Manila Bulletin (March 21)

L
VOL. 507
No. 21
WEATHER
Luzon
http://www.mb.com.ph
SATURday, march 21, 2015 5 SECTIONS P18.00 IN METRO MANILA
Visayas
partly cloudy to cloudy w/ isolated

rainshowers and/or thunderstorms
partly cloudy skies
Mindanao
partly cloudy to cloudy w/ isolated

rainshowers and/or thunderstorms
Manila
partly cloudy to at times

cloudy w/ rainshowers
Temperature Range:
19.2C-32.3C
Sunrise: 6:01 a.m.

Sunset: 6:07 p.m.
lifestyle
Camp
give back
This summer, give your kids the opportunity to

help the world that sustains them
C-4
entertainment
Mark Bautistas star
continues to shine
Mark Bautistas experience
in musical theater here and
abroad including his portrayal
of Crisostomo Ibarra in Ryan
Cayabyabs Noli Me Tangere,
and his depiction of former
President Ferdinand
Marcos in the West End
production Here Lies
Love has given him a
better grasp of how to
handle different audiences.
PARADE OF SAINTS Statues of saints line the passageway leading to the Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag Minor Basilica in Manaoag, Pangasinan, which local officials
expect would be packed by pilgrims during the observance of the Lenten season on the first weekend of April. (Jojo Rioza)
PNoy may face

House probe
Move for GMAs

house arrest takes
new twist; PNoy
reminded of
fathers treatment
D-1
business
SPEX still to re-validate
addl gas supply
DENRs inaction on Euro
4 standards creating
uncertainty among car firms
JGS, SMC, Megawide
eye PPP airport
package project
B-1
By GENALYN D. KABILING
and BEN R. ROSARIO
By BEN R. ROSARIO
If a despotic leader had acknowledged the humanitarian cause of allowing a political foe to get the best medical
treatment, there is little reason why
President Aquino, the son of the beneficiary of that gesture of compassion,
should continue to do the reverse.
Former Justice Secretary and now
1-BAP Party-list Rep. Silvestre
President ready
to cooperate
in pursuit
of truth over
Mamasapano
operation
Palace
BINAY PA RIN! Makati City officials and employees show their allegiance and
support for Mayor Junjun Binay in front of the Makati City Hall yesterday. (Linus
Guardian Escandor II)
resident Aquino, under fire for

alleged lapses in the January
25 police operation in Mamasapano, is open to calls for him to
attend a House hearing and shed light
on the ill-fated mission.
The President is ready to cooperate
with efforts to pursue truth and justice
over the Mamasapano incident and will
let Congress reach the methodology
that will aid their investigation, Deputy
spokeswoman Abigail Valte said.
Though Aquino is open to calls for
him to appear before the House
US senators seek action on Beijings Marcos to De Lima: Hunt,

reclamation in South China Sea
charge, and jail the murderers
WASHINGTON, DC, United States
(Reuters) Leading US senators expressed alarm on Thursday at the scale
and speed of Chinas land reclamation
in the South China Sea and said a formal
US strategy is needed to slow or stop

the work.
In a letter to US Secretary of State
John Kerry and US Defense Secretary
Ash Carter, Republican Senators
By MARIO B. CASAYURAN, HANNAH L. TORREGOZA, and ELENA L. ABEN
Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. yesterday asked Justice Secretary Leila

de Lima to direct agents of the National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to hunt,

charge, and jail the murderers of the
44 elite commandos of the Phil-
This issue of the

Philippine Panorama featuring
Water World comes with
tomorrows Manila Bulletin.
Tensions brewing
around PacquiaoMayweather
mega-fight
LOS ANGELES (AFP) Tensions
appeared to be rising around the longawaited welterweight world title fight
between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd
Mayweather, with the fighters camps
reportedly at odds over a proposed
doping penalty.
Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz
told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that he was a little puzzled and
dismayed that Mayweather wouldnt
agree to the $5-million penalty Pacquiao
had proposed should either fighter test
positive for a banned drug.
Mayweather Promotions chief
executive Leonard Ellerbe,
EXPECT HEAVY TRAFFIC Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis
Tolentino explains to media men the reason behind the closure of Ayala bridge in San Miguel,
Manila from March 21 to April 20, a month-long repair and rehabilitation job that is expected to
worsen traffic congestion in the area. (Linus Guardian Escandor II)
exclusive
Balanga cathedral sits on cow-size

gold worth billions of pesos?
By MAR T SUPNAD
BALANGA CITY, Bataan The Cathedral

of St. Joseph has just been declared as a
cathedral shrine Thursday morning and is
http://www.facebook.com/manilabullletin
reportedly sitting on gold treasure the size of

a cow weighing about 10 tons worth billions
of pesos.
This was revealed by the grandson of a
Japanese Imperial Army general who
@manilabulletin
twitter.com/manila_bulletin
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News
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Binay: BBLs approval should not be rushed

By JC BELLO RUIZ
Vice President Jejomar C. Bi-
nay on Friday called on the Aquino

administration to let the next administration handle the Bangsamoro
Basic Law (BBL) in case it fails to

hurdle Congress within its term of
office.
In his speech before the 15th National

Convention of the Integrated Bar of the
Philippines (IBP) in Cebu, Binay reiterated
his position not to rush the peace process
with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF).
I have said so before: Let us not insist
on a hasty and precipitate approval of the
BBL; if it fails to pass in this administration,
then let the next handle it and handle it
firmly and well, with the Constitution and
the welfare of the Filipino nation foremost
in mind in 2016, Binay said.
The proposed BBL is the legal translation of the Comprehensive Agreement on
the Bangsamoro (CAB) that will entrench
the Bangsamoro region.
The CAB was signed by the government
and MILF on March 27, 2014.
The Aquino administration is targeting
the early passage of the BBL in its hopes
that an election will be held in Bangsamoro
in 2016.
Binay said the outcome of the Jan. 25 Mamasapano, Maguindanao massacre showed
the defects of the proposed BBL.
The great sacrifice in lives of our 44

SAF heroes has pushed to front and center
of public attention the constitutional defects
of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law,
putting on hold its rushed congressional
approval and bringing it to sober public
scrutiny, he said.
The Jan. 25 clash claimed the lives of 44
Philippine National Police-Special Action
Force (PNP-SAF) commandos, 18 Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters,
and five civilians.
Binay, meanwhile lauded the PNP Board
of Inquiry and the joint committees of the
Senate for probing into the incident despite
facing some limitations.
Despite the gallant effort of the PNP
Board of Inquiry, as well as of the joint committees of the Senate, to come up with investigation reports that could help us comprehend the truth about the tragic incident, it
is easy to understand the limitations within
which they had to labor, Binay said.
The Senate report drafted by Senator
Grace Poe found President Aquino responsible for the Mamasapano incident.
Aquino appoints 18 judges

for Mindanao courts
By REY G. PANALIGAN
President Aquino has appointed 18 new

trial court judges who will be assigned in
Mindanao provinces.
The list of appointees was transmitted to
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno by
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.
The new judges are Kenneth Pamatong
Rosal of the municipal trial court in cities
(MTCC) in Dipolog City, Zamboanga Del
Norte; Analyn Fernando Ramas-Costanilla
of the regional trial court (RTC) in Aurora, Zamboanga Del Sur; Eduardo Ignacio
Ledesma of MTCC in Zamboanga City,
Zamboanga Del Sur; Francis Libarios Rafil
of MTCC in Butuan City, Agusan Del Norte;
Saidamen Macatanong Gania of municipal
trial court (MTC) in Buenavista, Agusan Del
Norte; and Nelison U. Pajarillo-Salcedo of
MTCC in Valencia City, Bukidnon.
Likewise appointed judges were Alma

Vicada Azanza of RTC in Oroquieta City,
Misamis Occidental; Nora Batoy Montejo of
RTC in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental;
Fay Lim Garcia-Sasis of MTCC in Cagayan
De Oro, Misamis Oriental; Eden Crispy
Blanco Lasala of MTCC in Surigao City,
Surigao Del Norte; Jimmu Bustillo Boco of
MTC in Maco, Compostela Valley; Arlene
I. Lirag-Palabrica of RTC in Tagum City,
Davao Del Norte; Gemma Gamala Betonio of
MTC in Asuncion, Davao Del Norte; Rowena
Apao-Adlawan of RTC in Davao City, Davao
Del Sur; Cheryll Ann C. Chamen-Paronda of
MCTC in Hagonoy-Matanao, Davao Del Sur;
Mary Sheila Barazon Pestolante of MTC in
Sultan Naga, Dimaporo, Lanao Del Norte;
Alvin Embajador Guntang of MTC in Isulan,
Sultan Kudarat; and Palawan Ripors Cayongcat of the Shariah Circuit Court in Shariff
Aguak-Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
Palace brushes aside surveys,

PNoys rating slump
By MADEL SABATER NAMIT
Malacaang on Friday brushed aside

speculations that President Aquinos endorsed candidate for the 2016 presidential
race will suffer low ratings in surveys
because of the chief executives dwindling
popularity.
Presidential Communications Operations
Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
said in the end, it will be the Filipinos who will
decide and not the surveys.
Coloma, in a radio briefing over Aksyon

TV yesterday, said there is no truth to speculations that because of Aquinos low survey
ratings, the Presidential bet will also suffer
in the surveys.
We do not agree with that. Whatever the
critics would say, in the end, it would be the
Filipinos who will decide, Coloma said.
We are hoping that the people would be
fair and truthful in their decision making,
he added.
The Palace official also said the Aquino
administration remains focused on
its work towards
reforms and good
governance.
We continue to
focus on our work.
We continue to be
determined and
diligent to become
worthy of the trust
of our people, Coloma said.
President Aquinos performance
and trust ratings
plunged to its lowest since he started
in office in 2010.
Based on the
latest Pulse Asia
survey, President
Aquinos performance rating this
March is at 38 percent compared to
59 percent in November 2014.
Aquinos trust
rating also declined from 56 percent in November
2014 to 36 percent
this March.
Aquinos performance and trust
ratings were lowest in Metro Manila at 26 percent
and 24 percent,
respectively.
C o lo ma said
President Aquino
understands the
results of the survey but said the
administration
will continue to
focus on the work
that needs to be
done before Aquino steps down in
2016.
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News
2015 graduates urged

to be instruments
of peace, progress
By GENALYN D. KABILING
e stewards of peace and progress.

President Aquino gave this
piece of advice to this years batch
of graduates while reminding them to practice integrity, fairness and accountability in
their actions.
May you, dear graduates, seize the opportunities given by your alma mater. You
are our future nation-builders and stewards
of peace and progress, the President said
in a message to graduating class of the University of Southeastern Philippines, College
of Arts and Sciences.
Aquino said he looks forward to the
graduates enthusiasm, creativity, and critical thinking skills translated into endeavors
that will help advance your region and the
entire Philippines.
Together, let us tread the straight and
righteous path brimming with hope and
confidence, and advocate integrity, fairness,
and accountability in all our efforts; these
will help us realize our shared aspirations
for our country, he added.
The Presidents message about integrity
and accountability came on the heels of his

biggest political challenge arising from the
Mamasapano tragedy.
Aquino has drawn flak for the alleged
lapses in the bungled police mission, triggering calls for his apology and resignation.
The President has so far accepted responsibility for the Mamasapano incident
but has tried to deflect accountability for the
deaths of the policemen.
In the same message to the 2015 graduates, the President acknowledged that
youth empowerment through education
strengthens the collective power to move
the country forward.
Your university counts you among our
reliable partners in this mission, as you provide quality education to our young citizens
in Southeastern Mindanao, and develop
their faculties in both the arts and sciences,
Aquino said.
May you continue to equip your educators with the best teaching strategies and
adopt new technologies to facilitate learning,
that you may bequeath to your students the
legacy of excellence and competitiveness
that we uphold in this globalized milieu,
he added.
Banking hours extension

sought for tax filing season
By Jun Ramirez
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is

appealing to accredited agent banks (AABs)
to extend banking hours up to 5 p.m. for the
duration of the tax filing season.
In issuing Bank Bulletin No. 2015-03,
BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares
said AABs should also open for the two
Saturdays (March 28 and April 11) to accept
tax payments prior to the April 15 deadline
in the submission of the 2014 income tax
returns (ITRs).
The BIR chief also said that banks should
also open additional counters and assign
more personnel to ensure prompt service

to taxpayers.
Banks accept only ITRs with payments. No payment returns must be filed
at the revenue district office which has jurisdiction over the taxpayers place of business
or residence.
Banks are authorized to accept two or
more checks, or combination of cash and
check in the payment of a single tax liability.
Henares also reminded AABs on the
existing memorandum of agreement among
the BIR, Bureau of Treasury and the AABs
not to set limits as to the number of tax forms
and taxpayers to be serviced.
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National News
PAF gets first of 3 new

transport aircraft
Newsbits
PNPs summer
security plan
By ELENA L. ABEN
Philippine National Police (PNP)

officer-in-charge Deputy Director
General Leonardo A. Espina has
ordered a nationwide security plan
to ensure safety of travelers during
the Lenten seasonand summer
vacation. Espina said the PNP will
exert all efforts to ensure that this
years summer vacation will be
peaceful and secured as outlined
in its anti-criminality campaign
dubbed as Ligtas SUMVAC 2015.
The PNP noted that during this
period, various occasions are
observed or held such as holy
week, town fiestas, Bataan Day/
Day of Valor, flores de mayo and
other related activities that will
start on the last week of March
until the end of May this year. Such
events are expected to generate
numerous commuters and tourists
who will travel to their respective
provinces and tourist destinations
and these may cause peace and
order concerns including traffic
congestions, accidents, and other
crimes. (Elena L. Aben)
irbus Defense and Space, one

of the largest defense and
airspace product manufacturers in the world, has formally
turned over to the Philippine Air Force
(PAF) the first of three Spanish Airbus
C-295 medium lift aircraft it ordered last
year for R5.29 billion.
The aircraft was formally handed
over in Seville, Spain where the final assembly line is located and is now being
ferried to the Philippines. In PAF service, the C-295 will play a key role in the
modernization of the forces transport
fleet and will undertake a wide variety
of military and humanitarian missions,

the company said in a statement.
Defense undersecretary for finance,
modernization and materiel Fernando
Manalo said the aircraft will be arriving
on March 25 at the latest.
Our first C-295 (the first out of the
three ordered) will be arriving at Clark
Field, Pampanga by March 23 or 25,
he added.
Upon arrival, the aircraft will be
subjected to technical inspection and
undergo flight tests by the Air Force
before being commissioned into the
service.
The March delivery of the first C-295
is five months earlier than its scheduled
August arrival, Manalo said.

Airbus won the DNDs medium lift
aircraft program by tendering a bid
for R5.29 billion for three aircraft last
year.
These aircraft will help in troop
and limited equipment movement,
defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin
earlier said.
The C-295 is described as a capable
and versatile transport and surveillance
aircraft.
It can carry up to nine tons of
cargo or 71 people. It also has a maximum cruising speed of 260 knots and
take off and land in short and rough
airfields.
Benefit of doubt
for poll chief
An official of the Commission on
Elections (Comelec) yesterday
asked the public to give whoever
will be appointed to the poll body
the benefit of the doubt.Lets
give them the benefit of the
doubt,Acting Comelec Chairman
Christian Robert Lim said in an
interview at the sidelines ofthe
walk-through at the Comelec
warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna
where the diagnostics of the
Precinct Count Optical Scan
(PCOS) machines is currently
being held. Theres always the
Commission on Appointments.
Its a check-and-balance system.
Thats the safety net, he added.
Earlier, there were reports that
Atty. Rowena Guanzon, a known
ally of theDepartment of the
Interior and Local Government
(DILG) Secretary Manuel Roxas
II,is set to be appointed as head
of the poll body. Lim, however,
said that although he also heard
the name of Guanzon,they
have not received any word if an
appointment has already been
made by President Aquino. (Leslie
Ann G. Aquino)
Barangay
assembly day
Department of the Interior and
Local Government (DILG) Secretary
Manuel Mar Roxas II yesterday
called on more than 42,000
barangays officials nationwide
to report their accomplishments
and plans to their bosses or
constituents on the first barangay
assembly day for the year on March
28. Roxas said that the barangay
assembly is the perfect opportunity
for barangay officials to update
their constituents on the things that
they have done for the past year, as
well as on their upcoming programs
and plans for the current year. He
added that they should particularly
discuss what they have done with
their drive against illegal drugs and
programs on trash disposal, peace
and order and pollution, among
others. Roxas also rallied barangay
officials to be more creative and
undertake activities that will
encourage more participation from
their constituents.( Czarina Nicole
O. Ong)
K-to-12 forum
A group of concerned teachers,

parents, students, professionals
and school administrators under
the Suspend K-to-12 Alliance
is attending a multi-sectoral
forum at the University of the
Philippines-Manila today and
point out the ills of the new basic
education curriculum. In line with
the renewed calls to temporarily
suspend the implementation of
the K-to-12 Program under the
Department of Education (DepEd),
the multi-sectoral forum to be
attended by various stakeholders
will primarily focus on the labor
impact of the K-to-12 program
and the major reasons why the
government should reconsider
its roll out. According to Suspend
K-to-12 Alliance Convenor David
San Juan, the multi-sectoral forum
aims to present a realistic view
on the implementation of the K-to12. (Merlina Hernando Malipot)
TAXI FARE CUT Stickers informing passengers of a P10 cut in taxi flag down rates go on sale even as taxi drivers and
operators appealed the ruling of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, pointing out that while
the world crude oil prices have dropped, the cost of spare parts, maintenance services and other factors have not.
(Mark Balmores)
Whistleblowers bypassed Napoles

in PDAF NGO deals
By JEFFREY G. DAMICOG
State witness Merlina Sunas yesterday admitted that she and fellow
whistleblowers entered into some
transactions sans the blessings of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind
Janet Lim Napoles.
During a hearing at the Sandiganbayan Third Division on the bail petition
of Napoles, Sunas, who had testified
that she has been named by Napoles
as president of her non-government
organization (NGO) Peoples Organization for Progress and Development
Foundation Inc. (POPDFI), disclosed
that she received P50,000 from fellow
whistleblower Benhur Luy for one of

those deals that Napoles had no knowledge of.
Napoles had allegedly been creating
NGOs to be used to divert the Priority
Development Assistance Funds (PDAF)
of legislators.
During cross examination by Napoles lawyer Atty. Dennis Buenaventura, Sunas said that she received the
money after she opened a bank account
with a friend of Paulene Labayen using
POPDFI.
Labayen is the former appointments secretary of detained Senator
Jose Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada and also
his co-accused in the plunder and graft
charges against him in connection with

the pork barrel scam.
Sunas recounted that she was approached by Luy to open an account
using POPDFI at the request of Labayen.
However, Sunas claimed she never
knew what the transaction between
Labayen and Luy was about.
Though she had repeatedly testified
that everything that she did was always
upon the instructions of Napoles, Sunas
admitted that she no longer informed
Napoles that a bank account was opened
using POPDFI because she learned
from Luy that he did not tell Napoles
about the transaction with Labayen.
Jordan
suspends
hiring of
foreign
workers
By SAMUEL P. MEDENILLA
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced yesterday

that Jordan has temporarily stopped
hiring migrant workers in an attempt
to weed out undocumented foreigners
in its workforce.
In a statement, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said
the moratorium, which already started
this month, will only last for 60 days
and covers all new hires from other
countries.
She, however, said this will exempt
some migrants in some sectors.
Jordan will stop receiving requests
for recruitment of all nationalities,
except from workers for Qualifying Industrial Zones and domestic workers,
said Baldoz citing a report from Labor
Attache in Jordan Florenda Herrera.
Amnesty for
undocumented workers
During the two-month purge, Baldoz said Jordan also announced it will
implement an amnesty period for undocumented migrants, who are already
working in the Arab country.
She urged the thousands of illegal
overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in
Jordan to avail of the amnesty to legalize
their stay there.
The amnesty will cover the following migrants: first-time foreigners in
Jordan; migrant workers with expired
recruitment contracts; migrant workers who will transfer from one industry
sector to another and workers who have
been sentenced with deportation.
Irregular OFWs in Jordan can take
advantage of this opportunity by visiting
the Labor Directorates of the Ministry of
Labor in their places of stay where they
can fix their documents and correct their
status, Baldoz said.
Herrera said undocumented OFWs,
who will rectify the employment status
will only be required to pay their work
permits amounting to a new rate and
not be charged for any retroactive fee for
the first month of the amnesty.
Those who will avail of the amnesty
and rectify their status in the second
month will have to pay the previous
years permit fees and the new permit
fees, Herrera said.
According to government data as of
the first quarter of 2014, there are currently 29,515 Filipinos in Jordan, around
12,996 of which are undocumented.
Majority or 17,429 of the OFWs in
Jordan are household service workers,
followed by professionals (3,505), semiskilled workers (3,891).
MILF must help ease public anger over Mamasapano

By Ellson A. Quismorio
House of Representatives Ad Hoc

Committee Chairman Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Friday scored the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) for not doing
enough to assuage public anger over the
Mamasapano incident which led to the
death of 44 Philippine National PoliceSpecial Action Force (SAF) commandos.
Rodriguez said this lingering anger is
reflected in the recent Pulse Asia Survey
which shows that 44 percent of Filipinos
reject the proposed Bangsamoro Basic
Law (BBL), the main proponent of which
is the Moro secessionist group.
This is the result of anger from
our countrymen in Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao because our police were
massacred, the solon said, pointing to
the survey. He described 44 percent as
a significant figure.
The MILF has done nothing to
restore the trust in them that was lost

due to Mamasapano. Up to now they
havent helped us arrest Basit Usman.
They havent surrendered the people
who killed our policemen, Rodriguez
stressed.
The Ad Hoc panels task is to ensure
the passage of a constitutional BBL as
per the Philippine governments peace
agreement with the MILF. Deliberations on the draft law--which was halted
due to the January 25 Mamasapano
bloodbath.
Usman was one of two terrorist
targets in the Maguindanao town operation, the other being Malaysian bomber
Zulkifli Bin Hir. The municipality of Mamasapano is an MILF stronghold.
BBL associated with MILF
Rodriguez noted that the public associates the BBL with the rebel group,
which explains why a good number of
people oppose the legislation.

Because of that, since the people
see the MILF as responsible for the
death of our policemen, with the BBL
being a product of our government and
the MILF panel, they are against it,
he said.
Again pointing to the survey results, Rodriguez said this is the result of the MILFs attitude wherein
they are being difficult despite being
the ones who killed our policemen.
Thats why, if they want this bill to be
approved, they must do their share in
having confidence building measure,
he concluded.
MILF report on Mamasapano
Meantime, Malacaang expressed
confidence that the MILF will submit a
copy of its report on the Mamasapano
incident to the Philippine government.
Deputy presidential spokesperson
Abigail Valte said the MILF report is expected to be contained in the report of the
International Monitoring Team (IMT).
Regarding the report, the government peace panel is waiting for
the official report of the international
monitoring team which will also contain
relevant information reflected from the
MILF report, Valte said.
The Palace official also said the
government does not give any special
treatment, even as the MILF reportedly
said it remains as a revolutionary government without the peace pact.
Reports revealed that the MILF has
concluded its report on the Mamasapano
incident with a recommendation to punish MILF members who were involved
in the bloody encounter.
The MILF will be submitting its
report to the IMT, headed by Malaysian
officials. (with a report from Madel
Sabater-Namit)
House OKs free museum entry

for public school students
By Ben R. Rosario
The House of Representatives has

approved a bill waiving entrance fees
in public museums, national historical
shrines and landmarks for all public
elementary school students.
However, this early, questions about
its constitutionality are being raised
since the measure does not extend the
privilege to students enrolled in private
schools.
Voted on third and final reading by
214 congressmen the other day, House
Bill 5503 grants all public elementary
school students free admission to mu-
seums, national historical shrines and

landmarks.
Authors of the measure said privilege will help public school enrollees
in their studies on culture and history
of the country.
The bill does not cover private
school students, including poor enrollees taken in by some private institutions
as scholars.
Under the bill National Museum
(NM), and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) will
determine the capacity and availability
of sites where free admission will be
granted.
PCOS MACHINES INSPECTION Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, along with

Commission on Elections (Comelec) acting chairman Robert Lim inspect
Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines at the poll bodys warehouse
in Cabuyao, Laguna yesterday. Pimentel urged the Comelec to also open the
refurbishing proceduresof the PCOS machines to other observersespecially
to Filipino information technology (IT) experts. Lim later expressed openness
to Pimentels suggestion. (KJ Rosales)
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Commercial organ
donation banned
under House
measure
By Ben R. Rosario
more stringent measure pertaining to the

national organ donation program has been
proposed by the House of Representatives in a bid to address
the growing commercialization
of human organ donation that
limits beneficiaries to wealthy
Filipinos and foreigners.
With 214 members present,
the legislative chamber approved on third and final reading
House Bill (HB)5538 providing
for a total ban on the sale, barter
or any business deals involving
human organs for transplantation.
HB 5538 also seeks to impose
heavy fines of a maximum of
P2 million and stiff prison term
of at least 20 years for persons
found guilty of human organ
trafficking.
The bill also prohibits sale,
advertising, and other acts of
commercialization of the program.
Authors of the bill include
Deputy Speaker Giorgidi Aggabao (NPC, Isabela), Wimpy
Fuentebella (NPC, Camarines
Sur), Sherwin Gatchalian (NPC,
Valenzuela City), Carol Jane
Lopez (YaCAP Party list) and Arthur Celeste (LP, Pangasinan).
HB 5538 provides for the
creation of the Philippine Organ
Donation and Transplantation
Board and the Philippine Network for Organ Sharing which
will oversee the countrys organ
transplantation program.
Under the bill, organ donation
from a deceased donor will have
priority over organs from living
donors.
Living donors should be related by blood within the fourth
civil degree of consanguinity to
the beneficiary.
Allowed to execute a legacy
to give all or any organ tissue or
part of it are persons at least 18
years of age and of sound mind.
Consent for donation in IDs
HB 5538 also allows donors
to indicate willingness to donate
organ in drivers license, identification cards for PhilHealth,
Social Security System and
Government Service Insurance
System; taxpayers identification
card; Philippine passports and
Professional Regulations Commission license card.
The bill provides that only
medical practitioners in a hospital may be authorized to remove
or transplant any organ. However, removal of corneal tissues
will be performed by ophthalmic
surgeons and technicians.
Fewer Filipino
transplant patients
Aggabao called for the total
ban on the sale, barter or business transactions involving human organs that have resulted
in the denial of organ transplant
for many Filipinos.
Citing data from the National
Kidney and Transplant Institute,
Aggabao said the number of
recipients of kidney transplant
at the medical facility has gone
down from 368 in 2008 to just 238
in 2013.
Aggabao said the same dismal trend is true nationwide
where 679 patients had kidney
transplant in 2008 and only 342
patients underwent transplant
in 2012.
EDSA express bus scheme

pilot-testing set Monday
The governments express
buses are ready to roll on Metro
Manilas streets starting on
Monday.
The pilot testing of the express
bus scheme is a joint project of
the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA),
Department of Transportation
and Communications (DOTC)
and the Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory
Board (LTFRB) to help ease traffic along major thoroughfares
particularly during rush hours
along the stretch of Epifanio de
los Santos Avenue (EDSA).
Under the pilot testing, at
least 50 air-conditioned buses
will travel on three different
routes:
Express 1 or E1 with 20 units
will serve the Fairview - Ortigas
- Ayala Ave/G. Puyat Ave route
with bus stops at Megamall/Ortigas; the E2 with 10 units t will
traverse from Fairview Ayala
Ave/G. Puyat Ave and E3 with
20 units will serve the Fairview Ayala MRT Station - SM Mall of
Asia route.
In a press conference held at
MMDA office, DOTC Assistant
Secretary Sherielysse Bonifacio
said the buses will fetch passengers at the MMDA dispatching

area system in Fairview starting
at 5 a.m.
These destinations were
chosen because many people are
working in these areas. There is
an average of 20-30 minutes per
route, Bonifacio said.
The Express Bus will offer
passengers free WiFi so that
the time spent on the express
bus can also be productive or
useful. Buses are also required
to have GPS and CCTV devices.
Buses will only be filled to seating capacity for faster boarding
and alighting.
LTFRB Chairman Winston
Ginez said at least 10 bus companies with existing franchises
have been tapped for the project.
He said the 50 express buses
will be allowed to use flyovers,
underpasses and mixed traffic
lanes.
They will be exempted from
coding and will not travel along
the yellow lane which is used
by city operating public utility
buses. Ginez said fares will be
reasonable. (Anna Liza VillasAlavaren)
THE KIND OF MMDA CONSTABLE MOTORISTS NEED Rather than accosting the driver and issuing a traffic ticket, this Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority constable dutifully assists a bus driver fix the
vehicles engine which momentarily stalled along EDSA in Quezon City
yesterday. (Mark Balmores)
Yellow Magenta Cyan
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News
Move for GMAs house

arrest takes new twist...
Bello III aired this reminder to President Aquino yesterday. He recalled
that Aquinos father, Senator Benigno
Aquino Jr., was released by the Marcos government to undergo a heart
bypass surgery in the United States
despite being found guilty of various
crimes and sentenced to death by a
military tribunal.
Bello was a member of the Cabinet
of the late President Corazon C. Aquino, In a forum yesterday, Bello urged
government not to oppose any bid by
former President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo to seek house arrest after over
three years of hospital restriction.
House arrest
Congresswoman Arroyos proposed house arrest is not unprecedented. Remember the case of
former President Estrada who was
placed under house arrest in Tanay,
Bello told reporters during the Usaping Balita News Forum at Serye Cafe,
Quezon City.
He said the fact that five of Arroyos co-accused in plunder case
were released on bail makes the
house arrest argument even stronger.
The Sandiganbayan First Division
had rejected thrice Arroyos appeal
for bail. But it granted the same
petition filed by five of her alleged coconspirators in a P366 million plunder
case linked to the disbursement of
confidential and intelligence funds of
the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes
Office.
Mrs. Clooneys observation
International human rights lawyer
Amal Clooney, wife of American actor
George Clooney, raised the same observation in a complaint on behalf of
Arroyo that she and a British attorney
filed before a United Nations body.
Clooney raised strong accusations
that the Sandiganbayan and a Pasay
City court are being pressured by the
Aquino government to reject Arroyos
appeal for acts of leniency, such as the
petitions for bail and for house arrest.

The Sandiganbayan and a Pasay City
court are hearing an election sabotage case against Arroyo.
Bello noted that two of those
granted bail have eluded arrest and
surrendered only a year after going
into hiding. The two, former Commission on Audit Chairman Reynaldo
Villar and former PCSO Director
Jose Taruc IV, were released from
detention two weeks after they surrendered.
Asked if Sandiganbayan magistrates may be held liable for impeachment, Bello said he is giving
the anti-graft justices the benefit of
the doubt.
I would like to give them the
benefit of the doubt. They have
given President Arroyo a furlough
last Christmas, he said.
Will be treated with urgency
Earlier, Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr.,
a close political ally of President Aquino, disclosed that Bellos resolution
calling for house arrest for Arroyo,
an incumbent Pampanga lawmaker,
will be treated with urgency.
Tupas, chairman of the House
Committee on Justice, called on
members of the justice panel to attend the next panel hearing on House
Resolution 1908 when the Lower
House resumes session in May. He
urged that Arroyos health condition
should be considered in the vote.
Issues raising humanitarian concerns are always urgent matters as
far as I am concerned, Tupas said.
There should be sufficient number of committee members in order
that we can vote on the resolution,
he added.
But the House panel failed to vote
on the issue yesterday after only a few
members showed up for the scheduled hearing.
Since this is a matter of national
significance, I believe there should
be more of us to decide on it, he
explained.
Balanga cathedral sits...

gave his name as Matsumoto.
Matsumoto who is in his 60s is a
frequent visitor of this place in search
of the hidden treasure reportedly
buried by the Japanese soldiers right
after being defeated by the American
and Filipino soldiers during the World
War II.
He is accompanied by his Filipino
guide Jovit Sumile, a native of Binugao, Davao City. Sumile is married
to a resident of Upper Laon, Abucay,
Bataan.
Manila Bulletin last saw Matsumoto in Abucay two months ago.
The gold bullion hidden under the
Cathedral is as big as a cow weighing
exactly 10 tons, and this is the main
purpose of the Japanese in coming
here several times, but could not get
access to the Church leadership to
retrieve the gold, said Sumile, quoting Matsumoto.
Sumile narrated that Matsumoto
planned to rent a house near the Cathedral where he could dig a tunnel
towards the direction of the cathedral
to retrieve the gold bullion.
In fact, we had even tried to talk
to the bishop that time to retrieve the
gold in the guise of renovating the Ca-
Ferreting out truth

Valte, however, expressed hope the
House probe on Mamasapano incident
will focus on ferreting out the truth
and instead of pursuing any personal
agenda.
If he will be gracious to honor the
invitation of the House of Representatives, it will be a good gesture. For the
President to submit himself to the
peoples representatives and help shed
light on his role in the Mamasapano incident is humility and openness, stated
thedral and the Japanese is willing to

donate millions of pesos to the Church
but we cannot get an appointment with
the bishop at that time, said Sumile
who also serves as bodyguard and
driver of the Japanese.
According to Sumile Matsumoto already harvested about two tons of gold
bullions from the town of Limay which
he packed in a sealed black coffin.
How the Japanese got the treasure,
Sumile did not say. Halos sumayad
yong Elf na sinakyan naming pauwi ng
Makati dahil sa bigat ng kargada naming ginto (The vehicle moved slow and
could hardly carry the weight of the
gold bars which we took to Makati),
Sumile told Manila Bulletin.
Matsumoto gave me a wristwatch,
a Nikon camera and few cash money
as my bonus right after successfully
retrieving the black coffin full of gold
bars, added Sumile who claimed to
have personally witnessed the boxes
of gold bars being retrieved by the
Japanese treasure hunter.
There are reports that the cathedral was used as an artillery base to
bomb Mt. Samat, where the FilipinoAmerican troops made their last
stand.
PNoy may face House...

inquiry, members of the two House
committees tasked to conduct the
legislative investigation are divided
on whether or not to send the Chief
Executive an invitation to attend the
hearings. Lawmakers, however, agree
that President Aquino may attend the
hearing on his own volition.
The pursuit of justice must be
defined by a strong commitment to
the truth. President Aquino has been
unwavering in his support for truthseeking regarding the Mamasapano
incident, and encourages any action
that would contribute to arriving at
the truth at the soonest possible time,
Valte said in a statement on calls for the
President to appear before the House
inquiry.
ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Samuel Pagdilao, vice chairman of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety.
Reps. Emil Ong (NUP, Northern
Samar) and Silvestre Bello III (1-BAP
Partylist) said Aquino should take
advantage of the hearing to clarify his
role in the Mamasapano encounter that
led to the death of 67 persons, including 44 members of the elite Philippine
National Police-Special Action Force
(PNP-SAF).
However, Abante Mindanao Partylist Rep. Maximo Rodriguez, a member
of the public order panel, is not in favor
of Aquinos presence.
The President might be placed in
an awkward position since he will be
placed in direct fire from many sectors,
Rodriguez said.
On the other hand, Sulu Rep. Tupay
Loong agreed that Aquinos presence in
the inquiry can help put closure on the
issue but he pointed out that the decision whether to appear or not depend
entirely on the President.
However, Loong, chairman of the
House Committee on Muslim Affairs,
stressed that he is convinced that
Aquino should not be blamed for the
Mamasapano fiasco and that the incident should not be linked to congressional action on the BBL.
Makati power struggle continues; Pea starts

issuing memos, but dept heads back Binay
By ANNA LIZA VILLAS ALAVAREN
he fight for the top leadership

in Makati City continues.
Yesterday, Makati Vice Mayor Romulo Kid Pena started
sending a memorandum to all department heads of the city hall and members
of the Sanguniang Bayan informing
them of his assumption as acting mayor.
He said he will set a meeting with the
department heads to prevent the disruption of transactions in the city.
However, even before a meeting is
set, city hall department heads said they
will not heed Penas call as they continue
to recognize Mayor Jejomar Erwin Junjun Binay as the city chief executive.
We only recognize one mayor and
it is Junjun Binay, the fact that there is
a TRO and that is the rule of law, said
Vissia Marie Aldon, acting city administrator, speaking for and on behalf of
all the department heads.
Aldon said the documents Pea

signed are those pertaining to his office,
being the vice mayor of the city.
In the memorandum, Pea said he
shall continue to discharge his duties and
functions as acting mayor since he was
already sworn into office after the suspension order on Mayor Binay was served.
Henceforth, all ordinances, official
documents, and official actions must be
submitted and referred to him for the
approval and/or appropriate actions,
said Pea.
Pea signed the memorandum at his
makeshift office, consisting of one table
and several chairs, located at the second
floor of the old city hall building.
I did not ask for this position but
this is the rule of law, said Pea, citing that he recognizes the order of the
DILG, who served Binays suspension.
To support his status, Pea attached
the supporting documents that his oath
is valid and with legal basis, including
Marcos to De Lima...
ippine National Police-Special Action

Force (PNP-SAF) who were murdered
in the cornfields of Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last January 25.
Marcos made the call after the Senate
Public Order Committee chaired by Sen.
Grace Poe released her committee report
Tuesday, concluding that the Fallen 44
were murdered and robbed of their personal belongings and equipment.
The families of the victims want
no less than swift justice. They are not
asking for anything else, they are not
hoping for other things than to see the
culprits behind bars, Marcos said.
The Fallen 44 were on a mission
to arrest Malaysian terrorist Zulfikli bin
Hir, alias Marwan and his understudy,
Filipino bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman,
when they were killed by Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) fighters, the
breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and members of
other private armed groups (PAGs) as
they made their exit after succeeding in
their mission to neutralize Marwan.
Usman, aided by the BIFF escaped
wounded under cover of darkness using
the marshland to their advantage. He is
reported to be hiding in the hinterlands
of Maguindanao.
I fully agree with the wording of the
committee report that our troops were
murdered by members of the MILF,
BIFF, and other armed groups. Thats
why the DOJ should hunt them, charge
them, and jail them, Marcos said.
The Fallen 44were also robbed of
their personal belongings and equipment.
On the day the Senate released its
committee report on the Mamasapano
incident after holding five hearings, five
executive sessions, and hearing the testimony of 37 resource persons, the AFP
turned over to the PNP the missing
combat gear of the martyred commandos which the Armys 601st Infantry
Brigade retrieved from civilians and the
MILF fighters in Mamasapano.
Im really convinced by and agree
with the findings that our troops were
massacred and murdered. Thats what
Ive said from the start. And the videos
that we have seen showed how our
SAF members were senselessly killed.
Thats why murder is the right gruesome term, he said.
Justice for the murdered troopers
should be the highest priority of the
government, Marcos added.

