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Saturday, January 23, 2016 Vol. 11 No. 107
P. | | 7 DAYS A WEEK
SINGAPORE LEADS EFFORTS TO DEVELOP NEW CRUISE PRODUCTS
Asean firming up cruise strategy to hike arrivals B M. S F. A
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Special to the BM
HE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will be developing new cruise products to boost intraAsean travel and encourage more international tourists to visit the region.
THAT 81-POINT GAME
In a news briefing on Friday, AK Zulkairi Pg Abdul Razak of the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism of Brunei Darussalam said “the Singapore Tourism Board is working with cruise
SPORTS
lines to develop new cruise products in Asean.” He added that Asean recorded a 13-percent increase in port calls in Southeast Asia from 2013 to 2015. S “A,” A
70,000 Number of international cruise passengers attracted by the Philippines in 2015, up 16 percent from 2014’s 60,183
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VIETNAM PM RETAINS SLIM CHANCE FOR TOP POST BusinessMirror
World The
B2-1 | Saturday, January 23, 2016 • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
THE Capitol in Washington, on Thursday morning, after less than an overnight snow that created hazardous road conditions and major traffic delays. The Washington region could get up to 2 feet of snow along with strong winds and whiteout conditions on Friday night and Saturday. AP/J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE
Monster blizzard on eastern US
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ASHINGTON—A massive blizzard plodded toward the eastern United States on Friday, with forecasters predicting more than 2 feet of snow in Washington and a state of emergency declared in five states and the District of Columbia. Schools and government offices were being closed pre-emptively, thousands of flights canceled and food and supplies disappeared from grocery and hardware stores. College basketball games and concerts would have to wait. The capital’s subway system announced that it would shut down entirely late on Friday night and remain closed through Sunday for the sake of employee-and rider-safety. Underground station usually stay open during major snowstorms. The director of the National Weather Service said all the ingredients have come together to create blizzards with brutally high winds, dangerous inland-flooding, white-out conditions and even the possibility of thunder snow, when lightning strikes through a snowstorm. The snowfall, expected to continue from late Friday into Sunday, could easily cause more than $1 billion in damage and paralyze the Eastern third of the nation, Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini sad. “It does have the potential to be an extremely dangerous storm that can affect more than 50 million people,” Uccellini said at the service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.
Washington looks like the bull’s-eye of the blizzard, and New York City is just inside the slow-moving storm’s sharp northern edge, which means it is likely to see heavy accumulations, Uccellini said. Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Paul Kocin estimated more than 2 feet for Washington, a foot to 45 centimeters for Philadelphia and eight inches to a foot in New York. Unfortunately, more than just snow is coming. Uccellini said it won’t be quite as bad as Superstorm Sandy, but people should expect high winds, a storm surge and inland flooding from Delaware to New York. Other severe but non-snowy weather is likely from Texas to Florida as the storm system chugs across the Gulf Coast, gaining moisture. White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama would hunker down at the White House, and is confident local officials will get it right. On Thursday, icy conditions caused accidents that killed two drivers in North Carolina and one in Tennessee. A truck with a snowplow killed a pedestrian while it was snowing in Maryland. States of emergency were declared in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and parts of other states, where road crews were out in force on Thursday. Blizzard warnings or watches were in effect along the storm’s path, from Arkansas through Tennessee and Kentucky to the mid-Atlantic states and as far north as New York. AP
China busts 35 restaurants using opium poppies as seasoning
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EIJING—Thirty-five restaurants across China, including a popular Beijing hot pot chain, have been found illegally using opium poppies as seasoning, one of the more unusual practices bedeviling the country’s food regulators. Five restaurants are being prosecuted while 30 others, ranging from Shanghai dumpling joints to noodle shops in southwestern Chongqing, are under investigation, said the China Food and Drug Administration. Cases of cooks sprinkling ground poppy powder, which contains low amounts of opiates like morphine and codeine, in soup and seafood are not new in China, though it is unclear whether they can effectively hook a customer or deliver a noticeable buzz. Shaanxi provincial police busted a noodle seller in 2014 after being tipped off by a failed drug-test. Seven restaurants were closed in
Ningxia province in 2012 for using the additive and Guizhou province shut down 215 restaurants in 2004. Hu Ling, the general manager of Hu Da, a popular chain with several adjacent locations on the raucous Beijing nightlife strip known as “Ghost Street,” confirmed on Friday the company was under investigation, saying it may have unknowingly sourced seasoning containing opiates. She declined further comment. Poppy powder, made from capsules and shells that contain higher opiate content than the seeds commonly seen on bagels, can be easily purchased in markets in western China for about $60 a kilogram, according to a 2014 report by the official Xinhua news agency. The additives were commonly mixed with chili oil and powders, making detection difficult without laboratory equipment. AP
Vietnam PM retains slim chance for shot at top post
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ANOI, Vietnam—Vietnam’s prime minister still retains a slim chance of challenging his rival, the ruling communist party chief, for the top job, according to a new interpretation of complicated rules disclosed at the start of a party congress that will name national leaders next week. The Communist Party of Vietnam began an eight-day congress on Thursday, which is held every five years for a usually orchestrated transfer of power to a new set of leaders. But this time, a rare tussle emerged between party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his longtime rival, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, that will be played out at the congress being attended by 1,510 delegates representing Vietnam’s 63 provinces, ministries and party organizations. Regardless of who becomes the chief, analysts say there will be little change in the way Vietnam is run, or in the economic policies that favor some free-market reforms. However, Dung, who has spearheaded the reforms over the last five years, is backed by the business community and investors. He is also seen as being tougher on China, which has irked Vietnam by expanding its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. His rivals in Trong’s camp have, however, accused him of economic mismanagement and corruption. “Corruption and wastefulness remain serious problems...causing discontent in the public, affecting people’s trust in the party and the state,” Trong warned in his speech to open the congress.
Dung, who has built up considerable support within the party through patronage, has ambitions to be general secretary, the de facto Number one in the collective leadership that rules Vietnam. The leadership comprises a 16-member Politburo, which looks after the day to day aff airs, and a larger Central Committee that handles policy. Earlier this week it was thought that Trong had sidelined Dung when a preparatory meeting agreed to continue with a controversial 2014-rule barring all but officially nominated candidates from consideration, with no new nominations allowed from the congress floor. Trong was endorsed as the general secretary candidate earlier this month. However, on Thursday Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son gave a new interpretation of the rule that suggested Dung’s case might not be hopeless. Son said that while the Central Committee members’ hands were tied, other delegates at the congress were free to nominate anyone they wished. A Central Committee member such as Dung would be obliged by the rule to refuse nomination, but
delegates could reject his refusal, said Son. Such a scenario could set up a showdown with Trong. None of this drama, however, will be played out in the public. All proceedings of the Communist Party, which is empowered by the constitution to rule the country, are held behind closed doors. Even if there is an outright confrontation between the two leaders, the delegates are unlikely to take a vote, and the contest will be settled through negotiations and consensus. Over the next week, the congress will review and set national and party policies, and select a new 180-member Central Committee. On one of the last days of the congress, the new Central Committee will meet to select a Politburo from among its ranks and pick one of them as party general secretary. A united face will be presented on January 28 when the congress will announce the names of the new general secretary, the prime minister, the president and the chairman of the National Assembly, along with other top posts. The actual selection of the last three leaders will be done by the National Assembly, which will be elected in May by popular vote, although the candidates will first have to be approved by the Communist Party. A compromise is already believed to have been reached, under which Trong would stay as general secretary for two years instead of five, and a Dung supporter would become the chairman of the National Assembly. The prime minister’s post would go to a neutral person and the president would be a Trong loyalist. This configuration “would be a demonstrable loss for Dung” but it should not be “confused with an outright win by Trong,” said Christian Lewis, a Vietnam expert at the New York-based Eurasia Group think tank. “It is instead a composi-
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Members in Vietnam Puliburo
tion that reflects a desire for a balance and more consensus-driven decision-making at the very top,” he wrote in a commentary. The economic reforms Dung had been backing have brought a flood of foreign investment, created a fledgling stock market and helped triple per capita GDP to $2,100 over the past 10 years. At the same time, he is not without blemish. His rivals accuse him of economic mismanagement and failing to control massive public debt and non-performing loans of stateowned banks. Vietnam is one of the last remaining communist nations in the world, with a party membership of 4.5 million, but like its ideological ally China, the government believes in a quasi-free market economy alongside a strictly controlled society that places several restrictions on its 93 million people. Lewis said the new set of leaders will also support the current economic reforms and trade policy. Notably they remain committed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership with the United States and other key trade deals including the free trade agreement with the European Union. Vietnam has an ambivalent relationship with China. Despite being its largest trading partner, China is also a security challenge. Beijing has been expanding its territorial assertions in the South China Sea, but Vietnam has pushed back against those claims. Dung has been seen as standing up to Beijing, not afraid to criticize it, while Trong was seen as being soft on China. AP
WORLD
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FLOOD-FREE Jan Willem Roehl of Flexbase (from left), consultant for Vistaland; Ambassador Marion Derckx of the Netherlands; Manuel Paolo Villar, CEO and president of Vistaland; and Neric Acosta, Laguna Lake Development Authority secretary, lead the inauguration of the Vintahanan floating village at the Laguna Lake. Designed to float on water, the project is built to serve as a model of a floating village, with proper waste-management system in place. NONIE REYES
EMERGINGMARKET ROUT DEEPENS AS CHINA FAILS TO HALT CAPITAL EXODUS
We will see a very volatile period, as markets are still faced with the conundrum on oil and global growth.”—Ramos
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HE $2.3-trillion rout in emerging-market stocks deepened, as the capital exodus from China showed ,no signs of abating. Russia’s ruble plunged to a record, as investors dumped the currency of the world’s largest energy exporter. Cash injections by the world’s second-biggest economy to ease a money-market squeeze failed to improve sentiment, as shares in Shanghai and those in Hong Kong extended losses. Qatar led declines among most equity markets in the Middle East, as Brent crude traded below $30 a barrel. The ruble weakened 1.5 percent against the dollar. Brazil’s real slid to the lowest since September, after the central bank unexpectedly refrained from raising interest rates. Developing-nation stocks have made the worst start to a year on record, with at least 26 emerging and frontier markets in bear territory. The epicenter of the sell-off is in China, where the slowest growth since 1990 and yuan volatility have shaved off $4.3 trillion from the nation’s equities. Lower demand from the world’s second-biggest economy has contributed to a plunge in commodity prices to a record, sparking a contagion across exporting nations such as Russia and Brazil. “The bear sentiment is just a case of the blues for a lot of the investors; there’s a feedback between oil prices, China and rest of the emerging markets,” Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management, who helps oversee $242 billion, said by phone from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. “It’s just unfortunately going to take sometime to play out here.” The MSCI Emerging Markets Index slid 0.6 percent to 688.52, reversing earlier gains of as much as 0.9 percent. The gauge closed at the lowest since May 2009, sending valuations to the cheapest since March 2014. A technical measure signaled weakening momentum in the MSCI gauge. The 14-day relative strength index hovered below 30 for a 12th day. While traders see a temporary dip to that level as a sign of an upcoming rebound, they interpret a prolonged stay below that threshold as indication a downtrend is taking hold. S “E ,” A
Ayala Land, LT Group to jointly develop 35-ha township on C-5 Road B VG C
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ROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. and LT Group Inc., the holding firm of tycoon Lucio C. Tan, will jointly develop a project along the C-5 corridor that is envisioned to become a township development spanning portions of Pasig City and Quezon City. Ayala Land did not give the details of the agreement. But based on initial information available,
the project is a 35-hectare mixeduse development to be undertaken by Ayala Land and Eton Properties Philippines Inc., the property-development arm of the LT Group, based on their joint master plan. “Our shared vision and commitment to this project will open new opportunities for economic growth, which will contribute to the development of the community,” said Bernard Vincent Dy, Ayala Land president and CEO.
