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Obama arrives, offers Philippines another warship

Voting 5-4,tribunaljunks bid todisqualify

VOL. XXIX � NO. 279 � 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 � wedNeSday : NOVeMBeR 18, 2015 � www.thestandard.com.ph � editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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Star Treksuits out,barongshirts in

Vietnam,PH signstrategicagreement

Poe in cloSe win

Arrival. US President Barack Obama arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday to attend the Apec Leaders’ Meeting in Manila after disembarking from Air Force One. Eric Apolonio

By rey E. requejo and Macon ramos-Araneta

BY a close 5-4 vote, the senate electoral Tri-bunal  on Tuesday  dis-missed the disqualifica-tion case filed against senator Grace Poe that sought to oust her from the senate for not being a natural-born Filipino.

Those who voted to dismiss the case were Senators Vicente Sotto III, Bam Aquino, Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar and Loren Legarda.

All three Supreme Court justices sitting in the nine-member SET—Associate Justices Antonio Carpio, Teresita Leonardo de Castro and Arturo Brion—as well as Senator Nancy Binay, daughter of Poe’s rival for the presidency next year, Vice President Jejomar Binay Jr., voted in favor of granting the petition against Poe filed by Rizalito David.

Following the vote, Legarda said that based on the ruling, Poe as a foundling is considered a natural-born Filipino citizen—a requirement for being a senator or the President.

“Yes there was a vote, it was a vote of 5-4, five dismissing the petition of Mr. David and four concurring with the petition of Mr. David. In short, five voted to uphold the natural born citizen-ship of Senator Grace Poe and four decided against it,” Legarda told reporters after the SET session at Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

Legarda said there was no of-ficial announcement yet, as David—a losing senatorial candi-date—may still petition the tribu-nal to reconsider the ruling.

Legarda said there was no lengthy discussion on the issue  Tuesday  as they had submitted their separate written opinions before the meeting.

By Andrew Beatty and Joyce p. pañares

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama  on Tuesday  offered the Philippines a warship as part of a $250-million aid package to Southeast Asian al-lies worried about Chinese efforts to control the South China Sea.

Obama made the pledges

aboard the Philippine Navy’s flag-ship, shortly after arriving in Ma-nila for a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders to also be attended by Chi-nese President Xi Jinping.

“My visit here underscores our shared commitment to the security of the waters of this region and to the freedom of navigation,” Obama said as he announced the assistance.

The offers were aimed at reassur-ing allies that the United States was committed to maintaining secu-rity in the region’s waters, following Chinese artificial island building in parts of the South China Sea.

China claims nearly all of the sea, a strategically vital waterway home to some of the world’s most important shipping routes.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Ma-laysia, Brunei and Taiwan have competing claims to parts of the sea, which is also believed to sit atop vast oil and gas resources.

China’s building of artificial islands close to the Philippines prompted the US to deploy a missile destroyer and B-52 bombers to the area in recent weeks.

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Poe...From A1

w e d n e s d AY : n O V e M B e R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

Territorial rows to dominate summit

The two-day Asia-Pacific Eco-nomic Cooperation summit will begin  Wednesday  under the global shadow cast by last week’s jihadist rampage in Paris that killed at least 129 people.

While the 21-member Apec group’s mission is to promote trade, the leaders will undoubt-edly discuss the events in the French capital and efforts to counter the Islamic State group, which has claimed responsibil-ity for the carnage.

Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping and a host of other leaders arrived in Manila from Turkey, where they attended a summit of the Group of 20 top economies that also focused heavily on IS and how to destroy the jihadist network.

Islamic State leaders “will have no safe haven anywhere,” Obama said at the G20 summit, vowing a ruthless pursuit of the group.

The member-economies of Apec condemned last Friday’s terrorist attack in Paris, and called for a “unity of nations and peoples” to bring the perpetra-tors to justice.

“There was a common re-frain from the foreign minis-ters in terms of the Paris at-tacks... There was a call for unity of nations and peoples and there was additionally a call for bringing to justice those who perpetuated the horrific developments in Paris last Friday,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a briefing on Tuesday.

“Each minister who spoke started with the commentary on the terrorist attacks in Par-is. I think that is the common refrain—these were personal expressions of sympathy and condemnation,” Del Rosario said.

“Everyone who spoke, spoke the same language,” he added.

The authorities, which had already deployed more than 20,000 police and soldiers for the summit, said security had been ratcheted up even higher because of the Paris attacks.

Parts of the chaotic capital of 12 million people have been brought to a standstill this week to ensure security for the leaders, with key roads closed, barricades erected and a deliberately visible presence of security forces.

Another sensitive issue this week will be China’s recent ef-forts to assert control over the South China Sea, which is home to some of the world’s most im-portant shipping lanes.

The other claimants are Apec members Vietnam, the Philip-pines, Malaysia, Brunei and Tai-wan.

The Philippines, one of Chi-

na’s most vocal critics in the row, has promised to be a “per-fect host” to Xi.

But while keeping the dispute off the official Apec agenda, President Benigno Aquino III appears to be using the sum-mit as an opportunity to firm up alliances aimed at countering China.

Obama’s first public function in Manila will be to tour the Philippine Navy’s flagship ves-sel, the US-made Gregorio del Pilar, which is providing Apec security in Manila Bay.

Obama’s aides had previously said Obama would tour the ship to showcase American commit-ment to providing maritime se-curity in the region.

The US president is also due to give a speech to a pre-summit forum on Wednesday morning, which his aides have said would address maritime security, a term commonly used in refer-ence to sea rows.

China’s building of artificial islands in parts of the South China Sea close to the Philip-pines had already prompted the US military to deploy a missile destroyer and B-52 bombers to the area.

The Philippines, which has one of the weakest militaries in Asia, has in recent years sought to draw longtime ally the United States into the dispute as a pro-tector against China.

Aquino and Vietnamese Pres-ident Truong Tan Sang are also set to oversee on Tuesday after-noon the signing of a bilateral strategic partnership that will deepen defense ties.

The Philippines and Vietnam have been brought closer in re-cent years by their shared con-cerns over China, with the im-minent strategic partnership the most significant development.

Any focus on the South China Sea in the Philippines will irk China, which has insisted the Apec forum should stick solely to trade issues.

It has also repeatedly said the United States has no role to play in the dispute.

Also on Tuesday, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged military and police officials to intensify efforts to neutralize at-tempts by Malaysian militants hiding in Mindanao to form an official faction of the Islamic State.

He aired the call in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris and reports in the Straits Times saying militants aim to bring together to the fold of ISIS terror groups in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines including the Jemaah Islamiah and the Abu Sayyaf. With Macon Ramos Araneta

China was almost certain to react angrily to Obama’s announcement, as it insists the United States has no right to involve itself in disputes over waters that are far away from US coasts.

China had also repeatedly called for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which starts  on Wednesday, to focus exclusively on trade and not be distracted by the rows.

In Beijing just before the US an-nouncement, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin warned the other claimants that China could take control of the islands they occupy.

“The Chinese government has the right and the ability to recover the is-lands and reefs illegally occupied by neighboring countries,” Liu said.

The Philippines, which has one of the weakest militaries in Asia and is the most vocal critic of China’s actions in the sea, will receive the most sup-port under the US package.

Obama said the Philippines would get a decommissioned US Coast Guard cutter to be turned into a new warship that will “bolster the navy’s ability to conduct long-endurance patrols.”

He said the Philippines would also get a research vessel to help map its territorial waters, while vowing US commitment to defend its longtime ally was “ironclad.”

The Philippines will receive a record $79 million in assistance to

bolster maritime security this fi-nancial year, the biggest recipient in Southeast Asia, the White House said.

“This will be a significant contri-bution for our maritime security ca-pability,” Philippine Defense Depart-ment spokesman Peter Galvez said.

Vietnam, a former US enemy that has also spoken out strongly against China’s regional assertiveness, will get $40.1 million in aid over this financial year and next, according to a White House statement.

Indonesia, which is not a claimant but has asked China to clarify its po-sition in the sea, will get nearly $20 million to help “protect its maritime areas.”

Malaysia, where Obama will travel to  on Friday  for another regional po-litical summit, will receive $2.5 mil-lion worth of maritime security aid.

The Philippines and Vietnam also signed  on Tuesday  in Manila a stra-tegic partnership to deepen security ties, cementing an alliance built partly on their concerns over China.

Japan  on Tuesday  said it will not join the United States-led “freedom of navigation” patrols in the South Chi-na Sea aimed at addressing China’s massive reclamation projects in the disputed areas.

Japanese deputy press secretary Koichi Mizushima said Tokyo has “the same position” as the US but it has no plan of sending its own vessels to patrol the contested waters.

“We have no plan to join the op-erations although we support the US activities because we believe the US is

taking a lead role in order to achieve peace and security in the region...Our position is similar—that rule of law should be observed by any country, especially that China has been con-ducting large-scale reclamation. Even if China says ‘we will stop here,’ we cannot accept that. This changes the status quo,” Mizushima said.

“Japan, the US and the Philip-pines share the idea that no unilateral change by force or coercion should be allowed,” he added.

During the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed three principles to address the maritime conflict in the region, namely claims should be based on international law; no coun-try should resort to force or coercion; and any dispute should be resolved in a peaceful manner.

Mizushima underscored the im-portance of building the defense ca-pability of the Philippines to ensure stability in the region.

The visiting official said Japan and Philippines will firm up a defense equipment supply agreement dur-ing a bilateral meeting between Abe and President Benigno Aquino III  on Thursday  on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

“We are working very hard in doing our homework to start the negotia-tions. Japan has strict rules in export-ing defense equipment and in order for us to export or share technology with other countries, we need to have a legal arrangement first,” he said.

She said Carpio, chairman of the SET, merely asked the members to vote on the complaint after lunch.

If David files an appeal, Legarda said, the SET would have to decide on it before the deadline for the printing of ballots,  Dec. 10.

Poe welcomed the SET decision, saying it sent a strong message that the Philippines considers itself a part of the global community that respects international law that recognizes a foundling as a citizen of the country where he or she was found.

She also expressed her gratitude to her five colleagues in the Senate who voted against her disqualification.

“I want to thank from the deep-est part of my heart those who stood for justice, those who stood for the abandoned children and foundlings. Thank you so much Senator Tito Sotto, Senator Loren Legarda, Senator Cynthia Villar, Senator Bam Aquino and Senator Pia Cayetano. This was not only my personal victory but also the victory of everyone who hopes the country can still be improved,” Poe said.

She also said she was pleased that Aquino, who is a member of the rul-ing Liberal Party and the campaign manager of its vice presidential can-didate Rep. Leni Robredo, voted based on the basis of his beliefs and not par-ty politics.

But Poe acknowledged there was still a tough fight ahead, given the many petitions filed against her with the Commission on Elections.

Poe, who learned of the SET decision on the way to the University of Per-petual Help System in Biñan, Laguna, smiled as she alighted her vehicle to greet students who chanted her name.

“Thank you. I thought I would be missing you,” she also told reporters who joined her for her Laguna events.

Poe then proceeded to the venue where she and her running mate, Senator Francis Escudero, and some senatorial bets held a dialogue with the students.

During the dialogue, Poe told the

crowd she would not forget the Uni-versity of Perpetual Help System be-cause this was the place where she received the good news about the SET decision.

Earlier that day, while in Calam-ba, Laguna, Poe shed tears when she spoke about her disqualification case.

“This day is a significant one. To-day, the SET will decide if they will disqualify me as senator,” she told Ca-lamba residents.

David scored the senator-judges who voted against his petition by rec-ognizing Poe’s rights as an adopted child.

“The question was constitutional. It was of a legal nature, yet they decided along political lines. It was quite ob-vious that the decision was based on political accommodation because it’s quite hard for fellow senators to kick out their colleagues by that way,” Dav-id told The Standard in an interview.

He said the senators were washing their hands of the issue because the Supreme Court would “definitely” disqualify Poe.

David, who filed several petitions before the Senate Electoral Tribunal and the Commission on Elections on the grounds questioning Poe’s natural-born status and residency, said that he already expected an unfa-vorable result to his petition from the senator-judges.

“I’ve heard that Senator Villar has already expressed her opinion that she will vote for Poe on a political basis. I already anticipated this. It’s really sad, because our senators should have [rec-ognized] the law before anyone else,” David said.

Earlier, Villar told a radio interview she would use fairness as the basis for her vote.

“Not all of us are lawyers. So some of us will vote for what we think is fair,” she said.

On the other hand, David lauded the decision of the three justices of the Supreme Court, who all voted for Poe’s removal from the Senate.

He said this was a positive develop-ment, since he plans to appeal the SET decision before the Supreme Court on the basis of the “grave abuse of discre-tion” on the part of the senator-judges

who voted to dismiss his petition.“We have to follow the Constitu-

tion,” David said. “It’s clear that aside from her being a naturalized citizen because she is a foundling, we have to question her residency.”

“I think the Supreme Court will vote to affirm my petition,” he added.

Officials of the ruling Liberal Party and the opposition United Nationalist Alliance said they saw a tightly con-tested presidential race with frontrun-ner Poe still the contender to beat.

But they also said Poe still faced many legal hurdles.

“The SET has already decided on the matter. The Vice President [Je-jomar Binay] enjoins everyone to re-spect the decision,” said Rico Quicho, UNA spokesman.

“Poe’s legal battle is far from over as it is expected that a motion for re-consideration would be elevated to the Supreme Court,” said LP spokesman Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone.

“I congratulate presidential con-tender Senator Grace Poe... This is democracy at work and allows for a more interesting battle for the presi-dency,” said House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., LP vice chairman and campaign manager of the party’s tan-dem of Manuel Roxas II and Robredo.

“We all look forward to a healthy presidential campaign based on per-formance and platforms rather than mudslinging and character assassina-tion of contenders, so that our voters are allowed to make informed and in-telligent choices on who best can lead our nation,” Belmonte added.

LP campaign spokesman and Ma-rikina Rep. Miro Quimbo said the SET decision clearly established that the LP was not part of any conspiracy to have Poe disqualified, as some par-ties have been saying.

“The lone LP member of the SET, Senator Bam Aquino, voted in her fa-vor. It was Senator Bam’s vote that be-came decisive in her favor. This only underscores LP’s strong belief that Secretary Mar [Roxas] will win next year’s elections not on the weaknesses of his opponents but on the strength of his experience and untainted repu-tation,” Quimbo said. With Christine F. Herrera and Maricel V. Cruz

Obama...From A1

By Andrew Beatty and Joyce Pangco Pañares

US PreSident Barack Obama and other Asia-Pacific leaders arrived in the Philippines  tuesday  for a summit meant to foster trade unity but with terrorism and territorial rows likely to dominate.

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Meeting in Quezon City. President Benigno Aquino III delivers a speech during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Small and Medium Enterprises Summit at the Green Sun-Arts/Creative Hub in Quezon City. MalaCañang Photo Bureau

lightning rally. Anti-riot police confront members of the League of Filipino Students during a lightning rally against the Apec meetings on Roxas Boulevard on Tuesday. lino SantoS

Star Trek suits out, piña shirts in

This time, Aquinoblamesjudiciary

Philippines, Vietnam signstrategic partnership pact

By Joel guinto

STAR Trek suits are out and pineapple shirts are in as the Philippines seeks to keep the world’s most powerful lead-ers off the list of global sum-mit fashion train wrecks.

Boldly ignoring the ridi-cule leveled at past costumes, the Philippines is continuing the spotty tradition of dress-ing the heads of the Asia-Pa-cific Economic Cooperation nations in the host country’s national garment.

Filipino designer to the stars Paul Cabral labored for four months creating a tradi-tional barong shirt for each of the 21 Apec leaders, embroi-dered with individual sym-bols of their country.

The shirts, semi-sheer and partially made from pineap-ple fiber, will be worn at the

summit opening in Manila on Wednesday.

But shaking off the Apec red carpet’s reputation as a worst-dressed parade will be a tall order for Cabral if past attempts are anything to go by. 

Last year, the tunics worn by the leaders in China went viral on the Internet for re-sembling Star Trek uniforms.

In the aftermath of the glo-bal financial crisis in 2008, the ponchos worn by the leaders in Peru were ridiculed as potato sacks, while global power players looked visibly uncomfortable two years ear-lier as they shuffled onto the stage for a photo-op wearing Vietnam’s ao dai tunics. 

The tradition harks back to 1993 when US President Bill Clinton put his Apec col-leagues in leather bomber

jackets—the kind worn by World War II fighter pilots.

The barong tagalog holds a special place in a Filipino man’s closet, reserved for special events like weddings. It also serves as his burial shroud.

The cloth is made from the hard, spiked leaves from the pineapple’s crown, which are pounded and dried.

For the leaders’ shirts, Cabral mixed it with silk to make it more comfortable.

“This summit is the best showcase for the barong and for Filipino talent,” Cabral told AFP at his atelier in Ma-nila as he marked the fin-ished garments for delivery to the presidential palace.

“The whole world is your audience, nothing can be more grandiose than that.” aFP

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday again blamed the courts for what he claimed their slow action on the corruption cases pend-ing with them.

He said the govern-ment’s anti-corruption efforts would be more effective if the courts acted more swiftly in sending wrongdoers to jail.

“We have three branches of government, and what I tell the Exec-utive which I hold is that the key to the corruption fight is not the ability to file cases against some-body but actually send-ing somebody to jail,” Aquino told CN’s An-drew Stevens.

“If we can remove this belief that you can get away, literally, with mur-der then we will have achieved something. But you know, we are expecting some major decisions on cases that have been pending.

Aquino cited the Con-stitution and said once a case was submitted for resolution, the Supreme Court had a maximum of two years to decide on that particular case.

He said the slow courts were also affect-ing the government’s infrastructure projects as those were being de-layed by the long litiga-tion process.

“For instance, they are not able to give a re-straining order against obstruction,” Aquino said. Sandy araneta

THE Philippines and Vi-etnam on Tuesday signed a joint strategic partner-ship agreement at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Coop-eration meeting that will boost their cooperation in several areas, including defense and maritime se-curity, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said the accord, the Philippines’ third after the United States and Japan, was signed by President Benigno Aquino III and Vietnamese President Troung Tan Sang.

In a press briefing at the Interna-tional Media Center at the World Trade Center, Jose said the part-nership will upgrade Vietnam’s relationship with the Philippines to a higher level, particularly in the field of security where both coun-tries can intensify military ex-changes, port visits, information-

sharing and joint activities.The Philippines and Vietnam

are both claimants to certain areas in the South China Sea, as are Tai-wan, Malaysia, Brunei and China.

Jose said the agreement will send a strong signal that smaller claimant countries can bond to-gether to boost their collective strength in confronting China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

However, Foreign Affairs maintains that the agreement is not aimed at China but at boost-ing the Philippines’ relations

with Vietnam. China claims almost 90 percent

of the South China Sea under its so-called nine-dash line map and the cluster of islands, reefs and at-olls further south that’s called the Spratlys.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Sec-retary Albert del Rosario said the territorial dispute in the South China Sea will not be discussed during the Apec leaders’ meeting.

“Apec is about economic meth-ods. It is not the proper forum to discuss the issue,” Del Rosario said. Vito Barcelo

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Estradadeniespovertycover-upBy John Paolo Bencito

MANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada denied on Tues-day that the clearing of homeless people from city streets was meant to white-wash poverty and claimed that he only meant to “res-cue” the homeless from the dangers of the streets.

Estrada made the re-marks as he visited the Manila-owned Boys’ Town complex in Marikina City to check on the families who were picked up from Manila streets ahead of the arrival of foreign dignitar-ies for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit.

“What will [these for-eigners] say to our coun-try? That Filipinos are gravely hungry, sleeping on the street? Of course we won’t let that happen so we’ll clean up the streets,” Estrada said, stressing that it was part of a continuing city activity.

“It just happened that we rescue people all the time, not just during Apec,” Es-trada said.

“What’s more important is that we protect the im-age of the country, there will be foreigners who will visit us here... This is our country. We need to pro-tect the image of our coun-try,” the mayor added.

“Even before the Apec, the city social welfare devel-opment department are al-ready doing efforts to [keep streets scot-free from street dwellers],” said Boys’ Town administrator Jean Ramos.

She said the rescued street dwellers, counting 205 as of yesterday, “were all provided with educa-tion, livelihood trainings as such.”

Malacañang apologizes for bad traffic situation

“We would like to ask for an apology and understanding from the public for the security meas-ures implemented that eventually caused them to walk to their des-tinations near the venues of the [Asia-Pacific Economic Summit],” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.

“We hope that the public would understand the importance of this significant meeting that would

bring benefits to the future of the country,” Coloma said.

The idea to close major thor-oughfares was adopted by the MMDA, led by its chairman Emerson Carlos, PNP chief Ricardo Marquez and Secretary to the Cabinet Jose Rene Almen-dras last monthwhere they dis-cussed the government’s security and traffic plans for the four-day Apec meeting.

By Sandy Araneta and Joel E. Zurbano

MALACAÑANG apologized on Tuesday for the horrendous traffic situation in Metro Manila that caused many Filipinos to walk considerable distances to get a ride to their destinations.

Almendras appealed to the public for understanding for the inconvenience because Apec del-egations have their own security protocols. “That protocol is some-thing we have to give to them when they come here,” he said.

Heavy traffic continued to plague areas near the venue of the Apec summit in Manila as authori-ties closed major thoroughfares on Tuesday morning while vehicles on streets that were open had to be stopped for at least 30 minutes as the motorcades of Apec delegates passed by.

More roads were closed on Tues-day to give way for the arrival of world leaders and delegates.

The Metro Manila Development Authority ordered the closure of

Ayala Avenue to Edsa Extension, all lanes of Ayala Tunnel and both directions of Quirino Avenue around 11:25 a.m.

The other roads affected were the Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) and the Coastal Road in Parañaque City.

The MMDA and the National Police-Highway Patrol Group also implemented a truck ban on south route from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. complementing the total closure of both lanes of Roxas Boulevard since Monday.

The MMDA and HPG per-sonnel also activated the Apec lanes along Edsa for the exclu-sive use of vehicles of foreign and local delegates coming from the cities of Pasay, Makati and Mandaluyong.

Airlines admit Apec lossesBy Joel E. ZurbanoPHILIPPINE Airlines cancelled 699 flights resulting in losses amounting to $18.7 million during the first two days of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation event this week, an airline spokesper-son said Tuesday.

“The loss revenue as a result of the cancellation of flights within Apec week reached $18.75 million. Our revenues per day, on a full run, is $7.5 million if we fully operate 260 plus flight a day,” said Villaluna in a radio interview.

She, however, said the long term ben-efits of Apec in the country “outweigh these losses.”

The flag carrier and other airlines announced last week the cancellation of Nov. 16 to 20 scheduled domestic and international flights to give way for the arrival and departure of heads of states participating in the Apec Sum-mit in Manila.

On the said schedules, 115 affected PAL domestic flights are—to and from

Davao, Legazpi, Caticlan, Davao, Bu-suanga, Cebu, Dipolog, Cagayan de Oro, Naga, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa, Kalibo, Iloilo, Zamboanga, Laoag, Du-maguete, Tuguegarao, Tagbilaran and General Santos.

More than 90 international flights were also cancelled: between Manila and Tokyo, Xiamen, Nagoya, Sydney, Jinjiang, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Hono-lulu, Saigon, Beijing, Taipei, Busan, Seoul, Dammam, Jakarta, Fukuoka and Narita.

The cancellation came after the Ma-nila International Airport Authority issued an advisory that there will be periodic temporary runway closures at the Ninoy Aquino International Air-port during the arrival and departure of Apec delegates.

In its advisory, the PAL management sought understanding from affected passengers, stressing the need to give way to the arrival and departure of Apec leaders during which runway clo-sures will be in effect.

Christmas colors. Poinsettias are ready for the selling in the Cordillera region as producers in Baguio City and Benguet put out plants that will sell from P250 to P800. DAVID CHAN

Strategic partner. Vietnam President Truong Tran Sang and his wife Mai Thi Hanh wave to welcomers at the Ninoy Aquino, International Airport after they arrived for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Summit starting today. DANNY PATA

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Justice junks cases vs INC for lack of proof

4 new CA justices namedBy Rey E. Requejo

Malacañang has appointed four new associate justices of the court of appeals.

In separate  transmittal  letters sent to chief Justice Maria lourdes aranal-Ser-eno, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. informed her that President Benigno aqui-no has appointed four new ca magistrates, namely: Marikina Regional Trial court Judge geraldine Fiel-Macaraig, Makati city RTc Judge Perpetua atal-Pano,  Ma-nila city RTc Judge Ruben Reynaldo Roxas and  lawyer gabriel Robeniol.

The new magistrates will be assigned in the ca Mindanao, particularly in ca-gayan de Oro where the appellate court is located.

Macaraig was a Judicial Excellence awardee during her stint at the Regional Trial court, Branch 192, Marikina city wherein she received the chief Justice Jose abad Santos award in 2012.

In 2001, Fiel-Macaraig was appointed to the Judiciary as Presiding Judge of the Branch 192 of the Marikina Regional Trial

court. From 2005-2007, she served as Vice Executive Judge of the station and was eventually chosen as Executive Judge for two terms, from 2007-2011.

atal-Pano started her career in the Su-preme court as attorney before entering the judgeship at the Makati Metropolitan Trial court, while Robeniol is currently a law professor of the University of Santo To-mas college of law and a law practitioner.

The Judicial and Bar council shortlist-ed 14 names for the four vacant positions in the ca out of 52 applicants.

The seven-member council, which is constitutionally mandated to screen  and vet nominees to the President for vacant posts in the judiciary  and the Offices of the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, is headed by  chief Justice Sereno, with ex-officio members, namely Senator  aquilino Pimentel III and Iloilo Rep. niel Tupas and Justice Secretary Benjamin caguioa.

Retired Sc Justice angelina Sandoval-gutierrez is the head of the Executive  committee and represents the Retired Sc Justice Sector.

By Sandy Aranetaand Vito BarceloaMID the Moro and commu-nists insurgencies besetting the country, the Philippines has offered to help colombia on its peace talks with a rebel group, Malacañang said yesterday.

President Benigno aquino III made the offer to colom-bian President Juan Manuel Santos during a courtesy call in Malacañang ahead of the asia-Pacific Economic coop-eration summit scheduled on  nov. 18 and 19.

