Manila Standard Today - June 13, 2012 Issue

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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Next page
LP eyes Pimentel as senatorial bet
PNoys dismal rating a wake-up call
Palace no
comment
on revamp
Henares claims
an advantage
as CJ nominee
Spending plan to hit P2t next year;
cash dole for the poor up by 20%
Aquino says apathy
eroded democracy
Mindanao solar projects dropped also for e-appliances
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III
marked the countrys 114th Inde-
pendence Day on Tuesday by say-
ing apathy has eroded Philippine
democracy over the years.
In his speech during the ag-
raising ceremony at the Bara-
soain Church in Malolos, Bula-
can, Mr. Aquino said corruption
had become prevalent, and not
only because more people were
greedy for power but also be-
cause many Filipinos had be-
come apathetic and had chosen
to remain silent.
Democracys light has
dimmed because no one wanted
to take the initiative to take care
of it, Mr. Aquino said.
But now that the country
is already treading the straight
path, we will not allow our-
selves to get lost in the darkness
of the past. Our Constitution
says the strength of the govern-
ment comes from the people, so
it is only just that they reap the
fruits of our efforts.
Mr. Aquino said he could not
help but be dismayed that even
with the ratication of the 1987
Constitution, there were still
people trying to nd loopholes
in the laws to get away with
their selsh intentions.
He then cited the ouster of
Chief Justice Renato Corona,
which he said further strength-
ened democracy.
After all, Filipinos have the
right to know the truth, and the
right to know that the democratic
system is alive and working in the
Philippines, Mr. Aquino said.
It was a process that once
again underscored to all public
servants that the power lent to
them by Juan dela Cruz comes
with responsibilities and ac-
countability.
At P215,000 $5,000 each,
some 20,000 8-seater e-Trikes
and P1-billion worth of e-ap-
pliances such as television sets,
electric fans, refrigerators, com-
puters and air conditioning units
will be distributed in Metro
Manila starting next year and
nationwide up to the 2016 presi-
dential elections, according to
the Energy Department.
Civil society groups and a
Mindanao lawmaker have pro-
tested and questioned the fund
diversion. They want the proj-
ect aborted until after a credible
consultation has been held.
President Benigno Aquino
III himself approved the shift
from the solar power genera-
tion project originally espoused
by the Arroyo administration to
the e-Trikes project even before
proper consultation was made,
according to Pete Maniego,
board chairman of the National
Renewable Energy Board, which
was created as mandated by the
Renewable Energy Act.
Maniego was part of the board
when the solar power generation
THE Liberal Party has sent feel-
ers to Senator Aquilino Pimentel
III to join the administration slate
if he decides to bolt the United
Nationalist Alliance.
Budget Secretary Florencio
Abad said the feelers were sent
even before the conict between
Pimentel and UNA arose over
the coalitions inclusion of for-
mer senator Juan Miguel Zubiri
in its 2013 senatorial ticket.
Pimentel had accused Zubiri,
who beat him out in the 2007
senatorial elections, of cheating
and protested his victory. While
Zubiri denied any wrongdoing,
he resigned from the Senate in
August 2011 following the re-
newed allegations of poll fraud
in the senatorial races, paving
the way for Pimentels entry into
the Senate.
On Tuesday, Pimentels fa-
ther, former senator Aquilino Pi-
mentel Jr., slammed the UNAs
decision on Zubiri.
By Maricel V. Cruz
TWO prominent local executives and a number
of opposition lawmakers said Tuesday President
Benigno Aquino IIIs drop in satisfaction ratings
should serve as a wake-up call to address the
countrys problems.
San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito, a known
ally of President Benigno Aquino III, said Malaca-
ang should begin focusing on the measures that
would address the worsening poverty, high unem-
ployment, and the rising cost of essential goods
and services.
Ejercito said the latest results of the Social
Weather Stations survey showing that the satis-
faction rating of President Aquino had dropped to
the lowest level since he assumed ofce in 2010
should be a cause for alarm.
By Joyce Pangco Paares
THE Aquino administration
plans to spend P2 trillion in
2013, up from PI.86 trillion this
year, Budget Secretary Floren-
cio Abad said Tuesday.
This is the rst time it will hit
[that level], Abad said.
The Development Budget
and Coordinating Council will
review the macroeconomic as-
sumptions this week on Friday.
The debt payments would ac-
count for at least 2 percent of the
gross domestic product next year,
but revenue would nance most
of next years budget, Abad said.
We will have even more in-
vestments for infrastructure,
excluding those funded through
the public-private partnership
program, Abad said.
He said the government was
also planning to increase its cash
dole to the poor by almost 20 per-
cent, to roughly P45 billion next
year from P39 billion this year.
Social Welfare Secretary
Corazon Soliman said the-
amount would cover 700,000
more beneciaries.
THE expected Cabinet re-
vamp is a matter of time and
scope that Malacaang has
refused to conrm or deny
on Tuesday, but a political
analyst said President Aquino
could bring about meaning-
ful change by appointing the
right people to key positions
in the government.
Ramon Casiple of the
University of the Philip-
pines said the President
must make the changes now
because the mid-term na-
tional elections were only
about 10 months away.
DESPITE being a Supreme
Court outsider, Internal Rev-
enue commissioner Kim
Henares claimed Tuesday she
had an advantage over the
other nominees to replace im-
peached Chief Justice Renato
Corona because she had per-
sonally experienced the neg-
ative side of the judiciary.
I would say that I have an
advantage over all the other
people because I personally
experienced all the system it-
self, Henares said.
I think I have more in the
Tribute to national hero. Vice-President Jejomar Binay and
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim (inset) lead the Independence Day celebra-
tions at the Jose Rizal monument at the Luneta. SONNY ESPIRITU
Cavite shrine. Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar
Roxas hoists the Philippine ag at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit,
Cavite. EY ACASIO
Bonifacio monument. Ofcials wave small ags at the Andres
Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City. JUN DAVID
Govt shifts P21b
loans to e-Trikes
A2
TODAY
Standard
Manila
Vol. XXVI No. 100 16 Pages, 3 Sections
P18.00 WEDNESDAY, June 13, 2012
www.manilastandardtoday.com mst@mstandardtoday.com
Trooping the line. President Aquino inspects the troops and salutes the ag (in-
set) during Independence Day celebrations at the Barasoain Church in Malolos.
Crouching Tiger star
sues over sex scandal
CROUCHING Tiger, Hidden
Dragon star Zhang Ziyi has sued
two media outlets for defama-
tion over the stories alleging she
received millions of yuan to have
sex with suspended Politburo
member Bo Xilai and other Chi-
nese leaders.
Zhang suffered immense
grievance and distress be-
cause of the stories, which
she denied, her lawyers said
Next page
Next page
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Next page
By Christine F. Herrera
MINDANAO continues to reel from
a power shortage, but the Aquino ad-
ministration has engaged in fund
diversion and railroading of a solar
power project worth $500 million
(P21.5 billion) in foreign loans in fa-
vor of 100,000 energy efcient electric
tricycles or e-Trikes and e-appliances
that will be distributed in the 2013
mid-term elections.
Next page
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News
ManilaStandardToday mst.daydesk@gmail.com JUNE 13, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A2
CUSTOMS ofcials are consid-
ering a request from the business
sector to tap the Bureau of Internal
Revenue and the Justice Depart-
ment in ghting smuggling and cor-
ruption in the Bureau of Customs,
the agency said Tuesday.
The bureau said the request was
made by consumer advocate Raul
Concepcion of Serving and Pro-
tecting the Filipino Consumer and
chairman of Government Watch. It
says Concepcion believes that if the
three government agencies will join
forces in curbing smuggling, Cus-
toms will be able to meet its collec-
tion targets.
Concepcion has said he is con-
dent that Customs Commissioner
Ruffy Biazon is capable of insti-
tuting reforms and administrative
measures in ghting graft and cor-
ruption, boosting credibility and
increasing transparency within the
bureau.
Concepcion says Internal Rev-
enue and Customs people can
coordinate to examine the Tariff
Heading Duties and Validation
of all foreign goods entering the
country before any shipment is
released to make sure that the cor-
rect duties and taxes have been
paid.
The Justice Department will pro-
vide a special prosecution team that
will focus on smuggling- related ac-
tivities to send smugglers and cor-
rupt ofcials to jail.
Concepcion has also asked
lawmakers to pass a bill that will
broaden the tactics used to eradicate
smuggling and increase the penal-
ties against smuggling.
Biazon has said he will study the
possibility of tapping the services of
the Bureau of Internal Revenue and
the Justice Department in ghting
corruption and the smuggling syn-
dicates at Customs.
He repeated appealed to his
critics to help Customs curb
smuggling instead of criticizing
it in the media.
Customs eyes anti-smuggling plan
Aquino...
Over at the Rizal Park, Vice President Jejomar Binay urged Fili-
pinos to unite to achieve prosperity for all.
He said freedom would not be complete if there were still many
Filipinos dreaming to have a good life.
The President and I know this is an ambitious challenge, he
said.
Nonetheless, I am appealing to everybody... that we join to-
gether with one goal: a better life for every Filipino.
It was also at the Rizal Park on Tuesday that the Labor Depart-
ment held its Independence Day job fair, which attracted thou-
sands of jobseekers.
Transport Secretary Mar Roxas led the celebrations in Kawit,
Cavite, where the revolutionary and rst Philippine President
Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippines independence from
Spanish rule.
But a small group of protesters shouting fake independence brief-
ly interrupted Roxas speech before police quickly dispersed them.
Over in Caloocan City, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and
Mayor Enrico Echiverri led the Independence Day rites, with De
Lima saying the Filipinos should not treat their freedom like a
trophy and then forget about it.
National Police Chief Nicanor Bartolome said the celebration of
the countrys 114th Independence Day was generally peaceful. Joyce
Pangco Paares, Zara de Leon, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Gigi Mu-
oz-David, Hernz Cuare and Jonathan Fernandez
Spending...
She said her department was
pushing for a P67- billion budget in
2013, and of that two-thirds would
go to dole, a government program
that critics have criticized for be-
ing unproductive and encourag-
ing mendicancy. At least 3 million
poor families are enrolled in the
program.
The Aquino administration plans
to cover some 4.8 million poor
families by 2014. The conditional
transfer program provides poor
families with at least three children
below 14 a cash aid of P500 up to
P900. Provided the kids are sent to
school.
Each child who turns 14 auto-
matically loses the P300 monthly
stipend.
Congress, meanwhile, has
formed a joint oversight committee
on public expenditures to review
this yearCavite Rep. Joseph Emilio
Aguinaldo Abaya Jr., chairman of
the House committee on appro-
priations, said the joint committee
would complete its review before
the Budget Department submits
its proposed 2013 spending plan to
Congress on July 23.
He said the -panel would pay at-
tention in particular to the disburse-
ment of the government dole to the
poor, as well as the funding alloca-
tions for education, health and in-
frastructure.
This years national budget is
10.4 percent more than the P1.645-
trillion budget in 2011.
Abaya said the main objective
of the review panel was to ensure
that government funds were spent
in accordance with the law.
This is part of President Aquinos
thrust for good governance... where
checks and balances between the
Executive branch and Congress are
observed, Abaya said.
The national budget should fund
the development of various sec-
tors aimed at uplifting the lives of
Filipinos, and we are duty-bound
to ensure that this process is strictly
followed. The monitoring is very
essential for transparency and good
governance. With Maricel Cruz
Henares...
sense that I experienced it and
it is important for me to do ju-
dicial reforms.
For me, my experience
is hands on... The ING bank
case that some people are try-
ing to resurrect--- in that case
I fought for my right against
illegal termination.
Henares was red by ING
Barings Bank in 2000 over
what she described as policy
differences. She contested
her termination as head of the
Dutch banks compliance and
legal department.
I saw the hardships, the
process. You will have to ght
the system. You will have to
ght the large law rm who
does not even appear as law-
yers but who are doing all the
back-channeling, she said.
What can be a better teach-
er than experiencing the ju-
dicial system yourself... Ive
experienced the complaint of
people about the adjudication
system, from arbitration in
the National Labor Relations
Commission all the way to
youre ghting for your rights.
Youre bumping against big
establishments.
Henares aside, other out-
sider nominees to the post of
chief justice are Justice Sec-
retary Leila de Lima, Solici-
tor General Francis Jardeleza,
lawyer Marianito Sasondon-
cillo, womens rights lawyer
Katrina Legarda and former
Ateneo de Manila College of
Law Dean Cesar Villanueva.
The automatic nominees for
the post are the high courts
ve most senior members:
Associate Justices Presbitero
Velasco Jr, Teresita Leonar-
do-de Castro, Arturo Brion,
Diosdado Peralta, and acting
Chief Justice Antonio Carpio.
But Henares said she re-
mained neutral on her nomi-
nation as she had yet to speak
to President Benigno Aquino
III.
I have not made any deci-
sion neither here nor there.
Well try to weigh every-
thing, she said.
We have a lot of things to
nish in the Bureau of Internal
Revenue... I have not made the
decision---there are two forces
pulling me equally.
PNoy...
This is a gut issue, said Ejer-
cito, chairman of the House com-
mittee on Metro Manila develop-
ment.
That is what the people are
watching.
The SWS survey, conducted on
May 24 to 27, showed Mr. Aqui-
nos net score falling seven points
to +42, with 63 percent satised
and 21 percent dissatised.
Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco,
an independent, said the major
reason for Mr. Aquinos signi-
cant decrease in satisfaction rating
washis failure to address hunger
and poverty.
The main reason why his rat-
ings are dropping is because the
poor are getting poorer, he said.
Ejercito said that while he ac-
knowledged the advocacy of the
Aquino administration to get rid
of corruption in the bureaucracy,
it had failed to focus on the basics
and the essentials.
In as much as PNoys [Presi-
dent Aquinos] anti-corruption ef-
forts are well-appreciated, it will
not affect many lives compared
to focusing on economic progres-
sion that could improve the lives
of the 4.5 million families who
experience involuntary hunger, or
to the 11.1 million Filipinos liv-
ing below the poverty threshold,
Ejercito, vice chairman of the
House committee on labor and
employment, said.
Tiangco noted the increasing
number of Filipinos who consid-
ered themselves food poor as
shown by the recent surveys.
He said the satisfaction rating
always went with the poverty rat-
ing.
Opposition members Siquijor
Rep. Orlando Fua and Zambales
Rep. Milagros Magsaysay said
President Aquinos lack of genu-
ine commitment to improve the
lives of the Filipino people ex-
plained the decline in his popular-
ity ratings.
This administration has put
the lives of the poor Filipino peo-
ple in misery, Fua said.
The rising rate of unemploy-
ment, the unresolved Mindanao
power crisis, the increasing prices
of basic commodities are some of
the so many factors for the Presi-
dents slump in ratings, Magsay-
say said.
Meanwhile, Eastern Samar
Rep. Ben Evardone said the drop
in the Presidents ratings was ex-
pected.
Historically, all past presidents
who had high ratings during the
early part of their term experienced
drops in the surveys as they ap-
proached their midterms, Evar-
done, chairman of the House com-
mittee on public information, said.
Palace...
Its [the revamp] late in coming
and it has affected his popularity
because of the poor performance
of some members of the Cabinet,
Casiple said.
Malacaang declined to com-
ment on the reported movements of
some members of the Cabinet, but
analysts say the signs are unmis-
takeable. The political landscape
is changing because of the shifting
alliances.
At least ve senators are on their
last terms and not eligible to run for
re-election, including Senators Pan-
lo Lacson and Francis Pangilinan.
President Benigno Aquino III has
said that Lacson could be appointed
Local Government Secretary and
Pangilinan as Agriculture or Envi-
ronment secretary.
The Elections Commission says
the ofcial campaigning for the
May 13, 2013 mid-term polls will
start in February, but the political
parties have started organizing and
recruiting candidates for senators,
party-list and congress representa-
tives, governors, board members,
mayors and councilors.
The senators seeking re-election
include Alan Peter Cayetano (Na-
cionalista Party), Francis Escudero
(Independent), Gregorio Honasan
(Independent), Loren Legarda (Na-
tionalist Peoples Coalition), Aq-
uilino Pimentel (PDP-Laban), and
Antonio Trillanes (Independent).
House Minority Leader and
Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said
the main contending parties in the
coming polls would be the Presi-
dents Liberal Party and a new co-
alition of the Pwersa ng Masang
Pilipino of former President Joseph
Estrada and the PDP-Laban of Vice
President Jejomar Binay under the
United Nationalist Alliance.
Those who have been named
Liberal Party senatorial contenders
are Justice Secretary Leila de Lima,
Senator Francis Escudero, Customs
Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, Cus-
toms Deputy Commissioner Danny
Lim, former Akbayan party-list
Rep. Risa Hontiveros, Presidential
adviser on environmental concerns
Neric Acosta, TESDA director gen-
eral Joel Villanueva, House deputy
speaker Erin Taada, House pros-
ecution spokesman Sonny Angara,
Trillanes, Pimentel and Cayetano.
Budget Secretary Butch Abad
said the LP leaders were talking to
other political parties and groups
such as the Magdalo, Akbayan and
Cibac party-list.
LP is engaged in discussions
with six political parties, other
party list groups and some indi-
viduals, but nothing ofcial yet,
Abad said.
Binay, who is perceived as a
leading candidate in the 2016
presidential elections, declined to
comment on the movements and
re-alignments for next years polls
and said he wanted to concentrate
on his work as vice-president.
Casiple said the impact of next
years polls on the composition of
the new Cabinet would also result
in the reshufing of ofcials in the
bureaucracy, starting from the sec-
retary and down the line to bureau
directors.
He [Mr. Aquino] has to get the
right people. If he appoints only
people he can trust and not based on
qualications and competence, its
bad, Casiple said. Macon Ramos-
Araneta, Maricel Cruz, Joel Zur-
bano and Joyce Pangco Paares
LP...
UNA has unequivocally put it-
self on the side of electoral cheats
and sends the message that it will
do anything to propel itself into
power, the elder Pimentel said.
In an interview Tuesday, Abad
said the younger Pimentel was wel-
come to join the Liberal Party but
said the administration did not want
to interfere in the internal affairs
of UNA, the alliance between the
parties of Vice President Jejomar
Binay and ousted President Joseph
Estrada.
We want the issue to be resolved
as soon as possible... And in the
meantime we respect the process
going on there and we dont want to
intervene, Abad said.
Pimentel, who was present at
the Palace ceremonies to mark In-
dependence Day, said he did not
want to think about any feelers at
this point.
The offer of the LP should not
even be a factor in my deciding my
next move within UNA... At this
point, I will disregard the offers of
other groups, Pimentel said in a
separate interview.
If ever I would leave UNA, its
not because theres already a group
waiting for me. That should not be
the reason. Im going to think of
what is the best thing that I should
do under the circumstances.
The UNA executive council met
Monday to afrm an earlier deci-
sion to let in Zubiri, who was sworn
into the Partido ng Masang Pilipino.
On Tuesday, Binay said he would
respect whatever decision Pimentel
reached on his status with the coali-
tion. He said the UNA would await
his decision before talking to him
about it.
Binays PDP-Laban and Estra-
das Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino,
which recently formed the UNA
coalition, announced their ofcial
senatorial line-up for the May 2013
mid-term elections on Monday.
Pimentel, a member of the PDP-
Laban, opposed the inclusion of his
political rival.
But Binay said Zubiri was a
member of the PMP, a coalition
partner, and that the decision to in-
clude him in the lineup was reached
by a collective leadership.
Zubiri and Pimentel aside, the
other UNA candidates named were
San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejerci-
to, Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile, Zam-
bales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, Cebu
Gov. Gwen Garcia, and incumbent
Senator Gregorio Honasan.
Five senators end their term next
year: Edgardo Angara, Joker Ar-
royo, Panlo Lacson, Francis Pan-
gilinan and Manny Villar.
Senator Miriam Defensor San-
tiago, meanwhile, is leaving the
Senate to take her place as a judge
in the International Criminal Court.
Those seeking re-election next
year are Senators Alan Peter Cay-
etano, Francis Escudero, Honasan,
Loren Legarda, Pimentel and Anto-
nio Trillanes IV. Joyce P. Paares
and Macon Ramos-Araneta
Govt...
project under the Arroyo adminis-
tration was approved by the Wash-
ington DC-based Trust Fund Com-
mittee, which oversees the Clean
Technology Fund or CTF.
We question the haste with
which this fund diversion was made
without credible and transparent
consultation from various stake-
holders. Was the process railroaded
to beef up the campaign kitty of the
administration? said Red Constan-
tino, executive director of the In-
stitute for Climate and Sustainable
Cities.
Constantino said the Aquino ad-
ministration created an articial
demand for transportation to jus-
tify the purchase of e-Trikes.
Where does the e-Trikes foreign
loan-funded project leave Mind-
anao, which is now experiencing
a power crisis? said Agham Rep.
Angelo Palmones, who rst ac-
cused some businessmen of conniv-
ing with Energy ofcials of creating
articial power blackouts to jus-
tify the privatization of the hydro-
electric power plants in Mindanao.
Does Manila and elsewhere
have a transportation crisis? These
e-Trikes would compete in electric-
ity use and further aggravate trafc
congestion,
Constantino said the e-Trikes
would aggravate the consumption
of dirty coal and diesel because
electricity in Metro Manila was ba-
sically relying on coal-red and die-
sel power plants.
The government is also perpe-
trating political patronage since the
e-trikes operation will be coursed
through chosen local government
units that would collect boundary
payment of P350 daily from driv-
ers and transmit this to the national
government, which will service the
debts to the Asian Development
Bank, Constantino said.
The Energy Department says the
loan contracts will come from the
CTF, which will provide $101 mil-
lion for the e-Trikes and $24 million
for the e-appliances. The ADB will
provide $300 million and the na-
tional government $99 million.
The $1 million from the CTF
will come as a grant for technology
transfer from conventional battery
to lithium-ion and rechargeable bat-
teries.
The foreign currency loans will
be coursed through the Energy and
Finance Departments at 6 percent
interest, with the two departments
re-lending the funds to local govern-
ment units at 11 percent interest and
payable in 25 years.
The e-Trikes are said to last last
for 10 years, and they will be im-
ported from China, Korea and Ja-
pan, the ADB says.
We were not consulted. Three
days before the supposed consulta-
tion, the Renewable Energy Board,
a government agency and recom-
mendatory body attached to the
Department of Energy, was told that
the top level of government up to
President Aquino himself already
approved of the reallocation, so my
attendance at the consultation was
pro forma, Maniego told the Ma-
nila Standard.
The ADB provided an undis-
closed number of participants only
two working days to go over back-
ground documents, Ronni Masay-
da, assistant transition manager of
the NGO Forum on ADB, told the
Manila Standard.
Such short notice for meetings,
not to mention an extremely short
period to study drafts, is unaccept-
able and puts to question the mean-
ingful interaction of participants
who would not have time to scruti-
nize the documents thoroughly.
Masayda expressed fears that the
ADB was putting at risk the Philip-
pine investment plan submission
to the Clean Technology Fund by
repeatedly and deliberately contra-
vening the instructions of the CTFs
Trust Fund Committee to involve
and undertake with civil society
groups and other stakeholders a
common credible consultative pro-
cess over the fund diversion.
Energy Undersecretary Loreta
Ayson conrmed the reallocation
of funds from the solar projects was
based on both the lowered installed
capacity targets for solar energy, and
the increased investor interest in the
development of solar energy.
The solar project planned by the
ADB was a residential rooftop solar
paneling project with a projected ca-
pacity of 100 megawatts. With the
installed solar capacity targets cur-
rently pegged at only 50 megawatts,
and the current applications with the
Department for solar, we decided it
would be inappropriate for the gov-
ernment to compete with private in-
terests, Ayson said.
The Palace documents obtained
by the Manila Standard show that
the 100,000 e-trikes would cost
$400 million but would save
some 500,000 liters of gasoline a
day or $500,000 a day for a total of
$185 million in savings annually.
The Energy Department said it
would also avoid carbon dioxide
emissions of 400,000 tons per year
from a total emission of 160,000
tons a year.
Citing an ADB study, the depart-
ment said transport sector emissions
accounted for 30 percent of the air
pollution in the Philippines and
about 80 percent of the air pollution
in Metro Manila.
Under the Philippines CTF In-
vestment Plan, the government will
purchase about 200,000 energy ef-
cient air-conditioners, 150,000
refrigerators, 350,000 electric fans
and 100,000 television sets.
The consumers will pay for the
appliances over a 36-month hire-
purchase scheme.
The documents also say the e-
Trikes would be made available to
areas with stable power supply,
with the government providing
public charging stations.
The project is not about procur-
ing 100,000 e-Trikes but creating
a new local industry and local em-
ployment, the documents say.
So we have a case here of gen-
erating jobs for 100,000 drivers
and displacing as many numbers of
operators because the local govern-
ment units would act as operators
collecting boundaries and transmit-
ting to the national government,
which would ensure the debt servic-
ing of the foreign loans, said Pal-
mones, who comes from Cotabato.
Denise Fontanilla, Aksyon
Klima advocacy ofcer, said the
ADBs credibility became ques-
tionable having tried many times
to abbreviate a process despite
its own rules stipulating informa-
tion disclosure and proper consul-
tation guidelines.
The ADB informed us of the
supposed consultation two days be-
fore the event. We were not consult-
ed. We want to know if there is still
some amount left for renewable en-
ergy projects or everything was al-
located to e-Trikes, Fontanilla said.
In its desire to rush the consulta-
tions, the ADB employed deception
and deliberately misused the name
and logo of some members of the
steering committee in order to cre-
ate the impression that sessions
were co-organized with civil society
groups, Constantino said.
The other civil society groups that
protested the farce consultations
on May 21 to 23 were the Freedom
from Debt Coalition and Partner-
ship for Clean Air.
Unfortunately, the ADB,
through its own actions, may have
fatally wounded the Philippine gov-
ernments submission to the Clean
Technology Fund, Fontanilla said.
Crouching...
in the complaint led Tuesday at
the High Court of Hong Kong.
The actress is seeking unspecied
libel damages.
The suit named Apple Daily
Ltd., Next Magazine Publishing
Ltd., and their top editors over the
stories that Zhang was paid 700
million yuan ($110 million) over
10 years to have sex with Bo,
unnamed high government of-
cials and other rich people.
The suit also denied allega-
tions in the stories that Zhang was
questioned as part of a govern-
ment investigation into Bo and
was barred from leaving China.
The stories, published in May,
are seriously defamatory of and
concerning the plaintiff and are
false, the lawsuit says. Zhang has
been subjected to public odium,
hatred, contempt or ridicule, it
says.
Zhang is seeking an injunction
to stop the republication of the
stories from the two outlets.
JUNE 13, 2012
WEDNESDAY
A3 News
ManilaStandardToday mst.daydesk@gmail.com
IN BRIEF
Arroyos on scholarship grants
ADB meeting goes online
Poll deal hangs in balance
GSIS opens study grants
By Macon Ramos Araneta
A MULTI-sectoral group calling
for the ouster of President Benigno
Aquino III may le an impeachment
complaint against him due to
violation of the Constitution and acts
of treason.
The Oust Penoy Movement (OPM
has yet to set the date of ling but
says it will be soon. During their
rally at Plaza Miranda in Manilas
Quiapo district, group spokesman
Mon Pedroso enumerated the
allegedy unconstitutional acts of the
President.
Almost two years in office
as President of the Philippines,
Benigno Simeon Aquino III has
managed to alienate major sectors
in the Philippine society because
of the following unconstitutional
actshe has committed, said
Pedroso.
The rallyists accused Aquino of
illegally entering into a coalition with
the Left preparatory to their imminent
takeover of the government with
P-Noys full participation and consent,
even giving approval to the clandestine
entry to the Philippines of Jose Ma.
Sison.
The President forged secret,
unauthorized agreements with Sison
and other insurgents and changed
the composition of ARMM and held
discreet meeting in Japan with the
MILF where $5 million was given to
the MILF to the detriment of Filipino
soldiers.
This (meeting) has no clearance
with the DFA, DOJ, GRP Peace
panels, the Armed Forces and other
concerned government agencies,
thereby endangering our democracy
and bills of rights, said Pedroso.
The President, Pedroso said, also
illegally used government funds
such as pork barrel, to inuence the
legislature to railroad the impeachment
trial of the Chief Justice and manipulate
public opinion through the heavy use
of tri-media and other tools of public
persuasion.
Pedroso also Aquino illegally
permitted the Philippines to become
a virtual military base by the US,
doubling the term of the Visiting
Forces Agreement and allowing the
use of airports for US needs and letting
US nuclear armed naval warships ply
Philippine waters.
He said the President violated the
system of check and balance of the
three branches of government and
gravely abused presidential powers
leaning toward one man rule.
He illegally ordered Secretary
(Leila) de Lima to defy the TRO of
the Supreme Court and a Panamanian
diplomat-rapist to escape prosecution,
said Pedroso.
The other unconstitutional acts
committed by Aquino as enumerated
by OPM are: illegally ignoring the
rights of the unborn child and its
protection by the state as mandated
in the Constitution; illegally setting
aside the constitutional provision
that the President of the Philippines
should be physically, mentally and
emotionally competent to fulfil his
duties and illegally disregarding the
unconstitutionality of the last May
10, 2010 elections and agreeing to
be digitally elected president by
Smartmatic and not by the Filipino
people.
Group bares sins of Aquino, demands his ouster
BUDGET Management
Secretary Florencio Abad said
there were no cuts in benets
of public health workers and
the funds were released early
this year.
Abad made the statement
even as he stressed the need to
streamline the implementation
of these benets.
Public health benets for
this year amounted to P348.1
billion, which Abad said
was already issued to the
Department of Health.
The fund covered P125 in
monthly laundry allowance
and P30 per day subsistence
pay. But as the DOH
increased the allowances to
P150 per month and P50 per
week, respectively, the DBM
explained that the difference
would be sourced from the
agencys savings.
Because the DOH
authorized the augmentation
of benets for public health
workers, the agency must use
their savings to account for
the difference between the
appropriated rates and the
DOH-augmented rates, Abad
said.
Abad also said that the DBM
was working with the DOH in
addressing issues in the grant
of benets.
The Budget was re-
evaluating the funding and
disbursement guidelines
for Magna Carta benets,
which have frequently
been constrained by scarce
government resources,
inefciencies in targeting
beneciaries, and lack of
revenue measures.
We need to streamline
the implementation of these
benets. For one, only
those who are entitled to
these should receive the
corresponding hazard pay,
Abad said. :In addition, only
actual working days should be
accounted for when calculating
the subsistence allowance. We
intend to issue a Joint Circular
on this with the proper lead
agencies. Bernadette Lunas
Health
benefits
cut looms
LEADING telecommunications company
PLDT enabled online viewers from all over
the globe to watch the forums during the
45th Board of Governors Meeting of the
Asian Development Bank held recently at the
Philippine International Convention Center
through simultaneous webcasts.
The service was provided through its
enterprise arm PLDT ALPHA Enterprise.
The Department of Finance hired PLDT
following a bidding process to equip PICCs
multiple buildings with a reliable PABX
communication facility. PICC also tapped
PLDT to provide wireless internet services to
strengthen its own internal capacity.
The high-speed internet connectivity with
a dedicated bandwidth connection in the
PICC Plenary hall allowed simultaneous web
broadcasting of the opening session attended
by nance ministers and central bankers of
ADB member nations.
Webcasting the meeting programs is very
important and has a signicant role in the ADB
Annual Meeting as it has allowed delegates
to monitor the meetings inside PICC, as well
as people who are in other parts of the world
to watch and listen in the meetings various
agenda, said PICC Information Technology
Ofcer Marnie Onia.
By Gigi David
THE Government Service
Insurance System has opened
nominations for low-income
workers to its scholarship program.
GSIS president and general
manager Robert Vergara in a
statement said 200 slots are
available for children of state
workers to study for school year
2012-2013 under its college
scholarship program.
The deadline for the submission
of application is on June 30.
Students with the lowest salary
grades will get priority in the
scholarship grant. The nominee
must be a child of the member and
an incoming freshman (rst year)
accepted in the schools identied
by the pension fund, Vergara said.
The scholar of the program
will be entitled to the actual cost
of tuition and miscellaneous fees
not exceeding P20,000 and a
monthly stipend of P2,000. The
scholar may also opt to take a
four- or ve-year course but must
meet the scholastic requirements
set by the school for student
retention under the program.
Nominees to the program
should be freshmen who have been
accepted to the following schools:
Adamson University; Adventist
University of the Philippines;
Angeles University Foundation;
Assumption College; Ateneo
de Davao University; Ateneo
de Manila University; Ateneo
de Naga University; Ateneo de
Zamboanga University; Baliuag
University; Bataan Peninsula
State University; Batangas State
University; Benguet State College;
Bicol University; Bukidnon
State University; Bulacan State
University; Cagayan State
University; Camarines Sur State
Agricultural College; Capiz State
University; Catanduanes State
College; Cavite State University;
Cebu Doctors University;