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 47.8680
DY: “Our shared vision and commitment to this project will open new opportunities for economic growth, which will contribute to the development of the community.”
“We are very pleased to be entering into a joint venture with Ayala Land. We believe that this is an excellent partnership that will enable us to build an outstanding mixed-use development which will offer a wide range of property investment and lifestyle options to customers,” Tan, LT Group chairman, said in a statement. Eton earlier said it is focusing on constructing office buildings, with its projects through 2018 target-
ing business-process outsourcing (BPO) firms. The company said it is adding an additional 200,000 square meters of office space in a span of three years, or more than doubling its current offering for the BPOs. The company has already built some 124,000 sq m of projects in Quezon City and Ortigas Center dedicated to BPOs, all of which are fully occupied. The company said the bulk of its
expansion of office space over the next years is concentrated in the vast 1,000-hectare township of Eton City in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Eton, one of the lowest revenue contributors in the LT Group Inc., said its income for the three quarters of 2015 reached P197 million, an improvement over the P65 million last year. Rental income continues to account for a significant portion of S “T,” A
n JAPAN 0.4064 n UK 68.1018 n HK 6.1250 n CHINA 7.2751 n SINGAPORE 33.4250 n AUSTRALIA 33.3250 n EU 52.0804 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.7546
Source: BSP (22 January 2016 )
BMReports BusinessMirror
A2 Saturday, January 23, 2016
news@businessmirror.com.ph
LED-lighting products continue to expand PHL market share
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IGHT-EMITTING diodes (LEDs) are energy efficient sources of light; and the Philippines is importing LED-lighting devices at an incredible growth of 30 percent to 40 percent annually. The current shift to the use of LED products by various sectors was highlighted on Friday during the LED Expo and Energy Saving week 2016 news conference in Makati City spearheaded by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) through the Import Exhibition Management Co. Ltd. The forum explained how Egat is currently developing a 20-year energy conservation plan to reduce energy consumption of LED products by 30 percent. This will have significant results for all sectors. “We asked importers who are importing LED products, that’s how we learned about the 30-percent to 40-percent growth of LED imports. However, the other lighting products still account for 50 percent to 60 percent of importations,” Genesis A. Ramos, chief of the Lighting and Appliance Testing Division of the Department of Energy.
Emerging markets. . . “We will see a very volatile period, as markets are still faced with the conundrum on oil and global growth,” Robert Ramos, who helps manage about $836 million as chief investment officer at Union Bank of the Philippines, said in Manila. “Funds won’t come in a big way.”
Stocks
EIGHT of 10 industry groups in MSCI’s developing markets gauge dropped, led by utility and industrial companies. Hong Kong’s Hang
Currently, LED lighting products may come a bit more expensive than other conventional lighting products, but the energy efficiency of LED still results in significant savings for companies and households. Ramos said LED products are seen helping infrastructures become more energy-efficient and buildings to become greener, or more environment-friendly. The big savings that LED offers have encouraged a number of businesses to switch to using LED products. “We have noted a big increase in the adoption of LED products,” Ramos said, but added that the growing penetration of LED devices in the market does not come without challenges. Ramos said that questions on reliability and quality are still present, which is one reason LED products are not being fully adopted by a greater number of users.
PISES PRATCHAYAPATTRA (from left), International Sales and Marketing head at Racer Electric Thailand; Jirasak Mantharngkul, director of Demand Side Implementation Division; Eduardo Manahan, chairman of Building Owners and Managers Association of the Philippines; and Genesis A. Ramos, chief of the Lighting and Appliance Testing Division of the Department of Energy share their thoughts during the panel discussion on the outlook of Southeast Asia’s LED and Energy Saving Sectors. NONIE REYES
“There are questions why the LED product the consumers buy, which said ‘20,000 hours’ have not lasted that long. So, we have low quality LED products in the market that are being sold cheaper. But these products don’t last. We hope that eventually we will be able to resolve the issue of reliability and quality,” he added. Ramos said when buying LED-lighting
products, the more expensive ones do not necessarily mean they have better quality. But he admitted that they have no capability yet to determine which LED products in the market are reliable. These are the challenges the LEDlighting sector has to face and resolve to ensure its continued adoption and market expansion in the country, he said.
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Seng China Enterprises index lost 2.2 percent to the lowest close since March 2009. The Shanghai Composite lost 3.2 percent to the lowest since 2014. China is trying to hold borrowing costs down to support its economy without spurring an exodus of funds that drove the yuan to a five-year low this month. The People’s Bank of China said on Thursday it conducted 110 billion yuan ($16.7 billion) of seven-day reverse-repurchase agreements
and 290 billion yuan of 28-day contracts. A gauge of interbank funding availability jumped the most in 13 months on Wednesday. The Philippine Stock Exchange index dropped 2.8 percent to the lowest level since February 2014. Foreign investors have pulled $63 million from the nation’s shares in January, poised for a record 10th straight month of withdrawals. The measure entered a bear market on January 11. India’s Standard & Poor BSE Sensex fell to the lowest since
May 2014, while Vietnam’s VN Index dropped to the lowest since December of that year.
Currencies
A GAUGE tracking 20 developing-nation currencies fell less than 0.1 percent. The ruble fell 1.5 percent to 82.63 against the greenback. The ruble is trading beyond the lows it touched at the peak of Russia’s financial turmoil in December 2014. The ruble-denominated Micex Index advanced
2.9 percent, the most in a year. The equity benchmark in Qatar declined 1.2 percent. The real fell 1.4 percent versus the dollar. Brazil kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Wednesday, in a decision seen only by 15 of the 57 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Since the bank’s last meeting last November, surging inflation and hawkish central bank commentary had most observers anticipating a half-point increase. Bloomberg News
Asean. . .
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Razak and other tourism officials from the region spoke about projects to promote the “Asean for Asean” tourism campaign. Citing the United Nations World Tourism Organization, he said a large chunk of international travels in 2015 “took place in their own regions.” Intra-Asean arrivals, he added, are projected to increase by 4.9 million every year until 2030, due to the “novisa requirement” for leisure travelers. This developed as the Philippines’s Department of Tourism (DOT) said there were 70,000 cruise passengers who arrived in 2015, posting a 16-percent rise, from 60,183 passengers in 2014. Last year’s cruise passengers were on ships which made 52 port calls, up from 44 port calls in 2014. Tourism Assistant Secretary Arturo P. Boncato Jr. told in a separate news briefing, “with the completion of the Philippine cruise strategy, it is envisioned that the cruise market will continue to deliver more visitors to the country, as the strategy will provide support not only in the infrastructure requirement of this segment, but also provide policies that will continue to develop the cruising industry.” The DOT is working with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to identify key ports in the country to develop these into viable deep harbors to accommodate mega-cruise ships. These ports are Manila, Puerto Princesa, Subic, Boracay and Davao. Discussions between the DOT and the PPA are ongoing, as such, it is not yet known how much the development budget would cost. For his part, Tourism Undersecretary for Market Development Benito Bengzon Jr. said: “We have always maintained that the Philippines has very strong potential in cruise tourism, considering we are an archipelago. We can be a cruise destination and not only a port of call as what we are now seeing.” A turnaround cruise ship carrying 2,000 passengers, he noted, will be able to generate tourism receipts of some $1.2 million. “What we want is for cruise passengers from long-haul destinations to fly into Manila, board the ship here, sail in Southeast Asian waters and fly out in another destinations if it’s an open jaw itinerary,” he added. Meanwhile, Michelle Chan, Asean cruise coordinator representative, said new tourism products will be developed and promoted under the “one cruise initiative.” She added that the cruise tourism segment in the region will be successful as tourists can visit “25,000 islands in 10 countries. There are a multitude of options available for tourists, as well as our constant tropical climate [makes it appealing for travelers].” She also said cruise passengers can visit 27 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization world heritage sites “in one day.” Tourism officials and executives of national tourism organizations are in Manila to attend the five-day Asean Tourism Forum, which began on January 18. This year there will be joint undertakings by Asean membernations to boost its cruise tourism segment, such as participation in the Seatrade Cruise Global 2016 in Miami in March; launching of the Asean cruise map; engaging more regional travel agents; and more publicity efforts to promote Southeast Asia as a cruising region of choice. The Asean tourism ministers were expected to unveil the details of the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan for 2016 to 2022 on Thursday afternoon.
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its earnings, with all five existing office buildings for the BPO firms fully leased out, the company said. Ayala Land, meanwhile, is the country’s second-largest property developer. Based on its plan, the company wants to speed up the pace of its growth, both in terms of profits and revenues, by an average of 20 percent per year for the next five years through 2020. It hopes to increase its net income from just P14.8 billion in 2014 to P40 billion by 2020.
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ASEAN INTEGRATION SEEN TO BOOST TRAVEL CONNECTIVITY, MOBILITY
THE integration of the Asean regional bloc is seen to further boost connectivity and mobility in the region via travel, as integration will pave the way for intra-Asean tour products, according to the Asean Tourism Association (Aseanta). “There is enormous potential in bundling together several Asean countries in one tour package, especially now that international travel has become increasingly affordable,” Aileen Clemente, Aseanta president, said in a news statement. The Asean Tourism Forum’s Travel Exchange event attracted some 1,000 sellers from the 10 Asean countries, matching them with 630 buyers from around the world. Clemente said the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan for 2016 to 2025 would clear the path for the region as a single tourist destination with a wide range of attractions that offers world-class standards and amenities. Last year data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization showed that tourist arrivals in the region increased by 5.10 percent to 102.20 million, with the Philippines welcoming 5.36 million of the total arrivals. Clemente said their members, all of whom are national organizations in the primary tourism sectors, are actively participating in travel exchange, and are expecting increased interest for their respective tourism products and services. Catherine N. Pillas
LTFRB DEPLOYS ‘SPIES’ TO MONITOR P0.50 JEEPNEY FARE ROLLBACK WITH the provisional jeepney minimum fare reduction of P0.50 from the previous P7.50 effective on Friday, the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said that it will be on the forefront in making sure drivers comply with the order. LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez told the Philippines News Agency that the Board has deployed inspectors and enforcers to monitor compliance with the fare reduction. Ginez said that there will be teams deployed in transport terminals near the Manila City Hall, as well as in malls such as SM North Edsa, TriNoma and Ali Mall, among others. At the same time, he said that the Board will no longer be issuing fare guides since the rollback is only provisional. “From the passengers’ current fare, they just have to deduct P0.50 centavos to avail themselves of the reduced fare,” Ginez said. To recall, the LTFRB ordered an additional provisional fare reduction of P0.50 for the first 4 kilometers of ride in public-utility jeepneys (PUJs) plying in Metro Manila, Region 3 and Region 4 due to recent drops in diesel prices. This provisional fare reduction was taken into consideration after a group of jeepney operators filed their petition for a voluntary rollback. Under the Order, the incremental fares for the succeeding kilometers after the first 4 km will remain at P1.50 per km. PNA
MANILA WATER TO INSTALL MORE FIRE HYDRANTS MONTHS before the start of this year’s summer season, the Ayala-led Manila Water said that it will continue to install more fire hydrants in its concession area as part of its service-continuity program. Manila Water Corporate Strategic Affairs and Corporate Communications Head Jeric Sevilla Jr. said that Manila Water currently operates 3,237 fire hydrants in its concession area as of the end of 2015. Sevilla added that personnel have also been deployed to monitor and ensure that these fire hydrants are properly maintained and ready to be use in cases of fire, particularly during the summer season, where temperatures are expected to be hotter. Teams also ensure that the fire hydrants are not tampered with nor used for unauthorized withdrawal of water. Of the 3,237 fire hydrants installed, 918 are in Quezon City, 349 in Makati, 396 in Pasig, 475 in San Juan and Mandaluyong, 361 in Taguig and Pateros and 258 in the province of Rizal. Apart from the operation and maintenance of these facilities, Sevilla said Manila Water is also conducting a regular information campaign among barangays in the East Zone on how to use the fire hydrants during times of emergencies.
Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Saturday, January 23, 2016 A3
Naia passenger traffic rose in 2015
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HE Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) reported on Friday that over 36 million passengers transited through the premier airport’s four passenger terminals in 2015, surpassing its previous record by at least 2 million passengers.
A total of 36,681,601 passengers utilized the four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), “roughly an increase of 2 million passengers from 2014, when passengers totaled 34,094,159,” the Miaa’s Media Affairs Division said. The 34-million mark was reached in early December last year. There were also more domestic passengers at 19,513,514 compared to international travelers totaling 17,168,087. Miaa General Manager Jose Angel Honrado said that airport developments in the previous year served as the foundation for a steady rise of passengers. The Naia under went a three-year
P1.42-billion upgrading. The project was officially finished last end of September last year without anyone from the airport concessionaires, airport workers and other government agencies being made aware of it. “There was no turnover, no big event by the DOTC [Department of Transportation and Communications],” Miaa Spokesman David de Castro said. Initially projected to be finished in May 2014, the upgrading went into overtime and overprice. The original contract was for P1.3 billion, but the final bill was P120 million more, without the proposed “greeters area.” This is where hordes of relatives are supposed to send-off and welcome
long-absent loved ones coming home or leaving for foreign lands. “The greeters area is a separate contract. It will cost another P1 billion to build it,” Honrado said in an earlier interview with the BusinessMirror. He said the plan that was circulated earlier, showing a greeters area with swaying palm trees and boutiques, was submitted by the triumvirate of Cobonpue-Pineda-Layug design team. However, since the trio submitted a “free-of- charge” design, the DOTC simply ignored it and opted to hire the Leandro V. Locsin and associates, the original designer of the 32-year-old building. Then the DOTC hired DM Consunji Inc. (DMCI), one of the country’s leading construction companies, who, eventually, subcontracted the Naia 1 upgrading to another construction firm. The subcontracting issue came about when, in the early days of construction, one of the workers almost fell to the ground from the ceiling, when he stepped on a soft cardboard that gave way, raining materials on the marble floor of the lobby. No one was injured in the incident. In the ensuing investigation, DMCI put the blame on their subcontractor.
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, in awarding the contract, said the DMCI must complete the project by December 1, 2014, just before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) senior officials’ and high-level meetings. The Apec summit transpired in October 2015. Although photographs of a finished, refurbished Naia 1 had been circulated before the upgrade, showing a futuristic passenger terminal, complete with a greeters area and other amenities, no such transformation took place. The refurbished Naia 1, according to airport longtimers, was simply repainted, while the ceilings and walls were either replaced or buffed to a shine. According to de Castro, the other improvements at the Naia were the enhanced flight operations with the reactivation of Runway 31 for departures, which allowed flight movements to take place concurrently on both runways. “The extension of Taxiway N [November] further decongested the taxiway—particularly at the intersection of the runways—and facilitated a more flexible handling of international operations,” he said. The rehabilitation project of Terminal 1 also widened passenger
movement areas with the redesigning of the terminal interiors. Meanwhile, de Castro said the Miaa had introduced new routes and airline partnerships, which brought in more passengers to the airport in 2015. In particular, Turkish Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines started their Manila route to Istanbul and Addis Ababa, respectively, he said. Local carriers also expanded their connections to Legazpi, Albay; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Auckland, New Zealand; Doha, Qatar; and Fukuoka, Japan, the Miaa added. This brings to 90 the total number of airlines flying out of the Naia, adding more than 90 destinations worldwide. “As Manila hosts the Asean Tourism Forum this week, the Miaa gives its commitment to be a key player in sustainably welcoming tourists to the country. We continue to build on developments from last year, as management brings in more projects this year for the benefit of passengers,” Honrado said. Some projects in store for the year include the upgrading of the airconditioning systems at Terminals 2 and 3, as well as the introduction of transportation network companies to the airport.
‘Thinking Beyond Politics’ is way to go for next leaders–think tank Wholesale cost of construction goods shrank 0.7% last year B C U. O
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DR. Carlos Primo David (from left), Stratbase Albert del Rosario (ADR) Institute trustee; Prof. Victor Andres C. Manhit, CEO and managing director of the Stratbase Group and president of the policy think tank, ADR Institute; Renato de Castro, Stratbase ADR Institute trustee; Secretary Albert F. del Rosario of the Department of Foreign Affairs; Dr. Epictetus Patalinghug, ADR Institute trustee; Dr. Francisco Magno, ADR Institute trustee; and Edgardo Lacson, ADR Institute trustee, at the book launch, entitled “Thinking Beyond Politics,” held in Makati City. The book is a diverse book that tackles on government issues, such as foreign policy, national security and economic growth. STEPHANIE TUMAMPOS
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LOCAL think thank has commissioned a book of policy papers and recommendations that it hopes would be considered by the next administration in the crafting of near- and long-term economic, security and governance strategies. The book initiated by the ADR Institute (ADRi), titled Thinking Beyond Politics, contains eight extensively researched papers addressing concerns on foreign policy and national security, economy, governance reform and the environment, which were shaped through a series of roundtable discussion groups involving thought leaders and public intellectuals. “The reality that, if you look at
the basic concerns of the Filipino people, the primary concern is really poverty and lack of livelihood and job opportunities of the people. But you cannot address that from a purely economic point of view,” said Dindo Manhit, president of ADRi, who also served as the editor of the book. According to Manhit, while poverty remains as the country top concern, the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) was also highlighted during the book launch in Makati due to the growing tension in the Spratlys. “We have a national-security policy, but does not provide a national-security strategy that will tell us what are the national-security challenges we are facing in the 21st century and what are basically
the means that we have to develop, means that we have to pursue, so that we could develop the nationalsecurity challenge that we have to concern,” said Dr. Renato de Castro, one of the main authors specializing on foreign affairs. Foreign Secretary Albert F. del Rosario said the policy papers and recommendations are vital in the midst of the Asean integration. “Our country has been recognized as one of Asia’s economic bright spots…. The new administration must grasp the opportunity presented by the emergence of the Asean community and search for more opportunities from region to region through trade agreements,” he said. Del Rosario contributed to the book on the defense and security aspects. Del Rosario served as
chairman of Stratbase, which conceptualized the book, prior to his appointment in the Aquino Cabinet. “We started to have the idea that one thing that the Philippines lacks is the idea of thinking strategically, where all has been limited by thinking of what I call ‘political timeline,’ which is every six years and every three years, without realizing government functions beyond those six years,” he said during the news briefing. The institute hopes that the book will reach the presidential candidates in time for the campaign period. Other authors of the book include Drs. Epictetus Patalinghug, Francisco Magno and Carlos Primo David, whose expertise are economics, political science and global environment and energy, respectively.
DA renews focus on livestock and poultry sectors for the year
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HE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday said that it will give renewed attention to the country’s livestock and poultry industries, saying that these subsectors in agriculture are the least expected to be affected by El Niño and other natural calamities this year. Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said that he is betting on livestock and poultry to counter the anticipated negative effects of the dry spell and typhoons that periodically devastate country’s agricultural lands. “All components of the subsector recorded increases during the last quarter, when the other subsectors’
production dipped, that is why we will focus on this and other sectors that are not as prone to the effects of inclement weather,” Alcala said in a news statement. Data obtained from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the agriculture sector’s growth in 2015 slowed to 0.11 percent. On a quarterly basis, it contracted by 0.96 percent in the fourth quarter of the year. The minimal growth was attributed to the impacts of El Niño and Typhoon Lando (international code name Koppu). Decreases in the production levels of the crops and fisheries subsectors were reported by the PSA, while
the livestock and poultry industries posted positive growth. The livestock and poultry subsectors in 2015 grew by 3.83 percent and 5.74 percent, respectively. Production levels of all components in the livestock sector, except carabao breeding and duck raising, showed improvements in 2015. Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock Jose C. Reaño said the growth of the two subsectors can be attributed to the improvement in the productivity of breeders and growers. Meanwhile, the output of the crops subsector was seen to have declined by 1.95 percent for the whole
year of 2015. Palay and corn production, which suffered the most from the long dry spell and Lando, were lower than their 2014 levels. Palay production was recorded at 18.15 million metric tons (MMT), 4.31 percent lower than the country’s output last year at 18.97 MMT, while corn output also slumped by 3.24 percent to 7.52 MMT, from 7.77 MMT in 2014. The country’s fisheries production also fell by 1.96 percent during the January-to-December period. All fisheries products, except tiger prawn and seaweed, posted declines in production in 2015. Mary Grace Padin
HOLESALE prices of construction materials in Metro Manila posted a contraction of 0.7 percent in 2015, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The PSA said the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) data showed that for the entire year, the CMWPI growth was negative, except for December, which posted a 0.1percent growth. The largest drop in the CMWPI last year was recorded in August with a contraction of 1.2 percent. This was followed by a decline of 1.1 percent in January and September. “The annual average changes in the indices of cement, and fuels and lubricants correspondingly decreased by 0.2 percent and 16.5 percent,” the PSA said. In December 2015 the growth was largely due to increases in the indices of cement, reinforcing steel, and fuel and lubricants. On a monthly basis, wholesale prices of selected construction materials in NCR fell by 0.5 percent last December. This was largely due to the 4.3-percent contraction recorded in the fuels and lubricants index. Further, all other commodity groups posted flat growth. “Prices of gasoline, diesel and fuel oil were generally lower during the month,” the PSA added. The PSA said that the CMWPI is a variant of the General Wholesale Price Index that measures the changes in the average wholesale prices of construction materials. It added that the CMWPI is used for the computation of price escalation of construction materials for various government projects. The current CMWPI market basket considered those construction materials prevailing in 2000. The market basket for the 2000-based series includes 102 items.
