Manila Standard Today - Thursday (December 27, 2012) Issue

WEATHER
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

UNA hits
LPs bias in
whipping
erring execs
NPA sets more attacks on wide scale
Allies irked
by sloppy
treatment
More jobs
seen from
US health
insurers
Special poll team to oversee hot spots
UNLIKELY BALLERINA
From ghetto
to Swan Lake
Cracks showing
in LP coalition
THE ghetto called Aroma reeks of pu-
trefying trash collected by its residents
for recycling. Half-naked children with
grimy faces play on muddy dirt roads
lined by crumbling shanties of tarpaulin
walls, cracked tin roofs and communal
toilets.
From this Manila slum of garbage
collectors emerged an unlikely Cin-
derella: ballerina Jessa Balote who at
the age of 10 was plucked out of her
grubby life by a ballet school to pre-
pare her for a life on stage.
In four years since her audition in
2008, Jessa has performed in various
productions, including Swan Lake,
Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo
Antonino, president of the Na-
tional Unity Party (NUP), which
coalesced with the LP and one of
the signatories in the LP-led co-
alition covenant, said the slop-
py treatment by Malacanang of
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia
and Pangasinan Gov. Amado
Espino could lead to disinte-
gration of the coalition.
The LP coalition partners
are starting to question and pro-
test the coalition covenant. We
are closely watching the behav-
ior of the LP towards its part-
ners, Antonio said.
Whats happening in Cebu
and Pangasinan are ominous.
Cebu is being viewed as a bad
omen whether or not the coali-
tion will hold, he said.
But Malacaang said coali-
tion members have nothing to
fear because the suspension or-
der of Garcia and the probe on
Espino would not undermine
their political alliance for the
2013 polls.
TYPHOON Quinta slammed
into the Visayas on Wednes-
day, forcing the residents in
the coastal municipalities and
low lying areas to ee to safer
grounds as a result of land-
slides and rising ood waters
and leaving thousands of com-
muters stranded.
The storm was 90 kilome-
ters east of Coron, Palawan,
at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and
was moving toward the prov-
inces northern section. It was
expected to be 460 kilometers
west of Coron on Thursday af-
ternoon and out of the country
by Friday.
www.manilastandardtoday.com mst@mstandardtoday.com
TODAY
Standard
Vol. XXVI No. 267 16 Pages, 3 Sections
P18.00 Thursday, December 27, 2012
Standard
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Dangerous. Colorful these recrackers may be, but they are dangerous when mishandled. These will be sold to revelers who plan to greet the
New Year with a bang on Dec. 31. DANNY PATA
PNoys classmate
top pick for post
By Joyce
Pangco
Paares
MALACA-
ANG said
on Wednes-
day that a
classmate of President Benigno
Aquino III is a strong contender
for the post vacated by chief
presidential legal counsel Edu-
ardo de Mesa.
Presidential spokesman Edwin
Lacierda said lawyer Benjamin
Caguioa is under consideration.
I know Ben Caguioa person-
ally. He is a very able lawyer. He
is four batches ahead of me in
Quinta makes
landfall 6 times
By Vito Barcelo
THOUSANDS of Filipino job-
seekers will have the chance to
land jobs from American health
insurers next year as many of them
will be transferring their clinical
support service and other back-
ofce jobs to the Philippines, an
ofcial said on Wednesday.
The fast-growing business
processing outsourcing industry
is projected to produce $27 billion
in revenues and employ some 1.3
million Filipino workers by 2016.
House Deputy Majority Lead-
er Roman Romulo said Ameri-
can health insurers such as the
Bloomeld, Connecticut-based
Cigna Corp., Louisville, Ken-
tucky-based Humana Inc., and
Woodland Hills, California-based
Health Net Inc. were expected to
put up back ofces in Manila.
Minnetonka, Minnesota-
based United Health Group Inc.,
Indianapolis, Indiana-based
WellPoint Inc., and Hartford,
By Joel E. Zurbano
THE Commission on Elections
will form a special team to ensure
peaceful and credible elections in
the 15 provinces identied as areas
of concern by the Department of In-
terior and Local Government.
In a Dec. 18 resolution, the
Comelec said the task force
would ensure free, peaceful, or-
derly, honest and credible elec-
tions in each political division or
area placed under its control.
The task force will be headed
by a Comelec commissioner and
will have as its members regional
directors and the highest ranking
police and military ofcials as-
signed in the areas covered.
Last month, Interior and Lo-
cal Government Secretary Manuel
Roxas II identied 15 provinces
where the police expect violence to
erupt in the May 2013 elections.
The provinces, considered as
high-risk areas, violence are Abra,
Pangasinan, Cagayan, Ilocos Sur,
La Union, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija,
Batangas, Cavite, Masbate, Samar,
Misamis Occidental, Maguindanao,
Lanao del Sur and Basilan.
Comelec Chairman Sixto
Brillantes Jr. said a peaceful
and orderly election can also be
achieved by strict implementa-
tion of the gun ban from Jan. 13
to June 12 next year, and placing
more checkpoints.
Brillantes said they see less
cheating since the counting will
be done through the precinct
count optical scan machines.
Other problems, however,
such as vote buying, intimidation
and terrorism cannot be addressed
by the use of the vote counting
machines, he said.
The Special Task Force shall
have the following powers and
duties.
To supervise and control the
administrative activities and trans-
actions of local government units
in the localities under Comelec
control and enforce therein strict
compliance with the election
bans and prohibitions under Sec-
tion 261 of the Omnibus Election
Code, particularly on, but not lim-
ited to, the disbursement of public
funds, the construction of public
By Joyce Pangco Paares
MALACAANG has ordered the
Armed Forces to remain vigilant
despite a 27-day ceasere agree-
ment with the Communist Party of
the Philippines-National Democrat-
ic Front-New PeoplesArmy.
The government made the
statement on Wednesday after the
CPP ordered the NPA to launch
more frequent tactical offensives
on a wide scale as it marked its
44th anniversary.
In the process, we must seize
more arms from the enemy and
increase the number of NPA ght-
ing units. The NPA level of armed
strength must reach 25,000 in or-
der to advance from the strategic
defensive to the strategic stale-
mate, it said on a statement.
The CPPs statement came on
the heels of a two-day meeting in
Oslo for a possible resumption of
the peace talks which have been
stalled for close to two years since
the government panel and the
NDF, the CPPs political arm, last
met in February 2011.
2 A.M 25 DEC.2012
INITIAL POSITION
24 HR FORECAST POSITION
TROPICAL DEPRESSION
TROPICAL STORM
TYPHOON
2 PM DEC. 28, 2012 2 PM DEC. 26, 2012
TRACK OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION
QUINTA
Next page Next page Next page
Scholar. Slum dweller Jessa Balote is shown on top outside her
cramped home in Tondo, Manila. At right, Balote, a scholar at Ballet
Manilas dance program, practices with other students, including Jamil
Montebon (top), at a Ballet Manila class in the capital.
Next page
Caguioa
By Christine F. Herrera
THE opposition on Wednesday
slammed the administration for
treating erring local ofcials
from the ruling Liberal Party
with kid gloves while going af-
ter non-LP executives such as
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia
with hammer and tongs.
United Nationalist Alli-
ance Secretary-General Tobias
Tiangco said the administration
was lying when it claimed all
erring local ofcials were pun-
ished in the same way, regard-
less of party afliation.
Tiangco cited the suspension
orders against former Isabela
governor Grace Padaca and Ca-
loocan Mayor Recom Echeverri,
both LP members, as proof.
Although both were ac-
cused of corruption, President
Benigno Aquino III practically
exonerated Padaca before pay-
ing her bail, Tiangco said. The
President even appointed the
former governor as a commis-
sioner In the Commission on
Elections.
Earlier, Padaca aunted her
closeness with the President and
Liberal Party president and Inte-
rior Secretary Manuel Roxas II,
by moving around freely despite
a warrant issued for her arrest,
Tiangco said.
Ecehverris suspension
was not effectively served and
his followers were allowed to
camp out in front of City Hall
with the least intervention
from the police, Tiangco said.
By Christine Her-
rera, Maricel Cruz,
Joyce Pangco Pa-
ares and Bart
Ochea
THE allies of the
ruling Liberal Party
raised howls of protest
on Wednesday against
persecution by the
Aquino Administration
of the governors of
Cebu and Pangasinan,
an ominous sign party
members said that
could lead to re-align-
ment of political forces
before ofcial cam-
paigning for mid-term
elections next May.
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 DECEMBER 27, 2012 THURSDAY
A2
Carrots and potatoes. Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon
shows reporters a copy of the suit he had led with the Justice
Department against the people who tried to smuggle in potatoes
and carrots from China worth P12.5 million. SONNY ESPIRITU
NPA...
The fresh directive from
the communist group stood
in contrast with the statement
made by presidential peace
adviser Teresita Deles who
said that an indefinite truce
can be reached soon.
Our AFP remains vigilant
even if there is a suspension of
military offensives, presidential
spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
We expect no less from the
leadership of CPP-NPA-NDF to
download the information on the
ceasere to their ground troops.
We expect that the ceasere will
be observed, he added.
The ceasere with communist
rebels, which started on Decem-
ber 20, will last until January 15,
2013.
In ordering the truce, the
CPP said the ceasere was be-
ing issued in solidarity with
the Filipino peoples traditional
celebrations of Christmas and
New Year holidays.
But since the truce started,
both the government and the
communists accused each other
of violating the agreement.
The military said the com-
munists twice violated the
truce, with the most recent
one happening in a recent
clash between government
and rebel troops in San Jose,
Occidental Mindoro.
AFP spokesman Brig. Gen.
Jose Mabanta said the NPA red
on soldiers who were merely
facilitating the surrender of
a rebel at Bayotbot village on
Thursday last week.
Mabanta said no one was re-
ported killed or injured on both
sides as the soldiers and the reb-
els were far from one another.
Meanwhile, government forc-
es arrested on Tuesday the sixth
most wanted man in the coun-
try, ranking NPA leader Filemon
Mendrez in Negros Oriental on
Tuesday.
Mendrez, who has a P5.25
million bounty on his head, was
facing several criminal and re-
bellion cases in local courts.
He was a former head of Front
Committee 2 of the NPA before
becoming the deputy head of the
CPP Central Visayas Regional
Party Committee.
UNA...
Like Padaca, Echeverri could
move freely and in and out of
his ofce while the supposed
suspension order was effective.
We did not hear the LP or
the administration asking (Ech-
everri) to follow the suspen-
sion order while waiting for the
Court of Appeals to decide, he
said.
In contrast, Garcias suspen-
sion order was issued when the
courts were on Christmas holi-
day, thereby depriving her of
her right to immediately seek
legal redress, Tiangco said.
Also in contrast to the situa-
tion in Caloocan, heavily armed
police surrounded the Cebu
provincial capitol where Garcia
was holed up, Tiangco said.
The LP-afliated Vice Gov-
ernor [Agnes] Magpale closed
down two media outlets on
imsy grounds. The police
erected barricades and deployed
hundreds of armalite-wielding
policemen to the capitol. Sup-
porters of the governor and
even employees were prevented
from entering the grounds.
They were not even allowed
to bring in food, Tiangco said.
Tiangco defended the show
of support by the UNA leaders
Vice President Jejomar Binay,
former President Joseph Es-
trada and Senate President Juan
Ponce Enrile when they vis-
ited Garcia in her ofce Sunday.
This show of support, he add-
ed, could hardly be compared
to Roxas personally escorting
Padaca to post bail before the
anti-graft court.
The leaders of UNA visited
Governor Garcia to show their
support for a beleaguered mem-
ber and to make sure that the
authorities respect the law. This
is hardly a controversial move,
Tiangco said.
For UNA, Tiangco said re-
spect for the rule of law also
means extending courtesy to a
co-equal branch of government.
Since a case has already
been led before the Court of
Appeals, the administration
party should allow the courts to
decide, he said.
Tiangco also reacted to the
statement made by the LPs
Cebu gubernatorial bet Hilario
Davide III that the people will
render the ultimate judgment in
the 2013 elections.
This is precisely our point
and this is what makes the sus-
pension order nothing more
than a power grab by the LP,
a desperate and blatant attempt
to overturn the decision of the
people of Cebu in the 2010
elections, he said.
Tiangco also took potshots
at Eastern Samar Rep. Ben
Evardone, an LP spokesman,
for claiming that the erring LP
members were treated the same
way as other erring government
ofcials.
Like other Arroyo defend-
ers who shifted loyalties en
masse to the ruling party, the
LP spokesman is recycling the
same excuses meant to justify
political harassment. Harass-
ment is harassment. You can-
not invoke respect for the rule
of law and the straight path
to justify a patently illegal act
and the abuse of power. Those
who are now invoking the rule
of law and the righteous path
should rst examine their taint-
ed political and moral back-
grounds to avoid embarrassing
themselves and their new mas-
ters, Tiangco said. With Sara
Susanne D. Fabunan
Special...
works, movements or government
personnel and non-intervention of
civil service ofcials and employees
as well as police and military ofcers
and personnel;
To oversee effective and necessary
distribution, assignment and deploy-
ment of ofcers and personnel of the
PNP as well as ofcers and men of
the AFP in the locality concerned, and
place under its control their activities
relative to the strict enforcement of the
law on the rearms ban, security per-
sonnel of candidates and private citi-
zens, the appointment or use of special
policemen for election purposes.
To augment the police force and as-
sign additional military troops whenever
necessary, to quell any possible outbreak
of violence and maintain peace and order
in the locality concerned.
When necessary, to substitute
a whole unit of the police force as-
signed in the locality concerned with
another police unit or with an ad-
equate unit of the Armed Forces.
To relieve any police or military
ofcer or personnel who may be
found unsuitable for continuance in
his present assignment in the local-
ity concerned, reassign or conne to
quarters any such member of the po-
lice or military unit.
To revoke all exemptions issued
under the rearms ban to candidates
and their bodyguards, and cancel
all permits to carry rearms outside
residence granted to residents of the
political division, subdivision, unit
or area concerned, as peace and order
conditions in the locality demand.
To act as law enforcement arm
of the commission in effecting and
implementing its specic orders, rul-
ings, resolutions and decisions.
To submit periodic situation re-
ports to the commission through the
most expeditious means.
More...
Connecticut-based Aetna Inc. have al-
ready put up back ofces in the Philip-
pines either on their own or via indepen-
dent BPO providers.
These top six American health insur-
ers cover more than 130 million Ameri-
cans. One could just imagine the claims
they process every day as well as the
clinical support services they require,
Romulo said.
Lower cost is the biggest factor
driving US health insurers to transfer
jobs to Manila. Studies suggest they
stand to generate around 30 percent in
potential cost savings once they convey
the jobs here.
The huge cost savings are impossible
to ignore, especially since we are talking
here of New York Stock Exchange-listed
American health insurers under constant
pressure to report ever-increasing prots
to their public shareholders.
The Philippines has tens of thousands
of college-educated, uent English-
speaking professionals who are ready to
staff back ofces, according to Romulo.
He also said the Philippines new Data
Privacy Protection Law was helping to
encourage outsourcing in Manila.
The back offices of American
health insurers handle and process a
great deal of highly sensitive person-
al information of patients. Our new
law assures them of adequate safe-
guards, Romulo said.
The back ofces of US health insurers
perform multifaceted support functions
such as clinical quality analysis and man-
agement, medical billing coordination,
medical data coding, claims processing,
premium and benet administration,
agency management, account reconcili-
ation, policy research, underwriting sup-
port, new business processing, and policy
servicing.
PNoy...
Ateneo Law School, Lacierda said.
Caguioa took up economics at the Ateneo as his pre-law
and graduated with honors from the same school in 1985,
ranking fth in his class.
He joined Sycip, Salazar Hernandez& Gatmaitan in
1986 where he became a partner from 1994 until Febru-
ary, 2007.
He later went on leave for a year to join his father, the
late Court of Appeals Justice Eduardo Caguiao. He is
presently a senior partner at the Caguioa and Gatmaytan
law ofce.
He also taught law at the Ateneo and Sebastian col-
lege, handling subjects such as Obligations and Contracts,
Property, Statutory Construction, and Administrative Law.
Caguioa specializes in litigation and arbitration, and has
served as private prosecutor or defense counsel before the
regular courts and the Sandiganbayan.
De Mesa, meanwhile, was appointed last week as di-
rector of the Bases Conversion Development Authority,
replacing Teresita Desierto.
Lacierda said the next chief presidential legal counsel
will be named before January 15.
Quinta...
Weathermen said it will still be
rainy and gusty in the Southern
Tagalog region and Western Vi-
sayas today because of the north-
east monsoon affecting Luzon.
The Coast Guard rescued ve
people after their outrigger cap-
sized as a result of the rough seas
off Corregidor Village in Dapa,
Surigao del Sur.
Quinta intensied into a storm
on Tuesday after making land-
fall six times and hitting Abuyod
in Southern Leyte, Quartero in
Capiz, Roxas City, Guiuan in
Eastern Samar, Pacijan in Cebu
and Coron, causing it to weak-
en to a tropical depression as it
moved toward the West Philip-
pine Sea.
We hope that not one will be
a victim of typhoon Quinta, said
Benito Ramos, director of the
National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council.
Still, 5,809 passengers were
stranded in the ports in Central
Visayas, Northern Mindanao,
Eastern Visayas, the Bicol region,
Palawan and Western Visayas,
with the bulk of them coming
from Central Luzon.
Quinta, the 17th typhoon to en-
ter the country, pounded Sogod in
Southern Leyte, making Sogod
Road in Kahupian village im-
passable to all types of vehicles
due to landslides.
Ramos said the stretch of the
Maharlika Highway from Alen
in Samar up to San Ricardo in
Southern Leyte had been closed
to trafc due to landslides.
Ofcials reported ooding in
many villages in Samar, and in
Calapan City the Coast Guard
stopped vessels from sailing to
the Batangas City port.
Thousands of passengers,
meanwhile, were stranded in the
domestic terminals in Manila af-
ter the airlines canceled 45 ights
bound for the south of the coun-
try. Francisco Tuyay, Jonathan
Fernandez, Ronald O. Reyes,
Robert A. Evora, Joel E. Zurba-
no and Eric B. Apolonio
From...
Pinocchio, Don Quixote
and a local version of Cinder-
ella. She rode a plane for the
rst time in August to com-
pete in the 2012 Asian Grand
Prix ballet competition for
students and young dancers
in Hong Kong, where she
was a nalist.
The 14-year-old Jessas un-
likely success is as much a cel-
ebration of a unique effort by
the Philippines most famous
prima ballerina, Lisa Macuja,
to help slum kids of Manila by
providing them a scholarship
and classical ballet training for
six to seven years.
More than a quarter of the
Southeast Asian nations 94
million people live in abject
poverty, many in sprawling
and unsanitary shanty towns
like Aroma in the capital city.
Despite a reecent economic up-
turn, there are not enough full-
time jobs. Education skills are
lacking and incomes are low. At
least 3,000 Filipinos leave their
families behind every day to
seek employment abroad.
Jessa, who would have likely
followed her family to a life of
garbage picking, had not much
of a future to look forward to.
I used to tag along with my
father and mother when they
collected garbage in the eve-
ning, Jessa said in her home
about the size of a shipping
container with a small attic.
Her family would gather
trash from houses in the near-
by Quiapo district or rummage
for scrap metal in the huge gar-
bage dump not far from home.
That was until her successful
audition for the Project Ballet
Futures dance scholarship es-
tablished by Macuja, founder
and artistic director of Ballet
Manila who is married to busi-
ness tycoon Fred Elizalde.
For Jamil Montebon, another
Project Ballets beneciary, the
scholarship was a life saver.
The troubled 18-year-old
has left his broken family in
a violent slum community not
far from Aroma.
He became a ballet scholar
at 13 but then dropped out of
high school and ballet last year
after a ght with his mother.
During his time off from bal-
let and school, he collected
garbage and worked in a junk
shop. At night he would go
drinking with other kids who
often clashed with rival gangs,
then sleep in a church where
he got one free meal a week.
He was later accepted back
into the program, which de-
mands that children keep good
grades and stay out of trouble.
After shaping up, he moved into
Ballet Manilas dormitory.
I think that the key really is
that these kids have been given
hope, and that hope will trans-
form their lives, Macuja said.
The outreach program of
Ballet Manila which runs
a dance company and a school
by the same name initially
accepted 40 students from Jes-
sas charity-run school in Ma-
nilas Tondo district dump site.
Some dropped out, but new
batches have been accepted.
Today, the program has 55
scholars, aged 9 to 18, from
ve partner public schools
such as Jessas. They train dai-
ly after school along with 60
paying students.
I can help my parents more
with what I do now. I earn
money from ballet, said Jes-
sa, sitting on a plastic bench in
her shorts and t-shirt, her long
hair loose. The slim teenager,
perhaps so used to dancing
on her toes, would often have
her toes pointed at the wooden
oor even while sitting during
the interview.
Behind her, the plywood
wall of the family shack was
adorned with pictures of her in
gossamer tutu on stage. Shar-
ing the space were frames of
ballet certicates and a news-
paper clipping about the gar-
bage picker-turned-ballerina.
A pair of satin pointe shoes lay
on top of a gym bag, a few me-
ters (yards) from sacks of used
plastic bottles and other gar-
bage piled up outside the door
of her cramped home. Jessa
and other kids are trained in
the rigorous Russian Vagan-
ova ballet and are required to
keep up with their academics
in school. They are provided
a monthly stipend of 1,200
pesos to 3,000 pesos ($30 to
$73) depending on their ballet
level, as well as meals, milk
and ballet outts. They also
receive fees of 400 pesos to
1,500 pesos ($10 to $37) for
each performance.
Pointe shoes alone cost $50
to $80 a pair a fortune for
someone eking a living on $2
a day and wear out within
weeks or days, said Macuja.
The daughter of a former
senior trade ofcial, Macuja
was 18 years old when she re-
ceived a two-year scholarship
at the Vaganova Choreograph-
ic Institute (now the Academy
of Russian Ballet) in Saint
Petersburg in 1982, where she
graduated with honors. AP
Cracks...
The coalition partners have no
reason to fear. In the case of Gov.
Espino, there was a specic accu-
sation against him and, therefore,
it was investigated by the Depart-
ment of Interior and Local Gov-
ernment (DILG), Presidential
spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
In the case of Gov. Garcia
there was already a decision made
by the Ofce of the President sus-
pending the governor, Lacierda
said. So these are not part of a
concerted attempt to diminish the
role of trhe coalition partners and
that is something that they should
not fear.
The NUP members were part
of the Lakas-Kampi bloc led by
former president Gloria Arroyo
, Sen. Ramon Revilla and House
Minority Leader Danilo Suarez.
They broke away and joined the
rainbow coalition formed by LPs
House Speaker Feliciano Bel-
monte.
Malacanang imposed last De-
cember 19 a six-month suspen-
sion on Garcia for alleged abuse
of authority, but she deed the or-
der and barricaded herself inside
the provincial capitol. Espino was
accused of taking up to P1 billion
bribe from jueteng operators, a
charge that he said was meant to
destroy his reputation.
Antonino said members of the
coalition were restless and now
grumbling over the leadership
of President Aquino and DILG
Secretary Manuel Roxas, the LP
President who is on leave.
He said coalition partners were
concerned that advisers of the
President make him look bad be-
cause of their underhandedness
in handling political matters,
citing that the suspension order
should have been issued by the
Ombudsman.
We agreed to join the coalition
on the premise that we would sup-
port the reforms to be carried out
by the Aquino Administration,
which promised transparency,
accountability and good gover-
nance, Antonino said.
He said the LP should treat its
partners fairly and with respect
because the LP-backed senato-
rial candidates were not plac-
ing well in the surveys, includ-
ing Bam Aquino, the presidents
nephew, and former senators
Ramon Magsaysay and Jamby
Madrigal.
The LP-backed senatorial can-
didates are at the bottom of the
12-member LP coalaition slate.
Those who are placing and doing
well in the surverys are from NPC
and NP and to some extent, UNA-
backed candidates, Antonino
said.
He said the bailiwicks of the
partners were mostly vote-rich
provinces such as Cebu with 2.4
million voters, Pangasinan with
1.6 million, Nueva Ecija, where
Antonino hails from, with 1.6
million, and Cavite with 1.7 mil-
lion.
Members of the coalition in-
clude the LP, Akbayan, Nation-
alist Peoples Coaltiion, Na-
cionalista Party and Laban ng
Demokratikong Pilipino.
The ruling LP has 92 mem-
bers in the House of Represen-
tatives, the NPC has 49, NP has
24, NUP has 34, Akbayan has 2,
LDP has one for a total majority
of 202 seats of the 285-member
assembly.
NP stalwart and Cavite Rep.
Jesus Crispin Remulla supported
Antonino and said the LP has not
delivered on its promise and was,
in fact, violating the coalition
covenant.
However we look at it, the
suspension order was issued no
less by Malacanang, but it has the
hand print of Mar Roxas all over
it and it smacks of political ha-
rassment, Remulla said.
During negotiations to form the
coalition, the problems of part-
ners getting unfair and lopsided
treatment from LP members were
never resolved, Remulla said.
Our fears of bickering in the
local arena had been afrmed.
The problems wre never threshed
out because the LP insisted the
problems in the local level would
not affect the national campaign
for the senatorial slate, he said in
an interview.
It is indeed alarming. The
problem in the local level is over-
owing to the national level, Re-
mulla said.
In Cebu, lawyers of Garcia
filed robbery charges against
Roxas, police regional director
Marcelo Garbo and two other
police officers for dismantling
the tents put up by supporters
of the governor at the facade of
the capitol.
But police also sued for assault
Paolo Garcia Codilla, the son of
the governor, and two compan-
ions for attacking a police ofcer
when riot police confronted Gar-
cias supporters.
Police ofcials denied reports
thaty have cut off power and wa-
ter supply to the governors of-
cer where Garcia has stayed while
waiting for resolution of her peti-
tion at the Court of Appeals seek-
ing to stop the suspension order.
There was no order for us to
do that. a senior police ofcer
said.
DECEMBER 27, 2012 THURSDAY
A3 News
ManilaStandardToday mst.daydesk@gmail.com
IN BRIEF
Maid in distress in Dubai
Escudero open to RH quiz
Key police offices revamped
PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija--Senator
Francis Escudero on Sunday welcomed
the plan of a group of Catholic bishops
and lawyers to challenge the legality of
of the Reproductive Health before the
Supreme Court once it is signed into law.
They have every right to do it. Let
them do it, Escudero said.
Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes, head
of the Episcopal Commission on Family
Life of the Catholic Bishops Confer-
ence of the Philippines, the measure was
against the Constitution and religious
freedom, against the goodness of the
family and the stability of marriage.
At a press conference at the confer-
ence hall of City Hall here, Escudero
expressed his approval along with 13
colleagues senators who voted in favor
of the bill.
I am condent that the RH measure
can stand constitutional scrutiny as it
has been the result of a thorough study,
he said during the brieng accompa-
nied by senatorial aspirant Grace Po-
Llamanzares and mayoral bet Rianne
Cuevas. Ferdie G. Domingo
Wife hacks man to death
A FILIPINO maid in Dubai was arrested
after being accused of molesting her em-
ployers children, a Dubai-based news
agency said.
Gulf News said authorities identied
suspect with initials M.H.A., 36 years
old, who may face a death sentence.
A police report indicated that the maid
was involved in sexual acts with her em-
ployers eight-year-old son and 12-year-
old daughter on top of allegedly having
intercourse with the household Pakistani
gardener who visited weekly.
Under questioning, she denied all ac-
cusations, police said after arresting her
at her employers house in Al Barsha.
Authorities said the case has been forward-
ed to the prosecutors ofce while the suspect
is detained at the Aweer Central Jail.
Investigation showed that the migrant
worker is a single parent of a three-year-
old boy and that she opted to nd a job
abroad last year to support her family.
Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
PEARANDA, Nueva Ecija--Police ar-
rested here on Christmas day a sexage-
narian woman for hacking to death with
a samurai her husband following an ar-
gument in front of their house.
Chief Supt. Edgar Ladao, Region 3 di-
rector, said Augusto Espiritu, 67, of Ba-
rangay San Josef, had two wounds in the
head caused by Corazon of the same age.
Senior Insp. Danilo Pajarillaga, Pe-
aranda police chief, said the couple
were arguing 6:10 am Tuesday when the
victim threw a stone at his spouse.
Investigation showed that Augusto
then took a samurai but lost his balance
and fell on the pavement when he failed
to hit Corazon.
The suspect took the sword and hacked
him twice but died whiule being trerated
in a hospital in Gapan City.
Pajarillaga said Augusto was jobless
and he usually beat up his wife when he
was drunk. Ferdie G. Domino
In this August 12, 2012 le photo provided by the University of California, Davis plays with Kabang the dog in the Philippines. A
veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, says the dog who became an international hero after sacricing its snout to
save two young girl, appears to have beaten the cancer it was suffering from. AP
Designated to their new positions
were Police Director Catalino Cuy
as acting head of the directorate for
personnel, vacating his post as chief
of the PNPs Intelligence Detection-
Management Ofce.
Chief Supt. Carmelo Valmoria,
former head of the Police Caraga Police
By Francisco Tuyay
NATIONAL Police chief Alan Purisima
has begun a reshufe of his organization
with the installation of ve senior ofcials
to new key positions.
Ofce, takes overas the Director of the
Special Action Force replacing Director
Cipriano Querol Jr. who was hamed as
Director for Intelligence.
On the list of new appointments are
Chief Supt. Napoleon Estilles as acting
Director for Plans and Chief Supt. Juan-
ito Vano Jr as Acting Regional Director
for Police Regional Ofce-9 based in
Zamboanga City.
The next wave of reshuffle will
likely take place in the next few
weeks, sources said, and several oth-
er directorates including the comp-
trollership are on Purisimas radar
screen.
Purisima, who assumed ofce last
December 18, said the new assignments
gave recongition to those who per-
formed well.
Those who will support posi-
tive change towards genuine police
service shall be amply rewarded, he
told senior officers during the formal
installation of five officials to key
positions in the Directorial Staff,
National Support Unit and Police
Regional Office.
He told police commanders to
lead their respective units in their
jurisdiction to promote the values
of law enforcement and public
safety.
He stressed the need for all police per-
sonnel to be diligent in responding to
the call of duty.
By Rey Requejo
THERE will be delay in the reso-
lution of the criminal complaint
against Manuel Amalilio and other
ofcials of Aman Futures Group
Phils. Inc. for their alleged involve-
ment in the P12-billion investment
scam that victimized some 15,000
people in Visayas and Mindanao.
There will be a delay, but its
just a slight delay, Justice Sec-
retary Leila De Lima said in an
interview.
De Limas statement came as
the Department of Justice will con-
clude today its preliminaryinvesti-
gation on the syndicated estafa
charges against Amalilio, Aman
Futures executives and agents led
earlier by investors including Pa-
gadian City Mayor Samuel Co.
Aman Board member Fernando
Luna, alleged right-hand man of
Amalilio, and his wife Nimfa are
expected to appear before the spe-
cial panel in the DOJ for the nal
hearing on the rst set of syndi-
cated estafa complaints led by in-
vestors duped by the trading rm.
De Lima said the two respond-
ents are expected to submit their
counter-afdavits, which they
failed to do in the last hearing last
Dec. 17 in Pagadian City due to
supposed late receipt of the sub-
poena and copy of the complaint.
They were given more time by
the panel to comply (with the l-
ing of answer). We are according
them due process so they could not
complain of any violation of due
process later through petitions in
the Court of Appeals or Supreme
Court which could delay this
case, the DOJ chief said.
Since the hearing ends today,
the DOJ resolution and possible
ling of charges against Amalilio
and others in court would have to
wait until next year.
In the last hearing, Luna and
his wife sought more time to
submit their counter-afdavits,
claiming they only received cop-
ies of the complaints a few days
before the hearing so they did not
have ample time to prepare their
answer the charges.
Another respondent,Areceli
Julian, was also summoned to
personally afrm her answer,
which she only subscribed before
a notary public earlier.
The complainants agreed to
this resetting, Senior Assistant
State Prosecutor Edna Valenzuela,
head of the special panel of DOJ
conducting the PI, said Valenzuela
said all respondents except the
Luna couple were able to submit
their counter-afdavits during the
hearing where Aman ofcers and
agents faced their victims for the
rst time since the rm collapsed
earlier this year.
The resetting means it would
be unlikely for the panel to re-
solve the rst set of complaints
and possibly secure arrest war-
rants against Amalilio and other
respondents before Dec. 28, the
last working day for this year.
Amalilio has ed to Kota
Kinabalu in Malaysia. An arrest
warrant would be needed to con-
sider him a fugitive and compel
him to return to the country to
stand trial with the assistance of
International Police and the Ma-
laysian government.
The DOJ panel had to cancel
its original schedule for the hear-
ing last Dec. 5 due to devastation
brought by super typhoon Pa-
blo across Mindanao.
The DOJ had vowed to le the
case against Aman in court before
Christmas after critics slammed
the allegedly slow pace of the PI.
Valenzuela already explained
earlier they had to be careful in
following PI rules and proce-
dures and accord the respondents
due process in order to avoid
legal questions on the process,
which respondents usually raised
before courts.
Panel wraps up probe of P12-b Aman Futures con game
By Dexter A. See
BAGUIO CITY-Garbage produced
in the holidays have increased from 200
tons to 300 tons, the city government has
maintained a 24-hour collection sched-
ule in 128 barangays.
Romeo Concio, city general services
ofcer, commended the transfer of the
dump to Urdaneta, Pangasinan, from a
site in Central Luzon.
From the previous 4-hour travel to Capas,
Tarlac, the travel time to the Urdaneta sani-
tary landll has been reduced to only 2 hours
aside from at least P170 savings per day per
ton of garbage to be dumped in the landll,
Concio told Manila Standard, adding that
Baguio will save P550 in road users taxes
paid to Capas and Bamban towns.
He noted further savings of P19,100
per day in disposing of 150 tons from
tipping fees and other charges.
The council approved last Dec. 3 the
agreement signed by Mayor Mauricio
Domogan and Mike Arquilles, represent-
ing the Urdaneta sanitary landll.
Two waste management systems are
being studied for a landll through a
South Koean $46-million grant and a
waste-to-energy plant proposed by an
American rm.
Domogan said the city was evaluating
permanent sites in neighboring La Union
to be hosted by the Burgos and Rosario
towns with the approval of the National
Solid Waste Commission.
By Maricel V. Cruz
REP. Erico Aumentado
of the second district
of Bohol died of pneu-
monia on December 25
at St. Lukes Medical
CenterGlobal City in
Taguig. He was 72.
At the same time, the
House of Representa-
tives led by Speaker Fe-
liciano Belmonte Jr. and