Cebu Institute of Technology;
Cebu Normal University; Cebu
State College of Science and
Technology.
A piece of Palawan in Poland. A four-meter by 12-meter image of Palawan is being
showcased around the major streets of Warsaw with Philippine Ambassador to Poland,
Edgardo R. Manuel launching a Philippine tourism project showcasing the National
Geographics winning photo of George Tapan. The image, shot in Onuk Island, Balabac,
Palawan, is mounted on one full side of a Warsaw City Sightseeing hop-on-hop-off tourist
bus. The project will run until July 2012, building-up toward the Independence Day
celebrations and the Euro Cup 2012 where thousands of tourists are expected to come.
This has been made possible through the valuable support of Honorary Consul Edward
Magiera, president of ED&F Man and Krzysztof Szymborski of the Baltic Container Terminal,
a subsidiary of ICTSI. At the inauguration ceremony are Ambassador Manuel and Mrs.
Carmela Millado-Manuel , Magiera Fr. Hilario Sanez and Ewa Urbanska, manager of City
Sightseeing Warsaw.
Acting high court spokesman
Ma. Victoria Gleoresty Guerra
said the tribunal, led by acting
Chief Justice Antonio Carpio,
will hold a special session to rule
on the petitions submitted by
various groups seeking to stop
the Comelec and Smartmatic
from proceeding with their
contract for the purchase of
82,000 machines used in the
2010 polls.
The high court earlier issued a
temporary restraining order on the
deal last April 24 before holding
oral arguments last month on the
case led by Automated Election
System Watch (AES Watch) led
by former Vice President Teosto
Guingona Jr., the Solidarity for
Sovereignty (S4S) led by Ma.
Linda Montayre, and another
group of concerned citizens led by
Davao City Archbishop Fernando
Capalla.
Carpio, an automatic nominee
for the chief justice post, earlier
disclosed that the Supreme Court
has placed the case as a priority
agenda.
We will try to decide the case
involving the PCOS. We have
to do that ASAP because the
Comelec will have to decide in
case the decision goes one way
or the other, Carpio said.
Should the high court decide to
nullify the contract, the poll body
will have to work on a different
one in time for the elections in
May next year.
All three petitions questioned
the legality of the new Comelec
Smartmatic deal.
The petitioners argued that
the new contract was illegal
since it did not undergo bidding
as required under R.A. 9184
(Government Procurement
Reform Act). They added that
Comelecs option to purchase the
PCOS machines expired when
the poll body failed to exercise
the same before its expiration
last December 31, 2010.
As a result, Smartmatic cannot
extend the option period and
neither can the Comelec give
its consent for its extension as
this would violate the guideline
issued by its Bids and Awards
Committee (BAC) which xed a
denite period within which the
poll body is allowed to enter into
a new contract.
Since the option to purchase had
already expired, they stressed that
the purchase of the 80,000 PCOS
machines should require a public
bidding since it would involve a
new contract altogether.
The petitioners also argued
that the Comelec committed
grave abuse of discretion in
approving the contract through
Resolution No. 9376 inspite
of the recommendation of the
Comelec Advisory Council not
to exercise the subject option to
purchase.
The CAC, the body mandated
by law to recommend the most
appropriate and cost-effective
technology to be applied in the
AES, issued a resolution on
February 8, 2012, reiterating its
opposition for the Comelec to
exercise the option to purchase.
THE Arroyos in the House of Representatives
on Monday urged Congress to hasten the
approval of a bill institutionalizing government
scholarship grants to deserving employees.
The Arroyos, former president and now
Pampanga congressman Gloria Arroyo
and her son, Diosdado of Camarines Sur,
pressed for the passage of House Bill 6227,
granting scholarships to those who want to
pursue short-term training, baccalaureate
degree courses, and/or graduate school
training and education programs.
Under the measure, courses covered
should not be limited to the sciences, scal
management and public nance, economics,
the technical, technological, entrepreneurial
elds and other areas which are geared
towards technology development and modern
governance and management approaches.
It provided that the existing Local
Scholarship Program and the Local
Scholarship Program for Skilled Workers in
Government (LSPSWG) being undertaken
and handled by the Civil Service Commission
(CSC) shall be incorporated into the Tulong
Aral sa Kinabukasan program.
By Rey Requejo and Maricel Cruz
THE Supreme Court will rule today
on the legality of a P1.8 billion deal
with the Commission on Elections for
the purchase of precinct count optical
scan (PCOS) machines for next years
mid-term polls.
Freedom Day. Vice President Jejomar Binay (right) and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim lead the rites for the 114th Independence Day anniversary at the Rizal Park. SONNY ESPIRITU
Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com JUNE 13, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A4
THE level of shameless, self-serving
posturing that has come to characterize
this administration continues to astound
us. Mere days after the chief justice
was ousted by impeachment, the very
Executive department ofcials who
testied against him at the trial were
paraded in the press as paragons of
propriety, fully qualied to take his
position.
A Palace spokesman even proudly
referred to the two ofcialsInternal
Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares
and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima
as the most feared women in the
Cabinet. The irony of that statement
could not have been more apparent.
The fear that these ofcials engendered
was clearly the result not only of their
positions, which are imbued with vast,
prosecutorial powers, but also of their
unquestioning willingness to use that
power in the service of the President in
pursuit of his political enemies.
Under Henares watch, the Bureau
of Internal Revenue has become a
weapon to be wielded against those
who cross the President. As if on cue
during the impeachment trial, the
commissioner launched a wide-ranging
tax investigation not only of the chief
justice but also of his wife, children and
even his in-laws. Similar investigations
have been launched against the members
and allies of the previous administration.
In no instance, however, have we seen
the commissioner apply the same vigor
and tenacity in pursuit of tax evaders
who are friendly to the administration.
The Justice secretary, on the other
hand, has shown her willingness to defy
even the Supreme Court in the service of
the President. Faced with a lawful order
from the Court to allow former President
and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo
to seek medical treatment abroad last
year, the secretary chose to interpret the
law in her own fashion, in favor of the
President, and in deance of the Court
that she now seeks to lead.
In an administration that has shown little
patience for legal niceties and statutory
obstacles, it is small wonder that the Palace
would speak up for the qualications of
the two Cabinet members, both of whom
have been nominated by the Judicial and
Bar Council.
Yet the same blind, attack-dog loyalty
that both ofcials exhibited in the recent
persecution of the chief justice will
not serve the country in a position that
demands independence, an unwavering
commitment to apply the law in equal
measure to friends and foes of the
administration alike, and a deep sense of
fairness that will brook no rationalization
to justify what are ultimately unjust and
even illegal acts.
On Monday, the Palace applied the
brakes on an erstwhile enthusiastic
campaign to have either Cabinet member
appointed chief justice, saying the
President would prefer they remained
at their current posts. We have no inside
track on why this was done. We can
only hope that reason has prevailed,
and that the administration has stepped
back from the precipice of disaster that
the appointment of an unqualied chief
justice would certainly precipitate.
Judicial indiscretion
Game of crones
JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima,
sporting a new head of blonde hair,
yesterday declared that she was
honored by her nomination to become
the next chief justice of the Supreme
Court. Internal Revenue Commissioner
Kim Henares, also highly seeded for
the post of highest and most palace-
subservient magistrate of the land, has
not changed her hair color yet.
In the meantime, as these two
very cooperative
ofcials of
the Aquino
a dmi n i s t r a t i o n
take pole position
amongst the
nominees to
replace former
Chief Justice
Renato Corona,
their grateful boss
declared that the
i m p e a c h m e n t
drama that
consumed his
government for the entire year so
far was good for democracy. How
replacing the head of a co-equal branch
of government with someone like De
Lima or Henaresboth of whom
have been distinguished only by their
blind loyalty to Aquinostrengthens
democracy was not made clear.
Of the two, De Lima has certainly
been the less shameless about Palace
plans to appoint her to Coronas
former postprobably because she
is convinced that she is truly the
frontrunner. De Lima brushed off
triing hindrances like the fact that she
sits on the Judicial and Bar Council
that is supposed to be looking for a
new chief justice and that she is facing
three disbarment cases before the high
court which should disqualify her.
I will give a lot of thought on
whether or not I will be accepting
the nomination, but at this point I am
keeping my options open, said the
obviously thrilled De Lima. No one
asked if her new hair color, not just her
nomination, was also attering to her.
As for Henares, any plans by the
Palace to nominate her to the chief
justiceship are objectionable on the
same grounds as De Limas. Because
the BIR chief gured prominently in
the pursuit of Corona in the latters
impeachment trial, giving her Coronas
old post only degrades her; and it
strengthens the belief that Aquino
wants less democracy, not more,
because he wants a loyal subordinate to
head up a supposedly co-equal branch.
It is a sign of the times that neither
De Lima not Henares has sought to
immediately reject plans to appoint
them to the chief justices post as
soon as their names were oated as
candidates. Perhaps De Lima even
believes that the post requires a
new hairstyle to go with her blond
ambitions.
* * *
So, youve heard of how putting the
Supreme Court under Malacaangs
thumb will help democracy. Do you
remember also how there will be no
new taxes under this administration?
That promise, like opening bank
accounts upon getting elected, has
fallen by the wayside as well. The
House of Representatives has passed
on third and nal reading the bill
restructuring the tax system on alcohol
and tobacco products that may soon
kill off the local tobacco industry and
slap additional burdens on the poor.
During plenary debates on House
Bill 5727, the tax bill that Malacaang
has certied as urgent, Zambales Rep.
Mitos Magsaysay pointed out that the
bill discriminated against low-priced,
locally produced cigarettes brands and
favored foreign imported brands and
alcohol products.
Foreign imported
brands were
exempted from a tax
hike in 2013, and get
to pay only a measly
P2 in excise tax per
pack in 2014, while
all domestic brands
are taxed up to 700
percent.
The bill favors
new entrants to
the detriment of
established players
who have already invested hundreds
of millions of pesos in manufacturing
facilities, equipment, technology and
manpower. These new guys wont
purchase a single tobacco leaf from
local farmers because they bring in
nished products, while old companies
which buy the farmers produce and
give them nancial aid and technical
assistance are treated like dirt.
Pro-administration lawmakers
claim the bill has already been watered
down because the revenue target under
the original measure of P60 billion
was reduced to P33 billion under a
compromise version. But Magsaysay
pointed out that the compromise only
favors alcohol and foreign cigarette
brands because local cigarette makers
will still have to shoulder the bulk of
the burden through the 700-percent tax
hike on low-priced cigarettes.
When Magsaysay pointed this
out to Rep. Isidro Ungab, chairman
of the House ways and means
committee, the latter could only say
that alcohol was taxed less because
it is healthier than tobacco. Wed
love to hear Ungab explain that to
the countrys 2.9 million tobacco
farmers, whose health and livelihood
have been placed in extreme
jeopardy by a House measure, that it
is also intended to make sure foreign
cigarette makers are in the pink.
Of course, what Ungab and his
fellow Palace allies really want is
to ensure that the Aquino-certied
measure is approved, for the continued
health of the lawmakers who do the
Presidents every bidding. Congress
doesnt care about anyone elses
healthor even if the promise of no
new taxes is forgotten and that the new
taxes will be collected inequitably,
discriminatorily and oppressively.
Now, its up to the Senate to protect
the farmers, workers and retailers
dependent on the local tobacco
industry. Lets hope that the senators
do better than they did the last time
that they had a chance to show that
they were independent of Malacaang.
EDITORIAL
Outrage over Pacquiaos loss
EVERY one seems to have his or
her take on Manny Pacquiaos split
decision loss to American boxer
Timothy Bradley. Having seen the ght
at Rockwell theaters big screen with all
the close ups and instant replays which
even ringsiders at MGM Grand in Las
Vegas might not see, I would say it was
a close ght.
It was not as one-sided for Pacquiao
as some of our countrymen would like
to think. I know Ill probably draw some
ak for this observation. But as a former
sportswriter who used to judge local
ghts ofcially, I would say the split
decision could have gone either way.
What happened to Pacquiao getting
the short end of the stick, was how
Manuel Marquez felt when he lost two
and drew one in his Trilogy with Manny.
Those who saw Manny against
Bradley say he is not the same Pacquiao
who climbed up the ring. That was
preacher Pacquiao who no longer had
re in his belly.
Its not about nding God and losing
the fervor of his killer instinct. Maybe
that, too. But he is 33 years old and
in this brutal sport short of a gladiator
contest , age simply caught up with
Manny. Manny found God, but Father
Time found Manny, too.
Against Bradley, notice how he
missed a lot of those lethal lefts that
battered Ricky Hatton , Oscar de La
Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito
and Shane Mosley. Of course, those
that found their mark on Bradleys face
were power punches that should have
counted a lot in the two erring judges
scorecards. Stevie Wonder might as
well have judged the ght.
Arum wants the Nevada Boxing
Commission to investigate the two
judges who scored it for Bradley.
But Manny himself has accepted the
decision as the will of God. Still,
ght fans wish Manny would separate
his Bible preaching and leave it outside
the ring when he separates his foes from
their senses.
There will be a rematch between
Bradley and Pacquiao on November
10 this year as stipulated in Bradleys
contract in the event he wins. Leave it
to Arum to have all the bases covered.
Both Bradley and Pacquiao are under his
promotional contract and it makes you
wonder whether this loss was contrived.
So, you babes in the woods out there,
Arums umbrage is understandable. Its
all part of the Bradley-Pacquiao Part II
script.
Air rage
Air rage is the latest addition to the
lexicon in air travel.
Incidences of air rage are only
highlighted in instances when they
involve a high-prole passenger, as in
the case of a Philippine congressman
who took it out on a ight attendant for
not upgrading him to business class. Or
when Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin
was ofoaded for refusing to turn off his
cell phone during takeoff.
Passengers of Cebu Pacifc should
thank their lucky stars celebrity
couple Claudine Barretto and Raymart
Santiago and radio commentator-
columnist Ramon Tulfo were not on
the same ight. One can imagine the
deadly consequence if that violent
confrontation happened when the plane
was in midair.
Lately, though, air passengers
patience could come to a boil. To prop
up prots, some US airlines are now
charging premium price for window and
aisle seats. This is in addition to paying
$35 more for checking in baggage.
There are already surcharges on fuel tax
and airport security.
Passengers traveling as a family are
now separated because of added cost of
seating together if they cannot afford
the aisle and window seats. A passenger
accompanying a relative with disability
might not be able to sit beside that
family member.
Diabetics who need to go to the
restroom often now have to pay extra for
the easy access to and from an aisle seat.
While air fares continue to rise, leg
room is tight on economy class. This
contributes to deep vein thrombosis
(DVT), especially on long haul ights.
This is one of the worrisome travails of
travel if you are one of the millions of
passengers who cant afford a business
class ticket.
Airlines are looking for more and
more revenue-raising ideas to boost
prot. We are glad national ag carrier
Philippine Airlines has not resorted to
boosting revenues at the expense of
passenger comfort. PAL still accepts
check-in luggage for free within the
allowed limit in both its domestic and
international ights.
ALEJANDRO
DEL ROSARIO
BACK CHANNEL
How replacing
the head of a co-
equal branch with
Palace loyalists is
unclear.
JOJO
A. ROBLES
LOWDOWN
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher
RAMONCHITO L. TOMELDAN Managing Editor
CHIN WONG/ RAY S. EANO Associate Editors
RALEIGH J. JALECO News Editor
JOEL P. PALACIOS City Editor
ROMEL J. MENDEZ Art Director
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ANITA F. GREFAL Treasury Manager
EDITH D. ANGELES Advertising Manager
EDGAR M. VALMORIDA Circulation Manager
ROGELIO C. SALAZAR President & CEO
JUNE 13, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A5 Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com
BOXING icon Manny Pacquiao
should realize that at 33 years old,
he is not as quick and agile as when
he was in his 20s. Of course there are
those who thought he was robbed of
his welterweight crown by Timothy
Bradley. But the fact is that Pacman
fought somebody five years his
junior.
In sports, five
years makes
a difference.
Tennis greats
and basketball
icons retire
when they reach
30.
P a c q u i a o
may be able to
prove himself
in a rematch
against Bradley
in November, but thats not the
point. Pacquiao has nothing more
to prove. Hes on top of the world,
with his fame and fortune. He has
made us Filipinos proud of him.
He has placed the country at the
world map. My gulay, thats more
than national heroes have done for
their country!
***
The declining popularity and
approval rating of President Aquino
come as no surprise. We all know
that popularity is like ice creamit
melts in time.
The news is hardly surprising
since, after two years, what has
President Aquino done to show us
that change is here, or at least at
hand?
Is the detention of former
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
in a hospital change? Is the series of
plunder cases and electoral sabotage
against her equal to change? Is
the ouster of former Chief Justice
Renato Corona from the Supreme
Court change?
Daang matuwid, or straight
paththe President likes to say.
But how about the continued
smuggling at the Bureau of Customs?
Smugglers still act in connivance
with corrupt Customs employees.
Where is the change?
Top businessmen continue to
rake in profits but more Filipinos
are going hungry and searching for
a job. Prices have been escalating
as workers demand an increase in
wages. Where is the change?
More than 21 million students
are back in school, but we still lack
classrooms, sanitation facilities and
teachers. We seem to be regressing
instead of progressing. Is this
change?
Media tell us that crime has
become a very real threat, a daily
occurrence. The police are either
clueless, incapable, or in connivance
with the criminals. Is that change?
The President says he has invited
businessmen from London and the
US to invest in the Philippines. Will
that translate to more jobs and an
assurance that there would be food
on the table?
And what about corruption?
President Aquino may himself be
honest, but it does not follow that the
people he appoints are also honest.
For instance, what is happening
to the complaint of employees
of the Development Bank of the
Philippines before the Office of the
Ombudsman? The bank employees
allege that their chairman, Jose
Nuez, has been using the planes
of businessman Salvador Buddy
Zamora, also a client of the bank,
just to play golf.
Could it be that the Ombudsman
is not acting on
the complaint
b e c a u s e
Zamora was a
contributor to
the campaign
of President
Aquino two
years ago?
I can go on
and on. The
bottom line
is that change
remains a pie in the sky.
***
I am disappointed with Senator
Koko Pimentel, who lacks the
magnanimity and open-mindedness
of his illustrious father, former
Senator Aquilino Pimentel. Koko
said he would never accept former
Senator Miguel Zubiri as a member
of the United Nationalist Alliances
senatorial ticket for next years polls.
The younger Pimentel says Zubiri
benefited from the cheating in
Maguindanao. For that, Koko has
threatened to bolt UNA, and perhaps
join the administrations Liberal
Party believing he would win,
anyway.
UNAs leadersVice President
Jejomar Binay, former President
Joseph Estrada and Senate President
Juan Ponce Enrilehave made
efforts to reconcile Pimentel and
Zubiri, but these have come to
naught. Now they say it is all up to
Koko.
But even if Koko is out of the
UNA slate, UNA will still dominate
the polls with Chiz Escudero, Loren
Legarda, Gringo Honasan, Jackie
Enrile, JV Ejercito, Migz Zubiri,
Dick Gordon and Gwen Garcia.
***
There are plenty of things to
be said against the Online X-Ray
Imaging System that, according to
reports, is being seriously considered
by Customs Commissioner Ruffy
Biazon. This OXIS is supposed to
deter smuggling.
For starters, this was already
junked by Biazons predecessor,
Napoleon Boy Morales, who
apparently saw no point in spending
P400 million of taxpayers money on
accessories when what are needed
in our ports of entry are more
fundamental equipment like baggage
X-Ray machines and closed circuit
television cameras.
Insiders say the proposed
system will not curb corruption at
Customs since image analysis is
very technical. It requires extensive
training and years of experience for
those who will be tasked to use it.
No change
after two years
Getting ahead of China?
DESPITE the over- P100 billion in
private sector deals which President
Noynoy Aquinos delegation is said to
have brought home from London and
Washington, DC, the real object of his
last foreign trip was to discuss military
cooperation with President Barack
Obama in the face of the countrys
evolving relations with China. The
success or failure of his mission
therefore must be judged on that basis.
What exactly did Obama say to him
and what did he say to Obama? What
did they agree upon? How will such
meeting, or the press characterization
of it, now play to Chinas analysts, or
to American voters, especially Filipino-
American voters, in the upcoming re-
election of Mr. Obama?
The full story has not been told. And
we shall probably not know until the
new core agreement, if indeed there was
one, is implemented. But the stories in
the international press all tend to be
positive, they should help us speculate.
From The New York Times story by
Mark Landler, it appears that Mr. Aquino
held his own at the tete a tete with Obama.
He reportedly told his host he did not
want to drag the US into the Philippines
maritime conict with China over rights
to a triangular cluster of reefs and rocks
known as Scarborough Shoal, but he was
hoping for some diplomatic support. That
was well put.
Obama told reporters he and Aquino
discussed the need for a strong sense of
international norms and rules governing
maritime disputes in the region, and
agreed that the United States and the
Philippines would consult closely
together as part of the announced
pivot by the United States back to
Asia. That should serve as a reminder,
he said, that in fact, the United States
considers itself, and is, a Pacic power.
For her part, Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, at a lunch before the Obama
meeting, underscored the US interest in
the maintenance of peace and stability
and freedom of navigation in the South
China Sea. She encouraged Aquino
to work out a peaceful solution to the
conict, but assured him the US would
oppose the use of force or coercion (by
the bigger power).
Did Aquino hear from Obama, in
the privacy of their conversations,
anything different and better than what
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario
and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin
had heard from Clinton and Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta during their
2+2 ministerial consultation on April
30? The Filipinos were apparently not
prepared to hear then that while the US
would stand by the text of the 1951
Mutual Defense Treaty, it could not
openly support the Philippine claim to
Scarborough or the Spratlys.
Or did Obama at any time give voice
to the opinion of his former adviser on
China, quoted in the Landler report,
which reproaches Manila for falling
into a short-term confrontation with the
Chinese in a bid to quickly resolve an
unresolvable territorial issue?
This is not known. The only thing
known is that in addition to helping
the Philippines upgrade aging military
equipment, which may be a case of
too little too late, the US would
be rotating more troops and ships
through the country, without necessarily
reestablishing American bases.
It is not quite clear what rotate
means. According to Panetta, the US
now rotates at least 2,500 US troops
through a base near Darwin, Australia,
although US forces are also in Perth and
Brisbane, and running a base for drones
along the Indian Ocean.
Is this what we need to ensure
continued freedom of navigation in
the South China Sea and the Strait of
Malacca? Given the fact that half of
global trade, including Chinas oil and
gas imports, passes through this Strait,
the world cannot afford to see it fall
under the control of a single power, as it
once did to Portugal in the 16th century.
China has an equal interest in
making sure that does not happen. So
in addition to everything else, China of
all countries is trying to develop what
Robert Kaplan in his book, Monsoon,
calls the string of pearls strategy to
overcome this Malacca dilemma
and avoid being too dependent on
the Strait of Malacca. This involves
the development of ports along the
Indian Ocean to transport oil and other
energy products via roads and pipelines
northward into the heartland of China.
It includes a large port in Gwadar,
Pakistan in the Arabian Sea where
China could monitor ship trafc through
the Strait of Hormuz; another port in
Pasni, Pakistan; another in Hambantota,
southern coast of Sri Lanka; another
in Bangladesh on the Bay of Bengal;
then surveillance facilities on the Coco
Islands deep in the Bay of Bengal;
road, waterway and pipeline links from
the Bay of Bengal to Chinas Yuan
Province; and commercial and naval
bases in Myanmar.
This means that should freedom of
navigation in the Strait of Malacca be
impaired for any reason whatsoever, the
ow of oil and gas and other strategic
goods to China could still continue, while
the global trade that normally passes
through the Strait of Malacca is paralyzed.
Do we have a comparable strategy?
fstatad@gmail.com
Fighting for land
THERE was a big bilao of pancit
palabok, the spicy kind. Also on the
table were pichy-pichy, nilupak, suman,
puto, kutsinta and some instant coffee.
On a makeshift stove on the ground,
guinataang halo halo was bubbling away
inside a big pot. As one of only four
Filipinos in our group, I described each
kind of food to my classmatesforeign
UPEACE studentsin Gender, Human
Rights and Globalization.
We did not crash a fiesta. It was,
instead, a gathering of farmers in a
village in Lubao, Pampanga eager to
share with us the story of their long ght
to claim the land they were tilling.
These days when the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program is mentioned,
what comes to mind is Hacienda Luisita,
the property owned by the Presidents
family in Tarlac. The case has only been
recently resolved by the Supreme Court.
Unfortunately, it was also dragged in the
impeachment case against the former
chief justice. This I think is a disservice
to the real stakeholders, the farmers,
whose only concern is for social justice
to be delivered to themregardless of
the political wrangling in Manila.
But make no mistake. The Luisita
farmers are not the only ones struggling
with poverty and injustice. All around
the country, landowners and other
wealthy and influential persons, of
whatever political color, continue to
exploit farmers and muzzle their efforts
to obtain justice for themselves.
The late 1980s to the early 1990s
were, for instance, the most challenging
years for the group of men (AMA or
Alyansa ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura)
and women (KABAPA or Katipunan ng
Bagong Pilipina) in that Lubao village.
They originally claimed 300 hectares
of land in the villages of Lourdes, San
Isidro and San Rafael.
Ka Elvira Padrequilan talked about
the intimidation they suffered from
the Pinedas of Lubao, known allies of
the family of former President Gloria
Arroyo, who wanted to evict them from
the land they had been living on for
generations.
They were slapped with trumped-
up charges of arson, theft, robbery or
arrested for no reason at all. The woman
cooking the guinataan that morningI
was not able to get her namesaid
she was taken to the municipal jail for
questioning and then detained for two
weeks without charges.
My classmates and I were impressed
at the organizational skills of the
farmers. They were simple folk, yet they
were able to apply principles of human
resources management. They were able
to inspire and help each other achieve
their common goals. They also tried to
resolve any inghting and conict of
interest among themselves.
They were eloquent and related well
with the other groups: farmers with
similar problems, the media, government
ofcials, non-government organizations.
They sai d t hey pur sued t hei r
objectives within the legal system.
They were at all times conscious of
the consequences of their actions and
ensured everything was documented
for future reference. After all they had
been through, they still believed in the
rule of laweven as its agents had often
failed them.
They fought their oppressors in
ways brilliant in their simplicity. For
example, when a tractor came to destroy
their crops, the women lined up and
linked arms in protest. A woman took
off her top as she was being arrested on
trumped-up charges. Under threat by
armed men, women formed the rst line
of defense with the men standing right
behind them.
Finally, the fight was not free
from moral ambiguities. There were
realities to contend with. Some of
their companions, out of material
need, renounced their rights for money.
The farmers also had to raise money
to pay good lawyers even if this
meant resorting to loans they would
be burdened with for years. They
also shelled out cash for fares, food
and other expenses, competing with
their domestic needs. At times, they
encountered agrarian reform workers
who demanded money to ensure that
their case progressed, however slowly.
The struggle had to be mounted
alongside the daily concerns of putting
food on the table, caring for the children
and sending them to school.
On that Saturday morning, the
farmers told us it appears as though the
desired ending is at hand. A decision has
been made by the court in their favor
but they have yet to see the paperwork.
In this country, you cannot be too
condent until you have a document on
your hands.
Even then, challenges remain. How
can the farmers be sure their opponents
will be willing to let go of the property
just because the court said so? How
shall transition be effected? What are
the challenges facing the next generation
of farmers?
These concerns are not specific to
the Lubao folk. They apply to other
agri cul t ural workers al l over t he
country. Lets hope change does come,
although in trickles, and that it is felt
not only along the corridors of power
in Manila but most importantly on the
narrow, muddy, unpaved streets in the
provinces.
adellechua@gmail.com
Therapy
EXPERTS propose that people deal
with grief or loss by going through
the stages of shock, anger, bargaining,
and eventually acceptance. My friends
and I were reminded of this just a few
days ago when we had to deal with
the heartbreaking news that two of our
friends were diagnosed with stage-
four cancer. What made the process a
little easier for us was that both friends
showed remarkable strength of character
and chose to view their condition from
a more hopeful and positive light.
Perhaps it is true that supporters tend
to accept heartbreaking loss or injustice
more badly than those directly affected
by it.
This is certainly true in the case of
Manny Pacquiao. It seems were all
having a more difcult time accepting
Pacquiaos loss to Timothy Bradley
compared to the Filipino champ himself.
Although he did look disappointed
when the decision of the judges was
announced, he readily accepted the loss
and turned conciliatory. When certain
people proposed that the expected
rematch be held somewhere else other
than the state of Nevada as a sign of
protest, Pacquiao immediately quashed
the proposal by stating that the MGM
Grand had been generally good to him
and that he thought it was not fair to
move the venue somewhere else. I can
just imagine the level of destructive
outrage that could have erupted if
Pacquiao went berserk and chose to
show indignation.
It will take some time before most
are able to get over their disgust at what
has been called the biggest robbery
ever achieved in front of millions of
people. The emerging conclusion that
is being forwarded is that the decision
was rigged. Supposedly, the ght
last Sunday did not really generate as
much in pay-per-view sales. The maa
supposedly masterminded the whole
deception in order to generate more
interest in the rematch in November.
People are buying this conspiracy
theory because it seems to be the only
plausible explanation for the fact that
the two judges who scored the ght
in favor of Bradley seemed to have
witnessed a different ght compared to
what the rest of the world saw.
As it is, many boxing fans have
publicly expressed their displeasure
by swearing that they will boycott
the rematch. Some have even sworn
never to patronize boxing matches
ever again. The reaction is classic
textbook response to heartbreak. I
am sure that most of these people
would eventually recover from their
disappointment and would probably
be rst in line when tickets for the
rematch start selling. However, it
should send a powerful message to
promoters of future boxing matches
and to the maa that people will not
countenance corruption in sports.
We should leave it up to Pacquiao
to decide if he wants to face Bradley
again in a rematch and to set the
conditions. Lets take the cue from
Pacquiao himselflets be gracious in
defeat while ensuring that future ghts,
should they happen, will no longer be
a repeat of the injustice that happened
last Sunday.
***
Overshadowed by the Pacquiao-
Bradley brouhaha was a little-known
incident that happened at the Hotel
Intercontinental in Makati also over
the weekend. At dawn on Friday last
week, ve Filipino transgenders were
barred from entering the hotels Icon
Bar supposedly because the bars
management had a policy disallowing
men dressed as women from entering
the bar.
This kind of discriminatory practice
is precisely the reason lesbians, gays,
bisexuals and transgenders and other
minorities need representation in
Congress. Although the Intercon
has distanced itself from the issue by
stating that the bar is a concessionaire
of the hotel and has its own set of
rules, it cannot really wash its hands
of discriminatory practices that happen
within its premises. Its not only
indicative of prejudice; its also bad
business practice.
What aggravated the issue was the
fact that while the ve transgenders
were barred from entering the bar,
others were allowed entry purportedly
because they were on a guest list. In
short, their guidelines were selective
and therefore highly objectionable. I
cannot believe that people who run a
bar actually aunt that they have the
right to choose whomever they want
to grant entry into their premises. One
thinks this attempt at segregating people
according to prejudiced judgments have
died with Hitler.
FRANCISCO S.
TATAD
FIRST THINGS FIRST
What has
President Aquino
brought us?
News
ManilaStandardToday
mst.daydesk@gmail.com JUNE 13, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A6
Work starts on new pier terminal

