L

VOL. 517 No. 03

http://www.mb.com.ph

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2016 10 SECTIONS P20.00 IN METRO MANILA

World

Grammy
winning
singer
Natalie Cole
dies at 65
6
WEATHER

Luzon

Visayas

Mindanao

Manila

Temperature Range:
24C-35C

Sunrise: 6:21 a.m.

Sunset: 5:39 p.m.

Tides: High: 2:59 a.m. 0.51m

Low: 10:11 a.m. 0.14m

End indifference Pope

partly cloudy to at times cloudy w/
isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms

partly cloudy to at times cloudy

w/ isolated rainshowers

partly cloudy to at times cloudy w/

isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms

partly cloudy to at times cloudy

w/ isolated rainshowers

Pontiff hits arrogance of the powerful

and false neutrality in 2016 message

ATICAN CITY (AP) Wishing

for a year better than 2015,
Pope Francis on Friday called
for an end to the arrogance of
the powerful that relegates the weak to
the outskirts of society, and to the false
neutrality toward conflicts, hunger,
and persecution that triggers exoduses
of refugees.
In his New Years homily, Francis
emphasized the need to let ourselves
be reborn, to overcome the indifference
which blocks solidarity, and to leave behind the false neutrality which prevents
sharing.
After celebrating Mass, the Pope
came to the window of a Vatican palazzo
overlooking St. Peters Square to offer
new years wishes to a crowd of tens
of thousands of tourists and Romans
cheering him from below.

At the start of the year, its

ENTERTAINMENT

Spotlight on
the Golden
Globe Best
Actress-Drama
nominees

THREE WISE KIDS Pope Francis blesses the children dressed as the Three Wise Men during the New Years Day Mass at St. Peters Basilica, Vatican City on Friday. Today is the
Feast of the Three Kings, which ends the Catholic season of Christmas. (AP)

Stray bullet cases hit 36;

firecrackers injure 459

Feast of 3
Kings ends
Christmas
Season today

By AARON B. RECUENCO
and CHARINA CLARISSE L. ECHALUCE

By CHRISTINA I. HERMOSO

The long holiday season traditionally ends today with the observance of
the Feast of the Three Kings. However,
according to liturgy, the joyous season
officially ends next Sunday, Jan. 10, on
the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
In Rome, Pope Francis will celebrate a mass in honor of the feast at
10 a.m. (4 p.m. Manila time) at the St.
Peters Basilica.
Also known as the Epiphany or
T h e o p h a n y,
meaning
vision of God,
the feast com

The number of casualties due to

stray bullets related to the Christmas
and New Years celebrations has ballooned to 36 while firecracker-related
injuries hit 459 as of yesterday, police
and health authorities said.
While the official count of revelryrelated casualties will end on January

6, Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor,

spokesman of the Philippine National
Police (PNP), expressed hope that
there will be no more additional cases
of such injuries.
On stray bullet cases, Mayor said
most of the victims were adults and
from Metro Manila and nearby provinces, especially Cavite.
Our monitoring started on December 16 and will be until January 6. We

E-1

LIFESTYLE

hope that there will be no more additional incidents and victims, he said.
The official said the latest reported
cases of stray bullet injuries were early
morning of January 1 where the police
recorded at least 16 injuries.
But Mayor said they have not
recorded any death on stray bullet
so far, the only supposed victim from
Bulacan was earlier delisted
after it was found out that the

16

FENG SHUI
EXPERT SAYS

THIS YEAR
IN

POP HISTORY

Rihanna,
Madonna,
Kimojis,
hoverboards,
Hilary Duff.
What to
expect in
#PopCulture2016

D-1
BUSINESS

Less violence in
2016; surprises
in poll results

LOS ANGELES This coming

Jan. 10, five talented
actresses will be vying for
the Best Performance by an
Actress-Drama award during
the 73rd Annual Golden
Globe Awards at the Beverly
Hilton Cate Blanchett for
Carol, her co-star Rooney
Mara also for Carol, Brie
Larson for Room, Saoirse
Ronan for Brooklyn, and
Alicia Vikander for The
Danish Girl.

ASEAN Economic Community:

An economic powerhouse
BSP issues guidelines on
rural bank funding program
B-1

By ROBERT R. REQUINTINA

SLAIN AT SEVEN Little friends of seven-year-old Mark Angelo Diego mill around his
photograph at his wake in Barangay Pinagsama, Taguig City. Fondly called Macmac
by his playmates, Diego was killed by a stray bullet when former village peacekeeper,
Raymundo Liza, alias Munding, opened fire at a streetside drinking spree last New Years
Eve. Story on Page 3. (Camille Ante)

The year 2016 will be far less violent

than 2014 and 2015, and the results of
the national elections in May could yield
some surprises, a feng shui expert and
astrologer said in his annual forecast.
Also expect arts and all forms of social
media to be at peak, he said.
In politics, individual efforts will
be rewarded more than group efforts.
Collective movement tends to

be in disarray because it will

Tondo fire leaves

chapel, Black
Nazarene untouched

BAHAY ARUGA

Lifting hopes for

kids with cancer
By MONCH MIKKO E. MISAGAL

By ARGYLL CYRUS B. GEDUCOS

A QUEEN RETURNS Mutya ng PilipinasAsia Pacific Leren Mae Bautista returns
yesterday from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
where she was crowned Miss Tourism
Queen of the Year International 2015.
Bautista adds to the roster of successful
Filipina beauty queens winning international
titles in 2015, composed of Pia Wurtzbach
(Miss Universe), Angelia Ong (Miss Earth),
Ann Lorraine Colis (Miss Globe), Cindy
Madumma (Miss Scuba International), and
Trixie Maristela (Miss International Queen).
(Ariel Fernandez)

From despair, after losing their homes in a New

Years Day fire, some residents of Barrio San Jose,
Barangay 155 in Tondo, Manila, had a reason to
rejoice yesterday after finding out that their chapel
survived the six-hour inferno.
Untouched by the flames that razed about a
thousand houses last Friday, the chapel houses the
54-year-old image of the Black Nazarene which is
revered by more than 300 devotees of the
community.

http://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin

FIRE SURVIVOR Fire victims in Barangay 155 in Tondo, Manila, have their
hopes restored after seeing that their chapel and replicated image of the
Black Nazarene are spared by the New Years Day inferno that razed over
1,000 houses. (Kevin dela Cruz)

@manilabulletin

Four days before 2015 ended, Angeline Bias was in her usual jovial
spirit, playing with friends at a house in
Manila where children stay while they
fight the biggest battle in their young
lives cancer.
We feel happy here. Even if we are
not with our families, we have many
friends who make us happy, Angeline
said.
The 13-year-old has can-

16

twitter.com/manila_bulletin

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Sunday, January 3, 2016

Catholics observe
month of the Holy Child
By Christina I.
Hermoso

evotees
of
the
Child Jesus, more
popularly venerated
as the Santo Nio,
observe the month of
January as the month
of the Holy Child, in
honor of the Child
Jesus, whose image
has become a familiar
fixture in the homes
of many Catholics.
Festivities, town
fiestas, elaborate processions, and other
commemorative rites
are traditionally held
in many parts of the
country at this time of
the year, particularly
on the third Sunday of January which, by
tradition, is celebrated as the Feast of the
Santo Nio. This year, the feast falls on
January 17. Last years feast of the Holy
Child was particularly memorable as it
coincided with Pope Francis concluding
mass at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta,
Manila.
Devotion to the Child Jesus is widespread and popular among Filipino Catholics who keep an image of the Holy Child
in their altars at home. As the patron of
children, parents invoke the help of the
Santo Nio to keep watch over their children as well as to guide them in bringing
them up.
The image of the Child Jesus with
a kings crown synthesizes the Kingship
and the Childhood of Christ. The small
globe on His hand symbolizes that Christ
is the King of the Universe who became
a little child. The Church encourages the
faithful to trust in the loving and powerful
intercession of the Holy Child Jesus and to
raise all children to God and ask the Lord
to enfold them in His love and protection,
Church officials said.
The Church urges the faithful to reflect
and find wisdom on Matthew 18:34, Unless
you turn and become like children, you will
not enter the kingdom of Heaven. Whoever
humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.

Cebu-Cordova
Bridge is catalyst
for growth
By CHARISSA M. LUCI
The vice chairman of the House Committee on Public Works and Highways
is optimistic that the P27-billion CebuCordova Bridge Project would further
boost Cebus productivity and growth.
House Assistant Majority Leader
and Cebu Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas
Jr. said the new bridge will help address
traffic congestion infesting the existing
two bridges that connect Mandaue City
in mainland Cebu province and LapuLapu City in Mactan.
The project is a bridge to Cebus
productivity and growth. It will bolster
the provinces long-term economic
efficiency, he said, hailing the Cebu
City governments decision to award
the P27-billion bridge project to businessman Manuel V. Pangilinans Metro
Pacific Tollways Development Corp.
(MPTDC).
It will be the third bridge between
the Cebu mainland and Mactan, the
nations most densely populated island,
he noted.
We are counting on the new bridge
to help reduce the cost of producing
goods and services, and minimize productivity losses due to traffic congestion, Gullas said.
The third bridge will link Cebu City
and the municipality of Cordova in
Mactan.
Gullas expressed optimism that
the new bridge will create more jobs,
improve living conditions and facilitate
trade activities.
He cited Pangilinan and MPTDC
for their readiness to mobilize private
equity to build up Cebus infrastructure
requirements.
In a letter dated Dec. 23, 2015, the
Cebu City government notified MPTDC
that it has been awarded the project
for the formation of a Joint Venture
Agreement with the City Government
of Cebu and the Municipal Government
of Cordova for the financing, design,
construction, implementation, operation, and maintenance of an 8.55 km toll
road to be known as the Cebu-Cordova
Bridge, including the construction of the
connections to Cebu City and Cordova,
the main bridge, structure, viaduct,
causeway, and roadway.

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Sunday, January 3, 2016

2 dead as suspended tanod goes berserk

By Betheena Kae Unite

seven-year-old boy and a 25-yearold man succumbed to massive

gunshot wounds inflicted by a
drunken, suspended Makati City
barangay tanod on New Year's Eve in
Taguig City.
After fighting for his life for almost a day
with a bullet lodged in his head, Mark Angelo "Macmac" Diego, 7, expired Friday night
at the Ospital ng Makati, police said.
Yesterday morning, another victim
of the shooting spree died at the same
hospital.
John Edward Pascual, 25, of Pasay
City, succumbed to bullet wounds on his
chest and other parts of his body, police
reported.
The two fatalities were with their family and friends to usher in the new year in
Barangay Pinagsama, Taguig City when
tragedy struck.
Diegos father, Mark Anthony, was also
celebrating his birth anniversary in front
of their residence when the suspect, iden-

tified as Raymundo Liza, confronted them,

purportedly due to the noise and commotion
they were creating.
Liza, a barangy tanod of nearby Barangay Southside, Makati City suspended for
unruly behavior and a case of indiscriminate
firearm discharge since early December
2015, then pulled out a gun and started firing

at random, unfortunately hitting the younger

Diego, Pascual and several others.
Witnesses said Liza, who appeared to be
drunk, initially challenged the elder Diego
and his visitors to a fistfight.
Police said Liza is already being pursued. He will be charged with murder and
frustrated murder.

MMFF earns
P737 million
in 8 days
By Rachel Joyce E. Burce

The 41st Metro Manila Film Festival

(MMFF) has reached gross sales of P737
million from Christmas Day to New Year's
Day, Metropolitan Manila Development
Authority (MMDA) Chairman Emerson
Carlos announced.
Carlos added that this year's eight-day
gross proceeds is much higher compared
to last year's P697 million for the same
period.
Carlos disclosed that the four entries
which have the highest gross sales, in no
particular order, are: My Bebe Love starring Vic Sotto, Ai Ai Delas Alas, and the
phenomenal AlDub love team of Alden
Richards and Maine Mendoza; Beauty
and the Bestie starring Vice Ganda and
Coco Martin; #Walang Forever starring
this year's best actress and best actor
Jennylyn Mercado and Jericho Rosales
and Haunted Mansion starring Janella
Salvador.
The other four participating movies
are: Nilalang starring Cesar Montano and
former Japanese adult film star Maria
Ozawa, the controversial Honor Thy Father
starring John Lloyd Cruz; All You Need is
Pag-Ibig starring Kris Aquino and Derek
Ramsay and Buy Now, Die Later starring
Vhong Navarro.

Manila yields 500

tons of holiday trash
By ARGYLL CYRUS B. GEDUCOS

Thirty-three truckloads or around

500 tons of garbage from the Christmas and New Years festivities were
collected by the local government of
Manila in Divisoria on Friday.
As early as 3 a.m. on Friday, Task
Force Manila Clean-up were already
busy collecting mixed garbage in Divisoria where in most piles were collected in Claro M. Recto Avenue.
Reports from the Task Force Manila Clean-up revealed that there is
a big increase in the piles of trash
collected during this year's revelry
compared to last year.
Engineer Che Borromeo, chief of
the Task Force Manila Clean-up said
33 dump trucks were used on Friday
to collect 500 tons of mixed trash, a
figure higher than the recorded 25
dump trucks used last year to pick up
300 tons of garbage.
Meanwhile, according to the proenvironment group EcoWaste Coalition, the improper segregation of waste
is contrary to the President's Proclamation No. 760 declaring January as a
"zero waste month."
The coalition stressed that a lot
of recyclable materials have gone to
waste as the garbage collected after
the revelry were already mixed and
will therefore go straight to the dump
sites.

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National News

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Govt agencies told to implement

national anti-drug action plan

Newsbits
GrabBike, anyone?
GrabTaxi has recently introduced
a new service to the commuting
public in hopes of easing traffic
woes and providing a faster mode
of transport - GrabBike. Instead
of using cars, GrabBike utilizes
motorcycles to get passengers from
point A to point B. The transport
network company (TNC) thinks it is
a pretty novel idea and has already
encouraged motorcycle owners
to register their vehicles to the
service. But is GrabBike approved
by the Land Transportation and
Franchising Regulatory Board
(LTFRB)? In a memo written by
Chairman Atty. Winston Ginez,
he said that city and municipal
officials are empowered by law to
grant franchises for tricycles and to
regulate their operations within their
respective jurisdictions. However,
it is all subject to the guidelines
prescribed by the Department of
Transportation and Communication.
As for GrabBike itself, Ginez
said that they have the power to
regulate the operations of these
motorcycle-for-hires. But since
motorcycles are not included in the
list of vehicles approved for GrabTaxi
in their department order no.
2015-011, they are not authorized
Transportation Vehicle Network
Service. (Czarina Nicole O. Ong)

By MADEL SABATER NAMIT

alacaang has issued

Memorandum Circular
(MC) No. 89 directing all
government agencies to
implement and institutionalize the
National Anti-Drug Plan of Action
(NADPA).
The Dangerous Dr ugs Board
(DDB) formulated the NADPA, which
outlines the efforts of the government
to strengthen its campaign against
drugs and contribute to international
efforts to counter the world drug
problem.

In the Philippines, the drug problem is not merely a security or health

issue, but also encompasses social,
economic, psychological and economic
interests, requiring the unified involvement of various government agencies,
the Memorandum Circular read.
Under MC No. 89, signed on December 17, 2015, all government offices, departments, bureaus, agencies, offices
and government-owned or -controlled
corporations (GOCCs), shall implement the NADPA.
The DDB shall serve as the lead
agency in its implementation.
The NADPA shall be implemented

for a period of five years and all government offices are required to formulate
and submit their respective Five-Year
Implementing and Operational Plans
for the NADPA to the DDB within 60
days after the effectivity of the said
Circular.
The Palace directed the DDB to ensure continuous upgrading and implementation of the NADPA until the vision of a drug-resistant and eventually
a drug-free country has been achieved
and consistently sustained.
In consultation with the implementing government offices, the DDB
shall develop a performance standard

112 idle
lighthouses
due for rehab
Coast Guard
By RAYMUND F. ANTONIO

Improved net
connectivity
The chairman of the House
Committee on Metro Manila
Development is urging the local
government units to rationalize
, streamline and expedite the
requirements and fees for Internet
service providers. Quezon City Rep.
Winston Castelo said one of the
factors of poor Internet connectivity
in the country is attributed to the
lack of vibrancy of the industry
on account of the lack of new
players providing maintenance of
Internet infrastructures. He said
by rationalizing and streamlining
the requirements and fees,
Internet service providers would
be encouraged to further improve
and upgrade their infrastructures,
benefitting the local governments.
The dearth of new companies
providing Internet service and
the bureaucratic and voluminous
government requirements and fees
for securing permits and licenses
have a high correlation, Castelo
said. Citing a World Bank study, he
said it there is a 10 percent increase
in broadband penetration in a
country, its economy will grow by
1.13 percent. Local governments
and communities in general would
stand to benefit with improved
Internet connectivity and services,
which could increase household
income by $800 per year with at
least .5Mbps Internet connection,
Castelo said.(Charissa M. Luci)

Manufacturers
forum
The Department of Agriculture
(DA) has successfully concluded
a manufacturers forum, which
gathered various manufacturers
from different industries like plastic,
steel, and other raw materials in
the aim to create synergy between
manufacturers and producers
and reap the benefits of farm
and fisheries mechanization in
the country. Philippine Center for
Postharvest Development and
Mechanization Executive Director
Rex Bingabing has presented the
current challenges of the Philippine
agriculture to the manufacturers,
stressing the need for farm
mechanization. We are aiming to
localize the manufacturing of agri
machineries to address the high
initial cost and labor displacement
that agri mechanization presents,
he said. Bingabing plans to
put up various service centers
of farm machineries as soon
as the mechanization program
has been fully rolled out. The
centers, in effect, will generate
more jobs especially to those
who will be displaced due to farm
mechanization. DA Secretary
Proceso Alcala presented possible
solutions to address the concerns of
the manufacturers, which included
bidding process, challenges in
distribution, and conflicting laws
that hinders the local manufacturers
and producers. (Ellalyn B. de Vera)

measure to determine the accomplishment status of the implementation

of the NADPA, the Memorandum
Circular read.
The Palace also directed the DDB
and the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA) to conduct a nationwide survey of drug prevalence in the country
every three years, the results of which
shall be utilized for policy formulation
on drug prevention and control.
All government offices are also
ordered to formulate and adopt their
own drug-free workplace programs
and conduct authorized drug testing
among officials and personnel.

WELCOME SIGHT Workers and students nationwide will report back to work and school tomorrow, accompanied by the usual traffic congestion
along major thoroughfares such as Edsa, where traffic was unusually light at noon yesterday and gave temporary relief to a handful of motorists.
(Federico Cruz)

Improved emergency care measure filed;

demand for advance payment deplored
By CHARISSA M. LUCI

Quezon City Rep. Jose Christopher

Belmonte has filed a bill seeking to
strengthen the provision of emergency
health care services to patients.
He cited the need to amend the
Batasang Pambansa Bilang 702, as
amended, otherwise known as "An Act
Prohibiting the Demand of Deposits
or Advance Payments for the Confinement or Treatment of Patients in Hospitals and Medical Clinics in Certain
Cases."
BP 702 was enacted on April 5,
1984 to stop the practice of asking
for deposits or advance payments for
treatment or confinement of patients
in emergency or serious cases.
It was amended in 1997 by Republic
Act No. 8344 or "An Act Penalizing the
Refusal of Hospitals and Medical Clin-

ics to Administer Appropriate Initial

Medical Treatment and Support in
Emergency or Serious Cases".
RA 8344 outlined the procedure on
what a medical facility should do in
cases of emergency and defined certain
terms related to emergency healthcare,
and stated penalties for violators.
"Despite these measures, there
are still cases where patients in emergency or serious cases suffer severe
loss of blood, or worst, die while being
transported to more distant medical
facilities," Belmonte lamented in filing
House Bill 6341.
"Such situations can be remedied
if there are nearby private medical
facilities that can provide adequate
emergency healthcare services without
the medical practitioners and owners
of such establishments thinking about
the patient's capacity to pay for such

services," he said.
House Bill 6341 provides that where
there is no ambulance available for use
by the hospital or medical clinic for the
emergency transfer of the patient to
a facility where the appropriate care
can be given, the barangay where the
hospital or medical clinic is located
shall allow the free use of its emergency
vehicle to transport the patient to the
hospital or medical clinic where a continuation of care shall be given.
"The bill seeks to introduce a more
reliable and efficient emergency
healthcare program by including the
use of barangay emergency vehicles
for transferring patients to different
hospitals, expanding of the scope and
definition of 'emergency' and allowing
participant healthcare providers benefits for expenses incurred in providing
service," Belmonte said.

DepEd steps up monitoring of literacy programs

By MERLINA HERNANDO-MALIPOT

Recognizing the importance of measuring students learning outcomes

over time, the Department of Education (DepEd) has issued policy guidelines on monitoring and evaluating
the implementation of its literacy and
numeracy programs for kindergarten
to Grade 3 pupils.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro
announced the utilization of the Early
Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA)
and Early Grade Math Assessment
(EGMA) tools for system assessment
to ensure the quality implementation
of the DepEds Mother Tongue-Based

Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE)

and literacy/numeracy program for
kindergarten to Grade 3 pupils nationwide.
DepEd recognized the importance
of measuring student learning outcomes over time, Luistro said.
These student learning outcomes
will be used as indirect indicators of
effective and efficient implementation
of curricular reform, he added.
Luistro also stressed that the data
gathered from the assessments shall
inform policy-making, planning and
programming at the national and regional levels.
One of the major curriculum re-

forms of the K to 12 Basic Education

Program, Luistro said, is the use of
the Mother Tongue (MT) as a medium
of teaching and learning through the
MTB-MLE to improve learning
among kinder to Grade 2 pupils.
The MTB-MLE program was piloted in 921 schools nationwide in School
Year (SY) 2011-2012. It was implemented all over the country in Grade
starting SY 2012-2013 and was rolled
out in the succeeding grade levels in
the subsequent school years.
Since the initial implementation
of the MTB-MLE, there have been
efforts to gather data on reading competencies in the early grades, Luistro

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)

recently reported that 112 out of the
countrys 573 lighthouses are out of
commission and unable to provide navigational aid of boats and vessels.
We have plans to repair all of them.
We have made great strides in improving our efficiency, said acting PCG
commandant Rear Admiral William
Melad.
PCG, the lead agency in charge of
the lighthouses, vowed to repair all the
facilities, which the agency declared
not operational in a report.
Because of this, P73.5million was
earmarked for the upkeep of lighthouses this year.
This is more than double of last
years budget for lighthouses, said
Melad.
The report, a copy of which was furnished the Manila Bulletin, showed that
80.45 percent of the lighthouse stations
all over the country were working as of
Dec. 18 last year.
The rest are not operational, most
of which are stationed in PCG districts
in Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao, with 20 lighthouses each, followed
by 15 in Bicol, 13 in Southern Tagalog,
and 10 lighthouses in Southeastern
Mindanao.
In Eastern Visayas, the report
said that lighthouse stations in Saint
Bernard, Manicani, Hindang, Guiuan,
Suluan, Tugnug, Carigara, Biliran, San
Juanico 2, North Limasawa, Isabel,
San Pedro, Palompon, Tacloban, Mariquitdaquit, San Juanico 3, Binabaye,
Canauay, Malitbog, and Daram have
defective batteries, lanterns, bulbs, and
solar panel, among others.
In Northern Mindanao, the tower of
lighthouse station Punta Alegria, which
has not been operational since Jan. 13,
2012, is ready to collapse, it said.
Among the defective lighthouses in
the region include those in Magallanes
Agusan River, Kahinaan, Sumilon,
Sindangan, Coronado, Hinatuan North,
Kanhandun, Loreto, Hinatuan East,
Punta Beach, Selinog, Luyong Bonbon,
Diuata, Socorro, Punta Bilar, Dahakit,
Sinonoc, Orquita, and Tagolo.
PCG describes the lighthouses
as beacons of the sea. They serve as
guides of mariners, such as fishermen,
vessel crew and other users of the sea,
when it comes to sailing the seas and
going to and out of ports.
At the same time, the lighthouses
when they become fully operational
makes the jobs of Coast Guard men
easier and safer in sailing the dangerous waters at night.
noted.
He, however, said that these initiatives were performed by independent
service providers. Recognizing the
need to build its own capacity for collection and analysis of assessment
data, he ordered the implementation
of the assessment tools through EGRA
and EGMA.

Bicol solon bats for proper food labeling

Citing that instilling healthy eating
practices to improve nutrition across the
population is a paramount public health
concern, Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando
G. Andaya Jr. wants to mandate the nutritional labeling of food products.
He said it is important to provide
consumers with enough information
pertaining to their food intake in order
to help them make dietary decisions
that can improve their health.

"A law that mandates the proper

labeling of food products is necessary to
promote awareness on the importance
of balanced diet and to assist people
who are on special diets or those who
have food allergies to make suitable
food choices to manage their conditions," Andaya said.
He said by requiring proper labeling,
consumers are provided with information that can assist them in better

understanding the nutritional value of

food products and get ample warning
on the presence of allergens.
"Apart from promoting healthy eating practices among consumers, proper
food labeling also encourages food
manufacturers to improve the nutrient
profile of their products. Proper food
labeling encourages the food industry to
take a greater role in supporting public
health goals," he said.

"Proper food labeling can save lives

and cut healthcare costs," Andaya, vice
chairperson of the House Committee on
Appropriations, said.
House Bill 5719 or the proposed
Philippines Nutrition Label Act mandates that all commodities should bear
a label specifying the business address
of the manufacturer and the nutritional
content of the product. (Charissa M.
Luci)

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Tondo...

Maluha-luha ako sa tuwa kasi akala ko

nasunog na Siya (I was tearful to see Him
unharmed because I thought He was already
gutted by the fire), said Teresita Macaspac,
62, the chapels caretaker, after finding the
Black Nazarene intact.
Macaspac recalled that no one had
thought of saving the image of the Black
Nazarene until the fire had grown too big.
Malaki na yung apoy nang maalala ko
yung Nazareno. Tinanong ko sila kung bakit
hindi nila niligtas yung Nazareno (the fire
was already too big when I remembered the
Nazareno. I asked my children why didnt
they save the Nazareno), she said.
She said the fire was a rude awakening
for her and her family and that their priority
was to save her grandchildren.
As the fire swept through the community,
Macaspac had thought there was no hope left
for the chapel and the Black Nazarene.
Asked what she thought after finding the
structure and the image intact, Macaspac
said: Himala dahil nasunog na lahat sa
paligid pero ang chapel hindi nasunog (Its
a miracle because everything around it
was razed but the chapel was the only one
spared).
She said that even the over 300 memberdevotees of the Barrio San Jose Barangay
155 in Raxabago, Tondo were elated to
know that the Black Nazarene was spared
by the fire.
Itong mga bahay na ito, madaling
mapalitan yan (These houses, they can be
replaced), said Macaspac, pointing at the
immediate vicinity of the chapel. Then added,
while pointing at the image of the Black Nazarene: Pero Siya, hindi (But not Him).
The Black Nazarene was first brought to
the barangay 54 years ago and since 1962, it
had joined every procession of the Quiapo
Churchs Black Nazarene the original
image which many Catholics believe is miraculous on January 9.
This year, Macaspac said their Black
Nazarene has to join the procession.
Tuloy ang parada lalo na ngayong nakaligtas Siya sa sunog. Kahit nasunog yung
bago Niyang damit sa bahay ko, isasama pa
rin namin Siya (we have to bring him to the
procession especially right after what happened to Him. Even though his new set of
clothes was burned along with my house, we
will still bring him to the feast), she said.

Less...

Sunday, January 3, 2016

NPA strikes in CamSur, violates

Yuletide truce for a second time
By ELENA L. ABEN
and DANNY J. ESTACIO

rmy troops thwarted what the

military said is a deliberate
attack by the New Peoples
Army (NPA) against government forces in Goa, Camarines Sur, on
New Years Day.
It was the second recorded violation of the maoist rebels of the existing
holiday ceasefire that started Dec. 23,
2015 and will end at midnight tonight
(January 3).
A statement released by the Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) to the
media said the attack occurred around
4 p.m. on January 1 in Barangay Scout
Fuentebella, Goa, Camarines Sur.
Col. Zacarias Batalla, commander,
83rd Infantry Battalion, said eight sol-

diers and six CAFGU Active Auxilliaries

(CAA) were fired upon by an estimated
10 NPA rebels resulting to a 20-minute
exchange of fire.
No one is hurt among our troops,
however on the side of the rebels,
bloodstains were seen scattered on their
position, said Batalla.
He also said that an M14 and AK50
rifles, two hand grenades, bandoleers
with 18 assorted magazines and ammunition were recovered at the encounter
site.
Maj. Angelo Guzman, Solcom
spokesman, said the attack happened
amid the government declaration of suspension of military operation (SOMO)
and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPPs) unilateral declaration of
ceasefire.
The truce is in effect from 1 a.m.

of Dec. 23, 2015 until 11:59 p.m. of Jan.

3, 2016.
Col. Claudio L. Yucot, commander,
901st Infantry Brigade, said the troops
were conducting a New Years visit to assure villagers of the militarys presence,
that they are not remiss in their duty to
provide security to the community when
the attack happened leaving no choice
for the soldiers but to fire back.
Yucot added that the attack seemed
deliberate as landmines were reportedly
discovered laid along the soldiers path
going to the barangay, about two kilometers from their patrol base.
The attack seems to be deliberate as
landmines were discovered laid along
the soldiers path going to the barangay,
about two kilometers from their patrol
base.
The official further said that he did

not order for pursuit operations in strict

observance of the Presidents declaration of the SOMO.
First violation
On December 23, rebels also reportedly fired at soldiers in Surigao del Sur,
which marked the start of the 12-day
ceasefire declared by both parties.
Col. Isidro Purisima, commander
of the 402nd Infantry Brigade, said the
rebels under Brando Juagpao alias
Commander Rodel harassed members
of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion at
the outskirt of Barangay Bitaugan, San
Miguel, Surigao del Sur.
Purisima said troops were stationed
in the said area to assist officials of the
San Miguel municipality in facilitating
the delivery of development programs
and services in the community. (With a
report from Danny J. Estacio)

be every man (or woman) for himself. The

outcome of the national elections should
yield some surprises, said Master Hanz
Cua, feng shui expert, astrologer and Bazi
master.
Cua was making his annual forecast as
the world prepares to usher in the Year of the
Fire Monkey on Feb. 8. Under the monkey
sign, innovations, exhilarating activities and
surprising turns on fortunes, love and business are expected this year, Cua said.
The Year of the Sheep was gentle. A
year of diplomacy, contemplation and slow
steady growth. The energy of the monkey is
not quite so benevolent. The astrological sign
of the monkey, combined with the element
of fire is aggressive, witty, unconventional,
self-serving and likes to dominate avenues
of communication. The Year of the Monkey
2016 is symbolized by two opposing elements:
Fire and metal, with fire being the stronger,
more destructive element. Metal must yield
to fire, and so there are many contradictions
and conflicts that will characterize this year,
explained Cua.
Expect promotional ventures, arts and all
forms of social media to be at peak, he said.
Thanks to the Fire Monkeys unrestrained craving to be successful and to selfpromote. Yang Fire creates fun, creativity,
excitement and glamour, and this will be a
very good year for entertainers and artists,
Cua said.
He added that there will be auspicious
growth for industries like manufacturing, real
estate, banking and finance, construction,
social services and research technology.
But because fire element destroys wood,
industries like education, farming and electronics will face difficulties, Cua said.
The element of gambling or risk-taking
will be strong under the influence of the Fire
Monkey, he said.
This is a good time to launch new ideas,
make upgrades or begin an expansion in
business. Its advisable to plan all your moves
carefully, however. Just like a gambler the
outcome of any venture could either be a big
win or a big loss, Cua said.
Be wary of deceptions, in business as
well as in politics, since the ruthless spirit
of the Fire Monkey also intensifies doubledealing and dishonesty, he said.
When it comes to relationships, there will
also be plenty of thrills, but also insecurity,
Cua said.
For people in long-term partnerships,
it will be a challenging year. The trusting
nature of the Sheep is replaced by the selfcenteredness of the Monkey and misunderstandings and breakups are a possibility. For
singles, however, it will be a good year to find
new romance, he said.
In the environment, disasters involving
fire, nuclear energy, tornadoes and hurricanes will continue to prevail, Cua said. The
fires in Indonesia are a warning of things to
come. Environmental awareness will be a big
priority, he added.

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World News

Sunday, January 3, 2016

China creates 3 new army units

to improve its fighting capability

Newsbits
Suicide bomber
strikes in Kabul

IN COMMAND
Chinese
President Xi
Jinping (left) gives
a military flag
to Wei Fenghe,
commander
of the Rocket
Force of the
Chinese Peoples
Liberation Army
(PLA), as Wang
Jiasheng, political
commissar
of the Rocket
Force, looks on
at a ceremony
in Beijing last
Thursday. China
has created three
new military
bodies as part
of reforms to
modernize its
military the
worlds largest
standing force
and improve its
fighting capacity.
(AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan A Taliban

suicide car bomber struck a French
restaurant popular with foreigners
in Kabul Friday, killing two people
in a New Years Day attack that
marks the latest in a series of
brazen insurgent assaults. Fifteen
others were wounded in the attack
on Le Jardin, an Afghan-owned
eatery, which caused a piercingly
loud explosion and left a building
engulfed in flames. The attack
comes a day after Afghanistan
announced four-way talks in
Pakistan on January 11, aimed at
jump-starting peace negotiations
with the resurgent Taliban. We
can confirm a suicide car bomb
attack on Le Jardin, Fraidoon
Obaidi, the head of Kabuls Criminal
Investigation Department, told AFP.
(AFP)

Shark attack
SYDNEY, Australia A swimmer
suffered wounds to his arms and
legs Saturday after he was mauled
in a suspected shark attack off
Queensland state on Australias
east coast, officials said. The latest
reported attack comes during
the busy summer season, and as
authorities in neighbouring New
South Wales implement a range
of shark-prevention measures to
reduce encounters after a spate of
maulings in the state last year. The
30-year-old man was swimming off
Rosslyn Bay some 670 kilometers
north of Brisbane just before noon
when he was believed to have
been bitten by a shark, the states
ambulance service said. (He has)
lacerations to the arms and legs,
an ambulance spokesman said.
(AFP)

Busy queen at 89
LONDON Queen Elizabeth II, who
turns 90 in April, carried out 306
engagements in Britain last year,
a tally in The Times newspaper
showed Friday. The queen, who
became Britains longest serving
monarch in September after more
than 63 years, also conducted 35
engagements abroad, having paid
state visits to Germany and Malta.
Last year she carried out a total of
393 engagements. Her husband
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh,
carried out 250 engagements in
total last year, despite turning 94.
Their eldest son Prince Charles, 67,
the heir to the throne, undertook
527 engagements, including 147
abroad. (AFP)

Wary of water
Residents of southern states along
the Mississippi River are bracing
for the flooding that has swamped
communities from the Ohio River
Valley to eastern Oklahoma over
the last week, causing thousands
of evacuations and killing at least
31 people. Officials in Louisiana are
checking levees daily, and Exxon
Mobil Corp has decided to shut
its 340,571 barrel-per-day refined
products terminal in Memphis,
Tennessee, as floodwaters
threatened to inundate the facility
just south of the citys downtown.
Workers in southwestern Tennessee
were preparing sandbags on Friday
in hopes of limiting damage from
the Mississippi when it crests
at Memphis next week, state
emergency management officials
said. (Reuters)

Grammy winning singer Natalie Cole dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) Natalie
Cole, the daughter of jazz legend Nat
King Cole, who carved out her own
success with R&B hits like Our Love
and This Will Be before triumphantly
intertwining their legacies to make his
Unforgettable their signature hit
through technological wizardry, has
died. She was 65.
While Cole was a Grammy winner in
her own right, she had her greatest success in 1991 when she re-recorded her
father's classic hits with him on the
track for the album Unforgettable
... With Love. It became a multiplatinum smash and garnered her multiple
Grammy Awards, including album of
the year.
Cole died Thursday evening at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los
Angeles due to complications from
ongoing health issues, her family said
in a statement.
Natalie fought a fierce, courageous

COLE

battle, dying how she lived ... with dignity, strength and honor. Our beloved
Mother and sister will be greatly missed
and remain UNFORGETTABLE in our
hearts forever, read the statement
from her son Robert Yancy and sisters
Timolin and Casey Cole.
I had to hold back the tears. I know
how hard she fought, said Aretha
Franklin in a statement. She fought
for so long. She was one of the greatest

singers of our time.

Other celebrities honored Cole on
social media. In a tweet, actress Marlee
Matlin called Cole a lovely songbird
and a great actress, writing she is
now singing in heaven. Patti LaBelle
tweeted, She will be truly missed but
her light will shine forever!
Natalie Cole had battled drug problems and hepatitis that forced her to
undergo a kidney transplant in May
2009. Coles elder sister, Carol Cookie
Cole, died the day she received the
transplant. Their brother, Nat Kelly
Cole, died in 1995.
Natalie Cole was inspired by her dad
at an early age and auditioned to sing
with him when she was just 11 years
old. She was 15 when he died of lung
cancer, in 1965.
She began as an R&B singer but
later gravitated toward the smooth
pop and jazz standards that her father
loved.

Arab shooter kills 2, wounds 7 at Israel pub, cafe

TEL AVIV, Israel (AFP) Two people
were killed and at least seven wounded
Friday when a gunman opened fire on a
pub and nearby cafe in central Tel Aviv, but
the motive was not immediately clear.
The shooting came amid a recent
wave of Palestinian attacks on Israelis
and days after the leader of the Islamic
State (IS) group threatened the Jewish
state with violence.
However, police stressed they were
investigating in all directions.
Media reports identified the shooter
as an Arab in his late twenties from northern Israel who had recently been jailed
for trying to snatch a soldier's weapon,
but police refused to confirm.
Ayman Odeh, who heads the Joint
List that groups the main Arab parties
in parliament, said that while not all the
details of the incident are clear yet, he
sharply and clearly condemned any
attack on innocent people.
CCTV footage from a nearby grocery
store showed a bespectacled young man
with a backpack calmly pretending to
shop before going to the exit, placing the
backpack on a trolley, removing what
looks like a submachine gun and opening
fire in the street.
A police spokeswoman refused to
confirm or deny reports that a copy of

NEW YEARS DAY SHOOTING An Israeli eyewitness (left) sits with her dog outside the popular pub in central Israel City of Tel Aviv,
where an Arab opened fire at civilians on New Years Day. At right, a woman is in shock after the shooting rampage killed two and
wounded at least three others. (AP)

the Koran was found in the assailant's

backpack.

Medics said they took nine people to

hospitals in Tel Aviv, with police saying

One of the last condors alive freed

Beatlemania
goes streaming
Five decades after their American
debut on The Ed Sullivan Show,
the Beatles can still surprise. On
Christmas Eve, the bands albums
went live on nine streaming music
services, including Spotify and Apple
Music. Overnight, rocks greatest
collection became available at the
touch of a button. Streaming service
executives should be dancing to
Twist and Shout. For them, the
Beatles blessing creates huge
opportunities. For Pandora Media
(ticker: P), however, the operative
track may be Help! The pioneer
of Internet music has already been
feeling the heat from its streaming
rivals. Unlike on-demand services
such as Spotify, Pandora operates
like the radio. In October, Pandora
shares tumbled 35% after the
company reported a slip in thirdquarter usage. (Dow Jones)

EIJING (AP) China has

created three new military
bodies as part of reforms to
modernize its military the
worlds largest standing force and
improve its fighting capacity.
State television on Saturday showed
President Xi Jinping giving military
flags to the leaders of the three new
units a general command for the
Peoples Liberation Army, a missile
force and a strategic support force. At
the ceremony, which took place Thursday, Xi and PLA officers and soldiers
sang the national anthem.
Xi said the three new units were created as part of a modernization reform
and to realize the Chinese dream of a
strong military.
He has promulgated the idea of a
Chinese dream involving the great
renewal of the Chinese nation and sees
a strong military as key to this.
The military reform comes as China
has become more assertive in pressing
its claims to territory in the East China
Sea and South China Sea, increasing
tensions with its neighbors.
In a bid to show China poses no
expansionist threat, Xi announced in
September that he would reduce Chinas 2.3 million-strong army by 300,000
troops. However, it will still remain the
worlds largest.
Described by Xi as a core force of
strategic deterrence, the PLA Rocket
Force will replace the Second Artillery
Force in controlling Chinas nuclear
arsenal and conventional missiles.
The new Strategic Support Force
will likely focus on cyber warfare.
Other reform plans include phasing
out old equipment and developing new
weapons systems.
The reforms also tighten the partys
leadership over the army. It used to
be supervised by four headquarters,
while now the armys general command
is controlled directly by the Central
Military Commission, whose chairman
is Xi.
The military has been the focus of an
anticorruption campaign spearheaded
by Xi. The two highest-ranking officers
to be accused of taking bribes were
vice-chairmen of the Central Military
Commission.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Banking into the wind and then gliding out
of sight, a male California condor flew
back into the wild after a captive breeding program that helped save North
Americas largest species of land bird.
The 35-year-old bird named AC-4
soared out of his open pen earlier this
week at a canyon rim inside the Bitter
Creek National Wildlife Refuge, in central Californias Kern County. He had
been one of just 23 condors left in the
world in the 1980s.
It was the birds first free flight since
1985, when a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service team captured him near the same
spot. It was part of a last-ditch attempt
to stop the extinction of the California
condor, which has a wing span of more
than 9 feet.
AC-4 needed only a few minutes to
get his bearings before flying out of the
pen and over the canyon, said Joseph

SAVIOR OF
THE SPECIES
AC-4, the
35-year-old
condor that
sired 30
chicks to
help save the
California
condor
species, is
prepared for
release into
the wild on
December 28,
2015 at the
Bitter Creek
National
Wildlife
Refuge
in central
Californias
Kern County.
(AP)

Brandt, a lead condor biologist with the

wildlife service. Brandt was sitting on a
hilltop nearby to watch the release.

He kind of flew right past us. It

was really incredible, Brandt said by
telephone Thursday.

two of them had died.

One of those killed was identified
by his father as Alon Bakal, a law and
business student who was a manager
at Simta, the pub targeted, with police
naming the second as Shimon Ruimi
from southern Israel.