Quezon Rep. Danilo
Suarez expressed their
deepest condolences
and sympathies to the
family, relatives and
constituents of the late
congressman whom
they described as pas-
sionate about democ-
racy and rule of law and
protector of interests of
the less fortunate.
With the demise of
Aumentado, Belmonte
said the country lost
one of the most exem-
plary public servants.
He deserved full
credit for transform-
ing Bohol into one of
the most progressive,
peaceful and richest
provinces today. He was
truly an outstanding
solonlearned, dedi-
cated, and principled. A
gifted writer and news-
paperman, Eric pursued
his crusading spirit in
politics, faithful to his
oath and to the high-
est standards of public
service, Belmonte said
in a statement.
Throughout all his
four terms as congress-
man, three terms as
governor, as well as
his earlier stints as vice
governor and member
of the provincial board,
Erics integrity and
honor have never been
in doubt. He died a poor
man because he never
made politics the source
of his livelihood.
He was a very dear
friend for whom I had
the highest respect both
as a colleague in Con-
gress and in the writing
profession, Belmonte
added.
Aumentado, a law-
yer, was also a journal-
ist prior to his career in
politics. He was a senior
provincial board mem-
ber, provincial vice-gov-
ernor, and also served
as deputy speaker of
the Philippine House of
Representatives.
We lost a leader not
only of the minority
but of the House in the
passing away of Cong.
Aumentado. We extend
our deep sympathy and
condolence to his be-
reaved family people
of Bohol for his irrepa-
rable loss, opposition
stalwart, Maguindanao
Rep. Simeon Datu-
manong told the Ma-
nila Standard.
Aumentado, who had
served as the chair of
the House committee on
ethics, was survived by
his wife, Peregrina Ad-
laon Cabagnot-Aumen-
tado, and eight children
and four grandchildren.
Hero dog
seems to
have beaten
the Big C
Commercial establishments will be required to put up closed-
circuit television as crime deterrent in their premises.
Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado Macapagal-Arroyo has
led House Bill 6720 to compel installation of surveillance
cameras to monitor and help prevent unlawful activities.
It is imperative to secure these establishments
which include banks, nancial establishments, shop-
ping malls, restaurants, hotels, schools, gas stations,
and the like to maintain peace and order to protect life,
liberty and property, and to promote the general welfare
of the public, he said in the explanatory note.
The bill aims to protect and empower the general
public against lawless elements that threaten the coun-
trys peace and order, said Arroyo, a member of the
House committee on information and technology.
HB 6720 seeks to augment security measures while
allowing law enforcement agencies to review the record
of events for the identication of suspects and related
evidence of the crime.
The bill also requires the owner or manager of the es-
tablishment to maintain the privacy of the video feeds
and records obtained as a result of the surveillance.
The measure states that the conditions for use,
copying, or disclosure of video recordings must be
reasonably established before giving access to re-
questing parties. Maricel V. Cruz
Garbage piling up in Baguio City
Aumentadoexemplar of public service Must-have for business
firmsclosed-circuit TV
DAVIS, CaliforniaA vet-
erinarian has some good news
about a dog from the Philip-
pines who became an interna-
tional hero after sacricing its
snout to save two young girls.
Gina Davis with the Univer-
sity of California, Davis, tells
the San Francisco Chronicle
the dog named Kabang appears
to have beaten the cancer it
was suffering from.
Kabang still faces treatment
for heartworms in its arteries
before it can have the gaping
wound on its face closed.
Newspapers in the Philip-
pines reported that Kabang
had her snout and upper jaw
sheared off when she jumped
in front of a speeding motorcy-
cle, saving her owners daugh-
ter and niece who were appar-
ently about to be hit.
A nurse from New York state
led a fundraising campaign to
bring the dog to the US.
Surgeons are planning to per-
form two or three procedures
for dental work, extractions and
covering exposed roots.
They will then try to close
the dogs wound and restore
nasal functions. The dogs
bony structures are currently
exposed to air, increasing the
chance of infection, Davis said.
Kabang may return to the
Philippines in May or June.
The bill for her treatment is ex-
pected to top $10,000.
Davis said despite Kabangs
many conditions, the dog ap-
pears in good spirits. AP
Aumentado
Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com DECEMBER 27, 2012 THURSDAY
A4
CHARITIES Aid Foundation, a United
Kingdom-based charity group, has
conferred on the Filipinos one more
distinction: that of being one of the
most giving people in the world.
The Philippines belongs to the top
ve nations in terms of the number
of people devoting their time to
volunteer charity work. Forty-four
percent of Filipinos devote some
time to charity work, the highest in
Southeast Asia.
Globally, we rank 26th in helping
strangers and 47th in giving money. In
the more general World Giving Index
covering 146 nations, the Philippines
has placed 17th worldwide.
For the others, however, the picture is
not as encouraging. The charities data,
obtained from Gallup, show that the
world is becoming a less giving place.
The trend likely mirrors the economic
hardships in many countries.
According to the report, the
proportion of people around the world
doing charitable acts fell last year.
The average proportion of people
volunteering their time to charity went
down to 18.4 percent in 2011 from
21.4 percent in 2007. Those helping
strangers fell to 45.1 percent from 47
percent, while those donating money to
charity fell to 28 percent in 2011 from
29.8 percent four years earlier.
That the Philippines has emerged
among the most generous amid these
hard times shows an extraordinary
national trait that has made us famous
for our hospitality, our compassion
and our bayanihan spirit. Our
challenging circumstances also
provide us plenty of opportunities to
extend help whether in cash, in kind,
or in productive hours.
Then again, the numbers may give
only a snapshot of the help we give
others. They do not say, for instance,
whether the generosity is sustained.
We may give a few pieces of old
clothes in a surge of compassion after
a disaster, or spend a few hours taking
calls or packing relief for distribution
to affected areas.
Real charity, after all, entails ensuring
that those whom we help will in the
long term be able to help themselves.
Giving amid bad times
What would Noynoy
do in Cebu?
EDITORIAL
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher
RAMONCHITO L. TOMELDAN Managing Editor
CHIN WONG/ RAY S. EANO Associate Editors
JOEL P. PALACIOS News Editor
ROGELIO C. SALAZAR President & CEO
MEMBER
Philippine Press Institute
The National Association
of Philippine Newspapers PPI
can be accessed at:
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Standard
TODAY
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SOME have asked: Why is Vice
President Jejomar Binay stopping short
of criticizing President Noynoy Aquino
for persecuting suspended Cebu Gov.
Gwendolyn Garcia, when Binay
of all peopleunderstands that the
harassment of the local executive
could not have happened without
Malacaangs blessing?
It is a valid question, but one easily
answered. Binay, after all, has all but
declared his support for Garcia in her
ght against the suspension order
issued by Liberal Party chieftain and
Local Government Secretary Mar
Roxas; according to former President
Joseph Estrada, Binay, whos been
through the wringer
of presidential
harassment before
as Makati mayor,
advised Garcia to
basicallyas the
recycled British
wartime poster said
keep calm and
carry on.
Binay, of course,
is still embedded
in the Aquino
administration as its
housing czar, foreign
affairs stand-in and
spiritual leader of
the so-called Balay
faction that does
not cotton to Roxas.
But by visiting Garcia at her capitol
with Estrada, Senate President Juan
Ponce Enrile and other leaders of the
Veeps United Nationalist Alliance
in tow, Binay also sent a message to
Malacaang that it may soon have to
choose between Roxas and him.
This is the shot across the Pasig that
Binay, the non-opposition opposition
leader, red: Roxas cannot go after
UNA-afliated candidates like Garcia
with patently illegal suspension orders
to boost the chances of his own LP bets,
especially LP bets with dim prospects
like those in Cebu, regardless of the
Presidents agreement.
Whether or not Aquino can be
dissuaded from acting as benevolent
co-signer to Roxas plans of political
conquest is not really the point.
Whether Aquino can afford to push
Binay out of the palace and into the
embrace of forces that have no quarrel
with Aquino but who will not side with
Roxas is.
Of course, to hear Aquinos press
ofce minions talk, its as if the
President has no further word on the
matter except that Garcia must step
down. Aquino himself has not spoken
on the matter.
If Aquino backs off in Cebu, Binay
will have won an important victory that
could foreshadow his own efforts to ght
Roxas, when the latter goes after him. If
Aquino does nothing and allows Roxas
to act like he had just colonized Cebu
like some conquistador from Cubao, then
Binays position in the palace will have
become politically untenable.
Its Aquinos move. Binay will know
what to do, after the President acts.
As for Roxas, he also has to watch
Aquino closely so that he will know
if it is time to stop harassing Binays
surrogates and go after the big prize.
And if Roxas gets Aquinos nod, he
will unleash the dogs of political war
on the Veep.
* * *
Speaking of spokesman-minions,
the LP may have to replace our former
newspaper colleague Eastern Samar
Rep. Ben Evardone as it mouthpiece.
For the simple reason that Evardone
is just being eaten up by his opposite
number at UNA, the anime-maned
Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco.
Tiangco has turned LPs insistence
that Garcia is being suspended on the
basis of a legal, apolitical order on
its head by revealing that the palace
does not treat suspended local ofcials
equally. Tiangco cited the case of
Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri,
an LP member, [whose] suspension
was not effectively served and [whose]
followers were
allowed to camp
out in front of City
Hall with the least
intervention from
the police. We did
not hear the LP or
the administration
asking him to follow
the suspension
order while waiting
for the Court of
Appeals to decide,
Tiangco said.
In Cebu, the
LP-afliated vice
governor [who just
happens to be the
sister of an Aquino
Cabinet member
JR] closed down two media outlets on
imsy grounds, Tiangco said. The
police erected barricades and deployed
armalite-wielding policemen to the
capitol. Supporters of [Garcia] and
even employees were prevented from
entering the grounds.
Tiangco also castigated Evardone
for accusing Binay and the rest of
UNA of encouraging disrespect for
law when they ew to Cebu recently
to show their support for Garcia. Like
other Arroyo defenders who shifted
loyalties en masse to the ruling party,
the LP spokesman is recycling the
same excuses meant to justify political
harassment, Tiangco stressed.
Evardone, Tiangco said, can do
nothing to justify abuse of power,
especially not the recycled statements
from defenders of the discredited
former regime. No matter what the LP
and its apologists say, the people of
Cebu know that martial law has been
imposed in their province.
As for respect for the law, Tiangco
said this also means extending
courtesy to a co-equal branch of
government, meaning the Court of
Appeals, which Garcia has asked to
rule on her suspensionand which the
administration party should to decide
on the matter. Besides, Tiangco said,
the support shown by the UNA leaders
to Garcia is a lot more acceptable
than Roxas attempt to inuence the
Sandiganbayan when he accompanied
his party mate Grace Padaca when she
posted bail for a graft case.
Round One to Toby in the battle of
spokesmen. Will Ben answer the bell
for the next roundor will another
member of the LP tag team take on
Tiangco?
Letter of love for Christmas 2: To the Magdalos with love
MARLON C. MAGTIRA Online Editor/Tech Section Editor
ANGIE (not her real name) was
apprehended together with suspected
members of the Magdalo somewhere
in Filinvest, Quezon City in July of
2006. It was alleged that they intended
to blow up Batasan Pambansa.
She was charged, together with
the alleged Magdalos, with the crime
of coup detat. She somehow eluded
detention and lived literally the rest
of her life as a fugitive. She later
succumbed to an advance stage of
cancer.
I knew her well as in fact, she was
one of my closest friends. I did not see
her though after her apprehension. I
only had a glimpse of her during her
wake a couple of years back.
Needless to say, she was a comrade
in the struggle against President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. She,
together with my other comrade,
Josie Lichauco, probably would be
sad to know that even after GMA,
we continue to fight for the same
causes that we did: good governance,
public accountability, and an end to
extralegal killings and other forms
of impunity. I am sure too that she
and Josie would have turned from
their graves, had it not been for their
cremation, had they known that the
when we hold on together gang
that surrounded PGMA continue to
surround P Noy.
Both she and Josie are at peace
knowing that they fought the good
ght. Meanwhile, we -their friends,
continue with the struggle.
I miss friends like Angie and Josie.
Knowing them during their lifetimes
continues to be a gift that I will
cherish.
In this second letter of love for
Christmas, let us cherish the words
of love of a patriot for her adoptive
warrior sons. I am sure she was not
alone in caring for the Magdalos.
Sadly, many of those whom she
took under her wings probably do
not even know that she has passed on.
But her love for them, through this
letter, will live on. Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year to all!
7 July 2006
To my family:
Please make sure that June and
Peter (her grandchildren, not their
real names) is able to join their
mother(whos been abroad). At 10 and
12, I hope we have all been able to
instill in them precious
Filipino values while they were on
loan with me.
I do not know what will happen
to me but I am writing to you to help
me explain to my daughter what
happened today. I am proud to know
Jack Rabonza, Sonny Sarmiento,
Rajah, Pat, Zo, Gay, and Bumidang.
I saw in them the hope of the Filipino
nation. I wish for everyone to know
that their parents, wives and children
should be proud of these men. In
my short stay with them, they were
voracious readers, eager to learn and
have great love for their country. They
are soldiers of integrity and highly
patriotic. They are the only hope of
our nation.
All they desired is to save this
country from the corruption and graft
that pervades our system.
They have repeatedly told me
that they are prepared to die for this
country; that they are mentally and
physically prepared to undergo any
hardship to awaken the Filipino
people into action. The only way to do
this is to rid this country of its lying,
stealing and cheating President and
her cohorts.
I love them like my own sons.
Please do what you can to help them
as well.
You know that my heart is bad and
my diabetes is not controllable. I can
go anytime. Its ok. If you can, please
visit the wives, children, and parents
of my adopted children and convey to
them how proud I am
of them. Thank them for lending
their sons to me.
Love,
Angie
ATTY. HARRY
ROQUE JR.
VIEW FROM MALCOLM
If Aquino backs
off, Binay will have
won a victory that
could foreshadow
his own ght with
Roxas, when the
latter goes after
him.
JOJO
A. ROBLES
LOWDOWN
A5 Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com
MY CHOICE for Newsmakers of
2012 are the following: Ramon
Ang, president of San Miguel Corp.,
chairman of Petron and president of
Philippine Airlines; Manny Pangilinan,
top honcho of PLDT, chairman of
Meralco and chairman of Philex
Mining; Jaime and Fernando Zobel
de Ayala of the Ayala conglomerate;
Former Trade Minister Bobby Ongpin,
now chairman of
Alphaland and
RVO Group
of Companies;
Henry Sy Sr. of
the SM Group
of Companies;
Lucio Tan of the
Lucio Tan Group
of Companies;
Andrew Tan of
Megaworld and
Global Alliance;
and Ricky
Razon, president
of International
C o n t a i n e r
T e r m i n a l
Services Inc. and
Bloomberry.
In my book, these taipans and
tycoons made the difference in 2012,
extending their business interests
beyond the Philippines.
My choice for outstanding
performance in property development
are: Ayala Group of Companies;
Andrew Tans Megaworld and Global
Alliance; Lucio Tans Eton Properties;
Bobby Ongpins Alphaland; Joey
Antonios Century Properties; Henry
Sys SM Development Corp.; David
Consunjis DMCI; Andrew Gotianuns
Filinvest; and Senator Manny Villars
Group of CompaniesCamella, Vista
Land and Brittany.
***
Stem cell therapy has become a
byword in the Philippine medical
world so much so that leading hospitals
like the Makati Medical Center and
St. Lukes Hospital in the Global City
have stem cell therapy Departments,
ranging from aesthetics to cancer cure.
In the wake of so many, especially
the elderly, seeking stem cell therapy,
there are now so-called experts
claiming to be able to stop the aging
process. It has been bruited around
that no less than former First Lady
Imelda Marcos and Senate President
Juan Ponce Enrile, now 88 years old
and going 89, had stem cell therapy.
In this connection, an article
published by leading newspapers
entitled Unlocking the Powers of
Stem Cell Therapy from Aesthetics
to Cancer Cure, extensively quotes
is somebody who many say is a
balikbayan. He attaches the sufx
M.D. to his name. This M.D. was
reported to have cited two satised
patients who were charged $60,000
to $80,000 up front for six stem cell
sessions. This is about the cost being
charged by stem cell therapists in
the US, Hong Kong and Singapore
exclusive of costs of hospital
accommodations.
I uncovered reports that this M.D
is not a holder of a valid Certicate
of Registration, duly issued by the
Board of Medical Examiners of the
Professional Regulatory Commission.
Thus, he is not duly licensed to
practice medicine in the Philippines
as required by Republic Act 2382.
Because this M.D looks Filipino,
his Filipino patients conclude he is a
balikbayan and licensed to practice
medicine in the Philippines and was
licensed to practice medicine before
he went abroad.
The Philippine Medical
Association and the Professional
Regulatory Commission would do
well to investigate this matter. These
groups must
prosecute him
and the doctors
and hospitals
assisting him.
A check
with the PRC
on verication
of professional
license showed
no matching
record on the
alleged M.D
as having been
duly licensed
to practice
medicine in the
Philippines.
***
The book Juan Ponce Enrile: A
Memoir, published by ABS-CBN
is now a duly certied best-seller
undergoing its third reprint just within
two months after its release with
almost 3,000 hard-bound copies sold.
Miguel Ramos, marketing director of
the National Bookstore, expects sales
to go beyond 3,000 copies.
I have read JPEs autobiography
and I must admit I could hardly put
the book down especially on Enriles
narrations of controversial issues
before, during and after the Martial
Law regime of Marcos.
Easily, the most controversial part
of the Enrile auto-bio epic all in 772
pages is that portion where he alleged
faked his own ambush, which
prompted then-President Ferdinand
Marcos to issue Proclamation 1081,
declaring Martial Law nationwide.
Enriles answer to his critics is to
show any tape, transcript or record of
any statement he made at that time to
prove that he had a hand in his own
ambush at Wack-Wack Subdivision.
Enrile surmised that the ambush was
actually staged by some elements
in the Palace, to justify Proclamation
1081. Enrile claimed that there was
no need to justify martial law with an
alleged ambush since martial rule was
already in place when Marcos came out
on television with Proclamation 1081.
JPE himself was the administrator of
martial law being the DND minister.
Enrile is a regular at the 365 Club at
Hotel Intercon. While he was writing
his memoirs, he told me he expected a
lot of controversy and criticism. Oh
well, it is now a bestseller.
***
I dont know why Tourism Secretary
Ramon Jimenez is not taking advantage
of the fact that the Philippines as one
of the most inexpensive places in Asia
for expatriates. (Tokyo, Singapore and
Hong Kong are the most expensive).
Sure, its fun in the Philippines, but
it would also be good to say that this is
one of the least expensive cities in Asia.
Newsmakers
of 2012
Lets have less guns
IN THE United States, about 12,000
people die every year because of guns. It
is the highest in the industrialized world.
There are approximately 300 million
guns in the US, almost equal to the entire
US population of about 309 million.
The carnage in Newtown, Connecti-
cut that claimed the lives of 20 school
children between the ages of six and nine
and of six adults a little over a week ago
once again reignited the debate in the US
regarding gun control.
The frequency of these mass killings
is becoming frightening. It is happening
a lot more often. The thought of a de-
ranged individual going to a crowdeda
mall, school or stadiumand shooting
people is simply scary to say the least. It
is a good thing that this sort of American
experience has not yet found its way to
our shores. I hope it never will.
My rst exposure to this kind of phe-
nomenon was when we were living in
the US in the early 1980s. A man with a
gun went to a McDonalds outlet in San
Diego and started shooting and killing
people. I do not remember the number
of casualties but the effect on me was to
stop bringing my children to McDon-
alds for a while to their dismay.
To the majority of countries around
the world, one of the obvious solutions to
this problem would be to tighten control
of gun ownership to make it more dif-
cult for people to acquire guns especially
semi-automatic assault ries that civil-
ians do not really have any need for.
But nothing is that simple in the Unit-
ed States because the right to own guns
is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment of
the US Constitution which is again very
unique in the world. I do not know of any
other country in the world that has this
kind of provision in their constitution.
There is also this very powerful orga-
nization, the National Rie Association
(NRA) with millions of members lob-
bying the US Congress against the pas-
sage of any gun control law. And in the
aftermath of the Newtown mass killings.
Wayne La Pierre, the CEO of the NRA,
went on national television proposing
that one of the solutions to the problem
of mass killing is to have more guns by
providing armed guards to the approxi-
mately 140,000 schools throughout the
country. The NRA sincerely believes that
guns do not kill people, that people are
the ones killing other people and the so-
lution is to have more guns so that people
can protect and defend themselves from
criminals.
What can I say? If I did not watch and
hear him say those words, I would not
have believe that anybody could propose
such a crazy solution.
It is so weird. President Obama has
now taken the challenge of addressing
the issue but the NRA has come out in
the open saying that it would oppose any
effort to ban semi-automatic weapons.
So it seems that there would be a ght.
Whether President Obama has the po-
litical will to ght this out remains to be
seen.
Why should the Philippinesor the
rest of the world, for that mattercare at
all if the Americans cannot get their act
together?
We should because there is a United
Nations (UN) effort to stop the prolif-
eration of small arms and light weapons
throughout the world. But if the biggest
arms manufacturer which is still the
United States cannot lead on this, I do not
think this UN effort will go anywhere.
When I was still in government, I at-
tended a lot of UN conferences to nd
ways to come up with binding regula-
tions for countries to follow in order to
control small arms proliferation. But
even in these conferences, the US posi-
tion has always been ambivalent, per-
haps because of the pressure from the
NRA. So you see, what happens in the
US with regards to gun control has world
repercussions. Small arms and light
weapons are responsible for the deaths of
hundreds of thousands of people all over
the world every year.
It might interest the public to know
that semi automatic assault ries can also
be licensed in the Philippines. According
to PNP records, about 600,000 formerly
licensed rearms are now considered
loose. In my opinion, this should not be
the case. Add the number of rearms that
have never been registered and you will
have an idea of how many rearms are
out there in the hands of people that the
police do not have any clue.
My estimate is that over a million
guns are out there. And there are a lot
of people dying here because of guns.
There is hardly a day that there is no
news about someone being killed by the
use of a gun. So, we do have our own gun
problem in this country. The PNP must
come out with rational policies to ad-
dress the issue of licensing and the kind
of guns that individuals can own. In the
end, the PNP must remember that it is in
the law enforcement business and not in
the revenue generating business.
Merry Christmas and a prosperous
New Year to all.
EMIL
P. JURADO
TO THE POINT
THE Merriam Webster Online
Dictionary denes resilience as the
capability of a strained body to recover
its size and shape after deformation
caused especially by compressive
stress. Another denition is an ability
to recover from or adjust easily to
misfortune or change.
The Free Dictionary says it is the
ability to recover quickly from illness,
change, or misfortune. It is also the
property of a material that enables
it to resume its original shape or
position after being bent, stretched or
compressed.
I think however that nobody
else denes resilience better than
Filipinos.
It works at the individual level and
at the national sphere. It can be seen
from the most mundane of concerns to
the most earth-shaking developments.
A recent survey by Gallup, a polling
agency, shows that Filipinos are among
the happiest people on earth. Gallups
denition of happiness: feeling as
though one has been treated with
respect, smiling or laughing a lot,
learning or doing something interesting
and having feelings of enjoyment.
That happiness is by no means
occasioned exclusively by having
adequate food, shelter and clothing,
good education for the kids, and cash
enough to spend on needs and wants
alike.
Happiness and resilience are two
different things, of course, but the
former may indicate the latter.
At rst blush it sounds surprising
that we would be so happy when we
have a more-than-enough share of
disasters both natural and manmade,
when we see many basic aws in how
our government is run, and when we
observe that life for any given Filipinos
family is hardly the stuff of storybooks
one or both parents are working
abroad, or the parents are separated, or
are together merely for appearances
sake.
This year alone, many fell victim
to the death and destruction wrong by
weather disturbances: monsoon rain in
August, typhoon Pablo in December,
among others.
We have seen how poverty and
unemployment have continued to
weigh down the majority of our people.
And then there are families who
must contend with absence, or conict,
or plain unconventionality.
Still, we Filipinos nd a way to smile
and cope. The communities devastated
by typhoons eventually reconstruct
their homes and try to return to
normal, if there is such a thing. Those
who have lost loved ones move on even
as they grieve.
Even the poor manage to put
together neighborhood parties and sing
their hearts out in videoke sessions.
Children act like children and have
fun with their siblings, other relatives
and friends anyway, and grow up to be
loving, responsible and compassionate
individuals.
True to the denition, we can
take anything and emerge as though
nothing has happened. More than that,
we do not only return to a previous
undisturbed state. We do so armed with
the benet of hindsight and of wisdom
that only experience can teach us. As
the German philosopher Nietzsche said:
That which does not kill us makes us
stronger.
But inasmuch as resilience is a
virtue, it could turn into a vice when
coupled with a sense of fatalism, the
belief that one has to unquestioningly
accept whatever one is given.
Resilience becomes a curse when we
start believing that there is nothing else
we can do but cope. The truth is, we
have the choice and the power to make
things better and to shield ourselves
from harmphysical or otherwise.
For example, there may be nothing
we can do about the worsening climate
conditions and even the location of the
Philippines on the global map, but we
can prepare for disasters and minimize
casualties by adequate preparation at
the community and even the family
level.
We can ght poverty by studying
hard and rejecting the temptations of
crime and vice and the lure of easy
money. Couples can plan their families
to make sure they are able to give
their children a dignied life, where
they dont have to beg or grovel or do
something illegal just to put food on the
table.
We can talk to our children
honestly about the importance of
making sound decisions in life,
from their choice of careers, the
company they keep and yes, even in
their choice of partners.
Resilience is good, but it can also
be bad when it stops us from taking
control of the rest of our lives. So heres
to being resilient, and being innitely
wiser as we go along.
Happy New Year, dear readers.
adellechua@gmail.com
Resilience
THERES an interesting communica-
tion phenomenon happening on Twitter
through country curators, or Twitter
accounts ofcially sanctioned by a coun-
try and handled by a different citizen or
resident of that country each week.
The foremost example is @sweden,
which opened its account in late 2011 as an
initiative of two government agencies, the
Swedish Institute (cultural promotion) and
VisitSweden (tourism promotion).
Other accounts are @curatingturkey,
@Netherlanders, @TwkUSA, @Peo-
pleOfUK, @ireland, @PeopleOfCanada,
@WeAreUkraine, @MoroccoCuration,
@iam_pakistan, @CuratorsMexico, @
ScotVoices, @WeAreFrance, and many
more. The Philippines is @WeAreFili-
pinos.
There are also city accounts - @
londonisyours, @PeopleOfLeeds, @
WeAreDresden, @MunichLovesU, @
TweetWeekManila, @WeAreMumbai,
@AnotherToronto, @Bangkoking, and
others.
In general, the main objective of a
country Twitter account is to provide
a portal for outsiders to that country
through the Tweets of the weeks cura-
tors, in 140 characters or less per Tweet.
They explain customs and traditions,
mention interesting places to visit, dis-
cuss current country and global events,
share pictures, recipes, and get a conver-
sation going between them and the rest
of the Twitter world.
This holiday season, it was interest-
ing to learn about the Christmas customs
of different cultures. Ireland/Luke spoke
about the importance of ritual, recon-
necting us with our childhood selves at
Christmas, the power of nostalgia, cit-
ing how his mother lighted a candle in
the window on Christmas Eve. John
Fay said his grandmother did the same
thing and left the door unlocked. Holy
Family was welcome. Rob from Ire-
land replied, My nan used to hand two
bars of soap to neighbours on Christmas
Eve. Shed say it was for luck. No idea
where she got it from!
Luke later described their Christmas
feast, starting with Slovakian soup (sau-
erkraut, sausage, ham, mushrooms, pa-
prika), and turkey, ham, stufng, roast
potatoes, sprouts w cream, pancetta &
Parmesan, squash w pecans & Roque-
fort, red cabbage, gravy, bread sauce.
For dessert they had trie, Christmas
pudding, brandy butter, whipped cream,
trufes, white macaroons, dessert wine,
giving credence to Lukes assertion that
the average Irishman consumes 6,000
calories on Christmas Day.
Their dinner discussion, Luke said,
escalated into an argument about bish-
ops interfering with politics. Of course
this is the stuff of history books, right?
Apart from the holidays groaning
tables of food and license for gluttony,
thats one more thing we have in com-
mon with Ireland.
Swedens curator this week, Hanna,
recounts a very Swedish traditionat
three oclock we all watch Donald Duck
and company (Disney clips) on national
television!
The accounts handled by real people
(as opposed to account administrators,
as ours seems to be), are real and vi-
brant. Sweden, for one, does not censor,
no matter how offbeat the personality
in charge for the week. In June, Sonja
Abrahamsson, a self-described low
educated 27-year-old single mother,
incited controversy when she Tweeted
about Jews and used crude language
(according to an online news item). Her
Tweets, while carefully monitored, were
not deleted, but would have been taken
down had they crossed into hate speech.
The Tweets from @WeAreFilipinos
are informativeTo Catholic Filipi-
nos, today is the start of Simbang Gabi,
a series of nine pre-dawn masses leading
up to Christmas Day, or Latest fashion
trend for men: meggings (leggings for
men)but they sound scripted because
the style of writing is fairly consistent.
The bionote on the account says A
new Filipino every week, but after
scrolling through weeks of Tweets, I cant
nd this no introductions of the weeks
curator, and so on. What I do see a lot of
admin activities (marked by [ADMIN]),
many retweets of a Fil-American named
Kyno, and #FFs (Follow Fridays) of
the other curated country accounts.
Too bad, because this is our chance to
show the world different points of view
of what a Filipino thinks and experi-
ences, engaging the world with honesty,
not one carefully moderating Tweets to
present a certain image. That smacks too
much of PR in the manipulative sense.
Communication theorist James Carey
often quoted Kenneth Burke as say-
ing, Life is a conversation. Its one
that continuously goes on, said Carey,
where No one has the last word; there
are no nal thoughts. There is no end to
the conversation.
Computer-mediated communication
has given the world the ability to open and
carry on conversations in real time, some-
thing that was once impossible. This has
facilitated the discourse between cultures,
at least for this particular audience.
There will always be differences, but
we instinctively seek similarities to nd
common ground with each other, to bring
about cooperation rather conict. This is
achieved through building trust. To build
trust, truth is required.
Between countries and between indi-
viduals, lets keep it honest.
***
To my dear readers, thank you for
allowing me to share my thoughts and
ideas with you in 2012. My warmest
wishes for health, peace, and prosperity
in the New Year!
E-mail: jennyo@live.com, Blog: http://
jennyo.net, Facebook: Gogirl Caf,
Twitter: @jennyortuoste
Country curators converse
FLORENCIO
FIANZA
DUTY CALLS
They have
extended their
businesses to
outside the
Philippines.
ADELLE
CHUA
CHASING HAPPY
News
ManilaStandardToday
mst.daydesk@gmail.com DECEMBER 27, 2012 THURSDAY
A6
Fireworks ban proposed anew
Kids sparked
San Juan re
MMDA denies
lmfest rigging
The DOH might consider
a ban on the individual use
of reworks and recrackers
while it continues to push for a
community display of reworks
to signicantly bring down the
number of casualties, said
Health Secretary Enrique Ona.
One said the proposal can
be implemented with the co-
operation of local government
units who should identify safe
areas for community reworks
displays and accredit organi-
zations that will be allowed to
purchase reworks.
The proposal, which be sub-
jected to public consultations
after the holidays, will encour-
age the development of the
rework industry and will be
a win-win solution because it
will not result in the displace-
ment of industry workers but
reduce preventable injuries, the
secretary said.
Ona also urged church lead-
ers to encourage their parish-
ioners not to use reworks and
recrackers in welcoming the
New Year.
There are more ways to be
happy in welcoming the New
Year. An injury in the family
will not make our New Year
happier, said Ona, noting that
most cases happen on Christ-
mas Eve, New Years Eve and
New Years Day.
He said from December 21-26,
there were a total of 72 reworks-
related injuries. Of this number,
71 were due to reworks and one
stray bullet case. The number of
cases is 33%, lower compared to
the same period last year. There
were no deaths reported.
Over the same period last
year, there were 108 reworks-
related injuries: 99 from re-
works, 8 from stray bullets, and
1 from recracker ingestion.
Most of the cases came from
the National Capital Region
(20), Western Viasayas (12),
and Cagayan Valley (6). Cala-
barzon, Central Visayas, and
Zamboanga Peninsula had 5
cases each.
Majority (86%) of the cases
By Macon Ramos-Araneta
THE Department of Health is propos-
ing a ban on the individual use of re-
works and recrackers and allow only
accredited groups to purchase pyro-
technics.
were males. Ages of the cases
ranged from nine months to 58
years. About 39% (28 cases)
were children less than 10 years
old. Most (59%) were active us-
ers of reworks.
Majority (73%) of victims
sustained blast injuries not re-
quiring amputation, 20% (14)
had eye injuries and 4% (3) were
blasts requiring amputation.
The lone stray bullet victim
was a 60-year old female from
Cagayan de Oro City who was hit
in her left thigh at 10 p.m. inside
their house on Christmas Eve.
Manila
Standard
TODAY
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Republic of the Philippines
ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
FOR APPROVAL OF AUTHORITY TO
DISPOSE OF AND/OR SELL NON-
REGULATORY ASSET BASE (NON-
RAB) PROPERTIES, WITH PRAYER
FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY
ERC CASE NO. 2012-059 MC