The Poe committee report consolidated the findings of the Committee on
Peace, Unification, and Reconciliation
chaired by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III,
and the Committee on Finance chaired
by Sen. Francis Escudero.
Twenty of the 24 senators have so
far signed the report.
If I were the President I will go

there in the House. He should no longer
wait for an invitation, said Bello, minority bloc representative to the peace,
reconciliation and unity panel.
Bello, a member of the Cabinet of
former President Corazon C. Aquino,
the presidents late mother, added that
Aquinos voluntary appearance could
ease public criticisms on his continued
denial of responsibility in the Mamasapano incident.
Whether we like it or not, the people have already made their verdict on
the issue. The President may attempt to
reverse the situation, said Bello.
Ong said the President can show
up without invitation in order to show
the country that he is not hiding anything.
This is the best venue for him to
articulate what he wants and reveal
everything, tell all, said Ong.
He must admit if he made the
wrong decision and should apologize.
This can be the last chance he will have
to do it he added.
However, Bello and Pagdilao said a
House appearance will be considered a
prerogative of the President.
But if he decides not to go, I will
not ascribe any ill motive on his part
but that it is his discretion and we cannot compel him under the principle of
separation of powers and respect for
a co-equal branch of government,
explained Pagdilao.
Surrender to ICC
Despite calls to surrender MILF
fighters involved in the carnage of 61
Filipinos as a sign of sincerity to the
peace process, Mohagher Iqbal, MILF
chief negotiator, said the secessionist
group will only surrender its fighters to
the International Criminal Court (ICC)
if they are charged with war crimes.
But the draft Senate committee
report said the MILF cannot elevate its
case to the ICC because it has no jurisdiction over the crimes committed by
MILF fighters in Mamasapano. Thus,
Iqbals statement has no basis.
The jurisdiction of the ICC is limited
to crimes of genocide, crimes against
humanity, war crimes, and offenses
against the administration of justice.
The ICC will assume jurisdiction
over a crime if the State is unwilling or
unable to prosecute the offender.
None of the above requisites for the
ICCs assumption of jurisdiction is present. The crimes committed by the MILF
fighters do not fall within the categories
of crimes over which the ICC may exercise jurisdiction, the report stated.
The Senate recommended the filing
of murder, frustrated murder and robbery against the members of the MILF,
the BIFF and members of armed group
who waylaid the SAF troopers.
The Philippines became a signatory to
the statute in Dec. 28, 2000 and was ratified by the Senate in August 30, 2011.
MILF training camp
Meanwhile, Col. Gilbert Gapay,
commanding officer of the Armys 2nd
Mechanized Infantry Brigade, recommended the dismantling of an MILF
training camp to the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities
(CCCH) headed by Brig. Gen. Carlito
Galvez following a complaint lodged by
a Higaonon chieftain, Deodato S. Abugan, Sr., before the Iligan City council.
Abugan alleged that MILF fighters
Presidents cooperation
Valte recalled that the President
had previously extended cooperation with the Senate inquiry by giving
his consent to the release of his text
exchange with then suspended PNP
chief Director General Alan Purisima
in the early hours of the January 25
operation.
This is in keeping with upholding
the dignity of the office and maintaining
the principle of separation of powers
and respect for a co-equal branch of
government, Valte said.
We therefore leave it to the responsible members of Congress to arrive at
a methodology that will aid their investigation, bearing in mind that the inquiry
should remain focused on its primary
mission: to uncover the truth. In this
manner, the process will not be abused
by those who might be inclined to take
advantage of the occasion to advance
personal motives, she added.
The House of Representatives had
earlier announced it would resume the
inquiry into the Mamasapano operation
next month following the completion of
the Board of Inquiry (BOI) report on
the incident. The congressional probe
on Mamasapano bloodbath was earlier
shelved after just holding one hearing.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.
has acknowledged that the President
legal opinion of the Department of

Justice that he is the acting mayor of
the city, manifestation of order from the
Office of the Ombudsman, and advisory
from the Department of the Interior
and Local Government (DILG) informing the Land Bank of the Philippines
and other government agencies that
the suspension of Mayor Binay for six
months has removed his authority as
citys local chief executive.
With Peas action, the camp of
Binay said they will not take this sitting down.
Binays legal counsel, Patricia Alvarez, said Pea performed acts that
only the mayor should be doing so we
are studying the usurpation of authority
charges against him.
Binay, who remains holed up at his
office at the 21st floor of the Makati City
Hall, appealed to the DILG to follow the
rule of law and respect the TRO issued
by the CA on his suspension order.
under Abdul Sango Amoran of the 305th
unit of the MILFs 103rd Base Command recruited 85 Higaonon tribesmen
and Maranaws from Bukidnon and
brought them to the camp from May 16
to 31 last year.
I endorsed it because its a violation of the ceasefire provisionsThey
are not supposed to build training
camps anywhere. Actually there should
be status quo no recruitment, no force
build-up, no capability buildup, no expansion of areas, said Gapay.
They learned about the training
activities after the villagers requested
the military to intervene and stop the
recruitment by the MILF.
Gapan said the training camp is
located in the boundary of Iligan city
and Lanao del Sur.
Gapan confirmed the presence of
the MILF training camp which is only
three kilometers away from their Army
detachment and verified its recruitment activities.
Threat to security
Armed personalities are roaming
the area and conducting training and
recruitment at the hinterlands . . . so
when we verified and confirmed it, we
lodged a protest, said Gapay.
It could be a threat to us because
MILF forces can come from Lanao del
Sur and cause some alarm in the area .
. .Our detachment there is not easily reenforceable so when there is hostile action
against that detachment, medyo matagal
ang reinforcement, explained Gapay.
Looking at the materials used, its
probably about two to three years old . .
. so its a violation (of the ceasefire) and
its outside their territory, the proposed
Bangsamoro territory, Gapay noted.
Gapay said there are only two recognized MILF camps in Lanao Camp
Bushra and Camp Bilal.
The ceasefire committee acknowledged receipt of Gapays recommendation and is currently validating
procedures.
We assure everyone, especially
those in Iligan and neighboring towns,
that we will do our utmost to resolve this
complaint at the soonest time possible.
We appreciate the publics vigilance and
we urge everyone to continue helping us.
The ceasefire with the MILF has been
holding. We want it to continue doing so,
ceasefire committee Head of Secretariat
Major Carlos T. Sol said. (With a report
from Francis T. Wakefield)
should give a fuller explanation following the release of inquiry reports
made by the Senate and the BOI on the
Mamasapano incident.
A draft Senate committee report
had earlier found the President was
ultimately responsible for the bungled
operation. The BOI report also cited
alleged lapses of the President when he
bypassed the police chain of command
and allowed a suspended police official
to participate in the mission.
After a new survey showed many
Filipinos found Aquinos explanation
insufficient, the Palace hinted that
the President may seize another opportunity to speak to the public and
give his account of the Mamasapano
operation.
Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma
Jr. said the President listens to the
sentiment of the public and would share
more information to facilitate better
public understanding.
A Pulse Asia survey showed that
79 of the 1,200 respondents found
the Presidents explanation on the
Mamasapano operation insufficient.
Only 10 percent said the explanation
was enough while 11 percent were
undecided.
Coloma said the latest survey result
was a good sign the public are eager to
know the truth about the Mamasapano
incident.
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News
US senators seek...
John McCain and Bob Corker
and Democrats Jack Reed and
Bob Menendez said that without a comprehensive strategy,
long-standing interests of the
United States, as well as our
allies and partners, stand at
considerable risk.
They said Chinas land reclamation and construction in
the South China Seas Spratly
archipelago gave it the potential to expand its military reach
and was a direct challenge,
not only to the interests of the
United States and the region,
but to the entire international
community.
The letter said Gaven Reef
has grown about 28 acres
(114,000 square meters) in the
past year and previously submerged Johnson Reef is now a
25-acre (100,000-square-meter)
island. Fiery Cross reef increased in size more than 11fold since August.
While other states have
built on existing land masses,
China is changing the size,
structure, and physical attributes of land features themselves, the letter said. This is a
qualitative change that appears
designed to alter the status quo
in the South China Sea.
It said any attempt by China
to militarize the artificial islands
could have serious consequences and could embolden
Beijing to declare a new air
defense zone in the South China
Sea like it announced in 2013 in
an area contested with Japan.
The senators, who head the
Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, said the
strategy should lay out specific
actions the United States can
take to slow down or stop Chinas reclamation activities... .
China claims about 90 percent of the potentially energyrich South China Sea. It has
defended its reclamation work
there, saying it is not seeking
to overturn the international
order. The Philippines, Vietnam,
Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan
also have overlapping claims.
Chinese reclamation work
is well advanced on six Spratly
reefs and workers are building
ports and fuel storage depots
and possibly two airstrips. Experts say this will not overturn
US regional military superiority
but could allow Beijing to project
power deep into the maritime
heart of Southeast Asia.
Japan-Indonesia pact
In Tokyo, Japan will sign
a defense pact with Indonesia
next week, officials in both governments said, the latest effort
by Tokyo to forge closer security ties with Southeast Asian
nations and build a counterbalance to China.
Japan has already bolstered
partnerships with the Philippines and Vietnam, the two
countries most at odds with China over a territorial row in the

South China Sea. Japan itself
is embroiled in a bitter dispute
with China over uninhabited
islands in the East China Sea,
further to the north.
Indonesian President Joko
Widodo visits Tokyo next week
for talks with Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe and the
two sides will sign an agreement
on increasing cooperation in
military training and technology, the officials said. Currently,
the two countries only have an
agreement for the exchange of
military students.
Although it will be a nonbinding agreement, it is seen
as the first step in bolstering
defense ties.
The document that will be
signed will be on capacity
building, cooperational defense,
and also peacekeeping operations, said Armanatha Nasir,
spokesman for Indonesias
foreign ministry.
Other officials said the two
countries could also discuss
sharing of intelligence.
A Japanese foreign ministry
official said Widodos trip sends
a big message as this will
be his first state visit outside
Southeast Asia.
Japan is supplying maritime
patrol boats to Vietnam and the
Philippines and will also hold
its first naval exercises with
the Philippines in the coming
months.
For Japan, closer ties with
Indonesia could also give its
defense firms a better chance to
compete against South Korean
military equipment makers, who
are establishing themselves in
the region, a Japanese defense
ministry official said.
Widodo will visit China immediately after his stop in Japan. Indonesia and China have
a more developed military relationship and Jakarta has bought
Chinese-made missiles and
other military hardware.
Widodo will bring up the
South China Sea issue as part
of regional stability talks during
his visit to Japan and China,
Nasir said.
Indonesia, the biggest country in Southeast Asia, has been
a self-appointed broker in the
myriad territorial disputes between its neighbors and China
over the South China Sea.
Tokyo has no territorial claims
in the South China Sea, but worries about becoming isolated
should China dominate a waterway through which much of Japans ship-borne trade passes.
The defense cooperation
with Southeast Asian nations is
also in line with a more muscular security policy advocated by
Abe, who wants to loosen the restraints of Japans pacifist postwar constitution, and dovetails
with Washingtons rebalance
toward Asia.
Tensions brewing...
however, told the newspaper
that the drug testing protocol
for the May 2 fight in Las Vegas
had been rigorously negotiated by Pacquiao promoters
Top Rank.
In comments to ESPN.
com, Ellerbe called Koncz an
idiot.
If this moron didnt convey
his fighters wishes when the
negotiation was going on thats
their problem, Ellerbe said.
This is a lame-ass attempt to
generate publicity.
Drug testing was an issue
in attempts to put a PacquiaoMayweather fight together in
late 2009 and early 2010.
Mayweather wanted random
Olympic-style blood and urine
testing, but Pacquiao objected
to some of the protocols and the
deal disintegrated.
Mayweather later accused
the Filipino ring icon of using
performance-enhancing drugs, a
charge which Pacquiao denied.
Pacquiao sued Mayweather
over the accusation and the two
settled out of court.
Drug-testing differences
have been just part of the long
and winding road to the May
2 match-up between the two
fighters widely considered the
best pound-for-pound fighters
of their generation.
The bout has required rival
telecasters Showtime and HBO

to work together to produce a
fight considered a lock to break
all records for pay-per-view
viewers and revenue.
Pacquiao, a two-term Sarangani congressman, is 57-5 with
two drawn and 38 knockouts
while Mayweather is 47-0 with
26 knockouts.
Last week, the US Anti-Doping Agency said both fighters
had agreed to undergo Olympicstyle random drug testing prior
to the bout.
Mayweather has submitted
to USADA testing for all of his
bouts since 2010.
Both fighters must provide
USADA with their whereabouts
and make themselves available
for blood and urine tests for
drugs including human growth
hormone (HGH) and the bloodboosting erythropoietin (EPO).
Pacquiao first suggested the
reciprocal fine for a failed drug
test as extra insurance that a
doping issue wouldnt scupper
the fight that fans worldwide
have clamored for.
But Ellerbe charged the
arrangement was an attempt
to put a $5-million price tag if
Manny tested positive.
It will cost Manny a lot
more than some $5 million if
he comes up positive, Ellerbe
said.
Yellow Magenta Cyan
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News
Tagle reminds faithful

of Gods mercy
and forgiveness
By CHRISTINA I. HERMOSO
anila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal G. Tagle

reminded the faithful to
always remember Gods
merciful heart that loves and forgives
despite mans defiance and sinfulness.
Dont let a day pass by remembering how we experience the love, mercy,
compassion, and understanding of God,
He who is patient and kind, who will not
condemn nor destroy, but will rather,
save His creation, His children, who are
the handiwork of His love, Tagle said
in his homily during a recent prayer
congress held at the Mall of Asia Arena
in Pasay City in honor of Saint Teresa
of Avila.
The Catholic Church is set to commemorate the 500th birth anniversary
of Saint Teresa, the venerated founder
of the Discalced Carmelites, on March
28 this year.
In a Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines News post, Tagle cited St.
Pauls Letter to the Ephesians that highlights Gods being rich in mercy as not a
label that describes and limits Him.
It is rather the core of God Himself,
His own heart, the prelate said.
This merciful God does not get tired
of running after His people, a people described as unfaithful, repaying God with
infidelity upon infidelity. Even though
humans often reject Him, God responds
to their disobedience with a love they
do not and will never ever merit, Tagle
added.
Tagle stressed that despite mans
sinfulness and unworthiness that deserves punishment, God, in his mercy,
even sent His only begotten Son that
makes salvation a mystery. God who,
out of love for humanity, did not spare
the most precious to Him: His only Son,
he said.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church is set
to observe the Jubilee Year of Mercy after
Pope Francis declared the period from
December 8 this year to November 20,
2016 as the Holy Year of Mercy.
PNoy graces Aguinaldo

museum inauguration
President Aquino yesterday graced
and led the inauguration of the Museo ni
Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite located
at the Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine.
In his visit to Kawit, Cavite, Aquino
led the wreath-laying ceremony at the
grave of the first Philippine president,
Emilio Aguinaldo, before proceeding to
the museum.
Aguinaldos 146th birth anniversary
will be commemorated on March 22.
On the way to the museum, President
Aquino passed by the new e-learning
room showcasing 30 computer units with
interactive history lessons.
During the museums inauguration,
the President received from National
Historical Commission of the Philippines

(NHCP) chairperson Maria Serena Diokno a replica of vara de mando (cane of
command), which is the symbol of authority of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo as capitan
municipal or gobernadorcillo of Cavite
El Viejo (old name of Kawit).
President Aquino toured the museum
and was joined by Diokno, Armed Forces
of the Philippines chief of staff General
Gregorio Pio Catapang, and Transportation and Communications Secretary
Joseph Emilio Abaya, who is Aguinaldos
descendant.
The President did not deliver any
speech during the said event. (Madel
Sabater Namit)
Yellow Magenta Cyan
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News
Las Pias day care pupils attending

expense-free graduation rites
S
ome 4,656 pre-school pupils
in 79 day care centers in
Las Pias will march during a moving up ceremony
complete with toga and souvenir

photos at no cost to their parents
and families.
This is in keeping with the tradi-
Filipino domestic
workers legal pay
in Malaysia underscored
tion of Las Pias Mayor Vergel Aguilar of

providing economic relief to parents during
graduation rites.
He said it is priceless for parents to see
their little ones receive their first diploma
and he wants to give it to them free of extra
expenses.
The expense-free graduation is part of
the education program package of the city
for the less fortunate. It covers free toga,
souvenir photos and snacks during the
graduation rites for all graduating students
from pre-school, elementary and high school
levels.
Providing basic education is my administrations policy. Every underprivileged
student will get the full benefit under the

program. They are provided with quality education similar to those of the private schools.
All these free of charge, Aguilar said.
Day-care center pre-schoolers in the
citys 20 barangays enjoy free tuition, uniform and receive regular feeding activity
supervised by nutritionists.
Barangay BF International (CAA) has
the most number of graduates this month
with 679 pre-schoolers.
Aguilar s priority endeavor in providing quality education among children has
ear ned him and the city gover nment a
citation as Most Child-Friendly City by the
Council for the Welfare of Children.
By ROY C. MABASA
Filipino household service workers (HSWs) in

Malaysia have a
legally-mandated
minimum salar y
of $400 a month,
which should
ser ve as cushion
in light of the depreciation of the
Malaysian ringgit.
In fact, the Philippine Embassy
in Kuala Lumpur
pointed out, as the
salaries of Filipino
HSWs are reflected in US dollars
and in light of the
depreciating ringgit, they should
be getting higher
salaries.
Philippine labor laws require a
minimum monthly
salary of $400 in
the employment
contract of HSWs
before they are
allowed to depart
the country, the
embassy said in a
statement.
This is a contractual obligation that should
be observed by
employers and
employment agencies.
At the exchange rate of
RM3.5 to the US
dollar, a Filipino
HSW should receive RM1400
per month. Four
months ago, before the devaluation, HSWs should
have had received
RM1200 a month.
This differential is, of course,
not much in relation to the overall
valuable ser vice
that is rendered
by a Filipino HSW.
All these should
be taken into account, the embassy added.
Malaysian employers are also
reminded to ensure that their
Filipino HSWs or
employees have
sufficient health
insurance, due to
increased health
care fees in government hospitals and clinics
charged against
foreign nationals
starting January,
2015.
Provision for
health insurance
is stipulated in the
employment contracts, the embassy pointed out.
The Embassys Philippine
Overseas Labor
Office continually reviews the
conduct of its accredited Malaysian employment
agencies, and
has implemented
sanctions against
those that violated
the terms of their
accreditation.
Yellow Magenta Cyan
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Editorial
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word alive
Parable of
dying and rising
By Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD
husband came home from

church and suddenly carried
his wife. The startled wife said:
What did you do that for? Did the
priest tell you to be romantic?
No, the husband replied, he told us
if you want to be my disciple, carry your
cross. The cross could be the husband,
too, but he would be a heavier cross.
***
As Jesus impending death was approaching, his close followers could not
accept that he, the Messiah, would carry
his cross and die.
In order to help them understand,
Jesus related a simple little parable: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground
and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it
bears much fruit (Jn 20,24, 5th Sunday
of Lent).
***
Jesus was telling them that his suffering and death were necessary if there was
to be a new life. It is the Law of Sacrifice,
that one can come to a greater life only by
dying to a lesser one.
***
Black
hen President Aquino began

his six-year term in June, 2010,
he had the highest trust rating
ever recorded by any individual
in Pulse Asias trust surveys since 1999 85
percent. Only 2 percent had little or no trust;
13 percent were undecided.
Over the next five years, the trust dipped
to more realistic levels, but not by much. The
trust ratings in the first quarter of the succeeding years were 75 percent in 2011, 69 percent in
2012, 72 percent in 2013, and 69 percent in 2014.
Meanwhile, as Aquino carried on his duties as
president of the republic, public approval of
his performance kept pace with his trust rating. The approval rating was 74 percent in 2011
(after his first nine months in office), followed
by 70 percent in 2012, 72 percent in 2013, and 70
percent in 2014.
This March, in the first quarter survey for
2015, the ratings plunged to their lowest level
ever 36 percent trust and 38 percent approval.
What happened to cause these huge drops in the
nations perception of President Aquino?
The Mamasapano tragedy thats what happened. More precisely, the Presidents involvement in the planning and operation of a police
project that ended tragically in the death of 44
good men, followed by the way he responded to
succeeding events. He has steadfastly refused
suggestions that he say, Im sorry, believing
he was not to blame in any way for the tragedy.

Whether he was right or wrong in taking his
stand, the public perception as reflected in the
Pulse Asia survey has been unkind to him.
Today, there is speculation on what effect the
drop in ratings may have in the coming weeks
and months. Will it affect in some way the way
Congress acts on the Bangsamoro Basic Law
bill? Or the Enhanced Defense Cooparation
Agreement (EDCA) with the Americans?
Will it affect the Presidents planning and execution of other important programs scheduled
in the remaining months of the administration?
Will it somehow impact on the choices of candidates and on campaign strategies in the coming
elections?
All these remain uncertain. Filipinos, it has
been said, have short memories. Mamasapano
may soon be cleared up and the nation will move
on. Survey ratings may soon recover, especially if
the President follows well-intended advice of seasoned leaders like former President Ramos.
We look forward to the coming weeks and
months, confident that our democratic system
and our Filipino way of life will be able to handle
any eventuality. There will be no coup and there
will be no resignation. But we hope there will be
changes for good in government administration
and society, arising from lessons learned from
Mamasapano and all the other events that followed and continue to this day.
drinking partners took more of his time than his family.

As he sank deeper, his wife warned him that if he
didnt stop drinking, she would leave him. That didnt
move him on inch.
Because of that and unable to bear the burden of
supporting the family and still caring for a problematic
husband, she decided to call it quits.
***
The loss of the wife and children proved to be a devastating experience. He started trying to get reconciled
but to no avail.
He had to swallow his pride and began to take the
long, arduous road of rehabilitating himself.
***
With lots of support from well-meaning friends, he got
reunited with his wife and children. They went through
a marriage renewal seminar and became an exemplary
family. On certain weekends, they give talks to communi-
ties as team couple in Marriage Encounter.

***
It was the husbands DYING to his pride and
vice that made him rise to a new and more fulfilling life.
ASK YOURSELF: What are those vices and
weaknesses we must die to? Is it excessive drinking,
the inclination to gossip, uncontrolled anger, pride,
selfishness?
Like that repentant husband, if we die to ourselves and to our vices, the Lord assures us that we
will rise in glory, as he did.
***
FAMILY TV MASS aired on IBC 13 (channel
15 on cable) at 6-7 a.m. every Sunday; also on international GMA Pinoy TV. Sponsor: STO. NIO DE
VIOLAGO CHAPEL, E. Rodriguez Ave. Q.C. Mass
celebrant: Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD.
JOIN US IN PRAYER.
ymv
Yellow Magenta Cyan
Jesus was like a seed. He had to die and

be buried in the earth for three days, then
on Easter Sunday rise glorious.
This Law of Sacrifice is exemplified
by the fruitful deaths of martyrs and
heroes.
***
Think, for instance, of the martyrdom
of Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero. His
blood spilled in Bagumbayan planted the
seeds of the revolution which won the
Philippine independence from the Spanish
colonial rule.
Consider, too, the brutal slaying of
Ninoy Aquino. That became the rallying
point, the last straw that united Filipinos and, like a tidal wave, swept away the
dictatorship.
***
Obviously, the opportunity to die heroic
deaths is not always possible for ordinary
mortals. Heroes are a rare breed.
However, we can die non-violent, mystical or spiritual deaths by dying to our
pride, our selfishness, our greed, and other
negative traits.
***
I know of a young married man, for
instance, who was given to drinking. His
Trust ratings:
What lies ahead?
W
RR
LL
10
ymv
Views Features
11
reflections today
Medium Rare
Haiku on a plate
By Jullie Y. Daza
f Nobu Matsuhisa call him

Chef Nobu, aka Robert DeNiros
business partner were in Hollywood he would be producer,
director, screenwriter, and star of his
own productions. As it happens, hes
not in the movies but he has legions of
fans who worship his cooking I shall
scream if someone calls it his iconic
style! -- from a base of 36 restaurants
in 31 cities and five continents.
Eat your heart out, folks, cause
when Chef Nobu spent one day in the
City of Dreams last Wednesday to
supervise the action in Nobu Hotels
Japanese kitchen, 307 persons showed
up for dinner, starting at 6 p.m. Like
cult members following devoutly on
the heels of their guru, they streamed
into his restaurant (it has 335 seats) to
take their places on the veranda floating on a pond, or indoors, surrounded
by wallpaper of a Japanese seasons
design. The rich and famous and the
rich and anonymous rubbed elbows
to partake of Chef s Omakase (literally it means a set) of signature
dishes only one menu was available
for the night, a grouping of several
tiny courses served on dainty little
porcelain plates, all in white, the better

to emphasize the delicate shades of
beans and leaves, seafood, beef lightly
cooked and finely sliced, soup that
looked like a watercolor painting, the
whole dreamy meal ending in a bowl
of shaved ice topped with fruits a la
halo-halo. What more could one ask,
for $14? For a full moon to dine under,
perhaps, but as there was none, the
balmy unseasonal breeze, no doubt
cooled by pools of reflecting waters,
was enough.
As Chef Nobu has a worldwide
following, some diners might have
met him before in New York, Tokyo or
L.A., or Lima and Buenos Aires: the
Zobel brothers with an all-guys group,
Bongbong Marcos with his sister Irene
and her husband Greggy Araneta, Virgie and Ben Ramos, Joy Rojas, Greg
and Myrna Garcia, Felicidad Sy with
daughters Tessie Coson and Betty Sy,
Vivian Yuchengco, Maja Olivares Co,
Gaita Fores, Tony Protacio, et al.
Was it an expensive meal? Given
the haiku quality of Chef s aesthetics,
you pay good money not to stuff yourself but to experience excellence in
the details, where flavors meet colors,
taste meets visual delight, one sight
one bite at a time.
Pagbabago
Discussion about the

origins of the Messiah
JOHN 7:40-53
OME in the crowd who heard

these words of Jesus said,
This is truly the Prophet.
Others said, This is the
Christ. But others said, The Christ
will not come from Galilee, will he?
Does not scripture say that the Christ
will be of Davids family and come from
Bethlehem, the village where David
lived? So a division occurred in the
crowd because of him. Some of them
even wanted to arrest him, but no one
laid hands on him. So the guards went
to the chief priests and Pharisees, who
asked them, Why did you not bring
him? The guards answered, Never
before has anyone spoken like this
one. So the Pharisees answered them,
Have you also been deceived? Have
any of the authorities or the Pharisees
believed in him? But this crowd, which
does not know the law, is accursed.
By Florangel Rosario Braid
HE effect of the Mamasapano tragedy on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and
peoples perception of the
presidency is that it had divided public
opinion on whether the BBL should be
passed, as well as perception of the
credibility of the present leadership.
This is validated in the recent Pulse
Asia survey which noted that while
44% disagreed with the passing of
the BBL, only 21% was in agreement.
There was a 99% awareness of Mamasapano, with 79% saying that they
were not satisfied with the national
administrations explanation and 10%
saying it was enough. On whether
President Aquino should resign, 29%
agreed, while 42% disagreed.
And what do leaders of various
sectors think about these issues?
The Third Party Monitoring Team of
the Comprehensive Agreement on
the Peace Process says that further
discussion of the BBL should be done
after resolving the Mamasapano
case. The Senate Committee on Local Government chaired by Senator
Bongbong Marcos will be willing to
resume the hearings on the BBL this
April only after the MILF submits
its report. Senator Miriam Santiago
wants the BBL scrapped, and renegotiate the peace agreement. But the
Palace thinks crafting the BBL is not
an easy process. President Aquino has
remained firm on his desire to move
the peace process forward.
The private sector, represented
by Makati Business Club President,
Ramon del Rosario listed Mamasapano and the BBL as priorities for the
President to consider during the last
year and a half of his presidency. Bring
the BBL back on the legislative track,
quickly, carry out the peace process to
fruition, and render a full accounting
of the complete facts surrounding the
Mamasapano incident to meet the demands of justice, del Rosario said.
CELEBRATION
National Day
of Namibia
ODAY is the National Day of

Namibia which commemorates its Independence from
South Africa in 1990. During
this holiday, Namibians from various
tribes clad in traditional attire join
parades, street dances, and various
events in major cities and towns in the
country.
Located in southern Africa on the
Atlantic coast, Namibia shares borders
with Angola and Zambia to the north,
Botswana to the east, and South Africa to the south and east. The capital
and largest city is Windhoek. After
Mongolia, the country is the second
least densely populated at 2.54 persons
per square kilometer. The majority
of Namibians are of Bantu-speaking
origin, living mostly in the north of the
t the start of a journey in

pursuit of a vision, we need
to get hold of ourselves and
be a realist. We face up to the
facts regarding ourselves: we do have
a few talents we can put to use; and a
few weaknesses we need to take note
of and address. We look at the entire
glass: the half-full portion as well as
the half-empty one.
Realism---which is a must--should not, however, keep us from
having a dream. We do need to move
up, from where we are, with all of
our shortcomings and relative lack of
accomplishments, to where we wish
to be, with a few feathers on our cap.
Indeed, what we see ourselves becoming in the foreseeable future (or what
we hope to have by then) constitutes
our vision. This drives us; it spurs us
to action.
Let us be clear, however, that
having a dream means our looking
beyond ourselves. We cannot enclose
ourselves; we have to look out and
reach out. We look at the broad environment and the possibilities it may
open up for us. We reach out towards
a few bold, hairy, audacious goals
that we wish to attain within a given
time period. We recognize that beyond
the narrow confines of self, there is

a wide world out there teeming with
possibilities. It is in this light that we
view the very first facet of love--which we need in order to pursue a
dream or a vision---as our openness
to get out of ourselves and reach out
for something that attracts us from
outside: what attracts us is something
we consider as bigger and better than
the real facts confronting us at the
moment:
Helping to lay the foundation
for a novel apostolate, with a novel
message in view of the Philippine cultural heritage: this is a tall challenge
by itself. Build on that challenge a
taller one entailing the establishment
of a new think-tank, whose institutional culture you shape, and one
that contributes to raising the level
of discussion regarding the long-term
Philippine future: this proved a very
attractive ideal to go for and realize.
Helping in the transition to a
more open society, where newer and
fresher opportunities are opened
up for responsible citizens to pursue initiatives in the fight against
ignorance and poverty; and then
reinforce this subsequently with an
advocacy for good governance and
therefore against corruption. These
are big-picture issues demanding to-
tal commitment and the participation

of many fellow advocates.
Helping to secure the base for
your governance advocacy so it can
be scaled up and expanded to include
many more institutions within the
business and government sectors.
While this had to be a protracted
process, still it is being followed up
with serious attempts at covering
more sectors as well as at cascading
the governance culture and discipline
down to the individual, personal
level.
This has been a series of ideals to reach out for; they followed a
natural sequence, as though a guiding hand has arranged events and
circumstances such that they would
fall into their proper place at the
proper time. As ideals or dreams,
they represented a set of attractive
promises, by which a meaningful,
substantive, positive contribution
could be made to the development
of Philippine society; in this regard,
there was something worthwhile,
which attracted commitment and
dedication to help bring the ideal
down to eventually becoming real.
The reaching out required getting
out of oneself; and the guiding hand,
as always, was that of a provident,
all-powerful Father.
plain view
Endless rebellion
from various fronts
By ATTY. Romeo V. Pefianco
he governments clear
political stance is too simplistic maintain peace and
harmony with the Muslim
population in Mindanao at ALL COST.
But this ideal goal also depends on
the willingness of the Muslim people
to support the cause of peace at all
cost. I referred to the Huk movement of Luis Taruc as a civilized way
of protecting the peace process when
the Huks lived up to their pledge
and obeyed their leader. Taruc had a
higher cause for dissent when he was
unseated as the duly elected representative of one district in Pampanga
in April, 1946.
the proud Muslim leaders between

1935 and the 1960s ever thought of
sending a list of demands asking for
alms/annual support from the Manila
government.
Various fronts
The various Muslim fronts and
freedom fighters started organizing
in the 70s but martial law viewed
rebellious leaders as a serious threat
to a long dictatorship. After martial
law, the Manila government started
dealing with the front organizers
as foreigners but their flags were no
different from those flying in front of
our schools and government offices.
And the stronger front had
managed to convince the Manila
government that true peace can be
extended only through the MILF.
Our peace panel relied so much on
its representation that not one of
the panel members ever thought of
blaming, even in a small way, the
MILF soldiers as participants in the
massacre of 44 special ranger cops in
Mamasapano last January 25.
victims possessions firearms, uniforms, bulletproof vests, shoes, etc.

The MILF, to this day, has not identified the leaders and rebels who were
at the site of the massacre to show
a sign of good faith to the BBL now
pending in Congress.
Rebellion without end
In the old days, Muslim leaders

like Tomas Cabili, Salipada Pendatun,
the Alontos and their followers lived
just like the rest of us. Not one of
After this massacre, as the Senate

committee calls it, most of us started
doubting the BBL as the giver of
peace to all Muslim provinces. Both
MILF rebels and BIFF outlaws were
identified as the perpetrators of the
massacre.
After the 44 cops were killed,
the killers helped themselves to the
Gen. John J. Pershing won renown as a young captain for his

patient, effective pacification of the
Moros (December, 1899, to May, 1903)
which ended Moro resistance around
Lake Lanao. President Theodore
Roosevelt promoted Pershing from
captain to brigadier general in 1906
over 862 officers senior to him. He
then served as commander of the
Moro Province in 1909 to 1914. In May,
1917, he was appointed commander
of the American Expeditionary Force
and directed three major offensive
battles in WW I in Europe. On his
return from France in 1919, he was
appointed general of the ar mies
(with six stars) and retired as chief
of staff.
Muslim rebellion could not be
stopped by the best commanders of
the US and Filipino armies. One hundred years after Pershing, the Manila
government still faces the MILF,
MNLF, BIFF, Abu Sayyaf, JIM, etc.
Based on past records, theres no
foreseeable end to rebellion in the
Muslim provinces contrary to the prediction by BBL and our government
panel. (Comments are welcome at
roming@pefianco.com).
Nations peace plan for the entire region. Independence came in 1990, and
Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands
were ceded to Namibia in 1994.

We congratulate the people and government of Namibia led by President
Hage Geingob, and Prime Minister

Saara Kuugongelwa Amadhila, on the
occasion of its National Day.
No alms for 18M Christians
country.
Agriculture, herding, and tourism
are major economic contributors.
Mining also plays an important role,
including mining for gold, diamonds,
silver, uranium, and some base metals.
Namibia enjoys high economic, political, and social stability.
Namibia is a member of various international and regional organizations
such as the United Nations (UN), the
Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU),
and the Commonwealth of Nations.
In 1966, the South-West Africa Peoples Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla
group launched a war of independence,
but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration of
Namibia, in accordance with a United
SOURCE: 365 Days with the

Lord 2015, 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.
A call to move up
A comprehensive analysis and

recommendations on options that
the country can take on these issues
were made by Jesus Dureza, former
Secretary of OPAPP who suggested
three tracks: The first requires reengaging the public and stakeholders
through focused group discussions to
exorcise the public mind of the negative spectre spawned by the Mamasapano tragedy and restore the eroded
trust of the public on the BBL while
Congress does its job. Track Two will
require making the BBL more inclusive and to bring in all together other
Bangsamoro sectors who appear to be
excluded and sidelined. Pertinent
provisions of the IPRA (indigenous
peoples law) can be consolidated with
the BBL to arrest the apprehension
of the indigenous peoples that their
ancestral domains will be jeopardized.
Track Three will consider these scenarios: (a) delay in the approval of the
BBL; (b) MILF rejects the final version; (c) delay in the Supreme Court
if a petition is filed; and (d) Supreme
Court rule its unconstitutionality.
Dureza stresses the importance
of looking at a Plan B or other options. One such alternative is to start
implementing a Massive Development Plan in the area, establish a
Bangsamoro Development Authority
which will negotiate with international
development agencies and which will
help government in carrying out this
task. Former Secretary Dureza wants
to disabuse the minds of those who
question the sincerity of the MILF
in seeking a peaceful settlement by
citing his experiences while working
with the late MILF Chairman Hashim
Salamat and Chairman Kagi Murad
who, he noted, had transitioned
from struggle for independence to
enhanced empowerment. This kind
of planning is realistic as it anticipates
all sorts of possibilities that may happen, and suggests what it considers
viable alternatives. My email is florangel.braid@gmail.com
REFLECTIONS
DIVISION BECAUSE OF HIM.
The words of Jesus precipitate a
crisis in those who hear them. The
crowds reactions vary. Some say
that he is truly the Prophet; others,
This is the Christ. But still others,
those who have already made up their
mind to reject him, are as always
ready with their scriptural arguments.
Paradoxical as it sounds, nothing could
blind one more to God than the word
of God: The Christ will not come from
Galilee, will he? Does not scripture
say that the Christ will be of Davids

family and come from Bethlehem?
One would have thought that those
who genuinely look for the Redeemer
promised by God would be more open
to deliverance in whatever form, however unexpected, and no matter how
ill-conformed to their scriptural interpretations and theological speculations
it might turn out to be. So a division
occurred in the crowd because of him.
This is true whenever Jesus message
is proclaimed: in Jesus time, in the
evangelists (within his community),
and in our own.
Whoever does not gather with me
scatters. (Mt 12:30)
Swimming against the Current
By Jesus P. Estanislao
Mamasapano
and the BBL
Nicodemus, one of their members

who had come to him earlier, said to
them, Does our law condemn a person
before it first hears him and finds out
what he is doing? They answered and
said to him, You are not from Galilee
also, are you? Look and see that no
prophet arises from Galilee. Then
each went to his own house.
We dont know how the 18 million

Christians in Mindanao feel about the
BBL and its claims to territories adjacent to land owned by the Christian
population, who prospered through
hard work and ignored rebellion as
a source of livelihood. If the Christian population had organized rebel
factions they could do it in a bigger
way, given their number and means
as hardworking farmers, fishermen,
and businessmen.
The old Muslim leaders
Massacre
Yellow Magenta Cyan
Black
ymv
Views Features
12
PAGE TWELVE
its the small things
The President
under siege
By ELINANDO B. CINCO
uess whos the newest

Malacaang defender, parrying the blows that are aimed
at the President?
And his shoring up is believed by
many as 10 times more credible and effective than what the computer-printers
of the presidential communication
group can turn out.
With virtual poisoned-tip arrows
being launched from all directions
targeting the occupant of the Palace
by the Pasig for the past many weeks,
P-Noy has found an unlikely ally in the
person of Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle,
Archbishop of Manila.
(One cardinal, three archbishops,
and a handful of bishops are in the opposite front.)
His Eminence has been mounting
an armor-plated shield in front of the
Chief Executive, thereby, fending off
pointed shafts of criticism against the
Palaces main resident.
Along with the clergy, there are a
host of critics from various sectors of
the populace. Their common condemnations: The President has absolved
himself from any responsibility in the
January 25 massacre of 44 SAF commandos; he is shrinking from a presidential liability; he does not have the
high standard of behavior required of
the Commander in Chief; the President
must step down and hand over the
reins of government to a transitional
council.
But the Archbishop of Manila is
always quick to counter: Instead of
calling for the resignation of Aquino
and pushing for an advisory council,
Of wonder and women

the nation should better work together
to strengthen the governments other
institutions. (As quoted by Fred Lobo
in his column in this paper, March 13,
2015.)
Cardinal Tagle has even questioned
the credibility of those who would constitute such advisory council.
Flashback: In the Marcos era, those
who called for his resignation (after a
20-year term) were labeled destabilizers.
This time, those who are the latest
to rock the boat are some members of
the Catholic clergy (Be humble, learn
to say, sorry. Hand in your resignation
now now!).
Former President Fidel Ramos said
(P-Noys speech before evangelical
leaders is less than the high standard
of behavior required of the Commander
in Chief. He also threw brickbats at
presidential advisers for their failure
to maintain the dignity of the Office of
the President.
From Rep. Walden Bello, a staunch
Malacanang tent-pole pillar until last
week: I dismayed by his speech in
which he put all the blame on SAF head
Gen. Napeas for the failed mission,
exonerating himself and Gen. Purisima
of guilt and responsibility.
A group of doctors, nurses, and
health professionals: Aquino should
resign because of his incompetence to
lead, his inability to take responsibility.
P-Noys Uncle Peping and Auntie
Tingting: A transitional council should
take over. (Short of telling Vice President Binay to prepare for a take-over.)
Movie actress and singer Nora
Aunor: Noynoy resign now!
By Alex M. Eduque
ARCH is officially womens

month. And as a woman,
I think it is an extreme
honor. After all, history
has it that women did not always have
a prominent place in society, nor were
we always as empowered. And today,
theres a whole month devoted to us!
Id like to believe though that it doesnt
change the fact though that women
have always been capable. And despite
society being much more welcoming
and liberal in the present day, cultural
norms (or remnants of the past thereof)
regarding a womans rightful role still
loom that make some question their
choices and decisions.
If theres anything I know Im most
certain of, its that this is probably the
most exciting time to be a woman and
I am most thankful I was born when I
was. Why? Because of the equal and
multitude of opportunities available
to us women today. Oftentimes, I am
asked to identify who I attribute my
achievements to and/or the likes of who
have made me the person (rather, the
woman) I am today. And without hesitation, I always say my family, but more
specifically my grand-mother and my
mother. Yes the two most influential
people in my life are women.
Reflecting about it, no questions
asked, I was indeed born into a family
of strong women. I am speaking about
my maternal side here, and from my
grand-parents generation onwards to
ours, not only do the women outnumber the men; they are also the more
outspoken ones. As I have shared a

couple of times, I was born into a family where opinionated, assertive, and
steadfast women are the norm. The
expectations for women in my family
are definitely at par with, or if not at
times I feel even higher than that of
the men, but having said that, I am
extremely blessed to be born into a
family where everyone unquestionably
supports each other. Were our own
cheering squad, which is perhaps why
others are so quick to label us as clannish. But frankly, I see nothing wrong
with being close-knit I have known
no other way, after all.
While I was brought up in a family where women were not raised to
be docile to men, we were definitely
taught to be respectful and caring towards them. We were taught to value
ourselves and live our everyday lives
with dignity, responsibility and a social
conscience. I must also say that while
women in my family typically work in
my case, my mother worked long hours
from the day I was born, that summer
vacations found me in her office, to be
able to spend time with her. In fact as
an infant (at six months old), I was left
for two months under the care of my
grandparents because my mom had to
finish her Masters Program in Harvard
Ive never felt an absence nor a lack
of love. In fact, it still overflows. I am
indeed blessed to be born into a family
where we women may have various
interests and quirks, but at the end of
the day, we find ourselves extremely
protective of one another.
And in the same way that I believe
half of what you are is because of biological nature and half is determined by
how youre nurtured, theres no denying
therefore that I am one strong woman.
Its in my DNA and I was raised and
surrounded by them from the day I was
ushered into this world. I remember in
my younger (circa high school) days, I
always feared that others, men especially, would be intimidated by strong
women, but I have come to realize that
those who truly matter in your life, will
love you for who you are, and not on how
well you act on becoming that person
they want you to be. So to all the women
out there, I encourage you to show your
true colors. Dont change for anyone,
but for yourself. Do that which makes
you happy and live by those choices
you make.
I chose to write and share this part
of my life not to brag about the extraordinary women (though it is an extreme
honor to call them my family) who have
played a role and have surrounded me
all my life, but because it really is a huge
part of the person that I have become.
It is a reminder to everyone out there
men and women alike to pay tribute
to those who have shaped you into the
person that you are today. I am certain,
that whether or not the relationship is
biological, you are bound to find one
woman who has made you smile, cry,
laugh, and curse, but who at the end of
the day, loves you wholeheartedly and
whom you cannot live without. Heres
to all the women out there may you
never tire of doing what you do best
and may you never fail to be proud of
who you are!
Hotspot
INFORMATION
Cross-cultural
understanding
through poetry
ORLD Poetry Day, an occasion to appreciate poets and

poetry around the world,
is celebrated on March 21
of every year. It is an initiative of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
which recognizes the unique ability of
poetry to capture the creative spirit of
the human mind. The celebration was
first adopted during UNESCOs 30th
session in November, 1999, in Paris,
France, to promote the reading, writing, publishing, and teaching of poetry.
The first World Poetry Day was held on
March 21, 2000.
Poetry is the universal human song,
expressing the aspiration of every
woman and man to apprehend the world
and share this understanding with others, through arrangements of words in
rhythm and meter. Poetry is as old as
humanity itself and as diverse, embodied
in traditions, oral and written, that are as
varied as the human face, each capturing the depth of emotion, thought, and
aspiration that guides person this is
UNESCOs messages on World Poetry
Day.
Poetry promotes literacy as well
as cross-cultural understanding and
communicate the innermost values of
diverse cultures. Poetry may be written
independently, as discrete poems, or
may be in conjunction with other arts, as
in poetic drama, hymns, lyrics, or prose
poetry. It may be published in magazines, individual collections, and wider
anthologies. Types of poems worldwide
include: Tula or Tanaga (Philippines),

