The Standard - 2015 March 29 - Sunday

The sun will rise for Cagayan Valley

VOL. XXIX NO. 45 3 Sections 24 Pages P18 SUNDAY : MARCH 29, 2015 www.manilastandardtoday.com [email protected]

Investing in Manila is easy, says US bossA2

A8

Pacquiao tops list of taxpayers B1

SOLONS INSIST ON BBL ‘PURGE’

Pinoy Lent. Church workers at the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Makati City arrange the standees of the station of the cross where devotees are expected to pass by during the Holy Week, while (below) a young frond maker helps his mom prepare their merchandise in front of Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City in time for Palm Sunday. DANNY PATA, MANNY PALMERO

TO RID IT OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONSTO RID IT OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONSNext page

Lawmakers buck summit tack

A2s u n d ay : M a R C H 2 9, 2 0 1 5

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Pacquiao now biggest Ph taxPayerBoxing hero Manny Pacquiao, who faces his biggest fight against un-beaten American Floyd Mayweather, already holds top spot as the number one taxpayer in the Philippines, govern-ment records showed Saturday.

A list of top individ-ual tax-payers for 2013, posted on the Bureau of internal Revenue website, put the boxer-t u r ne d- c ong re s sm a n at number one with 163.84 million pesos ($3.72 million) in taxes paid.

This was about 64 percent higher than the second-highest tax-payer.

internal revenue chief Kim Henares confirmed that Pac-quiao topped the list but stressed that he still had a case pending over alleged non-payment of taxes earlier.

Although hailed as a national hero for his box-ing feats, Pacquiao has run afoul of tax officials before and is embroiled in a dispute with the rev-enue bureau saying he owed at least 2.2 billion pesos in unpaid taxes for 2008 and 2009.

“it (the case) is still ongoing. no, he has not settled. Being a top tax-payer... does not mean

he paid the correct taxes. The two (issues) are not synonymous,” Henares said in a state-ment to AFP.

The boxer has previ-ously insisted he paid the 2008 and 2009 taxes in the United States, so did not need to do so in the Philippines because the two countries have an agreement allowing their citizens to avoid double taxation.

The tax office alleges Pacquiao failed to pro-vide documents prov-ing his US payments and that he may still owe some money in the Phil-ippines where there is a higher rate of taxation.

Pacquiao, 36, a cham-pion in eight divisions, has parlayed his sports fame into a fortune in commercial endorse-ments, a showbiz career and even election to Congress.

This earned him a spot in Forbes magazine’s list as the 11th highest-paid athlete in 2014, although still behind his rival Mayweather who was number one on the list that year.

The two rivals for the crown of best boxer of their generation are due to meet in Las Vegas on May 2 in a match that is expected to shatter box office records. - AFPBiggest taxpayer. boxer and saranggani rep. Manny Pacquiao is now the biggest taxpayer in the country. AFP

By Maricel V. Cruz and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

LAWMAKERS continued to assail the Pal-ace proposal to form a panel to review the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law even as Malacañang argued that President Be-nigno Aquino III’s proposal was not meant to usurp the power of Congress to consider and enact laws.

Cagayan de oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chair-man of the 75-man House panel reviewing the BBL, reiterated that the House will pass the BBL based on “plenary powers of Con-gress in accordance with the collective wisdom of all its members.”

He said the government cannot force congressmen to accept their proposal and the Moro islamic Lib-eration Front cannot make demands on what version of the BBL it should approve because the proposed mea-sure is replete with uncon-stitutional provisions in the first place.

“We cannot swallow hook, line and sinker here,” Rodriguez said

stressing that the House will stand by its position to remove unconstitutional provisions in the BBL, in-cluding the creation of its own internal “Commis-sion on Audit”; disciplin-ing public officials like the ombudsman, estab-lishment of another civil service, and human rights body, and creation of the Bangsamoro police force.

Rodriguez also said the MiLF cannot demand from Congress anything in so far as the BBL is concerned.

Zamboanga Rep. Celso Lobregat, a member of the ad hoc panel, said the re-view being proposed by the Palace was a tacit admis-sion that they submitted a faulty bill and the opinions

of “citizen leaders” will not make faulty provisions any less unconstitutional.

“is this now an admission that there was no genuine and proper consultation done by the [office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process] and the [government of the Phil-ippines] panel?” Lobregat asked.

“The proposed BBL has been transmitted to Con-gress and both Houses are deliberating on the mea-sure. The Catholic Church, business sector or a conve-nors council cannot replace Congress,” said Lobregat, vice chairman of the House committee on peace, recon-ciliation and unity.

“This should have been done before the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CAB) last year,” he added, stressing that the Palace-proposed BBL can not be passed in its present form.

“We need a BBL that is just, fair, acceptable, fea-sible and consistent with the Constitution and existing laws,” Lobregat said.

But Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte

said Aquino’s proposal was not attempt to take over the legislative process but mere-ly as an additional forum.

“only Congress can pass the BBL, no summit will be able to do that,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio.

“it’s not about replac-ing the legislative process, but merely, as the President said, to provide an avenue to which the BBL can be discussed in a rational and calm manner,” Valte said.

“it creates an opportunity for community leaders and well-respected personalities in society to come together to sit down and discuss the BBL, and also in their un-derstanding to propose a way to move forward,” she added.

But Valte admitted that the so-called “national peace summit” the Palace proposed to consist of “citi-zen leaders” like Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., businessman Jaime Au-gusto Zobel de Ayala, was meant to pressure lawmak-ers into passing the law.

“it is up to the senator [or congressman] if he will lis-ten to the voices of the citizen leaders who will comprise the summit,” Valte said.

“Why will it be useless to get inputs from various members of the commu-nity? This is an issue every-one needs to understand,” she said. “Congress has the power to go over (the BBL) but that does not exclude the people because Congress should be primarily listen-ing to the people.”

on Friday, Sen. Fer-dinand Marcos Jr. said Aquino’s initiative to form a citizens’ committee that will review the BBL is an attempt to rally public sup-port for the passage of the controversial measure.

Meanwhile, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Pro-cess Teresita Quintos Deles admitted that the govern-ment was being bashed be-cause of the BBL.

“i admit we are bruised and feeling battered but we are here to proclaim we still stand firm (in pushing the peace process),” Deles said in a speech during a book launch event in intramuros,

Manila on Friday mark-ing the first anniversary of the signing of the Compre-hensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

“The past two months are psychologically and physi-cally battering, but the last two weeks affirmed that the way we have responded made the process stronger,” Deles said.

“The results will be a stronger process and a stronger BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law) with more peo-ple on board,”? she said.

The CAB was signed, she noted, after 17 years of negotiations between the government and the Moro islamic Liberation Front (MiLF).

The peace adviser re-counted the events and the challenges that faced both negotiating panels before they finally signed the CAB in March 27 last year.

“We have gone through a difficult process of nego-tiation,” Deles said, adding that the challenges disprove those who claim the peace agreement was rushed and not carefully studied by the government.?

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Belmonteto attendproBe intomassacre

AnAlyst: MindAnAo security More volAtile

Stations of the cross. students pray at a station of the cross at the arch of the centuries inside the campus of the University of santo tomas in manila on saturday. DANNY PATA

By Francisco Tuyay

THE security situation in Mindanao is becoming more volatile because both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have not prepared any plans on what to do in case the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law fails to pass Congress, according to an Is-lamic scholar and political analyst.

By Maricel V. Cruz

SPEAKER Feliciano Belmonte Jr. will likely join the re-opening of the congressional probe into the Janu-ary 25 Mamasapano debacle on April 7 and 8, a House source said on Saturday.

The lawmaker who spoke on con-dition of anonymity said Belmonte wants to witness the proceedings to be conducted by the joint House committees on public order and peace, reconciliation and unity to avoid a repetition of an earlier pro-ceeding that was described as “cir-cus-like.”

“The Speaker is open to the idea of attending the House probe on Mamasapano. He wants to attend the hearing because his presence will ensure an orderly proceeding,” said the congressman. “House Mi-nority Leader [Zamora] may also do the same.”

Neither Belmonte nor Zamora have confirmed their attendance at the hearing.

For his part, Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, member for the minor-ity bloc of the House committee on public order, said the presence of Belmonte and Zamora ios “much needed to provide leadership and guidance and ensure orderly and ef-ficient proceedings.”

Albano also stressed that the House probe is necessary because the Mamasapano bloodbath com-pounds the problems and adversely affects the passage of the controver-sial Bangsamoro Basic Law.

“The resumption of the Mamasa-pano probe reaffirms the role of the House as an institution and its legis-lative authority to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation into serious na-tional concerns and issues involving public interest.”

Whatever the result of the inves-tigations on the Mamasapano inci-dent will be, Albano said “Congress is one with the people in pursuing a lasting peace in Mindanao.”

Belmonte had earlier opposed any revival of the House probe pur-portedly beause the Philippine Na-tional Police had already formed a Board of Inquiry to investigate the matter.

But after the BOI put out its re-port, congresssmen raised more questions on the incident and urhed Belmonte to reopen the committee probe.

alBay dominates Gawad KalasaGLEGAZPI CITY—Albay once again dominated the recent 2014 Gawad Kalasag Awards of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, romping away with another Hall of Fame honor, and three other top titles.

Albay has consistently been in the honor roll of the annual Gawad Kalasag Awards for the past six years. It was elevated to Gawad’s Hall of Fame in 2012, after winning as best DRRMC for three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011.

Now on its 16th year, the Gawad Kalasag Awards, conferred by the NDRRMC under the Department of Na-tional Defense, is a national search for excellence in disas-ter risk reduction and man-agement, and humanitarian

assistance. The 2014 awards was held March 26 this year at the AFP Commissioned Officers Club, Camp Agui-naldo, Quezon City.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, elated by the recent honors received by Albay’s three local government units and a civic organization, said they only prove the province’s consistent effort to perfect DRR.

Conferred the Best DRRMC awards in their re-spective categories were Le-gazpi City, Santo Domingo town which was also elevated to the Kalasag Award Hall of Fame, and Barangay Oro Site. A private organization, the Simon of Cyrene Children’s Rehabilitation and Develop-ment Foundation was also cited as Best Civil Society Or-

ganization. Legazpi City and Barangay Oro Site may also shortly be elevated to Ga-wad’s Hall of Fame after hav-ing consistently won awards in the last few years.

Under Salceda, Albay, a prov-ince regularly devastated by nat-ural calamities, has embarked on a pioneering campaign for disaster risk reduction with its preemptive evacuation strat-egy towards its “Zero Casualty” goal. Albay’s exemplary DRR performance has consistently been maintained. Following its 2012 Hall of Fame award, the province had reaped five major titles in the 2013 Gawad Kalasag awards.

Albay has also gained glob-al recognition as UN Global Model in DRR and Climate Change Adaptation.

Another fires. Fire fighters train their hoses at a furniture and home accessories establishment at Kalayaan Avenue in Quezon City on Saturday. The fire reached the third alarm, but there were no injuries. MANNY PALMERO

“The coming closing chapter of [President Benigno Aquino III] is be-coming more delicate because of the BBL,” said Professor Julkipli Wadi, dean of the University of the Philip-pines Institute of Islamic Studies.

Wadi made the remark a day after Aquino called on lawmakers on Fri-day to pass the BBL or start counting “body bags.”

Aquino had wanted the bill passed

this month, but Congress suspended debates on the proposed law after the Mamasapano incdent.

But Wadi said it is misleading to blame the waning support for the BBL on the Mamasapano incident alone because the proposed legislation was already being severely criticized even before the January 25 incident that resulted in the death of 67 people, in-cluding 44 police commandos.

Even before the Mamasapano incident, Wadi said many provi-sions of the BBL were already being questioned not only by Mindanao residents, but also by the very gov-ernment security forces that are ex-pected to enforce the proposed law.

Wadi compared the uncertainty on the BBL to the failed Memoran-dum of Agreement on Ancestral Do-main which was ultimately rejected as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

“With the end of Aquino’s term inching closer, Congress and Mala-canang still has no unified position on the BBL and the recent survey showing huge margin of Filipinos disagreeing on the BBL could add to the doubts on the issue,” Wadi ex-plained.

A recent Pulse Asia survey showed only 21 percent agree of respondents

agreed with the BBL, 44 percent dis-agree and 26 percent remained un-decided.

“That can only mean one thing: that the BBL is not sure to pass be-cause of the doubts of the people,” Wadi said.

Worse, Wadi doubts the MILF leadership could even control radical elements that could commit desper-ate acts if they think that the govern-ment does not want the BBL to pass although lawmakers have repeatedly said they want a peace pact, but must ensure that it is constitutional.

“What we don’t know is how stable the MILF leadership is in dissuading their rank-and-file not to create vio-lence out of disappointment on the non-passage of the BBL,” Wadi said, adding that the MILF must assure the government that no renewed war if the BBL is delayed.

opinionA4

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Our hOur

Today is Palm Sunday, which announces the start of Holy Week, supposedly the most solemn week in the Catholic calendar. When I was a child, this time of the year meant total depriva-tion from most of my favor-ite things and activities as a form of sacrifice. I still like to think that most Filipinos do try to still find deeper

meaning in the observance of the Semana Santa even if most of us, particularly the younger set, do see it as op-portune time to hie off to some vacation place, and to party like there’s no tomor-row. It is a matter of public record that the Holy Week is the top peak season for vacation spots such such as Baguio, Puerta Galera and Boracay.

I’ve always made it a point to spend the week in the national capital after experiencing in the early nineties what I thought

were the most excruciat-ing 16 hours of my life crammed into a highway along with 20 million oth-ers all trying to get to some destination up north. The whole ordeal reminded me of what salmon fishes have to go through during their migration from the ocean towards upper reaches of rivers in order to spawn on gravel beds. I understand the situation has only wors-ened since then as more and more people join the annual exodus out of the Metro at this time. But then again, it

Meaningful Holy Week

one by one, time zone by time zone, lights dimmed again Saturday night as has been customary for many years now.

For one full hour, households and establishments went dark as they participated in what is now known as earth Hour.

It’s a symbolic act, designed to magnify the call to conserve energy, not only to bring down demand and use up available supply more slowly, thereby decreasing electricity bills.

It’s more than keeping costs down. It’s using up less energy and relying less on energy-producing methods that give off greenhouse gases that harm the atmosphere and warm the globe.

Climate change has been a buzzword for years now, but the connection between reversing its effects on the planet—melting polar ice caps, increasing ocean temperature, breeding more violent weather patterns more frequently—and mankind’s own hand has been weak.

even now, and even after seeing such weather patterns bring loss and destruction to entire communities, people may appreciate earth Hour only in terms of keeping up with the trend or mouthing the motherhood statement “saving the earth.”

But who are we saving, really? Who will stand to lose the most? Who will be exposed to the greatest risks? not earth, per se, but we who live on it. It is us who need to be saved from the life-altering effects of damage and displacement. our children and our children’s children who need to know they can inhabit a world where there is enough for everybody.

Saturday’s earth Hour was our hour, because we stand to lose or gain with the only planet we have. Let us stop thinking this is but an annual event. By our own little acts, documented or not, we can have succeeding earth hours that would achieve the same purpose and deliver the same message.

This is not about being fashionable. This is about knowing the risks we face and acknowledging that something can still be done.

ArE WE ThErE YET?

BONG C. AuSTErO

Metro Manila is the best place to be in at this time

of the year.

is the Holy Week and some kind of sacrifice is required so many must think of the whole experience as part of their penitence.

I say this with all sincer-ity and earnestness: Metro Manila is the best place to be during the Holy Week. It is

the only time when the met-ro is less congested - there is less traffic, pollution, noise, and yes, less tempta-tion as most bars and malls are closed. In addition, the variety of choices available for those who wish to attend religious activities is also quite rich since Metro Ma-nila has the highest density of churches in this country. For instance, one can do as many rounds of the Visita Iglesia as one wished.

of course if one truly wants to see elaborate obser-vances of the lenten activities such as spectacular proces-sions and rituals, one will have to go to certain prov-

A5ADELLE CHUAE D I T O R

S U N D AY, M A R C H 2 9, 2 0 1 5

OPINION

IT’S that time of the year again. Gradu-ation Day, Recognition Day, Moving Up day -- you name it. Facebook is flooded with photos and greetings, of parents be-ing proud of their children’s academic achievements. A friend of mine said, “sige na, honor na lahat ang anak ninyo. (okay, I get it, all your kids are honor stu-dents),” sounding just a little bit sick of it all.

It goes without saying that parents should be allowed to indulge themselves these proud moments. After all, aren’t these the reason we work so hard -- to give children the education we can af-ford, to give them the tools that would enable them to compete better in the real world when their time comes?

That children turn out to be academic achievers is also usually seen as a valida-tion of the quality of our parenting. We assume that the parents of the valedicto-rian are doing a much better job than the parents of the kid recommended to take summer classes.

And because the clanging of the med-als on a child’s chest has become a ba-rometer of our effectiveness as parents, it’s an increasing obsession that weighs down many parents instead of bringing them joy as they guide their children in their education.

This need not be so. Perhaps we par-ents need to remind ourselves that...

Grades are not everything. Sure, As or grades in the 90s are great to see. Re-member though that these only mea-sure one thing -- how well a student studies his lessons, not exactly how he thinks or processes his thoughts. Per-haps then, the child who memorizes terminologies or formula may get a higher mark than the child who takes a lot of time figuring out how that for-mula was derived. Who would we want our child to be?

There are several forms of intel-ligence. Academic excellence is one thing. But there are kids who shine in other areas while not necessarily ob-taining top honors. They may be mu-sically inclined. They may be great at building things and then taking them apart. They may be great debaters. Or, they may not just be great at taking tests. Knowing our child means know-ing where they are good at. If we guide them through this, they will stop mea-suring their self-worth through exter-nal things like medal counts. They will also be better able to appreciate other people’s unique attributes.

