Manila Standard Today - April 11, 2012 Issue

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MINDANAO MAY GO
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
No vacancy for foreign nurses in US until 2020
Revilla twits veep for aside that Lakas a spent force
Comelec out to clear two
execs of poll fraudAbalos
Filipino gobs
die in rescue
ops off India
Region willing
to host Bataan
power plant or
build new one
On the stamps. A giant mosaic made out of documentary stamps to form the image of former Presi-
dent Corazon Aquino is unfurled at the facade of the Post Ofce Building in Manila over Tuesdays found-
ing anniversary of the Philippine Postal Corporation. EY ACASIO
www.manilastandardtoday.com mst@manilastandardtoday.com
Vol. XXVI No. 46 16 Pages, 3 Sections
P18.00 WEDNESDAY, April 11, 2012
TODAY
Standard
Manila
Ramon Floresta, president of the Kida-
pawan Chamber of Commerce and Indus-
try, and Agham Rep. Angelo Palmones said
NAVAL troops from the Philip-
pines and Vietnam will compete
in fun games of football and
basketball on the disputed Sprat-
ly islands in the West Philippines
Sea to ease the tensions in the
area, an ofcial said Tuesday.
Navy chief Vice Admiral
NUKE
20 ights
re-reouted
away from
rocket path
SEVERAL airlines will reroute ights over
the Philippines to avoid a rocket North
Korea is expected to launch between this
and next week, the Civil Aviation Author-
ity said Tuesday.
About 20 ights to and from the Phil-
ippines, including Philippine Airlines,
Cebu Pacics, All Nippon Airways, Ja-
pan Airlines, Korean Airlines, Garuda
Indonesias and Delta Airlines will be
rerouted between Thursday and Monday,
when North Korea says it will launch a
satellite. The exact timing will depend on
the weather.
TWO of the eight Filipino sea-
men whose ship was seized by
Somali pirates off the south-
western coast of India died
during a rescue by Iranian
commandos on April 2, an of-
cial said Tuesday.
Foreign Affairs spokesman
Raul Hernandez did not identi-
fy the fatalities, but he said the
Philippine Embassy in Tehran
welcomed the eight surviving
Filipino crew of the Cypriot-
agged and Iranian-owned
bulk carrier MV Eglantine as
they disembarked in Bandar
Abbas, Iran.
He said one of the Filipinos
died of a gunshot wound in the
By Rey E. Requejo
MANDALUYONG City Mayor
Benhur Abalos on Tuesday said
the Commission on Elections
planned to clear two former
poll ofcials who were accused
alongside his father, former
Comelec chairman Benjamin
Abalos, of sabotaging the 2007
elections in Mindanao.
Abalos told reporters a resolu-
tion was being circulated among
the commissioners of the poll
body to withdraw the charges
against former poll supervisors
Lilian Radam and Yogie Marti-
rizar, whose testimonies before a
joint panel from the Comelec and
the Justice Department led to his
fathers indictment last year.
The accusation was im-
mediately denied by Comelec
Commissioner Rene Sarmiento,
however.
There are is no resolution
whatsoever seeking the withdraw-
al of the cases against Radam and
Martirizar. We see no reason for
the withdrawal, he said.
The younger Abalos said the
Comelec was moving heaven
and earth to persecute his father.
He said the commissioners
were set to tackle the resolu-
tion in their summer session in
Baguio City tomorrow, citing a
highly placed source in the poll
body that he refused to identify.
Abalos said the move to clear
Radam and Martirizar showed
that the case against his father was
crumbling because prosecutors
Palace denies
energy summit
a moro-moro
By John Anthony
Concepcion
MALACANANG on Tues-
day denied it has approved
midnight deals to solve the
power shortage in Mindanao
and said it will let stakehold-
ers on the island decide on a
solution based on a consensus
that will be forged during the
Energy Summit in Davao City
on Friday.
Presidential spokesman
Edwin Lacierda also denied that the summit is just for
show and moro-moro and said the Aquino administra-
tion was sincere in addressing the shortage of power in
Mindanao.
He also denied that the Energy Department has closed
deals for more coal-red plants, saying this was the job
of the Energy Regulatory Commission.
He said the summit was being organized by the Min-
danao Development Authority, not the Energy Depart-
ment. Through the summit, he said, the people of Min-
danao would decide what solutions could be applied to
their power problems.
There are proposed solutions, but it is something that
they would have to decide as the President has always
stated everybody should be on the same page when it
comes to addressing the energy concerns in Mindanao,
Lacierda said.
Its up to them. I know for a fact that the Mindanao
people oppose privatization. Thats something that will
be addressed. These concerns will be addressed in the
summit.
By Vito Barcelo
THE Filipino nurses aspiring to
work in the United States may not
get what they wish as that country
now has an ample supply of local
nurses, a former labor leader said
Tuesday.
The shortage of nurses in
America ended in 2010. Right
now they have an ample supply of
US-educated nurses, Rep. Arnel
Ty said.
Ty, citing statistics from the
United States National Council
of State Boards of Nursing, says
the US produced close to a million
nurses from 2006 to 2011.
He says Americas demand for
Filipino and other foreign nurses
might start to recover only eight
years from now, or in 2020, when
a generation of US practitioners
retires.
American hospitals rst had a
shortage of nurses in 1998, but the
gap slowly was lled by the large
increase in the number of American
nurses and the deluge of foreigners.
Ty, citing a New England Jour-
nal of Medicine report, says there
is some chance that US hospitals
might step up the hiring of foreign
nurses when more Americans ob-
tain medical insurance coverage
PEOPLE shouldnt count the Lakas politi-
cal party out, party president Senator Ramon
Revilla Jr. said Tuesday as he brushed aside
Vice President Jejomar Binays claims that the
dominant minority party was a spent force.
The next election is still over a year away,
and while there are already feelers being sent
seeking the partys support, we do not want to
focus our efforts there this early, Revilla said
in a statement.
Instead of following what other political
parties are doing now, our party, through our
members who are incumbent ofcials, would
rather spend our energies on serving the con-
stituency and addressing their more immediate
concerns.
Binays PDP-Laban and former President
Joseph Estradas Partido ng Masang Pilipino
have forged an alliance called the United Na-
tionalist Alliance to prepare for next years
mid-term elections.
Revilla said the elections were still too far
away, so Lakas wasnt joining any political
gimmickry. Next page
Next page
Next page
Next page
Next page
Next page Next page
Fun games
in Spratlys
By Christine F. Herrera
KIDAPAWAN CITY
Businessmen and law-
makers on Tuesday said
they were willing to turn
to nuclear power to end
the intermittent blackouts
in Mindanao and to cut
the cost of electricity on
the island.
Mindanao would even be willing to host
the mothballed Bataan nuclear power plant,
which would not only remedy the 100-mega-
watt decit but also bring down the cost to
P2.50 a kilowatt hour as against the P14 a
kilowatt hour being charged by the power
barges now.
If the residents of Luzon have no problem
with blackouts and they can afford to say not
in our own backyard, we dont subscribe to
that, Foresta told the Manila Standard.
We agree to host the nuclear power
plant and be liberated from the six to eight
hours of daily blackouts that [are hurting]
our businesses.
But former Pangasinan Rep. Mark Co-
juangco, who has campaigned for a revival of
the Bataan plant, said it would be impractical
LACIERDA
Next page
MOTHBALLED BATAAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
News
ManilaStandardToday mst.daydesk@gmail.com APRIL 11, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A2
WASHINGTON Cellphone
companies and the government are trying
to make it as difcult to use a stolen
cellphone as it is to sell a stolen car.
US Sen. Charles Schumer said in
a statement late Monday that ma-
jor cellphone carriers and the Fed-
eral Communications Commission
have agreed to set up a database
of identication numbers that are
unique to each phone.
Using the list, cellular carri-
ers will be able to permanently
disable a phone once its been
reported stolen. Until now, US
carriers have only been disabling
so-called SIM cards, which can
be swapped in and out. Thats en-
abled a black market to exist for
stolen phones.
Schumer said that the goal of the
agreement is to make a stolen cell-
phone as worthless as an empty
wallet.
He has said that unique ID num-
bers known as International Mobile
Equipment Identity numbers are al-
ready effectively used in Europe to
deter stealing.
Schumer also said he will intro-
duce legislation to make it a fed-
eral crime to alter or tamper with
a phones IMEI number.
Mobile carriers led by Verizon
Wireless and AT&T Inc. agreed
to help stem an increase in de-
Stolen phones to be disabled
vice thefts, a US regulator said.
The companies agreed to begin
blocking stolen devices within six
months, Federal Communications
Commission Chairman Julius
Genachowski said in an e-mailed
notice outlining a formal an-
nouncement in Washington.
There is a growing epidemic
of mobile phone theft, and more
than 40 percent of all robberies
in New York City involve smart-
phones and other wireless devices,
the FCC said in the e- mailed re-
lease that included Genachowskis
announcement.
The mobile providers taking part
in the initiative -- leading carrier
Verizon, No. 2 AT&T, Sprint Nex-
tel Corp. and T- Mobile USA Inc.
-- cover 90 percent of US subscrib-
ers, the FCC said.
The companies actions will
help to deter smartphone thefts
and protect the personal infor-
mation on them, Steve Lar-
gent, president of CTIA-The
Wireless Association, said in an
e-mailed statement.
The industry will work to edu-
cate consumers about using ap-
plications and passwords to help
safeguard personal data, said Lar-
gent, whose Washington-based
trade group represents wireless
carriers.
Nationwide there has been a
sharp increase in robberies of
communication devices includ-
ing phones, smartphones and
tablet computers, often through
violent attacks, the Major Cit-
ies Chiefs Association said in a
Feb. 12 resolution. The group
represents police chiefs in the 50
largest U.S. cities including New
York, Philadelphia, Chicago and
Los Angeles.
The chiefs association in its
resolution asked the FCC to re-
quire that telecommunications
companies have the capability to
track and disable stolen devices.
Police say tens of thousands
of smartphones are stolen each
year, Representative Eliot
Engel, a New York Democrat,
said in a March 22 statement
announcing his legislation to
prevent mobile-phone theft. If
service is cut off on a stolen
phone, it just becomes a useless
brick.The motivation to threat-
en, or commit violence, in order
to steal a phone goes away.
AP, Bloomberg
CHEAP beer.
For consumers in China, its
a fact of life. Brew in China, the
worlds biggest market, sells at
one-third the price in the US. Now
foreign brewers are wooing the
Chinese to pay more for brands
that are popular worldwide.
The idea is to get increas-
ingly afuent Chinese to switch
from local beers that sell for as
little as 1.87 yuan (30 cents)
for a 330-milliliter bottle to for-
eign lagers such as Budweiser,
which costs about 6.13 yuan. To
achieve that, overseas compa-
nies are acquiring or setting up
new breweries across the coun-
try to widen the reach for their
premium brands.
The four biggest players
China Resources Enterprise
Ltd., the partner of SABMiller
Plc Anheuser-Busch InBev NV,
Tsingtao Brewery Co. , which
partners Asahi Group Hold-
ings Ltd. and Beijing Yanjing
Brewery Co.already account
for 59 percent of the beer sold,
according to Euromonitor In-
ternational. They have gained
market share as they increased
scale. Now they want to boost
protability in the 360 billion
yuan market.
Consuming foreign pre-
mium beer has become more
and more popular, especially
among youngsters who have
higher education, higher income
and higher acceptance of exotic
goods, said Olive Xia, an ana-
lyst with Core Pacic-Yamaichi
International Ltd. in Shanghai.
In 2011, consumption of beer
rose 4.8 percent to 47.5 billion
liters in China. Thats estimat-
ed to reach 61.4 billion liters
in 2016, with sales growth of
premium and standard lagers
set to outpace economy brews,
according to London-based
Euromonitor.
Chinese drink about 35 liters of
beer a year. That is less than half the
consumption in the US and a third
of that in Germany. Bloomberg
Bud now
a luxury
in China
AS a correspondent for the
Manila Standard Today, I
published on June 15, 2007 in
the Regions page of this news-
paper, a story entitled Teach-
er hits sale of appointments.
It was based on a complaint
led before the Ombudsman
by an Olongapo City public
school teacher, a certain Ju-
dith Olayvar Pasustento, who
accused two local school of-
cials of soliciting payments
in exchange for teaching ap-
pointments. The story was
critical of retired Schools Di-
vision Supt. Ligaya Monato,
but I failed to include her side.
I did try to reach Mrs. Monato
to get her side through the
Communications Ofce of the
Education Department, but
the staff failed to contact her
that very day. The quotes were
based on actual interviews
with Pasustento. Mrs. Monato
was not actually named in the
complaint. I apologize to Ms.
Monato for the inconvenience
or damage the publication of
the report may have caused
her, although it was never my,
or the Manila Standard To-
days, intention to question
her integrity or besmirch her
reputation.
FLORANTE SOLMERIN
Correspondent
Manila Standard Today
Reporter
apologizes
for story
Fun...
Alexander Pama said the fun
games were part of an agree-
ment he signed with his Viet-
namese counterpart in October
last year as a condence-build-
ing step toward better coopera-
tion between the two countries.
The agreement also called
for information-sharing to al-
low the two countries to re-
spond to maritime accidents
in the disputed islands, Pama
said.
The Spratlys, a group of
about 100 low islands and
coral reefs intersecting busy
shipping lanes, is claimed by
China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Ma-
laysia and the Philippines. The
area is believed to be rich in
petroleum and gas deposits.
Vietnam and the Philippines
announced plans to hold war
games in the area early this
year, but China objected and
said such acts would under-
mine Chinese sovereignty.
Pama said no dates had been
set for the friendly games,
which would require Filipino
sailors to hop over to Vietnam-
ese-controlled areas and vice
versa to play football and bas-
ketball.
They would also exchange
information on many issues
and plan their response to ac-
cidents involving shermen.
Pama said the two countries
also agreed to set up a hot line
between their coast guards and
maritime police to strengthen
their capability to monitor
such incidents as piracy and
incursion into their territorial
waters.
Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon
of Pag-asa, a small Spratly is-
land occupied by Philippine
forces, said the new coopera-
tion between the Philippines
and Vietnam was a welcomed
development.
This will lessen the ten-
sion and apprehension about a
shooting war, he said.
Its good if theyll play
games and eat on the same
table.
Mindanao...
and too expensive to move the
facility to Mindanao, and rec-
ommended instead building
plants using small modular re-
actors.
Cojuangco said he met with
the governors, congressmen and
mayors of Pagadian in Zambo-
anga, Koronadal, General Santos
and Davao del Sur last week and
that all of them were agreeable to
hosting nuclear power plants in
Mindanao.
Floresta, Palmones and Co-
juangco on Tuesday said they
would attend the Mindanao
Power Summit to be hosted by
President Benigno Aquino III on
Friday at the Waterfront Insular
Hotel in Davao City.
Ahead of the summit, Co-
juangco said the country should
build plants using the small
modular reactors favored by the
US Nuclear Regulatory Com-
mission.
The Philippines, he said,
should start applying for the con-
struction of the plants so it could
add nuclear power to its energy
mix by 2018.
It takes time to build a
nuclear power plant, so the
Philippines, this early, should
already decide to secure per-
mits from international nuclear
commissions so that the earli-
est it could construct and go on
stream is by 2018, Cojuangco
said.
Cojuangcos wife, Pangasinan
Rep. Kimi Cojuangco, has led
a bill that would provide host
communities an assured supply
of power at a discounted rate for
as long as 60 years, the life span
of a nuclear power plant.
Palmones said Philippine
Nuclear Research Institute
Executive Director Alumanda
dela Rosa had assured him
that nuclear plants were safe in
Mindanao.
Mindanao is no different than
Bataan, but we have vast lands
here that can host the plant away
from the residents, Palmones
told the Manila Standard.
PNRI executive director Alu-
manda dela Rosa assured us that
nuclear plants are safe and will
not pose any risk to the residents
of Mindanao.
Floresta said Mindanao could
not afford to lose more economi-
cally because of the blackouts.
He said his 250-hectare banana
plantation and other businesses
were being threatened by the
daily eight-hour blackouts.
If the answer to the power
crisis is we need to go nuclear,
then so be it, Floresta said.
20...
Floramel Joy Songsong, spokes-
woman for the Civil Aviation Au-
thority, said the agency will tem-
porarily close three northeastern
air corridors, which will result in
an additional 20 minutes of travel
time for the airlines.
Japanese carriers JAL and
ANA will change the ight paths
on the routes connecting Tokyo
to Manila, Jakarta and Singa-
pore, while domestic ights will
not be affected.
JAL has four ights a day on
the expected rocket launch dates.
Airline ofcial Norio Higashi-
mine said each ight will carry
more fuel in case of an unexpect-
ed route change.
ANA is making similar route
changes on ve ights.
A PAL spokeswoman said the
rerouting would cause negligible
delays on the following ights:
PR 105, Guam-Manila; PR
105, San Francisco-Manila; PR
103, Los Angeles-Manila; PR
107, Vancouver-Manila; PR 431,
Narita-Manila; PR 407, Kansai-
Manila; PR 437, Nagoya-Ma-
nila; PR 465, Incheon-Manila,
PR 434, Cebu-Narita; PR 111,
Guam-Manila; and PR 425, Ma-
nila-Fukuoka.
Ships and shing boats, mean-
while, were also told to avoid the
northeastern territorial waters
where rocket debris may fall.
North Korea says the satellite
will observe crops and natural
resources and denies suspicions
that the launch is intended to test
long-range missile technology.
North Korea has said that it
chose the southerly ight path
from the rocket launch site so
debris wouldnt hurt neighboring
countries. The rst stage of the
rocket is expected to fall into the
Yellow Sea southwest of South
Korea, and the second into the
ocean about 140 kilometers east
of Luzon.
But there has been widespread
fear over falling debris from the
rocket. Japans defense minister
has ordered missile units to in-
tercept the rocket if it or its frag-
ments threaten to hit Japan.
Seoul has also warned it might
shoot down any parts of the
North Korean rocket heading
for South Korean territory. Seoul
also warned that the North Kore-
ans might test a nuclear weapon
after this months missile launch.
In Manila, the Akbayan group
has condemned the North Kore-
an missile launch, saying it will
unnecessarily put Filipinos at
risk. AP, with Eric E. Apolonio,
Vito Barcelo and Bloomberg
Comelec...
could not produce witnesses for
the next hearing.
We are calling on the com-
missioners of Comelec not to
allow themselves to be used for
this purpose. We hope they stand
by whats right under the law,
the mayor said.
He repeated his objection to
a Comelec plan to treat Radam
and Martirizar as state witnesses
in the poll fraud case against
Abalos and other former poll
ofcials. He said the two did
not qualify because an accused
could only become a state wit-
ness if he or she appeared to be
the least guilty of the crime com-
mitted.
How can they [Radam and
Martirizar] be the least guilty
when they are the principal ac-
tors in that fraud as established
in the Melo commission that
was afrmed by my father when
he conducted another investiga-
tion? Abalos said.
He said his father was chair-
man of the Comelec in the Cor-
dillera Autonomous Region in
2007 and did not handle Mind-
anao.
In December, the Comelec
led charges against Abalos Sr.
but rejected the recommenda-
tion of the joint panel of the
Comelec and the Justice De-
partment to exonerate Radam
and Martirizar.
The same panel earlier recom-
mended the ling of an electoral
sabotage case against former
President and now Pampanga
Rep. Gloria Macapagal -Arroyo.
Radam and Martirizar went
into hiding for four years until
September last year, when they
surfaced to testify on the alleged
cheating in 2007.
However, while they were in
hiding the Comelec led an elec-
toral sabotage case against Rad-
am before a Pasay City court,
while a case against Martirizar is
still pending with the poll body.
With Gigi Muoz-David and Joel
Zurbano
Filipino...
head while the other suffo-
cated in the engine room during
the rescue.
The Filipino seamen were
freed from their Somali pirate-
captors after a successful rescue
operation staged by the Iranian
Navy on April 2, Hernandez told
reporters in a text message.
That led to the capture of the
12 pirates who boarded the ves-
sel.
Hernandez said the eight surviv-
ing Filipinos will arrive on April 11
via Malaysia Airlines. The owners
of the MV Eglantine had promised
to compensate the families of the
two Filipinos, he said.
The pirates hijacked the MV
Eglantine, which had 23 crew
members of mixed nationalities,
on March 26.
John Anthony Concepcion
No vacancy...
under an expanded US health
care law that takes effect in
2014.
The oversupply of nurses
in the Philippines has moved
regulators to urge high-school
graduates to shun the nursing
course.
From 1995 to 2011 a total of
145,081 Filipino nurses sought
to practice their profession in
America by taking the US li-
censure exam for the rst time.
But from 2006 to 2011 alone,
938,552 US nursing graduates
also took that test for the rst
time.
Ty has been pushing for new
legislation that would establish
a jobs plan for idle Filipino
nurses, who now number more
than 300,000.
As he proposes it, the plan
would be an expanded ver-
sion of the Nurses Assigned in
Rural Service, the short-lived
Philippine government project
that enlisted nurses to improve
health care in the poverty-
stricken towns.
Palace...
Earlier, lawmakers and envi-
ronmentalists accused President
Aquino of approving midnight
deals to build more coal-red
plants in Mindanao days ahead
of the energy summit.
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Ca-
sio said the Mindanao Energy
Summit was supposed to give
the stakeholders options for
short- and long-term solutions
to the power crisis, but no option
was being offered because the
contracts for coal were already
a done deal.
Revilla...
Lakas banks on the trust
and condence of voters who
they serve and not on public-
ity and political gimmickry,
he said.
He said it was clear that Lakas
was being underestimated, but
what many people didnt know
was that its real strength was
its grassroots membership, the
quality of its incumbent mem-
bers on the ground coupled with
the support of recognized lead-
ers and Senior Statesmen.
Ultimately, the party that has
the most number of performing
incumbent ofcials is the stron-
gest political party, Revilla
said.
Lakas is not CGMA [Con-
gresswoman Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo] alone. There is more to
the party. We are a principled
political party with Christian-
Muslim Democratic ideals.
We enjoy the full support of
former President Fidel V. Ramos
and the partys founding mem-
bers, coupled with a substantial
number of congressmen, gover-
nors, board members, mayors
and councilors.
Revilla said the presidents
and ofcials of the League of
Municipalities of the Philip-
pines, the Vice Mayors League
of the Philippines, the Philip-
pine Councilors League, and
the Liga ng mga Barangay sa
Pilipinas were either members
of Lakas or were actively sup-
ported and campaigned for by
Lakas in their respective bids.
By Maricel Cruz

TWO lawmakers are protesting
Budget Secretary Florencio Abads
recent order to tighten the release
of pork barrel to legislators to avoid
any misuse of the funds for the 2013
midterm elections.
Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiang-
co accused Abad of abuse of au-
thority over the funds that had been
legally appropriated.
It is Butch Abad who is abusing
his authority for election purposes,
Tiangco told the Manila Standard.
That is a too righteous and holi-
er-than-thou attitude.
Tiangco, who became a critic of
the Aquino administration after he
exposed the railroading of the im-
peachment process against Chief
Justice Renato Corona, dared Abad
to name the legislators who are us-
ing their priority development assis-
tance funds for other purposes and
le charges against them.
That is unfair for those members
of Congress who are using their
pork funds properly.
House Speaker Feliciano Bel-
monte Jr. said he saw no reason
for the Budget Department to be
too strict about the release of pork
barrel, especially if the lawmakers
requests met the standards and re-
quirements of the department.
As long as the request falls
within the guidelines, [the depart-
ment] should release it as soon as
possible, Belmonte told the Ma-
nila Standard.
House Deputy Minority Leader
and Zambales Rep. Milagros Mag-
saysay said Abads pronouncement
Monday to ne-tune the applica-
tion for the list of eligible projects
and the release of such funds to leg-
islators showed paranoia, and that
the Aquino administration did not
trust its allies.
He apparently distrusts their
own allies to make such state-
ments, Magsaysay said.
Magsaysay said the timing and in-
tention of the supposed new policy of
the Budget department on the release
of pork barrel were suspicious and
were aimed at harassing the adminis-
trations critics and crippling the polit-
ical opposition in the 2013 elections.
Tiangco said that the Palaces
changing guidelines on the release
of pork barrel funds was not sur-
prising.
Lawmakers criticize Abads order on pork barrel
APRIL 11, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A3 News
ManilaStandardToday mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Comelec stands pat on PCOS deal
IN BRIEF
Group warns
of cigarette
butt waste
PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome inspects an assault rie during the PNP Crisis Action Force Evaluation
Exercises held in Camp Crame on Tuesday. Bartolome sacked two ranking police ofcials in Zamboanga del Sur over the
raid on a police station by members of the New Peoples Army. MANNY PALMERO
Former Vice President Teosto Guingona Jr. [left] has asked the Supreme Court to stop the Commission on Elections from purchasing Precinct
Count Optical Scan machines from Smartmatic International which the poll body plans to use for the 2013 mid-term elections. DANNY PATA
Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said that aside from the familiarity
of the voters with the machines, they also considered the limited
budget of the Commission on Elections.
We decided to buy the machines for practical reasons. It is much
cheaper [and] PCOS was proven effective, Sarmiento said.
Voting 5-2, the Comelec en banc, decided to take the option to pur-
chase the PCOS machines along with the software for the Automated
Election System technology and a new consolidation and canvassing
system for a discounted price of P1.8 billion.
The machines from Smartmatic International will be used in the
2013 mid-term elections.
Sarmiento said they approved the decision to acquire the machines
since they were satised with the action taken by Smartmatic in correct-
ing the problems they encountered in the 2010 national and local polls.
Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said getting the machines at a huge
discount also removed the headache of sourcing funds for the 2013 elections.
The Comelec had proposed a budget of P10 billion for next years
political exercise, but Congress only approved P7 billion.
Brillantes said buying the PCOS units would be the most prudent
and practical alternative for the poll body because it would only cost
P1.8 billion, or a third of its total value, to buy them.
The remaining P5 billion of the P7 billion budget will be used to bid
out the services for the 2013 polls including warehousing, technician
personnel hiring, ballot papers, and ballot printing, among others.
Sarmiento and Commissioner Armando Velasco said they are not in
favor of the open election system where counting will be done manu-
ally while the transmission of results is automated.
They said full automation minimizes human intervention and cheating.
There could be ballot switching and other irregularities [if we go
back to] manual voting, said Sarmiento.
This developed as non-government organizations criticized the
Comelecs decision to buy the machines.
They said the Comelecs purchase of the machines shuts the door
for Filipino IT professionals to help in next years polls.
The group AES Watch said the poll body purchased the machines de-
spite various system aws and technical glitches in the 2010 election.
22 soldiers wounded by hidden bombs
By Florante S. Solmerin
TWENTY-two Army Rangers
were wounded, five of them se-
riously, when they hit a trip wire
planted by Muslim militants
Tuesday morning in Sitio Abong-
Abong Peak, Barangay Mahata-
lang, Sumisip, Basilan.
The wounded soldiers belonged
to the Armys 13th Scout Ranger
Company.
Philippine Army spokesman Maj.
Harold Cabunoc said the incident
happened at around 8 a..m. while
the soldiers were conducting assault
preparations against a suspected
lair of the Abu Sayyaf Group led
by sub-leaders Furuji Indama and
Khair Mundos.
He said the exploded bombs were
part of planted improvised explo-
sive devices made of mortar am-
munitions that served as perimeter
defense of the bandits.
104th Infantry Brigade head
Col. Ricardo Visaya said the sol-
diers guide on foot patrol acci-
dentally stepped on the bombs
trip wire.
Several hundred Abu Sayyaf
ghters in the southern Philippines
have been blamed for bomb attacks
and ransom kidnappings despite
battleeld setbacks dealt by US-
trained Philippine forces.
Visaya said at least three bombs
were set off.
The guerrillas operate from jun-
gle camps and hold several foreign-
ers hostage.
Meanwhile, about 40 heavily
armed members of the New Peo-
ples Army raided a police station in
Tigbao, Zamboanga del Sur Mon-
day night and abducted a police-
man, PO2 Juhali Faisal, aside from
carting away an M-16 rie and two
9mm pistols.
Lt. Col. Randolph Cabang-
bang, spokesman of the Western
Mindanao Command, said the
raid happened at around 7 p.m.
against the Tigbao Municipal Po-
lice Station.
The police station personnel did
not put up resistance.
Philippine National Police chief
Director General Nicanor Barto-
lome ordered the relief of provincial
police director Senior Supt. Jose
Bayani Gucela and the police chief
of the Tigbao police station.
By Macon Ramos-Araneta
AN environmental watchdog called on the
government, particularly the Environment
and Health departments, to craft urgent reg-
ulatory policies to ensure the proper man-
agement of cigarette butts or lters as toxic
waste.
The EcoWaste Coalition, a member group
of the Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control Alliance, Philippines, stressed that
such a policy was warranted due to the
known toxicity of cigarette lters and the
huge number of butts generated and discard-
ed in the environment.
EcoWaste Coalition president Roy Alva-
rez claimed ciigarette butt waste is the most
visible toxic garbage found.
He said smokers litter butts on the streets,
storm drains and even on beaches and parks,
oblivious to the fact that each butt poses a
toxic threat to human and animal health and
the environment.
He said such policy on cigarette butt
waste should embrace the precautionary
principle that environmental harm does
not have to be proven to justify prevent-
ing potential exposures, and extended
producer responsibility which calls for
those who produce a toxic waste prod-
uct should be held accountable for its
cleanup.
The EcoWaste Coalition emphasized that
cigarette butts contain numerous hazard-
ous chemicals, including cancer-causing
substances, justifying their categorization
as toxic waste requiring environmentally-
sound management and disposal.
Citing a paper from Tobacco Con-
trol, an international peer-reviewed
journal for health professionals and oth-
ers in tobacco control, the group reiter-
ated that filters degrade very slowly
and thus become an accumulating mass
of potentially toxic waste.
House passes amendments to Passport Act of 1996
THE House of Representatives
approved on third and nal read-
ing a bill simplifying the passport
documentation requirements and
processes of the Ofce Consular
Affairs of the Department of For-
eign Affairs.
House Bill 5854, to be
known as the Revised Phil-
ippine Passport Act of 2012,
seeks to amend Republic Act
8239 and provide an option
for applicants to acquire a
Philippine passport with ve
or 10-year validity.
The bill aims to protect the
constitutional right of peo-
ple to travel and resolve the
continuing cases of offenses
relating to the issuance, pos-
session, use, suspension and
revocation of passports.
Under the bill, former Sen-
ate Presidents, former Speak-
ers of the House of Represen-
tatives, Associate Justices of
the Supreme Court and the
Presiding Justice of the Court
of Appeals, the Secretary of
the Senate and the Secretary
General of the House of Rep-
resentatives are added to the
short list of those entitled to
diplomatic passports.
Diplomatic passports are is-
sued to persons with diplomatic
status or who are on diplomatic
mission, such as the Philippines
President and former Presidents,
the Vice President and former
Vice-Presidents, the Senate
President and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives and
the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court, among others.
Ofcial delegates to in-
ternational, regional confer-
ences or on ofcial mission
abroad may be issued dip-
lomatic passports with full
powers by the President of
the Philippines or the Secre-
tary of Foreign Affairs.
Ofcial passports are issued to
all government ofcials and em-
ployees on ofcial trips abroad
but who are not on diplomatic
missions or have not been ac-
corded diplomatic status.
The will create a Special
Board of Inquiry that will han-
dle and adjudicate complaints
for cancellations of passports
and impose stiffer penalties
against perpetrators of fraudu-
lent and fake passports.
Offenses relating to issu-
ances of passport or to false
statements in any application
shall be punished by a ne of
not more than P60,000 and
imprisonment or not more
than 12 years and perpetual
disqualication from hold-
ing public ofce to offending
government ofcials.
The bill imposes punish-
ment on offenses relating to
forgery, mutilation, or alter-
ing any passport or travel
document or department
stamps shall be punished by a
ne of not less than P75,000
but not more than P150,000.
Maricel Cruz
Education to hire science
scholars as teachers
THE Department of Education will
hire science scholars to teach in pub-
lic high schools to directly address the
critical need for science and mathemat-
ics teachers.
In Memorandum 55, series of 2012,
DepEd mandated the priority of hir-
ing teachers who graduated as science
scholars.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro
said Department of Science and Tech-
nology-Science Education Institute
scholars should be in the priority list
of DepEd Regional Directors when hir-
ing new teachers in public secondary
schools.
Our eyes are set on them because
they have the proper training and are bet-
ter equipped to teach the sciences, a very
critical input for our students, Luistro
said.
There are currently around 143 gradu-
ate scholars of DOST-SEI who are avail-
able for hiring for school year 2012-2013.
These 2011-2012 graduates majored in
physics, physical science, chemistry,
mathematics from state colleges and uni-
versities nationwide. Gigi Muoz-David
By Joel E. Zurbano

