Manila Standard Today - August 22, 2012 Issue

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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
WEATHER
By Jonathan Fernandez
AN incoming tropical storm to
be named Julian might enter
Philippine territory tomorrow,
Thursday, and might overlap
with Igme, which could con-
tinue battering the Calayan,
Babuyan and Batanes Group of
Islands on Wednesday, a weath-
er forecaster said on Tuesday.
Weather forecaster Manny
Mendoza said several areas
would experience moderate to
heavy rain or 10 to 25 millime-
ters of rain with gusty winds.
Mendoza said Igme could
enhance the southwest monsoon
that will bring light to moderate
rain over other parts of Luzon,
especially the western section

New storm may enter PH
TODAY
www.manilastandardtoday.com mst@mstandardtoday.com
Vol. XXVI No. 161 16 Pages, 3 Sections
P18.00 Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Standard
Manila
Proclamation 460 says
the national ag will be
own at half-staff from sun-
rise to sunset in all govern-
ment buildings and installa-
tions in the Philippines and
in the countrys posts abroad
for a period of six days.
Mr. Aquino made the an-
nouncement even as Palace
ofcials on Tuesday said
they were preparing a state
funeral for Robredo, whose
body was recovered Tues-
day after his plane crashed
into the waters off Masbate
City Saturday.
A committee led by the
head of the Presidential
Communications Develop-
ment and Strategic Planning
Ofce will make arrange-
ments for the ofcial honors
and state funeral, presiden-
tial spokesman Edwin Laci-
erda said.
By Joyce Paares,
Macon Araneta,
Julito Rada
and Joel Zurbano
FRIENDS and colleagues,
political allies, foreign dip-
lomats, business and industry
leaders, civil servants and or-
dinary folks expressed sad-
ness at the death of Interior
and Local Government Sec-
retary Jessie Robredo, calling
him a remarkable person, a
loving father and husband, a
perfect example of a true and
seless public servant.
Robredo and two pilots
died when their plane crashed
into the sea off the coast of
Masbate on Aug. 18, three
days before the Aug. 21 death
anniversary of Ninoy Aquino,
and people recalled a similar
outpouring of grief thoughout
the land.
Retracing important
events in Philippine history,

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino
III on Tuesday missed the cel-
ebration of Ninoy Aquino Day
in Pasay City and in Manila in
honor of his father, the late Be-
nigno Aquino Jr., to witness the
retrieval of the body of Interior
Secretary Jesse Robredo whose
plane crashed into the sea in
Masbate on Saturday.
The Manila International Air-
port Authority hosted the cel-
ENGINE trouble on Tuesday struck
a Navy helicopter helping in the
search for Interior Secretary Jesse
Robredo, forcing its two pilots to
execute an emergency landing at
the shoreline in Buenavista village
in Donsol, Sorsogon, Navy spokes-
man Col. Omar Tonsay said.
It was a precautionary landing.
The helicopter had some engine
trouble, Tonsay said.
Rey E. Requejo
THE Justice Department on
Wednesday deployed a ve-
man team to Isabela following
reports of sightings of murder
convict Rommel Laciste, who
bolted the maximum security
compound of the New Bilibid
Prison on Aug. 15.
Justice Secretary Leila De Lima
said the team was conducting hot
pursuit operations in an effort to
recover the escaped convict.
Laciste escaped on the day
By Joyce Pangco Paares
THE body of Interior Secretary
Jesse Robredo was found and
retrieved early Tuesday from the
sea off Masbate where his small
plane had crashed three days
earlier, ofcials said.
His body was pulled out from
the overturned fuselage of the
twin-engine Piper Seneca, about
180 feet underwater and around
800 meters off Masbate province,
Transport Secretary Mar Roxas
said.
He said the bodies of the
planes Filipino pilot and Nepali
student pilot were jammed inside
the cockpit and would be retrieved
later.
That meant there were no
other survivors.
Palace declares
days of mourning
No other survivors
found in crash site
Grief, tributes as sad news spreads
Navy chopper
in search ops
force-lands
Govt poss
hunts down
jail escapee
PNoy misses pas death anniversary rites
Symbol of respect for fallen leader. The ag ies at half-staff
at the Interior and Local Government headquarters in Quezon City.
MANNY PALMERO
Diving helicopter. Fishermen help Navy servicemen salvage a
Bulco attack helicopter that crashed into the waters near the shore-
line in Sta. Cruz, Donsol, Sorsogon, while searching for the wreckage
of the plane carrying Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse
Robredo. DANNY PATA
Remembering Ninoy. A priest sprinkles holy water on the
marker at the airport where Ninoy Aquino was killed in 1983.
Home at last. Policemen carry the remains of Interior and Local Government
Secretary Jesse Robredo at the Naga Airport. Inset shows President Aquino talk-
ing with Robredos wife Leonora and Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman.
Others in photo are the Robredo children and relatives.
ebration of Ninoy Aquino Day
on Terminal 3 of the airport that
was renamed after the late former
senator to commemorate his 29th
death anniversary.
Organizers laid a wreath at the
foot of Aquinos bust and award-
ed the First Ninoy Aquino medal
for freedom ghters.
The visitors who attended
Ninoy Aquino Day included the
members of the Yellow Ribbon
Movement, Chino Roces Foun-
dation, Spirit of EDSA, LABAN,
Fil-Canadians for Ninoy and
Cory, Cory Veterans, the Metro
Next page
Next page
By Joyce Pangco Paares
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino
III declared National Days of
Mourning for Interior Secretary
Jesse Robredo starting Tuesday,
Aug. 21, until his interment.
Next page
Next page
Next page
Next page
Next page
State funeral being planned for Robredo
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
News
ManilaStandardToday mst.daydesk@gmail.com AUGUST 22, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A2
PNoy...
Manila Development Au-
thority, Mindanao Peoples
Causus, Balay Rehabilitation
Center, Unesco Dream Center,
Seoul Institute of the Arts, and
the MIAA led by senior assis-
tant general manager Vicente
Guerzon.
MIAA general manager Jose
Angel Honrado missed the event
as he joined President Aquino
in boarding an Air Force C-130
aircraft for a ight to Masbate to
witness the retrieval of Robre-
dos body.
In Manila, Mayor Alfredo
Lim led Manilans in commem-
orating Aquinos death anniver-
sary and called on the nation to
continue supporting the admin-
istration of his son.
Following a wreath-laying
ceremony at the monument of
the late senator at the Ninoy and
Cory Aquino Park, Lim thanked
all those who attended the affair,
especially the students from vari-
ous schools.
He urged the students to
study hard to become success-
ful at a young age, saying the
late senator broke all records
when he became the countrys
youngest mayor, governor and
senator.
Those who attended the event
included presidential cousin
Paolo Benigno Bam Aquino
IV, MMDA Chairman Francis
Tolentino, Rep. Erin Taada,
and Senators Ramon Magsay-
say Jr., Joey Lina and Aquilino
Pimentel III.
The celebration at the air-
port featured a song from for-
mer Senator Joey Lina, who
sang the opposition hymn
The Impossible Dream, and
a speech from Bam Aquino,
who exhorted the Filipinos to
emulate Ninoy Aquinos hero-
ism. Eric B. Apolonio and
Macon Ramos-Araneta
No...
At 7:25 this morning, our vol-
unteer divers found the fuselage
with bodies inside, an emotional
Roxas, his voice breaking, told
reporters in Masbate.
He said a technical diver, Matt
Reed, was able to identify Ro-
bredo after having been briefed
on his attire.
Robredo, 54, was heading to
his hometown of Naga City on
Saturday from Cebu City, where
he had met with local ofcials,
when one of the planes engines
stalled 30 minutes into the ight.
The plane crashed as it attempted
an emergency landing at the Mas-
bate airport, about 380 kilometers
southeast of Manila, Roxas had
said earlier.
An aide of Robredo made a
dramatic escape from the plane
as it sank and was rescued by
shermen and later helped in the
search, Roxas said.
The massive search involv-
ing 600 coast guard, police and
military personnel backed by
dozens of civilians ended after a
foreign deep sea volunteer diver
saw the wreckage.
Roxas said the divers would
have to retrieve the bodies of the
pilot and student pilot later because
they needed time for decompres-
sion after diving that deep. He said
the diver was able to retrieve Ro-
bredos body because it was close
to the planes door.
President Benigno Aquino III
informed Robredos wife only af-
ter absolute conrmation of his
identity from a personal friend of
Robredo who had coordinated
the volunteer divers, Roxas said.
Mr. Aquino later ew to Masbate.
The President was very quiet.
He sought absolute conrma-
tion, Roxas said.
As interior secretary, Robredo
was in charge of the national po-
lice and provincial governments.
Robredo was popular for his
reformist views and policies and
clean image that were prominent
since he entered politics as Naga
Citys mayor in 1988, deviating
from the political patronage and
corruption that characterized tradi-
tional politicians. He won a Ramon
Magsaysay award--regarded as
Asias version of a Nobel Prize--in
2000 for good governance.
Jesse has passed. The nation
has lost one of her nest servant-
leaders. Join us in mourning and
tribute, presidential spokesman
Edwin Lacierda wrote on his
Twitter account on Tuesday.
People in Naga City lined up the
streets on Tuesday holding up signs
that read We love you, Jesse.
The local hero, a six-term
mayor and one of the countrys
Ten Outstanding Young Men in
1996, was home.
Mr. Aquino called up Robre-
dos wife, Maria Leonor, to con-
vey the news about her husband.
He then ew to Masbate to bring
the remains of his friend to Naga
City on board a C-130 plane.
Presidential spokesman Edwin
Lacierda described Robredo as
one of the countrys nest ser-
vant-leaders.
Executive Secretary Paquito
Ochoa Jr. said Robredos track
record in public service has been
an inspiration to all those who be-
lieve in government as an instru-
ment for positive change.
Presidential Communications
Operations Ofce head Secretary
Herminio Coloma said Robredo
was an exemplary public servant
and pathnder in implementing
innovations in governance.
Budget Secretary Florencio
Abad hailed his former colleague
for his unagging sense of in-
tegrity and diligence.
Malacaang has already
created a committee that will take
charge of the state funeral that
will be accorded Robredo. With
the AP, Florante S. Solmerin,
Ramesis A. Sison, Oliver
Samson and Diosdado Briones
Palace...
Robredos body was taken to the
Archbishops Palace in Naga City
for a wake Tuesday night and was
expected to be brought to Manila
on Friday, his family said.
Presidential Communications
Development Undersecretary
Manolo Quezon said the late
secretarys family would have a
say in the arrangements for the
state funeral.
Police in Robredos home-
town of Naga City said they
would be on high alert over the
next few days as top ofcials
were expected to visit his wake.
President Aquino and several
Cabinet members arrived Tues-
day to bring Robredos remains
to his family.
SPO2 Randy Solano, spokes-
man of the Naga police, told
radio dzMM that security was
tight at the Funeraria Imperial
where Robredos body was be-
ing prepared for the wake.
Yellow ribbons adorned trees
and posts in the city.
Flags ew at half-staff in
Malacanang, with other gov-
ernment ofces, police camps
and public schools nationwide
expected to follow suit.
National Police chief Nicanor
Bartolome said all police camps
would y the ag at half-staff as
an expression of...great respect to
a great man and a good leader.
In Manila, Mayor Alfredo Lim
ordered a similar gesture of respect.
Manila joins the whole
country and the family of Sec-
retary Robredo in mourning...
We lost a good man and a good
public servant today, Lim said.
Navy...

The chopper was part of the
aircraft deployed in the search
for Robredo and Jessup Bahint-
ing and Napalese Kshitz Chand,
the pilots of the ill-fated Seneca
Piper plane that crashed on Sat-
urday off Masbate.
The two pilots and their passen-
gers were unhurt, Tonsay said.
The chopper landed safely
and remains intact. It was al-
ready inspected to determine
the cause of the precautionary
landing. Florante S. Solmerin
Grief...
some people said Robredo shared
the same fate as Ramon Magsay-
say, the revered 7th Philippine
president, who died in a plane
crash in Cebu 55 years ago, and
their deaths left a pall of gloom
over the nation.
They dont come any better
than Jesse Robredocompetent,
honest, committed to serve the
country, a totally good and de-
cent human being. There must
be a meaning to this terrible loss.
And we received this news on
the anniversary of the martyrdom
of Ninoy Aquino. That too must
mean something, said Commis-
sion on Higher Education Chair-
person Patricia Licuanan.
The ve-seater Piper Cessna
plane carrying Robredo that took
off from Cebu and bound for Naga
City, his hometown, crashed on
August 18his aide Jun Abrazado
survivedbut his body was recov-
ered on August 21, while the coun-
try was commemorating the 29th
death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino.
The dates holds special mean-
ing and Customs Commissioner
Rozzano Biazon said it should not
be left unnoticed. Like Ninoys
passing on August 21 that started
a freedom revolution, let August
21 be the start of a good gover-
nance revolution in Secretary
Jesses name, Biazon said.
People call newspapers, ra-
dio and television stations to
heap praises on Robredos
leadership as a government of-
ficial, particularly his outstad-
ing achievements in the field
of good governance.
Secretary Jesse was a true har-
binger of transformational lead-
ership and his passion for good
governance has reverberated and
serve as inspiration to many of
our young leaders in Mindanao.
In pursuing public service, he has
long dedicated his life to some-
thing greater than himself. He
will deservely be remembered for
a long time, said Mindanao De-
velopment Authority Chairperson
Luwalhati Antonino.
Executive Secretary Paquito
Ochoa said Robredos track re-
cord in public service has been
an inspiration to all those who be-
lieve in government as an instru-
ment of change.
Aurora Rep. Juan Angara
said: The Daang Matuwid lost
one of its champions today. The
best tribute we can give a great
man is to continue his ght. Sec.
Robredo, as a modern day hero
and public servant, should be
buried at the Libingan ng mga
Bayani. The momentum for ini-
tiating reforms is right in front
of us right now, and the untime-
ly passing of Sec. Jesse hopeful-
ly further invigorates us woking
in thegovernment to continue
his legacy, with his brand of
principled leadership.
TESDA chief Joel Villanueva
said Robredo was one of the cor-
nerstones of the Aquino Adminis-
tration. Death ended his life, but
not the inspiration that he instilled
in all of us to always do what is
good. For this, he will always live
in our hearts, Villanueva said.
Robredo was known for his
generosity and loyalty as a friend.
One of those who beneted from
his friendship was Sen. Panlo
Lacson. I will always remember
and be thankful to Sec. Jesse Ro-
bredo for personally albeit quietly
helping me during my difcult
time while in hiding. Robredo
was so real and natural as a per-
son in dealing with people, close
friends or not.
A fellow Bicolano, Sen. Francis
Escudero called Robredo a prin-
cipled man whose honesty and in-
tegrity were beyond question. He
said: While he has left us to be
with the Creator, his memory and
legacy should be remembered, now
and in the days to come.
As a person widely known for
his sincerity and integrity, Agri-
culture Secretary Proceso Alcala
described Robredo as a good
man, sincere, and straight for-
ward. Walang cheche bureche
kami mag-usap.
The Philippine Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (PCCI),
the largest business organization
in the country, said in a statement
Robredo was one of the most re-
liable Cabinet members of the ad-
ministration and one of the most
business-friendly.
He worked really hard to
make business environment eas-
ier in the country, PCCI Chair-
man Sergio Ortiz-Luis said.
At the House of Representa-
tives, Speaker Feliciano Belmon-
te and several lawmakers offered
condolences to the family and
sympathies to the Filipino people.
He was a good man. The fact
is a great source of pride for you
and for those of us in government
who worked alongside him, Bel-
monte said.
Defense Secretary Voltaire
Gazmin described Robredo as a
model family man and public ser-
vant. He balanced his duty as a
father and as a government of-
cial. He made concrete efforts to
better society, to serve the public
and transform how government
perform its duty. His passing is a
great loss to our continuing efforts
in reforming bureaucracy and the
road to good government.
The Catholic Bishops Confer-
ence of the Philippines (CBCP)
paid homage to Robredo and
retired archbishop Oscar Cruz
mourned the loss of a long-time
friend. He said: Its a big loss
for the country and government ...
Its too bad that we lost one of the
few honest public ofcials.
Several embassies, including the
United States, Canada and Great
Britain, sent their condolences.
Canadian Ambassador Christopher
Thomley said Robredo ushered in
a new era of political reform in the
Philippines, and inpsired govern-
ment workers to seless devotion
in public service.
The U.S. Embassy said in a
statement: We will miss our
friendship and partnership with
Secretary Robredo, as he dedicat-
ed himslef to bettering the lives
of the Filipino people. We stand
with the people and government
of the Philippines at this difcult
time, and are prepared to assist
the Philippine government in the
aftermath of this tragic accident.
But the six-term Naga City
mayor and later Interior Secre-
tary lived a full life dedicated to
public service.
His family, friends and col-
leagues in the government were
one in extolling his exemplary
life as husband, father and public
servant. The Aquino administra-
tion has ordered a state funeral
betting his stature and legacy as
a man for others.
Robredo was born on May 27,
1958, in Naga City. He was a sec-
ond-generation Chinese-Filipino
and was the third of ve children
(two sons and three daughters) of
Jose Chan Robredo Sr. and Mar-
celina Manalastas.
Robredo was married to Leni,
a lawyer, and had three daugh-
ters: Jessica Mae Aika, Patricia
18, and Jilian, 13.
A loving father, Jesse Robre-
do chose to ride a private plane
instead of a regular ight from
Cebu because he had to rush
home to attend an awarding cer-
emony for Jillian, who had won a
swimming contest in Naga City.
It turned out to be a fatal choice.
He died after the twin-engine
Piper Seneca plane crashed in
the waters of Obingay village in
Masbate City 300 meters from
the shore.
His body was discovered
Tuesday morning around 8:30
a.m. still inside the plane by an
Australian technical driver who
brought him to the surface.
Divers have yet to retrieve
the bodies of the two pilots, Air
Force Captain Jessup Bahint-
ing and student pilot Nepalese
Kshitis Chand who were trapped
inside the cockpit.
Robredos aide, Police Senior
Inspector Jun Abrazado, sur-
vived the crash and was rescued
by shermen passing by the area.
Robredo, according to Solita
Monsod, chairwoman of the
Movement for Good Governance,
advanced reforms in the local gov-
ernment and the interior sector
that were crucial to the countrys
straight and narrow path
Monsod said that, up until the
night before his departure for
Cebu, Robredo had been push-
ing his management team to nd
more effective ways to advance
reforms in local governance and
the interior sector. He was par-
ticularly focused on drumming
up public support for the Full
Disclosure Policy, an instrument
that he hoped would advance
transparency and accountability
in local governance.
On Friday, the day before
Robredo, 54, had a full life
By Jonathan Fernandez
JESSE Manalastas Robredo was only 54
years old when he died after the Piper
Seneca plane he was riding with three
other people crashed into the waters of
Masbate Bay on Aug. 18.
the crash, Robredo had wanted
to start an advocacy campaign
so that ordinary citizens could
demand good governance and
transparency from their leaders.
He demanded that illegal logging
be stopped and those involved be
made accountable.
He had also been tirelessly
improving the disaster risk re-
duction and mitigation capa-
bilities of local government
units across the country. He had
introduced the Seal of Disaster
Preparedness, another incentive
mechanism to help local gov-
ernment units deal with disas-
ters and calamities.
The important thing here is re-
ducing casualties to zero, he said.
Having been a mayor in Naga
City for 19 years, Robredo was
strict about ensuring that each lo-
cal government units business
process licensing system were
streamlined and highly effective.
Robredo believed that mea-
suring outcomes led to im-
provements. He enhanced the
Local Governance Performance
Management System, a tool to
measure local governments
performance by turning it into
an assessment tool validated
by third-party assessment. This
was a departure from the old
system of self-assessment.
In the Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao, Ro-
bredo was instrumental in the
promotion of transparency and
accountability among local
governments through the Seal
of Good Housekeeping. The
Interior Department was also
on top of the reform program
in the ARMM with a funding
of P8.59 billion.
As Naga City Mayor, Ro-
bredo won several awards as
chief executive of the now-
prosperous city. Under his
leadership, Naga was trans-
formed into the premier city
of the Bicol Region.
He was an Edward Ma-
son Fellow and a masters in
public administration gradu-
ate of the John F. Kennedy
School of Government in
Harvard University.
He completed his masters in
business administration at the
University of the Philippines,
nishing at the top of his class
as university and college schol-
ar. He was an alumnus of the
De La Salle University, having
obtained undergraduate degrees
in industrial management engi-
neering and mechanical engi-
neering. With a report from
the Interior Department
New...
that includes Metro Manila,
Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan,
Batangas and Mindoro.
He said Julian, with the in-
ternational codename Bolaven,
would come from Japan.
The weather bureau said Igme
was last seen Tuesday afternoon
310 kilometers east of Basco,
Batanes, while moving north
slowly.
The typhoon was expected to
be 260 kilometers northeast of
Basco, Batanes, by Wednesday
morning. By Thursday, it was
expected to leave the Philippines
for Taiwan.
A large part of Luzon will be
mostly cloudy with scattered
and thunderstorms, becoming
cloudy with widespread rain
over Northern Luzon and the
western section of Central Lu-
zon.
Visayas and Mindanao will
have partly cloudy to cloudy
skies with isolated and thunder-
storms.
The weather bureau warned
residents living in low-lying and
mountainous areas in the provinc-
es against possible ashoods and
landslides. It also advised shing
boats and other small seacraft
not to venture out into the eastern
seaboards of Central and South-
ern Luzon due to the big waves
caused by the typhoon and the
southwest monsoon.
Govt...
high-prole murder convict Rolito
Go, who resurfaced after his alleged
abduction at the NBP reservation.
De Lima also disclosed that a
show cause memoranda had also
been issued to several custodial of-
cers of the NBP to determine any
possible culpability on their part in
Lacistes escape.
Show cause memos have been
issued to about 10 custodial ofcers
and personnel [for them] to explain
in writing within 48 hours why no
administrative sanctions should be
imposed on them, De Lima said in
a text statement.
She said Laciste must have es-
caped by slipping aboard a rice de-
livery truck that arrived and left on
that day. Footage recorded at the exit
gate proved useful as it showed no
thorough inspection of the departing
delivery truck done by NBP security
personnel.
[T]he rice hull delivery truck
was haphazardly inspected at Gate
IV when it exited at about 2:30 pm,
Aug. 15, as shown in the video
footage from the Operations Cen-
ter, De Lima said.
Grief. A woman cries as she attends a mass for Interior Secretary
Jesse Robredo at a school in Mandaluyong City. Aaron Favila, AP
AUGUST 22, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A3 News
ManilaStandardToday mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Philhealth widens reach via Internet
Our plan is to install by next
year a system that will allow
these workers to simply submit
online their individual claims for
repayment, Banzon said.
Philhealth now covers 2.52
million workers plus 2.48 mil-
lion of their dependents.
The state-run agency said the
plan is to grant nancial relief
to workers in the event they be-
come ill and seek hospitaliza-
tion in their host countries,said
Banzon, also Philhealth chief
executive ofcer.
Philhealth is considering hir-
ing physicians abroad to care for
Filipino workers overseas.
We hope to start doing this
in selected foreign cities with
large concentrations of OFWs,
Banzon said.
At present, workers hospital-
ized abroad may le claims for
reimbursement only by submit-
ting hard copies of the paper-
work within six months to the
Philhealth ofce nearest their
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has signed into law the Peoples
Survival Fund bill that will pave the way for the implementation
of local climate change action plans to make communities more
resilient to disasters.
Climate Change Commission Secretary Mary Ann Sering said
the fund has been initially set at P1 billion annually.
The PSF, however, may be augmented by donations,
endowments, grants and contributions, Sering said.
Now, we have the means to make our communities safer
against the intensifying effects of climate change, she said.
The PSF amended certain provisions of Republic Act 9729 or
the Climate Change Act of 2009.
We already have identied our strategic priorities in
accordance with the national framework and what we have to do
now is to ensure that the local actions or programs actually t in,
Sering said. Joyce Panares
By Florante S. Solmerin
BACKED by certain politicians
and businessmen, illegal log-
gers have intensied their op-
erations within the 51,000-hec-
tare Manobo Agroforestation
Complex in Agusan del Sur and
other parts of the CARAGA re-
gion, a special task force said
on Tuesday.
The renewed illegal activi-
ties, despite the standing log
ban, were made evident by the
conscation of freshly cut logs,
said Renato Miranda, executive
director of the Anti-Illegal Log-
ging Task Force.
Miranda said his men and
Army soldiers and policemen
from the Talacogon police have
almost simultaneously cons-
catedon Monday newly cut logs
at the Adgawan River in La Paz
town and Ihaoan and Johnson
Rivers in Loreto town.
A Manobo chieftain Bae Ha-
wodon Cugbahan Merlyn Ta-
gleong Coguit conrmed the
renewed offensives of loggers
into their ancestral domain tak-
ing advantage of the national
situation with the death of the
Secretary Jesse Robredo of the
Department of Interior and Local
Government.
Coguit is the successor of Su-
preme Datu Haudon Cugbahan
Tagliong Coguit, leader of the
Manobo Council of Elders.
The Manobo tribe holds the
Certicate of Ancestral Do-
main Claim 132, meaning the
51,000-hectare complex is
owned by the tribesmen and
legally recognized by the gov-
ernment. The CADC itself is a
tenure instrument that author-
izes the Manobo tribe to harvest,
transport, process and sell re-
sources within the CADC.
Coguit said the loggers were
back in the mountains of Baran-
gays Pangyan, Tudela, Sta.
Maria, San Ignacio, San Isidro,
Cebulin, all of Trento town; and
in the forests of Bunawan and
Veruela towns.
A large portion of the illegal-
ly cut logs were from the moun-
tains of Ezperanza and Talaco-
gon towns, she said.
Most of the buyers of the il-
legal forest products that were
sourced from Agusan del Sur
forests are based in Davao City,
she said.
The joint AILTF-military re-
port said a total of 62 cubic
meters of assorted logs includ-
ing Dipterocarp (lauan) red
and white, Bagtikan, Tangile,
Mayapis, and Almon with esti-
mated value of P 308,000 were
intercepted Monday in the river
of Agusan del Sur being trans-
ported to the processing plants of
unidentied owners.
It said the AILTF men de-
ployed in the area received infor-
mation from concerned citizens
and immediately launched a raid.
The seized logs were turned over
to Talacogon Community Envi-
ronment and Natural Resources
Ofce.
Earlier, the late Robredo said
several mayors in Agusan del
Sur and also Gov. Adolph Ed-
ward Plaza were being investi-
gated for their alleged links with
illegal logging in the province.
Maguindanao Rep. Simeon
Datumanong led House Reso-
lution 2549 seeking to look into
the illegal logging in Mindanao.
FILIPINO workers who are members
of the Philippine Health Insurance
Corp. may soon le claims through
the Internet for hospital bills incurred
abroad, according to Philhealth
president Eduardo Banzon.
Philippine residence.
The papers to be submitted
are Philhealth Claim Form 1;
a photocopy of the claimants
latest Member Data Record, or
contribution payment receipt; a
medical certicate with complete
diagnosis, period of connement
and services rendered; and a hos-
pital statement of account and/
or ofcial receipts with itemized
charges and other supporting
documents in English.
The Philippine-based depend-
ents of workers may readily avail
themselves of benets via ac-
credited local hospitals and out-
patient service providers.
Philhealth helps pay for the
room and board, medicines, lab-
oratory exams, as well as operat-
ing room and professional fees
for every hospital connement
of not less than 24 hours of the
workers spouse and other de-
pendents.
Qualied dependents are
active Philhealth members are
entitled to a separate coverage
of up to 45 days connement
per calendar year. The 45-day
allowance is shared among all
dependents.
Eligible dependents include
the OFWs legal spouse who
is not a Philhealth member, or
whose membership is inactive;
the OFWs children below 21
years of age, unmarried and un-
employed; and the OFWs par-
ents who are 60 years old and
above.
The spouses and children of
male OFWs also receive ample
medical subsidy in the form of
prenatal, maternity and new-
born care benets.
A 1995 law requires all citi-
zens of the Philippines to
enroll in the National Health
Insurance Program in order to
avoid adverse selection and so-
cial inequity.
Under the law, compulsory
coverage is based on community
spirit and social solidarity, which
call for risk-sharing among di-
verse income and age groups,
persons of varied health status,
and those residing in different
locations.
Philhealth is bound to carry out
the law, which mandates compul-
sory membership and coverage
of all Filipinos, including work-
ers, Banzon said.
To enlarge benet payments
and cope with the rising cost of
hospitalization and out-patient
services, Philhealth has adjusted
annual premium contributions.
In the case of workers, their
more than 10-year-old annual
premium of P900 (or P2.50 per
day) has been revised in phases
to P1,200 (or P3.30 per day) ef-
fective January 1, 2012, and to
P2,400 (P6.55 per day) starting
Jan. 1, 2013.
The cost of all goods and
services has drastically gone up
over the years. This includes the
cost of health care paid for by
Philhealth, Banzon pointed out.
The ne-tuning is long over-
due and reasonable, considering
it merely reects over a decade
of health care cost ination, and
in view of the expanded benets
Philhealth has been rolling out as
we speak, he said. With Vito
Barcelo, Gigi David
Survival fund
signed into law
Promenaders make the most of the long weekend on a cloudy
day while tropical storm Igme is pummeling Cagayan and another
weather disturbance to be called Julian brewing over the northern
Philippine territory. EY ACASIO
By Joel Zurbano