MANILA ELECTRIC COMPANY
(MERALCO),
Applicant.
x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:
Notice is hereby given that on September 5, 2012, the
Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) fled an application
for approval of authority to dispose of and/or sale non-
Regulatory Asset Base (non-RAB) properties, with prayer
for provisional authority.
In the said application, MERALCO alleged, among
others, that:
1. It is a private corporation existing under the laws of
the Republic of the Philippines, with principal offce
located at Lopez Building, MERALCO Center,
Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City. It may be served with
notices and other processes of the Commission at
its principal address or through its counsel at the
address indicated;
2. It has a legislative franchise to operate and maintain
a distribution system in the cities/municipalities of
Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal and certain
cities/municipalities/barangays in Batangas, Quezon,
Pampanga and Laguna pursuant to Republic Act No.
9209
1
, and is authorized to charge all its customers
for their electric consumption at the rates duly
approved by the Commission;
3. It is the owner of certain non-RAB properties,
which are covered by Transfer Certifcates of Title
(TCTs) issued in the name of MERALCO, and
more particularly described as follows:
TRANSFER
CERTIFICATE OF
TITLE NUMBER
LOCATION AREA
(SQ.M)
1. TCTNo.11341 P. Burgos Ave., Brgy. San Roque Cavite City 284
2. TCT No.13059
(25784)
TCT No. 5322
( No.16167)
Rizal Blvd., Barangay Tagapo, Sta. Rosa,
Laguna
1,354
406
3. TCT No. RT -74657
(T307181)
L.M. Guerrero St., Brgy. Subic, Baliuag Bulacan
Province
377
4. TCT No. O-9737 Armando Racelis St., Brgy. Ayuti,Lucban City,
Quezon Province
340
5. TCT NO.96326 Gomez St., Brgy. San Juan, Taytay, Rizal 1,030
6. TCT No. RT 29353
(T-15814)
Mabini St., Brgy. Mojon, Malolos, Bulacan
Province
803
7. TCT No. T143699 National Road, Brgy. Bambang, Nagcarlan,
Laguna Province
2,000
8. TCT No. 11750 (534)
RT
(291)
Doa Aurora Blvd., Barangay Gulang-Gulang,
Lucena City, Quezon Province
396
9. TCT No. T- 250507
TCT No. T- 250508
Bayan Luma Road, Brgy. Bayan Luma, Imus
Cavite City
646
179
10. TCT No. 205046 Barangay Palico IV, Imus Cavite 1,166
11. TCT No. S-79861 National Highway, Brgy. Putatan, Muntinlupa
City
1,560
12. TCT No. 259022 Circumferential Road corner Gen. Luna St.,
Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City
996
13. TCT No. 164445. Claro M. Recto Ave., Sta.Cruz District, Manila 275.4
14 TCT No. R-51156 General Luna corner Esguerra Sts., Brgy. Flores
Malabon City
1,399
15. TCT No. T-2790 M. Paulino St., San Pablo City, Laguna Province 900
16. TCT No. N30472 Guerilla St., Brgy. Sto. Nio, Marikina City 700
17. TCT No. 124759 Commonwealth Ave., Barangay Old Balara,
Diliman District, Diliman, Quezon City
468
18. TCT Nos. T- 26251 Brgy. Bolbok, Batangas City 1,313
T-26252 306
T-26253* 31,570
T-26254** 9,985
T-26255 7,920
T-26332 992
* Only a portion (28,146 sq. m.) of this lot will be disposed since 3,424 sq. m. is
presently utilized as substation
** Only a portion (8,379 sq. m.) of this lot will be disposed since as 1,606 sq. m. is
presently utilized as Substation
4. Based on records, said properties are either idle
and/or not being used by it in connection with the
operation of its distribution business. Said properties
are also not part of its RAB;
5. Considering the foregoing, it intends to dispose of and/
or sell the above-mentioned properties;
6. The instant application is being fled pursuant to
Section 20 (g) of the Commonwealth Act 146 or the
Public Service Act, which provides that:
Section 20. Acts requiring the approval of the
Commission. - Subject to established limitations and
exceptions and saving provisions to the contrary, it
shall be unlawful for any public service or for the owner,
lessee or operator thereof, without the approval and
authorization of the Commission previously had -
xxx
(g) To sell, alienate, mortgage, encumber or lease
its property, franchises, certifcates, privileges, or
rights or any part thereof; or merge or consolidate
its property, franchises privileges or rights, or any
part thereof, with those of any other public service.
x x x
7. Considering that the subject properties are not part of
its RAB, and have no impact on distribution rates, it
submits that the disposal/sale of the above-mentioned
properties will neither be detrimental to public interest
nor prejudicial to the operation of its distribution system;
8. It urgently requests for the issuance of a provisional
authority in the instant case so that it could already start
transacting with prospective buyers and eventually
proceed with the disposal of these properties;
9. In support of its prayer for provisional authority, the
following documents were submitted:
(i) Legible Maps showing the exact location of each
property -Annexes B to B-17;
(ii) Detailed Specifcation of the properties - Annexes
C to C-17;
(iii) Pictures of the properties taken during the Ocular
Visit - Annexes D to D-17; and
(iv) Judicial Affdavit of Mr. Ellsworth Vitug, Head, Spend
Management - Asset Management Accounting
Offce of MERALCO -Annex E; and
10. lt further prays that a Decision be rendered granting
the instant application for approval of authority to
dispose of, and/or sell, its non-RAB properties, and
pending hearing, it be issued a provisional authority be
approved.
The Commission has set the application for for jurisdictional
hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and
evidentiary hearing on January 18, 2013 (Friday) at ten oclock
in the morning (10:00 A.M.) at the ERC Hearing Room, 15th
Floor, Pacifc Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City.
All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the
proceeding may become a party by fling, at least fve (5) days
prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in
the ERCs Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verifed petition
with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the
proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioners name and address;
(2) the nature of petitioners interest in the subject matter of the
proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest
is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a
statement of the relief desired.
All other persons who may want theirs views known to the
Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may
fle their opposition to the application or comment thereon at any stage
of the proceeding before the applicant concludes the presentation of
its evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required,
but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and
address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or
comment and the grounds relied upon.
All such persons who may wish to have a copy of the
application may request the applicant, prior to the date of the initial
hearing, that they be furnished with a copy of the application.
The applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making
a request with copies of the application and its attachments,
subject to reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs.
Likewise, any such person may examine the application and
other pertinent records fled with the Commission during the
usual offce hours.
WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson, ZENAIDA G. CRUZ-
DUCUT, and the Honorable Commissioners, MARIA TERESA
A.R. CASTAEDA, JOSE C. REYES, ALFREDO J. NON
and GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, Energy Regulatory
Commission, this 10
th
day of December 2012 at Pasig City.

ATTY. FRANCIS SATURNINO C. JUAN
Executive Director III
1
An Act Granting the Manila Electric Company a Franchise to Construct, Operate and
Maintain a Distribution System for the Conveyance of Electric Power to the End-Users
in the Cities/Municipalities of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal, and Certain
Cities/Municipalities/Barangays in Batangas, Laguna, Quezon and Pampanga
(MST-DEC. 27, 2012)
By Rio N. Araja
MOVIE celebrity and Laguna
Gov. Emilio Ramon ER Ejer-
cito crticized the ongoing Metro
Manila Film Festival over its al-
legedly rigged theatre rafe pro-
cess, but Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority Chair-
man Francis Tolentino denied the
charge and said almost all par-
ticipants in the lmfest are well
aware of the rules.
Beyond Metro Manila, we
allow the theater owners (in the
provinces) to decide what lms
they want to show. They are the
ones who make the decision, not
us, Tolentino said. Otherwise
they wont be joining the lm
fest. They were chosen by the
theater owners.
Tolentino made the remarks in
radio and television interviews on
Wednesday, a day after Ejercito
questioned why the fantasy-com-
edy ick Si Agimat, Si Enteng
Kabisote at Si Ako was being
shown in 130 theaters while bio-
graphical ick El Presidente,
of which he is the lead actor, was
shown only in 51 theaters.
But Tolentino explained that
the rafe system was applied
only to theaters in Metro Manila
over a period of two weeks and
did not include moviehouses in
the provinces.
Moreover, industry sources
said moviehouse owners usually
decide to change their movie
showings if a particular lm did
not do very well in the rst three
days of showing. But the festival
rules only allow the moviehous-
es to choose between the two top
grossers.
So far, the top grossers are Sis-
terakas (at least P40,730,000 as
of Wednesday) and Si Agimat,
Si Enteng Kabisote at Si Ako (at
least P29,500,000.00), according
to showbiz blogger Rod Magaru.
The other lmfest entries
in order of receipts are (as of
Wednesday): 3. One More Try
(at least P13.6 million; 4. Shake
Rattle and Roll 14 (at least P10.5
million); 5. The Strangers; 6. El
Presidente; 7. Sosy Problems,
and; 8. Thy Womb.
Tolentino said the expects to
generate at least P700 million from
the festival and a part of the earn-
ings will be used to help mudslide
victims of Super-Typhoon Pablo
in New Bataan, Compostela Valley
and Cateel, Davao Oriental.
By Gigi Muoz-David
THE re that left three people
dead and 1,000 families home-
less was caused by two children
playing with matches and can-
dles and not by the man who was
beaten to death by his neighbors
on suspicion he committed arson,
the San Juan City re department
said on Wednesday.
City re marshal Gilberto
Dolot said the re started at the
second oor of the house of Fran-
cisco Baulite on Marne Street in
Barangay San Juan at the corner
of Pinaglabanan and P. Guevarra
Streets, at the side of the new
San Juan City hall, where two
children were seen playing with
matches and candles.
[The childrens] aunt Jobelle
Robles herself admitted to San
Juan BFP that she saw the chil-
dren playing with candles. It was
also Jobelle who woke up her
mother, Evelyn, that their house
was on re, Dolot said.
The Baulite family had been
living without electricity for two
months now, so they have al-
ready spent several nights using
candles, he added.
Dolot said the re, that started
at 2:25 a.m., could have been
contained earlier if the rowdy
and drunk residents did not block
and threaten the reghters and
volunteers from entering the vi-
cinity.
We had difculty in putting
out the re because most of the
residents were drunk. Some of
them smashed the windshields of
ve retrucks, others tried to grab
the hoses from the volunteers. It
was pandemonium all over, the
re marshall said.
The re was nally contained
after four hours, around 7:07 a.m.
after the death of three people:
Wilfredo Dineros Jr., brother of
the barangay chairwoman Nelly
Duka; blind man Jose Marco and;
Michael Munoz, who was beaten
to death because his neighbors
suspected him of starting the re
on purpose.
The police are still investi-
gating the circumstances behind
Muoz death, but they appealed
to the residents to dismiss sus-
picions that the community was
intentionally set on re to get rid
of the squatters in the area.
Now is not the right time for us
to spread rumors, said barangay
chairwoman Duka. The Bureau
of Fire had already ruled out these
speculations. It would also not help
at this difcult time to spread false
accusations. I already lost a loved
one and they are implicating me in
this tragedy.
A dialogue between the resi-
dents of Barangay Saint Joseph
and city ofcials, led by San Juan
Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito Es-
trada and Mayor Guia Gomez,
has already been scheduled for
Dec. 28. The meeting is expected
to discuss temporary in-city re-
location and long-term plans for
the affected residents.
Dont buy these. National police spokesman Generoso Cerbo
warned the public against several kinds of reworks that have been
declared illegal because of its unnecessary strength. MANNY PALMERO
A7 Sports Riera U. Mallari, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
11
th
European Champions Cup
MIAMILeBron James and Kevin Durant
exchanged words. Dwyane Wade and Serge
Ibaka did a little shoving. Five technical fouls
were called, and Russell Westbrook punched a
table in frustration.
I HAVE earlier written about the
11
th
European Champions Cup.
This is one deal I feature from that
game:
11
th
Europeans Champions
CupFinal 2
Nor th
Sementa
AK10765
K109642

Q
West East
Primioven Versace
QJ 8432
Q3
J94 87652
J107543 K982
South
Duboin
9
AJ875
AKQ103
A6
West Nor th East South
1 Pass 2
Pass 5 Pass 5NT
Pass 7
Sementa sitting North has a very
distributional hand: six spades and
six hearts. After he opened one spade
partner Duboin bid his hearts. Semen-
ta showed their heart t by making
the splinter of ve diamonds. Duboin
showed his controls by bidding ve
notrump. Sementa without hesitation
bid the grand in hearts.
The next deal I feature from the
games illustrate when opponents do
not make a weak opening bid.
11
th
Europeans Champions
CupFinal 1
Board 8
Nor th
Sementa
7
KQ752
853
J1098
West East
Versace Lauria
10643 KQ9
J86 104
KQJ92 10764
6 K743
South
Duboin
AJ852
A93
A
AQ52
Pass Pass Pass 1
Pass 1NT Pass 2
Pass 2 Pass 4
Pass Pass Pass
In this room Versace passed and
Sementa and Duboin had all the
bidding space to reach their four
hearts contract.
In contrast Madala who is an ag-
gressive bidder opened with two
diamonds:
Board 8
Madala Cima Bocchi Gubilo
2 Pass 3 Dbl
3 3 Pass 3
Pass Pass Pass
Note with all the intervening bids
by Madala and Bocchi Cima and
Gubilo never reached their four
hearts contract.
-oOo-
PLAYING AGAINST
GAROZZOS TEAM ON
BRIDGE BASE ONLINE
Board 11
Nor th
Fulldi Re
975
1054
K954
J73
West East
Sylgen 1 Mohhelmy
AQJ KJ10832
KQ87632 AJ
J3 AQ10
6 A104
South
Sillafu
64
9
8762
KQ9852
Pass
1 Pass 1 Pass
4 Pass 4NT Pass
5 Pass 7 Pass
This was quite an easy auction to
reach the grand slam in hearts. We
were happy to do so against Gar-
rozo and Sillafu.
Comments to: sylvia@globe-
lines.com.ph
SYLVIA LOPEZ
ALEJANDRO
This NBA Finals rematch met
expectations.
And like that series, it ended
with Miami on top.
James had 29 points, nine assists
and eight rebounds, Wade scored
21, and the Heat survived a frantic
nish to beat the Oklahoma City
Thunder 103-97 on Tuesday.
Felt a little bit like a different
month, Heat coach Erik Spoel-
stra said. Regardless of what
your script is coming into the
game, when you play this team,
its not going to go according to
script. Theyre too good.
But on this night, much like last
June, the Heat were better.
Mario Chalmers scored a sea-
son-high 20 for the Heat, who
were 19 for 19 from the foul line,
the second-best effort in franchise
history behind only a 30-for-30
game in Boston on March 24,
1993. Chris Bosh added 16 for
Miami, which has beaten the
Thunder ve straight times going
back to last Junes title series.
Durant scored 33 points and
Westbrook added 21 for Okla-
homa City, but both Thunder
stars missed potential game-ty-
ing 3-point attempts in the nal
seconds.
It was a great game. I cant com-
plain,Thunder coach Scott Brooks
said. We could have done a bet-
ter job of not turning the ball over
in the rst half. All in all, it was a
great game to play and a great game
to coach. Unfortunately, we didnt
come out with the win.
Its the rst losing streak of the
season for the Thunder, who had
been 4-0 after losses. Ibaka and
Kevin Martin each scored 15 for
Oklahoma City.
The game had a little of every-
thinga fast start by the reigning
champions, a one-handed dunk
by James on an offensive rebound
that will be added to his copious
highlight reel, a scrum after a hard
foul that led to double-technicals
on Wade and Ibaka early in the
fourth, an easy rally by the Thun-
der from an early double-digit
decit, and even workout partners
in Durant and James barking back
and forth in the nal minutes.
Such was the intensity that
James slumped over the scorers
table with 1:08 left, exhausted.
Im tired as hell right now,
James saidand that was more
than an hour after the game ended.
LA Clippers nail
14
th
win in row
LOS ANGELESThe Los
Angeles Clippers didnt nish
their 14th consecutive victory
well. They were good enough
through the rst three quarters
that it didnt matter.
Jamal Crawford led a dominant
performance by the Los Angeles
reserves with 22 points in a 112-
100 victory over the Denver Nug-
gets on Tuesday night, extending
the teams franchise-record win-
ning streak while claiming the
best record in the NBA at 22-6.
Its about getting better and bet-
ter, Crawford said. Were trying
to stay locked in and focused.
Matt Barnes added 20 points
one off his season highas
the bench outscored the Clippers
starters 64-48 in moving one win
ahead of second-best Oklahoma
City (21-6), which lost to Miami
earlier Tuesday.
This is fools gold, cautioned
Chris Paul, who led the starters
with 14 points. You dont play
for the regular season. Obviously,
you want to build something.
Kosta Koufos and Jordan Ham-
ilton scored 16 points each for
Denver in the nale of a Christ-
mas doubleheader at Staples
Center. The Lakers, who will play
the Nuggets on Wednesday night
in Denver, beat the Knicks 100-94
in the rst game.
Theyre a very good running
team and theyre very athletic,
so we wanted to just play within
ourselves and play smart through-
out the game, Koufos said. I
thought we established ourselves
early on. We were getting some
good looks, but at the same time,
shots werent going in. AP
Heat whip Thunder again
THE presence of new associations
in its list of members will allow
the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipi-
nas to do more with its grassroots
development program.
SBP president Manny V. Pan-
gilinan said this following last
weeks national congress after
he was given a fresh mandate
to lead the countrys governing
body in basketball.
We could have done more
at the grassroots level. But, as a
whole, it was a good four years.
Hopefully, in the next four years,
it would be better. The programs
will continue. We just have to
complement it with more inten-
sive grassroots programs, stat-
ed Pangilinan.
He is upbeat about the growth
of the SBPs membership, which
originally had 32 active members
with 33 new ones for a total of 65.
Overall, there are 162 mem-
bers, including 82 associates and
30 afliates.
Among the active provincial
groups are the Cebu Youth, the
Collegiate Development League,
Filipino Club Bahrain, the Iloilo
Filipino-Chinese Basketball As-
sociation and the Interscholastic
Athletic Association.
The Universities and Colleges
Athletic Association and the Na-
tional Capital Region Athletic
Association are among those
included in the list of associate
members.
For next year, the SBP
is embarking on a buildup
for four major international
meets. Peter Atencio
Basketball body to boost grassroots program
Top riders. The Philippine national champions and Riders of the Year in the different
motorcycle sports disciplines were feted recently by the National Motorcycle Sports and
Safety Association of the Philippine, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine
Olympic Committees duly-recognized national sporting association for motorcycle sports in
the country, during the annual NAMSSA Gala Awards Ceremony held recently at the Heckle
and Jeckle Bar and Restaurant in Makati City. The awardees are shown here with NAMSSA
ofcials (from left) Armand SalandananRoad Racing Rookie of the Year; Ralph Ramento
Motocross Rookie of the Year; Jovie SaulogSupermoto Rider of the Year; Arthur Valdez
Jr.NAMSSA Deputy president Macky CarapietNAMSSA president; Kenneth San Andres
Motocross Rider of the Year; John Emerson InguitoRoad Racing Rider of the Year; and Mike
Angelo AdaponMotorcycle Drag Racing Rider of the Year.
IN BRIEF
Valle cops 3
rd
crown
NATIONAL player Rodel Valle earned
his third overall title in the mens open
class of Mayor Jun-Jun Binay Cup quar-
terly national table tennis championship
recently at the Makati Coliseum.
Valle, also a member of the Philippine
National Police table tennis team, beat
Al Arnibal of Makati City Panthers in the
championship round, 3-2, to capture the
mens open crown.
I always challenge myself to play
each game as if its the championship
game. Thats the reason why I continu-
ously aspire to become a better player
each day through training. said Valle.
Valle beat Philip Uy of Table Tennis As-
sociation of North District in the quarter-
nals (3-0) and Jong Ortalla of Makati City
Panthers in the seminals (3-1), before
entering in the nal round to meet Arnibal.
Valle also steered PNP team to the
Armed Forces of the Philippines-PNP
Olympics table tennis team event cham-
pionship last November.
2 share lead in Meralco
National Doubles golfest
AR Ramos and Miggy Yee came charg-
ing home to re a three-under 69 and
force a tie with former national cham-
pion Rupert Zaragosa and JP De Claro
at the start of the Meralco National Dou-
bles Amateur (Closed) Championship at
Wack Wacks West Course yesterday.
Ramos and Yee hit four birdies at the
back, including three straight from No.
13, against two bogeys as they closed
out with a 34 to catch the Zaragosa-De
Claro tandem at the helm after the two-
ball (foursome) format.
Zaragosa and De Claro took charge early
with an eagle-spiked 33 but settled for a 36
at the back, enabling Ramos and Yee to gain
a piece of the lead in the event sponsored by
Meralco organized and conducted by the Na-
tional Golf Association of the Phils.
National team mainstay Jobim Carlos,
winner of this event with Raymond Gon-
zales last year, stayed right behind the
joint leaders with a 71, teaming up with
new partner Jonar Austria for ve birdies
and four birdies in the alternate shot for-
mat to trail by two in the three-day rank-
ing tournament serving as the nal leg of
the Globe Business Amateur Circuit.
John Kier Abdon and Chris Jordan
carded a two-over 74 marred by a 38
start and stood ve shots off the leaders
heading to todays second round where
play shifts to four-ball (best ball) with
the nal round to be played under the
aggregate format.
BEFORE the start of this years Philippine Colum-
bian Association Open Tennis tournament, defending
champion Johnny Arcilla, now pushing 32, realized
it was not going to be a picnic for him.
He was gunning for his 7
th
PCA title in the last
eight years, the same period that he has been among
the top-ranked local tennis player and many-time
Davis Cup team member and he decided to do some-
thing different this time for his training.
Three weeks before the tournament opened, Ar-
cilla requested Rommie Chan of the Philippine
Tennis Academy if he can be allowed to train
under the PTA, a private organization put up by
tennis patrons Jean Henri Lhuillier, Oscar Hilado,
Hanky Lee, and Chan in 2011 to discover and train
young tennis talents from the provinces.
The following day, Arcilla reported for train-
ing in Alabang, where he underwent a disciplined
and structured training program, Talagang train-
ing camp at madidisiplina ka. Na-realize ko kasi na
kailangan ko mag-train seriously kung gusto kong
manalo sa PCA, revealed Arcilla, who found him-
self waking up at 6 a.m. everyday for the required
roadwork to improve his resistance.
Focused talaga ako sa training doon at naramda-
man ko naman ang epekto sa kundisyon ko. Wala ka
na kasing intindihin sa needs mo, nandoon na lahat,
including the trainors, added Arcilla though he ac-
knowledged that the biggest help he got from the
PTA was the unofcial coaching he got from Chan.
Si Tito Rommie, nagbigay ng tips sa akin kung
paano ko tatalunin ang mga makakalaban ko sa
PCA. Dati kasi, wala talaga akong coach, father ko
lang ang tumutulong. Pero ngayon, alam ko na na
kailangan ko na ng isang coach at malamang, sa
PTA din ako papatulong uli, said Arcilla.
On the way to the nals, Arcilla showed his new-
found condence, helping him beat top-ranked and
2010 champion Marc Sieber and PJ Tierro. In the -
nals, he defeated second-ranked Fil-Am Ruber Gon-
zales in a four-hour marathon match.
Just before Christmas, Arcilla added another title to his
collection by beating Jeson Patrombon to win the La Con-
solacion Mens Tennis Invitational Championship in Las
Pinas and nish the 2012 season on a high note.
Arcilla credits PH Tennis Academy for triumphs
(MST-Dec. 27, 2012)

INVITATION TO BID FOR HAULING AND DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE FOR THE YEAR 2013
1. The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS through the 2013 LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUND intends to apply the sum
of FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY FIVE THOUSAND PESOS PER MONTH (PHP 585,000.00) being the Approved
Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the HAULING AND DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE
FOR 2013. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.
2. The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS now invites bids for HAULING AND DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE FOR THE
YEAR 2013. Delivery of the services is required immediately upon issuance of the Notice to Proceed. Bidders
should have experience in Hauling and Disposal of Garbage for the past FIVE (5) consecutive years and have
entered into valid contracts with any different Local Government Units (LGUs) prior to the date of submission
and receipt of bids. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in
Section II. Instructions to Bidders.
3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary pass/fail
criterion as specifed in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise
known as the Government Procurement Reform Act.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty
percent (60%) interest of outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or
organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens,
pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.
4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from BAC OFFICE, Mezzanine, Municipal Hall, Pateros,
Metro Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at the said address during offce hours from 8:00 am to 5:00
p.m. from December 28, 2012 - January 07, 2013.
Acomplete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on January 03-07, 2013, from the
above address and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of THIRTY
FIVE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED PESOS (PHP35,100.00)

The Bidding Documents may also be sent through e-mail upon request of the interested party, provided that
Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents before the submission of their bids.
Bids must be delivered to the above address on or before January 24, 2013 @ 2:00 P.M. All Bids must be
accompanied by a bid security in the form and amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Late bids shall not be accepted.
Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled on January 10, 2013 @ 2:00P.M. at the Conference Room, 3/F, Municipal
Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila.
Bids shall be opened on January 24, 2013 @ 2:00P.M. at the Conference Room, 3/F, Municipal Hall, Pateros,
Metro Manila.