Santos will be attending the apec summit as an observer but expressed interest in hav-ing his country become a member of apec.

“For us to get into apec is a priority and I hope my

presence here will help,” Santos said later in a brief-ing with journalists at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

“President aquino congrat-ulated President Santos on significant developments in columbia’s peace process and negotiations with the Revolu-tionary armed Forces of co-lombia and expressed good wishes on scheduled signing of final agreement in 2016,” communications Secretary Herminio coloma Jr. said.    

“He [aquino] offered Phil-ippines’ assistance and advice in the peace process, if need-ed,” said coloma. 

“The two leaders noted their countries’ common con-cerns on combating illegal drug trade and drug abuse. like colombia, Philippines is

taking steps to improve peo-ple’s quality of life by bringing social opportunities closer to them, thus channeling their energies to legitimate sources of income,” coloma said. 

aquino shared the Philip-pines experiences with such programs as 4P’s, condition-al cash Transfer and   Phil-Health universal health care, to address poverty issues that previously bred insurgency, noting common challenges faced by both countries, co-loma said.

Santos, on the other hand,   offered colombia’s   knowl-edge and experience in anti-insurgency and anti-illegal drugs campaign, citing dec-ades-long fight in these two fronts. 

Santos also said colombia is

looking up to the Philippines as a vital resource in adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change. 

aquino said that the Philip-pines will share learnings and best practices in rebuilding and establishing disaster re-siliency.    

aquino likewise thanked   Santos for accepting invi-tation to participate in the apec-Pacific alliance infor-mal conversation.

aquino noted that efforts and initiatives of colombia to become a part of apec will materialize soon, coloma said.

Santos’ visit was the first by a colombian leader since the Philippines and colombia es-tablished bilateral relations in 1946.

PH offers ‘2 cents’ on Colombia peace bid

President Benigno S. Aquino III exchanges pleasantries with Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos who pays a courtesy call at the President’s Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (Nov. 17, 2015). MAlAcAñAng Photo BuREAu

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 Tarmac on board a Canadian Air Force jet.

By Rey E. Requejo

The Department of Justice has dismissed the criminal complaints filed against leaders of Iglesia Ni Cristo for lack of probable cause.

In two separate resolutions dated nov. 13, 2015,  the DoJ dismissed the complaints of former Inc minister Isaias Samson and former member Jose norlito Fruto against respond-ents lawyer glicero Santos Jr., Radel cortez, BienvenidoSantiago Sr., Mathusalem Pareja, Rolando Esguer-ra, Eraño codera, Rodelio cabrerra and Maximo Bularan Jr. 

The resolution was approved by Pros-ecutor general claro arellano upon the recommendations made by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore Vil-lanueva, along with asst. State Prosecu-tors Olivia Torevillas and Mark Roland Estepa.

In ruling against the complainants, the fiscals ruled that the respondents could not have been liable for grave coer-cion when they were accused of compel-ling Samson to admit that he was Ebang-helista and naming other ministers who gave information used in the blog.

“complainant Isaias failed to offer proof that he was compelled to do some-thing against his will when he was alleg-edly forced by respondent to execute a written statement admitting his culpa-bility and complicity in the Ebanghelista blog. The record is bereft of any proof that indeed the subject statement exists,” the resolution stated.

The DoJ prosecutors noted that Samson “failed to offer an iota of evidence” on the matter of intimida-tion on confiscation of his passport, service vehicle, laptop, cellphone and other personal effects.

“There is nothing in the recitation of facts made by complainant which show that respondents resorted to threat, vio-lence and intimidation when the said ar-ticles were taken allegedly upon orders of the Sanggunian,” they stressed.

“The element of force, threat and in-timidation” was also “wanting” in rela-tion to Samson’s complaint for the sup-posed forcible entry into his residence,” the DoJ prosecutors said.

They noted that Samson and his fam-ily members were not present at the time of the alleged forcible entry of their resi-dence.

charges of illegal detention and re-straint on their liberty were found not to have been “coupled with threat, violence and intimidation,” with the DoJ repeat-edly stressing that “there is no evidence” of physical harm or any form of intimi-dation against Samson or members of his family.

The investigating prosecutors also found Fruto’s complaint lacking of prob-able cause for illegal arrest, arbitrary de-tention and violation of abode.

Fruto’s charges of robbery were dis-missed because he was not even in his house when the alleged robbery was committed.

On Fruto’s allegations that Inc of-ficials were bent on silencing and harassing him through the filing of a string of criminal charges, a number of which were already pending in court, the DoJ emphasized that these were “already subject of judicial pro-ceedings,” and Fruto’s claims of har-assment should be raised as a matter of defense in the proper courts when they are being heard.

A6

10 more aviation cops sacked over ‘bala’ mess

Among those relieved were Avseg-roup-NCR chief investigator Eugene Juaneza, Chief Insp. Adriano Junio, and Senior Police Officers Romy Na-varro and Rolando Clarin.

Eight other members of the Avse-group assigned to the Naia Terminal 3 were also relieved and placed under investigation.

Avsegroup spokesman Vicente Castor said those relieved were transferred temporarily to their main headquarters pending the

investigation initiated by the De-partment of Justice.

“This is a command decision in support of the ongoing investigation to determine the truth behind this,” he said.

Avsegroup-Metro Manila chief Se-nior Supt. Ricardo Layug Jr. was also relieved last week amid the contro-versy. He was replaced by former Las Pinas City police commander Senior Supt. Adolfo Samala.

Avsegroup director Chief Supt.

By Joel E. Zurbano

AT LEAST 10 more members of the National Police-Avi-ation Security Group in Metro Manila were relieved over the alleged bullet-planting extortion scheme victimizing passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport while the Department of Justice designated prosecutors at Naia to conduct “instant inquests” on the scheme.

P486-m CCTVs eyed to prevent bullet scam

Chilean head makes strong pitch for women

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Manila International Airport Authority on Tues-day  said it was pursuing a plan to buy P486 million worth of closed-circuit TV cameras under a negotiated contract amid the rash of “bullet planting” incidents at the airport terminals.

The Airport authority clarified that an attempt to bid out the supply contract for the CCTVs in February 201 was  canceled  following an advisory from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines that the CCTVs should not be wireless, thus prompting MIAA to change its terms for the project. 

The succeeding public bid-ding—officially considered the first bidding which took place in August 2014—was declared a failure after bid-ders didn’t meet the project’s technical requirements.

The second bidding held in February this year was also declared a failure for the same reason.

MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado said that he hoped to settle any misunder-standing between the bidders and the airport management. 

“The MIAA has always considered the CCTV proj-ect a priority. We also wish to build strong partnerships with our contractors to guar-antee the success of the proj-ect,” Honrado said.

Lawmakers including House Independent Bloc leader Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez of Leyte suggested that Naia install additional CCTV cameras to catch air-port personnel allegedly in-volved in the (bullet-planting scam) to extort money from unsuspecting passengers.

Last month, Honrado came under fire and was asked to resign over the con-troversy at the airport. But he said he would not do that because he serves at the plea-sure of the President.

Pablo Francis Balagtas did not explain why Layug has been re-placed but he said the move was just part of the “rotation process” of the Philippine National Police under the leadership of its direc-tor Ricardo Marquez.

He also clarified that Layug’s re-lief didn’t necessarily mean he was involved in the alleged extortion and other irregularities happening in the airports.

Last month, two other Avsegroup personnel—Careen De Padua and Rommel Ballesteros—were relieved from their post after the bullet in the investigation report on the case of an overseas Filipino worker did not match the one presented before the Pasay City prosecutors office.

The two policemen handled the case of 56-year-old Gloria Ortinez, who was placed under airport police custody, for allegedly bringing a bul-

let at the airport. Ortinez was about to take a connecting flight from Lao-ag Airport to Hong Kong on Oct. 25 when she was apprehended.

Lawmakers and some victims al-leged there is a syndicate operat-ing at Naia terminals victimizing passengers by “planting” bullets in their luggage

Personnel from the Office for Transportation Security were also suspected of involvement in the scheme.

OTS chief Rolando Recomono ad-mitted that at least 65 personnel were already dismissed since 2012 but he clarified that they acted on their own and were not part of a syndicate.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano deployed 12 pros-ecutors to man the NAIA terminals from Tuesday to Friday, with three of them assigned per day on an eight-hour duty. With Rey Requejo

Courtesy call. Caloocan City Fire Marshall Supt. Antonio Razal Jr. (right) pays a courtesy call on City Mayor Oscar Malapitan at the mayor’s office. ANDREW RABULAN

WEDNESDAY: NO VEMB ER 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

NEWSeditorial@thestandard.com.ph

Maximized. Stacks upon stacks of cooking oil cans fit into a pedicab traversing along M. H. del Pilar Street in Navotas. ANDREW RABULAN

By Maricel V. Cruz

“WOMEN can.”President Michelle Bachelet of Chile on Tuesday 

urged the Philippine government to initiate policies and reforms that will ensure full participation of women in politics and in society in general.

In her speech at the culmination of the two-day 4th National Women’s Summit held at the Miriam College in Quezon City, Bachelet stressed the important role of Filipino women in nation building and the struggle of the Filipino nation to close the gender gap between men and women towards the “struggle for equity and justice.”

While the Philippines has achieved so much in terms of the economy such as the growth in the annual gross domestic product, reduced poverty rates, lower unemployment rate and wider coverage of social programs, Bachelet said,  there is so much to be done to promote gender equality.

“However, much still needs to be done in terms of promoting gender equality. There are still lots of challenges to close the gender gaps...especially in terms of the political participation,” Bachelet said.

Citing the record of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women), Bachelet said the Philippines only had about 26 percent female participation in politics.

But she was quick to say that the country fares better than some of its Asian neighbors.

“Your record is, however, higher than the other countries in Asia. In fact, your percentage in women participation in politics is higher than the percentage of the entire asian region which is only 18.4 percent,” Bachelet said.

In Chile alone, Bachelet said there have been reforms instituted to improve its own percentage of women political participation, which is only at 16 percent.

A7editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WEDNESDAY : NO VEMB ER 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

NEWS

Coastal residents to get shelter fund

Migration group, Canada give bancas to Zamboanga families

Police raise reward for info on judge’s slay

Your lunch is cold. Schoolchildren at Kabuayao Elementary School in Mt. Santo Tomas eat their lunch garbed in their cold-weather garments. DAVID CHAN

Senior moment. Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez delivers a message to more than 10,000 senior citizens from Quezon province. VER NOVENO

By Mel Caspe

THE regional office of the Department of Social Wel-fare and Development has recommended the distribu-tion of Emergency Shelter Assistance to those living in No Dwelling Zones in Tacloban City.

No Dwelling Zones are defined as areas less than 40 meters from the shore.

Region 7 Director Nestor Ramos on Tuesday sent a letter to Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman recommending financial assistance to survivors in the no-build zone as they await the completion of their permanent housing units.

Under the Emergency Shelter Assistance Program, households with totally damaged houses will receive P30,000 while those with partially damaged houses will re-ceive P15,000.

Ramos action was interpreted to be a result of a dialogue be-tween him and members of Peo-ple Surge in the city.

A provision of Memorandum Circular No. 24 or the ESA guide-lines prohibits the NDZs from re-ceiving the cash assistance.

Pol Escalona of the Kalipu-nan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY)-Tacloban Chapter said: “This is one step victory for us disaster survivors. DSWD “Dinky” Soliman should ultimately scrap the memorandum and give to NDZ dwellers what they duly deserve.

Two years of waiting is more than enough,” he added.

In the petition letter signed by several organizations under the banner of People Surge, the biggest alliance of disaster survi-vors in the country, the alliance argued that the ESA does not serve its purpose since its distri-bution has not been timely.

No less than Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman con-ceded she said in a media inter-view that ESA should just be a “shelter assistance” and no longer an “emergency shelter assistance.”

In a statement, KUSOG Han Barangay 37, a local organiza-tion of KADAMAY in Barangay 37 Reclamation Area Tacloban and affiliate of People Surge, said that ESA and permanent hous-ing should not be made mutu-ally exclusive.

By Orlan L. Mauricio

MALOLOS CITY—The cash reward for any information that may lead to the identity of the killers of Regional Trial Court Judge Wilfredo T. Nieves last week has reached P2.5 million accord-ing to police.

Sr. Supt. Ferdinand O. Divina, Bu-lacan police provincial director, said the cash incentive jumped from P1.5 million to P2.5 million over the week-end as a close friend of the victim, who requested anonymity, offered an additional P1-million cash.

Operatives are now tracing the whereabouts of a silver Toyota Innova and a gray Hyundai Tucson allegedly used by the assassins of Judge Nieves.

Nieves, presiding judge of the Re-gional Trial Court (Branch 84), was on his way home at about  5 p.m.  last Nov. 11 when the Fortuner he was driving was peppered with bullets at a stop light along McArthur highway in front of the Bulacan Industrial Park in Barangay Tikay here.

Nieves’ ambush has sent jitters not

only to members of the Judiciary here but also to fiscals and law practitio-ners who have clamored for tighter security measures inside the whole provincial capitol compound here that houses all the RTC offices and the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Yesterday, the Hall of Justice at the compound that houses the 27 salas of the RTC was unusually gloomy and silent as Nieves remains was sched-uled to be cremated at the Loyola Me-morial Homes along Commonwealth Avenue, QC where it has laid in estate since Thursday.

The door to the court staff room of RTC-Branch 84 was a mixture of grief and symbolic greetings which might send an eerie thoughts to supersti-tious people. “Welcome to Branch 84 with a black wreath.” 

Also last Thursday, many of the judges of the Bulacan RTC applied for permit to purchase and possess guns as the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office sent a Mobile Team to expe-dite the processing of their licenses including their escorts.

By A. Perez Rimando

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga Sibugay—The International Organi-zation for Migration, in partnership with the Canadian government, dis-tributed last week at least 200 bancas to Muslim fisherfolk during the Sep-tember 2013 siege perpetrated by the Moro National Liberation Front reb-els, a city official said.

City Information officer Belen Sheila Covarrubias said the IOM and    Canadian government    also turned

over three canoe docking sites for the fisherfolk who are mostly engaged in Agai-Agal (seaweed) farming

The fisherfolk, temporarily resid-ing in the coastal village of Mampang, constructed themselves the new ca-noes which  replaced their original sea craft    destroyed during the two-week rebel invasion on this coastal    city – with the IOM and Canadian partner providing the necessary financial as-sistance and materials which included special kind of hard plywood, nails and paints.

A8

[ EDI TORI A L ]

INDIFFERENT TO OUR SUFFERING

ONE of the most infuriating characteristics that we will remember about the Aquino administration long after it has faded into obscurity and inconsequence is its readiness to inflict pain on the people and to look on indifferently as they suffer.

Contrary to the President’s threadbare claim that the people are his boss, Mr. Aquino and his Cabinet members see common folk as an inconvenience that can be shoved aside whenever it suits their purposes.

This attitude was certainly evident  Monday  when authorities closed the entire stretch of Roxas Boule-vard so that delegates to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings could travel smoothly and securely on empty roads, while thousands of an-gry commuters were given no choice but to walk for more than an hour from Parañaque City to Manila to get to work. Adding insult to injury, the government again urged people to stay home to avoid the traffic caused by the road closures if they had no important business—as if the unfortunates walking to work un-der a punishing sun were out for a leisurely stroll, in-stead of trying to get to work because  Monday  had been left out of a string of holidays the President de-clared just to clear the streets for Apec. Elsewhere in the metropolis, motorists and commuters suffered hours-long traffic snarls because the authorities had closed off two of the six lanes on either side of Edsa so that Apec delegates in their motorcades could travel from point A to point B without stopping, while the rest of us fumed in our vehicles.

These are the latest examples of the government’s insensitivity to public suffering but they are hardly the worst.

Only recently, President Aquino and his anointed candidate for President in the elections next year, Manu-el Roxas II, dismissed out of hand legislation that would have provided relief to millions of low- and middle-in-come employees, who see a third of their salaries go to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, making Filipino workers the most highly taxed workers in Southeast Asia.

In rejecting the House and Senate bills, Aquino and Roxas asserted that the government could ill afford to lose an estimated P30 billion in tax revenues for a year—but neglected to say that underspending by this administration had reached P526 billion from 2011 to 2014, or that more than P1 billion in donations for ty-phoon victims sit idle in government banks, according to the Commission on Audit.

Never mind if millions of hardworking Filipinos are seeing their take-home pay eroded by rising prices and by high taxes that provided them no commensurate ben-efits, or that tens of thousands who survived Typhoon “Yolanda” two years ago still live in temporary shelters. Mr. Aquino and his economic advisers must have the funds on hand—just in case they decide to use it.

This pathological lack of empathy was perhaps most evident two years ago, when President Aquino all but told a businessman in Tacloban City to stop complain-ing about the breakdown of peace and order in the aftermath of Yolanda, which killed more than 6,000 people and devastated huge areas of Eastern Visayas. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?” he told the flabbergasted businessman at a meeting with local officials to discuss relief and rescue operations. Not to be outdone, Mr. Aquino’s protege, Roxas, came up with his own one-lin-er, when Tacloban officials were reluctant to turn over their authority to the national government: “Bahala ka sa buhay mo” or “It’s up to you, it’s your life.”

Why should the people care for a government that treats them like second-class citizens in their own country? When this week’s brouhaha over Apec finally blows over and the roads are reopened, the President and his minions will no doubt beat their chests in tri-umph so loudly that they will block out all the criti-cism for inflicting pain on a long-suffering public.

LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES

ADELLE CHUAE D I T O R

APEC FAIL

THE two biggest local air-lines, at least, have already figured out how much revenue they lost to the Philippines’ hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit being held in Manila this week. But despite taking a hit of P1.26 billion in foregone revenues for the entire week, neither Philippine Airlines nor Cebu Pacific are complain-ing—and understandably so, since they’re in an indus-try that is heavily regulated by the host government.

That government spent P10 billion in taxpayers’ money to bankroll the Apec shindig. And yet, apart from concrete lane dividers and hundreds of brand-new courtesy cars for the 20 vis-iting delegations, it won’t have anything to show for the expense that will outlive the summit itself.

Of course, I’m aware that the Philippines’ second hosting of the Apec summit is supposed to be a source

of pride. And that pride of hosting has been enviously hoarded by the Aquino ad-ministration, even if it has built not one road, bridge or flyover for all the three years that it has been planning the Apec meeting.

When the Philippines first hosted Apec in Subic in 1996 for five percent of the current cost, unad-justed for inflation, then-President Fidel Ramos was even able to sell the villas he had built for the Apec leaders. Because Ramos is a frugal Ilocano, as careful with taxpayers’ money as he is with his own, he even thought of a way to get back most of the country’s in-vestment in Apec by selling the houses where Bill Clin-ton and other leaders slept for one night—chastely, it is hoped, in Clinton’s case—at the summit site.

But planning and wise spending have never been the strong suit of the man billed as the greatest Presi-dent this poor, benighted country ever had. This is why even the privately built flyover that would connect the airport to the reclaimed area where the summiteers would gather—a project

conceived specifically with Apec 2015 in mind—wasn’t even completed in time for the meeting.

And that’s just the first of the many Apec failures of this government. (Let’s not even get into how Presi-dent Noynoy Aquino has hijacked all his speaking engagements during Apec week in order to send the message to his hostaged audiences that, yes, things have never been better and that anything wrong that he happened is the fault of somebody else.)

* * *For instance, for the life

of me, I still can’t under-stand why the Russian del-egation was quartered at the Edsa Shangri-La hotel in Mandaluyong City, far, far away from the Philippine International Convention Center complex where most of the summit’s sessions and meetings are being conduct-ed. The segregation of the Russians directly led to the establishment of those two hateful “Apec lanes” on Edsa this week from Shaw Bou-levard to the Mall of Asia complex.

And so, the usually un-bearable traffic on Metro Ma-nila’s main circumferential highway was made that much worse by the loss of a third of Edsa’s real estate. And the salt of seeing Apec-accredited vehicles breeze by in the two deserted lanes was rubbed liberally on the wounds of the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who use that stretch of the highway daily.

All this for a Russian delegation whose head, Vladimir Putin, decided at the very last moment that he couldn’t come to Manila. How’s that for irony?

Aquino’s hosting of Apec, like so

many things devalued during

his time, has been downgraded to a

crime against the people.

OPINIONW E D N E S D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

Continued on A11

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Jojo A. Robles Editor-in-Chief Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Francis Lagniton News Editor Joyce Pangco Pañares City Editor Adelle Chua Senior Deskman Romel J. Mendez Art Director Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

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First Philec

body knows what truly hap-pening around the world!

* * *From BS Aquino III’s

point of view, the Apec summit is a success and that all Filipinos should be proud of it. Major thor-oughfares have been cor-doned off and delegates are billeted in five-star hotels. The country is spending P10 billion for this event.

At whose expense? We have seen thousands

of commuters walking along the boulevards and streets just to go home after a day’s work. My family’s household worker walked from Merville Park where we live all the way to Edsa

just to take a ride, waiting for two hours because peo-ple were scrambling for a ride home. That’s not as bad as people walking from the Coastal Road all the way to Plaza Lawton also for a ride since Roxas Boulevard was “off-limits” to vehicles and was made into a special lane.

Contractual workers have no income these days because the rest of the week has been declared by President Aquino as a holiday.

All these are an attempt to show the delegates that the Philippine President is a gracious host.

On the contrary, all

these are indications of utter incompetence and ineptitude by people in power who could have used their common sense in making the Apec venue elsewhere like Subic, where it was held in 1996, Clark where there is need for more infrastructure and hotels, and even Cebu City, which is in need of government attention to make it a tourist destination.

I cannot believe as many others do that a President can spend that much just for a summit. He had years to seek private sector par-ticipation as then President Ramos did in 1996.

I n c o m p e t e n c e .

Ineptitude. Lack of com-mon sense.

* * *If the nine-member

Senate Electoral Tribunal applies the law and on the disqualification cases against Mrs. Mary Grace Poe Llamanzares, she will surely be disqualified for not being a natural-born citizen as required by the Constitution.

However, if some of the SET members become per-sonal and resort to political considerations, she may not be disqualified.

Certainly, as night fol-lows day, the case will be elevated to the Supreme Court.

OPINIONW E D N E S D AY: N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

A10

PRESIDENT Aquino is at it again, lying through his teeth and blaming former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the growing in-cidence of poverty under his term. He referred to the Arroyo administration as the “lost decade.”

Santa Banana, everybody knows that poverty in the Philippines has been with us for decades, even dur-ing the late Cory Aquino regime.

Just look at statistics: Poverty has risen to over 22 percent, and incidence of hunger during the five-year BS Aquino III reign has increased. Joblessness remains a challenge—there are not enough for-eign investors to provide jobs, simply because the President does not want re-strictive and protectionist economic provisions of the Constitution amended. The reason: BS Aquino wants to protect his friends along Ayala Avenue from foreign competition.

The height of hypoc-risy was BS Aquino’s boast to the delegates of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit: “Over the last five years, we cracked down on all those proven to have engaged in wrongdoing. Now, a former President is under hospital arrest after being charged with plunder. The former Chief Justice who had no compunction about being selective about implement-ing the law was removed through impeachment, af-ter it was revealed that he violated our laws by failing to declare over 98 percent of his assets as mandated by our Constitution.”

My gulay, has Gloria been proven to have com-mitted any wrongdo-ing when almost all her co-accused in that P336-million Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office plun-der case have been granted bail? She remains in hos-pital detention because BS Aquino III wants her to be the poster child for his straight path policy.

And what did BS Aquino and his cohorts do to con-vict former Chief Justice

Renato Corona? They used the Priority Development Assistance Fund and that mongrel called Disbursement Acceleration Program (declared uncon-stitutional by the Supreme Court) to bribe members of Congress to oust Corona.

The President claimed that the former Chief Justice has no compunction about being selective about implementing the law. He must have been really hurt when Corona, as Chief Justice, wanted to increase the benefits given to the tenants of Hacienda Luisita, owned by the Cojuangcos. For that, Corona became a target for conviction and ouster.

BS Aquino III accused Corona of being selective in implementing the law. Was the President not selective himself when he adopted a double standard of justice, one for his political en-emies and another one for his friends and supporters? True, he had three opposi-tion Senators charged and now undergoing trial at the Sandiganbayan for plunder in connection with the pork barrel system. But, they are still presumed innocent un-less convicted.

Can the President be equally resolute in going after his friends and sup-porters linked to the pork barrel scams? No—in fact, one of them is now running for the Senate under the ad-ministration ticket.

Again, Santa Banana, by playing up to the Apec del-egates the “miracle” of Edsa One, BS Aquino III lied. It was not the making of his mother who was then hid-ing in a Pink Sisters con-vent. It was caused by the Reform the Armed Forces Movement led by now Senator Gringo Honasan. The late Cory Aquino, BS Aquino III’s late mother, was just the beneficiary.

For five years of BS Aquino III’s reign, what has he done to solve poverty, hunger and joblessness? Nothing, because he was more interested in trying to destroy the opposition and his political enemies. And now, the President is talk-ing about inclusive growth by making economic gains trickle down to the poor. Again, he’s being hypocriti-cal. He refuses to open the doors for foreign invest-ments, making the country the laggard in Asia insofar as foreign direct invest-ments are concerned.

My friend, Mar Roxas, the administration can-didate for President next year, is echoing the lines of BS Aquino III. Roxas does not want to amend the Constitution if only to get rid of its restrictive and protectionist provisions.

My gulay, President Aquino perhaps thinks the Apec delegates are all stu-pid to believe what he said. With the Internet, every-

LIES AND HYPOCRISY

IS THE PHILIPPINES READY FOR I.S.?

IS THE Philippines ready for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant? The answer is no.

ISIL has branches in the Philippines, through members of the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. ASG and BIFF pledged allegiance to the ISIL in 2014 making them local franchisees of ISIL’s brand of ruthless and mindless terror.

The reasons why Manila is not ready are cited in the 2014 United States State Department report on counterterrorism in the Philippines.

The US government complained of multiple agencies involved in coun-terterrorism, their limited capability and equipment, and corruption—re-sulting in inefficiency, confusion, and ineffectiveness. In addition, the agen-cies have a mixed record of account-ability and respect for human rights.

