VOL. XXIX � NO. 167 � 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 � mONday: JULy 27, 2015 � www.thestandard.com.ph � editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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Mar Roxasanointedthis weekby Aquino

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Palace ‘paranoia’ slammedBy Christine F. Herrera

LEFTIST groups on Sunday slammed the Palace for setting up a fortress of steel and concrete barri-ers, barbed wire and even container

vans and deploying thousands of policemen and soldiers to keep pro-testers away from President Benig-no Aquino III when he delivers his final State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) today. Next page

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III makes his fi-nal State-of-the Nation Address (SONA) today with his political clout fading and struggling to choose a successor for next year’s elections that would continue with his agenda, analysts said over the weekend.

A peace treaty with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), aimed at ending decades of fighting that has claimed 120,000 lives, is in peril a draft law granting self-rule to the Muslim minority is stalled in Congress.

Economic growth slowed to a three-year low of 5.2 percent in the first quarter.

“He is entering his lame-duck phase and he’s losing influence by the day,” said Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Re-form. Next page

SONA preparations. Activists march near the Times Street, Quezon City house of President Benigno Aquino III in front of an effigy depicting him as a monster on Sunday (above), ahead of Aquino’s final State of the Nation Address. On Commonwealth Avenue, the road leading to the Batasang Pambansa (inset), empty container vans have been placed on the roadside to prevent protesters from spilling over to the route expected to be taken by the President and members of Congress, where Aquino will give his sixth and last speech during the formal opening of the national legislature. AFP/ey ACASiO

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Rise in poverty beliesadministration claims

Broken promise. A day before the State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III, an activist calls for the passage of his promised Freedom of Information law during a protest at Manila’s Mendiola Bridge. DANNY PATA

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“He should use his re-maining political capital and tell Congress to pass the BBL,” Casiple said, re-ferring to the draft Bang-samoro Basic Law that would create the autono-mous Muslim region in the south and is the centerpiece of the peace plan.

The measure has lan-guished in Congress due to outrage over the deaths of 44 police commandos in an encounter with Islamic rebels, including gunmen from the MILF, in January.

Aquino is indeed ex-pected to urge Congress on Monday to quickly pass the law, the main barrier to im-plementing the peace pact, according to his advisers.

If Aquino does succeed in finalizing peace with the MILF, it would be one of the most important legacies of his presidency, Casiple and other analysts said.

A stronger economy is the potential major legacy for Aquino, although it is more tenuous as it will be dependent on whether his successor will push his anti-corruption program, which critics say has been carried out only on the President’s political opponents.

“It’s a fragile legacy, in the sense that it takes longer than a six-year term for an-ti-corruption measures to stick,” said Jonathan Rave-las, chief market strategist at BDO Unibank.

One of the big themes of Aquino’s address to Con-gress is expected to be a call to the nation to choose the right successor to press on with his anti-graft cam-paign.

“In less than a year, the Filipino will again be at a crossroads,” Aquino said in a speech last week, while in-specting a new dam project, that he is expected to echo on Monday.

“My only advice: pick a leader who will be true to his promise, not someone with empty promises, not someone who will take ad-vantage of you or steal from you.”

But with 10 months be-fore the election, Aquino cannot yet even choose himself.

Aquino’s preferred choice has long been seen as In-terior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, his longtime ally, family friend and Liberal Party stalwart.

But Roxas is languishing in surveys and there is a strong chance he would be easily beaten by the oppo-sition’s charismatic leader, Jejomar Binay.

At the 2010 elections, Bi-nay crushed Roxas in their contest for the vice presi-dency.

Another potential presi-dential candidate is first-term Senator Grace Poe, who owes her immense popularity to being the daughter of famed, de-ceased movie star Fernando Poe Jr.

Her father lost the 2004 presidential elections in controversial circumstanc-

es, with his camp insisting Gloria Arroyo stole 1 mil-lion votes that cost him vic-tory.

But while popular and widely regarded for her personal honesty, Poe has relatively little political ex-perience and has ruled out joining Aquino’s Liberal Party.

Liberal Party officials said Aquino would prefer Poe to be Roxas’ vice presi-dent, a move the neophyte senator seems reluctant to do. Instead, the independ-ent senator may choose to run for president with her close friend, Senator Francis Escudero, as her vice president, a move that could steal votes away from the administration candi-date.

“If I had my way, I (would have) announced my choice yesterday,” an exasperated Aquino said last week when asked about who he wanted to succeed him.

Capitalizing on the un-certainty is Binay, a former Aquino ally who has in re-cent years faced a barrage of corruption allegations that have raised concerns about the nation’s path under his helm.

Either way, Aquino faces a gamble, according to At-eneo de Manila University political science professor Benito Lim.

“If Aquino endorses a loser, everything he worked for will go to waste,” Lim said.

As the nation prepared for Aquino’s last SONA, Senate President Pro-Tem-pore Ralph Recto said two documents submitted to Congress after the SONA—the Technical Report to the SONA and the proposed national budget for next year—would speak louder than the words the Presi-dent delivers in his speech today.

“SONA is poetry. But if you want to read the prose of where we are, it is in these two documents. I call them ‘day after’ documents but they are very impor-tant,” Recto said in a state-ment.

Recto said the SONA is a “looking back—looking forward” speech, while the source material of the “look-ing back” part is the Techni-cal Report to the SONA, and “the main basis of the look-ing forward is the national budget for next year.”

The Technical Report to the SONA is a report card of what has been done since the last SONA, Recto said, while the budget looks ahead.

“A budget is a book of in-tentions. You may promise many things but the proof that you will do it is in the budget,” he said.

“In governance, funds proposed in the budget speak louder than words in a SONA,” he added.

Next year’s expenditure program is pegged at P3 tril-lion, up 15 percent from this year’s P2.6 trillion. Like in the previous four years, it is expected to be formally pre-sented to congressional lead-ers a day after the SONA.

– Macon Ramos-Arane-ta, AFP

THE growing number of poor Filipinos de-bunks the Aquino administration’s claim that its strategy for fighting poverty works and should be continued by the succeeding ad-ministration, the research group IBON said Sunday, one day before President Benigno Aquino III delivers his final State-of-the-Na-tion Address.

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Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said thou-sands of protesters would defy the tight se-curity measures, which showed that Presi-dent Aquino was “running scared, now that the end of the regime draws near.”

“By these paranoid measures, the Aquino government’s fear of confront-ing the people’s just demands shows through,” Reyes said.

Citing the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NULP), Reyes denounced the government’s contempt for the people’s basic right to peaceful assembly.

“Through its servile and robotic police, it is without a shadow of doubt that it is the government that actually poses a clear and present danger to the public order, public

safety and public convenience,” Reyes said. “The fortress of steel and concrete

barriers, concertina wire and container vans along the route to the House where laws by supposed representatives of the people emanate is eloquent proof whose side is this government on. This is not to mention an uninterrupted record of violent and brutal dispersals by an army of so-called law enforcers of otherwise peaceful rallies during past SONAs for good measure,” he added.

Reyes said the failure of the Quezon City government to act on their permit to rally within two days as required by law meant that their application was approved.

“The law is crystal clear. Despite its loopholes, the better part of its letter and spirit are being undermined even further. To coop the people to an arbi-trary space to express their grievances is therefore unlawful,” said Edre Olalia,

NULP secretary general.“International law is explicit and man-

datory. The noble and basic right to free-dom of expression and peaceful assembly cannot be curtailed arbitrarily especially on contrived if not imaginary grounds. A government that openly and unabashedly tramples this right for its speculative if not dubious reasons is not only a hypocrite but should be ashamed of itself before the community of nations,” Olalia said.

“After all, history has taught us that marching in streets--no matter how in-convenient to some who are yet to be enlightened or to those ensconced in their entitlements--has changed societies for the better, from abolishing slavery to stopping sweatshop practices, from oust-ing dictatorships to outlawing apartheid, from overturning racial segregation to protesting wars of intervention.”

– With Sandy Araneta

Even with a lower stand-ard of only P52 a day as the official poverty line, the number of poor has gone up to 25.8 percent of the popu-lation in the first semester of 2014, up from 24.6 percent in the same period in 2013, IBON said, quoting official government statistics.

In IBON’s own May 2015 nationwide survey of 1,496 individuals, 79.6 percent of respondents said their liveli-hood did not improve in re-cent months, and 72.3 percent said that poverty did not go down in recent months. Most respondents also rated them-selves poor and said they had

difficulty in spending for basic needs and social services.

IBOn said its survey also showed a larger share of re-spondents (67.2 percent) who said they see their situa-tion today as poor, compared to those who said the same in January (64.6 percent).

IBON said these figures were more consistent with its estimates using official data that some 55 million to 66 million Filipinos live on only P100 to P125 a day, well below the P181 needed by a person to live decently.

The National Statistics Of-fice, using a lower yardstick of P52 a day, counted only

23.8 million poor Filipinos in 2012.

IBON said the data showed that the Aquino administra-tion’s centerpiece for alleviat-ing poverty—its conditional cash transfer program that has spent P178 billion in doles to the poor as of 2014—was not the answer to deep and wide-spread poverty, despite a 526 percent increase in its budget since 2010.

“The conditional cash transfers or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) was more than ever proven to be temporary, ex-pensive and shallow,” IBON said, adding that it was rid-dled with loopholes in its tar-geting system.

A militant labor group on Sunday said the last five years under Aquino have been “ex-ceptionally taxing on Fili-pino workers.”

The Bukluran ng Mang-gagawang Pilipino (BMP) said in a statement that they would march toward Con-gress to protest the adminis-tration’s labor polices during

the SONA.“We have much more en-

thusiasm than ever before. Living under the elitist policies of Aquino for five burdensome has armed us with determina-tion,” said Leody de Guzman, chairman of the BMP.

“The past five years has been exceptionally taxing on the Filipino workers. Aquino attacked us on two fronts. On one hand, he suppressed wag-es despite the [rising] cost of living… and also at the same time, he withheld government subsidies on basic services,” De Guzman said.

The BMP also attacked the increase in worker contribu-tions to the Social Security System and PhilHealth, the privatization of the light rail system and public hospitals, and the K-12 program that added two years to the pri-mary education system.

On the eve of the Presi-dent’s last SONA, the left-ist Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said Aquino could be proud of no legacy. – Rio N. Araja

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PNoy to anoint Roxas this week

SONA 2015: A Report To The Bosses

This Monday, July 27, 2015, His Excellency Be-nigno S. Aquino III, the President of the Philippines, will be making his last State of the Nation Address. This is a yearly report of what has been achieved, based on a plan set and introduce at the beginning of his term– a means to inform the nation and its people about the country’s present economic, politi-cal, and social conditions.

What do we expect?

While we are sure that President Aquino will be discussing up many things in the course of his speech– numbers, executive orders, programs signed into law and the like– they are only import-ant to many in terms of the promises he has previ-ously made.

This is because to many of us Filipinos, the SONA is more than just a status report: it an update of how well and how completely the President has kept the promises made in the last addresses, in the begin-ning of his term, and during his campaign. If the set of promises are a map, where are we? How close are we to the goal?

It is in this light that this State of the Nation Ad-dress is different, maybe. Maybe even special. Be-cause it is the last one, the expectations are higher, and requires looking at the effort of the President and his team as a whole. This time, the scope is broader, and there is more urgency.

The Promises

There were two big promises the President made when he first started– two big issues that were to be addressed by the Daang Matuwid plan: poverty and corruption.

There was a third promise: that the Filipino was his boss. That, as every democracy’s leader must, he will serve the people, take their wishes, and more importantly, their welfare into consideration with every act and decision.

What will we be watching out for? Which accom-plishments are important to us? Here is a checklist of what the bosses will want updates on.

Poverty and Hunger. In the last SONA, one of the main points he made were on the 4Ps or the conditional cash transfer program. Said to be

an “investment in the country’s greatest re-source”, the flagship poverty reduction pro-gram– the world’s 4th largest– has increased allocations each year. We, the people, expect reports on how it has exceeded its goals. More importantly, we are expecting steps on getting us closer to the target: self reliance and sufficiency. It has been said that the CCT was not a dole-out, and that jobs were the

next item on the agenda. How close are we to that goal?

Corruption. From the start, the promise was to hold corrupt politicians accountable, and indeed, we have seen the start. The im-peachment of CJ Corona, the arrest of the for-mer President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the arrest of 3 senators involved in the pork barrel issue. It was a good start, now, the people are

expecting to hear about the follow through. There are other issues. Peace and order. China

and diplomacy. Energy and power. And more. There is something else that tpeople are ex-

pecting to hear. That while it is the last SONA, it is not the last list of achievements this admin-istration will make. That the work does not stop just because the campaigning for the next elec-tions is about to start.

SONA 2015: A Report To The Bosses

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III will this week anoint Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II as the Liberal Party’s standard bearer in the 2016 elections, although he still has no run-ning mate, Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, an LP stalwart, said Sunday.

This means Aquino will not name Roxas, his pre-ferred successor, during Aquino’s last State-of-the-nation address today but will lay down the post-Aquino agenda to be set out by his successor, LP officials said.

The President’s SONA would sound like a “val-edictory address,” where he will report his achievements for the past five years and lay down what he expects his successor to do, accord-ing to Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo.

Erice said Roxas still had no running mate as the LP was still in talks with its co-alition partners.

He said among those in the shortlist for the LP’s vice-presidential bet were Batangas Gov. Vilma San-tos-Recto, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, and

Senator Alan Cayetano of the Nacionalista Party.

He said the endorsement would happen either on July 29, two days after Aquino delivers his final State of the Nation Address, or on July 31.

The LP, however, had al-ready made reservations at the historic Club Filipino in Greenhills for July 29, Erice said.

“It has always been Mar from the start. There was no doubt in our minds that he will be our standard bearer,” he said.

He said previous discus-sions with Senator Grace Poe, who has been topping the recent surveys among possible presidential bets, were meant to convince the lawmaker to “unite” with Roxas.

“The Liberal Party wants someone with integrity, ca-

pability and experience. It will not look good if we de-cide based on the result of surveys alone,” Erice said.

Quimbo and Quezon City Rep. Winston “Win-nie” Castelo, both LP mem-bers, said they would be the first ones to get disappoint-ed if the President would transform his SONA into a political event.

They hinted that the right occasion in naming the President’s successor would be on Tuesday, the day after

his SONA, when the Liber-als meet at Club Filipino.

Quimbo, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, told dzBB radio that the President would also report his achieve-ments—including the un-popular decisions he made such as the reproductive health and sin tax laws.

But militant lawmakers said the President’s touted achievements had been canceled out by worsening poverty, landlessness, job-

lessness and the increase in hunger incidences.

“Aquino said that the economy prospered but the majority of our people are as poor as rats, with no suf-ficient food, housing, jobs or land to till,” a critic said.

Castelo said after he bows down, the President could transform himself into a “moral leader to in-fluence the course of nation building.”

“The President should never say goodbye. The President should also set the agenda after he leaves his office and make sure that the Daang Matuwid should be followed by his successor,” said Castelo, chairman of the House committee on Metro Ma-nila development.

“I would be disappointed if the SONA becomes a venue to announce who the chosen person is. Only be-cause I think the SONA is about the President as well as his vision for the next six to 12 years,” Quimbo said.

Castelo agreed and said the President should not name his successor because SONA is not an occasion

for political power play.“The President should

find a perfect occasion to name his preferred succes-sor, but certainly not in the SONA, which is strictly a state affair not intended for power play,” Castelo said.

If he made an endorse-ment, Quimbo said, the President would divert the issues from the actual sub-ject, “which is the President himself.”

“Instead of the scorecard getting highlighted, the en-dorsement would draw at-tention from it. I think he would not do that,” Quim-bo said.

“But the most he could probably say is to make an appeal that his successor or whoever would be chosen by the public would con-tinue his reforms and for the electorate to choose the right successor. That’s the most he can say politically,” he said.

On the eve of the SONA, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares cited the worsening poverty, job-lessness, lawlessness and human rights violations. Joyce Pangco Pañares and Christine F. Herrera

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Iglesia members supportManalo at big gathering

The celebration became a show of support for Manalo, with church members pledging loyalty to the INC and professing their unity behind his leadership.

The members of the two-mil-lion-member INC trooped to the 140-hectare tourism zone along the North Luzon Tollway owned by the

church to show they support for Manalo and his leaders, who are be-ing accused by a group of expelled ministers of various anomalies.

Traffic was heavy along the highway leading up the Ciudad de Victoria, which was built on former farmland between the towns of Bocaue and Sta. Maria and which is also the site of the

By Rio N. Araja

Hundreds of thousands of members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo gathered Sunday at the church’s Ciudad de Victoria in to celebrate the INC’s 101st anniversary and to show their support for Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo.

Expelledministersays betsgave cash

Probe of pop star Brown to continue

AN expelled Iglesia ni Cristo minister on Sunday alleged that some unscrupulous church leaders were selling the denomination’s vote to politicians.

In a television interview, former minister Roel Rosal denied INC spokesman Edwil Zabala’s claim that he and other critics of the church were just disgruntled because of their re-moval from the ministry.

Rosal said he has a letter from a defeated mayoralty candidate in Bulacan province who said he gave P200,000 for an endorsement by the INC before the 2010 elections.

He said the defeated can-didate was a friend of his and asked him to raise the issue with the INC central office.

“He was asking for an ex-planation. I brought the mat-ter to our leaders and wrote Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo, but there was never any action.”

Because of his efforts to help the defeated candidate, Rosal said he earned the ire of the church’s leaders, prompting them to expel him and evict him from his residence inside the compound of the INC central temple in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, an INC minister who was was arrested for alleged possession of a hand grenade has been released by the Dasmari-ñas, Cavite police.

Minister Lowell Menorca Jr. had been charged with grave threats and illegal possession of explosives, but the suit has re-portedly been withdrawn by the complainant.

INC spokesman Zabala declined to comment on the incident.

“We have been busy with the activities connected to our anniversary,” he told The Standard.

Menorca, a volunteer minis-ter in Sorsogon, was earlier re-ported missing after he allegedly joined a group of church leaders critical of certain practices of the INC leadership.

The blog “Iglesia Ni Cristo Silent No More” run by a cer-tain Antonio Ramirez Eban-gelista claimed that nine min-isters, including Menorca, had been abducted and expelled from the group.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation’s probe into the recent con-troversies involving the INC will not cover the allegations of corruption or the mishan-dling of church funds.

“In the absence of a proper complaint, there is no basis at this point to look into allega-tions of corruption or misuse of INC funds,” Justice Secre-tary Leila de Lima said in a text message.

De Lima stressed that just like the expulsion from the INC of Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo, brother of current INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo, and their mother Cris-tina “Tenny” Manalo, the gov-ernment considers the allega-tions of cor ruption “internal” to the church.

“We cannot just intervene without any complaint filed,” De Lima said. Rio N. Araja

55,000-seat Philippine Arena.Meanwhile, House independent

bloc leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdi-nand Martin Romualdez congratu-lated the church on its founding an-niversary today.

“I congratulate our brothers in Igle-sia ni Cristo for having a solid religious foundation not only in the country, but all over the world. I wish them to gain more numerical strength and recogni-tion,” he said.

He said INC has continued to imple-ment various meaningful activities and programs on job creation, education, health concerns, social work and even environmental protection that even benefit non-members.

Romualdez also expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the INC for

its humanitarian projects for the vic-tims of super typhoon Yolanda that flattened Leyte and other provinces in Eastern Visayas.

Rep. Joselito Atienza of Buhay party-list and Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz of Abakada party-list also recognized the significant contributions of INC to the country’s economic growth.

“The Iglesia ni Cristo has gone a long way, from being a small group in the early 1900s and now a big church orga-nization with membership all around the world,” Atienza said.

Vice President Jejomar Binay also greeted leaders and members of the church on their anniversary on Sun-day, urging Manalo and other church leaders to stay strong in the midst of adversity.

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NEWSeditorial@thestandard.com.ph

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice will proceed with the preliminary investigation of the estafa case filed against American hip-hop singer Chris Brown by the Igle-sia Ni Cristo, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Sunday.

Brown was allowed to leave the country on Friday last week, but the preliminary in-vestigation on the complaint filed against him and his pro-moter John Michael Pio Roda will continue, she said.

“The [investigation] will proceed [whether he’s around or not] since there is a com-plaint,” De Lima said.

Brown was prevented from leaving the airport aboard his private plane on Tuesday last

week because of the $1-million estafa complaint filed by INC lawyer Glicerio Santos IV for Brown’s alleged failure to fulfill his commitment to perform at the Philippine Arena during the New Year countdown celebra-tion on Dec. 31, 2014.

Although Brown eventu-ally was allowed to leave the country, Roda was detained by Immigration for other im-migration law violations.

De Lima said the estafa case had already been assigned to a prosecutor and subpoenas were expected to be issued on Brown and Roda.

Brown could ignore the subpoena, but that would mean a waiver on his right to answer the allegations in the complaint against him, De

Lima said.“These is a process. If in the

[preliminary investigation] probable cause is established, then the case will be filed in court, which cannot proceed without the presence of the accused,” De Lima said.

“There are modes on how to bring the accused here like the MLAT (Mutual Legal As-sistance Treaty) or extradition.”

De Lima said the cases against Brown and Roda may have criminal and civil aspects. In the criminal aspect, the intent to defraud by the respondents must be established.

“In estafa cases the main objective is how to recover the money, so there is also a civil aspect that may involve the re-covery of money via a civil suit.”

Endorsement. This aerial shot shows members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo gathering at the INC-owned Ciudad de Victoria tourism zone in Bulacan, where members of the church flocked Sunday to celebrate the INC’s 101st founding anniversary. DANNY PATA

Bra display. A woman chooses bras at a makeshift store put up along the sidewalk of Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. EY ACASIO

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House: Soak the rich,give the poor a break

Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo told dzBB  on Sunday  that of the 36 million Filipinos working, only 6.8 million taxpayers are taxed by the BIR.

Quimbo, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, said only 16 percent of all working Filipi-nos actually pay income taxes.

“The salary wage earners were 100 percent compliant. Only 40 percent of professionals (doctors, lawyers, engi-neers) are paying the right taxes while only 31 percent of the entrepreneurs—

hardware and store owners—are pay-ing taxes,” Quimbo lamented.   

The corporations and those ex-ecutives who are earning P10 million and above would be taxed 33 percent in individual income and corporate taxes but they would be given tax in-centives for safety nets, he said. 

“As far as we are concerned, as far as the Speaker is concerned, before the end of this year we will be able to finalize and churn out a new tax proposal for individual as well as corporate income tax,” Quimbo said.

The tax measures were now fin-ished at the level of the Technical Working Group, which would submit its consensus to the mother commit-tee for approval, he said.

“The rich will be taxed bigger or up to 33 percent. But they would also be given tax incentives. The wage earn-ers who earn P180,000 a year would be exempted from being taxed while teachers will have their income taxes reduced from 35 percent to 25 per-cent,” Quimbo explained. 

“There is a reason why these people are not paying. But it doesn’t follow that if others refuse to pay, we have to squeeze those who have no choice like the wage earners,” Quimbo said. “That is not fair.” 

Quimbo said the reason those with big salaries were not paying was be-cause the system was “too complex, so complicated.”

“The tax rates are just too high. In fact, we are the highest in the entire Southeast Asia in both the corpo-rate and individual income taxes,” he

pointed out. “Yet, in terms of tax col-lection, we are the lowest in ASEAN. What does that say?”

Quimbo explained that when the tax rate was unreasonably high, com-pliance becomes all the more difficult.

“The higher the tax rate, the higher the tax evasion,” Quimbo told dzBB.

Quimbo said the tax collection effort has barely increased from the time the Aquino administration assumed office.

From 4.9 percent in tax collection in 2010, Quimbo said it has barely improved at 13.8 percent at present.

“So napakaliit, compared to Viet-nam in 2010 was already at 24 per-cent. We are far behind. We are lag-ging behind Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia,” he lamented.

To balance and compensate the P92 billion in losses a year to be brought about by the lowering of tax rates, Quimbo said other tax mea-sures were being discussed such as tax on mining, tax on softdrinks and rationalization of fiscal incentives.

‘Binay can’t wait to face accusers in impartial court’By Macon Ramos-Araneta

VICE President Jejomar Binay is looking forward to placing his ac-cusers including Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cay-etano on the witness stand because their “perjured testimonies” will not stand judicial scrutiny, his spokes-man Rico Quicho said Sunday.

Quicho said Binay wanted to cross-examine Trillanes, Cayetano, former Makati Vice Mayor Mercado and their cohorts, which could only be done in an impartial court and not in the kan-garoo court in the Senate.

He said Binay had maintained that the perjured testimonies of re-

source persons, illegally obtained documents and hasty conclusions were not the kind of evidence that would stand judicial scrutiny.

“The one-sided conduct of the Senate probe and its failure to establish the culpability of the Vice President after more than 11 months and 23 hearings highlights the glaring truth that the Senate, under this administration, has the tradition of accusing its political enemies first and just hoping to prove the charges later by skirting legal processes,” read the statement issued by Binay’s camp.

Strongly reacting to the assertion of Cayetano that they had fairly in-

vestigated Binay’s case and examined the evidence against him, the Vice President asked, “evidence is Senator Cayetano talking about?

Quicho noted that after making wild accusations against the Vice President, their so-called resource persons were told to present evi-dence to support their allegations but to no avail. 

“In fact, these accusers have been using the processes of the Senate to fish for evidence, which is not al-lowed.  This contradiction of sorts shows that the Senate Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee has a different ap-plication of its rules and patently flawed interpretation of evidence,”

pointed out Quicho.  Quicho also took a potshot at

the spokespersons of President Noynoy Aquino. “We want to tell them that only the blind and those who pretend to be blind do not see ghe collusion between the  Ombudsman and the Palace to harass the political enemies of the administration. 

Instead of fixating over every re-ported or misreported remark by the Vice President, the Binay camp urged the   Palace to break its vow of silence on two issues-- why pov-erty and hunger prevails despite eco-nomic growth, and why Secretary (Mar)!Roxas, the presumptive LP

bet, replaced the contractor of the MRT with one of dubious capabili-ties and linked to his party.   

“The commuters of MRT are the ones paying the price for his mis-deeds,” said Quicho.

Cayetano branded a mere tactic to divert the issue of corruption Bi-nay’s filing of P200-million damage suit against him,Trillanes and other personalities. He considered it   a  case to intimidate in the   defense of a corrupt. 

Trillanes said the filing of the   damage suit by the Vice President against his alleged detractors was a clear indication that he is on a panic mode.

Palace disownsplot vs Belmonte

By Christine F. Herrera

CONGRESS is set to tax the rich more and  lower the income tax of wage earners and middle income bracket from 32 percent to 25 percent that would re-sult in government losing P92 billion a year in tax collections after a House study showed the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s failure to collect the right taxes.

By Sandy Araneta

MALACAÑANG says it has nothing to do with the alleged plot to unseat House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

“What we are after is a thorough coordination with Congress in the en-actment into law of impor-tant programs on reforms of the government.  We have nothing to do regard-ing that (plot to unseat Belmonte),” Communica-tions Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said on Sunday.

“Our focus is on the   constructive process in the enactment of laws,” Co-loma stressed.

Lawmakers from Metro Manila meanwhile reaf-firmed   their support for Belmonte ahead of the opening of the third regu-lar session of the 16th Con-gress on  July 27.