MAKING THE GRADE

inces. The good news is that a good number of them are near the Metro and if one plans the trips carefully, traffic and the other aggravations can be avoided. For example, any-one who wants to witness the pro-cessions in any of the old towns in Laguna should prepare to set out very early on Good Friday and plan to return back late evening to avoid the traffic rush. The towns of Pakil and Paete and San Pablo City

have some of the most breathtak-ing Good Friday processions that I have witnessed. Religious families in these places are known for pull-ing all the stops to ensure that the images and statues of the saint that they keep as family benefactor or protector take pride of place during the procession.

For the most colorful and theat-rical salubong (meeting of the risen Christ and His grieving mother),

one will have to hie off to nearby Angono Rizal east of the metro. Angono is renowned for culture and arts and has produced two national artists—Lucio San Pedro for music and Botong Franciso for visual arts—and a community of other great artists. The salubong in Angono is unique as it involves the whole community in a celebra-tion of replete with pageantry and religious fervor. Continued on A6

CHASING HAPPY

ADELLECHUA

Continued on A6

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OPINIONS U N D AY, M A R C H 2 9, 2 0 1 5

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Meaningful... From A5

EVERYMANBy Laurence Hector B. Arroyo

Dear Mr. President:

� e time has arrived for you to own up to the Mamasapano incident. You must apologize.

Apologize for your incomplete grasp of the nature of the chain of command that governs and binds the AFP and PNP hier-archies. � e chain of command required you to deal directly with the AFP Chief of Sta� and the PNP Chief, but, for reasons of your own, you chose to deal directly with the suspended PNP Chief and the 2-star SAF Commander. You can bypass, as in fact you did, the chain of command except that when you do so, you create confusion among those who have, throughout their professional lives, rigorously observed such chain. Orders go down the chain of command and not the other way around.

Apologize for sending men on a mis-sion which, from its inception, was al-ready compromised by the peace process. You wanted the best of both worlds. You wanted to capture a terrorist in enemy ter-ritory but at the same time you wanted to preserve the peace. You did not have the foresight to realize that you could not have both, so that when battle broke out, as it foreseeably would, the 44 found them-selves immolated on the altar of peace.

If you won’t apologize for your par-ticipation in the ill-conceived mission and for screwing up the chain of command, at least apologize for your conduct in the a� ermath of the disaster. Dealing with a suspended PNP Chief in an operation as sensitive and large as Oplan Exodus mere-ly betrayed a lack of good judgment. On the other hand, your conduct in the days a� er Mamasapano exposed a greater � aw —a � aw in character.

Apologize for not speaking to the na-tion sooner. Forty-four of your � nest men were killed in action in the service of coun-try, while you, the Commander-in-Chief, went missing in action at a time when the nation needed you most. � e SAF 44 fell by the a� ernoon of January 25. Yet, we did not hear your voice until four days later. And even then, you had not much to say and little emotion to show.

Apologize too for your piecemeal, selective and less than candid disclo-sures. For the longest time, you chose to keep silent. Then, when the clamor for answers became too loud to ignore, you declared that the hapless Gen. Napeñas deceived you. A few weeks later, with your popularity rating at an all-time low, you claimed that suspended PNP Chief Purisima let you down. In this instance, failure was not an orphan. It was, at least according to you, fathered by Purisima and Napeñas. You were a triumvirate but only up until Marwan was killed in the wee hours of January 25 because until then, the mission was a success. The mo-ment the fields of Mamasapano turned red, however, you denied your paternity and took to describing the police opera-tion as “Mission Impossible”.

But above all, apologize for not being at Villamor Airbase. You � ew to Zamboanga in the morning of January 25, ready to take credit for what was supposed to be the glo-rious capture of one of the world’s most wanted terrorists. But where were you when your men came home as corpses?

You are (were) their Commander-in-Chief. You sent them into battle. � ey died for the sake of the mission and for coun-try. You owed it to them to meet them at the tarmac of Villamor Air Base. You owed it to them to stand tall and grim and straight under the bright sun, amidst the tears of their families and the nation. Your men and their families were not asking for much. � ey were only asking that you be there when the cargo planes touched the ground and stay there until the 44th casket was delivered from their bowels.

Your spokesperson Abigail Valte ex-plained that you had a previous engage-ment to visit a car plant in Laguna and that, anyway, you were scheduled to attend the necrological services the following day. When your men die, the world should stop, if only for a few minutes. When your brother or son or father dies and his re-mains are brought home, you rush to the airport. You do not say I have to go to a car plant. You do not say I’ll be there to-

morrow. � e dead cannot wait. You have to be there when they arrive. You have to remain there until the last casket is un-loaded. A president who has the power to send men into combat and to their deaths certainly has the power to cancel a visit to a car plant. � e choice was not between being present at Villamor and at the nec-rological services. You should have been present at both.

You call them heroes but you did not give them a hero’s welcome. You claim to be their father, but you did not treat them as sons.

Above all, apologize to the SAF families for your painful words. When a wife who has just lost her husband in battle asks you why the Government did not retaliate with airstrikes, you do not say, “naglalaro ka ba ng computer?” When a young widow asks you how she can get justice for her dead husband, you do not say, “Anong gusto n’yo gawin ko, kunin natin ang � ngerprint ng mga kalaban?” Nor do you say, “Nama-tay rin ang tatay ko, alam ko ang pakiram-dam niyo kaya patas na rin tayo ngayon.” � is was not about you but about them. � is was not about the death of your fa-ther, but about the death of their husbands and sons. By all means, tell them that you recognize the depths of their grief but do not tell them that you are even. Under-stand that in the morning of January 25, their husbands were still alive and that, be-fore the day could end, all 44 had fallen. If they were persistent, you owed it to them to be patient. If they were angry, you owed it to them to show understanding. If they had questions, you owed it to them to an-swer their questions in a presidential man-ner. If there was any time where you were expected to be at your most presidential, this was the time. You were not talking to children. You were talking to the widows of heroes—broken, grieving, uncompre-hending widows.

It is ironic that the mission was la-beled “Oplan Exodus”. Exodus is a sto-ry about deliverance from oppression and death. In any event, even Moses, I am sure, would have apologized to his people had the Red Sea come crashing down on them instead of on the pursu-ing Egyptians.

By William Pesek

FOR a leader facing a plethora of challenges at home, Philippines Pres-ident Benigno Aquino is thinking a lot about Detroit—in particular, how to steal the title “Detroit of Asia” away from his Southeast Asian neighbor � ailand.

Aquino’s Philippines is riding an economic high; he claims GDP growth this year could reach 8 percent, which would be the best per-formance since the 1950s. � e economy enjoyed a 66 percent surge in foreign direct investment in 2014 compared to a year earlier. On � urs-day, the central bank was con� dent enough in growth prospects to hold rates steady, unlike most other Asian countries recently.

� e great need, however, remains job growth strong enough to keep pace with the country’s swelling population. � e Philippines’ 6.6 percent jobless rate is six times higher than � ailand’s and 1.6 times more than Chi-na’s. � at’s why Aquino, 55, is hoping to spend his last 15 months in o� ce trying to transform his nation into a true manufacturing center. One major initiative is the so-called Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program, or CARS, which aims to woo General Motors, Toyota and other auto giants to set up shop in the Philippines. It entails tax incentives and about $600 million worth of bene� ts for companies willing produce at least 40,000 vehicles annually, each fully built in the Philippines.

“We’re not relying on trickle down,” Aquino told me in an interview on Wednesday at the presidential palace in Manila. “We are really trying to enable our people to seize every opportunity that comes their way.”

Call and data centers have created hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs in the Philippines. But that’s the domain of educated urban workers, not the tens of millions of rural poor; manufacturing would soak up more workers at home and hopefully draw back some of those currently working abroad. While the $24 billion Filipinos wired home last year helps Manila’s � nances, migration depletes the quality of the lo-cal labor pool and hurts productivity.

“At the moment, we are a two-shop economy—business-process out-sourcing and remittances,” says Nestor Tan, president of BDO Unibank, the nation’s biggest money manager. “More manufacturing would diver-sify the economy in so many ways.”

� e challenges, however, are immense. Carmakers aren’t going to show up until the Philippines improves its ports, roads, airports and its notoriously expensive and unreliable power supplies.

Clearing logjams to infrastructure projects will be hard; paying for them will be harder. Last month, Aquino greenlighted six transportation-related projects totaling about $8.4 billion; those costs will grow expo-nentially. As great as the record $6.2 billion of FDI last year sounds, it’s still half what � ailand has been getting in recent years.

Pulling in more cash requires better governance. Investors will demand more progress in reducing corruption and ine� ciency before deploying fresh capital. Equally important, Aquino’s anti-gra� push must outlive his six-year term, which ends in June 2016. � at means he’s going to have to start putting more public services and transactions online, including bid-ding for government contracts. He should go further to do lifestyle checks on lawmakers living far beyond their means. He also should do more to clamp down on the infamous Bureau of Customs, where tens of billions of dollars have vanished since 1990.

Still, Aquino’s not wrong to see an opportunity here. Given Japan’s aging population and the central bank’s failure to end de� ation, Toyota is looking abroad and expanding its strategy of producing cars where they’re purchased. (� e world’s largest automaker may soon formalize a $1 billion investment in a new assembly plant in Mexico.) Its traditional Southeast Asian base—� ailand—is looking less and less attractive as the ruling junta juggles a vague and shi� ing list of economic priorities. � ai-land’s central bank recently downgraded the economy’s prospects this year, saying business and consumer con� dence had been shaken by the weaker-than-expected recovery.

With its young, English-speaking population, low labor costs and ris-ing household incomes, the Philippines looks good by comparison. � e biggest change in the Asian manufacturing space is choice—automak-ers suddenly have many options as India, Indonesia and the Philippines vie for their factories. At � rst, the Philippines is trying to � nd “a niche for the region” and position itself as “a mass producer of a model that is not produced in � ailand,” before building on those gains, says Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo. In the interview, Aquino called signs that Japan’s Mitsubishi may be upping production in the Philippines “very, very signi� cant.”

Success would cement Aquino’s legacy more strongly than anything else he might do in his remaining months, spreading the bene� ts of growth beyond skyscraper-strewn major cities. “We are very conscious that manufacturing is more stable than services,” Aquino told me. � is is one opportunity his country can’t a� ord to miss. Bloomberg

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT

AQUINO WANTS TO MAKE PHILIPPINES INTO DETROIT

From Angono, one can pass by An-tipolo, which used to be the top pil-grimage destination before Manaoag in Pangasinan. On Good Friday, hundreds of thousands of young people still con-verge in the Cathedral of the Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage), trudging on foot from various parts of the city. Un-fortunately, the tradition has been get-ting bad rap lately due to the presence of gangs and unruly groups who see the pilgrimage more as a rite of passage than as a religious activity.

What I like best about doing the Vis-ita Iglesia in Metro Manila on Maundy Thursday is that churches make it a point to come up with unique and cre-ative altars of repose in an effort to heighten spiritual reflection. In some churches, they even move the altar to an open area and create a garden setting to accommodate more people and per-haps to provide variety. It’s a thoughtful gesture, really, because visiting eight to fourteen churches can be quite taxing; a little change in the ambience can do wonders to lift a tired spirit. Unfortu-nately, the whole experience is often marred by people whose main goal it seems in doing the Visita Iglesia is to take pictures of the various altars, or worse, to take selfies or groufies with the altars as background.

Consumerist touches will continue to alter the way we observe traditions, in-cluding those associated with the Holy Week. But I guess what is truly impor-tant is what is in people’s hearts; even more important, we can all take comfort in the fact that the traditions continue to be observed even in the midst of rap-id changes.

There will always be people who are better than they are. This is also known as humility. We have to accept that the word is a big place and that some people are less able than we are, while some are more able than we are. It’s a fact of life. Just because somebody’s better than you are does not mean you are not good or that you cannot get better. Everybody is a work in progress.

Resist the urge to be helicopter par-ents. Busy as we are with our careers, friendships and relationships, we also want to be superparents -- those who know all the details about their child’s pursuits, know all their friends, man-age their schedules and enrol them in all enrichment courses imaginable. We are worried they might scrape their knees, get lost, make mistakes. Difficult as it is, we have to let them. We are there to guide them, not live their lives for them.

Disappoint them once in a while. Sometimes we get so pressured to be the perfect parents that we don’t show our kids who we really are. We feel the need to always be giving, patient, understand-ing, supportive. But it is perfectly all right to say no, lose your cool and holler at them when they’re taking too much of your sanity. Kids raised in a bubble do not do very well in the real world.

Education does not only happen in school. It does not stop in the sum-mer, either. Learning is never ending and even parents can discover they have more to learn, still.

In the end, what grade matters? It’s not the one printed on the report card. It’s how we learn and what we derive from life, from the people around us, and from ourselves.

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Making... From A5

A7S U N D AY : M A R C H 2 9, 2 0 1 5

[email protected]

InvItatIon to BId no. 078Rest./RehaB. of soRIano CIs (Phase 3)-tagak aRea

The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to apply the sum of Seven Million One Hundred Twenty-Three Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy-Seven & 28/100 PESOS (PHP7,123,877.28) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Rest./Rehab. Of Soriano CIS (Phase 3)-Tagak Area with Contract No R1-PIMO-15-03-078. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically re-jected at bid opening.

1. The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Rest./Rehab. Of Soria-no CIS (Phase 3)-Tagak Area under FUND 101. The project is located in Mangatarem, Pangasinan with the following description of work:

I. Appurtenant Structure (Intake for Tagak Area)II. Canal StructureIII. Canal Lining

Completion of the Works is required within One Hundred Fifty (150) calendar days.

2. Bidder must have an experience of having completed, a single contract that is similar to the contract to be bid, must be at least 50% of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, In-structions to Bidders.

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regula-tions (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietor-ships, partnerships, or organizations with at least Seventy-Five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from National Irrigation Administra-tion, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan (office of the Head, BAC Secretariat) and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 A.M to 5:00 PM:

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the above address and upon payment at the NIA Cashier of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of SEVEN THOUSAND PESOS (Php7,000.00).

6. Issuance & Availability of bidding documents is from the first day of advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid/ Request for Expression of interest until submission and receipt of bids.

7. The National Irrigation Administration will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on April 1, 2015, 3:00 PM at the NIA-Regional Office Conference Room, Urdaneta City, Pan-gasinan which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

8. Bids must be delivered on or before 2:00 PM, April 14, 2015 at the address below. Opening of Bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the NIA-Region I Conference Room, Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan. Late bids shall not be accepted.

9. The National Irrigation Administration shall not allow contractors to participate in the procurement of civil works with at least 15% negative slippage on their on-going NIA Contracts at the time of advertisement or posting in the PhilGEPS/NIA Website of the Invitation to Bid in accordance with Rule X, Sec. 34.3 (b) (ii) of the Revised Implement-ing Rules & Regulation of Republic Act No. 9184. Hence, affidavit stating with at least 15% negative slippage is required as evidence.

10. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

11. Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of proj-ects within the Agency.

12. All bids must be accompanied by a Certificate of Site Inspection issued by the imple-menting office.

13. The National Irrigation Administration reserves the right to reject bids, declare a failure of bidding, and not to award the contract without incurring any liability if the funds/allotment for the project to be bid has been withheld or reduced through no fault of its own.

14. Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the proj-ect.

For further information, please refer to:

ENGR. MYRNA C. MARTINEZ - Head BAC Secretariat NIA-RegionalOfficeNo.1 Barangay Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan TelefaxNo:632-1435 E-mail address: [email protected] (SGD.) FRIDA L. NIDOY BAC ChairmanNoted:

(SGD.) JOHN N. CELESTE, DPA Regional Manager A

(TS-MAR. 29, 2015)

InvItatIon to BId no. 079Rest./RehaB. of Bantay Buenlag CIsThe National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to apply the sum of Seven Million One Hundred Six Thousand Nine Hundred Forty-Five & 66/100 PESOS (PHP7,106,945.66) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Rest./Rehab. Of Bantay Buenlag CIS with Contract No R1-PIMO-15-03-079. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1. The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Rest./Rehab. Of Bantay Buenlag CIS under FUND 101. The project is located in Mangatarem, Pangasinan with the following description of work:

I. Canal StructuresII. Canal LiningIII. Supply and Delivery of 7HP water cooled, v-belt driven diesel engine

w/at least 2200 RPM coupled w/ 3” diam.x50 TDH self priming water pump 2200 RPM discharge capacity mounted on a common steel base w/ complete accessories

IV. Supply and Delivery of 2 ½” diam.x60mts. commercial P.E. dis-charge pipe

Completion of the Works is required within One Hundred Twenty (120) calendar days.


3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regula-tions (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietor-ships, partnerships, or organizations with at least Seventy-Five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.









12. All bids must be accompanied by a Certificate of Site Inspection issued by the imple-menting office.


14. Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the project.




(TS-MAR. 29, 2015)

SEA ROW: PH, CHINA SWAP RAPS

LOOSE FIREARMS. National Police deputy deputy director general Leonardo Espina, acting offi cer in charge, checks out a high-powered fi rearm that was among those con-fi scated by the PNP Central Visayas during his visit at the PRO - 7. RALPH PIEZAS

Makati dads come to aid of unpaidcity workers

It also said accusations that Manila was being “hyp-ocritical” would not distract people from Beijing’s own actions which were raising regional tensions.

The statement by foreign affairs department spokes-man Charles Jose was the latest volley in an increas-ingly tense war of words over the sea, parts of which are claimed by both countries as well as Brunei, Malaysia, Tai-wan and Vietnam.