POLL ofcials stood by their decision
to purchase about 82,000 Precinct Count
Optical Scan machines used in the May
2010 election, saying it is the more
practical thing to do.
Trade, farm deals
signed with Qatar
THE Philippines and the State of Qatar

on Tuesday signed four agreements to
cap the rst of the two-day state visit
of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin
Khalifa Al Thani.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin
Lacierda said the government-to-gov-
ernment agreements involved trade,
tourism, agriculture, and the legal eld.
The rst is a memorandum of under-
standing on tourism cooperation which
involves the creation of favorable con-
ditions for long-term cooperation in
tourism for the mutual benet of the
Philippines and Qatar.
The second is on cooperation in the
legal eld while the accord on agri-
cultural and sheries cooperation es-
tablishes a general framework for co-
operation for the purpose of fostering
sectoral development and enhancing
agri-related trade and investment.
An accord was also signed between
the Department of Trade and the Qatar
Holding Limited Liability Corp. con-
cerning investment cooperation in nat-
ural resources, commodities, energy,
agriculture, and infrastructure.
Another accord involving the pri-
vate sector is on the establishment
of joint business council between the
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and
Industry and the Qatari Chamber of
Commerce and Industry.
John Anthony Concepcion
Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com APRIL 11, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A4
IT was with loathing, anger and pity
that we learned last week of a massive
dogghting operation in San Pablo,
Laguna, that the police have thankfully
shut down.
We felt disgust and outrage at the
inhumanity of the eight South Koreans
who were arrested for allegedly running
an illegal online gambling operation in
which players outside the Philippines bet
on dogs ghting inside their two-hectare
coffee plantation.
Our compassion was reserved
for the 300 dogssome suffering
horrible wounds including ripped
ears and tongues that were rescued
in the raids earlier this month. Many
of the dogs, which were kept in metal
fuel drums and tied to heavy steel
chains, were too weak to stand, and
three died of heatstroke.
Some 34 of the most seriously injured
dogs have already been put to death,
while animal welfare groups tasked to
look after the rescued creatures said
up to 70 more of the most emaciated,
sickly or aggressive might have to
be euthanized because there were no
facilities to rehabilitate them or to
prevent them from being used again in
underground arenas.
A spokeswoman for the Philippine
Animal Welfare Society said many of
the dogs rescued in Laguna had been
rescued from a similar dogfighting
den run by the same group of
suspects in Indang, Cavite, in
December 2011. Tragically, people
who adopted the rescued animals
sold them back to the suspects so
they could continue fighting them.
The horrors exposed by the Laguna
raid highlight the need to implement
and strengthen the Animal Welfare
Act. Under the 1988 law, people found
guilty of cruelty to animalsincluding
dogghtingmay be punished by
imprisonment of six months to two
years, or a ne of P1,000 to P5,000, or
both at the discretion of the court. If the
violation is committed by an alien, he or
she will be immediately deported after
serving the sentence.
Given the scale of the Laguna
dogghting den and its online gambling
operation, such penalties seem woefully
inadequate. For this reason, we support
amendments to the law proposed by Rep.
Bernadette Herrera-Dy of the Bagong
Henerasyon party list that would raise
the jail term to six to 12 years and a ne
of no less than P50,000.
In seeking the higher penalties,
Herrera-Dy cites the need to set an
example.
Cruelty, in any form, ruins the moral
ber of our society, she says. We
already are aware of FBI studies that link
animal cruelty to human violence.
An isolated act of violence against
animals is abhorrent, but an organized
enterprise that cynically capitalizes
on such cruelty is truly evil. Those
responsible for the Laguna dogghts
certainly fall into this category. While the
stiffer penalties, even if approved, may
not be applied to them retroactively, we
trust that those responsible for bringing
them to justice will seek the maximum
penalty allowed by law.
A better law for animals
Rewarding the guilty
VARIOUS environmentalists groups
are up in arms over the cutting and
balling of trees in Baguio Citys
Luneta Park atop one end of historic
Session Road to make way for the
expansion of the SM mall there.
A local court has issued an order
preventing more tree-cutting, which
has been the subject of online protests
since before Holy Week.
The Sy family which owns the
countrys biggest mall chain would
do well to heed the court order and
explain why it needs to cut old
pines that dot
the hill around
the Baguio mall
and if it can
guarantee that the
process will not
lead to further
destruction of the
summer capitals
dwindling forest
cover.
The balling
of old trees,
after all, has
never led to
their successful
transplanting elsewhere. And amid
reports of the secrecy of the removal
of the trees, many Baguio residents
fear that the mall owner is simply
content to do away with them
altogether, to make way for more
mall spacesomething Baguio
certainly needs a lot less than the
old pines and other native trees that
still grow in the city.
The mall has defended its actions
by saying that the removal of the trees
is necessary to achieve environmental
sustainability in the area, of all
things. The old trees will be replaced
by other vegetation, including a
lushly landscaped Roof Garden
with delightful water features
using something called Green Roof
Technology.
The people of Baguio City,
who have seen many of their trees
removed in the past in the name of
development in a city with a greatly
deteriorated and extremely fragile
ecosystem, are not impressed. As one
online wag noted, SM may as well
change its slogan to Well Cut It All
For You.
* * *
Apropos of the recent formation of
Team Binay in next years senatorial
elections, I was reminded that
the Commission on Elections has
recently approved the purchase of the
controversial Precinct Count Optical
Scan machines for P1.8 billion. Yes,
the same voting machines which may
or may not have been responsible for
mass cheating in 2010 will apparently
be deployed once again next year,
thereby changing the game for two
polls in a row.
For worse, not for better. Because
while our fraud-riddled manual
system of voting and canvassing
certainly needs upgrading, the way
Smartmatic-TIM modernized the
2010 elections certainly does not
allow it to have a second chance to do
the same thing next year.
On paper, of course, election
automation is an excellent idea. But
the way Comelec and Smartmatic
conducted the last polls, which were
marred by allegations of cheating
through the lack of digital signatures
in the ballots and other serious
problems that made proper auditing
of the vote practically impossible,
actually made many people pine for
the old days when fraud was not so
massive or untraceable.
The Comelec order to purchase
the suspect PCOS machines was
contested before the Supreme Court
yesterday by at
least four election
w a t c h d o g
g r o u p s a n d
for good reason.
Why should the
provider of the
technology be
rewarded for its
glitch-lled work
two years ago,
instead of being
haled to court,
its ofcials jailed
for perpetrating
fraud that
remains the legacy of the rst
automated nationwide elections?
Make no mistake: the only reason
why the people who said they were
cheated in 2010 have not pursued
their protests is because of the built-
in futility of such a recourse. Election
protests have traditionally been even
more difcult to win than elections
themselves; now, post-PCOS, the
odds against winning a protest have
increased exponentially, given the
difculty of tracing votes back to the
precinct level and to individual voters
that seem to have been deliberately
embedded into those infernal
machines from the get-go.
Perhaps the purchase and planned
deployment next year of Smartmatics
machines are intended to work as the
Aquino administrations Hail Mary
pass to victory in 2013. Who else,
after all, stands to gain from thwarting
the peoples will once again and in the
process prevent President Noynoy
Aquino from being a lame and sitting
duck for the remaining three years of
his term after the elections?
At the very least, Comelec must
start a new bidding for providers
of election automation technology
instead of sticking with Smartmatic
and its damned PCOS gadgets. And
this time, Comelec had better make
sure that whoever gets to win the
contract secures the vote and provides
the safeguards that the law requires.
* * *
Readers from Cavite have correctly
noted that Lani Mercado Revilla, wife
of Senator Ramon Bong Revilla
Jr., is now a congresswoman and
no longer mayor of bustling Bacoor
town. The mayorship, which Lani
held for two terms until 2010, is now
held by Bongs brother Strike.
EDITORIAL
The myth about Myther
IN DEFERENCE to Holy Week, I
refrained from writing any critical
column on the landll project of
businessman Antonio Cabangon Chua
in Obando, Bulacan.
However, because of the
relentless attack on my reputation by
blocktimer-commentator Percy Lapid
on Cabangon Chuas radio station
DWIZ, I am forced to write again, not
so much anymore against Cabangon
Chua but against a former friend who
has been feeding Lapid all these
vicious lies about me.
I have written all I can about
Cabangon Chuas dump in Obando.
I feel theres nothing left to say or
nothing more to do but to leave the
matter to the court which has issued
a Writ of Kalikasan in favor of the
people of Obando. The writ grants the
citizens of a community the right to
a healthy, pollution-free environment
A friend, Senate President Juan
Ponce Enrile, warned me last
Saturday when he learned about my
predicament, to be very careful. He
knows the people I have encountered
are capable of carrying out their
threats. He cited the murder of a
certain Attorney Padilla.
Recalling the assassination of
environmentalist broadcaster Doc
Gerry Ortega for which there is now
an arrest warrant against former
Palawan Governor Joel Reyes, the
alleged mastermind, I have decided to
cease and desist. I have already done
the people of Obando a great service
for which they have thanked me.
But I will continue to expose the
person who started it all by showing
me disrespect and not giving any
value at all to our long friendship.
Im referring to one Reynaldo Bunag,
a.k.a. Myther to his friends, and
Metring in the gay community.
Undoubtedly he has been the one
feeding all these lies about me to Percy
Lapid who does not know that Myther
calls him kumaintator, a derogatory
pun on commentator.
I have tried not to mention Mythers
name in two previous columns but
because of his devious and evil ways,
I now do so. Whatever I say about him
is of public record.
Sometime last year during a
dispute over a table, Myther slapped a
woman so hard at Caf Adriatico that
she fell on the planters in the al fresco
area of the famous Malate restaurant.
As he was drunk , he also fell with
his hands on the womans breast.
The woman who works at the ofce
of Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno,
immediately called for help from
the Vice Mayor who promptly sent a
squad to arrest the errant self-styled
Duke of Adriatico, as he wants to
call himself.
Some people, though, call him the
Joke of Adriatico.
As Myther was so drunk, he fell
down the stairs of his apartment just
across Caf Adriatico. Because he
needed medical attention, Vice Mayor
Isko Morenos men who were all set
to drag him to jail, allowed him to be
brought to the hospital.
The complainant had led a case of
physical injuries and unjust vexation
against Myther. This is all a matter of
record at WPD police station and at the
scals ofce. The Peoples Journal
even ran a story headlined Lolo
masher, akusado ng pananampal,
The case, however, was dropped when
Myther begged Mayor Fred Lim to
talk to Moreno. After that, Myther
gloated that he was untouchable.
Myther, has a long and storied past
with Caf Adriatico. His wife left him
for famous restaurateur Larry Cruz.
Again, this is a matter of record and
common knowledge in Manila caf
society.
But what was not known was how
some hired guns from Pampanga came
to Manila looking for Larry Cruz.
At whose behest, I cannot say. But I
advised Myther it would be better if
he can call them off. He listened to
me and I felt I had saved two lives
Larrys and Mythers.
But Myther became too big for
his britches specially when he got
moneyed politicians and even polo-
playing playboy Bobby Aguirre of
Banco Filipino to believe in the myth
that he has a lot of media friends in
his pocket. This he parlayed into an
unlicensed PR operation. Arroyo
lawyer Raul Lambino is also seen
often at his place. Myther also shares
a passion for racehorses with Mikey
Arroyo and one has to wonder how
he came to own a stable of racehorses
from the small income of his tailoring
shop in the backroom.
I will now keep my peaceunless
further provoked.
ALEJANDRO
DEL ROSARIO
BACK CHANNEL
JOJO
A. ROBLES
LOWDOWN
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher
RAMONCHITO L. TOMELDAN Managing Editor
CHIN WONG/ RAY S. EANO Associate Editors
RALEIGH J. JALECO News Editor
JOEL P. PALACIOS City Editor
ROMEL J. MENDEZ Art Director
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Standard
TODAY
CLIMACO E. CALIWARA Controller
ANITA F. GREFAL Treasury Manager
EDITH D. ANGELES Advertising Manager
EDGAR M. VALMORIDA Circulation Manager
ROGELIO C. SALAZAR President & CEO
PCOS machines
could be the
administrations
Hail Mary pass to
victory in 2013.
A5 Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com
THE Lenten season taught us
about repentance, forgiveness and
reconciliation just as the Son of
God became man to pay for all our
sins. Jesus Christ willingly accepted
death to pay for all the sins of men.
Easter Sunday shows us that one
day we can all be resurrected from
all our sins.
Sadly, this message escapes our
leaders.
We need unity and reconciliation.
I have been a journalist for more
than half a
century but
I have never
seen such
vi ndi ct i veness
in an
administration
until this
one.
***
The coalition
of the United
A l l i a n c e ,
or UNA for short, among the
political parties of the PDP-Laban
of Vice President Jojo Binay and
the Partidong Masang Pilipino of
former President Joseph Estrada, the
Nacionalista Party of Senator Manny
Villar and the Nationalist Peoples
Coalition of business tycoon Danding
Cojuangco for next years midterm
election ensures the Jojo Binay-
Jinggoy Estrada tandem in 2016.
This can only validate what
Erap told me over lunch that it will
be Jojo Binay for President and
Jinggoy Estrada for Vice President
in 2016. With the vice president
having popularity and acceptance
ratings better than President
Aquinos and leading all the top
public officials in the country,
and with the masa following of
Erap that remains intact as shown
during the 2010 polls (Estrada
landed second to PNoy), theres no
doubt that a Binay-Jinggoy team is
formidable.
I dont see in the political horizon
any other combination that can top a
Binay-Jinggoy team. Transportation
Secretary Mar Roxas, who lost to
Binay in 2010, can only aspire for
the Senate. Bongbong Marcos can
wait for another day.
As for the senatorial race next
year there are six re-electionists:
Chiz Escudero, Alan Peter
Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Gringo
Honasan, Koko Pimentel and
Antonio Trillanes. And five of
them, except Trillanes, are with
UNA. Trillanes prefers to run under
the Liberal Party, thinking that with
the funding of the President, he can
still make it.
Add to this list the returning
Migz Zuburi and Dick Gordon,
newcomer Jackie Enrile with the
name recall for his fathers superstar
performance in the impeachment
trial, and JV Ejercitos following
from the masses, and you have a
very tight race indeed.
***
This leaves the Liberal Party
almost out of the senatorial equation.
The names under the administration
party so far have been those of
Customs Commissioner Ruffy
Biazon, his deputy Danny Lim, and
Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel, who lost
in the 2010 Senate race.
I dont know who else President
Aquino can field in 2013. If hes
thinking of some among the militants
and among the House prosecutors to
fill up the LP slate, he may as well
forget the administrations dream of
having its hold in the Senate next
year.
The return of former Senator
Ernie Maceda, and perhaps
former Senator Kit Tatad, presents
interesting possibilities. With
enough funding
and media
e x p o s u r e ,
Maceda and
Tatad have a
chance at a
comeback. They
were performers
in the Senate
and their return
is needed for the
system of check
and balances.
Santa Banana, with Binay and
Erap in alliance, the Yellow Brigade
and the Palace-conscripted opinion
writers are now alarmed.
Inevitably, Binay will come to a
point where he has no choice but to
dissociate himself from the Aquino
administration.
But, for now, Malacaang will
have to contend itself with the
Vice President to deodorize an
administration whose promises for
change remains a pie in the sky.
With UNA coming up for 2013
and for 2016, I can almost predict a
well-funded and orchestrated smear
campaign against UNA and Binay.
President Aquinos conscripted
media and spinmasters are good at
it!
***
Santa Banana, did you see that
photo of the girl in her shorts,
simulating the crucifixion of Christ
in Pampanga? It made a mockery of
the crucifixion of Jesus!
It was sacrilege!
This should convince local
governments and the Church itself
to stop all the spectacle of people
getting crucified as a tourist
attraction.
***
In my listing yesterday among
the performers in the Aquino
administration, I failed to mention
Movie and Television Ratings and
Classification Board Chairperson
Mary Grace Llamanzares.
In my book, she has done a lot
to improve the standards of movie
and television ratings, especially
so with her new rating of Extreme
Parental Guidance in the wake of
so much violence and sex in movies
and television.
Ms. Llamanzares had also given
child actors as well as senior
citizens their benefits.
I had my doubts about
Llamanzares before, but I now eat
my humble pie.
A Binay-Jinggoy
tandem for 2016
Aliwan 2012
IF YOU have experienced the
Panagbenga, Sinulog, Ati-atihan, or
Kadayawan then you must know the
exhilarating feeling that one can get from
watching colors explode everywhere
as hundreds of streetdancers gyrate to
the beat of drums and gongs, create
almost dizzying patterns of sounds and
movements, and in the process, validate
the seemingly inexhaustible variety and
richness of our local culture. These are
just four of the many other festivals that
are staged in this country annually to
showcase religious fervor, celebrate a
harvest, or commemorate an important
historical milestone in their respective
towns, cities, or provinces.
These festivals make us truly proud
to be Filipinos and of our heritage.
They make us swear that yes, indeed,
politics be damned, it truly is more fun
in the Philippines.
Now imagine 22 of these festivals
converging in one location and at the
same time for an intense but friendly
competition. The possibilities are
almost mind-boggling.
Imagine each of the 22 festivals
assembling their best dancers, their best
costumes, and putting forward their best
performances for the sake of winning
the bragging rights to be known as the
best of the best festivals in the country!
If you are not doing anything on
Saturday, April 14, you might want to
come to the Quirino Grandstand and later
on, to the Aliw Theatre grounds beside
the Cultural Center of the Philippines to
witness this years Aliwan Fiesta. Its
the annual extravaganza hosted by the
Manila Broadcasting Corporation and
the CCP. Its the festival of festivals,
a spectacular display of the inherent
artistry and talent of Filipinos across the
whole archipelago.
This year is the 10
th
time that the
Aliwan Fiesta is being staged so the
competition is quite intense. The
22 groups competing for top honors
include contingents from the countrys
major festivals such as Baguio Citys
Panagbenga, Cebu Citys Sinulog, and
Iloilos Dinagyang.
Ive been writing about the Aliwan
Festival for quite sometime now because
I think that private sector initiatives that
support local and indigenous art forms
must be supported in whatever way
we can. Staging the Aliwan Festival
must cost MBC a fortune; the logistical
support that would enable 22 festivals
from as far south as Zamboanga City
and as far north as Isabelamust be
daunting. I know that the respective
local governments of the various
competing contingents shoulder most
of the cost or at least raise the funds
that would enable them to transport,
house, and feed hundreds of people,
but providing the resources just so the
annual festival could continue deserves
commendation.
Ive always made it a point to watch
the Aliwan Festival whenever I could
because the experience is incomparable.
Although many of the contingents tend
to stray from the intent of the festival
(which is to showcase authenticity
of indigenous movement and color)
by including commercial production
elements, most contingents are able to
showcase the best of their respective
cultures. Thus, one can appreciate the
richness of the culture of, for instance,
the Manuvus of North Cotabato (they
are joining this year), or the piety and
devotion to the Infant Jesus of the
people of the Visayas region.
In case you are getting the idea that
this is a public relations piece for MBC,
I would like to come clean and state
that my personal interest in this years
Aliwan Festival is the participation of
my hometowns festival. The Buyogan
Festival, which won top honors in 2009,
is rejoining this year after an absence of
two years from the Festival. Buyogan is
a unique festival as it draws inspiration
from bees (buyog in the vernacular),
from which our hometown of Abuyog
was named after. Theres a lot of folklore
around bees and their relationship with
the people of the town and these form
the essence of the Buyogan Festival.
The Buyogan Festival is performed
by schoolchildren with practically no
formal dance or any kind of training
in the arts. Parents spend for their
childrens participation in the Festival.
The townspeople put together resources
that would enable the dancers to join
festivals such as the Aliwan. You can,
therefore, understand the groundswell
of pride that we Abuyognons have for
our contingent.
EVERYMAN
Pawning the RH billConclusion
IT IS a rainy morning in late March and
Ramon San Pascual has just nished
drafting his resignation letter to the
board of directors of the Philippine
Legislators Committee on Population
and Development, where he has worked
since 1998. He is leaving his job as
executive director.
He will be moving to Bangkok May
1 at the latest, to assume the executive
directorship of the Asian Forum of
Parliamentarians for Population and
Developmentan umbrella organization
of 26 member-committees from various
Asian countries. San Pascual will be
replacing an Indian who held the post for
19 years. He will be the rst Filipino on
the job.
But is there a sense of frustration, or
a lack of closure, at leaving the PLCPD
the primary group moving for the
passage of the controversial reproductive
health billat this critical juncture?
In my column last week I described
this administrations initial enthusiasm
for the bill, an enthusiasm that zzled
out especially with the start of the
impeachment trial in December.
The Philippines is only one of three
Asian countries that do not yet have
legislation for reproductive health
the other two being East Timor and
Myanmar. So isnt it odd that somebody
from our country was chosen to head
a group that works with lawmakers
to push measures in issues of human
development?
Actually I believe it was a plus factor
in their decision to hire me, San Pascual
says. [The AFPPD] appreciated my
experience working with lawmakers. We
led the rst version of the RH bill in 1998,
and despite its not having been passed yet,
we have gone a long way. The whole
world is watching usif we have enough
perseverance, enough tenacity.
He adds: I have learned many
lessons and I am ready to take these
lessons with me to a higher level.
He says that one of his objectives is to
strengthen other national committees in
working with their lawmakers.
Another objective is to make congress
a congress of the people. The Philippines
is currently classied as a low middle
income country. But this does not reect
the gross inequity that weighs us down.
Inequity in health, for instance. Many
women nd themselves empowered,
knowing what they must do in order to
have a better life for themselves and their
families. But the sad reality is that so
much more do not. In fact, they are kept
in the dark by convention, by religion, by
the lack of access to information.
Alas, the RH bill, which would
ideally bring empowerment through
education and choice to these women
while it does not purport to solve ALL
population and development issuesis
held hostage by other factors that are
more political than developmental.
San Pascual has a nagging feeling:
Nakasanla ang RH bill in favor of
a bigger issue (The RH bill is being
pawned in favor of a bigger issue).
And when two years ago he was
condent that President Benigno Aquino
III is a president who knows what must
be done and would actually do it, San
Pascual now says: I now doubt his
capacity and his tenacity.
When he thought he knew House
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte through
reproductive health programs in Quezon
City, [Now} I have no more respect for
his determination.
To be sure, determination is not a
foreign word in this administration. After
all, President Aquino is bent on convicting
impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona
at all costseven if that cost comes in a
convenient bargaining tool like a church-
opposed piece of legislation. The Catholic
Church still wields signicant political
power in this countryand the bishops
know it and use it to the hilt.
San Pascual does not doubt that Mr.
Aquino was sincere when he uttered
the promises he made many years ago.
Look at how hard he is working to make
waves in the ght against graft and
corruption, personied, in his mind, by
his predecessor Gloria Arroyo and her
allies like Corona.
But reforms in human development?
Sincerity is one thing. Political will,
strength of leadership, and perspective
are quite another.
It is good to be determined to stop
graft and corruption in high places.
But it is not good to give in to an un-
presidential, debilitating obsession to
quash ones enemies at the expense of
other issues that need to be addressed.
Impeachment is not the be-all of
governance, San Pascual says. There
are many other things, equally important
things, to attend to.
So what is the future of the bill under
this administration? Controversial laws
in this country were given attention to
because of dramatic, supervening events,
San Pascual says. It took the Mendiola
massacre of 1987 to emphasize the
importance of the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Law. It took the
tragedy of Ondoy and succeeding storms
to pass the Climate Change Act.
What would it take for our leaders to
act, nally, on the RH bill? San Pascual
wishes they would not wait for another
tragedy.
adellechua@gmail.com
The Senate, the pollsters and the press
By Francisco Tatad
Part III
LET us consider now the propaganda
pollsters and the Franken press. They
work hand-in-glove.
On March 30, a major news daily
carried this banner headline: SWS: 73%
of Pinoys want CJ convicted. (SWS
stands for Social Weather Stations, a
polling rm; CJ for chief justice.)
At rst glance, it read like a disastrous
setback to the Corona camp. But upon
closer inspection, it was nothing but a
vicious but empty propaganda attack.
Polling sources say it usually takes
at least a month to run a fairly decent
survey, nationwide. But this one was
done in only three days (March 10 to 13),
allegedly using 1,200 samples from the
National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas
and Mindanao. There was no explanation
for the survey, and why it was rushed.
The survey had all the attributes
of a push poll. A push poll is not a
legitimate poll; its primary purpose is not
to sample voter opinion, but rather to push
the individual, and ultimately the public,
in a certain direction by asking unfair or
unethical questions.
It asked these questions:
1. Should CJ Corona resign? The
respondents were asked to choose one
of the following: (a) CJ Corona should
resign as soon as possible; (b) CJ Corona
should wait for the Senate decision and,
if acquitted, then resign; (c) CJ Corona
should leave ofce only if found guilty;
or (d) they didnt know enough about the
case to have an opinion.
2. What would you personally like the
Senate decision regarding the impeachment
trial to be? Would you like the Senate
decision to be guilty or not guilty?
The fact that Corona has managed
to gain a strong position in the Senate
impeachment trial, despite all the
mendacious propaganda from the
prosecution and Malacanang using all
its powers to pin him down, seems to
have failed to impress SWS and its
unnamed survey sponsor that for Corona,
resignation is not, has never been, and
never will be an option.
They apparently believed that
psychological propaganda pressure
could still be employed to force him to
resign, despite the fact that he had long
rebuffed such call from the President, the
prosecution, some senator-judges, and
the fact that the prosecutions case has
virtually crumbled.
It is not easy to explain the patently
insane and unintelligent Question No.
1 above. But what takes the cake is
Question No. 2 asking the respondents
what Senate verdict they would like to
have.
Presumably, most people would
like to believe that unless all decencies
were thrown out, Coronas fate should
be decided according to the law and the
evidence, not according to any public bias
or prejudice.
And yet while the survey report said
73 percent of those polled would prefer
a verdict of guilty, the newspaper report
said, 73% of Pinoys (meaning 96 million
or so Filipinos) want CJ convicted.
So who paid for that rigged survey?
Why was it done in the rst place? What
results did the sponsor expect? Did the
sponsor and the pollster think that as soon
as a survey says so many Filipinos
want Corona convicted, conviction
would follow-suit? What happens now
that the survey has been exposed as a
fraud?
The method used is an old demagogic
trick. The best known incident happened
more than 2,000 years ago and is yearly
remembered during Holy Week. In Pontius
Pilates court the Roman procurator of
Judea, after interrogating the man called
Jesus, and nding no fault in him, turned
to the mob and asked, what should he do
with him? And they answered, Crucify
him! Crucify him!
There is no attempt here to raise the
impeached chief justice to the level of
Christ. But the method used by the anti-
Corona forces seems no different from
that used by Pilate. Except for that, while
the clamor in Pilates court was real, the
one reported by the survey, and inated
several million times by the conscript
media appears to have been fabricated.
Outside of the anti-Corona camp, there
has been no public clamor for Coronas
head. To the contrary, public sympathy and
support appears to be shifting its course.
Thus while Pilate could pour water on
his hands and declare himself innocent
of the blood of this just man, there may
not be enough water in the Pacic to wash
off the grime wrought by our propaganda
pollsters and Franken press.
These two mal-institutions have
become the most persistent instruments
in the continuing idiotization of Filipinos.
Their venal members have single-
handedly destroyed the integrity of
opinion polling and fair reporting in the
Philippine press. And we have not seen
the last of their ruinous work.
Today they are after Corona. Tomorrow,
they will be hiring themselves to all the
non-entities who would like to use the
political survey to manufacture their so-
called popularity so they could inict
themselves upon our elective national
politics. The nation must nd a way of
dealing with these sources of idiotization
and the corruption of our morals and
intellect.
In the absence of a law or a professional
organization that regulates opinion
polling, citizens should demand the
highest standards from polling rms and
the media to ensure utmost transparency
and fairness in the conduct and reporting
of surveys.
Polling rms should be made to
disclose, as they do in other countries, all
relevant data about themselves and every
survey they conduct before the publication
of its results. These should include the
following:
Who did the poll? Who paid for it and
why was it done?
How many people were interviewed
for it, and where and when? How were
they chosen?
How were the interviews done? What
is the exact wording of the questions
asked? In what order were they asked?
What instruction or explanation, if any,
was given to the interviewer or respondent
that might reasonably affect the response?
What is the sampling error for the
poll results? Are the results based on the
answers of all those interviewed? Which
results are based on parts of the same
rather than the total sample, and the size
of such parts?
Above all, it is absolutely necessary
that polling rms and the media do not
inict their own political agenda on the
public or serve as a cats paw for any
foreign or local interest group.
ADELLE
CHUA
CHASING HAPPY
EMIL
P. JURADO
TO THE POINT
BONG C.
AUSTERO
ARE WE THERE YET?
Can the Liberal
Party beat this?
News
ManilaStandardToday
mst.daydesk@gmail.com APRIL 11, 2012 WEDNESDAY
A6
P1-b suit poised vs DOTC
IN BRIEF
City eyes safer skies
(MST-Apr. 11, 2012)
Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
REGION VII, CEBU CITY
I NVI TATI ON TO APPLY FOR ELI GI BI LI TY AND TO BI D
April 4, 2012
The Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Offce 7 (DPWH
Regional Offce 7), through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites contractors
registered with and classifed by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board
(PCAB) to apply for eligibility and if found eligible, to bid for the contract to wit:
Contract I.D.: 12H00018
Contract Name: Rehabilitation/Reconstruction of Cebu North Hagnaya
Wharf Road, Cebu Province
Contract Location: 1. Sta. 66+000Sta . 66+437
Approved Budget for the Contract: Php 11 ,601.293.90
Contract Duration: 60 Calendar Days
Bid Document s: Php 10,000.00
Contract ID.: 12H00019
Contract Name: Rehabilitation/Reconstruction of Loay Interior Road
Contract Location: sec. 1. Sta.125+280-125+360.65; sec. 2. Sta. 125+800-
sta. 126+000; sec. 3. Sta. 128+140-sta.129+000; sec.4.
Sta. 132+135-sta. 132+455
Approved Budget for the Contract: Php 11 ,968.995 .08
Bid Document s: Php 10,000.00
Contract ID.: 12H00022
Contract Name: Improvement of Liloan-Sogod Road
Contract Location: sec. 1. Sta.36+440-Sta. 37+100
Approved Budget for the Contract: Php 10,512,151.76
Bid Documents: Php 10,000.00
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures in accordance
with R.A. 9184 known as Government Procurement Reform Act, and its Revised
Implementing Rules and Regulations. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall
be automatically rejected at bid opening.
To be eligible to bid for this contract, a Contractor must submit a Letter or Intent
(LO!) together with their Class A Documents and must meet the following major
criteria: (a). prior registration with the DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-
owned partnership/corporation, cooperative, or joint venture with PCAB License
applicable to the type and cost of this contract, (c) completion of a similar project/
contract costing at least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, (d) Net Financial
Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment from a reputable
universal and commercial banks for at least 10% of ABC. (e) Letter of Authority for
the representative/Liason Offcer (As refected in the CRC) to submit LOI and Bids.
Have key personnel and equipment owned and or leased listed in the Eligibility
Forms available for the prosecution of the project. Letter of Intent (LOIs) sent thru
mail or fax will not be accepted. The DPWH - BAC will use non-discretionary pass/
fail criteria in the eligibility check. preliminary examination of bids, evaluation of bids
and post qualifcation.
Unregistered contractors, however, may submit their applications for registration,
to the DPWH-POCW, Central Offce before the deadline for the receipt of LOIs.
The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will process only, the contractors applications
for registration with complete requirements and issue the Contractors Certifcate of
Registration (CRC) before processing their LOIs. The DPWH Central BAC-TWG will
process only those with complete registration requirements.
All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid security, Performance
Security, Pre Bidding conference(s), Evaluation or Bids. Post Qualifcation and
Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its
Implementing Rules and Regulation (lRR).
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below:
Issuance of Bidding Documents From: April 10,2012-April 19, 2012
Pre Bid Conference April 11, 2012-9 :00 A.M
Deadline of LOI s from Prospective
bidders
Deadline: April 16,2012 until 3 :00 P.M.
Receipt of Bids April 19, 2012 1:00 P.M.
Opening of Bids April 19, 2012-1:30 P.M..
Prospective bidders may download the Registration and LOI Forms from the DPWH
website www.dpwh.gov.ph. Prospective bidders shall submit their accomplished
LOIs and obtain the results of the eligibility check at the same address.
Prospective bidders may also download the Bidding Documents (BDs), if available,
from the DPWH web site. Bidders that will download the BDS from the DPWH
Website shall pay the said fees as stated aboved on or before the submission of
their bid documents. Bids must be accompanied by a bid security, in the amount and
acceptable form as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised IRR. The BAC will also issue
hard copies of the (BDs) at the same address upon payment of a non-refundable fee
as staled above. Interested Bidders may obtain further information and inspect the
bidding Documents at the same address .. Bids will be opened in the presence of the
bidders representatives who choose to attend and late bids shall not be accepted.
The DPWH Regional Offce 7 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid and to annul
the bidding process anytime before Contract award. without incurring any liability to
the affected bidders and no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify
bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids.
Approved by:
(Sgd.) Atty. AYAON S. MANGGIS
BAC Chairman
(MST-Apr. 11, 2012)
Department of Public Works and Highways
BATAAN FIRST DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Roman Expressway, Mulawin, Orani, Bataan
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
The Bids and Awards Committee of the DPWH Bataan 1
st
District
Engineering Offce, through the FY 2011 RA 10147, invites contractors to bid
for the aforementioned project:
Contract ID: 12CA0048
Contract Name: Concreting of Capitangan Road
Contract Location: Abucay, Bataan
Scope of Work: Concreting of Road
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): Php 5,000,000.00
The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with the
Revised IRR of R.A. 9184. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be
automatically rejected at the opening of bid.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI),
purchase bid documents and must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior
registration with DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership,
corporation, cooperative, or joint venture, (c) with PCAB license applicable to
the type and cost of this contract, (d) completion of a similar contract costing at
least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (e) Net Financial Contracting
Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment at least equal to 10%
of ABC. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility
check and preliminary examination of bids.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for
registration to the DPWH-POCW Central Offce before the deadline for the
receipt of LOI. The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process contractors
applications for registration with complete requirements and issue the
Contractors Certifcate of Registration (CRC). Registration Forms may be
downloaded at the DPWH website www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown
below:
1. Receipt of LOIs from Prospective
Bidders
Deadline: April 11-May 03, 2012 Until 10:00 AM
2. Issuance of Bid Documents From : April 11-May 03, 2012 Until 10:00 AM
3. Pre-Bid Conference April 20, 2012 @2:00 P .M.
4. Receipt of Bids Deadline: May 03, 2012 Until 10:00 AM
5. Opening of Bids May 03, 2012 @ 10:00 AM

