.0150 0.0120 0.0130 0.014 0.015 0.012 0.012 1.8 1.75 1.72 1.72 4.96 4.89 4.74 4.8 2.5 2.56 2.39 2.48 0.5300 0.5500 0.4900 0.5500 1.2400 1.2300 1.1600 1.1600 0.0097 0.0097 0.0096 0.0096 0.0091 0.0099 0.0094 0.0094 3.48 3.48 3.47 3.48 5.60 5.58 5.26 5.36 1.58 1.61 1.46 1.47 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 123.90 122.30 120.90 121.50 1.88 1.88 1.85 1.87 0.0085 0.0077 0.0077 0.0077 PREFERRED 53.6 53.6 53 53 530.5 531 531 531 6.49 6.48 6.39 6.39 111 112 112 112 1025 1026 1026 1026 105 105 105 105 79.5 80.6 80.6 80.6 82.5 83 82.6 82.6 77 77 77 77 79.6 79.6 79.5 79.6 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.400 2.710 2.370 2.600 SME 3.33 3.4 3.25 3.4 2.54 2.98 2.61 2.63 2.49 2.59 2.44 2.45 12.48 12.5 12.3 12.42 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 108.6 108.6 107.3 108.4

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

-3.66 3.85 2.33 0.00 0.00 -0.67 0.81 0.00 -4.76 -8.57 1.20 0.68 -1.64 1.21 -1.30 46.92 0.00 0.00

1,280,000 694,400 6,357,000 350,000 1,353,000 24,884,000 124,000 17,876,000 1,090,000 30,000 1,135,300 37,000 1,000 5,328,100 428,000 1,101,000 2,001,000 8,620,000

0.80 -0.73 6.02 4.37 4.00 11.90 -0.32 -0.52 7.38 0.34 0.00 3.66 0.00 0.93 -3.39 -2.34 0.00 6.17 4.14 0.88 1.45 2.94 -1.95 0.00 18.28 0.59 0.00 1.43 -0.22 -2.80 -1.11 2.63 18.57 -0.75 -0.17 2.19 1.25 -2.38 0.81 3.23 -3.57

31,700 68,170 190,000 48,000 5,743,000 -10,650,900.00 347,900,000 -12,800.00 104,000 551,210 -730,624.50 31,000 10,000 22,000 250 31,125 -6,839,550.00 19,400 66,000 75,240.00 955,030 -18,357,213.50 100 3,000,000 8,100.00 15,560,000 -59,250.00 2,116,000 15,960.00 4,000 3,300 133,000 100 52,895,000 -15,619,600.00 517,000 -16,780.00 60,000 5,174,000 14,400.00 1,000 61,600 -429,000.00 53,455 -57,413,810.00 130,000 103,566,000 -803,320.00 2,585,200 11,960,710.00 491,610 6,436,337.00 1,058,100 233,000.00 4,287,000 -3,077,820.00 460,000 39,000 570,000 153,000

4.65 -7.14 -6.12 -3.38 -0.36 0.36 0.00 -1.27 -1.03 3.08 -5.36 -8.89 -11.86 -13.33 -14.29 -4.44 -3.23 -0.80 3.77 -6.45 -1.03 3.30 0.00 -4.29 -6.96 0.00 -1.94 -0.53 -9.41

4,976,000,000-135,200.00 482,000 614,000 -379,650.00 610,000 2,000 1,900 -5,500.00 266,000 210,000 13,600 18,611,000 -1,201,000.00 820,000 213,030,000 42,460,000 -259,950.00 913,000,000 338,300,000 510,000 -86,680.00 3,656,000 -3,041,770.00 1,116,000 15,000 253,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 15,000 2,186,100 -28,640.00 1,913,000 73,500.00 2,800,000 674,740 -6,597,904.00 19,000 1,000,000

-1.12 0.09 -1.54 0.90 0.10 0.00 1.38 0.12 0.00 0.00

323,930 4,000 2,700 40 100 162,100 1,000 23,000 100 30,480

8.33

1,685,000

-10,560.00

2.10 3.54 -1.61 -0.48

14,000 76,000 127,000 292,200

116,300.00

-0.18

1,840

3,104,740.00

29,765,140.00 -31,000.00 -12,044,650.00 -21,438,960.00 -1,440,685.00 -87,400.00 -763,250.00

-11,516,467.50

-17,020,500.00 413,000.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Starmalls

6.2

46.92

Anglo Holdings A

0.95

C. Azuc De Tarlac

165.00

36.36

Manila Mining `B'

0.012

-19.49 -14.29

Premium Leisure

0.830

18.57

Manila Mining `A'

0.0130

-13.33

Melco Crown

2.2

18.28

LBC Express

-13.04

Boulevard Holdings

0.0470

11.90

Lepanto `B'

0.260

-11.86

Bright Kindle Resources

1.48

9.63

Zeus Holdings

0.285

-9.52

LR Warrant

2.600

8.33

United Paragon

0.0077

-9.41

Discovery World

1.6

7.38

Forum Pacific

0.200

-9.09

Da Vinci Capital

2.18

6.86

Lepanto `A'

0.246

-8.89

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.0086

6.17

Phil. Realty `A'

0.320

-8.57

THURSDAY: FEBRUARY 11, 2016

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

Ayala’s IMI posts lower proﬁt By Jenniffer B. Austria

INTEGRATED Micro-Electronics Inc., an electronic manufacturing company owned by conglomerate Ayala Corp., said Wednesday net income in 2015 stood at $28.8 million (P1.3 billion), sightly down from $29.1 million in 2014 on weak euro and the slowdown in China’s economy.

IMI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues dropped four percent to $814.4 million (P37 billion) also because of weak euro and the downturn in the computing and telecommunications segments. Minus the impact of changes in currency exchange, total revenues increased by two percent in 2015. “Against the backdrop of a challenging global marketplace, we expanded operating margin by 114 basis points and generated $49.8 million of cash flow from operations by focusing on highmargin auto and industrial segments and continued productivity improvements,” IMI president and chief executive officer Arthur Tan said, Despite the lower revenues, IMI cited the strong volume growth in the automotive segment. Revenues of the company’s advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS programs (such as automotive camera programs), posted a 66-percent increase in 2015. IMI’s China operations recorded $279.3 million in revenues in 2015, down percent from the previous year, as the 4G telecommunications network rollout in China reached its projected volume, while the consumer electronics segment experienced a slowdown.

Stocks end ﬂat; Jollibee declines THE stock market closed flat Wednesday, ignoring the battering in the rest of Asia. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added just 0.05 point to 6,637.48 on a value turnover of P4.6 billion. Losers beat gainers, 91 to 81, with 39 issues unchanged. Jollibee Foods Corp., the biggest fastfood chain, fell 1 percent to P210 after reporting lower profit in 2015. Jollibee said Tuesday net income in 2015 declined 10.4 percent to P4.8 billion from P5.3 billion in 2014 due to extraordinary costs incurred in the fourth quarter last year. Net profit in the fourth quarter of 2015 dropped 45 percent to P948 million from P1.72 billion year-on-year. Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan lost 2.6 percent to P14. BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender in terms of assets, rose 3.4 percent to P99.50, while LT Group Inc. of airline and tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan added 2.1 percent to P16.40. The rest of Asian stock markets declined Wednesday, with Tokyo leading a day of sharp losses as investors grow increasingly concerned about the world economy and the possibility of a global recession. More bourses reopened after the Lunar New Year break but immediately plunged into the red, playing catch-up with a rout that has seen billions wiped off valuations from Sydney to Frankfurt to New York this year. Energy firms were once again in the firing line after oil prices sank below $28 a barrel Tuesday, while financial plays are also coming under increasing pressure as investors fret about their bottom lines in the face of the economic slowdown. AFP

B4 New Gardenia plant.

Gardenia Bakeries Philippines Inc. opens its new and sixth plant capable of producing 150,000 loaves per day or a 50-percent increase on its current production capacity. Shown are Gardenia Bakeries Philippines president and general manager Simplicio Umali Jr. (left) with QAF Group managing director Tan Kong King while inspecting the newly installed 6K2 plant at Laguna International Industrial Park in Biñan, Laguna.

Uber launches car ride sharing By Darwin G. Amojelar UBER Technologies Inc., a transport solutions provider, has launched a new ride-sharing option in Metro Manila that enables commuters heading in the same direction to share a ride during rush hour for a flat fare. “Since our launch in the Philippines, we’ve been working hard to tackle one of the biggest challenges cities like Manila face: congestion. By making it convenient and affordable for people to share riders, we can get more people into fewer cars. With uberHOP we are providing even more viable alternatives to car ownership that can improve quality for life for everyone,” Uber general manager for the Philippines Laurence Cua said. Uber said with the launching, Manila became the third city in the world after Toronto and Seattle, and the first in Asia, to introduce the service. Uber estimated that the average Filipino commuter was spending 1,000 hours a year stuck in traffic in Metro Manila. “By empowering commuters with smarter mobility choices and operating within areas that are chronically underserved, uberHOP is able to save people valuable time and money,” Uber said. It said uberHOP would enable commuters to save up to 70 percent from what they would spend on a typical uberX ride. uberHOP is currently available on weekdays between 7 to 10 in the morning and 4 to 9 in the evening in Makati and Bonifacio Global City. “All of Uber’s standard product safety features that are active before, during and after the ride, like live GPS tracking, 2-way feedback and the ability to share trip details with family and friends to let them know you’re on your way will always be in effect, even on every uberHOP ride,” the company said.

Exports fell 5.6% to $58.6b in 2015 By Gabrielle H. Binaday

MERCHANDISE exports fell for the ninth straight month in December, dragging down the 2015 exports by 5.6 percent from a year ago. The Philippine Statistics Authority said exports dropped 3 percent in December to $4.66 billion from $4.8 billion a year earlier, amid sluggish global demand for agriculture and mineral products. This marked the ninth consecutive month of lower export revenues in 2015. They brought total exports in 2015 to $58.6 billion, down from $62.1 billion in 2014. The National Economic and Development Authority said exports fell because of lower demand for manufactured items, agro-based and mineral products.