Quezon City Rep. Win-ston Castelo of the Liberal Party said majority of his colleagues cited Belmonte’s “fair and productive lead-ership” in the House of Representatives.

Other lawmakers closed ranks for Belmonte, among them Zenaida Angping (Manila), Jorge Banal (Quezon City), Jose Christopher Belmonte (Quezon City), Francisco Calalay (Quezon City), En-rico Echiverri (Caloocan), Neptali Gonzales II (Man-daluyong), Magtanggol Gunigundo (Valenzuela), Sandy Ocampo (Manila), Eric Olivarez (Parañaque), Romero Quimbo (Mariki-na), Gustavo Tambunting (Parañaque), Marcelino Teodoro (Marikina), Alfred Vargas (Quezon City) and Mark Villar (Las Piñas).

Castelo said party-list rep-resentatives who are mem-bers of the House committee on Metro Manila develop-ment have also reaffirmed their support for Belmonte, including Johnny Revilla (OFW Family) and Samuel Pagdilao (ACT-CIS).State of the sidewalk. Flea market traders and sidewalk vendors continue to ply their trade despite having been fenced off Commonwealth Avenue in

Quezon City on the eve of President Aquino’s delivery of his final State of the Nation Address. EY ACASIO

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newsA6m o n d ay : j u ly 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Who’s minding Yolanda rehab?

LTO abides by auditrules, says PalaceBy Sandy Araneta

Malacañang on Sunday came to the defense of the land Transportation Office, saying that all government agencies like lTO have to abide by the rules and policies set by the commis-sion on audit.

“What we know is that gov-ernment agencies follow all law-ful and legal issuances, or   the   cOa   findings. What we know is that all agencies at all times fol-low the law.  There is no policy in not following the law,” com-munications Secretary Herminio coloma Jr said on DZRB, the state-run radio.

“all agencies of the government accept and follow the policies and recommendations  made by the cOa as an   independent consti-tutional body that audits actions made by the government,” said   coloma.

coloma said that he was not aware of the specific details of the problems besseting the lTO re-garding the late issuances of the

car plates and stickers and that he still needed to verify such details of the cause of the delays.

“We  always  assure the deliv-ery of public   service,” coloma  said. 

The license plate standardiza-tion of the land Transportation Office (lTO) will continue de-spite a notice of disallowance is-sued by the cOa barring fund-ing for the program.

lTO spokesman Jason Salvador said the program would not be suspended because many vehicles would be left with no plates.

“Public interest is involved here… we will continue,” Salva-dor said.

He said there is no “explicit” cOa instruction to stop the program, adding that they have yet to receive word from the De-partment of Transportation and communications.

cOa disallowed P477,901,329 in procurement transaction be-tween the lTO and the Dutch-Filipino consortium PPI-JKg Philippines Inc.

By Christine F. Herrera

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has shown his indifference and utter neglect toward Yolanda survivors by refusing to designate a central authority to carry out reconstruction and rehabilitation even after Panfilo Lacson Jr. resigned in February, resulting in massive delays in helping the survivors get back on their feet, former national treasurer Leonor Magtolis Briones said  Sunday. 

“The aquino administration has no sense of urgency. no one was left in charge to coordinate and monitor the supposed re-habilitation and reconstruction after lacson resigned,” said Brio-nes, lead convener of the Social Watch Philippines. 

The SWP, funded by an inter-national nongovernment organi-zation christian aid, traced the government funds for the imple-mentation of programs, activities and projects in Yolanda-affected areas under the comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan.

as of June  2015, Briones said the Department of Budget and Management claimed that the total fund released has reached P84 billion, 49 percent of the P170.916 billion commitment for the cRRP.

The group found out that this amount is not dedicated to Yolan-da-affected areas only but in-cludes rehabilitation of areas hit by the Bohol earthquake, and Ty-phoons Sendong and Pablo areas.

according to Briones, delays in the delivery of livelihood and social services projects were ag-gravated by poor coordination between and among the differ-ent agencies caused by lack of competencies and appropriate mechanisms to hasten imple-

mentation.Social Watch Philippines has

called on the President to desig-nate a group or task force with the technical and administrative competence to implement the cRRP with the necessary budget and mandated to steer the recov-ery process.

Briones questioned the “ab-sorptive capacity” of the national agencies as they only implement projects at their convenience or when their schedule permits.

“It’s still ‘business as usual’ for government and the agencies ap-pear to have no sense of urgency in dealing with a humanitar-ian crisis. The absence of a clear central and authoritative agency/body that will implement, over-see, coordinate and have strong mandate to monitor all recon-struction and recovery initiatives is the problem,” Briones said.

“We found out that the budget request of agencies were limited based on their capacity to imple-ment the program, projects and activities under their watch,” Bri-ones added. 

Information, data transpar-ency issues were also raised by the group with unclear sources of funds for the P170 billion fund-ing commitment of President aquino for the cRRP.

Rally for peace. An activist takes part in a rally at Chino Roces (Mendiola) Bridge to ask President Aquino to give priority to Congress’ approval of a draft law that will bring about peace in Mindanao. DANNY PATA

a gROuP of Marawi city-based youth leaders that gathered more than half a million signatures of Mindanaoans supporting the passage into law of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic law today warned politicians that they would lose the votes of millions of Mindanaoans who want peace in the South if these politicians would vote against the law.

“We are giving these signatures to our political leaders to remind them that at least 500,000 of their constituents support the BBl. They should think twice before us-ing the Bangsamoro for their po-litical agenda because they could lose the support of half a million people,” coalition of Moro Youth Movement (cMYM) chair Mar-janie Macasalong said.

The group, which gathered and verified the 500,000 signatures in three months with no funding, has traveled to Manila to submit to the country’s political leaders copies of the signatures in time for President Benigno S. aquino III’s State of the nation address (SOna).

cMYM held a press confer-ence  on Friday  in greenhills, together with other Bangsamoro law advocates. after the Islamic  Friday  prayer, the group further opened a signature campaign where hundreds of individuals signed support to the BBl pas-sage, on top of the half-million signatures the group already col-lected and documented.  This happened simultaneously in greenhills mosque and golden

Mosque in Quiapo. afterwards, the group proceeded to the Sen-ate with a pro-BBl caravan of 100 vehicles to show support of Muslim communities in Metro Manila to the Bangsamoro law.

“We understand that both the House of Representatives and the Senate are still in the middle of the BBl legislative process. We hope that, with the help of these signatures, they will pass a BBl that responds to the genu-ine aspirations of our people,” Macasalong added.

The cMYM began collecting signatures early in March 2015 in response to declarations from legislators critical of the BBl that it does not have enough sup-port among Filipinos, especially among Mindanaoans.

Poll bets warned not to block BBL

BRiOnes Asks

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M O N D AY, J U lY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

news A7

Basilan ‘cocolisap’ should be contained by October

Bohol adopts Aussie envoy TAGBILARAN CITY—Australian Ambassador to the Philippines William Tweddell was named an e “Adopted Son of Bohol” during the 161st Bohol Foundation Day.

Sangguniang Panlala-wigan Resolution 2015-323 cited Tweddell’s contribu-tion in sustaining the sup-port of the Australian gov-ernment to several projects for Bohol.

Tweddell first came to Bohol before the October 2013 earthquake upon the invitation of Governor Ed-gar Chatto to tackle update on several projects funded by the Australian Agency for International Develop-ment.

The Australian ambas-sador came back after the earthquake to personally hand over the assistance from the Australian gov-ernment for the earth-quake victims.

The Sangguniang Panla-lawigan resolution also cit-ed the unforgettable act of Tweddell in strengthening the cooperation between the Australian government and Bohol government.

The government of Australia facilitated the “100-day Rapid Assistance to Earthquake-damaged Roads and Bridges.”

Ambassador Tweddell turned over 14 provincial road sections improved under the Australia-fund-ed Provincial Road Man-agement Facility to Gov-ernor Edgar Chatto during the Bohol Day celebration on July 22. PNA

Their own business. A fisherman checks his fishing net at the Maragondon River in Cavite as students cross a hanging bridge. AVITO C. DALAN

ISABELA CITY, Basilan—The government has set the month of October as the deadline to contain coconut scale insects or “cocolisap” infestation of coconut trees in this province.

Secretary Francis Pangilinan, presidential assistant for food security and agricultural modernization, said this after conducting an aerial inspection of the infested coconuts trees and meeting with stakeholders on Friday.

Pangilinan said cocolisap could be contained through the integrated pest management pro-tocol that was used in the provinces of Batan-gas, Cavite, Laguna, and Quezon. The infesta-tion was first reported in Batangas in 2010.

The protocol includes a 30-day massive leaf pruning, 60-day application of sys-temic insecticides through trunk injection, establishment of quarantine checkpoints, and production and release of bio-control agents.

Pangilinan’s office has allocated P750 mil-lion to combat cocolisap.

Pangilinan is optimistic government “will be able to defeat these pests and bring [the infestation] down to manageable level” with an area-wide integrated pest management by mobilizing down to the grassroots.

Pangilinan has ordered the deployment of equipment such as electric drillers and gen-erator sets in preparation for the implementa-tion of the pest management protocol.

Romulo Arancon Jr., administrator of the

Philippine Coconut Authority, said he would assign additional personnel to assist coconut farmers in combating cocolisap in Basilan which began in 2012.

PCA data showed that Basilan province has 69,695 hectares of coconuts owned and culti-vated by 23,455 coconut farmers with around 8,097,114 coconut trees spread out in 255 ba-rangays in two cities and 11 towns.

The PCA data showed that 10 percent rep-resenting 814,712 coconut trees are infested as of this month this year affecting the livelihood of 6.5 percent representing 1,518 farmers in this province.

“The long dry spell in Basilan since Septem-ber last year significantly contributed to the increase in number of coconut scale insect-in-fested trees in the province,” PCA said.   PNA

By Dexter A. See

BANGUED, Abra – Finan-cially strapped Abra Electric Cooperative is still waiting for loan assistance packages from the National Electrification Administration to upgrade its services, reform its human re-source management and reha-bilitate its financial standing.

The electrification agency’s new charter, signed by Presi-dent Aquino in May 2013, gives it greater supervision over electric cooperatives, some of which are incurring losses.

“Just like any other elec-tric cooperative in the coun-try, we are still in a situation where it is not within out financial capability to imple-

ment the much needed in-frastructure projects for our power distribution network,” Abreco general manager Lo-reto Seares Jr. said.

He added that their capital expenditure plan would not suffice without the support of agencies like the NEA.

One major project of Abreco, Seares said, is the in-stallation of a 5-MVA substa-tion proposed two years ago.  “Its implementation has been long overdue,” he said, ex-plaining that Abreco’s sub-station is already 94-percent loading as of 2014.   

“The installation of the 5-MVA is much needed to support the existing over-loaded substation of the co-operative to ensure quality

power to its more than 40,000 consumers...we are seeking a P25-million loan from NEA for the substation installa-tion, Seares Jr. said.

Abreco is also asking NEA for a P20 million loan for the retirement benefits of its downsized employees.  Seares said that reorganizing Abreco’s workforce is expect-ed to lower its cost of opera-tion as projected in its De-partment of Energy-approved “Rehabilitation Plan.”

Finally, the power coopera-tive is also asking NEA to grant a P23-million “Prudential Guarantee Loan,” which would enable the cooperative to settle one of its requirements to its power supplier WESM (whole-sale electricity spot market).

Abra power cooperative seeks loanDivers’ paradise. Southern Leyte is working hard to promote its dive sites at the Sogod Bay area, which includes the Napantao Fish Sanctuary in San Francisco and Lungsodaan Fish Sanctuary in Padre Burgos. RIO CAHAMBING

A8

[ EDI TORI A L ]

THINGS WE WILL NOT HEARIF there is one thing the last five years have taught us, it is that President Aquino is a creature of habit. At every opportunity to address the Filipino people, he will talk up the achievements of his administration, blame oth-ers for his failures, and denigrate his critics and political opponents.

That is exactly what we expect him to do in today’s State-of-the-Nation Address—thankfully, President Aquino’s last before he steps down from office.

Given the nearness of his exit from office, the Presi-dent will no doubt dedicate a substantial portion of his address talking about his so-called reforms to weed out corruption in the government and choosing a successor who will continue with his “straight-path” policy.

What we will not be hearing from the President is the latest nationwide opinion poll from the Church-based Radio Veritas that shows that five years after he came to power on the promise of eradicating corruption in gov-ernment, only one in 10 Filipinos (13 percent) believe he has succeeded. Four in 10 are unsure, and five in 10 be-lieve he has failed to keep his promise to curb corruption.

The bishops, as men of faith, believe that the President can still turn things around in his final year in office. Ex-perience tells us, however, that he is unlikely to do so.

Since the very first crisis of his office in 2010, during the Luneta hostage crisis, this President has sheltered his close allies and associates from the consequences of their actions—or their lack of them. This is a pattern of behavior that we have seen him carry through time and again. We saw this with the pork barrel scandal in which only his political opponents have been prosecuted and detained, while a gaggle of his allies who were also im-plicated remain unencumbered.

We have seen this, too, in the way he has shielded his favored appointees in the Department of Transportation and Communications from any fallout from their gross incompetence and the stench of corruption that pervades their questionable contracts—to the detriment of com-muters, motorists and sea and air travelers.

With no way to deny the dismal record in his admin-istration’s efforts to bring relief to the victims of super ty-phoon Yolanda two years after the killer storm flattened wide swaths of the Visayas, the President is likely to fall back on two tactics, the first of which is to simply ignore the issue and focus on his “achievements.”

The second option that he might take is to fall back on another tried-and-tested tactic—blaming somebody else.

In a forum days before the SONA, international aid organizations and civil society groups called the ad-ministration out for its “sluggish” implementation of the reconstruction program.

“The delivery of reconstruction assistance continue to be riddled with infirmities, irregularities and reported misuse of public funds and people’s money—while the majority of the people who bear the brunt of suffer-ings, not only remain poor, hungry and jobless,” one group said.

Another pointed out the dismal completion of only 2,100 houses by the end of 2014, way below the tar-geted 205,128 shelters.

Delays in the release of funds meant only P2.4 billion of the targeted P26 billion for social services was fund-ed in 2014, and only P13.6 billion of the required P75 billion for resettlement had been disbursed. Of the P33 billion earmarked for livelihood programs, only P9.8 billion had been released, and of the P35 billion needed for infrastructure, only P21.5 billion was disbursed.

If the President addresses these failings at all, he will almost certainly lay them at the doorstep of the local government units, in effect declaring that it was somebody else’s fault.

We are likely to hear many things from President Aquino in his Sona today —but honesty is not one of them.

PENSÉES

FR. RANHILIOCALLANGAN

AQUINO

ADELLE CHUAE D I T O R

LIKE IT REALLY IS!

TODAY, the President, for the last time in his six-year term, will discharge his constitution-al duty of informing Congress of the Philippines on the State of the Nation.   This annual ritual highlights one difference between a presidential form of government and one that is parliamentary.   There is need for the President to inform Congress of the State of the Nation because he is not part of the Legislature that, by con-stitutional apportionment of governmental power, plays no role in the execution of law and in the implementation of poli-cy.   If we had a parliamentary government, the Prime Min-ister and his Cabinet would have, at every turn, to render an account to Parliament of which they are members and to suffer censure, including the dreaded vote of no confidence should they fail to perform.

Even before he utters the first line of what we can anticipate will be an address contrived to be memorable, pundits warn against naivete and credulity.   In his very incisive study of the

speech act, Habermas—who figured prominently in inter-national headlines recently for taking German Chancellor An-gela Merkel to task for what he thought was her highhanded-ness towards Greece -- identifies the claims implied in every com-petent speaker’s utterance: You can understand me; what I say is true; you can trust me on this;

and the relation I endeavor to establish with you by this speech act is normatively permitted.   According to the terms of this analysis, PNoy’s problem is the third of the implied claims: sin-cerity -- especially since its test is consistency between what one says and what one does!

If one considers this an in-surmountable problem, one can always listen for the state of the nation from other sources.   One of these is the group con-vened by retired Chief Justice

Reynato Puno.   The assembly’s declaration could very well be a dependable report on the state of the nation.   In part, it reads:

“We are alarmed by the threats to our sovereignty, national se-curity and territorial integrity, threats emanating from the West Philippine Sea dispute, the unre-solved problems in Mindanao, the pockets of terrorism, and the world’s oldest running insurgen-cy and rebellion.

We are worried that despite the impressive growth in our gross domestic product, the economic benefits have not been inclusive, poverty, job-lessness, and lack of opportuni-ties continue to stalk our peo-ple especially the poor and the powerless. We are disturbed by the thought that when millions of Filipinos dream of a better life, they are either about to board the next plane out of the country or have just set foot on foreign soil.

We are troubled that our po-litical system and institutions are not only weak and often at odds with each other, but have remained the exclusive domain of the few—the elite, the politi-cal dynasties, the corrupt, the mediocre and the incompe-tent—and have excluded the many who are more capable, responsible and trustworthy.

Continued on A11

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with, without real consul-tation, and to those who continue to use deceitful tactics for material gain. The divisiveness caused upon a population has always been one of min-ing’s worst consequences which are never factored in by the Environment Department when it con-siders for approval the en-vironmental compliance certificates applied for by mining companies.

Curiously, what is hap-pening in Lobo now ap-pears to be on all fours with what happened to the Mananwa indigenous communities of Sitio Di-narawan and Barangay Nunga in Agusan del Sur. � e mining operations in Agusan del Sur was granted to MRL Gold, Inc.--that same mining

company which did min-eral exploration in Lobo and was granted a favor-able endorsement by the Sangguniang Bayan to do mining operations there-- along with Egerton Gold Phils. Inc. of which, by the way, MRL owns 40 per cent. � e Mananwa indig-enous people complained that there were recurring disregard for environmen-tal aspects by MRL such as the destructive impact to the biodiversity of Lake Mainit. Lake Mainit, ac-cording to the Mananwas was “sacred to them and they have been dependent on it for their livelihood even prior to the creation of the Republic of the Phil-ippines,” the Website of the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman of the Inter-national Finance Corpora-

tion stated. � e indigenous people asserted that no prior consultations were done with them prior to the MRL operations. They lamented that “MRL Gold exerted undue pressure and influence on commu-nity leaders, attempted to create parallel leadership structures, used LGU rep-resentatives to pressure the communities, and used illegitimate signa-tures to demonstrate com-munity consent, among others.” This, according to the Compliance Advi-sor/Ombudsman of the International Finance Corporation—with which the Manawas filed their complaint--caused deep division in the tribal community and even fa-milial relations. The In-ternational Finance Cor-

poration was supposed to support the project but because of the com-plaint, MRL was forced to suspend its operations in Agusan. (www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/casedetail.aspx?id=176)

Now MRL, with the apparent cooperation of some of the local officials of Lobo, is on a comeback mode. The DENR should do its job and consider what it failed to con-sider in the case of the Mananwa communities in Agusan del Sur. This time around, no less than the center of the center of the world’s marine biodiver-sity, the Verde Island Pas-sage, is at stake.

Email: ritalindaj@gmail.com Visit: www.jimenolaw.com.ph

ON Monday last week, thousands of residents of Lobo, Batangas staged an-other huge rally against mining in front of their municipal hall. There, the Sangguniang Bayan was to hold a dialogue with numerous groups seeking the revocation by the Sanggunian of its endorsement of mining in favor of two foreign-based companies. As I walked among the pro-testers, I felt painfully sorry for this little town whose people have simple needs and simple joys. Only in September last year, during the munici-pality’s foundation day, these same people who were now rallying happily participated in all the fes-tivities organized by their local government; joining competitions, including the search for Miss Lobo. Now, Lobo is divided. The majority of its people now stand against their elected leaders.

In the dialogue, it was pointed out to the Sang-gunian members that many residents of Lobo and some barangay lead-ers executed sworn state-ments that they did not know that what they were made to sign turned out to be letters of consent to mining. Some baran-gay officials even made statements that what the Sanggunian used as basis for their resolution en-dorsing mining were fake because the signatures appearing on some baran-gay resolutions were not theirs. Environmental ad-vocate Gina Lopez, chair-man of ABS CBN Foun-dation, committed to help lift Lobo out of poverty if mining does not push through, saying that eco-tourism and agriculture would bring in tenfold more revenues for the town and for the residents than mining ever will. She emphasized that based on studies, the poorest areas in the country are those which have allowed min-ing to be done.

After the dialogue, the Sanggunian members held a meeting where they unanimously resolved to recall and revoke the en-dorsement they issued on 20 April 2015 in favor of Egerton Gold Phils. Inc and MRL Gold to conduct gold mining and process-ing in Lobo. This new resolution was met with loud cheers of celebration by the people who were still gathered outside. The Sanggunian cited as its ground the social unac-ceptability of mining and environmental destruc-tion. I was happy in the thought that Lobo would be whole again.

Alas, soon after that meeting, the clergy of Batangas learned that, with the encouragement of certain local leaders, some people went around the communities enticing people to sign pro-mining manifestos and to launch

a pro-mining rally to-day, the 27th of July, with a promise that all who would join would receive cash remuneration.

Lobo, although rich in biodiversity and ly-ing along the coastline of the world-renowned Verde Island Passage, is a fourth-class municipality. Thus, it has many citizens living in poverty who will not think about tomor-row and not hesitate to accept money in exchange for their pro-mining sig-natures or cooperation. This has enraged those fighting against mining. Neighbors, friends and even relatives have been pitted against each other.

Lobo has never been more divided, thanks to the local authorities who endorsed mining to begin

THE DIVISIVENESS THAT MINING

BRINGS

DAM CONSENT

OUT OF THE BOX

RITA LINDAV. JIMENO

First of two parts

ONE year ago, during President Benigno Aquino III’s 2014 State of the Nation Address, he mentioned the construction of the Kaliwa Dam Project in General Nakar, Quezon as among the many proj-ects in this administration’s public-private partnership pipeline.

The dam, part of the bigger net-work of dams called the New Cen-tennial Water Source Project along the Sierra Madre mountain range, aims to supplement what Angat Dam produces to provide the wa-ter needs of the country with the increasing population and greater economic activity.

The dam project was touted as an example of how the government, under the Daang Matuwid, now has greater capacity to find solutions to problems—water shortage, for in-stance—that loom in the horizon.

The announcement took the members of the Dumagat Remon-tado tribe, an indigenous people, by surprise. They had been oppos-ing the project for years. In 2009, 100 of them from General Nakar marched to Manila to show their opposition to the construction of the dam. They refused to give their free prior and informed consent (FPIC) to it. Soon after, the con-struction did stop; they thought they had explained their opposi-tion convincingly.

Alas, authorities led by the Met-ropolitan Waterworks and Sewer-age System were just biding time before resurrecting the project.

And now the surprise. Merlita Tena, president of the

women’s organization Gupad which stands for Grupo ng Kababaihang Katutubong Umuugnay sa Pama-yanan, enumerates the numerous negative effects of the construction of the dam to their people and to the environment.

Foremost are the destruction of the environment and the disrup-

tion of the people’s livelihood. The Dumagats have been occupying the land for generations, and it is here that they are able to educate their young about which resources of the forest may be eaten, and which plants have medicinal purposes.

Constructing the dam would require uprooting large swaths of trees, which does not even make sense because the government is also actively reforesting the area through the National Greening Program, according to Merlita.

Her husband Julianito, president of Samahan ng mga Katutubong Agta/ Dumagat na Ipinagtatang-gol at Binabaka ang Lupain Ninu-no—Sagibin—says they were told by Environment Secretary Ramon Paje that no environmental compli-ance certificate has yet been issued for the project. The department is just doing a feasibility study, the secretary supposedly said. And yet, construction is already under way.

Julianito adds that they were told the Dumagats will be relocated in Antipolo, Rizal. Unfortunately, even people’s organizations there have told them the space was not even enough for the community.

“Any relocation size for us would be like being imprisoned,” he says. They, as their ancestors, have never known another home.

He is perplexed at how construc-tion could begin even when the in-digenous peoples have refused to give their consent. “Perhaps there has been an initial payment made already to the contractors,” he could not help but think.

Merlita says efforts to “consult” the people about the project was but superficial. They were called to a meeting, yes, where they were

told that that if the project pro-ceeds, the communities would prosper, they would earn more in a day -- up to P270 and a kilo of rice --and they would have electricity and buildings and increased em-ployment.

What they failed to tell the na-tives, Merlita said, was that the money would buy so few because the prices of basic goods were so high, and only those with Tesda certification would be eligible for employment in the dams. “How could that happen when most of us did not even finish elementary school?”

The MWSS also showed them a Memorandum of Agreement con-taining the details of the project, but the text was in English, such that a chieftain declared the pa-per contained nothing because he could not understand a single word. Only then was a Tagalog version drafted. If people did not understand the language, how can they appreciate what is written, and how could they decide whether or not to give their consent?

The MWSS also provided an un-realistic count of the families and communities that would be af-fected, the Tenas said. They wanted to show that only a few would be “inconvenienced” for the good of more.

And it is not as if the Dumagats are refusing out of spite or sabotag-ing government efforts to address the water issue. Julianito says that constructing new dams would be futile because the forests are al-ready practically bare to begin with. A more sustainable solution, the natives believe, is rehabilitating existing/ defective dams, control-ling non-revenue water as nearly 30-percent is lost in distribution networks, using water prudently, harvesting rainwater, reforesting, and reusing urban wastewater, among others.

Continued next week

CHASING HAPPY

ADELLECHUA

Neighbors, friends and even relatives in this town have been pitted against

each other.

A11ADELLE CHUAE D I T O R

M O N D AY : J U LY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

OPINIONlettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

CHONG ARDIVILLA#FAILOCRACY

‘OWNERSHIP’A LONG time ago, I heard a famous musical band leader say that he “owned” his rock band. I thought it strange that he used the word “owned”.

Later I would learn that indeed, using the claim “owned” in referring to a group was more the com-mon practice than a fatu-ous claim. Someone would “own” the New York Knicks, or the Dodgers, or whatever. Just like a franchise. So Don-ald Trump can claim to own “Miss Universe”, and that Morley woman from Britain owns “Miss World”. Here in the Philippines, though she never used the word “own”, Stella Marquez Araneta con-trols the Binibining Pilipi-nas, atbp. annual parade of beauties, once exclusively Filipina, now Filipina-plus other bloodlines. And so on, and so forth.

Now let’s go to the politi-cal scene.

Before martial law and the proclamation of one-man rule, we had a two-party sys-tem. There was the Grand Old Party, the Nacionalista Party, founded by Manuel Luis Quezon of Baler, Sergio Osmena Sr. of Cebu, Jose P. Laurel of Batangas, Manuel A. Roxas Sr. of Capiz, Jose Yulo of Negros and Can-lubang, and many others. It was the most powerful polit-ical party which controlled our politics, and subject to the policy imprimatur of our American pro-consuls, the Commonwealth govern-ment at the time.

After the end of the Pacific War, when Sergio Osmena Sr. was busy at reconstruct-ing lives, limb and the little that was left of our econ-omy after the devastation

wrought by the Japanese invaders and the American liberators, internal rivalries wracked the NP, as the “lib-erators” had decided to leave us be, “independent”, as the likes of Quezon and the NP demanded a decade back.

Of course, not after de-manding their pounds, nay tons of flesh, such as Par-ity Rights and some ninety American bases “owned and controlled’ as territory by the “liberators”. In form at least, the Filipinos will now “own” the Philippines. And because it was “created” in the image and likeness of America, we needed “demo-cratic” elections.