Saudi has
47 executed
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
(AP) Saudi Arabian state television
says the kingdom has executed 47
criminals.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency
and state television announced the
executions Saturday, citing the Interior
Ministry. The SPA published a list of 30
names and said more would follow.
Saudi Arabia carried out at least
157 executions in 2015, with beheadings reaching their highest level in the
kingdom in two decades, according to
several advocacy groups that monitor
the death penalty worldwide.

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News

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Conversion plan for Malampaya urged

By CHARISSA M. LUCI

End indifference...
lovely to exchange wishes. Lets renew, to
one another, the desire which awaits us is
a little better than what last year brought,
Francis said. It is, after all, a sign of the
hope that animates us and invites us all to
believe in life.
We know, however, that with the new year,
everything wont change and that many of yesterdays problems will also remain tomorrow,
the Pope said, adding that he was making a
wish sustained by a real hope.
As he did in his homily earlier in St. Peters
Basilica, the Pope issued a caution that the
enemy of peace isnt only war, but also indifference, and he decried barriers, suspicions,
fears and closures toward others.
In the New Years homily in St. Peters,
he had reflected on the countless forms of
injustice and violence which daily wound our
human family.
Sometimes we ask ourselves how it is possible that human injustice persists unabated,
and that the arrogance of the powerful continues to demean the weak, relegating them to
the most squalid outskirts of our world. He
continued: We ask how long human evil will

continue to sow violence and hatred in our

world, reaping innocent victims.
Francis cited no country, continent or
conflict. But his words clearly evoked images
of the refugees and migrants, more than 1
million of whom flooded into Europe from
Africa, the Middle East and Asia in 2015, on
dangerous sea or land journeys. He spoke
of witnessing hordes of men, women and
children fleeing war, hunger and persecution,
ready to risk their lives simply to encounter
respect for their fundamental rights.
The Catholic church dedicates New Years
Day to the theme of peace, and Francis this
year is stressing mercy as the path toward
reconciliation.
To highlight the benefits springing from
forgiveness and reconciliation in the world,
Francis declared a Holy Year of Mercy, which
began last month and runs through November, 2016. Early Friday evening, he was to
visit a Rome basilica, St. Mary Major, where
he sometimes slips away to pray, to open a
normally sealed Holy Door as a symbolic
threshold to cross toward mercy for Catholic
faithful.

Feast of 3 Kings ends...

memorates the manifestation of the Infant
Jesus to the Three Wise Men from the East:
Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthazar.
Known in some countries as the Day
of the Kings (El Dia de los Reyes) and the
Feast of Light, priests in white vestments
will focus their reflections on the events
narrating the arrival of the Three Wise Men
from the East in Jerusalem to pay homage
to the Infant Jesus. An angel warned them
in a dream not to tell King Herod of the
Infant Jesus, so they took a different path
on their return. Herod wanted to get rid of
the Child whom he thought was a threat to
his throne.
In Eucharistic celebrations today, readings will highlight the spiritual significance
of the first manifestation of Jesus to the human race as well as of the symbolic meaning
of the gifts of the Magi. Gold, the royal metal,
signified that Jesus is King. Frankincense,
the symbol of prayer, signified that Jesus

senior member of the

House Committee on Energy urged yesterday the
Aquino administration to
identify possible practical uses for
the two massive oil rigs in the West
Philippine Sea, anticipating that
the Malampaya offshore natural
gas field in northwest Palawan will
eventually run out of supply.
LPG-MA Rep. Arnel Ty said the
two Malampaya rigs, once vacated
could be converted by the Philippine Navy into an outpost.
The Malampaya gas wells
are bound to dry up, be plugged
and abandoned, along with the
platforms, he said, even as continuously urged the government
to pour in resources in the modernization of warships to secure
the West Philippine Seas oil and
gas deposits.

He said the Philippine Marine

Corps is using what is left of the
World War II vintage BRP Sierra
Madre as a makeshift garrison 150
kilometers off northwest Palawan.
The ship is grounded atop an atoll
in the Spratly Islands, he noted.
Ty said the Malampaya rigs
could also be used for a marine
research hub, or a high security
prison.
The Malampaya rigs are two
large adjacent structures with
facilities to extract natural gas and
oil from undersea reservoirs. The
platforms are built to withstand
typhoons and earthquakes and one
of the rigs can house 60 workers
and has a helipad, Ty cited.
The Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources could also use
the rigs for a marine research hub.
Even the Bureau of Corrections can
opt to transform the platforms into
a high security prison, he said.

Ty said it would be better if the

rigs would be eventually used as
a naval station and marine study
center.
Besides its vast hydrocarbon
deposits that could help assure
the countrys long-term energy
requirements, the West Philippine
Sea is also home to 20 percent of
the countrys fisheries catch, and
serves as a breeding ground for
high-value aquatic resources that
have to be protected to sustain the
local commercial fishing industry,
he said.
Located 80 kilometers off northwest Palawan, the Malampaya gas
field was discovered in 1991 and
began commercial production in
2002. The fields gas is conveyed
via a 504-kilometer, 24-inch pipeline to Batangas City, where the
fuel drives three power plants with
a combined 2,700 megawatts in full
generating capacity.

is the Son of God. Myrrh, which is used to

anoint the dead, signified that Jesus has to
die for the salvation of the human race.
Old traditions associated with the feast
include leaving shoes by the doorstep so
the kings can leave behind gifts like candies
or money. In some areas like in Manila,
three men dressed as the Three Kings ride
around on horseback distributing candies
to children.
From the Greek word epiphaneia,
which means manifestation, the Feast of
the Epiphany celebrates the shining forth
or revelation of God in human form in the
person of Jesus. The feast originated in the
Eastern Christian Churches and was originally a general celebration of the Incarnation of Jesus.
The Church said that while Christmas
is considered the family feast of Christianity,
the Epiphany is the world feast of the Catholic Church, the feast of Christs divinity.

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LLWATCH
Binay vows to keep Pinoys at home, not abroad
Sundday, January 3, 2016

By ELLSON A. QUISMORIO

p p o s i t i o n l e a d e r Vi c e
President Jejomar Binay
said he would endeavor to
create more local jobs in
order to keep Filipinos from seeking
employment abroad if he becomes
president.
Pipilitin ko sa aking panunungkulan na mapaganda at maiangat
ang buhay ng mga Pilipino nang sa
gayon hindi na kayo magsasakrispisyo pa na mapahiwalay sa inyong
mga pamilya. (My administration
will strive to raise the quality of life

of Filipinos so that they wont have

to sacrifice being covery from their
families), Binay said during a visit
to Sarangani province.
Ang aking pangarap: sana ang
mga Pilipino ay hindi na aalis ng
Pilipinas dahil sa paghihirap. Kung
aalis man sila ay dahil aasenso sila
sa kanilang propesyon (My dream
is this: To see Filipinos go abroad
not because of poverty, but because
they have succeeded in their profession), he added.
In previous gatherings, Binay
said his administration will focus
on strengthening the five biggest

creators of employment which are

agriculture, manufacturing, mining,
business process outsourcing, and
export to provide more jobs.
He has also batted for the easing
of restrictive economic provisions
in the Constitution, saying the entry
of more foreign investments would
boost local job generation.
Continued assistance
The United Nationalist Alliance
(UNA) party standard-bearer served
as presidential adviser on OFW
Concer ns from October 2010 to
June 2015, which explains why he is

familiar with the plight of migrant

Filipinos.
He resigned from the Aquino
Cabinet to prepare for his presidential bid in the May 9, 2016 polls.
Binay said the Office of the Vice
President (OVP) still doles out assistance to OFWs even if he is no longer
the presidential adviser.
The OVP was able to assist 6,916
OFWs as of October 31, 2015. These
covered requests for repatriation,
assistance on salary and benefits
claims, legal and monetary assistance for detained OFWs, and grievances against employers, recruiters,

and agents.
Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
(POEA) showed that more and more
Filipinos are going overseas.
The number of new hires ballooned to around 487,000 in 2014
from roughly 342,000 in 2010 when
President Aquino assumed office.
Most of these new hires were service and production workers.
Malaki ang utang na loob ng
sambayanang Pilipinas sa inyong
mga OFW (The Filipino nation owes
a lot to you, our OFWs), Binay acknowledged.

Iglesia Filipina Independiente

declares support for Marcos
By MARIO B. CASAYURAN

The leadership of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) supports

the vice presidential bid of Sen.
Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
This followed an invitation
to Marcos and an eventual meeting with top IFI leaders headed
by retired Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Edgardo Aglipay,
grandson of Gregorio Aglipay, the
founder of the Philippine Aglipayan
Church.
Other top IFI officials, namely
Obispo Maximo XII Ephraim Fajutaga; Right Rev. Godofredo David,
Diocese of Rizal and Pampanga;
Right Rev. Joel Porlales, Diocese
of Bataan and Bulacan; Right Rev.
Emiliano Domingo, Diocese of Cavite and Right Rev. Dindo Ranojo,
Diocese of Tarlac expressed their
commitment to support Marcos.
They (IFI leaders) collectively
prayed and wished him (Marcos)
all the best in accomplishing all
the plans he has for the good of the
Filipino people, a Marcos statement said.
The senator s father, the late
President Ferdinand E. Marcos,
was a member of the IFI before
leaving the Church to marry Imelda
Romualdez whose family members
are devout Roman Catholics.
Before IFI members, Marcos
lamented that the culture of division
and hate perpetuated by past and
present leaders has kept Filipinos
from working together towards the
faster development of our nation.
We came to this point because
of the change of mindset of our leaders from the past administrations
that, instead of uniting us, they
caused division and allowed us to
fight. They propagated this because
of politics and their personal selfinterests, he explained.
Rather than telling Filipinos

to help one another to improve the

Philippines they are saying we are
here and you are there because you
are our enemies. This is the reason
why despite the Filipino peoples
innate goodness, capability and
industry, the Philippines has lagged
behind its Asian neighbors, he
added.
Marcos was apparently referring to President Aquino who has
not forgiven the Marcoses over the
assassination of his father, the late
Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr.
Ito ay ginagawa lamang nang
dahil sa pulitika, dahil sa sariling kapakanan, dahil sa sariling
partido, dahil sa sariling pamilya,
dahil sa sariling grupo. Imbes na
sabihin na tayong mga Pilipino ay
magtulung-tulong para sa pag-unlad
ng Pilipinas ay sinasabing kami
dito kami, dyan kayo kasi kalaban
namin kayo, he said. (The weak
Philippine economy is caused by
partisan politics, personal benefits,
loyalty to ones political party and
ones group.)
Lead by example
This is the mentality that Marcos
said he would want to change as part
of his advocacy for a more vibrant,
engaged and strong Philippines with
one action, one vision, one country.
Isang gawa, isang adhika,
isang bansa to fix our government
agencies and stop this culture of
division, he added.
During the IFI meeting, Marcos
also reiterated the need for future
leaders of the country to lead by
example.
It is not only enough that they issue public statements but actually
do what they are saying, Marcos
added.
First be a good example. Kung
sinasabi mo lang na galit ka sa korapsyon at iba naman ang ginagawa
mo, anong klaseng halimbawa sa

SOLAR DONATIONChit Sarmiento (left) of Guam Consortium, Inc. and Gladys Vergara de Vera (second from left) of Glad to be
Green, turn over the deed of donation for the 14 solar panel posts worth P1.4 million to Baguio Bishop Carlito Cenzon (right).
The solar posts now surround the Baguio Cathedral. Looking on is reelectionist Sen. Teofisto Guingon Jr. The group wants
Baguio to become the first solar energized city in the Philippines. (Rizaldy Comanda)

taumbayan yun? he asked. (If you

say you are against corruption but
you are doing something else, what
kind of example is that?)
Accountability should start from
the person on top and not the one
down the chain of command. Leadership is not about just ordering
people around or being angry when
something goes wrong. Ito ay pagpapakita na kung may pagkakamali
ako kailangan kong sagutin yan.
Kung meron akong weakness of
mind, shortness of mind, nag-abuso
ako, kailangan panagutan ko yan.
Dapat mauna ako para dapat sumunod lahat, he stressed.

Leadership starts from the top,

not from the bottom. Best leaders
lead from the front and not from the
back. Thats what we have to do,
he added.
Issues, please
Marcos likewise appealed to his
fellow candidates to focus on issues
and their solutions to the problems
of the country instead of delving on
personalities.
Now and during the campaign
period, we candidates should present to the electorate discourses,
speeches, and statements that are
issue-based and in a dignified and

decent manner, Marcos said.

In a statement, Marcos said
bickering rivals could extend their
Yuletide ceasefire and focus on
issues of national interest.
Well, we have done it. I cant see
any reason why it could not be done
during the entire campaign period.
The people are waiting to hear solutions to the lingering problems of
the country and it should be given to
them. It would be an insult to their
intelligence if this is sidelined by
non-sense quarrels, Marcos said.
The campaign period starts on
February 9 for national candidates
and March 26 for local bets.

Prelates wish list for the countrys next leaders

By LESLIE ANN G. AQUINO

A leader who speaks less but

does more.
This, in part is the New Years
wish for the country of Basilan
Bishop Martin Jumoad in view of
the upcoming elections in May.
May we be able to also elect
a leader who can inspire and discipline Filipinos, he said in an
interview.
Jumoad also wished for less traffic, better transportation system, no
more waste of NFA rice, no more
hunger, and no more killings in
Mindanao.
Above all may we become more
prayerful as a nation, he said.
Aside from Jumoad, another
Mindanao prelate, Marbel Bishop
Dunualdo Gutierrez is also hoping
that the electorate will go for candidates who are credible, competent,
committed to the public good, compassionate, and a visionary.
The next leader, Gutierrez said
should not only possess a leadership style that is consultative,
participatory and open to change
but can unite people, humble, lives
a simple lifestyle and a steward of
the nations wealth.
Lift the neglected
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, on the other hand prayed

for enlightenment of the Filipino

people.
I pray that God will enlighten the
Filipino people to dream and bring
about National Transformation based
on morality, love of God, country and
environment, and solidarity of all in

favor of lifting up the neglected, marginalized and downtrodden, he said.

Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos
also wished and prayed that the election will no longer be on the evil basis
of personal greed, terrorism of guns
and goons, and bribery of gold rather

it will be for the good of the environment and of the community and at the
service of the country and to manifest
Gods glory.
He also wished and prayed that
the government will acknowledge the
selfless services and sacrifices of the

overseas Filipino workers and their

families.
That the government will appreciate them, protect them from corrupt
officials and prosecute those (who)
take advantage of our OFW, said
Santos.

Poe dreams of free Wi-Fi zones for OFW families

By HANNAH L. TORREGOZA

After pushing for health centers in

every barangay, independent presidential aspirant Senator Grace PoeLlamanzares now wants free Internet
access for families of overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs) to help them cope
with loneliness from being away from
their loved ones, especially during
holidays.
Saying she too experienced working abroad for years, Poe said Wi-Fi
zones should be set up in municipalities that have a strong concentration
of migrant workers families.
Poe is among lawmakers pushing
for a faster and cheaper Internet connection in the Philippines.
Dapat ay merong Wi-Fi zone para
sa pamilya ng ating mga OFWs at para
sa kahit sinong nangangailangan. Ito
na lang ang koneksyon ninyo sa inyong
mga mahal sa buhay, tapos mahal na,

mabagal pa, (We ought to have Wi-Fi

zones for the families of our OFWs and
for those who will need it. This is their
only means of connecting with their
loved ones and yet it is not only slow
but also expensive), Poe said.
Slowest speed
Kaya nga po gusto ko talaga ang
bawat munisipalidad ay magkaroon
ng Wi-Fi zone, (Thats why Im pushing
for a Wifi zone in every municipality),
she reiterated.
Poe said she believes that Wi-Fi
access will not only connect migrant
families but also open doors of opportunities for the unemployed and
those in rural areas. The Internet, too
is crucial in terms of communications
during disasters.
Access to broadband has been
declared a human right by the United
Nations as early as 2011, citing it as

instrumental to freedom of expression

and quality education, Poe stressed.
As of 2014, nearly 40 million Filipinos or 39 percent of the countrys
population have access to the Internet,
according to the World Bank. However,
with an average speed of 3.54 mbps,
the Philippines is the slowest in Southeast Asia and 158th of 190 countries
worldwide.
We have a lot of catching up to do
in terms of maximizing the advances
in technology. If we are to be globally
competitive, and if we want to maintain
our status as the business process
outsourcing capital of the world, we
cannot allow our information and
communications infrastructure to
stagnate like this, Poe said.
Bigger wi-fi budget
Poe noted that the Department of
Science and Technology (DOST) is

working to provide free Wi-Fi access

in all public places nationwide, but
users can access the web only at a
speed of 256 kbps, which is the lowest
prevailing speed requirement for a
broadband service.
The DOST project, called Free WiFi Internet Access in Public Places,
was originally meant to cover only the
town plazas of 748 poor municipalities but the Senate approved a bigger
budget to afford nationwide coverage.
There are 1,490 municipalities and 144
cities in the Philippines.
Internet access does not only
bring families closer, it also makes
the economy stronger and more inclusive, Poe said, citing World Bank studies suggesting that every 10 percent
increase in broadband connectivity
results in a one-percent increase in
a countrys gross domestic product
(GDP) .

Yellow Magenta Cyan

Black
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L
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Yellow Magenta Cyan

Black
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LL
Sunday, January 3, 2016

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reflections today

The visit of the Magi

MATTHEW 2:1-12

HEN Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of

King Herod, behold, magi from
the east arrived in Jerusalem,
saying Where is the newborn king of the
Jews? We saw his start at its rising and have
come to do him homage. When King Herod
heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all
Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the
chief priests and the scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Messiah was
to be born. They said to him, In Bethlehem
of Judea, for thus it has been written through
the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are
by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler, who is to
shepherd my people Israel.
Then Herod called the magi secretly and
ascertained from them the time of the stars
appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and
said, Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage. After
their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at
its rising preceded them, until it came and
stopped over the place where the child was.

Black

REFLECTION
PERSONS OF DEPTH. The Magi or
wise men remind us that we should be person
so depth. We are superficial when we limit
our concerns to what we should wear, eat,
or drink. We acquire depth when we involve
God in our lives, striving to known Gods will
through a process we call discernment.
You are wise if you involve Jesus in your
day-to-day decisions, when you ask his opinion over big and small matters. You want to
follow his star, and like the wise men, you
become confused and bothered once his star
disappears. You cannot live without the light
of God; you strive always to see reality under
his guidance.
Many of us live empty lives because we
do not give God any space in our existence.
We remember God only in times of need and
want. We pray when we are suffering from
severe problems or incurable illnesses, but

his is supposed to be a season of peace

from the Simbang Gabi on December
16 to the Feast of the Epiphany or the
Three Kings today, January 3 but violence flared in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao,
and North Cotabato in Mindanao on Christmas
Eve, leaving nine civilians dead. In far-off Vatican
City in Rome, Pope Francis was moved to condemn the killing which was blamed on the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Ilonggo settlers in a remote village in North Cotabato announced they were arming themselves to
protect their lives, properties, and livelihood from
attacks by armed men identified with the BIFF. The
Ilonggo settlers said they have to defend themselves
because the government cannot help them. There
is no military detachment or police outpost in the
area, they said.
The BIFF is a breakaway group from the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which is itself a
breakaway group from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). In the Mamasapano fighting
in January, 2015, the BIFF, MILF, and other armed
groups were alleged to be the enemy force that
fought the Special Action Force commandos out
to get a Malaysian terrorist bomber living in the
area.
The MILF has an agreement with a government
peace panel for the establishment of a Bangsamoro

Entity to replace the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. The BIFF, however, is not part of
any peace agreement. It has been blamed for the
recent kidnapping for ransom of two Canadians and
a Norwegian in Davao City. And it is blamed for the
recent killings which Pope Francis lamented.
The killings took place despite the ongoing
suspension of MILF operations in that part of Mindanao. The hope is that if the Bangsamoro Basic
Law (BBL) is finally approved by Congress and the
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region is finally established, the area will see the beginnings of peace.
The BBL, however, is facing great difficulty in
Congress. The House of Representatives has not
been able to muster a quorum to approve the bill.
And the Senate has set aside the original bill in favor
of another one shorn of many provisions the senators believe to be unconstitutional. Against these
developments in Congress, officials of the MILF
have been saying the Bangsamoro law should not
depart too far from the original bill.
We have had this uncertainty for months now
and the recent killings which the Pope deplored
can only been seen as a bad sign of the times. The
administration continues to hold on to the hope and
expectation that the BBL bill will be approved soon.
In the meantime, however, steps must be taken to
avert a repetition of the recent killings -- which could
escalate in the coming weeks and months.

Our Daily journey

Help from His Spirit

READ: MICAH 6:3-8
What does the LORD require of you but to do justly,
to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

ANY of us make promises to ourselves

to mark the beginning of a new year. We
make pledges such as Im going to save
more, exercise more, or spend less time
on the Internet. We begin the year with good intentions,
but before long old habits tempt us to take up our old
ways. We slip up occasionally, then more frequently,
and then all the time. Finally, its as if our resolution
never existed.
Instead of choosing our own self-improvement goals,
a better approach might be to ask ourselves: What does
the Lord desire of me? Through the prophet Micah,
God has revealed that He wants us to do what is right,
to be merciful, and to walk humbly with Him (MIC 6:8).
All of these things relate to soul-improvement rather
than self-improvement.

God remains far from us because we do not involve him in

our decision-making. We are so sure of ourselves; we run
to God only when we become desperate.
When you decided to get married, for instance, did you
bother asking whether God was calling you to the married
life? This is discernment. We open our hearts and minds
to the mysterious voice of our Creator who gets involved
in our lives if we allow him to.
As parents, do you ask God for guidance as to where you
will send your children for high school? Do young people
ever wonder whether God agrees with their career choice
or professional route? When we develop the habit of asking
God for the decisions we make, especially the big ones, then
we become, like the Magi, persons of depth.
When we involve God in our decisions, we will see our

Thankfully, we dont have to rely on our strength.

The Holy Spirit has the power to help uas as believers
in our spiritual growth. Gods Word says he is able to
strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your
inner being (EPH. 3:16 NIV).
So as we begin a new year, lets resolve to be more
Christlike. The Spirit will help us as we seek to walk humbly with God. JENNIFER BENSON SCHULDT
Truthful Spirit, dwell with me;
I myself would truthful be;
And with wisdom kind and clear
Let Thy life in mine appear. LYNCH
He who has the Holy Spirit as his resource has
already won the victory.

2015 ODB Ministries, 3000, Kraft Ave SE,

Grand Rapids, Michigan 49555-0001, USA. Used by
permission. For this and other materials contact
ODB Ministries at 322 P. Guevarra, San Juan City
(Phils.); Tel.: 722-2010.
lives as completing our God-given mission. We acquire
a purpose, a reason for living. We are on our way to happiness. A life without purpose is empty and sad. When
we wake up each morning knowing that we will spend
the day doing Gods will for us, the warmth of Gods light
enters our hearts. We become contented and happy. Our
day becomes a life celebration.
If you are superficial in your way of life, you will
never be a witness to Jesus. Only men and women of
depth can fulfill his purpose.

SOURCE: 366 Days with the Lord 2016, ST.

PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati
City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail:
books@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

Yellow Magenta Cyan

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and

on entering the house they saw the child with
Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves
and did him homage. Then they opened their
treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned
in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Killings dim peace

hopes in Mindanao

RR

Editorial

10

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Sunday, January 3, 2016

on emPowerinG tHe filiPino PeoPle

THROUGH UNTRUE

Tap secrets,
modern success story

The myth of
the new year

By FIDEL V. RAMOS
FORMER PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT

(First of Two Parts)

I thirst.
Jesus Christ on the Cross
at Calvary (John 19:28)

f this column has focused on

global warming, climate change,
environmental issues, and the
double-edged threat of water
or the lack of it over the past four or
five Sundays, it is for a good reason.
Thousands of our kababayans spent
the recent Christmas and New Year
holidays in miserable circumstances
atop flood dikes and in evacuation
centers. Predictably, within the next
four months, the same number of
Filipinos or even more, unfortunately,
will be suffering from the lack of potable water and dried-up irrigation
canals because of coming El Nio
droughts.
To further strengthen the need
for strategic planning and timely
intervention by government authorities in collaboration with
private sector volunteers against
the double-edged threats of water calamities, FVR has liberally
sourced from Tap Secrets by
Virgilio Rivera, Jr. (2014) which
is a flagship publication of the Manila Water Company, Inc. (MWC)
together with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), that integrates
workable concepts on change
management and how they were
used to transform the perennial
water problems of Metro Manila
into a modern success story.
THIS FLAGSHIP PUBLICATION
WAS INSPIRED BY SEVERAL DYNAMIC FORCES. FOREMOST OF
WHICH IS THE STRATEGIC VISION
OF THE FRAMERS OF THE CONCESSION AGREEMENT, MEANING
FORMER PRESIDENT FVR AND
HIS PRIVATIZATION TEAM, WHO
HAD THE POLITICAL WILL TO
PURSUE REFORMS IN THE METROPOLITAN WATERWORKS AND
SEWERAGE SYSTEM (MWSS). THE
CONCESSION MODEL THAT THE
GOVERNMENT DEVELOPED IN
THE 1990S, WHILE NOT PERFECT,
WAS DYNAMIC, PROGRESSIVE
AND APPROPRIATE.
Tap Secrets: The MWC Story
TAP SECRETS AS AN EXERCISE IN SUCCESSFUL REFORM
IN THE URBAN WATER SECTOR,
IS LIKE NO OTHER STRATEGIC
PROGRAM IN THE SENSE THAT
IT PROVIDES AN INSIDERS VIEW
OF THE TRANSFORMATIONS USING THE CONCEPT OF PUBLICPRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP).
It chronicles the achievements
of the MWC, particularly in reforming an outmoded public utility that
was always lagging behind. It is
also a tribute to their customers
and clients who deserved consistent good service, to the new
MWSS and its Regulatory Office
for their unwavering support and,
most importantly, the hard work
and dedication of the past and current MWC leaders, employees, and
shareholders.
This is a story of change how
it can be managed and achieved. It
describes how individuals, teams
an entire organization transitioned from a reactive and complacent workforce to one that is
proactive and responsible.
IT IS ALL ABOUT SURVIVING AND THRIVING AGAINST
EXTREME ODDS BECAUSE OF
THEIR EFFORTS AS A TEAM FOR
EFFICIENT PUBLIC SERVICE.
THE CHANGE FOR THE BETTER STANDARD AROUND WHICH
MWC BUILT ITS REPUTATION
THROUGH THE YEARS HAS TREMENDOUSLY CONTRIBUTED TO
ITS SUCCESS.
The Water Crisis
WE KNEW VERY LITTLE
ABOUT THE WATER INDUSTRY
AND ABOUT MANAGING A WATER
SYSTEM. THERE WERENT ANY
SET RULES AT THAT TIME. BUT
WE WANTED TO FIX MANILAS WATER SYSTEM. IT WAS A MISSION
TO FULFILL, AND NOT A BUSINESS
TO RUN. DECLARED MWC
CHAIRMAN FERNANDO ZOBEL
DE AYALA.
In 1971, the MWSS was created

as the water provider in a much

larger service area consisting of
the National Capital Region, the
province of Rizal, and some parts of
the province of Cavite. The MWSS
got its raw surface water from two
sources: the Angat and Ipo dams
in Bulacan.
During FVRs time, his Cabinet Water Cluster planned and
completed the joining of the Angat
River with the Umiray River in
Aurora Province by tunneling 17
kilometers under the Sierra Madre
Mountains. (But thats another
story. ask former DPWH Secretary Greg Vigilar how it was done;
he is still around).
About 98% of Metro Manilas
water supply (around 4 million
cubic meters per day) is derived
from these dams. Additionally,
MWSS used to administer 258 deep
wells, of which only 113 are still
operational.
In the mid-1990s, MWSS delivered an average of 2,700 megaliters
per day (MLD) to 7 million people
(for the East and West zones).
Supply was intermittent, with
more than 63% water loss due to
leakages and pilferages, among
others. There was a total network
of around 770,000 water connections, while an additional 7.5% of
the residents got their water from
public water standpipes.
DUE TO ITS POOR SERVICE,
GOVERNMENT WAS UNABLE TO
INCREASE WATER TARIFFS BASICALLY BECAUSE SOME CUSTOMERS WERE UNWILLING TO PAY
FOR WATER CONSUMED. THIS
SITUATION, AGGRAVATED BY
POOR COLLECTIONS, TRANSLATED TO VERY LOW CASH FLOWS,
WHICH RESULTED TO UNDERINVESTMENT.
System Losses
SERVICE DELIVERY OF THE
MWSS WA S BESET BY HUGE
SYSTEM LOSSES DUE TO WATER
THEFT AND LEAKS (WITH ONLY
A HANDFUL EXPERIENCING 24/7
WATER SUPPLY) AND LOW SANITATION COVERAGE. THE ADB
REPORTED: SYSTEM LEAKAGES
WERE HIGH, WITH NON-REVENUE
WATER (NRW) HOVERING AT
60%.
To suggest that water quality
was poor is an understatement.
Access to sufficient and safe water
supply on a 24-hour basis was a
privilege for a limited number of
households. The reality was most
families received water for only a
few hours each day. To make matters worse, some water came from
doubtful sources, such as wells,
springs and communal faucets that
caused a high incidence of waterborne diseases. Throughout the
eastern portion of the service area
alone, MWSS was losing 1,000 MLD
from physical leaks and pilferage.
At 150 liters per capita per day, the
lost 1,000 MLD could have served
an additional 6.7 million people.
Many households were not even
connected to piped water from the
MWSS. Many of them took it upon
themselves to dig wells. For the rest,
it meant waking up very early in the
morning, or staying up very late at
night to join long queues, or to get
their daily ration from vendors and
private water tankers.
Maintenance Issues;
Low Productivity
ALONG WITH SCARCE WATER SUPPLY, SEWER COVERAGE
WAS AT A MEASLY 3%. PEOPLE
AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE
POLICY MAKERS, DID NOT HAVE
A THOROUGH APPRECIATION OF
THE FACT THAT WATER SUPPLY
IS BEST VIEWED AS A CYCLE
WHERE WATER CONSUMED BECOMES WASTEWATER, WHICH IN
TURN, HAS TO BE TREATED BEFORE BEING DISCHARGED INTO
RIVERS AND OTHER BODIES.
Obviously, with poor water delivery service, it was difficult to establish a good system for tariffs. To
exacerbate the revenue gap, MWSS
accumulated debt amounting to
about $1 billion from international
organizations like the ADB, World
Bank, and Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA). Large
loans, which were backed by Government guarantees over the years,
had to be negotiated to improve
MWSS situation.

N E E D L E SS T O SAY, T H E
PROBLEM WITH CASH FLOW
MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR
MWSS TO FINANCE NEEDED
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES AND
ALSO TO SERVICE EXISTING
DEBTS. THERE WAS DEFINITELY VERY LITTLE INCENTIVE
TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
IN THE WATER SECTOR IN THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION.
THIS RESULTED IN SYSTEM
COMPLACENCY AT ALMOST
ALL LEVELS.
THE MWSS HEADQUARTERS
WAS FAST DETERIORATING.
BROKEN DOWN ELEVATORS,
DEFECTIVE AIR-CONDITIONING UNITS, LEAKING ROOFS,
AND DIRTY TOILETS WERE
ONLY SOME OF THE OBVIOUS
DEFECTS BOTH AT HEADQUARTERS AND BRANCH OFFICES.
MWSS, AT ONE POINT, EMPLOYED NEARLY 15,000 EMPLOYEES. DESPITE THIS BLOATED
NUMBER, WITH A TOTAL OF 9.8
EMPLOYEES PER 1,000 WATER
SUPPLY CONNECTIONS, PRODUCTIVITY WAS AT ITS LOWEST. IT
BECAME DIFFICULT TO REMOVE
POOR PERFORMERS BECAUSE
THEY WERE PROTECTED BY
THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
THE CENTRAL PERSONNEL
AGENCY OF GOVERNMENT.
The Looming Water Crisis
OPERATING AND SUSTAINING ITS FUNCTIONS HAD BECOME A CONCERN FOR BOTH
THE MWSS AND THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT. POOR SERVICE
PERFORMANCE AND NEGATIVE
FINANCIAL BOTTOMLINES WERE
THE TWO MOST THREATENING
PROBLEMS. THE MWSS WAS SEVERELY CHALLENGED TO DELIVER ON ITS MANDATE WHICH
REQUIRED THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF SERVICE TO ITS GROWING NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS.
A looming water crisis was
how then President FVR described
the situation in Metro Manila, and
this pushed the National Government to focus on the need for an
improved water and sewerage
system. With no less than the
President providing the impetus
for a complete transformation of
the water utilities sector, MWSS
shift to PPP became one of the
leading flagship projects of FVRs
Administration.
To stay competitive with its
ASEAN counterparts, it was necessary for the Philippines to raise
the basic infrastructures to a level
that could cope with increasing
urbanization.
THE TRANSFORMATION OF
METRO MANILAS WATER SECTOR THROUGH PPP BECAME
PART OF THE RAMOS ADMINISTRATIONS MUCH LARGER
NATIONAL VISION FOR THE
FILIPINO PEOPLE TO REACH
THE STATUS OF A NEWLYINDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRY BY
YEAR 2000.
HOW CAN CITIZENS HELP?
LA ST 29 DECEMBER 2015
WA S F O R M E R F I R S T L A DY
MINGS 88TH BIRTHDAY WHICH
WAS CELEBRATED QUIETLY
AND MODESTLY AMONG FAMILY, SOME RELATIVES AND
CLOSE FRIENDS. MING PREFERS IT THIS WAY BECAUSE
OF THE SUCCESSION OF THE
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR
HOLIDAYS WITH VARIOUS REUNIONS, HOMECOMINGS, AND
CELEBRATIONS WITH RIZAL
DAY AND SCHOOL BREAKS IN
BETWEEN.
B E C AU S E T H AT T H R E E WEEK PERIOD IS ALSO TIME
FOR CARING AND SHARING,
OUR ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD AND
RPDEV OFFICE IS USUALLY
TASKED MORE THAN AT ANY
OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR
TO HANDLE A HEAVY LOAD
OF INCOMING AND OUTGOING
COMMUNICATIONS AND PACKAGES THAT MUST BE MANAGED
ON TIME.
MINGS FORMULA FOR THIS
STRESSFUL PERIOD IS SIMPLE
ENOUGH REDUCE (CONSUMPTION), RECYCLE (WASTE), AND
REUSE (NEW PRODUCTS).
S O U N D S L I K E TA P S E CRETS, BUT ALSO INJECTS

By FR. ROLANDO V. DELA ROSA, O.P.

ew year is a myth. A year is

merely a mental construct
(like second, minute, hour,
day, week, and month) by
which we measure the duration of
something. We call 2016 new simply
because we mistake the unfamiliar for
the unprecedented.
Every December 31, we inflate this
myth with appalling earnestness. We
listen to Feng-shui experts and follow
their mumbo jumbo on how to get rich
quickly. We allow prophets of doom to
frighten us with their end-of-the-world
scenarios. We watch on television
graphic images of human misery commingling with images of people noisily feasting and merry-making. The
reckless among us fire their guns and
explode firecrackers while the restless
seek for anything that will give them
momentary peace.
When January 1 finally dawns, we
experience a massive let down. Like
the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes,
we want to cry out: Vanity of vanities,
all is vanity. What has been is what will
be, what has been done is what will be
done; there is nothing new under the
sun.
Happily, the Church refuses to perpetuate this myth by marking January
1 not as the beginning of the year, but
the celebration of our new humanity
personified by the Blessed Virgin Mary,
the first human being who, even before
she was born, was already redeemed by
Jesus sacrifice on the cross.
Contrary to what others think,

11

Catholics dont consider Mary as a god

or a goddess. She is a human being like
us. She was immaculately conceived,
yes, but her singular quality lies not
only in being freed from original sin,
but also in being full of grace. By being
full of grace, Mary is the perfect model
of every persons response to Gods
invitation to share intimately in His
life and work. Marys Yes was not only
transformative, but also performative.
Her every action flows from her fundamental option to do Gods will.
So, when Mary said Yes to Gods
invitation to become the Mother of
Jesus, it was as though the whole of
humankind had experienced something
new, something totally unprecedented,
enabling us to say: We will never be the
same again.
Celebrating Mary, the model of
our new humanity, every January 1,
reminds me of what a fellow priest
once said: Walang bagong taon, kung
walang bagong tao. Ang taon ay nagbabago kapag nagbago ang tao.It is we
who make each year new byour gracefilled decisions to renew ourselves. We
must stop being the playthings of unpredictable and unwanted calamities,
sickness, accidents, and disasters. We
must be agents, not victims of change.
Mary reminds us that it is futile
to measure life by the number of
new years that we count. By making
decisions that create the necessary
changes in our life, we forge a trail that
leads to what is truly NEW. Like Mary,
we must not just measure, outlast, or
outwit time, but use itas a potent resource towards becoming the persons
God wants us to be.

word alive

New Year,
a mere repetition?
By Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD

n a cartoon strip of a magazine, a

young man wished his grandfather
Happy New Year. The grandfather replied cynically: What is
new about it when every year is just a
repetition of what has been happening
in the past so many years?
***
I hope that the time will never come
in our life when we feel the same as that
grandfather. A New Year always gives
us a new chance to grow as a better person, a better worker, a better husband
or wife, a more virtuous Christian.
***
As we begin a brand new year,
lets THANK the Lord for the graces
and blessings weve received. Some
pessimist might say, Whats there to
thank when were going through hard
times?
***
Be positive. The trouble with some
of us is that we look only for what we
dont have but overlook what we already have. Remember the poor boy
who complained he had no new pair
of shoes? One day he met a boy who
had no feet!
***
Moreover, lets learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. A young
man, for instance, who got married to
a movie celebrity discovered after a few
months that they were irreconcilable
due to a gambling habit.
The marriage did not last long,
ending sadly in an annulment at the
civil court.
***
Then there is this man whose business was faltering, causing him to incur
huge debts. The agonizing experience
was a wake-up call. He examined where
he made mistakes, and made a big
turn-around.
***
January 1st marked the feast of
the MOTHERHOOD OF MARY. The
Church fittingly entrusts us to our
spiritual mother right at the beginning
of the year.

NEW VITALITY!!

KAYA NATIN ITO!!!

Abangan More secrets next

A mother knows best. The powerful protection of Mama Mary may be

illustrated in the following apocryphal
story:
***
Our Lord was making His rounds in
heaven. On the way, He noticed some
suspicious-looking men. The Lord
summoned St. Peter, the gatekeeper,
and asked: Why are these seedy characters here?
Peter scratched his head and
sheepishly replied, Lord, I keep barring them out, but they hang around
and the lady lets them in through the
window.
***
Whos that lady? the Lord asked.
Peter pointed at the woman whose back
was turned.
When the Lord approached her, he
discovered it was his own mother!It
was Jesus turn to scratch his head. Jesus could not go against his mother!
***
THE LIGHTER SIDE. Three
friends--a Franciscan, Jesuit, and
SVD--paid homage to the Christ Child
in Bethlehem. The Franciscan was
interested to bring home the manger
to remind his confreres of the strict
poverty they profess.
***
The Jesuit was more interested to
have Jesus enroll at the Ateneo. Mary
whispered to Joseph, Can we afford
their tuition?
***
When they looked around for the
SVD, he was nowhere to be found. They
discovered he ran after the 3 Kings
soliciting donations for the mission!
***
GOD BLESS our latest donors
to Adopt-A-Seminarian educational
program: Nieto-Rory Punzalan, MatyGloria Dirain, Dr. Roberto & Edith
Villaseor, Bea Rodriguez, Carol
Ynares.
***
Others, who wish to chip in or
sponsor a seminarians schooling, may
e-mail me at: belsvd@gmail.com.

week.
Please send any comments to
fvr@rpdev.org. Copies of articles are
available at www.rpdev.org.

Yellow Magenta Cyan

Black
ymv

Views Features

12

more vital tHan ever

THE VIEW FROM RIZAL

Philanthropy
of change
By EDGARDO J. ANGARA
FORMER SENATOR

he Financial Times of
December 23, 2015, wrote
about philanthropy in our
time. It describes the evolution of giving, from traditional
endowments(charitable foundations),
to for-profit networks (limited liability
companies without tax privileges).The
best example of the first category is
the Rockefeller Foundation a modern
model of philanthropy, the best known
being Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. An example of the second is
the Omidyar Network used by eBay
founder Pierre Omidyar and followed
by Steve Jobs widow and Facebooks
Mark Zuckerburg.
There are at present 1,826 billionaires in the world, controlling total
wealth of US $7 trillion. Current charity
outlays usually consist of one-off gifts
to a cause or multiple causes. Several
pioneering young philanthropists pursue a system-wide giving. An example
is the case of Bill Gates and Company;
their collective giving goes to rescuing
the environment.
Our Planet Earth is facing serious
risks within the lifetime of millions
of Filipinos. UN scientists calculated
that with current proposals, global
temperatures would still rise 2.7oC by
the end of the centuryhigher than the
2oC threshold above which scientists
say spells irreversible global catastrophe and much higher still than the
ambitious 1.5oC target set in the Paris
Agreement.
If humanity is to be rescued at all
from falling off a climate change precipice, nothing less than an audacious
global effort to rapidly decarbonize
economic development is needed.

Filipina, German beauty

That entails an urgent and costly
transition to improved and more affordable clean energy technologies, which
in turn requires billions of investments
in research & development (R&D) and
deployment. The International Energy
Agency (IEA) calculated that up to
US$51 billion a year should be invested
in relevant R&D so that global warming
can be kept below the 20C threshold.
But as governments tighten belts
around the world and are constrained
from investing in clean energy R&D,
the private sector have come forward
with some novel financing schemes for
scientific innovation.
Bill Gates (co-founder of Microsoft),
Mark Zuckerburg (co-founder of Facebook), Richard Branson (chairman of
the Virgin Group), Jack Ma (Chairman
of Alibaba), Jeff Bezos (founder and
CEO of Amazon) and up to 23 other
billionaires are doing just that. At the
sidelines of COP 21, they launched the
Breakthrough Energy Coalition which
aims to invest billions of dollars over
the next few decades in start up cleanenergy companies. Months before the
announcement, Gates had already
committed US$2 billion of his own
money to accelerating R&D in zerocarbon energy.
Such initiatives follow a trend
which a 2014 New York Times article
described as the philanthropy of the
new economy where more of the rich
become patrons of social progress
through science research This represents a dramatic expansion from previous notions of philanthropy as simple
donations to charities. Extra emphasis
is placed on spurring innovation, which
the world direly needs right now to face
down climate change.