IN BRIEF
Lawmaker hits abuses
of private towing rms
More power to correct
civil registries sought
LED lamps to cut P6m from Luneta power bill
Customs chief welcomes raps on Shell tax case
Modern lamp
posts. Manila
Mayor Alfredo Lim,
National Parks
Development
Committee
executive director
Juliet Villegas,
Tourism Secretary
Ramon Jimenez
and MMDA general
manager Cora
Jimenez ofcially
switch on the new
light-emitting
diode lamp posts
that at the Rizal
Park on Monday
night.
SONNY ESPIRITU
By Lailany P. Gomez
The Manila North Harbour
Port Inc., the joint venture
between the Harbour Centre
Port Terminal Inc. and Petron
Corp., has started building the
new P200-million passenger
terminal building at the
Manila North Harbor.
The new passenger terminal building will be
constructed on a 11,600-square-meter property
between Pier 4 and 6 and is expected to accom-
modate 2,000 passengers at any given time.
The terminal was designed by the architectural
rm R.R. Payumo and will have a main passenger
building, ticketing, concession and drop-off
areas. It is expected to be fully operational by
the rst quarter of 2013.
By then, we would be able to see a new facility
that will not only promote safety, security and
convenience of passengers and other port users,
but also a passenger terminal that will be at par
with international standards, said Nicasio Conti,
spokesman for the Department of Transportation
and Communications.
This project strikes at the very heart of the
DOTCs and [Philippine Ports Authoritys]
commitment to bring about a world-class
passenger experience by providing them
comfort and convenience while in the PTBs,
he added.
The rst phase of the North port development,
which includes the construction of the passenger
terminal, will cost P5 billion, said MNHPI chief
executive ofcer Richard Barclay.
The port development projects will help
improve the vessels turnaround time as well
as productivity and will lead to an increase in
volume of cargoes handled at the port, Barclay
said.
MNHPI is undergoing rehabilitation of Pier
4, Pier 10 southside rehabilitation, retrotting of
Pier 16 and MSW wharf decks with crane rails,
construction of power center and installation
of lighting and lightning arrester, rehabilitation
of container yard construction of piers, and the
operations center which will house the one-stop-
shop of all transactions at the port.
R-II Builders, owned by businessman Reghis
Romero who also owns Harbour Centre, was
contracted to build the new terminal building.
By Macon Ramos-Araneta
THE National Parks Development
Committee, an attached agency of the
Department of Tourism, will be able
to cut P6 million to P8.4 million off its
annual electric bill after 285 light-emit-
ting diode lamp posts were switched-
on in Rizal Park.
NPDC executive director Juliet Vil-
legas said their monthly electricity bill
reaches P1 million, but they will be
able to save at least 50 to 70 percent
after switching to LED lights.
LED is an electronic light source
that was commonly used as an indica-
tor light in many electronic devices, but
has increasingly been used for lighting.
It produces more light per watt than
incandescent and uorescent bulbs and
converts 70% of power to light.
It also presents many advantages
over traditional light sources includ-
ing lower energy consumption, longer
lifetime, improved robustness, smaller
size and faster switching.
Villegas together with Tourism
Secretary Ramon Jimenez and Manila
Mayor Alfredo Lim switched on 285
lamp posts at the monument site of Dr.
Jose Rizal and the Central Lagoon Area
of the park on Monday night.
A total of 880 lighting xtures both
in Rizal Park (790) and Paco Park (90)
will be converted to solar and LED
lighting system from Sodium/Metal
Halide Lighting System by October
this year.
Villegas said the project is in line
with the marching order of Tourism
Secretary Ramon Jimenez to turn Rizal
Park into the benchmark for park clean-
liness and environmental friendliness.
She said the LED lighting is also in
line with the advocacy of NPDC for
energy efciency and against global
warming.
Meanwhile, seven newly-construct-
ed green restrooms were likewise
launched in the park with interiors
made of bamboo.
For his part, Jimenez said the light-
ing project will give the entire nation
the reverence it deserves.
It is very important to manifest now
that your management is dependent on
giving light. We believe that the light
will lead us to truth and the things that
the society should see. This is only the
beginning, said Jimenez.
For his part, Lim said the beauti-
cation and restoration of the Rizal and
Paco Parks will boost the countrys
tourism industry.
By Rio N. Araja