Sometimes, if not often, the incom-petence is self-inflicted. The Office for Transportation Security is sup-posed to screen for terrorist firearms at the Manila airport but it has been using the law to create a business for its people, the tanim-bala (plant-a -bullet) scam in the baggage of hap-less airline passengers who must pay a bribe to be set free.

The result is a scandal that is now a-crying international shame. Yet, President BS Aquino III and his Department of Transportation and Communications people have not done anything concrete or positive about it.

A recent Senate investigation of the racket amply demonstrated how grossly incompetent and indiffer-ent DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya and his subaltern, Jose Angel Honrado, the general of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport are about the tanim-bala racket. Both ex-military men, Abaya and Honrado were former security aides of the late President Corazon Aquino, Aquino III’s mother.

“Units with a specialized coun-terterrorism focus, including the National Bureau of Investigation [NBI] and the PNP Special Action Force [SAF], have limited investiga-tions, crisis response, and border se-curity capacity,” says the report sub-mitted by the US State Department to the US Congress. Despite its low-key language, the US report is still sting-ing. It says:

“Multiple agencies have jurisdic-tion over counterterrorism efforts, creating confusion and inefficiency in leading investigations and in response to terrorism incidents.

“Roles and responsibilities between law enforcement and military units that have a counterterrorism mis-

sion are often not well delineated. Law enforcement units display mod-erate command and control capac-ity. Specialized law enforcement units possess some necessary equipment, but have many unfulfilled needs.

“Law enforcement units have a mixed record of accountability and respect for human rights.

“The ATC provides guidance to agencies responsible for enforcing terrorism laws, but its capacity and authority to ensure cooperation and coordination between agencies is limited.”

“The PNP maintains legal responsi-bility for ensuring peace and security throughout the county, including ar-resting terrorists and conducting ter-rorism investigations. In some of the conflict-affected areas, the PNP has relied upon the AFP to conduct coun-terterrorism operations.”

“The PNP SAF is the national oper-ational support unit for law enforce-ment counterterrorism efforts.”

Yet, Aquino did not support his SAF (he stopped the Army near the area from providing air and combat sup-port) when they faced an overwhelm-ing number of murderous groups of bandits while carrying out a counter-terrorism effort at Mamasapano last January 2015. The result was more deaths than was necessary—44 com-mandos killed on the SAF side.

In the prosecution of terrorist sus-pects, the US government notes that “an under-resourced and understaffed law enforcement and judicial system, coupled with widespread official cor-ruption, resulted in limited domestic investigations, unexecuted arrest war-rants, few prosecutions, and lengthy trials of cases.”

“Philippine investigators and pros-ecutors lacked necessary tools to build strong cases, including a lack of clear processes for requesting ju-dicially-authorized interception of terrorist communications, entering into plea bargains with key witnesses, and seizing assets of those suspected in benefiting from terrorism,” says the US report.

Meanwhile, a major tool of the gov-ernment against terrorism is the

2007 Human Security Act. The law defines terrorism and provides meth-ods for investigating terrorist sus-pects. The US government finds the law restrictive on lawmen and wants President BS Aquino to work on its

amendment.“Many aspects of the law have not

been used due to a number of strict procedural requirements in the law… including notification to subjects of surveillance before activities can be-gin and damages of approximately US$12,000 for every day of detention if an individual accused of terrorism is ultimately acquitted,” explains the US State Department report.

Accordingly, the US notes that “President Aquino has prioritized the adoption of amendments to the HSA in three main areas: revise the definition of terrorism to conform to international standards; ease the strict monetary penalties and prison terms against law enforcement officials in-volved in cases where individuals are wrongly accused and later acquitted; and remove barriers to support inves-tigations.”

The ATC Project Management Center, in coordination with the Anti-Money Laundering Council Secretariat and the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, ensured the final version of the HSA was fully in line with the Terrorism Financing Prevention Act and other Anti-Money Laundering Act and Philippine gov-ernment initiatives prior to submis-sion to the House of Representatives.

Four Philippine groups are tagged by the US government as terror-ists—the ASG, the Jemaah Islamiya, the BIFF, and the communist New People’s Army.

ASG and BIFF elements are under-stood to be among the ISIL’s 25,000 foreign fighters (from 80 countries). The 25,000 is triple their number from a year ago. Filipinos become ji-hadists without borders. Presumably, some of them have flown to Syria to undertake military training. They come back to the Philippines to re-cruit others or carry out missions like killings, bombings, kidnappings for ransom.

The most celebrated of the ASG kidnappings is the abduction in October 2015 of two Canadians and a Norwegian from a famous Davao resort. The ASG is demanding P1-billion ransom for each or P3 billion ($63.8 million).

The ASG ands BIFF hideouts in Mindanao in southern Philippines could be considered among the over-seas “provinces” and “sanctuaries” of ISIL.

With the incompetence and cor-ruption of the military, police and other agencies involved in counter-terrorism, ordinary citizens have no recourse but be careful and to secure themselves against the ISIL.

biznewsasia@gmail.com

Daang Matuwid,

indeed.

TO THE POINT

EMIL P. JURADO

VIRTUAL REALITY

TONYLOPEZ

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A11W E D N E S D AY: N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

TWO GOOD FILIPINOS

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

THIS week, we celebrate the memory of two good men who have made an impact on the lives of both past and present genera-tions of Filipinos.

Last Monday, Nov. 16, was the 125th birth anniversary of a jail warden’s son who, more by ac-cident of fate than ambition or design, became President of the Republic. Today, had he not been cut down by cancer, a man born with the pedigree of leaders in his veins, would have been cel-ebrating his 87th year.

Elpidio Quirino y Rivera was vice president and secretary of foreign affairs when on April 16, 1948, the first elected President of the Republic was stricken by a massive heart attack after deliv-ering a speech at Clark Air Base, then-territory of the former colo-nial master of the islands which was the United States of America.

When a military aide rushed into the bedroom of Quirino that fateful morning to show him a radio message of the tragic news, the vice president was stunned, blurting out, “I don’t believe it; someone must be joking.” The following day, after weep-ing at the side of Roxas’ bier in Malacañang, he was sworn in as the country’s fifth President, the Third Republic’s second.

Much has been written about the man who presided over the

rehabilitation and reconstruc-tion of the country that was so devastated by the Pacific War. He jumpstarted an economy laid to ruins; he fathered the foreign service; he built some of the most enduring public infrastructures, many of which remain of service to the people until today.

He was scorned and vilified by his political enemies, some of whom belonged to his own Liberal Party, but maintained his dignity and self-respect throughout.

One of the most ridiculous black propaganda charges lev-eled against him was that he used public funds to buy a golden bed-pan (orinola) and a P5,000-brass bed (at the time a princely sum). The truth later came out from the records of the budget office. They had to buy a bed for him because the widow of the former President brought the bed with her when she left Malacañang for the new occupant, and it cost a fraction of the alleged amount. And the “golden” orinola was made of stainless steel.

There are a thousand and one stories that could detail the greatness of Quirino, from how he rebuilt the economy, to how he insisted on regaining much of Philippine territory that the Americans used as military bases, as well as vignettes of his honesty and character. Let me choose something quite apropos to the times:

It was President Quirino who chose a brash young “mechanic,”

Ramon Magsaysay to become secretary of defense in 1950. “I gave him all the support he needed to succeed…I assigned him all the necessary patronage and appropriations, gave him the credit for everything done, even where not directly attributable to his personal efforts, so that his prestige might grow and acquire national value.” (from the book of Raissa Espinosa Robles, “To Fight without End,” a biography of Elpidio Quirino, 1990, a book I keep reading and re-reading).

On a cold January morning in 1953, the President sat talking to his defense secretary, who was being prepared by Quirino’s po-litical enemies and the American “pro-consuls” to run for Presi-dent against his benefactor. The two were quite close, like a father to son. (Quirino was then 62, Magsaysay 46.)

He recounted a story about then Senate President Manuel Luis Quezon, against whom a political coup was being engi-neered and his position offered to then Senator Quirino. The lat-ter refused, even if the position was “in the bag,” telling the plot-ters, “I might get to be President of the Senate…but I would not be a man.”

It was all about gratitude, all about honor. But Magsaysay ig-nored the lesson Quirino was try-ing to impress upon him. In that year’s elections, where American CIA operatives so visibly and blatantly interfered, Magsaysay

defeated the man who appointed him and gave him the break of his public life.

How many such stories have peppered Philippine political life since? Of “made-to-order” presidents and ill-prepared men and women propped-up by ei-ther foreign puppeteers or the oligarchic elite?

* * *Salvador Laurel y Hidalgo

was born Nov. 18, 1928, to a young politician who would soon rise to become a revered statesman and President of the Second Republic, Jose P. Laurel of Tanauan in Batangas.

The things I could write about him are so plenty, having worked under him closely during the dark yet inspiring years of the struggle against authoritarian rule. Enough to fill a book which I plan to write in the near future.

Days before the start of the “snap election” deadline for the filing of candidacies for President in 1985, Ninong Doy asked me, his niece Fely Laurel and neph-ew Benjie Laurel, to join him in a brief, overnight “meditation” at his Matabungkay beachfront house.

The nation was then caught in political frenzy. Laurel had earli-er been proclaimed by the largest opposition party, the UNIDO, which I helped him organize and strengthen throughout the country, as presidential candi-date against Ferdinand Marcos. Meanwhile, a clamor was build-

ing up for Ninoy’s widow, Cory Aquino, to be the candidate of a “united opposition” against Marcos.

Doy had to make a fateful de-cision—whether to run and split the opposition against Marcos, even trigger a massive poll boy-cott; or support Cory. There in the serenity of his home prov-ince, with cool breezes fanning his “meditation,” I could sense that he would make a “supreme” sacrifice.

At one point, when only he and I were in the porch facing the sea, Tito Doy told me about the pain and humiliation that his father suffered after the war, a pain that he, then a young man shared with Ninoy, whose father Benigno Sr. was also incarcerat-ed, labeled as “collaborators” by the triumphant “liberators.”

Wistfully, he said, in firm but low voice: “Alam mo Lito, like Papa always told us, when it be-comes a choice between self and country, self has to surrender.” “Ang bayan, higit sa lahat,” he quoted his old man.

At that point, with tears well-ing in my eyes, I knew he had al-ready made a decision.

Days after, towards midnight, he and Cory joined each other to file their candidacies at the Comelec office in Intramuros—the latter as President, and Laurel as her vice president. It was one of the most memorable moments in my own life, to be a witness to history.

SO I SEE

LITOBANAYO

BACK CHANNEL

ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

LISTENING to Roland Recomono, head of Naia’s Office for Transport Security, explain the bullet-planting incidents, one need not wonder why there are lapses and the extortion racket proliferated. Interviewed by Ces Drilon on the ABS-CBN News Channel, a straight-faced Recomono said the discovery of bullets on airline passengers is more frequent than drugs hid-den in their baggage because “drugs in airplanes do not pose as much danger as bullets.” The interviewer could not believe what she heard as she had posed the question why a single bullet is always discovered but millions of pesos worth of drugs are able to slip through the OTS scan-ners. She was referring to the four Filipino women nabbed in Hong Kong for trying to smuggle drugs from Manila.

Strangely no Filipino has been caught with bullets in other air-

ports abroad. It’s only here at the world’s worst and most danger-ous airport.

Recomono’s reasoning raises serious questions about how he was placed in charge of a sensitive government agency. And we thought no one else could out-nonsense his boss, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya. Appearing be-fore a Senate committee hear-ing, Abaya squirmed and as-sured Senator Grace Poe that a full investigation is under way even as he said earlier the bullet-planting incidents were blown up by the media and a plot by the political opposition to derail the presidential bid of ruling Liberal Party candidate Mar Roxas.

We will probably see less stray bullets finding their way into airline passengers’ bags dur-ing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting this week. Or else, heads will roll for embar-rassing the host country.

Former Senator Panfilo Lacson has a plausible explanation why the airport extortion racket could continue after Apec despite the media publicity and public outrage.

“For the people behind the scam to stop would be admit-ting such a racket exists, which is why there will be no let-up,” said Lacson, former Philippine National Police chief who knows how criminals think and operate.

Abaya was also grilled at the Senate inquiry for the Metro Rail Transit’s daily breakdown due to a crack in the rails, a non-working signaling system, doors that won’t close or a roof that leaks when it rains. Abaya again assured the senators that the MRT service will improve when five additional wagons from the Chinese company Dalian are delivered and harnessed before the end of the year. It is doubtful though that five additional wag-ons will ease the problem of con-gestion with more than 500,000 commuters riding the public railway system daily to avoid the horrendous traffic on Edsa which Abaya said “does not kill.”

Meanwhile, the two American missionaries who were victims of the “tanim-bala” scam are pushing their complaints against two airport screeners who alleg-edly planted evidence and then tried to extort money from the

pair. Michael Ryan White and his son, Lane, were in the coun-try to build a church in Coron, Palawan. Now, they cannot even leave because of a hold departure order against them

On the other hand, the bullet possession case against domestic worker Gloria Ortinez was dis-missed by the Pasay City fiscal’s office which found the charge against her as without basis. But because she was detained for a week and had to attend the hear-ing of her case, it is said Ortinez has lost her job in Hong Kong. She should sue and file a criminal case against the two airport secu-rity screeners responsible for her economic dislocation.

How Apec affects usHow does Apec affect us?

Retired Sandiganbayan Justice Raoul Victorino posed the question to me as a former am-bassador and someone who had attended two Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Bangkok and Vancouver.

I told him that Apec is basically an economic gathering meant to improve the economies of the participating member countries through globalization, fair trade

and leveling the field of business competition. Sadly, I said, the poor in this country who are sup-posed to be beneficiaries of inclu-sive economic growth are swept under the rug or hidden from view of the guests so they won’t be an embarrassment to the host.

So how does Apec really affect us?

APECtado ang domestic and international flights. APECtado ang road traffic sa Metro Manila, APECtado at kanselado ang mga klase. APECtado ang hanap buhay ng mga sidewalk vendors. After APEC, everything will be back to normal—chaos at the airport and on Metro Manila’s streets.

The biggest beneficiary of the Manila-hosted Apec is the German carmaker BMW which won the lease contract for the fleet of brand-new, all-black lim-ousines rented for the use of the heads of states attending the lead-ers’ summit. The Department of Foreign Affairs which signed the lease said the cars will be driven by Philippine National Police personnel. The VIPs of course will still have their personal se-curity with them and others fol-lowing in another vehicle.

STRAY BULLETS, SCANNERS AND SCAMMERS

Apec... From A8

But that wasn’t even the worst of it. The insensitivity and hypocrisy of the Aquino government was in full display in the south of Metro Manila, where the chaos and suffering of last Monday was really unnecessary, had the summit orga-nizers simply used their brains.

By not declaring a school and work holiday on the first day of the week, which coincided with the total closure of Roxas Boulevard and all the other

roads in the reclaimed area, the govern-ment showed just how callous it was. Hundreds of thousands of workers and students who could not turn back for home in Parañaque City, Cavite prov-ince and all other points south because the Coastal Road was already gridlocked had to walk many kilometers into the city, as if they were reenacting the Death March that came after the Fall of Bataan in World War II.

Sure, work and classes have been sus-pended since that crazy day, but why

have one day of mass, involuntary tor-ture for the citizenry in the first place? Why weren’t all offices and schools closed for the entire week, if the govern-ment of President Noynoy Aquino didn’t really want to inflict more misery on the put-upon people who were already pay-ing for the summit?

Why on earth hold the summit in Met-ro Manila anyway? Why not, as both the Russians and Indonesians did a couple of years back, isolate the summit on an island, thus avoiding any inconvenience

to the population for what is really a feel-good meeting that has very little impact on their daily lives?

All this time, I thought that hosting an international summit was an oppor-tunity to showcase all that is good in the host country. But Aquino’s hosting of Apec, like so many things devalued dur-ing his time, has downgraded the event to the level of a crime against the very people footing the bill—and who lost so much else besides.

A12sports@thestandard.com.ph

wednesday : no vemb er 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

sports

Mavericks, Suns crush rivals

Nowitzki piled up the points in the final quarter as the 76ers slipped to a 92-86 defeat which left them at 0-11, the only team in the NBA without a win.

The Mavericks were well below their best, with Nowitzki missing 10 of 16 attempts from the floor.

But it was good enough to edge out the 76ers, who have already faced accusations from disgruntled fans that they have thrown in the towel with the new season barely three weeks old.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said despite the 76ers’ modest roster, they had been awkward opponents.

“This is a hard team to get good shots against,” Carlisle said. “They have young, motivated guys on small contracts. They’re playing their [butts] off. It’s good to see from a competitive standpoint but it makes it hard to get shots.”

Nowitzki was also generous in victory.

“They kept staying in the game, clawing and scratching and they’re obviously desperate to get their first win,” Nowitzki said. “We had to dig deep and grind it out.”

Nevertheless the stats don’t lie and Philadelphia is now in the grip of a desperate losing streak.

Including the tail-end of last sea-

LOS ANGELES—Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points as the Dallas Mavericks sent the Philadelphia 76ers spinning to their 11th straight defeat since the new NBA season began, the worst record of any team in the league.

Damian stuns no. 8

Gagalac, Guevarra shine in Albay netfest‘Bangkok race erroradded extra miles’

NOEL Damian and Vince Salas sustained their strong showing in the two-day qualifier, turn-ing back their Thai rivals in contrasting fashions to move into the second round of the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Ten-nis Championships Week 1 at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City yesterday.

Damian, who upended Justin Suarez, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, to clinch one of the four slots staked in the elims Monday, pulled off anoth-er three-setter, this time, easing out No. 8 Thai Su-phawit Sae-Oui, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, to advance against Alester Magalit of Hong Kong, who trounced local bet Francis Atienza, 6-0, 6-1.

Salas, who upended Japanese Yusuke Nishita-ni, 7-6(1), 6-1, in the final day of elims, dominated Sirawit Daosaengwang, 6-3, 6-0, for a second round clash with Taiwan’s Ho Jun Lee, who scored a 3-6, 6-3, 3-3(ret.) win over No. 5 Shaheed Alam of Singapore.

son, the 76ers have now slumped to 21 straight defeats, just five shy of the all-time record for longest los-ing streak in NBA history—which the 76ers themselves share with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sixers coach Brett Brown be-moaned his team’s high turnover total—27—which resulted in 28 Dallas points.

“You’re not going to win any bas-ketball games with 27 turnovers,” Brown said.

Sixers rookie center Jahlil Oka-for, who contributed 19 points, in-sists the team was close to turning a corner.

“We’re on the right path,” Oka-for said. “We see the bigger picture, and I really believe that it’s all going to add up, and we’re definitely right there.”

In other matches on Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers’ disap-

pointing start to the season con-tinued with the team crashing 120-101 at Phoenix.

The Suns guard Brandon Knight recorded the first triple-double of his career with 30 points as the Lak-ers faded in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers rested veteran Kobe Bryant and had kept pace with the Suns until the fourth quarter, when Phoenix broke clear with a 21-8 scoring run to settle the contest.

In Texas, the San Antonio Spurs recorded their fifth straight victory with a 93-80 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Forward Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points while veterans Manu Gi-nobili and Tony Parker both con-tributed key shots at pivotal mo-ments of the match.

Ginobili finished with 17 points while Parker and Tim Duncan scored 10 points each. AFP

NAGA City’s Nolan Gagalac foiled top seed Kurt Molina to snare the boys’ 18-and-under crown then wore down Jennard Gonzales to pocket the 16-U title in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis tour-nament at the DPWH-RES Tennis Club in Albay Monday.

Glydel Guevarra, Jan Harold Trillanes, and Nika Alanis, all from Iriga, matched that two-title romp while Patricia Cor-poral, also from Iriga, pock-eted the girls’ 14-U diadem in the four-day, Group 5 tourna-ment sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Technifibre.

The second seeded Gagalac broke Molina once in the first set then dominate his rival in the next to fashion out a 6-4, 6-2 win in a big follow up to his 6-4, 1-0 (ret.) victory in the

16-U finals of the event sanc-tioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by presi-dent and Paranaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

“We thank Palawan Pawn-shop for bringing this tennis program to Albay for the first time,” said Rep. Al Francis Bichara. “We hope the circuit will further expand and hold tournaments in other parts of Bicol where youth tennis is on an upswing.”

Guevarra also upended top seed Benedict Aguilar, 4-2, 4-0, to bag the 10-unisex plum then scored a walkover win over Zea Arcangel in the girls’ 12-U fi-nals, while Trillanes lived up to his top seeding and tram-pled JC Gonzales, 6-0, 6-2, to cop the boys’ 12-U title then bounced back from a second set meltdown to defeat Jennard Gonzales, 6-3, 3-6, 10-4, for the

14-U crown.Alanis, on the other hand,

dominated Corporal, 6-0, 6-2, to claim the girls’ 16-U plum then ripped Antonette Mi-randa, 6-3, 6-2, for the 18-U diadem while Corporal, also from Iriga, took the girls’ 14-U title with a 1-0(ret.) win over Arcangel.

“Tapping new venues is in line with Palawan Pawnshop’s commitment to develop the sport throughout the country and at the same time help in discovering talents,” said Pala-wan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro. “

Meanwhile, Registration for the next leg at Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on Nov. 19-24 is ongoing. For details, call Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP organizer and sports program development director at 0915-4046464.

TAICHI artist Agatha Chrystenzen Wong clinched the first medal—a silver in the compulsory taijiquan—of the lean and young nine-strong Phil-ippine squad in the 13th World Wushu Champion-ships in Jakarta, Indone-sia on Nov. 16.

A worlds’ rookie, fresh from copping gold and bronze medals (42 forms taijiquan and 42 forms ta-ijijian) in the Asian Junior Wushu Championships in Inner Mongolia, China, Wong, a 17-year-old from Quezon City, was edged for the gold by veteran Malaysian Lu Yi Chan. Singaporean Lin Yin Ho rounded out the podium finishers.

In the sanda (combat) discipline, four of the five fighters barged into the medal round, assuring the Philippine Sports Com-mission-sponsored Team Philippines of four bronze medals.

Ilonggo Francisco Solis, 25, lone world champion-ship veteran with 2014 Asian Games bronze and 2015 SEA Games silver medals under his belt, dominated hometown favorite Abdul Harris Sofyan in the 60kg quar-terfinal bouts.

PH wushubet settlesfor silver

BANGKOK—Organizers of a Bangkok run have apologized after they miscal-culated the distance of a half-mara-thon, forcing runners to cover several extra kilometres (miles) though the sweltering city.

Participants wearing pedometers realized they had covered 27.6 kilo-metres (17 miles) instead of the stand-ard 21.1 kilometers in Sunday’s early morning race.

“Our staff mistakenly marked a U-turn onto the course which added around six kilometres to the route,” said Songkram Kraisonthi of co-organisers the National Jogging Association of Thailand (NJAT) and Amazing Field.

“We admit our mistake and have apologized. Our staff worked hard but they were confused,” he said.

By way of compensation, runners will receive a special finisher shirt in recognition of the extra distance trav-elled, he added.

Brandon Knight (3) of the Phoenix Suns attempts to control the ball under pres-sure from Larry Nance Jr. (7) of the Los Angeles Lak-ers during the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers, 120-101. AFP

A13sports@thestandard.com.ph

wednesday : no vemb er 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

sports

Murray, Nadaldominate foes

St. Paul-Pasig 13-under cagers grab lead

PH Azkals lend a handin Football for Better Life

Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka during their men’s singles group stage match on day two of the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament in London. Nadal won the match 6-3, 6-2. AFP

I’ll bring you down with me. J.J. Watt (99) of the Houston Texans sacks Andy Dalton (14) of the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Houston defeated Cincinnati, 10-6. AFP

LONDON—Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal produced emphatic responses to the critics as they kicked off their ATP Tour Finals campaigns in domi-nant fashion on Monday.

FOOTBALL for a Better Life 2015, the grassroots football de-velopment program supported by Pru Life UK, concluded its tour for the year at the Army Support Command Football field recently.

Some 120 kids and eight com-munity teams from Gawad Kalin-ga villages in Metro Manila took part in the football clinic wherein the children were taught by no less than members of the Philip-pine Azkals Men’s Football Team.

Current team captain Rob Gier and his teammates Daisuke Sato, Dennis Villanueva, Misagh Ba-hadoran, Simone Rota and former Azkals goal keeper Ref Cuaresma complemented the training given by former Azkals skipper Chi-effy Caligdong and Pru Life UK Grassroots Football Director Chris Thomas.

Shane Clemente and Jacob Ped-ernal, members of the Little Az-kals training team, assisted them.

The young footballers from Gawad Kalinga with ages rang-ing from 6 to 12 were taught skills in dribbling, passing, agility and body coordination. The clinic was capped with games and a mini-tournament wherein GK Tatalon emerged as the champion and Kevin Hadap was declared MVP.

The following day’s tourna-

ments had more than 50 boys’ football teams/clubs vying for honors. Army FC cinched the top spot for the U-14 and U-8 age groups, while Nomads FC and Global FC were the champions in the U-12 age group and the U-10 age groups, respectively.

Football for a Better Life 2015 conducted clinics and tournaments in 10 key cities/provinces nation-wide from March to November. These were in Barotac, Nuevo Il-oilo; Pampanga; San Carlos, Ne-gros Occidental; Cagayan de Oro; Dumaguete; Naga; Laguna, Tarlac, Palawan and NCR.

About 8,000 boys and girls have benefited from this year’s program.

“It’s been an amazing journey,” said Pru Life UK Chief Market-ing Officer Belle Tiongco. “Our program gives hope for the future that we will find the best football athletes this part of Asia.”

“We intend to bring Football For A Better Life to 20 cities and provinces for 2016. I would like to thank Globe and Pru Life UK for sharing my vision and advocacy to help young foot-ballers secure a good education through football,” said Globe and Pru Life UK football Am-bassador Chieffy Caligdong.

Murray silenced the doubters who claimed he was distracted by dreams of Davis Cup glo-ry with a gritty 6-4, 6-4 win over David Ferrer, while Nadal, beset by problems during the worst year of his career, showed he isn’t finished yet with a 6-3, 6-2 thrashing of French Open cham-pion Stan Wawrinka.