5. The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS THRU BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC) reserves the right to
accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award,
without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
6. For further information, please refer to:
ARLENE P. ORTIZ
Head, BAC Secretariat
Mezzanine, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila
Telefax: 641-7195
E-mail address: arlene@pateros.gov.ph
December 10, 2012
________________________
(Sgd.) ADELIO T. DOMINGO
Vice Chairman
Bids and Awards Committee
Municipality of Pateros
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE
Metropolitan Manila
Sports
Manila Standard TODAY
With an opportunity in hand,
the Elasto Painters shoot for a
commanding 3-1 best-of-seven
series advantage over the Mix-
ers in their 6:45 p.m. seminal
tussle in the 2013 Philippine
Basketball Association Philip-
pine Cup at the Mall of Asia
Arena in Pasay City today.
Will Rain or Shine, ahead 2-1
in the series, turn in another re-
sounding performance, or will
it be San Mig Coffees turn to
counter again?
After the Painters masterful
98-72 annihilation of the Mix-
ers on Christmas day, Rain or
Shine coach Yeng Guiao now
knows that another rout tonight
will give his team a huge incen-
tive in its quest for a nals seat.
We are in such a good posi-
tion right now and we got them
(San Mig Coffee) where we
want them to be. Its time for us
to continue what were doing to
put this them in a deeper hole,
said Guiao. This game will be
crucial for us and for them. If we
go up 3-1, well be able to have
one foot on the door. The burden
of adjusting is now with them.
Given the pattern of the se-
ries thus far, where the pro-
tagonists alternated wins, with
both making adjustments after
losing, Guiao is wary that the
Mixers desperately want to tie
the series and level the playing
eld to avoid big trouble.
Of course, they will nd a
way to take this one with their
situation and our lead. We just
have to be ready for what they
have in store. They are a vet-
eran team with a veteran coach
and for sure, they will give us a
handful especially after our big
win last game, added Guiao.
In Game 2, the Coffee Mix-
ers were plainly out of their
element as the in-sync Elasto
Painters led by more than 20
points for most part in the last
DECEMBER 27, 2012 THURSDAY A8
Riera U. Mallari, Editor sports@manilastandardtoday.com sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
By Jeric Lopez
OOZING with condence, Rain or
Shine wants to put a staggered San
Mig Coffee cornered on the ropes.
Lascuna sweeps Order of Merit, Player of Year honors
NBA HOME TEAM IN CAPS LOTTO RESULTS
6/55 000000000000
6/45 000000000000
4 DIGITS 00000000
3 DIGITS 000000
P0.0M+
P0.0M+
Elasto Painters
seek 3-1 edge
By Peter Atencio
ITS a must for national
athletes to compete in the
2013 Philippine Olym-
pic Committee-Philippine
Sports Commission National
Games.
Ofcials of the PSC said
this will serve as the second
phase of their preparations
for the 2013 Southeast Asian
Games in Myanmar.
The statement of the
chairman (Richie Garcia) on
this is the National Games
is like a tryout for the SEA
Games, said commission
Jose Luis Jolly Gomez.
Gomez bared that the rst
phase of training for national
athletes is between January
and until May 2013.
During those months, na-
tional athletes may be sent
abroad by their respective
national sports associations,
with support coming from
the PSC.
He added that any ath-
lete, who skips the National
Games will probably not
receive any nancial assist-
ance from the PSC.
The National Games will
most likely be held in Lin-
gayen in May 2013.
By that time, most of the
national athletes competing
would have completed their
training for the SEA Games
abroad.
The PSC formally dis-
cussed Pangasinans plans to
host the games last October.
Pangasinan Governor
Amado T. Espino Jr. had talks
with PSC chairman Richie
Garcia, with POC president
Jose Cojuangco and Gomez
during the Batang Pinoy
games.
National games a must for PH bets
HOUSTONBrad Corbett,
who owned the Texas Rang-
ers from 1974 to 1980 and
wasnt afraid to regularly
switch out managers, died on
Christmas Eve. He was 75.
Corbetts daughter, Pamela
Corbett Murrin, told The As-
sociated Press that her father
died peacefully in his sleep
on Monday. She said he had
not been sick recently.
The Texas Rangers are sad-
dened to hear of the death of
Brad Corbett,the team said in a
statement. His tenure as owner
was marked by a passion and
drive to bring a winning team to
the fans of North Texas.
At Corbetts helm, the
team had six managers in six
yearsfour in the 1977 sea-
son alone. An article on the
Rangers website also said the
team had its rst four winning
seasons under Corbett and n-
ished second in the AL West
three times. The 94 victories
in 1977 remained the most in
team history until 1999, it said.
The spirit in which Mr.
Corbett served as owner of
the Rangers will be remem-
bered always, the team
statement said.
Corbett was directly in-
volved in decision-making,
including player transactions.
Corbett traded away three fu-
ture Hall of Fame pitchers
Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord
Perry and Bert Blyleven
during his tenure.
Corbett made his money
in the plastics business, turn-
ing a $300,000 loan from the
Small Business Administra-
tion into a multimillion dol-
lar company that sold plastic
pipes for industrial use.
Just three seasons after
the Rangers had moved
from Washington, D.C.,
Corbett bought the team
from Bob Short. He sold the
team to Fort Worth oil man
Eddie Chiles in 1980, when
both the Rangers and Cor-
betts other ventures were
struggling nancially. AP
Former Rangers owner dies
Boston 93 BROOKLYN 76
LA LAKERS 100 NY Knicks 94
MIAMI 103 Oklahoma City 97
Houston 120 CHICAGO 97
LA CLIPPERS 112 Denver 100
By Ronnie Nathanielsz