CIVIL registrars should have
more power to correct clerical
errors on a persons age and sex,
except for transexuals, with-
out the need for a court order,
the Quezon City civil registrar
urged on Tuesday.
QC Civil Registrar Ramon
Matabang, president of the Al-
liance of Civil Registrars for
Reforms, urged lawmakers to
hasten bicameral concurrence
on Senate Bill No. 3113 that
would empower city and mu-
nicipal civil registrars to correct
errors in the birthdate or sex of
a person without the need for a
court order.
Matabang said Senators Fran-
cis Escudero, Antonio Trillanes,
Teosto Guingona III, Sergio
Osmena III, Aquilino Pimen-
tel III, Loren Legarda, Ramon
Revilla Jr., Franklin Drilon and
Joker Arroyo of the commit-
tee on justice and human rights
have recommended the approval
of bill which is now pending be-
fore the House of Representa-
tives for concurrence.
Any wrong entry must be
corrected at once because a
birth certicate is a very vital
document required by the gov-
ernment in many ofcial trans-
actions, said Matabang, who
lobbied for a further amendment
of Republic Act No. 9048, or the
Clerical Error Law.
RA 9048 was passed in 2001
and authorized local civil regis-
trars or consuls general to cor-
rect clerical error in an entry in
the rst name or nickname of a
person without a judicial order.
RA 9048 amends Articles
376 and 412 of the Civil Code of
the Philippines, which prohibit
the change of name or surname
of a person, or any correction or
change of entry in a civil regis-
ter without judicial order.
The Clerical Error Law al-
lows the correction of clerical or
typographical errors in an entry
in civil registry documents, ex-
cept corrections involving the
change in sex, age, nationality
and status of a person.
By Joel E. Zurbano
CUSTOMS Commissioner Ruffy Bi-
azon brushed aside the complaints
led against him the Ombudsman,
saying the issues surrounding the
case of Pilipinas Shell actually oc-
curred before he became commis-
sioner and was only carried over to
his administration.
I am condent that we will be able
to clear our names on this matter. We
have not failed in our duty. We have
been vigilant not only for the govern-
ment to collect, but to collect what is
right, said Biazon.
Aside from Biazon, also charged
were Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima
and Batangas District Collector Rene
Benavides.
Biazon wrote in his blog that he only
inherited the controversy regarding the
tax evasion case of Pilipinas Shell over
its recent importation of the blending
component alkylate.
The issue is a legal and technical
matter which began under the term of
my predecessor (referring to former
Customs chief Lito Alvarez). Since it
came out toward the end of his tenure,
it would naturally spillover to mine,
and the process of resolving the legal
and technical issues is still underway,
he said.
It was Lourdes Aclan, publisher of
local newspaper in Southern Luzon,
who reportedly led the complaint be-
fore the Ombudsman as a taxpayer.
Aclan claimed the respondents
failed to perform their duties for not
issuing a demand letter to the oil com-
pany to pay taxes.
The Port of Batangas, under Bena-
vides, recommended the imposition
of a penalty, surcharges and interest
amounting to P1.6 billion versus Pilipi-
nas Shell for the misdeclaration of its
alkylate importations last year.
But Pilipinas Shell argued that its
importations of alkylate a blending
component used to meet Philippine
National Standards for unleaded gas-
oline is not subject to tax since the
agent is not a nished product.
This prompted the Bureau of Cus-
toms to seek the intervention of the
foreign technical company Socit
Gnrale de Surveillance, which con-
ducted an examination of the product
and their analysis showed that alkylate
does not meet the PNS for gasoline.
Therefore, it may not be consid-
ered a nished product, Biazon said.
To prove its claim, Biazon said he
also asked the Tariff Commission to
validate the ndings of the SGS and
ruled that alkylates are not nished
products and subject to zero taxes.
By Maricel V. Cruz
A RANKING administration lawmaker
on Tuesday strongly denounced the
practice of collecting exorbitant fees
by private towing rms and the Metro
Manila Development Authority from
owners of stalled and double-parked
vehicles.
Nueva Ecija Rep. Joseph Violago,
vice chair of the House Committee on
Public Works and Highways, in ling
House Resolution 239, urged the
House Committee on Transportation
to conduct a congressional probe into
the alleged abuses and violations on
towing guidelines by private towing
companies and the MMDA towing
group.
Violago also asked the
Department of Transportation and
Communications to promulgate the
necessary rules and guidelines on
towing procedures and operations
which he said should also be applied
outside of Metro Manila.
This situation concerning
unchecked abuses of towing services
that has plagued Metro Manila
motorists for many years now, is also
being experienced by motorists and
traders in the provinces on their way
to markets and other destinations,
Violago said.
At the same time, Violago demanded
that the Philippine National Police and
the Land Transportation Ofce run
after illegal towing service operations
in the metropolis.
The lawmaker said that he has
received numerous complaints from
motorists all over Metro Manila
and nearby provinces on the alleged
abuses committed by private towing
companies in connivance with rogue
MMDA personnel.
Where is the love. Militant farmers hold an Independence Day protest rally
at Mendiola Bridge in Manila and burned an efgy of President Benigno Simeon
Aquino III for his supposed failure to institute genuine land reform. DANNY PATA
New storm to hit PH
Thursday, Pagasa says
A TROPICAL storm over Guam, or 1,800
kilometers east of Mindanao, is expected to
enter the Philippine area of responsibility on
Thursday night or Friday night, according
to weatherman Samuel Duran of the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration.
The storm, internationally named
Guchol, has strengthened and is on a
track to the Philippines in the next 48
hours. The storm will enter PAR 100
percent. Most of our satellite models are
showing such prognosis, Duran said.
Metro Manila, the western portion of
Luzon and the Visayas must brace for heavy
rains because of the storm, he warned.
The weather man said the storm will be
named Butchoy once it enters the country.
Meanwhile, a shallow low pressure
area was spotted 100 kilometers south of
Mindanao. Rio N. Ar aja
Pastor arrested for raping
teen girl in Mandaluyong
A PASTOR of Lord of NationS Church
was arrested by agents of the Criminal
Investigation Group after a 17-year-old girl
complained that he had been abusing her
for almost 10 months until the time of her
rescue on Monday in Mandaluyong City.
CIDG head Chief Supt. Samuel Pag-
dilao identied the suspect as Antonio
Llamado, 45, a pastor of the LNC and
resident of Mandaluyong City.
Pagdilao said elements of the Women
and Children Protection Division, led by
Senior Superintendent Emma Libunao,
rescued the victim from the house of the
suspect where he also arrested.
The victim claimed Llamado recruit-
ed her into his church last year with the
promise that she would be sent to school,
but evenually raped her and repeatedly
abuse her whenever his wife was not at
home. Flor ante S. Solmer in
Light plane malfunctions,
makes emergency landing
A LIGHT plane was forced to make an
emergency landing at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport after its landing
gears malfunctioned.
The Italian made Piaggio-P1 twin-tur-
boprop aircraft made the landing shortly
after the aircraft took off from Runway
24 at around 10:40 a.m., according to
airport ofcials.
The aircraft, owned and operated by
Avanti with Registry Number N785JM,
landed safely minutes after airport con-
trol tower was radioed by the pilot, iden-
tied as Jorge Roman, that his planes
landing gear malfunctioned after take-
off. Airport ofcials are now investigat-
ing the incident. Vito Barcelo
A7 Sports Riera U. Mallari, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
Except to the guys who share
the top billing.
One of them will emerge
with his rst championship and
probably the title of best player
in the game.
It could be James, the three-
time MVP. Or it might be Durant,
the leagues scoring champion
the last three years.
All they know is whoever it is
wont have done it alone.
Everybody is going to make
the most out of the matchup of
me versus LeBron, but its the
Thunder versus the Heat, Durant
said Monday. One guy versus
another guy, its not going to be a
1-on-1 matchup to win the series,
its going to be all about the team.
Maybe, but its easy to get caught
up in their individual brilliance.
Its the rst time the MVP and
scoring champ have met in the
Rafa, Federer, Novak fuel tennis golden era
Heat, Thunder start face-off
OKLAHOMA CITYLeBron James
versus Kevin Durant. It is the story of
these NBA nals.
IN BRIEF
Pimentel leads PH chessers
JOEL Pimentel stunned heralded compatriot
FIDE Master Mari Joseph Turqueza to lead the
Filipinos in the opening round of the 13 ASEAN+
Age-Group Chess Championships in Vietnam.
The pride of Bacolod, playing in the
Open Under-20 division, got the win despite
playing with the black pieces.
Lennon Hart Salgados, playing in the same
division, also posted an impressive win with
the black pieces opposite Fajar Fatikh Emas
of Indonesia.
Janelle Mae Frayna sparked the countrys
bid in the distaff side by surprising Woman
FIDE Master Turmunkh Munkhzul of
Mongolia in the Girls Under-20.
Also winning their opening matches
were Vince Angelo Medina over Sukaloon
Daetdamlong of Laos in OU-16; FM Paulo
Bersamina over Hoang Duc Nguyen of Vietnam
in OU-14; Ronald Canino over Quoc Ky
Nguyen of Vietnam in OU-10; Jethro Aquino
over The Van Nguyen of Vietnam in OU-8;
Bernadette Galas over WFM Hoang Minh Tho
Do of Vietnam and Mira Mirano over another
local bet Nguyen Thuy Dung Phan in GU-16;
Shania Mae Mendoza over compatriot Ella
Grace Moulic in GU-14; Alexis Anne Osena
over Ngoc Doan Trang Nguyen of Vietnam in
GU-12; and Methusellah Ramos over Vu Hanh
Duyen Bui of Vietnam in GU-8.
PARISWhile a bank of
photographers took pictures
for posterity and the front
pages of the world, Rafael
Nadal lovingly studied the
champions namesthe
likes of Bjorn Borg, Roger
Federer and, of course, his
ownengraved on the base
of the French Open trophy. A
huge grin dawned on his face
like sunrise. He looked like
the happiest person on the
planet.
And yet, minutes later,
down in the bowels of
the Roland Garros arena
where Nadal had just made
history, his uncle and coach
was talking not about the
brilliance of the best clay-
court player mens tennis has
ever seen, but about his rotten
luck. The point Toni Nadal
was making was that his
nephews career could have
been even more stellar if he
had been playing in another
era - one without Federer and
now, increasingly, Novak
Djokovichis defeated
opponent in this French
Open nal.
Unlucky, unlucky,
oh yes, uncle Toni said.
If there wasnt Federer,
perhaps Rafael would have
been No. 1 for four years.
But with Federer, that was
impossible.
He is right, of course. But
wrong, too.
Nadal would almost
certainly have more major
titles by nowthis record
seventh French Open crown
took his total to 11if not
for Federer and Djokovic.
Without those two stones in
his shoes, Nadal could have
ruled alone at the top of
tennis for years.
But would tennis fans
have cared as much about the
mens game as they do now?
No. And would Nadal have
become such a good player
if rst Federer and now
Djokovic hadnt forced him
to improve? Probably not.
To just watch these top
players push each other, I
dont think theres any much
further to push, Stef Graf,
a 22-time major winner on the
womens side, said before this
latest momentous chapter in
the Djokovic-Nadal-Federer
rivalry. Mens tennis,
denitely, is at the highest it
has ever been.
Like musketeers, theyre
even more glorious as a trio.
By building this golden era of
tennis together, they share in
its glitter. It may sometimes
seem like a curse for Toni
Nadal, but it is precisely
because his nephew is tested
so often against opponents of
such high quality that we can
be absolutely sure of his and
their greatness.
To beat each other, they
have to lift their game to the
highest of standards. All three
have been made bigger and
stronger by their rivalry, not
diminished by it. They are
each others poison, but also
each others magic potion
that makes them look good.
Together, they have now
won 28 of the last 29 majors.
So, in mens tennis, it is
them on one plane, everyone
else on another, and looks
likely to stay that way for the
immediate future, at least for
Nadal and Djokovic. Both in
their mid-twenties, they have
more time than Federer, 30, to
make even more of a mark.
They are doing
something to one another that
hasnt been done before,
said three-time French Open
champion Mats Wilander.
Borg made (John)
McEnroe a better player,
but Borg quit. And Federer
made Nadal a better player,
and Federer didnt quit.
And Djokovic has beaten
the hell out of Nadal, and
Nadal didnt quit. So I think
theyre a very special three
players that are not afraid
of one another. Theyre not
mentally really disturbed
by one another. They just
tactically, technically cant
handle the other guy. Its
very interesting. AP
COBRA brings the most exciting BMX-
fest to datethe Cobra-Urge Ride Rules!
Tour, which is expected set to dominate the
local extreme-games scene with its rst
leg at SM Masinag on June 16.
Finally, BMX and MTB die-hard riders
and fans will get their own event, venue and
time to shine in what promises to be one of the
premier bike sports events in the Philippines.
Part of the tour will be the BMX Stunt
Jump Box, BMX Sreet Stunt, and Mountain
Bike Street Jump Box contests.
Expected to raise the excitement level a notch
higher is the presence of local BMX gods Arman
Marianoprofessional BMX stunt Philippine
champion and veteran international competitor
of Team Scrapbikes; Migs Serbandatop
Street BMX champion of Team Flipbykes;
Paul DiazBMX Box Jump veteran of Team
Parugang, Pampanga; Jef Constantino
BMX Jump veteran from Sta.Rosa, Laguna;
and Alben Nono SantosBMX Street and
Box Jump champion of Team Scrapbikes.
Cobra-Urge Ride
Rules on June 16
Junes Total Fitness now out
GET the latest and best tips for keeping
a sound mind, body, and soul from Total
Fitness June issue.
Try the 10-minute hyper-fitness workout, check
out five foods
that can flatten
your flab, learn
how to deal
with mental fa-
tigue, and find
out how to be a
smart risk-taker.
Also in
this issue: the
Ph i l i p p i n e
Vol canoes ,
this seasons
coolest gear,
a six-page
shoe buyers guide, product features, re-
views, and more!
Total Fitness is available at all leading
bookstores, magazine stands, select bike shops,
health stores, and tness centers. For inquiries
and subscription, call 374-6771 to 74.
H A I YA N G F i l i p i n o
ofcials cited the excellent
preparations made by the host
country for the 3rd edition of
the Asian Beach Games and
noted that they had effectively
set new standards for future
international sports gatherings
of this magnitude.
Chef de Mission Dr.
Benjamin Espiritu, Deputy Chef
de Mission Mauricio Martelino,
Philippine Olympic Committee
Representative Joey Romasanta
and Philippine Canoe/Kayak
secretary general Jonne Go were
all impressed with the ideal
venues and the sprawling Games
Village that China had erected
for athletes and ofcials from 44
other countries.
The preparations are
excellent, observed Espiritu.
The organizers had all bases
covered and this should be how
future Beach Games should
feel and look like.
The Philippines is entered
in only four of the total 13
disciplines. Of the four, two
handball and basketball
will be played at the main
venue which is Fengxiang
beach, while dragon boat
racing will be staged at the
scenic Jiulong Lake below the
majestic Zhaohu mountain and
sport climbing at the sports
competition-oriented Olympic
Park, a ten minute drive from
the Games Village.
Excitement is nearing peak
on the eve of the arrival of the
dragon both squad which is
anticipating a war against the
legitimate powers of the sport
not only in the continent but in
the worldwide rankings.
Sportswriter Macamay dies
VETERAN sportswriter Zean W. Macamay,
assistant sports editor of Peoples Journal, died last
Tuesday due to cardiac arrest. He was 47.
Macamay, who graduated from the
University of the East, joined the Journal Group
of Publications as a reporter in the early 1980s
and went on to become the sports editor of the
now defunct Philippine Journal. He joined the
sports staff of Peoples Journal in 2001.
Last year, the PBA Press Corps elected
Macamay as its president.
His remains lie at the St. Peter in Quezon
Avenue. Cremation is tentatively set Saturday.
Resuello scores twinkill in Superbikes tourney
ROSARIOYoung ace Raniel Resuello
of Kawasaki-Castrol-Motolite signied
his strong intentions for the overall
crown as he copped another double-
title feat recently in the third leg of the
2012 Bridgestone Philippine Superbikes
Championships at the Batangas Racing
Circuit here.
A nursing exam board passer, the
21-year-old Resuello pulled away at the
start and controlled the tempo all the way
to the nish to capture both the Superbikes
Expert and Intermediate crowns of this
event sanctioned by Superbikes Racing
Association, with Bridgestone as the
ofcial Superbikes tires.
Topping the time trials with 1:45.588,
he further pushed his Kawasaki
Superbikes limit to a faster laptime
of 1:45.423 on the third lap to stretch
the gap over his rivals before wrapping
up the 10-lap race in 17 minutes and
16.052 seconds, 12.861 seconds ahead
of Marvin Mangulabnan.
Toti Alberto of Access Plus-Ducati
checked in third, while John Defensor
and Anthony Roman followed fourth and
fth, respectively.
Resuello clinched the Superbikes
Expert crown over runner-up Alberto
and third placer Defensor and likewise
claimed the Intermediate title over
Mangulabnan and Roman.
Alberto went on to claim the Superbikes
Masters Open crown over Defensor and
Edelberto del Rosario, while Mangulabnan
bagged the Superbikes Novice title over
Roman and Erwin Agra.
With the win, Resuello rmed up his
hold on solo leadership with 72 points
against second-running Roman, who
tallied 58 points. Alberto and Mangulabnan
are not far behind with 55 and 54 points
respectively, while Defensor is also in close
fth overall with 52.
But in the Intermediate class, Resuello
enjoys a slim lead with a total of 47 points
against Roman and Mangulabnan, who
garnered 42 and 38 points respectively.
Winning the other races were Aries
Padiernos, who copped his third
consecutive win in the 400cc Expert class
over Ernanie Alcantara and third placer
Marlone Teng; and Tito del Rosario, who
upstaged Jose Marlon Pabiton in the
400cc Novice division.
The next leg is slated Aug. 5 at the Clark
International Speedway. For further details,
contact the Batangas Racing Circuit, c/o
Nelson Gayola or Rodini Rivera at (632)
729-72 41-42, 729-5365 or fax 844-
7766, Mobile # 0922 8858410 or like
us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/
Batangas Racing Circuit.
Beach
Games
praised
nals since 1997, when Michael
Jordans Bulls knocked off MVP
Karl Malone and Utah.
They are friends and workout
partners, play the same small
forward position and are blessed
with unlimited basketball talent.
After years of waiting on a James-
Kobe Bryant nals matchup that
never materialized, the league
gets one starting Tuesday thats
perhaps even better, if not quite
as sexy, to wrap up a successful
season after the lockout.
Its great for the NBA,Miamis
Shane Battier said. I anticipate
record ratings, which is great, so
maybe we can get some of the
escrow check back from the owners.
First and foremost, thats why Im
excited to see Kevin Durant versus
LeBron James. But selsh reasons
aside, its just a great matchup.
Theres so many young,
great players in this league and
established players and All-
Stars. If youre a basketball fan,
youre missing out if youre not
watching this series.
Both have sworn off Twitter,
at least for the time being, James
posted his last message on April
27 and Durant on May 1.
For now, KingJames and
KDTrey5 will stick to making
their statements on the court.
Kevin is locked in on what
he needs to do to help the team
win, Thunder All-Star point
guard Russell Westbrook said.
Its going to be a great series for
both teams and hopefully we can
come out with the win.
James is back for a third crack
at his rst championship, his
Cleveland Cavaliers swept aside
by San Antonio in 2007 just a
couple of weeks before Durant
was drafted by the then-Seattle
SuperSonics with the No. 2 pick
in the draft. AP
Greenview Executive Village hosts Wilson Tennis
TENNIS icon Roger Federer and legendary partner
Wilson racquet are on a universal mission. They want
every enthusiastic tennis player to experience the
passion and world-class action right there in their very
own tennis clubs.
WS Sports Inc. and host Greenview Executive Village
Tennis Club in Fairview will make this exciting experience
come true when the club members, junior players and
tennis acionados get to play with the latest tennis models
BLX Pro Staff 6.1, BLX Juice and the BLX Steam.
For the competitive player, the Roger Federer BLX Pro
Staff 6.1 is the answer to success. A complete revolution of
the legendary classic featuring a 90 head size, with lighter
weight for maneuverability, but in the exclusive Pro Staff
design, technology and foamed amplifeel grip.
The Greenview netters, who represented the Philippines in
the 2011 Sabah International Club, led by officers Prudencio
Ignacio and Jess Berdulaga with team captain Gary Pomer,
can also try the entire BLX Pro Staff 6.1 model, which creates
control and spin in the 100 and 95 head sizes.
Our objective in the Wilson Demo Day is to provide
tennis enthusiasts in all levels the feel and the passion of
our world-class players Federer and Del Potro by using the
Wilson equipment, said WS Sports Inc. manager Lito Naval.
For the aggressive player like Juan Martin Del Potro and
US Open champ Viktoria Azarenka, the new BLX Juice
Pro can hit through the ball with big power and spin, while
the lighter Juice 108 at 278g provides a modern all-around
feel, and the Juice 100 is the model for ages and levels.
The BLX Steam 100 features a 286g weight
incorporated in the mid plus head size is also in the
market and is dubbed to become a favorite among
weekend players with its crisp feel.
CLEANLINESS efforts to save Manila Bay
continued to get a big boost as Chris Sports branches
at SM Mega Mall, SM Bicutan, SM North Edsa, and
SM Manila, as well as their outlets at Glorietta 3,
Festival Mall Alabang, and Fitness and Athletics at
Bonifacio Global City go into full throttle to register
runners for the Manila Bay Clean-Up Run, scheduled
on July 15.
Open to all interested participants in male and
female divisions, the Manila Bay Clean-Up Run will
feature races in the 3K, 5K, 10K, and 15K divisions.
The event, which is meant to support efforts
to clean our marine and coastal resources under
the umbrella program of Land Bank and various
establishments along Manila Bay, is a project of
MBC, Star City, and the Cultural Center of the
Philippines, along with the cities of Manila and
Pasay, as supported by Smart Communications,
Green Cross Rubbing Alcohol, Enervon
Multivitamins, 100 Plus, and M. Lhuillier.
Registration is also being accepted at the MBC
lobby, Sotto Street, CCP Complex, Pasay City.
The Manila Bay Clean-up Run will also coincide
with the 73
rd
anniversary celebration of MBCs
agship radio station dzRHthe Philippines oldest
surviving radio network.
For inquiries, call Race Mechanics at
0921.592.7956, or email mbcrun2012@gmail.com.
Manila Bay run set
Paco (left) and Christine Sandejas (right) were some of the participants in
last years staging of the Manila Bay Clean-Up Run.
Marquez...
From A8
Bradley ght and he expects
the pay-per-view numbers to
be low, which, he said, means
that negotiations for a ght with
Floyd Mayweather Jr. have been
badly hurt and he blames Arum
for this.
How can you go to
Mayweather and ask him for
a 50-50 revenue split? Ariza
asked.
The outspoken strength and
conditioning coach blasted
the fact that giant cards
were prepared announcing a
Pacquiao-Bradley rematch
on Nov. 10, which was being
held up by a Top Rank ofcial
standing behind Bradley
during their pre-ght press
conference last Wednesday.
He charged: They (Top
Rank) did nothing to protect
Manny.
Ariza claimed that he and
Pacquiao plan to watch the
tape of the Bradley ght in
Los Angeles, even as he said
the Fighter of the Decade told
him: We need to work on my
power and my strength again.
Marquez
next for
Pacquiao
Sports
Manila Standard TODAY
WEDNESDAY
A8
PBA amateur draft set on Aug. 19
By Jeric Lopez

THE date is set for the 2012 Philippine Basketball
Association draft.
On Aug. 19, the dreams of several aspiring
amateur players will nally come true when the PBA
conducts its annual draft at Robinsons
Place Midtown Wing in Manila.
Before that, the hopefuls rst need to
keep in mind certain deadlines set by
the league for their submission to be
ofcial.
July 6 is the date set by the
Commissioners ofce for the Fil-Foreign aspirants
to issue their applications, as well as the necessary
requirements and documents, while the homegrown
cagers will have Aug. 3 for their deadline.
The last day of issuance of a preliminary list of
Fil-Foreign applicants to the teams is July 10.
On Aug. 15, the rookie aspirants will undergo
biometrics. The next day, the nal list of draft
candidates will be released.
Just like last year, this years draft will have
unlimited number of rounds and will end when all
the teams have already passed.
Another batch of youthful talent is expected to
storm the draft.
Big collegiate names have also joined, such as
Calvin Abueva, Aldrech Ramos, Vic
Manuel, Garvo Lanete, Dave Marcelo,
Allan Mangahas as well as steady Fil-
Foreigners in the D-League in Cliff
Hodge, Chris Ellis, Alex Mallari, Keith
Jensen and Jason Deutchman.
Meanwhile, the scorching B-MEG
Llamados (4-1) will be tested by the fading
Alaska Aces (1-4) in the main attraction of the
Governors Cup today at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart
Araneta Coliseum tonight.
In the other pairing, two teams in dire need of
wins will square off as sixth-running Barako Bull
(2-2) looks to establish a winning streak when it
encounters another struggling team in Air21 (1-3)
at 5:15 p.m.
LOTTO RESULTS
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Black says
Eagles must
work harder
Arum formalizes probe request
TOP Rank chairman and Chief
Executive Ofcer Bob Arum said
Monday he had submitted a formal
request to the Nevada Attorney
Generals Ofce for a full and complete
inquiry into the circumstances
surrounding the scoring in the World
Boxing Organization welterweight
title ght between Manny Pacquiao
and undefeated junior welterweight
champion Timothy Bradley.
The ght took place at the MGM
Grand Garden Arena on Sunday
(Manila time) and the split-decision
victory of Bradley sparked outrage
around the world as both the media
and ght fans blasted the judges for
giving the American the decision in a
ght which Pacquiao dominated much
of the way.
The public has a right to know. The
ghters have a right to know, Arum
pointed out
The Top Rank promoter, who handles
both Pacquiao and Bradley added: The
only way to restore fans condence in
boxing is by letting an independent body
investigate every detail of the ght no
matter how big or small. Sunshine never
hurt anyone. Ronnie Nathanielsz
By Peter Atencio
GOING after a fth straight crown
will be a difcult journey for the
Ateneo Blue Eagles.
Coach Norman Black said this as
the Loyola dribblers are in the thick
of preparations for the coming 75th
season of the University Athletic
Association of the Philippines mens
basketball tournament.
Black believes that the Blue
Eagles will have to work harder this
time around, considering that the
other varsity squads have improved
and are expected to put up a big
challenge when the season begins
on July 14 at the SM Mall of Asia
Arena.
I think all of the other teams
have improved. National University
is playing very well, playing very
uid basketball. La Salle has also
improved, said Black.
He added that Far Eastern
University, Adamson and University
of Santo Tomas are also expected to
challenge Ateneos supremacy.
The Blue Eagles are set to face the
Adamson Falcons in their opening
assignment at 4 p.m. on July 15.
They are set to take at least a
weeklong break starting today after
playing seven games in 10 days over
the last two weeks.
Their 10-day swing earned for
the Blue Eagles their second crown
in the 18th Fr. Martin Summer Cup
and a seminal stint against the San
Beda Red Lions in another pre-
season cagefest.
We are really looking forward
to getting into the practice oor
and working on our offense and
defense, added Black.
Black has nearly nalized the
teams composition after the Blue
Eagles beat the Jose Rizal University
Heavy Bombers, 98-92, in the nals
of the 18th Fr. Martin Cup cagefest.
Three mainstays, Emman
Monfort, Kirk Long and Raymond
Bacon Austria have graduated,
and in their places, Black has put
in rookies, like 65 San Beda
transferee Ira Gideon Babilonia,
64 American Kris Porter and the
returning Ryan Buenafe.
Mainstays like Justin Chua, Nikko
Salva, Juami Tiongson, Tonino
Gonzaga, Frank Golla, JP Erram,
Kiefer Ravena, Chris Sumalinog
and the seven-foot Greg Slaughter
will still be there to deliver for the
Blue Eagles.
Instead, it will be Pacquiao against
Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez
in a fourth encounter following
the hugely controversial majority
decision win by the Filipino ring
icon in their third fight.
Ariza told the Manila Standard that a
rematch with Bradley will take place after
the fourth ght with Marquez.
On Sunday, Bradley scored a split
decision win over Pacquiao, a verdict that
was universally condemned by boxing
experts and plain fans alike.
The strength guru, who has a running
feud with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum,
was allegedly prevented from entering
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
STRENGTH and conditioning guru Alex Ariza
yesterday claimed that Manny Pacquiaos planned
rematch with Timothy Bradley will not take place
in November.
JUNE 13, 2012
sports@manilastandardtoday.com sports_mstandard@yahoo.com Riera U. Mallari, Editor
Montiel wins split decision
MEXICAN veteran Fernando Kochulito Montiel won the USNBC
featherweight title with a controversial 12-round split decision over Beijing
2008 Olympic quarternalist Arthur Santos at the Manuel Bernardo Aguirre
Gymnasium of the Autonomous University of Chihuahua in Mexico.
The World Boxing Council reported that the fight was initially
dominated by Montiel, who used his experience to put Santos in
trouble. But the Olympian was able to handle Montiels punches
and came back strong in the subsequent rounds.
The WBC stated that at the end of 12 rounds, the judges offered a
controversial split decision verdict in favor of Montiel. The decision
caused a public uproar with fans immediately throwing all sorts of
objects into the ring.
The crowd was estimated at 12,000.
The three-time world champion earned the nod of two judges
who scored it 115-113, while the third judge had it by an identical
margin for Santos.
With the win, Montiel improved to 48-4-2 with 37 knockouts,
while Santos dropped to 11-2 with 4 knockouts.
Montiel lost his WBC/World Boxing Organization bantamweight titles
to Nonito Donaire, who won by a second-round knockout on Feb. 19,
2011 at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Donaire is the reigning WBO super bantamweight champion
and defends his title in a unification bout against South Africas
Jeffrey Mathebula at the Home Depot Center in Carson,
California on July 7. Ronnie Nathanielsz
SMBeermen remain cautious
THE San Miguel Beermen are expecting a
rough-and-tumble title showdown with the
Indonesia Warriors when their best-of-three
series begins this Saturday at the Ynares
Sports Arena in Pasig City.
After winning a hard-fought semifinal
series with the Westports Malaysia
Dragons, coach Bobby Parks likes the
Beermens chances against the Warriors,
but remains cautious of what lies ahead.
The one advantage that we have is that
we have the home-court edge, Parks said
during yesterdays Philippine Sportswriters
Association Forum at the Shakeys UN
Avenue branch in Manila. I got condence
in my team, but its not going to be a
cakewalk because I think both teams are
evenly matched.
The series opener is slated at 4 p.m. on
Saturday with Game 2 to be played in Jakarta,
Indonesia on June 23. If necessary, a rubber
match will be held on June 30 in Manila.
San Miguel won all three games against
Indonesia during the regular season, but
things will be different this time after both
teams made bold acquisitions before their
semis victories, Parks pointed out in the
session sponsored by Smart, Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corp. and
Shakeys.
The Beermen topped the elims with a 17-4
record, and, with the arrival of Fil-Am Chris
Banchero and imports Duke Crews and Nick
Fazekas, won nine of its the last 11 games to
aid top local cager Leo Avenido.
On the other hand, Indonesia won seven
straight matches, thanks to the addition of
Fil-Am Stanley Pringle and American Evan
Brock. The streak includes a surprising
sweep of the AirAsia Philippine Patriots in
the semis.
We won all three games against them
but theyre not the same team that we played
before, Parks said. They went out and
made some changes and we overhauled our
team. Its like we havent met before so it
works both ways.
This is going to be the rst time that Ill
face against them, Banchero said. We have
watched them play and they look like a very
good team. Its going to be a great matchup and
were going to have our hands full.
NBA SCHEDULE
the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas to train
Julio Cesar Chavez.
He was also not allowed to travel on
the plane to Texas for the World Boxing
Council middleweight title defense of
Chavez in Texas on June 16.
At the same time, he said there were nearly
3,000 empty seats at the MGM Grand for the
Turn to A7
Games Today
(Smart-Araneta Coliseum)
5:15 p.m. Barako Bull
vs. Air21
7:30 p.m. B-Meg
vs. Alaska
Pacquiao
GAME 1 OF NBA FINALS
MIAMI HEAT VS
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Petrons Chris Lutz (right) wards off Barangay Ginebras Enrico
Villanueva in a PBA game won by the Kings, 83-80.
Game 1 to NLEX. Big Chills Alex
Mallari soars for a one-handed shot
against NLEXs Jake Pascual and Kirk Long
in a Philippine Basketball Association
D-League championship game won by the
Road Warriors, 86-71.
Business
B1
Ray S. Eano, Editor mst_biz@manilastandardtoday.com
Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor extrastory2000@gmail.com
IN BRIEF
LNG hub to rise in Pagbilao
ADB keen
on funding
natural gas
pipeline
PH rice inventory dropped 21% in May
Suharto confidant and Salim Group founder dies Govt studies ways to cut
debt, interest payments
Closing June 11, 2012
PESO-DOLLAR RATE
PSE COMPOSITE INDEX
5,075.85
81.78
OIL
PRICES
TODAY
P780-P895.00
LPG/11-kg tank
P54.55-P61.02
Unleaded Gasoline
P46.10-P49.90
Diesel
P52.34-P57.85
Kerosene
P38.50-P39.20
Auto LPG
FOREI GN EXCHANGE RATE
Currency Unit US Dollar Peso
United States Dollar 1.000000 43.2370
Japan Yen 0.012598 0.5447
UK Pound 1.546100 66.8487
Hong Kong Dollar 0.128911 5.5737
Switzerland Franc 1.041016 45.0104
Canada Dollar 0.973047 4.6274
Singapore Dollar 0.779727 33.7131
Australia Dollar 0.985902 42.6274
Bahrain Dinar 2.652661 114.6931
Saudi Arabia Rial 0.266645 11.5289
Brunei Dollar 0.776699 33.5821
Indonesia Rupiah 0.000107 0.0046
Thailand Baht 0.031596 1.3661
UAE Dirham 0.272264 11.7719
Euro Euro 1.250100 54.0506
Korea Won 0.000852 0.0368
China Yuan 0.156974 6.7871
India Rupee 0.018028 0.7795
Malaysia Ringgit 0.314169 13.5837
NewZealand Dollar 0.766107 33.1242
Taiwan Dollar 0.033374 1.4430
Source: PDS Bridge
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Monday, June 11, 2012
40
42
44
46
48
P42.920
CLOSE
Closing June 11, 2012
5200
4460
3720
2980
2240
1500
1200
VOLUME 976.700M
HIGH P42.900 LOW P43.120 AVERAGE P43.004
AirAsia ies to KL. Crew members of AirAsia Inc., the newest budget carrier in the Philippines,
launch the airlines rst international ight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from Clark International
Airport. AirAsia Philippines chief executive Marianne Hontiveros (inset) leads the launching of the
afternoon ights. The new daily route complements Malaysia AirAsias existing Kuala Lumpur-Clark-
Kuala Lumpur morning ights, which have been in operation since 2005. SONNY ESPIRITU
By Alena Mae S. Flores
ENERGY World International Ltd. of Australia has
received nancing from Standard Chartered Bank for
its planned 300-megawatt combined cycle gas power
plant in Grande Island, Pagbilao, Quezon province.
Energy World is also developing a $210-
million LNG hub in Pagbilao, Quezon
that will supply liqueed natural gas to
the 300-MW power plant.
An Energy Department report has listed
Energy Worlds power plant as one of
indicative projects, or those which are in
different stages of development prior to
nancial closing.
Energy World has primary gas
and power operations in Sengkang,
South Sulawesi in Indonesia. It also
produces gas, power and LNG in
Australia.
The report said the Quezon project
received various permits and obtained
nancing from Standard Chartered.
Energy World is also awaiting Energys
permits for a proposed liqueed natrual
gas terminal set for commissioning by
December 2013.
The company earlier said it received
strong interest from local companies
and nancing institutions to invest and
develop the LNG hub.
Under condentiality agreements,
we have received very strong interest
from nanciers and industrialists in the
Philippines to co-invest and develop the
Hub Terminal, the company said.
Energy World said the terminal would
also serve as the distribution base of LNG
to other power producers in Asia and the
transport sector.
The company plans to build the LNG
terminal in phases. The rst will include
a 130,000-cubic meter LNG storage tank,
regasication facility, jetty and supporting
infrastructure estimated to cost $130
million. The second phase will include
an additional 130,000-cubic meter LNG
storage tank costing $80 million.
The site is adjacent to the Pagbilao
coal-red power plant operated by
TeaM Energy Corp., which has a 230kv
switchyard in place and sheltered deep
water berthing for ocean-going vessels.
It [LNG power plant] will be one of
the most efcient power-producing plants
in South Asia which, when combined with
the fuel gas from the hub terminal, will
allow highly-competitive priced power to
be generated and sold from the plant, the
company said.
SOEDONO Salim, the founder
of Indonesias Salim Group and
a close ally of former President
Suharto, died in Singapore.
Salim, also known by his
Chinese name of Liem Sioe
Liong, passed away June 10
in Singapore, Sara Cheung,
vice president of corporate
communications at First Pacic
Co. in Hong Kong, said by
phone Tuesday. Salim was
honorary chairman and adviser
to the board of First Pacic. He
was 97, according to Cheung
and First Pacics Web site.
The Jakarta Globe reported his
age as 95.
The Salim fortune was tied
to Suharto, the absolute ruler
of the worlds fourth-most
populous nation for three
decades. Salim rose from
obscurity in Indonesia after
emigrating from southern
China in 1938. As a young
businessman, he befriended
Suharto, who later rewarded
Salim with lucrative licenses
including a monopoly on flour
milling. That was built into an
empire ranging from instant
noodles to retail stores and
banking.
When Suharto was forced to
step down in May 1998 under
popular pressure for reform,
the Salim familys fortunes
turned in Indonesia as the
countrys dominant ethnic
Chinese business groups came
under attack. Salim moved
to Singapore after his Jakarta
home was gutted and burned by
looters during the uprising that
led to the toppling of Suharto.
Indonesia took over PT Bank
Central Asia, then the nancial
arm of the Salim Group, after
a run on deposits weakened the
bank during the weeks leading
to the downfall of Suharto.
Bank Central Asia today is
the countrys largest bank by
market value.
The bank tapped cheap loans
from the countrys central bank
in an attempt to stay aoat, as
its direct links to the Suharto
family eroded condence in
its longevity. The government
moved in and took over the
bank when the loans swelled.
Bloomberg
By Elaine R. Alanguilan