Haiku (Japan), Ode (ancient Greece),
RubaI (Persia), and Canzone (Italy).
World Poetry Day supports linguistic diversity through poetic expression
and enables endangered languages
to be heard within communities. It
encourages a return to oral tradition of
poetry recitals, promotes poetry teaching, restores dialogue between poetry
and other arts such as theater, dance,
music, and painting, and supports
small publishers in investing in poetry
collections.
Governments, educators, and civic
groups make World Poetry Day a special event. Each country ensures that
the poetry of other nations is read and
appreciated and poets are honored,
by organizing readings from various
cultures and backgrounds. Peoples
enrich themselves through partaking
in all art forms and promote literature,
specifically poetry, in the communities.
Children are introduced to poetry in the
classrooms. Poets read and share their
work with audiences at book stores,
cafes, universities, and other schools.
Awards and citations recognize poets
and their work. Poetry readings and
exhibitions are held to showcase the
poets masterpieces.
The Philippines joins the global
celebration of World Poetry Day every
March 21. In addition, it celebrates
Balagtas Day every April 2 to honor
Francisco Balagtas, the Prince of
Tagalog Poets, who wrote the classic
Florante at Laura.
Lunar eclipse
Supermoon to
make mischief
with sun and sea
By Richard INGHAM
ARIS, France (AFP) Norse

legend has it that two giant
wolves roam the sky -- with
Skoll chasing the moon and its
brother Hati going after the sun.
If either manages to sink its teeth
into its prey and hold it back, an eclipse
occurs, the story goes.
Tales of cosmic wolves may once
have been a useful way of explaining
the weird and scary interval when the
sun, the source of life on Earth, is briefly
extinguished.
For astronomers, though, total eclipses occur when the moon sneaks between
Earth and the sun, and the three bodies
align precisely.
By quirky celestial symmetry, the
moon as seen from Earth is just broad
enough to cover the solar face, creating
a breath-taking silver halo in an indigo
sky pocked by daytime stars.
The moon will do this trick again on
Friday for the only total solar eclipse
of 2015, with a dramatic backdrop provided by Nordic islands on the roof of
the world.
Then on Saturday, the lunar magician will bemuse us again, this time with
exceptional tides.
The reason: Earths satellite will be a
supermoon, which happens at its closest point to our planet, called a perigee.
This, and the moons alignment with
Weighed but found wanting

rologue: President BS
Aquinos 2010 platform of
government, titled A Social
Contract with the Filipino
People, badly needs updating to keep
up with the times and with reality.
Thus:
Our national leadership needs
transformational change.
Its ability to govern is under
question.
It punishes the wrongdoing only
of its perceived foes.
It invents new forms of corruption like DAP and defends it despite
Supreme Court rulings declaring them
unconstitutional.
It weakens the democratic institutions by refusing to be held accountable.
It clings to power by confusing the
people with half-truths, outright lies,
and empty boasts.
It demonizes those who expose
the truth about its incompetence and
corruption.
It hinders our local governments
from delivering basic services, as in
Tacloban and other areas led by perceived foes.
It offers no lasting solutions for the
many problems of the country.
It has no vision of governance
beyond political survival.
Filipinos cry out for change.
Corruption continues unabated and
assumes new forms especially among
the national leaderships partymates
and allies.
Friendships are more important
than official titles and responsibilities,
and even the chain-of-command.
Dictates of big, foreign multinational institutions are hampering the
growth of micro, small, and medium
entrepreneurs, and pampering Big
Business.
Genuine agrarian reform is being
denied our farmers.
High taxes oppress the middle
class.
High prices, high cost of living, lack
of job security, and limited employment
oppress minimum wage workers.
The false promises of change,
arrogance at the highest levels, and
politics of cynicism have eroded our
spirit as individuals, as communities,
as a people.
The national leadership has corrupted the democratic institutions.
The national leadership has divided us.
Our moral faculties as a people
have been paralyzed by the leaderships
black and white mindset. Inaugurating a car plant is more important than
honoring the arrival of bodies of dead
cops.
The national leadership is making
us cynically believe there is no hope.
So-called gift of Light is blind
and blinding.
After winning on the basis of necropolitics and through a non-transparent
automated election system, the President started on a high note by unveiling
the vision of a Daang Matuwid and to
be more like his parents and less like
his predecessor.
But the President did exactly the opposite: He brought along and protected
his own barkada; presided over the
instant conversion of his predecessors
balimbing supporters; used old and
new forms of pork barrel to keep them
loyal; incompetently handled one issue
after another; and implemented programs mostly beneficial to an elite few
while the rest make do with crumbs.
While the President always boasts
of his familys legacy of change, he
and his allies are acting not like fleshand-blood democrats. They refuse to
be held accountable, use pork barrel
to kill impeachment complaints, always
try to deceive the people, and engage in
trollish behavior. Just like what they do
under either a Marcos dictatorship or
an Arroyo administration.
What change?
Today, there is a clear and unmistakable deficit of integrity, humility,
and trust-worthiness starting with the
President and his national leadership.
We suffer from the arrogant refusal to admit and bear responsibility
for action or inaction detrimental to
the people from the Luneta hostage
crisis to PDAF/DAP, from Yolanda to
Zamboanga, from Hacienda Luisita to
Mamasapano.
The national leadership cannot
understand or do the right things, performs with mediocrity and dishonesty,
and gives priority to themselves and
their friends and not the greater good.
Daang Matuwid 2015
A President who is incompetent,
dishonest, arrogant, and mediocre.
He is a limited fighter of corruption
who focuses only on his foes and turns
a blind eye on himself, his partymates
and allies.
1. A national leadership impeached
and convicted a Chief Justice because
of misreported or missing SALNs; but
refuse to resign or threatens to use pork
barrel to prevent its own impeachment
and conviction for the US-instigated and
incompetently-planned Mamasapano
operation that led to the death of 44 SAF
commandos.
2. A government that merely conjures economic growth statistics that
our people know to be unreal. Or worse,
beneficial only to Big Business who
enjoy tax breaks, tax holidays, perks
and endless loot from deregulation,
privatization, and liberalization.
3. Education is either a fundraising
gig or a commodity. It reaps billions
from students of state colleges and universities through rising tuition fees, and
allows private schools to raise other
school fees at a dizzying rate.
4. It continues to deprive citizens a
Freedom of Information Law, a potentially powerful tool to make government
transparent and accountable.
5. It presides over a dismal mass
transportation system for Metro Manila
even as it pays MRT Corp. billions of
taxpayer pesos in lease and raised fares
to pay them more.
6. It presides over a rural economy
dominated by fellow big landlords who
stand on the shoulders of millions of
landless farmers.
7. Anti-poverty programs like Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino instill a doleout mentality for some, and unleashes
an all-out war of violent demolitions of
urban poor shanties for many others.
8. Private-Public Partnerships that
use public funds or sell public property
at bargain basement prices, mostly for
private gain of Big Business.
9. OFWs are still cash cows whose
remittances provide a lifeline to the
economy. Budget for OFW assistance
continue to fall, even as their contributions continue to rise. Small perks like
exemptions from airport terminal fees
and travel tax are now harder to enjoy.
10. Presidential appointees chosen
mainly out of political accommodation
and friendship. Think Butch Abad and
Alan Purisima.
11. Military and police are demoralized due to the incompetence, corruption, and treasonous acts of high
officials.
12. A Bangsamoro Basic Law that
may fail to pass constitutional standards.
13. The refusal to talk peace with
the National Democratic Front, the
arrest, detention and prosecution of
NDF consultants, and disrespect of 11
previously-signed agreements.
Epilogue: The president and his
platform have been weighed but found
wanting. No wonder the people say
game over.
the sun, will add to the gravitational pull

on the seas creating what is literally a
high point in the 18-year lunar cycle.
The eclipse and the tide are linked,
says Kevin Horsburgh, head of the Marine Physics and Ocean Climate research
group at Britains National Oceanography
Centre (NOC).
For an eclipse to take place, the sun,

the Earth and the moon need to be in a
straight line, which is also an essential
condition for high tides.
By Tonyo Cruz
Follow me on Twitter @tonyocruz

and check out my blog tonyocruz.
com
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World News
13
Time now to act on looming

water crisis, UN warns
ARIS (AFP) Without reforms, the world will be

plunged into a water crisis
that could be crippling for
hot, dry countries, the United Nations
warned Friday.
In an annual report, the UN said
abuse of water was now so great that
on current trends, the world will face
a 40-percent global water deficit by
2030 the gap between demand for water and replenishment of it.
The fact is there is enough water to meet the worlds needs, but not
without dramatically changing the way
water is used, managed and shared, it
said in its annual World Water Devel-
opment Report.
Measurability, monitoring and
implementation are urgently needed
to make water use sustainable, said
Michel Jarraud, head of the agency
UN-Water and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Surging population growth is one
of the biggest drivers behind the coming crisis, the report said.
Earths current tally of around 7.3
billion humans is growing by about 80
million per year, reaching a likely 9.1
billion by 2050.
To feed these extra mouths, agriculture, which already accounts for
around 70 percent of all water with-
IS claims deadly
attack on
Tunis museum
TUNIS (AFP) The Islamic State
jihadist group claimed responsibility Thursday for an attack on foreign
tourists at Tunisias national museum that killed 21 people, as the security forces swooped on suspects.
Authorities said they had identified the two gunmen killed after
their Wednesdays assault, prompting calls for a show of national unity
against extremism in the birthplace
of the Arab Spring.
In an audio message posted online, IS said two knights from the
Islamic State... heavily armed with
automatic weapons and grenades,
targeted the Bardo Museum in the
capital.
The group, which has hundreds
of Tunisians among its ranks, threatened more attacks, saying: What
you have seen is only the start.
Authorities say as many as 3,000
Tunisians have gone to Iraq, Syria
and Libya to fight in jihadist ranks,
raising fears of battle-hardened
militants returning home to plot attacks.
Around 200 demonstrators gathered Thursday outside the museum
where the attack killed 20 foreigners
and at least one Tunisian, chanting
Terrorism Out and laying flowers
at the entrance.
The presidents office said security forces arrested four people
directly linked to the (terrorist) operation and five suspected of having
ties to the cell.
And a presidential source said
soldiers are to be deployed in major
cities following the assault, while insisting we are not under siege.
As international outrage grew
over Tunisias worst post-revolution
attack, President Beji Caid Essebsi
said his country would not be cowed
by extremism.
drawals, will have to increase output

by some 60 percent.
Climate change which will alter
when, where and how much rainfall
comes our way and urbanization will
add to the coming crunch.
The report pointed to a long list of
present abuses, from contamination
of water by pesticides, industrial pollution and runoff from untreated sewage, to over-exploitation, especially for
irrigation.
More than half of the worlds population takes its drinking supplies
from groundwater, which also provides 43 percent of all water used for
irrigation.
Japan police arrest man after threats to US envoy
US AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN Caroline

Kennedy and her son Jack Schlossberg. (AFP Photo)
TOKYO (AFP) Japanese police

said Friday they have arrested a 52year-old man for threatening to bomb
the US embassy in Tokyo, days after reports emerged that ambassador Caroline Kennedy had received telephone
death threats.
Officers took Mitsuyoshi Kamiya into
custody on the southern tropical island
of Okinawa on Thursday, on suspicion
of making three calls to the embassy
mentioning bombs earlier this month, a
police spokesman said.
Bomb Camp Schwab (in Okinawa).
Bomb embassy, he said in English on
the phone, according to the spokesman.
Camp Schwab, a US military base on

Okinawa, is the site to which an air station is set to be relocated.
The plan has attracted vociferous
opposition from many islanders, who
feel that hosting half of the 47,000 US
military personnel in Japan is too heavy
a burden.
Mired in protests for years, it is the
focus of much of the friction between
Okinawa, Japans poorest prefecture,
and the central government in Tokyo.
Kamiya admitted making the bomb
telephone calls, the police spokesman said. He has not presently been
charged with threatening to kill the am-
Abe set to become first Japanese PM

to address joint session of US Congress
WASHINGTON (AFP) Shinzo
Abe is expected to become the first
Japanese prime minister in history to
address a joint session of the US Congress, crowning an April visit focused
on deepening trade and military ties.
Abe hopes to make the speech during a trip to the United States at the
end of next month, around Japans
Golden Week holiday, diplomatic and

legislative sources told AFP.
The invitation has been sent, according to a congressional aide and official announcement is expected soon.
Few Japanese politicians have
ever addressed Congress and none
has done so in a coveted joint meeting or session of the Senate and House
of Representatives. On December 8,
1941 a joint session led to a declaration
of war against Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
There had been some opposition to
the invitation because of Abes stance
on World War II comfort women.
Mainstream historians say up to
200,000 women, mainly from Korea but
SYDNEY (AFP) The Sydney cafe

where a gunman inspired by the Islamic
State group staged a bloody 16-hour siege
reopened Friday, with scores queing to enter the site where two hostages died.
Three months after the dramatic
events of December 15, the doors of the
chocolate-themed Lindt cafe in Martin
Place that Iranian-born Man Haron Monis
ordered shut were reopened to the public.
Inside, simple gold plaques remem-
bered 34-year-old cafe manager Tori

Johnson, shot dead by Monis at pointblank range, and barrister and mother-ofthree Katrina Dawson, 38, who was hit by
a ricocheting bullet when police stormed
the building.
New South Wales state Premier Mike
Baird met with staff inside the eatery
shortly before reopening, including Joel
Herat, who was working on the day of the
siege.
afraid the fire trucks will create a disturbance in the neighborhood, said Michael Osterholm, a prominent infectious
diseases expert at the University of Minnesota.
In public comments, WHO DirectorGeneral Dr. Margaret Chan has repeatedly said the epidemic caught the world
by surprise.
``The disease was unexpected and
unfamiliar to everyone, from (doctors)
and laboratory staff to governments and
their citizens, she said in January. Last
week, she told an audience in London
that the first sign that West Africas Ebola crisis might become a global emergency came in late July, when a consultant fatally ill with the disease flew from
Liberia to a Nigerian airport.
But internal documents obtained
by AP show that senior directors at the
health agencys headquarters in Geneva

were informed of how dire the situation
was early on and held off on declaring
a global emergency. Such an alert is
meant to trigger a surge in outside help,
or, as a WHO document put it, ``ramps
up political pressure in the countries affected and ``mobilizes foreign aid and
action.
When WHO experts discussed the
possibility of an emergency declaration
in early June, one director viewed it as
a ``last resort.
The delay in declaring an emergency was one of many critical problems
that hobbled the agencys ability to
contain the epidemic. When aid agency
Doctors Without Borders warned Ebola was spiraling out of control, WHO
contradicted it, even as WHOs own scientists called for backup. When WHO
did send staffers to Africa, they were of
mixed caliber. Fellow responders said
many lacked Ebola experience; one
WHO consultant who got infected with
Ebola broke his own agencys protocol,
putting others at risk and getting WHO
kicked out of a hotel, the AP found.
By the time WHO declared an international emergency, nearly 1,000
people were already dead. Overall, more
than 10,000 are thought to have died
in the year since the outbreak was announced.
bassador.
Kennedy, the last surviving child
of assassinated US president John F.
Kennedy, took up her post in Tokyo in
November 2013 as the first woman US
ambassador to Japan.
According to Japanese media,
there have also been phone calls in
which threats were made to kill the
US consul general in Okinawa, Alfred
Magleby.
The news of the threats came
only weeks after the US ambassador to South Korea, Mark Lippert,
was stabbed during a public event in
Seoul.
also from China, Indonesia and other
Asian nations were forced into sexual
slavery during World War II.
Abe is accused of embracing a
revisionist account of events.
South Korean President Park
Geun-Hye in particular has called for
him to do more to address the issue.
Japan says it has already apologized, offered financial compensation
and psychological help to victims.
The speech is expected to echo
some of the themes from Abes July
speech to the Australian parliament.
LONG LINE outside the Lindt
Caf at Martin
Place in Sydney
as it reopened
yesterday, three
months after a
siege in which
a gunman held
customers and
staff hostage for
16 hours ending
with two hostages dead. (AFP
Photo)
Sydneysiders queue for

reopening of siege cafe
Emails: UN health agency resisted declaring Ebola emergency

GENEVA (AP) In a delay that
some say may have cost lives, the World
Health Organization resisted calling the
Ebola outbreak in West Africa a public
health emergency until last summer, two
months after staff raised the possibility
and long after a senior manager called
for a drastic change in strategy, The Associated Press has learned.
Among the reasons the United Nations agency cited in internal deliberations: worries that declaring such an
emergency - akin to an international SOS
- could anger the African countries involved, hurt their economies or interfere
with the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.
Those arguments struck critics, experts and several former WHO staff as
wrong-headed.
``Thats like saying you dont want to
call the fire department because youre
TEN-YEAR-OLD Shivani (left, on ladder) carries a bucket of water up to the room

that she and three siblings and parents call home during a water delivery run
by a water tanker in their neighborhood in New Delhi. A new UN report said the
abuse of water was now so great that on current trends, the world will face a
40-percent global water deficit by 2030 the gap between demand for water
and replenishment of it. (AFP Photo)
I said to him that the city is very

proud of him, and proud of him being
able to be strong in spite of what he went
through, he told reporters outside.
Scores of Australians turned up to
buy coffee or hot chocolate as the cafe got

back to business, just as thousands had
brought flowers to Martin Place after the
siege, creating a huge makeshift memorial in the lead-up to Christmas.
Burger King bottles its flame

grilled fragrance
JAPAN (Dow Jones) Perhaps this
fragrance can help one appear -- and
smell smoking hot.
Burger King Japan said it will sell
a special fragrance on April 1 which is
a recreation of the scent of the flamegrilled patties used in their hamburgers.
The product, called Flame Grilled
Fragrance, will be available for one day
only. It will be sold in 30-milliliter bottles
for Yen5,000 ($41) and will come with a
Whopper sandwich.
The fragrance was developed to promote Burger King products and to enable fans to enjoy the scent even when
they are not at a Burger King outlet, the
company said.
A company spokeswoman confirmed
that although the release date is April
Fools Day, the announcement is no joke
the fragrance will definitely be sold at its
stores in Japan. It has that nice savory
smell, she told Japan Real Time.
Plane crash in Uruguay leaves

at least seven dead
MALDONADO, Uruguay (AFP)
A small Argentine plane carrying 10
people crashed shortly after takeoff
Thursday from a resort in neighboring
Uruguay, leaving at least seven dead,
authorities said Thursday.
The other three people were missing but there were no signs of survivors, said fire department spokesman
Leandro Palomeque.
The Beechcraft prop plane had just

taken off from an airport near the Uruguayan resort city of Punta del Este
when the aircraft went down.
It was carrying eight passengers,
the pilot and a co-pilot.
The two crew members and seven
of the passengers were Argentine,
while the other traveler was a woman
from Portugal, the air force said.
Passenger train derails in north India, killing 6 people

PEOPLE watch as a health worker sprays a man suspected of dying from Ebola
with disinfectant chemicals in Monrovia, Liberia. In a delay that some say
may have cost lives, the World Health Organization resisted calling the Ebola
outbreak in West Africa a public health emergency. (AP Photo)
LUCKNOW, India (AP) A passenger train derailed Friday in

northern India, killing six people and
injuring at least a dozen others, an
official said.
Three coaches of the train
jumped the tracks early Friday near

Bachhrawan village in Uttar Pradesh
state, said Manoj Sinha, the junior
minister for railways.
Villagers, police and railway security guards were trying to rescue
passengers trapped in the crashed

coaches. Six bodies had been pulled
out, but several others were feared
trapped in the wreckage.
The cause of the derailment was
not immediately known.
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Luzon News
14
DAs biggest rice processing

plant opens in Piddig
By Freddie G. Lazaro
IDDIG, Ilocos Norte The

biggest rice processing
project ever embarked
on by Department of Agriculture (DA) was inaugurated
recently at Barangay Ab-abut that
is expected to enhance the income
of local farmers here.
The P14-million complex is located on a 3,000-square meter lot
and can process 1,200 kilograms or
24 cavans of rice per hour.
Piddig Mayor Eduardo Guillen
announced Friday that the newlyopened plant will offer more opportunities for farmers to enhance
their income from rice farming.
DA has allotted another P2
million for the capital assistance
component of the farmers cooperative which would manage the plant.
The amount serves as start-up
capital for the procurement of palay
grains for the plants processing
operation.
The total cost of the project was

Php16 million, said Guillen.
The plant has three units of huge
mechanical dryer and at least four
computerized rice millers that can
process 1,200 kilograms or more or
less 24 cavans of rice per hour.
In a 10-hour continous operation per day, the plant would process
12,000 kilograms or 240 bags per
day, he said.
Governor Imee Marcos, who
graced the formal opening of the
plant last Thursday, hoped the availability of sufficient rice requirement
for the sustainable operation of the
rice processing complex.
She said the project will be of
great help to the farmers in the
province because this will eliminate
the 27 percent post harvest loss of
palay grains from drying activity.
Guillen assured the sustainability of the available rice grains for
the processing plant explaining the
plant has the capability to process
the total rice production from the
1,000 hectares of farm lot per year.

In Piddig alone, we have 4,000
hectares of rice farm lot, therefore,
the total rice production from our
town alone even exceeds the capacity of the rice processing plant,
he said.
Guillen said that rice processing
complex will be managed through
Public- Private Partnership (PPP)
between the local government unit
(LGU) of Piddig and the Piddig Basi Multi-purpose Cooperative.
With this project, we can help
our farmers to become more enterprising as we expose them to
manage their own cooperative that
would eventually increase their
income, he said.
He noted that the project aims
to establish a sustainable rice business enterprise through processing
palay produced by the farmers from
Ilocos Norte from milling to packaging for distribution for sale to the
public markets in the Ilocos and
other regions in the country.
REVOLUTIONIZING FARMING This rice processing plant, considered the biggest ever undertaken by the Department of
Agriculture, was inaugurated recently in Piddig, Ilocos Norte through the Agri-Pinoy program. (Freddie G. Lazaro)
Rivilla returns as Paniqui mayor

By MAR T SUPNAD
PANIQUI, Tarlac A triumphant Mayor Miguel Rivilla returned

to his post Monday, two months after he was ordered replaced by a
Tarlac Regional Trial Court judge
who declared rival Rommel David
as the winner of their 2013 electoral
contest.
During the Thanksgiving mass
at this town halls grounds yesterday, Rivilla said that it was a triumph of justice that he was able to
re-assume his post from David. The
Commission on Election (Comelec)
recently issued an en banc order,
declaring with finality the dismissal
of the election protest of David
against Revilla.
Amidst reports of massive
corruption in the two months that
he was absent, Rivilla said he will
file appropriate complaints against
David once (pieces of) evidences
are found.
Rivilla said one of the reportedly
anomalous activities undertaken by
David was the collection of P1 million from solicitations that would be
used for this towns forthcoming fiesta. He alleged that a huge amount
that went to this fund stolen.
Rivilla revealed that he will also
investigate the illegal termination
of 36 municipal employees fired
David and misuse of the job-order
funds amounting to hundreds of
thousands of pesos.
Revillas short-lived ouster
as mayor was said to have been
maneuvered by his own uncle,
First District congressman Henry
Cojuangco.
Rivilla had apparently drawn the
ire of his congressman-uncle when
he named the first-ever municipal
public hospital after his father Tirso
Revilla.
Paniqui is the hometown of the
politically powerful Cojuangco clan
which includes former ambassador Eduardo Dading Cojuangco,
former congressman and presidential kingmaker Jose Peping
Cojuangco and former President
Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, mother
of President Benigno Noynoy
Aquino.
Last year, Rivilla was ousted
from office when Tarlac RTC Judge

Agapito Laoagan, Jr. issued an order declaring David as the winner
of the 2013 elections.
Laoagans order was based on
the manual recount conducted on
the PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan) machine-counted votes
which supposedly found PCOSmisreadings of the ballots casted
in the last elections.
However, in the ensuing people
powered tug-of-war over the mayors office, Rivilla was ousted last
January 5 and David consequently
occupied the mayors office.
The Comelec, however, declared
the court decision rendered byLaoagan as null and void.
It also issued an Entry of Judgment on its decision which meant
that the en banc COMELEC order
was final and executory and no
longer appealable.
Rivilla made known that his
congressman uncle got mad at him
when he established the first ever
municipal public hospital but which
was named after his own father
Tirso Revilla.
Ombudsman acquits SBMA

officials on graft over port deal
By FRANCO G. REGALA
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio
Morales has dismissed the graft
charges filed by two Subic Freeport locators against 18 former
top officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
Morales, in a resolution dated
February 3, 2015 but released only
this month, dismissed the charges
filed by port operators Amerasia
International Terminal Services
Inc. AITSI) and Subic Seaport
Terminal Inc. (SSTI) for graft and
corruption.
The case stemmed from the
Joint Venture Agreement (JVA)
entered into by the SBMA with
Harbour Centre for the development, operation and management
of the Naval Supply Depot and the
ports in Boton, Alava, Rivera and

Bravo on February 24, 2010.
Amerasia and Subic Seaport
Terminal filed the charges after
the JVA signing.
In the final ruling of the case,
Morales reversed the original
joint resolution dated April 3, 2014,
which found probable cause to indict respondents, namely, former
SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga, Former Administrator and
Chief Executive Officer Armand
Arreza, Senior Deputy Administrator Ramon Agregado, Former
Senior Deputy Administrator
Ferdinand Hernandez, Former
Deputy Administrator Ma. Cristina Millan, Deputy Administrator
Marcelino Sanqui, Former Board
Members Edralino Cajudo, Antonio Rex Chan, Ricardo Coscolluela, Angelita DJ Cruz, Teodoro
Del Rosario, Jorge Estanislao, Ma.

Angela Garcia, James Lorenzana,
Ma. Victoria Pineda, Stefani Sao,
Jennifer Khonghun-Ting and Eddie Tamondong, including Reghis
Romero II and Michael Romero,
chair man and chief executive
officer, respectively, of Harbour
Centre Port Terminal Inc.
According to the Ombudsman,
there was insufficient evidence
that the respondents intended
to unjustly favor HCPTI, give it
unwarranted benefits, advantage
or preference to it and violate the
2008 NEDA guidelines.
In 2013, the Office of the Ombudsman also pointed out that
after criminal complaints against
the former SBMA officials were
submitted for resolution, the
NEDA revised the 2008 guidelines.
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Visayas News
Saturday, March 21, 2015 15
DENR intensifies drive against

wildlife poaching in E.Visayas
By Restituto A. Cayubit
DOLPHINS
CAVORTING
in waters
off Leyte
are among
the wildlife
species
protected
under Republic
Act 9147 or
the Wildlife
Act of the
Philippines.
(MB
newspictures
file)
aclobanCity,Leyte
The Department
of Environment and
Natural Resources
regional office (DENR-8) has
stepped up its drive to protect
wildlife in Eastern Visayas, as
the agency celebrates World
Wildlife Day.
Director Leonardo Sibbaluca, DENR-8 regional director told reporters that his office stands firm on its crusade
against poachers of wildlife
species, especially those that
are endemic to the region.
As declared by the Unied
Nations General Assembly,
this years celebration is anchored on the theme Wildlife
crime is serious, lets get serious about wildlife crime and
intends to highlight the role of
local communities in helping
curb illegal wildlife trade.
In enjoining the public to
play an active role in wildlife
conservation and protection,
the DENR is showcasing wildlife resources in the region, as
well as protection efforts, in
an exhibit set-up at the regional office

during World Wildlife Day.. A quiz bee
for employees of the DENR was likewise held.
Director Sibbaluca is reminding the
public unlawful acts include killing and
destroying wildlife species; inflicting
injury which cripples and/or impairs
the reproductive system of wildlife
species; dumping of waste products
detrimental to wildlife; squatting or
otherwise occupying any portion of the
critical habitat; mineral exploration
and/or extraction, burning, logging,
and quarrying; introduction, reintro-
duction or restocking of wildlife resources; trading of wildlife; collecting,

hunting or possessing wildlife, their byproducts and derivatives; gathering or
destroying of active nests, nest trees,
host plants and the like; and transporting protected wildlife species.
Under Republic Act 9147 or the
Wildlife Act of the Philippines, stiff
penalties and fines are meted out for
any person who undertakes these illegal acts. Imprisonment of as long as
12 years and a fine of P1 million pesos
shall be imposed, if the species are
listed as critical.
Competent industrial design

educators needed Cobonpue
By Malou M. Mozo
CEBU CITY A world

famous Filipino furniture
designer cites the need for
competent educators in the
the field of industrial design
in order for the Philippines
to maintain its competitive
advantage in creating global
standard industrial furniture
pieces.
Our mistake is that we
did not invest in training
enough designers who will
one day become educators
themselves. Design schools
have difficulty finding good
faculty members who are
masters in industrial design,
said Kenneth Cobonpue, who
is also the chair for Industrial
Design of La Salle Benilde.
The Cebuano designer,
named by TIME magazine
as rattans first virtuoso,
said that there is a need for
the Philippines to catch up in
terms of helping the waning
design strength of the country.
He lamented that due to
insufficient support from government and academe, the
Philippines lacks original design skills which we can use
to compete globally.
He stressed though that there is a
lot of interest from the youth especially
in this enough
teachers
to
teach
them, he
added.
A c cording to
Cobonpue,
there
are
only two universities
in
Cebu that are
offering
de-
sign courses: University of the Philippines Visayas Cebu City campus and
the University of San Carlos.
Another problem faced by design

students, he said, are high rates of tuition and not very promising prospects
for employment right after graduation.
The course itself is very technical and
requires a certain degree of intelligence.
Filipinos in general are very creative. With enough training and conducive facility with the help of all stakeholders, we can definitely reap more.
We have a big potential, Cobonpue
said.
Cobonpue stressed that the government should also recognize and
understand that design is a big industry that offers a loy of promises if it is
further developed.
We are already behind when it
comes to manufacturing and information technology. Maybe we should
also refocus ourselves and try to see
that the design industry can very well
be a niche industry for us, he said.
Recently, the government announced that it has established five
regional design centers in an effort to
institutionalize and promote design
and culture nationwide.
The creation of such centers tentatively in Davao, Cebu, Bacolod,
Legazpi and Pampanga is expected to
benefit designers, small and medium
enterprises (SMEs), industry associations, and design faculty members and
students.
Forest fire destroys Cebu mountain plantations

By Mars Mosqueda, Jr.
OSLOB, Cebu At least

120 hectares of plantations
covered by the National
Greening Program (NGP) of
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 were destroyed
by a blaze triggered by grass
fire.
Of the 120 hectares in
the mountain barangay of
Canangcaan, about 90 hectares were

planted to firewood trees, including
Kakawati, Robles and Ipil-Ipil. Some
30 hectares were for timber, including Molave, said Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Flordelisa Geyrozaga.
Geyrozaga added that the site of
the grass fire was very difficult to
reach because of its very steep terrain. The area also lacked ample water to douse the blaze.
Following the incident, the DENR
7 is urging the public to help the

agency in preventing a forest or bush
fire in anticipation of the mild El
Nino phenomenon by utilizing local
community fire brigades set up in
each plantation.
We have composed a fire brigade in all of our NGP plantations
particularly on nine critical areas to
focus more on fire prevention rather
than control, said DENR 7 Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo R.
Montejo.
Strict monitoring
of construction materials
in Central Visayas
Iloilo Muslims
support BBL
CEBU CITY, Cebu The

Department of Trade and
Industry in Central Visayas
(DTI 7) and the Fair Trade
and Enforcement Bureau
(FTEB) are intensifying the
monitoring compliance with
Philippine National Standards (PNS) of construction
materials such as plywood,
steel bars, angle bars and
galvanized iron sheets.
Last week, DTI 7 fielded
two enforcement teams from
FTEB and DTI 7 were fielded in the province of Bohol,
whose inspections resulted
in the issuance of Notices of
Violation to six business establishments in Tagbilaran
ILOILO CITYThe local Muslim

community is in full support of the
Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). Sultan
Sammy Hadjimanan, spokesperson of
the Iloilo United Muslim Community
Inc.said eliminating the BIFF and other insurgent groups would be easier
once the law is passed.
There were lapses, but with certain revisions in place, such a tragedy
will never happen again, explained
Hadjimanan, referring to the Mamasapano incident that resulted in the
death of 44 police commandos, seven
civilians and 18 members of the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
He added that the Muslim community in Iloilo is urging for peace and
security for thousands trapped in the
ongoing conflict in Mindanao.
City and Tubigon for violation of R.A

7394, RA 4109 or the Standards Law
and DAO 2, series of 2007.
The estimated value of inventories siezed totaled P258,326.
Alongside the expected robust
growth in the countrys construction
industry, DTI 7 reminded contractors
and industry players to use quality
building materials to ensure safety
and good quality of its projects.
Since the construction industry
continues to remain strong this year,
I am calling on the suppliers and
manufacturers to buy only materials and products that have passed
industry quality and standards,
said DTI 7 Regional Director Asteria Caberte in an interview. (Malou
M. Mozo)
By REYSHIMAR ARGUELLES
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Mindanao News
16
Work-at-home
jobs pushed
in Mindanao
Newsbits
By EDD K. USMAN
ISO advantage
DAVAO CITY The Technical
Education Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) has underscored
the vital role of the International
Standards Organization (ISO)
certification to the ASEAN
integration as the world now
recognizes the skills of technical
and vocational graduates in
the country. In a statement to
the media here, TESDA Director
General Secretary Joel Villanueva
pointed out that while technical and
vocational graduates in the country
used to need five years of work
experience, the ISO certification
waives that requirement, Villanueva
said. In 2012, TESDA was given
an ISO 9001:2008 certification
for its two major programs: The
Technical Vocational Education and
Training Program Registration and
the Competency Assessment and
Certification. (Alexander D. Lopez)
R289M for infra

projects
PATIN-AY, Prosperidad, Agusan del

Sur The provincial government of
Agusan del Sur is set to implement
projects with a total budget of
R289 million to further boost the
provinces economic development,
particularly in far-flung areas. These
projects will be implemented in
the 10 municipalities this year and
will ranged from road concreting,
road rehabilitation, construction of
potable water supply, installation
of potable water system and
the construction of bridges. The
project with the highest budget
is the rehabilitation of National
Road Junction (NRJ) Binucayan,
Loreto-Sta. Cruz-Katipunan-Del
Monte, Veruela connecting Veruela
and Loreto with the length of 20
kilometers with the cost of R93
million and the concreting of 23
kilometers road from San Luis
to Barangay crossing Luna in
Esperanza with the cost of R80
million. (Mike U. Crismundo)
DSWD aid
Familie affected by the armed
conflict in Mindanao have received
more than R24 million in food
packs and other assistance from
the Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD). Tayo
po ay nagbigay ng tulong, hindi
lamang sa 44 Special Action
Force (We gave assistance not
only to the 44 Special Action
Force), DSWD Secretary Corazon
Juliano-Soliman said in a press
conference yesterday. Maguindanao
received R20,103,800 worth
of assistance; North Cotabato
received R4,421,600; and Surigao
del Sur received R52,290. (Charina
Clarisse L. Eschaluce)
New police station

BACUAG, Surigao del Norte A
new police station building in this
far-flung town of Bacuag in Surgao
del Norte was inaugurated early
this week here. The new Municipal
Police Station (MPS) building of
Bacuag, worth R4.6 million, was
funded by the Department of the
Interior and Local Government
(DILG) with the assistance and
support of Surigao del Norte
Governor Sol F. Matugas. Provincial
and municipal officials led by
Bacuag town Mayor Sheila Mae O.
Cebedo, chairperson of the League
of Municipalities of the PhilippinesSurigao del Norte Chapter officiated
the turnover and blessing of a new
station building on Monday. The
municipal government of Bacuag
donated office tables and chairs,
beside a complete set of computer
items for office use. (Mike U.
Crismundo)
More DAR
beneficiaries
BUTUAN CITY The regional office
of the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR-13) yesterday reported
that about 20,312 farmers are now
landowners of the land they tilt in
various parts of Agusan del Norte
province. To date, 40,423 hectares
have already been distributed to
the farmer beneficiaries under the
agencys Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Program (CARP) in Agusan
del Norte province, said Region
13 DAR Regional Director Faisar
A. Mambuay, yesterday. (Mike U.
Crismundo)
BAD INFLUENCE City and barangay officials join the police in destroying and burning seized video karera units used in illegal number
games in Surigao City. (Mike U. Crismundo)
Mt. Apo closed to

climbers this summer
By MALU CADELINA MANAR
KIDAPAWAN CITY Some vacation plans would have to change this

summer.
This, after the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) decided to stop
accepting bookings for this summers
trek to Mount Apo, the countrys highest peak and one of the most popular
tourism sites during Holy Week due to
El Nio, an official said.
Joey Recimilla, chair of PAMBs
Eco-Tourism Committee, said their
decision came after they conducted on
Tuesday an emergency camp and trail
assessment on Mount Apo.
Recimilla said they discovered
problems on several trails and water
sources on the mountains, especially
near the peak.
Many of the water sources have

dried up. And the grasslands there,
they all dried up, said Recimilla.
A cigarette butt could ignite a bush
fire on top of the mountains, he added.
The PAMB, after an emergency
meeting on Thursday here, decided
to control the climbing activities on
Mount Apo.
Recimilla, however, clarified that
those who have booked earlier for the
summer trek would be allowed to climb
from April 1 until April 6.
In Kidapawan City, at least 200 trekkers have booked for the climb.
PAMB, citing the carrying capacity
of Mount Apo during El Nio, would
allow only 700 climbers coming from
North Cotabato and Davao del Sur
provinces.
Our decision is going to hurt climb-
ers. I know they have planned this

earlier. But were doing this not for the
climbers to see Mount Apos beauty but
more importantly, we want to protect
the environment, Recimilla said.
The PAMB will only accommodate
those who have booked earlier in different tourism offices prior to its decision
to suspend the trek.
The PAMB said that starting March
20, there would be no more bookings to
be accepted by tourism offices of Kidapawan, Magpet, and Makilala in North
Cotabato, and Bansalan, Sta. Cruz, and
Digos City, in Davao del Sur.
The PAMB doesnt want a repeat of the
1998 and 2003 grassfires on Mount Apo.
It was too difficult for Mount Apo
to recover when bush or grassfires hit
it. So we have to be very careful, he
said.
Ceasefire body
investigating
alleged MILF
camp in Iligan
FIRST VISIT
Residents of
Barangay Armas
in Kidapawan
City welcome
North Cotabato
Governor Emmylou TalinoMendoza (inset
photo) to their
68th village fiesta Wednesday
with barangay
chairman Alexander Austria
acknowledging
that Talino-Mendoza was the
first ever governor to have
graced their
annual village
celebration.
By CAMCER ORDONEZ IMAM
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY The

head of the Secretariat of the Government of the Philippines-Coordinating
Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (GPH-CCCH), Major Carlos T. Sol,
has confirmed that they have received
the report of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade (2nd MIB), Mechanized
Infantry Division, Philippine Army, on
the alleged training camp of the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in
Iligan City.
This was announced by the Office of
the Presidential Adviser on the Peace
Process, saying the AFP was already
validating the report to immediately
undertake measures for dismantling.
I confirm that the Armed Forces of
the Philippines, through the 2nd MIB,
has forwarded to the CCCH its recommendation with regard the dismantling
of an alleged training facility by the MILF
near the boundary of Sitio Limonsodan in
Barangay Waterfalls of Rogongon, Iligan
City. We received the official transmittal
today and are currently conducting validation procedures, Sol said.
The CCCH was created to monitor the
implementation of the long-standing ceasefire between the GPH and the MILF.
The body was also tasked to resolve
ceasefire violation complaints in order
to prevent conflict escalation and ceasefire breakdown.
OPAPP said the commander of
the 2nd MIB, Colonel Gilbert Gapay,
reported that he has already crafted
the recommendation due to a complaint
filed by Deodato S. Abugan Sr., a chieftain of the Higaonon tribe.
The said complaint also cited continued
recruitment and the conduct of militarylike training exercises by the MILF.
Lanao del Norte-based 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion took photographs of the alleged training camp,
which was not among the several MILF
camps recognized under the peace
agreement with the government.
OPAPP said Sol also corrected reports that members of the105th Base
Command of the MILF, the unit allegedly involved in the clash with the Philippine National Police-Special Action
Forces in Mamasapano last January,
were in the area.
The Department of Science and