The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BDs) at DPWH-
Bataan First District Engineering Offce, upon payment of a non-refundable fee of
5,000.00 as per Dept. Order No. 52 series 2011. Prospective bidders may also
download the BDs from the DPWH website, if available. Prospective bidders
that will download the BDs from the DPWH website shall pay the said fees on
or before the submission of their Bids Documents. The Pre-Bid Conference
shall be open only to interested parties who have purchased the BDs. Bids
must accompanied by a bid security, in the amount and acceptable form, as
stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised IRR.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specifed
in the BDs in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman.
The frst envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid, which shall
include a copy of the CRC. The second envelope shall contain the fnancial
component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated
Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and postqualifcation.
The DPWH-Bataan First District Engineering Offce reserves the right to
accept or reject any or all bid and to annul the bidding process anytime before
contract award, without incurring any liability to the affected bidders.
Approved by:

(Sgd.) CYNTHIA K. FINEZA
BAC Chairman
Noted By:

(Sgd.) WILFREDO S. MALLARI
District Engineer
(MST-Apr. 11, 2012)
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
Office Of the District engineer
CATANDUANES ENGINEERING DISTRICT
VIRAC, CATANDUANES
RE-I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Department of Public Works
and Highways, Catanduanes Engineering District, invites contractors to bid for the
aforementioned projects:
Contract ID : 11FH0042
Contract Name : 1. REHABILITATION/RECONSTRUCTION
OF DAMAGED PAVED NATIONAL ROADS,
CATANDUANES CI RCUMFERENTI AL
ROAD, PAGSANGAHAN-PARAISO SEC-
TI ON, SAN MI GUEL, CATANDUANES
(K0026+137-K0026+335)
Contract Location : SAN MIGUEL, CATANDUANES
Scope of Work : ROAD WIDENING & CONCRETING OF 196.26
L.M. X 0.23M X 6.70 M. AS PER PLAN &
SPECS.
Approved Budget For the Contract (ABC) : P 14,700,000.00
Contract Duration : 180 CD
Source of Fund & Year : CY 2012 REG. INFRA
Amount of Bid Documents : P10,000.00
The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with the Revised
IRR of R.A. 9184. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected
at the opening of bid.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI), purchase
bid documents and must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior registration with
DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership, corporation, cooperative,
or joint venture, (c) with PCAB license applicable to the type and cost of this contract,
(d) completion of a similar contract costing at least 50% of ABC within a period of 10
years, and (e) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line
commitment at least equal to 10% of ABC. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/
fail criteria in the eligibility check and preliminary examination of bids.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for registration
to the DPWH Central Procurement Offce (CPO) before the deadline for the receipt
of LOI. The DPWH Central Procurement Offce (CPO) will only process contractors
applications for registration with complete requirements and issue the Contractors
Certifcate of Registration (CRC). Registration Forms may be downloaded at the DPWH
website www.dpwh.gov.ph. Interested contractors shall submit their duly accomplished
Expression of Interest statements upon presentation of their Contractor Registration
Certifcate (CRC with the Contractors Information), buy Tender Documents and drop
their bids in person or through their Authorized Representative as refected in their
CRC with the Contractors Information to the Chairman, Bids & Awards Committee
(BAC), DPWH, Catanduanes Engineering District.(Please bring valid I.D.)
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below:
1. Issuance of Bidding Documents From: APRIL 11-MAY 8, 2012
2. Pre-Bid Conference APRIL 25, 2012
3. Deadline of Receipt of LOI from
Prospective Bidders
MAY 2, 2012
4. Receipt of Bids Deadline: UP TO 2:00 P.M., MAY 8, 2012
5. Opening of Bids 2:00 P.M., MAY 8, 2012
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BDs) at DPWH,
Catanduanes Engineering District, Virac, Catanduanes_, upon payment of a non-
refundable fee of (Fee for BDs). Prospective bidders may also download the BDs
from the DPWH web site, if available. Prospective bidders that will download the BDs
from the DPWH website shall pay the said fees at DPWH, Catanduanes Engineering
District, Virac, Catanduanes on or before the submission of their bids Documents. The
Pre-Bid Conference shall be open only to interested parties who have purchased the
BDs. Bids must accompanied by a bid security, in the amount and acceptable form,
as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised IRR.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specifed in
the BDs in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The frst
envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid, which shall include a copy
of the CRC. The second envelope shall contain the fnancial component of the bid.
Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in
the bid evaluation and post-qualifcation.
The Department of Public Works and Highways, Catanduanes Engineering District
reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bid and to annul the bidding process
any time prior contract award, without incurring any liability to the affected bidder/s.

Approved by:
(Sgd.) NOEL B. BALMADRID
Engineer III
BAC Chairman
Protest against demolitions. Residents of North Triangle along Edsa and East Triangle
along BIR Road in Quezon City stage a protest in front of Quezon City Hall as city hall security
personnel prevent them from entering a building. Protesters vowed to stage more street
battles against demolitions of their homes. MANNY PALMERO
Paralytic dies in
Valenzuela re
A 52-YEAR-OLD paralytic died after
she was trapped inside their burning
house in Valenzuela City on Tuesday
morning.
Charred beyond recognition was
Marivic Meneses, of 30 Magsaysay
Extension, Barangay Marulas in the
city. She was a former teacher at Mar-
ulas Elementary School.
City re marshal Supt. Mel Jose
Lagan said Meneses body was found
in sitting position inside her room at
the second oor of the house.
Arson investigation showed that
the re broke at the victims room
around 7 a.m. and the blaze quickly
spread in the entire house. Faulty
electrical wiring was believed to have
caused the re.
The victim, Lagan said, was alone
when the fire started. Meneses elder
sister Ester who is also a teacher
was out.
The re was declared out 30 min-
utes after. Gigi Muoz-David
Court sentences
2 men to life
THE Quezon City regional trial court
on Tuesday sentenced two men to
life imprisonment for robbery with
homicide committed 10 years ago.
Branch 219 Judge Bayani Vargas
found Virgilio Brazil and Raul Ocampo
Jr. guilty beyond reasonable doubt for
the death of Ildefonso Gratela on Nov.
26, 2002.
Gratela and a certain Marife
Ayson Dumadag were on their way
to N. Domingo Street, Barangay
Valencia when Brazil and Ocampo
alighted from a Toyota Corona
sedan [NCT-627] and robbed her of
her Nokia 3310 cell phone unit and
P3,000 in cash.
The suspects sped away as
patrolling policemen gave chase.
Gratela was killed by the suspects in
a shootout with authorities.
Dumadag positively identied the
two robbers in court, saying the duo
even pointed a gun at her.
She screamed for help when the
robbers tried to flee.
Rio N. Araja
Paraaque Mayor Florencio
Bernabe Jr. said Ordinance No.
12-02 was passed by the city
council in the interest of avia-
tion safety and in compliance to
standards set by the Internation-
al Civil Aviation Organization.
From the one-mile radius or
1.6 kilometers as stated under a
1993 ordinance, breeding, rais-
ing, and domestication of pi-
geons and other species of birds
are now banned within 13 kilo-
meters of the NAIA aerodrome
and domestic airport.
To ensure the safety of in-
ternational air travelers ying
in and out of the country via
NAIA as well as our residents
and the general public, we need
to expand the restrictions on
the raising of pigeons and other
bird species within the air safety
radius of our international air-
port, Bernabe said.
Councilor Eric Baes, Jr., who
authored the amended ordi-
nance, said the expanded radius
would address the threat of bird
strikes on aircraft ying in and
out of the airport.
Birds in ight are known
to cause air accidents as birds
on the ground can compromise
aircraft take-offs and landings,
Baes, whose father-namesake
authored the original Municipal
Ordinance No. 93-08 in 1993,
said.
The new ordinance will not
affect the bird sanctuary at the
Paranaque-Las Pinas coastal
area, Bernabe assured.
The city of Paraaque will
assist and cooperate with the
[Manila International Airport
Authority] and the national gov-
ernment to ensure and promote
aviation safety without necessar-
ily jeopardizing the bird sanctu-
ary in our city, the Paranaque
mayor pointed out.
MIAA General Manager Jose
Angel Honrado had earlier con-
veyed his apprehension over the
old one-mile bird-breeding ban
for city residents, saying it is no
longer sufcient to minimize the
incidents of ying birds getting
ingested by aircraft engines.
Aside from pigeons, also
prohibited within the new
eight-mile area around the air-
ports are kite-ying and opera-
tion of remote-controlled toy
airplanes.
By Macon Ramos-Araneta
THE Philippine Medical Association will
lead a multi-sectoral initiative to le a P1-
billion class suit against documented air
polluters in Metro Manila including neg-
ligent private and government regulatory
agencies tasked to safeguard air quality in
the National Capital Region.
PMA Manila governor Dr. Leo Olarte
said the provisions of Republic Act 8749 or
the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 con-
rms our individual right to breathe clean
air. It also provides the legal basis for the
ling of a citizens suit against those who
violate the clean air law.
Olarte said they will be ling a P1-
billion citizens suit against motor vehicle
operators proven to have polluted Metro
Manilas air and the Secretary of the De-
partment of Transportation and Communi-
cations, the agency solely tasked to regu-
late and enforce the same clean air law on
motor vehicles under RA 8749.
Eighty percent of the NCR air pollut-
ants comes from the more than 3.2 million
motor vehicles plying the streets of Metro
Manila daily.
He noted that the current state of air in the
metropolis poses a clear and present danger
to the lives of the people residing in the area.
It does not only bring respiratory illnesses to
Metro Manilans but can also result to cardio-
vascular problems like heart attack, stroke
and sudden death.
PMA president Dr. Oscar Tinio, for his
part, said the PMA is leading their partners
in the ght to clean the air in Metro Manila
He said they will exhaust all possible so-
lutions including legal actions against those
who directly or indirectly contribute to the life-
threatening state of the air in the metropolis.
Tinio appealed to all Metro Manila resi-
dents who became unwilling victims of air
pollution and had fallen ill or whose loved
ones died either directly or indirectly due
to air pollution or those in any way have
been aggrieved by the dangerous quality of
air in the NCR to join us in cleaning the
metros air and in seeking justice against
those who caused our air in Metro Manila
to become incompatible to human life.
By Ferdinand Fabella