The political rivalry with-in the Nacionalista Party be-tween the taciturn and quiet Osmena and the fiery orator Roxas split the party. Thus, from NP ribs was born the Liberal Party, led by Roxas, Jose Avelino Sr. of the singu-lar Samar, Elpidio Quirino of Ilocos, the Atienzas of Manila, the Lucmans of La-nao and others.

Left with Osmena in the NP were the Laurels of Batangas, Amang Rodri-guez of Rizal, the Alontos of Lanao, the Romualdezes of Leyte, the Aquinos of Tarlac.

In the elections preceding the birth of the Third Re-public on July 4, 1946, Rox-as beat Osmena, who then quietly retired in his native Cebu. The Liberals assumed power and the Nacionalistas became the opposition.

But nobody then claimed “ownership” of the political parties. Roxas was referred to as the “founder” of the LP. Years later, Magsaysay and Garcia’s Senate President, the colorful Amang Rodri-guez, was referred to as “Mr. Nacionalista”, but never did he “own” the party.

Martial law changed that. Not only did Ferdinand Marcos virtually own the country, he fashioned the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) from the NP which made him win as president in 1965, and the LP. Very few nursed the remnants of the grand old parties, and refused to join the KBL. Instead, they meekly co-alesced, until Ninoy Aquino was murdered in the tarmac of the international airport in the hot and humid after-noon of August 21, 1983.

These NP and LP rem-nants eventually forged an alliance and called it the United Nationalist Demo-cratic Organization (UNI-DO), and elected Salvador “Doy” Laurel to head the opposition against Marcos. In 1984, less than a year af-ter the murder at the tarmac, Marcos called for elections to the Batasang Pambansa, then the unicameral par-liament. Of 180 seats, the UNIDO won 59—a third —despite the authoritar-ian hold of Marcos. (It was actually 60, based on their certificates of candidacy, but one swiftly returned to the KBL right after his procla-mation).

Of course Marcos “owned” the KBL. And although Cory Aquino was “elected” in the snap elections under the UNIDO, with Doy Lau-rel as her vice-president, she junked all political party affiliations after Edsa Uno, and declared a revolution-ary government (much like what Rodrigo Duterte keeps warning the porkers in Con-gress about).

The UNIDO fell into hard times, and eventually, Lau-rel resurrected the NP. But even that was wracked with dissension, and from it was

born Eduardo Cojuangco’s splinter Nationalist People’s Coalition. Cory’s brother, Peping Cojuangco, along with Speaker Monching Mi-tra, revived the martial law flag of Laban, and renamed it Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP). Nene Pi-mentel nursed his Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP) and later coalesced it for 1992 with Jovito Sa-longa’s Liberal Party. Imelda, fresh from New York, ral-lied the KBL remnants and launched her own presiden-tial attempt in 1992. And Fidel Ramos, smarting from defeat in the LDP conven-tion he joined, formed Lakas with a core group of just a handful of elected congress-men and governors.

Lakas won, and is still around after its defeat in 2010. Mercifully, nobody claims to “own” the party, not FVR, not GMA, neither the self-effacing Martin Romual-dez, its current CEO. The LDP used to be “owned” by Senator Edgardo Angara Sr., but it has seen better times after the defeat of Mitra in 1992, and the ouster of Erap with which it had coalesced in 2001.

But the NPC is otra cosa. It has always been viewed as Ambassador Danding’s polit-ical hacienda. It is viewed as an “owned” party by political observers. These days, with the ambassador in semi-re-tirement, his business CEO, Ramon Ang, is likewise ac-tive (albeit sub-rosa) in party affairs.

What about the Naciona-lista Party, which business tycoon Manny Villar res-urrected after Doy Laurel’s death in 2004, and built into the strong vehicle he used for the 2010 presidential elections? While it is like-

wise viewed as “owned” by the Villars, there is a reign of consensus-seeking and liberality within, unlike the NPC where everyone waits for the “boss”.

Which is why the sudden press conference where its president, Georgidi Agga-bao of Santiago City, by af-finity related to the Cojuang-cos, declared party support to a Grace-Chiz tandem for 2016 was met with quizzi-cal eyebrows. Was it with the blessings of the “boss”, or was it a Chiz-initiated trial balloon, or better yet, an at-tempt to steal the thunder from PNoy’s end-July politi-cal anointing of Mar Roxas? Or to invoke the metaphysi-cal—just to pre-empt the Chinese ghosts of August, which incidentally, begins on the 12th, not the first.

The NPs led by Senadora Cynthia cried foul over a tabloid-ish banner by a ma-jor broadsheet, claiming the NP and the NPC had gone overboard to a Grace-Chiz tandem. “We haven’t even consulted with our mem-bers yet on who to support in 2016”, the lady fumed. At least the NP is not “owned”.

As for the NPC, “anony-mous” congressmen and leaders disclaimed Agga-bao’s declarations on radio. So the real “boss” has not yet decided.

And the Liberals? Because he is president, PNoy is seen as the “owner”. There will be no conventions, no consen-sus-taking even. Not even a “secret” survey of its now hu-mongous membership base. It will just be the president’s anointing. And Mar Roxas, grandson of the founder of the party, sits nervously while waiting the final word.

What a system. What a country.

A11

SO I SEE

LITOBANAYO

THE LAST ADDRESS

EVERY fourth  Monday  of July,    those who run – and ruin – the nation cram them-selves in all their finery in a building the size of six    bas-ketball courts    to hear the leader report    if the    prom-ises      made a year ago have been redeemed.

It will all be about achieve-ments,     for    no line will be wasted on      programs    an-nulled. A a State-of-the-Na-tion Address has never been      a    self-criticism exercise.   

  The Philippines has no opera house    where the crème de la crème gather    for the opening of      the    theater season. In its    stead is the cavernous Batasan hall where    the president gives a powerful rendition of what he has done to multiple standing ovation.

The speech is strung    with carefully    placed    clap-baits,    the more to cue the assembled faithful on when to roar in

thunderous applause.  A    fairly recent addition

is the audio-visual backdrop, the better to highlight a point. 

In the past, human props were employed, like the kids    whose  bangkang papel    in-credulously     sailed through    the flotsam and the water lil-ies of the Pasig River    where it docked    beside a Palace window    with    the scribbled words    still legible.

On the floor of the Batasan are    the new gen faces    of old names    occupying    heirloom seats, which are passed on from one generation to another.

Many of them are    the perpetually    “politically ins”    and would    clap the loudest    every time    the new leader    hits the old order, when they were once rabid supporters.

And when the leader    steps down and is replaced by someone who opposed him,    expect his once loyal sup-porters to switch allegiance    and come SONA time would  clap    till    their fingerprints    are gone    each    time      the new leader lambasts the old .

This could be explained by the fact    that, except per-

haps for    some    leftist fac-tions, parties here are not an-chored on an ideology. This is a land where    a political party has a sole    utilitarian value –    so a candidate can field precinct watchers and be entitled    to one    copy of the election return.

The political class is so    pliant    that    its members could support a cannibal one moment and turn vegan the next.

And that elasticity    is on full display during the Sona.    The camera pans to a    law-maker    who has joined    his 4th  party    in a decade.

And seated among con-gressmen      is one who    did loudspeaker duties    for the old regime      and is    now doing    rah-rah    work for the new.

Batasan denizens      change    party uniforms as often as their spouses sport new    dresses      for the annual fashion walk. Even the carpet in the Lower House is colored    red.

But if the SONA    is not a      fashion runway    of        those who are constantly running for office, then      media cover-

age should focus on the con-tents of the President’s speech and not on the couturiers    of his perfumed listeners.

If attention is focused on    what they wore and not on what    he said, then we    have    Kardashianized    a very im-portant occasion.

If the reportage centers    on    plunging backsides    while ig-noring what economic num-bers    have plummeted, then we deny ourselves the      im-portant    things the Sona is trying to say.

In his    sixth and last SONA, the President has a mouthful to say. I don’t see it as    his Mi- Ultimo-Adios    moment where he looks back at the past 1,825 days.

He is not closing a chap-ter; he’s not walking down memory lane, and summing up    his labors    to solicit a kinder judgment of history.

I’d rather view      his    spiel    this afternoon      as      his memo      to the future, in which he will detail the pro-grams that must be contin-ued, and probably warn that, a year from now,    though he will ride into the sunset, he

can be roused    to fight any backsliding to the old ways.

Despite its title, the Sona is not the sole gauge of    how we are and where we are now.   

It is one man’s take on things.    There are other    ba-rometers    like    media’s    inde-pendent reviews which could temper the partisan optimism of        the official narrative.

Also, some of us might    be bored by the    numbers he will recite like a horserace announcer, but    we should    in fact take note of them , verify them even , because in government,      reality is not in the rhetoric    but    in the numbers .

The Sona   must be leav-ened    with    other views, contrarian even,    for only through an injection of healthy skepticism    that    the unvarnished truth, the real state of the nation, could come out.

By delivering his last Sona,    the President is not off the hook, work-wise. He has one more year to go. He will have new    Sona promises to keep. And miles to go before he sleeps.

PLUMBLINE

PASTOR APOLLO

QUIBOLOY

Like..From A8

We are tired of an electoral system where votes are counted but do not really count, where every vote and voter and every coun-ter of the vote have to be watched because nobody can be trusted, where candidates are selected and elected on the basis of popularity and winnability, not on merit or aptitude, and where they either win or are cheated.

We are bothered by the concentration of power in a central government that has not done enough in the pursuit of national development, leaving most of our regions, provinces and towns in a chronic state of poverty and underde-velopment and their constituents perpetu-ally in want of even the most basic needs and services.

We are scandalized by the magnitude and deep-rootedness of cor-ruption that for decades has robbed our people of food on their table, roof over their heads, blankets to warm their cold nights, a dose of medicine to save their lives, a bridge to cross the river to town, water to irrigate their farms, electricity to light their homes, a classroom their children can go to or books they could get knowledge from.

We fear that, if we continue with business as usual, we may regress from a fragile to failed state.”

To be fair to the present administration, this has been the state of the nation for some time now.   But what is powerfully declara-tive of this administra-tion’s failure to deliver is the contrast between its avowals of pursu-ing honesty, tread-ing the narrow path of righteousness, and sending the corrupt and corrupters to the slammer.   So if Chief Justice Puno and his company are “scandal-ized by the magnitude and deep-rootedness of corruption” until today (in fact, until only two weeks ago!), then one has reason to be skepti-cal about claims to sin-cerity!

It certainly does not help that we will be treated  tomor-row  to the shameless spectacle of legisla-tors and their spouses as if making their way to the Oscar or Emmy Awards, or to some glitzy, classy gala -- and not to the serious business of listening to the Chief Execu-tive’s report.   That is one reason I am not going to flatter Their Insensitive Honors by watching them on tele-vision  tomorrow!

rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.phrannie_aquino@csu.edu.phrannie_aquino@yahoo.com

A12sports@thestandard.com.ph

MO NDAY: J ULY 2 7 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

Nadal tries to salvage season

The 29-year-old is top seed at the Hamburg Open but his de-cision to play a European clay tournament with the US hard-court season just around the

corner has baffled many.“It’s obvious that the situ-

ation is different,” said Nadal on Saturday.

“I have lost more (this year) than

HAMBURG—Rafael Nadal heads back to the comfort of clay next week as the struggling Span-iard attempts to resolve the crisis that has gripped his game.

Padiz Jr. sweepsBatang Pinoy U-15in Malolos City

Olivarez Cuproster swells

YOUNG badminton sensation Solomon Padiz Jr. reigned supreme in the recent Batang Pinoy 2015 Luzon elimination Under-15 boys’ singles’ badminton cham-pionship at the City Walk in Malolos City, Bulacan.

� e 14-year-old pride of Santa Rosa City in Laguna and protege of Mayor Arlene Arcillas swept all his sev-en assignments from the elimination round to � nals in dominant fashion, including the drubbing of rival Jason Valenzuela of Team Quezon City in straight sets, 21-8, 21-14, for the gold.

� e le� -handed Padiz Jr. uncorked his awesome smashing power to catch his rival � atfooted, en route to an easy sailing all the way to the championship via sweep.

“My training camp at the New Vision Badminton Academy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia shouldered by our badminton patron, Mr. Conrado Co of Allied Marikina, proved to be a big factor in upli� ing my present level of play. � ere are still a lot room for improvement, but I’m all set to face the challenges in the game,” said the young Padiz, a student of De La Salle University Inte-grated School, where his father Solomon Padiz Sr. is the athletic director.

� e victory assured the young Padiz a slot in the next edition of the Malaysia Junior Open Purple Badmin-ton League on Aug. 15 to 18, along with country’s top-ranked player Mark Shielly Alcala.

� e stint of Padiz in Santa Rosa was also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Santa Rosa head delegation Mario Zantua.

THE Olivarez Cup Open 2015 roster con-tinues to swell one week before the blue-ribbon tennis championship is held with hundreds of players from other regions confirming participation in the event fir-ing off July 31 at the Olivarez Sports Cen-ter in Sucat, Parañaque.

Four hundred eighty players have so far entered in the juniors category while the centerpiece Open division has lured 300 aces all primed up for a battle royale with the best in the fold for top honors, ranking points and prize money.

“We are humbled and inspired by the response of the players, especially those coming from the far-� ung provinces who are all raring to pit their talent and skills against the best in the Big City,” said Philta president and Parañaque City Mayor Ed-win Olivarez.

Registration is ongoing with deadline set tomorrow (Monday, July 26). For details, call tournament-in-charge/director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

With Palawan Pawnshop as chief backer and the Dunlop AllClay Court as the official ball, the Olivarez Cup also features the juniors age-group, in-ter-collegiate, interclub and the center-piece men’s and women’s Open singles and doubles events.

“� rough the years, it has been the com-mitment of Palawan Pawnshop to develop our players by providing top-notch tourna-ments like this,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro.

InvItatIon to BIdno. Infra -052- 2015

The Provincial Government of Bataan, through the Special Educational Fund52 intends to apply the below listed project w/ corresponding Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. Name of Project Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC)

1. Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building =P=5,849,999.13 (I-Hub & Tech-Voc Lab) Limay National High School Brgy. Duale, Limay, Bataan

2. Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building (I-Hub & Tech-Voc Lab) J.C Payumo National High School Brgy. Naparing, Dinalupihan, Bataan =P=5,849,999.133. Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building =P=5,849,999.13 (I-Hub & Tech-Voc Lab) Lamao National High School Brgy. Lamao, Limay, Bataan

The Provincial Government of Bataan now invites bids for the above listed Projects. Completion of works is required on or before the maturity date stipulated on contract. Bidders should have completed, at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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

Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Office of Bataan Bids & Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the same office.Bid documents will be available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a non-refundable amount of using standard rates approved by GPPB as stated on their

Resolution No. 04-2012 listed below. Approved Budget for the Contract Maximum Cost of Bidding Documents

(in Philippine Peso)500,000 and below 500.00More than 500,000 up to 1 Million 1,000.00More than 1 Million up to 5 Million 5,000.00More than 5 Million up to 10 Million 10,000.00More than 10 Million up to 50 Million 25,000.00More than 50 Million up to 500 Million 50,000.00More than 500 Million 75,000.00

The Provincial Government of Bataan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 31, 2015 at 10:00 A.M at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered on or before August 13, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated on IRR of RA 9184 and Bid Securing Declaration in standard form.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend opening of Bids at Bataan BAC Office. Late bids shall not be accepted.

In case of the above dates is declared a special Non-Working Holidays, it will automatically reset on the next working days.

Other necessary information deemed relevant by the Provincial Government of Bataan

Activities Schedule1. Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid July 24 – July 30, 20152. Eligibility Check Refer to date of Opening of Bids 3. Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents July 24 – August 13, 20154. Request for Clarification August 03, 20155. Opening of Bids August 13, 2015

The Provincial Government of Bataan reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to:

Engr. Josephine R. ValenzuelaProvincial BAC / PEO BataanProvincial BAC / PEO Office, Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan047-237-9316bac@bataan.gov.ph

(SGD) ENRICO T. YUZON BAC Chairman

(TS-JULY 27, 2015)

Republic of the PhilippinesProvince of Bataan

City of BalangaBIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE OFFICE

AUCTION SALEACME PAWNSHOP1st Level Glorietta 3 Ayala, Makati and its branches in Mejalco Bldg., Buenavidez St., Legaspi Village, Makati and L & R Bldg., Pasay Road, Makati auction sale on August 05, 2015, 2:00 pm Alabang Town Center, Alabang Zapote Road, MJ Holding Bldg., Almanza Las Piñas, Circle C G14, #17 Congressional Ave., Bahay Toro D1, Quezon City at 2:30 pm. All items pawned March 1-31. Notary Public

(TS-JULY. 27, 2015)

For fast ad results,

please call

Advertising Department 521-8507 (DL); 521-8340 (Fax);

521-4887 loc. 303

in the last 10 or 11 years.”In a testing 2015,

Nadal has seen his world ranking slump to 10—his lowest in a decade—and lose his French Open title where he had been champion nine times.

He has already been defeated 12 times this

year, including just a second career loss at Ro-land Garros and a sec-ond round exit to Ger-man journeyman Dustin Brown at Wimbledon.

In 2014, Nadal was beaten just 11 times. He was defeated only seven times in 2013 and lost a mere six matches in the

whole of 2012.“I need to accept that

it is a new situation and face it with a good atti-tude and keep working hard to return to a good level,” added Nadal.

“I feel good. I don’t have any injuries and that is the important thing.”

Hot-air balloons are seen near Chambley-Bussieres airbase, eastern France on the fi rst day of the international air-balloon meeting “Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons”. AFP

A13sports@thestandard.com.ph

MO NDAY: J ULY 2 7 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

Philracomto closelymonitor 3race tracksTHE Philippine Racing Com-mission is closely monitoring the country’s three horserac-ing tracks for their compli-ance with established proto-cols in a strict enforcement of rules and policies on facility maintenance.

The Commission, led by Chairman Andrew A. San-chez, asked Manila Jockey Club, Philippine Racing Club, and Metro Manila Turf Club to submit their manuals of racetrack and totalizator maintenance.

A horseracing pari-mutuel totalizator system computes and shows the total number and amounts of bets and cor-responding payouts. Race-track maintenance methods include watering, harrowing, ripping and grading, and us-ing an iron float to seal the track surface to minimize the seepage of water especially during the rainy season.

In two separate letters to the clubs, Philracom said the manuals will be used as refer-ences “for the technical evalu-ation of [their] system mainte-nance procedures” and, with regard to track composition and specifications, to “possibly come up with accepted indus-try standards.”

“We need to be vigilant and firm in monitoring proper maintenance,” said Sanchez, “to address the issues of ex-cessive delays in the start of races and low betting turnover caused by technical and track-related problems.”

Philracom’s PR (Philippine racing rule) 3 requires racing clubs to provide “(a) [an] ad-equate and well-maintained racetrack and grandstand…”, (e) a totalizator system with linked computers and ad-equate betting terminals…” and other facilities including a starting gate, photo-finish devices, and other equipment necessary for the proper and safe conduct of races.

Viloria destroys Soto in 1st round; eyes Gonzalez next

ABS-CBN brings Duel in Dubai 2WITH the major success of the first “Duel in Dubai” last September, 2014, and with the overwhelming support from overseas Filipinos in the Middle East, The Filipino Channel, together with ALA Promotions International and ABS-CBN Sports + Ac-tion are set to bring another historical boxing match via “Pinoy Pride XXXII: Duel in Dubai 2” on Aug. 7 at the Dubai World Trade Center.

ABS-CBN Managing Di-rector for Europe, Middle East, and Africa Kai Rodri-guez shares the excitement with the all the kabayans in the Middle East as they support Filipino great-

ness in boxing. “TFC and ABS-CBN Sports + Action continue to provide our OFs with only the best in content, including the big-gest sporting events. ‘Duel in Dubai 2’ is our answer for all our kababayans in the Middle Eastm who have been waiting for another run of the series,” Rodriguez said. “I believe that ‘Duel in Dubai 2’ will gain twice the support from last year’s suc-cessful line-up because ka-bayans continue to believe in the fighting spirit and the greatness or the ‘galing ng Filipino.’”

ALA Promotions Interna-tional president and Chief

Executive Officer Michael Aldeguer said that the de-cision in bringing another epic boxing event in Dubai is based on the tremendous support that they received during the first run of “Duel in Dubai” last September.

The surefire hit and his-torical “Duel in Dubai 2” will feature no less than the best Filipino boxers in a pound-for-pound epic battle to de-fend their belts against fight-ers from different regions in the world. The Filipino fight-ers who are set to give their all in the boxed ring include Jason “El Niño” Pagara (with a record of 35 wins and two losses), Jimrex “Executioner”

Jaca (39-8-4), and Jason’s younger brother and unde-feated fighter “Prince” Albert Pagara (23-0).

Headlining the main event match against the Pi-noys is Jesus “Chito” Rios of Mexico for the International Boxing Federation Intercon-tinental Jr. Featherweight championship bout.

For ticket reservations, visit www.tickets.virginme-gastore.me and www.ticket-master.ae or call +971 55 602 5509 or +971 4 390 2180. Boxing fans can also catch the match via TFC Pay-Per-View worldwide. For more updates, visit www.facebook.com/TFCMiddleEast.

Viloria erased any doubts that marked their first encounter when he escaped with a 10-round split decision at the Ynares Center in Ma-nila on July 10, 2010, as he ripped into Soto and sent him crashing to the canvas three times in the very first round, in one of his most devas-tating performances in recent years.

“Soto didn’t touch me,” Viloria said. “I’ve been on a roll and want to continue.”

Viloria’s manager Gary Gittel-sohn, who treats the Fil-Hawaiian like a son, was ecstatic.

In an overseas telephone conver-sation with The Standard/boxing-mirror.com, he said: “The old Brian is back. He looked sensational!”

He recalled that celebrated train-er Freddie Roach, who was in his corner, told him Viloria was very intense when warming up on the punch-mitts in the dressing room.

“His punches were really crisp. There’s something special,” Gittel-sohn said.

It was surely special according to Filipino trainer Marvin Somodio, who returned to Los Angeles from

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

FORMER two-division world champion Brian Viloria crushed Omar “Lobito” Soto right in the first round at the Florentine Gardens in Hollywood, California on Sunday (Manila time).

the Philippines a couple of days be-fore the fight.

“Brian showed very good move-ment and was very active from the opening bell. He set up Soto with his left jab and then followed up with left hooks to the body,” said Somodio.

After the third knockdown, caused by a vicious left hook, ref-eree Zac Young decided he had seen enough and called a halt at 2:02 in the very first round, pushing Vilo-ria’s record to 36-4, with 21 knock-outs, while Soto dropped to 23-12-2, with 7 knockouts.

With the smashing win, Viloria grabbed the World Boxing Council Fecarbox flyweight title.

Gittlesohn told The Standard he is going to do everything in his power to get a fight against undefeated pound for pound No. 2-ranked Ro-man Gonzalez of Nicaragua in a

co-feature on an HBO pay-per-view card at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 17.

The manager said he would talk to HBO and initiate conversations with Gonzalez’s handlers including Japan’s businessman-sports Akihiko Honda on Monday.

“I’d like to make that fight hap-pen. Gonzalez has been avoiding us for two years. He cannot any longer,” said Gittelsohn.

Viloria himself discussed a Gon-zalez fight with Roach.

“If we train right, I can take him,” said Viloria, who won the World Boxing Organization/World Boxing Association flyweight titles on Nov. 17, 2012, when he scored a 10th-round TKO over Mexico’s Hernan “Tyson” Marquez, but lost the belts when he dropped a split decision to Juan Franciso Estrada on April 6, 2013 in Macau.

Fuentes wins comeback fight

FORMER world champion Moises Fuentes, who lost by a crushing ninth-round technical knockout to World Boxing Organization light flyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes at the Mall of Asia Arena on May 10, 2014, has made a strong comeback against another former world champion Oswaldo Novoa.

Fuentes won by a sixth-round knockout to grab the vacant WBO North American Boxing Organization fly-weight crown.

He dropped Novoa in the opening round, but was penalized a point for a low blow in Round 6, which ap-peared to anger him as Fuentes retaliated with a vicious a body shot that dropped Novoa, who failed to beat the count.

The time was 2:02 of the round.With the win, Fuentes improved to 22-2-1, with

12 knockouts, while Novoa dropped to 14-6-2 with 9 knockouts. Ronnie Nathanielsz

Breakaway. Great Britain’s Christopher Froome (right), wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, Spain’s Alejandro Valverde (center), and Colombia’s Nairo Quintana, wearing the best young’s white jersey, ride in a breakaway during the 110,5 km twentieth stage of the 102nd edition of the Tour de France cycling race between Modane Valfrejus and Alpe d’Huez, French Alps. Froome said he felt like he was “dying a thousand deaths” on the final climb to Alpe d’Huez as he all but secured a second Tour de France victory on Saturday. AFP

A14mo nday : J uly 2 7 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTSsports@thestandard.com.ph

Lady Maroons boost bid for quarterfinals

Adjusting to the Lady Brahmans’ style of play, the Lady Ma-roons rammed in kills on quick sets and com-bination plays behind playmaker Hannah

Lai—spikes that either pierced through the UB blockers or landed on unguarded spots in the middle and back row.

The Lady Maroons finished with 68 attacks,

Ateneo,UP eye‘Turf’ lead

UNIVERSITY Athletic As-sociation of the Philippines champion Ateneo tests Uni-versity of the Philippines’ mettle as they clash for the Group B lead today, while National Collegiate Athletic Association titlist Emilio Aguinaldo College seeks to move on top of Group A against winless Mapua in the Spikers’ Turf Season 1-Collegiate Conference at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Eagles toppled the two La Salle teams in the first two weeks of the first-ever men’s inter-collegiate tourna-ment presented by PLDT Home Ultera, beating the Taft-based squad in four last July 15 and then sweeping the other squad from Dasmari-ñas, Cavite to seize control of their division.

But the Maroons matched that 2-0 start with a pair of 3-1 romps over Arellano and St. Benilde, making the 5 p.m. clash of the Katipunan-based squads a match to watch.

But Ateneo seems to have the edge – in manpower and experience – with coach Oli-ver Almadro boasting of tal-ents in reigning UAAP MVP Marck Espejo. Ishmael Ri-vera, Rex Intal, Ysrael Mara-sigan, Ron Medalla, Paul Koyfman, Joshua Villanueva and setter Joner Polvorosa and liberos Dan Posadas and Manuel Sumanguid III.

But UP mentor Melchor Santos and his Maroons are out to spring a surprise the way they did against the Chiefs and the Blazers. Skip-per Alfred Valbuena spear-heads the gritty UP side that also includes the crisp-hit-ting Julius Raymundo, John Millete, Wendel Medel, Gian San Pascualm, John Madrigalejos, playmaker Charles Acuna, liberos Vic-tor Luna and John Nasol.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

SAN MIGUEL AVENUE, PASIG CITY

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE SALE OF VARIOUS SUB-TRANSMISSION LINES/ASSETS OF THE NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION (TRANSCO) TO ISABELA II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (ISELCO II), AS COVERED BY AN AMENDED LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT (LPA) DATED 20 MAY 2015

NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION (TRANSCO) AND ISABELA II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (ISELCO II), Applicants.x--------------------------------------------------------------------x

ERC CASE No. 2015- ____ RC

JOINT APPLICATION

Applicants, NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION (TRANSCO) and ISABELA II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (ISELCO II), through their respective counsels, and to this Honorable Commission respectfully aver that:

1. TRANSCO is a government-owned and controlled corporation created and existing by virtue of R.A. No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), with principal office address at the TRANSCO Main Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City.