Technology (DOST) is batting for online
jobs for the people of Mindanao, seeing
it as a way to fuel employment.
The DOSTs Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Office is
promoting working through the Internet even without leaving the comfort
of ones home, particularly that big
business process management (BPM)
companies have no presence on the
region.
ICT Office Deputy Executive Director Monchito Ebrahim took note
of this.
Most of our well-known companies
in the Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM)
are hesitant to locate in Mindanao,
he said.
Ibrahim assured that the government has realized the potential of impact sourcing or online jobs to provide
alternative means of employment in
Mindanaos provinces.
It could be recalled the ICT Office,
through its digitalPH initiative, has
targeted at least 1.6 million direct jobs
in the IT-BPM industry, with at least 40
percent from the countryside.
As part of the digitalPH, the ICT
Office, in partnership with Freelancer.
com which is a proponent of online job
platforms, conducted a workshop on
Rural Impact Sourcing (RIS) recently
in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte.
The workshop showed how Filipinos can earn competitive income even
in the comfort of their homes through
various online jobs. Over 200 students
and young professionals joined the
workshop.
DOST-ICT Office also coordinated
with the Kapatagan local government
unity (LGU), which re-echoed the
workshop to at least six more schools
in the province.
Kapatagan Councilor Paul Lagura
assured their LGU will help hold reecho workshop to other LGUs.
Marawi teachers to seek PNoys help

By ALI G. MACABALANG
COTABATO CITY Marawi City

mentors, calling themselves victims
in their school divisions leadership
rift, yesterday said they would turn to
President Aquino for relief after the
number of teachers affected by the
salary freeze swelled from 100 to over
400, concerned officials announced
yesterday.
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government
had earlier ordered the salaries of
these teachers withheld, through the
designated officers-in-charge (OIC) administrators in the schools division, as
an apparent offshoot of the leadership
squabble among three groups.
The increasing trend would worsen unless higher authorities intervene, City Schools Division Superintendent Mona Macatanong told the
Bulletin by phone.
From 100 teachers initially affected last January, the number grew
to more than 400 as of Wednesday,

said Macatanong, who is one of three
officials involved in the three-cornered
leadership row.
Concerned teachers and principals started drafting yesterday a
strongly-worded open letter appealing
to the President to persuade Regional
Governor Mujiv Hataman and other
ARMM executives to recall their designations of OICs Anna Zenaida Unte
and Pharida Sansarona pursuant to
a standing court ruling, supporters of
Macatanong said.
The office of Hataman, acting
on an endorsement of its regional
Department of Education (DepEd)
officials, earlier designated Unte as
OIC in June 2014. But the Marawi City
Regional Trial Court issued a restraining order and affirmed Macatanongs
incumbency.
Late last year, the ARMM designated Sansarona as OIC in what the
protesters lamented as defiance of the
court ruling.
Sultan Kudarat
mayor suspended
By Joseph Jubelag
GENERAL SANTOS CITY

Malacaang has upheld the suspension
of a town mayor in Sultan Kudarat for
gross neglect of duty and grave abuse
of authority.
Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa
denied the appeal of Isulan town mayor
Diosdado Pallasigue to reconsider the
suspension order earlier issued by Gov.
Teng Mangudadatu.
The case stemmed from the complaint filed by Elias Segura, former municipal administrator who was illegally
dismissed by Pallasigue from his post
in February 2014.
Segura then filed a complaint against
Pallasigue with the Ombdusman which
ruled that the dismissal was illegal and
ordered his reinstatement and payment
of his back wages.
However, Pallasigue defied the Ombudsmans order to reinstate Segura.
2 die, thousands left homeless in huge CdO downtown fire

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Two
persons were killed in an afternoon fire
Thursday that broke in out in a denselypopulated village here.
Sr. Supt. Shirley Teleron, city fire
marshal, identified the fatalities as
Jason Dumagat and his nephew Jery,
both residents of a slum area located
along Yacapin St., Barangay 35.
Five persons were also injured in
the conflagration that started at around

2:40 p.m. at the house of a certain Inday
Findo, who escaped unharmed.
The blaze swiftly spread towards
Limketkai Drive, compounded by high
summer temperature and the houses
light materials.
The fire was totally contained at
past 4:00 p.m. and left 200 houses
within a two-block radius of the village
totally destroyed, and a still undetermined number of residences partially

damaged.
The fire left 2,000 persons homeless,
including boarders and other transient
migrants to the city who work at a
nearby mall and other offices.
Teleron initially placed the damage at R10 million. (Camcer Ordonez
Imam)
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Sports
volleyball
17
golf
Superal rules Faldo tilt
Petron faces Philips

as PSL starts today
By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Games Today (Mall of Asia Arena)
2:30 p.m. Cignal vs Foton
4:30 p.m. Philips vs Petron
The Petron Blaze Spikers are looking for an auspicious start as they begin
their title campaign against the Philips
Gold Lady Slammers in the opening
of the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino
Conference today at the Mall of Asia
Arena.
With a deep lineup composed of former collegiate stars and a talented FilAmerican spiker, the Blaze Spikers are
going for a trouble-free start in their
4:30 p.m. showdown
The Blazer Spikers are gunning
for a second straight title winning last
years Grand Prix title.
Cignal and Foton clash at 2:30 p.m.
following the opening ceremonies that
will kick off the leagues third season.
As if their squad is not formidable
enough, the Blaze Spikers tapped the
services of Aby Marano, Mina Aganon,

Dindin Santiago, Fille Cainglet, Frances Molina, Rachel Daquis and libero
Jen Reyes.
The team of Coach George Pascua
has also enlisted the services of open
spiker Alexa Micek, a standout from
North Carolina, thus making the Blaze
Spikers the team to beat.
Still, Pascua downplayed the hype,
saying: Lahat naman eh team-to-beat
dahil marami nang magagaling ng players ngayon.
Their mettle will be tested by Philips
Gold, which selected Fil-American setter Iris Tolenada as the top overall pick
in last weeks draft.
A standout of San Francisco State
University, Tolenada is the first player
from that school to win the Most Valuable Player award in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Philips Gold will also have rookies
Desiree Dadang and Myla Pablo of National University, as well as recruits Mi-
Aby Marano
Dindin Santiago
chelle Gumabao and Melissa Gohing to

add more firepower to the squad.
A colorful opening ceremony is set
at 1 p.m. highlighted by the traditional
parade of colors where teams will flaunt
their new skorts uniform a combination of skirt and shorts.
Games will be televised live on TV5
and Aksyon TV.
In the first game, Cignal will showcase its revamped roster composed of
Michelle Segodine, Janine Navarro,
Charise Ancheta and star libero Jheck
Dionela, while the Tornadoes will have
Ateneo standout Ella De Jesus, Pam
Lastimosa, Nicole Tiamzon, Dzi Gervacio, and Angeli Araneta.
Princess Superal had

control but the Japanese
a shaky start but with a
countered with a birdie
strong windup, the Filipino
on the par-5 10th to draw
star beat Japanese Minami
level.
Hiruta by three to capture
But Hiruta hit a waythe Under-21 crown of the
ward drive on the par-4
Faldo Series Asia.
12th, needing to play out
She shot a closing 70 at
before reaching the green
Mission Hills Faldo course
in four and two-putting for
in Dongguan, China yester6.
day.
In contrast, Superal
Superal, 18, led by one
split the fairway and hit a
at the start of the round but Princess Superal
superb 8-iron shot from 140
lost it with two quick bogeys, on No. 2
yards within 10 feet, which she drilled
and 3. But a three-shot swing on No. 12
in to storm ahead by three.
got her back the lead and then fended
Hiruta tried to press her with a
off Hirutas late charge with birdies on
birdie on No. 15th but Superal fought
Nos. 16 and 18 to clinch the victory.
back with her birdie on the next before
Im happy with this victory but
closing out with a bogey-birdie for a 37it was tough out there, said Superal.
34 card and clinching the three-stroke
Minami just wouldnt give up. I just
win.
kept on going and cashed in on her
It was Superals second straight
mishap on No. 12.
victory abroad after running away
She went 2-up after Hiruta fumwith the Spring Junior crown in Los
bled with an opening hole bogey but
Angeles last month. She, however, fell
dropped into a tie with those back-toshort of her title bid in the ICTSI Laback missed-green bogeys from No. 2.
dies Tour of the Taiwan LPGA, losing
The top ICTSI-The Country Club bet
by one to Korean Hwang Ye-nah last
struck with a birdie on No. 6 to regain
week.
nba
Harden powers Rockets past Nuggets

H
Houstons James Harden (left) exchanges high fives with teammate Patrick Beverley after scoring a career-high 50 points in the Rockets
118-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets. (AFP)
golf
Tabuena is new leader after 65

Aquathlon
250 joining
aquathlon tilt
Close to 250 girls and ladies, including prominent personalities, will
take part in the Atleta Ako Womens
Aquathlon slated tomorrow at the
Philsports Complex in Pasig City.
The standard distance of 500-meter
swimming and 6-kilometer running
has attracted close to 150 participants
aged 18 years old and above, among
them Philippine Sports Commissioner
Akiko Thomson-Guevara, ITU Womens Committee member Ting Joson,
actress Angelika dela Cruz, singer Sitti and former national triathlon champion Sandra Araullo-Gonzalez.
Carissa Parco and Daphne Maliwat, both 7 seven-year-olds, are the
youngest participants in the event
sponsored by Atleta Ako, Klean Kanteen, Certified Calm, Arena, Neutrogena, Robinsons Supermarket, Del
Monte, Rexona, Comark, Merrel,
Crayola, Gatorade, Peak Form Manila
and Davids Salon.
Focus is also on 74-year-old Polly
Joson and 70-year-old Charry Parpan
who will team up with their granddaughter and daughter, respectively,
in the relay category.
The race is organized by BikeKing
which is headed by Raul Cuevas, and
presented by the Philippine Sports
Commission (PSC).
cockfighting
NCA derby
lures big cast
In a follow-up to its successful
championship last Tuesday, the National Cockers Association (NCA) will
hold another derby on Tuesday at the
Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Miguel Tabuena, whose young career

has seen more downs than ups, yesterday showed a side of his vast potential
by tying the course record to grab a onestroke lead after three rounds of the ICTSI Splendido Classic in Tagaytay City.
Tabuena, 19, scorched the mountainside course with seven birdies in a flawless 65 and was almost tempted to go for
a course record upon reaching the par
5 18th.
But he decided to play it in regulation
to keep a stroke lead over the dangerous Angelo Que going into todays final
round of the P2-million event serving as
the opening leg of the ICTSI Golf Tour.
I was actually set to go for the
course record but changed my mind
given the tough pin placement on No.
18, said Tabuena.
It was the second 65 in as many days
in the tournament that also saw three
different leaders in each of the round.
Tabuena, who trailed by four shots
cockfighting
at the start of the round, grabbed the

lead for the first time with his sixth
birdie of the day on No. 11 to go 11 under and then by two shots with his final
birdie on No. 16th.
But the relentless Que, who led for
most of the round following an eagle on
the second hole, made bogeys on the
5th and 10th and fell behind by one after
Tabuena birdied the 12th.
Tabuena ended the day 12 under
par 204 while Que was t 11 under following his own sizzling 67.
Five strokes behind the leader and
nearly out of the chase for the top prize
of P560,000 is Elmer Salvador who is at
7 under in fourth place after a 71 while
Antonio Lascuna also fired a 71 and
was 6 under 210.
If yesterdays round is an indication,
todays final round would be an interesting match up between a young Lion
(Tabuena) and the veteran Que who has
three Asian Tour titles under his belt.
Team Nueva Ecija, represented by

veteran breeder Ben Cruz, topped the
NFGB Battle of Champions 6-Bullstag
Derby Thursday night at the Smart
Araneta Coliseum.
Cruz, a founding member of the
Gamefowl Breeders of Nueva Ecija and
also the groups 2014 Breeder of the
Year, posted a perfect 6-0 record to beat
out 34 other participants.

Andrew Mendoza of Tarlac and Raul
Gamboa of Pampanga shared runnerup honors with five points apiece.
Nilo Ladrino, Charles Evangelista,
Alan Moreno, Freddie Jose, Dr. Marco
Lazutas, Cano Daniel, Team GPGBI
and Sonny Lagon were tied at four
points each.
Meanwhile, the NFGB Hari Ng
Rueda 8-Cock Derby slated this month
and will run until May has a guaranteed
prize of P10 million.
Entry fee is pegged at P11,000 for
the 4-cock elims and 4-cock finals.
Sponsored by Sagupaan Complexor,

the event will have Arman and Manny
Santos as hosts and a bevy of big time
cockers, led by Patrick Antonio, Atong
Ang, Efren Canlas, Jun Mendoza, and
the Firefly Group, are expected to field
their aces.
Meantime, two entries R.U. Sta.
Cruz PS Hot City (owned by Vic Yap
and Pipo Soliman) and Triple J Farm
(owned by Epifanio Revilla and Jay Ma-
glunop) emerged as co-champions in

the recent championship.
Yap and Soliman almost made their
two entries both champions, but their
other entry, PS Mayap Hot City, lost
by one point.
Ernie Austrias Firefly 13 Sagupaan finished second with 4.5 points,
as well as MPVs Karambola, Rene
Medinas Lucky Money, and Henry
Tans Dynasty.
Cruz tops NFGB

Battle of Champs
OUSTON (AP) Even the

biggest stars of the Houston Rockets past couldnt
outshine James Harden on
Thursday night.
Harden scored a career-high 50
points with 10 rebounds to lead the
Rockets to a 118-108 win over the Denver Nuggets on a night when the team
celebrated the 20th anniversary of the
franchises back-to-back NBA titles in
1994 and 1995.
Harden got a boost by knowing
players such as Hakeem Olajuwon and
Clyde Drexler were watching from the
front row.
Thats a special group right
there, Harden said. Were trying to
build something special like they did,
(and) to play a game in front of them
was definitely an honor.
It was the ninth time a Rocket has
reached 50 points and the first time
since Olajuwon had 51 against the
Celtics on Jan. 18, 1996.
Harden eclipsed his previous career best of 46, set in 2013, on a free
throw with about a minute remaining.
On Houstons next possession, Trevor
Ariza found him in the corner and he
swished a 3 under heavy pressure, to
make it 50.
COMPLETE RESULTS
Minnesota 105, New York 102, OT

Houston 118, Denver 108
Phoenix 74, New Orleans 72
Utah 80, L.A. Lakers 73
It just looked so easy, Ariza said.

It was like he just woke up and walked
out there and had 50. Thats how easily
he scored the basketball.
Harden broke into a huge smile
when asked about the 3-pointer that
capped his big night.
Man, my teammates are amazing, he said. Trevor noticed what
was going ... dribbled right at me, I just
said, Im going to let it fly, and it went
in.
Six straight points by the Nuggets
cut the lead to eight with about five
minutes left when the Rockets made
the next five points, capped by a stepback jump shot from Harden, to make
it 104-91. Harden scored seven points
after that to secure the victory.
It was the 29th game with at least
30 points and seventh with 40 this season for Harden, who is second in NBA
scoring. He bounced back from a tough
shooting game Tuesday, when he had
17 points, by scoring 22 before halftime
Thursday night.
Led by former MVP Kenneth Duremdes, the PBA Legends pose with the Bong Go-mentored
Matina Enclave-CMO squad after their exhibition match during the opening ceremony
of the 78th Araw ng Davao Commercial Invitational Basketball tournament. Shown with
Duremdes are Marlou Aquino, Jerry Codinera, Bobby Jose and Go (No. 18). The tournament
was organized by Duterte Basketball League.
basketball
Patriots, Magis seek

finals in UNTV Cup
Games Tomorrow
(Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig)
3 p.m. AFP vs Malacaang
4:30 p.m. Judiciary vs Senate
Malacaang and Judiciary try to

seal a title showdown when they go up
against separate rivals at the start of
their respective best-of-three semis
series in the UNTV Cup tomorrow at
the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
The Malacaang Patriots clash
with the defending champions Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Cavaliers at 3 p.m., while the Judiciary Magis tackle the Senate Defenders at 4:30
p.m.
For securing twice-to-beat privileges after finishing 1-2 at the end of
the second round elims, both the Patriots and the Magis need only to win
tomorrow to arrange a best-of-three
title series.
UNTVs multi-awarded broadcaster Daniel Razon said the champion in
the tournament designed for the pub-
lic servants will get the opportunity to

donate its P2-million prize to its chosen beneficiary.
The tournament which is now on its
third year is the brainchild of Razon.
Aside from their twice-to-beat bonus, the Patriots will troop to the court
enjoying a big psychological advantage
having beaten the defending champions in the first round elims, 79-76.
Out to provide the offensive clout
for the Patriots are Melvin Verches,
Andro Requez, Paul Anthony Yamamoto and TESDA Secretary Joel Villanueva, while former collegiate standout
Rolando Pascual and Wilfredo Casulla
Jr. will spearhead AFPs attack.
The Cavaliers secured a semis berth
by downing the Philippine National Police (PNP) Responders, 63-59.
Led by former PBA players Don
Camaso and Ariel Capus, and Justice
Midas Marquez, the Magis also beat
the Defenders in the elims but they
hard-pressed to repeat over the boys
of Coach Kenneth Duremdes.
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Sports
inside
Editor: DING T. MARCELO
Asst. Editor: REY C. LACHICA
18 Saturday, March 21, 2015

Pacquiao
Mayweather Jr.
THE FIGHT
Pacquiao-Mayweather
news here and beyond
$10,000 ticket
not for public
By NICK GIONGCO
The choice seat which will cost about

$10,000 (P450,000) for the May 2
super fight starring Manny Pacquiao and
Floyd Mayweather, wont be available to
the general public.
Those are the floor seats and the
public wont get those, said Pacquiao
adviser Mike Koncz yesterday from Los
Angeles.
During last weeks press conference,
the promoters announced that the
cheapest will sell at $1,500 a pop, while
the most expensive will retail at $7,500.
Apparently, there are more expensive
tickets than the publicized top-end
$7,500.
The public sale has yet to begin
although it is estimated that just a
few hundreds will be released for the
publics consumption as the casinos, the
TV networks (Showtime and HBO) and
promoters, Mayweather Promotions and
Top Rank, will have their cut of the coveted
fight tickets.
Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum said
even Hollywood A-listers and high-profile
politicians will have to look elsewhere for
tickets.
Pacquiaos arrive
Sarangani vice-governor Jinkee

Pacquiao, wife of boxing star Manny
Pacquiao, has arrived in Los Angeles to
provide morale boost to the Filipino ring
icon, who is getting ready to face Floyd
Mayweather on May 2 in Las Vegas.
Jinkee was joined in the trip from
Manila by sons Jimuel and Michael
Stephen, daughters Princess and Queenie
and nine-month old Israel.
Key members of Pacquiaos family are
expected to arrive in the final days leading
to the big fight at the MGM Grand.
Solar eclipse
Solar Entertainment has won the

broadcast rights to show the Manny
P a c q u i a o v s F l oy d M ay w e a t h e r
welterweight showdown live from the
MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Pacquiaos Canadian adviser Mike
Koncz said Solar will determine which TV
channel will be used to beam the muchawaited bout.
Koncz didnt disclose how much Solar
coughed up to win the broadcast rights for
boxings richest fight ever.
Expected to slug it out for the right to
become the official Pacquiao-Mayweather
channel are GMA 7, ABS-CBN and TV5.
The three outfits sent teams to cover last
weeks press conference at the Nokia
Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.
Victory parade
Top Rank chief Bob Arum is looking

forward to making a return trip to the
Philippines immediately after the May
2 Las Vegas battle between Manny
Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
In an interview with CBS Sports, the
83-year-old Arum said the first order
of the day after Pacquiao brushes off
Mayweather is book a trip to Manila to
take part in a ticker tape parade that the
Filipino star will receive.
Harden drops
50 as Rockets
down Nuggets
17
E-mail: sports@mb.com.ph
pba
ROS ousts Elite; Pfoods wins

By TITO S. TALAO
Game Today
(Quezon Convention Center, Lucena City)
5 p.m. Ginebra vs Globalport
ven a lead-tying seventh win

last night has failed to placate
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao who took to task the referees for quitting on the game.
Wayne Chism weathered early foul
trouble to score 30 points and pull down
14 rebounds and the ROS Elasto Painters capitalized on Blackwaters overdependence on Marcus Douthit in posting
a 102-98 victory in the PBA Commissioners Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Chism picked up his third foul in the
first quarter where he played just five
minutes, watching from the bench as
his team struggled. But he had 11 in a
flurry in the second period and 10 in the
third to help build a 15-point advantage
that cushioned a last-ditch comeback by
the Elite.
On his penultimate game with Blackwater, Douthit, Gilas naturalized player
in the forthcoming SEABA Championships and the Southeast Asian Games,
labored without relief, pouring 11 of his
34 points in the final 12 minutes.
But the weight of playing 48 minutes
ultimately took its toll on the 34-yearold former LA Laker center as Rain or
Shine used its double-digit lead to ward
off the Elite.
Closing in on one of two twice-tobeat incentives in the quarterfinal playoffs has left Guiao with little comfort
however.
I guess the refs stopped doing their
jobs in the last few minutes, said Guiao.

I dont wish to see that this is the precursor of things to come in terms of officiating.
The volatile mentor apparently was
piqued by non-calls that could have
otherwise gone their way in the closing minutes when Blackwater seriously
threatened.
In the second game, import Denzel
Bowles scored 37 points and grabbed 21
rebounds as defending champion Purefoods finished the elimination round
with a 96-85 victory over Meralco.
The victory propelled the Hotshots
on top of the standings as they finished
their elimination round campaign with
an 8-3 card, getting a solid chance of
earning one of two twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinal playoffs.
As for Meralco, it was the Bolts
fourth defeat in 10 games. Import Josh
Davis finished with 31 points, while Gary
David added 27 points for Meralco, which
played sans the injured Cliff Hodge owing to a sprained left ankle. With a report from Waylon Galvez
First Game
RAIN OR SHINE 102 Chism 30, Lee 14,

Belga 11, Tiu 10, Norwood 8, Tang 6, Quinahan
5, Cruz Jericho 4, Almazan 4, Uyloan 3, Ibanes 2,
Arana 2, Cruz Jervy 2, Chan 1, Teng 0.
BLACKWATER 98 Douthit 34, Acuna 20,
Heruela 15, Gamalinda 11, Reyes 6, Faundo 4,
Canada 2, Rodriguez 2, Celiz 2, Bulawan 2, Erram
0, Ballesteros 0, Laure 0.
Quarters: 18-20, 46-41, 78-65, 102-98
Second Game
PUREFOODS 96 - Bowles 37, Simon 15,

Yap 15, Mallari 7, Barroca 7, Maliksi 5, Reavis 4,
Pingris 4, Devance 2, Taha 0, Melton 0,
MERALCO 85 - Davis 31, David 27, Dillinger
10, Anthony 7, Cortez 4, Hugnatan 4, Macapagal 2, Reyes 0, Wilson 0, Ildefonso 0, Caram 0,
Ferriols 0.
Quarters: 29-21, 50-45, 78-67, 96-85
Rain or Shine guard Chris Tiu tries to shake off Blackwaters Jeric Canada during their
PBA Commissioners Cup game last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Painters
won, 102-98. (Courtesy of PBA)
athletics
golf
Torres turns back clock

By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
STA. CRUZ, Laguna Marestella

Torres proved late Thursday that there
is still some fight left in her.
The two-time Olympian whose career had long been declared dead or
dying, appeared to have resurrected
herself with a gold medal-winning jump
in the Philippine National Open Invitational Championships that was better
than the one posted by the winner in the
2013 Myanmar Southeast Asian Games.
Under the gathering dusk at the San
Luis Sports Complex here, the 34-yearold Torres leapt to 6.47 meters to outclass two local rivals and in the process,
probably earned herself another crack
at the SEA Games gold in Singapore in
June.
Torres also rewarded the faith given
her by track and field president Popoy
Juico who had battled that she be given
a chance even as officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission said its all
over for the bemedalled athlete who has
won three SEA

Games golds.
Torres said
she could have
done better except that it was
getting dark and
her timing was a
bit off.
Marestella Torres
Madilim na
kasi, she said. Mahina ang mata ko,
eh yun talaga weakness ko. Pero wala
namang pressure. Masaya naman ako at
naka-perform ako nang maayos.
Though her performance was way
below her personal best of 6.71m which
she posted in the 2011 Indonesia Southeast Asian Games (SEAG), Torres,
who is carrying the colors of Army, was
pleased with her jump.
But Torres 6.47-meter effort proved
better than the gold winning effort Indonesian Natalia Londa during the 2013
Myanmar edition.
The day also saw new US recruits
Donovan Arriola and Brandon Thomas
following the footsteps of Fil-American
Caleb Stuart who won two gold medals

on opening day.
Texas native Arriola, who represents
Air Force, ruled the mens long jump
with 7.59m also late Thursday, besting College of St. Benildes Julian Fuentes (7.55m) and Team Rios Benigno
Marayag (7.43m).
Arriola got the gold on his last try,
saying that he didnt get the rhythm and
the kind of speed he needed for his technique in his earlier jumps.
His current feat is far from his personal best of 7.64m he posted at an indoor
meet in the United States in February,
and the 7.99m seven-year-old national
record of Henry Dagmil. He, however,
eclipsed the current SEAG bronze-medal standard of 7.53m.
Thomas, for his part, turned out to be
the fastest, winning the century dash
in 10.80 seconds despite pulling a
hamstring in the last 20 meters.
His performance is 0.35 slower than
the PH record of Ralph Soguilon (10.45)
and 0.25 ticks slower than the SEAG
standard.
Zaragosa
grabs lead
GENERAL TRIAS, Cavite One
day after shooting one of his worst scores
this year, Rupert Zaragosa returned with
a vengeance, firing a three-under-par 69
to seize the lead with 18 holes left in the
Sta. Lucia Amateur Tours maiden leg at
the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club
yesterday.
Zaragosa made three straight birdies from No. 10, where he began the
round, then added another on the 16th
from 2 feet to negate his bogeys on Nos.
15 and 17 and a two-under par in the first
nine holes at Eagle Ridges Aoki layout.
With his 76 on opening day, Zaragosa
tallied 145 to stay one clear off Raymart
Tolentino, who also posted a 69, while
Carlo Villaroman was a short farther after matching par.
Brian Kim, who shared the lead
Thursday, skied to a 76 to slide down to
fourth, a place he now shared with Jelbert Gamolo, with 148. Eagle Ridge bet
Dan Emilio Cruz leveled with 72 for 149.
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Shipping
Classified Ads
PSE Quotations
BSP Reference Rates
Editor: LORETO D. CABAES
Asst. Editor: BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
B1 Saturday, March 21, 2015
News In Brief
P/$ rate closes
at P44.815/$1
The peso exchange rate

closed lower
at P44.815 to
the US dollar
yesterday at the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PDEx) from
P44.72 the previous day. The
weighted average rate depreciated
to P44.831 from P44.661. Total
volume amounted to $655.2 m
illion.
Local shares
slightly higher
The local stock market closed
slightly higher yesterday. The
benchmark Philippine Stock
Exchange index (PSEi) ended
the week with additional 3.83
points by Friday, or 0.05 , to
close at 7,818.38. The wider AllShares index also gained a bit by
8.53 points, or 0.19 percent to
4,529.31. Majority of the sectors
were also in green but holding
firms and services both didnt
manage to add some points. Total
value turnover stood a little higher
at P9.1 billion, while decliners
beat advancers, 109 to 73. (MBM)
E-mail: business@mb.com.ph
From Malampaya field
SPEX still to re-validate addl gas supply
By MYRNA M. VELASCO
hell Philippines Exploration

B.V. (SPEX) has not put any
definitive figure yet as to what
could be extracted as additional
gas supply volume from the Malampaya
field.
According to SPEX commercial
manager Theresa Loresco, new drilling of wells would have to be done to
validate the scale of gas for prospective
commercial development. This will be
in tandem with the reinforcement being
done at the facility thru the tie-in of a
new platform.
But for now, she emphasized that
their priority is to meet the volume of
supply committed to their off-takers for

2,700 megawatts of electricity supply for
Luzon grid. Its gas sale and purchase
agreements (GSPAs) are for the 1,500MW Santa Rita and San Lorenzo and
the 1,200-MW Ilijan gas plants.
The ongoing tie-in of the second
platform at Malampaya is seen achieving that target. This activity was synchronized with the gas facilitys maintenance shutdown from March 15 to
April 13 this year.
Malampaya is undertaking a critical milestone in 2015; the tie-in of the
second offshore platform that will help
sustain the 2,700MW production level
of the three power plants it supplies,
Loresco said.
She laid down that the 2015 scheduled shutdown will execute two required activities: engineering maintenance activities and the tie-in of the
second Malampaya platform to sustain
gas production to our power plant customers.
Loresco explained that such will
address the natural decrease in pressure of the reservoir and help ensure
long-term energy security for the
country.
Without doing anything, she emphasized that they could be in contractual
breach on their committed volumes
under the GSPAs, which the Malampaya field developer would not allow to
happen thus they injected additional
$1.0-billion investment for it.

Loresco further noted that the second
platforms tie-in process will be conducted
together with regulatory inspection of pressure vessels and execution of maintenance
activities.
The SPEX executive has emphasized
that the activity had been well-timed to
ensure the safety of some 300 workers for
the tie-in activity and to have relatively
seamless transport of the 13,000-ton platform along 383 kilometers stretch across
the West Philippine Sea.
The project is operated with specifically and carefully scheduled maintenance
programs to ensure the continued integrity
of the facility and safety of our people,
Loresco stressed.
Market and
Investment
0.05%
Philippine Stock Exchange

PSEi: 7,818.38 (+3.83 pts)
Value: R14.831 billion
Volume: 1.701 billion shares
Gainers: 76; Losers: 105
Unchanged: 41
Composite Index (March)
New computation
puts external debt
at $77.7B in 2014
The central banks revised way
of accounting the countrys total
outstanding external debt yielded
a higher number of $77.7 billion
for 2014, lower compared to the
revised 2013 figure of $78.5 billion. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the new way of
looking at external debt is part of
their alignment of statistics and
methodologies with international
standards. Using the old method,
the 2014 external debt amounted
to $57.6 billion from 2013s
$58.5 billion. External debt refers
to all types of borrowings by local
residents from non-residents. The
new reporting framework was
approved mid-2014 and was adopted for the fourth quarter 2014.
(LCC)
SEA countries to
expand infra fund
KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia said
Southeast Asian countries plan to
recapitalize and expand a $485million multilateral fund by 2018
to finance infrastructure works in
the region. The so-called ASEAN
Infrastructure Fund began operating in 2013 with 10 member
countries from the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations and
Asian Development Bank as its
shareholder. So far, the fund has
approved $165 million for projects, such as power-grid development in Vietnam and sanitation
in Indonesia. We are discussing
projects in the pipeline and the
next step is to go to the market to
issue bonds, Malaysia Treasury
Secretary General Mohd Irwan
Serigar Abdullah said on the sidelines of an ASEAN finance ministers and central bank governors
meeting. Mr. Serigar said parts of
Asean require about $12 billion
annually for roads, bridges, and
other critical infrastructure development. (WSJ)
ALL-NEW MITSUBISHI STRADA PICK-UP LAUNCH Shown at the launching of the new Mitsubishi Strada Pick-Up model
on Thursday at the City of Dreams Manila in Paraaque City are (from left): Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corporation
outgoing president and chief executive officer Hikosaburo Shibata, new president-CEO Yoshiaki Kato, two-time Dakar
champion and senior Mitsubishi driving expert Hiroshi Masuoka, and executive VP for marketing Junya Masuda. At second
row (from left) are: EVP overall operations Orlando F. Alvarez Jr., corporate general manager for Global Pickup Project
Promotion Office, treasurer and chief financial officer Kazuki Sugino, and Mitsubishi Motor Corp. general manager-Asia
and ASEAN B department Yoshio Kobayashi. (Photo by Ali Vicoy)
DENRs inaction on Euro 4 standards

creating uncertainty among car firms
By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
Failure of the government to decide

on the final date on the implementation
of the Euro 4 standards has caused
uncertainty among car companies on
what car models they should introduce
into the local market.
Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corp.
Vice-President Froilan Dytianquin said
at a press conference for the launch of
its all-new Strada pick up model Thursday that the Department of Environ-
ment and Natural Resources (DENR)

has yet to finalize the implementing
rules and guidelines of the Department
Administrative Order (DAO) on Euro
4 standards.
The launch of the all-new Strada
also coincided with the introduction of
MMPCS new president Yoshiaki Kato,
who replaced Hikosaburo Shibata, who
will be assuming a bigger role in the
Mitsubishi Japan organization.
Its not hindering the introduction of new models, but it becomes
more complicated because we cannot

decide as there are implications on
the preparation (of new models) and
it takes time to prepare in importing
the cars, Dytianquin said. DENR has
cited the need to accelerate the implementation of the Euro 4 to addressing
worsening air pollution caused by car
emissions.
We are still waiting for that regulation and until that comes out we dont
know yet the timing, he
said.
B-13
JGS, SMC, Megawide eye PPP airport package project

By KRIS BAYOS
J.G. Summit Holdings, Inc., San

Miguel Corp. and Megawide Construction Corp. are among the first bidders
interested to join the auction of the
operation and maintenance contracts
for five regional airports.
According to the Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) Center, the three
firms have bought prequalification
documents for the bidding of regional
airports development, operations and
maintenance projects, initially worth a
total of P116.23 billion.
The regional airports are bundled

into two packages. The P20.26-billion
Bacolod-Silay International Airport
will be offered to investors together
with P30.4-billion Iloilo International
Airport, while the P40.57-billion contract for Davao International Airport
will be auctioned off together with the
P14.62-billion Laguindingan Airport
and P4.57-billion New Bohol (Panglao)
Airport.
PPP Center executive director Cosette Canilao said the Department of
Transportation and Communications
(DOTC) and the Civil Aviation Author-
ity of the Philippines (CAAP) are yet to

decide whether to include the Puerto
Princesa airport in the bundling.
DOTC and CAAP will finalize their
decision whether to include the Puerto
Princesa airport, or to modify the structure for this particular airport, Canilao
told reporters during the sidelines of
the investors forum on the Central
Luzon prison facility yesterday.
Under the indicative timeline for
the regional airports project, bidders
have to submit their qualification documents by May 18. Qualified bidders will
be notified five calendar days from the
approval of prequalification evaluation

results. Deadline of submission of bid proposals, however, is yet to be announced but
the issuance of notice to award is targeted
by March, 2016.
Under the proposed 30-year concession
for the regional airports, the private sector
partner will take over the operations and
maintenance of the airports, undertake
immediate expansion of the passenger
terminal buildings, apron and other airside
or landside facilities, and undertake capacity augmentation to cater to future demand
throughout the contractual
term.
B-13
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Business News
B-2
EXPORT ACTION
LINE
NELLY FAVISVILLAFUERTE
Profile
of a natural
healer (3)
W
DEPED AND BSP HONOR BEST FINANCE EDUCATORS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS The best finance educators for saving,
money management, and entrepreneurship in public elementary schools were honored yesterday by the Department
of Education (DepEd) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The 2014 GURO ng PAG-ASA (Gantimpala para sa Ulirang
PagtutuRO ng PAG-iimpok at Araling PanSAlapi) awarding ceremony was led by BSP Governor Amando Tetangco, Jr.
(left, first row). He said the awardees were chosen for their creativity, passion, and dedication in instilling among their
students the habit of saving, prudent spending, and how to earn and grow their money. Also in photo are: (second from
left) DepEd Director Lourdes Pantoja; the 2014 GURO ng PAG-ASA National Winners: Angelie Alvizo of Butuan City Special
Education (SPED) Center; Danilo Bambico of Baguio City SPED Center; and Juana Nimfa Abrigo of Alaminos Elementary
School, Laguna; and chair of the Board of Judges former DepEd OIC Dr. Fe Hidalgo, with (from left, second row) Deputy
Governors Vicente Aquino and Nestor Espenilla, Jr.; and Monetary Board Members Juan de Zuiga, Jr.; Armando Suratos;
Alfredo Antonio; and Valentin Araneta.
Philex finds more minerals in

Padcal that may extend mine life
By JAMES A. LOYOLA
hilex Mining Corporation may

be able to again extend the life
of its Padcal mine in Benguet
with the identification of additional mineral resources.
In a disclosure to the Philippine
Stock Exchange, Philex said an additional 110.9 million tons of estimated
mineral resources has been identified
from the 800-600 meter levels (ML) in
its Padcal Mine.
The increase in tonnage corresponds to incremental contained metal
of 473.0 million pounds (lbs) of copper
(Cu) and 1.342 million ounces (ozs) of
gold (Au), Philex said.
Currently, Philex operates in the 908782ML. Feasibility studies to mine within
the 800- 600ML are on-going, where the

additional resources were defined.
The incremental resources are on
top of the resources the Company declared in its Padcal mining operations.
The Padcal Mines Measured and
Indicated Resources at 800-600ML is
expected to augment the mineable inventory of the Company and may likely
extend the mines life beyond 2020, said
Philex President Eulalio B. Austin, Jr.
He added that we look forward to
the next two years of exploration within
the vicinity of the Padcal Mine to further identify additional resources and
increase the Companys current mineral
inventory.
The completion of the new Mineral
Resource Estimate increased the total
mineral resources of the Padcal Mine
by 71 percent to 267.7 million tons by the

end of 2014, now covering the 908-782ML
and 800-600ML.
This also raised the contained metals to 1.23 billion lbs of copper and 3.24
million ozs of gold, higher by 62 percent
and 71 percent, respectively.
Philex said the mineral resource
estimate is compliant with the terminologies and guidelines set forth in the
Philippoine Mineral Resources Code.
The Sto. Tomas II deposit is a porphyry style copper-gold deposit. Mineralization is associated with a Miocene diorite
stock intruded into a thick sequence of
Paleogene andesitic, metavolcanic rocks
and consists of disseminated gold-rich
chalcopyrite and bornite disseminated
throughout the stock and into the host
metavolcanic rocks.
After one in Nueva Ecija, govt plans

modern prisons in Visayas, Mindanao
By KRIS BAYOS
The government is also eyeing

to establish modern prison facilities
in Visayas and Mindanao after local
construction companies and foreign
information technology and security
handling firms have expressed interest
in bidding for the P50.2-billion contract
to construct and operate a new prison
facility in Central Luzon.
Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
Center Executive Director Cosette
Canilao said the modern prison facility that will be constructed within Fort
Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija will be the
first of a series of regional prison infrastructures that will be constructed
under the PPP scheme of the Aquino
Administration.
This is a first of a series as we plan
to put up prison facilities in Visayas and
Mindanao so that inmates do not have
to be shipped to Central Luzon and that
the families could visit the inmates more
often, Canilao told reporters during
the sidelines of the investors forum
yesterday.
The government, through the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), is yet
to finalize the location but Canilao said

the other regional prison facilities PPP
projects will follow the template set by
the Central Luzon prison facility.
There is no feasibility study (FS)
yet for the prison facilities for Visayas
and Mindanao but most likely, it will
follow the same concept design of the
Central Luzon facility as the pilot project. We will use the FS for the Central
Luzon prison and just tailor fit it for
Visayas and Mindanao in terms of terrain and location, she explained.
However, Canilao admitted it is
not feasible to award the Visayas and
Mindanao regional prison PPP projects
before the end of the Aquino Administration by mid-2016, saying we are focusing on the Central Luzon prison facility,
which is considered as the biggest PPP
project on a prison facility in the world
in terms of the number of inmates that
will be housed.
The new regional prison facility will
have a 26,880-bed capacity for inmates
and central facilities for housing of
4,000 BuCor staff and administrative
buildings, areas for sports, work and
religious activities. The structure has a
gross floor area of 670,000 square meter
and will be enclosed within a 170-hectare
compound. The overall gross floor area

per inmate is about 25 square meter,
while the living area is about 6 square
meter per inmate and should comply
with international recommendations.
According to Canilao, local construction firms and foreign companies from
the United States and United Kingdom
have expressed interest in joining the
auction of the P50.2-billion Central Luzon regional prison facility, which will
be carried out under a build-transfermaintain scheme.
Theres a lot of interest for local
construction companies and foreign
entities. Firms abroad from the US and
UK are mostly interested on the design
and the security handling component.
We also got feelers from members of
the Philippine Contractors Association who are interested in the project,
she said.
Once the modern prison facility for
Central Luzon is constructed, it will
house inmates currently housed at the
National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa
City and from the Correctional Institute
for Women in Mandaluyong City. DOJ
Secretary Leila de Lima said government intents to retain a portion of the
vacated facilities and sell the rest.
Boston IT firm setting up office here

By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
SimpliVity, the Boston-based leader

in hyper-converged IT infrastructure,
is set to establish a local unit in the
country within the year to capture
strong interest by local enterprises
to shift into the simpler and more efficient IT system from the bulky server
type traditional system.
Scott Morris, vice-present for Asia
Pacific at SimpliVity, said during a
press conference they are in the process of appointing its local distributors
and partners to market its product.
The Philippines is its first stop in
Southeast Asia for its Get Hyperconverged World Tour. The company
will proceed to Indonesia and unto
other ASEAN countries and will conclude on March 12 in Singapore where
the company operates its regional
headquarters.
Already, Morris said that he had
initial talks with prospective distribu-
tors when he arrived Thursday and has

been in talks with close to 12 enterprises for new projects. Morris expects the
huge number of Philippine enterprises
to tap this simplified new data management center. He cited there are 5,000
large enterprises, 25,000 mid-size or
at least 30,000 enterprises as possible
market.
In the next three weeks, we are set
to ship our first box, said Morris.
Hyperconverged has been one of
the hottest areas in IT. It is built to support virtual infrastructures and allows
organizations to radically simplify their
legacy IT stack enabling them to support their top-line business objectives
and innovation requirements.
SimpliVity has done away with the
traditional legacy servers with 8 to 12
or more appliances or virtual machines
that are deployed by an enterprise to
manage their data base. It has torn
down these appliances to come up with
only two omni cubes that hypercon-
verged all those bulky appliances.