A4 Saturday, January 23, 2016 • Editor: Angel R. Calso
Opinion BusinessMirror
editorial
Edca hysteria
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HE Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin and US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip S. Goldberg in Manila on April 28, 2014, has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The decision slaps down the Senate argument that the Edca is a treaty needing Senate approval, and is not under the powers of the Executive branch to enter into. The key to the decision was that the Edca is “not the instrument that allows US troops or facilities to enter as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) has already done that,” citing its earlier ruling that upheld the validity of the VFA. We have not been happy with the government’s policy of engagement about many issues with China in the last two years. The Aquino administration got off on the wrong foot with the dismal handling of the Luneta hostage killings, and, honestly, relations with China have deteriorated almost consistently since then. We have said several times that the Philippines is being used as a pawn by both the US and China in their contentious foreign relations regarding this region of the world. The relationship between these two global powers is “complicated,” to say the least. It is about trade, military power, diplomatic influence and, certainly, about each country’s leader trying to show his people how strong he can be with the other side. The ramifications of the Edca are critically important to the Philippines and need to be discussed soberly and thoughtfully, without special interests and personal agendas getting in the way. While many people do believe that elected officials in government are far from being the brightest lights on the Christmas parol, even these potential dim bulbs are not traitors to the nation. However, the rhetoric coming from some quarters completely damages sensible dialogue. We may still see a reversal or clarification of the Supreme Court decision at some point in the future with regard to the specifics of the deployment of US military forces in the country. That would be beneficial. But to say this Edca is an attempt of the US with help from Filipino collaborators to recolonize the Philippines is just plain silly. To say that warmongers in Washington, D.C., as using the Philippines as a staging ground for the launching of World War III against China is childish. On one side are those who are convinced that the Chinese want to invade and take over the Philippines and, therefore, we are desperate for US help. Likewise, there are those who are convinced this is all an American plot to make the Philippines its own. Certainly, both the US and China would like the Philippines to move closer to their side. But this whole thing sounds like a story of two lovers fighting over the same person and each saying, “If I can’t have him/her, then nobody will.” Perhaps, Spain will soon be weighing in on Philippine sovereignty, as well.
PSE: How low can it go? John Mangun
OUTSIDE THE BOX
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HE Philippine Stock Exchange Composite Index (PSEi) decreased by 24 percent in the month of October 2008. That looked like a bottom to me for a variety of reasons, and subsequent price movements in the months that followed proved that judgment to be correct. But at the time, the general consensus was that the local stock market would never go any higher. This month of January 2016 has seen the PSEi down 10 percent, but we still have a week of trading ahead, so maybe we can break the record. I wonder who will be asked to ring the opening bell in honor of that accomplishment. However, I have it on good authority that the PSEi will not go to zero anytime soon. It is now official that more than 50 percent of the wealth created by stock-market price increases from just the 2011 lows has been wiped
out, given back with the recent decline from the 2015 highs. The 40 largest global stock markets, which include the Philippines, are now down 20 percent or more from the 2015 highs, losing $17 trillion in market value. By comparison, these exchanges now have a combined capitalization of $27 trillion. Some of the “winners” not in a bear market are the United States, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and South Korea. If and when these go, then we will have probably hit the point of “mass capitulation,” and prices will rise. A stock-market capitulation
The 40 largest global stock markets, which include the Philippines, are now down 20 percent or more from the 2015 highs, losing $17 trillion in market value. By comparison, these exchanges now have a combined capitalization of $27 trillion. and bottom comes after prices have been in an extended decline as has the PSEi for 10 months. The last daily capitulation we experienced was on August 25, 2015. The last monthly came in December 2013. Capitulations are usually not triggered by an event, although they can be. It is more like suddenly realizing you are the only one left at the drinking table and everyone else has left and gone home. Bottoms do not happen when buyers come in, but when sellers disappear. Then, even light buying pushes prices higher, and increasing prices become selfsustaining, as there are very few sellers in the market.
Capitulation points can, but not always, show heavy trading volume. The bottom can come with a whimper as easily as with a bang. However, there is a particular price level on the PSEi at which the long-term capitulation will occur, just as could be predicted in 2008 and before that in 1990, 1999 and 2003. Stock markets always follow their own cycles. While the market will not go to zero, after a 10-month fall, it also will not go into an uptrend without this capitulation. But as with the 2008 bottom, virtually all investors will be clueless that it has happened until they see it in the rear-view mirror. Most investors prefer to run with the herd and, therefore, miss the times of both maximum opportunity and maximum risk. When and at what point will the coming capitulation happen? You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Visit my web site at www.mangunonmarkets.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis tools provided by the COL Financial Group Inc.
Messing up the country’s veteran pensioners is a dangerous game Cecilio T. Arillo
DATABASE
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ITH the Social Security System (SSS) pension uproar still spreading, another problem more serious and identical is brewing, and it can turn into a nasty one if the government fails to listen to their appeal.
I am referring to thousands of the nation’s veterans—former soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and policemen—who have retired after defending our freedom and liberty, fighting terrorism and criminality and saving countless lives from the deadly effects of natural and manmade disasters. “We did these willingly, even as we faced the risks of uncertain death or injury inherent in our duties, throughout the land. We were on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” the veterans said. Last Sunday they sent an urgent appeal for justice and compassion to President Aquino and members of Congress (House and Senate),
through their 25 organizations, including the Association of Generals and Flag Officers, against the harmful effects of House Bill (HB) 6268 and Senate Bill (SB) 3031 if these proposed measures are signed into law. These measures are intended to suspend or remove the automatic adjustment, or indexation, of their pension rates with the base pay of those in the active service, which has been granted by Presidential Decree 1638 and Republic Act 8551. “Mr. President, our senators and representatives in Congress, we appeal to you not to suspend or repeal the automatic adjustment or indexation of our retirement pensions,” the veterans said.
“We believe that these bills are discriminatory against us and smack of class legislation, since we, the pensioners of the uniformed services, have been singled out, in contrast to those of the judiciary and constitutional commissions, and that our right to a decent life after active service to our country, as provided by Section 8, Article VI of our Constitution, is being imperiled.” The veterans further said: “We are deeply concerned about the disastrous effects if HB 6268 [Salary Standardization Law] and the SB 3031 [the Retirement Benefits Reform Law] are approved in their present form and become law. “We believe that these bills are discriminatory against us and smack of class legislation, since we, the pensioners of the uniformed services, have been singled out, in contrast to those of the judiciary and constitutional commissions, and that our right to a decent life after active service to our country, as
provided by Section 8, Article VI of our Constitution, is being imperiled. “The reason given then and now to justify these pending bills is that the nation’s economy cannot afford it. It is unfortunate that we, as stakeholders, have not been properly consulted in the crafting of these bills, which seriously affect our welfare. “For we are willing to help find not only short-term, but long-term, solutions to address this issue of affordability of the pension of our veteran-retirees.” In their appeal, the veterans argued that they are asking for this not only for themselves, but more so for the voiceless thousands of retired enlisted personnel and low-ranking policemen and their families. “The retirement pensions that we receive, for most of us, are the only lifeline to a decent living in our remaining years as veterans and retirees,” they said. It can be argued that one of those hardest hit by inflation (continuing rise of prices of commodities and services) are the veterans and their dependents who largely depend on meager income. To reach the writer, e-mail cecilio.arillo@gmail.com.
Opinion BusinessMirror
opinion@businessmirror.com.ph
Europe faces a new tidal wave of refugees, EU leaders say
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AVOS, Switzerland—European leaders warned on Thursday that the continent’s refugee crisis is growing, and if it’s not brought under control by spring, it could push the region past the breaking point. “We see today that in the first three weeks of the year, there were 35,000 people crossing the [Aegean Sea to Greece] from Turkey,”Mark Rutte, Holland’s prime minister, said. “Last year it was only 1,600 in the full month of January. When spring comes, the numbers will quadruple. We can’t cope with these numbers any longer.” Millions of migrants from the Middle East have made their way through Turkey en route to northern Europe. Rutte said the European Union (EU) has six to eight weeks to get a grip on the crisis, echoing similar remarks made this week by European Council President Donald Tusk. “When spring comes, the number of refugees coming out of Turkey and Lebanon and other countries through Greece and the Western Balkans and into
the rest of European Union [will rise],” Rutte said. He spoke at a panel discussion on Europe’s future during the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting. Rutte said the immediate priority for policy-makers is to make a success of an EU plan with Turkey to limit the number of people trying to reach Europe from its territory. He said it was necessary to ensure that measures to more equitably redistribute asylum seekers across the 28-nation EU were working. The EU has admitted they are not. Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s prime minister, was on the same panel. “What is happening in the Aegean is a great shame for our common European culture and civilization. On a daily basis we are faced with a death toll in the sea because [people] traffickers are working there unimpeded,” he said. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said the entire European political leadership agreed the influx was too high, but it would be a “disgrace if Europe were turned into a fortress.” TNS
The illusion of 70 percent B R G
Business Sector Representative, Member, Advisory Board Climate Change Commission, Manila
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HIS is a cautionary tale. It is 11:59 p.m. December 9, 2015. You fall into a deep slumber. You dream you are the passenger in the fifth car of a five-car collision. The fourth and fifth cars are metaphors for countries similarly situated as the Philippines in the climate-change debate, i.e., vulnerable and shouting out for attention in the world stage; the collision is the continuing saga of the global interplay on climate-change issues; the car is one’s environment. Your car is badly damaged as a result of the incident. You feel the loss, the damage. You now view one of your proudest assets as being brought to a state of great disrepair, perhaps you may eventually declare it a total loss. Or seek out someone of higher authority to make that declaration for you. There is confusion, and there arises an immediate sense for confrontation. You want someone to pay for the damage you assess you incurred. The big question is: Who will pay for it? The drivers in the first, second, third and fourth cars sympathize with your anger, your frustration. But the finger-pointing begins right there and then. No one seems to want to acknowledge moral responsibility, whether full or partial. Much less, assign legal responsibility. Especially the driver of the first one, a 2-ton truck. Everyone at the scene of the incident sympathizes with you—yes it is tragic, they feel your pain [the participants all say, including the pedestrian kibitzers now gathered around]. As everyone else equally feels having incurred a loss and damage of varying degrees, there is no concensus who should bear ultimate financial responsibility. And before you know it, everyone starts to leave the scene of the incident one by one. The drivers, the police investigator, the witnesses, the kibitzers and hawkers; with departing messages left like “my insurance representative will be in touch with you,” “call my lawyer,” “here’s my card and number, call me next week,” “if you wait a little longer, the media will arrive.” And as the scene empties out, you unexpectedly experience self-doubt—did you, perhaps, contribute to the incident by some facet of negligence. Were you observing traffic regulations at the time of collision; do you rate yourself a responsible driver overall? Then, in a flash, you wake up. Welcome to the COP 21 meeting in Paris, France. Climate change is no longer an illusion to the majority; the science has overcome the myth. But are the goals being debated upon thereon partially illusionary in themselves? The Philippines is without doubt a country in self-doubt, consistently ranked as one of the topmost vulnerable countries subject to extreme conditions caused by climate change. No one disputes this fact anymore in this modern age. But how do we organize our battle plan versus climate change in the world
stage. Let us study the immediate scene of the incident. On October 1, 2015, a formal document was directly forwarded to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) office in Bonn, Germany. It was entitled, “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions [INDC] Submission of the Republic of the Philippines.” The UNFCCC is the United Nations-designated international multilateral institution charged with overseeing the global engagement on climate change. For this year’s Conference of Parties (COP 21) meeting in Paris, all participating countries (over 180 countries in varying roles) were requested to submit their respective INDC for consolidation into the climate-change talks ongoing. As of this writing full text documents from COP 21 to reflect the conclusion of agreements have yet to be released or circulated to the public. But one thing is for certain, the talks and negotiations are confusing and confrontational. Just like the five-car collision incident illustrated earlier. The negotiations appear to be evolving into a Northversus-South, a have-versus-havenots struggle, with climate change morphing into the single rallying point for the many declared economic and environmental dislocations among differing national boundaries around the world. The currency employed is the level of greenhouse-gas (GHG) or carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions standard. Whereby those countries perceived suffering the most damage from climate change profess the most innocence as to actual liability, and thereby further claiming loss compensation from those other countries perceived to be most culpable and liable for emitting the highest or much higher GHG emissions levels. The compensation level comes in two tranches: 1) the moral accountability, often called climate justice, and 2) the financial accountability, often referred to as climate finance. For this purpose, we shall limit the parameters to the Philippine conditions. As an investment banker of longstanding, one acquires the discipline to first analyze the legal documentation and definition of terms, to be followed by the negotiation posture. These, in pursuit of a
Saturday, January 23, 2016
51st International Eucharistic Congress Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual
SERVANT LEADER
January 24-31, 2016 will mark the observance of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Cebu. With the theme, “Christ in you, our hope of glory (Colossians 1:27),” the week-long Eucharistic Congress is intended to strengthen the faith of the people and to promote awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Catholic Church. Tune in to Radio Veritas for the special coverage and programming for the 51st IEC. Activities can also be watched through live streaming at www.veritas846. ph, while a special coverage page about the IEC is also available at the web site, veritas846.ph/iec2016. Below are some of the excerpts from the Recollection given by His Eminence, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, DD, for the members of the press regarding the 51st International Eucharistic Congress.