“The Philippines’ possible undertaking of necessary maintenance and repairs on its existing facilities in the

West Philippine Sea... is in no way comparable to Chi-na’s massive reclamation ac-tivities which not only violate international law... but also unnecessarily raise tensions,” the statement said.

“West Philippine Sea” is the term Manila uses for the South China Sea where Filipino troops and civil-ians occupy some islands.

The Philippines has re-cently been among the most vocal in criticising China’s development of isolated outcroppings in the waters into large fa-cilities capable of hosting

By Joel Zurbano

CITY councilors of Makati will provide financial as-sistance to their staff while their salaries are on hold because of the refusal of Vice Mayor Romulo Pena Jr. to sign checks and vouchers covering the March 16-31 and April 1 – 15 payroll period.

“The members of the city council have agreed to provide temporary re-lief to our staff who are now burdened by the de-lay in the release of their salaries. Even though we, too, have not received our salaries, we cannot ignore their plight, as some of them came to us crying while some even brought along their children to seek help,” said Councilor Marie Alethea Casal-Uy.

As vice mayor, Pena signs the payrolls and checks for the city coun-cilors and their staff with regular/co-terminus sta-tus of employment.

The Office of the Om-budsman suspended Mayor Junjun Binay over the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II and replaced him with Pena, but the Court of Ap-peals issued a temprary restraining order prevent-ing the suspension order.

Pena insisted he is the acting mayor and he’s just following orders from the Ombudsman and the De-partment of Interior and Local Government.

Uy said “We remain firm in our stand that the Temporary Restrain-ing Order issued by the court continues to prevail over the legal opinion on which the Vice Mayor has been basing his ac-tions. Makati has only one mayor, and that is Mayor Binay,” she said.

THE Philippines on Saturday shot back at Beijing’s criticism of its activities in the South China Sea, saying they were “in no way com-parable to China’s massive reclamation ac-tivities” in the waters.

bases and even airstrips.Foreign Secretary Albert

del Rosario said the Philip-pines would resume its own construction of facilities in the sea, prompting Chinese foreign ministry spokes-woman Hua Chunying to denounce his remarks on Friday.

“This does not only vio-late China’s territorial sov-ereignty but also reveals (the Philippines’) hypocrit-ical nature,” she said.

In response, the Philip-pines said: “China’s recent statement... should not distract us from the real is-sues in the South China Sea which are China’s illegiti-mate ‘nine-dash line’ claim and China’s unilateral and aggressive behaviour in as-serting that claim as exem-plified by its massive and un-restrained ‘reclamation’.” AFP

SUNDAY: MARCH 29, 2015

editorial@the standard.com.phA8

bulacan poll officerscaught in a cross fire

mmda deploys2,300 on the road

Nlex, Sctex iNtegrate to eaSe holy week traffic Motorists using the two toll-ways, NLEX and sCtEX, during the Holy Week break will already experi-ence the ease and convenience result-ing from the integration of the toll systems.

“to handle the expected increase in traffic volume during Holy Week, we will pilot-test the integrated toll system to provide motorists with a foretaste of the smooth travel expe-rience that the project, once com-pleted, will bring about,” said rodrigo E. Franco, president of the Manila North tollways Corporation , builder and concessionaire of the expressway. “With the integration, travel through NLEX and sCtEX will be faster and more convenient.”

on April 1 and 2, northbound mo-torists exiting NLEX, except for those whose vehicles are equipped with Easytrip tags, will not have to stop and pay at the Dau Exit toll Plaza. All manual lanes in the toll plaza will be designated as “pass thru” lanes. However, there will still be dedicated Easytrip lanes where payment stubs

that serve as receipts will be given to motorists with Easytrip transactions.

At the Dau and sta. ines inter-changes, temporary booths will be set up to collect toll from motorists exit-ing NLEX. on the other hand, motor-ists exiting NLEX and continuing on to sCtEX—either to subic or tarlac —will have to pay their combined NLEX and sCtEX toll at the sCtEX

Mabalacat Entry toll Plaza. Payment stubs and manual official receipts will be issued to motorists as proofs of payment.

in anticipation of the usual 20% increase in the expressway’s traffic volume during Holy Week, MNtC is putting up 20 additional booths in the area. And as an added treat to motor-ists going all the way from NLEX to

sCtEX subic or sCtEX tarlac, they can buy Express Cards in any of the gas stations along NLEX that will en-title them to a toll discount.

Motorists traveling to sCtEX subic or sCtEX tarlac just need to surrender the payment stubs issued to them in Mabalacat or the Express Cards bought from NLEX gas sta-tions when they exit the expressway.

on April 4 and 5, southbound motorists using NLEX will not need to stop at the Dau Entry toll Plaza where all entry lanes will be desig-nated as “pass thru” lanes. No transit tickets will be given out.

While traveling along the express-way, motorists can again buy Express Cards from any of the NLEX gas sta-tions to entitle them to toll discounts. toll payments as well as Express Cards will be collected at the Bocaue toll Plaza. to speed up collection, 15 tem-porary toll booths will be installed.

“While this system is still tempo-rary and just being set up for Holy Week, it will soon be a permanent fixture once the NLEX-sCtEX sys-

tem integration is fully completed,” Franco said.

The agreement to integrate the two expressways’ toll systems was signed last January between MNtC and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the government-owned and controlled corporation that built sCtEX.

The integration will bring to sC-tEX the modern features of NLEX’s toll payment system. These include dedicated short-range communica-tion, radio frequency identification (rFiD) sticker tags, as well as con-tactless and magnetic cards.

Under the integration plan, some toll barriers and toll plazas will be removed or transferred. Among the barriers that will be removed are the NLEX Dau Barrier and the sCtEX Mabalacat toll Barrier. New toll pla-zas will be constructed at the existing entry and exit ramps at NLEX Dau and sta. ines. A new sCtEX tarlac toll Plaza will also be constructed.

The project is expected to be com-pleted within the year.

aNNual exoduS.people flocked to the provincial bus terminal in Araneta center in Quezon City waiting for bus units that will take them to the provinces where they will spend the Holy Week.MaNNy PalMero

By Sara Susanne d. fabunan

The Commission on elections assured its field officers who were caught in a political cross fire in Bulacan that it will exhaust all legal moves to protect them but urged them to continue with the recall proceedings against Governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado despite the risks.

By Joel e. Zurbano

tHE Metro Manila Develop-ment Authority has started implementing measures under “oplan Metro Alalay” to ensure the safety and convenience of motorists and commuters dur-ing the Holy Week.

The measures entail the road-readiness testing of buses in termi-nals located along Epifanio de los santos Avenue in Cubao, Quezon City; Pasay City, Caloocan City and Coastal road, and the alcohol test among bus drivers before they can be allowed to travel.

MMDA personnel will use breath analyzer, which authori-ties are using in apprehending motorists under the influence of liquor and prohibited substance.

“We will do this inspection on bus terminals to make sure the transport vehicles are roadwor-thy and the riding public going to provinces are safe during their trips,” said MMDA chairman Francis tolentino.

The project was made in an-ticipation of road congestion caused by the traditional Holy Week exodus and the influx of motorists.

to enforce oplan Metro Ala-lay from March 27 to April 6, to-lentino ordered the deployment of 2,300 men coming from the agency’s Metro Base Unit, traf-fic Constables office, Mobile Pa-trol and Motorcycle Units , road Emergency Groups, Metro Park-way Clearing Group and sidewalk Clearing operations Group.

Crisanto saruca, MMDA traf-fic discipline office chief, said the personnel will man traffic on points to and from Metro Ma-nila particularly North Luzon and south Luzon expressways, Coastal road, Mc Arthur Highway, Mar-cos Higway, Mindanao Avenue and A. Bonifacio Avenue.

“My hearts goes out to our people in the field. And we are doing every-thing we can to remove that threat from them. so as far as we are concerned, we are doing everything we can to ensure that our people in the field are also pro-tected,” Comelec spokesman James Ji-menez said on saturday.

“But they have to do their duty. We ask them to hold fast continue doing their work,” he urged.

on Monday, at least 19 election of-ficers from Bulacan’s 21 towns and three cities signed a letter to Comelec en banc

to air their predicament on the recall proceedings which they claimed have drained them physically, mentally and emotionally while doing their duties.

The election officers have been fac-ing a dilemma since the office of the Deputy Executive Director for opera-tions ordered them to proceed with the verification process on Wednesday, al-though a temporary restraining order was issued by Judge Gregorio Agloro of Branch 38 of the regional trial Court in Bulacan, directing them to refrain from conducting the recall.

The election officers, together with their verifiers and the acting provincial election supervisor, were given five days by Agloro to explain why they should not be held for indirect contempt of court for disobeying a court order.

“We are caught not only in the middle of the legal tussle between two warring political camps but also in the crossfire, as we face several lawsuits that are criminal in nature, threats of facing several more charges from both camps, as well as verbal and other kinds of ha-rassment,” Malolos City election officer lawyer Julio Nicanor Guinto, who led the 19 Eos, said in a statement.

But Jimenez, citing its previous statement, said that the court has no jurisdiction over Comelec, an inde-pendent government agency.

He said that the Comelec will de-fend its employees and officers from the charges.

Guinto said that while he is fully aware of the Comelec’s position that the regional trial Court has no juri-

diction over them, the tro “remains to this date a lawful and valid order of the court which should be obeyed unless otherwise ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction”.

Jimenez explained further that it is part of the hazards of the job, espe-cially Comelec employees on the field.

Jimenez appealed to tthe employ-ees to remain sober and avoid taking actions about the administration of the system.

“The bottomline is the recall pro-ceedings. it is part of our democracy. it is one of the ways for our people to make sure that who they have chosen is the one who is fir for their needs,” he said.

“Please let us not quarrel with the administration of the system. For example, in a basketball, why do you have to quarrel with the referee? Let’s just stay sober. to our people, my appeal is to stay the course and continue their duty because we will take care of them.

A view of the North Luzon Expressway

climate technologies and commercial and residential solutions. Sales in fiscal year 2014 hit $24.5 billion.

Emerson employs 130,000 individuals across 220 manufacturing locations around the world, of which 150 are located outside the United States.

Farr, who has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Wake Forest University and master’s degree in business administration from Vanderbilt University, joined Emerson in 1981 in a corporate staff position.

His first visit in the Philippines was in the early 1990s. “Our first investment in the Philippines was in 1995 and that’s under President [Fidel] Ramos. We have made a big investment in the Philippines. It has been growing ever since,” says Farr.

“Around 1992 to 1993, we started investing in this region from the manufacturing standpoint. What we realized is we need to build a customer support organization and capabilities. The people here in this organization could focus on making this happen and

became a very important in the growth strategy of supporting our customers, our finance, technology,” says Farr.

Emerson began operations in the country with Emerson Network Power establishing its presence in 2001, followed by other Emerson businesses and support functions in subsequent years. Emerson currently employs 4,400 individuals in four offices or facilities in three locations in Mandaluyong City, Pasig City and Quezon City.

“The opening of this [Quezon City] facility is very important. It is a great milestone in the history of Emerson in the Philippines and especially in the 125th year as a company. We have been doing business in the Philippines since the mid 1990s. I was involved in that personally,” says Farr.

“Network Power came here in 2001, customer support in 2002. Today, we have around 4,400 employees here in the Philippines across three locations. We have great employees,” he says.

Farr says Emerson’s Philippine operation is led by a good team. “We have a lot of people from

this organization who are now running Emerson organizations around the world,” he says.

“This is the sixth or seventh building I visited since I have been coming here. We still have employees here since day one, a great group of people,” says Farr. “This organization has been a very important contributor. They are involved in so many parts of Emerson. They have grown from just pure customer service, to technology, to supporting global infrastructure of Emerson. You walk around this place, and you will see the technology and the passion for this company.”

“The reason we continue to invest in the [Asian] region is the people. All our customers truly appreciate what the organization in this country has done for us globally,” he says. “The people of this organization touch so many of Emerson’s operations. That’s why I come here as often as I do,” he says.

Farr says the new Emerson facility in Quezon City “manifests our commitment to the Philippines.”

BUSINESSRoderick T. dela CruzEDITOR B1


[email protected]@gmail.com

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CONTINUED ON B3

THE chairman and chief executive of Emerson, the Missouri-based manufacturing giant, says investing in the Philippines is easy, allowing the company to expand in the country and generate jobs for more than 4,000 Filipinos.

INVESTING IN MANILA

IS EASY, SAYS US BOSS

“Investing in the Philippines has been easy. To be honest, the government has been a tremendous supporter for us. They have made it easy. They have been straightforward. They helped us in our demands, our requirements. It has been an ethical process and a very welcoming process for us. During good times, bad times, the government has been there for us and we appreciate that,” says David Farr, who has been leading Emerson as chief executive since 2000.

Farr visited the Philippines on March 26 to formally open a $35-million facility at SM Cyber West just across SM North Edsa in Quezon City. The new facility provides training and services to Emerson’s global, regional and local customers and space to

accommodate future growth.“It has been very easy decision

to invest, because people make things easy to for us around the world,” he says.

Together with Emerson Process Management engineering and service center which opened in June 2014, Emerson’s investment in the Philippines over the past two years have reached $55 million, according to Farr.

Farr is only the third CEO of Emerson in nearly 60 years. Emerson, which was established in St. Louis, Missouri in 1890, is now a global leader in providing solutions for customers in industrial, commercial and consumer markets around the world. The company has five business segments, including process management, industrial automation, network power,

Emerson chairman and CEO David Farr


BUSINESSSUNDAY: MARCH 29, 2015

B2

WHY TELECOM EXECUTIVE CHOSE TO BE AGRI-PRENEUR

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

AN INFORMATION tech-nology expert, who gradu-ated magna cum laude from the Polytechnic Uni-versity of the Philippines in 1989, retired at the age of 39 in 2004 as a vice presi-dent of a telecommunica-tion company to pursue his passion for agri-tourism. Today, his six-hectare or-ganic farm in Laguna prov-ince employs 120 workers and is considered one of the country’s most popular agri-tourism sites.

“I was tired and burned-out of the very stressful life in the corporate world. I man-aged to escape the corporate life at the age of 39 by availing an early retirement plan from the company in 2004. I just thought that engaging into organic agriculture and healthier lifestyle will somehow prolong our lives and spend more quality time with my family,” says 48-year-old Ronald Cos-tales.

Costales and his wife Josephine own Costales Nature Farms, a six-hectare in-tegrated farm in Barangay Gagalot, Ma-jayjay, Laguna, which is the largest single producer of certified organic vegetables,

culinary herbs, organic pork and chicken in the country.

Josephine is a former owner of Cyber-world, a chain of Internet cafes in Lagu-na. The couple have two children--Reden Mark, a graduate of De La Salle University - Dasmariñas who is currently the farm manager and Angelica, who studies at the University of the Philippines - Los Baños and works as the marketing manager of the farm.

Costales, who grew up in Umingan, Pangasinan, used to be the head of the IT and engineering department of a large tele-communications company in Makati. He took up Bachelor in Computer Science and graduated magna cum laude from PUP in 1989.

“Since I came from a very poor fam-ily, I studied in a public school in my el-ementary and high school days, and in my college days, I worked as a security guard during daytime and a college scholar dur-ing nighttime. I dreamt of becoming a cor-porate guy working in an air-conditioned room with very nice office attire,” Costales says.

After working in an air-conditioned of-fice for more than a decade, he discovered that there was a better working environ-ment out there.

Today, Costales is a proud organic farm-ing practitioner and a staunch advocate of organic agriculture, an agri -technology in-novator, a self-sacrificing extension service provider and an astute agri-entrepreneur.

He is a board member representing the agribusiness/private sector in the National Organic Agriculture Board, the policy-

making body of organic agriculture in the country.

Among the awards he received are most inspiring agri-preneur in the Philippines from Go Negosyo, most outstanding com-munity enterprise in the Philippines from the Villar Sipag Foundation, most out-standing son of Pangasinan from the Pan-gasinan provincial government and most outstanding organic farmer of the Philip-pines from Gawad Saka.

Costales was also named the most out-standing professional of the Philippines and the outstanding Philippines organic agriculturist.

Costales says he ventured into organic farming, after realizing that he was tired of being in the corporate world. “I started the business as a hobby by planting chemical-free fruits, vegetables, organic poultry and livestock for family consumption in 2005. We love to eat so we decided to produce our own food. These are safe and healthy food,” Costales says.

He says with an initial seed capital of P250,000 in 2005, the farm started on a very small area of 1,000 square meters. The farm now covers 6 hectares and has 120 employees.

“After learning the nitty-gritty part of or-ganic agriculture by attending crash cours-es [from Agricultural Training Institute] and abroad [Saraburi, Thailand], we went commercial in 2009 by supplying organic high-value vegetables and culinary herbs to hotels and restaurants in Metro Manila,” he says.

After a successful stint as a prime pro-ducer of certified organic food, Costales

opened the farm to the public to become the first agri-tourism destination in the country, accredited by the Tourism De-partment.

Costales Nature Farms offers certified organic vegetables, culinary herbs, organic pork and chicken, processed meat (organic lucban longganisa) and organic feeds for livestock. As an accredited partner of Agri-cultural Training Institute, it also provides technical and business training on diversi-fied organic agriculture and agri-tourism courses.

“Costales Nature Farms is a private ex-tension service provider of ATI. As a tech-nical resource speaker of Asian Productiv-ity Organization or APO, we also conduct training on agri-tourism development to other Asean countries,” says Costales.

“As an accredited partner of DOT, we also offer different farm tourism packages to local and foreign tourists ranging from half-day lakbay aral tours to three days wellness tours,” he says.

