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VOL. XXXII • NO. 260 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

A DAY OF CONTRASTS.

All Saints’ Day in Metro Manila has two images: An almost empty 24-kilometer EDSA, the main highway in the metropolis of nearly 13-million people and the crowded 54-hectare North Cemetery (right), one of the oldest graveyards in the capital where surviving kin, under a cloudy Metro Manila sky, offered prayers for their departed loved ones. Andrew Rabulan and Sonny Espiritu

Millions troop to cemeteries MILLIONS packed cemeteries across the Catholic Philippines on Thursday to pay their respects to the dead, on a day that mixes somber reﬂection with the nation’s penchant for festivity. Mourners nationwide huddled at the tombs of their loved ones, while police at graveyard entrances con-

ﬁscated karaoke microphones and church leaders urged the faithful to take it easy on the booze. It is all part of All Saints’ Day, which takes place each year on November 1, when families pray, reminisce and honor those who died for their faith in a tradition that goes Next page back to ancient Rome.

Duterte admits militarizing govt By Nat Mariano, Rey E. Requejo and Maricel V. Cruz

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday a militarization of the government under his watch even as critics slammed his appointment of former military officials to his Cabinet. In a speech in Cagayan de Oro Wednesday evening, Duterte seemingly agreed with his critics that there is, indeed, a militarization of his administration. “They say, ‘militarization of the gov-

India’s statue world’s tallest SARDAR Sarovar Dam, India--India inaugurated the world’s tallest statue on Wednesday with fireworks, folk dances and floral tributes, d e p l oying tight security amid an outcry by local Next page

ernment.’ Correct!” he said in the wake of criticism of his order to have military men take over the Bureau of Customs. “I will not sit as President and let you render me inutile as you continue with

your corruption in Customs right in front of me. P***** i** niyo. Now you have a problem,” he said. “They say, ‘Please tell the mayor that not all of us are corrupt.’ That’s true. But why is it that many entered into shabu? [smuggling]?” he said, clearly frustrated that billions of pesos of the illegal drug have managed to get past two of his former Customs commissioners, Nicanor Faeldo and Isidro Lapeña. “Faeldon is a Marine, Sid is a police. They do not know, so I said men from the Army might be better,” he said. Next page

Rosita’s death toll climbs to 22, govt relief efforts ‘satisfactory’ By Francisco Tuyay THE death toll from Typhoon “Rosita” climbed to 22 on Thursday, most of them drowning and landslide victims in Mountain Province and other parts of Luzon. The death toll from the storm climbed even as President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he was satisfied with the government’s response to the typhoon. “I am satisfied with the response of the government,” Duterte said in a briefing in Isabela City. “Everyone is here and I think everyone is doing his duty. I’d like to thank you for that.” Duterte, together with several members of the Cabinet, led the

Disgusting food: ‘balut’ A NEW museum has opened in Sweden featuring the most disgusting food from around the world, including the country’s own balut (fertilized duck egg). Next page

brieﬁng to discuss the government’s efforts to assess the damage wrought by the typhoon in Region 2 and in the Cordillera Administrative Region. But Duterte expressed concern over the missing people who are feared to have been buried alive inside a Department of Public Works and Highways building in Mountain Province. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 30,734 families were affected by Rosita in 1,019 villages in Regions 1, 2, 3, 8 and the Cordillera Administrative Region. The agency said the families were equivalent to 111,639 people. Meanwhile, at least 23 roads in Region II and the Cordillera Administrative Region were closed to all types of vehicles Next page

Office of Cabinet Secretary pruned By Nat Mariano and Maricel V. Cruz IN A major shakeup following the departure of one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s trusted aides, eight agencies of the Ofﬁce of the Cabinet Secretary have been transferred to three departments. The reorganization came after Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., a former communist rebel and now trusted aide of the President, stepped down from his post to run for governor of Bohol in the 2019 midterm elections. Executive Order No. 67 reorganizes the OCS by removing from its supervision eight agencies and transfering them to the departments of Interior and Local Government, Social Welfare and Development, Next page and Trade and Industry.

LAND OWNERS. President Rodrigo Duterte at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines Wednesday during the ceremonial distribution of Certificates of Land Ownership Award to four Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries in Region 10. With him are Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, USTP OIC president Rosalito Quirino, and Bukidnon Gov. Jose Maria Zubiri. Malacañang Photo

UNDAS MESSAGE

‘Alleviate the suffering of others’ By Nat Mariano and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday asked the Filipinos to remember their departed and encouraged them to help “alleviate the suffering of others” during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. In his statement, Duterte said he was one with the Christian faithful during the holidays. “We Filipinos welcome the month of November with open hearts as we remember our saints and our dearly departed loved ones, whose lives have

deeply inspired us to grow in faith, hope and love,” Duterte said. “We are reminded that, even in death, our bonds with them remain.” Duterte then called on the nation to “honor those who have gone before us in the grace of God.” “Their legacy remains an important part of who we are today and we have much to gain from their virtuous example,” Duterte said. “May their deeds inspire us to become advocates of peace and solidarity as we do our part in building our nation and alleviating the suffering of others.” Next page

Rody sets criteria for ‘chosen few’ in coming polls; list out after Xmas PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he will campaign for “corrupt-free” candidates in the 2019 midterm elections. He also said he will announce his bets after Christmas. “I will campaign. Not now, maybe after Christmas. Then I will announce my choices, who those people are,” Duterte said in a speech in Cagayan de Oro Wednesday night. He was there to lead the distribution of Certiﬁcates of Land Ownership Award to 3,400 agrarian reform beneﬁciaries.

He then listed the qualities that candidates must have to recommend them to the public. “I told them that I only have one requirement: Competence, and if you have the capability and if you are honest,” Duterte said. “That’s my only requirement. That’s a standard for all of them to follow. Do not ever make a mistake, especially with corruption. I will support you as long as you are not corrupt and if you have the capacity.” Next page

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018

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DOJ defends requirements for third telco By Rey E. Requejo JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday defended the requirements set by the National Telecommunications Commission for selecting the Philippines’ third telecommunications player. He said the provisions in the Terms of Reference for the bidding procedures set by the NTC were legal and were not violating any laws. One of the bidders is questioning some provisions in the Terms of Reference before a Manila Regional Trial Court. Guevarra said the legality of the Terms of Reference underwent a thorough review by the Justice department, and that the government had opposed the bid of businessman Mel Velarde’s NOW Telecom Co. Inc. before the court to strike down the requirements. “We are opposing the petition to stop the bidding for a third telco. The OSG [Office of the Solicitor General] has been tapped to represent the NTC in the NOW Telecom case as statutory counsel for the government,” Guevarra said. He said the OSG was specifically defending the NTC’s position that the terms under its Memorandum Circular 09-09-2018 had a legal basis. In answering NOW’s petition before the Regional Trial Court, the government said that the P700-million participation security, the P14 billion to P24-billion performance security, and the P10-million non-refundable appeal fee were all necessary in the determination of the financial eligibility of the bidders and not extortionate as alleged by NOW Telecom. The NTC said the third telecoms player must not only be technically capable but should also have the “financial muscle” to compete with the telecoms giants Globe and Smart.

Duterte... From A1

The President defended anew his personal preference for appointing former military and police officials to government posts, saying he believed they were men of integrity and competence. He explained that when he issues orders to former military men who are now working in civilian posts, the job gets done. He said they are also less likely to debate with him in implementing government policies. “I said, ‘Do it randomly or forcibly open everything.’ They will really do it. You know, that’s why I like military men. I have no fight with the bureaucracy but with the bureaucracy, it will take them forever. They will even debate with you,” he said. “You have a disaster, a fire, a flood, but the fools there would reportedly be still drinking.” As proof, the President said the efforts of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año contributed to the successful rehabilitation of Boracay Island. Both Cimatu and Año headed the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, together with Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. “Do you think Boracay would have been cleaned up if it weren’t for Año and Cimatu? Año is from the DILG and Cimatu was once assigned in Davao. The money would probably have all been spent within a week,” he said. He also commended former military general Eduardo Del Rosario for his work in the rehabilitation of war-torn

Ofﬁce... From A1

Under the EO, the following agencies will be transferred to their respective departments: The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Cooperative Development Authority will now be under the Department of Trade and Industry. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, the Philippine Commission on Women, and the National Youth Commission will be under the supervision of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The National Anti-Poverty Commission, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor will be supervised by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The transferred agencies are expected to align their policies, programs and activities with their respective depart-

Duterte: Slain farmers ‘fooled’ by communists P By Nat Mariano

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte says the slain sugarcane farmers in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, had been “fooled” by Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison’s fake ideals, and that the communist rebels were behind their killing.

He said the killing of the nine farmers’ was the style of the communist rebels. “The style of the communists is they kill their own comrades and blame it on the [government]. The New People’s Army are such fools,” Duterte said in a speech in Cagayan De Oro on Wednesday. He also said his scheduled visit to Sagay City did not push through because of a thunderstorm. Police officials said the fatalities, members of the group National Federation of Sugar Workers, had occupied the hacienda where they were killed as part of an agrarian reform assertion campaign called “Bungkalan.” “This means if they see a vacant lot,

they occupy it. They forced some people to join their federation,” Duterte said. “They didn’t reach an understanding and so they shot them. I feel very sorry for them. They were fooled by Sison’s ideals.” He then asked the farmers to give him time to distribute land to the beneficiaries, but warned them not to seize or occupy land by themselves. “Just give me some time, but do not confiscate or seize or occupy land that are already owned. Don’t do that, don’t steal land that already have tenants,” Duterte said. “The Kadamay would steal even the housing units in Bulacan that I had made

Guban placed under witness protection By Rey E. Requejo FORMER Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, who has been admitted to the government’s Witness Protection Program, will stay at an undisclosed safe house while testifying in the criminal cases that may be filed over the smuggling in of P11 billion worth of shabu. WPP officers escorted Guban out of the Senate where he had been detained after being cited in contempt, in connection with the Senate Blue Ribbon inquiry into the drug smuggling at the Bureau of Customs. On Tuesday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Guban was admitted into the WPP after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered him arrested over the

smuggled shabu shipment. Guevarra said since Guban is covered by the WPP, he will stay at an undisclosed safe house with his own security. “He will be protected until he testifies in court and threats to his personal safety have become manageable,” Guevarra said in a text message. Guban, who testified at a Senate committee hearing on the entry of P11 billion worth of smuggled shabu into the country, appeared to have backpedaled on an earlier claim that he was involved in the operation. He earlier accused Eduardo Acierto, a dismissed police senior superintendent, of being behind the smuggled shabu shipment that was hidden inside magnetic lifters.

Marawi City. “Would the project in Marawi have been done so quickly if I hadn’tassigned Del Rosario? He’s a military man who was also assigned in Davao. Would there still be money? I’ve been in government for a long time so I know how funds can be manipulated,” the President said, praising Del Rosario’s work as the chairman of Task Force Bangon Marawi. Critics were quick to express concern over the apparent militarization of the government as the President ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to “take over” the BoC. The 1987 Constitution prohibits active military personnel from being appointed or designated to a civilian position in any capacity and at any time. Malacañang, however, clarified no soldier would be given appointments and designations in the bureau, but if it comes to a point that such move is needed, the Palace said the Constitution will allow it. Lawyer Romulo Macalintal disputed this claim, saying no member of the military in active service, at any time, may be appointed in any capacity to a civilian position in government. “Why would the President designate military officials to take over the Bureau of Customs?” he said. “Such act is of doubtful constitutionality in view of the very clear provision of Article XVI, Section 5(4) of the Constitution,” he said. Macalintal said the only time the President could call on the armed forces is in order to “prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion” as provided under Section 17, Article VII of the Constitution. “For sure, smuggling and irregulari-

ties in the BOC could not be considered as violence, invasion or rebellion to justify calling to action our armed forces,” he said. Instead of designating military men in the civilian bureaucracy, Macalintal suggested that the President take over as head of the BOC even for a period of four months to fully understand and solve corruption at bureau. “He can do this under Article VII, Section 17 of the Constitution which provides that the President shall have control of all the executive departments, bureaus and offices,” the lawyer said. “President Duterte’s taking over the BOC could be the ultimate test whether or not said irregularities could still be resolved or prevented. If despite his presence, the same smuggling activities still persist or progress, then we can say goodbye to our quest for a clean and honest government in the Bureau Of Customs,” he said. Meanwhile, a party-list lawmaker on Thursday said pre-shipment inspection of all imports prior to their entry would solve the problem of corruption and smuggling. “Pre-shipment inspection, valuation, and appraisal of all imports before they are sent to the Philippines would be one effective way to clean up Customs operations,” Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy said. “There are different world-class customs inspection service providers out there and we just have to find the right match for the Philippines,” she added. Herrera-Dy said President Rodrigo Duterte should also consider “turning over day-to-day management of Customs to whichever firm or consortium gets the customs inspection management contract.”

ments and simply their systems and processes to ensure responsiveness and efficiency in the delivery of essential public services. The order also said the executive office would also now have control and supervision over the Strategic Action and Response Office and all its constituent offices. The STAR, established through EO 9 signed in 2016, is composed of the Presidential Complaint Center, Public Concerns Office, Quick Response Center, and the 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center. The OCS will now be known as the Cabinet Secretariat. “It shall have the function of assisting the President in the establishment of agenda topics for Cabinet deliberation or facilitate the discussion of Cabinet meetings... The Cabinet Secretariat shall serve as the head secretariat of the different Cabinet Cluster secretariats,” the EO added. EO 67 also abolished the Office of Participatory Governance and the Per-

formance and Projects Management Office, both created through EO 9. The functions of both abolished agencies will now be taken by the DILG and the Presidential Management Staff. PMS, on the other hand, was instructed to monitor the implementation of presidential directives, Cabinet decisions, and Cabinet cluster directives, instructions, and commitments providing the executive office with policy inputs on the management of government affairs. Earlier reports said the President wants Davao 1st District Rep. Karlo Nograles to take over Evasco’s post, but presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo would say only that Duterte would announce his choice soon. “Let’s just wait for the President to announce [it],” he said. In the House, a party-list lawmaker sought the abolition of nine government-owned and-controlled corporations and 12 government agencies to streamline the bureaucracy and to generate savings.

for the soldiers and the poor. They tried to get as much as they could. That would make us appear inutile. I wouldn’t have a face to show. I’m not an inutile President who is unable to settle everything. Just wait,” Duterte said. He said he had ordered Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones to give “everything” for land reform in Bacolod City. “For the beneficiaries who were unable to benefit from it, I ordered Secretary Castriciones to give it away. But don’t steal and kill people because if you do, my order to the police and the military is to have you evicted,” Duterte said. “They’ll pick you up and if you resist, you will get bruised. I told them that if a person who is armed resists, kill them. I ordered them to do that.” Duterte said he would not hesitate to see 10 to 20 people in a coffin. “Don’t steal and don’t threaten people. Do not intimidate. I will never allow that,” Duterte said. He said he would not hesitate to kill people who seize land by pretending to be its owners.

Undas... From A1

Duterte, who is known for his criticism of drug addicts and human rights advocates, asked to emulate the saints and pray for the eternal repose of the souls of the dead. Malacañang suspended work in the government offices early Wednesday to give the public “full opportunity to observe All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1.” Memorandum Circular 51, signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, said the work suspension would allow government workers to travel to and from the different regions ahead of All Saints’ Day. Nov. 1 (All Saints’ Day) and Nov. 2 (All Souls’ Day) are special non-working holidays. Even with such declaration, Duterte is still expected to visit Benguet following another deadly landslide in the Mountain Province in the aftermath of Typhoon “Rosita.” The Palace said Duterte would likely join an aerial inspection to assess the damage in the typhoon-ravaged areas.

Rody... From A1

Duterte also reminded the police and the military not to engage themselves in partisan politics. “They can campaign for me, but I told them not to. Don’t. That would be complicated because you’ll be using government-owned vehicles and planes,” Duterte said. He also said he will not end his political stint by leaving people something to talk about, particularly corruption. “Just let me be because I am President. I’m just one person after all. And the President is always a politician because he is elected by the people,” Duterte said. “I won’t enter into politics anymore. I will just give you my recommendation. If you won’t receive it, then it’s up to you.”

India's.. From A1

groups over the soaring cost of the 182-meter (600-feet) sculpture of an independence hero. Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel describing the completion of his pet project as “a day that will be remembered in the history of India.” Air force jets flew over the giant figure and clouds of rose petals were dropped from helicopters onto its head as Modi bent in front of the statue on the ground. Modi hailed Sardar Patel’s “strategic thinking” in bringing together the disparate country after independence in 1947 and described the Statue of Unity as “a symbol of our engineering and technical prowess.” More than 5,000 armed police guarded the huge site in a remote corner of Gujarat state, with Anand Mazgaonkar, a community group leader in Narmada district, accusing plain clothes officers of detaining 12 people late Tuesday. Police denied the claims. But the authorities took no chances in case community groups staged protests to condemn the decision to spend 29.9 billion rupees ($400 million)--much of it public funds--to build the statue over a nearly four-year period. Hundreds of Chinese have been among the 3,500 workers involved in its construction. AFP

Rosita's... From A1

after those were damaged by Rosita, the Department of Public Works and Highways said. The additional deaths were recorded in Banaue, Ifugao. Eugene Gallangu Nahhog, 25, a backhoe operator, fell into a ravine while clearing a road on Wednesday. The other casualty drowned in Cagayan. Rescuers were racing against time to find more people under the debris two days after Rosita pummeled Northern Luzon, triggering landslides. Soldiers were deployed at ground zero in Natonin, Mountain Province, to hasten the rescue of the people still trapped following the collapse of a slope. A military emergency rescue team from the 525th Engineer Combat Battalion of the Northern Luzon Command provided technical support to the rescue operations. Northern Luzon Command head Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat said his team was doing a rapid damage assessment and need analysis in the landslide area and in other parts of northern Luzon affected by Rosita. Additional personnel from the Naval Forces Northern Luzon, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council unloaded 600 sacks of NFA rice for the typhoon victims. A helicopter from Pampanga and two choppers from La Union are being used to aid the typhoon victims who remain isolated. Authorities in Cagayan pegged the total evacuees to 31,671 spread across the province. Rosita whipped Cagayan for the second time, ripping off roofs and toppling power poles. Most areas in Cagayan remained without power except in the municipalities of Baggao, Sta. Praxedis, Iguig and Sta Teresita. With Nat Mariano, Vito Barcelo and PNA

Millions... From A1

In the capital Manila, Virginia Acasio went with eight of her children and grandchildren to visit the grave of her grandson, Vergel, who died in an accident two years ago, when he was three years old. “It is still painful for us,” Acasio, 58, told AFP. “We have to go. It is an obligation. We miss my grandchild so we have to come here on the day of the dead.” In the capital’s sprawling cemeteries, vendors peddled flowers and candles as well as food, drinks and even toys among the newly-whitewashed tombs to the crowds of families visiting the graves. The final resting places for many are so-called “apartment” tombs which are stacked one on top of the other and can rise meters over the crowds. With offices, shops and schools closed, dense crowds carrying memorial flowers as well as bags packed with picnic supplies and the occasional bottle of beer queued up outside the cemeteries. The country’s Catholic bishops conference urged people to avoid “rather inappropriate practices such as gambling, excessive drinking, and the littering of cemeteries and other holy places.” “Many might have forgotten the significance of these commemorations as seen in the general lack of atmosphere of prayer in the cemeteries,” it said. The government has also discouraged excessive merry-making with police setting up checkpoints at cemetery gates where they frisked entrants, and piled up seized items like cigarettes, knives, playing cards and barbecue utensils. The annual pilgrimage to the cemeteries triggers a mass exodus from the capital, with millions traveling back to their home provinces where relatives are buried. Tens of thousands of police are deployed at bus and boat terminals as well as graveyards across the archipelago nation of more than 105 million people. AFP

Disgusting... From A1

“Disgust is completely subjective,” said Samuel West, curator of Malmo’s Disgusting Food Museum, in an interview with BBC. “Seeing your own food on display right next to some rotting fish that someone else thinks is a delicacy will challenge your own ideas of what is disgusting,” West added. The 400-square-meter olfactory experience aims to prove that what is yucky for one person is yummy for another. There are 80 exhibits on display, including balut, bull’s penis from China, a cheese from Sardinia containing live maggots, fried Tarantulas from Cambodia, durian from Thailand, and Surströmming–a fermented herring, among others. “What we find disgusting has to be learned. It’s purely cultural,” West said.

