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AMERICA SALUTES, CHEERS BUSH ON HIS FINAL JOURNEY COLLEGE STATION―Former US President George H.W. Bush, remembered as much for his legacy of service as his impact on history, was buried Thursday, capping days of tribute from a nation that briefly set aside political divisions to honor him. After a state funeral Wednesday in Washington that was attended by the country’s five living presidents and foreign dignitaries, Bush’s flag-
draped casket was flown to Texas for a final farewell. A compassionate national spotlight had shone on Bush’s passing and the memorial proceedings throughout this week. But his burial at Bush’s presidential library center in College Station, Texas―alongside Barbara, his wife of 73 years, and their daughter Robin Next page
BUSH IS HOME. The flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, is carried by a joint services military honor guard for burial at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas on Dec. 6 (Friday in Manila). AFP/Pool VOL. XXXII • NO. 296 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net
BONG ACQUITTED, JANET CONVICTED Revilla walks over plunder rap for ‘insufficiency of evidence’
By Rio N. Araja, Nat Mariano and Macon Ramos-Araneta
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HE Sandiganbayan First Division on Friday ordered the release of former Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. after acquitting him of plunder charges in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
Napoles, Bong’s aide get life for ‘pork’ fund scam THE mastermind behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam, Janet Lim-Napoles, was convicted of plunder and sentenced to reclusion perpetua or 20 to 40 years in jail Friday. In a verdict that cleared former Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., the Sandiganbayan’s First Division convicted his co-accused and former Next page NAPOLES
CAMBE
FREE AGAIN. Former Senator Ramon Revilla, Jr. is being escorted back to Camp Crame for clearance after the Sandiganbayan 1st Division acquitted him of plunder in connection with the multi-billion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund scam. He was previously accused of benefitting kickbacks from the pork barrel scam, allegedly earning P224.5 million. Revilla also posted P480,000 bail for 16 counts of graft charges he is still facing. Manny Palmero
Reds declare truce, military won’t reciprocate By Nat Mariano and Francisco Tuyay THE government on Friday said military operations would continue against communist rebels despite a unilateral ceasefire declared by the New People’s Army. “No, what for?” said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana when asked if military operations would be suspended. “For them to… regroup… so that after [the holiday season] they can fight? For them to extravagantly celebrate their 50 years [that have]… oppressed the country? We are fooling ourselves about this ceasefire. A
Biopic on Pinoy rock star eyed By Nickie Wang ROCK singer and Journey frontman Arnel Pineda took to social media to express his excitement over a report that Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu is eyeing to direct a film based on his life. Next page
ceasefire is always in their favor.” Lonrenzana was reacting to a declaration of a unilateral ceasefire by the Communist Party of the Philippines in observance of the holidays and their 50th anniversary. The CPP said the holiday truce will take effect from 12:01 am on Dec. 24 to 11:59 pm on Dec. 26. They also expected another ceasefire at 12:01 am on Dec. 31 to 11:59 pm on Jan. 1, 2019. “During the days covered by this temporary ceasefire declaration, all units of the NPA and people’s militias shall cease and desist from carrying Next page
2 win Nobel Peace Prize A CONGOLESE gynaecologist and an Iraqi woman who was taken hostage by the Islamic State group when she was only 21 in 2014 have become co-winners for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for their “efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.” Next page
“For failure of the prosecution to establish beyond reasonable doubt that accused Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. received, directly or indirectly, the rebates, commission, and kickbacks from his PDAF, the court cannot hold him liable for the crime of plunder,” the resolution read, referring to the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel. Justices Georgina Hidalgo, Edgardo Caldona and Geraldine Econg voted in favor of Revilla’s acquittal. On the other hand, Justices Efren dela Cruz and Maria Dolores Estoesta voted to convict him. “There was a split decision of five justices,” Revilla’s lawyer Ramon Esguerra said. “The court has no alternative but to have him acquitted.” The mastermind of the pork barrel scam, Janet Lim Napoles, and Revilla’s former chief of staff Richard Cambe, the former senator’s co-accused, were found guilty of plunder and sentenced to 20 to 40 years imprisonment. (See separate story) After the promulgation of the verdict, Revilla went to the First Division clerk to post P480,000 in bail for the 16 counts of Next page graft that he still faces.
Duterte asks Congress to extend ML in Mindanao By Nat Mariano and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to extend martial law in Mindanao, the Palace confirmed Friday. “The President has requested Con-
gress to approve the further extension of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao for another year starting next month,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement Friday. “While it is now up to Congress to decide on whether this initiative by the
President is justified or not, we are positive that it will share our views as ours are purely intended for the general welfare of our brothers and sisters in Mindanao,” he added. Panelo said Mindanao has “achieved substantial progress” because of the implementation of military rule in the Next page region.
Other solons got bigger budget than Arroyo—Andaya By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta HOUSE Majority Floor Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr.on Friday said Speaker Gloria Arroyo ranked 100th among 292 members
of Congress in terms of highest congressional allocations under the 2019 P3.757-trillion national budget. Andaya, committee on rules chairperson, said a maximum P8-billion fund was placed for the projects of a certain lawmaker.
He issued such statement to deny Senator Panfilo Lacson’s claim that Arroyo’s district cornered huge funds. He said he knew that he and Mrs. Arroyo were the two lawmakers being referred to by Lacson who supposedly Next page
Davao court orders Trillanes’ arrest for libel THE Davao City Regional Court Branch 54 on Friday ordered Senator Antonio Trillanes IV arrested for libel and fixed his bail at P24,000, with the city’s Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte as complainant in a libel case. Duterte filed libel complaints against Trillanes over the opposition senator’s allegations which linked him to the smuggling of billions worth of shabu and to extortion from ride-sharing firm Uber and other firms. Next page
DISTINGUISHED, HONORED. President Rodrigo Duterte poses Wednesday with recipients of the Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas during the awards ceremony in Malacañang. The biennial award is conferred on distinguished Filipino individuals and organizations in recognition of their outstanding contributions to national development efforts, or their outstanding achievements in their field of profession. Malacañang Photo
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JBC opens nominations for SC vacancy By Rey E. Requejo THE Judicial and Bar Council on Friday officially opened the acceptance of the applications and nominations for the post of associate justice at the Supreme Court, which was left vacant following the promotion of Lucas Bersamin to chief justice. The seven-member council led by Bersamin said the aspirants may send their application or recommendation and the requirements by Jan. 22, 2019. Bersamin, who served as an associate justice from 2009 to November 2018, was appointed top magistrate by President Rodrigo Duterte on Nov. 28. Aside from the post vacated by Bersamin, the JBC is now vetting the applicants aspiring to succeed Associate Justice Noel Tijam, who will retire on Jan. 5, 2019. The council members interviewed six of the 19 candidates to the post this week. The JBC is expected to deliberate on the shortlist of nominees for recommendation to the President. The vacancy caused by Bersamin’s appointment as chief justice paved the way for Duterte to appoint another Supreme Court justice. He has already appointed seven people to the 15-member bench: Associate Justices Samuel Martires, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr., Alexander Gesmundo, Jose Reyes Jr., Ramon Paul Hernando and Rosmari Carandang. The JBC also opened the acceptance of nominations for the posts of Legal Education Board chairman and regular member representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
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out offensive military campaigns and operations against uniformed armed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP] and Philippine National Police [PNP],” a statement from the CPP Central Committee said. The rebel group also called on revolutionary forces to heighten their resistance against the Duterte administration, encouraging them to hold meetings, assemblies, and mass rallies. “We must all struggle arduously to frustrate Duterte’s scheme of extending martial law in Mindanao, exercising de facto nationwide martial law powers, giving the military full control of various government agencies and programs and employing the military and police to manipulate the results of the 2019 elections to ensure local government control by pro-Duterte and pro-AFP officials and put Congress under his majority control in order to push charter change for his federalism project next year so he can impose his dictatorship with the support of allied regional warlords and political dynasties,” the statement read. The ceasefire would be cut short, however, if the military advances, the group warned. The Palace said the government was ready for any eventuality as the communists marked 50 years of armed struggle. In Molino, Cavite, police and military agents arrested an NDFP consultant Rey Claro Casambre, 67, and his wife Patricia, 72, in connection with murder cases in Davao Oriental. Police said he was arrested on the strength of a verified warrant issued by Judge Emilio Dayanghirang III of Regional Trial Court branch 32 in Lupon, Davao Oriental, arising from two counts of murder and attempted murder.
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The 51-year-old Pineda responded to an article that appeared on entertainment news website Deadline on Dec. 5 which reported that Chu and Warner Bros plan to produce a biopic about the formerly homeless Filipino singer who became a rock star after his video became viral on YouTube. “If this article is even just half-true ... I’m quite honored.. and should be an exciting movie to do .. but you need to reach out to me #MrJonMChu @wbpictures coz I’m right here waiting ..” Pineda said on his Instagram post. Based on the “exclusive report,” Warner Bros is re-teaming with the Crazy Rich Asians director to chronicle the journey of Pineda, described by the entertainment site as a Filipino singer rescued from obscurity by a YouTube video that led him to become the lead singer of the iconic ’80s arena rock band Journey. The article also quoted that the studio is negotiating to license the original Journey tunes, mostly written by Steve Perry and Neal Schon. It added that the production outfit has acquired rights to ”Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey,” the 2012 documentary that chronicled Pineda’s impossible rise.
Binay tells lawyers: Defend rule of law, uphold dignity F ORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday called on lawyers to be both advocates and defenders of the rule of law and help promote the dignity of individuals.
He made the statement after being conferred the “Dayaw Iti Amianan” award by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Northern Luzon, and for having “reached the highest level in public service among the living lawyers of the region.” “I believed then, and I believe more strongly now, that the purpose of law is to ensure that each individual is given the opportunities to prosper within a just and democratic society,” Binay said. “The true measure of a working democracy is in the value it places on the rights of its citizens―including his right
to dignity and to improve himself.” Binay reminded his fellow lawyers that, without adherence and respect for the rule of law, “there will be no order or stability, only chaos.” “Disrespect for the rule of law and the judiciary as an independent institution breeds instability, social and political strife and impedes our progress as a nation,” Binay said. Recalling his days as mayor of Makati, Binay underscored the role of the local government as an instrument for valuing the rights and dignity of each citizen. He said investing in the education,
health, welfare and general well-being of the poor is, in effect, recognizing and upholding their dignity. “Social programs are not charity. They are enablers. They allow each citizen to become a better person and a better citizen,” Binay said. He said that when his term as vice president ended, he focused on seeking new avenues and approaches that would underscore the responsibility of lawyers as “agents of the law and justice.” This paved the way for the establishment of the University of Makati School of Law in August last year to “develop future Filipino lawyers who are excellent in both the theory and practice of law.” As founding dean of the Mak School of Law, Binay expressed pride in its being the only law school in the country offering full scholarships for an entire batch. Joel E. Zurbano
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PASKO NA! Local and foreign visitors take their groufie souvenir photo with a nipa hut themed Christmas gift shop at Manila Hotel. Lino Santos
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Revilla has been detained at the Philippine National Police’s Custodial Center at Camp Crame since 2014. The Office of the Ombudsman charged Revilla with plunder and 16 counts of graft for the alleged misuse of his PDAF, which he supposedly endorsed to ghost foundations organized by Napoles in exchange for kickbacks of P224.51 million. Another former senator accused of plunder, Jinggoy Estrada, was on hand to hear the verdict and described Revilla’s mood as “happy.” “Who would not be happy after four years and five months behind bars?” he told GMA-7 in Filipino. In a statement, he said: “His legal victory is somehow also my victory. We have been wrongly accused and incarcerated for years for something we did not do. Thankfully, the courts have decided in our favor. I have been granted bail because the evidence against me is weak. And now Senator Bong has been acquitted.” Estrada’s own P183-million plunder case is still pending. Malacañang said it respected and would abide by the Sandiganbayan decision to acquit Revilla. “The judiciary has performed its constitutional duty of dispensing justice. While justice grinds so slow most of the time, it does grind, and when it stops it renders a verdict that is exacting and immutable,” Panelo said in a statement Friday. “Regardless of the sentiments to the contrary, we have to bow down to the judgment of the Sandiganbayan,” he added. Panelo, who once served as Revilla’s lawyer, said the Duterte administration has “consistently respected the independence of the judiciary.” “We will continue to do so in this case as we implement the final orders of the anti-graft court on the matter,” he said. “In any event, this administration takes stock of the lessons learned from cases involving unconstitutional discretionary
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who died of leukemia at age 3―was a private family service. “The 41st President of the United States of America, George Herbert Walker Bush, has reached his final resting place,” family spokesman Jim McGrath posted on Twitter. Bush, who died Friday at age 94, lay in repose at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, where he was eulogized at a final memorial service by close friend James Baker, who served as his secretary of state. “His incredible service to our nation and the world are already etched in the marble of time,” Baker said, highlighting the sense of duty, service and personal grace that drove Bush.
funds and has implemented measures to ensure the integrity of the national budget and its proper utilization for our people,” he added. Revilla, former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and Estrada, were accused of allocating pork barrel funds to bogus foundations set up by Napoles, who kicked back millions to them. Estrada and Enrile are also out on bail. Senator Panfilo Lacson, a strong advocate against pork barrel, said he respected the Sandiganbayan decision nonetheless, saying the justices more than anyone, have better appreciation of the evidence. Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, said there was a need to revisit the pork barrel scam. “I wasn’t part of the Blue Ribbon committee that did it,” he said. Asked to comment on Revilla’s acquittal, Gordon said: “Good for him because he won, but I’m not in a position to comment on the decision.” He said the lesson learned from the pork barrel scam was to make sure government funds go where they are intended. Former Leyte congressman Ferdinand Martin Romualdez welcomed Revilla’s acquittal, saying the charges against him were politically motivated. “The verdict is a timely justice to Senator Bong, a victim of political persecution by the previous administration. His acquittal only validates and proves that the plunder case against him is politically motivated. Sadly, the plunder case took away more than four years of his life,” he said. Romualdez is the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats president, while Revilla is the party chairman. Romualdez said the verdict would give Revilla’s Senate run in 2019 a boost. ACT Teachers Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro, on the other hand, denounced Revilla’s acquittal. “The acquittal of former Senator Bong Revilla over plunder charges shows the insincerity of the Duterte administration’s campaign against corruption, where big fish are allowed to wriggle free,” Tinio said in a statement. With Vito Barcelo Fighting through tears, the 88-yearold Baker recalled how Bush’s deeds “expressed his moral character, and they reflected his decency, his boundless kindness and consideration of others, his determination always to do the right thing.” Son George W. Bush, the nation’s 43rd president, appeared somber at his wife Laura’s side, and stood ramrod straight as military pallbearers carried the casket from the Houston church to a waiting hearse. It was then placed on a train―with a locomotive painted in the colors and pattern of Air Force One, the presidential jet―for the final journey to the presidential library, part of a precise series of ritualized events. There were emotional displays along the route in towns like Spring, Magnolia, Navasota and College Station. AFP
Martial law, he said, has addressed the rebellion in Mindanao, promoted the overall security and peace and order situation, and led the region to noteworthy economic developments. Despite the military presence, however, acts of rebellion persist, he said. “A halt [to martial law] may only frustrate the progress we are witnessing in Mindanao and may even strengthen the rebellion and propel it to other parts of the country,” he added. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said the third extension of military rule will only last until the end of 2019 and will only cover Mindanao. The decision to ask Congress to approve the extension came after AFP chief Gen. Carlito Galvez and Philippine National Police chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde drafted their recommendations. Galvez and Albayalde, who cited “the public clamor” for the extension of martial law, said this was justified because of the continuous bomb attacks in several parts of the region. Duterte has also extolled the benefits of martial law in Mindanao, calling it a “deterrent against crime.” In May 2017, the Duterte administration put the entire Mindanao in martial law after Islamic State-inspired terrorists overran Marawi City. Congress, upon the request of the Palace, extended its implementation twice in July and December 2017, ending on Dec. 31, 2018. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Duterte might call for a joint session of Congress on Dec. 12, to tackle the proposed extension of martial law in Mindanao. With PNA
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received huge congressional allocations under the national budget. On Wednesday, Lacson bared a congressman got at least P1.9 billion in congressional insertions while a congresswoman got P2.4 billion. Figures from the General Appropriations Bill 2 the House version of the national budget bill―showed P2.4 billion worth of projects are in Pampanga’s second district while P1.9 billion in projects are in Camarines Sur. These amounts are aside from the P60 million each House member got for his or her pet projects. Andaya represents the first district of Camarines Sur, while Arroyo represents the second district of Pampanga. But Andaya was quoted as saying the House Appropriations Committee was behind the P4.3-billion “pork” in the House version of the proposed P3.7trillion budget for 2019. He added he did not seek added funding for road projects in his district, and even asked the House appropriations committee not to make insertions without notifying the Senate. The committee, however, showed “misplaced generosity” and accommodated requests by regional directors of the Department of Public Works and Highways for road projects in Camarines Sur and flood control projects in Pampanga, Andaya was quoted as saying.
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In Congo, they call him “Doctor Miracle” for his surgical skill and dedication in helping women overcome the injuries and trauma of sexual abuse and rape. Denis Mukwege is a crusading gynaecologist who has spent more than two decades treating appalling injuries in-
DOLE: Dec. 8 a special non-working holiday THE workers who will report for work on Dec. 8, a special non-working day in observance of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, will get an additional 30 percent in their pay on that day, the Labor department said Friday. The “no work, no pay” policy will also be in effect on that day “Unless there is a favorable company policy, practice or collective bargaining agreement granting payment on a special day,” the department said. Those who will render overtime work on Dec. 8 will be paid an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate. For work done during a special nonworking day that also falls on the worker’s rest day, the worker will be paid an additional 50 percent of his daily rate on the first eight hours of work. Those who will work in excess of eight hours (of overtime work) during a special non-working day that also falls on the workers’ rest day will be paid an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate. Republic Act 10966 declared Dec. 8 as a special non-working holiday in commemoration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the principal patroness of the Philippines. PNA
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chief of staff Richard A. Cambe and ordered his confinement at the New Bilibid Prison. Napoles, on the other hand, will be jailed at the Correctional Institution for Women, the court said. Cambe and Napoles allegedly were in cahoots in funneling the senator’s pork barrel to bogus organizations. While the Sandiganbayan ordered Revilla, Cambe and Napoles to return P124.5 million to the government, the former senator’s lawyer, Ramon Esguerra said they would question this order. “If one is not criminally liable, one cannot be civilly liable,” he said. Three of the five judges in the First Division voted to acquit Revilla, leading Senator Francis Pangilinan to question how the one who offered the bribe was found guilty while the one who allegedly received it was acquitted. Napoles’ lawyer said she will appeal her plunder conviction.