2. ISELCO II is an electric cooperative (EC) duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at the Government Center, Alibagu, Ilagan, Isabela, Philippines.

3. By virtue of Section 8 of the EPIRA, TRANSCO assumed the electrical transmission functions of the National Power Corporation, and the responsibility of the latter for the planning, construction and centralized operation and maintenance of high voltage transmission facilities, including grid interconnections and ancillary services.

4. Section 8 of the EPIRA and Rule 6, Section 8 (e) of the EPIRA’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) also mandate the segregation of the transmission and sub-transmission functions and assets for transparency and disposal, and authorize TRANSCO to negotiate for, and to transfer such sub-transmission assets (STAs) and facilities to qualified distribution utilities (DUs).

5. Pursuant thereto, this Honorable Commission promulgated the “Guidelines on the Sale and Transfer of the TRANSCO’s Subtransmission Assets and the Franchising of Qualified Consortiums” (ERC Guidelines) dated 17 October 2003, as amended by Resolution No. 3, Series of 2005 dated 17 March 2005 which set forth among others, the standards to distinguish TRANSCO’s transmission assets from its sub-transmission assets and establish the approval process prior to the final sale and transfer of STAs to DUs.

6. Consistent with the ERC Guidelines, TRANSCO adopted its own Guidelines on the Sale of Subtransmission Assets (“TRANSCO Guidelines”) [Annex “A”] as approved by TRANSCO Board Resolution No. TC-2003-067 dated 28 November 2003 [Annex “A-1”], as further amended by TRANSCO Board Resolution No.TC-2004-009 dated 16 March 2004 [Annex “A-2”].

7. On 16 July 2011, this Honorable Commission issued Resolution No. 15, Series of 2011 entitled “A Resolution Adopting the Amended Rules for the Approval of the Sale and Transfer of TRANSCO’s Subtransmission Assets and the Acquisition by Qualified Consortiums.”

8. In accordance with the aforesaid ERC Guidelines, and based on a thorough evaluation conducted by TRANSCO, it was determined that the following are sub-transmission assets:

a. Tap Gamu-Roxas 69 kV line;b. Tuguegarao-Cabagan 69 kV line;c. Naguilian-Gamu-Ilagan 69 kV line; and,d. Ilagan substation.

Copies of the Report regarding the nature of the assets, List of STAs for sale to ISELCO II and the Single line diagram are attached as Annexes “B”, “C” and “D,” respectively.

9. TRANSCO has clearly established that ISELCO II meets the financial capability criteria under Article IV of the ERC Guidelines in acquiring, operating, maintaining, upgrading and expanding the said STAs.

Attached are copies of the Financial Qualification Evaluation [Annex “E”] and Audited Financial Statements of ISELCO II as of 31 December 2012 and 31 December 2013 [Annex “F”].

10. TRANSCO has likewise established that ISELCO II meets the minimum technical qualifications of an EC as set for under the ERC and TRANSCO Guidelines. Attached is a copy of the Technical Qualification Evaluation of ISELCO II [Annex “G”].

11. ISELCO II is the only qualified EC that is directly connected to the subject assets, as evidenced by the attached

List of Connected Distribution Utilities [Annex “H”]. 12. On 15 February 2013, the ISELCO II Board of Directors issued Resolution No. 2013-016 [Annex “I”] relative to the desired acquisition.

13. On 29 March 2011, TRANSCO and ISELCO II concluded a Lease Purchase Agreement [Annex “J”] covering the subject sub-transmission assets amounting to Ninety Eight Million Six Hundred Forty Six Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty Two and Seventy Five Centavos, Philippine Currency (PhP98,646,752.75), plus interest thereon, which ISELCO II shall pay in two hundred forty (240) equal monthly installments.

14. On 20 May 2015, TRANSCO and ISELCO II executed an Amended Lease Purchase Agreement [Annex “J-1”], as follows:

a. The Tap Gamu-Roxas 69 kV line is priced at Nine Million One Hundred Thirty Four Thousand One Hundred Ninety Four and 73/100, Philippine currency (PhP9,134,194.73) owing to the NGCP-verified decrease of the line segment from that of 31.83 kilometers to that of 18.58 kilometers;

b. The Naguilian-Gamu-Ilagan 69 kV line segment shall amount to Three Million Five Hundred Fifty Seven Thousand Nine Hundred Seventy One and 22/100, Philippine currency (PhP3,557,971.22), owing to the NGCP-verified increase of the line segment from that of 9.69 kilometers to that of 14.85 kilometers; and,

c. There shall be an imposition of a twelve percent value-added tax (12%) on the cost of sub-transmission assets and on the interest thereon, pursuant to the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s Memorandum Circular No. 66-2013 dated 30 September 2013, and Revenue Regulation No. 04-2007 dated 07 February 2007, respectively.

15. With the above changes, the subject sub-transmission assets are presently valued at Ninety Three Million Seventy Thousand Five Hundred Twenty Nine and 25/100, Philippine currency (PhP93,070,529.25), net of adjustments and deductions, as per the Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) valuation (Annex “K”) pursuant to ERC Resolution No. 01, Series of 2009, as amended.

16. Finally, applicants also respectfully submit the following documents in compliance with the Honorable Commission’s requirements:

a. Draft of the Deed of Absolute Sale [Annex “L”]; and,b. Franchise Description [Annex “M”].

17. The proposed sale has satisfied all of the requirements and criteria set by the EPIRA and its IRR, as well as this

Honorable Commission’s Guidelines and TRANSCO’s Guidelines on the Sale of Subtransmission Assets.

18. The approval by this Honorable Commission of the instant Joint Application shall pave the way for the attainment of a reformed electricity industry under the EPIRA, which would ultimately best serve the interest of the consuming public.

PRAYER

WHEREFORE, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Commission that the instant application for the approval of the sale of TRANSCO’s sub-transmission assets in favor of Isabela II Electric Cooperative, Inc. under the terms provided in the Amended Lease Purchase Agreement dated 20 May 2015, be APPROVED.

Applicants also pray for other just and equitable relief.

Quezon City and ______________, for Pasig City, 05 June 2015.

NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATIONTRANSCO Main Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road,

Diliman, Quezon City

By:

(SGD.) NOEL Z. DE LEONGeneral Counsel

IBP No. 0982761, 01-09-15, Quezon CityRoll No. 36660

MCLE Compliance IV- 0017953, 26 April 2013

(SGD.) LEON T. TAPEL, JR.Deputy Legal Counsel

IBP 0995329, 02-02-15, Pasig CityRoll No. 34555

MCLE Compliance IV-0012123, 30 January 2013

(SGD.) NYERSON DEXTER TITO Q. TUALLAManager, Legal Counseling Department

IBP 07135 (Lifetime), Quezon CityRoll No. 52294

MCLE Compliance No. IV-0005200, 22 March 2012

(SGD.) SOLEDAD T. DE LA VEGA-CABANGISCorporate Attorney III

Roll of Attorneys No. 45797, 05.24.01IBP No. 825514 (Lifetime), 04.23.10, Bulacan

MCLE Compliance No. V-0004031, effective until 14 April 2019.

VERIFICATION and CERTIFICATION of NON-FORUM SHOPPING

I, ROLANDO T. BACANI, of legal age, married, and with principal office address at the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO), TRANSCO Main Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City, after having been duly sworn in accordance with law, do hereby depose and state, that:

1. I am TRANSCO’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is authorized to represent it in this Joint Application as per the attached relevant section of TRANSCO’s Manual of Approvals (Annex “N”);

2. I have caused the preparation of the instant Joint Application and read the contents thereof, and I attest that the allegations herein contained are true and correct based on my personal knowledge and on authentic records;

3. TRANSCO has not commenced any other action or proceeding involving the same issues in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any court, tribunal, or quasi-judicial agency and, to the best of my knowledge, no such other action or claim is pending therein; and

4. Should I hereinafter learn that the same or a similar action or claim has been filed or is pending in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any court, tribunal, or quasi-judicial agency, I shall report said fact within five (5) days from discovery thereof to this Honorable Commission.

(SGD.) ROLANDO T. BACANI Affiant

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 16th day of June, 2015 at Quezon City. Affiant who is personally known to me, exhibited to me his TRANSCO I.D. No. 00011-9 issued at Quezon City on ________________ as competent evidence of identity.

NOTARY PUBLIC NYERSON DEXTER TITO Q. TUALLA

Doc. No. 113; Page No. 24;Book No. II; Series of 2015.

VERIFICATION and CERTIFICATION of NON-FORUM SHOPPING

I, WALFRIDO G. BINAG, of legal age, Filipino, and with office address at ISABELA II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (ISELCO II), Government Center, Alibagu, Ilagan, Isabela, Philippines, after having been duly sworn in accordance with law, do hereby depose and state that:

1. I am the Board President of ISELCO II who is duly authorized to represent it in the above-entitled case, as evidenced by the attached ISELCO II Board Resolution (Annex “O”);.

2. I have caused the preparation of the instant Joint Application and read the contents thereof, and I attest that the allegations herein contained are true and correct based on my personal knowledge and on authentic records of ISELCO II.

3. ISELCO II has not commenced any other action or proceeding involving the same issues in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any court, tribunal, or quasi-judicial agency and, to the best of my knowledge, no such other action or claim is pending therein; and,

4. Should I hereinafter learn that the same or a similar action or claim has been filed or is pending in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any court, tribunal, or quasi-judicial agency, I shall report said fact within five (5) days from discovery thereof to this Honorable Commission.

(SGD.) WALFRIDO G. BINAG Affiant SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 9th day of July, 2015 at Quezon City. Affiant who is personally known to me,

exhibited to me her valid I.D. No. 811-95-001669 issued at Isabela on ____________________, as competent evidence of identity.

NOTARY PUBLIC

NYERSON DEXTER TITO Q. TUALLADoc. No. 155; Page No.32;Book No.II; Series of 2015.

(TS-JUL. 27, 2015)

Gilligan’s pulls off 3-set win over Petron SprintBy Peter Atencio

GILLIGAN’S Danika Gendrauli and Jane Diaz fought off Petron Sprint 4T’s Fille Cainglet and Alexa Micek, 18-21, 21-17, 15-9, in a thrilling three-setter to catch the last ticket to the quarter-final round of the the PLDT Home Ultera-Philippine Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup 2015 on Sat-

urday night at the Sands By the Bay in SM Mall of Asia.

The two former collegiate standouts came up with six straight points in the final set. This gave them the upper-hand, and an opportunity to join early Pool D qualifier, Bea Tan and Pau So-riano of Foton Hurricane.

Diaz, a former collegiate spiker for University of Perpetual Help,

led the attack with a drop shot, before Gendrauli dished out three aces, with her serves sailing past Micek’s right side.

With the Petron duo keeping the scores close, the Sisig Queens were able to take a 12-5 advantage in the en-suing play in their windswept, 4-team Pool D encounter.

“Tiyaga lang. Target namin iyung

right side ni Micek, dahil si Fille ay may laro,” said Gendrauli, a former varsity player from Southwestern University.

They finished with the same 2-1 win-loss card with Tan and Soriano, who took the top spot in their bracket on a winner-over-the-other record following a 21-18, 18-21, 12-15 which Gendrauli and Diaz absorbed.

C h a C r u z ( l e f t) h u g s t e a m m a t e m i c l a b o r t e a f t e r t h e y w o n o v e r F o t o n . R o m a n P R o S P E R o

UNIVERSITY of the Philippines bounced back strong from an opening set setback and peppered University of Batangas’ defense with a barrage of hits, scoring a 24-26, 25-19, 25-19, 25-20 victory and shoring up its quar-terfinal drive in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12-Collegiate Conference at The Arena in San Juan City yesterday.

nearly doubling their ri-vals’ 37-spike effort, and their one-hour, 28-min-ute victory kept them in step with the National U Lady Bulldogs and the Arellano Lady Chiefs at 2-1 in the race to the quarters in the mid-season offering of the league sponsored by Shakey’s and presented by PLDT Home Ultera.

Far Eastern U shows the way in Group A with a 3-0 mark, capped by its 25-16, 25-14, 25-14 de-molition of Polytechnic University of the Philip-pines last Saturday.

“After we dropped the first set, coach (Jerry Yee) told us to relax, We were a bit tight and they (Lady Brahmans) were loading up their serves,” said Isabel Molde, who spearheaded the Lady Maroons’ fight-back with a cluster of kills en route to a 21-hit game.

Justine Dorog, a product of the Shakey’s Girls Volley League, de-livered 18 attacks while Marian Buitre added 10 and Maristela Layug chipped in six markers for the Diliman-based squad priming up for the UAAP wars.

Games today1 p.m. – EAC vs Mapua

3 p.m. – FEU vs UE5 p.m. – UP vs Ateneo

A15MO NDAY : J ULY 2 7 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTSsports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS6/49 00-00-00-00-00-0

3 DIGITS 0-0-02 EZ2 0-0

P16M

3 0-0-02 0-0

W H E N I � rst heard the q u e s t i o n that was

thrown at basketball head Manny V. Pan-gilinan and had something to do with the China-Philippines islands dispute, I instantly wanted to frown at the query.

True, � ursday’s roundtable discussion was about a speci� c ‘war’ involving China and the Philippines, but it was not something that can potentially force both nations to obliterate each other.

Both China and the Philippines are in a hotly contested battle to get FIBA’s blessing when it comes to hosting the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

But, in looking back at what transpired during Pangilinan’s tete-a-tete with sports media � ursday morning at his Meralco of-� ce, there was actually a need to throw in the question and get a crucial answer.

After all, Pangilinan himself revealed that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the country’s governing body, which he heads, had a meeting with government officials to discuss the bid to host basketball’s biggest international event.

“A number of people there are basketball fans. It was not a di� cult presentation. � e message of being able to host such a great event here on our shores really resonated well on the o� cials. � at’s also important from the bid prospective,” said Pangilinan. “I must say we in the basketball community, through the SBP, is grateful for the support of the government. � ey stand behind the e� ort.”

On his way out of the room, Pangilinan took one last time to answer one more ques-tion and this was about the how the ongoing maritime dispute between the Philippines and China could a� ect FIBA’s decision to choose the winning bidder.

It helped me to easily understand the direc-tion of the query when it was Gerry Ramos, a respected and adept sportswriter, who is now with Spin.ph, who asked the focal question.

Pangilinan’s answer was very simple and is probably needed to make everyone focus on the sports aspect of this issue.

“FIBA is not a political organization. It’s something that we should not raise. Whether it’s Philippines or China, this is a sporting event,” said Pangilinan.

It was an answer that everyone must com-prehend, especially to those social media-savvy people who � nd time in talking about the FIBA bid issue online.

It is an important issue that must not af-fect our hosting bid, noting that most Filipi-nos on social media tend to incorporate the subject on the disputed islands whenever there are issues between the two countries, be it in sports or entertainment.

Social media’s in� uence on this matter was actually the main reason why Pang-ilinan’s group gathered the media last week.

Also meeting the press were international consultants Sean Nicholls and Ian Rumsby, both considered by Pangilinan as “very experienced in handling bids of international dimensions”.

Rumsby underscored the power of social media and how Filipinos, using that tool, could persuade FIBA in seriously consider-ing the Philippines as a potential host.

“It’s important for the FIBA World Cup. Yes, the Philippines is acknowledged and recognized as the social media capital of the world. We’re bringing a very powerful means of telling basketball story globally, not just in the nation,” said Rumsby.

Nicholls, as expected, agreed with Rumsby and is hopeful that Filipinos’ social media time will be spent well by joining the effort to win the bid.

“A FIBA World Cup in the Philippines will create noise, energy, buzz, attention that will � ow out and create ripples around the world,” said Nicholls “It will bring a unique experience. Something that will touch the heart of everybody who will be here.”

� e Philippines and China will face the 23-man FIBA Central Board next month and make their respective � nal presentations to convince the sport’s world governing body about their ability to host the event.

� e presentation as well as the announce-ment of the winning bidder will happen on the same day, Aug. 7, in Tokyo, Japan.

MVP and his take on

PH-China ‘war’

SMB’s Reid, Alaska’s Travis want another tour of duty

Governors’ Cup Best Import Romeo Travis and two-time for-mer Best Import Arizona Reid, who faced each other in the sea-son � nale, are both keen on re-turning next year to their respec-tive squads to further enhance their legacies in the league.

Initially, Reid, who � nally got his � rst championship a� er four years and � ve campaigns a� er leading San Miguel Beer to the season-end-ing conference crown, said that the past Governors’ Cup will be his last.

He said he will retire to spend more time with his family.

But a� er the clamor of the Beermen management, players and fans for him to come back next year to try and win it all again, the proli� c long-haired re-inforcement didn’t hesitate to re-consider his initial decision. He is singing a di� erent tune now and wants to return for another tour of duty for San Miguel.

Even San Miguel Corporation big boss Ramon S. Ang (RSA)

Panique, Raterta find little trouble winning Milo raceBy Peter AtencioTHERE was little challenge for Eric Panique and the come-backing Lui-sa Raterta when they took the men’s and women’s crowns of the 39th National Milo Marathon’s Metro Manila eliminations.

� ey waited patiently before conquering the minor obstacles that came their way in reach-ing the � nish line at the Seaside Drive of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

� e 32-year-old Panique, sev-enth-place overall in the national � nals last year, picked up the pace in the last eight kilometers, and � -nally overtook a struggling Mario Maglinao in the last two kilometers to top the men’s action in 2 hours, 37 minutes and 44 seconds.

Raterta, who missed last year’s edition a� er going down with the � u on the week of the race, led from start to � nish to dominate the women’s side in 3:10.36.

Panique, a bronze medallist in the 2013 Southeast Asian

Games, said the absence of strong runners like Eduardo Buenavista and Rafael Poliquit, allowed him to keep a relaxed pacing and enjoy the race for his second National Capital Region Milo title since 2013.

“Run to win lang ako. Alam kong walang malakas kagaya ni Buenavista at Poliquit. Hinayaan ko na muna si Maglinao,” said Pa-nique, who was more than seven minutes slower than his clocking in the Myanmar SEA Games.

Maglinao, who works as a sales assistant, slowed down upon reaching the last three kilometers in Macapagal Ave. when he felt pain because of stomach cramps. He just let Pa-nique, who won the top purse of P50,000 with Raterta, pass him by. Maglinao, however, still had enough strength to take second spot in 2:39.47.

Rene Desuyo and Eugene Post-rado were third and fourth in 2:45.57 and in 2:48.09, respective-ly, while Carlito Fantilaga, Joseph

Somera and Argel Mendoza took sixth to the seventh places, and still made it to the national � nals on Dec. 6 in Angeles, Pampanga.

� e quali� ers for the national � nals will not only get a chance to win the top prize of P300,000 and P150,000 in the men’s and women’s division, respectively, they will also have a chance to represent the country in an all-expense paid stint to the 2016 Boston Marathon.

Raterta, who was second in the local category in the nation-als two years ago, said she got confused with the U-turns used along the Buendia because of ongoing road repairs and had to slow down.

“All the way leading ako. Ang challenge lang dun iyung mga pasikut-sikot sa ruta. Maram-ing paliko. Last year, dalawang balikan lang,” said the Sta. Rosa, Laguna-based Raterta.

Criselyn Jaro settled for sec-ond behind Raterta (3:25.03), followed by April Rose Diaz

Pro league MVP. San Miguel Beer superstar June Mar Fajardo raises his plaque after being named Philippine Basketball Association Press Corps-Holcim Finals Most Valuable Player in the season-ending PBA Governors’ Cup title series won by the Beermen via a sweep of the Alaska Aces. The league’s back-to-back MVP is shown here with (from left) Holcim Commercial Committee representatives Benjie de Guzman and Evangeline Yu and PBA Press Corps treasurer Richard Dy of Philstar.com and vice president Gerry Ramos of Spin.ph.

By Jeric Lopez

THE Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup and 40th season had just concluded, but two of the league’s best imports already expressed their de-sire to come back next season.

personally requested for Reid to reconsider his retirement plan.

‘’Boss RSA talked to me. He said he wanted me back, so I’ll be back. He made the decision for me and of course, I’ll follow that. � at means I’ll be back next sea-son. I’m so thankful for all these opportunities given to me,’’ said Reid. ‘’A lot of fans also want me to come back. I felt like my team-mates want me to come back.’’

He then went on by sharing that winning really changes ev-erything and make things even better. � at’s one of the reasons why he opted to continue with his career in the PBA.

‘’Everybody’s happy. When you’re winning, everything is good. Hopefully, when I come back, we can continue to win. I won’t mind

having another championship,’’ said the resident import, who’s been with the PBA since 2011.

While Reid wants another crown with San Miguel, Travis wants to steal it from him next year a� er he and his Aces ended the season in disappointment.

For Travis, he would love to come back and help Alaska win next year. He felt that he played sub-par in the � nals of the Gover-nors’ Cup against San Miguel and simply wants redemption.

‘’I could’ve given and contribut-ed more to our team in the Finals. It was tough that we didn’t win it (championship). I de� nitely want to come back next year if I’ll get invited. Hopefully, we can � nish the job,’’ said Travis, who was a perfect � t for Alaska’s system.

(3:34.02), Rowena Ba-A(3:39.43) and Gella Mayang (3:50.86).

Gregg Vincent Osorio ruled the men’s 21-km action in 1:14.13, while lawyer Victorina Calma claimed the women’s honors (1:46.47). Kenyan Eliud Kipsang topped the men’s 10-km event, while Jhnanine Mansueto pre-vailed in the dista� side.

Organizers, led by Milo sports exec Andrew Neri, said they are happy with the turnout, which reached 34,115, with a big number of 25,890 showing up for the 5-km competition, and 2,580 signing up for the 42-km event.

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZASSISTANT EDITOR B1

MONDAY: JULY 27, 2015

business@thestandard.com.phextrastory2000@gmail.com

RAY S. EÑANOEDITOR

Govt may extendtoll road contracts

B3 SMDC launches8,000 condo units B5 Customs to mark

all crude products

Bangko Sentral ng PilipinasFriday, July 24, 2015

Foreign exchange rateCurrency Unit US Dollar PesoUnited States Dollar 1.000000 45.3490

Japan Yen 0.008074 0.3661

UK Pound 1.551700 70.3680

Hong Kong Dollar 0.129021 5.8510

Switzerland Franc 1.041233 47.2189

Canada Dollar 0.766989 34.7822

Singapore Dollar 0.730887 33.1450

Australia Dollar 0.738007 33.4679

Bahrain Dinar 2.652238 120.2763

Saudi Arabia Rial 0.266652 12.0924

Brunei Dollar 0.728226 33.0243

Indonesia Rupiah 0.000075 0.0034

Thailand Baht 0.028780 1.3051

UAE Dirham 0.272257 12.3466

Euro Euro 1.099100 49.8431

Korea Won 0.000862 0.0391

China Yuan 0.161044 7.3032

India Rupee 0.015663 0.7103

Malaysia Ringgit 0.262812 11.9183

New Zealand Dollar 0.664319 30.1262

Taiwan Dollar 0.032013 1.4518 Source: PDS Bridge

7,665.5212.30

Closing July 24, 2015PSe comPoSite index

42

43

44

45

46

HIGH P45.405 LOW P45.500 AVERAGE P45.466

Closing JULY 24, 2015PeSo-dollar rate

VOLUME 644.700M

Bangko Sentral ng PilipinasBangko Sentral ng PilipinasBangko Sentral ng PilipinasBangko Sentral ng PilipinasBangko Sentral ng PilipinasBangko Sentral ng PilipinasBangko Sentral ng PilipinasBangko Sentral ng PilipinasBangko Sentral ng PilipinasBangko Sentral ng PilipinasBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

oilPriceS today

P475.00-P675.00LPG/11-kg tank

P40.55-P46.70Unleaded Gasoline

P27.90-P31.15Diesel

P34.55-P39.15Kerosene

P23.70-P24.40Auto LPG

todayP27.90-P31.15

P34.55-P39.15

P23.70-P24.40

PP40.55-P46.70

8500

8000

7500

7000

6500

6000

Closing JULY 24, 2015

P45.490CLOSE

BUSINESS

Cebuana-Pioneer partnership. Two of the country’s leaders in micro-insurance, Cebuana Lhuillier and Pioneer Insurance, formed a partnership in a bid to expand the number of the Filipinos covered by insurance. Shown during the ceremonial toast at Makati Shangri-La Hotel on July 24 are (from left) Pioneer fi rst vice president and micro-insurance head Geric Laude, Pioneer Life president and retail organization head Lorenzo Chan Jr., Pioneer Insurance president and chief executive David Coyukiat, Cebuana Lhuillier chairman and Ambassador Philippe Jones Lhuillier, PJ Lhuillier Inc. president and chief executive Jean Henri Lhuillier and Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions general manager Jonathan Batangan.

MANNY PALMERO

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Toll Regulatory Board is studying the pos-sibility of extending the contracts of toll road operators, following the government’s failure to approve their petition for higher charges.

Electronics fi rms reduce export goalBy Othel V. Campos

THE electronics and semiconduc-tor industry expects a slower exports growth of 3 percent to � ve percent in 2015 due to the so� ening global demand from the world’s biggest electronics consumers.

� e Semiconductor and Elec-tronics Industry of the Philip-pines Inc. said the expansion target was lower than the initial forecast of 5 percent to 7 percent growth in the earlier part of 2015.

“� ere is demand so� ening driven by events on China, Japan and the European Union associa-tion president Dan Lachica said over the weekend.

Electronic exports grew 8 per-cent to $23.54 billion in 2014 from $21.8 billion in 2013 and $22.7 billion in 2012.

Lachica said the expanded

agreement on Information Tech-nology Agreement (ITA)-2 of the World Trade Organization would help boost the country’s electron-ics exports.

“� e WTO ITA would lower trade barriers among the signa-tory countries, lower cost, and enhance competitiveness. � e ITA impact on electronics is not as big compared to other goods,” Lachica said.

In July 24, 2015, about 80 economies that are signatories to ITA-2 � nalized the agreement that relaxed and li� ed tari� re-strictions on $1 trillion worth of electronic parts and products be-ing traded globally.

� e agreement expanded the scope of products that will bene� t from the li� ing of tari� s, ranging from educational electronic toys for children to advanced medical

equipment like optical and ultra-sonic apparatuses to mono-com-ponent integrated circuits.

Starting September 2015, signa-tories to the agreement will gather to consult on tari� concessions.

� e Philippines is a major ex-porter in Southeast Asia.

� e biggest electronics export-ers in the Philippines are Texas Instruments (Philippine) Inc. and Phoenix Semiconductors Philippines Corp., a unit of Ko-rea’s Samsung Electronics.

Philippine exporters expect that once the agreement comes to full force, it will bring about a turnaround in the electronics sector and buoy up the country’s total merchandise shipments.

Philippine exports are largely hinged on the growth of the elec-tronics industry that comprise about 40 percent.

TRB executive director Edmund Reyes said extending the conces-sion period was an option being considered as a compromise with

the operators of North Luzon Expressway, South Luzon Ex-pressway, Cavite Expressway and Southern Tagalog Arterial Road.