FOLLOWING concerns raised by
airport authorities, the city council of
Paraaque has widened the coverage of
its 18-year-old ordinance prohibiting
the breeding of birds within a mile of
the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
and Manila Domestic Airport.
A7 Sports Riera U. Mallari, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
Bryant missed his second
straight game with a sore left
shin, but Ramon Sessions helped
pick up the slack with 17 points,
including a 3-pointer that put
the Lakers ahead by six with 26
seconds left. Andrew Bynum
added 18 points and 11 rebounds
for the Lakers, who snapped a
two-game skid.
Carl Landry had 20 points
and 11 rebounds, and Marco
Belinelli scored 20 points for
New Orleans, which led by
as much as eight points in the
fourth quarter, before the Lakers
stormed back.
Greivis Vasquez added 18 points
and 11 assists for the Hornets, hitting
a career-high ve 3-pointers on six
attempts. Chris Kaman had 16
points and ve blocked shots.
GRIZZLIES 94, CLIPPERS 85
MEMPHIS, TennesseeMarc
Gasol scored 18 points, Rudy
Gay had 16 and the Grizzlies
held on to beat the Los Angeles
Clippers.
Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo
added 13 each for Memphis,
which won for the eighth time
in 10 games and moved one-half
game behind the Clippers for
the fourth seed in the Western
Conference. Marreese Speights
nished had 12 points and Zach
Randolph added 10 points and 12
rebounds as the Grizzlies nished
Weekend 3YO showcase
Kobe-less Lakers
defeat Hornets
NEW ORLEANSPau Gasol had 25
points and nine rebounds, and the Los
Angeles Lakers overcame Kobe Bryants
absence to beat the New Orleans Hornets
93-91 on Monday night.
WITH summer temperatures
hitting 35 degrees, its only tting
that horseracing action on the two
racetracks sizzle with a slew of stakes
races only for the strong and speedy.
Local-born 3YO get to strut their
stuff this weekend in three important
races that showcase the best
Philippine-bred Thoroughbreds (yes,
that is always spelled with a capital
T, as if it were a brand name, and
refers to a horse breed best known
for its use in horseracing, says
Wikipedia).
All three races are set at the Manila
Jockey Clubs San Lazaro Leisure Park
in Carmona, Cavite. Two are sponsored
by the Philippine Racing Commission
and the third by the Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Ofce.
On April 14, Saturday: PCSO Special
Maiden Race, 1,300 meters, ofcial
entries and post positions stall #1:
Aristeo G. Puyats Caraga Weather, to
be ridden by jockey Rodeo Fernandez;
#2: Felizardo Sevilla Jr.s Quakers Hill
with Regan Mamucod; #3: Antonio V.
Tans Pugad Lawin with John Alvin
Guce; #4. Joseph Dyhengcos Deo
Volente with Patricio Dilema; #5:
Herminio Esguerras Arriba Amor with
Fernando Raquel Jr.; and #6: Dennis
Pinedas Royal Storm with Jesse Guce.
Two of the entries are colts Pugad
Lawin and Royal Storm while the
rest are llies. Former jockey and
racing analyst Joey Macaraig is going
with Arriba Amor and Royal Storm
here. Both are in tip-top condition
and have been showing brisk workout
performances and times.
Also on Saturday is the Philracom
Diamond II Stakes for llies, a
1,600-meter race. The declared
entries are (meaning some of them
might yet be withdrawn or scratched):
Antonio Coycos C Bisquick (get it,
get it, chuckle, I love a good pun);
Sixto Esquivias IVs Cheese Blanca
(has a good chance of winning);
Felipe Vergaras Eloquence
and Time To Shine Dad (coupled
entries); Bienvenido Niles Jr.s
Gale Force; Kenneth Causons
Humble Riches (the one to beat!);
Benhur Abaloss Posse Left (could
score an upset); and Reginald Allen
Vergaras Princess Iley.
On April 15, Sunday, colts show
off in the Philracom Diamond III
Stakes. Declared to run are: Wilfred
Yasons Chevrome; Jeci Lapuss
Dancing Dolphin; Lamberto Almeda
Jr.s Golden Empire; Benhur Abaloss
Hagdang Bato (likely to win); Kenneth
Causons Isa Pa Isa Pa; Leonardo
Javier Jr.s Patron (a strong contender);
Herminio Esguerras Purple Ribbon
(dont discount this one); Johanne
Cessna Ferrerass Shoemaker; and
Francis Lims Yes Yes Yes.
As weve mentioned, these are
tuneup races for elite 3YO that might
be entered in the Triple Crown series.
Highly prestigious is a clich that
doesnt even come close to describing
how signicant and important this
series is.
These three weekend races will
bring these contenders closer to their
Holy Grail. Burning hot action? You
can bet your last peso on that. Let the
summer stakes begin!
* * *
Email: jennyo@live.com, Blog: http://
jennyo.net, Twitter: @gogirlracing
JENNY
ORTUOSTE
THE HOARSE WHISPERER
with a 48-36 rebounding edge,
but committed 20 turnovers.
Chris Paul led Los Angeles
with 21 points and six assists,
while Blake Grifn had 19
points on 9-of-14 shooting from
the eld. DeAndre Jordan added
14 points and 14 rebounds, and
Eric Bledsoe and Randy Foye
scored 11 points each.
PACERS 103, RAPTORS 98
INDIANAPOLISDanny
Granger and George Hill scored
18 points each as Indiana took an
early lead and held off Toronto.
Paul George had 15 points and
Leandro Barbosa added 14 to help
the Pacersthird in the Eastern
Conferencewin for the fourth
time in their last ve games.
Hill also had seven rebounds
and four assists while making
his rst start of the season in
place of the Darren Collison,
who sat out with a groin injury
sustained in Indianas loss to
Boston on Saturday. AP
IN BRIEF
PH, Russia forge pact
NATIONAL athletes will soon be able to
train in Russia.
The Philippine Sports Commission will
make this possible following a meeting
with the Russian sports ministry this week.
PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia is
heading for Moscow today, along with
ofcials of the Philippine Olympic
Committee, to attend a meeting of
national Olympic committee heads and
forge a deal on behalf of Filipino athletes
and sports medicine practitioners.
The signing of the memorandum
of agreement will take place while
Cojuangco and Hontiveros attend a
meeting of the Association of National
Olympic Committees.
At the same time, they will rst get
rsthand information on the ve cities
vying to host the 2020 Olympics.
Representatives of the ve bidding
cities of Baku, Doha, Istanbul, Madrid
and Tokyo will make a presentation
during the gathering.
Ofcials believe that a new deal
will give the Philippines more options
on where to send national athletes for
training aside from China. Peter Atencio
Milo Sports Clilnics set
MORE than 40,000 kids are expected to
enroll in the Milo Sports Clinics in 24
cities all over the Philippines.
Pat Goc-ong, president of the
organizing GreatFil Team Sports, made
the disclosure at the weekly Philippine
Sportswriters Association Forum
yesterday together with Milo Sports
Events Executive Robbie De Vera.
Milo has been actively supporting
various sports clinics since 1983. But
this summer, Milo is bringing fun to
learning with the staging of the Milo
Sports Clinics, said Goc-ong.
Offered to children ages 5 to 16 are
10-day courses/modules for badminton,
chess, football, swimming, table tennis,
taekwondo, tennis and volleyball.
This is our way of supporting
Philippine sports in the grassroots level,
said De Vera in the forum presented
by Smart, Philippine Amusements and
Gaming Corp., and Shakeys.
Registration will be on a rst-come,
rst-served basis. For more information,
visit www.milo.com.ph, or call the
organizer GreatFil Team at (02) 353-
5090/966-6333 or 0917-589-9880.
Bucher,
Allen top
XTERRA
Weekend
FOUR-TIME XTERRA Eu-
ropean Tour champion Renata
Bucher of Switzerland and 2011
XTERRA Brazil champion Ben
Allen of Australia lorded it over
the competition by prevailing
in the Vaseline Men XTERRA
Weekend in Liloan, Cebu.
Bucher clocked in at
2:53:33, with Jacqui Slack of
the UK coming in second with
a time of 2:56:39, followed by
Darrelle Parker also of the UK
posting a time of 3:29:44.
In the mens division, Allen
roared to the nish in 2:30:05,
followed by Switzerlands
Olivier Marceau at 2:32:22 and
Frances Cedric Lassonde with a
time of 2:32:38.
The course was more difcult
now than last year. Im thankful
that the weather wasnt so bad. I
love coming back here, because
the event is well-organized and
the people are just wonderful,
said Bucher, who was the rst
woman out of the cold waters of
the Camotes Sea and was also
the rst woman to transition
from the bike stage into the run
stage of the competition.
For his part, Allen considers
the terrain as one of the
toughest parts of the course.
You need to be very focused
or youll end up crashing. The
rocky graveyard portion was
my favorite as it suits my riding
style, says Allen who intends to
defend his title next year.
Incidentally, Bucher and Al-
len are the reigning XTERRA
Guam champions and by win-
ning the Vaseline Men XTER-
RA Weekend in the Philippines,
both are now poised to win the
Asian Tours Triple Crown
should they succeed in XTER-
RA Saipan. With their impres-
sive performances, Bucher and
Allen are condent of nailing
another victory.
Moreover, winners in the
Vaseline Men XTERRA Week-
end qualify to the XTERRA
World Championship in Maui,
Hawaii on Oct. 28.
PH Amateur Closed tourney unwraps
THE Philippine Amateur Closed
Championship unwraps today with the
leading and rising players in the ranks
battling it out for top honors at the
challenging Sherwood Hills Golf and
Country Club in Cavite.
Gio Gandionco, who anchored Cebu
Country Clubs title romp in the recent
PAL Interclub, heads the eld in the ve-
day tournament, featuring a 36-hole stroke
play elims in the rst two days before
action shifts to match play on Friday.
Focus will also be on the girls side,
with Dottie Ardina going up against
ICTSI teammates Lovelynn Guioguio,
Jayvie Agojo and Sunshine Baraquiel
and Del Montes Eva Minoza and
Apple Fudolin, AFP Golf Clubs
Bianca Pagdanganan and Frankie
Minoza Golf Foundations Rainstar
Roque and Rivieras Jan Punzalan.
Ardina, priming up for her defense
of the Queen Sirikit individual crown,
topped the WWWExpress-DHL Open
recently, while Guioguio is going for
a sweep after ruling the Philippine
Amateur Open last January.
Also vying for the boys crown won by
Rupert Zaragosa last year are Jonar Austria,
who nished runner-up in the recent
WWWExpress-DHL Championship, John
Kier Abdon of Southwoods and Andres
Saldana of Alabang Country Club.
Zaragosa will not be around to defend
the title in the tournament serving as
the third leg of the Globe-National Golf
Association of the Philippines amateur
circuit after the Philippine Amateur
Open and the DHL tilts.
PH Cuppers vs Indonesians
THE Philippine Davis Cup team is
bracing itself for a tough encounter
with Indonesia in its next Group II Asia/
Oceania tie.
Indonesia prevailed over Thailand,
3-2, during a weekend clash to arrange
a showdown with the Filipino Cuppers
Sept. 14 to 16.
Indonesia, which advanced to the third
round through the heroics of Wisnu Adi
Nugroho in the second reverse singles,
holds a slight edge over the Philippines
in their head-to-head record.
In their last encounter 12 years
ago, Indonesia posted a 4-1 beating
of the Philippines at the latters own
homecourt at the Rizal Memorial
Tennis center.
This time around, non-playing skipper
Roland Kraut said the boys are upbeat
about facing the Indonesians following
their 5-0 rout of Pakistan over the
weekend. Peter Atencio
Favorites show way in age-group chessfest
FAVORITES continued to lead the
competition by remaining undefeated after
four rounds of the 2012 National Age Group
Chess Championships at the Gov. Cabagnot
Training Center in Kalibo, Aklan.
Joel Pimentel (4 points) of St. Benilde
Bacolod leads six other players by a whole
point in the Open 20 under category, while
Vince Angelo Medina (3.5 pts) of Far
Eastern University likewise leads six others
by a point in the Open 16-under division.
Other undefeated players are FM
Paulo Bersamina (Pasay-O14) and
Emmanuel Van Paler (ManilaO10).
The race remains tight in the Open
12U, where Chriz Pondoyo, Joshua
Tan, Chriz Aldritz Pondoyo amassed
3.5 points each to share the lead.
Three players from the Visayas are
likewise contesting the Open 8 under
crown, with Gil Casa Jr (Iloilo), Adrian
de Luna (Guimaras) and Alekhine Nouri
(Negros Occidental) scoring 3 points each.
In the distaff side, Samantha Glo
Revita of Pangasinan (Girls 14 under)
leads her closes pursuers by 1.5 points
to almost assure herself of a slot in the
Philippine delegation to the ASEAN+
Age Group Chess Championships to be
held in Hue, Vietnam.
Road Warriors nail
4
th
straight victory
NLEX streaked to its
fourth consecutive wina
64-60 decision against
Caf Franceon Tuesday
behind a ferocious rally in
the stretch in
the Philippine
Ba s k e t b a l l
Associ at i on
D - L e a g u e
Founda t i on
Cup at the
Ynares Sports Center.
The defending champion
Road Warriors struggled
in the middle quarters and
trailed, 46-51, with 7:26 to
play in the fourth before
going for the kill starring
Cliff Hodge, Calvin
Abueva, Chris Ellis and
Eman Monfort to remain
the only unbeaten team in
the elimination round.
The quartet took turns
during the game-turning
20-9 run that took away
the ght from the Bakers.
W e r e
forced the
play Calvin
( A b u e v a )
and Ian
(Sanggalang)
b e c a u s e
things didnt look good.
We couldnt get our
rhythm and we needed
someone to provide
a spark, said NLEX
coach Boyet Fernandez
afterwards.
Abueva (strained ham-
string) and Sanggalang
(foot injury) were ad-
vised to rest for a week.
Phiten backs sports science. Phiten, a leading health and fitness brand
and LAN Sports and Events, are partnering again for the 2012 Sports Science
Initiatives series of sports science seminars that kicked off recently at Treston
CollegeinBonifacioGlobal City. Photoshows PhitenGMRonnieColmenar (left)
andLANSportsandEventsNinoSincosealingtheirpact withahandshake.
Australias Ben Allen (center) won the Vaseline Men XTERRA Weekend
with a time of 2:30:05. With him at the podium are (from left) Sunrise
Events, Inc. president and Alaska Milk Corp. president and Chief
Executive Ofcer Fred Uytengsu, second placer Olivier Marceau of
Switzerland (2:32:22), third placer Cedric Lassonde of France (2:32:38)
and Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia.
Games Tuesday
(Ynares Sports Center)
12 p.m. Cagayan Rising
Suns vs Cebuana Lhuillier
2 p.m. Big Chill vs
Blackwater Sports
Sports
Manila Standard TODAY
In a ght which the AIBA
Website headlined Suarez
delights crowds with electric
performance, the classy Filipino
completely out-boxed Anarbay,
who was a bronze medalist at the
last Asian Championships.
With the win, Suarez will
face Japans two-time national
champion Daisuke Narimatsu
in the seminals on Wednesday
after a rest day on Tuesday.
Suarez, one of the boxers in the
Mumbai Fighters Team of India in
the AIBA World Series of Boxing,
and who scored a stunning 3-0
shutout victory over worlds No.
4-ranked Semen Gribachev of
Azerbaijan last March, found the
perfect ghting distance in the
opening round against Anarbay
and simply overpowered his
hapless opponent.
Amateur Boxing Association
of the Philippines president
Ricky Vargas, who is in
Kazakhstan for the Olympic
qualier, told the Manila
Standard shortly after the ght,
that Suarez must win the gold
medal to qualify for London.
Suarez dominated Anarbay
in the opening round, which he
won, 4-1, and kept the pressure
on his opponent in the second
to completely dominate the
Kyrzgystan ghter, to win the
round by a 6-3 margin and
enter the nal round with a
comfortable 10-4 lead.
The ashy Suarez, who is
considered a little small for a
lightweight, used his terric hand-
speed and quick moves to dominate
Anarby, 4-1, in the third to register
an impressive 14-5 victory.
A8
NBA RESULTS
Motocross winner to represent Asia in British Grand Prix
ON top of the bragging rights that come with
winning the top prize of the FIM Asian Motocross
Championship opener in Puerto Princesa City
this weekend, the winner in the centerpiece
Asian MX2 category will also claim the right to
represent Asia in the 2012 Grand Prix of Great
Britain scheduled in Matterly Basin, Winchester,
United Kingdom in August.
This was announced by FIM Asia and
NAMSSA President Macky Carapiet.
We are happy to announce that Youthstream,
the promoter of the FIM world motocross
championship has agreed to accept a top
Asian rider as a wild-card entry in the British
Motocross GP, said Carapiet.
The rare chance to race against the worlds
best is expected to raise the level of competition
in the premier MX2 class a notch higher. As
such, we are bracing ourselves for a battle
royale on Sunday, he added.
Round 1 of the FIM Asian Motocross
Championship will be held at the Sta. Monica
Motocross Speedway in Puerto Princesa City this
weekend. Riders and officials from over 12 Asian
nations are expected to show up at venue on raceday.
The event marks the kickoff leg of the
annual continental series that dispute the Asian
motocross titles in the MX2, the Junior 85 and
the Veterans categories.
Local riders will also have their chance to
show off their skills in the third leg of the 2012
NAMSSA National Motocross Development
Program.
As in years past, the races this weekend are
being organized by NAMSSA and hosted by the
Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn and his constituents
from the City of Puerto Princesa. The event is
also being supported by Asia Brewery, Shakeys,
Polisport, Kia Palawan, Repsol, the Department
of Tourism and recognized by the Philippine
Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports
Commission.
Since its maiden run in 2004, the meet
has become a much-awaited sporting event
in the years that followed. The races attract
an estimated 30,000 spectators during the
competition days which gives credence to
Puerto Princesas claim as the sports tourism
capital of the Philippines.
With the recent inclusion of the Puerto
Princesa Underground River in the New Seven
Wonders of Nature list, the participants in
the FIM Asian Championship are all looking
forward to visiting the site after the races.
Riera U. Mallari, Editor sports@manilastandardtoday.com sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
LOTTO RESULTS
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Belarmino
tries to relive
Everest stint
Perasol open to trade, but...
Dutch Global is 1
st
foreign team to arrive
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
LIGHTWEIGHT Charly Suarez, the
last boxer standing in the Philippines
quest for a berth in the London Olympic
Games later this year, scored a 14-5
victory over Abdlay Uulu Anarbay of
Kyrzgystan to enter the seminals in the
AIBA Asian Olympic qualifying event in
Astana, Kazakhstan late Monday.
PH boxers
Olympic
dream alive
THE Dutch Global team ew in yesterday
morning from the Netherlands to become
the early bird among 11 foreign teams seeing
action in the 2012 Le Tour de Filipinas that
starts this Saturday.
Gary Cayton, president of the organizing
Dynamic Outsource Solutions, Inc., said the
Dutch club team was also among the rst
foreign squads to indicate its intention to join
the four-stage race presented by Air21 and
held in partnership with Smart and supported
by Foton and Jinbei.
The Dutch team wanted to sort of
acclimatize early, thats why they booked
an early ight, said Cayton. We are all
aware how hot it is up north thats why
the foreigners would want to adopt to the
weather.
Yesterdays temperature in Cagayan was
pegged at 33-degrees Celsius and is expected
to remain in that vicinity on race days.
The other foreign squads will be ying in
today and tomorrow. They are continental
teams CCN also from the Netherlands,
Asian Racing Team from Japan, OCBC
from Singapore, Uzbekistan Suren from
Uzbekistan, Action from Chinese Taipei and
the vaunted TPT or Tabriz Petrochemical
from Iran.
The club teams are Plan B (Australia),
Pure Black (New Zealand) and Colossi
Miche (Indonesia).
Indonesia is also sending its national
team to the 2012 Le Tour, which is on the
Asia Tour calendar of the Union Cycliste
Internationale.
Giant Kenda RTS, a continental team
based in Chinese Taipei, begged off at the
last minute.
By Rey Joble
PETRON is making another pitch
to get Marcio Lassiter, one of the
top two rookies of Powerade.
I think theyre active in
trying to get Marcio (Lassiter),
Powerade coach Bo Perasol
told Manila Standard. My
stand is no to the trade and I let
everybody knew about it as early
as February. Pero hindi naman
ako ang masusunod dyan.
Last Feb. 20, the PBA
Commissioner Office turned down
a proposed trade between Petron and
Powerade. Under the deal, Lassiter
will go to the Boosters in exchange
for Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra,
two of the top three rookie picks last
season, but have rarely seen action for
Petron this season.
But with Petron and Powerade
already eliminated in the
ongoing Commissioners Cup,
the Boosters reafrmed their
intention of tabbing the former
SMART-Gilas standout.
Perasol said that if ever a trade
offer will be made, he would like it
to be more benecial for his squad.
Dapat mas advantageous
on our part, because theyre the
ones (Petron) seriously pursuing
a trade,said Perasol. If I will
have it my way, I dont want any
trades to be made, but if ever they
will get Marcio, we want to get a
scoring wing man and a scoring
big man.
JANET Belarmino, one of
three Filipina mountaineers,
who summitted Mt. Everest in
2007, is returning to the worlds
highest mountain next month.
But, this time around,
Belarmino will not make an
attempt to reach the summit of
the 29,029-foot high Everest.
She will bring a small group of
individuals to revisit the base camp,
which is located 18,000 foot-high in
Solu Khumbu in Nepal.
The long trek to the base
camp will be from May 3 to
19, and Belarmino aims not
only to relive memories of
the climb, which she did with
Carina Dayondon and Noelle
Wenceslao ve years ago, but
also to share the experiences she
gained from the undertaking.
This is just trekking up to
the Everest base camp, and not
the summit. Whats new here
is that Im heading it, and that
Im taking the initiative, said
Belarmino during yesterdays
weekly Philippine Sportswriters
Association Forum in Shakeys
Restaurant, UN Ave., Manila.
Dayondon and Wenceslao
wont be joining Belarmino in
revisiting Everest.
Instead, she will bring along
her new husband, Todd Forney,
as well as an Italian couple Enrico
and Vanessa Hienichetti. She is
still inviting other mountaineers
who wish to join them in the
expedition. Peter Atencio
THE game between the Greats
and the Stalwarts may well steal
the thunder from the Rookies,
Sophomores and Juniors against
the Veterans in the much-awaited
Philippine Basketball Association
All-Star Weekend in Laoag City,
Ilocos Norte in May.
Leading the Greats will be
one of the pro leagues all-time
greats in four-time most valuable
player Alvin Patrimonio, who will
play alongside former MVP Ato
Agustin; the player considered the
best point guard in the history of
the PBA in Hector Calma and the
redoubtable Olsen Racela.
Adding shooting power to the
squad will be a former member
of the Mythical Team in Jojo
Lastimosa, while the current
active roster of Danny Ildefonso
(a back-to-back MVP winner),
Rudy Hateld, Danny Seigle,
Mike Cortez, Sol Mercado and
another MVP in Willie Miller
and aggressive Joseph Yeo will
provide the youth to match the
skill of the greats.
Ranged against Patrimonio
and his squad will be the
Stalwarts, anchored by one of
the nest shooters of all-time in
Allan Caidic alongside Kenneth
Duremdes, Pido Jarencio, Ronnie
Magsanoc, and a bunch of
active PBA players, led by Asi
Taulava, Ranidel de Ocampo,
Sean Anthony, Jun Simon, JayJay
Helterbrand, MacMac Cardona
and Cyrus Baguio.
But the Veterans and RSJ squads
are loaded with unbelievable
talent with the veterans seemingly
having an edge with shooting
stars James Yap, Mark Caguioa,
Gary David, Jimmy Alapag and
Arwind Santos, who is also a
terric rebounder. Also with the
team are Gabe Norwood, Alex
Cabagnot, LA Tenorio and big
men Kelly Williams and Sonny
Thoss alongside Marc Pingris and
lanky JC Intal.
With several players, who
graduated from the SMART Gilas
national team, the RSJ squad may
seem to have youth and intensity
on their side with JV Casio,
Marcio Lassiter, Chris Lutz, Marc
Baracael, Mark Barroca and the
high-ying Japeth Aguilar backed
up by Josh Urbiztondo, Rabeh-
Al- Huisseini, Rico Maierhofer,
rookie sensation Paul Lee and
Chris Ross. Ronnie Nathanielsz
Spotlight on Greats, Stalwarts
LAKERS 93, HORNETS 91
GRIZZLIES 94, CLIPPERS 85
PACERS 103, RAPTORS 98
THUNDER 109, BUCKS 89
WIZARDS 113, BOBCATS 85
MAGIC 119, PISTONS 89
SUNS 114, WOLVES 90
NUGGETS 123, WARRIORS 84
JAZZ 91, SPURS 84
ROCKETS 94, TRAIL BLAZERS 89
Hagedorn
Wheres the
ball? Junior
Powerades
Alvin Padilla
(left) forces
Boracay Rums
Jaymo Eguilos
to lose the ball
in a Philippine
Basketball
Association
D-League
Foundation Cup
game at the
Ynares Sports
Center. The
Waves won, 64-
60 Story on A7
Sports clinics. GreatFil Team Sports president Pat Goc-Ong (right)
announces the Milo Summer Sports Clinics at the PSA Forum. He is
joined here by Milo executive Robbie de Vera. EY ACASIO
Business
B1
Ray S. Eano, Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com
Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor extrastory2000@gmail.com
HIGH P42.750 LOW P42.860 AVERAGE P42.798
VOLUME 1045.570M
PESO-DOLLAR RATE
40
42
44
46
48
P42.840
CLOSE
Closing APRIL 10, 2012
PSE COMPOSITE INDEX
Closing APRIL 10, 2012
5,022.29
16.63
5200
4460
3720
2980
2240
1500
1200
Higher airline refunds sought
IN BRIEF
By Lailany P. Gomez
THE Civil Aeronautics Board wants
local and foreign airlines to pay higher
compensation to passengers whose ights
were canceled or were denied boarding
despite their reservation tickets.
The regulator said the higher compensation aimed to protect
passengers from abusive airlines.
The CAB said an airline must
also give passengers a written
explanation about the cause of
ight cancellation.
The agency has proposed
compensating passengers on
domestic ights with 100 percent
of the value of the remaining
ight coupon, plus an amount of
P5,000 from P150.
For international ights, the
CAB said the compensation must
be 100 percent of the value of
the rst remaining ight coupon,
plus an amount of 10,000 from
P1,500.
If accepted by the passenger,
[the compensation] shall
constitute liquidated damages
for all damages incurred by
the passenger as a result of
the carriers failure to provide
the passenger with conrmed
reserved space, CAB said.
The CAB said if carriers
planned to deny a passenger
from boarding, they should rst
call the attention of the traveler
to voluntarily surrender the
conrmed reserved space in
favor of others.
In case where the number of
passengers who volunteered to
give up their seats is insufcient,
the carrier may then deny boarding
for other travelers boarding, in
which case it must compensate
those who were denied.
The CAB said an airline should
offer benets to passengers who
surrendered their conrmed
reserved spaces.
It added the passenger should,
in addition to the liquidated
damages, have priority of booking
for the next available ight, using
the same ticket for which he was
denied boarding.
By Jenniffer B. Austria
EAST WEST Banking Corp., the banking unit
of tycoon Andrew Gotianun Sr., has set the
price range for a planned initial public offering
at between P18.50 and P23.50 apiece, one of
the banks underwriters said Tuesday.
East West Bank is expected to generate
between P5.2 billion and P6.62 billion based
on the indicative price.
East West Bank plans to offer 245 million
shares, which include 104.26 million secondary
shares owned by Filinvest Development Corp.,
the listed holding company of Gotianun group,
and 141 million primary stocks.
The company has set aside 36.8 million
shares to cover for overallotment in case of
strong demand. The bank is scheduled to
announce the nal offering price on April 19.
The listing is set on May 7.
East West Bank plans to use the proceeds
from the IPO to fund branch network
expansion and general corporate activities.
The offering accounts for 25 percent of the
banks outstanding stock.
East West Bank has tapped Deutsche Bank
and JP Morgan as joint bookrunners and
international lead managers of the issue and
Unicapital Inc. as domestic lead underwriter.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas recently
approved the East West Banks application to
put up 75 new branches in eight restricted areas
of Makati, Mandaluyong, Manila, Paraaque,
Pasay, Pasig, San Juan and Quezon City. The
bank also plans to expand its presence in the
provinces.
East West Bank ranks the 17th biggest
among the countrys 38 commercial and
universal banks in terms of assets as of
Sept. 30, 2011. The bank had a network of
122 branches as of end-December last year,
including 77 in Metro Manila.
East West
offers shares
for P23.50
Honda sales rebound
HONDA Cars Philippines Inc. reported a 22-
percent increase in sales in March, an indication
the car company is on its way to recovery this
year, a company ofcial said Tuesday.
Honda sold 1,631 units last month versus
1,335 for the same period last year, Mitch
Malto, company public relations manager, told
Manila Standard.
Malto said the importation of vehicles from
Japan while the Honda factory in Thailand was in
the process of restoration after the oodings last
year contributed to the improvement in sales.
The company announced in February that it
imported models from Japan such as the Jazz,
Accord and the all-new Civic.
Malto said sales in rst three months were
still down 37 percent to 2,324 units from 3,695
a year ago, owing to the parts manufacturing
disruptions.
HCPI used to manufacture the City and Civic
models in its Sta. Rosa, Laguna plant while the
CR-V, Accord and Jazz were all imported from
Thailand. Julito G. Rada
PNOC unit taps advisor
PNOC Exploration Corp., the petroleum and
coal arm of state-owned Philippine National Oil
Co. on Tuesday said it will soon name a nancial
advisor for a planned offering that will increase
public ownership of the company.
PNOC Exploration said in a disclosure to
the stock exchange the move aimedto ensure
compliance to the minimum 10-percent public
ownership rule.
PNOC EC is in the nal stages of formally
signing the contract for its nancial advisor.
Once signed, the nancial advisor will conduct
due diligence and proper valuation process on
the company, it said.
The company said the nancial advisor will
then sign an underwriting agreement with PNOC
Exploration to sell the companys shares to comply
with the minimum public ownership rule.
The government, through PNOC, currently
owns 99.79 percent of PNOC Explorations shares
while the public owns the remaining 0.21 percent.
PNOC Exploration has already begun the
selection process of hiring the companys nancial
advisor/lead underwriter since last year but have
not decided when to pursue the public oat.
Alena Mae S. Flores
TRADI NG SUMMARY
SHARES VALUE
FINANCIAL 30,209,229 1,569,373,937.80
INDUSTRIAL 140,643,555 558,146,623.71
HOLDING FIRMS 159,771,740 1,512,634,509.50
PROPERTY 148,698,754 450,907,409.72
SERVICES 25,420,247 632,442,342.10
MINING & OIL 590,079,125 229,161,584.07
GRAND TOTAL 1,094,822,650 4,952,666,406.90
FINANCIAL 1,235.75 (UP) 7.30
INDUSTRIAL 7,789.91 (DOWN) 20.12
HOLDING FIRMS 4,155.07 (DOWN) 54.67
PROPERTY 1,856.94 (UP) 11.89
SERVICES 1,728.98 (DOWN) 13.22
MINING & OIL 25,544.14 (DOWN) 200.50
PSEI 5,022.29 (DOWN) 16.63
All Shares Index 3,416.56 (DOWN) 12.87
Gainers: 53; Losers: 95; Unchanged: 48; Total: 196
Market dips; PAL,
San Miguel decline
Business
ManilaStandardToday
business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com
B2
52 Weeks Previous % Net Foreign
High Low STOCKS Close High Low Close Change Volume Trade/Buying
MST BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW
TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012
M
S
T
FINANCIAL
70.00 46.00 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 60.25 62.40 60.00 62.25 3.32 15,967,310 40,143,224.00
76.80 50.00 Bank of PI 72.00 73.00 72.10 73.00 1.39 832,610 9,707,107.50
459.00 370.00 China Bank 476.00 479.60 472.00 479.40 0.71 6,190 14,370.00
1.90 1.42 BDO Leasing & Fin. Inc. 1.67 1.74 1.67 1.72 2.99 2,828,000 (3,621,380.00)
23.00 12.40 COL Financial 22.80 22.80 22.30 22.80 0.00 260,000 (6,840.00)
15.00 7.00 Filipino Fund Inc. 14.90 15.80 14.90 15.60 4.70 3,800
80.00 40.00 First Metro Inv. 65.90 65.90 65.90 65.90 0.00 400
3.26 1.91 I-Remit Inc. 2.60 2.59 2.50 2.59 (0.38) 11,000
775.00 475.20 Manulife Fin. Corp. 565.00 546.00 546.00 546.00 (3.36) 50
25.00 3.00 Maybank ATR KE 25.00 25.00 23.00 23.30 (6.80) 175,400
89.50 60.00 Metrobank 86.20 86.20 85.95 86.00 (0.23) 2,471,390 29,704,252.00
3.06 1.30 Natl Reinsurance Corp. 2.48 2.48 2.39 2.39 (3.63) 4,995,000 (5,886,990.00)
126.00 35.00 Phil Bank of Comm 80.00 84.70 84.65 84.70 5.88 180
72.90 41.00 Phil. National Bank 75.90 74.50 73.15 73.50 (3.16) 809,860 (37,883,815.00)
539.50 204.80 PSE Inc. 379.00 379.00 374.00 375.00 (1.06) 64,290 963,250.00
42.25 25.45 RCBC À 41.75 41.50 40.90 40.90 (2.04) 19,700.00 128,140.00
147.00 77.00 Security Bank 140.10 140.10 137.30 139.00 (0.79) 773,000 (62,493,791.00)
1390.00 950.00 Sun Life Financial 990.00 983.00 982.00 982.00 (0.81) 460
140.00 58.00 Union Bank 101.40 101.40 100.00 101.20 (0.20) 550,520 (2,559,845.00)
1.98 1.43 Vantage Equities 1.84 1.84 1.84 1.84 0.00 90,000 (147,200.00)
INDUSTRIAL
34.00 26.50 Aboitiz Power Corp. 34.00 34.10 33.30 33.75 (0.74) 2,514,200 35,389,620.00
13.58 7.32 Agrinurture Inc. 12.00 12.00 11.58 11.60 (3.33) 22,400 (16,800.00)
23.50 11.98 Alaska Milk Corp. 23.45 23.50 23.45 23.50 0.21 525,300
1.86 0.97 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 1.59 1.60 1.58 1.58 (0.63) 365,000
55.00 26.00 Alphaland Corp. 28.75 29.90 29.90 29.90 4.00 200
1.65 1.08 Alsons Cons. 1.43 1.43 1.41 1.41 (1.40) 2,565,000 449,730.00
Asiabest Group 48.95 51.85 47.20 47.20 (3.58) 19,700
102.80 3.02 Bloomberry 30.30 30.30 29.05 29.75 (1.82) 298,400 2,967,960.00
26.55 12.50 C. Azuc De Tarlac 19.62 19.00 15.40 18.48 (5.81) 12,900
2.88 2.24 Calapan Venture 2.33 2.34 2.33 2.34 0.43 6,000
3.07 2.30 Chemrez Technologies Inc. 2.71 2.74 2.70 2.71 0.00 101,000
8.33 7.41 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 8.10 8.13 8.06 8.13 0.37 6,000
7.06 4.83 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.85 5.92 5.81 5.85 0.00 12,654,900 12,181,766.00
5.77 2.80 EEI 5.89 5.94 5.85 5.93 0.68 850,200 1,577,300.00
2.14 1.00 Euro-Med Lab. 2.60 2.73 2.51 2.55 (1.92) 214,000
15.58 11.88 First Gen Corp. 13.50 13.52 13.48 13.52 0.15 466,400 2,388,500.00
67.20 51.50 First Holdings A 64.90 65.00 64.50 64.50 (0.62) 50,350 439,876.00
32.90 22.50 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 23.70 23.70 23.50 23.70 0.00 7,500
0.10 0.0095 Greenergy 0.0190 0.0190 0.0180 0.0180 (5.26) 76,300,000 608,000.00
13.80 7.80 Holcim Philippines Inc. 11.90 11.90 11.80 11.90 0.00 150,000 1,780,000.00
9.00 4.75 Integ. Micro-Electronics 4.95 4.99 4.99 4.99 0.81 7,000
1.66 0.95 Ionics Inc 1.800 1.790 1.720 1.720 (4.44) 74,000
120.00 80.00 Jollibee Foods Corp. 117.00 116.00 114.50 114.90 (1.79) 187,040 432,360.00
91.25 25.00 Liberty Flour 53.50 57.00 57.00 57.00 6.54 20
8.40 1.04 LMG Chemicals 3.65 3.66 3.63 3.63 (0.55) 141,000
1.55 0.99 Mabuhay Vinyl Corp. 1.50 1.45 1.45 1.45 (3.33) 20,000
3.20 1.05 Manchester Intl. A 2.45 2.70 2.20 2.30 (6.12) 765,000
24.00 17.60 Manila Water Co. Inc. 23.90 23.90 23.70 23.90 0.00 1,115,400 8,570,020.00
6.95 0.60 Mariwasa MFG. Inc. 4.65 4.62 4.62 4.62 (0.65) 30,000
13.28 8.12 Megawide 14.88 14.86 14.50 14.56 (2.15) 25,300 (177,640.00)
295.00 215.00 Mla. Elect. Co À 260.00 262.00 256.00 262.00 0.77 109,400 2,637,246.00
2.97 1.96 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 2.71 2.75 2.51 2.67 (1.48) 106,000 87,710.00
17.40 9.70 Petron Corporation 10.68 10.78 10.66 10.68 0.00 2,522,200 657,672.00
15.24 9.60 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 9.74 9.76 9.68 9.74 0.00 53,800
9.50 5.25 Republic Cement À 8.48 8.60 8.40 8.50 0.24 32,000
1.65 1.01 RFM Corporation 2.13 2.36 2.13 2.34 9.86 21,015,000 6,912,970.00
2.49 1.10 Roxas and Co. 2.70 2.55 2.55 2.55 (5.56) 3,000
3.49 2.01 Roxas Holdings 3.40 3.40 3.40 3.40 0.00 39,000
5.00 2.90 Salcon Power Corp. 4.80 4.19 4.00 4.19 (12.71) 17,000
33.00 27.70 San Miguel Brewery Inc. 30.00 30.00 29.90 30.00 0.00 15,500
175.00 105.70 San Miguel Corp À 114.40 114.00 113.80 113.80 (0.52) 200,240 6,957,895.00
1.90 1.25 Seacem 1.81 1.81 1.78 1.81 0.00 2,070,000 (905,000.00)
2.60 1.85 Splash Corporation 1.96 1.96 1.96 1.96 0.00 50,000
0.250 0.112 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.150 0.155 0.145 0.149 (0.67) 8,160,000 (75,000.00)
5.46 2.92 Tanduay Holdings 3.85 3.90 3.85 3.85 0.00 2,000
4.15 1.99 TKC Steel Corp. 2.51 2.55 2.50 2.51 0.00 105,000 5,020.00
1.37 0.90 Trans-Asia Oil 1.26 1.25 1.24 1.25 (0.79) 1,425,000
65.50 33.50 Universal Robina 62.10 62.25 61.50 62.10 0.00 1,725,800 1,503,475.50
1.12 0.285 Vitarich Corp. 0.510 0.500 0.500 0.500 (1.96) 300,000
7.40 2.55 Vivant Corp. 12.32 14.50 12.16 12.40 0.65 25,300 3,750.00
1.22 0.68 Vulcan Indl. 0.98 0.98 0.97 0.97 (1.02) 709,000
HOLDING FIRMS
1.18 0.65 Abacus Cons. À 0.75 0.77 0.74 0.75 0.00 609,000
59.90 35.50 Aboitiz Equity 49.95 49.90 49.00 49.00 (1.90) 582,800 18,881,200.00
13.48 8.00 Alliance Global Inc. 12.22 12.08 11.82 11.88 (2.78) 29,721,900 18,397,812.00
2.97 1.57 Anglo Holdings A 2.14 2.15 2.03 2.03 (5.14) 63,000 8,120.00
4.29 3.00 Anscor À 4.35 4.47 4.47 4.47 2.76 2,000
6.98 0.260 Asia Amalgamated A 4.75 4.70 4.45 4.50 (5.26) 345,000
3.15 1.49 ATN Holdings A 2.06 2.04 2.04 2.04 (0.97) 3,000
431.00 272.00 Ayala Corp À 410.00 408.00 405.00 405.60 (1.07) 660,890 40,591,564.00
56.60 30.50 DMCI Holdings 54.55 54.75 53.15 53.35 (2.20) 1,832,210 (48,736,001.50)
4.19 1.03 F&J Prince A 2.87 2.78 2.76 2.76 (3.83) 24,000
5.25 3.30 Filinvest Dev. Corp. 4.72 4.72 4.69 4.70 (0.42) 346,000 (431,800.00)
4.35 2.90 House of Inv. 4.58 4.72 4.52 4.72 3.06 103,000
28.60 19.00 JG Summit Holdings 29.90 30.00 29.25 29.50 (1.34) 471,400 648,065.00
6.95 4.00 Lopez Holdings Corp. 5.63 5.63 5.48 5.63 0.00 512,200 (196,150.00)
1.54 0.61 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 1.20 1.20 1.18 1.19 (0.83) 801,000
0.91 0.300 Mabuhay Holdings À 0.640 0.670 0.630 0.670 4.69 41,000
3.52 1.500 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 3.450 3.420 3.280 3.370 (2.32) 3,101,000 66,100.00
4.25 2.56 Metro Pacic Inv. Corp. 4.20 4.20 4.08 4.09 (2.62) 107,660,000 (39,432,240.00)
6.24 2.10 Minerales Industrias Corp. 4.90 4.90 4.90 4.90 0.00 10,000
0.0770 0.054 Pacica À 0.0620 0.0600 0.0600 0.0600 (3.23) 1,500,000
2.20 1.42 Prime Media Hldg 1.630 1.630 1.610 1.610 (1.23) 68,000
0.82 0.44 Prime Orion 0.510 0.510 0.510 0.510 0.00 1,300,000
4.10 1.56 Republic Glass A 2.50 3.13 2.70 2.70 8.00 42,000
2.40 0.90 Seafront À 1.58 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.27 5,000
0.490 0.285 Sinophil Corp. 0.355 0.355 0.355 0.355 0.00 800,000
699.00 450.00 SM Investments Inc. 644.50 647.00 638.50 645.00 0.08 392,420 (11,258,735.00)
1.78 1.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.30 1.30 1.28 1.28 (1.54) 325,000
1.57 1.14 South China Res. Inc. 1.30 1.26 1.24 1.26 (3.08) 16,000
0.420 0.09 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.2900 0.3000 0.2900 0.2900 0.00 560,000
0.620 0.056 Wellex Industries 0.4200 0.4350 0.4000 0.4100 (2.38) 7,820,000
P R O P E R T Y
29.00 11.00 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 33.00 33.50 30.00 33.50 1.52 200
0.74 0.31 Araneta Prop À 0.560 0.560 0.560 0.560 0.00 60,000
22.10 13.36 Ayala Land `B 20.05 20.45 19.80 20.45 2.00 4,194,700 (1,686,845.00)
6.12 3.08 Belle Corp. À 5.03 5.04 4.94 4.94 (1.79) 1,767,100 (2,336,714.00)
7.55 2.20 Cebu Holdings 7.20 7.20 6.85 6.95 (3.47) 2,233,400 (689,085.00)
5.66 0.26 Century Property 1.66 1.65 1.59 1.60 (3.61) 3,672,000 (5,324,940.00)
1.65 1.07 Cityland Dev. À 1.14 1.20 1.14 1.19 4.39 341,000
0.127 0.060 Crown Equities Inc. 0.085 0.085 0.081 0.085 0.00 1,210,000 (81,000.00)
1.25 0.67 Cyber Bay Corp. 0.90 0.91 0.91 0.91 1.11 380,000
0.90 0.54 Empire East Land 0.630 0.630 0.610 0.630 0.00 1,162,000 (579,700.00)
3.80 2.90 Eton Properties 3.40 3.40 3.40 3.40 0.00 1,000
0.310 0.10 Ever Gotesco 0.199 0.194 0.194 0.194 (2.51) 100,000
3.06 1.76 Global-Estate 1.98 1.98 1.96 1.97 (0.51) 224,000 (39,440.00)
1.35 0.98 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.30 1.29 1.26 1.26 (3.08) 33,307,000 3,104,360.00
2.55 1.21 Highlands Prime 2.51 2.43 2.30 2.33 (7.17) 75,000 (4,600.00)
2.14 0.62 Interport À 1.76 1.78 1.70 1.70 (3.41) 268,000 8,550.00
2.48 1.51 Megaworld Corp. 1.97 1.97 1.93 1.94 (1.52) 42,573,000 (12,147,660.00)
0.83 0.220 MRC Allied Ind. 0.2250 0.2260 0.2220 0.2260 0.44 520,000
0.910 0.072 Phil. Estates Corp. 0.9600 0.9500 0.8800 0.9000 (6.25) 44,959,000 (3,646,990.00)
4.90 1.80 Polar Property Holdings 3.47 3.50 3.45 3.50 0.86 290,000
17.08 10.00 Robinsons Land `B 16.38 16.66 16.16 16.34 (0.24) 2,171,000 9,549,210.00
2.60 1.70 Shang Properties Inc. 2.48 2.48 2.48 2.48 0.00 22,000
9.55 6.50 SM Development À 6.85 7.00 6.85 7.00 2.19 792,300 (2,909,345.00)
18.20 10.70 SM Prime Holdings 16.60 16.72 16.46 16.70 0.60 7,351,900 22,979,906.00
1.15 0.64 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.77 0.77 0.77 0.77 0.00 14,000
0.80 0.45 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 0.560 0.560 0.560 0.560 0.00 220,000
4.00 2.60 Vista Land & Lifescapes 3.840 3.840 3.810 3.830 (0.26) 658,000 (326,570.00)
S E R V I C E S
2GO Group 2.80 2.74 2.53 2.74 (2.14) 17,000
45.00 28.60 ABS-CBN 40.00 40.00 39.40 40.00 0.00 48,600
12.98 1.60 Acesite Hotel 14.46 14.40 13.02 14.30 (1.11) 11,300
0.80 0.45 APC Group, Inc. 0.690 0.690 0.670 0.690 0.00 297,000
0.5300 0.0660 Boulevard Holdings 0.1840 0.1860 0.1820 0.1850 0.54 5,460,000 9,190.00
98.15 62.50 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 67.10 67.30 67.05 67.30 0.30 91,870 1,126,631.50
10.60 8.20 Centro Esc. Univ. 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 0.00 144,800
9.70 5.40 DFNN Inc. 7.50 7.55 7.31 7.31 (2.53) 82,200
1270.00 692.00 Globe Telecom 1115.00 1114.00 1108.00 1111.00 (0.36) 27,500 4,716,110.00
10.34 6.18 GMA Network Inc. 8.80 9.10 8.89 9.10 3.41 543,700
62.70 39.90 I.C.T.S.I. 67.80 67.90 67.00 67.80 0.00 2,208,670 28,062,872.50
6.00 3.80 IPeople Inc. À 5.02 5.45 5.10 5.44 8.37 83,800
4.29 2.20 IP Converge 3.09 3.10 3.08 3.08 (0.32) 469,000
34.50 0.169 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.159 0.156 0.150 0.154 (3.14) 5,770,000
3.87 1.16 IPVG Corp. 1.25 1.27 1.25 1.25 0.00 1,311,000 (900,900.00)
0.0760 0.040 Island Info 0.0620 0.0630 0.0600 0.0630 1.61 150,000
5.1900 2.900 ISM Communications 3.1300 3.0800 3.0400 3.0700 (1.92) 82,000
3.79 1.58 JTH Davies Holdings Inc. 2.49 2.50 2.50 2.50 0.40 2,000
12.18 5.90 Leisure & Resorts 7.78 7.78 7.71 7.77 (0.13) 161,400
4.75 2.65 Liberty Telecom 2.90 2.85 2.77 2.80 (3.45) 208,000 70,000.00
2.35 0.92 Lorenzo Shipping 1.85 1.97 1.80 1.97 6.49 22,000
3.96 2.70 Macroasia Corp. 2.99 3.00 2.98 2.98 (0.33) 52,000 (3,000.00)
0.72 0.57 Manila Bulletin 0.68 0.68 0.68 0.68 0.00 140,000
3.25 1.00 Manila Jockey 1.53 1.55 1.54 1.55 1.31 27,000
8.25 4.49 PAL Holdings Inc. 8.29 8.35 7.85 7.99 (3.62) 819,700 12,375.00
2.93 1.05 Paxys Inc. 3.03 3.03 2.91 2.96 (2.31) 1,158,000 (585,630.00)
43.00 17.02 Phil. Seven Corp. 40.00 40.50 40.00 40.50 1.25 15,400 493,900.00
16.72 14.50 Philweb.Com Inc. 16.76 16.76 16.74 16.76 0.00 163,200 576,556.00
6.90 3.80 PLDT Comm & Energy 4.38 4.38 4.35 4.35 (0.68) 22,000
2886.00 1990.00 PLDT Common 2660.00 2632.00 2600.00 2628.00 (1.20) 146,780 (8,358,870.00)
0.48 0.23 PremiereHorizon 0.340 0.335 0.335 0.335 (1.47) 610,000
23.60 10.68 Puregold 21.50 21.80 21.10 21.50 0.00 527,900 7,108,480.00
0.79 0.26 Waterfront Phils. 0.560 0.550 0.530 0.540 (3.57) 2,558,000
MINING & OIL
0.0083 0.0035 Abra Mining 0.0057 0.0057 0.0056 0.0056 (1.75) 41,000,000
6.20 3.01 Apex À 5.40 5.40 5.40 5.40 0.00 61,700
6.22 3.00 Apex `B 5.40 5.40 5.30 5.30 (1.85) 184,000 (2,700.00)
25.20 14.50 Atlas Cons. À 18.50 18.52 18.00 18.52 0.11 1,086,900 (3,866,500.00)
38.80 20.00 Atok-Big Wedge À 23.75 23.80 23.75 23.75 0.00 300
0.380 0.148 Basic Energy Corp. 0.290 0.300 0.290 0.290 0.00 2,710,000 (116,000.00)
30.35 12.50 Benguet Corp À 26.00 24.50 24.20 24.25 (6.73) 8,300
34.00 12.10 Benguet Corp `B 29.95 27.00 25.80 27.00 (9.85) 1,600 (13,260.00)
2.51 1.62 Century Peak Metals Hldgs 1.75 1.80 1.74 1.80 2.86 2,323,000
47.50 4.34 Dizon 48.75 48.75 47.50 48.70 (0.10) 154,000 (149,470.00)
1.21 0.50 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.87 0.88 0.85 0.85 (2.30) 4,371,000 (78,270.00)
1.82 0.4550 Lepanto À 1.450 1.430 1.410 1.420 (2.07) 8,539,000
2.070 0.4750 Lepanto `B 1.550 1.540 1.510 1.510 (2.58) 5,990,000 (1,762,060.00)
0.085 0.030 Manila Mining À 0.0750 0.0770 0.0740 0.0770 2.67 163,460,000
0.087 0.031 Manila Mining `B 0.0750 0.0770 0.0740 0.0760 1.33 37,450,000 (77,000.00)
25.70 15.04 Nickelasia 32.60 33.25 32.70 33.25 1.99 1,825,600 23,015,960.00
12.52 2.08 Nihao Mineral Resources 11.48 11.60 11.42 11.50 0.17 1,491,900 (46,924.00)
7.70 2.12 Oriental Peninsula Res. 8.100 8.050 7.980 8.010 (1.11) 677,500
0.032 0.012 Oriental Pet. À 0.0230 0.0230 0.0220 0.0230 0.00 19,100,000
0.033 0.013 Oriental Pet. `B 0.0230 0.0230 0.0230 0.0230 0.00 19,000,000
7.20 5.10 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 6.30 6.30 6.30 6.30 0.00 1,300
28.95 14.30 Philex À 20.75 20.75 20.50 20.60 (0.72) 1,130,500 (1,288,095.00)
14.18 3.00 PhilexPetroleum 11.80 12.10 11.60 11.80 0.00 88,500 (11,700.00)
0.058 0.013 Philodrill Corp. À 0.053 0.054 0.052 0.053 0.00 244,110,000 4,240.00
80.00 20.25 PNOC Expls `B 52.00 52.00 51.50 51.50 (0.96) 1,000
252.00 161.10 Semirara Corp. 248.00 249.00 246.00 246.60 (0.56) 135,070 8,429,598.00
0.029 0.011 United Paragon 0.0210 0.0210 0.0210 0.0210 0.00 35,000,000
PREFERRED
47.90 27.30 ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 42.00 42.50 42.00 42.50 1.19 5,200 210,000.00
109.80 100.50 First Phil. Hldgs.-Pref. 105.30 106.00 106.00 106.00 0.66 10
11.02 6.00 GMA Holdings Inc. 8.49 9.09 8.74 9.08 6.95 1,982,700 (11,182,296.00)
116.70 106.00 PCOR-Preferred 115.00 115.00 115.00 115.00 0.00 100
80.00 74.50 SMC Preferred 1 77.20 77.30 77.30 77.30 0.13 480
1050.00 990.00 SMPFC Preferred 1027.00 1034.00 1027.00 1034.00 0.68 1,240
WARRANTS & BONDS
1.35 0.62 Megaworld Corp. Warrants 0.99 0.96 0.96 0.96 (3.03) 130,000
0.210 0.00 Omico Corp. Warrant 0.0860 0.1200 0.1090 0.1090 26.74 120,000
Easter on cross by law
GERRY GERONIMO
THE TRUST GURU
ANYONE who has just as much legal brains in
his head as Justice Seran Cuevas has in his little
nger is certain to nd as objectionable from
the legal point of view, the Gospels allegation
that Jesus of Nazareth rose or was risen from
the dead. Four grounds can readily be cited:
rst, the authors of the gospels, and therefore
also of the so-called resurrection narratives,
were undeniably biased; second, not one of said
authors had any personal knowledge of Jesus
himself while he was alive, and much less of
his alleged resurrection; third, their versions
of the resurrection event, as a result, manifest
irreconcilable discrepancies and inconsistencies;
and, fourth, the resurrection narratives have no
basis, assuming as they do as the fact intervention
by the Divine with the natural, something that is
per se, incapable of proof.
Bias on the part of the Gospel writers is easiest
to demonstrate; their bias is very palpable in all
their resurrection narratives. Each of the Gospel
writers were seeking to make their respective
audiences believe that someone named Jesus,
from the obscure town of Nazareth, who was
crucied and who died sometime during the
time when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
was, all that notwithstanding, in fact alive and
well. Such deliberate spin was in fact admitted,
in fact by John the Evangelist. He admitted that
these [i.e. the selected sayings, deeds, acts, and
alleged resurrection, of Jesus the Nazaroan] are
recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing
this you may have life through his name.
Thus, the Gospel accounts, particularly of
the resurrection, are of the genre of propaganda
material, or paid advertisement, or, at the very
least, instructional material in executive coaching
seminars. Their main objective was to deliver
the specic message that the writers wanted to
convey; their intention was, in the language of
Howard Gardner, to change minds, to make
people believe.
The legal weight of their testimony, however,
is severely weak; none of the evangelists had
any personal knowledge of what they were
talking about. Best reliable historical research
dates the life and death of the Nazaroan
sometime in the first third of the first century;
the Gospels, historians say, were most likely
written in the succeeding last half. Marks,
generally considered the earliest of the four,
is said to have been written in the late 60s;
Lukes, the Acts, and Matthews are suggested
to have been done circa 85 and Johns in
the 90s. The experts thus conclude that not
none of the evangelists personally knew the
Nazaroan. Therefore, their narratives, in the
language of Justice Cuevas, is hearsay.
Perhaps because of the four writers
biases, and their lack of personal knowledge,
their narratives about the resurrection
contain irreconcilable conicts and strange
contradictions. The only point where they all
agree on, is negative, i.e., that no one witnessed
Jesus rising from the dead. What allegedly was
seen instead, after the Sabbath, was an empty
tomb.
The rest of their testimony is marked by
conict in many material details. Mark said that
the rst to discover that Jesus tomb was empty
were three women, namely Mary Magdalene,
Mary who was the mother of James, and Salome;
but Matthew spoke only of two, namely, Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary who, according
to earlier verses, could concededly have been the
mother of James. John had only Mary Magdala
(Magdalene). So, most likely two, but no more
than three. But in contrast, Luke had a bit of
a crowd. The women, wrote Luke, were
Mary Magdalene, Joana, and Mary the mother
of James; the others who accompanied them....
Finally, in any case, women, in those times,
were not reliable witnesses.
Instead of proof by direct evidence, the
resurrection is sought to be implied from accounts
of Jesus alleged post-crucixion appearances.
But even at this level, there is no consensus.
Mark, in the version that has the longer ending,
says Jesus appeared rst to Mary Magdalene
without saying where. John identies the site
of the rst appearance as the tomb itself, also
to Mary Magdalene. But Matthew narrates that
the risen Jesus intercepted the women while
they were on their way from the tomb to tell,
as instructed by an angel, the apostles to go to
Galilee where Jesus was to meet them. Luke,
also talks of an appearance on the same day, but
to two disciples who were going to a village
seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus.
In addition to bias, hearsay and conict,
the fourth objection against the legal truth of
the resurrection is that the resurrection could
not have been possible were it not for Divine
Intervention. But such Divine Intervention is
incapable of proof. Divine Action, as such,
is outside human perception. What can be
perceived is not the action itself but only physical
or material manifestations that are attributed, by
assertion only, to Divine Action. Hence, the
resurrection has no basis.
Easter, therefore, ought be rejected as a legal
truth; its actual occurrence fails to conform to the
laws standards of what is true, and, admissible.
Lucky for us, though, life is larger than law;
there is more to life than what the law can grasp.
The resurrection to us believers is meta-legal
and that makes law, as to life, very often, if I
may use a linguistic twin favored by Justice
Cuevas, immaterial and irrelevant.
For feedback, email thetrustguru@gmail.com.
STOCKS fell Tuesday, following an
extended break, as investors raised
concern about the strength of the
global economy, with the release of
weaker-than-expected employment
data in the US.
The Philippine Stock
Exchange index, the 30-
company benchmark, dipped 16
points, or 0.3 percent, to close at
5,022.29, its lowest level since
March 14.
The heavier index representing
all shares also declined 12 points,
or 0.4 percent, to 3,416, as losers
outnumbered gainers, 95 to 53,
with 48 issues unchanged.
GMA Network Inc., the nations
second-largest broadcaster,
added 3.4 percent to P9.10, the
most since Feb. 22. Company
president Gilberto Duavit said
2012 prot may rise to P2.8
billion ($65.4 million), boosted
by an expected double-digit
growth in advertising spending.
The company said prot slid 39
percent to P1.71 billion last year.
BDO Unibank Inc., the
countrys largest lender, rose 3.3
percent to P62.25 while Ayala
Land Inc., one of the largest
property developers, increased
2.0 percent to P20.45.
PAL Holdings Inc., owner
of Philippine Airlines Inc.,
sank 3.6 percent to P7.99, the
sharpest loss since March 12, on
speculation a plan by the carrier
to spend up to $1 billion on a
reeeting program may involve
a share sale.
PAL plans to modernize its
eet, San Miguel Corp. president
Ramon Ang said in a mobile
phone text message. San Miguel
agreed to buy a 49-percent stake
in PAL and low-cost afliate Air
Philippines Corp. San Miguel
Corp. was down 0.5 percent to
P113.80.
Given the big size of the
planned investment, PAL
Holdings might hold a share
sale to fund part of it, said
James Lago, head of research at
PCCI Securities Brokers Corp.
That could dilute earnings per
share.
Alliance Global Group Inc.
sank 2.8 percent to P11.88, the
lowest close since March 12,
as its casino unit Travellers
International Hotel Group missed
earnings estimates, according
to Alex Pomento, an analyst at
Macquarie Group Ltd.
Travellers International Hotel
Group, a joint venture of Alliance
Global and Genting Hong Kong
Ltd., posted a 57-percent increase
in prot to $112.9 million last
year. Alliance president Kingson
Sian couldnt be reached at his
ofce for comment.
Some investors are frustrated
with the weak results of Travellers,
Pomento said. Market consensus
was for prot to be at around $140
million.
Meanwhile, Asian stocks were
mostly lower Tuesday as a four-
day slump in US markets sparked
by concern about the strength
of the worlds biggest economy
weighed on investor condence.
Tokyos Nikkei 225 index fell
0.4 percent to 9,510.11 and Hong
Kongs Hang Seng fell 1.4 percent
to 20,310.40. Chinas benchmark
Shanghai composite index
declined 0.8 percent to 2,266.69.
South Koreas Kospi shed 0.3
percent to 1,992.10.
Weaker than expected hiring in
March has fueled doubt that US
economic growth is strong enough
to justify the rally in global stocks
during the last few months. The
S&P 500 index jumped almost 30
percent from October to a four-
year high a week ago.
In Asia, traders will be closely
watching rst quarter gross
domestic product results, starting
with China on Friday. China
lowered its GDP growth target
last month to 7.5 percent, sparking
concern the worlds second-largest
economy is slowing faster than
expected. Bloomberg, AP
Business
ManilaStandardToday business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com APRIL 11, 2012 WEDNESDAY
B3
US likely to import more sugar
GMA-7s
net profit
falls 39%
to P1.72b
ChinaBank reduces par value
A Brown signs power plant deal
Energy Development to issue P7b worth of fixed rate bonds
LandBank-LRA agreement. Land Bank of the Philippines has agreed with the Land Registration Authority to set up an extension ofce at the
LandBank Plaza in Malate, Manila that will help reduce LandBanks title verication processing time from the average 15 working days to as
fast as 24 hours. Signing the agreement are LandBank president and chief executive Gilda Pico (third from right) and LRA administrator Eulalio
Diaz III (third from left). With them (from left) are Land Registration Systems Inc. president Deln Hallare Jr., LRA deputy administrator Ronald
Ortile, and LandBank executive vice president Andres Sarmiento and rst vice president Conrado Roxas.
By Othel V. Campos
THE United States may increase its sugar
imports from the Philippines by 80,000
metric tons this year, the Sugar Regulatory
Administration said Tuesday.
We may have an additional
allocation which may be
announced second or third week
of this month, SRA administrator
Ma. Regina Martin said.
SRA said local producers could
meet the traditional allocation of
about 138,000 metric tons of raw
sugar for exports to the US under
the sugar quota system, despite
the expected decline in harvest
this year.
We are anticipating 50,000 to
80,000 MT additional allocation
which is a more feasible estimate.
[Previous reports of] 100,000
MT was a high-end request,
said Martin.
The Philippines obtained an
allocation of 138,827 MT of raw
sugar for exports to the US in the
scal year 2011-2012, with all
shipments delivered on time. The
last tranche of 20,000 MT was
delivered on April 7 this year.
The US, under the tariff rate
quota scheme, maintains a raw
sugar quota of 1.117 million
metric tons every cropping
season. The volume is distributed
to a list of preferred countries
including the Philippines.
The US gives premium to
imported raw cane sugar from
preferred countries. The quota
system allows countries to
export specied quantities of a
product to the United States at a
low tariff rate.
SRA said it would verify
forecasts of further decline in
sugar harvests below 2 million
MT by mid-April.
The agency earlier said sugar
output may fall to 2.15 million
MT from an earlier forecast of
2.24 million MT and the original
target of 2.42 million MT
because of low sucrose content
of standing sugarcane crops.
Data from the SRA showed
that as of March 11, raw sugar
output has reached 1.701 million
MT or nearly 76 percent of
the projected 2.24 million MT
output.
The sugar milling season is
expected to end this month.
WIL Time Bigtime host Willie Revillame must be awash
with cash, having acquired the latest addition to his list of
branded homes, that include the Ayala Heights mansion
of ABS-CBN big boss Gabby Lopez, and a Madrigal abode
located in Tagaytay. Highly-placed sources say Willie can now
include Boracay among his numerous residential addresses,
having recently bought the former vacation home of Iigo
and Maricris Zobel from the group of businessman Rodolfo
Dody Puno reportedly for P120 million.
The hilltop residence, which became popularly known as the
Tree House in Boracay, was designed by architect Eduardo
Ledesma of the Leandro V. Locsin architectural rm for the
Zobel couple, who later sold it for some P100 million four
years ago to YBP Propertiesthe initials standing for investors
George Yang (of McDonalds Philippines), Lino Barte (ex-
RPN 9 chairman) and of course, Dody Puno. The former Hawi
Boys member has certainly come a long way, having become
one of the highest-paid celebrities in Philippine showbiz with a
bevy of toys for the big boys.