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But it was not clear which of the libel complaints was the subject of Judge Melinda Alconcel-Dayanghirang’s arrest warrant. There was no immediately available comment from Trillanes, who is in Manila. Earlier, the Department of Justice asked the courts in Pasay City and Davao to issue hold departure orders against Trillanes who has been charged with inciting to sedition and libel. The DOJ made the move after Trillanes was able to secure travel permit from the Makati City Regional Trial Court, Branch 150, where he has a pending rebellion case, allowing him travel abroad. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday revealed that prosecutors have filed motions for issuance of an HDO against the arch critic of President Duterte before the Pasay and Davao RTCs where he is facing inciting to sedition and libel cases, respectively. Trillanes is scheduled to fly to the Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom from Dec. 11, 2018 to Jan. 12, 2019, and the US from Jan. 27 to Feb. 10, 2019 to meet different groups and attend various activities as part of his official duties. However, Guevarra said the new motions in Pasay and Davao courts are “coincidental” and were not filed following the decision of Makati RTC branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda on Nov. 29 that granted Trillanes’ motion to travel in exchange for a P200,000 travel bond. flicted on women in DRC. He has also emerged as an excoriating critic of President Joseph Kabila, set to be replaced in the pivotal December 23 elections. He set up the Panzi hospital in 2015 in his war-weary native province of South Kivu, part of an eastern region riven by a conflict involving government forces and various rebel groups. AFP
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MMDA to teach kids ‘waste management’
PRAYER RALLY FOR BOL. Members of a Muslim community held a prayer rally outside Manila Golden Mosque in Quiapo, Manila in support of the Bangsamoro Organic Law or RA 11054, also known as Organic Law on Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on Dec. 7, 2018. Norman Cruz
Comelec to hold two separate plebiscites for BOL THE Commission on Elections on Friday said the plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law will be conducted on two separate days. In a statement, the poll body said the plebiscite will be held on Jan. 21, 2019 and Feb. 6, 2019. “The plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law [BOL] will be conducted on two separate days to allow time for the full resolution of petitions for voluntary inclusion in the plebiscite,” the Comelec said in a statement. The plebiscite scheduled for January would be held for the geographical areas comprising the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, including Isabela City in Basilan, and Cotabato City. The February plebiscite, on the other hand, will be for the province of Lanao del Norte, except Iligan City; the municipalities of Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pikit, and Pigkawayan in the province of North Cotabato; and all other areas contiguous to any of the Bangsamoro core areas where: (a) the local government of such area, by way of a resolution, asked for inclusion in the plebiscite; or (b) at least 10 percent of the registered voters in a local government unit, by way of a petition, asked for inclusion in the plebiscite. The poll body said there are currently 99 pending petitions for inclusion in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the Commission en banc decided to hold the plebiscite on two dates since they cannot meet the cut-off date which is Dec. 15 to rule on the petitions filed before them. “What happened is there were many petitions filed. So, mukhang hindi aabot doon sa cut off natin which is Dec. 15 also mukhang hindi aabot ‘yung resolution ng iba’t ibang mga petition,” he said in an earlier interview. The poll body official noted that there would be no added cost. “It’s still within the budget. Ini-split lang natin.”
Drilon puzzled why SEA Games budget is with DFA By Macon Ramos-Araneta
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ENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has remained puzzled how the P7.5-billion budget supposedly for the Philippines’ hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games was mysteriously lodged in the Department of Foreign Affairs. “We discovered that about P7.5 billion in budget for SEA Games is lodged in the DFA,” Drilon said during his interpellation on the proposed budget of DFA for 2019 Thursday night. “We could not understand why it is lodged under the DFA. This is certainly a little surprising,” he added. Drilon questioned the policy behind as promotion of sports is not part of the mandate of the DFA.
“The mandate of DFA has nothing to do with sports. This is the first time I hear that the DFA is having a P7.5 billion for sports program,” he said. The budget in question is supposedly for the preparation for SEA Games, which the country is hosting next year. The budget will be used for the following purposes: Sports (P1.3 billion), venues (P1.3 billion), game services (P1.5 billion) venues, marketing and PR (P525 million),
ceremonies (P450 million), and athletes’ village operation (P368 million), among others. Senate Finance Committee chairman Loren Legarda said that former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano requested that it be lodged under the DFA budget. However, Legarda confirmed that Cayetano’s successor, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin, has asked the committee to transfer the P7.5-billion funds to another agency. This prompted Drilon to ask the committee to transfer the P7.5billion budget to the Philippine Sports Commission, to which Legarda agreed. Nevertheless, Drilon asked that caution be exercised in crafting the budget, saying that “funds cannot just be moved on the basis of the personal preferences of the head of the agency.”
Bulacan ex-vice mayor held after 20-hr standoff By Orlan Mauricio MALOLOS CITY—Since 8 p.m. Thursday evening, a mayoral candidate and former vice mayor of Marilao town has been in a standoff with arresting police officers. Andre Santos, single, and in his early 30s, has warded off cops armed with a non-bailable warrant of arrest for estafa by threatening to shoot them and explode a handgrenade. Senior Supt. Chito Bersaluna, provincial police director of Bulacan, said Santos has a warrant for qualified theft issued by Judge Aida Estrella Macapagal Fojas of RTC Branch 195 in Parañaque City. Bersaluna said Santos was armed with an automatic handgun and a pink-colored grenade and said to be emotionally disturbed and has been using illegal drugs. At past 3 p.m. Friday, police negotiators led by Marilao police
ROAD accidents kill someone every 24 seconds, with a total of 1.35 million traffic deaths around the world each year, the World Health Organization said Friday, demanding global action. The number of fatalities annually has swelled by around 100,000 in just three years, with road accidents now the leading killer of children and young people between the ages of five and 29, the UN health agency said in a new report. “These deaths are an unacceptable price to pay for mobility,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “There is no excuse for inaction. This is a problem with proven solutions,” he said. The WHO’s Global Status Report on Road Safety, based on data from 2016, showed that the situation is worsening. In its last report, based on data from 2013, the number of road traffic deaths was estimated at 1.25 million annually. Times higher there than in high income countries. AFP
By Francisco Tuyay
EU earmarks P5.98b for ‘Minda’ dev’t
WARM WELCOME. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel ‘Babe’ Romualdez (2nd from right) warmly welcomes to his residence visiting dignitaries (from right) Philippine Constitution Association President and incoming 1st District of Leyte Congressman Martin Romualdez, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Frist Gentleman Mike Arroyo and incoming Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez during a Christmas Cocktail Buffet Dinner at Dasmariñas Village in Makati City. Ver Noveno
Millions die in road accidents—WHO
Anilao police chief, 20 cops sacked for ‘sleeping’
chief, Supt. Ricardo Pangan were joined by provincial officials to secure Santos’ surrender but the former vice mayor held his ground inside their residence in Barangay Poblacion. Santos had several video posts in Facebook mocking cops out to serve the warrants. Santos was defiant in his first post and challenged cops to get him because he has no plans of surrendering. For more than 20 hours, Santos bought time in a tense negotiation with authorities through Facebook. However, police gave an ultimatum at 4 p.m. yesterday and cut the electricity at the residence before barging in to forcibly arrest the suspect. Santos was subdued after he tried to break open the glass windows at the 2nd floor of their house. A SWAT team armed with teargas, however, overpowered him when he tried to run upstairs.
THE European Union has earmarked P5.98 billion for two new development programs in Mindanao as the bloc increases support towards peace and development on the island, Ambassador Franz Jessen said Friday. “We are currently working with the authorities to identify the projects. That’s (€100 million) what we have been setting aside for those two activities, MINPAD I and MINPAD II,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the Pilipinas Conference in Makati City. EU plans to spend EUR55 million (an estimated P3.29 billion) for the fiveyear Mindanao Peace and Development Program (MINPAD I) targeting the whole of Mindanao, including the Bangsamoro region. While the project is still in the pipeline, EU expects it will support the Mindanao
THE Metro Manila Development Authority will hold in Pasig City on Monday (Dec. 10) the “Kiddie Solid Waste Management Summit 2018” aimed to provide an avenue for students to enjoy while learning solid waste management and recycling. “Teaching proper waste disposal can be fun and easy. We would like to cultivate a positive attitude among children towards the practice of solid waste management through activities we have prepared,” said Elsie Encarnacion, MMDA Solid Waste Management Office chief. More than 500 Grade 3 to Grade 6 students coming from different schools in Metro Manila will assemble at the Pasig City Sports Center from 9 am to 4 pm in the event dubbed “Start ‘Em Young,” the one-day activity To make proper waste disposal lessons more fun for the young generation, the summit will do away with the usual lectures. Instead, booths and stations that will feature games and creative activities on eco bricking, antilittering, shoot that waste, basura patrol, pledge wall, poster-making contest, dice the materials, erase waste, unscramble, bingo basura and buy back center where trash can be exchanged to different items.
peace roadmap and governance framework. MINPAD I also seeks to deliver peace dividends at a grassroot level, in the form of more jobs and improved livelihoods for ex-combatants, their dependents and the populations that have been affected by years of conflict and neglect. Meanwhile, the remaining EUR45 million (P2.69 billion), provisionally called Bangsamoro Transition and Normalization program, is envisioned to target the Bangsamoro region only. In an email sent Thursday night, Jessen said “the two programs are now scheduled for next year, due to the delays in the decision about the financing agreements, and it is the intention of the European Commission that they should be subject to financing agreements with the Government of the Philippines.”
TWENTY policemen, including the chief of police of the Anilao police station in Iloilo province, were sacked after they were found sleeping on the job while on duty. Police Regional Office director Chief Supt John Bulalacao ordered the relief of Sr. Insp. Menrico Candaliza, Anilao town chief of police, for command responsibility over the lapses committed by his men who were caught sleeping on duty. “I ordered for the immediate relief of all personnel of Anilao MPS for the alleged misconduct, including their Chief of Police, Police Senior Inspector Menrico Candaliza,” Bulalacao said. Bulalacao designated Chief Insp. Ciriaco Esquiliarga to take over Candaliza’s post. He said the Anilao police personnel were caught sleeping while on duty following a surprise inspection by a team from the National Police Commission from Region 6 two days ago. Bulalacao said that because most of the policemen in the station were asleep, there was no one manning the complaint desk. “They are now temporarily assigned with the Personnel Holding Administrative Unit [PHAU] of Iloilo Police Provincial Office while they are facing investigation,” Bulalacao said. This was not the first time that .policemen were caught sleeping on the job, because when PNP chief Oscar Albayalde was still the NCRPO director, he also caught metro cops sleeping while on duty.
A4
Opinion
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2018
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
The Lord keeps his promises LUKE, the Evangelist and writer of the Acts of the Apostles, announces the coming of John the Baptist to the Jews embroiled in their own topsyturvy world. Gone were the days when the people’s faith in one God and their leaders was solid as a rock as in the time of the Macabees. The Idumean Herod the Great, the client king of the Romans and a polarizing figure in Jewish society, is long dead; many religious factions adhering to diverse religious views, such as the Pharisees, Sudducees, Essenes, Zealots and what have you, have emerged in their midst further dividing and confusing the community. Roman Emperor Tiberius divided Israel among Herod’s sons, assigning Judea and Jerusalem to Herod Archelaus. There was no trusted leader among the people unlike in the Davidic era. Caiaphas and his father-inlaw Annas were mistusted because of their questionable allegiance as they were seen as lackeys of the Roman oppressors. The Roman emperor’s stranglehold over Jewish society remain stronger than ever. In other words, John came into the scene during one of the most turbulent times in Jewish history. It is a time of uncertainty and insecurity when John came out of the wilderness to preach the gospel of repentance, urging the people to be baptized. His message resonated among the people who were beginning to doubt God’s providence, feeling that he has abandoned his people. It was a message of hope amidst hypocrisy, violence and greed, conflict and confusion. It was at this time when everything seemed hopeless that God sent a messenger to rekindle the hope of the people, calling on them to put their trust in the Lord. Every person’s relationship with God is a microcosm of the Chosen People’s historical experiences. Sometimes a person is driven to a point so low such that he teeters on the verge of despair. It is as if God has concealed his face from him. Regardless of the extent of
one’s spiritual maturity, it’s possible to reach this point to actually feel that everyone—even God—has made himself scarce. It was at this point in life that King David, hiding in a cave being pursued by his enemies, cried out in despair—How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? John the Baptist spoke the words of God, but he also acknowledged that there is one greater than him whose sandal he is not worthy to unstrap. The Prophet was speaking about Jesus, the Prophet of all Prophets. God answered the people’s cries through Jesus Christ who revealed himself to redeem humanity from the bondage of sin.
It was during a dark time that God chose to send a messenger. Do our world and society not mirror the kind of social environment that John the Baptist was in? Ours is a society so permeated with violence, fear, insecurity, poverty, hypocrisy, disrespect for cherished values and all forms of societal ills. Is it not that communities are now so detached from God that people would preoccupy themselves with their own secular devices, plots and schemes rather than cultivate a good relationship with God? Moral callousness and spiritual apathy have effectively enveloped so many such that even murder, blasphemy, profanity and all forms of abomination are now met with nary a whimper of protest, if at all. Several decades ago this was unthinkable. These actions would arouse the most vehement and vigorous expressions of indignation. How much our society and the world we live in have changed! *** I write this on a plane to Katowice, Poland for the 24th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It will be a challenging conference. From a purely human point of view, one must say that it is an uphill climb
Adelle Chua, Editor
EDITORIAL
A
Champions of fakery
N ORGANIZATION says disinformation has become so prevalent and serious that it could be seen as a form of fraud in the context of the coming elections.
Kontra Daya said Friday that those who produce and peddle ffake news should be held accountable ffor their misdeeds. “Any attempt to deceive the electorate should be exposed,” the group said. The statement refers in particular to the engagement of trolls and other social media teams to push messages that would put a candidate in a good light, or would portray an opponent negatively even at the expense of truth. In principle, nobody can really find any argument against this. Massaging, bending or revising the truth to achieve political ends is absolutely reprehensible. How can candidates go this low and
claim to have the best interests of the public in mind? Of course these people, or their rabid supporters online, will invoke their freedom of expression especially in territory as uncharted as social media. They know full well that once they post something on their sites of choice, there is no telling how far it can go and how many accepting minds will take them for absolute truth. The laws created to limit candidates’ spending on the many ways to promote themselves did not contemplate how technology would change, and exponentially, the speed with which information is shared. At virtually no cost to the candidate, a message can be delivered to one person, and the next, and yet another. Expense will only come when they employ an entire team to do nothing but sit in front of the computer all day. We’ve seen how trolls made their presence felt in the previous
election, and we see them distorting conversations every day. We are aware of how powerful they can be and how they can drown out the legitimate issues through sheer noise and fury. Those who purvey disinformation should indeed be made accountable, but do our institutions really have the resources, time and facility to do something about them? Unfortunately, sometimes it’s communication agencies and officials themselves who spread misleading, if not downright false statements. What would nip fake news in the bud would be people’s discerning minds that will not dignify fake news and virulent, however hollow, commentary. Alas, it’s a solution that will be slow to come and which would be dependent on how Filipinos can think independently and critically. Even more tragic is the fact that it’s our leaders themselves who appear committed to consign us to ignorance.
Turn to A5
The killing of General Luna: The facts remain POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO LAST weekend, a friend handed me a page from another broadsheet with the article of historian Ambeth Ocampo entitled, “The Luna Telegram: Not so ‘Deadly’ After All”. I was told that I must read it, and so I did. After all, I have been reading Ambeth for years and even have a collection of his books. I even attended some of his lectures at the Ayala Museum.
That a known historian would spend several paragraphs on what I wrote elated me a bit—and amused me a lot.