“� ere are options available, so we have to study. � e most impor-tant is the legal basis. We’ll wait for the decision of the board. It’s rela-tively a novel way of approaching it under our circumstances,” TRB executive director Edmund Reyes told reporters.

“Hopefully, we’ll decide how to move forward and provide as many options as possible,” Reyes said, adding that toll hike was a contractual obligation of

the government. Public Works and Highways

Secretary Rogelio Singson said one option was to pay the com-pany whatever it used to improve the road.

“So it will not have an impact on the tari� . In e� ect, it will be han-dled by the national government,” he said.

Manila North Tollways Corp. president and chief executive Rodri-go Franco said there was no speci� c proposal yet from the government.

“We prefer toll rate increase since we need cash now to fund repair and maintenance work,” Franco said.

MNTC, the operator of North Luzon Expressway in September last year � led a petition with TRB for the bi-annual toll adjustment that was supposed to fall due on Jan. 1, 2015 as provided for under its concession.

Its new petition is in addition to the pending petition the com-pany � led in 2012 for the toll hike scheduled in January 2013. � is would bring the cumulative toll adjustment to 15 percent, of which 12 percent is long overdue.

Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. also proposed a toll hike for Class 1 vehicles to P27 from P22; Class 2 vehicles to P54 from P44; and Class 3 vehicles to P81 from P66.

� e company said the periodic toll rate adjustment was a contrac-tual right to which the toll opera-tor was entitled under the toll op-eration agreement.

business@thestandard.com.phextrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESSMONDAY: JULY 27, 2015

B2

JULY 20-24, 2015 JULY 13-16, 2015 STOCKS Close Volume Value Close Volume Value

The STandard BuSineSS Weekly STockS revieW

FINANCIALAG Finance 4.7 3,249,415 2,698,234.00 4.6 308,000 1,437,400.00Asia United Bank 72.3 73,730 5,372,203.50 73 89,570 6,531,061.00Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 104.90 80,479,180 8,318,988,632.00 105.00 18,166,250 1,895,689,233.00Bank of PI 96.55 5,212,070 497,701,177.00 95.00 3,033,200 286,531,782.50China Bank 45.7 277,700 12,670,695.00 45.6 296,100 13,496,925.00BDO Leasing & Fin. Inc. 2.52 31,000 78,190.00 2.53 75,000 187,150.00Bright Kindle Resources 1.55 417,000 637,460.00 1.53 105,000 157,260.00Citystate Savings 10.08 300 3,024.00 10.1 100 1,010.00COL Financial 16.16 315,100 5,094,714.00 16 646,200 10,347,314.00Eastwest Bank 20.25 1,782,000 36,525,205.00 20.5 768,400 15,659,875.00Filipino Fund Inc. 6.50 5,000 32,756 6.73 2,900 19,495First Abacus 0.68 3,376,000 2,497,160 0.72 35,000 23,850I-Remit Inc. 1.80 83,000 148,360.00 1.83 48,000 84,190.00Manulife Fin. Corp. 815.00 2,280 1,850,100.00 815.00 380 306,345.00MEDCO Holdings 0.415 510,000 219,000.00 0.420 130,000 54,100.00Metrobank 90.35 7,450,100 678,158,657.50 91.5 10,159,010 924,850,147.50Natl Reinsurance Corp. 0.98 866,000 844,170.00 PB Bank 18.54 953,500 17,563,766.00 17.90 858,100 15,365,602.00Phil Bank of Comm 26.00 13,200 346,430.00 26.20 700 18,340.00Phil. National Bank 63.15 361,220 22,919,062.50 63.70 575,600 33,742,590.00Phil. Savings Bank 89.8 23,180 2,073,634.50 95 580 53,239.50PSE Inc. 315.4 53,940 16,619,108.00 307 52,890 16,029,514.00RCBC `A’ 38.4 1,699,800 65,051,255.00 37.55 1,275,900 47,916,270.00Security Bank 149.7 3,270,690 491,736,569.00 152.7 6,146,740 936,956,792.00Sun Life Financial 1465.00 250 365,550.00 1470.00 2,055 3,020,850.00Union Bank 61.00 229,010 13,734,415.50 60.00 168,520 10,092,378.50Vantage Equities 3.26 149,000 481,620.00 3.24 32,000 102,530.00

INDUSTRIALAboitiz Power Corp. 45 7,320,500 325,653,810.00 44.65 7,439,500 327,466,500.00Agrinurture Inc. 1.38 90,000 122,890.00 1.36 140,000 191,100.00Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 1.03 1,412,000 1,451,930.00 1.04 1,494,000 1,541,050.00Alsons Cons. 1.92 2,909,000 5,578,500.00 1.95 1,167,000 2,270,740.00Asiabest Group 10.3 62,700 629,852.00 10.18 4,200 43,080.00Bogo Medellin 50.6 120 6,022.00 54.3 760 38,288.00C. Azuc De Tarlac 91.40 10 914.00 91.40 1,120 102,368.00Century Food 18.38 865,300 15,829,724.00 18.36 856,100 15,518,058.00Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 26.2 1,187,900 31,150,175.00 26.75 792,400 21,181,745.00Concepcion 56.5 365,340 20,855,403.00 57 12,610 714,701.00Crown Asia 2.61 24,645,000 64,337,910.00 2.45 7,432,000 17,951,520.00Da Vinci Capital 1.55 2,035,000 3,156,500.00 1.47 165,000 236,290.00Del Monte 12.24 486,700 6,030,806.00 12.28 206,000 2,482,232.00DNL Industries Inc. 20.500 13,833,800 288,730,620.00 21.250 25,916,800 536,419,027.00Emperador 8.90 17,507,300 156,852,358.00 9.00 11,636,800 104,340,579.00Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 7.70 43,333,200 329,593,470.00 7.45 37,602,500 281,365,663.00EEI 9.80 1,824,100 17,908,698.00 9.77 21,600,500 210,824,282.00Euro-Med Lab. 1.78 92,000 157,030.00 1.76 16,000 27,440.00Federal Res. Inv. Group 14.56 218,700 3,076,516.00 13.78 38,300 511,766.00First Gen Corp. 27.3 19,677,700 532,856,905.00 25.45 18,147,400 456,897,085.00First Holdings ‘A’ 81.3 1,012,520 82,406,483.50 79.6 790,440 63,470,865.50Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 13.32 48,000 639,406.00 13.50 22,200 310,598.00Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.90 840,900 11,274,460.00 14.00 2,062,100 28,694,968.00Integ. Micro-Electronics 6.14 1,858,200 11,220,774.00 5.9 1,408,300 8,160,465.00Ionics Inc 0.500 51,000 25,500.00 0.530 10,000 5,150.00Jollibee Foods Corp. 192.00 4,550,030 864,346,682.00 192.60 2,880,180 553,030,611.00Lafarge Rep 10.74 2,634,400 28,150,090.00 10.8 6,051,600 64,734,204.00Liberty Flour 30.00 600 18,000.00 28.00 1,200 33,600.00LMG Chemicals 2.06 12,000 24,800.00 2.16 2,000 4,330.00Mabuhay Vinyl Corp. 2.57 70,000 202,860.00 2.52 3,000 7,560.00Manila Water Co. Inc. 24.9 3,029,300 75,539,200.00 24.2 3,615,400 86,838,455.00Maxs Group 25.4 397,700 10,089,045.00 25.9 270,200 6,934,535.00Megawide 5.86 990,300 5,750,212.00 5.8 9,882,100 54,698,712.00Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 294.80 1,147,840 337,180,048.00 295.00 1,418,060 415,619,372.00Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 3.90 30,000 117,010.00 3.90 21,000 82,050.00Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 4.65 3,417,000 16,348,000.00 4.93 2,905,000 14,340,830.00Petron Corporation 8.10 12,272,900 100,504,563.00 8.25 14,331,500 117,870,174.00Phinma Corporation 11.90 10,200 121,380.00 11.90 128,800 1,508,820.00Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.38 2,061,000 6,843,630.00 3.32 689,000 2,247,350.00Phoenix Semiconductor 2.41 8,346,000 20,416,370.00 2.35 10,539,000 24,064,480.00Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.49 19,350,000 62,638,330.00 2.76 9,197,000 24,773,590.00RFM Corporation 4.35 31,981,000 133,625,110.00 4.05 23,964,000 97,043,610.00Roxas and Co. 1.93 70,000 129,300.00 1.85 16,000 29,600.00Roxas Holdings 5.75 91,900 534,549.00 6.24 300 1,872.00San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 163 13,530 2,231,836.00 167 35,790 5,935,929.00Splash Corporation 1.76 488,000 849,270.00 1.8 2,973,000 5,288,720.00Swift Foods, Inc. 0.148 19,090,000 2,868,330.00 0.150 12,670,000 1,880,360.00TKC Steel Corp. 1.29 30,000 38,800.00 1.37 1,000 1,370.00Trans-Asia Oil 2.10 11,207,000 23,753,650.00 2.14 1,348,000 2,894,330.00Universal Robina 191.5 11,603,450 2,147,435,542.00 186.1 6,212,020 1,173,738,169.00Victorias Milling 4.35 20,000 85,500.00 4.57 45,000 202,570.00Vitarich Corp. 0.69 4,432,000 3,090,850.00 0.71 4,306,000 3,100,880.00Vivant Corp. 23.50 2,000 47,000.00 24.70 1,500 36,300.00Vulcan Ind’l. 1.16 860,000 1,015,340.00 1.24 113,000 135,880.00

HOLDING FIRMSAbacus Cons. `A’ 0.475 3,400,000 1,592,250.00 0.480 19,565,000 9,419,450.00Aboitiz Equity 57.7500 3,585,130 209,410,212.00 58.5000 6,447,120 370,964,203.50Alliance Global Inc. 23.50 40,206,100 936,269,600.00 22.90 46,086,000 1,022,711,140.00Anglo Holdings A 1.22 26,000 31,950.00 1.22 45,000 54,900.00Anscor `A’ 6.84 335,900 2,308,007.00 6.88 109,800 757,153.00ATN Holdings A 0.260 6,450,000 1,637,530.00 0.240 4,510,000 1,087,260.00ATN Holdings B 0.255 550,000 138,400.00 0.240 1,030,000 247,250.00Ayala Corp `A’ 787 1,856,110 1,439,519,595.00 763 1,226,230 936,387,045.00Cosco Capital 7.81 11,067,200 84,922,852.00 7.61 10,285,200 77,782,098.00DMCI Holdings 12.60 77,456,600 972,339,954.00 13.50 38,331,300 513,543,438.00F&J Prince ‘A’ 3.1 33,000 102,860.00 3.4 2,000 6,870.00F&J Prince ‘B’ 3.1 20,000 62,000.00 Filinvest Dev. Corp. 4.30 128,000 551,000.00 4.30 53,000 229,300.00Forum Pacific 0.202 970,000 197,450.00 0.220 410,000 84,920.00GT Capital 1410 807,445 1,128,889,075.00 1380 394,865 539,933,225.00House of Inv. 6.48 146,800 518,653.00 6.66 17,707 124,706.00JG Summit Holdings 73.00 11,400,800 831,644,403.50 72.00 5,851,720 417,739,735.00Jolliville Holdings 3.98 2,000 7,620.00 3.85 107,000 409,960.00Keppel Holdings `A’ 4.99 2,000 9,990.00 5 2,000 10,000.00Keppel Holdings `B’ 7.23 12,412,800 90,644,855.00 7.3 3,934,800 28,011,633.00Lopez Holdings Corp. 0.67 115,000 75,200.00 0.68 150,000 99,330.00Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 14.98 32,431,800 465,348,478.00 13.34 11,638,400 148,772,708.00Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.6 1,837,000 1,051,620.00 0.6 1,349,000 784,220.00Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 4.8 83,601,000 401,538,350.00 4.78 107,495,000 519,078,740.00Minerales Industrias Corp. 7.8 3,164,000 24,451,731.00 7.6 3,431,100 25,122,873.00MJCI Investments Inc. 3.15 10,000 31,500.00 3.15 11,000 24,150.00Pacifica `A’ 0.0300 19,200,000 578,200.00 0.0330 100,000 3,300.00Prime Media Hldg 1.300 51,000 66,280.00 Prime Orion 2.070 58,591,000 122,420,170.00 2.020 41,518,000 82,770,080.00Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.74 130,000 352,730.00 2.7 184,000 497,000.00San Miguel Corp `A’ 58.85 812,600 47,621,970.00 60.00 1,312,570 78,876,494.00Seafront `A’ 2.55 288,000 726,050.00 2.80 546,000 1,403,020.00SM Investments Inc. 910.00 950,490 861,230,580.00 915.00 729,180 659,190,085.00Solid Group Inc. 1.20 401,000 483,290.00 1.20 206,000 249,490.00South China Res. Inc. 0.71 346,000 240,590.00 0.70 78,000 55,220.00Transgrid 170.00 180 31,900.00 190.00 780 133,272.00Top Frontier 77.000 19,230 1,417,364.50 76.500 81,930 6,363,681.00Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3200 2,910,000 914,300.00 0.3200 3,680,000 1,132,150.00Wellex Industries 0.2000 3,320,000 640,980.00 0.1980 1,030,000 202,520.00Zeus Holdings 0.275 3,940,000 1,100,800.00 0.285 610,000 167,100.00

P R O P E R T Y8990 HLDG 7.790 3,816,700 29,836,537.00 7.300 2,791,500 20,317,554.00Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 7.77 10,400 81,308.00 8.35 1,000 8,350.00A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.72 1,302,000 929,500.00 0.73 4,566,000 3,456,820.00Araneta Prop `A’ 1.220 145,000 178,950.00 1.260 394,000 467,090.00Arthaland Corp. 0.240 50,000 11,500.00 0.235 95,000 51,800.00Ayala Land `B’ 38.90 30,821,100 1,182,125,110.00 38.30 28,619,800 1,090,639,525.00Belle Corp. `A’ 3.7 22,551,000 82,250,580.00 3.38 4,699,000 15,593,580.00Cebu Holdings 5.06 447,300 2,274,362.00 5.15 138,800 718,325.00Cebu Prop. `B’ 6.48 8,000 51,840.00 Centennial City 0.84 12,808,000 10,823,280.00 0.85 6,089,000 5,149,190.00City & Land Dev. 1.06 27,000 29,460.00 1.13 9,000 9,650.00Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.06 185,000 186,650.00 1.04 87,000 88,080.00Crown Equities Inc. 0.134 28,620,000 3,685,500.00 0.130 5,960,000 768,880.00Cyber Bay Corp. 0.430 640,000 276,750.00 0.445 920,000 403,650.00

JULY 20-24, 2015 JULY 13-16, 2015 STOCKS Close Volume Value Close Volume Value

Double Dragon 13.04 37,177,100 432,884,976.00 10.5 11,106,500 115,437,579.00Empire East Land 0.890 1,273,000 1,132,370.00 0.910 2,471,000 2,170,440.00Ever Gotesco 0.179 3,400,000 582,140.00 0.177 4,230,000 744,640.00Global-Estate 1.35 26,636,000 35,486,230.00 1.21 2,033,000 2,462,330.00Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.95 86,001,000 171,004,020.00 1.96 92,173,000 177,348,830.00Interport `A’ 1.32 403,000 518,260.00 1.32 531,000 681,830.00Keppel Properties 3.30 5,000 16,500.00 Megaworld Corp. 4.84 57,514,000 280,464,810.00 4.88 94,981,000 461,101,030.00MRC Allied Ind. 0.106 3,370,000 362,350.00 0.106 2,930,000 309,950.00Phil. Estates Corp. 0.2900 730,000 215,650.00 0.2900 350,000 102,700.00Phil. Realty `A’ 0.3850 230,000 88,750.00 0.4000 40,000 15,750.00Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 22.00 100 2,200.00 Primex Corp. 7.38 48,400 353,970.00 7.37 99,100 726,324.00Robinson’s Land `B’ 28.40 8,946,300 252,810,425.00 28.50 11,109,300 316,317,420.00Rockwell 1.65 2,686,000 4,435,260.00 1.7 2,500,000 4,179,470.00Shang Properties Inc. 3.31 101,000 328,540.00 3.34 195,000 634,770.00SM Prime Holdings 21.30 69,099,200 1,470,048,130.00 21.00 64,541,400 1,332,503,845.00Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.73 2,500,000 1,806,520.00 0.74 2,469,000 1,787,350.00Starmalls 7.2 62,100 443,301.00 7.15 18,800 133,107.00Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 0.810 512,000 419,640.00 0.830 151,000 125,240.00Vista Land & Lifescapes 7.050 24,573,500 170,663,187.00 6.980 22,409,000 153,669,839.00

S E R V I C E S2GO Group 7.89 4,244,300 31,088,810.00 6.46 860,900 5,638,233.00ABS-CBN 62.4 68,680 4,272,738.00 62.75 85,060 5,254,419.50Acesite Hotel 1.15 358,000 413,250.00 1.15 15,000 17,240.00APC Group, Inc. 0.630 5,886,000 3,702,510.00 0.650 1,302,000 816,450.00Asian Terminals Inc. 13 700 9,100.00 13 20,000 260,000.00Bloomberry 9.94 68,457,100 681,956,072.00 9.50 80,648,600 740,413,087.00Boulevard Holdings 0.0810 53,770,000 4,325,980.00 0.0800 29,783,530 2,721,350.00Calata Corp. 3.45 934,000 3,206,980.00 3.49 578,000 2,006,740.00Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 92.25 5,199,400 471,886,179.50 88.25 1,721,260 151,632,917.50Centro Esc. Univ. 10.32 3,200 33,050.00 10.4 412,500 4,121,460.00Discovery World 1.68 226,000 379,730 DFNN Inc. 5.25 694,600 3,707,690.00 6.00 240,800 1,462,195.00FEUI 989 2,110 2,086,790.00 990 450 445,455.00Globe Telecom 2526 586,090 1,482,811,920 2526 629,865 1,551,207,930GMA Network Inc. 6.44 333,600 2,128,987.00 6.38 332,400 2,100,758.00Grand Plaza Hotel 17.04 100 1,704 Harbor Star 1.31 2,802,000 3,644,730.00 1.27 456,000 587,050.00I.C.T.S.I. 110.1 3,185,930 351,468,054.00 112 3,107,610 345,127,524.00Imperial Res. `A’ 3.31 1,000 3,310 IPeople Inc. `A’ 11.52 2,100 24,360.00 12 7,600 91,528.00IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.011 39,400,000 457,600.00 0.011 47,700,000 525,000.00Island Info 0.213 66,610,000 14,158,530.00 0.228 87,700,000 19,199,310.00ISM Communications 1.4400 10,942,000 16,023,150.00 1.3900 27,899,000 41,147,680.00Jackstones 2.4 135,000 317,540.00 2.35 96,000 221,750.00Leisure & Resorts 10.38 9,141,500 91,452,367.00 9.60 1,364,800 13,027,593.00Liberty Telecom 2.33 7,628,000 18,785,240.00 2.88 7,702,000 23,379,740.00Lorenzo Shipping 1.27 97,000 123,610.00 1.26 185,000 232,720.00Macroasia Corp. 2.35 346,000 819,530.00 2.00 187,000 374,090.00Manila Broadcasting 44.00 4,500 191,020.00 41.00 8,200 340,755.00Manila Bulletin 0.670 287,000 189,630.00 0.670 92,000 62,240.00Manila Jockey 2.01 42,000 84,580.00 2.07 202,000 410,540.00Melco Crown 7.85 80,034,800 553,954,065.00 5.9 44,894,100 248,424,328.00MG Holdings 0.320 1,060,000 326,350.00 0.325 1,280,000 398,250.00NOW Corp. 0.460 610,000 284,100.00 0.475 210,000 99,100.00Pacific Online Sys. Corp. 20.2 81,500 1,611,840.00 18.88 112,800 2,119,288.00PAL Holdings Inc. 4.50 85,000 385,370 4.64 300 14,040Paxys Inc. 3.2 1,000 3,200.00 3.25 22,000 26,500.00Phil. Seven Corp. 107.00 376,720 43,203,692.00 114.00 178,890 20,310,622.00Philweb.Com Inc. 18.76 437,300 8,193,156.00 18.90 211,600 3,971,386.00PLDT Common 2948.00 419,585 1,234,137,370.00 2936.00 526,475 1,509,797,230.00PremiereHorizon 0.700 36,341,000 24,776,560.00 0.650 5,195,000 3,289,080.00Premium Leisure 1.600 206,026,000 316,010,190.00 1.500 325,229,000 460,297,270.00Puregold 37.50 8,873,200 324,392,725.00 35.80 10,795,300 389,127,015.00Robinsons Retail 79.05 5,963,020 465,776,784.00 72.75 603,410 42,860,813.50SSI Group 9.03 16,431,500 147,434,043.00 8.55 36,356,900 310,139,182.00STI Holdings 0.65 21,329,000 13,836,480.00 0.63 2,886,000 1,845,380.00Travellers 5.63 41,447,500 225,550,347.00 5.2 15,012,400 78,091,550.00Waterfront Phils. 0.335 1,150,000 377,150.00 0.325 490,000 157,700.00Yehey 2.610 23,203,000 62,993,460.00 2.350 9,308,000 21,084,780.00

MINING & OILAbra Mining 0.0068 9,544,000,000 62,253,000.00 0.0062 12,473,000,000 79,901,900.00Apex `A’ 2.60 252,000 669,780.00 2.61 36,000 94,050.00Atlas Cons. `A’ 5.60 1,167,600 6,575,155.00 5.72 854,300 4,977,077.00Basic Energy Corp. 0.219 1,360,000 298,980.00 0.225 1,620,000 4,196,000.00Benguet Corp `A’ 7.0000 3,100 21,707.00 6.9000 54,000 370,980.00Benguet Corp `B’ 6.8800 1,500 10,320.00 7.5000 6,000 41,751.00Century Peak Metals Hldgs 0.77 17,074,000 13,379,810.00 0.85 9,058,000 7,827,020.00Coal Asia 0.8 22,515,000 18,223,260.00 0.79 879,000 673,490.00Dizon 6.65 22,100 146,004.00 6.59 29,100 194,189.00Ferronickel 1.4 30,092,000 43,081,590.00 1.51 38,907,000 56,072,870.00Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.300 3,275,000 1,054,450.00 0.310 1,660,000 516,700.00Lepanto `A’ 0.212 24,410,000 5,246,840.00 0.218 9,220,000 2,001,030.00Lepanto `B’ 0.224 3,880,000 873,360.00 0.232 1,300,000 293,190.00Manila Mining `A’ 0.013 234,900,000 2,968,800.00 0.013 334,700,000 4,400,200.00Manila Mining `B’ 0.014 100,300,000 1,444,200.00 0.014 52,800,000 782,100.00Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 3.09 1,505,000 4,678,250.00 3.23 1,499,000 4,790,370.00Nickelasia 10.74 13,434,000 147,857,102.00 11.5 15,206,200 164,570,016.00Nihao Mineral Resources 3.85 3,747,000 14,184,500.00 3.69 1,627,000 5,949,150.00Omico 0.6400 526,000 293,580.00 0.6600 462,000 275,920.00Oriental Peninsula Res. 2.0000 297,000 594,450.00 1.9900 395,000 779,780.00Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0100 215,700,000 2,171,060.00 0.0110 21,900,000 220,200.00Oriental Pet. `B’ 0.0130 9,000,000 102,200.00 0.0110 71,900,000 824,600.00Petroenergy Res. Corp. 4.23 213,000 903,590.00 4.24 451,000 1,966,610.00Philex `A’ 5.54 3,377,500 19,194,311.00 5.90 2,018,800 11,789,075.00PhilexPetroleum 1.73 5,208,000 8,896,540.00 1.72 3,808,000 6,554,590.00Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.012 951,800,000 10,979,400.00 0.013 301,800,000 3,774,300.00Semirara Corp. 120.00 16,880,550 2,004,393,385.00 143.00 1,115,370 158,016,971.00TA Petroleum 9.88 2,518,600 26,459,860.00 10 1,298,400 12,054,853.00

PREFERREDABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 61.5 2,398,480 150,575,309.00 62.5 526,710 32,714,169.00Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B1’ 527.5 13,280 7,000,705.00 529 24,330 12,852,275.00Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ 547.5 18,680 10,236,410 547.5 5,480 3,001,550First Gen G 118.2 73,200 8,836,056.00 120 26,000 3,115,000.00GLOBE PREF P 526 4,630 2,430,780.00 525 550 286,250.00GMA Holdings Inc. 6.39 409,400 2,599,209.00 6.35 599,200 3,777,004.00Leisure & Resort Pref. 1.09 2,365,000 2,597,770 1.09 109,000 119,090MWIDE PREF 112 36,570 4,075,170.00 112 17,010 1,916,500.00PCOR-Preferred A 1080 60 64,800.00 1080 20,055 22,493,885.00PCOR-Preferred B 1148 15,515 17,811,220.00 1149 4,430 5,088,645.00PF Pref 2 1040 15,960 16,598,910.00 1050 11,460 12,033,405.00SMC Preferred A 75.5 406,620 30,669,597.00 75.4 110,940 8,366,826.50SMC Preferred B 82.6 126,000 10,519,241.00 84.5 7,000 591,500.00SMC Preferred C 87 278,940 24,204,394.50 88 36,650 3,221,204.00

WARRANTS & BONDSLeisure & Resort Warr. 4.240 4,205,000 17,546,000.00 3.920 1,974,000 7,507,970.00

S M EMakati Fin. Corp. 6.85 2,600 17,480.00 6 21,700 133,993.00Ripple E-Business Intl 67.95 2,130 139,162.50 65.4 1,600 98,237.50Xurpas 12 8,034,200 97,430,532.00 11.88 10,415,900 123,413,202.00

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDSFirst Metro ETF 124.5 167,720 20,738,438.00 123.8 46,440 5,680,125.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS VOLUME

Abra Mining 9,544,000,000Philodrill Corp. `A’ 951,800,000Manila Mining `A’ 234,900,000Oriental Pet. `A’ 215,700,000Premium Leisure 206,026,000Manila Mining `B’ 100,300,000Filinvest Land,Inc. 86,001,000Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 83,601,000Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 80,479,180Melco Crown 80,034,800

STOCKS VALUE

Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 8,318,988,632.00Universal Robina 2,147,435,542.00Semirara Corp. 2,004,393,385.00Globe Telecom 1,482,811,920.00SM Prime Holdings 1,470,048,130.00Ayala Corp `A’ 1,439,519,595.00PLDT Common 1,234,137,370.00Ayala Land `B’ 1,182,125,110.00GT Capital 1,128,889,075.00DMCI Holdings 972,339,954.00

business@thestandard.com.phextrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESSMONDAY: JULY 27, 2015

B3

SMDC launches8,000 condo units

Okada’s first hotel nears completion

Stock investors to watch Sona for guidance

CSR month. Philippine Business for Social Progress executive director Rafael Lopa (second from right) encourages the business sector to come together and identify common grounds to make CSR programs more responsive and generate greater impact to society, as the country observes the celebration of CSR month in July. With Lopa during the League of Corporate Foundations Expo at the SMX Convention Center of SM Aura, Taguig are (from left) Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, LCF founding chairperson Victoria Garchitorena and Education Secretary Armin Luistro.

JAPANESE billionaire Kazuo Okada is now ready to give the public a glimpse of his $2-billion integrated casino and entertainment com-plex called Manila Bay Resorts within Pagcor Entertainment City in Parañaque.