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OOK at the action of God. The presence of Jesus doesn’t have to be grand. The presence of Jesus comes in simple bread, simple wine, the work of simple hands. Jesus is very consistent. The simpler we are, the more humble we are, the more people see the presence of Jesus in us.
final objective. The first benchmark appears to stand on weak foundation. The Philippine INDC was submitted under the authorship of former Climate Change Commission Commissioner Lucille Sering (aided by Climate Change Office Deputy Executive Director Joy Goco). By sequence, Goco announced that Sering resigned her position in September 2015. Yet, a covering letter dated October 1st (attaching the INDC) submitted to the UNFCCC on its face was signed by Sering. The INDC document itself was not signed by the President of the Philippines, as chairman of the commission; for such a critically important international document outlining official commitment/s of the republic, the chairman’s imprimatur should be required. The commission is composed of three commissioners, plus the President of the Philippines as its chairman; only the chairman can call for a meeting of the commission. At the moment, in addition to Sering’s resignation, Commissioner Sonny Alvarez’s term lapsed last October, with newly-appointed Commissioner Emmanuel de Guzman serving the unfinished term of resigned Commissioner Yeb Sano. In further contrast there is no showing of a Climate Change Commission en banc meeting convened for the purpose of approving the INDC, and authorizing its release and/or submission to the UNFCCC. In the investment banking jargon, therefore, the document forwarded may have appeared formal in form, but it likely may not have been official in character. Early on in this administration, President Aquino correctly determined that, perhaps, the better utilization of state resources toward combating climate-change effects over the country’s economy and environment was to address the more pressing and more impacting implementation of adaptation options available to the government —national and local. The President ordered for the immediate enhancement and expansion of disaster risk-reduction and management measures nationwide. Effectively then, the President set and directed the climate-change response policy more toward the adaptation pillar in the Climate Change Act of 2009, with the mitigation pillar garnering a second degree of emphasis given the limited financial resources. For definition of terms, mitigation refers to all efforts and means at reducing GHG emissions. Adaptation refers to all efforts and means to address climate-change issues other than GHG emissions reduction. So it is with great surprise, as one reads through the INDC, that in the whole document there appears only one quantifiable measure of targeted achievement being committed to the UNFCCC—greenhouse-gas emissions reduction. Specifically,
The Philippines is without doubt a country in self-doubt, consistently ranked as one of the topmost vulnerable countries subject to extreme conditions caused by climate change. No one disputes this fact anymore in this modern age. But how do we organize our battle plan versus climate change in the world stage? Sering’s INDC set an extremely ambitious goal: “The Philippines intends to undertake GHG [CO2] emissions reduction of about 70 percent by 2030 relative to its BAU scenario of 2000-2030.” There is a glaring disconnect here. Not only is the sole quantifiable measure of targeted achievement set under the October 1, 2015, document not in consonance to the stated policy of the President of the Philippines, it appears infirm in other relevant aspects too, as follows : 1. The director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) appears not to have been consulted in the preparation of the INDC. This is a critical lapse. He chairs the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development, a vital organ charged with evaluating and recording the impacts of any and all projections of commitments to be made by national government agencies (the commission being one) to bilateral and multilateral institutions, as they ultimately redown into commitments of the Republic of the Philippines. How will Philippine economic growth targets, and derivative projections therefrom, be influenced by the macro INDC commitments of the Climate Change Commission to the UNFCCC, for example. These are hard questions that need quantified answers before an international The Neda is also a member of the advisory board of the commission. 2. The Department of Agriculture (DA)—one of the major players for any GHG emissions-reduction program to succeed—did not seem to have been participation in the INDC process. As another member of the advisory board of the commission, the DA’s input is deemed organic to said process. Other line agencies may be similarly placed. 3. On its face the INDC’s sole quantifiable measure of targeted achievement lacks a most crucial element—a verified emissions baseline year reference. From which the measure of success may be calculated in the future. Without it, the ambitious 70 percent emissionsreduction target for 2030 translates to a meaningless figure. The INDC may be designed to fail. The INDC fails to make mention of any figures as to a financial claim/s for either climate justice
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And then, we remember the night we were betrayed. This is during Consecration when the bread is changed into the body of Christ and the wine into the blood of Christ. We call this theology transubstantiation, but it’s a change effected by the Holy Spirit. It’s not magical. It’s the Holy Spirit. But it is not just the bread that it is changed into the body of Christ, it is also the wine that is changed into the blood of Christ. On the night He was betrayed, He took bread and said the blessing. Broke the bread, gave it and said: “This is My body for you.” Another change, the night of betrayal was changed by Jesus into an act of selfgiving. When you betray someone, you sell that someone. But on the night Jesus was being sold as if He was telling Judas, “you don’t have to sell Me. I give Myself freely, this is My body for you, this is My blood for you, you don’t need to sell Me. I am not a commodity; I am a gift for you.” The night of betrayals became
the dawn of love, self-giving. And we hope that the Eucharist would teach us to eliminate in society all forms of betrayal. From the families, business to politics, to humanrights issues. The Eucharist says, no more betrayals. No more. But how do we combat betrayal? We combat betrayal by teaching people how to love purely, to give off themselves rather than selling others. When Jesus says: “this is My body for you.” Body, what does that connote to us nowadays, “body”. People think of prostitution, people think of human trafficking, people think the bodies mangled by war and torture. But, the Eucharist tells us the body is a gift for you and not an object to be sold, mutilated and harmed. Blood, the blood of victims. The blood of victims of terrorism and senseless killing. Blood should not be wasted that way. For in Jesus, blood became a source of life for us. The Eucharist is also about change. Change to simplicity.
or climate finance for the Philippines. The second benchmark of negotiation posture thereby appears structurally weak, as well. Any serious claimant knows well to incorporate a specific amount for damages and/or loss in any confrontation process. Is there still any doubt the COP 21 is an open venue for confrontation processes? Our claims will surely go way past COP 21. It may be good to emulate the emissions reduction-setting initiatives of the larger economy nations. But we have our unique requirements. Classified as an island-state nation, the Philippines is a country that is in need of multilateral assistance more on the adaptation measures, rather than on the mitigation (GHG reduction) measures. Globally, precisely because we are such an insignificant contributor to global warming (estimated at only one-third of 1 percent of global CO2 emissions), the country cannot realistically look forward toward securing any significant proportionate share and global attention re: any future green climate fund allocation—the ultimate objective in our negotiation posture—based on the mitigation argument plea alone. This is why honest brokering is necessary and demanded of our negotiators. The much stronger argument for negotiation posture in the climate conferences should lie with seeking the deserved climate-finance support for Philippine adaptation measures. Let us be honest and straightforward with our counterparties. And to realistically secure such climatefinance support, quantifiable costs (on adaptation measures) must be spelled out/provided in the document. One has to lay the financial basis to any serious claim toward climate justice and/or climate finance. As indicated in the illustration above, everyone is claiming and disclaiming accountability; and for those who may just offer compensation, they want to know where the money is going to settle a claim. Such is a business decision to be made by the accountable nation, for its own reasons. And as to the mitigation front we already have existing enacted laws that deal with the mitigation issue, actually; for example, we have the Clean Air Act, the Biofuels Act, the Renewable Energy Act, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. Enforcement of the enacted laws is what is direly needed in this country to fight the war against GHG emissions. Financial penalties are attached to violations of these Acts. And are we therefore not double-dipping at the till on this issue—when we go to the climate conference for support on mitigation, then, at the same time, make earmark allocations in the General Appropriations Act during the annual fiscal budgeting process under the same purpose?
In conclusion, this writer was asked in an interview at CNN Philippines recently as to my opinion of a targeted objective of 100-percent decarbonization in the world by year 2050? My reply was, 2050 is so far off as to render any budgetary planning process to combat the recognized environmental ills moot and inutile. In addition, this writer cannot realistically imagine a world devoid of carbon fuels. It will always remain the cheapest form of energy source. And with the everincreasing world population, the hunger for energy to light up and feed the earth’s inhabitants simply cannot be wholly met by clean energy (alternative + renewable + energy efficiency) sources. In the mind of this writer, inasmuch as it is the holy grail of committed climatechange advocates like yours truly, a 100-percent decarbonized world at any time is an impossibility. Unfortunately, currently the COP 21 is almost equally overshadowed by the international war on terrorism ; consequently it is hoped the world leaders’ attentions can be focused momentarily to push to achieve a binding agreement in Paris, incorporating enough features as to make the same enforceable, lasting and payment-friendly. At this moment, the 70-percent GHG reduction target set in the Philippine INDC appears to be a galaxy away. 2030 is only 15 short years away. The country is not situated in Scandinavia or Upper Mongolia with the unlimited resource of heavy year-round winds; our hydro and geothermal resources are largely identified already and presently being tapped; solar and biomass have no shortage of fuel stock, but requiure heavy privatesector financing support, which remains illusive. Energy efficiency does not get official respect; the Department of Trade and Industry removed it from its most recent investment priorities/incentives plan. The push to 70 percent will surely shut down the Philippine economy, initiate an energy crisis, and will provoke massive unemployment and civil unrest. The Department of Energy continues to issue permits for coal-fired power projects at a rate at least six times more than that for cleanenergy projects. A more moderate target is necessitated. The investment banker’s instinct is taking over the environmentalist’s aspiration. The Filipino people need to be totally aware of the consequences behind the illusion of 70 percent. A national government long-term economic plan should never be captive to a false premise. Otherwise, further budgetary waste and misdirection will accrue. At best, a lower carbon economy is what is achievable in the journey to 2030. The dream of a 100-percent decarbonization of the Philippine economy and environment is a false start.