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’PNP does not condone violence against women’ THE Philippine National Police on Thursday reiterated that it does not condone acts of violence against women. “The Philippine National Police abhors any form of violence committed against women. The full wrath of the law deﬁnitely awaits anyone found guilty of committing such horrendous crime,” PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Benigno Durana said in a statement. Durana made the remark in response to a report of the Center for Women’s Resources, which claimed that 56 cops are involved in 33 state-perpetrated VAW cases that it has monitored since the start of the Duterte administration in July 2016. “It is therefore absolutely irresponsible on the part of the Center for Women’s Resources to even claim that crimes individually committed by a handful of police ofﬁcers are “state-perpetrated.” Insinuating in the process that those crimes were in a way condoned by the PNP or the State. A regular reader would immediately recognize such sweeping conclusion against an institution only reveals an utter lack of intellectual honesty of those who interpreted their data,” Durana said in a statement. Durana said that the PNP leadership continues to implement a harsh crackdown against rogue policemen. “While we can be tough on crimes, we are far tougher against our erring personnel. There has been no other time in the PNP’s recent history, except today, that its leadership has been relentless and unforgiving against those who violated their oaths,” he noted. Like any other organization, Durana said the PNP has also its own share of personnel considered as bad eggs but said that they do not represent the entire majority of service personnel who are professional, honest and dedicated. “Through our PATROL PLAN 2030, institutional reforms are currently in full swing to address some legal, policy and systemic dysfunctions in the PNP in order that it will be become a highly capable, effective and credible police service that the Filipino people truly deserve,” the PNP spokesperson said. PNA

GRAVE VISIT. Relatives visit the graves of their loved ones in Karuhatan Public Cemetery in Valenzuela City on All Saints’ Day on Thursday. Andrew Rabulan

OFW spared from death row in UAE; home soon By Rey E. Requejo

The DFA said Jennifer Dalquez will be released from prison Thursday. Dalquez was convicted and sentenced to death in 2015 after she was found guilty of killing her employer. However, she was acquitted in 2017 without payment of blood money

“The Department has been informed by Ambassador to Abu Dhabi Hjayceelyn Quintana that UAE authorities are coordinating with the Philippine Embassy for Jennifer’s ﬂight home this evening,” the DFA said, in a statement.

A native of General Santos City, Dalquez was arrested on Dec. 12, 2014, days after stabbing her employer who the Filipina worker claimed was trying to rape her at knifepoint. Reports indicated that she was sentenced to death by the Al Ain Court of First Instance on May 20, 2015, but was given an opportunity under Islamic law to have the decision reversed if the victim’s sons will not swear in the name of Allah that she killed their father and instead opt for the payment of blood money. Dalquez’s lawyer moved for her acquittal after the victim’s sons reportedly failed to appear during the hearings as mandated by the court.

SENATOR JV Ejercito has ﬁled a bill seeking the creation of a National Commission for the Urban Poor, an agency that will act as the focal facilitator in addressing socialized housing problems. Currently, there exists a Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, which serves as a direct link of the urban poor to the government in policy formulation and program implementation. Ejercito, chairman of the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, however, said there is a need to pursue participatory governance in the formulation of policies for the urban poor and fulﬁll the commission’s role in poverty reduction. “Alleviating poverty is one of the primary thrust of the government. While there are many factors which are attributable to the state of poverty,

an Asian Development Bank study in 2009 cited that the poor remain poor because they cannot borrow against future earnings to invest in education, skills, new crops and entrepreneurial activities,” he said. “It is stated that they are cut off from economic activity because many property rights, public safety and infrastructure are said to be under provided and these people lack information about market opportunities,” the senator added. Clearly, Ejercito said, these factors are manifestations of disproportionate and inaccessible opportunities in the society. “The government should bridge these gaps in the form of sound policies,” the lawmaker, who has been seeking to legislate landmark reforms on local housing, said. Under Senate Bill No. 2074, entitled,

“The National Commission for the Urban Poor Act,” shall be composed of a chairperson, with a rank and privileges of a departmental undersecretary. The chairperson shall act as the chief executive ofﬁcer while four commissioners representing the National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao shall have the rank and privileges of assistant secretaries of a department. They shall be appointed by the President from among the list of nominees submitted by a duly-organized and accredited urban poor organization or institutions with national and regional constituencies and will serve a three-year term. An executive director shall be included in the composition of the commission with a term of one year, subject to yearly re-appointment. Macon Ramos-Araneta

HE Filipino domestic worker who was spared from death row in United Arab Emirates will ﬁnally be sent home more than a year after being acquitted of murdering her employer, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

SC junks former Rizal Gov. Ynares JV’s bill seeks creation of commission on urban poor challenge to Sandiganbayan FORMER Governor Casimiro Ynares Jr., one of the most powerful politicians in Rizal province, is likely to face jail time soon. This after the Supreme Court junked his challenge to the Sandiganbayan, which he said refused throw out graft charges against him over his alleged purchase of overpriced fertilizers. The SC’s Second Division dismissed Ynares’ petition for “failure to establish grave abuse of discretion” on the part of the anti-graft court, which denied his motion to quash charges last year. In September, the Sandiganbayan ruled to proceed with Ynares’ trial despite a pending plea the former governor presented before the SC. Ynares along with Romulo Arcilla had been accused of violation of Sections 3(e) and 3(g) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The two allegedly entered into organic fertilizers supply contracts in 2004 and 2005 without a public bidding. Ombudsman prosecutors also alleged he organic fertilizer was bought despite the availability of a cheaper foliar fertilizer brand, resulting in an overprice of P1.67 million and P1.56 million for the two years, respectively. Ynares ﬁled for the dismissal of the charges, but the Sandiganbayan denied his motion, prompting him to bring his case before the SC. The SC, however, told Ynares and Arcilla Jr. that they should have agreed to a trial at the Sandiganbayan after the rejection of their motion to quash instead of seeking relief before the high court. “Such denial, therefore, may not be the subject of a petition for certiorari because of the availability of other remedies in the ordinary course of law,” the resolution stated.

‘Focus first on passenger service, not on terminal fees’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta BEFORE increasing the terminal fees, Senator Grace Poe on Thursday said the Manila International Airport Authority and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport must first focus on “passenger service.” “Terminal Fee” is the popular term for “Passenger Service Charge.” “I take it that the most important words are “passenger” and “service,” said Poe, chairman of the Senate committee on public services. MIAA is eyeing to increase the terminal fees at the NAIA by April next year to fund ongoing improvements of its facilities. It is proposing a P200-terminal fee hike for international flights and P100 for domestic flights. Terminal fees at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport are pegged at P850 for international flights and P300 for domestic while Clark International Airport charges P650 for international and P150 for domestic. Terminal fee for international flights will be pegged at P750 from P550 and P300 for domestic from the P200 original fee. “What are they doing right now with the d existing “passenger service charge” or terminal fee? What are they going to do if ever it increases? “ asked Poe. Poe said the riding public should not simply take it hook, line and sinker and give it to them. “Paano naman ang karapat-dapat na serbisyo sa pasahero?” she said. Poe said there should also be real public consultations because of the sheer number of people–42 million– who will be affected.

Stakeholders tackle road maps to HIV cure REPRESENTATIVES from 13 countries across Asia and the Pacific gathered in Bangkok, Thailand, from Oct. 29 to 31 to develop road maps to implement and expand pre-exposure prophylaxis and HIV self-testing in the region. In discussions on building capacity for the rollout of PrEP and HIV testing innovations in Asia and the Pacific, policy-makers, health care providers, researchers and advocates from key populations discussed barriers to scale up these tools and shared lessons learned. PrEP reduces the risk of acquiring HIV by more than 90 percent, and HIV self-testing can significantly increase the number of people who find out their status, particularly among those at highest risk and least reached by existing services. This means that adequate use of these products is set to revolutionize HIV prevention across Asia and the Pacific. In China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Philippines for example, infections among men that have sex with

men continue to rise, and HIV prevalence has hit 25.8 percent in Indonesia and 21.6 percent in Malaysia. MSM could make up at least half of all new HIV infections in Asia by 2020. “The numbers say it all. We cannot stop new HIV infections in men who have sex with men and other key populations if we stick to business as usual,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia and the Paciﬁc. “PrEP answers an unmet need and expands the prevention options for people at substantial risk of HIV. We need to scale up PrEP as an additional effective HIV prevention intervention.” “HIV self-testing and PrEP are gamechanging innovations for millions of people who do not know they are infected or at high risk of contracting HIV,” said Heather Ingold, HIV programme manager at Unitaid. “Together with the World Health Organization, UNAIDS and partners we must advocate for their scale-up in Asia and the Paciﬁc.”

ILL-FATED PLANE. Officials show part of the ill-fated Lion Air flight JT 610’s black

box, an FDR (flight data recorder), after it was recovered from the Java Sea, during search operations in the waters off Karawang on Nov. 1, 2018. One black box from the crashed Lion Air jet has been recovered, the head of Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee said on Nov. 1, which could be critical to establishing why the brand new plane fell out of the sky. AFP

Opinion

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Wealth inequality

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

in the Top Ten are India: (3,400), Italy (3,220), France (3,040), Canada (3,010) and Australia (2,910). By 2023, adults with wealth above $50 million—will increase by 55,000 to 201,000 individuals; half will reside in YOU can say life is unfair. The world is North America. The global wealth middle class – unfair. In a population of 7.7-billion, the world those with net worth between $10,000 has only 42.2-million dollar millionaires, and $100,000—increased from 14 peran increase of 2.3-million in one year. cent from 2000 to 27 percent and by These 42.2-million millionaires or high 2023, to nearly 196 million, 29 percent net worth individuals own 85 percent of of all global adults. The upper middle global wealth. There will be 55-million segment, covering those with wealth dollar millionaires by 2023; 5.6 million between $100,000 and $1 million, will grow by 88-million adults between will come from China. For mid-2018, a Credit Suisse wealth 2018 and 2023. About one in 10 adults study estimated that there are 42.0-mil- will then belong to this group. The bottom half of the world’s adult lion HNW adults with wealth between US$1 million and US$50 million, of population of five billion own less than 1 whom the vast majority (37.1 million) fall percent of total wealth. To be fair the in the US$1–5 milpercentage of the lion range adult population There are with wealth of 3.3-million adults less than $10,000 worth between $5 You are poor because was 80 percent million and $10 in 2000, equivamillion, and anoth- you are in the wrong lent to 3.2-billion er 1.6 million have birth place (like Africa), people. Today, the assets in the $10– you are young, and were ratio is 64 percent 50 million range. and will decline North America denied opportunities. further, to 63 pernow accounts for Most probably, you are cent of the adult 18.6-million milpopulation, in five lionaires (44 per- uneducated and were years. Their share cent of the total), malnourished when of total wealth is compared to 12.4 young, making you small, $1.9 trillion. million (30 percent) stupid today. “Those with low in Europe. wealth are disproAsia-Pacif ic portionately found countries, excludamong the younging China and India, have 6.6-million millionaires (16 er age groups, those who live in regions percent), and a further 3.5 million are where prospects for wealth creation are found in China (8 percent of the global very limited (most notably Africa) and total). The remaining 976,000 HNW in- where opportunities are sometimes condividuals (2 percent of the total) reside in strained,” notes Credit Suisse. So there: You are poor because you India, Africa or Latin America. Credit Suisse counts 149,890 adults are in the wrong birth place (like Afriworldwide are UHNW individuals, ca), you are young, and were denied opwith net worth above $50 million. Of portunities. Most probably, you are unthese, 50,230 are worth at least $100 educated and were malnourished when million, and 4,390 have net assets younga, making you stupid today. Another 1.3-billion adults (27 percent above $500 million. In the year up to June 2018, UHNW adults rose 4 per- of total adults in the world) have wealth of between $10,000 and $100,000. Their cent (5,790 adults). The US leads with 70,540 UHNWs, 47 combined wealth exceeds $50 trillion. percent of the world total. China is sec- Combined net assets: $44 trillion. Average ond with 16,510; Germany third (6,320, wealth per person of this group: $31,100. Most of these people (with $10,000 to down 710), the United Kingdom (4,670, up 400) and Japan (3,580, up 100). Also Turn to A5

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

Threats to the economy

HE gyrations in the global financial markets are reflecting the unpredictability of an emerging new world economic order. US President Donald Trump’s governance style is greatly responsible for the turbulence in the global financial markets. His decision to rewrite trading rules with major economic partners such as China, the European Union and the North American nations of Canada and Mexico has sent the global financial markets into a tailspin. Global risks and the attending rise in the value of the US dollar against virtually all currencies will ultimately affect all economies, including the Philippines. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has acknowledged the external threats to the Philippine economy. Sitting idly and letting the storm pass, however, will

not fortify the local economy and shield it from a possible global economic slowdown. First and foremost, the government must effectively tame the inflation rate to sustain economic growth. Surging crude prices in the world market and the recent rice supply shortage have wreaked havoc on the economy. Addressing the inflation concern by flooding the market with rice imports is a step in the right direction. But the external threats, including the US-China trade tensions, will not easily go away. Keeping the economic funda-

mentals, and not populist policies, will give the Philippines a chance to weather the financial storm. The finance chief is also banking on the vigorous implementation of the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program. Increased spending on major infrastructure projects will generate employment and create demand in the economy. He called the program a countercyclical measure aimed at sustaining the country’s economic growth. The global economic uncertainties may extend for a longer period, while the US-China trade tensions could take a turn for the worse. But the Philippines will survive the crisis as long as it maintains fiscal discipline and sustain the tax reform package it started.

A satire on America’s booming economy FROM WHERE I STAND

ERIC JURADO

relying on the government for their wellbeing? We simply can’t let that happen.” “Besides, unemployment is only low because people are working two jobs. They’re working 60, 70, 80 hours a week. This makes sense if you think about it long enough. #ShameOnTrump,” she added in a second tweet. Democrats are now deeply engaged in planning their 2020 challenge to Trump, desperately hoping to get someone in the White House who could turn the prosperous economy around.

THE US economy advanced an annualized 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2018, beating market expectations of 3.3 percent. It follows a 4.2-percent growth in the previous period which was the highest since the third quarter of 2014. Reacting with disgust to the favorable GDP growth figures, the nation’s Demo*** crats united to slam President Donald Laying their cards on the table with the Trump for America’s booming economy. November midterms approaching, US “The US economy is on fire. This is Democrats have united to send a clear totally unacceptable and, wouldn’t you message: socialism is America’s only know, typical of Republican policy,” hope of ending the current nightmare of Nancy Pelosi said at a press conference. economic prosperity. “What hap“We’re living in pened to the good a hellscape—but ol’ days, when dethere is an escape,” cent Americans 2020 presidential couldn’t find a job hopeful Joe Biden ‘I’ve got one word for the life of them? said at an event reDrive down Main for you, Donald Trump: cently. “DemocratStreet in small- Despicable.’ ic socialism, which town America is socialism, with these days and all ‘democratic’ also in the name, you’ll you see are ‘Now notice, which Hiring’ signs. I’ve got one word for you, Donald Trump: makes a big difference—remember, ReDespicable.” Pelosi’s staff also confirmed publicans gonna put y’all back in chains, the dangerous booming economy would which is something that could never litlikely result in millions of deaths. erally happen under socialism—demoAnother thought leader of the left, cratic socialism is what’s going to free democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio- us from our horrific, flourishing, present Cortez, tweeted her disdain in response condition. You do the math.” to the GDP figure, and reminded her fol“Listen, we have a unified message. And lowers of the perilously low unemploy- that message is please, oh please, we’ll do ment at present. anything to regain power—we’ll flirt with “3.7-percent unemployment and re- communism. Communism!” Biden said to cord-low joblessness across several mi- roaring applause as Nancy Pelosi heaved nority demographics is dangerous, dan- into a brown paper bag behind him. gerous territory,” she warned. “What’s “Together we can end this terrible, next? Upward mobility? Fewer people Turn to A5

North Korean women face rampant sexual abuse by officials: HRW By Jung Hawon NORTH Korean police and other officials prey on women with near-total impunity, a rights group said Thursday, in a rare report on sex abuse in the isolated nation. US-based Human Rights Watch drew on interviews with more than 50 North Korean escapees to chronicle gruesome details of rape and other abuses perpetrated by security officers such as border guards, but also civilian officials. The nuclear-armed North, which is accused of widespread rights abuses by the United Nations and other critics, is a deeply hierarchical and patriarchal society where traditional values of deference to authority still hold sway.

But the vast majority of both defectors and market traders in the North are female. Many women have more freedom of movement than men as they are not assigned a state job from which their absence will be noticed. North Korean women caught fleeing the country to China or who are repatriated from its neighbour face severe punishment including torture, imprisonment and sexual abuse, the report said. “Every night some woman would be forced to leave with a guard and be raped,” said one abuse victim in her 30s who was once held at a border detention center. “Every night a prison guard would open the cell. I stood still quietly, acting like I didn’t notice, hoping it wouldn’t be me,” she said.