Politically-branded diploma folders
The graduation
season seems to have
provided politicians one
more opportunity to go
around and greet their
constituents, since they
are usually invited as guest
speakers for graduation
ceremonies in public
schools. During the recent
graduation ceremonies
in Fairview Elementary
School in Quezon City,
several local politicians
dutifully showed up and
took turns going on stage
for their inspirational
messages to the kids and
their parents.
Those who were not
around, however, still
managed to have their
presence felt in a very
significant manner, like QC mayor Herbert Bautista,
whose message was read by Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte.
More importantly, HB provided expensive-looking diploma
folders with his initials embossed on the cover, along with
a copy of his message complete with photo inserted in the
left-hand plastic flap. And for good measure, a newsletter
(with the mayors face on the cover, naturally) was inserted
in the right flap under the graduates diploma.
A lot of parents who saw the folder were mortied, wondering
whether the cost was taken from the P250 graduation donation
required from their children (the number of graduates reportedly
reached almost a thousand), or whether the mayor paid for it
with his own personal funds or from the city governments.
It certainly looks like some enterprising businessman will be
thriving considering the number of public schools in the city
with their huge population.
Several kibitzers were later heard asking whether they
should write to Senator Miriam Santiago and ask her not
to limit the prohibitions to her proposed Anti-Epal Bill to
just signages or public works projects and instead, expand
it to mugs, caps and diploma folders. Oh well. Filipinos
will always find a way to creatively circumvent any law. As
advertisers and PR practitioners would say it, if ATL (above-
the-line) methods wont do, theres always BTL (below-the-
line).
For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related
concerns, readers may e-mail to happyhourtoday@yahoo.
com.ph.
Willie Revillames
Boracay home
By Lailany P. Gomez
GMA Network Inc. said Tuesday
consolidated net income in 2011
declined 39 percent to P1.715
billion from P2.821 billion in 2010
due to the absence of political
advertisements and the impact of
the global nancial crisis.
The network, which airs on
Channel 7 on free TV, generated
about P2.054 billion worth
of revenues from political
advertisements in 2010. Total
revenues fell 9 percent to
P13.083 billion in 2011 from
P14.30 billion in 2010.
The network is looking at
P2.8 billion as its net income
guidance this year.
Total operating expenses
grew 8 percent to P9 billion
from P8.325 billion amid
costlier programs on primetime
television and the station-wide
reformatting of Channel 11
from QTV to GMA News TV.
The increase in operating
expenses was partly attributed
to recalibration of TV 11. We see
this [decline] normalizing this
year, GMA 7 president Gilberto
Duavit Jr. said in a brieng.
The company announced cash
dividends worth P1.944 billion,
or P0.40 per share, equivalent to
114 percent of its full 2011 net
income, with payout date set on
May 9, 2012.
The company is poised
to deliver better business
performance in the new nancial
cycle. GMA used the 2011 drop
in ad spend as an opportunity
to strengthen its product and
programming as reected in
its permanent standing as the
nationwide ratings leader. This
makes GMA an even stronger
contender for a bigger share
in the advertising pie as the
industry recovers at the onset
of 2012, Duavit said.
He said as early as end-
February this year, the GMA
marketing group had closed
85 percent of the 2012 sales
targets with signed agreements
from regular advertisers.
With the recent launch
of umbrella site, www.
gmanetwork.com, the online
audience could access news,
entertainment and public
service, the executive said.
The agship international
channel GPTV made mobile
television service available to
Filipinos in the Middle East,
with 4,600 subscriptions in
two months since its launch in
September of last year.
By Elaine Ramos Alanguilan
CHINA Banking Corp. has approved the proposed
changes in the banks share prices to make them at
par with other banks listed in the stock market.
ChinaBank vice president and corporate secretary
lawyer Corazon Morando said in a disclosure to the
stock exchange the board approved the amendment
in the banks articles of incorporation.
The banks capital stock of P20 billion would
be divided by 2 billion shares with a par value of
P10 each from the previous 200 million shares
with par value of P100 each under the proposed
amendment.
ChinaBank rst vice president Alex Escucha
said shares of all banks listed on the Philippine
Stock Exchange except ChinaBank have par
values of P100.
Only ChinaBank has a par value of P100 per
share, everybody else are at P10 per share, except
for Metrobank, which is P20, said Escucha.
He said the higher par value does not really
have an impact on knowledgeable institutional
investors.
The problem is more for the local retail investor
that would align the stock prices and see that while
the rest are doing at double digit, we are at triple
digit so a bit pricey, said Escucha.
Bottom line, its really more to align our
shares with the rest of the banks, and for easier
comparability, he said.
Escucha denied the capital restructuring was
meant to facilitate the entry of new investors into
the bank. He also said there would be no dilution
in the current shareholdings.
The liquidity of ChinaBank is relatively
low. Nobody wants to sell their shares. Our
historical high cash and stock dividend rates
plus the strong support on our share price make
ChinaBank an investment to hold on to, said
Escucha.
ChinaBank has outstanding issued shares of
117.98 million shares at P100 per share. Based
on data with the Philippine Stock Exchange,
the public own 57.91 percent of the outstanding
shares.
The proposed amendment is still subject to the
approval of all shareholders during the banks
regular annual meeting on May 3. It will also be
submitted for approval by the Bangko Sentral, the
Philippine Stock Exchange and the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
A POWER subsidiary of A
Brown Co. Inc. has tapped one of
the worlds largest construction
groups to build the 200-megawatt
Concepcion coal-red power
plant in Iloilo province.
Palm Concepcion Power
Corp., a unit of A Brown Co.
Inc., said it signed an agreement
with SNC-Lavalin Inc. covering
technical advisory services for
the rst phase of the coal-red
power project.
A Brown Co. Inc., the holdings
rm of the Brown group, acquired
Palm Concepcion in November
2010 from DMCI Power Corp.,
allowing it to venture in the
power generation industry.
We trust that as the projects
owners engineer, SNC-
Lavalin will be bringing in their
expertise and experience that
they are known for worldwide,
said Roel Castro, president and
chief operating ofcer of Palm
Concepcion and vice president
of A Brown.
Castro signed the agreement
with Glenn Frazier, vice
president for Thermal Power
in Asia Pacic and managing
director of SNC-Lavalin in
Pattaya, Thailand on March 30.
Frazier said SNC-Lavalin
was excited to work for Palm
Concepcion and committed to
work in synergy with its people.
We are passionate to be
returning to the Philippines, and
to be able to support PCPC in its
goal of providing reliable and
stable power supply in Visayas.
We would like to thank PCPCs
management for trusting us to be
part of this critical investment
and we look forward to the
successful completion of this
project, Frazier said.
SNC-Lavalin, under the
agreement, will provide
technical advisory services from
engineering stage to completion
of the power generation project.
Its services will cover detailed
engineering that will include review
and evaluation of engineering,
procurement and construction
specications, systems design
parameters and operating features
and development of conceptual
layouts.
SNC-Lavalin has more
than 100 years of experience
in engineering, construction
and operations, establishing a
multicultural network that spans
every continent. It has ofces
across Canada and in over 35
other countries around the world
and are currently working in
some 100 countries.
SNC-Lavalins Power Group
is recognized as a global leader
in engineering and construction
in the elds of hydroelectric,
nuclear and thermal power
generation, power system
studies, power sector reform,
transmission and distribution
projects. Alena Mae S. Flores
By Alena Mae S. Flores
ENERGY Development Corp., a unit of
First Gen Corp., signed an agreement to
issue P7 billion worth of xed rate corporate
notes.
Energy Development said in a disclosure
to the Philippine Stock Exchange that it
tapped RCBC Capital Corp. and SB Capital
Investment Corp. as joint issue managers
and joint lead arrangers. It appointed PNB
Capital & Investment Corp. as joint lead
arranger for the transaction.
The company will use the proceeds to
renance its existing FXCNs, which has an
average remaining life of approximately two
years and for general corporate purposes. The
new FXCNs will have a tenor of 10 years
at an interest rate to be determined prior to
their issuances, Energy Development said.
Energy Development issued P9 billion
worth of xed-rate corporate notes in 2009
to pay off foreign-denominated loans.
The company posted a net income of P615
million in 2011, down 86 percent from P4.4
billion in 2010, due to the write-off of the
Northern Negros Geothermal Power Project
and the non-commissioning of the Bacman
power plants.
The decline in net income was partially
offset by the P1.1-billion revenues from FG
Hydros sale of ancillary services.
FG Hydro, a subsidiary of Energy
Development, operates the 112-megawatt
Pantabangan-Masiway hydroelectric power
plants in Nueva Ecija province.
Energy Development said the non-cash
impairment of P5.1 billion taken during the
year on the Northern Negros was the major
contributor to the substantial decline in the
companys net income.
The full impairment of NNGP, will be cash
accretive as the project incurs an annual cash
operating cost of P800 million from its sub-
optimal operations. The impairment decision
taken on NNGP, albeit costly, was necessary
to clear the issue with nality, Energy
Development president and chief operating
ofcer Richard Tantoco said earlier.
The company said P1.21 billion in
forgone steam revenues resulting from
Energy Developments acquisition of the
Bacman power plants also contributed to the
decline of its bottom line performance last
year. Energy Development supplies steam
to the Bacman power plants.
2011 was a difcult year because we
had to absorb sizable hits, primarily the
P5.1 billion write-off of Northern Negros
and the P1.21 billion of foregone steam
sales of Bacman. We are working hard to
attain our targeted third quarter 2012 re-
commissioning of the 130-MW Bacman
plants, Tantoco said.
Provinces
Edited by Leo A. Estonilo www.manilastandardtoday.com mst@manilastandardtoday.com
B4
Binay group backs
loan Cordon ally
SM Baguio starts P1-billion expansion
Kids learn not to go against the grain
Bulacan: Enter Eco-bags, exit plastics
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
REGIONAL TRIAL COURT
NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION
BRANCH 41
MANILA
IN RE: PETITION FOR CANCELLATION
OF THE CERTIFICATES OF LIVE BIRTH
OF MARIA ISABELLE RIVERAARCANGEL,
MARIA ISABELLE FRANCISCO MERCADO
also known as MARIA ISABELLE RIVERA
ARCANGEL,
Petitioner,
- versus - SPEC. PRO. NO. 11-125591
THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF MANILA,
Respondent.
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
O R D E R
This is an adversarial proceeding for cancellation of the Certifcates
of Live Birth of the petitioner Ma. Isabelle Rivera Arcangel, seeking the
cancellation of herein petitioner's two (2) Certifcates of Live Birth with
Local Civil Registry Nos. 9264892 and 92-859 fromthe registry of births
of the Local Civil Registry of Manila and of the National Statistics Offce.
Finding the amended petition to be suffcient in formand substance,
this court hereby sets the same for hearing on 27April 2012 at 8:30 a.m.
Let this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive
weeks, prior to the date of hearing, in an accredited newspaper of
general circulation and selected by the Raffe Committee of this Court.
The Local Civil Registrar, the Offce of the Solicitor General or
any interested person may fle an opposition within ffteen (15) days,
reckoned from the last day of publication.
Further, let a copy of this Order be furnished to the Offce of the
Clerk of Courty of the Regional Trial Court of Manila, for raffe, relative
to its publication.
SO ORDERED.
Given in Chambers this 8
th
day of March 2012 at the City of
Manila, Philippines.
(Sgd.) ROSALYN D. MISLOS-LOJA
Presiding Judge
(MST-Apr. 4, 11 & 18, 2012)
For
fast
ad
results,
please
call
659-48-30
local
303
or
659-4803