Former Wimbledon champion Murray has made it clear his main priority in the closing weeks of the season is Great Britain’s attempt to win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936 in their first final since 1978.

Britain face Belgium in the final on clay in Gh-ent next week and Murray had initially suggested he might pull out of the Tour Finals to fine-tune his preparations for the Davis Cup.

After learning of potential sanctions from the ATP if he withdrew, Murray settled for spending most of last week practising his clay-court game across London at Queen’s Club before arriving at the O2 on Friday.

It was hardly ideal preparation and inevitably Murray’s commitment against Ferrer was under close scrutiny from cynics who doubted whether the world number two really wanted to risk in-

jury with the Davis Cup just around the corner.But Murray assuaged those worries with a typ-

ically whole-hearted 90-minute display to see off Ferrer in his opening group match in the prestig-ious season-ending event.

“If I didn’t play here, I would have gone three weeks or something without playing a match be-fore the Davis Cup Final,” Murray said.

“Obviously it’s a different surface here, but playing matches against the best players in the world is also fantastic preparation.

“I feel good just now. Hopefully I can perform well here and in Belgium.”

While Murray was unable to win a Grand Slam this year, his impressive consistency over the last 11 months has brought him to the verge of finishing second in the year-end world rank-ings for the first time.

The 28-year-old will now be guaranteed that milestone if he wins one of his remaining two group matches against Nadal and Wawrinka.

- Fallow period -After winning at least one Grand Slam title in

each of the last 10 years, 2015 has been a fallow period for Nadal. AFP

ST. PAUL College Pasig crushed erstwhile co-leader De la Salle-Zobel, 28-21, to claim the solo view from top of the 13-and-Under Division of the 28th Women’s Basket-ball League organized by the Best Center and backed by Milo recently.

The win was the fifth straight in as many matches for the Paulinians, while dealing DLS-Z its very first defeat in five games.

St. Pedro Poveda College

humbled winless PWU-JASMS in a low-scoring 6-1 result to stay within sight of the leaders at 3-1.

Miriam College walked over Assumption Antipolo, then demolished St. Stephen High School, 68-24, to remain in contention at 3-2.

The 17-and-Under Divi-sion saw St. Paul College-Pasig roll over St. Clare, 47-7; and Montessori Internation-al School beat Kalayaan Na-tional High School, 28-19,

in Group A; New Era High School defeat St. Stephen HS, 42-22, and walk over St. Mary’s College; before St. Mary’s trashed Colegio San Agustin-Makati, 37-15, in Group B; Quezon City Academy make mincemeat to Casimiro Ynares Memo-rial National HS, 55-4; and St. Theresa’s Academy clip CYM-NHS, 31-26, in Group C; and School of the Holy Spirit nip Colegio San Agustin-Makati, 36-34, in Group D.

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

WORLD Boxing Council middleweight champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico and popular young Mexican challenger Saul “Canelo” Alvarez have made the seven-day weigh in prior to their eagerly awaited showdown at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Sunday.

The WBC website reported that the champion Cotto tipped the scales at 157.8 pounds, while Alvarez registered 160.2 pounds.

Both fighters were reported in “great condition” and are “poised as well as keen to step into the ring” in what is predicted to be an epic battle, knowing the storied rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico.

The seven-day pre-fight weigh-in had been ordered by the WBC, headed by its president Mauricio Sulaiman, “to protect the physical integrity of the fighters.”

Freddie Roach, who trains Cotto said the Puerto Rican has the physical ability to do what it takes to win.

Cotto, Alvarezmake weight

A14wednesday : no vemb er 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

sports@thestandard.com.ph

Santo Tomas judokas eye golden double

Souped-up Home Ultera tossersupbeat on V-League chances

Lascuña, Tabuena vs world’s best

Games Saturday12:45 p.m. – Army vs Navy3 p.m. – Home Ultera vs UP

PLDT Home Ultera hopes to cash in on its edge in manpower and experience when it shoots for one of the final berths in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Reinforced Conference against University of the Phil-ippines at The Arena in San Juan on Saturday.

A pre-tournament favorite, Home Ultera’s campaign suf-fered a snag with the sidelin-ing of ace spiker Alyssa Val-dez due to back injury. But the Ultra Fast Hitters are back in the lead role after tapping a pair of talented American im-

ports late in the elims of the season-ending conference of the league where it all started.

And Victoria Hurtt and Sareea Freeman proved their worth with a pair of explo-sive games with the former unloading 21 hits and the lat-ter adding 15 points as Home Ultera eased out Kia Forte, 25-12, 25-12, 23-25, 25-21, to clinch the No. 2 seeding and seal a Final Four duel with UP, which wound up No. 3.

“We have the advantage against UP because of our ex-perience,” said Home Ultera coach Roger Gorayeb. “We also have two foreign players who I think will give us more options.”

Home Ultera beat UP, 25-12, 22-25, 25-15, 25-17, in their first round meeting.

But Gorayeb stressed the need for team cohesion, say-ing they would more practice time with Freeman and Hurtt to reach peak form in time for the championship.

“If you’re going to ask me, we haven’t really practiced that much. Hopefully, we could use this week to really get to familiarize with each other,” said Gorayeb.

In fact, Rubie de Leon, Home Ultera’s ace setter, struggled while trying to adjust their plays following the arrival of Freeman and Hurtt.

Miguel Tabueña tries to rebound from a poor showing last year.

Lascuña, a three-time Order of Merit winner on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, is raring to slug it out with the best in the fold, confident of his chances for a breakthrough victory in the country’s richest golf championship after a dis-mal stint the last time out.

“I didn’t have much luck in 2014. My driving and putting were really off, including a number lipped outs,” said the 45-year-old Lascuna, who hobbled and wound up tied for 52nd last year. “Hopefully, I’ll get some luck this week.”

The event, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and held in cooperation with the Manila South-woods, is also staged to further boost pro golf in the country and in Asia and at the same time cre-ate opportunities for Filipino golfers to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics and promote the Phil-ippines as a golfing haven and top class tourist destination.

Like Lascuña, Tabuena also had a poor finish in last year’s second staging of the event won by Singapore’s Mardan Mamat, ending up at joint 47th. But the young shotmaker hopes to make a big surge this time, given his fierce form that net-ted him the local tour’s OOM title.

“Having success on the local tour was a big achievement for me. I am so glad I did it but I hope the form will cross over to the Asian Tour,” said Tabuena.

Both aces, however, remain wary of the field’s depth and talent although they feel the local players have a slight edge playing on the hazard-laden, wind-raked Masters Course.

“Most of us know Southwoods very well because we always play there. It will be good for us to shine and show. It will be a good chance for us to move up in the Asian Tour OOM,” said Tabuena.

Manila Southwoods chair Bob Sobrepeña said the course has been spruced up to championship form, making it a true test of golf for the elite field that includes Thais Thaworn Wiratchant, Prom Meesawat, Danthai Boonma and Tham-manoon Sriroj, Swede Daniel Chopra, Aussie Marcus Both, Taiwan’s Lu Wei-chih, Chiragh Kumar of India and Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera.

“We are privileged and honored to be the host venue again for what is now the country’s richest golf tournament on the Asian Tour,” said Sobrepeña.

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas seeks an-other golden double when the UAAP Sea-son 78 judo tournament kicks off today at the La Salle-Greenhills gym.

The Growling Tigers swept the men’s and women’s championships in three of the last four years and the España-based judokas are tipped once more to reign in the league.

With MVP Al Rolan Llamas leading the way, UST collected 45 points to dethrone Ateneo, which finished second place with 43, in the men’s division last season.

The Tigresses banked on MVP Annie Ramirez and Princess Lucman to win the women’s championship with 42 points, beating the Lady Eagles in the process with 32 points.

The two-day event will start at 8:30 a.m.Currently handled by coach Gege Arce,

UST is the most successful judo program in the league, winning 11 men’s crowns

and seven women’s titles.In the juniors division, Ateneo is tipped

to rule against UST and De La Salle-Zobel. Behind MVP Christian Clemente and top rookie Jose Ariel Querubin, the Blue Ea-glets topped the high school side.

In juniors’ basketball, Aljun Melecio overcame offensive struggles as De La Sal-le-Zobel vaulted to its second straight win with a 72-61 decision over UP Integrated School yesterday in the UAAP Season 78 juniors basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Arena.

Former titlist National University over-powered University of Santo Tomas, 80-54, to also move up to 2-0, with Wind-erlich Coyoca, Karl Penano and John Lloyd Clemente combining for 44 points.  

Defending champion Ateneo, behind Jolo Mendoza’s 34 points, entered the win column with a 85-66 rout of Far East-ern University-Diliman, while Adamson

University also improved to 1-1 by over-whelming University of the East, 83-52.

Melecio, who scored 42 points in the Junior Archers’ 84-72 season-opening win against the Blue Eaglets Saturday, had 26 points this time on 9-of-25 shooting.  

But Melecio somehow delivered an impressive all-around game with seven assists, six rebounds and five steals in 32 minutes of play for De La Salle-Zobel.

Bryan Andrade and Romulo Berjay also delivered the goods for Ateneo with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Kenji Roman had 17 points and eight boards, while James Bieren and JJ Sapinit tossed in 13 markers apiece for the Baby Tamaraws, who tied the Eaglets and Baby Falcons at 1-1.

Jose Antiporda led Adamson with 12 points and seven boards while Jerry Aba-diano also scored 12 points while Ralf Chua added 10 points and six assists.

VETERAN Tony Lascuña and young Miguel Tabuena set out against a power-packed international roster that includes no fewer than 30 Asian Tour winners as they banner the locals bid in the $1 million RW Manila Masters firing off tomorrow at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Club’s Masters course in Carmona, Cavite.

Home Ultera Coach Roger Gorayeb (right) tries to perfect a play for his wards.

A15sports@thestandard.com.ph

WEDNESDAY: NO VEMB ER 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

Six share PSCchess tilt lead

MILO regulars. Bobby Tadlas and Michell Aclo both secured the highest

Standing a� er two rounds (Open Division) – Sivuk (UKR), Bitoon (PHI), Dimakiling (PHI), Savchenko (RUS), Laylo (PHI), Pascua (PHI) 2, Gupta (IND), Mozharov, Senador (PHI), Pimentel (PHI), Aravindh (IND), Kotanjian (ARM), Antonio (PHI), Torre (PHI) 1.5, Smirnov (RUS), Shomoev (RUS), Sean (INA), Lu (CHI), Demchenko (RUS), Rohan (IND), Garcia (PHI), Zubov (UKR), Belous (RUS) Nguyen (VIE) Sunilduth Lyna (IND), Puranik (IND), Docena (PHI), Lin (CHI), Deepan (IND), Liu (SIN), Bersamina (PHI), Nolte (PHI), Segarra ( PHI), San Diego (PHI).

Superliga semifinal round features 2 KO matches

Rivera, Del Rosario have a good chance to qualify

GRANDMASTER Vitaly Si-vuk of Ukraine continued where he le� o� , scoring two successive wins in the � rst two rounds to pace the 2015 Philippine Sports Commission-Puregold Inter-national Chess Challenge at the Subic Bay Peninsular at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Ol-angapo City.

� e 23-year-old Sivuk, who topped the recent Philippine In-ternational Chess Championship held at the same venue, crushed Filipino upstart Jerad Docena a� er 45 moves of a King’s Indian (Classical Averbakh) in the � rst round and followed up with a win over International Master Abhi-manyu Puranik of India to stay unbeaten with two points, along with � ve other bidders.

But in a pleasant turn, four of the six early co-leaders are Filipi-nos--reigning national champion GM Richard Bitoon, IM Oliver Dimakiling, GM Darwin Laylo and young IM Haridas Pascua, all of whom beat higher-seeded opponents, while the other two-pointer is Russian GM Boris Savchenko.

It was the Cebu native and 24th seed Bitoon, however, who scored two huge upset victories early in the tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and supported by the PSC, the Philippine Olympic Committee, Puregold, Burling-ton Socks, Asia United Bank and Marc Ventures Mining and De-velopment Corp., trashing no. 2 seed Alexander Zubov of Ukraine

a� er 48 moves of an English, and upended mo. 13th seed GM Duc Hoa in the second round.

� e 28th seed Dimakiling was also o� to a good start, as he toppled no. 6 seed GM Vladimir Belous a� er 49 moves of a Sicilian, and in the second round, lowered the ax against 14th seed Indian GM Narayanan Sinulduth Lyna.

No. 18 seed Laylo, meanwhile, turned back Woman International Master Janelle Mae Frayna a� er 36 pushes of a Caro-Kann (Modern Line) in the � rst round, and then upset no. 3 GM Pavel Smirnov of Russia in the second. � e no. 20 seed Pascua, who defeated WIM Mikee Charlene Suede in the � rst round, scored his biggest win so far as he crushed no. 9 seed GM Anton Shomoev in the second round.

THE semifinals of the 2015 Philip-pine Superliga Grand Prix prom-ises to be the wildest, most unpre-dictable battle in league history as powerhouse Philips Gold clashes with Foton and reigning cham-pion Petron faces Cignal in a pair of knockout matches tomorrow at The Arena in San Juan.

Billed as the team to beat for having an intact lineup and sol-

id imports in Americans Bojana Todorovic and Alexis Olgard, the Lady Slammers coasted to eight wins in 10 games to � nish the double-round eliminations on top of the team standings.

But Philips Gold is expected to have its hands full as it will be facing a hungry Foton side, which clobbered them in a four-set thriller last November 5; 25-

14, 25-22, 18-25, 25-18.“Foton is a very solid team. It

knows what it takes to win big games,” said Philips Gold coach Francis Vicente, wary of Foton’s explosive imports in Katie Mess-ing and Lindsay Stalzer. “We just have to stick to our game plan and do those little things that made us successful in the past like recep-tion and blocking. It’s going to be

a great matchup.”Like Philips Gold, Petron also

doesn’t take its foe lightly.Despite riding the crest of a

� ve-game winning streak be-fore bowing to the Lady Slam-mers in the � nal day of the preliminaries last Tuesday, the Blaze Spikers su� ered a rocky start, no thanks to the tough-defending Cignal squad.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Philippine champions Biboy Rivera and Liza del Rosario played well enough in eight games to stay in position to make the 24-man cut in the men’s and women’s divisions of the 51st Qubica AMF Bowling World Cup international � nals yesterday at Sam’s Town, Las Vegas here.

Rivera, a former World FIQ titlist, is in ninth place with 3459 pinfalls while Del Rosario, considered one of Asia’s best, is in 16th place with 3228.

� e two, as well as the rest of the campaigners in the world’s toughest individual kegfest, will play another games to determine who will make it to the top 24 in the men’s and women’s divisions.

Sandra Gongora of Mexico rolled the day’s high set of 1794 but it was only good for second place in the women’s competition with 3481, 22 pins behind new leader, two-time champion Shannon Pluhowsky of the United States, who posted 3559.

Isabelle Hultin of Sweden is now

third on 3444, Malaysia’s Siti Sa� yah Amirah is fourth and defending champion Carla Guerrero of Colombia is � � h.

Overnight leader Aumi Guerra of Dominican Republic, a� er what she described as an awful day, dropped to 11th spot.

Singapore’s Muhammad Jaris Goh held on to the men’s lead a� er 16 games but he had to work hard to score 1746 for a 3601 total, 16 pins ahead of 17-year-old student Kamron Doyle of the US, with Alexei Parshukov of Russia in third, just two pins behind Kamron.

Only two players hit over 1800 – Alexei and Hong Kong’s Siu Hong Wu, who is now in eighth place.

Mohamed Al Saud, a prince of the Saudi royal family, shot the day’s high game of 277.

� e � nal eight-game qualifying series will be played Wednesday. UAE’s Shaker Ali Al Hassan is in 24th place but Germany’s Sven Garbotz is just six pins behind in 25th.

2 EZ2 0-02 EZ2 0-0

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00

6/42 00-00-00-00-00-006 DIGITS 0-0-0-0-0-03 DIGITS 0-0-03 DIGITS 0-0-0

6 DIGITS 0-0-0-0-0-0

2 2

6/496/42 6/42 6 336

LOTTO RESULTSP0.0 M+

P0.0 M+

THE HOARSE WHISPEREER

JENNY ORTUOSTE

HAGDANG Bato and Pugad Lawin are set to renew their track rivalry in the 2,000-meter Philippine Char-ity Sweepstakes O� ce Presidential Gold Cup to be held Dec. 13 at San Lazaro Leisure Park.

� e PCSO Racing Committee released the list of nine declared entries: #2 Dixie Gold, to be ridden by jockey Patricio Dilema, carrying 55 kgs.; #3 Kanlaon, Val Dilema, 55; #4 Low Pro� le, Mark Alvarez, 55; #6 Pugad Lawin, JPA Guce, 59; #7 Messi, JA Guce, 55; #7a (stall no. 5) Tap Dance, JB guce, 55; #8 Hagdang Bato, Jonathan Hernandez, 62; #8a (stall no. 1) Malaya, Kelvin Abobo, 54; #9 Penrith, Christopher Gar-ganta, 56.

Handicapping for the PCSO Pres-idential Gold Cup is on a “points” system; weights are assigned based on previous wins of the entries in the race. Hagdang Bato was as-signed 62 kgs. a� er having won the Gold Cup twice, in 2012 and 2014, while Pugad Lawin’s 59 results from his 2013 win in the Gold Cup.

� ey each have won the PCSO Silver Cup once, Hagdang Bato in 2013 and Pugad Lawin in 2014. Both lost the 2015 edition to Skyway last June.

Mandaluyong City Mayor Ben-hur C. Abalos has � led an appeal to the PCSO Racing Committee to reduce the handicap weight of Hag-dang Bato, saying that at 6YO, he is an older horse and no longer at his peak. � e Racing Committee has yet to issue a reply.

* * * * *Ruben Dimacuha’s Low Pro� le

has an excellent chance of winning the Gold Cup next month if he shows the same stellar performance he pulled o� when he won the Phil-racom Amb. Eduardo M. Cojuang-co Jr. Cup last Nov. 8 at Santa Ana Park.

Sent o� as the outstanding favor-ite, Low Pro� le broke cleanly out the gate under jockey Mark Alvarez. � e tandem took the lead and never looked back from there, winning by eight lengths wire-to-wire. Second choice Messi took second, followed by stablemate Tap Dance in third, and Eugenie fourth.

Low Pro� le (Tribal Rule x Lac-quaria) posted 2:06 (24’-24-24’-26-27) for the 2,000-meter race. � e

record of 2:04.4 for that distance re-mains unbroken. It is held by three horses: local-bred Yes Pogi set it in the 16th PCSO Silver Cup in 2011 with Manolito F. Daquis aboard, and in 2005 by imports Wild Or-chid (Philracom Classic Open, with Fernando M. Raquel Jr.) and Stow-away Lass (Spkr. Jose de Venecia Cup, with Valentino R. Dilema).

* * * * *Last weekend at Metroturf race-

course was an exciting one for fans, with two stakes races held.

On Saturday (Nov. 14), Cool Summer Farm’s Dance Again, steered by Pat Dilema, won the 1,400-meter PCSO Special Maiden Race. � e placers were, in order, Guatemala, Nothing But Dtruth, and Love Hate. � e time for the race was 1:25.8 (13-21’-23-28).

On Sunday, (Nov. 15), Mayor Ab-alos’s Malaya, guided by Jonathan Hernandez, won the 1,200-meter Philracom Grand Sprint Cham-pionship. Another Abalos entry, Never Cease, was second, followed by Sharp Shooter and Pugad Lawin fourth and last. Time for the race was 1:10.6 (23-21’-26). *** Face-book: Gogirl Racing, Twitter: @go-girlracing, Instagram: @jensdecem-ber, Blog: http://jennyo.net

Hagdang Bato, Pugad Lawinamong PCSO Gold Cup bets

sportssports@thestandard.com.ph

wednesday : no vemb er 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

A16rIera U. maLL arI

E D I T O R

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RR Garcia showcased his offensive repertoire by scoring a career-high 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, and three rebounds to backstop the Energy while JC Intal also had a splendid game with 20 points of his own.

Barako Bull coach Koy Banal praised Garcia in his coming-out party.

‘’RR (Garcia) is smart and he

can do whatever it is you ask from him. I like his skills. I am thankful we’re not playing against him,’’ said Banal.

The prolific offensive duo proved to be vital throughout as their scoring allowed Barako Bull to keep Mahindra at bay.

The two-game winning streak allowed the Energy to move up to sixth place with its 3-2 mark while

by Jeric lopez

Barako Bull leaned on its experience to post its second straight win at the expense of Mahindra, 93-85, in an out-of-town clash in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Associa-tion Philippine Cup at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan, Laguna last night.

Barako Bull rips Mahindrathe Enforcers, after finally listing a win in its last game, was sent back to earth and dropped to 1-4 at 11th place.

Banal said his team’s desire to keep its place in the standings was a good motivation for this victory.

‘’We want to be above .500 and now we are with this win. We reminded the players before the game about that and they were reminded to just keep going and keep working hard.’’

Slowly but surely, the Energy, behind Intal’s leadership and scoring, built a comfortable cushion with a series of spurts in the first half and carried a 48-41 advantage.

In the third, Barako Bull erected several 10-point leads in the period,

and with a 69-59 spread heading the final 12 minutes of action.

After its lead fluctuated from around six to ten points in the early part of the fourth, Barako Bull delivered the finishing punch on Garcia’s 7-0 personal run midway the payoff period to put Mahindra away for good.

Garcia’s back-to-back lay-up followed by a three-point play gave Barako Bull a comfortable 78-65 advantage with exactly six minutes remaining and the Energy was never threatened until the final horn.

Mark Yee was the high-point man for Mahindra with his double-double performance of 17 points and 14 rebounds while LA Revilla had 14.

Tamarawsface Archersby Peter Atencio

Games today (Araneta Coliseum)

2 p.m. UP vs UE4 p.m. La Salle vs FEU

THE Far Eastern University Tama-raws have lost two in a row and this makes them a dangerous opponent, especially for a La Salle Green Ar-chers’ team coming off a long layoff.

La Salle coach Juno Sauler said his Green Archers are in for a tough challenge when they play the Tama-raws, who will be aching to bounce back big with a win.

The Tamaraws and the Green Archers, who are trying to squeeze in for the no. 4 spot, tangle at 4 p.m., today, in the 78th University Ath-letic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

“FEU is a tough squad. They can shoot outside, and they can also shoot from the inside. Coach Nash knows what he is doing. It’s going to be a tough, tough game,” said Sauler, who hopes to get the most out of Thomas Torres, who has just recovered from an ankle injury.

A Utah Utes cheerleader performs during the game between the Utes and the San Diego State Aztecs at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on November 16, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah. AFP

BUSINESSRODERICK T. DELA CRUZASSISTANT EDITOR B1business@thestandardtoday.com.ph

extrastory2000@gmail.com

RAY S. EÑANOEDITOR

Manila ranks lowamong Apec cities

Bangko Sentral ng PilipinasMonday, November 16, 2015

Foreign exchange rateCurrency Unit US Dollar PesoUnited States Dollar 1.000000 47.0320

Japan Yen 0.008155 0.3835

UK Pound 1.523300 71.6438

Hong Kong Dollar 0.129017 6.0679

Switzerland Franc 0.992753 46.6912

Canada Dollar 0.750920 35.3173

Singapore Dollar 0.702346 33.0327

Australia Dollar 0.711794 33.4771

Bahrain Dinar 2.656254 124.9289

Saudi Arabia Rial 0.266660 12.5416

Brunei Dollar 0.699888 32.9171

Indonesia Rupiah 0.000073 0.0034

Thailand Baht 0.027832 1.3090

UAE Dirham 0.272301 12.8069

Euro Euro 1.075200 50.5688

Korea Won 0.000855 0.0402

China Yuan 0.156887 7.3787

India Rupee 0.015120 0.7111

Malaysia Ringgit 0.228833 10.7625

New Zealand Dollar 0.652316 30.6797

Taiwan Dollar 0.030447 1.4320 Source: PDS Bridge

6,825.3852.46

Closing November 17, 2015PSe comPoSite index

43.50

44.60

45.40

46.20

47.00

HIGH P47.100 LOW P47.260 AVERAGE P47.196

Closing NOVEMBER 16, 2015PeSo-dollar rate

VOLUME 670.500M

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

P417.00-P640.00LPG/11-kg tank

P35.85-P43.35Unleaded Gasoline

P24.55-P28.00Diesel

P34.55-P39.15Kerosene

todayP35.85-P43.35

P24.55-P28.00

P34.55-P39.15

PP417.00-P640.00

8000

7700

7400

7100

6800

6500

P47.140CLOSE

PAL, Cebu Air lose P1.26b from canceled flights

WEDNESDAY: NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Aboitiz Equity cited. Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. is named one of the Top 50 Publicly Listed Companies in Southeast Asia on November 14 at the Manila Polo Club, Makati City during the Asean Corporate Governance Awards organized by the Asean Capital Markets Forum and the Securities and Exchange Commission. AEV president and chief executive Erramon Aboitiz (second from left) accepts the award from ACMF members. With him are (from right) are Institute of Corporate Directors chief executive Ricardo Jacinto and member of the board of trustees of the Indonesian Institute for Corporate Directorship James Simanjutak.

By Darwin G. Amojelar PHILIPPINE Airlines and Cebu Air Inc. incurred a combined foregone revenues of P1.26 bil-lion due to � ight cancellations following the Asia-Paci� c Eco-nomic Cooperation meeting here in Manila.

“PAL’s foregone or lost rev-enue due to Apec cancellations is approximately $18.75 mil-lion [P860 million]. PAL’s gross revenue per day is an estimated $7.5 million,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said.

Villaluna said close to 700 do-mestic and international � ights

were cancelled during the Apec meeting, accounting for 45 per-cent of what PAL would nor-mally operate within a six-day period.

� e country’s � ag carrier op-erates an estimated 260 � ights a day.

“We must stress, however, that the long term bene� ts of Apec outweigh these aforementioned losses” she said.

Cebu Paci� c corporate a� airs o� cer-in-charge JR Mantar-ing said revenue loss from � ight cancellations due to the Apec meeting was estimated at P400 million.

“As there may still be further changes in � ight schedules with-in this week, this � gure may still change,” Mantaring said.