The company provides softwaredefined infrastructure package on
industry-standard x86 systems, providing abstraction, pooling and automation of IT resources and services. By
assimilating eight to 12 core date center functions, including the hypervisor,
computer, storage, network switching,
backup, replication, and cloud gateway,
caching, WAN optimization, real-time
deduplication and more, SimpliVitys
hyperconverged infrastructure delivers a 3X reduction total cost of ownership. The new system can go live three
hours after installation.
It also boasts of 20-second back
up time for any size of data. It is also
differentiated by global unified management, integrated data protection,
and unparalleled efficiency via deduplicatiom, compression and optimization
of data before it hits disk to save IOPS
and capacity on primary storage and
throughout the workloads lifecycle.
e are all dependent on water

for our health, for our life,
and for the healing of our
various ailments. Whether
we like it or not and/or whether we
believe it or not, the history of modern
science-based medicine confirms this.
James Jimmy Dy-Liacco says it
too. He says that our body needs water.
He says that our human body is about
seventy-five (75%) percent water; our
brain is eighty-five (85%) water; and our
blood is ninety-five (95%) percent water.
Jimmy also says that chronic dehydration is bad for our health. Dehydration
means that there is not enough water
in the body. When this happens, the
individual cells in the area of dehydration begin to function less efficiently
and the cells begin to wrinkle. There
are up to one hundred trillion cells in
the human body.
Jimmy recommends tap water from
the faucet for our drinking water. Many
of us may not agree with this especially those who have been patronizing
bottled water for many years already.
Well, as for me, I have been taking
bottled water for years and I have also
been taking supplementary powdered
enzymes and probiotic capsules to prevent my recurring stomach pain now
and then. However, my stomach pain
persists and this condition continues
to bother me. Until I started drinking
tap water after seeing the favorable
effect of drinking tap water with some
patients (friends and relatives of mine)
of Jimmy. This was six days ago. So
far, so good. I have not yet been experiencing stomach pain since I started
drinking tap water.
One may ask: Can beverage substitute for water? Can beverage like coffee,
tea, milk, juices take the place of water?
Considering that the taste enhancing
beverages are also made of water?
Jimmy says that water and fluids (like
beverages) are not the same as far as
the chemistry of the body is concerned.
Also, the popular manufactured beverages contain some chemicals that
alter the bodys chemistry at its central nervous systems control centers.
Coffee contains caffeine which farther
dehydrates the body as caffeine causes
one to urinate more than the volume of
water contained in the beverage. It is
mentioned in the internet reports that
caffeine inhibits the enzymes use in
memory making thus eventually causing loss of memory. There are many
other bad effects of caffeine. It is also
reported in the internet and in other
print publications that people taking
five to six cups of coffee a day are twice
as likely to suffer heart attacks.
Jimmys simple explanation of
the importance of water in our body
is so easy to understand. Jimmy also
emphasized the need to take salt. His
explanation is very clear. Says he: Our
bodies cannot retain water without
salt. He recommends the natural salt
from God sea salt. Why? Because,
according to Jimmy, synthetic salt

will not melt in the body even if you
shake it.
According to Jimmy, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
in US (CDC) recommends a daily
intake of three grams of salt. This is
about one half (1/2 tsp) teaspoon.
Jimmys water protocol is as follows: one saba (a species of banana)
to fill up the stomach; tsp of salt
to follow; and 3 glasses of water (tap
water). The 3 glasses of the tap water
need not be drunk all at once, one
glass after the other. Jimmy further
recommends that this water protocol be taken many times a day to
complete the intake of 3 tablespoons
of sea salt. However, some people
hesitate to take the full dosage of
this water protocol especially those
who have hypertension or high blood
pressure. Jimmys reply: No harm
with sea salt. Yes, harmful if synthetic salt is used. Despite Jimmys reassuring words, I know many people
just take the protocol once or twice a
day (with total sea salt usage of only
1 tsp) because of the fear that ones
high blood pressure or hypertension
might get worse.
Going back to water, theres a
book on water that says:
Water should be taken in eight
or sixteen ounce portions spaced
throughout the day. In the same way
you dont let your car run out of gas
before you fill the tank, the body must
not be allowed to become dehydrated
before you drink water.
Water should be drunk before
meals. The optimum time is thirty
minutes before eating. This prepares
the digestive tract, particularly in
people with gastritis, duodenitis,
heartburn, peptic ulcer, colitis, or
gas-producing indigestion.
Water should be taken anytime
you are thirsty even during meals.
Water should be taken two and
a half hours after a meal to complete
the process of digestion and correct
the dehydration caused by food
breakdown.
Water should be taken first
thing in the morning to correct dehydration produced during long sleep.
Water should be taken before
exercising to have it available for
creating sweat.
Water should be taken by
people who are constipated and dont
eat sufficient fruits and vegetables.
Two to three glasses of water first
thing in the morning act as a most effective laxative. (Reference: Youre
Not Sick, Youre Thirsty! By F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.)
Readers who would like to know
more information about Jimmys
natural healing protocol, can contact him at (02) 924-2487. Jimmys
address is at 24 Mangyan Road, La
Vista, Quezon City.
Have a joyful day!
Benitez family laments

STIs winning of auction
of PWU properties
The Benitez Group of the Philippine
Womens University (PWU) lamented
the move of STI Education Systems
Holdings (STI) to pursue the foreclosure
of the universitys properties, saying
this only serves to hurt the school and
threaten the welfare of the students,
faculty, and employees.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock
Exchange, STI said it has been declared
the winning bidder in the auction sales
involving extra-judicial foreclosures on
PWU properties.
STI said it is the creditor of PWU and
the winning bidder for PWU properties
along Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila and in
Pilar Hidalgo Lim Street, Malate.
In a statement, PWU media director
Lydia Benitez-Brown said PWU chairperson Helena Z Benitez had already
filed a petition for rehabilitation which
they hope will give PWU breathing space
in the face of STIs relentless attempts to
take over school properties on Taft Ave.,
QC and Davao.
A petition for rehabilitation has already been filed to pay off PWUs debts
at a reasonable rate and, more importantly, ensure the continuation of the
operations of the university. These are
matters that are now in the hands of the
rehabilitation court, Brown said.

She added that it is now very evident that STI is totally disregarding the
welfare of PWU. This is what we have
been saying all along, that the priorities
of STIs owner, Mr. Eusebio Tanco are
really incompatible with those of the
Benitez group and the PWU stakeholders.
Brown lamented that STI Holdings
continued to reject attempts at an amicable settlement to repay the P223 million
debt assumed by Tanco when he offered
to help PWU as an investor in 2011.
This foreclosure is clear proof that
STI will always put business ahead of
education. The action merely validates
our concerns. It is an unfortunate and
disappointing development but we have
confidence in the fairness of the courts
and that the legal system will protect
the public interest of our students,
she said.
Meanwhile, Brown said they are
working to ensure that the operations
of the university continue unhampered
amid the foreclosure proceedings.
We do so with unequivocal support
from our students, faculty and alumni
who have made their choice clear: PWU
is not STI, she said. (JAL)
Yellow Magenta Cyan
Black
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Business News
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New MRT trains still on design stage
By KRIS BAYOS
he government has admitted that manufacturing of

new trains for the Metro Rail
Transit (MRT) 3 has not yet
started but maintained that delivery of
the prototype unit from China will push
through as targeted this August.
Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said
a team was sent to China to visit the
manufacturing plant of the Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. Ltd. CNR
Group (Dalian) two weeks ago. However, fabrication of the 48 brand-new
light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the MRT
3 has not yet commenced, more than a
year after Dalian won the P3.8-billion
MRT 3 capacity expansion project.
This is because, Abaya said, the

Department of Transportation and
Communications (DOTC) and the MRT
3 Management still need to review if
Dalians proposed design will be compliant to the technical requirement of the
government before giving the Chinese
train supplier to start the manufacturing of the prototype.
They have yet to finalize their
designs thats why we have consultants
onboard, he said, referring to rolling
stock expert Kenneth McQueen and
signaling system expert Stephen Deacon who have recently been hired to
help speed up the manufacturing and
delivery process.
For his part, MRT 3 General Manager Roman Buenafe clarified that
there is no delay in the manufacturing

process.
Once they come out with a design,
Dalian should submit it to the procuring
entity for approval because the technical specifications have to conform to
the terms of reference. Once that is
approved, then they start manufacturing the prototype, Buenafe explained,
adding that DOTC and MRT 3 management target to review and approve the
proposed design in April.
It is not immediately clear if Dalian
made a commitment to deliver the prototype in five months time but Abaya
warned that the Chinese contractor
could face penalties if it could not deliver on the agreed upon time line.
We are a little concerned so we
will be actively monitoring their

works. We will send the team to
Dalian regularly, hopefully every
month. We engaged two international experts to help speed up the
process, he said.
Our message to Dalian is
that any delay will be unacceptable. Our riders have been looking
forward to the new trains for a
long time. We are reminding you
of your contractual obligations to
deliver the prototype by the end of
August this year, Abaya added.
The DOTC earlier announced
that 10 projects meant to rehabilitate, upgrade and expand the
capacity of MRT 3 will be rolled out
and implemented until mid 2016 or
before the Aquino Administration steps

down from power.
BSP reports $1-billion

BOP surplus in February
By LEE C. CHIPONGIAN
The countrys balance of payments

(BOP) posted its second monthly surplus this year of $985 million, bringing
the surplus total to $1.12 billion as of
February, data from the central bank
show.
This is a marked contrast to what
was reported in the same period in
2014 which was a huge BOP deficit of
$4.13 billion.
At the time, capital flows were erratic because of the global and local market
volatility due to the taper tantrum.
Emerging market economies such as
the Philippines experienced capital
withdrawals and the impact on the first
quarter last year (the deficit peaking in
April at $4.5 billion) resulted to a yearend BOP deficit of $2.85 billion.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo
said they will most likely revise previous estimates for BOP position for
2015.
Guinigundo commented that what

happened in the first quarter 2014 is
not happening now, and this highlights
the review of data. Had it not been for
the crippling deficit recorded for the
January to April period last year, the
BOP would have reported a surplus
by year-end, which should have been
the 10th year in a row of reported BOP
surpluses.
The BSP said earlier that it expects
BOP to resume its surplus position in
2015, for a full-year forecast of $1 billion.
Guinigundo said that the BOP
full-year forecast will be reviewed between April and May, and then again in
October-November.
Last year, the Philippines BOP
reported a deficit of $2.85 billion. This
was lower than the projected $3.4-billion
deficit for the period. The weakened
external sector halted the nine straight
years of BOP surpluses because of the
reallocation of investments by asset
managers and their investors.
NEW TOYOTA CAMRY MODEL LAUNCHED Toyota Motors Philippines (TMP) launches its newest additional variant to its
Camry models, the 3.5 liter V6 on March 10, 2015. Shown during the launch are TMP officials (from left): Jose Arias,
senior vice president; David Go, senior executive vice president; Michinobu Sugata, president; Alfred Ty, vice chairman;
Yohei Murace, executive vice president; and Raymond Rodriguez, first vice president. (Photo by Regie D. Mason)
Travellers doubles profit to P5.45B

By JAMES A. LOYOLA
Stephanie
Henares
(left) PR and
Advertising
Manager of
SM Lifestyle
Entertainment,
Inc. with
Marketing
Magazines
Editor, Rayana
Pandey.
SM Lifestyle
Entertainment wins at
International PR Awards
SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc.
(SMLEI), through SM Skating Rink,
took home the bronze award for Best
Sports Campaign during Marketing
Magazines annual PR Awards Night
held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore.
Exactly one year ago, the world
stood still as a young Filipino figure
skater named Michael Martinez shook
an internationally renowned competition by solely representing the Philippines at the Winter Olympics in Sochi,
Russia. Coming home to a heros welcome, Martinez had not only gained
attention for his unique technical executions in skating, but had also increased
traction as an athlete who proved that
Filipinos can do anything they set their
mind to including excelling in a sport
outside the countrys usual weather
conditions.
SM Skating Rink, being the only
Olympic-sized ice rink in the Philippines, was envisioned by Henry Sy Sr.
to be a venue wherein Filipinos can develop their skill in winter-based sports.
As home to athletes such as Michael

Martinez, SM Skating Rink through the
SM Group vowed to continue to support
skaters-on-ice in their goal to one day
represent the country in the global arena. Starting with the monetary sponsorship of Michael Martinez for his journey
to the 2018 Winter Olympics, SM Skating
Rink went on to develop other athletes
through strengthening its programs
for ice hockey and introducing a new
sport speed skating.
Because of the successful results
garnered by SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. for the SM Skating Rink
campaign, SMLEI received the bronze
award for the Best Sports Campaign
category in the 2015 Marketing PR
Awards. Beating contenders from
competing countries in South East Asia,
the Philippines took center stage for its
growing opportunity in field of sports
as SMLEI placed third for its skating
campaign, Unilever Philippines placed
second for its basketball campaign,
while OneFC placed first for its mixed
martial arts movement.
Bronzeoak expanding
solar capacity to 190MW
By MYRNA M. VELASCO
After cornering the first ever certificate of compliance (CoC) that warrants
it for feed-in-tariff eligibility, Bronzeoak
Philippines, Inc. is gathering pace on its
solar venture as it gears up for capacity expansion of up to 190 megawatts
(MW).
Its solar farms IA and IB under San
Carlos Solar Energy Inc. (SaCaSol) for
an aggregate capacity of 22MW have
already been qualified for FIT at P9.68
per kilowatt-hour. These are the same

facilities that were bestowed with the
first FIT-COC by the Energy Regulatory
Commission (ERC) in a ruling issued
February 16 this year.
It was qualified that the certificates
were given to the projects two phases
the first one is for 13MW which reached
commercial commissioning May last
year and the 9.0MW which came on
stream August 2014. The company
though is still set on becoming part of the
expanded 500MW installation for solar
Travellers International Hotel

Group, Inc. (TIHGI), owner and operator of Resorts World Manila (RWM),
reported that its net income almost
doubled to P5.45 billion last year from
P2.74 billion in 2013 despite lower revenues.
Based on the firms disclosure to
the Philippine Stock Exchange, gross
revenues dipped 5 percent to P31.56
billion from the P33.38 billion registered
in the previous year.
Travellers focused on delivering
quality earnings to its shareholders by
channelling efforts to the growing core
businesses and markets, while achieving operational efficiencies, the firm
said in a statement.
Key full year operational trends for
2014 include growth in volume in all
segments except in the VIP segment,
resulting from a deliberate move to be

more prudent in the latter.
Blended win rate showed a recovery and improved in the second half
compared to the first half. The average
number of gaming tables deployed was
at 291, slot machines at 1,837, and ETG
machines at 210.
The three hotels operated by the
firm averaged occupancy rates of 89.0
percent compared to 71.0 percent in
2013. Revenues from hotel, food, beverage and others is at P3.19 billion,
as the company continued to make
full use of its facilities to drive gaming
patronage.
Creating shareholder value was
our main objective for 2014 which we
achieved through quality earnings and
operating efficiencies, said Travellers
president Kingson Sian.
Travellers spent P5.9 billion in 2014
for its ongoing Phase 2 and 3 projects
of Resorts World Manila. The Marriott

Grand Ballroom is set to formally open
in July of this year, while the Marriott
West Wing, which will add 227 room
keys, is due for delivery by the end of
2015. Phase 3 complex is slated for turnover by the end of 2017 as planned.
In September 2014, Travellers subscribed to 95 percent of the increased
authorized capital stock of Resorts
World Bayshore City, Inc. (RWBCI), the
company that owns and shall operate
the Bayshore City Resorts World in
Entertainment City which is targeted to
be completed by the end of 2018.
Travellers is confident in its ability to deliver sustainable growth, and
shall continue to focus on delivering
quality of earnings to its shareholders
through the top line growth in revenues
and expense management leading to
continued expansion in its EBITDA and
net income, Sian added.
Landbank boosts loans to priority

sectors by 35% to P331.3B in 2014
Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) loans to priority sectors, which
include small farmers and fishers, has
grown to P331.3 billion in 2014, a hefty
35-percent increase from the P244.6 billion recorded in 2013.
This represents a record-high share
of 85.9 percent against the Landbanks
loans to all sectors of P385.8 billion for
the entire year of 2014.
Landbanks identified priority sectors comprise of small farmers, agrarian
reform beneficiaries and fishers (SFFs)
and their associations; microenterprises,
small and medium enterprises (SMEs),
agri- and aqua-businesses; agri-aqua
related projects of local government
units (LGUs) and government-owned
and controlled corporation (GOCC);
among others.
Gilda Pico, Landbank president
and chief executive officer, attributed
the expansion in loans to the banks
efforts to strengthen its credit support,
particularly for key sectors and projects
with high development impact.
Enabling the growth of our priority
sectors remains a priority for us at Landbank as we are committed to extending
financial and technical assistance to

those who need it most, Pico said.
Of the P331.3-billion registered
loan, higher loans were recorded in
agribusiness, microenterprises and
SMEs, utilities, socialized, low-cost, and
medium-cost housing, transportation,
and agri-aqua related projects of LGUs
and GOCCs.
The companys loan releases to
small farmers and fishers particularly
increased by 13 percent to P58.4 billion
from P51.6 billion
Channeled through 793 farmer and
fishers cooperatives, 206 countryside
financial institutions and 226 irrigators
associations, these loans benefited
848,053 SFFs.
Outstanding loans to microenterprises and SMEs, on the other hand,
grew by 37 percent to P51.4 billion from
P37.5 billion in December 2013, while
loans to the utilities sector reached
P52.1 billion, a 24 percent increase from
P42.1 billion.
The Banks loans for socialized, low
cost, and medium cost housing also
expanded by 38 percent to P37.3 billion
from P27.1 billion.
As for LGUs, the loans reached P42.9
billion, financing various agri-aqua-
related projects, priority programs of

the National Government, and other
developmental projects.
To date, Landbank is planning to
expand its direct lending to SFFs, including those that are not members of
accredited cooperatives and are unable
to secure loans from lending institutions
on their own.
Landbank channels financial support
to the agricultural sector in partnership
with the Department of Agriculture and
the Department of Agrarian Reform.
We continue to intensify our support
and to work hand in hand with our partners to provide the needs of the agricultural sector and fulfill our self-sufficiency
goals, Pico further said.
Pico was referring to different financing programs including the Sikat
Saka Program which provides direct
access to credit for small palay farmers
who are not yet members of Landbankassisted cooperatives.
As of December last year, P1.2 billion
in loans was released to 5,904 farmerborrowers under Sikat Saka.
Through the program, the income
of each farmer-beneficiary increased
by roughly 65 percent per annum per
hectare.
technology an investment direction

cast by the Department of Energy and
subsequently endorsed by the National
Renewable Energy Board.
According to SaCaSol president Sech
Zabaleta, an expansion of the solar park
is currently underway in San Carlos,
scheduled to bring the total capacity to
45MW by the end of 2015. He added that
SaCaSol II with 32MW and SaCaSol III
with 33MW capacities are also under

construction in Negros.
The SaCaSol project vehicle, it was
noted, will cover the groups solar investment expansions in San Carlos, La
Carlota and Manapla all in Negros Occidental province.
Further, Zabaleta indicated that two
other sites have also been selected for
installations totaling 80MWs, which will
then bring BPs solar portfolio to 190MW.

The company asserted that it is joining
the race to bring to fruition the target
of the Philippine government for solar
capacity installation to higher scale.
The competition in the solar space is
now being hinged on the final FIT rate
that the ERC will approve. So far, the
numbers being floated range from P8.50
to P9.10 per kwh.
By MADELAINE B. MIRAFLOR
Yellow Magenta Cyan
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Business News
B-4
PHILIPPINE STOCK EXCHANGE

MARCH 20, 2015
52 Weeks
HIGH
LOW
STOCKS
PAR
VALUE
2012
EPS
PREV
CLOSE
OPEN
HIGH
LOW CLOSE
VOLUME
VALUE
PE
RATIO
****BANKS****
75.3
118
102.4
63
31.6
99.15
30.5
75
94.95
95
59
174.8
127.9
66
82
84.5
45.8
23.55
76.95
18.02
30
76.5
82
45.7
105.1
66
7.19
4.2
2.49
18.7
8.98
2.7
1.01
1.48
361.2
1,700.00
3.26
2.5
2.03
1.97
12.02
6.3
1.6
0.22
0.9
276
1,200.00
2.65
2.3
47
9.13
31.8
109
6.8
293.8
33.9
14.18
7.03
2.68
1.38
35.6
5.43
18.06
67.9
4
250.2
23.65
9
3.03
1.93
5
113
19.3
24.3
21.6
12.98
1.66
241
79
74
90
275
5.25
6.68
0.315
224
1.3
5.5
1.65
40.3
14.6
10.72
8.05
9.79
1.06
164.8
35
22.75
16.2
201.6
3.87
4.72
0.121
134.8
0.67
3.56
13
4.57
12.34
27.55
15.3
12.5
13.98
14.5
2.5
2.17
7.92
0.99
9.54
10
12.8
8.65
7.85
9.94
1.02
1.39
2.5
2.91
4
1.06
2.38
1
22.05
65.5
0.82
9.4
0.98
5.5
3.4
10.08
26.9
0.0076
3.05
0.395
3.37
2.22
3.28
1.68
0.7
777
59.15
31.85
7.39
2.04
3.4
3.35
11.06
84
5.3
0.66
1,350.00
6.68
71.4
0.9
9.25
18.9
0.73
6.55
5.53
0.067
0.84
2.2
934
87
1.39
3.5
156
0.71
0.435
0.46
555
48.1
20.85
6.62
1.2
1.4
1.6
7.39
14.18
4.25
0.144
784
5.3
46.6
0.59
4.43
12
0.58
4.5
4.22
0.036
0.435
1.13
688
66.7
0.93
1.75
81
0.2
0.173
0.375
38.8
6.15
1.99
0.201
5.4
1.54
6.7
7.1
0.98
1.09
0.305
1.87
2.25
10.5
1.8
2.4
5.73
0.18
0.47
7.8
30.6
0.74
2.29
3.6
1.02
20.4
7.41
1.96
7.62
0.192
28
4.14
0.94
0.083
4.96
0.89
5
4.8
0.445
0.85
0.188
1.42
1.47
6.01
1.19
1.1
4.06
0.088
0.325
2.55
20.25
0.39
1.62
3.08
0.62
14.32
3.36
0.99
5.22
66
8.41
1.97
30.8
5.95
0.485
2,008.00
2.85
3,486.00
1,600.00
1.61
2,680.00
9
6.9
0.82
2.28
5.93
0.62
1.04
2.95
14
1.9
5.88
3.01
0.036
1.29
2.5
0.34
0.365
1.71
4.39
1.14
10.5
14.88
99.1
119.5
2.53
3.2
6.41
1.97
1.97
10.26
46.05
101.2
1.15
1.95
3
1.36
1.44
0.147
0.49
1.05
0.077
0.305
12
1,700.00
12.3
0.87
9.8
830
9.8
0.63
70.1
70.1
70
70.1
18,230
1,277,069
117
117.8
116.4
117.2
2,656,630
311,180,924
101
101
100
100.5
1,905,950
191,539,199
46.9
46.95
46.7
46.95
16,400
767,495
24.9
25.4
24.9
25.05
2,397,100
60,577,390
93.55
95.15
92.5
95.15
2,812,670
266,384,661
18.38
18.38
18.38
18.38
900
16,542
31
31.05
31
31.05
22,500
697,625
81.35
81.35
79.1
79.95
690,380
55,046,520
-
-
-
-
0
0
45.9
46.2
45.75
46
280,900
12,907,145
169.6
174.8
169.6
173
2,119,180
367,675,778
69.4
69.4
69
69.15
16,460
1,136,463

**** OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
****
**** OTHER
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
****

AG FINANCE
1.00
0.33
6.35
6.33
6.35
5.86
6
138,700
836,104
BRIGHT KINDLE
0.55
0.1
2.4
2.44
2.44
2.44
2.44
16,000
39,040
BDO LEASING
1.00
0.19
2.26
2.27
2.27
2.27
2.27
16,000
36,320
COL FINANCIAL
1.00
0.65
16.72
16.54
16.7
16.54
16.7
12,000
198,734
FILIPINO FUND
1.00
1.11
8.34
8.26
8.3
8.26
8.3
6,100
50,586
IREMIT
1.00
0.05
1.68
1.68
1.68
1.68
1.68
1,000
1,680
MEDCO HLDG
1.00
-0.02
0.51
0.5
0.51
0.455
0.475
4,137,000
1,981,410
NTL REINSURANCE
1.00
0.01
0.94
0.94
0.94
0.94
0.94
6,000
5,640
PHIL STOCK EXCH
1.00
11.53
347
343
343
340
340.8
3,610
1,232,884
SUN LIFE
0.00
110.64 1,387.00
1,385
1,385
1,385
1,385
70
96,950
VANTAGE
1.00
0.28
3.03
3.03
3.03
3.03
3.03
2,000
6,060

**** ELECTRICITY, ENERGY,
POWER & WATER **** ENERGY, POWER
**** ELECTRICITY,
& WATER ****

ALSONS CONS
1.00
0.07
2.13
2.14
2.14
2.07
2.11
5,936,000
12,445,490
ABOITIZ POWER
1.00
3.32
44.85
44.5
45.2
44.25
45.2
3,177,600
143,283,210
ENERGY DEVT
1.00
0.46
8.31
8.31
8.31
8.08
8.19
78,409,200
639,959,598
FIRST GEN
1.00
1.23
29.3
29.8
29.9
29
29.1
2,853,300
83,420,885
FIRST PHIL HLDG
10.00
4.09
101.8
101.5
103
101.5
102.5
820,520
84,267,403
PHIL H2O
1.00
0.13
5.3
5
5.25
5
5.25
1,000
5,025
MERALCO
10.00
15.27
269
268.6
272
268
271
382,100
103,410,100
MANILA WATER
1.00
2.34
26.6
26.5
26.6
25.95
26.1
2,950,100
78,101,820
PETRON
1.00
0.28
10.02
10.1
10.1
9.85
9.95
4,631,200
46,063,452
PHX PETROLEUM
1.00
0.45
3.81
3.81
3.99
3.8
3.99
444,000
1,715,020
TA OIL
1.00
0.12
2.22
2.23
2.26
2.21
2.23
985,000
2,187,980

**** FOOD, BEVERAGE & TOBACCO
****
**** FOOD,
BEVERAGE &
TOBACCO ****
AGRINURTURE
1.00
-0.22
1.66
1.66
1.66
1.66
1.66
20,000
33,200
BOGO MEDELLIN
10.00
0.13
45.1
60
60
45.45
56
7,500
386,365
CENTURY FOOD
1.00
-0.0008
18.76
18.76
19
18.7
19
204,200
3,838,316
DEL MONTE
0.01
52.6
12.56
12.22
12.8
12
12.2
150,000
1,836,896
DNL INDUS
1.00
0.39
20.45
20.5
21.6
20.5
20.9
20,882,800
442,320,480
EMPERADOR
1.00
0.52
11.4
11.4
11.56
11.38
11.38
3,043,400
34,872,316
ALLIANCE SELECT
1.00
-0.1
1.1
1.08
1.1
1.08
1.08
229,000
248,560
JOLLIBEE
1.00
4.45
212
212
214.4
211.2
214.4
1,550,050
330,860,138
LIBERTY FLOUR
10.00
6.49
35.05
35.1
35.1
35
35
3,800
133,195
MACAY HLDG
1.00
0.19
52
53
53
52
52
60
3,130
MAXS GROUP
1.00
0.63
28.8
28.6
29
28.5
28.9
1,106,000
31,866,160
PUREFOODS
10.00
17.38
206
205
206
205
206
820
168,490
PEPSI COLA
0.15
0.24
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.15
4.16
16,325,000
67,772,770
RFM CORP
1.00
0.22
5.91
5.9
5.96
5.9
5.9
963,000
5,699,226
SWIFT FOODS
1.00
0.06
0.175
0.175
0.175
0.172
0.172
3,290,000
569,120
UNIV ROBINA
1.00
4.6
215.2
214.4
222
214.4
220
3,569,770
783,738,382
VITARICH
1.00
0.39
0.72
0.72
0.72
0.71
0.71
731,000
519,390
VICTORIAS
1.00
0.28
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
94,000
423,000

**** CONSTRUCTION,
INFRASTRUCTURE &INFRASTRUCTURE
ALLIED SERVICES ****
**** CONSTRUCTION,
& ALLIED SERVICES
****

ASIABEST GROUP
1.00
0.03
8.15
8.1
8.24
8.1
8.15
3,400
27,954
DAVINCI CAPITAL
0.02
-0.06
1.86
1.88
1.96
1.88
1.89
631,000
1,200,900
EEI CORP
1.00
0.94
9.8
9.9
9.9
9.71
9.9
602,600
5,913,391
FED RESOURCES
1.00
-0.1
23.85
23.7
24.5
22.8
23.4
408,100
9,433,540
HOLCIM
1.00
0.71
14.7
14.7
14.7
14.7
14.7
1,600
23,520
LAFARGE REP
1.00
0.64
9.74
9.71
9.9
9.58
9.72
6,309,900
61,355,734
MEGAWIDE
1.00
1.13
7.97
7.97
7.97
7.85
7.85
319,600
2,525,384
PHINMA
10.00
0.86
11.5
11.18
11.6
11.1
11.44
59,400
659,882
TKC STEEL
1.00
-0.69
1.02
1.52
1.52
1.48
1.48
86,000
128,130
VULCAN INDL
1.00
0.1
1.54
1.55
1.55
1.51
1.51
154,000
233,260

**** CHEMICALS ****
**** CHEMICALS
****

EUROMED
1.00
0.05
1.3
-
-
-
-
0
0
MABUHAY VINYL
1.00
0.11
2.41
2.41
2.41
2.41
2.41
4,000
9,640
PRYCE CORP
1.00
0.05
1.4
1.56
1.98
1.46
1.9
6,632,000
11,522,780

**** ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
& EQUIPMENT ****
**** ELECTRICAL
COMPONENTS
& EQUIPMENT ****

CIRTEK HLDG
1.00
0.72
22
21.65
22
21.65
22
401,000
8,754,795
CONCEPCION
1.00
1.95
63
63.3
65.8
63.25
65.8
31,510
2,043,018
GREENERGY
0.01
-0.0003
0.46
0.46
0.47
0.46
0.47
40,000
18,500
INTEGRATED MICR
1.00
0.25
6.62
6.62
6.7
6.62
6.64
260,400
1,728,933
IONICS
1.00
-0.14
0.61
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
280,000
173,600
PANASONIC
1.00
0.19
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.06
4.06
21,000
88,060
PHX SEMICNDCTR
1.00
0
2.86
2.86
2.9
2.86
2.88
653,000
1,880,320

**** OTHER INDUSTRIALS ****
**** OTHER INDUSTRIALS
****

SPLASH CORP
1.00
0.13
1.73
1.73
1.73
1.69
1.69
675,000
1,142,660

**** HOLDING FIRMS ****
**** HOLDING FIRMS
****

ABACORE CAPITAL
1.00
0.36
0.47
0.465
0.465
0.465
0.465
20,000
9,300
AYALA CORP
50.00
20.53
770
771
776
768.5
770
456,810
351,891,685
ABOITIZ EQUITY
1.00
3.81
56
55.9
56.35
55.5
55.75
2,099,210
117,133,225
ALLIANCE GLOBAL
1.00
1.38
27.25
27.3
27.3
26.65
26.9
10,235,900
274,495,720
ANSCOR
1.00
1.08
7.1
7.05
7.06
7.01
7.01
15,300
107,663
ANGLO PHIL HLDG
1.00
0.18
1.46
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.4
8,000
11,200
ATN HLDG A
1.00
-0.01
2.68
2.69
2.72
2.6
2.61
103,000
268,550
ATN HLDG B
1.00
-0.01
2.56
2.7
2.7
2.56
2.56
17,000
43,860
COSCO CAPITAL
1.00
0.53
9.11
9.11
9.2
9.05
9.14
1,224,900
11,150,103
DMCI HLDG
1.00
7.13
15.32
15.32
15.5
15
15.2
8,226,600
125,240,074
FILINVEST DEV
1.00
0.46
4.53
4.74
4.74
4.5
4.5
11,000
49,740
FORUM PACIFIC
1.00
-0.001
0.34
0.33
0.33
0.315
0.315
4,140,000
1,330,000
GT CAPITAL
10.00
49.7 1,325.00
1,320
1,320
1,308
1,308
230,340
302,306,475
HOUSE OF INV
1.50
0.99
6.44
6.15
6.28
5.5
6.28
47,900
274,737
JG SUMMIT
1.00
1.48
69.55
68.75
70.6
68.75
70.25
5,022,940 353,025,823.50
LODESTAR
0.10
-0.004
0.71
0.7
0.74
0.7
0.73
671,000
486,150
LOPEZ HLDG
1.00
0.43
8.3
8.3
8.8
8.3
8.8
9,001,800
76,853,835
LT GROUP
1.00
0.85
15.82
15.94
16
15.78
16
3,174,100
50,440,088
MABUHAY HLDG
1.00
0.05
0.67
0.67
0.69
0.65
0.68
2,733,000
1,836,480
MINERALES IND
1.00
-0.01
5
5
5.1
5
5.1
25,000
126,000
METRO PAC INV
1.00
0.28
4.89
4.9
4.9
4.84
4.86
28,535,000
138,859,340
PACIFICA
0.01 -0.00004
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
3,600,000
144,000
PRIME ORION
1.00
0.31
0.7
0.7
0.73
0.7
0.73
2,823,000
2,042,670
SOLID GROUP
1.00
0.09
1.23
1.23
1.25
1.23
1.24
129,000
158,940
SM INVESTMENTS
10.00
34.85
903.5
903.5
910
902
902
581,890
525,365,670
SAN MIGUEL CORP
5.00
13.43
70.3
70.3
70.3
66.7
67.95
16,518,400 1,122,547,525.50
SOC RESOURCES
1.00
0.13
0.99
0.98
0.98
0.95
0.95
110,000
105,500
SEAFRONT RES
1.00
0.02
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
50,000
140,000
TOP FRONTIER
1.00
20.67
99.4
99
104.9
98
104.9
33,000
3,250,765
UNIOIL HLDG
1.00
-0.004
0.5
0.5
0.51
0.465
0.465
38,306,000
18,253,110
WELLEX INDUS
1.00
-0.03
0.246
0.246
0.246
0.241
0.243
2,710,000
657,510

**** PROPERTY ****
**** PROPERTY
****

ARTHALAND CORP
0.18
0.05
0.265
0.26
0.27
0.245
0.245
830,000
204,000
AYALA LAND
1.00
0.84
38.1
37.85
37.9
37.25
37.85
17,985,100
676,673,305
BELLE CORP
1.00
0.35
4.3
4.32
4.39
4.29
4.3
2,014,000
8,661,560
A BROWN
1.00
0.002
0.98
0.98
0.98
0.94
0.94
1,781,000
1,703,480
CROWN EQUITIES
0.10 -0.00002
0.147
0.145
0.146
0.144
0.145
2,960,000
428,920
CEBU HLDG
1.00
0.26
5.1
5.1
5.19
5.1
5.18
402,600
2,077,492
CENTURY PROP
0.53
0.21
0.96
0.96
0.97
0.95
0.96
2,709,000
2,599,740
CEBU PROP A
1.00
0.15
6.1
6.2
6.2
5.6
5.6
40,000
226,175
CEBU PROP B
1.00
0.15
6.48
6.2
6.2
6.2
6.2
3,000
18,600
CYBER BAY
1.00
-0.03
0.46
0.455
0.46
0.455
0.455
550,000
250,750
EMPIRE EAST
1.00
0.02
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
62,000
55,800
EVER GOTESCO
1.00
0.02
0.214
0.201
0.202
0.2
0.2
2,140,000
428,940
FILINVEST LAND
1.00
0.16
1.83
1.82
1.82
1.79
1.8
17,465,000
31,497,710
GLOBAL ESTATE
1.00
0.03
1.5
1.51
1.53
1.49
1.5
1,535,000
2,296,100
8990 HLDG
1.50
0.52
8.88
9
9
8.88
8.88
1,425,200
12,741,113
IRC PROP
1.00
0.32
1.55
1.54
1.54
1.52
1.52
378,000
576,660
CITY AND LAND
1.00
0.2
1.25
1.25
1.25
1.25
1.25
20,000
25,000
MEGAWORLD
1.00
0.31
5.5
5.5
5.61
5.46
5.46
202,116,100
1,113,179,313
MRC ALLIED
0.20
0.03
0.125
0.126
0.128
0.125
0.127
570,000
71,310
1.00
0.01
0.34
0.34
0.35
0.34
0.34
1,340,000
455,700
PHIL ESTATES
PRIMEX CORP
1.00
0.008
7.65
7.65
7.67
7.24
7.44
859,800
6,367,351
ROBINSONS LAND
1.00
1.09
29
29.45
29.45
28.75
28.95
1,820,500
52,546,685
PHIL REALTY
1.00
0.008
0.45
0.39
0.49
0.39
0.485
530,000
248,800
ROCKWELL
1.00
0.23
1.79
1.78
1.79
1.76
1.77
102,000
181,690
SHANG PROP
1.00
0.1
3.2
3.2
3.2
3.16
3.16
11,000
34,840
STA LUCIA LAND
1.00
0.03
0.88
0.88
0.88
0.84
0.84
10,993,000
9,338,260
SM PRIME HLDG
1.00
0.59
19.76
19.52
20.2
19.52
20.2
15,911,000
319,148,195
STARMALLS
1.00
0.19
7.23
7.18
7.41
7.18
7.41
17,149,600
125,017,459
SUNTRUST HOME
1.00
0.009
1.04
1.04
1.07
1.03
1.04
107,000
112,230
VISTA LAND
1.00
0.59
7.42
7.42
7.5
7.38
7.5
11,465,400
85,637,642

**** MEDIA ****
**** MEDIA ****

ABS CBN
1.00
2.69
61
61.7
62
61.2
61.4
34,180
2,109,183.50
GMA NETWORK
1.00
0.34
6.7
6.81
6.81
6.64
6.66
327,500
2,182,059
MANILA BULLETIN
1.00
0.04
0.69
0.7
0.7
0.68
0.68
213,000
144,890

**** TELECOMMUNICATIONS **** **** TELECOMMUNICATIONS
****

GLOBE TELECOM
50.00
37.25 1,960.00
1,930
1,970
1,930
1,940
49,880
96,905,310
LIBERTY TELECOM
1.00
-0.51
2
2
2.1
2
2
42,000
85,600
PLDT
5.00
163.67 2,850.00
2,834
2,840
2,810
2,810
308,630
869,844,590

**** INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
****INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
****
****

DFNN INC
1.00
-1
6.8
7
7.09
6.86
7.08
205,500
1,427,854
IMPERIAL A
5.00
-0.006
6.12
6.5
7
6.5
7
11,900
79,080
ISLAND INFO
0.01
-0.0002
0.29
0.285
0.295
0.285
0.295
18,030,000
5,229,100
ISM COMM
1.00
0.07
1.33
1.31
1.33
1.27
1.28
1,342,000
1,730,140
JACKSTONES
1.00
-0.66
2.64
2.55
2.68
2.55
2.68
53,000
140,780
MG HLDG
1.00
-0.88
0.365
0.35
0.355
0.35
0.355
630,000
221,150
NOW CORP
1.00
-0.1
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
23,000
11,500
TRANSPACIFIC BR
1.00
-0.002
2
1.9
1.9
1.85
1.85
20,000
37,340
PHILWEB
1.00
0.21
13.86
13.86
13.86
13.3
13.76
5,545,100
74,223,306
YEHEY CORP
1.00
0.05
1.45
1.44
1.48
1.4
1.48
53,000
74,610

**** TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
****TRANSPORTATION
****
SERVICES ****
2GO GROUP
1.00
-0.16
6.99
7.01
7.32
6.53
6.75
1,512,700
10,369,566
ASIAN TERMINALS
1.00
0.6
14
14
14.48
14
14.48
4,100
57,640
CEBU AIR
1.00
0.84
85.15
85.15
86.35
85.15
86.05
543,550
46,748,520
INTL CONTAINER
1.00
0.07
112
111
112.6
111
112.6
2,127,420
238,780,296
LORENZO SHIPPNG
1.00
0.02
1.47
1.36
1.47
1.3
1.47
66,000
88,360
MACROASIA
1.00
-0.14
2.28
2.29
2.29
2.29
2.29
1,000
2,290
PAL HLDG
1.00
-0.53
4.7
4.7
4.7
4.7
4.7
3,000
14,100
HARBOR STAR
1.00
0.24
1.58
1.62
1.62
1.57
1.57
47,000
74,590

**** HOTEL & LEISURE ****
*** HOTEL & LEISURE
****

ACESITE HOTEL
1.00
0.1
1.09
1.07
1.1
1.07
1.07
302,000
332,140
BOULEVARD HLDG
0.10
-0.0004
0.11
0.111
0.111
0.109
0.11
10,850,000
1,183,550
WATERFRONT
1.00
-0.003
0.35
0.35
0.36
0.345
0.36
1,760,000
612,900

**** EDUCATION ****
**** EDUCATION
****

CENTRO ESCOLAR
1.00
0.79
10.94
10.6
10.6
10.6
10.6
1,500
15,900
FAR EASTERN U
100.00
57.24 1,000.00
995
995
995
995
40
39,800
IPEOPLE
1.00
0.73
11.86
11.32
11.84
11.32
11.84
27,300
318,736
STI HLDG
0.50
0.1
0.72
0.73
0.74
0.73
0.74
4,735,000
3,469,420

**** CASINOS & GAMING ****
**** CASINOS & GAMING
****

ASIA UNITED
BDO UNIBANK
BANK PH ISLANDS
CHINABANK
EAST WEST BANK
METROBANK
PB BANK
PBCOM
PHIL NATL BANK
PHILTRUST
RCBC
SECURITY BANK
UNION BANK
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
20.00
10.00
100.00
40.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
5.05
6.22
5.19
3.57
1.82
8.02
3.04
5.87
4.88
1.71
3.95
8.31
14.07
70.1
117.5
101
46.8
24.9
93.6
18.4
31.05
81.35
82.5
45.9
169
69.4
World
March 19, 2015 closings
FRANKFURT
LONDON
0.20%
DAX
11,899.40
(-23.37)
0.25%
FTSE
6,962.32
(17.12)
13.88
18.84
19.36
13.15
13.76
11.86
6.05
5.29
16.38
60.66
11.65
20.82
4.91
18.18
24.40
11.95
25.69
-17.20
18.67
-23.75
94.00
29.56
12.52
10.69
28.38
17.84
32.34
23.92
25.15
39.06
17.69
11.20
35.36
8.87
18.58
-7.55
430.77
-23500.00
0.23
54.49
22.04
-10.70
47.91
5.39
269.15
45.56
11.80
17.33
27.19
2.87
47.83
1.82
16.07
NEW YORK
March 20, 2015 closings
BANGKOK
22.84
19.42
17.00
52.11
-3.92
17.29
-7.09
-1133.33
-1475.00
19.25
-4.06
-0.40
-4.77
-833.33
63.44
205.56
-42.31
23.33
102.32
36.67
69.50
-16.36
-8.89
6.58
10.70
-272.50
-116.67
13.42
17.38
15.92
7.60
hong kong
0.14%
SET
1,529.96
(-2.17)
0.38%
Hang Seng
24,375.24
(-93.65)
kuala lumpur
MANILA
0.05%
Phisix
7,818.38
(3.83)
0.3%
KLCI
1,803.65
(-5.48)
SEOUL
shanghai
0.98%
Composite
3,617.32
(35.05)
0.03%
Kospi
2,037.24
(-0.65)
SINGAPORE
SYDNEY
0.78%
ST Index
3,412.44
(26.28)
0.42%
S&P
5,975.50
(24.70)
TOKYO
TAIPEI
13.00
4.61
44.52
12.19
458.54
-7250.00
19.69
4.55
37.33
41.33
-15.69
42.86
13.33
11.25
43.82
17.12
4.78
6.25
18.08
4.17
28.33
989.33
26.56
60.38
7.70
30.68
30.36
34.10
39.25
116.67
12.48
0.07%
CAC40
5,037.18
(3.76)
Asia-Pacific
30.51
33.74
-1593.22
26.09
-4.43
22.11
0.00
1.31
37.48
14.68
19.45
6.54
7.78
-205.05
-201.89
17.24
2.15
10.33
-315.00
26.46
6.13
47.64
-165.14
20.04
18.61
13.05
-510.20
17.52
-1000.00
2.26
13.89
25.95
5.02
7.50
143.30
4.84
-127.03
-7.36
PARIS
0.65%
Dow Jones
17,959.03
(-117.16)
313.46
-31.50
10.52
-225.00
20.70
15.24
6.95
13.30
-2.14
15.21
26.00
21.91
38.78
0.13%
W Index
9,749.69
(12.96)
0.43%
Nikkei
19,560.22
(83.66)
Top Gainers
STOCKS
PRICE %CHG
TKC STEEL CORPORATION

PRYCE CORPORATION
BOGO MEDELLIN MILLING COMPANY
IMPERIAL RESOURCES, INC. A
NIHAO MINERAL RES. INTL, INC.
PHILIPPINE REALTY & HOLDINGS CORP
MANILA MINING CORPORATION A
MANILA MINING CORPORATION B
LOPEZ HOLDINGS CORPORATION
TOP FRONTIER INVEST. HOLDINGS, INC.
1.48
1.90
56.00
7.00
4.17
0.485
0.015
0.016
8.80
104.90
45.10%
35.71%
24.17%
14.38%
8.88%
7.78%
7.14%
6.67%
6.02%
5.53%
Top Losers
STOCKS
PRICE %CHG
UNITED PARAGON MINING CORPORATION

CEBU PROPERTY VENTURE & DEVT A
ORIENTAL PET. AND MINERALS CORP A
ARTHALAND CORPORATION
TRANS. BROAD. GROUP INTL, INC.
FORUM PACIFIC, INC.
UNIOIL RES. & HOLDINGS CO, INC.
MEDCO HOLDINGS, INC.
EVER-GOTESCO RES. & HLDNGS, INC.
AG FINANCE, INCORPORATED
0.010
5.60
0.012
0.245
1.85
0.315
0.465
0.475
0.200
6.00
-9.09%
-8.20%
-7.69%
-7.55%
-7.50%
-7.35%
-7.00%
-6.86%
-6.54%
-5.51%
Most Active
STOCKS
VOLUME VALUE
MEGAWORLD CORPORATION
197,878,200 1,090,040,379.00
SAN MIGUEL CORPORATION
14,999,140 1,019,313,808.50
PLDT COMPANY COMMON
286,000 806,254,290.00
UNIVERSAL ROBINA CORPORATION
3,352,620 735,965,382.00
Semirara Mining and Power Corp
4,473,350 717,682,136.00
AYALA LAND, INC.
17,279,900 649,981,485.00
ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORP
75,091,300 612,785,997.00
SM INVESTMENTS CORPORATION
578,860 522,632,610.00
D&L INDUSTRIES, INC.
20,738,700 439,308,790.00
SECURITY BANK CORPORATION
2,029,940 352,237,258.00
Dividends
SYM
BLFI
URC
URC
PX
TA
SMC2C
SMC2B
SMC2A
TYPE
Cash
Cash
Cash
Cash
Cash
Cash
Cash
Cash
**PS - per share

**PCS - per common share
**PPS - per preferredshare
**PSR - per share (regular)

VALUE
R0.175 PS
R1.50
R1.50
0.02
R 0.04 PS
R1.50
R1.4296875
R1.40625
EX-DIV
DATE
Mar 06, 2015
Feb 23, 2015
Feb 23, 2015
Mar 06, 2015
Mar 04, 2015
Feb 24, 2015
Feb 24, 2015
Feb 24, 2015
**RPA - rate per annum

**DRPA - dividend rate per annum
**PDPS- per day per share
**PDPOS- per day per share
RECORD
DATE
Mar 11, 2015
Feb 26, 2015
Feb 26, 2015
Mar 11, 2015
Mar 9, 2015
Feb 27, 2015
Feb 27, 2015
Feb 27, 2015
DATE
PAYABLE
Mar 24, 2015
Mar 24, 2015
Mar 24, 2015
Mar 25, 2015
Mar 25, 2015
Mar 25, 2015
Mar 25, 2015
Mar 25, 2015
**POS - per outstanding share

**POCSS - per outstanding share (special)
**POCSR - per outstanding share (regular)
**STA - subject to approval
Yellow Magenta Cyan
Black
ymv
Business News
PHILIPPINE STOCK EXCHANGE

MARCH 20, 2015
52 Weeks
HIGH LOW
15.82
0.017
12.28
15.2
2.46
0.71
2.28
11
10.2
9.48
0.012
6.5
8.7
1.8
0.305
0.31
8.8
6.7
4.61
48.5
90.1
11.6
2.95
31.45
60.55
7.59
1.09
4
0.6
2.28
18
5.45
0.0098
17.24
1.73
1.2
10.98
4.2
0.46
0.455
0.475
0.023
0.026
8.2
4
49.2
1.03
3.06
12.88
420
0.016
10.02
2.8
0.0043
9
0.78
0.54
5.99
1.06
0.33
0.213
0.216
0.014
0.014
3.66
2.11
19.16
0.365
1.51
7.5
115.9
0.01
0.02
0.04
7.67
10.42
9
0.012
0.015
5.4
2.32
3.67
70
540
523
116
512
8.25
1.09
109
1,044.00
1,070.00
76.9
84
30.8
490
500
101.5
480
5.88
0.99
101
1,011.00
1,005.00
74.2
75
6.98
0.89
10.96
88
12.88
2.4
13.5
5.95
127.2
102
BLOOMBERRY
IP EGAME
LEISURE AND RES
MELCO CROWN
MANILA JOCKEY
PRMIERE HORIZON
PREMIUM LEISURE
PHIL RACING
TRAVELLERS
1.00
0.01
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.25
0.25
1.00
0.10
2012
EPS
High
-0.12
-0.006
0.29
-0.74
2.22
0.002
0.001
1.76
0
PREV
CLOSE
OPEN
HIGH
LOW
CLOSE
VOLUME
Low
10.46
0.015
8.88
9.28
1.95
0.6
1.5
9.5
7.04
VALUE
10.5
10.8
10.5
10.8
27,257,100
291,553,656
0.015
0.015
0.015
0.015
5,000,000
75,000
8.98
8.98
8.7
8.7
217,200
1,896,192
9.38
9.38
9.2
9.3
19,569,700
181,661,742
1.95
1.99
1.95
1.99
42,000
82,100
0.6
0.61
0.6
0.6
1,558,000
934,820
1.51
1.56
1.5
1.56
30,549,000
46,482,650
9.01
9.01
9.01
9.01
600
5,406
7.26
7.3
7.06
7.08
4,654,700
33,128,273
**** RETAIL ****
**** RETAIL
****

CALATA CORP
1.00
0.31
3.97
3.96
3.96
3.83
3.94
429,000
1,678,960
PUREGOLD
1.00
1.43
40.1
40.1
40.85
40.05
40.2
1,843,400
74,109,620
ROBINSONS RTL
1.00
3.79
87
87
90.1
87
89
2,878,580
256,152,267
SSI GROUP
1.00
0
10.4
10.14
10.48
10.14
10.4
5,343,500
55,428,440

**** OTHER SERVICES ****
**** OTHER SERVICES
****

APC GROUP
1.00
-0.008
0.7
0.72
0.72
0.7
0.7
706,000
496,830
PAXYS
1.00
-0.06
3.21
3.12
3.2
3.12
3.12
36,000
113,120
**** MINING ****
**** MINING
****

ATOK
1.00
-0.13
10.8
10.8
10.8
10.8
10.8
1,000
10,800
APEX MINING
1.00
0.04
3
3
3
2.84
2.98
210,000
607,040
ABRA MINING
0.01 -0.00005
0.0056
0.0056 0.0057 0.0055
0.0056 602,000,000
3,345,500
ATLAS MINING
8.00
0.92
9.26
9.09
9.11
9.06
9.06
1,094,000
9,942,465
COAL ASIA HLDG
1.00
-0.02
0.9
0.89
0.89
0.88
0.88
1,220,000
1,075,140
CENTURY PEAK
1.00
-0.008
1.1
1.09
1.16
1.09
1.14
2,122,000
2,393,810
DIZON MINES
1.00
-0.1
8.53
8.55
8.82
8.55
8.76
554,400
4,841,010
FERRONICKEL
1.00
0.1
2.3
2.3
2.43
2.3
2.41
18,503,000
44,366,860
GEOGRACE
1.00
0.0001
0.345
0.345
0.365
0.345
0.36
2,460,000
873,800
LEPANTO A
0.10
0.08
0.238
0.24
0.24
0.236
0.236
6,540,000
1,557,230
LEPANTO B
0.10
0.08
0.246
0.246
0.25
0.244
0.244
2,170,000
532,770
MANILA MINING A
0.01 -0.00006
0.015
0.014
0.015
0.014
0.015
1,100,000
15,600
MANILA MINING B
0.01 -0.00006
0.015
0.016
0.016
0.016
0.016
1,700,000
27,200
MARCVENTURES
1.00
0.58
5.4
5.4
5.4
5
5.14
2,067,500
10,750,594
NIHAO
1.00
-0.45
3.83
3.9
4.18
3.85
4.17
21,510,000
85,778,620
NICKEL ASIA
0.50
0.82
28
27.95
27.95
27.25
27.5
2,336,800
64,361,475
OMICO CORP
1.00
-0.02
0.74
0.73
0.73
0.73
0.73
1,000
730
ORNTL PENINSULA
1.00
0.31
2.16
2.18
2.2
2.07
2.15
1,588,000
3,356,620
PX MINING
1.00
0.07
7.54
7.78
7.82
7.56
7.62
1,199,100
9,186,895
SEMIRARA MINING
1.00
21.11
157.2
158
167
158
159.5
4,678,170
750,350,926
UNITED PARAGON
0.01
-0.0003
0.011
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
12,900,000
129,000

**** OIL ****
**** OIL ****

ORNTL PETROL A
0.01
0.002
0.013
0.013
0.013
0.012
0.012
2,500,000
30,100
PHILODRILL
0.01
0.002
0.016
0.016
0.016
0.015
0.016
6,300,000
96,200
PETROENERGY
1.00
0.008
5.85
5.85
5.85
5.85
5.85
1,800
10,530
PX PETROLEUM
1.00
-0.06
2.55
2.55
2.68
2.48
2.49
1,521,000
3,906,340
TA PETROLEUM
1.00
0
4.16
4.11
4.15
4.08
4.08
34,000
139,270

PREFERRED
**** PREFERRED
****

ABS HLDG PDR
0.00
0
62.4
63.45
66
63.45
65
154,190
9,961,926
AC PREF B1
100.00
0
512.5
510
510
510
510
8,500
4,335,000
AC PREF B2
100.00
0
520
523
523
520
520
8,750
4,565,000
FGEN PREF G
10.00
0
115
115
115
114.2
114.2
5,910
678,922
GLO PREF P
50.00
0
506
506
506
506
506
980
495,880
GMA HLDG PDR
0.00
0
6.5
6.45
6.45
6.35
6.35
32,700
209,645
LR PREF
1.00
0
1.07
1.08
1.08
1.08
1.08
1,095,000
1,182,600
MWIDE PREF
1.00
0
108.2
109
109
108.3
108.9
28,800
3,134,950
PF PREF 2
10.00
0 1,038.00
1,038
1,040
1,037
1,040
11,975
12,437,450
PCOR PREF 2A
1.00
0 1,050.00
1,070
1,070
1,070
1,070
8,500
9,095,000
SMC PREF 2A
5.00
0
76.1
76.1
76.1
76.05
76.05
276,070
21,008,333
SMC PREF 2C
5.00
0
84
84
84
83.5
84
111,270
9,331,455

W A R R A N T S **** WARRANTS, PHIL. DEPOSIT
RECEIPTS,
ETC. ****

LR WARRANT
0.00
0
3.95
3.95
3.98
3.9
3.94
310,000
1,215,210

SMALL
****SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES****

DOUBLEDRAGON
0.10
0.05
7.85
7.85
7.95
7.8
7.82
315,300
2,480,850
IRIPPLE
1.00
0.18
77.5
77
78.95
77
78.25
62,570
4,867,257.50
XURPAS
0.10
0
10.2
10.22
10.46
9.6
10
10,939,500
109,043,367

EXCHANGE
****E X C H A N G E T R A D
E D F U N D S
****

FIRST METRO ETF
100.00
0
127
127
127
126.8
127
12,670
1,607,851
SECTORIAL SUMMARY Open

Financials
Industrials
Holding Firms
Property
Services
Mining & Oil
SME
ETF
PSEi
All Shares
GRAND TOTAL
PAR
VALUE
STOCKS
Close %change Pt. Change
1,826.5 1,834.73 1,822.52 1,834.73

12,587.7 12,704.05 12,545.34 12,673.06
6,977.59 6,983.92 6,950.15 6,976.73
3,137.79
3,147.77 3,108.33
3,147.77
2,104.65
2,113.15 2,101.74
2,107.13
15,955.99 16,246.62 15,853.3 15,862.82
7,800.99
4,518.23
7,818.38
4,529.31
7,774.74
4,510.31
7,818.38
4,529.31
0.34
0.69
(0.16)
0.22
(0.18)
0.16
0.05
0.19
Volume
Value
6.24
17,496,727
1,310,814,068.33
86.93 170,393,757
3,034,409,109.54
(11) 141,446,557 3,656,390,400.63
6.83 325,291,839
2,507,697,741.29
(3.86) 159,386,144 2,882,406,355.25
25.68 876,519,384
1,321,710,843.06

11,317,370
116,391,474.50

12,670
1,607,851.00
3.83
8.53
1,701,864,448
14,831,427,843.6
PE
RATIO
-86.45
-2.50
30.56
-12.53
0.90
260.87
1383.93
5.11
22.81
12.25
28.15
23.60
0.00
-83.15
-53.33
-80.90
71.00
-109.62
9.98
-44.00
-143.59
-88.00
1.76
-37.37
2.96
3.07
-250.00
-250.00
8.93
-9.11
33.48
-31.04
6.70
111.88
7.62
-33.33
5.92
9.38
17.07
-42.93
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-0.17
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
147.83
434.72
0.00
0.00
NO. OF ADVANCES: 76
NO. OF DECLINES: 105
NO. OF UNCHANGED: 41
NO. OF TRADED ISSUES: 222
FOREIGN BUYING
R 9,816,570,808.45
FOREIGN SELLING
R 9,235,540,904.38
Companies Under Suspension by the Exchange as of MARCH 20, 2015

ABC PREF
AC PREF A
ASIATRUST
ABC
ACPA
ASIA
EXPORT BANK A
EXPORT BANK B
EIBA
EIBB
FPH PREF
FPHP
FILSYN A
FYN
FILSYN B
FYNB
GOTESCO LAND A GO
GOTESCO LAND B GOB
METROALLIANCE A MAH
METROALLIANCE B MAHB
MARSTEEL A
MC
MARSTEEL B
MCB
METRO GLOBAL
MGH
PICOP RES
PCP
PF PREF
PFP
PHILCOMSAT
PHC
PRIMETOWN PROP PMT
PNCC
PNC
GLOBALPORT
PORT
PTT CORP
PTT
SMC PREF 1
SMCP1
STENIEL
STN
UNIWIDE HLDG
UW
B-5
Pure Foods posts

R3.8-B net income
By JAMES A. LOYOLA
an Miguel Pure Foods

Company Inc. reported that its net income
dipped to R3.8 billion
last year from the R4.1 billion
earned in 2013 despite higher
revenues.
In a statement, the firm
said it breached the R100-billion
revenue mark for the first time
in 2014, posting R103 billion in
revenues, 3 percent higher than
the R99.8 billion registered in
the previous year.
Pure Foods said higher volumes and better selling prices
across most of its businesses
contributed to strong results.
Operating income rose 17
percent to R6.5 billion last year
from R5.5 billion in 2013 due to
higher revenues, better efficiencies, and lower wheat costs.
Combined revenues of the
agro-industrial and flour milling businesses grew 6 percent,
again on account of higher
volumes and favorable selling
prices.
Growth was helped by the
expansion of exclusive fran-
chise outlets such as Magnolia

Chicken Stations, Monterey
Meat Shops and Kambal Pandesal and Food Service.
Revenues for the branded,
value-added business meanwhile rose 2 percent despite
logistical constraints resulting
from congestion in Manilas
main ports, which significantly
affected volumes.
The companys recent acquisition of the La Pacita brand
signals its entry into the biscuits
category in line with its strategy of growing its value-added
business.
Pure Foods said it continues
to actively look for opportunities
to grow its portfolio through
acquisitions.
According to Pure Foods
president Francisco Alejo, they
expect to wrap up negotiations
for the acquisition of a food company in Vietnam before the end
of the year as the firm increasingly looks overseas for growth
opportunities.
He said they are also looking
at an acquisition in Indonesia
although this may be completed
later.
Pryce almost triples

profit to R287.6M
Pryce Corporation reported that its net income almost
tripled, rising 190.8 percent to
R287.67 million last year from
the R98.94 million earned in
2013 due to higher liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) sales.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the firm
said its bottom-line figure could
have been higher without the
slide in prices of LPG. With 2.0
billion in outstanding shares,
this net income corresponds to
earnings per share of 0.1438.
Total revenues surged by
62.5 percent to R6.35 billion in
2014 from R3.91 billion of the
previous year. This upturn
was mainly driven by LPG
sales, under the brand name
PryceGas, which increased
by 57.4 percent to R5.28 billion
in Peso terms and by 78.2 percent, from 63,590 metric tons
(MT) to 113,924 MT, in volume
terms.
The lower growth in LPG
sales revenue as compared to
volume growth stems from the
declining international contract price (CP) of LPG which
fell from US$1,017 per MT in
January, to US$835 in June and
to US$564 in December, 2014.
The most pronounced drop
in CP in the last quarter of 2014
followed the general slide in
petroleum prices in the world
market during the period.
Also contributing to the
upsurge in revenue was real
estate sales which reached
R627.83 million due to the
non-recurring sale of a commercial lot in Iligan City to a
mall developer.
Total sales from real estate
operations including hotel
sales and interest on installment sales in 2014 amounted
to R666.5 million. (JAL)
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Business News
B-6
Special Report
The MV St. Francis (SFX) 2Go Travels newest and most luxurious vessel is docked at the North Harbor in Manila. Right photo shows containers from overseas piled up at the Manila International
Container Port (MICT).
Intended to reduce domestic shipping costs
Passed by Senate, Cabotage Law

amendments await House action
By KRIS BAYOS
he priority measure of President Benigno S. Aquino III

to amend of the Cabotage
Law had incited differing
positions among lawmakers despite
the ultimate aim of lowering local
shipping costs. Two years after
Aquino made the call to loosen up
trade and navigational restrictions
on Philippine waters, Congress is yet
to decide whether to totally lift the
Cabotage Law and liberalize the entry of foreign vessels into the country
or to merely introduce reforms so as
to continue protecting the local shipping industry from being decimated
by foreign players.
While Senate Bill 2364 which
seeks to exempt the carriage of
container vans from the Provision
of Section 1009 of Presidential Decree No. 1464, or otherwise known
as the Tariff and Customs Code of
1978 - has already been passed to
third and final reading by the Upper
House last month, its counterpart in
the Lower House, House Bill 2623,
remains pending at the committee
on transportation. With several
suggestions at the Lower House,
including a proposal for a total repeal
of the cabotage policy, one wonders if
the priority measure will be enacted
before Aquino steps down from office
by mid next year.
According to Maritime Industry
Authority (Marina) Administrator
Maximo Mejia, the original idea was
to totally lift cabotage, which he, a
graduate of the United States Naval
Academy in Annapolis, defined as
a set of laws that reserve domestic
shipping trade to domestic shipping
operators.
The original idea was to lift
cabotage because over the years, it
has been linked to the high cost of
freight or shipping costs across our
islands. The implication of totally lifting

cabotage is opening up the competition.
Foreign operators can come in and
offer lower freight rates than those offered by local shipping lines. It sounds
ideal but very misleading, he said.
Mejia argued that lifting cabotage
restrictions alone wont solve the problem because a lot of factors contribute
to the cost of shipping in the country. He
said domestic shipping companies have
higher cost of operating because, unlike
foreign players, domestic operators are
subjected to tax on fuel and tax on profit
as well as value added tax on acquiring
vessels and on operating expenditures.
Filipino shipping operators are also
forced to endure higher interest rates
unlike their foreign counterparts.
Local shipping operators registered
under MARINA are likewise obliged
to employ Filipino crew, use Philippine shipyards for their dry-docking,
and to comply with other government
regulations.
You may be lowering shipping
rates if you lift cabotage but thats the
only benefit you can gain from it, he
said. From the governments point of
view, it makes very bad sense because
local shippers operate pay fees to Marina, remit tax to the BIR (Bureau of
Internal Revenue), employ Filipinos,
and contribute to the economy by doing business here. Conversely, foreign
shipping lines will not pay taxes to BIR,
wont be bound to employ Filipinos and
not bound by regulations for operating
in the Philippines.
Youre gaining something small
but losing something really big. Its like
being penny-wise but pound-foolish,
he pointed out.
Relax
Instead of totally lifting restrictions, Mejia said Marina supports the
proposal of Senator Paolo Benigno
Bam Aquino to retain the policy but
relaxing it to allow foreign vessels to
dock in multiple ports across the country. Under existing laws, international
vessels can call at any Philippine ports
but only once.
Under the Senate Bill, foreign vessels will be allowed to call in multiple
Philippine ports. What it wont allow
is for foreign vessels to participate
in the domestic trade because that
means they will be competing with local
shipping companies. In that situation,
presence of foreign shipping operators
will decimate our domestic players,
he said.
Although foreign vessels are allowed to call to multiple ports, Mejia
clarified that they can only load and
discharge cargoes that is directly coming from outside of the Philippines or
those going straight to a consignee.
This will reduce shipping cost
because exporters intending to ship
their goods from, lets say Davao to Singapore, do not have to bring his goods
to Manila where the foreign vessels are
trading. They can wait for the foreign
vessels to call to Davao port and save
on shipping cost, he said.
Similarly, transportation cost of
imports will be lessened since the imported goods can already be delivered
directly to the final port of destination.
If the proposed amendment is legislated and foreign vessels are allowed
to co-load exports from multiple ports,
Rona Gatdula of the Philippine Liner
Shipping Association (PLSA) said
domestic players will lose substantial
income. However, she admitted that it
is better than to totally lift the cabotage
law.
We are not totally against the proposed amendment and we are willing
to make the compromise in order to
support the import-export business,
she said.
More reforms
For its part, the Philippine Inter-
Island Shipping Association (PISA)

said government should not stop at
amending the Cabotage Law, arguing
that more reforms are needed to get to
lower domestic shipping costs.
PISA explained that economies of
scale is the greatest factor that dictates
shipping prices in the country.
It is important to appreciate that
ships in the feeder, intra-Asia and
international trades are much larger
(capacity ranging from 1,500 TEUs
to 65,000 metric tons) than the ships
serving the coastal trades (350 TEUS
to 20 metric tons). Economies of scale
is the most important factor to achieve
lower freight costs. A larger ship would
be cheaper per unit than a small one,
PISA said in a 10-page position paper
on the issue.
The organization pointed out that
domestic shippers are restricted to
use small vessels since many ports in
the country have very low draft. PISA
cited the case of the domestic port of
Manila, which cannot support a vessel
laden with more than 500 twenty-foot
equivalent units (TEUS) during low
tide because it touches bottom.
PISA also cited existing trade and
production practices that prevent shipping in larger quantities.
For container cargoes, which include food and consumer goods, most
consignees do not have the storage nor
the capital to hold inventory so they
prefer to ship more frequently than to
produce and store quantities even if
they could benefit from bulk pricing.
For commodities, corn for instance
is unbelievably shipped in containers
while corn elsewhere is shipped in bulk.
A producer with a post harvest dryer
will not co-mingle corn with one who
dries corn on the road. So unless all
producers follow a standard, we shall
never have the benefit of lower bulk
transport cost, PISA pointed out.
The organization likewise blamed
the underdevelopment of Philippine
ports. For instance, lack of facilities

force ships to use its own cranes
or must wait for crane usage. This,
PISA argued, causes congestion that
contributes to slower turn around of
ships, resulting to low utilization of
assets and added costs.
The port of Manila has only two
gantry cranes while Cebu is congested, forcing ships to wait to berth.
This lack of facilities also mean that
shipowners have to buy a ship with
its own cranes, which means added
cost to the asset, PISA added.
PISA also cited the high cost of
port operations covering arrastre,
stevedoring and carnage fees for
domestic shipping companies as well
as the lack of level playing field due
to the costs imposed on local shipping lines that foreign ones do not
have. There is a need to unbundle
the costs to see that shipping is but
a part of the over all domestic transport cost, it said.
Domestic shipping companies
urged the government to invest
in modernizing ports in order to
accommodate larger ships and to
have sufficient gantry cranes to
make turnaround for ships fast and
efficient.
Our ports are small and cannot
even accommodate present trade.
How much more can it accommodate
future economic expansion if it is not
modernized? PISA added.
Long- and short-term solutions
PISA recommended the implementation of a national development
plan to cluster manufacturing and
production centers around port and
airport infrastructures as a long
term solution to lowering freight and
logistics costs.
Trade does not follow shipping.
Shipping follows trade and in the
same way, airports and ports with
production clusters around it should
be identified and promoted with the
end goal of making the country competitive, it said.
As for short term solutions, PISA
said operating costs of domestic vessels can be immediately lowered by
allowing domestic ships to enjoy the
same tax regimen as foreign ships,
reducing manning complement of
domestic ships or giving domestic ship operators the discretion
whether to drydock their vessels in
the Philippines or outside.
Economic anxiety weighs on Singapore $ Holcim, Lafarge agree

on new terms for merger
By ANDREA WONG
and LILIAN KARUNUNGAN
(Bloomberg)
The currency of Asias highest-rated

nation reflects a level of economic anxiety not seen since the regions financial
crisis almost two decades ago.
Singapores dollar is headed for a
third straight quarterly loss versus its
U.S. counterpart, and surging forward
rates imply that the currency will depreciate at the fastest clip since 1998.
That signals pessimism about growth
and deflation across the region because
the Singapore dollar is often traded in
place of currencies that arent as liquid.
The island state is one of Asias main
financial centers and its currency tends
to be more resilient than peers from
Thailands baht to Indonesias rupiah,
making the bearishness even more
significant.
Its used as an Asian proxy, Rajeev
De Mello, who oversees about $10 billion
as head of Asian fixed-income at Schroder Investment Management Ltd., said
by phone from Singapore. When the
market was bullish on Asia and bearish the U.S. dollar, the Singapore dollar
did exceptionally well. Now comes a
reversal of that trade, he said.
Singapores currency tumbled to a 4
1/2-year low of S$1.3941 to the U.S. dollar

on March 13, two days after a surprise
interest-rate cut in Thailand and as data
showed Chinas slowdown is continuing
into 2015. It was at S$1.3872 at 8:26 a.m.
Friday in Singapore.
Because Singapore is the only Asian
nation with triple-A ratings from all three
major credit-grading companies, traders
often use its currency to take a view on
the region as a whole.
Its 4.4 percent slide versus the
U.S. dollar this year -- the third-worst
performance among 11 regional peers
-- reflects investor concern that Asia
may struggle to withstand an interestrate increase this year from the Federal
Reserve. Singapore is also afflicted by
the same slump in manufacturing, real
estate and exports thats hurting the
rest of Asia.
Singapore inflation is weak, domestic demand has softened and this undermines sentiment on local markets,
said Dwyfor Evans, a Hong Kong-based
macro strategist at State Street Corp.
But the root of this most recent bout of
Singapore dollar weakness is the U.S.
dollar. The Singapore dollars losses
are all the more noteworthy because
its falling more than peers it tended to
outperform in past crises.
It strengthened during the global
crash of 2008 as other Asian currencies

fell. In the Asian financial crisis of 199798, Singapores currency dropped 15
percent, about half the loss suffered by
Thailands baht and South Koreas won
and a fraction of the 70 percent decline
in the rupiah.
Traders are betting further losses are
in store. The gap between the Singapore
dollars spot rate and contracts betting
on its value in six months increased to
0.0077 on March 10, the widest since 1998.
The difference was 0.0071 on Friday.
On July 2, 1997, Thailand crumbled
under the burden of foreign debt and
capitulated on the bahts peg to the
U.S. dollar. The devaluation touched
off a crisis across the region, leading
to the collapse of Indonesian President
Suhartos three- decade regime, while
South Koreans lined up in the streets to
donate their gold jewelry to the government as the won tumbled. While the
situation isnt so dire this time around,
Singapores economy is hurting.
Its gross domestic product will grow
3.2 percent this year, about half the
average pace across Asia, economists
surveyed by Bloomberg predict. The
island state is also suffering the worst
deflation in more than five years, with
consumer prices falling 0.4 percent in
January from a year earlier.
FRANKFURT/PARIS (Reuters)
Holcim Ltd and Lafarge SA have
agreed to new terms over their planned
multi-billion-euro merger, which would
create the world's biggest cement
firm, including agreeing to a new
share-swap ratio for the deal.
They agreed to a ratio of 9 Holcim
shares for 10 Lafarge shares, Holcim
said on Friday.
It said the appointment of a new
chief executive for the combined group
would be communicated in due course,
at the latest upon filing of the public
offer to the Lafarge shareholders.
Holcim also said that certain key
shareholders of both companies had
confirmed their support for the revised
merger terms, without naming those
shareholders.
The merger hit the rocks earlier
this weeks with Switzerland-based
Holcim seeking to renegotiate terms
for the merger, including who should
be in top management positions.
The original deal reached almost a
year ago called for an 1-for-1 share exchange ratio and Lafarge Chief Executive Bruno Lafont was to be the CEO
of the new company with seven board
members to come from each side.

Under the new terms, Lafont is to
be co-chairman with Holcim chairman Wolfgang Reitzle while Lafarge's
board is to propose a CEO that has
to be accepted by the Swiss group's
board.
Lafont said Lafarge's board had
unanimously approved the revised
merger terms.
Meanwhile, Irish cement firm
CRH is assuming the merger of rivals
Lafarge and Holcim will still happen,
its chief said after CRH shareholders
approved an asset purchase that depends on the deal.
CRH has agreed to buy a number of
mostly European assets from Lafarge
and Holcim for 6.5 billion euros ($6.9
billion) so the French and Swiss firms
can get antitrust clearance for their
plan to create the cement industry's
biggest company.
Unveiled as a merger of equals in
April last year, the plan has looked
shaky this year with Holcim shareholders grumbling about the diverging
performances of the two firms and the
Swiss firm has now called for the deal
terms to be revised.
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Agriculture News
AGRI PLAIN TALK

ZAC B. SARIAN
Section Editor: ZAC B. SARIAN
Joint venture
to boost farm
mechanization
he chairman of the Senate

Committee on Agriculture and
Food cited the entry of Yanmar
Philippines in the local market
as a big boost to the farm mechanization
efforts in the country.
Sen. Cynthia Villar was one of the
main speakers during the launching of
the farm machines from Yanmar of Japan that include tractors for land preparation, mechanical rice transplanters
and combine harvesters. These were
launched last March 17 at the Sofitel
Hotel in Pasay City.
Yanmar of Japan has partnered with
Ropali Group of Companies for the local distribution of the farm machines.
Ropali, founded by Roberto P. Alingog,
is a diversified company with a wide
distribution network and banking facilities. It is also into manufacturing and
real estate.
The availability of the farm machines will enable the Filipino farmers
to increase their productivity at less
cost, and become more efficient and
competitive. With Yanmar here, our
farmers and agricultural workers will
be exposed to advanced and state-ofthe-art Japanese technology and machineries, according to Sen. Villar.
The lady senator observed that the
DR. CESAR E.A. VIRATA, former finance

minister, urged more investments in agribusiness in his speech during the launching of the farm machineries of Yanmar
Philippines Corporation last March 17
at the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City. There
are a number of good reasons why more
people should invest in agriculture like
the presence of strong demand, available
land, local savings and others.
implementation of the Agriculture and

Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA)
seems slow. AFMA calls for the allocation of at least P20 billion a year for
agriculture modernization programs
and projects, yet the country lags far
behind its regional neighbors in farm
mechanization. It is a far fifth placer to
Japan, South Korea, China and Thailand, according to her.
She is glad, however, that the Department of Agriculture is already
strengthening mechanization efforts
in the agriculture sector. She said that
recently, she was with the DA during the
distribution of farm machines and the
launch of projects worth P1.1 billion in
Regions 11 and 12 in Mindanao.
NEW LAW, AFMECH Sen. Villar
expressed optimism that the new Agriculture and Fisheries Mechanization
(AFMECH) law will help promote the
development and adoption of modern,
appropriate, cost-effective and environmentally safe agricultural and fisheries
machinery and equipment. This will enhance farm productivity and efficiency
to achieve food security and increase
farmers income.
She revealed that no less than
NEDA, the National Economic and
Development Authority, has acknowl-
ROBERTO P. ALINGOG is the founder of

Ropali Group of Companies which has
joint ventured with Yanmar of Japan to
distribute farm machineries, particularly
rice transplanting machines, combine
harvester and tractors for land preparation. Ropali is a diversified company with
a wide distribution network for sales and
distribution of farm machineries, manufacturing and real estate.
B-7
THE SENATOR AND COMBINE HARVESTER Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, welcomed the entry of Yanmar Philippines in the country as it could boost local agricultural mechanization. Yanmar Philippines is a
joint venture of Yanmar of Japan and Ropali of the Philippines headed by Roberto P. Alingog which will distribute farm machines
for rice transplanting, harvesting and land preparation. Sen. Villar was one of the speakers at the product launching of the new
company last March 17 at the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City.
edged also that we need to invest in

research and development (R&D), and
that we can increase the productivity of
agriculture and boost job creation in the
industry through science and technology. This is expected to fast track the
growth of the agriculture, fisheries and
forestry (AFF) sector, she said.
Sen, Villar cited the need to improve
the global competitiveness of our farmers and the countrys agriculture sector
as a whole. The countrys integration
into the ASEAN Economic Community
(AEC) starting December this year will
bring about cutthroat competition, thus
we have to be globally competitive, she
concluded.
CESAR E.A. VIRATA The other
speaker at the product launching was
former Finance Minister Cesar E. A.
Virata. He stressed the need for more
investments in agriculture for a number
of very good reasons.
For one, the Philippines imports
a lot of agricultural products, which
means there is a ready market for as
long as the local produce is competitive.
Aside from rice, our big agricultural
imports include coffee, cacao, milk and
others. Another reason is that there are
wide unutilized or under-utilized areas
which could be harnessed for crop and
livestock production.
There is also plenty of local capital
that is just lying idle. He pointed out
there is a lot of savings but these are
not invested in agriculture.
He hinted that the land reform program should not be extended because
after all these years, the poor farmers
have remained poor if not poorer. What
he advocates is that the experts should
come up of a model of development for
each crop that will produce commercial quantities of quality agricultural
products.
Clustering of production of certain
products could be an approach to com-
SMALL RICE TRANSPLANTER MODEL Photo shows the smaller model of the Yanmar
rice transplanting machine showcased during the launching of the Yanman Philippines
products last March 17 at the Sofitel Hotel. A bigger model was also showcased which
is recommended for use in large rice farms. The rice transplanting machines can make
transplanting faster and with uniform distancing for easier farm management.
mercial production. This could lead to

value-adding through the establishment of processing plants. However, in
order for processing plants to prosper,
there should be continuous supply of
raw materials that will ensure their
year-round operation.
Virata, for instance, lamented the
establishment of a tomato processing
plant in Bukidnon that did not prosper
because there was lack of raw materials
for processing.
**** **** ****
DAIRY BUFFALO FIESTA A
three-day Pistang Kalabaw will be
held at the Philippine Carabao Centers
national headquarters in Muoz City on
March 25-27.
This is under the auspices of the
Philippine Council for Agriculture,

Aquatic and Natural Resources Reseaqrch and Development (PCAARRD)
now headed by its new executive
director, Dr. Rey Ebora. The event
is in pursuit of its on-going program
called Farms and Industry Encounters
Through the Science and Technology
Agenda (FIESTA).
The activities during the Pistang
Kalabaw will include exhibits, essay
writing contest, cooking competition,
technology to people (T2P), and technomart for silage production. Aside from
conducting or promoting products and
technologies, the event aims to improve
milk production of the dairy buffalo as
well as the processing and development
of competitive milk-derived products.
YANMAR TRACTOR Yanmar Philippines will also distribute farm tractors locally. Tractors make land preparation faster and more thoroughly than the use of farm animals.
Because plowing and harrowing are faster, the farmer is spared of the back-breaking
chore of preparing his fields with animal power. Yanmar of Japan is more than 100 years
old and is one of four major Japanese firms manufacturing agricultural machineries
that are distributed in the Philippines.
MANGOSTEEN IN TERESA, RIZAL Mangosteen does not only grow in Mindanao, it

will also grow well and bear fruit in places in Luzon like Teresa, Rizal. Photo shows
the developing fruits of a seven-year-old seedling tree (not grafted) in Teresa. Seedling
trees grow taller and with more branches than grafted ones. Since fruits are borne at
the tip of each branch, seedling trees produce more fruits than grafted trees.
FLORIFEROUS PERANTE ORANGE Photo shows a Perante orange grown in a rubberized container with profuse flowers after the
tree was sprayed with Power Grower Combo. Power Grower Combo is a formulation by Alfonso G. Puyat which accelerates growth
of plants, at the same time making them strong for fruit production. The formulation induces the plant to absorb nutrients from
the soil. Power Grower Combo is also effective in enhancing the growth and productivity of vegetables, rice, corn, sugarcane and
many other farm crops.
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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
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
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
(036)2886633
One
Boracay Resort
OneMGMBoracayResort
MGM
(036)2886111/2886777
andConventionCenter
and Convention Center
Boracay Island
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
(036)2886633
BoracayRegencyBeach
(036) 288-3507
(036)
(036)2886111/2886777
288-3758
The
(036)2883208
BoracayHills
Boracay
(036)2883208 Beach Resort
(036)2884288
(036)2884288
(036)2883315
Boracay
Island
(036)2883764

Red
Coconut
RedCoconut
BeachHotel
BeachResort
(036)2883794to97
(036) 288-3507
(036)
(036)2883794to97
288-3758
Water Colors Boracay

(036)2883208Dive Resorts
(036)2884288

Boracay Island,
The District Boracay

Malay, Aklan
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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CLASSIFIED BOX ADS RATE
Weekdays - P 315.00 per col./cm.
Sundays - P 370.00 per col./cm.
(All quoted rates are subject to VAT)
CLASSIFIED LINE ADS RATE

Weekdays - P 92.00 per line
Sundays - P 104.00 per line
(All quoted rates are subject to VAT)
B9
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Classified Ads
B-10
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B-11
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Classified Ads
B-12
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DENRs inaction...
The motor vehicle industry, however,
would like to keep the original timetable of
January 2016. The Department of Energy
has also expressed its desire to keep the
original implementation schedule in consideration of the oil companies, which are not
yet ready for their Euro 4 compliant fuel.
Existing car models, which are still
using Euro 2 standards, have two years
to replace their vehicles with Euro 4 standards.
MMPC has just launched its first model
this year the all-new Strada pick up model,
which is still Euro 2 compliant. MMPC is
also set to launch two more models for the
Saturday, March 21, 2015 B-13
B-1
rest of the year.