Invitations have been sent for the topping-off ceremony of Okada-led Tiger Resorts, Leisure and Entertainment Inc.’s first hotel develop-ment on July 30.

The casino development had faced some delays, which forced state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to threaten the confiscation of the P100-million guarantee to ensure that the project is progressing well.

The invitation didn’t say if Mr. Okada or local partner Antonio Cojuangco would grace the event. Okada has been frequently visit-ing the country to get first-hand update on his casino venture in the Philippines.

The 44-hectare Manila Bay Resorts is envisioned to be a world-class casino resort complex boasting of luxurious hotels, classy restaurants, commercial facilities, hotels, residences, Vegas-style water fountains and an enormous indoor pool with real sand beach covered by a huge glass dome.

The casino project will have three hotels with a total of 2,000 rooms. The gaming component of the project involves 30,000 square meters of space offering 3,000 slot machines and 500 gaming tables.

Jenniffer B. Austria

LRT 1 trains require full rehabilitationCar bodies of first-generation light rail vehicles of Light Rail Transit

Line 1 require full rehabilitation to ensure the safety of passengers, especially during the rainy season, a source said. This came to light after a passenger posted a video of water seeping through the roof of one of the light rail vehicles during a downpour on July 9, 2015.

Of the 139 railway cars grouped into 40 trains running along the 20.7-kilometer, 20-station LRT Line 1 (Green Line) that serves about half a million passengers a day, about half are still first-generation (BN) cars.

A source said the bodies of BN railway cars have been suffering from corrosion for several years now because of constant exposure to rain and sunlight. Some vehicles experience water dripping due to holes caused by rust formation. The problem becomes more serious during monsoon rain, as in the recent case captured on video by a curious passenger.

An inspection of the affected vehicle showed that rain seeped through the roof holes. The pantograph and ACU high-tension cables were also found damaged, affected by the water seepage, the source said.

LRT authorities usually unload passengers and remove the train from revenue service and apply water stop sealant as stop-gap solu-tions. However, this becomes inconvenient on the part of the passen-gers and translates into lost trips, lower revenue, less train availability, damage to company assets and bad reputation to Light Rail Transit Authority and the current maintenance provider.

The source said even the current maintenance provider is con-vinced that a full rehabilitation of the light rail vehicles is needed to address the problem to avert the condition of “already depleted trains” from aggravating. Doing the permanent solution would yield positive results, the source said. Roderick T. dela Cruz

PLDT reaches out to ‘unbanked’ populationPhilippine Long Distance Telephone Co. is pushing for electronic

payments in the country as a way of reaching out to “unbanked” Fili-pinos.

“With all our combined forces, having the biggest customer fran-chise in the country and our wide reach and depth of engagement with consumers and stakeholders, we can all make a big push in pro-moting digital payments in many forms, from person to person to enterprise levels,” said PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan.

Orlando Vea, Voyager and Smart eMoney president and chief ex-ecutive, said with the increasing adoption of smartphones and data usage, the Philippines was making a breakthrough in digital services, including the area of financial inclusion.

“Instead of just looking at the gaps in the financial inclusion index, we see all these as a huge opportunity for us and our partners to cre-ate more relevant digital financial services that can impact on lives,” Vea said.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, in its first baseline report published this July, cited the lack of funds and access as among the gaps con-tributing to the still large number of uncarded and unbanked in the country. For example, the average length of time to reach the near-est bank and automated teller machine is 26 minutes and 22 minutes, respectively. It also costs an average of P52 and P47, respectively for a two-way trip to the nearest bank and ATM. Darwin G. Amojelar

By Jenniffer B. Austria

SM DEVELOPMENT Corp., the residential unit of property giant SM Prime Holdings Inc., said it has launched 8,000 residential units from five new projects in the first half of the year amid strong demand for housing.

SHARE prices at the Philippine Stock Exchange are expected to move sideways this week, with an upward bias as investors await President Benigno Aquino’s final state-of-the-nation address.

Analysts said investors would be interested to hear the presi-dent’s action plan to accelerate fis-cal spending to boost the domes-tic economy and his endorsement for a successor.

“These will be crucial for in-vestors to prudently weigh as-sociated political risk weighting for the Philippines, in view of an impending leadership change in 2016,” F. Yap Securities invest-ment analyst Jason Escartin said.

Analysts, however, said the release of several US economic data could dampen investors’ optimism and could bolster US Federal Reserve’s plan on hiking interest which was widely seen to

happen this September. “While a status quo is seen,

investors will be waiting for Fed-eral Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s assessment on the US economy, particularly on inflation and em-ployment. Any deviation from the Fed’s earlier ‘wait-and-see’ stance will be checked, given the latest earnings data from index-based firms,” Escartin said.

The PSEi, the 30-company benchmark index of the Phil-ippine Stock Exchange, gained 0.64 percent last week to close at 7,665.52 on July 24, while the all-share index jumped 0.68 percent to 4,375.15.

Except for the mining and oil index which declined 9.31 per-cent, all major sub-indices ended in the greed led by services (up 1.62 percent), industrial (1.41 percent) and property (1.35 per-cent).

Foreign investors were net sell-ers by P1.79 billion last week, as total foreign selling hit P17.7 billion while foreign buying amounted to P15.9 billion.

Average daily turnover rose to P8 billion from last week’s average of P6.4 billion.

Top gainers last week were gaming firm Melco Crown (Phil-ippines) Resorts Corp., which jumped 33 percent to P7.85; Pryce Corp., which went up 26.4 per-cent to P3.49; and DoubleDragon Properties Corp., which advanced 24.2 percent to P13.04.

Heavy losers were San Miguel-owned telecommunications firm Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc., which declined 19.1 percent to P2.33; Imperial Resources Inc. “A” shares, which fell 17.2 percent to P3.31; and Semirara Mining and Power Corp., which dropped 16 percent to P120.

Jenniffer B. Austria

SMDC executive vice president Jose Mari Banzon said in a recent interview the company was on track to launch 12,000 to 14,000 units in the entire 2015.

“Our first half has been very strong. We expect it to accelerate in full year,” Banzon said.

“We’ve already launched about five projects in the first half. We still have five projects in the pipeline that we will launch, depending on the take-

up because we want to manage our inventory level,” he said.

Banzon said the company’s res-ervation sales increased from the previous year’s level, which indi-cated that the residential market remained strong.

The company said at an average price of P2.5 million per unit, the launching of 8,000 condominium units would generate P20 billion in reservation sales.

“Our [reservation] sales for the last six months have been consid-erably bigger than the same peri-od last year. The market is strong,” Banzon said.

SMDC said the recent venture into the medium to high-end market under the SMDC Premier brand was also strongly received by the market as it posted strong reservation sales.

Banzon said Air, which is lo-cated in Makati and Fame in Mandaluyong were top-selling projects of the company, next to Shore Residences at Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Banzon said SMDC was also in the process of acquiring tracks of land in Pampanga and Cavite for its venture into the house and lot projects.

B4

Banks tighten on property loans

Elanvitalsees saleshitting P2bin 3 years

SBS Philippines pegs IPO price at P2.75 apiece

Vista Land awards. The housing brands of Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. reaped numerous awards in the 2015 Philippines Property Awards held at the Fairmont Hotel, Makati. Shown receiving the awards are (fron left) Martin John Lim, head of marketing department, Brittany Corp.; Lemuel Branal, events and marketing manager, Vista Malls; Leny Damasco-Luya, head, Vista Malls; Mari-Karr Cachuela, BPO division ead, Vista Land; Natanette Pardito, area manager, Camella; Michelle Balmadrid-Barrientos, head of brand management department, Brittany Corp.; Ma. Cristina Lleva, investors relations group, Vista Land; and Roy Fernandez, General Manager, Brittany.

By Julito G. Rada

MOST banks tightened their overall credit stan-dards on commercial real estate loans in the second quarter this year due to stricter regulations, accord-ing to the latest Senior Bank Loan Officers Survey conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The bank regulator said it was the 12th consecutive quarter that banks reported net tightening of credit standards on commercial real estate loans.

“Most of the respondent banks [86.4 percent] in Q2 2015 indicat-ed unchanged overall credit stan-dards for commercial real estate

loans using the modal approach. However, based on the DI [diffu-sion index] approach, a net tight-ening of overall credit standards was noted for commercial real estate loans...,” the Bangko Sen-tral said.

“The net tightening of over-all credit standards for com-

mercial real estate loans was at-tributed by respondent banks to perceived stricter oversight of banks’ real estate exposure along with banks’ reduced tolerance for risk,” it said.

Respondent banks reported stricter collateral requirements and loan covenants along with wider loan margins, shorter loan maturities and increased use of interest rate floors on commer-cial real estate loans.

For the next quarter, most of the respondent banks expect to maintain their credit standards for commercial real estate loans. However, banks that anticipate a tightening of their credit stan-

dards outnumbered those ex-pecting the opposite.

“Demand for commercial real estate loans was also unchanged in Q2 2015 based on the modal approach. A number of banks, however, indicated increased de-mand for the said type of loan on the back of clients’ improved eco-nomic outlook and banks’ more attractive financing terms,” the Bangko Sentral said.

Although most of the respon-dent banks anticipate generally steady loan demand, a number of banks expect demand for com-mercial real estate loans to con-tinue increasing in the following quarter.

Credit standards for housing loans extended to households showed net tightening in Q2 2015 based on the DI approach. The tighter credit standards for housing loans were attributed by respondent banks to perceived stricter financial system regula-tions along with banks’ reduced tolerance for risk and deteriora-tion in the profile of borrowers.

For the next quarter, respondent banks expect unchanged credit standards for housing loans.

The survey included 35 univer-sal and commercial banks after one lender asked for exclusion it is not engaged in corporate and retail lending.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Elanvital Enclaves Inc. controlled by the family of businessman Jacin-to Ng Sr., expects sales revenues to reach around P2 billion in the next three years from the development of property projects.

Elanvital president Jacinto Ng Jr. told reporters the company planned to put up several property projects from its over 1,000 hect-ares of land bank.

Elanvital is part of a conglom-erate that includes Asia United Bank, Republic Biscuit Corp., Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostag and Crystal Jade.

“We have the land... It’s easy for us to expand. Hopefully, we reach close to around P2 billion in sales in the next three years,” Ng said.

The company last year launched the 13-hectare flagship project Nos-talji Enclave in Dasmariñas, Cavite valued at around P1.8 billion. Elan-vital has sold out around 50 percent of the Nostalji Enclave project.

Ng said Nostalj Enclave was designed as center of the family’s needs, catering to the middle-in-come market.

“We want to focus on the tradi-tional dream of Filipinos of own-ing a home,” he said.

One hundred percent of the Nostalji Enclave property is de-veloped and all roads are in place. The property offers home designs ranging from P1.5 million to P7 million each.

The development boasts of one hectare of green space composed of active, social and relaxation zones.

The Nostalji enclave offers hous-es from a two-bedroom duplex set on a 50-square meter lot to a four-bedroom single attached unit on a 162 sq. meter land.

“Our edge is that the buyers can immediately see the [land] title. That’s our edge. It will give the buyers a lot of comfort and confi-dence,” Ng said.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CHEMICALS distributor SBS Philippines Corp. has set the fi-nal price for its planned maiden share offering at a maximum of P2.75 apiece.

In relation to the planned initial public offering of SBS Philippines Corp., we would like to inform the Philippine Stock Exchange that the final offer price is P2.75 per share,” said SBS Philippines presi-dent Necisto Sytengco.

SBS Philippines will raise as much as P1.15 billion in gross proceeds from the IPO at P2.75 per share.

It pegged the final offering price through a book-building

process and discussions between the company and BDO Capital & Investments Corp., the sole issue manager and lead under-write ofthe IPO.

SBS Philippines will sell 420 million common shares during the offering period from July 28 to August 3.

Up to 70 percent of the shares of 294 million shares will be sold to qualified institutional buyers and the general public, and 20 percent to trading participants of the exchange.

SBS Philippines will allot 10 percent of the shares to small lo-cal investors.

It set the listing date on August 10.The company will have a pub-

lic float of 35 percent after the initial public offering.

SBS Philippines, according to the IPO prospectus posted on its Web site, said it would allot approximately 60 percent, or P654.6 million, of the net pro-ceeds from the offering for in-vestments in the growth of the business.

“The company intends to use a portion of the net proceeds to fund the introduction of addi-tional new products to enhance its product offerings,” SBS Phil-ippines said.

The new product lines may include innovative sulfate-free chemical ingredients for cos-metic and personal care to ad-

dress health and wellness trends in the beauty industry and natu-ral flavors and ingredients and natural-based preservatives for food products, which are the largest and fastest growing trend in the food and beverage indus-try.

SBS Philippines plans to use the balance of the IPO proceeds to repay P285 million worth of loans to BDO Unibank Inc. and finance general working capital expenditure requirements.

SBS Philippines will be the second company to conduct an IPO this year. The first was Crown Asia Chemical Corp., which was listed with the PSE in March.

ON AUGUST 6, the members of the NAPOLCOM Advisory Council for Transformation(NACT) will hold a special meeting to develop an action plan to determine the Advisory Council’s priorities which in turn would enable it to would help advance the strategic goals and objectives of the National Police Commission’s reform program.

Members of the council come from various sectors, and their experience as well as expertise in their respective fieldsgive them valuable insights that would enable the police commission to effectively implement its goals and aspirations, primary of which is to achieve real and genuine transformation through the Performance Governance System.

As Napolcom vice chairman and executive officer Atty. Eduardo Escueta noted, the commission’s “successful initiation into the PGS will eventually bring about a closer coordination and cooperation among the NAPOLCOM, the PNP and the local chief executives for the realization of a truly community- and service-oriented policing in our country.”

Atty. Ed, who was also the head of the Philippine Coconut Authority, was a colleague in AccraLaw who is known for being a good litigator. Both of us served during the Estrada administration where I was Press Secretary and spokesperson.

Certainly, it is a great privilege and honor to be a member of the NACT headed by Dr. Jesus Estanislao, chairman of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia and former Finance Secretary who was already at the forefront of good governance and transparency. I actually had the opportunity to work with him on several projects. Another member of the advisory council is Hapee toothpaste founder Cecilio Pedro who is known not only for his managerial and entrepreneurial skills butfor being one of the first to employ people with disabilities in his company.

We have high hopes that the NACT will work very well with the forward thinking and no-nonsense new Philippine National Police chief Director General Ricardo Marquez who has already vowed to work on the mechanics of a competency-based selection, placement and promotion system that is fair, sustainable and reliable —in short, based on merit which will go a long way in addressing local peace and order as well as public safety concerns.

business@thestandard.com.phextrastory2000@gmail.com

M O N D AY : J U LY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

BUSINESS B5

NACT: A partner in transformation

BoC set to markall fuel products

Environmental agenda pushed

(From left) Napolcom Commissioner LuisitoPalmera, Vice Chairperson Eduardo Escueta, Dr. Jesus Estanislao and Commissioner Constancia de Guzman.

Together with a technical working group, NACT will help evaluate and revise strategies for the implementation of the Performance Governance System.

With Police Senior Superintendent Noel Baraceros, director of Napolcom’s Center for Police Strategy Management.

Members and other participants listen intently to the discussions during the first NACT meeting.

Members of the Napolcom National Advisory Council for Transformation take their oath before Atty. Ed Escueta and members of the National Police Commission.

Wilcon’s 34th store. Wilcon Depot opened its 34th branch in San Pablo City, Laguna. Laguna public officials and Wilcon business partners congratulated the country leading construction and homebuilding supply store on its newest milestone as it nears its 40 years in the business. Three more Wilcon stores are set to open outside Metro Manila this year--Villasis, Pangasinan; Molino, Cavite; and Sta. Rosa. At the opening rites are (from left) Wilcon executive financial audit manager Careen Belo and president and chief executive William Belo, San Pablo City Mayor Loreto Amben Amante, Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez, Laguna vice governor Katherine Adapay, Wilcon senior executive vice president and chief operating officer Rosemarie Ong, and San Pablo City vice mayor Angie Yang.

A MULTI-SECTORAL group has proposed to the next administration the need for a new environmental agenda and nationwide cooperation to manage the country’s dwindling natural resources for the sustainable economic benefit of the people.

“It is high time that genuine stakeholders push for an environmental agenda as we look forward to the next administration--an agenda that is truly responsible to the needs of our people without compromising sustainability for the sake of future generations,” said professor Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase ADR Institute.

The Stratbase ADRi forum’s theme was “Advancing Sustainable Resource Management” drew the participation of the country’s experts from the academe, mining industry and the private sector where various issues contributing to the

mismanagement of natural resources were discussed.

Prof. Carlos Primo David, Stratbase ADRi trustee, said cited several issues and legal loopholes that the next government should address, such as the scientific evaluation of biodiversity based on accurate base line data to ascertain the scientific basis for no-go zones, as in the case of extractive industries such as mining.

David said the government allowed local executives to give small-scale mining permits even if there was no capacity at the local level to monitor the impact and compliance to environmental regulations.

Professor Marlo Mendoza, associate professor of the University of the Philippines for forestry and natural resources, said the alarming degradation of natural resources had been unabated for decades.

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE Bureau of Customs ex-pects to generate $300 million in new revenues from new pro-posed markings on all petro-leum products, Customs Com-missioner Alberto Lina said over the weekend.

Lina said the agency wanted to end smuggling of fuel products through the broader fuel markings.

Lina told reporters in a round table discussion last week he wanted to curb smuggling by putting markings on all items, including those exempted from paying duties, with no exemptions on imported and locally refined products.

“If the fuel product is not marked, it means its is smuggled,” he said.

Lina said local refineries would not be exempted in the proposed fuel-marking system.

The BoC is expected to spend $25 million for the markings against projected additional revenues of $300 million.

Oil companies said the government

was losing around $500 million, or P20 billion to P30 billion annually, due to smuggling.

“So if one gives us statistics on the volume of liters sold compared with data on consumption, we will be surprised with the discrepancy. Is our duty to detect smuggled products,” Lina said.

Customs collection sank 8.5 percent year-on-year in April, the first drop this year, following the leadership changes at the bureau and the double-digit decline in prices of imported petroleum products.

Customs earlier said it collected P28.141 billion in import duties in April, down from P30.764 billion in the same month last year.

The April collection also fell P9.2 billion or 24.7 percent short of the P37.35-billion target for the month, data from the agency showed.

The drop was traced to the 68-percent slump in collection from oil imports to P5.441 billion in April from P9.141 billion a year ago, as the weighted average of crude oil and petroleum prices fell 45 percent during the period.

The agency said while the volume of oil imports continued to rise, this was offset by the sharp drop in oil prices.

business@manilastandardtoday.comextrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESSMONDAY: JULY 27, 2015

B6

Presidential inaugural speech (Part 3)

BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE – HEAD OFFICEINVITATION TO BID

1. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through its Bids and Awards Committee BAC), invites bidders to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder requirement:

Name of Requirement/Brief Description

“One (1) Lot Three Hundred Fifty (350) Man-days for SAP Application Management Services for the Maintenance of the Existing SAP Applications, as per BSP Terms of Reference”

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) Php4,900,000.00, VAT Inclusive

Contract DurationOne (1) Year to commence on the date stipulated in the Notice to Proceed (NTP) to be issued by the Application Systems Management Department (ASMD)

2. Bidders should have completed from Y2010 to present a contract similar to the requirement. The Eligibility Check/Screening and Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria.

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

4. All particulars and activities relative to Eligibility of Bidder’s, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-bid Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by Republic Act No. 9184 and its revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR)

Activity Schedule Venuea. Issuance of Bid

DocumentsStarting 27 July 2015 (from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. only)

Procurement Office, Room 212, 2/F, 5-Storey Bldg., BSP Main Complex, Malate, Manila Tel./ Fax Nos. 306-2229; 708-7115

b. P r e - b i d conference

12 August 2015; 9:30 A.M. MR2A Conference Room, 2nd Floor, 5-Storey Bldg., BSP Main Complex, Malate Manilac. Opening of Bids 24 August 2015; 2:00 P.M.

5. The bidding documents are posted at the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the BSP Website (www.bsp.gov.ph). Prospective bidders may download the bidding documents from any of these websites; provided that bidders shall pay a non-refundable fee in the amount of Php5,000.00, at the address above prior to, or upon submission of their bids.

6. The pre-bid conference shall be open to interested parties. However, only those who have purchased the bidding documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference and raise or submit written queries or clarifications. To ensure completeness and compliance of bids, bidders are advised to send not more than two (2) technical and/or administrative representatives who will prepare the bidding documents.

7. The BSP assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify any bidder for expenses incurred in the preparation of bid.

8. The BSP reserves the right to reject any bid, declare a failure of bidding, not award the contract, annul the bidding process and reject all bids at any time prior to award of contract, without thereby incurring any liability to affected bidders. Further, the BSP reserves the right to waive any minor defects or formality and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the agency.

(SGD) ANTONIO A. GRAGEDA Vice-Chairman

( TS - JULY 27, 2015)

Republic of the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources MINES AND GEOSCIENCES BUREAU Regional Office No. V R e g i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t C e n t e r , DENR Annex Bldg., Rawis, Legazpi City Telefax No: (052)482-1056, Tel. No: (052)482-1156 / 480-1084 E-mai l Address : mgbr5@yahoo.com , Webs i te : www.reg ion5.mgb.gov.ph

invitation to bid As is, Where is, For

Confiscated Processed Iron OreinParacale, Camarines Norte

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. V (MGB RO V), by virtue of confiscation Orders dated September 1, 2014 and March 10, 2015 intends to sell 47,196 metric tons of iron ore containing gold for a total amount of $1,682,553.52 being the Approved Sales Value (ASV) for the payment under the contract for the sale of Confiscated Iron Ore in Paracale, Camarines Norte numbered MGB ROV-SOG-2015-01. Bids received less than the ASV shall be automatically rejected at the bid opening.

1. The MGB RO V now invites bids for 47,196 metric tons of processed iron ore with average grade of 60.03% Feand 1.53% Au. Full payment for the goods is required by 2:00 PM of the 3rd working day from the date of the award. Failure to pay in full shall render the award null and void and the bid security forfeited in favor of the DENR. Bidders should be at the time of bidding, be an MPSA, FTAA contractor/Permittee or a Mineral Processing Permit holder, or duly Accredited Mineral Trader/Dealer/Retailer of mineral products and by-products.

2. Bidding shall be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

3. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations/corporations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the MGB RO V, and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on July 27, 2015 to August 25, 2015 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Fifty Thousand Pesos (P 50,000.00).

5. It may also be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the MGB RO V, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The MGB RO V will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on August 11, 2015, 2:00 PM at the Office of Provincial Environmental and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO), Daet, Camarines Norte, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

6. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 12:00 noon on August 25, 2015. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in the form of a Manager’s Check payable to the DENR Secretary in the amount equivalent to 10% of the ASV. The bid security shall be returned to the losing bidder after the bid is announced. In case of the awardee, the deposit will serve as a partial payment.

Bid opening shall be on August 25, 2015 at 2:00PM at the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. V, Rawis, Legazpi City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ authorized representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

7. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. Vreserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

8. For further information, please refer to:

DANIEL S. SOMBANON CBACMP Secretariat Mines and Geosciences Bureau R.O. No. V Regional Government Center, Rawis, Legazpi City Tel No. (052) 482-1056/482-1156 Email Address: mgbr5@yahoo.com Website: www.region5.mgb.gov.ph

(SGD) RICARDO P. NACIONAL CBACMP Chairman(TS-JUL. 27, AUG. 3 & 10, 2015)

Service for our church and country, especially the poor

THE Holy Father spoke to us in his visit, that 2015 has been set aside as the Year of the Poor. He said “ I hope that this will chal-lenge everyone at all levels of society, to re-ject every form of corruption which diverts resources from the poor, and to make con-certed efforts to ensure the inclusion of ev-ery man and woman and child in the life of the community.”

How can we respond to this challenge in our curricular and extra-curricular pro-grams, and as a community of learners and mentors? Can we be more effective in educating future leaders who will have real contact with the poor and will dedicate their time and talents to the eradication of poverty? In the coming elections, how can we advocate the choice of leaders who will pursue the fight against corruption and pro-mote inclusive economic growth?

DLSU has reached the goal set by all La-sallian schools in the Philippines that 20 percent of her students are on full-scholar-ship. Can we go beyond 20 percent? What additional affirmative action can we take towards helping more disadvantaged indi-viduals and communities, especially our in-digenous brothers and sisters? How can we assist them to maximize their resources and achieve sustainable development?

We will continue to deepen our partner-ships with the local Church, especially the

Archdiocese of Manila, and the underserved communities especially those near us. How can we continue working with them in basic and catechetical education, poverty eradica-tion, urban renewal and community build-ing?

Authority for serviceSome have been asking me what type of

leadership I will exercise as the new Presi-dent. I learned from Br. Lucian Belanger FSC many years ago that leadership is for service. To lead others is to orient and motivate them to passionately pursue the common mission and shared goals of the group.

I see the authority of my office, as emanat-ing from the tremendous resources of the University community: her faculty and staff, students and alumni, legacy and traditions. I see this authority reinforced by the aca-demic freedom enjoyed by the University in her mission of discovering, promoting and transmitting knowledge, and facilitating the internalization of values and skills by the young people entrusted to her care.

The responsibility of leadership, author-ity and governance is to tap, unleash, guide, harness and harmonize the talents and ef-forts of leaders and colleagues towards the achievement of the goals of our academic community. Leadership is not necessarily having the right answers. More often, it is asking the right questions. Today, I’ve dared to ask a lot of questions. The answers we will discern and pursue together and by associa-tion.

ConclusionIn closing, I return to our Parable. Our

Founder too, reflected on the Parable of

the Talents. And in his Med. 207 he point-ed out that the Parable assures us that if we commit ourselves untiringly to our mission, “God gives us an abundance of grace [more talents] to carry out this mis-sion.” Rather than considering these tal-ents as burdens, we should consider them as the grace God gives us to carry out our mission.

St. La Salle also highlighted the fact that to the ones who multiplied their talents, the Master gave more cities to serve. Thus our Founder added: “to those who commit themselves untiringly to the work of the sal-vation of souls”, God rewards “with a more extended ministry and a greater ability to procure the salvation of souls.” (That means - “more work”!)

But St. La Salle ends with these very en-couraging words: “Oh, how fortunate you ought to consider yourselves, to be working in the field of the Lord, since Our Lord says that the reaper will infallibly receive his re-ward.”

Domine, Opus Tuum. Lord, the work is yours. The mace is heavy. DLSU faces many questions, challenges and opportunities. But, as I look around this Chapel, I see many hands already passionately sharing the mis-sion, and many more, eager to pursue it. In-deed, the Master gifts us with an abundance of grace, talents and resources.

Deo Gratias. Thank you, Lord.Thank you, friends and colleagues.Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Br. Raymundo B. Suplido FSC is Presi-dent of De La Salle University. He can be reached at opc@dlsu.edu.ph.

RCBCto hikebusiness loansBy Julito G. Rada

RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp., one of the country’s largest lenders, said it expects to expand its lending business to small and medium enterprises to about 20 percent of the bank’s total loan portfolio within the next 10 years.

RCBC commercial and small and medium enterprises banking segment head Maria Angela Tinio said in a news briefing over the weekend this would be achieved by expanding coverage nationwide and reaching out to more clients.