THE Coast Guard will deploy
to Palawan K-9 dogs that are
trained to detect drugs and ex-
plosives as the province is fast
becoming the top tourist spot in
the country.
The move, according to Coast
Guard K-9 Unit head com-
mander Allen Dalangin, is in
support of President Aquinos
pronouncement that there is sig-
nicant increase of tourists in
Palawans capital Puerto Princ-
esa where the famous Under-
ground River is located.
The river was named one of
the new Seven Wonders of the
World.
The Coast Guard is targeting
a total of 20 dogs to be deployed
in the province before the end of
the month.
Dalangin said 70 percent of the
dogs that would be assigned in
the province are trained in detect-
ing bombs and other forms of ex-
plosives while the 30 percent was
trained to sniff out drugs.
Data showed that in 2009
there were 345,738 tourists
who visited Palawan, and this
increased to 523,872 in 2010
and 631,135 last year.
Dalangin said the dogs would
not only be patrolling around
the Underground River but they
would also be deployed to other
beaches, tourist destinations and
would assist the local police and
the Philippine Drug Enforce-
ment Agency in the patrolling
the Puerto Princesa airport.
The K9 Unit had also received
a request from a local govern-
ment ofcial to augment their
canines at the airport. Puerto
Princesa Mayor Edward Hage-
dorn and the city council report-
edly passed a resolution request-
ing for additional K9 teams.
Dalangin said some of the
dogs that they have acquired
were donated by local residents
such as a Dutch K9 trainer, who
is based in Palawan and gave
them a German Shepherd and
promised another three pure
bred Belgian Mallinois.
THE Philippines made history
in Korea by winning two Gold
Awards for its pavilion held
recently at the Expo 2012 in
Yeosu, South Korea, Tourism
Secretary Ramon Jimenez said
on Tuesday.
The feat marks the rst time
that the Philippines won the
gold in an international expo,
and also the rst time that a
country has won two Gold
Awards.
The three-month exposi-
tion that started May 12, 2012
drew a total of 8,203,956 visi-
tors from across the globe,
according to the International
Media Center of the Expo
2012 organizers.
With an overall theme of The
Living Ocean and Coast and
subthemes of Preservation and
Sustainable Development of
the Ocean and Coast, New Re-
sources Technology, and Crea-
tive Marine Activities, the expo
aimed to shed light on human-
kinds knowledge of
the ocean and pave
the way for reaf-
rming global
effort to resolve
issues concern-
ing oceans and
coasts.
Adjudged by
the Bureau In-
ternational des
Expositions (BIE),
the Philippine pa-
vilion was awarded Gold
Award winners for Creative
Display and Theme Devel-
opment criteria from 11 par-
ticipating countries, besting
the likes of Vietnam, Brunei,
Mexico, Tunisia, Egypt, and
Lithuania.
Lithuania and Mexico
brought home the silver and
bronze, respectively, for the
Creative Display criteria, while
Tunisia and Vietnam brought
home the silver and bronze,
respectively, for the Theme De-
velopment criteria.
Showcasing the
countrys rich bio-
diversity and
fun spirit, the
Philippine pa-
vilion captured
the hearts of
some 800,000
visitors from
across the globe.
The Philippine
design team, com-
posed of Stephanie Sy,
Deo Alam, and Jonathan Kim
Jimenez from Utwentysix De-
sign Studio, took to heart this
years expo theme as seen in
the recycled materials used to
build the pavilion that showed
the connection between and
among the seas and the coastal
communities.
The theme statement of the
Philippines, Island of Diversi-
ty Seas of Connectivity was
authored by Professor Edgardo
Gomez, world-renowned ma-
rine biologist and professor
emeritus and founding director
of the University of the Philip-
pines-Marine Science Institute
(UP-MSI).
Located within the Inter-
national Pavilion section, the
largest physical area in the
expo site, the pavilion fea-
tured corals as the foci of the
entire design. Indigenous ma-
terials were also showcased,
with the ubiquitous abaca tak-
ing prominence.
The sand was sourced from
the countrys famous beaches,
from the powdery white sand
of Boracay to the pink sand
of Sta. Cruz Island in Zam-
boanga, the brown sand of
San Lorenzo in Guimaras, and
the exotic black sand of Sto.
Domingo in Albay.
Jimenez said the idea was to
portray the Philippines as a desti-
nation where fun and sustainable
tourism coexist and form part of
a whole. Macon Araneta
Illegal logging thrives in Caraga despite ban
Rare feat: Gold awards in South Korean expo
Boomtown Palawan
gets K-9 patrol dogs
Members of a special task force nd newly cut logs in a pond somewhere in the Manobo Agroforest complex.
Jimenez
Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com AUGUST 22, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A4
BE a listening Church.
This was the appeal of social
anthropologist Mary Racelis,
a professor at the Jesuit-run
Ateneo de Manila University, to
the Catholic bishops who were
ratcheting up a campaign to stop
the reproductive health bill from
gaining passage in Congress.
Racelis was not alone in seeking
a reasoned response from the
Church. Some 191 of her colleagues
from the same Catholic university
this month signed a declaration
of support for House Bill 4244,
now known as The Responsible
Parenthood, Reproductive Health
and Population and Development
Bill.
The professors say they believe
that the RH bill is a vital piece of
legislation that needs to be passed
urgently.
It upholds the constitutional
right of couples to found a family
in accordance with their religious
convictions; honors our commitments
to international covenants and
conventions; and promotes the
reproductive health and reproductive
rights of Filipinos, especially of those
who are most marginalized on this
issueour women, poor families,
and young people.
Although the professors
emphasized that these were
personal, not the universitys
views, the Church response was
swift and unbending.
Archbishop Jose Palma, president
of the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines, warned that the
Church would strip schools of their
afliation if they taught anything
contrary to its ofcial teaching,
particularly on life issues.
If we are a Catholic school,
we should not teach anything
contrary to the ofcial teaching
of the Church, Palma said.
He said the bishops would try
to resolve the clash of beliefs
between the Church and the
teachers through dialoguebut it
was clear from his remarks which
side would do all the talking.
In some places, we rst talk to
them because some teachers may
have some misunderstanding
of what they think of freedom
of conscience or academic
freedom, said Palma.
In some of the universities,
we say that if you want to
teach that idea, do not do it in a
Catholic school because we are
confusing the students. Do it in
other universities.
The threat was unmistakable
if teachers in Catholic universities
wished to espouse pro-RH
views, they should nd other
employment. And the schools
that employed them have been
put on notice.
The threat was consistent with the
Churchs response thus far, which
has been marked by a naked attempt
to apply dogma to public policy and
intimidation against those who stand
in its way. Bishops have already
threatened to withhold Church
support for any lawmakers who vote
for the bill. What is another threat to
troublesome academics?
As odious as all this might
seem, the bishops are well within
their rights in a democracy to
air their viewsjust as the
courageous professors of the
Ateneo de Manila University
must be free to express theirs.
Now that they have done so, it is
a pity that nobody in the Catholic
hierarchy seems to be listening.
Is anybody listening?
EDITORIAL
Ports of call
THE increasing ports of call by US
warships in Manila will surely draw ak
from leftist militant groups. A silent
majority of Filipinos worried about Chinas
gunboat bullying in the West Philippine
Sea, however, sees the frequency of US
ships visits as a protective mantleif not
a message to China.
The latest US vessel to dock at the
South Harbor is the USS Milius, a
guided missile destroyer. In a statement,
the US Embassy said the ships four-day
goodwill visit is routine and highlights
the strong historic, community and
military connection between the United
States and the Philippines.
The American embassy statement
closely followed Washingtons warning to
Beijing not to use divide and conquer
tactics in bilateral talks with other Asian
countries with territorial claims in the
South China Sea. The Chinese Foreign
Minister Yang Jiechis diplomatic shuttle
to Brunei and Malaysia skipped Vietnam
and the Philippines, the two Asean nations
strongly opposing Chinas entire SCS
claim.
The US has seen through Chinas
ploy and why it prefers bilateral talks
to a multilateral approach to resolve
the conicting claims. Washingtons
message seeks to discourage Beijing
from pursuing a policy of intimidation
against smaller and weaker neighbors.
Its also meant to assure American allies
that the US intends to remain a Pacic
power and will not allow Chinese
hegemony in Asia. The Philippines,
Japan, and even former foe Vietnam
can only welcome a strong US naval
presence to ensure stability and a
balance of power in the region. Japan
has a separate and simmering territorial
dispute with China and Taiwan over the
Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
High prole and at large
Heres a suggestion to the police
from Senator Panlo Lacson on how
to capture high prole fugitives
former Palawan Governor Joel, his
brother former Coron Mayor Mario,
Jr., former General Jovito Palparan,
former congressman Ruben Ecleo, and
scam realtor Deln Lee: Think of them
24/7 on how they would move around
and monitor places where they have
friends who would give them refuge or
temporary sanctuary, Lacson said.
The former chief of the Philippine
National Police should know. He gave law
enforcers the slip for more than a year, and
was always a step ahead of his pursuers.
Lacson went on the lam when he felt he
could not get a fair trial during the time
of former President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo who he claimed tried to pin the
Dacer-Corbito kidnap-murder rap on him.
Lacson eluded the nationwide
manhunt even when Aquino Justice
Secretary Leila de Lima tried to make
life difcult for him. He was able to
return to his Senate seat when the
high court ruled there was not enough
evidence to link him to the case.
The senator from Cavite is alarmed at
the rising incidence of crime in the metro
area, especially in Manila whose mayor
is a former police chief and NBI director.
There have been instances of bold robbery
in band in crowded shopping malls, the
most recent in Pasay City and before that
at Greenbelt in Makati and Robinsons
in Ortigas. The modus operandi of the
organized gang appears similar but the
police are still clueless and have not
arrested any of the suspects.
Lacson is aghast that policemen
involved in some of these crimes are
high-ranking police ofcers.
When the President has to raise
reward money for the capture of high
prole fugitives, that means he is not
pleased with the police performance and
he thinks they are sitting on their butts,
Lacson said without mincing words about
the present police leadership headed by
PNP Chief Nicanor Bartolome.
Why did Lacson not challenge
incumbent Fred Lim in the city he said
has the worst crime rate in the Metro
area? Although they are not related,
Ping would have added name recall;
Manilas famous mayor in the fties was
tough guy Arsenio H. Lacson whose
colorful language made good copy for
the newspapers of his time.
Ping Lacsons former boss, ex-
President Erap Estrada, looms as
Manilas next mayor with an unofcial
survey indicating he has 70 percent of
the votes all wrapped up.
Lacson does not want to conrm
he could be PNoys next DILG chief.
His answer: When a man seeks higher
ofce and solicits the Presidents
approval, the people should already
doubt the aspirants agenda.
Can this be said of SC chief justice
wannabe Leila de Lima?
ALEJANDRO
DEL ROSARIO
BACK CHANNEL
JOJO
A. ROBLES
LOWDOWN
Mourning the unloved
DEAR Liberal Party Senate candidates:
Is it too much to ask you not to descend,
locust-like, on Naga City and make
political hay out of the funeral of Interior
and Local Government Secretary Jesse
Robredo?
Never mind if your party chieftain
asks you to come and wave to the
Bicolano crowd as you ride on top of
Robredos hearse, as Teddyboy Locsin
fears. Please resist the temptation
of once again
shamelessly using a
national tragedy to
further your political
plans and conrm
to everyone that
you cannot see a
signicant number
of people assembled
without thinking
about the number of
votes you get from
them.
Let the family and
friends of Robredo
and his grateful
former constituents in Naga mourn in
dignity betting of the leader they lost.
Find some other tragedy you can mine
without insulting the proud Bicolanos
and the memory of their beloved former
mayor.
* * *
It was not much of a secret, that
President Noynoy Aquino really didnt
feel too comfortable with his interior
and local government secretary, Jesse
Robredo. Despite the current and very
public display of mourning put on by
Aquino, for instance, it was only in the
latter of last year that the President made
Robredo his permanent nominee for the
post.
Prior to that, Robredo was merely the
acting head of the DILG, with absolutely
no control over the 150,000-member
Philippine National Police, by far the
departments biggest agency. In fact,
the Incident Investigation Review
Committee which probed the bloody
Aug. 23, 2010 hostage-taking that
resulted in the death of eight Hong
Kong tourists at Rizal Park discovered
that Robredos undersecretary, Rico
E. Puno, had verbal instructions from
the President to oversee the PNP in
addition to Punos duties to supervise
Patrol 117, Bureau of Fire Protection,
Bureau of Jail Management and
Penology, Public Safety College and
the Philippine Center for Transnational
Crime.
Puno, of course, had famously said
once that he was the only one who could
tame Aquino. This shooting buddy
of the President, known as one of the
most powerful of Aquinos so-called
KKK clique, was also intriguingly
the text mate of Robredos aide on the
day that the Cessna Seneca that both the
secretary and his lone companion were
riding in plunged into the sea off the
coast of Masbate.
Aquinos ofcial line regarding the
strange dismemberment of DILG was
that he himself had direct control over
the national police. Puno was only
his representative, under this unusual
arrangement.
In public, Aquino had also said that
he had differences during the 2010
election campaign with Robredo,
the Liberal Party member who was
then in charge of out-of-town sorties.
Aquino criticized Robredo for making
him do repetitive stuff that often
involved his going to the Bicol region,
something that Aquino apparently
didnt relish.
As for the ordeal Aquino put
Robredo through with his temporary
appointment, the President said he
didnt want to nominate someone with
whom he might have difculties in our
working style and our core philosophy.
Evidently, given the
stellar reputation
and track record
of Robredo and
the secretarys lack
of a long personal
relationship with
Aquino, the
President didnt
really feel that
Robredo was
someone he could
work with.
To his everlasting
credit, Robredo
never announced
his displeasure over the fact that he was
never fully trusted by Aquino. He never
bemoaned the fact that he had been, in
effect, given less than half a department
to run, with Puno being the independent
sovereign of the PNP and its allied
public safety agencies and reporting
directly to Aquino.
Robredo knew his expertise was
local governments and if his boss didnt
want him to have anything to do with
the police, he could live with that.
* * *
Aquinos real bet for the DILG post
was Vice President Jejomar Binay.
But the LP-Balay faction, headed by
Aquinos defeated running mate Mar
Roxas, threatened a revolt if Binay was
allowed to use the police and the local
governments as his stepping stone to the
presidency in 2016.
And so Robredo, the Balay bet, got
the job and Binay was relegated to
housing czar, on the condition that
Puno was put in charge of the police.
And now that Robredo is gone, the
Roxas-led faction in Malacaang is
reportedly making sure that the key
department remains in their pocket.
Already, the jockeying for
Robredos old post has begun, with a
Roxas-friendly media outlet reporting
alarmingly that Executive Secretary
Paquito Ochoa (a key Samar
operative) will be designated ofcer-
in-charge of DILG.
The coming days will most likely
see a areup of the old Samar-Balay
factional war, as both palace camps
jostle for the old post held by Robredo,
with or without Puno. Its too early to
say who has the upper hand, especially
because Aquino himself is still deep in
mourning for the Cabinet member he
never really liked.
As well he probably should. After
all, many friends of Robredos still
believe that if Aquino himself had
gone to Cebu to give a speech that the
President should have delivered, the
Bicol regions beloved son would still
be alive today.
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher
RAMONCHITO L. TOMELDAN Managing Editor
CHIN WONG/ RAY S. EANO Associate Editors
JOEL P. PALACIOS News Editor
ROGELIO C. SALAZAR President & CEO
MEMBER
Philippine Press Institute
The National Association
of Philippine Newspapers PPI
can be accessed at:
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Aquino
didnt feel too
comfortable with
his interior and
local government
secretary.
A5 Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com
I MUST commend President
Aquino for his concern, attention,
empathy and compassion for
Department of Interior and Local
Government Secretary Jesse
Robredo and the latters loved
ones. Robredos plane crashed off
the sea of Masbate; his body was
found Tuesday morning.
Robredo was performing his job
well. He would be a big loss to the
administration.
I am thus led to wonder: Why
isnt Mr. Aquino showing the same
concern for former President Gloria
Arroyo who doctors say may suffer
a sudden death if her ailment is
not treated abroad?
Mrs. Arroyo has already been
operated on
thrice for cervical
spondylosis, a
d e g e n e r a t i v e
condition of the
cartilage and
bones of the
neck caused by
chronic erosion
of the cervical
spine.
Still, there
are those in
the Aquino
a dmi ni s t r a t i on
who doubt her
condition. Even
Makati Medical Center disowned the
statement of Arroyos cardiologist,
Dr. Roberto Anastasio. He was the
one who said sudden death could
occur. Why? The hospital is owned
by tycoon Manuel Pangilinan. Is it
now under Malacaang?
The vice president of Philippine
Medical Association, Dr. Leo
Olarte, belies the claims that Mrs.
Arroyo can only be treated abroad.
He said the procedure could be done
here in the Philippines. But why has
surgery failed three times? Isnt this
enough proof that a second opinion
is imperative?
Yes, there is a hold-departure
order on Mrs. Arroyo. However
she is not yet convicted and is
thus presumed innocent. She has
the right to travel and to choose
her own doctors. So why are some
of our politicians playing doctor?
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano was
being insensitive when he said
that Arroyos departure should
be a no-no since she would not
return to face charges against
her.
The acid test of a true leader is
concern for every Filipinoallies
or political enemies alike. What
do his recent actions say about the
President?
Why does Mr. Aquino hate
his predecessor so much? Indeed
when it comes to her, he has no
empathy and compassion. For his
friends, partymates, classmates and
shooting buddies, his patience and
magnanimity are boundless.
The President says that justice
must come before forgiveness.
He does sound like his mother.
However, compassion, forgiveness
and conciliation are Christian
virtues, all of which a true leader
must possess.
I empathize with Mrs. Arroyo.
My wife suffers from the same
ailment as diagnosed by Dr. Regina
Macalintal Canlas, head of the
Makati Medical Centers neurology
department. In fact, my wife was
warned against falling or turning
her neck because these could lead
to paralysis.
When I asked our doctor what
could be done, she said that only
in Germany
or Austria can
surgery be
p e r f o r m e d .
My wife and
I do not have
the millions
needed for that
trip, so she
just lives with
her frequent
headaches.
And when
we walk, she
clings to me
out of fear that
she might bump
into something, slip and thus fall.
I remember that when we went
on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land,
we were named Most Romantic
Couple because my wife was
always holding on to me. They did
not know that she had toor else
she might fall.
If anything happens to Mrs.
Arroyo, can the President and all her
critics live with their conscience?
***
Senate Presiding Juan Ponce
Enrile was right in defending Senate
Majority Floor Leader Tito Sotto
against alleged plagiarism charges
after the latter delivered a speech
in opposition to the reproductive
health bill.
Sotto no doubt hit the pro-
RH people at the sore spots. He
exposed the bill to be the result
of a strong and well-financed
lobby of American interests in the
Philippines to control population in
developing countries.
Thus, RH bill supporters and
anti-life advocates should answer
Sottos points and not resort to ad
hominem arguments of plagiarism.
Theres no plagiarism when you
lift other peoples arguments which
have been made public.
Compassion
and empathy
A fatal inversion of values
VIRTUALLY unreported in the local
media is an incident in Moscow, which
the Western media and some Western
governments seem bent on promoting
as a world event, and a means to pillory
Vladimir Putins government and, to an
extent, the Russian Orthodox Church.
This is the sentencing of three
members of Pussy Riot, a Russian
feminist punk-rock musical band known
for its provocative public performances,
to two years in jail, for gyrating in their
tights and singing blasphemous songs
around the altar of Moscows Christ
the Savior Cathedral in the presence of
worshippers on February 2 this year.
Security ofcers stopped their
performance after a while, but the
performers subsequently posted videos
of their act online. They were arrested on
charges of hooliganism on March 3. Trial
began in July, and on August 17, they
were convicted of their crime, motivated
by religious hatred, according to the
judge. A day before that, the Moscow
City Court upheld a ban earlier imposed
by the Moscow government on gay pride
parades for the next 100 yearsfrom
March 2012 to March 2112.
An army of journalists, representing
at least 72 television and radio stations,
and many newspapers, from all over
the world witnessed the event. They
all looked aghast when the judge said
their jailing was necessary to restore
justice, reform the offenders, and
prevent a recurrence of the crime.
Instant criticism and protests came
from the West, including Amnesty
International, the American pop singer
Madonna, and some governments,
which invoked protection for freedom
of expression and speech. The United
States, Sweden, Germany and the
European Union described the sentence
as disproportionate.
In any country and in any church,
synagogue or mosque, what the Pussy
Riot did would certainly be a punishable
crime. Punishment could be instant
and quite severe if it happened inside
a mosque. Something equivalent to
the fatwa on Salman Rushdie for his
Satanic Verses, and on the author of
those blasphemous Danish cartoons
might have been quickly implemented.
But Western criticism has focused
almost entirely on the punishment of the
offenders, with hardly a word of reproach
on the crime committed. The general
thrust of Western opinion has been to
glorify the crime, portray the offenders
as heroes, the church and the court as
villains. The church is attacked despite
its statement condemning the sacrilege,
but calling on the civil authorities to
show mercy within the law to the
offenders, and on the faithful to continue
praying and pursuing peaceful means to
protect the Church from its enemies, but
to refrain from any violent act to avenge
the wrong against them.
The unusual interest shown by
governments, pop stars, international
organizations and the media in the Pussy
Riot case stands in sharp contrast to
their reaction to the case of Pastor Ake
Green in Sweden a few years ago, or
to the shooting incident at the premises
of the Family Research Council (FRC)
headquarters in Washington, D.C. last
week, when someone associated with
a gay and lesbian group shot an innocent
security guard because he did not like the
latters politics.
Nothing but condemnation and
censure was heard from the Western
media in the case of Pastor Green,
who was prosecuted by the Swedish
government for so-called hate speech.
In the case of the FRC incident, it
appears that the major US networks
failed to adequately cover the shooting
just because the gay-lesbians movement
has labeled FRC as a hate group.
Green, a Pentecostal Christian pastor,
found himself in trouble for a sermon he
delivered in the small Swedish town of
Borgholm on July 20, 2003. That was
a year after the Swedish Parliament
passed a law criminalizing disrespect for
homosexuals. Green did not condemn
homosexuals, but quoting Scripture he
spoke of homosexuality as an abnormal,
horrible cancerous tumor in the body of
society.
He was arrested thereafter, and on
June 29, 2004, sentenced to one month
in jail. He appealed the sentence, and
on February 2, 2005, was acquitted by
the appellate court. On March 9, the
prosecutor general appealed his acquittal
to the highest court, and on Nov. 29, he
was acquitted with nality. But his case
may have caused other preachers to
approach the subject with some timidity.
In the Washington, DC incident, a
28-year-old Virginia man, named Floyd
L. Corkins II, said to be associated with
a gay-lesbians group, shot and wounded
an FRC security guard, after telling him,
I dont like your politics. The FRC is
identied with the defense of traditional
Christian family values. That makes
it a hate group to organizations like
the International Planned Parenthood
Federation, the worlds largest supplier of
abortion, and the Southern Law Poverty
Center, which habitually attaches the
label to any group that opposes the
gay-lesbians agenda, notably same-sex
marriage.
It seems quite ironic that in the
ongoing clash of human values in the
world today, we nd Russia, the alleged
personication of political evil in the old
bipolar world, ghting for the survival
of old Christian values, while the once
ethically perfumed Western societies
appear to have become the source of so
much moral evil in the world. Russia is
facing a deadly demographic winter, but
the West is facing a moral winter which,
if not reversed, could have far deadlier
consequences.
fstatad@gmail.com
EMIL
P. JURADO
TO THE POINT
FRANCISCO S.
TATAD
FIRST THINGS FIRST
ADELLE
CHUA
CHASING HAPPY
Miss Chuas column will resume
this week.
THE duty not to prosecute is a corollary
of the moral and constitutional
obligation to do justice to every
person. Through the prosecution of
crime, the State asserts its ideal of an
organized, ordered and law-governed
society. But indicting anyone also visits
on the accused the burden of defending
oneself against the charges, of protecting
ones reputation against accusations
of wrongdoing and, in many cases
of fending off the most vicious of attacks
that media is always ready to dish out
in good measure against indictees who
for good reason, or for none, have been
tagged as public enemies, worthy of
opprobrium.
Former President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo who is now so enfeebled that she
chokes on a melon that some can readily
swallow even without slicing it, and a
person I continue to consider a friend,
Manoling Morato, have been found
indictable for the crime of plunder by the
Ofce of the Special Prosecutor. Plunder
is, in itself, a rather new construct. In
fact, it is parasitic on crimes already
recognized by the Revised Penal Code
or special penal laws. That is the reason
that essential to the crime of plunder is
that a series or combination of such
criminal acts consummate this form of
shameless rapaciousness. It is a high
crime in the sense that one who is
indicted for plunder is unable to avail
himself of the right to bail.
But precisely because it is a
powerful weapon in the States criminal
justice arsenal, it should be wielded
responsibly. You blunt a weapon by
using it indiscriminately and with reckless
abandon, swinging it wildly about
against a large swathe of ones enemies.
Prosecution was never meant to punish
ones enemies. It was meant to uphold a
particular vision of social life!
The Information recites that Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo, then President of the
Republic of the Philippines xxx did then
and there willfully, unlawfully, criminally
amass, accumulate and/or acquire, directly
or indirectly, ill-gotten wealth in the
aggregate amount or total value of Three
Hundred Sixty Five Million Nine Hundred
Ninety-Seven Thousand Nine Hundred
Fifteen pesos, more or less, through an or a
combination or a series of overt or criminal
acts, or similar schemes, means, described as
follows xxx. The problem with a recital like
that is that it is so formulated to cover exactly
the statutory elements of plunder but must
content itself with such generalities as a
combination or a series of overt or criminal
acts, or similar schemes. If, as I understand
it, an Information is meant to provide the
accused with just thatthe information
about the nature of the charges against her
so that she may defend herself against them,
how does one defend herself when you must
deal with vagaries of the sort? Was it a series
of acts, or a combination? Of which acts?
If one expects to nd more clarity in the
specifying paragraphs that follow, one will
be no more enlightened by them.
One charge is that the accused
converted in several instances funds
from the operating budget of the
PCSO to its Condential/Intelligence
Fund that could be accessed and
withdrawn at any time. But does that
not constitute conjecture? Is not one
conjecturing that because Intelligence
Funds allow for easy withdrawal, then
they were withdrawn for illegitimate
purposes? That is a problem of modal
logic: the transition from could
have been accessed to were in fact
accessed. The second allegation is that
these funds were unlawfully transferred
or conveyed into their possession and
control. That of course sounds terrible, but
the law (Republic Act No. 7080) requires
that there be an allegation that the accused
amassed, accumulated or acquired ill-
gotten wealth. Granting for the sake of
argument that one has taken possession and
control of these funds, does it follow that
one has converted them, or made of them
ones personal funds so as to constitute
ill-gotten wealth? It is the third charge,
however, that the accused will never be
able to defend themselves against because
it charges nothing specic: In several
instances, the accused unjustly enriched
themselves in the aforementioned sum.
Is it not required of an Information that it
recite the acts or omissions complained
of as constituting the offense and the
qualifying and aggravating circumstances
xxx in ordinary language xxx in terms
sufcient to enable a person of common
understanding to know what offense is
being charged as well as its qualifying
and aggravating circumstances and for
the court to pronounce judgment? If
GMA and Manoling Morato did plunder
the public treasury, by all means, let them
face the full brunt of criminal justice, but
if justice is to remain just, let them know
and let the public knowexactly how
they did it!
I fear for the credibility of the justice
system if it becomes too evident that
the sword of justiceand the power of
prosecutionhave been wrested from
the entire supposedly rational machinery
that must wield them, and that the States
reserve of force has been plundered by
the irresponsible!
rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph
rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph
rannie_aquino@yahoo.com
The duty not to prosecute
Wanbol tactics at the home front
By Joel Vega
IN THE 1980s one almost cannot
avoid Eat Bulaga and the popcorn
TV shows like Iskul Bukol that lull
the mind to catatonic silliness. It
is easy to dismiss these shows as
harmless entertainment fare if not for
the fact that they consumed chunks of
broadcast time and advertising money.
Tito, Vic and Joeythese names are
still familiar and lucrative.
Last July, during my short return
to Manila, I was confronted with the
reality of urban poverty. Across the
Malate hotel where I stayed, children
slept on the streets, right beside the
7-Eleven shops and money changers
that dot the streets of Ermita. Was this
the same scene 20 or 25 years ago when
I worked and lived in Manila? The sad
answer is yes.
But are the lines of homeless
children longer now, with practically
whole families sleeping underneath
overpasses, by garbage depots and at
the curb of pot-holed streets? As an
expatriate one might fall into the trap
of looking at things from a distorted
angle and yet one couldnt deny that in
Manilas Ermita, children living on the
streets with only cartons on their wet
backs as their sole possession are more
common. Their pleas have become
more insistent, the begging more
strident.
Last week the debate of the RH bill
again picked up. Senator Tito Sotto was
at the eye of a storm with the plagiarized
portions of his speech, his raising of a
US-pharma-capitalism-conspiracy
bogeyman, and, as a cherry topping
to the cake, an on-cue portrayal of an
emotionally aggrieved father.
We expect from our senators
occupying positions of inuence and
privilegeat least a mind of reason,
and the aptitude to present succinct
arguments that balance the humane
with the rational. Sottos refusal to
admit his error on plagiarism charges
betrays his real character and his raising
the bogeyman of alleged big-pharma
capitalism is a sleazy hats trick that
sidesteps the issue of sound parental
choice and planning.
Choice cannot be liberating if it is
not grounded on reason, and reason is
precisely the element lacking in the
ad hominem arguments coming from
the most rabid RH bill opponents.
It is not unreasonable to plan ones
family if one doesnt own the means
to raise one, and Sottos emotional
appearance to link the pill with genetic
deformities is an awkward attempt to
dignify certain fears- the fear of the
unknown, the fear of any progress in
medicine. By instilling fear instead
of responsibility, he contaminates
with superstition. He encourages a
backward step.
As with other cultural disputes that
has hounded and polarized our country,
the debate on the RH bill camouages
deeper concernsissues of reason
versus fear, of government versus
the church, of honestly looking at
the consequences of irresponsible
parenthood versus the allure of blind
dogma and doctrine.
What is the link of the RH bill
to Wanbol University, the ctitious
university that educated Tito, Vic
and Joey in their popular Iskul Bukol
comedy series? In Wanbol University
girls were subjected to indignities
depending on their clothing or lack of
it, and boys wallowed in the madness of
puberal dreams. Wanbol University was
a ctitious enclave of irresponsibility
and escape at a time when Filipinos
were at the claws of the repressive
Marcos regime.
And yet the Wanbol universe reects
the real world of the old belligerent
macho, the patriarchal system that
subjects women to positions of
subservience, creatures that are seen as
unthinking, reproductive receptacles.
It brings a chill to my spine that the
silliness of life on celluloid and the TV
screen must have extended its tentacles
in real life.
Expatriates will always have the wish
to return to a more prosperous Philippines.
We carry, too, the heavy baggage that we
have left behind, and in overseas frontlines
we cannot duck the sniggering comments
of the uninformed, of the Westerner who
only nds absurdity in the Wanbol tactics
happening in our homeland.
Joel Vega lives in Nijmegen, the
Netherlands where he works as
publications editor for the European
Association of Urology.
A president
must be
concerned about
everyone
enemies or allies
alike.
FR. RANHILIO
CALLANGAN AQUINO
PENSES
DIASPORA DIASPORA
News
ManilaStandardToday
mst.daydesk@gmail.com AUGUST 22, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A6
Stradcom case decided