Costales says the seeds used in the farm are being supplied by Allied Botanical, Eastwest, Ramgo and Harbest. “The organ-ic feeds for livestock are being formulated and mixed in-house. Piglets are from own sows. Day-old chicks are from F1 Farmers Choice and we own production of fertil-ized eggs,” he says.

Costales says being an entrepreneur was not his first career option. Despite the suc-cess in the agri-tourism business, Costales says there are a lot of challenges along the way.

“Technical skills are the initial challeng-es and were addressed Next page

Agri-preneur Ronald Costales and his family


BUSINESSSUNDAY: MARCH 29, 2015

B3

FROM B1

“We have invested in this country since 1995 and employed a lot of people. When you include the investment in this new facility, we have invested over $55 million over the last couple of years and we have commitment to the organization and the country.”

Farr says the new Emerson facility is focused on serving customer base relative to overall growth. “Last year, we grew the Philippines around 8 or 9 percent. We would like to grow more in the Philippines. That’s why we have the customers coming here. The Philippine economy is growing right now. We do very well in Asia. In Asia, we will probably grow 4 or 5 percent. Worldwide, we will grow less than that. This organization is about supporting customers around the world,” says Farr.

Sales in the Philippines reached about $50 million in 2014, but the Philippine facilities provide services to other centers and operations of Emerson around the world. The Quezon City center, for one, provides customers with specialized facilities, such as the integrated solutions center, Emerson Process Management’s

INVESTING IN MANILA IS EASY, SAYS US BOSStechnical learning center and Emerson Climate Technologies Partner Plus technical and training center.

The facilities in Mandaluyong and Pasig support the business units’ engineering, product development, customer support, advanced services, operations and marketing and sales support functions in Asia Pacific and globally.

“Emerson is a great large company. Globally, we have $25 billion [in sales]. We have 130,000 employees. We are a very global company. About 60 percent of our sales are outside the United States. Our largest region is Asia-Pacific,” says Farr.

Farr says while Emerson also opened other global shares services facilities in Costa Rica, Romania and China, the Quezon City center is “by far, our largest center, more strategic and the most knowledgeable center that we have.”

“I expect the organization to continue to be vibrant and start to add value to us, and look at how we can serve our customers in the Philippines and the region,” he says.

Phil Kelaart, the vice president and general manager of Emerson Philippines, says the operation in the country has been growing 10 percent annually for several years now.

“What fuels this growth? We do something very unique here in the Philippines for Emerson and that is, for every single product and every business unit of Emerson here in Manila, we support about every function in those businesses,” says Kelaart. “We have been growing about 10 percent for several years. This center will enable us to grow at that rate over the next several years.”

Farr says he is optimistic about the expanding role of the Philippines in Emerson’s global operations. “This organization has matured in skills set. What we are trying to do is to take that capability and knowledge to expand services. What they are is a service organization. They don’t manufacture products here. They manufacture knowledge and service and that is what is unique in this organization. I watched the organization and leaders here grow and mature,” says Farr.

He says Emerson will continue to invest in the country. “With the innovation and knowledge that we have here since 1995, this is the culmination of what is to come,” he says.

“The people in this organization are doing a phenomenal job, creating unique skills to support the company is so many different ways. We are gonna keep growing here, if the government allows us to,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

WHY TELECOM EXECUTIVE CHOSE TO BE AGRI-PRENEURby attending trainings and seminars. People management was likewise a chal-lenge since managing blue-collar staff is quite different from managing white-collar employees,” he says.

“I used to manage remotely in the tel-co and IT industries but these were not applicable in agriculture. Agriculture and agri-tourism are full-time hands-on job. I learned that the best fertilizer is the owner’s footprints in the farm,” he says.

Costales says his biggest accomplish-ments are making farming more appeal-ing through agri-tourism and spurring economic development in the town of Majayjay, which became the model of progressive agriculture and tourism farming of the country.

Despite his busy schedule, Costales says he always makes sure he spends quality time with his family. “On week-days, I do farm works, conduct training, prepare proposals, plan the company direction, attend NOAB meetings, and meet with my staff. But on weekends, I enjoy precious time with my family,” Costales says.

He says his family serves as his inspi-ration to work harder. “My wife, Josie, my son Redz, my daughter, Angel and her angel, Rion Isabel are the people who influence me the most. I am also inspired by people who are continuously inspired

by following our footprints,” Costales says.

Costales says he hopes to expand the services offered by their farm to include facilities for accommodation and spa. He also plans to extend the production of organic produce to cooperator farmers in the community and help small farm-ers gain access to both local and foreign markets.

“I hope that organically grown food will become the mainstream in the next five years. Majority of food producers will shift to organic agriculture produc-tion. I want the Philippines to become the major supplier of organic food ex-ported abroad and for agri-tourism sites to become the preferred tourist destina-tions for both local and foreign visitors,” Costales says.

“In five years time, I also hope that Costales Nature Farms will continue to be the leader in the field of organic agri-culture production and agri-tourism. It will also expand its operation by opening up chains of organic fastfood storefronts that will be affordable, making safe and healthy food available to everyone,” he says.

Costales says good management style and hard work hold the key to success. “Lead by example. Work as a team player. Work hard to reach your dreams. There

is no substitute for hard work and always remember that kingdoms are won by armies, while empires are made by great alliances,” Costales says.

He advised those who have similar passion in the field of agriculture and tourism “to be our partners and join our venture programs to make farming more sexy again.”

“Help us in feeding the nation with safe and healthy food. Let us unite to fight poverty and hunger,” Costales says.

Emerson Business Process Management integrated solution center

Emerson chairman and CEO David Farr and Emerson Philippines general manager Phil Kelaart cut the ribbon during the opening of the new Emerson facility in Quezon City.

Ronald Costales

FROM B2

[email protected]

S U N D AY : M A R C H 2 9, 2 0 1 5

WORLD

InvItatIon to BId no. 080Rest./RehaB. of MIlagRosa CIs

The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to apply the sum of Eight Million Eight Hundred Eighty-Six Thousand Four Hundred & 94/100 PESOS (PHP8,886,400.94) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Rest./Rehab. Of Milagrosa CIS with Contract No R1-PIMO-15-03-080. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1. The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Rest./Rehab. Of Milagrosa CIS under FUND 101. The project is located in Natividad, Pangasinan with the following description of work:

I. Appurtenant Structure (Intake)II. Canal StructuresIII. Canal Lining (For Right & Left Main Canal)

Completion of the Works is required within One Hundred Fifty (150) calendar days.

2. Bidder must have an experience of having completed, a single contract that is similar to the contract to be bid, must be at least 50% of the ABC. 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 non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified 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, partnerships, or organizations with at least Seventy-Five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from National Irrigation Administration, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan (office of the Head, BAC Secretariat) and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 A.M to 5:00 PM:

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the above address and upon payment at the NIA Cashier of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of NINE THOUSAND PESOS (Php9,000.00).


7. The National Irrigation Administration will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on April 1, 2015, 3:00 PM at the NIA-Regional Office Conference Room, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.


9. The National Irrigation Administration shall not allow contractors to participate in the procurement of civil works with at least 15% negative slippage on their on-going NIA Contracts at the time of advertisement or posting in the PhilGEPS/NIA Website of the Invitation to Bid in accordance with Rule X, Sec. 34.3 (b) (ii) of the Revised Implementing Rules & Regulation of Republic Act No. 9184. Hence, affidavit stating with at least 15% negative slippage is required as evidence.


11. Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of projects within the Agency.

12. All bids must be accompanied by a Certificate of Site Inspection issued by the implementing office.




ENGR. MYRNA C. MARTINEZ - Head BAC Secretariat NIA-Regional Office No. 1Barangay Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, PangasinanTelefax No: 632-1435E-mail address: [email protected]

(SGD.) FRIDA L. NIDOY BAC ChairmanNoted:


(TS-MAR. 29, 2015)

MALAYSIAN police have arrested two politicians and a political activist as they seek to thwart a Saturday protest march demanding the release of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, an opposition parliamentarian said.

Tian Chua said he also would com-ply with an order to surrender to po-lice on Saturday, but that the afternoon rally in Kuala Lumpur would go ahead.

The arrests are the latest in an escalat-ing crackdown on government oppo-nents amid anger over Anwar’s jailing last month on a sodomy charge.

“Today’s protest will continue. The people will lead it. If they think arresting the leaders will stop it, they are wrong,” said Tian Chua, vice president of Anwar’s People’s Justice Party.

Zainuddin Ahmad, a top Kuala Lumpur police official, said protesters would not be allowed to gather.

“The street procession is banned. Police will not hesitate to take any ac-tion, including arrests, if people defy the ban or break any laws,” he said.

The United States has been among

the international critics of Anwar’s conviction and the crackdown on dis-sent, saying both raised questions over the rule of law in Malaysia.

Anwar denies the charge that he sod-omised a former male aide in 2008.

He says it was fabricated by Malay-sia’s long-ruling government to halt a run of opposition electoral gains that have raised the spectre of the country’s first regime change since indepen-dence in 1957.

Facing ebbing voter support, Prime Minister Najib Razak promised in 2011 to end the authoritarian tactics of his ruling United Malays National Or-ganisation (UMNO).

But after that failed to win back vot-ers in 2013 polls, his regime launched a tightening clampdown that has seen dozens of government opponents hauled for up sedition or other charges over the past year.

Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah, a member of parliament, is among several people arrested in recent weeks as anger over her father’s jailing has spiked. AFP

Malaysian police thwart protests

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESREGIONAL TRIAL COURT

NATIONAL CAPITAL REGIONBR ANCH 46 , MANIL A

IN THE MAT TER OF THE PETIT IONFOR REHABILITATION OFPHILIPPINE JOURNALISTS, INC. SP.PROC.NO.14 -132862ALMEGA MANAGEMENT ANDINVESTMENT CORPOR ATION Pet i t ioner.x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x

NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT ORDER

TO: AT T Y. LUIS MA . G . UR ANZ A Counse l fo r the Pet i t i oner Rm. 40 0 - D De l ta Bu i ld ing West Avenue, 110 4 Quezon C i t y

THE MANAGER /PRESIDENT Phi l ipp ine Journa l is ts , Inc . 19 th and 20 th S t reet , Ra i l road Dr ive Por t A rea, Man i la

MR . FLORENCIO Y. ROJAS, JR . Un i t 625 C i t y land Mega P laza ADB Avenue, Or t igas Center, Pas ig C i t y

A l l o ther in te res ted par t ies

G R E E T I N G S:

Please be in fo rmed that the Hon. Cour t i ssued a Commencement Order in the above ent i t led case dated March 20, 2015, copy o f wh ich i s hereto a t tached and ser ved upon you.

P lease acknowledge rece ip t hereof.

Man i la , Ph i l ipp ines, March 24, 2014.

(SGD.) AT T Y. ENRIQUE C. SELDA

B ranch C lerk o f Cour t

Republ ic of the Phi l ipp inesREGIONAL TRIAL COURTNat iona l Capi ta l Region

Branch 46 , Mani la

In the mat ter o f the Pet i t ionFor Rehabi l i t a t ion of Phi l ipp ine Journa l is ts , Inc . ,

SP- PROC. NO. 14 -132862

ALMEGA MANAGEMENT AND INVESTMENT CORP. , Pet i t ioner

COMMENCEMENT ORDER

Before th is Cour t i s the PETIT ION FOR INVOLUNTARY REHABILITATION f i l ed by ALMEGA MANAGEMENT AND INVESTMENT CORP as Pet i t i oner.

The Pet i t i on a l leged in substance the fo l low ing:

The debto r corporat ion i s Ph i l ipp ine Journa l i s t s Inc . (PJ I) a corporat ion du ly o rgan ized and ex is t ing under Ph i l ipp ine laws, w i th p r inc ipa l o f f i ce a t Journa l Bu i ld ing, Ra i l road S t reet , bet ween 19 th and 20 th S t reets , Por t A rea, Man i la .

PJ I was incorporated on 02 November 1972 w i th a corporate te rm of f i f t y (50) years . I t was p r imar i l y es tab l i shed to car r y on a bus iness as operato r and /o r p ropr ie to r o f mass media communicat ion such as newspapers , journa ls , magaz ines, books and l i te rar y works and under tak ing, rad io and te lev is ion b roadcast ing s ta t ions on a commerc ia l and /o r sus ta in ing bus iness.

PJ I i s main ly engaged in p r in t ing bus iness and pub l i ca t ion o f newspapers and magaz ines, such as Peop le’s Journa l , Peop le’s Ton ight and Women’s Journa l .

That Based on i t s aud i ted f inanc ia l s ta tements , PJ I has the fo l low ing assets fo r the years ended 2013 and 2012:

Assets 2013 2012Cash 1,026,656 1,186,502Trade and o ther Rece ivab les Net 140,74 4,692 128 ,70 4,389Invento r ies 29,205,823 28 ,674,358Prepayment & o ther depos i t s 825,127

Tota l Cur rent Assets 170,977,171 159,39 0,376

Non - cur rent Assets

Ava i lab le fo r sa le secur i t i es 3 ,868 ,351 3 ,868 ,351Proper t y & Equ ipment -net 503 ,376 1,095,4 45Other non - cur rent Assets 3 ,921,775 3 ,921,775

Tota l - non - cur rent Assets 8 ,320,502 8 ,885,571

Tota l Assets 179,297,673 168 ,275,9 47

PJ I has the fo l low ing l iab i l i t i es fo r the years ended 2012 and 2013 as fo l lows:

L iab i l i t i es

Trade and O ther payab les 760,759,5 41 74 4,179,151Income Tax Payab le 18 ,583,021 17,939,824Ret i rement Benef i t Ob l igat ion 99,76 6,289 83 ,76 4,127Due to re la ted par t ies 615,4 46,398 615,4 46,398

Tota l L iab i l i t i es 1,49 4,555,249 1,461,329,50 0

PJ I has a to ta l capac i t y def i c iency fo r the years ended 2012 and 2013 as fo l lows:

Cap i ta l Def ic iency 2013 2012

Cap i ta l S tocks 4 ,324,50 0 4 ,324,50 0Treasur y S tocks (91,50 0) (91,50 0)Def ic i t (1,319,49 0,576) (1, 297,286,553)

Tota l Cap i ta l Def ic iency (1,315,257,576) (1, 293,053,553)

As to the GROUNDS fo r in i t ia t ing the Invo luntar y Rehab i l i t a t ion by the Pet i t i oner, i t a l leged the fo l low ing:

A lmega is a credi tor o f Ph i l ipp ine Journa l i s t , Inc . ( “ PJ I ” ) w i th an aggregate c la im of a t leas t ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P1,500,000.00)

Somet ime in February 2014, A lmega was approached by PJI to bor row money, which would be used by PJI to set t le i ts ar rearages with Social Secur i ty System (SSS) in accordance with the lat ter ’s condonat ion program but i ts f inanc ial posi t ion was not l iquid in the meant ime. However, PJI made the assurance that i t was expect ing to col lect some of i ts receivables f rom i ts c l ients wi thin a shor t per iod of t ime. Thus, i t requested A lmega i f the lat ter can accommodate PJI by ex tending a br idge loan fac i l i t y to be paid within thir ty (30) days.

A f te r A lmega and PJ I negot ia ted the te rms and cond i t ions o f the b r idge loan agreement , A lmega accommodated PJ I ’s request to bor row One Mi l l i on F ive Hundred Thousand Pesos (P1,50 0,0 0 0.0 0) ( “Sub jec t Loan” ) . A lmega and PJ I fo rmer ly executed a b r idge loan note on 0 4 May 2014, in wh ich PJ I p romised A lmega to pay P1,50 0,0 0 0.0 0 w i th in th i r t y (30) days f rom the sa id date, w i thout the necess i t y o f demand.

A f te r the Sub jec t Loan was executed, the p roceeds were re leased to PJ I in the fo rm of manager ’s check amount ing to P1,50 0,0 0 0.0 0 on 07 May 2014.

In May 2014, PJ I made use o f the p roceeds o f the Sub jec t Loan to set t le i t s a r rearages w i th SSS. PJ I wrote a le t te r to SSS mani fes t ing i t s in tent to pay i t s l iab i l i t i es .

On the st ipulated due date of 04 June 2014 for the payment of the Subject Loan, PJI fa i led to set t le i ts obl igat ion. From June to August 2014, A lmega had been t r y ing to col lect f rom PJI but the lat ter would delay the payment for the al leged reasons that PJI had di f f icul ty col lect ing i ts receivables and that i t was in the middle of var ious l i t igat ions. Af ter PJI fa i led to set t le i ts obl igat ion despi te repeated demands by A lmega, the lat ter formal ly sent a demand let ter dated 10 September 2014.

In i t s le t te r- rep ly dated 20 September 2014, PJ I requested A lmega fo r the modi f i ca t ion o f the matur i t y date to 0 4 May 2015. PJ I exp la ined that i t s f inanc ia l cond i t ion i s a t a severe loss . Moreover, i t has severa l pend ing l i t i ga t ion f i l ed aga ins t i t and is heav i ly indebted to employees and o ther supp l ie rs .