‘At the mercy of men’ Traders who smuggle goods across the border with China to sell at statesanctioned private markets are forced to pay “bribes” including sexual favors, the report said. Perpetrators include managers at state-owned enterprises, and gatekeeper officials at the markets and on roads and checkpoints, such as “police, prosecutors, soldiers, and railroad inspectors on trains,” it said. But the concept of rape is different in the North, it added, where it is seen as applying only if violence is used. One anonymous former textile trader in her 40s recounted being treated like a sex toy “at the mercy of men.” “On the days they felt like it, market Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Ofﬁce, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

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Opinion By Lajla Veselica

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018

French jihadist mothers in Syria face terrible choice

Street view: Former homeless man leads ‘invisible Zagreb’ tour

ALCOHOLICS, vagrants, nobodies—Mile Mrvalj rattles off common prejudices against Zagreb's "invisible" homeless community as he leads a tour around sites that usually go unnoticed in the Croatian capital. “Now you will hear the story of a painful, tough Zagreb,’’ the 58-year-old, who spent more than three years on the streets himself, tells local high school students at the start of a recent tour. During the next hour and a half he takes the group to seemingly ordinary spots in downtown Zagreb that are a lifeline for those without shelter, especially during cold winters. Croatia has a homeless population of around 2,000 and it is increasing, according to NGO estimates, which had put the figure at around half that just two years ago. Another 10,000 are currently classified as being “relative”—as opposed to “absolute”— homeless, meaning they have shelter but lack basic health and security standards. Mrvalj, who co-founded the tour, starts his route at the King Tomislav Square park, a neatly-trimmed lawn packed with tourists, young couples and children. No homeless person would dare rest in the park in full view, says Mrvalj, explaining that they often sleep in abandoned buildings nearby. "If a homeless person was sleeping on this grass police would fine him," he adds. Trams and coffee "How did you become homeless?" a teenage boy asks Mrvalj on the tour. The former gallery owner recounts his own

downward spiral—triggered by a mortgage loan he could not pay off that eventually left him bankrupt in 2009. Gradually abandoned by family and friends, he left his home in Bosnia's capital Sarajevo for Zagreb. For more than three years he lived without a roof over his head. Lighting one cigarette after another, Mrvalj describes the shame he felt when collecting refundable plastic bottles from rubbish bins to earn around three euros ($3.4) a day. The experience was “hell,” he recalls. "I was smelling so badly. I heard so many times ‘Go away stinky! Have a bath!'.” In Croatia, due to economic hardship and high unemployment—8.4 percent in September—making ends meet is a tall order for many, not only the homeless. The tour's second stop—Zagreb's main railway station—is a place where many homeless go to warm up in the winter, though only for 30 minutes due to video surveillance and fear of police, says Mrvalj. The next option is to ride the trams. “If it's really cold you make two, three tram tours," he explains. A cheap coffee machine inside the station provides another source of solace. “Coffee saves you, warms you up, after waking up frozen like an iceberg,” Mrvalj tells the tour group. ‘Can happen to anyone’ After obtaining a Croatian ID card four years ago, Mrvalj managed to secure health care and a room to live in. Now he runs an association to help the

homeless—named Fajter (Fighter)—and since July guides the "Invisible Zagreb" tour five times a week as its sole guide. Mrvalj says the goal of the tour is to raise awareness about growing homelessness and to correct misunderstandings. "A common [prejudice] is that homeless people are to be blamed for their destiny," he told AFP. But he said that homelessness "can happen to anyone" faced with an unlucky chain of events, such as the loss of a job leading to an inability to pay off a loan. "If someone told me 10 years ago that I would be homeless I would tell him that he was crazy." Croatia's economic problems have their roots in the 1990s independence war and its legacy, especially the fraudulent privatisations of state-run firms which threw many out of work and left companies ruined. Last year nearly 28 percent of the country's 4.2 million people were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, according to Eurostat figures released in October. Only six other EU member states -- Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Italy, Latvia and Lithuania -- had a higher number at risk. Jointly launched with an agency specialised in social impact programmes, the Zagreb tour was initially planned for tourists, but now locals dominate. "People are realising how many things they don't notice on an everyday basis," said Branimir Radakovic, of the Brodoto agency. Petra Stunja, a 16-year-old pupil on the tour, said she learned that homelessness "can happen to many without expecting it." AFP

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

By Emmanuel Duparq FOR dozens of French women detained in Syria, an impossible choice looms: Keeping their children in a war zone, or sending them home knowing they might never see each other again. Like other Western nations which experienced a jihadist exodus to Iraq or Syria, France is grappling with how to handle citizens left in the war zone following heavy losses for the Islamic State group. Last week, France announced plans to start repatriating an estimated 150 children, many of them being held alongside their mothers by Kurdish forces in Syria following IS defeats. But French ofﬁcials made clear that the mothers themselves will not be welcomed home. A few days ago, Nadine—her name has been changed—got a phone call from her daughter-in-law in a Kurdish camp. The young mother was in tears. "Do I have to abandon my children in order for them to go back to France?" she sobbed. Right to a fair trial? Nadim Houry, a senior Human Rights Watch ofﬁcial who regularly visits the Kurdish camps, said France's announcement would "bring an end to an unbearable situation." There are no schools or activities for children in the camps, where poor hygiene causes regular bouts of diarrhea, vomiting and skin infections. Lawyers for the mothers, pushing for the whole families to be repatriated, have complained for months of "deplorable" conditions in the camps. "My daughter-in-law gets sick a lot, like her children," Nadine told AFP. "She only weighs 45 kilos (99 pounds)." Reluctant to bring extremists back onto home soil, France has so far insisted its captured nationals must go on trial locally. Some 260 adults and 80 minors have already returned to France from Syria or Iraq, and earlier this year French authorities estimated that more than 700 adults and 500 children were still in the war zone. Several French adults have already been tried in Iraq and their children repatriated. But in Syria, most of the remaining French nationals are being held in northern Syria in territory which, while under Kurdish control, does not constitute an internationally recognised state. Kurdish forces have repeatedly insisted

they will not try foreign prisoners and have called on the jihadists' home countries to repatriate them. With a few exceptions such as Russia, Indonesia and Sudan, most countries have, like France, proved highly reluctant. Houry said the idea that France could leave the Kurds to put its nationals on trial was "a ﬁction" that it was maintaining in a bid to avoid public alarm at a wave of impending jihadist returns. Lawyers for the mothers, meanwhile, say it is a travesty that a country which touts itself as a beacon of human rights would separate parents from children and leave its citizens in a war zone. William Bourdon, a lawyer for several of the women, insisted that "the vast majority have had no combat or active role in IS and have a right to a fair trial, which can only take place in France." 'Unspeakable cruelty' Nadine began sobbing at the thought of the choice facing her daughter-in-law. "Having to give away your children without knowing whether or not you're going to see them again one day, or who will be looking after them—can you imagine doing that to someone?" Nadine said in a phone call. "My daughter-in-law is still breastfeeding the youngest, just eight months old. It's an unspeakable cruelty." Houry predicted that many of the mothers will refuse to separate from their children— an assessment shared by relatives in France. "It's their comfort, their only reason for living," said one resident in northern France, whose sister is still in Syria. "My daughter-in-law will not give up her little one like that, not even knowing what's going to become of herself," said Sarah, a pseudonym. Sarah's son and his wife set off for Syria in 2016 and were arrested a year ago by the Kurds. The mother and son are both in a camp, fending off illness and chasing away mice from their tent, Sarah said. Like the families, child psychologist Serge Hefez believes separating the children from their parents can only bring more harm. "Keeping a link with a parent, even if it's visits in prison, is essential for a child," he said. Otherwise, he warned, the children run a greater risk of radicalisation themselves— turning the absent parent "into a hero or a martyr." AFP

North... From A4

guards or police officials could ask me to follow them to an empty room outside the market, or some other place they’d pick,” where they forced sexual encounters, she said. “It happens so often nobody thinks it is a big deal. We don’t even realise when we are upset,” she added. “But we are human, and we feel it,” she said. “So sometimes, out of nowhere, you cry at night and don’t know why.”

This former homeless man is now a tour guide. AFP

Wealth... From A4

$100,000 wealth) are Chinese, 641 million of them, and 59 percent of Chinese adults. The wealth of the rich just keeps rising. During the 12 months to mid-2018, aggregate global wealth rose by US$14 trillion to US$317 trillion, a growth rate of approximately 4.6 percent. The 4.6-percent growth in wealth is greater than the 3.2-percent growth of the adult population. The $317 trillion will swell by 5 percent per year over the next five years, to reach $399 trillion by 2023. Credit Suisse explains or justifies why a few people are far wealthier than many others. Its wealth report says: “Wealth differences between individuals occur for many reasons. Variation in average wealth across countries accounts for much of the observed inequality in global wealth, but there is also considerable disparity within countries. Those with low wealth are disproportionately found among the younger age groups who have had lit-

tle chance to accumulate assets. Others may have suffered business losses or personal misfortune, or live in regions, most notably Africa, where prospects for wealth creation are very limited. Opportunities are also sometimes constrained for women or minorities. At the other end of the spectrum, there are many individuals with large fortunes, acquired through a combination of talent, hard work and good luck.” If you want to get rich, you to the United States. The US has 17.3-million millionaires, 41 percent of the world’s total. More than 878,000 became new millionaires in the US last year, 40 percent of the global increase. China comes next in most number of millionaires, 3.4 million or 8.2 percent of the world’s total. China eclipsed Japan which now has only 2.8 million, 6.6 percent of world’s total. Still, mean wealth per adult in China, $47,810 as of mid-2018 is much lower than Japan’s $227,240. France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy each added 200,000 mil-

lionaires last year. In China, the number of millionaires rose by a modest 186,000 and in Japan 94,000. “The main explanation for these increases in millionaire numbers within countries lies in the real wealth growth, rather than in exchange-rate movements. Millionaire numbers fell in very few countries [such as Turkey and Brazil], and by relatively small amounts, the main driver being currency depreciation,” explains Credit Suisse. Some good news about the women. They now account for 40 percent of global wealth.. Says Credit Suisse AG Chair Urs Rohner: “During the 20th century, their share of wealth rose considerably and, since the year 2000, the level of women’s wealth has risen along with all household wealth, especially in Asia alongside the rise of China’s wealth.” “The tendency shows that more selfmade women are succeeding in business and are entering the highest wealth ranks.”

co border. They say they are fleeing persecution, poverty, and violence in their home countries of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Meanwhile, another migrant caravan full of American leftists, desiring to enter the socialist paradise of Venezuela, departed the United States recently and began marching toward Venezuela through Mexico, stating they will demand asylum so they might experience the far better life that socialism offers. The migrants claim they are leaving America because of its high standard of *** living, strong economy, and record emIn case you didn’t know, thousands ployment numbers, and hope to find a of migrants from Central America are better life in Venezuela’s much more eqtrudging north towards the US-Mexi- uitable system.

“Everyone there has the same quantity of possessions and food,” said one marcher. “Everyone makes millions of dollars, and very few people work. It’s a real paradise.” The refugees have complex motivations, but the vast majority simply want to see everything socialism has to offer after suffering the amazing benefits of capitalism for too long. Caravan organizers dispelled rumors that they were funded by democratic socialist Bernie Sanders and George Soros, claiming the caravan was an organic grassroots movement. At its current pace, the caravan is expected to arrive just in time for Venezuela to run out of food entirely.

‘Open secret’ Some interviewees talked about rape victims in the North being expelled from university or beaten and abandoned by a husband for bringing shame to the school or their family. “Sexual violence in North Korea is an open, unaddressed, and widely tolerated secret,” said HRW executive director Kenneth Roth. “North Korean women would probably say ‘Me Too’ if they thought there was any way to obtain justice, but their voices are silenced in Kim Jong Un’s dictatorship,” he added. Kim is the third generation of his family to rule the country, where state surveillance is widespread and dissent not tolerated. With the authorities imposing total control over the media the global #MeToo campaign against abuse of women has entirely passed North Korea by. According to data submitted by

Pyongyang to an UN panel on gender equality a total of five people were convicted of rape in the North in 2015. Pyongyang maintains that it protects and promotes “genuine human rights,” and says there is no justification for the West to try to set human rights standards for the rest of the world. It condemns international criticism on the issue as a smear campaign to undermine its “sacred socialist system”. Kim has sought to soften his international image and has engaged with South Korea, holding three summits with Seoul’s President Moon Jae-in—a dove who advocates dialogue to nudge Pyongyang towards denuclearization. But Roth warned that human rights were taking a back seat with Moon—a former human rights lawyer—staying largely mum on the issue as he seeks reconciliation with the North. “I think President Moon is naive and short-sighted to pretend that human rights can wait,” he said, urging Seoul to “stop accepting negotiations solely on the terms of the North Korean government.” The HRW report quoted another victim—who also used a pseudonym—saying she had been raped by a police officer after being denied food for three days in a dark room at a border detention center. At the time, she said, “I thought I was offering my body so that I could get out of there and go to my kid. I was not even upset. Rather, I even thought I was lucky.” AFP

A satire... From A4

profitable national nightmare by implementing a historically proven method for utterly destroying a nation forever!” Pelosi stepped up to offer a brief endorsement: “It’s true, I’ve been pushing back against the socialite uprising. But I want you to know I’ve seen the light, and I now agree that demographic social science is the future of our party.” “Kill anyone who disagrees!” Maxine Waters bellowed from the background. Biden, Pelosi, Waters, and the other event speakers were seen huddled together on stage, sobbing.

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Human Rights Watch says sex abuse is rampant in this closed nation. AFP

News

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Binay’s bill wants drug prevention By Macon Ramos-Araneta WITHOUT any law requiring mandatory drug testing for students in secondary and tertiary levels, Senator Nancy Binay is pushing for the establishment of a comprehensive program for the prevention, intervention, evaluation, treatment and continuous care for tobacco, alcohol and other drug abuse in all high schools, colleges and universities. In the explanatory note of her Senate Bill 2077 titled “An Act Establishing a Comprehensive Substance Abuse Educational Program in Every School,” Binay called on concerned government agencies to formulate a program that would address drug problem in all schools nationwide. “There is a need to establish a comprehensive program for the prevention, intervention, evaluation and treatment for student alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse… [to ensure] the future of our youth’s intellectual, physical and social well-being,” Binay said. The Department of Education has said the proposed mandatory drug testing would also entail additional expenses for parents, who are already complaining of costly school fees. Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, only mandates random drug testing for secondary and tertiary levels. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency earlier recommended mandatory drug testing for all students and teachers, including those from Grade 4 and above as part of the government’s drive against illegal drugs. However, the DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education, and other agencies rejected PDEA’s proposal requiring surprise drug testing to grade school students. Binay’s measure mandates CHED, DepEd, the Department of Health and the Dangerous Drugs Board to establish a program of prevention and intervention for student alcohol and substance abuse in all secondary and tertiary schools.

Alert pilots save 74 lives By Joel E. Zurbano ALERT pilots of a Cebu Pacific Air CebGo flight bound for Cagayan de Oro saved the lives of 74 passengers, including two infants, when they decided to return to Mactan Cebu International Airport after detecting a technical problem in the plane. “Cebgo Flight DG 6717 bound for Cagayan de Oro returned to the Mactan Cebu International Airport after a technical problem was detected in the aircraft,” said CEB management in a statement. CEB corporate communications director and chief information officer Charo Logarta-Lagamon said the pilots returned flight few minutes after the aircraft took off around 10:25 am Thursday. “We can’t ascertain [the technical problem] yet,” said Lagamon. “The flight landed safely at 11:06 am today. Passengers have been safely deplaned and will be served refreshments while waiting for their replacement aircraft,” she added. Meanwhile, the CEB management cancelled its Manila flight to and from Cauayan due to the damage brought by Typhoon “Rosita” (International Name “Yutu”) to Cauayan Airport last Tuesday. “Due to the damage caused by Typhoon Rosita, operations at the Cauayan Airport are currently suspended. As a result, the following Cebu Pacific flights are canceled until Nov. 03, 2018: (5J-196 Manila-Cauayan 7 am - 8:10 am (5J-197 Cauayan -Manila 9:15 am - 10:20 am).” The bad weather condition in Basco, Batanes also triggered the cancellation of Cebgo flights DG-6009 and DG-6010 (Manila-Basco-Manila) on Thursday Nov. 1, 2018.

UNDER THE WATER. Cornlands in Tumauini, Isabela remain submerged Thursday after the Magat hydro power dam in Ramon town opened its seven gates to drain excessive water brought by the Oct. 30-31 heavy downpour. Isabela produces 21 percent of the country’s corn. Abe Almirol

Australian nun to leave, visa extension denied By Vito Barcelo

USTRALIAN missionary Sister Patricia Fox will leave the country tomorrow after the Bureau of Immigration denied her application for a temporary

The nun, who vowed to return to the Philippines after President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, is included in the bureau’s Black List Order which will prohibit her from coming back to the country. In a statement, the National Union of People’s Lawyers said that Fox’s passport was conﬁscated on Wednesday and would be given back soon as she would be leaving through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. She will be considered an overstaying alien should the nun refuse to leave after her visa expired on Nov. 3. Justice Secretary Menardo Gue-

varra said Fox’s voluntary departure had nothing to do with her deportation case. “Her voluntary departure, if true, is without prejudice to the resolution of her deportation case. If she wins, then her name will be removed from the blacklist,” he said in a statement. The 71-year-old nun has sought to stay in the Philippines, where she has resided for nearly three decades. The BI had ordered her deportation for violating the terms of her visa by participating in political activities. Fox denied the allegations, saying her missionary work involved touch-

ing base with farmers and ordinary workers. The NUPL president, lawyer Catherine Panguban, said Sr. Fox would leave the Philippines with a clear conscience that she had done nothing wrong and illegal during her 27 years of stay in the country. “After Sr. Patricia Fox’s six months of arduous battle in the legal and political arena since her illegal arrest and detention on April 16, the Bureau of Immigration ﬁnally denies today her application for the extension of her temporary visitor’s visa and requires her to leave the Philippines on November 3,” the NUPL said. “She is and will always be loved by the Filipino people. On the contrary, it is the Philippine government, known for its notorious human rights record, who is in the losing end,” the NUPL added.

FURIOUS FIRE. Fire victims in Bacood, Sta. Mesa in Manila retrieve some of their belongings Thursday after fire destroyed 15 houses in the block. Norman Cruz

Drug-sniffing cop arrested A MANILA police officer was arrested after he was caught sniffing prohibited drugs at the restroom of a posh bar in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig late Wednesday night. The suspect was identified as Police Officer 1 Redentor Bautista, 34, assigned at the Manila Police District Police Station 1 and a resident of Herbosa corner Matiisin Streets, Tondo, Manila. The Taguig City police arrested Bautista around 11:45 pm inside Island Palace Club located at 9th Avenue corner 38th Street BGC Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Members of the Taguig police community precinct 7 went to the nightclub after the station commander Chief Insp. Joseph Austria received a call from the club security guard Gary Palma who informed them about the suspect’s illegal activity. Recovered from the suspect was one transparent plastic ziplock containing white substance suspected to be cocaine weighing more or less

0.4 grams and one piece of a small cut straw. The authorities initially detained Bautista at the PCP 7 in BGC then turned him over to the Station Drug Enforcement Unit where he underwent drug testing. They said the suspect would be charged for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Southern Police District chief Eliseo Cruz said a report had been sent to the ofﬁce of the MPD Director about the arrest of Bautista for them to initiate the conduct of an investigation and ﬁling of an administrative case against him. “The PNP does not tolerate any irregularities of its members and has zero tolerance and no compromise on our personnel involved in illegal drugs. They will suffer the full consequence of their actions and have no reason to stay as members of our organization,” Cruz said. Joel E. Zurbano

Lawmakers laud Du30 for Mindano Barter EO By Maricel V. Cruz TWO lawmakers on Thursday hailed President Rodrigo Duterte’s order for the creation of Mindanao Barter Council through Executive Order 64. Reps. Frederick Siao of Iligan City and Henry Ong of Leyte said the resurgence of the barter trade would bring economic and social gains for the Mindanaons. “Coupled with the institutional strengths of Islamic finance, Mindanao barter can flourish well and more so when Islamic banks of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and even from the Middle East set up shop in our country soon after the Islamic banking measure becomes law,” said Ong, chairman of the House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries. Ong added investors and bankers, especially Arabs, would have more reasons to participate in the growth of our economy. For his part, Siao, member of the House Committee on Economic Affairs, advised the Mindanao Barter Council to “explicitly ban any trade in illegal drugs, explosives, armaments, ammunition, and any other contraband goods.” He said there must be strictest import inspection systems and procedures to discourage illegal activities. “Never must the Mindanao Barter Council barter trade system be used by smugglers and terrorists,” Siao said. He added: “Valuation of rice traded via barter must incorporate the valuation of the rice tariffs of the national government.” “Mindanao barter rules must not be used to circumvent the national law of rice tariffs,” Siao said.

103 loitering Manila streets nabbed by police AUTHORITIES continue apprehending individuals loitering the streets of Metro Manila in line with the government’s campaign to ensure a peaceful community, especially at night. The Southern Police District and local police stations caught 103 individuals following simultaneous operations from 5 am last Wednesday until 5 am Thursday in the cities of Muntinlupa, Taguig, Makati, Pasay, Parañaque and Las Piñas, and the town of Pateros. SPD spokesperson Jenny Tecson said most of those brought to the police stations violated the smoking ban with 61 the total number of apprehension.