“Advanced and emerging economies continue to face difficulties. In particular, the slowdown in China due to on-going structural transformation, as well as the contractionary fiscal policies in oil-exporting countries as they adjust to declining oil revenues, pose risks to the Philippine economy this year,” said Economic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra. Data showed petroleum exports increased 11.9 percent, ending three consecutive months of decline. Export of manufactured goods went down by 1.8 percent to $4.1 billion in December, after posting a slight improvement of 3.6-percent growth in November 2015. Outward shipments of electronic products rose 6.4 percent to $2.529 billion in December from $2.377 billion in the same month in 2014. “As soft global demand is expected to continue, the challenge is to be able to expand export market destinations and diversify product offerings,” Esguerra said. “But on a positive note, the Philippines’ ma-

jor trading partners such as the United States, Japan and the Euro area are expected to post a slight recovery this year,” Esguerra said. Esguerra said the Philippines should take advantage of the Asean Economic Community which took effect this year. “Expanding market opportunities in emerging export markets such as India and Mexico can boost the country’s merchandise exports, as they have been increasing their demand for consumer products,” said Esguerra. He said the country should also remain committed to the implementation of the manufacturing resurgence program to complement such market and product diversification efforts. “Implementing the MRP will rebuild the domestic production base and improve competitiveness through innovation. Given the high multiplier effects and potential for employment generation, the revival of the manufacturing sector is expected to spur domestic employment and investments in the country,” said Esguerra.

Robinsons set to open 2 community malls this year By Jenniffer B. Austria ROBINSONS Retail Holdings Inc., the retail holding company of the Gokongwei group, said Wednesday it will open two Robinsons Townville community malls this year. RRHI investor relations officer Gina Roa-Dipaling said in an interview the company was scheduled to open Robinsons Townville in Fairview, Quezon City this month and another in the latter part of the year. RRHI now has 10 community malls. Roa-Dipaling said the group,

which had been building community malls over the past five years, decided to brand the standalone developments as Robinsons Townville in 2015. RRHI earlier targeted to build two community malls every year over the next five years. The concept for Robinsons Townville project is to bring the retail brands closer to the consumers, the company said. About 70 percent of the leasable space will be reserved to affiliates such as Robinsons Supermarket, Mini-Stop, Southstar Drug Store, Handyman and True Value. Robinsons Townville commu-

nity malls have an average size of 5,000 square meters to 10,000 square meters and are situated in populated areas in the outskirts of Metro Manila. Other property firms that are also engaged in community malls development include DoubleDragon Properties Inc., which targeted to have 100 malls by 2020 and Lucio Co-owned Cosco Capital which is currently building six community malls in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija; Baler, Aurora; Binan, Laguna; and Santiago City, Isabela. RRHI currently has six business segments including supermarkets,

department stores, do-it-yourself stores, convenience stores, drug stores and specialty stores. Some of the brand names under RRHI include “Handyman Do it Best”, “True Value”, “Topshop”, “Topman”, “Toys “R” Us” and “Ministop”. RRHI’s net income attributable to equity holders of the parent company rose 26.7 percent in the first nine months of 2015 to P2.97 billion from P2.35 billion in the same period last year. Nine-month consolidated net sales increased 12.7 percent to P63.29 billion from P56.18 billion a year ago.

T H U R S D AY : F E B R U A R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

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

Exploration firms leaving PH oil fields IT WILL be a matter of time before most oil and gas exploration companies leave the Philippines in the wake of plunging crude prices. The erstwhile high oil prices in the international market have served as the biggest incentive for exploration companies to try their luck in this part of the world. Notwithstanding the marginal oil fields discovered so far, mostly in northwest Palawan, exploration firms have scoured deep waters in the Philippines in search of a world-class, major find. Falling oil prices, however, have started to dampen the hopes of oil and gas exploration companies. Crude prices have dropped to below $30 a barrel from near $100 a barrel just a year ago. One can just imagine how the sharp price drop has drastically altered the numbers earlier crunched by hopeful companies. Otto Energy Ltd. of Australia is one company that has lost its patience in local exploration. Otto is leaving the Philippines to focus on oil and gas exploration in the US and Africa. Otto Energy confirmed in its quarterly report that it “commenced structured exit from Philippine assets.” The company plans to sell its stake in service contract 55 southwest off Palawan, after seeking a twoyear moratorium on exploration with the Energy Department. It is also exiting SC 73, or the offshore Mindoro-Cuyo prospect, which was awarded to the company in 2013. A source said Otto Energy planned to develop other assets with “better potential” in other areas. Otto Energy is not in the league of British energy giant BP or Exxon Mobil. It does not have enough resources to spend on speculative areas with big potentials. SC 55, which contains the Cinco prospect, for instance, has a strong potential and requires investment from large oil and gas companies. The source said Cinco and other gas leads in SC 55 would be large enough to replace Malampaya “but it will take major oil companies much bigger than Otto to effectively explore and develop these gas prospects.” “The low oil price regime is good for consumers but it is indeed bad for the oil industry because oil companies stop exploiting,” he said. Big spenders ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Philippines B.V., a unit of ExxonMobil, meanwhile, is unlike Otto Energy. It is on the prowl for a major discovery in the Philippines and plans to join the latest auction of oil and exploration blocks. ExxonMobil spent over $400 million in an unsuccessful drilling of four wells in a Sulu Sea prospect in 2010. It withdrew from service contract 56 in Sulu Sea after finding“non-commercial quantities of gas” but appears to have renewed its interest in other areas. But plunging oil prices may force it to temporarily shelve its Philippine plan if the bottom line becomes discouraging. The sharp drop in oil prices has devastated British energy giant BP. It registered its biggest loss in at least 20 years, and cut another 3,000 jobs. BP suffered a loss after taxation of $6.48 billion (5.97 billion euros) in 2015, compared with a net profit of $3.78 billion in 2014. The company said it would reduce 3,000 positions in its downstream business—including refining, marketing and distribution—by the end of 2017. A report said earnings were hit by a $2.6-billion charge in the fourth quarter that was mostly linked to impairments in the upstream division, or exploration and production, as well as restructuring costs. BP took another $12-billion hit for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, taking its total bill for the tragedy to $55.5 billion, according to the report. Malampaya reels State-owned PNOC Exploration Corp. is another company whose operations are greatly dependent on oil prices. It reported an unaudited net profit of P1.426 billion in 2015, down 41 percent from P2.43 billion in 2014. PNOC Exploration’s revenues also declined to P4.717 billion last year from P6.6 billion in 2014 following a decline in world oil prices. The oil and gas exploration of Philippine National Oil Co. receives the bulk of revenues from the Malampaya gas field in northwest Palawan, where it holds a 10-percent stake. Gas prices from the Malampaya field is indexed on the movement of world oil prices. PNOC Exploration president Pedro Aquino Jr. earlier said the company was looking at ways to mitigate the impact of low oil prices on operations. “We are currently experiencing some hiccups in our operations brought about by the sharp decline in the price of crude. But this does not deter us from pursuing our mandate to explore and develop new oil and gas sources,” PNOC Exploration president Pedro Aquino Jr. said. “Management is trying its best to alleviate the effects of crude oil price in our declining revenue by looking at other sources that could bring substantial income to the company.” E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or business@thestandard.com.ph or extrastory2000@gmail.com

Car sales jumped 27.6% in January By Othel V. Campos

The automotive sector sustained its doubledigit growth this year, as vehicle sales climbed 27.6 percent in January from a year ago, two industry groups said Wednesday. The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association said in a joint report total sales reached 23,808 units in January, up from 18,662 vehicles sold in the same month last year. “We estimated a lower to stable sales performance for January, since December has just ended. We will continue to offer products to meet the increasing customer demand,” said Campi president Rommel Gutierrez. Data showed that sales of passenger cars or sedans increased

19.9 percent in January to 8,632 units from 7,200 units a year earlier. Orders for commercial vehicles surged 32 percent to 15,176 units from 11,462 units in 2015. Among commercial vehicles, category 1 or Asian utility vehicles grew 34.9 percent to 4,780 units in January from 3,542 units a year earlier while category 2 or sports utility vehicles showed a 29.3-percent growth to 9,678 units from 7,483 units. Sales of light duty trucks and buses (category 3) went up 42.5

percent to 392 units from 275 units. Category 4 or heavy duty trucks and buses sold 53 percent higher, with 156 units. The group attributed the growth in the sales of trucks and buses to infrastructure developments and other road constructions. Campi said vehicles sales in 2016 were projected to reach 370,000 units, up from more than 323,000 units in 2015. Toyota Motors Philippines Corp. remained the dominant player in January with 39.2-percent market share, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 20.4 percent. Ford Motor Company Philippines Inc. ranked third with 10.3 percent while Isuzu Philippines Corp. had an 8.3-percent market share. Honda Cars Philippines Inc. was fifth with 7.4 percent.

DMCI secures P10b. DMCI Homes Project Developers Inc., the real estate arm of DMCI Holdings Inc., signs another corporate notes facility with BDO Capital & Investment Corporation worth P10 billion. This is the third time DMCI Homes entered into a similar facility agreement arranged by BDO Capital. Shown during the signing of the agreement are (from left) DMCI Homes treasurer Edwina Laperal, president Alfredo Austria, chairman Isidro Consunji and chief finance officer Ramil Joseph Lombos.

December factory output rose 4.9% By Gabrielle H. Binaday FACTORY production rose 4.9 percent year-on-year in December 2015, on the back of strong domestic demand amid a lowinflation environment. The Philippine Statistics Authority, which conducted the monthly integrated survey of selected industries, said the growth in the volume of production index in December 2015 improved from 4.4 percent in November and 4.7 percent recorded in December 2014. “We must continue to help the manufacturing sector realize its potential by creating and strengthening linkages across all production sectors. This will enhance its capacity to absorb labor,” said Economic Planning

Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra. Data showed while the volume of production increased in December, the value of production index fell 2.6 percent from a year ago, pulled down by lower prices. Beverages rebounded with a growth of 12 percent in December. Food production contracted 1.3 percent, as the agriculture sector was affected by the El Niño dry spell in the second semester of 2015. “It is important to broaden the scope of supply and marketing linkages to dampen the impact of the El Niño which is reported to last until the second quarter of 2016. This includes encouraging more processing and better storage, packaging, and marketing of agricultural products to expand product range and reach a wider market,” Esguerra said.