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The Nation BusinessMirror
Saturday, January 23, 2016 • Editor: Dionisio L. Pelayo
news@businessmirror.com.ph
Poe foe asks Leonen to recuse self from DQ cases
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Red Cross girds for IEC
B J R. S J
UPREME Court (SC) Associate Justice Marvic Leonen has been asked to recuse from the deliberations on the petitions related to the disqualification of Sen. Grace Poe in the May presidential elections.
In her Motion for Inhibition, lawyer Estrella Elamparo said Leonen, youngest member of the Court, should recuse from the petitions filed by Poe owing to his failure to keep his emotions in check and for showing bias in favor of the senator. “If the Honorable Justice Leonen truly wants to serve the ends of justice in this all important case that may impact the fate of the nation, the only just and decent thing would be to inhibit himself,” Elamparo said. Elamparo was one of those who successfully petitioned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to nullify Poe’s certificate of candidacy (COC) for president on the ground that she is not a natural-born Filipino citizen and failed to meet the 10-year residency requirement. “While the task of adjudication cannot be entirely emotionfree, Justice Leonen has shown his
inability to keep his emotion and personal sentiment in check and indicated his judgment even before respondent could be heard,” she added. In seeking for the inhibition of Leonen, Elamparo cited the recent interpellation of Leonen during the first oral arguments on the petitions filed by Poe. During the interpellation, Leonen reminded his colleagues that the Court’s role should be “final arbiters” after letting people decide through the elections. He stressed that suffrage or the right to vote “is an aspect of sovereignty.” “Suffrage is one of the direct exercises, perhaps, the only direct exercise, where people actually select their agents in terms of government. And, therefore, should this Court apply the doctrine, in that we should first allow the people to decide and then we, the final arbiter, in case of contests?” Leonen asked.
Albay first to use barangay bottom-up budgeting system
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EGAZPI CITY—Albay has earned the opportunity for the first crack implementation at the barangay level of the bottom-up budgeting (BuB) scheme, a revolutionary good governance strategy at the grassroots level involving local communities and accredited civil-society organizations (CSOs) and direct transfer of resources from the national government to the barangay, its most basic unit. The Barangay BuB entails the direct participation of the Sangguniang Barangay and CSOs in assessing their communities, identifying and planning projects that will best address their needs, and monitoring the implementation of their development programs, funded by resources directly released to the barangays by the national government. The program aims to reduce grassroots poverty through good governance. It was earlier piloted in certain cities and municipalities and had been proven successful. It was launched recently in Albay via a consultative conference attended by Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) top officials, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and local officials, including 232 barangays chairmen from the province’s Second District. Abad said the program was pretested in Bohol recently, but Albay is actually the first to hold consultations on BuB for barangays. Albay has been a consistent recipient of many government awards
in good governance. Although only barangays from the province’s Second District were invited to the consultations, all of Albay’s 720 barangays would be part of the first batch of recipients of the direct government funding, set for release in 2017. This first group, composed of some 12,000 barangays in the entire country, will each receive from P500,000 to P 1 million depending on their program undertakings. Salceda, a respected economist, noted that the fund transfer translates “to an additional P720 million in additional capital resources for Albay, which we hope would be a predictable resource source based on governance and performance.” Based on the BuB handbook, the projects eligible for funding are those related to Basic Facilities and Services under Section 17 (b) of the Local Government Code, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, on which Albay has excelled. Salceda said the BuB will help communities develop more efficiently, since they know better what their needs and requirements are, and program implementation and delivery of services will be transparent since everyone is involved in the planning and monitoring. The BuB handbook says CSOs are among the stakeholders in the program, together with the Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan and other groups, which will participate in monitoring the proper implementation of the projects. PNA
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Seeming to take a different stand on the issue, Leonen proposed that the Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, could just examine Poe’s qualifications when and if she gets elected in accordance with the Constitution. Leonen even pointed out that the Constitution had never granted the Comelec the power to adjudicate on qualifications per se of elected national government officials. He said the Comelec should have just preliminary evaluated Poe’s COC on whether the facts stated there, from her point of view, were correct, adding, “The interpretation of the facts is a matter of opinion and law; to do so would be to adjudicate.” On a personal note, Leonen admitted knowing the feeling to have missing parents as he grew up without his father. He said the case of Poe and
others whose real parents remain unknown is “very difficult.” “What did she do for her parents to leave her? She was a newborn baby and she did not have any moral volition at that point. It is completely the agency and moral decision of the parents to actually leave her behind,” Leonen pointed out, adding that the senator was “lucky” because she eventually got adopted by prominent parents. “At the end of the day should this Court ask her to look for those parents who actually left her because she had it lucky. She is now one of the candidates to become president of this country. It’s clear to us what should happen in terms of justness. Can our laws actually contain that kind of a result? Is it clear enough to say that the Constitution of the Republic looks this way on foundlings? That there can be never a foundling found in rural area of the Philippines
that could ever become president?” Leonen asked. But for Elamparo, Leonen’s shared experience with Poe and his expression of empathy had blatantly showed that the SC magistrate has lost his impartiality and is now determined to champion the cause of petitioner. Instead of interpellating, Elamparo lamented that Leonen gave “a passionate plea to end the petitioner’s difficulty.” “While it may be unavoidable for the Honorable Justices of the Supreme Court to already have opinions on the issues at hand based on their own appreciation of the law, the case of the Honorable Justice Leonen is vastly different. Not only does he obviously have an opinion, his personal experience and the emotions that such experience stirs up obviously predispose him to rule in favor of petitioner,” Elamparo said.
PhilHealth ready for large intestine cancer patients T HE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) President Alexander A. Padilla assured on Friday that the “Z Benefit Package” for colon and rectum cancers has sufficient amount necessary to ensure total care for all affected members. “We are now evaluating the capabilities of some accredited facilities that have expressed intension to become our contracted facilities for the said package. We are optimistic that, before the year ends, there will be members who will be availing themselves of the package already,” Padilla said. As a proof, seven leading physicians recently shared their moving stories on the implementation of the Z Benefit Package of the PhilHealth. “The Z benefits passionately reminded us that there is financial protection for the health-care system in the Philippines. Specifically, for us at the Philippine Heart Center, Z benefits provide an access to specialized cardiovascular care for our patients,” narrated Gerardo S. Manzo, a cardiologist from the Philippine Heart Center. He added that PhilHealth payments reached P146,330,000 for 417 approved cases of Z benefits, such as Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, Ventricular Septal Defect and Tetralogy of Fallot for the year 2014. Jose Dante P. Dator of the National Kidney Transplant Institute, proudly stated that, “In less
than two months, we were able to get the reimbursement from PhilHealth.” He also encouraged other health-care institutions to become a contracted provider of Z package, especially for peritoneal dialysis. For his part, Ramoncito Magnaye of the Batangas Medical Center (BMC) thanked PhilHealth as they implement the Z benefit package for breast cancer, noting that they were are able to buy new sets of equipment to improve their services and initiated the enhancement of the hospital’s building façade through PhilHealth’s reimbursements. He recommended the strengthening of information and education campaign on the Z benefit packages to maximize the BMC’s service capability. On the other hand, Paul N. San Pedro of the Philippine Orthopedic Center discussed the hospital’s experience when orthopedic implants were not yet part of the Z benefit package. He said that it almost took two-and-a-half months for indigent patients to look for alternative sources of funds before they could undergo the operation. “Z benefits program is a blessing for our patients as it gave them better outcome, less complication and faster recovery,” and added that “for our institution, PhilHealth reimbursements help in renovation of our wards. It’s a winning proposition for everyone.” He ended his discussion with a simple slogan that
is befitting for the event’s theme “Sa PhilHealth, laging panalo!” Speaking for the University of the East-Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Josephine Robredo Bundoc described the Z MORPH benefit package for below-the-knee prosthesis. She said that PhilHealth has been cooperative and accommodating by doing consultative/ feedback meeting to check if there is room for improvement in terms of benefit availment. Philippine Children’s Medical Center Executive Director Julius A. Lecciones briefly discussed how Z benefit helps their patients in paying hospital bills, especially those in need. Diena B. Oroceo, vice president for Academic Affairs of Lyceum Subic Bay, a 75-year-old cancer survivor, shared her experiences in battling colorectal cancer. Manuel Francis Roxas, a colorectal cancer specialist, also gave a brief discussion of the former in the Philippine setting, its survival rate, quality care of a colorectal cancer patient, and other colon and rectum cancer programs in the Philippines prior to PhilHealth’s inclusion in its Z benefit packages. With all the testimonies, Padilla concluded: “I’m sure you have seen the exhibit on our members’ experiences and how the packages have given them a new lease in life so that they can continue to pursue their dreams.” Claudeth Mocon- Ciriaco
MMDA prepares for Pia Wurtzbach motorcade
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TOTAL of 135 traffic enforcers will be deployed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) along the route of the homecoming parade of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach on January 25. MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos said that the traffic enforcers will also guide motorists that will be affected by the parade. Carlos added that the route of the parade will start from Hotel Sofitel, left turn to Atang de la Rama Street, right turn to Vicente Sotto Street, left turn to
F. Ma. Guerrero Street, right turn to Bukaneg Street, left turn to Roxas Boulevard, right turn to Padre Burgos Street toward Taft Avenue, right turn to Finance Road, right to Taft Avenue, right turn to Quirino Avenue, left to Roxas Boulevard, left to Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, left turn to Ayala Avenue, U-turn to Ayala-Makati Fire Station, going to Ayala Avenue, to Rustan’s. Carlos said the entire Ayala Avenue northbound will be closed to vehicular traffic at 3 p.m. It will be opened once the motorcade has passed. It will make a pitstop at the Makati Fire Station along Ayala Avenue before proceeding toward
Rustan’s Ayala, where the parade will end. Likewise, the traffic enforcers from the Makati Public Safety Department (Mapsa) will be deployed for traffic management and crowd control in all strategic intersections and locations along the parade route in the city. While traversing Ayala Avenue, Miss Universe 2015 and her entourage will be greeted by confetti showers from Makati business establishments, while Makati students from nearby schools will also be invited to witness the grand event. Makati Mayor Kid Peña said city residents and employees are very
eager to see Wurtzbach in the flesh after she has brought pride and honor to the nation by winning the coveted crown, outshining 79 other candidates from nations all over the world at the coronation night on December 20, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. “Makati is very proud of Wurtzbach for reclaiming the Miss Universe crown for the Philippines after 42 long years. She has inspired millions of people around the world, including the people of Makati, with her indomitable spirit and extraordinary determination to realize her
dream,” Peña said in a statement. Wurtzbach will also pay Peña a courtesy call on Tuesday. Wurtzbach is expected to arrive at City Hall at around 11:30 a.m., accompanied by officials of the Miss Universe Organization and Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. After four decades, the 26-year-old Filipina-German model and actress will bring home the crown as the third Miss Universe winner from the Philippines. The other two are Gloria Diaz (Miss Universe 1969) and Margie Moran (Miss Universe 1973). Claudeth Mocon- Ciriaco
N keeping with its mission to safeguard the health and safety of the Filipinos, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) will deploy staff and volunteers to man first-aid stations and basic healthcare units that will put up for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Cebu from January 24 to 31. “The Philippine Red Cross joins the Catholic Church in this great undertaking. I have personally instructed the Cebu chapter to be visible and provide assistance to the participants and everyone who will witness the events during the Eucharistic Congress. As early as now, I would already like to congratulate the organizers for the success of the IEC,” PRC Chairman Richard J. Gordon said. PRC Cebu’s operation for the IEC will start on January 24 for the opening Holy Mass in Plaza Independencia, where five first-aid stations will be set up inside the plaza and another five outside the plaza. First aiders on foot will also patrol the area ready to provide assistance to those who would need medical help and other assistance. But from January 25 to 27, Red Cross operations will be stopped as the event is strictly for registrants only and will be held at the Pavilion, the main venue for conferences and other indoor activities for IEC 2016, at the Seminaryo Mayor de San Carlos compound in Mabolo, Cebu City. Red Cross operations will resume on January 28 for the activity that will be at Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu. The PRC will set up a medical station at the Senior Citizens Plaza near Plaza Independencia, and will simultaneously deploy volunteers with the Lapu-Lapu/ Cordova chapter. On January 29, the delegates, dignitaries, clergies and the public, estimated at around 50,000 people, will have a procession from the Cebu Capitol Building grounds to Plaza Independencia for Mass at 7 p.m. For this event, PRC Cebu will deploy 100 on foot volunteer first aiders who will walk along with the participants. Seven first-aid stations will also be put up at the staging area and one medical station will be set up in front of PRC Cebu chapter office. For the January 30 activity at Cebu City Sports Complex, there will be five Red Cross first-aid stations positioned inside the complex and five outside, all with volunteers on foot. Claudeth Mocon- Ciriaco
Expect heavy traffic on Araneta Avenue on Sunday
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TARTING at 9 a.m. and until about 2 p.m. on Sunday, only one lane will be passable on the southbound direction of Araneta Avenue in Quezon City at the corner of Bayani Road, stretching about 700 meters. All lanes on the northbound direction will remain open. The Skyway Stage 3 (SS3) contractor will set up the needed equipment and prepare for the rotation of pierhead 32 at the road median. A frictionless rotating device called sosrobahu, which is embedded between the pier-column and the pierhead, still allows the traffic to move on the road below albeit with some inconvenience. To direct traffic and assist motorists where the rotation activity will take place, additional number of traffic enforcers will be deployed. Motorists are also advised to avoid said stretch or use alternate routes. When this activity is finished by 2 p.m., all the lanes will be opened to traffic. Team SS3 appeals for public understanding and cooperation. The ongoing construction of the 14.8-kilometer SS3 Project, from the Buendia-end of the Skyway in Makati City to Balintawak in Quezon City, will use the sosrobahu in its elevated road structure, wherever possible. The SS3 project aims to help decongest Epifanio delos Santos Avenue and other major arterial roads of Metro Manila and address the increasing traffic demand north and south of Metro Manila.