IN BRIEF
Yes, Saturnino, there is justice
Permaplans holders win appeal
Gender
measure
pushed
MMDA Trafc enforcer Saturnino Fabros helps unload construction material which his co-workers delivered
to his house in Barangay Payatas in Quezon City on Tuesday. MANNY PALMERO
By Rio N. Araja
ALTHOUGH he faced the tri-
als of a Job in the recent past,
47-year-old trafc constable Sat-
urnino Fabros learned on Tues-
day that turning the other cheek
does have its just deserts.
Struggling to get by on a
trafc enforcers pay of P7,500
a month, Fabros and his wife
raised a family of six daughters
at a humble home in a poor com-
munity in Quezon City.
Worst came to worst when he
lost his wife to pneumonia two
years ago and he had to worry
about his seven daughters by
himself. In fact, that was what he
was thinking on Aug. 11 when
he was attacked by Ateneo de
Manila University alumni Rob-
ert Blair Carabuena, who went
through a red light.
Walang mag-aalaga ng mga
anak ko, kung may baril siya at
binaril niya ako [No one would
have taken care of my children,
if he had a gun and shot me],
he said. So he just took it when
Carabuena berated him in public
and even slapped him
But Saturnino got his just
deserts over the past few days
when he was promoted in rank
after netizens poured rage at
Carabuena, who was eventu-
ally charged with direct assault
on a person of authority and
now faces a revocation of his
driving license.
Fabros daughters Jorraine,
Julianne, Janica, Joanna, Jenni-
fer and Jusan also got scholar-
ships, after people learned that
the eldest had to stop schooling
because of nancial straits.
On Tuesday, he got another
surprise when his co-workers
showed up at his house in Ba-
rangay Payatas, Quezon City
with trucks carrying gravel,
sand, cement, wood, steel and
other construction materials for
his unnished home.
Some MMDA ofcials have
contributed to paint and repair
his house in recognition of his
character, said Chairman Fran-
cis Tolentino, who asked the
agencys General Services Divi-
sion head Winston Besa to pro-
vide the workers to nish the
house in three days.
The effort is a token of our
collective appreciation to repair
his leaking roof, Tolentino said.
We hope we can do more.
The MMDA has already
helped Fabros le criminal
charges against Carabuena, a su-
pervisor of Philip Morris Philip-
pines Inc., and his brother Ben-
jamin before the Quezon City
prosecutors ofce.
But Tolentino wanted to en-
sure that Carabuena would not
have to go through the same hu-
miliation again, so he ordered
Fabros to take martial arts les-
sons at the agencys expense.
By Rey E. Requejo
THE Court of Appeals has upheld the
rights of planholders to share in the dis-
tribution of the remaining assets of the
troubled pre-need rm Permanent Plans
Inc., owned by the Madrigal-Vazquez
family.
The appelate courts Sixth Division
granted the petition of the Securities and
Exchange Commission and Insurance
Commission seeking to scrap a provision
in the rms approved liquidation pro-
gram which prohibits planholders from
claiming against its corporate assets.
The CA sided agreed with the as-
sertion of the petitioners that the provi-
sion limiting non-plan holders to the
remaining corporate assets is unjust and
contrary to the provisions of the Finan-
cial Rehabilitation and Insolvency Act.
We see no reason why the plan-
holders cannot interpose their unsettled
claims in the trust fund as ordinary cred-
its. In fact, petitioners are not asking that
the planholders should be treated as pre-
ferred creditors but rather, only as ordi-
nary creditors who shall be able to claim
pro-rata, after the respective preferred
credits of the corporation have already
been satised, the court ruled.
Associate Justices Hakim Abdulwa-
hid and Edwin Sorongon concurred with
the ruling.
The proposed PPIs liquidation pro-
gram was approved by Judge Joselito Vil-
larosa, presiding judge of Branch 66 of the
Regional Trial Court of Makati City, in a
resolution issued on March 11, 2011.
The appellate court held that the
Makati RTC erred when it approved the
liquidation plan in its entirety, including
the said provision prohibiting its thou-
sands of planholders from claiming the
corporate assets to the extent of the value
of their claims.
The trust fund is an accumulation of as-
sets sourced from a certain percentage of
the planholders payments, which is sepa-
rate from the pre-need corporations paid-
up capital, and the same if deposited in a
trust account with a trustee bank to pay for
the benets under the pre-need plan.
The CA did not give credence to the
argument of PPI that there is nothing un-
just with dividing the entire trust fund
among the planholders only.
PPI also argued that it would be un-
fair to allow the planholders to partake
in its remaining corporate assets and
bar the other creditors from claiming
against the trust fund for the settlement
of their credits.
The appellate court pointed out that
Section 30 of the Pre-Need Code of the
Philippines clearly states that the trust
fund assets of a corporation are exclu-
sively devoted to the planholders only.
Besides, the CA noted that Section 52
of the same law allows only policy hold-
ers to claim against the trust fund of the
insolvent corporation.
Hence the contention of private re-
spondent (PPI) that they are amenable
to allow the planholders to claim against
the corporate assets of the corporation
provided that the other creditors would
also be allowed to claim against the trust
fund, cannot be given any merit. Such
condition is without basis, and is in fact
contrary to law, the CA declared.
The appeals courts Twelfth Division dismissed
for lack of merit Stradcom Internationals ap-
peal against the decision of Urdaneta City Judge
Gonzalo Marata dismissing the case as a nuisance
and harassment suit.
In a decision written by Associate Justice Vin-
cent Veloso, the appelate court ruled that Millare
was neither the corporate secretary nor a stock-
holder of Stradcom and had no cause of action
against the LTOs IT provider. Associate Justices
Jane Aurora Lantion and Eduardo Peralta Jr. con-
curred with the ruling.
The case is part of an ongoing intracorporate
dispute between Quiambao and his former part-
ners Bonifacio Sumbilla and Aderito Yujuico. The
case has previously reached the Supreme Court
and was remanded to the lower courts of Urdaneta
and Quezon City for settlement.
The Supreme Court assigned the Urdaneta RTC
as the trier of the case since the principal ofce of
Stradcom is in Bayambang, Pangasinan.
The dispute peaked in December 2010 when the
Sumbilla group attempted a takeover of Stradcoms
ofces and disrupted LTO operations nationwide.
The incident also led to the lawsuit pending before
the Quezon City court.
In June last year, Quezon City Regional Trial
Court Branch 222 Judge Edgar Dalmacio Santos
THE Court of Appeals has upheld the decision of an Urdaneta
City court to dismiss a case led by Stradcom International
Holdings Inc., represented by Rodolfo Millare, against Strad-
com Corp., the Land Transportation Ofces information tech-
nology owned by businessman Cezar Quiambao.
ruled upheld the decision of LTO chairwoman
Virginia Torres to withhold some P1.2 billion in
service fees from Stradcom Corp. because of the
dispute over the companys real ownership.
The QC court ordered current Stradcom chair
Quiambao and rival Bonifacio Sumbilla to litigate
their several claims between themselves while the
P1.2 billion in cash is placed in escrow with the
Land Bank of the Philippines.
The involment of the government in case arose
after Torres asked assistance from the Solicitor
General when she was threatened with lawsuits
by Quiambao.
Torres refusal to pay Quiambao was in de-
ance of a compromise settlement forged by former
Transportation and Communications Secretary
Jose de Jesus and has been linked to De Jesus
resignation.
Stradcom Corp. is a wholly owned unit of Strad-
com International, a holding company indirectly
owned by principals Strategic Alliance Develop-
ment Corporation and Comfac Corporation through
United Information Technologies Inc., ePLDT Inc.,
and International Finance Corporation.
By Maricel Cruz
A MEASURE was led in the
House of Representatives re-
quiring all public and private
elementary and high schools
to carry out a culture and gen-
der sensitivity program in their
respective institutions to instill
the values among students at
an early age.
House Bill 6437, authored by
Ako Bicol party-list Reps. Chris-
topher Co and Rodel Batocabe,
underscores the need to raise
consciousness among Filipinos
to be more culture and gender
sensitive and it needs to start at
the early stages of education.
The bill, called the Culture
and Gender Sensitivity Education
Act of 2012, intends to provide
quality education for every Fili-
pino by instilling into students
the awareness of the differences
among different cultures.
It also seeks to educate stu-
dents in recognizing issues and
problems in the way societies
look at gender, with an under-
standing of stereotypes and how
discrimination and gender roles
are counterproductive in society.
The bills authors also noted
that even with a very strong
campaign against gender dis-
crimination, gender stereotyp-
ing and the traditional thinking
of biological determinism a
theory that biological differ-
ences between women and men
dictate a difference in social
roles and personality, are still
rampant among Filipinos.
The bill also proposes to in-
stitutionalize culture and gen-
der sensitivity in the classroom
by making it a part of students
curriculum in elementary and
high schools.
The bill denes culture
sensitivity as a quality of be-
ing aware and accepting of
other cultures. A person who
is culturally sensitive, the bill
adds, is aware that there could
be differences among cultures,
and that such differences could
affect relationships and com-
munication with others.
Drag racers warned
THE Land Transportation Ofce
on Tuesday warned motorists that
they will not tolerate drag racing
drag racers on public thoroughfares
after reports of races being held late
at night, especially during holidays
when vehicle volume is low.
LTO Metro Manila director Teolo
Guadiz identied the thoroughfare
as Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard
in Pasay City and Roxas Boulevard
in Manila where video cameras have
recorded vhilces engaged in drag
racing.
He said a drag racer could be
charged with reckless driving under
Land Transportation and Trafc Code,
or Republic Act 4136, and urged the
public to report drag racing incidents,
citing such activity is a risk not only
to the motorists themselves, but to the
public as well. Rio N. Araja
American, Sokor nabbed
IMMIGRATION agents arrested an
American and a South Korean, who
are both wanted fugitives in their
homelands.
They were identied the American
as Micah Wagner, and the Korean as
Kim Chong Rok, both of whom are
now detained at the BI jail in Bicutan,
Taguig pending their deportation.
Commissioner Ricardo David said
Wagner is wanted for theft and bur-
glary and was arrested in Quezon City
while Kim, a convicted swindler, was
nabbed at the BI main ofce in Intra-
muros.
Lawyer Ma. Antonette Man-
grobang, BI acting intelligence chief,
said Wagner was issued an arrest war-
rant by a superior court in Alameda
County, California last June 27 while
Kim was convicted for fraud by a dis-
trict court in Daejon , South Korea on
July 2, 2009.