He said the government should continue to improve infrastructure to support business activity and encourage businesses to reap the benefits of free trade agreements through aggressive information-sharing schemes and simplified bureaucratic processes. “Smooth flow of goods can be achieved through adequate and resilient road networks, seaports and airports, and reliable telecommunication services. These improvements will enhance the capacity of local players to participate in global value chains,” said Esguerra. Among intermediate goods, non-metallic mineral products posted a double-digit growth of 18.8 percent while paper and paper products rose 18.6 percent.

THURSDAY: FEBRUARY 11, 2016

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

Unesco to tackle Albay’s eco bid LEGAZPI CITY—The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization’s 4th World Congress on Biosphere Reserve on March 14 to 18 in Lima, Peru will deliberate on the nomination of Albay as a World Heritage Site. Albay as a biosphere reserve was nominated in 2014 to Unesco as a World Heritage Site, along with its other protected areas, especially the Mayon Volcano National Park, under the Man and Biosphere program. The MVNP is now tentatively listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said Unesco was “likely to consider the nomination,” citing Albay’s firm commitment to eco-systems, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Albay has made sustainability as framework of its development programs, along with a firm commitment to protect natural habitats, as evidenced by its increased forest cover to 44,891 hectares in 2010 from 28,298 hectares in 2003, an 88 percent expansion. The National Historical Commission has named four national cultural properties in Albay—the 201-year old Cagsawa Ruins in Daraga town, also recently declared a National Cultural Treasure; the Nuestra Señora de Porteria Church also in Daraga; the Tabaco City Church; and the Pighulugan Cave in Misibis, Bacacay town where artifacts dating back to 1,000 years of civilization were recovered. The Lima deliberation will be participated in by Unesco-MAB National Committees and experts directly involved in practical implementation of the biosphere reserve program. Salceda said Albay should qualify as a Unesco reserve and that the world body had recognized the province’s deep commitment to protect natural habitats through ecologically sustainable development initiatives.

Licensing agreement.

Japanese automotive parts manufacturer Metaltech Co. Ltd. signs a technical licensing agreement with local company Roberts AIPMC under the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy Program. Sealing the agreement are (from left) Christine Marie Medina, managing director of Roberts AIPMC; Eddie Gallor, vice president of RGC Group of Companies; Ryuichi Yajima, president and chief executive of Metaltech; and Noriyuki Asai, managing director and chief finance officer of Metaltech. Yajima said the agreement will help boost local manufacturing capability and create more employment through technology transfer. Othel V. Campos

Group slams solons supporting Romero By Gabrielle H. Binaday

AN ALLIANCE advocating for good governance on Wednesday slammed lawmakers who favored the P5billion settlement offer of real estate developer R-II Builders Inc. over the botched Smokey Mountain Development and Reclamation Project.

Filipino Alliance for Transparency and Empowerment president Jennifer Castro said Reghis Romero of R-II Builders’ offer was “anti-poor and anti government.” “Home Guaranty Corp. was right in rejecting outright the offer of R-II Builders. The offer was anti-poor and anti-government,” Castro said in a statement. Castro clarified that R-II Builders owed HGC P10 billion—not P5 billion—in princi-

pal payments, including accumulated interests. “His settlement offer is baseless. It’s grossly disadvantageous to the government. In fact, R-II Builders is even unable to show that it has P1 billion in its coffers,” she said. State-run HGC earlier rejected the P5-billion settlement offer of R-II Builders for the controversial SMDRP. HGC officer-in-charge Cora Corpuz said the settlement offer was low and unacceptable as a compromise agreement. “The P5 billion [offer] is definitely low and is not acceptable,” she said. Some members of the House subcommittee on housing in last week’s Congressional hearing urged HGC to accept a comprise agreement between the government and R-II Builders, the private contractor of SMDRP. Lawmakers Joel Batocabe of Ako Bicol partylist and Winnie Castelo of Quezon City expressed disappointment over the decision of HGC to reject Romero’s offer, saying the decision was an anti-Filipino. The Commission on Audit had called on

HGC to settle its financial problems with the government and property developers in order to bring itself back to fiscal viability. Romero in July 2015 offered to reimburse the state some P5 billion for the project. The same offer was rejected by HGC lawyer Dexter Licuanan. He said the Romero group should make a just offer to settle the two-decade dispute. The late president Corazon Aquino drew up the project to convert the former dumpsite into a habitable housing project. The National Housing Authority under the administration of former president Fidel Ramos was assigned as the developer and signed a joint venture agreement with R-II Builders. Under the joint venture agreement, R-II Builders would finance the development and construction of 2,992 temporary housing units and 3,520 units of medium-rise housing. The deal included the development of industrial and commercial sites within Smokey Mountain. Former HGC president Manuel Sanchez initially estimated the value of the area at around P9.5 billion.

Only one Edsa Revolution NUMEROUS commentaries on what happened at the Edsa Shrine on Jan. 20, 2001 – the most recent one being that of a retired magistrate— have written about an Edsa II Revolution. I have disputed the claim that what happened then and there constituted an Edsa Revolution II. An Edsa Revolution did not take place at the Edsa Shrine on Jan. 20, 2001. Only one revolution has taken place at the Edsa Shrine, and that is the Edsa Revolution, i.e., the military-supported civil uprising that unfolded during the four-day period, Feb. 22 to 25, 1986 that put an end to the dictatorial regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. No revolution other than the Edsa Revolution has taken place. There is no need for the Roman-numeral designation I or II. The way to justify the position that there is no such thing as Edsa II is not to discuss what precipitated the Feb. 22 to 25, 1986 event and identify the principal individual participants in that drama. The way to do so, rather, is to discuss the antecedents of the Jan. 20, 2001 event at the Edsa Shrine and recall the train of events that followed the famous Senate vote on the issue of opening, at the impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada, of the second Jose Velarde envelope. Any law student who has studied Political Law and Constitutional Law knows that the usual coup d’ etat—French for blow against the government—is one launched, for one reason or another, by a country’s military establishment.

The Edsa Revolution was a civilian-religious uprising supported not by the top leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines but by the civilian head of the country’s military establishment and the head of the national police force (Philippine Constabulary/ Integrated National Police). What the retired magistrate chooses to call an Edsa Revolution was not a military putsch as that term has always been defined; the AFP leadership came into the picture only later. The so-called Edsa Revolution II was neither a civilian nor a military-instigated coup. It was a judicial coup d’ etat instigated from the magistrate’s court by the then-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and one SC member and subsequently assented to by the rest of the High Court. Consider the following excerpts from the retired magistrate’s account of the events of January 16-20, 2001 (The “I” in the account refers to the magistrate. My comments are in parentheses). 1. “(T)he prosecutors’ walkout was triggered by the refusal of the Senate, voting 11-10, to open the so-called envelope that allegedly contained damning evidence showing that Estrada allegedly held P3.3 billion in a secret bank account under the name Jose Velarde.” (My comment: Anyone who knows anything about the Philippine governmental system knows that the Senate, made up of elected people, is a body coequal with the Supreme Court, whose members are unelected. The Senate had every right under

the Constitution to vote as it did. When did the Supreme Court acquire the right to negate and supplant the Senate’s will on an issue? To repeat, Senators are elected by the people whereas SC justices do not have a popular mandate. Parenthetically, the second Jose Velarde envelope, when subsequently opened, contained no money.) 2. “In disgust Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. resigned as Senate President.” (So what if the Senate President resigned? The majority of the other Senators could easily, and properly, have elected another Senate President.) 3. “After the Cabinet, the armed forces and the police withdrew their support from Estrada and pledged their allegiance to Arroyo, I knew that Estrada could no longer govern.” (Again, I ask, when did the Supreme Court, or members of it, acquire the right to determine when a sitting President (can) no longer govern? If at all, that determinative right belongs to the other political department of the government, to wit, Congress. Moreover, as Commander-in-Chief, Estrada had the authority to replace the defecting service chiefs with other high-ranking officers, who probably would have been only too glad to receive promotions. And President Estrada could easily have issued an order instructing undersecretaries to take over the now-Secretaryless Cabinet departments in an acting capacity. To say that Estrada “could no longer govern” is to speak without factual basis.

Estrada still enjoyed much support beyond the civil-society network and the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Indeed, the magistrate spoke in his latest commentary about “a large pro-Estrada crowd massed (in Malacañang)”). 4. Finally, there are the anti-Estrada arguments about the former president’s “constructive resignation,” his hearsay wish to resign, the entry in Executive Secretary Angara’s diary —wonder of wonders!—about Estrada’s alleged decision to give up Malacañang and his departure from the Palace. (Constitutionally and judicially speaking, all these circumstances do not amount, in the words of a Shakespearean character, to “an ounce of warm spit”. While I have never been a strict-constructionist lawyer, I do believe that a resignation, especially the resignation of a President, must be formal and not “constructive”. When US President Richard Nixon was forced to resign as President in 1974, he signed an instrument of resignation. Only people in the construction industry resort to constructive resignation.) And the person whom the magistrate and his constructive-resignation friends shoe-horned into Malacanang? Gloria Arroyo has been under hospital arrest for six years on corruption and plunder charges. E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Climate forcing animals to move SYDNEY—Warming temperatures are causing about half of the world’s plants and animals to move location, an international conference in Australia heard Wednesday, with every major type of species affected. Camille Parmesan, an expert from Britain’s Plymouth University on how climate change impacts wildlife, said data on thousands of species found that many had shifted their ranges towards the poles or up mountains over the past century. “The global imprint

of warming on life is evident in hundreds of scientific studies,” Parmesan told the Species on the Move conference, which is focused on how species are responding to climate change. “While about half of all studied species have changed their distri-

butions in response to recent climate change, we are starting to see negative impacts for the most vulnerable species.” Other changes had been observed such as plants flowering earlier or migratory birds arriving sooner in the year than previously,

she added. Parmesan said areas most at risk included sensitive systems such as polar regions dependent on sea ice and mountainous forests. “Recovering these vulnerable species under a changing climate may not always be possible,” she warned. Parmesan said stud-

ies showed that about half of species have moved their geographical ranges poleward and/or upward while about two-thirds of species studied have shifted towards earlier spring breeding, migrating, or blooming. Every major group has been affected including trees, herbs,