Email: angara.ed@gmail.com

if symptoms persist

Not so sick, my lord

As she is troubled
by thick-coming fancies,
That keep her from her rest.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616),
English poet and playwright Macbeth
Act v. Sc. 3 (1599)

s a premed student in the

early 1980s, I wished that I
could type a word on the computer and (lo and behold!) find
everything about it. Now we know I was
dreaming of a search engine, Google
being a prime example. Apparently,
theres a downside of having access
to all the information you can get your
hands on. For the health informationinclined, its cyberchondria.
Definition. Cyberchondria is the
unfounded escalation of concerns
about common symptomatology based
on review of search results and literature online. Its I have a severe
headache right now so based on my
Google search, I now have any of the
following: a brain tumor, a brain aneurysm about to burst, or worms eating
my brain. Cyberchondria is related
to medical students disease that
is a condition frequently reported by
medical students who believe they are
experiencing the symptoms of a disease
that they are studying.
Diagnosing. Of course, the natural
thing to do when feeling something
wrong is to (with Internet access or a
using a medical reference book), find
out what the problem may be. Unfortunately, whole books are written on
signs and symptoms alone and without a medical background it is quite
easy to get confused and think of the
worst. Its important to remember that
arriving at a medical diagnosis needs

several inputs. First of course are the

symptoms that are readily searchable.
A medical history and family history are
weighed in. This is the reason Angelina
Jolie had parts of her breasts removed
even before outright cancer was diagnosed. Together with symptoms are,
secondly, signs that medical students
learn early are not interchangeable. A
patient will feel pain at the wrist, the
doctor will see swelling and redness,
touch it gently and elicit tenderness
and possible crepitus (bone crackling):
all these are signs (objective findings)
that the wrist may be broken. Thirdly, a
diagnosis must be backed up by laboratory tests and/or diagnostic imaging. In
our case, front view and side view x-rays
of the wrist will demonstrate a fracture
of the distal radius, commonly known as
Colles fracture.
Using it Right. Medical information
truly empowers a patient. There is
nothing more impressive than a patient
who comes in the clinic with a working
knowledge of what may be ailing her.
The problems start though, when she
begins to insist that that this is the
disease or condition that she has denying the results of physical examination
and laboratory and imaging results.
Sometimes these are the most difficult
patients to treat. The correct way to use
internet medical information is to study
the disease. What are the differential
diagnoses? Surely a headache may not
mean a tumor or aneurysm. Maybe its
just a clogged nose (sinusitis). What are
the treatment options? In this regard,
self-medicating may worsen the condition, mask it, and prolong suffering
needlessly.
It is the first week of 2016. Its time
to finally see a doctor. A medical visit
should cure cyberchondria.

E-mail: jspujalte@yahoo.com

Formal establishment of
ASEAN Community sees
opportunities, challenges

eve always admired Filipinas

with German
blood they re

beautiful.
Those were the words that came
out of the lips of an elderly uncle last
December 20, a memorable day for
the nation. That Sunday, a Filipina
whose father is German, Miss Pia
Alonzo Wurtzbach, was crowned Miss
Universe.
My uncle, a connoisseur of international beauty, then started to enumerate the names of famous Filipinas with
German blood. It was quite a litany of
whos who in Philippine cinema and
high society that I failed to catch most
of them.
Two names in my uncles list,
however, stood out. One is awardwinning actress Paraluman who, my
uncle said, was Sophia Von Giese in
real life. An aunt who overheard our
conversation was quick to point out
that Paraluman was the mother of
another beautiful face which graced
Philippine cinema and television,
Baby OBrien.
Among the Filipina-German socialites in his list is Madame Soledad
Gretchen Cuyugan Oppen who
became the better half of business
leader Eduardo Cojuangco.
My cousin joined in the post-pageant-viewing conversation to advance
her view that there are celebrities of
the present generation who also embody the beauty of the combination of
Filipino and German genes.
Her examples are actress Julia
Montes, Mara Schnittka in real life;
and, Miss World Philippines 2014 Valerie Weigmann.
It is not surprising that romantic

relationships between Filipinas and

German men would bring forth to
this world some of the most beautiful
women. The fact is Filipinos and the
German people have a long history of
goodwill and friendship. Today, Germany is perhaps the countrys biggest trading partner in the European
Union.
Part of this history of goodwill and
friendship is our national hero himself,
Dr. Jose Rizal. He spent significant
time about half a year - in Germany
during his European sojourn in the
late 1880s.
There, our national hero studied
and mastered the German language,
went under the mentorship of one
of Germanys top ophthalmologists,
translated a book, joined a chess club,
did research work, became familiar
with life in the German countryside
and wrote his famous poem, A Las
Flores del Heidelberg (To the Flowers of Heidelberg).
Contrary to the first impression
among many, the poem is not about
the women of that German city. Apparently, the flores in the Rizalian
poem literally means flowers the
kind that grew on the Heidelberg
roadside.
It appears that at a moment of a severe attack of homesickness, Dr. Rizal
turned to the flowers of Heidelberg
whom he asked in his poem to carry
my love to my loved ones, peace to my
country and its fertile soil, faith to its
men and virtue to its women, health to
the gracious beings that dwell within
the sacred paternal home.
It was also in Germany where
Dr. Rizal finished writing his historic
novel Noli Me Tangere which he
would later on publish with the help
of his German best friend, Professor
Ferdinand Blumentritt.

Dr. Rizal must have left a major

imprint in the hearts of the German
people that to this very day, his birthday is still celebrated in two German
cities which took him as their own:
Heildelberg and Wilhelmsfield.
There are reportedly so-called
German Rizalistas who belong to
a German chapter of the Knights of
Rizal and who still converge at park in
Wilhelmsfield where Dr. Rizals monument stands to honor him.
Apparently, the history of goodwill
and friendship between the peoples of
the Philippines and Germany is a fact
that is yet to be discovered by Miss
Universe Germany Sarah-Lorraine
Riek.
The German beauty recently had
her 15 minutes of fame in the social
media world following her apparent
rude treatment and remarks directed
at the rightful Miss Universe, our very
own Pia.
The Miss Universe Germany
organization was quick to disown
Sarah-Lorraines rude remarks and
proceeded to wish Pia well and to
share in the Philippine pride for her
victory.
Despite that minor sour note,
Pias win has paved the way for us
to revisit our relationship of goodwill
and friendship with the people of the
great nation.
Pia is the perfect symbol of that
beautiful friendship.
May the year 2016 be filled with
the blessings of both friendship and
beauty for all of us.
Happy New Year, dear readers.

*For feedback, please email it

to antipolocitygov@gmail.com or
send it to #4 Horse Shoe Drive, Beverly Hills Subdivision, Bgy. Beverly
Hills, Antipolo City, Rizal.

Letting go of the past (1)

Analysis

UALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

(PNA/Xinhua) As another
significant milestone in its
history and the regional integration process, Dec. 31 finally witnessed the formal establishment of the
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian

By Dr. Jun Ynares, M.D.

Gentle Breeze

Cyberchondria
By JOSE PUJALTE JR.

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Nations) Community.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah
Aman said in a statement on this special
day that the coming into being of the
ASEAN Community does not mean that
it has arrived towards the end of the
community building process.

By Nelly Favis Villafuerte

o you know that our

memory system has two
main files?
The first file is filled
with the things that have brought joy.
The second file is filled with things
that have brought us pain and sorrow. In our everyday life, we have the
option to choose which file we will access to use computer lingo. People
with negative attitudes; people who
indulge in self-pity; people who are
bitter and unforgiving repeatedly
access file number two. They love
to relive the painful things that happened to them. While it is natural for
us to feel sorrow and to grieve we
cannot grieve for years and years
simply because this is an emotionally
unhealthy attitude in life.
We must let go of our hurts and
pains. We must forgive those who did
us wrong. We must likewise forgive
ourselves for the mistakes that we
have made in the past. We must stop
feeling sorry for ourselves. In short,
we must get rid of our victim mentality and move on with our lives.

such as Why this, Lord and Why

me, Lord? In short, we feel that
life has not dealt us a fair hand
and we get angry and we wallow
in self-pity, harboring bitterness
against everybody. Especially so
when somebody close to us dies
or gets seriously ill; or when one
of our parents or another close
relative hurts us emotionally; or
when a business partner takes
advantage of us. And in thousands
other situations that can trigger
negative attitudes.
***
An unforgiving attitude is one
of the emotional bondages very
prevalent among us. Even Bible-believing Christians are victims of this
bondage (I have to admit, including
myself at times.) But bounce back,
we should. Many of us realize that we
cannot do anything about the past
and yet many of us keep on reliving
the past. We keep on going back to
our memory file number two, reliving all those painful memories and
hating others; triggering our anger
whenever we think about it; and ultimately keeping fresh our unforgiving
attitude towards others.

once said that forgiveness is better than revenge, for forgiveness

is the sign of a gentle nature, but
revenge is the sign of a savage
nature.
When a physician who was
famous for his skill and piety died,
his books were examined, especially his accounts receivable from
patients. Several accounts were
found with this note written in red
ink: Forgiven too poor to pay.
Despite this note, the wife wanted
the accounts paid. She sued. The
judge asked her: Is this your husbands handwriting in red ink? She
said yes. The judge replied: There
is not a tribunal in the land that can
obtain the money where your late
husband has written Forgiven.
A dying man who has been at
odds with another man for many
years wanted to reconcile with
the latter, formerly one of his best
friends. The dying man said he was
afraid to go into eternity with his
unforgiving attitude. Everything
seemed fine. They reconciled. As
the man was leaving the house,
the dying man called out after him:
But remember, if I get better, this
does not count.
One Christian writer said:
We are most like beasts when we
kill. We are most like men, when we
judge. We are most like God when
we forgive.
(To be continued)

***
Reliving painful and sad memories of the past is an obstacle to our
physical and emotional healing.
If we want a healthy relationship
with God and with others, lets focus our minds on the good things
God has done in our lives. This is a
Biblical attitude. The Holy Bible is
replete with verses that convey the
simple but powerful message that
we should trust our Lord God all
the time, during bad times, during
good times, no ifs, no buts. We must
muster enough faith to say, God, I
dont understand what is happening but I trust You. You promised
in the Book of Romans that all
things will work together for my
good. The trouble with many of
us, however, is we keep asking our
Lord God many why questions,

***
Let me share some incidents
about forgiveness:
* As triumphant Napoleon
walked the battlefield in the Battle
of Borodino where his French
forces defeated the Russians he
took a count of the dead. Suddenly he heard a cry of pain from
a faller soldier and had a stretcher
brought. One of his aides said that
the wounded man was a Russian.
Napoleon said: After a victory,
there are no enemies, only men.
Billy Graham, the world-famous evangelist, once said that he
believes that 75 percent of patients
in hospitals would be healed and
made whole if they would forgive.
One historian of ancient times

***
This column continues to give
out copies of the Holy Bible for free
to those who cannot afford to buy
their own copies. If interested, please
send your letter-request to Ms. Nelly
Favis Villafuerte, 5233 Fahrenheit St.,
Palanan, Makati City. Kindly mention
if it is the Tagalog, English, Cebuano,
or Ilocano Bible that is preferred.
Have a joyful New Year! (Comments may be sent to Ms. Villafuertes email: villafuerte_nelly@
yahoo.com.)

In fact, this is just the beginning,

he said.
The set-up of the ASEAN Community
is far from the completion of the regional
integration process, but a fresh starting
point for this journey with both opportunities and challenges lying ahead, he said.
Great wisdom and vision are required
for the region to chart its route to a winwin outcome by taking advantage of the
awards of the community building and

avoiding its side-effects.

ASEAN announced in November at
its 27th summit that the ASEAN Community, comprising the Political and
Security Community, the Economic
Community, and the Socio-Cultural
Community, would be established on
Dec. 31, 2015.
At the heart of the regional integration course is the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the most

advanced of all the pillars of regional

community.
To realize this blueprint, the ASEAN member states have made tax
cuts to each other, reduced non-tariff
barriers, coordinated technological
regulations and standards, and simplified customs procedures, significantly
boosting the free flow of commodities,
service, investment, labor and capital
in the region.

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Luzon News

Sunday, January 3, 2016

13

SARIAYA, QUEZON

Bus rams into resto; 1 dead, 42 injured

By DANNY J. ESTACIO

ARIAYA , Quezon A 19year-old lady was killed and 42

other people injured one of
them a little girl whose right
hand had to be amputated when a
Raymond passenger bus rammed into
a restaurant off Maharlika Highway
in Barangay Sto. Cristo, shortly after
midnight, yesterday.
Supt. Harold Depositar, Sariaya
chief of police, said the driver of the
Raymund bus (UWE-723), Leandro B.
Deguito, 32, of Barangay Tan-Ag Ilaya,
Lopez town, has been arrested.
Traffic investigators said Deguito
lost control of the bus, which had 56
passengers, as he tried to overtake another vehicle while engaging a curve.

Bound for Cubao, Quezon City

from Lagonoy, Camarines Sur, the bus
crashed into the Kabayan Restaurant
along the roadside and then tilted on
its side, injuring 41 of its 56 passengers,
Depositar said.
It also struck people in the restaurant, including the lone fatality in the
accident Jessa Lagrazon Estimo, an
employee of the restaurant and resident of Barangay Sto. Cristo. Her coworker Joselito M. Dimayuga, 45, was
also hospitalized for serious injuries.
Initial investigation showed that the
victims at the restaurant were sleeping
when the accident happened.
Rommil de Chavez, Sariaya rescue
team leader, said the injured were
taken to various hospitals in this town
and nearby Lucena City.

De Chavez said passenger Norelyn

Lian Delfino Abayan, aged 9, of Bagacay, Labo, Camarines Sur, sustained
severe injury in her right hand that it
had to be amputated.
He said other passengers were
Isabel P. Delosmo, 18, of Taytay, Goa,
Camarines Sur, whose left hand was
fractured; Vilma V. Guevarra, 48, of
Mabini, Goa, Camarines Sur, whose
right hand was also fractured.
SPO2 Ysmael Nocum, assigned
to the Sariaya Tourist Police Mobile,
identified the others injured as Jesus
C. Moreno, 65; Shiela Marie Virtus, 23;
Gerlie Bermejo, 35; Rosa Primo, 48;
Alvin Jamito, 29; Liezel Alice Delfino,
30; Lavia Nicole Abayan, 10; Lalyn
Althea, 2; Reynaldo Dastutos Ilyo, 51;
Jennelyn Piseco, 17; Maritess Etac

Milante, 19;
Juvielle Bodollo, 23; Rudelyn Proyalde Bedes, 25; Rosita Milante, 48; Romeo Endico, 42; Avon de Mesa Cristo,
38; Reyjie Polvero Ilyo, 19; Rose Revilla
Marcial, 21; Rodolfo Palakay Marcial,
47; Maricel Ortenerio Panerio, 22;
Jan Edner Sales Canja, 21; Haydee
Fernandez Bondi, 31; Monina Maruto,
23; Jemaimeh Abebuag, 24; Anelita
Balugo, 50; Alex Navarro, 36; Alexa
Navarro, 5 months;
Salvador Gonzaga, 53; Babylyn Garado, 23; John Louie Perdejo Meraa, 21;
Louie Jr Perdejo Meraa, 20; Raymart
Perdejo, 21; Warren San Jose Araes,
20; Augusto Palerio, 67; Renee Perdon,
25; Isabela Del Remedios Torallo, 48;
Jose Del Remedios Torallo; and Domingo Del Remedios, 50.

Mt. Samat to be
developed into a
world-class shrine
By MAR T. SUPNAD

PILAR, Bataan All is set for

the conversion of the historic Mount
Samat Shrine into a world-class and
premier destination for tourists with
collective efforts being undertaken
by tourism department and local government officials with private sectorstakeholders.
Bataan Governor Abet S. Garcia
has cited the special interest shown
by local and foreign tourism-oriented
entrepreneurs supporting the proposed development plan for the Mount
Samat National Shrine.
Garcia said he is optimistic of
the bright business prospects to be
ushered in by making Mt. Samat into
an ecological-tourism zone with modernized approaches and amenities
that enhance and further protect the
environment.
The governor, who is running
unopposed in the May elections, said
preliminary stages of the tourism
master plan crafted by the Tourism
Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone
Authority (TIEZA) and the locality
of Pilar town, headed by Mayor Alice
Pizarro, are still undergoing revisions
to conform with the tourism industry
program.
Apart from boosting the aesthetic
appearance of Mt. Samat, the program
is also designed to encourage investors into participating in the conversion of the site into a world-class war
memorial and a premier tourist spot
in Central Luzon.

Two cold weather-associated systems will continue to prevail, particu-

larly over a large part of Luzon until

next weekend, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and
Astronomical Services Administration

Bataan stude bags

TESDA award

B IG PLANS FOR WAR MEMORIAL A local tourist has her souvenir photograph
taken beside a rusty cannon used in World War II at the Mt. Samat Shrine in Pilar,
Bataan. The national, provincial, and local governments are rushing the master plan
for the conversion of the area into a world-class tourism site. (Mar T. Supnad)

garden; fruit orchard or organic agricultural areas; food and beverages

establishments specifically a caf and
restaurant at the shrine site.
The Technical Working Group,
composed of Mayor Pizarro and Architect Techie Banzon, Bataan provincial

(PAGASA).
The northeast monsoon or hanging
amihan will continue to prevail over
Northern Luzon, while the tail-end of

KAPURPURAWAN ADVENTURE These

local and foreign tourists experience
the Kupurpurwan Adventure, a
walking tour along the naturally white
molded stone formation on coastline
of Kapurpurawan, Burgos, Ilocos
Norte, recently . (Freddie G. Lazaro)

Bishop Soc warns against fake priests

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates
Villegas has warned the Catholic faithful
in Pangasinan about what he called deceptive operation of a group of men who
present themselves as alleged priests of
the Ancient Catholic Church of the East.
In his Circular 2016-2 on Jan. 1, 2016,
Villegas said the group allegedly offered religious services in the barangay
chapels in Pangasinan. It is allegedly

headed by a certain Anthony Obinque of

San Gonzalo, Labrador, Pangasinan.
The circular refers to the Ancient
Catholic Church of the East.
The sect is not a Catholic group and
contrary to their presentation, there
were no steps to unite our Churches,
Villegas enjoined.
Please warn our Catholic faithful
about their deceptive operations and
consequently for them to never partici-

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan A

total of 12 barangay health stations
here received blood pressure
(BP) apparatus, glucometer kits,
and nebulizers from Mayor Belen
Fernandez, recently. About 39 of
the 56 BP apparatus came from the
office of Senator Teofisto Guingona,
while the 13 glucometer kits and the
remaining BP apparatus came from
the Department of Health (DOH).
The 12 nebulizers were given by
civic leader Ashok Vasandani. Dr.
Sheila Sabado, officer-in-charge of
the City Health Office (CHO), said
the barangay health stations that
received the medical apparatus are
located in Carael, Pantal, Poblacion
Oeste, Bonuan Boquig, Bonuan
Binloc, Bonuan Gueset, Bolosan,
Salapingao, Malued, Mangin,
Mayombo, and Pogo Grande. (Liezle
Basa Iigo)

BANGUI, Ilocos Norte A court

employee was killed after he
accidentally fell from atop a dump
truck while lighting up fireworks to
celebrate the New Year in Barangay
San Lorenzo, here. The fatality,
Pastor Calvan, 42, employee of the
Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch in
Bangui, died at the hospital due to a
serious head injury. Witnesses said
Calvan lost his balance and fell while
looking at the bomb shell fireworks
he lit on top of the truck. His head
hit the steel side of the truck. They
added that they were celebrating the
birthday of a municipal official during
the incident. (Freddie G. Lazaro)

tourism officer and Bataan Tourism

Council Foundation, has been activated to provide valuable and significant
inputs in the laying of groundwork for
the Mount Samat master development
plan which is expected to be finalized
within this year, Garcia said.

2 weather systems to bring rains in north and south

By ELLALYN B. DE VERA

Equipment for
health stations

Man lights up
last fireworks

Garcia reiterated that the inclusion of Mount Samat to the flagship

programs of then TIEZA chief operating officer Mark Lapid with the
establishment of Mount Samat Shrine
Tourism Enterprise Zone (MSSTEZ),
the second after Luneta Park in Manila, intended to create a truly Filipino
ingenuity with globally unique war
memorial shrine to further attract local and foreign tourists in Bataan and
neighboring provinces.
Engr. Butch Baluyot, head of the
Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), said that under
the master plan, the site will be renamed into the Mount Samat Shrine
of Valor.
Baluyot said the program will
include the rehabilitation of existing
establishments and structures within
the Shrine site and the improvement
of the educational and heritage tourism package for visitors.
Added amenities
He said the pro-active strategies
of the technical working group are
focusing on major improvements on
memorial cross, colonnade, museum,
stage, open spaces and landscaped
areas sculptures, relics and installations in the site and zipline area.
Among the planned tourism attractions include the tomb of unknown
soldiers; center for world War II studies; cable car and its stations; hotels
and resorts; a revolving restaurant;
a retirement village; interfaith chapel; landscaped memorial/botanical

Newsbits

pate in their (the group) religious rites.

They are prohibited from using Catholic
chapels for their liturgies which simulate the Catholic rites, the Pangasinan
prelate said.
Let this malicious group be a wakeup call for us Catholic priests to reach
out to the barangay communities who
truly thirst for the spiritual care of the
Church and hence become vulnerable
to such groups, he said. (PNA)

cold front will affect the eastern section

of Central Luzon.
PAGASA said cloudy skies with
light to moderate rains and isolated
thunderstorms will be experienced over
Quirino, Aurora, and Quezon.
Cloudy skies with light rains will
prevail over Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela,
Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, while partly
cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light
rains will be experienced over Ilocos
Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao,
Kalinga and Mountain Province.
Meanwhile, partly cloudy to cloudy
skies with isolated rainshowers or
thunderstor ms will prevail over
Metro Manila and the rest of the
country.
PAGASA said moderate to strong
winds coming from the northeast will
prevail over Northern and Central Luzon and the coastal waters along these
areas will be moderate to rough.
A gale warning has been hoisted, as
PAGASA expects strong to gale force
winds to affect the northern and eastern
seaboards of Northern Luzon.
Rough to very rough seas is expected in the coastal waters of Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, Cagayan, Isabela and
the northern coast of Ilocos Norte.
PAGASA warned fishing boats and
other small sea crafts from venturing
out into the sea, while it alerted larger
sea vessels against big waves.
Elsewhere, winds will be light to
moderate blowing from the east to
northeast with slight to moderate
seas.
PAGASA said generally fair weather
will prevail over the country with chances of isolated light rains over Luzon and
isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms
over Visayas and Mindanao by Monday
until Friday.

MARIVELES, Bataan An electronics

student from the Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA), here, received the first
runner-up honor in the prestigious
2015 Tagasanay Award. TESDA
Director Grace Castillo said that
Junjon Santuyo, a senior TESDA
Specialist and Electronics Trainer
of the Regional Training CenterMariveles, placed as first runner-up
in the national selection of the
TESDA Award. Aside from receiving
a medal of excellence, Santuyo will
be given a foreign training program
to be sponsored by the government.
The Tagasanay Awards is TESDAs
way of recognizing outstanding
and exemplary performance of
Technical and Vocational Education
and Training (TVET) instructors
from both public and private TVET
providers. The search was launched
nationwide last Nov. 20, 2015. (Mar
T. Supnad)

Baguio moves up
rank among cities
BAGUIO CITY Tourism, education
and sports, peace and order, health
and social services, environment
are among the accomplishments
this year reported by Mayor Mauricio
Domogan during the Ugnayan with
the media. Domogan recalled that
in 2014, Baguio was ranked 15th
among the countrys 142 cities. Now,
he takes pride that the city has gone
up two notches to No. 13 based on
national comparative ratings. He
said concerted efforts must be taken
to update and implement incomegenerating endeavors in order to
further improve the citys ranking.
(Zaldy C. Comanda)

Digitized libraries
prepared at BPSU
BALANGA CITY, Bataan The Bataan
Peninsula State University (BPSU)
will soon be having its digitized
libraries after a memorandum
of agreement (MOA) was recently
signed by the state-owned university
and the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST). Dr. Greg J. Rodis,
BPSU president, said the MOA was
signed to enable them to digitize its
two satellite campuses in Bagac and
Abucay towns through the Science
and Technology Academic and
Research-Based Openly-Operated
Kiosks (STARBOOKS) technology.
Without requiring an Internet
connection, the STARBOOKS is a
user-friendly stand-alone kiosk which
serves as a compendium of science
and technology (S&T) information
gathered from all over the world, said
Rodis. (Mar T. Supnad)

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Visayas News

14

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Maasin, Iloilo eyed as bamboo music capital of the country

By TARA YAP

LOILO The National Commission

for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
is pushing for the municipality of
Maasin in Iloilo province to become
the countrys bamboo music capital.
Maasin should not only vie as the
bamboo capital of the country, but also
as the bamboo music capital of the Philippines, said NCCA Chairman Felipe
De Leon Jr. during the 16th Tultugan
Festival last December 28, 2015.
De Leon noted how the Tultugan
Festival has evolved from cultural performances accompanied by percussion
instruments to producing high-quality
music from bamboo instruments.
The bamboo sound of Maasin is
comparable to that of Taiwan, De Leon
added.

It should also be noted that Maasin

town hosted the Visayas leg of the 2013
International Gongs and Bamboo Music
Festival.
That year, musicians utilizing bamboo-made instruments came all the way
from Canada, India, Indonesia, Thailand
and Vietnam.
Mayor Mariano Malones Sr. pointed
out that bamboo has not only carved a
name for Maasin town in the arts and
cultural scene, but has likewise been a
major economic driver.
Malones said Maasin locals make a
living from the 6,000 hectares of bamboo plantations while artisans produce
furniture and barbecue sticks out of
bamboo.
The 16th Tultugan Festival featured
seven groups with student musicians
from Maasins high schools.

DUMAGUETE CITYS GUARDIAN The 205-year-old Dumaguete Belfry still stands strong as a reminder
of the picturesque and prosperous citys history. Considered the oldest belfry in the Visayas built in
1811, the imposing structure served as a watchtower and that enabled residents to prepare for pirate
attacks. Today, it is a key tourist attraction that reminds everyone of the people of Dumaguete's
resilience and determination to hurdle adversities of the past. (Juan Carlo de Vela)

Stray bullets hit 3

Cebu City residents;
20 injured in Negros
CEBU CITY Three Cebu
City residents were hit by stray
bullets during the New Year
revelries, police said.
Police investigators identified the victims as Jovelyn Pucot
of Sitio Kamansi in the hinterland barangay of Mabini; Mary
Claire dela Lilan, 12, of Barangay
Capitol Site and Janome Diaz, 22,
of Barangay Duljo Fatima, all in
Cebu City.
Pucot, who sustained a gunshot wound on her neck, was
brought to the North General
Hospital for treatment.
Dela Lilan, on the other hand,
was hit by a stray bullet on the
left foot while watching a fireworks display outside of their
residence in Barangay Capitol
Site.
She was taken to the Vicente
Sotto Memorial Medical Center
in Cebu City for treatment.
Diaz, who was hit on her leg,
was taken to the Cebu City Medi-

cal Center for treatment

20 cracker injuries
in Negros
Over in Negros Occidental,
at least 20 firecrackerrelated
injuries were reported during
the New Years revelry, police
authorities said.
A total of 12 injuries were
tallied by the Bacolod City Police
Office, said acting director Senior Supt. Melchor Coronel.
Senior Supt. Samuel Nacion,
officer-in-charge of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said eight incidents were
recorded in the province as of
Jan. 1.
Both officials said that no
stray bullet incidents were reported.
They considered the New Year
celebrations in the city and the
province generally peaceful despite isolated reports of shooting
and stabbing incidents. (PNA)

HOLIDAY FISHING Rather than joining New Years Day revelries

and gatherings last Friday, a lone fisherman opts to try his luck
fishing at Tanon Strait between Cebu and Negros Islands. (Juan
Carlo de Vela)

Ormoc creates local blood

supply system for residents
By Felix N. Codilla III

ORMOC CITY City Health

Officer Nelita Navales welcomes
the creation of a Local Blood
Council (LBC) as this will help
lower maternal deaths that have
been sharply increasing for the
past six years here.
Maternal death cases include non-Ormoc residents who
availed of the services of birthing
facilities operated by the local
government unit.
The common cause of maternal death is post-partum hemorrhage or excessive blood loss
following childbirth. Blood transfusion is necessary to address
post partum hemorrhage.
The Philippine Red Cross
(PRC) maintains a blood bank

here, which, however, also

serves the blood requirements
of patients in other areas of the
province.
Hence, Mayor Edward C.
Codilla created the LBC through
an executive order to beef up the
supply of blood for the people of
Ormoc.
Specifically, the LBC is mandated to maintain a stock of blood
of at least 1% of the 203,922 population of Ormoc by conducting
regular blood-letting activities.
The collected blood will be
stored at the PNRC blood bank
exclusively for Ormocanons.
Aside from postpartum hemorrhage, the blood supply will
also benefit wounded victims
and those afflicted with Dengue
fever.

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Mindanao News

Sunday, January 3, 2016

15

NPAs release soldier on New Years Eve

By CAMCER ORDOEZ IMAM

AGAYAN DE ORO CITY

A soldier abducted by
the New Peoples Army
(NPA) last September
was released on New Years Eve in
the town of Las Nieves, Agusan del
Norte. The soldier, Sgt. Adriano
Bingil, is now in a hospital for
medical attention.
Based from the initial examination, Sgt. Bingil is experiencing
both physical and mental fatigue,
Major Jonna Dalaguit, military
physician, said. Bingil has been
admitted at the Camp Evangelista
Station Hospital to recuperate
from his current condition, he
said.

Business
permit
renewal
starts
Monday

On Sept. 19, the NPA abducted Sgt. Bingil, a member of the

Bayanihan team of 26th Infantry
Battalion, who was assigned in
Barangay Mahagsay, San Luis
town of Agusan del Sur.
Bingil and a companion were
riding a motorcycle when they
were flagged down by NPA rebels. Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez,
spokesman of the 4th Infantry
Division, said a barangay kagawad
who was with Bingil had reported
that the rebels had targeted the
soldier because they want the
military to stop its Bayanihan efforts for peace and development
in the remote areas of CARAGA
Region.
It is clear that the NPAs dont
want our barangay to be developed
so that they can easily recruit new

members, said Martinez, quoting

the barangay kagawad, who requested anonymity.
Martinez admitted that the
incident had affected the delivery
of government ser vices for the
lumads.
Col. Alexander Macario, commander of 401st Infantry Brigade,
said: For the NPA bandits, once
development has set in, the issues
that they are catalyzing will no longer be relevant. That is why they
need to do something for example
kidnapping our soldier to block or
impede these developments from
reaching our people.
Mayor Ronaldo Corvera of San
Luis, Agusan del Sur, and the head
of municipal crisis committee, together with Rep. Lawrence Fortun,
1st District of Agusan del Norte,

and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of

Davao City, facilitated the release
of Sgt. Bingil, who was brought to
the Division Advance Command
Post in Barangay Bancasi, Butuan
City.
Bingil was immediately received by the acting commander of
the 4th Infantry Division Brigadier
General Paul Atal, Deputy Brigade
Commander of 401st Infantry Brigade, Col. Cresente Maligmat, and
the medical team for check-up.
BGen. Atal said: What the NPA
did is plain kidnapping and it is a
crime punishable by law. Nevertheless, we appreciate the gesture of
returning our soldier, hoping that
they are projecting a renewed faith
in peace and aspiring to resume
the peace talks with the government through the NDF.

By NONOY E. LACSON

ZAMBOANGA CITY The renewal of business permits will start

on Monday, Jan. 4, the first working
day of 2016, using the Business One
Stop Shop (BOSS) system.
City officials said more people are
expected to flock city hall to process
the permits as the deadline is on
Jan. 20.
City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco said late filers will be paying an
additional 25 percent as surcharge
per quarter and two percent additional surcharge per month.
Climaco said the BOSS initiative will make registration and
renewal of business permits more
convenient to businessmen. Under
the BOSS concept, all agencies and
offices involved in the renewal of
licenses of different kinds of businesses will be established at the
second floor of city hall to attend to
business registration and renewal
procedures. These include the Social
Security System (SSS), PAG-IBIG
Mutual Fund, Philippine Health Insurance (Philhealth), Department
of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau
of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine
National Police (PNP), City Agriculturist Office (CAO), Office of the City
Environment and Natural Resources
Office (OCENR), City Planning and
Development Office (CPDO), City
Engineers Office (CEO), City Health
Office (CHO), City Veterinarian Office and City Tourism Office.
The City Treasurers Office (CTO)
and the Business and Permits Licensing Office (BPLO) are both located at the City Hall ground floor.
This initiative signifies the citys
dedication and commitment to provide improved and better services,
all designed with the intention to create a more vibrant and competitive
business climate in the city.
Work hours for concerned departments and divisions will be extended
starting January to accommodate
applicants for business permits renewal, she said.
The streamlined procedure has
led to a significant increase in business registration as well as in the
collection of business-related fees
and taxes in 2015 compared to the
records of 2014.

BUTUAN CITY To protect the

island from the effects of global
warming and climate change, barangay officials and their constituents
are now involved in the massive
planting of mangrove propagules in
the seven towns of Dinagat Islands
province.
Supported by the local government units (LGUs), the barangay
leaders, who directly supervise the
continuous planting of mangrove
propagules, also mobilized students
during the long Yuletide Season
break.
Our barangay officials and their
respective constituents are now
very much concerned in planting
more mangroves because they know
that this is a big help and protection
from any typhoons especially tsunamis, stressed Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer

116 hurt in revelries

COTABATO CITY (PNA) The
Department of Health (DOH)
in Central Mindanao yesterday
reported 116 cases of firecrackerrelated injuries during Christmas
and New Years revelries. Jenny
Panizales-Centura, of DOH-12
Iwas Paputok, said the number
may increase as DOH monitoring
of firecracker-related injuries will
be until Jan. 5. Quoting data from
DOH-12 Online National Electronic
Injury Surveillance System
(ONEISS), Ventura said the number
of victims is 16 percent higher
as compared to the same period
in 2015. South Cotabato has the
highest number of victims with 66;
North Cotabato with 23; Sultan
Kudarat with eight and Saranggani
with seven. Gen. Santos City had
11 victims and Cotabato City had
10 victims. piccolo, a banned
firecracker, was the major cause
of injuries (90 percent) with 78
victims, seven from Kwitis,
two from Roman Candle and
one from Baby Rocket. Yarkay
Dimasingsing, 59, from Marquez,
Poblacion Dos, Cotabato City
suffered a leg wound after a stray
bullet hit him while welcoming the
New Year with his family. In Gen.
Santos City, one was reported to
have been hit by stray bullet.

200 families flee

DANCING IN THE MOUNTAIN A young girl takes in some entertainment from a dance performed somewhere in the mountains of
Sugbongcogon, Misamis Oriental. Its an ordinary scene of celebration except that the performance was just after the release
of an army soldier who had been abducted by the New Peoples Army rebels and kept in prison for 132 days. And the performers
are members of the rebel group. (Camcer Ordoez Imam)

Right-of-way claim stops repair

of toppled NGCP tower in Lanao
By Ali G. Macabalang

COTABATO CITYRepair work

on a steel tower of the National
Grid Corporation of the Philippines
(NGCP) in Ramain, Lanao del Sur
has stopped after the owner of the
land occupied by the facility prevented the entry of technical people.
The reason: Non-payment of road
right-of-way claim, NGCP said in a
statement.
The NGCP said the landowner,
who it did not identify, refused to
allow entry of technical people to do
repair work on NGCP Steel Tower
No. 25 at Barangay Gandamatu in
Ditasaan-Ramain, Lanao del Sur.
The facility was toppled with the

improvised explosive devices (IEDs)

placed by still unidentified armed
men on Christmas Eve, earlier reports said.
It was the fourth NCGP tower
that was damaged on the border of
Marawi City and Distaan-Ramain
town since November last year. The
first three towers were restored due
to obvious lack of local opposition, it
was learned.
The destruction of Tower 25 isolated the transmission lines Agus 1
& 2 Hydro Electric Plants, rendering a loss of at least 58MW from the
grids and aggravating the existing
power shortage in Mindanao, NGCP
said.
The dilemma turned complex

when armed men on Dec. 26 chased

the vehicle of an ABS-CBN news
team that covered the controversy
from Ramain town.
It further turned worst when two
intelligence soldiers trying to gather
information about the Dec. 26 ambush were shot dead at a commercial
zone in Marawi City on Dec. 29.
Tension ran high in Marawi City
when motorcycle-riding armed men
fired upon four residents at Barangay East Basak on New Years Eve,
killing one of the victims instantly.
Police identified the fatality as Alimodin Awar, alias Otek. Relatives of
the victim said the killing was allegedly retaliation from government
intelligence agents.

Intensified mangrove-planting on Dinagat IsBy MIKE U. CRISMUNDO

Newsbits

(PENRO) Agapito T. Patubo of the

Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR).
To date, he said, over 550,000
mangrove propagules have been
planted in the island province.
We (have) the highest survival
rate all over in Caraga region in
terms of planted mangroves, said
Patubo, in an interview with Manila
Bulletin, as he also attributed this
big accomplishment to the growing
concern by the barangay officials
and residents for environmental
preser vation and protection to
avert casualty or damage during
typhoons.
Along with this all- out drive,
Dinagat Islands lone district Rep.
Arlene Kaka J. Bag-ao, also
mobilized her office in extending
assistance for the continuity of the
program, which is also in line with
the agency s National Greening
Program (NGP). A total of 940 hect-

ares have already been planted in

Dinagat Islands.
Bag-ao is also urging the national government to proclaim the
province of Dinagat Islands as a
Conservation Area (DICA).
DICA includes watershed areas,
forest reserves, bonsai forest, the
caves in karst areas (or landscapes
formed by the dissolution of rocks
such as limestone, dolomite, and
gypsum), beaches, coves and the
islands and islets which have the potential for ecotourism development.
This covers a total area of 114,892.32
hectares of which 19,198.5 hectares
are terrestrial and 95,694 hectares
are marine areas.
The proposed conservation areas are Panamaon Watershed, Esperanza Watershed, Loreto Watershed,
Mt. Cambinliw and Mt. Redondo,
Tubajon Watershed, Paragua Forest
Reserve, Mt. Palhi, Manoligao Watershed, Cuarenta Watershed and

Western Dinagat Ecotourism Area

which can be found in the seven
towns of the province.
Rep. Bag-ao has slashed from
her funds R6.6 million for the DENRPENRO two-story building including its five-room hostel.
Meanwhile, DENR-13 Regional
Executive Director (RED) Nonito
M. Tamayo also said yesterday that
mangrove planting has also been
intensified in the Caraga region, particularly in coastal areas in Surigao
del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan
del Norte and PDI.
About 11,300,000 mangrove
propagules were already planted in
4,452 hectares in said provinces in
Caraga region in 2015, he said.
About 29,647 hectares of denuded,
open and access timber land in
Caraga Region are being considered
in 2016 for reforestation and development by the DENR-13 under the NGP,
he added.

KIDAPAWAN CITY (PNA) At least

200 families in North Cotabato
fled to a safer area when armed
Moro rebels from two rebel
fronts clashed anew in Barangay
Kidama in Matalam town, just
hours before New Year. The
armed fighting between elements
of the Moro National Liberation
Front (MNLF) and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
left three villagers dead and six
houses torched, according to
reports from the Matalam Police.
Senior Inspector Sonny Leoncito,
Matalam PNP chief, identified the
fatalities as Badrudin Engki, 27;
Taya Akmad, 60; and a certain
Marshall, 30, all members of the
MNLF and residents of Purok-5,
Barangay Kidama. Leoncito said
the attackers, all members of
the MILF, torched six houses
owned by Macapagal Mangadta;
Tautin Lamalan; Totin Ladsingan;
Kamid Engki; Sittie Ladsingan;
and a certain Allan, all located at
Barangay Kidama. The exchange
of fire started around 8 a.m., on
Dec. 31, when MILF rebels, led by
a certain Ambalatan, attacked the
village dominated by the MNLF, in
particular by the Mangadta clan.