Pet i t i oner, ALMEGA MANAGEMENT AND INVESTMENT CORPOR ATION prays that :

Immedia te ly w i th in f i ve (5) days f rom the f i l i ng o f the Pet i t i on, th is Cour t :

a. Waive the requ i rement o f ser v ice o f p lead ings, and in l i eu thereof, o rder that the not i ce o f such f i l i ng and ava i lab i l i t y thereof be ser ved on the in te res ted par t ies hereto;

b. I ssue a S tay Order ;c. Direc t ing the c red i to rs and in te res ted par t ies to secure

f rom the cour t cop ies o f the Pet i t i on and i t s annexes w i th in such t ime as to enab le them to f i l e the i r comment on o r oppos i t ion to the Pet i t i on and to p repare fo r the in i t ia l hear ing o f the Pet i t i on;

d. Stay ing the enfo rcement o f a l l c la ims, whether fo r money o r o ther w ise and whether such enfo rcement i s by cour t ac t ion o r o ther w ise and whether such enfo rcement i s by cour t ac t ion o r o ther w ise, aga ins t PJ I and the i r th i rd par t y mor tgagors;

e. Proh ib i t ing PJ I f rom se l l ing , encumber ing, t rans fe r r ing o r d ispos ing in any manner any o f i t s p rosper i t i es except in the o rd inar y course o f bus iness;

f. Proh ib i t ing PJ I f rom mak ing any payment o f i t s l iab i l i t i es outs tand ing as o f the date o f f i l i ng the pet i t i on;

g. Proh ib i t ing PJ I ’s supp l ie rs o f goods and ser v ices f rom w i thho ld ing supp ly o f goods and ser v ices in the o rd inar y course o f bus iness fo r as long as PJ I makes s imul taneous payments fo r the ser v ices and goods supp l ied a f te r the i ssuance o f the s tay o rder ;

h. Direc t ing the payment in fu l l o f a l l admin is t ra t i ve expenses incur red a f te r the i ssuance o f the s tay o rder ; and

i. Other mat te rs as set fo r th in Ru le 2 , Sec t ion 8 o f F inanc ia l Rehab i l i t a t ion Ru le o f Procedure o f 2013 (a .m. No. 12-12-11- SC)

j. Set th is Pet i t i on fo r in i t ia l hear ing;k. Direc t PJ I to cause the pub l i ca t ion o f the S tay Order

pursuant to the F inanc ia l Rehab i l i t a t ion Ru le o f Procedure o f 2013;

Th is Cour t i ssued an Order dated Januar y 12, 2015 d i rec t ing the Pet i t i oner the fo l low ing:

“As provided under Sect ion 7 of A . M . No. 12 -12 -11- SC Financia l Rehabi l i ta t ion Rules of Procedure (2013) Pet i t ioner is hereby g iven a per iod of f ive (5 ) work ing days f rom rece ipt of the not ice of th is Order to amend or supplement the pet i t ion or to submit such documents as maybe necessar y or proper to put the pet i t ion in proper order based on the above d iscussion.”

Pet i t i oner f i l ed Compl iance and submi ts the Amended Proposed Rehab i l i t a t ion P lan in compl iance w i th the Order o f the Cour t dated Januar y 12, 2015.

A f te r a carefu l rev iew of the PETIT ION FOR INVOLUNTARY REHABILITATION f i l ed under Ru le 2 (A) (2) o f the F inanc ia l Rehab i l i t a t ion Ru les o f Procedure by Pet i t i oner ALMEGA MANAGEMENT AND INVESTMENT CORP. i t s ver i f i ed a l legat ions a t tached annexes and suppor t ing documents th is cour t f inds the same SUFFICIENT IN FORM AND IN SUBSTANCE as p rov ided under Sec t ion 7 o f the F inanc ia l Rehab i l i t a t ion Ru les o f Procedure (2013) .

The Phi l ipp ine Journa l is t , Inc . , the debto r corporat ion i s hereby dec lared UNDER REHABILITATION .

The Pet i t i oner i s d i rec ted to cause the pub l i ca t ion o f the not i ce o f Commencement o rder and the Commencement Order in a newspaper o f genera l c i rcu la t ion in the Ph i l ipp ines once a week fo r t wo (2) consecut ive weeks, w i th f i r s t pub l i ca t ion to be made w i th in seven (7) days f rom the t ime o f i t s i ssuance.

The Pet i t i oner i s hereby d i rec ted to ser ve by persona l de l i ver y a copy o f the Pet i t i on on the debto r w i th in f i ve (5) days f rom the issuance o f th is o rder.

Pet i t i oner i s hereby d i rec ted to ensure that fo re ign c red i to rs w i th no known address in the Ph i l ipp ines be ser ved a copy o f the Commencement Order a t the i r fo re ign addresses in such manner that w i l l ensure that the fo re ign c red i to r w i l l rece ive a copy o f the o rder a t leas t f i f teen (15) days befo re the in i t ia l hear ing.

On the mat te r o f the Rehab i l i t a t ion Rece iver, the Cour t hereby appo ints FLORENCIO Y. ROJAS, JR . as Rehab i l i t a t ion Rece iver, one o f the Nominees o f the Pet i t i oner.

Cred i to rs a re hereby d i rec ted to f i l e the i r ver i f i ed not i ces o f c la ims w i th the cour t a t leas t f i ve (5) days befo re the in i t ia l hear ing date, and hereby warns that the i r fa i lure to do so on t ime wi l l bar them f rom par t ic ipat ing in the rehabi l i t a t ion proceedings but w i l l not p re jud ice the i r r ight to rece ive d is t r ibu t ions i f recommended by the rehab i l i t a t ion rece iver and approved by the cour t , in accordance w i th Sec t ion 12 o f th is Ru le.

A l l the Cred i to rs , the B IR , and a l l in te res ted par t ies ( inc lud ing the regu la to r y agenc ies concerned) to f i l e to th is Cour t and ser ve on the debto r a ver i f ied comment on or opposi t ion to the pet i t ion , w i th suppor t ing a f f idav i ts and documents , not la ter than f i f teen (15) days befo re the date o f the f i r s t in i t ia l hear ing.

Phi l ipp ine Journa l is t , Inc . supp l ie rs o f goods and ser v ices are hereby p roh ib i ted f rom w i thho ld ing the supp ly o f goods and ser v ices in the o rd inar y course o f bus iness fo r as long as the debto r makes payments fo r the ser v ices o r goods supp l ied a f te r the i ssuance o f the Commencement Order Payment o f admin is t ra t i ve expenses is a lso hereby author ized as they become due.

The case is hereby set fo r in i t ia l hear ing on Apr i l 22 , 2015 a t 1:30 P.M. Rm. 459, 4 th f loor, Ci t y Ha l l o f Mani la , o f th is Cour t , fo r the purpose o f dete rmin ing whether there i s substant ia l l i ke l ihood fo r the debto r to be rehab i l i t a ted.

Cred i to rs and a l l o ther in te res ted par t ies may examine o r reproduce the Pet i t i on fo r Rehab i l i t a t ion wh ich i s ava i lab le w i th th is Cour t .

Any c red i to r o r debto r who is not the pet i t i oner may submi t the name or nominate any o ther qua l i f i ed person to the pos i t ion o f rehab i l i t a t ion rece iver a t leas t f i ve (5) days befo re the in i t ia l hear ing.

A l l cont rac ts not conf i rmed in wr i t ing by the debto r w i th in n inet y (9 0) days fo l low ing the i ssuance o f the commencement o rder sha l l be cons idered automat ica l ly te rminated.

The Cour t a lso i ssues a STAY ORDER as fo l lows:

(i) SUSPENDING a l l ac t ions o r p roceed ings in cour t o r o ther w ise, fo r the enfo rcement o f a l l c la ims aga ins t the debto r ;

(ii) SUSPENDING a l l ac t ions to enfo rce any judgment , a t tachment o r o ther p rov is iona l remedies aga ins t the debto r ;

(iii) PROHIBIT ING the debto r f rom se l l ing , encumber ing, t rans fe r r ing o r d ispos ing in any manner any o f i t s p roper t ies except in the o rd inar y course o f bus iness; and

(iv) PROHIBIT ING the debto r f rom mak ing any payment o f i t s l iab i l i t i es outs tand ing as o f the commencement date except as may be p rov ided here in .

The issuance of th is stay order does not af fect the r ight to commence act ions or proceedings in order to preserve ad cautelam a c laim against the debtor and to to l l the running of the prescr ipt ive per iod to f i le the c laim. For this purpose, the plaint i f f may f i le the appropr iate cour t act ion or proceeding by paying the amount of One Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 100,000.00) or one- tenth (1/10) of the prescr ibed f i l ing fee, whichever is lower. The payment of the balance of the f i l ing fee shal l be a jur isdic t ional requirement for the reinstatement or revival of the case.

Th is Commencement Order has the fo l low ing EFFECTS as p rov ided in Ru le 2 , Sec . 9 . o f the Financ ia l Rehab i l i ta t ion Ru les o f Procedure (2013)

The ef fects of the cour t ’s issuance of a Commencement Order shal l ret roact to the date of the f i l ing of the pet i t ion and, in addi t ion to the ef fects of the stay or suspension Order, shal l:

(A) vest the rehab i l i t a t ion rece iver w i th a l l the powers and func t ions p rov ided fo r under the Ac t , such as the r ight o f access, and the r ight to rev iew and obta in records to wh ich the debto r ’s management and d i rec to rs have access, inc lud ing bank accounts o f whatever nature o f the debto r, sub jec t to the approva l by the cour t o f the per fo rmance bond posted by the rehab i l i t a t ion rece iver ;

(B) proh ib i t o r o ther w ise ser ve as the lega l bas is fo r render ing nu l l and vo id the resu l t s o f any ex t ra jud ic ia l ac t i v i t y o r p rocess to se ize p roper t y, se l l encumbered proper t y, o r o ther w ise a t tempt to co l lec t on o r enfo rce a c la im aga ins t the debto r a f te r the commencement date un less o ther w ise a l lowed under these Ru les , sub jec t to the p rov is ion o f Sec t ion 49 o f th is Ru le;

(C) ser ve as the lega l bas is fo r render ing nu l l and vo id any set - o f f a f te r the commencement date o f any debt owed to the debto r by any o f the debto r ’s c red i to rs;

(D) ser ve as the lega l bas is fo r render ing nu l l and vo id the per fec t ion o f any l i en aga ins t the debto r ’s p roper t y a f te r the commencement date;

(E) conso l idate a l l l ega l p roceed ings by and aga ins t the debto r to the cour t : Prov ided, however, That the cour t may a l low the cont inuat ion o f cases in o ther cour ts where the debto r had in i t ia ted the su i t ; and

(F) exempt the debto r f rom l iab i l i t y fo r t axes and fees , inc lud ing pena l t ies , in te res ts and charges thereof due to the nat iona l government o r the LGU as p rov ided in sec t ion 19 o f the Ac t .

The Commencement Order sha l l be in fu l l fo rce and ef fec t fo r the durat ion o f the rehab i l i t a t ion p roceed ings un less: (1) l i f ted by the Cour t ; (2) the rehab i l i t a t ion p lan i s seasonab ly conf i rmed or approved; o r (3) the rehab i l i t a t ion p roceed ings are o rdered te rminated by the cour t pursuant to Sec t ion 73 o f the F inanc ia l Rehab i l i t a t ion Ru les o f Procedure.

Not i f y a l l the par t ies o f th is Commencement Order. Not i f y the l i s ted c red i to rs o f th is o rder.

SO ORDERED.

Mani la , Ph i l ipp ines, March 20, 2015.

(SGD.) R AINELDA H. ESTACIO - MONTESA Pres id ing Judge

( TS - MAR. 29, 2015)

[email protected]

S U N D AY : M A R C H 2 9, 2 0 1 5

WORLD B5ARMAN ARMEROE D I T O R

SAUDI JETS POUND YEMENI REBELS LAIR

SINGAPOREANS PAYLAST RESPECTS TO LEE

Obama offered support to Saudi ruler King Salman in a phone con-versation as it emerged the US mili-tary had rescued two Saudi pilots forced to eject from their fighter jet in the region on Thursday.

A months-long rebellion by Shi-ite fighters in Yemen has escalated into a regional conflict that threat-ens to tear apart the impoverished state at the southern tip of the Ara-

bian Peninsula.Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia has

vowed to do “whatever it takes” to prevent the fall of embattled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, accusing Shiite Iran of “ag-gression” and of backing the Huthi rebels’ power grab.

Amid the air raids and scattered fighting, a call for a ceasefire was issued by former president Ali

Abdullah Saleh, suspected of be-ing allied with the rebels.

At least 39 civilians have been killed in Saudi-led Operation De-cisive Storm against the Huthis and their allies, officials at the rebel-controlled health ministry in Sanaa said.

Twelve died when residential areas were hit in a raid on a mili-tary base north of the capital, the officials told AFP.

Strikes hit the rebel-held presi-dential compound in south Sa-naa, as well as various military sites outside the capital including rocket launchers at the airport, witnesses said.

Warplanes also bombed a Huthi-controlled army brigade in Amran province north of Sanaa, and arms depots in the northern

rebel stronghold of Saada, resi-dents said.

And an army unit loyal to Saleh, along with Shiite militiamen, cap-tured two villages in Abyan prov-ince, near the main southern city of Aden, where Hadi took refuge after fleeing Sanaa last month, military sources said.

The rebels have also clashed with Sunni tribes as they push south.

At least 21 were killed Friday when tribesmen ambushed their vehicles north of Aden, a local of-ficial said.

Hadi, backed by the West and Gulf Arab states, flew to Egypt for a weekend Arab League summit set to be dominated by Yemen.

He travelled from Riyadh after making his way from Aden as the rebels advanced on the city. AFP

MORE than 330,000 people, equivalent to 10 percent of Singapore’s citizen population, have visited parliament to pay their respects to the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew ahead of his cremation, officials said Saturday.

The surge of mourners for the founding leader has been so great that the government had to tem-porarily suspend access by new mourners to parliament late Friday for the sake of crowd safety.

At peak periods, mourners have been able to spend just a few seconds in front of Lee’s closed brown casket draped in the red-and-white Singa-pore flag, many bowing quickly be-fore being ushered to the exit.

The queue was reopened before

dawn Saturday after the backlog was cleared.

Lee’s body has been lying in state in parliament’s main lobby since Wednesday after he died on Mon-day at the age of 91.

He is to be cremated in a private ceremony on Sunday after a state funeral to be attended by Asia-Pa-cific leaders and world dignitaries.

By mid-afternoon Saturday, the wait for mourners before they could view Lee’s casket had fallen to four hours from a peak of 10 hours.

“My mummy told me stories of how Mr Lee was a good leader for Singapore. He has helped a lot of peo-ple by giving them a clean and nice country to live in,” said eight-year-old student Annabel Lee, who was lining up with her mother. AFP

SAUDI-LED coalition warplanes bombed rebel camps in Yemen for a second day on Friday, as President Barack Obama said the United States shared a “collective goal” with its regional ally to see stability in the war-torn state.

KAZAKHSHOLD SNAP

ELECTIONSKAZAKHSTAN, Central Asia’s largest country with the fastest grow-ing economy and emerging market in the region, has set a snap elections on April 26 this year, just one-and-a-half years left into the regular term of incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The Kazakhs people have approved the call for snap elec-tions.

Nazarbayev, 75, who has led Ka-zakhstan as president for 20 years now, has decided to call for a snap election to enable him to secure a fresh mandate from the Kazakhs electorate so he can handle with utmost confidence the pressures building up against the country’s economy.

The pressures arise from the deterioration of the economic situ-ation in the country due to the so-called “Russian factor.” The Rus-sian and Kazakhstan economies are highly integrated. Sanctions against Moscow for its involve-ment in Ukraine and the slow-down of the Russian economy significantly inhibit economic de-velopment of Kazakhstan.

“Russia is in serious condition, but we are together with Russia and I am sure, and we, Kazakhs, believe that Russia will withdraw with honor in this situation and will continue to develop and pros-per, and we are with it,” President Nazarbayev said.

Bloomberg describes Kazakhstan as “one of the twenty fastest growing economies in the emerging markets in 2015, ranking 11th place,” but like most other states in Central Asia, the country experiences tremendous pressure on its economy due to the “Russian factor. Unlike Minsk, how-ever, Astana is not inclined to admit the thought of the possibility of leav-ing the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). AFP

A family is seen in front of a memorial portrait of Singapore’s late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew outside the parliament building where he lies in state ahead of his funeral in Singapore on March 28, 2015. Singapore’s fi rst prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, one of the towering fi gures of post-colonial Asian politics, died at the age of 91 on March 23. AFP

Armed Yemeni supporters of the southern seperatist movement, stand next to a tank bearing the movement’s fl ag which they confi scated from a military depot, in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on March 27, 2015. AFP

B6 REUEL VIDALE D I T O R

S U N D AY : M A R C H 2 9, 2 0 1 5

[email protected]

Some of the ris-ing new players who recently joined the league this conference include Nicole Tiam-zon, Pam Lastimosa and Patty Orendain.

Arguably the most improved player of the past UAAP Season 77 volleyball tournament is University of the Philippines captain

Tiamzon. Her emerg-ing talent caught the attention of Foton Tor-pedoes management who left no stone un-turned to recruit her to the squad.

“I thought: ‘Why not?’ Of course I had to balance my sched-ule because I would still have to play for UP next season. I had sec-

SHOWCASE TALENT IN PSL

EXCITING NEW PLAYERSBy Peter Atencio

THE country’s premiere semi-professional volleyball league, the Philippine Super Liga, came off the wraps

last week and affords a welcome opportunity for the most promising volleyball players to showcase their talent.

Foton Tornadoes Nicole Tiamzon (10) uses raw power to hammer the volleyball through a double-block by Cignal HD. The country’s premiere semi-professional volleyball league, the Philippine Super Liga, came off the wraps last week and affords a welcome opportunity for the most promising volleyball players to showcase their talent. JAMIL BUERGO

ond thoughts because Foton trainings were held in the evening,” said Tiamzon.