SCN FORM NO. 1 001336

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF JENNIFER GO TAN WONG to be naturalized as Filipino citizen pursuant to Republic Act No. 9139. SCN CASE NO. 000608

x-------------------------- x PETITION

Pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9139, petitioner hereby submits a petition for naturalization to become a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines and respectfully declares: 1. My full name is Jennifer Go Tan Wong, but I have also been known since childhood as or I have been judicially authorized to use the alias name(s) . 2. My present place of residence is at 111 (Unit 4-B) D. Tuazon St. City/Municipality of Quezon City, Province of _______ and all my former places of residence are (please indicate periods of residence) 39-A Speaker Perez St., Quezon City (2000-2010) 1128 G. Masangkay St., Sta. Cruz, Manila (1991-2000) 1116 C.M. Recto, Manila (1973-1991)

INVITATION TO BID The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Bids and Awards Committee for the Procurement of Goods and Services (BAC-PG) invites Manpower Services Provider/Contractor to submit their eligibility requirements and bid documents and participate in the public bidding for the Procurement of Technical and Administrative Support Personnel (Manpower Services) For PMONEGROS OCCIDENTAL/BACOLOD/BANAGO-BREDCO (PMO-NBBB) and its Terminal Offices for CY 2016. The Scope of Work involves the deployment of TWENTY ONE (21) technical and administrative support personnel for assignment at the Port Management Office of Negros Occidental and its Terminal Management Offices. The approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) is FIVE MILLION SEVENTY ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED SEVEN & 56/100 (P5,071,207.56). Prospective bidders should have at least five years experience in undertaking a similar project, with a single largest contract equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC, and should have key personnel available for the execution of the project. The Eligibility check/screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Postqualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted. All particulars relative to the eligibility statement and screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provision of R.A 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The Schedule of activities is listed as follows: 1. Issuance of Bid Documents Bid documents can be secured from the BAC-PG Secretariat at the PPA, PMO NBBB office, Banago Port, Brgy. Banago, Bacolod City, starting February 11, 2016 during office hours, upon submission of Letter of Intent and payment of a non-refundable amount of Eleven Thousand Two Hundred Pesos_(P 11,200.00) inclusive of VAT. 2. Pre-Bid Conference The Pre-Bid Conference shall be on February 23, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the Conference Room of the Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office of NBBB, Banago Port, Bacolod City. 3. Submission of Bid Documents shall not be later than 10:00 A.M. of_February 26, 2016_ to the Secretariat of the Bids and Award Committee. Opening of Bids shall follow at 2:00 P.M. of the same day at the PMO NBBB Conference Room in the presence of the Bidder’s Representative. The Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to declare a failure of bidding or not to award the contract. Likewise, it assume no responsibility to compensate the bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bids. (SGD) ARLYN A. CARAIG Chairman, BAC-PG Contact Person: Celerino M. Laudenorio, Jr. Secretariat Tel# (034) 4413124/4411102 Date of Publication : February 11, 2016 The Standard PPA Website : February 11, 2016 PhilGEPS : February 11, 2016 Local Posting : PMOs Bulletin board or at any conspicuous places

4. My father's name is Cai Tong Tan and he was born on 06 March 1928, in Chingkang, China. He is a citizen or subject of Philippines (naturalized). My mother's name is Juanita S. Go Tan and she was born on 13 March 1938 in Kawit, Cavite. She is a citizen or subject of People’s Republic of China.

(Where the above does not apply): I am exempt from the requirement of lucrative trade or occupation and from submitting income tax returns for the past three (3) years because I am a college degree holder [please state (1) degree obtained: _____, (2) name of school: _____ and (3) years graduated: _____] who cannot practice my profession (the practice of which requires a government licensure examination) by reason of my citizenship. 6. My civil status is married , I was married on 12 March 2006 in Ermita, Manila. My wife's/husband's name is Eric Tiu Wong and she/he was born on 29 Feb. 1968 in Manila. She/he is a citizen or subject of Philippines and presently resides at 111 (Unit 4-B) D. Tuazon St., Quezon City. 7. I am legally separated from my spouse; my marriage was annulled, per decree of legal separation/annulment dated N.A. granted by N.A.. (please indicate the particular court which granted the same). I am a widower/widow and my spouse died on N.A. in N.A.. 8. I have one (1) child/children, whose names, dates and places of birth and residences are as follows: Date of Birth Place of Residence Birth Elijah Nathaniel 13 Aug, 2013 Manila 111 (Unit 4-B) D. Tuazon St., Quezon City 9. I received my primary and secondary education from the following public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality: Name of School

Place of School

Dates of Study

Philippine Cultural High School

Manila

1978-1986

Highest Grade Completed Elementary

Philippine Cultural High School

Manila

1986-1990

High School

Philippine School of Business Administration

Manila

1990-1994

College

13. It is my true and honest intention to become a citizen of the Philippines and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and, particularly, to People’s Republic of China of which at this time I am a citizen or subject. I will reside continuously in the Philippines from the date of the filing of this petition up to the time of my admission to Philippine citizenship. 14. My character witnesses are Ms. Olive P. Abala and Ms. Evezel D. Fuentes both Filipino citizens, of legal age, and residing at 270 Gumamela St., Batasan Hills, Quezon City and Blk. 14, Lot 19 Brgy. Gaya-Gaya, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan respectively, who have executed sworn statements attached hereto in support of my instant petition, together with: (a) brief biographical data about themselves; (b) detailed statements on the dates they first came to know me, the circumstances of our initial acquaintance and the reasons and extent of our continuing familiarity; and (c) the number of times they have acted as character witnesses in other petitions for naturalization. 15. Attached hereto as annexes and made part of this petition are the duplicate originals or certified photocopies of the following documents (please check the appropriate box): [/] [/] [/] [/] [ ] [ ]

Petitioner's birth certificate Petitioner's alien certificate of registration (ACR) Petitioner's native-born certificate of residence (NBCR) Petitioner's marriage certificate, if married Death certificate of his/her spouse, if widowed Court decree annulling his/her marriage or granting legal separation, if such was the fact [ / ] g. Birth certificates of petitioner's minor children [ ] h. ACRs of petitioner's minor children [ ] i. NBCRs of petitioner's minor children [ / ] j. Affidavits of financial capacity by the petitioner, duly supported by bank certifications, passbooks, stock certificates, or proof of ownership of other properties [ / ] k. Affidavits of at least two (2) credible witnesses who must be Filipino citizens of good reputation in petitioner's place of residence [ / ] l. Medical certificate from a government hospital stating that petitioner is not suffering from mental alienation or a user of prohibited drugs or otherwise a drug dependent and that he/ she is not afflicted with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), or any incurable contagious disease. [ / ] m. School diploma and transcript of records of the petitioner from the school/s he or she attended in the Philippines [ ] n. Certifications stating that petitioner's minor children are enrolled in public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the DECS, where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality [ / ] o. Petitioner's income tax returns for the past three years [ ] p. Petitioner's receipts of payment of income tax for the past three years a. b. c. d. e. f.

16. Other documents submitted by the petitioner in support of his/ her petition: Certification dated 19 Aug. 2015 Form 137-Elementary T.O.R.-High School BIR Form 1604 CF (Alphalist) -for the year 2012, 2013 & 2014 Medical Report Drug Test Report

11. I have enrolled my minor children of school age in the following public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), where Philipine History, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality: My son is not yet enrolled in school. Name and Place of School N.A.

Date of Enrollment N.A.

12. I shall never be a public charge. I am of good moral character. I believe in the principles underlying the Philippine Constitution. I have conducted myself in a proper and irreproachable manner during the entire period of my residence in the Philippines in my relations with the constituted government as well as with the community in which I am living. I mingled socially with Filipinos and have evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipino people. I have all the qualifications and none of

Serology Radiographic Report Psychological Evaluation Form Barangay Clearance Police Clearance Certificate NBI Clearance RTC Clearance

MTC Clearance Office of the City Prosecutor Clearance

PRAYER WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that petitioner be conferred Philippine citizenship pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No, 9139. Dated at Makati City, Metro Manila, this 23RD day of March 2015. JENNIFER GO TAN WONG Name and Signature of Petitioner Address: 111 (Unit 4-B) D. Tuazon St.,Quezon City Telephone Number: 732-0928

Right Thumbmark of Petitioner

10. I am able to read, write and speak Filipino and/or any of the following dialects of the Philippines: Filipino

N.A.

(TS-FEB. 10, 2016)

I am not opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association or group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing all organized governments. I am not defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of violence, personal assault or assassination for the success and predominance of one's ideas. I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. I have not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude. I am not suffering from mental alienation or from any incurable contagious disease. The country of which I am a citizen or subject is not at war with the Philippines and grants to Filipinos the right to be naturalized citizens or subjects thereof.

Name

Name of Child

NOTED: (SGD.) ENRIQUE H. FUENTEBAJA Port Manager

3. I was born on 14 April 1973, in Manila Philippines. I have been a resident of the Philippines since birth. At present, I am a citizen or subject of People’s Republic of China.

5. My trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is employee. and from which I derive an average annual income of P Two Hundred Ten Thousand Pesos (P210,000.00), inclusive of bonuses, commissions and allowances. My wife's/husband's trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is sales agent and from which she derives an average annual income of P Two Hundred Forty Thousand Pesos (P240,000.00)

PMO-Negros Occidental Banago Port, Banago, Bacolod City Tel. Nos. (034) 441-1041;441-1225, 441-1402-1403; Email add: ehfuentebaja@ppa.com.ph

impacted by the recent climate change and they are expected to be highly vulnerable to climate change,” Parmesan told journalists. The professor said that globally there were also many species which were unable to move, for example when hemmed in by urban development. AFP

the disqualifications under Republic Act No. 9139.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION

Premiere. Models walk the runway during the “Zoolander No. 2” World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 9 in New York City. AFP

butterflies, birds, mammals, amphibians, corals, invertebrates and fish. In Australia, tropical mountain areas were home to a range of species which were unique to those regions and vulnerable to changing temperatures. “Tree possums have already been heavily

Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) CITY/MUNICIPALITY OF PASIG) S.S. I, JENNIFER GO TAN WONG, of legal age and a resident of 111 (Unit 4-B) D. Tuazon St.,Quezon City, after being duly sworn, depose and say that I am the petitioner herein, that I have read the foregoing petition and know the foregoing petition and known the contents thereof, and that the same is true of my own knowledge. SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me at PASIG CITY this 13th day of Aug 2015. DOC. No. 232 PAGE No. 48 BOOK No. 1 SERIES OF 2015 (TS-Feb. 4/11/18, 2016)

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

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WORLD

13-m pupils ‘failing at 15’ PARIS—Around 13 million pupils in OECD countries have failed to attain a sufficient level of proficiency in either reading, math or science by the time they reach 15, according to a new study released by the think-tank on Wednesday. The figure equates to more than one in four of 15-year-olds in the 64 countries and economies that took part in the 2012 PISA study, the Paris-based organization’s comparative study of education worldwide. In some countries, 50 percent of students were falling behind in at least one of the key subjects. The OECD says fighting poor performance at school will bring more to the countries than it will cost them to introduce the special measures needed to combat the problem.