Cebu Paci� c Group has can-celled over 680 domestic and international � ights during the international conference.

� e runway of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport will be closed from November 16 to 20 due to the arrival and de-parture of Apec leaders.

Passengers of PAL and Cebu Air with con� rmed tickets with-in November 16 to 20 period have the option to rebook their � ights, with rebooking and pen-

alty charges waived. PAL’s parent � rm, PAL Hold-

ings Inc., earlier reported a com-prehensive income of P6.55 bil-lion in the � rst nine months of the year from last year’s P169.1 million.

PAL Holdings attributed the sharp increase in comprehen-sive income during the period to strong revenues, which rose 10.8 percent to P81.98 billion from P73.98 billion a year ago.

PAL’s passenger revenue amounted to P68.37 billion in the � rst nine months of the year, up 12.5 percent from last year’s P60.78 billion.

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

MANILA ranks near the bottom of most livable and business-friendly cities in the Asia-Paci� c region, according to a study by professional services company Pricewater-houseCoopers.

� e country’s capital placed 22nd among the 28 cities included in the the study called “Building Better Cities,” which was launched at the sidelines of the Apec CEO Summit here. PwC said this was the � rst report that delved on the comparative rankings of cities within the Apec region.

“Our goal for this study is to spur dialog among city lead-ers who are tackling challenges ranging from technological developments that make large

investments outdated, to over-stretched municipal budgets,” said Bob Moritz, chairman and senior partner of US-based PwC.

Toronto, Vancouver and Sin-gapore emerged as the top three most livable cities in Apec, where it is also easy to do business. Seattle and Los Angeles, the two US cities included in the survey, ranked � � h and ninth, respectively. At the bot-tom of the list are Cebu, Surabaya and Port Moresby.

PwC released the results of the

study, as the Philippines hosts the Apec Summit this week, forc-ing organizers to close several roads that a� ected the mobility of thousands of commuters in Metro Manila.

“� is study provides a set of metrics and a diagnostic tool for mayors and urban planners to see how they can improve their communities to build bet-ter cities. We hope mayors use this information to see how they can evolve their cities into more livable, sustainable, and com-petitive places,” said National Competitiveness Council co-chairman Guillermo Luz.

Cebu ranked 26th among the 28 cities included in the study, ahead of Surabaya (Indonesia) and Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea).

� e survey ranked the cities according to 39 di� erent indica-

tors, which were grouped into � ve major indicators such culture and social health; connectivity; health and welfare; environmen-tal sustainability; and economics.

Manila lagged behind other Southeast Asian cities such as Singapore (3rd), Kuala Lumpur (15th) and Bangkok (16th), but placed better than Jakarta (25th) and Ho Chi Minh (24th).

Among the � ve indicators, Manila’s lowest ranking was in health and welfare, as it placed 27th behind Cebu at 26th.

“Apec cities are struggling to keep pace with their population’s health care demands, and it’s not a new or exclusive problem. Topping the list for excellence in this category were Tokyo, Osaka and Toronto, while Cebu, Manila and Port Moresby are still working hard to resolve these is-sues,” PwC said.

business@thestandard.com.phextrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESSWEDNESDAY: NOVEMBER 18, 2015

B2

52 Weeks Previous % Net Foreign High Low STOCKS Close High Low Close Change Volume Trade/Buying

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, November 17, 2015

FINANCIAL7.88 2.5 AG Finance 2.58 2.78 2.55 2.6 0.78 5,000 75.3 66 Asia United Bank 49.2 49.2 48.5 49.2 0.00 26,000 924,665.00124.4 88.05 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 99.15 101.40 99.20 99.50 0.35 2,550,630 -22,019,960107 88.1 Bank of PI 83.30 85.35 83.50 85.00 2.04 3,306,770 13,614,481.0056.5 45.45 China Bank 39.5 39.7 39.5 39.5 0.00 40,700 -79,200.004.2 1.68 Bright Kindle Resources 1.70 1.65 1.60 1.60 -5.88 36,000 17 12.02 COL Financial 15.4 15.7 15.4 15.7 1.95 8,300 30.45 19.6 Eastwest Bank 18.88 19 18.88 18.88 0.00 42,200 -298,554.002.6 1.02 I-Remit Inc. 1.61 1.60 1.60 1.60 -0.62 12,000 1.01 0.225 MEDCO Holdings 0.495 0.485 0.460 0.480 -3.03 240,000 42,800.00100 78 Metrobank 79.05 81.5 80 81.05 2.53 2,243,790 3,389,766.001.46 0.9 Natl. Reinsurance Corp. 0.95 0.95 0.95 0.95 0.00 50,000 91.5 62 Phil. National Bank 50.75 51.00 50.50 50.50 -0.49 27,550 -737,858.50361.2 276 PSE Inc. 303 299.6 296 299.6 -1.12 1,160 57 41 RCBC `A’ 32 32.35 32.1 32.3 0.94 16,000 -223,115180 118.2 Security Bank 132.6 134.7 132.6 133 0.30 240,170 10,451,232.001700 1200 Sun Life Financial 1550.00 1515.00 1515.00 1515.00 -2.26 5 124 59 Union Bank 56.95 57.00 56.15 57.00 0.09 50

INDUSTRIAL47 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp. 41.3 41.75 40.2 41.6 0.73 2,205,100 4,133,965.005 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 3.08 3.78 3 3.2 3.90 5,435 -32,670.001.46 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.88 0.84 0.84 0.84 -4.55 31,000 2.36 1.86 Alsons Cons. 1.55 1.55 1.55 1.55 0.00 137,000 15.3 7.92 Asiabest Group 10.9 10.98 10.5 10.98 0.73 300 20.6 15.32 Century Food 17.7 18.2 17.64 17.66 -0.23 469,200 -3,916,352.0036 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 20.35 21 20.3 21 3.19 2,179,800 65.8 29.15 Concepcion 42 42 41 41 -2.38 170,600 410,0002.97 1.5 Crown Asia 2.31 2.4 2.34 2.36 2.16 418,000 4,720.004.14 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 1.4 1.64 1.4 1.51 7.86 1,928,000 -65,200.0021.5 10.72 Del Monte 9.9 9.9 9.9 9.9 0.00 100 21.6 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 9.010 9.320 9.03 9.270 2.89 3,362,300 5,475,673.0011.96 9.04 Emperador 8.98 9.13 9.01 9.13 1.67 988,900 -4,124,323.009.13 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.70 5.89 5.75 5.82 2.11 12,654,500 6,649,591.0011.8 8.86 EEI 5.55 5.65 5.52 5.53 -0.36 575,400 -2,216,841.002.89 1.06 Euro-Med Lab 1.69 1.71 1.71 1.71 1.18 5,000 31.8 20.2 First Gen Corp. 22.1 22.95 21.8 21.8 -1.36 3,045,900 -31,155,960.00109 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 67.95 68.8 67.95 68.75 1.18 424,910 6,587,872.5020.75 13.86 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 11.80 11.80 11.80 11.80 0.00 36,000 -375,240.0015.3 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 14.60 14.50 14.30 14.50 -0.68 10,500 9.4 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.93 6 5.9 5.99 1.01 246,400 1,101,624.000.98 0.395 Ionics Inc 2.460 2.590 2.360 2.360 -4.07 3,300,000 -551,000.00241 173 Jollibee Foods Corp. 194.00 199.80 194.00 195.50 0.77 455,590 -6,781,678.00 LBC Express 12.5 12.5 12 12.5 0.00 16,800 4 1.63 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.5 3.69 3.2 3.69 5.43 27,000 33.9 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 23.9 24.05 23.85 24 0.42 1,820,100 -14,864,110.0090 17.3 Maxs Group 22.6 22.75 22.1 22.4 -0.88 375,500 2,210,715.0013.26 5.88 Megawide 6.34 6.43 6.2 6.34 0.00 2,036,800 -12,672,392.00293 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 296.00 299.60 295.60 296.20 0.07 606,460 -78,397,268.005.25 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 4.05 4.08 4.05 4.05 0.00 141,000 -463,900.0012.98 8.45 Petron Corporation 7.50 7.97 7.68 7.80 4.00 715,200 -1,357,417.006.75 3 Phil H2O 3.4 3.2 3.15 3.15 -7.35 20,000 15 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.80 11.80 11.80 11.80 0.00 1,000 7.03 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.61 3.75 3.52 3.70 2.49 80,000 3.4 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.90 1.98 1.87 1.87 -1.58 1,299,000 -5,290.004.5 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.35 2.45 2.36 2.36 0.43 62,000 6.3 4.02 RFM Corporation 4.15 4.20 4.17 4.18 0.72 199,000 639,300.007.34 5.9 Roxas Holdings 4.9 5 5 5 2.04 10,000 50,000.00238 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 133 134.5 133.1 134 0.75 60,570 -2,680,016.005.5 4.1 SPC Power Corp. 3.5 3.75 3.5 3.5 0.00 43,000 -145,530.003.28 1.55 Splash Corporation 2.2 2.29 2.21 2.26 2.73 254,000 0.315 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.149 0.150 0.146 0.149 0.00 2,650,000 2.18 1.02 TKC Steel Corp. 1.08 1.14 1.07 1.12 3.70 31,000 2.65 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.03 2.09 2.03 2.05 0.99 116,000 2,050.00234 152 Universal Robina 197.5 202 198 199.7 1.11 815,830 2,366,600.005.28 4.28 Victorias Milling 4.54 4.7 4.7 4.7 3.52 1,000 1.3 0.640 Vitarich Corp. 0.62 0.64 0.63 0.64 3.23 708,000 2.17 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l. 1.23 1.23 1.15 1.21 -1.63 300,000

HOLDING FIRMS0.59 0.44 Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.395 0.405 0.400 0.400 1.27 460,000 59.2 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 55.2000 57.2000 55.2500 55.7000 0.91 1,512,280 -18,820,186.0030.05 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 17.78 17.96 17.68 17.76 -0.11 3,039,000 -13,399,270.002.16 1.6 Anglo Holdings A 1.04 1.12 1.10 1.11 6.73 31,000 7.39 6.62 Anscor `A’ 6.40 6.40 6.39 6.39 -0.16 1,400 3.4 0.23 ATN Holdings A 0.244 0.244 0.235 0.238 -2.46 5,290,000 3.35 0.23 ATN Holdings B 0.250 0.250 0.250 0.250 0.00 20,000 823.5 634.5 Ayala Corp `A’ 749 757 747.5 755 0.80 222,870 -91,563,280.0010.2 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.45 7.59 7.5 7.55 1.34 2,364,500 6,748,931.0084 12.8 DMCI Holdings 12.98 13.00 12.74 12.88 -0.77 1,824,900 -12,083,986.003.35 2.6 F&J Prince ‘A’ 4.74 4.81 4.81 4.81 1.48 4,000 4.92 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp. 3.90 3.90 3.90 3.90 0.00 31,000 78,000.000.66 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.245 0.260 0.250 0.260 6.12 610,000 1455 837 GT Capital 1298 1303 1285 1285 -1.00 105,855 -72,257,560.007.5 5.3 House of Inv. 5.42 5.43 5.43 5.43 0.18 8,200 76 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 67.90 70.00 67.80 67.80 -0.15 2,380,840 -61,682,139.009.25 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp. 7.3 7.6 7.29 7.6 4.11 3,317,300 -1,309,294.000.85 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.72 0.73 0.71 0.73 1.39 188,000 17.3 12 LT Group 13.7 14.4 13.64 13.9 1.46 6,519,500 13,039,750.000.71 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.51 0.51 0.51 0.51 0.00 40,000 5.53 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.16 5.32 5.16 5.26 1.94 22,561,100 73,913,208.006.55 4.5 Minerales Industrias Corp. 9.64 9.68 9.64 9.68 0.41 4,220,800 -361,018.009.66 3 MJCI Investments Inc. 3.01 3 3 3 -0.33 5,000 0.0670 0.030 Pacifica `A’ 0.0300 0.0330 0.0300 0.0310 3.33 66,500,000 48,000.002.31 1.23 Prime Media Hldg 1.170 1.290 1.240 1.270 8.55 16,000 1.61 0.550 Prime Orion 1.760 1.810 1.760 1.760 0.00 2,011,000 44,000.0084.9 59.3 San Miguel Corp `A’ 47.95 48.50 47.65 48.00 0.10 362,500 -6,726,025.003.5 1.5 Seafront `A’ 2.95 2.68 2.68 2.68 -9.15 39,000 974 751 SM Investments Inc. 831.00 851.50 834.00 840.00 1.08 278,140 -156,892,855.001.66 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 1.16 1.22 1.18 1.12 -3.28 17,000 1.39 0.93 South China Res. Inc. 0.75 0.75 0.70 0.72 -4.00 574,000 156 80 Top Frontier 76.150 76.300 76.150 76.300 0.20 60 0.710 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3150 0.3200 0.3150 0.3200 1.59 1,580,000 -50,400.000.435 0.179 Wellex Industries 0.2280 0.2270 0.2270 0.2270 -0.44 200,000 0.510 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.280 0.280 0.255 0.260 -7.14 560,000

P R O P E R T Y10.5 6.74 8990 HLDG 6.900 7.150 6.920 7.150 3.62 334,500 829,762.001.99 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.82 0.90 0.81 0.85 3.66 8,341,000 1.75 1.2 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.180 1.200 1.180 1.190 0.85 120,000 0.375 0.192 Arthaland Corp. 0.203 0.209 0.208 0.208 2.46 100,000 41.4 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 33.600 34.600 33.800 33.950 1.04 6,638,700 23,995,065.005.6 3.36 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.1 3.26 3.13 3.13 0.97 589,000 13,790.00

52 Weeks Previous % Net ForeignHigh Low STOCKS Close High Low Close Change Volume Trade/Buying

Trading SummarySHARES VALUE

FINANCIAL 18,400,423 1,551,357,679.152INDUSTRIAL 50,521,218 924,478,304.21HOLDING FIRMS 127,037,455 1,196,623,008.35PROPERTY 109,714,819 1,250,783,344.65SERVICES 116,494,527 1,088,837,883.31MINING & OIL 177,629,548 57,935,892.473GRAND TOTAL 601,920,510 6,106,851,311.142

FINANCIAL 1,533.66 (UP) 17.72INDUSTRIAL 10,984.41 (UP) 102.83HOLDING FIRMS 6,444.26 (UP) 37.99PROPERTY 2,880.10 (UP) 21.82SERVICES 1,530.10 (UP) 10.33MINING & OIL 10,990.37 (UP) 138.02PSEI 6,825.38 (UP) 52.46All Shares Index 3,947.44 (UP) 33.01

Gainers: 119; Losers: 48; Unchanged: 44; Total: 211

STOCKS Close(P)

Change(%)

Manila Broadcasting 24.00 -20.00

Seafront `A' 2.68 -9.15

Oriental Pet. `A' 0.0100 -9.09

Phil H2O 3.15 -7.35

Zeus Holdings 0.260 -7.14

Bright Kindle Resources 1.60 -5.88

MRC Allied Ind. 0.081 -4.71

Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.84 -4.55

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 62 -4.32

Ionics Inc 2.360 -4.07

Top LoSerSSTOCKS Close

(P)Change

(%)

Starmalls 5.83 49.87

Prime Media Hldg 1.270 8.55

Da Vinci Capital 1.51 7.86

SSI Group 3.62 7.42

Anglo Holdings A 1.11 6.73

Century Peak Metals Hldgs 0.67 6.35

Forum Pacific 0.260 6.12

Asian Terminals Inc. 11.8 6.12

NOW Corp. 0.700 6.06

Phil. Estates Corp. 0.2700 5.88

Top gainerS

5.59 4.96 Cebu Holdings 5.1 5.1 5.1 5.1 0.00 300 1.44 0.79 Century Property 0.57 0.58 0.56 0.56 -1.75 4,418,000 -956,460.001.48 0.97 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 116,000 0.201 0.083 Crown Equities Inc. 0.134 0.138 0.134 0.135 0.75 6,030,000 -13,400.000.69 0.415 Cyber Bay Corp. 0.465 0.470 0.465 0.465 0.00 770,000 -18,800.0010.96 2.4 Double Dragon 22.25 23.1 22.25 22.9 2.92 1,643,200 5,853,655.000.97 0.83 Empire East Land 0.850 0.860 0.860 0.860 1.18 10,000 2.22 1.15 Global-Estate 1.09 1.10 1.08 1.08 -0.92 1,439,000 -192,100.002.1 1.42 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.75 1.79 1.75 1.79 2.29 26,797,000 16,407,060.001.8 1.27 Interport `A’ 1.23 1.24 1.24 1.24 0.81 40,000 5.94 4.13 Megaworld 4.37 4.49 4.36 4.36 -0.23 16,479,000 -9,911,490.000.180 0.090 MRC Allied Ind. 0.085 0.085 0.080 0.081 -4.71 620,000 0.470 0.290 Phil. Estates Corp. 0.2550 0.2700 0.2700 0.2700 5.88 10,000 8.54 2.69 Primex Corp. 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 0.00 70,000 31.8 22.15 Robinson’s Land `B’ 30.50 30.55 30.00 30.40 -0.33 15,767,400 41,511,710.002.29 1.6 Rockwell 1.46 1.49 1.45 1.47 0.68 79,000 -29,800.004.9 3.1 Shang Properties Inc. 3.15 3.21 3.2 3.2 1.59 2,000 21.35 15.08 SM Prime Holdings 20.30 21.15 20.25 20.45 0.74 13,781,500 -113,496,385.001.06 0.69 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.73 0.75 0.73 0.75 2.74 414,000 7.56 3.38 Starmalls 3.89 5.83 5.83 5.83 49.87 11,000 5,830.001.62 0.83 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 0.870 0.900 0.870 0.890 2.30 255,000 8.59 5.73 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.280 5.510 5.170 5.280 0.00 2,621,300 -6,189,245.00

S E R V I C E S10.5 1.97 2GO Group’ 7.17 7.48 7.1 7.2 0.42 86,600 -36,500.0066 35.2 ABS-CBN 62.7 64.8 62.5 62.9 0.32 36,920 1.09 0.63 APC Group, Inc. 0.550 0.570 0.550 0.570 3.64 258,000 14.88 10.5 Asian Terminals Inc. 11.12 11.8 11.8 11.8 6.12 300 15.82 8.6 Bloomberry 4.94 5.20 4.95 5.05 2.23 3,725,000 783,660.000.1430 0.0770 Boulevard Holdings 0.0480 0.0510 0.0490 0.0500 4.17 18,800,000 -4,900.005.06 2.95 Calata Corp. 3.56 3.66 3.5 3.52 -1.12 3,270,000 99.1 56.1 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 84.75 84.75 83.5 84.1 -0.77 349,160 -13,056,022.007.67 4.8 DFNN Inc. 5.60 5.96 5.50 5.80 3.57 44,400 1700 830 FEUI 960 978 955 978 1.88 120 2720 1600 Globe Telecom 2002 2048 2010 2020 0.90 119,005 -179,065,660.008.41 5.95 GMA Network Inc. 7.30 7.45 7.30 7.43 1.78 508,900 1.97 1.23 Harbor Star 1.23 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.63 18,000 119.5 102.6 I.C.T.S.I. 66.95 68.55 67 67.2 0.37 1,187,840 -13,926,940.0012.5 8.72 IPeople Inc. `A’ 11.4 11.88 11.4 11.4 0.00 300 0.017 0.011 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.00 200,000 0.8200 0.041 Island Info 0.172 0.175 0.173 0.174 1.16 670,000 2.2800 1.200 ISM Communications 1.3700 1.4000 1.3700 1.3700 0.00 97,000 12.28 6.5 Leisure & Resorts 8.62 8.85 8.60 8.65 0.35 97,300 34,977.003.32 1.91 Liberty Telecom 4.30 4.45 4.29 4.31 0.23 996,000 -86,200.003.2 1.95 Macroasia Corp. 2.30 2.34 2.30 2.34 1.74 5,000 95.5 3.1 Manila Broadcasting 30.00 24.00 23.00 24.00 -20.00 600 1 0.650 Manila Bulletin 0.580 0.610 0.610 0.610 5.17 3,000 2.46 1.8 Manila Jockey 2 2 2 2 0.00 10,000 15.2 6 Melco Crown 3.46 3.57 3.44 3.45 -0.29 1,889,000 -2,282,350.000.62 0.335 MG Holdings 0.260 0.270 0.270 0.270 3.85 10,000 1.040 0.37 NOW Corp. 0.660 0.710 0.640 0.700 6.06 10,448,000 -22,700.006.41 3 PAL Holdings Inc. 4.65 4.53 4.52 4.52 -2.80 10,000 185 79 Phil. Seven Corp. 101.10 101.00 100.00 100.30 -0.79 3,530 212,307.0022.9 4.39 Philweb.Com Inc. 20.00 20.00 19.68 20.00 0.00 46,500 -543,908.003486 2748 PLDT Common 1964.00 2000.00 1963.00 1965.00 0.05 140,025 -55,028,795.000.760 0.435 PremiereHorizon 0.520 0.540 0.510 0.540 3.85 971,000 2.28 1.2 Premium Leisure 0.970 1.000 0.970 0.970 0.00 7,141,000 -76,180.0046.05 31.45 Puregold 31.30 32.05 31.20 31.75 1.44 4,036,700 6,211,255.0090.1 60.55 Robinsons RTL 69.20 71.80 70.00 71.50 3.32 121,740 134,793.00 SBS Phil. Corp. 5.57 5.83 5.58 5.65 1.44 2,295,400 -1,685,983.0011.6 7.59 SSI Group 3.37 3.78 3.36 3.62 7.42 52,175,000 -46,231,190.000.85 0.63 STI Holdings 0.430 0.43 0.425 0.425 -1.16 6,120,000 -1,251,300.002.95 1.71 Transpacific Broadcast 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 0.00 10,000 10 5 Travellers 3.85 4 3.87 3.95 2.60 208,000 -400,000.001.9 1.14 Yehey 4.050 4.200 4.060 4.200 3.70 21,000

MINING & OIL0.0098 0.0043 Abra Mining 0.0050 0.0050 0.0049 0.0050 0.00 131,000,000 5.45 1.72 Apex `A’ 2.20 2.20 2.20 2.20 0.00 345,000 17.24 6.47 Atlas Cons. `A’ 4.82 4.86 4.80 4.82 0.00 80,000 -343,130.000.330 0.236 Basic Energy Corp. 0.210 0.210 0.210 0.210 0.00 1,780,000 1.19 0.85 Century Peak Metals Hldgs 0.63 0.69 0.64 0.67 6.35 214,000 1.62 0.77 Coal Asia 0.64 0.64 0.62 0.63 -1.56 225,000 9.5 5.99 Dizon 8.00 8.45 7.78 8.05 0.63 6,100 4.2 1.17 Ferronickel 0.79 0.81 0.79 0.8 1.27 3,776,000 -236,000.000.48 0.305 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.295 0.300 0.290 0.295 0.00 40,000 0.420 0.2130 Lepanto `A’ 0.188 0.188 0.184 0.188 0.00 1,290,000 0.440 0.2160 Lepanto `B’ 0.202 0.201 0.201 0.201 -0.50 340,000 0.022 0.013 Manila Mining `A’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 0.00 1,100,000 0.023 0.014 Manila Mining `B’ 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.00 4,500,000 8.2 3.240 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 2.38 2.46 2.38 2.43 2.10 187,000 49.2 18.96 Nickelasia 6.76 7.2 6.72 7 3.55 1,135,900 -1,579,729.004.27 2.11 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.88 3.17 2.9 3 4.17 2,329,000 3.06 1.54 Oriental Peninsula Res. 1.3800 1.4400 1.3600 1.4400 4.35 31,000 0.020 0.012 Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 -9.09 3,000,000 7.67 5.4 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 3.54 3.60 3.60 3.60 1.69 2,000 12.88 7.26 Philex `A’ 4.99 5.300 4.980 5.05 1.20 119,000 -96,520.0010.42 2.27 PhilexPetroleum 1.39 1.470 1.380 1.44 3.60 269,000 8,180.000.040 0.015 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.00 25,400,000 420 115.9 Semirara Corp. 134.60 136.90 134.40 135.80 0.89 258,920 -332,134.009 3.67 TA Petroleum 2.27 2.35 2.27 2.27 0.00 55,000

PREFERRED70 33 ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 64.8 64 62 62 -4.32 30,070 -816,750.00553 490 Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ 519.5 519.5 519.5 519.5 0.00 20 525 500 Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ 530 530 525 525 -0.94 3,000 120 101.5 First Gen G 116.2 116.2 116.2 116.2 0.00 890 515 480 GLOBE PREF P 519 520 520 520 0.19 250 8.21 5.88 GMA Holdings Inc. 7.18 7.25 7.24 7.25 0.97 85,000 111 101 MWIDE PREF 109.5 109 109 109 -0.46 45,020 1047 1011 PF Pref 2 1030 1018 1018 1018 -1.17 2,985 84.8 75 SMC Preferred C 82 83.5 81.7 81.7 -0.37 73,700 -2,596,435.00 SMC Preferred D 79.05 79.1 79.05 79.05 0.00 5,500 SMC Preferred E 79.25 79.3 79.2 79.3 0.06 2,200 SMC Preferred F 80.3 80.35 80.2 80.35 0.06 51,510

WARRANTS & BONDS6.98 0.8900 LR Warrant 2.650 2.700 2.640 2.640 -0.38 162,000

S M E Alterra Capital 4 4 3.99 4 0.00 3,000 15 3.5 Makati Fin. Corp. 2.82 2.84 2.84 2.84 0.71 10,000 12.88 5.95 Xurpas 16 16.5 16.12 16.4 2.50 2,085,100 586,614.00

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS130.7 105.6 First Metro ETF 111.1 112.7 111.3 111.5 0.36 24,420

business@thestandard.com.phextrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESSWEDNESDAY: NOVEMBER 18, 2015

B3

Maynilad loses P4.9b in rate row

Market ends 9-day slump; SSI, Metrobank advance

Roxas names financeofficer

Rice month. November is officially celebrated as National Rice Awareness Month under Proclamation No. 524. The directive calls for the wise consumption of rice. The month is also dedicated to the appreciation of the hard work of rice farmers to feed the Filipino people. This year’s celebration of NRAM include a feeding program held at the Mines Elementary School in Quezon City where young students are taught the importance of rice and how to prevent rice wastage.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

MAYNILAD Water Services Inc. said Tues-day foregone revenues as a result of the gov-ernment’s refusal to implement tariff adjust-ment soared to P4.9 billion.