After school she had to go straight to prac-tice until late in the evening. The follow-ing day she again had to go to school early. It was not going to be easy because of the high aca-demic standard of UP. The Sports Science major decided to sacri-fice because she loved the sport and enjoyed spending time with her teammates.

“It was difficult. But I thought it would be okay because I enjoyed the company of my teammates and this is a chance that would not come again,” she said.

Another find is prized recruit from University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod proved herself as a solid player in the opening game of the Philippine Super-liga All-Filipino Con-ference last Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

This is what Patty Orendain showed when she scored on three aces and helped the Foton Tornadoes put away the Cignal HD Spikers, 25-18, 26-24, 25-23. Orendain is one of the new faces who are showing what they got in the PSL.

In that game, Orendain finished with 16 kills and an ace for a total of 18 points. Teammate Tiamzon registered 14 points in her debut performance.

Former varsity stan-dout volleyball player and now turned coach Villet Ponce-de Leon said she liked their opening game per-formance. Her wards are looking for a major rebound after finish-ing fifth in the six-team competition in the Grand Prix last year.

The HD Spikers were ahead, 23-21, when Orendain un-leashed three power-ful serves to ensure the win. The HD Spik-ers struggled for form following the depar-ture of grizzled veter-ans Aby Praca, Honey Royse Tubino and Danika Gendrauli

Janine Navarro had seven kills for a total of 10 points for the HD Spikers.

InvItatIon to BId no. 040Supply & delIvery of 7Hp dIeSel engIne of paSIma StW

The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to ap-ply the sum of Five Million Two Hundred Eighty-Five Thousand Four Hundred Twelve & 00/100 PESOS (PHP5,285,412.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Supply & Delivery of 7HP Diesel Engine of Pasima STW with Contract No R1-PIMO-15-02-040. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1. The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Supply & Delivery of 7HP Diesel Engine of Pasima STW under FUND 101. The project is located in Mala-siqui, Pangasinan with the following description of work:

I. Supply & Delivery of 7HP Water Cooled, V-belt driven diesel engine w/ at least 2200 RPM coupled w/ 3” diam.X50 TDH Self Priming Water Pump w/ at least 2200 RPM discharge capacity mounted on a common steel base w/ complete accessories

II. Supply & Delivery of Shallow Tube Well Materials & Accessories

III. Supply & Delivery of 2 ½” diam.X60mts. Commercial PE Discharge Pipes

Completion of the Works is required within Sixty (60) calendar days.


3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regula-tions (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Pro-curement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least Sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.


5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the above address and upon payment at the NIA Cashier of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (Php5,000.00).



8. Bids must be delivered on or before 10:00 AM, April 14, 2015 at the address below. Opening of Bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the NIA-Region I Conference Room, Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan. Late bids shall not be accepted.








(SGD.) JOHN N. CELESTE, DPA Regional Manager A(TS-MAR. 29, 2015)

InvItatIon to BId no. 077Supply & delIvery of gaSolIne engIne pump of BInalonan StW

The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to apply the sum of Eight Million Five Hundred Ninety-One Thousand Six Hundred Forty-Seven & 60/100 PESOS (PHP8,591,647.60) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to pay-ments under the contract for the Supply & Delivery Gasoline Engine Pump of Binalonan STW with Contract No R1-PIMO-15-03-077. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1. The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Supply & Delivery of Gasoline Engine Pump of Binalonan STW under FUND 101. The project is located in Binalonan, Pangasinan with the following description of work:

I. Supply & Delivery of 5HP gasoline engine pump w/ complete accessories

II. Supply & Delivery of 7HP diesel engine pump w/ complete accessories

III. Supply & Delivery of 3” diam.X60mts. High Resistant Flexible PVC Plastic Coated Distribution Pipe

Completion of the Works is required within Sixty (60) calendar days.




5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the above address and upon payment at the NIA Cashier of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of NINE THOUSAND PESOS (Php9,000.00).







12. The National Irrigation Administration reserves the right to reject bids, declare a failure of bidding, and not to award the contract without incurring any liability if the funds/allot-ment for the project to be bid has been withheld or reduced through no fault of its own.

13. Awarding of Contract shall be held in abeyance prior to receipt of the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM) or Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the full cost of the proj-ect.




(TS-MAR. 29, 2015)

[email protected]

ARMAN ARMEROE D I T O R

S U N D AY : M A R C H 2 9, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

InvItatIon to BId no. 038Supply & delIvery of 7Hp dIeSel engIne of amBayat 2nd StW

The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to apply the sum of Seven Million One Hundred Forty-Six Thousand Sixteen & 70/100 PESOS (PHP7,146,016.70) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the con-tract for the Supply & Delivery of 7HP Diesel Engine of Ambayat 2nd STW with Contract No R1-PIMO-15-02-038. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1. The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Supply & Delivery of 7HP Diesel Engine of Ambayat 2nd STW under FUND 101. The project is located in Bayambang, Pangasinan with the following description of work:

I. Supply & Delivery of 7HP Water Cooled, V-belt driven diesel engine w/ at least 2200 RPM coupled w/ 3” diam.X50 TDH Self Priming Water Pump w/ at least 2200 RPM discharge capacity mounted on a common steel base w/ complete acces-sories


III. Supply & Delivery of 7HP Water Cooled, v-belt driven diesel engine w/ at least 2200 RPM coupled w/ 3” diam.X50 TDH Self Priming Water Pump w/ at least 2200 RPM discharge capacity mounted on a common steel base w/ 2 ltrs. Motor Oil

IV. Supply & Delivery of 2 ½” diam.X60mts. Commercial P.E. Discharge Pipes Completion of the Works is required within Sixty (60) calendar days.

2. Bidder must have an experience of having completed, a single contract that is similar to the contract to be bid, must be at least 50% of the ABC. 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 non-discre-tionary pass/fail criterion as specified 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, partnerships, or organi-zations with at least Sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from National Irrigation Administration, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan (office of the Head, BAC Secretariat) and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 A.M to 5:00 PM:



7. The National Irrigation Administration will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on April 1, 2015, 3:00 PM at the NIA-Regional Office Conference Room, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

8. Bids must be delivered on or before 10:00 AM, April 14, 2015 at the address below. Open-ing of Bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the NIA-Region I Conference Room, Bayaoas, Urdaneta City, Pangas-inan. Late bids shall not be accepted.

9. The National Irrigation Administration shall not allow contractors to participate in the pro-curement of civil works with at least 15% negative slippage on their on-going NIA Contracts at the time of advertisement or posting in the PhilGEPS/NIA Website of the Invitation to Bid in accordance with Rule X, Sec. 34.3 (b) (ii) of the Revised Implementing Rules & Regula-tion of Republic Act No. 9184. Hence, affidavit stating with at least 15% negative slippage is required as evidence.


11. Special Power of Attorney (SPA) shall no longer be allowed in the procurement of projects within the Agency.






(TS-MAR. 29, 2015)

InvItatIon to BId no. 039Supply & delIvery of 7Hp dIeSel engIne of BakItIW StW

The National Irrigation Administration, through the General Appropriation Act of 2015 intends to ap-ply the sum of Five Million Two Hundred Eighty-Five Thousand Four Hundred Twelve & 00/100 PESOS (PHP5,285,412.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Supply & Delivery of 7HP Diesel Engine of Bakitiw STW with Contract No R1-PIMO-15-02-039. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1. The National Irrigation Administration now invites bids for the Supply & Delivery of 7HP Diesel Engine of Bakitiw STW under FUND 101. The project is located in Mala-siqui, Pangasinan with the following description of work:

I. Supply & Delivery of 7HP Water Cooled, V-belt driven diesel engine w/ at least 2200 RPM coupled w/ 3” diam.X50 TDH Self Priming Water Pump w/ at least 2200 RPM discharge capacity mounted on a common steel base w/ complete accessories


III. Supply & Delivery of 2 ½” diam.X60mts. Commercial P.E. Discharge Pipes Completion of the Works is required within Sixty (60) calendar days.




5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the above address and upon payment at the NIA Cashier of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (Php5,000.00).


7. The National Irrigation Administration will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on a Pre-Bid Conference on April 1, 2015, 3:00 PM at the NIA-Regional Office Conference Room, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.





12. The National Irrigation Administration reserves the right to reject bids, declare a failure of bidding, and not to award the contract without incurring any liability if the funds/allot-ment for the project to be bid has been withheld or reduced through no fault of its own.





(TS-MAR. 29, 2015)

It was the elder Padiz who brought the sport of sepak takraw in the country which was first introduced in 1981 as one of featured sports in Palarong Pamban-sa in Tuguegarao, Cagayan.,

Aside from being the deputy chairman of the International Sepak Takraw Federation, Servillano served in other sports, par-ticularly in arnis as vice president of Arnis Philip-pines and secretary-general of International Arnis Fed-eration and head of Sports Acrobatics Philippines.

THE SON ALSO RISES FORSEPAK TAKRAW

By Danny Simon

THE legacy of Servillano Aqui-

no Padiz Jr., the fa-ther of sepak takraw in the Philippines, is expected to live on through his son, Solomon Padiz.

A valedictorian in both elementary and high school, he finished several degrees in college. He had a Certifi-cate of Physical Education from the National College of Physical Education, finished his academic requirement in M.A.P.E at the University of the East, became a PE and School Sports Chief of the Division of City School in Manila in 2002.

He was also MAPEH au-thor for Phoenix Publishing Company and a composer of both the NCR official hymn and the Philippine hymn during the 11th SEAGames in Manila while devoting his time in developing the Phil-ippine sepak takraw sports in both elite and grassroots levels.

The elder Padiz died re-cently after a lingering ill-

ness, and his death was mourned not only by his immediate family, but also by fellow sports officials, players and those who knew him as a kind man and as a passionate sports leader.

Despite the painful loss, his son Solomon vowed to continue his father’s legacy by actively promoting the sport and transform it to a top medal producer in tourna-ments abroad, particularly in the Southeast Asian region, where the sports originated.,

Solomon, currently the Sports Director of De La Salle University Science and Technology in Canlubang and the president of Lagu-na Colleges and Universi-ties Athletic Association in South of Manila, is consid-ered as his father’s worthiest successor not only because

he was his father’s son, but also because of his creden-tials and experience as a sports leader.

Aside from his duties in DLSUST-Canlubang, Solo-mon is currently the Deputy Secretary General of the In-ternational Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTF) Referee Committee, a lecturer and a contributing author of the latest Law of Sepak Takraw.

He has also attended and conducted several Refresh-er’s Course for the sports for local and international events such as the SEAG-ames, Asian Games, the Asian World Beach Games and Indoor Beach Games.

“It’s a tall order filling the big shoes of my father but I will try my very best to equal or even surpass his great and noble endeavors in this sport

he loved so much to continue his legacy alive and kicking just like sepak flying in the air for glory,” Solomon said.

At this juncture ,the NSA of sepak takraw in the ol-ympic family[POC] is led by Gen. Mario Tanchanco

who is also set to transfer the baton of the leadership and one potential contender to take the cue is no other than Solomon to keep the flame lit on and those of Servil-lano’s vision will become a reality for the country.

PACQUIAOIS READY—ROACH By Eddie G. Alinea

LOS ANGELES, Califor-nia—World Boxing or-ganization welterweight titleholder Manny Pacqui-ao closes his one month camp here Saturday (Sun-day in Manila) with chief trainer Freddie Roach and his team happy with what they’ve seen so far in the past four weeks.

Roach, conditioning coach Justin Fortune, assistant trainers Buboy Fernandez, Nonoy Neri, Roger “Haplas” Fernan-dez and Marvin Somo-dio are all convinced that everything has been set in place toward Pacqui-aos’ victory over unde-feated Floyd Mayweath-er Jr., whom he’ll meet May 2 in what is billed as the biggest fight in box-ing history that will unify the 147-pound division.

“I like where he’s (Pac-quiao) now. And every-body in the team feels the same way, too,” the 55-year-old Roach de-clared following a rou-tine training session at his own Wild Card sweat shop along Hollywood, where Pacquiao did 12 rounds in the mitts with and the speed balls.

Earlier, Pacquiao ran at the UCLA track and field stadium where the team focused on how to fur-ther strengthen the Pinoy icon’s legs and add speed to his already fleet feet.

“Everything went well in the camp, Manny’s responding well to the training regimen we’ve prepared,” Roach said.

“Manny’s in shape, physically and mentally fired up as we started drawing and slowly, but surely, implementing strat-egies and game plans.”

Servillano Padiz, the father of sepak takraw in the Phils.

SPORTS

Riera U. MallariEDITORB8


[email protected]

THE SUN WILL RISE FOR CAGAYAN VALLEYBy Arman Armero

EXPERIENCE is key.considered one of the three top teams in the league (the others being PLDT and Philippine Army), because they have won their share of the titles in the league.

The Rising Suns ruled the Open Con-ference in 2013 with a history-setting 16-game sweep en route to the cham-pionship and annexed the Reinforced Conference last year.

But the Rising Suns face a bigger chal-lenge this season, as the Roger Gorayeb-coached PLDT has tapped UAAP’s MVP Alyssa Valdez of back-to-back champion Ateneo.

Gorayeb has coached Valdez in the UAAP before he was replaced by Thai Bundit, and were together when Ateneo won a Shakey’s V League title three years ago.

The Army, on the other hand, is back-stopped by volleyball superstars Rachel Daquis and Juvelyn Gonzaga and is now even stronger after it tapped Honey Rose Tubino, formerly of the Rising Suns.

But even Gorayeb, who is also coach of the national women’s team, picked Cagayan, along with the Army, as the teams to beat because of their experi-ence.

“I see all teams as strong, but Cagayan and Army should have the slight edge having the most experienced teams,” Gorayeb said.

Gorayeb and Pamilar actually go a long way, but Pamilar said the PLDT coach played ahead of him.

“Nasa high school pa ako naglalaro, nasa college na siya,” said Pamilar, a true-green FEU loyalist, who studied at is alma mater since elementary until he graduated in college.

Pamilar, who had been tapped as con-sultant of the national men’s team, knows the road to another championship is go-ing to be a difficult climb, but all he can do is to prepare his players well.

“Nakakadalawa na ako. Sana manalo pa ng isa,” he said.

Cagayan Valley Rising Suns may not be as star-studded as the other teams in the 2015 Shakey’s V League Open Con-ference, but coach Nes Pamilar said be-ing together for the past three years has made the team more cohesive and more familiar with each other.

“Maganda ang ipinapakita ng mga players sa praktis. Mas nag-mature sila. Siguro dahil sa wala naman nagbago sa team. Sila-sila pa rin,” Pamilar said, as the Rising Suns gear up for the tourna-ment opener on April 6 at the San Juan Arena.

The Rising Suns, owned by the family of Cagayan Valley Governor Alvaro An-tonio and Alcala, Cagayan Mayor Crisel-da Antonio-Pua, has kept its line-up intact, and will still be led by last year’s Reinforced Conference season and Fi-

nals MVP Aiza Maizo-Pontillas.Also returning for the team are set-

ters Gyzelle Sy and Felina Saet, wing spiker Angeli Tabaquero, middle blocker Pau Soriano, liberos Shiela Marie Pineda and Charlene Gallego, wing spikers Janine Marciano, Rose-marie Vargas and Analyn Jhoy Benito and middle blocker Wenneth Eulalio. The only latest addition to the team is Marivic “Ria” Meneses, a 6-0 middle blocker from UST.

Of the line-up, three are from Far Eastern University, where Pamilar hap-pens to be the head coach. They are Sy, Vargas and Eulalio, who are still in col-lege.

The Rising Suns practice everyday at the Dumlao Gym from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

The Cagayan Valley Rising Suns are

Members of the Cagayan Valley Rising Suns celebrate their title triumph.

Aiza Maiza Pontillas of Cagayan Valley in a very emotional mood kissing her MVP medal. SONNY ESPIRITU

LIFE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PROMOD

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C1BAMBINA OLIVARES WISEE D I T O R

S U N D AY : M A R C H 2 9 : 2 0 1 5

All By MyselfWhether you’ve traveled alone for business, pleasure, or “to � nd yourself ”, exploring a for-eign place with only yourself as company is an experience that could leave you wanting more, or swearing never to do it again. When I � rst travelled alone, I was twenty-one years old and on my way to Spain for all of the above reasons. I was a fresh graduate looking to gain experience in education, eager to explore Europe, and hoping to determine if teaching was really my calling. I booked a red-eye � ight to Ma-drid and boarded the plane probably looking ter-ri� ed because the man who sat next to me kept

asking me if I was okay. “I’m � ne, thank you,” I told him, with tears in my eyes, barely masking my emotions. If anything, I should have been looking forward to what was ahead instead of lamenting what would be le� behind. Later on I would discover that the trip would leave me with a wealth of ex-perience from learning a new language and relating to di� erent cultures. Vegan chef Marie o� en travels alone for the thrill of adventure, which she feels outweighs the fear of being in a strange place on her own. She’s trav-eled locally to several provinces, sharing that she once found herself bunk-ing with six other strangers with no electricity or running water. She’s also travelled internationally, having camped out with a group of strangers in the Moroccan desert. “� e desert was six hours away and the view was beauti-ful—sleeping under the stars and waking up to the sunrise was unbeatable.” Travelling alone also sets the stage for a healthy dose of introspection, according to Gabriel, a marketing executive. “I once travelled to Mexico on my own and was able to use the time to get inspired and re� ect on where I’m at in life.” Without a strict commitment to a schedule, traveling alone provides the freedom to explore in an organic way. It clears the space for a deeper immersion into the local culture, something not always pos-sible when travelling with others. Javi, a freshman studying in New York City, travelled alone for his � rst time at the beginning of the semester. He opted to study abroad because he believed it would be a challenging alternative to staying in Manila. “While I’ve gotten homesick, I can’t deny how much I’ve grown through living inde-pendently and hanging out with people outside of my usual circles.” Form-ing friendships with individuals from di� erent cultures is one of the things Luisa, a business consultant who took a course in Maastricht, considers most valuable about her travels. Making friends abroad is a survival tactic that pays o� long term. “My life is continuously enriched by the friendships I’ve formed while travelling. I have learned that despite cultural or religious di� erences there is a universal good that everyone is attracted to.” Travelling alone however, does come with risks, like getting robbed, lost, or swindled by locals who prey on naïve tourists. Having nearly been robbed while travelling in Europe, Antonio, a banker, recalls an American stranger who came to his aid while being accosted by four locals trying to steal his wallet. “People can surprise you,” he shared, emphasizing that his hero had nothing to gain and risked his own safety to help him. Luisa had a similar experience when she received the compassion of a fellow tourist from Japan when she sprained her ankle in Chiang Mai. � e Japanese lady brought medicine and food to her room while she was recovering, when she could have been touring the city. Some travelers however, aren’t always quite as fortunate. Preparedness, and vigilance, it seems, are key to enjoyable and safe solo travels. “Do your due diligence by researching on what to do and how to get around, so you don’t waste time and know the safest means to commute,” advises Luisa. “Save yourself stress by organizing your documents and being early for your departure times,” o� ers Javi. “Pack light, but smart,” suggests Antonio. “Keep a complete pack of medicine handy for unforeseen accidents or illnesses. � ere may not be anyone to care for you but yourself.” Most importantly however, “Be open,” emphasizes Gabriel. “Talking to locals doesn’t just earn you friends, it will also give you tips for doing as the Romans do.”