She added 32 teenagers were also apprehended for violating the curfew of minors ordinance. The authorities also arrested individuals caught drinking and urinating in public. Most of those arrested were from the City of Muntinlupa. SPD director Eliseo Cruz reminded his men that they should arrest only those who would violate municipal or city ordinances like Urinating and Drinking in Public Places, Half Naked, Making Loud Noise, and Curfew of Minors, among others. But police operatives can question any suspicious person loitering but not necessarily violating any speciﬁc

above cited ordinance regarding their presence and business in the area, added Cruz. President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the Philippine National Police to step up the campaign against loiterers on the streets. Meanwhile, lawmen arrested late Wednesday night a 42-year-old man tagged as the number two most wanted person in Pasay City. Ruﬁno Esik Jr. was nabbed around 11:30 pm along Dolores Street after Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 115 Judge Francisco Mendiola issued a warrant for his arrest for the murder case ﬁled against him last year. Joel E. Zurbano

Sports Youth chess winners receive accolades GENERAL TRIAS CITY, Cavite— Young Filipino athletes from General Trias City, Cavite who won medals during the Thailand Pattaya Youth Chess Championship 2018 in Pattaya, Thailand on Tuesday expressed jubilation as the City Government rolled out a red carpet welcome for their achievements and for bringing pride and honor to the city and the country as a whole. Mayor Antonio “Ony” Ferrer and Baby Lyn Kempiz of City Mayor’s Office led City Government officials and employees in honoring the chess player gold medallist Clark Jemuel Cabatian, gold medallist Relghie Columna,gold medallist Bonjoure Fille Suyamin, silver medallist Jirah floravie Cutiyog and silver medallist Geraldine Mae Camarines, among others during a courtesy call Tuesday afternoon. The mayor expressed gratitude and appreciation to the athletes for their spectacular performance in the Thailand Pattaya Youth Chess Championship 2018 held in Pattaya, Thailand from October 20 to 24, 2018. “Always continue the pursuit to happiness, enjoy your youth and enjoy your sports discipline.” said mayor Ferrer. The gold, silver and medallists claimed P15,000, P10,000 and P5,000, respectively, while other members of the Philippine squad from General Trias City, Cavite, coached by Ederwin Estavillo got P3,000 each. “The cash incentives were just a bonus but the presence of the mayor made the recognition special and memorable.” said coach Estavillo, who is also the president of the General Trias City Chess Club. Other members of the team were Kaiza Libo-on, Carlyhne Mae Maneja, Adrian Klein Cantomayor, Dan Japhet Libo-on, Josh Edmar Castro, Earl Siegfrid Sta. Maria, Heart Florence Claros, Jeanelle Cabatian, Janmyl Dilan Tisado , Jireh Dan Jaime Cutiyog and Paolo Estavillo.

Calgary keeps alive Canada bid OTTAWA, Canada—Calgary city councillors voted to keep alive Canada’s bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics after a last-minute funding deal struck between Ottawa and the province of Alberta. The next hurdle is a referendum on November 13. After more than eight hours of often acrimonious debate, councillors voted 8-7 in favor of a recommendation from the city’s Olympic committee to end their pursuit of hosting duties over a lack of cash from the central and provincial governments. But it was not enough (10 needed) to halt the bid. “If you look at the Olympic process around the world it’s divisive everywhere... and I think that’s what happened here,” commented councilwoman Druh Farrell, after several heated exchanges. Hundreds of supporters of Canada’s bid, including former Olympians— most wearing Canada’s red and white colors—flooded into the Calgary city council chamber for the vote. Outside, they waved placards that read “Go Olympics” and “Don’t Luge this Calgary,” at times breaking into chants of the national anthem. They had the backing of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who said earlier, “Calgary is a world-class city. It would be great to host the Olympics in Canada.” But inside city hall, several councillors described the proposal as “not viable and vetted” and relying on “creative accounting.” Evan Woolley, chairman of the Olympic bid committee, said the funding deal had been struck too late to allow Calgarians to make an “educated decision.” The agreement—which would see the original Can$3 billion (US$2.3 billion) public portion of the Games budget reduced by 10 percent and, along with it, each party’s share of the costs—has been validated by federal Sports Minister Kirsty Duncan and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. AFP

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Villanueva grabs lead at Summit Point L

IPA City, Batangas—Dino Villanueva went on a birdiespree at the back early and sustained his charge all the way to the ﬁnish, producing a six-under 66 and gaining solo control by four with half of the ﬁeld still to complete play halfway through the Summit Point World 18 Challenge here yesterday. The 34-year-old journeyman from Cagayan de Oro ran off four straight birdies from No. 10 to keep the momentum of his lead-sharing 67 fashioned out in harsh conditions in afternoon play Wednesday. He traded two birdies with the same number of bogeys in the next eight holes then capped his 34-32 card with birdies in the last two par-5s in near-ideal conditions at the Summit Point Golf Club. With erstwhile co-leaders Erwin Arcilla and Thai Sutijet Kooratanapisan among the late starters, Villanueva took the clubhouse lead with an impressive

11-under 133 aggregate with Janne Kaske of Finland matching the Filipino leader’s six-under card to seize the provisional second spot at 137. “Nothing special but hit my wedge shots pretty solid,” said Villanueva, who moved 36 holes away from finally nailing the elusive win in an 11-year pro career. “But I need to toughen up in the last two days to clinch it. A victory will really make our Christmas happy,” added Villanueva, whose solid wedge shots set up

birdie putts inside four feet in the first four holes. He banged in another on No. 16, then overcame a bogey-bogey mishap linking both nines with birdies on Nos. 2 and 5 before tapping in on the ninth after missing an eagle-putt from 20 feet off a 4-iron shot from 239 yards. Like Villanueva, Kaske brandished a new putter and pressed his bid early with a long 25-foot eagle putt on No. 3 off a 6-iron second shot from 200 yards and three birdies against a bogey for a 32. He then birdied three of the last five holes to negate his other bogey on the 17th for a 32-34 card, putting him in title contention after missing the cut at PGT Asia Forest Hills. “I changed my putter and it clicked. The wind picked up a bit at the back but I was able to hold on,” said the Helsinki native, who birdied the other four par-5s. Jobim Carlos, two down at the start of the day with a 69, birdied two of the first three

holes, also at the back, then survived a rollercoaster round of 70 that featured an eagle and four more birdies against four bogeys and a double bogey. The Philippine Golf Tour’s Order of Merit winner this year pooled a 139 for third but fell six strokes off Villanueva. Taiwanese Wang Tsung Chieh charged back with three birdies in the last six holes at the front to shoot a 69, catching former PGT Asia leg winner Justin Quiban, carding a second 70, at 140, while Aussie Jack Sullivan, out to rebound from his final round collapse in the CAT Open at Luisita last week, fought back from an opening 74 with a 67 for a 141. Keanu Jahns shot a second straight 71 for a 142 in a tie with American John Michael O’Toole and Taiwanese Yang Fei Hao, who turned in identical 70s, while Rolando Marabe Jr. rallied with a 68 to tie Ferdie Aunzo, who matched par 72, and Finland’s Teemu Putkonen, who bounced back with a 69, at 143.

IOC may throw out boxing from Olympics

Dino Villanueva blasts out of a bunker on his way to a birdie-spree to gain solo control by four with half of the field still to complete play halfway through the Summit Point World 18 Challenge here yesterday.

Djokovic back on top of world rankings PARIS—Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Paris Masters on Wednesday guaranteeing Novak Djokovic’s return to the world number one spot. Announcing his withdrawal at a hastily arranged press conference Nadal said: “My abdominal muscles haven’t felt good for the past few days, especially on serve, doctors recommended that I didn’t play.” Djokovic arrived in Paris knowing that he would regain the top spot he relinquished two years ago if he bettered the Spaniard’s performance at the indoor event he has won four times. The Wimbledon and US Open champion becomes the first player to start the season outside the top 20 and end up top of the ATP rankings since Marat Safin in 2000. The 14-time Grand Slam champion had begun his pursuit of the top spot in encouraging fashion with a 7-5, 6-1 defeat of Joao Sousa on Tuesday, his 19th consecutive win. For Nadal it means delaying his long awaited comeback from injury which has kept him sidelined since the US Open. Nadal was forced to withdraw from his US Open semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro in early September with a knee injury. The problem also sidelined him for Spain’s Davis Cup semi-final against France, and also from tournaments in Beijing and Shanghai. “It’s been a difficult year for me in terms of injuries, and so I’d prefer to avoid doing anything drastic,” he told the media minutes before his intended match against compatriot Fernando Verdasco who instead faced—and lost to—Tunisian lucky loser Malek Jaziri. “It wouldn’t have been good for me nor anyone to return to the court knowing

that I wouldn’t be able to play my best. During his enforced time out Nadal joined in the clean-up operation after flash floods killed 12 people on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca where he lives. After Paris the ATP tour’s eight topranked players congregate in London from November 11 for the season’s Finals. The 32-year-old Nadal has enjoyed a successful year, clinching his 17th Grand Slam title by winning an 11th French Open in June, after triumphs in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome. But it is Djokovic who will be top dog

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Portugal’s Joao Sousa during their men’s singles second round match on day two of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000—Rolex Paris Masters—indoor tennis tournament at The AccorHotels Arena in Paris, on October 30, 2018. AFP

Sprint king Bolt chases childhood football dream SYDNEY, Australia—From Michael Jordan to Usain Bolt, a select few elite athletes have attempted the switch to another top-level sport in a trait psychologists see as a “high need to achieve” coupled with filling a gulf in their lives. Sprint king Bolt is the latest example, with the eight-time Olympic champion on a mission to become a professional footballer, trying out with Australian team Central Coast Mariners after retiring from track and field. It is a boyhood dream for the 32-yearold Jamaican, who remains the 100m world record holder. But his abilities have been questioned, with the fitness levels and skillsets needed for soccer very different from being the fastest man on earth.

when the latest ATP rankings appear on Monday, irrespective of his fate in the French capital this week. Despite the blow the tournament organizers will be relieved to see Roger Federer making his first appearance at the competition since 2015. The Swiss great starts his quest for his 100th ATP title in the last 16 on Thursday after his Wednesday rival Milos Raonic withdrew through an elbow injury. World number three Federer will face Italy’s Fabio Fognini, ranked 14, who made the next round when Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics withdrew injured. AFP

MOSCOW, Russia—The congress of the scandal-hit International Amateur Boxing Federation (AIBA) that begins in Moscow on Friday may be a turning point for the sport and its future in the Olympics. Gafur Rakhimov, an Uzbek who has been linked to organized crime by the US Treasury Department, is one of two candidates standing for the position of AIBA president at the meeting. Rakhimov has vigorously denied US government allegations but in October the International Olympics Committee (IOC) froze relations with AIBA and refused to accredit Rakhimov to the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. The IOC move made it clear that it was prepared to kick the AIBA out of the Olympic movement and remove boxing from the 2020 Tokyo Games if the “governance problems” in the ruling body were not resolved. In February, the IOC said they were worried by the nomination of the Uzbek businessman for the AIBA interim presidency, a position he still occupies. The IOC has been losing patience with boxing since a judging scandal at the 2016 Rio Games when all 36 officials and referees were suspended while allegations of bout-fixing were investigated. An internal power struggle saw the previous president, Taiwan’s CK Wu, ousted. He was banned after a report by “forensic investigators” K2 Intelligence documented “gross negligence and financial mismanagement of AIBA affairs and finances”. The ban will need to be ratified by member federations at the AIBA Congress in Moscow. IOC president Thomas Bach said in February that he was “extremely worried about the governance of AIBA”. And though amateur boxing’s under-fire chiefs handed over a crucial report on internal reforms to the IOC in April, the threat of losing a place in the Olympic movement remains. “This report shows some progress and goodwill but still lacks execution and substance in some areas,” Bach said in May. “Therefore we retain our right to exclude boxing from Tokyo 2020.” The other candidate for the AIBA president post is Serik Konakbayev, a Kazakh who won the Olympic silver medal at Moscow Games in 1980 for the Soviet Union. AFP

Martin Hagger, a world-renowned psychologist at Curtin University in Perth, said sports-hopping at the end of athletes’ careers was never easy. “Athletes like Bolt have what psychologists call a high need to achieve, an innate drive that means they thrive on competition and the need to display to themselves (and others) high competence in a competitive arena,” he told AFP. “This is also likely manifested in certain personality traits such as extroversion and conscientiousness. “There is, of course, also the possibility of some level of narcissism, but that’s not necessarily an ingredient as Usain Bolt, playing for A-League football club Central Coast Mariners in this file photo taken many top athletes are not necessarily October 12, 2018, jumps over a defender while controlling the ball in his first competitive self-involved egos.” AFP start for the club against Macarthur South West United in Sydney. AFP

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018

Athletics, Skyscrapers continue climb BATANGAS CITY—The Batangas City Athletics and the Makati Skyscrapers sustain their rise in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Datu Cup on Tuesday. The Athletics canned six triples, three from Jeff Viernes, in the fourth quarter, to down the San Juan Knights, 85-76, while the Skyscrapers foiled the repeated rallies of the Bulacan Kuyas to prevail, 99-94, at the Batangas City Coliseum. The Tanduay-backed Athletics, bolstered by the return of Kier Quinto, who played for the Letran Knights in the NCAA, posted their third straight win and climbed to 7-6 as they flashed the same form that made them the MPBL Rajah Cup champions. The Go-for Gold-supported Knights dropped to 10-3. Viernes topscored with 21 points while Quinto chipped in 16 points in his first game for the Athletics in the Datu Cup. With Jhaymo Eguilos and Dennice Villamor snaring 10 rebounds each, the Athletics pounded the Knights off both boards, 53-43. Drawing firepower from Rudy Lingganay, Cedric Ablaza and Jeckster Apinan, the Skyscrapers protected a 5-point lead midway of the fourth quarter up to the final buzzer to climb to 8-4, overtaking the Kuyas, being supported by Mighty Sports of Ceasar Chongwuking, at 8-5. Lingganay topscored with 19 points, Ablaza added 18 points and 11 rebounds while Apinan had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Skyscrapers.

PH Lady Volcanoes win silver By Peter Atencio THE PHILIPPINE Lady Volcanoes national women’s rugby team came home with silver medal recently in the 2018 Asia Trophy Series in Brunei. The Filipinas took home the silver medal after winning five straight games, before bowing to Malaysia, 7-10, in the Gold Medal match. The Gold Medal match was tight, with the Malaysians scoring first and taking a 5-0 lead. The Volcanoes returned with a converted try to regain the upper hand, 7-5. But, the Malaysians grabbed back the lead as they posted a 10-7 edge late in the second half. The Philippines then ran out of time in their efforts to score and ended with the silver medal. “It was great to see the team perform. Aiumi Ono was outstanding. Rassiel Sales showed pure speed. Sylvia Tudoc had fantastic Rugby awareness and Nicole Kovanen had brute strength (which allowed her to) go forward. The whole team as a group played attacking Rugby. It was great to watch,” said General Manager Jake Letts. The 2018 Asia Trophy Series was contested over two days, with 10 teams competing. The Philippines drew Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal in Pool B. Indonesia, Malaysia, Guam, Brunei and Laos were in Pool A. The Lady Volcanoes were sponsored by First Pacific and MVP Sports Foundation, and they started their first game with a strong performance defeating Uzbekistan 12-10. They then defeated Pakistan 38-0 in their second match, before holding their ground for a 17-10 victory over India. The Philippines then handed Nepal a 43-0 rout to secure their position on the top of Pool B with four wins in four matches. The Volcanoes then toppled Guam, 10-7, to book their place in the Gold Medal match against Malaysia.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose (25) drives to the basket during the game against the Utah Jazz on October 31, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AFP

Vintage Rose powers Wolves past Utah Jazz

OS ANGELES—Derrick Rose dusted off his MVP costume, dropping a career-high 50 points to power the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 128-125 win over Utah in an NBA Northwest Division showdown on Wednesday.

On US Halloween night, Rose turned back the clock with a 34-point performance in the second half as the crowd of 10,000 serenaded him with chants of “MVP, MVP” after the final buzzer sounded. “It was numbing,” said teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 28 points. “I never realized something like that in my life. The man was just out there floating.” Rose, who was named NBA MVP in

2011 with the Chicago Bulls, scored every way imaginable against the Jazz. He made two clutch free throws with 13 seconds left to give the Timberwolves a three-point lead in a tightly contested fourth quarter. Just moments earlier he had scored the go-ahead basket down low to put Minnesota ahead for good. Rose also made a key block on a Jazz three-point attempt with two seconds left to ice the win.

“This means everything,” said Rose, who was making his first start of the season and first in a Timberwolves uniform. “I worked my butt off, bro.” Rose’s career had been beset by injuries since he won his MVP award. “I am doing everything just to win. I played my heart out tonight. My teammates told me before the game to just play my game and it was a hell of a night.” Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points and Rudy Gobert added 22 for Utah. Jae Crowder tallied 18 points off the bench. Minnesota played without the allstar Jimmy Butler, or point guards Jeff Teague and Tyus Jones. AFP

Robins chases Black Arrow Express victory FOILED twice over, Mitch Robins aims to strike gold this time, armed with a confidence and a training he hopes will help fuel his drive for the elusive crown in the Black Arrow Express 5150 on Sunday, November 4 in Subic. He came in five minutes behind Sam Betten in his second straight bridesmaid finish to his fellow Australian campaigner last year but the Port Macquarie native, who has posted multiple Ironman 70.3 victories, feels he’s ready to take on the best and this time emerge better. The 30-year-old champion of last year’s Bali, Indonesia triathlon and former winner of Ironman 70.3 Japan and Port Macquarie, will also be trying to duplicate his victory in Subic in 2013, when as a first-time Philippine visitor, he beat a stellar field. But Betten is also keen on extending his reign in the country’s triathlon capital after completing a three-peat last year with Jakub Langhammer of the Czech Republic, American Tim Linn and Dan Brown, also of Australia, firming up the cast in the men’s Elite pro side of the event set over the Olympic distance of 1.5k swim, 40K bike and 10K run. Like Robins, Langhammer, Linn and Brown are all coming into the event all-geared up and focused on stopping Betten. This guarantees a spirited battle for top honors in Black Arrow Express’ first foray in triathlon which also caps Sunrise Events Inc.’s milestone 10th year staging of the tri-sport races in the country. The same tight finish is expected in the women’s pro category of the event where Dimity Lee Duke, also from Down Under, will be facing Guam’s Manami Iijima and Leanne Szeto of Hong Kong with an eye on winning a second straight crown. The event, backed by venue hosts Subic Bay and ACEA Subic Bay and major sponsors David’s Salon, Pioneer Insurance and Wicked Active Gear, has drawn participants from Great Britain, Japan, France, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Guatemala, India, Italy, New Zealand, Malaysia, Norway, Russia, Portugal and Vietnam. It also features the Asian Elite and various age categories and

Mitch Robins waves to well-wishers at the finish line of the Regent 5150 Triathlon race in Subic last year.

the relay events for male, female and mixed put up to encourage more athletes to take up the tri-sport. For details, visit www.bla ckarrowexpress.5150philippines.com. The Sunrise Sprint will again serve as a fitting side event to the 5150 race with 265 participants clashing for top honors in a shorter distance series featuring a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run.