I was surprised because although unnamed, this particular Ocampo piece made a swipe at me for calling for the authentication of the controversial telegram that was recently auctioned by the Leon Gallery. This telegram, as soon as it surfaced, was immediately and readily referred to by several anti-Aguinaldo write-ups as the one some history books allege to have been sent by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo to Gen. Antonio Luna summoning him to the Cabanatuan presidential headquarters. Luna went there on June 5, 1899, and met his tragic death from the hands of the presidential guards whom he had earlier disarmed and punished. I made the call for authentication in my piece, ‘The Killing of Gen. Antonio Luna’ that may be read here http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/mobile/article/281251. That a known historian such as Ocampo would spend several paragraphs on what I wrote elated me a bit, and amused me a lot. One, because I repeatedly say that I am but an ardent (but passionate) student of histo-
ry and he is what he is. Despite this, at least he read this one piece of mine. And second, because I seemed to have irked him enough to turn the usually cool historian to an irate Ambeth Ocampo. He wrote under the subheading Columnist’s ignorance, “Most hilarious was a newspaper columnist who established her credentials as transcriber of Aguinaldo’s unpublished handwritten notes—only to expose her IGNORANCE by calling for forensic examination to determine the telegram’s authenticity. How could it be, she asks, if it is not in Aguinaldo’s handwriting? (emphasis mine) She could be the only person in the universe who does not know that telegrams are never in the hand of the sender. Jim Richardson, historian of the revolutionary period spoiled everyone’s fun by posting photos of the pertinent page of the telegraph operator’s message log book taken from a microfilm of the Philippine Insurgent Records.” Ocampo then put forward this transcription of the telegram’s text as the correct one, “Felipe Buencamino is detained without ordering the formation of the case. I am waiting your reply to my previous telegram where I request the basis for your accusation.” He then concluded that, “The “deadly” telegram is not as deadly as it is said to be, nor is it the “smoking gun” historians have been looking for all this time.” Compare this with what I wrote a week earlier. My piece on Gen. Luna’s death was clearly in reaction to the article “Aguinaldo’s deadly telegram to Heneral Luna emerges in auction” by Amierielle Anne Bulan. This piece was the first of several write-ups that immediately concluded that the said telegram was the “smoking gun” Ocampo was referring to. Without batting an eyelash, Bulan said, “…It’s the telegram historians have been looking for for more than a century…” I was questioning the writer for immediately labeling the telegram without the benefit of authentication. I then called on the Aguinaldo descendants to demand for authentication of the telegram. In fact, many others on Facebook also called for authentication. My exact words were, “IF THE TELEGRAM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE Turn to A5
Future challenges of our foreign policy By Ambassador Albert del Rosario AS WE contemplate what is happening around us, we find ourselves being bombarded every day with news and images of a world seemingly out of control. There seems to be across the board disruptions in so many fields at the same time. Long stable countries have disintegrated internally. Old alliances are being called into question. A large-scale trade war is unfolding between major economic powers. These trends raise both troubling and obscure questions. Are we on the verge of another nuclear arms race cycle? How will we fare in the struggle for global economic dominance among some of our closest foreign trade and investment partners? What must we do to manage the inevitable onslaught of the results of the new wave of artificial intelligence captured in the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Is it possible to have better global migration governance with hundreds of millions of our people on the move, involving millions of our own OFWs? It is easy to be overwhelmed. One of the
The community of nations needs to hear the Filipino speaking with one voice. At day’s end, we need to adhere to the rule of law and stand for what is right. distinctive features of our present times is growing uncertainty. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that we are at the dawn of an Age of Uncertainty. The comfortable policy certainties of the past have evaporated. We can no longer rely exclusively on historical lessons. Our Ship of State now has to navigate uncharted waters that are broader and more perilous than perhaps at any other time in the past half-century. We must choose our course carefully. We must ensure that our
Ship of State is seaworthy. And our seamanship has to be the best we can provide. With the daunting challenges to our foreign policy, our prime objective is to assert our rightful place in the community of nations. It starts and must end with the global observance of the rule of law. On an independent foreign policy To pursue an independent foreign policy should not be a zero-sum game. It is not a simple choice between war or peace but about initiating new friendships and strengthening old ones in the spirit of sovereign equality. It is of utmost importance that we should stand strong in being able to deliver the main pillars of foreign affairs: First is national security. The Philippines has to be able to ensure its territorial integrity and independence as a nation-state. Its integrity as a state can and has been threatened externally and internally. Sovereignty is the touchstone of our actions, whether in defense of our maritime territory, or to protect against domestic terrorists, separatists and insurgents. Second is enhancing economic diplomacy. Turn to A5
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Opinion
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2018
Embracing martial law killings, and military abuses. They claim to have monitored dozens of cases of military abuses against the lumad, EJKs, and human rights violations ERWIN since the proclamation of martial law in TULFO Mindanao. Guess what, they have never any presented concrete proof or evidence UNLESS President Duterte extends either to the authorities or to the two what some perceive as “military rule” in Houses of Congress for investigation to Mindanao, martial law in this southern this day. island region of the country will lapse on New Year’s Eve. The President declared martial law in Mindanao as the Maute terrorist group, Mindanaoans say it along with Abu Sayyaf, took control of has deterred terrorist Marawi City in May 2017. To prevent the escalation and spread activities. of terrorism in other parts of Mindanao, Duterte promptly issued Presidential Proclamation 216 on May 23 suspending the Writ of Habeas Corpus and placing They are simply out of touch with the entire Mindanao under martial law. reality. Worse, they are persistent in Though there remains at least three destroying the truth! weeks to go until martial law expires Zamboanga City Mayor Isabelle Cliin the region, both the opposition and maco-Salazar, Marawi Mayor Majul the militant groups here in Metro Gandamra, and former Sulu Governor Manila have joined ranks to reject Sakur Tan laughed off the allegations of the possibility of extension of mar- abuses and human rights violations. tial law, citing militarization, alleged In interviews over DZRB Radyo human rights violations, extrajudicial Pilipinas on Thursday morning, all three
local officials attest they would be the first ones to hear of any abuses or human rights violations if there are any. Their constituents will instantly bring these to their attention. Lawmakers from Mindanao have unanimously supported placing the entire island under martial law has been a deterrent to terrorist acts such as the bombings and kidnappings, as presence of military and police personnel in critical areas more than doubled beca a familiar sight and checkpoints became in the major cities in the south. Martial law has also helped the anticrime and anti-illegal drugs drive in the South. While the threat to national security posed by foreign-inspired terrorism remains to be a “clear and present danger” in Mindanao, the constituents of this Promised Land continue to embrace President Duterte’s martial law. Truth be told, the imposition of martial law in Southern Philippines had been long-overdue. It is an imperative measure to facilitate the delivery of essential public services to our fellow Filipinos—something that has been shamelessly neglected by Imperial Manila for decades.
The killing...
of how telegrams are sent but even with the benefit of the doubt that it should be in the sender’s penmanship, authenticity could easily be determined. True, I said that I have been transcribing some of Gen. Aguinaldo’s unpublished notes but I am NOT an official transcriber. I do this because of my passion for “no hate history” and I have access to interesting materials on and by the General. I do not earn from being passionate about history. I said that I am no expert but have grown to be quite familiar with Aguinaldo’s penmanship. I was establishing that familiarity, not my credentials because otherwise, I would not have plainly said that I am not an expert. I do not understand why Ocampo reacted very strongly to what I wrote when in fact, we reached the same conclusion that what were peddled as truths about the telegram were all lies and propaganda. Why was he not irate at those who propagated those fake news to further destroy Aguinaldo’s image? Noticeable in Ocampo’s piece is his restraint from calling the telegram “the Aguinaldo telegram” unlike many others who wrote about this before him. The fact is, even if the telegram was authentic, it could have been sent by anybody. Ocampo knows that it would be very hard to prove that Aguinaldo was its sender. But then, he put forward a scenario, purely speculative, he called it, about Luna’s ill-fated trip to Cabanatuan. While no one can prevent people from speculating, I like looking at ALL possible explanation for things. It seemed to me that there are good
references that Ocampo may not have considered in the formulation of this particular scenario. These are the various primary and secondary sources on Aguinaldo. I say this because nowhere in his scenario did he make mention of the other side of the coin, so to speak. I have read many accounts on Gen. Luna’s death, both pro- and anti-Aguinaldo. I have also written about Gen. Aguinaldo’s words on this tragedy, even his unpublished notes where he asserted that he did not send Luna a telegram but it was the other way around. He also further explained his decision to leave Cabanatuan to break Luna’s command. The scenario that I and other students of history are building on Luna’s death consider all these sources. We analyze, discuss, follow leads, compare and check what could be checked, before formulating and forwarding our opinions. Like Ocampo, we like discovering new materials and “new” facts that provide new answers. This makes history more exciting. When he described the Luna telegram as not so “deadly” after all, I could only say amen. Really, it did not prove anything against Gen. Aguinaldo despite the fake news about it. It also did not prove that Aguinaldo sent Luna a telegram that others claim to have caused his death. The established facts on the killing of Gen. Luna remain. Gen. Miong was out of the picture.
peaceful avenues of diplomacy, commerce, economic integration, functional cooperation and peaceful exchanges of all kinds. On national security, national development, and overseas Filipinos These then are the guiding pillars, priorities or focal points of Philippine foreign policy: National security, national development, and overseas Filipinos. Philippine foreign policy, therefore, must continue to navigate through the problems and issues of international relations with these focal points, often interlinked with one another, as the principal guides for action. In a world beset by growing uncertainties, our diplomacy must in general support national development while helping to secure stability, security and peace at home, within our immediate region and if at possible, globally as well. Philippine diplomacy has long assisted our security agencies in the major tasks of combating internal insurgency and terrorism. The spread of violent extremism after 9/11 has not stopped. Modern terrorism is transnational as well as increasingly cyber-enabled. We must continue to seek counter-terror assistance in the form of capacity-building, training, intelligence sharing and other measures with the United States, our Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) ally and other partners nearby and further afield, as well as in regional and multilateral organizations. No country can defeat modern terrorism on its own so cooperation with other states will remain a national security priority. In addition, Philippine diplomacy has sought to be instrumental in aiding the country’s military modernization for external defense to protect our maritime territories. However, with our defenses being modest, our country must be more committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the rule of law. On upholding The Hague ruling This was why the Philippines chose to go for arbitration in trying to manage the South China Sea dispute. Arbitration is fully consistent with international law, the United Nations Charter and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Our legal position was found to be sound and the international arbitration tribunal ruled against Beijing’s so-called Nine-Dash Line, which by claiming virtually the whole South China Sea, was the principal source of this dispute. This legal victory for the country is, not only of great significance to the Philippines, but it also defends the applicability and hence stability of UNCLOS. The tribunal outcome has now become an integral part of international law. For countries like the Philippines, international law remains
as the great equalizer among states. There have been many unlawful acts of aggression committed by China in the South China Sea including illegal reclamation, degrading of marine environment, interference of petroleum activities of Philippine commercial vessels within Philippine EEZ, interference of Filpino fishermen within Philippine EEZ. Militarization of artificial islands, violating agreements on marine safety and directly confronting our President with the threat of war. Violations should be protested as these are hard earned gains of the Filipino obtained from the outcome of the tribunal. The Philippines should seek a resolution from the UN General Assembly to ask China to abide by the arbitral ruling. We can pursue multilateral cooperation and support through ASEAN, EAS, ARF while at the same time utilizing bilateral engagements. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio will be able to add to this list of options in addressing China’s unilateralism. On ASEAN Our most critical foreign policy project has been ASEAN and its many mechanisms and other regional bodies especially APEC. The reasons are compelling. Southeast Asia is our home region. It is where we find our closest neighbors. Southeast Asia, moreover, is part of East Asia and the Western Pacific, a part of the world where vital interests of all other major world powers, and our largest economic partners, intersect. Despite storm clouds gathering on the trade front, and the slowing down of global growth, East Asia and ASEAN still face very good economic prospects. If only investments can be mobilized and properly channeled to where they are most needed, such as in expanded and refurbished transportation networks, urban renewal and greening the economy. On the US-China Cold War The advent of the Trump Administration and China’s rising power have generated challenges we must face. Fortunately, we seem to have had measured progress on the Korean Peninsula. But there are other problems. There continue to be flareups in the South and East China Seas. And most recently, there is now the possible danger of a renewed nuclear weapons race which may affect the Asia-Pacific. It is believed that there is now a cold war between the US and China encompassing not only trade and cyber but also a renewed build-up of military capabilities.
POINT OF IMPACT
From A4
HANDWRITING OF GEN. MIONG, IT CAN EASILY BE ASCERTAINED IF THE PENMANSHIP WAS HIS. While I am no expert, I am quite familiar with Gen. Miong’s handwriting because I have been transcribing some of his unpublished notes. The one on the telegram attributed to him is very different from his existing self-written records during the period. Moreover, even if the telegram is authentic, IT COULD HAVE BEEN SENT BY ANYBODY, especially Luna’s enemies (and he had many) without the knowledge of Aguinaldo to make sure that Luna would go to Cabanauan. (emphases mine)” I am amused that Ocampo decontextualized my piece. It was a reaction to Bulan’s piece, as already explained. Also, I am happy to be in the company of other history students who also called for authentication and did not just swallow the propaganda around the telegram. So, I am not alone in the universe and if ignorance results in more thorough study, and better reading and analysis of history, I would rather be ignorant than pretend to know it all. However, I would suggest for Ocampo to re-read the sentence, “IF THE TELEGRAM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE HANDWRITING OF GEN. MIONG, IT CAN EASILY BE ASCERTAINED IF THE PENMANSHIP WAS HIS”. I said “IF” and “supposed to be” precisely because I am aware
Future... From A4
The Philippines is a developing nation with a growing population in Southeast Asia. Whereas in earlier years, Southeast Asia had been beset by conflict and instability, it is now known as the home of ASEAN, the fastest-growing region in the world. As a developing nation, the primordial concern for us is to promote inclusive growth, expand decent employment, improve technological capabilities and elevate the general standard of living of the people. This can best be done through improving the country’s competitiveness in the context of a policy of economic openness and regional integration. But, in pursuing economic growth, we should not put all our eggs in one basket. We need all the help we can get; and we need all the partners we can find. Third is preserving the rights of our Overseas Filipino Workers. The total number of international migrants in the world is estimated at some 280 million people. The Philippines accounts for only about 10 million of those, but these have been vital for the economic well-being for our country. Hence, there must be continuing emphasis in Philippine foreign policy on protecting the rights and welfare of migrant Filipinos and, by extension, its profound interest in securing bilateral, regional and international migration governance cooperation. There is yet a fourth, intangible but fundamentally important wellspring of our foreign policy. And that is the values by which we aspire to live as a nation. We see ourselves as an emerging democracy with a proud national tradition not only of fighting for freedom, but endeavoring to ensure that such freedom provides a better life for our people. The liberty and rights we cherish as a free people inform much of our action on the international stage. From these fundamentals we forged our stance of friendship for all who seek to be our friends, of cooperation with like-minded nations, of the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy, of respect for international law covering many areas including non-aggression, sovereignty, the peaceful resolution of disputes, adherence to the rule of law in international relations, human rights, climate justice and humane conditions for migration. These democratic values moved us to become a Charter Member of the United Nations and a founding member of ASEAN, APEC and other groupings aiming to promote closer understanding, mutual benefits and progress overall through the
@bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook
(Continued tomorrow)
Ambassador Del Rosario is Chairman of the Stratbase ADR Institute.
A5
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Why the US can never win the trade war BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN Part II WITH or without the trade war with China, US is likely to lose it principally due to the overvaluation of its currency. As one would put it, the US has been badly beaten in its own game of currency manipulation. The US is probably the only country that can fix the value of its currency. This happened after the US decoupled the dollar from the gold standard and unilaterally pegged its value based on the GNP, which nobody questioned because it then stands as the biggest and strongest industrial economy in the world. Because of the dollar’s unique place in the world’s currency system, it became the unofficial international currency exchange. For countries to import, it must have dollars to buys goods in the international market or measure the value of their exports in dollars as having the equivalent fair value. Equivocally, all countries had to secure and use dollar as their medium of exchange to carry out their international trade obligations. The US, through its financial institutions like the World Bank and the IMF and its various megabanks, raked in so much profit in the form of interests, services, fees and other bank charges for the mere use of the dollar.
If China decides to look for a new market, the US farmers will be growling over the loss of income and subsidy.
The elevation of the US dollar as universal medium of exchange unwittingly gave birth to a new system of trade, which is to trade off currency without producing a single commodity. The practice is now known as the “casino economy.” It became popular because traders are not engaged in the trading of goods for value but in the exchange of money-for-money for profit. The complexity of the money market gave rise to the new mode of business called “hedging of funds and the trading of collateralized debt obligation (CDO)”. The abandonment of the gold standard in 1973 immediately freed interest rate, thereby spinning upward (and uncontrollably) inflation to maintain confidence in investment. This marked the beginning of finance capital. However, many economists could not decipher the paradoxical pattern in the modified economic system. First, after that brief period in the fall of the value of gold after the US withdrew from the gold standard, steadily the value of the commodity kept on rising, that today is valued at $1,240 per ounce. Second, alongside with the increase in the value of gold, the dollar kept on rising as if to adjust its value to that gold when supposedly the two should be moving in different parameters. Third, while the US has been able to maintain its GDP to lend credibility to the value of the dollar, its GDP, however, no longer enjoys the same percentage industrial level that it had in the 1960s. China and the EU generate 33.9 percent of the world’s economic output of $127 trillion. The United States remains at third place, producing $19.4 trillion. In manufacturing, China has effectively displaced the US as leader. According to Mike Patton of Forbes Magazine: “America’s contribution to the global economy has been falling. In 1960, U.S. GDP represented 40 percent of global GDP. By 2014, America’s economic contribution had been cut in half.” Note that the exchange value of com-
The Lord... From A4
to overcome this most serious development and environment challenge of the world. But I go to Katowice with confidence and hope. This is because God never abandons his people—the faithful who repose their trust in him especially when they are called upon to swim against the tide. Ours is a faithful God of history. He intervenes in every point of human events, even when sometimes we do not recognize him. It does not matter whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, a buddhist, a Jew, black, yellow, brown or white. Salvation is for all people and situated in world events. It is understood as God’s breaking into this political and social history. Always, God never fails to intervene. He walks among us even as we tr y to survive in the darkest of hours. A
modities is no longer based on the classical Marxist economic formula of measuring the input of labor to measure its value, but on how the bankers are able to value the currency based on what Max Kaiser would say “on pure imagination and mumbo jumbo.” They reject the conventional economic theory that in open market economies, the one that could sell goods at the cheapest price is likely to sell all, and the buyer is always the one that has the money. In international trade, the one whose currency commands high value is the winner as the US might have thought. Americans never anticipated that the high value of the dollar would correspondingly push upward the cost of wage and services, and correspondingly the cost of living in the US. This is one economic phenomenon they were not able to diagnose; that the high value of the dollar would in the end result in financial hemorrhage for which importers and consumers alike would instinctively take advantage to purchase commodities sold at much cheaper prices but resulting in serous trade deficit. Instead of the US devaluing the dollar, it accuses China of fixing the value of the yuan to undervalue its exports. This is a paradoxical pattern conceived by the neoliberals headed by Milton Friedman; that it gradually eroded the status of the US as the leading manufacturing state. If other countries can produce goods cheaper, the US thought it wise to import instead of producing them locally, not knowing that as an economic vice it could metamorphose to one of need to outsource production. The dollar that was oozing endlessly out of the US through trade deficit that was permitted to purchase treasury bills as means to secure more foreign loans, to acquire assets in the US, enact laws to liberalize investment to resuscitate the ailing US economy. Such a cycle in the long run destroyed US productivity and competitiveness. First, the US economy lost its steam to sustain its comparative advantage to produce more goods at cheaper prices. Second, factories and production plants close down one by one. Third, increased unemployment soared. The US economy on the whole precipitously went down. It is not so much of its trade deficit with China, for even if without it, the US is bound to lose as a leading industrial and manufacturing giant. Nonetheless, the US economic planners continue to make available the US dollar to keep credit facilities going and as their easy way to import cheap goods without them knowing that the habit would result in the dismantling of their factories, causing serious economic dislocation characterized by recession and stagnation. This kind of economic crisis is even more dangerous because it is one of never-ending cycle of fending off inflation resulting in what economist would refer to as “stagflation,” a situation when the prices of goods rise while unemployment increases and spending declines. It is considered an unnatural phenomenon since inflation should not happen when the economy is weak or there is a general slow growth in the economy. For one, the US maintains its subsidy on agricultural products to keep its products competitive. China has specifically targeted US exports of soya for retaliatory measure because it knows that soybean farmers are paid $1.65 per bushel at 50 percent of anticipated production levels. The subsidy also pays 1 cent per bushel of corn and 14 cents per bushel of wheat. China has two options. One, to completely import from other countries. Second, to initiate a retaliatory tariff, say of 10 percent as announced. If China decides to look for a new market, the US farmers will be growling over the loss of income and subsidy. In the second option, should China impose a 10 percent tariff, that would still represent higher loss for the US because of the indirect cost of subsidy. US farmers would possibly demand a rebate for whatever loss they incurred. The net result is that the US would be paying more to keep a highly subsidized farm industry alive. rpkapunan@gmail.com tr ue believer clings to his faith despite the promptings of forces telling him not to trust in his God. Yet they shall be amply rewarded. This Advent, the Lord is once again calling on us to renew ourselves and straighten our crooked ways. He promises to lead us to the path of salvation if we do. Just as John called upon his people to prepare the way for Jesus, we too are being called to welcome Him this Advent Season and are called to be prophets to illumine, by our lives, the dark path that surrounds us, just as John the Baptist did. The Lord keeps his promises. This is what Advent assures us of. And so in this season, let us sing together the Canticle of Mary and proclaim the greatness of the Lord, for He has remembered His promise of mercy, the promise He made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.” Facebook: tonylavs Twitter: tonylavs
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IN BRIEF
Volkswagen delivers Santana units to MAN
VOLKSWAGEN Philippines recently signed an agreement to provide Volkswagen Santana sub-compact sedans to MAN Automotive Concessionaires Corp. for the latter’s corporate fleet. The German automotive firm said MACC was the third company in the Philippines—after CW Home Depot and Diamond Rent-A-Car—to choose the Santana as their mobility partner. The companies have chosen the Santana as the ideal vehicle for their fleet accounts due to world-class automotive craftsmanship, design and engineering and the prestige of the premium Volkswagen driving lifestyle. Volkswagen turned over Santana units to MACC—the exclusive Philippine importer, distributor and after sales provider of MAN trucks and buses since 1989, maintaining the largest facilities of any MAN dealer in Asia with its two MAN truck and bus service centers. MACC introduced MAN trucks to the local market after initially concentrating on supplying MAN buses to leading public transport companies. Othel V. Campos
Business
G-20 debt reporting proposal benefits PH
THE Department of Finance said a transparent debt reporting proposed in the G-20 will benefit the Philippines. Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran, also the DoF’s chief economist, said the Philippines was among the economies with low and declining debt ratios, plunging from 66.6 percent of the GDP in 2005 to 22.5 percent as of end-June 2018. He said compared with the country’s Asian peers, the country’s debt ratios had dropped below the Asian average of 30.9 percent of GDP in June 2018. “Furthermore, all the projects being financed by external funds are subject to multiple-agency evaluations such that only those projects with the highest economic rates of return are selected,” Beltran said. “Transparent debt reporting will facilitate the decision-making of investors and lenders and will shift attention to those economies that do their homework such as the Philippines,” he said. Beltran added the Philippines had been prudent in tapping external sources and transparent in its external debt reporting. Julito G. Rada
DBP extends P1.6-b credit to Camarines Sur STATE-RUN Development Bank of the Philippines, the eighth-largest lender in terms of assets, is expanding its development initiatives in the Bicol region through the grant of a P1.6billion loan facility in Camarines Sur that will finance infrastructure projects and improve social services to local residents. DBP president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo said the bank approved a P1.485-billion loan to the provincial government of Camarines Sur that would partly finance over 170 infrastructure projects, including the construction of farm-to-market roads and bridges as well as the repair and maintenance of existing road networks. “DBP continues to promote sustainable development in Camarines Sur with its latest funding assistance to the provincial government which showcases the synergy between DBP and the local government unit in catalyzing economic growth in the countryside,” Borromeo said. Camarines Sur is classified as an agricultural-based economy with rice, corn, feed meal, freshwater fish, coconut, sugar and abaca among its main products. The province is comprised of 35 municipalities and two cities. It is the most populous in the Bicol region with nearly two million residents. Borromeo said the financing assistance to the provincial government would also be used to fund the construction of multi-purpose buildings, school buildings, hospital buildings, barangay halls, and evacuation centers as well as the acquisition of hospital machineries and equipment. Julito G. Rada
business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2018
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BoI upgrades Cargill-Jollibee joint venture project status By Othel V. Campos
NEA wants co-ops to help one another
THE National Electrification Administration supports an electric cooperative takeover for financially distressed ECs, instead of outright privatization. NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong encouraged all communityowned power distribution utilities to work together and pool their resources in aid of struggling co-ops. “If possible, let us all be of help to one another, raise our own funds so that we can offer our services to electric cooperatives requiring investment management contract before anybody else,” the NEA chief said in a statement. Masongsong said ECs continued to face challenges in the rural electrification sector, including the need to address persistent complaints of inefficiency among underperforming ECs. The NEA chief expressed his desire for “well-off cooperatives” to help the government find more creative solutions to the lingering problems besetting the industry, including the constant threat of a private company taking over the franchise of an ailing EC. Alena Mae S. Flores
Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor
TOYOTA’S SOLAR ARRAY. Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. inaugurates its one-megawatt solar array at its manufacturing and assembly plant in Santa Rosa City. The new facility is one of TMP’s major initiatives to minimize carbon footprint and help mitigate the effects of climate change. The ceremonial lights-on of the solar array scale model is led by (from left) TMP executive vice president Tomohiro Iwamoto, TMP president Satoru Suzuki, Meralco president Oscar Reyes and Spectrum president Jose Rainier Reyes.