In other words, be cautious but not to the extent of compromising your experience. It may take some time and cost a few tears, but traveling solo generously rewards those who are willing to take the risk. Be it an unforget-table memory or a new friendship, those who � y solo � nd that there is much to gain, aside from returning home richer and smarter in more ways than one. And for that, conquering one’s fears is certainly a small price to pay.

Patricia Ocampo is a young mother who never intends to stop travelling. She is no longer fearful about traveling alone.

The Gypsetters Guide to Student Travel

Life can be a paradox. When you are working, you make money but you don’t have a lot of time to travel freely. When you are a student, you have lots of free time – especially during summer months – but since you aren’t working, you have restricted funds. Early gypsetter days were always dictated by my mother. My � rst trip out of town without my fam-ily was with my church group to Baguio one summer. We decided to ride the bus there (it was my � rst time, and it was Victory Liner!) and we all shared rooms in a small hotel. Food was aleady pre-budgeted and paid for so any pocket money I had was for shopping at Mines View and for recreation. It was all relatively inexpensive but I will never forget the friendships bonded on that trip as well as drinking my � rst vodka tonic in Spirits Disco, where the lights turned my drink blue. Youth is a time to be carefree and explore and you don’t need lots of money to do it. You

just have to be creative where and how you decide to travel. Looking at social media sites, it’s easy to get FOMO looking at photos of travel abroad but I be-lieve that students should make the most of their resources and travel local! � e Philippines has so many beautiful and unique visits that extend past Boracay. Make the most of your peso and � ll your soul with amazing memories. Here are a few ways to do it:

• Two words: Road Trip! Pull a Jack Kerouac with your best buddies and share the cost of gas (much cheaper than � ying). Go back in time to a place like Vigan, Ilocos; explore the hanging co� ns and herbal wonders of Sagada; visit the Banaue rice terraces before they crumble into disarray forever; go sur� ng in La Union or Baler.

• Regularly check websites such as Agoda.com for great deals on lodging and through Airbnb.com, you might even make a new friend/ tour guide.

• Staycation. Find out new things about Manila you never knew before. Take a biking tour of Intramuros, hire a party jeepney and do a pub crawl around Cubao X or visit Ocean Park Manila and end your day with a � sh spa. Do your research and I’m sure you will � nd something fun to do.

• Wherever you go, act like a local. Did you know that locals in Boracay can hop on a tricycle for P15 per ride? Only tourists take the whole trike for themselves and get suckered into paying P100. Find out the customs of the locals where you plan to visit and you will surely save more.

• If you do want to fly, be vigilant about seat sales on airline carriers.Sign up for their alerts and also check deal sites that o� er package tours to places you want to visit. Also, opt for departing and arriving on weekdays rather than weekends, where prices go up.

• Save! If you gave up your daily Caramel Latte at Starbucks for a month, you could save around P3,000 – enough to buy you a round trip airline ticket from Manila to Puerto Princesa. Sometimes you need to give up your creature comforts to get you something better you weren’t even looking for. Like life experience.

Remember, traveling is the only thing you spend on that can make you richer in the end. So go on and travel the summers of your carefree youth before you become a working sti� like the rest of us, and most of the summer is spent inside a windowless air-con room.

Vicki Abary is a journalist who travels whenever the opportunity presents itself. She even co-founded a blog devoted to the subject: thegypsetters.net

WHERE TO HEAD OFF TO THIS SUMMER IN THE PHILIPPINES

BORACAYWe’re stating the

obvious here. Blinding white sand beaches,

a chilled vibe and a great party scene.

PALAWANSheer natural beauty, from limestone cliffs to underwater caves

and sparkling blue waters in between.

BATANESWay up north.

Windswept and battered by rains most

of the year, except during the dry summer

months, it has a special kind of magic.

BOHOLA veritable

smorgasbord of wonders packed into

an island: tarsiers, chocolate hills,

Baroque churches and fantastic beaches.

BAGUIOGo tell it on the

mountain. Cooler climes and mountain

adventures.

BY PATRICIA OCAMPO

BY VICKI ABARY

WHERE TO HEAD OFF TO THIS SUMMER IN THE PHILIPPINES

C2 BAMBINA OLIVARES WISEEDITOR

SUNDAY : MARCH 29 : 2015

glweekend@gmai l .com

LIFE

Suddenly Last Summer

Summertime: that fantastic time of the year I always longed for. Late nights watching TV, nobody nagging me to wake up to go to school, and unhurried, long, late breakfast bowls � lled with fried rice and chorizo – bottomless at that! It was also that much relished time of year when showers needn’t happen ‘til late in the a� ernoon and unmade beds went under the radar. I still enjoy chorizo fried rice and a few

messy -now naughty, beds. But summertime also meant a time to get out, explore the country and especially escape the yoke of the ‘rents. I only had a few days to take o� each year so they required strategic, surgeon-sharp planning. � e scene of the murder(s), the accomplices, and the hangouts of the victims = Acapulco, my high school friends and the hippest new bar � lled with American girls on spring break. It was an equation � lled with anticipation, happiness and adventure. I was very lucky to have the chance to explore the country I lived in growing up. Friends came from all over, from di� erent regions and always wanted to get everyone together, their nearest and dearest, from everywhere. From indigestions to hangovers, from beaches to mountains, from girlfriends to boyfriends… we did indeed share incredible and intense moments that have have become part of the unforgettable fabric of my youth. But what I recall the most and with almost trembling excitement is the feeling before going into that unknown vacation hoping it would bring a new love conquest or, in essence, THE hookup of the season. � ere is something incredibly potent about going on a trip when you are young and popular with girls, boys or both and leaving home to explore your inner conquistador: the con� dence blossoms, the bravado soars. Setting foot in the IT club of the moment, my friends and I would disperse in twos to check out the prey. Some went for the blonds (why not?), some for the green-eyed, others for the spiritual connection and just a few for the virginal girlfriend who would keep an eye on the messed-up rest. It was almost like a ritual dance at the beginning of hunting season. Anonymity was the perfect shield for summer hookups and we certainly took advantage of it. Nobody knew us, we role-played as much as we wanted to with as many casualties as we wanted to, knowing we would never see any of them again. Or so we hoped for before the vacation began. Fun, carefree episodes that saw some of us falling in love and having long-distance, pen pal, and mixed-tape exchanging relationships for months. Hormones were raging, alcohol � owing and dreams assembling. Confessions were told and secrets revealed; alliances formed and compacts broken; friendships strengthened and rivalries intensi� ed; loves conquered and hearts broken. Looking back, I can only smirk and even chuckle every now and then, remembering the countless memories that were made in those days when intensity was magni� ed, it seemed, to the power of in� nity. I still love my vacation time, and every year and I make sure I keep the adventure index high. A little less bravado and maybe a little less naughty but still excited about exploring unchartered territory. So push the limits. Create memories. Write your story.

Luis de Terry is a Spanish-Filipino chef who grew up in Mexico. � e � avors he discovers during his travels always � nd their way into his cooking.

HO CHI MINH, VIETNAM

Pho sure

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

Temple fever

OSAKA, JAPAN

Sakura season

BALI, INDONESIA

Ubud ng fun

PHUKET, THAILANDBeachy keen

5 Tips for Young Travelers to Live By

BY LUIS DE TERRY

BY WILLIAM BATCHELOR

Traveling to unique and fascinating destinations as a teenager is one of the great parts of growing up. � e best time to travel is during summer break where students can enjoy some well deserved time o� . With the Philippine summer now coming into full swing, young travelers are be-ginning to set o� on their exciting holidays.� ere are important things to remember in order to have the ideal traveling experience. Here are 5 tips all young travelers should live by.

1 Load up your computer with Movies and TV Shows.

Trying to balance school work and a social life as a teen takes up a lot of time. � erefore summer break is the perfect opportunity to catch up on all your favorite TV shows and movies you never had the time to watch. Whether it’s keeping yourself busy on a long haul � ight or just spending a chill a� ernoon in your hotel room, its essential to have something to watch. So � ll up your computer with all your favorites or get hooked on a new series (I recommend Game of � rones).

2 Bring along your favorite books or magazines.

It’s essential to bring along some things to read to keep you occupied. Whether you’re at the beach or in a major city, great books and your favorite magazines are perfect for any summer day. � ey are the ideal companion for winding down by the pool or cozying up in your room and are lifesavers when it comes to long layovers or delays at the airport. So enjoy your well deserved time o� and unwind with a good read.

3 Take photos for your social media.

Documenting one’s travels on social media is a must for any young travel-ler. Social media allows you to share experiences through photos with friends and followers around the world. When traveling, it’s important to bring along a camera, whether it be your phone, a Polaroid, a go-pro or a DSLR. � is way you can keep your friends updated by posting pictures on Instagram or photo albums on Facebook. � is is sure to make all your friends and followers wish they were on vacation with you!

4 Pack your essentials. It’s no lie that packing is one of the most important but di� cult aspects of traveling. Questions like, “do I pack

light to save room for things I’m going to buy, or do I pack everything to to be safe?”, are common. To avoid this dilemma, one important tip is to plan ahead, making a list of all your essentials you can’t live without. � ings like headphones, laptops, chargers, adaptors, sunglasses, cameras and phones are a must for any trip. So don’t leave anything behind, as that can put a damper on your trip.

5 Do your research before you leave.

No matter where you’re traveling to, doing research on the destination is vital. All it takes is a little time sur� ng the web, looking for the best restaurants, trendiest areas, most popular stores and most well-known sites which can really help enhance one’s trip. In addition, asking friends or locals for recommendations can bring along experiences that never would have happened otherwise. � is tip is crucial as being unprepared for a trip is a bad move.

William Batchelor is a high school junior who has, at his young age, already been bitten by the travel bug.

WHERE TO HEAD OFF TO THIS SUMMER AROUND ASIA

TV SERIES: Game of Thrones

MOVIE: American Sniper

BOOK: The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

MUSIC: Wanted on Voyage

by George Ezra

My Travel Companions

C3BAMBINA OLIVARES WISEEDITORLIFE



TRAVELLIN’ LIGHT

HACKETT Central Square Bonifacio High Street, Power Plant Mall Rockwell Center, Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s Shangri-La Y-3 Bonifacio High Street, Power Plant Mall BALENCIAGA Greenbelt 5 RAY-BAN rayban.com FOREVER 21 SM Megamall, SM Aura, SM Mall of Asia, SM Makati. For more stores visit forever21.com SWATCH swatch.com COLORI coloriwatches.com TOMATO tomato.ph SUPERGA Greenbelt 5, Eastwood Mall, Shangri-La, Rustan’s

Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Rustan’s Alabang AMERICAN TOURISTER SM stores nationwide NIKE nike.com/ph ADIDAS shop.adidas.com.ph

Shower, Shampoo and Soap Travel Assortment, L’OCCITANE

Drawstring Bag, Y-3 Black Jeans, FOREVER 21 Denim Cuffed Shorts, FOREVER 21

Lace Top, FOREVER 21

Carry-on Bag, LE SPORTSAC

Watch, SWATCH

Watch, TOMATO

Striped Top, FOREVER 21

Sunglasses, BALENCIAGA

Flip-flops, OLD NAVY

Denim Romper, FOREVER 21

Sneakers, SUPERGA

Wheeled Suitcase, VICTORINOX

Aloe Skincare Kit, THE BODY SHOP Clear Start Set, DERMALOGICA

ALL KITTED OUTTravel with travel-

sized skincare products, and opt for the ones that

come in kits

Watch, TOMATOTOMATOTOMATOTOMATO

FORHER

Pack smart and pack right with these practical yet stylish travel essentials

Duffle Bag, HACKETT

Sunglasses, RAY-BAN

Sunhat, Y-3

Wheeled Suitcase, AMERICAN TOURISTER

Olive Parka, FOREVER 21

C4 BAMBINA OLIVARES WISEE D I T O R

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

LIFES U N D AY : M A R C H 2 9 : 2 0 1 5

TRAVELLIN’ LIGHT

Watch, SWATCH

Wheeled Suitcase, VICTORINOX

Normal/Oily Skin Kit, DERMALOGICA Men+ Care Range, DOVE

FORHIM

UNIQLO SM Mall of Asia, SM AURA, SM Megamall Fashion Hall, Glorietta 5, Power Plant Mall. Visit uniqlo.com/ph for more locations LE SPORTSAC Greenbelt 5 OLD NAVY Bonifacio High Street, Glorietta 3, SM Megamall, Fairview Terraces, Shangri-La Plaza, Estancia VICTORINOX at select SM stores URBAN at select SM stores CASE LOGIC at select SM stores THULE SM Aura, SM North Edsa and select SM stores DERMALOGICA dermalogica.com

THE BODY SHOP thebodyshop.com.ph L’OCCITANE ph.loccitane.com DOVE nationwide TOILE hommeetfemme.ph

Pack smart and pack right with these practical yet stylish travel essentials

Backpack, TOILE

Backpack, CASELOGIC

Watch, COLORI

Kabuki Collection Tee,

UNIQLO

Kabuki Collection Tee, UNIQLO



Polo Shirt, UNIQLO

Polo Shirt, UNIQLO

Backpack, THULE

Baseball Cap, Y-3

Wheeled Suitcase, URBAN

Sneakers, NIKE Sneakers, ADIDAS

Flip-flops, OLD NAVY

Kabuki Collection Shorts, UNIQLO

Sunglassses, RAY-BAN

C5BAMBINA OLIVARES WISEEDITORLIFE



C6 ISAH V. REDE D I T O R

S U N D AY : M A R C H 2 9 : 2 0 1 5

i s a h r e d @ g m a i l . c o m

SHOWBITZ

MIRIAM QUIAMBAO’S LIFE STORY NOW A BOOK

ACROSS 1 Panhandles 5 Igneous rock, once 10 Logo 16 Nuns can’t shake it 21 Mountains or river 22 Archipelago dots 23 Rita of old movies 24 A moon of Jupiter 25 Frosty coating 26 Milan’s La — 27 Diamond units 28 Fixes a tooth 29 Like Prohibition 31 Dessert cart choice 33 Give feedback 35 Tolerated 36 Aileron locale 37 Cherchez la — 40 Narrow inlet 41 Piece of glass 42 Ms. Hagen 45 Price offered 46 Court figures, briefly 48 Retiree’s kitty

50 Murky 52 Harped on 54 El — (ocean current) 55 Carelessly hasty 57 Blower 58 Lorelei’s river 59 Totally confused 60 Wild guess 62 Rubbed the wrong way 66 Tad 67 Trapeze artist’s workspace 69 Dry red wine 71 3-D shape 72 Thick fog (2 wds.) 74 Depot info 76 Wouldn’t hurt — — 78 Holiday drink 79 Coal scuttles 80 Parrot’s skill 83 Layered pasta 85 Morticia’s husband 88 “Tiny Bubbles” crooner (2 wds.) 89 Hunts, with “on”

90 Vikings, often 93 Overlooks 95 Trendy 97 Say please 98 “The Wreck of the Mary —” 100 Mach 1 exceeder 101 Cloaks or monkeys 106 Glance furtively 108 Fair maiden 110 Afterword (var.) 112 From square one 113 Emerson opus 115 Striped antelope 116 Engine stats 117 Pigeonhole 118 Playful activity 120 Abound with 122 Jacques’ forest 123 Well-protected 124 Amused 128 Country addr. 129 A funny Philips 130 Filch 131 Same old grind 132 Hour, for Pedro 133 Sahib’s rule 135 Obligation 137 Red Sonja ally 139 Vitamin amt. 140 Like a corset 142 Highest degree 144 Weigh 148 Rockies range 150 Stockpiled 153 Overturn 155 Snarl 156 Smuggle 157 Repeat performance 158 Coronet 159 Bridge bldr. 160 Yard enclosure 161 Windshield fluid 162 Dainty pastries 163 Capsule, maybe

DOWN 1 Laird’s accent 2 A Great Lake 3 Big umbrella 4 Lie dormant 5 Put out of place 6 Scale 7 Woodland clearing 8 Mr. Blanc 9 PDQ 10 Sajak or Trebek 11 Ostrichlike bird 12 Icy remark? 13 Nonsense poet 14 Walk on in 15 Tile mural 16 Hoist 17 Baba of folklore 18 Sentimental tune 19 A Mandrell sister 20 Took a sip 30 “The Sandbox” penner 32 In that case (2 wds.) 34 Baby whale 38 Cosmonaut’s station 39 Destroy data 41 Carthaginian 42 Tear out a seam 43 Lake near Reno 44 Tummy trouble 46 Charm 47 Opposed 49 Far afield 51 Galley implement 53 Ground, as teeth 54 Twig juncture 56 Grapefruit serving 59 They may be sealed 61 Raw cotton 63 Pounce 64 Piano-key wood 65 Monet contemporary 67 Beauty pack

68 Deep regret 69 Sugar-cane cutter 70 Herbal infusion 73 Seeped 75 Metallic sounds 77 Tomato jelly 81 Rite answer? (2 wds.) 82 Decay 84 Primitive 85 Jelly flavor 86 Camel halts 87 Podium features 91 Vicksburg fighter

92 Polio vaccine inventor 93 — -bender 94 Hannibal defeater 95 USN ranks 96 Greet warmly 99 Put to flight 102 Mendicant’s shout 103 Provoke 104 Kind of jacket 105 Awfully nice 107 “The Castle” author 109 Because of (2 wds.)