Armstrong joins race in Costa Rica SAN JOSE, Costa Rica—Disgraced cycling great Lance Armstrong said on Wednesday he was looking forward to competing in a mountain bike race in Costa Rica. The 47-year-old is serving a lifetime ban from all sports that follow the World Anti-doping Agency’s (WADA) code after he was found to have doped during his seven-year reign as Tour de France champion, titles he has since been stripped of. The Costa Rican Conquistadores Route is held outside of International Cycling Union (UCI) and WADA jurisdiction, allowing Armstrong to take part at the invitation of organizers. “We’ll see how it goes, it’s a very difficult race, we’ll go out and try to enjoy ourselves, live this adventure,” said the Texan. “I’ve been told La Ruta is very tough and I’m not at my best, as a professional cyclist, but I hope to enjoy it a lot and especially to make it to the end.” The gruelling mountain bike race crosses the Central American country from the Pacific to the Caribbean. Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer before setting up the Livestrong foundation to raise money to fight the disease, spent an hour visiting a children’s cancer shelter in the capital San Jose before meeting reporters. “I’m very happy to be here in Costa Rica, now I’ve come to meet these kids who are really struggling in life,” he added. “I had cancer and here I am, alive. They need to have this message.” The three-day race begins on Thursday. During his career, Armstrong used powerful performance enhancing drugs and methods including the banned blood-booster EPO and blood transfusions. He was for many years the face of the sport, both due to his success and the remarkable story of a cancer survivor overcoming the odds to reach the top. But that was all exposed as a lie when after years of denials, Armstrong finally owned up to his cheating in an interview with popular American chat-show host Oprah Winfrey in early 2013. AFP

Racasa aims for top 10 at World Cadets Chess Championships

Woman Fide Master (WFM) Antonella Berthe Murillo Racasa ponders her next move in front of a chess board.

COUNTRY’S youngest Woman Fide Master (WFM) Antonella Berthe “Tonelle” Murillo Racasa left the country Thursday night aboard Qatar Airways hoping to put up a string of solid finishes for a shot at the tough and prestigious World Cadets Chess Championships. A total of 106 players from 53 countries will take part in the tournament in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain in the Under 12 girls division to be held November 3 to 16, Aside from gold medal, an outright Woman Fide Master (WFM) and Woman International Master (WIM) norm will be awarded to the champion according to Roberto Racasa, father

and coach of Antonella Berthe, who accompanied her daughter. “I’m looking forward to it for a top10 finish (Antonella Berthe) at the tough and prestigious World Cadets Chess Championships in Spain,” said Roberto, also an International Memory champion, dubbed as the founder and father of Memory Sports in the Philippines. The Mandaluyong City resident Antonella Berthe is seeded number 80 whose Europe campaign is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, National Chess Federation of the Philippines, Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos, councilor Charisse Marie Abalos-Vargas, Her-

minio “Hermie” Esguerra of Herma Group of Companies, sportsman Reli de Leon, Rotary Club of Pasig thru Engineer Rogelio Lim, Dr. Jess Acantillado and Philippine Executive Chess Association (PECA) President lawyer Cliburn Anthony A. Orbe. “I hope to do well in this event and gain some ELO rating points,” said the 11-year-old, a Grade 5 pupil of Home School Global who possessed an ELO rating of 1342. Woman Candidate Master Amina Kairbekova (1939) of Kazakhstan is the top seed while Machteld Van Foreest (1934) of the Netherlands is the second seed in this FIDE-sanctioned tournament.

IN BRIEF

Dominguez warns of rising global risks FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the Duterte administration’s aggressive measures to tame domestic inflation and sustain the country’s growth momentum would be key to “weather the storm” looming over the economy. Dominguez cited some of the global risks that could impact the economy such as the prolonged US-China trade tensions and the oil price surge in the world market. Dominguez said the government began addressing the issue of rising inflation as early as May this year with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas having increased interest rates since that time up to the present by a combined 150 basis points. He said the executive branch also took strong non-monetary measures to temper price increases, as a result of food supply issues and the soaring global oil prices. “We are confident that we can weather the storms but we are not complacent,” said Dominguez in an interview. He said a protracted US-China trade dispute would eventually have an adverse impact on the Philippine economy, which, however, was “in a very good position” to overcome this challenge. Julito G. Rada

Business

PAGC asked to look into tower duopoly A GROUP said it will ﬁle next week a case before the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission against presidential adviser Ramon Jacinto for pushing what it described as a “felonious” plan that would allegedly set unfair practice in the cell tower construction business. Ed Cordevilla, the founding leader of the Filipino League of Advocates for Good Governance, said in a statement Jacinto’s duopoly proposal for cell tower companies would run counter to President Rodrigo Duterte’s program against monopoly or duopoly in the telecommunications industry. “While Duterte’s IT bright boys are hellbent in its move to break the telcos duopoly in the country, here comes Jacinto’s bid to create a duopoly in the tower construction business,” said Cordevilla. Cordevilla said the duopoly proposal would be in violation of congressional enactments, which vested in telcos’ franchises the rights to build, operate and maintain their own cell towers. He said his group would also furnish PAGC with documents which would allegedly reveal Jacinto’s real motive in pushing for the towercos duopoly.

PLDT’S AWARDS. The initiatives of PLDT Global, the international retail sales and marketing arm of the PLDT Group, to help improve the lives of overseas Filipino workers are recognized for the second straight year at the Asia CEO Awards. PLDT Global has implemented various OFW programs, earning them a Circle of Excellence distinction for the Heart for OFWs Company of the Year category. Aside from PLDT Global, the Public Affairs as well as the People Group of PLDT-Smart are also recognized under the categories Technology Company of the Year, CSR Company of the Year and Wellness Company of the Year. Receiving the awards are (from left) PLDT Global revenue growth head Albert Villa-Real, PLDT and Smart public affairs head Ramon Isberto and Smart community partnerships head Darwin Flores.

PH protests poor rank in World Bank’s report T By Julito G. Rada, Othel V. Campos

he Finance and Trade Departments expressed their strong objections to the 2019 World Bank Doing Business report that showed a drop in the Philippines’ ranking by 11 notches from 113th in 2018 to 124th spot in 2019.

“We demand that the World Bank review the Philippines’ rating, and make a correction immediately given our country’s increases in the Ease of Doing Business scores, which was, unfortunately, offset by the grossly inaccurate and understated ﬁndings in the Getting Credit indicator of the report,” the departments said in a joint statement Thursday. The two agencies said the correction should be done soon, as the report could unduly compromise the Philippines’ standing among the investment community and negatively impact on the country’s development. They said the document was widely

used as a reference by investors and survey organizations. They said as a highly respected institution, the World Bank had a responsibility to ensure that an economy was not unduly disadvantaged and that its report reﬂected the realities on the ground. “The DoF has submitted a letter to the World Bank challenging the data used in the report. We believe that the World Bank has gotten this one wrong. This is regrettable considering the signiﬁcant headway made by the Philippines on the other indicators,” they said. They said that while the Philippines registered a +1.36 increase in the Ease of Doing Business score to 57.68, it still

received a lower ranking. “While the World Bank has taken governments to task by fostering an enabling environment characterized by efficient business regulations, so must the World Bank exercise responsibility and greater transparency in its methodology,” they said. The Philippines’ drastic slide in the rankings was attributed mainly to the country’s Getting Credit indicator where the EODB score significantly fell from 30 to 5, because of the failure of the World Bank’s survey team to gather the correct information on the country’s credit information database. As a result, the country registered a substantial decrease in the credit bureau coverage (from 8 in 2018 to 2.7 in 2019), and reduced scores on depth of credit information (from 5 to 0). “Considering that higher borrower coverage is associated with larger share of adults with credit cards and borrowing from financial institutions, we find the report grossly inaccurate and the coverage

By Jenniffer B. Austria

ENERGY MINISTERS’ MEETING. Energy Secretary and outgoing chairperson of the Association of South East Asian Nations Ministers on Energy Meeting Alfonso Cusi (sixth from left) turns over the AMEM chairmanship to Singaporean Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing (seventh from left) during the 36th AMEM held at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Shown are other energy ministers from Asean countries and officials of the Asean Secretariat.

Smart posts better video experience score than Globe SMART Communications Inc. posted a higher video experience score than rival Globe Telecom Inc., according to independent mobile analytics company OpenSignal. OpenSignal published an independent analysis of the customer experience for video services by telecom carriers in Asia, showing that Smart garnered a video experience score of 42.2, ahead of Globe with 29.2 percent and above the national average of 34.98 percent OpenSignal’s video experience metric uses an International Telecommunication Union-based approach for measuring video quality. It is derived from

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018

By Julito G. Rada

SEC defers new accounting rules on real estate

By Darwin G. Amojelar

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

Customs chief asked to collect P55b a month

Globe now utilizing 700 MHz spectrum GLOBE Telecom said it is now fully utilizing the 700-MHz spectrum and other new spectrum assets as it aims to deploy LTE service to 95 percent of cities and municipalities nationwide by the end of 2018. Globe said this is a part of the company’s commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission when it was granted co-use of the 700 MHz, 2600 MHz and other spectrum bands, following the acquisition of 50 percent of San Miguel’s telecommunication assets in 2016. Joel Agustin, Globe senior vice president for program governance, network technical group, said the new spectrum assets enabled Globe to fast-track the rollout of LTE service nationwide. Globe said that as of third quarter of 2018, it had deployed close to 12,000 LTE cell sites using 700 MHz, 2600 MHz and other spectrum assets. Almost 3,000 of these LTE sites are equipped with 700 MHz, while over 3,700 of these LTE sites are powered by 2600 MHz. Agustin said the LTE sites covered major business districts and highly-urbanized and populated areas in the Philippines, as customers using LTE-capable devices are steadily increasing in these areas. Darwin G. Amojelar

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

several underlying parameters based on real-world measurements of video streams from the world’s largest video content providers. “Our ‘YouTube Everyday’ promo was part of our initiative to unlock the billions of hours of content online for every Filipino. We were conﬁdent that our customers would enjoy the experience because we built a world-class network that can cater to their demanding video needs. This report from Open Signal validates not just our strategy, but the work put in by the entire company to build our network,” PLDT-Smart chairman Manuel Pangilinan said. Smart launched in April its YouTube promo, where subscribers get to enjoy an hour of YouTube for free daily if they pur-

chase various mobile data packages. The promo, which ran until the end of October, boosted the number of YouTube users by nearly 400 percent and the volume of YouTube traffic by over 850 percent . “Our customers love watching YouTube, Netflix and other videos on their smartphones. This is the reason why we invested heavily into making the country’s fastest LTE network, Smart, the best network for watching videos on-the-go. This recognition from an independent global and analytics firm, Open Signal, affirms our commitment to our customers to be their trusted and preferred digital and technology partner,” PLDT-Smart executive vice president and chief revenue officer Ernesto Alberto said.

THE Securities and Exchange Commission postponed for three years the adoption of new accounting standards to provide relief to the real estate industry. The regulator issued Memorandum Circular No. 14 which deferred the application of the Philippine Interpretation Committee 2018-12 with respect to the accounting for significant financing component, uninstalled materials and exclusion of land in the calculation of percentage of completion, for a period of three years. It said that during the period of deferral, real estate companies would be allowed to include land in the calculation of percentage of completion only as historical acquisition cost. It said uninstalled materials would be included in the calculation of percentage of completion wok accomplishment of significant building components procured which are specifically and directly identifiable to the project as long as they are covered by contracts, purchase orders and partially paid for. These include structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing/ sanitary and fire protection materials. The percentage of completion is important to real estate compass as this addresses the timing of revenue recognition for residential projects under pre-completion stage, it said. The SEC said the impact of the significant financing component in the contract to sell would not be considered during the period of deferral.

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said he is confident new Customs commissioner Rey Guerrero will perform his job not only in eliminating corruption in the agency and curbing smuggling but also in collecting an average of P55 billion a month in 2019. Dominguez told reporters he already met with Guerrero, the successor of former Customs chief Isidro Lapeña. He said the newly-designated Customs chief was capable to lead the agency. “We discussed the way forward to implement the president’s wishes, the urgent need to completely eliminate corruption and smuggling particularly illegal drugs, the trade facilitation function of the BoC, and the target of collecting an average of P55 billion per month in 2019,” Dominguez said in a statement. “Jagger [Guerrero] absolutely is up to the challenge and I am fully confident in his ability to deliver on all fronts. The DoF team will provide our utmost support,” Dominguez said. Dominguez also welcomed and expressed appreciation to the latest statement from presidential spokesperson and chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, who said that the Finance secretary continued to enjoy the trust and confidence of President Rodrigo Duterte amid calls from some quarters for Dominguez to resign or be fired by the president. “As one of the president’s trusted economic managers, he steered our economy to become one of the bestperforming growth leaders in the region and continues to perform remarkably,” Panelo said in a briefing in Malacañang. Panelo cited the record-high revenue collections under the watch of Dominguez, including the highest first-quarter tax effort ever achieved in the past 25 years. “We expect Secretary Dominguez to maintain his superb work ethic for the rest of his stint in the Department of Finance,” Panelo said, adding that Dominguez was aware of what was happening in the Bureau of Customs.

Eligible investors to continue getting tax incentives—DoF THE Finance Department said Thursday eligible investors will continue to enjoy tax incentives from the government and they have no reason to worry over a pending bill in Congress that seeks to reform the country’s corporate income tax system. Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said Thursday the government’s goal was to modernize the current set of incentives being given to a select group of businesses that only pay a “forever” 5-percent tax on gross income earned in lieu of all local and national taxes, even if these favored companies failed to generate more jobs or contribute to the economy. Chua said the current system was unfair to about 90,000 active small and medium enterprises that pay a CIT of 30 percent, which is the highest in the region. “The government is pro-investment, pro-jobs and pro-incentives,” Chua said. “We will continue to give incentives to those that perform. But we will start to include sunset provisions on the incentives of those that are not performing. So what is there to fear if you are performing, if you are contributing exports, contributing to countryside development, jobs and productivity?” he said. Chua said to make the CIT system fair and accountable, the Duterte administration asked Congress to reduce the CIT rate and rationalize the ﬁscal incentives system which had become “inequitable and convoluted” as a result of 136 laws governing the grant of such investment perks, including those for 14 investment promotion agencies. Corporate tax reform comprises Package 2 of the Duterte administration’s comprehensive tax reform program. Julito G. Rada

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Asian stock markets advance after another Wall Street rally HONG KONG—Most Asian markets rose again Thursday, tracking another rally on Wall Street and following a Chinese pledge to support the world’s number two economy. The healthy gains to kick off November come as dealers look to put behind them one of the worst months in recent years, which saw billions wiped from valuations and conﬁdence battered. While markets still face myriad problems, including rising US interest rates, the China-US trade war and uncertainty in the European Union, equities in Asia are enjoying a much-needed bounce. Beijing provided the boost to Thursday’s business, with the leadership saying it will introduce new measures to kickstart the stuttering economy following a string of weak data, including growth at its slowest pace in nine years during the third quarter. The yuan is also down at a 10-year low and approaching 7 to the dollar as uncertainty about China’s economy leads investors to take their cash out of the country.

Shanghai rose 0.1 percent, building on a more two percent rise since Tuesday, while Hong Kong climbed 1.7 percent in the afternoon while Singapore was up 1.2 percent. Sydney added 0.2 percent by the end with Wellington 1.1 percent higher and Taipei climbing 0.4 percent. However, Tokyo sank 1.1 percent on a stronger yen and proﬁt-taking following a more than two percent surge Wednesday. Seoul gave up early gains to end 0.3 percent off. The broad advance came after all three main indexes on Wall Street chalked up a second day of solid gains. The Politburo, after a meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping, said Wednesday that China had “achieved overall economic stability with steady progress” in the ﬁrst three quarters but more work needed to be done to help the private sector. “The leadership is paying great attention to the problems, and will be more pre-emptive and take action in a timely manner,” it said. AFP

CHOCOLATE FAIR. People sell chocolate products at the Salon du Chocolat event on October 31, 2018 in Paris. AFP

EU seeks breakthrough in Brexit talks L ONDON―Britain’s Brexit minister believes a divorce deal with the European Union could be struck by November 21, it emerged Wednesday, prompting EU leaders to warn this would require a breakthrough within days.

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab made the optimistic comment in a letter to the House of Commons Brexit scrutiny committee, dated October 24 but only

now made public. “I would be happy to give evidence to the committee when a deal is ﬁnalized, and currently expect 21 November to be suitable,” he wrote. Both Raab and Oliver Robbins, Prime Minister Theresa May’s chief Brexit advisor, have been invited to address the committee on that date. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt echoed the optimism, telling an event in London: “It’s entirely possible that we could make enough progress by then.” However, May’s spokesman was more cautious, repeating only that “we wish to conclude the deal as quickly as possible.” Most of the divorce deal with Brussels

is agreed but talks remain stuck on how to avoid new checks on Britain’s land border with EU member Ireland after it leaves the bloc’s single market and customs union. Raab will visit the UK province of Northern Ireland on Friday on a “factfinding trip,” which will include meetings with local businesses and politicians, an official in his ministry told AFP. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that if a deal were to be struck this month, there must be major progress next week. “We are at a moment of truth. If there is to be a breakthrough in November, then we need the negotiating teams to find a way forward in the next week or

so,” he said. He was speaking in Paris after talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. Le Drian added: “It is essential that we obtain guarantees from the United Kingdom” regarding plans to control the border. EU leaders had mooted a special summit in mid-November to seal the Brexit deal, but warned earlier this month this would not happen without more progress. Raab wrote: “The end is now ﬁrmly in sight and, while obstacles remain, it cannot be beyond us to navigate them.” A European source told AFP on Wednesday however that “the technical

discussions that resumed have not gone anywhere for the moment.” British ofﬁcials are keen to avoid the negotiations dragging on, with Brexit day scheduled for March 29. However, a statement for Raab’s Brexit ministry said: “There is no set date for negotiations to conclude.” Separately, Raab’s predecessor David Davis, who quit over the government’s approach to Brexit in July, said the ﬁnal deal will likely pass when it comes to a vote in the House of Commons, before retracting himself a day later. Davis is among a large minority of May’s Conservative MPs who strongly oppose her strategy, raising fears the deal will be rejected. AFP

EU countries OK single-use plastics ban

Victim accepts lower Monsanto damage award

BRUSSELS, Belgium―EU countries on Wednesday backed the outlawing of certain singleuse plastics, bringing the bloc a step closer to an outright ban on the products which account for huge quantities of waste in the world’s oceans. The approval by the 28 member states follows an overwhelming vote in the European Parliament last week to ban single-use plastic items such as straws, cutlery, cotton buds and balloon sticks. Work will begin next week to draft detailed legislation with a view to agreeing a text in December and having it enter into law in 2021. The European Council, which groups the member states, supported ending the use of plastic products for which there are sustainable alternatives and wants to go further in apportioning responsibility for clearing up waste. While the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, has suggested that clean-up costs should be paid by plastic producers, the council wants to see companies which import and sell the products pay a share as well. The council also called for national targets to cut the consumption of single-use plastics where there is currently no environmentally-friendly alternative. Rethink Plastic, a coalition of NGOs, welcomed the move but expressed disappointment that the proposals were based on “voluntary agreements” rather than mandatory deals. The commission has said single-use plastics account for some 70 percent of the waste in the oceans and beaches, and research last week appeared to show for the ﬁrst time the widespread presence of plastics in the human food chain. AFP