BIFF victims get aid

AMPATUAN, Maguindanao
Hundreds of mostly Christian
residents at barangay Kauran
received relief assistance
from Muslim leaders who led
humanitarian missions in a show
of unity in diversity. Families of
six Visayan farmers, who were
executed by Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (BIFF) militants
on Christmas Eve received some
R30,000 each from the relief
missions of the Maguindanao
provincial government and the
Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) in separate
ceremonies. Meanwhile,
Maguindanao Gov. Esmael
Toto Mangudadatu urged the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) to provide information on
whereabouts of BIFF militants
who went on rampage over the
holidays. (Ali G. Macabalang)

Dengue cases drop

ZAMBOANGA CITY The City
Health Office (CHO) reported a
decrease in the overall number
of dengue cases in the city last
year. City Health Officer Dr. Rodelin
Agbulos yesterday reported that
last year, his office recorded a
51 percent decrease or 2,734
dengue cases, compared to
5,604 in 2014. There was also
fewer number of deaths caused
by dengue last year with 20
compared to the 34 deaths in
2014, the city health officer said.
The CHO noted that the steady
decline of dengue cases was
due to an intensified campaign
and maintenance of clean
surroundings in the barangays
affected by dengue. Listed villages
in this city with high dengue cases
are Calarian, Tetuan, Sta. Maria,
Tumaga, Ayala, Pasonanca, San
Roque, Tugbungan, Talon-Talon,
and Baliwasan and Sta. Catalina.
(Nonoy E. Lacson)

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News

16

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Former LTO chief

Torres dies
of heart attack
By MAR T. SUPNAD

HEALING IS COMING Pediatric cancer patients residing at Bahay Aruga in Ermita, Manila, go about their daily activities with optimism
that each of them will win their battle against cancer. (Camille Ante)

Lifting hopes for...

cer of the bone, and with the love and
support of her housemates who are
also battling the Big C, she keeps
her hopes high as the new year slowly
rolls in.
This kind of hope is shared by the
occupants of Bahay Aruga, a halfway
house in Ermita. Established in January 2014, it aims to provide free housing
to pediatric cancer patients undergoing
treatment at the Philippine General
Hospital (PGH) Cancer Institute.
In an interview with Manila Bulletin,
Bahay Aruga President and Founder
Mayette Bonilla expressed her wish
for the New Year: The healing of the
children living in that house.
My prayers and wishes are for them
to live normal lives, Bonilla said.
There were not many children in
the house during the New Years Eve
because most of the other residents
went home to celebrate Christmas with
their families. But before they left, the
children had many activities that made
them happy, among them a Christmas
party and a trip to the Cultural Center of
the Philippines to watch Peter Pan.
The house already counts 93 children who had stayed there since it
opened in 2014. Thirty-one had already
left, while about 25 to 28 patients still
there while receiving treatment.
Hope of survival
Though the house looks much like
a typical home, there is a special air of
hope that floats around. Bonilla said
it is hope that teaches the patients to
fight for their lives. The bond between
the children and the staff is strong, it
encourages children who go through
some depression, or those who refuse
to continue their medication.
In my experience, there are kids
who might not want to take their medicines, their fellow kids would tell them
to do otherwise, Bonilla said, adding
that the facility also serves as their
support system.
One of Angelines supporters is
her 18-year-old sister Catherine, who
serves as her caretaker. Catherine had

stopped school to take care of Angeline

whose left thigh was amputated after a
biopsy detected a 21-centimeter tumor
in her body. Angeline was diagnosed
with bone cancer in April 2014.
Angelines dreams are, first, to get
healed; then to resume her studies,
then to become a stewardess, Catherine
said. I had to sacrifice my studies just
to accompany her here, and be far away
from my family.
Activities at the home
Children staying in the facility live
as close to normal lives as possible.
They sing, dance, listen to music, watch
television, and engage in other activities
typical for their age. Religious sisters
regularly visit the house to conduct
catechism sessions and pray with the
children and their parents.
It was so easy for children to accept their condition because you draw
them near to God. They know that
their lives are just borrowed from God.
Time will come that they must return
to the Lord, Bonilla said, believing that
spirituality boosts a cancer patients
chances of getting healed.
I always advise [the kids] to pray,
as it is the only thing I know that can
serve as an instrument of help to all of
us, Bahay Aruga staffer Judy Costales
said.
Fulfillment
Costales is responsible for taking
care of children living in the house.
I see the kids as strong fighters.
Instead of me inspiring them, they are
inspiring me. Ive never heard them
complain or saw them being in pain. I
see them happy, playing, as if they dont
suffer from cancer, she said.
Costales observed that there are
parents who worry too much about the
expenses of kids treatment. I dont
have much to give, so I tell them not to
worry too much because all problems
have solutions, she said.
Art
Bahay Aruga also arranges for

Stray bullet cases...

nine-year-old girl was a victim of accidental firing of an improvised gun by
his brother.
Police have yet to come up with
comparative data on stray bullet cases,
adding that some of the reported cases
are still under investigation.
He said that the 36 injuries reported
is not yet the official count since an investigation would still determine if the
case is stray bullet-related, accidental
firing, or a case of assault.
Police also arrested seven persons
for illegal discharge of firearms, including a policeman, a security guard and
five civilians.
Cavite cases
In Cavite, at least four people were
reportedly wounded after being hit by
stray bullets in Cavite during the New
Years revelry.
The Police Provincial Office (PPO)
identified two women victims as Alma
Mangubat Larao, 33, a resident of
South Garden Subdivision, Barangay
Salitran III, Dasmarias City; and
Loida Arces Carbon, 50, a resident
of Barangay San Nicolas III, Bacoor
City.
Larao, who sustained a bullet
wound in the chest, was taken to De
La Salle University Medical Center

while Carbon was wounded in the left

leg and then treated at the Las Pias
Medical Center.
Reports said stray bullets also
hit the houses of one Dennis Umipig
Amapato, 39, an engineer, on Sto.
Nio Street. Cardinal Ville Subd. in
Salitran III, Dasmarias and Yolanda
Clor Sanchez, 61, on Kentucky Street
Metropolis Greens Subd. in Barangay
Manggahan, General Trias City. Fortunately no one was hit by the bullets.
The Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) earlier reported two other
revelry stray bullet victims in Dasmarias City and Barangay Cabangaan in
upland Silang municipality.
The victims were identified as
one Gerry Maputol Gato, of Barangay
Fatima I, Dasmarias, who sustained
a wound in the left knee and Josh
Martin Mendoza Borselango, 12, Barangay Kaysuyo, Alfonso town, also in
Cavite, who was hit by a bullet in the
right foot.
New bullet victims
In Isabela province, an 11-year-old
girl was hit by a stray bullet in her left
calf while she was sleeping inside her
house in Barangay Bungad, San Pablo
town, last Friday night.
A .45-caliber slug went through-

regular activities to uplift the spirit

of the children. There are regular art
activities conducted by Art Association
of the Philippines Maestro Fernando
Sena. Students from Emilio Aguinaldo
College, University of Santo Tomas, and
Adamson University, also conduct art
activities for the children.
The kids sell their artworks to
obtain funds for themselves. At least
they spend time and enjoy doing artwork and not just thinking whether
they will be cured, Bonilla said. The
kids are not just here to wait for their
turn to have a check-up or medication
at PGH.
Bahay Aruga
It was Bonillas exposure to a few
relatives who succumbed to cancer that
got her into thinking of putting up
Bahay Aruga. Her niece and nephew died of brain tumor; a cousin died of
breast cancer; and she lost a sister-inlaw to leukemia.
Before establishing Bahay Aruga,
Bonilla was a regular donor of medical
supplies and equipment to government
hospitals and health centers.
After she opened the facility two
years ago, she relied on the Lord to
help her meet the daily expenses and
challenges. It was hard financially, as
I would have to pay monthly bills. And
the worst was that two of the patients
died, and I had to shoulder their funeral
expenses. If another member of your
family suffers from cancer, it would be
easy for you to adapt because you can
understand the patientssituation.
Hoping
Meanwhile, Angeline hopes that she
will eventually receive an artificial leg
so that she can return to her family in
Camarines Norte.
My younger sister is battling her
condition through her faith in God, the
love given by her family, and through
her friends. We are giving strength to
one another in this house, Catherine
said.
And that is the strong bond of hope
that gives the patients, parents, caregivers, staff in Bahay Aruga the reason to
live on day after day.
and-through the leg of Natalie Chavez,
a Grade 5 pupil, and found inside her
room around 7 p.m. of January 1.
459 firecracker injuries
Meanwhile, the Department of
Healths Epidemiology Bureau (DOHEB) tallied 75 new firecracker-related
injuries yesterday.
Latest data from the DOH-EB
showed that as of 6 a.m. of January 2,
the cases recorded since December
21 has reached 459. The figure, it said,
is still lower compared with the past
years figure.
This [459 cases] is 431 cases or
48 percent lower than the five-year
[2010-2014] average and 355 or 44 percent lower compared to the same time
period last year, the report said.
In a press conference, Health Secretary Janette L. Garin said both the
DOHs campaign and the Philippine
National Polices (PNP) strict implementation of rules.
Naging epektibo po ang ating
kampanya at naging epektibo po ang
panghuhuli ng PNP [Philippine National Police] . Malaking bagay ang
kinontribute na naging strict po ang
PNP kasi nawala iyong mga nagbebenta sa streets kaya hindi siya naging
ganoon ka-available (Our campaign
has been effective, and so as PNPs
efforts. Because of being strict, the
PNP contributed a lot in lessening the

AN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga Virginia Torres, former chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and
close friend of President Aquino, died
yesterday morning of a heart attack in
Pampanga, police said.
Torres, who had a Cabinet rank
of assistant secretary during her
tenure in government, was rushed
to a hospital in this province where
she died, said Chief Superintendent
Rudy Lacadin, Police Regional Office
3 (PRO3) director.
In a post on his Facebook page,
Efren Torres, a staff member of the
LTO Main Office in Quezon City and
nephew of the former LTO chief, also
confirmed her sudden demise.
She was known as a close friend of

Virginia Torres

the President, with whom she spent

time at the firing range.
At the time of her death, Torres
was under investigation for allegedly trying to influence the release
of a sugar shipment consigned to her
businessman-friend.

Manila set to unveil

refurbished OSMA
By JENNY F. MANONGDO

From a crumbling old medical facility, city officials will soon unveil the newly
renovated Ospital ng Maynila (OSMA)
complete with advanced medical equipment and a blood bank that could service
the five other district hospitals.
The local government allocated P500
million for the modernization program
of Manilas six district hospitals and 59
health centers. OSMA was the first to
benefit from massive upgrade following
the improved financial standing of the
city after the increase in real property
taxes in 2014.
Renovation of the 46-year-old OSMA
started in 2014 and is expected to be
completed before its 47th founding anniversary in the middle of this year.
The new OSMA will have a complete
Radiology and Imaging Section with a
fully functioning digital X-ray machine,
ultrasound, fluoroscopy, a 32-slice CT
scan, and an MRI, the statement from
the office of the city mayor revealed.
Hospital officials said the new OSMA
will have a complete clinical laboratory
section with hematology, immunology,
microbiology and anatomical pathology
section.

An important feature of the newly

renovated medical facility is the construction of a blood bank as it gears to
achieve the level 3 hospital status that
could serve the other district hospitals:
Ospital ng Sampaloc, Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center, Ospital
ng Tondo, Sta. Ana Hospital, and Justice
Jose Abad Santos General Hospital.
Dr. Regina Bagsic, Consultant for
Hospital Services and Administration said
there is a need for a steady blood supply in
the district hospitals also for the benefit of
patients of Manilas dialysis center located
in the annex building of Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center.
Bagsic recalled that in June 2013,
OSMA was in a dismal state while
its accreditation for the level 3 status
was unsure because it lacks necessary medical equipment and sufficient
personnel.
There is only one X-ray machine that
is about to conk out. In fact the training
program in radiology which they used to
have has been abolished, she said.
Currently, OSMAs Emergency
Room, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), OutPatient Department (OPD), lobby and
administration offices have already been
renovated.

L.P.G. PRICE CUT A dealer checks her inventory of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks at
her shop on Ortigas Avenue Extension in Pasig City yesterday, after Petron Corp. implemented
a P4.85 per kilogram price slash on its LPG products beginning January 1. (Federico Cruz)

number of firecrackers being sold on

streets, thats why firecrackers are not
that available), said Garin.
Most of the cases came from the
National Capital Region (NCR) with
276 injuries. In the region, most cases
were from Manila with 85 injuries;
Quezon City with 47; Marikina City, 30;
Mandaluyong City, 27; and Valenzuela
City, 17.
Piccolo, an illegal firecracker
popular among children, remains the
leading cause of injuries, resulting in
245 cases. Other injury cases were
caused by kwitis (sky rocket), luces
(sparklers), and 5-star, a triangular
firecracker.
Busted firecrackers
The PNP reported that some
P1,124,649 illegal firecrackers were
seized in separate operations nationwide.
While police are yet to come up with
comparative data, President Aquino
has already commended the PNP for
a job well done.
Ric the ff is from Janette Garin.
Congratulations and Pls pass the job
well done to all. Happy New Year,
read the text message of the President
Aquino to PNP Chief, Director General
Ricardo Marquez.
Mayor said the message was sent
after the DOH declared a 53-percent
decrease in injuries related to fire-

crackers compared with the figure

in 2010.
Aquino personally cited the accomplishments of the PNP in running
after prohibited firecrackers and their
sellers.
Ban pays off
In Baguio City, health officials
reported nine firecrackers-related injuries in the entire Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), which reflected a
65-percent decrease from the previous
years figures.
Now we have a 65 percent decrease and let us hope it will continue
to decrease, said DOH Emergency
Management Coordinator Clark Dizon.
The decrease is attributed partly to
the city governments total ban on the
sale of firecrackers and pyrotechnic
devices.
Meanwhile in Region 2, at least
86 firecracker-related incidents were
listed by the DOH from Dec. 30, 2015
to Jan. 1, 2016.
Dr. Alethea De Guzman of the
DOH Operation Center of Region 2
confirmed that the initially reported
firecracker related incidents in the
region was lower by 1 incident from
the reported 87 cases last year. (With
reports from Anthony Giron, Liezle
Basa Iigo, Freddie G. Lazaro, and
Zaldy C. Comanda)

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Sports

Sunday, January 3, 2016

17

pba PHILIPPINE CUP

All eyes on
referees in
marathon
semifinals
By TITO S. TALAO

PBA referees, shown here in this file photo of the match between Blackwater Elite and Rain or Shine, will have
to step up in the coming PBA Philippine Cup semifinals starting tomorrow at the Mall of Asia Arena.

boxing

Bradley's change of
style excites Pacquiao
By NICK GIONGCO

Manny Pacquiao relishes the idea

of facing a retooled Tim Bradley when
they get it on for the third time on April
9 in Las Vegas.
Since changing trainers, tapping
Teddy Atlas to replace Joel Diaz last
year, Bradley has become more aggressive, something Pacquiao feels
will make their rubber match at the
MGM Grand such a fistic feast.
When he (Bradley) took in a new
trainer, he became a bit more aggressive, said Pacquiao, who lost the first
fight on a disputable decision in 2012
but exacted payback in their second
meeting in 2014.
If he maintains that fighting style,
the fans will be in for a treat. I like

that, said Pacquiao, who will be gunning for Bradleys World Boxing Organization welterweight crown.
Older by five years at 37, Pacquiao
believes age wont be a factor, saying
his body feels fine and insisting that he
still young and strong and that hard
training will be crucial.
Press conferences in Los Angeles
and New York will be held in the third
week of the month with Hall of Fame
promoter Bob Arum presiding over
the two events.
As soon as the whirlwind promotional tour is over, both fighters
will head to their respective training
camps.
Bradley, as usual, will set up camp
in his hometown of Indio, California,
while Pacquiao plans to divide his

buildup into two phases.

The first four weeks will be in the
Philippines, while the next four will be
at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.
But Mike Koncz, the Canadian adviser of Pacquiao, said he will try to
convince his boss to reconsider.
Theres going to be lots of distractions what with the election period under way, said Koncz.
Pacquiao is running for a seat
in the Senate and Koncz says lots of
people will be around the fighting congressman for various reasons.
Even Arum believes it would be
better for Pacquiao to go straight to
training camp in Los Angeles after the
sidetrips to LA and NYC so he can concentrate on the fight.

pba PHILIPPINE CUP

Fajardo ready
for Rain or Shine
By WAYLON GALVEZ

San Miguel Beer center June Mar

Fajardo is ready for everything that
Rain or Shine will throw at him.
We just need to stay focused, even
if they play physical, Fajardo said
Friday, four days before the Beermen
face the Elasto Painters in Game 1 of
the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup

JUNMAR FAJARDO

semifinal series at the Mall of Asia in

Pasay City.
Ilang beses ko na rin sila nakaharap, physical talaga mag-laro pero
ok lang. Stay focused, siguro hindi lang
ako, buong team, added Fajardo.
The six-foot-10 back-to-back Most
Valuable Player had just returned
from a short vacation in his hometown
in Pinamungajan, Cebu.

Starting tomorrow for the next

eight days, the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup best-of-7 semifinals will be
played alternately through Games 1
to 4, with Alaska facing Globalport on
Jan. 4 for the opener and defending
champion San Miguel Beer taking on
Rain or Shine on Jan. 5.
Both games kick off at 7 p.m. at the
Mall of Asia Arena.
The official schedule takes a break
after Jan. 11, the fourth game of the
series between the Beermen and
the Elasto Painters set at the Smart
Araneta Coliseum, presumably so
the PBA can make arrangements for
the Finals in the event any team has
scored a sweep.
The everyday timetable guarantees cutthroat competition throughout
the semis, with the margin for error
slim and euphoria over victory ephemeral, except if it is for a fourth win.
It also is expected to take its toll to
some degree on the men who will be
officiating the games.
As hectic as the Final Four format is for the ballclubs in terms of the
game proper, practice, adjustments,
walk through, viewing, weights training and therapy, with players getting
barely 24 hours of recovery time and
coaches catching just a few slices of
sleep before getting back on their feet
and returning to the war room to plot
and strategize, the rigors of the daily
semifinal grind will present a huge
challenge for the referees.
Like pitchers asked to throw every
other day in the World Series , the refs,
especially those in the upper tier, will
be summoned to the pressure-packed
atmosphere on regular basis to deliver
for 48 minutes or more top calibre calls

and high-grade decisions.

That would be tough.
That is why the PBA is taking steps
to more or less avert in the future
a repetition of the controversial final
eight seconds of the Globalport-Barangay Ginebra San Miguel knockout
game in the playoffs last Dec. 27, as
well as other officiating incidents.
Two apparent violations committed by Globalports Stanley Pringle
went uncalled in overtime, triggering a
verbal storm from Ginebra coach Tim
Cone after the Batang Pier ousted the
Kings, 84-83.
As difficult as it is to completely do
away with missed calls as it is eradicating players errors and coaches
failure to call crucial timeouts or make
timely substitutions, the PBA has been
called upon by certain sectors to do
something about them.
PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa
acknowledges the need and says the
league is in the process of putting up a
long-term program that will address a
number of officiating issues, including
sanctions on erring officials, and not
just immediate concerns for this particular semifinal series.
We need to institute policies regarding disciplinary measures for refs
so in the future we can avoid subjective rulings, said Narvasa, who suspended two game officials for the rest
of the conference over the Pringle incident. We have to base any disciplinary measure on certain rules.
Narvasa also bared the PBA is
coming up with a development and
educational program for the referees
to enhance their technical knowledge
and communication skills, among others.
"We also need to look after the refs,
not demoralize them," he said.

During their first meeting, Rain or

Shine trounced SMB, 99-84, with Fajardo held to a measly 13 points on 3-of-7
shooting on the floor and 7-of-12 from
the line.
Four Elasto Painters 6-6 Beau
Belga, 6-5 JR Quinahan, 6-8 center
Raymond Almazan, and 6-6 forward
Jewel Ponferada, made life miserable
for Fajardo.
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao
said that they intend to apply the same
defensive coverage on Fajardo double team as no single player can deny
the SMB center from scoring inside
the shaded area and even outside with
his improved jump shot.
At the end of the elimination round,
Fajardo is averaging 23.09 points, 14.36
rebounds, 1.64 assists and 1.82 shot

blocks.
The team earned an outright semifinal spot after SMB finished tied on top
with Alaska with similar 9-2 cards. The
last time the Beermen played was Dec.
16 when they lost to the Aces (97-103),
that snapped a seven-game win streak.
Although on track of winning a
third Best Philippine of the Conference (BPC) following the ouster of rival
Greg Slaughter and Barangay Ginebra
San Miguel, Fajardo is not focusing on
the individual award.
Hindi ko tini-tignan yung award,
mas importante yung team success
kesa sa individual. Kung manalo,
blessing na yun pero ang importante
sa akin manalo kami uli ng championship, ma-retain namin yung Philippine
Cup, said Fajardo.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Lawler defends title vs Condit

By DENNIS PRINCIPE

United States Senator John McCain once labeled Mixed Martial Arts as
a brutal exhibition of machismo with
no place in the modern world.
Today, title contender Carlos Natural Born Killer Condit plans to add
a little bit of finesse in his style to help
enhance the image of his sport and at
the same time improve his chances in
his battle against defending UFC Welterweight champion Robbie Ruthless Lawler.
For me, this is a creative outlet,
like putting together great notes. We
put together great techniques, we develop different combinations to solve
different problems, said Condit.
Condit and Lawler will headline
UFC 195 at the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas, site of countless
immortal events in boxing which, like
MMA, has been widely condemned by

activists.
While their nicknames seemed to
betray MMAs justification of their existence, Condit and Lawler continue
to give out carefully chosen words to
build up their battle inside the octagon.
"You want to go out there and you
want to be sharp and you want to execute your game plan and go out there
and get it done fast. So push comes
to shove, every fighter wants to get it
done as soon as possible and take the
least amount of damage as possible,"
said Lawler.
Condit meanwhile wants to see
MMA as an art form that brings out
ones intelligence in noxious situations.
Testing yourself in hand-to-hand
combat against another man is as primal as it gets, but within that I found
something else entirely almost an art
form in a manner of speaking, added

Condit. In the fights we take a lot of

damage, but theres also the aspect of
the training camps. Its not possible
to avoid everything, but its definitely
something I keep in mind.
The fight is not expected to last the
distance owing to the knockout percentages of both fighters, with Lawler
able to score stoppages in 20 of his 26
wins while Condit crushed 28 of his 30
victims.
The card will be shown live via
Sports5 and Cignals HYPER channel
53 which recently forged a deal that
will give them exclusive rights to air
all UFC cards the next three years.
Filipino fans are well educated in
MMA and very passionate about the
sport. Through this partnership we
hope to be able to expand our coverage
and bring access to audiences across
the Philippines, said UFC executive
Kenneth Berger during a recent press
conference.

UFC world welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (left) and Carlos

Condit face off during the weigh-in for their bout in the UFC 195 on
Saturday (Sunday, Manila time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in
Las Vegas. (MMAJunkie.com)

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Sports

Editor: DING T. MARCELO

Asst. Editor: REY C. LACHICA

18 Sunday, January 3, 2016

E-mail: sports@mb.com.ph

NBA

Lakers rip Sixers

without Bryant
LOS ANGELES (AP) The young
Los Angeles Lakers are eventually
going to have to learn how to play
well as a team minus Kobe Bryant
once he retires at the end of this season.
They had an opportunity Friday
night to gauge themselves as a group
and as individuals without him on
the floor. And it was veteran Lou Williams, who led the way.
Williams scored 12 of his 24 points
in the fourth quarter against his former club and Jordan Clarkson added
19, leading Los Angeles to a 93-84 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Lakers, who were coming off a
112-104 victory at Boston on Wednesday night, have won consecutive games
for the first time since a three-game
stretch last February against Boston,
Utah and Milwaukee.
We're starting to play off each
other, and guys are just being comfortable in their own skin, Williams
said. These past few games we've
played with a lot of confidence and
played at a better pace.
I'm starting to feel like we're understanding how to make the game
easier for ourselves, instead of one or
two guys taking the brunt of the load.
Julius Randle scored 15 off the
bench for Los Angeles in a matchup
between teams with the NBA's two

worst records. The Sixers (3-32) and

Lakers (7-27) have played each other
four times in the NBA Finals, most
recently in 2001.
Both teams shot less than 35 percent from the field through the first
three quarters, with the Lakers holding a 62-60 edge. Nik Stauskas, the first
player off the Sixers' bench, helped
them reduce an eight-point deficit to
73-70 on a dunk with 8:11 remaining after missing his first six shots.
But Williams, who played his first
seven NBA seasons in Philadelphia,
hit a pair of 3-pointers and a 20-footer
during a 15-2 run that gave Los Angeles an 88-72 cushion with 4:21 left.
Rookie forward Larry Nance Jr.
had a season-high 14 rebounds and
eight points for the Lakers on his
23rd birthday while playing on a tender right ankle.
Adrenaline is a powerful thing,
Nance said. I felt it a few times here
and there, trying to rotate on defense
and move my feet. But other than
that, I was fine. All I wanted for my
birthday was a win, and we got that.
Nerlens Noel had 15 points and
12 rebounds for the Sixers, who tied
an NBA record with their 0-18 start
before beating the Lakers 103-91 on
Dec. 1 at Philadelphia.
They caught us slipping in Philly,
but I really didn't think about that,

Williams said. We're a young team

and they're a young team. Sometimes, teams beat us that we feel
shouldn't, so we didn't care about answering them in this game. We just
had to go out and get a win.
Point guard Ish Smith had nine
points and three assists in his fourth
game since returning to the Sixers in a
trade from New Orleans on Nov. 24.
Ish and Isaiah (Canaan) struggled. They went 5 for 30, coach Brett
Brown said. We felt like our defense
was holding the fort, but we weren't
able to make shots to break it open
and their mobility at times got the
better of us.
Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell and 76ers center Jahlil Okafor,
the second and third overall picks in
the draft, respectively, both came off
the bench in their second showdown
as pros after each started in the first
meeting. Russell had six points and
five assists in 26 minutes. Okafor had
12 points and four rebounds in 23
minutes.
Bryant sat out against his hometown team because of a sore right
shoulder, the same one he had surgery on last January to repair a torn
rotator cuff. That forced the NBA's
third all-time leading scorer to miss
the final 48 games of the 2014-15 season.

Philadelphia 76ers' Jerami Grant (center) bungles a shot against Los

Angeles Lakers' Anthony Brown (left) and Fil-American Jordan Clarkson
during NBA action in Los Angeles. (AP)

Whiteside lifts
Heat past Mavs

Raptors
turn back
Hornets

MIAMI (AP) With 17 games to

play in 31 days and two brutal road
trips awaiting, the Miami Heat know
January will be far from easy.
At least it's off to a flying start.
Hassan Whiteside had 25 points
and 19 rebounds, Gerald Green added
19 points off the bench and the Heat
rolled past the Dallas Mavericks 10682 on Friday night to snap a two-game
slide.
You want to be tested, Heat
coach Erik Spoelstra said. You want
to be measured in this league. You
want to be pushed to adversity. ... But
I don't want these guys thinking about
16 more games right now.
Chris Bosh scored 16 points and
Goran Dragic had 15 points and seven
assists for the Heat. Miami adjusted
its starting lineup shortly before tipoff when Dwyane Wade was stricken
by flu-like symptoms. Wade got some
intravenous fluids and checked in early in the second quarter, just his 10th
time playing off the bench in his 13year career. He finished with 10 points
on 5-of-6 shooting.
Whiteside made 12 of 16 shots, and
the Heat enjoyed their biggest victory
margin of the season.
I'm just trying to get my All-Star
ratings up, Whiteside said.
Dallas had just 10 points in the first
quarter its low for any period this
season and shot just 36 percent for
the game, compared to 56 percent for
Miami. The Heat have just four home
games left in January, two of those in
the next five days, and have separate
five- and six-game trips this month.
The bottom line with this tonight
is they played an angrier game, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. The
combination of that, and our shot-making was just not there all night, we just
lost a little bit of our edge.
Zaza Pachulia led the Mavericks
with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Wesley Matthews made four 3-pointers for
his 12 points, and Dirk Nowitzki added
11 points for Dallas, which was playing
for the first time since topping Golden
State on Wednesday.
Dallas' four-game winning streak
was snapped.
Just not a good night overall, on
both ends of the floor, Nowitzki said.
But we kept fighting. Every time we
got a little momentum, we either made
a big mistake on the other end or they
made a big shot.

TORONTO (AP) DeMar Rozan

and the Toronto Raptors found their
groove with just enough time left to
make a move on the Charlotte Hornets.
DeRozan had 23 point and Kyle
Lowry added 18 points and a seasonhigh 11 assists as the Raptors pulled
out a 104-94 victory over the Hornets
on Friday night.
We finally got into a rhythm, got a
couple of stops and that's all we needed, DeRozan said. We had a couple
of possessions where we were going
back and forth and they were scoring.
We just understood that if we got some
stops and some big buckets we would
be right back in the game and we would
be able to take the lead.
Toronto entered the final quarter
trailing by eight points and took the lead
for the first time since the second quarter on a 3-pointer from Lowry with 8:30
to go. With the score tied at 94 about four
minutes later, the Raptors ran off the final 10 points of the game - back-to-back
3-pointers from Lowry and DeMarre
Carrollhelped seal the win.
Charlotte missed its last eight fieldgoal attempts, shooting just 19 percent
in the fourth quarter.
Jonas Valanciunas, in just his third
game back after missing 17 games
with a broken left hand, had his teamleading sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and a game-high 13
rebounds.
Toronto relied heavily on its outside shooting to avenge the 109-99 loss
in Charlotte last month, matching a
season-high with 15 3-pointers on 33
attempts. But Raptors coach Dwane
Casey was less impressed with the
39.6 percent that his team shot from
the field on the night.
I'd love to shoot 45, 47, 48 (percent), but right now we're kind of discombobulated offensively, timing is off,
guys are not exactly in the right places, and trying to get everybody back
in, he said. And we'll get there, but
it's going to take a little time, it's a little
bumpy right now.
The Hornets looked at the loss as a
missed opportunity, particularly after
taking the eight-point lead into the fourth
quarter, but for coach Steve Clifford, that
edge should have been more.
We were right there, he said. We
should have been up eight, 10, 12 at
the end of the third. I think it's pretty
simple.

Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21)

goes for the basket off Dallas Mavericks
forward Chandler Parsons (25) during NBA
action in Miami. The Heat won, 106-82. (AP)

Bulls rout Knicks

CHICAGO (AP) Bobby Portis
talks to himself in the third person
when he gets on the court, saying stuff
like Come on, B.P. to get fired up.
The rookie forward can shoot it from
deep or score inside. And he is making
quite an impression on the rest of the
Chicago Bulls.
Portis had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his third consecutive game
scoring in double figures, and the Bulls
shut down the New York Knicks in the
fourth quarter for a 108-81 victory Friday night.
Not trying to go out there and
score or rebound, Portis said. Just
trying to go out there and just play my
role and bring positive energy.
The 6-foot-11 Portis was a firstround pick in last year's draft, but he
barely played early this season. Then
center Joakim Noah got hurt, and Portis made the most of his chance for
regular minutes.
He is averaging 11.3 points and 6.9
rebounds in his last seven games, and
coach Fred Hoiberg said Portis will remain in the rotation even when Noah
returns.
We're going to continue to find
minutes for Bobby, Hoiberg said.
There is no doubt about it. He's playing too well.
Jimmy Butler scored 23 points as
Chicago won for the fourth time in five

games while avenging a blowout loss

at New York on Dec. 19. Nikola Mirotic
had 17 points and a career-high seven
assists in one of his best games this
season, and Pau Gasol added 17 points
and eight rebounds.
Carmelo Anthony had 20 points and
seven rebounds for New York, which
has dropped five of six. Jose Calderon
went 3 for 3 from 3-point range and finished with 18 points.
We had some shots that didn't go in
to start the fourth quarter and I thought
we got discouraged and we let our energy get turned around the other way and
it just kind of snowballed from there,
Knicks coach Derek Fisher said.
The Bulls blew a 17-point lead before pulling away from the Knicks in
the final period. Portis made two free
throws, Mirotic connected from deep
and Butler had a driving layup to close
out a 20-6 run that made it 97-79 with
4:48 left.
New York managed just eight
points over the last 12 minutes for the
lowest total in franchise history in the
fourth. The team missed 17 of its 19
shots in the final period.
It was just extremely frustrating
to miss all those shots, rookie Kristaps Porzingis said. And that just,
missing those shots, I think our energy
got a little low, and we just couldn't get
good defensive stops.

Wizards rip
Magic anew
WASHINGTON (AP) When the
Washington Wizards wanted to put
away Orlando again, they turned to
John Wall and Kris Humphries.
Wall had 24 points and 13 assists,
Humphries scored all 11 of his points
in the fourth quarter and the Wizards
extended their dominance against the
Magic with a 103-91 victory Friday night.
It was Washington's 11th straight
win - three this season - over the improving Magic, who entered with a 13-5
record since Nov. 25, best in the Eastern Conference. Wall scored 12 points
in the final period and the Wizards
went on a 15-3 run that gave them a 9381 lead with 3:51 left.
Humphries had a season-high 23
points on Nov. 14 in the previous meeting between the teams, and Wall has
been on quite a roll lately. He's compiled eight consecutive games with
more than 11 assists, the only NBA
player to do that this season.
If I knew that a combination was
going to work, I'd be a hell of a coach.
It's just a hunch, Washington coach
Randy Wittman said.
Otto Porter added 20 points and 11
rebounds for the Wizards. Marcin Gortat had 10 points with 14 rebounds.
Victor Oladipo led Orlando with 20
points. Nikola Vucevic had 14.

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Where To Stay
Editor: LORETO D. CABAES
Asst. Editor: BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
B1 Sunday, January 3, 2016

E-mail: business@mb.com.ph

OUTLOOK

ASEAN Economic Community

seen as a trading powerhouse
By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat

he Association of South East

Asian Nations (ASEAN) has
achieved its goal to become
one trade and investment hub
to reckon with in the global economic
arena.
But long before the arrival of January 1, 2016, the official effectivity of the
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC),
the 10 member states had been trading
with each other at zero duty on most of
their goods already.
The AEC Blueprint was adopted
during the 13th ASEAN Summit on
Nov. 20, 2007 in Singapore to serve as
a master plan for the establishment of
the AEC 2015.
Since January, 2010, more than 99.65
percent of goods have been traded at
zero tariff in ASEAN. Very few products remain protected by tariffs within
ASEAN. In the Philippines, these are
primarily agricultural products including rice, sugar, cassava and sweet
potatoes, maize, chicken and swine.
The AEC, in the medium- to long-term,
promises vast opportunities and strong
growth potentials for the country.
By integrating ASEAN economies,
the AEC will become a single market
and production base. AEC is a tool to
make ASEAN become more dynamic
and competitive. The AEC has positioned ASEAN at the center of global
supply chains.

News In Brief
P/$ rate stands
at P47.06/$1

There are four pillars to the AEC:

1) Single Market and Production Base;
2) Competitive Economic Region; 3)
Equitable Economic Development; and
4) ASEANs Integration into the Global
Economy.
The first AEC pillar has five core
elements, namely, free flow of goods;
free flow of services; free flow of investment; freer flow of capital; and free flow
of skilled labor.
The first pillar has been made possible under the ASEAN Trade in Goods
Agreement where tariffs are already
mostly at zero, except for a few products classified as very sensitive. In the
case of the Philippines, it continued to
protect rice with tariffs.
ASEAN also adopted the ASEAN
Framework Agreement on Services
eases restrictions on cross-border trade
in at least 80 subsectors.
The ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement liberalizes, protects
cross-border investment activities, and
embraces international best practices
in the treatment of foreign investors.
ASEAN has also launched the
ASEAN Self-Certification System for
exporters launched.
Other efforts measures include the
ASEAN Single Window Gateway, the
Mutual Recognition Arrangements
(MRAs) on testing standards, ASEAN
Stock Exchanges among five plus
Vietnam and MRAs initially in eight
professions to facilitate the movement

Coconut oil
prices rising
LONDON (Reuters) Coconut oil
prices were rising, bucking an overall
weaker trend on the European vegetable oils market, boosted by concerns
about possible damage to production in the Philippines from a recent
typhoon. Philippine/Indonesian coconut oil asking prices were $15.00 to
$17.50 a tonne higher. Palm oil asking
prices were lower weighed by weak demand and falling crude mineral oil prices. Both Brent and US crude futures
fell as much as 4 percent on Monday
to the lowest levels since the start of
2008 before rebounding strongly later
in the day. Liquid oils rapeoil, soyoil
and sunoil were also lower.

SME Nation
unveils Smart BizKit
Smart SME Nation has launched the
Smart BizKit, a bundled wireless solution that provides small businesses
with connectivity and mobility for
seamless connections with colleagues,
peers, and customers. Smart BizKit
is a communications solution that
combines reliable data, voice and SMS
with quality devices without small businesses having to worry about spending
a huge chunk of their resources. Communicating freely and openly with customers and colleagues is now made
seamless with more data, and unlimited calls and texts to Smart, Sun, and
Talk N Text. These digital resources
can be expanded with additional devices such as a laptop or an iPad Mini for
optimal productivity and performance.
Because of the growth of the digital
customer base, startups and small
businesses have a great potential to
flourish, even without the existence of
brick-and-mortar establishments.

B-2

BSP issues guidelines on rural bank funding program

By LEE C. CHIPONGIAN

The peso exchange rate

closed higher on
December 29,
2015 the last
trading day of the
year at P47.06 to the US dollar at the
Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp.
(PDEx). The weighted average rate
stands at P47.118. The financial markets were closed from Dec. 30 through
Jan. 1 for public holidays. Trading will
resume on Monday, Jan. 4.

of ASEAN professionals in these areas

through recognition of their qualifications.
To foster a competitive economic
region, ASEAN countries and their
institutions have passed laws to protect
consumers and guarantees for intellectual property rights.
To achieve connectivity, the AEC
has endeavored under the ASEAN
Highway Network to physically connect
key roadways, including the priority
Transit Transport Routes, a vital infrastructure and logistics component.
At least 6 out of planned 16 crossborder connections of the ASEAN
Power Grid are already in operation.
The Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline will
connect ASEANs gas pipeline infrastructure.
The agreements and protocols under the ASEAN Open Skies Policy have
been concluded and implemented.
Telecommunication infrastructure
is also undergoing continuous enhancement.
To achieve equitable economic
development, 30 business incubators
and innovation centers have been established under the ASEAN Business
Incubator Network to promote business
matching and development.
The Initiative for ASEAN Integration has developed new approaches so
that the benefits of the AEC are evenly
shared between all mem
ber states.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

(BSP) has issued the implementing
guidelines for the Consolidation Program for Rural Banks (CPRB) which
will be in place until next year.
The implementing guidelines
set out the eligibility requirements
for proponent banks, the procedures
for application and the related documentary requirements, the program
supports and regulatory incentives,
according to a memo signed by BSP
Deputy Governor Nestor A. Espenilla
Jr. The guidelines were approved last
December 11.

Espenilla said the program seeks

to encourage consolidations and
mergers among rural banks to bring
about a less fragmented banking
system by enabling rural banks to
improve their financial strength,
enhance their viability, strengthen
management and governance, generate synergies and economies of scale,
and expand market reach.
Last August, the BSP approved
the circular on CPRB and set aside
another P25 million as financial assistance.
The BSP has signed a memorandum of agreement with Land Bank
of the Philippines and the Philippine

Deposit Insurance Corp. to establish

the CPRB.
The CPRB will be implemented
for two years. The circular included
the guidelines for the implementation of the program. To be eligible,
for example, a bank should have five
branches at least and preferably in the
same region. They must also comply
with a risk-based capital adequacy
ratio of at least 12 percent and combined unimpaired capital of at least
P100 million.
BSP governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said earlier, in announcing
the CPRB, said the P25-million fund
is an additional support on top of the

existing P5-billion Strengthening Program for Rural Banks Plus and it will
come from the Countryside Financial
Institutions Enhancement Program.
Tetangco said the rural banking industry has a role to play in the success
of financial inclusion by virtue of its
grassroots level. There are currently
512 rural banks around the country.
The CPRB covers areas not
included in the SPRB Plus such as
financial advisory, business process
improvement and capacity-building
support ser vices. This is really
meant to encourage consolidation
and mergers, said Tetangco previously.

Sugar posts first gain in 5 years as El Nio ends glut

By Marvin G. Perez
and Gerson Freitas Jr.
(Bloomberg)

After four bitter years, sugar mills

can look forward to sweeter prospects
in 2016.
Prices have rebounded 50 percent
since reaching a seven-year low in
August. Raw-sugar futures traded in
New York posted a 5 percent gain for
the year, their first annual advance
since 2010. The market has finally
swung to a supply deficit after years
of surpluses. And the commodity will
keep rising through the first quarter
of next year, according to the average
of 18 traders and analysts surveyed by
Bloomberg News.
While strong Asian demand is
helping, the revival in sugars fortunes
can be attributed largely to one factor:
El Nio. The weather pattern has cut
the sucrose content in the sugar cane
grown in Brazil, the biggest supplier, as
well as yields in India and Thailand.
The fundamental story supports
prices at higher levels, said Donald
Selkin, chief market strategist at National Securities Corp. in New York,
who helps manage about $3 billion of
investments including commodities.
The market has anticipated the deficit
and demand is increasing in developing
countries.
Raw sugar for March delivery
climbed 0.6 percent to close at 15.24
cents a pound on ICE Futures US in
New York Thursday. Prices may rise
as high as 16.3 cents by the end of the

first quarter, according to the average

estimate. Three of those polled expect
prices to fall by March 31 while the rest
expect the sweetener to rally further.
Global output will fall 4.3 percent to
178.9 million metric tons in the 2015-16
season, which runs from October to
September in most countries, trailing
demand by as much as 8.2 million tons,
according to trader Czarnikow Group
Ltd. A shortfall is expected for the season after that, according to researcher
Platts Kingsman SA and the Londonbased International Sugar Organization. The last time the sugar market had
two straight deficits was in 2010.
Of course, sugars rally could still be
derailed, not least by the possibility of
increased shipments from India where
the government is pushing mills to

make mandatory exports of as much as

4 million tons. And further pressure on
the real would help Brazilian commodity exporters in foreign markets.
The Feds rate liftoff would put upward pressure on the dollar and downward pressure on commodity-market
currencies, said Sameer Samana, a St.
Louis-based strategist for Wells Fargo
Investment Institute, which oversees
$1.7 trillion of investments. The Brazilian situation is still very fluid, theres
still a lot of uncertainty. Its hard to say
that the real is out of the woods.
Jacyr Costa Filho, director of sugar
producer Tereos Internacional SA,
knows only too well the challenges
posed by El Nino. The companys Guarani unit, Brazils third-biggest cane
miller, expects to crush 19.7 million

tons of the plant in 2015-16, down from

20.2 million in the previous season. The
decline is mostly because unusually
heavy rain cut the canes sugar content,
spurring Guarani to stop harvesting
early and leave untouched 400,000 tons
of cane. It wasnt worth the cost of processing, Costa said by telephone.
Of the cane that has been harvested,
Brazilian mills are using more to make
ethanol after domestic demand for the
biofuel jumped. Most cars in Brazil can
run on gasoline or ethanol, and many
consumers have switched to the latter
after the government raised tax on the
former this year. Ethanol also represents the quickest way for processors
to monetize higher commodity prices
after several years of struggle.
As the ethanol goes out the mills
door, the money is credited to the account, which is not true for sugar, said
Fabio Venturelli, chief executive officer
of Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer
Sao Martinho SA. His companys shares
have surged along with the sugar price
since September. For those producers
in need of cash, theres no doubt they
will choose to produce ethanol.
Sugar production is also expected
to shrink in China, to the lowest in a
decade. The European Union will reap
the smallest crop since 1971, according
to forecaster F.O. Licht GmbH.
There are upside risks to sugar
over the long term. said James Govan, a London-based fund manager at
Baring Asset Management. We could
be in a period of multi-year deficits in
sugar.