BSP: Households saving more and spending less M By Julito G. Rada
ORE Filipino households saved money in the fourth quarter this year compared to a quarter ago, results of a survey conducted by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show.
The percentage of households with savings increased slightly to 32.8 percent from 32.5 percent in the previous quarter, the Consumer Expectations Survey for the fourth quarter show.
Forex reserves rose to $75.5b in end-November THE country’s gross international reserves rose to a three-month high of $75.49 billion at the end of November, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said Friday. Data showed the level was higher than $74.71 billion in the end of October. This was the highest since $77.9 billion in the end of August this year. Espenilla attributed the increase mainly to inflows arising from the BSP’s foreign exchange operations and income from investments abroad. However, the increase in the GIR level was partially tempered by the payments made by the government for its foreign exchange obligations and net foreign currency withdrawals, as well as the revaluation adjustments on the BSP’s gold holdings resulting from the decrease in the price of gold in the international market. “The end-November 2018 level of GIR continues to serve as an ample external liquidity buffer and is equivalent to 6.9 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income,” Espenilla said. “It is also equivalent to 5.8 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.1 times based on residual maturity,” he said. Net international reserves, which refer to the difference between the BSP’s GIR and total short-term liabilities, also increased by $0.78 billion to $75.47 billion as of end-November 2018 from the end-October 2018 level of $74.69 billion. The Bangko Sentral in May kept the reserves target of $80 billion this year, lower than the actual $81.5 billion in 2017. Bangko Sentral said the reserves level by yearend would be consistent with the revised balance of payments projection of a $1.5-billion deficit from the earlier projection of a $1-billion surplus. Julito G. Rada
According to respondents, they saved money for emergencies, health and hospitalization, education, retirement, purchase of real estate and business capital and investments. Among households with savings, more than two-thirds or 68 percent had bank deposit accounts in the fourth quarter, up from 66.2 percent a quarter ago. Moreover, 46.2 percent kept their savings at home, while 26.5 percent put their money in cooperatives, paluwagan, other credit/loan associations, and as investments. The percentage of respondents who reported they could set aside money for savings during the current quarter rose to 40.2 percent from 37.3 percent a quarter ago. Both business and consumer confidence outlooks posted lower readings in the fourth quarter this year, driven mainly by higher inflation. “The results of these two surveys are the results of many factors coming together,” Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said in a briefing. The business outlook on the economy turned less optimistic, with the overall confidence index dropping to 27.2 percent from 30.1 percent a quarter ago, the lowest level since the first quarter of 2010. The survey said despite the expected uptick in demand during the holiday season, the business outlook was less buoyant due to higher inflation driven
by rising raw material costs and global oil prices, weaker peso, higher interest rates, decrease in volume of sales and orders and lack of supply of raw materials. The inflation peaked to a nine-year high of 6.7 percent in October before easing to 6 percent in November. For the next quarter, respondents expect less bullish business conditions to continue as the index remained positive but lower at 29.4 percent from 42.6 percent in the previous quarter. This is the lowest next-quarter reading since third quarter of 2009. Respondents attributed their weaker outlook for the next quarter to the usual slowdown in demand after the holiday season. Their sentiments were also tempered by expectations of a peso depreciation that increases the costs of imports as well ad higher inflation and interest rates. On the other hand, the consumer confidence index in the fourth quarter declined to -22.5 percent from -7.1 percent a quarter ago. This was the lowest reading since the fourth quarter of 2014 and posted the largest drop by 15.4 percentage points since the nationwide survey started in first quarter 2007. Respondents cited as reasons for the decline in confidence index to higher prices of commodities, low salary and income, increase in household expenses, no increase in income, and upsurge in the number of unemployed persons.
ROMERO’S AWARD. 1-Pacman Partylist and Airasia Philippines co-owner Rep. Mikee Romero receives the Filipino Achievers Award from this year’s Elite Business and Leadership Awards Friday. Romero said during the awarding ceremony he aims to make the economy much stronger and give a better future for the Filipinos.
THE Board of Investments upgraded the non-pioneer status of Cargill Joy Poultry Meat Production Inc.’s P2-billion marinated cut chicken production project to an inclusive business model. The firm’s project, which started operations in November 2017 with a production target of 79,465 metric tons a year, qualified for the Investment Priorities Plan criteria for inclusive business models. Cargill Joy in Santo Tomas, Batangas is a joint venture between Cargill and Jollibee Foods Corp. “Cargill Joy has the potential to create inclusive impact in Batangas by engaging the low-income farmers through sourcing of goods and services,” said Trade Undersecretary and BoI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo. IB projects are those that engage members of the low-income community in a company’s core operations, enabling their contributions to make an impact on the firm’s financial performance. The people may be employed directly by the firm, or their produced goods and services are integrated in the company’s value chain. Under the current IPP, an IB-approved project can avail of an income tax holiday for five years. The criteria say 25 percent of total costs of goods sold should be derived from micro and small enterprises, and the project should employ a a minimum of 300 individuals from the marginalized sectors, with at least 30 percent women. Income derived from the engagement should be equal to at least minimum wage, or baseline income plus 20 percent increase, whichever is higher, by the end of the third year of operation. Companies are also required to provide technical assistance and capacitybuilding measures to MSEs and individuals, facilitate financing access, and provide inputs or technology that can increase productivity and improve product quality.
Globe Telecom, BPI sign $40-m loan agreement By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. signed a $40-million loan facility with Bank of the Philippine Islands to fund expansion and refinance debts. “The loan shall be used to partially finance the company’s maturing obligations, capital expenditures and general corporate requirements,” the company said. Globe, a unit of Ayala Corp., earlier raised its full-year capital spending budget to $950 million this year from the original $850 million. The company allocated P32.5 billion or $618 million for capital expenditures in the first nine months to support the growing subscriber base and address the rapidly changing and rising demand for data. The massive investment accounted for nearly 32 percent of top line revenues, among the highest in the region, as the company continued to reinvest in its network to improve the quality and experience of its subscribers. About 78 percent of the total expenditures in the period was for data-related services. Globe said it was on course to fulfill its commitment to deploy LTE services to 95 percent of cities and municipalities nationwide by the end of 2018 and upgrade its network to support the pilot 5G deployment in 2019. Globe has a total of 40,522 base stations, with close to 27,000 for 4G to support the service requirements of its customers. Globe’s mobile subscriber base reached 65.4 million as of end-September 2018, up 10 percent from the 59.3 million subscribers reported in the same period last year. The increase led to mobile data traffic growing by 49 percent from 430 petabytes last year to 641 petabytes in the nine-month period. Total home broadband subscriber base increased around 23 percent to more than 1.5 million, of which around 48 percent were home wireless subscribers.
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Business
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com
Stocks drop for third straight day
T
HE stock market retreated for the third straight day Friday to cap its gains during the week, with investors in search of a catalyst to push the market higher.
The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 74.26 points, or 1 percent, to 7,461.06 on a value turnover of P6.3 billion. Losers beat gainers, 110 to 80, with 42 issues unchanged. ISM Communications Corp., a member of the consortium declared by the government as the country’s third major telecommunications firm, fell 6.6 percent to P5.56, while conglomerate San Miguel Corp. declined 4.3 percent to P162.20 JG Summit Holdings Inc. of industrialist John Gokongwei dropped 3.7 percent to P50.10, while Ayala Land Inc.
lost 2.7 percent to P40.75. Asian investors, meanwhile, battled to finish a volatile week with some stability Friday as they weigh the outlook for China-US trade talks and uncertainty in oil markets, while looking ahead to the release of key US jobs data. After the furious selling of the past two days, there was some optimism after a report said the Federal Reserve could slow down its pace of interest rate hikes next year, providing some much-needed relief to under-pressure dealers. The general mood across trading floors is of unease, just days after the euphoria of Donald Trump’s tariffs ceasefire deal with China’s Xi Jinping at the G20 that put the row off for 90 days while they try to resolve the crisis. No sooner had the rally from that announcement run its course than questions began to be raised about the details
and whether the world’s top two economies could actually resolve their differences. That was compounded by news that a top executive at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei had been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the US over allegations the firm had broken sanctions linked to Iran. The apprehension of Meng Wanzhou fueled concerns about already fraught relations between Washington and Beijing and the future of the trade talks. China on Thursday appeared to try to ease concerns by saying it would “immediately” implement measures agreed under the truce, while Trump later sent a tweet highlighting progress. “Statement from China: ‘The teams of both sides are now having smooth communications and good cooperation with each other. We are full of confidence
that an agreement can be reached within the next 90 days.’ I agree!” he wrote. Tokyo closed 0.8 percent higher, while Hong Kong added 0.1 percent and Shanghai ended flat. Sydney edged up 0.4 percent, Singapore and Seoul each gained 0.3 percent, while Wellington, Jakarta and Taipei were also higher. Providing some support were hopes the Fed will not hike borrowing costs as much as previously expected over the next year. A report in the Wall Street Journal said the bank would take a wait-and-see approach to its decisions as signs point to a possible slowdown in the world’s top economy. The prospect of rates continuing to rise for some time—making it more expensive to borrow to invest—has been a major reason for selling on world markets this year. With AFP
MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2018
VOLUME
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NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP
NAME
OPEN
HIGH
LOW
CLOSE
ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FERRONOUX HLDG IREMIT MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE
58.95 93.4 2.29 133 1.51 27.8 15.9 12.1 3.94 1.37 0.45 79 0.88 11.1 43.1 178.5 74 28.35 161.2 1,815 66.9 1.2
58.95 94.85 2.32 133.7 1.51 27.8 15.9 12.18 4.04 1.46 0.48 79.8 0.92 11.1 44 180 74 28.5 162 1,820 66.9 1.2
58.95 93.4 2.15 131.2 1.51 27.5 15.7 11.82 3.87 1.37 0.45 77.5 0.88 11 43 177 72.7 28.35 158.1 1,810 65.9 1.2
FINANCIALS 58.95 1,220 94.25 1,746,470 2.15 1,075,000 133.2 3,008,270 1.51 10,000 27.7 276,700 15.7 32,000 11.98 463,500 4.01 46,000 1.45 81,000 0.48 300,000 79.8 2,049,210 0.92 717,000 11.1 157,800 43.5 35,100 177 160 72.7 560 28.5 2,000 160 144,250 1,810 260 65.95 8,560 1.2 50,000
71,919 164,525,423 2,319,970 400,626,469 15,100 7,645,170 502,460 5,539,102 182,080 112,350 136,100 161,976,457 650,350 1,751,510 1,530,650 28,433 40,725 56,795 23,073,003 471,365 567,024 60,000
71,473,749.50 -153,804,186.00 2,795,430 -31,458 -638,516 105,142,984.50 0 7,700 911,955 -32,715 1,320,383 -162,950 -116,957 -
ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VIVANT VULCAN INDL
33 17.2 1.02 1.28 0.25 1.65 15 33.2 37.5 64.95 78.1 1.71 6.89 6.6 10.42 14.96 8.3 6.96 19.2 64.75 24.15 2.16 6 9.2 1.78 295.6 4.3 3.22 27.7 9.95 18.4 380 0.17 1.35 3.98 8.36 5.16 8.3 0.89 11 48.5 5.22 4.8 1.84 2.67 1.48 10.5 84.2 5.15 0.122 0.83 129.8 1.8 16.9 1.9
33.15 17.58 1.03 1.28 0.25 1.68 15.3 33.2 37.5 64.95 78.1 1.78 7.12 6.7 10.42 14.96 8.49 6.98 19.48 65.1 24.5 2.16 6.25 9.21 1.78 296 4.3 3.22 28 9.95 18.72 381 0.17 1.4 3.99 8.38 5.27 8.3 0.92 11 48.8 5.22 4.8 1.9 2.67 1.48 10.5 84.25 5.23 0.122 0.86 129.8 1.85 16.9 1.93
32 17.2 1 1.24 0.248 1.64 14.8 32 37.5 60.65 78.1 1.7 6.41 6.55 10.02 14.8 8.09 6.95 19.2 63.05 23.6 2.08 6 9 1.72 294 4.3 3.21 27.5 9.9 18.4 375.4 0.162 1.35 3.96 8.21 5.02 8.21 0.89 10.8 48.05 5.2 4.7 1.83 2.67 1.4 10.46 84.15 5.05 0.122 0.82 126.5 1.77 16.9 1.71
INDUSTRIAL 33 962,300 17.4 254,900 1.02 3,924,000 1.26 135,000 0.25 1,180,000 1.66 2,363,000 14.84 142,800 32.5 369,900 37.5 100 60.65 2,010 78.1 30 1.76 168,000 6.5 513,300 6.55 71,200 10.2 5,092,200 14.88 65,800 8.12 233,300 6.98 259,900 19.32 4,507,800 65 248,360 24.2 35,200 2.13 7,634,000 6.2 35,300 9.07 2,438,200 1.74 353,000 295 574,500 4.3 3,000 3.21 20,000 28 454,000 9.95 293,800 18.58 338,300 376 154,800 0.162 3,710,000 1.39 284,000 3.96 16,000 8.34 1,766,100 5.05 210,000 8.23 19,000 0.9 2,477,000 10.8 41,500 48.45 5,820,800 5.2 80,000 4.8 16,000 1.87 60,000 2.67 1,000 1.47 97,000 10.46 7,700 84.15 689,470 5.15 727,000 0.122 500,000 0.83 31,000 127 529,680 1.84 8,931,000 16.9 4,700 1.74 33,352,000
31,263,775 4,442,338 3,973,020 167,880 293,770 3,928,160 2,160,358 11,959,035 3,750 122,106.50 2,343 294,560 3,437,578 466,455 51,863,982 977,324 1,899,692 1,809,055 87,213,364 16,131,313 848,635 16,118,090 217,041 22,148,027 611,900 169,505,856 12,900 64,230 12,698,855 2,921,604 6,274,016 58,439,996 611,890 396,660 63,660 14,709,444 1,070,949 157,050 2,230,100 449,758 280,844,185 416,620 76,650 111,150 2,670 141,640 80,786 58,039,385.50 3,747,181 61,000 25,970 67,368,859 16,297,720 79,430 60,688,040
-2,730,380 70,808 5,200 154,160 -1,833,760 530,290 96,175 -2,343 24,110 -3,814,352 -402,994 92,382 -1,692,128 35,354,464 -2,997,051 773,600 5,404,459 40,426,592 -64,230 10,918,535 -1,502,050 1,452,358.00 -1,613,836 84,500 -303,610 -569,452 -1,901,800 -31,900 1,245,615 -104,120 -9,450 -55,650 25,590,419.50 541,900 11,287,789 187,890 413,610
ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ASIABEST GROUP ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA PRIME ORION SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES SM INVESTMENTS TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS
0.64 53.45 11.76 0.87 6.42 30 1.37 1.4 930 7.31 12.58 9.96 949 52 5.26 0.57 4.2 17.1 0.59 4.78 0.04 1.2 2.44 169.2 2.23 946 280 0.245
0.66 53.45 11.88 0.87 6.42 31.9 1.43 1.42 935.5 7.65 12.7 10.08 960 52 5.5 0.57 4.22 17.3 0.62 4.8 0.04 1.24 2.44 169.2 2.23 957.5 280 0.27