WORLD Boxing Council silver cham-
pion and mandatory title challenger
Denver Cuello plans to take legal action
against the WBC, headed by its presi-
dent Don Jose Sulaiman, over its failure
to abide by a commitment to give him a
mandatory crack at the world title won
by Chinas Xiong Zhao Zong in Kun-
ming, China last Nov. 24.
The decision to sue the WBC and Su-
laiman arose after the WBC indicated
it would sanction a voluntary defense
by Xiong in a fight card being planned
for the US early next year, possibly
against No. 4-ranked Juan Hernandez
of Mexico.
Cuellos manager Aljoe Jaro had
agreed to step aside and allow Xiong to
ght for the vacant title against Mexican
Javier Martinez Resendiz after Cuello
won a title eliminator with a second-
round technical knockout of another
Mexican in Ganigan Lopez.
The Filipino earlier won the silver title
with a rst-round demolition of Carlos
Perez on Oct. 15, 2011.
WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman
had requested Cuello to step aside in
order to draw the huge Chinese market
into the WBC. The step-aside fee was
$25,000.
Sulaiman, last Oct. 2 in a telephone
interview with the Manila Standar d,
promised Cuello he will ght the winner
of the bout between Xiong (19-4-1, 11
KOs) and Martinez Resendiz (13-3-2, 6
KOs) in Kunming, China.
Sulaiman told Manila earlier that
the promoters had reached an agree-
ment with Jaro, promoter/manager/
trainer of Cuello, who originally re-
fused, but at my personal request,
accepted a step-aside fee, with the
condition that Cuello, who is the sil-
ver world champion and also the of-
ficial challenger, would face the win-
ner in a title fight.
However, Jaro appealed to Manila
Standar d after he received word that
the WBC, at the request of the cham-
pions handlers, had agreed to grant
Xiong a voluntary defense in violation
of the commitment that Cuello would
be given a mandatory crack at the new
champion.
Its terrible what the WBC has done.
I feel sorry for Cuello, who is tired of
waiting for a long time (two years) for a
title shot which he was promised by Su-
laiman, said Jaro.
He defended the actions of the WBC,
claiming the issue of a voluntary defense
was raised at the last WBC convention in
Cancun, Mexico.
There was no objection, said Sulai-
man. Nobody said anything and there
were many representatives from the
Philippines.
Cuello plans to take
legan action vs WBC
TONY Lascuna capped a banner
season by winning the Players
Player of the Year honors, gain-
ing the nods of his fellow pros he
dominated with a three-leg victo-
ry in the just-concluded 15-stage
ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.
His nine-stroke romp in the
season ending P2.5 million ICT-
SI Wack Wack Invitational last
week highlighted Lascunas suc-
cessful campaign in the countrys
premier golf circuit organized by
Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
where he also turned in ve run-
ner-up nishes.
He wound up with P2.5 mil-
lion in winnings, beating 2009
OOM winner Elmer Salvador
by more than P500,000 in a
dominating stint that included
victories at ICTSI Eagle Ridge
Invitational and Manila South-
woods.
Like the rest of the top guns,
Lascuna missed four legs before
the star-studded Wack Wack stage
to campaign on the Asian Tour
but came back strong to rule the
tours richest leg which offered a
top purse of P450,000.
This is really my best year, I
couldnt ask for more, said Las-
cuna, who turned 42 yesterday.
But I worked hard for it, took a
swing change and trained hard to
polish my game.
The ace Davaoeno shotmak-
er, also the top Filipino player
on the Asian Tour at No. 12,
was also unanimously voted
by his fellow pros as the years
top player, completing a rare
sweep of both the OOM and
the Players Player of the Year
honors.
John Kier Abdon copped the
Best Amateur award while Can-
lubang Golf and Country Club,
represented by golf director Rolly
Viray, was named Venue of the
Year during the annual awards
rites of the circuit graced by ICT-
SI PR manager Narlene Soriano
also at Wack Wack.
Salvador, who won at ICT-
SI Sherwood for the second
straight year and at Aboitiz Invi-
tational, also a leg of the Asian
Development Tour, pooled
P1.685 million to finish second
in the OOM race while Zanie
Boy Gialon, who ruled the Ne-
gros Occidental and Canlubang
legs, placed third with P905,103
in winnings.
three frames.
To show Guiaos equal op-
portunity approach, the Paint-
ers red from different angles
as they had ve players tallying
in double-digits to show their
depth and balance.
Theres also yet another huge
cause of concern for San Mig
Coffee that will denitely make
an impact heading tonight.
Two-time Most Valuable
Player James Yap, who is still
hobbled by a painful right knee,
needs to show up should the
Mixers want to even things.
Our players need to collec-
tively step up. We cant fall be-
hind 1-3 against this complete
team, said San Mig Coffee
coach Tim Cone.
Yap, who exploded for 34
points in Game 2, only managed
six markers in the third game as
he struggled against the stingy
check of defensive specialist
Jireh Ibanes, who stuck to him
like a leech.
Iyon talaga ang role ko sa
teamto play defense lalo
na sa scorers ng kalaban kaya
pinagbubutihan ko talaga iyon.
Kailangan ma-contain scorers
nila lalo na si James Yap, said
Ibanes.
MADRIDRafael Nadals
return to competition has
been delayed by a stomach
virus.
The Spaniard was sched-
uled to play in an exhibition
tournament in Abu Dhabi
on Thursday after missing
seven months because of
tendinitis in his left knee.
But he said on his Face-
book page Tuesday that his
doctors ordered him to pull
out when he was running a
fever, telling him his body
needed rest.
My rehab has gone well,
my knee feels good and
I was looking forward to
competing, he said.
The 11-time Grand Slam
champion hasnt played
since June, when he lost
to 100th-ranked Lukas Ro-
sol in the second round at
Wimbledon.
The injury prevented
Nadal from defending his
Olympic singles gold at
the Olympics in London,
where he was supposed
to be Spains flag bearer
at the opening ceremony.
He also had to pull out
of the U.S. Open and
Spains Davis Cup final
against the Czech Repub-
lic, which his teammates
lost without him.
Top-ranked Novak
Djokovic and No. 3 Andy
Murray were also scheduled
to play at Abu Dhabi. AP
Stomach
bug delays
Rafas return
Order of Merit champion Tony Lascuna poses with (from left)
best amateur John Kier Abdon, Rolly Viray, golf director of venue
of the year Canlubang Golf and Country Club, ICTSI PR manager
Narlene Soriano and daughter Shan Antonette during the annual
awards rites of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.
San Mig Coffees Marc Pingris attempts a one-hander against Beau Belga of Rain or Shine in Game 3 of
their teams PBA Philippine Cup seminal series. The Painters won, 98-72, to post a 2-1 lead.
2 EZ2 0000
B1
Business
Ray S. Eano, Editor business@mst.ph
Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor; extrastory2000@gmail.com
IN BRIEF
PLDTs outlook raised
to positive from stable
PSALM readies turnover of Angat Dam
BSP imposes cap on hedging
VOLUME 687.950M VOLUME 344.900M
PSE COMPOSITE INDEX
Closing December 26, 2012
OIL
PRICES
TODAY
P584-P695
LPG/11-kg tank
P47.15-P53.07
Unleaded Gasoline
P38.40-P41.05
Diesel
P40.30-P52.20
Kerosene
P27.20-P31.00
Auto LPG
FOREI GN EXCHANGE RATE
Currency Unit US Dollar Peso
United States Dollar 1.000000 41.1330
Japan Yen 0.011787 0.4848
UK Pound 1.612600 66.3311
Hong Kong Dollar 0.129032 5.3075
Switzerland Franc 1.092180 44.9246
Canada Dollar 1.007557 41.4438
Singapore Dollar 0.819269 33.6990
Australia Dollar 1.042209 42.8692
Bahrain Dinar 2.652520 109.1061
Saudi Arabia Rial 0.266660 10.9685
Brunei Dollar 0.815927 33.5615
Indonesia Rupiah 0.000104 0.0043
Thailand Baht 0.032680 1.3442
UAE Dirham 0.272272 11.1994
Euro Euro 1.319200 54.2627
Korea Won 0.000932 0.0383
China Yuan 0.160413 6.5983
India Rupee 0.018179 0.7478
Malaysia Ringgit 0.326371 13.4246
NewZealand Dollar 0.821490 33.7903
Taiwan Dollar 0.034435 1.4146
Source: PDS Bridge
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Wednesday December 26, 2012
PESO-DOLLAR RATE
40
42
44
46
48
P41.160
CLOSE
Closing DECEMBER 26, 2012
5,832.83
8.89
HIGH P41.130 LOW P41.170 AVERAGE P41.156
5200
4460
3720
2980
2240
1500
1200
Global Gaming acquires 8.7% of Bloomberry
Walk through HallONE. Trade Undersecretary Cristino Panlilio (center) together with Philippine Exporters Confederation
Inc. president Sergio Ortiz-Luis (left) and Philippine Coffee Board co-chairman and president Pacita Juan (second from left) walk
through HallONE at the International Trade Center along Roxas Boulevard corner Gil Puyat Avenue in Pasay City on Dec. 20. They
are joined by the Netherlands Ambassador to the Philippines Ton Boon von Ochsse (right) and his wife Martine. HallONE serves as
a permanent display area for the best Philippine exports.
By Lailany P. Gomez
INTERNATIONAL credit
rater Standard & Poors raised
the outlook of Philippine
Long Distance Telephone
Co., the countrys largest
telecommunications company,
to positive from stable.
S&P also afrmed PLDTs
foreign currency and senior
unsecured rating of BBB-,
following a similar action on the
sovereign credit rating outlook
of the Philippines.
The rating reects the
companys strong position in
the domestic market, diversied
services, integrated network and
solid cash ow measures, S&P
said in a statement.
This afrms that the company
is in the right direction as it evolves
into a multi-media services group
that is fully prepared for the
screen age, said PLDT chairman
Manuel Pangilinan.
He added the recent decision
of the company to sell 80 percent
of its shares in leading Filipino
business process outsourcing
unit SPi Global would further
strengthen PLDTs nances and
improve cash ow.
PLDT president Napoleon
Nazareno said the completion
of the two-year P67-billion
network modernization program
and further turbo-charging of the
network made PLDT ahead of
the competition in terms of service
reliability, speed and efciency.
Strong peso erodes BPOs
THE strong peso is eroding the competitiveness
of the business process outsourcing industry,
according to the Business Processing
Association of the Philippines.
BPAP president Benedict Hernandez cited
the results of a recent study by Everest Group
and Outsource2Philippines, showing the
peso appreciation and the recent depreciation
of Indian rupee now gave India a cost
advantage.
With the 30-percent difference in peso and
Indian rupee exchange rate with the US dollar,
the cost differential has substantially widened,
Hernandez said, adding that is much more
difcult to manage.
Hernandez said while cost was an important
factor for clients outsourcing work to the
Philippines, the IT-BPO industry traditionally
competed for business on the basis of quality of
service and productivity.
Quality of service and productivity continue
to be at the core of our value proposition. But
our industry must also be able to operate within
acceptable market prices. Thats becoming
increasingly difcult as the peso continues to
appreciate, he said.
The Southeast Asian region has become
a preferred destination for global portfolio
investors as a result of sustained weakness in
developed economies. Julito G. Rada
STI expects banner year
STI Education System Holdings Inc. expects
2013 to be a banner year for the company,
banking on the fresh capital raised from a recent
follow-on offering.
STI chairman Eusebio Tanco said in a
disclosure to the stock exchange the company
would continue to acquire new properties for
expansion.
STI recently disclosed construction of a
new STI Academic Center in a four-hectare
property in the Ortigas-Cainta area. The new
campus can accommodate 5,000 students and
will also house a new head ofce for the STI
group.
The P291-million campus is located at the
corner of ROTC Road and Ortigas Avenue
Extension.
STI also recently acquired a 15,000-square
meter lot at the corner of Samson and Caimito
Roads in Caloocan City, which will be the site
for the future STI Academic Center Caloocan.
In Cebu, the company is putting up a school
within a 2,000-square meter property in Ayala
Center Cebu.
STI over the next three years plans to put up
centers in Las Pias, Cubao, Davao, Cagayan
de Oro, Calamba and Lucena. The company
expects to increase its student population to
100,000 by 2015 from the current 68,000.
Jenniffer B. Austria
PRESIDENT Benigno
Aquino III approved the
infusion of an additional P20
billion into the capital of the
Bangko Sentral.
Budget Secretary Florencio
Abad said the amount was part
of the P32.29 billion in quick
disbursing priority programs
and projects approved by the
president that were expected
to bolster domestic economic
growth for the rest of 2012 as
well as in the rst few weeks
of 2013.
Abad said the P20-billion
capital infusion would bring
to P40 billion the total amount
released by the government
for the capital buildup of the
Bangko Sentral.
He said the new capital
infusion would allow the
Bangko Sentral to expand its
rediscounting facility and help
stimulate economic activity
by enhancing the delivery of
credit to the private sector,
particularly micro, small and
medium-scale enterprises.
Abad said with the latest
infusion, the government
was only short of P10 billion
for the total P50 billion
authorized capital stock of
the Bangko Sentral under
Republic Act No. 7653 or
the New Central Bank Act of
1993.
It is only under the
Aquino administration that
BSP received the bulk of
its legally-mandated equity
infusion from the national
government. With this fresh
capital, BSP will be able to
recuperate its losses from
stabilizing our currency,
Abad said.
It is high time for the
national government to
acknowledge the much-
needed contribution of BSP
to macroeconomic stability,
particularly its excellent
management of the monetary
and scal environment, he
said.
Abad said a stronger
and more adequately
capitalized Bangko Sentral
was needed to sustain the
stable macroeconomic and
investment climate, especially
as we look forward to having
an investment-grade credit
rating by next year.
Anna Leah Estrada
By Alena Mae S. Flores
THE government is set to turn
over the 218-megawatt Angat
hydroelectric power plant in
Bulacan to a Korean company
in February.
Power Sector Assets and
Liabilities Management Corp.,
the agency in charge of selling
the governments power assets,
said the Angat hydro plant
would be turned over to Korea
Water Resources Development
Corp. early next year.
K-Water won the bidding
for the power plant in 2010,
but the privatization of the
facility was challenged in
court by non-government
organizations invoking
national interest.
The Supreme Court
afrmed the constitutionality
of the bidding process and
the awarding of the project to
K-Water in October 2012.
We will abide by what the
Supreme Court says. Based
on my understanding, if we
comply with the conditions,
we will award it sometime in
February, PSALM president
Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. told
reporters.
PSALM has not issued yet
the certicate of effectivity
of the contract to K-Water,
which will signal an up-front
payment prior to the turnover
of the asset.
K-Water submitted the
highest bid for the Angat hydro
power plant with an offer of
$440.88 million in 2010.
If it can be done earlier
[than February], we prefer
that, PSALM vice president
Conrad Tolentino said, when
asked for comment.
Tolentino said the agency
would pursue the turnover of
the asset after the Supreme
Court issued a ruling
upholding the legality of the
sale of the Angat facility.
The basis [for the turnover
next year] is the Supreme
Court, which said the sale and
notice of award are valid, he
said.
The high tribunal acted
on the petition of the non-
government organizations
to nullify the sale due to
Constitutionality issues. The
petitioners led a motion for
reconsideration.
K-Water is engaged in the
construction, operation and
management of multi-purpose
dams and multi-regional/
local water supply systems.
It is also involved in complex
development business
assigned by the central/
municipal governments.
Associate Justice Martin
Villarama Jr. issued a 49-page
decision in October declaring
as valid and legal the sale of
the power plant to K-Water
but ruled that National
Power Corp. should retain
control of the dams water
resources, subject to rules and
regulations of the National
Water Resources Board.
By Jenniffer B. Austria
GLOBAL Gaming Philippines
LLC exercised its option to
purchase 921.18 million shares
of Bloomberry Resorts Corp.,
which is building a casino and
hotel project in Paraaque City.
Global Gaming Philippines
is the management services
provider in Solaire Manila
project of Bloomberry.
Bloomberry said in a disclosure
to the stock exchange the shares
would be sold by its parent rm
Prime Metroline Holdings Inc. to
Global Gaming Philippines at a
price equivalent to $15 million,
plus 10 percent of PMHIs cost
of investment in the Solaire
Manila project, or equivalent to
a price of P1.67 per share.
The closing date of this
transaction shall be on Dec.
28, 2012 after the approval of
the Philippine Stock Exchange
of the special block sale,
Bloomberry said.
The transaction will enable
Global Gaming Philippines
to obtain an 8.7-percent stake
in Bloomberry, making it the
second largest shareholder
after businessman Enrique
Razon Jr.
Global Gaming Philippines is
led by veteran casino executives
from Las Vegas and Macau.
Solaire Resorts and Casino is
a $1-billion integrated gaming
and resort project set to open by
March 2013.
Phase 1 of the project
includes a 500-room ve-star
hotel, 18,500 square meters of
gaming space and high-end retail
establishments.
Total investment for phase
1 is expected to reach $750
million while phase 1A, which
will include the development of
another 300-room hotel, spa and
tness facility, 1,800-seat theater,
and other retail and entertainment
establishments will cost another
$250 million.
By Anna Leah Estrada
THE Bangko Sentral on Wednesday
imposed a ceiling on the currency hedging
transactions of banks in a bid to manage
heavy capital ows into the country.
Bangko Sentral Governor
Amando Tetangco Jr. said the
Monetary Board approved caps
on non-deliverable forwards
handled by local and foreign
banks.
Non-deliverable forwards
are short-term, cash-settled
currency forwards between two
parties, who agreed to settle the
difference between a contracted
rate and the prevailing spot
price.
The Bangko Sentral set the
ceiling on NDF transactions at
20 percent of local banks capital
and at 100 percent of the capital
of foreign bank branches.
Tetangco said banks would be
given a transition period of two
months.
The Bangko Sentral earlier
issued a regulation that increased
the capital charge on NDF
position of banks to help address
macro-prudential dimension of
NDF transactions.
We wanted to make sure that
banks who engage [in NDFs]
have enough capital buffer in
case there is change in capital
environment. Today the board
approved a number of measures
to further improve the regulatory
framework, he said.
Tetangco said one of the
measures is to open up the
nancial market to more qualied
participants, citing that just a
handful of banks are participating
in the market so far.
So we would like to allow
other banks to be able to
participate, but with a limit on
the overall NDF exposures of
banksa limit to provide a cap
that is based on a clear policy
anchor instead of what is earlier
agreed upon by banks, Tetangco
said.
Tetangco said all forms of
NDF transactions such as NDF
purchases and sales would be
covered by the new guidelines,
while other forms of NDF were
excluded as of now.
The Philippines is among the
emerging markets that received
heavy capital ows this year,
given its strong growth and
favorable economic outlook.
These capital ows contributed
to the appreciation of the peso to
a four-year high in December,
prompting the Bangko Sentral
to intervene in the market and
build up its gross international
reserves by buying US dollars.
Exporters and business
process outsourcing companies
complained that the strong peso
was hurting their revenues.
Business Processing
Association of the Philippines
president Benedict Hernandez
cited the results of a recent
study by Everest Group and
Outsource2Philippines showing
that the peso appreciation and
the recent depreciation of Indian
rupee now gave India a cost
advantage. With Julito G. Rada
BSP gets
capital
infusion
of P20b
THREE months into his post, Secretary of
the Cabinet Jose Rene Almendras seems
neither here nor there. His duty as Secretary
to the Cabinet as dened by Executive
Order 99 is fuzzy, unlike his recent role as
energy secretary. But Id like to believe that
Rene will play a key role in the Philippine
economy that is about to reach an investment
grade status early next year.
EO 99 denes his role as one that must
facilitate the identication of a list of priority
areas and outcome-based targets in the Social
Contract and PDP [Philippine Development
Plan] 2011-2016, in consultation with the
Cabinet Clusters, for nal approval of the
President.
Rene is also tasked to recommend to
President Benigno Aquino III an annual
detailed and measurable performance and
projects roadmap that will facilitate outputs
of the targets against priorities, in close
coordination with the concerned agencies.
In addition, Rene should assist in providing
timely and organized information to the
Cabinet on issues and problems submitted
for decision and action.
The EOs gobbledygook does not help
dene Renes role and offered no specic.
His membership in Cabinet clusters and
board committees of the National Economic
and Development AuthorityInvestment
Coordination Committee, Social Development
Committee and Infrastructure Committee
however, speaks a lot. The EO also directed
Rene to represent President Aquino in
meetings and other fora to expedite inter-
agency action toward the achievement of the
targets as agreed upon in the roadmap.
Trouble shooter
With a Cabinet rank and his technocratic
background, Rene is an ideal trouble shooter
who can advance the economic goals of the
administration. His rst priority should be
attracting foreign investments, where the
Philippines miserably fails. Manila draws the
least investments among member-countries of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Latest data from the UN Conference on
Trade and Development showed foreign
direct investments in the Philippines in the
rst six months of 2012 stood at $0.9 billion,
the same level that Cambodia posted in the
period. Singapore, in contrast, attracted
$27.4 billion while Indonesia registered $8.2
billion.
Thailand cornered $5.6 billion while
Malaysia posted $4.4 billion in foreign
investments. Pledged foreign direct investment
in Vietnam stood at $12.7 billion in 2012 from
$14.7 billion in 2011, while disbursed FDI
slipped 4.9 percent, the ministry of planning
and investment reported.
The lack of infrastructure deters foreign
investors to place their bet on the Philippines.
Rene, as a member of Nedas InfraCom
and with authority from President Aquino,
should step into the bottleneck problems
hounding the construction of key toll roads,
rail networks, air and sea ports and bridges.
Nearing the half of his presidency, President
Aquino until now has no major infrastructure
to showcase as he promised in his inaugural
address.
Old problems
Doing business in the Philippines remains
difcult, despite governments resolve to
rid the bureaucracy of graft and corruption.
The World Bank and its investment arm,
International Finance Corp., ranked the
Philippines 138th out of 185 countries in
their 2013 Ease of Doing Business scorecard,
down from 136th spot in 2012. The report
said the Philippines lags in implementation
of regulatory reforms that would make it
easier for local entrepreneurs to conduct their
businesses.
The Philippines continues to improve
its macroeconomic environment, but the
implementation of necessary reforms to
reduce the complexity and cost of doing
business continues to lag, and needs higher
prioritization to help assure more inclusive
growth, says IFC resident representative in
the Philippines Jesse Ang.
The report noted that completing a business
transaction in the Philippines required several
complex steps for a number of days. Opening
a business in the Philippines was also much
more difcult than in other countries. In
New Zealand, it requires only one procedure
and one day and costs 0.4 percent of income
per capita; in the Philippines it takes 16
procedures [from 15] and 36 days and costs
18.1 percent of income per capita, the 282-
page report said.
The Philippines has the third most number
of procedures, next to Venezuela with 17 and
Equitorial Guinea with 18.
Renes ofce, perhaps, should look
into this perennial problem confronting
businessmen. While at it, he should also
inquire why the legal resolution of the Ninoy
Aquino International Airports Terminal 3 is
progressing at a snails pace.
E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com
or extrastory2000@gmail.com
or business@mst.ph
TRADI NG SUMMARY
SHARES VALUE
FINANCIAL 8,697,849 626,259,628.80
INDUSTRIAL 103,383,676 721,936,509.66
HOLDING FIRMS 89,864,795 637,642,802.98
PROPERTY 190,407,147 738,909,622.42
SERVICES 240,228,447 661,850,098.95
MINING & OIL 448,723,927 107,451,057.52
GRAND TOTAL 1,081,308,041 3,494,069,600.327
FINANCIAL 1,532.67 (up) 5.92
INDUSTRIAL 8,823.84 (up) 2.89
HOLDING FIRMS 5,165.56 (up) 16.86
PROPERTY 2,317.83 (up) 0.07
SERVICES 1,741.31 (up) 9.10
MINING & OIL 19,286.17 (up) 16.56
PSEI 5,832.83 (up) 8.89
All Shares Index 3,710.33 (up) 9.83
Gainers: 92; Losers: 60; Unchanged: 51; Total: 203
Stocks hit new high
on window dressing
Business
ManilaStandardToday
business@mst.ph 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
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
M
S
T
FINANCIAL
70.50 46.00 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 72.20 72.50 72.30 72.30 0.14 2,741,280 18,785,794.00
77.45 50.00 Bank of PI 95.45 95.80 95.45 95.55 0.10 329,510 19,872,778.00
1.82 0.68 Bankard, Inc. 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.00 40,000
595.00 370.00 China Bank 55.00 55.10 54.85 54.90 (0.18) 388,700 (549.00)
2.20 1.42 BDO Leasing & Fin. Inc. 2.04 1.99 1.99 1.99 (2.45) 37,000
23.90 13.80 COL Financial 19.38 19.48 19.00 19.30 (0.41) 432,900
20.70 18.50 Eastwest Bank 29.00 29.00 28.80 29.00 0.00 245,700 (265,105.00)
22.00 7.95 Filipino Fund Inc. 10.24 10.28 10.24 10.26 0.20 7,300
3.26 1.91 I-Remit Inc. 2.66 2.66 2.65 2.66 0.00 61,000
650.00 420.00 Manulife Fin. Corp. 510.00 510.00 510.00 510.00 0.00 810
39.20 3.00 Maybank ATR KE 22.00 22.80 22.00 22.80 3.64 16,200
102.50 60.00 Metrobank 101.70 103.30 101.80 102.90 1.18 2,247,870 32,054,274.00
3.06 1.30 Natl Reinsurance Corp. 1.78 1.88 1.78 1.88 5.62 201,000
94.50 56.00 Phil Bank of Comm 72.00 72.00 72.00 72.00 0.00 2,000
77.80 41.00 Phil. National Bank 89.00 91.20 88.00 90.90 2.13 456,300 (7,934,939.00)
95.00 69.00 Phil. Savings Bank 96.00 97.00 95.00 97.00 1.04 155,000
500.00 210.00 PSE Inc. 410.00 420.00 418.00 418.00 1.95 24,300
45.50 29.45 RCBC À 57.00 57.00 56.60 56.75 (0.44) 146,790.00 (2,618,955.00)
155.20 77.00 Security Bank 160.50 160.70 160.20 160.50 0.00 142,680 (1,669,466.00)
1100.00 879.00 Sun Life Financial 1010.00 1020.00 1000.00 1010.00 0.00 170
140.00 58.00 Union Bank 114.00 115.50 114.00 114.30 0.26 19,840 (29,718.00)
2.06 1.43 Vantage Equities 2.37 2.44 2.37 2.44 2.95 756,000
INDUSTRIAL
35.50 26.50 Aboitiz Power Corp. 36.90 37.15 36.90 37.00 0.27 3,606,900 (15,045,245.00)
13.58 8.00 Agrinurture Inc. 7.00 7.05 6.82 7.05 0.71 6,900
1.70 0.97 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 1.99 2.00 1.98 1.99 0.00 256,000 19,950.00
48.00 25.00 Alphaland Corp. 27.40 27.35 26.95 27.35 (0.18) 2,000 54,030.00
1.62 1.08 Alsons Cons. 1.26 1.26 1.25 1.26 0.00 423,000
Asiabest Group 18.88 19.00 18.00 18.80 (0.42) 15,500
144.00 42.00 Conc. Aggr. À 64.00 64.00 64.00 64.00 0.00 1,000
2.75 2.30 Chemrez Technologies Inc. 2.95 2.98 2.89 2.94 (0.34) 264,000 260,020.00
9.74 7.41 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 21.60 21.95 20.05 21.90 1.39 28,500
DNL Industries Inc. 4.40 4.440 4.38 4.41 0.23 2,610,000 39,600.00
6.41 4.83 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 6.75 6.81 6.63 6.69 (0.89) 13,389,400 (23,688,306.00)
7.77 2.80 EEI 9.98 9.98 9.90 9.97 (0.10) 338,500 (1,090,386.00)
3.80 1.00 Euro-Med Lab. 1.80 1.82 1.80 1.80 0.00 3,000
19.40 12.50 First Gen Corp. 22.50 22.80 22.30 22.30 (0.89) 1,766,600 (8,269,950.00)
79.30 51.50 First Holdings A 88.40 90.15 88.50 89.40 1.13 431,600 4,070,794.50
27.00 17.50 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 17.50 17.00 16.52 17.00 (2.86) 73,500 (1,037,000.00)
0.02 0.0110 Greenergy 0.0220 0.0220 0.0210 0.0220 0.00 54,900,000 90,700.00
6.00 3.80 Integ. Micro-Electronics 4.21 4.20 3.95 3.95 (6.18) 105,000
2.35 0.61 Ionics Inc 0.640 0.630 0.630 0.630 (1.56) 17,000
120.00 80.00 Jollibee Foods Corp. 107.00 107.90 105.50 105.50 (1.40) 1,166,460 8,213,651.00
Lafarge Rep 10.90 11.02 10.50 11.02 1.10 1,415,700 (5,401,360.00)
8.40 1.04 LMG Chemicals 1.85 1.90 1.85 1.90 2.70 166,000
LT Group 12.74 13.04 12.80 13.00 2.04 779,300 (135,900.00)
1.90 1.11 Mabuhay Vinyl Corp. 1.60 1.62 1.62 1.62 1.25 24,000
3.20 1.32 Manchester Intl. A 12.80 12.80 10.00 10.98 (14.22) 259,300
3.19 1.08 Manchester Intl. B 13.00 12.50 10.00 11.08 (14.77) 83,800 53,184.00
27.45 18.10 Manila Water Co. Inc. 31.95 32.00 31.90 32.00 0.16 830,500 (6,943,260.00)
6.95 0.75 Mariwasa MFG. Inc. 5.04 6.00 4.90 5.70 13.10 368,400 5,715.00
18.10 8.12 Megawide 17.700 18.520 17.500 18.400 3.95 826,400 2,411,598.00
280.60 215.00 Mla. Elect. Co À 262.00 263.00 260.80 260.80 (0.46) 212,050 (11,127,576.00)
12.20 7.50 Pancake House Inc. 7.80 7.75 7.75 7.75 (0.64) 1,000
3.65 1.96 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 6.15 6.15 6.01 6.15 0.00 1,195,500 (4,374,899.00)
16.00 9.70 Petron Corporation 10.34 10.42 10.34 10.40 0.58 2,235,200 (9,620,060.00)
14.94 8.05 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 9.00 9.10 8.86 9.10 1.11 62,300
4.42 1.01 RFM Corporation 4.90 4.92 4.79 4.83 (1.43) 1,953,000 436,200.00
2.49 1.10 Roxas and Co. 3.10 2.15 2.10 2.15 (30.65) 155,000
3.90 2.01 Roxas Holdings 3.10 3.10 3.05 3.05 (1.61) 19,000
6.50 2.90 Salcon Power Corp. 4.70 4.65 4.57 4.65 (1.06) 17,000
34.60 26.50 San Miguel Brewery Inc. 30.00 29.95 29.20 29.90 (0.33) 22,300 14,975.00
129.20 110.20 San Miguel Corp À 102.80 102.90 102.50 102.80 0.00 202,760 5,116,090.00
3000.00 800.00 San MiguelPure Foods `B 242.80 243.40 240.40 241.00 (0.74) 1,180 (2,434.00)
2.62 1.25 Seacem 2.25 3.34 2.67 2.99 32.89 5,844,000 3,261,080.00
0.196 0.112 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.145 0.145 0.145 0.145 0.00 500,000
2.88 1.99 TKC Steel Corp. 1.69 1.70 1.70 1.70 0.59 20,000
1.41 0.90 Trans-Asia Oil 1.15 1.15 1.14 1.14 (0.87) 3,807,000 575,000.00
69.20 37.00 Universal Robina 81.50 82.25 81.50 82.10 0.74 397,000 5,810,531.00
5.50 1.05 Victorias Milling 1.30 1.34 1.30 1.31 0.77 1,080,000
0.77 0.320 Vitarich Corp. 0.95 0.98 0.94 0.96 1.05 349,000
18.00 2.55 Vivant Corp. 11.18 11.20 8.00 9.00 (19.50) 33,700 23,526.00
1.22 0.77 Vulcan Indl. 1.45 1.45 1.42 1.45 0.00 781,000
HOLDING FIRMS
1.18 0.65 Abacus Cons. À 0.68 0.70 0.68 0.68 0.00 5,461,000
59.90 35.50 Aboitiz Equity 51.50 52.40 52.00 52.00 0.97 1,010,210 13,165,942.00
0.019 0.014 Alcorn Gold Res. 0.1410 0.1420 0.1410 0.1410 0.00 57,960,000
13.70 8.00 Alliance Global Inc. 16.50 16.70 16.48 16.50 0.00 4,603,200 30,874,410.00
2.60 1.80 Anglo Holdings A 2.12 2.19 2.10 2.19 3.30 1,055,000
5.02 3.00 Anscor À 5.16 5.23 5.16 5.16 0.00 85,400
6.98 0.260 Asia Amalgamated A 4.90 4.75 4.50 4.75 (3.06) 36,000
2.98 1.49 ATN Holdings A 0.99 1.10 0.92 1.06 7.07 7,133,000
4.16 2.30 ATN Holdings B 0.98 1.01 0.92 1.00 2.04 247,000
485.20 272.00 Ayala Corp À 527.00 530.50 525.00 525.00 (0.38) 396,670 15,237,665.00
64.80 30.50 DMCI Holdings 56.10 56.10 54.60 55.50 (1.07) 678,220 (23,140,284.00)
4.19 1.03 F&J Prince A 2.80 2.90 2.70 2.90 3.57 12,000
5.20 3.30 Filinvest Dev. Corp. 4.60 4.65 4.58 4.60 0.00 913,000 (3,036,100.00)
556.00 455.40 GT Capital 645.00 659.00 645.00 645.00 0.00 35,390 (12,092,510.00)
36.20 19.00 JG Summit Holdings 39.20 39.20 38.20 38.50 (1.79) 665,000 3,579,875.00
6.21 4.00 Lopez Holdings Corp. 6.32 6.38 6.34 6.37 0.79 1,446,800 (2,706,462.00)
1.54 0.61 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.96 0.99 0.99 0.99 3.13 17,000
3.82 1.800 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.79 1.80 1.80 1.80 0.56 55,000
4.65 2.56 Metro Pacic Inv. Corp. 4.39 4.50 4.42 4.44 1.14 6,473,000 (2,030,650.00)
6.24 3.40 Minerales Industrias Corp. 6.00 6.00 5.92 6.00 0.00 72,400 (8,925.00)
9.66 1.22 MJCI Investments Inc. 6.00 6.00 5.70 5.75 (4.17) 3,900
2.40 1.01 Seafront À 1.85 1.67 1.67 1.67 (9.73) 50,000
0.490 0.285 Sinophil Corp. 0.315 0.320 0.320 0.320 1.59 200,000
760.00 450.00 SM Investments Inc. 889.50 902.50 873.50 900.50 1.24 164,780 10,820,040.00
2.71 1.08 Solid Group Inc. 2.03 2.07 2.02 2.05 0.99 256,000 (40,600.00)
1.57 1.14 South China Res. Inc. 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.04 0.00 100,000
0.420 0.101 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.2700 0.2750 0.2700 0.2750 1.85 350,000
0.620 0.082 Wellex Industries 0.2950 0.3000 0.2800 0.3000 1.69 360,000
0.980 0.380 Zeus Holdings 0.340 0.340 0.340 0.340 0.00 20,000
P R O P E R T Y
48.00 18.00 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 17.00 17.02 17.00 17.00 0.00 66,700 8,510.00
3.34 1.70 A. Brown Co., Inc. 3.00 2.97 2.90 2.97 (1.00) 2,575,000 234,600.00
0.83 0.42 Araneta Prop À 0.820 0.850 0.780 0.780 (4.88) 466,000
24.15 13.36 Ayala Land `B 26.80 26.80 26.35 26.45 (1.31) 9,476,400 (63,503,240.00)
5.62 3.08 Belle Corp. À 4.88 4.91 4.87 4.90 0.41 5,604,000 2,847,910.00
9.00 2.26 Cebu Holdings 4.00 4.02 4.02 4.02 0.50 143,000 60,300.00
2.85 1.35 Century Property 1.42 1.45 1.42 1.45 2.11 1,064,000 (314,820.00)
2.91 1.20 City & Land Dev. 2.40 2.38 2.35 2.35 (2.08) 42,000
1.50 1.05 Cityland Dev. À 1.12 1.12 1.11 1.11 (0.89) 1,379,000
0.092 0.060 Crown Equities Inc. 0.065 0.067 0.067 0.067 3.08 10,000
1.11 0.67 Cyber Bay Corp. 0.81 0.80 0.80 0.80 (1.23) 120,000
0.94 0.54 Empire East Land 1.000 1.020 0.990 0.990 (1.00) 56,132,000 (877,120.00)
0.310 0.10 Ever Gotesco 0.385 0.425 0.385 0.410 6.49 42,060,000 739,900.00
2.74 1.63 Global-Estate 1.90 1.90 1.87 1.89 (0.53) 1,309,000 (827,420.00)
1.44 0.98 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.49 1.53 1.49 1.50 0.67 14,819,000 (14,009,040.00)
2.14 0.65 Interport À 1.25 1.25 1.18 1.25 0.00 311,000
2.34 1.51 Megaworld Corp. 2.76 2.80 2.77 2.77 0.36 22,145,000 5,387,410.00
0.36 0.150 MRC Allied Ind. 0.1550 0.1560 0.1550 0.1550 0.00 590,000 (29,450.00)
0.990 0.089 Phil. Estates Corp. 0.6500 0.6700 0.6400 0.6500 0.00 9,672,000 132,000.00
19.94 10.00 Robinsons Land `B 21.00 21.40 20.90 21.00 0.00 3,886,500 (22,835,920.00)
7.71 2.51 Rockwell 2.51 2.51 2.49 2.49 (0.80) 430,000
2.85 1.81 Shang Properties Inc. 3.05 3.10 3.05 3.10 1.64 6,000
8.95 6.00 SM Development À 5.90 5.99 5.91 5.97 1.19 134,200 697,995.00
18.20 10.94 SM Prime Holdings 16.52 17.02 16.54 16.80 1.69 9,244,000 71,532,236.00
0.91 0.64 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.68 0.68 0.68 0.68 0.00 4,000
4.55 1.80 Starmalls 3.96 3.96 3.90 3.96 0.00 29,000
4.66 2.60 Vista Land & Lifescapes 4.750 4.880 4.730 4.880 2.74 8,543,000 6,225,020.00
S E R V I C E S
4.72 1.20 2GO Group 1.88 2.02 1.87 1.87 (0.53) 37,000
42.00 24.80 ABS-CBN 33.55 34.00 33.60 33.90 1.04 123,400
18.98 1.05 Acesite Hotel 1.24 1.28 1.19 1.19 (4.03) 118,000
0.78 0.45 APC Group, Inc. 0.820 0.830 0.820 0.820 0.00 2,874,000
10.92 7.30 Asian Terminals Inc. 9.70 9.70 9.70 9.70 0.00 300
28.80 12.20 Berjaya Phils. Inc. 28.00 26.95 25.00 26.95 (3.75) 1,100
102.80 4.45 Bloomberry 12.98 13.42 13.00 13.34 2.77 4,477,400 (4,121,542.00)
0.5300 0.1010 Boulevard Holdings 0.1350 0.1360 0.1340 0.1350 0.00 20,890,000 67,500.00
24.00 5.20 Calata Corp. 3.90 3.98 3.80 3.90 0.00 753,000
82.50 60.80 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 62.00 62.10 61.60 62.00 0.00 93,830 3,413,723.50
9.70 5.44 DFNN Inc. 4.30 4.29 4.29 4.29 (0.23) 1,000
1750.00 800.00 FEUI 1080.00 1060.00 1020.00 1020.00 (5.56) 200
1270.00 831.00 Globe Telecom 1078.00 1109.00 1081.00 1109.00 2.88 10,370 (3,462,670.00)
11.00 6.18 GMA Network Inc. 9.00 9.10 8.90 9.10 1.11 654,300
77.00 43.40 I.C.T.S.I. 74.05 74.25 74.05 74.25 0.27 888,800 48,840,817.00
18.40 5.00 Imperial Res. À 7.50 7.60 7.60 7.60 1.33 200
6.80 4.30 IPeople Inc. À 9.30 9.30 9.30 9.30 0.00 10,000
34.50 0.036 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.025 0.026 0.025 0.025 0.00 92,800,000 (1,157,500.00)
3.87 1.00 IPVG Corp. 0.54 0.56 0.54 0.56 3.70 6,779,000 (3,494,720.00)
0.0760 0.042 Island Info 0.0480 0.0480 0.0460 0.0480 0.00 1,500,000
5.1900 2.550 ISM Communications 2.3000 2.6500 2.3000 2.6000 13.04 699,000 (421,960.00)
10.30 5.90 Leisure & Resorts 8.00 8.20 8.00 8.11 1.37 1,021,800 58,442.00
2.65 1.03 Lorenzo Shipping 1.32 1.45 1.45 1.45 9.85 24,000
3.96 2.70 Macroasia Corp. 2.50 2.58 2.58 2.58 3.20 1,000
4.08 1.21 Manila Jockey 2.66 2.75 2.55 2.75 3.38 383,000
22.95 13.80 Pacic Online Sys. Corp. 13.90 13.98 13.98 13.98 0.58 8,000
8.58 5.35 PAL Holdings Inc. 4.70 4.90 4.50 4.89 4.04 26,000 (36,150.00)
3.39 1.05 Paxys Inc. 2.98 3.03 2.98 3.02 1.34 353,000
10.00 5.00 Phil. Racing Club 9.50 9.55 9.55 9.55 0.53 17,000 (162,350.00)
71.00 18.00 Phil. Seven Corp. 78.00 83.00 83.00 83.00 6.41 100 8,300.00
17.88 12.10 Philweb.Com Inc. 12.26 12.34 12.26 12.34 0.65 1,413,300 (9,289,460.00)
2886.00 2096.00 PLDT Common 2570.00 2578.00 2568.00 2570.00 0.00 58,685 71,875,620.00
0.39 0.25 PremiereHorizon 0.335 0.330 0.330 0.330 (1.49) 450,000
30.15 10.68 Puregold 32.30 33.00 32.25 32.55 0.77 1,442,300 (5,472,070.00)
STI Holdings 1.07 1.08 1.05 1.06 (0.93) 6,908,000 954,000.00
4.75 3.30 Touch Solutions 7.54 7.49 7.10 7.31 (3.05) 123,600
0.79 0.34 Waterfront Phils. 0.420 0.420 0.410 0.420 0.00 110,000
Yehey 1.400 1.360 1.300 1.300 (7.14) 115,000
MINING & OIL
0.0083 0.0038 Abra Mining 0.0056 0.0056 0.0056 0.0056 0.00 47,000,000
6.20 3.01 Apex À 4.60 4.75 4.75 4.75 3.26 2,000
6.22 3.00 Apex `B 4.60 4.60 4.60 4.60 0.00 2,000
20.80 14.50 Atlas Cons. À 18.80 18.90 18.20 18.80 0.00 891,700 1,725,848.00
48.00 20.00 Atok-Big Wedge À 22.00 22.30 18.20 22.20 0.91 10,500
2.23 1.05 Century Peak Metals Hldgs 0.86 0.85 0.85 0.85 (1.16) 298,000
Coal Asia 1.03 1.05 1.03 1.03 0.00 3,586,000
61.80 6.96 Dizon 15.28 15.38 15.00 15.36 0.52 4,400 (7,630.00)
1.21 0.50 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.50 0.51 0.50 0.51 2.00 686,000
1.81 1.0600 Lepanto À 1.000 1.000 0.980 1.000 0.00 9,503,000
2.070 1.0900 Lepanto `B 1.090 1.090 1.070 1.080 (0.92) 2,307,000 (800,410.00)
0.085 0.042 Manila Mining À 0.0580 0.0590 0.0580 0.0590 1.72 299,350,000
0.840 0.570 Manila Mining `B 0.0580 0.0590 0.0580 0.0590 1.72 4,380,000
36.50 15.04 Nickelasia 16.06 16.48 16.04 16.18 0.75 153,700 395,390.00
12.84 2.91 Nihao Mineral Resources 4.90 5.49 4.85 5.08 3.67 16,000
1.100 0.008 Omico 0.5800 0.5700 0.5700 0.5700 (1.72) 700,000
8.40 2.99 Oriental Peninsula Res. 3.480 3.510 3.450 3.490 0.29 113,000
0.032 0.014 Oriental Pet. À 0.0200 0.0200 0.0190 0.0190 (5.00) 2,100,000
0.033 0.014 Oriental Pet. `B 0.0200 0.0200 0.0200 0.0200 0.00 5,000,000
7.05 5.10 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 5.90 6.05 6.05 6.05 2.54 16,000
28.25 18.40 Philex À 14.96 14.940 14.720 14.74 (1.47) 1,783,000 1,424,058.00
48.00 3.00 PhilexPetroleum 29.30 29.35 28.65 29.35 0.17 65,400 367,950.00
0.062 0.017 Philodrill Corp. À 0.038 0.040 0.038 0.039 2.63 63,900,000
257.80 161.10 Semirara Corp. 230.00 231.80 231.00 231.80 0.78 93,200 6,301,680.00
0.029 0.015 United Paragon 0.0170 0.0180 0.0170 0.0180 5.88 6,700,000
PREFERRED
50.00 23.05 ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 33.55 33.80 33.50 33.75 0.60 521,000 (15,340,915.00)
103.50 100.00 First Gen G 105.00 102.00 101.00 101.50 (3.33) 78,500 51,000.00
109.80 101.50 First Phil. Hldgs.-Pref. 103.50 103.50 103.00 103.00 (0.48) 3,500
11.02 6.00 GMA Holdings Inc. 9.30 9.45 9.20 9.45 1.61 604,400 100,778.00
116.70 108.90 PCOR-Preferred 107.70 108.50 108.50 108.50 0.74 50
SMC Preferred A 74.95 74.95 74.75 74.95 0.00 208,390
80.00 74.50 SMC Preferred B 74.20 74.20 74.20 74.20 0.00 7,470
SMC Preferred C 74.50 75.00 74.50 75.00 0.67 31,000 1,266,500.00
1050.00 1000.00 SMPFC Preferred 1016.00 1014.00 1014.00 1014.00 (0.20) 100
WARRANTS & BONDS
1.31 0.62 Megaworld Corp. Warrants 1.80 1.72 1.72 1.72 (4.44) 100,000
1.38 0.67 Megaworld Corp. Warrants2 1.66 1.75 1.75 1.75 5.42 35,000
S M E
6.20 4.18 Ripple E-Business Intl 10.50 10.50 8.50 8.50 (19.05) 2,200
RAY S. EANO
Almendras should assume
the role of a super secretary
THE stock market rose to a new record
Wednesday, powered by blue chips and
window dressing toward the end of the
trading year.
The Philippine Stock
Exchange index inched up
8.89 points, or 0.1 percent,
to 5,832.83, eclipsing the
previous high of 5,831.50 on
Dec. 11. Gainers beat losers,
92 to 60, with 51 issues
unchanged.
Banks led gainers in
anticipation of the Philippines
credit upgrade next year.
Metropolitan Bank and Trust
Co., the second-biggest lender,
gained 1.2 percent to P102.90,
while BDO Unibank Inc., the
largest bank, rose 0.1 percent
to P72.30. Philippine National
Bank, which is about to merge
with sister unit Allied Banking
Corp., advanced 2.1 percent to
P90.90.
SM Prime Holdings Inc.,
operator of the countrys biggest
retail chain, rose 1.7 percent to
P16.80. SM Investments Corp.,
the holding company of retail
tycoon Henry Sy Sr., climbed 1.2
percent to P900.50.
Aboitiz Power Corp., the
second-biggest power producer,
rose 0.3 percent to P37. Parent
Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.
advanced 1 percent to P52.
International Container
Terminal Services Inc., the largest
port operator, gained 0.3 percent
to P74.25, while Bloomberry
Resorts Corp. jumped 2.89
percent to P13.34.
The rest of Asian stock markets
rose Wednesday as traders
snapped up stocks before the
end of the year, while the Tokyo
benchmark neared a high for the
year after a new, pro-business
government prepared to assume
leadership in a country plagued
for years by economic lethargy.
Japans Nikkei 225
index gained 0.4 percent to
10,122.82 at midday as a
further weakening yen gave
momentum to the countrys
major exporters. The
benchmarks highest intraday
level of the year, 10,255.15,
was reached on March 27.
Incoming Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe has put pressure
on the Bank of Japan to raise
its ination target from 1 to 2
percent to extricate the country
from two decades of deation
continually dropping prices
which has deadened economic
activity.
Abe was to name a new Cabi-
net on Wednesday, following the
resignation of Prime Minister
Yoshihiko Nodas government.
Abe has also urged the central
bank to take steps to dampen
the strength of the countrys
currency. A strong yen has hob-
bled big exporters like Toyota
by eroding the value of repatri-
ated earnings and making Japa-
nese products more expensive
overseas. With AP
Business
ManilaStandardToday
business@mst.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com
THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 2012
B3
Meralco
supply
contracts
approved
Coconut producers
to prepare roadmap
ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE SALE
OF VARIOUS SUB-TRANSMISSION
LINES/ASSETS OF THE NATIONAL
TRANSMI SSI ON CORPORATI ON
(TRANSCO) TO THE CONSORTIUM
OF I B A A N EL ECT RI C A ND
ENGI NEERI NG CORPORATI ON
(IEEC) AND BATANGAS II ELECTRIC
COOPERATIVE, INC. (BATELEC 2), AS
COVERED BY A CONTRACT TO SELL
DATED 22 DECEMBER 2011
TRANSCO, IEEC and BATELEC II,
Applicants.
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
ERC CASE No. 2012- _____RC
JOINT APPLICATION
Applicants NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION (TRANSCO), IBAAN
ELECTRIC AND ENGINEERING CORPORATION (IEEC) AND BATANGAS II
ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BATELEC 2) through their respective counsels,
and to this Honorable Commission, respectfully aver that:
1. TRANSCO is a government-owned and controlled corporation created and
existing by virtue of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power
Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), with principal offce address at the TRANSCO
Main Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City. It may be
served with pleadings, notices, orders and other documents through its undersigned
counsel at its principal offce address;
2. IBAAN ELECTRIC AND ENGINEERING CORPORATION is an electric
distribution utility (DU) organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the
Philippines, with principal offce address at Poblacion, Ibaan, Batangas, Philippines.
It may be served with pleadings, notices, orders and other documents through its
undersigned counsel;
3. BATANGAS II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. is an electric cooperative
(EC) organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with
principal offce address at Antipolo del Norte, Lipa City, Philippines. It may be served
with pleadings, notices, orders and other documents through its undersigned counsel;
4. By virtue of Section 8 of EPIRA, TRANSCO assumed the electrical transmission
functions of the National Power Corporation (NPC) and it was authorized and made to
assume the responsibility of NPC for the planning, construction and centralized operation
and maintenance of high voltage transmission facilities, including grid interconnections
and ancillary services;
5. Section 8 of the EPIRA and Rule 6, Section 8 (e) of the EPIRA Implementing
Rules and Regulations (IRR) also mandate the segregation of the transmission and
sub-transmission functions and assets for transparency and disposal, and authorize
TRANSCO to negotiate, and to transfer such sub-transmission assets (STAs) and
facilities to qualifed distribution utilities (DUs);
6. Moreover, Section 8 of the EPIRA likewise states that Where there are two or
more connected distribution utilities, the consortium or juridical entity shall be formed
by and composed of all of them and thereafter shall be granted a franchise to operate
the sub-transmission assets by the ERC.
7. Pursuant thereto, this Honorable Commission promulgated the Guidelines on
the Sale and Transfer of the TRANSCOs Sub-transmission Assets and the Franchising
of Qualifed Consortiums (ERC Guidelines) dated 17 October 2003;
8. Consistent with the ERC Guidelines, TRANSCO has adopted its own Guidelines
on the Sale of Sub-transmission Assets (TRANSCO Guidelines) as approved by
TRANSCO Board Resolution No. TC-2003-067 dated 28 November 2003, as further
amended by TRANSCO Board Resolution No.TC-2004-009 dated 16 March 2004;
Copies of the TRANSCO Guidelines and TRANSCO Board Resolutions Nos. TC-
2003-067 and TC-2004-009 are hereto attached as Annexes A, B and C, respectively;
9. On 16 July 2011, the Honorable Commission issued Resolution No. 15, Series
of 2011, entitled: A Resolution Adopting the Amended Rules for the Approval of the Sale
and Transfer of TRANSCOs Sub-transmission Assets and the Acquisition by Qualifed
Consortiums.
10. Section 2 (c) of the Amended STA Guidelines provides that a Consortium shall
refer to a juridical entity or an association formed by and composed or two or more
distribution utilities each of whom is connected to one or more subtransmission assets
in common with one or more other distribution utilities. xxx;