Yellow Magenta Cyan

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B-2

GSIS earmarks R1.6B

in emergency loans
By CHINO S. LEYCO

State-run Government Service

Insurance System (GSIS) has earmarked P1.6 billion in emergency loan
to members and pensioners in Oriental
Mindoro, Albay, and Sorsogon.
In a statement, Robert G. Vergara,
GSIS president and general manager,
said a total of 49,049 members and 9,315
pensioners will be eligible to avail of the
emergency loan program in those areas
until January 30.
Active members working or residing in the declared calamity areas are
eligible to borrow if they are not on
leave of absence without pay, have no
arrears in paying premium contributions, and have no loans in default (no
unpaid amortization for more than six
months), Vergara said.
Pensioners who are residing in the
calamity areas are qualified to avail of
the program, he added.
The GSIS emergency loan package
consists of an increased credit limit of
P40,000 for active members who have
outstanding balance in their existing
emergency loan and P20,000 for firsttime borrowers and pensioners.
There are 28,980 active members
in Oriental Mindoro, Albay and Sorsogon who may avail of the P40,000 loan,
while 20,069 active members and 9,315
pensioners are qualified to avail of the
P20,000 loan, the pension fund chief
explained.
The loan is payable in three years
or 36 equal monthly installments at six
percent interest per annum computed

in advance and is covered by a loan

redemption insurance, which deems
the loan fully paid in case of death of
the borrower, provided that the loan
repayment is up to date.
Active members may apply using
their GSIS eCard or their unified multipurpose identification (UMID) card
through the GSIS Wireless Automated
Processing System (GWAPS).
These kiosks are located in GSIS
offices, provincial capitols, city halls, selected municipal offices, large government agencies such as the Department
of Education, 27 Robinsons Malls and
SM Super Malls in Manila, Pampanga,
and Cebu.
Pensioners need to personally apply
in the GSIS offices in the calamity areas
and fill out an application form.
Loan proceeds are electronically
credited to the borrowers GSIS eCard
or unified multipurpose identification
(UMID) card.
Active members who have been
affected by Typhoon Nona but are
not qualified to avail of the emergency
loan may borrow from other GSIS loan
windows.
These windows include policy loan
or the Enhanced Consoloan Plus where
members may borrow a maximum
amount equivalent to 14 times their
monthly salary depending on their paid
premiums remitted to the GSIS.
Pensioners, on the other hand, may
avail of the GSIS pension loan where
they could take out a loan of up to six
times their monthly pension, depending
on their age.

AES to complete battery

energy storage mid-2016
By Myrna M. Velasco

The battery-based energy storage

of American firm AES Corporation at
its Masinloc coal plant site in Zambales is up for completion middle of
next year.
That will then add 10 megawatts of
interconnected capacity to its facility
that will expectedly enhance the reliability of the Luzon grid.
As set on blueprint, the proposed
Masinloc Array will be equipped with
the Advancion energy storage solution
of the US firm.
This is a pioneering effort when
it comes to commercial-scale deployment of battery energy storage in the
Philippines, thus, all eyes are on the
outcome of such technology experiment.
The battery installation broke
ground mid-December at the 600-MW
Masinloc plant site graced by AES
Asia strategic business unit president
Marty Crotty along with energy offi-

cials and executives and officials from

the host local government unit.
Following this Luzon grid venture,
AES indicated that it will push next its
planned installations in the Visayas
grid primarily the one targeted for
Kabankalan, Negros Occidental.
According to AES Philippines
managing director Neeraj Bhat, battery-based energy storage will play a
critical role in tomorrows grid, with
the technology helping to improve
stability, lower total system costs and
incorporate higher volumes of renewable energy projects.
For the Kabankalan project, Bhat
said it will improve the Visayas grids
ability to incorporate the significant
volume of solar power coming on-line
in the region in early 2016.
Battery storage is not only offered
in the power marketplace to beef up
supply, but primarily to improve grid
reliability especially in systems with
high penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources.

ASEAN Economic...
In addition, the ASEAN Framework
for Equitable Economic Development
was introduced in 2011.
To integrate ASEAN into the global
economy, the region has forged ASEAN
free trade agreements with six economic partners the Peoples Republic of
China, Japan, the Republic of Korea,
Australia, New Zealand, and India.
STRONGER
What is more relevant with the full
AEC implementation is that the region
has not only become a single production
base and trading area, but has opened
unprecedented access to the markets
of its 6 regional free trade partners.
ASEAN alone has more than 500 strong
and young consumer market.
ASEAN is negotiating the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP), a regional agreement involving ASEAN and its six FTA partners.
RCEP will represent a combined GDP
of about $21.2 trillion, which is about
30% of global GDP, and a market of
3.4 billion people (48% of the worlds
population).
A survey conducted by the US
Chamber of Commerce revealed that
54% of American companies had an
ASEAN strategy in place.
The ASEAN Business Advisory
Council (ABAC) report noted that in the
2013 ABAC Survey on Competitiveness,
almost half of the businesses surveyed
(48% of respondents) said they take
into account the attractiveness of the
ASEAN region as a whole when planning investment strategies.
ABAC said that business interest in
the AEC will continue to rise and start
to develop ASEAN strategies as part of
their corporate policies.
Cielito Habito, chief of party of the
US Agency for International Develop-

B-1

ment ( USAID)-backed Trade Related

Assistance for Development, pointed
out that access to these six nations will
usher in free trade with zero or preferential trade tariffs of 628 million people.
It will turn ASEANs population, into a
much wider regional market of around
3.45 billion people, roughly half the
worlds population.
The Department of Trade and Industry also cited that the Philippines
has already shifted its trade with
ASEAN and Asia. The Philippines used
to trade 60 percent with the US, EU and
the rest. Now, Philippines 60 percent
trade is with ASEAN and Asia.
Since the inception of the ASEANChina free trade agreement in 2010,
Philippine exports to China rose from
$5.7 billion (P 257 billion) to $7 billion
(P315.8 billion) by 2013.
ASEAN has even cited the Philippines for having the highest increase in
utilizing these FTAs, particularly with
the ASEAN-Australia and New Zealand
free trade agreement.
ROADMAPS
As part of the AEC preparation,
the DTI and the Board of Investments
(BOI) have updated its industrial
policies by developing sectoral roadmaps.
The DTI has conducted a series of
nationwide multi-stakeholder conferences to align national and regional
plans for industrial growth.
DTI Assistant Secretary Rafaelita
Aldaba presented the countrys new
industrial policy, potentials and challenges and focused on key industries to
ensure the localization of their respective roadmaps.
Our task is to ensure that gaps
in the agribusiness supply chain are
securely filled-in, and our agribusiness

Business News

WHY NOT?
DR. EMIL Q.
JAVIER

Sunday, January 3, 2016

A misapplication of
the Writ of Kalikasan

There are those who look

at things the way they are,
and ask why . . .
I dream of things that
never were, and ask why
not? . . . Robert Kennedy.

he application of the Writ of

Kalikasan on the conduct of
field testing of Bt eggplant
was unwarranted both on
procedural and substantive grounds.
Associate Justice Marvic Leonen
himself in his concurring majority
opinion pointed out that the petition
for the writ as it assails the field testing permits for Bt talong should have
dismissed and considered moot and
academic. The two-year permits for
the Bt talong field tests were about to
expire and the field tests themselves
have been completed. There was therefore according to Justice Leonen grave
abuse of discretion which amounts to
excess of jurisdiction on the part of the
Court of Appeals.
In fact, Associate Justice Leonen
chided Greenpeace and the other
respondents: . . . Environmental advocacy also requires as understanding
of science and locating of the proper
place of various norms such as the
precautionary principle. . . Filing a
judicial remedy about two years late
and without the required scientific
rigor required by the allegations
and the arguments misses these
standards.
For the Courts to conclude that the
testing and introduction of Bt talong by
its nature and interest is a grave and
present danger (and an assault on)
the Filipinos right to a balanced ecology because the genetic construction
of the Bt talong is meant to eliminate
one feeder (the borer) in order to give
undue advantage (the humans) is
very nave to say the least.
All of agriculture and medicine
are meant to alter/tilt/modify the
balance of nature in favour of mans
needs and purposes against other living things (the weeds, insects, other
pests, parasites, fungi, bacteria and
viruses) which attack crops, livestock
and mans own person.
By this interpretation of the Writ of
Kalikasan the business of agriculture
and practice of medicine will have to
be forbidden.
This quaint theory of balanced ecology misses the point that the balance
in nature is not static but dynamic
and constantly changing. Changes in
the environment whether natural or
man-made alter/modify the natural
order of things and the various components of the ecological systems
accordingly respond/react to attain a
new equilibrium. Species continually
evolve and new species come into being as others less environmentally fit
become extinct.
Actually the greatest threat to biodiversity is the loss of habitat due to
conversion of forestlands, savannahs
and mangroves into farmlands, forpolicies enable stakeholders to engage
in high-productivity and high-value
production. To see the integration of
SMEs in global value chains, we need
to address supply chain gaps, increase
collaboration between the public and
private sectors, and foster the synergy
among the academe, government, and
industry, Aldaba explained.
Some of these critical industry
roadmaps include the automotive,
electronics, chemicals, foods, IT-BPM,
housing, among others.
Some 35 sectoral roadmaps have
been crafted and submitted to the BOI.
The crafting of industry roadmaps at
national and regional levels is privatesector led while government acts as
facilitator and enabler.
These roadmaps could help identify
areas and gaps that need government
intervention in terms of policies and
for the private sector, with its capital,
to look into for possible business opportunities.
The AEC seeks to create a single
market and a single production base
within the ASEAN region, and become
fully integrated with the global market.
In order for us to maximize the opportunities in AEC and the European
Union, we should be constantly improving our efforts to enhance our competi-

(Part 3)
est plantations and fishponds. Thus,
the best way to conserve biodiversity
in addition to seed cold stores and
genebanks (ex situ conservation) is
by way of protected areas (in situ
conservation), the many NIPAS under
the jurisdiction of the Department of
Environment and Natural resources
(DENR) where all mans interventions
are excluded. Corollarily, it is also best
to sustainably optimize production
from the existing farm lands, forest
plantations and fish ponds to obviate
demand for further clearing of natural
habitats.
Moreover, the biochemistry and
mode of action of the specific Cry1A
proteins/toxins artificially introduced
into Bt talong while toxic to the eggplant fruit and shoot borer (FSB) and
other lepidopterans are harmless to
humans, mammals and other insect
orders.
The Cry1A proteins/toxins are
neutralized and digested by the gastric juices in our stomachs into their
component amino acids.
The proteins/toxins to be effective
must adhere to certain molecular
receptors called cadherins which are
found in the gut of susceptible insects.
The human intestine does not have
these specific molecular receptors and
hence this class of toxins is innocuous
to human beings.
Between Bt talong versus the
excessive chemical pesticides used
to control the eggplant FSB, the Bt
technology ought to be safer for all
concerned and more profitable to small
farmers.

Broad Scientific Consensus

in Safety of GM Crops
Since the Greenpeace petition
against Bt talong field trials is in fact
moot and academic, the Supreme
Court (SC) proceeded on its own and
declared the Department of Agriculture Administrative Order (DA-AO) No.
8 series of 2002 as null and void.
This ruling goes much farther than
Bt talong since DA-AO No. 8 provided
the rules and regulations and the legal
basis for the importation and release
into the environment of plants and
plant products derived from the use
of modern biotechnology.
The SC observed that . . . There
exists a preponderance of evidence
that the release of GMOs into the
environment threatens to damage
our ecosystems, and not just the field
trials, and eventually the health of our
people. . .
This is where the SC grievously
erred. There is no unanimity but
there is broad global scientific consensus on the safety of GMO crops.
The following prestigious international and national scientific bodies
have placed on record their endorsement that GMO crops as are safe as
their conventionally produced counterparts; See exact quotes in October
11, 2015 issue of Manila Bulletin Why
not column.
World Health Organization
National Academies of Science
(USA)
The Royal Society (United Kingdom)
tiveness, Aldaba added.
By identifying interventions and
initiatives to upgrade our industries
and MSMEs and strengthening the
competitiveness of our regional economies, we can make our countrys economic growth more sustainable and
inclusive.
The Philippines has been championing the plight not just of the SMEs
(small and medium enterprises), but
more of the micro enterprises. The
objective is to uplift the MSMEs and
integrate them into the global value
chains.
The AEC and the various FTAs
will be for nought if the MSMEs are
left behind.
MSMEs can produce parts, not
necessarily the entire finished product,
for a particular product and be part of
that supply chain.
READY
No less than President Aquino who
declared the countrys readiness for
the AEC as ASEAN leaders inaugurate the establishment of the ASEAN
Community and launch our Vision 2025
at the 27th ASEAN Summit in Kuala
Lumpur.
My country will be ensuring that
it will be implemented in line with our

European Food Safety Authority

American Association of the Advancement of Science
American Medical Association
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Brazilian Academy of Sciences
Indian National Science Academy
Mexican Academy of Sciences
Third World Academy of Sciences
In contrast, as far as the literature
shows, NO RESPECTABLE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE has
expressed objection to GMO crops. Unfortunately, the SC gave more credence
to the anti-GMO concerned scientists
cited by Greenpeace who is a distinct
albeit loud, fear-mongering minority.
Even in the European Union,
where many countries have imposed
a moratorium on the planting of GMO
crops (but not importation and consumption) their chief scientific advisor
Dr. Anne Glover had these very forceful
words to say:
. . . There is no substantiated
case of any adverse impact on human
health, animal health or environmental
health, so thats pretty robust evidence,
and I would be confident in saying
that there is no more risk in eating
GMO food than eating conventionally
farmed food.

Eighty-eight percent (88%) of AAAS

Scientists Say GM Food Safe
The Pew Research Center in collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS) released in January
2015 the findings of the survey of US
adult citizens and US-based members
of AAAS. The survey showed that an
overwhelming majority (88%) of scientists polled agreed that GM foods
are generally safe. This statistic has a
margin of error of 1.7%.
In contrast, only 37% of the American public believe GM foods are safe.
The Pew Research Center is part
of Pew Charitable Trusts, an independent, non-profit, non-governmental
organization founded by the heirs of
John Pew owner/founder of SUNOCO
oil company. It is a conservative organization whose environment portfolio
includes saving the natural environment and protecting the rich array of
life it supports.
The AAAS, established in the US
in 1848, is the worlds largest general
scientific society and publishes the
highly regarded journal Science. It
had 126,995 members in 2008.
The United States is not the universe but if 88% of the scientists surveyed belonging to the AAAS agree
that GM crops are safe, thats about as
close we can get to a scientific consensus. Incidentally, thats a shade better
than the 87% American scientists in the
same survey who agree that climate
change is occurring because of human
activities.
Dr. Emil Q. Javier is a Member
of the National Academy of Science
and Technology (NAST) and also
Chair of the Coalition for Agriculture
Modernization in the Philippines
(CAMP). For any feedback, email
eqjavier@yahoo.com
national development plan, he said.
We are also fully aware that realizing this vision will entail not only the
effort of government, but of the broadest spectrum of society as well: From
business leaders to civil society and
to the common man who dreams of a
dignified life, Aquino said.
The President sees ASEAN performing a greater role for empowerment and inclusiveness in their respective countries.
According to Aquino, the establishment of the ASEAN Community has
signaled to the world that a stronger
ASEAN will be an enduring mainstream built on solidarity and communal progress.
Already, he said, the Philippines
has been attracting foreign investors
interest because they see the bigger
picture in ASEAN.
With the establishment of the
ASEAN Community, Aquino cited the
success of ASEAN since its founding
in 1967.
Then as now, there are challenges
we face together. We mark this milestone in our journey firm in the conviction of securing ASEANs rightful place
in Asia and the world, Aquino said.
The journey for AEC continues.
(BCM)

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Business News

Sunday, January 3, 2016

B-3

Year-end Report

Euphoric over cheap oil prices but

the energy sector is still under siege
By Myrna M. Velasco

(First of Two Parts)

lobally, the call is to institute

policy fixes aimed at greening energy systems but it
must be a transformation of
the existing energy paradigm without
necessarily resorting to rapid and costly
shifts in technology deployments.
But while traversing transition
phases, some markets have their own
domestic problems to solve while fusing
with the world in pursuing a common
objective of preserving a planet of which
resources we just literally borrowed
from the next generations.
As human beings, there is a natural tendency for us to desire having
lives of fulfillment. But this has been
the experts cautionary word on that
ecological deficit frame: There is a
need for efficient and sustainable utilization of energy resources and that a
cleaner energy future is inescapable.
The clock, by far, has already started
ticking
Local energy sector in jitters
In the Philippines, the energy sector
in 2015 opened with fidgety prospects
of probable rolling brownouts because
of extremely tight supply and that
it was anticipated to be compounded
by the shutdown of the main gas fuel
source for major power plants in the
Luzon grid.
The Malampaya gas production
platform was scheduled for maintenance March to April, and that could
cut off gas supply to 2,700 megawatts
of power capacity. Moreover, the shift
to liquid fuels (i.e. condensate) was
seen adding financial burden to the
consumers.
Nevertheless, with the traumatic
yet heedful lessons the industry had
in the November-December 2013 awful
events of electricity price spikes, such
eventuality had been crossed without

Monsada

the anticipated adverse impacts. And

so far even in the electric bills, there
had not been much dissent from the
consumers end.
Taking off from those industry
episodes, the power industry in general
had already turned more prudent on
scheduling power plant shutdowns and
in optimizing their facilities operations
to minimize forced outages that can
trigger power interruptions.
Oscar S. Reyes, President of Manila Electric Company (Meralco), has
opined that the same 2013 lessons must
be kept in the industry players mind
as the country still faces tight supply
scenarios this 2016.
While there are capacity additions
coming on stream this year, they will not
satiate yet the long-term reliable power
supply needs of the country given projections of relentless economic growth
moving forward.
The era of low energy prices
Last year was predominantly a
chill period for the consumers pockets with power bills trimmed down to
a six-year low in a particular month;
while prices at the oil pumps had been
rolled back more often compared to
them hitting uptrends.
Market analysts and watchers have
signified mega-glut in oil supply that

Salazar

may persist even this 2016. But the

flipside had been: Many petroleum
exploration investments and activities
have been halted resulting in job losses.
Multinational oil giants (i.e. Shell and
Chevron) have resorted to multi-billion
capital expenditure (capex) cuts as they
have been reeling hard from squeezed
profits.
For the Philippines, the outcome of
its tender for new contracts under its
2015 petroleum contracting round had
been anemic that even its expected
big league multinational players
had not really advanced to bid submissions.
On the global sphere, Irans oil flow to
market following the lifting of its sanction will contribute to oversupply in
the market. Plus, the indecision of the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on production cut
had not been giving as much prop to the
collapsing oil prices globally.
Prolonged downslide in prices is
apparently a succor in the wallets, but
isnt this just delaying the bad news for
consumers again? In the boom-and-bust
cycle of the industry, the next episode after a depressed state is almost always
fresh round of supply tightness that can
consequently drive up prices.
In the power sector, the drop in oil
prices and the concomitant collapse in

Reyes

coal prices had also pulled down electricity rates. Throughout the year,
power utility giant Meralco made more
announcements of monthly tariff reductions a reversal of the distressing rate
hikes in previous years.
Other than the skidding fuel prices,
market measures such as the secondary cap in the Wholesale Electricity
Spot Market (WESM) had also tempered settlement prices that were subsequently reflected in the bills.
Leadership changeover
The transformative phase in the
domestic energy sector had not only
been in policies and regulatory frameworks, but also in leaderships at both
the Department of Energy and the
Energy Regulatory Commission.
With the retirement of Zenaida G.
Cruz-Ducut in July, former Justice
Undersecretary Jose Vicente B. Salazar
took her place at the ERC. Almost the
same time, former Energy Secretary
Carlos Jericho L. Petila handed over
the DOEs helm to career executive
Zenaida Y. Monsada.
Following the suspension and eventual resignation of Emmanuel R.
Ledesma Jr. as president of the Power
Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM), long-time
vice president Lourdes S. Alzona was

also appointed later on by the company

board to take his place.
It is now in the shoulders of these
energy officials along with those in the
National Power Corporation, National
Electrification Administration and the
Philippine Electricity Market Corporation to craft, re-write and/or enforce
the policy guides, rules and regulatory
edicts for forward investments, projects
and programs in the sector.
So far, the DOE is hitting the road
on injecting further energy diversification as the forthcoming capacity additions in the power sector will chiefly be
coming from coal plants.
Taking cue from her predecessor,
Ms Monsada has indicated that they
will enforce the one-third rule in the
power mix meaning: To balance the
share of each fuel source: 30 percent
for renewables; 30 percent for coal; 30
percent for gas and the rest will be from
other technologies.
On the regulatory front, priorities
are set on clearing up ERC case backlogs; and bringing the restructured
electricity sector closer to the long-desired regime of full retail competition.
Certainly for the country, preparing for the next disastrous event in
an industry will no longer be enough
especially if it wants to stay on track on
its economic rise. Energy leaders then
must start shaping powerful arguments
and urgent actions toward policy and
regulatory fixes and improvements.
And that call for action is now not
tomorrow when the stakes are already
out of hand into the viable solutionfinding realm. (To be continued)

PSALM to revise power supply

contracts with Mindanao off-takers
By Myrna M. Velasco
With its dwindling capacity, staterun Power Sector Assets and Liabilities
Management Corporation (PSALM)
has indicated that it intends to revise
its power supply contracts with various
off-takers in Mindanao grid.
The company, in a statement, has
noted that the contract for supply
of electric energy (CSEE) of the 49
power customers in Mindanao is under
review for the revision of the CSEEs
contracted demand and energy for
these customers,
Fundamentally, PSALM has cited
that the forecast available capacity
from its existing assets will just be hovering at 655 megawatts by next year.
In series of consultations with
affected off-takers (capacity buyers)
and customers, PSALM has discussed

allocation of capacity based on their

demand vis--vis the available capacity
from its remaining generating facilities
in the grid.
The state-run firm said it convened the representatives of Mindanao
power distribution utilities and large
industrial customers to discuss their
contracted energy and equivalent
demand allocation for 2016.
These consultative meetings, it noted, had been in consideration of the
available capacity of the remaining
PSALM-IPP (independent power producer) plants versus current demands
and the Interim Mindanao Electricity
Market (IMEM) concerns.
Relative to the IMEM issues,
PSALM has emphasized that declaration and nomination of capacity protocol had been discussed.
PSALM also conferred with the af-

fected stakeholders on accounting of

quantities of customers with multiple
suppliers, supply from embedded generators and power billings.
Mindanao grid will be having
capacity additions from greenfield
plants coming on stream next year
to compensate for PSALMs reduced
capacity.
The grids supply may still run
problematic though with the El Nino
threat that could substantially de-rate
the capacity of the Agus-Pulangui
hydropower plants on strained water
elevation.
For IMEM, the grids pathway is
to turn that into a full electricity spot
market but the stakeholders have been
batting first for concrete actions and
solutions on the dilemmas they have
encountered in their experimental
market.

Analysts forecast oil prices rising

in 2016 while traders bet on fall
By Henning Gloystein
SINGAPORE (Reuters) A year
ago, after oil prices had halved in six
months, analysts were forecasting a
price recovery in 2015 while many traders were busy shorting the market.
As it turned out, the traders were
correct and oil prices fell by another
third this year. Analysts have now
forecast a pick-up in prices over 2016,
while traders built short positions
on US oil futures to a record in early
December.
The difference in the two views is
on what happens in response to an oil
output surplus that has been estimated
as high as 2 million barrels per day
(bpd) by some analysts.
Many analysts expect a price recovery towards the end of 2016 to pull
up the average for the full year, with
production especially in the United
States falling as drillers succumb to
debt and low revenues.
But traders say analysts based their
outlooks for 2015 on similar reasoning
and are calling it wrong again for 2016,
with oil producers cutting costs to both
survive over the long haul and keep

pumping oil at low prices to service

debt.
The party (of past high oil prices)
is over, at least for the next two to three
years, said Oystein Berentsen, managing director of crude oil at trading
company Strong Petroleum in Singapore, arguing that oil companies have
cut costs to get ready to live with lower
prices for years to come.
With markets tanking in December,
and Brent hitting an 11-year low just
under $36 per barrel, some analysts are
also starting to show signs of reviewing
their forecasts.
US investment bank Morgan Stanley
said in its latest note, published before
Christmas and headlined Headwinds
Growing for 2016 Oil. that the hope
for a rebalancing in 2016 continues to
suffer serious setbacks.
Still, analysts would have to lower
their forecasts sharply to reverse
expectations for a price recovery in
2016. The latest Reuters survey of 31
analysts showed an average price forecast for Brent for next year at $57.95 a
barrel, more than $20 above current
prompt market values.
And most analysts hold to the idea

that production cuts will turn the market around in the coming year.
We are likely getting closer to
a more balanced market, said Ric
Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC
Markets, adding that he expected Brent
to average $45 a barrel while warning
that there would be high volatility.
Yet the market is showing few signs
of faith in a recovery even in late 2016.
The Brent forward curve shows a
price increase of under $7 per barrel
between contracts for delivery in February 2016 and those expiring in the
following December, a much narrower
spread than in previous downturns and
reflecting little trust in any increase
over the year, traders said.
Meanwhile, the average value for
monthly 2016 Brent contracts is $40.89
per barrel, just $3.50 above current
prices and well below the analysts
forecasts for the years average.
The US West Texas Intermediate
(WTI) forward curve is almost the
same, already factoring in a flip into a
premium over Brent that reappeared
for the first time in years this month,
but which has yet to be reflected in
most analyst forecasts.

PLDT BAGS PSE 2015 BELL AWARD FOR CORPORATE GOVERNANCEPLDT was
recently given a Bell Award by the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), its second
since 2013, in recognition for implementing good corporate governance practices.
Launched in 2011, the Bell Awards are given to the top five listed company awardees.
In line with its advocacy for higher levels of corporate governance standards, the
PSE conferred this years Bell Award to deserving trading participants and listed
companies from among 80 shortlisted nominees. Receiving the Award are PLDT
Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, center, and PLDT Group Chief Financial Officer
Annabelle L. Chua, extreme right. With them is PSE Chairman Jose T. Pardo.

SEC hopes to transfer

to PICC before June
By Madelaine B. Miraflor
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is hoping that its delayed
planned transfer to a temporary location will finally take place within the
first half of this 2016, a development
that, according to an SEC high-ranking
official, will help the agency serve the
public better.
The transfer to a temporary office
within the Philippine International
Convention Center (PICC) complex
was targeted to happen before the end
of 2015.
Since this target was not met, SEC
Chairperson Teresita Herbosa said
the intention of the agency is to move
to its new headquarters before June of
this year.
Weve already concretize the move

to transfer office at the PICC. Weve

already signed the contract and the site
will already be under the consultant
for the layout to make our transfer
smooth, Herbosa said in an interview
with Business Bulletin.
It will be in June. But if the layout
and cabling and electricity connections
are finished before that, then theres
nothing that can stop us from transferring, she added.
SEC previously planned to transfer
in an office within a building owned
by Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy
Industries & Construction Corp. in
Bonifacio Global City but the plan was
opposed by some SEC employees.
Herbosa clarified that this time,
SEC employees no longer mind transferring into another location in order
to serve the public better.

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Tel.: (632) 527-0011 Connecting all departments
Fax: (632) 527-0022 to 24

Where to stay in

etro
anila

at the following hotel subscribers of the Manila Bulletin:

Manila Hotel

527-0011

Acacia Hotel Manila

Alabang, Muntinlupa

Century Park Hotel

Crowne Plaza
Manila Galleria
Ortigas Center

633-7222

Edsa Shangri-La

633-8888

Mandarin Oriental
Manila
Makati
Shangri-La

Marriott
Hotel Manila

New World Makati Hotel

Makati City
Oakwood Premier
Joy Nostalg Center
Manila Ortigas Center

633-7111
750-8888

811- 6888
811- 6777

771-7777

Abra Valley

Abra Valley Grand Hotel

Bangued Abra

Grand Hotel

Acacia Tree Garden Hotel

Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Avenue Plaza Hotel

Magsaysay Avenue, Naga City

Bayfront Hotel
Zambales

Canyon Cove Residential

Beach Resort
Nasugbu, Batangas
Baguio Holiday Villas
Baguio City
C Boutique Hotel Baguio
Baguio City
Camayan Beach Resort & Hotel
Subic Bay
Canyon Woods Resort Club
Batangas

CBD Plaza Hotel

Naga City
Casablanca Hotel
Legaspi City
Casablanca Suites
Legazpi City
Crystal Waves
Hotel and Resort
Talavera, Nueva Ecija
Deep Forest Garden Hotel
Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

(052) 480-8334 to 35

Badian Island Beach Resort

Badian, Cebu

ALBA UNO HOTEL

Apas, Cebu City
Alta Cebu Village Resort
Cordova, Cebu

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Pearanda St.,Legazpi City 4500 Philippines Tel No.(052)480-8334 to 35 Fax No.(052)480-8338 e-mail: info@casablancahotel.ph / http://www.casablancahotel.ph

Ananyana Beach
Resort
Panglao Island

Be Resorts
Mactan Island

Bellavista Hotel
Mactan, Cebu
Bohol Beach Club
Bohol

Bohol La Roca Hotel

Tagbilaran City

Bohol Tropics Resort

Tagbilaran City
Bethel Guest House
Dumaguete City
C & L Bay View Inn
G. Teves Street,
Dumaguete City

Castle Peak Hotel

Cebu City
Citi Park Hotel
Cebu City
City Corporate Inn
Iloilo City
Coco Grove Beach Resort
San Juan, Siquijor

Dumaluan Beach Resort

Panglao Island
The Marco Polo-Davao
Davao City
Apo View Hotel
Davao City
1st Avenue Apartel / Inn
Sumpong, Malaybalay

2nd Avenue Hotel

Quirante Ii, Tagum City

Almont Hotel's
Inland Resort
Butuan City
ALU Hotel Davao
corner Padre Faura
Street, Davao City
Amandari Cove
General Santos City
Arnaldo's
Hotel and Restaurant
Digos City
Anisabel Suites
Davao City
Ariano's Inn
And Restaurant
Butuan City
Azienda Meo
Apartelle
Davao City
Bahay-Bakasyunan
Sa Camiguin
Misamis Oriental
Balanghai Hotel / Mazaua Island Resort
Butuan City

ALM NT

BELDENT STAR HOTEL

Beldent Star Hotel

Tacurong City
Big Apple Hotel
Davao City
Bluejaz Beach Resort
and Water Park
Island Garden City Of
Samal, Davao

Blue Velvet
Hotel and Caf
BlueVelvet Hotel and Caf
Davao City
Bonhomie Leisure and Resort
Davao Oriental

PENSION HOUSE

Cabua-An Beach Resort

Mambajao, Camiguin
Camp Anatolia
Kimagango, Midsayap
North Cotabato
Casa De Rosario
Residence Inn
Davao City
Casa Ruby
Pension House
Davao City

Azucena
Casa

Casa Azucena

Cagayan De Oro City

Chali Beach Resort

Zone -3, Cugman,
Cagayan De Oro
Chateau Del Mar
Resort Hotel

Lizada Beach, Davao City

City View Pension Hauz

General Santos City
Cotabato Diamond Hotel
Cotabato City
Country Village Hotel
Cagayan De Oro City

Great Eastern
Hotel-Makati

(632)
318-0788

Vivere Hotel & Resorts

Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Hotel Stotsenberg
Pampanga
Macagang Hotel & Resort
Nabua, Camarines Sur
Venus Parkview
Resort Hotel Baguio City

Garden
Plaza Hotel

637-7888

551-5555

Discovery
Suites
Great Eastern
Hotel

Fersal Hotel
Malakas, Diliman

Greenhills lan
Hotel Modern
Makati Palace
Hotel

771-8181
854-8888

Hotel
Rembrandt
Hotel Kimberly
Manila
Lancaster Hotels
Lido De Paris Hotel
Sta. Cruz
Lotus Garden
Hotel

526-1555
719-8888
371-8282

Fontana Hot Spring

Leisure Parks
Pampanga

(045)
499-0777
(054)
288-3091

EGI Albergo Hotel

Baguio City

(074)
442-5597
442-6452

El Masfino
Resort and Hotel
San Rafael Bulacan
Elegant Star Apartelle
Tagaytay City

(074)
752-8933

(048)
433-0123
(054)
473-9999
(047)
252-1948

Eurotel
Baguio City

Eurotel
Naga City
Camsur
Farmhouse Hotel & Cafe
San Jose City, Nueva Ecija

Naga City

(02)
908-1111

(02) 750-2507
889-7827
(074)442-6679
(074)
619-0158
(02) 945-7777

Filipiniana Hotel
Or. Mindoro
Go Hotels
Puerto Princesa

(047)
252-8000

Grandview Tower Hotel

Angeles City

(632)
521-7878
Fax: 664-6169

Hotel Fleuris Palawan

Puerto Princesa City

Hotel Gregorio
Batangas

(054) 472-0318
(02) 359-7007

Hotel
Gregorio
Batangas

(052)
480-8334
480-8335

Hotel Kimberly
Tagaytay
Hotel La Corona
De Lipa Batangas

(044)
411-0834
09237194074
09204599148
(048) 434-1702
433-3877
09052823129

Hotel Lorita Tuguegarao

(032)
401-3303
to 05

F & C GUEST HOUSE

Canlaon City

(032)
520-5000
505-2111
0917 3205 005

Go Hotels Bacolod

(032)
496-7399
(038)
502-8101

Go Hotels Dumaguete
Go Hotels Iloilo

(6332)
236-8888

Go Hotels Tacloban

(032)
340-7821
(038)
411-5222

Goldberry Suites & Hotel

Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu

Grand Dame Hotel

Iloilo City

(038)
411-3798
411-3179

Grand Regal Hotel

Bacolod City

(038)
411-3510

GT Hotel - Bacolod City

Harbor Town Hotel

Iloilo City

(035)
422-8000
225-2000
422 8011
09176339575

Honeycomb Tourist Inn

Dumaguete City

Hotel Cesario
Mactan, Cebu

(032)
233-1811
(033)
335-0166

09173251292
09399155123
(035)422-9820

Hotel De Mercedes
Cebu City

Hotel Del Rio

Iloilo City

TelNo.:(033)335.1171to74FaxNo.:(033)337.0736

Hotel Essencia
Dumaguete City

(038)
502-9092

Iloilo Grand Hotel

Iloilo City

(082)
221-0888

Cresta Del Rio Splash Resort

Koronadal City

(082)
221-6431to 40
221-2281
(088)
221-3224
09177229850

D'Counter Executive
Davao City
D'leonor Hotel
J. P Laurel
Avenue, Davao City
D'leonor Inland Resort
Buhangin,
Davao City

655-6238

(085)
342-7414

(63 82)
227-5232
226-3756

(083)
554-2654
826-1074
826-1070
(082)
553-3314
553-3411
0999 993 9060

(+6382)
225-8114
(085)
342-7462
225-9431
(082)
284-6689
227-4119
(088)
387-0131
09177212798
(085)
342-3064
345-5864
(064)
200-3698
200-4734
(082) 234-1399
234-1339 Fax:
(082) 234-8459
09199101281
(082)
304-650
Fa x ( 0 8 2 )
300-6327
(082)
300-2000
300-8800
305-2888
09331123067
(082)
284-1847

(088)
387 2103
09197257402
09399168034
09129496400

(043)
757-3178

Hotel Ivory
Tuguegarao City

481-0788
481-0789

(032)
422-8833
422-3388

Eurotel
Angeles City

Angeles City

Dmorvie Suites
Yacapin Branch Cagayan De Oro City
Dmorvie Suites
Capistrano Branch Cagayan De Oro City

Dmorvie Suites
Lapasan Branch Cagayan De Oro City

Dmorvie Suites
C.M. Recto Davao City
Dmorvie Suites
San Pedro Extension, Davao City
Dmorvie Suites Iligan Branch
Iligan City

Davao Fortune Inn

Davao City
Duka Bay Resort
Misamis Oriental
Duka Bay Resort

Medina, Misamis Oriental

(088) 857-5488
09198239094

Driggs Pension House

General Santos City
Eagle's View Hotel
Dalisay Road, Tagum City

Gingoog Mountain Air Hotel & Eastland Restaurant

Gingoog City
(088) 861-1359
8842-7999

Eagles View Hotel

ct
ma Vi orias In
n
Em

El Bajada Hotel
Bajada, Davao City
Embassy
Hotel and Restaurant
Butuan City

Emma Victoria's Inn

Davao City
Enricos Inn and Apartelles
Davao City

Executive Hotel
Ozamis City
Executive Pension
Cagayan de Oro City

(082)
Family Country Hotel
295-9155
Convention Centre
282-4822
FCH
General Santos City
282-4771
(082)
Florotel Gensan
Duka Bay Resort
226-2335
Medina, Misamis Oriental
General Santos City
(088) 857-5488
09189425442
09198239094
(088)
Frances Inn
856-3402
Ecoland, Davao City
09236593973
(088)
Gingoog Mountain Air Hotel
855-2108
& Eastland Restaurant
855-5941
Gingoog City
to 42
(082)
Goat 2 Geder
Hotel & Eastland Restaurant
234-3472 Gingoog Mountain Air
Hotel and Restaurant
Gingoog City
305-8998
(088) 861-1359
Butuan City
8842-7999
235-2516
(083) 552-7337
Grand Men Seng
301-6096
Hotel
303-1588
Davao City
0923 2327 120
GOAT 2

(064)
421 6170
421 5118

858-3004
858-3006

GEDER

Greenstate Suites
Koronadal City
Hannie's Inn
Davao City

The Oasis Paco Park

Royal Bellagio
Hotel
Sir William`s
Hotel
Stone House
Bed & Breakfast

638-7777

526-8088

Copacabana
Apartment Hotel

Best Western Oxford Suites

Makati City

400-0088

Aloha Hotel

813-8888

Manila Manor
Hotel

+632
588-6688
354-4151

526-1212

Citystate
Tower Hotel

988-9999

(02)
312-9999

Manila Pavilion
Hotel

B Hotel
Muntinlupa City
City Garden
Hotel Makati
City Garden Suites

(632)
928-9888
908-7888

Pan Pacific Manila

The Bellevue
Manila
The Heritage
Hotel Manila
Sofitel
Philippine Plaza
Bayview
Park Hotel

The Pearl
Manila Hotel
The Richmonde
Hotel

528-8888

238-8888

Holiday Inn
Manila Galleria
Ortigas Center

Ramada
Manila Central
Binondo

720-2000

Dusit Thani
Manila

F1 Hotel
Global City Taguig

The Exchange Regency

Residence Hotel
Pasig City

Timog, Q.C.