THE Finance Department
is exploring options to
stretch debt maturities, lower
nancing costs and reduce the
foreign exchange component
of government debt.
Finance Undersecretary
Rosalia de Leon told reporters
managing the governments
debts remained a priority as the
government continued to work
toward scal consolidation.
On liability management, we
are looking at the best structure
that would lower our nancing
costs, said De Leon in a chance
interview.
She said pursuing another
liability management
undertaking in the second
half of the year would depend
on several factors, including
pricing, the appetite of the
market, and timing.
Were in a position to look
into these kinds of options. This
is not an opportune time but we
are ready to take advantage of
the opportunity should it arise,
said De Leon.
She said government
securities sold in the global
markets are a bit expensive
partly because of the shift of
investor preference to emerging
market debt while traditional
havens such as the US and
European markets are weighed
down by sluggish economies
and debt problems.
THE Asian Development Bank
may extend nancing to the
government for the planned
$150-million 100-kilometer
Batangas-Manila natural gas
pipeline.
ADB senior advisor for energy
Pil-Bae Song told reporters the
multilateral lender had supported
gas transmission pipeline
projects in other countries such
as Bangladesh in the past.
We dont normally get
involved in upstream activities
which is led by the private
sector. So if theres a request
from the government of the
Philippines, as part of the
overall country operation plan,
that is another thing we may
consider, Song said.
Song said LNG was a good
source of energy while the use
of natural gas was expected to
grow in the short term.
I think we have to also
support that kind of technology
and evolutions to make sure
that theres sufcient energy to
sustain economic growth, the
ADB ofcial said.
Energy Secretary Jose Rene
Almendras earlier said if the private
sector was not willing to invest in
the pipeline, then government has
to do something to step in to spur
the natural gas industry.
The pipeline is supposed to run
from the Malampaya gas-red
facility in Batangas to Sucat,
Paraaque, where the Sucat
power plant may be converted
into a natural gas facility.
The pipeline project, which the
state-owned Philippine National
Oil Co. was tasked to lead, is the
rst phase of the governments
natural gas program.
Results of the Japan International
Cooperation Agencys study
on the natural gas sector found
there is a 600-megawatt demand
from industries located along the
Batangas-Manila pipeline.
The JICA report recommended
that the construction of the pipeline
start by rst quarter of 2013.
San Miguel Corp. expressed
interest in participating in the
pipeline project, which has also
drawn interest from foreign
investors such as PTT of
Thailand, Japanese power rm
Marubeni Corp. and Russian
power rm Gazprom.
Alena Mae S. Flores
By Othel V. Campos
THE countrys rice inventory dropped
21.3 percent to 2.67 million metric
tons as of May 1 from 3.4 million
MT year-on-year, the Bureau of
Agricultural Statistics said Tuesday.
The inventory is good for 79 days.
The bureau said stocks held by
the National Food Authority during
the period declined 52.7 percent
to 690,000 metric tons from 1.46
million MT last year.
NFAs monthly report showed
stocks in commercial warehouses
increased 14.4 percent to 800,000
metric tons while those held by
households declined 4.3 percent to
1.18 million MT.
Rice stocks in government
depositories were good for 20 days
while those in commercial warehouses
would last for 24 days. Household
stocks, the agency said, would last
for 35 days.
Rice stocks held in by households
on a monthly basis rose 12 percent
while those held by commercial
warehouses increased 50.6 percent.
Stocks in NFA warehouses declined
34 percent month-on-month.
Of the total rice stocks [as of
May 1], 44 percent were with the
households, 26 percent were with
the NFA depositories, while 30
percent were with the commercial
warehouses, the report said.
Meanwhile, total corn stock as of
May 1 was about 204,700 MT, down
0.7 percent from 206,2000 MT in the
same period last year.
Corn stocks held by households
declined 13 percent, while those in
commercial warehouses increased
6.3 percent on a yearly basis.
Stocks in government depositories
increased to 30,000 MT, from 1,000
MT recorded in April.
The report said 68.5 percent of
the countrys corn were held in
commercial warehouses and 31
percent were with the households,
while stocks in NFA warehouses
accounted for 0.1 percent.
Ford expects more sales
FORD Group Philippines expects sales to
pick up in the second half with the launch of
more vehicle models in July and expansion of
dealerships nationwide.
Were gearing up for a strong second half
of the year... with the market launch of so
many, new and segment-leading One Ford
vehicles, Ford Group Philippines president
Randy Krieger said Tuesday.
He said the consecutive launches would
include the all-new Ranger, all-new Focus,
Mustang and Explorer 2.0L with EcoBoost.
Krieger said to help support the aggressive
expansion of vehicle lineup, Ford would expand
its network of authorized dealers by adding 12
new dealers for a total of 35 locations across
the country this year.
He said the arrival of the all-new
Ranger, Focus and Mustang in the local
market would further drive Fords sales
momentum through the second half. Ford
will begin delivering the Ranger pickup to
customers in July.
Ford Philippines reported total sales of 675
units in May, with Fiesta sales rising 34 percent
to 356 units from April. Julito G. Rada
Lifting tax to boost air travel
THE Geneva-based International Air
Transport Association said the removal of
taxes imposed on airlines will create win-
win opportunities as it will boost economic
growth in the Philippines.
A study conducted by Oxford Economics for
IATA showed the elimination of the common
carrier tax and the gross Philippine billings
would lower the total cost of international
passenger travel by 2.5 percent.
This in effect would increase the number
of international arrivals and departure in the
country by 1.9 percent.
The study also said removing the CCT and
the GPB taxes would mean a potential gain
of $38 million to $78 million for the wider
Philippine economy from increased tourism,
while lower cargo transport costs could boost
export earnings by $1 billion.
Excessive tax burdens on air transport will
limit the full potential of aviations contribution
to the Philippine economy. The impact of
taxation on aviation would most adversely
impact leisure travelers given their high
sensitivity to changes in price, the association
said. Lailany P. Gomez
Pre-shootout at PNP Corral
Business
ManilaStandardToday
mst_biz@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com
B2
GERRY GERONIMO
THE TRUST GURU
Pacita Abad: an Ivatan exemplar
Relief over Spain bank rescue fades
Markets fall; investors skeptic
PLDT wins awards. Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. received platinum trophies during the
recent Readers Digest Trusted Brand 2012 Awards in Paraaque City. PLDT myDSL has been recognized
as Internet service provider and PLDT Landline as phone service provider (xed line) for the 4
th
and 9
th
consecutive years, respectively. Shown are (from left) Readers Digest Asia Pacic managing director
Walter Beyleveldt, PLDT Home Data Acquisition senior manager Ma. Myla Villanueva, PLDT vice president
and head of Home Marketing for Voice and Microbusiness Patrick Tang and Readers Digest Philippines
advertising director Maricarl Garcia.
ASIAN stock markets slid Tuesday
as enthusiasm for a European plan
to rescue Spains teetering banks
turned to skepticism.
An offer by the 17 countries
that use the euro to loan Spain
up to 100 billion ($125 billion)
to revive banks crushed by bad
real estate loans was initially met
with euphoria, driving markets
up Monday.
But concerns have quickly
grown the rescue is a band aid
that wont prevent Spains severe
economic problems from getting
worse. A further deterioration in
Spains situation would intensify
the broader European debt
crisis that is dragging on world
growth.
Japans Nikkei 225 index fell
1 percent to 8,541.78. South
Koreas Kospi lost 0.6 percent to
1,855.14 and Hong Kongs Hang
Seng was 0.7 percent lower at
18,825.19.
Benchmarks in Singapore,
Taiwan and mainland China fell.
But Australias S&P/ASX 200
rose 0.2 percent to 4,073.30.
Spain became the fourth
European nation to seek a
rescue, after Greece, Portugal
and Ireland. Some investors fear
it is only a matter of time before
Italy becomes the next country
to ask for help.
Italys government on Monday
conrmed that the countrys
recession is deepening. The
economy contracted at a
quarterly rate of 0.8 percent in
the rst three months of the year,
the worst contraction in three
years and double Spains rate.
Some of the uncertainty spooking
markets might be put to rest Sunday,
when Greece holds an election that
could determine whether Athens
will remain in the euro.
Linus Yip, a strategist at
First Shanghai Securities in
Hong Kong, said that European
nancial institutions and other
parties with an interest in the
outcome had time to prepare
and so the election might not
destabilize markets.
I think it will be OK. You can
see every party is already doing the
emergency planning, the European
Central Bank is preparing, he
said. The market has regained
condence gradually. The euro
had a good rebound last week.
Still, markets remained
jittery over Chinas economic
slowdown. A large steelmaker in
China, Baoshan Iron & Steel, said
it lowered steel prices as demand
from makers of appliances and
cars slowed. Shanghai-listed
Baoshan fell 2.6 percent.
The news sent other Asian
steelmakers lower. Japans
Nippon Steel Corp. sank 1.7
percent and South Koreas
POSCO fell 2.1 percent.
China Southern Airlines
jumped 6.3 percent. The company,
Chinas biggest state-owned
carrier by number of passengers,
said it is selling shares to its state-
owned parent company to raise up
to 2 billion yuan ($314 million) to
help pay off debt.
Qantas Airways Ltd. soared
13.9 percent after Dubai-
headquarters Emirates said it
had talked to the Australian
ag carrier about a commercial
partnership, possibly a code-
share arrangement.
Wall Street opened sharply
higher Monday but faded
throughout the day. The Dow
Jones industrial average fell
1.1 percent to 12,411.23. The
Standard & Poors 500 dropped
1.3 percent to 1,308.93. The
Nasdaq composite index shed
1.7 percent to 2,809.73. AP
NEW YORKA burst of enthusiasm over
a rescue of Spanish banks melted away
Monday within hours, and investor anxiety
about the troubled nances of Europe
grew on both sides of the Atlantic.
On Wall Street, stocks opened
sharply higher but sank all day.
Selling only accelerated in the
last hour of trading, and the Dow
Jones industrial average closed
down 142 points.
More alarming, bond investors
signaled that they are less
condent about lending money
to the governments of both Spain
and Italy, which investors fear
will be next to seek help.
The rescue, announced
Saturday, gured to soothe
nancial markets. Instead, it
inamed them.
Investors are already worried
about weaker US job growth and
an economic slowdown in Asia.
And the next ashpoint in the
Europe crisis is just days away
an election in Greece on Sunday
that could speed that countrys
exit from the euro.
Jim Herrick, director of
equity trading at Baird & Co.,
said investors realized that this
Band-Aid approach with Spain
will not solve larger problems in
Europe and that this could be a
long, arduous process.
As investors considered the
long-term fate of Europe, Herrick
said, it was time to sell.
European countries committed
to funnel up to $125 billion to
Spain to distribute to its banks,
which have been driven almost
to insolvency from a bust in real
estate prices four years ago.
Spain became the fourth
European nation to seek a rescue,
after Greece, Portugal and
Ireland.
Particularly over the past six
weeks, nancial markets have
worried that the debt problems
in Europe will explode into a
world nancial crisis and hurt the
fragile global economy.
Those strategists had predicted
a rally in stocks after the deal was
announced. But the relief was
short-lived.
Investors appeared uncertain
about whether the rescue would
be enough to save Spanish banks
and whether the terms of the loan,
still undisclosed, would deliver
another blow to the recession-
hobbled Spanish economy.
Frances main stock index
closed down 0.3 percent, and
Germanys rose just 0.2 percent.
Both indexes were up more
than 2 percent earlier in the day.
Spains benchmark stock index
shot higher by 6 percent but
closed down 0.5 percent.
In the United States, the
broader market drifted lower all
day. The Standard & Poors 500
index ended down 16.73 points
at 1,308.93, and the Nasdaq
composite index closed down
48.69 points at 2,809.73.
The Dow nished down 142.97,
one of its biggest daily declines
this year, at 12,411.23. It opened
up almost 100 points. AP
AN UNEXPECTED seven companies braved
the P275,000 entrance fee in last weeks pre-
bidding conference for the Philippine National
Polices P1.2-billion standardization program
for the .9 mm caliber pistol. Happy Hour
sources said the meeting lasted for five grueling
hours with details scrutinized and no stone left
unturned.
Not surprisingly, the original four from last
years scrapped bidding were in full force,
namely Armscor for the Tanfoglio, Armaments
United for the Beretta, Trust Trade for Glock and
Espinelli for Jericho. The newbies are Joavi who,
according to Happy Hour insiders, reportedly had
a run-in with then-Defense Secretary Gilber t
Teodor o in 2010 over P190 million worth of
mortar and ammunition, which Gibo canceled
due to alleged anomalies. Kolonwell Trading
Corp., which is in partnership with In Seung
Apparelyup, you read it right, apparel
which, this gets even better, is reportedly suing
no less than Local Government Secretary J esse
Robr edo for canceling its supposedly won bid
for fire fighting equipment. The last of the new
entrants is Roferma, said to represent Turkey.
Not much is known yet as to which pistol brand
it will carry.
So there you have it. A cast of colorful players
trying to outshoot each other. Some are trading
companies and indenters; others are agents and
representatives specializing in the pistol trade,
while one is a national flag carrier that has been
operating an armaments manufacturing plant
for the last 60 years. The ceiling price for the
.9 mm pistol procurement will be P20,000 with
extremely challenging delivery and payment
conditions.
That means bidders will need to offer a price
anywhere between a low P16,000 and mid P19,000.
The Lowest Calculated Bid will be subjected to
the celebrated 20,000 round endurance test. And
so the shootout in the PNP
Corral begins.
Yet anot her bid: P8.2-b
for LTO-IT
Another bid is brewing,
but this time not conducted
by the KKK but by the other
Malacang powerhouse
known as the Balay group
headed by Transportation
Secretary Mar Roxas and his
big three: Undersecretaries
Rene Limcaoco, who acts as Chief of Staff,
Rafael Ant onio Sant os and J ose Per pet uo
J uj u Lot illa, with the latter chairing the bids
and awards committee.
Transportation is bidding out a new
IT system, which will handle 18 million
transactions annually, or about 126 million
over the entire seven years duration. Cost of the
bid? A whopping P8.2 billion. Stiff, but a very
welcome development for people, who only
know too well the nightmarish quagmire that
goes with something as simple as applying for a
drivers license or registering a vehicle. Roxas
has indicated that the basic ICT system should
be ready and operational by January 2013.
The bidders are all jockeying for position but
this bid is definitely not for the faint hearted,
as entry will cost P1 million. Apparently,
Transportation has started the bid wheels
rolling for the LTO-IT project in anticipation
of the contract expiration with Stradcom Corp.
in February next year. The new IT system will
offer a viable solution for problems associated
with the current providers outdated, inefficient
and practically archaic system, Happy Hour
merrymakers claim.
Stradcom though is not about to give up
without a fight despite persistent rumors that
its popularity rating in Malacaang has expired
since former president GMA left office, going
against two interesting and reputable IT solutions
companies. Indra, said to be the numero uno
technology company in Spain (a country lumped
with the PIGS economies), is headed by its local
rep Indra Philippines president J oe Guingona,
brother of P-Noys ka-batch mate Senator
TG Guingona. The other is Fritz & Macziol
Asia from Germany (whose parent company
is Imtech N.V. of Gouda, Netherlands) headed
by its president and managing director Lut z
Kunack.
Happy Hours resident bartender says the
latter two have sterling credentials and are huge
global IT players across many sectors including
transportation. Interestingly, Fritz & Macziol
(whose office is at the Bonifacio Global City)
is reportedly the highest corporate taxpayer in
Taguig City. Cheers to that!
Happy Hour shooters will keep you posted on
the twists and turns that will happen in these
significant public bids.
Happy Hour Nibbler : ECJ s 77
t h
bir t hday
Friends of former ambassador Eduar do
Danding Coj uangco J r. threw him a surprise
party at his Balete Drive clubhouse for his
77th birthday. Seen during the party are Babe
Romualdez, Senator Bongbong Mar cos, Air
Philippines president/CEO Iigo Zobel and
San Miguel Corp. president Ramon S. Ang.
* * *
For comments, reactions, photos, stories
and related concerns, readers may email to
happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com.
BUTCH Abads text message in answer to my
query about Fundacion Pacita Batanes Nature
Lodge in Basco, Batanes was typical Ivatan
understatement. He said, Pacita was my artist-
sister. She passed away in 2004. The Fundacion
was her studio turned into a lodge. The proceeds
are used to train young Ivatan artists and to
restore vernacular Ivatan houses. The lodge sits
on a grazing land our family owns. It is managed
by a foundation.
The lodge was all that, and a lot more. Nestled
at the tip of Northern Luzon, where the visitors
legs and lungs, like the signals from Globe and
Smart, are challenged all the time by distance,
weather and terrain, the Fundacion surprisingly
offers amenities not always found in its
counterparts in the lowlands. Hot water, at any
time of day or night, ows from the bathroom
faucets; rooms each have air conditioning units
that keep out heat of day and sounds of the wild
at night. And most remarkable are the personnel,
all of them from those who run the operations at
the ofce down the road to those who from the
service areas run to you if you were to but make
the slightest signal for assistance, they are as
constantly courteous as the steady wind that
every minute sweeps the hills and as warm
and friendly as the sunlight that daily strokes
the seemingly ever mowed grass.
But being a lodge is only its minor feature;
Fundacion Pacita Batanes Nature Lodge is
really more of a gallery. Every wall displays
the art works of Pacita Abad and the young Ivatan
artists that the earnings of the Fundacion support.
The hallways and the dining areas breathe both
expressive art and private self, oating both in
trajectories and arches, seamlessly transforming
the ow from one to the other, and back again.
They reect the art and the life of Pacita Abad
which come to you as one.
Pacita Abad was born in the post ofce of
Basco, Batanes on October 5, 1946. And her life
took the form of mail: traveling far and wide,
coming at different times in varying shapes and
sizes, contents sometimes spilling out, at others
securely boxed in, and, at all times, carrying the
colors of being alive. Both Pacitas father, Jorge,
and her mother, Aurora, were distinguished
politicians in an era when politics was not yet a
four-letter word. Jorge Abad was elected to the
House of Representatives during the 2nd, 3rd, 5th
and 7th Congresses and was in the cabinet of then
President Diosdado Macapagal as secretary of the
Department of Public Works, Transportation and
Communication. Aurora Barsana-Abad held the
same congressional seat during the 6th Congress.
Neither father nor mother was ever involved in
any political scandal nor anomaly.
After taking up political science at the University
of the Philippines, Pacita, after graduation, went
to law school. Since she was a social activist in a
time of political unrest, characterized by protest
marches and mass demonstrations against then
President Ferdinand Marcos, she was sent by her
parents to the United States to continue her study of
law. Instead, she studied painting at the Corcoran
School of Art + Design in Washington D.C. and
became part of the Art Students League in New
York City. Corcoran is one of the very few, if not
the only one, art school that is integrated in a world-
class museum in Washington D.C. which has 65
museums, monuments and other cultural resources.
The Art Students League was founded in 1875 by
artists for artists and continues to this day training
artists both from the USA and abroad.
Her breaking loose from the conning net of
Ferdinand Marcos martial law apparently set
her artistic spirit soaring free. From the US,
she traveled all over the world, living in ve
continents and working in more than 80 countries
which included Guatemala, Mexico, India,
Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, Mali, Papua New
Guinea, Cambodia and Indonesia. These places
must have provoked her creativity in different
ways, serving as her inspiration, providing her
material, and eliciting experimentation.
The outpouring of her artistry seemed
boundless; she produced more than 3,500
artworks, in various media, from canvas to
paper to bark cloth, metal, ceramics and glass.
Despite their number, however, one can discern
the stages and sequences of her interests: from
the early gurative socio-political works of
people and primitive masks, to large paintings
of underwater biodiversity, tropical owers, and
animal wildlife.
No wonder her works are known worldwide.
Pacita had 40 solo exhibitions in various galleries
in the United States, Asia, Europe, Africa and
Latin America; she was also involved in more than
50 group and traveling exhibitions. Her works are
presently in art collections in over 70 countries.
Her most awesome achievement was done
in illness. While struggling with physical
constraints brought about by her ill health, Pacita,
against all odds but nevertheless with ofcial
blessing, painted a 55-meter long pedestrian
bridge in Singapore known as the Alkaff bridge
that crosses the Singapore River at Robertson
Quay. All over the Alkaff, Pacita painted 2,350
multicolored circles.
Painting the Alkaff bridge is my gift to
Singapore, declares Pacita. I passionately
believe in public art and hope that this project
inspires many more like it... Done and spoken
like a true Ivatan.
For feedback, e-mail the trustguru@gmail.com.
Manila
Standard
TODAY
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
Offce of the District Engineer
LA UNION FIRST ENGINEERING DISTRICT
Lingsat, San Fernando City
INVITATION TO BID

The Department of Public Works and Highways, La Union First
Engineering District, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites
contractors to apply to bid for the contract listed below:
1. Contract No. : 12AE0072
Contract Name : Repair/Rehabilitation of Manila North
Road, KO299+000 KO301+485
with exceptions
Scope of Work : RCA
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): P9,900,000.00
(CY 2012 MVUC Fund)
Duration : 30 calendar days
Procurement will be conducted through open competitive bidding
procedures in accordance with R.A. 9184 and its Revised mplementing
Rules and Regulations.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a letter of ntent (LO)
and must meet the following major criteria; (a) prior with DPWH, (b) Filipino
citizen or 75% Filipino owned partnership, corporation, cooperative, or joint
venture with PCAB license applicable to the type and cost of this contract,
(co completion of a similar contract costing at least 50% of ABC within a
period of 10 years, and (d) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at least equal
to ABC, or credit line commitment for at least 10% of ABC. The BAC will use
non-discretionary pass/fall criteria in the eligibility check and preliminary
examination of bids.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their application for
registration to the DPWH-POCW Central Offce before the deadline for
the receipt of LO. The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process
contractor's applications for registration, with complete requirements, and
issue the Contractor's Certifcate of Registration (CRC). Registration Forms
may be downloaded at the DPWH website www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown
below:
1. Receipt of LO from Prospective Bidders June 8 - 28, 2012
2. ssuance of Bid Documents June 8 - 29, 2012
3. Pre bid Conference June 21, 2012
4. Receipt of Bids Deadline: 12 Noon, July 3, 2012
5. Opening of Bids 2:00 P.M. on July 3, 2012
The BAC will ssue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BD's) at the
DPWH La Union First Engineering District, Lingsat, City of San Fernando,
La Union, upon payment of a non-refundable fee of P10,000.00, per D.O.
52 series of 2011.
Prospective bidders may also download the BDs, if available, from the
DPWH website. Prospective bidders that will download the BDs from the
DPWH website shall pay the said fees on or before the submission of their
bids Documents. Bids must accompanied by a bid security, in the amount
and acceptable form, as stated in section 27.0 of the Revised RR.
The Department of Public Works and Highways La Union First
Engineering District reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bid to
annul the bidding process anytime before Contract award, without incurring
any liability to the affected bidders.
Approved by:
(Sgd.) ISABELO V. LOPEZ, JR.
BAC Chairman
Noted:
(Sgd.) ELPIDIO C. PARAGAS
District Engineer
(MST-June 13, 2012)

INVITATION TO BID
For the Supply of 20 pieces Signal Unit (Prosig Board) under
ITB No. 1206-110-01/ PR No.RS1-0512-194
Schedule of Activities:
Pre-Bid Conference - June 20, 2012, @ 10:00 A.M.
Cafeteria, LRTA Line 2-Depot, Santolan, Pasig City
Submission and Opening of Bids - July 4, 2012 @ 9:00 A.M.
Cafeteria, LRTA Line 2-Depot,Santolan, Pasig City
TechnicaI Specications:
Description : Signal nterface Board
Converts the signal aspect into a 2-out-of-5 code for the Balise

Dimension : Length (L) : 195 mm
: Width (W) : 100 mm

The complete technical specifcation is available in the Bidding Documents.
The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), through its Corporate Budget for the Calendar Year
2012, intends to apply the sum of SIX MILLION SIX HUNDRED FORTY FIVE THOUSAND SEVEN
HUNDRED EIGHTY PESOS ONLY(PhP6,645,780.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract
(ABC) to payments under the afore-mentioned contract. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall
be automatically rejected at bid opening. Contract period is required on or before twenty six(26)
weeksupon receipt of Purchase Order.
LRTA now invites bids from Prospective / nterested Bidders with the following details:
Description Approved
Budget for the
Contract
Bid Security:
Cash/CC-MC
Bank draft/
guarantee or
ILC (2%)*
Security:
Surety bond
(5%)*
Cost of Bid
Documents
Supply of 20
pieces Signal
Unit (Prosig
Board)
PhP6,645,780.00 PhP132,915.60 PhP332,289.00 PhP 5,000.00
*only those issued by universal or commercial banks
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary
"pass/fail criterion as specifed in the Revised mplementing Rules and Regulations (R-RR) of
Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the "Government Procurement Reform Act.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at
least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.
A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders commencing
onJune 13, 2012 until not later than the deadline for the submission and receipt of bids at the
address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount
of Php5,000.00 only.
Only prospective bidders who have secured bidding documents will be allowed to participate in the
Pre-Bid Conference.
Submission and Opening of Bidswill publicly be opened in the presence of the Bidders'
authorized representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.All Bids must
be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in
thenstructions to Biddersand the Bid Data Sheet.
LRTAreserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, to annul the bidding process, and
to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the
affected bidder or bidders.
For further information, please refer to:
Mr. Eduardo A. Abiva
Head, BAC Secretariat
Administration Bldg., LRTA Cmpd.,Aurora Blvd.Tramo, PasayCity
Tel. No. 853-0041 50 loc. 8382
Email Address: bacsec_LRTA@yahoo.com
Facsimile No. 855-7796
(Sgd.) Mr. LUTGARDO C. NAVARRO
Chairman, Bids & Awards Committee
(MST-June 13, 2012)
Republic of the Philippines
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Manila
Postponement of Bidding
07 June 2012
Notice is hereby given to all prospective bidders that the
scheduled Submission/Opening of Bids for Project ID
No.12Z00003, Cluster RB32, Rehabilitation/Restoration
along Various Road Sections in Benguet, CAR, on
13 June 2012, 10:00 A.M. at the Central Procurement
Offce, 5th Floor, DPWH Building, is hereby postponed
indeniteIy in view of the need to further review the
Approved Budget for the Contract.
(Sgd.) JAIME A. PACANAN, Ph.D., CESO I
Undersecretary for Support Services
Chairman, BAC for Civil Works
(MST-June 13, 2012)
Republic of the Philippines
REGION IV-A
Quezon 1
st
District Engineering Ofce
Lucban, Quezon
INVITATION TO BID
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the DPWH, Quezon 1
st
District
Engineering Offce, Lucban, Quezon through the Department of Agriculture under
MOA, invites contractors to bid for the aforementioned project
-
Contract .D. -12-DK-0081
Contract Name -Concreting of Talipan Farm to Market Road
Contract Location -Pagbilao, Quezon
Scope of Work -Concrete Pavement
Approved Budget for
the Contract (ABC) -P9,555,000.00
Contract Duration -75 calendar days

The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with the Revised
RR of R.A. 9184. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected
at the opening of bid.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of ntent (LO),
purchase bid documents and must meet the following major criteria : (a) prior
registration with the DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership/
corporation, cooperative, or joint venture, (c) with PCAB license applicable to the
type and cost of this contract, (d) completion of a similar contract costing at least
50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (d) Net Financial Contracting Capacity
at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment for at least 10% of ABC. The BAC
will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility check and preliminary
examination of bids.
Unregistered contractors, however, may submit their applications for registration
to the DPWH, Quezon 1
st
District Engineering Offce, Brgy. Abang, Lucban, Quezon,
before the deadline for the receipt of LO. The DPWH POCW-Central Offce, will only
process contractor's applications for registration with complete requirements and
issue the Contractor's Certifcate of Registration (CRC). Registration Forms may be
downloaded at the DPWH website www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below :
1. ssuance of Bidding Documents - June 13-July 05, 2012
2. Pre-Bid -Conference - June 22, 2012 @ 10:00 A.M.
3. Deadline of Receipt of LO from
Prospective Bidders - June 29, 2012
4. Receipt of Bids - July 05, 2012 @ 2:00 P.M.
5. Opening of Bids - July 05, 2012 @ 2:15 P.M.