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

ROXAS Holdings Inc., the coun-try’s largest sugar producer, an-nounced Tuesday the appoint-ment of Celso Dimarucut as the company’s new chief finance of-ficer.

Roxas Holdings chairman, president and chief executive Pe-dro Roxas said Dimarucut would serve as the new CFO and group head of finance effective Dec. 1, 2015.

Dimarucut will replace Ar-mando Escobar, who will return to Roxas & Company Inc. as full-time CFO.

Dimarucut is a part of the MVP Group, where he recently served as senior executive vice president and chief finance officer of Land-co Pacific Corp. and its subsidiar-ies.

He graduated cum laude at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines with a degree of BS Commerce - Accounting and started his career in auditing firm SGV, before moving to Hunt-URC and Rothman’s of Pall Mall (Australia).

Before moving to the MVP Group, Dimarucut had stints in Metrobank, Philippine Commer-cial Capital and Presto, Utomo and Co. (Indonesia).

Dimarucut served initially as fi-nance head of Pilipino Telephone Corp. and later, as comptroller of Philippine Long Distance Tele-phone Company after Piltel’s inte-gration into Smart Communica-tions Inc. where he managed the overall financial reporting func-tions of the PLDT Group.

He also worked as senior vice president and group finance of-ficer of ePLDT Inc., the informa-tion and communications tech-nology group of PLDT.

After his PLDT stint, he moved to Mediaquest Holdings where he served as SVP and group finance officer.

STOCKS rose Tuesday to end a nine-day slump, as inves-tors searched for bargains after the benchmark index reached a 17-month low.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company bench-mark, added 52 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 6,825.38. The gauge was still down 5.8 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also gained 33 points, or 0.8 percent, to settle at 3,947.44, on a value turnover of P6.1 billion.

Gainers outnumbered losers, 119 to 48, while 44 issues were un-changed.

Seventeen of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by retailer SSI Group Inc., which re-bounded 7.4 percent to P3.62.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second largest lender, rose 2.5

percent to P81.05, while Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third largest lender, climbed 2 percent to P85.

Conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. added 1.9 per-cent to close at P5.26. LT Group Inc., the investment company of tycoon Lucio Tan, rose 1.5 percent to P13.90.

Meanwhile, most Asian stock markets advanced strongly Tuesday, mirroring rallies in Europe and New York as the initial shock from the deadly Paris attacks wore off.

While Friday’s carnage, which left 129 people dead, fueled fears in the region about the effects on the already troubled European econ-omy, confidence was buoyed by a defiant reaction around the world.

The three main markets on Wall Street each ended sharply higher, while London and Frankfurt also

advanced and Paris pared early selling to end only marginally lower.

That filtered through Tuesday to Asia’s trading floors, with Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney all posting healthy gains. However, Shang-hai edged down in late deals after bucking the trend Monday and climbing.

“Good gains in overnight US markets should wash across” into Asia, said Tony Farnham, a strat-egist at Patersons Securities in Sydney. “Initial cautiousness has quickly dissipated.”

Energy firms were big gainers, rising in line with oil prices as it emerged that US-led jets targeted the Islamic State group’s oil op-erations in retaliation for the Paris horror.

The latest developments re-newed the possibility of a rise in

the level of conflict in the Syria-Iraq region that some fear could disrupt oil output.

Hong Kong-traded CNOOC surged almost seven percent, while Inpex in Tokyo added more than two percent, while JX Holdings jumped 3.4 percent. Sydney-listed Origin rallied 7.4 percent.

The euro, which turned down against the dollar and yen Mon-day, continued to face pressure after a key official at the European Central Bank suggested it would further loosen its monetary policy.

“It’s key for a central bank to keep inflation expectations an-chored, especially in a period of slack in the economy, and we have some signals that these inflation expectations are still fragile,”  Ex-ecutive Board member Peter Praet said in a Bloomberg interview in Frankfurt Monday. With AFP

The west zone concessionaire is awaiting the results of an arbitra-tion case filed with the Interna-tional Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.

Maynilad chief finance officer Randy Estrellado told reporters the pending arbitration was not complicated and could be re-solved soon.

“This is not a complicated arbi-tration. We don’t expect it to take

long. Foregone revenues when we filed in February was P3.4 billion. Now it’s P4.9 billion. It’s the differ-ence of tariff that we charge and what we should be charging,” Es-trellado said.

Estrellado said if Maynilad would win the arbitration case, “it gives us the right to go after the government.”

Maynilad is the water and wastewater services provider for

the 17 cities and municipalities that comprise the west zone in Metro Manila.

Maynilad said earlier this year it would pursue an appeal on the government’s decision to grant a lower water rate increase, despite a favorable ruling from an arbitra-tion body.

Maynilad reiterated its posi-tion after the Metropolitan Wa-terworks and Sewerage System board granted the company a 7.52-percent adjustment in its ba-sic water rate.

MWSS approved an average in-crease of P1.35 per cubic meter to Maynilad’s basic charge of P31.25 per cubic meter.

The currency exchange rate ad-

justment component of the basic charge was not included due to the implementation of a differen-tial adjustment.

“This is a step in the right direction as we are entitled to a CPI adjustment and any de-lays will just increase future adjustments. Additionally, any positive adjustment now will reduce the continuing claim we have on the government undertaking,” Estrellado said earlier.

Maynilad customers who con-sume 10 cubic meters will see a decrease of P4.12 a month. Those who consume 20 cubic meters will see an increase of P2.22 per month, while those using up to

30 cubic meters will pay P15.52 more.

Estrellado said despite the rate adjustment, the company would still pursue the arbitration case in Singapore. The International Chamber of Commerce last year ruled in favor of Maynilad, ap-proving a higher tariff, including passing the income tax to con-sumers.

The appeals panel’s decision translates into an average increase of P3.06 per cubic meter.

Maynilad earlier filed another arbitration case before the inter-national arbitration court in Sin-gapore against the government for its alleged refusal to imple-ment a tariff increase.

B4

616 renewable energy projects with 12,000-MW output cleared

Higherwatersupplyokayed

Megawide calls offOrthopedic contract

CDO fun run. CDO-Foodsphere Inc. president Jerome Ong (right) turns over a check worth over P800,000, representing the proceeds from the fun run, to Odyssey Foundation officials Dr. Charmaine Ong-Castro (left) and Dindo Danao during the event. More than 2,000 running enthusiasts joined the fun run organized by food company CDO-Foodsphere on November 8, 2015 at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig in support of the campaign to fight malnutrition. Odyssey Foundation is a non-profit organization that conducts supplemental feeding programs for undernourished children in different parts of the country. The event was sponsored by CDO, Sana Marino Tuna and Highlands Corned Beef.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

MEGAWIDE World Citi Consortium Inc., a unit of listed Megawide Construction Corp., terminated a P5.7-billion contract with the Health Department to modernize the Philip-pine Orthopedic Center after a two-year de-lay in the awarding of the job.

“Megawide has terminated the contract for the moderniza-tion of the Philippine Orthope-dic Center with the Department of Health. This is a decision driven by the two-year delay in awarding of the certificate of possession, among others, and not one that was made lightly,” the company said in a state-ment.

“We participated in the tender with the belief that our fellow

Filipinos deserve an efficient hos-pital facility to complement the care and service already shown by the staff of POC,” it added.

Megawide said despite the dif-ficulties in getting the contract, it was committed supporting the Health Department’s vision for inclusive healthcare for all Fili-pinos.

Analysts said Megawide’s ter-mination of the build-operate-transfer agreement with the gov-

ernment was not a good sign for the other Public Private Partner-ship projects in the pipeline that the Aquino administration plans to bid out.

Regina Capital Development Corp. said the termination again raised questions on the integrity of contracts under the PPP pro-gram.

When asked if Megawide would continue to purse other PPP projects given the setback, Megawide chief marketing offi-cer Louie Ferrer said: “It is hard to comment on that. But this is-sue is a moving concern moving forward.”

The modernization of Philip-pine Orthopedic Center was one the five PPP projects that Mega-wide won in a public bidding.

The others were the P17.5-billion Mactan Cebu Interna-tional Airport expansion pro-

gram with Bangalore-based GMR Infrastructure; the P16.42-billion PPP for School Infrastructure project phase I; the P3.86-billion PSIP phase II; and the P2.5-billion Integrated Transport System-Southwest Terminal.

Megawide World Citi bagged the country’s first hospital PPP project in 2013.

It was the sole bidder for the project, which involves the con-struction, operation and main-tenance of a 700-bed facility that will be built inside the National Kidney Transplant Institute compound along East Ave. in Quezon City.

The POC operates at Maria Clara corner Banawe Streets., also in Quezon City.

Several groups, including hos-pital employees, haved opposed the modernization project.

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

THE National Water Resources Board approved a higher alloca-tion for Metro Manila conces-sionaires.

NWRB executive director Se-villo David Jr. said in a text mes-sage the body increased the water allocation for Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. to 45 cubic meters per second from 38 cms.

David said the higher alloca-tion was effective until Novem-ber 23.

“This is based on their re-quest due to rapidly declining and depletion of water supply at Ipo Dam and with reduced local flows,” David said.

“We increased the allocation until November 23 for Ipo Dam to attain a good level and prevent or minimize water interruption,” he added.

Ipo dam’s water level on Tues-day stood at 100.75 meters, up 0.01 percent from 100.74 meters on November 16.

Angat dam’s water level also rose by 0.18 percent to 207.95 meters from the previous day’s 207.77 meters.

David said the NWRB Board would meet next week to review the water allocation for Decem-ber.

West Zone concessionaire Maynilad said due to the higher allocation, it temporarily sus-pended the daily off-peak wa-ter service interruptions from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. that affected 56 percent of the company’s customers from November 13 to 15, and reverted to pressure management instead.

“This as the release of addi-tional supply from Angat Dam increased water elevation at Ipo Dam and La Mesa portal facilities where the water con-cessionaires get their respective share of the allocation,” Mayni-lad said.

“With this increased alloca-tion, Maynilad can meet the wa-ter requirements of its customers despite continued lack of rains over the Ipo watershed due to El Niño,” it added.

Maynilad on Nov. 13 was

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Energy Department ap-proved around 616 renewable energy projects with a potential capacity of 12,138.41 megawatts as of end October, indicating the continued interest in the sector.

The bulk of the projects ap-proved are in hydro-electric with 343 and with a potential com-bined capacity of 7,390.42 MW, followed by solar with 93 and an output of 2,554.81 MW.

The department also approved 51 wind projects with a potential

capacity of 1,168 MW, followed by geothermal with 43 and 750 MW, biomass with 40 and with 249.07 MW capacity and seven ocean energy with an output of 26 MW.

The Renewable Energy Law of 2008 ushered the entry of thou-sands of megawatts of renewable energy projects eligible under the feed-in tariff scheme.

The department, however, has yet to approve some 272 M of re-newable projects with a total ca-pacity of 5,031.82 MW as of end October.

The department issued certifi-cate of confirmation of commer-ciality to 87 renewable energy projects with a combined capac-ity of 1,571.98 MW.

Projects that have complied with the requirements for con-version from pre-development stage to development under the FIT-system are issued a certifi-cate of confirmation of commer-ciality which will serve as notice to proceed under the develop-ment stage.

Around 26 projects with a po-tential capacity of 609.15 MW

were recommended certificate of endorsement to the Energy Regu-latory Commission for eligibility under the feed-in tariff.

The 20-year feed-in tariff serves as incentive to renewable energy developers.

The regulator approved a feed-in tariff of P7.40 per kilowatt for the second wave of wind installa-tion targets.

The ERC earlier approved a feed-in tariff rate of P8.53 per kWh for the first 200 megawatts of wind projects under the first wave of installation targets.

The department increased the installation target to 400 MW due to strong investor interest. The additional 200 MW capac-ity covers the approved P7.40 per kWh feed-in tariff rate.

The ERC also approved a feed-in tariff rate of P8.69 per kWh for the additional 450-MW installation target for so-lar projects, bringing the total installation goal for solar to 500 MW. The ERC said solar devel-opers must complete their proj-ect by March 2016 to avail of the feed-in tariff.

business@thestandard.com.phextrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS B5

Clueless

W E D N E S D AY : N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

Obama pushes tradepact in Apec summit

Pepsi-Cola increases net profit to P706m

NOPE, we are not really referring to that cringe-worthy in-terview of Alma Moreno with Headstart’s Karen Davila that has gone viral on social media and is still trending on Twitter, but since we’re already on the subject, we felt uncomfortable while watching the interview, finding ourselves getting quite sympathetic to the plight of the actress-turned-politician who kept glancing at a certain direction as if asking someone for S.O.S. like “What did I get myself into?” or “How come this interview is turning out like this?”

Sure, we know we’re not voting for Moreno in the May 2016 senatorial race (we would probably consider the other Moreno who’s also gunning for the Senate) but did the show and its need to subject her to that kind of embarrassment? We may be wrong but it felt like they set up Alma for a fall. Many are familiar with her and those old jokes about “vio-lins” and violence and all those “for here?” and “for Van-dolph” kind of jokes (if you are old enough, you will be able to relate).

Certainly, people want to know the agenda of those who want to get elected, and we may be wrong in thinking that we sensed a certain kind of smug satisfaction at the way the interviewee was being put on the spot. We wonder, was Moreno given a briefing on the kind of questions she would be asked—specific questions, that is?

But we digress. We really wanted to talk about the “tanim bala” controversy and the video showing Senator Bongbong Marcos grilling Manila International Airport Authority gen-eral manager Jose Angel Honrado which by the way has also gone viral. The Senator (who’s also running for vice president in 2016) asked the questions we all want to ask of Honrado and expressed the kind of frustration and irritation we all feel at what’s happening at NAIA with everyone pointing fingers at each other for something that is so obviously a scam. The Senate hearing was an “interview” that made our blood pres-sure zoom up due to exasperation and frustration. With of-ficials such as Honrado at the helm of MIAA, we shouldn’t be surprised that the business of these scammers and corrupt employees are thriving!

Honrado says he has no control over the other agencies manning the airport, so what exactly is he trying to manage? It can’t be the operations because even without APEC, things were already going helter-skelter to start with. Honrado says he acts as coordinator but what exactly he is coordinating beats us. He seemed clueless about what’s going on at his turf, but he won’t resign—not unless and until his patron tells him so. Thick as...

We’re glad to hear though that Michael Lane White had been cleared (did you see that short video clip of that pros-ecutor who questioned the young man? Another example of ineptness. He had to ask someone to “interpret” the replies of White—“ano daw?”) and that “Nanay Gloria” Ortillo got her job back in Hong Kong. At least the kid she’s been taking care of for 13 years will no longer cry. We hope Ortillo and the other victims will pursue their cases against these “tanim bala” scammers who tried to shake them down.

By the way, what’s happening with the complaint filed by the VACC, NITA and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to make DoTC Secretary Jun Abaya, Honrado and other airport secu-rity officials for command responsibility?

Philex does a turnaround, receives top honorsThree years after Philex Mining suffered through an acci-

dental spill in its Padcal mine in Benguet for which it was fined over P1 billion by the government, the country’s biggest gold producer has picked itself up, emerging as the country’s top publicly listed company in corporate governance during the Asean Corporate Governance Scorecard awards held at the Manila Polo Club last Saturday.

The recognition is a “very symbolic victory and morale booster for the company and the industry as a whole,” re-marked Philex president Eulalio Austin Jr. “As a conscientious mineral resource development company, we are heavily en-gaged in environmental stewardship and social development initiatives. With this recognition, we can show the whole world that we are indeed a responsible and dutiful corporate citizen and a partner in nation building. We hope that this accomplishment will reawaken an authentic view on mining and its real benefits to the domestic economy,” he added.

Philex chairman Manny Pangilinan, who was on hand to receive the award, expressed his hope that the top ranking Philex received will “resonate across the industry, the en-tire business community and among regulatory bodies, to promote a stronger form of cooperation that underscores compliance and achievements. Being one of the beacons of good corporate governance in the country, we look forward to more local PLCs making it to this list to create a broader awareness and initiate a wave of transformation towards a more conducive, level, and investor-friendly business envi-ronment.”

•••For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related con-

cerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

Mang Inasal award. Mang Inasal Philippines Inc. marks another milestone after bagging the Most Outstanding Filipino Franchise award under the large scale food category in the recently concluded 2015 Franchise Excellence Awards. FEA is a biennial, and the Philippines’ first and only industry awards that recognize top homegrown and international franchisors in the country. The Mang Inasal leadership team headed by president JJ S. Alano III (fifth from left, standing) receive the award. Mang Inasal has over 450 branches across the country.

By Angela Greiling Keane

BARACK Obama heads to Asia on Tuesday with an ace in his hand that wasn’t there last time he visited the continent—a long-awaited Pacific trade pact that’s just off the printer.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership, years in the making, is a center-piece of Obama’s self-proclaimed economic and security pivot to the region. Adding to the buoyancy for his trip as his presidency nears its end is a better-than-expected US jobs report this month and an overwhelming election win for Myanmar’s pro-democracy party led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

The 12-nation TPP may give Obama leverage against China over issues such as its land reclamation in

the contested South China Sea and cyber attacks linked to China on US corporate and government sites. While the TPP has a long road to be enacted and requires legislative ap-proval in all nations, it goes beyond normal trade deals to include issues like intellectual property and state-owned enterprises.

“The TPP has long been the eco-nomic side of the president’s rebal-ance,” said Walter Lohman, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center. “The region has been

waiting for this to happen for some time and now it’s upon us.”

The White House sees the TPP as a security boon by linking eco-nomics with defense.

“The TPP helps to underscore what the president determined when he came into office, and that is that America’s interests are in-tegrally linked to the Asia-Pacific region,” White House National Se-curity Adviser Susan Rice told re-porters before Obama’s trip. “This is where our security interests meet our economic interests in an unde-niable way, and as such, you can rest assured that we will remain present, engaged and active across the region.”

Obama will meet leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Manila before traveling to Malaysia for the Association of

Southeast Asian Nations summit. The trade pact and South China Sea may dominate discussions. The terrorist attacks on Paris on Friday that came as a crisis in Syria and Iraq sends migrants fleeing to other countries are also likely to be promi-nent on the agenda, as they were at the G-20 meeting in Turkey.

While Obama comes with the TPP—a deal that covers about 40 percent of the global economy—in his pocket, Chinese President Xi Jin-ping will probably use Apec to again set out his country’s commitment to development and trade in the region. China has had success enlisting countries aside from the US to join its Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and is promoting investment related to its dual “Silk Road” trad-ing routes to Europe—one overland and one by sea. Bloomberg

By Jenniffer B. Austria

BEVERAGE maker Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. said net income in the first nine months of the year rose 14 percent to P706 million from P618 million year-on-year on higher sales from both carbonated and non-carbonated beverages.

PCPPI said in a financial state-ment filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange nine-month net sales increased 8 percent to P20.1 billion from P18.6 billion a year ago, driven by the company’s strong focus on revenue manage-ment and overlapping of pricing rollback from last year.

“Our year-to-date performance can be attributed to the compa-ny’s strong focus on driving pro-ductivity and building revenues in a very challenging operating environment,” said PCPPI presi-dent Furqan Ahmed Syed.

“The quarter saw a sharp in-crease in sugar prices coupled with very challenging industry pricing. Despite that, we man-aged to grow our top line and bottom line for the quarter,” he added.

Net sales of carbonated soft drinks climbed 9.5 percent in the first nine months of the year to P14.83 billion, while those from non-carbonated beverages hit P5.3 billion, up 4.9 percent from P5.34 billion.

Net income in the third quar-ter rose 5 percent to P146 mil-lion from last year’s P138.9 mil-lion, while third quarter net sales reached P6.5 billion, up seven percent from P6.12 billion in 2014.

“Our net income margin has expanded by 18 basis points year-to-date. This is a fruitful outcome of the company’s drive to fos-ter efficiency in our operations,” Syed said.

business@thestandard.com.phextrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESSWEDNESDAY: NOVEMBER 18, 2015

B6

Various trade deals good for Apec

Banks’ total profits rise 0.9%

2Go’s net incomerises 44% to P919m

Money earner. Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., owner and operator of Resorts World Manila, reports P20.4 billion in gross revenues in the first nine months of 2015. The company remains profitable with a net income of P2.8 billion and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of P4.9 billion, even with the various ongoing expansion projects in place. Shown is Resorts World Manila complex in Parañaque City, the first one-stop, non-stop entertainment and leisure destination in the Philippines that features recreational thrills, world-class performances, unique events and exciting lifestyle options.

By Julito G. Rada

COMBINED profits of the country’s largest banks rose 0.9 percent year-on-year in the first nine months, data from Bangko Sentral ng Pil-ipinas show.

The 36 universal and commercial banks posted a total net income of P87.3 billion as of end-September, slightly up from P86.5 billion a year ago.

Net interest income of the univer-sal and commercial banks increased 8 percent in the nine-month period to P208.578 billion from P193.920 billion a year earlier.

Non-interest income, however, declined 1 percent in the January-September period to P86.282 billion from P87.255 billion in the same period last year.

Currently, there are 36 universal and commercial banks in the whole domestic banking system, 70 thrift banks and 532 rural banks.

Universal and commercial banks ac-counted for 90 percent of the total resourc-es of the banking system.

Three of the country’s largest banks re-ported profit growth this year. BDO Uni-bank Inc., the largest lender, reported a net income of P17.6 billion in the first nine months, up 5.4 percent from P16.7 billion a year ago, on double-digit growth of loans and deposits.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company, the second largest bank, said unaudited consolidated net income slightly increased in the nine-month period to P13.3 billion from P13.1 billion.

Bank of the Philippine Islands said net income in the first nine months grew 8.1 percent to P13.8 from P12.8 billion.

Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tet-angco Jr. earlier said the Philippine banking

system remained solid, with their balance sheets marked by a sustained growth in as-sets and deposits.

Global debt watcher Moody’s Investors Service cited Philippine banks, giving them a positive outlook.

Tetangco said despite the strength of do-mestic banks, they should continue to find ways on how to further solidify their op-erations amid the threats posed by foreign banks that were taking advantage of the more open banking industry.

Tetangco said the liberalized entry of foreign banks would result in stiffer com-petition. He said local banks should review their business models to see where they could continue to have comparative advan-tage.

Bangko Sentral put in place several regu-lations so that banks could expand, down-size or even consolidate.

Bangko Sentral’s Monetary Board in-creased the minimum capital requirement for all bank categories in line with efforts

to further strengthen the banking system. The minimum capital level of universal and commercial banks will be tiered based on network size as indicated by the number of branches.

The Monetary Board issued the imple-menting rules and regulations of Republic Act 10641, which allowed the further en-try of foreign banks into the country. With the approval of the IRR, additional foreign banks can now apply to operate in the Phil-ippines either as a branch or as a wholly-owned subsidiary. RA 10641 amended RA 7721, which was passed into law in May 1994.

Bangko Sentral approved the applica-tions of six Asian banks to operate in the Philippines this year, including Singapore-based United Overseas Bank Ltd., Taiwan-based Yuanta Commercial Bank Co. Ltd., Industrial Bank of Korea, Shinhan Bank of Korea, the Japan-based Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Taiwan-based Cathay United Bank.

By Othel V. Campos

TRADE ministers gathering in Manila for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation on Tuesday welcomed several free trade cooperation and al-liances, saying these will help accelerate the formation of the broader Free Trade Agree-ment on Asia Pacific.

“All these trade agreements such as the TPP [Trans-Pacific Partnership], RCEP [Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership], bilateral trade agreements that are proliferat-ing, the other regional trade agreements are all building blocks that are good even for the multi-lateral trading sys-tem which is WTO [World Trade Organization],” Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo,

who serves as the lead point person in Apec 2015, said in a news briefing.

Domingo said bilateral, regional and “plurilateral” agreements would make it easier for Asia-Pacific coun-tries to have bilateral ties with bigger groups such as the Eu-ropean Free Trade Association and eventually the WTO.

“Because having more of these regional and bilateral types of agreement, we actual-ly advance the position of the free trade regime. These are all building blocks. That’s how it’s viewed [by Apec ministers],” Domingo said.

A sub-trade group on FTAAP targets to release its comprehensive study and set of recommendations by end of 2016. The creation of a

task force and a core drafting group will ensure that prom-ises made during Apec 2014 in China and Apec 2015 in the Philippines will be met next year.

US-based think tank IHS Global Insight said in a study that strong interest for the Trans-Pacific Partnership might encourage Asia-Pacific countries that are not mem-bers of the TPP to strongly push for the establishment of FTAAP.

Only six of the 21 Apec economies are not members of the US-led TPP, including China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Phil-ippines, Russia and Thailand.

FTAAP is an initiative of China proposed during Apec 2014.

By Darwin G. Amojelar

LOGISTICS solutions provider 2Go Group Inc. said Tuesday net income grew 44 percent in the first nine months to P919.47 mil-lion from P633.76 million a year ago, on the back of a 17-percent growth in revenues.

The company said the nine-month income also surpassed its P843-million full-year net in-come in 2014.

“The remarkable growth of 2Go is being propelled by its logistics and value-added services, with 2Go’s shipping operations provid-ing a stable platform and a sus-tainable competitive advantage,” 2Go president and chief executive Sulficio Tagud Jr. said.

The company said the perfor-mance of the non-shipping group

in end-to-end logistics business outpaced the shipping group, as its revenues climbed 25 percent, compared to shipping’s growth of 8 percent.

Consolidated revenues rose 17 percent in the January-Septem-ber period to P12.1 billion from P10.4 billion in the same period last year.

Freight revenues increased 7 percent, on higher volume arising from more round trips and opti-mized routing initiatives.

The passage business expanded 10 percent in terms of revenues, as the group continued to innovate and improve its service offerings.

2Go Travel continuously helps improve domestic tourism indus-try that has a positive impact on the surge in volume of sea travel-ers, it said.