Man killed in dawn brawl
A MAN believed to be in his 30s was
shot dead in a brawl between two
gangs in Sta. Cruz, Manila before
dawn on Tuesday.
The police could not identify the
fataliry, but said he was about 35
years old and was wearing a blue shirt
and black shorts. He also had a tattoo
on his right knee.
Witnesses said the man was shot in
the back during a ght that broke out
between gangs on Tayuman Street in
Sta. Cruz.
Gatchalian loses land
THE Court of Appeals has junked
the bid of tycoon William Gatchalian,
father of Valenzuela City Mayor
Sherwin Gatchalian, to keep ownership
of a prime property in Manila.
Associate Justice Hakim Abdulwa-
hid of the appelate courts Sixth Divi-
sion dismissed Gatchalians petition for
lack of merit, paving the way for the
Philippine National Bank to foreclose
the property.
The PNB is owned by tycoon Luco
Tan who is also in a dispute in Gatch-
alian.
The property is bound by Marcelo
H. del Pilar and A. Mabini streets and
Quirino Avenue in Manila.
The foreclosure emerged after
Gatchalians group of companies
racked up over P500 million in bad
debts.
Mothers and babes. Mothers while their time away as care for their infant children in Malabon City. A measure addressing
reproductive health is still pending in Congress even as the Catholic Church has warned teachers at Catholic schools to tow the line
or face exclusion from the church. EY ACASIO
A7 Sports Riera U. Mallari, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
Folayang is set to meet
Japanese-Swedish foe Felipe
Enimoto in one of the featured
ghts of the ONE FC: Pride of
the Nation.
On the other hand, Belingon,
who is the reigning Universal
Reality Combat Championship
Flyweight titlist, will go against
Korean Soo Chul Lim.
In both ghts, Folayang and
Belingon will try to bounce
back from losses they experi-
enced in their recent bouts in
Hagdang Bato sets record in PCSO Derby at 4
th
RDB Cup!
PH fighters ready for ONE FC
By Peter Atencio
FILIPINO ghters Edward
Landslide Folayang and Kevin The
Silencer Belingon are preparing hard
for their coming bouts on Aug. 31 at the
Smart Araneta Coliseum.
IN BRIEF
Miriam, CEU, EAC win
MIRIAM College, Centro Escolar Univer-
sity and Emilio Aguinaldo coasted to their
second straight wins over the weekend to
pace the 43d Womens National Collegiate
Athletic Association senior division.
In the midget and junior levels, host De
La Salle Zobel, San Beda College Ala-
bang, Chiang Kai Shek College, Angeli-
cum College, St. Scholasticas College and
Miriam likewise grabbed the early leads in
their respective divisions with 2-0 marks.
Defending senior basketball champion
CEU stopped San Beda, 57-48, in Group A
and EAC nipped St. Scholastica, 68-66, in
Group B at the RTU gym in Mandaluyong.
DLSZ easily won over St. Paul College
Pasig, 68-21, and Angelicum, 58-32, to
share the junior A lead with CKSC. CKSC
beat San Beda, 50-33, and St. Paul, 67-32.
DLSZ likewise put one over Miriam, 64-
23, in the midget division.
CEU stunned defending senior volley-
ball champion Rizal Technological Univer-
sity, 25-19, 25-9, 25-7, in Group A while
Miriam totes a similar record in Group B
as it outlasted Philippine Womens Univer-
sity, 27-29, 25-19, 22-25, 25-12, 15-10 in
the tournament being supported by Goody,
Mikasa, Molten, MJC Photography, net-
work partner AKTV and radio partner
Monster Radio RX 93.1.
IT was a foregone conclusion. A baby in
the womb would have had no doubt that
2012 Triple Crown champion Hagdang
Bato would win the August 19 Philip-
pine Charity Sweepstakes Ofce Na-
tional Grand Derby.
The only question was, how and by
far would he win?
Hagdang Bato, owned by Manda-
luyong mayor Benhur Abalos, added
to his considerable achievements by
winning the mile PCSO Derby by six
lengths at Santa Ana Park.
Sent off as the outstanding favorite,
it was practically a wire-to-wire win
for the half-brother of champion Ibar-
ra. Into the nal meters of the race,
the reins were still double-wrapped
around the hands of jockey Jonathan
Hernandez, who merely gave a slight
ick of the whip close to the wire to
cement the win.
Stablemate Barkley took second
place, a 1-2 nish in prize money for
the owner. Darleb came in third, Purple
Ribbon fourth.
Trained by Ruben Tupas, Hagdang Bato
clocked splits of 25-23-23-25 for a total
1:37.8, demolishing the 2007 record of 1:38
for the mile forged by the late Mari Francos
island-born Copper Dew.
It is a triumph for a local-bred to have
set a record for that highly competitive
distance. The 3YO colt was sired by Her-
ma Farms stallion Quaker Ridge out of
Mayor Abaloss broodmare Fire Down
Under; Hagdang Bato was therefore bred
by Abalos (because the mare belongs to
him, with the stud services contracted).
According to Mayor Abalos, he
is preparing Hagdang Bato for the
MARHO Cup races in November and
the PCSO Gold Cup in December. He
would like to give Hagdang Bato a re-
ally good tuneup by entering him in the
MARHO Classic (for 4YO and older)
TRS Raceday season kicks off at Batangas Circuit
TUASON Racing School, the coun-
trys longest running professional rac-
ing school, is bringing together racing
enthusiasts for a day of fun in the sec-
ond season of the 2012 TRS Raceday
this Sunday at the Batangas Racing
Circuit.
The TRS Raceday, dubbed as the Phil-
ippines Grassroots Motorsports Festi-
val, is a unique activity, where the fans
and racing enthusiasts get a chance to be
racecar drivers for the day with the big
support of Castrol, Bridgestone, Stan-
dard Insurance, Coke Zero, OMP, AAP,
Speedlab,Emotions, Aguila Auto Glass,
Lifeline Ambulance, C!Magazine, Ko-
tse.com, HasTravel, TurboZone, Busi-
ness World, Philippine Star and the Phil-
ippine Daily Inquirer.
The whole-day affair includes a
novice Drag Race and the Car Club
Track Day, and will be highlighted by
the action-packed battle of the coun-
trys elite racecar drivers in the 2012
TRS Cup, which has established its
niche in Philippine motorsports as
the developmental avenue for future
circuit racing champs.
Adding excitement to the affair is
the Pilipinas AutoShow kickoff, plus
the Invitational Bridgestone Media and
Car Club Cup.
The TRS CUP, the premier grass-
roots circuit car program, will classify
competing drivers either as Expert or
Novice this season, with separate titles
for the champions of both classes.
Continuing the saga of their battle
for supremacy are last years second
overall champion Charlie Cojuangco,
who will try to wrest the throne from
2011 champion Bobby Horrigan in
the Expert class.
Adding to the mix of Expert drivers
are PTCC top contenders, Philippine
Volcanoes Sean Redpath, Alvin Ng
and GT podium nisher, Leo San Juan.
Ding Dizon also joins the quest for
the Novice crown along with Korean
GT 200 Champion Micky Kim, Jussi
Hoikka, karting wonders Yvana Caran-
gan and 13-year-old Champion Basti
Escalante. C! Magazine Editor In Chief
James Deakin will also try his luck for
the Novice plum alongside another fe-
male racer 18-year-old TJ Chiong.
JENNY
ORTUOSTE
THE HOARSE WHISPERER
THE Philippine dragon
boat rowing squad hopes
to gure prominently in
the medal hunt in the short
distances of the ICF World
Dragon Boat Champion-
ships scheduled Aug. 30
to Sept. 2 in Milan, Italy,
according to athletes and
team ofcials.
If the conditions are
right, our mens and
mixed crews in the 10-
man and 20-man 200 and
500-meter distances have
a good chance of bringing
home a medal, possibly
even gold, said assistant
national coach Arnold
Laureano in yesterdays
Philippine Sportswriters
Association Forum at the
Shakeys Malate branch in
Manila.
Because of our height
and size, our rowers are
traditionally in the short
distances. After more than
a month of intense train-
ing, we are not in the ta-
pering off, added Laure-
ano. We are peaking at
the right time.
Joining Laureano in
the session sponsored by
Shakeys, Smart, and the
Philippine Amusements
and Gaming Corp. were
mens skipper and veteran
dragon boat rower Dio-
medes Manalo, womens
captain Claire Montemay-
or and national rowers
Marybeth Bechayda and
Rolando Isidro.
The national contingent,
which leaves this Sunday,
is composed of 12 male and
12 female rowers and three
ofcials, including Philip-
pine Canoe-Kayak Federa-
tion secretary general Jonie
Go and head coach Lenlen
Escollante.
Laureano disclosed the
mens squad is the same one
that captured silver medals
in the 200 and 500-meter
distances and a bronze in
the 3,000-meter race in the
Asian Beach Games held in
Haiyang, China last June.
The mens team also
won one gold and silvers in
the Indonesia SEA Games,
he added.
Dragon-boat bets join world meet
Singapore last March.
Talagang pinaghahandaan
ko talaga ang laban na ito, said
Folayang, who has been train-
ing in Baguio over the last two
weeks with Belingon.
He now has an 11-2 record,
including a controversial split-
decision loss to Swedish ghter
Ole Larsen at the One FC 3 in
Kallang, Singapore last March.
It was his first setback after
six straight fights, with his
last triumph posted over Bra-
zilian Wadson Teixiera, a win
by submission last January in
Cebu in the URCC Cebu 7:
Dominate cards.
Meanwhile, Belingon has a
9-1 record after getting beaten
by Japanese Masakazu Imanari
via submission (reverse hook)
also in Singapore.
I am determined to win here,
remarked Belingon, who previ-
ously had an unblemished record
of nine consecutive victories.
His last triumph was over
Isaac Tuling, which was by tech-
nical knockout in 6:25 of the rst
round last April 2.
Two more Filipino warriors,
Honorio Banario and Andrew
Benibe, have agreed to face
each other in a battle for feath-
erweight supremacy.
ONE Fighting Champion-
ship CEO Victor Cui expressed
his excitement over the coming
ghts.
Im excited to see these four
incredibly talented and highly
skilled Filipino champions com-
pete at ONE FC: Pride of a Na-
tion. Each of them have already
made a name for themselves
in their home country and will
now have a chance to showcase
the Filipino warrior spirit on the
largest stage in Asian MMA,
said Cui in a statement.
Bulldogs, Dragons-A score
THE National University Bulldogs got cru-
cial baskets from Mark Porter, while the
Chiang Kai Shek Dragons-A drew big points
from Jae Keenan Yap as they repulsed their
rivals Sunday in the 10th Fr. Martin Division
2 Cup basketball tournament.
Porter scored on a three-point play in
the last 24.7 seconds to send the Bulldogs
past the San Sebastian College-A Stags,
76-75, in the mens action at the St. Placid
gymnasium inside the San Beda College-
Mendiola campus in Manila.
Yap red 21 points for the Dragons-
A, who demolished St. Joseph-Bulacan,
115-60, in the junior division.
The Dragons-A picked up their second
win in as many outings in Group B.
The Stags, Jaemark Perez topscoring
for 23 points, fell behind at 2-1.
Acidre named top cager
ARELLANO University shooter Rocky
Acidre has proven he can deliver wheth-
er he starts or comes off the bench.
On Monday, the 20-year-old Acidre
came through with a clutch effort as a sec-
ond stringer and helped propel the Chiefs
to a pulsating 85-82 win over a fancied
Jose Rizal and back into Final Four conten-
tion in the 88th NCAA seniors basketball
tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.
Acidre, a three-year veteran who is a
proud son of San Jose, Leyte, exploded
with 21 points including seven in the
fourth quarter to lift Arelllano U to the win
and himself to winning the ACCEL/3XVI
NCAA Player of the Week.
By Randy Caluag
THE World Muay Federation-
Philippines brought home two
medals from the Asian Muay
championship held recently at
the Rach Meju Stadium in Ho
Chi Minh, Vietnam.
Archie Brioso settled for the
silver medal in the male senior
63.5-kg division, while Gerald
Bassig took the bronze in the
male Senior 57-kg division.
The Philippine team was ac-
companied by WMF-Philippine
secretary general Catherine and
team manager Lailyn Polig.
Brioso is a veteran muay
ghter, who won his last ght in
Marikina heading to Vietnam.
Bassig was the 57-kg cham-
pion in the 2007 World Muay
Thai Championship in Thailand,
before moving up in weight class.
In the world event few
months ago in Thailand, he
went as far as the quarternals
of the class participated in by 60
ghters from around the world.
The Vietnam Asian Champion-
ship was supported by the NOC
Vietnam and Vietnam Ministry
of Culture, Sport and Tourism
and was held under the umbrella
of the World Muay Thai Federa-
tion, the Asian Muay Federation,
together with the Vietnam Muay
Associations.
It was participated in by 14
countries, including Bangladesh,
Chinese Taipei, India, Iraq, Laos,
Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar,
Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Syr-
ia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Vietnam topped the tourna-
ment with 11 gold, 2 silver and
3 bronze medals.
Pinoy muay
thai athletes
bag 2 medals
and not in the MARHO Colt Mile (for
3YO). This is a risky move, but Mayor
Benhur believes his colt can do it.
Now, MARHO will have to decide
whether this shall be allowed or not, as this
has never been done before. Exciting times
for racing? You can bet your last peso on it.
Congratulations to the Bagatsing fami-
ly for yet another successful event in hon-
or of their clan patriarch, the late mayor.
The highlight races of the 4th Ramon D.
Bagatsing Memorial Cup took place on
the late mayors birthday, August 19, and
he would have been happy to know how
much help the event in his honor was giv-
ing to the racing community.
Not only were hefty prizes awarded
for each race, cash prizes of P3,000
were given to each of the winning
grooms, a tradition set by the Bagats-
ings during the rst RDB Cup.
The grooms are the frontliners,
said Manila Rep. Amado S. Bagatsing,
son of the late mayor, in giving care
to the racehorses. Some of them even
sleep with their alagas. Such dedication
and effort should be appreciated.
His brother, former congressman Atty.
Dondon Bagatsing, thanked all sponsors,
participants, and racing fans. Theres next
year to look forward to, he said. Lets try
to make it even bigger and better.
Among the many attendees was rac-
ings elder statesman Aristeo Putch
Puyat, who looked well pleased with
the success of tribute in honor of the
late mayor, who was his close friend.
* * *
The doors shut with nality on an era
with the departure of Philippine Racing
Club ofces from the old Santa Ana
Park site in Makati.
Beginning this week, employees will
be packing up for the move - the rac-
ing department to a nearby ofce along
Pasong Tamo and the rest of the admin-
istrative ofces to Manila.
Workers are tearing down the re-
maining structures on the 25-hectare
chunk of prime real estate, including
the badminton court beside my house.
That building used to be Hermie Es-
guerras stable, a showcase of racing
operations which I managed for several
months in 2005. Before that it was Eric
Tagle and Raymund Puyats stable.
A Makati konsehal told me last week
that the development on the old track will
feature 13 high-rise buildings and a Rock-
well Power Plant-style shopping mall.
This would mean tremendous business
and job opportunities and also horren-
dous trafc in the area. Still, life goes on.
A tip of the hat to the old soil that over
70 years bore the imprint of champions
hooves, felt the light booted tread of
jockeys on their morning workouts, and
soaked up the tears of the vanquished.
The old Santa Ana Park may be gone
to make way for progress that senti-
mentality cant hold back, but it will
live forever in the hearts and memories
of the ones who loved it best.
* * *
Email: jennyo@live.com, Blog:
http://jennyo.net, Facebook: Gogirl
Racing, Twitter: @gogirlracing, Insta-
gram: @jennydecember
Cyclists backed. Team RC Cola, which competed in the Ronda
Pilipinas 2012, was backed by Asiawide Refreshments Corporation, the
ofcial bottler of RC Cola in the Philippines. We couldnt have done
it without the support of ARC. They believed in us, in our potential to
succeed. It has motivated us to perform well, said coach Carlo Jazul of
his team that placed seventh.
Off they go. Some 7,848 runners answer the starting gun in the 36th National MILO Marathon Naga eliminations leg.
Sports
AUGUST 22, 2012
Manila Standard TODAY
WEDNESDAY
A8
Jackes leads TRS-Castrols dominant show
FIL-AUSTRALIAN Flynn
Jackes kept his composure
amidst big pressure to capture
the Mini-ROK crown anew and
steer the TRS-Castrol Racing
Kids Team to another big show,
together with AT Tuason and
Wils Casequin in the sixth and
penultimate leg of the 2012 Na-
tional Karting Super Series at
the Enchanted Kingdom in Sta.
Rosa, Laguna.
It was the fourth straight win
for the nine-year-old Jackes af-
ter the Carmona leg, his triumph
as the top Filipino nisher in the
AKOC Macau kickoff and his
victory in the AKOC Philippine
round he delivered for the TRS-
Castrol Racing Kids Team, pow-
ered by Castrol, Bridgestone,
Coke Zero, Standard Insurance,
OMP, Oakley, Speedlab, C!
Magazine, Toptul and Aguila
Auto Glass.
The 12-year-old Tuason, who
emerged the Formula Cadet Ex-
pert champion in the Asian Kart-
ing race, bagged second runner-up
in the Formula Cadet Expert, with
Casequin claiming fourth runner-
up honors in the same class.
Learning from his past lapses,
Jackes displayed better con-
dence and consistency as proven
by his near-awless driving that
had him sweeping the qualifying,
Pre-Final and Final races.
With the feat, he hiked his
total to 372 points, trimming
his 31-point decit to just nine
against the current frontrunner.
In all three races, the runner-
up controlled the lead from the
start, but the young Fil-Aussie
ace quickly wrested the top spot,
posting the fastest laptime of
34.783 in the sixth lap of the Fi-
nal race. From there, he banked
on his defensive strategy and
preserved his hold on the lead
all the way to the nish line. He
completed the 16-lap Final race
in nine minutes and 7.921 sec-
onds, just a slim 0.512 of a sec-
ond ahead of the runner-up.
Tuason, on the other hand,
kept his hold on third place over-
all in the Formula Cadet Expert
with 291 points, with Casequin
in fth with 202.
For more info about the TRS-
Castrol Racing Kids, interested
ALA Promotions eyes US training for fighters
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
ALA Promotions, headed by
its president Michael Aldeguer,
plans a big leap for its roster of
talented ghters, following its
staging of Pinoy Pride XV,
one of the most exciting ght
cards in recent months at the Wa-
terfront Hotel and Casino, held
in cooperation with ABS-CBN.
Junior welterweight Jason
Pagara, who showed a remark-
able change from the ghter,
who lost a lopsided 10-round de-
cision to rugged Mexican Rosbel
Montoya last September, scored
a sixth-round technical knock-
out in their rematch telecast last
Sunday.
Pagara and promising super
bantamweight Genesis Serva-
nia are being lined up for bigger
ghts and a training camp in San
Francisco.
Aldeguer told the Manila
Standard that he had spoken to
Robert Garcia, who handles su-
per bantamweight champion No-
nito Donaire Jr., although he had
some concern over the number
of ghters the trainer currently
handles, including Kelly Pavlik,
Marcus Maidana and his brother
Mikey Garcia, among others.
Aldeguer indicated that Garcia
had promised to try and man-
age his time to accommodate the
ALA ghters and said his father,
who is also a trainer, can help
out.
The ALA Promotions presi-
dent revealed that they want to
set up a camp there and will hold
further discussions with Garcia
in October after the world ban-
tamweight title ght of AJ Ba-
zooka Banal on Oct. 20.
Aldeguer said the main ad-
vantage of training in the US
is the quality sparring the Fili-
pino ghters can get, especially
for regional champions like
140-pound Pagara, who nds it
difcult to get good sparmates.
Aside from Servania and Pag-
ara, Aldeguer is also planning
to have Banal and world-rated
Milan Melindo join the training
camp in the US.
sports@manilastandardtoday.com sports_mstandard@yahoo.com Riera U. Mallari, Editor
Sandugo
survives
Cagayan
SPORTS SCIENCE
Cone: James Yap isnt going anywhere
By Jeric Lopez

SANMIG Coffee head coach Tim Cone
dismissed all the trade rumors surrounding
his squad.
Names like JC Intal and Mark Barroca
have been subjects of trade rumors and re-
cently, even resident superstar James Yap
was being talked about in swap talks.
But Cone immediately shut down all
the trade talks regarding his team, saying
that his superstar and his main core are
staying put.
No, James is not going anywhere!
There rumors are really silly! We have
no desire to trade anyone at this point.
We want our core intact, expressed
Cone through his Twitter account yester-
day, answering the questions sur-
rounding the Mixers.
Cone is thrilled to add a cou-
ple more capable players to the
team, the ones he got from the
draft--big men Aldrech Ra-
mos, Jewel Ponferrada, Gian
Chiu and Ramon Mabayo.
We got a couple of
nice players from the draft.
Those big men, especially
Ramos and Ponferrada, will
help us further on the inside this
coming season.
Cone is optimistic that he and his wards
can continue what they started last season
given that they have all the tools heading to
the coming season.
We just got to keep it up. We
had a great season and its about
being able to remain a contend-
er and give ourselves a good
chance to win titles again.
This is a great group and
its only a matter of getting
back to the top, said Cone.
The 38th season of the
Philippine Basketball As-
sociation opens on Sept. 30.
In addition, the Mixers will
have their two key players back
from injury for the Philippine Cup.
Intal and Joe Devance, who missed most
part of the Governors Cup due to knee in-
juries, will be ready for action come the
new season.
Gilas edges
Korea by 3
LOTTO RESULTS
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David, who was named
Best Player of the Game by
the AKTV IBC13 panel of
Ronnie Magsanoc and Ri-
chard del Rosario, scored
on a tough basket and fol-
lowed through with a pull-
up jumper to break a 79-79
deadlock in the dying sec-
onds of the game.
Then, Gabe Norwood
sank one of two free throws
and Marcus Douthit foiled
the last Korean play to give
the Filipinos their third
straight victory.
Two triples by Jeff Chan
and two turnaround jumpers
by Douthit got Smart Gilas
off to a blazing start to lead
the Koreans, 16-8, after Ra-
nidel De Ocanpo scored the
rst four points for the Phil-
ippines.
A corner jumper by Nor-
wood enabled Smart Gilas
to take the rst quarter 24-
17, before a 9-0 run by the
Philippines, courtesy of
triples from Larry Fonacier
and Chan and a fastbreak
basket by Sol Mercado,
opened up a 10-point lead,
33-23 for the nationals.
Fonacier again scored off
a pass from Chan to pad
the lead to 12, after which
a steal by Douthit saw the
By Ronnie Nathanielszs
THE endgame heroics of 34-year-old
shooting star Gary David enabled
Smart Gilas Pilipinas to score a mo-
rale-boosting 82-79 victory over South
Koreas champion squad, reinforced
by two towering imports, in the 34th
William Jones Cup at the TPEC Gym-
nasium in Taipei on Tuesday.
SANDUGO-San Sebastian
squandered a 2-0 set lead, but
regrouped in time to frustrate a
hard-ghting Cagayan Valley
side, 25-
23, 25-22,
15-25, 21-
25, 15-10,
and grab
the solo
lead in
the Shakeys V-League Open
at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium
yesterday.
Thai ace Jeng Bualee took
charge when the going got
tough, blasting away kills in
the decider en route to a 22-hit
performance. Her last attack
ended a grueling one-hour,
56-minute duel between the
leagues opening day winners.
Nene Bautista bounced
back from a nine-point game
against Ateneo with a 16-hit
production, including two ser-
vice aces and one block, and
later took the best player of the
game honors.
I still have to work on my
defense and as a team, I think
we still have so much work to
do, said Bautista, a former
league MVP.
PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee president
Jose Peping Cojuangco is keen on
acquiring the services of sports science and
nutrition experts and conditioning coaches
to Filipino athletes prepare better for the
2013 Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.
Cojuangco believes that experts in the
three elds will help the country improve its
chances of winning medal in international
meets. Peter Atencio
Talk N Text star streak
ahead to make it 37-23,
with 5:30 remaining .
The Koreans, anchored
by import Juan Patillo, came
roaring back, with the Philip-
pine woes compounded by
two unsportsmanlike fouls
committed by De Ocampo
and Enrico Villanueva, ena-
bling Korea to end the half
ahead at 42-40.
Turnovers began to take
their toll on the Smart
Gilas squad in the third
quarter, while torrid out-
side shooting by the Kore-
ans, highlighted by three
straight triples, pushed
them ahead, 61-49, with
import Garrett Stutz
also getting the better of
Douthit down low.
A triple from the corner
by Chan sparked a 7-0
run by Smart Gilas, after
which a Norwood triple
and two free throws cut
the Koreans lead to 65-
61, with 1:35 remaining,
but back-to-back baskets
by Potillo opened up a 71-
63 lead.
PLAYING with a never-say-
die attitude, the Energen Pili-
pinas under-18 team clawed
back in the dying minutes of
their game against previously
undefeated Chinese Taipei to
score an 88-83 win and earn a
quarternal berth in the FIBA
Asia Under 18 Champion-
ships in Mongolia.
The backcourt duo of Je-
rie Pingoy, who led all scor-
ers with 25, and Jay Ale-
jandro, who struck for 22
points and 9 rebounds, tilted
the balance in favor of the
Filipinos, who finished the
elimination round with a 3-1
card, tying Chinese Taipei in
Group F and sealing a seat
in the quarterfinals.
The Filipinos have an excel-
lent chance to grab solo second
place in the group after the -
nal day of the second round
as they face winless Bahrain,
while Chinese Taipei battles
face powerhouse Iran. Ronnie
Nathanielsz
PH Youth
5 makes
quarters
Topex leaving
San Sebastian
A NEW coach could take over
the San Sebastian College
Stags when they face the Ly-
ceum Philippines University
Pirates on Thursday.
San Sebastian mentor Topex
Robinson quit yesterday and
told school ofcials that he
needs to focus on his assistant
coaching job with the Alaska
Milk in the Philippine Basket-
ball Association.
Team B coach Allan Trini-
dad has taken over the morning
practices of the Stags after Frank
Gusi, SSCs board representative
in the management committee of
the National Collegiate Athletic
Association, informed him of
possible changes on Thursday.
Gusi is still hoping that Rob-
inson will still have a change of
heart after Robinson informed
him of his decision to tender
his irrevocable resignation.
Peter Atencio
parties may email www.tuason-
racing.com or at info@tuason-
racing.com, visit Tuason Racing
School fanpage on facebook, or
call the TRS secretariat, c/o Aileen
Urgelles or John at 820-4203.
Games Friday
2 p.m. Cagayan
vs Army
4 p.m Sandugo-SSC
vs Navy
6 p.m. Ateneo vs FEU
One-point win. Jose Rizal Universitys Nate Matute challenges the defense of Arellano Universitys John Bangga
and James Forrester in a National Collegiate Athletic Association game won by the Chiefs, 83-82, at The Arena in San
Juan. LINO SANTOS
Cone
TRS-Castrol Racing kids (from left) Mini-ROK champion Flynn Jackes,
Asian Karting Open Formula Cadet Expert winner AT Tuason and Wils
Casequin display their trophies.
Business
B1
Ray S. Eano, Editor extrastory2000@gmail.com
Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor
IN BRIEF
VOLUME 853.100M
PSE COMPOSITE INDEX
Closing August 17, 2012
OIL
PRICES
TODAY
P584-P695
LPG/11-kg tank
P47.15-P53.07
Unleaded Gasoline
P38.40-P41.05
Diesel
P40.30-P52.20
Kerosene
P27.20-P31.00
Auto LPG
FOREI GN EXCHANGE RATE
Currency Unit US Dollar Peso
United States Dollar 1.000000 42.3180
Japan Yen 0.012604 0.5334
UK Pound 1.573900 66.6043
Hong Kong Dollar 0.0128922 5.4557
Switzerland Franc 1.029124 43.5505
Canada Dollar 1.013993 42.9102
Singapore Dollar 0.800705 33.8842
Australia Dollar 1.048658 44.3771
Bahrain Dinar 2.652661 112.2553
Saudi Arabia Rial 0.266667 11.2848
Brunei Dollar 0.797512 33.7491
Indonesia Rupiah 0.000105 0.0044
Thailand Baht 0.031786 1.3451
UAE Dirham 0.272264 11.5217
Euro Euro 1.236200 52.3135
Korea Won 0.000882 0.0373
China Yuan 0.157089 6.6477
India Rupee 0.017979 0.7608
Malaysia Ringgit 0.319693 13.5288
NewZealand Dollar 0.808407 34.2102
Taiwan Dollar 0.033378 1.4125
Source: PDS Bridge
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Friday, August 17, 2012
PESO-DOLLAR RATE
40
42
44
46
48
P42.420
CLOSE
Closing AUGUST 17, 2012
5,206.81
12.7
HIGH P42.200 LOW P42.430AVERAGE P42.318
5200
4460
3720
2980
2240
1500
1200
Robinsons Land set
to boost landbank
San Miguel defers
IPO of power unit
Oceana
obtains
Didipio
funding
PLDTs broadband revenues up by 32%
UPC Renewables eyes 2 more wind projects
CONGLOMERATE San Miguel
Corp. may move the planned
initial public offering of its
power unit SMC Global Power
Holdings Corp. to next year.
We are still interested in
listing the power unit but it will
depend on market conditions,
San Miguel chief nance ofcer
Ferdinand Constantino said.
Constantino said the company
was monitoring developments in
the equities market to determine
the most opportune time to list
the power unit.
SMC Global Power in October
2011 postponed the planned P36.6-
billion IPO because of volatile
markets brought about by the
sovereign debt crisis in Europe.
The company initially planned
to list its shares in the last quarter
of 2011 under the rst board of
the Philippine Stock Exchange.
The IPO would have been the
largest public offering in the
Philippines.
SMC Global Power, based on a
registration statement previously
led with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, had
planned to offer between 348
million and 519.7 million in
primary and secondary shares,
which could generate between
P24.7 billion and P36.6 billion
in proceeds.
The base offer calls for the
sale of between 290 million and
385 million shares to be sold at
as much as P71 apiece.
An upsize option consisting
of another 58 to 77 million
shares will be set aside for local
investors in case the market
turns positive, while another
43.5 million to 57.7 million
shares will be earmarked for the
overallotment option.
SMC Global Power had tapped
Goldman Sachs (Singapore) Ltd.,
Standard Chartered Securities
Pte. Ltd., CIMB Singapore and
UBS AG as joint bookrunners
and international lead managers.
It also named ATR Kim Eng
Capital Partners Inc. and SB
Capital Investments Corp. as
domestic lead underwriters.
Jenniffer B. Austria
By Jenniffer B. Austria