0.62 50.3 11.62 0.86 6.42 26.8 1.36 1.36 910 7.2 12.56 9.6 920 49.05 5.26 0.54 4.13 16.8 0.59 4.75 0.038 1.2 2.4 161 2.23 935 273 0.245
HOLDING FIRMS 0.62 21,538,000 50.3 1,009,550 11.86 7,171,100 0.86 74,000 6.42 100 28.85 1,117,400 1.37 6,526,000 1.37 2,318,000 910 431,280 7.35 6,993,000 12.58 4,857,500 9.81 781,600 920 54,190 50.1 3,133,530 5.5 29,200 0.54 165,000 4.13 1,356,000 16.94 4,390,700 0.62 538,000 4.77 22,402,000 0.038 44,000,000 1.24 30,000 2.4 441,000 162.2 786,390 2.23 2,000 940 219,040 280 2,400 0.265 16,900,000
13,722,430 51,821,274 84,476,084 64,070 642 33,213,215 9,009,600 3,225,380 394,996,705 51,713,131 61,294,764 7,796,648 50,721,035 158,687,622.50 160,384 93,820 5,663,590 75,034,456 330,660 106,811,140 1,692,100 36,860 1,062,240 128,765,296 4,460 206,229,825 657,720 4,401,020
176,280 -864,400 14,448,878 642 -390,855 720,800.00 -236,841,100 55,651 -23,581,070 684,192 23,848,770 -12,618,410.50 623,170 -696,312 81,600 -1,391,880 -2,400 24,000 -67,328,147 1,480,745 27,926 13,000
8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY
7.75 0.78 10.14 1.75 0.57 41.55 2.4 4.05 6 0.4 0.87 0.226 0.34 7.99 18.22 0.51 0.119 1.49 1.08 4.79 0.415 0.475 2.36 0.385
7.75 0.79 10.56 1.75 0.58 41.95 2.42 4.05 6.03 0.41 0.89 0.238 0.34 8.05 18.22 0.51 0.12 1.51 1.12 4.8 0.42 0.485 2.39 0.385
7.6 0.75 10 1.7 0.56 40.15 2.36 4 6 0.4 0.86 0.226 0.34 7.93 17.66 0.485 0.119 1.48 1.07 4.79 0.4 0.475 2.33 0.385
6,601,811 587,430 41,330 390,370 622,010 444,541,925 1,191,020 577,890 534,142 3,053,050 19,130 1,877,310 37,400 1,432,686 6,972,650 391,735 71,890 19,707,690 397,080 37,327,540 21,343,250 385,250 15,641,250 7,700
-7,550 11,550 11,054 -108,436,290 -178,460 346,774 783,900 283,574 -63,700 5,478,760 18,711,520 -28,950 21,260 -
NAME
HIGH
LOW
CLOSE
VOLUME
VALUE
PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND
3.82 21.6 1.99 3.1 35.45 1.19 5.7 0.73 5.18
3.84 21.8 2 3.1 36.2 1.22 5.7 0.73 5.2
3.76 20.8 1.99 3.09 35.45 1.16 5.35 0.72 5.11
3.8 21 2 3.09 36 1.22 5.4 0.72 5.14
386,000 831,200 16,000 25,000 4,139,200 3,615,000 389,000 110,000 11,992,800
1,471,440 17,616,395 31,970 77,440 148,302,020 4,303,800 2,107,018 80,200 61,671,269
2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT
11.46 20 1.48 0.415 0.04 2.63 8.29 72.2 7.95 6.66 2.38 19.22 2,090 5.29 314 3.38 2.02 93.5 11.66 7.2 0.116 5.83 3.36 3.5 0.79 14.66 0.33 5.25 7.25 2.29 2.26 2.33 18 3.85 10.02 8.2 117 3.28 1,188 0.76 0.32 42.85 72.3 7.5 2.34 0.67 0.42 5.24 0.71 12.28
11.46 20.45 1.55 0.415 0.041 2.72 8.39 75.4 7.95 6.66 2.42 20.2 2,098 5.33 324.8 3.38 2.29 94.95 11.66 7.2 0.116 5.85 3.43 3.54 0.79 14.78 0.345 5.52 7.26 2.3 2.42 2.42 18 3.91 10.06 8.54 117 3.31 1,198 0.77 0.32 42.85 72.3 7.8 2.41 0.67 0.44 5.26 0.71 12.36
10.9 19.9 1.45 0.4 0.039 2.58 8.02 72.2 7.95 6.55 2.38 18.72 2,048 5.26 314 3.27 2.02 93.5 11.64 7.2 0.108 5.4 3.33 3.49 0.76 14.58 0.33 5.25 7.25 2.21 2.16 2.33 18 3.64 10.02 8.19 112 3.01 1,165 0.73 0.315 42.65 70 7.45 2.34 0.63 0.41 5.24 0.67 12.18
SERVICES 11 19.92 1.46 0.405 0.04 2.69 8.02 74.65 7.95 6.57 2.42 19.52 2,076 5.3 319 3.29 2.09 94.5 11.64 7.2 0.114 5.56 3.43 3.49 0.76 14.58 0.345 5.51 7.25 2.28 2.32 2.35 18 3.64 10.02 8.54 116.9 3.01 1,165 0.75 0.315 42.75 71.5 7.45 2.38 0.64 0.41 5.26 0.68 12.26
31,000 34,500 260,000 1,750,000 38,100,000 6,678,000 8,582,800 459,010 100 2,377,800 4,000 290,100 61,625 34,400 860 1,230,000 573,000 919,630 3,000 11,000 1,360,000 26,139,300 5,000 268,000 12,000 555,300 50,000 62,700 31,786,800 642,000 1,321,000 7,000 1,100 4,588,000 37,200 12,400 181,330 2,261,000 63,700 13,536,000 590,000 2,444,400 1,863,590 25,600 4,761,000 6,553,000 66,380,000 141,200 2,284,000 2,274,300
341,166 689,962 387,830 706,550 1,511,800 17,717,150 70,040,238 34,304,583 795 15,652,321 9,600 5,657,790 127,969,440 181,383 275,362 4,073,380 1,225,010 86,619,779.50 34,958 79,200 148,260 147,158,667 16,840 938,460 9,170 8,150,530 16,650 329,678 230,454,992 1,446,750 3,025,620 16,480 19,800 17,307,850 373,020 101,740 21,203,437 7,017,730 74,790,335 10,132,010 187,300 104,496,685 132,995,063.50 193,745 11,388,070 4,200,090 28,207,550 740,400 1,564,310 27,847,328
ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK BENGUET A BENGUET B CENTURY PEAK COAL ASIA HLDG DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL LEPANTO A LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL PHINMA PETRO PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON
0.0019 1.66 2.6 16.1 1.16 1.13 1.9 0.3 7.49 1.7 0.094 0.108 0.0076 1.08 2.29 1.06 0.95 0.012 0.012 0.012 3.42 2.88 16.2 25 0.0062
0.002 1.67 2.6 16.1 1.16 1.13 1.92 0.3 7.49 1.7 0.098 0.108 0.0076 1.08 2.29 1.12 1.03 0.013 0.012 0.012 3.42 2.88 16.2 25.75 0.0064
0.0019 1.6 2.51 16 1.16 1.13 1.9 0.3 7.11 1.67 0.094 0.108 0.0076 1.08 2.22 1.06 0.95 0.012 0.012 0.012 3.17 2.78 15.58 24.5 0.006
MINING & OIL 0.002 976,000,000 1.62 3,485,000 2.51 118,000 16 800 1.16 20,000 1.13 16,000 1.91 588,000 0.3 10,000 7.12 1,800 1.7 1,309,000 0.095 1,460,000 0.108 10,000 0.0076 2,000,000 1.08 24,000 2.23 5,672,000 1.07 259,000 1.01 5,949,000 0.012 398,700,000 0.012 1,800,000 0.012 61,000,000 3.24 43,000 2.82 959,000 15.7 1,562,200 24.55 2,140,200 0.006 31,000,000
1,929,400 5,631,100 296,360 12,820 23,200 18,080 1,126,850 3,000 12,936 2,206,440 140,200 1,080 15,200 25,920 12,758,660 286,720 5,978,020 4,792,100 21,600 732,000 138,960 2,691,470 24,699,426 53,473,015 188,000
-15,060 35,530 -5,601,060 -627,280 -244,290 -2,920,120 -23,895,395 -
ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 DD PREF FGEN PREF G GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF PCOR PREF 2B SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2I
19.1 469 98.9 102 5.2 940 910 94.55 1 952 75.95 76.6 74.65 74.5 73.9
19.1 469 98.9 103 5.25 940 925 94.55 1 952 75.95 76.6 75 74.5 74.8
18.82 460 98.9 102 5.2 940 910 94.55 1 952 75.95 76.6 74.6 72.5 73.9
PREFERRED 18.82 57,300 460 40 98.9 170 103 3,100 5.24 18,100 940 10 925 120 94.55 100 1 225,000 952 10 75.95 3,000 76.6 29,030 75 58,850 74.5 13,910 73.9 20,150
1,086,618 18,580 16,813 316,300 94,785 9,400 109,350 9,455 225,000 9,520 227,850 2,223,698 4,406,372.50 1,017,343 1,489,220
-1,086,618 94,260 -
LR WARRANT
1.99
2.05
1.99
WARRANTS 2.05 42,000
85,010
ITALPINAS XURPAS
4.67 1.34
4.67 1.35
4.6 1.21
4.61 1.25
FIRST METRO ETF
112.5
112.5
111.5
MS
PROPERTY 7.74 0.77 10.56 1.7 0.56 40.75 2.39 4.05 6 0.405 0.89 0.233 0.34 8.04 17.7 0.485 0.12 1.51 1.09 4.8 0.415 0.48 2.39 0.385
854,300 763,000 4,100 229,000 1,100,000 10,825,500 500,000 143,000 88,900 7,620,000 22,000 8,090,000 110,000 179,000 388,400 806,000 600,000 13,100,000 367,000 7,783,000 52,250,000 800,000 6,631,000 20,000
NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP
OPEN
TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL
SHARES 7,611,651
INDUSTRIAL
133,826,325
HOLDING FIRMS
388,844,161
PROPERTY
166,067,397
SERVICES
345,101,638
MINING & OIL
3,566,967,695
GRAND TOTAL
4,613,459,183
SME
186,000 11,429,000
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 111.5 6,290
-426,610 -155,105 -30,940 -45,351,295 -42,531,910 165,350 -73,270 -37,547,817.00 4,157,753 58,296 -870 38,066,810 45,564 -300,130 30,186,733 -1,059,919 99,220 213,766,250 -112,140 -1,023,650 529,895 -998,210 -20,016,455 -30,780 9,767,140 -76,474,468.50 -1,105,280 -639,650 111,950 -101,181 639,592
-
859,400 14,492,220
-860,310
703,428
-31,268
VALUE 1,790.40 (down) 7.67 700,919,966.74 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,842.51 (down) 64.73 1,261,415,159.69 HOLDING FIRMS 7,443.35 (down) 101.91 2,859,264,484.462 PROPERTY 3,672.33 (down) 73.10 1,424.27 (down) 13.15 915,615,840.885 SERVICES MINING & OIL 8,554.64 (down) 51.41 1,251,083,327.75 PSEI 7,535.32 (down) 95.58 189,556,114.9488 All Shares Index 4,530.92 (down) 43.24 7,186,327,992.58 Gainers: 74; Losers: 113; Unchanged: 50; Total: 237
Meralco set to run Ghana franchise in first quarter By Alena Mae S. Flores MANILA Electric Co., the biggest electricity retailer, plans to start managing and operating the electricity distribution business of Electricity Company of Ghana in West Africa the in the first quarter of 2019. “We are working with Millennium Development Authority, and electricity company of Ghana for proper transfer by first quarter. Our people are there,” Meralco president Oscar Reyes said Friday. He said the Meralco was finalizing the agreements that will enable the utility to take a 30-percent in the joint venture that will operate the distribution business of EGC. “There are several agreements... For crafting, finalization and signing. We are required to have 30 percent but we can bring that down to 19 percent in the JV,” Reyes said. Meralco was earlier chosen as the preferred bidder to manage, operate and invest in the ECG privatization process. The Millennium Development Authority of Ghana said the Meralco consortium had the highest combined technical and financial score and was designated as the preferred bidder. Meralco senior vice president and head corporate marketing Al Panlilio said earlier the Ghana bid included equity ownership and management of the concession company that would take over ECG, which supplies 80 percent of the population of Ghana through three million accounts. Meralco is the country’s biggest power distributor with over six million customers in its franchise area. It already has a stake in a distribution utility in Nigeria, also in West Africa. Meralco and partner Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Ltd. took over the operations of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc. and Yola Electricity Distribution Co. Plc. in November 2013. MiDA received two proposals from Meralco and BXC Ghana to operate the electrical distribution business of ECG.
Vista Land prices bond issue; offer starts on Dec. 10 By Jenniffer B. Austria HOMEBUILDER Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. has set the interest rate for its planned P10 billion, fixed-rate bond offering this month. Vista Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the five-year bonds due 2023 would carry an interest rate of 8 percent yearly,] while the sevenyear bonds due 2025 would offer 8.25 percent. The company set the offering period from Dec. 10 to 14 and the issue date on Dec. 14. The bonds will be listed with Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. Vista Land plans to issue P5 billion in retail bonds with an oversubscription of another P5 billion in case of strong demand. It will issue the bonds from a P20-billion bond shelf registration approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission in July 2017, Vista Land is offering the bonds through China Bank Capital Corp., the issue manager, underwriter and book runner of the fund raising activity. Credit Rating and Investors Services Philippines Inc. earlier rated the bonds AAA, the highest rating assigned by the rating company. Vista Land plans to use the proceeds from the bond offering to pay maturing obligations and partially finance capital expenditures in 2019. The company has a P4.3-billion retail bond issue maturing in April next year. Vista Land earlier reported that net income in the first nine months of the year rose 16 percent to P8.3 billion from P7.1 billion year-on-year. Consolidated revenues during the period stood at P31 billion, up 16 percent from the previous year’s P26.9 billion. Real estate sales increased 16 percent to P24.4 billion from P20.8 billion a year ago.
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila
Standard
World
TODAY
B3
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com
China media slam arrest of Huawei’s top executive
IN BRIEF Kevin Hart out as Oscars emcee
LOS ANGELES―US comedian and actor Kevin Hart abruptly withdrew from hosting the Oscars Thursday night amid the flack for past homophobic and anti-gay tweets. Two days after announcing he had landed what he called a dream gig, Hart said that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had told him to choose between apologizing for the tweets or losing the job. Hart said the tweets were from nearly a decade ago and that he had matured since then. “I chose to pass on the apology. The reason why I passed is because I’ve addressed this several times,” Hart, 39, said during a video posted to Instagram. “I’ve said who I am now versus who I was then. I’ve done it. I’m not going to continue to go back and tap into the days of old when I’ve moved on and I’m in a completely different place in my life,” Hart said. On Twitter, Hart apologized to the LGBTQ community for what he called “my insensitive words from my past.” AFP
B
EIJING―Chinese state-run media on Friday condemned the arrest in Canada of a top executive of telecoms giant Huawei on a US extradition request as a “despicable rogue’s approach” to contain Chinese high-tech ambitions.
CNN offices evacuated
NEW YORK―CNN’s New York offices were evacuated Thursday night after a bomb threat, but no explosive was found and police later gave the all clear, the network said. The roughly 90-minute drama recalled a similar evacuation in October after an explosive device was discovered at CNN’s New York headquarters. Fire alarm bells rang inside the newsroom to signal an evacuation shortly after 10:30 pm, CNN said on its website, as the network went to pre-taped programing. An hour later the network was broadcasting from Skype. “People just tuning in wondering why you’re seeing me on Skype, why there’s such technical difficulties, it’s because we have been taken off the air because a bomb threat was called in to CNN,” said host Don Lemon. “We were evacuated and we know as much as you do.” “Due to a police investigation at Columbus Circle, West 58th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue is closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic,” the New York Police Department tweeted, referring to the address of the news organization’s offices. “Please avoid this area. Update to follow.”AFP
Director accused of sexual assault
TAIPEI―Acclaimed Taiwanese director Doze Niu has been accused of sexually assaulting a female crew member working on his latest film, “Pao Ma”. The alleged assault happened following a meeting at Niu’s home in Taipei when other guests had left, according to Taiwan’s United Daily News. A friend accompanied the woman to a hospital after the alleged assault in November and a police report was filed on Wednesday. Niu, who appeared at a Taipei police station for questioning on Friday, said he would cooperate with the investigation. Speaking to reporters in front of the police station, Niu said: “I have faith and hope that there will be a fair trial. “But there is another public trial going on now and I have already been handed a death sentence.” Before taking a deep bow in front of the cameras, he added: “Doze Niu is dead.”AFP
SMOG IN WINTER. Indian commuters drive amid heavy smog conditions along a road in Amritsar on December 7, 2018. -Smog levels spike during winter in North India, when the air quality often eclipses the World Health Organization’s safe levels. Cooler air traps pollutants—such as from vehicles, building sites and farmers burning crops in regions outside the Indian capital—close to the ground. (Photo by NARINDER NANU / AFP)
Thousands of Myanmar women are forced into marriage in China BANGKOK―Thousands of vulnerable women and girls from northern Myanmar are being trafficked to China and forced to marry, a study said Friday, offering a rare look at an issue that grips the conflicthit borderlands. China has around 33 million fewer women than men due to the decades-long one-child policy. To plug the gap, tens of thousands of poor women from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam are sold as brides each year, some going willingly, while others are tricked or trafficked. In the first research of its kind, a report by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimated 7,500 women from war-torn Kachin and northern Shan states have fallen victim to forced marriage in China.