SAN FRANCISCO―A cancerstricken groundskeeper has accepted a slashed award in a landmark trial focused on weed-killer Roundup, setting the stage for an appeal by maker Monsanto. Judge Suzanne Bolanos last week denied Monsanto’s request for a new trial but cut the $289-million damages award to $78 million to comply with the law regarding how punitive damages awards must be calculated. In her ruling, Bolanos gave Johnson the choice of accepting the lessened damages award or triggering a new trial focused on what Monsanto should pay in the case. An October 26 notice of acceptance of the judge’s decision was filed on Johnson’s behalf. “We appreciate and acknowledge this jury’s verdict sending a strong message to deter Monsanto’s conduct that caused Lee Johnson’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma,” attorneys for Dewayne “Lee” Johnson said Wednesday in an emailed statement. “However, to hopefully achieve a final resolution within his lifetime, Mr. Johnson has accepted the punitive damages reduction suggested by Judge Bolanos.” In her ruling, Bolanos denied a request by Monsanto to toss out the jury’s overall verdict against the company. Jurors in August unanimously found that Monsanto acted with “malice” and that its weed killers Roundup and the professional grade version RangerPro contributed “substantially” to Johnson’s terminal illness. The jury ordered Monsanto to pay $250 million in punitive damages along with compensatory damages and other costs, bringing the total figure to nearly $290 million. Johnson, a California groundskeeper diagnosed in 2014 with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma―a cancer that affects white blood cells―says he repeatedly used a professional form of Roundup while working at a school in Benicia, California. Monsanto-parent Bayer has vowed to appeal the case. AFP

Argentine start-up businessman Fernando Hechtlinger poses at his natural foods grocery store in Buenos Aires on October 11, 2018. While some close their business due to the crisis in Argentina, others choose to launch theirs in a difficult context, forced to juggle with the fluctuation of dollars and administrative procedures. AFP

Re-pricing: A business necessity in Argentina’s currency crisis BUENOS AIRES, Argentina―Argentina’s currency woes may be forcing many businesses to close but for some entrepreneurs today’s economic climate has merely turned them into price jugglers in order to keep afloat. “Every week we get in new stock, but unfortunately for two months now we have been engaging in what I call for fun the ‘re-labeling festival’― changing prices,” said Fernando Hechtlinger, who recently opened two health food stores. Some of his merchandise is imported from abroad, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in the peso’s value against the dollar, and to red tape. The 46-year-old opened the first store at the end of last year near Mar del Plata and the second in a wealthy Buenos Aires neighborhood in July. But this year alone, Argentina has suffered two currency crises that have seen the peso lose around 50 percent of its value against the dollar. Prices rise so quickly that Argentina’s 44 million people have lost a significant part of their buying power. Obligatory repricing

Each time the peso crashed, inﬂation shot up and is expected to reach 45 percent for 2018. “It’s not good for the customer, either. You have to take the time to explain why” prices have risen, added Hechtlinger, a jack of all trades who previously worked as a screenwriter, creative editor and consultant. “If I don’t re-price, I would have to close. That’s the reality because I’d lose my ability to restock.” The peso has recovered a little over the last two weeks on the back of a $56-billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund at the end of September. But that required drastic economic measures and sky-high interest rates. “Many things are happening that don’t help the economy, families or citizens. It’s clear that the current model doesn’t help anyone,” said Hechtlinger, who comes from a family of Jewish restaurateurs from Bahia Blanca, 600 kilometers (370 miles) to the south of the capital. However, he said things never got so bad that people couldn’t afford to put

food on the table. Changing prices regularly is a risk but one that “works for us,” added Hechtlinger, who employs two people in each shop and next plans on opening a health distribution store. As well as the endless red tape, Hechtlinger has to contend with Argentina’s taxes. “You can’t avoid taxes. Here, in this country, in this context, unfortunately, your main partner is the state. One way or another, 50 percent (of your earnings) go to the state in taxes,” he said. Economist Rodolfo Santangelo from Macroview says the country’s interest rates of over 60 percent aren’t viable over the long-term and will result in “many small and medium-sized businesses having lots of problems with capital... and ﬁnance.” Federico Veleno, 29, is surrounded by ukuleles in a shared working space in Buenos Aires, looking over his latest shipment from China. Originally from Portugal, the fourstringed lute was adopted by Polynesians from Hawaii to Tahiti but are now in fashion in Argentina. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

World

Standard

TODAY

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Drought imperils wildlife in Australia B

Warning against US-China tensions

OOLIGAL, Australia―From abandoned baby kangaroos to wallabies being blinded by the sun and koalas having to go walkabout to look for eucalyptus leaves, Australia’s exotic wild animals are struggling to adapt to a crippling drought.

The “big dry”, lasting for several years in some areas, is turning vast swathes of lush green land across the continent’s eastern interior brown. “There are large numbers of kangaroos dying all over the country,” ecologist Richard Kingsford from the University of New South Wales told AFP, warning that change was occurring “at such a fast rate for so many animals and plants that they can’t adapt in that amount of time”. The government is ramping up aid to support drought-stricken farmers as they struggle to make ends meet and feed their stock. But conservationists warn that the natural environment, particularly endangered wildlife, also needs support. While droughts are not uncommon in Australia and native species are hardier than livestock, additional factors such as human activity, introduced animals and dwindling water sources are adding to the stress on populations. Wildlife rescuer Racheal Walker has seen a sharp increase in the number of baby kangaroos, or joeys, being taken into care in central-west New South Wales state. The malnourished babies are abandoned by mothers who aren’t able to feed them, while others are orphaned young whose parents were struck by vehicles as they roam closer to towns in search of food and water. Other smaller marsupials that usually prefer wooded areas are also venturing far beyond their habitat in search of sustenance. “We’re ﬁnding a lot more wallabies with blindness because

they’re actually coming out into the open paddocks searching for food, and their eyes are unable to cope with full sunlight,” Walker, of NSW rescue group WIRES, told AFP. Koalas are travelling longer distances as the eucalyptus trees they feed on dry up, exposing them to dog attacks and car accidents. And echidnas, also known as spiny anteaters, are becoming roadkill as they venture onto roads during the mating season. Between 2016 and this year, WIRES recorded a 52 percent increase in the number of macropods rescued, and a whopping 81 percent jump for wombats. The toll could be much higher in inland areas not frequented by people, Walker warned. In northwest NSW, ecologist Kingsford has seen a collapse in the kangaroo population of more than 90 percent. The drought has fueled conflict between native animals and farmers fervently trying to save every last blade of grass and feed for their livestock. In Booligal, where rainfall this year is 75 percent below average, farmers Matt and Sandra Ireson have seen increasing numbers of kangaroos and emus near roadways as they chase the “green pick”-stufts of grass that spring up from water running off the tarmac after a rare shower. One result has been a 20 percent jump in the number of traffic collisions involving wildlife in the last three years, according to insurance industry figures, prompting Sandra Ireson to start teaching young farmers “drought-driving” skills. AFP

IN BRIEF Lawyer fights Pakistan’s blasphemy laws

ISLAMABAD―After saving condemned Christian Asia Bibi from the gallows in Pakistan, her lawyer says he is facing the wrath of Islamist extremists―and wonders who will save him. But despite the threats against him, Saif-ul-Mulook says he regrets nothing, and will continue his legal ﬁght against intolerance. Mulook’s latest victory saw the freeing of Asia Bibi―a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy, who spent nearly a decade on death row―after the Supreme Court overturned her conviction Wednesday. “The verdict has shown that the poor, the minorities and the lowest segments of society can get justice in this country despite its shortcomings,” he told AFP immediately after the verdict. “This is the biggest and happiest day of my life.” Demonstrations against the ruling erupted across the country hours later, with the extremists calling for mutiny against the army’s top brass, and for the assassination of Supreme Court justices. Blasphemy is a highly inﬂammatory charge in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even the slightest whiff of insulting Islam and its Prophet Mohammed can incite vigilante mobs. Mulook said he feels he is now a sitting duck with no security or escape plan. “I think I have absolutely no safety. No security and I am the easiest target... anybody can kill me,” he said. The defense of Bibi was just the latest in a long line of controversial cases taken up by the barrister. In 2011, Mulook was the lead prosecutor against Mumtaz Qadri over the assassination of Punjab governor Salman Taseer―a prominent critic of the country’s blasphemy laws and supporter of Bibi. AFP

Moon: N. Korea’s Kim to visit Seoul soon

SEOUL―North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Seoul “soon”, the South’s President Moon Jae-in said Thursday, amid a rapid diplomatic thaw on the peninsula despite the stalled nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington. At their third summit in Pyongyang in September, the leaders of the two Koreas agreed Kim would visit Seoul “in the near future” without giving a speciﬁc date. Moon later suggested that the trip was likely to happen this year, and told lawmakers Thursday that the peninsula was approaching “the historic starting line” for peace. “It appears that Chairman Kim Jong Un’s trip to Russia and a visit to North Korea by (Chinese) President Xi Jinping will happen soon,” Moon said, adding there was an “open” possibility of a meeting between Kim and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “Chairman Kim Jong Un’s return visit to Seoul will happen soon,” he added. No further detail was given. But despite the ﬂurry of diplomatic activity on and around the peninsula differences are emerging between Seoul and its security ally Washington, which stations 28,500 troops in the South to protect it from its neighbor. At their historic Singapore summit, brokered by Moon, Kim and US President Donald Trump signed a vaguely-worded statement on denuclearization but there has been little progress since then. AFP

SAVANNAH FILM FESTIVAL. Actress Ella Hunt poses for a portrait during the 21st SCAD Savannah Film Festival on October 31, 2018, in Savannah, Georgia. AFP

‘N. Korean women face rampant sexual abuse’ SEOUL―North Korean police and other officials prey on women with near-total impunity, a rights group said Thursday, in a rare report on sex abuse in the isolated nation. US-based Human Rights Watch drew on interviews with more than 50 North Korean escapees to chronicle gruesome details of rape and other abuses perpetrated by security officers such as border guards, but also civilian officials. The nuclear-armed North, which is accused of widespread rights abuses by the United Nations and other critics, is a deeply hierarchical and patriarchal society where the traditional values of deference to authority still hold sway. But the vast majority of both defectors and market traders in the North are female. Many women have more freedom of movement than men as they are not assigned a state job from which their absence will be noticed. North Korean women caught fleeing the country to China or who are repatriated from its neighbor face severe punishment including torture, imprisonment and sexual abuse, the report said.

“Every night some woman would be forced to leave with a guard and be raped,” said one abuse victim in her 30s who was once held at a border detention center. “Every night a prison guard would open the cell. I stood still quietly, acting like I didn’t notice, hoping it wouldn’t be me,” she said. Traders who smuggle goods across the border with China to sell at state-sanctioned private markets are forced to pay “bribes” including sexual favors, the report said. The perpetrators include managers at state-owned enterprises, and gatekeeper ofﬁcials at the markets and on roads and checkpoints, such as “police, prosecutors, soldiers, and railroad inspectors on trains,” it said. But the NOTICE concept of rape Notice is hereby given the intestate of the is differ- that Late Ma. Jennifer Cecilia Macatangay, who died ent in the J. without living any will on North, it April 19, 2017 has been by way of Selfa d d e d , settled adjudication by her sole heir and mother, Ma. where it Teresa J. Macatangay is seen as as per Doc. No. 18, No. 18, Book No. I, applying Page series of 2018 of notarial only if register of Atty. Henson Montalvo Notary violence M. Public for and in the City of Makati. is used.

One anonymous former textile trader in her 40s recounted being treated like a sex toy “at the mercy of men”. “On the days they felt like it, market guards or police ofﬁcials could ask me to follow them to an empty room outside the market, or some other place they’d pick,” where they forced sexual encounters, she said. AFP

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES National Capital Region REGIONAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID Procurement of 3-Phase Generator Set 1.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – National Capital Region (DENR-NCR), through the GAA CY’ 2018 – Capital Outlay intends to apply the sum of One Million Seven Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP1,700,000.00) for the supply and delivery of One unit of Generator Set (3-Phase) including installation, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)1 to payments under the contract for Procurement of Generator Set. Bids received in excess of the ABC for each item shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The DENR-NCR now invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, authorized franchised dealers to bid for the following item/s, to wit

Item No.

(OCT. 19,26 & NOV. 2, 2018)

200,000.00

1,700,000.00

Interested bidders may obtain further information from DENR-NCR and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during Monday to Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on October30, to November 19, 2018 from the address belowand upon payment of the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP5,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the DENR-NCR website (http://www. ncr.denr.gov.ph), provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The DENR-NCR will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on November 07, 2018, 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon at the Conference Room. 4th Floor, DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City, which shall beopen to prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 10:00 A.M. of November19, 2018. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18..

5. Approval of the extension of termination date for granting stock options to five years or until May 31, 2023 and the corresponding amendment to Paragraph 11 of the amended Stock Option Plan of the Company;

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 A.M. onwards of November 20, 2018 at the Conference Room 4th Floor, DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. 9.

The DENR-NCR reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

10. For further information, please refer to: RBAC Secretariat Procurement Section, 3rdFloor, DENR-NCR Bldg. National Ecology Center East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Tel. No. 932-13-71

8. Such other matters as may properly come before the meeting and which are not known to management beforehand at a reasonable time.

October 26, 2018.

By authority of the Board of Directors (Sgd.) HERMOGENE H. REAL Corporate Secretary

Installation/construction • Construction of 200KVA, 3phase, 240V, 60 Hz Generator Concrete pad; • Construction of Generator Shed (House); • Supply and install 1 piece 5/8x10 ground rod with ground clamp; • Supply and install electrical conduit piping; • Supply and install automatic transfer switch for generator; • Supply and install 2 sets of #200mm THHN wire. TOTAL

1,500,000.00

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.

3. Approval for the re-appointment of Sycip Gorres Velayo and Company (SGV) as the Company’s independent external auditor;

7. Ratification of all acts, contracts, resolutions and proceedings made and entered into by Management and/or the Board of Directors since the June 1, 2016 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting;

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

2. Approval of Minutes of the annual stockholders’ meeting held on June 1, 2016;

6. Approval of grant of stock option awards to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries;

3-Phase Generator Set (200KVA, 240V, 60Hz)

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

The agenda of the meeting provides, among others:

4. Approval of the increase in authorized capital stock and the corresponding amendments to Article Seventh of the amended Articles of Incorporation and Article I, Section 1 of the amended By-Laws of the Company;

Quantity

Interested bidder may bid on a per item basis. Delivery of the Goods is required within fifteen (15) calendar days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed, within three (3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Notice is hereby given that the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting of Benguet Corporation will be held on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 3 o’clock in the afternoon at the 4th Floor, JV Del Rosario Rooms 2-5, JV Del Rosario Building, AIM Conference Center Manila, Benavidez cor. Trassiera Street, Legaspi Village, 1229 Makati City, Philippines.

1. For election of the Board of Directors;

Description

BENGUET CORPORATION 7th Flr. Universal–Re Building 106 Paseo de Roxas, 1226 Makati City ANNOUNCEMENT

SYDNEY―China’s rising and “unprecedented influence” in the Indo-Pacific region will challenge American interests, but confrontation must not define the relations between the two powers, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned Thursday. In his first major foreign policy speech, Morrison tried to tread a careful line between Australia’s alliance with the United States and engaging a rapidly and evermore assertive China. “Inevitably, in the period ahead, we will be navigating a higher degree of US-China strategic competition,” Morrison told the Asia Society Australia in Sydney. “It is important that USChina relations do not become defined by confrontation,” he said, against a backdrop of the two economic behemoths trading economic sanctions and counter-sanctions in an everdeepening trade dispute. Australia―a member of the “Five Eyes” Western intelligence alliance and with longstanding and close military ties with Washington―finds itself slap-bang in the middle of one of the 21st century’s geopolitical hot spots. A quiet battle is raging for influence in the South Pacific―a region of small island states that is vital to international shipping and provides a stepping stone for Beijing and Washington to project military and economic power across the Pacific region. “As economic power shifts, it’s unsurprising that nations will seek to play a bigger strategic role in our region,” said Morrison. “China, in particular, is exercising unprecedented influence in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. “China is the country that is most changing the balance of power, sometimes in ways that challenge important US interests.” AFP

(SGD) GWENDOLYN C. BAMBALAN. Chairperson, Regional Bids and Awards Committee DENR-NCR National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Telephone No. (02) 426-38-46 1

(MS-NOV. 2, 2018)

Subject for clearance / approval (MS-NOV. 2, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

friday, november 2, 2018

LocaL government units

FOR BASECO. Senator Cynthia A. Villar shares a laugh with Manila Rep. Crystal Bagatsing (in red jacket) and volunteers as she plants a mangrove sapling at Gasangan, Barangay 649 in

Baseco, Manila to ensure the continuous flow of water in the vicinity and prevent the onset of water-borne diseases. The senator also gave out 300 toilets bowls to households in the area to address the problem of poor sanitation, which has been made worse by the practice of open defecation due to the lack of toilets. Lino Santos

E. Visayas crime volume drops Angeles P1-b loan from DBP ‘inconsiderate’ By Romeo Dizon ANGELES CITY―Mayoralty candidate Alex Cauguiran has described as “totally inconsiderate” the city government’s decision to acquire a P1-billion loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines to construct a new city hall building and a modern sports complex. Cauguiran said the funds should be used instead to develop the City College of Angeles and the Ospital ng Angeles. he urged Mayor edgardo Pamintuan and Vice Mayor Brian Nepomuceno to “stop all these projects as no award has yet been made.” “The mayor and vice mayor must first address the basic priority needs of the city and its residents, to provide better medical and health services, and expand opportunities for free college education, before constructing these modern facilities,” Cauguiran said. “Spending public funds for the construction of grandiose project before the immediate need of people is a failure of public policy and flaw in good governance,” he added. “This is mostly the cause of failure of a good governance project that does not match the immediate need of the governed,” Cauguiran stressed. Pamintuan and Nepomuceno were not available for comment on the matter. Cauguiran, former chief-of-staff of Pamintuan, said LGU officials should instead channel the funds to address the inadequacies at the ONA and to accommodate more poor but deserving students at the CCA. “how can we in conscience put the convenience of LGU officials over and above the need for medical services of our residents, most of whom cannot afford to go to the private hospitals? Build a sports complex or provide more opportunities for free quality education?” he said.

By Ronald O. Reyes

ACLOBAN CITY―Police officials in Eastern Visayas have reported a “substantial decrease” in crime volume of 1,013 incidents for the first nine months of 2018.

The Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division showed a comparative report of crime volume of 7,325 for the months of January to September 2018 compared to 8,338 in the same period last year. “The notable decrease in crimes is attributed to the combined efforts of Philippine National Police Regional Office 8, other law enforcement agencies, local government units, and the community,” said eastern Visayas Police Director Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos in a statement. PRO-8’s intensified and continued

campaign against criminality and illegal drugs has pulled down the crime volume in the entire region, he added. Carlos said index crimes showed a reduction of 440 incidents or a rate of 10 incidents per 100,000 population of the 2,113 incidents for the same period in 2018, compared to 2,553 crimes for the same period in 2017. For the non-index crimes, the decline was at 573 incidents or a non-index crime rate of 12 incidents per 100,000 population of the total 5,212 incidents in 2018, compared to last year’s figure of 5,785.

Index crimes are offenses which are serious in nature and occur with sufficient frequency and regularity, such as rape, murder, homicide, physical injury, robbery, theft, carnapping, and cattle rustling. The non-index crimes are mostly violations of special laws like illegal fishing, logging, gambling, and others, the PNP added. Meanwhile, Police Supt. Ma. Bella Rentuaya, PRO-8’s public information officer, said the region is already prepared for this year’s observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 1 and 2. She said about 1,692 policemen and 2,418 force multipliers are set to be deployed to secure the region’s 278 cemeteries. Checkpoints will also be in place to secure cemetery-goers around the region.