11. In accordance with the Amended STA Guidelines, TRANSCO evaluated that
the following assets meet the criteria for STAs:
a. Batangas-Ibaan-Rosario 69 kV transmission line; and,
b. Batangas S/S 69 kV Termination (54BS4);
Copies of the Report that the assets for sale meet the criteria for STAs, list of STAs
for sale and the electrical and single line diagram are hereto attached as Annexes D,
E and F, respectively;
12. IEEC and BATELEC II are commonly connected to the above STAs. Thus,
pursuant to Section 8 of the EPIRA and the ERCs Amended STA Guidelines, IEEC
and BATELEC II formed a Consortium, without a separate juridical entity, only for the
purpose of acquiring, maintaining, operating, upgrading and expanding the above STAs;

13. Under the Consortium Agreement dated 19 December 2011 (Annex G ),
IEEC and BATELEC II shall share in the acquisition costs of the subject STAs in
proportion to their respective load requirements. This load requirement shall be based
on the highest demand recorded for the last twelve (12) months of the National Grid
Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) billing to each DU. As such, the share in load
and subscription costs
1
shall be as follows:
Summary Subscription Cost
BATELEC II IEEC Total
Sharing (P in M) 19,461,257.81 2,188,823.19 21,650,081.00
% Share 89.89% 10.11% 100%
Load (kW) 33,607 3,781 37,388

14. The Consortium Agreement also clearly states under Article VI, Section thereof,
the Sharing and Terms of Payment, as follows:
IEEC shall be responsible for paying the down payment for the STAs
equivalent to TWO MILLION ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY EIGHT THOUSAND
EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTY THREE AND 19/100, Philippine currency
(PhP2,188,823.19).
After the down payment is fully paid, BATELEC II shall be solely responsible
for the payment of the balance equivalent to NINETEEN MILLION FOUR
HUNDRED SIXTY ONE TWO HUNDRED FIFTY SEVEN AND 81/100,
Philippine currency (PhP19,461,257.81), which shall be paid in twenty (20)
years or two hundred forty (240) equal monthly installments, plus interest
and/or penalties for late payment that may be imposed by TRANSCO.
Any payment made pursuant to Section 2.1 and 2.2 hereof shall form part of
the Regulatory Asset Base (RAB) of the Parties.
15. Moreover, there shall be no revenue sharing between the Parties of the
Consortium. Revenues derived from customers located within the respective franchise
areas of the Parties shall redound only to the Party having the exclusive franchise to
serve such customer. (Article I, Section 3 of the Consortium Agreement);
16. The Consortium of IEEC and BATELEC II meets the fnancial and technical
capability criteria set forth in the ERC Amended STA Guidelines, to acquire, operate,
maintain, upgrade and expand the subject STAs. Hereto attached as Annexes H and
I, respectively, are the Audited Financial Statements of IEEC dated 31 December 2009
and the Audited Financial Statements of BATELEC II as of 31 December 2009 and 31
December 2010;

Annexes J and K, respectively, pertain to the Technical and Financial
Qualifcation Evaluations conducted by TRANSCO;
17. On 12 November 2011, the BATELEC II Board of Directors issued Board
Resolution No. 162-B, Series of 2011 (Annex L) entitled, Resolution Designating the
Authorized Signatories to the Consortium Agreement Between BATELEC II and Ibaan
Electric for the Acquisition of the Batangas-Ibaan-Rosario STAs;
18. On 16 December 2011, the IEEC Board of Directors issued Board Resolution
No. 25, Series of 2011 (Annex M) authorizing the subject purchase and designating
IEECs representative/s thereto. Hereto attached as Annex N is a copy of the
Secretarys Certifcate dated 18 December 2011;
19. On 22 December 2011, TRANSCO and the Consortium of IEEC and
BATELEC II concluded a Contract to Sell (Annex O) covering the subject STAs. Under
the said Contract, the Consortium shall pay TRANSCO the amount of TWENTY ONE
MILLION FOUR HUNDRED NINETY SIX THOUSAND EIGHTY ONE, Philippine
Currency (PhP21,496,081.00), net of adjustments and deductions, subject to further
adjustments for any major capital improvements, expansions and additions such as, but
not limited to, the replacements of poles, breakers and equipment which are undertaken
from the execution of the Contract up to the fnal approval thereof by the Energy
Regulatory Commission, but before its effectivity, but not yet included or recognized in
the TRANSCO books, until the transfer of ownership of the assets to the Consortium;
20. On 15 August 2012, IEEC and BATELEC II concluded an Amended
Consortium Agreement (Annex P) that is more in consonance with the above-cited
Contract to Sell, to wit:
Section 2, Article II: Description and Subscription Amount The description of
the STAs and subscription amount to be contributed by the Parties to the STAs shall
be as follows:
i. Batangas-Ibaan-Rosario 69 kV Line (Circuit 56BS8). This STA is a 19.82
km line that is located in Batangas. The asset shall be shared by BATELEC
II and IEEC in proportion to their load requirements, to wit:
Circuit 54BS4 Subscription Cost
BATELEC II IEEC Total
Sharing (P in M) 19,322,827.21 2,173,253.79 21,496,081.00
% Share 89.89% 10.11% 100%
Load (kW) 33,607 3,781 37,388

Section 1, Article IV: Consortium Working Fund The annual share/contribution
of the Parties to the Consortium working fund shall be proportionate to their
load requirement per STA, and shall collectively be equivalent to 10% of the
acquisition cost of the STAs or PhP2,149,608.10 Initially, each Party agrees
to pay and remit within thirty (30) days upon approval of this Consortium,
provisional or otherwise, a contribution equivalent to ten percent (10%) of its
subscription amount.
Section 1, Article VI. Purchase Price of the STA. The total purchase price
to be paid by the Parties upon approval by the ERC, whether provisional or
otherwise, of the sale of the STA shall be TWENTY ONE MILLION FOUR
HUNDRED NINETY SIX THOUSAND EIGHTY ONE, Philippine currency
(PhP21,496,081.00), subject to further adjustments for any major capital
improvements, such as the replacement of poles which are undertaken after
the signing of the Contract to Sell between TRANSCO and the Consortium,
but before its effectivity.
21. The foregoing Amended Consortium Agreement fnds support in IEEC Board
Resolution No. 04, Series of 2012 dated 13 August 2012 (Annex Q), as well as
BATELEC II Board Resolution No. 079, Series of 2012 (Annex R);
22. The subject STAs are valued in reference to the 2008 Sinclair Knight Merz
(SKM) valuation pursuant to ERC Resolution No. 01, Series of 2009, as amended. An
excerpt from the SKM report is hereto attached as Annex S. Also attached as Annex
T is a Tentative Schedule of Payments;
23. IEEC and BATELEC II are the only DUs utilizing the subject assets and there
are existing directly connected customers thereto as listed in Annex U hereof;
24. Furthermore, TRANSCO, IEEC and BATELEC 2 respectfully submit the
following documents as part of the requirements provided in the ERC Guidelines:

a. Draft Deed of Sale (Annex V); and,
b. Description of the Franchise Area being served by the subject assets
(Annex W);

25. The proposed sale has satisfed all of the requirements and criteria set by
the EPIRA and its IRR, as well as the ERC and TRANSCO Guidelines on the Sale of
Subtransmission Assets;
26. The approval by this Honorable Commission of the instant Joint Application shall
pave the way for the attainment of a reformed electricity industry under the EPIRA, which
would ultimately best serve the interest of the consuming public.
PRAYER
WHEREFORE, it is most respectfully prayed to this Honorable Commission that after
due notice and hearing, judgment be rendered APPROVING the sale of TRANSCOs
STAs to the CONSORTIUM of IBAAN ELECTRIC AND ENGINEERING CORPORATION
(IEEC) and BATANGAS II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BATELEC 2 ), under the
terms set forth in the Contract to Sell dated 22 December 2011, including the approval of
the Amended Consortium Agreement dated 15 August 2012 between IEEC and BATELEC
2, and the issuance of a franchise in favor of the CONSORTIUM to acquire, operate,
maintain, upgrade and expand the subject sub-transmission assets.
Applicants also pray for other just and equitable relief.
Respectfully submitted, Quezon City, __________ and __________ City, for Pasig
City, 06 December 2012.
NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION
TransCo Main Bldg., Quezon Ave. cor. BIR Rd., Diliman, Q.C
Tel. Nos. 9021-500
By:
(Sgd.) NOEL Z. DE LEON
General Counsel
IBP No. 826768, 01.12.12, Quezon City
Roll of Attorneys No. 36660
MCLE Compliance No. III-0012070, 04.06.10
(Sgd.) LEON T. TAPEL, JR.
Deputy Legal Counsel
IBP No. 869895, 11.05.11, PPLM
MCLE Compliance No. III-0004876
(Sgd.) GINA LOURDES D. VALEROS
Manager, Legal Counseling Department
IBP No. 08200 (Lifetime), Quezon City
MCLE Compliance III-110011545, 04.13.10
(Sgd.) SOLEDAD T. DE LA VEGA-CABANGIS
Corporate Attorney III
Roll of Attorneys No. 45797, 05.24.01
IBP No. 825514 (Lifetime), 04.23.10, Bulacan
MCLE Compliance No. II-0010363
BATANGAS II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
(BATELEC 2)
By:
(Sgd.) RENE ANTONIO R. CIRIO
(Counsel for Co-Applicant, BATELEC 2)
Rm. 201, J&C Bldg., M.L. Quezon St.,
Antipolo City
IBP No. 845794, 12.28.11, Rizal Chapter
PTR No. 3283022, 01.02.12, Antipolo City
MCLE Compliance No. III- 0016932, 06.0110
IEEC
Republic of the Philippines )
Quezon City ) S.S.
VERIFICATION and CERTIFICATION of NON-FORUM SHOPPING
I, ROLANDO T. BACANI, Filipino, of legal age, with offce address at the National
Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO), TRANSCO Main Building, Quezon Avenue corner
BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City, after having been duly sworn in accordance with law, do
hereby depose and state that:
1. I am the President and Chief Executive Offcer (CEO) of TRANSCO, and have
been duly authorized to represent it in the above-entitled case pursuant to Sec. 5.0 of
the Revised Manual of Approvals (Annex T) duly approved by the Transco Board on 04
February 2010 under TRANSCO Board Resolution No. TC 2010-001;
2. I have caused the preparation of the foregoing Joint Application;
3. I have read the contents thereof and I attest that the allegations therein contained
are true and correct based on my personal knowledge and on authentic records;
4. I have not heretofore commenced any other action or proceeding involving the
same issue with the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or the different divisions thereof,
or any other court, tribunal or agency; and,
5. Should I thereafter learn of such other similar action(s) or proceeding(s), I hereby
undertake to promptly inform this Honorable Commission of such fact within fve (5) days
therefrom.
(Sgd.) ROLANDO T. BACANI
Affant
SUBSCRIBED and SWORN to before me this ____ day of ________ 2012, affant
exhibited to me ________issued in the Philippines.

NOTARY PUBLIC
My commission expires ________________.
Doc. No. _____;
Page No._____;
Book No._____;
Series of 2012.
Pasig City ) S.S.
VERIFICATION and CERTIFICATION ON NON-FORUM SHOPPING
I, EDRALYN JOY A. SALVAME, of legal age, married, with offce address at IBAAN
ELECTRIC AND ENGINEERING CORPORATION (IEEC), Poblacion, Ibaan, Batangas,
Philippines, hereby state under oath that:
1. I am the General Manager of IEEC who is authorized to represent it in this
Joint Application as per the attached Secretarys Certifcate;
2. I have caused the preparation of the instant Joint Application and read the
contents thereof, and I attest that the allegations herein contained are true
and correct based on my personal knowledge and on authentic records;
3. I have not commenced any other action or proceeding involving the same
issues in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any court, tribunal, or
quasi-judicial agency and, to the best of my knowledge, no such other action
or claim is pending therein; and,
4. Should I hereinafter learn that the same or a similar action or claim has been
fled or is pending in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any court,
tribunal, or quasi-judicial agency, I shall report the said fact within fve (5)
days from discovery thereof to this Honorable Commission.
(Sgd.) EDRALYN JOY A. SALVAME
Affant
SUBSCRIBED and SWORN to before me this ____ day of ________ 2012, affant
exhibited to me her ________ ID No. _______________ issued in the Philippines.

NOTARY PUBLIC

Doc. No. _____;
Page No._____;
Book No._____;
Series of 2012.
Batangas City ) S.S.
VERIFICATION and CERTIFICATION ON NON-FORUM SHOPPING
I, MR. RUPERTO H. MANALO, of legal age, married, with office address at
BATANGAS II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BATELEC 2), Antipolo Del Norte, Lipa
City, hereby state under oath that:
1. I am the Board President who is authorized to represent BATELEC 2 in
this Joint Application as per the attached BATELEC 2 Board Resolution
(Annex U);
2. I have caused the preparation of the instant Joint Application and read the
contents thereof, and I attest that the allegations herein contained are true
and correct based on my personal knowledge and on authentic records;
3. I have not commenced any other action or proceeding involving the same
issues in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any court, tribunal, or
quasi-judicial agency and, to the best of my knowledge, no such other action
or claim is pending therein; and,
4. Should I hereinafter learn that the same or a similar action or claim has been
fled or is pending in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any court,
tribunal, or quasi-judicial agency, I shall report the said fact within fve (5)
days from discovery thereof to this Honorable Commission.
(Sgd.) MR. RUPERTO H. MANALO
Affant
SUBSCRIBED and SWORN to before me this ____ day of ________ 2012; affant
exhibited to me his valid identifcation document (I.D.) no.___________ issued in the
Philippines.
NOTARY PUBLIC
Doc. No. _____;
Page No._____;
Book No._____;
Series of 2012.
(MST-Dec. 27, 2012)
GSIS-PhilPost agreement. Government Service Insurance
System president and general manager Robert Vergara and Philippine
Postal Corp. postmaster general and chief executive Ma. Josena
dela Cruz shake hands after signing an agreement to settle the
latters premium arrearages. PPCs 8,121 employees can now le for
a GSIS loan while retirees can expect adjustments in their pensions
corresponding to the payments. GSIS since 2010 has signed 104
agreements with other government agencies to restore their good
standing status and employees benets.
By Alena Mae S. Flores
THE Energy Regulatory Commission
approved the power supply agreements
between power distributor Manila Electric
Co. and ve energy producers covering
2,880 megawatts.
Meralco led with the ERC separate applications for approval of
its seven-year power supply agreements with San Miguel Energy
Corp., South Premiere Power Corp., Therma Luzon Inc., Masinloc
Power Partners Co. Ltd. and Sem-Calaca Power Corp.
The approval of the instant application will ensure continuous
and reliable supply of electricity to Meralcos customers and will
minimize, if not avoid, its exposure to volatile prices in the WESM
[wholesale electricity spot market, the ERC said.
It said the proposed rate was lower than National Power Corp.s
transition supply contract rate.
The ERC said the average generation rate of the ve power suppliers
was P4.9616 per kWh, lower by P0.5938 per kWh, compared with
Napocors average generation rate of P5.5554 per kWh for January
to June 2012.
Meralco executed a power supply agreement with San Miguel
Energy to purchase 200 MW to 500 MW from the Sual coal- red
power plant in Pangasinan.
Meralcos contract with San Miguel is around P4.5049 per kWh,
signicantly lower than the transition supply contract rate of P6.0454
per kWh (as of May 2012).
The ERC, however, approved a lower annual xed operations and
maintenance fee for Meralcos contract with the power rms.
Meralcos power requirements accounted for 70 percent of Luzons
total demand. The ERC said if the power distributor would source
more than 50 percent of its demand from the spot market, it may
result to the volatility in the market prices.
Meralco also signed a supply agreement with South Premiere for
the purchase of 1,180 MW from the Ilijan natural gas-red power
plant in Batangas.
By Othel V. Campos
AN ALLIANCE of coconut
producers will meet in early
January to discuss a new
industry roadmap and the proper
use of the P70-billion coconut
levy funds.
The United Coconut
Association of the Philippines
said it would hold the summit
after the Supreme Court declared
the government as the owner of
the coco levy funds.
The summit will also see
the drafting of a roadmap that
will guide the industry to the
development of downstream
industries, UCAP president
Dean Lao said.
The group is composed of
major industry-associations such
as the Association of Philippine
Coconut Desiccators, Coconut Oil
Reners Association, Philippine
Oleo-chemical Manufacturers
Association, Philippines Coconut
Oil Producers Association Inc.,
the Philippine Coconut Producers
Federation Inc. and Virgin
Coconut Producers and Traders
Association of the Philippines.
Lao said that since the Supreme
Court directed that the assets
be utilized exclusively for the
benet of the coconut farmers and
the development of the coconut
industry, there was a need for a
consensus from all stakeholders
on the implementation of the
ruling.
It is UCAPs hope that
through this conference, all
stakeholders shall be able to
discern the problems and map
out prospects for the industry and
reach a consensus on a roadmap
to implement programs and
projects to benet both coconut
farmers and further develop the
coconut industry, he added.
The group wants farmers
who contributed to the coco
levy funds and are now in their
twilight years to enjoy the fruits
of their labor.
Lao said this was also consistent
with the governments policy of
encouraging private support for
government programs.
Department of Public Works and Highways
Region VIII
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Leyte Fourth Engineering District
Ormoc City
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
(MST-Dec. 27, 2012)
December 19, 2012
1. Contract ID : 12IF131
Contract Name : Construction of Multi-Purpose Pavement, Ormoc City
Contract Location : Central School, Ormoc City, Phase 3 & 4
Brief Description of Work/
Scope of Work : Spraying mixed type running track 13mm thick made in
China, 8-lanes Track +2D Section including Markings
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) : Php 19,830,071.85
Contract Duration : 120 calendar days
Cost of Bidding Documents : Php 10,000.00
1. The DPWH, Leyte 4
th
Engineering District, Ormoc City, through the (1)SARO BMB-A-
12-T000001509, PDAF FY 2012 GAA RA 10155 intends to apply the sum above stated
being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under contract for the
abovementioned contracts. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically
rejected at bid opening.
th
Engineering District, Ormoc City, now invites bids for the
abovementioned description of works. Completion of the Works is required for the
above stated contract duration. Bidders should have completed within ten (10) years
from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The
description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly , in
Section II, Instructions to Bidders.
3. Bidding will be conducted thru open competitive bidding procedures using non-
discretionary pass/fail criterion in the Eligibility Check and Preliminary Examination of
Bids as specifed in the mplementing Rules and Regulations (RR) of Republic Act 9184
(RA 9184), otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act
Bidding is restricted to Filipino Citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, organizations
or joint venture with at least seventy fve (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock
belonging to citizens of the Philippines.
4. Contractors/applicants who are interested in the DPWH Civil Works are required to
register prior to the set scheduled of submission of bids while those already registered
shall keep their records current and updated. Contractors eligibility to bid on the project
will be determined using the DPWH Contract Profle Eligibility Process (CPEP) and
subject to further post-qualifcation, nformation on registration can be obtained at DPWH
website www.dpwh.gov.ph. Interested bidders may obtain further information from DPWH
Leyte 4
th
Engineering District, Ormoc City and inspect the Bidding Documents at the
address given below from 8:00 A.M. 5:00 P.M.
5. Acomplete set of documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address
given below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the
amount stated above. Contractors can make payments for the purchase of the Bidding
Documents at any feld offces. ssuance of Bidding Documents will be on December
21, 2012 January 11, 2013.
It may also downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government
Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity,
provided that bidders shall pay the fee for Bidding Documents not later than the
submission of their bids.
6. The DPWH , Leyte 4
th
Engineering District, Ormoc City will hold a Pre-Bid Conference
on December 28, 2012 at 10:00 A.M.. at the BAC Offce, DPWH, Leyte 4
th
Engineering
District, Ormoc City which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased
the Bidding Documents.
7. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before January 11, 2013 at
10: 00 A.M. at the DPWH, Leyte 4
th
Engineering District, Ormoc City. All bids must
be accompanied by a bid security in any acceptable forms and in the amount stated in
ITB Clause 18 or Bid Securing Declaration in lieu of a bid security as an additional form,
pursuant to GPPBA Resolution No. 03-2012.
Bids will be opened on January 11, 2013 at 2:00 P.M. in the presence of the bidders
representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be
accepted.
8. To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Net Financial Contracting Capacity
(NFCC) at least equal to ABC or Credit Line Commitment at least equal to 10% of
ABC and the Original Receipt (OR) for payment of bidding documents before dropping
of bids. Bidders shall likewise submit their bids through their duly Authorized Liaison
Offcers as specifed in the Contractor's nformation (C). Submission of Letter of ntent
is on January 7, 2013 until 5:00 pm in compliance to Memorandum of the Regional
Director dated November 27, 2012, re: Deferment in the Implementation of Section
C.3 of D.O. 64, series of 2012.
th
Engineering District, Ormoc City, reserves the right to accept
or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and the reject all bids at any time prior
to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability or obligation to the affected
bidder or bidders.
NARCISO C. DUMALAN, JR.
Engineer III
(BAC Chairman) (Sgd.) NARCISO C. DUMALAN
Engineer III
Attention: (BAC Chairman)

BAC Secretariat
DPWH-Leyte IV, Ormoc City
Telefax No. (053)255-5547/255-7851 NOTED:
Email Add: dpwh_4thled@yahoo.com.ph
(Sgd.) LINO FRANCISCO C. GONZALEZ
OIC-District Engineer

Department of Tourism
National Parks Development Committee
1. The National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), through the
Government Appropriations Act 2013 intends to apply the sum of Ten
Million Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP10,400,000.00) being
the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the
contract for Design and Implementation of an Integrated and Real Time
Software and Security Infrastructure for Revenue Centers. Bids received
in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at the opening of
the fnancial proposals.
2. The NPDC now calls for the submission of eligibility documents for
Design and Implementation of an Integrated and Real Time Software
and Security Infrastructure for Revenue Centers. Interested consultants
must submit their eligibility documents on or before January 4, 2013
at BAC Secretariat at Annex Bldg., NPDC Compound, Rizal Park,
Ermita, Manila. Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based
on a non-discretionary pass/fail criterion.
3. The BAC shall draw up the short list of consultants from those who have
submitted eligibility documents and have been determined as eligible
in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184),
otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act, and its
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The short list shall consist
of fve (5) prospective bidders who will be entitled to submit bids. The
criteria and rating system for short listing are:
Applicable Experience 40%
Qualifcation of Personnel 40%
Job Capacity 20%
3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures
using non-discretionary "pass/fail criterion as specifed in the RR of
RA 9184.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships,
or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding
capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.
4. The Procuring Entity shall evaluate bids using the Quality-Cost Based
Evaluation (QCBE), procedure. The Technical Proposal shall carry
Eighty-Five percent (85%) weight and the Financial Proposal shall
carry Fifteen percent (15%) weight in the bid evaluation. The criteria
and rating system for the evaluation of bids shall be provided in the
Instructions to Bidders.
5. The contract shall be completed within One Hundred Fifty (150) days.
6. The NPDC reserves the right to reject any and all bids, annul the bidding
process, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award,
without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
Ma. Angela R. Karamihan
Secretariat, Bids and Awards Committee
NPDC Compound, Executive Bldg., T.M. Kalaw St., Rizal Park, Ermita,
Manila
Tel. No. 302 7076
Fax No. 302 7119
g2karamihan@nationalparks.ph
Website URL: www.nationalparks.ph
VIRGINES S. AGUIRRE
NPDC-BAC Chairperson
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR
Design and Implementation of an Integrated and
Real Time Software and Security Infrastructure
for Revenue Centers
(MST-Dec. 27, 2012)
INVITATION TO BID FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF RENOVATION OF OB-GYNE WARDS,
ELEVATION OF LINEN DEPT. BUILDING, ELEVATION OF HOSPITAL GROUND , ELEVATION
OF DORMITORY, IMPROVEMENT OF PERIMETER FENCE.
(IB NO. 2012-12-15-1 )
1. The TONDO MEDICAL CENTER (TMC), through the General Appropriations Act CY 2012
intends to apply the sum of FOURTEEN MILLION NINE HUNDRED FIFTY ONE THOUSAND
THREE HUNDRED NINETY NINE PESOS AND ELEVEN CENTAVOS ( Php 14,951,399.11)
being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the
procurement of:
.
I. Renovation of OB-Gyne Wards P 7,222,419.39
II. Elevation of Linen Dept. Building P 1,379,816.57
III. Elevation of Hospital Ground P 3,203,234.64
IV. Elevation of Dormitory P 1,430,141.75
V. Improvement of Perimeter Fence P 1,715,786.76
Total Project Cost P 14,951,399.11