SECOND INVITATION TO SUBMIT PRICE QUOTATION BAC SB 18-005 (Pursuant to Section VI of NEA Memorandum 2017-019: Revised Procurement Guidelines and Simplified Bidding Procedures for Electric Cooperatives IRR-RA 10531 (2017)) 1. THE BUSUANGA ISLAND ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE (BISELCO), through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) will undertake Alternative Mode of Procurement and invites interested entities to submit their Price Quotation for the Supply and Delivery of Distribution Line Hardwares. BISELCO, intends to apply the sum of One million Five Hundred Ninety-Five Thousand One Hundred Fifty-Four pesos (1,595,154.00) pesos being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess with the corresponding ABC shall be automatically be rejected. 2. Any Interested entity may request list of materials through e-mail address: biselco79@yahoo.com. Bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope not later than December 13, 2018 at the BAC SECRETARIAT, BISELCO Bids and Awards Committee, BISELCO Main Headquarters, Mabintangen Road, Brgy. 6, Coron, Palawan. Include the following eligibility documents in a sealed envelope: a. Certified True copy of Mayor’s Permit b. Certified True Copy of Tax Identification Number (TIN) or TIN Card c. Certified True Copy of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Certificate or Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Registration d. List of works done and respective clients. Offer /Quotation exceeding the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shall be rejected. 3. BISELCO reserves the right to accept or reject any offer/quotation, reject all offer/quotation at any time prior to contract award, to exclude any item or reduce the number of unit and the corresponding ABC as determined by BISELCO and to award the contract to the Bidder with most advantageous offer, without thereby incurring any liability to the interested entities. (sgd) Engr. Selwin Y. Alili BAC Chairman
Based on interviews with scores of people who escaped and returned to Myanmar, and others still inside China, the study found that the majority of those trafficked were also forced to carry a child for their husband. Women leave Myanmar because of “conflict, displacement and poverty” said report author W. Courtland Robinson, while
“the male-female sex imbalance in China, especially in rural areas” means demand for a wife is high. One woman told researchers that she was trafficked into China three times, and each time “pushed into giving birth”, said Moon Nay Li of Kachin Women’s Association Thailand, who led the field research in Kachin and Shan states. AFP
SECOND INVITATION TO SUBMIT PRICE QUOTATION BAC SB 18-001 (Pursuant to Section VI of NEA Memorandum 2017-019: Revised Procurement Guidelines and Simplified Bidding Procedures for Electric Cooperatives IRR-RA 10531 (2017)) 1. THE BUSUANGA ISLAND ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE (BISELCO), through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) will undertake Alternative Mode of Procurement and invites interested entities to submit their Price Quotation for the Purchase of License for Electric Distribution Network Analysis Software with the following specifications: Minimum Capabilities: Optimal Capacitor Distribution Load Flow up to 1000 Placement bus capability One Year of free upgrade Base Modules and user support HV DC Transmission Link Expandable Wind Turbine Generator and PV Additional Inclusions: Array Free 1- year software and Distribution Load Flow Technical support Short Circuit (3 Phase LL, LLG & One full-year free program LG) – ANSI & IEC upgrades. Star Protective device coordination Terms of Payment: and Sequence of Operation Can be amortized up to Star Protective device coordination six(months). and Sequence of Operation Reliability Assessment BISELCO, intends to apply the sum of ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND (PhP1,500,000.00) pesos being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess with the corresponding ABC shall be automatically be rejected. 2. Any Interested entity must submit their quotation in a sealed envelope not later than December 13, 2018 at the BAC SECRETARIAT, BISELCO Bids and Awards Committee, BISELCO Main Headquarters, Mabintangen Road, Brgy. 6, Coron, Palawan. Include the following eligibility documents in a sealed envelope: a. Certified True copy of Mayor’s Permit b. Certified True Copy of Tax Identification Number (TIN) or TIN Card c. Certified True Copy of Securities and Exchange Commission (SECCertificate or Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Registration d. List of works done and respective clients. Offer /Quotation exceeding the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shall be rejected. 3. BISELCO reserves the right to accept or reject any offer/quotation, reject all offer/quotation at any time prior to contract award, to exclude any item or reduce the number of unit and the corresponding ABC as determined by BISELCO and to award the contract to the Bidder with most advantageous offer, without thereby incurring any liability to the interested entities. Sgd) Engr. Selwin Y. Alili BAC Chairman
Approved by:
Republic of the Philippines Department of Education REGION IV-A CALABARZON Gate 2, Karangalan Village 1900 Cainta, Rizal Project No.RO IV A- TVL 2018-1 INVITATION TO BID For the Supply, Delivery, Installation, Testing, Commissioning and Training for various Tools and Equipment for 2018 Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) Programs of Region IV-A TVL Senior High Schools “ 1.
The Department of Education Region IV-A, through the Govemment of the Philippines (GOP) under the FY 2018 General Appropriations Act (GAA), intends to apply the sum of Philippine Pesos Forty Three Million Nine Hundred Ninety Nine Thousand Three Hundred Forty Eight and 74/100 (Php43,999,348.74), to payments under the various contracts for the Supply, Delivery, Installation, testing, Commissioning and Training for Various Tools and Equipment for 2018 TechnicalVocafional-Uvelihood (TVL) Programs of • Region IV-A TVL Senior High Schools, broken down as follows: Lot No.
Description
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)
1
Educational Automotive & Welding Simulator
Php 42,935,339.22
2
Educational Automotive
1,064,009.52
Bids received in excess of the ABC for each Lot shall be automatically rejected at Bid Opening. 2.
DepEd IV-A through its Bids and Awards Committee, now invites bids for the goods and services contemplated in this project and as detailed in the Schedule of Requirements and table of Technical Specifications indicated in the bidding documents. Delivery of the goods is required within seventy five (75) calendar days from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed within ten (10) years immediately preceding the deadline for the submission of bids, at least two (2) contracts similar to the Project, the aggregate applicable contract amount being equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC of the lot bid for, and the largest of those said contracts is equivalent to twenty five percent (25%) of the said ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section II Instruction to Bidders.
3.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Govemment Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorshjps, partnerships, or organization 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.
4.
Interested bidders may obtain further information from DepEd IV-A (Supply Unit) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during Monday to Friday at 8:00 am to 4:00 pm starting December 10, 2018 up to December 24, 2018.
5.
It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Govemmen Electronic Procurement System (PhiIGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided the Bidders shall pay the non-refundable applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. Lot No.
Amount of Bid Docs
1
Php 20,000.00
II
5,000.00
6.
The DepEd IV-A will hold a Pre-bid Conference on December 14, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bulwagan ng Karangalan. Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal which shall be open to prospective bidders.
7.
Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before December 27,2018 at 9:00 a.m .. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bid opening shall be on December 27, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at Bulwagan ng Karangalan, Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal. 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.
8.
DepEd IV-A reserves the right to reject any or all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contrad 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.
9.
For further information, please refer to: Virginia O. Bagacay DepEd IV-A Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal Tel. No. 6477487 or 6474919
Approved by:
(SGD) RUTH L. GALANG General Manager
The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer and daughter of the company’s founder, has angered the Chinese government and raised concerns that it could disrupt a trade war truce between the world’s two biggest economies. Canada defended the arrest on Thursday, saying there was no political motivation, and a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump denied it was linked to US-China trade talks. But Chinese media cast the move as an assault on the development of the country’s high-tech industry. “The Chinese government should seriously mull over the US tendency to abuse legal procedures to suppress China’s high-tech enterprises,” said the nationalist tabloid Global Times in an editorial. “Obviously, Washington is resorting to a despicable rogue’s approach as it cannot stop Huawei’s 5G advance in the market,” it said. The China Daily warned that “containing Huawei’s expansion is detrimental to China-US ties”. US authorities have not disclosed the charges she faces following a publication ban sought by Meng, but “one thing that is undoubtedly true and proven is the US is trying to do whatever it can to contain Huawei’s expansion in the world simply because the company is the point man for China’s competitive technology companies,” the daily said. Meng’s arrest follows a US probe into the company’s alleged violations of Iran sanctions. She faces a bail hearing in Canada on Friday. Though China’s technology sector is still reliant on certain US exports like microchips, Beijing wants to transform the country into a global tech leader—with a technological prowess rivalling the United States—in a plan dubbed “Made in China 2025”. Huawei is one of the world’s largest telecommunications equipment and services providers. Its products are used by carriers around the world, including in Europe and Africa. But its US business has been tightly constrained by worries it could undermine American competitors and that its cellphones and networking equipment, used widely in other countries, could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage.AFP
(SGD) RUTH L. GALANG General Manager (MS-DEC. 8 , 2018)
(SGD) CARLITO D. ROCAFORT (MS-DEC. 8 , 2018)
(MS-DEC. 8, 2018)
BAC Chairman
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Sports
Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2018
PH cricket team makes history, wins T20 qualifier THE Philippines won the T20 Cricket World Cup qualifier after South Korea beat Japan early this afternoon to put the Philippines in an unbeatable position with one match to play against Indonesia later today. The Philippines will finish top of the group of four countries—Indonesia, Japan and South Korea—after six days of intense cricket in which the Philippines showed class and composure to beat all of their rivals. The event was staged at Friendship Oval in Dasmarinas, Cavite, the first time that the Philippines cricket has ever hosted such a major sporting event. The historic win means that the Philippines moves a step closer to the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia in 2020, expected to be watched by more than 1.5 billion people. The team will now travel to Papua New Guinea in 2019 where they will play Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu in the East Asia Pacific final. The winner of that event will go through to the global qualifying round. The top six teams in that event will qualify for the T20 World Cup in Australia. While there is still a long road to travel to make the World Cup, the Philippine team has shown in this tournament that they have arrived on the world stage. Boosted by their four dual-citizen Australian-Filipinos—Captain Jonathan Hill, Daniel Smith, Henry Tyler and Grant Russ—the team now has the depth of talent and experience to challenge some of the best sides in the region, if not the world. “There is something special about this side,” said team captain Hill. “We are a tight-knit group immensely proud to play for and represent the Philippines. They never lose focus and when the going gets tough, they get going. It’s an honor to lead them, and to make history today.” The Philippines plays Indonesia today in a rubber match starting at 1.30 p.m.
Azkals’ focus on offense backfires WHEN the Philippine Azkals went on the offensive, they lost control of the game. Azkals’ coach Sven Goran-Eriksson said this after the Philippines suffered a 1-2 setback to Vietnam in the second leg of the semifinals of the 2018 ASEAN Football Federation-Suzuki Cup Thursday at the My Dunh Stadium in Hanoi. “We stood up to them very well, until we started to change formation a little bit, trying to play more offensively and putting more offensive players on the pitch because we wanted to score some goals. Then we were punished in the counterattacks,” said Eriksson. With the loss, Vietnam will play Malaysia in the finals. Late goals from Nguyen Quang Hai and Nguyen Cong Phuong helped secure Vietnam the win as it advanced to the finals with 4-2 on aggregate. Quang Hai opened the scoring in the 83rd minute, before substitute Cong Phuong ended the Philippines’ hopes four minutes later. James Younghusband scored a consolation goal for the Philippines in the final minute. Peter Atencio
The Philippine Cricket team sings the national anthem while proudly displaying the national flag.
Pacquiao impresses trainer S
TRENGTH and conditioning trainer Justin Fortune said that reigning World Boxing Association welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has trained patiently in his first week of sparring session with Australian George Kambosos Jr. And Fortune likes what he sees. “He (Pacquiao) is always fast, he is always explosive. But I see more patience. He is picking his shots more,” said Fortune after Pacquiao’s sparring session Thursday at the Elorde Gym near the Mall of Asia Arena. “He is picking his punches, which is exactly what we want him today. So when he unloads, it is pretty good. And when Manny fires, it’s crazy.” Pacquiao, who will be turning 40 on Dec. 17, finished a four-round sparring session with Kambosos last Tuesday and Thursday. Pacquiao (60-7-2 win-loss-draw, with 39 knockouts) is in his early stages of his preparations for his Jan. 19 bout against American Adrien Broner (33-3-1 record with 24 knockouts) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Fortune said that the 29-year-old Broner should watch out for what the 39-year-old Pacquiao brings to the table. “I think (Adrien) Broner is in a lot of trouble. Broner is a good fighter, a fourtime world champion. So he is not bum, but Manny is on another whole level. When (Marcos) Maidana beats you and then you draw with (Jessie Vargas), then you go pick up Pacquiao, it’s a big mistake.” Pacquiao and his entourage fly to the United States on Dec. 22. Fortune plans to bring in two more sparring partners for Pacquiao—American Lydell Rhodes and Russian Sergey Lipinets—when they hold their US training camp. Jessica Luna
3 PH swimmers win gold in Brunei games
Members of the PH team display the Philippine flag.
BRUNEI—Three young swimmers from Davao struck golds at the start of swimming competitions of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-PhilippinesNorthern Territory-East Asian Games at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex here. Joshua Raphael del Rio (200-m free-
Pressure is on for F2, Foton WITH Petron and Generika-Ayala safely in, the pressure is now on favorites F2 Logistics and Foton to punch their respective semifinal tickets when they clash with separate foes in the quarterfinals of the Philippine Superliga AllFilipino Conference today at the Filoil Flying V Centre. The Cargo Movers battle Cocolife at 6 p.m. while the Tornadoes collide with Cignal in the 4 p.m. third match of this action-packed weekend spectacle backed by Isuzu, Mikasa, Senoh, Asics, Mueller, UCPB Gen and Bizooku with Genius Sports as technical partner. Also marching to battle are collegiate powerhouse Far Eastern University, which clashes with University of the East at 12 noon, and University of the Philippines, which confronts De La Salle-Dasmarinas in the 2 p.m. encounter of the Collegiate Grand Slam. The prestigious inter-collegiate battle is already entering its crucial stretch and PSL chairman Philip Ella Juico announced that the inaugural
PH coaches learn from Korea experts
Games Today (Filoil Flying V Centre) 12 noon. – UE vs FEU 2 p.m. – La Salle-Dasmarinas vs UP 4 p.m. – Foton vs Cignal 6 p.m. – F2 Logistics vs Cocolife
crown would be called as the “Dominic L. Sytin Trophy” in honor for his contributions to the development of Philippine volleyball. Juico said Sytin—the United Auctioneers Inc. CEO who was gunned down in a daring attack last week in Subic—deserves all the honor and respect for generously bankrolling the women’s volleyball program of the UP Lady Maroons and supporting Foton in its quest for glory in the PSL. Juico added that whoever wins the CGS title thrice would be awarded with a specially-designed “Dominic L. Sytin Perpetual Trophy” as a fitting reminder of its dominance in the collegiate battle of this tourney that also has ESPN5, Hyper HD and Aksyon TV as broadcast partners.
style), Fritz Jun Rodriguez (50-meter breaststroke) and Elson Jake Rodriguez (50-meter backstroke) triumphed as the Philippines, represented by focus areas Davao and Palawan, started its campaign on a sizzling note. The five-day event formally opened in a blaze of colors at the Indoor Stadium,
with Retired Major General and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin as guest of honor. Philippine Sports Commissioner Charles Maxey, the PH’s chef de mission, joined the VIPs in the ceremonies. Earlier, Maxey formally accepted the hosting rights of the 11th edition of the BIMPNT-EAGA Friendship Games during the sports council meeting. Davao City will host the next edition of the games, which also aim to strengthen economic ties between the participating countries. BIMPNT-EAGA Sports Council chairman Jufri Rahman expressed delight on Davao City’s hosting. Eirron Seth Vibar finished second to compatriot Del Rio to complete a 1-2 finish by the Philippines in the 200-meter freestyle. Other silver medalists were Ivo Nikolai Enot (100-meter backstroke), Kierl Suazo (50-meter free), Vibar (200-meter breaststroke) and the 4x50 freestyle relay team of Suazo, Elson Jake Rodriguez, Juan Antonio Mendoza and Fritz Rodriguez.
LEARNING about the Korean experience experience will inspire Filipino coaches to do better in prepararing national athletes for international competitions. Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez said this after the PSC and the Korea Institute of Sports Science successfully closed the fourth installment of the Sports Science Lecture Series at the PhilSports Complex yesterday in Pasig City. “Their (Koreans’) success is a good point of inspiration for our coaches,” said Ramirez, who opened the lecture series with KISS president Young Lin Chung. Ramirez, who signed a memorandum of understanding reaffirming the partnership, said the lectures are eyeopeners since the Koreans have done well in the Asian Games and in the Olympics. Among the lecturers was Dr. Hyunjoo Cho, who talked about Sports Policy: Global Coaching Leadership. He said that to become a good coach, coaches needed to define sports performance leadership and performance managements. In performance management, coaches must understand the processes that athletes goes through in training and in competitions. As for performance leadership, documenting the process and the performances in training and competitions is given importance Around 70 national coaches attended the lecture conducted by the KISS. Ramirez himself participated and attended the day-long affair. Another lecturer, Dr. Hongsun Song talked about talent identification and development, an aspect which the PSC is focusing on. National Training Director Marc Velasco and Dr. Henry Daut were around to lend a helping hand to the lecture series. Peter Atencio
PCSO Gold Cup returns to San Lazaro Leisure Park MANILA Jockey Club, Inc., the premier horse racing club in the country and one of Asia’s oldest, hosts the 46th PCSO Presidential Gold Cup on Sunday at the world-class racing grounds of San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. Out of the 45 editions, 27 races have been hosted by MJC. Locally-bred runners will compete for the P5,000,000 distributed purse from the 1st to 4th placers, including a cash incentive to the winning breeder. Declared runners include Manalig Ka/ CS Pare Jr. by Aurelio P. De Leon; Electric Truth/MA Alvarez by Leonardo M. Javier Jr.; Highway One/VR Dilema by Cool Summer Farm; Dixie Gold/OP Cortez by Joseph C. Dyhengco; Radioactive/ KB Abobo and Sepfourteen/JA Guce by SC Stockfarm Inc.; Salt and Pepper/JB Hernandez by Herminio S. Esguerra; and Pangalusian Island/JPa Guce by Wilbert T. Tan. Additional stakes races which will be
conducted in accordance with Philracom’s Rating-Based Handicapping System include Fundador Cup Division I, Fundador Cup Division II, EEG Development Corporation Cup, and Mayor Ramon Preza Cup. All races will have a guaranteed prize of P250,000, distributed from the 1st to 4th placers, plus trophies to the winning owner, trainer and jockey. The Presidential Gold Cup was conceived through the efforts of the late PCSO Chairman and General Manager Nereo C. Andolong. The first edition was held on. Oct. 7, 1973 at the famed San Lazaro Hippodrome in Santa Cruz, Manila. A jampacked crowd witnessed the race which was participated by favorites Sun God and Ilocos King, among others. The former, owned by Don Pedro Cojuangco, eventually won the race with the expert riding skills of Jockey Elias Ordiales. The following year, however, was dominated by Constante Rubio’s Ilocos King, which was ridden by Jockey
Crescencio. The duo was able to set the fastest winning time of 2:17, breaking the previous record of Sun God resulting to endless cheers from the crowd. From 1975 to 1978, San Lazaro Hippodrome continued to host the popular race with Henna’s Gold, Fiorella, Little Morning and Gypsy Grey becoming Gold Cup champions, respectively. From 1979 to 2012, MJC and the Philippine Racing Club, Inc. would take turns hosting the Gold Cup race. The legendary Fair and Square was the first horse to score a back-to-back win, claiming his second title on Dec. 12, 1982 at San Lazaro Hippodrome. The colt was owned by Cesar and Herminia Mamon and was ridden by Jockey Jesus Guce. This prestigious feat was then followed by horses Sun Dancer, Bulldozer and Wind Blown. At present, the celebrated Hagdang Bato, by owner Benhur Abalos was the latest horse to proudly hold two Gold Cup titles, one in 2012 and 2014.