And the wealth of a country need not be the main factor. “It is education policy and practice that can help students clear this bar, not just per capita income,” the report says. The danger to countries’ future economic health cannot be underestimated: Students who perform poorly at age 15 face a high risk of dropping out of school, and when a high proportion of the population does not have basic skills, “long-term economic growth is severely compromised”. Between 2003 and 2012, the OECD analyzed nine countries that did not manage to reduce the number of pupils failing to achieve the basic level in math—Brazil, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Tunisia and Turkey. AFP

Project. Singers and musicians of the Ensemble Baroque de Toulouse play a cantata by German musician Johann Sebastian Bach in the Churche of Saint-Exupere of Toulouse on February 7, 2016. The EBT has launched as a challenge to interpret one by one the 200 cantatas of Bach one Sunday a month for nearly 25 years. The project began in the fall of 2007. AFP

Paris still enchanting tourists PARIS—Some visitors may be steering clear of the world’s top tourist destination after the terror attacks in the French capital, but for lovers, shoppers and gourmands who dare to go, Paris will always be Paris. Quaint Parisian streets have been a little quieter and lines outside the Louvre museum or under the Eiffel Towel a little shorter since a November jihadist attack that killed 130 people. Francois Navarro, head of the Paris region tourist board, said hotel reservations were down about 20 percent, with many cancellations

from Japanese, Chinese and Russian tourists in the wake of the second devastating attack to hit the City of Light within a year. He said it had taken the Paris region three months to recover from the January 2015 attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket. “There has been more of an impact” after gunmen and suicide bombers went on a killing spree at Paris nightspots in November, Navarro said. “But security has also never been as high in Paris. That reassures tourists,” he said, adding that visitor figures were expected to pick up again in March. The full impact of the terror attacks on 2015 tourism figures is not yet known, but while some backed out of their dream trip, the allure of

Paris was too strong for others. “At first, I didn’t want to come at all, because of the attacks. But I decided not to give into fear... Visiting Paris had always been one of my wishes,” said Annika, a 23-year-old German on her first solo trip abroad. “I came to realize that I could just as easily be hit by a car anywhere in the world anytime and I wouldn’t be able to do much about it either,” she said. Her attitude reflects that of many who keep coming to Paris, said Navarro, adding that travelers today have “adapted to the fact that these tragic events can happen anywhere.” Annika said the presence of police and soldiers on the streets and bag checks at tourist sites “made me feel a little bit safe.” “The magic of Paris totally took over,” she said, adding she was glad

to visit the Place de la Republique, a square that has become a shrine to the victims of the attacks. Immortalized in song, movies and the hearts of romantics the world over, “there is something so particular about Paris”, said Navarro, who is cheerily optimistic that tourist figures will recover. The city is a magnet for museum lovers, with its rich history and architectural gems, foodies dreaming of buttery croissants and little bistros, and shoppers looking for Parisian glamor. The greater Paris region attracted some 19 million foreign tourists in 2014, while France as a whole lured 83 million travelers from abroad, making it the world’s top tourist destination. China, the fifth biggest contributor of tourists to France after Britain,

the United States, Germany and Italy, is one of the biggest markets for growth and tourist authorities are keen to allay any nervousness among travelers there. Wang Yang, of the Liurenyou travel agency in Beijing, told AFP that 60 percent of their clients had canceled trips to France after the November attack. “In the mind of many Chinese tourists, security in France is lacking,” she said. In a bid to win over Chinese tourists, France has cut visa waiting times and Navarro said the city would welcome 55 Chinese tour operators at the end of February to “talk security and show them what the destination has to offer.”

The operators would spend two hours visiting police headquarters on their trip to Paris. AFP

South Korea steps up propaganda

Visit. People look at a tapestry during their visit to the Musee des Tissus (Museum of Textiles) in Lyon on February 9, 2016. AFP

SEOUL—South Korea’s military said Wednesday it had stepped up border propaganda broadcasts targeting North Korean soldiers in protest at Pyongyang’s widelycondemned rocket launch. The army since last month has blasted across the heavilyfortified border a mix of news, propaganda messages and K-pop music using giant banks of loudspeakers, in response to Pyongyang’s fourth nuclear test on January 6. It deployed more loudspeakers—mounted on moving vehicles—along the frontier after the North’s rocket launch on Sunday, a defense ministry spokesman told AFP.

“We have deployed more loudspeakers to the border and are airing the broadcast for longer hours every day since then,” the spokesman said without elaborating further. The military reportedly airs the broadcast-hated by Pyongyang, which last year threatened to open fire on the loudspeakers— about six hours a day. The rocket launch, widely seen as a disguised long-range missile test, sparked international fury and prompted an agreement at the UN Security Council to slap new sanctions against the increasingly defiant state. The launch was a violation of several UN resolutions that

banned the nuclear-armed country from use of ballistic missile technology. The propaganda broadcasts targeting North Korean troops have been turned on and off in line with the swings of volatile inter-Korea ties. Seoul last August resumed them for the first time in 11 years after two of its border patrol soldiers were maimed by mines it said was planted by the North’s soldiers. But the broadcasts came to a halt two weeks later after the two Koreas reached an agreement to defuse growing military tension and Pyongyang expressed regret over the mine explosion. 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

W EL L BEING

LIFE

Fit girls come in all shapes and sizes, but if there's one thing they all have in common, it's that they're all STRONG

FINE FETTLE

BY BUBBLES PARAISO

Lian Reyes (@lian_reyes), pole dancer/triathlete and a certified fit chick

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN DATING A FIT CHICK

it chicks are in and they’re all over social media. Check your explore page on Instagram and it’s more likely filled with photos of strong women. Even the Victoria’s Secret Angels are all slim but strong, and they empower women to workout and get fit and not just be skin and bones. (Yay!) Since it’s almost Valentine’s Day and I got inspired by an article I saw in Thought Catalogue, I decided to make a guide for all you single lads out there who are aspiring to date a beautiful “beast,” and also those fortunate enough to already be with (or married to) one. One thing’s for sure, men are from Mars, and women are from Venus but Fit Girls are probably from a different galaxy. 1. They sleep early and wake up early. So date nights would mean starting at 6:00 p.m. so she can go home and sleep by 10:00 p.m. No, she will not adjust for you. Maybe once in a blue moon she would, but fit girls are disciplined enough to know how much sleep they need to clock in prior to training. If you’re married to one who is about to start with her routine – be ready to be woken up by her 5:00 a.m. alarm clock to run/swim/attend her yoga class. 2. Hungry and Hangry. Having burnt tons of calories during training, your girl will want and need to eat… A LOT. Don’t make any snide comments about her appetite lest you want a major eye roll. Carbo-loading before a race is real. Be happy that your girl isn’t one of those “I’ll just have a salad” women… she

What a fit girl's shoe closet looks like–she may have her sneaker game on but she won't mind wearing fancy shoes sporadically either

will and can eat. Probably even more than you. But don’t think that she will eat just anything – these ladies follow a strict diet program which means she will eat smart, and probably with a lot of restrictions. (So nope, no matter how hungry she is, the drive thru is not an option.) 3. She’s not keeping fit for anyone but herself. If you think she’s doing this for you… DON’T. Being fit is a personal thing. And hitting PRs in training is a feeling that is incomparable to anything. 4. Sports bras 24/7. She probably lives in her sports bras at any given time because

it’s just a lot more comfortable. Deal with it. 5. She will probably have a separate closet just for her active wear, plus a massive sneaker collection and all other accessories that have anything to do with her sport. But just because she’s always in active wear doesn’t mean she doesn’t like getting dolled up. She won’t mind wearing heels once in a while, too. 6. Yes, she’s getting ripped. Don’t tell her she’s getting too bulky or too “muscle-y.” If you want to date a skinny girl, then don’t go out with her.

Carla Paredes, yoga teacher and indoor bike instructor, is a certified fit chick

7. The people she trains with will be some of her closest friends. Most of them will probably be men (if it’s crossfit or endurance training). Don’t play the overly jealous card. 8. She will be sore almost everyday. One of the best gifts she can ever receive is a trip to the spa. Bonus points if you can give her the massage yourself. 9. Nope, she can’t “skip training today.” Stop trying to make her skip training day lest you want to unleash the beast in her. Again, fit chicks follow a strict schedule. If you can’t live with that, then back off. If

they do allow themselves to be persuaded and go out to the club with you and skip a day of training… consider yourself lucky. That doesn’t happen often and that probably means she’s really into you. Don’t mess this up. 10. Her ideal night would be at home reading a book or watching something on the tube. Perhaps “Netflix and chill” was coined by a fit chick. How much more low maintenance can you get? Follow me on twitter and instagram @bubblesparaiso

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

6 EASY WAYS TO KICK-START YOUR HEALTHIEST YEAR EVER

hen people think about being healthy, many have the perception that it means drastic lifestyle changes that are difficult to sustain, let alone start. But truth is, you don’t need to suddenly exercise seven days a week and change your diet if you’re going on the healthier route. The simple way to transition to better living is by making bitesized healthy changes that are so small and easy you can’t say no. “By eating healthy foods and practicing healthy lifestyle – such as getting enough sleep and visiting a doctor regularly for check-ups – people will definitely get the most out of 2016,” opines Dr. Nicky Montoya, president of MediCard Philippines. Here are six tips from Dr. Montoya to help you jumpstart 2016 in a healthy way:

Drink more water

Trade sodas, lattes and beers for water, or at least choose water over other beverages as much as you can. Drinking nine to 16 cups of water a day maintains the body’s fluid balance which helps transport nutrients in the body, regulate body temperature and digest food. Aside from fighting sickness and fatigue, water also flushes out certain toxins in the body, giving you not just healthier internal organs, but clearer skin, too.