B7CESAR BARRIOQUINTOE D I T O R

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

W E D N E S D AY : N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

Syriansshunnedafter Parisattacks

Streisand, Spielberg to get Presidential Medal of Freedom

Bomber’s bar. A view of the bar Les Beguines, owned by Brahim Abdeslam, one of the suicide bombers implicated in the Paris attacks, on November 17, 2015, in Brussels’ Molenbeek district. Abdeslam, 31, detonated his suicide vest outside the Comptoir Voltaire on Boulevard Voltaire on November 13, 2015, as part of a spate of coordinated attacks in Paris that left at least 129 dead and over 350 injured. AFP

Humanitys’ future upat UN climate summit

Fresh raids as Francebombs IS strongholds

WASHINGTON—Nearly half of the 50 US states moved Monday to shut the door on Syrian refugees as Republican lawmakers urged a halt to the resettlement program, citing security fears following the Paris attacks.

President Barack Obama pushed back, criticizing “shameful” calls to screen the refugees fleeing the war-torn country based on their religion.

But Obama faced a bar-rage of pressure from at least 22 Republican-led states, GOP presi-dential candidates, key members of Congress, and in one case a Democratic governor to suspend a program to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees on US soil in 2016.

The discovery of a Syrian pass-port near the body of one Paris as-sailant has revived Europe’s debate on how hard a line to take on the record migrant influx.

In the United States, several Republican presidential hopefuls including Donald Trump, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio said outright that America must not take in Syrian refugees because they might in-clude Islamic State (IS) militants.

And Republican state governors lined up to demand the suspension of plans to resettle Syrians.

“Given the tragic attacks in Paris and the threats we have already seen, Texas cannot participate in any program that will result in Syrian refugees—any one of whom could be connected to terrorism—being resettled in Texas,” Governor Greg Abbott of the large southern state wrote Monday in a letter to Obama.

“I will do everything humanly possible to stop any plans from the Obama administration to put Syrian refugees in Mississippi,” added that state’s governor, Phil Bryant.

Obama’s policy of welcoming such individuals “is not only mis-guided, it is extremely dangerous,” he said.

Alabama and Michigan an-nounced their opposition Sunday. 

They have been joined by Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan—a Democrat—has backed them. AFP

Authorities in France and Belgium stepped up the hunt for more gunmen and possible accom-plices to the shootings and suicide bombings on bars, restaurants and a sports stadium that killed 129 mostly young people on Friday night.

US Secretary of State John Kerry described those behind the massa-cre as “psychopathic monsters”.

“This is not a clash of civili-zations. These terrorists have declared war against all civiliza-tion,” said Kerry on Monday as he arrived in the scarred French capital to meet President Francois Hollande on Tuesday morning to pledge Washington’s solidarity with Paris.

Police are on the trail of 26-year-old Salah Abdeslam, one of three brothers believed involved, and

investigators believe Belgian jihad-ist Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who is based in Syria, was the mastermind of the attacks.

“We don’t know if there are accomplices in Belgium and in France... we still don’t know the number of people involved in the attacks,” Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on France Inter radio.

French police carried out 128 raids targeting extremist net-works across the country on Tuesday morning, a day after a similar sweep found “an arsenal of weapons” in the southeastern city of Lyon, according to Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

He said more than 100 people had been placed under house ar-rest and 23 arrested.

Meanwhile, French warplanes destroyed a command center and

WASHINGTON—Movie mogul Steven Spielberg, singer-director Barbra Streisand, and songwriter James Taylor are among the 17 people to be awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced Monday.

“I look forward to presenting these 17 distinguished Americans with our nation’s highest civilian honor,” President Barack Obama said.

“From public servants who helped us meet defining challenges

of our time to artists who expand-ed our imaginations, from leaders who have made our union more perfect to athletes who have in-spired millions of fans, these men and women have enriched our lives and helped define our shared expe-rience as Americans,” he added.

Among the other entertainment stars to be honored are music pro-ducer Emilio Estefan and pop star Gloria Estefan, a Cuban American couple seen as trailblazers for be-ing Spanish-language stars who

successfully crossed over to the English-language market.

Grammy-winner Itzhak Perlman and composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim also will receive the honor together with the likes of Spielberg, the director and philan-thropist whose films include block-busters such as “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park,” “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” and the “Indiana Jones” series.

Baseball great Willie Mays will be honored alongside fellow legend Yogi Berra, who will get a posthu-

mous award.The public servants to be lauded

include the late Shirley Chisholm, who became the first black US con-gresswoman in 1968. She later ran for President as a Democrat, and was a professor at Mount Holyoke College.

The late Minoru Yasui also is to be honored. The attorney chal-lenged the constitutionality of a military curfew order during World War II on the grounds of ra-cial discrimination. He was in soli-

tary confinement during the legal process and spent much of his life appealing his wartime conviction.

“At the time of his death in 1986, he had successfully convinced a trial court to vacate his arrest, and a case challenging the constitution-ality of his conviction was pending before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit,” a White House statement said.

The awards ceremony will take place at the White House on November 24. AFP

PARIS—French police launched dozens of fresh raids across the country Tuesday as warplanes strafed the Syrian stronghold of Islamic State jihadists that France has vowed to destroy after their attack on Paris.

training center in the Syrian city of Raqa, the stronghold of IS, in its second series of air strikes in 24 hours, the defense ministry said.

Hollande has vowed to hit back at IS “without mercy” after the at-tacks that stunned the nation less than a year after a three-day attack that left 17 dead, including on the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket.

Friday’s “acts of war... were de-cided and planned in Syria, pre-pared and organized in Belgium [and] perpetrated on our soil with French complicity,” Hollande told an extraordinary meeting of both houses of parliament in Versailles.

“The need to destroy Daesh [IS]... concerns the entire interna-tional community,” he told law-makers, who burst into an emo-tional rendition of the Marseillaise national anthem after his speech.

Hollande said the French air-craft carrier Charles de Gaulle would be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to “triple our ca-pacity to take action” against IS in Syria.

“We will continue the strikes in the weeks to come... There will be no respite and no truce,” he said.

The vessel, the flagship of the French navy, will take a few days to reach its destination, near Syria or Lebanon, whereas it was not due to reach the Gulf—its original desti-nation—until next month.

On the domestic front, Hollande called for an extension of the state of emergency by three months and announced 8,500 new police and judicial jobs to help counter terror-ism.

A government source told AFP that those returning from Syria could be placed under house ar-rest and said the presidency was considering amending the consti-tution to allow for tougher security measures. 

Five of seven known attackers have been identified after the at-tacks.

Meanwhile, as soft rain fell on Paris, thousands of people contin-ued to flock to pay their respects as shrines of candles and flowers at the attack sites. AFP

W E D N E S D AY : N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

B8 CESAR BARRIOQUINTOE D I T O R

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Global warmingchangingIndia fast

Fear among Afghans at highest level

Arrival. Actress/choreographer Tracy Phillips arrives at the World Choreography Awards at The Ricardo Montalban Theater on November 16, 2015, in Hollywood, California. AFP

Tears of joy. A woman cries with her child after arriving on the Greek island of Lesbos along with other migrants and refugees on November 17, 2015, after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey. At least eight people drowned when a boat carrying migrants from Turkey sank off the Greek island of Kos, the coastguard said. AFP

WORLDHumanitys’ future upat UN climate summit

PARIS—In two weeks’ time, world leaders gather for a crunch climate summit in terror-hit Paris to deter-mine what kind of future awaits hu-mankind.

Security fears threaten to overshadow the con-ference to be launched by some 120 heads of state after a coordinated spree of attacks by gunmen and suicide bombers killed 129 people in the French capital.

But US President Barack Obama has stood firm in his resolve to attend the November 30 opening, and France insists it won’t bend a knee to terror-ism by postponing the event.

After all, the stakes are high.Will we succeed in containing greenhouse

gas emissions altering Earth’s climate? Or will we overshoot the critical warming level beyond which science says our planet could become in-hospitable to humans?

The answer will be determined by what emerges from the November 30-December 11 haggle.

The conference represents the first bid for a truly universal climate rescue pact since the cha-otic 2009 summit in Copenhagen ended in bitter disappointment.

Much has changed since then: evidence has ac-cumulated for the planetary perils we face; low-carbon technology has become cheaper and more readily available; and political, business and public pressure for a future powered by renewable energy has gained momentum.

At the same time, the window of opportunity for action has narrowed.

Just last week, Britain’s weather office said Earth has already heated by about 1 C—halfway to the UN target of limiting average global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

The World Meteorological Organization says greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere hit a new record in 2014.

“We have a dramatic increase in the extreme weather events connected to climate,” former US vice president and Nobel-awarded climate activist Al Gore told AFP last week.

“We’re seeing sea level rise [to] now flood the streets of many cities during high tides. We’re see-ing refugee crises that have multiple causes, but we know they are made worse by, for example, the historic climate-related drought in Syria. AFP

NEW DELHI—Its Himalayan gla-ciers are melting fast, its agricul-tural heartland is drying up and its capital is choking on the world’s filthiest air.

Yet India’s government is one of the few major economies refusing to pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions, ahead of this month’s major climate conference in Paris.

Global warming is already changing the face of rapidly de-veloping India, a nation forecast to become the world’s most popu-lous, overtaking China, in less than a decade.

“No one has done less to con-tribute to global warming than India and Africa. No one can be more conscious of climate change than Indians and Africans,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a re-cent Delhi summit.

In the Himalayas of Kashmir, scientist Shakil Ahmad Romshoo fears for the future of the pristine region that relies heavily on its more than 100 glaciers for water.

At least two major ones have disappeared completely in the last 50 years, while those in a key basin have shrunk by more than 27 percent over the same period, Romshoo’s studies show.

“The impact of climate change in Kashmir is loud and clear. We have noticed a significant decline in stream flow from the glaciers,” the glaciologist, from the University of Kashmir, told AFP.

In villages nestled in the foothills downstream, less water flowing into rivers and ponds has forced farmers to completely change their way of life.

Instead of rice paddies dot-ting the landscape, farmers have switched to growing apples that use less water, raising concerns about a drop in India’s grain sup-plies.

As snow melts faster on the peaks from warmer temperatures, farmers, who have stuck with tra-ditional crops, have been thrown into turmoil.

“All the snow melt on the moun-tains now melts away by April when we actually start needing it for agri-culture,” said Haji Mohammad Rajab Dar in Chandigam village. AFP

KABUL—Afghans fear for their safety more than at any time in over a decade, according to an an-nual survey published Tuesday, which also found confidence in the government at its lowest since poll-ing began.

Some 67.4 percent of Afghans say they are worried about their well-being at all times, often, or sometimes, the highest figure since the survey began in 2004, and up two percentage points from a year earlier.

Only around a third of the people questioned in the Asia Foundation’s annual survey be-lieved the country is “moving in

the right direction”, down from over half in 2014 and 58 percent in 2013—record breaking years for optimism in a country ravaged by a war that has pitted foreign-backed government forces against Taliban rebels since 2001.

Some 57.5 percent of Afghans be-lieve their country is not improving. They cite insecurity, unemployment and corruption as the main scourges that plague Afghan society.

Optimism for the future was at its highest in the southern province of Helmand—a Taliban strong-hold—and lowest in Kabul, ac-cording to the survey.

Bombings, kidnappings, unem-

ployment and an economy that has failed to take off are the most fre-quently cited factors for Afghans wishing to migrate, legally or ille-gally, to Europe.

Afghans are the second most nu-merous nationality after Syrians to be sweeping into Europe with the aid of human traffickers.

“This year’s survey shows that Afghan optimism about the over-all direction of the country fell to the lowest point in a decade, af-ter steadily rising through 2014,” noted the Asia Foundation, which highlighted the prevailing skepti-cism towards the government of President Ashraf Ghani. AFP

More than half of the world’s seven billion population is currently living in cities. There has been a major shift since 1950, when only 30 percent of the world’s population was living in urban areas. It is projected that by 2050, 70 to 85 percent of the world’s nine billion population will be living in cities. This can possibly even be higher with changes such as China’s abolition of its one-child policy.

How can we possibly provide for the needs of at least an additional two billion people within 35 years? By 2050, economies will be more complex, weather conditions more extreme, and social issues will imaginably be more diverse. While a more connected world presents greater opportunities, each nation will be more sensitive to others’ political, financial and development climate.

This is the century of the city, and the actions that we choose to do, or not do, will greatly affect the kind of urban environments that we will have in the decades to come. How can we provide the needs of the current generation while ensuring there are enough resources for future generations? What will the cities of the future look like, in terms of densities, landscapes and skylines, and natural environment? How will infrastructure and utilities support the needs of homes and businesses? How will people and goods move from one place to another? Will mass transit be encouraged, or will our cities have several levels of highways to accommodate private cars? How will driverless cars, and technologies we have yet to come up with, transform transport systems?

THE FUTURE CITIES EXHIBITThroughout the years, science has allowed people to create solutions for the world’s challenges. The first science museum in Asia allows children and adults to explore how we can design, build, and manage better cities. The Mind Museum, in partnership with Shell Philippines, recently launched its newest exhibition “Future Cities: Planet-Friendly Technologies.”

According to Manuel Blas II, the managing director of the Bonifacio Arts Foundation, “the Future Cities exhibition will hopefully seed the kind of imagination required in order for us to break free from how we currently think we can design cities.” The exhibit can educate its visitors on what kind of technology and engineering will be required to create smarter and more livable cities.

It includes three interactive displays – the City Quiz, Planet You and the model

city. The City Quiz will give visitors the archetype of the city they prefer based on their own answers to questions regarding lifestyle preferences. There are 500 cities in the database, representative of the city archetypes identified by Shell and the Singapore-based Centre for Livable Cities. These include the underdeveloped urban centers, developing megahubs, sprawling metropolises, urban powerhouses, prosperous communities, and underprivileged crowded cities.

Planet You allows visitors to design the energy identity of their own planet. They can design their planet with their own prescription on the sources of food, power and water, as well as the footprint of the buildings and communities. A visual of “your planet” will be sent to visitors by email.

The most prominent feature in the Future Cities exhibit is a 3-D model of an imagined Filipino City that features planet-friendly technologies such as a geothermal

plant and solar-powered infrastructure. It also shows underground farms and an underwater city that are powered by yet to be engineered technologies. The exhibit will feature QR codes which would give access to a related video or information on the proposed technologies.

Shell partnered with the Mind Museum because innovation requires inspired understanding. According to Shell Philippines chair Ed Chua, “as the largest human habitat of the future, cities should be an essential target for innovation.” Shell hopes that the exhibit will inspire shared perspectives and spark collective action among leaders in business and government, as well as Filipino citizens.

The Future Cities exhibit is a permanent exhibition at the Technology Gallery of the Mind Museum in Bonifacio Global City.

Follow me on Instagram @karmipalafox

C1WEDNESDAY : NOVEMBER 18, 2015

LIFE

TATUM ANCHETAE D I T O R

BING PARELA S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNASW R I T E R

H OME & L I V ING

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URBAN MATTERS

BY KARIMA PALAFOX

FUTURE CITIES

Presenters at the exhibit launch - Mayor Del de Guzman of Marikina City, Guillermo Luz of the National Competitiveness Council, Architect Paulo Alcazaren, Manuel Blas of Bonifacio Global City, and Ed Chua of Shell

What kind of city do you live in?

3-D Model of an imagined Filipino City with smart technologies

C2WEDNESDAY : NOVEMBER 18, 2015

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LIFE

A lot of people are obsessed with buying Japan-made products that are affordable and accessible

but oftentimes, you only get the same quality commensurate to the price of the product. However, with Daiso merchandise, you don’t just get affordability – you also get merchandise that are of good quality. They say authenticity is king when it comes to getting the right products with the best value for money and the same goes for the trademark

associated with high quality but affordable items that range from kawaii (cute) to

household and office goods.In Japan alone, Daiso

has over 2,400 stores, and it has strong presence in at least 30

countries after the concept of “Yano Shoten” (street vending shop dealing with 100-yen products) was introduced by Daiso Industries Co., Ltd. founder and president Hirotake Yano in 1972. In August of 2008, Yano, Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. vice chairman and deputy CEO Lance Gokongwei and COO Robina Gokongwei-Pe signed a distribution agreement authorizing Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., to sell authentic and original Daiso Japan products and to use the Daiso Japan concept store. To date, Daiso Japan has 43 stores in the Philippines.

As the authentic purveyor of the Daiso brand in the country, the company stresses that Daiso Japan stores should not be confused with any other establishments bearing a “cunningly similar concept.”

Anew level of shopping, leisure and entertainment experience await residents of Nueva Ecija with the recent opening of SM City Cabanatuan.

Located on a four-hectare site in Barangay H. Concepcion along Maharlika Highway, the 153,756 square-meter five level mall will serve shoppers in Cabanatuan and nearby towns in Nueva Ecija, the largest province of Central Luzon and a top producer of agricultural products in the country.

SM City Cabanatuan, SM Prime’s 53rd supermall and the second in Nueva Ecija after SM Megacenter Cabanatuan which opened in April this year, will boost the status of Cabanatuan City as an important investment hub, with adequate infrastructure and support facilities that draw in not only tourists but prospective investors in banking, real estate, retail and other sectors.

Known as the economic heart of Nueva Ecija province, Cabanatuan City is fast becoming the IT hub of Central Luzon with a dynamic service sector and thriving agriculture that are driving the economy forward.

Certainly, SM City Cabanatuan will be a major landmark in this highly urbanized city. Its main mall entrance is elevated slightly from the main frontage road, with the sidewalk

designed with generous landscape, strategic signage, and a unique stair ramp. It has two Sky Gardens – the Garden Park and the Roof Park – that are visible from the exterior of the building. The Garden Park with its canopied walkways is an outdoor elevated garden located at the second floor while the Roof Park serves as a little oasis above the mall. At the fourth level, a fully air-conditioned indoor park with waterscapes amid restaurants makes customers’ dining experience even more pleasant.

SM City Cabanatuan’s interiors are organized around a simple yet efficient plan that allows a clear line of sight to all shops in all levels at all times. Its focal point is a dynamic ceiling that utilizes the dramatic height of the interior with large rectilinear objects that vary in depth. Two large glass

wall systems that lead directly to outdoor terraces provide ample daylight.

The SM Store and SM Supermarket are the mall’s major retail anchors, leading the way with SM mainstays like the SM Appliance Center, ACE Hardware, Watsons, Surplus, and the Body Shop. There’s more shopping fun ahead as global brands Philip Stein, Guess, Guess Kids, The Face Shop, Melissa, and Ed Hardy open together with well loved local brand Human within the year. Iconic global brands Uniqlo and Terranova are scheduled to open in 2016.

With Cabanatuan emerging as Central Luzon’s IT hub, the mall’s Cyberzone will be an attraction with major players such as SMART, GLOBE, Huawei, as well as computer stores like Octagon, Asus, Game Gizmo, Digibabe, PC Square, Excellence, and Datablitz.

Dining at the mall will be an exciting experience with the two Sky Gardens as backdrop. International chains like Starbucks, Kenny Rogers, Bonchon, Burger King, Krispy Kreme, Mr. Donut, and Gong Cha; as well as well loved Filipino favorites like Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Pancake House, Classic Savory and homegrown restaurants like Edna’s Cakeland and Hapag Vicentecos as well as Desserts Chalet and Leticia Breads and Cakes provide a wide range of dining options for mall goers. More restaurants like McDonald’s, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen, Shakey’s French Baker, Gerry’s Grill, Max’s, Giligan’s, Kuya J, and Razon’s of Guagua will also be opening within the next few months.

The mall will also have six digital cinemas, including a Large Screen Cinema that can accommodate 507 guests in a stadium much like that of the IMAX Theater. Amusement areas like Kidzoona and Sports Zone and wellness outlets like Laybare and Body Tune Spa complete the malling experience. For customer convenience, the mall will have 2,058 parking slots and 476 motorcycle parking slots.

SM OPENS ITS 53RD MALL IN CABANATUAN CITY

Get the best value at Daiso Japan Stores

The Garden Park is at the mall’s second level and is an outdoor elevated garden with canopied walkways

From left: SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy, Cabanatuan City mayor Julius Cesar Vergara, Rev. Roberto Mallari, Mrs. Felicidad Sy, vice mayor Jolly Garcia and SM Supermarket vice chairman Herbert Sy led the opening of SM City Cabanatuan

The SM Cinemas have six digital theaters, including a large screen cinema that can accommodate 507 guests in a stadium much like that of the IMAX Theater

SM City Cabanatuan will bring more exciting shopping, leisure, and entertainment to residents of Cabanatuan and the rest of Nueva Ecija

The mall’s focal point is a dynamic ceiling that utilizes the dramatic height of the interior with large rectilinear objects that vary in depth

The SM Foodcourt with dynamic ceilings and leaf designs in green and brown

From dining, party favors, kitchen gadgets, and more, shop for good quality Japanese products at Daiso Japan stores

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WEDNESDAY : NOVEMBER 18, 2015

LIFE

CALEIDOSCOPE WORLD

BY CAL TAVERA

In a few weeks, 2015 would be coming to an end. I am sure most of you can relate when I say, “Where did the time go??” I can only hope you all have wonderful

memories of this year and if you were faced with many challenges, I hope you learned how to overcome them and realize how these trials make you smarter and stronger. I have had my share of the good and bad as well but I am pretty excited to see and experience what the next year has to offer all of us. I am personally looking forward to new adventures, meeting more people and haha... writing more columns. Another thing I am also looking forward to is a better home and environment.

When we talk about resolutions, we usually talk about losing weight, exercising daily or traveling more. I think another staple we should include in that list is our home. We sometimes forget in the midst of all that excitement that the home is the place we spend most of our time in, a place we certainly should learn how to improve for the next year. No, I’m not talking about investing in a million peso kitchen showcase or doing a major renovation. Simple, practical tips like the ones we will discuss can go a long way without breaking the bank.

Tip #1: Get rid of that JUNK!Yes, we have all heard it before but do we do it? I always feel great after a good detox. If there are clothes you have not worn this year, get rid of them or donate. Yes, we all have that one dress we tell ourselves we would fit into one day but it hasn’t happened for years. I’m not saying it isn’t great to have a goal to be fitter but it takes more than

just having that piece of clothing hanging in our closet. I got rid of so many clothes two years ago that I had to organize 10 garage sales for them. With the sales, I was able to purchase a roundtrip ticket to Hawaii to attend a wedding and I still had some extra money to spend! This doesn’t apply to just clothes either. Sometimes, we accumulate a lot of items for the house because of an impulse. Go room to room and carefully assess the items. Share them with someone who may need them more. For example, if you have three scientific calculators lying around (guilty!), share them with students or friends. Also, get rid of items that bring negative energies like pictures that remind you of a bad or sad memory. Throw away everything that is broken. Next year, think

twice before buying an item for your home. Will they add to the positive energy or will they contribute to more stress?

Tip #2: Less wastage equals less expenses• Not all of us can invest in solar panels for our

home but in our little way, we can still make a difference and lower the bills through a little work and minor adjustments.

• Try using the fan instead of air-conditioner at night. My Meralco bill went down from P4,000 to P1,800 because of this habit. For cool nights during the rainy season and also “ber” months, it should still feel comfortable enough to sleep. Just remember to let some natural wind in as well.

• Install compact fluorescent bulbs and LEDs. When I get scared at night (Yes, I get freaked out by the dark sometimes), I leave my LEDs on and my electric bill still remains low. Switch off all lights at night when everyone is asleep.

• For home computers, make sure you switch off your power or set it to sleep mode when it is not being utilized.

• Dry your clothes the old fashioned way if you have space. If you live in a

condominium, fill up the washing machine fully before running them.

Tip #3: Bring in easy updates for parties After detoxing your place, keep or invest in a few pieces to update the look of your interiors. During the holidays, there will be several guests or parties so this is the perfect opportunity to upgrade. Bring in freshness by adding plants to the interiors. They not only bring in new energy, they also help clean the air. It is a great addition for a few pesos. To bring a little drama, choose an exciting pot to add more character to the home and make it more personal. Make sure it flows with the existing interiors, of course. For parties, create spaces and rearrange furniture in such a way that guests have the chance to engage with one another. Make them feel comfortable and pave the way for new friendships to start this coming New year.

That didn’t hurt too much, right? Hope these resolutions will help in welcoming a better and brighter home for everyone! Wishing all in advance a very Happy New Year!

Follow me on Instagram @cal_tavera

NEW YEAR, NEW HOME RESOLUTIONS

For parties, create spaces and rearrange furniture in such a way that guests have the chance to engage with one another

Throw away everything that is broken

If there are clothes you have not worn this year, get rid of them or donate Choose items that will help you relax and de-stress

Switch off all lights at night when everyone is asleep

This coming year bring in freshness by adding plants to your home interiors

C4 LIFEWEDNESDAY : NOVEMBER 18, 2015

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A Spectacle of Lights and Sounds at The Manila Hotel

NO MORE GIFT WRAPPING BLUESBY CLARENCE MANAOIS

The Manila Hotel is all geared up for the holidays with its festive decoration and series of activities

for the Christmas season. The entrance of the hotel smells of freshly baked gingerbread from the Gingerbread House that delights every sweet tooth who passes by. Enter the lobby of the Grand Dame and enjoy the sights of the incandescent LED lights, pine trees, larger than life Antarctic friends like penguins and a polar bear, and the classic Christmas flower poinsettia.

In its recent Grand Lobby Lighting ceremony, more than 300 guests from leading corporations, the diplomatic community, media, and hotel friends were present to welcome the spirit of Christmas in The Manila Hotel. The hotel’s resident manager, Gerhard Doll, and president Atty. Joey Lina, welcomed the guests and Manila Vice Mayor Isko

Moreno led the lighting of not only the Christmas tree but also the entire Grand Lobby. The world renowned Las Piñas Boys Choir, San Sebastian Chamber Singers a n d Harmonia Pi l ipinas

serenaded the guests with their cheerful and catchy Christmas carol renditions

during the event.And to spread the

merriment, the hotel also granted holiday gifts by Santa Claus to the kids of House

of Refuge Foundation during the celebration.

“We at The Manila Hotel believe that Christmas is all about making grand and worthwhile memories, especially for the children, since it is true that ‘Christmas is for the children.’ So this year, we dedicated our time and efforts in coming up with the best Christmas experience for the young ones and even the young at heart,” says the assistant vice president for PR and Corporate Communications of The Manila Hotel Nian Liwanag-Rigor.