Life
bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @mstandardLIFe
young life
saturday, december 8, 2018
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CHIC CHILDREN. Young stylish kids Danielle Krystina, Dara Rubin, Talia Concio, Ethan Suyo, and Noah Alcaraz in SM Kids’ holiday collection that features colorful and stylish pieces.
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The future ‘it’ boys and girls
f the United States has North West and Blue Ivy, and the United Kingdom has Prince George and Princess Charlotte, we also have our very own young celebrities leading the way of fashion for kids. Celebrity kids Noah Lamar Alcaraz, Gummy Carlos, and the Concio sisters Julia and talia together with young fashion influencer Danielle Krystina and the winners of SM Kids Casting Call 2018 Dara Rubin, Raven Nielson, and ethan Suyo wear outfits that let boys and girls channel the young royals and celebs. SM Kids offers pieces young fashionistas can wear for the holidays. there is a return to classicism, traditional children’s clothes that are elegant and timeless as influenced by Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. for girls, there are romantic details, delicate floral prints, and full voluminous skirts, as well as fun and festive ruffles that add volume and dimension, and have a dramatic flair. for boys, there are
checkered fabrics, corduroy making a comeback, and classic shirts. Layering is also a hit with kids. this fashion technique takes young style to a whole new level, while being functional and fashionable. SM Kids’ look is slightly mismatched, delightfully over-the-top, but strong on young independent style. to achieve this style, the little missy can wear an oversized denim jacket, corduroy or coat over a statement tee or a printed top with a metallic skirt or denim bottoms. Little guys, on the other hand, can layer sleeveless hoodie over a chambray polo and knit jogger, or match an oversized hoodie over a printed polo and a colored trousers. Holiday fashion for kids collection is available at the SM Kids section of The SM Store. Kids can have all the fun in delightfully over-the-top fashion.
Noah Alcaraz in oversized hoodie and polo.
Model drinks his way to youthful skin
Limited pieces from Kendall and Kylie Jenner’s clothing line, Kendall + Kylie, is now available in the Philippines.
Jenner sisters’ clothing line launches in PH heRe’S a wonderful news for Kendall and Kylie Jenner fans: their clothing line is dropping in the Philippines. Limited pieces from the Kendall + Kylie, the clothing line of the Jenner sisters, are now available in the Philippines at Case Study in Bonifacio high Street Central. It will also be available at the Rail stores starting Dec. 10. the line incorporates Kendall’s feminine and classic style as well as Kylie’s
edgy streetwear. Confident, stylish, ontrend, and in charge is how the siblings would describe their brand. Pieces from the line include mostly casual style—crop tops, jeans, dress, jackets—as well as swimwear and bags. the main style highlights are sports luxe and athleisure. Sports luxe is composed mostly of popper trousers, cold shoulder tops, and crop tops. Athleisure, on the other hand, has Aline mini-skirts, wide leg trousers,
off-shoulders, woven blouses, and puff sleeves. the palette is mostly black and white with a pop of red, yellow, orange, and hot pink. Price starts at P899. “What is great about the line is that it is very affordable and very now. fans would be pleased. Not to say very exclusive but drops are limited, so do keep an eye,” said Manolette tizon, Kendall + Kylie’s brand director in the Philippines.
JohN PAUL Basco is a man of many talents. he is a licensed financial advisor, commercial model, events host, and blogger. A new product helps him look presentable and ready for his job. And it’s not a new soap or moisturizer. It’s an instant coffee blend. “Kaffea improves my skin texture and made me ace some VtRs for commercial projects,” shared Basco. he related, “I even passed for a 20-yearold because they said I look young and that was all thanks to Kaffea coffee. take note, I’m already 27 years old. even my clients at Sun Life were telling me that I seem to have a glowing skin lately.” Local coffee label Kaffea is made with 10 beneficial ingredients, including collagen. It is also formulated with coconut sugar and non-dairy creamer. “the aroma is perfect for me and I love that it already includes coconut sugar in it so no more reason for me to add more. Also, the presence of collagen really made me love Kaffea Coffee even more,” said Basco. Basco discovered the product less than a year ago through health and wellness portal Beauty Manila. “When I was doing my online shopping for my skin regimens, Kaffea coffee caught my attention since I’m a coffee lover, and seeing all the details about it made me want to try it. I can say that it was one of my best decisions in life,” he enthused. he fell in love with Kaffea immediately and has been drinking regularly since. As a financial advisor, his mission is to promote awareness of financial literacy and offer guidance to every individual as they embark on the road to their financial freedom. he also works as a commercial model for Jollibee, Grab, Master, tokyo tokyo, LBC and Phirst home.
John Paul Basco enjoys his cup of coffee.
“What I like about being a commercial model is that I get a chance to connect with people and get to know them more and build friendships,” shared Basco. his plate is definitely full. he hosts events and is part of one Groove Ph which performs mini concerts during parties. he is also a theater actor and has been part of some productions of Dulaang UP and Nine Works theatrical. Kaffea is available nationwide at Shopwise, Rustan’s, CityMall GoLokal stores, SM Kultura, and selected SM Hypermarket Bazaar and SM Market Street. It’s also available only at lazada. com.ph and beautymnl.com. Call (02) 477-9920 for more details.
Life
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saturday, december 8, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com
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HILDREn’S dreams do matter. In fact, findings from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England show that children with high aspirations have higher school achievements and better educational behavior than those who don’t have aspirations. Recognizing the value of children’s aspirations, My Dream in a Shoebox celebrated national Children’s Month on nov. 23 by bringing 10 Payatas Orione Foundation grade school scholars to Museo Pambata, where they were given an immersive learning experience that introduced them to various professions and inspired them to dream big. The students were given the opportunity to play and explore the museum’s different exhibits about the environment, the world, the Philippines, the human body, and careers, which opened their eyes to the possibilities that life has to offer when they grow up. As adult influence is found to impact children’s educational choices, TeamAsia employees also toured along with the kids, serving not only as their companions for the day but more importantly as role models for the future. “Children have the incredible potential to make a difference. While they are young, it is crucial that we expose their creative minds to the world—to give them a bigger perspective and stimulate them to dream bigger dreams,” explained Bea Lim, managing director of TeamAsia, the spearheading organization of My Dream in a Shoebox The students were given a simple Dream Map to fill in and a coloring book of professions to choose from. Compared to initial conversations with them, their career options broadened and their interest in other professions ignited after the day’s activities. When asked about her takeaway from the tour, one student named Martina shared her realization that no matter what she chooses to do when she grows up, the important thing is that she will be able to help other people through it.
Recognizing children’s dreams
The Payatas Orione Foundation scholars proudly showcase their My Dream in a Shoebox Dream Map after a fun-filled day of learning at Museo Pambata.
The scholars learn about the professions they can pursue in the future.
For the past 10 years, My Dream in a Shoebox has been giving out shoeboxes filled with school supplies to equip underprivileged Filipino children for education. This year, the campaign reached out to 10 PAOFI and Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation communities throughout Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to discover the potential of 100 underprivileged primary school students whose educational needs can be sponsored for a year.
The vision is to support the children’s journey until they reach their dreams, provide for their families, and become productive members of society. To achieve this, My Dream in a Shoebox made it its mission to not only sponsor children’s needs but more importantly to inspire them to set their goals towards bigger dreams. “Every child has a dream, but they sometimes wonder if their dreams would ever come true. We want to
change that by fueling their aspirations and providing the resources to achieve them,” said Lim. My Dream in a Shoebox helps turn children’s dreams to reality by getting the support of individuals and organizations to be their partners in providing children with a year’s worth of uniforms, school supplies, and allowance for only P3,000 per student. Visit www.teamasia.com/shoeboxcampaign to know more.
It’s a white Christmas at S Maison S MAISOn recently welcomed the holiday season in a wintry way with “Symphonies of Snow,” a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Inspired by the warmth of winter hymns, Symphonies of Snow treated the audience to a White Christmas story by the Trumpets Playshop featuring the classic Christmas songs: “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” “Let It Snow,” and “Winter Wonderland.” This was followed by lighting of the malls’ White Christmas Tree embellished with giant snowflakes, silver, gold, and pearl white Christmas balls, and fairy lamps. Gracing the event were SM senior assistant vice president for operations Perkin O. So and Maison Premier assistant mall manager Grace Mindanao. “Christmas truly is a magical season
where everyone and everything just comes together to enjoy special moments with dear friends and family,” said So. Santa Claus came all the way from the north Pole, while the Manila String Machine also serenaded the crowd with all-time favorite Christmas songs. Seen enjoying the play were SM Youth ambassadors Tommy Esguerra, Richard Juan, Kyle Perry, Kaila Estrada, and Julian Rodriguez; celebrity mom Joy Sotto and kids; lifestyle blogger Jennie Epperson and Jane KingsuCheng; model Mikaela Martinez; and BB. Pilipinas 2009 Marie Ann-Umali. Nxled Smart Ceiling Lamp lets homeowners light up a room and stream music wirelessly. Omar Uddin and Kathleen Achacoso sing ‘Let It Snow.’
Let there be light (and sound) SMART devices make homes more functional. For instance, the nxled Smart Ceiling Lamp lets homeowners light up a room and stream music wirelessly via bluetooth through its built-in speaker. The LED ceiling lamp’s color temperature can also be adjusted, from daylight to warm white or cool white. It boasts a glittery effect and a lifespan of up to 25,000 hours.
Aside from this multipurpose lamp, there’s also nxled’s LED Smart Striplight Handwave Sensor which enables users to turn it on/off or dim and brighten it with simple hand movements. It’s ideal to be used in kitchen cabinet, closet, cupboard or other hard-to-reach areas. It is splash-proof and has a lifespan of up to 30,000 hours. Go to nxled.com.ph to for more details.
AWLFI launches coffee-table book From left: Event host Cerah Hernandez Go, Santa Claus, SM Supermalls senior assistant vice president for Ooperations Perkin So, and SM Aura assistant mall manager Grace Mindanao light up the white christmas tree at S Maison.
Dylan Epperson sits beside Santa.
S Maison’s christmas tree is adorned with giant snowflakes and pearl white Christmas balls.
THE Association of Women Legislators Foundation, Inc., headed by Deputy Speaker Linabelle Ruth R. Villarica of the 4th District of Bulacan, is launching its coffee-table book entitled Kasuotan: Filipiniana Redefined on Dec. 11 at the north Lounge Extension of the House of Representatives, Batasan Hills, Quezon City. With columnist Mons Romulo as editor and foreword by renowned Filipiniana designer Patis Pamintuan Tesoro, the informative and highly visual book features the country’s women legislators wearing classic and contemporary interpretations of the terno, baro’t saya, barong Tagalog, Maria Clara, and other traditional Philippine garb created by noted designers Paul Cabral, Rajo Laurel, Michael Leyva, Randy Ortiz, Jojie Lloren, and Francis Libiran, among others. Authentic indigenous materials, from abel Iloko of the northern provinces to T’nalak of South Cotabato, as well as the intricate embroidery and beadwork of local craftspeople are also highlighted in the tome that celebrates the artistry and versatility of Filipino fashion and fabrics.
“Hopefully, this book will call even greater attention to support our artisans by patronizing the fabrics our weavers painstakingly create,” says Romulo in her introduction. “Each of us has to do our share in making sure sustainable fashion will live on for the future generations to see, feel, and wear something that they can proudly call their own.” “Filipiniana is forever,” declares Tesoro, “just like diamonds.” Proceeds from the sale of Kasuotan: Filipiniana Redefined will go to the construction of the Paaralan at Palaruan ng Kabataan at the national Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong City. “The facility is a relevant contribution from the AWLFI with the passage into law of Republic Act 11036 or the Philippine Mental Health Law in June 2018,” says Deputy Speaker Villarica. The coffee-table book project is one of the fundraisers of the AWLFI this 17th Congress. It is chaired by Rep. Maria Cristina Roa-Puno (1st District, Antipolo) and co-chaired by Rep. Alexandria P. Gonzales (Lone District, Mandaluyong). Call the AWLFI office at (02) 9315001 local 7278 for orders and inquiries.
Entertainment
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ISS Teen Philippines, the search for smart and confident teen women in the Philippines returns to the pageant circuit after a four-year hiatus. Billed to be its biggest edition yet, the premier beauty search has a bigger agenda: to highlight the Filipino youth’s “global readiness through education.” In a statement sent to the press, it says that the beauty search is looking for the next batch of young Filipino women who will be chosen for their beauty, charm, intellect, and potential to be inspiring role models to the Filipino youth. In addition to the title and the chance to be a youth ambassador, Miss Teen Philippines 2019 will also bring home a P300,000 cash prize. The 1st runnerup will receive P200,000 while Miss Teen Philippines–Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will each get P100,000. The announcement was made on Wednesday during the recent Miss Teen Philippines’ official press launch held in Ortigas, Pasig City. Renowned guests included Miss Teen Philippines 2014 Reissha Nicole Villar Magadia, Miss Teen Philippines 2014 Finalist Bianca Willemsen, and Miss Teen Philippines 2014 1st runner-up Chiara Ocampo. “We are very proud and excited at the same time to bring back Miss Teen Philippines,” said Miss Teen Philippines 2004 Stephanie Sol. “We all know that a lot of young girls dream of becoming a beauty queen. Miss Teen Philippines is their chance to make that dream come true and, at the same time, make a meaningful impact to society.” This year’s edition of Miss Teen Philippines takes the competition a notch higher by giving more attention to its objective. More than just a beauty search, the pageant will also serve as a platform for the eventual winner to become a youth ambassador. She will promote the importance of education by empowering
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for smart, beautiful teen women returns the new generation in the global arena. “We are looking for an exceptional winner who is not just a pretty face, but must also be at the forefront in promoting our cause and be a role model among her peers,” Youth Empowerment Through Education Foundation Inc. Director, Regine Angeles said. “Of course, we will also take into consideration the candidate’s personality. She should be outgoing and exudes the vibe of the younger generation,” the model-actress added. As a further step to realize this goal, Miss Teen Philippines has already tied up with various local government agencies to help facilitate the rollout of the pageant’s projects. “We have had initial talks with various government agencies, particularly Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education, and National Youth Commission,” enthused Regine. Miss Teen Philippines is open to all female, single, natural-born Filipinas aged 14 to 18 years old (at the time of the pageant on April 13, 2019). The aspiring beauty queen must be currently enrolled in an educational institution, at least 5’2” in height, and has the heart & talent to represent the Filipino youth. Screening for Metro Manila aspirants
will be on Feb. 2, 2019. Application forms may be availed on the official Facebook page of Miss Teen Philippines, and must be submitted on or before Feb. 1, 2019. A regional search will also be held from January to February next to give those living outside Metro Manila the chance to make it to the big stage. Regional screenings will commence in the following areas: Pampanga on Dec. 15, Iloilo City on Jan. 5, Davao City on Jan. 6, Cebu City and Cagayan De Oro on Jan. 13, Bicol Region on Jan. 20, MIMAROPA on Jan. 20, Laguna on Jan. 26, and Ilocos Region on Jan. 27. Thirty finalists will be fielded to vie for the title on the final night on April 13, 2019 at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater, with a delayed telecast on ABSCBN. Miss Teen Philippines 2014 Reissha Nicole Villar-Magadia will relinquish her title which she won when she was 15 years old. She finished 2nd runner-up in the 2016 Miss Teen International pageant held in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Miss Teen Philippines is made possible through the support of League Magazine and SM Supermalls. For more information on Miss Teen Philippines 2019, visit the Facebook page of Miss Teen Philippines at www. facebook.com/missteenphilippinesofficial or email us at inquiry@missteenphils.com.
Miss Teen Philippines 2014 Nicole Magadia will relinquish her crown next year as the premier pageant for young and smart Filipino women returns.
Kapamilya shows triumph in November numbers game game
Samar is in the spotlight in new Viva movie Daniel Matsunaga and Empress Schuck in a scene from the film, 'Kahit Ayaw Mo Na.'