“There is a lot of room to grow because there are still many unbanked [people in the country]… Right now, lending to small and medium enter-prises accounts for 12 percent of RCBC’s total loan portfolio. We want to account for 20 percent of the bank’s TLP in the next 10 years,” Tinio said.

Tinio said another way to reach out to more clients would be to put up additional lending centers and satellite offices na-tionwide. Currently, the bank

has 14 lending centers that cater to small and medium enterprises. Tinio said these are located also within the premises of RCBC branches.

She said of these 14 lending centers, four are located in Metro Manila and 10 in the provinces.

She said the bulk of to-tal loans to SME segment, or around 60 percent, are released in the provinces.

“It is a very competi-tive market because other banks also cater to the SMEs, particu-larly. But we are plan-ning to also rely on technology so that cli-ents can just go online and avoid over-the-counter transactions,” Tinio said.

Tinio said total loans for the small and me-dium enterprises as of June this year stood at P25 billion. She said loan amounts ranged from hundreds of thousands to more than P1 million. Collat-erals include real estate, housing and others.

The RCBC commer-cial and small and medi-um enterprises banking segment was formed in 2002. RCBC posted an unaudited consolidated net income of P2.53 bil-lion in the first half, up by 25.29 percent from P2.02 billion recorded in the same period last year.

PALAWAN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE (PALECO)Tiniguiban, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

INVITATION TO SUBMIT COMPARATIVE PROPOSALS

PALAWAN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE (“PALECO”), is a non-stock, non-profit, service-oriented electric cooperative duly organized and existing under and by virtue of Presidential Degree No. 269, as amended, and duly registered with the Cooperative Development Authority (“CDA”) by virtue of Republic Act No. 6938, as amended,received from Emerging Power, Inc. an Unsolicited Proposal for new hybrid power supply agreementsand for the construction and installation of sub-transmission line to connect the Municipalities of El Nido, Taytay, San Vicente and Roxas, Northern Palawan. The proponent proposed to install brand new hybrid (solar-bunker) generation system with a total net capacity of 25MW and its sub-transmission delivery service system for PALECO energy requirements.

PALECO,through its Bids and Awards Committee (“BAC”), intends to subject the Unsolicited Proposal, as negotiated with the proponent, to a Swiss Challenge in accordance with its rules on competitive selection (“Competitive Selection Rules”) based on the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. No. 6957, as amended by R.A. No. 7718, or the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, and in accordance with the Energy Regulatory Commission’s rulings in ERC Case No. 2009-025 RC and ERC Case No. 2012-018 RC.

A complete set of the Competitive SelectionRules and related documents (“Competitive Selection Package”) is available from the BAC during business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) starting 28 July 2015 to 30 July 2015at the Main Office of PALECO at Tiniguiban, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Interested parties may obtain the Competitive Selection Package upon submission to the BAC of the following:

Letter of Intent. It must state the party’s intent to purchase the Competitive SelectionPackage for purposes of submitting a comparative proposal in response to this invitation.It must be signed by the party’s duly authorized representative and be accompanied by proof (i.e., original Board Resolution or Secretary’s Certificate) that the signatory is authorized to represent and bind the party, sign the Letter of Intent and execute the Acceptance Agreement stated below.

Non-refundable fee of Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php500,000.00) in cash or manager’s check payable to Palawan Electric Cooperative

Execution of an Acceptance Agreement by the authorized signatory in the form provided by the BAC.

PALECOhereby invites interested parties to submit comparative proposals to the said Unsolicited Proposal. Only interested parties that were issued the Competitive SelectionPackage shall be allowed to submit comparative proposals. The comparative proposal must be submitted stricitly in accordance with the said Competitive Selection Rules with the following Terms of Reference:

NetCapacity of the Power Station/s:

25 MW Hybrid (Solar-Bunker), brand new equipment consisting of 15MW bunker-fired and 10MW Solar PV plus 5MW reserve capacity bunker-fired

Delivery line:

Build 69kV three phase sub-transmission line with associated components (e.g. substations) according to the following specifications:

DESCRIPTION LENGTH TARGET COMPLETION DATE

69 kV sub-transmission line from the Municipality of El Nido to the Municipality of Taytay

63 km 12 months from Effective Date

69 kV sub-transmission line from the Municipality of Taytay to the Municipality of Roxas

76 km 15 months from Effective Date

69 kV sub-transmission line from Barangay Itabiak, San Vicente to the town proper of the Municipality of San Vicente

19 km 15 months from Effective Date

DESCRIPTION LENGTH TARGET COMPLETION DATE

El Nido substation 5 MVA 6 months from Effective Date

Taytay substation 5 MVA 9 months from Effective Date

San Vicente substation 5 MVA 12 months from Effective Date

For the sub-transmissionline,fee of P14,985,220/month for 20 years.

Connection Point: 13.2kV three phase

Type of Supply: Hybrid Solar-Bunker, full service (base load, regulating and N-1 reserve power)

Target Commercial Operation Date:

12 months after approval by the Energy Regulatory Commission of the relevant Power Supply Agreement.

Term: 20 years from commencement of commercial operations

Rate S t ruc ture:

Bunker Rate Structure

Years of Contract

Bunker CCR

P/kW-Month

Bunker FOMFP/kW-Month

Bunker VOMFP/kW

BunkerFuel Fee

P/kWh

1- 4 1,9 07.74 286 0.7179 8 .1607

5 -10 9 6 4.61 286 0.7179 8 .1607

11-15 650. 23 286 0.7179 8 .1607

16 -20 335.85 286 0.7179 8 .1607

Parameters fo r the Bunker Power S ta t ion:1. Bunker 15MW Guaranteed Dependable Capaci ty p lus 5MW reserve;2 . 80% Ava i lab i l i t y ; 3 . 5% Aux i l ia r y ;4 . 0 . 2424L /kWh Fue l Consumpt ion Rate a t 74.5% Load Fac to r ;5 . 0 .0 024L /kWh Lubes Consumpt ion Rate6 . HFO Pr ice i s P32.5207/ l i te r as o f Ju ly 2014 de l i vered p r ice a t NPC

Power P lant in Tay tay, Pa lawan7. LFO Pr ice i s P36.5207/ l i te r as o f Ju ly 2014 de l i vered p r ice a t NPC

Power P lant in Tay tay, Pa lawan8 . Lube O i l Pr ice i s P95.5177/ l i te r as o f Ju ly 2014 de l i vered p r ice a t NPC

Power P lant in Tay tay, Pa lawan

5MW Bunker Reserved Rate Structure:

Years o f Cont rac t

Bunker CCRP/kW- Month

Bunker FOMFP/kW- Month

Bunker VOMFP/kW

BunkerFue l Fee

P/kWh

1- 4 1,9 07.74 286 0.7179 8 .1607

5 -10 9 6 4.61 286 0.7179 8 .1607

11-15 650. 23 286 0.7179 8 .1607

16 -20 335.85 286 0.7179 8 .1607

Solar Rate Structure:

Years o f Cont rac t

S o l a r CrrP/k Wh

S o l a r FoMFP/k Wh

1- 4 12.77 0.86

5 -10 6.85 0.86

11-15 4.87 0.86

16 -20 2.9 0 0.86

Other cond i t ions:

1. Proposal shall be able to service the four Municipalities: El Nido, Taytay, San Vicente and Roxas.

2. Proposal shall include the comprehensive plan forconstruction of Sub-transmission lineto connect four Municipalities of El Nido, Taytay, San Vicente and Roxas

3. The interested Private Sector Participants must have, at the time of the submission of its challenge, a minimum authorized capital stock of PhP6,853,486,323.00 to match or exceed the collective authorized capital stock of the entities comprasing the project original proponent consortium.

4. Proposal for an option to supply 25 MW bunker plus 5 MW reserve capacity, subject to the above-stated rate structure.

A p re l im inar y conference sha l l be conduc ted on 1 September 2015 at 8:30 a .m onwards a t the PALECO Main O f f i ce. A l l comparat ive p roponents ’ p roposa ls must be rece ived in sea led enve lopes by the BAC not la te r than 5:0 0 p.m. o f 28 September 2015 at the PALECO Main O f f i ce. A l l comparat ive p roponents ’ p roposa ls must be accompanied by a b id secur i t y in the amount o f F i f teen M i l l i on Pesos (PhP15,0 0 0,0 0 0.0 0) in the fo rm of cash o r manager ’s check payab le to PALECO.

PALECOand the BAC reser ve the r ight to accept o r re jec t any request to obta in the Compet i t i ve Se lec t ionPackage, to accept o r re jec t any p roposa l , to annu l the se lec t ion p rocess, and to re jec t a l l p roposa ls a t any t ime pr io r to cont rac t award,w i thout incur r ing any l iab i l i t y to any par t y.PALECOand the BAC assume no respons ib i l i t y whatsoever to compensate o r indemni f y any par t y fo r any expense o r l iab i l i t y incur red in i t s par t i c ipat ion in the p rocess , and in the p reparat ion and submiss ion o f an o f fe r.

For fu r ther deta i l s , p lease contac t Napo leon M. Cor tes J r. , BAC Secretar ia t , o r the des ignated o f f i ce r- in - charge dur ing o f f i ce hoursat the fo l low ing contac t numbers: te lephoneno.(0 48) 433 -914 4 loc 863 o r fax no.: (0 48) 43 4 4 401.

Approved:

RIC B. Z AMBALESGenera l Manager and CEO ( TS - JUL . 17, 20, 27, 2015)

Approved:

RIC B. Z AMBALESGenera l Manager and CEO

` INVITATION TO BID

Supply, Delivery, Testing and Commissioning of 10 units PHilMech- Design Compact Corn Mill

(PHilMech Goods 15-07-08)

1. The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) through its Regular Fund intends to apply the sum of PhP 3,300,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) as indicated herein to payments under the contract for the Supply, Delivery, Testing and Commissioning of 10 units PHilMech- Design Compact Corn Mill. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at Bid opening.

2. The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization now invites Bids from all PHilMech Licensed Manufacturers of PHilMech- Design Compact Corn Mill for the following items:

ITEMS ABCSupply, Delivery, Testing and Commissioning of 10 units PHilMech- Design Compact Corn Mill PhP 3,300,000.00

Total PhP 3,300,000.00

Delivery of the GOODS is required within Sixty (60) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed, within three (3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a similar contract equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible Bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents.

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

4. Interested Bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of PhP 5,000.00. The method of payment will be in cash. The Bidding Documents shall be received personally by the prospective Bidder or his authorized representative.

6. The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization will hold a Pre-Bid Conference open to all interested parties on August 3, 2015, 10:00am at PHilMech Liaison Office, 3rd Floor ATI Bldg., Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City.

7. Bids and eligibility requirements must be delivered to the address below on or before August 17, 2015. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid security in the form and amount stated in the Bid Data Sheet or an equivalent amount in a freely convertible currency. Late Bids shall not be accepted.

8. Bid opening shall be on August 17, 2015, 10:00am at PHilMech Liaison Office, 3rd Floor ATI Bldg., Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below.

9. The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization reserves the right to accept or reject any Bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all Bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected Bidder or Bidders.

PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR POSTHARVEST DEVELOPMENT AND MECHANIZATION(Formerly BUREAU OF POSTHARVEST RESEARCH AND EXTENSION)

Main Office :CLSU Cmpd., Science City of Muñoz, Nueva EcijaTel. No. (044) 4560287 / 4560213 FAX No. (044) 4560110

Liaison Office : 3F ATI Bldg., Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon CityTel. No. 9274019 / 9274029 FAX No. 9268159

(SGD) RAUL R. PAZ

BAC Chairman

Republic of the PhilippinesDepartment of AgriculturePhilippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippineswww.philmech.gov.ph

B7CESAR BARRIOQUINTOE D I T O R

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

M O N D AY : J U LY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

WORLD

Black economySpain’s problem

Germanopera fest asuccess

MADRID—Many of Spain’s � ve million unemployed dream of � nding a steady job in the economic recovery vaunted by the government—but a legion of undeclared workers still scrape by cash-in-hand.

“Nowadays the phrase ‘steady job’ means nothing in Spain,” said Paloma Sotillo, 43.

She is one of 1.7 million people in Spain who ad-mit to earning at least part of their pay in the “black economy”, without tax or social security contribu-tions.

Spain’s economy returned to growth in 2013 a� er � ve years of economic crisis, but its unemployment rate is still the second-highest in the eurozone a� er Greece.

� e rate dipped to 22.37 percent in the sec-ond quarter of this year, according to o� cial data published this week.

A study by Catalan business school Esade indicated, however, that one in 10 employees and one in � ve unemployed people in Spain did work for earnings that they did not declare to the taxman.

Sotillo said she had been unemployed for a year when she found

a job in a Madrid toyshop in December 2013. She worked there for a year before stopping in order to look a� er her sick mother.

“I had a contract to work 30 hours a week, but I worked 35 and they paid me the di� erence cash-in-hand,” she said—a salary of 700 euros plus an unde-clared supplement of 120 euros.

� e tax collectors’ union Gestha says the vast black economy has for decades undermined Spain, the eurozone’s fourth-biggest economy.

It estimates the black economy equals about a quarter of Spain’s gross domestic product—or roughly a quarter of a trillion euros.

For Gestha, that makes Spain one of the � scal bad boys of Europe, along with Greece, Italy, Portugal and Poland.

Economists say the cash-in-hand habit is stron-gest in agriculture, building, domestic work, trade and tourism. AFP

B A Y R E U T H , G e r m a n y — T h e Bayreuth Festival, one of the hottest tickets in the world of opera, opened with a well-re-ceived new production of Richard Wagner’s op-era “Tristan and Isolde” on Saturday, which also won praise from German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

� e dark and pessi-mistic new reading of one of Wagner’s best-loved works by the composer’s 37-year-old great-granddaughter, Katharina Wagner, was greeted with cheers and generous applause at the end of the six-hour performance.

Merkel said she had “liked it very much”.

However, the mass-circulation daily Bild al-leged in its online edition that the German leader, a long-time regular in Bayreuth with her hus-band Joachim Sauer, had su� ered a dizzy spell and fainted brie� y during the � rst of the evening’s two intervals. AFP

Tackling Greece’s headache

M O N D AY : J U LY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

B8 cesAr bArriOqUiNtOE D I T O R

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Performance. Members of Spain’s DelReves Company perform the vertical dance show “Guateque” at the Reggia of Venaria in Venaria Reale, near Turin, on July 25. DelReves is a vertical dance company based in Barcelona since 2007. AFP

Arrival. Singer/songwriter Mariah Carey is interviewed as she arrives at 1 OAK Nightclub at the Mirage Hotel & Casino on July 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

world

Floods kill at least 10 in Myanmar

Tackling Greece’s headacheATHENS—It is just the headache Greece’s government does not need right now: how can it loosen the capital controls that are shielding its banks, but strangling the rest of the economy?

For the past month, Greece has been fi-nancially cut off from the rest of the world. It is almost impossible for most Greeks to take money out of the country, thanks to a raft of capital control measures put in place on June 29 amid fears of a catastrophic bank run.

For companies, the capital controls have meant waiting for a government commis-

sion to sign off on large bills owed to for-eign firms—a process that has slowed pay-ments so much that distrustful suppliers started asking to be paid in advance.

Bank of Greece chief Yannis Stournaras on Friday loosened the re-strictions to allow banks to approve companies’ foreign payments up to 100,000 euros ($110,000).

But people remain unable to open new foreign bank accounts, buy shares, or trans-fer large sums of money. Athens is tolerat-ing two main exceptions to the rules: Greek students abroad can receive 5,000 euros per quarter, while citizens having medical treatment in other countries can receive up to 2,000 euros.

Cash withdrawals were limited to 60 euros ($65) per day after Greeks emptied ATMs, worried for the safety

of their savings.Greek Economy Minister Giorgos

Stathakis warned on July 12 that it could be “several months” before it is deemed safe to lift the measures completely.

Announced in the throes of the crisis, when Greece appeared to be teetering on the brink of a chaotic eurozone exit, the capital controls were brought in with just one immediate concern in mind: protect the banks.

Some 40 billion euros have left the banks’ coffers since December. As the world waits to see whether Greece and its creditors can hammer out a bailout worth up to 86 bil-lion euros ($96 billion), staving off a pan-icked outpouring of the country’s cash re-mains a paramount concern.

According to Diego Iscaro, an economist at consultancy IHS, the problem with capi-

tal controls is that they are “easy to imple-ment but very difficult to lift”.

Or as Moody’s analyst Dietmar Hornung put it: “Confidence (in the banks) is lost quickly, but it takes time to restore it.”

Elsewhere in Europe, Iceland is a perfect example of this: the country is only now beginning to lift capital controls that have been in place since 2008.

Cyprus, too, has only just lifted the re-strictions introduced in 2013 when, nearly bankrupt, it was forced to impose a so-called “bail-in”, which saw people with large bank deposits lose a hefty chunk of their savings.

“Even Cyprus—with a government reso-lutely engaged in the reforms, a process which has gone well—took two years to come out of them,” said Frederik Ducrozet, an economist at Credit Agricole. AFP

YANGON—Floods triggered by torrential monsoon rain have killed at least 10 people in Myanmar in the last 48 hours, state media and offi-cials reported Sunday.

Six people were killed by flash floods on Saturday in Thabeikkyin, central Mandalay Region, the Ministry of Information said, while an-other three perished the same day in Thibaw, northern Shan State.

A 19-year-old boy also died in Muse, Shan State, on Friday, the ministry said.

State media Sunday said those killed in Thibaw were swept to their deaths as they stood watching rising flood-waters from a 100-year-old bridge that collapsed.

The Global New Light of Myanmar ran pictures of a pic-turesque stone bridge sliced in half by a raging brown torrent, and said rescue workers were dispatched to try and find the victims’ bodies.

Western and northern parts of Myanmar have been hit by heavy rainfall in recent days with some areas of Shan State,

a mountainous and particular-ly impoverished region, seeing as much as 170mm of rain in the last 24 hours.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said up to 12,000 hous-es have also been damaged in Sagaing Region and Kachin State during recent rain.

Myanmar is struck by an-nual monsoon rains that are a lifeline for farmers but can also prove deadly, with land-slides and flash floods a com-mon occurrence.

AFP

When you check the hashtag #lazybastard on Instagram you will be treated with photos after photos of “lazy bastards” (or basically

people and pets having a sluggish day), a couple of burgers, hotdogs and all things meat, and this red neon sign scribbled on a red brick wall that proudly declares, “Long live bacon.”

If you’ve been at the restaurant where this relatable motto is located, one of those bright red images is presumably yours. If it’s the first time you saw and heard about this, you’re probably curious; if you share the same sentiment, you’re most likely eager to check this place out.

Lazy Bastard is a fast-casual restaurant that offers “ridiculous” comfort food. And for many, comfort food means burgers, hotdogs, and other meat-filled sandwiches: carnivorous treats that are all being served up by this four-month-old burger joint so awesomely and proudly ridiculous.

All this awesomeness and ridiculousness are the brainchild of World Yoyo Champion and Groupon Philippines chief executive officer Patrick Cuartero. “[Long live bacon is] our battlecry.  It’s our mantra.  Bacon is flavor and bacon makes everything better.  We relate to it, and I think a lot of our guests and friends can relate to it as well,” says Cuartero, explaining the distinguished neon sign.

The fun that is all things bacon and grease can be found down in the basement in a secluded corner of one of Makati’s busy thoroughfares. If not for its eye-catching sign outside that says, “Bacon & Burgers This Way,” locating this food outlet would be quite a challenge.

But all hard work will be paid off once you arrive at the place.

Lazy Bastard evokes a natural New York vibe, and no wonder since Cuartero grew up in the Big Apple. How I Met Your Mother fans will be reminded of Ted Mosby and the gang’s favorite hangout MacLaren’s Pub while going down the stairs. The hole-in-a-wall burger joint, whose modest size might underwhelm some, is inspired by Cuartero’s favorite pubs and restaurants in New York – from the mood lighting, red brick walls, modern customized stools and tables, and snazzy fixtures and other details that are kept to a minimum.

“It’s tiny, but packs a big punch in flavor and awesomeness. We offer a vibe like no other, with no pretense and no frills. Just a chill place to have good comfort food,” says Cuartero.

Its straightforward and playful menu, written on a chalkboard, reveals that this joint is definitely not for the faint of heart (literally and otherwise), or anyone who has shunned meat. “Lazy Bastard is for people who love to eat or NEED to eat (for various reasons related to ‘going out’),” stresses Cuartero. In short, its doors are open to people who are hungry and looking for fast, filling and delicious food,

the inebriated and hung-over crowd who had spent the whole night partying or the tired customers who had a long and exhausting workday, and anyone who is curious and wants to grab a bite, New York-style.

According to Cuartero, the name of the restaurant occurred to him while watching a video of one of his favorite New York-based restaurateurs, Keith McNally, who talked about his furniture purchases and blurted out, “lazy bastards.” Also, “It’s named Lazy Bastard as we really think it’s the kind of food that will either turn you into a lazy bastard or when you are feeling lazy and want to feel better.”

And lazy is truly what you will be after a round of their burgers and hotdogs offered in big and juicy servings. “We offer the best, biggest, juiciest, 100 percent beef (no extenders) burgers cooked over a charcoal grill for a very different flavor that people are used to in a burger,” says Cuartero. “Honestly speaking though, we believe burgers should always be cooked over charcoal.

“Our hotdogs are also the best, (made of) 100 percent beef,” he adds. They also serve build-your-own breakfast sandwiches all day that you can stack as high as you want. And the cherry on top? Almost everything on the menu comes with a sinful serving of bacon, in its wrapped and sandwiched glory.

In this day and age when you can get burgers and hotdogs anywhere, Lazy Bastard is making a stand by doing away with all the unnecessary add-ons and sticking to the basics. To prove that they are a no-fuss, no frills, unpretentious restaurant, all food are served quite simply, no fancy presentation or whatnots. “Our food is not supposed to be fancy. We focus only on the core product and we like it that way. We serve unpretentious good food that is done well,” Cuartero stresses.

In the following year, Lazy Bastard is looking into adding more branches. Cuartero reveals that the public should expect six more Lazy Bastards opening soon. “We are hoping

we can find the right locations that can maintain the chill hole-in-a-wall vibe.”

Diners are also in for a surprise as inside this burger joint a door leads to its more refined and classic bar cousin, ABV (Alcohol By Volume), also owned by Cuartero in partnership with mixologist Lee Watson.

So if you’re looking for a place to grab a bite before heading out for drinks (or the other way around), you can find them in one place, down in the basement.

C1M O N D AY : J U LY 2 7 : 2 0 1 5

E AT, DRINK , T R AV EL

TATUM ANCHETAE D I T O RBING PARELA S S O C I AT E E D I T O RBERNADETTE LUNASW R I T E R

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LIFELONG LIVE BURGER, HOTDOG AND BACON!BY BERNADETTE LUNASPHOTOS BY SONNY ESPIRITU

Lazy Bastard is a burger joint inspired by New York pubs and restaurants that offers all things bacon and beef for the hungry, tired and hung-over customers.

For Lazy Bastard and ABV owner Patrick Cuartero, who grew up in New York, bacon makes everything better so he adds it to all the food he offers in his restaurant.

Inside Lazy Bastard is a door that opens up to ABV bar

Build-Your-Own Breakfast Sandwich and Kimchi Dog (served with Tater Bombs and Onion Rings on the side)

Bacon Cheeseburger

Dining at hotel restaurants is becoming a favorite activity among Metro Manila folks. And there are just so many options to choose from, each competing for our time and attention. There are also a lot of new hospitality establishments with compelling food-

and-beverage offerings opening all over the city, making the competition even stiffer.

Arguably one of the best hotel dining experiences up north (read: Quezon City) can be had at the Luxent Hotel. The South Triangle property has two restaurants: the Garden Cafe, where they serve an impressive buffet of “innovative fusion cuisine,” and the Lush Bar lobby lounge, where diners can enjoy am extensive menu of modern international dishes.

The latter is apparently quite a well-known destination in the area – a bustling commercial neighborhood teeming with nightlife hotspots and a diverse selection of food choices. When we visited the hotel, the Lush Bar was at capacity, which goes to show just how popular it is. But not

one to rest on its laurels, the Luxent Hotel is shaking up its a la carte menu just in time for a momentous occasion.

“In celebration of our third anniversary, Luxent Hotel will roll out a new, value for money a la carte menu featuring the world’s greatest cuisines as an upgrade on our existing F&B offering,” says sales and marketing director Mayette Sagales-Delfin. “Our chef ’s specialty is on international cuisine presented with a modern twist and we are thrilled that we are becoming popular among epicure guests for our choicest and delectable seafood dishes, pastries, and buffet offerings.”

We were able to sample all (yes, all!) the new menu offerings in advance and we’re happy to report that everything is a winner. It’s difficult to choose a single favorite, but a few dishes did stand out as absolute must-try’s. The ossobuco, for example, has that melt-in-your-mouth goodness while the shrimp cocktail salad is light and balanced. We also loved the sinfully indulgent grilled cheese and turkey ham sandwich, and the fresh Pan-Asian flavors of the crabmeat salad. These and more are available at the Lush Bar right now.

The Luxent Hotel is located at 51 Timog Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City. Check them out online at www.luxenthotel.com.

I met Marco C a p r a , the very c h e e r f u l , young and b r i l l i a n t winemaker-owner of his own eponymous

winery and vineyards, Marco Capra Azienda Agricola, in a dinner event in Alba, Italy. Marco’s ebullient persona includes his trademark bushy beard. “Capra” in Italian also means goat, and male goats are known for their beard, too. With his given last name, Marco sported his beard proudly to distinguish himself from the zillions of wineries and winemakers in Piedmont.

MARCO CAPRA WINERY IN SANTO STEFANO BELBOIn one of my free times during my Nebbiolo Prima stint, I decided to take the invitation of Marco Capra to visit his winery in Santo Stefano Belbo. Santo Stefano Belbo is a commune in the Province of Cuneo in the Piedmont region, located southeast of Turin and northeast of Cuneo – just 20 kilometers away from my hotel in Alba. It is one of the over 50 communes that can be classified as an Asti Spumante DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita).

According to Marco, 90 percent of all vineyards in Santo Stefano Belbo produces Moscato wines, of which 80 percent in his estimate could easily be Spumante, while the rest are non-sparkling still wines, under

Moscato d’Asti DOCG. As in the case of most families in the Piedmont wine country, Marco also has wine lineage in him that started with his grandfather, Capra Luciano, who went into the wine business in 1945. Marco’s father, Capra Tommaso, was also involved in the wine business, before young Marco came in and took over the winery named by his father after him in 1996.

While Marco Capra also does Moscato d’Asti like most of the local winemakers in the commune, Marco prefers to do more serious wines, and these include the methode Champagneois (metodo classico in Italian) extra brut sparkling wine, the Nebbiolo d’Alba, and the Barbera d’Asti Superiore. Marco is a firm believer that Piedmont wines can be far more than just Barolos and Barbarescos.

His Seitremenda extra brut sparkling wine is even confidently priced at close parity with French champagnes, and selling extremely well in the domestic market. Marco was also very pleased to pioneer the use of screw cap closures in the region. In 2009, Marco Capra was the first winery in the area to buy a screw cap machine in line with their export to North America.