828-8181
828-8585
828-8383

The Sul Riviera

The Copa
Businessmans Hotel
Tri-place
Hotel & Apartelle
24h Apartment
Hotel, Makati City

899-1111
536-1451

708-9600
to 09

Armada
Hotel Manila
Malate, Manila

851-8888

Azotea Suites
Bel Air Makati

426-7308

Best Western Plus

Antel Hotel
Makati City
Brentwoods Suites
Quezon City

522-4835
898-2888

Broadway Court
Apartelle

744-7979

Cocoon Boutique Hotel

Quezon City
Eastwood
Richmonde Hotel
Quezon City
Eurotel
Las Pias
Branch
Eurotel
Araneta
Branch
Eurotel
North EDSA

899-0344
373-3333
521-1888
532-1818
(02) 708-8888
to 91
498-8888 to 91

L uzon

Eurotel
Pedro Gil

522-1515

Hotel Luna
Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

(02)
576-6463/9526
(045) 599-5000

Hotel Supreme
Baguio

(074)
424-2620

(02) 5 4 2 - 9 5 3 7
542-9150
924-2443
924-2456
(046)
483-0491
0916 2209934
0928 6844186

Hotel Veniz - Baguio City

Inn Rocio - Baguio City

355 - 0000
(045)
624 - 0229
355-0000
(074)
444-3876

Java Hotel - Laoag City

Kartini Hotel - Kawit, Cavite
La Maja Rica Hotel & Restaurant
Ligtasan, Tarlac City

355-0000

(044)
806-1167
09175367250

Laoag Renzo Hotel

Laoag City

(043)
286-2624
(048)
4340001-03

Lee Boutique Hotel

Tagaytay
Le Monet Hotel
Baguio City
Lendes Tourist Inn - Naga
Almeda Highway, Naga City

(045)
304-1015
892-8555
(048)
434-4338
434-4339

Lendes Tourist Inn - Banasi

Bula, Camarines Sur
Lendes Tourist Inn - Baao
Baao, Camarines Sur
Lendes Tourist Inn - Pili
Pili, Camarines Sur

(043)
757-3178
(078)
844-1275
846-1722

(046)
483-8888
(043)
756-1223

Magallanes Square Hotel

Sta. Rita Road Tagaytay

Moonbay Marina
Villas Zambales

MAGALLANESSQUAREHOTEL,INC.
MagallanesSquareComplex
MagallanesDrive,TagaytayCity
Tel.No:0465440062
FaxNo:0464133918
EmailAdd:magallanessquarehotel@yahoo.com
SunNo:09228043129/09228043125
GlobeNo:09175047820

(078)
844-1390
846-2565

Mountain Lodge
Hotel & Restaurant Baguio City

(035) 4003 368

09175597919
09999953440

Injap Tower Hotel Iloilo

Iloilo City

(035)
522-1100
or 02

Kapis Mansions
Roxas City
Kings Hotel
Bacolod City

(033)
335-0375
335-0249
335-0486

(053)
5230391-93

Lawaan Garden Inn

Roxas City, Capiz

Mango Park Hotel

Cebu City

+63 32
239-0000
+63 32
239-0619

(033)
320-5252
320-5353
(034)
708-5888
432-0888
(034)
432-1888
to 89

Manhattan Suites Inn

Dumaguete City
Maribago BlueWater
Beach Resort
Mactan, Cebu

Montebello Villa Hotel

Banilad, Cebu City

(033)
337-2384

Movenpick Hotel
Mactan Island , Cebu
MVW
Restaurant & Tourist Inn
Roxas, Capiz
Rm Guest House
Dumaguete City

(035)
225-1181
422-3184
09228393435

(032)
340-0211
(032)
253-1105

(033)335-1171
to 74
337-0736
(035)
422 1137
09177007735
09088202123

O Hotel
Bacolod City

Pension Bacolod
Bacolod City
Plantation Bay
Mactan, Cebu

M indanao

(033)
335-1801
to 04
(083)
228 8998
228 7160
(082)
226-2045
221-8651

Radisson Blu
Hotel & Resort
Cebu City

Hill Park Inn

and Restaurant
Midsayap, Cotabato

Hillsview Inn & Inland Resort

Trento, Agus and Del Sur

Hotel Angelo
and Restaurant
Midsayap, Cotabato

(082)
221-1160
(082)
302-6158
302-6152

(088)
856-9080
(082)
852-2015
(082)
856-7197

Hotel De Crisbelle
Davao Del Sur
Hotel De Susana & Restaurant
Valencia City, Bukidnon

Hotel Elena
Davao City
Hotel Esse
Davao City

(082)
221-0075
09425918521

Hotel San Marco

General Santos City
Hotel Sogo
Cagayan De Oro City

(082)
285-3756
(063)
223-3255

(081)
221-0819

(088)
331-2288
0917-483268
(083)
553-0088
09179089731
(084) 655-6115
0929-979-4919
Fax: (084)
655 6114

(082) 221 2729

+63 927 9795179
+63 920 2473002
+63 923 8063887

(085)
342-5883
225-9560

(082)
297-5523

(082)
297-7692
321-1042
09189003792

(088)
521-0360
09177220360
(088)
856-4360
09177004360
(083)
552-8895
to 97
301-0774

(083)
554-0880
(082)
295-6463
301-8549
(088)
861-1359
8842-7999
(085)
341-7871
341-1657

(082)
221-9040
(083)
228-5409
520-1816

(082)
297-3315 to17
297-3485

Hotel Uno
Davao City
H

TAVERN

Eurotel
Makati

Fersal Hotel
Annapolis, Cubao

521-2371

Fersal Hotel
Kalayaan, Diliman

899-5555

Fersal Hotel
Manila

371-4333

Fersal Hotel
P. Tuazon Cubao

Fersal Hotel
Makati
Go Hotels
Mandaluyong

724-7551

924-5051

844-8811

Go Hotel Otis-Manila

(632)
410-4111
410-8658
410-6981

Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

Ayala Center, Makati City

(02)
899-2424

Hostel 1632

355-0000
844-8645

+63(2)812-7477

912-5852
912-2691

Oyster Plaza Hotel

Paraaque City

Paragon Tower
Hotel Manila

924-2689
912-2691
742-7292
912-2691

Raffles and Fairmont

Makati
Makati City

Riviera Mansion
Malate, Manila

912-8000
912-2691
897-9123
912-2691

Robbinsdale Hotel

0922-4646835

San Carlos Mansion

+63 (2)
354-1053

Seda BGC Bonifacio Global City,

Taguig City

Sogo Regency
Hotel, Manila

(632)
909-0888

Southhomes Apartelle
Timog-Q.C.

522-8888

St Giles Hotel
Makati City

(02)
829-1925
826-9610
526-5541
to
526-5547

555-9888

523-4511

716-1262
523-8110
(632)
945-8888

522-7646
928-4647
410-4461
988-9888
988-9883

238-6100

The Bayleaf
Intramuros, Manila

(632)
318-5000

(63 2) 403-0888
403-0808
Fax No. 403-0854
403-7572

Hotel Celeste
Makati City
Hotel H20
Luneta, Manila
Icon Hotel
North Edsa

415-9385

The Contemporary
Hotel

716-8266

927-8888

Jade Vine Executive Inn

Ermita Manila

524-8601
to 05

526 0888
338-0983
898-3695

Apartelle
San Juan City

722-7411
726-2931
(02)
921-2706
to 08

Apartelle
Mandaluyong City

Luxent Hotel

(02)
570-7777

Timog Ave., Q.C.

355-0000
806-7646
355-0000
995-8452
355-0000
376-7096
355-0000
523-5256

Manila Airport Hotel

Paraaque City
Millenia Suites
Pasig City
The Orange Place
San Juan City
The Orange Place
Quezon City

+63 2
373-3333
376-5059

Matabungkay
Beach Hotel Batangas

(074)
443-2016

Nagaland Hotel
Naga City, Camarines Sur

(074)
446-0700

Palawan Uno Hotel

Puerto Princesa, Palawan

887-8080
Be central

531-0173
to
531-0177

Tune Hotel
Aseana City

(02)
922-8888

Tune Hotel
Ermita

(632)
708-9888

Tune Hotel
Makati City

(632)
817-0888

Tune Hotel
Ortigas City

(632)
656-0888

Tune Hotel
Quezon City

(632)
426-0567

Y2 Residence Hotel

(02)
224-3000

854-7549
to 50

(02)
7528552
09088870596

(077)
770-4898
(632)
781-3632

Radiant Star Apartelle

Tagaytay City

(046) 413-2456
544-0050
0926 6977948
09174091514

(054)
228-0018
(054)
066-3239

(054)
477-7644
228-0008

(046)
544-0062

(047) 252-9718
252-1663
250-2099
252-8518

(074)
442-4544

Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel

Subic

Subic Bay Yacht Club

Zambales

THEEXQUISITEHOTELANDBUSINESSMANAGEMENTGROUPCORP.
Bldg.675CanalRoad,SubicBayFreeportZone,2222Philippines

TelephoneNumber:(047)2521888or09178363942Facsimile:(047)2528404Email:customer_service@subicbayveneziahotel.com

Sunlight Guest Hotel, Inc.

Puerto Princesa City,
Palawan

Summer Place Hotel

Baguio City

(054)
473-2111
09177000040
(048)
433-9999
433-0455

Paseo Premiere Hotel

Santa Rosa Laguna
Princesa Garden Island
Resort and Spa
Puerto Princesa Palawan
Queen Margarette Hotel
Lucena City
RK Hotel
Subic Bay Gateway Park

Star Plaza Hotel

Dagupan City
Starview Hotel
Naga City
Subic Bay Hotel Venezia
Zambales
Subic International
Hotel Zambales

Torre Venezia Suites

Quezon City

(632)
4702306-08
Fax: 4702314
(632)
726-6712
726-6713
(632)
926-8985
421-1398

(049)
502-8123 to 27
(02)3105603
to 04
(048)723-1356 to 59
09989753768
(02)744-7979 to 82
0917-8739974

(074) 611-0202
(02)376-5059
09175267049
(054) 472-257
4228-065 7
09258020706

828-4774
(02)
332-1658
to 60
(632)
866-0888

726-2911
726-2916

(02)372-0311
(074)
442-4028
(077)
770-5996
(02)246-1010
(046)
489-8581
489-8582
(045)
611-2053 to
611-2055

SKYLIGHT HOTEL
Puerto Princesa
Palawan
Skyrise Hotel
Apartelle & Restaurant
Baguio City

The Picasso Boutique

Serviced Residences
Makati City

Taal Vista Hotel

Tagaytay City

Tam-awan Village
Baguio City
Terrace Hotel
Subic Bay

(042)
373-7171 to 73
373-4889
Fax: 373-7604
373-6218

The ADC Hotel

Naga City

The Lake Hotel

Tagaytay

(047)
252-9996 to
252-9998

The Lighthouse Marina Resort

Moonbay Marina Complex

(048)
434-7172
to 76
(074)
445-6834 to
445-6836

The Montevista Villas, Academy Lane,

Mimosa Leisure Estate
Pampanga, Philippines

The Starmark Hotel

Peafrancia Ave., Naga City

(075)
523-4888
515-2276
523-4111

Tune Hotel
Angeles City

Villa Caceres Hotel

Naga City

(054)
472-6892
(047)
252-1888
(047)
252-2222
(047)
250-2630
250-7274

Vista Marina
Hotel & Resort
Zambales

(6348) 434-2334

Fax (6348) 434-2003

(632) 242-6638
loc. 175
(02)783-8355
788-8350
(074)
446-5400 to 01
(632) 917-8225
(6346) 413-1000
(63)9178091254

(074)
446-2949
442-5551

(047)
250-2730
to 32

(054)
472-2328 or 26
09052019225
09493617784
(02)584-4470
(046)
413-4680 to 81

(047)
252-5000
(6345)
599-7000
(632) 584-4047
584-4007

(054)
205-0051
(045)
459-0888

(054)
473-6530

(047)
252-3373

(02) 844-5777
(047) 252-5211

Subic Grand Seas Resort

Olongapo

(047)
222-8541
09178447327

Rajah Park Hotel

Cebu City

(032)
412-3337

isayas

Iloilo Midtown Hotel

Iloilo City

+63(34)
441-0506
+63(932)
852-9362

525-9065
899-7888
798-0798

Hotel Tavern
Surigao City

Ice Castle
Experience Hotel
General Santos City
Infinity Suites
Bo. Obrero, Davao City
Innside Room Hotel
Tagum City,
Davao Del Norte
Isla Jardin Del Mar
Gumasa,
Sarangani Province
Iyle Londoners Inn
Province of Davao Oriental
Jade Dragon's Suites
Aurora Jacinto Street,
Davao City
Jovinaj
Traveler's Inn
General Santos City
Jazzy James Country Hotel
Davao City
Jienos Garden Beach Resort
Pantukan, Compostela
Valley
Magnaga Waters
Beach Resort
Compostela Valley
Mallberry Suites
Business Hotel
Cagayan de Oro

Marco Hotel
Cagayan De Oro City
Mergrande Ocean Resort
Davao City
Microtel Inn and
Suites Davao
Davao City

Molave Hotel
Tagum City
My Hotel
Davao City
Maxze Bed & Breakfast
Davao City

(033)
336-6888
(0928)
985-0999

Salamangka Beach and Dive Resort

San Juan, Siquijor

(033)
330-7100

(036)
621-7718
(034)
434-4500

The Bellevue Resort

Panglao Island, Bohol
The Orchard Cebu
Hotel, Cebu City

(036)
621-6255
0917-3121-720
0998-9753-612

Tune Hotel - Cebu City

(032)
233-5695

Yoyongs Travellers Inn

Negros Occidental

(035)
422-8200
(032)
231-3681

(082)
224-1390
224-1391
(083)
303-5314

0923717 0389

(082)
227-0788
305-1847

(0929)
969-0806
(084)2166379
(0917)7191956
(0923)2802018

(088)
855-7999

855-5959
09177027002
(+63-82)
298-4100
(+63-82)
298-4101

(082)
233-2333
(084)
655-6938
655-6939
655-9379

(082)
300-4040
222-2021
(082)
233 0071
09998863306

Boracay
Beach Club

BoracayRegencyBeach
Boracay
Island

(036)2886111/2886777

Boracay Haven Resort

Boracay Island

BoracayHills Hills
Boracay
(036)2883315
Boracay
(036)2883764
Island

Boracay Mandarin
Island Hotel
RedCoconut

Malay,
Aklan
BeachResort
TheBoracayBeachResort

Sitio Bolabog, Boracay Island

Boracay Tropics
Boracay Island
WillysBeachClubHotel
Villas
Cohiba

Boracay Island

(036)2883208
(036)2884288

(036)2883794to97

http://www.cohibavillas.com
sales@cohibaboracay.com
cohiba.villas-boracay
skype:
Tel. Fax: +63 36 288 4792
Mobile No.:+63 9177230649

RegencyLagoonResort
(036)2882828

New Dawn
Pensionne

Cagayan De Oro City

Le Grand Suites
City Heights, General
Santos City

Le Reve Resort
North Cotabato
Marex Beach Resort
Island Garden City Of Samal

(082)
553-5473
553-5970

(087)
388-4615

09267921478
(088)
828 4482

09156189085

(036) 288-3507
Boracay(036)
Ocean
288-3758 Bay Resort
Boracay Island

(064) 229-9436
521-4090
09461911409
09205555049

(083)
893 0032
09197687544
09067652174

BeachHotel

0999 880 4526

0948 788 4255

(084)
216 4553
09228625339

Red Coconut

(064)
229 8550
229 6018
0917721 2813

(082)
285-0001
285-0002
285-0005

(032)
402-9900

(083)
554-4423
826-9026

(63)32
505-9800

(086)
826-3280
(0922)
849-6443

7 Stones Boracay Suites

Malay Aklan
Vista de Boracay
Alta

BoracayGardenResort

(036)2886633
Boracay
Island
ResortandConventionCenter

433-3377
(034)
434-7065

(083)
301-1818
09228217332
(088 )
852-0383
(02) 401-9285
(082)
282-1111
09255111011

(036)
621-2956
621-1216
(035)
422-4000
(034)
433-7401
708-8889

(082)

227-3773
295-3485
09227152573

+63 32
492-7777
+63 02
799-1111

(082)
233-1941

Boracay

(632) 417-5751
(6332)
492-0100

Marianne Suites

A. Luna Streets,
Cagayan De Oro City

NEW ESTRELLA TOWNHOUSE

JulioPacanaSt.Licoan,CagayandeOroCity

Mis.Or.Philippines

New Estrella
Townhouse
Cagayan De Oro City

Orchard Hotel
Bajada, Davao City

Tel.#(08822)745126/(088)8521441

Limketkai Luxe Hotel

Cagayan De Oro City
Palm Residence Inn
Davao City
Paras Beach Resort
Yumbing, Camiguin
Paseo De San Francisco Suites
Agusan Del Sur
Paradise Island
Park & Beach Resort
Samal Island Davao
Park Inn
By Radisson Davao
Davao City
Parkway Hotel
Surigao City
Paulas Hotel
Misamis Oriental
Pearl Farm Beach Resort
Davao City

Pearl Suites
Davao City
Pearlmont Inn
Cagayan de Oro City
Ponce Suites Hotel
Bajada, Davao City
Pryce Plaza Hotel
Cagayan De Oro City
Precious Garden Of Samal

www.precious-garden-samal.com

PTCHostel
Agusan Del Sur
Rhapsody Suites
Cagayan De Oro City

Roadhaus Hotel
Dadiangas City Heights,
General Santos City
Secret Cove Beach Resort
Camiguin Island

Sequoia Inn
Davao City

Seda Abreeza
Davao City
Sonreir Apartelle
Calinan, Davao City

Jony's Beach Resort

Malay, Aklan
La Esperanza Hotel
Kalibo, Aklan

09175886873
(632) 771-8181
(6338)
422-2222
422-2202

(032)
344-1322
(032)
232-0888

(034)
729-3835
09273032166

(036)
288-9888
(036)
288-4853
(036)
288-5729
(036)
288-3315
288-3764

(036)
288-3444
(02)567-1672

(036)
288-1759

(02)
887-0581
812-5821

(036)2883457
(036)2885190

(036)288372830

(02)634358183

(036)2885222

BoracayGardenResort
Lingganay
Boracay
Hotel

(036)2886633
Resort
Malay, Aklan

Nigi-Nigi
Too
Beach Resort
BoracayRegencyBeach
Boracay Island

BoracayGardenResort
ResortandConventionCenter

(036)2886633
One
Boracay Resort
OneMGMBoracayResort
MGM

(036)2886111/2886777
andConventionCenter
and Convention Center

Boracay Island
ResortandConventionCenter
BoracayRegencyBeach

Marzon
Hotel

(036)2886111/2886777

BoracayHills
Aklan
TonglenBeachResort
Kalibo,
(036)2883315

(036)
288-1601

Eurotel
Boracay Island

Boracay Island

(036)2883764
Marzon
Beach
Resort
BoracayHills
(036)2883315
Malay,
Aklan

(036)2883764
Red
Coconut
Beach

Red Coconut
RedCoconut

Resort
BoracayGardenResort
Boracay
Island
Red CoconutBeachHotel RedCoconut
BeachResort
(036) 288-3507
BeachHotel
BeachResort
288-3758
Sea(036)
Wind
Boracay
TheBoracayBeachResort

(036)2886633

BoracayRegencyBeach
(036) 288-3507
ResortandConventionCenter

(036)
(036)2886111/2886777

288-3758

The
TheBoracayBeachResort

(036)2883208

BoracayHills
Boracay
(036)2883208 Beach Resort
(036)2884288

(036)2884288
(036)2883315
Boracay
Island
(036)2883764

Red
Coconut
WillysBeachClubHotel
RedCoconut

WillysBeachClubHotel
BeachHotel
BeachResort
(036)2883794to97
(036) 288-3507
(036)
(036)2883794to97
288-3758

Water Colors Boracay

TheBoracayBeachResort
(036)2883208Dive Resorts

(036)2884288

Boracay Island,

The District Boracay

Malay, Aklan

WillysBeachClubHotel
RegencyLagoonResort
(036)2883794to97
Willy's
Beach Club Hotel

(036)2882828

Boracay Island

RegencyLagoonResort

(036)2882828

RegencyLagoonResort

355-0000
861-8658
(63) 36 2886119
/ 2886274-75
Fax No
(63) 36 2883119

(036)
262-3989
268-9254

(036)
288-5734
(036)
351-4017
994-1145

(036)
288-3728 to 30
(02)634-3581
to 83
(036)
268-2188
268-2184
to 86
(036)
288-3131
09218104433
09159367222

(036)
288-3507
288-3758

416-4010
415-1285

(036)
288-3208
288-4288
(63 36)
288-2324 - 27
288-1448
(063)
288 -6745
to 6746
(036)
288-3794
to 97

(036)2882828

(036)
288-4792

857-1776
09229192806
(083)
301-2289
09173313800
09399062218
09399052343
(0928)
732-1893
302-1460
(088)
880-2123
(08822)
745-126
(088) 852-1441

(082)
300-8855
(88) 880-0000
(02) 779-5240
(082)
305-0505
222-5225
09175684720

(088)
387-9117
09177152285
(+6385)
343-8048
(+63999)
309-1065

(082)
233-0251

(082)
272-7600
272-7601
(086) 231
5116 / 231
5141 to 46
567-1135
09174308131

(082)
221-9970

(082)
282-1294
09301269185
(088)
856-2653
to 55
(082)
227-8161
227-9070
(08822)
726-464
(088) 858-3131

(082)
303-2818
09176347037
09179111252
(088)
857-1101
09328469358
(083) 553-8888
553-5335
Telefax No.
553-1771

(088)
387 9084
387 9184

(082)
300-3636

Southern Tourist Inn

Davao City
Sunflower Hotel
Davao City

Sydney Hotel
General Santos City
Square Suites
General Santos City
T'boli Hotel
and Restaurant
General Santos City

TCC Condo Hostel

Toril, Davao City

The Dynasty Court

Hotel
Cagayan de Oro City
The Farm @ Carpenter Hill
Koronadal City, South
Cotabato

(082)
221-7431
(082)
221-5011
305-3531

(083)
552-5479
552-5480
552-5481

(083) 552-5127
09228362516
09126007323
(083)
302-2648
553-7586
302-6652

(082)
291-3800
(08822)
72-4516
72-7825

(083)
228 1888
228 9010
09189210425

The Manor Hotel

Davao City

(063) (82)
221-2511
to 13

The Metropolis Suites

Davao City

(082)
282-8000
321-2874

The Margarette
Business Hotel
Maramag, Bukidnon

The Old Barracks Suites

Kidapawan City
The Peridot Suites
Davao City
The Pinnacle
Hotel And Suites
Davao City
The Ritz Hotel
at Garden Oases
Davao City
The Vip Hotel
Cagayan De Oro City
Tierra Montana Hotel
General Santos City
Tune Hotel
Cagayan De Oro
Tune Hotel - Davao City
Uptown Condotel
Xavier Estates, Cagayan
De Oro City

Victoria Suites Hotel

Cagayan De Oro

Villa Paraiso Resort

and Apartelle
Mambajao, Camiguin

Uno Business Hotel & Cafe

Hagkol, Valencia City

We R Inn Hotel
City Center, Davao City

Willshire Inn / Will's Place

Cagayan De Oro City
Woodland Tourist Inn
Alunan Highway,
Tacurong City

(088) 238-5236
09066437648
09175498841
09268446952

(064)
288-1299
(082)
305-6530
305-3812

(+6382)
300-1881
300-5885
221-3025

(082)
228-6885
to 87
(0882)
727-360
726-080
(083)
554-7733
553-0553

(088)
880-0888

09178514308
(082)
224-0577 to 78
0916 550 8863

(088)
851-1800
09088881800
(088)
857-4447
(08822)
72-2222
(088) 387-0419
387-0420
09173089293
09999906543

(088)
828-3544

09175395678
(082)
227-9328
09199252808
09228418102

09176320635
09176320650
(064)
477-0488
09429243041

(6382)
322-8888
09477910147
09233327698

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Sundays - P 104.00 per line

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Sundays - P 370.00 per col./cm.

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January 3 - 9, 2016

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Editor: LORETO D. CABAES

How to spend your bonus like a pro

improve your leadership skills.
If promotion is not your goal, but
rather trying out new things under
other departments, you can try out
skills-based training such as facilities
management for the logistics department, or Internet marketing for the
marketing department. Using your
bonus to improve your skills may not
have its monetary reward in the short
term, but being able to add new skill
sets can definitely be your competitive
advantage in the long run.
Business. Finally, for the bold and
ready to take on the competitive world
of entrepreneurship, maybe it is high
time to use your hard-earned bonus
to start your own business. Add that
lump sum to your savings and check
out how much capital you can use. Dont
be discouraged if you dont have that
much to start that dream business. A
lot of people start out small, so maybe
you could, too. There are a lot of options
for budding entrepreneurs who are
strapped for cash. Nowadays, those
who are determined to have their own
business should be able find a venture
that they can afford to start.
It is too easy to squander your
hard-earned bonus on things that are
not really the most important. To avoid
being carried away by impulse, you
must already have a plan on how you
will use your windfall before you even
receive your bonus. Know your priorities so that you could have the discipline
to spend wisely.

ts Christmas time again, and for

everyone in the corporate world,
this means its bonus time. Some
have already gotten their Christmas bonus (or at least, 13th month pay),
while othersare still eagerly waiting for
that lump sum. Have you already given
thought about what you want to do with
that money? Perhaps, right off the bat,
you will be spending it on Christmas
gifts. Thats a noble thought, especially
being a Filipino who has long valued the
tradition of gift-giving. However, for the
professionals who have been thinking
of things to buy for themselves as a
reward for another year of surviving
the hassles of work and irate customers, there are better options. Perhaps
a shiny new watch? Or maybe a stylish
laptop? That new line of rubber shoes?
Here are some of my suggestions on
how you can spend your bonus like a
pro:
Stocks and money markets. Money
has the innate ability to make more
money if put in the proper setting. Investing is a great way to do this. Sure,
we hear things like the market is
volatile, you might not get your money
back as is, or a story like I know this
guy who lost all his money on this. But
if given the proper orientation like on
how to handle your investments, how
to research on what company can be
profitable for investment, or which bank
has less risk than the others, putting
your eggs in better baskets will likely
produce more chickens.
Clothes. Let us face facts and admit
that it has been a common perception
that those who dress smart are perceived as smart. Among the employees

constantly competing for the managements interest and attention, those who
can wear and carry a smart look has an
advantage over their shoddily dressed
counterparts given other things equal.
Instead of buying new gadgets that are
hardly an improvement on your old one,
you can focus on looking as stylish as
that gadget. Invest on your appearance.
Maybe it is high time to let go of the
Jackson look and buy new pants that

actually reaches your ankles. Maybe

your stylish hobo get-up needs revamping to match the corporate setting. Buy
something that will improve your face
value. This is most important in people
involved in sales. Cant sell looking like
someone who will steal the item back
now, could we?
Skills. It is Christmas time, and it
is also the end of the year. Have you
reflected on the things that happened

to you this 2015? In your job, what was

the defining project that you were able
to accomplish? Under what department
were you able to work on? Have you
been stuck on the same job, or were
you constantly adjusting to the leadership style of newly promoted leaders?
Maybe its high time to start your own
path to becoming a leader yourself! You
can use your bonus to invest on skills.
Enroll yourself in seminars that can

Business and management

consultant Ruben Anlacan Jr.
is the president of BusinessCoach,
Inc. He discusses overviews and
tips for business from the point of
view of a small- or medium-scale
entrepreneur who has started
several successful enterprises.
Those who wish to ask questions
or to make comments may visit
http://entrepcoach.blogspot.
com or e-mail entrepcoach@
gmail.com.

For immigrants, America is still more welcoming than Europe

By EDUARDO PORTER

he United States has some

of the most hostile policies
toward an immigrant population found in the developed

world.
Start with the special police forces
dedicated to persecuting and deporting over a quarter of the nations
immigrants, the estimated 11 million
who entered the country without authorization. Then there is the lack of
labor laws to shield them from wage
theft and perilous jobs.
And dont get me started on Americas stingy social insurance: even
legal permanent residents are barred
from a host of government programs,
including Medicaid, food stamps and
other welfare programs.
So why is it that immigrants in
the United States including those
here illegally have managed to
integrate far more successfully into
the U.S. economy and social fabric
than foreigners arriving to the relatively coddled states of the European
Union, where they often enjoy access
right away to a panoply of rights and
benefits?
The difference is worth pondering.
There is no question that citizens
across the West are gripped by anxiety about immigration. It entwines a
fear of imported terrorism with the
older xenophobia of natives threatened by ethnic diversity.
But closing the door to Muslims
or building a wall across the southern
border, Donald Trump notwithstanding, is not going to stop the many immigrants from impoverished fringes
of the globe from continuing to make
their way toward the wealthy and
relatively secure societies of Europe
and the United States.
Contrasting the experiences in
Europe and the United States could
help us better enable immigrants
and their descendants to find their
identities and flourish in the new
world in which they live. And it will
improve the prospects for greater
economic growth and less strife for
the rest of us.
The very notion of integration is
nebulous of course. By some standards one could say immigrants to
the United States integrate poorly.
Rates of naturalization are low. Lesseducated immigrants often work for
very low wages. Immigrant poverty
rates are substantially higher in the
United States than in the European
Union.
Yet progress is evident. Reporting
among some of the poorest unauthor-

ized immigrants toiling on Americas

farms and construction sites, I have
encountered a sense of achievement
and possibility that belies their harsh
living conditions. It contrasts markedly with the sense of exclusion and
alienation reported from immigrant
enclaves across Europe.
A report released in September by
the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering and Medicine noted
that more immigrants buy into the
American dream than do native-born
Americans: 70 percent believe their
children will be better off than themselves, up from 60 percent 20 years
ago. Among U.S.-born parents, only
50 percent believe that.
In fact, the children of the leasteducated immigrants are much better
educated than their parents. They
find much better jobs.
Current immigrants and their
descendants are integrating into
U.S. society, the report concluded.
Integration increases over time,
with immigrants becoming more like
the native-born with more time in the
country, and with the second and third
generations becoming more like other
native-born Americans than their
parents were.
Richard Alba and Nancy Foner, sociologists at the City University of New
York, just published the book Strangers No More, (Princeton University
Press). They compare the challenges
facing low-status immigrants in North
America and Western Europe. In the
end, they do not make a definitive call
on which experience is better.
There are complex arrays of
similarities and differences, Alba
told me.
Still, they identify unique hurdles
in the way of immigrants that make it
difficult for those coming from outside
the European Union to get ahead in
Europe.
Among the most notable is clearly
Europes segmented labor market,
difficult for newcomers to crack. In
the United States, less-educated immigrants may work for little pay. But
the vast majority of them work. The
employment rate of immigrants is
higher than that of natives. In Europe
it is lower.
A report about the integration of
immigrants issued over the summer
by the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development noted
that more than a fifth of Europes
immigrants from outside the European Union were unemployed, about
double the rate of EU citizens.
One in 4 of the economically active
is out of work in France and 1 in 3 in

Belgium and Sweden. And these poor

employment prospects persist down
the generations. Youth joblessness
among the European-born children
of immigrants is almost 50 percent
higher than for those with native-born
parents.
Employment is not the only barrier. Children from less-educated immigrant families are much less likely
to succeed at school in Europe than
the sons and daughters of natives, and
much more likely to end up marginalized: out of school and out of work.
Immigrants feel discriminated
against more often in Europe. Perceived discrimination is particularly
acute among the European-born children of immigrants, who in several
countries still do not qualify for automatic citizenship.
As Foner put it: The United
States does a better job at accepting immigrants as Americans in the
making.
To be sure, immigrants make up
a smaller share of the population of
the United States than they do of the
populations of immigrant havens like
Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Still, that share is considerably larger

than that of ethnically distinct immigrants from outside the bloc who live
in the EU nations.
And yet, across most of Europe,
voters want to limit immigration.
Majorities in many European countries see immigrants as an economic
burden and as people who refuse to
assimilate. For all the hatred of immigrants stirred up by Trump and
other Republican hopefuls, most
Americans 63 percent in 2014, according to the National Academies
report still believe immigration is
a good thing. Majorities across the
political spectrum favor granting unauthorized immigrants a path toward
legal status.
The United States is a nation
of hyphenated identities. Europes
nation-states, deeply rooted in history, are not.
The most common criticism of
this sort of analysis is that it misses
the role of religion. Most immigrants
in the United States are Christian.
In Europe they are mostly Muslim.
Europeans hostility is often justified
by arguing that Islam is incompatible with values inherent to Europes
liberal democracies.

Foner and Alba suggest that this

incompatibility has perhaps less to
do with Muslim intransigence than
with the European insistence that
immigrants adopt a narrow set of behaviors, including Christian traditions
and, importantly, secular values.
In the United States, they write,
to be religious is to be in sync with
mainstream norms. Many Americans have more trouble accepting
atheists than Muslims. In Europe,
by contrast, claims based on religion have much less acceptance and
legitimacy.
The anti-immigrant reaction to
the terrorist attacks in Paris is already delivering electoral success
to the xenophobic National Front in
France. Trump has a substantial following, but he lacks a political party
behind him and is a long way from
gaining a similar victory.
And lets hope it stays that way.
Erecting walls would blunt one of the
United States most powerful tools of
social cohesion and economic progress. It would produce a society less
able to accept, mold and succeed from
the many immigrants in our midst.
(New York Times News Service)

A group of young boys, recent arrivals from Honduras, walk from a bus stop to Oakland International High
School, which caters to newly arrived immigrants and refugees, in Oakland, California. The U.S. has some of
the most hostile policies toward an immigrant population found in the developed world, and yet, for a variety
of reasons, is more successful than Europe at integrating them into the national fabric. (Monica Almeida/The
New York Times)

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Editor: AA PATAWARAN
@mblifestyle
MB Lifestyle
@manilabulletinlifestyle

Life & Leisure

D1 Sunday, January 3, 2016

mblifestyle@gmail.com

Nuvali

Rising

Its time to visit the not-so-far South

By MAE LORRAINE RAFOLS

LORENZO

heres a surprise waiting for

those who wish to visit Sta.
Rosa, Laguna this season,
or any time after that. Ayala
Land has further amped the entertainment and leisure value of their masterplanned development, Nuvali, and you
shouldnt miss it.
What used to be a small lifestyle
strip offering a few chosen restaurants
for those looking for a pitstop while on
their way back to Manila from Tagaytay has now become a destination on
its own. Thanks to a well-planned development in both residential, business, and leisure aspects, Nuvali is
now Ayalas most exciting project to
watch out for.
Theres more happening in the
2,290 hectare development, most of
which are geared toward the family,
and in promoting the green lifestyle

that puts a premium not only on the

environment, but the overall wellbeing of their residents, tenants, and the
throngs of visitors attracted by Nuvalis vibrant atmosphere.
Family place
Although geared toward a dynamic
mix of homes, offices, and entertainment areas, the front end of Nuvali
will always be its lifestyle centers. The
first and second phases of the project
offer a number of destination restaurants and chosen outlet stores that
have been a signature of Sta. Rosas
retail personality. Then there are the
signature attractions: The Taxi Boat
ride, the biking around the lake and

ed, it will offer over 200 shopping, dining, and entertainment options, making
it the primary go-to leisure destination
for residents in Laguna, Tagaytay, Batangas, and Muntinlupa.
More destination restaurants have
opened since its soft launch in November, such as Charlemagnes Bistro,
an Asian-European fusion restaurant
which is a brainchild of Charlemagne
Lim who brought us the former Asian
powerhouse Little Asia on Tomas Morato a few years ago.
S&R Membership shopping just
opened
its
12,000-square-meter
branch in Nuvali, and offers another
option for those who wish to shop for
great deal items.

What used to be a small lifestyle strip offering a few

chosen restaurants for those looking for a pitstop while
on their way back to Manila from Tagaytay has now
become a destination on its own.
tree-lined areas, and the fish feeding
in Solenad, which has been a favorite
of many visitors.
The next phase includes the grand
opening of Solenad 3, a sprawling mall
area that is a big surprise for those
who frequent the place.
Solenad 3 opens to a beautiful 800square-meter activity park, a fullypacked outdoor playground, and pocket gardens. Its cinema wing, featuring four movie halls, has just opened,
boasting of a special cinema with Lazy
Boy seats, where viewers can charge
their gadgets while watching.
Solenad boasts of over 40,000 square
meters of retail space. When complet-

Nuvali was envisioned as a harmonious and creative space where a lifestyle of responsibility and sustainability
is well-balanced. Nuvali commits to this
vision by integrating a mix of land uses
and showcasing it through Ayala Lands
expertise in revolutionary sustainable
development that allows for economic
prosperity, community-building, and
flourishing lives within an ecologically
sound environment, said John Estacio, Nuvali general manager.
Seda Leisure
And for quick getaway options, Seda
Hotel in Nuvali is the perfect haven for
a staycation. This lifestyle hotel pretty
much sums up the kind of comfort that
Ayalas eco-city has to offer: Sophisticated, functional, and green. The 150room hotel combines style, space, and
function in a standout structure that
not only offers a resort atmosphere,
but the most stunning view of Nuvali.
Rooms (Deluxe, Club Rooms, and
Premiere) are stocked for business
and family comfort: Plush beds, 40inch LED TV, a mini bar, coffee and
tea-making facilities, and Belgian
chocolates at the start of your stay.
The hotel restaurant, Misto, offers
a medley of international dishes that
you can also enjoy al fresco by the poolside. For more vigorous activities, the
gym, playroom, and the luxurious pool
will be a hit for the young and young
at heart.

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Lifestyle

D-2

DRESS
IN GEMS
AND
ICONS

SERPENTI
Serpenti Forever The collection slithers in supple refined and resistant calf leather or rich brushed-metallic
leather. With grosgrain or nappa interiors, the Serpenti
Forever bags are expressed in vibrant gem colors, while
their reinforced sturdy structure contrasts with the butter-soft texture Bulgari is known for. The iconic enamel
snakehead is found clasping every piece, peering with colored eyes made of jewels or enamel, its scales almost too
lifelike in their preciousness.
Compact and versatile, the new Serpenti Shoulder Carry
and Top Handle bag is meant to passe-partout everywhere in the city, all day long.
Serpenti Galuchat, named after a French artisan and his
work for King Louis XVIs court, Bulgari used ancient dying methods and a final diamond technique to fabricate
its tactile finish in deep gemstone colors such as ocean
turquoise, violet amethyst, and pink rubillite.
The handmade Serpenti Smoky Galuchat is rich with
serpentine drama in all its refined delicacy.
The Serpenti Python is authenticity itself, made from
the actual serpents skin and treated by artisans with a
dabbing, glossing, and softening process that leaves an elegant bag ready to coil with any outfit.
Serpenti Mink, a textured combo of black long-hair and
white shaved mink fur
Serpenti Shiny Croco in gemstone violet amethyst, ocean
turquoise, and red spinel colors is shaped in the most exclusive furs and skins
The Serpenti Jagged bag is scaled to perfection in lasercut leather
The Serpenti 3D Inlaid Scales bag combines calf leather
with brushed metallic calfskin to produce scale shaped
windows and a 3D-effect, which are as distinctive as they
are texturally magnificent.

he whole inspiration for a Bulgari masterpiece begins with

the remarkable nature of its gemstones. Its accessories
are no exception. Rich with ruby reds, serene with ocean
turquoise, golden with tigers eye, the Italian jewelers
new accessories collection is enhanced by an exquisite range of
color palettes and precious materials, which vibrantly reinterpret
its two most iconic signsthe Serpenti and Bulgari-Bulgari.

BULGARI-BULGARI
Bag. The Bulgari-Bulgari Duetto, the new signature bag of the Bulgari-Bulgari collection, makes a refined statement with the logo featured
boldly, beneath a trendy top handle. In full-grain calf leather or combined
with embellishments of the Shiny Ayers water-snake skin, the bag marries practicality with style as it also features multiple compartments.

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Scarves.
The new
silk Bulgari
scarves tell four
different stories,
each featuring a different piece of figurative art.
From the Cleopatra scarf
that combines with the
Egyptian Queens serpentine obsession to the Venetian Serpenti that enchains
Serpenti into an artistic
weave, to the Immortal Elixir that encircles the best of
colorful Serpenti around
the neck or the Minimal
Bulgari-Bulgari Logo that
renders something iconic
into something understatedeach scarf is a portal
to a faraway destination, a
journey across the colors of
Bulgari gems.

Serpenti Scaglie. The collection

slinks with a different serpentine perspective, celebrating the beautiful texture of
snakeskin. Known for a certain elegance,
Serpenti Scaglie is available in multiple
high-end materials: the rare water-snake
Shiny Ayers skin, the 45-day-process
Graffiti Pony Skin, and the handsoftened Python, and exclusive nuvolato effect smoky pythonas luxurious
to the eye as they are to the touch.

Eyewear. The new

Bulgari-Bulgari Catene pair
is alight with a gracious butterfly shape, to flutter alongside the delicate metal chain
and enamel details that
decorate its arms. Celebrate
modern femininity with the
eyewears brilliant contrasting colors such as turquoise
blue and ruby red pair with
tortoise shell.

The Serpenti Bauletto bag is unfurled onto the scene to provide

everyday chic in three sizes.
Serpenti Shopping Bag, in shoulder or handle-carry, offer new retractable handles for when a toteable style is the demand of the day.

Memories of Letty
ANGEL THOUGHTS
worked for more than two
Everyone must leave
decades and was chief exsomething behind when he
ecutive editor; or to her
dies. A child or a book or a
closest friends in and out
painting, or a house. Or a
of the journalism world;
wall built or a pair of shoes
even to her comrade-inmade. Or a garden planted.
arms against the Marcos
Something your hand
dictatorship, her partner
touched some way so your
in establishing Inquirer,
soul has somewhere to go
Eugenia Duran Apostol,
DEEDEE M.
to when you die. And when
coincidentally my first ediSIYTANGCO
people look at that tree or
tor at the Manila Times.
flower you planted, youre
She had been on sick leave
there.
but no one thought it very serious.
Ray Bradbury, Farenheit 541
She was always so thoughtful and
selfless. Letty would solicitously arThen Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc
range gatherings for Eggies birthis everywhere. We lost an ally, a mendays, evenings of friendship, wine,
tor, and a friend. So said President
songs, and attempts at dancing the
Benigo S. Aquino III of the bedboogie.
rock of press freedom in the country,
Always concerned about her close
my dear friend.
friends, she made sure that we all gathShe was also the loving wife of Dr.
ered once a month for Nelly Sindayen
Carlos Magsanoc who is the godfather
of Time, a beloved colleague who died
in baptism of my youngest son Amado
a few years ago.
Juan, mother of journalist-cancer acShe was a very private person and
tivist Kara (Alikpala) and Drs. Niko
she would accept invitations for intiand Marty. She passed away quite
mate dinners only on Mondays, her day
suddenly last Christmas Eve after
off, but always with an advanced list of
barely two days in the hospital.
invitees. She loved good, aged wines,
How like Letty to shun any spotwitty company, interesting discuslight on her final departure, I thought,
sions, and XO Heritage Bistro dishes,
when I read the post of another dear
especially bangus salpicao and laing.
friend, Thelma San Juan. She made
When she was in extreme pain
no dramatic goodbyes to her cola month ago, what she wanted was
leagues in the Inquirer where she
a healing priest to come and pray

Letty J. Masanoc, the author, and Eggie D.

Apostol. (Image by Mandy Navasero)

over her. She refused any medical intervention, I am told. He came, and a
new burst of energy seemed to pour
into Letty and made her walk around
the room holding the hand of Fr. Fernando Suarez, an awed Mandy Nava-

sero, Inquirers hotshot photojournalist recalls. She was with them during
the prayers, edified by the energy in
the room.
About that recent spiritual encounter, Fr. Suarez is sure Letty passed
away very much at peace with the
Lord and the world. They had met two
years before under not-so-pleasant
circumstances, but had since ironed
out all misunderstandings and Letty
became a staunch supporter of the
healing priest.
I remember Letty also showering
love on Marge Quimpo-Espino, one
of her section editors, when she had a
stroke and was comatose for 81 days in
India. She supported Marge and husband Chet wholeheartedly. And when
Marge miraculously recovered, she
agreed to write the foreword for Chets
diary-book.
Her husband and children and
granddaughters Arianna, Niko, Monica, and Misha were all with her in
the hospital room. She had refused
hospitalization and any form of treatment even when she was in extreme
pain and was practically immobilized
because of it. She attributed it to a
fracture in her spine years before and
activated as a result of pulling Carlitos
out of bed.
That was Letty, brave beyond pain,
fun, witty, principled, but relishing life
and family to the fullest. When we were

much younger, our husbands were

good friends and we bondedCarlitos
and Letty, Sonny and I, Domini and
Jun Suarez, Ethel and Jun Timbol,
through good times and bad, bomba
films, and fun nights.
I remember one nightmarish evening, many moons ago, our family dinner was interrupted by fire engines.
They sound pretty close, Sonny said,
and we rushed out to find smoke billowing from Lettys street. When we rushed
over, flames had consumed most of the
Magsanocs apartment. Carlitos was
outside clutching his months-old son
Marty. Letty soon came home from her
Panorama office in Manila Bulletin,
shaken but grateful that the family was
safe. Her precious collection of masters paintings was gone but that didnt
bother her at all.
Her six-year stint at Panorama
magazine of Manila Bulletin, I would
like to think, strengthened Letty as
a journalist since she had to put up
a credible weekly magazine that was
the bible of readers, schools, and universities. She turned it into an issueoriented news-magazine that infuriated the tenant of Malacaang during
martial law.
Eggie, according to Mandy, asked
during Lettys cremation How can
Letty be in that urn? Surely, Lettys
memories cannot be contained in an
urn. She is in our hearts, thankfully.