ROBINSONS Land Corp., the property
unit of conglomerate JG Summit Holdings
Inc., will acquire more lands for residential
development to take advantage of record-
low interest rates that attract home buyers.
Robinsons Land president
Frederick Go said the company
was now looking to acquire
lands, as it plans to beef up its
portfolio of residential projects.
The property rm earlier
focused on the leasing business,
which includes shopping center
and ofce development, and
hotel projects, as it anticipated
a possible oversupply in the
condominium market with the
entry of new players.
However, the recent move of
the Bangko Sentral to reduce
interest rates to record low
level is now seen by property
companies as encouraging more
home buyers.
We will intensify our sales
efforts and land acquisitions,
Go said.
The company, showing its
eagerness to pursue expansion,
submitted a bid to acquire 74
hectares of Food Terminal Inc.,
which the government sold last
week.
Robinsons Land, however, lost
to property giant Ayala Land Inc.,
which submitted the winning bid
of P24 billion.
Robinsons Land reported a
net income of P3.35 billion in
the rst nine months of its scal
year ending June. The gure
was up 10 percent from a year
ago, as consolidated revenues
also improved to P10.5 billion
from P9.6 billion.
The shopping mall segment
was the biggest revenue
contributor to the company, with
a share of 49 percent, or P5.2
billion.
This was followed by
residential development, which
accounted for 31 percent of the
companys total revenues in the
period. Revenues amounted to
P6.6 billion, higher only by 6
percent year-on-year.
Ofce and hotel portfolios
contributed 10 percent or about
P1 billion each to total revenues.
Robinsons Land is currently in
talks for the possible management
of Japanese businessman Kazuo
Okadas integrated casino
complex in the country. Talks are
expected to be completed within
the year.
Okada is the head of casino
giant Universal Entertainment
Corp., whose local unit Tiger Re-
sorts Leisure and Entertainment
Inc. is constructing an integrated
gaming and leisure complex at
Bagong Nayong Pilipino Enter-
tainment City.
By Lailany P. Gomez
PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone
Co. said revenues from the broadband
and Internet businesses in the rst six
months of the year rose 32 percent to
P11.6 billion year-on-year .
We have clearly maintained our
leadership position in broadband and
Internet as our subscriber base continued
to grow, hitting more than 3.1 million as
of end-June this year, said PLDT and
Smart Communications president and
chief executive Napoleon Nazareno.
Nazareno said the broadband business was
expected to grow even more, as smartphones
become more and more affordable to a
broader segment of the population.
The large population of overseas
Filipinos, high literacy rate, popularity
of the social networks, and our relatively
young domestic population underpin
the robust demand for broadband
connectivity, Nazareno said.
The wireless broadband revenues
of the PLDT Group improved 42
percent to P6 billion from a year ago.
Smart contributed P3.3 billion of the
total amount.
Mobile Internet usage continued to be
strong, with the groups mobile Internet
revenues nearly doubling to P1.4 billion.
Smarts mobile Internet revenues grew
63 percent to P1.2 billion.
PLDT DSL contributed P5.2 billion
in revenues in the rst six months of the
year, up 13 percent year-on-year.
The launching of MyBro wireless
broadband service also generated P2
billion during the period, with Home
broadband revenues rising 27 percent
year-on-year.
The PLDT groups DSL subscriber
base also continued to grow to more than
877,000 as of end-June.
Trans-Asia nets P220m
TRANS-ASIA Oil and Energy Development
Corp., a unit of the Phinma Group, reported a
net income of P220.4 million in the rst half,
up 70 percent from P129.7 million in the same
period last year, as higher electricity rates and
power sales boosted revenues.
Trans-Asia said in a disclosure to the stock
exchange consolidated revenues climbed 64.5
percent to P772.1 million from P469.2 million
in the same period last year.
Trans-Asia generates electricity through
the 52-megawatt power plant of its subsidiary
Trans Asia Power Generation Corp. and its
own 3.4-MW power plant in Guimaras.
The company said net income in the second
quarter alone improved to P178.7 million from
P82.4 million year-on-year, as consolidated
revenues nearly doubled to P525.6 million
from P289.3 million.
Generation revenues increased to P36.3
million in the six-month period from P27.8
million a year ago, owing to higher energy
sold and power rates by Guimaras power plant,
which began to participate in the electricity
supply business in March 2011.
Net trading income rose significantly to
P352.7 million in the first half from P63.5
million in the same period last year due
to higher power rates and higher energy
sales.
Consolidated costs and expenses increased
in the six-month period to P456.2 million from
P298 million a year ago. Alena Mae S. Flores
Honda awaits bill passage
HONDA Cars Philippines Inc. will launch
hybrid vehicles in the country, once a law
granting incentives to green vehicles is in
place, company president Tatsuya Natsume
said.
Natsume said in an interview Honda was
keenly awaiting the passage into law of a
Senate bill authored by Senator Ralph Recto,
which would trigger Hondas introduction of
its own hybrid vehicles in the country.
We are ready to launch hybrid vehicles
in the country after the Senate bill becomes
a law, Natsume said, adding that HCPI was
particularly hoping that hybrid vehicles would
be exempted from excise tax.
He said granting incentives to hybrids
would also result in a more affordable
pricing which would eventually benet the
consumers.
Honda Motor Co. currently sells hybrid
versions of the Jazz and Civic sedans abroad,
and also other passenger car models dubbed
the CR-Z and Insight.
Senate Bill 2856, or the Alternative Fuel
Vehicles Incentives Act of 2011, is currently
pending in the Senate. Its counterpart House
Bill 5460 had passed the third and nal reading
in the House of Representatives.
Julito G. Rada
By Alena Mae S. Flores
UPC Renewables Philippines, a unit
of UPC Asia, is pursuing two more
wind power projects in Burgos, Ilocos
Norte with a combined capacity of 134
megawatts.
UPC Renewables, through Northern
Luzon UPC Asia Corp., has pending
wind service contract applications with
the Energy Department for the 90-MW
Bayog project and the 44-MW Buduan
facility.
UPC Asia, the mother company
of UPC Renewables, is one of
Europes largest wind power
developers.
The company plans to develop over
450 MW of wind projects around the
country. Its rst project, Northern Luzon
UPC Asia, is the 80-MW wind station in
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.
Troels Carstensen, UPC Renewables
managing director, earlier said the group
would invest $200 million for the 80-
MW wind project in Pagudpud.
We had decided to concentrate
on the first 80 MW... One thing is
to see the [Renewable Energy] law
is in place, the other is we want to
test it as we go along and see whether
all incentives being stipulated in the
law is making good for our project,
Carstensen said.
He said the company was in talks with
Development Bank of the Philippines and
Land Bank of the Philippines to nance
the Pagudpud project and with PhilExim
Bank to extend a loan guarantee.
DBP partner. State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines is teaming up with TimesofMoney Ltd. through its
Remit2Home service to enable Filipino workers abroad to transfer funds online to their beneciaries in the Philippines. Sealing the
agreement with a handshake are DBP senior executive vice president Ma. Theresa Quirino (third from right) and TOML president
Avijit Nanda. With them (from left) are TOML business manager Ashish Saxena, TOML head of global remittance Kunnal Sharma,
DBP vice president George Inocencio and DBP assistant vice president Eleazar Reyes.
By Othel V. Campos
OCEANAGOLD Philippines
Inc., the local unit of
OceanaGold Corp. of Australia,
announced Tuesday it signed
a $225-million credit facility
with a syndicate of foreign
banks to fund working capital
and repay maturing convertible
bonds.
The miner, which is
developing the copper-gold
project in Nueva Vizcaya
and Quirino, said it secured
the loan from Citibank N.A.,
BNP Paribas, HSBC, Barclays
Bank Plc, Nedbank Capital
and Investec Bank (Australia)
Ltd. The company also has
operations in New Zealand.
OceanaGold said it would
use the proceeds of the $225-
million term and revolving
credit facilities, which were
higher than the originally
announced $220 million,
to repay convertible bonds
maturing in December 2012
and December 2013 and
fund general working capital
requirements.
OceanaGold said the
amount would cover the
repayment of A$57.8-million
convertible bonds maturing
in December 2012, A$110.7-
million convertible bonds
due in December 2013 and a
$50-million working capital
facility.
We are very pleased to
nalize this corporate facility
which will provide further
stability in the balance sheet
and allow us to remain focused
on delivering the Didipio
project in the Philippines
over the next few months,
said OceanaGold managing
director and chief executive
Mick Wilkes.
The company appreciates
the strong vote of condence
our new banking partners
have shown in us and we
look forward to working with
them well into the future as
we grow our business with
a focus on delivering value
to our stakeholders, Wilkes
added.
The company said among the
conditions cited for the release
of the credit facilities was the
purchase of out-of-the money
put options at a strike price
of $1,400 per ounce gold for
approximately 40 percent of its
New Zealand production from
October 2012 to June 2013.
NEW YORKMaria Sharapova is
going into the candy business.
The four-time Grand Slam tennis
title winner launched her Sugarpova
brand of 12 types of sweets on
Monday.
At this years French Open, which
Sharapova won, she called Sugarpova
the most exciting project that Ive
ever done... because its my own
business, my own investment, my own
money.
Sharapova is ranked third heading
into the US Open, which starts next
week. AP
Business
ManilaStandardToday
extrastory2000@gmail.com
B2
GERRY GERONIMO
THE TRUST GURU
Citi is first to issue
own card in China
Apples market value
touches record $624b
Iraqis
wait to
see oil
gains
SMI, Alsons study coal plant option
Corn prices rise on leaner harvest
By Peter Svensson
NEW YORKApple is Wall Streets all-
time MVPthats Most Valuable Property.
On Monday, Apples surging
stock propelled the companys
value to $624 billion, the worlds
highest, ever. It beat the record
for market capitalization set by
Microsoft Corp. in the heady
days of the Internet boom.
After a four-month dip,
Apples stock has hit new highs
recently because of optimism
around what is believed to be the
impending launch of the iPhone
5, and possibly a smaller, cheaper
iPad.
Apple Inc. has been the worlds
most valuable company since the
end of last year. Its now worth
54 percent more than no. 2 Exxon
Mobil Corp.
Apples stock closed at
$665.15. That was an all-time
high, up $17.04, or 2.6 percent,
from Fridays close.
Microsofts 1999 peak was
$620.58 billion, according to
Standard & Poors.
The comparison to Microsoft
does not take ination into
account. In ination-adjusted
dollars, the software giant was
worth about $850 billion on Dec.
30, 1999. Microsoft is now worth
$257 billion.
Analysts believe Apples stock
has room to grow. The average
price target of 38 analysts polled
by FactSet is $745.80.
Despite the surge, Apples
stock is not particularly expensive
compared with its earnings for the
last 12 months. The companys
price-to-earnings ratio is 15.6,
compared with 16.1 for the
S&P 500 overall. That suggests
investors, unlike analysts, dont
believe the company can grow its
prots much from current levels.
Microsoft had a price-to-
earnings ratio of 83 at the 1999
peak. The stock was caught
up in the Internet mania of the
time and investors believed it
could boost its future earnings
massively.
Analysts believe the launch of
a new iPhone in a month or two
will be Apples biggest product
introduction yet.
Scott Sutherland at Wedbush
Morgan noted that some
investors sold Apple shares last
summer, when iPhone sales
slowed down as consumers
started holding off for the new
model. Those investors missed
out on a 50-percent jump in the
stock price.
This time around, investors
are a little bit smarter across the
board... they dont want to be
caught not involved in the stock
on this next iPhone launch,
Sutherland said.
Analysts also speculate that
a mini iPad, could expand
the number of people who can
afford one of Apples tablets.
The cheapest iPad cost $399,
compared to $199 for the latest
Google and Amazon tablets.
Analysts are speculating
based on rumorsthat Apple
plans to make a TV set to
complete its suite of consumer
electronics products.
Apple usually doesnt
comment on its future product
plans until a few weeks or days
before a launch.
Apples stock surge has
made it a major part of many
investment portfolios, often
without the investors realizing
it. The company makes up 4.7
percent of the value of the S&P
500 index, which is used as the
basis for many mutual funds.
Figures supplied by FactSet
imply Microsofts market
capitalization record was $619.25
billion, somewhat lower than the
$620.58 billion calculated by
S&P. The difference lies in the
number of outstanding shares the
rms ascribe to Microsoft at the
time.
Chinas largest oil company,
PetroChina, could lay claim to
having hit a market capitalization
even higher than Apples,
because of the particularities of
the Chinese stock market. AP
BANKS, insurance companies, companies, and all other institutions
supervised or regulated by the Bangko Sentral, the Insurance
Commission or the Securities and Exchange Commission must
secure pronto copies of the recently issued implementing rules
and regulations (the Regulations) of Republic Act No. 10168.
The new law, among other things, criminalized the nancing of
terrorism, thereby asserting to the international community, in
unmistakable terms, that we are one with them in combating the
common enemy called terrorism.
The Regulations is available at our Anti-Money Laundering
Councils Web site and was published in print in another
broadsheet of general circulation in the second weekend of
this August. It is a must read not only for those involved in
the handling of the ow of money but also for those interested
in drafting instructions for bureaucrats, both in government or
in the private sector. Its greatest virtue, almost to a fault, is
its completeness. It is so detailed that, if I may be permitted
to engage in some exaggeration, it is like a how-to-sleep-well
book that tells you on which side of the bed to sleep every
night of the calendar month of the year.
The mountain of detail in the Regulations, in fairness, is justied.
RA 10168 is so drastic a measure and so demanding of the persons
directly affected (so much so that, from the point of view of the
more liberal amongst us, it can be seen as bordering on the undue
invasive of ones human rights, particularly privacy), precisely
because terrorism is, by nature indiscriminate as to victim and
by design geographically widespread. Terrorism is a menace that
itself violates the humanity of everyone affected in some way or
another, be he or she a holder of high position and a video game
addict, or both. Consequently, its implementing rules cannot do
justice to the laws mission and vision without the corresponding
and necessary minutia.
A clear example is the trouble that the Regulations went
through to show who can be tagged as a terrorist with whom we
ought, generally, not to have any nancial dealings. To ensure
that no one is accidentally so tagged and irrationally dealt with,
the Regulations went through a two-step process.
First, it took time to dene the process of designation or
listing of a terrorist. Rule 3.a.6 says that the term designation
or listing means the identication of a person, organization,
association, or group of persons that is subject to targeted
nancial sanctions pursuant to the applicable United Nations
Security Council Resolutions. Obvious is the attempt to stress
that the process of designation or listing of terrorists and terrorist
organizations is not at all random like carpet bombing that used
to be done by attacking World War II airplanes. Instead, it is
as scalpel-sharp and as laser-precise as post-War of Iran guided
missiles. Moreover, there is the assurance the sanctions to be
imposed on persons and entities who had the misfortune of being
so labeled are not purely local and homegrown. The sanctions
that can be imposed on those identied as terrorist are only those
that can be imposed pursuant to the applicable United Nations
Security Council Resolutions.
In the same vein, the Regulations further insures that it neither
adds to nor subtracts from what RA 10168 itself considers
designated persons. For this reason Rule 3.a.5 copies word for
word Section 3(e) of the law that denes a designated person.
While the word any which precedes each group of items
enumerated suggests a broad sweep, the precision in listing of
those mentioned, characterized by the citation of the specic
chapter and verse of local law, bars the temptation to expand its
scope beyond what the law intended.
Stickler that it is to precision, the Regulations, nevertheless, is not
averse to completion; where denitely benecial to stakeholders,
the Regulations does not hesitate to give, for their guidance, a
copious enumeration of instances that are clearly within the law,
albeit only by reference.
Section 17 of RA 10168 makes the nancing of terrorism,
as principal (by direct participation or being a conspirator) or
as accomplice, or as accessory, a predicate offense to money
laundering and therefore subject to its suspicious transaction
reporting requirement. The question for stakeholders on the
ground is therefore what facts that a covered institution becomes
aware of would trigger an obligation to report as suspicious of
terrorist nancing. The text of RA No. 10168 does not say.
But the Regulations is happy to oblige. Rule 3.a.15 has a long list
of covered institutionsas many as 15 triggering circumstances,
inclusive of the all-embracing any other transaction that is similar,
identical, or analogous... Among the more outstanding ones
are (a) wire transfers, between accounts, without visible legal,
economic, or business purpose, especially if the wire transfers are
effected through countries which are identied or connected with
terrorist activities, (b) repetitive deposits or withdrawals that
cannot be satisfactorily explained or do not make economic or
business sense; (c) Transactions of individuals, companies, or
Non-Governmental Organizations/Non-Prot Organizations that
are afliated or related to people suspected of having connection
with a terrorist individual, organization, association or group of
persons.
What jumps out of the page is both adherence to the letter and
thoroughness beyond compare with respect to its spirit. Once
again, it puts the heavy burden of knowing-your-client where
it belongs, on the sturdy shoulders of the covered, particularly
nancial, institutions.
Anti-terrorist financing
regulations
Sharapova bares
Sugarpova candy
SAGITTARIUS Mines Inc. and
Alsons Energy Development
Corp., a subsidiary of the Alcantara
Group, have signed an agreement
to conduct a joint feasibility study
for the possible development
of a coal-red power station in
Maasim, Sarangani province.
The planned power plant aims to
meet the electricity requirements
of SMIs Tampakan copper-
gold project in Tampakan, South
Cotabato.
The power plant may be located
in the Kamanga Agro-Industrial
Ecozone operated by Kamanga
Agro-Industrial Ecozone
Development Corp. in barangay
Kamanga, Maasim.
Under the joint feasibility
study, SMI and Alsons Energy
will look into the environmental,
technical, and nancial aspects
of the prospective power station.
The results of the joint study will
help SMI make a nal decision
on whether Alsons Energy will be
selected as the power generation
supplier for the Tampakan project.
No nal decision about a power
source for the Tampakan project
has been made.
Alsons Energy will also
conduct its own technical studies
on the facilities needed by SMI.
Both parties committed to open
engagement with the community
ensuring that all aspects of the
feasibility study are understood.
By Geir Moulson