Eat breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Our first meal is vital because it does not just give energy to start a new day, but helps in weight control and improved concentration and performance as well. According to studies, eating breakfast helps people prevent diabetes and heart disease. One more notable discovery reveals that people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less than those who skip it.

Quit smoking

Did you know that within 12 hours after a person decides to quit smoking, his body begins to heal itself? And that within 24 hours, his chances of heart attack decreases? Aside from younger looking skin, quitting smoking lets a person breathe easier and be less stressed.

Get enough sleep

Busy bees ask: How much sleep is truly enough? According to studies, adequate rest means 7.5 to 9 hours of shuteye for adults. Studies show that getting a good night’s sleep improves learning as the brain forms new pathways to help you learn and remember information.

Visiting your doctor for a regular check-up is vital in keeping your body healthy

Sleep is also involved in healing and repairing your heart and blood vessel. Thinking of foregoing sleep again? Studies show that ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke.

Exercise

For an exercise routine to work, it’s important that you engage in something that you like doing so that you will devote time for it. It could be running, yoga, Zumba or hitting the gym to try different equipment. Exercise might be exhausting but it comes with a host of health benefits. Aside from losing weight, it also combats diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure. It also improves mood as it stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.

Get a check-up

Visiting your doctor for a regular check-up is a vital factor in keeping your body in tiptop shape. Getting a check-up will help you identify risk factors and health problems at the onset and before they become serious. If diseases are detected early, treatments are usually easier and much more effective. Take charge of your health and schedule an appointment with your doctor for a check-up. MediCard has 12 freestanding clinics nationwide that offer consultations, and laboratory tests. Visit www.medicardphils.com for more information. The MediCard Lifestyle Center also has a fitness center and offers yoga classes. Go to www. suryafitnessyoga.com to know more.

GIVE YOUR LUNGS SOME LOVE

S Acu-Quit is a new method using laser acupunture that claims to help smokers quit tobacco

moking remains a major health problem in the Philippines. Records from the Health department show that 17.3 million Filipino adults are smokers, and that according to the alarming report of World Lung Foundation’s Tobacco Atlas, 71,850 die every year due to tobacco-caused diseases. Aside from lung cancer, which is 90 percent caused by smoking, other diseases brought by this fatal vice are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, colon cancer, leukemia, cardiovascular diseases and oral health problems, among others. According to the American Lung Association, smokers will see immediate changes in their body as soon as they stop smoking. However, quitting can be difficult, but experts say that all one needs is motivation and setting doable goals. Laser Wellness by Contours Medical Director Dr. Claudine Roura shares these four tips on how to help smokers quit. 1. Make a declaration Most of the time, a public declaration of your desire to quit is the best way to ask for support and keep yourself going. Gather your family and friends over brunch or coffee and make your announcement official. Set a deadline for yourself and mention about your creative strategies on how you can achieve it. 2. Have an accountability partner After declaring your noble intention to quit the “hit,” grab your closest friend and ask him to be your accountability partner – someone who will call you out when you’re straying from your goal, support you when you’re about to break down, and

celebrate with you on every minor milestone and share the sense of accomplishment when you’ve finally kicked the habit. 3. Develop a reward system Since signing up for a quitting challenge is any smoker’s Achilles heel, a reward is always a helpful factor. Keep your eyes on the prize, which may be an out of the country trip, a one week vacation leave, or a photo shoot showcasing the younger and healthier you. 4. Consider getting other help Have you heard of laser acupuncture? This popular method that claims to help smokers quit in less than an hour is currently sweeping across Canada. Capitalizing on the age-old Chinese and European acu-points with the use of low-level laser or cold laser, Acu-Quit is said to efficiently target the nicotine center of the brain that reduces cravings and produces endorphin or known as the “happy hormone” to combat withdrawal. It uses a compact but dynamic equipment that produces electrical simulation one after the other for one minute on active acupuncture points on the ears, head, arms and legs. This method is still relatively new here, but if one is really serious about quitting, it wouldn’t hurt to know more about AcuQuit. Start by calling (02) 5564878,09274059248 or emaildrclaudine@ rouradermsurgery.com orlaserwellnessph@gmail. com. Laserwellness by Contours is located at 2nd floor, South Park Plaza, Paseo de Magallanes, Magallanes Village, Makati City.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

PROTECT YOUR EYES WHILE STAYING DIGITALLY CONNECTED

n this age of technology, staying connected has become a lifestyle, with people virtually attached to their smartphones, tablets, iPads and other smart gadgets. However, being online almost 24/7 can cause a lot of eyestrain that could even lead to eye damage due to

constant exposure to the blue light emitted by digital devices. This is exacerbated by the digital habit called multi-screening that people have developed, using an average of four multiple digital screens simultaneously either for work, education, socializing or leisure.

challenging for the human eye, and many people are experiencing specific symptoms linked to this new behavior. Crizal Eyezen™, a new range of lenses from Essilor, can protect your eyes while allowing you to stay connected to the digital world. The lenses are designed to replace ordinary prescription lenses or to occasionally aid people who don’t usually need eyeglasses. The lenses exist in three different and revolutionary optimizations according to the type of screen most used and the age of the patient: Eyezen Focus, Light Scan™ and W.A.V.E Technology that work in sync to relax the eyes from all digital stress and protect against harmful blue light. Eyezen Focus Technology helps relieve the eye’s focus when using digital devices and reduces eyestrain in ultra-near distances or for reading small characters by giving an extra power in the lower portion of the ophthalmic lens. Light Scan™ Technology is a unique light filtering technology that protects eyes from the harmful blue-violet light emitted by digital screens. W.A.V.E Technology, on the other hand, eliminates lens distortion for sharper, clearer vision at every distance and better vision even in low light. “Crizal Eyezen enhances the digitally connected lifestyle of the millennial generation,” says Essilor Philippines general manager Dr. Emelita Roleda. “While ordinary glasses help you see the world, Eyezen enhances the way you live in it. With clearer, sharper vision, you can connect to the digital world better, while getting protection for your eyes at the same time.” As technology continues to advance, people’s visual needs will change at the same time. Essilor makes sure that people’s visual needs are always complemented through constant technological innovations that aim to help people see the world better.

A typical multi-screen user spends seven hours and 24 minutes of screen Crizal Eyezen lenses are available in clear media per day. Of that time, 34 percent is and Crizal Transitions at leading optical spent on smartphones; 33 percent on TV; shops nationwide. For more information, 23 percent on laptops and 10 percent on check out the Crizal Eyezen Facebook page, tablets. This enormous amount of time www.facebook.com/crizaleyezenph or visit www.essilor.com.ph. spent before bright digital screens can be

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR HEART

HEALTHY OPTIONS LIFESTYLE NEWS DIGEST GIVES HELPFUL TIPS

he heart is very fragile, and there are so many things that can spell trouble for this organ. For instance, clogged arteries, which are a leading cause of death in the US. In the Philippines, over 160,000 lives are snuffed out each year by cardiovascular diseases. Described as a silent killer, heart disease has been known to sneak into homes, destroying lives and families with the demise of a loved one. This is why knowing the telltale signs of a heart problem as well as the natural ways to improve heart health can go a long way in paving the path to a longer, healthier, more productive life. In the latest issue of Healthy Options Lifestyle News Digest, readers can get the lowdown on heart disease – the various conditions that afflict a growing number of people, the symptoms that may or not be linked to a heart problem, the habits that may take their toll on heart health and those that can improve it, and the remedies. The article “Green Powerhouses” lists a number of powerful body detoxification aids, with detox drinks

and supplements like spirulina also mentioned to help protect and heal the body. For younger members of the family, keeping healthy snack foods like fresh fruits, yogurt, nuts and seeds, and whole grain snacks can be good for the heart and overall wellness. In “How to Detoxify Your Body,” several ways to reduce exposure to environmental toxins are disclosed. Interestingly, chemicals are absorbed in small ways that people may not notice – from Styrofoam cups, toothpaste, medicines, and other stuff. Getting the recommended daily fill of fiber, drinking fresh fruit juice, and exercising regularly (like biking, yoga, or a favorite sport) are but some of the ways to detoxify. Another interesting article is “7 Heart-Healthy Japanese Habits” which lists the eating habits, favorite leisure activities, and rituals of the Japanese which may give clues for their long and healthy life spans. One of these is enjoying green tea, which contains polyphenols, a type of antioxidant. Studies have linked drinking of green tea to reduced risk

of heart problems and higher level of cognitive functioning. Other helpful insights to keep the heart healthy are also contained in the news digest. Check out the back-to-back feature articles “Love is Good For You” and “Your Chemical Romance” that discusses about Oxytocin, a hormone that accounts for the feeling of love or connection with a sibling, friend, baby, or pet. Among the healthy things that happen when the body produces oxytocin is lowered blood pressure. It can also help sweep free radicals and inflammation out of the arteries. Get a rundown of the different types of heart disease and the “signs of a heart problem” so as not to be caught unawares by the “silent killer.” Plus, find out the natural remedies that may fight inflammation and ward off heartrelated illnesses from articles in the Healthy Options Lifestyle News Digest. The news digest is available at Healthy Options with stores located in major cities all over the country. You may also log on to healthyoptions.com.ph for more information. January 2016 cover of Healthy Options News Digest

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Introducing the Total Wellness Experts of Edsa Shangri-La’s The Health Club: Dietitian and nutritionist Cheshire Que, Christian and Jesse Perkins of Perkins Tennis Training Academy, lifestyle coach Dr. Heal Dineros, yoga instructor Bubbles Paraiso, Health Club and Chi, The Spa director Ranessa Santos, swimming coach Ria Mackay and triathlon coach Norman Pascual with Under Armour Ambassador Robi Domingo

Under Armour Ambassador and coach of Biggest Loser Philippines, Toni Saret

Under Armour director of marketing Tin Majadillas and Under Armour Ambassador Robi Domingo

@LIFEatStandard

Perkins Tennis Training Academy’s coaches Jesse, Christian and Tarny Perkins with Edsa Shangri-La’s general manager Amit Oberoi (third from left)

The resident coaches of Edsa Shangri-La’s the Health Club – From left: Archie Tiangco, Erika Bergado, Apple Finolan, Vince Juan, Vicky Villajin, Michelle Narag, Justin Santos and John Gaitan