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.
The TMC-BAC now calls for the submission of Letter of Intent (LOI) and Bids from eligible
Bidders for the project stated above.
2. The Tondo Medical Center now invites bids for the Renovation of OB-Gyne Wards, Elevation
of Linen Dept. Building, Elevation of Hospital Ground, Elevation of Dormitory, Improvement of
Perimeter Fence. Completion of the works is required by Two Hundred Forty (240) calendar
days . Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and
receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. For this purpose, similar contracts shall refer
to renovation, elevation and improvement of a building with the following scope of works:
a. Architectural Works
b. Electrical Works
c. Plumbing Works
d. Sanitary Works
The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in
Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-
discretionary "passed/failed criterion as specifed in the mplementing Rules and Regulations
(IRR) of Republic Act (R.A.) 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations
with at least sixty percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of
the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which
grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to R.A. 5183 and subject to
Commonwealth Act 138.
4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the BAC Secretariat, BAC OFFICE
Tondo Medical Center, Balut, Tondo Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address
given above during 8:00 am to 5:00 P.M.
5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on DEC.
27, 2012 from the address below and upon payment of a non refundable fee for the Bidding
Documents in the amount of Php 25,000.00.
It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government
Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided
that Bidders shall pay the non refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the
submission of their bids.
6. The Tondo Medical Center (TMC) will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on Jan. 10, 2013, 9:00
a.m. at TMC Conference Room 1, Ground foor, Administrative building, which shall be open
only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.
Only bidders who purchase the bidding documents are allowed to attend and ask
questions.
7. Bids must be delivered at TMC Conference Room 1, Administrative Building, Tondo Medical
Center, Balut, Tondo, Manila on or before January 30, 2013; 9:00 a.m. All Bids must be
accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in
ITB Clause 18.
Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders representatives who choose to attend at
the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted.
8. Eligible Bidders shall submit a Certifed True Copy of Valid PCAB license for License Category
C & D, General Building;
9. The Tondo Medical Center (TMC) reserves the right to accept or reject any Bid, to annul
the bidding process, to reject all Bids and may not award the contract without incurring any
liability and make no assurance that a contract shall be entered into as a result of the bidding
when the funds for the program/project activity has been withheld or reduced though no fault
of the TMC at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the
affected Bidder or Bidders.
For further information, please refer to:
Dr. Aileen M. Palomaria
TMC BAC Secretariat
BAC Offce
TONDO MEDICAL CENTER
Balut, Tondo, Manila
Telefax : 253-61-01
E-mail add: tmcbac@yahoo.com.
(Sgd.) Ms. RHODORA D. QUILANTIP, RN, MAN
TMC-BAC Chairman
Department of Health
TONDO MEDICAL CENTER
Balut, Tondo, Manila
(MST-Dec. 27, 2012)
EXTRAJUDICIAL
SETTLEMENT
Notice is hereby given that
the Estate of the late Luisa
V. Trinidad-Fernandez
who died intestate on
October 23, 2007 at their
residence at 9148-C
Pateros St., Brgy. Olympia,
Makati City, Metro Manila
has been extrajudicially
settled among her heirs as
per Doc. No. 86; Page No.
18; Book No.: 03, Series
of 2012, executed before
Notary Public Atty. Rogelio
Marasigan.
(MST-Dec. 13, 20 & 27, 2012)
ERRORS & OMISSIONS
n Classifed Ads section
must be brought to our
attention the very day the
advertisement is published.
We will not be responsible
for any incorrect ads not
reported to us immediately.
B4
WORLD
Longest bullet-train line opens
Female
ban at
holy site
revisited
Gulf council to face Iran threats
CHINA started its 2,298-kilometer high-
speed train line, the longest in the world,
as the nation boosts investment in rail net-
works, intensifying competition for airlines.
The rst train on the Beijing-
Guangzhou line left Beijing West
Station at 9 a.m. as scheduled,
according to state broadcaster
China Central Television. The
trains will initially run at a speed of
300 kilometers per hour, reducing
the travel time to as few as eight
hours from the previous 21 hours,
according to the rail ministry.
The new line, which will
connect to Hong Kong, is part
of the nations plan to build a
16,000-kilometer high- speed
rail network by 2015, undeterred
by a deadly bullet-train accident
last year. The new service may
lure air travelers and prompt
China Southern Airlines Co.
and Air China Ltd. to cut fares,
according to Barclays Plc.
The continued development of
the high-speed train network will
marginalize short-haul domestic
air routes, Barclays analysts
Patrick Xu and Jon Windham
wrote in a note to clients last week.
It will exacerbate the competition
on long-haul domestic routes and
depress margins.
China has increased spending
on rail projects this year as the
government sought to revive
growth in the worlds second-
biggest economy. The National
Development and Reform
Commission, the nations top
economic planner, earlier this month
approved a 63.7 billion-yuan ($10
billion) subway construction plan
in Changsha city, Hunan province.
In September, the agency
approved subway projects in 18
cities, inter-city rail projects and
road construction plans. Rail
construction had slowed last
year after 40 people were killed
in a bullet-train crash near the
eastern city of Wenzhou.
Chinas central government
invested a lot this year in rail to
revive economic growth, said
James Chung, a Shanghai- based
analyst at Masterlink Securities
Corp. Fixed-asset investment
can boost growth quickly.
The line linking capital
Beijing with Pearl River Deltas
Guangzhou goes through ve
provinces from the north to the
south. It also connects to the
existing high-speed rail lines
including Beijing-Shanghai and
Guangzhou-Shenzhen, according
to the Ministry of Railways.
The fastest bullet-train on
the new line has ticket prices
starting from 865 yuan ($139),
about 73 percent of the lowest
air fare on the route, Barclays
said Dec. 21.
For Dec. 26 ights between
Beijing and Wuhan, a key
destination on the line, China
Southern offered a discount of as
much as 53 percent, according to
Ctrip.com, the countrys biggest
travel portal. Air China gave a
50 percent discount on that day,
the website showed Dec. 24.
The Beijing-Guangzhou line
will also step up competition
for China Southerns Airbus
SAS A380 superjumbo services
between the cities, an about
three-hour ight. High-speed
train services in China have lured
travelers from ights that often
suffer delays because of airspace
restrictions and poor weather. AP
J E RUS AL E MI s r a e l s
prime minister has instructed
a quasi-governmental Jewish
organization to nd a solution
for non-Orthodox Jewish female
groups wishing to pray at one of
Judaisms holiest sites.
An official said Tuesday Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked
Natan Sharansky, chairman of the
Jewish Agency, to look into the matter.
The official spoke anonymously
according to government regulations.
Last week Israeli police
detained women from a liberal
Jewish group who approached
the Western Wall in Jerusalem
carrying prayer shawls. Orthodox
Jews insist those are for men only.
The women seek to worship at the
site without such restrictions.
Jewish Agency spokesman
Benjamin Rutland said
Netanyahu told Sharansky that
the Western Wall must remain
a source of Jewish unity rather
than division. The wall is a
remnant of the biblical Jewish
Temple compound. AP
THE Gulf Cooperation Council
said it will form a unied military
command at a time when Iran
poses a very serious security
threat to the Middle East.
The six-member group will
coordinate air, land, and marine
forces under one structure, Bahrains
Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid Bin
Ahmed Al-Khalifa said today in a press
conference after a meeting of GCC
heads of state in Manama, the Bahraini
capital. Irans nuclear program is a
security threat to the region, he said.
Irans naval forces will conduct
military exercises this week in and
near the Strait of Hormuz, the state-
run Fars news agency said.
The GCC has accused Shiite-led
Iran of intervening in the internal
affairs of Arab countries in the
Persian Gulf, home to three-fths
of the worlds oil reserves. Saudi
Arabia in November submitted a
letter to the United Nations stating
that Iranian aircraft strayed into the
kingdoms territorial waters near
oil and gas elds, Okaz newspaper
said, citing Abdallah al-Mouallimi,
the Saudi ambassador to the UN.
We have several commands at
the moment in different countries,
Sheikh Khalid said. We want
to create a central command that
coordinates between all sub-
commands and makes them
work under one umbrella. The
new structure wont replace the
Peninsula Shield forces, he said.
The GCC sent in March last year
the Peninsula Shield to Bahrain to
help crush a Shiite Muslim revolt
against its Sunni rulers. Iran has
denied allegations of interference
and accused Sunni rulers in Bahrain
and Saudi Arabia of discriminating
against Shiites. Bloomberg
High-speed trains across the mainland are expected to dominate mass transport by middle of the decade.
AP
dotcom
life
W
H
A
T
S
I
N
S
I
D
E
YEAR IN REVIEW
Yahoo! Philippines announced its
annual edition of Year in Review
that reects the daily search
habits of the Filipino users.
TODAY Manila Standard
THURSDAY DECEMBER27, 2012
WINE ON THE ROCKS
Gone are the days where wines
are taken at room temperature,
as Rossi Sweet Red makes it
ideal for drinking with ice.
food crawl
Gianna Maniego, Editor
Dinna Chan Vasquez, Assistant Editor
MOROCCAN cuisine has been rened
over the centuries by inuences from
Europe, Middle East and Africa. It is no
uke that Moroccan dishes possess the
most exotic zests and the most dy-
namic twists of avors among any
other international feasts.
This is something husband and
wife entrepreneurs Martin and
Monica English know a little
too well. The couple rst fell
head over heels for Moroc-
can cuisine 12 years ago, dur-
ing their two-year stay in the
lovely North-
west African
country of Mo-
rocco.
He a v i l y
inuenced by Eu-
ropean cuisine- by Spanish
and Portuguese predominantly- mixed
with Middle Eastern, Jewish and Ber-
ber avors, Moroccan cuisine is a to-
tally enthralling dining experience,
said Monica. But what sets it apart
from other Mediterranean cuisines is
that it has mastered the art of marry-
ing unique savory twists, sweetness and
spice in one representation.
The couple decided to bring these
mouth-watering Moroccan food to the
Philippine shores four years ago. They
rst launched Kasbah Restaurant and Bar
in Boracay. Adventurous Filipino foodies
fell in love with its authentic dishes. Kas-
bah has effortlessly revolutionized the lo-
cal dining scene, as well as the way Pinoys
appreciate international dishes.
After two years, Kasbah is nally in
Manila with its second branch in The
Fort Strip, Bonifacio Global City offer-
ing a romantic, sensual and sophisticat-
ed vibe with its genuine Moroccan in-
teriors. The place is a lovely place with
its mysterious air of elegance brought
by the Moroccan colors of the walls
and impeccable lanterns.
Moroccan homes are very meticu-
lous when it comes to their lighting that
is why theyre very famous for their ex-
qui-
s i t e
lanterns,
said Monica.
One of our lanterns
here is authentically from Morocco,
chiseled and made by Moroccan arti-
sans, out of sardine cans.
Beyond the charming feel of the
place, Kasbah in The Fort Strip offers
the nest dishes of Morocco, more
than anything.
Sugar, spice and everything nice
It is almost often that people per-
ceive Moroccan food as spicy, but that
is not always true. Some spices and
herbs are used to bring out certain lev-
els of meaty and savory avors from the
dishes, to complement the richness of
lets say, lamb. said Monica. So the
spice is really tolerable. But all in all,
sweetness is a huge factor in Moroc-
can cuisine, and these sweet twists are
usually gotten from honey, cinnamon,
dried fruits and even almonds. Filipi-
nos can connect to that sweet appeal of
the Moroccan dishes.
A lovely way to start your Kasbah ex-
perience is with its Beetroot and Feta.
The cheese pure and toasted almonds
are incredibly tasteful . Hummus Ka-
lamata is another great starter, with
its avorful chickpea and tahini pure
blended with chopped olives.
For your healthy greens, Tabbou-
leh is the perfect choice. Its a fabulous
green herbal salad of parsley, mint, to-
matoes and couscous-Moroccos
staple food and old national delica-
cy. The refreshing lemon dressing
adds zests to this healthy meal. An-
other notable salad is the Couscous
and Chickpea Salad, a healthy and
colorful salad with carrots and red bell
pepper coated in a delicately spiced ol-
ive oil and lemon dressing.
Ones Moroccan food trip is never
complete without trying tagine. Tagine is
like rice, only healthier and richer in -
ber. Its perfect for health-conscious din-
ers who love unusual servings. Kasbahs
Lamb Tagine is denitely a must-try. The
melting tenderness of the lamb stew,
sweetened with honey and cinnamon,
and sprinkled with almonds and topped
with hard boiled eggs, is just gastronomi-
cally astounding. The Chicken Tagine
and Seafood Saffron Tagine are equally
remarkable with its aroma and avorful
fusion.
Of course, kebab is another Moroc-
can dining requirement. Kasbah serves a
variety of Brochette, the savory skewers
marinated and seasoned in magical spic-
es served with grilled vegetables, saffron
basmati rice or pita bread complimented
with chutneys and side dips. It comes in
chicken, beef, seafood and even home-
made Moroccan sausages. Kasbahs resi-
dent chef, Fadi Zaidan, an Israeli-Pal-
estinian culinary genius, makes genuine
Moroccan sausages right at the kitchen
of Kasbah.
Another quintessential Moroccan
Celebrate with Filipino favorites
Indulge this season in the scrumptious tastes
of Filipino cuisines through C2 Classic Cuisines
all-time favorites and new holiday offerings, which
you can bring home as take-out treats or for large
gatherings.
These C2 packages are available in cater trays
good for 6 or 12 people. Get your barkada together
with the restaurants bestselling Crispy Kare-kare,
Seared Tilapia, and Bam-I. Meanwhile, your family
will surely have a grand time with C2s all-time favor-
ites like Chicken Relleno, Lumpiang Hubad, Crispy
Pata, and Polvoron Bravo.
C2 is also the best place to bring your beloved balikbayans this Christmas Season as it is intro-
ducing its Balikbayan Sampler which features the best all-time Filipino favorites for only P450
per sampler. Choose any three of the following: Sumpia, Kare Kare, Crispy Pata, Chicken and
Pork Adobo, Grilled Liempo Sinigang.
For your holiday takeout and bulk orders, call 636-1509/1510, or visit their website at www.
c2classiccuisine.com
Eating out this season
CHRISTMAS may be over but parties and get-togethers are expected to continue until,
probably, the rst week of January next year. And as Filipinos, there is no question about how
we love to eat, as in every occasion, food plays the major role.
While preparing food for your friends or family reunion, or for the upcoming Media
Noche can be fun, especially when the moment is shared with your loved ones, aside from the
meals are made in big portion, there is no denying how this activity can be stressful and not to
mention time-consuming.
Plus, there is also the inevitable case for some who does not know how to cook.
When any of these is the case, you may consider eating out or ordering in bulk so the time you
spend with your friends and loved ones are maximized to its utmost level.
Feast of delectable offerings
As this season is all about good food, make this even more memorable by
helping yourself to a generous sampling of Cravings Yuletide packages and
bringing them to your family table or parties.
Start the feast right with Sausage, Feta, Spinach & Bell Pepper Strata,
then follow it up with either the classic Spaghetti Bolognese or the novelty
Pasta Paella with linguine pasta.
You may also opt for chicken dishes such as Chicken Galantine, Chicken
Relleno or Chicken Cordon Bleu. Let the zest of beef be your choice with
Roast Beef with Mushroom, or tickle your taste buds with the spicy tang of Chicken Tandoori.
Fish can be refreshing with Baked Fish in Olive Oil or Baked Fish Provenal. Have a good time with every
bite of the tender Lengua con Champignon, or feel like a royaltry with Roast Turkey.
Finish off with a generous serving of Cravings cakes and sweets like Chocolate Caramel, White Choco-
late Caramel Cake, Devils Food Cake, Cherry Walnut Cheesecake, Twix Cheesecake, Mocha Macadamia
Pie, French Apple Pie or Satin Crunch Pie.
To know more on how to make Cravings a part of your holiday season, you may call or visit Cravings
Catering and Events at 433-4998, or you may also visit www.cravingsgroup.com
Stress-free holiday season
Who says the holiday season can never be stress-free?
Let Raintree Restaurants Yuletide Cravings take the strain out of your
holiday preparations and choose from the festive collection of delicious
gourmet items such as Stellas Wood-red Porchetta (5kg) with Sultana
Sauce, for only P3,000; Mr. Jones Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf (1 loafpan)
with Tomato Gravy Sauce, for only P1,999; MoMos Maple Cinnamon
Glazed Double Smoked Bacon (5kg), with Cinnamon Maple Glaze Sauce,
for only P8,500; Chelseas U.S. Beef Prime Rib - Full Slab (7kg) with Beef
au Jus for only P20,000, and Half Slab (3.5kg) with Beef au Jus for only
P11,500; and Traditional Roasted Whole Turkey (5.5kg - 6kg) with Turkey
au Jus for only P7,000. All items are prepared with Mashed Potato, Sau-
sage and Apple Stufng, Sweet Corn on a Cob, and Garlic Haricot Verts
on the side.
Raintree Restaurants innovative concepts include Museum Cafe,
Chelsea Market Cafe, Stella, Mr. Jones, Momo Cafe, Rocket Room and
Kabila.
Facade of the Kasbah restaurant in the Fort Strip
Kemia (Cold
appetizers)
dish is Kasbahs Chicken Pastilla, the
chicken pie with a sweet twist! A lus-
cious pastry lled with sweet and light-
ly spiced cooked chicken mixed with
almonds and cinnamon, Chicken Pas-
tilla is one of the brands best-sellers.
As Moroccans like sweet things,
Kasbah has enticing desserts, includ-
ing the famous Baklava which has
decadent layers of lo pastry, stuffed
with walnuts, pistachios and almonds,
with honey and rosewater syrup. Car-
damom and Pistachio Panna Cotta is
a classic Italian dessert with Moroccan
avors.
Kasbah opens at 11AM. Corporate
meetings usually ll the spaces in the af-
ternoon too. The bars happy hour starts
at 4PM-8PM, as local beers, wines and
cocktails are served at purse-friendly
prices. Chic dinner starts at 7PM ish,
while after-dinner parties start to unfold
at 8 p.m. onwards. Kasbah transforms
into a party place at night, while main-
taining its laid back, chill atmosphere.
DJ booths are set up outside, as deep
house and unique genres of music are
played.
Like Kasbah The Fort on Facebook
for the latest updates.
By Marane A. Plaza
Seven-vegetable couscous
THURSDAY C2
DECEMBER 27, 2012
home work relationships
standardlifestyle@gmail.com
Gianna Maniego, Editor
Dinna Chan Vasquez, Assistant Editor
ManilaStandardToday
dotcom
By Ed Biado
AS this space previously re-
ported, the iPhone 5 is huge in
2012. But thats not the only
victor this year in the world
of tech. But rst, the ones that
opped...
The year has been tough for
BlackBerry. The hit was most
noticeable in the rst quarter of
2012, when their sales dropped
by 43 percent. Then, by August,
some retailers claim that they
hadnt sold a single BlackBerry
unit in over a month. Now, every-
bodys anticipating the release of
the BlackBerry 10
operating system and
devices in January,
which is Research in
Motions last chance
to resurrect the dying
brand.
Similarly belea-
guered is Nokia,
whose smartphone
ventures havent been success-
ful enough to make a dent in
the Apple-Android-dominated
segment. Its Windows Phone
OS-powered Lumia series was
introduced to moderate com-
mercial response. For the third
quarter of 2012, the company
posted $754 million in operat-
ing losses, with only 2.9 mil-
lion units sold across all mod-
els of the range.
In the video gaming uni-
verse, this years loser is the
Sony PlayStation Vita hand-
held game console. Released
in December 2011, the device
took 42 weeks to sell one mil-
lion units in Japan, compared to
the PSPs 14 weeks. Latest g-
ures indicate that the Nintendo
3DS is outselling it 13 to one in
that territory. Elsewhere in the
world, sales remain weak.
Now, for the years big winners:
Perhaps the only worthy
competition to Apples iPhone
is the Samsung Galaxy S III.
Tech critics are calling it the
it Android phone. It sold 30
million units as of November,
9 million of which were pre-
orders back in June, making
it the fastest-selling gadget in
history. The model won T3s
Phone of the Year award.
Recently released and ready
to redene gaming
in high-denition,
the Nintendo Wii U
is getting consistent
praises so far. Initial
sales gures show
plenty of prom-
ise400,000 units
moved in the US,
40,000 in the UK and
300,000 in Japan during launch
weekend. As of Dec. 19, more
than one million have been sold.
On the tablet front, well
have to give it to the iPad, spe-
cically the lite Mini version.
Not one to go against its own
big brother and other full-size
tablets like the Oprah-approved
Microsoft Surface, it competes
with fellow 7-inchers instead.
Between eight and 10 million
iPad Minis are expected to ship
out before the New Year, eas-
ily besting the Amazon Kindle
Fire and the Barnes & Noble
Nook, which sold 7 and 5 mil-
lion units respectively.
(Tomorrow: The year in local
food trends)
Five Days of Yearend Review:
The year in new gadgets
JAPANESE lifestyle brand Muji opens its
5th store in the Philippines at Robinsons
Magnolia. Known to be the brands rst
store in northern Metro Manila, it is proud
to reach to an eager market of both new and
patient, loyal customers who waited for the
opening day in Quezon City.
With an area of 400 square meters, Muji
Robinsons Magnolia carries a wide selec-
tion of ne furniture, classic garment piec-
es, travel essentials and delightful snacks
among Mujis many well-loved lifestyle
items for the home, ofce and trips for
business and leisure. Muji offers a no-
frills lifestyle, highlighting only premium
quality basics that are necessary, brilliant in
design and true to their function.
This holiday weekend, come bring your
family and friends and be a part of the
memorable festive season in Muji Robin-
sons Magnolia. Customers will be treated
to freebies, discounts on selected items and
free food samples. Celebrate the Holidays
and do some last minute shopping at Muji
Robinsons Magnolia.
Robinsons Magnolia is the home of the
popular Magnolia Ice Cream House, which
has been a part of fond childhood memories
of now working professionals and young
couples. Its about time to relive these mo-
ments and create new ones with family and
friends.
In the Philippines, MUJI is exclusive-
ly distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc.
(SSI) and is located at Bonifacio High
Street, Power Plant Mall at Rockwell
Center, Greenbelt 3 and SM Mall of Asia.
Open for a limited period only in Alabang
Town Center and 158-Designers Blvd at
The Podium.
IMAGINE youre at a party and red
wine is served. You want something
a bit more refreshing so you ask for
ice. Other guests overhear and are
taken aback. You committed a faux
pas because they just know that
wine should be taken at room tem-
perature. Suddenly, you feel boorish
and uncultured. But a local distiller
says that doesnt have to be the case.
It aint awful, its actually cool,
says Von de Tor r es, managing di-
rector of Emperador Distillers, dis-
tributors of Rossi Sweet Red, about
drinking wine with ice. She adds that
times have changed and that its time
to break some rules and take a mod-
ern approach in drinking wine.
Rossi Sweet Red isnt your regu-
lar kind of wine. Its sweetness makes
it perfect for the Filipino palate and
yes, it is best enjoyed with ice!
THIS month, world-renowned speaker brand, Sound-
freaq and pioneering headphone brand, AIAIAI, join
forces with Seventh High to amp up the excitement of
your December party nights.
Party all night every Fridays and Saturdays of De-
cember, as Seventh High welcomes Soundfreaq and
AIAIAI Club Nights. Enjoy the mixes of Seventh
Highs DJ Marlon, DJ Toby, DJ Ron, DJ Buzz and DJ
Steal, and get the chance to bring home a Soundfreaq
speaker.
From home to portable speakers, Soundfreaq offers
a line-up that matches every kind of lifestyle. Mean-
while, high quality, accessible audio products, AIAIAI
deliver value far beyond trend-driven aesthetics. With
a group of craftsmen and audio technicians developing
these gadgets, you will denitely have a high-quality
music experience.
Soundfreaq speakers are available in the follow-
ing stores: 8Telcom, Astrovision, Beyond The Box,
Buzz, Digital Hub, Digital Walker, E-Central Elec-
tronics, FutureWorld, Gadgets in Style, Gui, iCen-
ter, iStore, iStudio, Listening Room, Meetrovii, Mo-
bile 1, Power Hub, Power Mac Center, Sights and
Sounds, and Technoholics.
Muji now open at Robinsons Magnolia
On the rocks,
please
Turn up the sound
The 2012 search list was dom-
inated by celebrities, once again
reinforcing Filipinos continued
fascination with entertainment
and showbiz, further fuelled by
the passion for music, a shared
obsession by all Pinoys. The
top searches on Yahoo! in 2012
were American Idol runners-up,
Jessica Sanchez followed
by NBA, Filipina music star,
Sar ah Geronimo, Anne
Cur tis and American Idol.
The latter ve celebrity searches
on the 2012 list stood out for
their scandals that sent users
to nd out the latest reports on
local stars such Angelica Pan-
ganibans break up with her long
time boyfriend Derek Ramsay,
Mar ian River as cover photo in
the April issue of Cosmopolitan
magazine, Gr ace Lee dating the
President, and KC Concepcion
and Bianca Gonzales cover
page photo shoots on leading
mens magazines.
The only exception to the 2012
list that caught the attention of
Filipinos online was sports. The
National Basketball Association
(NBA) ranked number two in the
2012 top searches on Yahoo!, at
the same time retaining its top
three position in the annual search
results for the past three years[1].
Anne Curtis, who clinched
OMG! Celeb of the Year Award
in July this year, was the 4th most
searched person on YIRs 2012
bares its Year in Review
Yahoo! Philippines announced its annual edition
of Year in Review that reects the daily search
habits of users and highlights the top stories
and trends based on what millions of people
searched for on the Yahoo! network. Year In Re-
view (YIR) is a distinct way to portray a society
in motion through online behavior.
Yahoo! Philippines
list. News about Anne making a
debut in a Hollywood lm Blood
Ransom set to be released in 2013
and modeling Pinoy designer
Fr ancis Libir an's creations in
Americas Next Top Model sent
Filipinos searching for keywords
including anne curtis blood
ransom, anne curtis in Holly-
wood and anne curtis antm.
Among other searches included
anne curtis concert at araneta
ahead of her AnneBisyosa: No
Other Concert - The World Tour
and anne curtis pictures in bo-
racay where Anne was caught
on camera for her swimsuit mal-
function.
Television actress and co-
median, Angelica Panganiban
became the 6th most-searched
celeb following her break-up
with Filipino-British model
and actor Derek Ramsay. Us-
ers searched for angelica
panganiban and derek ram-
say break up, angelica pan-
ganiban and derek latest issue
and angelica panganiban and
derek ramsay cool off.
Adding to the scandals and
No. Top 10 search queries Top 10 search queries
in the Philippines in the US

1 Jessica Sanchez Election
2 NBA iPhone 5
3 Sarah Geronimo Kim Kardashian
4 Anne Curtis Kate Upton
5 American Idol Kate Middleton
6 Angelica Panganiban Whitney Houston
7 Marian Rivera Olympics
8 Grace Lee Political Polls
9 KC Concepcion Lindsay Lohan
10 Bianca Gonzalez Jennifer Lopez
Tailored around various top-
ics, here is a deep dive into the
Top 10 across some interesting
categories:
Vir al/trending topics
#Amalayer: Paula J amie
Salvosa, a 23-year-old student
was caught on video berating a
guard on Light Railway Tran-
sit. The video as well as the
students Twitter handle went
viral online.
Carabuena: Robert Carabue-
na, an employee of Philip Mor-
ris International physically
assaulting a Metro Manila De-
velopment Authority ofcer was
caught on video and subsequent-
ly went viral
#Sinotto: Following the pla-
giarism accusations involving
Reproductive Health bill critic
Senator Vicente Sotto, neti-
zens coined the term "Sinotto";
the hashtag posts became im-
mediately popular with those
poking fun translating famous
English quotes to Tagalog or
vice versa
Claudine vs. Tulfo broth-
er s: A brawl involving showbiz
couple Raymar t Santiago and
Claudine Barreto and Inquirer
columnist Ramon Tulfo at the
Ninoy Aquino International Air-
ports Terminal 3 became an In-
ternet sensation
Newsmaker s: (People)
Ronald Llamas: The promi-
nent Filipino activist and the
current political adviser of
President Benigno Noynoy
Aquino III, was caught buy-
ing pirated DVD in January this
year.
Iggy Ar r oyo: Late Negros
Occidental Representative
Ignacio Arroyo died due to
liver ailment in London in
February
Renato Corona: Former Su-
preme Court Chief Justice was
the rst ofcial to be impeached
in May
Glor ia Macapagal Ar -
r oyo: Former President and
the current Pampanga Rep-
resentatives arrest, hospital-
ization and failed attempts to
seek medication abroad made
her one of the top newsmak-
ers of the year
Jessie Robredo: The interior
minister in President Aquinos
cabinet died in plane crash in
August
Tr avel:
Puerto Princesa Underground
River was declared as one of the
new 7 wonders
Manila became the new fa-
vorite travel destination on Trip
Advisor
Cebu - new things to experi-
ence
Baguio - favorite summer
destination
Tagaytay -Taal Lake view
Potipot Island the small is-
land in Zambales was the most
searched
Calaguas - virgin island
Camarines Sur- water sports
destination
Boracay- party place
Siquijor- unlikely destination
creating ripples on Yahoo!
Search was Marian Rivera. Her
bold cover photo in the April
issue of Cosmopolitan maga-
zine made her a top trending
search topic for 2012. Users
also searched for Marians ver-
bal spat with Bela Padilla from
last year as well as her photos
on FHM where Marian ranked
5th in the 100 Sexiest Women
in the World list. Korean born
TV presenter and DJ Grace Lee,
became the talk of the town for
dating President Noynoy Aqui-
no. Their dating saga reached
its climax when Aquino himself
admitted to the media that he
is indeed seeing the Korean
beauty.
Rossi Sweet Reds different kind
of sweetness makes it ideal for drink-
ing on the rocks. The ice brings
out all the avors of vanilla, bright
cherry and wild raspberry together
and allows for a smoother nish. The
avors are set free, so to speak,
with the addition of ice, making for
a more avorful experience.
But, one may ask, what if the ice
melts? Putting ice on Rossi Sweet
Red doesnt compromise the taste.
Even if the ice melts, the taste stays
perfect you can savor all the sweet-
ness and real wine avor.
C3
Classifeds
ManilaStandardToday
adv.mst@gmail.com
Page Compositor: Diana Keyser Punzalan
BATAAN FIRST DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE
Roman Expressway, Mulawin, Orani, Bataan
The Bids and Awards Committee of the DPWH Bataan 1
st
District Engineering
Offce, through the FY 2012, invites contractors to bid for the aforementioned projects:
Contract ID: 12CA0110
Contract Name: Widening of Pinulot Bridge along Gapan-San
Fernando-Olongapo Road
Contract Location: Dinalupihan Bataan
Scope of Work: Widening of Bridge
Approved Budget for
the Contract (ABC): Php 41,924,400.00
Contract Duration: 210 Calendar Days
Contract ID: 12CA0111
Contract Name: Widening of Orani Bridge II along Junction-Layac-
Balanga-Mariveles Port Road
Contract Location: Orani, Bataan
Scope of Work: Widening of Bridge
Approved Budget for
the Contract (ABC): Php 26,652,080.00
Contract Duration: 210 Calendar Days
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, e) Certifcate of Safety Offcer Seminar from DOLE, f) PHILGEPS Order Form
(DRL), g) Latest CPES Rating and (h) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at least
equal to ABC, or credit line commitment at least equal to 10% of ABC. The LOI must be
submitted by the Authorized Liaison Offcer as specifed in the Contractors Information
(CI). Submission of LOI by person with Special Power of Attorney shall not be allowed.
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: December 27, 2012-
January 22, 2013 Until 10:00 AM
2. Issuance of Bid Documents From : December 27, 2012 January 22, 2013
Until 10:00 AM
3. Pre-Bid Conference January 10, 2013 @02:00 P .M.
4. Receipt of Bids Deadline: January 22, 2013 Until 10:00 AM
5. Opening of Bids January 22, 2013 @ 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 P20,000.00
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.) FERMIN Q. CRUZ, JR.
BAC Chairman
Noted By:

(Sgd.) WILFREDO S. MALLARI
District Engineer
(MST-Dec. 27, 2012)
Camarines Sur 3
rd
District Engineering Offce
Caraycayon, Tigaon, Camarines Sur
TeI.Fax#452-3430/3411
(MST-Dec. 27, 2012)
The Department of Public Works and Highways, Camarines Sur 3
rd
Engineering District,Caraycavon, Tigaon,
Camarines Sur, through its Bids and Award Committee, (BAC), invites contractors to apply to bid for the
foUowing contract(s):
1. Contract ID PROJECT ID#12FF0053
Contract Name Construction of Slope Protection and View Deck along Tinambac Siruma
Road,
Contract Location Tinambac, Camarines Sur
Scope of Works Slope Protection Structure and River Bank Protection
Approved Budget for
Contract (ABC) Php.27,308,000.28
Contract Duration 120 C.D.
Cost of Tender
Documents Php.25,000.00
Procurement will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures in accordance with R.A. 9184
and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations, DPWH-Department Order No.064 series of 2012
and other Applicable DPWH-D.O. and Memorandum.
To bid for this contract, interested contractors must download the Bid documents including the plans at the
DPWH Website and must pay the non-refundable amount of state above for tender documents at the cashier
of any DPWH Offce on or before the deadline, and the contractor must meet the following major criteria; (a)
prior registration with DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino owned partnership, corporation, cooperative,
or joint venture with PCAB License applicable to the type and cost of this contract, (c) completion of a similar
contract costing at least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (d) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at
least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment for a least 10% of ABC. The BAC of the DPWH-Regional Offce
No. V will conduct the eligibility checking using the Civil Works Registry (CWR) system.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their application for registration to the DPWH-POCW Central
Offce before the deadline for the receipt of payment for tender documents. The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will
only process contractors application for registration, with complete requirements, and issued the Contractors
Certifcate of Registration (CRC). Registration Forms may be download at the DPWH website, www.dpwh.gov.ph.
1. Pre-Bid Conference January 03, 2013 @ 10:00 A.M.
2. Recei pt of Payment s of
Bid Documents (Deadline for
Presentation of O.R.)
January 14. 2013 Until 12:00
noon
3. Submission and Opening
of Bids
January 15, 2013
4. Submission of Bids Until 10:00 A.M.
5. Opening of Bids @ 2:00 P.M.
Prospective bidders shall present their ORIGINAL OFFICIAL RECEIPT OF PAYMENT for Bid Documents
project specifc to the BAC Secretariat of this offce before the deadline stated above
All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in the form with the following schedule:
FORM Minimum amount in % of ABC
Cash, Cashiers./Managers Check, Bank
Draft/guarantee conformed by a Universal
or Commercial Bank or Irrevocable Letter
of Credit.
two percent (2 %)
Surety Bond callable on demand issued by a
surety or insurance company duly certifed by
tbe Insurance Commission as autborized to
issue such security
fve percent (5%)
Any combination of tbe foregoing Proportionate to share of form with respect to
total amount of security
Bid Securing Declaration that is an undertaking which states, among others, that the bidder shall
enter into contract with the procuring entity furnish the required performance security within ten
(10) calendar days, or less, as indicated in the Bidding Documents, from receipt of the Notice of
award, and committing to pay tbe corresponding fne and be suspended for a period of time from
being qualifed to participate in any government procurement activity in the event it violates any
of tbe conditions stated therein as required in tbe guidelines by tbe GPPB.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished form as specifed in the BDs in two (2) separate sealed
envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The frst envelope shall contain tbe technical component of the bid, which
shall include the eligibility requirements. The second envelope shall contain the fnancial component of tbe bid.
The Technical and Financial Documents must be bounded, all documents shall be tabmarked. Contract will be
awarded to tbe Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in tbe bid evaluation and tbe post-qualifcation.
The DPWH, Camarines Sur 3 Engineering District Offce, Tigaon, Camarines Sur, reserves the right to accept
or reject any or all bids and to annul the bidding process anytime before Contract Award, without incurring any
liability to tbe affected bidders.
(SGD.) MS. ALICE B. MAGISTRADO
ENGINEER III
(BAC Chairman)
NOTED:
(SGD.) MS. GEMMA B. TIMBANG
OIC- District Engineer
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Manila
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSI ON OF I NTEREST
(MST-Dec. 27, 2012)
FOR CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR THE DETAILED ENGINEERING DESIGN OF
SELECTED NATIONAL ROADS UNDER THE 3
rd
YEAR AND 4
th
YEAR PREVENTIVE
MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, ASSET PRESERVATION COMPONENT, NATIONAL
ROADS IMPROVEMENT AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, PHASE II (NRIMP 2)
1. The Department of Public Works and Highways, through the GAA 2012, Intends to
apply part of the sum of PhP51,298,800.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract
(ABC) to payments under the contract for the Detailed Engineering Design of Selected
National Roads under the 3
rd
Year and 4
th
Year Preventive Maintenance Program,
Asset Preservation Component, National Roads Improvement and Management
Program, Phase II (NRIMP 2).
2. The Department of Public Works and Highways now calls for the submission of
eligibility documents for:
Project : Consultancy Services for the Detailed
Engineering Design of Selected National Roads
under the 3
rd
Year and 4
th
Year. Preventive
Maintenance Program, Asset Preservation
Component, National Roads Improvement and
Management Program, Phase II (NRIMP 2)
Target Road Length : 400.00 kms of road located in Luzon, Visayas
and Mindanao
Objective : To prepare the detailed design plans of selected
roads for preventive maintenance based on the
Highway Development Manual -4 (HDM-4), and
other tools and software of the DPWH.
Outputs/Deliverables : Expected Outputs
Design Reports, Drawings, Cost Estimates,
Road safety Audit Reports, Tender Documents
and Bid Evaluation Reports for the target road
length of 400 kms.
3. Interested consultants must submit their eligibility documents on or before January
17, 2013 at 10:00 A.M. at NRIM-PMO, Department of Public Works and Highways,
2
nd
St., Port Area, Manila. Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-
discretionary pass/fail criterion.

The eligibility Data Sheet will be available at NRIM-PMO, Department of Public Works
and Highways, 2
nd
St., Port Area, Manila.
The BAC shall draw up the short list of consultants from those who have submitted
eligibility documents/ Expression of Interest and have been determined as eligible
in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known
as the Government Procurement Reform Act, and its Implementing Rules and
Regulations (IRR). The criteria and rating system for short listing are:
Criteria Points
A. Applicable Experience : 35.00
B. Qualifcation of Personnel : 40.00
C. Job Capacity : 25.00
Total 100.00
4. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-
dlscretlonary pass/fail criterion as specifed in the IRR of RA 9184.
Bidding Is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships or partnerships with at
least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of
the Philippines.
5. The Procuring Entity shall evaluate bids using the Quality-Cost Based Evaluation
(QCBE) procedure. Bids whose technical proposals pass the minimum technical
requirement of seventy fve percent (75%) shall have its Financial proposals opened
and evaluated. The technical proposal shall carry eighty percent (80%) weight in the
evaluation. The criteria and rating system for the evaluation of bids shall be provided
in the instructions to Bidders.
6. The contract shall be completed within ten (10) months.
7. The Department of Public Works and Highways reserves the right to reject any and all
bids, annul the bidding process, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract
award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
8. For further Information, please refer to:
CARLOS G. MUTUC
Program Director
NRIM-PMO
Tel. No. 304-3779
Fax No. 304-3898
or
BETTY S. SUMAIT
OIC-Direetor, Bureau of maintenance
Component Manager
Asset Preservation, NRIMP2
Tel. No. 304-3618
Fax No. 304-3627/304-3734
Email address; sumait.betty@dpwh.gov.
(Sgd.) RAUL C. ASIS
Undersecretary
Chairman, SBAC for Consultancy Services
for NRIMP 2
(MST-Dec. 20, 27, 2012 & Jan. 3, 2013)
Department of Education
The Department of Education (the "DepED") invites interested parties to apply
to pre-qualify to bid for the design, fnancing, construction, and maintenance of
one-storey, two-storey, three-storey, and four storey school buildings under the
following Contract Packages:
Regional Contract
Package
Expected
Number of
School Sites
Expected
Number of
School Buildings
Expected
Number of
Classrooms
I 72 80 241
II 353 355 547
III 262 262 1,017
IV-B 630 630 1,108
V 488 524 1.061
VI 334 343 732
VII 455 472 1,037
VIII 645 649 903
IX 286 286 476
X 499 530 1,222
XI 134 139 355
XII 300 316 637
CARAGA 314 353 708
CAR 395 395 635
Total 5,167 5,334 10,679
The number of school sites, school buildings, and classrooms is still subject
to change. Each school building will consist of the following components:
Component I - Classroom Builingds, Component II Toilets, and Component
III - Classroom Furniture, all to be designed and constructed or provided
in accordance with the prescribed Minimum Performance Standards and
Specifcations to be released by DepED. Each Contract Package will be bid out
separately. Interested parties may apply to pre-qualify to bid for any, some, or all
Contract Packages, as described in greater detail in the Invitation Documents.
The Project will be awarded through competitive public bidding, as a Public-
Private Partnership ("PPP") project, in accordance with applicable laws, including
the Build-Operate-and Transfer ("BOT") Law (R.A. No. 6957, as amended by
R.A. No. 7718), and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.
The bidding will follow the two-stage system: (a) Prospective Bidders shall frst
be pre-qualifed by the DepED based on legal, technical and fnancial capacity
requirements; and (b) the Prospective Bidders which pre-qualify shall be invited
to submit their bids.
Prospective Bidders may obtain the Invitation Documents, consisting of (a)
this Invitation to Pre-Qualify to bid, (b) the Instructions to Prospective Bidders,
including the required Qualifcation Documents, (c) the Draft Minimum Perforance
Standards and Specifcations, and (d) the Information Memorandum, from the
offce of the PBAC for PPP Projects, at the DepED Complex in Meralco Avenue,
Pasig City, 1600 Philippines, c/o PBAC Secretariat- Procurement Service,
2
nd
Flr., Dorm-B with Telephone/Fax No. (+632) 633-9343/6366542 starting
10 January 2013, upon payment of a non-refundable fee of PhP100,000.00.
This fee may be paid in cash or by manager's check issued by any bank in
the Philippines payable to the Department of Education. Only persons or frms
who have purchased the Invitation Documents shall be allowed to participate in
the pre-qualifcation process. The DepEd may release updates, clarifcations,
amendments, or additions to any or all of the Bidding Documents at any time.
Prospective Bidders must submit their applications for pre-qualifcation, together
with duly accomplished Qualifcation Documents in the required format, to the
DepED-PBAC Secretariat not later than 10:00 a.m. on 12 February 2013, at the
abovementioned Offce of the PBAC through its Secretariat.
The DepEd-PBAC reserves the right to reject any and all bids, and declare
failure of bidding, not award the contract, or annual the bidding process without
thereby incurring any liability to the affected parties.
(Sgd.) FRANCISCO M. VARELA
Undersecretary for Finance and Administration
and Chairman, PBAC for PPP Projects
Prequalifcation, Bids, and Awards Committee (PBAC) for
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Projects of the DepED
School Infrastructure Project
INVITATION TO PRE-QUALIFY TO BID
FOR PPP FOR SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT 2012-2
Tanggapan ng Kalihim
Offce of the Secretary
Region IV-B, MIMAROPA
Palawan III District Engineering Offce
Puerto Princesa City
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D FOR
(MST-Dec. 27, 2012)
1) Contract ID: 12EG0072
Contract Name: CP-06-12 Road Upgrading (Gravel to Paved) of PPSR Jct.-
Napsan-Apurawan Road
Contract Location: K0041+100 to K0042+138 and K0042+138 to K0042+588,
Scope of Works: Roadway Excavation (Surplus Common), Roadway
Excavation (Surplus Soft Rock), Pipe Culvert and Drain
Excavation, Embankment from Roadway Excavation,
Subgrade Preparation (Common Material), Aggregate Sub-
Base Course, PCC Pavement (Plain) 230mm thk., Stone
Masonry, Metal Guardrails, Refectorized Thermoplastic
Pavement Markings (White & Yellow)
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): P 35, 635, 874.00
Contract Duration: 101 calendar days
Cost of Bid Documents: P 25,000.00
2) Contract ID: 12EG0073
Contract Name: CP-07-12 Road Upgrading (Gravel to Paved) of PPSR Jct.-
Napsan-Apurawan Road
Contract Location: K0054+(-254) to K0054+156.80 and K0049+000 to K0050+181,
Scope of Works: Roadway Excavation (Surplus Common), Roadway
Excavation, Pipe Culvert and Drain Excavation, Selected
Borrow for Topping, Case 1, Subgrade Preparation
(Common Materials), Aggregate Sub-Base Course, PCC
Pavement (Plain) 230mm thk., Stone Masonry, Refectorized
Thermoplastic Pavement Markings (White & Yellow)
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): P 38,441,480.00
Contract Duration: 143 calendar days
Cost of Bidding Documents: P25,000.00
The DPWH-Palawan III District Engineering Offce, Puerto Princesa City, through the CY-
2013 Regular Infra Projects intends to apply the amount of (above indicated amount) being
the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for (the above
indicated name/no. of contract). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically
rejected at bid opening.
The DPWH-Palawan III District Engineering Offce, Puerto Princesa City now invites
bids for: (various construction projects indicated above). Completion of the works is required
(above indicated contract duration). Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years
from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The
decription of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding documents, particularly, in Section
II. Instructions to Bidders.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) 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, preliminary examination of bids.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-
discretionary pass/fail criterion as specifed in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR)
of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform
Act.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, or organizations with at least
seventy fve percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock to citizens of the Philippines.
Interested bidders may obtain further information from DPWH-Palawan III District
Engineering Offce Puerto Princesa City and inspect the Bidding Documents at the
address given below from 8:00-12:00 A.M. and 1:00-5:00 P.M.
A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested bidders from the
address below upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents.
It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government
Electronic Procurement Sysytem (PhilGEPS) @ www.philgeps.net and the DPWH website @
www.dpwh.gov.ph provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the biding documents not later
than the submission of their bids.
The DPWH-Palawan III District Engineering Offce, Puerto Princesa City will hold a Pre-
Bid Conference on January 4, 2013 at 10:00a.m. at BAC Room- DPWH-Palawan III District
Engineering Offce, Puerto Princesa City which shall be open to all interested parties.
Bids and Letter of Intents (LOI) must be delivered to the address below on or before January
16, 2013 10:00 A.M. at DPWH-Palawan III District Engineering Offce, Puerto Princesa
City. All bids must be accompanied by bid security in any of the acceptable forms an in the
amount stated in ITB Clause 18.
Bids will be opened on January 16, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. in the presence of the bidders
representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.
The DPWH- Palawan III District Engineering Offce, Puerto Princesa City reserves the
rights to accept or reject any or all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby
incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
For further information, please refer to:
(Sgd.) ALBINO D. SOCRATES, Jr.
Engineer III
(BAC Chairman)
DPWH- Palawan III District Engineering Offce
Brgy. Sta. Monica, Puerto Princesa City
Tel. No. 433-7313
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
DPWH- Albay 1
st
Engineering District
Airport Site, Legazpi City
(MST-Dec. 27, 2012)
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the DPWH- Albay 1
st
Engineering
District, Airport Site, Legazpi City, invites contractors to bid for the aforementioned
project (s):
Contract ID #13-F-A-0005
Contract Name Road Widening & lmpvt. Of Lined Canal along DM Jct.-
Leg.-Sto. Domingo-Tabaco-Cam Sur Bdry. Road
Contract Location KO552+056-KO552+356;KO553+714-KO554+041,
KO562+000-KO562+881, KO568+ 250-KO569+ 115
Scope of Work Rehab./lmpvt. Of Line Canal
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) P27,709,297.15
Contract Duration 140 CD
Cost of Tender Documents P25,000.00
Contract ID #13-F-A-0006
Contract Name Road Widening & Impvt. Of Lined Canal along DM Jct.-
Leg.-Sto. Domingo-Tabaco-Cam Sur Bdry. Road
Contract Location KO548+ 733-KO551+413 San Jose-Sta. Teresa Section
Scope of Work Rehab/ Impvt. Of Drainage System/Line Canal
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)
P37,843,882.04
Contract Duration 145 CD
Cost of Tender Documents P25,000.00
The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with the Revised
IRR of RA 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 purchase bid documents and pay
the non-refundable amount stated above at the cashier of any DPWH Offce on or
before the deadline 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 for 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 payments
for bid documents. 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.
Issuance of Bidding Documents Dec. 27, 2012 -Jan. 17, 2013
Pre-Bid Conference Jan. 4,2013 10:00 am
Deadline of Receipt of LOI Jan. 11,2013 until 10:00 am
Receipt/ Submission / Opening of Bids Jan. 17, 2013 until 2:00 pm
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents at DWPH- BAC Offce,
DPWH-Albay 1
st
Engineering District Airport Site, Legazpi City, upon payment of a
non-refundable fee as stated above. Prospective bidders may also download the
Bidding Documents, from the DPWH Website, if available. Prospective bidders that
will download the Bidding Documents from the DPWH website shall pay the said
fees on or before the submission of their bid documents. The Pre-Bid Conference
shall be open only to interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.
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 Bidding Documents (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 the post-qualifcation.
The DPWH- Albay 1
st
Engineering District, Airport Site, Legazpi City reserves
the right to accept or reject any or all bid and to annul the bidding process anytime
prior Contract Award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder/s.

(Sgd.) RAFAEL B. PRESBITERO
OIC, Assistant District Engineer
Chairman, BAC
APPROVED:
(Sgd.) ROBERTO M. RITO
OIC, District Engineer

C4
Isah V. Red, Editor standard.showbiz@gmail.com
showbitz
ISAH V.
RED
SIMPLY RED
6 cyclemind
WHO would think
the rookie reporter hit
by a stone thrown by
rallyists on Mendiola
in Manila at the time
a People Power was
going on to forcibly
evict then President
Joseph Estrada
from Malacanang
would become GMA
Networks most
awarded broadcast
journalists among his
peers?
But Rodrigo Manicad, Jr., Jiggy
to audiences who watch regularly the
newscast on GMA7, has come a long
way, indeed.
Just recently the Junior Cham-
ber International (JCI), together with
TOYM Foundation, and Gerry Roxas
Foundation named him one of 2012s
The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM)
in the Philippines.
The award is given to young men
and women aged 18-40 who have sig-
nicantly contributed to the welfare
of their countrymen, as well as to the
improvement of their chosen elds
through their seless dedication to
their profession.
For 17 years, Jiggy has fully de-
voted his skills, time, and effort to a
eld he believes could help him cre-
ate change in his own little way
broadcast journalism. From his hum-
ble beginnings of living alongside the
railroad tracks in Laguna, dedication
and hard work got him through col-
lege and to where he is nowthe
realization of a dream he once had
that of being a journalist.
Initially, Jiggy has proven himself
to be a correspondent who goes out of
his way to bring to the public the in-
formation he believes they deserve to
know. He is well remembered for his
coverage of stories that made marks
on TV, being important despite the
life-threatening circumstances in the
acquisition of the stories.
Jiggy covered Edsa Dos and Edsa
Tres; the hunt for Osama Bin Laden
in Jalalabad in Eastern Afghanistan in
2001; the War in Iraq in 2003; the Fili-
pino hostage crisis in Iraq and Dubai
in 2004; the Hezbollah-Israel war in
2006; the Filipino exodus in Syria/
Lebanon in 2006; the rst Filipino
POPULAR local alternative
band 6cyclemind gave an adren-
aline-pumping performance at a
recent Converse Rrockeoke Par-
ty held at the Hard Rock Caf in
Makati as a way of expressing
gratitude for the international
footwear brands continued sup-
port for Pinoy musicians and the
countrys OPM scene.
Led by vocalist Tutti Car-
ingal, 6cyclemind roused the
Hard Rock audience and set
the ball rolling for the nights
rockeoke jam. Caringal repeat-
edly thanked Converse for its
unwavering support even way
back when 6cyclemind was just
a start-up band.
For the longest time, Con-
verse has been very supportive
of local bands like us. Its a big
help when they hold events and
invite bands to perform. We all
know that the local band scene
is in a difcult situation now be-
cause we have major labels clos-
ing left and right. Thats why we
really need the support of major
brands. Converse has always
been there for 6cyclemind and
for a lot of other bands out there
as well, Caringal shared.
Known for its iconic foot-
wear designs that spell stylish
comfort, Converse embodies
every rock musicians active
and rugged lifestyle. Just as rock
music reverberates with the gut-
deep emotions of its performers,
Converse shoes jive with a mu-
sicians tough and resilient per-
sonality.
Like alternative music, Con-
verse is simple and never pre-
tentious. Its not like a fad that
can go out of style. Even the
very rst pair of shoes I received
from Converse, I can wear them
anytime. Theyre not like other
shoes that get outdated after a
year. Chuck Taylor is Chuck
Taylor. Jack Purcell is Jack Pur-
cell. And what I really love about
Converse is that their shoes seem
more comfortable and stylish the
more worn-out and dirtier they
get, said 6cyclemind lead gui-
tarist Herbert Hernandez.
The oldest sneakers in his-
tory, Converses Chuck Taylor
designs (or Chucks, as they are
called by generations of wear-
ers) have always been very
popular with youths who want
to look cool and feel comfort-
able at the same time. Converse
has launched its latest collection
of Chuck Taylor All Star Boots
and Chuck Taylor Leather that
boast of enhanced comfort and
exibility coupled with a sleek
look that can exude either classic
fashion or grungy rebellion.
Also featured in Converses
latest collection are re-engi-
neered versions of the Jack Pur-
cell and Pro Leather Collections.
While the new Jack Purcell is
redesigned to provide more clas-
sic comfort with its leather, cot-
ton and canvas features, the Pro
Leather Collection comes with
bold colors in both suede and
leather along with its ubiquitous
Star Chevron logo.
The Converse party at the
Hard Rock Caf was hosted by
Alamid lead vocalist Carl Mc-
Fly, who swore by his ve-year-
old Chucks amazing durability
and excellent traction. Though
hes delighted that he received
a new pair of Converse Boots,
he said that he would still al-
ternately wear his trusty pair of
Chucks.
The winner of the nights
Converse rockeoke contest went
home with three new pairs of
Converse shoes of his choice.
THE country was abuzz with the
recent Dance Again World Tour,
which brought Hollywood superstar
Jennifer Lopez to Manila on Nov.
26. The concert was presented by
PLDT Fibr together with Vista
Land and Zenea, and was part of
the singer/actress/dancers rst
headlining tour.
JLos audience at the Mall of
Asia Arena witnessed her perform
her biggest hits like Jenny from
the Block and Love Dont
Cost a Thing. The full-blown
production included a number of
costume changes and an entourage
of male dancers. It was also lmed
in 3D as part of the tours Europe
and Asia footage.
As an added treat, PLDT Fibr
even rafed off premium tickets
to 100 of its subscribers as its
way of celebrating a milestone:
it is now located in over 100
exclusive villages across the
nation, including Forbes Park,
Dasmarias Village, Urdaneta
Village, La Vista, and Loyola
Grand Villas.
The ber optic-enabled
technology offers speeds from
8Mbps up to 100Mbps, allowing
for seamless, simultaneous usage
and HD, 3D, and interactive
video streamingthe ideal
setup for families who require
higher Internet speeds and larger
capacities all at the same time.
Fibr is recognized as the fastest,
most reliable broadband available
in the Philippines. And now, it is
also known to bring the best in
entertainment to its subscribers.
Jennifer Lopezs show-stopping
concert is just the start of many
events to come. So as not to miss
out, visit br.pldthome.com to see
if your neighborhood is ready to
be Fibr-connected.
Jiggy Manicad GMA most popular TV reporter at the moment
Pinoy Music
in Rockeoke
Party
FOR his numerous fans, surprises are
part and parcel of Mister Donut celebrity
endorser Michael V. In the way he
performs his comedic spiels and in the
many characters he portrays, its no surprise
he always delivers the laughter and joy
that has since become his trademark. For
Mister Donuts latest Chunky Bavarian
variants, Bitoy teamed up with the hunky
male group knows as the Chunks, who
each represent one delicious avor.
We are the chunkiest, and we are very
avorful, enthused Michael V. when
asked about his boy band mates: Jaco
Benin (Classic Pearl), Aki Torio (Mango
Nata), Avery Paraiso (Choco Peanut),
and Simon Sandor (Coffee Jelly). These
Chunky Bavarian donuts give surprise
after surprise, he added.
As for the latest innovation of Mister
Donut, Bitoy affectionately reveals
his love for them. Sa dough pa lang,
pagkagat mo pa lang, masu-surprise ka
talaga sa napakasarap na lasa. And then
theres the lling na grabe, na surprisingly
masarap talaga. Pangalawang surprise
yon, the comic genius enumerated.
Pagdating mo naman sa chunks,
doon ka talaga mato-todo ng surprise,
mapapagulong at mapapa OooHa sa
surprise. Napakarami! Surprise after
surprise after surprise!
When asked which of the four
he liked the most, Bitoy responded,
Lahat sila pwedeng maging paborito
mo. Ang tanong dyan actually ay
kung ikaw magiging paborito nila, he
joked amidst laughter. Whether its the
delicious classic pearl bits, or if you
prefer a mango nata surprise, and then
theres that delectable choco peanut
lling or a more rened coffee jelly feel,
one of these avors will denitely bring
out that Ngiting Mister Donut.
Another question was posed if the
Chunks can keep up with him as they go
through their dance moves. Michael V was
apprehensive for their rst salvo but he
replied, Fortunately, nakasabay naman
sila at natuwa ako.
One thing thats hard to keep up with is
the growing demand for the Mister Donut
Chunky Bavarian collection, which is now
a certied bestseller. So head on down to
your nearest Mister Donut outlet and get
them while theyre hot.
Mister Donut celebrity endorsers Michael
V. (center) with The Chunks (in grey
blazers) show off some dance moves.
PLDTS Ultra-fast
ber optic broadband
JIGGY MANICAD
GMA-7 TV reporter named TOYM
attempt to climb the summit of Mt.
Everest in Nepal in 2006, consid-
ered one of his most dangerous news
coverage to date; and his most recent
coverage of the canonization of St.
Pedro Calungsod which he anchored
live from the Vatican.
He has also earned accolades for
his investigative stories that became
instrumental in the capture of no-
torious criminals and the expose of
issues well-kept from public scru-
tiny. Among these were the much-
publicized kidnap-slay case of Co-
ca-Cola executive Betti Chua-Sy,
which led to the surrender of its four
primary suspects; the rescue of Chi-
nese kidnap victim Dominga Chu;
the surrenders of Buhari Jamiri,
one of the suspects in the behead-
ing of 10 Marines in Basilan, and
that of COMELEC Official Lintang
Bedols on the controversial 12-0
Maguindanao senatorial elections;
the plight of the OFWs in Malay-
sia doubling, as drug couriers; the
coverage of Marine Corporal An-
gelo Abetos story in relation to the
militarys incapacity to evacuate
wounded soldiers on the battlefield
leaving the military in an uproar;
and the remarkable documentation
of the miserable situation of the res-
idents of Fuga Island.
Early this year, Jiggy has been
given the following awards for his
noteworthy dedication to his profes-
sion: COMGUILD Center for Jour-
nalisms Hall of Fame award for the
Best Television Reporter category
for Reporters Notebook; Best Inves-
tigative Program Show Host from the
Gandingan Broadcast Choice Awards
of UP Los Banos; Best Documentary
Host from Northwestern Samar State
University; Outstanding Televi-
sion Reporter for GMA News TVs
Quick Response team (QRT) from
the Volunteers Against Crime and
Corruption (VACC); and a Plaque
of Recognition from the Center for
Media Freedom and Responsibility-
Marshall Mcluhan Awards held at
the Asian Institute of Management.
Currently, Jiggy serves as a host
to GMA-7s multi-awarded investi-
gative documentary program Report-
ers Notebook with fellow broadcast
journalist Maki Pulido. During Sat-
urdays and Sundays, he joins Pia Ar-
cangel as they anchor the Networks
primetime newscast 24 Oras Week-
end. He also banners GMA News
TVs 30-minute where it happens, as
it happens newscast News TV QRT
(Quick Response Team), apart from
his responsibilities as Senior Produc-
er for GMA News.
Still, despite his overwhelming
schedule, Jiggy finds the time to
teach journalist-wannabes by giving
free journalism lectures to college
students nationwide. Through this,
he wants to impart to the young ones
to never give up on their dreams no
matter how little they have, how
small their beginnings are. He also
extends a ready hand to those who
are in needbe it individuals or
communities.
For Jiggy, it is his responsibility to
remain passionate to the eld he has
chosen to become a part of, he owes
it to the public, even if its his life on
the line, to bring them the information
they rightfully deserveno more, no
less. After all, its this mere contribu-
tion that makes a difference in a world
that needs it direly.
Get
chunky
with
Michael V.
JLo enchants crowd at MOA Arena

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