The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BD's) DPWH, Quezon 1
st
District Engineering Offce, Lucban, Quezon upon payment of non-refundable fee of
Ten Thousand Pesos. Prospective bidders may also download the BD's from the
DPWH web site if available. Prospective bidders that will download the BD's from
the DPWH website shall pay the said fees on or before the submission of their bids
Documents. The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open only to interested parties who
have purchased the BD's. Bids must accompanied by a bid security, in the amount
acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised RR.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specifed in
the Bidding Documents (BD's) in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC
Chairman. The frst envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid, which
shall include a copy of the CRC. The second envelope shall contain the fnancial
component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive
Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and the post-qualifcation.

The DPWH, Quezon 1
st
District Engineering Offce, reserves the right to accept
or reject any bid and to annul the bidding process at any time prior contract award,
without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder/s.

(Sgd.) HELEN O. ASINAS
BAC-Vice Chairman
Tel No.-042-540-4158
NOTED :
(Sgd.) JULIETA A. DESEO
OC-District Engineer
(MST-June 13, 2012)
Business
ManilaStandardToday mst_biz@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com JUNE 13, 2012
B3
Travel groups weigh
Cambodias potential
New banking policy
to help rural lenders
Tampakan firm may appeal case
Yeosu Expo partnership.
Candice Iyog (third from left),
vice president for marketing
and distribution of Cebu Pacic,
and Tourism Assistant Secretary
Domingo Ramon Enerio III
formalize the partnership for
the Yeosu Expo 2012 in South
Korea. The expo will promote
the Philippines beaches and dive
sites to Korean travelers, and will
run until Aug. 12. With them are
CEBs cabin crew and Tourism
representatives.
By Elaine Ramos Alanguilan

THE Rural Bankers Association of the
Philippines on Tuesday welcomed the
Bangko Sentrals new circular lifting the
limit on branch expansion, saying this
would expand the reach of rural lenders to
remote areas where bank nancing is not
accessible.
For rural banks, it is a way
of further creating growth and
progress in far-ung areas by
providing much-needed nancial
services like loans for farmers
and micro entrepreneurs, said
RBAP president Ian Pama.
Branch expansions together
with ATM services and mobile
banking increase our market
presence and our relevance and
value to customers, he said.
Pama cited as example the
case of Valiant Bank in Iloilo,
which had consolidated with two
other rural banks and was in the
process of expanding its market
presence in Western Visayas.
Pama is the president of Valiant
Bank.
He said other rural banks
were doing the same all over the
country as part of efforts to get a
stronger foothold in their areas.
We welcome this very positive
decision by the Monetary Board
of the Bangko Sentral. It is a
step towards better services
for our depositors and helping
the banking industry grow in
general, said Pama.
The Bangko Sentral has
lifted the limit on the number of
branches a bank may establish to
support the increased consumer
and corporate demand for
banking services.
The limit set on the number
of branches allowed to be applied
by a bank for establishment at
anytime is hereby removed,
Bangko Sentral Governor Amando
Tetangco Jr. earlier said in issuing
Circular No. 759 dated May 30.
The new circular amended the
branching policy and guidelines
under the Manual of Regulations
for Banks.
The Bangko Sentral used
to limit the setting up of bank
branches in key urban cities
as there were already enough
establishments that could provide
banking services in those areas.
The new circular states that a
bank may apply to establish as
many branches as its qualifying
capital can support consistent
with the theoretical capital
requirement computed in
accordance with the provisions
of the Manual of Regulation for
Banks, taking into account any
approved but unopened branch/
es outstanding at the time of
application.
By Lailany P. Gomez
THE Philippine Travel Agencies
Association said it will explore
tourism potential between the
Philippines and Cambodia.
The organization will go on a
ve-day business trip to Cambodia
this week to hold separate meetings
with Cambodian Minister of
Tourism Thong Khon and local
counterparts.
PTAA president Aileen Clemente
said Cambodia remained an untapped
market and presented unique
possibilities for two-way tourism
trafc between the two countries.
With the Association of South
East Asian Nations gearing up
toward promoting the region and
with the launch of Cebu Pacics
direct ights to Cambodia, it is a
viable strategy to encourage tourism
between our two countries, she
said.
Cambodia received 2.90 million
tourists in 2011, with the country
expecting to have at least 3.10
million tourist arrivals this year.
Cambodia is a new territory
in terms of business opportunities
for our members. With Filipinos
traveling more than any time in the
past and are continuously looking
for new places to visit, Cambodia
offers some potential, PTAA vice
president for outbound Josena
Baena said.
The Cambodian government
describes its country as an
inexpensive destination with
tourists spending $60 at the most
daily while averaging six days
during their stay in the country.
The Cambodian government
expects Filipino tourist arrivals to
jump at least 50 percent this year
with the introduction of direct
ights from the Philippines.
Cambodia was visited by 17,000
Filipinos last year.
The PTAA will bring more than
100 of its member companies to
the trip. Included in the itinerary
are visits to some of the top tourist
destinations in the predominantly
Buddhist country, including the
South Gate of Angkor Thorn,
Elephants Terrace, Terrace of the
Leper King, oating village at the
Tonle Sap Lake, Angkor Silk Farm
and Angkor National Museum.
By Othel V. Campos
SAGITTARIUS Mines
Inc., operator of the stalled
Tampakan copper-gold project
in South Cotabato, may file
an appeal before the Office
of the President, after the
Environment Department
rejected again the companys
petition for an environmental
compliance certificate.
SMI said it has yet to receive
a copy of the Environment
Departments official decision.
We have yet to receive the
official notice. Were left with
only two choices, either to
file a legal complaint or seek
approval from the OP. We
think that the latter is the most
diplomatic choice we have
at the moment, company
manager for communications
John Arnaldo said in an
interview Monday night.
Arnaldo said the company
was refraining from
undertaking any action until
it received the official notice
from the department.
Environment Secretary
Ramon Paje signed a notice
on May 22, informing that the
Environmental Management
Bureau rejected the motion for
reconsideration filed by SMI.
Paje said in issuing the notice
the provincial ordinance banning
open pit mining in South
Cotabato should rst be repealed
or amended before his ofce
could issue an ECC to SMI.
SMI was expecting the
speedy approval of the new
mining policy would boost
its bid to lift the open pit ban
imposed by the provincial
council of South Cotabato.
In the new mining policy,
there is a provision stating
that national law will
prevail over local laws and
ordinances. National law
allows the conduct of open pit
method. We are hoping that
the President will sign the new
policy soon, said Arnaldo.
The company admitted the
continued resistance of the
Environment Department to
issue the environmental permit
may cause a slight delay in the
project, but said with the rest
of the permits we still need to
obtain, we might be able to pull
off the 2016 commencement
target.
It said despite the opposition
by the local government to
open pit or surface mining, it
is still the most appropriate
mining method for the
project.
The $5.9-billion Tampakan
copper-gold project is one of
the largest foreign investment
projects in the country and
touted as one of the worlds
largest undeveloped copper-
gold deposits.
WEDNESDAY
B4
Provinces
Edited by Leo A. Estonilo www.manilastandardtoday.comleoestonilo@gmail.com
IN BRIEF
Ban to protect Presidents sh
Grid to install
100MVA facility
Lawmaker gives Highways a pat in the back
Indie roadshow. Members of Treatro
Salinas do a front act on Independence
Day in Kawit, Cavite. The art group
was formed by Rosario Vice Mayor Jose
Rozel Hernandez to serve as the towns
ambassador of goodwill through cultural
presentations. DENNIS CAPARAS-ABRINA
Sarangani holds rubber forum
Albay LGUs bag bulk of DILG 2012 Performance Challenge Fund awards
By Manilyn Ugalde
LEGAZPI CITYAlbay 3rd
district Rep. Fernando Gonzalez
has been criticizing the Department
of Public Works and Highways
here for poor performance but the
agency has managed to recover
and earn his commendation.
He expressed satisfaction
over the recent bidding for ood
control facilities in the province
where the winner had offered an
amount 45 percent lower than
the project price.
The P17 million in favor of
the government could mean 34
school rooms at P500,000 each,
Gonzalez said in a statement.
DPWH legal ofcer Oliver
Rodulfo conrmed the result,
admitting it was the rst time
the regional ofce made a cost-
saving.
Most biddings had 2 to 5
percent in variance between the
agency estimate and the winning
bid price, he said.
The DPWH earned Gonzalezs
ire during his term as governor
when biddings were suspected to
be rigged.
Millions of millions of funds
were wasted in botched Mayon
dredging projects, he said.
Typhoon Reming on Nov.
30, 2006 caused widespread
destruction in Bicol leaving
close to 2,000 people dead in
Albay due to oods.
In December last year,
Gonzalez exposed the
disbursement of P374 million in
calamity funds for the province
through negotiated bidding.
In his letter dated Dec. 23 to
DPWH regional director Danilo
Dequito, he said the agency
violated the procurement law
and insisted on a public bidding,
noting the calamity period had
lapsed.
But Dequito cited the urgency
of the project and the bid was
held four days later.
Mining firm questioned
DAVAO CITYThe Mines
and Geosciences Bureau in
Region XI has held in abeyance
the Declaration of Mining Project
Feasibility submitted by St.
Agustine Gold and Copper Ltd.
on a question of business practice.
The declaration indicates the
competence of a rm and its
ability to implement a mining
project. The lapses which
marked the submission of the
document reected poorly on the
professionalism, according to
industry sources.
MGB regional director Edilberto
Arreza noted the following lapses:
lack of incorporation papers, non-
registration of technical services
agreement and onshore services
with MGBs Mining Tenement and
Record Section, and failure to register
its certicate authorizing the person
submitting the documents.
Your Company should not be
transacting business with this ofce
unless you submit the mandatory
documents, she told the rm,
noting that a certain Petronilo
Cancino delivered the papers.
Sun powers Bohol
UPGRADING further its
network in Luzon, Mindanao and
Western Visayas, Sun Cellular now
covers Bohol and nearby localities.
The province holds a pivotal
role in driving the economy of
the region in terms of tourism,
commerce and agriculture.
When we laid down our plans
for expansion in the Visayas, we
took into account the huge demand
of our kababayans in Bohol for
Suns bucket loads and unlimited
offerings, said Charles Lim, chief
operating ofcer of Sun Cellular.
Now, they can enjoy our services
even more, under the support of
a stronger and a more robust Sun
Cellular network.
Lim wider reach is made
achieved through the augmentation
of over 6,000 cell sites nationwide
and the addition of high-gain
antennae in strategic locations.
We are going to make sure
that these enhancements are
felt extensively throughout the
province, from the famous spots
in Loboc and Tagbilaran City,
and even through the white-sand
beaches and pristine islands of
Panglao, he said.
With the continuous assistance
of its mother company, Sun
Cellular is looking forward to
completing its rst wave of
expansion in Visayas.
By Othel V. Campos and Jessica M. Bacud
The government is ordering a ban on the
catching the countrys priciest sh known as
Ludong or Presidents Fish, to protect the
species from becoming extinct, a government
ofcer said.
Ludong catch has been
steadily declining to about less
than a metric ton (annually)
in recent years, said lawyer
Asis Pere, director of Bureau
of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources. The conservation
management team has decided
Monday to implement the
order.
The Fisheries Bureau is
expected to issue a directive to
halt the shing of the oversized
variety of the banak.
Experts said the species usually spawned
during the last quarter up to January of the
following year.
Ludong is endemic in the Philippines and
can only be found in Cagayan and Abra with
reported sightings in Chico River.
Also known as Northwest Pacic
Salmon, it fetches between P4,000
to P5,000 per kilogram.
The Bureau said continued
quarrying for sand near or from the
river beds disrupted the spawning
habits of Ludong contributing to the
steady decline on top of overshing.
Sand mining has been reported in
Lallo and Camalaniugan towns.
What makes it the most sought after
table sh among gourmands?
Liberty Baculi, who grew up in Baggao,
Cagayan, before migrating to the United
States, said the eating quality of the sh is
incomparable.
Besides the unique taste, it has a
very appetizing langhap (aroma) when
it is cooked, he said in an e-mail
interview.
Baculi said well-heeled connoisseurs
usually made use of the grapevine to place
orders to avoid being identied and risk
being kidnapped by criminal syndicates.
I would not be surprised if a taipan
would want it served steamed for a 14-
course lauriat at a very private gated
enclave, he said.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala
has launched Operation Sagip Ludong
that involved research, conservation and
protection, along with an information and
education drive.
LEGAZPI CITYAlbays
ten towns and this city
recently won the Seal of Good
Housekeeping awards under the
Performance Challenge Fund of
the Department of Interior and
Local Government, and bagged
the bulk of the cash incentives
that go with the prestigious
awards among the Bicol Region
provinces this year.
Albay Gov. Joey Salceda
said the PCF recipients which
have cleanly complied with all
requirements of government
auditing were Legazpi City
and the towns of Camalig,
Oas, Libon, Malinao, Bacacay,
Manito, Rapu-Rapu, Polangui,
Malilipot, and Sto. Domingo.
The LGUs were honored with
the awards for having excelled in
the areas of planning, budgeting,
revenue mobilization, nancial
management and budget
execution, and procurement and
resource mobilization. Legazpi
City received a cash incentive of
P3 million, while the ten other
municipal governments were
given P1 million each.
The awards were conferred by
Interior and Local Government
Secretary Jesse Robredo who was in
Albay last week, during the regional
conference Tapatan Roadshow
on Disaster Preparedness held at
La Piazza Convention Center in
Legazpi City.
Gov. Salceda discussed
the best practices of the
Albay Public Safety and
Emergency Management Ofce,
during conference, themed
Harmonizing Initiatives
Towards Disaster Risk Reduction
and Climate Change Adaptation
Mainstreaming in Local
Governance.
An initiative by Salceda,
APSEMO enjoys the distinction
as the very rst disaster
management ofce established
and managed by an LGU in the
Asia.
Robredo announced here DILG
will establish another award
system under the PCFthe
Seal of Disaster Preparedness.
The award will recognize LGUs
which have functional local
Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Councils, and duly
approved disaster preparedness
plans.
By Dexter A. See
TABUK CITYThe National
Grid Corporation of the
Philippines will install a 100MVA
sub-station in Tuguegarao City,
Cagayan to boost the capacity of
its existing 40MVA substation
and meet increasing power
requirements of the Northern
Luzon Agri-business Growth
Quadrangle, a agship project
of the Aquino administration.
Lilibeth Gaydowen, NGCP
regional corporate communications
nand public affairs office, said the
upgrade would benefit businesses in
urban centers in the Ilocos, Cordilleras
and Cagayan Valley regions.
To generate high voltage
electricity for transmission to
distributing utilities, there is a need
to have a ready supply of power
and to avoid unnecessary power
interruption in cases of overloading,
NGCP has to further capacitate its
power transmission system in
the archipelago, Gaydowen told
Manila Standard.
As of 2010, NGCP operates
and maintain 19,575 circuit-
kilometers of transmission lines
and 25,842 megavolt amperes of
substation capacity.
NGCP North Luzon operates
and maintains 410 circuit-
kilometers transmission lines,
Gaydowen said.
She said the 40MVA sub-station
in Tuguegarao served provinces
of Cagayan, Apayao and Kalinga.
We have to face reality that
electricity demand is rapidly
growing because of the increase
in households and the rapid
expansion of industries and
businesses even in remote
communities, thus, the need for
NGCP to also increase the load
capacity of its transmission lines
and sub-stations in order to cope
up with the situation, she said.
By Beth N. Ramos
MAITUMIf you plant a tree be
sure its rubber.
This was the message of
Engr. Remus Villavicencio
during the 1st Sarangani Rubber
Forum attended by 165 rubber
growers, traders, and government
representatives from the seven
towns of Sarangani.
Villavicencio, municipal
administrator of Makilala in
Cotabato Province, said rubber
was his bet for the towns
economy to address poverty
in order to empower our
people in their entire economic
endeavor and help arrest the
continuing degradation of the
environment.
He said free seedlings are
distributed to marginal farmers
along with other planting
materials.
Soon we will claim the Rubber
Capital of Region XII and in the
next 30 years, we are denitely
certain that the rubber industry
to include our neighboring
municipalities and provinces and
denitely Sarangani for that matter
would be the leading economic
activity that would capacitate our
people, Villavicencio said.
Dr. Harem Roca, a University
of Southern Mindanao professor,
cited major challenges of the
rubber industry such as limited
access to credit and nancing,
peace and order and land
tenure, inadequate services and
infrastructure support, processing,
and marketing, among other
things.
However, Roca also highlighted
the opportunities like production,
growing domestic and global
market and carbon credits.
Jack Sandique, chief executive
of Platinum Rubber Development
gave hands-on and practical
experience on rubber propagation
and development.
Beauty queen. Miss World Philippines
organizer Cory Quirino is joined by Governor
Willy SY-Alvarado (left) and Vice Governor
Daniel Fernando at the launch of the
Bulacans one-town-one product campaign
at Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center. Top
panel shows Miss World Philippines 2012
candidates after the ag-raising ceremony
on Independence Day in Barasoain Church
in Malolos City.
REY ESPIRITU/DANNY PATA
Gianna Maniego, Editor standardlifestyle@gmail.com
home work relationship
sha.re/
WEDNESDAY
C1 Manila Standard TODAY
Dinna Chan Vasquez, Assistant Editor
A TOUCH OF SPAIN
One of Spains most reputable
companies on the international
scene, Porcelanosa Grupo,
has nally opened in Manila
bringing with it state-of-the-art
products, modern-day designs
and innovative technology set to
transform any space.
Isnt she lovely
Isnt she wonderfull
Isnt she precious
was how Stevie Wonder
melodiously described his new-
born baby, and this was the song
that kept reverberating in my
head when I attended these two
recent events that further glorify
the beauty of the Filipina.
Avons gala night
The Reception Hall of
the Philippine International
Convention Center was the
venue for Avons Presidents
Banquet and Gala Night, the
rst for Avon Philippines new
president and general manager,
Kanwar Bhutani.
From all over the country,
1,800 outstanding sales leaders
BOB
ZOZOBRADO
For Party
Animals Only
JUNE 13, 2012
A progressive mother
is, among others, very
involved in her child.
She may or may not
decide to work but she
is never absent in her
childs life.
ARE YOU
PROGRESSIVE?
W
H
A
T
S
I
N
S
I
D
E
Isnt she lovely
of Avon, the worlds leading
company for women, were
given special recognition at this
celebration, which was aptly
called Shine. The event also
launched YOU, an acronym for
Your Opportunity Unlimited,
Avons new leadership structure
designed to promote growth for
its sales reps by allowing them to
achieve more in the company.
Celebrity endorsers Ruffa
Gutierrez, Lucy Torres-Gomez,
Anne Curtis, and beauty queens
Shamcey Supsup, Janine
Tugonon, Nicole Schmitz,
Katrina Jayne Dimaranan,
Elaine Kay Moll, Annalie
Forbes, and Mary Jean
Lastimosa were on hand to lend
more glitter to the occasion.
Unica Hijas debut
At the recent Philippine
Fashion Week, Unica Hija
showcased its Back-to-School
and Holiday 2012 Collections
which are a perfect t for the
modern Filipina, with styles that
are fun, yet lled with feminine
details, further enhanced with
chic fashion staples.
The brands signature
endorserspopstar princess
Sarah Geronimo and Ford
supermodel Charo Ronquillo
true embodiments of Unica Hija,
opened the show in matching
ensembles, characterizing style,
success and the Filipino pride.
Sarah, in her usual bubbly
demeanor, was in a dainty pink
top paired with white pants,
while Charo showed off her
modeling prowess in a pink
top complemented by white
Bermuda shorts.
Unica Hija is sold in the better
malls all over the country. More
information on their products
may be obtained from www.
unicahija.com.ph and www.
facebook.com/wearunicahija
Bulletin Board
Manila Hotel celebrates a
century of service. The countrys
iconic Manila Hotel, with its
beautiful California-Missionary-
styled building designed by
Architect William Parsons, rst
opened its doors to the public
on July 4, 1912. It was the rst
premiere accommodation in the
Philippines and was the choice of
afuent tourists who visited the
country. Since its opening, the hotel
has survived two world wars, the
dawning of a new Republic, the
rise and fall of a dictatorship, and
two People Power revolts, among
other things. This year, this Address
of Prestige celebrates its hundredth
year of Hospitality, having been
the temporary home for world
leaders, kings and sultans, notable
personalities, and legendary gures.
The anniversary celebration will
commence with a Centennial Ball
on July 4, followed by a series of
commemorative events and special
programs for its guests, including
the opening of a year-long exhibit of
the Hotels memorabilia and other
treasured items. The hotel will also
re-create the favorite dishes of Gen.
Douglas MacArthurSteamed
Lapulapu in Banana Leaves, and
Stuffed Chicken Terrine with
Mushrooms.
----------O----------
YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE:
A man was seen frantically
punching in these keywords on
Google, How To Tackle Wife?
Instead of the usual split-second
response, it took quite some time
for this Google search result to
come outGood day, sir! Even
we are still searching!
----------O----------
For feedback, Im at
bobzozobrado@gmail.com
EVERY design [of a timepiece] has a story.
This is David Smordoni, director of design and development at the
Geneva Watch Group, which carries Kenneth Cole watches, talking about
the story behind each of his creation for Kenneth Cole New Yorks latest
collection during a the recent media gathering at Makati Shangri-La.
KCNY, a brand known as a purveyor of the quintessential metropolitan lifestyle,
understands the fast-paced lifestyle of men and women living in an animated city like
New York. Time is indeed gold, and it doesnt wait for anyone, thus people need a sharp,
innovative and at the same time beautiful timepieces complement the classy architec-
ture of the city.
KCNYs Spring/Summer 2012 Collection, which is made up of Transparency, Au-
tomatics and Touch Screen with Digi-Touch Technology/Analog Digital designs, is a
merge of Manhattan style and precise Japanese engineering, according to the designer.
New York is a city that never sleeps and Kenneth Cole watches are made to
complement the fast-paced lifestyle of the people [in Yew York], Smordoni shares.
Affordable luxuries
Smordonis designs are harbinger of elegance and luxury, yet what makes a
KCNY timepieace appealing to Filipinos is that its not as expensive as it looks.
The watches, [in a way] look classic and Kenneth Cole is not classic; its con-
temporary. The quality is there and the designs are exquisite, and thats what Filipinos
are looking for, he says.
The Transparency Collection has see-through suspended dials exuding afflu-
ence. For women, a crystal-lined bezels adds a touch of femininity to the over-
sized boyfriend model while the mens collection features a multi-function day,
date, and month movement with gunmetal dial (also available on a stainless steel
bracelet).
Drawing strength and precise engineering, the Automatic
Collection features an array of eye-popping timepieces com-
bining style, sophistication and exact mechanics. Little
luxuries that transform the way time is told through its
exposed gears, self- winding function, barrel shaped cas-
es, and a mesh black IP stainless steel bracelet are some
highlights of this series. The womens version features
three new color-ways and added crystal markers.
The Touch Screen Collection continues to make
new waves with its technological advancement.
KCNY is the rst to launch an analog/digital touch
screen watch that features analog/digital displays
with six display modes including home time, world
time, alarm, chronograph, recall and timer. The sen-
sitive touch screen watch responds to the quickest
and lightest touch for convenience and ease of use--a
multi-purpose watch that simplies the way you look at
time. Its available in two variations, in silicone strap and
stainless steel bracelet.
When thinking about designs for every product, the
most important point is ownership. It has to be a trendset-
ter. Your product has to be differentiated from others; it has to
be unique, as this will also serve as a platform, says Smordoni.
And KNCY is all about that.
Kenneth Cole New York watches are available at all Chronos,
Wristpod, Swissgear and L Timestudio stores nationwide.
By Joba Botana
Shamcey Supsup (3rd runner up,
Miss Universe 2011)
Ruffa Gutierrez
Anne Curtis Lucy Torres-Gomez
Katrina Dimaranan, Bb. Pilipinas
Tourism 2012
Janine Tugonon, Miss Universe
Philippines 2012
Nicole
Schmitz, Bb.
Pilipinas-
International
2012
From left: Kanwar Bhutani (president and general manager,
Avon Philippines), Emie Nierves (executive director for sales,
Avon Philippines) and Bob Briddon (senior vice president and
president, Avon Asia Pacic)
Charo Ronquillo, Leo and Anna Lagon, and Sarah
Geronimo
Pinky Estrebillo and Corcor
Bitong
Asian Development Bank
senior safesguard specialist
Shih-Liang Tu and designer
Marta Valdespino
The Manila
Hotel staff
led by Ginny
Banaag,
executive
vice
president
(front row,
2nd from
right)
David Smordoni, director of
design and development at
the Geneva Watch Group
Transparency
Collection
Touch Screen with
Digi-Touch Collection
C
Y
A
N