TOTAL WELLNESS AT EDSA SHANGRI-LA, MANILA

ore and more hotels are embracing health and wellness as part of their hospitality offering to guests. But health is not just breaking a sweat, it’s an overall mind and body experience – from the food you take to the fitness exercise, meditation and spa treatments after. At Edsa Shangri-La, Manila’s Health Club, the focus is on Total Wellness where the “Move, Refuel and Recover” concept reigns with state-of-the-art fitness programs partnered with healthy food selections and the overall wellness expertise that Chi, The Spa is known for. In a recently held open house for its Health Club, the hotel ushered in a panel of Total Wellness Experts to strengthen Health Club and Chi, The Spa programs. The roster of coaches include ITU certified triathlon coach Norman Pascual on the Health Club’s triathlon facility complete with the ultimate swim bench, the Vasa Swim Ergometer, the Google maps-powered Tour de France Bike, and a dedicated treadmill for running. Bubbles Paraiso, The Standard’s Health and Fitness columnist, also joined the roster as the hotel’s new yoga instructor at Chi, The Spa Yoga Studio. The Health Club also offers the only Total Immersion certified school in the country for swimming classes with coach Ria Mackay. Christian and Jesse, the power duo of the Perkins Tennis Training Academy, are the coaches for outdoor tennis while Biggest Loser coach and Under Armour Ambassador Elle Adda works on the functional fitness programs. And because it’s Total Wellness, the Health Club partnered with Philippine- and US-registered dietitiannutritionist, Cheshire Que to assess the nutritional and dietary requirements of members, together with lifestyle doctor and wellness coach Dr. Heal Dineros. Total Wellness Experts was launched in partnership with Under Armour during an open house event where these experts gave guests a taste of what the Health Club – whose facilities were newly renovated

– can offer. The event also featured big sports brands in the country like Speedo, Rudy Project, Klean Kanteen, Manduka, Life Fitness, Garmin, Perkins Twins Tennis Academy, 28 Black, Aqualogic Swim Co., LivLite, Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy, Klean Athlete, Storck and eIskin Laboratory. For inquiries and Health Club membership, please call (632) 633 8888 Ext. 2906 or email healthclub.esl@shangri-la.com. Visit www.shangri-la.com/manila/edsashangrila or stay connected via Facebook at Edsa Shangri-La. Follow @edsashangrila on Twitter and @edsashangrila on Instagram.

The Zumba class had everyone smiling and grinding

Guests enjoy the cycling sessions during the open house

T HuR SDAY : F EbRuA RY 11, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

AnImAhEnAsyOn

2015 AwARDs nIghT

AT sm mAll Of AsIA CInEmA

he Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI) together with the Game Development Association of the Philippines recently awarded the winners of the Animahenasyon 2015: 9th Philippine Animation Festival at the SM Mall of Asia Cinema. This was the culmination of the group’s annual animation festival and competition held earlier at the SMX at SM Aura Premier. A joint project of the Embassy of France in the Philippines, the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc., and SM, the Animahenasyon festival aims to promote the country’s animation industry and to showcase the exceptional talents of professional, as well as young and aspiring Filipino animators both locally and internationally. Several professionals and novice Filipino animators from different universities and colleges around the country that offer animal and digital art courses participated in the competition. These included Ateneo de Naga University, and De La Salle – College of St. Benilde, Asia Pacific College. Johanna Kaye Boncodin’s short animation film 8 won the Best Regional Entry award in the Student Division, as well as a special citation for unique storytelling. The Ateneo de Naga student’s film 8 is about a little girl who is separated from her mother in a cold, faceless crowd, and finds herself on a trip to outer space in a balloon. Other winning animation films from the Student Division include The Seed by Joven Maniaol and Larreina Libuton from University of Makati; HulingSayaw by Edward Corpuz from Ateneo de Naga University, which was named the Best Animated Music Video; and Stop Killing Journalists by Francis Balete from Ateneo de Naga University, which bagged the Best Animated Television Commercial, Infomercial, Teaser and Demo Reel Award. In the Professional Division, Geoby John Arthur Mercader from Puppeteer Animation Studios in Davao won the Best 6 to 20 minutes Animation Film and Best in Technical Animation awards. As the winner of Hero TV’s Choice Award, it will be aired on Hero TV.

Stop Killing Journalists by Francis balete won the best Animation in the Television Commercials, Opening billboards, Infomercials, Teasers & Demo Reels category in the Student Division.

The Little One by Tito Romero won the best Animation for Children in Animahenasyon 2015

One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of Lifetime Achievement Awards. The family of the late Norman de la Cruz, who established the Philippine Animation Studios, Inc. receives his award from Animation Council of the Philippines board Member, Nestor Palabrica; DOST Deputy Executive Director for E-Innovation Mon Ibrahim; and Animation Council of the Philippines President, Miguel Del Rosario

Richard Manginsay’s wife receives his Lifetime Achievement Award from Animation Council of the Philippines board Members benjie Marasigan, Jr. and Nestor Palabrica; DOST Deputy Executive Director for E-Innovation Mon Ibrahim; and Animation Council of the Philippines President, Miguel Del Rosario.

“8” animation film by Johanna Kaye boncodin won the best Regional Entry, as well as a special citation for unique storytelling in the Student Division (1 min-6min animation)

Geo by John Arthur Mercader from Puppeteer Animation Studios won the Professional Division’s best in Technical Animation, best in 6minutes to 20 minutes People by Vaughnbryner Tan received a Special Animation, as well as the Citation for Animation Skills Hero TV’s Choice Award

Huling Sayaw by Edward Corpuz won the best Animated Music Video in the Student Division

The Seed by Jovel Maniaol and Larreina Libuton won the John Martin Award and best 6 minutes to 20 minutes animation in the Student Division.

Other winners in the Professional Division include Isaac Narvacan’s Unfocused; Dennis Sebastian’s 3 Aeta, which won the Best Animated Television Commercial, Infomercial, Teaser, and Demo Reel award; and Matt Barretto’sNext Quest for the Best Animated Television / Web Series. A Special Citation for Animation Skills was given to Vaughnbryner Tan for his film People; while Tito Romero’s The Little One was named the Best Animation for Children. Both animators are from De La Salle – College of St. Benilde One of the evening’s highlights was the presentation of Lifetime Achievement Awards to the families of Norman De La Cruz and Richard Manginsay for their contributions to the animation industry of the Philippines. De La Cruz was a full pledged animator and established the Philippine Animation Studio, Inc. (PASI) in 1990, the company that did subcontracting works for different famous cartoon shows like X-Men, Fantastic 4, James Bond Jr., Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pinocchio, Dragon Ball Z, Sailormoon, Tom & Jerry, The Flintstones and many more. Manginsay, on the other hand, worked as the animation assistant director and layout artist for the longest running American sitcom, The Simpsons, which received an Emmy nomination in 2012. The Animahenasyon 2015 Awards Night is one of the many enriching creative events at the SM Cinema in the SM Mall of Asia.

T HuR SDAY : F EbRuA RY 11, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

BROOklyn:

A sTORy Of shIvERIng sEREnDIpITy

tuck between two worlds, torn between two loves, altered between the memories of the past and the wants of the future, Brooklyn, a John Crowley’s adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s 2009 novel, is a period film worth its running time. Brooklyn tells a moving story of Eilis Lacey (played by Saoirse Ronan), a young Irish immigrant who flies to America and struggles to acclimatize through 1950s Brooklyn. She has lived her whole life in Ireland, but then swept away to America, being convinced by her thoughtful sister into becoming a confident woman in foreign land. In Brooklyn, Eilis meets Tony Fiorello (played by Emory Cohen), an Italian-American plumbing assistant who lives with his family in a poor neighborhood. They don’t even meet for half an hour of screen time, as they only meet past halfway, at a local dance organized by Father Flood (played by Jim Broadbent) for Irish immigrants. Just as things get better between Tony and Eilis, she goes back to her home to cope with a family tragedy, as her sister who convinced her to face a new life somewhere far from their home, passed away. She might have started loving her new life, but the forces of homesickness, guilt, and the attentions of kind, handsome local country-fellow Jim Farrell (played by Domhnall Gleeson) cause confusion for Eilis. Her inner conflict plays out with intense sensitivity and understatement. But in the end, Eilis has to break someone’s heart, as the more she delays the decision, the bigger the breakage. From the main characters down to the walk-on roles, everyone gives enough eccentricity to convince and pull us deeply into the story. Through the chemistry between Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen’s roles, Crowley achieved something close to a miracle – an old-fashioned-but-givesyou-shivers kind of serendipity that is so special it can’t be even predicted. The story is simple and typical. It gives a strange yet wonderful feeling of being drowned in a deep ocean of metaphorical words and emotions. It gives audience this feeling of wanting to go back to those old days where majority of us weren’t born yet. The film truly has been gifted with an extraordinary lead actor, too. Not knowing she’s an Irish native, it seemed that Ronan has put on a very Irish-girl build on the character. She’s alert, intelligent and emotionally alive as her character. Additionally, it will be senseless not to praise a film that shows much emphasis on telling such a common story and places. It does not have to be a big-budget epic that sweeps ticket sales, rather it is a small story that bears on the experiences of millions, getting across without losing sight of the personal rule on which it’s being told. - Camille Caguioa

FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Saoirse Ronan in a scene from the period drama, brooklyn

new shows on E!