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PRINCESS PREVAILS P
RINCESS SUPERAL blew a four-stroke lead as she floundered with her short game but pounced on Pauline del Rosario and Yuka Saso’s mishits on the closing hole to pound out a one-shot victory despite a 73 in the Philippine Ladies Open Golf Championship, presented by Champion Infinity, at the Midlands in Tagaytay City on Friday. Superal flubbed par putts from long range on Nos. 14 and 15, enabling The Country Club (TCC) teammate del Rosario and Saso to draw level at two-under overall heading to the par-5 finishing hole. But the two challengers hit their drives into a hazard and reached the green in four. While del Rosario had a long putt for par, Saso, also a former TCC mainstay, flubbed hers from 4 feet, missing forcing a playoff with
70s and allowing the former US Girls’ Junior champion, who closed out with a regulation par, to post her biggest triumph on the local front. While she relishes her couple of victories on ladies tour, a pro circuit, the 19-year-old Superal considers her latest feat in a string of victories as doubly significant, this being the country’s premier ladies golf championship. “It’s nice to finally win this crown. It’s an honor being able to join the elite circle of winners of this championship,” said Superal, who pooled a 214 and ended Thailand domination of the event the last three years. But it didn’t come easy. While she appeared headed for a romp after storming to a four-shot lead over del Rosario, Saso and Mikha Fortuna on Thursday, Superal struggled with her irons, dropping crucial shots in the closing holes and
aiding the trios’ fightback that set the stage for a pressure-packed finish in the 54-hole event organized by Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines. But as Fortuna, in a flight behind with first-day leader Lois Kaye Go and Sofia Chabon, fell behind with a bogey, del Rosario and Saso pressed their bid with pars to tie Superal at 53 holes, only to reel back with those errant drives. Del Rosario, the reigning Thailand Ladies Amateur Open champion, and Saso, winner of this year’s Thailand Junior title, ended up with 215s. The win also kept Superal’s streak going. She closed out the 2015 with victories in Malaysia, Singapore and Jakarta, then dominated the field to run away with the Hong Kong Ladies Amateur Open crown two weeks ago.
NEW YORK! NEW YORK! Trainer Freddie Roach (left) talks to Manny Pacquiao during a news conference to promote Pacquiao’s April 9 fight against Timothy Bradley on Thursday in New York. AP
69TH PAL INTERCLUB SET AT CLARK’S MIMOSA T
HE Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub, long regarded as the country’s official team golf championship, marks its 69th year next month by going back to the island of its birth— Luzon—for the first time in ages, while introducing a new division and opening its doors again to the best players in the land. Play will be held at Mimosa’s two layouts inside Clark Field in Pampanga. The Championship Divi-
sion, won last year by Manila Southwoods, returns to its old stature as an “Open” bracket, where teams will not be burdened by handicaps anymore. The likes of reigning two-time national amateur champion Jobim Carlos and many-time former winner Rupert Zaragosa will be returning to play for a Canlubang squad that breaks its long hiatus in the centerpiece division when the Regular Men’s event tees off on March 2.
SBP EXEC BARRIOS SETS TONE FOR FIBA MANILA QUALIFIER
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HE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) requested a meeting with a top International Basketball Federation (Fiba) official to discuss details of the country’s hosting of one of the three Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQT) in July. SBP Executive Director Renauld “Sonny” Barrios will meet with Fiba Sport and Competitions Director Predrag Bogosavljev at the House of Basketball, Fiba’s headquarters in Mies, Switzerland, hours before the draw for the OQTs. Barrios sought the appointment with the former Yugoslavian junior player on the instructions of SBP President Manuel V. Pangilinan, who wants preparation for the qualifier to get under way immediately. A meeting with the SBP head and federation officials has also been set upon Barrios’s return on Wednesday. Fiba awarded OQT hosting rights to Manila, Belgrade (Serbia) and Turin (Italy). Eighteen countries—Angola, Canada,
Czech Republic, France, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Serbia, Tunisia, Latvia, Croatia and Turkey—will be divided into three groups via the draw and battle from July 4 to 10 for three slots made available to complete the Olympic cast in Rio de Janeiro in August. Only the winners of the three OQTs will advance to Rio. The draw ceremony is set at 6:30 p.m. Geneva time on Tuesday, or around 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday in Manila. The Mall of Asia Arena will again be the official venue for the Manila OQT.
NBA RESULTS New Orleans 115, Detroit 99 Cleveland 115, LA Clippers 102 Memphis 102, Denver 101 Sacramento 91, Atlanta 88 San Antonio 117, Phoenix 89
ALTAS FOIL GENERALS’ SWEEP; JUNIOR ALTAS REPEAT CHAMPS B L A
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NIVERSITY of Perpetual Help outhustled Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC), 20-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-19, to prevent the Generals from sweeping the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 91 men’s volleyball finals on Friday at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan City. The Altas shrugged off a slow start by playing with a near flawless chemistry most of the way to foil the Generals from celebrating their second consecutive crown. “I was confident we will win Game Two because of our defensive preparation,” said Sammy Acaylar, Perpetual Help’s men’s coach for more than three decades now and with 10 men’s, eight juniors and three women’s championships his name. Game Three is on Tuesday. Diminutive Rey Taneo Jr. unloaded 16 points, 13 on attacks, while Ranidean Philipe Abcede scattered 14 points, including nine on kills, for the Altas. Perpetual Help’s defense also mattered most in Game Two, as the Altas prevented reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Howard Mojica from dominating. Mojica, however, still managed 22 points on 20 spikes. The Junior Altas, on the other hand, beat EAC-Immaculate Concepcion Academy, 25-21, 22-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11, to repeat as juniors champions via a sweep. Team Captain Jody Severo, who was hailed as the finals MVP, led Perpetual Help with 17 points off 10 spikes, four blocks and three service aces. Darwin Salopaso also had 17 markers on 14 spikes and Aljhon Abalon added 13.
Seniors action will kick off the competition’s 30th edition on February 25 with Canlubang and Luisita renewing their storied rivalry in the event reserved for players 55 years old and above. Carlos will be using this event as his farewell tournament before turning pro, as he plays in both the Asian Tour and the local circuit while leading the Sugar Barons to a triumphant comeback. “I’m excited, there’s no doubt about it,” Car-
los said. “The PAL Interclub has a special place in my heart because this is a tournament like no other, where team comes first before individuality. I’m looking forward to playing again.” The PAL Interclub was first played at Wack Wack’s fabled East layout in Mandaluyong in 1948, with the home team winning.