M
A
G
E
N
T
A

Y
E
L
L
O
W

B
L
A
C
K
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
ANSWER TOMORROW
acquaintances
59 Croat, e.g.
60 More distant
61 Barrie henchman
62 Big __: nickname
for LPGA great JoAnne
Carner
63 Coverage giant
Down
1 Boil slowly
2 Kick back
3 Ill-natured
4 Rhea stat
5 How gas prices
sometimes rise
6 Airer of the sitcom
Allo Allo!
7 Honolulus home
8 Stingy
9 Eastern Australian
seaport
10 Musical range
11 Indian loincloth
12 Not left over
13 Part of LED
19 90s-00s Dodges
21 Trafc-controlling gp.
24 Slicker
26 Shout of
ANSWER
TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE
Across
1 Fast food sides
6 Turkey
10 Put away without
restraint, with on
14 Unspoken
15 30s boxing champ
16 Tea traditionally
made with cardamom
17 Slate, for one
18 Keep a movie dog
LOS ANGELES
TIMES
CROSSWORD
from wandering?
20 Forced (in)
22 Voted out
23 Emit
25 Angus, e.g.
26 Female padre?
31 Tropical reef denizen
32 Some claims
33 Brothers title
36 Dhofar Rebellion
country
37 Ski run
38 Pen used at sea
39 San Franciscos __ Hill
40 Roller coaster cries
41 Let up
42 Ancient mounted
police?
44 Where to see a chin
rest
47 Cavils
48 Poem that ends I am
the captain of my soul
51 Freewheels
55 Dance that reects the
pun-creating elements
found in 18-, 26- and
42-Across
57 Mauritius money
58 Friends and
encouragement
27 __ erectus
28 Dhow sailor
29 Second-generation
Japanese American
30 Futuristic sitcom
family name
33 Blchers title in
Young Frankenstein
34 Singer Coolidge
35 Like balsamic vinegar
37 Flight of fancy
38 Cookout condiment
40 Question of identity
41 Columbia River city
42 Old saw
43 First X, say
44 NyQuil maker
45 I didnt know he had
it __
46 Like aspen leaves
49 Troy Aikmans alma
mater
50 Fake
52 Cookout accessory
53 Typical Hunger
Games trilogy reader
54 Blood components
56 Burts The Killers
co-star
home work relationships
C3
WEDNESDAY
C2
sha.re/
JUNE 13, 2012
standardlifestyle@gmail.com
CSR files
Gianna Maniego, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
WINE Story announces the arrival
of The Big Red 2009 wine from
Napa, California, United States.
This is Wine Story's very first
own label and makes a unique
gift of love.
The Big Red 2009 is made of
100 percent Syrah, with tannins
that are very sweet. It is opulent
with a spicy chocolate taste and
lengthy nish, making it a worthy
addition to your wine rack. The
wonderfully spicy aromas and
taste of spicy blackberry and pep-
pery avor with a hint of licorice,
deep purple color, Syrah wines
from the Napa Valley offer good
value for money. They pair off
well with a wide range of foods.
The Big Red 2009, which has a
lot going on, can be kept for 10 to
15 years. Explore the new arrivals
and check out the must-try vintages
ONE of Spains most reputable compa-
nies on the international scene, Porcela-
nosa Grupo, has nally opened in Manila
bringing with it state-of-the-art products,
modern-day designs, and innovative tech-
nology set to transform any space.
With a agship showroom at the Inn-
ity Tower at Fort Bonifacio, Porcelanosas
700 square meter space boasts of their
installations carefully handcrafted to meet
its world class standards. Manila now
belongs to the Porcelanosa Groups roster
of 400 showrooms in over 100 countries
worldwide. Standing strong with its eight
companies (Porcelanosa, Venis, Gama-
decor, Systempool, LAntic Colonial,
Butech, Noken, and Urbatek) their instal-
lations guarantee the rms presence on all
ve continents, providing faithful clientele
with their latest designs.
Leading the opening of the Porcelanosa
showroom is the chairman of Porcelanosa
Grupo Silvestre Segarra.
At last, we have opened in Manila!
This new showroom is a product of
everyones hard work and sacrices and
it truly represents technology, quality
and design shares Segarra. He was also
joined by Casa Europa Inc.s president
Jay Ong who leads the Porcelanosa
Group in the Philippines. Guests included
Spanish ambassador Jorge Domecq
and his wife Rosa Runo de Domecq
and Porcelanosa Grupos partners in
the Philippines VG Martinez, Kevin
Belmonte, Rally Martinez, Menardo
Jimenez, Joseph Tan and Joel Jimenez.
Guests were then ushered to the main
showroom where Porcelanosa finally
showcased their top of the line installa-
tions and well-known tiles. The displays
included specially selected xtures that
can definitely spruce up a space. The
lively Spanish vibe was coupled with
excellent cuisine through wine selections
from Barcino, jamon Serrano and cheeses
from Terrys and an assortment of Spanish
dishes by Kai.
Porcelanosa Grupo executives also
showed their support with area manager
Juan Baila, Rafael Castellanos, marketing
director Jose Pascual Pesudo, Venis Man-
ager Ximo Monzonis and Noken general
manager Pablo Mana. Among the special
guests in attendance included Alphaland
president Mario Oreta, Arthalands Leo
Po, Rustan Groups Anton Huang, Philuxs
Max and Zelda Kienle, PNB chairman Flor
Tarriela, UCPB chairman Nards Jimenez
and Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo.
They were also joined by Gloria Tan-
Climaco, Arch. Alfred Wieneke, architect
Manny Minana, Stephanie and Christian
Gonzales, Pops Fernandez, Betsy Westen-
dorp, Linda Ley and Kenneth and Cindy
Yang among others.
Banking on 35 years of experience in
the industry and recognized by Pricewa-
terhouse Coopers and Financial Times,
Porcelanosa Grupo has also made its most
important milestone with the granting of
a Royal Warrant by HRH, the Prince of
A HEALTHY population is an em-
powered nation. This remains the
constant inspiration of the people
behind MEDICard, the countrys
pioneering HMO company, as it
recently celebrated its 25th anni-
versary in grand fashion at the Rizal
Ballroom of Makati Shangri-La.
Hosted by TV personalities Iya
Villania and Ryan Agoncillo, the
event was like a big, happy family
reunion as representatives from
various companies graced the af-
fair; some of whom have been
loyal clients of MEDICard since
it rst began operating in 1987.
Welcoming everyone to the event
was MEDICard patriarch Dr. Nica-
nor D. Montoya or Doc Mon,
the man whose vision to provide
much-needed quality healthcare to
the working-class helped spark the
beginning of the countrys HMO
industry.
Joining Doc Mon was his lovely
wife Dr. Chit Montoya and their
children Dr. Nicky S. Montoya,
MEDICard president; lawyer Jon
Montoya, MEDICard senior vice
president for Sales; Luis Montoya,
MEDICard senior vice president
for Special Projects; and Nixie
Montoya-Yap, MEDICard Life-
style Center senior vice president.
Guests were also treated to great
entertainment courtesy of perfor-
mances by artists from leading TV
stations. The affair was also an op-
portunity for MEDICard to honor
25 of its most loyal and key clients.
In particular, MEDICard paid hom-
age to the Manila Hotel, which is the
companys rst ever corporate client.
As MEDICard sets its sights on
A touch of royalty
for your home
A touch of Spain
in every space
Wales in recognition of the groups quality products and
services. The Porcelanosa Groups acclaimed products
and installations have also garnered testimonies from
their leading brand ambassadors that attest to their
world-class standards with Golden Globe Awards and
Academy Award winning actor, George Clooney, re-
nowned actress Nicole Kidman and premiere
Spanish-Filipina TV host Isabel Preysler.
Wine Story
launches
own label
at Wine Story with branches at:
the G/F of Shangri-la Plaza Mall
along EDSA, Shaw (633-3556);
at Serendra, Bonifacio High Street,
Taguig City (846-6310); and now
at One Rockwell West, Makati City
(8690932). You may also visit www.
winestory.com.ph to purchase your
preferred wines online.
VOLTAIRE Burgonios Lipad
na, Aliwan Na! won rst prize
in the 2012 Aliwan Fiesta Photo
Competition, mounted by Manila
Broadcasting Company. Using a
digital-based SLR camera, Bur-
gonio captured an eerie air of
mystery around one of the human
eagles of Tribu Pan-ays delinea-
tion of the Dinagyang festival.
Second prize went to Melody
Sandoval for Birdman, with
Jaime Singladors entry Pag
Fiesta ang Saya coming in third.
Rounding up the rest of the
top 10 winners were Delighted
by Jose Melencio Brillo, Banana
Feel by Fe Olaguera, Hala
Bira by Teddy Pelaez, Pinta
Sigla by Emerick Mangune,
Reyna Princesa by Remi Ann
Sta Cruz, Sayaw, Sigaw by
Victor Tallud, and Help by
Nicanor Olayao.
This years elite judging panel
was comprised of Wig Tysmans,
Mandy Navasero, and Denise
Weldon, with legendary master
photojournalist Romy Vitug grac-
ing the proceedings.
Photo of human eagle
wins competition
This years Aliwan Fiesta
photo contest winners along with
the rest of the seminalists will
be included in an exhibition at
Star City.
Click for a tree
When you talk about progres-
sive motherhood, you are talking
about mothers who want to make the
most out of their journey both as a
mother and as an individual that has
a need for self-actualization, says
Acevedo, who is a life coach.
There is probably no other den-
ing moment for a woman than moth-
erhood. For nine months, she carries
with her a new life that signies a
new beginning. During this jour-
ney, she needs all the support and
information she can possibly gather
to make the experience worthwhile.
For most women, motherhood
is a life-changing experience. For
others, it is an adventure to be lived
one day at a time. I was a lucky
rst-time mom because after I gave
birth nearly 16 years ago, my aunt
stayed with us to teach me how to
care for my child. Other rst-time
moms aren't so lucky. They have to
fend for themselves with no nannies
and/or support groups.
The New Beginnings com-
IN its commitment to help
protect the environment,
Tupperware Brands once
again launchesClick For a
Tree, an online campaign
that aims to gather 10,000
clicks for the protection of
1,000 trees in the La Mesa
Watershed.
Click For a Tree is a Face-
book application organized
by the countrys premier di-
rect selling company in cel-
ebration of United Nations
World Environment Day, and
annual event established to
stimulate worldwide aware-
ness of the environment and
encourages global attention
and action. This digital cam-
paign aims to build awareness
about this global event as well
as to showcase Tupperware
Brands continuous support to
the global campaign.
Tupperware Brands is
committed to being a strong
ally in protecting the environ-
ment. It has been active in
supporting Bantay Kalikasan,
a media-based project that
is committed on ensuring an
actively protected, adequately
rehabilitated and sustainably
developed environment.
Bantay Kalikasan has
started a reforestation pro-
gram in 1999 to protect the
La Mesa Watershed, which
is the source of water for
over 12 million people in
Metro Manila and is the
transit point of water coming
from three other watersheds.
Through Click For a Tree,
Tupperware Brands helps the
La Mesa Watershed project
fulll its goal of preserving
our water supply, saving the
environment and protecting
our future.
Together with their differ-
ent programs that help pre-
serve the future, Tupperware
Brands has also been provid-
ing consumers products that
offer quality and sustainabil-
ity. Among the many trusted
global brands under its wing is
Tupperware, which is known
for its practical solutions and
reusable containers that help
protect the environment.
Best representing the en-
vironment-friendly qualities
of Tupperware products is
the award-winning Tupper-
ware Eco Bottle, a high-
quality beverage container
that successfully promotes
energy savings, recycling
and greater sustainability. It
is made with safe, non-toxic
materials, so you can reuse
it every day and help reduce
the use of disposable plastic
water bottles.
Another ground-break-
ing product the Tupperware
Brands is offering is the
TupperClean Powder Deter-
gent, a safe and eco-friendly
laundry compound that uses
stain-fighting enzymes. It
helps reduce water and house-
hold energy bills because its
specially formulated for cold
water washing, and you dont
need to do repeated washing,
hand-scrubbing, soaking and
rinsing.
Join the pledge for a green-
er planet and save a tree. Like
Tupperware Brands Philip-
pines on Facebook www.
facebook.com/tupperware-
brandsph and click on the
Click For a Tree app for your
support to be counted.
By Dinna Chan Vasquez
ARE you a progressive mom, asks Pia Acevedo of the Love Institute? A
progressive mother is, among others, very involved in her child. She buys
the child's clothes and things and usually insists on the best. She reads
to her toddler every night. She may or may not decide to work but she
is never absent in her child's life. A progressive parent reads and keeps
herself updated with parenting and education trends.
munity was formed to provide
Filipino mothers an unforget-
table and meaningful journey
towards motherhood. It is a
community of progressive
mothers who view pregnancy in
a whole new light.
Organized by FrieslandCampi-
na, a global leader in nutritionally
safe dairy products, the New Be-
ginnings community believes that
the journey through motherhood
can be more fruitful and worry-
free when shared in the company
of other mums who have the
same experience. The community
embraces all mums, and provides
them with guidance and support
throughout their pregnancy. To-
gether with FrieslandCampina,
NBC provides the best options for
mothers so they can make the best
out of their pregnancy.
NBC further aims to enlighten
pregnant women on proper prenatal
nutrition as it is very important that
moms know what vital nutrients
they need to keep themselves
healthy all throughout the preg-
nancy period as well as knowing
the dos and donts when expecting
a baby.
FrisoMum is currently avail-
able for online purchase through
the New Beginnings Web site at
http://newbeginnings.com.ph/
products. This is the rst time
ever in the country that milk is
made available on the Internet,
accompanied by a simple and
easy direct delivery service. Each
900g can costs P900 and courier
fees are xed at P90 to anywhere
in the Philippines.
The community was recently
launched at Slice Restaurant in Fort
Bonifacio. Gracing the affair were
several progressive mums in vari-
ous stages of motherhood includ-
ing: rst time mum-to-be and one of
the countrys hottest young design-
ers Rosanna Ocampo-Rodriguez;
new mum to two month-old Olivia
Andrea de Guzman-Mago; entre-
preneur Kris de Guzman; fash-
ionista and businesswoman Keri
Neri-Zamora; and tv personality
Lexi Schulze.
The event featured a casual
forum, facilitated by Acevedo,
wherein the mums exchanged their
personal ideas and experiences on
progressive motherhood.
By Ed Biado
IN this months issue of Cosmo-
politan magazine, theres a very
interesting article about condence,
how it can spiral out of control and
how to live to tell about it. If youre
a 20- or 30-something person who
has at least one social networking
account, then I suggest you buy
the magazine and read the piece
right away.
The article, How to Survive
a Confidence Crash, suggests
that positive feedback and social
media are two unlikely culprits
when your self-confidence sud-
denly deates. It explores the fact
that Millennialsper the usual
denition, according to the maga-
zine, are those born after 1980are
more prone to having a crushed
ego because their parents
brought them up with a
generous serving of praise
and afrmation. So when
they reach adulthood and
things stop being peachy,
a pseudo-existentialism
crisis occurs.
Thats where social media
comes in. Raise your right hand
if you go on Facebook to check
other peoples life events, pic-
tures and status updates. Now,
keep your hand in the air if you
do this and then compare your
own life events, pictures and sta-
tus updates to those youve seen.
Dont you dare put your hand
down if you, not only compare,
but exaggerate a little
in your posts so that
youll be perceived as
more beautiful, more
fun, more successful
and more intelligent.
Yes, the very truth
about social media is, it
aint real. Were all guilty of creat-
ing a, to quote Cosmo, awless,
idealized image of ourselves via
all things social media. Its not
even common; its the norm. So
it follows that, upon realization
that your ofine self is not as air-
brushed and well-lit as your blog,
Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr self,
you may stop feeling good about
yourself.
Their advice? To pick your-
self up from a condence crash
because you got red, dumped or
fat (or all three), stay away from
social media for a while. Realize
that everyone is an idealized
version of themselves online.
Remember that its perception
and not reality. Also accept that,
even if youre not friends with
your ex on Facebook, something
about their upcoming wedding
is bound to appear on your feed.
And to paraphrase a line from the
same article: dont treat life as one
constant status update.
GMA Kapuso Foundat i on
(GMAKF), the socio-civic arm
of broadcast company GMA
Network, Inc., continues to sup-
port the cause of education as
its annual Unang Hakbang sa
Kinabukasan (UHSK) project
goes on its 15th year.
In anticipation of the opening of
the new academic year this June,
GMAKF recently distributed back-
packs containing school supplies to
45,000 incoming grade one pupils
from far-ung public elementary
schools all over the country.
The foundation made its rounds
in selected schools in Metro Ma-
nila and in various provinces in-
cluding Abra, Mountain Province,
Pangasinan, Cagayan, Bulacan,
Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Cavite, Rom-
blon, Masbate, Cebu, Negros Ori-
ental, Davao, Compostela Valley,
Iloilo, Capiz, Samar, Zamboanga
del Norte, Bukidnon, Cotabato,
General Santos City, Surigao del
Sur, Tawi Tawi and Jolo. It also
visited schools in Iligan and Ca-
gayan de Oro that are still in recov-
ery from the destruction caused by
typhoon Sendong.
To date, GMAKF has provid-
ed complete school supplies sets
to 420,012 rst graders through
the UHSK project.
Simple as it may seem, the
distribution of the school sup-
plies means so much to these
children and even to their par-
ents, who can barely afford to
send their kids to school, shared
GMAKF executive vice presi-
dent and chief operating ofcer
Mel Tiangco.
Kapuso Foundation continues
to support education
Social media vs. condence
25 years of building a healthy nation
the future, the companys more than
700 employees remain committed to
provide quality healthcare to nearly
half a million members from more
close to 2,000 companies in any of
MEDICards 11,000 clinics and hos-
pitals nationwide, as they help build
a healthy nation in the next 25 years.
Host Lexi Schulze with fellow
progressive mums Keri Zamora
and Kris de Guzman
From left: Shindengen Phils.Matsuzaki Junichi, Ono Masami, Takinochi and
Kuribara Hiroshi
1st - 207
2nd - 390
3rd - 117
The new Porcelanosa Grupo agship showroom boasts
of their world-class installations and xtures. They are
located at the Mezzanine, The Innity Tower 26th St.,
Fort Bonifacio Global City
BRING in some royal touches to your home as Studio 10.10, one of the countrys most innovative
furniture makers, gives you Abrams Table. Made from reclaimed local old wood by Studio 10.10s
resident artist and furniture design maven Niccolo Jose, Abrams Table is a masterful combi-
nation of Kamagong, Narig, Toog, Yakal, Betis, Acle, Kamatog, Makaasim, Sampaloc,
Tindalo, Sakat, Acacia, Dao, Big Leaf Mahogany, Narra and Mangkono which
is known as the countrys hardest and densest wood species. Experience
beauty, functionality and
efficiency in your home
with this remarkable and
functional art piece.
Young and innovative artist Niccolo
Jose created the Atlas Lounge Chair by combin-
ing ergonomic and linear furniture design. The
Atlas Lounge Chair is carefully handcrafted
from local reclaimed wood materials. Niccolos
high attention to detail brings out the beauty of
laminated wood pieces. Sporting a neck brace
design made of Mahogany to provide comfort
to the top part of ones neck plus a back support
design makes the Atlas Lounge Chair a functional
art piece that will surely grab your attention
For inquiries, contact (632) 8226976 /
09175573109 or email studio1010.ph@gmail.com.
Visit www.niccolojose.com and www.studio10-10.com.
A time for new
BEGINNINGS
C
Y
A
N