DEPARTMENT OF AGRI CULTURE
NATIONAL TOBACCO ADMINISTRATION
Scout Reyes Street, corner Panay Avenue, Quezon City
Tel. No. (02) 374-3987 Fax No. (02) 374-2505
I NVI TATI ON TO APPLY FOR ELI GI BI LI TY AND TO BI D
(MST-Apr. 4 & 11, 2012)
The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC),
invites interested contractors to apply for eligibility and if found eligible, to bid for the
hereunder project:
Contract ID: PB 2012-03
Name of Contract: Site/Land Development for the NTAAgriPinoy Project
location: Brgy. Nanguneg, Narvacan, lIocos Sur
Brief Description: This Project includes the development, back-flling, construction of
perimeter fence, retaining wall, roads and pavements, and other
related works within the specifc land area of 14,399 square meters.
Approved Budget for
the Contract: PhP 15,314,615.04 Corporate Funds. Bids received in excess of
the ABC shall be automatically rejected at Bid opening.
Project Duration: 75 calendar days
The BAC will conduct the public bidding in accordance with RA 9184 and its Implementing
Rules and Regulations Part A,
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a letter of Intent (LOI) signed by the person
authorized in the Contractors License issued by the PCAB. The LOIs shall be submitted by
the Authorized Liaison Offcer as specifed in the Contractor's nformation (Cl). Submission of
LOs by persons with a Special Power of Attorney, who are not specifed in the C, shall not
be allowed. The contractor must purchase bid documents and must meet the following major
criteria: (a) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership, corporation, cooperative, or
joint venture with PCAB license applicable to the type and cost of this contract, (b) completion
of a similar contract costing at least 50% of ABC within a period of ten years, and (c) Net
Financial Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment for at least
10% of ABC. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility check and
preliminary examination of bids.
Schedule of BAC Activities:
BAC Activities Schedule
1. Deadline for the submission of letters of Intent
(LOI), including application for Eligibility and
issuance of Eligibility Forms
April 18, 2012
2. Deadline for submission of Eligibility Requirements April 25, 2012
3. Notice of Results of Eligibility Check April 26, 2012
4. Issuance of Bid Documents April 27, 2012
5. Pre-bid Conference May 02, 2012 at 10:00 a.m., at the 3
rd
Floor
NTA Bldg.
6. Receipt and Opening of Bids May 14, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at the 3
rd
Floor
of NTA Bldg.
The BAC will issue Bidding Documents only to Bidders declared by the BAC to be eligible for
the bidding upon payment of a non-refundable Bidding Fee in the amount of Fifteen Thousand
Pesos (PhP15,000.00) to the NTA Cash and Fund Management Division.
Prospective Bidders shall submit their duly accomplished form as specifed in the BD's
in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The frst envelope shall
contain the technical component of the bid, which shall include the eligibility requirements.
The second envelope shall contain the fnancial component of the bid. Contract will be
awarded to the lowest Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and
the post-qualifcation.
The NTA reserves the right to reject any or all bids without offering any reason, waive any
required formality and award the contract to the bidder, whose proposal, as evaluated, is
the most advantageous to the NTA.
The NTA assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify the bidders for
any expenses or losses that may be incurred in the preparation of bids, nor does it
guarantee that an award will be made.
The NTA BIDS and AWARDS COMMITIEE (BAC)
By Jessica M. Bacud
ISABELA-Cordon Vice Mayor Lito Salatan
wants to be in the drivers seat next year with the
backing of the Vice President Jejomar Binays
party.
A lawyer belonging to the biggest political clan
in town, he was the only PDP-Laban bet in Isabela
province in the 2010 presidential polls.
Engr. Homer Bueno, interim Party Governor for
Cagayan Valley and special liaison to the ofce of
the Vice President, said Salatan enjoyed the support
of the hierarchy, recognizing his background
as journalist and educator on top of being an
exceptional member of the Sangguniang Bayan.
The party will provide Vice Mayor Salatan the
usual support to ensure his perceived victory in the
2013 mid-term elections, Bueno said, citing the
commitment of Secretary General Jose de Venecia
III.
He said community leaders have manifested
their condence in Salatan to provide impetus
to municipal leadership in giving direction and a
progressive image to Cordon.
Salatan, vice president of the Isabelas Vice
Mayors League, has been advocating better
governance and no-personal-interest public service
through his Bagong Cordon Movement which has
been gaining encouragement and popular support
from various sectors of the town.
Good harvest. Laguna Governor Jeorge E.R. Ejercito Estregan was awarded The Outstanding Philippines Organic Agriculturists Award 2011 by the
Rotary Club of Cubao East, District 3780 in partnership with Countrywide Technology Development Foundation and the Junior Chamber International Senate
Philippines (Bantayog Chapter). He was cited for promoting best practices in organic farming in the province during rites held last March 8 at the AFP Com-
missioned Ofcers Clubhouse in Camp Aguinaldo. Joining him are (from left) Agriculture Undersecretary for Administration Antonio Fleta; Ronald Costales,
2011 Most Outstanding Organic Agriculturist; and Pagsanjan Mayor Maita Ejercito, League of Municipalities president.
Manila Water
solves dry
taps plaguing
resettlement
RODRIGUEZ-About 21,000 residents of
Southville in San Isidro of this Rizal town
will be saying goodbye to their perennial
problem of dry taps.
Manila Water, East zone concessionaire,
has embarked on its Tubig Para sa Barangay
program for channeling water under its
agship recovery campaign for the benet
of community folks inaugurated recently
by Governor Casimiro Ynares III and
Manila Water president and chief executive
Gerardo Ablaza.
Rodriguez Mayor Cecilio Hernandez
and San Isidro chairman Tom Hernandez
expressed gratitude for the P100-million
project which is a joint effort of the World
Bank, the National Housing Authority
represented by Gie Domingo, the
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage
System chief regulator Manuel Quizon,
provincial government, and Manila Water,
to improve the living conditions of the
settlers in their new homes.
The entry of Manila Water into an area
signies progress, he said. And along
with this, also comes the progress of the
residents.
Ferdinand dela Cruz, Manila Waters
East Zone Business Operations director,
commended the loss recovery drive as a
successful public-private partnership to bring
water within reach of marginalized sectors.
Where the Southville residents used to
pay P25 to P35 per drum for poor quality
vended water, they will enjoy a huge cut
from their water expenses once they get
their respective water service connections
with us, savings from which they can use
for their other important needs, he said.
By Dexter A. See
BAGUIO CITY-A regional trial court has stopped
work on the extension of SM City here amid a public
protest over the planned removal of trees to give way to its
P1-billion plans including a seven story green building.
For the past two days, SM management
started putting up a large canvass and plywood
panels at the mall fronting Governor Pack
road as the rst batch of trees are earthballed
for transfer after clearance by the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources to a
site along Upper Session Road.
RTC Branch Judge Antonio Esteves issued
a temporary environment order effective
for 78 hours which was received by SM
management before noon Tuesday, copy
furnished Mayor Mauricio Domogan.
The Civil Code provides the right of
persons to their private properties, he told
Manila Standard. SM had complied with
the pre-requisites of their project.
Senior Supt. David Lacdan, police chief,
said he expected on untoward incident to
happen even as he gave the assurance of
public security with instruction to the ground
units to exercise maximum tolerance.
The situation in the SM property is
normal, he said. We are trying our best
to give everyone a chance to air their views
peacefully but when we see that they go
beyond what will be tolerable, we will be
constrained to disperse them.
Environmentalists led by various
organizations, namely, the Cordillera
Ecological Coalition, Cordillera Green
Network and other groups started to gather
around the SM property when workers
began what seemed to them as clearing the
premises.
Clarence Baguilat, DENR-CAR regional
director, said technical staff with experience
in earthballing were monitoring the
activities of SM to ensure compliance with
environment compliance certicate issued to
the management.
SM management has issued a statement
reafrming its expansion and redevelopment
project to better serve its customers as the
rst mall in the North region designed to be
certied by LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design), the internationally
recognized standard for green building
design and construction developed by the US
Green Building Council.
It said consultations with authorities and
environmental experts have preceded the
earthballing of trees to ensure high survival
rates for the transplants.
Aside from this, SM will be planting over
50,000 trees as part of its commitment to
Baguios re-greening program.
The project is a total environment friendly
endeavor that goes beyond the trees, some of
which are alnus and not pine trees, which will be
relocated within the mall, the company said.
SM has also planted 6,000 pine saplings.
Another 20,000 are scheduled to be planted
within the year at designated watersheds and
another 30,000 trees in the next three years
not only within Baguio but as far as Sto.
Tomas and Mt. Pulag.
The expanded and renovated SM City
Baguio will be a seven level open air retail,
dining, and entertainment destination that will
rely almost exclusively on natural ventilation
for the malls generous public spaces.
With AP
By Ferdie G. Domingo
SCIENCE CITY OF
MUNOZSome 3,000
elementary pupils in Nueva
Ecija received rst-hand
lessons on conserving
rice in an educational tour
sponsored by the Department
of Education in the Philippine
Rice Research Institute at its
central experiment station.
Guadalupe Miranda, of
PhilRices Visitors and
Conference Services Ofce,
said the school children came
from the towns of Llanera
and Sta. Rosa, San Jose
City and this city who also
watched rice conservation
videos.
The schools with the
biggest delegation belong to
the Theopilus Academic and
School of Excellence, San
Antonio Elementary School,
and Palusapis Elementary
School.
The pupils, together with
some high school students
reviewed rice production
through the Adventures of
Gabby Ghas, the story of a
humanized tiny grain of palay
who wanted to know his
place in the world along with
a eld tour of experimental
farms and Journey of Rice,
a presentation on the history
of rice and its breeding
process.
Ten-year-old Alyza
Manglo said she has learned
that rice has to survive many
challenges before her mother
could cook the staple food.
Its not good to waste it,
she said.
Danielle Ann Gaffud said
the storytelling of Gabby
Ghas was her favorite part of
the tour.
PhilRice is a government-
owned and controlled
corporation whose mandate
is to develop high-
yielding, cost-reducing,
and environment-friendly
technologies so farmers can
produce enough rice.
MALOLOS CITYThe provincial capitol
government has banned the use and sale of
plastic bags in Bulacan.
The directive followed the signing
of Panglalawigang Ordinansa 2012-09
which prohibited non-biodegradable bags,
styroform and other kinds of plastics used
as packaging materials in the 21 towns and
three cities.
Under the measure, passed by the
Sanguniang Panglalawigan through
presiding ofcer Vice Gov. Daniel Fernando
and signed by Gov. Willy Sy-Alvarado, face
penalties of up to P5,000 ne and one-year
imprisonment.
The ordinance will be immediately
enforced after the implementing rules and
regulations are issued.
The ordinance was passed six months
after Gov. Alvarado wrote the provincial
board to create a provincial ordinance
banning the use and sale of plastic bags in
public markets.
An information drive will also be
implemented in the 569 barangays of the
province for the effective implementation
of the ordinance.
The SM Supermalls in Baliwag and
Marilao towns have spearheaded the
implementation of the no plastic policy
and stopped using plastic bags in their
retail chains instead promoting SMs Eco-
bags for shoppers at SM department stores,
Hypermart and Savemore grocery stores as
well.
Beverly Cruz and Gladiz May Latiza,
external communications ofcers of SM
Baliwag and Marilao, respectively, told
Manila Standard that patrons are given
incentive points in their SM Cards and
discounts whenever they bring along and
use theirEco-bags.
Gianna Maniego, Editor standardlifestyle@gmail.com
sha.re/
Dinna Chan Vasquez, Assistant Editor
W
H
A
T
S
I
N
S
I
D
E
BOXES OF
AWESOMENESS
How would you feel if
someone sent you four
boxes of Oishi goodies?
SINGAPORE FOOD
EVENT
Savour held its inaugural
staging in downtown
Singapore.
Easter
Kaleidoscope
HAPPY Easter! May our risen Lord
continue to cuddle us all in His Fatherly
embrace!
The next best thing about Easter
is the wide spectrum of colors that
dominate the social horizon. This
is the time of the year that the metro
bursts into fascinating hues emanating
from fun-lled activities that sprout all
overspring is, indeed, busting out all over! Here
are some of the colorful events I was privileged to
have been a part of lately.
Fashion with a vision
Charming professional models and members of
the Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines
(FCCP) recently graced the fashion ramp as part of a
fund-raising activity for the organizations scholarship
program and its other projects. The models wore
designs of indigenous bers by Dita Sandico Ong,
Patis Tesoro and Malu Veloso. Talented designers
from the University of the Philippines BS Clothing
Technology Batch 2012 also took part in the event.
FCCPs Core Group, responsible for staging this
highly successful undertaking, was headed by its
president Nene Leonor, director-in-charge Rose
Marie Lazaro, chairpersons Karen Macasaet
and Tessie Rodrigo, with co-chairpersons Lulu
Castaneda, Letty Hahn, Rosita Lesaca, Chloe
Romulo-Periquet and Glecy Morales.
The generous sponsors who
helped make the event possible
were Golden Lion Films,
Cats Motors, Vibal Publishing
House, Asia Textile Mills and
F.E.Zuellig.
Josie Natoris Spring/Summer
Collection
Rustans and Josie Natori
recently launched her younger and playful line, JOSI,
during a chic event at a private home where the
metros beautiful people trooped to for a fun evening
lled with music, great food, electrifying colors,
spirited prints and free-owing fabrics from JOSIEs
Spring/Summer Collection.
Bold stripes and sweet oral prints looked very
attractive on Natoris chosen musesKatrina
Tantoco-Lobregat, Stephanie Zubiri, Rosanna
Ocampo Rodriguez and Stephanie Kienle
Gonzales.
The JOSIE boutique is at the 2nd Floor of Rustans
Makati and on the 4th Floor of Rustans Shangri-La
Plaza.
Bulletin Board
Culinary Canada. The Caf Marco of Marco Polo
Plaza Cebu recently featured a plethora of seafood avors
with a Canadian twist, reason for it being packed with
diners every day. Foodies enjoyed the Canadian oyster,
crab, sh and other enticing specialties served during the
BOB
ZOZOBRADO
For Party
Animals Only
home work relationship WEDNESDAY
C1
APRIL 11, 2012
WHO needs a best friend, when
you have the new Samsung LED
ES8000 TV?
Its smart, its intuitive, it does things
for you without you having to lift a nger
(most of the time). You can play with
it, surf the internet with it, even learn a
lesson or two from it. It can also stand
in for a nanny slash babysitter. We can
imagine even Paris Hilton would drool
over it and call it her new BFF were she
to get a-hold of it.
It is, in a word, amazing.
A star is bor n
The Samsung LED ES8000 is the star
of Samsung Electronics 2012 home
entertainment showcase. Unveiled to
Asian media and dealers last month at
the Samsung Southeast Asia, Oceania
and Taiwan Regional Forum held at the
Bangkok Convention Center, this Smart
TV is denitely a game changer.
While it still remains the standard in
delivering the highest picture quality
and clarity, whether 2D or 3D, Samsung
Smart TVs pushes the envelope further
with features like the Micro Dimming
Ultimate (on the ES8000), which
optimizes the LED backlight and video
signal for each piece in real time,
resulting in richer, brighter images with
higher contrast ratios.
Premium models showcase the
0.2 inch ultra-slim bezel design, rst
introduced in 2011while the rest of the
By Gianna G. Maniego
Meet your new
food festival. Charming resident manager Julie Najar
led the customary ribbon-cutting ceremonies, assisted
by Robert Lee, Canadas honorary consul. The lavish
spread of the nest seafood dishes was put together
by executive chef Luke Gagnon and senior sous chef
Juanito Abangan, Jr.
----------O----------
YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE:
There was this blonde who went out for a walk.
She came to a river and saw another blonde on the
opposite bank. Yoo-hoo! she shouts, How can I
get to the other side? The second blonde looks up
the river, then down the river, and shouts back, You
ARE on the other side!
----------O----------
For feedback, Im at bobzozobrado@gmail.com
Nene Leonor (center) FCCP president, with her grandchildren (l-r): Adriel Ocampo
Leonor, Jorja and Hana Leonor-Villasor, Angela Puyat Leonor, Anika Ocampo Leonor
and Monila Puyat Leonor
Baby Ortiz Luis, Aleli Sevilla, Anna Tirol, Rep. Linabelle
Villarica and Mabel Abao
Justice Lolong and Rose Lazaro, Dra. Ellen Binay, Karen
Macasaet and Tessie Rodrigo
Carrie Bautista Lili Adina and Mars
Lambino
Aissa dela Cruz, MPPC resident manager Julie Najar,
Embassy of Canada-Manila senior trade commissioner
Alex George, honorary consul of Canada Robert Lee
and wife Anna with Angel Cashuela
Jigs Arquiza, MPPC executive chef Luke
Gagnon and Caf Laguna corporate
chef Raki Urbina
Marco Polo
Plaza Cebu
g e n e r a l
ma n a g e r
Hans Hauri
Rustans executive vice president
Anton Huang with Josie Natori
and Joe Ciccio
Joseph Calata
Rima Ostwani and Leif-Erik
Hannikainen
Josie Natori and her JOSIE muses Rosanna Ocampo
Rodriguez, Stephanie Zubiri, Stephanie Kienle Gonzales
and Katrina Tantoco Lobregat
LED line features a 0.5-inch slim bezel,
allowing viewers to enjoy a larger screen
size without having to deal with a bigger
TV.
Its like Minority Report, says
Ar iel Ar ias, Samsung Business Unit
head for Audio-Visual, Samsung
Electronics Philippines Corporation, who
presented the eagerly anticipated AV line
at the convention.
The power of three
As the market leader for 3D Smart
TV in Asia, with a 47 percent market
share, Samsung aims to stay ahead of the
pack with a strategy that hinges on three
perspectivesSmart Interaction, Smart
Content and Smart Evolution.
Smart Interaction is an intuitive
platform that uses Motion Control,
Voice Control and Face Recognition
commands. Users can turn the TV on or
off by speaking in any of the languages
recognized by the technology. Simply
say Hi TV to activate the commands
Volume up if you want it loud, for
instance without touching the remote
(the remarkable thing about it is that it
recognizes Asian accents very well.)
From there, one can browse through
selected apps or search for content in the
web browser. Now if youre old school
and more comfortable with a keyboard
and mouse, Samsungs 2012 range of
Smart LED and Plasma TVs also support
connectivity using these.
You can also use browse content and
surf the web with a wave of your hand.
A built-in camera recognizes movement
in the foreground, and two unidirectional
array microphones recognize voice
at an incredibly accurate rate. Noise
cancellation technology helps separate
any background noise from the users
commands.
Smart Interaction is available on the
LED ES8000 series, the LED ES750
series and the Plasma E8000 series.
More than an idiot box
Samsung Smart TVs bring a lot more
to the table than just TV viewing. With
the way technology has been shaping
consumer habits, it is no longer enough
for audiences to sit in front of their sets
and watch.
According to Hyunsuk Kim, Samsung
Electronics executive vice president
and head of visual display business,
consumers expect not only greater
accessibility but greater, more compelling
content.
Powered by a dual core processor that
allows for faster browsing and more
efcient multitasking, Samsung Smart
TVs provide access to the widest variety
of premium content available, with over
1,500 apps offered worldwide.
The ES8000, for example, allows users
to download applications while, say,
enjoying the latest Korean drama on Vikii.
One of its neatest hat tricks is the
AllShare Play feature, which allows
users to push or pull multimedia content
from compatible devices (whether its
from a Tab, notebook or a mobile device)
or the cloud, resulting in endless hours of
shared entertainment.
Other services exclusive to the
Samsung system include such features
as Family Story, which helps users
organize photos and enjoy slideshows
on the big screen. These photos, as
well as memos and reminders, can
be accessed and shared anywhere via
phone, tablet, PC or TV. Theres also
Fitness, which allows users to connect
their Smart TV to a Fitness app through
their mobile phone.
Grow old along with it
With its Smart Evolution Kit, Samsung
has ensured that its AV lineup does not
become overtaken by the latest technology.
Through proprietary system-on-chip
technology and a simple slot in the back of
select Smart TV models, users are able to
update their AV system without having to
buy a new TV set every year.
Next week:
Samsung rolls out its amazing new
gadget line.
BEST
FRIEND
Samsung Smart TVs push the envelope in viewing experience with its
new intuitive features
Ariel Arias presents
the future of Smart
TV at the Bangkok
Convention Center
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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
ANSWER TOMORROW
62 Sampl e
63 Sampl e
Down
1 Langl ey and Travi s:
Abbr.
2 Botani cal ski n
treatment i ngredi ent
3 Jul i us Caesar
setti ng
4 Gl obes
5 Bad guys
6 Fl ag throwers
7 Many a Lord of the
Ri ngs character
8 Dogpatch gal
9 Li on, for one
10 I cel andi c poeti c
work
11 Real l y l ong ti me
12 Star fol l owers
14 Begat
17 I t s darker than
royal bl ue
18 Di j on deni al s
22 I s compel l ed to
23 __ wave
24 Of practi cal val ue
25 Domai n
26 Canadi an rd.
ANSWER
TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE
Across
1 Basebal l s
Hammeri n Hank
6 Bad col or for i nk?
9 Sunl i ght uni t
13 Vegetati on
14 Ward of Si sters
15 Noti on
16 Ai rpor t securi ty
cani ne
19 React to a whack
20 You re not the
LOS ANGELES
TIMES
CROSSWORD
onl y one!
21 Endi ng for mass or
pass
22 Tal ki ng bi rd
23 Thanksgi vi ng servi ng
31 Agenda detai l s
32 Cool -cucumber l i nk
33 Lake Mi ch. ci ty
34 Semana septet
35 Divine Comedy poet
37 Phl ebotomi st s
target
38 Wi th 48-Across,
shout at the stati on
39 Byrnes of Grease
40 Quake si te
41 Frothy ci trus desser t
46 Pothol e s pl ace
47 Ji mmy s successor
48 See 38-Across
51 Type of brandy
whose name means
water of l i fe
56 Women s swi msui t
si ze factor
58 Capri , for one
59 Puppy bi tes
60 Mascara probl em
61 Ri ng deci si ons,
bri efl y
di stances
27 Amazi ng
paranormal debunker
28 Freeze over
29 Spi cy bean di sh
30 Kunta __: Burtons
Roots role
35 Moral l y
degenerate
36 Condi ti on treated
wi th Ri tal i n, bri efl y
37 Car for a l arge
fami l y
40 Most doti ng
42 Takes the podi um
43 Standard
44 Muni ch matrons
45 Typi cal barbershop
compl ement
48 Sl i ghtl y
49 Per form on
si dewal ks, i n London
50 Scandi navi an
capi tal
51 Gl i mpse
52 Austen heroi ne
53 Vi ctory si gns
54 __ the fi ni sh
55 To be, i n Bri ttany
57 Bal l oon contents
standardlifestyle@gmail.com
home work relationships
C3
WEDNESDAY
C2
sha.re/
APRIL 11, 2012
Gianna Maniego, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
A NEW annual food and beverage event is
in the offing as Savour, a most recent food
festival made its inaugural staging last
March 30 to April 1 at the F1 Paddock and
Pit City in downtown Singapore. Savour
2012, with a catchy slogan `Come Celebrate
The Delicious is a new gourmet event open
to the public.
Six half day affair s
Savor 2012 took three days, March 30
to April 1, but each day was divided into
two, an afternoon and an evening session.
The afternoon session started from 11:30
a.m. and ended at 4 p.m, while the evening
session started from 6 p.m. and ended at
11:30 p.m. Entrance fees charged were
Sin $40.00 (around P1,400.00) for the
afternoon session, and Sin$60.00 (around
P2,100.00) for the evening session. Half
of the amount paid were given back to
you in Savour dollars, the only currency
accepted in the venue. Each Savour dollar
was equivalent to a Singapore dollar. The
half day sessions per day were really a bit
peculiar, as this is the only event I know
where paying customers were driven to the
exit by 4 p.m., and needed to pay another
entrance fee if they were to enter again the
same evening. The Savour dollars were
also only valid in the venue, so obviously
by near closing time, either it be 3:30 p.m.
for the afternoon session or 11 p.m. for the
evening session, customers with unused
Savour dollars scamper to buy things while
the Savour currencies were still valid.
Consumer event
Savour was purely a consumer event.
The exhibitors, around 80 of them, were
composed of importers, distributors, retailers,
restaurateurs, food and beverage service and
solution providers and event sponsors. The
Savour Gourmet Village was staged in the
open air area, with makeshift tents, well-
ornamented booths, and dining setup in al
fresco style. 16 top ne dining restaurants,
including seven international names from