BERLINEuropes leaders
are gearing up for a high-stakes
week of nancial diplomacy
that could determine Greeces
futureand the stability of the
17 countries that use the euro.
The rst round of the talks began
Monday when Germanys foreign
minister, Guido Westerwelle,
hosted his Greek counterpart,
Dimitris Avramopoulos, ahead
of a meeting in Berlin on Friday
between their countries leaders,
Chancellor Angela Merkel and
new Prime Minister Antonis
Samaras.
French President Francois
Hollande visits Berlin on Thursday
for discussions with Merkel and
then will meet Samaras in Paris
on Saturday. Jean-Claude Juncker,
the Luxembourg prime minister
who chairs the eurozone nance
ministers meetings, is due in
Athens Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Greeces nance
ofcials were working to hammer
out 11.5 billion ($14.19 billion)
in spending cuts necessary for
it to continue receiving the
international funding that is
protecting it from bankruptcy.
The eurozone is awaiting a
report, expected next month, on
Greeces progress in implementing
reforms and austerity measures
demanded in exchange for two
massive bailout packages. The
report is being compiled by the so-
called troikarepresentatives
of the European Union, European
Central Bank and International
Monetary Fund. AP
Germany: Greek reforms crucial
CITIGROUP Inc. became the rst
Western bank to issue credit cards
in China without co-branding from
a local nancial institution as the
government relaxes restrictions
in the worlds second-largest
economy.
The cards will be denominated
in yuan or dollars and accepted
worldwide, the third-largest US
lender by assets said Tuesday
in an e-mailed statement. China
UnionPay, the nations largest
electronic-payment network,
will process payments within
China, while MasterCard Inc.
and Visa Inc. will handle cards
internationally, Citigroup said.
China will probably overtake
the US as the largest market for
cards by 2020, with about 900
million, according to a MasterCard
forecast from September 2010.
Payment processors such as
MasterCard and Visa won partial
support last month from World
Trade Organization judges in a
claim that China unfairly restrains
their operations.
Chinas credit card market is
far from saturated, its just a matter
of nding the right customer
group and minimizing costs, said
Tang Yayun, a Shanghai-based
analyst at Northeast Securities Co.
Citigroup has its advantage in
its IT system, product innovation
and brand awareness, especially
among high-end customers, while
the disadvantage is its lack of
distribution channels in China.
Bloomberg
THE price of corn rose Monday
after the start of the harvest renewed
expectations of a smaller crop yield
because of drought damage.
Corn for December delivery
rose 16.5 cents, or 2 percent, to
nish Monday at $8.2375 per
bushel. Thats the highest level
since Aug. 9.
The summers heat has devastated
elds across a swath of the Midwest.
Northstar Commodity analyst Jason
Ward, who has toured elds in
several states, predicted the yield
will be a little worse than weve
got gured.
I think the general theme in
the market is that nobody really
knows what the yields are yet,
Ward said. As we get into more
of it [the harvest], it needs to get
better or those national yields on
corn will come down. AP
By Adam Schreck
BAGHDADIraq is fast becoming
an oil-producing powerhouse, but
youd never know that by looking
at the faded Unknown Soldier gas
station in downtown Baghdad.
Theres no repair garage or mini-
mart, just a cramped ofce with
tattered vinyl couches. Horns blare
as a string of waiting cars backs up
into busy Sadoun Street, slowing
trafc.
Electricity from the power grid
is available only for a few hours
a day, so a noisy generator burns
through 200 liters (53 gallons) of
fuel daily just to keep the lights
on and pumps running. That
eats into what little prot is left
over after government-imposed
price caps, says manager Anmar
Abdul-Sattar.
Like many Iraqis, he sees little
reason to celebrate the postwar
petroleum gains that have turned
Iraq into a leading oil producer.
The country is increasing its oil
revenues, but were not feeling it
on the ground, he said.
Its a widely shared sentiment.
Frequent power cuts, the states
inability to prevent near-daily
bloodshed and yawning gaps in
basic services have left ordinary
Iraqis convinced they are sharing
little in the countrys growing oil
wealth. Insurgent attacks have
killed more than 200 people just
since the start of this month.
There is no electricity, no
public services. No respect for
the people of Iraq, Mohammed
Salem said as he gassed up
his taxi at the station, which is
named after a monument that
once stood nearby. The billions
being made off Iraqs oil, Salem
believes, are simply being stolen
by government ofcials and sent
to banks outside of Iraq. AP
Russian tourist poses outside of Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. Apple became the most valuable company ever, with a market
value of $624 billion, surpassing Microsofts record from 1999. AP
Business
ManilaStandardToday extrastory2000@gmail.com AUGUST 22, 2012 WEDNESDAY
B3
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Public Works and Highways
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Camarines Sur 2
nd
District Engineering Offce
Baras, Canaman, Camarines Sur
(MST-Aug. 22, 2012)
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
The DPWH Camarines Sur 2
nd
District Engineering Offce, through its
Bids and Awards Committee ( BAC ) invites contractors to apply to bid for
the following projects:
1. a. Contract I.D. : 12FE0049
b. Contract Name : Repair/Rehabilitation/lmprovement of Daang
Maharlika ko441+ 113.55-ko441+ 735 (w/
exception)
c. Contract Location : Brgy. Del Rosario, Naga City
d. Scope of Work : Repair/Rehabilitation/Improvement of Road
e. Approved Budget for the Contract: P9,899,828.52
e. Contract Duration : 45 CD
f. Cost of Bidding Documents: P 10,000.00
g. Net length : 621.45 In.m
Procurement will be conducted through open competitive bidding
procedures in accordance with R.A. 9184 and its Revised Implementing
Rules and Regulations.
To bid for this project, a contractor must submit a letter of Intent (LOI),
purchase bid documents and must meet the following major criteria: (a)
prior registration with DPWH, (b) Fillplno citizen or 75% Filipino owned
partnership, corporation, cooperative, or joint venture (c) with PCAB license
to the type and cost of this, (d) completion of a similar contract costing
at least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (e) Net Financial
Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment at
least equal to 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 applications for
registration to the DPWH-POCW Central Offce before the deadline for
the receipt of LO. The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process
contractors applications for registration with complete requirements and
issue the Contractors 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. Issuance of Bidding Documents August 17-Septernber 11, 2012
2. Deadline of Receipt of LOI from
Prospective bidders
September 04,2012 until 10:00 a.m.
3. Pre-Bid Conference August 29,2012 at 9:00 a.m.
4. Receipt of Bids September 11, 2012 until 10:00 a.m.
5. Opening Of Bids September 11, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.
The BAC will issue hard copies of (BDS) Bidding Documents at the
BAC Offce, DPWH Camarines Sur 2
nd
District Engineering Offce, Baras
Canaman, Camarines Sur, upon payment of nonrefundable fee as stated
above for Bid Documents. Prospective bidders may also download the BDS
if available from 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 Bid Documents. The Pre-Bid conference shall be
open only to Interested parties who have purchased the BDS. Bid must
be accompanied by a Bid Security in the amount and acceptable form, as
stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised IRR.
Prospective Bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as
specifed in the BDs in two (2) separate sealed 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 Camarines Sur 2
nd
District Engineering Offce reserves
the right to accept or reject any or all bid, to annul the bidding process at
anytime prior contract award, without thereby incurring any liability of the
affected bidder/s.
APPROVED:
(Sgd.) EDUARDO A. ALEJO JR.
BAC Chairman
NATIONAL FOOD AUTHORITY
REGION 10
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D FOR THE CONTRACT OF ROOFDECK RENOVATI ON OF THE REGI ONAL
OFFI CE WI TH PROVI SI ON OF TRAI NI NG ROOM AND DORMI TORI ES AT NFA COMPOUND
BALOY, CAGAYAN DE ORO CI TY
The NATIONAL FOOD AUTHORITY-REGION 10, Cagayan de Oro City through its CAPITAL OUTLAY
FUND intends to apply the sum of FIVE MILLION NINE HUNDRED FIVE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED
EIGHTY THREE PESOS AND SIXTY SEVEN CENTAVOS (P5,905,883.67) being the Approved Budget for the
Contract (ABC) for the Roof Deck Renovation of the NFA Regional Offce with Training Room and Dormitories
as follows:
Project Name Location Approved Budget for the
Contract (ABC)
Roof deck renovation of the NFA Regional Offce with
provision of Training Room and Dormitories
NFA Compound, Baloy, Cagayan de Oro City P 5,905.883.67
Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.
The NATONAL FOOD AUTHORTY-REGON 10, Cagayan de Oro City now invites prospective bidders
to apply for eligibility and to bid for the above mentioned project. Completion of the Works is required in one
hundred ffty (150) calendar days per Contract. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the
date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is
contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Instruction to Bidders (ITB) Clause 5.1.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/
fail criterion as specifed in the mplementing Rules and Regulations (RR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184),
otherwise known as the "Government Procurement Reform Act.
nterested bidders may obtain further information from Bids and Awards Committee (BAC)-NATONAL
FOOD AUTHORTY - REGON 10 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the Regional Offce, 2F, Baloy,
Cagayan de Oro City.
A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address above
and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of FIFTEEN THOUSAND
PESOS ONLY (PhP15,000.00). Only bidders who paid the required non-refundable bidding fee will be allowed
to participate in the bidding.
The Schedule of Activities for the Contract is as follows:
Activities Schedule Date/Time
1. Posting of Invitation to Bid August 22, 2012
2. ssuance of Bidding Documents August 23-Sept 11, 2012 / 8:00AM 5PM
(Except Saturday and Sunday)
3. Pre-Bid Conference August 30, 2012/ 2:30PM
4. Submission and Receipt of Bidding Documents September 11, 2012 / 1:00PM 2:30PM
5. Opening of Bid Envelopes September 11, 2012 / 2:31PM
All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in
ITB Clause 18.
Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder or his/her duly authorized representatives who choose to
attend at the address indicated above. Late bids shall not be accepted.
For further information, please refer to:
BAC Secretariat Technical Working Group
MS. BEVERLY M. NAVARRO ENGR. JOSE B. TAGANAHAN
NFA Region 10
Baloy, Cagayan de Oro City
Tel Nos. (088) 855-2721 / (08822) 73-22-15
Fax Nos. (088) 855-2723 / (088) 855-4501
E-mail nfa-cdocity@yahoo.com
The NATIONAL FOOD AUTHORITY-REGION 10 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the
bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability
to the affected bidder or bidders.

(Sgd.) ROLANDO M. MARAVILLA
Asst. Regional Director &
BAC Chairman
MST August 22, 2012
Vista Land finalizes
P2.5-b bond terms
IT company
helps BPOs cope
with disasters
R.I.P. Jesse Robredo
MANY have expected it, but the news was
shocking neverthelessthe body of Interior and
Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo
was nally recovered Tuesday by foreign
divers about 800 meters off Masbate. Most had
prayed that Robredo and the two pilots of the
Piper Seneca plane would somehow survive the
accident, but on the third day of operations, even
Robredos family said they were ready to accept
the inevitable.
At some point, while he was making the ofcial
announcement, people thought Transportation
Secretary Mar Roxas would break into tears.
Its a well-known fact that the two men are close
allies, both belonging to the Liberal Party with
Robredo as executive vice president and Mar its
president. It was Mar who lobbied for Robredos
appointment as DILG chiefa position eyed by
others (like Vice President Jejomar Binay and,
Happy Hour sources allege, KKK stalwart and
DILG Usec Rico Puno).
Filipinos customarily heap praises and
accolade to people when they are dead
remembering only the good even when in
life, they know the man to be the epitome of
wickedness. But in the case of Jesse Robredo,
the respect, the shock, the grief for the passing
of a decent person and dedicated public servant
all are genuine and warranted. Facebook
and TwitterFilipinos favorite social media
networkswere overwhelmingly ooded
by messages of condolence and regret at the
passing of one of the Cabinets few good
men.
Robredo was a good mayor to his Naga
constituents, an esteemed colleague by Cabinet
members, a stalwart among Liberal Party
members, an accommodating ofcial to the press,
a loving husband to his wife and caring father to
his children. To the many more whose lives he
has touched in his brief 54 years of existence, he
was simply Jesse.
Facebook shares hit all-time low
The stock price of Facebook, the worlds
largest social media network with an estimated
one billion users, continues to plummet to record
lows. Last Monday, share prices dipped to $18.75,
a drop of over 50 percent from the $38 price in its
initial public offering in May. Analysts attribute
the problem to the waning popularity of the
company (which traces its beginnings in a dorm
room of Mar k Zucker ber g and friends) plus the
fact that it has failed to capitalize on advertising
via mobile devices utilized by subscribers.
That, plus the end of the lock-up periods
and fears that insiders and initial investors
will continue to ofoad shares, is making FB
watchers dgety. Reports say Facebook initially
unlocked more than 271 million shares and
more will be made available when ve lock-up
periods scheduled during its rst year as a public
company expire, like this coming November with
insiders anticipated to sell over 50 percent of 1.2
billion shares.
Among those who made a killing include
Facebook director Peter Thiel who converted
Class B shares into Class A (easier to sell to
public) and sold 20.1 million shares at prices
ranging from $19.27 to $20.69 per for $395.8
million last week. Ditto with Accel, which let go
of 50 million shares. The recent developments
have halved Zuckerbergs personal net worth into
just a little over $10 billionwith his job status
as CEO uncertain as people begin to wonder
whether he has the business chops to deliver on
his promises.
Interestingly, Zuckerberg chalked up a
$700,000 bill for private ights (with some
friends and relatives tagging along) which FB
footedapparently to keep the young chief
executive safe from stalkers and crazies out there,
causing rumors that such jet-setting ways maybe
zucking the company dry. A big question: Is
FB just a fad that will also go the way of many
others before it (like Friendster for example)?
No wonder Facebook staff are wearing long
faces.
while Apple stock sur ges
In contrast, Apples stocks hit record highs as
it became the most valuable company at $619
billion, driven by iPad and iPhone shares recorded
at $664.75 per share. The last time such a high
was seen was in December 1999 with Microsoft
hitting $618.9 billion shortly before the dotcom
bubble burst in 2000. The technology giant has
dislodged Exxon Mobil ($405.6-billion market
value) at the top spot.
Quite a reversal, considering that the late Steve
Jobs company saw a big drop in sales and was
static for several monthsbut shares started to
climb amid chatter that a new and smaller version
of iPad will soon be launched. Rumor also has
it that Tim Cook (who took over from Jobs) is
cooking up something in the TV market. No pun
there.
For comments, reactions, photos, stories

and related concerns, readers may e-mail to
happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com.
AN INFORMATION technology provider
offers solutions to keep call centers and
business process outsourcing companies
operational despite the occurrence of natural
calamities such as the massive ooding that
hit Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon on
Aug. 6 to 8.
Leading cloud-based call center solution
provider inContact said its disaster recovery
program was designed to allow BPO
companies and customer support agents to
remain in contact with their clients, even
amidst a natural disaster.
InContact Philippines country manager
Junie Pama said DRP would also enable the
Philippines to maintain its competitiveness
in the BPO sector, which was recently
threatened when thousands of call center and
BPO employees failed to report for work on
Aug. 7 due to massive ooding spawned by
monsoon rains.
Disruption in BPO operations in times of
calamities is the biggest threat to the industry,
which is emerging as the most vibrant sector of
the Philippine economy. Why risk the countrys
competitive advantage in the BPO space, when
there is a solution available, Pama said.
The government declared Aug. 7 a no-work
day due to oods and heavy rains, affecting
the operations of several BPO companies.
This prompted the Business Processing
Association of the Philippines to reassess the
industrys business continuity plans.
XMG Global, a Canadian research
company, warned that a disruption in BPO
services, caused by natural calamities, could
affect the competitiveness of the Philippines
as a BPO site.
Pama explained that call centers and BPOs
without a disaster recovery program were
highly exposed to natural disasters and were
most likely to experience hardware failures
and disruption of business operations.
He said inContact offers exible cloud-based
DRP solutions that could address the problem,
because these solutions were hosted in multiple
sites, unlike the premise-based technologies
which were highly exposed to natural disasters.
Pama said inContacts DRP solutions
included geographic redundancy, which
ensures that even if one hosting site goes down,
all functionality switches over to the second
site. It guarantees a 99.99-percent uptime and
offers exible connectivity options, which
ensures that companies get calls to agents
even if some options are failing.
By Jenniffer B. Austria
VISTA Land & Lifescapes Inc., the
property unit of Villar Group, has -
nalized the terms and condition for the
planned issuance of P2.5 billion worth
of homebuilder bonds.
The company said it filed
with the Securities and
Exchange Commission the
registration statement and
prospectus to issue and offer
to the public homebuilder
bonds amounting to P2.5
billion. It plans to use the
proceeds to fund general
corporate activities.
Vista Land said it would issue
the bonds in tranches, with
the rst unit of P500 million
expected by the second half of
this year.
The bonds aim to provide
Vista Lands existing and
prospective customers with an
alternative investment vehicle
and assist and encourage
them to purchase Vista
Lands horizontal and vertical
residential products.
We are excited with the
maiden launch of our P2.5-
billion HomeBuilder Bond
series. We believe that this
vehicle, as we have structured
it, is very well-suited to the
needs of our customer base
and our product profile,
Vista Land president and chief
executive Manuel Paolo Villar
said.
The minimum subscription
under the HomeBuilder bond is
P180,000, payable in 36 equal
monthly payments of P5,000.
At maturity, the bondholder
will have the option to either
apply the investment proceeds
for purchase of a Vista Land
property or opt for a cash pay-
out.
Vista Land also provides
bonus credits, which can
be applied as payment for
a residential unit if they
fulfill certain investment
requirements. The bonds will
have a tenure of three years,
extendible to five years at the
option of the bondholder.
The company set an indicative
interest rate for the rst tranche,
ranging from 5 percent to 6.75
percent per annum.
Vista Land tapped Investment
& Capital Corp. of the
Philippines as nancial advisor
and issue manager for the
offering.
Vista Land is the holding
company of ve business
unitsBrittany, Crown Asia,
Camella Homes, Communities
Philippines and its condominium
development subsidiary, Vista
Residences.
The company recently
reported a 25-percent hike in
net income in the rst half to
P2.19 billion.
Meralco-Cisco partnership. Manila Electric Co. and Cisco are collaborating on a holistic approach
to provide reliable computing and networking infrastructure as a foundation for operations on a smart
grid. With the partnership, Meralco will be able to achieve higher efciency in utility operations and
deliver better services to customers. Shown during the signing of the agreement are Cisco vice president
for Asia-Pacic Les Williamson (second from left) and Meralco president and chief operating ofcer Oscar
Reyes, surrounded by executives of both companies.
B4
Provinces
Edited by Leo A. Estonilo www.manilastandardtoday.comleoestonilo@gmail.com
IN BRIEF
TUGUEGARAO CITY-Red Tumaliuan
of the Department of Environment and Nat-
ural Resources in Region 2 led the awarding
of lots to Pantawid Pamilya beneciaries for
the National Greening Program to promote
livelihood.
Arnel Garcia, social welfare regional di-
rector, said uplifting the lives of the poor
would be more effective once integrated
with reforestation.
This is one of our initiatives in the con-
vergence program which can be a bridge
towards elevating poor families lives to
attain our goal of alleviating poverty in the
country, he said.
Garcia said 100 hectares in San Mariano,
Isabela were awarded in one of the three pilot
sections in Cagayan Valley for different trees
including fruit-bearing varieties.
He said social welfare has opted for a
self-reliant approach instead of doles by of-
fering cash for work to the beneciaries to
plant and maintain the trees in their lots.
Garcia told the Pantawid Pamilya
awardees that while government pushes
for economic growth balanced with envi-
ronmental protection and resource man-
agement, the marginalized sector should
also work hard to improve their living
conditions. Jessica M. Bacud
STARTING this August, customers particu-
larly in Visayas and Mindanao can send and
receive money via branch remittance at LBC
Express Inc. and over 700 Palawan Pawn-
shops nationwide.
LBC Express and Eight Under Par Inc.,
known as Palawan Pawnshop, have part-
nered to expand LBCs presence in Metro
Manila and the rest of Luzon.
According to Janet Ong, executive vice
president for LBC Global Remittance, the
Instant Peso Padala remittance branch pick-
up service is now available in all Palawan
Pawnshop outlets.
In the same manner, Palawan Pawn-
shops Express Pera Padala will be available
in over 1,000 LBC branches, he said. The
name of the game now is to partner, connect
and connect.
Bobby Castro, of Palawan Pawnshop,
said teaming up was mutually benecial.
Though were competitors, we are part-
ners at the same time, doing our best to
achieve our common goals.
Last April, LBC partnered with several lo-
cal and international money remittance com-
panies led by Land Bank of the Philippines,
RCBC, Money Exchange in Spain and Al
Ghurair in UAE.
For the last 60 years, LBC has provided
cargo and courier, money remittance and
business solutions to Filipino families and
companies here and abroad.
LBC, Palawan
team up
Anti-poverty
goes green
LUCENA CITYArmed
Forces Chief of Staff Gen.
Jessie Dellosa said that he
remains convinced that hard
work and dedication toward
getting a decent education will
be the countrys ticket to peace
and progress.
Dellosa was the guest of
honor at the turnover ceremo-
ny of two classrooms donated
by Dr. and Mrs. Alfonso Siy
and the Federation of Filipino
Chinese Chambers of Com-
merce and Industry Inc., Re-
gion 4 headed by its Regional
Executive Director Dr. Rober-
to C. Licup Sr.
The AFP chief recalled that
his own experiences growing
up as the second child of elev-
en siblings raised by his father,
who was then a member of the
Philippine Constabulary.
I used to walk four kilometers
from the camp to go to school,
Dellosa, who was born in Bacon,
Sorsogon, but grew up in Lucena
City where he nished his el-
ementary and secondary educa-
tion, told an audience of school
ofcials, teachers, students, par-
ents and city ofcials.
After high school, he was ad-
mitted to the Philippine Military
Academy and that ensured his
education as well as a career.
Although my father was a
soldier I had no plans of be-
ing a soldier myself at rst,
but it is destiny and fate that
I am now Chief of staff of the
Armed Forces of the Philip-
pines, he said.
Education ensures that
children will become useful
members of the community
and be in a position to help
themselves and the coun-
try without working to en-
sure education for our chil-
dren, they will end up on the
streets as vagrants and drug
addicts.
Dr. Licup, for his part, said
the organization will continue
working with the national and
local government to undertake
projects that uplift the commu-
nity and improve the standards
of education and healthcare
among Filipinos.
Licup is a philanthropist,
businessman and educator in
Lucena having put up a num-
ber of scholarships as well as
a hospital in the area. He was
awarded the Civilian Military
Operation Award during the
Armed Forces 71st anniver-
sary.
Later in the day, Dellosa as
keynote speaker during a cer-
emony honoring him as one
of the outstanding natives of
Quezon Province by Gov. Da-
vid Jayjay Suarez, was con-
ferred with Quezon Medalya
ng Karangalan during the
occasion of the134th birth an-
niversary of former President
Manuel Luis Quezon held at
the provincial convention cen-
ter here.
Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Jessie Dellosa, Federation of Fili-
pino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. Regional
Executive Director Dr. Roberto C. Licup Sr., and Lucena City Mayor
Barbara Ruby C. Talaga pose for the ceremonial turnover of key to
school ofcials for two classrooms donated to the Lucena West I
Elementary School.
AFP chief: Education is key to peace and progress
By Gigi Muoz David
EDUCATION Secretary Armin Luistro said two rms
of six qualied contractors won the bid to build class-
rooms under the Public-Private Partnership for School
Infrastructure Project.
He said the build-lease transfer contract covered
the design, construction and maintenance of 9,301
classrooms with toilets and furniture in Regions 1,
III and IVA for a period of 10 years.
What was once unimaginable--closing classroom
shortage--is nally within our reach, Luistro said.
Now we can say that it is possible because we worked
together and we did this for over 20 million young peo-
ple, to provide them access to quality education.
The submitted bid prices are lower than the Ap-
proved Budget for the Contract of P16.4 billion, the
DepEd said.
The two bidders were BF-Corporation-Riverbanks
Development Corp. for Region 1s 2,157-class-
room package with an annual lease payment of
P344,590,312; and Citicore Investment Holdings Inc-
Megawide Construction Corp. Inc. for Region III and
IV-As 2,885-classroom package at P522,989,913.60
annual lease payments and 4,259-classroom package
at P760,490,438.40, respectively.
Of the 9,301 classrooms, 69 percent would be in
two-story buildings with the rest on ground level.
DepEd said the project being a lease, other costs
are factored in for maintenance on a 4.5-year cycle,
nancing with a 10-year payback and taxes for inter-
nal revenue purposes.
The Prequalication, Bids and Award Committee
and its Technical Working Group found that the techni-
cal proposals of the two bidders--including the mock
up structures built in Malolos City, Bulacan--complied
with the Minimum Performance Standards and Speci-
cations.
The notice of awards would be issued next month.
Classroom building bids to be awarded
By Dexter A. See