Red carpet hosts Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 “Where’s — ?” 6 Hot tub features 10 Go radioactive 14 Pen name 15 Coalition 16 Lucy Lawless role 17 — globulin 18 — Romeo 19 Ms. Sommer 20 Kind of preview 21 Mirrors 23 Stockholm carrier

25 Actress — Williams 26 Friar of legend 29 Clean the counter 32 Ran its course 37 “Sort of” suffix 38 Trig function 39 Miner’s trough 40 Shrugs off (3 wds.) 43 Quays 44 Ancient ointment 45 Henri’s landmass

46 Perpendicular 47 Bronte’s Jane — 48 Centurion’s route 49 Grey Cup org. 51 Smite a knight 53 Fairy ring component 58 FYI notes 62 Gloom 63 Mayberry kid 64 She took the veil 65 All, in combos 66 Cellphone button 67 Fluffy quilt 68 Part of PGA 69 Reproving clucks 70 Lift up DOWN 1 Shakes a finger 2 Alda of “M*A*S*H” 3 Key — pie 4 Table linen, often 5 Port near Kyoto 6 Hook-shaped ski tow 7 “Vogue” rival 8 Chewy candy 9 Hot coffee hazard 10 Business VIP 11 Defrost 12 Writing fluids 13 — kwon do 22 Place for shadow

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

24 Zurich resident 26 Championship 27 Seat formally 28 Baked-potato garnish 30 Rustic lodging 31 Many-petaled blossom 33 Sister 34 Can you — —? 35 Mademoiselle’s school 36 Postpone 38 Artist’s rendering 39 Fragment 41 Toshiba rival 42 Deckhand 47 Weds on the run 48 Two-nation peninsula 50 Cold snap 52 Earth pigment 53 Football corsages 54 Vases with feet 55 Surface layer 56 Shoat quote 57 Docs prescribe them 59 Knee concealer 60 Lyric poems 61 Dried 62 Extinct kiwi kin

It’s all about new beginnings and starting over this February with specials that will inspire, encourage and help you become your best self yet. On E!, watch out for The 2016 Grammy Awards, 7 a.m, Feb. 16. You’ve heard them on the radio, danced to their tunes and sang along to their music videos. Now it’s time torecognize and give honor to the best in the music industry. This Lunar

New Year, who will be lucky enough to walk away with the most coveted Record of the Year and the Album of the Year? Catch the Red Carpet coverage. Keeping Up With The Kardashians S11 Finale. 9 p.m. Feb. 23 asour favorite Celebrity family comes to terms with their Season 11 finale. It has been a whirlwind season so far, from coming to terms with Caitlyn’s new life, to the never-

ending quarrels and tussles, walkouts and squabbles that has all shaped every Kardashian into the unique diamond that they all are.

T HuR SDAY : F EbRuA RY 11, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

From C8

K GMA PInOy TV EuROPE CARAVAn wITh

sOlEnn hEussAFF

apuso fans across Europe are guaranteed to have a thrilling February as actress and host Solenn Heussaff sets out for London, Rome, Paris and Copenhagen in a series of exciting events in celebration of Kapuso Month. The European caravan is staged by GMA’s flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV, in partnership with Lyca TV, one of the largest ethnic content providers in the world, along with Prismworks Productions and local community organizers. Solenn, who co-hosts the GMA lifestyle show Taste Buddies with Iya Villania, is primed to entertain her kababayan across the continent with performances alongside local Filipino talents. Fans of the multi-

talented star, who has two music albums and a number of hosting recognitions to her name, will also have the opportunity to meet her up close after each show in the four cities. The European caravan begins in the United Kingdom as Solenn says “Hello, London tomorrow. The show, in cooperation with the European Network of Filipino Diaspora (ENFiD), will be at 6 p.m. at Holiday Inn Bloomsbury. GMA Pinoy TV brings the fun over to Italy the next day as Solenn greets her fans with “Ciao, Rome!” on Saturday. In partnership with Dreamers, the show at 6 p.m. will be held at the SalaOuverture Roma. Truly the station with a heart, GMA celebrates the day of love with Solenn, who is of Filipino-French descent,

as she graces the Handog 2016: Philippine-Paris Ball, a black tie event that honors outstanding Filipino youth, entrepreneurs, community organizations and businesses on Valentine’s Day. The ball is at 7 p.m. at the Club Haussmman. The last stop in Solenn’s European journey is Denmark. She says “Hej, Copenhagen” to Kapuso fans on Feb 16. In cooperation with the Filipino Danish Center, the show at 6:00PM will be staged at the Sankt AnnæKiŗke in Copenhagen. Filipino Kapuso fans in London, Rome, Paris and Copenhagen can, for ticket information, call 07903547676 or email enfid.org@gmail.com (London), +39 328 492 3701 (Rome), +3362 860 0385 (Paris) and 0045 285 55180 (Copenhagen).

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GRACE COnVInCED shE’s nOT A MARCOs THE rumor that Grace Poe is the daughter of the late Ferdinand Marcos with 60’s star Rosemarie Sonora, Susan Roces’ sister, has been persistently bouncing like a basket ball in many a conversation. It was in the 70s when that rumor was first heard of, and since then it has circulated across the archipelago. Now, it can be considered an “urban legend” that even Vice Presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos can only smile in disbelief. According to stories from the Poe camp, Grace was found in Jaro church in Iloilo and was later given to the movie couple Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces for adoption. As an adult, Grace wanted to submit herself to a DNA test if only to find out or prove she is not a Marcos. Not, for anything, she said. “No, I don’t think there is a reason to, but sometimes it crosses my mind paramatapos na lang hindi ba, para mawala na pero you also have to respect also the sentiments of

some,” Grace said during an interview. Grace believes there is no truth to that rumor as she had heard stories how she became the adopted daughter of the Poe couple from friends of the family. “I was born in 1968 and my Tita Rose had a show with Pepito Rodriguez and she wasn’t pregnant any time during that time,” Grace said. “She made several movies at Sampaguita and Tita Marichu Maceda will be able to list those actual movies, that she wasn’t pregnant so I don’t think she is my mother,” she added. She is asking Sheryl Cruz’s apology as her family has been dragged into the controversy. “I mean if that is the case, I was born in 1968 but some people still want to keep the urban legend alive. Maybe my cousin (Sheryl) will definitely not give a DNA test because she is furious about it and I apologized to her for dragging her in to this unintentionally,” Grace said.

‘Palasyo ni Valentin’ triumPhs at 2015 Broadwayworld PhiliPPines awards

he show won Best Filipino Play (New/Revival), Best Actor for Ricky Davao, and Best Hair and Makeup for Joseph Jiao.

The Philippines desk of BroadwayWorld.com, the largest online site that brings the most comprehensive coverage of all things theater happening around the world, gives out

Ricky Davao in the memory play Palasyo ni Valentin

the BroadwayWorld Philippines Awards. Winners were determined by votes cast by the public. DLS-CSB Production Design chairperson Gabby Fernandez said, “It’s the first time a thesis production has won an award alongside professional theater companies.” PalasyoniValentin was the Production Design Department’s Theater Design Thesis of Batch 2015. It was helmed by acclaimed stage director Nonon Padilla, following production design workshops by Eduardo Sicangco. The batch ad-

viser was Magda de Leon. The students expressed their appreciation for the prize, stating: “This is not just an achievement for our batch, but for our professors, mentors and everyone involved in the production as well. We are really grateful that our work is recognized among

others, and it makes us proud as Benildeans that we have made a mark in our field.” Palasyoni Valentin is a memory play that follows Valentin, an old caretaker and film projectionist, who lives in an antiquated theater who, through alcohol, relieves

his eventful past reflecting the development of theater in the Philippines during the Spanish and American colonial eras. It won for O’Hara first prize in the 1998 Philippine Centennial Commission Publication Committee’s Literary Composition (Sarsuela Division).

T HUR S DAY : F EBRUA RY 11, 2016

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ The cast of Regal Entertainment’s romantic comedy Love is Blind. (From left) Kean Cipriano, Kiray Celis, Derek Ramsay and Solenn Heussaff

A VALENTINE MOVIE FOR EVERYONE

R Kiray Celis

Derek Ramsay

EGAL Entertainment, Inc.’s Love is Blind, tagged as this year’s riotous love story, couldn’t be shown at a more opportune time. It opened yesterday, four days before Valentine’s Day. The film’s trailer alone is an instant favorite among netizens what with hunk actor Derek Ramsay falling for the charm of petite and plain looking Kiray Celis. Love is Blind takes off from Kiray’s desire to lure Derek into falling in love with her by using a love potion that transforms her into svelte and hot chick Solenn Heussaff. The rom-com project is ex-sweethearts Derek and Solenn’s first together. It was made possible by the mother and

ISAH V. RED daughter tandem of Regal’s Lily and Roselle Monteverde. Derek and Solenn met the challenge with much enthusiasm and sooner than they expected, the old flame of friendship was rekindled while they were on the set. As for Kiray, she feels lucky to have paid lip service with Derek on the bigscreen. One of the film’s highlights, in fact, is that scene where she and Derek are frolicking on the beach. Their kissing scenes are scenestealers as well but director Jason

Paul Laxamana made sure they were done in a comical way. Aside from Derek, Kiray’s lips were “devirginized” in kissing scenes with Kean Cipriano, which she describes were “passive” compared to Derek’s “torrid.” Other than romance, comedy and laugh trip, the film inspires everyone to never lose hope in love and to believe that no matter how blind, all is still fair in life and love. Roll with laughter, fall hopelessly in love with the team of Derek, Solenn, Kean and Kiray in 2016’s most hilarious and riotous love story, Love is Blind, from the direction of Jason Paul Laxamana, who gave us muchacclaimed films like Magkakabaung and more.

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CASINO FILIPINO CELEBRATES LOVE AND ROMANCE Pooh, Pokwang, Princess Velasco, Randy Santiago and Ivy Violan headline Casino Filipino performances this February. February is considered as the “love month” while others regard it as the “lover’s month.” In keeping with the tradition of celebrating the love month, Casino Filipino has lined up shows that combine love, romance, and festive music for its patrons and Casino Filipino habitues. Ivy Violan, began the month long celebration on Feb. 5 at CF Malabon. Ivy has created a repertoire of love songs to melt your heart. Princess Velasco, the acoustic princess whose wellreceived albums Addicted to Acoustic and Addicted to Acoustic 2, helped create her own niche in the music

industry, enlivened the night on Feb. 6 (CF Ronquillo) and Feb. 10 (CF Pavilion). She will be back on Feb. 12 (CF Madison) and Feb. 13 (CF Mimosa). A-list actress and comedienne Pokwang will bring the house down with her funny antics on Feb. 12 (CF Cebu Lahug) and in CF Angeles on Feb. 17. Comedian Pooh will be your funny Valentine as he gives audiences non-stop laughter and sing to your heartbeat on Feb. 13, CF Crown Regency Cebu. Get ready to fall in love this February with Randy Santiago as he grooves to the beat and spices up the romantic night in CF Davao on Feb. 20. For inquiries, call the Pagcor Entertainment Department at (02) 708-2046, 526-0337 loc 2401 or 2403. Check and ‘Like’ us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ pagcor.artists

Kean Cipriano

Solenn Heussaff