111 Teen event 114 Mr. Brynner 117 Sherpa’s home 119 Orchid-loving Wolfe 121 Guys 122 Kindest regards 123 Beethoven works 124 Songbird 125 An antiseptic 126 Stretched to see 127 Went to a sock hop 130 Hidden 134 Astrologer —Dixon

136 Reporting to 137 Romero or Chavez 138 Used the microwave 140 Swelter 141 Cato’s 701 143 Jabba the — 145 A.D. word 146 Duds 147 To be, in Bordeaux 149 The “it” game 151 Ad — committee 152 Previously 154 Ms. Zadora

A N S W E R F O R P R E V I O U S P U Z Z L E

CROSSWORD PUZZLE SUNDAY,

MARCH 29, 2015

Spotify was named as the number 1 music app in the country, according to mar-ket research data and on-

line polls gathered recently. Data from global app analytics service App Annie (www.appannie.com) revealed that Spotify is the no.1 music app for Android devices since it launched in April 2014. For iOS devices, Spotify placed 2nd over-all among music apps in the App Store, way above Spinnr (18th) and Deezer (91st)*. In a separate article on adweek.com, research � rm YouGov Brand-Index indicated that Spotify is one of the top � ve music apps used by millennials. Spotify occu-pied the second spot next to Pandora in market leadership in online music streaming services. YouGov looked at several metrics for the top � ve music streaming services including their current market share among millennials, aware-ness, satisfaction and purchase consideration relative to their rivals. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, local news blog site Astig.ph conducted an online poll asking readers to vote which Philippine music stream-ing service they preferred. Results showed that Spotify led with 89 percent, followed by Deezer at 9 percent and Spinnr at 1 percent. Top tech blog Yugatech ran a similar poll “What’s your streaming music of choice?” with Spotify sus-taining landslide victory as most preferred mu-sic app with 576 out of 674 votes as of press time. Globe Telecom brought Spotify to the Philip-pines in 2014 as part of its GoSURF data plans, providing its customers access to the Internet plus the best free music experience in the his-tory of connected devices with access to over 30 million songs including the latest OPM hits.

Less than a year a� er Spo-tify’s launch, music streaming has now become an integral part of cus-tomers’ digital lifestyle, positively shi� ing from the music download-ing habit, driving Spotify to become the most popular music streaming app in the Philippines. “We are proud to lead the shi� of music-listening behavior in the Philippines. With our partnership with the leading music app Spotify, our customers can now enjoy ac-cess to millions of songs and playl-ists anytime and anywhere through their mobile devices,” shares Issa

Cabreira, Globe senior vice president for Con-sumer Mobile Marketing. Globe is currently o� ering access to the mu-sic streaming service to its mobile and broad-band customers at a� ordable rates. With Spo-tify Premium standalone promo of only P129 for 30 days, users get access to ad-free listening experience, play any song on-demand, listen to the highest audio quality, and download music and listen o� ine. Spotify is also available with the new Tattoo home broadband plans starting at Plan 1099. Recently, Spotify unveiled a new feature that allows users to sing-along to their favorite tunes, karaoke-style, using the Spotify app. � e latest app integration is making lyrics a seam-less part of the Spotify experience on desktop. Powered by Musixmatch, the world’s largest lyrics catalogue, the ability to sing along to one’s favourite tunes is just a click away. Cus-tomers just need to cue up any song and hit the new Lyrics button, located next to the play bar, to start singing along with the lyrics. � ey can also search and browse popular lyrics from Spotify’s top songs using the Explore feature.

NO. 1 MUSIC APP IN PH

Issa Cabreira, Globe senior vice president for Consumer Mobile Marketing says Spotify remains the music app of choice of Globe mobile subscribers

Her accidental fall during the 1999 Miss Universe pageant has never been forgotten by Filipino

viewers. It was never her fall that made the audience cheer and clap but rather her grace when Miriam Quiambao got up and continued her walk as if nothing had happened. Quiambao’s life story mirrors this experience. Her � rst book, He Can Catch You When You Fall, is a story of hope and second chances. n. � e book also tells the inside story of how, divorced and depressed, she came back to the Philippines a few years later, where more bad news awaited her. Miriam Quiambao then shares how God li� ed her up, enabled her to walk on and to once again wear that beauty queen smile that had cap-tivated the hearts of many. Today, she is happily married to Christian author and entrepreneur Ardy Roberto. Miriam Quiambao � rst launched her book at the 35th Manila Inter-national Book Fair on Sept.18, 2014

at the SMX Convention Center. At 4 p.m. on March 21 this year, in celebra-tion of International Women’s Month, she once again shared her inspira-tional story at a special book launch at National Book Store Glorietta 1. � e event was attended by family and friends and members of the press. � e program was hosted by media personality Donita Rose, and guests were serenaded by former Moon-star88 lead vocalist Acel Van Ommen and former Imago vocalist Aia de Leon. A public book signing opened at 6 p.m. � e event was organized in partnership with CSM Publishing, National Book Store, and sponsor-ing brands Mango, Hairworks, Cozy Nails, Olay, NicePrint Photography, Pancake House, Buqo, Sexy Solutions by Belo and Neil’s Kitchen. He Can Catch You When You Fall: � e Continuing Life Story of Miriam Quiam-bao is published by Cross Over (an im-print of CSM Publishing) and is avail-able at leading bookstores nationwide.

Miriam Quiambao is now an author. She launched her first book at National Book Store two Saturdays ago. It’s titled “He Can Catch You When You Fall”

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Oras Na won in the first edition of the International Award for Best TV Doc-umentary on Disaster Risk Reduction. The only nominee and winning entry from the Philippines, it won Best Investigative Story at the award-ing ceremony of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduc-tion in Sendai, Japan on March 16. It tied with BBC Panorama’s Britain Underwater in the same category. Organized by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and its partners, the Asia Broad-casting Union (ABU) and the Eu-ropean Broadcasting Union (EBU), the International Award for Best TV Documentary on Disaster Risk Re-duction honors works that spotlight human stories, investigation, and in-novation. Oras Na, produced by GMA News and Public Affairs and hosted by Richard Gutierrez, was an ambitious production that took many months in the making. The 70-minute environ-mental documentary aired on GMA-7’s Sunday Night Box Office in 2011, featured the never-before-seen im-pact of ecological exploitations from the most remote to the highly urban-ized areas in the country. With the use of time-lapse record-ing, the documentary presented vi-sual evidence of the degradation of the country’s rainforests, shortage of clean water, the significant decline of fossil fuels, and the looming collapse

of marine resources due to over har-vesting and destructive fishing. The documentary also received the Martine Filippi Award for Dis-covery at the 31st International Union Radiophonique et Télévi-suelle Internationale (URTI) Grand Prix for Author’s Documentary held in Monte Carlo, Monaco in 2012.

HHHHHStar Magic’s resident host, Robi Do-mingo was chosen as the first am-bassador of Goodwill on March 20in Hokkaido Japan. Hokkaido’s Vice Governor Yoshihiro Yamaya award-ed him as “Smile Ambassador” after Lakwatsero sa Hokkaido was aired on ABS-CBN. It was co- produced by ABS-CBN Integrated News and Japan’s Sapporo-Hokkaido Contents Strategy Organization (SHOCS). “I feel honored and thankful for the recognition. Part of my duties as an ambassador is to promote Hok-kaido’s tourism and culture in any way possible here in the Philippines”, Domingo said. The Kapamilya star met Hokkai-do’s Takehiko Orimo, team leader of Levanga basketball team and Kouki Shimizu, town deputy mayor of Kembuchi. He got the chance to mingle with the Japanese communi-ty that supports Filipino authors. He was also invited to talk about “Hok-kaido can be a paradise for Filipinos to visit” in a seminar attended by Japanese businessmen and investors.

Guess what’s Alexander Nevsky’s dream? It’s shooting a movie in Manila. That’s what. He revealed this

during a press conference for Showdown in Manila a week ago at the Hotel Inter-continental Manila in Makati. The actor more popularly known as the Russian Schwarzenegger was with his co-stars in the film among whom were Starship Trooper star Casper Van Dien, Filipino American Tia Carrere, Japanese Ameri-can Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Mattias Hues, and Filipino actor Iza Calzado. Action movies are a staple of Holly-wood. There is something exhilarating from watching an action hero win over the bad guys in spectacularly staged and expertly choreographed fight scenes. Fans of Hol-lywood action extravaganzas around the world, including Filipinos, are in for a treat as Alexander Nevsky, three-time winner of the Mr. Universe title and dubbed as Rus-sia’s Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in an ac-tion adventure film called “Showdown in Manila” now being shot entirely in Manila. A famous action star in his native Russia, Nevsky flew in to the Philippines recently to film Showdown in Manila, which features action-packed, thrill-filled scenes in which the Russian Schwarzenegger specializes. Di-rected by legendary actor and martial art-ist Mark Dacascos, himself a half Filipino and half American seen in films, like Crying Freeman and Brotherhood of the Wolf, the film follows Nevsky as he hops from one adrenalin-filled adventure to the next while encountering an interesting array of char-acters to be played by popular international

RUSSIAN SCHWARZENEGGER’S DREAM FULFILLED

1 Russian action star Alexander Nevsky in a scene fron Showdown in Manila 2 Nevsky has been in town since early part of the month, location hunting with actor Casper Van Die7 and doing pre-production work 3 With Co-star Matthias Hues 4 Nevskyhas always wanted to shoot a film in Manila 5 Another gripping sequence with Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Hues

stars like Van Dien, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Carrere, Hues, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Oliver Grunier, and Cynthia Rothrock. The film has Filipino cast as well apart from Iza Calzado. Jake Macapagal, Mon Confiado, and Will Devaughn play impor-tant roles in the action thriller. Nevsky is no stranger to fans of interna-tional action flicks. Followers of Nevsky and of the genre can easily identify him from his list of action movie credits like Undisputed, Mos-

cow Heat, Treasure Raiders, and Magic Man. Nevsky’s most recent theatrical hit was Black Rose, a psychological thriller released inter-nationally in 2014 which he himself directed. Nevsky’s co-stars in the film were Kristanna Loken (of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) and Adrian Paul (of TV’s Highlander). Imposingly tall (6’6”), buff, and virile, Nevsky is a superstar-bodybuilder-turned-actor, writer, and producer. Armed with a degree from the State Academy of Manage-ment in Moscow, Nevsky has published five best-selling books and authored 500 articles on fitness and bodybuilding in Rus-sia. Nevsky eventually moved to California in 1999 where he studied English at UCLA

and acting at the iconic Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. Aside from acting classes, Nevsky pre-pared extensively for a career as a top Hollywood action hero, having attended master classes in the different forms of martial arts under Chuck Norris and Ste-ven Seagal. Thanks to independently pro-duced Hollywood action hits like Moscow Heat and Treasure Raiders, Nevsky has gained a large following and become the first successful Russian writer, producer, and actor working in Hollywood today. Bankrolled by Alexander Nevsky him-self, famous Hollywood director Andrzej Bartkowiak (Romeo Must Die, DOOM) and martial artist-turned-actor Mark Dacascos, Nevsky’s latest action offering Showdown in Manila marks the fulfill-ment of Nevsky’s longtime dream to visit and do a movie in Manila. “It was my dream for many years to go to the Philip-pines. And I am happy that I can shoot my action film here also,” says Nevsky. Principal photography started on March 9. Described as an action-thriller in the same vein as the Schwarzenegger hit The Expendables, Showdown in Manila has as-sembled a team of experts in various fields of action movie production that includes Rudy Harbon as Director of Photography, fight instructor Al Dacascos and assistant fight instructor Sonny Sison for fight cho-reography and stunt coordination. With all these elements fitting in perfectly together, international action heavyweight Alexander Nevsky kooks forward to the world premiere of his latest starrer Show-down in Manila towards the end of 2015.

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From C8

GMA NETWORK WINS UN AWARD

Domingo with the mayor of

Asahi Kawa

Oras Na wins Best TV Documentary on Disaster Risk

Reduction

Richard Gutierrez hosts the award-winning documentary

Robi Domingo receives award from Hokkaido Vice Governor

Yoshihiro Yamaya

Domingo with businessmen and investors


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SHOWBITZ

SIMPLYRED

SIMPLYRED

ISAH V. RED

Fast-rising pop balladeer Neo Domingo has released a new single titled “Kaching-Kaching” featuring the all-male rock band Fi� h Dynamics. � e music video, with its catchy lyrics and earworm arrangement, will surely endear listeners with its pop appeal and easy recall. Neo and Fi� h Dynamics are co-winners in last year’s Dreams Get Real, McJim’s search for the next OPM star. � e second season, which was green-lighted this March, is slated to unfold very soon. Boy band JBK is the third wheel in the three-way tie that resulted at the close of season one. As one of the fastest emerging names in the Philippine music industry today, Neo will surely make waves with “Kaching-Kach-ing” in the same way that his debut single “Pagbigyan Mo Na” landed in radio charts and became an MTV Pinoy favorite. “Neo and Fi� h Dynamics are very tal-ented artists, very determined and very persevering in what they do. � is single will de� nitely plant a seed that is bound to grow big and inspire the next generation of Pinoy sound,” enthused album composer-arrang-er Jonathan Ong of Sonic State Studio. Neo is optimistic the song will become viral. A staunch believer in Original Pili-pino Music (OPM), he hopes to bring back novelty into the growing awareness and re-naissance of Pinoy sound that has, for quite some time, been eclipsed by foreign sound. An actor, musician, dancer and song-writer, Neo Domingo is a former member of the erstwhile boy-band Take O� , a � -nalist in X-Factor Philippines’ search a few years back. Directed by Miggy Tanchanco, with a matching dance craze made by legendary dance artiste Geleen Eugenio, “Kaching-Kaching’s” music video is star-studded. Cameo appearances populate the entire music video with guest artists including child star Xyriel Manabat, comedienne Kiray Celis, teen star Ella Cruz, Mr. Man-

NEO DOMINGO GAMBLES ON NOVELTY MUSIC

hunt Philippines-International 2013 win-ner June Macasaet, as well as king of nov-elty Bayani Agbayani. � e beautifullyrecorded track is spon-sored by mass-housing brand Lumina Homes of Vista Land. Neo Domingo and Fi� h Dynamics are part of the ever growing #TeamCahilig stable of talents which include boybands 1:43 and JBK. For booking inquiries, simply get in touch with #Team Cahilig through email [email protected].

★★★★★Mikael Daez remains loyal to GMA Net-work. � e actor just renewed his contract with the Kapuso Network on March 25. Daez expressed his gratitude on the challenging projects that the Network has been giving him. “It’s no secret that I’m very very happy with GMA. I’ve been here for four years and they have given me such amazing breaks. I remember, the � rst thing I promised when I signed my � rst contract that I would try to improve and keep on getting better and show them something new with each project. “I’m happy, I think I feel like I’ve done that and you know, I’ve segued then grown from just an actor to hosting a food show and a travel show. I’ve also done comedy, gag show, sitcom now, I’ve done movies. I would like to think that I was very happy with the work that we did and I would like to think that the projects were very suc-cessful, a lot of them are still running up to now,” Mikael added. Present in the contract signing were Senior Vice President for Entertainment Lilybeth G. Rasonable, Vice President for Entertainment Marivin T. Arayata, Vice President for Drama Redgie A. Magno, Senior Assistant Vice President for Alter-native Productions Gigi S. Lara, Assistant Vice President for Drama Cheryl Ching-Sy, GMA Artist Center Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Unit Simoun F. Ferrer, Pro-gram Manager Cecille de Guzman, and Mikael’s co-manager Betchay Vidanes. Mikael is currently hosting the � ve-minute segment of Saksi titled “Midnight Express”and is in Bubble Gang and Ismol Family. Continued on C7

At the contract signing, Mikael Daez is accompanied by his manager Betchay Vidanes, extreme left, and GMA officers Gigi Lara and Lilybeth Reasonable are signatories

On the set of the music video with guest performers Fifth Dynamics, Kiray, Xyriel Mananbat, and Ella Cruz

Neo Domingo’s new tune ‘Kaching Kaching’ gets a lift with a music video

SCAN THIS ICON TO WATCH NEO DOMINGO’S ‘KACHING KACHING’ MUSIC VIDEO

The music video, with its catchy

lyrics and earworm arrangement,

will surely endear listeners with its

pop appeal and easy recall

The Standard - 2015 March 29 - Sunday

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