‘GIVE PRIORITY TO RIO HOPEFULS’
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HE country’s top sports organizations should double their efforts to support athletes who remain in the hunt for berths to the Rio Olympics. So far, only Olongapo City-born FilipinoAmerican Eric Shauwn qualified for Rio after making the grade with a 49.12 seconds time in the 400-meter hurdles he set in an international competition in May last year. The cut-off for Rio is 49.40 seconds. “We should give these athletes the chance to gain Olympic slots. Competition has become tougher through the years, but these are some of the youngest and the brightest among our sporting stars. They deserve to compete in the Summer Games and gain experience that would toughen them up in their next try,” Sen. Francis Escudero said. Escudero noted the experience of Diaz, the first Filipina to compete in an Olympic weightlifting event. “We have always supported investments for our youth. These are some of the best and brightest Filipino athletes. The Philippine Sports Commission [PSC] should be in the forefront in supporting them in
their Olympic bids,” Escudero added. Hidilyn Diaz could still book a ticket to Rio if she makes the grade in the last leg of the Asian Championships in Uzbekistan in April. Trap shooter Hagen Topacio should have qualified, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) withdrew its support of Kuwait automatically nullifying the points he earned in the Asian Shooting Championships which the Middle East state hosted last year. Kuwaiti organizers refused to grant a visa to an Israeli shooter, prompting the IOC to withdraw its recognition of the continental meet. The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) has asked sports officials to pursue wild-card berths for their athletes. Joey Romasanta, the POC vice president and chief of mission to Rio, said several athletes could still make it to the Olympics, which start on August 5, as wild cards. Hoping to make the Olympics are London Games veteran Daniel Caluag of cycling; Miguel Tabuena, Angelo Que and Princess Superal of golf; Hagen Topacio, Amparo Acuna and Jayson Valdez of shooting; Marestella Torres and EJ Obiena of athletics; Mark Anthony Barriga, Rogen Ladon, Eumir Felix Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Irish Magno of boxing; Pauline Lopez and Sam Morrisson of taekwondo; Kiyome Watanabe of judo and Nestor Colonia of weightlifting. PERPETUAL Help’s Ranidean Abcede spikes against Emilio Aguinaldo College’s Hariel Doguna. STEPHANIE TUMAMPOS
DAVID GUEZ of France returns with a two-fisted backhand. NONIE REYES
Alcantara, Indon in doubles finals of ATP Challenger
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RANCIS CASEY ALCANTARA kept the country’s hopes alive as he barged into the doubles finals with Indonesian partner Christopher Rungkat in the $75,000 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger Philippine Open 2016 on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. Alcantara and Rungkat reached the finals after the Ratiwatana twins—Sonchat and Sonchai—from Thailand withdrew from their semifinals duel. “They have a family-related problem and it is urgent,” Ronald Herfel, ATP Challenger Tour supervisor, said. The fourth-seeded Ratiwatana brothers of Thailand dispatched Croatians Dino Marcan and Nikola Mektic, 6-4, 6-4, while Alcantara and Rungkat disposed of Marco Chiudinelli of Switzerland and Lukas Lacko of Sweden, 6-3, 6-2, in the quarterfinals. Alcantara and Rungkat will square off with the winner of the semifinal match between Swede Johan Brunstrom and Dane Frederik Nielsen and Austrian Maximilian Neuchrist and Indian Divij Sharan. Japan’s Go Soeda, a 17-time ATP tour winner, meanwhile, beat Frenchman David Guez, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, and will face in the singles semifinals Chiudinelli, who beat unseeded Zhe Li of China, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1), also on Friday.
XTERRA ALBAY UP IN FEBRUARY
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USTRALIA’S Jacqui Slack and Guam’s Mieko Carey stake their checkered reputations in the Xterra Albay 2016 on February 7. Slack and Carey, who finished runner-up and fourth place, respectively, last year, have been installed as the triathletes to watch in the women’s side of the off-road triathlon after 2015 winner Flora Duffy begged off to focus on her training for the Rio Olympics. But with Lizzie Orchard of New Zealand and a host of new pros joining this year’s event, a wide-open battle for top honors looms in the event hosted by the Province of Albay with the city of Legazpi and municipalities of Daraga and Santo Domingo as venue hosts. Bradley Weiss, meanwhile, is back to defend his crown in the men’s section of
the event sponsored by 2Go Express as the official logistics and courier partner, Columbia, Finisher Pix and David’s Salon. And like in the distaff side, a down-the-wire finish is expected with the likes of Ben Allen and Brodie Gardner, also of Australia, Charlie Epperson of Guam, Michal Bucek of Slovakia and local bet Joseph Miller out to foil the South African’s repeat bid. Also tipped to crowd the fancied bets in the event, backed by Shotz Sports Nutrition, DOT/TPB, Cetaphil, Human Heart Nature, Prudential Guarantee and Assurance Inc. and Coca-Cola, are Taylor Charlton, Cameron O’Neal and Hsieh Chun Shing. They are all raring to prove their worth in the top-level swim, bike and run competition with the majestic Mayon Volcano as backdrop.
Third Dance for Health all set at Alabang
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EALTHWAY Medical is launching its annual Dance for Health on January 30 at the Alabang Town Center. Healthway Medical has invited 10 teams to participate in the annual dance competition, which aims to help promote an active lifestyle among Filipinos. The third edition of the event offers a P75,000 cash prize to the winner, P40,000 to the second placer and P25,000 to the third placer. This event is sponsored by Salem Bed,
Maersk, MNLToday.com, Energizer, Eveready, GenerationRX, Eau Thermale Avene, Hotel H2O, and Bellevue Hotel. “With sedentary lifestyle on the rise, it is important for Filipinos to make it a habit to exercise daily,” Carmie de Leon, vice president for sales and marketing of Healthway Medical, said. “With Dance for Health in place, we will be able to help individuals recognize the important roles played by an active lifestyle in keeping themselves free from any forms of disease.”
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THAT 81POINT GAME Only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962 stands above Kobe Bryant’s onegame effort—but for pure virtuosity, Bryant’s 81-point game stands out.
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OS ANGELES—Kobe Bryant remembers exactly what he had to eat in the 24 hours before he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors 10 years ago on Friday. The rest is a beautiful blur in the mind of a 20-year National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran as he looks back on the most prolific, ridiculous individual night of his career. “I’ve had to play it over in my
mind several times,” Bryant said. “There is really no explanation for it. I can always explain it from an X’s and O’s standpoint, from a training standpoint, but when nights like that happen, there is always something mystical about it. Scoring that many points, that really carries no explanation.” Bryant turned an ordinary Sunday game for a couple of mediocre teams into the second-highest scoring performance in NBA history. He made 28 of his 46 shots; hit seven three-pointers; went 18 for 20 on free throws; scored 55 points in the second half—and the Lakers won, 122-104. Kobe still can’t explain what got into him, but it wasn’t health food: He had spent the previous hours celebrating the third birthday of his daughter, Natalia. “I had pepperoni pizza and grape
Top Saudi cleric says ‘chess is forbidden’
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UBAI, United Arab Emirates—A video clip of Saudi Arabia’s top cleric saying that the game of chess is “forbidden” in Islam because it wastes time and leads to rivalry and enmity among people has provoked heated debate, and widespread criticism, among Arabic Twitter users. The clip was shared on YouTube last December, gaining traction in recent days on social media. Some Twitter users mocked Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdelaziz al-Sheikh, saying chess is an intelligent game and that is why conservative clerics decry it. Others defended his religious advice, saying that many other Islamic scholars have also warned that the game can be addictive and cause people to lose focus from their daily prayers and remembrance of God. Saudi Arabia’s influential religious establishment adheres to a strict Sunni Islamic ideology known widely as Wahhabism. Similarly, Shiite Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani previously declared that chess is religiously prohibited because it could be used for gambling, which is not permissible in Islam. In the 44-second clip, al-Sheikh says “the game of chess is forbidden,” backing up his statement by referring to a verse in the Quran that bans gambling, intoxicants and idolatry. AP
soda the night before,” he said with a laugh. “Think I had a burger before the game, burger and fries. No joke. Went out there and played. My knee was very sore, so I was kind of trying to work through that a little bit.” Only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962 stands above Bryant’s one-game effort— but for pure virtuosity, Bryant’s 81-point game stands out. Chamberlain’s performance for the Philadelphia Warriors included 63 shot attempts and 28 free throws made, while the Knicks intentionally fouled him. Bryant largely created his own shots from the perimeter, showing off his explosive movement and that peerless ability to create a jump shot amid suffocating defense. The Lakers weren’t a good team that season, although they weren’t nearly as bad as their current 9-35 squad, with which Bryant must finish his career. His fellow starters against Toronto were Kwame Brown, Lamar Odom, Chris Mihm and Smush Parker, the Lakers’ second-leading scorer with 13 points. Bryant was the focal point of every defense faced by the Lakers that season, although he still was averaging 34.8 points per game heading in. Bryant didn’t face many double-teams from the Raptors, although he scoffs at the notion that it would have mattered. Veteran Coach George Karl remembers watching
The Associated Press
THE rest is a beautiful blur in the mind of 20-year National Basketball Association veteran Kobe Bryant—shown here in action against Sacramento’s Rudy Gay on Thursday—as he looks back on the most prolific, ridiculous individual night of his career. AP
SLIGHT HICCUP M
ELBOURNE, Australia—Maria Sharapova played two nearly flawless sets on either side of the one where she struggled against Lauren Davis in a slight hiccup at the Australian Open. Sharapova, who won the title here in 2008 and has lost three finals—including last year’s decider to Serena Williams— advanced to the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1 on Friday, her 600th tour-level match win. “Wow. I’ve won 600 matches?” Sharapova asked, responding to a question in an on-court interview. “Is this like a friendly reminder that I’m getting old? Might be.” The 28-year-old, five-time major winner is playing her 13th Australian Open since 2003 so she knew what to expect when she lost concentration in the second set despite being up and break and 30-love. “You know you’re in a Grand Slam environment, third round and against an opponent you haven’t played...that’s fired up and is not going to just give you the
match and that’s exactly what happened,” she said. “I am quite happy that I was able to step up in the third set. That was very important.” The first set was over in 26 minutes, with Sharapova getting two service breaks and not facing a break point herself. She was broken twice in the second, when Davis came back hard and eventually won in the tiebreaker, despite conceding a key point after a 27-shot rally when she volleyed into the net, and covered her face with her hand. Sharapova took a bathroom break before the third set and returned with more composure, making just five unforced errors and breaking Davis three times. The fifth-seeded Sharapova will next play No. 12 Belinda Bencic, who won the opening match on Rod Laver Arena, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, against Kateryna Bondarenko. Kei Nishikori had some trouble with his wrist, taking a medical timeout and losing the next set before recovering to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win on Friday over No. 26-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. AP
the game on television and wondering why Toronto didn’t try double-teams, tripleteams—anything to take Bryant out of the Lakers’ offense. “There is that strategy, and I have used it on Kobe, that you want him to take all the shots,” Karl said. “It’s easier to try and control everybody else than it is to stop Kobe. Try to make him a less efficient player. But there’s got to be a number—40, 45, 50—where you have got to change your strategy.” With Odom constantly in his ear reminding him to keep pushing, Bryant surpassed Elgin Baylor’s 71-point performance for the best in Lakers history. The Staples Center crowd stood for much of the final minutes as Bryant continued to fill it up in a fairly close game, only leaving with a few seconds left. He hugged Coach Phil Jackson on the way off the court. Bryant has thought about his 81-point game extensively this month, part of the parade of nostalgia surrounding him weekly as fans and opponents celebrate him one last time before retirement in April. The best individual night of his career doesn’t compare to his five NBA championships, yet, it still looms large in the memory matrix of his life and career. “It’s amazing how time flies,” Bryant said. “It’s absolutely crazy it was 10 years. My little baby girl is turning 13. Whoa. She was a little baby in my arms, and now she is a teenager.” Bryant, meanwhile, is the leading votegetter for his final NBA All-Star Game, and Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry made late moves to join him in the starting lineup. Leonard will start in his first All-Star Game and Lowry will start on his home court in Toronto after both made up ground in the final days of voting on Thursday. Nobody was catching Bryant, who had 1.9 million votes and was selected an AllStar for the 18th time. Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry of Golden State was next with 1.6 million, and they will be joined in the Western Conference lineup by Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and Leonard, the San Antonio star who was more than 12,000 votes behind Golden State’s Draymond Green for the last frontcourt spot after the most recent returns. Cleveland’s LeBron James and Indiana’s Paul George will start in the East frontcourt with New York’s Carmelo Anthony, who held off Chicago’s Pau Gasol by 360 votes. Wade starts at guard with Lowry, who overcame a 32,000-vote deficit to Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving after the last update.
MARIA SHARAPOVA stumbles at times, but advances at the expense of Lauren Davis. AP