food festival
Another
in food-savvy Singapore
Aprils full!
Summers in full swing and
the April issue of Cosmopolitan is
packed with tips to help you milk these
white-hot days.
Speaking of white-hot, frank, funny, and
erce Mar ian River a looks fresh on the
cover in a sexy white monokini.
Cosmo editorial director Myr za Sison
encourages all Pinays to explore, dream, and
discover as she asks, So where are you going
this summer? in her Editors Letter.
Whats summer without a little (or a lot) of romance?
If youre single and ready to mingle, read Cosmos man-meeting
game plan to get you prepped for a fun and steamy holiday affair. In a
relationship? LQs may be inevitable, but Cosmo gives you the lowdown
on xing things with your guy so youll feel closer after a ght.
Cosmopolitan is available in newsstands, bookstores, and
supermarkets nationwide. For more of Cosmo online, visit www.
cosmo.ph, become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/cosmopolitan.
ph), and follow them on Twitter (Twitter.com/cosmo_ph).
on the racks
Get summer-ready recipes from Yummy
SUMMERTIME cooking means preparing easy, no-fuss meals
for the family. Yummy gives you ve grilled meal ideas perfect
for beach trips. Take grilling in the backyard a notch higher with
Yummy delicious, out of the ordinary recipes to follow for every
day of the week.
Plus, Yummys around the world
special lets you experience the culture
and cuisine of other countries without
having to step out of your own doorstep!
Get a glimpse of the eats and treats
of Spain, Japan, Morocco, the United
States, Vietnam, and Italy in this months
issue. Now that school is out, keep your
kids busy all summer long with fun, DIY
activities they can do in the kitchen!
Yummy has you all set for summer!
Grab a copy of the April of Yummy,
available in newsstands, bookstores
and supermarkets nationwide. For more of Yummy online, visit
www.YUMMY.ph. Become a fan on Facebook via facebook.com/
yummymagazine, and follow them on Twitter via twitter.com/yummyph.
Fuel your passion, says Candy
Take inspiration from Candys Fuel your Passion issue and do things
that you really love. Whether you love to write, appreciate art or in for
an adventure, seize that moment and start making that dream happen.
Enroll in a handful of fun classes and activities cited by Candy! Who
knows, you might even discover a hidden talent of yours!
Get creative and unleash the DIY queen
in you! Candy will keep you busy all
summer long with its fun and easy DIY
projects.
Candy girls can collect the second
collectible charm in this months issue.
Plus, get an ultimate Hunger Games
primer from Candy! The April issue
also comes with free pin-ups of Hunger
Games stars Liam Hemswor th and
Josh Hutcher son.
Grab a copy of the April issue of
Candy featuring Jennifer Lawrence on
the cover, available in bookstores, newsstands,
and supermarkets nationwide. For more of Candy online, visit www.
candymag.com, become a fan on Facebook via facebook.com/
candymag, and follow us on Twitter via twitter.com/candymagdotcom.
The rst Savour event in Singapore
outside of Singapore were present at the
Gourmet Village. The Gourmet Market on the
other hand was in the adjacent three-storey
building, and housed the other exhibitors,
including the wine and spirits. An abundance
of seminars on both Gourmet Village and
Gourmet Market spiced up the event. There
were at least 40 activities happening per
session, covering various food & beverage
topics from culinary demonstrations to
wine & spirits tasting seminars. I attended a
vodka tasting seminar conducted by Younes
Mazaache, of premium Russian vodka,
Beluga. And I myself conducted a seminar
on Spanish Rioja wines. From a commercial
point of view too, there was quite a bit of
purchasing happening as almost all the
gourmet products from fresh produce to
processed items were available, something
not possible in any single store. There were
also enticing promotions. Select wines were
sold at 5+1 deals, while some of the cheeses
SOUTHEAST Asia leads in
willingness to pay more for
ethical products; Japan among
countries to record a rise of
charity donations in 2011
Conscience shopping across
Southeast Asia remains strong
with a number of countries leading
the region in purchasing products
that are environmentally friendly
and observe fair trade principles,
according to the latest MasterCard
survey on ethical spending.
The survey was conducted
via online interviews between 5
December 2011 and 6 January
2012 and i nvol ved 12, 500
consumers from 25 markets
across Asia/Pacic, Middle East
and Africa.
According to the survey
Thai l and, t he Phi l i ppi nes,
Vietnam, Indonesia and China
have a greater willingness to
pay more for items that are
environmentally friendly, observe
fair trade principles, or where a
percentage of the item is donated
to a good cause, as compared to
their counterparts in New Zealand,
Australia and Japan. However,
between 2009 and 2011 the only
increase in consumers willing
to pay for a percentage of sale
donated to a good cause was
South Korea (7 percent), while
drops were recorded in China (-25
percent), Taiwan (-19 percent),
Japan (-18 percent), Hong Kong
(-15 percent) and Singapore (-11
percent).
Through initiatives such as
MasterCard Purchase with
Purpose, MasterCards social
responsibility and citizenship
efforts across the Asia/Pacic,
Middle East and Africa region,
we are actively encouraging
shoppers to think before they
buy. Through Purchase with
Purpose consumers can give
back to communities when they
use their MasterCard cards;
this is at the heart of a drive
by MasterCard to encourage
responsible spending and to
make a difference to someone
elses life, says Georgette Tan,
group head for communications,
Asia-Pacic, Middle East and
Africa, MasterCard Worldwide.
Shoppers were also less
willing to pay for environmentally
friendly products in 2011 when
compared with 2009, with Japan
(-26 percent), China (-23 percent)
and Hong Kong (-19 percent)
all showing less inclination
towards eco-shopping. Taiwan in
particular went from 71 percent of
respondents in 2009 saying they
would purchase items because
they are environmentally friendly
to 40 percent in 2011.
Amongst those surveyed,
a f f i n i t y t o wa r d s s o c i a l
organizations that deal with
childrens health and education
appeared to be the strongest for
respondents across Asia Pacic,
and environmental organizations
have risen in importance in many
of the markets in the region.
In emerging markets, affinity
towards social organizations
that deal with poverty/starvation
remain highly important.
The Beluga Vodka seminar
Drinkdings: Mobile bar solution
One, made from our own Philippine coconut
juice debuts at Savour
Shots: A prepackaged cocktail mix
Ethical shopping across
Asia-Pacic remains strong
PMFTC launches feeding program in Cebu
CITIBANK and Rustans are welcoming their new
cardholders with a fragrant and delightful gift.
Those who apply for their rst Citibank Credit
Card from Feb. 3 to April 30 at participating
Rustans Department Stores branches will receive
a complimentary Inno Sotto Eau de Extreme with
their new Rustans Citibank Card.
New Citibank cardholders who submitted their
applications and are approved for a Rustans
Citibank Card within the promotion period are
entitled to a free 100 ml bottle of the renowned
fashion designers signature fragrance, which
retails at P2,950.
To be qualified for the gift, the new cardholders
should spend at least P1,000 using the card within
60 days from receipt. They will then get an
electronic stub via SMS within 20 days after the
promotion period that they need to present at Inno
Sotto counters located in Rustans Department
Store branches to claim the complimentary Inno
Sotto Eau de Extreme.
Rustans Citibank Card, the rst luxury shopping
card in town, offers exclusive lifestyle privileges
as well as the most rebates and the best perks. Get
up to 10 percent rebate at Rustans, Shopwise and
Store Specialists, Inc. for a minimum of P20,000
accumulated outstore spend per monthly billing
and normal grocery food items were retailed
less than normal retail prices. The Savour
dollar booths where you need to purchase
your Savour currency to purchase products
were all strategically located so shopping
would not stop at the event.
Int er est ing Boot hs
While the venue and the number of
exhibitors were not in the magnitude of those
held at the Singapore Expo, the quality of
exhibitors was pretty good. The following
were some of the booths that caught my
attention:
Shots a conveniently prepackaged
cocktail shot made in New Zealand; this
single serve shot, with a very literal and
smart brand name comes in 7 cocktail
concoctions: 1. B52 (coffee cream and
orange liqueur), 2. QF (melon and Irish
cream liqueur), 3. Rattlesnake (tequila
and l i me) , 4. Vodi Shot ( vodka and
orange), 5. On The Beach (melon and
raspberry cream liqueur), 6. Texas Ranger
(butterscotch and cream liqueur), and
7. Zambuca (red and black sambuca).
sadly I kind of know only B52
Drinkdings a mobile bar solution
company whi ch does cockt ai l s and
mocktails (sans alcohol) for different
events and occasions; this company claims
to be the first and pioneer among the
handful of mobile bar solution companies
existing now in Singapore; I heard from
a good friend here that there are already
Philippine companies doing this now,
but I just wonder how the local mobile
bars compare to the wealth of cocktail
and mocktail concoctions that come from
Drinkdings
Le Cordon Bleu this Paris based
culinary institute (made more famous by
the late Julia Child) is now in Malaysia,
and their booth at Savour offers diploma
and certificate courses to local as well
as regional students who can afford their
tuition fees; three months certificate
courses st art at around P250, 000. 00
(converted from Malaysian Ringgit), while
nine months diploma courses go to around
P750,000.00
On display are the Inno Sotto Eau de Extreme
complimentary gift for new Rustans Citibank
cardholders, showcased by fashion icon and renowned
designer Inno Sotto with Citibank Credit Payment
Products head Bea Tan
A fragrance treat
for new Rustans
Citibank Cardholders
statement. Outstore spend are dinners, gas, travel,
utilities payments and other everyday expenses
charged to the card, which also earn 0.5 percent
rebate. Meanwhile, all purchases at Rustans
Supermarket and Shopwise throughout the year
get a 5 percent rebate.
To know more about the Rustans Citibank
Card and to apply, visit www.citibank.com.ph
or call the Citibank Sales Hotline at 423 3000.
A happy business equals a happy home.
F o r mi c r o - e n t r e p r e n e u r s o r
minigosyantes, PLDT KaAsenso can help
you achieve both.
Speaking during the 2nd day of the
PinoyMEs ME Naman Convention, PLDT
vice president for HOME Marketing Voice
and Micro-business, Patrick Tang, introduced
ME Naman attendees to the companys own
program for minigosyantes, PLDT KaAsenso.
Tang detailed PLDT KaAsensos enabling
five-pillar ecosystem, which provides
minigosyantes access to technology, micro-
nancing, free business training, networking,
and extra income opportunities. All of which
were designed to help them become more
efcient and ultimately achieve well-balanced
success both in business and home life.
As pa r t of PLDT Ka As e ns os
networking thrust, Tang opened the
virtual doors of PLDT@home which is
the companys latest digital offering for
its business subscribers.With PLDT@
home, minigosyantes get to create a free
online store through which they can make
their products and services known to over
a million PLDT subscribers and the entire
Internet community. They can post photos
and product catalogues, announce promos
and event s, advert i se (t hru Medi a5
Marketing Corporation), get customer
feedback, and even allow consumers to
conveniently purchase their products with
flexible payment and delivery options.
Held at the LBP Plaza in Malate, Manila,
the ME Naman convention gathered about
100 micro-entrepreneurs from all over the
country for a three-day convention featuring
speakers who shared expert and professional
tips as well as inspiring stories on how to
manage and grow a edgling business.
PinoyME is a consortium of leaders from
various sectors working together to help
reduce poverty in the Philippines through
microenterprise development. Currently on
its sixth year, it is inspired by the advocacy
of the late former president Corazon Aquino
who is also the organizations chair emeritus.
Get to know about PLDT KaAsensos
programs and services --- including its best
plan yet KaAsenso Package 2168, which
bundles a landline, wireless Call All service,
and high-speed Internet at up to 1mbps! Call
875-5050 now or visit pldtkaasenso.com.ph.
From left to right: Product Specialist for PLDT@home, Mabie Encarnacion;
PLDT KaAsenso head Jonathan De Quiroz; PLDT vice president for home
marketing voice & microbusiness Patrick Tang; PinoyME president Dan Songco
and PLDT KaAsenso Project Specialist Katherine Jose.
PLDT unveils new online tool for minigosyantes
Then the towers started arriving at the office. At
first, we thought that they were "nuisance" gifts, those
things that are packaged perfectly but we have no use
for. But these six-foot boxes are different, it turned
out. Each one was filled with what we like to call junk
food. Four boxes arrived in a short span of seven days.
We were in chichirya heaven! Inside the first box, we
found Oishi and Kirei, brands which we have loved
since we were kids.
Liwayway Marketing Corp., which started in 1946,
is the company behind the Oishi brands of snacks and
drinks. Oh yes, Liwayway Gawgaw is still available
in stores.
The company went into snack foods in 1974 with
Oishi Prawn Crackers and Kirei Shrimp Flakes. They
were made with Japanese technology and recipes,
hence, their Japanese brand names. Oishi (or oishii)
means delicious, while kirei means beautiful.
The next box contained Oishi snacks in the popular
P1 packs that kids can easily buy from the neighborhood
sari-sari stores. Each Piso pack receives the same
care and attention as the bigger packs.
Many Oishi products were such huge hits that
groceries and stores would ght over the available supply.
Some supermarkets even limited how much each buyer
can get, so that more shoppers can buy. One store sign
said Bread Pan, 10 pcs. only per person. And several
stores had signs saying, Walang Pillows ngayong
araw or a similar message. Lucky for us, the third box
contained Bread Pan and the elusive Pillows.
BOXES OF
The fourth box was everyone's favorite. It contained
super-sized individually-wrapped wafer sticks (called
Wafu), gourmet-flavored potato chips cooked in
sunflower oil (the Kimchi flavored ones are quite
pungent but really tasty), and vegetarian chicharon
made out of green peas (these are known as Marty's).
Not content with transforming this deadly yet popular
Pinoy snack favorite, Oishi then reworks real chicharon
using imported lean pork skin and baking it with hot
air (not fried!).
Each of the boxes had "O, Wow!" written on it and
that's really what we said when we opened each one.
The boxes had an opening somewhere in the middle so
it was like a chichirya vending machine. Oh, eventually
we took out all the contents of the boxes to choose our
favorites to take home. It was like being a kid again
with no worries about salt and sugar intake. Of course,
most of us in the office couoldn't indulge every day
but it was good while it lasted. Dinna Chan Vasquez
IT ALL started with a big pack of Liwayway Gawgaw, the starch that
was used on skirts and trousers when we were kids, that was sent to the
lifestyle editor. I asked her,"Why would anyone send you gawgaw? Does
anyone still use this?"
Gourmet Picks
Oishi Products
AWESOMENESS
PMFTC Inc. president Chr is Nelson hands out chicken porridge
fortied with Vitamin A to children of Zone 4, Barangay Buaya,
Lapu-lapu City on March 29, 2012 as part of the barangays weekly
feeding program. At least 300 village kids participated and received
Vitamin C syrups. The project is in partnership with American Chamber
Foundation Philippines Inc.
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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
ANSWER TOMORROW
62 Sampl e
63 Sampl e
Down
1 Langl ey and Travi s:
Abbr.
2 Botani cal ski n
treatment i ngredi ent
3 Jul i us Caesar
setti ng
4 Gl obes
5 Bad guys
6 Fl ag throwers
7 Many a Lord of the
Ri ngs character
8 Dogpatch gal
9 Li on, for one
10 I cel andi c poeti c
work
11 Real l y l ong ti me
12 Star fol l owers
14 Begat
17 I t s darker than
royal bl ue
18 Di j on deni al s
22 I s compel l ed to
23 __ wave
24 Of practi cal val ue
25 Domai n
26 Canadi an rd.
ANSWER
TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE
Across
1 Basebal l s
Hammeri n Hank
6 Bad col or for i nk?
9 Sunl i ght uni t
13 Vegetati on
14 Ward of Si sters
15 Noti on
16 Ai rpor t securi ty
cani ne
19 React to a whack
20 You re not the
LOS ANGELES
TIMES
CROSSWORD
onl y one!
21 Endi ng for mass or
pass
22 Tal ki ng bi rd
23 Thanksgi vi ng servi ng
31 Agenda detai l s
32 Cool -cucumber l i nk
33 Lake Mi ch. ci ty
34 Semana septet
35 Divine Comedy poet
37 Phl ebotomi st s
target
38 Wi th 48-Across,
shout at the stati on
39 Byrnes of Grease
40 Quake si te
41 Frothy ci trus desser t
46 Pothol e s pl ace
47 Ji mmy s successor
48 See 38-Across
51 Type of brandy
whose name means
water of l i fe
56 Women s swi msui t
si ze factor
58 Capri , for one
59 Puppy bi tes
60 Mascara probl em
61 Ri ng deci si ons,
bri efl y
di stances
27 Amazi ng
paranormal debunker
28 Freeze over
29 Spi cy bean di sh
30 Kunta __: Burtons
Roots role
35 Moral l y
degenerate
36 Condi ti on treated
wi th Ri tal i n, bri efl y
37 Car for a l arge
fami l y
40 Most doti ng
42 Takes the podi um
43 Standard
44 Muni ch matrons
45 Typi cal barbershop
compl ement
48 Sl i ghtl y
49 Per form on
si dewal ks, i n London
50 Scandi navi an
capi tal
51 Gl i mpse
52 Austen heroi ne
53 Vi ctory si gns
54 __ the fi ni sh
55 To be, i n Bri ttany
57 Bal l oon contents
standardlifestyle@gmail.com
home work relationships
C3
WEDNESDAY
C2
sha.re/
APRIL 11, 2012
Gianna Maniego, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
A NEW annual food and beverage event is
in the offing as Savour, a most recent food
festival made its inaugural staging last
March 30 to April 1 at the F1 Paddock and
Pit City in downtown Singapore. Savour
2012, with a catchy slogan `Come Celebrate
The Delicious is a new gourmet event open
to the public.
Six half day affair s
Savor 2012 took three days, March 30
to April 1, but each day was divided into
two, an afternoon and an evening session.
The afternoon session started from 11:30
a.m. and ended at 4 p.m, while the evening
session started from 6 p.m. and ended at
11:30 p.m. Entrance fees charged were
Sin $40.00 (around P1,400.00) for the
afternoon session, and Sin$60.00 (around
P2,100.00) for the evening session. Half
of the amount paid were given back to
you in Savour dollars, the only currency
accepted in the venue. Each Savour dollar
was equivalent to a Singapore dollar. The
half day sessions per day were really a bit
peculiar, as this is the only event I know
where paying customers were driven to the
exit by 4 p.m., and needed to pay another
entrance fee if they were to enter again the
same evening. The Savour dollars were
also only valid in the venue, so obviously
by near closing time, either it be 3:30 p.m.
for the afternoon session or 11 p.m. for the
evening session, customers with unused
Savour dollars scamper to buy things while
the Savour currencies were still valid.
Consumer event
Savour was purely a consumer event.
The exhibitors, around 80 of them, were
composed of importers, distributors, retailers,
restaurateurs, food and beverage service and
solution providers and event sponsors. The
Savour Gourmet Village was staged in the
open air area, with makeshift tents, well-
ornamented booths, and dining setup in al
fresco style. 16 top ne dining restaurants,
including seven international names from