TABUK CITYDespite the onslaught of
consecutive typhoons Gener and Helen,
Kalinga has a stockpile to stabilize the
supply and price of rice, the National Food
Authority said.
Enrique Baliang, NFA assistant provin-
cial manager, said the distribution to retail-
ers has remained normal in this Cordillera
locality, the third biggest rice producer in
Northern Luzon after Isabela and Cagayan.
We were able to effectively and ef-
ciently manage our rice supply early this
year, thus, sufcient buffer stock of rice
were already in place in our warehouses,
Baliang told Manila Standard.
He said enough unmilled rice was
bought from Kalinga farmers so NFA opt-
ed not to avail of imported stocks.
Baliang said the warehouses have
enough inventory to last for up to three
months depending on the demand.
For contingency, he said NFA could tap Is-
abela or Cagayan to augment supply Mean-
while, the NFA is continuously campaigning
for the consumption of iron-fortied rice.
Baliang said the variety is mixed with
NFA stocks delivered to outlets under a
joint campaign of the health and agricul-
ture sector through the National Nutrition
Council following Republic Act 8976, that
mandates the fortication of staples such
as our, cooking oil, and rened sugar.
The program aims to combat iron de-
ciency especially among pregnant and
nursing mothers along the the young who
are mostly hit by anemia.
Kalinga rice
ample amid
typhoons
Napocor president Froilan Tampinco
said the contingency measure would
close the supply gap before the deliv-
ery of DMCI Power Corp.s 25 MW
diesel plant next year.
DMCI won the bid to supply Paleco
at a generation rate of P9.38 per kilo-
watthour.
Even with that (DMCI), because it
will take time for the awardee to put
new capacity in place, there will be a
gap in supply, and that is what Paleco
is requiesting NPC to ll in from De-
cember 2012 to October 2013, Tamp-
inco said.
He said Napocor had 10 MW for
Puerto Princesa under contract with
Paleco. Napocors additional capacity
Napocor to close Palawan
power generation gap
By Alena Mae S. Flores
STATE-OWNED National Power Corp. will
put up an 8-megawatt capacity for Palawan
Electric Cooperative franchise areas in Puerto
Princesa City.
comes from rented generating sets.
We will have to add another 8 MW
to that existing supply and the problem,
as always is, this has not been antici-
pated, because all the while, we knew
that Paleco is undertaking its bidding
process, Tampinco, noting bidding
setbacks.
If there was no delay, we would
not have been required to bring in that
additional 8 MW. And the resources
needed will not be available in the
present budget and anticipated budget
in 2013.
Tampinco said the Napocor had yet
to bankroll the augmentation.
We have to go to board, if there is
extra funding to be souced from na-
tional government. We are also asking
assistance from the local government
to help put up the extra capacity. We
also have to involve the provinicial
government because it will also be for
the benet of Palawan, he said.
Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almen-
dras earlier sought action to ll in the
supply gap.
To address present and future de-
mand, there have been continuous dis-
cussions between Paleco ofcials and
the DOE on the possible involvement
of NPC to provide for additional power
by December to help mitigate the pow-
er supply decit, he said.
Puerto Princesa has been experienc-
ing blackouts due to the breakdown of
equipment belonging to Palawan Pow-
er Generation Inc. and Delta P.
Davao jubilation. Kadayan sa Dabaw bursts in a colorful display with the oat of Kisan Lu Land Inc. winning top honors. ROLAND JUMAWAN
standardlifestyle@gmail.com
home work relationship
sha.re/
C1 Manila Standard TODAY
Gianna Maniego, Editor
Dinna Chan Vasquez, Assistant Editor
WEDNESDAY
A TASTE OF
TIMELESSNESS
American furniture
company Ethan Allens
designs are classic
and elegant, often
transcending trends.
W
H
A
T
S
I
N
S
I
D
E
on the racks
AUGUST 22, 2012
The ultimate food trip
Appetite offers a regional Filipino issue, crossing boundaries to share
recipes and dining spots from Pampanga, Quezon and Ilocos Norte.
Find out Ilocos three must-try restaurants : a surprising fusion
of native and authentic German cuisine, a balikbayans twist
on Ilocano dishes and a heritage resto continuing its recipes and
legacy. Take a trip to the Laoag Open Market and nd out which
are the most sought after food pasalubongs for our loved ones. Get
Bicolandia specialties as Kitchen Classics highlight two savory
dishes using gata. Thirsty gives a refreshing take on pandan with
guinumis and lemongrass with ginger infused iced tea. Create a
sumptuous Batangueo beef adobo recipe in Lunchbox and get a
special Kapampangan beef kaldereta from a budding young chef in JR Foodie.
Living the celebrity dream
This months issue of Meg highlights the power of celebrities in
our lives.
Cover star Angelica Panganiban opens up on her almost twenty
years in the industry. After all that shes been through, she shares her
denition of celebrity and talks about growing up in the limelight
and rolling with lifes punchlines.
Be a style star by wearing the best pre-fall trends the right way,
right now! Discover ten of the most talented young designers of
2012 in a fantastical fairy tale editorial exclusive to Meg! Wanna be
part of the Asian invasion? For all those crazy about Japanese and
Korean beauty looks, Meg shows the easy ways to achieve Gyaru
hair and makeup, and we reveal the nine-step secret to K-Pop stars
glowing skin. Guest columnist Yeng Constantino shares how her
passion for music has changed her life.
All about the kitchen
MyHomes Kitchen Issue focuses on the heart of the home.
The main story focuses on ve unique homes with kitchens
capturing the different design personalities and styles: from a classic
and rened kitchen design options; a serene and sizeable modern
dwelling; a red and black polished abode for a growing family; a
three oor home, moving up to maximize the limited space; and the
fruition of a whitewashed dream home.
Design 101 introduces the different accessories that maximizes the
function of the kitchen sink. Know the different table add-ons and dining
must-haves guaranteed to make the host a star in Style Guide. Trends
and Home Accessories Guide gives a complete list of kitchen essentials,
ranging from the latest appliances, gadgets and kitchen tools that ranges
from the whimsical to the functional. Space Starters teaches the handy
and practical tricks for maximizing small kitchen areas.
Change now and
Live More with Smart
We often rely on connec-
tivity to live the many roles
that we have in life. One call
or text message can show
how were always there for
our families and loved ones.
An online meeting, interview
or presentation can make or
break your career. With our
mobile phones and devices,
we share our most important
moments with the people
who matter the most.
But to some people, the
same technology that is sup-
posed to make life simpler,
easier and more meaningful
is becoming a restriction.
Dropped calls, delayed mes-
sages, slow in-
ternet these
are just some
of the con-
straints that
limit their
experiences,
but they en-
counter it so
frequently
that they
just learn to
accept it as the
way things re-
ally work for
them.
But that
should not
be the case,
accordi ng
to lead-
ing wire-
less ser-
vices pro-
vider Smart
Communications,
Inc. (Smart).
Mobile subscrib-
ers deserve quality
service that should
allow them to live
free and live more.
Smart recently
led a movement
called Time to
Change! and pro-
vided the increas-
ingly mobile market
in need of connec-
tivity, an array of
choices that offers
faster, more reliable and bet-
ter wireless experience.
The wireless leader has
made it easier for mobile
subscribers who frequently
experience their networks
techno-stress to fnally switch
to Smarts reliable network
with the widest coverage.
Smart has opened various
channels where switchers can
conveniently apply for a Smart
postpaid plan.
Smart opened
1-800-10-LIVMORE, a toll-
free hotline contactable from
any PLDT line; and the text
line 0907-LIVMORE (or
0907-5486673, call charges
apply).
Online users may also get
information about Smarts
various plans and services that
suit various lifestyles, budget,
usage habits and connectivity
needs all via smart.com.ph/
changenow. They may also ap-
ply directly through this
site with the guarantee
of quick response.
For online users,
getting that extra
assistance is also
possible through
Smarts dedicated
online specialists.
Twitter users may
follow and tweet @
SMART_Kimberly,
@SMART_Myka
or @SMART_Tob
to make applying for
their Smart postpaid line
fast and convenient.
Switchers may also di-
rectly proceed to the near-
est Smart Store for a quick
Smart postpaid line applica-
tion. They only need to pre-
pare the following require-
ments: proof of identifca-
tion; original copies of
past 2 months Statement
of Account (SOA) of
their non-Smart network
postpaid subscription;
advanced monthly ser-
vice fee payment; and
completely flled-out
Service Application
Form (SAF).
Aside from making
changing now as hassle-free
as possible, Smart is also of-
fering perks that are only open
to switchers. They can choose
their own number for free.
When they present their SOA
from the other network, Smart
may even match their existing
plan. Switchers may also ask
Smart customer service rep-
resentatives if there are other
available perks for their chosen
Smart postpaid plan such as
special rebates and rewards.
One can choose from
Smarts All-In, Unlimited Data
and Freedom Plans for that
postpaid service that would
give you a whole new level
of experience in terms of fex-
ibility, quality of service, and
reliability.
Smarts All-In Plans
allows you to select
the services that you
need to optimize your
plan down to the last
peso with unlimited
call and text pack-
ages, IDD calls and
mobile Internet plans.
Since everything is
consumable, there
would be no more
add-on fees on your
monthly bill. It also
gives you that option
to fne-tune the plan
each month as you
deem ft.
Unlimited Data
Plans allow mo-
bile Internet con-
nectivity 24/7 plus
free texts and call
minutes. With the
Unlimited Data Plan,
you are not only able
to stay always online
but also able to call
and send messages to
Smart and other net-
works.
These plans are
bundled with Smarts
best suite of devices
and handsets that allows
you the best mobile ex-
perience ever.
Even prepaid sub-
scribers would fnd it
hard to resist the all-new
SIM-only Freedom Plan.
Reinventing the postpaid
experience, Freedom Plan
gives you the convenience of
a postpaid plan with the fex-
ibilities accorded to a prepaid
plan. One can choose service
buckets that allow for a fully-
customized postpaid use so
you pay only for the services
you use. For a one-time pro-
cessing fee of P250, you now
have a SIM that works just like
prepaid but without the hassle
of having to load credits.
With all these choices and
services under the Smart
network that is preferred by
more mobile subscribers in
the country, why settle for
other networks that do not
live up to its promise and
let you deal with con-
nectivity troubles?
With Smart, you
have a postpaid
plan that is tai-
lored to suit your
needs. You
have full
c o n t r o l
over your
mo n t h l y
bills. You
have an array of
the best hand-
sets to choose
from. You are
covered by
an extensive,
state-of-the-art
infrastructure
that is able to
support in-
creasing mo-
bile voice and
data connectiv-
ity needs.
All these
from the coun-
trys most re-
silient network
that subscribers
can truly count
on especially
at times when
n e e d e d
m o s t .
S m a r t
takes care
of your mobile
c onne c t i vi t y
needs so you can live more.
Be smart. Its time to change!
DE-CLUTTERING is the most important way to make a room look
bigger. But it has its limitations as it only assures you that theres no
unnecessary mess. For rooms that are really small, it takes more than
de-cluttering to give the impression that its bigger than it actually is.
Some involve structural changes while others are just about being smart
in picking functional design elements to put in the room.
How to make a small room
look big
By Ed Biado
Furniture
Pieces of furniture have a huge role in
creating the feeling of space. These are
also long-term investments. So be careful
in choosing these big-ticket items because
youll be using them for a long time. A
massive sectional sofa that would occupy
two-thirds of a tiny 30-square-meter liv-
ing room wouldnt be advisable.
Sure, interior design consultants will
tell you that big furniture can work in a
small space, but if its too big or over-
designed, it will not work to your advan-
tage. Go for pieces that are big but slim
and not oversized, striking but open and
not too busy.
Another option that works well on
limited spaces is built-in seating and stor-
age. You can add height by lling a wall
with shelves and have a lot of spare space
to work with if you install a window-
seat instead of buying a three-seater. The
rules against clutter should always apply.
Dont put all your junk on the wall stor-
age. Make sure it still gives off a minimal-
ist vibe with a few interesting pieces and
clusters of books.
Windows and doors
Small spaces should not be conned,
which means they should not be bound by
four concrete walls. That will only make
it feel like an isolation cell in a maximum
security prison. You can easily create the
illusion of more room by keeping the
doors to adjacent rooms open and not hid-
ing windows behind curtains.
Beyond the door, there must be some-
thing eye-catching, like a lamp, a plant or an
artwork. If an empty wall is all thats there,
then the viewer will not even notice it.
If you have a great view of the outside
or if you have a garden, patio or yard, bring
the outdoors indoorsand you dont have
to do it literally. Just tear down a wall and
replace it with glass doors and decorative
oor-to-ceiling windows. This way, the
room will appear brighter, thanks to the
natural lighting, and bigger because the eye
will be drawn to the view outside that isnt
blocked by a bare and boring wall.
Hallways
Hallways provide a sense of depth,
but only when
theyre strategi-
cally incorporated into the aesthetics. Our
eyes are trained to disregard empty pas-
sages. But if the passage has interesting ele-
ments like art, ambient lighting and dcor,
it becomes an extension of the roomthus,
making the room appear larger.
This can also be achieved by having
the walls of the hallway painted in accent
colors. Dont go too crazy with the walls,
though. The effort will backre if the col-
ors you choose clash with one another.
Learn about complementary and match-
ing colors and choose a scheme to get
the best results. When in doubt, consult a
color expert.
Other optical tricks
Making a room look bigger is really all
about guiding the eye to roam around and
not look at the surroundings as at.
One great way to do this is to have sev-
eral diffused lighting xtures. One uores-
cent lamp on the ceiling in the middle of the
room is too one-dimensional. Soft warm
lighting from lamps scattered throughout
the room create shadows in different direc-
tions and give the room depth.
In choosing pieces that will go to-
gether, its acceptable to have an accent
piece with an intricate design. Keep ev-
erything else smooth and simplistic with
clean lines. Rough surfaces tend to make
a room look smaller, so obviously, the
opposite of thatsmoothwill have the
desired opposite effect.
Make use of the diagonal space, which
is the longest length in any four-sided
space. Angle certain pieces in the room so
that not everything is perpendicular and/
or parallel to one another. This will create
another dimension and prevent the eye on
focusing on the actual (shorter) dimen-
sions of the room.
Furniture
can work in a
small space
but not if its
too big.
ANSWER
TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE
ANSWER TOMORROW
61 Colored part of the
eye
62 Pool path
63 Ame r i c a n I dol
success Clay
64 Cl ub member shi p,
maybe
6 5 L o g i c i a n s E ,
perhaps
66 Numerical extreme
Down
1 Some are mini
2 Mo u n t s a c r e d t o
Armenians
3 T i t l e Gi l be r t a nd
Sullivan ruler
4 __ Wellington
5 Stick-in-the-mud
6 Co n n e c t s wi t h a
memory
7 Desktop item
8 Outdated globe letters
9 Badly rattled
10 Talisman
1 1 R e p r i ma n d t o
quarreling siblings
12 Brangelina, for one
13 __ Arc, Arkansas
21 Texters If you ask
Across
1 The __ Ki ngs Pl ay
Songs of Love: Hijuelos
novel
6 But wai t , t her e s
more!
10 Surrounded by
14 Animated mermaid
15 Mascara target
16 Bet t er hal f , so t o
speak
LOS ANGELES
TIMES
CROSSWORD
17 Did a fall chore
18 Kids comeback
19 Luau strings
20 See 38-Across
23 Pathetic
24 Where to ang ones
at
25 Insightful
26 See 38-Across
32 The Matrix hero
33 Bit of shuteye
34 Hi-tech brains?
35 Test ones metal
38 Clue for four puzzle
answers
39 Family insignia
4 1 L i k e s o me c o l l .
courses
42 Big initials in Detroit
43 Low digit?
44 See 38-Across
50 SFO guesstimates
51 One i s of t en seen
near a dessert array
52 RAV4 or Trai l Bl azer,
briefly
54 See 38-Across
58 Turbaned Punjabi
59 Feels lousy
60 Professeurs charge
me ...
22 TVs Arthur
27 A, in Oaxaca
28 Bowled over
2 9 S o u v e n i r f r o m
Scotland
30 Black __: spy doings
31 Zealous type
35 Walk me!
36 Inspiring msg.
37 Close game
38 Mason __
39 Polenta base
40 Crank (up)
42 High-end
43 She played Lois on
Lois & Clark
45 Violinist Perlman
46 Spinning toon
47 Group within a group
48 Ive got it!
49 Log cabin warmers
53 Olympics segment
54 Baloney
55 One writing a lot of
fiction?
56 Prismatic bone
57 Ballet class bend
58 How s i t hangi n,
bro?
WEDNESDAY C2
AUGUST 22, 2012
Gianna Maniego, Editor
Dinna Chan Vasquez, Assistant Editor
ManilaStandardToday
home work relationships
sha.re/
standardlifestyle@gmail.com
A taste of
TIMELESSNESS
So-called
bully gets
cyberbullied
By Marane A. Plaza
Ethan Allen, a renowned American brand of home fur-
nishings, recently launched ve lifestyle interpretations
of its timeless designs. This was launched through a
series of events dubbed A Taste of Timelessness.
A taste of timelessness
Ethan and Allen partnered with Forth
and Tay in celebrating timelessness and
grandeur at its rst installment of the event
entitled A Toast to Timelessness, held
at The Residences in Greenbelt, Makati.
Forth and Tay is known for its gamut of
wines, reaching over 300 brands and more
than 20 grape varietals from nine countries
in ve continents.
The exclusive wine affair featured the
inevitable afnity between Forth and
Tays vintage wine art and Ethan Allens
classic home furniture designs through
furniture exhibit and vintage wine art ed-
ucation. Erick Khan, wine connoisseur
and marketing director of Future Trade
International, shared his expertise in vin-
tage wine art by showcasing 10 of Forth
and Tays notable avors. Some of those
sumptuous avors are Luce (Italy) 2001,
Essense de Dourthe (France) 2003; Pen-
folds Grange (Australia) 2004; Penfolds
St. Henri Shiraz (Australia) and Elias
Mora 2V Premium (Spain) 2005.
Superior comfort and design
Timelessness embodies classic el-
egance, and that is what Ethan Allen is all
about. We chose to start our series with a
wine event, because this is a celebration,
and what is one without a good wine,
says Melissa Valdez, brand manager of
Ethan Allen. Wine itself is classic, and it
has always been a symbol of celebration,
prosperity, love and nobility. Wine is never
outdated, just like furniture. In the case of
home furnishings, what never goes out
of style are high quality materials, excel-
lent craftsmanship, superior comfort and
design--the very things that Ethan Allen
has stood for since it was established 80
years ago.
As a long-standing name in the fur-
niture industry, Ethan Allen has garnered
By Ed Biado
IT'S so easy for us to go online, read about someone
and immediately decide that they're the bad guy.
Such is the case of Robert Blair Carabuena, who
was camcorded bitch-slapping an MMDAtraffic
personnel. The minute the news hit social network-
ing sites, everyone in arms against the alleged at-
tacker. One moment, he's an ordinary citizen. The
next moment, he's an Internet sensation and not in
the way that one would hope to be.
We all saw what he did,
but we don't know how
things led up to the incident.
Just based on those few
seconds caught on tape, ev-
eryone had pretty much con-
demned him. Actually, me-
dia had a lot to do with this.
Almost every report to come out of both main-
stream outlets and online sources had a David vs.
Goliath angle. Just like in telenovelas, Carabuena
has been portrayed as rich, arrogant and abusive
while MMDAtrafc enforcer Saturnino Fabros
has described as hapless, saintly and poora
classic trial by publicity maneuver.
For the sake of argument, let's say that
Carabuena wasn't aggravated, that he wasn't the
aggrieved party, that he did what he did because
he's a violent person who was having a serious
episode of road rage; is he the only one who's
like that? Is he the only guy who assaulted
someone else not his own size (and socioeco-
nomic status)? Is he the only individual who has
been pulled over by a trafc guy and was not
happy about it? I'm not saying that physically
hurting another person can be justied. But it
also does not give anyone the excuse to organize
an angry mob.
A lot of Filipinos are complaining about the
justice system in this country. People keep saying
there's no due process. But what are we doing to
this poor guy? We've judged him and sentenced
him to death. No one, so far, has given him the ben-
efit of the doubt. In everybody's eyes, Carabuena is
guilty beyond reasonable doubt and deserves to be
punishedeven before criminal charges are filed.
Where's the justice in that?
Is it in the negative and demeaning things posted
about him all over social media? Or in comparing
him to convicted felons and known criminals and
calling him out for, of all things, his physical appear-
ance? Or maybe you think it's in the Facebook page
called, Patayin si Robert Blair Carabuena (Kill
Robert Blair Carabuena), and the online petition to
get him fired.
No, there's no justice in cyberbullying the so-
called bully. So who's the bad guy now?
ONE thing the ood did for me
when I had no recourse but to stay
home, was it allowed me to refor-
mat my laptop that was having vari-
ous virus issues. Before reformat-
ting, I needed to transfer my les to
a USB, and one story I did months
ago that was never released in this
column surfaced. I thought it was
relevant to mention this Wine Din-
ner I had at chef Gene Gonzales
culinary haven, Caf Ysabel sev-
eral months ago. The wines come
from Grupo Matarromera of Spain.
David Ferrer, export manager
from Grupo Matarromera came
from Spain to be in Manila to host
the wine dinner, with local importer,
Bodegas Hidalgo de Filipinas Corp.,
headed by the hardworking Oscar
Garcia de Serdio and a select group
of wine enthusiasts present (includ-
ing yours truly). The omnipresent
chef Gene Gonzales was hands-on
in the food preparation to personally
oversee the food and wine pairing of
each of the Grupo Matarromera fea-
tured wines.
Grupo Matarromera Grupo
Matarromera is a fast growing wine
group with seven wineries under its
control. These seven wineries come
More premium Spanish wines
from the four major D.O.s (De-
nominacion de Origen) bounded by
the Duero River, namely Ribera del
Duero, Toro, Rueda and Cigales,
all within the progressive Castile
Leon region. Grupo Matarromera
is the only wine group to impres-
sively do this. I visited all these four
D.O.s in my trip three years ago to
Spanish wine regions, and only the
Bierzo D.O. is missing to complete
the best wine D.O.s from Castile
Leon. Grupo Matarromera may ac-
tually be contemplating on buying
a Bierzo winery in the near future.
At present, Grupo Matarromera
owns a respectable 415 hectares of
prime vineyards and only makes
premium wines, all D.O. level.
Aside from making wines, the
group also manufactures a break-
through almost alcohol free wine
range called Eminasin SIN
which means `without in Spanish.
These Eminasin wines come in va-
rietals of Tempranillo, Verdejo and
a Tempranillo-Verdejo ros blend
all with a tempting 0.5 percent
alcohol only. I am so curious how
these wines would taste. The group
also has the only distillery in the re-
gion (Distillery del Duero), as well
as owns a hostel, the Emina Cot-
tage and a restaurant, La Espadaa
San Bernardo. On the international
scene, Grupo Matarromera has
their own subsidiaries, with both
Matarromera USA and Matar-
16 months in the different oak
vessels; while the wine is exactly
the same and similarly full-bodied,
each wine still varied noticeably;
the Emina French has more cedary
characteristics, backed by dried
berries; the Emina Spanish is quite
spicy, and seems meatier on the
mouthfeel, with a delightful pep-
pery nish, and the Emina Ameri-
can has nice black trufes on the
nose, and vanilla mid palate a-
vors that beautifully lingers at the
end my choice of oak therefore
among the three; amazing presen-
tation and a sure re conversation
piece if drunk with friends; Price
P4,950.00/bottle for the box of 3s
GREAT BUY!
Cyan Pago de la Calera 2001,
Toro DO `this 100 percent Tinta
de Toro (actually also a Tempra-
nillo as I discovered in my trip
but that will open up to debates
so it is Tinta de Toro for now) wine
spent 18 months in oak, and another
48 months in the bottle; brawny
nose that dees its 10 year+ vintage,
pruney, earthy, horse saddle, fowl,
complex, richly textured, heavily
supple, with spicy notes on the pal-
ate packed with herbaceousness and
overripe berries, bitter chocolate
and capsicum at the long lingering
nish; this is one for those who en-
joys very masculine and powerful
wines; Price PhP1,750.00/bottle
the Pago de la Calera is Bodega
Cyans top wine
For interest on these Grupo
Matarromera wines, please contact
Bodegas Hidalgo de Filipinas Corp.
at telephone numbers (02) 668-5962
and (02) 633-4282. You can look for
Seor Oscar Garcia.
Personal Message Speaking of
Spanish wines, I want to sincerely
wish Seor Jose Miguel Cortes, the
charismatic former Spanish Trade
Commissioner and Asian Develop-
ment Bank (ADB) senior represen-
tative of Spain, a great journey on
his new Spanish government as-
signment in Vienna Austria. Senor
Cortes was very instrumental in my
knowledge of Spanish wines as he
facilitated for my rst trip to Spain
to attend the Alminentaria Fair in
Barcelona in 2004. This trip made
me fell in love with Spanish wines
and Spanish wine regions. I have
been back six times since then, still
marveling at great Spanish wines.
Seor Cortes also hired me as Wine
Consultant for Spanish events in
the country, mostly dealing with
wine education. My knowledge of
wines in general cannot be at this
level without his kindest support. I
will save a great old vintage Rioja
Gran Reserva for our next meeting
Seor Cortes, whether it be here in
Manila or in Vienna.
-----
For comments, inquiries, wine
event coverage, wine consultancy
and other wine related concerns,
please e-mail me at protegeinc@
yahoo.com. I am a proud member
of the Federation Internationale des
Journalists et Ecrivains du Vin et
des Spiritueux or FIJEV since 2010.
You can also follow me on twitter at
www.twitter.com/sherwinlao.
Carlos Moro, president of Gruppo Matarromera
romera China already in place to
cover the worlds two most impor-
tant wine export countries. Grupo
Matarromera started in 1994 with
President and Chief Winemaker,
Carlos Moro at the helm.
Tasting notes
During the Wine Dinner, Seor
Ferrer introduced us to the wines
from Emina Winery of Rueda, the
Emina Winery of Ribera del Duero
and the Cyan Winery of Toro.
Emina Verdejo 2010, Rueda
DO `this 100 percent Verdejo
wine is a good example of the
consistent Rueda region; very
fresh, subtle tropical fruits,
steely, a bit of green lea-
ness at the end, light and with
nice inty aftertaste; Price
P495.00/bottle
Emina E-400 2005, Ribera del
Duero DO `this 100 percent Tem-
pranillo (known as Tinta del Pais
in regin) wine spent 16 months in
oak, a Reserva equivalent; beautiful
deep
nose with cassis, blackberries,
supple and rich tannins, a bit strong
on acid at the end, will still age
in bottle for several years; Price
PhP1,100.00/bottle
Emina three Oaks 2005, Ribera
del Duero DO `this is 1 wine
aged under three types of oak bar-
rels thus the three Oaks name; the
wines are sold in threes, represent-
ing the three types of oaks, namely
French, Spanish and American
oaks, and come in a nice wooden
gift box; this is another 100 per-
cent Tempranillo wine that spent
extensive knowledge in ever-changing
trends and designs complementing the ne
taste of our niche, explains Valdez. That
being said, our furnishings fuse classic
designs with modern and up-to-date per-
spectives we can tailor-t to the requests of
our customers and their cognizant lifestyle
demands.
Ethan Allen features ve lifestyles
that dene the distinction of its collec-
tions. One is the Elegance set, known for
its cosmopolitan and ornate furnishings;
the Modern collection, where pieces
are determined by simplicity and func-
tionality; the Vintage collection, which
features eye-catching interplay of art-
ful patterns and distressed nishes; the
Explorer collection, recognized for its
more relaxed, eclectic pieces dened by
intricately detailed woods; and lastly,
the Romance collection, which blends
carved woods, handcrafted nishing,
and more feminine details with dress-
maker fabrics.
Global brand
The ve Signature Lifestyles are in-
spired by the desire to bring ones per-
sonality into his home. Its about origi-
nality and individuality. Each of the ve
lifestyle interpretations is a combination
of Ethan Allens different collections,
says Valdez. The pieces are mixed and
matched, changed up in terms of n-
ish, fabric, color, nish, trimmings, and
other aesthetic details. It is Ethan Al-
lens way of showing the market that our
pieces and collections can interpret and
reect ones lifestyle. This also shows
how versatile Ethan Allen pieces are,
that they can t into different styles and
preferences.
Ethan Allen started in 1932 in New
York City, and has reached 15 countries
worldwide. The brand reached Philippine
shores in 1996, striking the market with its
classic and warm look. With its timeless
pieces and quality services, Ethan Allens
wide array of stylish collections provides
bespoke beauty and graceful designs that
can be mixed and matched depending on
ones taste.
Ethan Allen is exclusively distrib-
uted by Focus Global Inc. The brands
design centers are located at Pioneer
cor. Reliance Sts., Mandaluyong and
The Residences at Greenbelt, San
Lorenzo Tower, Esperanza St., Makati.
For inquiries, call 634-8587 or visith-
ttp://www.focusglobalinc.com or http://
www.ethanallen.com
C3
TECH
ManilaStandardTODAY
online.editor@manilastandardtoday.com
Edited by Marlon Magtira
Tech
ManilaStandardToday
(MST-Aug. 22, 2012)
INVITATION TO BID
For the Supply of Various Jumper Couplers under
ITB No.1204-038-01R / PR No. RS2-0312-110
Schedule of Activities:
Pre-bid Conference : August 29, 2012@ 10:00 A.M.
Cafeteria, LRTA Line 2-Depot, Santolan, Pasig City
Submission and Opening of Bids : September 12, 2012 @ 9:00 A.M.
Cafeteria, LRTA Line 2-Depot, Santolan, Pasig City
TechnicaI Specications:
1. 18 pieces Jumper Coupler (Red)
Pin Number: 74; Rated Voltage : DC110V; Max. Rated Electric Current: 22A; Min. rated
Electric Current : 13A; Connection type : Insert
2. 18 pieces Jumper Coupler (Blue)
Pin Number: 74; Rated Voltage : DC110V; Max. Rated Electric Current: 22A; Min. rated
Electric Current : 13A; Connection type : Insert
Complete Technical Specifcations will be available upon securing the Bidding Documents
and can be viewed on Philgeps and LRTA websites.
The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), through its Corporate Budget for the Calendar Year 2012,
intends to apply the sum of THIRTEEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED EIGHTYTHOUSAND PESOS ONLY
(PhP13,680,000.00)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.
Delivery period is required on or before three(3) months upon receipt of the Purchase Order.
LRTA now invites bids from Prospective/Interested 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
18 pcs Jumper Coupler (Red) Php 6,840,000.00 PhP 136,800.00 PhP 342,000.00
PhP 12,500.00
18 pcs Jumper Coupler (Blue) Php 6,840,000.00 PhP 136,800.00 PhP 342,000.00
TOTAL PhP 13,680,000.00 PhP 273,600.00 PhP 684,000.00
*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 on
August 22, 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 Php12,500.00 only.
Only prospective bidders who have secured bidding documents will be allowed to participate in
the Pre-Bid Conference.
Submission and Opening of Bids will 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 the Instructions to Bidders
and the Bid Data Sheet.
LRTA reserves 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 af-
fected bidder or bidders.
Mr. Eduardo A. Abiva
Head, BAC Secretariat
Administration Bldg., LRTA Cmpd., Aurora Blvd. Tramo, Pasay City
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-Aug. 22, 2012)
INVITATION TO BID
Repair and Restoration of Non-operational Elevators System at
Line 2 Mainline Stations under ITB No. 1206-127-02
Schedule of Activities:

Pre-bid Conference - August 29, 2012 @ 10:00 A.M.
Cafeteria, LRTA Line 2-Depot
Santolan, Pasig City
Submission and Opening of Bids - September 12, 2012 @ 9:00 A.M.
Cafeteria, LRTA Line 2-Depot,
Santolan, Pasig City
The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), through its Corporate Budget for the Calendar Year
2012, intends to apply the sum of a Total of Fifteen Million Five Hundred Twelve Thousand
Four Hundred Ninety Two Pesos Only (Php15,512,492.00) being the Approved Budget
for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the afore-mentioned contract/s. Bids received in
excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The contract period is one
hundred eighty (180) calendar days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed.
LRTA now invites bids from Interested 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
Repair and Restoration of
Non-opeational Elevators
System at Line 2 Mainline
Stations
PhP15,512,492.00 PhP310,249.84 PhP775,624.60 PhP14,500.00
*Only those issued by universal or commercial banks
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretion-
ary "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.
Acomplete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders commencing
on August 22, 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 Docu-
ments in the amount of PhP14,500.00 only.
Only prospective bidders who have secured bidding documents will be allowed to participate
in the Pre-Bid Conference.
Submission and Opening of Bids will 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 the Instructions to Bidders and the Bid Data Sheet.
LRTA reserves 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.
Mr. Eduardo A. Abiva
Head, BAC Secretariat
Administration Bldg., LRTA Cmpd., Aurora Blvd. Tramo, Pasay City
Tel. No. 853-0041 50 loc. 8314
Email Address: bacsec_LRTA@yahoo.com
Facsimile No. 551-5946
(Sgd.) Mr. LUTGARDO C. NAVARRO
Chairman, Bids & Awards Committee
(MST-Aug. 22, 2012)
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Manila
1. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), through the National Roads
Improvement and Management Program, Phase II (NRlMP-2) intends to apply the sum
of seven million and eighty thousand pesos (PhP 7,080,000.00) being the Approved
Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Consultancy Services
for the Preparation and Implementation of Organizational Culture Change: Interpersonal
and Personal Skills Development Interventions to Support Business Improvements (B.4-
LAl). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at the opening
of the fnancial proposals.
2. The DPWH now calls for the submission of eligibility documents for:
Project: Consul tancy Servi ces for the Preparati on and
Implementation of Organizational Culture Change:
Interpersonal and Personal Skills Development
Interventions to Support Business Improvements
(B.4-LA1).
Location: DPWH A. Bonifacio Drive Port Area Manila
Objective: The overall objective of this project is to maximize staff
productivity and potential, and to carry out interpersonal
and personal skills development interventions for 150
Key Staff Members involved in the Institutional Capacity
Development (ICD) Component of the National Roads
Improvement and Management Program, Phase II
(NRIMP-2) as well as update the Departments OCBP
RoadMap.
The Target Key Result Areas are the following:
1. A paradigm shift in support of positive mind set to
characterize DPWHs OBCP;
2. Skills in growing ones personal mastery in handling
ones relations with his/her work and with co-
workers; as defned by one's culture and values;
3. Skills in healthy/positive interpersonal relations
within layers of diverse cultures; and
4. The Roadmap to Institutionalize and Sustain the
Desired DPWH Work Culture.
Outputs/Deliverables: Expected Outputs
1. Approved Program Proposal
2. Draft Course Materials for each session
3. Course Materials for each session
4. Training Report for each session
5. Updated OCBP Road Map
6. Final Report
3. Interested consultants must submit their Application for Eligibility and Shortlisting on or
before September 6, 2012 at 10:00 AM at the address below:
Attention: Undersecretary Raul C. Asis
Chairman, Special BAC for Consultancy Services & Goods, NRlMP-2
Address: c/o Carlos G. Mutuc
Offce of the Director, NRM-PMO Building,
2
nd
Street, Port Area, Manila, Philippines
Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-discretionary pass/fail
criterion. The eligibility forms can be downloaded from www.dpwh.gov.ph. under Doing
Business.
4. The SBAC shall draw up the short list of consultants from those who have submitted
Application for Eligibility and Shortlisting and have been determined as eligible in
accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184 (RA9184), otherwise known as the
Government Procurement Reform Act, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations
(IRR). The short list shall consist of six (6) prospective bidders who will be entitled to
submit bids.
The criteria and rating system for short listing are:
Applicable Experience 35 points
Qualifcation of Personnel 40 points
Job Capacity 25 points
TOTAL: 100 points
5. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-
discretionary "pass/fail criterion as specifed in the RR of RA 9184.
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.
6. All bidders who have initially responded to the Invitation to Bid/Request for Expression
of Interest and have been declared eligible or short listed in the previous biddings shall
be allowed to submit new bids.
7. The Procuring Entity shall evaluate bids using the Quality Based Evaluation/Selection
(QBE/QBS) procedure, whereby each consultant shall be required to submit technical
and fnancial proposals simultaneously in separate sealed envelopes. After receipt of
bids, the technical proposals of the consultants shall frst be opened, evaluated, and
ranked in descending order. Based on the numerical ratings of their technical proposals,
the Highest Rated Bid when technical proposal must pass the minimum technical
requirement of 75%, shall be identifed. After approval by the Head of the Procuring
Entity of the Highest Rated Bid, its fnancial proposal shall then be opened.
8. The contract shall be completed within twenty-four (24) months.
9. The DPWH reserves the right to reject any and all bids, annul the bidding process, or
not award the contract at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any
liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
10. For further information, please refer to:
Undersecretary Raul C. Asis
Chairman, Special BAC for Consultancy Services & Goods, NRIMP-2
NRIM-PMO Building,
2
nd
Street, Port Area, Manila, Philippines
Tel Nos. (632) 304-3779
(Sgd.) RAUL C. ASIS
Undersecretary
Chairman, SBAC for Consultancy Services & Goods,
NRIMP-2
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR THE CONSULTANCY
SERVICES FOR THE PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE CHANGE: INTERPERSONAL AND PERSONAL
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT BUSINESS
IMPROVEMENTS (B.4-LA1)
(MST-Aug. 22, 2012)
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Eastern Samar District Engineering Oce
Borongan City
Tel. No. (055) 560-9423
Fax No. (055) 261-2196
E-mail Address: dpwh_esed@yahoo.com
NOTI CE OF BI DDI NG
To : All BAC Members
Bidders
Observers
This Notice is hereby given to all concerned that bidding for Contract ID No.
12IB0089 Const. of Drainage /Protection Works along National Roads and
Bridges in Eastern Samar which was published at the Manila Standard with a
simultaneous posting at the DPWH and PhilGEPS websites which was started on July
26 to Aug. 1, 2012 and set for bidding on Aug. 16, 2012 but was postponed indefnitely
due to revision of Plans and POW is now schedule for bidding on August 24, 2012,
The following schedules must be strictly observed, viz;
1. Deadline of LOI - August 17, 2012 until 5:00 p.m.
2. Issuance of Bidding Documents - until Aug. 24, 2012
3. Receipt/Dropping of Bids - Aug. 24, 2012 until 10:00 a.m.
4. Opening of Bids - Aug. 24,2012 (a) 2:00 p.m.
Please be guided accordingly.
(Sgd.) RUDYARD M. LIM
OlC-Asst District Engineer
(BAC Chairman)
Smart all-set to activate first
LTE service in PH on Aug. 25
The announcement comes af-
ter a year of LTE test deployments
conducted by PLDTs wireless
subsidiary in various parts of the
country.
Come August 25th, the Phil-
ippines joins the growing ranks of
countries offering high-speed mo-
bile broadband via LTE. This will
be a boon to our customers and
help power the countrys develop-
ment, said Smart President and
CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno.
The Philippines rst and only
LTE service is here and its run-
ning on Smarts super-charged
mobile network, said Smart chief
wireless adviser Orlando B. Vea.
The public can take part in the
launch by downloading an e-invite
www.smart.com.ph/lte.
Smart said its LTE service is
capable of delivering data wire-
lessly at speeds of up to 42 Mbps.
This makes possible download-
ing large les in minutes instead
of hours, streaming high deni-
tion videos with no buffering, and
playing online games with no lag
because of its high speed and low
latency.
LTE provides the cutting
edge for our mobile broadband
network which is also equipped
with HSPA+, HSPA and 3G fa-
cilities, said Smart wireless con-
sumer division head Emmanuel
Lorenzana. This combination of
wireless broadband technologies
enables Smart to provide custom-
ers with unmatched mobile broad-
band services in more parts of the
country.
Smarts LTE deployment
was made possible by the PLDT
Groups P67.1-billion network
technology refresh program
which has replaced the base sta-
tion equipment in all of Smarts
over 9,500 base stations nation-
wide with 4G-ready facilities.
This enables us to quickly and
easily expand our LTE network
depending on market demand,
Vea said.
This program has also strength-
ened the PLDT Groups ber optic
networks and overseas ber optic
cable systems to ensure that high-
speed broadband services offered
via LTE will be fully supported.
Several LTE sites located in
Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, and
Boracay have already been active
months prior to the commercial
launch.
SENATOR Edgardo J. Angara
proposed an online voting system
for Filipinos working and living
abroad to make the absentee vot-
ing process more convenient and
effective.
According to gures from
the Department of Foreign Af-
fairs, nearly 800,000 have signed
up for overseas absentee voting
(OAV) to participate in the 2013
midterm elections, pushing them
closer to their goal of one million
by October of this year.
However, Angara said that
this is still a small percentage of
the millions of Filipinos and their
families who now live abroad.
When we wrote the Overseas
Voting Law around ve years
ago, there was an estimated three
million Filipinos from around the
world who were qualied. Three
million potential votes can make a
big difference on the national elec-
tions. Now there are even more
potential voters, yet the turnout re-
mains critically low due to practical
constraints, Angara said..
Angara explained that in
North America alone, there is an
estimated 1.5 million potential
voters. However, they face logis-
tical difculties arising from the
required physical appearance for
registration and voting. If the reg-
istration site is in another state, it
will take these people away from
their jobs and homes just to vote.
The veteran legislator also
noted that the program is moving
slowly despite the sufcient fund-
ing given over the past years.
We should improve the over-
seas absentee voting program
because right now the budget
given does not match the output.
Around P200 million was allot-
ted for the assistance to overseas
workers, yet we have less than a
million registered voters and less
than 200,000 who actually vote.
Moreover, P120 million of that
2012 budget is still unspent. Per-
haps we can channel the unspent
2012 allocation for the OFW as-
sistance fund into establishing an
e-voting system in all the countries
which are technologically capable.
We can conduct online registration
and voting safely and securely for
these Filipinos, proposed Angara,
who is the vice-chair of the Senate
Finance Committee.
Angara suggested an inter-
agency task force headed by the
Oversight Committee on Over-
seas Voting in the House of Rep-
resentatives, together with the
DFA and Comelec, dedicated to
working out the mechanics of on-
line registration and voting.
We should seize this opportu-
nity to use modern technology to
empower Filipinos who work hard
abroad. They should have a say in
electing our leaders, Angara said.
Angara: E-voting must
be an option for OFWs
THE Intellectual Property Of-
fice of the Philippines (IPO-
PHL) launched on Thursday,
Aug. 16, a new educational
drive in which local compa-
nies and resellers will be asked
to have their software usage
surveyed by the agency to con-
firm if they are using licensed
software or not.
Dubbed as Be Aware of Your
Software: Maximize the Benets,
Minimize the Risks, the new
campaign in attempt to arrest the
high software piracy rate in the
Philippines.
From the constant 69 percent
from 2008-2010, the local piracy
rate rose to 70 percent in 2011.
This translates to 7 out of 10 com-
puters in the country contain unli-
censed software.
IPOPHL director-general Ri-
cardo Blancaor said that while
the survey is purely voluntary on
the part of the companies, those
that will refuse to conduct the sur-
vey may be subject for investiga-
tion.
Those found to be compliant
after the inspection will be given
recognition by the IPOPHL, while
those non-compliant shall be for-
warded to the necessary software
principals for further investigation
and enforcement action if neces-
sary, Blancaor pointed out.
The importance of using li-
censed software and the dangers
of utilizing illegal software will
be highlighted in each visit. We
believe it is important to highlight
not just the advantages of utilizing
legal software, but also the impor-
tance of protecting the intellectual
property rights of its creators, he
further stated.
Blancaor said local rms will
be given 30 days to ensure that the
software being utilized in their or-
ganization is legal.
The IPO is part of Pilipinas
Anti-Piracy Team (PAPT), which
is also comprised of the National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI),
Philippine National Police (PNP)
and the Optical Media Board
(OMB). It was formed to establish
an integrated and coordinated ef-
fort by the government to counter-
act the negative effects of software
piracy on the local IT industry and
the economy.
The launch of the campaign
was timed to coincide with the 7th
anniversary of the founding of the
PAPT in 2005.
The campaign is being sup-
ported by the Business Software
Alliance (BSA), an organization
of the worlds largest software
makers.
By Marlon C. Magtira
MARKING a milestone for the Philippine
telecom industry, Smart Communications
has formally announced that it will launch
on August 25 the countrys rst Long
Term Evolution (LTE) mobile technology.
To date, Smart LTE has pow-
ered several events such as the
Sinulog Festival in Cebu and the
Kadayawan Festival in Davao as
it streamed the festivities online in
full high denition.
During The First Philip-
pine LTE Forum held last Aug.
13, 2012, various speakers from
Smart and its technology partners
Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens
Networks, Huawei, and NTT Do-
como showcased the many poten-
tial uses of LTE.
They cited possible appli-
cations of LTE in security and
surveillance services, transpor-
tation management, health care
and education.
Angara
IPO to conduct voluntary software survey among PH firms
C4
Isah V. Red, Editor standard.showbiz@gmail.com
showbitz
ISAH V.
RED
SIMPLY RED
I hope my mother network
(GMA Network) gives me more
challenging roles in the future, says
the good-looking young man who is
starring in the networks most popu-
lar primetime soap these days, One
True Love.
Originally produced to last only
eight weeks (as a ller, while the
network prepares for a major pro-
duction), the series became a big
hit, after a slow start, and is now the
most talked about in the networks
primetime programming. The unex-
pected turn of events led to its ex-
tension for ve weeks more.
I am very glad that the series is
doing very well, says Richard who
cant hide a smile in his face when
talking about the success of the se-
ries. I consider it a blessing po the
decision of the management to give
it an extension.
Alden is embracing the challenge
of how he and Louise de los Reyes,
her leading lady in the series, will be
able to sustain the interest of the au-
dience on their screen partnership.
Louise says of her screen partner,
Alden is very caring and a gentle-
man. He always asks if Im comfort-
able during taping.
Alden has been earning praises
from critics, more so when he ap-
peared in Yam Lar anas The Road
as young Luis that also won for him
a Golden Screen Awards citation
this year.
Whats amazing is the fact he
didnt go through a workshop to
play the sinister character he was as-
signed in the lm. His career-den-
ing delivery came naturally.
I just read the script and inter-
preted the character of young Luis
the way I felt it should be, he re-
called.
Also known for the good job he
did in Alakdana and My Beloved
in which he stole scenes playing a
young thief, Mega magazine cited
him as one of the Kapuso networks
new breed of rising talents.
Asked about his top inuences as
actor, he dropped the names of J ohn-
ny Depp and Dingdong Dantes.
He thinks Dingdong has a strong,
likable attitude worth-emulating
something hes been showing, too,
on and off camera.
Belos job on
Ellen Adar na
Seldom do you meet a woman
who proudly aunts her new as-
sets the way commercial model and
aspiring actress Ellen Adar na does.
The self-assured, extremely petite
woman has always been dissatised
about her cup size. This has been
my insecurity since I was young so
I made sure I had it done when the
right time came.
And come it did when Belo came
knocking at her door. When my man-
ager told me about it, I couldnt be
happier. Now clothes t better, looks
nicer. Im very open about it because
its what Ive always wanted.
Her delicate features remain
touched by expert hands, though.
Ive never had a facial in my life.
But now that Im endorsing Belo,
I am very excited to try their non-
surgical procedures and have ac-
cess to the company with the most
beauty services in the country.
When asked about the importance
of appearance to her and her job, she
had this to say Appearance is not
only important for me but for ev-
eryone. My job requires me to look
good so I take that seriously. It af-
fects me personally because when I
look good, I feel good.
She admits to being a foodie and
works out six times a week, mixing
boxing, Muay Thai, plyometrics,
sex, running, and weight-training to
maintain her slim physique. So its
no surprise that she has zero qualms
about doing sexy shootsshe has
the body and condence to pull it
off. And thanks to Belo, shes got
the complete package.
Pinoy Adventures
The second season of Pinoy Ad-
ventures on GMA-7 with Richar d
Gutier r ez is now on earlier timeslot,
6 to 7 p.m.
The change of schedule, from
Sunday to Saturday, now on an ex-
tended run, is the networks reaction
to viewers clamor, including teach-
ers and students who discover and
realize how beautiful the Philippines
is through Pinoy Adventures.
With Richard as guide, the audi-
ence see the countrys most scenic
but seldom visited places.
I didnt realize how beautiful
the country is until I watched Pinoy
Adventures is the consensus of the
viewing public, says a member
of the shows loyal audience. The
initial episode of the second season
was set in Bukidnon, capturing its
breathtaking plains and mountains.
Joining Richard in the Bukidnon
sojourn is rumored sweetheart Sar-
ah Lahbati. They visited its many
attractions, including a ranch and
a pineapple plantation. As always,
Richard did some stunts, biking
atop a cable wire.
No armchair adventurer, the actor
goes where the action is. He climbs
rugged mountains and cliffs, dives
into the sea, jumps off waterfalls,
roughs it up with the natives. An
adventurer at heart, Richard takes
the road less traveled, discovering
along the way hidden paradise with
its magnicent ora and fauna.The
rst season of Pinoy Adventures saw
Richard Gutierrez exploring Cebu,
Palawan, Romblon, Surigao, Kalin-
ga Apayao. Discover the Philippines
via Pinoy Adventures, Saturdays, 6
to 7 p.m.
Wacky on video
After the super hit comedy, The
Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin,
now the highest grossing Filipino
movie of all time, director Wenn
Der amas came up with yet another
blockbuster movie, Moron 5 and The
Crying Lady.
On its third week in April, it hit the
no. 2 spot in 2012s Highest-Grossing
Pinoy Films. Now, its out on video
for everyone to enjoy.
The movie is about ve friends
whose low IQ makes them defense-
less against the vicious schemes of a
woman. Being together since child-
hood, Albert (Luis Manzano), Isaac
(Billy Cr awfor d), Mozart Mo (DJ
Dur ano), Michaelangelo Mike
(Mar tin Escuder o) and Aristotle
Aris (Mar vin Agustin) are able to
live a hassle-free life though lacking
in smarts. Their simple world turns
into chaos when a ca-
reer woman named
Becky Pamintuan
(J ohn Lapus)
accuses them
of killing her
father and
s u c c e e d s
in put-
FOR the rst time
in its three-decade
career, the quartet
considered as one
of the pioneering
bands of the Amer-
ican trash metal movement visited
Manila for a one-night concert at
the World Trade Center in Pasay
City.
Metal rock musicians Dave
Mustaine, David Ellefson, Shawn
Dr over and Chr is Br oder ick or
collectively known as Megadeth
staged a sold out concert on July
29. Like most of the people who
have been following the legend-
ary trash band, we asked them
the question their fans have been
dying to ask: Why visit the Philip-
pines only now?
Frontman Dave Mustaine quickly
responded, The thing about com-
ing to the Philippines has long been
overdue. We should have come here
a long time ago. Well its their fault,
pointing his ngers to the ofcials of
Pulp Live World and Colt45 that are
organizing the concert.
While the whole room was still
bursting with laughter, Mustaine
went back to being serious and
shared a little story with the Stan-
dard Today.
Frankly we should have come
here a long time ago. We have met
some friends that are not from the
Philippines but Filipinos by de-
centand some
who are really
great players,
said the Califor-
nia-born musi-
cian.
The 50-year-old founder of
Megadeth underscored their little
knowledge of the music scene in
the Philippines as what triggered
their interest to pay their Filipino
fans a visit, including what they
hear from other bands that have
visited the country.
Mustaine also related the bands
relationship with its fans as one
of the reasons why Megadeth has
found its success.
Theres no real secret to suc-
cess. First you need to be honest
with yourself and second, dont
ever screw your fans. At the end
of the day those are the only things
youve got, your name which cor-
relates to being honest and of
course your fans, this is our busi-
ness, so we partners with our fans.
Those are the main things plus
writing songs that dont suck,
Mustained beamed.
Megadeth has sold over 30 mil-
lion albums worldwide with ve
consecutive albums being certied
platinum or multi-platinum in the
US. The Manila leg is part of the
Asian tour that promotes Mega-
deths 13
th
studio album aptly
called Th1rt3en.
NICKIE
WANG
WITHOUT WANG
2
Megadeth rocks Manila
TVs new
golden boy
is serious about acting
ALDEN Richar ds, not TVs golden boy, is
serious about his craft.
ting them behind bars. Desperate to
prove their innocence, they finally
manage to escape from jail after
several comedic attempts. Now,
theyre out to stalk Becky to find
out why she has her mind set on
making them suffer.
Visit your favorite video store and
grab a copy of Moron 5 and The Cry-
ing Lady, now available on VCD for
only P299 and DVD for only P600.
Telefeud between
Globe, Smar t
Its a dog-eat-dog world in telecom-
munications these days, with com-
panies offering promotions to entice
people to avail of their plans?
The question now is, Do Smart
Postpaid Freedom Plans really give
you the freedom to choose and cre-
ate your postpaid plan?
Looking at its promo leaets can
really make you decide immediately
to take it. Imagine,
Smarts SIM-only postpaid plan
lets subscribers customize and control
their plan to suit their needs.
Smart Postpaid Freedom Plan
enables subscribers to purchase ser-
vice buckets for call, text, combo
and mobile surng services. Most of
these buckets are valid for 30 days,
and some, 15 days.
As an entry-level postpaid plan,
target market is college students,
fresh grads and rst jobbers.
Prices range from P99 a month
(Unlimited BBM) to P1,000 a month
(unlimited mobile surng).
And it has no xed or minimum
monthly service fees, no lock-in or
contract, and no complicated applica-
tion forms and many other things.
The problem is, prepaid subscribers
who wish to go postpaid cannot bring
their prepaid number when they shift
to the Freedom Plan, thus requitrng
them to get a new SIM.
Also existing Smart postpaid sub-
scribers cannot downgrade to the
Freedom Plan. A P250 application
fee is required to activate a Freedom
Plan subscription.
The Freedom Plan is not inclusive
of any phone, thus requiring new sub-
scribers to pay additional fees in order
to get a device, which is more costly.
New Freedom Plan subscribers
are required to present a school ID
or company ID. What about the un-
employed?
We will to go to Globes plans in
the next column, so youll get the
view of the other side.
Ar r anged
mar r iages
Today, Anderson takes
a look on modern-day ar-
ranged marriages and why
certain families continue
this age-old practice.
Anderson asks: In an
age in which almost half
of all marriages end in
divorce, can arranged
marriages work?
Then, the show
will discuss bul-
lying, an epidemic
that is plaguing
America today.
Anderson gets
the chance to speak
with two tormented
kids from the docu-
mentary Bully.
Youll be sur-
prised when you
nd out how
they were shock-
ingly treated by their
classmates.
Anderson can be seen Mon-
day to Friday via Satellite at 8 to
9 p.m. with next day replays at 2
a.m. and 9 a.m. on TalkTV Ch.
16 on SkyCable, Ch. 28 on Des-
tiny and Ch. 21 on Cignal.
Pinoy Adventures host Richard
Gutierrez
Ellen Adarna
Alden Richards stars in
GMAs most popular
TV series One True Love

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