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Lifestyle

Sunday, January 3, 2016

D-3

GOOD FORTUNE
First Filipino to be decorated Officer in Monacos prestigious Order of St. Charles

he new dean of
the
Consular
Corps of the Philippines, Consul
General Fortune AletaLedesma of Monaco, was
awarded the distinction
of Officer (Officier) in the
Order of St. Charles by
Prince Albert II of Monaco in a private ceremony
during the recently concluded Monaco National
Day celebrations held November last year
The Order of St. Charles is Monacos most senior order having been
established by Prince Charles III
in 1858, and later modified by Prince
Rainier III in 1996. It is awarded
in five classes to both citizens and
foreigners for service to the state
or to the sovereign prince. The

Order is the equivalent

of the French Legion
dHonneur, the highest
and most prestigious distinction given by the Monegasque government.
In 2008, Consul General Aleta-Ledesma was
awarded the distinction
of Chevalier (Knight) by
Prince Albert II of Monaco.
The current dean of
the Consular Corps has
been previously awarded
Chevalier in the Ordre national
du Merite (French National Order
of Merit), a Decoration of Honor in
Gold from Austria and the Medal of
Honor by the Federation Internationale Des Corps Et Association
Consulaires for her consular work in
the Philippines.

LIFESTYLE ASIA ON BROADWAY

It is a remarkable achievement for a
magazine to celebrate its 28th anniversary, and thus in grand style, Lifestyle
Asia recently marked this auspicious
event with a musical extravaganza held
at the Valkyrie at the Palace in Uptown
Bonifacio. The venue was transformed
into a grand ballroom, where the guests
walked the red carpet while being regaled by musicians.
Chef Sau Del Rosario and chef
Christine Paredes from Cravings Catering and Events prepared a culinary
feast inspired by Broadway musicals,
which was the events theme. Joe Chan,
son of celebrated composer and OPM
star Jose Mari Chan sang the official
Lifestyle Asia jingle, Living in my Best
Life, on which he collaborated with
Lifestyle Asias editor-in-chief Anna
Sobrepea, who wrote the lyrics.
DJ Julio Ortega opened the program with modern and upbeat music
followed by Broadway overture by the
ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra
under the baton of Maestro Gerard
Salonga. The audience was enthralled
with the performances by some of the
countrys most brilliant artists: Joanna Ampils I Dreamed a Dream from
Les Miserables, Morisette Amons
Defying Gravity from Wicked, Nicole Asensios Summertime, Audie
Gemoras Somethings Coming
from Westside Story, Cris Villoncos
Limang Dipang Tao, Bea Tantocos
medley of Adeles top hits, and The
CompanYs Bohemian Rhapsody.
Caritas Manila was honored for their
efforts in helping the calamity survivors
through their Damayan Movement
during Typhoon Lando. On stage were
One Mega Group chairman Jerry Tiu,
founder and CEO Sari Yap, editor-atlarge Cheryl Tiu, editor-in-chief Anna
Sobrepea, associate publisher Franco
Laurel, and Caritas Manila social marketing division head May Tiangco.
Grand finale was when the performers sang O Bayan Ko, followed
by the Filipino Christmas carol Kumikutikutitap. Everyone must have felt
the surge of happiness for Lifestyle
Asias creative vision.
www.facebook.com/tinahidalgojacinto www.tinajacinto.com

Emerson Yao and

Ling Ling Yao

Willy Ocier and

Geraldine Ocier

THE PRINCE AND THE OFFICER Prince Albert II of Monaco and Consul General Fortune Aleta-Ledesma

Consul Louie Ablaza and

Consul Mellie Ablaza

Donnie Tantoco, Dina

Tantoco, and Paolo Tantoco

Ayen Laurel and

Franco Laurel

Lianne Tiu and Jerry Tiu

The final act O Bayan Ko

Chito Sobrepea, Noel Lorenzana, Gina Lorenzana, and Oscar Reyes

Maureen Disini and Alexandra

Eduque with the author

Czarina Ablaza-Syquia and Jun Jun Ablaza

Archie Carrasco and Anna Sobrepea

Cheryl Tiu

Sari Yap

Sheila Romero and

Mikee Romero

Mayenne Carmona, David

Rupert Jacinto Lim, and Mariquita Yeung

The
Broadway
overture by
the ABS-CBN
Philharmonic
Orchestra
with Gerard
Salonga
conducting

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Sunday, January 3, 2016

PHILIPPINES
AIRASIA
LAUNCHES
RESTAURANT
IN THE SKY
Brand new in-flight
meal features
gourmet Filipino
dishes and ASEANinspired creations

Craving for sisig from 35,000 feet

above? AirAsia guests flying to, from,
and within the Philippines are in for a
wonderful treat as Philippines AirAsia
today officially started serving hot meals
from its newest in-flight menu concept
themed Santan which replaces AirAsia
Caf as part of the airlines latest offerings to enhance customer experience
while flying.
Fresh new items include bangus sisig,
a Filipino dish made of chunks of boneless
milkfish sauted in onions seasoned with
salt, pepper, and spices. Buffalo chicken
strips and barbeque cola beef are tasty
versions of grilled meat with smoky
sauce paired with tomato rice or roasted
potatoes. Those who are watching their
calories, meanwhile, must try the new
vegetarian chickpea curry or the classic
Maans pasta Arabiata. New dishes are
available for onboard and prebook purchase in all Philippines AirAsia flights to/
from Manila, Kalibo/Boracay, Palawan,
Bohol, Cebu, Davao, Malaysia, Hong
Kong, Macau, and South Korea.
Other delectable dishes also pay
tribute to ASEAN flavors such as nasi
lemak, chicken rice, beef kaldereta and
adobo hence the menu is titled: Santan,
an essential ingredient in Malay cooking
which refers to the liquid obtained from
pressing shredded coconut meat. Santan
is thick, creamy, and often used as a substitute for butter, cream, or soup stock in
Asean cooking.
Apart from the new hot meals, guests
will be able to choose from a variety of
sweets with choices such as lemon torte,
banoffee cake, sinful chocolate cake, and
chocolate chip cookies for as low as R80
for on-board purchase and at discounted
price for prebooked.
All AirAsia guests are encouraged
to prebook their meals to save up to 20
percent as compared to purchasing their
meals on board, with a guarantee that
their preferred meals are available during their flights. Guests who have booked
their flights without meals, meanwhile,
can easily add them in via the Manage
My Booking option after logging in to
www.airasia.com.
Philippines AirAsia Commercial
head Gerard Peaflor said, We value
customer experience at all points of the
journeyfrom the purchase of the ticket
to leaving the airport, on board, and onto
the destination. This latest enhancement
in our in-flight menu makes flying with us
also a delightful dining experience.
Keep updated with AirAsias latest
promotions and activities via Twitter
(twitter.com/AirAsiaPh) and Facebook
(facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines).

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Editor: AA PATAWARAN

@mblifestyle
MB Lifestyle
@manilabulletinlifestyle

Life & Leisure

E1 Sunday, January 3, 2016

mblifestyle@gmail.com

10 Things To Look
Forward to This Year
This year in pop culture
By Isabelle Laureta

ew shows, exciting
concerts, and a change in
the countrys leadership
whatever it is thats in store
for us this year, we are so ready!

2016 Presidential Elections

Its been a rollercoaster term for
PNoy and now its time for him to
pass the presidency to another potential leader. And even though the
list of candidates is not final yet, the
presidentiables are already doing
their thing and making it look like an
intense scene in a teleserye in the process. This is definitely one of the pivotal things to look forward to this year
since it may or may not change the
countrys fate in the next six years.
Also, get ready for LSS-inducing campaign songs.
Concerts, concerts, concerts!
Ahhh, 2016! You have blessed the
Philippines with great foreign bands
and artists doing a show in the country. We have Passion Pit, Chvrches,
Oh Wonder, Tenderfist, and more
for the GoodVybes Fest, which will be
happening in February. Come March,
Wanderland 2016 will be happening
and it includes Death Cab for Cutie,
Bon Iver, and The Naked and Famous, among others in its lineup! We
only have one problem thoughsaving up so we can have enough money
to buy tickets. Heh. Theres word going around that Coldplay is coming
to town and where best to hear it but
on the radio, but until we get official
confirmation from the Coldplay camp,
lets not skip lunch yet to save money
for the concert.
New Teleseryes
Speaking of teleseryes (which is
approximately 90 percent of the populations guilty pleasure, to be honest. Dont lie!), we have at least three
more shows from ABS-CBN to watch
out for this year! One stars Daniel
Matsunaga and Erich Gonzales, another stars Kim Chiu and Xiam Lim,
and last but not the least, another
LizQuen teleserye, which was shot in
Italy. Remember when they made us
believe in forever? So get your #kilig
mode on, you guys!
JaDine Concert
Nadine Lustre and James Reid
are both singers weve all come to
love because of their teleserye On The
Wings of Love, more popularly known
as OTWOL. Naturally, fans were ecstatic to know theyre going to be doing a concert in February. In fact, tickets were sold out after one day! The
concert will be held on Feb. 20 at the
Araneta Coliseum.
More kilig from OTWOL
While were on the topic of OTWOL, theyve just announced that
the show is extended until February!
The show has done so well in ratings,
trending on social media every night.
Fans dont seem to get enough of it and
so they got exactly what they wanted.
Achieve! (OTWOL Official Website)

AlDub pa more!
Its not a secret that AlDub (Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza
aka Yaya Dub) had been phenomenal
last year with their groundbreaking
events and record-breaking social
media milestones. And it looks like
theyre still going to continue on for
years to come. Every episode of Eat
Bulagas Kalyeserye has kept us on
the edge of our seats so its almost too
exciting to find out what else theyve
got for us. (Photo from Eat Bulaga Official Page)
Game of Thrones Season 6
Moving right along to western TV
shows, we have Game of Thrones season 6 to look out for this year. Finally,
all our answers will be answered
or will it? Is Jon Snow alive? Wheres
Bran? What happened to Arya? We
might as well be Jon Snow because
we literally know nothing. If youre not
all caught up, you have four months
to watch all five seasons until the new
one airs in April. (Photo from HBO Official Page)
Movie sequels and spinoffs
Twenty
sixteen
might be the year of
exciting and most
awaited movie sequels. People lost
their chill after watching a bunch of trailers
in 2015, so its going
to be no surprise that
these movies are going to be a big hit this
year. Some of the films
to look forward to are
Finding Dory, Captain America: Civil
Wars, Batman v Superman, and Fantastic Beasts and Where
To Find Them.
Golden Globes
and Academy Awards
Speaking of movies, the 2016 Golden
Globes will be happening this month.
Theyve recently released their full list of
nominees and last years best actor
Eddie Redmayne is on that list for
the same title. Jennifer Lawrence
also landed a nomination for best actress for a musical or comedy along
with Maggie Smith, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, and Lily Tomlin.
The Academy Awards, on the other
hand, has yet to announce its list of
nominees. It will be held in February.
(Golden Globes Official Website)
Miss Universe 2016
Yes, yes, we should relax and savor
the moment now that after 42 years,
Miss Philippines earned the Miss
Universe crown for the country once
again, thanks to Pia Wurtzbach. But,
lets be honest, Filipinos get naturally
excited about beauty contests and
it makes us wonder if were going to
get a back-to-back win next year (with
hope not another awkward coronation). After all, weve waited so long
for this moment that we might as well
have it for another year, right? No?

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Sunday, January 3, 2016

NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION

CELEBRATING THE
82ND BIRTHDAY OF HIS MAJESTY
THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN
Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa hosted a reception on the occasion of the
national day of Japan on Wednesday at his residence in Makati City. The
reception was attended by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Senate
President Franklin Drilon and other distinguished guests. Ambassador Ishikawa
welcomed guests and stressed on the continued cooperation, support and the
significant developments between Japan and the Philippines. He mentioned that
in the summit meeting at the State Visit to Japan of His Excellency President
Benigno Aquino III, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Aquino jointly
declared that the relationship between the Philippines and Japan has now
entered the stage of Strengthened Strategic Partnership. He further noted that
through a bilateral meeting during the APEC Leaders Meeting in Manila, both
leaders have had the opportunity to reaffirm deepened bilateral ties between
the two countries. Following a welcome remarks from Ambassador Ishikawa,
Secretary Albert Del Rosario delivered toast remarks expressing hope for the
continued good health and well-being of His Majesty, the strengthening of the
Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and Japan and the enduring
friendship between the Filipino and Japanese people. Also at the reception were
Japanese companies who have set up their booth for the promotion of their
products, technology and services.

Archbishop Pinto, Secretary and Mrs. Del Rosario,

and Mme. Ishikawa

EKSPERIENCE A MERRY MAGICAL

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR AT ENCHANTED KINGDOM
Spend the much-awaited season of the year
at Enchanted Kingdom (EK) and experience
a merry magical moment with your families
and friends. EK has been a one-stop holiday
destination especially for family reunions
and outdoor fun trips. If you are looking for
a whole-day family bonding affair and value
for your hard-earned money, there is no other
place to celebrate this meaningful occasion
but on the countrys first and only world-class
theme park. Feel the Christmas atmosphere
all around the iconic theme park with exciting
shows and dazzling treats. Discover the
Filipino Christmas traditions of Panunuluyan
by witnessing the Journey of Love & Hope,
a musical story of the Nativity of Jesus Christ
around the park every 4:45 p.m. Inspired by
the Filipino original Parol, guests will surely
enjoy the Magical Musical Giant Lantern at the Spaceport every 8:00 p.m. Catch enchanting live shows such as; Brooklyn Christmas in
a winter-snowy setting at 8:40 p.m. (Sat. and Sun., Brooklyn Place); Enchanted Christmagic, a world-class musical play every 4:00PM
& 6:00 p.m. (Sat. and Sun., Eldars Tent). Get captivated by the performance of EKs all-female vocal group Victorias Way (5 p.m. &
7 p.m., Bandstand). Dont miss the highlight of the festivities which is the Magical Moonlight Parade (9 p.m.). Catch Eldar, the Wizard,
Princess Victoria and EK Book Characters in a colorful light dance parade followed by the dazzling Sky Wizardry fireworks display. Join
the Christmas and New Year celebration of lights and sounds in the magical world of Enchanted Kingdom that will surely brighten up your
holidays. Have a Merry Magical Christmas only at Enchanted Kingdom, where the magic lives forever! For more information, log on to
www.enchantedkingdom.ph.

MALIGAYANG
BAYAD WITH
EXPRESSPAY
ExpressPay is set to give its own version of aguinaldo
through its new promo,Balik R5 Kada Bill. Starting
this month until February 2016, ExpressPay gives
its customers back their hard earned money spent
on bills, through a R5 voucher gift for every bill paid
in any of its payment centers. The voucher, which is
valid for one year from date of issue, can be used
for any of ExpressPays services, such as money
transfer and courier service, among others or the
value of the vouchers can be deducted from the
next bill. The amount can also be used to avail of
ExpressPays other products and services, such as
prepaid load all the better to greet your loved ones
a Merry Christmas. Pay your bills at ExpressPay and
redeem your vouchers, just in time for Christmas. Tis
the season for giving, after all, and this move is our
way to give back to our customers, for their loyalty
which has allowed the center to constantly branch
out and expand its offerings to communities all over
the Philippines, said ExpressPay Marketing Director
David Mascenon. Established in 2011, ExpressPay
aims to provide secure, cost-efficient, technologydriven financial services conveniently available in
the community. Currently, it has over 800 branches
nationwide. It also recently won the Golden Globe
Annual Awards for Business Excellence 2015 as the
Best Payment Center Franchise award for having
the best services in the industry. For more information
on the promo, visit Balik R5 Kada Bill sa ExpressPay
page on Facebook or their official website at www.
serbisyongexpresspay.com.

CAMP AQUINO
STATION HOSPITAL
IN TARLAC BECOMES
THE 14TH AFP
IMPROVED FACILITY
OF SM FOUNDATION

Celebrate the New Year at BEST WESTERN PLUS Antel Hotel with full
live band performances, buffet dinner and a lot of raffle prizes including an
overnight accommodation with buffet breakfast for two from the hotel, and
other prizes from AirAsia, Globe Telecoms, Manila Bulletin, Saladbox.com,
PLDT and many more! Shop and dine at your favorite stores and restaurants
and discover extra perks from exclusive hotel partners like at A.Venue Malls
Treehouse, Botongs Bisto, Century City Malls California Pizza Kitchen,
or enjoy the cool ambiance at Buddhabar Manila, Alchemy Bistro Bar, and
Royal Club Manila. For more information on your staycation in Makati, e-mail:
reservations@antelhotel.com or visit www.antelhotel.com

Former Senator Angara, Ambassador Ishikawa,

and Senate President Drilon

CASINO FILIPINO
CELEBRITY
SHOWS TO OPEN
2016 WITH A BANG

Casino Filipino (CF) welcomes 2016 with a bang as it features

special musical shows by some of the countrys popular
celebrity artists in its branches and satellites nationwide this
January. Themed Hala Bira! January 2016 Na!, the muchawaited entertainment events will kick-off with a performance
from former band singers Eugene Villaluz and Pat Castillo at CF
Tagaytay on January 2. Old-timers would remember Villaluz
and Castillo as mainstays of then prominent 70s singing
groups The New Minstrels and Circus Band, respectively.
Asian pop superstar Christian Bautista will serenade casino
patrons and guests anew when he appears at CF Bacolod on
January 5. The distinguished balladeer, actor, TV host and
model returns for another singing engagement at CF Pavilion
the following day (January 6). Im very excited about doing
shows again for Casino Filipino. The lively and responsive
crowd always inspires me to perform better in my gigs. Its
like a second home to me and I really feel comfortable singing
for them, Bautista enthused. Bong Quintana, PAGCORs
Assistant VP for Entertainment, said that they have booked
artists who are certified crowd-drawers for the CF January
celebrity shows because we want to start the year right by
featuring concert events that would guarantee the absolute
musical pleasure of our patrons. We cant think of a better
way to begin 2016 than to invite some of the countrys premier
artists to top bill our series of shows this January, Quintana
added. Other celebrities slated to perform in CFs January
entertainment shows include OPM legend Rico J. Puno (CF
Angeles, January 6; CF Pavilion, January 7; Malabon Satellite,
January 8; CF Malate, January 15 and CF Cebu, January 16),
Prince of Pop Erik Santos (Mactan Satellite, January 7 and
CF Tagaytay, January 16), Aprilyn Congratulations Gustilo
(Binondo Satellite, January 7), 2013 Himig Handogs third
placer Marion Aunor (Madison Satellite, January 8), veteran
balladeer Anthony Castelo (Iligan Satellite, January 8), actorsinger DJ Durano (Ronquillo Satellite, January 9), heartthrob
actor-singer Gabby Concepcion (CF Cebu, January 9), veteran
actors and singers Christopher de Leon and Tirso Cruz III (CF
Angeles, January 13), the Sex Bomb Dancers (CF Olongapo,
January 13), Mr. Shades Randy Santiago (CF Pavilion,
January 13), veteran OPM artist Hajji Alejandro (CF Iloilo,
January 14), sultry singer-actress Sheree (Parkmall Satellite,
January 15), singer-comedienne K. Brosas (Mimosa Satellite,
January 15) and former Southborder band front man Luke
Mejares (CF Davao, January 16). Admission to the shows is
free on a first come, first served basis. All shows starts at
9:00 p.m. For more details, please visit www.facebook.com/
casinofilipino, www.facebook.com/pagcor.artists or www.
twitter.com/casinofilipino.

SM Tarlac Asst. Mall Manager Ma. Lourdes Marie Reyes, SMFIs Connie
Angeles, Col. Getulio J. Santos Jr. MC (GSC), NOLCOM Commander MGen.
Glorioso V. Miranda, and Surgeon General Joselito Avancena.

CASH (Camp Aquino Station Hospital), a level-1 hospital facility capable of performing general surgical operations, a major partner of Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) in providing continuous
quality health services has been renovated and refurbished making it available to uniformed personnel, their dependents and authorized civilians. CASH was built in 15 October 1948 in a 400-hectare
property and designated as 2nd Station Hospital, AFP with a 25-bed capacity. It hosts 2 Infantry Divisions of the AFP, the 7th and 5th Infantries, an Air Force Component and a Phil. Navy Component. In
11 December 1959, the hospital was reorganized into a 100-bed capacity facility in reference to AFP Table of Organization and Equipment (TOE) 8-560 to complement the increase in number of patients.
From Army Station Hospital, it was re-designated to Camp Servillano Aquino Station Hospital effective 01 January 1988. However, because of its deterioration, it was downgraded to a 50-bed hospital. SM
Foundation stepped into the picture and signed a MOA with AFP NOLCOM Commander M/Gen. Glorioso V. Miranda, Col. Getulio J. Santos, Jr. MC (GSC) Commanding Officer & AFP Surgeon General
BGen Joselito P. Avancena for the renovation and refurbishing of the Station Hospital. Now, its Military Ward, Intensive Care Unit, Female Ward, Isolation Room, Communicable Disease Room and
Officers Room have been renovated, improved and equipped with basic medical equipment, hospital beds, air-conditioning units and electric fans. Added features are the reception area, the Waiting Area
and a chapel embellished with basic furniture and appliances. Because of these renovations, CASH was upgraded back to its 100-bed capacity noting the improved facilities and upgraded workforce of
70 composed of 6 military doctors, 3 military dentists, 6 military nurses, 10 Enlisted Personnel and 45 Civilian Employees. Furthermore, it has become a DOH licensed hospital operating as a Level 1
Hospital and PHIC-accredited as Center for Safety. Presently, CASH still functions under the supervision of Northern Luzon Command, under the watch of MGEN Glorioso V. Miranda AFP, Commander,
NOLCOM. As a primary level of health care, the station hospital performs referral in the form of medical evacuation to higher echelon of care for advance medical procedure and diagnostics to patients
as part of its mission. CASH is likewise instrumental in promulgating innumerable projects of other government and non-government agencies by extending help to the less fortunate brothers and sisters
through health programs (medical missions), medical assistance and services. At the inauguration of the improved hospital, SMFI Executive Director for Health and Medical Programs Connie Angeles
announced the inclusion of the hospital in its maintenance program of all SM-donated health facilities and schoolbuildings. She further announced that the maintenance crew of her office will make regular
visits to check on the condition of the hospital to prevent a repeat of its deterioration. This announcement was wildly accepted with a warm applause from the enlisted personnel of the station hospital.

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Sunday, January 3, 2016 E-3

How To Have Your

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io
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a
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R
t
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Be
This 2016

Have your own relationship goal

By Aileen Santos

ave you ever heard of the phrase Relationship Goals?

If youre online and on social media at least three hours
per week (and I know youre online much, much longer
than that), then its likely you have.
A picture of an old couple holding hands while staring at the
sunset? Thats a Relationship Goal. A photo of a 30ish couple
quietly reading next to each other in a park? That could also be a
Relationship Goal. A 20ish couple attending a movie premiere
both of them in costume? That could be someones Relationship
Goal, too.
There are memes and posts about them; maybe youve also
liked, shared, or re-tweeted them.
But think about this: If theyre truly relationship goals, then
dont we deserve to actually make them happen in our own lives?
And just like with all other goals in other aspects of our lives (i.e.,
health, business, career, school), they need a solid plan of action.
After all, no one asks to hold their bank account or Ferrari on
their deathbed. Instead we hope to see our loved ones, and hope
that wed lived our lives in a way that made them feel loved.
The Three Important Questions You Need to Ask
The most useful thoughts come from good questions, the kind
that leads you to think about solutions. These three questions help
you do exactly that:
1. What relationship accomplishments were you most proud of
in 2015?
Maybe you spent more quality time with your mother this past
year. Or maybe you stuck to your resolution of not fighting with your
brother as often.
These relationship accomplishments may not seem like much
yet, but doing them consistently (especially when they work) means
youre in a better place now than you were before, and thats always
a cause for celebration.
2. What were your biggest relationship mistakes this past year?
Maybe you still found yourself reacting too quickly (and too often) in anger, particularly toward certain people in your life. Maybe
you dated the same type of girl youve had crash-and-burn flings
with before: You always feel intensely attracted at the beginning,
but it doesnt really lead to anything long term because theyre really not a match for the important parts of who you are.
The biggest takeway you need to get from these mistakes, of
course, are the lessons.
Joe Vitale, one of the gurus in The Secret, says it plainly: When
you have learned the lesson, you no longer need the experience.
Go ahead and make amends, of course, but you dont need to
wallow in guilt, or think that love doesnt work.
Love has always worked... As long as we put in the needed effort
in the right direction.
Finally, ask yourself:
3. How have I held myself back last year in the area of
my relationships?
If part of your life goals is to get married and have a familyand
youre currently singlethen review what youve been doing to actually meet more people and cultivate connections with potentials.
If its always been important for you to maintain friendships,
then consider how much time you actually set for coffee dates, or
simply reaching out to old friends via social media.
Our actions show our priorities; so if something is important to
you, ask yourself what actions you havent been doing yet to truly
make them our priorities.
Relationship Action Steps
Take everything you learned from the three questions above,
and start writing down plans of action/resolutionsin your planner, phone, or journalto create even better relationships in
your life this 2016.
While it may be true that a dream is a wish your heart
makes, a goal is something better, but needs to be backed up
solid action steps.
All of us have relationship goals. Now is the perfect time for
us to plant the seeds for making them happen.
Because if not now when?
Aileen Santos is a relationship coach. www.aileensantos.com

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Sunday, January 3, 2016

The Climate Phenomenon

That Stole Christmas
By AA PATAWARAN

o white Christmas in Chicago and much of the upper East Coast of the US
last year. Thats thanks to
El Nio that delivers mild Pacific air
across the states, confining cold Arctic air to Alaska and Siberia. With all
hopes for a snowy Christmas dashed
in winter temperatures that hovered
above zero over Chicago at Christmastime, last year broke temperature records dating all the way back
to the 1800s. My aunt wrote me a note
from Chicago on Christmas Day: No
whiteChristmas this yearwould you
believe? A white Christmas is defined as one inch of snow or more on
the ground on Christmas Day.
In Manila, at my house, Santas
presents arrived on Dec. 26 and not on
Christmas morning as usual. He wrote
a note to my niecesRafaandGeorges: I was trying to get the gifts to you
earlier, but I couldnt land my sleigh.
You guys were always up so late!
Or maybe there was congestion
up in the cloudsor the ghost clouds
of typhoons Nona (Dec. 9 to 17, 2015)
and Onyok (Dec.14 to 19, 2015) still lingered in the atmosphere. No reindeer
would fly through clouds bursting
with killer rains, not even thunderous,
electrically chargedBlitzen, not even
Comet, who could fly with the wind
and as high as the stars,not even at
Santas command.

If I know Santa Claus,I dont think

he is being honest. The delay of gift
deliveries this Christmas must be on
account of his domestic troubles. Why,
his home has been under siege, as
temperatures rise in the North Pole,
melting ice, especially in summer
and already summer 2016 is coming
updont you feel it in the air thats
supposed to be cold and nippy in January even here on our tropical side
of the Earth? The danger of shrinking summer
ice in the Arctic is that,
without it, human populations, especially countries
in the northern hemisphere, are free to push
further up the North Pole
in search of oil or gas or
anything beneath the once
inhospitable,
uninhabitable region. Already, as
the Smithsonian reported
in December 2013, Canada had laid claim to the
North Pole. How can Santa
Claus defend his territory?
Its not like he can depend
on his army of reindeer,
whose numbers have long shrunk.
The woodland caribou, a cousin of
the Scandinavian reindeer in southern Canada and the US, is now an
endangered species, thanks to global
warming and loss ofhabitat, according to researchers at the University
of Calgary.

I suppose the reindeer are also up

in arms, if they are still up and about,
that is.Giddy-yap,giddy-yap, Dasher, the fastest in Santas herd, must
have dashed further up north, where
the ice is still holding on, albeit precariously,so must Prancer and Dancer and all the others, Vixen, too! For
allhermagical powers, Vixencannot
make the ice reappear. Rudolf s nose
is redder due to the change of weather

Im dreaming of an ozone layer,

Just like the one I used to know,
Which kept out UV rays,
Before aerosol sprays,
And allowed for actual snow.

lating snow, it also causes heat waves,

extended droughts, and flash floods,
not to mention rising sea levels and
forest fires. Flash floods have many
times wiped out Christmas tree farms
in Vermont and New Hampshire, trees
that take at least a decade to grow
and a few minutes of an inundation to
die. Ive never really used a real tree
in my house, but it hurts to know its
possible my fake Christmas tree will
be all there is and Ill
have to sing Oh Christmas Tree in Ethan
Kuperbergs version as
published in The New
Yorker in December
2014: Oh, Christmas
tree,
oh,
Christmas
tree!/Thy plastic branches dont shed/Oh, Christmas tree, oh, Christmas
tree!/We wish real trees
werent dead...
But last month came
a silver lining to the dark
clouds that hang over us
and our future like the
Apocalypse-in-waiting.
From Nov. 30 to Dec.
11, 2015 in Paris, 195 nations,ours included, represented by PresidentBenigno Aquino III and the Philippine
Climate Change Commission, and
one bloc, the European Union, came
up with a 20-page agreement that, in
a nutshell, resolves to limit the rise of
global temperatures to two degrees

Climate Change Carols,

Ethan Kuperberg
The New Yorker

and his self-esteem is lower and lower as the temperature is higher and
higher over their threatened winter
wonderland of snow.
Even the Christmas trees are
under threat. Not only does climate
change melt Arctic ice, and keep the
ground too warm to support accumu-

Celsius. Most crucial in that Paris

Global Climate Pact is the agreement
that climate change is our responsibility, meaning we have caused it,
or at least dramatically exacerbated
it, and to address it is our moral obligation. Included in the Paris COP21
(the 21st Conference of Parties of
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change or UNFCCC) pact are the specific targets
by which each nation, particularly
the most industrial of us, the US and
China, should limit its greenhouse
gasemissions.
Our hope is, as this agreement is
legally binding, the world economy
will shift completely as a result of
the yields ofParis COP21, and industries burning fossil fuels will have no
choice but to turnto renewable, ecofriendlier alternatives, like hydropower and solar energy.
It will take us until 2020 to decide
whether we have any chance of mitigating the effects of climate change,
if not even reversing it, but until then,
at least next Christmas and over
the next four Christmases, thanks
to COP21, we can go dreaming of
a white Christmas and the smell
of pine trees in our living room and
Santa hurrying down the chimney
tonight without feeling like were
dreaming the impossible dream.
May all your dreams come true
in 2016, a solution to climate change
among them.

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Editor: AA PATAWARAN
@mblifestyle
MB Lifestyle
@manilabulletinlifestyle

Travel
Section Editor: KRIZETTE CHU
F1 Sunday, January 3, 2016

mblifestyle@gmail.com

JOURNEY TO JAISALMER
This year, go where youve never been. Our suggestion: A golden Indian city unlike any other

Text and Images by JOSHUA BERIDA

did not know what was in store for

me when I traveled to Jaisalmer. I
got used to the chaos of big Indian
cities where auto-rickshaw drivers and taxis wantonly blaze through
the roads, cows wander the streets,
and street vendors and pedestrians vie
for space along the sidewalks.
It takes around 12 hours by train to
Jaisalmer from Jaipur; and as soon as
I stepped out of the cabin, I knew I was
in a different place.

Of Havelis and Forts

Jaisalmer does not have the blitzing traffic, high rise buildings, and the
in-your-face aggression of big Indian
cities. Yellow sandstone replaces concrete, and camels replace cows wandering the streets. The laidback atmosphere and slower pace of the city is
a welcome relief. I look at the massive
structure wrapped in mist as I unpack
and prepare to explore.
The towering Jaisalmer Fort stands
watch over the golden city. The buildings
at the foot of the fort match the yellow
hue of the surrounding desert. The blocklike houses and stores are different from
the usual structures I have seen back
home and major cities in Asia.
Jaisalmer Fort or Sonar Quila
(Golden Fort), built in 1156 AD by
Rawal Jaisal, is a spectacle from afar.
As I get closer, I become more aware
of its details and majestic faade. The
cracks and scratches on its face are a
testament to its perseverance and determination to thwart invaders.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fort is an imposing presence from the outside, but bares its
beating heart once you enter its walls.
Life fills the tight streets and corners
as the usual store venders selling
scarves, carpets, souvenirs, and trinkets vie for my attention.

GOLDEN WARES In the market for scarves, carpets, souvenirs, and

trinkets? You can always find them at the Golden Fort. Topmost: The
tawny-tinged Golden Fort watching over the city

The colorful textiles line the walls

with their distinct Rajasthani design
of elephants and maharajas in blues,
reds, yellows, and greens. Foreigners
have invaded the fort, not in a swashbuckling sense, but in the varied restaurants that serve native, Italian, and
French cuisine.
The fort provides multiple viewpoints of the golden city below. I stand
in awe as the afternoon sun swoops
down to turn the rows of houses and
stores into a tawny and yellowish hue.
The city is indeed golden.
I am already fascinated with the
yellow sandstone structures of the city,
but the havelis (private mansions)
where the elite lived are another reason to visit. These elaborate estates
housed the maharajas, their wives,
servants, children and all their possessions. The two most notable are the
Patwon Ki and Salim Singh Havelis.
The Patwon Ki Haveli belonged to

Guman Chand Patwa, a prominent

businessman in Jaisalmers history.
Construction began in 1805 and all
five clusters of havelis were finished
within 60 years and given to Patwas
five sons.

The fort is an imposing

presence from the outside,
but bares its beating heart
once you enter its walls.
Upon entering the narrow walkway, the visually striking faade of
one of the havelis greet visitors. The
yellow sandstone-carved windows
and balconies and the intricate designs are a remarkable sight and an
architectural wonder. I walk up the
stairs and look down from one of the
balconies to experience how the elite

looked down on the people below.

Farther, inside the mansion, I got to
see another overlooking view of the
golden city bathed in sunlight, magnifying its color.
Salim Singh Haveli was built on the
foundation of an older estate in 1815.
This haveli had a distinct feature, its
peacock-like roof. This mansion has
around 38 balconies with their own
unique design.
The day is about to end, and the
last rays of the sun fell on the Golden
Fort watching over the city. Its lion
color slowly dissolves and fades into a
reddish gold as the sun finally set.

try, sand is nothing new, but this experience is different, there is no ocean
in sight. On camels, our group, along
with two guides, trudged through the
desert in slow measured steps. The
cold and windy weather contrasted
with the scorching heat I expected.
The patches of green amid the
expanse of brown, and the lack of
buildings anywhere nearby are rejuvenating. I feel every bump when my
camel walks over and down a sand
dune. There is not much talking involved in our group; the silence of the
desert and its raw beauty does most
of the speaking.
We finally stop at a campsite where
we will have dinner. The sun set in the
horizon, painting it into a golden, red
hue. There are several sand dunes as
far as the eyes can see.
Our small group of tourists and
guides break the silence as we talk
about our lives back home, and mundane things like how much would an
iPhone cost, under a blanket of stars.
The wind grows chillier, and I am only
wearing shorts; I did not expect the
cold weather.
One of the guides makes a fire to
keep us warm as we ate dinner. He
sings a song for us, I do not know the
words, but just like the silence of the
desert, it makes sense and no sense at
the same time.
It gets darker as the night goes on.
We drive back to the small city of Jaisalmer on a 4x4 leaving both the emptiness and fullness of the desert.

Journey to the Desert

Ive only seen the desert on TV, I
think to myself as my friend and I book
a tour to the Thar Desert. I was eager
to ride a camel and explore the sandy
expanse just outside the city.
For someone from a tropical coun-

SNAPSHOTS OF LIFE From left: A local walking the streets of Jaisalmer, produce on sale, the rolling terrain of the desert, and narrow streets display local finds

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Sunday, January 3, 2016

A HOME IN THE MOUNTAINS

Two decades of cozy luxury

Text and images by ART STA. ANA

was already home, the door shut

behind me when I realized that
I left my wallet in the van that
brought us from Baguio back to
Manila. My jaw dropped to the floor.
So I called The Manor Hotel, told
them of my predicament, and waited
for a return call. A few days later, I
picked up my wallet at the hotels Manila office, all of my membership and
discount cards still inside. Even the
R40 that were my life savings remained
untouched. It felt like Christmas, not
just because it was only a couple of
weeks before this highly-anticipated
day of titas telling you that you got fat
or asking you why you were still single,
but because I felt the care. The Manor
Hotel inside Camp John Hay in Baguio
City does live by the code The Art of
Caring, and really, the idea of a home
away from home feels just a little
more real, just a little more special on
its beautiful grounds.
A Hotel Inside the Camp
The hotel opened in 2000 inside
what used to be a US military rest
and recreation grounds, and what was
once the Officers clubhouse was transformed into a one-of-a-kind hotel. The
layout remains practically unchanged.
The hotel has that incomparable cabin
feel, with wood and earth colors serving
as the primary motif. The lobby leads
to an open-air restaurant, Le Chef at
The Manor, which in turn opens up to
a sprawling garden area abloom with
pine trees and sloping down to the forest below, as the hotel is located 5,000
feet above sea-level. The rooms are
spaciousthe smallest ones can accommodate a small party. No airconditioning was installed in any of the units.
Only the ceiling fans and the open windows provide ventilation, as the whole
hotel takes advantage of the cold climate of its location all year round.
Le Chef is by itself an attraction,

with its rotating a la carte menus

that include anything from succulent
braised US beef to sinigang salmon
belly to roasted prawn salad. The
restaurant is managed by the amazing Billy King, rockstar chef of Le
Souffle fame. With him at the helm,
the restaurant is the best fine-dining
restaurant in Baguio City. A bar is
also located adjacent to the restaurant, where I indulged in glass after
glass of Macallan, Martell, Amarula,
and Johnny Walker until late night,
as well as the Le Chef Delicatessen,
which makes the freshest bread in the
mountain city.
Celebrations up the Mountains
Baguio City is among the most
visited places in the country. Theres
almost always something going on in
the city, whether the Christmas season, the Panagbenga Festival, or the
arrival of summer. On any of these
occasions, The Manor is a favorite of
those visiting the summer capital of
the Philippines not just for the superior amenities, world class cuisine, or
the nearby outlet stores, but because
it always brings something unique to
these celebrations.
An example would be the hotels

Christmas Light Show, a new tradition

(as contradictory as that phrase sounds)
that can be found in the gardens of The
Manor every Christmas. Only on its
third year last year, it is now one of the
most anticipated events in Baguio. Every December, a couple of weeks before

Theres almost always

something going on
in the city, whether
the Christmas season,
or the Panagbenga
Festival, or the
arrival of summer.
Christmas Day, lights envelope the garden and every night, the lights dance
to popular Christmas songs blaring out
for spectators to enjoy.
When we started this three years
ago, we received good feedback. I
thought we should do this every year
to make the holidays really special,

said the hotels general manager Ramon Cabrera, himself a four-decade

veteran in the hospitality business.
Indeed, there seems to be an aura
of attention and thoughtfulness everywhere, with every little detail showing
a deliberate extra step to make the
guests feel as comfortable as possible.
The whole place feels as serene as the
space between pine trees, some few
minutes away from now metropolitan
Baguio. There might not be another
place where you can feel more at
home. Take it from me, that guy who
lost his wallet. What wouldve been a

disaster turned out to be a discovery

of the true meaning of what it means
to be taken care of, to relax completely, and cast all worries away. It may be
250 kilometers away from Manila, but
The Manor will always be a second
home to me. And now that the Flower Festival is just a few weeks away
this February, Im more than excited
to see how the hotel and its management and staff will go out on a limb
to make each guest, myself included,
feel as though life were a bed of roses
(without the thorns).
www.campjohnhay.ph

ONE OF A KIND The Manor Hotel lives by the code, The Art of Caring, from the amenities to the services, from the food to the entertaiment, guests always will always feel at home.

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Lifestyle

Sunday, January 3, 2016

F-3

F4 BRILLIANT WAYS TO TRAVEL CHEAP

Mervz Marasigan

www.pinoyadventurista.com

Ive always believed that a well-planned trip is cheaper than those spur-of-themoment adventures. Travel during off-peak season as well as on a weekday. Its
always way cheaper than during weekends and especially during summer months
and peak seasons. Book your airline tickets several months ahead of your scheduled
trip because it costs a lot cheaper compared to booking it on the last minute. Most
local airlines offer very cheap and affordable seat sale promos with travel periods
six months to a year in advance, so better plan your trip ahead of time and book
your tickets in advance. This is one of my tried-and-tested ways on saving a lot on
travel expenses.

Paula O

www.ponderingpaodaolei.net

The best seat sales happen

during mid-week or in conjunction
with local holidays. I sacrifice
precious hours of sleep as I need
to be online at 12 midnight to
make sure I can book my desired
destinations or flight schedule/s.

Make friends and memories on the road

Jherson Jaya

www.lonelytravelogue.com

Take advantage of free walking tours

and other activities

Dont be afraid to have friends.

Generally, people are good. Really! Thats
what I hold on to, especially during my
travels where folks are having a lifetime
experience. Aside from splitting the cost
of your chartered boat in Calaguas or
the cost of the horse cart tour in Burma,
friends are human beings that allow you
to be a human when you travel solo. Its
good to know that you have somebody
who would watch your back and could
take your perfect sunset shot. And
because you are not shy and aloof to the
world, you may gain friends from as far
as South America.

Milet Miranda

www.projectgora.com

If you want to learn about the

history and culture of a certain
country but dont have the cash
to splurge on it, then take a free
walking tour. Most major cities
in the world offer free tours with
an experienced guide who will
introduce you to the citys most
famous attractions. Remember to
check the countrys official tourism
website to know about the schedule,
available languages, and reservation
policy.