food festival
Another
in food-savvy Singapore
Aprils full!
Summers in full swing and
the April issue of Cosmopolitan is
packed with tips to help you milk these
white-hot days.
Speaking of white-hot, frank, funny, and
erce Mar ian River a looks fresh on the
cover in a sexy white monokini.
Cosmo editorial director Myr za Sison
encourages all Pinays to explore, dream, and
discover as she asks, So where are you going
this summer? in her Editors Letter.
Whats summer without a little (or a lot) of romance?
If youre single and ready to mingle, read Cosmos man-meeting
game plan to get you prepped for a fun and steamy holiday affair. In a
relationship? LQs may be inevitable, but Cosmo gives you the lowdown
on xing things with your guy so youll feel closer after a ght.
Cosmopolitan is available in newsstands, bookstores, and
supermarkets nationwide. For more of Cosmo online, visit www.
cosmo.ph, become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/cosmopolitan.
ph), and follow them on Twitter (Twitter.com/cosmo_ph).
on the racks
Get summer-ready recipes from Yummy
SUMMERTIME cooking means preparing easy, no-fuss meals
for the family. Yummy gives you ve grilled meal ideas perfect
for beach trips. Take grilling in the backyard a notch higher with
Yummy delicious, out of the ordinary recipes to follow for every
day of the week.
Plus, Yummys around the world
special lets you experience the culture
and cuisine of other countries without
having to step out of your own doorstep!
Get a glimpse of the eats and treats
of Spain, Japan, Morocco, the United
States, Vietnam, and Italy in this months
issue. Now that school is out, keep your
kids busy all summer long with fun, DIY
activities they can do in the kitchen!
Yummy has you all set for summer!
Grab a copy of the April of Yummy,
available in newsstands, bookstores
and supermarkets nationwide. For more of Yummy online, visit
www.YUMMY.ph. Become a fan on Facebook via facebook.com/
yummymagazine, and follow them on Twitter via twitter.com/yummyph.
Fuel your passion, says Candy
Take inspiration from Candys Fuel your Passion issue and do things
that you really love. Whether you love to write, appreciate art or in for
an adventure, seize that moment and start making that dream happen.
Enroll in a handful of fun classes and activities cited by Candy! Who
knows, you might even discover a hidden talent of yours!
Get creative and unleash the DIY queen
in you! Candy will keep you busy all
summer long with its fun and easy DIY
projects.
Candy girls can collect the second
collectible charm in this months issue.
Plus, get an ultimate Hunger Games
primer from Candy! The April issue
also comes with free pin-ups of Hunger
Games stars Liam Hemswor th and
Josh Hutcher son.
Grab a copy of the April issue of
Candy featuring Jennifer Lawrence on
the cover, available in bookstores, newsstands,
and supermarkets nationwide. For more of Candy online, visit www.
candymag.com, become a fan on Facebook via facebook.com/
candymag, and follow us on Twitter via twitter.com/candymagdotcom.
The rst Savour event in Singapore
outside of Singapore were present at the
Gourmet Village. The Gourmet Market on the
other hand was in the adjacent three-storey
building, and housed the other exhibitors,
including the wine and spirits. An abundance
of seminars on both Gourmet Village and
Gourmet Market spiced up the event. There
were at least 40 activities happening per
session, covering various food & beverage
topics from culinary demonstrations to
wine & spirits tasting seminars. I attended a
vodka tasting seminar conducted by Younes
Mazaache, of premium Russian vodka,
Beluga. And I myself conducted a seminar
on Spanish Rioja wines. From a commercial
point of view too, there was quite a bit of
purchasing happening as almost all the
gourmet products from fresh produce to
processed items were available, something
not possible in any single store. There were
also enticing promotions. Select wines were
sold at 5+1 deals, while some of the cheeses
SOUTHEAST Asia leads in
willingness to pay more for
ethical products; Japan among
countries to record a rise of
charity donations in 2011
Conscience shopping across
Southeast Asia remains strong
with a number of countries leading
the region in purchasing products
that are environmentally friendly
and observe fair trade principles,
according to the latest MasterCard
survey on ethical spending.
The survey was conducted
via online interviews between 5
December 2011 and 6 January
2012 and i nvol ved 12, 500
consumers from 25 markets
across Asia/Pacic, Middle East
and Africa.
According to the survey
Thai l and, t he Phi l i ppi nes,
Vietnam, Indonesia and China
have a greater willingness to
pay more for items that are
environmentally friendly, observe
fair trade principles, or where a
percentage of the item is donated
to a good cause, as compared to
their counterparts in New Zealand,
Australia and Japan. However,
between 2009 and 2011 the only
increase in consumers willing
to pay for a percentage of sale
donated to a good cause was
South Korea (7 percent), while
drops were recorded in China (-25
percent), Taiwan (-19 percent),
Japan (-18 percent), Hong Kong
(-15 percent) and Singapore (-11
percent).
Through initiatives such as
MasterCard Purchase with
Purpose, MasterCards social
responsibility and citizenship
efforts across the Asia/Pacic,
Middle East and Africa region,
we are actively encouraging
shoppers to think before they
buy. Through Purchase with
Purpose consumers can give
back to communities when they
use their MasterCard cards;
this is at the heart of a drive
by MasterCard to encourage
responsible spending and to
make a difference to someone
elses life, says Georgette Tan,
group head for communications,
Asia-Pacic, Middle East and
Africa, MasterCard Worldwide.
Shoppers were also less
willing to pay for environmentally
friendly products in 2011 when
compared with 2009, with Japan
(-26 percent), China (-23 percent)
and Hong Kong (-19 percent)
all showing less inclination
towards eco-shopping. Taiwan in
particular went from 71 percent of
respondents in 2009 saying they
would purchase items because
they are environmentally friendly
to 40 percent in 2011.
Amongst those surveyed,
a f f i n i t y t o wa r d s s o c i a l
organizations that deal with
childrens health and education
appeared to be the strongest for
respondents across Asia Pacic,
and environmental organizations
have risen in importance in many
of the markets in the region.
In emerging markets, affinity
towards social organizations
that deal with poverty/starvation
remain highly important.
The Beluga Vodka seminar
Drinkdings: Mobile bar solution
One, made from our own Philippine coconut
juice debuts at Savour
Shots: A prepackaged cocktail mix
Ethical shopping across
Asia-Pacic remains strong
PMFTC launches feeding program in Cebu
CITIBANK and Rustans are welcoming their new
cardholders with a fragrant and delightful gift.
Those who apply for their rst Citibank Credit
Card from Feb. 3 to April 30 at participating
Rustans Department Stores branches will receive
a complimentary Inno Sotto Eau de Extreme with
their new Rustans Citibank Card.
New Citibank cardholders who submitted their
applications and are approved for a Rustans
Citibank Card within the promotion period are
entitled to a free 100 ml bottle of the renowned
fashion designers signature fragrance, which
retails at P2,950.
To be qualified for the gift, the new cardholders
should spend at least P1,000 using the card within
60 days from receipt. They will then get an
electronic stub via SMS within 20 days after the
promotion period that they need to present at Inno
Sotto counters located in Rustans Department
Store branches to claim the complimentary Inno
Sotto Eau de Extreme.
Rustans Citibank Card, the rst luxury shopping
card in town, offers exclusive lifestyle privileges
as well as the most rebates and the best perks. Get
up to 10 percent rebate at Rustans, Shopwise and
Store Specialists, Inc. for a minimum of P20,000
accumulated outstore spend per monthly billing
and normal grocery food items were retailed
less than normal retail prices. The Savour
dollar booths where you need to purchase
your Savour currency to purchase products
were all strategically located so shopping
would not stop at the event.
Int er est ing Boot hs
While the venue and the number of
exhibitors were not in the magnitude of those
held at the Singapore Expo, the quality of
exhibitors was pretty good. The following
were some of the booths that caught my
attention:
Shots a conveniently prepackaged
cocktail shot made in New Zealand; this
single serve shot, with a very literal and
smart brand name comes in 7 cocktail
concoctions: 1. B52 (coffee cream and
orange liqueur), 2. QF (melon and Irish
cream liqueur), 3. Rattlesnake (tequila
and l i me) , 4. Vodi Shot ( vodka and
orange), 5. On The Beach (melon and
raspberry cream liqueur), 6. Texas Ranger
(butterscotch and cream liqueur), and
7. Zambuca (red and black sambuca).
sadly I kind of know only B52
Drinkdings a mobile bar solution
company whi ch does cockt ai l s and
mocktails (sans alcohol) for different
events and occasions; this company claims
to be the first and pioneer among the
handful of mobile bar solution companies
existing now in Singapore; I heard from
a good friend here that there are already
Philippine companies doing this now,
but I just wonder how the local mobile
bars compare to the wealth of cocktail
and mocktail concoctions that come from
Drinkdings
Le Cordon Bleu this Paris based
culinary institute (made more famous by
the late Julia Child) is now in Malaysia,
and their booth at Savour offers diploma
and certificate courses to local as well
as regional students who can afford their
tuition fees; three months certificate
courses st art at around P250, 000. 00
(converted from Malaysian Ringgit), while
nine months diploma courses go to around
P750,000.00
On display are the Inno Sotto Eau de Extreme
complimentary gift for new Rustans Citibank
cardholders, showcased by fashion icon and renowned
designer Inno Sotto with Citibank Credit Payment
Products head Bea Tan
A fragrance treat
for new Rustans
Citibank Cardholders
statement. Outstore spend are dinners, gas, travel,
utilities payments and other everyday expenses
charged to the card, which also earn 0.5 percent
rebate. Meanwhile, all purchases at Rustans
Supermarket and Shopwise throughout the year
get a 5 percent rebate.
To know more about the Rustans Citibank
Card and to apply, visit www.citibank.com.ph
or call the Citibank Sales Hotline at 423 3000.
A happy business equals a happy home.
F o r mi c r o - e n t r e p r e n e u r s o r
minigosyantes, PLDT KaAsenso can help
you achieve both.
Speaking during the 2nd day of the
PinoyMEs ME Naman Convention, PLDT
vice president for HOME Marketing Voice
and Micro-business, Patrick Tang, introduced
ME Naman attendees to the companys own
program for minigosyantes, PLDT KaAsenso.
Tang detailed PLDT KaAsensos enabling
five-pillar ecosystem, which provides
minigosyantes access to technology, micro-
nancing, free business training, networking,
and extra income opportunities. All of which
were designed to help them become more
efcient and ultimately achieve well-balanced
success both in business and home life.
As pa r t of PLDT Ka As e ns os
networking thrust, Tang opened the
virtual doors of PLDT@home which is
the companys latest digital offering for
its business subscribers.With PLDT@
home, minigosyantes get to create a free
online store through which they can make
their products and services known to over
a million PLDT subscribers and the entire
Internet community. They can post photos
and product catalogues, announce promos
and event s, advert i se (t hru Medi a5
Marketing Corporation), get customer
feedback, and even allow consumers to
conveniently purchase their products with
flexible payment and delivery options.
Held at the LBP Plaza in Malate, Manila,
the ME Naman convention gathered about
100 micro-entrepreneurs from all over the
country for a three-day convention featuring
speakers who shared expert and professional
tips as well as inspiring stories on how to
manage and grow a edgling business.
PinoyME is a consortium of leaders from
various sectors working together to help
reduce poverty in the Philippines through
microenterprise development. Currently on
its sixth year, it is inspired by the advocacy
of the late former president Corazon Aquino
who is also the organizations chair emeritus.
Get to know about PLDT KaAsensos
programs and services --- including its best
plan yet KaAsenso Package 2168, which
bundles a landline, wireless Call All service,
and high-speed Internet at up to 1mbps! Call
875-5050 now or visit pldtkaasenso.com.ph.
From left to right: Product Specialist for PLDT@home, Mabie Encarnacion;
PLDT KaAsenso head Jonathan De Quiroz; PLDT vice president for home
marketing voice & microbusiness Patrick Tang; PinoyME president Dan Songco
and PLDT KaAsenso Project Specialist Katherine Jose.
PLDT unveils new online tool for minigosyantes
Then the towers started arriving at the office. At
first, we thought that they were "nuisance" gifts, those
things that are packaged perfectly but we have no use
for. But these six-foot boxes are different, it turned
out. Each one was filled with what we like to call junk
food. Four boxes arrived in a short span of seven days.
We were in chichirya heaven! Inside the first box, we
found Oishi and Kirei, brands which we have loved
since we were kids.
Liwayway Marketing Corp., which started in 1946,
is the company behind the Oishi brands of snacks and
drinks. Oh yes, Liwayway Gawgaw is still available
in stores.
The company went into snack foods in 1974 with
Oishi Prawn Crackers and Kirei Shrimp Flakes. They
were made with Japanese technology and recipes,
hence, their Japanese brand names. Oishi (or oishii)
means delicious, while kirei means beautiful.
The next box contained Oishi snacks in the popular
P1 packs that kids can easily buy from the neighborhood
sari-sari stores. Each Piso pack receives the same
care and attention as the bigger packs.
Many Oishi products were such huge hits that
groceries and stores would ght over the available supply.
Some supermarkets even limited how much each buyer
can get, so that more shoppers can buy. One store sign
said Bread Pan, 10 pcs. only per person. And several
stores had signs saying, Walang Pillows ngayong
araw or a similar message. Lucky for us, the third box
contained Bread Pan and the elusive Pillows.
BOXES OF
The fourth box was everyone's favorite. It contained
super-sized individually-wrapped wafer sticks (called
Wafu), gourmet-flavored potato chips cooked in
sunflower oil (the Kimchi flavored ones are quite
pungent but really tasty), and vegetarian chicharon
made out of green peas (these are known as Marty's).
Not content with transforming this deadly yet popular
Pinoy snack favorite, Oishi then reworks real chicharon
using imported lean pork skin and baking it with hot
air (not fried!).
Each of the boxes had "O, Wow!" written on it and
that's really what we said when we opened each one.
The boxes had an opening somewhere in the middle so
it was like a chichirya vending machine. Oh, eventually
we took out all the contents of the boxes to choose our
favorites to take home. It was like being a kid again
with no worries about salt and sugar intake. Of course,
most of us in the office couoldn't indulge every day
but it was good while it lasted. Dinna Chan Vasquez
IT ALL started with a big pack of Liwayway Gawgaw, the starch that
was used on skirts and trousers when we were kids, that was sent to the
lifestyle editor. I asked her,"Why would anyone send you gawgaw? Does
anyone still use this?"
Gourmet Picks
Oishi Products
AWESOMENESS
PMFTC Inc. president Chr is Nelson hands out chicken porridge
fortied with Vitamin A to children of Zone 4, Barangay Buaya,
Lapu-lapu City on March 29, 2012 as part of the barangays weekly
feeding program. At least 300 village kids participated and received
Vitamin C syrups. The project is in partnership with American Chamber
Foundation Philippines Inc.
C4
showbitz
Isah V. Red, Editor standard.showbiz@gmail.com
ISAH V.
RED
SIMPLY RED
NICKIE
WANG
WITHOUT WANG
2
Moroccan-
Filipino
actress
Sarah
Lahbati
And Sarah says she is now ready to
take on the next big challenge in her
careerto play leading lady to Richard
Gutierrez in a soap opera.
Sarahs role as Kara in Kokak was the
the big break in her career. Many have
noticed her potential as a leading lady
after that.
And now her dreams are slowly be-
ing fullled.
From afternoon soap princess to the
next primetime soap queen, Sarah takes
everything in stride and does not let any-
thing get in her head.
She says, I fell so blessed to be part
of this show and to be paired with some-
one as big a star as Richard Gutierrez.
Its very exciting. I am a little nervous
but I am looking forward to it. I am sure
I will be learning so much again, said
Sarah.
Apart from her acting career, sing-
ing is also one of Sarahs passions that
she truly wants to focus and work on.
She recently had a concert at her home-
town in Switzerland together with Enzo
Pineda and Derrick Monasterio in
February. It became a working vacation
for the young lady who was ecstatic to
have the chance to see her father after
many months.
When asked about the concert, Sarah
said, Its really fun and crazy. I still
cant believe I had a concert where I was
born and raised. Masaya!
Sarah has not stopped with her train-
ing. She is currently in an intensive
acting workshop to prepare her for the
role and ultimately hone her craft. The
attitude of the young girl is always re-
freshing. Honestly it feels weird when
people tell me I can be the next this or
that. Basta in my mind, I am just really
so grateful to be doing what I have been
dreaming of as a childto act. Not ev-
eryone gets to be whom they want to be.
This early I am already thanking God
for making things happen for me. I just
pray that I can live up to everyones ex-
pectations, she said.
Double birthday bash
Two of GMA Artist Centers prized
talents Bianca King and Rocco Na-
cino celebrated their birthday last
month at Chef Bea Munozs Forque
Restaurant in Makati on March 23.
On March 18, Rocco also cel-
ebrated his birthday with the pa-
tients at the Philippine Childrens
Medical Center. Roccos love
for the kids started when the hos-
pital a few years back. He must
have been touched by what he
saw and thought how a simple
gesture of care and love would
make them feel a little better.
The event was attended by his
family and the ever-supportive
RoccofellasRoccos fan
base.
The day was simple yet very
happy and special. Masarap sa feel-
ing na nakakatulong ka sa kanila ka-
hit sa maliit na paraan lang, said Rocco.
The previous year had really been
good to me so I think its just right
to give back, he also said.
True to his word, Roccos
blessings during the past year
that has been carried on through
this year has given the young
actor so much opportunities.
From his role in the high-
rated danserye Time of My
Life to being the bad-boy at
his current show The Good
Daughter opposite Kylie
Padilla, to the lead role
in the legendary epic
movie Lam-Ang which
will be showing soon.
Everything has really
turned out well for
the actor and he thinks
thats just the perfect
gift for his birthday.
Meanwhile, Bi-
anca King is
becoming a
royalty in
show business gradually. From supporting
to lead roles, Bianca is surely taking every
step slowly but surely. Her previous show
Sinner or Saint has unquestionably placed
her in the afternoon prime princess spot.
And her present show Broken Vow is a
consistent top-rater.
Even top-caliber directors Gil Tejada
and Don Michael Perez commended
Biancas acting. They said that Bianca
now has more depth, hence the charac-
ter she plays has more empathy.
Like Rocco, Bianca also celebrat-
ed her birthday with the children. Last
March 21, Bianca enjoyed and spent
time with the kids at DSWD as her
birthday celebration. Sixty kids were
present during the event and they all
happily and excitedly participated
in the fun and games. They even
prepared a song and dance presen-
tation as a gift for Bianca.
Its really an overwhelm-
ing feeling that you get to
help others kahit na sa
little ways lang, you re-
ally make them genu-
inely happy and with
all the blessings na
we receive every
day, parang its
right lang to
give back to
them.
With
t h e
right attitude, pure passion and love
for their work, Rocco and Bianca will
surely have a lot of chances to give
back.
BY the time you nish reading this
article, Isaac, Taylor and Zac, or
collectively known as Hanson, have
just wrapped up another concert in
Canada. Maybe theyre on their
way back in the US to prepare for
another tour.
The band that popularized the
catchy bubblegum MMMBop
visited the country last week for a two-
night concert in Manila and Cebu. The
Philippine visit is part of the Shout
It Out World Tour that kicked off
sometime in 2010 and was resumed
in September 2011. The main goal of
the tour is to promote Shout It Out,
Hansons 8
th
studio album, originally
released in June 2010.
For the Manila concert at the
Smart Araneta Coliseum, Hanson
failed to ll up the venue. By
estimate, the crowd occupied just 30
to 40 percent of the venue.
Hanson is still a good act, great
act if you will. Its only awkward for
the audience to hear MMMbop,
the bands most popular and most
successful single to date, sang a
pitch or two lower. That is because
Isaac, Zac, and more particularly
Taylor (the bands main vocalist)
have all grown up and developed
deeper voices.
Shout It Out tour is aimed to woe
more fans but it seems unlikely in
the Philippines.
Flop
Its a gamble for concert
promoters to bring foreign acts in
the country most especially if the
artists were popular in the past
decades.
Case in point, 58-year-old Cyndi
Lauper, who was at the Big Dome
on March 17. The show was a big
disappointment. But we believe
the feeling was mutual because
Cyndis entourage was expecting a
big crowd but they were surprised
to see Araneta Coliseum looking
like a velodrome.
One good thing about it, Cyndi
performed like she used to do when
she was younger. She jumped up and
down the stage and even went down
reach out to her loyal followers.
Cyndi is a great artist. Although
we can only count her hits with the
ngers in one hand, poor publicity
did the concert in. The concert
producer focused more on radio
advertising to promote Cyndis
concert when in fact aggressive
television, print and new media
promotion can make a big difference
to reach a target audience.
ITS GOING to be starry, starry month
at Albays Magayon Festival from now
until May 10.
It is the longest celebration in the Bi-
col region with a wide array of cultural,
musical, sporting and entertainments
events lined up daily to promote the
province as an adventure, natural and
cultural destination.
Albay governor Joey Salceda said
the festival feature the provinces local
culture and showcase its natural bounty,
as well as the innate skills of its people.
Kicking off the star-studded festivi-
ties last night was Concierto sa Magay-
on with Jhong Hilario and the Street-
boys, FHM Philippines; Sexiest Woman
in the World Sam Pinto, Mike Tan and
rising pop band Kiss Jane.
Lovi Poe graces the Ginoong Magay-
on Festival Pageant Night, followed by
a powerhouse ABS-CBN Variety Show
with Kapamilya artists.
Dimples Romana will lighten up
the Pretty Preggy Pageant on April 18,
while child actor Jairus Aquino will
serenade the candidates to the Munting
Prinsesa ng Magayon Pageant April 19.
The dance oor sizzles on April 27
with the Magayon Dancesports Open
Ballroom Competition featuring Aiko
Climaco of ABS-CBN show Banana
Split.
On April 28, Screen hunks Derek
Ramsey and Mattero Guidicelli take
center stage as they host Mutya ng
Magayon Pageant Night, one of Bicol
regions most-awaited beauty contests.
Celebrations draw to a close on May
10 with the Conciertong Pasasalamat
(Closing Concert) with Asap Sessionist
Juris and Dax Martin.
Magayon, which literally means
beautiful, is a festival that looks back
to the origins of Mayon, the worlds
most-perfect cone volcano.
Salceda said that this years celebration
will be different because of the expanded
version of the legend which will cover a
prequel to the myth covering the origins
of the neighboring mountains of Malinao
and Masaraga, the sisters of Magayon.
Aside from the iconic volcano, Al-
bay also boasts of its colonial baroque
churches, majestic mountains, cascad-
ing falls, breath-taking viewpoints, idyl-
lic islands and ne sand beaches.
Gary V at
Music Museum
A SERIES of eight concerts at the
Music Museum marks Gary Vs 29
th

anniversary in the industry coinciding
with the 25
th
year Manila Genesis
Entertainment and Management, Inc.
For his concert series at Music
Museum, fans can look forward
to witnessing Gary V in his best
element as he performs his greatest
hits as well as some of todays hottest
chart-toppers, party anthems, and
homegrown favorites. Fans can also
expect groundbreaking and pioneering
technology and excellent audio-visuals
through their corporate partners
Videosonic and Soundcheck.
Im very excited and at the same
time a bit nervous because we have
come up with new routines and a lot
of surprises for this series, says Gary.
I am particularly excited about our
opening production number. It will
be awesome. I really hope it works
the way I envisioned it. Gary V
will be performing with two world-
class musicians, Awit Awards 2008
Best Female/Best New Female Singer
Julianne and Juan Miguel Salvador,
formerly of Rage Band and now the
musical director of Authority, which
represented the country in the 2005
Global Battle of the Bands in London.
Gary V: On Higher Ground
happens at Music Museum on April
12, 13, 19, 20, 26, and 27; and May
9 and 10. The show will be for the
benet of UNICEF and Shining
Light Foundation.
Gary and son Paolo Valenciano
direct the show with Mon Faustino
as musical director.
Tickets are at P 3,500, 2,500, 1,500,
1,000, and 500.
Call Ticketworld (891-9999),
Music Museum (721-6726; 721-
0635), and Manila Genesis (706-
2170 to 71; 0915-4975225; 0908-
8871397) for ticket information.
Can Hanson
still MMMBop?
Seeing stars at Albays Magayon Fest
Is Sarah Lahbati
the next big
star of GMA-7?
SHE is touted as GMA-7s next primetime
soap queen. Sarah Lahbatis string of shows
in the network and the workshops given to her
by her management team GMA Artist Center
(GMAAC) prepared her for this moniker.
Rocco Nacino
Bianca King (3
rd
from left) with DSWD parents
and kids
Sam Pinto

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