The Euro 4 standards would also make
prices of vehicles more expensive by 20
percent because of the changes in the cars
fuel system.
The penalty for Euro 4 implementation
is of course going to be expensive because
there would be more components with Euro
4 emission ready, Dytianquin said but
added that the increase in prices of vehicles
will depend on how the big oil players will
be pricing their Euro 4.
We cannot say really the penalty but
as far as we're looking at the up is about 20
percent because the total fuel system will
JGS, SMC, Megawide...

However, air traffic control services
(ATC), air navigation services (ANS) and
operations and maintenance of the ATC
and ANS facilities of the five airports will
continue to be under the responsibility of
CAAP.
The Puerto Princesa airport, construction of which is still on-going, is the countrys seventh busiest airport which boasts
of tourist-driven passenger growth rate.
B-1
According to the government, passenger

traffic has been increasing at an average
annual rate of 22.86 percent.
Due to the increasing passenger demand, the government has secured an
official development assistance (ODA) loan
from Korea to finance the construction of
a new world-class international airport in
Puerto Princesa. In 2014, Koreas Kumho
Industrial Co. Ltd.-GS Engineering &
be expensive, he said.
Meantime, MMPC is targeting total
sales of 700 units a month of Strada to make
it the market leader in the pick-up truck
segment. Strada had sold a total of over
51,000 units since 1991 and was number 3
in this segment last year A. The pick-up
segment, wherein 5 different players are
competing, is also growing robustly.
There is a huge following of Strada and
good market acceptance of this product.
Most of the owners are really happy given
the new features that exceed expectations,
he said.
The new Strada is also very competitive
from a low of P950,000 to a high of P1.44
million.
We aim to get around 20 percent market share of the pick-up market segment,
he said.
According to Dytianquin, one of the
most exciting features of Strada is the
comfort.
Strada has the longest cabin in its
class, even features from dashboard, the
steering wheel and seats will not feel it is
the traditional pick up but rather a sports
utility vehicle or a sporty sedan that's how
we're selling it as a comfortable pick up for
work or business, he said.
Construction Joint Venture (Kumho-GS)
bagged the $82.9-million contract to design
and build the facility, which is expected to
be constructed by 2017.
Excluding the new Puerto Princesa
airport from the regional airport bundling
PPP projects is seen as a clever move for
government to instead group it with Coron
and Busuanga airports, which are likewise
tourist destinations on their own rights, as
well as the new airport in San Vincente under a comprehensive airport development
plan for Palawan.
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Air
Sea
Land
Singapore Air in talks

over stake in Jeju Air
SINGAPORE (Reuters) Singapore

Airlines Ltd is in talks to buy a stake
in South Koreas largest low-cost
carrier Jeju Air Co Ltd, a deal that
would be the flag carriers first foray
into North Asia where rising demand
from Chinese passengers is fuelling
growth. Singapore Airlines (SIA) and
Jeju Air said they were in talks about a
possible investment, but that nothing
had been decided.
Shipping Bulletin
B14 Saturday, March 21, 2015
LATAM Airlines sees $1-B

savings on lower fuel costs
SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) LATAM

Airlines, Latin Americas largest carrier,
expects to save over $1 billion in 2015
due to lower fuel costs, resulting in
improved margins, a company executive
said. The airline, formed in a 2012 tie-up
between Chiles LAN and Brazils TAM,
swung to a profit in the fourth quarter,
posting net income of $98.3 million in the
period, compared with a net loss of $46.1
million in the fourth quarter of 2013.
NLEX opens new

segment connecting
to Camanava
By KRIS BAYOS
SOLAR IMPULSE LANDS IN MANDALAY AIRPORT (EPA) Staff work near the Solar Impulse 2 at the Mandalay International
airport in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 19, 2015. Solar Impulse 2 is the only solar single-seater airplane able to fly day and
night without a drop of fuel. An attempt at the first circumnavigation of the earth in a solar-powered airplane began in
Abu Dhabi with Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg at the controls, the team said. Borschberg will take turns with fellow Swiss
aviator Bertrand Piccard to fly the Solar Impulse 2 in a trip that will take them around the world in a dozen legs until
early August. Borschberg and Piccard have said they would use self-hypnosis and yoga to endure the long solo flights
and the extreme changes in temperature. The next stop will be China. The plane will then cross the Pacific to Hawaii and
on to the US mainland. Following a flight across the Atlanic and over the Mediterranean region, the pilots are planning
to return to the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Solar-powered plane lands

in Myanmar on latest leg
ANGON, Myanmar (AP) A

solar-powered plane landed in
Myanmar on Thursday night, the
latest leg of a round-the-world
trip aimed at highlighting clean energy.
Dozens of trees had to be cleared
ahead of the Solar Impulse 2s arrival at
the Mandalay International Airport for
its giant mobile hangar and exhibition
tent, said Taik Aung, the countrys director of air navigation and safety division.
Towering shrubs along the runway also
needed to be trimmed to accommodate
the planes 72-meter wing span, said
Corinne Henchoz Pignani, of the Swiss
Embassy in Yangon.
The Impulse 2 has 12 scheduled stopovers during its five-month journey.
Swiss pilots Bertrand Piccard and
Andre Borschberg are taking turns
flying the aircraft, which is powered by

more than 17,000 solar cells on its wings
that recharge the planes batteries.
The single-seat, Swiss-made plane
left the northern Indian town of Varanasi early Thursday after several weather
delays and flew over the Bay of Bengal
and reached Mandalay at 7:50 p.m.
As the plane touches down in Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city,
a band of hundreds of students played
music and dancers performed a regional dance wearing elephant costumes
decorated with gold and glass gems.
The flight has attracted attention
from people who see solar power as
a future source of clean, renewable
energy.
Two other aircraft an ATR 72 and
Ilyushin 76 - were carrying equipment
for the solar plane and a 70 support

staff, said Soe Paing, a member of the
planes local task force team. Myanmars government was picking up the
tab for the 20,000 gallons of fuel needed
for the support planes on the Mandalay
leg, he said.
The Solar Impulse 2 is scheduled
to continue onward to Chongqing and
Nanjing in China on Sunday. It then
heads over the Pacific Ocean, landing
in Hawaii and the US mainland before
flying over the Atlantic Ocean.
Some legs of the trip, such as over
the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, means
five days and five nights of flying solo.
But the pilots have prepared for the
exhaustive long stretches: Borschberg
has been practicing yoga, while Piccard
uses self-hypnosis to calm himself.
Rates for capesize bulk show no

improvement as owners lay-up ships
By KEITH WALLIS
SINGAPORE (Reuters) Rates

for capesize bulk carriers, which have
been close to six-year lows for the last
two months, show little sign of improvement as a tonnage glut and scarcity of
cargo continue to weigh on the market,
brokers said.
Owners' gloom about the state of
the capesize market has led several
operators to put their 180,000 dwt (deadweight tonne) capesize vessels in "hot
lay-up", a Singapore-based capesize
broker said on Thursday.
That is where ships are anchored,
onboard equipment including engines

partially mothballed and the crew is cut
to save costs for an extended period.
"There are six or seven ships we
know about," the broker added. That
indicated those owners saw little prospect of a significant improvement in the
capesize market for six to nine months,
the broker said.
Average daily capesize freight rates
have been below daily operating costs
since mid-December, data from British
shipping services firm Clarkson showed.
"The capesize market is pretty
grim," the Singapore broker said. Iron
ore miners including Rio Tinto, BHP
Billiton and Vale are still chartering vessels but fixtures are fewer, he said.
Cargo volumes from Brazil and
Australia, which normally rise in the
second quarter on better weather, will
not increase because both countries
experienced dry conditions in the first
quarter, Norwegian ship broker Fearnley said in a weekly research note on
Wednesday.
Charter rates for the Western Australia-China route hovered around $4.42 per
tonne on Wednesday, virtually unchanged
from a week earlier. Rates are still close
to $4.12 per tonne reached on Jan. 12, the
lowest since December 2008.
Motorists coming from Central and

Northern Luzon now have alternate access to Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and
Valenzuela (Camanava) areas with the
opening of the North Luzon Expressway
(NLEX) Segment 9 Thursday.
The 2.42-kilometer Segment 9 connects NLEX from the Smart Connect
Interchange to MacArthur Highway in
Karuhatan, Valenzuela City. It was built
at a cost of R1.59 billion and expected to
serve up to 27,000 vehicles daily on its
first year of operation.
Vehicles going to Camanava via
NLEX can take the west-bound ramp
at the Smart Connect Interchange,
proceed through Segment 9 and take
MacArthur Highway instead of exiting at the Valenzuela Interchange and
passing through the congested Maysan
Road. Vehicles going to the Port Area,
can take the same route and pass by
Monumento in Caloocan instead of exiting at Balintawak and going through
traffic-heavy EDSA, MNTC president
Rodrigo E. Franco said.

Franco said the opening of NLEX
Segment 9 will speed up movement of
people and goods between Central and
North Luzon and Metro Manila, particularly the Camanava area, by providing
alternate routes to motorists.
By linking NLEX and MacArthur
Highway, we expect to see increased
economic activities in these areas
since it will improve transport logistics
through the more efficient movement of
trucks, Franco said.
The economic benefits Segment 9 will
bring are expected to increase further
when Segment 10 of the NLEX Harbor Link
is finished in late 2016, according to Franco.
Segments 9 and 10 will be linked via the
NLEX Karuhatan Valenzuela Interchange.
Stretching 5.65 kilometers long, Segment
10 will largely be an elevated expressway,
directly linking NLEX and MacArthur
Highway to Manilas Port Area district.
When Segments 9 and 10 become
operational, the countrys port congestion problem will be a thing of the past,
Franco noted.
Port of San Francisco

and PPA renew sister
port agreement
By EDU LOPEZ
The Philippine Ports Authority

(PPA) and the Port of San Francisco
have agreed to further strengthen their
port agreement following the visit of a
delegation from the Port of San Francisco Commission early this week to
observe port operations in Manila.
The visit is the first under the
agreement signed last year to come up
with several measures to facilitate the
exchange of trade between the Ports of
Manila and the Port of San Francisco.
Under their partnership, both parties will share general information,
policies and best practices on port planning and building, port management
and operations, information technology, personnel training, environmental
protection measures, port safety and
security, supply chain logistics, cruise
tourism, among others.
It is also expected to encourage
more trade and business opportunities
between the two ports by promoting
the relationship and benefits of doing
business with the sister ports, and by
stimulating port traffic and other port
related activities.
The Ports of the Manila, composed
of the Manila International Container
Terminal (MICT) and the Manila South
Harbor (MSH), handle about 85% of
foreign container trade while the Port of
San Francisco is Americas gateway to
East Asia that offers major assets such
as naturally deep water, hundreds of
square feet of covered storage, on-dock
rails, acres of unobstructed lay-down
space and modern and well maintained
cargo terminals.
In 2011, the PPA also forged a sister
port agreement with Incheon in South
Korea, which was primarily aimed at
promoting trade and maritime transport
between the two countries by way of
mutual assistance and port cooperation
particularly in the field of port studies,
training and apprenticeship, exchange of
information, technical assistance as well
as traffic development and promotion of
services between the two ports.
Last year, PPA likewise signed a
sister port agreement with Chinas
Guangzhou Port Authority to facilitate
shipments of goods between Guangzhou
and the ports of Manila and Davao.
NYK, MTI unveil energy-saving

AGCT opens COSCO Rijeka regl service adjustments to container vessel
Adriatic Gate Container Terminal

(AGCT), International Container Terminal Services, Inc.s (ICTSI) container
handling facility in the Port of Rijeka,
Croatia, recently launched China Ocean
Shipping (Group) Co.s (COSCO),
AdriaticGreeceTurkey service (AGT)
when COSCO selected AGCT as the
first port of call of the service.
The AGCT launch was marked by
the maiden call of Contship Eco last
February 24. The service, which directly
connects Rijeka with Greek and Turkish
ports, also links the Northern Adriatic
ports with Piraeus, Greece. For Rijeka,
the AGT service presents huge trade
opportunities, especially for imports.
Contship Eco, together with two
other vessels deployed to the service,
Orkun Kalvan and Reecon Emir, calls
Rijeka once a week, and plies the ports
of Piraeus, Koper, Venecija, Ancona,
Thessaloniki, Istanbul Ambarli, Istanbul
Haydarpasa, Yilport Gebze and Izmir.
COSCO is China's largest enter-
Maiden call of COSCOs Contship Eco at ICTSIs Adriatic Gate Container Terminal.
prise specializing in global shipping,
modern logistics and ship building and
repairing.
AGCT, on the other hand, is a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services, Inc., operator, manager
and developer of container terminals
in over 20 countries across the Asia-
Pacific, the Americas, and Europe,

Middle East, and Africa.
Established in 1987 and headquartered in the Philippines, ICTSI has built a
solid portfolio of successful port privatization partnerships with governments, and
offers shipping line clients the advantage
of high standards of service.
Japanese carrier Nippon Yusen

Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and the Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI) have
made energy-saving adjustments to
a containership resulting in a verified
23 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions over half a year,
greater than the amount estimated
prior to the tests.
NYK said to reduce energy consumption, containerships often sail at
a speed that is much slower than the
average speed anticipated when the
ship was designed and built.
To make existing ships more energy
efficient at these slower speeds, the NYK
Group has been conducting research
since the summer of 2013, studying
measures such as remodelling the ships
bulbous bow and installing MT-FAST.
Bulbous bow is a protruding bulb
at the front of a ship just below the waterline. The bulb modifies the way the
water flows around the hull, reducing
drag and thus increasing speed, range,

and fuel efficiency.
MT-FAST is a fuel-saving device fitted
to the submerged part of a vessel's hull
to maximize the vessels propulsive efficiency, thus resulting in fuel savings.
NYK said that Big Data analyses
using actual voyage data gathered over
half a year after the implementation of
improvements in June, 2014 were conducted by the NYK Group, and a 23%
reduction in CO2 emissions was subsequently certified by the ship classification society ClassNK. The conversion
was also verified not to affect the safe
operation of the vessel or the operating
condition of the engine.
The adoption of energy-efficient
technology is being supported by a grant
provided through the Maritime Port
Authority of Singapores Green Technology Program and also supported by the
ClassNK joint research and development for industry program. (EHL)
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Editor: AA PATAWARAN
@mblifestyle
MB Lifestyle
@manilabulletinlifestyle
Moms&Kids
Section Editor: AMYLINE QUIEN CHING
C1 Saturday, March 21, 2015
mblifestyle@gmail.com
Got a Ticket
for the Long
Way Round
STORY ON C3
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Lifestyle
C-2
PARENTING POSTS
A Better World
Every parent dreams of a world where their children
can live healthy, happy, and better lives.
Better Nutrition
What children affect their health.
Excessive eating of sweets,
for instance, coupled with an
unhealthy diet and no exercise,
increases the risk of children
getting diabetes when they are
older. To raise awareness on
diabetes, the Philippine chapter
of the American Association of
Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE),
supported by AstraZeneca
BIRTHDAY CORNER
Ysabella
Maurie T.
Rivera,
Mar 17
Pharmaceuticals, conducted a
series of lectures on diabetes
and its complications to 500
grade 5 students in Bago
Bantay Elementary School in
Quezon City and Nemesio Yabut
Elementary School in Makati.
The lectures also hope to
encourage children to engage
in physical activities and teach
them healthy eating habits.
Alezandro
Joaquin
Garnace,
Mar 19
Caitlin
Ysabelle Woo
Fong, Mar 20
Better School Environment

Despite the efforts of the
government and the private
sector, there are still hundreds of
schools in the country that need
to be renovated. World Vision, in
partnership with Zonrox Gentle
Clean, organized the White Event,
the first online auction in the

Philippines to offer white-colored
clothes from local celebrities for
bidding. Proceeds will be use for
the rehabilitation and restoration
of Catmon Integrated School
in Malabon.
Athena Zia
Santillan,
Mar 16
Healthier Life
Margarette
Anne
Estillore
Mar 17
Adults are not the only ones who can get cancer. Every three minutes,
a child is diagnosed with cancer. In the Philippines, about 3,500
Filipino children develop cancer each year. That is equivalent to almost
10 children every day. To address this issue, My Child Matters (MCM)
Philippines, spearheaded by the Philippine Childrens Medical Center
(PCMC) in collaboration with the Department of Health-National Center
for Pharmaceutical Access and Management, came out with a Manila
Manifesto, a call-to-action document that details the consensus reached
among childhood cancer experts, cancer advocates and parents who
attended town hall meetings conducted in various parts of the Philippines.
Kaylee
Bautista,
Mar 20
Better Learners
Better Future
Not all children are lucky
enough to study in a good
school or afford healthcare.
It is for these disadvantaged
Filipino children that
Childrens Hour held a
benefit luncheon. Graced
by respected figures in
the business industry,
select Childrens Hour
beneficiaries, and donors,
the lunch event raised
R4.3 million, all of which
will go to building of more
classrooms and improving the lives
of marginalized Filipino children,
nationwide. childrenshour.org.ph
William Andrae
Walker, Mar 18
Raijon
Spencer M.
Sia, Mar 2
Danielle
Tricia
Marie
G. Ward,
Mar 17
Prince Albert Olivar,

Mar 20
Greet your baby on

his or her birthday
and get the chance
to win a gift card
from The SM Store!
Parenthink
We'd love to hear fro

m you. What
other articles would yo
u like to read in
Manila Bulletin's Satu
rday parenting
section Moms&Kids?
Email your comments
and
suggestions to
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m.
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Bulletin Muralla cor. Recoletos Sts., Intramuros,
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your name, your baby's name, birthday, age, and
contact numbers and use them as filename. To
claim your prize, please contact 527-8121 loc. 384.
Prizes not claimed within 60 days will be forfeited.
WINNER
Healthy children perform well

in school, not only because
they have fewer absences
but also because they
are more alert. Westmont
Pharmaceuticals, maker
of Appebon Kid vitamins,
and World Vision launched
a number of programs like
"Happetite School Caravan"
and Noche Buena packs
to promote better nutrition
among students, covering
200 schools in 10 major
cities nationwide.
Steven Glen
C. Egwaras,
Mar 15
www.facebook.com/m
bmoms
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Lifestyle
Saturday, March 21, 2015 C-3
Got a Ticket for the Long Way Round

Traveling with kids is not going to be easy, but itll be the
best experience you can ever give them
e are gearAnd it happens to be true.

ing up for an
Nothing quite compares
epic
sumto seeing the real things
mer vacathey have been (and will
tion in a few months.
be) learning and readOur route: Singaporeing about at home or in
Australia-Hong Kongschool. Your children will
US. Three countries.
be exposed to different
Two long haul flights
countries, different culthe mommy
well, five in total. Three
tures, perhaps different
project
children, five years old
languages and different
AMANDA GRIFFIN
and under. Two, still in
histories. Thats definitely
JACOB
diapers. Are we nuts?
better than any textbook
Perhaps.
or computer screen, plus
The last time we traveled long
it provides your child with a perspechaul, as a family, was in 2012. We
tive that stretches beyond their usual
were only four in the family then
world.
and Kalon, my youngest at the
But traveling with children isnt
time, was only three months old, so
easy. It alters the way you vacation
he was easy to travel with. We do
and experience every trip.You cant
short hops around Asia all the time,
just choose destinations on a whim.
but it just so happens
we havent done lengthy
flights for the last two
years.
So why torture ourselves, you ask? Well,
the short answer is we
love to travel. And although getting to our
destinations may be fraught with
Your holiday must be well thought
trials, vacations like these are the
out. Vacations with children are not
stuff of which every familys greatmeant to be spontaneous. They need
est memories are made. I have yet
to be meticulously planned and preto mention the many other advanpared for with an allowance for the
tages of traveling as a family.
possibilityno, the probabilityYou have probably heard this:
that things will not go as planned,
The world is the greatest classthat they would need to be adjusted
room your children can learn from.
and altered to suit the situation with
Vacations are the stuff

of which familys greatest
memories are made.
your children. For example, we

originally planned to go to San
Francisco from Los Angeles.
But I couldnt bear the thought
of traveling on a domestic
plane in the States for such a
short flight. Too much hassle.
Too many bags. Too many of
us. Too much stress. We decided that we will drive instead.
People think we are crazy to do
an eight-hour drive with three
young children but we tweaked
our plan and decided to break
up the trip by spending a night
somewhere along the way. We
also recognize that this will
take triple the time compared
to flying (if you figure in stops
for potty breaks, eating, sleeping, and sanity) but this will no
doubt be a fantastic aspect of
our vacation.
Another great benefit of
traveling with your children
when they are still young is that you
pass on the travel bug to them. I
was on a plane within months of my
birth and havent stopped traveling
since. My parents are avid travelers
and I definitely inherited my love of
seeing the world and experiencing
new things from them. Children are
naturally inquisitive beings. Nourish
that curiosity of the world to enrich
their development.
Lastly, traveling to new locales
with your children will help you to really get to know your kid(s). Theres
My eldest Kieran taking my new Samsonite spin trunk from SM Shoe City
a literal spin while traveling back to Singapore from Manila.
nothing like hour in/hour out togetherness to find out what your children
are really like, especially for working
parents who may not get the opportunity to spend as much time with their
little ones on a daily basis.
The more you travel with them,
the easier it gets. Children who start
traveling from an early age become
expert travelers very quickly. My
children are so at home on airplanes

and in different places because it is
all they have ever known. But dont
expect it to be all smooth sailing. As
a parent, you know youve just got to
duck the curve balls or learn how to
catch them. As I keep saying, parenthood is all about being able to adapt
on the fly. This is what makes our every adventure so inspiring and fun.
Good Eats
What to eat and not to eat when youre expecting
By Mary Rose A. Jimenez

Pregnant moms eating for two (or
more) are often on the lookout for something good to eat.
Eating becomes such a pleasure and
cravings intensify that you just want to
let go and indulge. But contrary to popular opinion, you cannot eat whatever you
want, as many as you want, when youre
pregnant. Instead, a balanced nutrition
should be the goal because you not just
eating for survival, you are also eating
to make sure that your unborn baby gets
every nutrient he/she needs to develop
well inside your womb. Eating smart also
protects you and your baby from chemicals, organisms,
and
excesses.
Good nutrition not only affects your
health and general wellbeing, it is also crucial to the embryogenesis or the formation
of your baby as this is the time when the
brain and the most vital organ systems
are formed. It also impacts our babys
health even until adulthood, adds Dr.
Patricia Malay Kho, OB-gyne, infectious
diseases specialist and an International
Board Certified Lactation consultant at
the St. Lukes Medical Center, Global City.
She suggests that mothers adhere to the
Healthy Eating Plate method and to aim
for a variety of foods from all food groups.
Heres a list of what to eat and not to eat w
hen
youre pregnant.
1. Green and leafy vegetables
and fruits
Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables assures moms a healthy supply of
folic acid, iron, vitamin B, vitamin C, and
vitamin A. Malunggay, for instance, is
rich in iron and is very affordable. Freshly squeezed fruit juices and organically
grown fruits and vegetables made into
juices with less sugar are safe and deliciously healthy.
Do Not Eat: Unwashed fruits and vegetables that may contain harmful chemicals
like pesticides as well as organisms that
can make you sick like amoeba, salmonella, and ecoli.
2. Eggs, soy products, beans, and fish

Rich sources of protein include small
fishes like sardines, dilis, galunggong,
hasa-hasa, and wild salmon. Fresh eggs
cooked very well are nutritious.
Do Not Eat: Uncooked meats and fish that
host food-borne illnesses. No sushi and
sashimi in the meantime. Keep away, too,
from big fishes like blue marlin, tuna, and
tanigue, which can have high levels of mercury. Also avoid liver, which contains too
much Vitamin A.
3. Lean meat
Meats are another rich source of protein but make sure you are served leaner
meat. Too much fats in your diet can cause
problems.
Go Slow: with processed foods like hotdogs, longganisa, and tocino. They contain
nitrates and have high salt content. Foods
with preservatives are also unhealthy.
4. Whole-grain breads, wheat bread, hard
noodles, cereal, and rice
Food that is high in fiber is healthy. For
rice, try red, brown, or black rice, which are
high in fiber and contain less sugar. Cereals, on the other hand, are good sources of
calcium and folic acid.
Go Slow: with starchy white breads, potato
and corn chips, and food with high sugar
content like cakes, pastries, and drinks.
Avoid soft drinks.
5. Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and
canola oil
Enjoy going oil-the-way with healthy
choices of cooking oils for your food.
6. Pasteurized milk and cheeses
Calcium is essential when youre pregnant. This is because babies get their calcium directly from their moms. This is why
some moms develop problems with their
teeth or bones immediately after giving
birth. Milk and cheese are good sources of
calcium, as well as oranges, broccoli, and
tofu.
Do Not Eat: Unpasteurized milk and milk
products like unpasteurized blue cheese
may cause pregnancy complications.
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Lifestyle
C-4
Camp
Give Back
This summer, give your kids
the opportunity to help the
world that sustains them
By Cecile Baltasar
he beginning of summer doesnt just mean the end of a school year

(at least in this part of the world). It also means parents getting inundated with social media posts, emails, and even fliers persuading
them to enrol their kids in all sorts of things that will make summer
more interesting.
But do you know what will top off a potentially fun and educational summer for your child? The chance to give back while learning a new skill or
gaining a new insight about the world. Weve compiled a short list of summer activitiesmost of them summer campsthat your child can sign up
for. What makes these activities different from summers usual fare is each
activity does not just educate your children but also empower and encourage
them to give back to their communities, to society, and to the world.
So how about it? Give your childand yourselfthe chance to help make
the world a better place this summer.
Science Camp
Got a little Darwin or Edison in the family?

Sign your kids up for a couple of days of
discovering science this summer! In this
campwhich aims to spot future scientists
who will fill up the countrys brain drainkids
will be doing practical science experiments,
giving them a totally new appreciation of
how science, and the world, works.
Who: Kids, four to 12 years old
When: May 8 to 10
Where: Exploreum, SM Mall of Asia
Contact: 02 863 2781, www.exploreum.ph
GK Farm Camp
Gawad Kalingas Enchanted

Farm is indeed magical, but not
in the Harry Potter way that you
might think. Its magic lies in the
way this farm has successfully
wiped out poverty for an entire
lot of previously homeless people
through local and international
social entrepreneurship. Your
kids overnight stay at the farm
will teach them how to make
stuffed toys, plant herbs, do
farm-to-kitchen cooking, and
care for farm animals. In short,
this camp will teach your child
how to save the world, by helping
others and caring for nature.
Who: Kids, five to 12 years old
When: March 28 to 29, April 11
to 12, and May 9 to 10
Where: GK Enchanted Farm,
Angat, Bulacan
Contact:
info@gkenchantedfarm.com
Camp Explore
How else do you teach kids to
appreciate and love nature than
through first-hand experience?
Camp Explore has several year-long
camping activities for everyone, so
might as well take advantage of your
kids free time this summer and sign
them up. Forest Camp is for beginner
campers and it teaches them how
nature sustains life. Beach Camp
for, but not restricted to, repeatcampershas an extra perk: when
your kids get hot, they can just jump

onto the water.
Who: Kids, seven to 12 years old and
teens, 13 to 16 years old
When: April 28 to 30 for kids and
April 29 to 30 for families
Where: Forest Camp is at Mount
Purro Nature Reserve, at the foot
of the Sierra Madre mountain
range; Beach Camp is at a private
compound in San Juan, Batangas
Contact: www.mycampexplore.com
Volunteer Work
Camp Adobo
Its never too early to teach kids the magic of

bayanihan. At Camp Adobos Kabayanihan ng
Kabataang PinoyA Summer Adventure Up North,
kids wont only learn about Philippine culture and
history, they will also be indirectly helping the
charities that Camp Adobo supports as part of the
camps proceeds will go to these charities.
Who: Kids and teens, six to 15 years old
When: April 16 to 19
Where: Ilocos Region
Contact: campadobo@yahoo.com, 63 906 451
1487, 63 916 624 2593, Facebook/Camp Adobo,
Instagram/@campadobo
Paradise Adventure Camp
Kythe Foundation, a nongovernmental

organization that helps out children with
cancer and other chronic illnesses, is
not offering any camps this summer,
but it is giving your kids the chance to
volunteer to be a kythe-bigan. Upon
signing up, your kid (or even the entire
family) will be taught how to interact
with very sick children. The whole
point of this is to make a sick childs
stay in the hospital as comfortable
and as happy as possible. Once
in, your child (and you, perhaps?)
can take part in activities in the
playroom, at the bedside, or even
outside the hospital with
the children.
Who: Any child willing to help
When: volunteer orientation is on
April 11, 8:45 a.m.
Where: Kythe Office, Room 201
FSS 1 Bldg., #20 Scout Tuason
cor. Scout Castor Sts., Bgy. Laging Handa,
Quezon City.
Contact: www.kythe.org
Youth Marine &

Wildlife Camps
2015
Danjugan Island
In this camp, kids have a mantra: We learn. We train. Wont stop. Wont quit. Knowing that, youd get an idea just what this camp
teaches kids. In the midst of rapelling down a 45-foot tower, ziplining, walking on a hanging bridge, and getting through obstacle
courses, kids learn how to be stewards of the environment.
Who: School-age kids and older
Where: Paradise 1, Tungkong Mangga, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
Contact: 02 666 5106, 02 546 9504, 63 917 515 3839, and 63 922 830 2305
Negros Occidental
Marine and Wildlife Camp
Historical Bike Tour

Bambike Ecotours Intramuros knows how
to entertain, educate, and give back, all at
the same time. The tour will first introduce
your child to a fleet of bamboo bikes, each
of which was handmade by craftsmen
from the communities of Gawad Kalinga.
Then, it will let your child (and you) pick
a ride. After, it will take your child (and
you) around Intramuros on your chosen
bikes, all the while, teaching you about
Philippine history. So you and your child
get to exercise, learn and appreciate the

history of our country, and help a poor
community stand on its own feet. All in a
days tour!
Who: Any parent and child combo. The
tour may be more than two hours, so your
child should be a strong biker.
When: Anytime
Where: Intramuros, Manila
Contact: ecotours@bambike.com,
02 525 829, www.bambike.com
Let your child spend his summer learning how to be

a conservationist. Hed have a better appreciation of
nature and a sense of responsibility for it. In this camp,
run by the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation
Foundation, Inc., kids get to spend five days and four
nights in a small island teeming with unbelievably
diverse land and sea creatures. Kids will make new
friends, have loads of fun, and most of all, theyll learn
how to care for our earth, and save it.
Who: Kids and teens, 12 to 16 years old
When: April 7 to 11 and May 5 to 9
Where: Danjugan Island, Bgy. Bulata, Cauayan. This
is about three-and-a-half hours south of Bacolod City,
Negros Occidental
Contact: experience@danjuganisland.ph, www.
danjuganisland.ph, www.prrcf.org
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Editor: JOJO P. PANALIGAN

@Bulletin_Ent
Manila Bulletin Entertainment Online
D1 Saturday, March 21, 2015
entertainment.mlabulletin@gmail.com
Mark Bautistas star

By Marjorie s. Duran
ark Bautistas experience

in musical theater here
and abroad including his
portrayal of Crisostomo
Ibarra in Ryan Cayabyabs Noli Me
Tangere, and his depiction of former
President Ferdinand Marcos in the
West End production Here Lies Love
has given him a better grasp of how
to handle different audiences.
Noting how local theatergoers
are more critical than their foreign
counterparts, he told Bulletin Entertainment, Mas nape-pressure
ako mag-perform dito (sa Pilipinas).
Mas maraming masasabi sa performance ang audience pero siguro kasi
mas maraming talented dito kaya
ganun.
He explained, Doon (West End)
kasi mas relaxed ako kasi hindi
nila ako kilala. Walang judgment na
parang, O, singer lang yan o pop star
lang yan. Dito kasi iko-compare (ka
sa iba) ang mga theater perform-
ers dito kikilatisin nila yung trabaho

mo.
Still, Mark likes challenges and he
looks forward to performing for his
countrymen in Resorts World Manilas
theater adaptation of classic drama
Bituing Walang Ninging: The Musical.
He will play the major role of Nico
Escobar, originally portrayed in film by
Christopher de Leon.
With newfound confidence, he said,
Alam ko na sa sarili ko yung gagawin ko compared nung dating nagteatro ako. Marami akong natutunan
sa experience abroad na ma-a-apply
ko dito.
On criticisms, he said, Expected
na yun kaya nga kailangan ko magprepare ng husto especially Tagalog
na iconic yung material ang gagawin.
Gusto ko pagbutihan yung trabaho
ko.
In preparation for the upcoming
play, Mark takes acting workshops
under director Freddie Santos and
regularly attends yoga classes to
help improve his

stamina.
Ito (Bituin)
yung first kong
Tagalog musical na
maraming speaking
lines so medyo kailangan kong mag-aral, he
admitted.
Mark is thankful
that many opportunities are now coming his way
following
his West
E n d
break.
S a
awa ng
Diyos nagbukas yung (mainstream) acting
jobs sa akin,
Mark said, noting that he will
start filming
a horror film
continues to shine
next month. He added, Malaki yung
naitulong kasi like pag may mga productions na ako sa Sunday All Stars,
mas nabibigyan nila ako ng chance
na gawin kung ano yung gusto kong
gawin.
The singer maintained he will
devote equal time to TV and singing.
Ayoko din namang iwanan
yung singing career ko pero
habang may offer na gagawing
project sa theater gusto ko talaga para din mas ma-exercise
yung acting ko, said he.
MARK BAUTISTA
Iya admits acting not her forte
By KAREN VALEZA
ya Villania has no qualms about

being known mainly as TV host
and performer. While many of her
contemporaries are eager to make
a name as actresses, Iya has been busy
co-hosting ASAP and MYX for many
years. Her last acting project was the
Kapamilya series Apoy Sa Dagat, which
aired some two years ago.
Ive been in the industry for 10 to 11
years na din and Ive tried to do what
I can. Im aware of what I am better at
and what I am not so great at. I like to be
real and true to myself. So, if I feel that
its not something that will do me good,
huwag na lang.
She added, There are many aspiring
actresses there, since hindi ko din naman forte, I would rather let them have
that opportunity and Ill do something na
lang na Im better at.
Iya shared that acting requires a lot
from her. I had to make it real for me.
Hindi ko kaya na i-acting lang, she said.
It takes that much out of me.
And theres the constant criticism.
Masakit talaga kapag ino-okray. It
doesnt come easy for me to cry. When
I cry, totoong tears iyon. So kapag inookray ako, Hindi mo alam kung anong
hirap ginawa ko? May hugot. I really try
not to take it personally, she said.
That is why shed rather do more
hosting and performing. Because thats
where I am more comfortable with. I
would also like to think thats what I do
Ken Alfonso hosts travel show
any are unaware that prior

to making a major transition to actor, singer and TV
host, Ken Alfonso worked
as business development officer of a
pharmaceutical company. It was talent
and good looks that served as his golden
ticket to showbiz.
Ken appeared in several TV commercials, before he was discovered
by talent manager and beauty queen
mentor Jonas Gaffud. He then left the
corporate world to pursue his passion
for performing, landing a part in the
defunct Kapuso teleserye Dading
before snagging a role on Kailan Ba
Tama Ang Mali?
As a celebrity, Ken had to make
major adjustments. Before, part
kasi of work, lalabas kayo ng clients
mo. Ngayon as much as possible, ipreserve mo (ang) sarili mo, hindi ka
masyadong makita sa public places,
Ken told Bulletin Entertainment in
an interview.
With a lot more to learn about
showbiz, Ken is determined to hone his
craft and not waste the opportunities
given to him.
Magkaibang level lang ng bigat,
more on personal responsibilities. Dapat andoon yung determination mo sa
trabaho kasi hindi lahat nabibigyan ng
opportunities, Ken said.
Given the choice, he noted,Gusto
ko muna makilala yung pagiging
good actor ko as Ken Alfonso. Kung
kaya naman natin isingit yung pagig-
better, she said.