THE island of Samar, the third largest island in the Philippines and home to close to two million Warays in three provinces {(Western) Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar, is the setting of a new movie produced by Viva Films in collaboration with BluArt Productions, Saprk Samar and Saga Prefecture Film Commission. The film unspooled in theaters last Wednesday and is about three total strangers forced to confront their past. That confrontation changes their lives altogether. Bona Fajardo, writer and director of romantic drama movies, like Iliw and I Found My Heart in Santa Fe, is back with another heart-warming movie, Kahit Ayaw Mo Na. In the movie, three girls, Joey, Mikee and Ally, all drawn to the beautiful province of Samar, find themselves on the island on separate undertakings. Joey (Empress Schuck), a designer is looking for a local start up business on the island with her boyfriend Reggie (Daniel Matsunaga). There they meet Edlyn (Desiree del Valle) and Dong (Alan Paule), a couple that is into banigweaving business. Living with them is daughter and aspiring songwriter Ally (Andrea Brillantes). Meanwhile, food and travel vlogger, Mikee (Kristel Fulgar) and friend Jiro (Kuya Sawa) visit the province to feature Samar’s secret kitchens -- a well-guarded family recipe of Dong’s mother. While they enjoy the beautiful places and people of Samar, Joey and Mikee struggle with issues that they need to face and resolve. Both of them hold a grudge against their respective fathers they never knew. Ally on the other hand, is trying to figure out how her unrequited love can be unraveled. Joey and Mikee are invited to Edlyn and Dong’s wedding wherein an unexpected revelation ruins the celebration. *** GMA Network shines at 3rd PUP Mabini Media Awards Leading broadcast company GMA Network once again won the hearts of students, this time around taking home awards from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines during the 3rdMabini
SATURDAY, 2016 SATURDAY,NOVEMBER DECEMBER26, 8, 2018
Media Awards held on Nov. 17 at PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila. The country’s most-awarded news magazine program Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho prevailed with back-to-back honors—earning the Best Magazine Program award as well as Best Magazine Program Host for Jessica Soho. GMA-7’s flagship newscast 24 Oras won Best Primetime News Program. The PUP community also conferred the Best Male News Program Anchor award to one of the program’s anchors, Mike Enriquez whose weekend show, investigative program Imbestigador, was also chosen Best Public Affairs Program. Meanwhile, GMANetwork’s pioneering documentary program, I-Witness, won the Best Documentary Program award. Award-winning and well-loved family sitcom Pepito Manaloto, with Michael V., won Best Comedy Program. Soho added another feather on her cap with her win for GMA News TV’s flagship evening newscast State of the Nation with Jessica Soho as Best Female News Program Anchor. In the radio category, GMA Network’s flagship AM radio station Super Radyo DZBB took home several awards as well. Enriquez won Best News Program Host. Nathaniel ‘Mang Tani’ Cruz was honored as Best Public Service Program Host for his program IM Ready sa Dobol B, which also came out as the Best Public Service Program. The Kapuso Network’s official online portal, GMA News Online, bested other nominees and emerged as the Best Online News Portal. The PUP Mabini Media Awards recognizes programs and personalities that offer a quality and reliable media content and information to the public. *** ‘Art 2 Art’ airs Christmas specials The first Christmas special airs on Dec. 9, featuring the independent bookstore artbooks.ph. Co-owner and artist/curator Ringo Bunoan relates the story behind the enterprise selling Philippine art books in a physical store and online. For holiday gift giving, she suggests new publications, hard-to-find titles and pre-owned books. On Dec. 16, the episode focuses on Hangad, a group of friends bound by their desire to know, and help others know God through music. Representatives Mariel de Jesus, KC Lawenko and Kiko Angeles
talk about the history of the 27-year-old group, and are later joined by fellow members to sing selections from their new Christmas album. On Dec. 23, Ballet Manila’s Joshua Enciso, Brian Sevilla, Rafael Perez and Alvin Dictado—big winners at the recent CCP Ballet Competition—discuss why boys like them are now more open to a career in dance and the strict training it takes to be good at it. The four also perform an improv piece set to the Christmas song ”Pasko Na Sinta Ko.” The Christmas series wraps up on Dec. 30 with an episode on art as therapy. Cancer survivor Jingjing Romero shares how painting helped her in her post-surgery recovery, leading to a sold-out exhibit benefiting seminarians. Diselle Falcon meanwhile recounts how surviving leukemia inspired her to establish A Stroke of Hope, a foundation that brings the healing power of art to cancer patients who are undergoing treatment. Produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company and hosted by “Ballerina ng Bayan” Lisa Macuja, Art 2 Art airs every Sunday, 3:30 to 4:00 p.m., on radio via DZRH (666 khz on the AM band), on cable television via RHTV (Ch. 129 on Skycable in Metro Manila, Ch. 18 on Cignal TV and Ch. 3 on Cablelink) and livestreaming at http://dzrhnews television.tv. The show may also be viewed via the Facebook account DZRH News Television. *** Vaness del Moral back in I-Bilib One of the early Starstruck Avengers, Vaness del Moral, returns to help out Chris Tiu, James and Roadfill turn a dark-colored soda into a clear one. They also uncover how to make a matchstick float on top of a playing card. Meanwhile, Roadfill travels to meet a handwriting artist in “Bilibabols.” In addition, the Street Genius crew test the explosiveness of two groups of items: firstly, common grocery stuff such as ketchup, a can of beans, noodles and an energy drink; and secondly, air, water, sand and packing materials when paired with dynamite in a barrel. Finally, in “Huling Hirit,” the barkada unearths the secret in balancing a coin on a playing card on top of a glass. All these on your favorite science show every Sunday morning on GMA! More stories of these kinds at www. isah.red. Follow me on Facebook (@isahvr), Twitter (@isahvred) and Instagram (@isahvred). ΙŘ
ABS-CBN remained as the top ranking network in the country last November as it delivered news and values-laden stories to more Filipinos nationwide and hit an average audience share of 45 percent, or 15-points higher than GMA’s 30 percent, according to data from Kantar Media. The Kapamilya network won in both urban and rural homes, particularly in Mega Manila where it scored an average audience share of 37 percent versus GMA’s 29 percent, and in Metro Manila where it garnered 43 percent, or a 20-point lead against GMA’s 23 percent. ABSCBN also led in Total Luzon with 40 percent, compared to GMA’s 32 percent; in Total Visayas with 53 percent, beating GMA’s 24 percent; and in Total Mindanao with 53 percent, while GMA only got 26 percent. Multinational audience measurement provider Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes that represent 100% of the total Philippine TV viewing population. FPJ’s Ang P ro b i n s y a n o (40.3 percent)
remained unshaken on the top spot last month, followed by ABS-CBN’s flagship newscast TV Patrol (30.6 percent). Also part of the top ten shows in the country are Ngayon at Kailanman (29.1 percent), Halik (26.2percent), The Kids’ Choice (25.9 percent), Wansapanataym (25.1 percent), Home Sweetie Home (22.2 percent), Maalaala Mo Kaya (22 percent), and Meteor Garden (21.9 percent). ABS-CBN also won across all time blocks, particularly in primetime where it registered an average audience share of 49 percent, or 19-points higher than GMA’s 30 percent. The primetime block is the most important time of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investments in to reach more consumers effectively. The Kapamilya network also ruled the morning block (6:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon) with an average audience share of 37 percent versus GMA’s 26 percent, the noontime block (12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m.) with 43 percent, compared to GMA’s 31 percent, and the afternoon block with 45 percent, beating GMA’s 32 percent. Jericho Rosales as Lino in 'Halik,' one of the top-rating shows of ABS-CBN.
Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank U, Next’video smashes records POP star Ariana Grande’s sugary new music video for the hit “Thank U, Next” is now the fastest to rack up 100 million views on YouTube. After dropping Friday, the clip needed little more than three days to eclipse South Korea’s Psy, whose video for “Gentleman” took a few hours longer to hit 100 million views in 2013. Grande, 25, had teased the video— which recreates scenes from several 2000s-era teen films including Mean Girls and Legally Blonde—for weeks after releasing the break-up anthem on Nov. 5. “Thank U, Next” also broke the record for most views in the 24 hours after its YouTube release with 55.4 million, smashing the previous record of 45.9 million views held by Korean boy band BTS for “IDOL.” In the song, Grande reflects on former loves including rappers Big Sean and Mac Miller—who committed suicide in Miller September—as well as the comedian and
actor Pete Davidson, with whom she had a brief but heavily publicized engagement. The track earned Grande, who launched her career acting in a series for the youth network Nickelodeon, her first number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, a music industry standard chart based on sales along with online streaming and radio play. AFP
Ariana Grande's 'Thank you, Next' features actual scenes from the hit tween flick, 'Mean Girls.'
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C4
Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Ave., Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR THE APPROVAL OF AMENDED ANCILLARY SERVICES - COST RECOVERY MECHANISM,
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2018
Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com
ERC CASE No. 2018-005 RM
NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner x----------------------------------------------x NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE-MAKING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 14 September 2018, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) filed a Petition seeking the Commission’s approval of its proposed amendments to the Ancillary Services-Cost Recovery Mechanism (ASCRM). In the said Petition, NGCP alleged, among others, the following: Nature of the Petition 1.
This is a petition for the amendment of the Ancillary Services-Cost Recovery Mechanism (AS-CRM)1 to reflect therein the new provisions on the Ancillary Services under the Philippine Grid Code 2016 Edition (2016 PGC); and be consistent with the proposed amendments to the Open Access Transmission Service (OATS) Rules.2
2.
NGCP is a corporation created and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with principal office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City, where it may be served with notices, orders, resolutions and other issuances of this Commission through its Office of the General Counsel. It is the concessionaire which assumed the power transmission functions of the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO) pursuant to the EPIRA.
3.
It holds a franchise under Republic Act No. 95113 to engage in the business of conveying or transmitting electricity through high-voltage back-bone system of interconnected transmission lines, substations and related facilities, and for other purposes. The franchise also includes the conduct of activities necessary to support the safe and reliable operation of the transmission system.
The Petitioner
Background 4.
On 11 September 2006, TRANSCO filed an application entitled: “In the Matter of the Application for the Approval of Ancillary Services – Cost Recovery Mechanism (AS-CRM) of the Ancillary Services Procurement Plan, with Prayer for Provisional Authority”, docketed as ERC Case No. 2006-049RC. The Commission approved the AS-CRM through a Decision dated 3 October 2007.
5.
On 5 October 2016, the Commission promulgated Resolution No. 22, Series of 2016, entitled: “A Resolution Approving the Publication of the Approved Philippine Grid Code, 2016 Edition” (2016 PGC) . The 2016 PGC adopted the latest international standards and practices in the operation of ancillary services. As a consequence, on 31 March 2017, NGCP filed a petition entitled: “In the Matter of the Petition for the Approval of the Amended Ancillary Services Procurement Plan”, docketed as ERC Case No. 2017-005 RM to harmonize the provisions of the Ancillary Services Procurement Plan (ASPP) with the 2016 PGC, particularly with Section GO 6.6.
6.
On 22 December 2017, NGCP filed another petition entitled: “In the Matter of the Petition for the Adoption of the Proposed Amendments to the 2006 Open Access Transmission Service Rules (OATS Rules)”, ERC Case No. 2017-010 RM, for the amendment of certain provisions of the current OATS Rules to conform with the provisions of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) Rules, 2016 PGC, Feed In Tariff Rules, Renewable Energy Act, and various resolutions and issuances of the Honorable Commission, Grid Management Committee and Department of Energy.
7.
Consequently, there is also a need to amend the AS-CRM to reflect therein the new provisions on Ancillary Services under the Philippine Grid Code, 2016 Edition (2016 PGC); and be consistent with the proposed amendments to the OATS Rules.
8.
Thus, this petition to initiate rule-making is being filed to seek the adoption of the proposed amendments to the AS-CRM.
9.
The salient features of the proposed amendments to the AS-CRM are as follows:
Proposed Amendments
a. Adoption of the following specifications of AS, as defined in the PGC 2016 Edition, as follows: i. ii. iii. iv. v.
Primary Reserve Ancillary Service (PRAS) Secondary Reserve Ancillary Service (SRAS) Tertiary Reserve Ancillary Service (TRAS) Reactive Power Support Ancillary Service (RPSAS) Black Start Ancillary Service (BSAS)
FEDERAL LAND, NOMURA, ISETAN
TO BRING A BIT OF JAPAN TO BGC
F
EDERAL Land, Inc. recently partnered with Nomura Real Estate Development and Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, Inc., to bring a piece of Japan to Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, The Seasons Residences.
The project is a US $400-million joint venture among the three companies. It will be a mixed-use, integrated lifestyle center that will be home to four residential towers ranging from 41 to 51 levels. The over-all design will reflect the harmonious balance between Japanese technology, architecture, and Filipino hospitality. At the heart of the Seasons Residences will be the first Mitsukoshi Mall in the Philippines, which will be curated to provide a selection of Japanese homegrown brands, restaurants offering authentic Japanese fare, and well-known international
brands. offering a uniquely Japanese mall-going experience. At the launch were Daisaku Matsuo, director, and Eiji Kutsukake, chairman of Nomura Real Estate Development; Toshihiko Sugie, president & CEO, and Takuya Matsuo, director of Isetan
MEGAWIDE, TAFT PROPERTIES TO BUILD P10.1 B MANDANI BAY QUAY.
b. Procurement of AS only through: i. ii.
Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (ASP A) Reserve Market Arrangements
Mandaue City in Cebu is getting a major facelift as the second phase of the mixed-use development, Mandani Bay Quay, expands its commercial sprawl, courtesy of a P10.1-billion infusion by infrastructure conglomerate Megawide Construction Corporation and developer HTLand, Inc., a joint venture company of Hongkong Land and Taft Properties. “Megawide is proud to be a partner of HTLand Inc. in the construction of the Mandani Bay Quay phase 2,” said Edgar Saavedra, Megawide’s chair and CEO (Shown here with President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Department of Transportation secretary Arthur P. Tugade). Mandani Bay Quay phase 2 has a construction floor area of 328,000 square meters. The development will include three 40-story residential towers, one 30-story office building, an amenities floor, two commercial levels, and four floors of podium parking. Megawide is the government’s private sector partner for infrastructure projects such as the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.
c. Matrix of Cost Recovery
PRAS SRAS TRAS RPSAS BSAS
GridConnected Generator √ √ √
Embedded Generator
√
√
√ √ √
Load √ √ √ √
d. Adoption of the new AS Billing Determinant GridConnected Generator
Embedded Generator
Load
Ancillary Service Billing Determinant Ancillary Service -Generator Billing Determinant (AS-GBD) • The AS-GBD for a Billing Period shall be the summation of the daily coincident [to the system of the Grid-Connected Generator] peak injection to the Grid. Ancillary Service -Embedded Generator Billing Determinant (AS-EGBD) • The AS-EGBD for a Billing Period shall be the summation of the daily coincident [to the system of both Embedded Generator and the host Load] peak injection to the Load’s system. Ancillary Service -Billing Determinant Demand (AS-BDD) • The AS-BDD for a Billing Period shall be the summation of the daily coincident [to the system of Load] peak demand.
10. A copy of the proposed amendments to the AS-CRM which contains the proposals of NGCP is attached to the Petition. 11. NGCP prays for the Commission to: a.
Exercise its rule-making power under Rule 21 of its Rules of Practice and Procedure; and
b.
Approve the proposed amendments to the AS-CRM, after notice and public consultation.
12. It also prays for other relief deemed just and equitable under the premises. Having found the said Petition to be sufficient in substance, with the required fees having been paid, an Order dated 25 October 2018 was issued by the Commission setting the case for public consultations with scheduled dates and venues. On 9 November 2018, NGCP filed an Urgent Motion dated 5 November 2018 and prayed for the issuance of a new order and public hearing, resetting the schedules for the expository presentation and public consultation. Finding the said Motion to be meritorious, the Commission hereby resets the public consultation on the following new dates and venues: DATE and TIME
VENUE
09 January 2019 (Wesnesday) Nine o`clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)
ERC Main Office 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City
Jurisdictional and Expository Presentation
ACTIVITY
23 January 2019 (Wesnesday) Nine o`clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)
APO VIEW DAVAO Bonifacio St., Pob. District, Davao City
Public Consultation for Mindanao Stakeholders
6 February 2019 (Wesnesday) Nine o`clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)
CEBU PARKLANE HOTEL N. Escario St., Cebu City
Public Consultation for Visayas Stakeholders
20 February 2019 (Wesnesday) Nine o`clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)
ERC Main Office 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City
Public Consultation for Luzon Stakeholders
All interested parties may submit their comments (in both hard and soft copies) on the proposed Rules on or before 09 January 2019. Electronic copies may be sent to tarijfs@erc.gov.ph. Parties who have filed their written comments on or before the prescribed period would be given priority during the above-scheduled public consultation. The said Petition may be photocopied at cost, during the regular office hours at the ERC Main Office. WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and CEO, AGNES VST DEV ANADERA, and the Honorable Commissioners ALEXIS M. LUMBATAN and CATHERINE P. MACEDA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 21 November 2018 in Pasig City.
JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal Service 1 2 3
Mitsukoshi Holdings; and Alfred V. Ty, chairman of Federal Land, Inc. The Utsuwa taiko drummers (Shown here) portrayed the Seasons Residences’ deep respect for nature, portraying the four seasons of Japan, Haru (spring), Natsu (summer), Aki (autumn), and Fuyu (winter).
Decision dated 3 October 2007 (Decision) in ERC Case No. 2006-049 RC; ERC Case No. 2017-010 RM; Entitled “An Act of Granting the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines a Franchise To Engage in the Business of Conveying or Transmitting Electricity. Through High Voltage Back-Bone System of Interconnected Transmission Lines, Substations and Related Facilities, and for other Purposes. “
(MS-DEC. 8 & 15, 2018)
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Greening down south THE city of Cebu is focused on an agenda for sustainable development. It has earned for itself the title of most “livable city” by way of its efforts in waste segregation, its Cebu Hillylands reforestation caravan, and determined push for a zero-waste lifestyle. The local government has also implemented the aggressive installation of LED streetlights. Joining the initiative to build a greener Cebu is JEG Development Corporation. It is currently building the 22-storey JEG Tower @ One Acacia, one of the few buildings in the city to be recognized by LEED with a pre-certified silver rating. JDC’s first high-rise in Cebu will use less water, energy, and emit less greenhouse gases. “Through JEG Tower @ One Acacia, we hope to encourage ourselves and other developers to push for a more sustainable approach to architecture and design,” said Chief Operations Officer Marko Sarmiento. The project is collaboration between JDC One Acacia Corporation, KMC Savills, Arcadis Philippines, and Casas + Architects. BOUTIQUE DEVELOPER STEAMROLLS THROUGH AWARDS BOUNTY. ArthaLand recently won three major real estate awards --two for the 2018 Asia Property Awards held in Bangkok, Thailand and one more for the 2018 Japan International Property Awards. The company bagged the best boutique developer (Philippines) award for the year as well as the best office development (Philippines) award for the Cebu Exchange, ArthaLand’s latest project. The 39-story Cebu Exchange is a commercial development located within the Cebu IT Park in Barangay, Lahug, Cebu City, and is ArthaLand’s first footprint outside of Metro Manila. ArthaLand also bagged the best green feature development in the 2018 Japan International Property Awards. The award recognized ArthaLand’s sustainable features in its projects. “We are happy to have received the two Asia Property awards and the Japan International Property award for they stand as testament to our commitment to excellence in the real estate industry,” said ArthaLand executive vice president Leo Po (here with with vice president for technical services, Edgar V. Sabidong at the Asia Property Awards grand final 2018 held in Bangkok, Thailand).