‘UNDAS’ FREEBIES. Former Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito (in green shirt) gives out free candles and bottled water to people visiting the public cemetery in Pagsanjan, Laguna. Ejercito does this yearly with his wife, Pagsanjan Mayor Maita Ejercito, and son Councilor Jet Ejercito for the annual observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Roy Tomandao

Makati to hold Mega Job Fair on November 9 By Joel E. Zurbano The Makati City government will hold a Job Fair on Nov. 9 at the Ayala Malls Circuit Activity Center, where job-seekers can be hired on the spot by at least 26 participating companies. Mayor Abigail Binay urged both residents and non-residents seeking employment to participate in the event dubbed as “One-Day Mega Job Fair.” The city’s Public employment Service Office has confirmed 26 participating companies in the job fair, organized in partnership with the Department of Labor and employment and Ayala Land, Inc. The participating companies include Andok’s Litson, Bench, BFL-Book For Less, China Bank, CNT, Dunkin Donuts, expression Stationary Shop, Fox Box, George Optical, Group Perspective Inc., Guill Berns, Market Place Christian Church Transport & MultiPurpose Cooperative, Mesa Restaurant, Mirof Resources, More Than Jobs, Naila-holics, Phil. Survey Research Center, Rackshack Circuit, Receivers & Liquidators, Regalong Pambahay, Rustan Supercenter, Samjin Amook, Serenitea, The Burgery Shop, Torch and Uniqlo. Among the government agencies present to extend their services to job applicants during the activity are the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Pag-IBIG, Philhealth, and Social Security System. The city’s Information and Community Relations Department reminded applicants to bring copies of their resume or biodata and other relevant documents. In the last fair, 137 job seekers were hired on the spot, while 339 others were qualified for further screening by participating firms during the Mega Job Fair spearheaded by the city government in June as part of its 348th year celebration.

QC launches book promoting city food scene By Rio N. Araja The Quezon City government is promoting food tourism through a book entitled “Food City: A Journey Through Quezon City’s Food Icons.” “This is a book we are doing in partnership with the Quezon City Tourism Council and a leading publisher on food. We want to make a book on food icons that includes restaurants and eating places that started here in Quezon City but are now known all over the country,” Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte said. Popular establishments such as Ma Mon Luk, Jollibee, Max’s Restaurant and Red Ribbon, started in Quezon City and have gone on to become household names. “These are all part of our pamana or heritage in our city. They became part of the lives of every Filipino but they are from Quezon City,” Belmonte said. The book is part of the city’s campaign to promote its history, culture and arts to cement an identity that its residents can be proud of, she added. “Promoting our tourist sites, facets of faith, food icons, and museums is what we do to show what’s unique about the city especially among millennials,” Belmonte said.

Muntinlupa gives out candles, free shuttle rides for ‘Undas’ 2018

The Muntinlupa City government has provided free shuttle services to public and private cemeteries in the city for those visiting the graves of their departed loved ones for Undas 2018. Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said electronic jeepneys were deployed along National Road from Sucat to Tunasan to mobilize constituents visiting the six cemeteries in the city from

Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Free shuttles from the National Road thoroughfare going to the cemeteries were also provided through the City Bus and 18 flexi-trucks, Navarro added. Pick up points of free shuttle services were deployed at Susana heights Bus Terminal (everest hills Memorial Park), Plaza Central (Japanese Cemetery), Caltex Station—Soldiers hills (Muntinlupa

City Public Cemetery/Aglipay Cemetery), and Sucat east Service Road to Alabang Montillano St., to M.L Quezon St., to Meralco Road Loop (San Nicolas de Tolentino Cemetery). The Mayor’s Office led the Muntinlupa Undas 2018 program in coordination with the Muntinlupa Traffic and Management Bureau. The Community Affairs and Development Office, Ospital ng Muntinlupa, City

health Office, and the City Security Office also installed booths for medical assistance, free water, and distribution of 10,000 candles for free. Mayor Jaime Fresnedi ordered Muntinlupa Police and the Muntinlupa City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to augment security in the city’s six cemeteries to ensure peace and order in the celebration of All Saints’ and Souls’ Day.

Telebastagan school gains new building SAN FeRNANDO, Pampanga—The Telebastagan Integrated School is the recipient of a two-story, four-classroom school building borne out of the partnership between SM Prime and Bata Children’s Program Foundation through the SM Foundation. This is the maiden joint project of the two foundations after Bata Philippines opened its first store in SM Megamall in December 2016. It markets the european shoe brand Bata. Since then, more Bata stores can be found in The SM Store branches located in Metro Manila and in the provinces. The school building donation came shortly after SM City Telebastagan started operations in May where a Bata branch will soon open. The newly-built school building was turned over to school principal Nancy Gamboa, San Fernando Mayor edwin Santiago and Department

of education Schools Superintendent Dr. Ronnie Mallari by SM Foundation, Inc. and SM Prime represented by engr. Ramon Gil Macapagal, Corporate Affiars and Sustainability head of SMIC and Trustee of SM Foundation. The school building is fully-furnished with 200 armchairs, 20 of which are for left-handed pupils, four sets of teacher’s tables and chairs, 16 wall fans, eight blackboards, four wall clocks, and a toilet for each classroom. It is also equipped with a staircase for emergencies on both sides of the building, fire alarm bell, emergency light at the staircase landing, and ramps and toilets for disabled people. The desks were all made by the Foundation of the These-Abled, a group supported by SM FounOfficials of SM Prime and Bata Philippines present the symbolic key to the new four-classroom building for dation to ensure sustainability of its services to Telebastagan Integrated School in Pampanga to school principal Nancy Gamboa, San Fernando Mayor Edwin people with disabilities. Santiago, and Schools Superintendent Dr. Ronnie Mallari.

Life

bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @mStandardLife

culture and media

friday, november 2, 2018

Seniors go around the world

he fourth anniversary celebration of senior recreation center Sunshine Place brought its members and audience around the world with performances inspired by the rich cultures and music of Asia, europe, and the Americas. The senior center’s talented members and instructors took part in the Sunshine Travels anniversary show, which featured song numbers and dance acts showing everyone that talent indeed is ageless. Sunshine Travels also served as a recital for members who are enrolled in the center’s various classes. Maricor Mendoza, who was recovering from losing her voice a few years ago, found her voice and surprised the audience with a Mexican-inspired song-anddance number. The dance class students, meanwhile, took guests to the United States through a tap dance performed to the beat of an earth, Wind & Fire medley, while Maryknoll Batch ‘68 Jubilarians and instructor eJ Villacorta took centerstage with a dance number inspired by the Broadway musical “A Chorus Line.” Le Bran elite students led by Bing Pimentel, helen Siy, and Corazon Zamora danced to the foxtrot rhythm; while the Le Bran instructors performed a graceful Brazilian Samba. Mother-daughter tandem Cecile and Marichi de Joya showed they were just as talented on the dance floor with their fiery flamenco from Southern Spain.

The Sunshine Place instructors also delighted the members and guests with classic folk songs from the Philippines—voice class instructor Isaac Iglesias with his rendition of “Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak” and piano teacher Cloi Sugano who sang “Sa Kabukiran.” The guests also participated in the chair dancing session led by instructor Danny Vinculado swaying along a fun mix of OPM, K-Pop, Chinese, and J-Pop songs. The Social Ballroom and Yeba class members also enjoyed an impromptu performance with instructor Nikki Camasura. One of the highlights of the event was a special tenor performance by Tony Pastor who sang and played the piano. he was later joined by brother Rafael Pastor. Completing the anniversary show was the mini concert of the award-winning band, Rockin’ 60s, who sang jukebox hits of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, from The Beach Boys, Neil Sedaka, Ben e. King, Donny Osmond, Louis Armstrong, The Carpenters, and ABBA. One of the best moments of the event was Rockin’ 60s’ rendition of “We Got It All” led by band member and composer of the iconic SM jingle Dero Pedero—as the audience sang along.

Maryknoll Batch '68 Jubilarians and instructor EJ Villacorta performing a dance act inspired by the Broadway musical 'A Chorus Line.'

Le Bran Elite student Bing Pimentel in her foxtrot recital.

Garcia's critically acclaimed 'zines: More Diary Comics from a Relative Nobody and Rookie Moves

It’s November’s time to shine Best in Costume awardees Neny Regino in a T’boli attire and Josefina Docot in a Kuwaiti attire.

Flamenco performance by painting class student Cecile de Joya with daughter Marichi.

Felicidad Sy with Sunshine Place president Lizanne Uychaco, center head Gilda Reyes, and the Sunshine Place staff during the senior recreation center’s 4th anniversary show, 'Sunshine Travels.'

Candy brand calls for cover song entries

Nips Pop Fest invites solo singers and bands to create the best cover of the song 'Nips at Heart.'

ASPIRING young artists are once again invited to showcase their musical talents as Jack ‘n Jill Nips brings back Nips Pop Fest. This year’s contest invites solo singers and bands to join the search for the best song cover video of the “Nips at heart” jingle. Interested participants must shoot an audition video featuring their own rendition of the catchy jingle, save it on .mov (video) and .mp4 (audio) formats, and email it to nipspopfest2018@gmail. com with their name, contact number, acemail address, and social media ac count name (Facebook and YouTube). Deadline for submission of entries is on Nov. 7. The winner with the best rendition of “Nips at heart” jingle will take home the grand prize of P100,000, while the second and third place winwin ners will receive P50,000 and P30,000, respectively. The People’s Choice Awardee will get P30,000.

TheRe is absolutely no shortage of talents in the Philippines. Case in point: a Filipina cartoonist making a splash in the world stage. Born and raised in the Philippines, November Garcia always drew and created comics for fun. But it wasn’t until she moved to San Francisco in her early 20s to attend art school that she discovered indie and underground comics. “Reading Peter Bagge, R. Crumb, and Jim Woodring is what made me want to seriously make comics,” shared Garcia. But despite of the inspiration, she said, she tried to avoid doing any real writing because she wasn’t confident in her abilities. “My professors would encourage me to enter pieces into the school’s art shows even though I never got in,” she shared. “I guess they always loved my funny ideas and weirdo characters, but my art was lacking in execution.” When she returned home to the country in 2015, Garcia continued making comics, persistently and diligently focusing on improving her craft; often just posting her work online to little notice. Then, in a combination of sheer luck and fortuitous timing, Matt Moses of hic and hoc Publications, a New Jersey-based publishing house—happened upon her blog and offered to publish her first comic. In 2017, Foggy Notions was released and globally distributed. Foggy Notions is a collection of autobiographical shorts that details Garcia’s episodic misadventures during the many years she spent living in San Francisco. It soon garnered critical acclaim around the world. It has also been featured in The Comics Journal, Broken Frontier, highLow, Just Indie Comics, and more. The Pinay cartoonist’s figure drawing is simple and efficient, but her aesthetic is an homage to her roots in the underground, the indie comics of her predecessors. Garcia’s style is nothing like the ultrarendered superhero people sometimes as-

sociated with the words “comic books,” rather it is based on the influence of Peter Bagge, Gabrielle Bell, John Porcellino, and Lynda Barry. It is the conscious and complete antithesis of flashy superheroes. From the subtleties of real life, alcoholism, and the mundane come moments of great humor and the occasional difficult times. Meanwhile, her serial comic Malarkey—which captures funny events from her daily life, random (mis)adventures, and oddly hilarious conversations with her mother—has also generated its fair share of critical praise. Malarkey #1 was included in The Comics Journal’s list of The Best ShortForm Comics of 2016, while Malarkey #2 was listed in the Top Ten Single Issues of 2017 by the Daily Grindhouse. This year, Garcia is the recipient of Short Run Seattle’s Dash Grant. In addition, she will be premiering Malarkey #3, whose original cover art will be featured at the Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery show. Garcia will debut Malarkey #3 in this year’s Short Run Seattle on Nov. 3 and locally at Komikon—the longest running Filipino comics convention—on Nov. 17-18. her books are distributed locally through distributors and bookstores such as Studio Soup Zine Library, Mt. Cloud Bookstore, Buku Buku Café, and Comics Odyssey. They are also available abroad through the famed Spit and a half distributor in the US and the hopeless Sapling Distributor in the UK. Now that she’s back home, Garcia is able to dedicate more time to her comics. Garcia said it’s hard to tell what the future holds, but she promises to make better comics and work a lot harder every day. “It’s a blessing and a curse,” she said, “but I’ll probably do comics until the day I die.” Find November Garcia at www.novembergarcia.com and on social media at @novembergarcia.

Filipina cartoonist November Garcia makes a splash abroad with her comic books.

Entertainment

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Shoichi Tanimura

wants a share of beauty market A JAPANESE beauty expert was in town recently. Shoichi Tanimura’s expertise along with a line beauty products are now being introduced in the market, thanks to Hair Asia President Evelyn Alvaran-Cruz at the Salon Spectacular 2018, an annual (competition and trade fair) event that her group Hair Asia is organizing. It is happening on Nov. 20 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Tanimura and his team from Hair Hospital Group (Kami no Byou-in, Co. Ltd.) will present to the local market the Danae Premium Line products of high-end shampoo and hair treatments comprised of GPolyphenol, SG Cleansing, Core Treatment, KK Treatment, Hema-K, Hair Softener-N, Miracorale, Chito Refresher and Repair Treatment-P. He says that the products are all water based and the water used in these products is from the natural springs of Gifu, Japan. Tanimura is also famous in Japan for his Hair Respirator, a product he developed after more than 18 months of intense research. He describes it as something that acts like a “respiratory organ” for hair, allowing the hair to “breathe again.” Tanimura conducts over 200 seminars annually in Japan where he teaches beauty techniques, theories and methods, including human resources training and development, and business management. He’s been featured on Japanese television (NHK) introduced as The Temple of Refuge for Troubled Hair. Among his international clients are Mongolia’s former President, Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat (now current member of the Constitutional Court of Mongolia) and his wife, former First Lady Sharav Tsevelmaa. Surprisingly, Tanimura has been traveling back and forth to the Philippines the last 17 years now, not as a businessman but as a philanthropist. He has built a school for the Aetas in Pampanga, which has taught the indigenous people to read and write, among other things. It is just now that he’s bringing his expertise and products to the Philippines as part of his continuing love for this country he considers his second home. Tanimura will be back in time for Salon Spectacular 2018 at World Trade Center on Nov. 20. Apart from introducing his products to the Philippine market, Tanimura is also putting up his own salon, SANC Hair Clinic at Okada Hotel. It is slated to open in March next year. *** ‘Let’s Do Lunch’ What will you have for lunch? Filipino, Italian, Japanese, Chinese cuisine? Or all of those? Well, on Nov. 11, you can have those virtually while watching the new cooking/talk show on GMA News TV (Ch. 11 on free-toair TV), and it goes on the air every Sunday, 11 to 11:30 a.m. with chef Sharwin Tee as host. If you’ve been watching cooking shows on any channel available on your cable TV provider, like Food Channel, AFC (Asian Food Channel), tlc, FYI and many others, you’d notice that Let’s Do Lunch’s format is very different as it doesn’t only show the audience the way to cook a dish and what recipes must be used, but it is also a talk show with guests that have made a positive impact in the society. The chef/host will take a jab on them so they can share their secrets to success; give the audience a peek into their mindsets and beliefs, through, as we say, the lens of food. The interviews take place over a shared meal that chef Sharwin cooked for them in a cozy setting. Among the celebrities that are lined up to appear in the show are Julie San Jose, Kylene Alcantara, Derrick Monasterio,

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor

Rediscover love and family in Sharon-Goma-Kathryn movie How can you make love last the test of time? Is there truly such a thing as forever?

Shoichi Tanimura and Evelyn Alvaran-Cruz

and beauty queen Mariel de Leon. If you’re unfamiliar with chef Sharwin Tee, you can log on and go to YouTube and Facebook and search for Curiosity Got the Chef, a long-running cooking and travel show on TV, and on the web Bet You Didn’t Know and Not Safe for the Hugry. Sharwin is know for his quirky yet innovative twists on traditional Filipino and Fil-Chi cuisine after graduating from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vacouver, Canada. He is also an author with two books published Curiosity Got The Chef, The Cookbook and the recently released So, You Want To Be Chef?, a memoir chronicling his journey to cooking, from a six-year old kid mesmerized by a cooking show to becoming what he is now, a true inspiration for many aspiring chefs. Sharwin also cooked for a number of dignitaries and social and political celebrities like the former Canadian Ambassador Christopher Thornley and current Canadian Ambassador to Manila John Holmes at his residence, Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Vice-President Leni G. Robredo, Top Chef champion Paul Qui, the Voice’s Dia Frampton, and Pinoy rock star Ely Buendia. Sharwin has also worked with global consumer brands like Hunt’s and Spam, processed food company Nutri Asia, convenience store Mini Stop, meat wholesaler Bounty Fresh, wine company Casillero del Diablo, and the United States Potato Board mainly to conduct seminars, create recipes and hold cooking demonstrations. He is also an advocate of education and reading regularly holding pop-up dinners the entire proceeds of which go to building pubic school libraries. To date, he has held some 20 pop-up dinners in the country and overseas, all sold out in San Francisco, Detroit, St. Louis, Seattle, and Chicago. *** All the fun in ‘I-Bilib’ Learning about science is fun in I-Bilib featuring Street Genius! This Sunday, learn and have fun together with award-winning host Chris Tiu, the wacky duo of James & Rodfil of Moymoy Palaboy and Kapuso darling Kyline Alcantara! What happens when the metal plate at one end of a barbell is spun at a very fast speed? Can you make a small rocket fly with just the help of baking soda and vinegar? Discover the amazing answers with the help of Street Genius in the Extraordinary Weightlift Experiment and Rocket Roof Experiment! Sand or grapes or cotton when poured into a glass filled with water, which of these will not cause the water to overflow? Find out in the Bulak Ball Experiment! Will a bowling ball sink or float inside an aquarium? Find out in the Floating Bowling Ball Experiment! Join James and Roadfill as they investigate who can make Bilibabol Malunggay Art! For Huling Hirit, Kyline shows us a yummy kitchen hack- Pizza Cones! Remember, make your Sunday mornings more exciting and educational with I-Bilib! *** More stories of these kinds at www.isah. red. Follow me on Facebook (@isahvr), Twitter (@isahvred and Instagran (@isahvred. ΙŘ

Kathryn Bernardo, Sharon Cuneta and Richard Gomez with ‘Three Words to Forever’ director Cathy Garcia-Molina during the film’s story conference.