“We invite everyone to come visit us and experience The Manila Hotel Christmas with our holiday promos and exciting surprises.

Make it your ‘place to be’ this season and I assure everyone that it is worth the visit,” adds Dr. Enrique Yap Jr., executive vice president of The Manila Hotel.

The Manila Hotel also introduced “Willy, the Bear,” who will serve as everybody’s companion this Christmas season. The name “Willy” commemorates and pays tribute to The Manila Hotel’s prided landscape architect, William E. Parsons. Bring your family and kids and experience a stroll along a colonial-inspired street with lampposts, watch a movie and buy goodies from the Christmas Village which will open

its doors on December 1. The hotel also prepared its array of delectable sweets for your gift giving lists. Indulge in the seasonal specialty hampers and lavish bottles of wine, French macarons, chocolate pralines, Christmas cookies and fruitcakes.

The festivity also opens its family holiday room packages starting at P7,999 per room with a stay period from December 1 to 31.

For more information, call 527 0011 or visit www.manila-hotel.com.ph; follow their Facebook account at The Manila Hotel and @ManilaHotel for Twitter and @manila_hotel for Instagram.

During the season of gift giving, some people find wrapping their gifts and creating specially designed wrappers therapeutic and relaxing – giving more meaning to gift

giving. While DIY wrapping can be very interesting, more often than not, we are swamped by the busy Christmas season and never get the time to carefully wrap the gifts personally. Worse, our DIY projects usually don’t turn up how we imagined them to be. “What’s that trash doing under my Christmas tree?” Hmm… remember those?

The Grassroots store located at the Level 3 Greenbelt 5 Ayala Center recently launched its gift giving service with its holiday collection, Present Perfect, to accommodate your entire pre- and post-Christmas gift giving blues. Grassroots is known for using premium and indigenous materials for its picture frames, storage boxes and furniture accents perfect for your home. For the holiday season, make your gift giving more special with Present Perfect wrapping products. The collection offers a wide

range of themed hand-crafted wrappers categorized into three sets: the Country Charm, eco-friendly kraft paper combined with classic Christmas or nautical accents; the Contemporary, made of bold red and black fabrics and silkscreened recycled materials; and the Elegance, which consists of gold, silver, and burgundy bows to decorate soft cream and metallic boxes, while silken abaca and gold leaves top them off with a stylish flourish. The sets are sure to highlight pieces under anyone’s Christmas tree.

Grassroots products are environment-friendly because of the use of recycled and indigenous materials. By partaking any of their gift-wrapping services you do not only get to take home unique gift pieces, customers also get to contribute to the livelihood of local communities.

Gift-wrapping services are exclusively available at Grassroots Greenbelt 5 branch until December 31 only. For more information, visit shopgrassroots.com and Shop Grassroots on Facebook.

Enjoy the sights of the incandescent LED lights, pine trees, larger than life Antarctic friends like penguins and a polar bear, and the classic Christmas flower poinsettia only at The Manila Hotel

Holiday Hamper

Have your items from Grassroots store gift wrapped to give them that perfectly stylish look

SHOWBITZi s a h r e d @ g m a i l . c o m

C5ISAH V. REDE D I T O R

Celebrate the Yuletide sea-son with music icon Jack Jones with a two-night concert at the KIA The-

atre (formerly New Frontier The-ater), Araneta Center, 8 p.m. on Dec. 29 and 30.

Produced by ManCo Produc-tions, Inc. and Royale Chimes Con-certs and Events, Inc., the show is entitled Jack Jones Sings Songs From The Heart. This is Jack’s last concert in 2015 and he is excited to be do-ing it in the Philippines, a country very close to his heart.

“It is always a pleasure per-forming to the Filipino audience because of their love for music. There’s a lot of good singers as well, so it’s like one sing-along party whenever I’m on stage try-ing to listen to them. I’m looking forward to this show because this is the first time I will be spending Christmas season, and almost

New Year, in the Philippines. I heard that Filipinos are one of the best in celebrating this time of the year,” says the great singer.

And yes, Jack will perform his signature songs plus well-loved covers and tracks from his recent-ly released CD called Seriously Frank, an album which celebrates and pays tribute to what would have been the 100th birthday of THE Frank Sinatra.

Adding excitement to the show is special guest Jose Mari Chan. When Jack learned that his friend Jose Mari will be appearing in the show, he immediately called him and both agreed to do a very spe-cial production number. This will surely become one of the high-lights of the show.

Another guest who will definite-ly light up the stage is Asia’s Got Talent second-runner up Gerphil Flores. For those who were not able to watch her in the said talent show, Gerphil’s most applauded performance is her rendition of the Jack Jones classic “The Impossible Dream.” Expect Gerphil, dubbed as Asia’s Golden Girl, to bring the house down with her operatic style of singing that even got the atten-tion of famous composer David Foster who is one of the judges in Asia’s Got Talent.

Jack’s disarming smile, effort-lessly engaging wit and vocal style stands alone, making him one of the greatest singers of all-time. Jack Jones is the very definition of a complete and total entertainer. The New York Times raves, “he is arguably the most technically accomplished male pop singer...”

Frank Sinatra even once said, “Jack Jones is one of the major singers of our time.”

Jack’s commitment to his art has earned him two Grammy’s for Best Pop Male Vocal Perfor-mance with his singles “Lollipops and Roses” by Anthony Velonaand Bacharach/David’s “Wives and Lovers”. His release, Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett, was nominated for Best Tradition-al Pop Vocal Performance. He was also nominated for “The Impos-sible Dream,” and his recording of “Wives and Lovers” was nom-inated for Record of the Year. His hit records include “The Race Is On”, “Lady”, “Call Me Irresponsi-ble”, “Love Boat”, “What I Did For Love”, to name a few. In April 1989, he was honored with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

With over 50 recorded albums (17 of them charting Billboard’s Top 20) and consistently sold-out world tours, Jack Jones continues to charm audiences with his wit, sensitivity and vocal power.

“Bring the whole family to the show. We’ll make this an unforr-gettable Yuletide celebration. Let’s all have a great time,” the Total Entertainer says.

Tickets to Jack Jones Sings Songs From The Heart are available at the Ticketnet box office and on-line (911-5555).

For sponsorships, special tick-et discounts, and block buyers, call (0918) 4972121 or (0906) 4180786 and look for Murphy. You can also search for the offi-cial Facebook page of the concert, Jack Jones Manila 2015.

WEDNES DAY : NOV EMBER 18, 2015

JaCk Jones at kIa theatre

The world’s biggest basketball league is back for its 70th season, and PLDT HOME subscribers can now catch all the hard court action on their Triple Play Plans with Cignal via the NBA Premium HD and on their DSL and Fibr sub-scriptions via Fox Sports channels.

After the end of the pre-season games, the NBA 2015-16 season will officially open with the Detroit Pistons facing the Atlanta Hawks for the opening game. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cava-liers will also see action against the Chicago Bulls while 2015 MVP Stephen Curry and current finals champion, the Golden State War-riors, are set to go up against the New Orleans Pelicans.

“NBA is an important part of our thriving and passionate bas-ketball culture, and we’re excited to bring the new season to our subscribers, thanks to our part-ners at Cignal and Fox,” PLDT VP and Home Marketing Head Gary Dujali said. “The shared love for sports is one of the bonds that keep the strongest connections

at home, and watching the NBA is definitely best experienced with the family using PLDT HOME’s reliable connection.”

PLDT HOME customers will get to enjoy the hard court action across multiple devices whether

on their TV, desktops, or telpads. PLDT HOME Triple Play sub-scribers can watch it in HD quality on the NBA Premium HD Chan-nel on Cignal while high-speed DSL and Fibr subscribers can access NBA and other top-notch

sports events for free on Fox Sports Channel via the Home Player App.

The latest content offering from PLDT HOME comes at the heel of its groundbreaking partnerships with renowned in-ternational content providers if-

lix and Fox International Chan-nels. The country’s multimedia services leader also recently announced the availability of its most powerful broadband pack-age yet—the Fibr 1Gbps plan—which will certainly level up the way subscribers enjoy their fa-vorite content.

Dujali added, “When it comes to world-class entertainment, our subscribers can always rely on PLDT HOME to provide easy access so they can enjoy the best content whenever they want it.”

NBA fans here in the Philip-pines can catch the Cleveland Cavaliers versus Chicago Bulls match on NBA Premium HD on Oct. 28, 8:00 a.m., followed by the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors face-off at 10:30 a.m..

Meanwhile, basketball enthu-siasts who want to catch the L.A. Lakers and the Minnesota Tim-berwolves game can head over to Fox Sports on Oct. 29, 10:30 AM.

Visit pldthome.com for more NBA updates.

New NBA SeASoN oN Fox SportS ANd NBA premium Hd viA CigNAl

Gerphil Flores is Jack Jones' guest in his concert in Manila

Jose Marie Chan duets with Jones in his concert

Jack Jones loves performing for his Filipino fans

Jones returns to Manila on

Christmas

The family that watches basketball together stays together: Marc Pingris, Mic, Cayla, and Danica Sotto

SHOWBITZC6i s a h r e d @ g m a i l . c o m

WEDNES DAY : NOV EMBER 18, 2015

ACROSS 1 Maintain 5 Audit aces 9 Hotel employee 14 Vegas rival 15 Sarah — Jewett 16 Jung’s inner self 17 What rainbows are 18 Billion, in combos 19 Slippery fabric 20 Toothless whales 22 Bacon servings 24 Vagabond

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 WEDNESDAY,

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

26 Ms. Busch of old movies 27 Lyrical 30 Made the most of 35 Fragrant blossom 36 RN employers 37 “— Lisa” 38 Forty Thieves’ outwitter 39 Chatty feline 42 — King Cole 43 Radar O’Reilly’s soda

45 Club fee 46 Slice 48 19th. century Beau 50 Gold Medals 51 Extinct bird 52 Mote 54 Swift antelope 58 More impudent 62 Player’s rep 63 Woe is me! 65 Eye amorously 66 Not those 67 Druid 68 Rock’s “cushion” 69 Maneuvered slowly 70 Bad actors 71 Was, to Ovid

DOWN 1 United — Emirates 2 Actress — Miles 3 SASE, e.g. 4 Hieroglyphics stone 5 French brandy 6 Light-refracting crystal 7 Filmmaker — Lee 8 Dry up 9 Feudal tenant 10 Disneyland site 11 Lower-calorie, in ad-speak 12 Omani title

13 Lies on the beach 21 Ambler and Idle 23 Faulty 25 Beats, as with fists 27 Fallback strategy (2 wds.) 28 Crude carrier 29 Yale of Yale 31 Be on your —! 32 Frigid and temperate 33 Pass, as a bill 34 Goes with 36 Lug or carry 40 Perfect 41 DeMille movies 44 Vast 47 Trying 49 Lost hair 50 Ceremonial dinners 53 Choir selection 54 Admission receipts 55 Turkish official 56 Last letters 57 Per person 59 Borodin prince 60 Ms. Lanchester of films 61 Take a breather 64 Meadow

Atlantis Theatrical Enter-tainment Group (ATE-G)’s staging of the first international production

of the 2014 Tony Award winning musical together with Metrobank Card Corporation, The Bridges Of Madison County opens on Nov. 20 and runs until Dec. 6 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati.

Leading the cast as Francesca and Robert are two iconic per-formers of the international mu-sical theatre stage, Joanna Ampiland MiG Ayesa.

Joanna Ampil, who rose to star-dom in London’s West End as Kim

in Miss Saigon, Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar Eponine and Fantine in Les Miserables and Christmas Eve in Avenue Q, says of her latest role, “It will be my first musical in Manila after a long hi-atus. The last one was The Sound of Music in 2012. I’m hungry for a new challenge and this role of Francesca will certainly give me that challenge, stretch and creativ-ity that I’m always craving for as an artist.  Jason Robert Brown and I performed in London sometime ago way before he wrote Bridges and to be able to play a lead in one of his works will be a wonderful experience; because I know that he

writes some amazing stuff. I look forward to sharing the stage with MiG Ayesa, also. But, the thing that appealed to me the most was the idea of working for Atlantis for the first time and being directed by Bobby Garcia.”

MiG Ayesa, who performed the role of Stacee Jaxx in Rock Of Ageson Broadway and in Manila, says, “I am so thrilled to be returning to the Manila stage with this pro-duction of The Bridges Of Madi-son County. The score written by Jason Robert Brown is so breath-takingly beautiful it has to be con-sidered a modern classic, and well deserved of the Tony Awards it re-

ceived. I cannot wait to show such a different side to me, as the last time Manila audiences saw me was as the crazed rocker ‘Stacee Jaxx’ in Rock of Ages. The chance to be working opposite such a world class performer such as Jo Ampil, as well as under the direc-tion of Bobby Garcia, promises to be an experience I will never for-get. This will be my second stage production with ATEG, and it has always been a labour of love in that camp. Any excuse to visit the Philippines is worth the work! I cannot think of a better way than to return with such a production as beautiful as this.”

MiG AyesA And JoAnnA AMpil in Another MusiCAl

The 2003 romantic movie My First Romance became a box office hit. The film revolves around four lead characters that fall in love and leave it up to fate to decide their future together. John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo played two of the central characters.

Lloydie and Bea have starred since in a total of eight films to-gether (all romance themed), with The Mistress (2012) as their most successful film project, which earned P262.82 million at the tills. Each movie though was remark-able. But the most memorable Lloydie-Bea film, in terms of box office performance and its influ-ence in pop culture, was the 2007 romantic movie One More Chance. It gained a cult following on social media and was the highest-gross-ing film of that year. These are the very same reasons why moviego-

ers and solid fans anticipate the return of Popoy and Basha to the big screen this November.

In the 2007 movie, Popoy (John Lloyd) and Basha (Bea) are beautifully showcased as a young couple that decided to part ways to chart their individual careers – a typical story of college lovers. They were once inseparable, that is why it is extremely difficult for them to remain apart from each other. This causes for old their old feelings to resurface hence the title One More Chance – allowing love to have another turn.

Meanwhile, in the sequel titled A Second Chance, Popoy and Ba-sha are now depicted as a married couple that deals with the ups and downs in their relationship. Al-though the title could have been the better title of the prequel, it’s obvious that Star Cinema just wanted to establish the connection (as if making Lloydie and Bea re-prise their roles is not a giveaway). And besides, they never thought the movie would become that big a hit and a sequel during that time was not on the drawing board.

Nonetheless, A Second Chanceis a much awaited romantic mov-ie, not only because Lloydie and Bea have an undeniable onscreen chemistry and their tandem has proven to be one of the most suc-cessful big screen pairings, the plot has a promise of maturity and a much smarter romantic storytell-ing. And just like the first install-ment, fans are already waiting for a string of on point and painful “hu-got lines.” You see, even before the more current romcoms used “hu-got lines,” Popoy and Basha were already doing it. And that alone ups the pressure for the film to do well and meet moviegoers’ expectations.

BOx OffiCE hitSA Second Chance could be the last romantic film we are going to see before the Metro Manila Film Festival on Christmas day. So, all eyes are on the movie whether or not it will make another film his-tory just like its prequel.

However, in terms of box office performance and the production of quotable “hugot” movie lines, Lloydie and Bea’s film has a tough

competition to beat. It’s Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardostarrer romcom Crazy Beautiful You, which reportedly earned P322 million. It’s also the most successful local film this year.

The romcom set the trend, after its release in February, a few other romantic movies followed suit and made impressive performance at the local tills. They were: You’re My Boss, which grossed P210 million;

The Love Affair that earned P300 million; The Breakup Playlist that raked in P160 million; the sur-prise box office That Thing Called Tadhanda with P120 million gross revenue; Just The Way You Arethat registered P100 million gross earnings; and most recently, Every-day I love You which is on its third week at the movie houses amass-ing more than P100 million worth of gross receipts.

JOhn LLOyD AnD BEA REUnitE

niCKiE WAnGniCKiE WAnG

John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo play married couple in the new Star Cinema romantic film

MiG Ayesa and Joanna Ampil are together in Bridges of Madison Country

SHOWBITZ C7i s a h r e d @ g m a i l . c o m

HHHHH

It’s your lucky day  Have your lucky day with Dock-ers when the brand holds its VIP Sale from Nov. 28 to 30.

As a leading provider of khaki pants in the world, Dockers has a lot in store for both new and loyal Dockers lovers. The VIP Sale will entitle customers to a 30-percent discount on regular-priced items. What’s more, a complimentary lim-ited edition Dockers luggage tag and a Dockers leather bracelet will be given to customers with a minimum single-receipt purchase of P3,500.

It doesn’t end there. Dockers is bringing in the new Dockers Man (and everyone’s “Lucky”)—popular TV host Luis Manzano. The new face of Dockers Philippines will visit the store in Glorietta on Nov. 28  to engage with shoppers and give them tips on how to sport the perfect business casual look.

The brand can’t find a more im-peccable fit than Manzano, who

is one of the most in-demand events and television hosts in the country today. The young man is known for his sartorial flair and has earned respect not only for his success in the entertainment industry, but for his business and entrepreneurial savvy as well. 

“No one could be more perfect for the brand than Luis Manzano. We see him on TV almost every day wearing Dockers pants and sporting the perfect business casual look,” says Kaths Laudit, Dockers Philip-pines Marketing Lead. “When we asked him to be the newest face of the brand, he said ‘yes’ immediately and told us that he had been a Dock-ers fan for years.”

Luis Manzano says the perfect business casual look is all about layering essential piecesbut keeping it simple, polished, and effortless. And  this is what makes Dockers perfect for him. Mix-matching dif-ferent pieces of clothing to project a casual and refined fashion statement

is the brand’s vision, which is in sync with Manzano’s personal style. The fashionable young man careful-ly considers each item for a sophis-ticated but not over-dressed look. 

Through the years, Dockers has created a stamp for its core market, which opts for a casual and classy yet comfortable get-up rather than going for the rugged look.

Visit any Dockers Original Stores nationwide to get your new pair of Dockers pants and avail of the discount and other freebies at its LUCKY DAY VIP Sale.

ABS-CBN Corporation received the coveted 2015 Agora Award for Marketing Company of the Year from the Philippine Mar-keting Association (PMA) for its innovative, strategic, and effec-tive marketing campaigns.

The Marketing Company of the Year award is the high-est and most prestigious honor conferred by PMA in honoring excellence and contributions in the marketing field. ABS-CBN beat other companies across dif-ferent industries nominated in the category that went through a stringent judging process by the Agora Board of Judges.

ABS-CBN COO Carlo Katig-bak attributed the success of the company to its continuous effort to promote the Filipino spirit through the campaigns, pro-grams, and projects.

“Our shows, our advocacies, and our new products reflect the stories of the admirable Filipino

character. It is a privilege to help uphold the true wealth of our country. Through both traditional media and new digital platforms, we are happy to bring such inspir-ing Filipino stories to our local au-diences, to overseas Filipinos, and even non-Filipino markets all over the world,” said Katigbak.

Some of ABS-CBN’s achieve-ments include producing most of the top 20 programs nationwide as indicated by data from Kantar Me-dia, as well as films that breached the ₱100 million mark in receipts, including The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin, the highest-grossing Filipino film in history.

While ABS-CBN has sus-tained its TV ratings dominance and box-office feat, it has also found success in other business ventures by remaining focused on its mission and vision of pro-viding services to Filipinos.

The company’s groundbreaking ventures include its own mobile telephony brand ABS-CBNmo-bile, which satisfies its audiences’ craving for ABS-CBN content by giving subscribers access to exclusive content and programs whenever and wherever they are.

ABS-CBN displayed versatili-ty, innovativeness and ingenuity in the launch of O Shopping, a

partnership with Korean com-pany O Shopping that allows Filipinos to conveniently shop at their own homes, and ABS-CBN TVplus, which finally made digi-tal TV a reality in the Philippines and gives Filipinos an enjoyable TV viewing experience.

Katigbak, however, said ABS-CBN’s most successful marketing activity was the 2013 “Tulong Na, Tabang Na, Tayo Na” fund-rais-ing campaign that motivated the country to unite and help the victims of Typhoon Yolanda through the selling of T-shirts and fund-raising concerts.

The simple yet innovative cam-paign raised close to P1 billion in cash and in kind donations – the most received by any private orga-nization – and has given relief and rehabilitation to over 700,000 fam-ilies. The rebuilding efforts led by ABS-CBN were in the areas of ed-ucation, livelihood, and housing.

“This was not a proof of our marketing prowess. It was, in fact, a showcase of Filipino hero-ism, generosity, and ‘malasakit,’” said Katigbak.

Last year, ABS-CBN chief digital officer Donald Patrick Lim was also named the first awardee of the Agora Award for Outstanding

Achievement in Marketing Com-munications for revolutionizing digital advertising in the country.

The  Agora  Awards, known as “the Oscars of marketing,” cele-brates the programs and people who have created an indelible mark in marketing. Through the Agora, the Filipino is hailed as a world-class marketer en-dowed with a proven flair of out-of-the-box thinking and trail-blazing achievements.

Prior to the Agora Awards, ABS-CBN won the Gold Stevie Award in the Company of the Year – Media and Entertainment category at the   International Business Awards and Gold Stevie Award in the Services Company of the Year category at the Asia Pacific Stevie Awards.

WEDNES DAY : NOV EMBER 18, 2015

AgorA mArketing CompAny of the yeAr

lovi Poe and Heart Evan-gelista-Escudero are best friends forever. And since they are, they will also be

BCT (best campaign tandem) for Heart’s husband’s vice-presiden-tial campaign in 2016.

The two will travel around the country to campaign not only for Chiz but also for Senator Grace Poe who is Chiz’s presidential bet. This was what Chiz told reporters cover-ing the presidential race.        

“Kapag umikot man si Heart, malamang ang kasama niya ay isa sa mga matalik niyang kaibigan na kapatid ni Senator Grace na siLovi. Para pag umikot sila ay ‘Poe at Escudero’ rin sila,” Chiz added.

Chiz explained that he is not

obliging Heart to join him in his campaign sorties since she is also busy in her career in show business,

“Siyempre, priority pa rin niya ang trabaho niya. Mas pinili kasi namin na magkahiwalay yung mundo namin. ‘Ika nga, noong kami ay ikinasal, ang usapan namin ay kailanman hindi siya papasok sa pulitika at kailanman hindi rin ako papasok sa show-biz,” said Chiz.

“Para pag-uwi namin sa bahay mula sa trabaho namin ay at least iba yung pinag-uusapan namin at may natututunan kami sa isa’t isa.”

Chiz said in a joking manner that whenever Heart joins him in any political event, the attention is on her and not on him.

lovI, Heart to Help cHIz In 2016 vp campaIgn From c8

Dockers is bringing in the new Dockers Man (and everyone’s “Lucky”)—popular TV host Luis Manzano.

Kaths Laudit, Dockers Philippines Marketing Lead with Luis Manzano, new face of Dockers Philippines during the Dockers Key Retailers Meeting.

Luis Manzano wearing

Dockers pants and sporting

the perfect business

casual look.

ABS-CBN COO Carlo Katigbak receives the Marketing Company of the Year award at the 2015 Agora Awards

ABS-CBN COO Carlo Katigbak

Heart and Lovi

C8 ISAH V. REDE D I T O R

SHOWBITZ

WEDNES DAY : NOV EMBER 18, 2015

Favorite Disney stars Live in ‘Disney on ice’

The touring show that enchanted audi-ences from across the globe is back with yet again another exciting run of Disney On Ice at the Big Dome.

Starting Dec. 25 until Jan. 3, Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival will feature magical moments from across the kingdom with a superstar lineup of Disney royalty.

See your favorite Disney characters from The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, and for the first time ever – the Academy Award® winning and num-ber one animated film of all time Frozen.

“This year’s Disney On Ice is truly magical with Disney properties that are packed with heart and personality. We have princesses that are exuberant and strong-willed, but we’ve also expanded the roles of spirited supporting charac-ters, so that they’re more prominent in the show,” says Producer Nicole Feld.

Expect a spectacular production filled with adventurous and comical segments shared by well-loved Disney princesses Ariel, Rapunzel, Belle, and never-be-fore-seen characters Anna and Elsa!

“We are taking a fresh new spin on how we’re presenting the Disney stories. We are weaving together the four worlds of royal sisters Anna and Elsa, Ariel, Belle and Rapunzel as they each embark on their own epic journey,” says Produc-er Juliette Feld.

Sing and dance to popular Disney tunes with interactive and playful seg-

ments for kids to be led by Disney super-stars Mickey and Minnie.

Also join Anna as she fearlessly sets off on an epic journey, together with Kristoff and reindeer Sven, to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the king-dom of Arendelle in perpetual winter.

Dazzling costume designs, spectacular set elements, and jaw-dropping stunts are also what make this year’s show even more exhilarating.

In Beauty and the Beast’s “Be Our Guest,” the theatrical elements of the glitzy nap-kins and silverware costumes will astound audiences. “The costumes are designed to emphasize the overwhelming amount of table décor that appears in the movie. The napkins unfold to increase their size and the forks tower over the heads of the per-formers. This is a big moment for Belle; the costumes need to reflect that,” says Cos-tume Designer Cynthia Nordstrom.

Moreover, lighting plays a crucial role in giving the overall production a truly magical feel.

“The colors really pull you into the dif-ferent worlds of the princesses, but it’s how the lights are arranged that command your attention when the characters are performing their acts. For example, when the Daughters of Triton are introduced, the lighting individually highlights each of them. Your eyes follow the spotlights,” says Lighting Designer Sam Doty.

Produced by Feld Entertainment, Dis-ney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festivalfeatures an astounding display of creativity and talent, with spellbinding Disney sto-ries we have all come to enjoy and love!

Buy your tickets early and visit TicketNet website or call 911-5555 for more details.

ISAH V. RED

➜ continued on c7

1 A taste of the happiest place on Earth: Mickey Mouse and friends will dazzle audiences, kids and kids at heart, with live performances starting on Christmas day. 2 Frozen makes a debut on Disney On Ice with Elsa 3 Little Mermaid’s Ariel and Prince Eric 4 Donald Duck 5 Tangled’s Rapunzel and Prince Charming 6 Minnie Mouse 7 Frozen’s Kristoff 8 The Beauty and the Beast

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