But Iya is not closing her doors to
acting and may even be willing to do a
teleserye. Of course Im open to honing
the craft. If I have to do a soap, I promise,
like in anything that I do, I will do and
give everything that I can. If theres a
role there people think I can give justice
I will do it. I am open to anything, I will
do my best, she said.
More than drama, though, she may
feel more comforable doing comedy.
Kapag happy-happy, without batting an
eyelash, I will take it, she said.
Since transferring to GMA-7 November last year, Iya has been performing
regularly on Sunday All Stars. She also
co-hosts Taste Buddies with Solenn
Heussaff. She will soon host Mundo ni
hosting the travel show Touchdown

and he is grateful for the opportunity.
Sobrang saya kasi majority of the
ing singer and host, mas marami kang
places, first time ko, like sa Europe.
kayang gawin, mas maganda, he said.
This time, yung Hong Kong, cruise
Ken has released a single entitled
siya. So first time ko makasakay sa
Umaasa, which was used on GMAs
ganoong kalaking barko. I really love
teleserye Secret Love. His cover of John
travelling kapag may chance and kaLegends All of Me with Venus Raj also
pag may budget, Ken said.
made rounds online last year.
Asked what makes it different from
He hopes to work with Kapuso star
other travel shows, he shared, This is
Julie Anne San Jose in the future. Magalnot only to showcase dining experience,
ing kumanta si Julie Anne, tapos umthe culture, shopping in a certain place,
aarte and sumasayaw din siya,
but we will also be featuring other
he said.
Filipino talents abroad. Ipapakita
On actors he looks up to,
namin doon yung mga ginagawa
he said, Si John Lloyd, very
nila, like hosting, singing, dancestablished yung kanyang
ing.
acting. (I look up to him) as an
Co-hosting the show, which
actor, he said.
starts airing on GMA News TV
Ken also admires Dingdong
today at 11:30 a.m., are
Dantes not only for his
different beauty queens
acting talent, but for his
and celebrities.
advocacies.
As a frequent
Si Dingdong, hes
traveler, Ken has
not just an actor. Aside
valuable tips he
from what hes doing sa
wants to impart:
profession niya, meron
List down all
siyang goodwill projects.
the places you
Meron siyang tinutulunwant to visit.
gan na youth. So hindi lang
Pack light. Provsiya nagpo-focus sa ceren and tested na
tain craft niya, but sa mga
iyon. Always have
pwede niya pang gawin
beyond that. Gusto ko din
backup cash for
maging ganoon, ayaw ko
whatever happens.
lang magtrabaho just for
Find someone you
the sake na kumita. Gusto
can have fun with.
ko din magkaroon ng purLast, just enjoy and
pose in life, he said.
be spontaneous, he said.
ken alfonso
Ken will soon be seen
(Report by Karen Valeza)
The new star

In Bituing Walang Ninging:
The Musical, Sharon Cunetas
original character, Dorina Pineda, will be played by 20-year-old
Cebuana beauty named Monica
Cuenco, who bagged the role
after becoming the grand winner
in RWMs Search for the new
Dorina Pineda.
As a newbie in theater, she
finds it helpful to be around performers like Mark, whom she describes as

sobrang bait and approachable.
Marami akong natututunan pag
nagwo-worksop kami, kunwari hindi
ko po alam paano lagyan ng emotion
ang isang scene, tinuturuan nila ako,
she said.
Admitting she feels pressured stepping into the shoes of the Megastar,
Monica said, I always tell myself na
every time mag-perform ako, I always
pray to God first and sinasabi ko na,
Lord, Ikaw na bahala sa akin, na yung
part ko, gagawin ko yung best ko, yun
lang yung maaalay ko sayo.
Aside from winning the role, Monica
also earned an exclusive movie and
recording contract with Viva Communications, Inc. worth R1 million. She
also earned a contract with Full House
Theater Company Entertainment and
Productions Inc.
Bituing Walang Ningning: The
Musical, directed by Freddie, also
stars Cris Villonco and Ronnie Liang,
among others.
Juan sa Japan, which airs today after

when they were not yet married.
Celebrity Bluff.
Hindi namin nagagawa yung mga
Its a travel show where they not only
ibang bagay that married couples do.
feature the place, culture, but also the
Now that were married, its a whole new
Pinoys that now live there, their stories
level. Sobrang exciting para sa aming
of success and challenges. Iyon yung
dalawa, she said.
kakaiba compared to
other shows because
we feature what their
life is there now, Iya
said, noting how they
traveled to Tokyo,
Osaka and Nagoya to
feature Filipinos based
there.
Iya still looks like
a blushing bride, more
than a year after getting married to her
boyfriend of ten years,
Drew Arellano.
First year has
IYA VILLANIA at the statue of Hachiko in Japan for her new show
been sobrang exciting hanggang ngayon.
Feeling ko its gonna ba like this for a
They are reserving baby plans for
while, she said. Ang dami naming
next year. Iyon yung plan ko, pero baka
iba yung plan ni God, she said.
sinave until we got married. So until now
If a baby comes earlier, the couple will
its still exciting for us.
be more than happy. It will be a blessing.
Not having a baby yet gives the couple
I would rather na mapaaga kaysa sa
the chance to travel together, among
mahirapan ako.
things they did not get to do as much
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MOVIE SYNOPSIS

In the Philippines, the countdown has
begun as March 18 nears when cinemas
nationwide opens screens for the most
awaited spectacle of the year that is
Insurgent.
THE DIVERGENT
SERIES: INSURGENT
MAGIC STAR MALL

Tarlac City
RESERVED CINEMA
RESERVED CINEMA
Cinderella
The Gunman
RESERVED
RESERVED
RESERVED
RESERVED CINEMA
VAMPIRE SUCK -PG13
RESERVED CINEMA
1
1
dragon Nest:
Warriors Dawn
Crazy
Beautiful You
Insurgent
Run All Night
R16
(NOTICE TO MOVIEGOERS:The
schedules of showing are subject
to change without prior notice.
Sometimes a movie is pulled
out earlier than its stipulated
days of showing due to sudden
change in exhibition contract or
poor performance at the boxoffice. The following schedules
are provided us in advance by
exhibitors. You may call the
theaters for confirmation.)
The Divergent Series:

Insurgent raises the stakes for
Tris as she searches for allies and
answers in the ruins of a futuristic
Chicago. Tris (Shailene Woodley)
and Four (Theo James) are now
fugitives on the run, hunted by
Jeanine (Kate Winslet), the leader
of the power-hungry Erudite
elite. Racing against time, they
must find out what Triss family
sacrificed their lives to protect,
and why the Erudite leaders will
do anything to stop them. Haunted
by her past choices but desperate
to protect the ones she loves, Tris,
with Four at her side, faces one
impossible challenge after another
as they unlock the truth about the
past and ultimately the future of
their world.
THE
COBBLER
INSURGENT
pg
pg
CINDERELLA in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
KIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN
in 2D s/ CHAPPIE in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
CINDERELLA
CHAPPIE in 2D s/ CRAZY
BEAUTIFUL YOU in 2D
KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE
in 2D s/ CINDERELLA
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D

EXISTS in 2D s/ WILD CARD in 2D
THE COBBLER in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
THE COBBLER in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CRAZY BEAUTOFUL YOU

in 2D
DRAGON
NEST
INSURGENT
R-16
pg
WILD CARD in 2D
CHAPPIE in 2D s/
CINDERELLA in 2D
RESERVED
RESERVED
EXISTS in 2D
RUN ALL
NIGHT // THE
GUNMAN
CINDERELLA
INSURGENT
R-16
pg
THE COBBLER in 2D
KINGSMAN: THE
SECRET SERVICE in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
RESERVED
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CRAZY BEAUTIFUL YOU in 2D
Mar. 20
Willie Nepomucenos The Vote of the

Philippines ( The Repeat )
8:00 PM
Mar. 21
Dharma Lights: The Illumination of

Up Dharma Downs Music
8:00 PM
Mar. 27
Renz Verano, Richard Reynoso,

Chad Borja, Rannie Raymundo
8:00 PM
Mar. 28
JAZZ 1337 Feat Dessa, Rannie

Raymundo & Madz Johnson etc.
8:00 PM
Mar. 21
Mar. 25
Mar. 28
THE COBBLER in 2D
School of Rock
6:00 PM
Juris: Forevermore
8:00 PM
Teatrino Film Series : Sana Dati 5:00 PM

Mariquina
7:30 PM
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
THE COBBLER in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
KINGSMAN in 2D s/
CHAPPIE in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
RESERVED
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
KASAL
COMMITTED
THE COBBLER in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
THE GUNMAN/*INSURGENT R-16/*PG
EXISTS in 2D
INSURGENT PG
WILD CARD in 2D
CINDERELLA/*RUN ALL NIGHT G/*R-16
CINDERELLA in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
DRAGON NEST/*THE GUNMAN G/*R-16
KIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN in 2D s/ THE

LAZARUS EFFECT in 2D s/ UNFINISHED
BUSINESS in 2D
INSURGENT (in 3D) PG
CINDERELLA in 2D
A NEW CINEMA EXPERIENCE COMING SOON..
THE COBBLER in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D

EXISTS in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D

THE COBBLER in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CRAZY BEAUTIFUL YOU in 2D s/

CHAPPIE in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D

s/ THE COBBLER in 2D
THE COBBLER in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CHAPPIE in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
CINDERELLA in 2D
RESERVED
CINDERELLA in 2D
RUN ALL NIGHT in 2D
RESERVED
RESERVED
AMY

s/ THE COBBLER in 2D
RESERVED
RESERVED
Yellow Magenta Cyan
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march 21 saturday.indd 1
3/20/2015 9:02:08 AM
Entertainment News
D-3
BenCab paints Iza as Sabel

By MICHAEL JOE T. DELIZO
ctress Iza Calzado

had the extraordinary opportunity
to model for no less
than National Artist for Visual Arts Benedicto BenCab
Cabrera recently.
Seen in her Instagram
post, Iza posed before the
Philippine contemporary art
master wrapped in a flimsy
white cloth and plastic sheet
in a depiction of Sabel, the
iconic bag lady that features
regularly in some of BenCabs works.
Iza described the opportunity as an honor, saying, I
never thought this would actually happen in this lifetime!
I have dreamt about this and
IZA CALZADO and BenCab at work
now it has come true! Thank you Lord!

And thank you BenCab.
The work is in line with BenCabs
celebration of his 50th year as an artist.
Sabel is supposedly inspired by
a real-life homeless, deranged woman
the artist saw around Yakal Street in

Makati in the 60s.
In a previous interview with The
New York Times, BenCab related how
Sabel gives him a constant source of
inspiration.
Every time I make a transition into
something new, I work on her, he explained. I like the form, the movement.
Now its almost become an abstract
form, just an interpretation, a vague
memory.
He added, This bag lady is almost a
brand. I dont think people realize who
the figure is. They look at the movement, the color, the form and lines.
Coincidentally, Iza is also set to
make his theater debut in Ang Sabel
(Love and Passion) at The Theatre
in Solaire Resort & Casino starting
April 30.
(Its) surreal. (Im) Nervous and
excited for the play, Iza said in a
post.
She is also busy shooting scenes
for the upcoming international movie
Showdown in Manila.
Directed by Mark Dacascos, the
movie also stars Casper Van Dien, Tia
Carrere, Alex Nevsky, Cary Tagawa,
and Matthias Hues along with Mon
Confiado, Alvin Anson, Jake Macapagal, and Monsour del Rosario.
Yellow Magenta Cyan
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Entertainment News
D-4
BALTIC & CO.
by Roni Santiago
BLONDIE
PUPUNG
by Tonton Young
MOTHER GOOSE & GRIM
CALLOUS
by Carlo Jose San Juan MD
IPENUTS
by Felipe de la Cruz
NORMANS ISLAND
by Norman Izaac
THE Daily Commuter Puzzle
DENNIS THE MENACE
by Hank Ketcham
ZITS
by Dean Young & Jim Raymond
MARVIN
BEETLE BAILEY
THE BORN LOSER
by Mike Peters
by Scott and Borgman
by Tom Armstrong
by Mort Walker
by Art Sansom
Edited by Jacqueline E. Mathews
TOK & MOL
by William Contreras
YOUR STARS
(saturday, 21 march 2015)
ARIES (March 21-April 20) Take on a new responsibility only if
you feel really capable of performing it. You may be subject to more positive
influences but you must still not do the first thing that comes to your mind.
With just a few adjustments, you will be able to do something you initially
considered to be impracticable.
TAURUS (April 21-May 20) Complete a chore as quickly as possible then concentrate on new challenges. Do not insist on making your own
views prevail. Request the opinions of others. An occurrence you thought
would happen will, but you will get quite unexpected results.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) The situation will be a little unusual and
you should be especially cautious. Allow yourself a little more leeway. Instead
of being so insistent that you are right, try to listen to those who are intent on
proving you wrong. You are liable to overlook an important point so make
sure you do not.
CANCER (June 21-July 20) Do not try evading your responsibilities
but instead seek to be proud of yourself for fulfilling them. You will encounter
some inconveniences but the benefits will make them worth the trouble. Fight
for your own rights and support the rights of others. After all, one day you
could be in their situation.
LEO (July 21-Aug. 20) You will come across a new fact that will
make all the difference to the way you do things. You will find it easier to stick
to you plans, but you must not slacken the pace. You will find it easier to make
amends and should not miss the opportunity this affords.
VIRGO (Aug 21-Sept. 22) You will not have that just energy and
will have to make up for the deficit by willpower. A suggestion made by a
colleague should not be dismissed out of hand; there is more to it than it first
appears. If an acquaintance has done something quite on the dubious side,
that is no excuse to follow suit.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You may find it a little difficult to get started
today; with enough willpower you can overcome your initial reluctance. There
will be a great challenge but your inventiveness and ingenuity will enable you
to deal with it. Concentrate on dealing with some personal affairs that you
have left to one side.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) Indeed, you will have to work hard to
achieve your goals and if you do, the results will be good and you will have
much cause for satisfaction. However well you have done a task, there will
always be someone who will say you could have done better; do not allow
yourself to be discouraged.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 20) You will be able to impress
others but you should not exaggerate your importance. There will be some
positive economic factors but nothing can replace the need for economy and
prudence. There is nothing wrong in reminding a friend or a colleague of a
promise he has made to you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 21-Jan. 19) What at first appears to be a
situation in which you have little choice will be quite amenable to changes for
the better. Remember; it is much better to avoid any promises than to find out
later how difficult it is to keep it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Seek to gain a better idea of what
you really feel and check whether you are still heading in the direction you
really want to go. There will be an opportunity to reach a compromise over a
matter on which you and a colleague have disagreed; take it.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20)
What you had surmised will prove to be so, but it will not be greatly to your
liking. Never mind it will not be always like that; just try to make the most of
what is favorable to you. More persistence is needed if you really want to be
sure of curing a bad habit of yours.
VITAMIN D
IMBOY
by Darwin Perez
by Nio Balita
Yellow Magenta Cyan
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TVGuide
your everyday guide to local television and cable TV.
Local Channels
ABS-CBN 2 6:00 a.m. Salamat Dok 7:00
Kabuhayang Swak Na Swak 7:30 Honey
Watch Out 8:00 Sineskwela 8:30 Jimmy
Neutron 9:00 SpongeBob SquarePants
9:30 SuperBook 10:00 NBA 12:00
p.m. Its Showtime 3:00 Ipaglaban Mo
4:00 Failon Ngayon 4:45 SOCO 5:30 TV
Patrol Weekend 6:00 Mga Kuwento Ni
Marc Logan 6:00 Home Sweetie Home
7:15 Maalaala Mo Kaya 8:45 Your Face
Sounds Familiar 10:00 Banana Split
Extra Scoop 11:00 Bottomline with Boy
Abunda 11:45 Sports Unlimited
GMA 7 4:00 a.m. PJM Forum 5:00
Adyenda 5:30 Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko 6:00
Pinoy M.D 7:00 Puppy In My Pocket 7:30
Kamen Rider 000 8:00 Tom & Jerry Kids
Show 8:30 Angry Birds Toon 8:45 Monsuno
9:00 Tropang Potchi 9:40 Sarap Diva 10:30
Maynila 11:30 Eat Bulaga 2:30 p.m. True
Horror Stories 3:15 Wish Ko Lang 4:00
Startalk TX 4:45 Imbestigador 5:30 24
Oras Weekend 6:00 Sabado-badoo 7:00
Pepito Manoloto 8:15 Magpakailanman
9:30 Celebrity Bluff 10:30 I-Witness 11:15
Walang Tulugan With Master Showman
ABS-CBN Sports and Action 5:00
am Family Rosary Crusade 6:00 The

Score 6:30 Asenso Pinoy 7:00 Sabong
TV 8:00 Generation RX 8:30 Sagupaan
TV 9:00 J- League Highlights 9:30
Football Asia 10:00 Action Movie Zone
12:00 pm Pinoy Pride 4:00 Action
Movie Zone 6:00 Silver Surfer 6:30
Touchline 9:00 Gameday Weekend
TV 5 4:30 am Shop Japan 5:30 Family
Matters 6:30 Stitch! 7:00 Kim Possible 7:30
Little Einsteins 8:00 Powerpuff Girls 8:30
Ben 10: Omniverse 9:00 Magical Doremi
9:30 Sword Art Online 10:00 Fushigi Yugi
11:00 Wonderful World Of Disney 1:00 pm
Movie Max 5 7:00 2 1/2 Daddies 8:00 Tropa
Mo Ko Nice Diba?! 9:00 Rising Stars 10:00
Call Me Papa Jack 11:00 Kaya
PTV 5:00 a.m. Panahon.TV 5:30
Signs and Wonders 6:00 Family Rosary
Crusade 7:00 Lakbayin ang Magandang
Pilipinas 7:45 Mag-Agri Tayo! 8:30
Buhay Pinoy 9:00 I Got It 9:30 Lutong
Bahay 10:00 Pamana ng Pahina 10:30
Bayani Pilipino 11:00 Fun with Math
11:30 English High School 12:30 p.m.
The Doctor is In 1:00 News@1 2:00
Auto Review 2:30 UAAP 4:30 MTRCB
Uncut 5:30 Looney Toons 6:00 News@6

7:00 Tom and Jerry Tales 7:30 Katapat,
Mayor Fred Lim 8:15 K-Pop Idol Search
Pinoy Edition 9:00 Philippine Lotto
Draw 9:15 NewsLife Weekend 10:00
Wonderful Days 10:45 Pilipino Box Office
ETC ON ON RPN 9 6:00 a.m. Extra
6:30 Insider 7:00 Beauty And The Beast
8:00 Gossip Girl 9:00 Reign 10:00 The
Carrie Diaries 11:00 Extra 11:30 Insider
12:00 p.m. TMZ 12:30 New Girl 1:00
Friends With Better Lives 1:30 New Girl
2:00 Camp 3:00 Nikita 4:00 Reign 6:00
Project Runway All Stars 7:00 Fashion
Fund 8:00 The Rachel Zoe Project 9:00
Beauty And The Beast 10:00 Camp 11:00
Insider Weekend 11:30 2 Broke Girls
12:00 am The Originals 3:00 Insider
Weekend 3:30 Dukes Of Melrose 4:00
Gossip Girl 5:00 2 Broke Girls 5:30 TMZ
2nd AVENUE ON RJTV 29 12:00mn ET
12:30 Inside Edition 1:00 Now Eat This!
With Rocco Dispirito 1:30 Life Of Riley
2:00 Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis 3:00
Witches Of East End 4:00 Chef Roble and
Company 5:00 Eat, Drink, Love 6:00
The Queen Latifah Show 7:00 The Ellen
Degeneres Show 8:00 Now Eat This! With

Rocco Dispirito 8:30 Life Of Riley 9:00
The Mindy Project 9:30 Web Therapy
10:00 Inside Edition 10:30 ET 11:00
The Queen Latifah 12:00 p.m. The Ellen
Degeneres Show 1:00 Witches Of East
End 2:00 The Middle 2:30 1600 Penn
3:00 Winners And Losers 4:00 Interior
Therapy with Jeff Lewis 5:00 Eat, Drink,
Love 6:00 Inside Edition 6:30 ET 7:00
Growing Up Fisher 7:30 Sean Saves The
World 8:00 Web Therapy 8:30 The Mindy
Project 9:00 The Queen Latifah
9TV 12:00 a.m. Nightly News 1:00
Inside Edition 1:30 NBC Nightly News
2:00 News Cafe 3:00 Todays Talk 4:00
Inside Edition 4:30 NBC Nightly News
5:00 Sports Desk 5:30 The Today
Show 7:00 Sesame Street 7:30 Care
Bears 8:00 Beware of the Batman 8:30
Pokemon 9:00 NBC Nightly News 9:30
CNNs Hollywood Express 12:00 p.m.
Undercover Boss 1:00 Small Acts, Big
Stories 1:30 NBC Nightly News 2:00
Home TV Shopping 4:00 Todays Talk
5:00 Top Gear 5:30 NBC Nightly News
6:00 Undercover Boss 7:00 Something To
Chew On 8:00 Stories 9:00 Boys Ride Out
10:00 Today Show Weekend

IBC 13 7:00 a.m. El Shaddai 8:30
Tagamend 9:00 Bakbakan Na 10:00
Tukaan 11:00 Sabong Nation 12:00
pm Kalinga Para Sa Magsasaka 12:30
Post Sona 1/Post Sona 2 1:00 Tv
Shoppe (Tutty Fruity) 2:00 Ez Shop
5:00 Kalinga Para Sa Magsasaka
5:30 Batas Na Makatao Saligan Ng
Pagbabago 6:00 A Taste Of History 7:00
Post Sona 1/Post Sona 2 7:30 Cooltura
8:00 Asias New Tiger 9:00 Cooltura
10:00 Report Kay Boss 11:00 HSN
GMA NEWS TV 5:00 a.m. Pisobilities
6:30 Sarap Pinoy 7:00 Jesus The Healer
8:00 The Dr. Tess Show 8:30 Magic
Palayok 8:45 Sarap With Family 9:00
Life & Style With Gandang Ricky Reyes
10:00 Home Base 10:30 Turbo Zone
11:00 Aha! 11:30 Business Flight 12:00
p.m. Balitanghali 12:45 Reel Time 1:45
Tunay na Buhay 2:30 100% Pinoy 3:00
Reel Action Sabado 5:00 Sanay Muling
Makapiling 6:15 Day Off 7:00 Wagas
8:00 Pop Talk 8:45 Taste Buddies 9:15
Pawn Stars 10:45 Eats More Fun In The
Philippines 12:00mn Diyos At Bayan
JaElmo on Sarap Diva
ans of reel and reallife

sweethearts
Elmo
Magalona
and
Janine
Gutierrez will have a grand
time today as their idols visit
the kitchen of Asias Songbird
Regine Velasquez-Alcasid on
Sarap Diva.
Elmo and Janine exhibited
great chemistry when they
were paired on Villa Quintana.
Not many realized that they

were actually falling for each
other at that point in real life.
Get to know more anecdotes
about the couple as they share
their love story with viewers of
Sarap Diva.
Meanwhile, Regine will also
feature different personalities
who are into collecting toys.
Among them is a former
member of the band Spongecola

who is apparently into collecting
Power Rangers action figures
and other memorabilia.
There will also be a segment
on cosplaying, featuring Alodia
Gosiengfiao.
Watch as Elmo and Janine
try on cosplaying themselves.
Catch Sarap Diva today,
9:40 a.m. only on GMA.
REGINE VELASQUEZ-ALCASID with Elmo Magalona

and Janine Gutierrez
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A Date With Lu Yu 12:30 Phoenix
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11:15 100 Icons Of Korean Culture
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Exercise 6:00 Pantaxa 6:30 KaraOkray
7:30 Popstar Diaries Rewind 8:00 Dobol
or Samting 8:30 Alabang Girls 9:30
Annebishowsa 10:00 Rap Sessions
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1:00 Pantaxa 01:30 Dobol or Samting
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AUSTRALIA NETWORK 12:00 a.m. The
World 1:00 rage 3:00 ABC News 8:00
Big Ideas 9:00 Giggle and Hoot 9:02
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Bananas In Pyjamas 9:52 The WotWots
9:58 Giggle and Hoot 10:00 Home and
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Excited Particles 1:00 Giggle and Hoot
1:02 Bananas In Pyjamas 1:30 Giggle
and Hoot 1:32 The Amazing House 1:58
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Evenings 3:00 Home and Away 5:00 Miss
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Yellow Magenta Cyan
Black
ymv
Entertainment News
D-6
A mothers grief
on national TV
SCUTTLEBUTT
SHIRLEY
MATIAS-PIZARRO
malia Fuentess outburst on

national television about allegedly being left out of her
only daughter Liezl Martinezs
wake and cremation services early this
week struck a chord with many observers. They identify with Amalias grief,
especially that Liezl was her unica
hija. In fact, it made kibitzers forget
nasty rumors about her supposedly not
being there for her daughter when she
was first diagnosed with cancer some
years ago.
We think that whatever conflict
there may have been between Amalia
and Liezl or Liezls family, her death
should have ended that. Those concerned could have just simply accorded
her the right to grieve beside her daughters casket.
Kindness is
deserved by
ever yone,
even those
who have
done us
wrong.
It is
very hard but the beauty behind it is

that God uses that difficult experience
to make us shine for His glory. We just
have to make that painful decision to
be kind.
If all the things being said about
Liezl by her family and friends are true,
then we know for sure that Liezl would
have taken the high road for her mother.
She, after all, is already in the twilight
of her life.
Toni Gonzaga wants closure on

Binibining Pilipinas hosting issue
Toni Gonzaga unexpectedly found
herself at the receiving end of some
unpleasant tirades as an offshoot
of her casual hosting style during the
recently-concluded Binibining Pilipinas pageant.
While not everybody subscribe to
the negative observation (some loved
it maintaining thats how it should have
been done), Toni nonetheless, acknowledged the criticism and spoke once and
for all during the press conference of
her brand new movie Youre My Boss
under Star Cinema. The movie, which
she co-stars with Coco Martin, will open
on April 4.
To her defense, Toni apologized
to those who were offended by her
style and clarified that she had been
specifically instructed to make light of
it. The important part of her statement was the bit of detail that
she had been congratulated
by the Binibining Pilipinas
management for a job well
done after the show. She
is hoping the issue will now
be closed.
Youre My Boss is described as a fun, summer movie that will
capture the hearts of
millions of Filipinos.
It is about the amusing predicament of a
top-level executive and
an assistant who will
switch roles to close
a huge deal.
COCO MARTIN and Toni Gonzaga
Another lead role for Gabby Eigenmann
CELEBRITY WORLD
CRISPINA
MARTINEZ-BELEN
Drama Series award from Enpress.

Multi-talented, Gabby is also a
singer, TV host and model. As a singer,
he has released two albums, Loving, under Viva Records, and Sa Di
Kalayuan, under GMA Records. His
single Muli became part of the soundtrack of the romantic comedy series I
Luv NY and the Koreanovela Yellow
Handkerchief.
n InstaDad, GMA
Networks newest
Sunday afternoon
family-friendly
drama series, Gabby Eigennmann has been entrusted
with another lead role as Kenneth, a popular chef and most
eligible bachelor.
After breaking up with
his first love, Kenneth opted
to remain single. Little did
he know that he has three
daughters who will soon turn
his life upside down.
Playing Gabbys daughters in the series are Gabbi Garcia as the boyish
Marikit; Ash Ortega as
the bright Mayumi; and
Jazz Ocampo as the fashionable Maaya.
Suddenly thrust in
the role of a father, Kenneth will struggle dealing with the different
personalities of his
triplets.
Directed by
Neal del Rosario
and also starring
Matet de Leon,
Juancho Trivino
and Prince Villanueva, InstaDad
premieres on April
5, after Sunday All
Stars.
Prior to InstaDad,
Gabby played the title
role on Dading, which
aired last year. He impressed viewers by playing, very credibly, a gay
character.
His per for mance
on Munting Heredera
earned Gabby a Best
Supporting Actor in a
VINA NACIONALES, Lita

Tan and Shirley Chong
Popular designer produces

musical show at Trevs Grill
Popular fashion designer Goulee
Gorospe is staging another production,
a musical concert with mini-fashion
show, tomorrow at Trevs Bar & Grill
along Haig St. in Mandaluyong City.
The impressive eatery is owned by
brothers Michael and Robert
C. Dee.
Featured in the musical show are the boyband 5AZ1, singing
businesswoman
Malou Bewer, FilBriton socialite
chanteuse Lady
D at in, t he A ll
Sunday Band and
violinist Marjohn Lagaza.
Goullees latest creations will be modeled by
beauty queens Vina Nacionales, Lita Tan and
Shirley Chong, who will
be introduced as the official Mrs. Philippines
2015. The other models
are the Mommie Dearest awardees Gigi Yunson, Ina Alegre, Sugar
GABBY EIGENMANN
Susuzi, Cora Lozada
and Pinky Alberto.

Trevs Grill, by the way, offers authentic Filipino dishes made out of our
passion and love, said Michael, who is
the manager. He added: Our motto is
Great Food at just the right price. We
are also proud of Trevs ambience. A
wonderful place to sit back, relax and
enjoy everything in it.
Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, March 21, go to Carmita Francisco,

Lotlot de Leon, Gabby Singson, Estele
F. Nabong, Francis Sacay,Len Aligayo,
Mon Crespo, Junne Quintana and Lilia
Henson Cruz... March 22: Anya Katigbak, Atty. Ed Oliva, Beverly Alforque, and
Baby Naidas Zapata...Happy wedding
anniversary to Ray and Helen Sampilo of
New York... March 23: Marivic Gancayco,
Chris Cahilig, Manny Cinco, Charo Jalandoni, Tita Basa, Lily B. Lagasca, Atty.
Gaby Concepcion, Maragarita A. Fores,
Danny Lacuna and Geoff Eigenmann...
Final audition call for

Pinoy rock musicale
Red Lantern Productions is having its
final audition tomorrow, from 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m. for its Pinoy Rock Musicale
Kabesang Tales.
It needs talented males (18 to 50
years old) and females (18 to 40 years
old), who can sing and dance for lead
and ensemble roles, for the musical
adaptation of Dr. Jose P. Rizals novel
El Filibusterismo.
Multi-awarded screenwriter Ricky
Lee wrote the libretto of the musicale
which will be staged starting July.
Principal characters being cast
are: Kabesang Tales, Juli, Tano, Tata
Selo, Basilio, Simon, Maria Clara,
Isagani, narrator, ensemble and choir
members.
Applicants auditioning for the
singing roles need to prepare two song
numbers one pop rock and one ballad. Dancers should prepare two dance
routines one modern, one jazz. All
auditionees should also bring close
up and full body photos (any size),
minus-one accompaniment, and short
biodata or resume.
Final audition venue is on the 2nd
floor of Frontrow, Pacific Century Bldg,
Quezon Avenue, QC. Contact stage
manager Cielo at 09265575185 or
line producer Domineek at 096175337
for queries.
Yellow Magenta Cyan
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AND WIN TOYS THIS
COMING APRIL!
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Mbfunpage) or snailmail (FUNPAGE, Manila Bulletin,
Muralla Corner Recoletos Sts. Intramuros, Manila)!
Include your name, age, school, and contact number!
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San Mateo, Rizal
e Steffany O. Forio, 8
Ie Saint J n Academ
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Christian Care Academy San
Mateo, Rizal
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Let's,
ra
Using the gridlines as your guide, copy the

illustration. Check the numbers and letters to
make sure that you are putting the right lines
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I
4
Start off your

vacation right with
these two brandnew shows on the
boob tube
Animal Instincts
So you love animals. Why not become a vet? A veterinarian is a doctor
for animals. If you're curious to find out just what a veterinarian does,
follow the adventures of six junior vets, Saira, Will, Amblessed, Sam,
Lauren and Morgan, as they test their skills at Edinburgh University's
amazing, super hi-tech Vet School for four weeks in Junior Vets.
Every week, the youngsters will be split into pairs and sent out to help
with real vet work, going to a network of farms, stables, zoos, and other
animal hospitals. Their tasks include removing a large lump from a
dog's throat, operating on a falcon's foot, taking a blood sample from a
pair of very snappy crocodiles, and more. The would-be animal medics
will learn the skills needed to help injured animals and sick pets and
compete to be named Head Vet.
Watch Junior Vets every Monday, 5 pm on Discovery Kids (StarHub
channel 308) starting March 30. Episodes are replayed every Monday, 9
pm and Saturday, 1 pm and 6 pm.
Bella The
Quarterback
One day you're a cheerleader and the next day
you're a quarterback?
This is what happened to Bella Dawson, a
confident, caring and talented cheerleader
who dreams of playing football. Watch Bella
as she tries to prove that she is every bit as
good a player as the boys in Nickelodeon's
newest live-action comedy series, Bella and
the Bulldogs.
The show premieres on April 6, Monday, 5:30
pm. www.nick-asia.com.
Review by Andrea G. Posadas, 13

Holy Spirit School
{;)
ttOCl1 (//C e Massively Multiplayer

Online Role-Playing Game or MMORPG? I have
played a few but I'm not really into it. Many of
today's kids though enjoy playing these games
and going through different worlds, challenges,
and levels as virtual characters. Well, I'm
sure a lot of kids are happy that Dragon Nest,
a popular MMORPG, has been made into a
movie.
I watched Dragon Nest: Warrior's Dawn
and I loved it even though I was not very
familiar with the game and its characters. The
movie was fascinating and the scenes were
made alive by the visuals. Some settings and
creatures reminded me of The Lord ofthe
Rings Trilogy and Maleficent.
The movie centered on a place called
Altera, a magical and peaceful land
where humans and elves live. Peace
ended when the land was attacked by
a group of beasts associated with the
big and bad Black Dragon. To fight
against Black Dragon, a number
of humans and creatures with
special powers banded
together to seek and slay
the Black Dragon and to
save Altera from
destruction. Joining
the Dragon Slayers
League were two
youngsters: village
boy Lambert and enchanting elf Liya.

I immediately liked the film's protagonist,
Lambert, who was an amazing swordsman
and an even more amazing fighting spirit. His
two dogs, Number 1 and Number 2, were so
adorable! One day in town, Lambert bumped
into the beautiful and fearless elf-archer Liya.
She was my favorite character from the movie
because she possessed all the qualities I wish I
had: athleticism, confidence, and skill.
As a group, the Dragon Slayers League was
quite impressive and unstoppable. Besides
Lambert and Liya, there were also Argenta, the
Silver Dragon; Gerrant, the Golden Dragon;
Velskud, the Black Knight; the Sexy Sorceress
Kasarana; another elf-archer Nerwin; Varnak,
the mercenary; and Terramai, the Cleric/
Divine Knight. The fan favorite would have
to be Varnak. His pirate-like language and
mannerisms were unforgettable. But all were
courageous and powerful in their own way.
"Unity in diversity" would be the perfect phrase
to describe this unique group of heroes, at
least, at the start. Unfortunately, their personal
interests would divide the group and lead to
fighting and squabbles.
Because the movie was based on the video
game, it was, of course, action-packed. There
were many breathtaking scenes and stunts that
made the audience gasp or say "Wow!" What
made the whole experience more wonderful
was watching it in 3D. The action scenes looked
real and, seve

characters an
and were just
the movie's m
were Liya's pI
Princess Mer:
although the t
Anotherr
Nest: Warrior
the important
fantasy, comel
Lambert and
new love tearr
tradition of po
The two were
(OTP). They (l
Hunger Gaml
and would do
was stirring \\
spinoffs after
I was happ
actually a tril<
installment. I
part and the a
have plagued
to Lambert ar
League still h
secrets that \\
safe and in go
newfound allic
I will totall
to my friends
Whether you'l
worth watchir
ral times, it seemed like the

d structures were within reach
standing in front of me. Among
.lmerous eye-catching moments
~ecise arrow shots. I could see
ida of Disney's Brave in her,
,wo girls did not look alike.
~markable thing about Dragon
's Dawn was that it covered all
elements. In it you'd find action,
dy, suspense, and romance. Seeing
Liya together made me create a
1 that I dubbed "Lamiya," in the
,pular pairings like Brangelina.
definitely my one true pairing
lre like Katniss and Peeta of The
~s who never left each other's side
anything for each other. My mind
,ith # Lamiya storylines, plots, and
the screening.
Iy to discover that the movie was
>gy and that this was just the first
now eagerly await the second
!nswers to the questions that
my mind: What will to happen
Id Liya? Will the Dragon Slayers
e united after the devastating
'ere revealed? And will Altera be
od hands with Lambert and his
~s?
y recommend this gem of a movie

because I know they will love it.
~e a gamer or not, this movie is
19.
Just answer this question.

In the latest breakthrough
animation Dragon Nest:
Warrior's Dawn, already being
shown in theaters, what is the
name of the young, pretty elf
who grew closer to the young
warrior, Lambert?
A. Argenta
B. Velsha
C. Liya
- The distinct characters. At first, they

come off as intimidating, but later on,
I discovered that each has a soft side
and they all struggle with their own
weaknesses.
- The Lambert-Liya or Lamlya love team.
They're cute and quite the dynamic duo.
- The graphics and animation. They are
definitely superior to the game version
and much more impressive in 3D.
- The movie's theme song "Gem of Love"
by Keely Hawkes, which was played
while the credits were rolling. It is my
favorite song right now, and I cannot
stop listening to it. The lyrics deliver a
heartwarming message. My favorite lines
from the song are, "On the battlefield,
my love will be your shield," "The world
could fall, we'd still be standing tall," and
"When you can't see the sky, I will make
you fly."
Answer this question.

In the upcoming
Dreamworks animation
movie Home (3D), which
will open on March 26, what
is the name of the alien race
that made Earth its home?
A. Boov
B. Gargoyle
C. Goonies
I
7
Which of these illustrations is different from the rest? Answe
f he Next Chapter
By Percy R. Lugue
Amazing Grace and her friends, PauUe and Mercy, are beaming with excitement.
Finany, they are graduating. they win be ab\e to wear togas and graduation caps.
Here are some interesting facts about the graduation ceremony.
In the Middle Ages, students started

to wear long robes sin-.ilar to the
toga as protection against the cold
weather. f hose robes were the
inspiration for the graduation gown
created son-.etin-.e in the IJth century.
fhe graduation cap,

forn-.ally called a
n-.ortarboard, had no
tassel until the Iqth
century when it was
added. f raditionally,
the tassel should stay
at the right side of the
cap until the diplon-.a
is given. f his is why
graduates n-.ove
the tassel to the left
upon receiving their
diplon-.as.
fhe diplon-.a, a
docun-.ent that
certifies that YOu
are a graduate
of a university, was
originally written on paperthin sheepskin. It was only
later that universities started
to LISe parchn-.ent paper.
fhe go-to
graduation
hyn-.n "Pon-.p and
Circun-.stance"
was first played
when5ir
Edward Elgar,
its con-.poser,
received his
honorary degree
at Yale in Iq05.fhe
n-.LlSic becan-.e so
popular that it was
even played in graduation rites at Colun-.bia,
Princeton, Rutgers, and Vassar.

fhe first school to ever have a class
ring was the United 5tates Military
Acaden-.y at West Point.
Cecil5n-.ith is the
oldest recipient of the
General Educational
Developn-.ent (GED)
degree.He dropped out
of high school in the IQJOs
and in January JOOJ, he
earned his GED when he
was qLj years old.
~J~
.. M OVle
. R eVleW
.
Review by Bianca Angelica Diaz Afiago, 16

St. Gabriel International School
When I w~ichedtheyoungadult
movie Divergent last year, the first in a threepart series, I didn't expect to become as much an
avid follower of it as I was of The Hunger Games.
But the story was surprisingly good and the
premise made a lot of sense to me-that each
of us has a role to play in society but that that
does not mean that we should be limited to one
role-that I soon found myself, with my sister,
eagerly awaiting the next installment in the
series, Insurgent.
And it was worth the wait! I loved Insurgent
even more than Divergent, because it was
suspense-filled and action-packed from start
to finish. Its story was even better with several
unpredictable and exciting twists in the plot.
Shailene Woodley as Tris was lovely with her
boyish haircut. Those who loved her and Ansel
Elgort in The Fault in Our Stars will find them
teaming up again in this movie although her love
interest is Theo James as Four.

As its title suggests, Insurgent starts
where Divergent ended: with Tris and Four,
Tris's brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort), and
dauntless Peter (Miles Teller) fleeing from the
authorities after the revolt. But they're not only
being hunted because they are against the new
government. The factionless are also trying to
merge with all the other factions to fight the
government. Four's mother, who abandoned
him when he was still a child, turns out to be the
leader of the factionless. The key to their victory
is in a box that contains the message of their
society's past leader on how they can survive
that Jeanine (Kate Winslet), leader of the ruling
Erudite faction, holds. And only Tris, who is 100%
divergent, can open the box but it could mean
her life.
What made Insurgent even more enjoyable
and exciting to watch were the stunning special
effects. This is one movie that should be seen in

3D so that the visuals could be maximized.
Insurgent wasn't just about a rebellion
and a fight for peace but also about love. I was
especially moved by how much Four loved Tris
(parents beware, there's a love scene) and how
he was willing to sacrifice for her. The scenes
where Tris had to pass the trials for the five
factions: Candor, Amity, Erudite, Abnegation, and
Dauntless were my favorites. But in the end, her
greatest trial was forgiving herself for making
other people, especially those she loved, suffer.
Now I can't wait for the next installment in
the series!
POINTS I LOY!
- Shailene Woodley as Tris
- Theo James as Four
- Impressive action scenes
- Shocking and unexpected plot twists
- Talented cast
- Nonstop excitement
I
/0
Above: Tris played by Shailene Woodley with love interest Four, played by Theo James;
Top: Tris and Erudite faction leader Jeanine, played by Kate Winslet
Color this page and spend the summer with your best buddy!
oo
~
o

STONG AND TOFI
...... .
III
by K. FRANCO
AMAZING GRACE
fhe best gradlJation speech
r heard of is one that talks
about individuality being the

key to suc.c.ess.
II

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SATURday, march 21, 2015 5 SECTIONS P18.00 IN METRO MANILA

partly cloudy to cloudy w/ isolated

partly cloudy skies

partly cloudy to cloudy w/ isolated

partly cloudy to at times

Sunrise: 6:01 a.m.

This summer, give your kids the opportunity to

PNoy may face

Move for GMAs

resident Aquino, under fire for

US senators seek action on Beijings Marcos to De Lima: Hunt,

US strategy is needed to slow or stop

By MARIO B. CASAYURAN, HANNAH L. TORREGOZA, and ELENA L. ABEN

Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. yesterday asked Justice Secretary Leila

Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to hunt,

This issue of the

Balanga cathedral sits on cow-size

BALANGA CITY, Bataan The Cathedral

reportedly sitting on gold treasure the size of

Yellow Magenta Cyan

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Binay: BBLs approval should not be rushed

Vice President Jejomar C. Bi-

nay on Friday called on the Aquino

Basic Law (BBL) in case it fails to

In his speech before the 15th National

The great sacrifice in lives of our 44

Aquino appoints 18 judges

President Aquino has appointed 18 new

Likewise appointed judges were Alma

Palace brushes aside surveys,

Malacaang on Friday brushed aside

Coloma, in a radio briefing over Aksyon

Yellow Magenta Cyan

Saturday, March 21, 2015

2015 graduates urged

e stewards of peace and progress.

and accountability came on the heels of his

Banking hours extension

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is

more personnel to ensure prompt service

Yellow Magenta Cyan

Saturday, March 21, 2015

PAF gets first of 3 new

Philippine National Police (PNP)

irbus Defense and Space, one

of military and humanitarian missions,

August arrival, Manalo said.

A group of concerned teachers,

Whistleblowers bypassed Napoles

whistleblower Benhur Luy for one of

charges against him in connection with

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced yesterday

MILF must help ease public anger over Mamasapano

House of Representatives Ad Hoc

restore the trust in them that was lost

people oppose the legislation.

House OKs free museum entry

The House of Representatives has

seums, national historical shrines and

PCOS MACHINES INSPECTION Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, along with

Yellow Magenta Cyan