Rebisco’s upcoming family-oriented movie explores these timeless and enduring questions in a simple yet poignant story of a family’s journey to discover the true meaning of commitment, even as people, priorities and feelings change. Aptly dubbed Three Words to Forever, the movie is the snack giant’s third sponsored cinema offering which aims to inspire

and strengthen Filipino families by promoting values of understanding, respect, unity and love, among others. Their ﬁrst ﬁlm, in partnership with Star Cinema, was the 2013 comedy-drama blockbuster hit Four Sisters and A Wedding, which coincided with Rebisco’s 50th anniversary celebration. It featured an ensemble cast including Angel Locsin, Bea Alonzo, Toni Gonzaga, Shaina Mag-

Jericho’s ‘Magpahanggang Wakas’ to air in Vietnam, Myanmar ABS-CBN signed distribution deals that will make the Jericho Rosales starrer Magpahanggang Wakas available in Southeast Asian countries Vietnam and Myanmar. Viet Content, a media group into content acquisition and distribution, is bringing Magpahanggang Wakas (I’ll Never Say Goodbye) to Vietnamese viewers. In the series, Jericho is reunited with a long-lost love in Arci Muñoz, but they must choose between continuing their love and forgetting it. Jericho Rosales with ‘Magpahanggang Meanwhile, meWakas’ co-star dia company S&E Arci Muñoz Syndication signed to continue airing the recently concluded Asintado in Myanmar, which stars Julia Montes, as a young woman searching for her sister while trying to get revenge against the people who destroyed their family. Canal +, a premium cable channel, will bring The Better Half to Myanmar. The show features a love square with Carlo Aquino, Shaina Magdayao, Denise Laurel, and JC de Vera, tainted with obsession and jealousy. ABS-CBN shows like Pangako Sa ‘Yo, La Luna Sangre, The Legal Wife, and Bridges of Love have aired in other Southeast Asian countries like ThaiDavid reveals it’s an honor for him to land and Cambodia. be part of the well-loved daytime series, ABS-CBN’s content, popular for “I was able to do things out of my comfort its heartfelt Filipino stories, is made zone like travelling to places I’ve never been before and acting alongside veteran available across other territories actors. I had the pleasure of working with through ABS-CBN InternationalDthe great director Gil Tejada, Jr. and the istribution, recognized in the global rest of the crew who ultimately brought arena as a reliable foreign content proout the best in me.” “The show has definitely taught me vider. It has been a premier source of a lot. I liked seeing my character, Zach, high quality Filipino programming in grew from being just the simple, happy over 50 territories all over the world go lucky guy to being very mature and and has sold over 40,000 hours of driven,” he added. Will the family of Rio (Sunshine), Nico content worldwide. Living up to this (Zoren), and Claire (Bea) finally reunite? recognition, ABS-CBN International Will Miranda’s (Bing) evil plans finally Distribution commits to add to its come to an end? Who will win the heart line-up of high-caliber programs and of Joaquin (Ben) between Rio and Claire? movies with cast and storylines that Don’t miss the climactic finale of Kapag Nahati Ang Puso, under the direction appeal to various cultures. Visit its of Gil Tejada, Jr., today before Eat website http://internationalsales.abscbn.com. Bulaga on GMA7.

‘Kapag Nahati Ang Puso’ airs riveting finale

‘Kapag Nahati Ang Puso’ lead cast Bea Binene, Benjamin Alves and Sunshine Cruz

BITTER rivalries and complicated secrets come to an end as GMA Network’s toprating morning series Kapag Nahati Ang Puso concludes its run today. Kapuso viewers have followed the intriguing drama about two women vying

for the affection of one man without knowing their real relationship as mother and daughter. Kapag Nahati Ang Puso features the intertwined stories of the characters played by Zoren Legaspi, Sunshine Cruz, Bing Loyzaga, Benjamin

dayao and Enchong Dee. In 2017, the snack maker co-produced the heartwarming family drama, Seven Sundays, which starred Ronaldo Valdez, Aga Muhlach, Dingdong Dantes, Cristine Reyes and Enrique Gil. Three Words to Forever will mark the homegrown snack manufacturer’s third collaboration with Star Cinema, and will cap its year-long 55th anniversary celebration. The highly anticipated movie, under the direction of Cathy Garcia-Molina, will also star Kathryn Bernardo. “Filipinos have close-knit families. It is one of our strengths as a people,” Rebisco President Jonathan C. Ng said. “But even families need time and effort if they are to remain strong and stable. And that’s what this movie is about. It’s about the realities— the proverbial ups and downs—of families and relationships.” Ng noted that as a well-loved legacy brand enjoyed by generations of Filipino families, this movie reinforces the company’s vision to bring families and loved ones together through the shared love for food. “Sometimes, all it takes to rekindle the love is a simple gesture, like snacking together while talking or reminiscing the good times,” he added. “Family and food are two things that are near and dear to our hearts. We hope that this movie inspires people to rethink and reafﬁrm their relationships, especially as the holiday season approaches.” For updates on Three Words to Forever, visit the ofﬁcial Rebisco Facebook page.

Alves, David Licauco and Bea Binene. Benjamin shares his memorable moments portraying the role of Joaquin, including one of his scenes with Sunshine as Rio. “Yung scene na nag-offer si Rio na pag-aralin si Joaquin. Dun ko nakilala siJoaquin sa mga scenes na yun. Matulungin at may pangarap siya sa buhay na hindi lang niya nakamit dahil sa kanyang sitwasyon.’’ Bea expresses her gratefulness for the successful run of Kapag Nahati Ang Puso and for the Kapuso viewers’ unwavering support and love. She has learned many lessons while playing the role of Claire in the drama series. “I learned to appreciate someone’s worth and to know all sides of the story. You shouldn’t just believe in what a person is saying, you also need to ﬁnd out what the other party’s opinion is and you have to keep an open mind.”

Motoring

Suzuki donates to

Lingkod Kapamilya

Foundation

UZUKI Philippines, Inc. upholds its commitment of improving the lives of Filipinos nationwide by working yet again with ABSCBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. SPH donated 16 vehicle units for use in two of ALKFI’s flagship programs, Bantay Bata 163 and Bantay Kalikasan. The vehicles consist of two Super Carry utility vans and 14 A-X4 motorcycles. The Suzuki multifunction utility automobiles and 2 units of motorcycles will support the operations of Bantay Bata Children’s Village and Bantay Kalikasan headquarters at the La Mesa Eco Park. The remaining 12 A-X4s will be used in Bantay Kalikasan regional sites around the country such as Laguna, Romblon, Palawan, Samar, Leyte, Iloilo, Davao and Saranggani. The Bantay Bata 163 program oversees and protects children’s rights and wellbeing while Bantay Kalikasan promotes sustainability and environment management. “We’re very proud and honored to be part of another ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation project that seeks to give back and contribute to the development of our nation and its citizens. As we face more complicated challenges today, we need more than ever to take collective action to ensure a bright future for our youth and to drive the nation forward. As

such, we encourage everyone to join us and support this meaningful campaign,” shared Suzuki Philippines, Inc. President Hiroshi Suzuki. The collaboration between SPH and ALKFI, a duly-registered non-stock, nonprofit organization focused on development programs for strategic sectors in the Philippines, started in 2013 through Sagip Kapamilya or Operation Sagip efforts. Sagip Kapamilya, which is one of ALKFI’s three flagship programs, aimed to provide relief and assistance to calamitystricken areas through rehabilitation and sustainable projects. SPH has continued to support the other projects of ALKFI in their five fruitful years of partnership. Earlier this year, the two organizations teamed up for the One Suzuki for Marawi Campaign, one of the partnership’s biggest advocacy projects yet. Through the campaign, which was held at the Raider R150 Summit at the World Trade Center in Manila and Tagum City in Davao, SPH and ALKFI, together with the Suzuki community of riders,

dealers, partners and employees, were able to collect P3.6 million in cash donations for the recovery and rehabilitation of Marawi City. “Thank you so much to ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. for always inviting us to take part in their noble efforts to help those in need. We at Suzuki Philippines are always looking for opportunities to reach even more sectors of the society, in particular supporting efforts for the environment and the youth. We hope our beloved Suzuki units will be of good use in Bantay Bata and Bantay Kalikasan activities,” said SPH Vice President and General Manager for Automobile Shuzo Hoshikura. ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. Board Member Gina Lopez, Managing Directo Susan Afan, Chief Financial Ofﬁcer Lita Lara, Bantay Kalikasan Program Director Jen Santos and Bantay Bata Program Director Jing Reyes were joined by Suzuki Philippines Inc. President Hiroshi Suzuki and Managing Director Norminio Mojica during the turnover of automobile and motorcycle units. “Truly, it has been an honor and a privilege to work with our ABS-CBN Foundation family in this effort of taking a humble part in the holistic development of our community. As mentioned by President Suzuki, it is a high-time for all of us to actively participate in overcoming the issues that challenge our society today and this is our way of lending hands to other cause,” shared SPH Managing Director Norminio Mojica.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018

Performance by KYB WHEN it comes to suspension systems, only one brand comes to mind, KYB of Japan. Developed and engineered from the company’s vast market and motorsports experience, KYB shocks, springs and mounting kits assures greater durability, structural reliability and safety. With its stringent research and development program, KYB engineers obtained the most optimal damping characteristics of their products for both on and off road use. Massiveparts Incorporated, the local distributor of KYB shock absorbers in the Philippines introduces the New SR Special shock absorber that combines OE comfort with improved damping characteristics. This allows the KYB suspension equipment to enhance the basic performance of any vehicle. Most especially in everyday driving situations we normally encounter such as, accelerating, turning and stopping. More importantly, usin KYB’s line of shock absorbers will not only make your

car perform better, but safer as well. Gen Leong, the Marketing Manager, of Massiveparts Inc. “Our suspension systems are for those who would like to upgrade their daily drive. This works well with those who like to do long distance driving (like a sports car) on weekends and yet able to drive around in trafﬁc and uneven roads comfortably on a daily basis. Our products such as the new SR, KYB AGX, and K Flex lowering springs offers a comfortable ride, stability, better handling and cornering plus reduced braking distance. We have ﬁtments for most sedans, compact cars , SUV’s and tuned cars from brands such as Subaru, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, Ford and Suzuki,” adds Leong. For details and inquiries contact Massiveparts Inc., with their address at 2823 Bagac St. Tondo, Manila, telephone numbers (+632) 2534193/ (+632) 2534050 / (+632) 2534045. Visit their facebook www.facebook.com/KYBPhilippines

Top executives from Toyota Motor Philippines, Grab Philippines, and Toyota Financial Services Philippines have officially signed the Memorandum of Agreement that makes vehicle replacement and regular maintenance easier for existing TNVS drivers.At the formal signing are (from left) Grab PH Head of Strategic Supply Laurence Bahia, TMP Senior Executive Vice President David Go, TFSPH President Atsushi Murakami, TMP President Satoru Suzuki, Grab PH Country Head Brian Cu, and TFSPH Vice President Marlon Pernez.

Latest baby SUV: Volkswage T-Cross

3 Ford models win awards

THREE vehicle-models of Ford Philippines recently bagged awards for innovation, design, and safety features. The Ford Mustang, Ford Ranger, and Ford Expedition were recognized as the top vehicles in their respective segments in the 2018-2019 Auto Focus Media’s Choice Awards and Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards. The Ford Mustang was named Sports Car of the Year in the People’s Choice category which is determined by public voting. In the Media’s Choice Awards category which involves a rigorous selection participated by the country’s esteemed roster of motoring media, the Ford Ranger was awarded Best Design—Pick-up

of the Year while the Ford Expedition received the Best in Safety Features – Large SUV of the Year award. “These citations further inspire us to deliver great vehicles to our customers and ﬁnd ways to constantly improve the Ford ownership experience. We thank the organizers, the Philippine motoring media, and the general public for their continued support to Ford,” shares Bert Lessard, managing director, Ford Philippines. Ford has been a consistent award recipient in the Auto Focus Media’s Choice Awards and Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards. Last year, the Ford Explorer, Ford Mustang, and Ford Ranger were cited for safety, design, and engine performance.

VOLKSWAGEN has just presented its all-new SUV, and the most compact so far, the T-Cross. The subcompact crossover, which is set to launch in the spring of 2019. Better adapted to urban driving and even more compact than the Tiguan, the T-Cross aims to offer elegant looks, versatility and cutting-edge connective technology. Under the hood, there is a choice

of four turbocharged engines, three gasoline and one diesel, which range from 94 to 148 hp. The T-Cross is packed with features to enhance the safety of drivers and passengers alike, notably the Front Assist collision warning system, City Emergency Braking, Lane Assist, Hill Start Assist and two systems to facilitate changing lanes, Blind Spot Detection and Rear Trafﬁc

Alert, which is also helpful for pulling out of parking spaces. The smartphone applications accessible via the T-Cross’s 8-inch touch screen (which are compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay) can also be controlled with voice commands. Also on the dashboard, there is a fully customizable 10.25-inch digital instrument console. British supermodel and actress Cara Delevingne, who will act as ambassador for the T-Cross, announced her enthusiasm for Volkswagen and the new crossover: “I travel all the time, so working with Volkswagen, the largest automaker in the world, is a perfect partnership for me. The T-Cross is more than just a City-SUV ‚Äì it has multiple facets (like me!), and I love how stylish it is!!” Prices for the Volkswagen T-Cross will start at ‚Ç¨19,200. There will also be a limited First Edition, which will soon be available for order at ‚Ç¨26,300. The next big event for Volkswagen, will be the 2020 launch of its fully electric SUV, the I.D. CROZZ.

Motoring

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

C4 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018

Female rookie driver

races to top of Yokohama GT series

N A testosterone-driven sporting event, a female racer emerged series champion in the GT150 Class of the 2018 Yokohama Philippines Grand Touring Car Championship, which drew some of the best racers in the country last Oct. 21 at the Clark International Speedway. Kathy Villar, the lone female competitor in the race series, was also hailed as the first female Rookie Driver of the Year. Trailing behind Villar were first runner-up Lewy Manio and second runner-up Russ Agapito. Driving a Honda Civic EK hatchback, Villar recorded the fastest lap time of 2.21.573, besting other competitors and eventually winning the GT150 title. In the GT200 class, Edwin Rodriguez finished the season at the top of the driver points standing to clinch top series honors, while Paolo Ivan Santos and Paul Santos finished first and second runnersup, respectively. “Racing with some of the country’s top drivers is such a privilege and I’m just very grateful for the opportunity and the recognition. It was indeed an adrenalinecharged series. Huge thanks to everyone

who made this possible,” says Villar, who attributes a big part of her victory to her rigorous training. Villar was trained by her coach and race car engineer, Edgen Dy-Liacco, who was also a champion in karting, rallying and Formula Toyota racing in the Philippines. Sanctioned by the Automobile Association of the Philippines and sponsored by Yokohama Philippines, the six-leg Yokohama Grand Touring Car Championship kicked off last May and ran until the October ﬁnale. The races were held at the Clark International Speedway and Batangas Racing Circuit. The annual series is under the Philippine Petron Motorsports Championships, which also holds other racing events like Philminiracers, Classic Aspirated Cup and Sparco Grid and Bracket Races.

Racer Kathy Villar wins the GT150 Class of the 2018 Yokohama Philippines GT Championship at the Clark International Speedway on Oct. 21. Villar is also hailed as the first female Rookie Driver of the Year. She is flanked by runners-up Lewy Manio and Russ Agapito.

Isuzu steers PUVMP to heart of NCR WHAT ISUZU Phils Corp. began last June, it followed through by rolling out more units of modernized public utility vehicles. This time, IPC led the historic turnover of 15 units of its modernized public utility vehicle at the iconic boundary of Manila and Quezon City, two of the country’s most important cities. The turnover, led by IPC president Hajime Koso, was attended by Manila Mayor Erap Estrada and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, IPC President Hajime Koso, and officers of the transport group Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila & Suburbs Drivers Association (Pasang-Masda) led by its president Obet Martin. The 15 modernized PUVs have been assembled using the Isuzu QKR77 cab and chassis platform and the rear body designed and manufactured by Almazora Motors Corp. The units are Sanden air-conditioned 23-passenger Class 2 PUVs with a side-facing seat configuration. The new PUV body is compliant with Philippine National Standards (PNS 2126:2017). The passenger cabin floor-to-ceiling height and gangway width are 1,780 mm and 830 mm, respectively, providing more space for passengers to move easily inside. The passenger door is safely situated on the right-hand side, facing the sidewalk. Other design features of the body include panoramic windows and windshield, full-body insulation with GeneQ shield, automatic door closer, ECEcompliant headlamps, brake sytem, wipers, windshield washer, and side view mirrors, and provision for persons with disabilities. Completing the modernized look and features of the new PUVs are the LCD/LED TV monitors, electronic signages, fire extinguishers, GPS

Isuzu’s modernized PUVs ply the roads of Manila-Quezon City. Inset: Raymund Jarina, president of Inteco; Conrad Almazora of Almazora Motors Corporation; IPC President Hajime Koso; LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra; Pasang Masda Vice President Jojo Martin, and Julius Zapata from Eudoo Technologies.

navigation system, CCTV, dashcam and back-up cameras, and an automatic fare collection system (AFCS) installed by Euodoo Inc. All of these have been geared for passengers’ safety, entertainment, and added convenience in fare collection. The new PUVs also come with separate warranty coverages for cab and chassis (3 years or 150,000 km, whichever comes first) and body and aircon, options not available for old jeepneys. In a symbolic gesture of cooperation among local government units and the private sector, the two motorcades originating from the city halls of Manila and Quezon City converged at Mabuhay Rotonda, where the seven modernized PUVs from Manila and the other seven from Quezon City finally joined an Isuzu PUV on display at the Rotonda. At a press conference, Koso reiterated IPC’s commitment to help modernize the Philippines’ PUVs. “What IPC started for the Senate’s transport cooperative last June 18, we continued to expand to other key strategic locations in the country such as Iloilo. Now, we bring the efficiency, safety, and comfort of our Isuzu modernized PUVs right at the heart of the country’s vibrant socioeconomy, where an efficient public transport system is most needed.” The route/s that the 15 modernized PUVs will ply would be the Manila City Hall to Quezon City Hall and vice versa. The government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program is envisioned to replace some 200,000 jeepneys nationwide 15 years and older with new, safe and environmentally friendly public utility vehicles.

FASTLANE Petron ‘Lakbay Alalay’ AS IN the past three decades, Petron will once again help ensure that motorists traveling to their hometowns will have “the best biyahe” through Petron Lakbay Alalay during the Undas weekend. With designated Petron stations on major highways, motorists can experience a variety of services that will make their journeys safer and more enjoyable. Petron employee volunteers will offer a BLOWBAG Safety Check covering Battery, Lights, Oil, Water, Brakes, Air (tire pressure), and Gas. Petron assures motorists of free parking and trafﬁc assistance available for a smooth and hassle free stop. Motorists can also be a road safety advocate by joining the stickering campaign. to appreciate the importance of using seatbelts and the dangers of drunk driving, they can also try out the seatbelt simulator and fatal

vision goggles. Safety checks by automobile partners, free medical assistance, and a 15-minute massage can also be availed for free at Lakbay Alalay tents located at the parking lot of the Petron stations. Food and lifestyle partners also offer product sampling and other fun activities. Underscoring Petron’s commitment to total customer service, clean and accessible rest rooms will also be ready for customers at all times. Assisting homebound motorists on Sunday, November 4, the Petron Lakbay Alalay teams will be at the following stations from 12NN to 8PM: North Luzon: PEC 2 NLEX, Bocaue, Bulacan and TPLEX Km 134 Southbound, Pura, Tarlac. South Luzon: Star Toll, Lipa City, Batangas and MATES, SLEX Km 44, Silangan, Cavite.

Caltex roadside assistance MILLIONS of motorists are out of Metro Manila to be with their families and remember lost loved ones. Caltex, marketed by Chevron Philippines Inc., will help ensure driver and passenger safety with Caltex KaRoadtrip Motorists Assistance Program at select Caltex stations along major highways in northern and southern Luzon. Besides road assistance, motorists can also look forward to exciting goodies and surprises, such as product samples, when they fuel up at Caltex SLEX Mamplasan, Caltex SLEX San Pedro, and Caltex NLEX San Fernando. Families and friends taking road trips during the long weekend can also try their luck at the Liter Lottery promo, which will rununtil November 4, to get a P10/liter fuel discount in all 3 retail sites. Toyota vehicle owners can also avail of additional car care and assistance at the abovementioned sites until November 4. Motorists dropping by on November 4 at Caltex SLEX San Pedro will get special treats and freebies from GMA’s Bantay Byahe Program.

Since its launch in March 2013, the Caltex Ka-Roadtrip Motorists Assistance Program has been helping motorists during major holidays in the country such as Undas, Lenten, and Yuletide seasons. Families need not worry when they fuel up with Caltex and beneﬁt from the cleaning power of Techron, which maximizes power to lighten a car’s load. With Caltex, travelers can focus on what really matters— the people they travel with and the memories they create throughout their journey. Motorists can ﬁnd the nearest Caltex station using the Caltex Locator app, available on both Google Play and App Store.