M
A
G
E
N
T
A

Y
E
L
L
O
W

B
L
A
C
K
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
ANSWER TOMORROW
acquaintances
59 Croat, e.g.
60 More distant
61 Barrie henchman
62 Big __: nickname
for LPGA great JoAnne
Carner
63 Coverage giant
Down
1 Boil slowly
2 Kick back
3 Ill-natured
4 Rhea stat
5 How gas prices
sometimes rise
6 Airer of the sitcom
Allo Allo!
7 Honolulus home
8 Stingy
9 Eastern Australian
seaport
10 Musical range
11 Indian loincloth
12 Not left over
13 Part of LED
19 90s-00s Dodges
21 Trafc-controlling gp.
24 Slicker
26 Shout of
ANSWER
TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE
Across
1 Fast food sides
6 Turkey
10 Put away without
restraint, with on
14 Unspoken
15 30s boxing champ
16 Tea traditionally
made with cardamom
17 Slate, for one
18 Keep a movie dog
LOS ANGELES
TIMES
CROSSWORD
from wandering?
20 Forced (in)
22 Voted out
23 Emit
25 Angus, e.g.
26 Female padre?
31 Tropical reef denizen
32 Some claims
33 Brothers title
36 Dhofar Rebellion
country
37 Ski run
38 Pen used at sea
39 San Franciscos __ Hill
40 Roller coaster cries
41 Let up
42 Ancient mounted
police?
44 Where to see a chin
rest
47 Cavils
48 Poem that ends I am
the captain of my soul
51 Freewheels
55 Dance that reects the
pun-creating elements
found in 18-, 26- and
42-Across
57 Mauritius money
58 Friends and
encouragement
27 __ erectus
28 Dhow sailor
29 Second-generation
Japanese American
30 Futuristic sitcom
family name
33 Blchers title in
Young Frankenstein
34 Singer Coolidge
35 Like balsamic vinegar
37 Flight of fancy
38 Cookout condiment
40 Question of identity
41 Columbia River city
42 Old saw
43 First X, say
44 NyQuil maker
45 I didnt know he had
it __
46 Like aspen leaves
49 Troy Aikmans alma
mater
50 Fake
52 Cookout accessory
53 Typical Hunger
Games trilogy reader
54 Blood components
56 Burts The Killers
co-star
home work relationships
C3
WEDNESDAY
C2
sha.re/
JUNE 13, 2012
standardlifestyle@gmail.com
CSR files
Gianna Maniego, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
WINE Story announces the arrival
of The Big Red 2009 wine from
Napa, California, United States.
This is Wine Story's very first
own label and makes a unique
gift of love.
The Big Red 2009 is made of
100 percent Syrah, with tannins
that are very sweet. It is opulent
with a spicy chocolate taste and
lengthy nish, making it a worthy
addition to your wine rack. The
wonderfully spicy aromas and
taste of spicy blackberry and pep-
pery avor with a hint of licorice,
deep purple color, Syrah wines
from the Napa Valley offer good
value for money. They pair off
well with a wide range of foods.
The Big Red 2009, which has a
lot going on, can be kept for 10 to
15 years. Explore the new arrivals
and check out the must-try vintages
ONE of Spains most reputable compa-
nies on the international scene, Porcela-
nosa Grupo, has nally opened in Manila
bringing with it state-of-the-art products,
modern-day designs, and innovative tech-
nology set to transform any space.
With a agship showroom at the Inn-
ity Tower at Fort Bonifacio, Porcelanosas
700 square meter space boasts of their
installations carefully handcrafted to meet
its world class standards. Manila now
belongs to the Porcelanosa Groups roster
of 400 showrooms in over 100 countries
worldwide. Standing strong with its eight
companies (Porcelanosa, Venis, Gama-
decor, Systempool, LAntic Colonial,
Butech, Noken, and Urbatek) their instal-
lations guarantee the rms presence on all
ve continents, providing faithful clientele
with their latest designs.
Leading the opening of the Porcelanosa
showroom is the chairman of Porcelanosa
Grupo Silvestre Segarra.
At last, we have opened in Manila!
This new showroom is a product of
everyones hard work and sacrices and
it truly represents technology, quality
and design shares Segarra. He was also
joined by Casa Europa Inc.s president
Jay Ong who leads the Porcelanosa
Group in the Philippines. Guests included
Spanish ambassador Jorge Domecq
and his wife Rosa Runo de Domecq
and Porcelanosa Grupos partners in
the Philippines VG Martinez, Kevin
Belmonte, Rally Martinez, Menardo
Jimenez, Joseph Tan and Joel Jimenez.
Guests were then ushered to the main
showroom where Porcelanosa finally
showcased their top of the line installa-
tions and well-known tiles. The displays
included specially selected xtures that
can definitely spruce up a space. The
lively Spanish vibe was coupled with
excellent cuisine through wine selections
from Barcino, jamon Serrano and cheeses
from Terrys and an assortment of Spanish
dishes by Kai.
Porcelanosa Grupo executives also
showed their support with area manager
Juan Baila, Rafael Castellanos, marketing
director Jose Pascual Pesudo, Venis Man-
ager Ximo Monzonis and Noken general
manager Pablo Mana. Among the special
guests in attendance included Alphaland
president Mario Oreta, Arthalands Leo
Po, Rustan Groups Anton Huang, Philuxs
Max and Zelda Kienle, PNB chairman Flor
Tarriela, UCPB chairman Nards Jimenez
and Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo.
They were also joined by Gloria Tan-
Climaco, Arch. Alfred Wieneke, architect
Manny Minana, Stephanie and Christian
Gonzales, Pops Fernandez, Betsy Westen-
dorp, Linda Ley and Kenneth and Cindy
Yang among others.
Banking on 35 years of experience in
the industry and recognized by Pricewa-
terhouse Coopers and Financial Times,
Porcelanosa Grupo has also made its most
important milestone with the granting of
a Royal Warrant by HRH, the Prince of
A HEALTHY population is an em-
powered nation. This remains the
constant inspiration of the people
behind MEDICard, the countrys
pioneering HMO company, as it
recently celebrated its 25th anni-
versary in grand fashion at the Rizal
Ballroom of Makati Shangri-La.
Hosted by TV personalities Iya
Villania and Ryan Agoncillo, the
event was like a big, happy family
reunion as representatives from
various companies graced the af-
fair; some of whom have been
loyal clients of MEDICard since
it rst began operating in 1987.
Welcoming everyone to the event
was MEDICard patriarch Dr. Nica-
nor D. Montoya or Doc Mon,
the man whose vision to provide
much-needed quality healthcare to
the working-class helped spark the
beginning of the countrys HMO
industry.
Joining Doc Mon was his lovely
wife Dr. Chit Montoya and their
children Dr. Nicky S. Montoya,
MEDICard president; lawyer Jon
Montoya, MEDICard senior vice
president for Sales; Luis Montoya,
MEDICard senior vice president
for Special Projects; and Nixie
Montoya-Yap, MEDICard Life-
style Center senior vice president.
Guests were also treated to great
entertainment courtesy of perfor-
mances by artists from leading TV
stations. The affair was also an op-
portunity for MEDICard to honor
25 of its most loyal and key clients.
In particular, MEDICard paid hom-
age to the Manila Hotel, which is the
companys rst ever corporate client.
As MEDICard sets its sights on
A touch of royalty
for your home
A touch of Spain
in every space
Wales in recognition of the groups quality products and
services. The Porcelanosa Groups acclaimed products
and installations have also garnered testimonies from
their leading brand ambassadors that attest to their
world-class standards with Golden Globe Awards and
Academy Award winning actor, George Clooney, re-
nowned actress Nicole Kidman and premiere
Spanish-Filipina TV host Isabel Preysler.
Wine Story
launches
own label
at Wine Story with branches at:
the G/F of Shangri-la Plaza Mall
along EDSA, Shaw (633-3556);
at Serendra, Bonifacio High Street,
Taguig City (846-6310); and now
at One Rockwell West, Makati City
(8690932). You may also visit www.
winestory.com.ph to purchase your
preferred wines online.
VOLTAIRE Burgonios Lipad
na, Aliwan Na! won rst prize
in the 2012 Aliwan Fiesta Photo
Competition, mounted by Manila
Broadcasting Company. Using a
digital-based SLR camera, Bur-
gonio captured an eerie air of
mystery around one of the human
eagles of Tribu Pan-ays delinea-
tion of the Dinagyang festival.
Second prize went to Melody
Sandoval for Birdman, with
Jaime Singladors entry Pag
Fiesta ang Saya coming in third.
Rounding up the rest of the
top 10 winners were Delighted
by Jose Melencio Brillo, Banana
Feel by Fe Olaguera, Hala
Bira by Teddy Pelaez, Pinta
Sigla by Emerick Mangune,
Reyna Princesa by Remi Ann
Sta Cruz, Sayaw, Sigaw by
Victor Tallud, and Help by
Nicanor Olayao.
This years elite judging panel
was comprised of Wig Tysmans,
Mandy Navasero, and Denise
Weldon, with legendary master
photojournalist Romy Vitug grac-
ing the proceedings.
Photo of human eagle
wins competition
This years Aliwan Fiesta
photo contest winners along with
the rest of the seminalists will
be included in an exhibition at
Star City.
Click for a tree
When you talk about progres-
sive motherhood, you are talking
about mothers who want to make the
most out of their journey both as a
mother and as an individual that has
a need for self-actualization, says
Acevedo, who is a life coach.
There is probably no other den-
ing moment for a woman than moth-
erhood. For nine months, she carries
with her a new life that signies a
new beginning. During this jour-
ney, she needs all the support and
information she can possibly gather
to make the experience worthwhile.
For most women, motherhood
is a life-changing experience. For
others, it is an adventure to be lived
one day at a time. I was a lucky
rst-time mom because after I gave
birth nearly 16 years ago, my aunt
stayed with us to teach me how to
care for my child. Other rst-time
moms aren't so lucky. They have to
fend for themselves with no nannies
and/or support groups.
The New Beginnings com-
IN its commitment to help
protect the environment,
Tupperware Brands once
again launchesClick For a
Tree, an online campaign
that aims to gather 10,000
clicks for the protection of
1,000 trees in the La Mesa
Watershed.
Click For a Tree is a Face-
book application organized
by the countrys premier di-
rect selling company in cel-
ebration of United Nations
World Environment Day, and
annual event established to
stimulate worldwide aware-
ness of the environment and
encourages global attention
and action. This digital cam-
paign aims to build awareness
about this global event as well
as to showcase Tupperware
Brands continuous support to
the global campaign.
Tupperware Brands is
committed to being a strong
ally in protecting the environ-
ment. It has been active in
supporting Bantay Kalikasan,
a media-based project that
is committed on ensuring an
actively protected, adequately
rehabilitated and sustainably
developed environment.
Bantay Kalikasan has
started a reforestation pro-
gram in 1999 to protect the
La Mesa Watershed, which
is the source of water for
over 12 million people in
Metro Manila and is the
transit point of water coming
from three other watersheds.
Through Click For a Tree,
Tupperware Brands helps the
La Mesa Watershed project
fulll its goal of preserving
our water supply, saving the
environment and protecting
our future.
Together with their differ-
ent programs that help pre-
serve the future, Tupperware
Brands has also been provid-
ing consumers products that
offer quality and sustainabil-
ity. Among the many trusted
global brands under its wing is
Tupperware, which is known
for its practical solutions and
reusable containers that help
protect the environment.
Best representing the en-
vironment-friendly qualities
of Tupperware products is
the award-winning Tupper-
ware Eco Bottle, a high-
quality beverage container
that successfully promotes
energy savings, recycling
and greater sustainability. It
is made with safe, non-toxic
materials, so you can reuse
it every day and help reduce
the use of disposable plastic
water bottles.
Another ground-break-
ing product the Tupperware
Brands is offering is the
TupperClean Powder Deter-
gent, a safe and eco-friendly
laundry compound that uses
stain-fighting enzymes. It
helps reduce water and house-
hold energy bills because its
specially formulated for cold
water washing, and you dont
need to do repeated washing,
hand-scrubbing, soaking and
rinsing.
Join the pledge for a green-
er planet and save a tree. Like
Tupperware Brands Philip-
pines on Facebook www.
facebook.com/tupperware-
brandsph and click on the
Click For a Tree app for your
support to be counted.
By Dinna Chan Vasquez
ARE you a progressive mom, asks Pia Acevedo of the Love Institute? A
progressive mother is, among others, very involved in her child. She buys
the child's clothes and things and usually insists on the best. She reads
to her toddler every night. She may or may not decide to work but she
is never absent in her child's life. A progressive parent reads and keeps
herself updated with parenting and education trends.
munity was formed to provide
Filipino mothers an unforget-
table and meaningful journey
towards motherhood. It is a
community of progressive
mothers who view pregnancy in
a whole new light.
Organized by FrieslandCampi-
na, a global leader in nutritionally
safe dairy products, the New Be-
ginnings community believes that
the journey through motherhood
can be more fruitful and worry-
free when shared in the company
of other mums who have the
same experience. The community
embraces all mums, and provides
them with guidance and support
throughout their pregnancy. To-
gether with FrieslandCampina,
NBC provides the best options for
mothers so they can make the best
out of their pregnancy.
NBC further aims to enlighten
pregnant women on proper prenatal
nutrition as it is very important that
moms know what vital nutrients
they need to keep themselves
healthy all throughout the preg-
nancy period as well as knowing
the dos and donts when expecting
a baby.
FrisoMum is currently avail-
able for online purchase through
the New Beginnings Web site at
http://newbeginnings.com.ph/
products. This is the rst time
ever in the country that milk is
made available on the Internet,
accompanied by a simple and
easy direct delivery service. Each
900g can costs P900 and courier
fees are xed at P90 to anywhere
in the Philippines.
The community was recently
launched at Slice Restaurant in Fort
Bonifacio. Gracing the affair were
several progressive mums in vari-
ous stages of motherhood includ-
ing: rst time mum-to-be and one of
the countrys hottest young design-
ers Rosanna Ocampo-Rodriguez;
new mum to two month-old Olivia
Andrea de Guzman-Mago; entre-
preneur Kris de Guzman; fash-
ionista and businesswoman Keri
Neri-Zamora; and tv personality
Lexi Schulze.
The event featured a casual
forum, facilitated by Acevedo,
wherein the mums exchanged their
personal ideas and experiences on
progressive motherhood.
By Ed Biado
IN this months issue of Cosmo-
politan magazine, theres a very
interesting article about condence,
how it can spiral out of control and
how to live to tell about it. If youre
a 20- or 30-something person who
has at least one social networking
account, then I suggest you buy
the magazine and read the piece
right away.
The article, How to Survive
a Confidence Crash, suggests
that positive feedback and social
media are two unlikely culprits
when your self-confidence sud-
denly deates. It explores the fact
that Millennialsper the usual
denition, according to the maga-
zine, are those born after 1980are
more prone to having a crushed
ego because their parents
brought them up with a
generous serving of praise
and afrmation. So when
they reach adulthood and
things stop being peachy,
a pseudo-existentialism
crisis occurs.
Thats where social media
comes in. Raise your right hand
if you go on Facebook to check
other peoples life events, pic-
tures and status updates. Now,
keep your hand in the air if you
do this and then compare your
own life events, pictures and sta-
tus updates to those youve seen.
Dont you dare put your hand
down if you, not only compare,
but exaggerate a little
in your posts so that
youll be perceived as
more beautiful, more
fun, more successful
and more intelligent.
Yes, the very truth
about social media is, it
aint real. Were all guilty of creat-
ing a, to quote Cosmo, awless,
idealized image of ourselves via
all things social media. Its not
even common; its the norm. So
it follows that, upon realization
that your ofine self is not as air-
brushed and well-lit as your blog,
Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr self,
you may stop feeling good about
yourself.
Their advice? To pick your-
self up from a condence crash
because you got red, dumped or
fat (or all three), stay away from
social media for a while. Realize
that everyone is an idealized
version of themselves online.
Remember that its perception
and not reality. Also accept that,
even if youre not friends with
your ex on Facebook, something
about their upcoming wedding
is bound to appear on your feed.
And to paraphrase a line from the
same article: dont treat life as one
constant status update.
GMA Kapuso Foundat i on
(GMAKF), the socio-civic arm
of broadcast company GMA
Network, Inc., continues to sup-
port the cause of education as
its annual Unang Hakbang sa
Kinabukasan (UHSK) project
goes on its 15th year.
In anticipation of the opening of
the new academic year this June,
GMAKF recently distributed back-
packs containing school supplies to
45,000 incoming grade one pupils
from far-ung public elementary
schools all over the country.
The foundation made its rounds
in selected schools in Metro Ma-
nila and in various provinces in-
cluding Abra, Mountain Province,
Pangasinan, Cagayan, Bulacan,
Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Cavite, Rom-
blon, Masbate, Cebu, Negros Ori-
ental, Davao, Compostela Valley,
Iloilo, Capiz, Samar, Zamboanga
del Norte, Bukidnon, Cotabato,
General Santos City, Surigao del
Sur, Tawi Tawi and Jolo. It also
visited schools in Iligan and Ca-
gayan de Oro that are still in recov-
ery from the destruction caused by
typhoon Sendong.
To date, GMAKF has provid-
ed complete school supplies sets
to 420,012 rst graders through
the UHSK project.
Simple as it may seem, the
distribution of the school sup-
plies means so much to these
children and even to their par-
ents, who can barely afford to
send their kids to school, shared
GMAKF executive vice presi-
dent and chief operating ofcer
Mel Tiangco.
Kapuso Foundation continues
to support education
Social media vs. condence
25 years of building a healthy nation
the future, the companys more than
700 employees remain committed to
provide quality healthcare to nearly
half a million members from more
close to 2,000 companies in any of
MEDICards 11,000 clinics and hos-
pitals nationwide, as they help build
a healthy nation in the next 25 years.
Host Lexi Schulze with fellow
progressive mums Keri Zamora
and Kris de Guzman
From left: Shindengen Phils.Matsuzaki Junichi, Ono Masami, Takinochi and
Kuribara Hiroshi
1st - 207
2nd - 390
3rd - 117
The new Porcelanosa Grupo agship showroom boasts
of their world-class installations and xtures. They are
located at the Mezzanine, The Innity Tower 26th St.,
Fort Bonifacio Global City
BRING in some royal touches to your home as Studio 10.10, one of the countrys most innovative
furniture makers, gives you Abrams Table. Made from reclaimed local old wood by Studio 10.10s
resident artist and furniture design maven Niccolo Jose, Abrams Table is a masterful combi-
nation of Kamagong, Narig, Toog, Yakal, Betis, Acle, Kamatog, Makaasim, Sampaloc,
Tindalo, Sakat, Acacia, Dao, Big Leaf Mahogany, Narra and Mangkono which
is known as the countrys hardest and densest wood species. Experience
beauty, functionality and
efficiency in your home
with this remarkable and
functional art piece.
Young and innovative artist Niccolo
Jose created the Atlas Lounge Chair by combin-
ing ergonomic and linear furniture design. The
Atlas Lounge Chair is carefully handcrafted
from local reclaimed wood materials. Niccolos
high attention to detail brings out the beauty of
laminated wood pieces. Sporting a neck brace
design made of Mahogany to provide comfort
to the top part of ones neck plus a back support
design makes the Atlas Lounge Chair a functional
art piece that will surely grab your attention
For inquiries, contact (632) 8226976 /
09175573109 or email studio1010.ph@gmail.com.
Visit www.niccolojose.com and www.studio10-10.com.
A time for new
BEGINNINGS
Based on the May 1 to 26
and May 27 to 31 overnight
data, GMA averaged 35.1 to-
tal day household audience
share points in the National
Urban Television Audience
Measurement (NUTAM), 4. 9
points ahead of ABS-CBNs
30.2 points and 20.6 points of
TV5s 14.5 points.
Assuming there are ve
viewers in each household,
GMAs margins translate to
almost 900,000 viewers over
ABS-CBN and 3.7 million
viewers over TV5 nationwide.
Nielsens comparative
monthly nationwide ratings
performance of the countrys
three major Nearly half way
into the year, the data of the
ratings show GMA as the es-
tablished leading station.
GMAs share point lead
over ABS-CBN from Janu-
ary to May 31 hit almost six
points, while its lead against
TV5 was 21 points.
In Total Urban Luzon,
which makes up 77 percent of
total urban television house-
holds nationwide, GMA hit
39 share points or a 13.1-point
difference against ABS-CBNs
25.9, and a 24.9-point gap
against TV5s 14.1 this May.
These translate to more
than 1.8 million prefer GMA
to ABS-CBN; and 3.5 million
to TV5 in the said area.
In Mega Manila, an area
strategically important to ad-
vertisers as it comprises the
bulk of total urban television
households at 59.5percent,
GMA had 40.2 share points,
more than 15 points versus
ABS-CBNs 24.6, and 25.7
thhan TV5s 14.5 points.
Again, these translate to al-
most 1.8 million more viewers
than ABS-CBN and 2.9 mil-
lion than TV5.
GMA strengthened its pro-
gramming with a string of
launches on primetime and day-
time in the previous month.
GMAs newest primetime
offering Luna Blanca, the rst
multigenerational drama, de-
feated, in Mega Manila, ABS-
CBNs counterpart program
Princess and I in its debut on
May 21, while the early morn-
ing cooking show Cooking
with the Stars has rated high-
er than ABS-CBNs Kris TV
since its premiere on May 28.
Pinoy Adventures, GMAs
primetime adventure-travel
show on Sunday, also recorded
higher ratings in Urban Luzon
and Mega Manila than ABS-
CBNs Sarah G. Live since its
premiere on May 13.
My Chubby World has be-
come the kids favorite Satur-
day morning, eclipsing ABS-
CBNs The Penguin. GMAs
kiddie show has a new season
launch on May 12.
Relative to TV5, GMA pro-
gram launches enjoy high rat-
ing differences across all areas
and time blocks.
GMA subscribes to the
Nielsen TV Audience Measure-
ment along with 21 companies
including another major net-
work, TV5; Faulkner Media;
CBN Asia; 15 advertising agen-
cies and three regional clients.
On the other hand, ABS-
CBN is the only local major
TV network reportedly sub-
scribing to Kantar Media, for-
merly known as TNS.

Mommy talk on
GMA News TV
After successfully making
its mark as the countrys lead-
ing news channel, GMA News
TV wants to prove that it of-
fers more than top notch news
programs and award-winning
documentaries.
Last Monday, June 11,
GMA News TV started giving
viewers fresh, fun, and intel-
ligent conversation forand
bymommies in its newest
weekday primetime offering,
Mars.
Gigi S. Lar a, GMA Assis-
tant Vice President for Enter-
tainment TV, said during the
press launch, We are hoping
to reach out to more viewers
with. Its more than a mommy
show, its all about using fun
and creative ways of sharing
opinions and experiences, and
even talking about controver-
sial topics that youve always
wanted to discuss but never
had anyone to talk to about.
Soon to become local TVs
go-to show for all mommy
concerns, Mars is hosted by
Suzi Entr ata-Abrer a and Ca-
mille Pr ats.
Program Manager Cecille
de Guzman said, Camille
and Suzi are both modern,
young moms, but they have
very different backgrounds
and experiences. They are
very engaging people, and
are naturally curious. We
think that their combination,
and those of our guests, will
bring an interesting mix of
views and opinions that our
viewers will enjoy.
Joining Suzy and Camille
are other celebrity mommies
who will be guest hosts to
spice up the program.
Mars airs, Monday to Friday,
6 p.m. on GMA News TV.
ISAH V.
RED
SIMPLY RED
C4
Isah V. Red, Editor standard.showbiz@gmail.com
showbitz
NICKIE
WANG
WITHOUT WANG
2
A ROSTER of celebrities from the
three major networks will participate
in the Run United 2 on June 17, or-
ganized by Unilab Active Health and
RunRio Inc at the SM Mall of Asia.
Over 14,000 are expected to sign up
in all categories for the much-awaited
race that is envisioned to break the
half-marathon record set during Run
United 1 earlier in March since reg-
istration closed over the weekend for
the 5,000-mark.
Gr ace Lee, Mar k Bautista and
Luis Alandy of GMA Network, Di-
rector Lino Cayetano and Car mina
Villaroel of ABS-CBN, and JC de
Ver a and Mir iam Quiambao of
TV5, are just some of the artists join-
ing the activity.
This shows the maturity of Fili-
pino runners, there are still many
running enthusiasts who run with
friends and families for fun. But long-
distance runners are keeping pace in
terms of the turnout at Run United
races, said Alex Panlilio, Head of
Unilab Active Health.
According to RunRio President,
Rio dela Cr uz, their target is 5,000
slots for the half-marathon or 21K
category but they will accommo-
date some more runners if necessary.
Run United 2 is slated to be the big-
gest 21km race in the Philippines . At
Run United 1 earlier this year, there
were 4,000 21K runners. We are just
getting bigger every year, he added.
Registration is extended until June
10 for the other race categories at Run
United 2the 500m dash for kids,
3k, 5k, and 10k. All categories except
for 21k will start and nish at the SM
Mall of Asia. The 21k will start at
Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and n-
ish at SM Mall of Asia. Free shuttle
services for all 21k runners from SM
Mall of Asia to BGC starting at 2:30
a.m. This service will be available at
15 minute intervals until the last trip
scheduled at 3:30 a.m. in time for the
4:30 a.m. gun start.
A total of 13,000 runners partici-
pated at Run United 1. Run United
races are for the benet of Gawad
Kalusugan (the health program of
Gawad Kalinga) and the Childrens
Hour.
The Run United 2 Race Expo will
be held until June 16 at Block 51,
9
th
Ave. corner 26
th
Street, Bonifacio
Global City, Taguig City. Claimants
should bring their registration receipt
or conrmation email when claiming
their race kits.
The specic schedule of race kit
distribution at the race expo are as
follows: June 14 /11-8 p.m./Priority
10K; June 15/11-8 p.m./Priority 5K;
and June 16/11-8 p.m./Priority: 500m
dash, 3K and 5K.
A number of new concepts and
services for the participants and their
families will be introduced at Run
United 2 including the improved Ac-
tive Health Expo with more areas to
explore and services to avail. Regular
activities such as photo booth, awards
program, and cheer-dance competi-
tion will still be there.
The Active Health Expo will fea-
ture the following areas:
Active Kids Zone: a daycare
center where activities such as pup-
pet shows, art classes, among others
await the runners children.
Runners Lounge Zone: after
the race, runners can reward them-
selves here where they can try the
ice cooling stations, free stretch-
ing services of physical therapists,
among others for faster recovery.
i-Connect Zone: where runners
can share the Run United experience
in social networking sites with free
wi- connection in digital stations.
Health, Sports and Leisure Zone:
where runners can participate in ac-
tivities and challenges that promote
an active and healthy lifestyle. Par-
ticipants also get a chance to win
prizes.
Food Zone: Food treats galore
where runners can load up on protein,
carbo and health drinks to recover
fast and stay healthy.
All Run United 2 nishers for the
500m, 3K, 5K and 10K categories
will receive an Active Health sling
bag, drinks, and race analysis. 21K
runners will receive a nishers med-
al, nishers shirt, Active Health sling
bag, drinks, and race analysis.
For more inquiries on Run United
and Active Health, check out these
websites: www.unilabactivehealth.
com and www.runrio.com as well
as their respective fan pages on
Facebook and Twitter. Race results
will be available within three days
after the race.
Should showbiz
personalities
enter politics?
ACTOR and former President J oseph Estr ada
has opened the doors to politician wannabes
in show business. Actors and actresses turn
their eyes on seeking government posts using
their popularity and hoping that one day they
could be like Estrada.
In 2010, we saw Bong Revilla and wife
Lani Mercado, Lito Lapid, Tito Sotto,
Vilma Santos, Lucy Tor res, starlet Angelica
Jones, and of course Manny Pacquiao,
to name a few, winning in the elections.
Unfortunately, Cesar Montano, Imelda
Papin, Edu Manzano, Aiko Melandez and
Ar a Mina didnt have the same luck.
Barely a year before the 2013 elections,
some actors have expressed plans to run for
public ofce. Despite unfavorable comments
from those who detest celebrities in politics,
they seem unfazed. Will those who lost in the
2010 elections run again?
As early as now several actors have
conrmed their intentions. Aga Muhlach,
who made Camarines Sur his place of
residence, will try to win a seat in the House
of Representative and Annabelle Rama wants
to be a lawmaker, too.
Former sex symbol Alma Moreno
is planning to join the likes of Mir iam
Defensor-Santiago and Juan Ponce-Enr ile
in the Senate. We also have former teen star
Onemig Bondoc eyeing a vice-gubernatorial
post in Bataan.
Political machinery is no longer an issue
as most showbiz politician wannabes do have
the means.
But are they qualied, intellectually?
Sure Pacquiao leaped frog from being a
high school dropout to studying Development,
Legislation and Governance, Alma Moreno
has been studying Political Science and the
others are simply using their long experience
dealing with people. But are these enough to
qualify them as government ofcials?
We have had many intelligent politicians,
extremely intelligent in fact but they were
unable to solve the pressing problems of this
country. So why not try celebrities? They are
good at waiving their hands and getting the
attention of the masses. They are very efcient
in endorsing advocacies and important causes.
Most of all they are more charismatic than
politicians elected.
But do showbiz personalities really have to
give up their glamorous world for their political
ambitions? Most people dont know the
difference between show business and politics
and the latter is more entertaining at times. And
most voters, elect ofcials as if they are voting
for the most popular in the country.
A COMBINED total of P20
million will be given away in
the biggest and most inten-
sive artista search on Philip-
pine Television. The search
will kick off with a massive
one-time grand auditions at
the Smart Araneta Coliseum
on June 19, Tuesday.
With Artista Academy, TV5
goes all-out in discovering and
developing Philippine Televi-
sions biggest new stars, by of-
fering real training in a legiti-
mate school of television arts
along with the fame, fortune
and stardom every showbiz
hopeful dreams of.
Artista Academy searches
for young showbiz aspirants
aged 16-21 who have the
looks, charm, potential and
determination to go through
extensive curriculum-based
training under the Asian
Academy of Television Arts
(AATA) to become certied
professional actors armed
with the acting versatility
and right attitude to make a
name for themselves in the
industry.
Over P20 Million in total
prizes will be given to the
deserving winners who will
be hailed as Artista Acad-
emys Best Actor and Best
Actress. Not only will they
be equipped with the proper
acting training from AATA
to become TV5s next big
stars, they will also be the
richest of all winners in the
history of all talent searches
in the Philippines.
All 16 nalists who will be
chosen as Artista Academy
Students will be granted full
AATA scholarships and the
chance to undergo compre-
hensive training with the best
in the industryincluding
multi-awarded director Joel
Lamangan, music master
Louie Ocampo, choreogra-
pher Georcelle Dapat of G
Force, along with other es-
teemed TV professionals and
distinguished celebrities.
Film and TV director
Mac Alejandre heads the
TV5 Talent Center and will
be working with the Head of
AATA, for GMA Network
executive Wilma Galvante,
who will act as Principal of
Artista Academy.
We are all excited with
the launch of Artista Acad-
emy because this really tops
all artista searches that have
been done in the country. We
are offering real training in a
real academy for our future
stars. No other program has
offered such school-based
learning and development
from an academy of television
arts. And, of course, it will be
a real life-changing experi-
ence for not just one but two
students because we are giv-
ing away P20 Million worth
of prizes, including lead roles
in a forthcoming teleserye
of the network. This is real
fame, fortune, and stardom.
This is as real as it can get,
shared TV5 Creative and En-
tertainment Production Head
Perci Intalan.
All interested artista aspi-
rants aged 16-21 are invited
to come to the Artista Acad-
emy grand auditions at the
Smart Araneta Coliseum on
June 19 at 2 p.m. By bringing
a copy of their birth certi-
cate, valid ID, and their best
glam pictures, they are a step
closer to living the glamorous
artista life.
GMA Network claims
leadership nationwide in May
THE Kapuso Network (GMA Network, Inc.) claims
nationwide TV ratings leadership in May, according to
Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.
Celebrities grace Run United 2 on June 17
P20 MILLION AT STAKE
TV5 grand auditions for Artista Academy
Direk Mac Alejandre Wilma Galvante Perci Intalan
New Mars on screen

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