CREATIVE MARKETING OF THE WINESMarco Capra is a loving dad, and his two children, Elisabetta aged four-and-a-half, and Riccardo aged two-and-a-half, are his inspirations. So when it came to labeling his newer wines, the Seitremenda metodo classico extra brut sparkling wine and the

first vintage of his Testanvisca Nebbiolo d’Alba wine, Marco went for an animated rendition of a girl and a boy in these labels, in reference to his kids. One of his marketing gimmicks is to create a Snakes and Ladder type board game containing the winemaking process. This board game, Il giuoco di seitremenda, comes free in every case of his Seitremenda metodo classico bubbly. Then the cap of the bubbly can be used as the token piece to be moved in the board game. On a personal note, I love the whole “kid” label and game board thing, but I find the concept a bit ironic given that kids are not allowed to drink alcohol, and yet they are the main feature in the label. But then again – this is after all Italy where kids traditionally get an early taste of wine.

C2MONDAY : JULY 27 : 2015

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SIP BY SIPBY SHERWIN A. LAO

THE GISTBY ED BIADO

The Goat Man of Piedmont Wines

Marco Capra at his eponymous winery in Santo Stefano Belbo.The 10-year-old San Marco Moscato d'Asti still has some life in the glass during tasting.

SUMPTUOUS HOTEL DINING UP NORTH

Mini Teriyaki Burgers, P400 Kickin Shrimp Cocktail Salad, P400 Grilled Cheese and Turkey Ham Sandwich, P600 Crab Meat Salad, P350

The Lush Bar lobby lounge

Continued on C3

Let’s pick up where we left off.

I wanted Tabby (my daughter, in case you missed last week’s column) to experience different

kinds of drinking environments, so the next day, we visited Ku De Ta. This is one of my all-time favorite beach bars in the world. As you enter, you get this sophisticated, for-adults-only vibe. The space exudes a polished, sexy feel that sets the tone for the libations that they offer: refined, exciting, engaging cocktails purrrrfect for the beach. We arrived late in the afternoon and took a spot right on the beachfront.

I ordered a cocktail to sip, and enjoyed the famed sunset. People actually applauded the setting sun. That’s how beautiful it is. It’s been several years since my last visit and I’m impressed by the fact that they have been able to maintain the high quality of their service, ambiance, food and beverages. Their cocktails are fresh, new and vibrant. The music they play is sexy beach house (thank god they don’t play EDM!!!), which adds to the very relaxed and chill atmosphere. This is definitely a place where you taste and savor every sip. Where you feel you have the luxury of time, as if someone pressed the slow-mo button. (Naks!)

I got the Berry Bellini from KDT. It was strawberry overload without it being overkill. There were different layers of flavors and textures that prevented it from being cloying and one note. It was one of those drinks that tastes exactly as it looks: yummy.

Potato Head Beach Club is the grander, successor of KDT; equally as chic and exciting for the cool set. Like they used to be the KDT regulars, but now with kids in tow. There are areas where kids can play, a large lawn spread in the middle of the property with a pool fronting the beach, and the air is more casual, with several dining and bar concepts housed in one roof. Their menu was executed well. I was so blown away by the selection of inspired cocktails and the creative illustrations of the cocktail menu (a more modern way to present cocktail menus); it’s inspired me to redesign our menus in my bar.

We’ve talked about the “where” of the drinking experience; it was time to explain the “what.” I believe (I am very sure a lot of you will agree) where and with whom you drink with is as important as what you drink. The place sets the tempo, the company provides the gusto, the drinks provide a full sensory experience. It’s a package deal. Appearance or presentation creates anticipation and the taste seals the deal. This, to me, creates pure joy; like a child set loose in a toy store.

The presentation of the drink matters because it sets the tone for the rest of the experience. In a way, your eyes taste it before your mouth does. Your sense of taste is actually the last to be involved. After your sight, your sense of smell is

the next one at bat, followed by touch (the glass where the drink is placed, the temperature of the drink on your lips and tongue). The only sense that doesn’t really get any action in the drinking ritual is hearing (unless it’s a drink that whistles, sizzles, crackles, or pops. Which takes the experience to another level).

Tabby got the Calypso while I sampled several drinks at Potato Head. Got the Queen of Bahia, Atomic Punch, Kupu-Kupu Batik and my favorite of the lot, the Kookaburra. The Kookaburra is an inspired creation. Six layers consisting of lemongrass infused gin, fresh mint, lime juice, vanilla sugar, and passion fruit and vanilla foam threw a party in my mouth. The foam gave subtle bursts that washed the drink down and left a wonderful aftertaste. If you listen to it closely, you can hear it pop as well. It is definitely one of those drinks that gave me that last satisfactory gulp and (I know this is a cliché) but it made me say “Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh.” You know what I mean. *wink*

As my daughter raised her drink to her lips, she closed her eyes to savor it, just like I taught her. She did this almost instinctively, like she feels the groove, the next step of the dance. She’s starting to get the hang of it; the flow of the drinking experience. My heart swelled.

Tabby looked around the beach club as she set her drink down. She had this look about her, nodded to herself, and then

gave me the nod of understanding. Like she finally got it. That this is why we like to drink.

I was able to share one of my favorite activities with my daughter. Not boozing or getting wasted, mind you (though getting at least a buzz can also feel good, that is not my goal; It’s just a bonus), but enjoying quality alcoholic beverages, the actual ritual of drinking (look, smell, sip, and savor), experiencing different kinds of moods that comes from the places where we drink, and engagement of the senses (among a host of other things).

But by far, the most important aspect of drinking is whom you’re drinking with. You can be drinking warm Red Horse in a shithole, but if you’re with your best buds, it can still turn out to be one of the best nights of your life. On the other hand, the finest, most glammed up bar/club/whatever-hipster-thing-they-want-to-call-now serving the current, innovative drinks would do nothing for you if you were surrounded by conceited, self-important as$#0!3&!

I’m one of the lucky ones, getting to drink great cocktails on the beach with a breathtaking view. The best part was that I was in excellent company.

C3LIFEMONDAY : JULY 27 : 2015

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TIPPLE TALESBY ICY MARIÑAS

BALI WHY? (Part 2)

CUSTOMARY TASTING NOTES:Marco Capra produces several wines, but given my time constraint I only got to try a handful, including a cellar stashed 10-year-old Moscato d’Asti.• Marco Capra Seitremenda Extra

Brut NV – made from traditional champagne grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; tropical fruit nose, very clean, yeasty, almonds, bread crumbs, crisp and dry, nice delicate fizz, with lingering cinnamon finish.

• Marco Capra Chardonnay 2014 Langhe DOC – peach, green apple, racy citrus, neat, clean and dry on a very fresh finish.

• Marco Capra Conna Nascetta 2014 Langhe DOC – an indigenous white varietal resurfacing more and more in the region lately as local vignerons are starting to take this grape more seriously; aromatic, grapefruit, lychee, herbaceous, supple and rich on the texture, yet quite quaffable and delectable on the finish.

• Marco Capra Testanvisca 2012 Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC – fruit forward, cherries, vanilla, medium-bodied, easy to drink style of a Nebbiolo – as compared to the much heartier Barolos and Barbarescos.

• San Marco Moscato d’Asti 2005 DOCG – this is the oldest Moscato (10 years old) I have ever drunk, as Moscato normally does not have high acidity to sustain aging. Under San Marco brand, instead of present Marco Capra label, this Moscato still has the Moscato nose, but less intense; grapey, plastic resin, longan, but on the taste, it appeared slightly watered down, though the natural sweetness surprisingly lingered and was present till finish.

Marco Capra is looking for an importer in the Philippines and other parts of Asia. The wines are reasonably priced with lovely packaging, and more importantly, the owner-winemaker has the charisma, talent and unforgettable goat beard to sell and promote his wines.

For interested parties, please contact Marco Capra directly at marco@marcocapravini.it, or visit their website at www.marcocapravini.it.

For comments, inquiries, wine event coverage, wine consultancy and other wine related concerns, please e-mail me at protegeinc@yahoo.com. I am a proud member of the Federation Internationale des Journalists et Ecrivains du Vin et des Spiritueux or FIJEV since 2010. You can also follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/sherwinlao.

THE GOATMAN OF PIEDMONT WINESFrom C2

Kookaburra cocktail

Cocktail menu illustrations

My daughter Tabby and I with Potato Head in the background.

A case of the Seitremenda sparkling wine comes with a game board, die and customized caps as tokens.

ILOCOS TOURISM

My friends and I had lunch recently with Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. who, even after the meal, kept us guessing whether he would join next year’s race for the highest position in the land. He also kept everybody in stitches when asked why his mother’s SALN showed a drop in her income by P5 million. “She probably bought more shoes,” was his reply.

What I found interesting during our conversation was his comment that he is pleasantly surprised that the Bangui Wind Farm in Ilocos Norte, which has 20 windmills arranged on a single row along a 9-kilometer shoreline, has become a favorite tourist destination of many locals. He put up these wind turbines to help with the required supply of electricity for Northern Luzon, with tourism farthest from his mind. As it turned out, tourists from other provinces and from as far as Mindanao include Bangui in their itinerary just to have their photos taken with these windmills in the background. Families residing nearby have benefitted from the tourists’ local expenditures, certainly a welcome treat for any town in our archipelago.

C4 LIFEM O N D AY : J U LY 2 7 : 2 0 1 5

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MERCURY RISINGBY BOB ZOZOBRADO

C h o s e n by Travel and Leisuremagazine in 2012 as the best island in the world, Boracay is still the most p o p u l a r

beach destination in the country. The island is blessed with powdery white sand beaches that can equal those of the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. For the sun lovers who always crave for that golden tan, this little island, two kilometers off the northwest tip of Panay, is still their favorite destination, especially because the beaches are lined with dozens of bars and entertainment places that foster all night long parties.

The island is also a favorite venue for elaborate launches of products and services that cater to the youth. Especially during the summer, there are always these events every day, much to the delight of the students and young professionals who take time out from school and work to fly or sail to this beach party capital.

However, while Boracay’s progress continues to grow by leaps and bounds, there is now a growing sentiment against this sand-sea-and-sky destination. In fact, I have a close friend who avoids it like the plague, even if she is given complimentary air tickets and luxury accommodations. She and a host of others no longer find it fun and relaxing to enjoy the glorious rays of the sun at the beach. They say the beach is littered with too many tourists, especially during peak hours in the morning and in the afternoon. They no longer enjoy the soothing sound of waves rushing to the shore.

Some say that going into town has become too hazardous and frustrating because there are just too many vehicles going in all directions, one has to be very careful crossing the road. Tricycle drivers display anarchy in the streets, much like how jeepney drivers rule the streets of Manila.

Some even comment about the town’s layout – there is no zoning and houses are practically on top of each other, as proven by a recent fire which gobbled up, in no time at all, many residences made up of light material. But the biggest concern a lot of people have is the town’s faulty (some even say, non-existent) waste disposal system which, many years ago, caused the hospitalization of several tourists who suffered diarrhea and

severe vomiting. This was due to ingestion of seawater with high concentration of coliform bacteria, which is found in human waste.

According to a May 2015 Report of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau in Western Visayas, the island’s coliform bacteria levels exceed safe standards. They reach 47,460 most probable number (mpn) per 100 millimeter (ml). The safe level in waters for swimming and other human contact activities is established at 1000 mpn/100ml. The island’s coral reef and marine life, which are also some of its attractions, are affected, too, by these elevated levels of coliform bacteria.

Although my friends at the Department of Tourism have assured me that this urgent problem is now being addressed by both the DENR and the Department of Health, there are still a good number of holiday seekers who are worried about their safety.

But I have to admit that I still enjoy Boracay because when I go there, I limit my water activities to the hotel’s swimming pool, and I don’t stray into town, unless the hotel driver takes me around in a rented air-conditioned car. I usually stay at the Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Spa because it has the widest beachfront among all the hotels and I enjoy walking along the beach at sunset and at nighttime, when it’s almost deserted.

That’s when I get to enjoy the sound of waves clashing on the shore, a most relaxing auditory stimulus for mature individuals like me.

Most of all, I still think that the party scene in Boracay is the best for any beach destination here in the country. There’s something about the island’s club scene that makes you want to be a part of it the whole evening. It could be the throbbing sounds dished out by the young DJs, or the fun party people having a great time, or the scantily clad denizens that come in droves to show what “the good life” is all about.

I would still hop over to Boracay any chance I’d get. After all, it’s not every day that I get to pretend I’m in my favorite Caribbean or Mediterranean destination, and not have to pay an arm and a leg for it. So, are you coming with me… for some sand, sea and sky?

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

BORACAY¼ SAND, SEA, SKY?

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE:

MOTHER AND SON CONVERSING THROUGH TEXT:Mom: Your grandmother just passed away. LOL.Son: Why is that funny?Mom: It’s not funny, David! What do you mean?Son: Mom, LOL means Laughing Out Loud.Mom: I thought it meant Lots of Love. I have to call everyone back.

A popular sand castle for tourists’ photo-op. A typical beach scene in Boracay.

The very wide beachfront of the Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Spa.

Boracay in the early ‘70s had pristine and unpopulated beaches.

Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

SHOWBITZC6i s a h r e d @ g m a i l . c o m

M ONDAY : J ULY 27 : 2015

ACROSS 1 Wade’s teammate 5 Orange pekoe 8 — -eyed 12 Delicate fabrics 14 Pull down 15 Excuse me! 16 Windy City airport 17 Narrow valley 18 Country-club fees 19 Reach an agreement (3 wds.) 21 Lily maid of Astolat

A N S W E R F O R P R E V I O U S P U Z Z L E

CROSSWORD PUZZLE MONDAY,

JULY 27, 2015

23 Say more 24 Opposite of post- 25 Tax-form ID 26 Beauty parlors 30 Dispense with 32 Alternate name 33 Jonquil 37 Feel like 38 Prove false 39 Enameled metal 40 The dark enchants them (2 wds.) 42 Redhead’s tint

43 All — Day (Nov. 2) 44 Rubicon crosser 45 Go-aheads 48 Kind of humor 49 1040 org. 50 Brunette to blonde switch (2 wds.) 52 Squirms 57 Old ruler of Venice 58 Safety agcy. 60 Take, as a course 61 Footnote abbr. (2 wds.) 62 Refusals 63 Bete — 64 Cinnamon goody 65 Underhanded 66 Oil barrel

DOWN 1 Cartel 2 Molokai neighbor 3 A word to kitty 4 Juno, in Athens 5 Statuesque 6 Before, in verse 7 Vampire writer (2 wds.) 8 Float ingredient 9 “Satchmo” Armstrong 10 Unwraps 11 Ruhr Valley city

13 Family cars 14 Hoople’s word 20 MS readers 22 Name in jeans 24 European capital 26 Cut, as logs 27 Jai — 28 Ding-a- — 29 Vows 30 Barriers 31 Helena rival 33 “Gunsmoke” deputy O’Brien 34 All boys 35 Arm bone 36 Char a steak 38 Kentucky whiskeys 41 Commotion (hyph.) 42 Expedite 44 Dernier — 45 More weird 46 Temple city of Japan 47 George of “Blume in Love” 49 — — only kidding! 51 Thicken 52 People in general 53 Clump of dirt 54 Next in line 55 Pantyhose shade 56 Flower holder 59 Sun, in Baja

Joel Edgerton, known for his unforget-table inhabitation of various characters such as the jealous pharaoh in Exodus, the beleaguered mixed martial arts fighter in Warrior and the philandering husband in The Great Gatsby, star anew in the upcom-ing drama thriller The Gift opposite Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall.

From the producers of Insidious, The Gift follows Simon (Bateman) and Robyn (Hall) as a young married couple whose life is going just as planned until a chance encounter with an acquaintance from Simon’s high school sends their world into a harrowing tailspin. Simon doesn’t recognize Gordo (Edgerton) at first, but after a series of uninvited encounters and mysterious gifts prove troubling, a hor-rifying secret from the past is uncovered after more than 20 years.

As Robyn learns the unsettling truth about what happened between Simon and Gordo, she starts to question: how well do we really know the people closest to us, and are past bygones ever really bygones? The Gift opens on Aug. 19 in cinemas from OctoArts Films.

Find out what’s inside the box on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDc-TOONMkU8&feature=youtu.be

Past beComes Present

Lack of time for each other is the main reason Jake Vargas and Bea Binene broke up. “Yes, during the latter stage of our relationship, we hardly found time to, at least, go out on a date, talk and have a good time together. Admittedly, I lacked the time for her. That’s why it resulted to our parting of ways,” he reveals. He rules out a third party to be the cause of their break-up. “Definitely, there’s nothing like that! I heard that rumor at the height of all these and I just laughed it off. For one, I loved Bea that much so having another girl is a far-fetched thought. It’s really about me not able to give her time. That’s the primary issue.” This development is heart-breaking for their sup-porters, who still hope for a possible reconciliation between

them in the coming days. “I know, but honestly, I want Bea and me to remain okay despite the change in our personal state,” reveals Jake. “I still consider her a dear friend. I just hate to receive flaks from bashers as if we’re enemies be-cause for me, we’re not.” Are they communicating af-ter their break-up? “Actually, it’s been a while since we last texted each other. But I went out of my way to con-tinue our communication right after we called it quits. I really exerted effort to text her during that initial stage. She used to reply to my messages although lately, she doesn’t anymore. Yes, until now, I still text her.” Getting a reply or not from his former lady love doesn’t really matter for Jake. “As long as she is able to read my messages, it’s fine with me. At least, I’m able to say what I want to tell her. If I get hurt if she doesn’t answer back? No, be-cause I know my messages reach her. That’s good enough for me.” And now, the $64 question: does he still love Bea?

“I’ll be a hypocrite if I’d say I don’t since it doesn’t fade away that fast or that easy. Of course, it’s still intact. Nothing has changed.” It appears that the Sunday All Stars mainstay is actually not closing his doors for an eventual reconciliation. “Of course! As I’ve said earlier, all I want is for the two of us to become okay. So, let’s see what’s in store for us in the future.” In his latest show titled Bue-na Familia, he is paired with Julie Ann San Jose. Kibitzers are curious if he will get devel-oped with her eventually. “I don’t know! Ha-ha-ha! Don’t you think it’s too early to think about that? As I see it, Julie’s a kind and fun girl to be with. She has sense of humor as well. I feel we’ll jibe easily. One thing more, my focus at this point is my job. I believe that love can wait,” ends Jake.

HHHHH

It’s no big deal for Kylie Padil-la being friends with former flame Aljur Abrenica. “It doesn’t mean that be-cause you’re no longer a cou-

ple, there’s already bad blood between the two of you. That’s OA (over-acting). Aljur and I, we still text and call each other until now. We ask how we’re doing respectively. That’s what’s important: we managed to become friends despite what happened,” she avers. Will she be ready if ever the Kapuso hunk will court her once again? “Oh, please! Ha-ha-ha! I cannot say something about that. At this point, work is my priority. I’m not saying that it’s a remote thing to happen since I don’t have the principle that if I left a boyfriend, I won’t rec-oncile with him again. I don’t believe in that. But as I’ve said, I don’t want to get distracted as of now when it comes to my career…not even by Aljur!” Working with her ex on a project is also not an issue for the lovely lass. “Of course, I’m open to that, especially now that I see Aljur enjoying acting better. He is more relaxed and has improved a lot. He is more passionate with his craft now,” Kylie states.

JOSEPh PEtER GOnZaLES

JakE VaRGaS LaCkS timE fOR LOVE

Jake Vargas says he lacks time for girls so he and Bea Binene broke up

Kylie Padilla says she's

friends with former

flame Aljur Abrenica

again

Aljur Abrenica welcomes Padilla as friends

Beware of gifts

SHOWBITZ C7i s a h r e d @ g m a i l . c o m

M ONDAY : J ULY 27 : 2015

ABS-CBN TVplus does not only pro-vide Filipinos a rich-er TV viewing ex-

perience. It can also aid them during disasters by providing them important information that will help save lives.

With the mahiwagang black box’s emergency broad-cast warning system (EBWS), ABS-CBN TVplus will serve a bigger role by issuing emer-gency warning messages to viewers and telling them what they should do when an impending earthquake hits. 

To help the public get pre-pared for the possibility of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, ABS-CBN TVplus has part-nered with the Metro Ma-nila Development Authority (MMDA) for the metro-wide earthquake drill on July 30.

During the drill, subscrib-ers of ABS-CBN TVplus will receive a warning message flashed on their TV screens and will deliver more infor-mation about the activity.

The EWBS is a feature readily installed in the Jap-anese standard for digital television. It is used in Japan, which is vulnerable to geo-hazards but has undertaken measures to mitigate their potential impact.

“We believe ABS-CBN can make a difference in helping the public become more in-formed and prepare for emer-gencies and disasters. We hope that our early warning broad-cast system can become an integral part of all government efforts to ensure the safety of the general public,” said ABS-CBN COO Carlo Katigbak.

“This is huge. Four hundred thousand black box holders will have necessary awareness of what will happen on July 30. This will be a great help to the general public, especially to those who are uninformed, untrained, and unaware of the significance of what will hap-pen. We assure you that even after a real quake occurs, the significance of this partnership will last,” said MMDA Chair-man Francis Tolentino.

The warning message will only flash when the TV is tuned in to ABS-CBN, ABS-CBN Sports+Action, as well as Cine-Mo, Yey!, Knowledge Channel, and DZMM TeleRadyo, the four free premium channels of-fered by ABS-CBN TVplus.

ABS-CBN TVplus is the first and only brand to of-fer EWBS, a premium pub-lic service feature that is only available on ABS-CBN TVplus boxes. 

ABS-CBN commercially rolled out ABS-CBN TVplus in February to prepare for the country’s switch to digital TV. It is the first TV network to offer the digital TV box in the country after having invested heavily in infrastructure and test broadcast activities in the past seven years.

HHHHH

NiNgNiNg to shiNe ANd give iNspirAtioNto viewers ABS-CBN’s newest drama series Ningning is all set to brighten and show the beau-ty of life to TV viewers as the upcoming show inspires ev-erybody to hope, dream, be-lieve and love starting today.

Kapamilya child actress Jana Agoncillo will portray the character in the series, which is from the makers of the hit day-time series Be Careful With My Heart and Oh My G.

From her remarkable por-trayal in the charming drama series Dream Dad, Jana will now give life to the character of Ningning a cheerful little girl who is full of hope, dreams, and love for her parents Lovely (Beauty Gonzales) and Don-don (Ketchup Eusebio).

How will Ningning’s col-orful world change when fate tests her family’s strength? Will they still be able to see the bright side amid all the problems they are facing?

According to the direc-tor of the program Jeffrey Jeturian, he is amazed with the kind of talent and intelli-gence that Jana possesses.

“Jana is a one of a kind star. The likes of her only come once in a blue moon. Because aside from being talented, she is very smart for her age. She knows what she’s doing and she always comes to the set prepared,” said Direk Jeffrey, who also directed Dream Dadand Be Careful With My Heart.

Meanwhile, aside from the feel-good story of Jana’s character, Ningning will also feature the beautiful town of San Vicente, Palawan where some of the scenes of the se-ries were taken. The program will also present the beautiful and jaw-dropping view of the

island, and the happy com-munity residing in it. 

Also joining Beauty, Ketch-up, and Jana in the series are some of the most talented artists in the industry such as Sylvia Sanchez, Vandolph Quizon, Nyoy Volante, Rommel Padilla, Mercedes Cabral, Pooh, and John Steven de Guzman. Nonie Buencamino and Franco Daza will also appear for their special participation.

HHHHH

KAye CAl Now rAdio listeNers’ fAvoriteSinger-songwriter and Star Music artist Kaye Cal is fi-nally breaking through as a solo music artist, now that her original composition “Isang Araw” has topped MOR 101.9 Biga10 for four weeks now.

“I want to give myself a tight hug and say ‘good job!’ I am really happy about it and at the same time grateful to those who have been constantly re-questing and voting for my song, especially my dear team-KAYECAL for showing their love and support in all ways possible,” she said.

Before that, the song had been on the chart for two months before steadily climb-ing to the top spot. From no. 10, it moved up to no. 9, then leaped to the second spot be-fore reaching first place.

Kaye is the former vocalist of Ezra Band, which received nationwide recognition when it joined the first season of Pilipinas Got Talent and be-came a grand finalist.

Kaye, a proud lesbian and member of the LGBT com-munity, also performed at the recently held MOR Pinoy Music Awards.

“Isang Araw” is one of songs in Star Music’s first OPM Freshcompilation album, which fea-tures up-and coming solo and group acts. It is still available at all record and video stores na-tionwide for only P199. Digital tracks can also be download-ed via leading record stores all over the country and in online music stores such as iTunes,Mymusicstore.com.ph, and Starmusic.ph.

For more information, vis-it Starmusic.ph or follow Star Music’s official social media accounts at Facebook.com/starrecordsphil, Twitter.com/starrecordsph and Instagram.com/Starmusicph.

ABs-CBN tvplus ACtivAtes emergeNCy wArNiNg BroAdCAst system

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino and ABS-CBN COO Carlo Katigbak

Jana Agoncillo plays Ningning in new series on ABS-CBN

Kye Cal's song is now on heavy rotation on

various radio stations

C8 ISAH V. REDE D I T O R

SHOWBITZ

M ONDAY : J ULY 27 : 2015

Another gripping drama is set to captivate the viewers of all ages as GMA Network presents the Afternoon Prime series Buena Fa-milia, premiering this afternoon.

The show aims to reflect every person’s struggle to provide for his or her family’s welfare and how good fortune is attained through one’s endeavor to live nobly.

Witness stellar performances as Buena Familia gathers a powerhouse cast among which includes the re-union of the hottest love team of the 90s—Bobby Andrews and Angelu de Leon. They will breathe life to the characters of Arthur and Bettina, which people see them as a perfect couple until Arthur gets involved in a pyramiding scheme which turned their affluence into a misfortune.

Very much affected with this are their four children—Celine, Darling, Edwin, and Faye—who are unaccustomed to hardships. These interesting characters are

given life by Kylie Padilla, Julie Anne San Jose, Julian Trono, and Mona Louise Rey.

Bringing their family into a deeper dilemma is Josephine, the former assistant who used to be the mistress of Arthur. Because of her hatred towards Arthur, she will plan a retribution that will lead Arthur’s family to far-reach-ing consequences. Portraying this challenging role is Sheryl Cruz.

To add more twists in the story are the characters played by Jake Vargas and Martin del Rosario.Jake plays Kevin, a songwriter who

will get close to Darling as she tries her luck in the music industry. Meanwhile, portraying the role of Harry is the award-winning actor Martin. Harry is a young busi-nessman who has an ax to grind against the family of Buena who caused him pain in the past.

Completing the cast are Jackie Rice, Ryza Cenon, Aicelle Santos, Mayton Eugenio, Mel Kimura, Lou Sison, and Ms. Tessie Tomas.

Buena Familia airs weekdays after The Half Sisters on GMA Af-ternoon Prime.

SHOWBITZSHOWBITZSHOWBITZSHOWBITZSHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED

‘BuEnA FAmIlIA’ pREmIERES tHIS AFtERnoon

the show aims to reflect every

person’s struggle to provide for his

or her family’s welfare and how good fortune is

attained through one’s endeavor to

live nobly

➜ Continued on C7

Jake Vargas Julie Anne San Jose Kylie Padilla Martin del Rosario

Mayton Eugenio Mona Louise Rey Angelu de Leon Bobby Andrews Tessie Tomas

i s a h r e d @ g m a i l . c o m