Stay at hostels

Karla Ramos

When you search the Internet

for things to do in a certain
destination, it usually involves tours
that cost. Try to search for free stuff.
In Hong Kong, museums are free on
Wednesdays. In Paris, the Louvre
is cheaper on Fridays (at least
during the time we went). Check
their websites. Be aware of that and
use it. Hike, go to the park, go to a
beach, and go for a picnic and more.
Travel slow. Have a mix of tours,
nature and all. Youll see there are a
lot of educational and fun things that
you can do for free. In some places
they even have free yoga, free silent
discos, and more. Not a lot of people
think things could be free but yes,
that is possible.

Aleah Taboclaon

www.solitarywanderer.com

Grasya Bangoy
www.grasya.com

Look for promo codes to

get discounts on hotels, hostels,
homestays, or stay in houses of
family and friends but offer some
help in exchange so you wont be
labeled as a freeloader

When youre traveling, you cant get around paying for accommodation,
unless, of course, you have relatives in the area or friends of friends who are
willing to put you up for the duration of your trip. Theres a way to cut cost
though; avoid staying in hotels and book dorm beds in hostels instead. Theyre
usually cheap, close to major attractions, and, best of all, if youre traveling solo,
you will meet other travelers there. I have stayed in hostels all over the world,
from the Philippines and the rest of Asia, to Europe and South America, and I
can say that its still the best way to keep my travel expenses down, and at the
same time, meet new friends.

Gian and Sheila Jubela

www.adrenalineromance.com

Ian Dela Pena

www.dreamsofabrownman.
com

Traveling solo can be

expensive. One way to save
down on your expenses is
by being really friendly. If
you are staying in a hostel
you can find other travelers
who may have the same
itinerary as yours. This
way you can join forces and
save up on transportation,
accommodation, and food
among others.

Book in bed-andbreakfasts, low-budget inns,

or homestays rather than
in expensive hotels. Think
about it: Do you really need
to stay in an expensive, fullyequipped, luxurious hospitality
establishment when all you
really need is just place to
sleep, take a shower, and
store your pack? You are most
likely to spend most of the day
exploring the destination and
engaging in adventures rather
than staying in your room all
day anyway.

There you go, who said traveling is reserved only for the rich and famous? Not anymore,
especially with the advent of budget airlines, the couchsurfing community, social media
today plus the availability of a wealth of information regarding travel online. Expanding our
world without shelling a lot of money has become attainable for many people. So, go forth and
multiply your wonderful memories by packing your backpack and heading out on a trip to the
place you been longing to visit for the longest time.

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Sunday, January 3, 2016

Converse with the Locals

Christine Fernandez

www.jovialwanderer.com

Take it from these

masters of the road, 2016
is your year to travel

Talk to the locals but be mindful of local customs so you dont come off as
intrusive. You dont even have to ask a random stranger on the street, you can try
the hotel and restaurant staff or drivers of public transportation. I learned that by
simply telling them about your plans or asking the best way to get to a destination,
you can get information on the cheapest way to do it or in some cases, some would
even be more than willing to take you there for free or at least give you a ride
(especially on domestic travels). Of course, language barrier can be a factor in
some destinations so you may want to ask for tips in advance by posting on social
media or getting in touch with a travel blogger in the area. By asking online, you get
to reach more people and receive information quickly.

Karla Ramos

www.karlaroundtheworld.com

Compiled by MARKY RAMONE GO

nother year has come to pass and for most of us it was 365 days of
backbreaking work and then some. While we look at it as a badge of
honor in helping the country move forward, we also deserve that time
off to indulge in a bit of travel. Doing so doesnt necessarily mean
burning all our hard earned money in one trip to the beach or some exotic
location somewhere. If planned properly and guided accordingly, we could
stretch our meager budget and still enjoy a memorable experience on the road.
As the old adage says Theres nothing travel cannot fix. It is high time to
recharge yourself in preparation for the challenges of the coming year. So start
plotting your vacation leaves and be open to the idea of exploring new cultures,
tasting new delicacies, meeting new people, and walking unfamiliar streets. But
before that, read up on what these travel bloggers have to dish as they share
some amazing ways to travel on a string budget.

A local will give you insight on alternatives to the very costly sights and give
you a more practical option that will result in the same experience. You also get to
try the local food at home, and learn the language and the traditions. I traveled with
locals in South Africa and I got 30 percent off most of the time. I also learned a lot
about their culture.Walk, tour, go to a local grocery, and cook food. You can bond,
eat, and laugh together.

Take public transportation and/or choose

the best flight options

Pack Right and Travel Light

Joshua Berida

www.thewanderingjuan.net
One way to travel cheap is to take public transportation. In the provinces,
take jeeps or non-air-conditioned buses to reduce your expenses. This also
provides you with a great way to experience the countryside, breathe fresh air,
and enjoy the view as it changes from concrete to farmlands, from high-rise
buildings to nipa huts. In other countries, taking public transport is not just a
budget-friendly option, it is an adventure. The foreign signs and language keep
you on your toes because you might miss your stop if you dont pay attention. It
also gives you the chance to talk with locals. In my experience, someone is always
willing to help a tourist, all you need to do is ask.

Claire Madarang

www.iamtravelinglight.com
When flying, especially with budget airlines, dont check in baggage. Pack light and carry only what
you count as essentials. You dont only save on money but also on time as you breeze through airports.
You will feel the savings especially when you have multiple flights. One time I flew from Manila to Kuala
Lumpur, Penang, and then later to Yangon, and I saved over R1,000. If you are buying pasalubong
choose light ones like scarves and purses. If you absolutely have to have check in baggage, see if you
can share it with one person or more, especially if you are traveling with a group.

JhoVd

www.mountainsnbeyond.com
Bring appropriate clothes or the needed wear. This way, youll avoid spending more money for outfits or
attire. Read about or anticipate the weather and the activities you would do where youre going.

Limited budget? Plan and book ahead!

Mai Flores

www.budgetbiyahera.com
Generally, to budget is to allocate. Given this, traveling becomes an easy task when I budget my
projected expenses for a trip. The process itself helps me determine what I still need to save up for.
Getting seats during a sale can be an advantage even though the trip can still be a year from now. But
having a six to 12 month timeframe is enough time to create an itinerary, as I get to do more research
on the destination Im heading to. By doing so, I get to learn how much transportation fees are on an
estimate (i.e. boat and motorcycle fares), how much my preferred lodgings are worth and so on.

More on page F3

Karla Ramos
Often, the quickest way to get to
a place is also the most expensive.
But what people sometimes dont
realize is that there are countless
ways to get to a certain destination.
When choosing a flight, check the
cheapest place to depart from.
Take note that not all travel flight
scanners (Skyscanner, Expedia,
Momondo , Google Flights) are equal.
Sometimes, what happens is when
the trackers see that you search for
the same flights for multiple times,
it automatically increases the price.
Best to search in Incognito mode so
that the computer wont be tracking
your cookies. That way, you will still
be able to get the cheapest promos.
You may opt to take other entry and
exit points that you can connect via
bus, train, or ferry. Direct flights can
sometimes cost so much more. Be
aware of certain airline promos. Its
usually cheaper to fly on a Tuesday
or Thursday compared to a weekend.
Be open to red eye flights, early
morning, or late night, as they are
usually a lot cheaper.

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Editor: JOJO PANALIGAN

@Bulletin_Ent
Manila Bulletin Entertainment Online
Enero 6, 2016

KARON, AVAILABLE
NA SA NATIONAL
BOOKSTORES UG
MERRIAM & WEBSTER
BOOKSTORES
NATIONWIDE!

MGA SUGILANON:

Ang Kataposang Noche

Buena Ni Mister Blanco
Ni Eric S.B. Libre

Ang Katingalahang
Babaye sa Misa de Gallo
Ni Apronianito Ferrater Miramon

Bea Alonzo
ARTIKULO:
Neyoliberalismo ug Kalapasan
sa Tawhanong Katungod
Ni Don Pagusara

BALAK:

Klaymeyt Tsens
Ni Dodong Janiola Jumamoy

G-1 Sunday, January 3, 2016

entertainment.mlabulletin@gmail.com

P25

New year, new projects

Nearly three decades in showbiz, Aiza Seguerra looks
forward to more creative endeavors

By Paulyn Abando

ts definitely a happy new year

for singer Aiza Seguerra as he
welcomes 2016 together with
Liza Dio, their first time as a
married couple.
Low-key as they are, and perhaps
after working abroad several times
last year, the two opted to spend the

LIZA DIO and Aiza Seguerra at the MMFF

Gabi ng Parangal (Aizas Instagram)

YOUNG AIZA SEGUERRA (GMA)

holidays quietly in their new house

in Quezon City.
Aiza looks for ward to a busy
2016 as he celebrates his 30th year
in show business. Recall that he
started at three years old by joining
Eat Bulagas Little Miss Philippines segment.
He has since starred in 30 movies
and several TV shows, as well as recorded several
hit albums.
Aiza and
Liza are
currently
working on
a documentary about
the Lumads.
They hope to
release it in
the coming
months.
Also part
of their plan
is to create
films about
the lesbian,
gay, bisexual,
transgender,
and queer
(LGBTQ)
community.

In the meantime, Aiza is preparing for his TV5 show Born To Be A

Star, a singing competition where
he serves as judge alongside Rico
Blanco and Mark Bautista.
Proud hubby
Aiza is proud that his wife has
returned to acting via the 2015 Metro
Manila Film Festival (MMFF) New
Wave entry Toto.
In the film, Liza plays Eve Porter,
a liberated Filipino-American who
will help Toto, portrayed by Sid Lucero, get a Green Card and achieve
his American dream.
He hopes for Liza to land more
interesting roles in the future.
Shes a very good actress, very
dependable na kapag kaeksena mo
siya talagang she gives so much
of herself and siguro if theres one
wish na gusto ko talaga sana is
more projects that she can really be
proud of, Aiza said.
Toto won several awards at
the recently concluded MMFF Gabi
ng Parangal awards, including the
New Wave Special Jury Prize, Best
Supporting Actress (Bibeth Ortega), Best Supporting Actor (Thou
Reyes), and Best Director (J. P. Su)
plums.

TJ Trinidad bares
plans for 2016

veryone wants to start

fresh with the new year
upon us and TJ Trinidad
is no exception.
In an interview, the actor shared
his outlook not only in 2016 but every
time calendar renews.
I always try to be a better man
as a whole. Every year, I try to be a
better person, better man, father,
husband, friend, and son, he said
in general.
On his acting career, TJ hopes
to do more mainstream films this
time.
I do a lot of indie films kasi so,
sana naman maka-gawa naman
ako ng mainstream para may balance...
His last independent films were
Alvin Yapans Mga Anino Ng
Kahapon; and Jerrold Tarogs
Sana Dati where he earned
the Best Supporting Actor
prize at Cinemalaya 2013.
He had just finished shooting the suspense-thriller film
Hawa directed by Carlo Ledesma.
Now, TJ has never had qualms
playing contravidas, character roles
or even leading men. Offer a role
to him and if its good, hell take it.
However, for his upcoming projects,
TJ hopes to star in a romanticcomedy.
And his choice of partner? Jen-

TJ TRINIDAD

nylyn Mercado, Bea Alonzo and

Sarah Geronimo.
Hindi pa ako nakagawa ng
proper na rom-com so, its something that I would love to try, he
said. Ive auditioned for a few so,
well find out in January.
His only wish this New Year is for
all the Metro Manila Film Festival
(MMFF) entries to earn big at the
box-office.
Of course, this goes especially
for Buy Now, Die Later, which he
stars in.
TJ recalls the challenge of putting
on prosthetic for his role in the film.
But the whole experience was quiet
enjoyable kasi masarap gawin yung
role and my co-actors were all fun to
work with, he said.
The film revolves around a mysterious shop owned by his character
Santi. The place is filled with a myriad
of goods, mostly antiques that fulfill the
buyers' wishes but not without price.
If it were up to him, the
MMFF will not be exclusively
done in December.
I wish na hindi lang pangChristmas kasi I think they
(producers and directors) have
baskets of films eh, he said.
Sana naman they can do it
during summers. Parang seasons of films. (Report by Rowena Tan, with additional
report from Annie Alejo)

TJ TRINIDAD in Buy Now, Die Later (YouTube)

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Sunday, Januar

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Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati City

Tel.: 8981440-41; Fax: 8911437

powerhouse cast
led by Chloe
Movie Schedule
Grace Moretz,
Nick Robinson,
Cinema 1IWALANOFOREVER-PO
Ron Livingston, Alex Roe,
and
Liev Schreiber stars
Cinema 2 ALL YOU NEEO ISPAGIBIO- PO
in the film adaptation of
Cinema 3 BEAUTYANDTNEBEASTIE- PO
Rick Yancey's bestselling
Cinema 4 HONORTHYFATHER- PO
novel "The 5th Wave," the
first book in his planned
Cinema 5 HAUNTED MANSION- PO
trilogy.
Cinema 6 MYBEBELOVE,PKILIOPAMORE- PO
In the film, four waves
of increasingly deadly
attacks have left most
of Earth decimated.
Against a backdrop of
fear and distrust, Cassie
(Moretz) is on the run,
desperately trying to
save her younger brother. As she prepares for
the inevitable and lethal
5th wave, Cassie teams
up with a young man
who may become her
final hope - if she can
only trust him.
Yancey's book was
published in 2013 to
critical and popular
acclaim, with over
20 weeks on the New
In III DOLBY.ATMOS.
York
Times Bestselld
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BEAUTY AND THE BESTIE

01:30104:00106:30109:00

Entertainment News

G-3

Barking up the
wrong tree

hen Alleged
Wo m a n ( AW )
companion
agreed to be
with Notable Bigwig (NB),
speculations emerged on the
nature of their relationship.
However, one thing is sure:
She is not the legal wife,
thus, her role in the life of
NB has certain limitations.
Lately, AW has been demanding. While NB has
provided AW a home, money,
and attention, the latter
wants more. Rather than

exchanging pleasantries, AW glared

at EC and uttered a derogatory word.
Shocked, EC could not understand why
AW was so furious. AW proceeded to
give EC a mouthful anyway.
Naturally, NB learned of the incident and called AW. While he seems
to project coolness, NB has a terrifying temper, and AW felt the brunt
of that. NB questioned AW why she
picked a fight with EC. As the host,
NB was much embarrassed by what
happened.
Dont let fear or insecurity stop
you from trying new things. Believe
in yourself. Do what you love. And

Sunday, January 3, 2016

on their backgrounds, their show was

generating interest from viewers. Indeed, theirs is a promising loveteam.
But theres a catch: After some
unearthing, MDs past came up and
he was found out to be the alleged exboyfriend of Younger Celebrity (YC).
Still, the show must go on. As days
of togetherness turned into weeks of
companionship, FT and MD started
to pledge loyalty to each other. Both
promised to wait for each other when
the right moment comes meaning
when they are already free from their
commitment to a show. After several
weeks, the show ended and FT and MD

(Illustrations by Rod Caalita)

getting into heated arguments or even try to understand AWs behavior, NB

sent her away on vacation.
The temporary separation
was much welcomed as NB
could focus on his other
obligations.
When AW had to drop
by the house to get something, she was surprised to
see Enthralling Celebrity
(EC) sitting comfortably in
the living room. Instead of

most importantly, be kind to others,

even if you don't like them. Stacy
London

Waiting game
Theyve been playing with the rules
of being in the limelight, both Female
Talent (FT) and Newbie Male Discovery (MD). On cam, the two are sweet
toward each other and they make it
appear unscripted, too.
As days pass, they actually develop
feelings for each other. Capitalizing

started looking forward to a new future

together and at last.
Alas, any form of deepening closeness will have to be put in the backburner once more. YC came back to
the picture and a project with FT and
MD is in the works. It seems FT and
MD just have to wait longer (sigh)...
Life is a series of natural and
spontaneous changes. Don't resist
them - that only creates sorrow. Let
reality be reality. Let things flow
naturally forward in whatever way
they like. Lao Tzu

Back at one
Award Winner (AW) disappears
from the limelight anew to complete
the cure. AWs loved ones are concerned that our subject stick to the
remedy this time or the bright future
ahead could all go to waste. But when
is complete recover? When is it finally
okay and for good? The answer, my
friend, is blowing in the wind.
When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search
for a solution. The undecided heart
searches for an escape. Anonymous
Follow @FashionPulis on Twitter
and @fashionpulis on Instagram.
Please continue to send your comments and juic ystories to michaelsylim@gmail.com. Thank you very
much for loving www.fashionpulis.
com. Till next Sunday.....

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Entertainment News

G-4

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Carry-over fever
I

t may be a new
year upon us
but some
things
from 2015 remain, both
the hits and
misses. Do
they pred i s p o s e
the coming
months?
Who knows
for sure? But
from last year,
remember the...

thing significant in her

last two bids prior to the big
kahuna. The same critics
were quick to say I
told you so when
Steve Harvey
announced
her as Miss
Universe
2015 runner-up but
wait, theres
more (and
we all know
the story by
now).

JESSY MENDIOLA and JM de

Guzman (JMs Instagram)

way to the bank, in fact. With

a production budget of 80 million
pesos, it is one of the mostexpensive Filipino historical films ever
released but it more than made up
for it at the tills, earning more than
R200 million.
And it received mostly positive
reviews from film critics and historians alike. The late general must be
smiling from above. Or below.

MAINE MENDOZA (Eat

New Stars
Mistress
Bulagas Facebook)
The biggest new star
movies and
to emerge in 2015 is Maine
historical
ning. Not only
Mendoza of AlDub fame. And albiopics
did GMA move
though she has already achieved a
Though there
Wowowin to an
lot in her very young showbiz career,
were The Love AfSIMON PINEDA (YouTube)
earlier time slot at
including a Best Supporting Actress
fair and Etiquette
2 p.m. but has added 15
trophy at the recently concluded
For Mistresses types last
minutes to the shows air time.
MMFF 2015, we believe Mendoza is
year, we gladly note the
Speaking of comebacks,
Less breakups, more
just starting to start, bound to reach
passing of
one of the greatest was
marriages
greater heights.
that of Pia WurtzWhile HollyNote that her handlers havent
bachs who rewood mourned
exploited her full potential yet. Apart
cently won the
several splits
from being good at the kitchen (shes
Miss Universe
including the
a Culinary Arts graduate), Mendoza
crown. Wasnt
marriage
can also play drums and guitar.
it just yesof Ben AfAnother star in the making is
terday when
fleck and
child actor Simon Pineda who is
some peo Jennifer
making waves playing a streetple were
Garner as
smart urchin on FPJs Ang Probchiding her
with Halle
insyano. Many agree that the little
d e e m e d
Berry and
boy is as good as 70s child wonder
desperate
Olivier
Nio Muhlach in his prime.
attempt to
Martinez,
Pineda has this uncanny ability
make a name
a r o u n d
of owning each scene he is in. More,
for herself in
these parts
he has good timing, something most
CLAUDINE BARRETTO and
the pageant
we were celactors cant grasp.
Kris
Aquino in Etiquette For
world?
ebrating wedJOHN ARCILLA as Heneral Luna
Mistresses (Facebook)
W e l l ,
dings.
Comebacks
critics had
Among Filipino ceDont we just love
the soenough bulcomebacks? Well,
called Mistress
lets to feed their
it depends.
Movies. Well, it was inevitable, with
g u n s . Wu r t z Some peoproducers drinking the well dry
bach had
ple might
(how many more bed scenes?
repeatedly
have raised
slapping scenes? suicide
failed to
an eyescenes?).
win anybrows seeWhats on the rise is
ing Willie
the historic biopic with a
Revilsense of humor. Sure,
lame do
producers have
his stuff
bankrolled
again on
such epics as
TV but its
Jos Rizal
undeniable
(1998),
the man is
El Presiback. The
d e n t e
newest incar(2012), and
PIA WURTZBACK (Instagram)
nation of his oneBonifacio:
man show WowowAng Unang
KAMIKAZEE (kamikazeein premiered early this
Pangulo (2014)
phils Instagram)
year and slowly, ever slowly its been
but the highly eninching its way back to the top of the
tertaining Heneral
ratings game.
Luna released last
Its not loss on ABS-CBN that
September was difhas recreated one of its variety proferent in many ways
grams Banana Sundae and fielded
in that we learned as we
it as direct competition. So far,
laughed.
WILLIE REVILLAME
though, Revillame seems to be winThey laughed, too all the

PAUL SORIANO and Toni

Gonzaga (Tonis Instagram)

lebs who took the plunge were Heart

Evangelista and Chiz Escudero;
Toni Gonzaga and Paul Soriano;
Yeng Constantino and Victor Asuncion; Nikki Gil and BJ Albert; Gab
Valenciano and Tricia Centenera;
among many others.
Not that P inoy celebs were
altogether spared from breakups
with the likes of Maja Salvador and
Gerald Anderson; Sam Concepcion
and Jasmine Curtis Smith; JM de
Guzman and Jessy Mendiola calling it quits with their respective
relationships.
The sound of silence
Last year marked the sad end for
several well-loved rock acts, including Kamikazee and Urbandub.
Well, at least the members of
Hale have decided to bur y the
hatchet and get back to doing what
they do best, creating music.
We also like it that Bamboos latest release Bless This Mess is a
chockfull of rock and pop that could
stand toe to toe with international
releases.
This year, we still have the Philippine Popular Music Festival and the
Himig Handog P-Pop
Love Songs for songwriters who
badly need that break. Its coming.
Its 2016. (By NR Ramos)

BAMBOO (Instagram)

2016 mantra: Try and try until you succeed

T
By Paulyn Abando

hey say that you are

what you think. And that
theres no shortcut to
success.
Both seem to be tr ue and
theres no harm in this one, too:
Try and try till you succeed.
With the year just a few days
old, Bulletin Entertainment recalls the inspiring stories of Dara
and Charice who, with the right
mindset, overcame the odds and
are now where theyve always
wanted to be.
May their hard work, patience
and perseverance serve as examples that you could be closer
to success than you think:

that she is, Filipinos have already

known her as the cute and bubbly
Sandara Park.
At 19, Sandara auditioned for
the 2004 talent search Star Circle
Quest where she earned the moniker Pambansang Krung-krung.
Though she received over half a
million votes during
the last elimination
round, Dara
eventually finished second
to winner Hero
Angeles.
Her first
film together

Krung-krung and more

Dara, has been making waves
all around the world as part of
the K-pop girl group 2NE1, but
before becoming the global star

DARA during her Star Circle Quest days (YouTube)

DARA (TWITTER)

with Hero was Bcuz Of U where

she won the Best New Actress plum
at the 21st Philippine Movie Press
Club Awards of 2004.
She also starred in other films
including Can This Be Love (2005),
D Lucky Ones (2006) and Super
Noypi (2006).
In 2007, Dara left the Philippines
and returned to South Korea to take
voice, dance and acting training under the Korean record label
YG Entertainment.
Not that success soon
followed.
At one point, she was
removed from training
since she was too cute
for 2NE1.
Not giving up her
dreams, Dara redeemed
herself by practicing Jenifer Lopez Get It Right
and convinced the company s head Yang Hyun
Suk to give her a second
chance.
Its a hip hop song

so I practiced it every day for two

months. So when I performed it
again in front of him he said, Okay,
you can practice together with them
again, she said in a magazine
interview.
Af ter all her hard work, she
finally debuted with 2NE1 in May
2009, and the rest is history.
Oprah calling (then Ellen)
To help support her
f a m i l y f i n a n c i a l l y,
Charice Pempengco started joining
amateur singing
competitions at
age seven.
In 2005, Charice joined the
singing competition Little Big
Star hosted by Sarah Geronimo.
She was immediately elimi-

CHARICE (Instagram)

nated after her first performance

but was later called back as a
wildcard contender.
She eventually became one of
the finalists, and though she was
a consistent top scorer in the final
rounds, Charice only placed third
in the competition.
It was in 2007 when this amazing singer from Laguna got the
notice she deserved.
YouTube user FalseVoice uploaded her videos on the site and
almost overnight Charice became
a star.
Due to the Internets wide
range, international personalities have took noticed of Charice
including Ellen DeGeneres; and
Ophra, who even dubbed the Filipina as the most talented girl in
the world.
Charice has since been performing worldwide, has had hit
songs and has worked with singing superstars.

CHARICE as a Little Big Star contestant (YouTube)

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Editor: JOJO PANALIGAN

@Bulletin_Ent
Manila Bulletin Entertainment Online

KYLIE
PADILLA
LIZA

ENERO 6, 2015

NOBELITA

Himaya sa
paraiso
NARCISA DALGUNTAS-ROULLO

SOBERANO

Kon langit na
ang magbuot
TONY AGUILAR, JR.

MGA SUGILANON

Para kay BFF

APRIL GUILLANO-VASQUEZ

sa
ahon
Balasbisay-an kag
Ka ndan
tu
NakaMindanao

JULIA MONTES

H-1 Sunday, January 3, 2016

Nagahibi
si Jolina
ROMEO M. ROULLO

PIA ALONZO
WURTZBACH
Miss Universe

entertainment.mlabulletin@gmail.com

Agod makatrabaho ukon makabakal sang bisan ano, basaha - Manila Bulletin Advertisements & Classied Ads

Concertsbyforeignactsin2016
By rowena tan

ast year saw a slew of concerts by international acts

with tickets costing many
both an arm and a leg. No
regrets, of course, says true blue fan.
So, are there international concerts in 2016? Do
birds fly? Just
look at the scheduled concerts
from January to
April...

the most requested performers to visit

the country, boy band EXO is coming
for a one-night-only concert on Jan. 23
at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The band, composed of Kai, Suho,
Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O, Sehun,
Xiumin, Lay, and Chen, will perform
their hits MAMA, Wolf, Growl,

Overdose, and Call Me Baby.

EXO was formed by S.M. Entertainment in 2011. In 2013, the band released their first album, XOXO, that
has the hit song, Growl. This album
shot EXO to stardom and theyd won
the Disk Daesang Award at the 28th
Golden Disk Awards and receiving the

Nate Ruess
Grammy-winning recording
artist Nate Ruess
is coming to Manila on Jan. 19 for
his much-awaited concert at the
KIA Theatre in
Cubao.
Nate is known
around the globe
as the singer/
NATE RUESS (Charles Sykes/AP)
songwriter of the
indie pop super
group FUN, which is behind the hits
We Are Young, Some Nights, and
Carry On.
No, the group hasn't broken up,
with members making it clear early in
2015, that they would simply be taking
time to work on solo projects before
getting back together.
Nate is known for his songs AhHa,
Great Big Storm, and What Is This
World Coming To all from his eponymous album Grand Romantic.
One OK Rock
Japanese boy band One OK Rock,
composed of Toru Yamashita, Tomoya
Kanki, Takahiro Moriuchi and Ryota
Kohama, is coming to the Philippines
as part of their 35xxxv Asian Tour.
The concert will be held at the Mall
of Asia Arena on
Jan. 19.
35xxxv is
their first release
since signing up
with record label giant Warner
Bros. Records.
The groups
biggest single
The Beginning
has already won
Best Rock Video
at the 2013 MTV
Video Music
Awards Japan and
reached number
five on the Oricon
charts.
Their latest,
ONE OK ROCK (oneokrock.fr)
Mighty Long
Fall, was used
as theme song for the movie sequel of
Rurouni Kenshin.
Chicago
Considered one of the longest running and most successful pop/rock
n roll groups in history, Chicago is
coming to Manila a second time after
their successful concert last September 2009.
The band has a total of 47 gold and
platinum awards. Among their most
successful songs over the years are
Youre The Inspiration, Hard Habit
To Break, Saturday In The Park,
Colour My World, I Dont Wanna
Live Without Your Love, Baby, What
A Big Surprise, and What Kind of
Man I Would Be?
Chicago has achieved numerous
feats including
earning a Grammy Award, multiple American
M u s i c Aw a r d s ,
and a Star on the
Hollywood Walk of
Fame. They have
also been elected
as Founding Artists of the John F.
Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts and they
have a Chicago
street dedicated
in their honor.
EXO
Being one of

CHICAGO

MADONNA (AP/Miguel Tovar)

Album of the Year Award at the 15th

Mnet Asian Music Awards.
The album sold over one million
copies, putting EXO as the fastestselling Korean artist in the last 12
years. Their third EP Overdose
(2014) made EXO the highest-charting
Korean male act on Billboard 200 at

No. 129 and it peaked at No. 2 on Billboards World Albums Chart.

Boyce Avenue
As announced on their official
Facebook page, the Florida-based
brothers Alejandro Manzano (lead
vocals, guitar, piano), Fabian Manzano
(guitar, vocals), and
Daniel Manzano (bass,
percussion, vocals) of
Boyce Avenue are set
to warm the hearts of
Filipino fans as they
perform in five Philippine cities everyday for
one week.
Boyce Avenue will
hold shows in Manila
(Feb. 16), at Waterfront
Hotel Cebu (Feb. 18),
at Limketkai Mall, in
Cagayan de Oro (Feb.
19), at St. La Salle Coliseum, Bacolod (Feb.
20) and at University of
Baguio (Feb. 22).
This isnt the bands
CHRIS BOTTI featuring Sting
first visit to the Philippines. They had their
first concert here in 2009, and their
most recent visit was last year. The
band is taking fellow musician Savannah Outen with them during their
coming stopover.
Madonna
Filipino fans of Madonna will have
not one, but two chances to see her
perform live in Manila.
Madonnas Rebel Heart Tour will
be at the Mall of Asia Arena on Feb. 24.
Due to overwhelming public demand,
she will perform an extra night on Feb.
25 at the same venue.
It is the 10th worldwide concert
tour by Madonna, this time in support of her 13th studio album, Rebel
Heart. It kicked off on September
2015 in Montreal, Canada and continued throughout
North America, Europe and Asia, finally
concluding on March
2016 in Australia.
Tickets for the
Rebel Heart Tour
range from P3,150
for general admission to P57,750 for
the SVIP section.
Chris Botti featuring Sting
Many were
shocked over the
ticket price for the
Manila leg of Madonnas Rebel Heart
World Tour in 2016
BOYCE AVENUE
but its nothing compared to those for
American trumpeter and composer
Chris Botti and English musician
Stings show.
Tickets for Botti-Sting concert
range from (are you sitting down?)
P11, 864.60 for Bronze to P64,716 for
the stage seats.
The concert will mark both artists third performance in the Philippines but their first time performing
together.

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER

5 Seconds of Summer
Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds
of Summer is set to perform in Manila on
March 12 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
5 Seconds of Summer is composed
of vocalist Luke Hemmings, guitarist
Michael Clifford, bass guitarist Calum
Hood, and drummer Ashton Irwin. This
will be the groups first
time to stage a concert
in the country, which
is also a part of their
Sounds Live Feels Live
Tour.
Formed in Sydney
back in 2011, the band
performed several covers of popular songs
on YouTube before attracting interest from
major music labels. In
February 2014, the band
released its debut single
She Looks So Perfect
worldwide, which dominated the charts in the
U.K., Ireland, Australia,
and New Zealand.
EXO (allkpop.com)

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Entertainment News

H-2

Sunday, January 3, 2016

BALTIC & CO.

by Roni Santiago

TOK & MOL

PUPUNG

by Tonton Young

IPENUTS

CALLOUS

WORKAHOLIC

by Carlo Jose San Juan MD

by William Contreras

by Felipe dela Cruz

by Ishamar Mangaser

COPY-PASTE

LOLO SPORT

by Stanley Chi

by Paolo Simbulan

IMBOY

by Nio Balita

katutubo

by Edd Burce

BOKSWAGON

by Bok Hong

KOKOY

POTPOURRI

by P'Casis

by Rommel J. Estanislao

ANSWER TO SUPER CROSSWORD

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Entertainment News
ANIMAL CRACKERS

im bentor

by Fred Wagner

by William Contreras

Sunday, January 3, 2016 H-3

HI and LOIS

by Brian and Greg Walker

TABA N CHOI

BURUNTONG

by Aldrin Gulapa

AHA HULE

SISIW

by Mike de Leon

BOTCHOG

NORMANS ISLAND

by Norman Isaac

LIFE IN PROGRESS

by Felipe dela Cruz

by GrecoM

by Eugene Cubillo

by Julius Villanueva

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TVGuide

Sunday, January 3, 2016

your everyday guide to local television and cable TV.

Local Channels
ABS-CBN 2
12:15 am O
Shopping
6:00 The Healing
Eucharist
7:00 Kabuhayang
Swak Na Swak
7:30 Salamat Dok
8:30 Kurokos
Basketball
9:00 Haikyu
9:30 Superbook
Reimagined
10:00 Matanglawin
10:30 Kapamilya
Kiddie Blockbusters
12:00 pm ASAP
2:00 Banana
Sundae
3:00 Kapamilya
Mega Blockbusters
4:30 Luv U
5:30 TV Patrol
Lingo
6:00 Goin Bulilit
6:45 Dance Kids
7:30
Wansapanataym
8:15 Rated K
9:15 Your Face
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10:15 Gandang
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11:15 Sundays
Best

GMA 7
5:00 Jesus The
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6:00 Kapuso Sine
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7:00 Grimms Fairy
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7:30 Kamen Rider
000
8:00 Pac-Man
And The Ghostly
Adventures
8:30 Monsuno
9:00 Aha!
9:45 Born To Be
Wild
10:15 iBilib
10:30 DMK
10:45 Kapuso
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2:00 pm Sunday
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3:15 Wowowin
4:45 Juan Tamad
5:40 24 Oras
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6:45 Ismol Family
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Jessica Soho
9:40 To The Top
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and Action
5:00 am Friends
Again
6:00 The Word
Exposed
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7:30 Agri TV
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11:30 Man-Up
12:00 pm Top
Rank Boxing
1:30 UAAP Upfront
2:00 UAAP Season
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6:00 Sports U
6:30 Invincible
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6:00 am Sunday
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Unite
7:30 Henry
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7:50 Sofia The
First
8:10 Little
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8:35 Stitch!
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9:30 Johnny Bravo

10:00 Ben 10
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1:00 pm
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3:00 pm
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2nd AVENUE ON
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Boss
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11:00 I-Witness
12:00mn Jesus
The Healer

ABS-CBN CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER HONORED

A

BS-CBN Corporations chief

digital officer Donald Patrick Lim
has been named one of the Ten
Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in the
Philippines.
Presented by the Junior Chamber
International (JCI) Philippines,
the TOYM seeks to give national
recognition to young men and women
between the ages of 18 to 40 who have
shown exemplary dedication to their
profession or vocation and resulted in
positive and significant contributions
to their fellow Filipinos.

Meanwhile, Lim, who started

working for the Kapamilya Network a
couple of years ago, was also named as
one of Direct Marketing News (DMN)
40 under 40 awardees, becoming the
first Filipino to receive it in the event
held in New York, USA.
D M N s 4 0 u n d e r 4 0 j u d g e
the awardees based on career
accomplishments, marketing and
leadership approach, accomplishments
f o r t h e p a s t y e a r, a n d a w a r d s
and contributions to the field of
marketing.

According to DMNs editor-inchief Ginger Conlon, the Kapamilya

networks chief digital officer is also the
first Southeast Asian awardee.
Direct Marketing News provides
comprehensive coverage of the hottest
trends, success strategies, and core
technologies that marketers need
to get from raw data to something
profitable for their company.
Lim has also been considered as
one of the founding fathers of digital
marketing in the Philippines, having
been awarded Digital Marketer of the

Year Award at the Asian Leadership

Awards in Dubai, UAE by the Asian
Confederation of Business.
He is also the recipient of the
Young Market Masters Award in Online
Marketing by Mansmith and Fielders,
an honorary Certified eMarketing
Consultant title by the eMarketing
Standards Board of Australia.
He was also the first recipient
of the Digital Leader of the Future
award conferred at the World
Brand Congress in Mumbai,
India, among others.

DONALD PATRICK LIM

Cable Channels
AXN
6:00 am Leverage
8:20 Cyril: Simply
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12:45 pm NCIS
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3:25 Supernatural
4:20 CSI
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7:00 The Voice
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11:35 NCIS
12:30 am The
Voice
5:00 Leverage
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4:25 An American
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7:45 My Lucky Star
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11:05 Ninth
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10:50 The Good
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10:50 Suits
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4:10 Perfect On
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CINEMA ONE
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Ang Kasunod

1:00 pm
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4:00 Forever And
A Day
6:00 Youre My
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6:00 am Little One
7:35 Pack of
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9:25 Trapped
11:00 I Killed For
You
12:35 pm The
Ignorance of Blood
2:30 Borning
4:00 Echoes From
The Dead
5:45 Revenge
7:25 Breathing
Under Water
9:00 Hui Buh - The
Goofy Ghost
10:45 I Am Dating
You Not
12:10 am The
Return Of The
Dancing Masters
3:10 Glass Dolls
4:55 I Killed For
You
STAR SPORTS
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Matches
12:00 p.m. Deep
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12:30 European
Rally Cship
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4:00 Inside Grand
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4:25 Formula
Friday
4:55 FIA F1 World
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6:00 MotoGP World
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7:00 Planet Speed
7:20 Formula
Friday
7:50 FIA F1 World
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SOLAR SPORTS
12:00 am X Games
Vault
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World Challenge
10:00 World Class
Boxing
2:00 pm 2015 FIBA
Asia Championship
4:00 Motoring
Today
5:00 Triathlon

6:00 2015 Tiree

Wave
6:30 Mobil 1 The
Grid
7:00 PGA Tour Hero
World Challenge
10:00 World Class
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LIFESTYLE
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Foodprints
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11:30 Rich Kids Of
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12:00 pm
Video Fashion Style
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1:00 LNP
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Camillas World
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10:30 Listed
11:00 Made In
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D-League Game of
the Week
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4:00 D-League
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10:30 High Tops

11:00 NBA Inside
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MTV
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12:00 am The
Playlist
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MYX
12:00mn MYX
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Top Picks
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10:30 Mellow MYX
11:00 M.I.T 20
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2:00 Pop MYX
2:30 Mellow MYX
3:00 MYXellaneous
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5:30 MYX Movie
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6:30 MYX
Ambushed
7:00 MYX Live!
8:00 MYX Hit Chart
10:00 MYX
Presents
11:00 MYX
Back2Back
11:30 Wer U At?
DISCOVERY
CHANNEL
12:00 am Cuban
Chrome
12:50 Catching
Monsters
1:40 Ed Stafford
2:30 Deadliest
Catch
3:20 Inside The
Vaticans Vault
4:10 Auction
Hunters
5:00 Catching
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6:00 Alaskan Bush
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7:00 Ed Stafford
8:00 Mythbusters
8:50 Cuban
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9:40 Auction
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10:30 Deadliest
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11:20 Bering Sea
Gold
12:10 pm Ed
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1:00 Worlds Top 5

2:40 Mythbusters
6:00 How Its Made
8:00 The
Supernaturalist
9:00 You Have
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Ean Nasrun
10:00 Deadliest
Catch
11:00 Alaskan
Bush People
NATIONAL
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12:00 am The
Border
1:00 Brain Games
1:50 Breakthrough
2:40 Innovation
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3:30 The Border
4:20 Car SOS
5:10 Brain Games
6:00 Breakthrough
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11:35 Survive the
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12:30 pm
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2:20 Brain Games
3:15 Breakthrough
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11:00
Megastructures
ANIMAL PLANET
12:00 a.m.
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9:00 Dogs 101
11:00 Bad Dog!
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3:00 Too Cute!
4:00 Pit Bulls &
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8:00 Too Cute!
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CARTOON
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12:00 am The
Grim Adventures Of
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1:00 Ben 10: Alien
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2:00 Courage The
Cowardly Dog
3:00 Chowder
4:00 The Amazing
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5:00 Fosters Home
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5:30 Chowder
6:30 Monk The
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7:00 Gon
7:30 Jimmy TwoShoes
8:00 Oggy And The

Cockroaches S4
9:00 Courage The
Cowardly Dog
9:30 Rat-a-tat
10:00 Clarathon
12:00 pm
Oggy And The
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12:15 The
Amazing World Of
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2:00 Adventure
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3:00 Uncle
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3:30 Total Drama
Action
4:00 Oggy And The
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6:00 Transformers:
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6:30 Gundam Build
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8:30 Oggy And The
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9:30 Courage The
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10:00 Bugged aka
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10:30 Ben 10:
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11:30 Xiaolin
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NICKELODEON
12:00 a.m. The
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4:00 Lucky Fred
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6:00 The Fairly
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9:00 Breadwinners
9:30 SpongeBob
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10:00 Rabbids
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10:30 Oggy And
The Cockroaches
11:00
Breadwinners
11:30 Buddy Fight
12:00 p.m.
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12:30 The Fairly
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1:30 Monsters Vs.
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2:00 SpongeBob
SquarePants
2:30 iCarly
3:00 Henry Danger
3:30 Sam & Cat
4:00 Buddy Fight
4:30 SpongeBob
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5:30 Oggy And The
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6:30 The Fairly
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7:30 Teenage
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8:30 Kid vs. Kat
9:30 SpongeBob
SquarePants
11:00 Kung Fu
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DISNEY CHANNEL
12:00 am Zig &
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1:00 The
Replacements
2:00 Stitch!
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5:00 Phineas &

Ferb
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6:30 Doc
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8:00 Sofia The
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8:30 The 7D
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10:55 Jack-Jack
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11:00 The 7D
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12:30 Phineas &
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9:55 Jack-Jack
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9:30 New Attacker

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11:00 Gakuen
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10:30 Maoyu

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2:40 Sex and The
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3:05 Private
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4:35 Sex and The
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5:00 Private
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5:45 Gallery Girls
6:30 Suburgatory
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12:15 pm
Americas Next Top
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12:00 a.m.
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2:00 Legend Of
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6:30 Ran The
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7:30 Skullman

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American Horror
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10:00 Anong
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3:30 Dobol or
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4:00 Especially For
You
5:00 Exercise
6:00 Pantaxa
6:30 Wapak
7:30 Chillin with
8:00 Popstar
Diaries
8:30 Pinoy Star
Stories
9:30 Star Yayey
10:00 Starbiz
11:00 Especially
For You
12:00 pm The Jon
Santos Show
1:00 #JaDine
1:30 Rap Sessions
2:00 Popstar
Diaries
2:30
Annebishowsa
3:00 pm
Dobol or Samting
4:30 KaraOkray
6:30 Especially For
7:30 Chillin with
Chicser
8:00 Front Row
10:00 Pantaxa
11:00 Rap
Sessions
11:30
Annebishowsa

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